WATFORD CITY -- A northwest North Dakota tobacco store owner who is facing charges for selling products allegedly containing an illegal substance derived from marijuana says he did not know that he could be violating the law, and contends that ingredients in his merchandise do not fall under controlled substance classifications.

The Northwest Narcotics Task Force raided both of Falesteni Abuhamdas stores simultaneously last month, seizing a number of items that listed CBD, a compound found in marijuana and industrial hemp, as an ingredient.

Agents took waxes, lotions, oils and candies which were advertised as containing CBD, also known as cannabidiol.

This week, Abuhamda was charged with delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school, a Class A felony; possession of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school, a Class B felony; possession of hashish, a Class C felony; manufacturing of drug paraphernalia, a Class C felony; two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and one count of possession of a controlled substance, all misdemeanors.

The allegations were filed Monday in district court.

Both of Abuhamdas stores in are close proximity to public schools in Alexander and Watford City, where 15 officers arrived at each site in early April.

They came in here in force, it was a big drug bust, I didnt know what it was about, he said.

They said it was about CBD, and I started telling them how its legal.

The Drug Enforcement Administration did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on how CBD is classified under federal law.

The North Dakota Century Code lists a number of compounds extracted from the cannabis plant as controlled substances, but still, specifics arent clear when it comes to CBD. Cannabidiol has seen growing popularity because of its medicinal properties, which proponents say include symptom relief for those suffering from epilepsy, anxiety and depression.

The substance does not have the same effect as THC, the more well-known psychoactive compound in marijuana that can cause hallucinations.

Products with CBD on the ingredient list are found in many stores, including major big-box retailers, Abuhamda said, adding that he stocks his store with products that are manufactured by companies across the United States.

Theres just so much confusion on the subject, for them to be so confident about it, saying You knew (these things are illegal), he said. How would I know when everyone in the world thinks its legal?

Abuhamda opened his store in Alexander three years ago, and expanded to Watford City last fall. He considered the venture a new start after losing money as a developer in the New Jersey area about six years ago.

No way would I sell something that I know is illegal, this is my last leg, this is my second chance, he said.

Undercover agents visited his stores in February after Abuhamda advertised via social media that hed just stocked a wax containing CBD. Numerous other undercover purchases followed, which tested positive for CBD, and one of which contained THC, according to the state crime lab.

During the execution of a search warrant in April, agents allegedly found a small amount of marijuana in Abuhamdas residence, which is connected to the store.

Police say in an affidavit of probable cause that Abuhamda said hed gotten the marijuana from a friend for his own use, but he said this week that he routinely cleans up an abandoned lot next to the store where young people discard small amounts of the drug after using it.

We find these little containers and we collect it, he said. Three years weve been here, and weve been picking it up. I just wanted to destroy it myself.

The charge of possession of hashish likely came from something in that collection, he added.

Im thinking that might be something that was thrown into that  that wasnt for sale.

Earlier this month, a Bismarck news station aired a story featuring two stores that were selling CBD oil. About a week later, the Bismarck Police Departments Narcotics Unit raided both stores, telling employees that CBD is considered a controlled substance.

The incident has not resulted in criminal charges at Terrys Health Products, where employees pulled the products in question off of the shelves.

The detectives were under the impression that no charges would be filed because there was no intent (to sell an illegal substance,) store owner Lonna Brooks said.

The product at her store contained CBD from an industrial hemp plant, as opposed to being derived from marijuana, which she said is an important distinction.

In a statement that Abuhamdas attorney sent to the McKenzie States Attorneys Office on April 28, he claims that the products seized from his stores contained the variety of CBD that is produced from industrial hemp.

Right now were in talks with all the manufacturers, trying to figure out the legality of our stuff, Abuhamda said on Thursday.

He is scheduled to appear in court on July 20 for a preliminary hearing.
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
Officials in the states largest counties are predicting property tax increases under changes enacted during the most recent legislative session.

But Gov. Doug Burgum said the state is boosting funds for property tax relief and argued the ultimate responsibility for the tax rests with local governments.

The North Dakota Legislature this year eliminated the 12 percent property tax credit and instead implemented a two-year pilot program for the state takeover of county social services costs, suspending county authority to levy 20 mills for those programs.

Proponents said the change, which passed with bipartisan support, created property tax relief and reform while eliminating a subsidy for local government spending that continued to grow as the state faced revenue shortfalls. But the pilot program comes with a lighter price tag than the 12 percent buydown, which was created in 2013.

Cass County Auditor Michael Montplaisir predicted an 8.5 to 9 percent increase on residential property tax bills under the legislative changes, assuming everything else stays the same.

At this point, we dont really know, he said. We havent gone through the budget process.

Kevin Glatt, the Burleigh County auditor, said he expects tax bills on residential property in the city of Bismarck to rise by about 7 percent under the legislative changes alone. Grand Forks County Auditor Debbie Nelson estimated the same figure for all property types in the city of Grand Forks.

Still, Glatt supported the move because he said social service programs are mandated by the state and federal governments and shouldnt be funded locally.

When the county could make limited policy decisions, it didnt seem appropriate that they would have to fund it, Glatt said.

Others have been less receptive to the change. Grand Forks City Council President Dana Sande issued a blunt warning after Burgum signed Senate Bill 2206, creating the social services pilot program.

I want Grand Forks citizens to know their property tax bill is going up in 2018, he wrote on his Facebook page.

Real property tax relief

Property tax bills will ultimately depend on valuations and the budgetary needs of the local governments that levy them, but they have also been a sticky issue at the Capitol in recent years. And this session, lawmakers struggled to balance the books on reduced state tax revenue.

Continuing the buydown at 12 percent was expected to cost $275 million over the next two years. The Legislature set aside almost $161 million for the pilot program.

Still, overall spending on property tax relief is estimated to rise by almost $50 million in the next biennium to $1.36 billion, almost a third of the states general fund budget, according to a Legislative Council report provided by Sen. Ray Holmberg, R-Grand Forks. That increase comes even as legislators slashed total general fund spending by almost a third this year.

But Holmberg, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, agreed with the assessment from local government officials.

Peoples property taxes will be going up some, he said. But now the state has the opportunity to start looking at efficiencies in county social services.

In his first state of the state address in early January, Burgum said lawmakers should find an off-ramp to the property tax buydown, which he said was tax money coming in and then being redistributed in an attempt to lower other taxes, according to prepared remarks.

In an interview, Burgum pushed back against suggestions that changes at the state level would result in higher property taxes.

When the state is doing over $1.3 billion of relief across K-12 and social services and the states putting more money into that than we did the last time, the math would indicate that if property taxes are going to go up, its because of something thats being done at the local level not something thats being done at the state level, he said.

Charlene Nelson, who led an unsuccessful bid to eliminate property taxes in North Dakota a few years ago, sharply criticized state leaders for failing to adequately address tax increases. She predicted another effort would come about, but she was unsure of specifics.

What we will propose will be true, meaningful, real property tax relief that every single citizen in this state will feel, Nelson said. Thats why this is going to be in front of the voters again, because our legislators have proved themselves utterly incapable of fixing this problem.

Rep. Craig Headland, R-Montpelier, who chairs the House Finance and Taxation Committee, said local governments should look to cut their budgets just like state agencies were forced to do in recent months.

If they do that, I dont see any reason why property taxes need to go up for anybody, he said.
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:

Home Regional News East
The FBI did not immediately disclose the nature of the incident, but local CBS and NBC affiliates reported Friday that a passenger on American Airlines Flight 31 was detained after trying to breach the cockpit.

Crew members on Flight 31 and an off-duty police officer restrained the man aboard the flight which originated from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the reports said. Flight 31 landed safely in Honolulu at 11:35 a.m. local time. No injuries were reported.

Federal authorities were preparing a criminal complaint to charge Turkish national Anil Uskanil, 25, with interference with a flight crew, FBI special-agent-in charge Paul Delacourt said at a Honolulu news conference, Reuters said.

Local news outlets said the man had "breached" security at LAX but was allowed to board the plane. It was not immediately clear what the circumstances of that breach were, but the news outlets, citing unnamed sources, said once Flight 31 departed, the man allegedly "tried to break through the cockpit door."

Delacourt, when asked by a reporter if Uskanil tried to break into the cockpit, said the Turkish man was in the aisle of the plane and it was "unclear what his motivation was."

Witnesses on Flight 31 told NBC News correspondent Gadi Schwartz that the passenger had a shirt over his head and did not make it past the first-class section of the aircraft. "Flight attendant blocked aisle, man taken down," Schwartz wrote.
In theory the government has a way to answer that, but surprisingly there's no standard methodology and politicians can tweak the results to suit their agendas.

It's called dynamic scoring.

It's the practice of projecting the financial effects that a policy will have on the budget while taking into account different factors such as business and consumer behavior.

Dynamic scoring can be used for relatively simple calculations, such as how raising the sales tax on a particular item will affect its sales. But it gets more complex when trying to project the cost of, say, cutting federal taxes.

On its face, cutting federal taxes leaves the government with less money in its pockets. But it's possible that if US businesses keep that money thanks to a lower tax burden, more Americans may end up with jobs. And if more Americans have jobs, the government's tax base grows, potentially making up for the lost revenue from the tax cut.

Dynamic scoring is the practice of projecting out those events and factoring them into budget analysis, aka budget scoring.

Standards? What standards?

The Congressional Budget Office began using dynamic scoring in 2015 to project cost estimates for things like the president's budget or the annual long-term budget outlook. But some people think establishing a standard methodology is crucial for dynamic scoring to work.

"If 'dynamic scoring' means that Congress can use any macroeconomic model it wants, then we are thrown back 100 or 150 years in terms of the rigor of our thinking," writes Simon Johnson in a post for the Tax Policy Center.

Johnson formerly served on the CBO's panel of economic analysis but was not involved in budget scoring.

Having no standard methodology for this type of budget scoring also means that think tanks and other partisan groups can tinker with their projections until they are left with an outcome they want.

"There are too many models with a very wide variety of assumptions and implications," Johnson says. "It is not exactly true that you can find a model that will support any claims, but this is sometimes uncomfortably close to the truth."

For this reason, dynamic scoring has become another issue dividing Washington politicians along party lines. Congressional Republicans have voiced their approval for the practice, while Democrats generally oppose it.

Political dynamics

In his days as the House Budget Committee chairman, Paul Ryan was a proponent of dynamic scoring. "What we want to do is change our measurement," said Ryan. "People say its dynamic scoring. I really call it reality-based scoring."

Many Democrats stand firmly against the practice, citing the possibilities for inaccuracy.

One major critic is Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. In 2015, he made clear his distaste for this type of budget scoring.

"The basic problem with what the right-wing economists call 'dynamic scoring' is that it requires the CBO to count hypothetical growth as additional revenue," Sanders said. "That means counting the chickens before they hatch."

Before dynamic scoring was invented, the standard was static scoring, which omits macroeconomic projections by assuming the GDP will remain unchanged by budgetary policy.
But that doesn't mean they don't want to. In fact, many of these things could be to their or your benefit, if only someone would speak up.

So Business Insider asked airline customer-service reps to weigh in on the one thing they'd love to tell passengers but can't.

We've included some of the more constructive thoughts here anonymously:

'Be honest'

"I've heard that excuse a thousand times."

'No, we can't just give you a free upgrade'

"Different airlines have different rules, but a change or upgrade can get you fired these days. And it's not worth our jobs. The airline computer system tracks everything, and big brother can be watching us."

'This job is more stressful than you know'

We are under a tremendous amount of pressure."

'Be more considerate of your fellow travelers'

"Cutting your toenails, flossing your teeth, putting on nail polish, and talking loudly on your cellphone shouldn't be done in public in the gate areas while you're waiting for your flight."

'Just relax  deep breaths'

"Is your issue really as serious as the stress you are causing to yourself and others?"

'Stop waiting till last minute'

"If you show up to the airport with 20 minutes to spare, you might miss the flight. It is not like taking the bus. Plan ahead."

'No'

"

'It's not all about you'

"You're not the only person here."

'We can't change the rules'

"Most of the rules were made for safety reasons. Travelers think the rules are a nuisance or trivial, but they are rules for a reason. It's to keep the passengers safe."

'You need my help?'

"Treat me right, and you will get the best I can give you."

"You get more with honey than with vinegar."

"If you are rude and yelling at me, do you really think I want to help you?"

'You don't need to pack everything and the kitchen sink'

"Inexperienced international travelers don't realize the size of taxis and public transportation in the cities they are visiting. That extra-large suitcase is not going to fit in a trunk of a cab. And you might often have to walk a distance to your hotel, which means dragging all your luggage with you. You really can get by with less when you travel."

'Stop blaming us for flight cancellations'

"No, we don't have spare airplanes to use if there is a cancellation."

'We're doing a lot'

"We are responsible for ticketing, handling baggage, boarding, deplaning, dispatching flights efficiently and safely. We handle complaints, cancellations, lost luggage, weather delays, and travelers' problems  all while trying to make our passengers' process easy, efficient, and less stressful for all."

'We can't control the weather'

"I kid you not: I had someone tell me that we had technology to control fog. We don't."

'Don't keep bugging the gate agents with questions they have already answered in their announcements'

"They are working with a time crunch, and all those extra questions are keeping them from doing their work."

'It is a federal crime to assault (and that includes credible verbal threats) an airport worker'

"If you threaten us, you can be arrested. We will call the police, and you will not fly. The punishment for assaulting us is a fine of up to $250,000 and up to 10 years in prison."

'We as airline agents and we as travelers all need to be more considerate of each other'
Describing aluminum as the metal of the future, Akufo-Addo said the aluminum authority will be responsible for putting together the whole of the infrastructure that is required for the exploitation of the countrys bauxite resources at Nyinahin and Kyebi.

Aluminum is the metal of the future, and we have substantial quantities of the raw material in our country. We need a strategy that will ensure value-addition, and not just exporting it in its raw form. There is no future in the export of our raw materials. But, that, we must add value inside our country, create jobs, and at the end of the process we will have aluminum, he said.
The men are Benjamin Anthony, 28, Stephen Azeez, 28, and Dotun Adetoun, 42.

They reside at a slum area of Victoria Island. They are standing trial on charges of conspiracy and stealing.

The Prosecutor, Sgt. Cyriacus Osuji, told court that the three men committed the offences on May 16 at Lekki Phase 1 on the Lekki-Epe Expressway.

He said that they conspired and stole tarpaulin, valued at N1.4 million and lights, valued at N800, 000, belonging to an advertising company, e-Motion Advertising Nigeria Ltd.

Osuji said the offences contravened Sections 287 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The three men, however, denied the charges.

The Magistrate, Mrs Abimbola Komolafe, granted them bail in the sum of N100,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

She said that the sureties must be gainfully employed, resident in Lagos State and must show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
Olaniyan admitted before a Surulere Chief magistrates Court in Lagos that he stole the Samsung phone from Mr Godwin Enoch at 9a.m. on May 12 at Sari Iganmu, Lagos.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Christopher Okoliko, had told the court that the phone was valued at N18,000.

The phone has been recovered from him, Okoliko said.

He noted that the offence contravened Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the law stipulates three years jail term for stealing.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr. A.A. Paul, will on May 22 review the facts of the case and sentence Olaniyan.
Police Prosecutor Peter Nwangwu told the court that the accused committed the offences with others still at large at about 10.a.m. on April 4 at Alaba International Market, Ojo, Lagos.

He alleged that the accused fraudulently collected the money from the complainant by luring him to an unknown destination.

The accused approached the complainant, who sells Motorola walkie-talkie, to supply walkie-talkie to him in large quantities.

Mamara took three sample of the products to him at an agreed location, but on getting there, Okoro hypnotized the complainant.

The accused and others forced the complainant to swear to an oath of secrecy that whatever he saw would not be revealed.

The accused asked the complainant to go and withdraw money from his account in exchange for dollars, Nwangwu said.

Nwangwu also told the court that the accused collected N1.3 million from the complainant and promised to send double the amount to him in hard currency.

The complainant later discovered that he had been duped.

The offences contravened Sections 285, 312 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 312 prescribes a 15-year jail term for offenders, while Section 285 stipulates a three-year imprisonment.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Y.O. Aje-Afunwa, granted the accused bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Although the practice of shark finning is prohibited in our waters, the United States still imports shark fins from countries that do not prohibit finning. Photo by Vanessa Mignon

330 shares







The practice of slicing fins off live sharks and throwing them back into the water to bleed to death took a big hit yesterday when a key Senate committee passed a bill that would end any trade of shark fins in the United States.

The Senate Commerce Committee passed the Shark Fin Trade Elimination Act, S. 793, introduced by Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., on a voice vote, setting the stage for possible floor action on the measure soon. A companion bill moving in the House, H.R. 1456, has nearly 100 cosponsors, and that measure is led by Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., and Rep. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, D-Northern Mariana Islands.

Although the practice of shark finning is prohibited in our waters, the United States still imports shark fins from countries that do not prohibit finning. As many as 73 million sharks die each year because of finning, and it is a leading contributor to the decline of shark populations worldwide. According to data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, one-fourth of shark and ray species are now threatened with extinction. The HSUS has helped enact bans on the shark fin trade in 11 states, including major coastal states like California, Massachusetts, New York, and Texas.

What we have realized about ivory is that in order to stop the ongoing slaughter of elephants, we need to completely shut down ivory markets and take away the economic incentive for killing the elephants. And the United States and other countries are now taking aggressive steps to do just that, said Senator Booker, in his statement to the committee. The same holds true for sharks. Banning the trade in shark fins is the only way to shut down the global market for fins and take away the economic incentive to kill sharks for their fins.

The shark finning industry itself is widespread and global, with 80 shark-catching countries sending fins to Hong Kong and China where they are processed and re-exported to countries around the world, including the United States. The United States is the worlds ninth largest importer of shark fins, and the worlds 12th largest exporter, by dollar value. Detractors of S.793 claim that cracking down on finning in the United States will not help the situation, because the bulk of the consumption is in China or other places in Asia. But the United States cannot stand as a credible leader for shark conservation while we import shark fins from China and other countries.

Our global affiliate Humane Society International, along with other animal welfare and conservation groups, is working globally on shark fin and ivory demand reduction campaigns. Research shows a drop in consumption and growing awareness in China and Hong Kong about the cruelty involved in shark finning. Chinas national carrier, Air China, and other major airlines have prohibited the transport of shark fins on their planes. These are the kinds of steps that will prove decisive over time.

Sharks are a keystone species, crucial to the balance of the marine ecosystems that they inhabit. They mature slowly and produce few young. Once their population is depleted worldwide, it will take decades, if not longer, for some species to recover. Sharks are also an important revenue source for ecotourism ventures in many coastal communities. A study released by Oceana found that shark-related diving generated over $221 million for Florida in 2016. In stark contrast, the U.S. exported shark fins worth only $1.03 million in 2015.

Clearly, sharks are worth much more alive than in a bowl of soup. It is now up to Congress to act swiftly on the Shark Fin Trade Elimination Act, sending a clear message to everyone involved in this bloody enterprise: the United States will not prop up an industry that is cruel, wasteful, and causes the deaths of tens of millions of some of our oceans most vital animals every year.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the offences.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Kehinde Omisakin, told the court that the accused committed the offences on April 7 at Apapa in Lagos.

She said that the accused who was supposed to be guarding the goods but stole 2,400 bags of rice valued at N16.3 million belonging to Alhaji Maikudu Ibrahim.

She said that the offences contravened Sections 287 and 411 of the Criminal law of Lagos State, 2015.

The chief magistrate, Mr A.T. Elias, granted the accused bail in the sum of N2.5 million with two responsible sureties in like sum.

He said that one of the sureties must be a public servant and the other, a recognised figure, in the community.
The CEO, Dr Samuel Annor, made the disclosure on Friday when he addressed a staff gathering to introduce the new deputy CEO of the NHIA. The NHIA is at a stage where one will say it almost bankrupt; in that, we have no reserves and we owe people so much, he said.

And this has come about because we have increased our membership so much but we have not increased the funding appropriately.

He attributed the troubling finances of the NHIA to increase in membership, writing off the scheme as not being in stable condition.

Annor also noted that the scheme has no reserve to fall on to pay its service providers.

The reserves we had probably at the close of 2009 is all gone because of increment in membership drive. So now there are no reserves, he said. If there were reserves, of course, we would call on the reserves to pay the service providers.

He added: Apart from not having a drive, we owe people so much. So this Scheme certainly cannot be said to be in a very stable condition.
Madam Elizabeth Anku was reportedly on her way to pick mangoes 100 meters away from her house when she was shot dead by unknown assailants.

That is the attitude of our people from Nkonya this time around. They can just get anywhere and shoot. After the shooting, they went uphill and started firing so the security here were also exchanging fire with them, A former Assemblyman for Alavanyo, Wisdom Kwami Amaldo who confirmed the incident to Accra-based Citi FM on Saturday.

According to him, residents in Alavanyo are furious about the death of Madam Anku but rule out reprisal attack.

The Volta Regional Minister Dr. Archibald Letsa told Joy FM in Accra that the situation is under control as the security has been beefed-up to forestall any reprisals.

According to him the incident happened because the security personnel around the area had gone on keep fit when they heard the exchange of gun fire.
National Democratic Congress MPs have called for their re-arrest saying there is enough evidence to prosecute the suspects, who were put before the court for allegedly invading the court to free 13 of their members standing trial for assaulting the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator.

A Principal State Attorney in Kumasi asked the police to discontinue the case because of lack of evidence.

Speaking on Friday on Citi FM, Justice Short said the re-arrest of the suspects will be an exercise in futility if there is no evidence to prosecute the suspects.

If these people were discharged because, in the opinion of the principal state attorney, there is no evidence to support the charges against them, then what is the point of re-arresting them? It will be an exercise in futility, he said.

He continued: There are some people who want to make a political issue out of this matter and we should look at the legal issues and deal with it, discuss it in an objective manner.
One of the advantages of campaigning is that you get to see Ghana. It is the exposure I had in this last campaign of what was actually going on in the field that hardened my decision, God-willing if I was to win the election, to make the fight against galamsey one of my priorities, the president told the Ghanaian committee in Conakry.

According to the president, about 60%, we are told, of the water bodies in Ghana have been affected by illegal mining activities. That is unacceptable. We are not out to attack Chinese or Canadians or whoever. We are saying that we want people to respect the laws of our country and make sure that our environment does not suffer from mining, and that is what we are going to do.
Speaking on Saturday, May 20, 2017, Mr Kpemka also dismissed a video evidence circulating on social media as not sufficient to secure a conviction. According to him, the video was recorded outside the court.

Speaking on Joy FMs Newsfile, he said: If any evidence is provided including the one which the minority may have, they should furnish it to the appropriate security agency.

When the show host asked him about the video taken outside the court during the invasion, he responded: Have you watch that video? That roadside videowhat you see is not within or inside the court. It is outside. Youll not know what triggered that and all that.

So you just go and play that video and say these people are outside making a hell of a noise convict them.

The point I am making is that you dont go to court when you know obviously that you are going to lose. I will not go to court and go and embarrassed myself.

If I weight the matter and I know that when I go to court I will lose, then it means that I am in favour of the accused.

We dont persecute, we prosecute. So the information that was brought by the senior state attorney, the question all of us must be asking is, what is sufficient for her advice to have been otherwise.
The suspension of the small scale mining is fine. We need to plead with the small scale miners to understand this; that government is not saying that you cant mine but for now, please stop for them to come up with a better programme, he said.

Mr. Minister, please continue. Your ministers are supporting you. We support you and want you to do the right thing for Ghana. You are not doing it for yourself, you are doing it for generations yet unborn.

The ministers call on the Asantehene comes on the heels of protest from small sale miners in the Ashanti Region over the ban.

Addressing the miners, Otumfuo said: They [small scale miners] are also to be blamed because they were mining and the galamseyers were mining. They could have drawn governments attention to the fact that these people who were doing galamsey were destroying the environment. These are issues that are multifaceted so we need to take bold decision and confront it and find an amicable solution and from there, we can move on.

He also advised the minister to develop a blueprint on mining that will clearly state Ghanas position and the challenges in the sector which need solutions.
Ahead of the visit, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has thrown his weight behind the clampdown on illegal mining (galamsey), saying the move is to protect the nations environment from extinction.

I keep on saying that there is going to be a deployment of the law enforcement agencies; the Police the Army and the Airforce for a sustainable period  not less than one year, and that is going to come shortly. So if anybody dares to return to the site and it results in equipment being confiscated, that will be very unfortunate. That is why I have taken my time and explained issues to them and given timelines so they cease operations, Mr Amewu said.

I gave another period of 30 days, which is coming to an end, to make sure they evacuate their equipment from the sites. All those timelines are to makes sure there are no excuses when peoples equipment is seized.

He told the press in the region that he will engage the small scale miners in the region to build in a bid to build a Ghana that everybody will want to mine in.
He said the minority will be embarrassed after the US SEC concludes its investigation into the matter because no wrong was committed by the Finance Minister in the bond issuance.

There will be nothing in there for them. They will be embarrassed. I have said somewhere that they are only seeking to internationalise their incompetence, ineptitude and embarrassment. And that will come to the pass, he said on Newsfile Saturday.

There is nothing absolutely illegal, constitutional or improper about this transaction and there is enough evidence to show that what has happened with this $2.25 billion bond is what has been happening since 2015.

According to him, the position of the Minority amounts to embarking on a fishing expedition, warning that they will make no catch. They will go to sea and come back empty handed. The net will be empty.

He stressed that the bond was issued in a transparent manner and that there was no potential conflict of interest.

Mr Baako said Franklin Templeton, the majority shareholder of the $2.25 billion bond, had from 2015 purchased government bonds, wondering why the issue of conflict of interest is being raised because Ken Ofori Atta, who has a relationship with one of the directors of Franklin Templeton, is the Finance Minister.

The Minority early this week petitioned the US Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate Franklin Templeton over its conduct in the purchase of the $2.25 billion issued by the Akufo-Addo administration.
The youth wings of the two largest political parties in the region gave their unwavering support to the six months ban on illegal mining at a meeting with the minister, John Peter Amewu on Saturday.

This means the minister has a bipartisan support in the fight againt galamsey.

I believe If we had started this fight earlier we wouldnt have gotten this far. Stakeholders in this sector have now joined. When you go to these mining sites you will find miners who are members of NPP, NDC, CPP, PPP. The campaign started when there was a change of government so obviously, people will misconstrue that it is a political fiat against us but it is not only affecting just a group of people but all those in the mining chain, the Ashanti Regional Youth Organiser of the NDC, Brogya Gyamfi said at the meeting.

He continued: Traders of heavy duty machines are affected, gold buyers and a whole lot of traders in this sector. Everybody is complaining. If this move by the government seeks to bring some sanity in the sector so that we can also feel the impact on our lives, why wont we support it? I believe it is a worthy cause we have to support. At least we have been assured by the minister that there will be some sanity after the 6 months certificate.

"This assurance is really needed for a motivation for us to join the fight and also adhere to the best practices of mining.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-05-20/trump-signs-single-largest-arms-deal-us-history-saudi-arabia-350-billion-over-ten-ye

Trump Signs "Single Largest Arms Deal In US History" With Saudi Arabia Worth $350 Billion

When all other sources of economic growth appear tapped out, there is always the military-industrial complex coming to the rescue of US GDP with the sale of arms and equipment to the world's biggest purchaser of weapons: Saudi Arabia. Because when one looks beyond the pageantry, pomp and circumstance of Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, the main purpose behind the president's visit is precisely that: selling weapons, some $350 billion over the next decade, according to estimates.

To be sure, Trump arrival in Saudi Arabia on Saturday was quite a spectacle, with the Saudi king throwing the president's family arrival at the Royal Diwan a "welcome fit for a king."

WATCH: President Trump, the First Lady and Ivanka arrive at Royal Diwan alongside prancing horses and flag-bearers https://t.co/93yD8pG7AT  NBC News (@NBCNews) May 20, 2017

However, it is what will be announced later today that will be the highlight of the various meetings between the Trump delegation and his Saudi hosts, who have promised to invest billions of dollars in the U.S. as well and make other decisions aimed at pleasing Trump.

According to a statement just issued by the White House, Trump "has just completed largest single arms deal in US history, negotiating a package totaling more than $109.7 billion" which will boost Saudi Arabia's defense capabilities, bolstering equipment and services in the face of extreme terrorist groups and Iran. The White House added that the deal will create defense jobs while also reaffirming America's commitment to Saudi Arabia.

In Saudi Arabia @POTUS has just completed largest single arms deal in US history, negotiating a package totaling more than $109.7 billion  Sean Spicer (@PressSec) May 20, 2017

This is huge news for US companies and American workers who will benefit #jobs https://t.co/9RarqOwVAy  Sean Spicer (@PressSec) May 20, 2017

The deal will provide Saudi Arabia, the world's largest importer of weapons (for the breakdown of the world's weapons trade, see "Visualizing The Global Weapons Trade"), with top-tier equipment and services including missiles, bombs, armored personnel carriers, Littoral Combat Ships, THAAD missile defense systems, and munitions.

According to estimates cited by The Indepdent, including restocking and future commitments over the next ten years, the deal could balloons to $350 billion worth of arms, over a third of a trillion dollars.

Gary Cohn, Trump's chief economic advisor, said Saudi Arabia is going to hire US companies as a result of the defense deal. The goal of the deal is to invest a lot of money in the U.S. and have a lot of U.S. companies invest and build things over here, Cohn said, according to a White House press pool report.

The vast funds which will boost the US defense sector will be spent to "address Saudi Arabia's defense needs while scaling back U.S. military involvement in specific operations" the Hill reported.

Later on Saturday, Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will attend a signing ceremony for the deal.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman began negotiations on this deal shortly after the 2016 US election when he sent a delegation to Trump Tower to meet with the presidents son-in-law Jared Kushner, who is serving as a senior advisor of sorts to Mr Trump.

The deal will be what the Washington Post said is a cornerstone of the proposal encouraging the Gulf states to form its own alliance like the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) military alliance, dubbed Arab Nato."

It's not just weapons, however.

According to Bloomberg, Saudi Aramco will sign initial accords and joint-venture agreements valued at about $50 billion with companies including General Electric Co., Schlumberger Ltd. and Halliburton Co., Chief Executive Officer Amin Nasser told reporters in Riyadh. These companies are trying to expand their footprint in the kingdom by expanding trade between the two sides, he said.

Many of us sitting on the table are overseeing substantial investments in the United States, Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said. Sabic has a big platform with the acquisition of GE Plastics which they continue to build on. Other deals will be announced today, he said. Saudi Aramco also plans to sign accords with Baker Hughes Inc., KBR Inc., Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., Nabors Industries Ltd., Weatherford International Plc, McDermott International Inc. and Rowan Companies Plc, two people familiar with the matter said earlier this week.

And so, with industrial and manufacturing spending in the US having declined over the past two years following the collapse in commodity prices, mothballing much of US capital spending, US GDP is about to get a fresh boost courtesy of what has become the world's most prolific arms dealer.

With that, both the neo-cons in D.C., as well as the all-powerful American Military-Industrial complex can declare a truly unprecedented victory.
I think that the Attorney General is looking for a scapegoat and she is trying to use Marie Louise, her representative in Kumasi. In fact all dockets were supposed to be forwarded to the Attorney General in Accra. You can imagine how long it will take for the matter to commence and end so she took the decision based on the evidence available to her at the time, he said in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM.

He added: I am shocked that the Attorney General in Accra is requesting that her representatives in Accra should have had recourse to her before taking the next step. Not to talk of the Attorney General who knows very well that this is a public interest matter, to have called for the docket, knowing very well that as the leader of the bar, she, would go down in victory as the person under whose tenure the court was attacked. I expected her to have shown interest in the matter and if need be rather call for the docket and change the docket but she slept on the duty and I dont think it will be fair to use Marie Louise, her representative in Kumasi as the scape goat. That will not be fair.

On Wednesday, May 17, 2017, the Attorney General dropped charges against the eight members of vigilante group Delta Force.

Explaining their decision, the prosecutor, ACP Okyere Darko, said after investigations, they did not have enough evidence to support the charges levelled against the accused persons.
According to a recent poll, Republicans and Democrats alike become less confident in the president when they read tweets of his that contain spelling mistakes, of which there are several notable examples ("unpresidented," "honered," and "hearby," to name a few).

But when it comes to the voters who make up Trump's base, it's unclear if his orthographic blunders are moving the needle at all.

In fact, one Republican politician thinks they could even be helping Trump.

"This is something that's endearing to his base," Phil Van Treuren, a political consultant and city councilman from Amherst, Ohio, told Business Insider. "It doesn't hurt him one bit."

Van Treuren, who advises aspiring political candidates through his company Political Campaigning Tips, said he is "obsessive" about proofreading and spell-checking his campaign literature before it's sent out.

The Trump administration doesn't always apply the same scrutiny  in one famous incident, the White House misspelled the word "attacker" 27 times in a single statement.

Still, given Trump's consistent attacks on the media, it's easy for a Trump supporter to reject criticism of the president's writing style, Van Treuren said.

"Rightly or wrongly, this populist movement that elevated Trump has very effectively labeled the writers and journalists of the world as out of touch and elitist," Van Treuren said. "Proper spelling and grammar has almost become a liability in this crowd. It's looked down upon."

But Van Treuren emphasized that the degree to which one cares about Trump's spelling isn't a sign of one's education or intelligence.

"You usually support candidates for office because you see something of yourself in them, and his supporters like the fact that the president tells them not to be ashamed of who they are," he said.
Having been idle for more than a year, one of the satellites went hundreds of meters off its orbit last month to within 1,200 meters of a piece of a Chinese weather satellite that China smashed in a 2007 anti-satellite rocket test.

The maneuver, which is pretty impressive for such a small spacecraft, is also rather close by orbital standards.

No one quite knows what the satellites are for, but some experts say they could be "technology-demonstrators" or even "precursors to orbital weapons," according to The Daily Beast.

Code named

This means that they could be inspection satellites that can scan and match the orbit of other spacecraft, possibly even interact with it physically for repairs, modifications or to dismantle it.

It's also possible that these satellites could be used for warfare.
Swedish researchers observing government venture capitalists over a year found that they described female and male investors quite differently, and not in a good way.

According to the researchers' account in the Harvard Business Review, male entrepreneurs tended to get lots of positive language about their "potential."

These are the terms VCs used about men:

An amazing innovator

Bold

Extremely competent and knowledgeable

Willing to take risks

Young but promising

Cautious and level-headed

The researchers highlighted how youth and enthusiasm were seen as positive attributes for men, but a sign of inexperience in women. Caution, even if it was a shared trait across the two genders, was also a good attribute in men, but a sign of weakness in women.

VCs questioned women's credentials much more, and also focused on the way they looked.

These are the terms they used to describe female entrepreneurs:

Lacking in network contacts and inexperienced

Having energy and looking happy

Cautious and nervous

Inclined to spend money on expensive items

High maintenance

The Lulea University of Technology researchers, Malin Malmstrom, Jeaneth Johansson, and Joakim Wincent, followed seven Swedish government VCs between 2009 and 2010 for their research and tracked 36 hours of decision-making time. The VCs comprised two women and five men.

Part of the inspiration for their paper was how little government VC funding goes to women. The researchers said EU government VCs account for 3.6 billion of investment. In Sweden, 13% to 18% of government funding goes to female-founded firms, they said.

They suggested that bias, and the way those biases were phrased, may have impacted whether women got funding.

They wrote: "Unsurprisingly, these stereotypes seem to have played a role in who got funding and who didnt. Women entrepreneurs were only awarded, on average, 25% of the applied-for amount, whereas men received, on average, 52% of what they asked for."
But we're here to shake things up.

Heeding advice from medical associations and professionals, we compiled the optimal ways to keep yourself clean, healthy  and looking sharp.

1. How often should I wash my hair?

The short answer? Nobody needs to wash their hair everyday. Beyond that, it depends on your skin type: if you have normal or dry skin, once or twice a week should do the trick.

2. How often should I brush my teeth?

The American Dental Association recommends you brush twice a day for two minutes, although they dont specify what time of day the brushing should happen. So long as you do a good brushing before bed, you should be set. While you sleep, your mouth salivates less, which can lead to cavities.

3. When's the best time to put on antiperspirant or deodorant?

The ideal time is right before you go to sleep. That way, if youre using an antiperspirant, it has time to close your armpits sweat ducts before they have a chance to get sweating in the morning. Most last at least 24 hours, so no worries about not making it to the end of the workday.

4. How often should I shower?

Most of us shower too much. Dermatologists told Buzzfeed that we only need to really shower once every two-to-three days, though that depends on where you live and how often you exercise. As for the morning vs. night debate? That depends on a lot of factors, but if youre prone to oily skin, it might be ideal to shower at night, Greatist reports.

5. How often should I floss?

The American Dental Association recommends flossing once a day, but an August 2016 AP report questions that recommendation, showing that the effectiveness of flossing has never been researched. Without that evidence, its possible that flossing might not be necessary.

6. Should I use mouthwash?

According to the UKs National Health Service, using a mouthwash containing fluoride can help prevent tooth decay, but you shouldnt do it right after brushing your teeth. Its a lot more optional than brushing your teeth, and not everyone needs it.

7. How often should I cut/clean my nails?

This depends on how long you want your nails, but about once every week or two should do the trick, or whenever they start to get unwieldy. Just be sure when you do it to not leave any jagged edges that can catch and possibly tear the nail.

8. How often should I clean my glasses?

According to Optometry Australia, so long as its "regularly," you should be in good shape. Ideally, this means before the glasses get so smudgy that you cant see. And when that happens, whatever you do, dont use your shirt as cleaning device. You dont necessarily need a fancy spray  just dishwashing soap and some water  but be sure to rub it off with a clean cotton cloth.

9. How often should I change my razors?
The move will "make compulsory certain vaccinations that until now were simply recommended," Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said after a cabinet meeting approved the legislative decree.

After that age, the point at which school attendance becomes compulsory in Italy, parents will be liable for fines if their children are not vaccinated.

The 12 conditions which children must have protection against are polio, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, haemophilus B (Hib), meningitis B and C, measles, rubella, mumps, whooping cough and chickenpox.

"We are sending a very strong message to the public," said Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin.

The move came amid reticence on the part of the education ministry and objections from the opposition Five Star Movement, which says the reform amounts to a gift to pharmaceutical companies.

Lorenzin pushed for change after the number of measles cases tripled, largely because of children not being vaccinated.

Her ministry blamed the spike on spurious health scares which resulted in the number of two-year-olds vaccinated against the common disease falling from over 90 percent a few years ago to 85 percent in 2015.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends aiming for coverage of 95 percent to prevent dangerous outbreaks.

Although it usually only triggers relatively mild symptoms, measles can cause fatal complications. In Italy's last major epidemic, there were 18,000 registered cases and 15 deaths.

The vaccine issue in Italy has become embroiled with broader questions of misinformation and "fake news", which the centre-left administration accuses its populist rivals Five Star of peddling.

Lorenzin last month reprimanded public broadcaster Rai over a programme raising issues about possible side effects of the vaccine against the virus that causes cervical cancer.
The training commenced on Saturday, at the Centre for Vocational and Entrepreneurial Studies, Yenagoa.

The Coordinator, PAP, Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh, said the trainees were expected to be equipped with skills that would help them earn a living.

Boroh said the training would also enable beneficiaries to gain entrepreneurial education and reduce the high unemployment rate in the region and the country at large.

He added that the training, which would be in batches of 100 each, was expected to be completed in six months.

Addressing the trainees, Boroh urged them to be dedicated to learning and assured them that they would be assisted in their chosen field of specialisation.

He said the training was part of PAPs reintegration programme and reminded them of the conditions for the training which included beneficiaries must train at least 20 other youths in their field.

By the time each of you train 20 of your peers back home, we will have 2,000 skilled workers or farmers in various fields.

That would generate jobs and wealth for the youths and contribute to our national food security, he said.

Boroh, who is also the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, was conducted round the huge centre which specialises in training youths in Catering, Fashion Designing and Bead-making.

In his welcome address, the Rector of the institute, Mr Samuel Timi, said the institute had the potential to build the capacity of the Niger Delta tourism sector and contribute significantly to the revenue profile of the region.

Timi expressed optimism that if capacity building programmes like the current one were vigorously pursued and sustained, the region would become the next Dubai of Africa.

In her remarks, Bayelsa State commissioner for Tourism, Mrs. Ebiere Musa, charged trainees to maximise the knowledge they acquired to move the region forward.

Musa urged beneficiaries not be complacent, but should work hard towards achieving their goals.

She disclosed that the state government had reached an agreement with a Sri Lankan hospitality-based organisation to award full scholarships to trainees, who excelled to go for further study in that country.

Speaking on behalf of other beneficiaries, Mr Ohwofasa Kingsley, from Delta State, thanked the Federal Government for the gesture and promised not to defeat the aim of the policy.
Odedeji said this in his address at the formal opening of the 3 Session of the 6 Synod of the Diocese held at Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Ikeja, Lagos.

He said that while the nation deserved commendation for having 18 years of uninterrupted democracy, there was the need to do better in many areas.

Odedeji said it was important to consider how the country was faring in terms of economy, education, social and judiciary aspects, to mention few areas.

The bishop renewed advocacy for technical education orientation, saying it was regrettable that foreigners came in with the same technical education certificates to supervise Nigerian Engineering graduates.

In the area of security, he urged the government to intensify the war against kidnappers.

He, however, commended the Lagos State Government for the progress being recorded on rehabilitation of roads.

Speaking on the church, Odedeji reiterated at the event that the Church of Nigeria Lagos West Diocese is saying No to same sex marriage.

The bishop recalled that in the last one year, 15 new churches were dedicated, adding that both old and young members of the church were now conscious of the need to make heaven.

Attention must be given to youths to appreciate our good heritage.

The Triumphant Convocation has received the blessing of everybody. The Jesus Festival was well attended by more than 10,000 people, Odedeji said.

He urged parishioners to ensure that the contributory pension scheme and monthly token of priests are paid promptly.

According to him, 30 priests were preferred as Archdeacons and 24 canons were also produced in the period.

The bishop said the 450 en-suite rooms hostel at the City of God, Ipaja is near completion.

He said that a new Dean, Ven. Adegoke Agara, was appointed for the diocese, and his investiture took place on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2017.

Mrs Lola Akande, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, who represented Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode, said the relationship between the Church and the state government had been very cordial.

Ambode said the state government was committed to completion of more infrastructure projects in line with its promise to make life comfortable to the people.
Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!
The U.S. Department of Education is in the thick of reviewing the very first round of state plans to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act.

But the Trump White House has been slow to fill positions throughout federal agencies, including at the Education Department. For now, a number of important roles have been temporarily taken by deputy assistant secretaries who are acting as assistant secretaries.

And two other key rolesthe deputy secretary (who typically oversees operations), and the assistant secretary of planning, evaluation and policy (typically the Chief Wonk) havent been filled by political appointees, even temporarily. (We wrote about the reasons that the department has been slow to hire and the implications for school districts back in February .)

So how much do the thin ranks matter when it comes to the mammoth task of examining and approving ESSA plans?

Experts admit thats tough to gauge, since we dont know what the outside peer reviewers (aka the folks examining the ESSA plans) are going to say about each states proposal.

But if the reviewers want to turn a state down, the lack of permanent political staffers could become an issue, some experts say, since the secretary has final say over state plans.

Having fewer staffersand few with official Senate confirmationmeans a lot of more work for each individual, said Michael J. Petrilli, the president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, a think tank that supports rigorous standards and state flexibility.



The people who are there are drinking from a firehose, Petrilli said. There are fewer people to deal with the issues that come up.

For instance, he said, there may be pieces of the ESSA plans that people think dont live up to the letter of the law. California, for instance, is still working on a methodology for identifying its bottom 5 percent of schoolsan ESSA requirementwhile keeping in place an accountability dashboard. The department will have to decide if what the state comes up with passes ESSA muster, and some decisions could be subjective.

In other administrations the folks in as-yet-unfilled rolesthe deputy secretary and the assistant secretary of planning, evaluation, and policywould be key players in those kinds of decisions, as would the assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education, a role being temporarily filled by Jason Botel, a former principal, charter founder, and state education advocate who doesnt have formal Senate confirmation.

Elizabeth Hill, a spokeswoman for the department, doesnt expect the vacancies to have an impact on the plan review process. She said any suggestion otherwise would be a misunderstanding of the process.

There is a very strong and robust team in Office of Elementary and Secondary Education that has thoroughly, efficiently, and expeditiously worked with 16 states and the District of Columbia to reach the point at which all 17 submitted plans are complete. The plans are ready for a full peer and department review. The department will continue to work to thoroughly and efficiently throughout the remainder of the process, Hill said in an email.

Already, states such as Maine have added information to plans that were found to be incomplete in order to qualify for peer review .

To be sure, much of the early work will likely be done by the departments career staffers, said Lauren Bauer, a postdoctoral fellow at the Brookings Institutions Hamilton Project who served in the early days of the Obama administration.

Where something is unclear or a states plan is inadequate, it is typically be up to politicals to interact with the state around those issues, she said.

And things could be complicated by the fact that most of the folks working at the highest levels of the department, except for U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, havent been confirmed by the Senate.

The Trump administration may have a process, but its with a bunch of people who are pretty young and junior and havent received Senate sign-off, Petrilli said. If they make some decision that folks on the Hill disagree it could certainly could become an area of some conflict and contention ... I think theyve hired some smart people, but they are not terribly experienced. Youve got the JV team, and were still waiting for the varsity team to be [put in place]. I think the JV team is doing a pretty great job, but if they dont get the varsity team in soon were going to see more conflicts with the Hill.

So what exactly is going on with those unfilled roles, of deputy secretary and assistant secretary of planning, evaluation, and policy?

Allan Hubbard has been said to be a top contender for the deputy role for months . And sources say he made it through a White House vetting process back in March. But hes said to still be undergoing other background checks. The Trump White House has been unusually slow in announcing appointments to key subcabinet positions, not just at the Education Department but throughout the federal government. (More from the New York Times here .)

As for the assistant secretary of planning, evaluation, and policy, there have been plenty of names in the rumor mill, but no nomination and no one temporarily filling the role.

The assistant secretary of planning, evaluation and policy has been a key player in past administrations. Carmel Martin held the job at the beginning of the Obama administration and took a leading role in developing and implementing the School Improvement Grants, Race to the Top, and the No Child Left Behind Act waivers.

For now, Ebony Lee, the deputy chief of staff for policy, is one of DeVos chief policy gurus, helping to lead much of the ESSA work. Before coming to the department, she was at the Gates Foundation working primarily on charter school policy.

Oh, and another job thats gone unfilled? The assistant secretary for communications and outreach, a pretty important position for reporters.

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
Mr Joe Mutah, the Chief Press Secretary to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.

He said the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Jummai Alhassan, disclosed at the event that a group of experts had been put together to address the girls psycho-social support and medical needs.

Mutah said that the Minister was represented by Mrs Abidemi Aremo, the Director Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ministry.

He quoted the Minister as saying: the children are being rehabilitated and we believe that in due course they will be properly aligned with their families.

Intensive medical attention is being administered and as soon as they are done, they will be enrolled into a remedial programme.

Alhasan also disclosed that the 24 others who were rescued last year were undergoing psycho-social counselling and remedial programmes preparatory to their enrolment in school next academic session.

For the 21 and three that were earlier released, I wish to inform us that their psycho-social counselling is still in progress and of course they have started remedial classes.

They are being taught five subjects, which is designed with a view to getting them back to school come the next school session, which is in September this year.

They will be settled in various schools and I am sure they will continue their education from there, she said.

The Minister reassured of the Federal Governments commitment to intensifying efforts to rescue the remaining girls in captivity and expressed appreciation to all those involved in the rescue mission.

The Chairman of the parents of the abducted school girls, Yakubu Nkeki said their joy had no bounds and thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for wiping away their tears.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), had alleged on Friday that soldiers from the military cantonment, Ohafia, Abia, molested some women at a meeting at Abiriba.

The spokesman of the brigade, Maj. Oyegoke Gbadamosi, debunked the allegation in a telephone interview with the the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Umuahia.

He said that contrary to media reports, the soldiers neither molested nor assaulted any women.

He explained that some soldiers keeping security in the area only approached the women to ascertain the nature of their gathering near a military checkpoint.

The venue of the meeting was just about six metres away from the military checkpoint.

So the soldiers on duty approached the women and sought to see their leader in order to ascertain from her the essence of the meeting.

On getting there, they were told that their leader went to the palace of the traditional ruler of the area, he said.

Gbadamosi said that the soldiers immediately proceeded to the palace to confirm if the monarch was aware of the meeting.

He said that when the soldiers got to the palace, the monarch confirmed to them that he was aware of the meeting, adding that at that point, the soldiers returned to their duty post.

Gbadamosi said that some policemen were also present at the venue of the meeting.

The brigade spokesman said the soldiers went back and encouraged the policemen to ensure that there was no threat to public peace.

Surprisingly, while the soldiers were making their way back to their duty post, they saw some of the women rushing down to the palace half-naked.

Why will the soldiers molest or assault women? Women are harmless; it is not true that soldiers molested and beat up the women, he added.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Abia command, DSP Geoffrey Ogbonna, confirmed to NAN on phone that the meeting was peaceful.

I was told that the meeting held peacefully.
Emecheta described the unauthourised display of campaign posters by the aspirants as lawless, saying they had not obeyed the rules or paid the mandatory fees for the display of campaign posters.

He said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Saturday that it was sad that rather than go to court to contest the regulations as people seeking the number one office in the state, the aspirants decided to violate the rules.

In fact this poster issue has shown me that some aspirants in the Nov.18 governorship election in Anambra are lawless and people who cannot be trusted with anything.

There is a law in this state to guide the signage and advertisement material and some of them have chosen to disobey it even when they are jostling to become governor of the state.

As a law abiding politician who is worthy of seeking the number one citizen of the state, I believe the easiest thing to do is to approach the law court to challenge the law or the fees.

Their posters have flooded the entire state and they claim they did not post them. What have they done to check the activities of these so-called overzealous supporters?

The bridges, electric poles and beautification structures have all been defaced, that will tell about the people who are coming into the election, how they will expect citizen to obey when they are disobeying while out of government, he said

Emecheta said ANSAA was working with the police to arrest those defacing the streets with posters and warned politicians to call their supporters to order.

He said Gov. Willie Obiano had instructed the agency to pull down his posters.

He said the agency would use the law court to ensure that aspirants operated within the law.

We shall not join them in their lawless nature; we shall meet them at the court, they have not challenged the nine million naira that we asked them to pay.

The governor has directed us to pull down any poster of his we see anywhere and I maintain that it is not compulsory to paste posters, if you cannot pay, you can print handbills which is even more effective.

The issue of billboard is between us and the outdoor companies, we are not dealing with the politicians and the assurance is that since we have the equipment, anywhere we see an unauthorised billboard, we pull it down, he said.

The issue of campaign posters has been a source of disagreement between politicians in the state and the agency, which insists that those wishing to display theirs publicly must pay.
DSP Ebere Amarizu, the spokesperson of Enugu State Police Command, made the disclosure in a statement issued to newsmen on Friday in Enugu.

He said the officers included mechanics and painters.

Others are, marine deck officers, mounted troopers, welders, tailors, dog handlers, nurses and iron benders.

The statement described the event as memorable despite the fact that some officers fell along the way and could not make it to the last day.

It said the Inspector-General of Police (I-GP), represented by Mr Danmallam Mohammed, Enugu State Police Commissioner, urged the successful officers to be shining examples.

The IGP, Mr Ibrahim Idris urged the officers to be change agents and good ambassadors of the force.

He also urged them keep away from illegal conducts capable of tarnishing their personality and the image of the police.

He further warned on the need to respect the tenets of human rights and to be guided by the principle of emotional intelligence.

He also urged them to be disciplined and respect constituted authority, the statement quoted the IGP as saying.

The statement said the Commandant of the College, CP Anthony Ogboji, said that 10 of the trainees fell on the way and could not make it to the end.
Achida said in Sokoto on Saturday at a media briefing that the vehicle were purchased to boost the operations of the State Fire Service in a bid to save lives and property.

The briefing was organised by the State Ministry of Information and the State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to mark the two years of the administration of Gov. Aminu Tambuwal.

The provision of additional vehicles has brought the number of functional fire fighting engines to 17.

Two water tankers have been bought at a cost of N17 million to serve as back up to the fire engines.

The department has also refilled 1,050 fire extinguishers at Sokoto Central Market at the cost of about N5.9 million.

New uniforms for the officers and men of the department have been provided at a cost of N5.9 million, Achida said.

The commissioner said in 2016 through the intervention of the fire-fighters property worth N1.8 billion were saved from being destroyed fire.

During the period (2016), properties saved are worth N1.8 billion, while 418 cases of fire were reported across the state.

He added that the department had in 2017, recorded 324 fires at different locations with property worth N618 million lost.
Punch reports that the incident is coming barely 24 hours after an attempted suicide attack at one of the female hostels was foiled with three suicide bombers losing their lives on Friday, May 19, 2017.

It was, however, a surprise that barely 24 hours later there was another attempted suicide attack on the institution.

According to the statement by the spokesman of the National Emergency Management Agency in the North East, Mallam Abdulkadir Ibrahim, the suicide bomber was the lone death recorded during the attempted attack.

Ibrahim further said the explosive on him went off while lying in wait for the right opportunity to detonate the bomb among students gathering.

The statement read: Today 20/5/2017 some minutes past 10 am, one male adult suicide bomber hid in the bush within university community surrounding, supposedly trying to gain access into university where students are gathering.

ALSO READ: 3 suicide bombers dead, 3 others injured in UNIMAID attack

Unfortunately for him the IED exploded and killed him, No casualty was recorded. The corpse was deposited at Borno specialist hospital.

Victor Isuku, the spokesman for the Borno Police Command also confirmed the botched attack in a statement in Maiduguri.

He said: Today at about 10:00hours, a lone male suicide bomber detonated explosive strapped to his body.

The bomber had taken cover in a ditch within the neighbourhood of the University of Maiduguri Children Secondary School, at the eastern end of the campus.

The bomber sighted security personnel coming towards the direction of his hiding place and hurriedly detonated his explosive, killing him only, Isuku said.

He said that the police had already cordoned off the place and rendered it safe.

Police anti-bomb team were promptly dispatched to the scene to sanitize and render the area safe. Normalcy has since been restored, he said.
Olasupo also said the National Assembly was working hard to ensure that all enabling laws protect the identity of whistle blowers and strengthen the principle.

The federal lawmaker spoke in Iseyin during a routine tour of his constituency to inaugurate projects and brief constituents.

You should not be surprised that all the measures used in the anti-corruption crusade today were developed by President Goodluck Jonathans administration.

The Jonathan administration developed the policies of whistle blowing, Bank Verification Number (BVN), Treasury Single Account (TSA) but lacked the political will to implement them.

You can see that the implementation by President Muhammadu Buharis administration is bringing the desired results, he stated.

Reacting to the N125 billion National Assembly Budget for 2017, he said that the budget was only N10 billion above that of 2016.

The lawmaker stated that the increment in the budget was not limited to the National Assembly alone, but also affected the State House, Judiciary, Nigeria Customs Service and other parastatal agencies.

When the 2017 Appropriation Bill is signed into law by the president or Acting President, it would be accessible to all and you will see that it was increased across board.

When you look into the budget and do the analysis properly, I am sure you will believe that the National Assembly is one of the most poorly funded arms of this government.

For the first time in the history of the nation, the eighth National Assembly made the details of the budget public and you will see a budget of economic recovery.

The old, present and future National Assembly members should know that legislatures the world over cannot win popularity contest when it comes to budgeting, he said.

Appraising the implementation of the 2016 budget, Olasupo said it was the first time the budget of the country passed the threshold of N1 trillion in terms of capital expenditure.

He said that apart from this, funds were judiciously used inspite of the nations low income.

The lawmaker also said that it was the first time in a long while that there was a budget of less than 30 percent capital expenditure and over 60 percent recurrent expenditure.

This is a very good development for the nation and I am sure that by the timethe 2017 budget is fully implemented, we would be a little over 40 percent in terms of capital expenditure.

When Buhari came on board, he said that he was looking forward to seeing more of the budget going for capital expenditure and lower recurrent expenditure, he said.

Olasupo, however, dismissed the speculations that there was a face-off between the executive and the National Assembly.

It might look like we are antagonising each other but that is what we are meant to be doing. It is out of this that we put many things in the right shape.

The separation of power principle entrenched in the constitution encourages checks and balances.

What the people are seeing is democracy in action. This will not affect the development of the nation.

 Nigerians should not be afraid, we are doing what the law empowers us to do, he said.
The governor made the assertion in Port Harcourt while handing over a Federal High Court complex constructed by his administration to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.

Wike said the court complex was constructed in a bid to promote access to justice.

He said that part of the vision of the government in providing the Federal High Court complex was also to make the state a judicial hub in the South- South region.

Wike stressed that his administration had not only resolved to complete all abandoned court projects but to initiate new ones to meet the demand for judicial services.

The governor lamented that in Nigeria the justice delivery system was pretentiously federal but manifestly unitary.

"Our quest for having the most modern and advanced court houses and justice system cannot be completely achieved if we limit our judicial transformation agenda only to state Courts.

This is part of the reason behind our inclusive and non-discriminatory policy thrust of providing modern court buildings and necessary operational support to Federal Courts at enormous financial cost to Rivers tax payers, Wike said.

He said that his government had decided to provide the Federal High Court to serve and advance public interest and not to satisfy any individual.

"Accordingly, we have fulfilled our duty as leaders who mean well for our country and its progress," the governor added.

He, however, called on the Federal Government to ensure regular maintenance of the building.

Wike, who criticised what he called `witch-hunting` of some judges, said the nation must find better ways of fighting judicial and other kinds of corruption within the framework of the rule of law.

In his remarks, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta said that the Federal High Court complex in Port Harcourt was the best to be constructed by a state government.

Auta lauded Wike for his commitment to the provision of relevant infrastructure for the Federal High Court.

The Chief Judge pledged that the court would dispense justice according to the law.

He stressed that following the official handing over of the complex, the court would start to use the facility on Monday, May 22, 2017.

The Chief Judge of the State, Justice Adama Iyaye-Laminkara, also expressed joy that the state government had provided facilities to increase access to justice.

Mr Emmanuel Aguma (SAN), the State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, commended the Wike administration for opening courts and promoting access to justice.

The former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Onueze Okocha, also noted that the provision of the Federal High Court was a testimony to the increasing performance of Wike.

The Special Adviser on Special Projects to the Governor, Mr Dum Wite said the Complex had six courtrooms and exquisite judges chambers.
O'odua Progressives Youth Movement, which handed this warning to the ex-minister, said his recent comments suggest that he is one of those planning to lure the military to overthrow Buhari.

In an article on Thursday, May 18, 2019, entitled The ringing of coup bells and a cause for deep concern, Fani-Kayode noted that ever since 1966, the northern ruling class had always effected a coup detat whenever they feel sufficiently threatened with the loss of power.

"They would rather have a core northern military dictator in power than a southern leader or President. And they are prepared to kill anyone, no matter how highly placed, who stands in their way or who attempts to oppose or stop them," Fani-Kayode wrote.

Reacting to the comment at a press conference on Friday, May 19, 2019, the national coordinator of the group, Kola Salawu accused Fani-Kayode of being among those politicians, who the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buaratai had earlier referred to.

His statement reads.

Tragically, our brother and former minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, we cannot deny him now that he has made a nuisance of himself, has confirmed knowledge of an impending coup in Nigeria because of the ill-health of President Muhammadu Buhari, in his article titled The ringing of coup bells and a cause for deep concern,

In that article, Fani-Kayode amply demonstrated beyond doubt that he knows what he was talking about.

Only a few days ago, Fani-Kayodes co-traveller, Dr Junaid Mohammed covertly made a similar threat of coup in an interview published by a national newspaper.

He insisted that the north would remain in power irrespective of outcomes. This made us reason that he read from the same script as Fani-Kayode.

Thankfully, military authorities issued the timely warnings for soldiers to stay out of politics and politicians stop inducing soldiers. It is a level of professionalism and dedication of the Nigerian military that we find praiseworthy, we particularly acknowledge the service chiefs who have demonstrated their commitment to our democracy in several ways.

ALSO READ: Fani-Kayode mocks Osinbajo for saying Buhari treats him like his child

In them, the evil people that had wanted to truncate our democracy have met their match as it has been made clear that the military will never again be available to subdue the peoples will.

To the other politicians who feel enamoured by the dubious charge for a coup being led by Fani-Kayode, our advice is for them to find other ventures to gamble on. The label of betrayal that some stereotypically stick on our ethnic stock is for the likes of Fani-Kayode and not for the Yoruba race.

We advise our brother to go get actual lawyers to defend his corruption cases in court instead of wishing for a military coup or the disintegration of the country neither would happen for him to escape all the corruption allegations against him in the various courts of law.

We want the coup mongers to give the rest of us some breathing space to properly appraise and respond to the dire problems facing our nation. These problems were the creation of the period that the same coup mongers ran the affairs of this country.

ALSO READ: Northern elders vow to stop Osinbajo from replacing Buhari

Today, Nigerians are in the pangs of economic hardship because of the poor choices made in that ugly past. Thankfully, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is doing much to return economic powers to the populace, money go into the pockets of those that work as against the era when government till became private ATMs for those in government, those who today are running from one court to the order to answer corruption charges were beneficiaries of the ATM mentality.
During the ceremony at Cairo airport, relatives of the victims laid flowers at the foot of a memorial wall bearing the names of all 66 passengers and crew killed when the Airbus A320 flying from Paris to Cairo crashed.

The ceremony came two weeks after a source close to the French investigation ruled out that explosives caused the crash, contradicting Egyptian investigators who had said explosive traces were found on the victims' bodies.

After the ceremony on Friday, Egyptian Aviation Minister Sherif Fathy refused to comment on the result of the French investigation, saying he had no seen any "official statements" from them.

Asked by AFP why Egypt had not announced the results of its investigation a year after the crash, Fathy said the prosecution had taken over the probe.

"The investigation is still ongoing. There are no conclusions," he said.

"We will present the conclusions we have at the appropriate time."

In December, an official Egyptian investigative committee had said it found traces of explosives on victims' remains, but French officials at the time refused to draw conclusions on the cause of the accident.

No group has come forward to claim responsibility for the crash, which killed 40 Egyptians, including the 10-member crew, 15 French citizens and victims from several other countries.

French investigators had always favoured a mechanical fault as the crash cause, saying a fire broke out in or near the cockpit of the plane before it plunged 22,000 feet and swerved sharply prior to disappearing from radar screens.

The French investigation source said earlier this month "the combustion or self-combustion of a tablet in the cockpit" was "the working hypothesis".
How difficult is it for states to stop the growth of full-time online cyber charters?

Ask Pennsylvania, which for several years has strongly resisted attempts to open new cybers. On Thursday, a Commonwealth Court ordered the state department of education to grant a five-year charter to the Insight PA Cyber Charter Schoolan applicant the state had already rejected three times, largely because officials said the schools nonprofit governing board was not sufficiently independent from K12 Inc., the for-profit management company with whom the school proposed to contract.

Insight PA first applied for a charter back in 2012, when I was a reporter at WHYY-NewsWorks in Philadelphia. That November, I sat in a hearing in Harrisburg , the state capital, and listened as a woman named Diana Moninger mostly read from prepared notes while pitching state officials on how Insight PAs well-conceived virtual education program will boost student achievement, serve the unique need of Pennsylvanias at-risk students and families, and offer a new model for effective public education in the 21st century.

When it came time for detailed questions about the operation of the school, a man named Todd Thorpe provided most of the answers.

Moninger was the president of the nonprofit board that was officially applying to open Insight PA. She was also the parent of two students who attended cyber charters, and the vice president of an advocacy group called Pennsylvania Families for Public Cyber Schools, which received much of its funding from K12 Inc.

Thorpe was the senior director of school development with K12 Inc.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education denied Insight PA a charter that year, then again in 2013, and again in 2014. In that last application, Moninger was still listed as board president for the group applying to open the school. In rejecting Insight PAs proposal , the state wrote that the board members were unable to provide responses to a majority of the programmatic questions posed to them at that years public hearing. The state also wrote that information the board submitted as part of their application suggested that ultimate control of the school [lies] with K12 and not Insight PA.

By then, I was at Education Week. Together with my colleague Sean Cavanagh, we looked at a broad and enduring concern within the cyber charter field: Who ultimately controls the schools ?

Its a significant question, in large part because full-time online charters have performed so dismally academically, while also consistently running into significant management problems.

In Pennsylvania, for example, none of the states 14 cyber charters met the states academic benchmarks last school year. One of the Pennsylvanias largest cybers, Agora, also recently severed most of its ties to K12 . Going back to 2011, the Center for Research on Educational Outcomes at Stanford University found that students at Pa. cyber charters learned at dramatically slower rates than their peers in brick-and-mortar schools.

Of course, the problems with cyber charters arent limited to Pennsylvania. A 2015 study by CREDO found the same dynamics nationwide. And last year, Education Week published a broad investigation of the cyber charter industry. We found widespread reports of trouble at the schools going back 15 years and covering 22 states. When my colleague Arianna Prothero started asking why the sector continues to expand, despite the prevailing concerns, she found that the countrys largest for-profit cyber operators, especially K12 Inc., have been helped by sophisticated lobbying efforts in state capitals.

Read Rewarding Failure: An Education Week Investigation of the Cyber Charter Industry

In Pennsylvania this week, K12s victory this week came through the court, not through the legislature.

Insight PAs 2014 application was rejected by the Pa. education department, which said Insight lacked real and substantial authority over the schools operations;" had failed to demonstrate compliance with the states technology requirements or show the ability to meet the needs of students with special needs and English language learners; and had issues with its financial support and understanding of assessment.

Insight PA appealed the decision to the states Charter School Appeal Board, which affirmed the education departments decision not to grant the school a charter.

Insight PA then sued.

In its ruling, the state Commonwealth Court said that the Pa. education department and charter school appeal board raise fair points about problems with the agreement between Insight and K12, but concluded that those issues dont violate Pennsylvanias charter school law or a legal precedent for determining independence.

In short, Insight, directly and through its CEO who oversees the day-to-day operations of the school, has real and substantial control of its employees at the school, including teachers, the decision reads.

There is absolutely no evidence in the record of this case that Insights board lacks independence from K12, the court concluded.

As a result, the court decided to reverse and remand the appeal boards decision, ordering that Insight PA finally be granted the five-year charter it has been seeking since 2012.

A spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Education said officials were reviewing the ruling and considering their options.

A lawyer representing Insight PA was more upbeat.

We are very pleased with the courts decision, said Alan Kessler. We think it was well-written, well-reasoned and, more importantly, that it was dead right.

See also:
In Baghdad, suicide car bombers attacked in the area of a checkpoint in the city's southern Abu Dsheer area, killing 24 people and wounding 20, Brigadier General Saad Maan told AFP.

Security forces were able to kill one of the attackers, but the second blew up his car bomb, Maan said.

IS issued a statement claiming the attack but gave a different account of how it unfolded, saying that one militant clashed with security forces using a light weapon before detonating an explosive belt, after which a second blew up a car bomb.

And in south Iraq, a suicide bomber blew up an explosives-rigged vehicle at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city of Basra, killing 11 people and wounding 30, according to Riyadh Abdulamir, the head of Basra province health department.

Another militant who left a second explosives-rigged vehicle was killed by security forces, the Basra Operations Command said.

IS also claimed the Basra attack, but said that both bombs were successfully detonated.

The jihadist group overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since recaptured much of the territory they lost to the jihadists.

Security in Baghdad improved following the 2014 IS assault, presumably because the jihadists were occupied with fighting and control of territory elsewhere in the country.

After recapturing the cities of Tikrit, Ramadi and Fallujah, Iraqi forces launched an operation to retake Mosul -- at the time the largest population centre still in IS hands -- last October.

They have recaptured the city's east and are now fighting to retake a dwindling number of areas still under IS control in west Mosul.

Half a million people are currently displaced as a result of the battle for Mosul, and around 250,000 civilians are estimated to still be trapped inside the city's west.

The presence of the civilians, who either chose not to leave or were prevented from doing so by IS, complicates any final assault to seal victory in Mosul.

Human shields have become a central feature of the vastly outnumbered jihadists' defences, and IS has stopped at nothing to deter people from escaping the city, including killing people who seek to flee.

And the recapture of the city will not mark the end of the IS threat: the jihadists also control territory along the Syrian border and in Kirkuk province, as well as areas in Syria itself.
The Quad-Cities' own homegrown Boetje's Mustard finds itself among elite company landing top honors in the 2017 World Wide Mustard Competition, sponsored by the National Mustard Museum.

After three rounds of competition, Boetje's received Silver in two categories: Coarse Grain and Classic Hot. Boetje's competed with more than 400 entries from 11 countries in the contest held annually by the Middleton, Wisconsin, museum.

"We're real pleased at how well we did this year," said owner Will Kropp, who runs the family business with his wife, Jane, and their son, Harrison Kropp, 26.

"He's America's best," Will Kropp said of his son, Boetje's mustard maker. "We feel very proud. Harrison prides himself at producing award-winning mustard."

The brand was second only to the gold winners: Martin Olsson Foxy Lady of Norway in the coarse grain category, and the German-based Lowensenf Extra in the hot category.

"Eventually, this will be all his," Will Kropp said of Harrison, who has been full-time with the company since 2008. Will Kropp has owned Boetje's since 1983.

Davenport wins SBA award

The city of Davenport's efforts in helping small businesses has earned it the title of 2017 Iowa SBA Small Business Community of the Year.

The three-year-old award was presented by the Iowa District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Davenport was recognized for its programs and incentives that help attract and retain small businesses as well as its ability to leverage community resources with other federal, state, county and local programs to benefit the small business community.

"From the city's Small Business Loan Program to Mayor (Frank) Klipsch's monthly Foundation of the Community Award that recognizes small businesses, Davenport is a role model for communities across Iowa that understand how critical small business start-ups and expansions are to economic success," said Jayne Armstrong, the Iowa office's district director.

She also cited the city's collaborative economic development environment and the partnership the city economic developers have with other organizations such as the Iowa SBDC at Eastern Iowa Community College, Quad-Cities SCORE Chapter, Quad-Cities Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Davenport Partnership, Downtown Davenport Partnership, Greater Quad-Cities Hispanic Chamber, Hilltop Campus Village and others.

Klipsch said that since 2010, Davenport has assisted in the creation of more than 300 jobs at companies employing 1-10 people. "We are proud to collaborate with entrepreneurs, the state and federal governments to create an environment welcoming to small businesses ...," he said.

Ascentra wins Diamond Award

Hats off to Ascentra Credit Union, Bettendorf, which brought home a Diamond Award for the new design of its new Visa card  complete with EMV chip technology  and its unique rewards program.

Ascentra received the award from the Credit Union National Association's Marketing and Business Development Council at the 24th annual conference last month in San Antonio.

"The addition of the microchip added a new layer of protection against fraud for our members and gave us the opportunity to introduce uChoose Rewards, providing a great benefit to our members while saving them money,'' said Dale Owen, Ascentra president and CEO.

Ascentra's new rewards program allows members to combine and redeem rewards points from both Ascentra Visa debit and Visa credit card purchases. In addition, uChoose allows cardholders to link cards from other family members to earn points faster and redeem points for merchandise, receive cash back and even donate to charity.

For more information, visit Ascentra.org/rewards.

Ruhl & Ruhl expands to Galena

Ruhl & Ruhl Realtors has expanded its reach, joining forces with McCoy Real Estate Inc. in Galena, Illinois.

The Quad-City-based Ruhl & Ruhl is opening an office in McCoy Real Estate's former office at 412 S. Main St.

Mike and Shelly McCoy and their agents all have joined Ruhl as brokers. The office will be managed by Jeff Hefel, Ruhls Dubuque manager.

"We look forward to working with the talented agents of McCoy Real Estate to enhance their services and tools in Galena and the Territory," said Caroline Ruhl, company president.

Ruhl & Ruhl, with 330 agents, is the largest privately-owned real estate company in Iowa. In addition to 10 Iowa residential sales offices, it now will have two Illinois offices: Moline and Galena. For more information on the Galena office, call 815-777-1304.
Following late nights at the office  monitoring severe storms that threaten the Quad-City area and encouraging viewers to head to their basements  Erik Maitland needs a distraction from weather during his free time.

"It's tough to make a turnaround from a night like that," said Maitland, the chief meteorologist at KWQC-TV.

So, the 52-year-old weatherman turned to kayaking, a major stress reliever for Maitland, especially now, during what he called the "most stressful time the world has ever seen."

"When I get out there, I'm completely in my happy place, and everything I do on a daily basis just disappears," he said. "I was looking for something for years and this is now my thing."

The avid paddler, who also serves as a certified kayak instructor, hopes to share his passion with Quad-Citians this summer.

To kick things off, Maitland will discuss his experiences on the water during a paddle craft training seminar next weekend at the Moline Public Library.

In conjunction with National Safe Boating Week, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary organized the event, which will promote safe paddling practices, from wearing the proper life jacket and footwear to choosing the right vessel.

While Maitland usually paddles alone, he said he always informs someone ahead of time about his float plan.

Besides a life jacket, he brings with him a variety of other safety gear, including a whistle, marine VHF radio, personal locator beacon, tow rope and flares on his outings that generally stretch between 10 and 15 miles.

"I'm not in need of anything when I'm out on the water," he said.

During his first summer of paddling in 2014, Maitland said he ventured out onto Lake Michigan without correctly preparing.

"One of the reasons I decided to become an instructor was because I realized I made all the beginner mistakes," he said. "I just went at it and I didn't really research what I needed to know."

Before exploring foreign waterways, Maitland said he will contact someone familiar with the area to learn more about any potential risks he could face, such as dangerous water temperatures, special currents and underwater hazards.

"When you get in that environment, you become the littlest guy in the big pond and you need to prepare for that," he said.

Although his 15-foot sea kayak remains in storage, Maitland has a 25-plus mile trek planned on the Mississippi River once the water levels recede.

When the weather warms, he also will begin teaching on-water lessons at Deep Lakes Park in Muscatine, which, he said, has the clearest water in eastern Iowa.

"Everybody wants to spend more time outdoors," Maitland added, "and I think this is one of the greatest ways to do it."
As hes traveled rural Iowa lately, testing whether hell run for governor, John Norris says that hes seen decline.

Water quality is suffering, education across the state has seen limits  wages are stunted.

A native of southwest Iowa now living in the Des Moines area, Norris said it can be a depressing sight. However, in a stop in Davenport on a rainy Saturday morning, the longtime figure in state Democratic circles, said he sees the potential for growth in a wider swath of Iowa.

It can come, he said, with investments in renewable energy and high speed Internet  but also in seeking to channel the additional taxes that come by virtue of those new wind turbines into more impactful investments in rural economies and communities.

Norris says he wont decide whether to run for governor for another week or so. But at the United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 431, union hall Saturday, the longtime aide to Tom Vilsack offered his take on Republican control of state government  and what his campaign might have to offer as an alternative.

Of the just-completed session, he said, it has been destructive to workers, it has been abandonment of our children, its been disrespectful to women and its been neglectful for our environment.

He criticized rolling back collective bargaining rights for state workers, cutting off funding for Planned Parenthood and education spending levels.

Taken together, he said, this legislative session has weakened the state. "You live next to the Mississippi, you dont want to become Mississippi, he told the Davenport group.

Norris, who was Vilsacks chief of staff when he was Iowas governor and then as the U.S. secretary of agriculture, brings a lengthy resume to the table. Hes served on the Iowa Utilities Board, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and represented the U.S. Agriculture Department at the United Nations Rome-based agencies until he and his family returned to Iowa about a year ago.

Politically, hes a former state Democratic Party chair and ran John Kerrys 2004 presidential campaign in the state.

Its a resume Norris said would figure into a campaign. Youve got to have a vision for this state, but youve also got to be able to get it done. And if I run, thats what Im going to offer folks, he said.

Norris said that this years legislative session has significantly affected his thinking on whether to run. He also said Vilsack encouraged him when the two had breakfast over the Christmas holiday.

If he runs, Norris would join an crowded field. Five Democrats have already declared their intention to run next year. They are: former state Democratic Party Chair Andy McGuire, state Sen. Nate Boulton, D-Des Moines,, state Rep. Todd Prichard, D-Charles City, former Iowa DNR Director Rich Leopold and Jon Neiderbach, a former president of the Des Moines School Board.

Des Moines businessman Fred Hubbell and Davenport Alderman Mike Matson, 7th Ward, also are considering it.
It has been 49 years since Terri Shelton's husband was killed in Vietnam.

And she still is not over the pain of losing her young spouse, Duane Passig.

But Saturday's Gold Star program at the Davenport American Legion helped.

We were high school sweethearts, the DeWitt woman said. He was only 20 and I was eight months pregnant. He was killed by ground fire in his camp. He went over to protect his helicopter when they came under fire and was gunned down.

She was among about 75 family members who were honored as Gold Star family members who had lost loved ones during the Vietnam War. In all, 20 people killed in action and one person missing in action were remembered during a luncheon hosted by the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 776, Bettendorf.

John Lavelle, a member of Chapter 776, said it was just a coincidence that the ceremony landed on Armed Forces Day.

This is the first time we have done it, he said. We were partners last year in the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War parade.

For many, many years, the Vietnam veteran has been alone in their memories. When we came home, nobody talked about it. This is a chance to get together and show them they are not alone.

Shelton said she was alone the day Army personnel showed up at her home in March 1968 to tell her that her husband was killed. She still suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, she said.

I never got over it, she said. But this means everything to me.

Shirley Boetje of Milan and her two daughters, Della Boetje of Milan and Jane Boetje of San Diego, were invited to honor the memory of Shirley's son, William Boetje, who was 19 when he was killed June 10, 1968. They also remember that knock on their door to hear the tragic news.

It was fragments from a mortar that killed him, Della Boetje said. When you see uniformed people come to your door in the morning, your heart just sinks. You knew something was not good.

After we heard Bill died, we got three letters from him and he said, if you hear I have been killed, don't believe it. We lost our packs and the Vietnamese got them.

Her brother explained that when their packs go missing, sometimes it is assumed the soldiers were killed. However, she said her family eventually realized that young Bill was, in fact, killed.

This event is very emotional. We still are very proud of him, Della Boetje said.

During the ceremony, a chaplain, Col. Jeffrey Zust, talked about several fellow soldiers he knew who were killed in action. He said they were not there to remember the events of war but to honor the people who fought.

And we are here to not only honor the fallen heroes, but those who walked away, he said.

Judy Schrader of Rock Island was among several family members invited to honor her brother, Lt. John Golz, a Navy pilot who was shot down on April 22, 1970. He was 24 and a recent graduate of what was then St. Ambrose College, Davenport.

They were bombing the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos, she said. "He is listed as missing in action. In about 2000, they found the crash site but we have never been told they had found him. They were able to identify the plane by the engine number.

She said in recent times, the family has heard from crew members of her brother. They said the plane burst into flames.

She and one of her sisters, Eileen Cloninger of Rock Island, also were happy to attend the event.

It's wonderful. It's pride, Cloninger said. It brings us closer together.

It is nice to see smiles on the people who lost people, Schrader added.
As President Trump embarks on his first overseas trip, he's embracing the same defiant strategy adopted over a generation ago by an embattled predecessor, Richard Nixon. As scandal talks grow at home, Trump is licking his wounds, spurning his critics, and looking for approval from foreign leaders who admire him for being a tough guy.

Trump's combative early-morning tweets Thursday deflated any hope that he might see the appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel as a chance to establish "regular order" and stabilize the roiling Russia scandal, in the words of GOP former national security adviser Stephen Hadley. Mueller's steadying role would allow the nation to resume a measure of normal business while the investigation runs its course.

Trump's instinct, instead, is to fight back against critics he believes are trying to destroy his presidency through the Russia investigation. "This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!" he tweeted Thursday morning. The day before, he had declared in a graduation speech: "No politician in history -- and I say this with great surety -- has been treated worse or more unfairly." His invocation to the graduates was: "Fight, fight, fight."

Trump's accomplishment after a cataclysmic first four months is that he's still standing. His enemies, as he sees them, have taken their best shots and missed. He's taken some roundhouse swings of his own, losing some GOP support in Washington in the process. But his national base of support hasn't budged much and remains at about 40 percent.

Trump and his inner family circle seem, if anything, to be hardening their stance. Rather than regretting the firing of FBI Director James Comey, Trump seems more convinced than ever that Comey deserved to be sacked for writing the memos about conversations with the president that are now central to the investigation.

For Trump, the Russia investigation still appears to be a zero-sum game -- the political equivalent of kill or be killed. For the country, this confrontational stance promises continuing bitterness and a deepening confrontation, despite the widely applauded appointment of Mueller to oversee the investigation.

What's unfortunate, from a foreign policy standpoint, is that Trump's inability to calm the Washington turmoil threatens to overshadow his foreign trip and undermine some potentially important gains. The centerpiece of the trip is Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, where he will publicly embrace the reform agenda of Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and moderate Arab allies, such as Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the crown prince and military leader of the United Arab Emirates.

The White House, disorganized on so many topics, has carefully prepared the agenda for this trip. The Saudi hosts (joined by numerous other Arab leaders) will sign pledges promising to ban financing of extremist groups, including by private individuals. If that happens, it could be a significant breakthrough, adding a formal legal prohibition against support for terrorism.

Trump will also help open a new Saudi center for combating violent extremism that will use advanced computer tools to penetrate jihadist networks. The center is a personal project of Mohammed bin Salman, and it brings the deputy crown prince deep into the security arena traditionally dominated by his rival, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, the minister of the interior who is nominally his senior but whom he seems to have eclipsed in power.

Trump's aim is to refurbish the U.S.-Arab alliance based on shared distrust of Iran. In a speech, he is expected to say that the Mideast struggle isn't between Islam and the West, but between good and evil. He'll announce a broad military alliance that White House aides are characterizing as an "Arab NATO" -- quite a leap for a president who a few months ago was declaring NATO "obsolete." To ease U.S. wariness of new Middle East entanglement, the Saudis will announce a plan to buy $109 billion in U.S. military equipment, allowing Trump to claim he's creating U.S. jobs.

Senior Arab officials see the Trump visit as a big bet on an American re-engagement in the region that will empower reformers in Saudi Arabia, the richest and most powerful Sunni Arab state. If Saudi reformers gain traction, it could be a "hinge" event for the region. But Arab officials hope that Trump's political problems at home won't put this promising project at risk.

Domestic scandals can have the odd effect of encouraging diplomacy abroad. President Nixon made major peace deals in the Middle East after the Watergate debacle began. But even so, that story didn't end happily for Nixon or America.
The Trump administration has approached the wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to be the next U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, days before President Donald Trump embarks on his first foreign trip.

Trump will nominate Callista Gingrich for the post, two people with direct knowledge of the discussions said Monday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly before an official announcement.

Trump's foreign trip this month includes a stop at the Vatican.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

If nominated, she would require Senate confirmation.

Callista Gingrich is president of Gingrich Productions and has produced a number of documentaries, including one about Pope John Paul II.

She worked for the House Committee on Agriculture as chief clerk until 2007. She was a key figure in her husband's 2012 bid for the Republican nomination.

She was a congressional aide when she began a six-year affair with Newt Gingrich, then a married Republican congressman.

In 2012, Gingrich's second wife, Marianne Gingrich, told ABC News that he had proposed an "open marriage" so he could continue to see Callista Gingrich without divorcing.

The former House speaker denied the charge.

He converted to Catholicism in 2009, after years of attending mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., where Callista Gingrich has performed in the choir.

Trump's vision for foreign relations and diplomacy has been starkly different to that promoted by the vastly popular Pope Francis. Francis has spoken of the need for bridges between nations, while Trump has advocated for walls and travel restrictions as a means of national security.

Francis has previously remarked that anyone who wants to build walls to keep migrants out is "not Christian."

Francis also has called for an end to the use of fossil fuels, while Trump has pledged to cancel payments to U.N. climate change programs and pull out of the Paris climate accord, although his recent actions and statements have cast some doubt over whether withdrawal from the agreement is still planned.

But the president and the pope share a populist appeal and speak with a down-to-earth simplicity that has endeared them to their bases of supporters. And both share a common concern about the plight of Christians in the Middle East at the hands of Islamic militants.

Speaking to reporters while traveling home Saturday from a trip to Portugal, Francis said he would listen respectfully to what Trump has to say when the two meet. Trump will call on Francis midway through his first foreign trip, after visiting Saudi Arabia and Israel and before attending a NATO summit in Brussels and a G-7 summit in Italy.

"I never make a judgment about a person without hearing him out," the pope said.
A proposed change in speed limits around the intersection of Highways 20 and 385 falls short of what the city would like to see implemented in the area.

Alan Swanson with the Nebraska Department of Roads Traffic Engineering Division submitted a proposal to the city last week, along with a letter explaining that the department completed a speed study after a citizen request following recent development in the area and a request by local law enforcement to review speed limits in and around the city.

The results of that speed study led the NDOR to request the city pass a new ordinance approving the following changes:

*45 mph from Stockade Road to 700 feet east of Linden Street

*35 mph from 700 feet east of Linden Street to 150 feet east of Maple Street

*30 mph from 150 feet east of Maple Street to 680 feet east of Ridgeview Road

The state did not suggest making any changes on South Highway 385.

Public Works Director Milo Rust, Police Chief Tim Lordino and the city council all agreed that the proposal falls far short of what they believe is necessary, especially since there were no changes recommended for Highway 385.

Rust said his conversations with the department indicated there was no give and take on (385).

In lieu of other significant changes at the intersection, the council had hoped to at least see traffic on that leg of the highway slowed down coming into the intersection. The proposal also calls for an increase in the speed limit from the intersection to the east, an idea that also met with resistance.

Its dangerous enough  at 30 mph, said Councilman Keith Crofutt. Lordino concurred, saying that traffic exiting Maverik and McDonalds creates lots of conflict in that area.

I dont see why we would look at raising the speed limits, he said.

The council plans to prepare a response letter asking for changes to the states proposal.
Veterans of the Armed Forces looking for work  particularly in agricultural fields  appear to have a friend in U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, who came to Rapid City on Friday to listen to veterans tell their stories, and to spread the word about a new program to transition service members into jobs in agriculture.

The secretary came to the South Dakota Air & Space Museum on Friday to chat in closed meetings with veterans to personally hear their individual stories about life and their employment situation. He also wanted to hear their comments about things they would like to see in an agricultural job program the secretary is pushing. Perdue's staff members took notes on what was said, and the input will be incorporated into the final product, he said.

I dont want a program in name only, I want something that works, Perdue said. These veterans deserve our best, theyve given their best. We talk about honoring them. We honor them by giving the programs that help them assimilate in a civilian work force that can be productive for our country going forward, not just in their military service, but to be productive citizens.

After those meetings, which were attended by the three members of South Dakota's congressional delegation, Perdue said his hope is that veterans can take their military experience and expertise to find success in agriculture.

What we understand in agriculture is its become more technical, its become more scientific and its become more challenging, Perdue said. But veterans that come out of service, discharging, come out with skill sets and sometimes they come out not knowing what they do.

Perdue's visit to western South Dakota made sense on two fronts. Not only is the region a haven for active and retired military personnel, but agriculture is a major part of the state economy. Agriculture has a nearly $26 billion economic impact in the state each year, and as the state's biggest industry, agriculture employs more than 115,000 people, according to the South Dakota Department of Agriculture.

Perdue, the former governor of Georgia, said agriculture in South Dakota and across the country can benefit from an influx of veterans who know how to get a job done.

We can use them, he added, We need them in agriculture. Agriculture needs trained, disciplined, skilled, good, common sense decision-makers.

Earlier this month, Perdue helped persuade President Donald Trump to not abandon the North American Free Trade Agreement, which is seen as a move in favor of agriculture.

Perdue was joined at the event on Friday by U.S. Sens. John Thune and Mike Rounds and U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem, all Republicans from South Dakota.
Looking at the world through the eyes of the Web
STURGIS - Vicki Hindman says she thinks about her husband, the late South Dakota Highway Patrol Trooper Oren Hindman, often even though he has been gone more than 30 years.

Hindman and her daughter, Erin, who was just 2-1/2 when her dad died, were on hand Friday for the dedication of a highway sign in Oren's honor.

The signs honoring Hindman and four other South Dakota Highway Patrol troopers, who have died in the line of duty, were dedicated this week as part of National Police Week. They will be placed near the location where the troopers died.

"It means a lot," Vicki Hindman said following the short ceremony and unveiling of the Hindman sign. "I hope this will remind people of the sacrifice our law enforcement make on a daily basis."

Vicki and Erin received hugs and well wishes from friends and current law enforcement who attended the ceremony.

"It's good to have something that shows these men are remembered," Vicki said.

Oren Hindman was stabbed after arresting Candace Archambeau for drunken driving on Interstate 90 west of Spearfish on May 1, 1985. The man who stabbed Hindman was Archambeau's boyfriend, Wade Aikins. Hindman needed to transport Archambeau to jail and decided to put Aikins in protective custody also. While enroute, Aikins stabbed Hindman multiple times. At the dedication Friday, Trooper Dana Svendsen said Hindman drove himself to the hospital in Spearfish where he later died on May 2, 1985.

The stabbing was called "senseless and tragic" by then Lawrence County State's Attorney Roger Tellinghuisen.

Vicki Hindman, who still lives in Sturgis, found the death doubly tragic having lost a loving husband and a devoted father to her daughter, Erin.

"It was tough watching Erin grow up and not having her dad there for special occasions," she said.

Erin said she never really knew her dad, but has a better understanding of the man he was from the poetry he wrote and from recollections of family and friends.

"I think I was adored by him. People say he took me everywhere," she said.

Paul Christensen, a retired Highway Patrol Trooper from Rapid City, attended the Trooper Academy with Hindman in 1978 and was on hand Friday.

"This is long overdue," Christensen said of the sign dedication. "It's about time we get these names out there so people can understand their sacrifice."

Christensen says to this day he still remembers the call to his home the night Hindman died.

"It hits you right here," he said clinching his fist to his heart. "The first thing I thought was to get my uniform on and head out to Spearfish to see what I could do."

Christensen remembers Hindman as an enthusiastic individual who loved his job.

"You couldn't find a nicer guy," he said. "And on the night he died, he was being a nice guy by taking this guy in with him."

Christensen served not only with Hindman, but also Trooper Steve Hoffman who in the line of duty from his injuries after being struck by a truck during a routine traffic stop north of Freeman on March 12, 1980. A sign honoring Hoffman was dedicated Tuesday at the Silver Lake rest area on US 81 approximately 7 miles north of Freeman.

Hindman's sign was erected west of Spearfish near mile marker 8 on Interstate 90. The sign dedicated at Sturgis Friday will go on the back side of the sign already in place.

Others honored were Patrolman Bernard Benson, Trooper Verlyn Mettler and Patrolman H.N. Brownie Russell.

Patrolman Russell began his career on the Highway Patrol April 1, 1948. He died November 19, 1958 from injuries sustained in a car accident. Patrolman Russell had been on duty for a long period of time participating in a manhunt. While enroute to his duty station, he fell asleep at the wheel of a patrol car. His sign was dedicated Thursday at the Belle Fourche HP Squad Office.

The signs were a joint project between the Highway Patrol and the Department of Transportation.

Sacrifices made by these troopers and their families have never been forgotten by anyone who has ever been part of the Highway Patrol, says Col. Craig Price, superintendent of the Highway Patrol. This is another way that we can honor these troopers and help the public better understand what they did for all of us.
CODY, Wyo.| A Wyoming man who pleaded guilty to killing and dismembering a suspected drug dealer has been sentenced to 25 to 35 years in prison.

John Marquez, 53, pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder in the death of Juan Antonio Guerra-Torres.

Marquez admitted killing Guerra-Torres in late December 2013 north of Cody. His decapitated body, also missing his left arm and right hand, was found in January 2014. It took months to identify him.

Marquez testified he killed Guerra-Torres after longtime family friend Pedro Garcia Jr. told him the victim owed tens of thousands of dollars money to dangerous drug dealers who were threatening the family including Garcia's sister and her children with Guerra-Torres.

"I know what I did was wrong, now I've got to suffer the consequences. But I was led to believe my son and my grandchildren were in danger and that Pedro Garcia's father and his mother (also were) and I did what I had to do," Marquez told the judge. "Would I do it again? No, I wouldn't. I wouldn't even think of doing something stupid like that again."

Defense attorney Devon Petersen said his client made a terrible choice.

"He never would have done this had he not been incited to and played upon his fears of his family's safety," Petersen said.

Marquez has convictions for child abuse and marijuana possession. He twice violated the terms of his release from prison in the marijuana case, the first time by using cocaine and traveling to Mexico without permission, court records said. He served additional prison time for both violations.

Garcia Jr., 30, faces 25 to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree. His sister, Sandra Garcia, 29, is serving 10 to 18 years for aiding and abetting manslaughter and being an accessory after the fact to second-degree murder.

Park County Sheriff Scott Steward said it was a "twisting case" from the beginning and that the defendants' account of what happened changed every day. He said he was satisfied that all three people involved were prosecuted without having to go to trial.
HELENA  Montana Gov. Steve Bullock has vetoed a bill that would have raised the amount of money that could be contributed to political campaigns and changed operations within the office of the states campaign finance watchdog.

The bill, carried by Rep. Tom Richmond, R-Billings, would have increased the amount of money that could be spent by political committees, political parties and individuals on campaigns, in some cases by more than double.

In his veto, Bullock wrote the changes in the bill would completely undermine the effectiveness (of the Commissioner of Political Practices) and the increase in contribution limits are far above what Montanans believe to be acceptable.

Due to the Montana Disclose Act and the significant efforts of the (Commissioner of Political Practices) over the course of the last two years, our 2016 elections were among the most transparent and cleanest on records, Bullock wrote in his veto. The bill is a palpably political effort to undo this process.

The Disclose Act was passed by the 2015 Legislature and was meant to shine a light on so-called "dark money" spent in the state's elections.

Montana has put a limit on what can be contributed in state elections, dating back to a 1994 ballot initiative that set limits. But the Citizens United ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2012 upended that, saying corporations could spend an unlimited amount in campaigns

The state law was challenged in 2012 and 2016. In 2012, the state was left briefly without contribution limits, while in 2016 the limits were increased three weeks before the November election.

The bill Bullock vetoed would have also have prohibited the Commissioner of Political Practices from filing criminal cases against candidates and moved complaints from the commissioner's office to the court of the defendants residence instead of Lewis and Clark County.

Under current practice, when the commissioner finds fault in the campaign finance practices of a candidate, the commissioner seeks a resolution directly with the candidate. If one cannot be reached, a case is filed in Lewis and Clark County District Court in Helena, where the commissioner's office is.

The bill, which was at one point considered dead after failing to pass the House on a 50-50 vote and was revived by Rep. Theresa Manzella, R-Darby, would have also required mediation instead of a court proceeding, something Bullock in his veto called costly.

On-demand mediation could be exploited to delay and increase the costs of enforcement by those individuals who wish to operate in violation of the law for as long as possible, Bullock said.

The previous commissioner, Jonathan Motl, testified at the Legislature that the bill would have reduced the offices ability to enforce the states campaign finance laws. Former legislator Jeff Mangan took over the office on Monday.

Some more conservative Republicans tried to label Motl as biased against members of their party, though records of Motls findings show he did not target one party more than another.
MISSOULA  U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders unleashed his signature fiery populist flair in support of Democrat Rob Quist on the University of Montana campus Saturday morning.

These are difficult moments for American people, Sanders told the crowd in Missoula. They are throwing their hands up and they are living in despair. What you understand is now is not the time to give up. Now is the time to fight back.

Sanders, an Independent from Vermont who ran for president in last year's Democratic primary, is in Montana this weekend to campaign for Quist, the Flathead Valley Democrat running against Republican Greg Gianforte and Libertarian Mark Wicks for Montanas lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The special election to fill Interior Secretary Ryan Zinkes vacated seat is this Thursday, May 25, and the contest has attracted the attention of both the national media, and support from national political figures. Gianforte has drawn visits from Vice President Mike Pence and President Donald Trumps son, Donald Jr.

On Saturday, it was Quists turn to get a famous endorsement of his own.

Sanders, who campaigned in Missoula and won Montanas Democratic presidential primary here, addressed a crowd of roughly 4,000 people at the Adams Center.

Billionaires like the Koch brothers have spent hundreds of millions of dollars all over this country to elect candidates who will support the wealthy and the powerful, Sanders said. And that is why I have so much respect for Rob. Because he is turning his back on raising money that way. His average contribution is 25 bucks. All over Montana people are responding.

Sanders called the Republican health care bill that recently was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives a piece of disastrous legislation.

That bill is one of the ugliest, most dangerous, most anti-American bills ever passed in the Congress, Sanders said. Can you imagine anyone supporting a bill that would throw 24 million Americans, including 70,000 people in (Montana), off the health care they currently have?

Sanders said Quist would bring a different moral compass to the U.S. Congress.

Rob understands its not acceptable that women make 79 cents on the dollar compared to men, Sanders said. We have these hypocritical, so-called conservatives saying, Get the government off our backs, we dont want regulations, but these same people are prepared to tell every woman in American what she can do with her body. Rob and I say no way.

During the event, Quist also spoke, as did his wife and two cancer survivors who expressed the need for affordable access to health care. Quist said he actually spotted his wife for the first time in the Adams Center, when he was playing basketball for the Griz and she was a cheerleader.

Im often asked what is the greatest resource we have in the Big Sky and I always say without hesitation it is our strong, independent, smart Montana women, Quist said.

He used his familiar campaign refrain, that this election is a fight for the soul of Montana.

People like Greg Gianforte see our mountains, rivers and streams and they think, That would be good to own, to fence in and develop, Quist said. And Montanans say, This is our way of life. Chief Seattle said many years ago that we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children. There can be no greater truth. And the transfer or sale of our public lands is nothing more than theft against our children and grandchildren, and I promise you Ill stand fast against it.

Quist also played guitar, sang and read a poem using a womans body as a metaphor for Montana, saying his opponent would treat her like a harlot.

If you are a man of honor, you should cherish and protect her, he said.

Quist made it a point to attack Gianfortes failed bid to become Montanas governor last fall.

He spent $5 million of his own money trying to buy the last election, he said. This should not be his consolation prize. To me this office should not be the millionaire's club. This is the U.S. House of Representatives.

Katherine Skinner, 65, said she came to the event to support Quist and hear Sanders.

Quist supports health care for women and public schools and public land ownership and all the things Democrats support, she said. Gianforte has a Christian fundamentalist point of view. Not that theres anything wrong with that, but he shouldnt impose it on the state of Montana. From what Ive read, he seems to think that evolution is not preferable to creationism, creation points of view.

Skinner also said shes concerned that Gianforte wouldnt support Medicare.

(Gianforte) is becoming more and more modeling himself after Donald Trump and his administration, and I find that absolutely repugnant, she said.

There was at least one protester outside of the rally, an elderly man with a somewhat off-color sign denouncing Quist.

State Rep. Shane Morigeau, D-Missoula, said that although Democrats suffered big losses in Novembers election, it aint over yet.

We Montanans have been given a second chance to show the rest of the country that working people still matter, he said. That health care for all still matters, that womens rights still matter, the environment and access to public land still matter, and that higher education still matters. This is a second chance to send a real Montanan to Washington.

Morigeau said Republicans are trying to make voting harder for Democrats and pouring millions of dollars of dark money into elections.

Robs opponent is terrified of us showing up, Morigeau said. Because when we do show up, we win.

Sanders also encouraged everyone in the crowd to bring someone along when they vote.

You guys can make a profound difference, he said.

Sanders reminded the crowd that he wouldnt have flown all the way to Montana from Washington if the times were not so serious.

I came here because we face some enormous problems in this country, he said. The eyes of the country are on Montana this week. And what people are asking is can a rural state with a small population, can people come together to take on the big money interests that are trying to buy this election?

"Because the people of America know if you can do it in Montana we can do it all across this country. That we can create a political revolution which restores power to working families and the middle class and not just the billionaire class.

Sanders also campaigned for Quist on Saturday afternoon in Butte, where more than 3,000 attended. In the historically Democrat and pro-union town, Sanders and Quist emphasized they would work to make improvements to the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

Gianforte has given an unclear message about where he stands on the Republican plan to repeal and replace the ACA, telling Montana media after the U.S. House passed the bill at the start of the month that he could not say how he would have voted because the bill had not yet been marked up by the Congressional Budget Office. Later Gianforte told potential donors on a phone call he supported bill.

Billings

For Saturdays final campaign event, attendees began lining up at MetraPark shortly after 4 p.m., more than four hours before the rally began.

Gabbie Aschim, who was fifth in line at the Expo Center, was spending her 18th birthday waiting for the chance to hear from Sanders and Quist.

Nowhere else Id rather be, the Billings West senior said, standing alongside Wayne Britton, 19, a Rocky Mountain College student. Its the best birthday present I could imagine.

Britton said he was eager to hear from Quist for the first time to learn more about his platform, especially about access to public lands. Plus, he added, Im a big supporter and follower of Bernie.

Andrea Heyneman of Absarokee said she arrived at 4:15 p.m. because I wanted to make sure to be on the rail again.

She plans to vote for Quist in person at Absarokee Elementary School Thursday.

That way you get your sticker and you see all your friends, she explained.

First in line was George Garcia of Billings, who showed up in a blue Quist T-shirt and was dispensing a dozen or so Quist stickers while he waited.

Im a lifelong Democrat, and I like to come out to all of the rallies, he said. Bernie is a national figure, but I didnt get a chance to see him last time.

He said he hopes that Quist and Sanders manage to excite all the undecided voters during the final days leading up to the special election.

I just want Rob to say what he stands for, he said.

Twenty-year-old Otis Martin of Lewistown attended the rally with his grandparents. He placed three Quist stickers on long sticks he planned to wave for greater visibility, he said.

Now that the crowds are arriving, he said about an hour before the rally, the atmosphere is getting fun. Its a show of solidarity.

He said he expected to hear a message of hope from both Quist and Sanders, along with ways we can work against the current administration.

A Northern Cheyenne contingent was present at the Quist rally one day after the Crow Nation endorsed his opponent, Greg Gianforte. The Northern Cheyenne Nation made official its endorsement of Quist, which the candidate called "a real honor."
MISSOULA  Broadwater County Deputy Sheriff Mason Moore, a married father of three, survived the first gunshot wound he suffered while driving after a Belgrade man and his father at 100 miles per hour on a dark highway at 2:30 a.m. last Tuesday.

But he didn't survive the hail of two dozen bullets when the two men allegedly turned their car around, drove right up to where Moore's car had pulled to a stop, and fired again.

In the hours before they allegedly killed Moore, Marshall Barrus and his father Lloyd Barrus are accused of attempting to violently take Marshalls children on what they termed a suicide mission.

Thats according to Broadwater County Attorney Cory Swanson, who filed a felony charge of accountability for deliberate homicide against Lloyd Barrus on Friday. Lloyd Barrus, 61, is being held on $2 million bond at the Missoula County Detention Center. Prosecutors in Missoula County also filed additional charges against him on Friday, bringing his total number of felony attempted deliberate homicide charges to 16.

Lloyd Barrus was arrested on Tuesday after he and his son allegedly murdered Deputy Moore and then led law enforcement on a high-speed chase across several counties before engaging officers in a shootout east of Missoula on Interstate 90. Marshall Barrus was mortally wounded by law enforcement during the shootout, but Lloyd Barrus was arrested after officers shot a Glock 9mm handgun out of his hand.

In chilling detail in new charging documents filed Friday, Swanson laid out details of Moores death at about 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Swanson said that after he got an emergency call at 3:40 a.m. notifying him that Moore was dead from apparent gunshot wounds, he went to the scene and reviewed a copy of Moores patrol car video.

The video showed Moore was traveling south on Highway 287 when he was passed by what appeared to be a white Chevy Suburban. Moore followed for a minute, then tried to pull the vehicle over. The vehicle did not stop, so Moore advised dispatch that he was in pursuit, reaching speeds of 100 miles per hour.

About six minutes into the chase, Moore appeared to be struck by gunfire while driving. The camera was knocked from its mount, and the patrol car appeared to come to a stop on the side of the road. From that point forward, the audio and video quality fluctuated intermittently, according to Swanson.

I did not observe any motion or sound from Deputy Moore on the video for approximately three minutes after the initial gunfire, Swanson wrote in charging documents. At that point, Deputy Moore seemed to regain consciousness and could be heard moaning faintly and opening his car door.

"About a minute after that, Deputy Moore and his patrol vehicle appeared to be struck by more than 15 gunshots fired in rapid succession. I did not see or hear any activity in the video after that until backup officers arrived approximately eight minutes later.

A Montana Highway Patrol trooper who was first on the scene later told Swanson that when he got to Moores car, the drivers side door was open and Deputy Moore was dead of an apparent gunshot wound. A post-mortem examination later determined that Moore sustained two gunshot wounds to the head and another to the shoulder.

Swanson examined the scene, and found 29 spent .308-caliber rifle cartridges. He found about 24 bullet holes in the patrol cars windshield, front end and passenger door.

From tire marks on the pavement, it appeared as though a vehicle was traveling southbound beyond Deputy Moores vehicle, then made a U-turn and went back toward the patrol car, Swanson wrote. I also observed tracks in the dirt alongside Deputy Moores passenger door, adjacent to the majority of the fired cartridge cases. Those tracks then appeared to make another U-turn southbound.

Moore's assailants had fled, but law enforcement officers tracked them down near Butte. The duo then allegedly led officers on a high-speed chase across several counties in an effort to get away.

Marshall Barrus allegedly moved to the back of the SUV at mile marker 135 on Interstate 90 and began firing rounds with a long gun through the rear window at pursuing law enforcement vehicles.

Two Butte police vehicles were hit by Barrus' rounds, disabling those vehicles. Shooting those two cars led to the additional charges for Lloyd Barrus on Friday. The pursuit continued to mile marker 128 in Missoula County, at which point Barrus' vehicle was too disabled by spike strips to continue.

Lloyd Barrus left the driver's side while his son got out of the the passenger's side, according to court documents. They are accused of firing repeatedly on surrounding law enforcement vehicles, hitting four.

Lloyd Barrus allegedly was firing a Glock 9mm handgun while Marshall Barrus was firing a rifle or a shotgun. Law enforcement officers returned fire and mortally wounded Marshall Barrus. Officers also shot the handgun from Lloyd Barrus' hand, at which point he was arrested. Prosecutors say 14 law enforcement officers were under fire during the shootout in Missoula County.

***

Swanson, the Broadwater County attorney, said Gallatin County Sheriffs Detectives interviewed Marshall Barrus children shortly afterward. A detective said the children told him that Lloyd Barrus came to the familys home in Belgrade about two weeks ago from California.

The entire family then went camping near Canyon Ferry Reservoir. The children told detectives that both Marshall and Lloyd had strong anti-law enforcement views and openly discussed a suicide mission involving a shootout with police.

On the night of Monday, May 15, the children said Marshall woke them at about 11 p.m. when he fired a gun in the campground. He then got into an argument with the childrens mother before both Marshall and Lloyd left the campground.

The men returned at 2 a.m. and began firing guns around the campground while looking for the children. Marshall allegedly located the children with their mother in the car, then broke out the rear window when they refused to open the doors. Marshall allegedly struck one of the children in the face after trying unsuccessfully to get the kids to accompany him and his father on their suicide mission.

The children told detectives that the men left the campground with a semi-automatic rifle, a 9mm pistol, a shotgun and a backpack full of ammunition and magazines.

Barrus has also been charged with two counts of accountability to attempted deliberate homicide, both felonies. All of the charges against him are punishable by life in prison, or not less than 10 or more than 100 years in Montana State Prison.
Guwahati : New twist added in the probe of cash-for-job scam of Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) after the sleuths of Dibrugarh police had seized 990 numbers answer scripts from the office of APSC on Thursday night.

Investigating officer of the scam and ASP of Dibrugarh police, Surajit Singh Panesar said that, the answer scripts of the APSC examination held in 2015 were seized from the strong room in the commission office which being sealed earlier.

According to the reports, a police team led by ASP Panesar and ASP Subhasish Baruah had raided the APSC office last night and seized the answer scripts.

'The seizure answer scripts belonging to 165 candidates those had declared as successful candidates in the examination result announced last year,' ASP Subhasish Baruah said.

On the other hand, the investigating team will send the seizure answer scripts to forensic laboratory following directives by the court.

'If we found any anomalies in forensic report then police to grill more official,'A ASP Panesar said.

Police has already arrested 11 persons including former APSC chairman Rakesh Paul, his two associate members Samedur Rahman, Basanta Doley, three newly appointed Assam Civil Service (ACS) officers in connection with the scam.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati: At least four Manipur police commandos and Manipur Rifles jawan were injured in an powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast triggered by suspected militants in Manipur's Chandel district on Friday, officials said.

According to the reports, the explosion took place between Kwatha and Khudentabi area on Imphal-Moreh road, some 10 kms from the Indo-Myanmar bordering town Moreh at around 12-45 pm on Friday, when two vehicles of Manipur police commandos and Manipur Rifles jawan escorted Parliamentary Secretary (Home) of Manipur state government L Susindro Meitei returning from Kwatha.

A top official of Manipur police said that, suspected militants had fired upon the security personnel following the blast and Manipur police and Manipur Rifles personnel also fires in retaliation.

'In the militant attack, four security personnel were injured. The Parliamentary Secretary of the state government escaped unhurt,'A the police official said.

Two among them critically injured and they were airlifted to Imphal in an IAF chopper for better treatment.

Following the explosion, police and army reinforcements have been rushed to the area and launched operation against the attackers.

This is the second militants attack on security forces in the north eastern Indian state.

On May 8, an army jawan was killed and three others including a Junior Commanding Officer ( JCO) were injured in a powerful IED blast triggered by suspected militants at Moreh in Manipur along the Indo-Myanmar border.

The blast took place very close to International border with Myanmar hit the vehicle, where the army personnel of the 165 Territorial Army were traveling.

The blast was triggered by the suspected militants using remote control when the army vehicle passing on the NH-102 at the area.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati: Patriotic People's Front Assam (PPFA) reiterates its stand to detect all immigrants from the then East Pakistan and later Bangladesh with the national cut-off year (1951) and urges the Union government in New Delhi to think about offering work permits (without voting rights) to them in case their deportation becomes impossible because of arising serious humanitarian and international crisis.

The forum in a statement argues that the immigrants who entered India after 1951 till 16 December 1971 should be treated as East Pakistani nationals, as Bangladesh emerged as a sovereign nation only after 16 December (not 25 March 1971 as often reported in the media), when Pakistani soldiers surrendered to the Muktijoddhas (forces of Bangladesh freedom struggle).

'The volume of East Pakistani nationals (from 1951 to 16 December 1971) must be identified on priority basis and they should be deported. If we apprehend any unavoidable humanitarian crisis, those people may be given work permits to stay in India but without the power to participate in the State-recognized electoral process,' said the PPFA statement.

It, however, strongly argues that the immigrants from Bangladesh (who came after 16 December 1971) must be detected and deported. The forum also appealed to Sarbananda Sonowal led government at Dispur to support the 1951 as cut-off year for detection of foreigners in the Supreme Court, as the case is presently in its jurisdiction. In another aspect, the forum commented that once the citizenship

amendment bills are duly passed in the Parliament, all the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian refugees should be rehabilitated with equal distribution across the country.

'Among them, those who prefer to stay legally in Assam should adopt Assamese language as their medium of instructions with an aim to promote the Assamese culture and thus contributing for a stronger and safer India. It will also help removing the linguistic threat perception to the indigenous populace of the State,aA asserted the statement.

As the spirit of Assam Movement (1979 to 1985) was to deport all foreigners with the cut-off year of 1951, for which over 850 martyrs, including Khargeswar Talukder being the first, sacrificed their lives, the forum finds reasons in supporting the same. However, the PPFA maintains that it would abide by the verdict of the apex court over the matter.

Issued by Rupam Barua, Nava Thakuria, Pramod Kalita, Jagadindra Raichoudhury, Anup Sarma, Ujjal Saikia, Anirban Choudhury, Sabyasachi Sharma, Dibson Barua, Bitupan Dutta, Tarali Chakrabarty, Bhaswati Sarma etc for PPFA
Chitwan, Nepal: Vote-counting that was halted since Friday night following row over vote-counting of Ward-9, to be resumed in Bharatpur Metropolitan City, thanks to the agreement among the parties to this effect.

The vote counting was halted after Nepali Congress and CPN Maoist Center had left the vote counting venue demanding recount after an inconsistency was found between the number of votes cast shown in the computer database and the number of votes cast mentioned in the record kept by representatives of political parties .

The vote counting in Bharatpur Metropolitan City has cautiously been watching as Prime Minister and CPN Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahals daughter Renu Dahal is contesting in the post of Mayor from the support of the Nepali Congress.

Likewise, there is also a rumor that CPN UMLs leaders have agreed to accept Dahal as the winner of the Mayor even though the UMLs Mayoral candidate Devi Gyanwali is leading in the vote counting.

The all party meeting held on Saturday morning made a 10 points agreement including to mention transparency while counting the vote. The decision has also left a space to suspect that soothing would have cooked between the leadership between the UML and the Maoist Center.
KATHMANDU, May 20: A pedestrian was killed on the spot after getting rammed by a speeding mini truck at Baniyatar this morning.

Rishi Ram Pandit, 35, of Byas Municipality, Tanahun and currently living in Baniyatar was struck by the mini truck at 5 am when he was walking.

The truck with registration no plate  Ba 2 Kha 5730  rammed Pandit, a local of the area, Madhu Sudan Dhakal told the National News Agency (RSS).

The Metropolitan Police Sector, Naya Bus Park has detained the driver and impounded the vehicle, according to Dhakal. The locals are obstructing vehicular movement in Baniyatar to protest the incident. RSS
WARNING for European visitors European Union laws require you to give European Union visitors information about cookies used on your blog. In many cases, these laws also require you to obtain consent.

As a courtesy, we have added a notice on your blog to explain Google's use of certain Blogger and Google cookies, including use of Google Analytics and AdSense cookies.
Blog Archive June (1) May (16) April (23) March (20) February (17) January (13) December (22) November (40) October (57) September (45) August (55) July (52) June (165) May (121) April (141) March (32) February (76) January (141) December (85) November (130) October (146) September (96) August (89) July (82) June (64) May (99) April (41) March (98) February (61) January (64) December (67) November (51) October (70) September (75) August (52) July (66) June (76) May (104) April (93) March (151) February (168) January (107) December (42) November (56) October (69) September (103) August (75) July (191) June (171) May (207) April (302) March (490) February (155) January (138) December (135) November (226) October (146) September (107) August (160) July (292) June (316) May (361) April (460) March (327) February (49) January (2) November (13) October (3) September (37) August (43) July (6) June (12) May (1) April (29) March (30) February (58) January (27) December (11) November (16) October (34) September (81) August (81) July (93) June (12) May (1) February (1) November (3) October (2) September (6) August (1) July (2) June (14) May (10) April (8) March (13) February (1) January (5)
Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Courtesy Cornelia Reynolds(CINCINNATI) -- The superintendent of a Cincinnati public school district is disputing claims that 8-year-old Gabriel Taye was bullied at school before he hanged himself at home.



In a recent interview with ABC News affiliate WCPO-TV, Cincinnati Public Schools superintendent Mary Ronan rejected a family attorneys claim that surveillance video captures Gabriel being bullied in a school bathroom.



That is a falsehood. When you look at the video, we see no link between bullying and the suicide. If you look at the video  and we have, frame by frame  it appears the young man fainted, Ronan told WCPO-TV on Thursday.



Cincinnati Public Schools released on May 12 the surveillance video recorded Jan. 24 outside a boys' bathroom at Carson School. The blurry and choppy footage shows Gabriel walking into the bathroom around the 13-minute mark. As he enters the restroom, Gabriel appears to shake another childs hand and then falls to the floor.



Gabriel was unconscious for several minutes, his feet visible from the hallway surveillance camera. Students are seen entering and leaving the restroom, with some stopping to look at Gabriel and nudge him.



Finally, a child summons a school staff member to the restroom, who attends to Gabriel.



According to The Cincinnati Enquirer, Gabriel's mother, Cornelia Reynolds, took him to the hospital for vomiting that evening and kept him home from school the following day. He returned to school on Jan. 26.



That evening, two days after the alleged incident in the restroom, Gabriel hanged himself in a bedroom of his home. His mother found him, police said.



Months after the young boy's death, Ronan is disturbed by what she says is the ongoing fallout from the incident and the family's accusation that Gabriel's death was due to bullying.



The superintendent said other boys who were in the restroom at the time are traumatized because they think they caused his death.



Now, what I'm having to do is provide mental health services for the other three or four 8-year-olds in the bathroom with Gabriel because somehow now they think that they caused his death. So, now we've traumatized another three or four children who are at-risk, Ronan told WCPO-TV.



She went on, So, this whole situation is so tragic  to have lost a child  and now children for the rest of their lives may need therapy because of what they've been unfairly accused of and these are children with no disciplinary record who just happened to be walking into the bathroom when he collapsed.



When contacted by ABC News for comment Friday, the superintendent reaffirmed her remarks as told to WCPO-TV and added that Gabriel told the school nurse when she arrived on scene that he had fainted.



"He never said he was bullied," Ronan told ABC News.



Ronan reiterated her concern for the other children in the video, some of whom she said have been "harshly criticized by people who do not know them or all the facts."



ABC News also reached out to Cincinnati Public Schools public affairs office for additional comment Friday but did not immediately hear back.



Gabriels death was initially ruled a suicide in January by the Hamilton County Coroners Office. On May 12, a spokesperson for the coroners office told ABC News the circumstances surrounding the boys death will be re-examined based on the newly-released surveillance video as well as a police detectives analysis.



The Cincinnati Police Department has not filed charges in the case.



"On Jan. 26, 2017, the Cincinnati Police Department conducted an investigation into the death of Gabriel Taye. In light of the Hamilton County Coroners Office statement that they have reopened this death investigation, the Cincinnati Police Department does not believe it would be appropriate to comment at this time. Any questions regarding this matter should be directed to the Hamilton County Coroner's Office, the Cincinnati Police Department told ABC News in a statement on May 12.



Cincinnati Public Schools released a statement upon releasing the video, saying "the allegations portrayed in the media," regarding Gabriel being bullied, aren't supported by the footage.



Our hearts are broken by the loss of this child, and our thoughts are with his parents and extended family. He was an outstanding young man, and this is a great loss for his family and our school community, the statement said. In an effort to be completely transparent, we are releasing the video that was reviewed as part of an investigation by the Cincinnati Police Department. As all are aware, no charges resulted from that investigation. We have uploaded the video, in its entirety, blurring out faces of the students who appear to protect their privacy. We ask that you review the video, in its entirety. It is our firm position that the allegations portrayed in the media are not supported by the video."



In a statement to ABC News on May 12, Reynolds called her son a "shining light to everyone who knew him and loved him.



"We miss him desperately and suffer every day. His life was not only stolen from him, but from those of us who expected to watch him grow up and enjoy life. If I could, I would give anything to have him back. I feel he was cheated. I feel robbed. My only child, my best friend and my first true love isn't here with us physically but I know he's here in spirit," the mother said in the statement.



Jennifer Branch, an attorney for the boys family, said Gabriels mother had not been told of the alleged incident in the boys' bathroom. Reynolds had been told her son had fainted, according to Branch.



"There needs to be a lot more response in that school to what is going on and the parents need to know what's going on. I think that's a very big component," Branch told WCPO-TV on May 11.



Carla Leader, another attorney for the family, said its unclear from the video whether Gabriel hit his head on the wall or the floor and if that ultimately knocked him out. Leader said the footage shows other students pointing at Gabriel, laughing and kicking him before a school staff member revives the boy.



"Gabe comes in and reaches out to shake his hand and gets pulled to the ground and he lays there unconscious for about seven-and-a-half minutes," Leader told WCPO-TV on May 11.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Business / Local

by Ndou Paul

Shephard Dube Holdings is set to auction website domains bearing names of prominent Zimbabwean political figures, Bulawayo24.com heard this afternoon.The domain names include the names of Zimbabwe's Vice President Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa, former Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khuphe, Tendai Biti, Nkosana Moyo, Philip Chiyangwa, Gorden Moyo, and Douglas Mwonzora.Shephard Dube Holdings is a UK incorporated company, owned by Welshman Ncube led MDC's National Organising Secretary Shephard Dube.Below is the unedited full text of the Press Statement.On the 17th of May 2017 the Principal of Shephard Dube Holding Limited reached out to the Zimbabwean community through his facebook timeline, requesting that people with names that are similar or exactly like, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Tendai Biti, Nkosana Moyo, Thokozani Khuphe, Douglas Mwonzora, Gorden Moyo, Elton Mangoma and Philip Chiyangwa should contact him through his facebook inbox or email.Fortunately or unfortunately, no one contacted him by the said deadline. The reason for requesting interested people to contact us was to offer them the first right of refusal to domain names that are similar and or exactly the same as names that are predominantly found in Zimbabwe.Shephard Dube Holdings Limited is fully aware that the internet is not that much of a priority in Zimbabwe, thus, our domain reselling business may not thrive well in that country. It is nonetheless important to note that history is no longer kept in written books but on websites. Pursuant to our profit making goals we have resolved to auction the following domain names at the start bidding price stated after each domain name herein under.www.emmersonmnangagwa.com - $35 000www.nkosanamoyo.com - $ 8 000www.tendaibiti.com - $6 000www.philipchiyangwa.com - $5 500www.eltonmangoma.com - $5 000www.thokozanikhuphe.com - $4 000www.douglasmwonzora.com - $3 500www.gordenmoyo.com - $3 000The auction will be held at Goddady Auction listing website as from the 20th of May 2017. Before the commencement of the domain names auction we are willing to negotiate with anyone whose name is similar or exactly the same as the domain name. And we are giving 30% discount to companies, ngos, churches, governments and political parties that may be interested in any of the above domain names. Provided they contact us before the auction date.Shephard Dube Holdings is a UK Based Company, incorporated under company number 10686843 by the Companies House.PrincipalShephard Dubegodlwayo@shepharddube.comFacebook : https://www.facebook.com/mhlonitshwa.dube
It could be said that there was disappointment when Big Bad Wolves and Rabies directors Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado bowed out of the Death Wish remake. Yet I think we would all agree that we would rather see something original from the Israeli directing duo.

I know I was a wee bit disappointed with that turn of events then someone who had read their script,, said no, no, this is way better. So when Variety reported that they have begun shopping their new flick to financiers at Cannes I could not be happier to read this news.

Once Upon a Time in Palestine is an at times funny and at times nerve-wracking portrayal of Israels birth of a nation, a kidnap thriller packed with shocking twists, touches of dark comedy and even romance, its directors said in a statement.

Written by Keshales, Papushado and Ehud Lavski (Things I Saw Before I Went Blind), the genre-bending thriller Once Upon a Time is set in 1946 Palestine still under a British rule whose authorities determine to execute five members of Irgun, the Israeli para-military freedom fighters. Keen on earning their spurs as future members of the resistance, three teenagers decide to kidnap two British soldiers and use them as leverage.

It tells the untold story of one of the most tragic events that happened during the British rule of Palestine, (producer Chilik) Michaeli explained, adding that, although inspired by true events, they would be told through an epic tale as a bittersweet coming-of-age story.

Michaeli added: Its the directors most ambitious project to date as it aspires to blend elements from spaghetti Westerns, war movies, romantic comedies and even silent films.
News / International

by Tidi Kwidini

Fikelephi Jackson

Tapiwa Dzingiwa

Zimbabwe's leading businesswoman Zodwa Mkandla is among five Zimbabwean women up for an award at the Women4Africa awards taking place in London on Saturday.Mkandla is in running for the sought-after International Businesswoman of the Year award at the prestigious gala.The popular international category has a host of successful African businesswomen that include South Africa's Thato Mokhuthu and Nisha Maharaj.Zodwa is the Founder and Managing Director of Traverze Travel which became operational in 2003. It has now become one of the leading leisure and business travel management companies in Harare.Traverze opened a branch in Lusaka Zambia in 2014. It is also the first travel agency in Zimbabwe to open its own business class lounge at Harare International Airport.Zodwa has played a huge role over the last decade, contributing to a variety of ventures that continue to drive the Zimbabwean economy and empower women in business.This year's event will take place at The Great Hall, Kensington Town Hall. Situated in the heart of Kensington, it boasts contemporary architecture and is home to a range of meetings, conferences, dinners, TV production and filming exhibitions, and corporate events.Other nominees representing Zimbabwe include Mimi's Organics founder Rumbi S Fowler and Philanthropist Fikelephi Jackson for business and humanitarian work respectively.Up and coming fashion designer Tapiwa Dzingiwa, who won the Fashion Designer of the Year award at the recently held Zimbabwe Achievers Awards, has also been shortlisted. She is joined on the shortlist by fellow Zimbabwean designer Tsitsi Fred.The Women4Africa Awards were established from a desire and passion to see women from different parts of Africa, who are excelling in various industries that include fashion, the arts and business, are recognised and celebrated in their roles as leaders and community champions.
The young woman and former sex worker who became widely known as Celeste Guap via salacious news stories about a sex scandal that touched six different East Bay law enforcement agencies appeared as a witness in court for the first time in a criminal trial against former Oakland Police Officer Brian Bunton. If you followed the story last year, you may recall that Bunton was one of the first officers whom Guap, a.k.a. Jasmine Abuslin, befriended and began a sexual relationship with, and whom she nicknamed Superman. As ABC 7 reports, Abuslin testified in court Thursday about the details of her relationship with Bunton, who stands accused of misdemeanor prostitution and felony obstruction of justice because of text messages he sent apparently warning Abuslin of prostitution stings by the department.

This was just a preliminary hearing, as KRON 4 reports, and the judge ruled Thursday that there was sufficient evidence to take the case to trial.

As the Chronicle reports, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Thomas Rogers told Bunton in court that he was "compromised" as soon as he had sex with the teenage Abuslin, and that in his actions and words he was "actually pimping her like a pimp would do."

The Chronicle details Abuslin's testimony in which she describes meeting with Bunton in an Oakland hotel room  rented by her actual pimp  for sex, and why she ultimately decided to "snitch" on him, leading to the many dominoes that subsequently fell in this case.

Abuslin claims she became upset in April 2016 after hearing from another officer with whom she was having sex that Bunton was talking about her behind her back with several of these officers who were part of a "club" who all had sex with her.

It was not long after this that Police Chief Sean Whent resigned, and Oakland went through a series of three police chiefs in the course of a week before Mayor Libby Schaaf decided to put a civilian city administrator temporarily in charge of the department. Ultimately seven law enforcement officers were named for possible criminal prosecution in connection to Abuslin, and she allegedly had connections to dozens more.

Bunton was not the first officer to be involved with Abuslin  that appeared to have been Officer Brendan O'Brien, who was one of several officers who allegedly had sex with the teenager before she turned 18. It was the revelation of Abuslin's age, and her threat to tell O'Brien's superiors in August 2015 that appears to have precipitated O'Brien's decision to take his own life.

In court testimony we also learned that an undercover sting Bunton claimed to be protecting Abuslin from was not, in fact, real, and that he lied about this in a text message in order to keep her off the streets one night in the rain. She also testified that Bunton told her, regarding her pimp, that she need "a better manager."

Abuslin further testified, per the Chron, that some officers paid her for her services, while others would tip her off to undercover stings.

Speaking to ABC 7, Dirk Manoukian, Bunton's defense attorney, says of Bunton, "He absolutely understands and accepts he made some terrible personal decisions but does not feel those decisions rose to the level of felony conduct and based on what we saw today, I think he's right." Manoukian adds, "I don't believe the record... [or that] the facts as we know them would support a conviction on a felony." He says he'd love to "work something out" with the district attorney.

Previously: First Mug Shot Released Of Law Enforcement Officer Accused In Jasmine Abuslin Exploitation Scandal
This week's SF food news gave and took away: On the plus column, Anthony Strong opened a delivery-only restaurant, Outside Lands announced their food lineup, RT Rotisserie's opening approached. and Motze's transition to Duna was announced. In the negative (depending on how you see it), Blue Bottle lost its Lower Haight bid, a rat-featuring pop-up cafe costs 50 bucks, The Sausage Factory appears doomed, and nacho cheese from a gas station allegedly gave five people botulism. Let's seem what else happened?

There was a bounty of openings, both in SF and across the Bay. In Oakland's Fruitvale district, Reem's California opened its brick-and-mortar location to cheers from SF Weekly, Eater, Inside Scoop, and Hoodline. All praised founder Reem Assil's flatbread pizza-type things known as manoushe. The 3301 East 12th Street location is open for breakfast and lunch.

Also back east, beloved Burmese restaurant Grocery Cafe will open in Jack London Square on May 29, the East Bay Times reports. They closed their previous location in December "for health violations related to its aging building," Eater reports, which won't be an issue in its new venue in the sparkling waterfront development.

Opening today is Dumpling Time, with "all the dumplings, all the time" promised at their 11 Division Street location as of 11 a.m. today. Tablehopper predicts huge crowds for the place, which Eater reminds us will feature "soup dumplings, gyoza, and colorful dessert buns."

Also opening soon is Casey's Pizza, which is slated to launch in "late June or July," Tablehopper reports. "A hip pizzeria, with a casual California style" from chef-owner Casey Crynes, craft beer is also on tap. Crynes, who started slinging pizza at Proxy in 2009 and launched the city's first pizza truck in 2012, says that the truck will remain in business even after the 1170 4th Street location opens, serving weekday lunch in the FiDi and weekend pizza in Hayes Valley.

Water damage closed Sociale (3665 Sacramento Street) in February, but next week they're expected to reopen, Tablehopper reports. Expect tweaks to their menu when they throw the doors open Tuesday.

Some former bartenders and patrons from my beloved, departed Dave's have opened an Inner Richmond bar called Scarlet Lounge, Hoodline reports. Located at 408 Clement Street, the place shoots to be a local's bar, with a snack menu driven by patron requests.

Chef Daniel Patterson has been busy! Not only is second installment of his popular Alta CA opening at Dogpatch's Minnesota Street Project, but according to a press release sent yesterday, a third Alta CA will open just a few blocks at 1095 Market on the ground floor of the Yotel hotel, which is so tempting to call "Yokel hotel." The opening date on that one's unknown, but the Dogpatch one will open Tuesday. Here's the menu, per Eater.

And in a story made for my desire to transition from openings to closings, Montella Pizzeria will shut its Mission District doors in July, but they'll soon reopen as Chef Brandon Kirksey's Foxsister. The Montella folks had only been in business at the 3161 24th Street space for about a year and a half, but Mission Local reports that they "decided to exit the restaurant business to pursue other endeavors." Foxsister, which Eater says will focus on "anju: Salty, spicy Korean food meant to be eaten while drinking," will open this fall with "a large and sometimes obscure [drinks] list  from pitchers and local craft beers to a slew of esoteric Asian beers."

Also turning over is the Financial District's Rouge Et Blanc, which shuttered its 334 Grant Avenue location last month. Hoodline has it that the same owners will instead open Harlan Place, which will serve "healthy, flavorful, authentic food" and "herb + spice infused cocktails." An opening date is as yet unknown.

Changing hands is Cease & Desist, with big changes reportedly on the horizon. Past owners The Tonic Nightlife Group "sold the bar to focus on their families, as well as their other businesses," Hoodline reports. The new owners of the 2331 Mission Street spot are "a group led by San Francisco native David Zimmerman (co-owner of Cabin and Blackthorn Tavern)," Inside Scoop says. While Mission Local and Hoodline both say changes will be minimal, Scoop says "the new ownership group has grander plans for Cease & Desist, which are being kept under wraps."

In other acquisition news, Curry Up Now just bought Tava Kitchen, a move announced just as three of the latter's local locations shuttered. Tava's Alameda branch is expected to rebrand as a Curry Up "innovation lab," Eater reports. But don't expect Curry Up's growth to stop there, as speaking to Inside Scoop co-founder Akash Kapoor says "There's these mini, micro Indian chains that are like one or two-location mom-and-pop shops. They're struggling. We show them our model and buy them out."

This Week in Reviews

Pete Kane has been putting it away this week! At the SF Examiner, he mulls Commonwealth, the tasting menu of which he describes as "admirable, external artistry holding hands with internal harmony." They're dinged for some lamb shoulder and pork belly issues, as well as for "stiff, serious team service," but Kane says his meal was still good and "generous in spirit."

Writing for SF Weekly, Kane takes on a second tasting menu at Khai. It's an evening endeavor from chef Khai Duong (in the days, the space is home to Bonjour Patisserie), which means "its not the most fitting environs" for a nine-course Vietnamese feast. Kane says the meal was "nine for nine" and even got him to enjoy durian for the first time

The Chron's Michael Bauer headed out to Comstock Saloon, which Bauer says has improved since the last time he reviewed the place. Their cocktails remain some of the best in the city, he says, and now the food is top-flight too. Comstock's fries, burger, and roast chicken get raves from Bauer, who lauds them with his ubiquitous 2.5 stars.

Bauer's Sunday review is Contrada which though it only opened in January reminded Bauer of many restaurant offerings from 8-9 years ago. That seems kind of like a diss but Bauer claims it isn't, saying "Chef Jason Turley gives a personal twist to many dishes." He's got gripes with the pizza and the pasta pricing, and damns the meatballs with faint praise. The decor, he says "toys with early-2000s interior cliche," which is definitely shade. Despite all this, they manage to score two stars.
In a somewhat surprising turn of events this week, Uber's General Counsel Salle Yoo sent self-driving car division executive Anthony Levandowski a sternly worded letter, dated May 15, asking him to waive his Fifth Amendment rights in the ongoing legal proceedings with competitor Waymo or else face termination at the company. As Recode reports, regarding the 14,000 files allegedly taken from Google servers prior to his departure from the company, the letter asks Levandowski to "comply with the courts order to turn over his personal device as well as any downloaded materials he has and the names of all those he ever communicated about these files with."

The letter marks a shift in tone for Uber, which asked Levandowski to voluntarily recuse himself from running the self-driving car operation until the court proceedings are resolved, but has otherwise seemed to have his back. It's been widely discussed that Levandowski and Uber CEO Travis Kalanick are close friends and that they had been before Levandowski decided to join the company early last year.

The lawsuit, brought by Waymo/Alphabet in February, alleges that Levandowski stole trade secrets and brought them to Uber when he took a job, and last week the federal judge in the case referred it to the US attorney for potential criminal prosecution.

Uber has contended that they created their own self-driving technology, and indeed they had a team working on the project at Carnegie Mellon University before Levandowski came on board. But the case centers on Levandowski's alleged theft of a trove of blueprints and documents relating to the LiDAR technology that he helped develop while at Google. Prior to taking the full-time position at Uber, Levandowski also sold his self-driving trucking startup Otto to Uber for $680 million.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup previously chastised Uber for using Levandowski's Fifth Amendment excuse to cover themselves, saying that as his employer they could easily compel him to testify and turn over the documents.

In the letter, Yoo writes, "While we have respected your personal liberties, it is our view that the court's order requires us to make these demands of you."

According to the Associated Press, Levandowski has separately filed a request with the judge asking that his order be revised. It reads, "It is an act by the judicial branch of our federal government compelling an individual to choose between preserving his livelihood and preserving his constitutional rights."

Read the full letter to Levandowski here.

Previously: Judge Refers Waymo V. Uber Case For Possible Criminal Investigation
United Real Estate Solutions, Inc. and its commercial division NAI United, proudly announce the expansion of operations to include a new office in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota.

The new, 2,600-square-foot office space, will be located on the first floor of 400 Gold Circle, which is currently under construction near the Interstate 29 interchange at Dakota Dunes.

When completed, it will house the offices for NAI United sales associates and staff, and become the third office space for United Real Estate Solutions sales associates. The company already has locations in the United Center at 302 Jones St. in Sioux City and at 1913 Dakota Ave. in South Sioux City.

United Real Estate Solutions works with clients in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota, so this new space allows us to better serve all three states, said United Real Estate Solutions President Kevin McManamy. It offers convenience for our customers and associates, while providing necessary tools and technology to assist agents in the fast-paced field of real estate.

The space at 400 Gold Circle will become the first Cafe Style real estate office in the area, which works well with the mobile demands of the business. The first floor of the building will also house a coffee shop restaurant when completed this fall, as well as previously announced offices for Central Bank.

This move not only gives NAI United a state-of-the-art office environment with increased visibility, but provides us with more space to grow the company, said NAI United President Chris Bogenrief. Our home base will move, but we will still have the flexibility to host meetings in our downtown Sioux City and South Sioux City offices. We are also looking forward to hosting meetings in the neighboring coffee shop restaurant, which we believe will become the centerpiece of the Dakota Dunes community."

United Real Estate Solutions, Inc. has been Siouxlands real estate market leader for 15 years and can be found online at www.unitedrealestatesolutions.com. NAI United, Siouxland's highest producing commercial real estate firm since inception in 2005, offers a full range of brokerage services for industrial, investment, land, office and retail properties, as well as property management. They can be found online at www.naiunited.com. If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Kristie VerMulm at (712) 226-6071 or email at KristieVerMulm@MyUnitedAgent.com.
A black-and-white version of "Logan" is what director James Mangold really wanted you to see. Released earlier this week in theaters, it lends the action film an even moodier look.

Color, in fact, sometimes gets in the way.

Like the reboot of Rocky, Logan gives Hugh Jackmans Wolverine a chance to regroup, reassess and shine. Thanks to Mangolds smart R-rated script, the concept is razor-sharp.

In the latest X-Men installment, the year is 2029 and mutants are all but extinct. Wolverine (or Logan, as hes known) drives a limousine and takes care of Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), whos a bit addled but still worried about the fate of his former students.

A mutant named Caliban (Stephen Merchant) keeps watch over their dusty compound (shades of Mad Max: Fury Road) and waits in fear that his sensitive skin will be exposed. (Yup, you can guess what happens.)

A woman approaches Logan and asks him to drive a young girl to a compound in North Dakota. Before long, we learn shes another brand of mutant who has become the target of Transigen, a bioengineering company that created her. Naturally, theyre on his tail before he even gets to leave.

The girl  either unable or unwilling to talk  is just as feisty as Wolverine. She possesses the same mad fighting skills and isnt afraid to cut anyone in the process.

Xavier, Logan and the young Laura (Dafne Keen) head out from their Texas home, wind up in a casino and begin the road trip.

Mangold, who also directs, fills plenty of the very long film with action sequences. He doesnt skimp on contemporary parallels and hints that this could be the very way to breathe life into the franchise. That Lord of the Flies compound seems ripe for examination.

The focus, though, is really on Xavier and Wolverine. The two have a feisty relationship that gives both a chance for reflection regret.

At a farm, both get a chance to glimpse what they passed up. Stewart has some moving moments of introspection and a paternal look at Jackman that cant be ignored.

Although the little girl can best be described as feral, she helps prod the story and has a mean set of gymnastics skills. When she does speak (spoiler alert!) she gets the tears to fall, too.

Clocking in at nearly two-and-a-half hours, Logan could have lost some of the fistfights and been just as effective.

Boyd Holbrook and Richard E. Grant play the bad guys and, frankly, the former is given too much time to twirl his mustache.

The latter has that calm demeanor most find unsettling in politicians and a team that looks like it went to the Bane School of Persuasion.

If Jackman is correct  and this is his last outing as Wolverine  its a great farewell. He gets a clip real of character highlights and a softening that suggests hes not just another blades runner.

Logan shows what can be done with a comic book hero if the director isnt held to the mythology. It's definitely a cut above.
NEW YORK  Stores can't keep them in stock. Parents are scrambling to find them. And some schools have banned them.

The mania for fidget spinners  the 3-inch twirling gadgets taking over classrooms and cubicles  is unlike many other toy crazes. They're not made by a major company, timed for the holiday season, or promoted in TV commercials. They're more easily found at gas stations or 7-Eleven than at big toy chains.

"It just took off," says Richard Gottlieb, a consultant at Global Toy Experts in New York.

Fidget spinners have been around for years, mostly used by kids with autism or attention disorders to help them concentrate. But they exploded in popularity this spring.

Shannan Rowell, a sixth-grade special education teacher, says that after a weeklong break in late April more than half of her 25 students suddenly had one.

"They seem to be taking over classrooms," says Rowell, who lives in North Grafton, Massachusetts.

Gottlieb thinks it's likely a kid brought one to a playground and the craze spread from there. Recent YouTube videos of people spinning them on their noses, foreheads and shoes also helped.

Helen Holden heard about fidget spinners last month when her 7-year-old twins demanded she stop at a 7-Eleven to buy them. "I thought it was a drink," says the bank vice president and blogger from Los Angeles.

That store was sold out, and so were several other 7-Eleven locations that she called. The chain says spinners have "been flying off the shelves" since they went on sale in March.

Holden's kids said they needed them before school on Monday so they could practice spinning them. So she signed up for Amazon Prime, paid $5.99 for one-day shipping and had two $15 fidget spinners delivered on a Sunday.

"I totally got suckered by my kids," she says.

At Funky Monkey Toys, owner Tom Jones says he got a phone call about the fidget spinners in April. About 30 minutes later, another person called. "I said, 'Whatever they are, I need to get them.'"

Now, the phone has been ringing 20 to 30 times a day with people checking if they're in stock. His shop in Oxford, Michigan, can sell up to 150 in a day.

"We run out of them frequently," says Jones, who recently got a shipment of 2,000.

On Amazon.com, 18 of the top 20 best-selling toys and games were fidget spinners, ranging from ones that cost just a few dollars to $12 versions touting stainless steel bearings.

Five Below, which sells items for $5 or less, says on its website that customers can only buy two fidget spinners at time.

Toys R Us flew fidget spinners in this month from China, rather than wait for ship transport. It says Rubik's Cubes, yo-yos and other toys to occupy restless hands have been hot sellers since the beginning of the year. It also started selling $12.99 fidget cubes  the items that made up the rest of the Amazon best-sellers  which fit in the palm of a hand and have clickers, wheels and switches on the sides.

Unlike hot toys at the holiday season, which are often made by one company, manufacturers  mostly in China  are making the fidget spinners as fast as they can. Jim Silver, the CEO and editor-in-chief of toy review website TTPM, expects the fad to last into the summer and then fade as more of them flood into the market.

"Demand starts to waver," he says.

Engineer Catherine Hettinger says she came up with a toy that was similar but not exactly the same in the early 1990s, but a patent expired more than a decade ago after she stopped paying the maintenance fees. Hettinger, who lives in the Orlando suburb of Winter Park, Florida, says she is not making any money from the craze.

"No one has contacted me. Nobody has sent me a check," she says. "But once a patent expires, it's public, so I wouldn't expect anything at this point."

Despite being marketed as a concentration aid, some teachers say fidget spinners have become a distraction.

Rowell, the sixth-grade teacher, says students twirled them too fast, banged them against desks or tried to whirl them on top of each other. She lets students bring them into the classroom, but only if they spin them under their desks and follow the rules she hung on the wall: "YOU MUST BE LOOKING AT THE TEACHER," ''YOU MUST BE LOOKING AT YOUR WORK" and "YOU MUST BE DISCREET."

Some schools have banned them. A middle school in Williamstown, New Jersey, wrote that spinners needed to stay in backpacks because they were a distraction in classrooms, hallways and during lunch periods. An elementary school in New York told parents to keep the gadgets at home because they were twirling into children's faces.

It's not just kids spinning them. Gottlieb thinks adults are reaching for spinners because they are more stressed out. "People don't smoke as much, so they have to figure out a way to work out their stress," he says.

Kim Juszczak, a lawyer from New York, whirls her red-and-black spinner on the subway or while she's thinking up legal arguments for a case.

"I'm naturally kind of fidgety," says Juszczak, who used to bend paperclips in her hand.

She first saw a spinner on Instagram, and got hers for about $6 on Amazon. Then she bought six more for friends and relatives.

"They're addictive," she says.
SIOUX CITY | Local thrill-seekers will again have the chance to rappel down the side of a 12-story building in downtown Sioux City this year in the name of raising funds for charity.

Presented by Blue Bunny Ice Cream, the second "Over the Edge" event for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 14 at the Howard Johnson Hotel building, 707 Fourth St.

To participate, volunteers raise a minimum of $1,000 to secure one of 90 available spots. The goal is to send at least 75 people down the building during the event.

Registration is available on BigBrothersBigSisters.com/edge. All proceeds will help recruit, train and match carefully screened adults with local children.

Watching the event will be free for all spectators. Food truck vendors will be on site at the event, along with other various activities.
News / Local

by Staff Reporter

A self proclaimed in Bulawayo prophet, Seppyoggi Rutendo Mthethwa (22) was hospitalised following an assault by a fellow congregant who was against his "prophecy" that congregants should shave their heads with one razor blade.Mthethwa told congregants that God had shown him that everyone should be bald-headed for the next service.Garments flew as Steven Mukozhiwa (39) from New Magwegwe suburb allegedly used the apostolic sect's trademark shepherd's crook  also loosely referred to as the Rod of Moses  to beat up Mr Mthethwa.He was opposed to having his hair cut with the same blade that had been used on others, citing risk of diseases.The court heard how Mukozhiwa flew into a rage when Mr Mthethwa insisted things should be done his way.He allegedly hit Mr Mthethwa all over the body with the stick and head butted him on the mouth during the church service at a bushy area near Davis Granite on March 12.Mr Mthethwa sustained serious injuries and was rushed to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH).Yesterday, Mukozhiwa appeared before West Commonage magistrate Mr Steven Ndlovu facing a charge of assault.He pleaded guilty and was remanded in custody to Monday for sentencing."Your Worship, l assaulted him with a switch not a stick. I did not intend to cause harm or injury. I was angry when l committed this offence," said Mukozhiwa.Prosecuting, Ms Sibekithemba Dube said on March 12 at around 3PM, Mr Mthethwa was shaving congregants' heads with the same razor blade as per his prophecy.Ms Dube said when it was Mukozhiwa's turn, he refused to be shaved saying that he feared for his health."The accused person became angry with the complainant's conduct, took a stick and started assaulting the complainant all over the body several times. He further head butted the complainant until he sustained serious injuries," she said.Ms Dube said Mr Mthethwa reported the matter to the police leading to the arrest of his fellow Madzibaba.The context of the alleged prophecy was not explained in court.
OMAHA | A second man has been charged in connection with an April bank robbery in Bancroft, Nebraska.

An indictment filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Omaha charges Jeffrey Bonneau and Lenn Zuhlke each with one count of bank robbery. Zuhlke is accused of aiding and abetting Bonneau in the April 20 robbery of First Bank of Bancroft.

Both men pleaded not guilty Friday.

Court documents do not define what role Zuhlke, 55, of Bancroft, had in the robbery, but the indictment cites a federal criminal code section that pertains to aiding and abetting.

Bonneau, 38, of Bancroft, is accused of taking $6,745 from the bank, then fleeing on an ATV. Officers tracked Bonneau to a grove of trees and encountered Bonneau, who brandished a handgun. After taking cover and waiting for 15 minutes, officers heard Bonneau fire a shot before fleeing on the ATV, court documents said.

Bonneau rolled the ATV and was hospitalized for several days because of his injuries.

Authorities recovered approximately $1,020 in cash from Bonneau's hiding spot and another $4,205 that had been placed in a tree. Bonneau admitted to robbing the bank and directed officers to the money, court documents said.
DES MOINES -- A state economic development board on Friday awarded nearly $250,000 in incentives to a new Alton, Iowa, business that plans to build air domes for aquaculture farms.

Global Aquaculture Supply Company LLC, or GASC, is investing $3 million in the project, which is expected to create eight new jobs. An 80,000-square-foot manufacturing plant is planned on the east side of Alton, a Sioux County city, according to state documents.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority Board, at its monthly meeting Friday in Des Moines, approved $64,000 in direct financial assistance as well as $184,020 in tax benefits for the GASC projects. The air domes would house multiple ponds to raise fish, shrimp or other aquaculture products.

The city of Alton has provided more than seven acres of land for the project with a value of $36,500 per acre. The city also will offer a tax-increment financing rebate of 80 percent over 10 years, or $30,000 per year, according to state documents.
SIOUX CITY | Sioux City would be the northernmost node of Iowa's first state bicycle route under plans that could bring the six-county, 209-mile endeavor to fruition as early as 2018.

Known as the Lewis and Clark Trail Today Route, the proposed route would stretch from near the Iowa-Missouri border in Fremont County northward to the Iowa-South Dakota border in Woodbury County, tracing the path the Lewis and Clark Expedition blazed more than two centuries ago.

Backed by the Iowa Department of Transportation and National Parks Service, the route would include signage directing cyclists and travelers along existing low-use paved city, county and state roadways, as well as trails where possible.

In Sioux City, the route would utilize various streets before connecting with the current riverfront trail for 4.8 miles, ending at Riverside Park. That path is subject to change as engineers finalize the route.

The goal of the route is to make the Missouri River Valley and the Loess Hills more accessible to bicyclists for travel and sightseeing, said Brian Leaders, a landscape architect with the NPS Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program.

"Having a designated, signed route is important to a lot of users because they feel more comfortable," Leaders said. "They know the route has been vetted and that this is an accessible route."

Leaders said having such a route will draw tourism to the area from around the state and, potentially, the country. He said the goal is to eventually work to expand the route north into South Dakota and south into Missouri.

Currently, organizers are gathering approval and funding assistance from the city and county governments involved. The Sioux City Council recently voted to endorse the route and contribute about $4,000 in funding for signage. Leaders said the other major Iowa cities are also on board.

Im happy to see the participation among all the counties and municipalities to see this project happen," said Sioux City Parks and Recreation director Matt Salvatore.

Federal alternative transportation funding will cover 80 percent of sign maintenance and replacement. The estimated cost will be $200,000 for the project, with $40,000 coming from area counties.

Leaders said there is no set completion date, but the signage could be in place in a year's time.
DES MOINES | Only 2 in 5 Iowa doctors and other medical professionals who prescribe opioids are registered with a state program that is designed to help address an opioid addiction epidemic that is killing hundreds of Iowans each year.

The state is in the process of updating that system, called the Iowa Prescription Management Program, to make it more streamlined and user-friendly. State officials hope the $200,000 upgrade will encourage more physicians to participate in the program.

Ultimately we want the system to be utilized to the fullest extent possible, and we realize from the roadblocks, some of the reasons its not being utilized is its just too onerous to be used, said Andrew Funk, executive director of the state pharmacy board that is overseeing the upgrade.

We believe the upgraded software will make it easier to use, make the data more user-friendly, easier to read, Funk said. We want it utilized. We want more prescribers signed up for it.

Opioids were involved in 848 deaths in Iowa from 2013 to 2015, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Some individuals attempt to obtain extra pain-killers by going to multiple physicians to get multiple prescriptions, a practice that is called doctor shopping. The individuals then sell the pain-killer illegally to make a profit or take them to feed an addiction.

In 2016, 232 individuals in Iowa attempted to obtain Schedule II prescriptions  including but not limited to oxycodone, opium, morphine, codeine and methamphetamine  from five or more prescribers or pharmacies, according to state data. That number peaked at 303 in 2014.

Iowas Prescription Management Program was implemented in 2009 to prevent doctor shopping. When a patient is prescribed opioid pain medicine, that information is entered into a system that can be accessed by registered doctors and other prescribers. So prescribers can access the program to see if a patient has already received prescription opioids.

But only 42 percent of Iowa prescribers were registered with the program in 2016, according to the pharmacy boards annual report.

Some doctors say the program is time-consuming and difficult to navigate. Dennis Tibben, director of government affairs for the Iowa Medical Society, said the program only recently added records from neighboring states, and reporting time is slow because prescribers are required to report only on a weekly basis, unlike other states that require daily reporting.

The limitations of the current system, especially the difficulty navigating the program and the lack of integration with (electronic health records), have led many prescribers who initially tried to utilize the PMP to not continue doing so and led many to not start in the first place, Tibben said.

Tibben also said the participation rate is low in part because some doctors and other prescribers have focused practices for which they would not prescribe opioids, thus making it unnecessary for them to register with the program. And some practices have designated professionals who check the program for each days patients, negating the need for every physician in the building to be registered with the program and check on each patient during the appointment.

Still, Tibben said he hopes the pending upgrade will improve the system and make it more attractive to more prescribers.

While well never get to 100 percent prescriber registration, once some of these upgrades are made to make the system more functional and integrated, and make the records more complete, I expect utilization will grow at a more rapid pace, Tibben said.

Funk said that is one of the goals of the program upgrade, to make it more easily navigable for prescribers. Funk said there is no official timeline for sending the upgrade project out for bids, but an RFP is being drafted and he hopes to have the new system installed and operating by the end of the calendar year.

Thats my hope, Funk said. We hope we can get moving on this as quickly as we can.

Similar efforts are underway in other states. In Massachusetts, new technology was implemented this past August, along with a new state law requiring doctors to check the program before prescribing the most addictive opioids, according to Governing. Roughly 70 percent of doctors signed up for the new database in the first six months, Governing reported.

John Forbes, a state lawmaker and pharmacist from Urbandale, said the prescription management program is a key tool in the battle against opioid overdoses and related deaths. He said he also hopes the pending upgrades persuade more prescribers to participate.

Its important that doctors have this tool in place, and that its a user-friendly tool, Forbes said.

Forbes said he supports other legislative measures that have been introduced with the goal of strengthening the program, but have not gained full support of state lawmakers.

One would require prescribers to register with the program  but not mandate that they use it. Another would require registered prescribers to report prescription information daily, instead of weekly as is currently required.

Forbes said he is hesitant to create mandates for health care professionals, but he also thinks it is important that prescribers are using best practices, including using a program designed to protect individuals from opioid overdoses. He said he plans to work on both proposals and attempt to garner bipartisan support during next years legislative session.

I dont like to pass legislation that mandates to people how they should practice medicine, Forbes said. But in some cases, if theyre not doing that, then I think we have to step in and make sure the public is protected.
News / Local

by Simbarashe Sithole

Two people were seriously injured when a motorbike they were riding collided with a tractor at Forester D Estate in Mvurwi Mashonaland Central yesterday.Sources privy to the development allege two men took a motorbike belonging to the farm foreman without his consent and crushed into a tractor that had no lights at all."Two men took mudhudhu waforomani ndokuufambisa visina mvumo vakasvikopinda muchipoko chetractor icho change chisina malights," said Osca Matola.The two were rushed to Mvurwi hospital where one of them identified by Bulawayo24.com as Forget was referred to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals for better treatment.In a related incident a couple from Mazowe Mine was allegedly hit by a vehicle at Concession intersection in Concession last night.According to Tobias Kapale, Cosmas Chekami 54 together with his wife Galdencia Kapale 47 were hit by a vehicle in Concession and Galdencia is currently admitted at Concession hospital."These motorbikes are becoming very dangerous my sister was hit together with her husband at Concession junction she is currently admitted at Concession hospital," he said.Meanwhile, cases of motorbikes colliding with vehicles are prevalent in Mashonaland emanating from human error.A member of the war veteran association Shambakumanja Shambakumanja denounced new farmers who cycle motorbikes without driving licences."These accidents are rampant because most new farmers are just riding without licences so at the end of the day an accident is recorded."Police should arrest these cyclists and a stiff purnishment should be implemented to those found wanting," bellowed the war veteran.
Returning to Mohawk Racetrack's Fillies & Mares Preferred ranks after a stateside stakes trip, Sandbetweenurtoes ($3.90) was victorious once again in the class she dominated last month.

Sandbetweenurtoes has been a major player in the Mares Preferred on the WEG Circuit throughout the winter and most recently went three-for-three during the month of April. In her Mohawk return following a sixth-place finish in a record Chip Noble Memorial at Miami Valley Raceway last week, she was sent postward as the 4-5 favourite in the $30,000 Friday (May 19) feature and did not disappoint her backers.

Sandbetweenurtoes and driver Doug McNair looped the quick-leaving P L Hurricane (Randy Waples), who led through a :26.3 first quarter, and reached the half in :55.3 then three-quarters in 1:23.1. She held clear of her rivals down the stretch to score a 1:51.1 victory by one and a half lengths. P L Hurricane followed in second, with Waasmula (Trevor Henry) tipping out from third to secure the top-three finish.

Richard Moreau trains Sandbetweenurtoes, who has won half of her 14 seasonal starts and is the top money-earning distaffer this year in Canada so far with an income of $133,100.

The six-year-old Somebeachsomewhere-Als Girl mare earned her 28th career win on Friday and went over the $900,000 earnings plateau for owner Brad Grant of Milton, Ont.

Earlier on the card, the streaking sophomore filly The Joy Luck Club ($2.70) lowered her lifetime mark to 1:52.2 with a dominant performance in an $18,000 female pace for non-winners of three races or $52,000 lifetime. McNair also drove that Camluck-Oh The Joy filly, who earned her sixth straight victory for trainer Mark Horner and co-owner R A W Equine Inc.

Sent off at odds of 1-5, The Joy Luck Club forged three-wide to take the lead through a :27.3 first quarter and carved out middle splits of :56.4 and 1:25.1 before McNair pulled the plugs and she drew off by five lengths. American Sara (Sylvain Filion) closed from the backfield to place ahead of pocket-sitter Sandy Win (Louis-Philippe Roy).

Following 10 unsuccessful starts as a freshman, The Joy Luck Club has reeled off nine wins from 12 starts this year to push her earnings to $61,902.

To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.
Highly-respected and accomplished horseman Walter Cheverie returns to the racebike for his first pari-mutuel drive in nearly nine months as live harness racing returns to Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway for the 2017 season.

Cheverie last drove in a race on Aug. 28 in Summerside before taking a hiatus from the sulky due to health reasons. Cheverie has five drives on the card including the morning line favourite in three of those events.

"It's been a rocky road," Cheverie told Trot Insider. "The last six months have been a little tough but we got through it and we're forging on."

A winner of more than 2,500 races and more than $4 million in purses, Cheverie was recently given the all-clear to return to driving and is looking forward to a return to competition.

"It's a good feeling, it's what I've always liked to do. It's been my quiet time, actually, whenever I jump in the bike and go out on the track I don't worry about finances, I don't worry about women, I don't worry about a thing," Cheverie quipped. "I just concentrate on driving horses. That's always been my way out ever since I started."

Cheverie, 58, will get back into action gradually after qualifying a few at Summerside and Charlottetown this past week.

"I have some horses in to go Monday at Summerside; Summerside has always been a great supporter of me, I grew up in that area, and we'll go from there. I talked to [Red Shores'] Lee Drake this [Friday] morning, he was happy to see me back. There are some nice horses around to drive, hopefully I'll get lucky and get to drive some."



Walter Cheverie guides Ramblinglily to victory at Charlottetown Walter Cheverie guides Ramblinglily to victory at Charlottetown

First race post time is 1:00 P.M. for the 10-dash holiday card with the afternoon feature a wide-open affair. The $2,000 feature event lines up in race 9 with newcomer Mando Fun handicapped with the outside in the five horse field. Mando Fun was claimed for $6,500 on Jan. 21 at Flamboro Downs in Ontario by new co-owner and trainer Paul Biggar of Tyne Valley and co-owner Donald Callbeck of Kensington. He was impressive in his qualifier winning in 1:58.1 at Summerside. The winner of 11 lifetime races has a career best of 1:53.3 taken over Scioto Downs in Ohio and gets the services of Dale Spence in his East Coast debut.

Other entries in the Victoria Day feature include Pictonian Storm from Post 4 dropping from the preferred ranks at Charlottetown and getting the catch-driving talents of Gary Chappell for trainer Wade Sorrie, and Post 3 starter D Bs Rosco with Kenny Arsenault in the bike. Sporty B Skipalong (Norris Rogers) and Machinthesand (Ken Murphy) round out the field.

The back-up pace lines up in Race 3 for a $1,500 purse with Tipsy Mcstaggers making her Island debut from post 2 for driver Rogers, co-owner and trainer Jay Noye and co-owners Mary Jean Noye of Pleasant Valley and Bill and Denise Andrew of Alberta. The five-year-old daughter of Badlands Hanover was racing between Western Fair in Ontario and Northville Downs in Michigan before making the move East. Her new rivals will include Howmac Missy (Marc Campbell) riding a two-race win streak and Lexis Mandy (Chappell).

For Monday's entries, click the following link: Monday Entries - Red Shores Summerside.

(with files from Red Shores)
In this week's Rewind Robert Smith recalls a rather memorable evening at Greenwood Raceway in January of 1985 when racing resumed after a lengthy strike by the horsemen. This piece contains quite a few names of people and horses from that era.



Pollution Control with Garth Gordon handling the reins hits the Greenwood wire a winner in the mile time of 2:03.2. The first race win signalled the start up of racing at Greenwood Raceway after nearly a month of darkness necessitated by a horseman's strike which saw 19 racing cards erased. As racing action resumed Greenwood management offered free admission, parking and programs as a welcome back gesture to fans. Pollution Control with Garth Gordon handling the reins hits the Greenwood wire a winner in the mile time of 2:03.2. The first race win signalled the start up of racing at Greenwood Raceway after nearly a month of darkness necessitated by a horseman's strike which saw 19 racing cards erased. As racing action resumed Greenwood management offered free admission, parking and programs as a welcome back gesture to fans.

On Monday evening, January 28, 1985 an unusually large crowd recorded at 12,405 were on hand to watch an 11- race program at Greenwood Raceway. The recent times had been marked by a series of moves and counter moves by the Ontario Jockey Club management and members of the O.H.H.A. group representing the horsemen. An almost month-long strike that began with the cessation of racing on New Year's Eve had caused considerable strife between the two parties as is usually the case in such situations. The racing fans were obviously happy to have order restored.

The two groups were at odds over a number of issues and after considerable negotiating, strike action was taken. The entry box had been the subject of a boycott beginning with the Jan. 1st card which would have kicked off the 1985 season. One of the main points of contention was the awarding of 4:00 p.m. post times for the thoroughbreds at both Woodbine and Greenwood. The harness faction felt that this infringed on their historic right to night-time posts.

As the strike continued on, a number of developments were proposed or announced but eventually averted with the new agreement. Plans were underway for an earlier start to the thoroughbred season and also Flamboro Downs had requested more race dates to fill those left by the Greenwood blackout. These items fell by the wayside as racing resumed. Also at one point there was fear that those stabled at Greenwood would be asked to leave which of course did not happen.

At one point, the talk of building a brand new track even became a topic of discussion. Mississauga builder and horse owner Harold Shipp indicated that he would be willing to look at building an ultra-modern Toronto area harness facility. Shipp reported that while in Florida he had been contacted by Joe Burke of the OHHA to see if he had an interest in the project in the event that the horsemen decided not to race at the OJC's standardbred tracks.

The final outcome received by the horsemen's group fell far short from the terms they were seeking but the committee stated that they feared that the next step which would have been binding arbitration could have been disastrous. A statement by Joe Burke, O.H.H.A. general manager said "We felt we could lose everything." Additionally Gord Sherwin, the Association's president felt that the horsemen gained much respect through the stoppage even though many of their demands were not addressed in the new one year agreement. Others involved in the bargaining committee besides Messrs. Burke and Sherwin were Lloyd Smith, Bill Wellwood and Stew Firlotte as O.H.H.A. reps along with horsemen Wes Coke, Ron Waples and Tom Strauss.

As racing resumed the Greenwood race office scrambled for horses for the first few cards. A number of stables had moved to other venues such as The Meadowlands but order was soon restored. In an attempt to resume racing as smoothly as possible Greenwood offered free general admission, programs and regular parking for the January 28th card of racing. The fans responded with 12,405 in attendance and a whopping $1,550,477 sent through the mutuels.

During the strike a number of horsemen raced at different locations well beyond their normal schedules. OJC regulars Doug Brown, Reg Gassien, Paul MacDonell and Tony Kerwood, all of whom began their careers at Kawartha, headed back to open the new season at Fraserville. Brown scored the fastest trip on the Sunday card as he steered Autumn Glo in the Preferred Pace in a 2:03 victory. Increased attendance was witnessed at both Orangeville and Flamboro. Steve Condren had a hot hand at Flamboro, scoring a hat trick.

Race results from Monday January 28, 1985. This was the card that marked the resumption of live racing at Greenwood.

Race 1 - The winner was Pollution Control, a gray three-year-old by Smog driven by Garth Gordon for owners Anthony & Joseph Spadafora and Marco Zuppa. Time for the $2,800 event was 2:02.3.

Race 2 - Alpha Centauri gave driver Doug Brown his first of two wins in the only scheduled trotting event. Winning owner was Muddy York Stables of Oakville in the evening's slowest time of 2:05.3.

Race 3 - Remy Oregon was the winner in 2:03.4 for Brent Davies and owner The Lacombe Stables in this claiming event.

Race 4 - Dave Wall was home first with Fleeting Warrior for owner Sheldon Rose of Downsview.

Race 5 - This was the evening's featured race a Preferred Pace for $10,500 and went in the quickest time of 2:01 to Armbro Arctic still listed under the ownership Stewart McCall of Seaforth and handled by Steve Condren. Sadly just a short time prior to this Mr. McCall, then 63, had died in a farming accident. For many years he had raised and raced horses bearing the "Callwood" prefix.

Race 6 - Brigadier Hanover was victorious in this one in 2:03.4 for owner P.C. Wellwood Enterprises of Milton with Wm. Wellwood at the controls.

Race 7 - Link paced home a winner with co-owner Jerry Duford in the bike who shared ownership with Wm. Redman of London. Time of the mile was 2:01.3.

Race 8 - H F Mack, a six-year-old son of Springfield, trained by Fred Hoffman who also co-owned along with Don Bulger and Gord Doyley, was the winner driven by Dave Smith.

Race 9 - Barry Drury won this one with Trojan Leroy in 2:01.1, a horse he also co owned with Adanac Farms and Dom Galati. The purse of $7,900 was the second highest of the program.

Race 10 - Mr. Drury was right back in the winner's circle, this time following a successful drive behind Star Quality owned by Roger Patten of nearby Don Mills, Ont.

Race 11 - The evening drew to a close when Jimmy The Greek in rein to Doug Brown scored in 2:02.3 to give him his second win of the session. The happy owner of this son of Bret Hanover was Frank Theoret of Hamilton. And so resumed the 1985 racing season.

An interesting list from Dec. 31, 1984 - When the last night of racing was held at Greenwood just prior to the strike the following drivers were the winners of the 10 races. All still pretty familiar after the passage of 32 + years. Paul MacDonell, Dave Smith, Richard Webb, Steve Condren (2), Larry Walker, Tom Strauss, Gord Brown, Ron Waples Sr., and Roger Mayotte.

The merits of the 28-day long strike are now long lost in the sands of time. It was a new era when harness racing was conducted more along the lines of other businesses where collective bargaining was a part of the way things were handled and eventually settled.
News / National

by Staff reporter

STATUTORY Instrument 64 that was promulgated last year will now be scrapped as it has achieved its objectives and targets of boosting industrial capacity utilisation, stimulating retooling and investment into new technologies in industries, a Cabinet Minister has said.The Statutory Instrument also ran into some challenges that can only be addressed through setting it aside, Industry and Commerce Minister Mike Bimha said yesterday.SI 64 restricted the importation of certain goods that were being produced locally, as a way of re-focusing attention on increasing production in local industries and helping create employment.Minister Bimha said the Government would now move away from enforcing SI 64 and come up with other means to ensure industries continued to gain from the achievements it brought.He said the strategy would now be to adopt "smart" measures like promotion of local content policy to ward off some of the challenges that were encountered during the implementation of SI 64 since July last year.Minister Bimha said this during a workshop attended by heads of parastatals, State entities, legislators, captains of industry and other stakeholders aimed at reviewing the impact of the Government's economic blueprint, Zim-Asset.He said while SI 64 was a huge success, some of the challenges the country encountered were retaliatory measures by some trading partners in neighbouring countries."To address the challenge of the threat of retaliation from our trading partners, Government will replace the import management programme with a local content policy," said Minister Bimha."The policy is anchored on prescribing sectoral local content thresholds for goods purchased by Government departments, industrialists and retailers, among others."Local content policy will be applied and this will be considered as a smart protection measure. We would want to move away from the Statutory Instrument. To do this, we need to consult and consult widely so that we come up with a vibrant local content policy to enhance the Buy Zimbabwe concept."Minister Bimha outlined several achievements that were registered by the import restrictive legal framework, describing SI 64 as a bitter pill to swallow."Where I come from, we say mushonga unovava ndiwo unorapa," he said. "If you can gulp that medicine, you know you will be healed. That is what we can say about SI 64."Some of the achievements of SI 64 included reduction of the import bill, increase in revenue collection, a surge in capacity utilisation of up to 100 percent and new foreign direct investments.Some of the companies that were exporting products to Zimbabwe ended up setting up plants in the country, thus creating employment.Challenges experienced during the implementation of SI 64, said Minister Bimha, included balancing the preservation of employment within the retail and distribution outlets that deal in imports and protection of the local manufacturing industries.Other challenges included delays in payments to foreign suppliers of raw materials owing to foreign exchange challenges and the prevailing liquidity crunch, which was currently depressing general aggregate demand."Other challenges are continued appetite for imports by consumers, poor quality and delays in delivery of goods by the local producers due to less competition from imports, incessant smuggling through the porous border posts resulting in increased black market, monopolistic behaviour by some local producers and threat of retaliation from the country's neighbouring trading partners such as South Africa and Zambia," said Minister Bimha.He said the South African government had understood the Government's move, but confided that some of the pressure against SI 64 was coming from private sector players in that country.Responding to concerns from the floor, Minister Bimha said Government was working flat out to resuscitate Ziscosteel, but negotiations were sensitive and ought not to be divulged.
Global Day of Prayer to End Famine on Sunday 21 May

Contact: World Council of Churches, +41-79-507-6363; www.oikoumene.org/press



GENEVE, May 19, 2017 /Standard Newswire/ -- As more people face famine today than any time in modern history, the World Council of Churches (WCC) together with the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) and a range of faith-based partners and networks invite a Global Day of Prayer to End Famine on 21 May 2017, in response to the hunger crisis.

Photo: A girl carries water in a camp for over 5,000 internally displaced persons in an Episcopal Church compound in Wau, South Sudan.  ACT Alliance/ Paul Jeffrey

In a video message in preparation for the Global Day of Prayer to End Famine on 21 May, World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit described food as a "gift of God" that contributes to both our physical and spiritual sustenance.

"Food assists us to reflect the love and grace of God," Tveit said. "A gift that has to be shared unconditionally. Today, when the world produces enough food for all, we should not allow even one child, woman or man to go hungry."

Still, more than 20 million people are at risk of starvation, and millions more are suffering from drought and food shortages. Our world is experiencing the worst hunger crisis in modern history.

How do we respond to this crisis?

Each day, Tveit said, we pray the Lords prayer and we appeal to God to "give us this day our daily bread." It is a prayer for food and all that we need to be sustained as God's creation.

"We can extend this prayer to all of our sisters and brothers who are in need of food to sustain their lives," he said. "We can make a difference in this situation. Let us stand together and reflect. Let us pray and act to respond to this crisis."

Tveit urged churches, organizations and individuals to spend some time on 21 May to be still, receive the grace of God, and find solutions.

"The world as one family, praying and responding together, to end famine," he said, "to end violence and to bring peace. To ensure that there is sufficient and nutritious food for all, to live life to its fullest."

To encourage people of faith and good will around the world to observe the global day of prayer on 21 May, the WCC is making available a collection of liturgical resources, prayers, photos and suggested songs to be used in faith congregations worldwide.

Links

Video message from the WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit

Prayer Wall

Add your church to the map of churches committed to praying worldwide

Video message from South Sudan

Ending famine in India depends on all religions and cultures(WCC press release 11 May)

Open letter to media "As a journalist you can make a difference! Call to Action to End Famine"

Webinars on Global Day of Prayer to End Famine  action steps

WCC resource pack - Global Day of Prayer to End Famine

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 348 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway.
On June 12, 2016, 29-year-old Omar Mateen walked into an Orlando gay nightclub and opened fire, killing 49 people and injuring 53 others.

When news of the Pulse attack spead, Carrie Frank of Rainiers Glaze, Gifts and Giggles pottery shop sat in front of her television and cried. Then she sprang to action.

Frank was determined to let the survivors and family members of the deceased know that they were loved, even from 3,000 miles away. So she organized an event to paint more than 100 cups of love personalized with the victims name, which she planned to send to Orlando.

The only problem? She had no idea how to find any of the people she wanted to send the mugs to.

(I) had to store them because no one, even the LGBT community center in Orlando, would take responsibility to make sure these got to the families, Frank said. I tried the hospital, their community relations. I tried the police station at the time. I tried Pulse nightclub management. No one would help me get these to the victims families.

Dejected, Frank gave up for a time. Then just before Easter she contacted the Orlando police department again. Thats when she got in touch with administrative assistant Dorothy Patterson and told her about her cups of love project.

She said I am so glad that we have the chance to talk,  Frank said. She was on such a natural high from the passion and the love and all that stuff.

Patterson was able to get Frank in contact with someone who would help her  the Orlando United Assistance Center.

Its coming up on that one year anniversary, Frank said. Everybody has had time to cool down and other things have gone on in the world unfortunately, but this way at least theyre going to be remembered.

In the wake of the shooting, a joint effort between the City of Orlando, Orange County Government and United Way resulted in creation of the Orlando United Assistance Center. The center serves as a central navigation point to provide crisis assistance and support for those affected by the shooting.

Over the past year, we have received so many items, and we have turned them over to the Orlando United Assistance Center that was working with victims and the families, or to the LGBT center, which was also working with several of the victims and families, said Michelle Guido, a public information officer for the Orlando Police Department.

Thanks to Patterson and officials in the police department, Frank will send off the cups next week. The cups are filled with rainbow-colored jelly beans donated from the Jelly Belly Co., and the cups will be shipped through the Kelso J.C. Penneys bulk shipping account.

The mugs are individually packaged, so all the center needs to do is write the address of each family or survivor on the box and send it off. Though the project has been delayed many months, Frank said it was meant to be because the cups will arrive near the one year anniversary of the Pulse tragedy.

Im actually really happy that it happened the way it did, Frank said. Its going to be more meaningful, I think. I hope that its more meaningful to them now, a year later, they are remembered.
All three Longview City Council positions up for election will have challengers this year, and one of the races will need a primary vote to whittle down the number of candidates.

Incumbents Chet Makinster and Steve Moon both drew opponents.

Political newcomer Dianne Quast, a retired affordable housing worker, is challenging Makinsters bid for another four-year term in council position 6.

Ive been here in Longview for almost 12 years, and I was surprised by the lack of any kind of challenge to incumbents, Quast said. I thought offering some options would be helpful to the voters.

Quast said she wants to focus on economic development, environmental stewardship, council efficiency and maintenance of parks and trails. She said her 27 years of experience in affordable housing would help promote residential housing developments.

Moon, who is seeking another term in council position, is challenged by Amber Rosewood, a community relations liaison with the Cowlitz Family Health Center. Rosewoods address was listed at a Post Office box in Castle Rock because its where she gets her mail while undergoing a divorce from her husband, J.D. Rossetti, Rosewood said.

She said she has lived at an Elm Street address in Longview for three years. As to why she chose to challenge Moon, Rosewood said, I dont believe anyone should run unopposed. I am absolutely dedicated to this community. It is where I work and went to school and everyone deserves a little competition. If elected, I will do a good job.

Mary Jane Melinks decision not to seek re-election spawned a three-way race for council position 5. The August primary will reduce the field to two candidates, who will face off in the November general election.

One of the contestants, George Brajcich, said he did not want to challenge an incumbent. Before he retired from Georgia-Pacific Wauna Mill in 2008, Brajcich served three terms as president of his union, as well as vice president and treasurer.

Brajcich said hes followed council activity closely.

I havent missed a regular meeting this year so far, he said. I like doing the investigations, doing the homework. Anybody can stand up there and just vote yes or no, but you have to have a reason why youre voting yes or no.

His priorities are jobs and police and fire protection.

MaryAlice Wallis, also running for Melinks seat, moved to Longview when she was 7 and wants to inspire other families to move there and stay there.

I am concerned about issues that are infiltrating (Longview), Wallis said. I want to understand the homeless issue. I want to understand how we can rectify the needles issue. I just want Longview to be safer.

Wallis said the council can support economic initiatives and create educational opportunities.

Megan Richie is retired medical massage therapist who is frustrated with the way the council has addressed Longviews homelessness problem, water quality complaints and calls for a public park on the former West Longview lagoon.

She also wants to see more women in public office positions.

The diversity is not present right now, Richie said. Its very important that we show our younger generation of women that it is possible to hold positions of responsibility and power.
A Kelso man led police officers on a 100-mph chase through the Kelso-Longview area and crashed into an oncoming vehicle before finally stopping in a residential yard in Longview Thursday morning, according to court documents.

James Wesley McCullough, 39, was arrested and later charged with felony eluding, reckless driving, second-degree criminal trespass and third-degree driving with a suspended/revoked license. He is held on $30,000 bail.

Around 5:30 a.m. Thursday, a Kelso police officer noticed a blue 2007 Chevrolet Aveo traveling at a high rate of speed on dredge spoils in the 2000 block of South River Road. The car was traveling so fast that it kept bottoming out, sending the two passengers bouncing uncontrollably in the air, according to court records.

The Aveo then fishtailed out of the spoils and accelerated, reaching speeds of 60 mph in oncoming traffic lanes in a 25 mph zone. The officer pursued, and officers from other agencies chased the vehicle through the Longview-Kelso area, including over the Allen Street Bridge and down Kessler and Nichols Boulevards, Ocean Beach Highway and Washington Way, among other streets.

The driver ran numerous red lights, stop signs, drove in the wrong lane and over a median  which eventually caused one of the tires to start smoking, spark and pop. Speeds reached up to 105 mph, police reported.

The chase ended after approximately 22 minutes when the Aveo ran a red light at 30th Avenue and Washington Way in Longview and collided with a 2012 Jeep Wrangler that was westbound on Washington Way. The Jeep spun 360 degrees and stopped on the sidewalk in the northwest corner of the intersection. The Aveo went through a fence and stopped in a yard in the 3000 block of Washington Way, according to police records.

The driver of the Jeep complained of shoulder and collar bone pain, but he declined medical aid. The two passengers in the Aveo were taken to St. John Medical Center, one for shoulder pain and the other for deep bruising on their back-right rib cage, according to police records.

The driver of the Aveo was identified as McCullough. During a search, officers found a capped syringe in McCulloughs jacket pocket and an uncapped syringe in his pants pocket, according to court records.

McCullough told officers that he didnt stop for police because he had a felony fugitive warrant out of Oregon and said he didnt want to go through withdrawals from drug addiction in jail, according to court records.

You arent an addict, so you dont know what its like to have to go to jail, McCullough told officers, according to court records.

McCullough has prior convictions for several felony drug possessions, several driving with a suspended or revoked license charges, assault, obstruction of a law enforcement officer, second-degree taking a vehicle without permission, third-degree possession of stolen property, telephone harassment, domestic violence and attempting to elude police.

McCullough will be arraigned at 9 a.m. May 30. There are also possible charges for the two passengers who were in the Aveo, pending further investigation.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Government plans to reduce the pensionable age from 60 to 50 years and is also considering increasing pensioners' monthly allowances from as low as $20 to $150 before year end.Speaking during a question and answer session in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Social Welfare minister Prisca Mupfumira said government is preparing to bring the proposal before Parliament."On the issue of age, this should be looked into holistically and not just at the National Social Security Authority (Nssa)...we should reduce the pensionable age from 60 to 50. We will bring that to Parliament...in documentation that would determine the pensionable age of workers whether it is 50 years or whether it is going to be 60 or 70 years before Parliament for its consideration," she said."At the moment, however, we are working with what is legally in the law," she said.Currently, government is conducting an audit of the pension payroll, through the instrument of Life Certificates, administered by the Public Service ministry.Last year, some pensioners failed to receive their pay-outs following the Nssa's move to de-register them for failing to submit life certificates.This comes after the authority issued several warnings since 2015 urging pensioners to submit a Nssa Life Certificate.Most pensioners are currently getting between $20 and $60 monthly pay-outs.Mupfumira added that government was aware that the pensioners allowance is meagre and are working on improving it."My response is that the current board's objective is that we should give people a liveable pension. Secondly, we should improve the benefits that we are giving to the people. I am happy to announce that from 1st April, 2017 we started on funeral benefits for members and pensioners."Apart from the $300 that was being disbursed as funeral benefit, we are now going to be looking at the provision of a casket, transport and all the requirements. If you already had a policy, $500 is immediately disbursed as cash over and above the $300 that they were being given. It is good enough," Mupfumira said."On the issue of money, I made a statement earlier on that we have to increase to a liveable pension. It is a process and not an overnight event. Nssa has been around for years and the $60 was the figure. There is an actuarial evaluation process which will be through by June that will show us where we will get to."She further said that they are going to increase the allowances before end of the year."We are doing an evaluation and I am hoping certainly by September, 2017 we should have not less than $100. End of the year, I am saying at least $150. My wish is that we keep on increasing the liveable pension of our pensioners."Already, the funeral benefit is functional so we have people's interests at heart that is why you saw us changing things in all the areas that Nssa has investments. We have been following them up. We do not want people to pay extra in contributions but they must be paid more."The National Health Insurance that is being talked about, we want to introduce it with the existing funds, not to have members contributing more. If we manage it properly, we should be able to introduce the National Health Insurance."
Norpac has cut its employees wages by 10 percent and reduced retirement benefits as it struggles to recover from lost production time and other financial woes.

The move left employees frustrated and worried.

Employees were notified last Thursday that in addition to the pay cut, the company would no longer contribute to employees retirement or 401(k) plans. The company also has placed new restrictions on vacation time aimed at reducing labor costs. The wage and benefit reductions went into effect Monday.

Norpac was a 50-50 joint venture between Weyerhaeuser Co. and Nippon, but the mill was bought out by One Rock Capital in October. There are about 400 non-union employees at the Longview mill, which produces newsprint, book paper and office copy paper.

The company told employees it needed to take drastic action because the plant lost significant money when it partially shut down earlier this month. Norpac and several other nearby businesses were forced to reduce their production to try to limit the industrial waste it sends to Nippon Dynawaves wastewater treatment plant.

Nippon Dynawave provides wastewater treatment services to Norpac and several other nearby businesses. But a bacterial imbalance at Nippons wastewater treatment plant that started in late April forced Nippon to ask its industrial customers who rely on the facility to temporarily reduce their flow of industrial waste to its facility.

For some business, such as Norpac, that required partially shutting down the plant for nearly two weeks, according to employees. The curtailment was the equivalent of having one machine down for 45 days, according to an internal memo.

The effluent treatment issue at Nippon Dynawave did have a significant impact our business and we had to curtail our production for the duration of the event. We impacted our customers shipments and it has had a significant impact on our business and employees, said Craig Anneberg, Norpac plant maanger, in an email to The Daily news. Anneberg declined to provide specifics about any changes to employees compensation.

However, in an internal memo sent to employees and obtained by The Daily News, the company said it would implement an across-the-board 10 percent pay reduction for all salaried and hourly employees. Norpac also said it would suspend its contributions to employees retirement plans, including a 3 percent company match for 401(k) plans and a 5 percent non-elective deferral. The company didnt specify whether the changes would be temporary or permanent.

Due to the clarifier situation and its impact on available cash, we have to take immediate and severe actions. These are the most difficult decisions NORPAC has ever had to make, the memo said.

The company also modified its vacation policy: Previously employees with unused vacation time could sell back their time to earn extra compensation, and they could do this at any point in the year. Now employees will only be able to do this once a year probably in December, although no set date was provided. Employees can also no longer use vacation time to push back retirement dates.

For some longtime employees, the wage reductions set them back to the wages they were making ten years ago, or less.

The wage cuts are on top of changes to the companys overtime policy made early this year, which severely limits the amount overtime employees can work. About four years ago, the company also reduced its contributions to employees health care by switching to a high deductible health care plan, according to employees.

Basically theyre just playing with our lives; taking our salary away, taking our benefits. All they keep doing is just taking and taking and taking, said one Norpac employee who worked at the mill for more than 25 years and asked not to be named for fear of losing his job. In the 1990s, Norpac was the best place work, period. Now we have people that have been there 15, 25 years that are just leaving, he said. So morale is obviously at its all time lowest right now.

While some employees were most concerned about the immediate impact of the wage cuts, others worried more about the retirement cuts. Because of the compound interest on 401(k) and pension plans, no company contribution could add up to several thousand dollars of lost retirement benefits over time.

Another employee in his 40s said he wasnt angry, just frustrated.

Now they dont care enough about my future or my familys future to invest in my retirement. Ive been a pretty loyal employee and I would like that in return, he said.

The mills recent downtime was the latest financial hit for a company that has struggled for decades to overcome declining demand in newsprint and book paper. In 2015, it had $462 million worth of consolidated sales, down from $534 million in 2013, according to Nippon.

In 2015, the company added Natural Choice office paper to its product mix in a further effort to diversify. A new improved version the Natural Choice paper is getting more attention in the market  we think it is the next big thing in copy paper and its a product which is not declining like newspaper and newsprint, Anneberg said via email.

Norpac also has launched a a high-bright grade of copy paper called Orca that is expanding, Anneberg said.

Basically theyre just playing with our lives... . So morale is obviously at its all time lowest right now.  Longtime Norpac worker who didnt want to give his name
A three-way race has shaped up for the Longview School board seat that J.D. Rossetti is giving up.

Rossetti announced last week that he will not seek re-election, citing his desire to dedicate and focus more time in prayer and communion with the Lord our God.

In his wake, three Longview citizens have thrown their names in the ring to try and take his place.

As filing week closed Friday, Phil Jurmu, Norma McKittrick and James Norton had filed to run for Rossettis seat. This means there will be a primary election to reduce the field two two candidates.

School board President C.J. Nickerson, whose seat is also up for re-election, was unopposed until Friday afternoon, when Joe Hobson filed to challenge him.

Jurmu has been Longview Fire chief since 2013. Prior to leading the agency, Jurmu served as battalion chief for 10 years and worked as a paid firefighter there for 10 years before that.

All three candidates for Rossettis position support the $121 million bond the district is asking votes to approve in November. It would replace three elementary schools, pay for security upgrades and address the districts special education preschool. It would be the biggest bond in school district history.

Jurmu said hes been thinking about running for school board for a while. Hes served on both of the districts facilities advisory committees, which have provided recommendations to the school board about what facilities projects should be the districts top priority.

Jurmu cited his experience with the fire department as reason for why he would make a good board director.

I have had a lot of experience at all ranks within the fire department up to the point of where Im at today, leading the organization, Jurmu told The Daily News. Through that experience I know it takes a great deal of collaboration. Its not my way or the highway.

McKittrick has been a credit union professional since 2001 and currently works for Fibre Federal as a manager with the member solutions department. McKittricks daughter graduates from Mark Morris High School this year and will attend Western Washington University in the fall.

As an empty-nester, Im going to have time to give back to the community and support her and help her be successful, McKittrick said. Though shes never run for elected office, McKittrick says she wants to help the district any way she can as its navigates the bond election process for replacing many of its elementary schools.

I have the time and perspective as a parent and taxpayer, member of the community and I want to make our school district successful, McKittirck said.

The third candidate, James Norton, is a graduate of Mark Morris High School. Though the school board agreed earlier this year to push off a decision of whether or not to merge the districts two high schools, Norton said Thursday that hes still firmly against the idea of the merger.

Norton also ran for the same position four years ago, but earned only 12 percent of the vote.

Im going to be running as a candidate to inspire people to stay involved and stay in touch with the community, Norton said.

Both Norton and McKittrick acknowledged that they havent been to many board meetings recently, though theyve both been keeping tabs and researching the facilities process in other ways.

McKittrick said shes been reading through the school boards meeting minutes to get up to speed.

Norton said he plans on attending more board meetings in the next few months and he hopes to talk with board members about their biggest concerns about the upcoming bond.

I hope to have a positive influence, Norton continued. Even if Im not elected, politics is not about having the office. Its making sure that people are being held accountable.
hidden

The WannaCry ransomware attack compromised the systems of Russian banks in some isolated cases, the Russian central bank said on Friday in the first official acknowledgement by Moscow that the virus had an impact on the country's banking system.

In a statement, the central bank said the consequences of the hacking attack - which it did not detail - had been dealt with quickly. The central bank had previously said Russian banks were targeted in the global cyber extortion campaign late last week, but that the attack had been unsuccessful.

On Friday, the central bank said it had sent recommendations to Russian banks to update their Windows software in April, before the WannaCry attack on May 12.

After the attack, the central bank reissued its recommendations to Russian banks, it said, adding that it would start publishing statements on its website about cyber attacks it had caught as well as steps taken to reinforce IT security.

"As a result of the malicious WannaCry software being spread, we recorded isolated cases of credit organizations' resources being compromised," the central bank said.

The WannaCry attack was global in scale, affecting computer systems in dozens of countries. But Russia was among the hardest hit, with the attack exposing security flaws in some of its largest institutions.

There has so far been only scant evidence that banks' systems outside Russia have been compromised. There have been reports of WannaCry ransom demands appearing on ATM screens in Asia, but these have not been verified by Reuters.

Russia's largest bank Sberbank said late last week it had been attacked by a virus but that its systems were not infected. It declined to comment when contacted by Reuters on Friday about the central bank statement.

Two security researchers who investigated the attack told Reuters that rival lender VTB was attacked, but they said it was unclear if any damage to the bank's system resulted, or what the extent of any damage had been.

The two researchers said they did not want to be identified discussing confidential security matters.

VTB did not comment on whether it was attacked but said its systems and of those of its VTB24 retail banking business were operating normally.

"The weaknesses exploited by the virus which attacked computers all over the world and paralyzed the work of many large companies do not exist in the banking group's systems," it said in response to a request for comment.

Sergey Golovanov, principal security researcher at Russia's Kaspersky Lab, said "a couple" of Russian banks had encountered the WannaCry malware. He did not name them.

"In most cases the infections hit either PCs belonging to ordinary employees or some non-critical systems," he said.

"Embedded systems are very often running on old versions of operating systems and they could easily become a target of malware like WannaCry."

Russia's relationship to cyber crime is under intense scrutiny after U.S. intelligence officials alleged that Russian hackers had tried to help Republican Donald Trump win the U.S. presidency by hacking Democratic Party servers.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied the allegation.

Bombarded by allegations of state-sponsored hacking, Moscow is now keen to show Russia too is a frequent victim of cyber crime and that it is working hard to combat it.

Reuters
These Chinese Dinner Recipes are just what you need when you're craving something delicious and don't feel like leaving the house to go and get take out!

There are so many different types of Chinese food that you can make at home, and the hardest part is choosing which ones to try! If you're wanting to make Chinese food at home, you can choose from dishes with chicken, beef, seafood, and even vegetarian options!

Traditional Chinese food may seem intimidating to make, but there are so many delicious easy Chinese dinner recipes out there that once you try some, you'll never want to order takeout again! The best part about making your own Chinese takeaway recipes is you can customize them just how you like! If you like things more spicy or on the sweeter side, you can adjust the ingredients to meet your tastes.

If you and your family love Chinese restaurant recipes but are tired of spending a fortune on dinner each night, then these recipes are for you! With budget friendly and low carb recipes, feed your whole family for only a fraction of the price!

Whether you're looking for your next Chinese comfort food recipe or just looking for a low carb, more cost effective dinner for your family, there are plenty of recipes here that you're sure to fall in love with!

1. Bourbon Chicken

From THE BEST BLOG RECIPES :: CLICK HERE For the full printable recipe. Easy Bourbon Chicken is sweet, sticky, and better than take out! Serve it over white rice and you have a filling dinner recipe that your family will love! With minimal ingredients, this Bourbon Chicken recipe is budget friendly and will feed a family of 4.

2. Better Than Takeout Fried Rice

From SPACESHIPS AND LASER BEAMS :: CLICK HERE For the full printable recipe. One of the best things about a take-out is the fried rice you get with it. Theres always something so tasty about it! But with this Better Than Take-Out Fried Rice, you can make your own version thats even more delicious and available whenever you want it.

3. Egg Roll in a Bowl

From SPACESHIPS AND LASER BEAMS :: CLICK HERE For the full printable recipe. Our egg roll in a bowl recipe takes everything normally stuffed inside an egg roll and places it in a bowl  like an egg roll stir fry. Use coleslaw mix, ground beef, and a delicious blend of spices and there will be no reason to order deep-fried egg roll take out. This homemade version is delicious and filling.

4. Kung Pao Chicken

From SPACESHIPS AND LASER BEAMS :: CLICK HERE For the full printable recipe. Our Kung Pao chicken recipe is the perfect easy meal for a weeknight dinner. Juicy chicken and bell peppers are coated in a homemade ginger and garlic sauce for a flavorful dish that cures the craving for Chinese takeout.

5. Mongolian Beef and Noodles

From THE BEST BLOG RECIPES :: CLICK HERE For the full printable recipe. Make delicious, restaurant-worthy Mongolian Beef and Noodles without the delivery fee! Its so simple to make this skillet meal. No need to pick up the phone, make this classic takeout dish at home!

6. Cauliflower Fried Rice

From SPACESHIPS AND LASER BEAMS :: CLICK HERE For the full printable recipe. Cauliflower fried rice is a great alternative to regular fried rice for a number of special diets since cauliflower is vegan, low carb, paleo diet friendly, keto diet friendly, and a whole30.

7. Chicken Lo Mein

From SPACESHIPS AND LASER BEAMS :: CLICK HERE For the full printable recipe. Whip up a delicious homemade sauce to pour over juicy chicken and noodles with this Chicken Lo Mein recipe. Youll see how simple it is to skip the takeout and make this fresh tasty dish at home!

8. Crockpot Orange Chicken

From THE BEST BLOG RECIPES :: CLICK HERE For the full printable recipe. Have delicious Orange Chicken for dinner without ordering takeout! Sweet with just the right amount of heat -- because you make it, you can customize how spicy you like it. Impress your dinner guests and take all the credit while leaving the work to the crockpot.

9. Sticky Sesame Cauliflower

From SPACESHIPS AND LASER BEAMS :: CLICK HERE For the full printable recipe. Sticky Sesame Cauliflower is a delicious vegetarian dinner that absolutely anyone will enjoy! Crispy fried cauliflower is tossed in a flavorful homemade Asian-inspired sauce. Serve it over rice with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds and green onions.

10. Crispy Honey Chicken

From THE BEST BLOG RECIPES :: CLICK HERE For the full printable recipe. If youre tired of ordering the same Chinese takeout every week, then try out this delicious deep fried honey chicken recipe! Its crispy, its crunchy, and it packs a punch! You can make it as spicy or as sweet as you like right in your own kitchen!

11. Shrimp Fried Rice

From SPACESHIPS AND LASER BEAMS :: CLICK HERE For the full printable recipe. Instead of ordering your favorite take out, you have to try this shrimp fried rice recipe. Its a tasty dinner that is quick and easy to make with jasmine rice, green onions, and frozen veggies. We make our shrimp fried rice with egg, but this recipe is so versatile and could be made with a wide variety of ingredients.

12. Firecracker Chicken

From SPACESHIPS AND LASER BEAMS :: CLICK HERE For the full printable recipe. Our firecracker chicken recipe makes the best Chinese spicy chicken. This copycat recipe is so good, it will taste like you just picked it up from Panda Express. Serve it over a bed of rice to make the meal complete and youve got an easy, mouthwatering, and delicious dinner option.

13. Crab Rangoon

From THE BEST BLOG RECIPES :: CLICK HERE For the full printable recipe. This Crab Rangoon recipe is an easy party appetizer and crowd-pleaser. Crunch through the crispy exterior and savor the smooth cream cheese filling.

14. Mongolian Beef

From SPACESHIPS AND LASER BEAMS :: CLICK HERE For the full printable recipe. This tender Mongolian beef is a favorite dinner for our family  it tastes even better the second day. Youll prepare flank steak, then cook it in a delicious sauce made with ginger, garlic, brown sugar, hoisin, and soy sauce. If you want some heat, you can add sriracha and red pepper flakes, too.
- T. S. Eliot

Thoughts After Lambeth

"The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide."
The Undead Archives

I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world.
Country

United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
Tekelia Kelly's CHIPS Learning Services has been awarded a grant contract in the amount of $10,800 from the Tennessee Department of Human Services Vocational Rehabilitation Program. The grant is to provide Pre-Employment Transition Services to students ages 14-22 who have disabilities, as part of The Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act.

The program will be offered to students of all learning abilities, from all area schools and in an inclusive setting. Students will be screened for eligibility to receive grant funding. Other students may participate by making payment directly to CHIPS Learning Services.

Three life-prep classes: 1) Job Exploration, 2) Workplace Readiness, and 3) Self-Advocacy Training will be delivered using curriculum that serves both regular and special education needs. Classes began May 8 and run through June 30 weekly, one day each week, two hours each day, at various locations in Chattanooga, Hamilton County and other designated areas. Orchard Knob Missionary Baptist Church will host its CHIPS Pre-ETS program starting June 5-30, with the kick-off of "CHIPS In The Church".

Skills development topics covered during the three classes include:

Career exploration

Job preparation

Social skills training

Self-advocacy

Basic literacy skills

Basic computer skills

Employer expectations

Job searching

Workplace readiness

Transition services

Counseling on opportunities for in transition or postsecondary education

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act provides funding for Pre-Employment Transition Services to support the transition of students with disabilities from school to post-school activities, ultimately facilitating competitive integrated employment.

Parents, guardians and students interested in participating in the Pre-ETS program should contact their local school resource teacher, advisor or guidance counselor; local Vocation Rehabilitation office; or CHIPS Learning Services. The form of consent and referral must be submitted as well as proof of student's disability for review and referral by Vocational Rehabilitation.

Since 1995, CHIPS has been dedicated to empowering students with education, employment and entrepreneur learning tracks, and offering 21st programming that include education enrichment, tutoring, academic interventions, STEAM (STEM+Art) project based learning, Technology Education, social, emotional and psychological testing services; and career development services such as mentoring and networking for better school-to-work success.

Founder, owner and CEO Tekelia Kelly, is a native Chattanoogan who started CHIPS in Memphis. The former engineer works as an education technology consultant, STEAM teaching artist and Code.org teacher for area schools, summer camps, learning centers, churches and after school programs. She also performs STEAM-enriched student ticket subsidy programs across the state of Tennessee. She is a member of the Tennessee Arts Commission, Tennessee Arts Academy and Holmberg Arts Leadership Institute.

Joined by her daughter Rachel Kelly, a licensed school psychologist, psychometrist and education specialist with Ed.S degree, CHIPS will also provide special services under its CHIPS 2.0 program. Director Rachel Kelly will privately provide clients individualized education and career plans, academic intervention, tutoring, assessments and social/emotional services.

With a track record for helping students go "from school to work more successfully", Ms. Kelly worked as an education systems analyst with Provident Companies, where she volunteered as a Provident business consultant for Jr. Achievement. She was honored with Jr. Achievement's "Pioneer Award" for her work with seniors at Chattanooga High School and the implementation of Jr. Achievement's inaugural Success Skills 2000 career development program in 1998-1999.

In 2007, Ms. Kelly was honored with Girls Inc's Unbought Unbossed Award for being one of "14 Women Who've Changed Chattanooga". Using her Sisters In Business.Net business, she partnered with Girls Inc to empower youth, along with other business organizations and partners in the community; spearheading career fairs, networking meetings, lunch-and-learns, business trade shows and junior entrepreneur business proposal pitches.

"We are happy to partner with the Tennessee Department of Human Services Vocational Rehabilitation Program to provide students Pre-Employment Transition Services," said Tekelia Kelly. "This builds on our 21st century learning programs and mission, which is to empower students from school to work more successfully. We are fortunate to be able to reach and teach students of all learning styles and abilities, and in various learning environments--one on one, individually and inclusively. With this contract and partnership, we are given more opportunity to serve that purpose."

For further information, please contact Tekelia C. Kelly at CHIPS Learning Services, 421-5646, tekeliakelly@comcast.net or www.chipslearning.com.


Previous Next

Sheriff Jim Hammond and the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office Marine Patrol Division hosted a press conference on Saturday, at Chester Frost Park in recognition of National Boater Safety Week beginning this Sunday.During the press conference, members of local media learned about the HCSO Marine Patrol Divisions mission and ways to encourage safe boating habits for families. Sergeant Matthew Purvis of the HCSO Marine Patrol Division offered tips to help boaters enjoy the boating season as well as discussed various safety equipment required to be kept aboard various vessels and watercraft.After the press conference, members of local media took a tour and excursion aboard Marine One and Two and were able to participate in live boat checks with area boaters.Reporters were also able to witness firsthand the speed, power, and agility of Marine One and Two as both vessels were put through various runs and maneuvers.Also participating in the presentation was the newly formed HCSO Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Division. HCSO UAS Division ground pilots utilized drones to showcase the many uses of drones in law enforcement and their capabilities over water and for surveying moving objects.Several members of the community also came out with their children to see Marine One and Two and learn about proper boater safety.The HCSO would like to thank the following personnel for their efforts to make the press conference possible: Deputy Chief Bill Johnson, Captain Mark King, Captain Chuck Gaston, Lieutenant Mark Hooper, Lieutenant Shaun Shepherd, Sergeant Mark Williams, Sergeant Matthew Purvis, Detectives Richard Whaley, Marty Dunn, and Shane Forgey, and Deputies Brian Killingsworth and Jerry Mauldin.A special thanks to Hamilton County Park Director Tom Lamb and Captain Noel McDaniel and Lieutenant Dan Renegar of the Hamilton County Park Rangers.
Buffalo Valley, Inc., Chattanooga Mayor Berkes office and the DAR are working together to house four Chattanoogas homeless veterans with families. Judge David Campbell Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolutions is providing kitchen, bath and cleaning supplies for the four homes, including flags of the U.S.A. The first item to be used was a mounted, outdoor American Flag donated by Judge David Campbell Chapter member Susan Gruber.

All four houses are due for completion this year.

A dedication ceremony will be held on Friday when the keys to the first house will be turned over to the new occupants which will a blind Army veteran who has been homeless for the past two years (living on the street). This veterans family includes his nine-year-old daughter and his older daughter who is in her early 20's and acts as his caretaker.

The dedication ceremony will start at 11 a.m. An open house from 1:30-2 will take place for viewing of one of the four homes. The homes are at 4000 Veterans Way, formerly 4005 McDowell St.

Parking on the street is limited; however, there is a nearby Walmart and carpooling form the Walmart is suggested.






Learn about alternative health, dreams, dealing with grief and more as it relates to females.

Womens Empowerment Weekend

April 18, 2017 ~ Leave a comment

Date: May 20 and 21, 2017

From: 10:00 am  5:00 pm

Are you a woman in business? Do you want to help empower other women? Women need Women. Each of us has something to give. Whether it comes from Education or from Life Experience, it always comes from the heart.

Women who are interested in sharing their knowledge, expertise and business to other women to help our community become greater together, to coin a phrase.

SIGN UP AS A SPEAKER

$15.00 / 30 min, Lecture

$25.00 / 1 hr Lecture

and / or

SIGN UP FOR A BOOTH

$50.00/day

Limited number of Lecture spots / Booths will be at no charge

Contact Michelle to see if you qualify

Phone: (505) 453-7646 to sign up!

Email: michelle@resonantessentials.com

MAY 20-21, 2017

10:00am  5:00pm daily

Cost  $5.00 at the door

SATURDAY PROGRAM

10:30a  Welcome to Resonant Essentials and Introduction to 1st speaker  Michelle Vidal, Owner Resonant Essentials

10:45a  11:15a  Giovanna Rossi, Host/Producer The Well Woman Show

11:15a  11:30a  15 minute break  talk to speaker / visit booths

11:30a  12:00p  Sara Traub, Estate Planning Attorney with PBWS

12:00p  12:15p  15 minute break  talk to speaker / visit booths

12:15p  1:15p  Janet Wahl, PhD, CHt  MindBalance  Discover The Messages in Your Dreams  Why did I have that weird dream?. If you have every wondered, come to a dream group that can help. Only the dreamer determines the meaning.; group members only suggest. Learn about this structured process, the Ullman method. Bring a short dream you wish to share and discover it;s messages.

1:15p  1:30p  15 minute break  talk to speaker / visit booths

1:30p  2:30p  Candace Lord  A Beautiful Day, LLC  Speaking With Spirit  A Mediums Life  Join Psychic Medium Candace Lord as she talks about life as a medium and demonstrates platform mediumship, relaying messages from loved ones on the Other Side. She feels her mediumship is akin to translating spirits language., received through thoughts, auditory messages and visions in the minds eye and physical realm.

2:30p  2:45p  15 minute break  talk to speaker / visit booths

2:45p  3:45p  Marjie Montano  Grief Recovery Specialist and Member of WOW, (Women against Women Bullying). Talk will focus on grief and recovery, including grief related to loss, not only through death of humans and pets, but through some of the many venues we experience loss, such as divorce; retirement; addiction; relocation.

3:45p  4:00p  15 minute break  talk to speaker / visit booths

4:00p  4:30p  Ali Ennenga  Color Clarity, LLC  How Does A Sensitivity to Light affect Your Childs Reading Fluency And Comprehension. How Can We Improve Reading Difficulties? Children and adults are affected by light. Sensitivity to light can cause print distortions from black-on-white reading material. Children affect dont realize the distortions because this is normal for them. There is a simple, affordable and fast acting technique that combats low fluency/low comprehension in those with this reading problem.

4:30p  5:00p  Closing  Michelle Vidal, Owner, Resonant Essentials  also talk to speaker / visit booths

SATURDAY BOOTHS

Susan Zummo embraces her own intuition. She is a highly motivated teacher of higher awareness and one of 2 certified P.A.T., Inc. and Soma Pi Master Facilitators, Integrated Awareness graduate, Dolores Quantum Healing Hypnotherapist and Reiki Master with over 25 years experience. She utilizes her gifts in teaching, and has traveled doing Intuitive Readings across the country. Intuitive Reading $20.00. Soma Pi Healing  $15.00

Donna Carol Martens is a clairvoyant medium who specializes in Arch-Angel Readings and Heart-Thread Healing. Heart Thread is a powerful modality that releases trapped emotions and stuck karma from the physical body. Arch-Angels Mini Readings $25.00. Heart Thread Healing $20.00  15 minutes

Teresa Betcher  Celestial Awakenings  Teresa Betcher, MSW, is a professional astrologer with a background in social work and counseling. After studying astrology in the mid 70s, she founded Celestial Awakenings in 2004. Teresa offers counselings of all kinds, (forecasts, career, relationships, travel, spiritual and more). to people of all ages. children, teenagers and adults.

Jennaveive Gelin  Kundalini Yoga/Meditation  It is important to honor yourself. With so much brainwashing from society, the media, advertisements, etc, we can forget who we really are and our true values. Tools and suggestions will be given to let go of stagnant energy in order to align with your truth and divine purpose.

Domestic Violence  TABLE WILL HOST INFORMATION ON RESOURCES

Kathy Bellis Bangart Galvan  Prime My Body  Prime My Body is a global health and wellness company. We combine nano enhanced technology with a sustainable,naturally grown hemp oil,which has been used for a wide range of healthy benefits dating back 3,000 years. Our formula helps optimize the mind and body efficiently and naturally. It is legal in all 50 states

SUNDAY PROGRAM

10:15a  Welcome to Resonant Essentials and Introduction to 1st speaker  Michelle Vidal, Owner Resonant Essentials

10:30a  11:00a  Lissa Kowalski  Warm Heart Foot Care  Foot Care  Your feet Are Your Foundation. Keeping your feet healthy is not just for diabetics. It is important we look at our feet every day. Keep them clean, warm and dry. Making sure we protect them in public places, our shoes fit properly and the signs that indicate when to see a doctor.

11:00a  11:15a  15 minute break  talk to speaker / visit booths

11:15a  11:45a  Julie Reynolds  Women and Cardiac Health  The impact of genetics comorbidities on the female cardiovascular system. Taking care of ourselves first allows us to be the strong women who take care of our loved ones. It is vitality important to recognize heart health and what we can do to improve ours.

11:45p  12:00p  15 minute break  talk to speaker / visit booths

12:00p  12:30p  Elaine Bogard  Healing with Elaine  Spiritual Healing for Infertility  Elaine Lopez-Bogard helps women heal their womb from pregnancy loss, sexual abuse/trauma and infertility. As a Soul Midwife she helps unborn souls incarnate who have chosen their special mother in this life but have been blocked from being born. Elaine is a modern day Medicine Woman/Shaman/Master Healer.

12:45p  1:00p  15 minute break  talk to speaker / visit booths

1:00pm  2:00p  Michelle Vidal, LMT, CWKP, OM, GRS  Resonant Essentials  Karma/Judgment  Catching the Flow  Karma is a living, breathing part of us. We cannot erase it. It is a multi-leveled tool to help us progress in spiritual unfoldment. How we use our judgment with our living karma can help us release the drama in our lives.

2:00p  3:00p  1 hour break  talk to speaker / visit booths

3:00p  3:30p  Susan Zummo  Higher Consciousness: How the powers of the mind effect the body for healing  Susan will update what we know about the mind/body connection and how to by-pass the emotional chaos in our world to bring balance to the body for rapid healing. As a Master Teacher of higher consciousness, Susan will guide attendees through a simple but powerful process to access another level of self to heal the body. Be prepared to de-stress and feel great!

3:30p  4:00p  30 minute break  talk to speaker / visit booths

4:00p  4:30p  Renee Gwyther, MBA, CFP  Presentation focuses on the Unique financial circumstances of women, in every curve of life, no matter which hat she is wearing and how best to navigate.

4:45  5:00  Closing and Thank yous  Michelle Vidal, Resonant Essentials

SUNDAY BOOTHS 

Margarita Martinez, Curandera from Mexico will be doing spiritual cleansing using limpia. Blessings will open as she removes negativity from your life. Reading of the egg will show what was removed through this prayer cleansing. $40.00  30 minutes.

Marjie Montano  Grief Recovery Specialist and Member of WOW, (Women against Women Bullying). Grief Recovery Handbooks will be available for sale. Free brochures and information regrading local support and individual recovery work with a Grief Recovery Specialists. Also available will be handouts and information on Women on Women (WOW) Bullying education, statistics and support.

Teresa  Astrologer  Teresa Betcher  Celestial Awakenings  Teresa Betcher, MSW, is a professional astrologer with a background in social work and counseling. After studying astrology in the mid 70s, she founded Celestial Awakenings in 2004. Teresa offers counselings of all kinds, (forecasts, career, relationships, travel, spiritual and more). to people of all ages. children, teenagers and adults.

Jennaveive Gelin  Kundalini Yoga/Meditation  (booth time 12:00pm  3:30pm each day) It is important to honor yourself. With so much brainwashing from society, the media, advertisements, etc, we can forget who we really are and our true values. Tools and suggestions will be given to let go of stagnant energy in order to align with your truth and divine purpose.

Domestic Violence  TABLE WILL HOST INFORMATION ON RESOURCES




You are here: Home

Chinese securities regulator has announced sanctions against Sealand Securities after months of investigation into fake bond agreements.

The company will be banned from issuing asset management products, opening new accounts and underwriting bonds for a year, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) said in a statement.

Problems were found during the investigation, the CSRC said, including chaotic internal management, failed compliance and risk control, and multiple other violations.

The commission demanded Sealand Securities rectify the situation within a year and improve self-scrutiny.

The probe came after two former employees of Sealand Securities forged bond agreements worth around 20 billion yuan (nearly 3 billion U.S. dollars) at the end of 2016, which affected more than 20 financial institutions and disrupted market order.

The two have been banned from asset management for up to 10 years.

The CSRC spokesperson Zhang Xiaojun said brokerages and fund companies should learn their lesson and improve management of core business and personnel to ensure their business conforms to regulations.

In separate statements, the CSRC announced punishments to cases on market manipulation, insider trading and other violations.
The alumni association of the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts in Natchitoches is fighting a bill to rename the school after one of its founders.

Sen. Francis Thompson's attempt to rename the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts after one of the school's founders has drawn the opposition of the school's 4,500-member alumni association.

Jamie G. Smith, a Gonzales-based spine therapist, says members of the LSMSA Alumni Association oppose Thompson's bid to rename the school after the late Jimmy D. Long, Sr., by a wide margin. Smith is president of the association and cites a poll conducted of its members to back his claim.

Smith is a member of LSMSA's fourth graduating class (1988). His wife graduated in that class. Smith says their oldest daughter graduated from there in 2015 and their youngest daughter just completed her sophomore year there.

"I turned to some members of the association who have some expertise in polling and opinion research," Smith tells The Independent. "They developed a survey that we distributed to our members, as well as other friends of the school. Even though I personally oppose the renaming of the school, I committed up front to advocate for whatever the poll results found our members' position to be."

The survey was sent to more than 4,600 LSMSA stakeholders by email; 1,940 people responded.

"I'm told that a 17 to 18 percent response to a survey like this is considered pretty good," Smith continues. "Our survey drew a 42 percent response rate."

The bulk of the respondents were alumni (1,350). The rest were current students (240) and an amalgam of employees, board members and family members of current or former students (350).

"The survey found that 74 percent opposed the renaming of the school after Jimmy D. Long, Sr.," Smith says, adding "that the opposition is not confined to geography."

Smith says more than 60 pages of comments were included in the responses to the survey. He says some of those who support the name change said they did so because they assumed there was some sort of endowment that would accompany the renaming. Smith says there is no financing connected to the renaming.

"We have graduates in every parish of this state," according to Smith. "And we found that the opposition to the move is strong across the state."

Smith makes clear that he and the alumni association "have the utmost respect for Mr. Long." He does feel that Thompson and Jimmy Long's brother Sen. Gerald Long have not been honest with the school's board or its broader community.

"In December, the board voted to name the new dorm that will be built starting this year after Jimmy D. Long, Sr.," Smith says, noting that it marked the first time that a building on the school's Natchitoches campus had been named after any individual.

"Our school has four founding fathers," Smith says. "Mr. Long is clearly one of them. He came up with the idea and wrote the enabling legislation. But it could not have happened without the active help of the other founders  Gov. Dave Treen, Sen. Don Kelly and Dr. Robert Alost."

Alost was dean of Northwestern State University's College of Education at the time. He took a year's leave from the university to help launch the school. Long had approached Treen about funding for the school. And Sen. Kelly handled the enabling legislation in the state Senate. The school opened in 1983.

"The school named an auditorium in the main building after Gov. Treen," Smith says. "And it is now known to all students and alumni as the Treen Auditorium. We think that naming the new dorm after Rep. Long is a high and appropriate way of honoring his memory."

Smith says naming the dormitory after Long requires legislative approval and that's what the alumni and the school's governing board apparently thought they were getting when Sen. Gerald Long told the board in December that he would ask Sen. Thompson to handle the legislation that would (according to the minutes of that meeting) "honor Rep. Long's legacy."

Smith says he and other alumni were stunned when they read Thompson's SB1 when it was pre-filed in February.

"We thought that surely there had been a mistake," Smith recalls. "But, we were told by Sens. Thompson and Long that there had been no mistake, that renaming the school was their intention all along."

When the Senate Education Committee considered SB1 on May 15, Smith says 38 alumni association members submitted red cards in opposition to the name change. Some testified. Thompson spoke in support of his bill, which sailed through the committee.

On May 17, days after most of the Senate had attended the funeral of Sen. Gerald Long's wife, Rose, the Senate voted to approve SB1 by a 31-2 margin.

The bill has been sent to the House. The expectation is that the bill will be assigned to the House Education Committee chaired by Rep. Nancy Landry. Under House rules, the bill must be read by title three times while the House is in session. That would mean that Wednesday would be the final day of readings. That is also the regular meeting day of the education committee. Unless the rules are suspended, that would mean that the earliest SB1 could be considered by Landry's committee would be May 31.

SB1 is in a race against the clock.

Smith says the LSMSA Alumni Association is going to concentrate its efforts in and on the House Education Committee.

"If we can defeat it there, the bill will be dead," Smith explains.

Smith believes that it's right that defending the school falls to its alumni.

"Administrators come and go, legislators, board members, faculty  all come and go," Smith explains. "But we will always be the alumni. And it falls to us to protect our school and its legacy."
Su Hongzhang, former senior official in northeast China's Liaoning Province, was sentenced to 14 years in prison by a court in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province on Friday for taking and offering bribes.

Su, formerly a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Liaoning Provincial Committee and head of the committee's commission for political and legal affairs, was also fined 2 million yuan (around US$290,000), and his illicit gains will be turned over to the state treasury, the Intermediate People's Court said in a statement.

Su was found to have accepted bribes worth 19.97 million yuan, in return for favor in legal cases, business and promotions, while holding a series of offices in Liaoning between 2004 and 2016.

The court said that Su had offered bribes of 1.1 million yuan to others in exchange for his own promotion in Liaoning from 2010 to 2011.

Su was given relatively lenient treatment in return for cooperating with investigators, handing over the proceeds of his crimes, and surrendering most of his illicit gains.
SPRINGFIELD  For the third year in a row, the three men at the center of Illinois politics are circling inside the Capitol, and nobody is pulling punches.

In one corner is Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, and in the other are Democratic leaders Michael Madigan and John Cullerton. The goal: Pass a budget before the end of session on May 31.

The past two years have seen lawmakers come up short, both sides throwing in the towel, as an untold number of Illinois residents suffer through the longest gap between budgets of any state in the country.

Lawmakers remain optimistic they can come to terms in the final weeks of this session, though perhaps it is because the thought of heading home without a budget would mean further devastation. The states universities, social service providers, vendors and others sit on a long list waiting to get paid.

How close the two sides are to an agreement depends on whom you ask. Lawmakers are on the ropes to provide a plan, and political observers paint a dark picture of financial ruin without it.

A spokeswoman for Rauner deferred questions for this story to an opinion piece the governor wrote Tuesday in the Springfield State Journal-Register and several subsequent news conferences hes held across the state.

In the opinion piece, the first-term Republican governor reiterates many of the policy stances he has taken during his tenure, arguing he would support the passage a tax increase, but only with fundamental changes to what he sees as a "broken system."

Weve been trying to negotiate a good deal for taxpayers for more than two years, Rauner wrote. But we wont be pressured by special interests, insiders and career politicians to take a bad deal for taxpayers.

Much of the spotlight over the past few years has been on the battle between Rauner and Madigan, the powerful longtime speaker of the House and chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party.

While Rauner has painted Madigan as a career politician who bows to special interest, Madigan spokesman Steve Brown points to the budgets passed since Madigan first became speaker in 1983, saying Madigan worked with governors and legislators of both parties to get them approved.

As Ive said, the governor needs to look at himself in the mirror and ask that figure that he sees, Why did you screw up this state budgeting process? Brown said.

This spring session has seen much of the budgeting focus turned to the Illinois Senate, where months of bipartisan talks have seen senators taking swings at passing a "grand bargain" budget that would include items as varied as a property tax freeze, gambling expansion, workers' compensation reform, an income tax increase and changes to the school funding formula.

These talks failed in March, when Republicans pulled their support and said more negotiations were needed.

This past week saw another effort in the Senate to pass budget items on to the House, with bills that expand gambling, change state purchasing rules, reform pensions, change the school funding formula and allow the state to borrow $7 billion to pay down some the states $14.1 billion backlog of bills.

But work to pass a bill to implement necessary cuts to get to the previously approved $36.5 billion spending plan failed, and bills that would reform workers' compensation or raise taxes were never called for a vote.

As in March, Democrats said time was running out to get a budget approved and that Republicans needed to vote.

I was under the impression we had reached an agreement on the budget, Cullerton said in a news conference after the vote.

But Republicans said the two sides were close to an agreement on the remaining issues and that Democrats need to wait for both sides to agree to terms before putting items up for a vote.

I think there were significant reforms that were done today, said Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, shortly after the Senate voted Wednesday. But the better course of action would have been to move the items that were in agreement, then go back into the room and make sure the budget balances, get the language finalized and then put it for a vote.

Were this close to getting something done.

Several senators told a Lee Enterprises reporter that they believe all parties have been negotiating in good faith and that an agreement can be made.

Rauner has publicly been cordial when addressing the Senates effort to pass a budget, but he did not mince words when asked about Madigan and House Democrats during a stop Tuesday in Springfield.

House Democrats, under Speaker Madigan, have showed no good faith willingness to engage in negotiations, Rauner said.

He also addressed a recent move by Madigan to have four of the top Democrats in the House negotiate with the governors office over non-budgetary items, referring to it as an effort to derail budget talks in the Senate.

Brown dismissed the governors concerns, saying the House wants to work with Rauner on ways to improve the states economy.

Similar sentiment is shared by House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs, who said Thursday afternoon that he was "cautiously optimistic" a deal could be reached before May 31.

The sense of urgency is immense, Durkin said. You can feel it in the air, and I agree that we need to bring this to a resolution.

How did we get here?

Those who watch Illinois politics said the budget impasse represents a "perfect storm" of conflicting personalities and years of poor planning.

Those decisions stretch back decades and stem from members of both parties, said Kent Redfield, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

He cited the pension strain created by the "crooked bargain" at the end of Republican Gov. George Ryans tenure, when thousands of longtime state employees were allowed to retire early so the incoming Democratic administration could fill those openings with their own people.

He also noted the overall tenure of impeached Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who is in federal prison after being convicted of corruption, and the 2008 recession as events that already put Illinois in a perilous fiscal position well before Rauner took office.

The recession significantly changed the way the state handles its budgeting, said Jak Tichenor, interim director at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Before then, a majority of spending was related to federal mandates such as Medicaid, making for a fairly predictable budget process. State lawmakers negotiated over discretionary spending such as K-12 and higher education funding, but Tichenor said they would enter those negotiations knowing state revenue was stable.

But if you go back to 2008 to the great recession, and state revenues just went off a cliff, he said. You had appropriation committee chairs at the Capitol looking at balance sheets and saying, Well Im trying to fund a $32 billion budget, and I only have $24 (billion) to $25 billion in income.

And thats where you started to see the real allocation of pain and scarcity instead of budget making as we traditionally did it.

A temporary income tax increase approved by lawmakers and then-Gov. Pat Quinn in 2011 moved the personal tax rates from 3 percent to 5 percent and the corporate tax from 4.8 percent to 7 percent, which helped to pay down some of the bill backlog. But the increase was allowed to expire in 2015, reducing the rate for individuals to 3.75 percent and to 5.25 percent for corporations.

The motivation behind letting it expire was so the newly elected Rauner could negotiate a new budget with the Democratic-led House and Senate.

Two-and-a-half years later, the sides have only managed to agree to a stopgap budget in 2016 that provided some money for struggling universities and social service providers. Most spending has been court-ordered.

Redfield said that from the start, Rauner and the Democrats seemed to underestimate one another, specifically when Rauner started to sell his "turnaround agenda" that included the creation of local right-to-work zones and other measures perceived to be anti-union.

I think the initial set of demands the governor was putting out there was overtly optimistic in terms of what one could get a Democratic legislator to agree to, Redfield said. That clearly got negotiations off on a very bad start, and we never got to the point where we could get an acknowledgement from both sides that they were sharing power and they needed to make compromises.

Like Redfield, Tichenor said the first few months of Rauner's tenure knocked the relationship of party leaders off balance. Rauner's initial agenda was unique, Tichenor said, because past governors did not traditionally negotiate structural reform packages as part of the overall budget negotiations.

The governor may have underestimated just how strong the Democrats' resolve was not to turn their backs on their traditional allies, as well as the Democratic leaders may not have appreciated how strongly the governor felt about trying to impose some of those turnaround agenda items in exchange for a tax increase, he said.

Deep impact

The inability to produce a long-term budget has had a significant impact on the state and its residents. If a spending plan isn't approved until the 2018 General Election, as some have speculated, the effects could be catastrophic.

The unfunded liability in Illinois pension funds hit $119 billion in fiscal year 2015, according to an April report from Pew Charitable Trusts. That means just 40 percent of the states pension system is funded. Among the states, only New Jersey is in worse shape.

A report by the Illinois Comptrollers Office on Wednesday said the bill backlog has increased to a record $14.3 billion, nearly triple what it was two years ago.

In a statement, Democratic Comptroller Susana Mendoza laid the blame at the feet of Rauners administration.

Its clear the Rauner Administration has been holding bills at state agencies in an attempt to mask some of the damage caused by the governors failure to fulfill his constitutional duty and present a balanced budget, Mendoza said, referring to a practice where the administration can sit on a voucher before submitting it to the comptrollers office.

At a time when Senators from both sides of the aisle are working together to reach a deal, this administration has been keeping them in the dark about the true extent of the bill backlog.

Higher education and social service agencies have taken a pummeling during the impasse, suffering through cutbacks and layoffs to try to make ends meet.

In Decatur, the lack of a state budget has played a major role in cuts made at Richland Community College. Since the start of spring, the college has eliminated five administrative positions and announced plans to lay off 18 employees, eight full time and 10 part time, and offer buyouts to an additional 14 full-time staff. It has also closed its child care center, with administrators pointing to the state situation and declining enrollment as factors.

College officials have said they also plan to approve a budget for the coming fiscal year without any money from the state, which used to make up 14 percent of its total budget.

Those actions are part of what Tichenor refers to as a "brain drain" that has occurred due to the budget impasse. As the state struggles to fund higher education and Monetary Award Program grants, out-of-state schools have begun to poach potential students and faculty with the promise of financial stability, he said.

Were losing some of our best and brightest in the state because of the impasse, he said.

If lawmakers are unable to come together on a budget, then Redfield said the state will enter a "very dark scenario" that could mean irrevocable damage to social service agencies and most colleges and neighboring communities.

If we have no movement until after the 2018 elections, I think it would be a certainty some universities would not open that fall, he said. I think Eastern, Western, Northeastern, and Chicago State are all the top of the list. The Carbondale situation is pretty tenuous as well.
Central China's Hunan Province has honored a scientist for his contribution to a deep-sea drilling system.

Wan Buyan from Hunan University of Science and Technology was awarded a prize for a multi-purpose drilling system that he helped develop. The system gives China the ability to drill more than 50 meters into the seabed at a depth of more than 3, 000 meters, a significant achievement.

According to Wan, another drilling system project has been approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology, which could be used in future detection for storage and formation of combustible ice.

"The news that China has succeeded in collecting samples of combustible ice in the South China Sea has given us great encouragement," Wan said. "The new project could start as early as next month."

Currently the most advanced drilling rig can go about 200 meters into the seabed, but Wan said the new project could reach about 230 meters under the seafloor.

The success of his current drilling system has laid a solid foundation for future development, and Wan said that the new project could be used in the exploration and development of many other resources in addition to combustible ice.
BAMBERG -- Students in Bamberg School District One will be learning firsthand about the total solar eclipse that will take place in August.

Trustees during the May board meeting listened to lesson plans created by district science teachers and approved Superintendent Phyllis Schwartings request to hold classes during the Aug. 21 event.

Student safety during the eclipse has been a concern, but Schwarting has said throughout the decision-making process that she feels it will be much safer for students to observe the eclipse under supervision at school. Many of them will be at home alone if they arent in school, she said.

Teachers Bobbi Bunch of Richard Carroll Elementary and Bridget Kinard of Bamberg-Ehrhardt High urged the board to approve holding classes during the eclipse.

Bunch said the total solar eclipse is a seldom-seen event that offers an amazing teaching opportunity. The last full eclipse in the area was in the 1970s, she said. The next total eclipse will come in 2024, but wont be visible anywhere near South Carolina, Bunch added.

All teachers and every subject from science to English language arts to history, art and math will be involved in the program to study the eclipse, she said.

Teachers have already been given background information so theyll have time to prepare for the classes in August. The kids have also been involved in preparing for the eclipse.

Bunch noted that safety glasses have been provided for the entire district and teachers will be well-trained on how to use them.

Teachers will be with the kids every minute of the experience, which will last around an hour, she said. Students will be told when to put the glasses on and when they can take them off, Bunch said. There will be a very short period of about a minute and a half when the moon completely covers the sun. At that moment, theyll be able to observe the phenomena without the glasses.

Parents will have to give written permission for their children to take part in observing the solar eclipse.

Schwarting noted earlier that the school day on Aug. 21 will be slightly longer than usual so that students will be able to better observe the eclipse, which will reach its maximum point at 2:43 p.m.

Also during the meeting, the board elected Chris Wallace to serve as board chair, Janeth Walker as vice chair and Tony Duncan as secretary.

In other business, John Hiers and Julia R. Kim Berry, who were recently sworn in as trustees, were recognized at the May meeting. Berry defeated incumbent Kedra Rivers for Seat 3, and Hiers was re-elected to Seat 4 in April.

Trustees gave first reading approval of two policies by voice vote with no dissensions. Policy KF changes the current policy about community use of school facilities to allow groups to rent the gym for $300 and the stadium for $500/$1,000.

The decision follows a request by local churches of all faiths and races to rent the facilities for a Rick Gage Go Tell meeting Oct. 15-18, Schwarting said. She reported that this date will not interfere with any planned school activities.

Trustees also approved Policy ADF, which sets health and wellness goals for the district.

Additionally, the board approved out-of-state trips for the B-E wrestling team to attend camp in Chattanooga, Tennessee June 11-15 and the Future Business Leaders of America chapter to attend a convention in Anaheim, California June 28-July 22.

Both groups are paying for the events themselves.

Schwarting recognized Kersey Nguyen, a Bamberg-Ehrhardt High senior who is one of 722 semi-finalists in the Presidential Scholars program.
Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn announced Friday that an additional $50 million in disaster relief funds were set aside for South Carolina.

The recently passed omnibus appropriations bill included $400 million for the Department of Housing and Urban Developments Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program.

While the bulk of the funds are for disasters in 2017 and beyond, Clyburn says in a release that he secured a provision to make additional funds available for disasters occurring in 2016 and 2015. This will result in $50 million for South Carolina.

Clyburn said hes previously secured $156 million in CDBG Disaster Recovery funds for Hurricane Joaquin in 2015 and $65 million in CDBG Disaster Recovery funds for Hurricane Matthew.

While Congress acted to provide relief to South Carolina after the historic floods from Hurricane Joaquin in 2015 and the devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew in 2016, many South Carolina communities need additional assistance, he said in a release.

The funds will be distributed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to the following grantees:

 State of South Carolina: $31.9 million

 Richland County: $7.3 million

 Lexington County: $5 million

 City of Columbia: $6.2 million
Forestry police in southwest China's Yunnan Province have caught 20 people who were involved in online trafficking of wild animals including iguanas, chameleons and pythons.

The suspects, including online traders and buyers of wild animals and animal products, will face charges and penalties according to a newly revised law on wild animal protection that took effect on January 1, said Li Jun, a top forestry police officer in Hani-Yi Autonomous Prefecture of Honghe.

The amended law bans hunting, sale, purchase, and use of state-protected wild animals or derived products, unless for scientific research, captive breeding, population regulation, monitoring of disease, or other legitimate purposes.

"That means anyone involved in illegal wild animal trade will face criminal penalties, whether you are a poacher, a dealer or just a pet owner," said Li Jun.

In September 2016, forestry police in Yunnan Province caught an online animal dealer surnamed Gu in Honghe's Hekou County, and confiscated a number of wild animals, said Li Lili, a police officer in Gejiu City of Honghe who was a member of the investigation team.

He said police had followed information revealed in Gu's advertisements posted on Baidu.com, in which he claimed he had rare pets, including slow lorises and American green iguanas, for sale.

Following Gu's arrest, police spent eight months hunting for his accomplices. As of early May, they had caught 19 suspects in Honghe, Chuxiong, Yuxi and the provincial capital Kunming, said Li.

"More than 90 wild animals were seized in the crackdown, including 52 exotic animals," said Li. "This is the largest online wildlife trafficking case in Yunnan Province in the past decade."

He said the suspects had posted ads on social media and all the transactions were completed online. Some of the animals were shipped to faraway provinces including Guangdong, Fujian, Shanxi and Jilin.

"The suspects often lined packages with newspapers to keep the animals warm during delivery, but still, some animals died on the way from hunger or suffocation," said Li.

In a suspicious parcel on its way to the northern province of Shanxi, Li and his colleagues seized a ball python that had apparently suffocated.

Most of the buyers were young people who wanted an exotic pet, such as a python, which sold for 3,000 yuan (435 U.S. dollars). Some were parents who were searching for secret remedies for their ailing children, as wild animals such as lizards were often used in traditional Chinese medicine.

"Captive breeding of wild animals is subject to approval by forestry authorities," said Li. "If you want to keep a cool pet, you should get it in a legitimate way."

He said the seized animals have been handed over to a wildlife refuge center in Kunming. While the exotic animals will be bred in captivity, indigenous species may be released if they are fit to survive in the wild and pose no harm to local people or the ecosystem.

Yunnan Province, known for its rich biodiversity, is home to many endangered wild animals and plants.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
U.S. President Donald Trump (L) welcomes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on May 16, 2017. [Xinhua/Yin Bogu]

Only a few days after his participation in the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan headed to the White House to meet his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump. It was the first meeting between the two leaders at a difficult juncture for the bilateral relationship.

The American support for the Kurdish forces in Syria has angered Ankara. In particular, Washington decided at the beginning of May to arm the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in order to support an operation to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa from the Islamic State. For its part, Turkey considers YPG a terrorist organization associating it with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group.

In his public remarks with Trump in the White House, Erdogan was adamant in his position. "There is no place for the terrorist organizations in the future of our region. Taking YPG and PYD [The Kurdish Democratic Union Party] in the region - taking them into consideration in the region, it will never be accepted," he clarified.

Most international media report that the two presidents found no common ground. And some American think tanks frame this continuous disagreement as a clear signal that the U.S. administration prioritizes the war against the Islamic State and puts in second place the American-Turkish relationship.

Another issue of contradiction between the U.S. and Turkey is related to the potential extradition of Fethullah Gulen, a religious leader living in exile in Pennsylvania, whom Erdogan blames for the attempted coup last July. The Turkish president publicly referred to his "expectations [from the U.S.] with regard to the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization." Trump has not taken a straightforward position on the matter. Nevertheless, it seems that he will be hesitant to positively respond to Erdogan's request following the paradigm of his predecessor Barack Obama.

No doubt, American-Turkish relations are currently facing serious challenges and tensions are on the rise. This has not happened for the first time though. Bilateral relations have passed through various stages in the course of modern history.

Although the two countries are partners in the context of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), they often tend to openly disagree. In 2003, for instance, Ankara rejected Washington's request to make use of its military bases in waging the Iraq war and removing Saddam Hussein from power.

Also, during the so called "Arab Spring" the American administration accused the Turkish government of indiscriminately arming fighters against Bashar al Assad in Syria and thus allegedly contributing to the rise of anti-Western extremists. Similar crises can be also found during the Cold War period. Following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, for example, the U.S. imposed an arms embargo on Turkey, which was regarded by the latter as a slap in the face by a loyal ally.

Lessons from history suggest that the strategic dimension of the American-Turkish partnership has been respected by both sides over the years - irrespective of their provisionary disagreements. The policies of Trump and Erdogan will hardly constitute an exception in the coming years.

It is not a coincidence that they agreed to closely cooperate in the fight against terror despite their rift over YPG. The Turkish president also encouraged approximately forty international investors he met during his stay in the U.S. to intensify investments in his country and his U.S. counterpart confirmed "the need to reinvigorate trade and commercial ties."

As opposed to conventional wisdom, the two presidents have much more in common than discussed in the media discourse and are developing a good personal chemistry. Trump, for instance, congratulated Erdogan for his victory in the referendum of last month while Erdogan is expecting more from Trump than from Obama. More importantly, the new U.S. president is not objecting a Turkish mediation role in Syria while his predecessor was more skeptical. As Trump said in his public remarks: "We also appreciate Turkey's leadership in seeking an end to the horrific killing in Syria."

Furthermore, when communicating with Trump, Erdogan avoids the criticism Obama used to exert on him for his domestic policies vis-a-vis his political rivals and for his sweeping crackdown operations. His style of governance is not on the agenda of the new U.S. president. Obama was paying more attention to themes of human rights as a matter of principle. In his last visit to Europe in November 2016, for instance, he preferred to visit only Greece and not Turkey in a highly symbolical diplomatic gesture reflecting his personal frustration with the Turkish president.

Last but not least, the role of Russia could be important for the future evolution of the Turkish-American relationship. Obama had been suspicious on the rapprochement between Ankara and Moscow and on the general stance of the latter in world affairs, whereas Trump is positively disposed in spite of increasing domestic criticism. If the U.S. president escapes internal obstacles and implements his foreign policy agenda, then Turkey - in collaboration with Russia - will assume greater responsibilities in the Middle East.

George N. Tzogopoulos is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/GeorgeNTzogopoulos.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
I know I left you high and dry after concluding my last post on my epic Indo-Nepal road trip just as I started talking of our final destination. I did promise you that I will share this in my next post. So, here goes as promised  the first of the many Nepal series that you will see on my blog. After our crazy arrival into Kathmandu, we started our next morning a little leisurely and with an apt destination  the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu.

Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu

Note the use of the word apt. I say so as temples are a symbol of good beginnings and also, as a great place to Thank the higher power for all the good things in life. I do not know if the ScoutMyTrip team deliberately chose this as the first destination of Nepal (maybe they needed to thank the Almighty for surviving our company ;-)) or was it by destiny  it just seemed perfect to begin our journey in Nepal. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Pashupatinath temple is one must-visit place in Kathmandu valley. For some, it is a pilgrimage while for others it is a fantastic heritage monument to discover. For me  it was a lovely insight into how similar yet dissimilar Nepal was to India. Hopefully, my experience here will translate into a travel guide to Pashupatinath mandir for you!

Importance of the Pashupatinath temple

Pashupatinath literally means Lord of the animals. This name was given to Lord Shiva following a legend around this very temple. There are several versions of it but I will stick to the one that our guide at Pashupatinath mentioned. It is said that Lord Shiva had taken the form of a deer and was caught later by the Gods. Though he returned back with the other Gods, he left with reluctance and an announcement that he be known as the Lord of animals. After he left, a Shiva Linga was found in this very place that he had made home and this forms the center of the Pashupatinath temple today.

Pashupatinath temple as seen from the other bank of River Bagmati

Belief has it that whoever glimpses this linga will never be born again as an animal. This is possibly one of the reasons why they say that even after you have worshiped Lord Shiva at the 12 sacred Jyotirlinga temples in India, your pilgrimage is not complete till you have visited the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu.

No one really knows the first date of the temples origin. Some sources pin it down to around 400 BC. The only confirmed date associated with this temple is the 15th Century when King of the Licchavi Kingdom rebuilt the whole temple  restoring it from its termite-infested state.

The Architecture of the Pashupatinath temple

What was earlier a wood structure, now also has Silver and gold adorning it. For many of you, there might be curiosity about what the temple really looks like  for only Hindus are allowed in. Though photography was not allowed within the temple, I shall do my best to explain what I did witness within.

Pagoda Styled roof of the Pashupatinath temple

To start with, there are some minor temples outside the main gate of the Pashupatinath temple. There are plenty of interesting structures here as well but I shall get down to those in the next section. The main temple is shaped like a Pagoda with a high roof that is held up well with interesting sculptures. Facing the main temple is a huge bronze Nandi. Though our guide informed me that it was second only to the Lepakshi temple near Bangalore, I have my own doubts.

The beautifully carved figurines holding up the roof of the Pashupatinath temple

There two sanctums that lead to the main linga. The only ones that are allowed to the innermost sanctums are the 4 priests who originate from India. This is where I was the most amused as the guide went into details on how they were chosen from Karnataka and were known as the Bhats. I was half tempted to tell him my surname but thought better of it. I really did not want to bet on what reaction I would get.

Getting back to the story of the Bhats. This tradition of priests from South India handling the linga was started by the great scholar Adi Shankaracharya with the sole aim of uniting India. Even till date, this tradition is held strong. There are other caretakers within the temple, but they are allowed only till the outer sanctum.

One of the sculptured doorway of the Pashupatinath temple

The Linga was not so visible from where I stood but I got a good idea of what it looked like after I visited the Budhanilkantha temple. It is said to have four heads of Lord Shiva, each of which faces the 4 doors of the Pashupatinath temple. These are open every day till 1:30 pm and we missed it just by a whisker. Hence, we could glimpse only from the main temple door.

The linga at the Budhanilkantha temple in Kathmandu.

Around the main temple are several other minor shrines, dedicated to several other Lords like Lord Ganesha, Lord Hanuman and Lord Bhairavnath (another avatar of Lord Shiva). It is from behind the temple that we spotted the River Bagmati, on whose banks stands the Pashupatinath temple.

Outer gates of the Pashupatinath temple courtyard

One of the temple guardians at Pashupatinath temple

They say that some parts of the outer gates collapsed during the April 2015 earthquake. When I questioned the guide, he denied the same and said that all was well. However, a lot of other locals did point out that there was damage here. None of it is that visible now and what remains are some hidden and interesting corners. Take this candle topped fence.

Candles along the gates of Pashupatinath temple

A smaller shrine with stone idols of Lord Shiva and his family seems to be the starting point of the Pashupatinath pilgrimage. As I observed all the Hindus first circle around this shrine, take the blessings and then proceed to the main Pashupatinath temple.

Smaller shrine that seems to be the start of the Pashupatinath pilgrimage

I found the area where devotees wash before visiting the temple quite an interesting and artistic one. I mean, just take a look at that tap. It definitely is elaborately designed.

The area where the devotees wash before entering the Pashupatinath temple

The most captivating for me was this pyre of sorts with vessels containing burning coal. I was given a sugar cane stick and told to toss the coals in each of the plates. Moving clockwise, you are to pray and wish for something  all of which is said to come true! 

Making a wish  Capt Deepak and GoPro Man Ankit  at Pashupatinath temple

A couple completing their wish ritual at Pashupatinath temple

At the Bagmati river

The smaller temple complex behind the Pashupatinath temple

Having glimpsed at the other bank of the Bagmati river from the Pashupatinath temple, I was sure that my visit would not be complete without a quick detour to the other side. Thanks to the Scoutmytrip team, I did not have to give it a miss for I know I would have so regretted it otherwise. Behind the temple is where the Non-Hindus get to witness the Pashupatinath temple. It is here that you can see huge gongs, tiny shrines and the cremation pyres.

The cremation pyre area around the Bagmati river. On the left is the Pashupatinath temple, on the right are the smaller shrines made for the royalty

I skipped over the bridge to the other bank to feast my eyes on what really caught my interest in the first place. It was this huge line of smaller temples that seemed to be perfectly aligned  such that their entrances formed a single passage. What am I babbling? Check the pictures below and you will understand it.

The Royal cenotaphs opposite the Pashupatinath temple, Kathmandu

The perfect alignment of all the doors of the cenotaph shrines.

Our guide mentioned that these shrines are actually cenotaphs of the royal family. One can sit by these cenotaphs and get a glimpse of the various religious rites that take place on the other bank of the river running along the temple. I would have loved to do that but we were racing against time and had to move to our next stop  the Budhanilkantha temple.

A quick visit to the Budhanilkantha temple, Kathmandu

The Budhanilkantha temple is nowhere connected to the Pashupatinath temple. However, before I end the first half of our Day one in Kathmandu, I wanted to share a quick tour of the same. This is a much smaller temple that is dedicated to Lord Vishnu . There are no elaborate structures in this temple. It is in fact, an open air temple. The interesting feature here is the floating idol of Lord Vishnu that was found almost 1000 years back by a farmer ploughing his land.

The floating Vishnu idol at the Budhanilkantha temple in Kathmandu

Now there are numerous things that fascinated me about this idol 

For one, I am used to seeing only a reclining Lord Vishnu  mostly on his side or in a half-seated position. This is the first where I have seen him lying on his back.

No royalty ever visited this temple as it is said that if they do, they will lose their power.

The idol is said to be floating in the pond. There is no scientific evidence and no tests have been allowed but well, just the claim itself is fascinating.

When you get down to the periphery of the idol and look at the base, you will see a perfect reflection of the idol in water. I tried this one and it is true!

With that, we broke up for lunch, before heading to our next destination that gives you a glimpse of the Buddhist way of life in Nepal. However, for that, you will have a bit of a wait.

Comparing the Indian & Nepali Cultures

Having visited the Pashupatinath temple, there were a few interesting things that I realized about how intertwined the Indian and Nepali cultures were. Naturally so, given that the major religion in Nepal is Hinduism. However, having said so, it is quite dissimilar in a lot of ways.

One of the shrines of Ganesha in the Pashupatinath temples outer complex

Take for example, the worship to Lord Ganesha. While in India, he is the Lord of Good Beginnings . Here in Nepal, he is considered as the God of Power and is appeased with a lot of animal sacrifice. Cows, Goats and Sheep are commonly slaughtered on Ganesh Chaturthi, a festival that is celebrated in a completely different manner in India.

And then there is the depiction of the Lords itself. The Nepali illustration of the same is quite unlike the Indian ones and yet, when you see those idols, you will spot a certain similarity in the way they are projected. To me, these differences were the ones that were quite interesting. Something that I will dig into deeper. And for sure, will share with you.

There were many other parallels that I will draw out for you as we go along the rest of my Kathmandu trip. For now, let me know what you thought of our humble beginning of our tour of Nepal. Did Pashupatinath temple fascinate you? What part of it did you really like? You know where to let me know.

Getting here:

Kathmandu has its own airport and the easiest way to get in is by air. However, if you are as adventurous as me, I would not say no to trying out a road trip from India.

Pashupatinath temple is quite within the Kathmandu city. You can easily reach it by using the local cabs.

The Budhanilkantha temple is just 8 kms from the Pashupatinath temple. Again, you can hire a cab to visit it.

Travel Tips:

The best time to visit Pashupatinath temple is early morning. The temple is open from 4 am to 9 pm every day. It is, however, closed for a few hours at noon.

The entrance to the Pashupatinath temple is free for Hindus. Only Hindus are allowed into the main temple.

If you are a foreigner, you will have only limited access to the Pashupatinath temple. There is a charge of 1000 Nepali rupees for the same.

Guide facilities are available at the temple for around Nepali rupees 800.

If you wish to offer your prayers to the Lord or do an Abhisheka, you will need to shell out additional money. Prices for these are different for different types of offerings.

Rudraksha garlands  offerings for Pashupatinath temple

The offerings  flowers, rudraksha, incense etc are available right across the temple. You can purchase the same directly from here, using Nepali Rupees or Indian Rupees.

Remember to follow the rules of the Hindu temple that I had shared here. Most of them apply here. You will have to remove your shoes when going into the main temple. No temple socks are permitted here.

Beware of monkeys around the temple, especially in the Ghat area.

You will find several priests around the temple meditating. They will be happy to let you take a picture of them for a fee. If you accidentally click them, they will definitely notice and demand payment.

P.S: I visited these temples as a part of my Indo-Nepal road trip with ScoutMyTrip

Popularly referred to as a Restless Ball of Energy. My Mom refuses to entertain my complaints about my equally restless daughter & assures my husband that I was born with a travel bug. I am a Post-Graduate in Marketing by qualification and a travel blogger by passion. Besides travel, I enjoy photography and if you dont find me at my desk, I would be out playing badminton or swimming or just running. I believe in planning for every long weekend through the year. And when I cannot travel physically, I travel virtually through this travel blog. My travel stories have also, got published on various websites and magazines including BBC Travel, Lonely Planet India and Jetwings. I have recently published my first book  When Places Come Alive  a collection of stories that are based on legends, landscapes, art and culture of a place which is available in both ebook and paperback format.
By Trend

If Azerbaijan had not attracted foreign partners to investing in the country in 1994, the overall economic situation in Azerbaijan would have been quite different today, said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

He made the remarks May 18 at the opening of a new semi-submersible drilling rig named after Heydar Aliyev in an offshore supply and logistics base of SOCARs Caspian Drilling Company.

It is a significant day in the life of our country today. We are celebrating the commissioning of a new semi-submersible drilling rig. I heartily congratulate you and all the people of Azerbaijan on this occasion, President Aliyev said.

This is a historic event for the oil industry of Azerbaijan because such a large drilling rig has not been built in Azerbaijan before. I congratulate all the people who took part in the construction of this drilling rig and express my gratitude to them. I am glad that such a huge facility has been built in Azerbaijan.

The president said that the vast majority of people involved in the construction of this facility are Azerbaijani citizens.

We are witnessing the successful implementation of yet another cooperation project with foreign partners. Of course, this is a reality because Azerbaijan has been successfully cooperating with foreign partners for many years. Foreign companies invest in Azerbaijan. And investment in this facility has been made by the state of Azerbaijan.

We channel our oil revenues also into such gigantic projects. The funds invested both by the State Oil Fund and the State Oil Company in this project amount to approximately $1 billion. In other words, it shows our strength and capabilities. It also demonstrates that the oil industry in Azerbaijan develops successfully, said Ilham Aliyev.

When foreign companies started to invest in Azerbaijan, one of our main conditions was that this investment should also serve the development of the oil industry, creation of jobs in Azerbaijan, high salaries for our employees, enhanced professionalism and training courses for them. We are seeing all this today, he added.

President Aliyev noted that Azerbaijani citizens successfully participate in all major oil projects and bring huge benefit to themselves and the country.

The creation of this rig is a historic event. It is no coincidence that the drilling rig has been given the name of great leader Heydar Aliyev. Heydar Aliyev is the founder of Azerbaijans modern oil industry. Today, the oil strategy of Heydar Aliyev is being successfully implemented, he said.

In 1994, the signing of the Contract of the Century marked the start of a new era in the oil industry of Azerbaijan. Along with this, important steps were taken to develop Azerbaijans oil industry under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev in the 1970s. Among them, the construction of the deep-water jackets factory began at the initiative of the great leader in the 1970s.

If that plant had not been built in Azerbaijan at that time  you must have heard that there were other options as well  then such a factory would have been built elsewhere on the shores of the Caspian Sea. It was thanks to the intervention and efforts of Heydar Aliyev that Baku was chosen for the construction of the deep-water jackets factory, the head of state noted.

Today, this plant plays an indispensable role in the development of our oil industry and the country as a whole. In other words, the modernization of oil refineries and the implementation of other projects in the 1970s served the development of the oil industry in Azerbaijan.

As for the period of independence, if we had not attracted foreign partners to investing in Azerbaijan in 1994, the overall economic situation in Azerbaijan would have been quite different today. The signing of the Contract of the Century in 1994 was a historic event. I remember those days quite well. We participated in negotiations together with esteemed Khoshbakht Yusifzade who is also present at this ceremony, said Ilham Aliyev.

We held talks in Istanbul in May and in the American city of Houston in July-August 1994 in order to secure the most acceptable conditions for Azerbaijan. At the same time, we wanted to make sure that foreign investors do not run away and also have good conditions.

I think that we achieved acceptable conditions for both sides. As a result of tense negotiations, the Contract of the Century was signed in September 1994 and is being successfully implemented today. If the Contract of the Century had not been signed, Azerbaijan could not have achieved such level of development. Everyone should know this, President Ilham Aliyev noted.
Technology giant Honeywell said it has signed a deal with Saudi Aramco aimed at boosting co-operation in diversification of the kingdom's energy sector, and accelerating the benefits of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) within Saudi Aramcos operations.



As per the deal, the duo will jointly work to increase throughput, raise yield, and improve reliability of Saudi Aramcos operations by leveraging Honeywells cloud-based services and predictive analytics solutions.



The new agreement will allow Saudi Aramco to enhance operational performance across its network of facilities while presenting significant opportunities for Honeywell to advance the adoption of the latest software industrial solutions, remarked Saudi Aramco president and CEO Amin H. Nasser after signing the deal with Honeywell President and CEO Darius Adamczyk.



The two companies held a series of meetings to discuss the opportunities and benefits of leveraging Honeywell Connected Plant (HCP).



HCP combines Honeywells unmatched industrial expertise, software, and cloud technologies to enable its customers operations to be more reliable, profitable, and secure than ever before, stated Nasser.



As Saudi Arabia continues to diversify its industries in line with Vision 2030, the introduction of IIoT technologies such as HCP and other connected process technologies from Honeywell UOP is playing a critical role in this transformation, he added.



According to him, Saudi Aramcos strategic objective is to collaborate with partners who are technology leaders and add strategic value to the company, sector, and the country as a whole.



"Having worked closely with Honeywell for the past six decades, we have established a unique professional relationship based on mutual trust, common goals, and shared commitment to our industries  a reflection of the strong relationship between Saudi Arabia and the US," noted Nasser.



"This agreement represents a new platform to further enhance these efforts, and I look forward to this exciting chapter as we continue to leverage decades of global and regional experience in the sector," he added.



Adamczyk said the Honeywell had always enjoyed a strong relationship with Aramco, working closely together to build, develop, and diversify Saudi Arabias oil and gas sector.



"This agreement represents a significant milestone toward connecting the processes, assets, and people to drive optimal performance for Saudi Aramco," he noted.



The relationship between Saudi Aramco and Honeywell has developed ever since Saudi Aramco purchased its first Honeywell product in 1948.



Since then, the two organizations have achieved a number of significant milestones such as the installation of Honeywells first distributed control systems at Saudi Aramcos Safaniyah facility in the early 1980s and the opening of an integrated technical center in the Dhahran Techno Valley in 2012, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
The United States has sealed a massive arms deal with Saudi Arabia, the White House announced on Saturday, a move that solidifies its decades-long alliance with the world's largest energy producer just as President Donald Trump begins his maiden trip abroad as leader of the free world.

The agreement, which is worth $350 billion over 10 years and $110 billion that will take effect immediately, was hailed by the White House as "a significant expansion of[the] security relationship" between the two countries, reported CNBC.

Simultaneously, Saudi Arabia is in a broad-based push for economic reform, and as part of that effort signed a flurry of deals with private US companies worth tens of billions of dollars.

Lockheed Martin, one of the world's largest defense contractors whose technology was part of the US-Saudi accord, said in a statement that the deal "will directly contribute to [Saudi Arabia's] Vision 2030 by opening the door for thousands of highly skilled jobs in new economic sectors."

The arms package represents an enhancement of Saudi Arabia's military capabilities as tensions flare in the region, with the US viewing the Saudis as a linchpin in efforts to check the global ambitions of Iran. The country, the hub of Islam's most revered sites, but is also a target of radical Islamic extremism.

"This package of defence equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats, while also bolstering the Kingdom's ability to contribute to counter terrorism operations across the region, reducing the burden on the U.S. military to conduct those operations," the White House said in a statement.

For the Saudis, Trump's visit represents a diplomatic and public relations coup for the 31-year-old Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, stated the CNBC report.

The US-Saudi partnership has been fraught with controversy since the Sept 11 attacks, which culminated last year in a Congressional vote to allow 9/11 families to sue the country for its suspected links to the attackers.

Saudi Arabia is the primary destination for US arms sales, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, with the Kingdom purchasing nearly 10 per cent of US exports from 2011 to 2015.
State oil giant Saudi Aramco is set to sign deals worth $50 billion with US companies on Saturday, the first day of President Donald Trumps visit to the kingdom, reported Bloomberg, citing its top official.

Aramco will sign initial accords and joint-venture deals with companies including General Electric, oil field-service businesses Schlumberger and Halliburton Company, stated its chief executive Amin Nasser.



These companies are trying to expand their footprint in the kingdom by expanding trade between the two sides, Nasser told reporters in Riyadh.



Trump is making Saudi Arabia his first overseas stop in an eight-day trip that will also take him to Israel and Europe.



Executives from dozens of top US companies as well as leaders and representatives from 54 Arab and Muslim countries will be present during his two-day stay in the kingdom, a close US ally, said the Bloomberg report.



The worlds biggest crude oil exporter also plans to sign accords with Baker Hughes, KBR, Jacobs Engineering Group, Nabors Industries, Weatherford International, McDermott International and Rowan Companies, two people familiar with the matter said earlier this week, it added.
Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC) said it has signed a full gas sales agreement (GSA) with Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (Sewa) targeting the supply of natural gas for power generation in the UAE emirate.



SNOC, in a joint venture with its partner Uniper, will organise the importation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) into the Port of Hamriyah in Sharjah and supply natural gas to the three power stations operated by Sewa, said Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, the deputy chairman of the Supreme Petroleum Council and president of SNOC after inking the agreement with Dr Rashid Alleem, the chairman of Sewa.



First gas deliveries to Sewa from the joint venture will be in early 2019, he stated at the signing ceremony held in the presence of Sheikh Mohamed Bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Supreme Petroleum Council and Hatem Al Mosa, the chief executive of SNOC.



Some of the gas will flow from the Hamriyah port receiving jetty directly into the Sewa Hamriyah power station.

Additional gas will flow to SNOCs Sajaa gas field complex and will supply the other Sewa power stations, he added.



The project will utilise a new, state of the art Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) that will be moored permanently in Hamriyah Port. The vessel will deliver natural gas into the pipeline system to support the requirements of customers throughout the UAE.



Sheikh Sultan said: "We have committed the capability of the LNG import project to provide a smooth and reliable supply of energy to further enhance power generation within Sharjah. Further, we will make reliable gas supplies available throughout the emirates as a strategic energy infrastructure asset for the nation, to meet the growing demand for energy by residential, industrial and utility consumers."



"The joint venture to import the LNG between SNOC and Uniper has considerable capabilities and experience in natural gas activities to achieve the planned targets," he added.



Dr Alleem said the local supply of natural gas, landing directly into Sharjah will enhance the economy, reliability and security of electrical power supplies to all its residential and industrial customers.



"The vast flexibility provided by importing LNG as an energy source will assist in meeting the winter and summer energy demands for the foreseeable future," he noted.



Al Mosa pointed out that the petroleum sector of Sharjah had a long heritage of 34 years in providing gas supplies to customers throughout the Northern Emirates.



"We are pleased to be able to resume the role as a major energy supplier within the UAE. The project objective is to close the gas supply/demand gap in Sharjah and the Northern Emirates with room for expansion to support energy demand across the country for many years to come," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
BISMARCK, N.D.  Tribes representing tens of thousands of indigenous people in the U.S. and Canada will be signing a declaration against the planned Keystone XL oil pipeline.

Leaders of the Blackfoot Confederacy in Canada and the Great Sioux Nation and Ponca tribe in the U.S. plan to sign their declaration at a ceremony Wednesday at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, Alberta, the city where pipeline developer TransCanada Corp. is based.

There is a historic union between first Americans in Canada and Native Americans in the United States, said Casey Camp-Horinek, a councilwoman with the Ponca tribe in Oklahoma. Long before a border ever existed on a map, a fictitious line on a map, we were a united peoples in our approach to care of Mother Earth.

The 16-page declaration highlights the tribes treaty rights and their opposition to the proposed $8 billion pipeline, which would move Canadian crude south to Nebraska, where the pipeline would connect with an existing Keystone pipeline network that would take the oil to Texas Gulf Coast refineries.

Greed knows no limits, and those in the way are simply collateral damage to corporate profits, said Brandon Sazue, chairman of the Crow Creek Sioux in South Dakota and one of the leaders of the event.

TransCanada, which has both a Native American Relations Policy and an Aboriginal Relations Policy, maintains the pipeline will be environmentally safe and will create jobs and boost the economy.

We understand and respect that there are some who might have different views about this project, spokeswoman Jacquelynn Benson said. TransCanada is always interested in the views of our stakeholders along the right of way.

President Barack Obama rejected the project in 2015, but the Trump administration overturned that decision this year.

The project still faces hurdles. A coalition of environmental groups has challenged the federal permit in court, saying more environmental study is needed. Nebraska regulators also havent decided whether to approve the proposed route through that state.

Tribes plan to use Wednesdays document to draw attention to their cause  possibly sending it to the United Nations  while they also consider other opposition, including protest camps along the pipeline route, Camp-Horinek said.

Months of demonstrations against the recently completed Dakota Access oil pipeline drew hundreds and sometimes thousands of protesters to a North Dakota camp.

There will be that kind of resistance to Keystone XL, Camp-Horinek said. Those thoughts are in place, where those camps will be best suited.
JACKSON  Azael Mendoza sat in the front seat of a patrol vehicle giggling and setting off sirens in Grand Teton National Park.

I liked pushing the buttons, he said in Spanish to translator Fio Lazarte.

Azael, 3, came to the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center in Moose with his family for National Junior Ranger Day.

Sirens blared through the air as kids pushed any button they could get their hands on. Others touched bear pelts and ran in and out of a bear trap. Inside the visitor center kids crawled through a night hike, encountering nocturnal animals.

This Junior Ranger Day was special for Azael  it was his first time in Grand Teton National Park.

When he walked up to the patrol vehicle, he seemed apprehensive. But when the ranger walked over and invited him to explore the SUV, he brightened up.

Azael is part of the Roll Into Readiness program, which works with low-income families to connect them with the community. Its a six-organization community outreach effort that includes Teton Literacy Center and the Childrens Learning Center.

We encourage our families to come and visit the parks, said Lazarte, a teacher at Teton Literacy Center and volunteer for the day. This was a great day to make it happen.

Lazarte ran into another student, Gael Hernandez, 5, as he was trying out the parks ambulance and stretcher.

Gael was excited as he was lifted up and down in the stretcher. Then he got to go inside the ambulance and explore.

Its his first time here, said his father, Israel. This is really, really nice. Its cool that they let them go inside the cars.

Programming for Junior Ranger Day was provided in Spanish and English. The Roll Into Readiness program has partnered with the event for two years.

Its great for making community members feel welcome in the national park, said Millie Jimenez, community engagement and volunteer coordinator for Grand Teton. Only so many rangers are bilingual, so the translated booklet is helpful for families.

Its easy to not feel welcome when something is not in the language that you speak, she said.

Jimenez said the law enforcement vehicles could seem intimidating to some kids, so being able to talk with the rangers in a fun environment is essential.

When you have someone there that says, Welcome, come hang out, it makes a difference, she said.

Grand Teton National Park has celebrated National Junior Ranger Day since 2008, said Kristen Dragoo, education coordinator and a lead interpreter for the parks Moose district.

Kids get to come out and learn about the park, all while having fun.

There are plenty of opportunities like that in the summer, Dragoo said, but because of Junior Ranger Days April date the crowd has more locals than the summer events.

It feels like more of a community event, she said.

Some years the event is themed, and others it is simply focused on the park. Last year there was an emphasis on and celebration of the National Park Services centennial.

This year there will be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience a total solar eclipse, right in Grand Teton National Park.

It seemed like such a good opportunity to talk about night skies and solar eclipses, she said.

The theme this year was To the Tetons and Beyond. Rangers partnered with Wyoming Stargazing and the Jackson Hole Astronomy Club to bring in an inflatable planetarium, safe sun gazing and other night-sky-themed activities.

Its a great chance for kids to see all types of park rangers, Jimenez said.

Families see a lot of the rangers at the booth, but how many times do you get to see a firefighter, an ambulance, snowplow or patrol vehicle? she said.

Its easy to think a ranger can only do biology or only talk to people at a desk, but learning that you can be whatever you want to be when you grow up and join the Park Service is special.
 Flash

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Friday met with Pantaleon Alvarez, speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, calling for continued improvement of bilateral ties.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines Pantaleon Alvarez in Beijing, capital of China, May 19, 2017. [Xinhua]

Li told Alvarez, in a meeting held at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound in central Beijing, that it is in line with the fundamental interests of both countries and peoples and conducive to the peace, stability and development in the region that China and the Philippines develop a good-neighborly relationship.

China is willing to enhance mutual trust with the Philippines, step up cooperation and boost exchanges to expand common interests and solve disputes properly, said Li.

He called for consolidation of the foundation of public opinions that had helped put bilateral relations back on track, to ensure the healthy and stable development of the relationship.

Li also called on the two legislative bodies to strengthen exchanges and make greater contribution to bilateral friendship.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Philippines is the ASEAN rotating president this year.

Li said China supports the work of the Philippines and is ready to work with all parties to increase China-ASEAN ties and regional cooperation in East Asia.

Alvarez said the Congress of the Philippines supports the endeavor of President Rodrigo Duterte to improve and develop relations with China.

As pragmatic cooperation between the Philippines and China keeps producing new results, this will help the Asian countries to build consensus and pursue cooperation, he said. He also welcomed Li to visit the Philippines and attend the East Asian Leaders' meetings on cooperation to be held in the country later this year.

China's top legislator Zhang Dejiang held talks with Alvarez Friday. Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) of China, said the NPC attaches great importance to relations with the Philippine Congress and would like to cooperate on governance, legislation and supervision.

He called on the two legislative bodies to increase exchanges, provide legal and policy support to pragmatic cooperation between the two countries and help expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

Alvarez said the Philippines backs the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China, believing it will contribute to Asia's development and prosperity.

He said the House of Representatives hopes to enhance cooperation with the NPC via setting up a parliamentary friendship group. Alvarez is paying a visit to China from Thursday to Sunday at the invitation of Zhang.
My cousins son was living in his basement. The kid is 19 years old, and he had been mowing some lawns for cash. But most of his day-to-day expenses were covered by an allowance from his parents.

Last month, my cousin told him: Son, its time for you to move out and become an adult. You need to start living within your means.

His son looked at him and nodded. I understand, Dad, he said. You want me to get a real job.

No, his father replied. You dont need any more money. Just live within your means.

His son, slightly confused, moved out. He kept mowing lawns, but that didnt earn him enough to pay rent or buy many groceries. So hes been living under a bridge and scrounging food from dumpsters.

But he followed his dads advice: Hes living within his means.

I tell this story not to show what weirdoes my cousin and his kid are, but to make a point about Wyomings current budget crisis, the tax structure that caused it and the backward thinking thats keeping lawmakers from fixing the problem.

Under our current tax code, the majority of Wyomings revenue comes from minerals. We sell minerals almost entirely outside Wyoming, so people in other states pay most of the taxes that fund our public services and infrastructure  its like we get an allowance. When those out-of-state people stop buying our minerals, as they have now, its like theyre taking Wyomings allowance away.

What should Wyoming do now that our allowance has been cut off? Should we live within our means and try to run the state on the equivalent of lawn mowing money, sleeping outdoors and scrounging food? Or should we suck it up and figure out how to pay for our own state?

Creating new revenues is unpleasant for state legislators, because it means new or higher taxes. They shun this task like a lazy teenager puts off finding a job  making excuses, wringing their hands about reelection, praying for mining to rebound and Wyomings allowance to come back.

And when theyre out of ideas, they love to say that Wyoming just needs to learn to live within its means.

Sen. Ray Peterson trotted out that catchphrase last week at a meeting of the Joint Revenue Committee, which he co-chairs. Over two days in Saratoga, that committee made zero progress toward its primary task: reforming Wyomings tax code.

Instead of doing the hard work to ensure Wyoming remains a funded, functioning state, Peterson said we should cut government and learn to live within our means.

Wyoming might be able to live within its means if our annual budget shortfall was $20 million or even $100 million. But the state currently faces a $400 million per year deficit just for education, even after the governor and Legislature cut $350 million from the general budget during the past two years. Theres no living within those kinds of means.

Even Peterson, when pressed, admits Wyoming needs new revenues.

We have to diversify our revenue base in Wyoming. We know that, and nows the time to do it, he told a committee meeting in April.

I grew up in Wyoming during a bust. I know exactly what its like to be a young person looking out on the state and seeing no future, no prospects and no leadership willing to work to free Wyoming from its dependence on a single industry. As I look forward to raising children of my own here, Im angered by the cowardly and defeatist attitudes of people who say we should just sit on our hands and wait for this bust and budget crisis to pass, do nothing to fix the structural problems that caused them, and passively and quietly just learn to live within our means.
Editor:

This is an open letter to Wyoming Gov. Matthew Mead, the Wyoming State Legislature, U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi, U.S. Sen. John Barrasso and U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney:

I urge you to support "We the People" Amendment 28 (HJR 48), introduced in Congrass on January 30, 2017, which states:

"The rights protected by the Constitution of the United States are rights of natural persons only.

Artificial entities established by the laws of any States, the United States, or any foreign state shall have no rights under this Constitution and are subject to regulation by the People, through Federal, State, or local law, and shall not be construed to be inherent or inalienable.

Federal, State and local government shall regulate, limit, or prohibit contributions and expenditures, to ensure that all citizens, regardless of their economic status, have access to the political process and that no person gains, as a result of their money, substantially more access or ability to influence in any way the election of any candidate for public office or ballot measure.

Federal, State and local government shall require that any permissible contributions and expenditures be publicly disclosed.

The judiciary shall not construe the spending of money to influence elections to be speech under the First Amendment."

This amendment could restore faith in the democratic process. Polls show that over 80 percent of Americans, Republican and Democrat alike, are opposed to and even outraged by the "Citizens United" decision. The impetus for the 28th Amendment comes from the people and is a bipartisan effort endorsed here in Wyoming by retired Senator Al Simpson.
In response to the May 7 Casper Star-Tribune commentary by Dr. Duane Keown on UW professor Dr. Lockwoods recently published book on the energy industry, political censorship, and free speech: This professor emeritus is totally correct about the suppression of free speech on college campuses like UW in Laramie. Perhaps Dr. Keown should also tell this to Cal-Berkeley, Yale, Missouri, and especially Middlebury College, where anti-free speech protesters sent one professor to a VT hospital with head injuries. Ill cede the examples he provided about the suppression of free speech and divergent viewpoints by fossil fuel interests on the Pokes' campus as accurate. I would hope in the spirit of open dialogue, these two gentlemen would also agree to the following. Billionaire investor and environmentalist Tom Steyer, who made some of his billions from coal mined right here in Wyoming, has donated tens of millions to Stanford and Yale for studying environmental issues and sustainable green energy. Does anyone think these two institutes would ever fund, publish, or promote natural gas power plants, nuclear energy, or support clean coal technology? Would these, or any Ivy League school, criticize green energy like wind turbines killing tens of thousands of bats and birds annually? How about the solar farm in California which incinerates birds along with destroying endangered desert tortoise habitat? Toxic chemicals used in manufacturing solar panels?Let all of us put aside political biases and acknowledge the following. Earths climate changes. Its why Flathead Lake in Montana exists after glaciers retreated tens of thousands of years ago due to global warming. Its why there are massive fossil beds of extinct animals in Wyoming and Nebraska after Yellowstone erupted. Weve kept accurate satellite measurements of Earths temperature for maybe 40 years. We use this data for computer projection models knowing the Earth is a few billion years old. Large cities contribute to increases in surface temperatures. Solar flares affect global temperatures. Volcanism affects climate. Regardless of our beliefs on climate change, we need more debate, not intimidation or violence against those with whom we disagree.
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some May 20 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.
Two people were killed in two separate crashes on southbound I-19 Saturday afternoon, officials said.

The driver was killed after being ejected in a single-vehicle crash that took place shortly after 3 p.m. near Papago, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

One person was killed in an earlier crash at kilometer post 48, at the Arivaca Road exit.

Troopers were investigating the single-vehicle crash, in which two people were ejected from the vehicle.
A former nursing student who claimed Pima Community College violated her rights as an English speaker has reached a legal dead end in her lawsuit against the school.

The Arizona Supreme Court recently declined to revisit the case of Terri Bennett, who said she was wrongly suspended in 2013 after she complained of being distracted by classmates who spoke Spanish to each other during class.

PCC maintained that Bennett, 53, threatened and harassed Spanish-speaking students and used slurs to refer to them.

Bennetts lawyers, John Munger and Andrew Barbour of Tucson, recently appealed to the states highest court after her claims against the college were unanimously rejected twice  first by a jury in 2015 and again by a trio of Arizona appeals court judges last fall.

The high courts unwillingness to get involved leaves intact lower court rulings that require Bennett to repay the college more than $100,000 of the $300,000 or so PCC spent defending the case.

The college recently applied for a legal judgment against Bennett to collect the debt, court records show.

Bennetts court costs were bankrolled by ProEnglish of Washington, D.C., described by civil rights organizations as an anti-immigrant hate group with ties to the white supremacist movement.

ProEnglish officials dispute that label and say their fight for English-only laws is intended to strengthen the country.

ProEnglish spokesman Phil Kent wouldnt say if the organization planned to cover the cost of the expected $109,000 judgment against Bennett for PCCs court costs.

He insisted in an email interview that Bennett was wronged by the college even though the courts have repeatedly determined that she wasnt.

She is the unfortunate victim of a politically correct and very unfair judicial system, Kent wrote.

PCC declined comment on the outcome of the case.

Bennetts attorneys didnt respond to three requests for comment over a three-day period.
 Flash

Large number of Iranians lined up in the polling stations on Friday to decide on the presidential seat for the next four years. The election began on Friday morning at 8:00 a.m. local time (0330 GMT) as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cast his vote in the ballot box.

Iranian President and presidential candidate Hassan Rouhani (1st L, front) casts his ballot at a polling station in Tehran, capital of Iran, on May 19, 2017. Large number of Iranians lined up in the polling stations on Friday to decide on the presidential seat for the next four years. [Xinhua]

Iran's Interior Ministry extended the voting time by six hours until 24:00 p.m. local time (1930 GMT) due to the high turnout in the election.

On Friday, Khamenei urged Iranians to actively participate in the election and go to the polling stations for the vote at the earliest time. The election of the president is important in the Islamic republic and the people should take note of this point, Khamenei said in a live TV broadcast.

He also hailed the elections as the sign of democracy in Iran. Some 56 million Iranians were eligible for voting, and over 60,000 ballot boxes had been prepared nationwide to receive votes. On April 21, out of 1,636 registered candidates, six qualified to compete for the four-year presidential term, including three principalists, better known as conservatives, as well as two centrists and one reformist.

On Tuesday, Iran's reformist Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri announced his withdrawal from the race in order to back incumbent President Hassan Rouhani, urging all his supporters to vote for Rouhani.

Tehran's Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, a conservative candidate, said in a statement on Monday that he withdrew from the presidential race to back Raisi.

On Thursday, Iranian Interior Ministry officially announced the names of incumbent Hassan Rouhani, Ebrahim Raisi, Mostafa Agha-Mirsalim and Mostafa Hashemi Taba as the four hopefuls for the Friday presidential election.

Over the past days, the prevailing themes of the debates in the Iranian political scene revolved around either reform-oriented topics or subject matters which principalists, commonly referred to as conservatives, pursue.

Incumbent President Hassan Rouhani and conservative Ebrahim Raisi, the main rivals in the race and both the confidants of the Islamic establishment, represented different schools of political thoughts.

The centrists, led by the Rouhani, are hoping not to lose their current sovereignty over the conservatives.

If no candidate garners more than 50 percent of the votes, a run-off will be held on May 26 between the top two vote-getters.
A man was taken into custody Friday night when he ran from the scene of several crashes that shut down South Sixth Avenue at Irvington Road, authorities said.

The crashes, which resulted in victims suffering minor injuries, occurred on May 19 shortly after 7 p.m.

A Department of Public Safety officer was in the area and attempted to stop the man, said Trooper Kameron Lee, a spokesman for the agency.

A search of the area resulted in the man being captured by Tucson Police officers, Lee said.

Sixth Avenue northbound and east-and-westbound lanes on Irvington were closed as officers investigate. DPS is the lead investigating agency, said Lee.

No further information was immediately available.
Four former Southern Arizona law enforcement officers surrendered their state certifications for police work earlier this week, and a fifth ex-police officer is facing the loss of his, officials said.

The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training board voted Wednesday to accept consent agreements with Brandon Kelley, Arick Martino and Lisa E. Lopez  all formerly employed by the Tucson Police Department  allowing the three to voluntarily relinquish their peace officer certifications, said Sandy Sierra, a board spokeswoman.

Without a valid peace officer certification, a person is barred from working in law enforcement in Arizona.

The board also voted to accept the voluntary relinquishment of former Cochise County sheriffs deputy Steven D. Rays certification, Sierra said.

Blake Deimund, a former Tucson police sergeant, is facing the loss or suspension of his certification, after the board decided to initiate proceedings against him.

Brandon Kelley

Kelley, 26, was fired from TPD in November 2015 after he yelled offensive words at a motorist, tried to cover it up and then lied about it, according to Arizona Daily Star archives.

In June 2014, Kelley stopped his patrol car on a downtown street and was blocking up, when another driver pulled up behind him.

Kelley yelled to the driver, Go around you stupid (expletive deleted) foreigner, City Attorney Mike Rankin said during a 2015 City Council meeting, during which an overview of Kelleys case was presented.

The patrol cars video camera picked up Kelleys word and a civilian also witnessed the incident, Rankin said.

Investigators found that Kelley intentionally manipulated the recording device and tried to disconnect it to delete the audio recording of the incident, according to the AZPOSTs case overview.

Three weeks later, Kelley was found to have lied when he requested a police report for personal use, but wrote court on the departments request log as the reason he was seeking the report.

Kelley, who had been on the force for three years, was fired for untruthfulness, but appealed his termination with the citys Civil Service Commission, which upheld the decision.

Arick Martino

Martino, 28, resigned from the TPD for an incident involving excessive force that occurred in 2015 after Martino and five other officers responded to a disturbance and the suspect resisted arrest, according to the AZPOSTs case overview.

The officers placed the suspect face down on the ground with his hands cuffed behind his back and his legs restrained, after which the man, who was still very agitated, struck his head against a plastic trashcan.

Martino, who was hired by TPD in 2013, called the man a jackass and dropped to his knees on the suspects upper back while the man was still retrained, the AZPOST document said.

After witnessing what happened, two of the nearby officers pushed Martino off the suspect, according to the document.

Martino told investigators with TPDs office of professional standards that he used that amount of force because the suspect was attempting to harm himself, but body camera footage and interviews with the officer officers didnt back up Martinos claims.

TPD investigators determined that because Martino called the suspect a derogatory name before using force, that demonstrated intent to insult or provoke a restrained suspect.

Lisa E. Lopez

Lopez, 49, was a 19-year veteran of TPD when she resigned last September after an internal investigation revealed that she failed to thoroughly investigate 36 cases between 2008 and 2016, according to AZPOST documents.

As a detective, Lopez was assigned to the child sexual abuse unit and the vulnerable adult abuse unit at those times.

Because the case went directly to a consent agreement and the board did not initiate proceedings against Lopez, the AZPOSTs case overview does not include details of the investigation that would usually be found in the boards charging board document.

The Star requested the summary report from TPDs office of professional standards investigation into Lopez more than two weeks ago, but the records were not made available by the department.

Steven Ray

Ray, 44, worked as a deputy for the Cochise County Sheriffs Office for nearly 18 years before his January resignation. No details regarding his infractions were available, as Rays case went directly to a consent agreement.

Blake Deimund

Deimund, 34, worked for TPD for nearly 11 years before he resigned last October after he was found to have lied about a traffic stop multiple times, AZPOST documents show.

In March 2015, Deimund conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle he said was driving 55 mph in a 40 mph zone. Because the driver had no insurance or registration, the vehicle was impounded. During a search of the car, Deimund found a firearm and arrested the driver on a prohibited possession charge, the documents show.

The driver spent nearly six months in jail, proclaiming his innocence, before Deimund told deputy Pima County Attorney Kelly McInroy he wrote the wrong speed down in his reports, and the suspect was actually driving 45 mph.

Because of Deimunds misinformation, the charges against the suspect were dismissed and the man filed a $75,000 claim against TPD, the Pima County Attorneys Office, Deimund and another officer for a wrongful traffic stop, AZPOST documents show.

Deimund gave conflicting information as to why he wrote down the wrong speed during each of his three TPD interviews and to the county attorney. TPD investigators determined he didnt stop the car for a speeding violation and was untruthful during his interviews.

The AZPOST will mail a letter to Deimund notifying him of the charges, after which hell have the opportunity for his case to be heard before an administrative court judge.
Tsunami patrol has been on watch in Washington since last year. I served in the House during the last four midterm elections and experienced three massive waves that swept the presidents party out of power with an average loss of 45 seats.
 Flash

Chinese military aircraft intercepted a U.S. reconnaissance plane in the airspace over the Yellow Sea on May 17, the Ministry of National Defense (MOD) confirmed early on the morning of May 20.

Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense (MOD), responds to media questions at a routine press conference on March 30, 2017. [File Photo by Chen Boyuan / China.org.cn]

U.S. media reported this aerial encounter on May 19, saying that two Chinese PLA (People's Liberation Army) Air Force Su-30 jet fighters intercepted a U.S. Air Force WC-135 radiation detection plane.

These reports also said the PLA Su-30 planes came as close as 150 feet (46 meters) of the American spy plane, with one Su-30 flying inverted directly above the American aircraft WC-135.

However, MOD spokesperson Senior Colonel Wu Qian refuted this, saying "the U.S. version of the incident is not consistent with the facts."

He said that a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft was conducting surveillance activities over China's sector of the Yellow Sea and Chinese military jets identified them. "Our pilots' handling of this incident was professional and safe," Wu stressed.

The MOD spokesperson noted that frequent close-in reconnaissance by U.S. military aircraft and vessels are "fundamental causes" affecting China-U.S. military security in regard to maritime and airspace issues. He urged the United States to halt spying activities to prevent such incidents from happening again.
WHAT: A rare 1866 proof Liberty Head double eagle gold coin donated to a church in Valparaiso, Ind., brought riches to the congregation after it was consigned to Heritage Auctions. Available in person at a Chicago-area auction and online, the coin, one of 10 examples known to exist, sold for $517,000. To add to the drama, the coin earlier survived an attempted theft and attack at the donors home.

MORE: Sale of the double eagle will enable the church to start building its own place of worship. It also guaranteed hitting a financial deadline to do so. The congregation, founded in 2009, now meets in an elementary school.

SMART COLLECTORS KNOW: Only 30 proof Liberty double eagles were struck in 1866. Of the 10 known, three are in permanent collections (including one in the Smithsonian).

HOT TIP: The 19th-century coin features one of the earliest uses of the motto, In God We Trust. Pretty apt in this case, wouldnt you say? First used on U.S. coins in 1864, the motto was stamped on $20 gold coins starting in 1866.

BOTTOM LINE: Spirited bidding advanced by $20,000 increments until the coin was won by an online bidder.

In what amounts to an ultimate feel-good story, the saga of this coin stems from an anonymous widow who found the coin a burden before she donated it to a congregation finally able to realize a dream.
Help India!

By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net

Barabanki: The Barabanki session court on Saturday, May 20, acquitted Gulzar Ahmed Wani for lack of evidence in Sabarmati express train blast case after sixteen years of incarceration.

Support TwoCircles



Gulzar a resident of Thaparpore, Pattan in north Kashmir Baramullah district was arrested in 2001 when he was just 28 and was pursuing his PhD from Department of Arabic, Aligarh Muslim University.

Gulzar Ahmed Wani (Credits: TwoCircles.net)

He along with another accused Mubeen were released by the Barabanki session court of all the charges in Sabarmati blast case by the court today, said Advocate Abubakr Sabbaq who was defending Gulzar.

Gulzar was implicated in numerous blasts and alleged of involved in various conspiracies and slapped with 14 FIRs in different police stations of Delhi, Maharashtra and UP and he stands acquitted in all the cases.

On April 25 last month, when a bail application of Gulzar was moved to Supreme Court, the bench comprising of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud termed the incarceration of Gulzar a shame and had warned UP government of completing the examination of witness by Nov 1 otherwise it will grant bail to him.

Out of 11 cases, he has been acquitted in 10 cases. What a shame! The problem is that you want to keep him inside the jail but not complete the trial. He was acquitted in all other cases, the bench had observed.

More details to follow soon.
Help India!

By Aas Mohammad & Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net

We were sipping our tea. Suddenly we heard gunshots and the next moment, three people were lying in front of us. Dead. We did not even throw a single stone at them. How could they come and kill us like that? says Zareena of Paida village of Bijnor in Western UP. Zareenas father, brother and brother-in-law, all were killed by Jat community last year.

Support TwoCircles



The village is seeing an exodus of Muslim families, and at least on first impressions, the blame does not lie on right-wing parties. This step taken by the families is more due to the continuous police torture, especially the way they handled a small violent incident last year. When one enters the village, it can be seen clearly that several homes belonging to the Muslim community are marked as  This house is for sale. We are leaving the house because Police tortures us.

In September last year, Bijnor faced violence over a eve-teasing case in the aftermath of which goons from Jat community killed three Muslim men from the Paida village. Those who got killed belonged to the family of girl who was allegedly harassed. Mausam Chadhary, a BJP worker and husband of current Bijnor MLA Suchi Chaudhari, were put behind the bars in this case with several others.

During UP election in February, a boy named Vishal from accused Jat side was killed, and Muslims were blamed for his death. Seeing the complexity of matter, the then Akhilesh Yadav government gave the whole case to CBCID. In CBCIDs investigation, eight individuals from Muslim community were named in the FIR.

And the story of exodus starts from here.

In just last five days, after the named FIR was lodged, the Police administration has pressurised the common residents of the Paida village so much that there are new stories of harassment on a daily basis. It must be pointed out that the polices pressure for arrest is not the issue here, rather it is the way they are dealing with the rest of the village that shows a clear case of anti-community action.

As per the allegations of the residents of Paida, the Police took three bikes parked outside the houses. A young women Khurshida was beaten mercilessly by a lady constable when she refused to hand out the key to one of the bikes. Khurshida asks, All the eight listed in FIR are men, then why Police always comes with lady police? What job does a lady police have here?

Police atrocities on the villagers of Paida dont stop here. The Police has also entered homes, and broken household items. To document these cases of abuse, the villagers have installed a metal gate and CCTV camera at the entrance of the village. Saida, who is also the aunt of one of three who got killed, says, Now police has started asking us to remove the camera. They also ask us that whose house has CCTV monitor? Why we have installed it? Who have us the permission of CCTV?

After seeing such episodes of Police crimes, Saeed, Iqbal, Anis and Nasir have already left the village with their families. They have marked their houses open for sale. Other residents, who are not part of the case, have also marked their properties for sale.

To understand why the police is taking such actions against innocent residents, one must understand the nature of the case a little more in detail. Mukhtar Ansari, a resident of the village, explains. When Jat people killed three Muslim men, Mausam Chaudhary got arrested. Now, Mausams wife Suchi is an MLA. So, the sole way to get Mausam out of the jail is to put pressure on Muslims to take their case back. And the government has changed, so the Police is interrogating us by all means possible.

Several others from the village confirm this claim. Moreover, they accuse Police officers of using threatening and abusive languages. SHO Premveer Singh Rana is allegedly putting pressure over the villagers to give statement as he says, and he is the one who is torturing them most. Although it is not the first episode of Premveer Singh Rana, he is infamous among Muslims for dishonoring the mosque in Saharanpur and for extra-judicial killing of a Muslim youth in Rampur Maniharan at point black range, for which he was suspended.

65-year-old Ajizan from the village said, There was one more Policeman. He was telling us that we should not think to live like we did in old times. He said, the government has changed now.

We asked Police administration of Bijnor regarding the same, CO City Bijnor Asit Srivastava said, Police performed a detailed raid for the arrests, which was documented by the video cameras. There is no such thing as vandalism or Police torturing those individuals. They are lying about this.

Moreover he said, Whatever they have written on their houses is just to attract media and to put pressure on the police. That is a camouflage to escape arrest.

The key accused in the killing of three Muslim men Mausam Chaudharis wife Suchi Chaudhary was contacted several times to comment on the story. But instead of commenting on the issue, Suchi Chaudhary told us through her assistant that she is willing to comment in person, not on phone. Also, she asked us to hold the story.

The exodus of Muslims in Bijnor and the attack on Dalits across UP have shown that the present UP government has a sinister plan to target minorities, and they are in for a long and hard summer.
Help India!

By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net

Srinagar: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that a man charged with penal offence is innocent until proved guilty according to law.

Support TwoCircles



But for Indian Muslims, especially Kashmiri Muslims, the declaration is turned on its head: they are considered, and treated as guilty until proven innocent.

Hundreds of Muslims who were first charged with terror activists and later acquitted by courts bear testimony to the grave injustice meted out to them. They are arrested, locked, interrogated, tortured, forced into confessions, coerced to sign blank papers and finally put on a trial which crawls slower than a snail and by the time they are acquitted, the damage is already done. What remains is a living corpse with accumulated personal responsibilities and a burden of social stigma on the shoulder.

Imagine spending 16 years of your life behind the bars, hundreds of miles away from your home for a crime you never committed? Imagine being arrested on terror charges while in reality you are a PhD student at a reputed university in India. For many Muslims in India, however, there is no need to imagine all this: ask Gulzar.

A resident of Thakarpora, Pattan in North Kashmirs district of Baramulla, Gulzar was 28 when he was picked up by the special branch of Delhi police from Kamla Nehru Market in Delhi. On Saturday May 20, he walks out at the age of 44, his PhD dream long gone.

He was a victim of injustice from the day he was arrested. For example, he was shown as arrested on July 31 2001 even though he was picked up much earlier by the Special cell of Delhi Police. For the next 16 years, he was implicated and tried in 14 different cases in Delhi, Maharashtra and UP. The session courts order on May 20, acquitting him in the Sabarmati express train blast, was the last case pending against Gulzar out of the 14.

Finally, justice has prevailed after 16 long years and it is proved that he is innocent. He was deliberately put behind bars in false case and fabricated case, Gulzars father Ghulam Ahmed Wani told TwoCircles.net from the courtroom in an emotional voice.

The fight for justice was too long and we faced enormous hardships. That was a bad phase of our life and it was all Allahs wish. We spent most our earnings to pay legal fees, besides we had to take debt also, he added.

The struggle of proving himself innocent took away almost one and a half decade, when he had planned to become an academician and impart education.

His father remembers Gulzar as a very brilliant student since the childhood. He had studied outside the valley for almost 12 years. It was my wish to make Gulzar a scholar, but destiny had something else in store.

He further says, He was in his second year of PhD, when he was arrested. It shattered our all dreams and hopes. It wasnt just a trial for Gulzar but for our whole family.

The cases started falling apart when he was acquitted in FIR registered at police station GRP Kanpur in 2003 and the process continued. In 2007, he was acquitted for seven different FIRs registered in different police stations of Delhi.

Gulzar had moved dozens of application for bail, but every time his plea was turn down for a conditional and temporary release. All these years he kept anticipating the day when he will be free.

On April 25 last month, when a bail application of Gulzar was moved to Supreme Court, the bench comprising of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud termed the incarceration of Gulzar a shame and had warned UP government of completing the examination of witness by Nov 1 otherwise it will grant bail to him.

Out of 11 cases, he has been acquitted in 10 cases. What a shame! The problem is that you want to keep him inside the jail but not complete the trial. He was acquitted in all other cases, the bench had observed.

But Gulzar father says that his sons wish is to serve the humanity. Before he was arrested, he had always wished to serve the humanity by teaching children back in Kashmir. Now when he will return back, he will continuing with his mission of serving humanity, he adds quoting his son with optimism. The 16 years may have left his personal academic dream in tatters, but it is clear that he still believes he can contribute in a positive manner to the society.
The EU has slapped Facebook with a $122 Million Dollar fine for giving misleading information during the vetting process to purchase WhatsApp. Facebook purchased WhatsApp in 2014 but now the European Union Antitrust regulators claim that Facebook gave misleading information at the time and has fined the social media giant $122 million dollars.

The case against Facebook

During the vetting process of a deal Facebook made to acquire WhatsApp, FB made certain statements that the EU considers misleading. The media company said at the time that it could not match user accounts on Facebook automatically with WhatsApp customers.

However, just two years later, FB introduced a service that was able to accomplish just that. The purchase of WhatsApp was cleared based partly on their statement to the commission, however, sanctions against the social media giant will not reverse the decision that gave the go ahead for the purchase.

The commission findings

The European Union uncovered discrepancies between the FB statement during the merger review process and what occurred just two years after the purchase. The commission found that technology to automatically match WhatsApp and Facebook users identities existed in 2014 and that Facebook knew it existed when they gave contradictory information. Facebook could have been fined double the amount but as they cooperated with the investigation and admitted to the infringement, they were fined the lower amount.

Facebook purchase of WhatsApp

The 19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp was the result of a deal made between Mark Zuckerberg and founders of the messaging service Jan Koum and Brian Acton. WhatsApp was supposed to be run independently but we now know that Facebook is using a service that matches their user accounts with WhatsApp user profiles as revealed by the EU.

As a result of the deal, Jan Koum has a seat on the board with a salary that matches Zuckerbergs. WhatsApp had an annual revenue of 20 million at the time of purchase leaving questions about what justifies the 19 billion price tag.

More sanctions for Facebook and WhatsApp

Just prior to the EU's decision to fine Facebook, the company was fined $167,000 by a French data watchdog for failure to protect its users' data from being used by advertisers. WhatsApp also got fined just a week ago by the Italian antitrust authorities for forcing users to share their personal data with Facebook. The fine was $3.34 Million
Donald Trump has taken his first foreign trip since being elected President of the United States. But as he arrived in Saudi Arabia on his first stop, serious Problems are mounting at home. But as we watch with interest to see how the president does, certain questions need to be asked. What exactly is going wrong at home? What are his hopes for his trip abroad? And what do we think will happen going forwards?

Where is Trump headed?

As stated, in his first foreign trip, his eight day stay will include visits to Saudi Arabia (as mentioned), Israel, the Palestinian territories, Brussels, the Vatican, and Sicily.

It has been seen by many as an opportunity to get away from his problems at home; to enjoy an element of escapism and to focus on other issues for the time being. Why you may ask that this is the case?

Problems at home

Things are not going well at home for the Commander-in-Chief. He has become embroiled in scandal after scandal, and problem after problem. It is these problems that have affected the president from day one. The Muslim ban; a failed healthcare plan; delayed tax reforms; striking Syria and coming face to face (in rhetoric) with North Korea. But this ranks nowhere in comparison to the problems he finds himself in. Let me explain the context. There had been allegations that Russia influenced in some form the presidential elections in the US last year to enable Donald Trump to win.

Although this was vehemently rejected by Trump, an investigation was set up to investigate the actions of then former National Security Advisor Mike Flynn, who was allegedly involved. The investigation was headed by the (then) FBI director James Comey. However, CNN reported that Trump requested of Comey "to shield" Flynn in the probe.

This was rejected by Comey. Days later (9th May) Comey was fired. Whilst the initial reason given was to do with Comey's handling of the investigation in Hillary Clinton's use of a private email, The Guardian reported that it was actually because of this "Russia thing". As a result of this, former FBI director Robert S. Meuller III was appointed as a special counsel to investigate the links between Trump's campaign and Russia.

However, whilst this was a mess itself, what has caused even greater problems is a leak of classified information by Trump to certain Russian officials. One nation who was affected was Israel, who fear that the leaks stated "may have compromised an Israeli agent", as reported in the Hindustan Times. It is clear that Trump is in big trouble, whatever way you look at it. CNN described the situation as "one of the most tumultuous and damaging weeks any President has had to endure" and that "it was a week that eventually could put Trump's entire presidency in jeopardy".

First trip abroad

It is within this backdrop that we have Trump's first foreign trip. This leads us to our second question; what are Trump's hopes for this trip abroad.

Whilst this is a chance to put domestic problems to the side for the time being, the problems just do not seem to be going away. With the long flights, jet lag and confined conditions, it is seen that it will cause greater problems for his White House team. But the biggest problem on this trip? Trump' over-exaggerated expectations. I say this because he is trying to get an awful lot done in a very short space of time; especially with regards to the Israeli-Palestinian issue. The Telegraph reported that Trump "is trying to cram a huge amount into just 24 hours", in a region described as the world's "most politically sensitive regions". To emphasise my point, Trump is visiting five countries in eight days.

This is not to say that it is a problem. To his credit, Trump does like to aim high. He has incredible confidence in his own ability and could easily have taken the easy option. Most newly elected Presidents visit Canada or Mexico as their first venture abroad. But Trump hasn't. As ABC news stated, he is "bucking tradition".

From here on?

However, whatever Trump is able to accomplish, his domestic problems will not go away. It is this that leads us to the final question. What will happen going forwards? It really is not looking good for the president. In all honesty I do not see major progress being made, especially with regards to the Israeli-Palestinian issue. He just simply does not have enough time.

Compounded with the issues at home, it is just going to get worse and worse. Despite what he says, he is in big trouble and may well lead to further action being taken against him; impeachment proceedings.
A Turkish man was arrested on the weekend for attempting to #enter the cockpit of an American Airlines flight heading from Los Angeles to Honolulu. He was Duct Taped to his seat by fellow passengers as the flight was not only escorted by two Hawaii National Guard F-22 Raptor jets as it landed in Honolulu, but also greeted by the #Federal Bureau of Intelligence.

The man was identified as a Turkish national called #Anil Uskanil, at the age of 25, and he was flying from Los Angeles Tom Bradley Airport to Honolulu, Hawaii. He had allegedly tried to enter the plane's cockpit, which is a breach of US law and something that is only done with special security codes.

The airline company, #American Airlines, had broadcast reports initially to the Daily News claiming that there had been disturbance during the flight."

The man, Uskanil, was according to sources "loitering" in the vicinity of the airplane's bathroom and seen holding a laptop, according to NBC News reports. He had been asked politely by the crew to go back to his seat, and refused; this was when he had been described as lurching toward the cockpit in an attempt to breach it. Once in #Honolulu, Anil Uskanil was then greeted by FBI officers and escorted into custody.

Duct-taped to his seat by passengers

Two witnesses on the plane reported to the Associated Press that Uskanil was sitting in economy class and couldnt get into the first-class section when a cabin crew attendant used her meal cart to block him.

According to Hawaii News Now, a passenger named Penny Lorenzen described the man being grabbed and then forced into his seat with #duct-tape, adding that it was "kind of surreal." Her husband, Lee Lorenzen, was in the group of passengers who helped to crush the man's attempts. He described the man as pushing against the heavy meal cart that had been placed to block him, and then being held back by a group of people.

According to news reports, the flight landed without further incident in Honolulu at 11:35 am where law enforcement was waiting to deal with the situation. The Turkish man was then escorted into place custody by federal agents by the FBI.

Passengers on the plane had taken audio recordings that recorded the man being escorted off the flight by law enforcing officials.

In one Instagram video, a user called bplus.noisefloor.dnb wrote: "Crazy! Someone tried to break into the cockpit on my flight from LA to Honolulu. We were greeted by the FBI. They are now taking us off the plane a few rows at a time for dog sniffing and interviews," the caption reads in part.

Reports had also been published on Saturday that the same man was detained by law enforcement at the #Los Angeles International Airport when he had attempted to walk through a door out to the airfield at around 2:45 am. In this instance, LAX police had responded to sightings of a passenger passing from the concourse through a door to the airfield ramp, according to NBC News. In a worrying and unbelievable twist, the Turkish man was seen by an airport contractor and was detained for a few hours.

Media published reports that indicated Uskanil was a proper-ticketed passenger who had made it successfully through the #TSA screening. Although he had been drinking, the police reported that he did not match the criteria for being drunk. After a few hours of questioning he was allegedly cited for misdemeanor trespassing and then eventually released  which was when he climbed aboard his flight, according to NBC News notes.

Authorities indicated that Uskanil had been taken into custody when the American Airlines Honolulu flight landed  and he is is currently being held at the #Honolulu Federal Detention Center. Many in the media were surprised that he was involved in two separate incidents in one day, and wonder why the authorities let him back on a plane.
This is the side of college Greek organizations most don't always hear about. When he began his term in January, Brady Davis, the president of Chi Lambda Fraternity at UW-Stout, "I want to bring the group to a new level."

Davis didn't mean more social time. Instead he was reaching out to the community and his fraternity brothers agreed to explore philanthropy in new ways. When fraternity brother Issac Adams left school to help his mother with health care needs as she battles multiple sclerosis, the groups was inspired to create "A Night of Hope", a benefit for Elizabeth Adams and the MS Foundation.

The pizza buffet and raffle raised just over $2,000. One of the newest fraternity members also donated a motorized chair his family no longer needed. To add to the MS funds, Chi Lambda hosted a Milk Party featuring milk, cookies and custard donated by the Menomonie Culvers Restaurant.

At the Relay for Life in April, the fraternity provided a table of support snacks and plan to offer new community services in fall. The group celebrated its 61st anniversary in May and has no national affiliation. Previous work efforts have been performed at the Menomonie Theater Guild, Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts and yard clean-ups.
Rupert Murdoch, executive chairman of Fox News, has scheduled a company-wide meeting for Wednesday to address his network's shrinking audience in the wake of Bill O'Reilly's departure and the resignation of co-president (and Sean Hannity ally) Bill Shine. Murdoch will hold two meetings in order to discuss the network's editorial direction and future, as Fox News attempts to thwart MSNBC's sudden ratings surge. The meeting will be scheduled in a manner so that all staff members can attend, reports Breitbart News.

Viewers displeased by revamped Fox News lineup

The chairman will undoubtedly address the recent shakeup that saw Tucker Carlson taking over O'Reilly's time slot, a revamping of "The Five," and the creation of a new Eric Bolling vehicle, "Fox News Specialists." The lineup shakeup has produced less than stellar results thus far, according to the latest ratings data by Adweek.

MSNBC trumped Fox News last week in the all-important 25-54 demographic for the first time in seven years. Although Murdoch's network led the cable news pack in overall viewership, shows hosted by Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell and Brian Williams finished at the top of their respective time slots.

Latest ratings will really give Anderson Cooper something to roll his eyes at

And now it appears that even Fox News' once-firm hold on the total viewership title is at risk. While the network garnered an average of 2.6 million viewers, MSNBC averaged 2.4 million viewers. Finishing a distant third was CNN, with a mere 1.3 million average viewers.

Although Fox News was quick to send out a press release on Wednesday reaffirming that the network was the most-watched in overall viewership for the 19th consecutive week, some experts who predicted doom and gloom after the controversial firing of top-rated conservative commentator Bill O'Reilly can't help but feel vindicated.

Breitbart News reports that Murdoch's key task will be to "rally the troops," thereby suggesting that morale at the network is at an all-time low. Throwing further gasoline on the fire is the recent rumor that Kimberly Guilfoyle, a co-host on "The Five," may be replacing Sean Spicer as the White House press secretary.

As for Bill O'Reilly, he's moved on to smaller and lesser things. O'Reilly announced on Monday that he will be hosting a weekly program on Glenn Beck's struggling conservative network, TheBlaze.
A spokesperson for the #UK Home Office claimed that the British government had no participation in the Swedish decision to drop the Rape investigation against #Julian Assange that had been put forward by a young woman in Sweden in 2012.

On Friday morning, the European arrest warrant against the Wikileaks founder was officially extracted at a London magistrate's court and the world reacted with varying degrees of shock and surprise.

The British Prime Minister #Theresa May was asked about the situation and she said that any decision about his arrest  if he did in fact leave the Ecuadorian embassy  lay with the police, not with her.

Both Ecuador and Sweden have clashed over the Wikileaks founder's detainment, with both countries blaming the other for lengthy delays that have meant Assange hasnt seen his young children for seven years.

Now the eyes of the world are on the United States government to see if they try and extradite Assange on espionage charges, a charge that he vehemently denies. Assange says that #Wikileaks have more intel and information that they have gathered and that they will release on the CIA in the coming months. With the recent Russian investigations on the boil, many are wondering if the US are worried.
Most people in our culture throughout the United States consider dogs and cats as loving household companions and pets, but such is not the case in other countries like China, Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines. They raise Dogs And Cats for the purpose of slaughtering them as a food source.The animals not only endure a life filled with abuse, but they are also murdered in the most horrific and heartless manner.

What is normal when it comes to domestic animals like dogs and cats is a matter of cultural viewpoint. The use of dogs and cats for food is extreme animal cruelty, despite such cultural differences.

Animal advocacy groups in Los Angeles are adamant about stopping the brutality.

Planned Los Angeles rally in protest of Chinas dog meat industry

Animal advocacy groups joined forces with others in the Los Angeles area to protest the Dog meat industry in other countries, including the gruesome Yulin Dog Meat Festival that is scheduled for the 20th of June this year in Yulin, China.

The demonstration rally is set for mid-May, but the fight continues until the cruelty stops. In addition to the event in Los Angeles, other protests will be conducted nationwide to fight Chinas dog meat industry while also support the USA H. Res. 30, a bill introduced by Representation Hastings from Florida earlier this year.

Other protesters will gather in Chicago, San Francisco, New York, and Washington, D. C., all gathering at the Chinese Consulates. The major rally held in Los Angeles is meant to solidify the United States viewpoint against the horrific cruelty that occurs annually at the Yulin Dog Meat Festival as well as other issues involving the entire dog and cat meat trade, as stated by Chris DeRose, LCA Founder, and spokesperson.

The mission of the Last Chance for Animals (LCA)

Chinese Citizens Rally Together to Protest the Dog Meat Trade https://t.co/xH1dwHcbwq via @onegreenplanet  Anna Moore (@annamoor1995) May 17, 2017

The LCA or Last Chance for Animals organization is non-profit and works diligently to eliminate animal exploitation and abuse. They do so through investigations, education, public awareness and legislation.

Their mission is to expose and put an end to the horrendous abuse of dogs like those in the dog meat industry.

Such cruelty involves the slaughter of these animals through several methods like boiling and burning them alive or beating them to death. The campaign director for the LCA, Nina Jackel states that with enough pressure from the public, the Yulin Dog Meat Festival will finally be shut down completely.

People of China are actually adamant about putting an end to the cruelty as much as we are in the USA. People can all make a difference and work together to stop the brutality.
china has completely denied reports of Chinese pilots intercepting a U.S. plane "unprofessionally" in the middle of the East China Sea. The Chinese ministry said the U.S. report is not accurate and is inconsistent with facts.

What is the Chinese version of the interception incident?

The Chinese ministry of defense posted on its website that on May 17, Chinese fighter pilots intercepted a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft over the Yellow Sea. The ministry added that the Chinese pilots acted to investigate and identify the U.S. plane in accordance with law.

China also reiterated that the interception was professional and maintained safety.

It is reported that China's foreign ministry has noted that Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi exchanged views with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson over North Korea. However, it is not known whether the Chinese interception was included in the dialogue. The meeting of the Secretary of state and the Chinese counselor took place over the phone.

How will the United States act after the alleged interception by Chinese fighters?

The plane intercepted is a WC-135 "sniffer plane" designed to scan radiation levels in the atmosphere near North Korea. This plane was allegedly intercepted in the most unprofessional manner by two Chinese pilots, with one flying upside down above the U.S.

crew.

At the moment, the United States will continue its routine surveillance of the Korean peninsula and surrounding areas. The main objective of these surveillance flights is to monitor North Korea's military movements and to "sniff" radiation signatures consistent with an underground nuclear test.

This interception will play a part in the strategy of the U.S.

air force as it maintains its dominance over Korean airspace. It is unlikely that the same "unprofessional" incident will happen again, but it is now possible that U.S. and Chinese air force may get intertwined in another interception anytime soon.

What is North Korea's reaction to the surveillance being done by the United States?

North Korea has condemned the continued U.S. presence in South Korea and in the Korean peninsula. The statement was delivered by North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Nations. Kim In Ryong said that continued U.S. forces in the peninsula will only worsen the tension in the area. This includes the "high-handed approach" by the United States on enforcing severe sanctions and pressure to the country.

North Korea also stated that the only way they will end their nuclear ambition is for the U.S. to leave Korea and lift all sanctions completely.
After the New York Times broke the story that Donald Trump smeared former FBI Director James Comey as a "Nut Job" while speaking to the Russians, social media quickly started to trend. Unfortunately for the president, his name was taken to task in a series of viral tweets.

Trump on Twitter

It's no secret that Donald Trump is struggling to improve his popularity and standing with the American people. Since being sworn into office four months ago, the former host of "The Apprentice" has watched his approval rating plummet, sinking below 40 percent in the most recent round of polling.

While there are contributing factors that have led to his drop in popularity, the ongoing Russian scandal appears to have done the most damage. Over the last two weeks, new information regarding the controversy surrounding Russia has increased, putting further pressure on the commander in chief to defend himself. Last week, the Washington Post reported that Trump shared "highly classified" information with officials from Russia during a meeting at the White House. In a follow-up report on Friday, the New York Times doubled down on the story, by reporting that Trump bad mouthed James Comey to the Russians, labeling him "crazy" and a "nut job." In response to the news on May 19, the term started to trend on Twitter as social media users were not kind to the president.

White House does not refute New York Times piece saying President Trump told Russians Comey was a "nut job" https://t.co/gypcIPGkUT pic.twitter.com/JqCaPd6SH8  CNN (@CNN) May 19, 2017

"He was crazy," Donald Trump told the Russians about James Comey, also calling the former director of the FBI "a real nut job." Trump appeared pleased that he was able to rid his administration of Comey who was leading the investigation into Russian election interference, while also informing the Kremlin that he was not under an investigation himself.

Nut Job is trending nationally on Twitter right now.  Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 19, 2017

Twitter reacts

Responding to the news that Donald Trump smeared James Comey, backlash on Twitter came so quick that the term became the top trend on the social media platform. "'Nut job'? How about giving up classified intel and admitting obstruction of justice all in one conversation with the Russians?" Richard W.

Painter tweeted out.

"Nut job"? How about giving up classified intel and admitting obstruction of justice all in one conversation with the Russians?  Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) May 19, 2017

Crazy news conf., more crazy tweets, calls Comey "a nut job." There is a Cure For Trump called "The 25th Amendment." pic.twitter.com/8bxR6Jqlrm  Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) May 19, 2017

"Crazy news conf., more crazy tweets, calls Comey 'a nut job.' There is a Cure For Trump called 'The 25th Amendment,'" Keith Olbermann wrote on Twitter. "Wondering if 'nut job' means something different in Russia," actor Tom Cavanagh tweeted out.

Cue Russian translators furiously looking up "nut job" to see if it has anything to do with those kompromat tapes.  George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) May 19, 2017

Trump calling Comey a "nut job" is like me calling someone "a big Asian homo." It'd be the wok calling the kettle black.  George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) May 19, 2017

Wondering if "nut job" means something different in Russia.  Tom Cavanagh (@CavanaghTom) May 19, 2017

"Trump calling Comey a 'nutjob' is like me calling someone 'a big Asian homo.' It'd be the wok calling the kettle black," George Takei wrote.

In a follow-up tweet, Takei added, "Cue Russian translators furiously looking up 'nut job' to see if it has anything to do with those kompromat tapes." The negative response on social media continued as Donald Trump and his new term became a top global trend on Twitter.
As part of his first foreign trip as commander in chief, Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump spent time in Saudi Arabia. After the couple tweeted out their excitement for the visit, both were hit with criticism on social media.

Trumps on Twitter

During the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump was able to find support among many Americans who were tired of the business as usual in Washington. Trump rode that momentum to the GOP nomination at the Republican National Convention last summer, and onto a general election upset victory over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

While Trump was able to weather the storm and pick up the win, it didn't come without controversy and daily backlash. One issue that many critics of the president had was over his rhetoric and policies towards Muslims and Islam. The former host of "The Apprentice" went as far as to propose a ban on Muslims coming into the United States, which he pushed in his now infamous travel ban executive order, though it was eventually blocked by a federal judge. Knowing the harsh tone the president has had in regards to Muslims and Islam, it came as a surprise when he, along with Melania Trump, tweeted out their joy for visiting Saudi Arabia on May 20.

Great to be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Looking forward to the afternoon and evening ahead. #POTUSAbroad pic.twitter.com/JJOra0KfyR  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 20, 2017

Taking Twitter on Saturday was Donald Trump as he appeared thrilled with his visit.

"Great to be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Looking forward to the afternoon and evening ahead," Trump tweeted, while using the hashtag "#POTUSAbroad." Melania Trump then sent out her own tweet, writing, "Thank you for a beautiful welcome to #Riyadh! #SaudiArabia," while attaching a picture of herself in the process.

Twitter reacts

In response to the tweets sent out by the First Couple, social media users were quick to lash out with thoughts of their own. "Are you going to say anything about Saudi Arabia attacking us on 9/11?

No? Just there to look pretty? OK. Cool," one Twitter user wrote in response to Melania Trump.

@FLOTUS Did u know that ur husband claimed Michelle Obama's decision to not wear a headscarf was rude & insulting? Yet u seem to have done same. Huh  Kimberly B (@Emmaline8266) May 20, 2017

@FLOTUS My name is Basil from Syria. Can you help me out of this country after Bashar Assad destroyed the stone, the trees and the country?  basil sky (@basilbakuor) May 20, 2017

@FLOTUS Honey, when you are given something beautiful, you photograph and post the gift, not a photograph of yourself.  CoryMarieLynchGrant (@CORYDIVA) May 20, 2017

"Don't fu*k it up, dude. Wait, what am I saying. This is an impossible request," writer Mike P Williams tweeted out to the president.

In a follow-up message, Williams added, "Have a great time at your men-only social events. You can probably quite openly talk about grabbing pussy & all your other uncouth thoughts."

@realDonaldTrump Have a great time at your men-only social events. You can probably quite openly talk about grabbing pussy & all your other uncouth thoughts.  Mike P Williams (@Mike_P_Williams) May 20, 2017

@realDonaldTrump Please don't point at women in hijabs or burkas, I know you've made it more socially acceptable in the US, but they don't think its funny.  Jules Suzdaltsev (@jules_su) May 20, 2017

He doesn't make us more respected. On the contrary, the world thinks we're a joke.



Donald Trump: Making America a laughing stock again.  George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) May 20, 2017

"Please don't give ANY speeches about Islam!," writer Jules Suzdaltsev added, while also noting, "Also don't bring up 9/11, they still haven't admitted their role in it and it's kind of a touchy subject." "Did u know that ur husband claimed Michelle Obama's decision to not wear a headscarf was rude & insulting?

Yet u seem to have done same. Huh," another Twitter user pointed out. The backlash continued as it was made clear that many Americans were not going to hold back their criticism of the president and his wife.
In a bold move, North Korean ambassador, Kim In Ryong said to the United Nations security council that Pyongyang demands the pull out of U.S. forces in the korean peninsula. Ryong also said that the security council held an emergency meeting immediately after the successful missile test launch of North Korea last May 14.

What are the details of North Korea's demands of U.S. troops withdrawal from the Korean peninsula?

Ambassador Ryong said that the missile tests are in line with any country's right for self-defense. He said that North Korea's missile program is for the peaceful stability in Korea and that the United States grossly overstepped its bounds on interfering with the sovereignty of North Korea.

Ryong continued to condemn the restrictive sanctions imposed by the United States and its "high-handed, outrageous interference" of North Korean internal affairs. The ambassador also tried to justify Kim Jong-Un's nuclear ambition as part of North Korea's self-defense plan against regional powers such as South Korea, Japan, and the United States.

Ryong also condemns the United Nations security council's condoning of the U.S. continued sanctions. He also said that the Korean tension would only be lessened if the U.S. removes its military forces in South Korea. He also stated that the only way that North Korea abandons its nuclear program is to lift all sanctions placed on the country completely.

What is the United States reaction to North Korea's continued missile program?

Recently, the U.S. Navy had deployed a second aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan to the Korean peninsula. The Nimitz-class carrier will join its sister ship the USS Carl Vinson for dual-carrier drills in the Korean peninsula. Alongside with the two aircraft carriers, the U.S.

is also finalizing the communication relay for the THAAD anti-missile system deployed in South Korea allowing real-time updates on missile launches made by Pyongyang.

The White House hasn't replied to Ryong's statement, though it will be unlikely for the U.S. to lift all bans against North Korea immediately. At the moment, President Trump is on his way to visit Saudi Arabia on his first official overseas trip after coming to office.

United States ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley said that there is no discussion over nuclear weapons and that either country is with Pyongyang or not.

President Trump had been quoted to have the desire to meet with Kim Jong-Un under right circumstances. The North Korean ambassador treats this statement as a sign that Trump will be the one to finally help North Korea get out of the sanctions imposed by previous U.S. presidents.
The lawyer that is representing the Swedish woman who accused Julian Assange of Rape, Elisabeth Massi Fritz, made a statement on Friday condemning the decision by the Swedish prosecutor to drop the charges. The announcement came as a shock to the world and put all eyes on the Wikileaks founder.

Fritz added that it was a scandal that a suspected rapist can evade the law and therefore escape trial by court  My client is in shock and the case being dropped wont change the fact that Assange has exposed her to a rape." Fritz further added that she was extremely critical of the decision to drop the case after a preliminary investigation had been carried on for such a long time.

The Ecuadorian foreign minister speaks out

Ecuadors foreign minister, Guillaume Long, welcomed the Swedish actions and claimed that his country would attempt to consult and find a Safe Passage for the Wikileaks founder.

Given that the European arrest warrant no longer holds," Long said, Ecuador will intensify its efforts at diplomacy with the UK so that Assange can be given a safe passage, "in order to enjoy his asylum in Ecuador. Long dismissed the actions and behavior of the Swedish prosecutors and said that this had led to unnecessary delays in finding progress for Assange's case.
Times Square car crash that claimed a womans life

The fire department has confirmed the dead of a woman and scores of 22 other people injured after a speeding car drove along the pavement of New York Citys #times square. The crash occurred on Thursday shortly before noon.

According to the Guardian, Richard Rojas was driving a maroon 2009 Honda Accord. Rojas then drove at high speed along the sidewalk. Rojas was taken to Bellevue hospital center on Thursday night where he was evaluated. The driver of the car was arrested shortly after the incident and is in custody.

Details about the driver indicate that he is a 26-year-old US Navy veteran and a US citizen. The driver was charged with attempted murder and homicide.

Police have confirmed the death of an 18-year-old woman. Among those injured, four were in life-threatening condition, three sustained severe injuries, and 15 other victims suffered less severe injuries, according to the fire department.

Michael Rickerby wrote on Twitter: just witnessed a car running people over in Times Square What is wrong with some people?!

The New York Mayor Bill de Blasio informed the press that there was no indication that the incident was an act of terrorism. The White House press secretary confirmed that President Donald Trump had been informed about the incident.

According to BBC News, the crash occurred just after recent deadly attacks in London, France, Israel, Berlin, and Sweden.

Investigations Launched over the Times Square crush

The FBI department has already started investigating the incident. Preliminary reports indicate that there is no terror link in the incident. According to claims by NYPD, the suspect, Richard Rojas, was arrested in 2008 and 2015 for drunk driving.

Rojas was once arrested in September 2012, after he attacked a cab driver. He failed to pay the cab driver and asked him to follow him into the barracks. Rojas attacked the driver, instead of paying him.

According to the ABC News report, police believes that the suspect was high on marijuana. Reports about the tests carried out by the security agencies showed negative results for alcohol but positive for drugs.

According to New York Times, the police carried out a search at the place where Rojas and his mother live. Records indicate that Rojas left the Navy in May 2014. Rojas left the Navy when he had attained the rank of electricians mate fireman trainee. Circumstances of his departure from Navy are still scanty as Navy officials remained adamant to disclose details that led to his exit from the service.
Since #911 American airplane cockpits are heavily guarded by a sequence of codes and alarms that make entering the cockpit of an airplane difficult.

But last week, reports surfaced that the codes securing cockpit doors on United Airlines planes could have been leaked to the general public inadvertently by #United workers.

#United Continental Holdings, the company that owns the Airline, informed all its staff on May 8th-9th that the security airplane codes and safety intelligence had been posted by a flight attendant online. It wasn't the result of a cyber security breach but rather a mistake according to the company.

And so conversely, anybody with the right codes may be able to get into the cockpit, which is certainly worrying and a cause for concern.

The company #United Continental Holdin has launched an action plan that looks at the risk of a breach of the flight deck door, which can be mitigated by adhering to flight deck security procedures. United Pilots have been requested to confirm the identity of anyone who comes into the flight deck visually, even if those entering carry the correct codes. The airline will probably have to change all its codes which is a manual and drawn out process.
Good news! Wisconsin has the highest number of people employed in state history.

More good news  the unemployment rate for April is down to 3.2 percent. That is the lowest the unemployment rate has been in Wisconsin since February of 2000 (and close to the all-time record low unemployment). The report also showed that 7,500 private sector jobs were created, and our state led the nation in significant job gains along with Texas and Minnesota last month.

Plus, the percentage of people working in our state went up to 68.6 percent, which is 5.7 points higher than the federal rate. We are a Top 10 state for the percentage of our adults in the labor force.

Wisconsin is in the Top 10 in other areas, too.

Our students are in the Top 10 for ACT scores in states where all of the students take the exam. Wisconsin ranks in the Top 10 for high school graduation rates.

In my budget plan, we include the largest actual dollar investment in K-12 education ever. We increase state aid for our technical colleges and the University of Wisconsin System. And we continue to hold the line on tuition to make college more affordable for students and working families.

We are in the Top 10 states for reducing our overall tax burden. Specifically, from 2010 to 2014, we outranked 43 other states in this area.

In my budget plan, we continue our tax relief. Property and income taxes will both be lower in 2018 than they were in 2010. In fact, we actually eliminate an entire tax. If approved, the state tax on your property tax bill will be gone.

We are in the Top 10 for fully-funded pension systems. Wisconsin ranks in the Top 10 for the lowest outstanding long-term debt.

In my budget plan, we have the lowest level of transportation bonding since the 2001-2003 state budget and the lowest overall bonding in 20 years. On top of that, our rainy day fund is 178 times larger than it was when we first took office.

We are in the Top 10 for access to health care coverage for our citizens. In fact, the Kaiser Family Foundation said we had no insurance gap and Wisconsin is the only state that did not take the Obamacare expansion that is in the Top 10 for coverage. Wisconsins health care systems also rank in the Top 10 in the nation.

Recently, Wisconsin moved into the Top 10 rankings for places to do business. In 2010, Wisconsin ranked 41st in the nation for business according to the rankings of Chief Executive Magazine. In 2017, for the first time ever, we moved up to the Top 10.

As the economy continues to improve here in Wisconsin, we must do more to build a strong workforce. Last week alone, there were more than 100,000 jobs openings on our state website JobCenterOfWisconsin.com.

Our budget helps to build a strong workforce by investing in student success. We reform welfare to reward work. And we make government more accountable so we can continue to lower the tax burden on our hard-working taxpayers. If these are goals you share, I ask you to contact your state representative and your state senator. Let know that your values are reflected in the priorities of our budget.
In the midst of the Korean crisis, the US navy deploys the Uss Ronald Reagan to the korean peninsula. The said carrier, which is stationed in Yokosuka, Japan will join up with the USS Carl Vinson to start dual-carrier drills to train its crew. North Korea along with China on the other hand grows weary over the increasing number of US vessels in the peninsula.

Why did the Pentagon deploy such an order?

After North Korea's apparent "successful" missile launch last week, it is logical to assume that the redeployment of two carriers to Korea is a pertinent reason.

However, the Pentagon didn't officially say that the North Korean missile launch was the main reason for the deployment. Instead, Rear Admiral Charles Williams said that the aim of the USS Ronald Reagan deployment is to integrate the warship properly with the strike group in the peninsula.

According to reports from the US navy, once the Reagan reaches the peninsula, it will immediately test its ability to safely launch and retrieve fighters. It will also commence drills with its sister ship, the Carl Vinson on dual-carrier operations. It is also expected that the two carriers will test defensive measures against any preemptive strikes coming from hostile forces such as from North Korea.

North Korea and China reactions

Pyongyang is still silent over the redeployment news but it is expected that the US maneuver will irk Kim Jong-Un and his military. Now that North Korea have successfully launched a ballistic missile, the threat of a mentally agitated leader to jump-start a conflict with The United States has increased dramatically.

North Korea has also buffed up the defenses near the demilitarized zone in response to the increased US presence in Korea.

China, on the other hand, is growing weary of the increasing American presence in the Korean peninsula and the East China Sea. Recently, Chinese fighters have intercepted a US radiation sniffer plane over the East China sea.

The tension in Asia is worsening as the United States continue to send in more forces in the peninsula.

The military build-up in Asia will be a thorn for China, as it spearheads an economic program that will increase the productivity of the entire Eurasian continent. China's Belt and Road Initiative hopes to connect countries in a circle of cooperation with China, but with the increasing tension in North Korea, this cooperation may be put on hold.
Yemeni forces have reportedly fired a Ballistic Missile at Riyadh before Trump's official visit to Saudi Arabia. The attack was reported on Friday night by Al-Masira news, saying that the missile strike was a statement from Yemen that they are ready to respond to Saudi aggression.

Did the missile cause large-scale damage in Riyadh?

According to the Saudi military, they have intercepted a missile about 200 km west of Riyadh. This is the only official statement released by the Saudi government as it refrained from disclosing damage reports and possible casualty caused by the missile strike.

The Yemeni forces, on the other hand, announced that they had launched a Borkan-2 missile, a locally modified rocket. Their aim was to damage King Salman Airbase located within Riyadh. Yemeni military forces further added that this was in retaliation of Saudi Arabia's hand in perpetrating the murderous war in Yemen.

The Yemeni army also boasted that they have more than one hundred missiles of various kinds ready to strike key strategic locations in Riyadh.

Yemeni fighters think Trump's deal is supporting the war against them

The United States had signed a massive $100 billion single-sale arms deal with Saudi Arabia. It entails the U.S. Military selling Riyadh the famous THAAD anti-missile defense system and Raytheon-built Patriot missiles.

This will undoubtedly boost the military capabilities of Saudi Arabia, which is bad news for Yemen.

Saudi Arabia had been bombing Yemen due to the rise to power of the Houthis, which is an Iranian-backed group in Yemen that is slowly gaining power. The Saudi government doesn't want Yemen to be influenced by Iran thus started helping forces that are fighting against the Houthis.

The proxy war between Saudi and Iran in Yemen had claimed thousands of lives already, and this will be magnified once Riyadh gets the military boost from the U.S.

What will be the effect of Saudi's deal with the United States in the Middle East?

The U.S. arms deal with Saudi Arabia includes a plethora of weapons, but its highlight is the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system, which can intercept missiles coming from Yemen.

The United States also signed an arms deal with the UAE, which is allied with Saudi Arabia. The White House approved a $2 billion arms sale to the United Arab Emirates, which includes Patriot missiles capable of striking targets in Yemen. With these two massive deals, The United States have effectively bolstered its regional allies strong enough to halt Iranian influence from spreading in the Persian Gulf.
One of the initiatives that President Donald Trump intends to announce during the stop in Saudi Arabia is the creation of what the White House calls an Arab NATO. The idea is that pro-western Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, would band together for mutual defense against enemies such as ISIS and Iran. The United States would provide a great deal of material and technical support to help bind the new alliance together. The massive Saudi arms deal is the first installment of that support.

First, the Arab countries have to want an alliance

As Hot Air suggests, the idea of an Arab NATO has been around for a while. Both Egypt (the largest Arab military power in the region), and Saudi Arabia (the biggest financial power), have proposed it from time to time. The problem has been that internecine squabbling among the Arab states has caused previous attempts to form an Arab alliance to collapse. President Barack Obama was decidedly cool to the idea, not wanting to offend the Iran, with whom he was attempting a rapprochement. President Donald Trump clearly does not have that problem, and it is hoped that his deal-making acumen may cause the Arab NATO to at last come into being.

What about Iraq?

Iraq would be a natural member of this new alliance. It is on the front lines of both the war against ISIS and the confrontation with Iran, a country which Iraq borders and with which it conducted a war several decades ago. The problem is that Iraq has a large Shiite population which may be sympathetic toward Iran and leery of joining a Sunni Arab-dominated alliance.

What about Israel?

Oddly enough, Israel will likely not have a problem with an Arab NATO and may be such an alliances silent partner, considering that the Jewish state has common enemies with its Arab neighbors. Israel has peace agreements with both Egypt and Jordan and a tacit relationship with the Saudis. The idea of an Arab-Israeli conflict such as the Yom Kipper War or the Six Day War is an obsolete concept.

Israel is mainly concerned with the nuclear threat from Iran and the running sore stemming from its conflict with the Palestinians.

The benefits for Donald Trump

President Trump is occupied with a number of scandals, partly of his own making and partly as a result of his enemies desire to destroy him, He would, without a doubt, welcome a foreign policy win to change the media narrative. An Arab NATO would be just the accomplishment Trump would need to burnish his cred as a president who can get things done.
Kristen Stewart and Stella Maxwell relationship is one of the hottest topics that have been making headlines these days. Apparently, the "Twilight" actress and the Victoria Secret model have been reported planning for their intimate outdoor wedding in South Carolina. Ever since Stewart broke up with former beau, Robert Pattinson, the actress came out bisexual and has been in an on-and-off relationship. Nonetheless, it seems like she's now taking a serious relationship with Maxwell.

'Twilight' star to marry girlfriend in an outdoor wedding?

An insider told Celebeat that Stewart and Maxwell are now living together in Loz Feliz apartment in Los Angeles.

This leads to the speculation that the couple has been living together to get ready for their plans to tie the knot soon. Most of the fans already believe that the couple already has plans for their wedding ceremony.

Apparently, an insider revealed that the couple is now talking about an intimate wedding ceremony in South Carolina. They had started planning about it and even made their vision boards together. On the other hand, the insider also added that despite their plans over outfits and wedding locations, they are still in no rush.

The two have been dating for the past five months, and this wedding rumor is already an indication that they are taking their relationship to the next level. Meanwhile, the couple still prefers to keep their relationship under wraps despite the multiple times that they have been spotted going out together in public.

Wedding speculations to be confirmed

For the past months, the "Twilight" actress has opened herself in discussing her sexuality. The 27-year old actress believes that what she has been into is something that would give impact to other people. With this, Stewart has also become open about discussing her relationship with Maxwell.

With all these wedding rumors that are coming out, the couple is yet to confirm about these speculations. Nonetheless, whether or not Stewart and Maxwell will get married, it won't stop fans from assuming that this wedding news is for real.

In one of the recent reports, it also claimed that the wedding hearsay is nothing but pure speculations.

It further revealed that the couple doesn't actually plan to tie the knot at all. Meanwhile, even though the wedding reports have not been confirmed yet, it is still good to know that the couple are still enjoying their time together.
The 26-year-old man who plowed through pedestrians on sidewalks in Times Square with a car, killing one person and injuring 22 others, was charged with murder on Friday.

Richard Rojas was charged with one count of second-degree murder, 20 counts of attempted murder, and five counts of aggravated vehicular homicide. He was arraigned at a Manhattan court and is due back in court next week. He did not enter a plea.

Rojas said he wanted to "kill them all" and police should have shot him to stop him, a prosecutor revealed Friday.

"I wanted to kill them, according to a criminal complaint, and admitted to smoking PCP-laced marijuana before the rampage on mid-day Thursday. Rojas, a Bronx resident who had served in the Navy, told police that God made him do it, a law enforcement source told CNN.

"It appears to be intentional in the sense that he was troubled and lashing out," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a radio station interview on Friday. "At the root of this is an untreated mental health issue going back probably decades."

Rojas made a U-turn on 42nd Street and drove his car north on sidewalks, hitting people for three blocks before finally coming to a stop because of steel security barriers that were in place on the sidewalk.

He emerged from his car, screaming and jumping up and down before he was subdued by bystanders and nearby police, witnesses said.

The killed pedestrian was Alyssa Elsman, of Portage, Michigan, a tourist who was with her 13-year-old sister, Ava, who was also among the injured.

William Aubry, the New York Police Department chief of Manhattan South Detectives, said that three victims were in critical condition Friday. A 38-year-old Canadian resident was in "very critical" condition, according to Aubry.

Rojas has a history of arrests for drunk driving and aggressive behavior, including two arrests for driving while impaired and assaulting a cab driver. Last week, he was arrested for criminal possession of a weapon when he threatened a visitor to his home.

He had enlisted in the Navy in 2011, serving abroad the USS Carney in 2012, before reportedly being dishonorably discharged in 2014. Records show that he spent two months at a naval prison in South Carolina, though the reason is undisclosed.

A friend of Rojas said that joining the Navy had changed him and that he became paranoid after coming home, according to The New York Times.

amyhe@chinadailyusa.com
 Courtesy of spiritofamerica - Fotolia.com



Taking the three and half mile long Cliff Walk is one of the best ways to see Newport from a unique perspective. The walk runs along the eastern shore of the city and offers magnificent views of the shoreline and the architectural history of the city's gilded age as you pass by luxurious villas nestled on the cliffs.

The walk is easy for the most part, and wildflowers and rocks of different colors showing the area's interesting geological history surround the path. Some parts of the southern end of the trail are fairly rough, passing only a few feet from the sudden drop of more than 70 feet. As the edge is hidden by wild bushes, hikers have to be very careful to stay on the path. The walk starts at the western end of Easton's and ends at several major city streets.





-- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Newport, Rhode Island" Back to Top
 Courtesy of f11photo - Fotolia.com



Arches National Park has more than 2,000 stone arches that range from thin cracks in the rock to the magnificent 300-foot long Landscape Arch. They are the result of millions of years of erosion, deposition, and other geological events that have affected the soft sandstone.

For a short visit, you can take the 18-mile long scenic road, but you will see much more by hiking one of the narrow unmarked trails. Walk with care, as the surrounding desert plants are fragile. Humans have been living in the area for 10,000 years and you can see colorful, large pictographs a few miles north of Moab.

Arches National Park is one of the most famous places to visit in Utah. The best times to go are early spring and fall. Park rangers offer very informative tours, from a one-mile easy interpretative hike to the adrenaline-pumping Fiery Furnace Hike that includes some serious rock scrambling. The seemingly lifeless desert is home to a surprising number of animals such as desert rodents, ringtails, skunks, foxes, mountain lions, bobcats, bats, owls, and many others.





-- You are reading "25 Best Places to Visit in Utah" Back to Top
Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page.

Loading...

Checking your browser before accessing the website.

This process is automatic. Your browser will redirect to your requested content shortly.

Please wait a few seconds.
What is a crawdad, you ask? Why, it's a little swamp critter eaten by Cajuns. (You might know it as a crawfish or crayfish.) I'm pretty sure we don't see too many of them around here, so if the 10th Annual CrawDaddy Blues Festival is your first exposure you should probably know some things : Crawfish are practically bugs (technically, freshwater crustaceans), they have beady little black eyes (no souls) and they taste amazing. See for yourself at the all-ages festival this Saturday and Sunday, May 20 and 21 , which costs $20 or $15 in advance and includes tons of fresh crawfish and live blues. Don't forget to suck the heads. There's yummy brain juice in there. (Joshua Lee)

Fresh crawfish served in traditional Southern varieties accompanied by live music all weekend long.

The 10th annual

CrawDaddy Blues Fest

May 20 & 21 At the Madrid Railyard, adjacent to the Mine Shaft Tavern

2846 Hwy 14 Madrid, New Mexico 87010 505-473-0743

http://www.crawdaddybluesfest.com/

The Mine Shaft Tavern is pleased to announce that we will be hosting the 10th Annual - CrawDaddy Blues Fest! The event will be held May 20 and May 21. Gates open at noon. Great live blues, Fresh Boiled Crawfish & Cajun specialties! Advance Tickets $15 Per Day / $25 Both Days ($20 at Gate) and available April 1 at www.ticketssantafe.org. Tickets will also be available at the Mine Shaft Tavern. Parking & a shuttle will be available on the north end of town.

The Mine Shaft Tavern brings in fresh live crawfish from Gulf Coast region. If you love crawfish, you need to come out to this event. In addition to crawfish, green chile blue crab cakes, crawfish etoufee, gumbo, and Texas BBQ Ribs, brisket and smoked pork are available. Fresh squeezed Hurricanes served here! There will be a full bar and plenty of shade. Rain or shine. Kids under 12 are free, no coolers or outside beverages or food allowed. See our website for more information www.CrawDaddyBluesFest.com .

There are three stages during the festivalinside the historic Mine Shaft Tavern, the Deck at the Mine Shaft Tavern and our tented amphitheater. Emcee on main stage, Putnay Thomas http://kunm.org/people/putnay-thomas#stream/0

Laissez les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll)

Saturday May 20th:

The IYAH BAND

CACTUS SLIM & THE GOATHEADS

KEY FRANCES

RUDY BOY EXPERIMENT

PARTIZANI BRASS BAND

DIKKI DU AND THE ZYDECO CREW

WHISKEY DIABLO



Sunday May 21:

THE BARBWIRES

WEST, KOTT AND McDOWELL

CW AYON TRIO

MILLER AND THE OTHER SINNERS

WHISKEY DIABLO

PARTIZANI BRASS BAND

FLEIX Y LOS GATOS

PISTOLS N PETTICOATS

Lori Lindsey

The Mine Shaft Tavern

505.473.0743

2846 Highway 14

Madrid, NM 87010

http://www.themineshafttavern.com
Losing federal funding for the after-school program shared by the Cornell and Lake Holcombe school districts would potentially doom it, Cornell Superintendent Paul Schley said Thursday.

Our after-school program is run exclusively on federal money, Schley said. Without those, I dont think wed have a program.

Schley said 80 Cornell students in kindergarten through eighth grade take part in the 21st Century Community Learning Centers.

President Donald Trumps 2018 budget calls for eliminating the $1.2 billion program for disadvantaged communities. An administration spokesman said there is no evidence students do better in school because of the program.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, visiting the Cornell middle and high schools Thursday, said he has raised concerns about losing funding for the program with Wisconsins congressional delegation.

He said hes asked lawmakers to see if they can find ways to keep the program funded by the federal government.

The program has been available in the Cornell and Lake Holcombe districts since 2001.

Our programs provide a safe, nurturing environment in which children can get extra help with homework, engage in healthy, physical activities and enjoy academic (offerings), said Andrea Smith, community programs director for the after-school program in the school district.

She said the program has served hundreds of students and their families over the last 16 years.

Budget plan

Walker was in Cornell to speak about his two-year state budget proposal.

He said under his plan, the Cornell School District will get $6 million in state funding, with a $244.20 hike in per pupil aid, an increase of $17,164 in transportation aid and $94,473 more in whats called sparsity aid, which is aided at rural school districts.

Walker said his plan would eliminate the state forestry tax on homeowners property tax bills.

Were going to continue to support forestry, if the tax is eliminated, he said.

The state forestry tax is usually the smallest of the five taxes on a property tax bill. Much larger chunks go to local school districts, counties, cities, villages or towns and the vocational technical school system.

Walker is confident his budget plan will pass, though there are a couple of areas to work out.

About transportation funding, Walker said he would transfer money from Milwaukee-area projects to be used elsewhere in the state.

Overall, Walker said his plan would spend $11.5 million for kindergarten through grade 12 over two years, which he said would be an all-time high.

Presidential run

Walker was peppered by questions from the students, including whether he would run for president again.

If I did a better job, Id probably be president, he joked about his aborted 2016 run. He said he would not run for president again while serving as governor.

Students also asked Walker if he would run for re-election.

I like being governor, he said. Theres no term limits ... My wife said maybe (I) can run one more time.

Walker later told reporters he would wait until after the budget passes before deciding on running again. Walker was elected in 2010, survived a recall election in 2012 and was re-elected in 2014.

Walker noted Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson served four terms, although resigning after 14 years in office to be a member of former President George W. Bushs cabinet.

He told the students in Cornell they are in a great place.

Theres all sorts of options (for you), Walker said, adding this week there are 102,000 job openings in Wisconsin. Youve got the world in front of you. Youve just got to reach out and grab it.

Graduation at Cornell High School is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, May 27.

Storm damage

As governor, Walker has surveyed the aftermath of tornadoes several times. His tour Wednesday of the destroyed Prairie Lake Estate Home Park in Chetek left a deep impression.

Walker said he was taken with the severity of the damage and the devastation the tornado left in Chetek on Tuesday.

I think its the worst Ive seen as governor, Walker told reporters.

But Walker saw as a positive the number of volunteers helping the mobile home park residents who had lost their homes. He saw several pastors at the scene, along with the Salvation Army and Red Cross providing aid.

He said several volunteers not belonging to any organization showed up to offer their help.

He declared Barron, Jackson and Rusk counties as disaster areas, which is a step to getting federal status and financial help.

The federal declaration only comes if we hit an economic threshold, Walker said.

He urged residents of the mobile home park to take photos of items they own that were destroyed by the storm, and to compile a list of things that were lost and their costs. He encouraged them to give that information to their countys emergency government officials.

The National Weather Service said the Chetek tornado ranked as an EF-2 tornado. That means it had winds from 111-135 mph. Tornadoes are ranked on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the worst.
HCM CITY  Sustainable productivity is the only way for the world to deal with changing business models driven by fast changing technologies, according to the Asian Productivity Organisation.

Dr Santhi Kanoktanaporn, APOs secretary-general, said the world has experienced an unprecedented rate of change in every field, including the internet, mobile phones and knowledge.

The fast changing and newly emerging technologies today not only attempt to make current products better, but also disrupt or kill current products or organisations. This kind of innovation we called disruptive innovation.

In an interaction with the media in HCM City recently, he said: One of the technologies coming very fast and that is very important is artificial intelligence.

If you put this box  an artificial intelligence -- into a car then you do not need to drive a car, it will take you to the destination you want." Thus, in future, manned cars are unable to be sold and will be replaced by car driven by artificial intelligence. "That's why we call it disruptive.

The other emerging disruptive technologies include Fin Tech (financial technology) and hyperloop (a new way to move people and things at aircraft speed for the price of a bus ticket).

With Fin Tech, In the very near future we will not use money any more. The banking industry is very scared of this because it will take away financial transactions.

Businesses have to be able to know which ones would be disruptive to survive, he said.

A key issue for the APO is to enable member economies to deal with the uncertain global business environment driven by newly emerging technologies that are drastically altering business models and shortening product life cycles.

To meet the challenge, he urged member nations to focus on sustainable productivity initiatives.

The key to sustainable productivity lies in the organisations ability to shape its environment to take advantage of the shifting market environment or risk being shaped by them.

He described the five basic steps for any organisation in any country to follow for survival in a rapidly changing situation: Be trend literate, act in a timely manner, leverage tools for advance notice, manage and combine trends to create value, and shape the future by acting on what we see.

To support sustainable productivity, the APO has built a platform using artificial intelligence to monitor emerging global trends, he said.

Trap of success

Talking about challenges for Vietnamese companies wanting to adopt sustainable productivity, he called the challenges the trap of success.

Not just in Viet Nam but everywhere, if you are working on this area today and are very successful and you think it will be successful for another five years and stick to that business.

But businesses need to know what is changing to catch up and remain successful, he said.

He cited the examples of Nokia and Kodak, which used to be very successful, asking where are they now?

According to Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology Tran Viet Thanh, sustainable development is one of the fundamental criteria in reforming Viet Nams model of economic growth as well as its most significant goal.

Kanoktanaporn said in preparation for an incoming wave of new technologies Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued a directive to strengthen the countrys ability to access Industry 4.0.

The APO, which was established in 1961, has 20 member countries, including Viet Nam.  VNS
HA NOI  The customs authority has striven to shorten the time for carrying out customs clearance of goods across borders to 70 hours for export goods and 90 hours for import goods by the end of this year.

The General Department of Customs (GDC) on Wednesday said in its report that the authority would continue its renewal and modernisation process while reducing paperwork and cost of administrative procedures to follow Governments Resolution No 19-2017/NQ-CP on improving the business environment and enhancing national competitiveness in 2017 and orientation to 2020.

Accordingly, the time for customs clearance of goods across the border would be shortened to 60 hours for export goods and 80 hours for import goods by 2020.

The set targets were much higher than those of 2016, requiring the sector to make greater efforts.

According to the Viet Nam Logistics Associations (VLA) statistics in 2016, the time to clear exports is still high -- up to 108 hours -- and 138 hours for imported goods.

The GDC will also improve all of its online public services to level 3, which allows applicants to fill and submit forms online. Some 70 per cent of its key services would move up to level 4, which allows them to not only submit required forms but also make payments and receive results online.

In addition, the authority will continue to complete its Viet Nam Automated Cargo and Port Consolidated System/Viet Nam Customs Information System (VNACCS/VCIS) and will prepare for the second phase of the system as soon as it receives approval from the Japanese government.

It will also submit to the Government a proposal for the building of a national one-stop-shop mechanism, ASEAN one-stop-shop mechanism and special checks to create favourable conditions for import-export products.

In the report "Assessing the reform of customs procedures: the satisfaction of enterprises in 2016," conducted by the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, some enterprises said the inspection has resulted in too many overlapping legal documents. Further, there was no close coordination between the customs and specialised management agencies and too many licences are required.

It was the reason the GDC was co-operating with relevant ministries to promote socialisation of special checks on import-export goods to meet the set targets.  VNS
Financial inclusion will contribute to implementing 7 out of 17 sustainable development goals by 2030 and poor countries might achieve breakthroughs in financial inclusion. Photo vietnamnet.vn

HCM City  Financial inclusion has been an accelerating global phenomenon recently, with financial services being provided at affordable costs to disadvantaged and low-income segments to increase earnings, alternate social capital flow and promote economic growth, a conference heard on May 19 in HCM City.

Speaking at Digital technology  the great engine of accelerating financial inclusion in Viet Nam, Assoc Prof Nguyen Kim Anh, deputy governor of the State Bank of Viet Nam, said: Financial inclusion will contribute to implementing 7 out of 17 sustainable development goals by 2030 and poor countries might achieve breakthroughs in financial inclusion.

Digital technology will help banks accelerate financial inclusion, expanding their financial services to remote and rural areas, saving expenditure and developing sustainably.

Nguyen Thi Hoa, deputy head of the central banks Banking Strategy Institute, said: Good financial inclusion is able to promote economic growth, create more jobs and contribute to poverty reduction and hunger elimination.

She attributed three achievements to Vietnamese banking inclusion.

She said the ability to approach financial services is increasing thanks to development of representative offices as well as modern baking service styles.

Banking service products are more and more plentiful, the quality is getting better and better, and many services can be provided 24 hours a day, especially with internet banking and mobile banking services.

A large number of people, even poor, can benefit from banking activities, she said.

Viet Nam does not have any national policy to develop financial inclusion and has only a limited legal framework for banking activities and a shortage of database for individual and organisational clients.

All these have hindered financial inclusion.

She said promoting the role of digital technology to develop financial inclusion requires expanding internet banking and mobile banking, banking services, providing information and increasing understanding of banking services, completing the legal framework, and completing the financial and telecom infrastructure.

Having a young population with up-to-date technology, a high rate of mobile phone and internet use and financial institutions using modern technology are favourable conditions for Viet Nam to speed up financial inclusion.

Ivan Mortimer Schutts of the World Bank said: It is important for the financial sector to be well protected and overseen by regulators to preserve its integrity and stability.

It is also important that the State Bank of Viet Nam takes interest in promoting financial inclusion and makes sure efforts expended on technology innovation do not undermine the stability of the market and or contribute to risks that happen to the economy or consumers.

Can Van Luc, a banking expert, spoke about the current situation of financial inclusion in Viet Nam.

He said financial inclusion is not nationally synchronised and enforcement of norms is weak, the level of financial coverage is low, the network of financial institutions is unevenly distributed and mainly in urban areas -- only 10 per cent of rural communes have banks transaction points, which in turn account for only 10 per cent of transaction points nationwide -- micro-finance institutions operate in an ad-hoc manner and the informal financial system involving family, friends, black credit, pawn shops and others is not properly regulated.

Credit to SMEs accounts for around 22 per cent of total outstanding loans, and access to finance is still difficult.

Digital technology will reduce 80  90 per cent of transaction and management costs, minimise the need to establish physical branches, increase access to finance for people in rural, mountainous areas.

Besides, digital technology will use various distribution channels like mobile and internet banking, ATMs, points of sales, social networks and Internet of Things, diversify products and services and meet customer needs.

Digital finance could boost the GDP of emerging economies by US$3.7 trillion by 2025.

Luc also suggested that credit institutions should consistently implement the decrees on non-cash payment and increasing access to banking services and microfinance development, and enhance payment risk and technological risk management.

At the first parallel discussion titled Strengthening information security in the digital world towards advancing financial inclusion, an official from the State Bank of Viet Nams informatics technology department presented information security strategies for banks in the digital age.

Financial and banking experts spoke about the digital technology applications required for accelerating financial inclusion in Viet Nam such as identity and access management solutions for online banking transactions, block chain technology to improve the efficiency of banking operations and information security solutions for mobile banking.

The second session with the theme Developing digital banking services & payment innovation towards accelerating financial access focused on orientation and solutions to accelerate financial inclusion in Viet Nam in 2016 20, orientation to develop digital banking and financial services at commercial banks and encouraging non-cash paymetns to increase financial literacy.

IT enterprises spoke about digital solutions for accelerating financial inclusion in Viet Nam like mobile wallets and virtual customer care centres.

Banking Viet Nam is an annual ICT event organised by the State Bank of Viet Nam and IDG Vietnam to exhibit and introduce the latest technologies and IT applications for creating new banking products and services. -- VNS
Named after the countrys first president and designed by military genius Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap, the Ho Chi Minh Trail ran over 20,000km through Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia. During the American War in Viet Nam, the trail, despite heavy bombardment and even the use of chemical weapons by the Americans, never ceased to function as a crucial lifeline that connected the countrys North and South.

Everyday, supplies and soldiers were sent down the trail. The several-months long journey was perilous, due to American bombers constant raids, minefields, electronic fences, tropical diseases and poisonous insects. Soldiers considered it a test of resolve, one to help them get ready for the long fight ahead to win their peoples independence and unite their country.

The soldiers were not alone on the trail. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers took part in building and repairing the trail. Thousands of them never made it back home, and far many more were seriously injured during their years of service. They were the force behind the trail, which was said to be unstoppable and regarded as a symbol of the Vietnamese people indomitable spirit. They were the trail.  VNS
There is really only one issue in American politics at this moment: Will we accelerate our way to the end of the Trump story, or will our government remain mired in scandal, misdirection and paralysis for many more months  or even years?

There is a large irony in the politics behind this question. The Democrats narrow interest lies in having President Trump hang around as close to the 2018 midterm elections as possible. Yet they are urging steps that could get this resolved sooner rather than later. Republicans would likely be better off if Trump were pushed off the stage. Yet up to now, they have been dragging their feet.

The reports that Trump asked then-FBI Director James Comey to drop his investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn may finally be concentrating Republican minds.

They certainly focused the decision-making of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who announced late Wednesday afternoon that he was naming former FBI Director Robert Mueller as a special counsel to investigate possible coordination between Trumps 2016 campaign and Russian interference in the election.

Speaker Paul Ryan signaled the changed mood earlier in the day not by what he said but by what he didnt.

Ryan has been embarrassingly eager to defend Trump, but he did not rush to his support this time. Instead, Ryan called for a sober and dispassionate response, warned against rushing to judgment, and insisted that our job is to get the facts. When word got out (probably from Comey or his sympathizers) of what Trump had said to the FBI director about Flynn, Republicans (like Rosenstein) were left with no choice but to pursue the matter further.

The speaker only expressed faith in Trump when prompted by a shouted question at the end of his news conference. After some thought, he replied with a soft I do when asked if he had full confidence in the president.

Nothing could be worse than slow-walking the Trump inquiries. The evidence is already overwhelming that he is temperamentally and intellectually incapable of doing the job he holds. He is indifferent to acquiring the knowledge the presidency demands and apparently of the belief that he can improvise hour to hour. He will violate norms whenever it suits him and cross ethical lines whenever he feels like it.

He also lies a lot, and has been perfectly happy to burn the credibility of anyone who works for him. White House statements are about as believable as those issued regularly by the Kremlin.

And Trumps friend Vladimir Putin could not resist interfering yet again in our politics. Putin offered to provide Congress with a record of our presidents meeting with top Russian diplomats to shed light on exactly what highly classified intelligence information Trump shared with them. Adding to the insult, the Russian leader spoke of a political schizophrenia taking hold in the United States that was eliciting concern in his country.

Perhaps Putins taunt will elicit increasing concern among Republicans that our nation cannot endure much more of this.

The surest sign that the bottom is falling out from under Trump was a Wall Street Journal editorial that declared flatly: Presidencies can withstand only so much turbulence before they come apart. The Journal warned that Trump was on the verge of betraying his supporters, as his presidency sinks before his eyes.

Any GOP leader losing the support of the semi-official organ of Republican conservatism should know that his partisans are headed to the exit ramps.

But how can we speed our nations escape from the catastrophe Trump has created? The Senate Intelligence Committee took an important step by announcing a bipartisan invitation to Comey to testify. The sooner he tells his story, the better.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., proposed that both parties demand that Congress get any memos, tapes and transcripts shedding light on Trumps meetings with the Russian diplomats and with Comey.

The naming of an independent counsel cannot become an excuse to pull back on Congressional fact-finding. The country needs to know if there was collusion between Trumps campaign and Russia whether or not a crime was committed. And Democrats should ask Republicans to join them in pledging opposition to any appointee to head the FBI who is not universally seen as immune to Trumps influence.

It shows how far along we are that fears are already being voiced of a political backlash from his supporters if Trump is railroaded out of office. But delaying the process of getting to the truth will harm our country far more. And Republicans who throw up roadblocks will be hurt most of all.
QUANG BINH  Authorities in central Quang Binh Province has given their nod to the proposal to install a ladder system inside the worlds largest cave  Son oong Cave.

Oxalis, the sole tour provider for expedition programmes in the cave, and Howard Limbert, a cave expert in the team of the British Cave Research Association that discovered the cave, have proposed installing ladders inside the cave to protect the stalactites from visitors.

According to the proposal, the ladders will help visitors overcome a high stalactite wall, called Viet Nams Great Wall. The wall is vulnerable to pressure and the ladders will help visitors climb it without touching the stalactites.

The ladders are also expected to help speed up emergency medical aid for visitors who accidentally get injured inside the cave.

In addition, the ladders will reduce the duration of time visitors spend inside the cave, which means less impact on the entire cave.

The two ladders will be 65m and 25m in length. The 65m ladder will be installed permanently with nails hammed to the karst surface. Notably, this ladder requires 23 nails, of which, eight will be installed while 15 others were hammered by the British associations explorers in 2010 during their exploration trip.

The 25m ladder is a single ladder that does not require nails and is removable.

Authorities of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, the technical manager overseeing Son oong as part of the world heritage group, passed the proposal as they determined it would cause no harm to the stalactites but could reduce impact on the grotto in general.

The province Peoples Committee did the same, giving the green light for the installation.

However, this sparked a fresh controversy as netizens worried about the impact from the nails. Subsequently, the Department of Cultural Heritage has requested a detailed report on the installation.

Tran Tien Dung, the committees deputy chairman, told local newspapers that environmental impact assessment is not necessary in this case as no construction would be done at the site, and the national park, the direct manager of the cave, has given its approval.

Howard Limbert, an expert with 25 years experience in exploring Quang Binhs caves, including Son oong, affirmed to local authorities and the media that the installation would not harm the grotto and would provide a definite path for visitors to follow, avoiding stepping on newly-formed stalactites.

A maximum of 270 visitors are allowed in the cave in one year and Oxalis has also made strict rules ensuring visitors who get the opportunity to go inside the cave respect nature.  VNS
Viet Nams total sand resources are an estimated 2.3 billion cubic metres. With the current pace of construction, experts warn that the sand supply will likely be exhausted in less than 15 years. Dr Le Ai Thu, chairman of Viet Nam Asociation of Economic Geology, and Dr Thai Duy Sam, vice chairman of Viet Nam Building Material Association, spoke to the Vietnam News Agency about the necessity of finding alternative materials to replace natural sand.

Many agents and contractors have claimed that the constant sand price increase over the past several months has been due to tight management of the Government and local authorities over sand exploitation. Can you explain?

Le Ai Thu: A sudden increase in sand prices can have many different reasons. I think it is necessary to conduct surveys and investigations to have reliable answers.

Thai Duy Sam: Sand is an indispensable material to produce concrete, mortar, bricks and floor levering. Our country has become familiar with using natural river sand. However, the over-exploitation and illegal exploitation of sand at rivers have caused serious consequences in many localities.

As a result, the Government has strengthened management over the exploitation of sand rivers. Moreover, the source of natural sand in our country has been increasingly scarce, as sedimentation and restoration of sand mines are restricted by the construction of upstream hydropower plants. This is the reason of the recent price hike of sand.

Many contractors have said that dealing with rising sand prices has been difficult, and finding alternative materials such as artificial sand has been even more difficult. What do you think?

Le Ai Thu: In fact, river sand mining is a form of super-profit exploitation, and few minerals carry such a high profit. Therefore, various interest groups have sought different ways to be licensed to carry out exploitation activities.

Riverbed sand exploitation brings profits for certain groups, but it causes a huge impact on the country. To prevent natural resource waste and to mitigate adverse impacts on socio-economic development caused by river sand mining, State management agencies must fulfill their responsibilities, including banning all exploitation activities at rivers at risk of erosion, prosecuting organisations and individuals for illegal exploitation.

The use of alternative materials to replace natural sand will be of course implemented in some areas facing construction sand shortage. It should be noted that construction sand is not only exploited at the riverbed but also in various areas.

In the world, sand exploitation isnt only implemented in the riverbed. Alternative materials, which are made from rocks, are much more effective.

Thai Duy Sam: Sand substitutes have been used for ten years. There are sand substitute materials that ensure the functions of sand such as ash, blisters and plaster. However, these materials are not popular. partly due to consumer habit.

Recently, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc approved the Decision No 452/2017 on boosting the treatment and use of ash, slag, and plaster of thermal power plants, chemical and fertiliser factories as construction materials.

The decisions goal of treating and using about 75 million tons of ash, slag, and plaster for construction materials by 2020 will help protect the environment and minimise the use of natural resources.

In my opinion, first of all, it is necessary to use the sand properly, economically and for the right purpose. Secondly, the production and use of artificial sand from rocks or construction waste, industrial waste, mining waste should be boosted.

According to the Governments master plan for construction material development, the demand for building sand of our country was 92 million cubic metres in 2015, and it will be 130 million cubic metres per year by 2020. In the long run, it will be difficult to meet such demand, because sand is a scarce resource. What measures should be taken to reduce the demand for natural sand?

Thai Duy Sam: First, the State must manage the exploitation and use of natural sand strictly, further explore and specify accurately the reserves and quality of sand mines, draw up plans for the rational exploitation of natural sand and have strong sanctions against unlicensed exploitation activities.

It is then necessary to promote the production and use of artificial sand from natural rocks and construction waste, industrial waste and mining waste.

Recently, the Institute of Building Materials has studied successfully the technology of producing artificial sand from rocks and construction waste. Son La and Lai Chau hydro-power plants have used this kind of materials.

Thien Nam JSC in northern Quang Ninh Province has produced artificial sand from coal waste, which was announced to be 18 per cent cheaper than natural sand by the provincial Department of Construction.  VNS




Gia Loc

HCM CITY  Nguyen Thi Luong, 34, of Cau Tre Export Goods Processing Joint-Stock Company has shown creative skills in her work to help raise labour productivity for her company.

Luong, a graduate of Food Industry Colleges two-year training course in chemistry, has helped improve molds for compressed tea and knives for cutting bitter melons.

The molds for compressed tea, which have been used since April 2012, have raised productivity from an average of eight tea bricks made per hour to 13 per hour.

Luongs initiative helped save VN100 million (US$4,385) in a five-month period.

In 2012, Luong also conducted research on knives to cut bitter melons, but initially her results werent successful.

Nevertheless, her companys managers encouraged her to continue.

Named one of 60 excellent young workers in the country this year, she was honoured by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee.

Because of her work, Luong has been promoted to deputy head of the companys Cau Tre-Gia Han factory.

Nguyen Thanh Long, a 22-year-old worker from the Mekong Delta province of ong Thap, was also named one the 60 excellent young workers.

After graduating from Nhan ao Vocational Training School in 2015, Long began working as a mechanic at Liksin Industry, Printing and Packaging Corps facility in Long An Province.

Whenever a machine breaks down, I spend all day repairing it. If the machine breaks down completely, I ask the veterans to share their experience in repair or I conduct research on the internet, Long said.

Long has been able to improve the effectiveness of machinery as well as production processes, which has saved power and increased productivity.

His employers saw the value of his hard work and promoted him to deputy manager of machine repair at the corporations facility in Long An Province.

Cao Van Sam, deputy head of the General Directorate of Vocational Training, said that employees should take the initiative in improving their skills, as robots and artificial intelligence could replace humans in some jobs in 10 or 15 years.

At a ceremony honouring the 60 young workers held last Saturday (May 13) in HCM City, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh said that employees should improve their skills in order to quickly adapt and master new technologies in production.

Binh said the country needed highly skilled workers to meet the demands of industrialisation.

Besides efforts from employees, employers and Government agencies as well as organisations have been encouraged to offer more training to their employees, he said.

Role of enterprises, organisations

Mai uc Chinh, deputy chairman of the Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour, said the trade union had encouraged employers to organise short-term training courses for workers every year.

Auto manufacturers and companies in textiles and garments as well as rubber have trained their workers to compete in skills competitions in the country and elsewhere in Asia, Chinh said.

At HCM City export processing zones and industrial parks, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union has launched many courses to teach professional skills, including time management, computer skills, and foreign languages.

In July, the union will open an office in each export processing zone and industrial park in the city to help workers access these courses, a union representative said.

However, teachers and funds for Japanese language programmes are limited, the representative said, adding that authorities should have preferential policies.

Vu Ninh, member of the board at the Gemadept Corp, a leading enterprise in shipping, port operations and logistics in Viet Nam, said that training after recruitment was unavoidable as students only learn basic knowledge at vocational training schools and university

Gemadept Corp has a board in charge of training. After recruitment, employees are given further training in how to work effectively and reduce the number of accidents at goods terminals at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

Vo Thi Phuong Lan, general director of the Amerasian Shipping Logistics Corporation, said that companies were paying more attention to training their employees.

As the member in charge of training employees of enterprises of the Viet Nam Logistics Business Association, Lan said that many courses were organised frequently to help employees of logistic enterprises learn how to solve problems in international transportation. VNS
A NANG  After 18 months of construction, a Nang International Airport officially launched its new terminal at a ceremony held yesterday.

The project is a key part of preparations for the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Summit, which will be hosted in the city this November.

The new terminal, which covers an area of 21,000sq.m, with total investment of VN3.5 trillion (US$155 million), offers 82 counters for check-in, check-out, migration and immigration, as well as 10 boarding gates that will accommodate six million passengers per year, and serve 1,600 passengers at peak hours.

General Director of the a Nang International Terminal Investment and Operation, Le Khac Hong said the introduction of the new terminal would help ease the overloading that occurred at the old terminal.

He said that a Nang Airport is already overloaded with an estimated 6.5 million arrivals per year.

"The new terminal will have seven more hangars bringing the total to 21, an upgraded runaway and a landing area for backed-up flights in the near future," Hong said.

The citys airport is now the third largest airport in Viet Nam, after Noi Bai International Airport in Ha Noi and Tan Son Nhat in the southern economic hub of HCM City. It is an important gateway to the central and Central Highlands region.

The airport accommodates 150 flight arrivals and departures, 15,000 passengers and about 50 tonnes of cargo every day. An additional cargo terminal is also planned which would add 16,000 tonnes of cargo capacity.

Last week, national carrier Vietnam Airlines and budget Jetstar Pacific Airlines began using the new terminal for their international flights.

Last year, the Government allocated VN400 billion (US$17.9 million) from the central government budget to support a Nangs preparations to host the 2017 APEC Summit.

Last month, the city also started a countdown to the 2017 APEC Summit in a Nang.

As planned, the city will host heads of state and CEOs from 21 member nations during the week of November 5 to 11.  VNS
WATERLOO  A Waterloo man shot in the foot by police after brandishing a handgun at a convenience store in February has pleaded to weapons charges.

As part of an agreement, 48-year-old Joseph Alexander Manuele entered an Alford plea  not admitting guilt but acknowledging he could be convicted at trial  to charges of going armed with intent and carrying weapons.

He was sentenced to up to five years in prison. This includes five years for going armed and a concurrent two years for carrying weapons. Manuele was also ordered to pay $1,077 in restitution to Kwik Star on Broadway Street.

It was a major incident there, as far as putting employees in fear. It also resulted in Waterloo police having to fire shots, so we do believe the prison sentence is appropriate, said Black Hawk County Attorney Brad Walz, who prosecuted the case.

Manuele declined to comment during the hearing, but he told the court he was on medication for mental health issues.

Manuele is believed to have fired shots into the front door at the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store on Broadway Street before he entered the Kwik Star at about 2:50 p.m. Feb. 13. The thrift store was closed at the time. No charges were issued in the thrift store damage.

Once inside the Kwik Star, Manuele displayed the handgun, told everyone who was innocent to leave and said he was looking for someone named Vincent. No customers or store employees were injured.

When police arrived, Manuele stepped out of the store and fired a shot into the air, according to police. Officers returned fire, striking him in the foot. He was treated at a local hospital.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation cleared officers involved in the shooting following a review, and they have since returned to work.
OELWEIN -- Former Iowa House Speaker and local consultant Donald Avenson died suddenly on Friday at Great Plains Medical Center in North Platte, Neb.

Avenson was 72 years old.

Avenson, of Oelwein, served as a Democratic state representative from 1972 to 1990, according to his biography at the University of Northern Iowa. He served as speaker from 1983 to 1990, and ran an unsuccessful bid to become governor in 1990. He lost to Gov. Terry Branstad.

Branstad, who is serving as governor again, issued a statement Saturday afternoon on Avensons death.

I was sorry to hear of Don Avensons passing last night. Don was a strong and effective legislator and Speaker of the Iowa House who cared deeply about his constituents and the people of Iowa, Branstad said. Even though we sometimes disagreed on policies, I knew that I could always rely on his word. Together we were able to accomplish many things.

He said the Avenson family is in his and his wife Chris thoughts and prayers.

After leaving elected office, Avenson went on to found Avenson, Oakley & Cope, a consultant firm focused on state government affairs in 1991. According to his biography there, Avenson has been called a visionary consultant and master strategist and he has the respect of both sides of the aisle.

He was a supporter of wildlife and the environment, and was particularly focused on environmental legislation concerning the states natural resources.

Avenson was born in Minneapolis in 1944 but his family moved to Oelwein early in his childhood. He graduated from high school there in 1962 and went on to study at the University of Wisconsin and UNI, according to his UNI biography.

He worked at his familys tool and die company after college and while serving in the legislature. He and his wife, Diane, have three children.
WATERLOO  The former Waterloo Greyhound Park may be the quintessential code enforcement violation.

But city officials are not issuing citations or hauling the owners into court to clean up the broken windows, overgrown weeds and vulgar graffiti overtaking the building at the highly visible entrance to the city at U.S. Highways 63 and 20.

The situation drew public cries for action last week when the Forgotten IA: Lost and Abandoned Places of Iowa Facebook page posted new video detailing the decay at the track that shut down more than 20 years ago.

Community Planning and Development Director Noel Anderson and City Attorney Dave Zellhoefer acknowledge the site has become an eyesore.

But the city is reluctant to wade into an ongoing legal battle between the National Cattle Congress, which holds title to the park, and the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, which has a lien on NCC property and is trying to foreclose.

The city was preparing last year to file an action under Iowa Code 657A, a process used frequently by Waterloo to acquire and demolish abandoned and blighted houses.

But the process halted when the Sac and Fox Tribe, also known as the Meskwaki Tribe of Iowa, won its foreclosure action in district court. The city may not have the power under state law to seize or file tax assessments on Native American lands.

Its a little bit tricky when you are dealing with a sovereign nation, said Anderson.

Instead, the city is hoping the NCC and tribe can settle the ownership issue out of court soon.

We are working with the Meskwakis and Cattle Congress to try to get this taken care of, Anderson said. Not knowing where (the legal process) is going to end, were talking to both parties.

Generally we dont issue (code enforcement) citations when were talking to someone and working with them, he added. It comes off as punitive, and it doesnt help move the conversation forward.

Anderson said the city was hoping for some good news related to the track ownership soon.

Attorneys representing the tribe and the NCC declined to talk about details of any ongoing negotiations over the still-pending foreclosure action.

But NCC attorney Ken Nelson confirmed, Indeed, NCC has had discussions with the tribe regarding potential settlement which, if accomplished, would rectify the situation.

The nonprofit NCC opened the Waterloo Greyhound Park in 1986 as a way to bolster revenues for its fairgrounds and annual exposition. But the facility began bleeding red ink, which got worse when the Meskwaki Casino opened in Tama County.

In 1995, the tribe extended a $9.1 million line of credit to support the NCC, which was undergoing bankruptcy reorganization. The NCC emerged from bankruptcy in 1996 but has not made payments on the promissory notes, boosting the amount owed to $13.9 million, including interest.

While NCC officials have argued they were not required make payments if they didnt expand gambling operations at the track, District Court Judge George Stigler ruled in June the tribe could foreclose.

The NCC has asked the court to reconsider the ruling, which otherwise could send not only the track but the historic fairgrounds and Electric Park Ballroom to a sheriffs auction.

A hearing on NCCs request has been postponed several times as the parties continue out-of-court discussions.
WATERLOO  Residents would have a five-day window to shoot off fireworks under a proposal before the Waterloo City Council on Monday.

Fire Chief Pat Treloar has recommended allowing the use of fireworks from June 30 through July 4, which is a much shorter period than approved by the Iowa Legislature and Gov. Terry Branstad this year.

State law now allows the sale and use of consumer fireworks from June 1 through July 8 and from Dec. 1 through Jan. 3. But the law allows cities to put additional restrictions on their use.

Council members will meet at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall to decide whether to follow Treloars proposal but would be allowed to completely ban fireworks or, similar to neighboring Cedar Falls, keep the full period allowed under state law.

Treloar suggested waiting until after this summers fireworks period before determining whether to allow the winter use near New Years Eve.

The proposed Waterloo ordinance would limit fireworks explosions from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. June 30 and July 3, and from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 1, 2 and 4.

The resolution confirms the state regulations limiting fireworks use to the users real property or on the property of someone who consented to the use. A related ordinance would ban fireworks in city parks.

The Cedar Falls City Council last week prohibited discharging fireworks on city property without the citys permission. The Evansdale council Tuesday prohibited discharging fireworks on all city property including the parks, Mayor Doug Faas said.

Other scheduled council business includes:

A resolution approving 2.65 percent pay increases effective July 1 for more than 100 city employees not covered under collective bargaining agreements. The raises are the same as those being awarded to the unionized employees and were included in the budget adopted in March.

The second reading of an ordinance increases the number of businesses required to have in-store security cameras. The first reading passed on a 6-1 vote last week.

A request from Councilmen Steve Schmitt, Tom Lind and Bruce Jacobs to approve a taxpayer bill of rights, drafted by the American Legislative Exchange Council, which would require any tax or fee increase to get five votes of the seven-member council.
WATERLOO  As auctioneer Fred Van Metre launched into his number-rattling cadence, the items being auctioned  toy and model cars at this one, mostly  went for various prices. But one bid number kept getting called.

It wasnt one deep-pocketed bidder. It was thousands of them, using the bid number assigned to online.

Around 25 percent of the bidders registered to bid on items at the Rich Penn Auctions, held this weekend at Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center in Waterloo, werent even in Waterloo. They were online, from 27 countries and counting.

This is whats crazy about this business  you see all these flags? said Rich Penn Sr., pointing to his computer screen inside the exhibit hall. Thailand, South Africa, Estonia, France, Spain.

Thats along with the many collectors who showed up in person throughout the auction, which ran Friday through today, to browse the collections of Dick Borgerding, George Chartier and Clif Eichelberger.

The theme was A Tribute to the Titans of Transportation, and the hall was filled with toy and model cars, boats, trains, jukeboxes, old beer signs and other assorted items curated by Penn and his team specifically for this weekends sale.

As a couple of dozen collectors sat in the hall with their bid numbers, Penns staff was manning phones and computers, bidding on items as they came up live.

Toy cars in their boxes that might have gone for a dollar or two in the 1940s or 1950s were selling for 30 or 100 times that, at least, during Fridays noon auction.

These were toys  they gave them to their kids to play with decades ago, Penn said. But theyre not demolished like my toys were as a kid.

Penns team has held auctions across the country and internationally, but despite having their home base just steps away from the convention center, never had an auction in Waterloo until this weekend. Penn said he was glad to bring his auction home.

Weve been hauling this stuff to Las Vegas, to Minneapolis, he said. Now were trying to bring some people who have never been to Waterloo or to Iowa.
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!
past daily news Sep 13 (1) Sep 09 (15) Sep 06 (12) Sep 04 (10) Sep 03 (10) Aug 31 (17) Aug 29 (14) Aug 26 (13) Aug 22 (11) Aug 21 (12) Aug 19 (21) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (10) Aug 10 (10) Aug 08 (9) Aug 07 (10) Aug 06 (10) Aug 05 (8) Aug 03 (8) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (14) Jul 29 (1) Jul 27 (7) Jul 25 (5) Jul 24 (10) Jul 22 (11) Jul 19 (16) Jul 17 (6) Jul 16 (10) Jul 15 (13) Jul 12 (7) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (8) Jul 08 (8) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (8) Jul 04 (11) Jul 03 (8) Jul 02 (7) Jul 01 (5) Jun 30 (8) Jun 28 (7) Jun 27 (8) Jun 26 (7) Jun 25 (8) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (6) Jun 22 (9) Jun 20 (5) Jun 19 (9) Jun 18 (8) Jun 15 (9) Jun 13 (13) Jun 11 (11) Jun 09 (19) Jun 06 (10) Jun 04 (10) Jun 03 (8) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (5) May 30 (5) May 29 (6) May 28 (7) May 27 (7) May 26 (6) May 25 (4) May 23 (6) May 22 (6) May 21 (4) May 20 (7) May 19 (9) May 18 (4) May 17 (6) May 16 (5) May 15 (7) May 14 (3) May 13 (3) May 12 (9) May 10 (3) May 09 (7) May 08 (4) May 07 (3) May 06 (5) May 05 (8) May 03 (9) May 02 (1) May 01 (5) Apr 30 (8) Apr 29 (5) Apr 28 (4) Apr 27 (7) Apr 26 (12) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (8) Apr 23 (7) Apr 22 (5) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (1) Apr 19 (5) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (6) Apr 15 (5) Apr 14 (2) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (2) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (3) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (5) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (10) Apr 04 (2) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (9) Apr 01 (7) Mar 31 (10) Mar 30 (6) Mar 29 (7) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (10) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (10) Mar 22 (6) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (11) Mar 19 (8) Mar 18 (5) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (11) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (7) Mar 13 (7) Mar 12 (5) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (5) Mar 08 (6) Mar 07 (8) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (12) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (8) Mar 02 (6) Mar 01 (8) Feb 28 (7) Feb 27 (5) Feb 26 (6) Feb 25 (7) Feb 24 (3) Feb 23 (6) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (3) Feb 20 (1) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (2) Feb 15 (5) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (6) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (6) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (6) Feb 06 (4) Feb 05 (2) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (1) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (8) Jan 30 (2) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (1) Jan 27 (4) Jan 26 (7) Jan 25 (4) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (2) Jan 20 (2) Jan 19 (3) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (2) Jan 16 (7) Jan 15 (6) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (6) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (5) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 05 (5) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (1) Dec 31 (5) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (5) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (4) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (2) Dec 17 (1) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (2) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (7) Dec 12 (5) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (2) Dec 08 (2) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (4) Dec 05 (1) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (5) Dec 01 (6) Nov 30 (5) Nov 29 (10) Nov 28 (6) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (3) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (5) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (6) Nov 19 (2) Nov 18 (5) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (2) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (4) Nov 10 (5) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (5) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (5) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (5) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (9) Oct 30 (9) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (6) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (6) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (6) Oct 22 (4) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (5) Oct 17 (5) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (2) Oct 13 (4) Oct 12 (7) Oct 11 (5) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (5) Oct 08 (10) Oct 07 (1) Oct 06 (10) Oct 05 (6) Oct 04 (8) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (1) Sep 28 (6) Sep 27 (6) Sep 26 (5) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (6) Sep 23 (5) Sep 22 (7) Sep 21 (6) Sep 20 (6) Sep 19 (5) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (5) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (6) Sep 13 (4) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (7) Sep 10 (6) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (4) Sep 06 (8) Sep 05 (6) Sep 04 (7) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (5) Aug 31 (8) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (6) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (1) Aug 26 (4) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (7) Aug 23 (4) Aug 22 (4) Aug 21 (4) Aug 20 (7) Aug 18 (5) Aug 17 (8) Aug 16 (8) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (2) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (8) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (10) Aug 02 (9) Aug 01 (8) Jul 31 (1) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (2) Jul 28 (11) Jul 27 (10) Jul 26 (10) Jul 25 (7) Jul 24 (5) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (2) Jul 21 (7) Jul 20 (10) Jul 19 (8) Jul 18 (7) Jul 17 (1) Jul 16 (10) Jul 14 (7) Jul 13 (6) Jul 12 (11) Jul 11 (7) Jul 10 (5) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (5) Jul 07 (8) Jul 06 (4) Jul 05 (6) Jul 04 (6) Jul 03 (7) Jul 02 (6) Jul 01 (2) Jun 30 (7) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (5) Jun 27 (8) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (6) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (8) Jun 18 (2) Jun 17 (3) Jun 16 (4) Jun 15 (3) Jun 14 (7) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (7) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (8) Jun 08 (8) Jun 07 (8) Jun 06 (10) Jun 05 (14) Jun 04 (6) Jun 03 (6) Jun 02 (8) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (7) May 30 (2) May 29 (7) May 28 (7) May 27 (2) May 26 (4) May 25 (5) May 24 (4) May 23 (5) May 22 (5) May 21 (5) May 20 (3) May 19 (10) May 18 (6) May 17 (3) May 16 (6) May 15 (2) May 14 (3) May 13 (5) May 11 (1) May 10 (5) May 09 (3) May 08 (4) May 07 (2) May 06 (4) May 05 (6) May 04 (5) May 03 (5) May 02 (1) May 01 (6) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (7) Apr 28 (8) Apr 27 (9) Apr 26 (14) Apr 25 (6) Apr 24 (6) Apr 23 (7) Apr 22 (1) Apr 21 (8) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (6) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (7) Apr 16 (1) Apr 15 (8) Apr 14 (1) Apr 13 (7) Apr 12 (10) Apr 11 (7) Apr 10 (2) Apr 09 (2) Apr 08 (4) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (6) Apr 05 (6) Apr 04 (9) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (5) Mar 30 (4) Mar 29 (8) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (9) Mar 26 (4) Mar 25 (5) Mar 24 (11) Mar 23 (10) Mar 22 (9) Mar 21 (10) Mar 20 (11) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (7) Mar 17 (3) Mar 16 (7) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (6) Mar 13 (9) Mar 12 (6) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (5) Mar 08 (6) Mar 07 (13) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (7) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (6) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (5) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (6) Feb 23 (9) Feb 22 (6) Feb 21 (7) Feb 20 (8) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (6) Feb 15 (5) Feb 14 (7) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (5) Feb 09 (9) Feb 08 (8) Feb 07 (7) Feb 06 (10) Feb 05 (7) Feb 04 (2) Feb 03 (8) Feb 02 (7) Feb 01 (5) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (7) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (7) Jan 26 (8) Jan 25 (6) Jan 24 (6) Jan 23 (5) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (6) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (8) Jan 17 (12) Jan 16 (5) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (8) Jan 12 (6) Jan 11 (6) Jan 10 (7) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (6) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (6) Jan 05 (9) Jan 04 (9) Jan 03 (4) Jan 02 (6) Jan 01 (8) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (1) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (4) Dec 27 (8) Dec 26 (4) Dec 24 (5) Dec 23 (7) Dec 22 (12) Dec 21 (4) Dec 20 (7) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (5) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (1) Dec 15 (7) Dec 14 (10) Dec 13 (7) Dec 12 (12) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (6) Dec 08 (7) Dec 07 (12) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (13) Dec 04 (6) Dec 02 (8) Dec 01 (8) Nov 30 (6) Nov 29 (7) Nov 28 (7) Nov 27 (4) Nov 26 (8) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (5) Nov 22 (11) Nov 21 (7) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (10) Nov 18 (7) Nov 17 (6) Nov 16 (11) Nov 15 (10) Nov 14 (7) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (5) Nov 11 (12) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (14) Nov 08 (10) Nov 07 (11) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (5) Nov 04 (11) Nov 03 (9) Nov 02 (10) Nov 01 (8) Oct 31 (12) Oct 30 (5) Oct 29 (5) Oct 28 (5) Oct 27 (11) Oct 26 (13) Oct 25 (9) Oct 24 (10) Oct 23 (8) Oct 22 (5) Oct 21 (11) Oct 20 (8) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (5) Oct 17 (5) Oct 16 (6) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (9) Oct 13 (10) Oct 12 (11) Oct 11 (9) Oct 10 (10) Oct 09 (7) Oct 08 (5) Oct 07 (10) Oct 06 (9) Oct 05 (14) Oct 04 (9) Oct 03 (12) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (9) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (7) Sep 28 (13) Sep 27 (10) Sep 26 (11) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (9) Sep 23 (7) Sep 22 (10) Sep 21 (12) Sep 20 (12) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (7) Sep 16 (11) Sep 15 (8) Sep 14 (5) Sep 13 (8) Sep 12 (8) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (10) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (9) Sep 07 (8) Sep 06 (11) Sep 05 (2) Sep 04 (8) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (6) Sep 01 (9) Aug 31 (9) Aug 30 (7) Aug 29 (9) Aug 28 (4) Aug 27 (8) Aug 26 (6) Aug 25 (5) Aug 24 (8) Aug 23 (4) Aug 22 (5) Aug 21 (2) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (6) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (4) Aug 16 (6) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (4) Aug 13 (7) Aug 12 (6) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (8) Aug 08 (9) Aug 07 (7) Aug 06 (7) Aug 05 (7) Aug 04 (7) Aug 03 (11) Aug 02 (6) Aug 01 (9) Jul 31 (11) Jul 28 (7) Jul 27 (11) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (5) Jul 24 (1) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (2) Jul 20 (9) Jul 19 (8) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (7) Jul 15 (4) Jul 14 (2) Jul 13 (6) Jul 12 (10) Jul 11 (11) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (5) Jul 07 (5) Jul 06 (6) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (6) Jul 03 (5) Jul 02 (3) Jun 30 (8) Jun 29 (5) Jun 28 (6) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (1) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (11) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (5) Jun 19 (7) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (7) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (6) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (6) Jun 09 (8) Jun 08 (6) Jun 07 (8) Jun 06 (7) Jun 05 (5) Jun 04 (7) Jun 03 (1) Jun 02 (9) Jun 01 (5) May 31 (8) May 30 (7) May 29 (5) May 28 (5) May 27 (4) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (3) May 23 (5) May 22 (2) May 21 (3) May 20 (7) May 19 (11) May 18 (1) May 17 (7) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (4) May 11 (11) May 10 (2) May 09 (6) May 08 (6) May 07 (2) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (5) May 03 (8) May 02 (4) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (13) Apr 28 (5) Apr 27 (7) Apr 26 (5) Apr 25 (5) Apr 24 (2) Apr 23 (7) Apr 22 (9) Apr 21 (11) Apr 20 (2) Apr 19 (2) Apr 18 (5) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (6) Apr 14 (5) Apr 13 (2) Apr 12 (9) Apr 11 (10) Apr 10 (6) Apr 09 (5) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (10) Apr 06 (7) Apr 05 (7) Apr 04 (7) Apr 03 (9) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (9) Mar 29 (7) Mar 28 (4) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (6) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (8) Mar 23 (7) Mar 22 (4) Mar 21 (10) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (6) Mar 17 (7) Mar 16 (11) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (4) Mar 12 (6) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (9) Mar 08 (10) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (2) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (3) Feb 27 (8) Feb 26 (9) Feb 24 (11) Feb 23 (8) Feb 22 (9) Feb 21 (8) Feb 20 (7) Feb 19 (4) Feb 18 (9) Feb 17 (6) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (7) Feb 14 (11) Feb 13 (2) Feb 12 (5) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (10) Feb 08 (9) Feb 07 (9) Feb 06 (2) Feb 05 (9) Feb 03 (7) Feb 02 (5) Feb 01 (7) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (5) Jan 29 (6) Jan 28 (5) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (7) Jan 25 (7) Jan 24 (8) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (14) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (10) Jan 18 (11) Jan 17 (9) Jan 16 (5) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (9) Jan 13 (6) Jan 12 (7) Jan 11 (7) Jan 10 (2) Jan 09 (7) Jan 08 (6) Jan 07 (10) Jan 06 (8) Jan 05 (7) Jan 04 (9) Jan 03 (8) Jan 02 (5) Jan 01 (14) Dec 30 (13) Dec 29 (13) Dec 28 (9) Dec 27 (5) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (7) Dec 24 (4) Dec 23 (5) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (8) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (8) Dec 18 (9) Dec 16 (8) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (5) Dec 13 (8) Dec 12 (4) Dec 11 (17) Dec 09 (8) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (10) Dec 06 (12) Dec 05 (6) Dec 04 (8) Dec 02 (6) Dec 01 (7) Nov 30 (9) Nov 29 (6) Nov 28 (11) Nov 27 (6) Nov 26 (15) Nov 24 (7) Nov 23 (15) Nov 22 (9) Nov 21 (6) Nov 20 (11) Nov 18 (11) Nov 17 (13) Nov 16 (8) Nov 15 (13) Nov 14 (7) Nov 13 (7) Nov 12 (3) Nov 11 (13) Nov 10 (13) Nov 09 (6) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (6) Nov 06 (4) Nov 05 (12) Nov 04 (8) Nov 03 (9) Nov 02 (8) Nov 01 (6) Oct 31 (10) Oct 30 (8) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (8) Oct 27 (15) Oct 26 (10) Oct 25 (10) Oct 24 (13) Oct 23 (9) Oct 21 (8) Oct 20 (13) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (11) Oct 17 (8) Oct 16 (14) Oct 14 (9) Oct 13 (11) Oct 12 (9) Oct 11 (13) Oct 10 (7) Oct 09 (15) Oct 07 (7) Oct 06 (11) Oct 05 (18) Oct 04 (14) Oct 03 (1) Oct 02 (10) Sep 30 (11) Sep 29 (11) Sep 28 (11) Sep 27 (15) Sep 26 (7) Sep 24 (9) Sep 23 (11) Sep 22 (7) Sep 21 (17) Sep 20 (20) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (11) Sep 16 (10) Sep 15 (12) Sep 14 (9) Sep 13 (12) Sep 12 (14) Sep 11 (4) Sep 10 (8) Sep 09 (9) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (13) Sep 06 (15) Sep 05 (8) Sep 04 (11) Sep 03 (10) Sep 02 (12) Sep 01 (12) Aug 31 (14) Aug 30 (14) Aug 29 (8) Aug 28 (8) Aug 27 (9) Aug 26 (12) Aug 25 (6) Aug 24 (8) Aug 23 (12) Aug 22 (6) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (6) Aug 19 (9) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (7) Aug 16 (11) Aug 15 (2) Aug 14 (12) Aug 12 (15) Aug 11 (11) Aug 10 (6) Aug 09 (7) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (5) Aug 05 (7) Aug 04 (7) Aug 03 (4) Aug 02 (5) Aug 01 (5) Jul 31 (7) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (9) Jul 28 (8) Jul 27 (8) Jul 26 (7) Jul 25 (6) Jul 23 (8) Jul 22 (6) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (9) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (15) Jul 15 (14) Jul 14 (5) Jul 13 (6) Jul 12 (12) Jul 11 (8) Jul 10 (3) Jul 09 (11) Jul 08 (8) Jul 07 (7) Jul 06 (10) Jul 05 (4) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (5) Jul 02 (7) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (7) Jun 29 (10) Jun 28 (8) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (2) Jun 23 (11) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (7) Jun 20 (3) Jun 19 (7) Jun 18 (10) Jun 17 (11) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (7) Jun 13 (14) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (8) Jun 09 (9) Jun 08 (11) Jun 07 (14) Jun 06 (16) Jun 03 (8) Jun 02 (12) Jun 01 (5) May 31 (7) May 30 (15) May 28 (7) May 27 (5) May 26 (21) May 25 (14) May 24 (10) May 23 (7) May 22 (8) May 21 (11) May 20 (5) May 19 (4) May 18 (10) May 17 (11) May 16 (5) May 15 (6) May 14 (7) May 13 (12) May 12 (10) May 11 (7) May 10 (13) May 09 (4) May 08 (7) May 07 (3) May 06 (6) May 05 (9) May 04 (14) May 03 (7) May 02 (10) May 01 (10) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (9) Apr 28 (5) Apr 27 (9) Apr 26 (8) Apr 25 (8) Apr 24 (6) Apr 23 (14) Apr 22 (16) Apr 21 (11) Apr 20 (7) Apr 19 (16) Apr 18 (8) Apr 17 (7) Apr 16 (10) Apr 15 (8) Apr 14 (5) Apr 13 (11) Apr 12 (10) Apr 11 (8) Apr 10 (12) Apr 09 (5) Apr 08 (13) Apr 07 (9) Apr 06 (11) Apr 05 (15) Apr 04 (7) Apr 03 (15) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (11) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (10) Mar 29 (8) Mar 28 (7) Mar 27 (12) Mar 26 (8) Mar 25 (8) Mar 24 (7) Mar 23 (15) Mar 22 (17) Mar 21 (9) Mar 20 (8) Mar 19 (4) Mar 18 (16) Mar 17 (8) Mar 16 (19) Mar 15 (13) Mar 14 (7) Mar 13 (20) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (11) Mar 09 (13) Mar 08 (13) Mar 07 (7) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (9) Mar 04 (10) Mar 03 (16) Mar 02 (16) Mar 01 (13) Feb 29 (8) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (16) Feb 26 (10) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (12) Feb 23 (14) Feb 22 (9) Feb 21 (11) Feb 20 (8) Feb 19 (12) Feb 18 (12) Feb 17 (11) Feb 16 (8) Feb 15 (9) Feb 14 (7) Feb 13 (10) Feb 12 (11) Feb 11 (13) Feb 10 (5) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (9) Feb 06 (13) Feb 05 (10) Feb 04 (11) Feb 03 (7) Feb 02 (19) Jan 31 (21) Jan 29 (11) Jan 28 (10) Jan 27 (13) Jan 26 (7) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (2) Jan 23 (8) Jan 22 (13) Jan 21 (11) Jan 20 (9) Jan 19 (13) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (11) Jan 15 (7) Jan 14 (13) Jan 13 (9) Jan 12 (9) Jan 11 (5) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (7) Jan 08 (7) Jan 07 (6) Jan 06 (11) Jan 05 (7) Jan 04 (7) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (8) Jan 01 (5) Dec 31 (10) Dec 30 (9) Dec 29 (7) Dec 28 (9) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (1) Dec 25 (5) Dec 24 (6) Dec 23 (6) Dec 22 (7) Dec 21 (6) Dec 20 (7) Dec 19 (13) Dec 18 (16) Dec 17 (10) Dec 16 (13) Dec 15 (11) Dec 14 (8) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (9) Dec 11 (10) Dec 10 (12) Dec 09 (10) Dec 08 (13) Dec 07 (7) Dec 06 (12) Dec 05 (8) Dec 04 (11) Dec 03 (12) Dec 02 (16) Dec 01 (14) Nov 30 (10) Nov 29 (11) Nov 28 (15) Nov 27 (16) Nov 26 (11) Nov 25 (9) Nov 24 (13) Nov 23 (10) Nov 22 (1) Nov 21 (7) Nov 20 (12) Nov 19 (10) Nov 18 (11) Nov 17 (11) Nov 16 (10) Nov 15 (3) Nov 14 (10) Nov 13 (14) Nov 12 (8) Nov 11 (13) Nov 10 (10) Nov 09 (6) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (11) Nov 06 (12) Nov 05 (17) Nov 04 (12) Nov 03 (11) Nov 02 (5) Nov 01 (12) Oct 31 (11) Oct 30 (11) Oct 29 (10) Oct 28 (18) Oct 27 (16) Oct 26 (11) Oct 25 (9) Oct 24 (12) Oct 23 (11) Oct 22 (14) Oct 21 (12) Oct 20 (17) Oct 19 (12) Oct 18 (13) Oct 17 (15) Oct 16 (14) Oct 15 (10) Oct 14 (16) Oct 13 (12) Oct 12 (13) Oct 11 (8) Oct 10 (12) Oct 09 (21) Oct 08 (22) Oct 07 (19) Oct 06 (18) Oct 05 (6) Oct 04 (17) Oct 03 (13) Oct 02 (14) Oct 01 (13) Sep 30 (14) Sep 29 (15) Sep 28 (12) Sep 27 (11) Sep 26 (15) Sep 25 (13) Sep 24 (9) Sep 23 (10) Sep 22 (12) Sep 21 (8) Sep 20 (4) Sep 19 (12) Sep 18 (12) Sep 17 (16) Sep 16 (21) Sep 15 (14) Sep 14 (7) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (10) Sep 11 (16) Sep 10 (7) Sep 09 (8) Sep 08 (10) Sep 07 (7) Sep 06 (5) Sep 05 (8) Sep 04 (9) Sep 03 (8) Sep 02 (11) Sep 01 (10) Aug 31 (4) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (1) Aug 28 (10) Aug 27 (8) Aug 26 (8) Aug 25 (14) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (5) Aug 21 (13) Aug 20 (9) Aug 19 (13) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (6) Aug 14 (8) Aug 13 (7) Aug 12 (12) Aug 11 (9) Aug 10 (8) Aug 09 (14) Aug 08 (6) Aug 07 (1) Aug 06 (4) Aug 05 (8) Aug 04 (6) Aug 03 (6) Aug 02 (2) Aug 01 (6) Jul 31 (6) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (6) Jul 28 (8) Jul 27 (7) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (6) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (7) Jul 20 (5) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (5) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (9) Jul 14 (2) Jul 13 (8) Jul 12 (1) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (8) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (13) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (5) Jul 03 (6) Jul 02 (6) Jul 01 (7) Jun 30 (7) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (1) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (7) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (9) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (3) Jun 19 (4) Jun 18 (7) Jun 17 (7) Jun 16 (7) Jun 15 (11) Jun 12 (6) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (10) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (2) Jun 05 (9) Jun 04 (8) Jun 03 (9) Jun 02 (6) Jun 01 (4) May 30 (7) May 29 (9) May 28 (13) May 26 (8) May 25 (5) May 24 (2) May 23 (8) May 22 (9) May 21 (7) May 20 (4) May 19 (6) May 18 (7) May 17 (8) May 15 (9) May 14 (5) May 13 (8) May 12 (6) May 11 (6) May 09 (7) May 08 (6) May 07 (11) May 06 (7) May 05 (4) May 04 (11) May 03 (5) May 02 (4) May 01 (9) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (4) Apr 28 (9) Apr 27 (4) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (5) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (10) Apr 22 (8) Apr 21 (9) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (4) Apr 18 (8) Apr 17 (7) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (6) Apr 14 (8) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (6) Apr 10 (2) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (5) Apr 07 (5) Apr 06 (2) Apr 05 (2) Apr 04 (5) Apr 03 (7) Apr 02 (7) Apr 01 (12) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (1) Mar 28 (2) Mar 27 (6) Mar 26 (2) Mar 25 (5) Mar 24 (4) Mar 23 (7) Mar 22 (4) Mar 21 (6) Mar 20 (9) Mar 19 (9) Mar 18 (8) Mar 17 (9) Mar 16 (7) Mar 15 (11) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (12) Mar 11 (9) Mar 10 (12) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (5) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (11) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (8) Feb 27 (9) Feb 26 (9) Feb 25 (8) Feb 24 (6) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (10) Feb 18 (9) Feb 17 (7) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (2) Feb 14 (8) Feb 13 (12) Feb 12 (8) Feb 11 (10) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (2) Feb 06 (7) Feb 05 (4) Feb 04 (11) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (7) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (8) Jan 29 (12) Jan 28 (6) Jan 27 (8) Jan 26 (13) Jan 24 (8) Jan 23 (12) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (10) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (9) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (11) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (6) Jan 12 (7) Jan 11 (6) Jan 10 (2) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (6) Jan 06 (4) Jan 05 (4) Jan 04 (3) Jan 03 (6) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (6) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (6) Dec 28 (4) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (3) Dec 24 (5) Dec 23 (7) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (4) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (5) Dec 18 (8) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (9) Dec 15 (7) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (10) Dec 12 (10) Dec 11 (9) Dec 10 (10) Dec 09 (11) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (9) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (8) Dec 02 (10) Dec 01 (6) Nov 30 (1) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (9) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (7) Nov 25 (12) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (8) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (12) Nov 19 (6) Nov 18 (10) Nov 17 (12) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (12) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (7) Nov 11 (8) Nov 10 (7) Nov 09 (6) Nov 08 (5) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (6) Nov 05 (12) Nov 04 (9) Nov 03 (6) Nov 02 (14) Nov 01 (3) Oct 31 (6) Oct 30 (7) Oct 29 (9) Oct 28 (9) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (9) Oct 24 (8) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (2) Oct 19 (11) Oct 17 (6) Oct 16 (7) Oct 15 (7) Oct 14 (8) Oct 13 (5) Oct 12 (8) Oct 11 (6) Oct 10 (5) Oct 09 (11) Oct 08 (10) Oct 07 (8) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (7) Oct 04 (8) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (10) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (7) Sep 29 (6) Sep 28 (5) Sep 27 (8) Sep 26 (11) Sep 25 (11) Sep 24 (15) Sep 23 (8) Sep 22 (9) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (8) Sep 19 (9) Sep 18 (10) Sep 17 (10) Sep 16 (5) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (7) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (8) Sep 10 (6) Sep 09 (7) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (4) Sep 05 (7) Sep 04 (11) Sep 03 (7) Sep 02 (7) Sep 01 (2) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (1) Aug 29 (10) Aug 28 (5) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (10) Aug 25 (6) Aug 24 (9) Aug 22 (11) Aug 21 (8) Aug 20 (12) Aug 19 (8) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (4) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (6) Aug 14 (4) Aug 13 (7) Aug 12 (8) Aug 11 (7) Aug 10 (12) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (6) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (8) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (4) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (6) Jul 30 (12) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (5) Jul 27 (7) Jul 25 (7) Jul 24 (8) Jul 23 (8) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (8) Jul 20 (6) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (8) Jul 17 (2) Jul 16 (7) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (9) Jul 13 (10) Jul 11 (9) Jul 10 (8) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (7) Jul 07 (7) Jul 06 (7) Jul 05 (10) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (6) Jul 02 (6) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (5) Jun 29 (6) Jun 28 (1) Jun 27 (15) Jun 26 (10) Jun 25 (9) Jun 24 (16) Jun 23 (6) Jun 22 (12) Jun 20 (6) Jun 19 (8) Jun 18 (10) Jun 17 (6) Jun 16 (7) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (13) Jun 12 (7) Jun 11 (14) Jun 10 (3) Jun 09 (2) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (7) Jun 06 (16) Jun 05 (7) Jun 04 (18) Jun 03 (12) Jun 02 (8) May 31 (3) May 30 (6) May 29 (6) May 28 (7) May 27 (4) May 26 (4) May 25 (6) May 23 (4) May 22 (8) May 21 (5) May 20 (6) May 19 (2) May 18 (9) May 17 (1) May 16 (5) May 15 (5) May 14 (7) May 13 (7) May 12 (7) May 11 (4) May 10 (4) May 09 (5) May 08 (10) May 07 (4) May 06 (13) May 05 (4) May 04 (10) May 02 (2) May 01 (5) Apr 30 (9) Apr 29 (6) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (4) Apr 26 (9) Apr 25 (9) Apr 24 (7) Apr 23 (11) Apr 22 (7) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (10) Apr 19 (6) Apr 18 (5) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (6) Apr 15 (7) Apr 14 (11) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (9) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (6) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (6) Apr 05 (10) Apr 03 (9) Apr 02 (9) Apr 01 (12) Mar 31 (4) Mar 30 (9) Mar 29 (10) Mar 28 (7) Mar 27 (8) Mar 26 (8) Mar 25 (15) Mar 24 (11) Mar 23 (8) Mar 22 (7) Mar 21 (14) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (11) Mar 18 (11) Mar 17 (12) Mar 16 (8) Mar 15 (8) Mar 14 (13) Mar 13 (8) Mar 12 (10) Mar 11 (8) Mar 10 (7) Mar 09 (3) Mar 08 (12) Mar 07 (15) Mar 06 (16) Mar 05 (9) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (12) Mar 02 (20) Feb 28 (11) Feb 27 (8) Feb 26 (11) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (14) Feb 23 (5) Feb 22 (6) Feb 21 (8) Feb 20 (11) Feb 19 (7) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (8) Feb 16 (11) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (10) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (10) Feb 11 (7) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (6) Feb 07 (5) Feb 06 (4) Feb 05 (10) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (5) Jan 29 (2) Jan 28 (6) Jan 27 (3) Jan 26 (2) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (7) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (5) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (7) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (5) Jan 13 (4) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (3) Jan 10 (5) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (6) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (1) Jan 05 (4) Jan 04 (5) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (6) Jan 01 (2) Dec 31 (6) Dec 30 (1) Dec 29 (5) Dec 27 (1) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (8) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (1) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (8) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (4) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (4) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (7) Dec 09 (5) Dec 08 (2) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (10) Dec 04 (9) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (2) Dec 01 (8) Nov 29 (5) Nov 28 (7) Nov 27 (5) Nov 26 (9) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (5) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (5) Nov 21 (12) Nov 20 (12) Nov 19 (10) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (8) Nov 15 (7) Nov 14 (7) Nov 13 (6) Nov 12 (12) Nov 11 (6) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (10) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (5) Nov 05 (9) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (4) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (3) Oct 31 (10) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (11) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (7) Oct 26 (7) Oct 25 (6) Oct 24 (7) Oct 23 (11) Oct 22 (2) Oct 21 (7) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (7) Oct 17 (5) Oct 16 (8) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (5) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (7) Oct 11 (20) Oct 10 (2) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (21) Oct 07 (20) Oct 06 (34) Oct 04 (24) Oct 03 (21) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (7) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (5) Sep 28 (6) Sep 27 (5) Sep 26 (6) Sep 25 (5) Sep 24 (2) Sep 23 (8) Sep 22 (4) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (9) Sep 19 (11) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (7) Sep 16 (6) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (7) Sep 13 (8) Sep 12 (11) Sep 11 (7) Sep 10 (6) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (6) Sep 06 (10) Sep 05 (7) Sep 04 (7) Sep 03 (5) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (8) Aug 31 (5) Aug 30 (7) Aug 29 (10) Aug 28 (7) Aug 27 (6) Aug 26 (6) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (8) Aug 23 (6) Aug 22 (6) Aug 21 (8) Aug 20 (8) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (2) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (7) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (4) Aug 12 (6) Aug 11 (6) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (8) Aug 08 (6) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (12) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (10) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (7) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (6) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (7) Jul 23 (10) Jul 22 (8) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (7) Jul 18 (9) Jul 17 (10) Jul 16 (11) Jul 15 (5) Jul 13 (5) Jul 12 (9) Jul 11 (11) Jul 10 (12) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (5) Jul 07 (8) Jul 06 (9) Jul 05 (10) Jul 04 (8) Jul 03 (10) Jul 02 (12) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (5) Jun 29 (6) Jun 28 (23) Jun 27 (18) Jun 26 (12) Jun 25 (14) Jun 24 (15) Jun 23 (11) Jun 22 (11) Jun 21 (15) Jun 20 (9) Jun 19 (8) Jun 18 (11) Jun 17 (7) Jun 16 (6) Jun 15 (6) Jun 14 (6) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (6) Jun 11 (9) Jun 10 (10) Jun 09 (9) Jun 08 (6) Jun 07 (2) Jun 06 (6) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (3) May 30 (5) May 29 (8) May 28 (7) May 27 (2) May 26 (2) May 25 (8) May 24 (7) May 23 (6) May 22 (9) May 21 (6) May 20 (5) May 19 (6) May 18 (9) May 17 (10) May 16 (11) May 15 (5) May 14 (11) May 13 (6) May 12 (7) May 11 (7) May 10 (5) May 09 (3) May 08 (10) May 07 (8) May 06 (11) May 05 (5) May 04 (9) May 03 (3) May 02 (2) May 01 (5) Apr 30 (5) Apr 29 (8) Apr 28 (6) Apr 27 (4) Apr 26 (9) Apr 25 (11) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (11) Apr 22 (7) Apr 21 (5) Apr 20 (7) Apr 19 (10) Apr 18 (8) Apr 17 (10) Apr 16 (8) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (5) Apr 13 (7) Apr 12 (11) Apr 11 (6) Apr 10 (7) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (9) Apr 05 (10) Apr 04 (7) Apr 03 (2) Apr 02 (6) Apr 01 (4) Mar 31 (3) Mar 30 (4) Mar 29 (3) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (10) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (7) Mar 22 (6) Mar 21 (9) Mar 20 (5) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (9) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (8) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (10) Mar 12 (10) Mar 11 (2) Mar 10 (1) Mar 09 (6) Mar 08 (4) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (7) Mar 03 (6) Mar 02 (8) Mar 01 (9) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (8) Feb 25 (7) Feb 24 (3) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (7) Feb 20 (4) Feb 19 (4) Feb 18 (2) Feb 17 (1) Feb 16 (6) Feb 15 (6) Feb 14 (5) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (7) Feb 11 (2) Feb 10 (2) Feb 09 (5) Feb 08 (5) Feb 07 (9) Feb 06 (4) Feb 05 (9) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (3) Feb 02 (10) Feb 01 (9) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (8) Jan 29 (5) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (4) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (6) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (7) Jan 18 (3) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (8) Jan 15 (7) Jan 14 (9) Jan 13 (1) Jan 12 (7) Jan 11 (1) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (2) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (5) Jan 03 (4) Jan 02 (4) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (8) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (4) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (7) Dec 21 (5) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (6) Dec 17 (4) Dec 16 (5) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (8) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (6) Dec 11 (8) Dec 10 (5) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (4) Dec 07 (7) Dec 06 (7) Dec 05 (6) Dec 04 (6) Dec 03 (7) Dec 02 (1) Dec 01 (6) Nov 30 (2) Nov 29 (8) Nov 28 (16) Nov 27 (7) Nov 26 (5) Nov 25 (2) Nov 24 (6) Nov 23 (5) Nov 22 (5) Nov 21 (5) Nov 20 (15) Nov 19 (8) Nov 18 (2) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (7) Nov 14 (6) Nov 13 (9) Nov 12 (7) Nov 11 (8) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (5) Nov 08 (8) Nov 07 (9) Nov 06 (9) Nov 05 (1) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (8) Nov 02 (6) Nov 01 (3) Oct 31 (6) Oct 30 (7) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (8) Oct 24 (4) Oct 23 (1) Oct 22 (6) Oct 21 (1) Oct 20 (8) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (10) Oct 17 (6) Oct 16 (15) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (5) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (9) Oct 11 (7) Oct 10 (1) Oct 09 (5) Oct 08 (7) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (8) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (7) Oct 02 (6) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (8) Sep 29 (6) Sep 28 (13) Sep 27 (10) Sep 26 (8) Sep 25 (8) Sep 24 (8) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (7) Sep 21 (9) Sep 20 (7) Sep 19 (8) Sep 18 (4) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (8) Sep 14 (5) Sep 13 (7) Sep 12 (7) Sep 11 (9) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (10) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (12) Sep 06 (13) Sep 05 (15) Sep 04 (5) Sep 03 (4) Sep 02 (6) Sep 01 (9) Aug 31 (7) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (8) Aug 28 (11) Aug 27 (2) Aug 26 (6) Aug 25 (15) Aug 24 (6) Aug 23 (8) Aug 22 (5) Aug 21 (6) Aug 20 (7) Aug 19 (2) Aug 18 (5) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (11) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (9) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (6) Aug 09 (5) Aug 08 (7) Aug 07 (9) Aug 06 (4) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (8) Aug 02 (9) Aug 01 (10) Jul 31 (11) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (11) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (7) Jul 25 (7) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (8) Jul 22 (5) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (10) Jul 19 (6) Jul 18 (9) Jul 17 (6) Jul 16 (7) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (7) Jul 12 (8) Jul 11 (6) Jul 10 (14) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (5) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (9) Jul 05 (8) Jul 04 (5) Jul 03 (8) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (5) Jun 30 (6) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (8) Jun 25 (3) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (14) Jun 22 (11) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (8) Jun 19 (7) Jun 18 (4) Jun 17 (3) Jun 16 (12) Jun 15 (12) Jun 14 (10) Jun 13 (10) Jun 12 (9) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (12) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (12) Jun 06 (6) Jun 05 (7) Jun 04 (6) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (8) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (8) May 28 (7) May 27 (4) May 26 (3) May 25 (5) May 24 (9) May 23 (16) May 22 (12) May 21 (11) May 20 (7) May 19 (10) May 18 (8) May 17 (8) May 16 (10) May 15 (8) May 14 (5) May 13 (1) May 12 (6) May 11 (9) May 10 (9) May 09 (10) May 08 (9) May 07 (6) May 06 (5) May 05 (7) May 04 (10) May 03 (7) May 02 (9) May 01 (10) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (9) Apr 28 (12) Apr 27 (9) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (5) Apr 24 (9) Apr 23 (4) Apr 22 (7) Apr 21 (8) Apr 20 (9) Apr 19 (6) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (2) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (10) Apr 14 (7) Apr 13 (5) Apr 12 (7) Apr 11 (7) Apr 10 (7) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (7) Apr 07 (10) Apr 06 (8) Apr 05 (8) Apr 04 (9) Apr 03 (6) Apr 02 (4) Apr 01 (4) Mar 31 (11) Mar 30 (12) Mar 29 (16) Mar 28 (8) Mar 27 (10) Mar 26 (12) Mar 25 (6) Mar 24 (9) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (12) Mar 21 (12) Mar 20 (14) Mar 19 (8) Mar 18 (7) Mar 17 (8) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (9) Mar 12 (6) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (13) Mar 09 (8) Mar 08 (10) Mar 07 (12) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (2) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (12) Mar 01 (8) Feb 29 (11) Feb 28 (5) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (13) Feb 25 (10) Feb 24 (13) Feb 23 (10) Feb 22 (9) Feb 21 (18) Feb 20 (6) Feb 19 (7) Feb 18 (9) Feb 17 (5) Feb 16 (9) Feb 15 (7) Feb 14 (6) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (6) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (8) Feb 09 (5) Feb 08 (8) Feb 07 (10) Feb 06 (7) Feb 05 (7) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (11) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (12) Jan 30 (7) Jan 29 (7) Jan 28 (7) Jan 27 (12) Jan 26 (7) Jan 25 (11) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (6) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (12) Jan 20 (11) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (6) Jan 17 (11) Jan 16 (9) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (6) Jan 12 (9) Jan 11 (9) Jan 10 (10) Jan 09 (5) Jan 08 (10) Jan 07 (5) Jan 06 (6) Jan 05 (8) Jan 04 (5) Jan 03 (8) Jan 02 (7) Jan 01 (7) Dec 31 (10) Dec 30 (11) Dec 29 (6) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (10) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (5) Dec 24 (7) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (9) Dec 21 (8) Dec 20 (8) Dec 19 (5) Dec 18 (1) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (6) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (13) Dec 13 (8) Dec 12 (7) Dec 11 (9) Dec 10 (12) Dec 09 (7) Dec 08 (11) Dec 07 (9) Dec 06 (11) Dec 05 (10) Dec 04 (6) Dec 03 (8) Dec 02 (6) Dec 01 (14) Nov 30 (7) Nov 29 (8) Nov 28 (8) Nov 27 (6) Nov 26 (9) Nov 25 (10) Nov 24 (12) Nov 23 (10) Nov 22 (10) Nov 21 (10) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (8) Nov 17 (9) Nov 16 (9) Nov 15 (12) Nov 14 (6) Nov 13 (9) Nov 12 (3) Nov 11 (9) Nov 10 (10) Nov 09 (10) Nov 08 (7) Nov 07 (8) Nov 06 (10) Nov 05 (8) Nov 04 (7) Nov 03 (10) Nov 02 (11) Nov 01 (10) Oct 31 (5) Oct 30 (8) Oct 29 (8) Oct 28 (8) Oct 27 (11) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (9) Oct 24 (10) Oct 23 (5) Oct 22 (14) Oct 21 (10) Oct 20 (8) Oct 19 (11) Oct 18 (13) Oct 17 (7) Oct 16 (6) Oct 15 (9) Oct 14 (7) Oct 13 (12) Oct 12 (13) Oct 11 (9) Oct 10 (8) Oct 09 (9) Oct 08 (7) Oct 07 (12) Oct 06 (8) Oct 05 (13) Oct 04 (11) Oct 03 (7) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (14) Sep 30 (12) Sep 29 (12) Sep 28 (11) Sep 27 (11) Sep 26 (7) Sep 25 (10) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (7) Sep 22 (8) Sep 21 (8) Sep 20 (8) Sep 19 (7) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (14) Sep 16 (7) Sep 15 (11) Sep 14 (13) Sep 13 (11) Sep 12 (9) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (13) Sep 08 (11) Sep 07 (11) Sep 06 (16) Sep 05 (1) Sep 04 (10) Sep 03 (8) Sep 02 (8) Sep 01 (7) Aug 31 (1) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (2) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (6) Aug 26 (8) Aug 25 (5) Aug 24 (5) Aug 23 (6) Aug 22 (7) Aug 21 (6) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (9) Aug 18 (7) Aug 17 (7) Aug 16 (10) Aug 15 (2) Aug 14 (5) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (10) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (8) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (5) Aug 06 (12) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (7) Aug 03 (6) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (14) Jul 31 (7) Jul 30 (7) Jul 29 (13) Jul 28 (10) Jul 27 (6) Jul 26 (7) Jul 25 (7) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (12) Jul 22 (14) Jul 21 (6) Jul 20 (9) Jul 19 (12) Jul 18 (9) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (6) Jul 15 (8) Jul 14 (15) Jul 13 (8) Jul 12 (10) Jul 11 (6) Jul 10 (6) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (6) Jul 07 (9) Jul 06 (15) Jul 05 (6) Jul 04 (10) Jul 03 (6) Jul 02 (6) Jul 01 (11) Jun 30 (7) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (8) Jun 27 (8) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (11) Jun 24 (9) Jun 23 (10) Jun 22 (8) Jun 21 (8) Jun 20 (6) Jun 19 (5) Jun 18 (15) Jun 17 (8) Jun 16 (13) Jun 15 (15) Jun 14 (11) Jun 13 (6) Jun 12 (15) Jun 11 (7) Jun 10 (7) Jun 09 (18) Jun 08 (20) Jun 07 (17) Jun 06 (9) Jun 05 (9) Jun 04 (12) Jun 03 (13) Jun 02 (14) Jun 01 (8) May 31 (13) May 30 (8) May 29 (6) May 28 (8) May 27 (17) May 26 (8) May 25 (13) May 24 (12) May 23 (9) May 22 (4) May 21 (4) May 20 (11) May 19 (14) May 18 (6) May 17 (10) May 16 (4) May 15 (5) May 14 (28) May 12 (9) May 11 (17) May 10 (15) May 09 (12) May 08 (5) May 07 (4) May 06 (10) May 05 (8) May 04 (10) May 03 (5) May 02 (6) May 01 (8) Apr 30 (8) Apr 29 (12) Apr 28 (6) Apr 27 (11) Apr 26 (12) Apr 25 (6) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (5) Apr 22 (10) Apr 21 (19) Apr 20 (13) Apr 19 (11) Apr 18 (11) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (12) Apr 15 (11) Apr 14 (17) Apr 13 (6) Apr 12 (16) Apr 11 (10) Apr 10 (1) Apr 09 (18) Apr 08 (14) Apr 07 (6) Apr 06 (10) Apr 05 (21) Apr 04 (12) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (13) Apr 01 (8) Mar 31 (10) Mar 30 (11) Mar 29 (10) Mar 28 (8) Mar 27 (6) Mar 26 (12) Mar 25 (15) Mar 24 (10) Mar 23 (12) Mar 22 (12) Mar 21 (8) Mar 20 (4) Mar 19 (11) Mar 18 (7) Mar 17 (7) Mar 16 (9) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (2) Mar 12 (14) Mar 11 (13) Mar 10 (7) Mar 09 (9) Mar 08 (17) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (7) Mar 05 (13) Mar 04 (10) Mar 03 (14) Mar 02 (12) Mar 01 (18) Feb 28 (8) Feb 27 (2) Feb 26 (9) Feb 25 (13) Feb 24 (17) Feb 23 (13) Feb 22 (12) Feb 21 (11) Feb 20 (11) Feb 19 (16) Feb 18 (17) Feb 17 (15) Feb 16 (15) Feb 15 (15) Feb 14 (10) Feb 13 (8) Feb 12 (10) Feb 11 (15) Feb 10 (11) Feb 09 (13) Feb 08 (10) Feb 07 (9) Feb 06 (6) Feb 05 (15) Feb 04 (15) Feb 03 (11) Feb 02 (14) Feb 01 (15) Jan 31 (11) Jan 30 (9) Jan 29 (19) Jan 28 (9) Jan 27 (9) Jan 26 (16) Jan 25 (19) Jan 24 (17) Jan 23 (8) Jan 22 (15) Jan 21 (9) Jan 20 (11) Jan 19 (7) Jan 18 (9) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (7) Jan 15 (12) Jan 14 (9) Jan 13 (14) Jan 12 (11) Jan 11 (13) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (8) Jan 08 (20) Jan 07 (11) Jan 06 (11) Jan 05 (8) Jan 04 (14) Jan 03 (6) Jan 02 (7) Jan 01 (7) Dec 31 (14) Dec 30 (15) Dec 29 (7) Dec 28 (10) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (11) Dec 24 (9) Dec 23 (9) Dec 22 (15) Dec 21 (12) Dec 20 (11) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (16) Dec 17 (6) Dec 16 (12) Dec 15 (14) Dec 14 (11) Dec 13 (10) Dec 12 (6) Dec 11 (10) Dec 10 (17) Dec 09 (11) Dec 08 (12) Dec 07 (16) Dec 06 (11) Dec 05 (5) Dec 04 (12) Dec 03 (15) Dec 02 (15) Dec 01 (12) Nov 30 (16) Nov 29 (7) Nov 28 (11) Nov 27 (13) Nov 26 (13) Nov 25 (16) Nov 24 (15) Nov 23 (10) Nov 22 (10) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (8) Nov 19 (9) Nov 18 (16) Nov 17 (11) Nov 16 (11) Nov 15 (10) Nov 14 (9) Nov 13 (6) Nov 12 (10) Nov 11 (12) Nov 10 (15) Nov 09 (9) Nov 08 (10) Nov 07 (6) Nov 06 (7) Nov 05 (12) Nov 04 (14) Nov 03 (10) Nov 02 (13) Nov 01 (9) Oct 31 (9) Oct 30 (11) Oct 29 (18) Oct 28 (13) Oct 27 (23) Oct 26 (12) Oct 25 (14) Oct 24 (20) Oct 22 (18) Oct 21 (18) Oct 20 (19) Oct 19 (12) Oct 18 (11) Oct 17 (5) Oct 16 (18) Oct 15 (8) Oct 14 (11) Oct 13 (9) Oct 12 (13) Oct 11 (6) Oct 10 (7) Oct 09 (27) Oct 08 (14) Oct 07 (10) Oct 06 (9) Oct 05 (7) Oct 04 (10) Oct 03 (6) Oct 02 (9) Oct 01 (13) Sep 30 (12) Sep 29 (13) Sep 28 (8) Sep 27 (9) Sep 26 (8) Sep 25 (14) Sep 24 (4) Sep 23 (14) Sep 22 (20) Sep 21 (11) Sep 20 (6) Sep 19 (9) Sep 18 (14) Sep 17 (8) Sep 16 (17) Sep 15 (6) Sep 14 (11) Sep 13 (9) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (7) Sep 10 (14) Sep 09 (12) Sep 08 (17) Sep 07 (12) Sep 06 (13) Sep 05 (9) Sep 04 (20) Sep 03 (16) Sep 02 (16) Sep 01 (10) Aug 31 (13) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (9) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (8) Aug 26 (11) Aug 25 (10) Aug 24 (14) Aug 23 (12) Aug 22 (13) Aug 21 (10) Aug 20 (13) Aug 19 (15) Aug 18 (8) Aug 17 (10) Aug 16 (8) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (11) Aug 13 (12) Aug 12 (15) Aug 11 (10) Aug 10 (17) Aug 09 (6) Aug 08 (13) Aug 07 (11) Aug 06 (13) Aug 05 (11) Aug 04 (11) Aug 03 (10) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (6) Jul 31 (10) Jul 30 (21) Jul 29 (14) Jul 28 (13) Jul 27 (16) Jul 26 (10) Jul 25 (15) Jul 24 (17) Jul 23 (15) Jul 22 (15) Jul 21 (19) Jul 20 (17) Jul 19 (9) Jul 18 (7) Jul 17 (26) Jul 16 (18) Jul 15 (20) Jul 14 (16) Jul 13 (19) Jul 12 (11) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (13) Jul 09 (11) Jul 08 (8) Jul 07 (12) Jul 06 (16) Jul 05 (9) Jul 04 (5) Jul 03 (15) Jul 02 (11) Jul 01 (14) Jun 30 (13) Jun 29 (19) Jun 28 (8) Jun 27 (9) Jun 26 (16) Jun 25 (22) Jun 24 (17) Jun 23 (11) Jun 22 (15) Jun 21 (14) Jun 20 (8) Jun 19 (17) Jun 18 (10) Jun 17 (10) Jun 16 (17) Jun 15 (13) Jun 14 (14) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (13) Jun 11 (15) Jun 10 (25) Jun 09 (10) Jun 08 (23) Jun 07 (14) Jun 06 (20) Jun 05 (10) Jun 04 (11) Jun 03 (12) Jun 02 (21) Jun 01 (14) May 31 (10) May 30 (14) May 29 (8) May 28 (23) May 27 (20) May 26 (16) May 25 (13) May 24 (12) May 23 (10) May 22 (18) May 21 (14) May 20 (12) May 19 (18) May 18 (14) May 17 (13) May 16 (4) May 15 (7) May 14 (16) May 13 (13) May 12 (8) May 11 (18) May 10 (8) May 09 (7) May 08 (13) May 07 (11) May 06 (15) May 05 (18) May 04 (17) May 03 (7) May 02 (5) May 01 (11) Apr 30 (19) Apr 29 (21) Apr 28 (18) Apr 27 (16) Apr 26 (8) Apr 25 (11) Apr 24 (9) Apr 23 (20) Apr 22 (23) Apr 21 (5) Apr 20 (16) Apr 19 (13) Apr 18 (6) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (16) Apr 15 (18) Apr 14 (13) Apr 13 (14) Apr 12 (9) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (16) Apr 09 (14) Apr 08 (12) Apr 07 (18) Apr 06 (7) Apr 05 (11) Apr 04 (9) Apr 03 (19) Apr 02 (17) Apr 01 (16) Mar 31 (16) Mar 30 (22) Mar 29 (16) Mar 28 (16) Mar 27 (19) Mar 26 (31) Mar 25 (25) Mar 24 (26) Mar 23 (27) Mar 22 (22) Mar 21 (22) Mar 20 (13) Mar 19 (21) Mar 18 (20) Mar 17 (24) Mar 16 (18) Mar 15 (9) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (29) Mar 12 (15) Mar 11 (11) Mar 10 (11) Mar 09 (20) Mar 08 (12) Mar 07 (6) Mar 06 (21) Mar 05 (22) Mar 04 (19) Mar 03 (9) Mar 02 (20) Mar 01 (11) Feb 28 (11) Feb 27 (27) Feb 26 (15) Feb 25 (18) Feb 24 (17) Feb 23 (19) Feb 22 (24) Feb 21 (10) Feb 20 (14) Feb 19 (25) Feb 18 (16) Feb 17 (19) Feb 16 (23) Feb 15 (8) Feb 14 (11) Feb 13 (25) Feb 12 (16) Feb 11 (12) Feb 10 (18) Feb 09 (12) Feb 08 (14) Feb 07 (8) Feb 06 (27) Feb 05 (28) Feb 04 (24) Feb 03 (17) Feb 02 (20) Feb 01 (23) Jan 31 (16) Jan 30 (20) Jan 29 (26) Jan 28 (17) Jan 27 (21) Jan 26 (24) Jan 25 (16) Jan 24 (14) Jan 23 (16) Jan 22 (17) Jan 21 (19) Jan 20 (21) Jan 19 (17) Jan 18 (13) Jan 17 (14) Jan 16 (10) Jan 15 (21) Jan 14 (16) Jan 13 (19) Jan 12 (30) Jan 11 (14) Jan 10 (11) Jan 09 (8) Jan 08 (23) Jan 07 (13) Jan 06 (21) Jan 05 (15) Jan 04 (18) Jan 03 (9) Jan 02 (12) Jan 01 (15) Dec 31 (18) Dec 30 (7) Dec 29 (13) Dec 28 (11) Dec 27 (8) Dec 26 (6) Dec 25 (8) Dec 24 (28) Dec 23 (12) Dec 22 (12) Dec 21 (17) Dec 20 (19) Dec 19 (19) Dec 18 (22) Dec 17 (24) Dec 16 (17) Dec 15 (29) Dec 14 (22) Dec 13 (12) Dec 12 (22) Dec 11 (24) Dec 10 (25) Dec 09 (18) Dec 08 (15) Dec 07 (21) Dec 06 (24) Dec 05 (30) Dec 04 (28) Dec 03 (26) Dec 02 (22) Dec 01 (33) Nov 30 (23) Nov 29 (9) Nov 28 (18) Nov 27 (25) Nov 26 (17) Nov 25 (23) Nov 24 (27) Nov 23 (12) Nov 22 (10) Nov 21 (15) Nov 20 (23) Nov 19 (23) Nov 18 (24) Nov 17 (21) Nov 16 (20) Nov 15 (13) Nov 14 (15) Nov 13 (27) Nov 12 (23) Nov 11 (19) Nov 10 (21) Nov 09 (13) Nov 08 (16) Nov 07 (16) Nov 06 (32) Nov 05 (24) Nov 04 (20) Nov 03 (29) Nov 02 (12) Nov 01 (15) Oct 31 (20) Oct 30 (22) Oct 29 (27) Oct 28 (20) Oct 27 (23) Oct 26 (21) Oct 25 (15) Oct 24 (23) Oct 23 (26) Oct 22 (27) Oct 21 (28) Oct 20 (24) Oct 19 (13) Oct 18 (9) Oct 17 (30) Oct 16 (8) Oct 15 (20) Oct 14 (14) Oct 13 (17) Oct 12 (16) Oct 11 (8) Oct 10 (19) Oct 09 (22) Oct 08 (16) Oct 07 (18) Oct 06 (23) Oct 05 (7) Oct 04 (15) Oct 03 (21) Oct 02 (17) Oct 01 (22) Sep 30 (25) Sep 29 (20) Sep 28 (17) Sep 27 (13) Sep 26 (20) Sep 25 (15) Sep 24 (24) Sep 23 (23) Sep 22 (18) Sep 21 (20) Sep 20 (11) Sep 19 (24) Sep 18 (25) Sep 17 (25) Sep 16 (19) Sep 15 (21) Sep 14 (15) Sep 13 (10) Sep 12 (23) Sep 11 (23) Sep 10 (25) Sep 09 (25) Sep 08 (17) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (17) Sep 05 (14) Sep 04 (24) Sep 03 (16) Sep 02 (11) Sep 01 (19) Aug 31 (20) Aug 30 (11) Aug 29 (24) Aug 28 (24) Aug 27 (16) Aug 26 (26) Aug 25 (21) Aug 24 (15) Aug 23 (19) Aug 22 (15) Aug 21 (25) Aug 20 (27) Aug 19 (19) Aug 18 (24) Aug 17 (14) Aug 16 (10) Aug 15 (15) Aug 14 (16) Aug 13 (21) Aug 12 (30) Aug 11 (19) Aug 10 (8) Aug 09 (12) Aug 08 (17) Aug 07 (21) Aug 06 (26) Aug 05 (23) Aug 04 (21) Aug 03 (12) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (19) Jul 31 (21) Jul 30 (25) Jul 29 (29) Jul 28 (23) Jul 27 (17) Jul 26 (11) Jul 25 (21) Jul 24 (14) Jul 23 (15) Jul 22 (19) Jul 21 (15) Jul 20 (9) Jul 19 (10) Jul 18 (15) Jul 17 (22) Jul 16 (18) Jul 15 (21) Jul 14 (20) Jul 13 (7) Jul 12 (9) Jul 11 (29) Jul 10 (19) Jul 09 (17) Jul 08 (26) Jul 07 (21) Jul 06 (18) Jul 05 (14) Jul 04 (20) Jul 03 (17) Jul 02 (24) Jul 01 (23) Jun 30 (23) Jun 29 (18) Jun 28 (16) Jun 27 (16) Jun 26 (17) Jun 25 (23) Jun 24 (32) Jun 23 (29) Jun 22 (8) Jun 21 (17) Jun 20 (25) Jun 19 (28) Jun 18 (19) Jun 17 (25) Jun 16 (23) Jun 15 (9) Jun 14 (11) Jun 13 (14) Jun 12 (22) Jun 11 (19) Jun 10 (17) Jun 09 (15) Jun 08 (16) Jun 07 (7) Jun 06 (29) Jun 05 (27) Jun 04 (24) Jun 03 (22) Jun 02 (22) Jun 01 (13) May 31 (9) May 30 (26) May 29 (19) May 28 (15) May 27 (15) May 26 (23) May 25 (13) May 24 (12) May 23 (24) May 22 (13) May 21 (21) May 20 (18) May 19 (16) May 18 (7) May 17 (12) May 16 (25) May 15 (24) May 14 (23) May 13 (19) May 12 (17) May 11 (8) May 10 (6) May 09 (14) May 08 (21) May 07 (26) May 06 (14) May 05 (14) May 04 (3) May 03 (3) May 02 (24) May 01 (13) Apr 30 (15) Apr 29 (24) Apr 28 (24) Apr 27 (11) Apr 26 (8) Apr 25 (13) Apr 24 (27) Apr 23 (15) Apr 22 (21) Apr 21 (19) Apr 20 (17) Apr 19 (8) Apr 18 (20) Apr 17 (27) Apr 16 (27) Apr 15 (21) Apr 14 (8) Apr 13 (8) Apr 12 (7) Apr 11 (7) Apr 10 (22) Apr 09 (15) Apr 08 (15) Apr 07 (17) Apr 06 (14) Apr 05 (5) Apr 04 (12) Apr 03 (19) Apr 02 (17) Apr 01 (19) Mar 31 (25) Mar 30 (13) Mar 29 (9) Mar 28 (16) Mar 27 (23) Mar 26 (22) Mar 25 (17) Mar 24 (25) Mar 23 (16) Mar 22 (13) Mar 21 (24) Mar 20 (27) Mar 19 (20) Mar 18 (24) Mar 17 (17) Mar 16 (11) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (20) Mar 13 (28) Mar 12 (30) Mar 11 (20) Mar 10 (21) Mar 09 (12) Mar 08 (8) Mar 07 (17) Mar 06 (20) Mar 05 (19) Mar 04 (15) Mar 03 (17) Mar 02 (8) Mar 01 (12) Feb 28 (16) Feb 27 (17) Feb 26 (8) Feb 25 (23) Feb 24 (15) Feb 23 (8) Feb 22 (10) Feb 21 (24) Feb 20 (14) Feb 19 (24) Feb 18 (19) Feb 17 (27) Feb 16 (13) Feb 15 (11) Feb 14 (15) Feb 13 (13) Feb 12 (13) Feb 11 (21) Feb 10 (16) Feb 09 (15) Feb 08 (10) Feb 07 (17) Feb 06 (21) Feb 05 (17) Feb 04 (14) Feb 03 (23) Feb 02 (5) Feb 01 (8) Jan 31 (17) Jan 30 (22) Jan 29 (23) Jan 28 (10) Jan 27 (24) Jan 26 (12) Jan 25 (9) Jan 24 (12) Jan 23 (19) Jan 22 (19) Jan 21 (14) Jan 20 (21) Jan 19 (12) Jan 18 (8) Jan 17 (20) Jan 16 (14) Jan 15 (23) Jan 14 (8) Jan 13 (20) Jan 12 (9) Jan 11 (7) Jan 10 (18) Jan 09 (11) Jan 08 (18) Jan 07 (13) Jan 06 (12) Jan 05 (12) Jan 04 (11) Jan 03 (10) Jan 02 (9) Jan 01 (9) Dec 31 (12) Dec 30 (11) Dec 29 (6) Dec 28 (9) Dec 27 (13) Dec 26 (15) Dec 25 (8) Dec 24 (6) Dec 23 (8) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (6) Dec 20 (14) Dec 19 (17) Dec 18 (14) Dec 17 (14) Dec 16 (13) Dec 15 (9) Dec 14 (9) Dec 13 (11) Dec 12 (16) Dec 11 (18) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (24) Dec 08 (11) Dec 07 (19) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (26) Dec 04 (15) Dec 03 (20) Dec 02 (17) Dec 01 (11) Nov 30 (10) Nov 29 (18) Nov 28 (21) Nov 27 (10) Nov 26 (22) Nov 25 (16) Nov 24 (12) Nov 23 (8) Nov 22 (18) Nov 21 (9) Nov 20 (17) Nov 19 (16) Nov 18 (16) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (9) Nov 15 (21) Nov 14 (17) Nov 13 (20) Nov 12 (16) Nov 11 (13) Nov 10 (9) Nov 09 (10) Nov 08 (16) Nov 07 (15) Nov 06 (18) Nov 05 (19) Nov 04 (16) Nov 03 (11) Nov 02 (5) Nov 01 (17) Oct 31 (17) Oct 30 (21) Oct 29 (9) Oct 28 (16) Oct 27 (6) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (16) Oct 24 (18) Oct 23 (14) Oct 22 (17) Oct 21 (10) Oct 20 (6) Oct 19 (8) Oct 18 (11) Oct 17 (12) Oct 16 (14) Oct 15 (19) Oct 14 (15) Oct 13 (11) Oct 12 (9) Oct 11 (10) Oct 10 (23) Oct 09 (13) Oct 08 (15) Oct 07 (20) Oct 06 (13) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (16) Oct 03 (17) Oct 02 (17) Oct 01 (20) Sep 30 (17) Sep 29 (9) Sep 28 (8) Sep 27 (14) Sep 26 (20) Sep 25 (19) Sep 24 (13) Sep 23 (11) Sep 22 (9) Sep 21 (5) Sep 20 (8) Sep 19 (21) Sep 18 (12) Sep 17 (20) Sep 16 (16) Sep 15 (10) Sep 14 (6) Sep 13 (18) Sep 12 (14) Sep 11 (24) Sep 10 (17) Sep 09 (16) Sep 08 (16) Sep 07 (10) Sep 06 (20) Sep 05 (13) Sep 04 (23) Sep 03 (14) Sep 02 (12) Sep 01 (11) Aug 31 (11) Aug 30 (13) Aug 29 (18) Aug 28 (14) Aug 27 (21) Aug 26 (10) Aug 25 (8) Aug 24 (10) Aug 23 (17) Aug 22 (15) Aug 21 (14) Aug 20 (20) Aug 19 (20) Aug 18 (7) Aug 17 (9) Aug 16 (11) Aug 15 (12) Aug 14 (14) Aug 13 (19) Aug 12 (14) Aug 11 (6) Aug 10 (12) Aug 09 (7) Aug 08 (18) Aug 07 (16) Aug 06 (16) Aug 05 (20) Aug 04 (12) Aug 03 (8) Aug 02 (12) Aug 01 (14) Jul 31 (16) Jul 30 (16) Jul 29 (11) Jul 28 (8) Jul 27 (9) Jul 26 (17) Jul 25 (20) Jul 24 (17) Jul 23 (11) Jul 22 (18) Jul 21 (7) Jul 20 (10) Jul 19 (14) Jul 18 (11) Jul 17 (15) Jul 16 (12) Jul 15 (10) Jul 14 (8) Jul 13 (8) Jul 12 (17) Jul 11 (18) Jul 10 (16) Jul 09 (13) Jul 08 (10) Jul 07 (12) Jul 06 (8) Jul 05 (16) Jul 04 (14) Jul 03 (17) Jul 02 (13) Jul 01 (16) Jun 30 (19) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (19) Jun 27 (21) Jun 26 (27) Jun 25 (23) Jun 24 (23) Jun 23 (12) Jun 22 (9) Jun 21 (18) Jun 20 (15) Jun 19 (24) Jun 18 (21) Jun 17 (13) Jun 16 (9) Jun 15 (9) Jun 14 (18) Jun 13 (24) Jun 12 (18) Jun 11 (23) Jun 10 (25) Jun 09 (24) Jun 08 (27) Jun 07 (5) Jun 06 (25) Jun 05 (30) Jun 04 (23) Jun 03 (22) Jun 02 (16) Jun 01 (17) May 31 (18) May 30 (19) May 29 (17) May 28 (23) May 27 (15) May 26 (10) May 25 (19) May 24 (16) May 23 (16) May 22 (27) May 21 (20) May 20 (26) May 19 (6) May 18 (8) May 17 (20) May 16 (8) May 15 (18) May 14 (5) May 13 (21) May 12 (9) May 11 (8) May 10 (12) May 09 (18) May 08 (11) May 07 (27) May 06 (12) May 05 (16) May 04 (19) May 03 (14) May 02 (18) May 01 (18) Apr 30 (25) Apr 29 (27) Apr 28 (11) Apr 27 (10) Apr 26 (18) Apr 25 (10) Apr 24 (29) Apr 23 (29) Apr 22 (14) Apr 21 (15) Apr 20 (20) Apr 19 (22) Apr 18 (16) Apr 17 (32) Apr 16 (12) Apr 15 (21) Apr 14 (21) Apr 13 (15) Apr 12 (13) Apr 11 (14) Apr 10 (16) Apr 09 (20) Apr 08 (36) Apr 07 (22) Apr 06 (11) Apr 05 (28) Apr 04 (20) Apr 03 (29) Apr 02 (32) Apr 01 (18) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (9) Mar 29 (15) Mar 28 (22) Mar 27 (24) Mar 26 (17) Mar 25 (17) Mar 24 (13) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (12) Mar 21 (15) Mar 20 (18) Mar 19 (19) Mar 18 (16) Mar 17 (10) Mar 16 (6) Mar 15 (18) Mar 14 (24) Mar 13 (18) Mar 12 (18) Mar 11 (17) Mar 10 (13) Mar 09 (12) Mar 08 (18) Mar 07 (25) Mar 06 (16) Mar 05 (16) Mar 04 (22) Mar 03 (17) Mar 02 (6) Mar 01 (23) Feb 29 (19) Feb 28 (25) Feb 27 (26) Feb 26 (23) Feb 25 (12) Feb 24 (13) Feb 23 (15) Feb 22 (26) Feb 21 (31) Feb 20 (12) Feb 19 (21) Feb 18 (15) Feb 17 (10) Feb 16 (15) Feb 15 (19) Feb 14 (15) Feb 13 (25) Feb 12 (20) Feb 11 (9) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (28) Feb 08 (20) Feb 07 (22) Feb 06 (20) Feb 05 (19) Feb 04 (14) Feb 03 (16) Feb 02 (28) Feb 01 (37) Jan 31 (27) Jan 30 (31) Jan 29 (18) Jan 28 (14) Jan 27 (10) Jan 26 (18) Jan 25 (26) Jan 24 (34) Jan 23 (21) Jan 22 (21) Jan 21 (18) Jan 20 (18) Jan 19 (18) Jan 18 (26) Jan 17 (24) Jan 16 (23) Jan 15 (30) Jan 14 (20) Jan 13 (18) Jan 12 (24) Jan 11 (11) Jan 10 (23) Jan 09 (22) Jan 08 (17) Jan 07 (17) Jan 06 (9) Jan 05 (18) Jan 04 (15) Jan 03 (19) Jan 02 (14) Jan 01 (6) Dec 31 (12) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (15) Dec 28 (11) Dec 27 (7) Dec 26 (10) Dec 25 (16) Dec 24 (13) Dec 23 (16) Dec 22 (11) Dec 21 (26) Dec 20 (28) Dec 19 (14) Dec 18 (25) Dec 17 (23) Dec 16 (19) Dec 15 (22) Dec 14 (38) Dec 13 (26) Dec 12 (25) Dec 11 (27) Dec 10 (31) Dec 09 (15) Dec 08 (30) Dec 07 (31) Dec 06 (27) Dec 05 (38) Dec 04 (25) Dec 03 (27) Dec 02 (15) Dec 01 (36) Nov 30 (23) Nov 29 (17) Nov 28 (23) Nov 27 (13) Nov 26 (16) Nov 25 (14) Nov 24 (18) Nov 23 (21) Nov 22 (21) Nov 21 (24) Nov 20 (20) Nov 19 (23) Nov 18 (17) Nov 17 (17) Nov 16 (34) Nov 15 (25) Nov 14 (17) Nov 13 (21) Nov 12 (18) Nov 11 (9) Nov 10 (15) Nov 09 (9) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (12) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (4) Oct 29 (1) Oct 01 (1) Jul 29 (1) May 11 (1) Jul 11 (1)
[contentcards url=http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2017/05/20/world-leaders-gather-beijing-while-us-sinks-into-irrelevancy.html]

Also interesting

* * * * *

Russia has offered to release a full transcript of the meeting that Sergey Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak had with Donald Trump. The United States has refused the offer

[contentcards url=http://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/17/politics/russia-us-trump-lavrov-intel/]

Why not get a copy? It is the truth and nothing but the truth!

Are we that scared of the truth?

* * * * *

[contentcards url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-aircraft-strike-syrian-regime-forces-al-tanf-base/]

My my my we do want to start WW3 really bad! Do we not? Idiots

We keep pushing, we are going to get our war we are trying so hard to get

Nothing to be proud of in our government! America does not have a government it has a free for all!

WtR

Gotta add this

CNN now reports that, according to anonymous source, Comey has had a change of heart and believes that President Trump intended to influence him

Yippy for anonymous sources
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.


In a staggering feat, Bollywood superstar Aamir Khans Dangal has surpassed its India collections in China. Dangals latest China collections are $84.18 million (Rs.543 Crore) and this stupendous performance has outshined the films India collections (Rs.542 Crore).

With the film still raking in huge moolah in China, Dangal has also breached the 1,300 Crore milestone with is cumulative total of 1,309 Crore, including Taiwan (22 Crore) and rest of world (202 Crore).

With the Japanese release in the near future and considering Aamir Khans popularity in the country, the film is expected to breach the 1,500 Crore worldwide gross milestone, next only to Baahubali The Conclusion.

Articles that might interest you:
May 20, 2017 | By David

In another busy week for 3D printing we saw Organovo present data from its most recent research into 3D bioprinted liver tissue, Metalysis start research into producing a cost-effective 3D printable aluminum-scandium alloy, and much more besides. Here's a summary of everything that might have passed you by recently:

1. Additive Industries MetalFAB1 3D printer purchased by Kaak Group

Kaak Group, a manufacturer of industrial bakery systems, has placed a follow-on order for a MetalFAB1 3D printer from Additive Industries. This comes within 9 months of the first order being placed. This upgrade to a 5-module, 4-laser system will double the speed and capacity of the companys 3D printing output, which may still not be sufficient to keep up with growing demand for its bakery systems.

According to Jaap Bulsink, who is the senior R&D engineer at Kaak and in charge of the 3D printing facilities K3D at Kaak, 'the MetalFAB1 has been used successfully to print a broad range of components for our systems offering improved performance, lighter weight parts and a substantial reduction of development lead-time.' This follow-on order signals to the market that MetalFAB1 system is performing at a high level, and underlines Kaak Groups confidence in Additive Industries products.

2. Organovo presents new data on 3D printed liver tissue

Bioprinting expert Organovo demonstrated this week its latest findings from tests of 3D printed liver tissue in diseased animals. The occasion was the World Advanced Therapies and Regenerative Medicine Congress in London, and the data was presented by Benjamin Sheperd, Ph.D., Director of Therapeutics at Organovo. It showed that the liver tissue survived and was functional for much longer than in previous tests. The cells were functional through 60 days post-implantation, which was a significant increase in duration from the Companys first preclinical studies, which demonstrated functionality through 28 days.

With tens of thousands of patients being treated for inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs) in the U.S., and an annual cost per patient that exceeds $250,000 for drug therapy alone, Organovo is advancing novel therapeutic solutions for direct surgical implantation," said Eric David, M.D., J.D., chief strategy officer and executive vice president of preclinical development, Organovo. He identified the durability of the liver tissue and the production of key enzymes as showing great promise for the future of their bioprinting work. Clinical applications could be feasible within 5 years, as Organovo intends to apply to the FDA for certification sometime in 2020, pending further research.



3. CPRIT grant will allow Texas Medical Center to use 3D printed pelvic prostheses

A $5 million grant from CPRIT ( the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas), will allow Rice Universitys Mechanical Engineering department to recruit expert researcher B.J Fregly. Fregly has 30 years of experience in building computer models and using motion capture to optimize surgical treatment for patients. He has won numerous research grants from NASA, the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including an NIH R01 Knee Grand Challenge grant in 2010. His research has always been highly relevant to orthopaedic oncology, and his work at Rice will focus on patient-specific modelling for pelvic sarcoma surgery, which will hopefully enable much faster and more efficient rehabilitation.

I am extremely grateful to CPRIT for giving me the opportunity to take the innovative personalized treatment design methods I have been developing for other orthopedic conditions and apply them to cancer surgeries, where every patient is truly unique and requires a truly unique treatment plan, Fregly said. He and Rice will be working together with the Texas Medical Center. After taking detailed 3D models of patients anatomy, 3D printed pelvic prostheses will be made to help them walk again.

4. Metalysis launches new research programme for new 3D printable aluminum-scandium alloy

UK based metal 3D printing innovator Metalysis has just established a joint research programme to develop a new, highly disruptive aluminium-scandium alloy. The material is uniquely strong and lightweight, and is in high demand in the aerospace and automotive industries. Scandium has been in the past prohibitively expensive to use, due to its uncertain supply being dependent on mining. Metalysiss research will hopefully discover new, more cost effective ways to manufacture the aluminium scandium alloy and offset this cost.

According to Dion Vaughan, CEO of Metalysis, We are very pleased to welcome another international partner to our R&D project portfolio, and look forward to commencing a particularly exciting work programme together.Aluminium-scandium alloys are a huge subject of interest to Metalysis, and while their cost implications are well-known, so are their highly beneficial characteristics.We will use Metalysis process to explore opportunities to materially improve their cost setting and deliver a high-demand, high-spec product. The research will be carried out at Metalysis newly opened Materials Discovery Centre in South Yorkshires Advanced Manufacturing Park Innovation District, UK.

5. Sandvik Osprey to provide metal powders for Desktop Metals 3D printer range

A partnership has been established between Sandvik Osprey Ltd and Desktop Metal, which will see Sandvik Osprey becoming DMs preferred supplier of metal powders. The DM Studio and DM Production systems were recently released, and they deliver a highly-loaded powder/binder mixture to the print head to achieve higher density parts with low sintering shrinkage.

Sandvik Osprey boasts a huge range of metal powders for 3D printing, totalling over 3000 alloys. They are clean and spherical, which enables a uniform flow and high packing density when used in 3D printing processes. We look forward to supporting the growth in demand for consumers of the new Desktop Metal technology who we expect to come from all major industrial sectors, said Richard J Park, managing director of Sandvik Osprey Limited.

6. RP Platforms new software feature to allow integration of 3D printing technology with email systems

3D printing software specialist RP Platform has just launched a new feature that will allow its software solutions to be fully integrated with a clients preferred email system. Its programs will be compatible with Gmail, Microsoft Office and Exchange, as the company is committed to streamlining workflows and managing customer communications as efficiently as possible.

This new feature has been a long time in development, Keyvan Karimi, Company Founder & CEO said. Ever since we launched RP Platform, weve seen over and over again that email integration is a huge gap in most AM companies workflow management processes, with no solution available that offered the functionality or versatility that AM workflows demand. The feature went live last week after extensive testing with existing clients.

Integrating workflows with communication in an automated way will revolutionize a companys project lifecycle, vastly improving efficiency at every stage, from inital quote to final product delivery. Going forward, it will be offered as a standard part of our product for all new users, added Karimi. Were confident this type of strategic automation will benefit all areas of AM operations, leaving companies perfectly positioned to deliver a better customer journey and uncover innovative new solutions to the sectors evolving challenges.

Posted in 3D Printer Company

Maybe you also like:









Tom wrote at 5/21/2017 9:16:03 AM:coul you please put some links of your sources within the article? Would be nice to have a link to publictions and press articles! THX




Lucina Schell at The Quarterly Conversation:

The human-precipitated Anthropocene promises unprecedented loss: of beauty and wildness in the natural sphere, and the comforts of convenient consumption in the domestic sphereyet outside of science fiction, this has yet to register in our literature. In The Great Derangement, Amitav Ghosh argues that the blame should be put on the very structure of the novel, which employs depictions of mundane reality to conceal a scaffold of more remarkable plot points, and which developed at a time when nature was viewed as a bucolic canvas upon which human individuals acted rather than a system of which we are part. The best way to think about the Anthropocene may be through images, Ghosh suggestsfilm and television already seem to be having a more successful time. Danish writer Josefine Klougarts cinematic experimental novel, Of Darkness, would seem to be the sort of novel Ghosh would appreciate: it moves in and out of images, dissolving the false border between human beings and nature in a series of interlocked vignettes that add up to a metonym for the large-scale loss implied by climate change.

Readers who prefer plot-driven novels will not be satisfied. A cohesive narrative never emerges from the various sections that retrace recurring scenes in forms as diverse as flash prose, lineated prose, Sapphic fragments, and even a screenplay. (Personally, I feared they might draw together by the end, and was relieved when they did not.) Tellingly, the screenplay section spends much more time describing the setting and directing the shots than on dialogue between its two characters, WOMAN and MAN.

more here.
Hammett, who is a case manager for the Baltimore County Department of Aging and also works part time as residential counselor at a hospital, says she's not sure when she'll be able to retire.

"I want to get this behind me. I want to settle down at some point where I don't have to work so much and enjoy life," she says.

While student debt is not yet a major problem for older consumers  who are more weighed down by mortgages, auto loans and credit cards  the trend is ominous.

A decade ago, about 3 million borrowers age 50 and older carried $42 billion in student debt, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. By late 2012, it had climbed to 6.9 million debtors shouldering $155 billion. More than 80 percent of the debt borne by older consumers was for their own education rather than for a child, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

"I only see it getting worse," says Maura Dundon, senior policy counsel for the nonprofit Center for Responsible Lending. "The real problem is that the consequences of the debt are so severe. You can't walk away from it."

More older borrowers struggle

It's already putting a strain on the oldest Americans. Borrowers age 65 and older are defaulting at higher rates than their younger counterparts, the GAO has reported. For example, more than half of federal student loans held by borrowers age 75 and up are in default, compared with 15 percent among those under age 50. And defaulting on federal loans can lead to bad outcomes such as the garnishing of your Social Security benefits.

Grace Bartini, ombudsman for American Student Assistance, which provides financial counseling to students and parents, says her Boston-based nonprofit has witnessed a rise in older borrowers struggling with student loans.

"They are embarrassed by this debt," Bartini says. "They feel like they did something wrong."
Ballot stamps cause minor issue in Brown, turnout in Codington 63%

While there was a minor issue counting some ballots in Brown Co., local election officials said Tuesday night went pretty well. SD voter turnout 57.5%
This domain was recently registered at Namecheap.com. Please check back later!
You have permission to edit this article.

Edit Close
May 19, 2017

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's May 16 meeting with his US counterpart Donald Trump was eagerly anticipated in Turkey amid fury over Washington's decision to supply heavy weapons to the People's Protection Units (YPG), a Syrian Kurdish group that Ankara sees as a terrorist organization. As expected, Erdogan protested the Trump administration's move and, in another major bilateral issue, pressed for the extradition of Fethullah Gulen, the Pennsylvania-based Turkish cleric who stands accused of masterminding the coup attempt last year. Yet, Trump made a counterdemand that few in Turkey had foreseen, urging the release of American pastor Andrew Brunson, held in Turkey since October on terrorism-related charges that prosecutors have yet to lay out in an indictment.

Brunson, based in Turkey for more than two decades, was the pastor of the Resurrection Church in Izmir, Turkeys third largest city, where he lived with his family as part of a tiny Protestant community. His life changed in the wake of the coup attempt on July 15, 2016, as Ankara launched a massive crackdown on suspected Gulenists and unrelated oppositional quarters. Brunson received written summons from the police on Oct. 7, and promptly reported to the police station, accompanied by his wife. There he learned he was considered a national security risk under a measure known as "code G-82," which normally leads to deportation. With no other explanation, the Brunsons were taken to a deportation center in Izmir. Though his wife was later released, Brunson spent more than 60 days in the facility, barred from contacting his lawyers and US consular officials. In December, he was imprisoned pending trial.

Though the pastor has been in jail for half a year now, the prosecutors have yet to draw up an indictment to detail the charges. The authorities have imposed secrecy on the case file, meaning that Brunson himself knows little about the accusations he faces. The Turkish press has portrayed a foreigner suspected of collaborating with subversive forces in Turkey, but their accounts have been conflicting. Initially, pro-government papers reported that Brunson was suspected of aiding the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which Ankara, along with Washington, considers a terrorist organization. The story later changed, and the pastor was said to have links with Gulenist circles, which the government now calls the Fethullah Gulen Terror Organization.

The sole evidence against Brunson is allegedly the testimony of a secret witness, who claims that the pastor went frequently to Gaziantep, a province on the Syrian border, where he provided aid to the PKK.

In remarks to Al-Monitor, Soner Tufan, the spokesman of the Association of Protestant Churches in Turkey, said Brunson did go to Gaziantep, but his trips aimed to help Syrian refugees in the region. The pastor provided food, clothes and other supplies to the refugees, he said, adding, "All churches in Turkey did the same."

The details of the accusations, however, seem to be of little relevance for the Protestant community, as it sees the case as a completely political affair. "This is not a criminal case," Tufan said. "Judging by the consequences so far, one can easily say it is a political one."

Asked to elaborate on "the consequences," he said: "After Brunson's arrest, members of the Protestant community in various cities had their working and residence permits cancelled. They were told they could not stay in Turkey even as tourists. Some who were abroad for holidays were not allowed to re-enter Turkey and they, too, were told they were in the scope of G-82."

The picture Tufan paints shows that even the small Protestant community has been caught in the post-coup dragnet, which has swept up thousands of public servants, academics, journalists and members of civil society groups. The Brunson case, however, is increasingly standing out. The Protestant community is apprehensive that Ankara could use the pastor as a trump card in its floundering efforts to secure Gulen's extradition from the United States, which was a top issue on Erdogan's agenda with Trump.

"We are worried that Branson's release and return to the United States could be made a bargaining chip in return for Fethullah Gulen's extradition to Turkey," Tufan said.

Visitors to Brunson in jail say the pastor is fine physically, but not well psychologically, feeling quite depressed for being unjustly imprisoned. He is now able to meet regularly with his wife, lawyers and US consular officials, while the Protestant community is waging an active international campaign to secure his release.

Whether these efforts will bear fruit remains to be seen, but Jay Sekulow, Brunson's lawyer in the United States, who met with Trump ahead of Erdogan's visit, says that Washington is committed to pressing ahead for the pastor's release. At the Erdogan-Trump meeting, the sides decided to task their justice ministers to work jointly on the issue, but the strings are no doubt in Erdogan's hands.

The demand of the Brunson family and the Protestant community in Turkey is rather simple. "Let the law proceed. Put forth the evidence, if you have any, and start the trial as soon as possible," Tufan said. "Justice is all we want."
Huntsville residents now have another craft beer option thanks to a recent expansion by Nashville-based Tennessee Brew Works.

The brewer of Southern Wit, 1927 IPA, Tripel Star, Country Roots, Basil Ryeman, Walk the Lime, Extra Easy Ale, Cutaway Rye IPA and other products began distributing its beer this week in Huntsville through AlaBev Distributing Co. of Birmingham.

Tennessee Brew Works Founder and President Christian Spears said the relationship with AlaBev has been positive so far.

"With so many friends and family there, we have wanted to bring our beers to Alabama for some time, but really needed to find the right partner first," he said.

Huntsville is the first Alabama market for Tennessee Brew Works, but the company plans to reach other cities across the state in the coming months. For now, the beer is available at various grocery stores, brewhouses and restaurants.

The list includes:

Below the Radar

Pints & Pixels

Stem & Stein

The Hunt Club

West End Outdoors

Windmill Beverages  multiple locations

Liquor Express

Wish You Were Beer  two locations

The Nook

Old Town Beer Exchange

Whole Foods

Publix

Star Market

Tennessee Brew Works, which launched in 2013, now operates a brewery and taproom on 809 Ewing Ave. in Nashville. The brewery said it was the first in North America to use the Meura Micro Mash Filter with the U.S.-made Aegir Brewing System to make its beer.

In June, Tennessee Brew Works will expand to Kentucky through Heidelberg Distributing Co. The company currently has seven distributors in different markets in Tennessee.
Cover.jpg

A group of festival attendees have a late lunch at the Hangout Music Fest 2017 in Gulf Shores.

(Brian Kelly)

The Hangout Beach Music, and Arts Festival isn't just some fancy made up name. Although the festival is known for its music, you can't bring tens of thousands of people to Gulf Shores and not treat them to a well-rounded experience that piques more senses than that of sound.

Top-notch music warrants top-notch offerings in the way of rooming, shopping, arts and, most importantly food.

Standing out in the heat, listening to band after band and DJ after DJ would work up an appetite for most. While some festivals might settle for providing partying patrons with the typical outdoor fare, such as pizzas, tacos and funnel cakes, Hangout Fest's vendors specialize in culinary surprises.

Once you enter the festival gates in Gulf Shores, you're welcome to cuisines that would make your hometown's most seasoned Yelp veterans blush. With one tour of the grounds, you could totally taste the flavors of the world!

Asian Sensation, an Atlanta based Asian food vendor, serves delicious teriyaki chicken to the Hangout Music Festival 2017 crowd.

1) Asian Sensation

Location: Left of Fitz Stage

Atlanta-based vendor, Asian Sensation, has been serving their Asian food selections at Hangout since the event's inception, owner Pen Wang says. While watching Andrew McMahon in the Wildnerness perform Friday evening, I wandered over to try their teriyaki dish. Dripping in delicious, hot bourbon sauce, the chicken is served over rice. What sets it apart from your typical Asian fare (including the other Asian food vendor at Hangout) is its "yum yum" sauce. Sweet as it is supposed to be, it also packs Sriracha-level heat.

2) Bleus Burgers

Location: West Beach Boulevard

Bleu's, the only local business in our favorite food's list operates from a commissary located in Foley. Owners, Scott Keel and Susan Ellis, operate from a food truck, revolving around Baldwin County. If you're lucky, you may even catch them in Mobile or Pensacola. Although they are from nearby, this is the first time they've set up shop inside the festival gates. Last year, they parked nearby to capitalize off some of the traffic. This year, they've been selling tons of their Highway 61 burger, Keel says. The sandwich comes with smoked cheddar-jack cheese, crispy onions, applewood smoked bacon. To top it off, each bun is seared right on top with a sizzling brand, showcasing the company logo. That way, they can make sure you never forget it!

Philadelphia-based food truck, Humpty's Dumplings serves wild flavors of the popular pastry.

3) Humpty's Dumplings

Location: West Beach Boulevard

23-year-old culinary entrepreneur Nick Friedman partnered with three restaurants in his hometown of Philadelphia to make Humpty's Dumplings a reality. "They had the food, and I had the truck," he says. Previously, just a tent, Friedman is excited to take their business on wheels. Last year, Humpty's was named "Best Thing We Ate" during Rolling Stone's coverage of Bonaroo. Since starting the business, he and his partners have combined efforts to make over 50 different flavors of dumplings, ranging from chicken bacon ranch to apple pie. Which is doing best at Hangout? Of course, it's their signature Philly cheesesteak dumpling!

Crescent Foods and V-Tea are two vendors from Vermont who serve at Hangout Fest 2017.

4) Crescent Foods & V-Tea

Location: Food Court in front of Arcade

Middlebury, Vermont is a far ways travel from the Gulf Coast. So, if you're planning on coming from that distance, you'd best make an impression. A two-fold operation, Crescent Foods sells burritos and quesadillas - a bit of a departure from the several taco locations at Hangout Festival. Each burrito comes with a carrot-based homemade salsa. What makes them a cut above the other Mexican-style vendors here, however, is their line of organic flavored iced teas to help fans hydrate and cool off between concerts.

Gina Evans, of Hangout 2017 vendor Taste & Tail, stirs a pot of paella.

5) Taste & Tail

Location: Food Court in front of Arcade

Gina Evans, who owns Taste & Tail says her food isn't quite "Caribbean", although that's what her tent's banner reads. She calls it "Floribbean". Evans, who is based in West Palm Beach, Florida, isn't from the region which inspires her food. She started making island-theme recipes with her best friend, who she says is from Nassau, Bahamas, before going into business for herself. Now, Evans and her crew set out for festivals around the entire US, getting as far away from South Florida as Detroit. They'll be setting up shop in Michigan for a string of June events.

Brothers, Shane and Joshua Goldfeder, serve food under the moniker "He-Bros". At Hangout 2017, they chose to make Jamaican.

6) He-Bros Kitchen

Location: Food Court in front of Arcade

The He-Bros, Shane and Joshua Goldfeder, started serving Jamaican food, just to mix things up. Previously the Wilmington, Delaware siblings they served popular American dishes while traveling from festival to festival. But, now it's all jerk chicken, all day long at Hangout. Shane, who spoke up for his "shy" brother, says the change-up has been working in their favor thus far. One holdover remains from their American food pasts, their signature side dish: macaroni & cheese.

Houston chef Alex Miranda brings Brazilian food to the Hangout atmosphere in 2017.

7) Gulf Coast Concessions

Location: Food Court in front of Arcade

Brazilian street meat king Alex Miranda and his team from Houston, Texas, aren't afraid to bring the spice to the burning hot beach of Gulf Shores. 23-year-old Brett Stephenson, from Shreveport, Louisiana ordered the best-selling Brazilian Steak Sandwich. It is made with marinated sirloin beef and a spicy aoili. "I've never had Brazilian before. I wanted to try it when I saw it," Stephenson told us. He approved of the dish after one big bite, taking a little time to decipher the flavors inside. "It's spicy and tastes homemade. It's got a chipotle kind of heat. I like spicy food, since I'm from Louisiana."

Miami-based, Florida's Fine Foods, actually serves several Louisiana culinary staples.

8) Florida's Fine Food

Location: Alabama Gulf Seafood Courtyard/Boardwalk East

With a huge Subway installation adjacent to this restaurant, it would prove fairly tempting to stop in ad get a taste of a casual cold cut. But, you know you can do better than that. Florida's Fine Food is a bit of a misnomer, as the tent's owners identify their food as "Louisiana Thai." If the fresh seafood smell and presentation doesn't draw you in, then the enthusiastic servers might. One of them pointed us to the the etoufee before spouting out a little rhyme: "It's fiya. One buy-a. You gon' wanna try-a!"
house of representatives feb 9 2016 julie bennett.JPG

((Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com))

State lawmakers ended their annual legislative session tonight, one marked by resignation of a governor during impeachment proceedings and by racial tensions at the end.

Lawmakers passed notable bills on the last day, including one to block removal of Confederate monuments and another to allow certified midwives to deliver babies in homes.

A notable bill that failed would have required church-affiliated child care centers to undergo state inspections and to be licensed if they enroll children who receive federal subsidies. Advocates pushed for that bill until the end, saying it would close a glaring gap in child safety. The Senate discussed it briefly but did not vote.

"It just wasn't going anywhere," Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh said. "It was pretty obvious there were people who were just against the bill."

The Senate generally limited debate on contested bills on the final day.

A plan to build three new men's prisons and to replace Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women died during the final week of the session.

Alabama's prisons are overcrowded and understaffed. Lawmakers have debated building prisons since last year, when former Gov. Robert Bentley launched the idea.

Legislative leaders and Gov. Kay Ivey expect to revisit the issue, possibly in a special session. They indicated they will likely wait to see how U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson rules in a lawsuit by inmates who claim that mental health care in prisons fails to meet constitutional standards.

"I'm sure that within the next few weeks or even the next few days we'll get some kind of a court ruling down to help us get an understanding of what the judge is going to expect the state to do," House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, R-Monrovia, said.

Marsh said he talked to Ivey about the issue today.

The prison bill that died, in its last version, would have allowed the state to borrow up to $845 million to build the four prisons. Marsh said there is a concern that bond rates could go up as time passes without a resolution to the problems.

A move to impeach Bentley that started last year ended with the governor's resignation last month. The House Judiciary Committee hired a special counsel to conduct an investigation and was prepared to start hearings when Bentley resigned.

The Alabama House had never considered impeachment of a governor and had no rules or precedent to follow. McCutcheon said the task weighed significantly on lawmakers.

"With that came a lot of stress, came a lot of pressure," McCutcheon said. "Some of that just seemed to put a burden on the members."

But McCutcheon said the ordeal puts the House in a stronger position to handle any such scandal in the future.

A task that lawmakers did not finish until the last day was a requirement to redraw legislative districts because of a federal court ruling that some were racially gerrymandered.

The Republican-backed plans that won approval were opposed by the Legislative Black Caucus and will be subject to court review.

A bill to increase the state gasoline tax for road maintenance and construction was backed by some major business groups but failed to muster adequate support in the House.

Marsh and McCutcheon say the need persists. The Legislature hasn't raised the gas tax since a five-cents per gallon increase in 1992.

"We've got to have some revenue to fix our highways and our roads," McCutcheon said.
redistricting bill reading thomas jackson.jpg

((Mike Cason/mcason@al.com))

The Alabama Legislature has approved plans to draw new boundaries for many House and Senate districts, a task that divided lawmakers along party lines.

The Senate passed the House district plan today, the final day of the legislative session. The plan passed on a 21-8 vote, with the eight Democratic senators voting against it. The House had passed the Senate plan 71-32 on Thursday.

The plans will be submitted to a federal court, which had blocked the use of three Senate districts and nine House districts in next year's elections.

The three-judge court found that the Legislature improperly used race as the main factor in drawing certain district lines to put black voters into predominantly black districts.

The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by the Alabama Democratic Conference, the Alabama Legislative Black Caucus and others.

Republicans who backed the new plans said they would correct the problems identified by the court. They also said they took into account a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on redistricting that required them to change other districts. The new plans change many districts besides the 12 ruled unconstitutional by the court.

The Legislative Black Caucus opposed the plans and proposed alternatives. Democrats delayed votes on the plans by requesting that the redistricting bills be read aloud.

An automated reader finished with the 541-page House bill about noon today. The reading took 14 hours.
PornArrests.jpg

Marc Sussman, left, Corey Melton, right.

(Jefferson County Jail)

The arrest of a top administrator at Cooper Green Mercy Hospital was part of a statewide operation targeting possession, production and dissemination of child pornography, authorities said Friday.

Marc Elliot Sussman, a 61-year-old Cooper Green Mercy Hospital administrator, was one of five suspects arrested in the three-day Alabama Law Enforcement Agency effort - Operation Standing Guard.

Sussman was arrested at his Mountain Brook home Thursday, and booked into the Jefferson County Jail at 9:17 a.m. According to jail records, Sussman is charged with six counts of possession of obscene material involving a victim under the age of 17. He was released from jail just before 11 p.m. Thursday after posting $90,000 bond.

Sussman is the Health Services Project Manager at Cooper Green Mercy Health Services, where he has worked since 2003, according to his LinkedIn biography. Prior to that, he worked at another Birmingham area hospital, also in administration. Hospital officials have not returned a call seeking comment on the arrest.

Another Jefferson County man - 37-Corey Beantee Melton - was also arrested in the operation. Agents swarmed Melton's Hueytown home on Tuesday. He was booked into the Jefferson County Jail later that day on five charges of possession of obscene material involving a victim under the age of 17, disseminating or displaying obscene material involving a victim under the age of 17, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Melton was convicted on child pornography charges in Jefferson County in 2009 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He is on the state's sex offender registry. He was released from jail on Thursday after posting $95,000 bond on his newest charges.

Three other suspects were arrested in St. Clair County: Thomas Duke, 31, of Odenville; Brian Rooks, 34, of Odenville, and Delbert Sargeant, 56, of Springville. All three are charged with multiple counts of possession of child pornography with bonds set between $400,000 and $500,000. They are in the St. Clair County Jail.

Six search warrants were served during the operation. Authorities said they identified four child victims.

Operation Standing Guard was carried out in Jefferson, Shelby and St. Clair counties by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force made up of county, state and federal agencies including: Special Victims Unit and Major Crimes Unit/Region G of ALEA's State Bureau of Investigation, ALEA's Tactical Team, Joint Electronic Crimes Task Forces hosted by the University of Alabama Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Secret Service, Etowah County Sheriff's Office, Shelby County Sheriff's Office and Walker County Sheriff's Office. Assistance was also provided by St. Clair County Sheriff's Office, Homewood Police Department, Mountain Brook Police Department, Adamsville Police Department and Hueytown Police Department.
Jerusalem  When Israeli police showed up at the maps and survey department of the Arab Studies Societys office in Jerusalem last month, director Khalil Tufakji was surprised to receive a six-month shutdown order.

Police proceeded to confiscate computers and the main server, along with posters and maps that had hung on the walls. Tufakji, along with the equipment, was swiftly transferred to the Jerusalem-based Moscobiyeh interrogation centre, also known as the Russian Compound.

The Israeli order alleged that Tufakjis office was working for the Palestinian Authority (PA), and police later accused the office of investigating land sales to Israelis on behalf of the PA.

But four hours after his arrest, Tufakji was released and his equipment returned, untouched. The department was reopened a couple of days later. Today, inside Tufakjis modest office, a mark on the wall where an aerial photograph used to hang was the only sign a raid had taken place.

I have no idea why they took it, Tufakji said of the photograph, which showed settlement development in occupied East Jerusalem. I got it from the Israeli side. None of this is secret. We collect and analyse information; this is what we do here.

The maps and survey department was established by the late Palestinian politician Faisal Husseini as part of the Arab Studies Society in 1983. Its goal is to monitor settlement expansion and land use and to produce detailed maps of the occupied Palestinian territories. The office has also mapped pre-1948 Palestinian property in West Jerusalem and produced studies of Israels policies.

After it was initially closed in 1996 by Israeli authorities amid a tense political climate, the department moved from another location in occupied East Jerusalem to Orient House, then the seat of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). Orient House was itself shut down in 2001 at the outset of the second Intifada. Dozens of Palestinian institutions, including the Jerusalem Chamber of Commerce, would meet the same fate in subsequent years, according to the Civic Coalition for Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem.

Since 2001, the maps and survey department has continued its work from the occupied West Bank as part of the Arab Studies Society, an NGO whose funders include the United Nations Development Programme and whose projects have been sponsored by the European Union.

READ MORE: Israels false narrative on land swaps

After the recent raid, Israeli police said they had received information that the Palestinian Authority had activated an office in Jerusalem, which was allegedly in constant contact with the security services in Ramallah to pass on names of those involved in land sales to Israelis.

Under Palestinian law, selling land to Israelis is considered high treason and is punishable by death; however, any death sentence would have to be approved by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and he has never done so.

Tufakji told Al Jazeera that the closure order, issued by the Ministry of Public Security, did not mention specific activities, but instead justified the closure on the grounds that the office did not have a proper license to operate in Israel. But the office, located a few hundred metres from Israels separation wall, is administratively in the occupied West Bank.

Maybe someone signed the order without knowing exactly where my office is, said Tufakji, an expert on settlements and borders who was also part of the Palestinian negotiation team at the 1991 Madrid conference.

Tufakji said the interrogation, which lasted 30 minutes, revolved around his ties to the PA, but as soon as the officers realised he was operating from the West Bank, the questioning stopped.

A police spokesperson declined to comment on the incident, and the Ministry of Public Security did not respond to Al Jazeeras request for comment.

The bizarre incident is not an isolated one. According to the Civic Coalition for Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem, more than 30 Palestinian institutions and organisations have been shut down in the city since the 2001 closure of Orient House. Six-month closure orders have been continuously renewed ever since, in defiance of recommendations made in the 2003 Road Map drawn up by the Middle East Quartet as part of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Targeting NGOs is targeting the presence of Palestinians in East Jerusalem. NGOs are the main body providing services, because according to Oslo [the interim accords signed by Israel and the Palestinians in 1993 and 1995], the Palestinian Authority is not allowed to be in Jerusalem, Zakaria Odeh, executive director of the Civic Coalition for Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem, told Al Jazeera. All policies, including house demolitions and residency revocations, have the goal to alter the demographic structure of Jerusalem as a whole.

FORUM: How can Palestinians legally fight occupation?

The closure of Palestinian institutions in the city has been condemned by the European Union for creating a dangerous leadership vacuum, and by Palestinian rights groups as a violation of international law and an attempt to stifle Palestinian political, cultural and social life in occupied East Jerusalem.





Israel does not allow the PA to carry out any political activities in the city, and a number of organisations and events have been shut down on this basis. The Palestinian National Theatre, Hakawati, has often seen its events disrupted.

In 2009, when Jerusalem was nominated as the Arab Capital of Culture, Israeli police shut down events organised for an international literature festival on the grounds that they constituted PA political activities. More recently, last December, the theatre was prevented from holding a singing event on the basis that its organisers were affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a left-wing Palestinian political party that Israel deems a terrorist group.

Since the closure of Orient House, Palestinians have lost access to 14,000 books, periodicals, documents, personal archives and maps collected by the Arab Studies Society.

Between 1991 [and] 2000, we coordinated our information with the American, the British and the French, Tufakji said. Every week, we held a tour around a settlement; we went in and took pictures about how the settlement developed. We kept a detailed database of each settlement, including future master plans and photographs. I had collected original maps from the Library of Congress [in the US], from Turkey, he added.

When they closed Orient House, they confiscated all our documentation and equipment. Until now, they are held by Israel.
The Maoist regime broke up families and imposed forced marriages, but also unintentionally brought some women together.

Phnom Penh/ Takeo, Cambodia  When Soth Yun was a young woman, she spent years secretly in love, too frightened to reveal her feelings.

It was the 1970s, and Cambodia was under the control of the Khmer Rouge, a Maoist movement that imposed forced labour on Cambodians and deprived them of food and basic necessities, such as medicine. Anyone deemed an enemy of the government was executed.

People were also punished for having relationships that werent sanctioned by the government, which considered reproduction to be the sole purpose of sex.

Yuns love was particularly subversive as it did not serve the governments aim of increasing the population: she loved another woman.

Between 1975 and 1979, the years that the Khmer Rouge was in power, at least 1.7 million people died due to starvation, overwork or arbitrary killings. An estimated 13 to 30 percent of Cambodias population at the time perished under the Khmer Rouge.

The government separated families and segregated the population according to age and gender. People were considered tools for building a classless agrarian society.

It was these conditions that brought Yun and Houy Eang together.

WATCH: 101 East  Cambodias Deadly Politics

Gender-segregated society

We were working in the same group digging an irrigation canal. She was sick and I helped her. She was nice to me, says Yun, who is now 61, recalling how she and Eang met in 1973.

They were in Takeo province, one of the first areas to fall under the control of the Angkar, the governments high command.

Yun never said anything about how she felt. Then Eang was transferred to another work unit, and the two women were separated.

I was always waiting for her to come back, Yun says. When Eang returned five years later, just before the Khmer Rouge was overthrown, Yun confessed her love.

Today, 44 years after they first met, they remain together. They live in Sdok Prey, a small village in Takeo province, two hours south of the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.

Their story is not uncommon. Other women found love in the gender-segregated society imposed upon them. But surviving the Khmer Rouge while in a secret relationship wasnt the only hurdle they had to face; many of the women who stayed together have been shunned by their families, friends and neighbours.

Things have improved but society still doesnt accept us, Yun says. Families want women to marry a man.

When asked how, despite the hardships, her relationship has endured, Yun reflects: I think lesbian couples are more stable than other couples. And we have been through a lot of suffering. We stay together no matter what.

Some of these older couples now support younger women and talk to their families about understanding their daughters sexual orientation.

We know how tough it is and we want to help them to be accepted, Yun says.

ALSO READ: The question of genocide and Cambodias Muslims

Secret love under the Khmer Rouge

A 2011 report from the NGO the Documentation Center of Cambodia titled Cambodias Hidden Scars, explores the enduring trauma inflicted by the Khmer Rouge on survivors and ensuing generations.

According to the report, the Khmer Rouges objective to dismantle the traditional Cambodian family unit was a major assault on relationships. During this period, children were uprooted from their families and sent to communal homes to foster allegiance to the state rather than the family and encouraged to denounce their parents, relatives and friends.

Unmarried men and women often lived in separate work groups, but mixed for specific tasks. The Angkar carefully controlled interactions between the opposite sexes and imposed forced marriages where partners were chosen arbitrarily in order to weaken family ties.

In a society where sex was understood as penetration, women having a close relationship could be seen as less suspicious, according to Theresa de Langis, an associate professor of Global Affairs at the American University of Phnom Penh. She leads the Cambodian Womens Oral History Project which collects survival stories from the Khmer Rouge period.

When I told a Khmer Rouge cadre that I was in love with a woman, he thought it was a joke, recalls Noy Sitha, another woman who met her lifelong partner, Hong Saroeun, during this time.

If you can make children, I will give you a position in the Angkar, he said.

He assumed their bond was comradeship  something encouraged by the Khmer Rouge. He even allowed her to request permission to live in the same house as Saroeun.

He agreed because he thought we were just friends, she says.

The women met in their working group in 1975.

She was very funny and this is why I became interested in her, says Sitha, who remembers that even the arduous task of digging a large canal couldnt erase Saroeuns smile.

Their relationship quickly progressed.

We were not living in the same house but I was sneaking in at night, Sitha says.

Some of the cadres, as the low-level leaders often overseeing working groups were referred to, grew suspicious.

The group leader who first discovered their relationship tried to have them executed, based on code number six of the combatants 12 codes. This moral code prohibited the abuse of women, including rape, but many interpreted it as banning any kind of flirtation, sexual or love relationship outside a state-sanctioned marriage.

But the superior the group leader complained to was sceptical that Sitha and Saroeun were in a relationship, and the couple were spared punishment.

ALSO READ: Only Lovers Left Alive

Gender-based violence

Under the Khmer Rouge, women, who had traditionally remained at home or whose public activities were limited, were put to work alongside men.

It was actually equality of suffering, says de Langis, who explains that women suffered more as their identity was eroded by the disintegration of families.

They [the Khmer Rouge] took out many of their reproductive roles, not only having babies but also raising and caring about other members of the family, de Langis says.

Rape, prohibited under code number six, was widespread and often linked to forced marriages. The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), the tribunal judging the crimes committed by the most senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge, is currently investigating this, among many other crimes. The case is now in its final stage and in mid-June the tribunal will hear the closing statements of the prosecutors, the defence teams and the civil parties lawyers before a sentence is handed down.

Forced marriages were sometimes a punishment meted out when code number six was violated.

When they knew I was in love with Eang, they tried to force me to marry a man. I told them I would rather die, Yun says. At the time, she hadnt yet confessed her love to Eang but they saw I was too nice to her.

I was lucky because at that moment the cadres changed, Yun adds.

In some districts, women were allowed to refuse marriages, sometimes with the promise of working harder. But forced marriages were a common practice, and few could escape them once they were settled.

People were not allowed to make any objection to the decision of the Angkar and a marriage order was no exception. Refusal to marry could have resulted in torture, imprisonment or death, says a 2013 report on sexual violence during the Khmer Rouge period, written by Kasumi Nakagawa, an expert on gender issues at the Pannasastra University of Cambodia.

WATCH  REWIND: Its a Mans World: Rape in Cambodia

Unwelcome in society

In a photo taken a few years after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, Sitha poses confidently with short hair and a yellow button-down shirt; Saroeun wears her long hair untied. Today, Sitha dresses in shirts and slacks; Saroeun always wears a sampot, the traditional Khmer skirt.

According to Srun Srorn, founder of Rainbow Community Kampuchea (RoCK), one of the first LGBT groups in the country, lesbians in Cambodia often adopt traditional Khmer gender roles.

Sitha not only dresses as a man but is also the main economic pillar of the household, thanks to her work at a public radio station, while Saroeun usually stays at home and takes care of the housework.

Lesbians in Cambodia have their own identity, different from other countries, Srorn says. Even if they dress as women  which couples do at times to conceal their relationship  their roles are husband and wife, he says.

The couple has struggled to be accepted by society. Sitha still hides her relationship from their neighbours.

When we walk in the street, people talk about us and say: how can two women sleep together? Sitha explains. When people ask her about their relationship, she tells them they are just friends.

Lesbian relationships are particularly incomprehensible to Cambodian society, which can lead to situations where family members use dramatic means in an attempt to break-up same-sex relationships, according to a 2010 report from the NGO the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, which documents cases of women whose families lock them up at home to stop them from seeing their partners, or force them to marry a man.

Other LGBT groups also have problems with families, but it is increased in the case of lesbians, because they are women and, in Cambodia, women have more pressure than men, says Chhoeurng Rachana, an LGBT rights activist at the organisation CamASEAN, a local NGO which combats discrimination against minority groups.

Womens identities in Cambodian society have been traditionally codified in the Chbab Srey poem, which has been passed down for generations. The verses form a code of conduct, with instructions for women, which include staying at home to serve their husbands and families, Chhoeurng says.

ALSO READ: Cambodian women carry heavy load on construction sites

Family opposition

Yun and Eang survived the Khmer Rouge, but their relationship came close to falling apart at the hands of their relatives.

First we were afraid of the Khmer Rouge. After that, of our families, Yun says.

When their families found out about their relationship, Eangs locked her up, but she managed to escape and the two briefly eloped. But they returned a few weeks later when they ran out of money. It was only in 1984, when Eangs father died, that she was able to openly move with Yun into their own home. When they did so, their older relatives stopped talking to them and today most still havent accepted their relationship.

Wider social acceptance, they say, has steadily increased thanks to the work of organisations like RoCK and CamASEAN, who have been advocating for LGBT rights over the past decade, visiting the families and neighbours of same-sex couples to talk to them about different sexual orientations.

They have helped in making people in the village to accept us, Yun says.

Both couples know that the strength of their relationships could help reassure the families of other younger lesbians. They visit these couples communities, talk to their relatives and friends and organise exhibitions, debates and concerts about LGBT issues.

We dont have to fight with our families anymore but young lesbians still face discrimination from their relatives that dont accept them, Yun says.

Sitha composes and performs songs at events to raise awareness about the discrimination that lesbian couples face in a society that loves singing and dancing.

How difficult is our lesbian life? It is very painful. Nobody supports us and tears drop every day. Why am I different from people around? Sitha asks in one of her songs.

Ironically, Sitha says, while their living conditions were harder during the rule of the Khmer Rouge, their love was for the most part easier. Today, life goes by fast and we meet new people every day, she says. And many dont like us.
Libyan and Italian coastguards pick thousands of people from dozens of boats in the Mediterranean in 48 hours.

About 5,000 refugees bound for Italy were rescued in waters off the coast of Libya between Thursday and Saturday morning by Italian and Libyan coastguards, according to statements from both countries.

About 2,900 people were rescued on Thursday, 2,300 of whom were found in international waters and taken to Italy, while 580 picked up in Libyan waters were returned to the north African country.

Through Friday until Saturday morning, coastguards rescued another 2,100 refugees packed in 17 vessels, but found the body of one man who drowned, the Italian coastguard said.





The surviving refugees told the Reuters news agency of arbitrary detention, slavery and beatings in Libya.

Libya is crazy. They arrest us, the police They put us in some place two, three days no eat, no drink. They beat us, said Alseer Issa Ibrahim, 28, from the Darfur region of Sudan.

John Osifo, a 29-year-old Nigerian, spent 11 months in Libya. He said he did not plan to go to Europe, but after a few months working at a car wash, a local man destroyed his passport and work permit, making him an irregular migrant, and he was forced into hard labour.

In Libya they believe blacks are slaves. That is what they call us. When they want to beat us, they beat us with pipes, he said, showing a scar on his left hand.

They take us to jobs, force us to do hard labour without payment  Sometimes they take you to a prison where youll be kept and beaten up, he said.

Soaring arrivals

The number of refugees arriving in Italy has soared this year by more than 30 percent in comparison with the same period last year, with 46,000 people arriving so far.

But of every 39 refugees who survive the perilous journey across the Mediterranean, one dies, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said, adding that 1,244 refugees were known to have died so far this year.

Italy has become the hardest-hit European destination for refugees from Africa this year.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has estimated that, of the 55,000 people who have reached Europe this year, 83 per cent of them went to Italy.
Brazils president responds to allegations of obstruction of justice, claiming evidence against him was doctored.

Brazilian President Michel Temer on Saturday demanded the Supreme Court suspend a probe into his alleged obstruction of justice, claiming the central piece of evidence is flawed.

Temer said an audio recording purporting to show him discussing payment of hush money to a jailed politician had been doctored.

Temer spoke in only his second public appearance since Wednesdays reporting of the audio recording, and the opening on Friday by the Supreme Court of a formal probe.

OPINION: There is no justice for the poor in Brazil

The scandal has sparked protests and prompted eight impeachment filings, raising serious doubts whether Temer, 76, can remain as president.

Although Temer had already vowed to stay on and fight, his brief speech on national television on Saturday was the first sign of a concerted counterattack.

He branded the secretly recorded audio manipulated and doctored and again insisted he will not resign, saying his leadership is necessary to see through economic austerity reforms.

The recordings

Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot has accused Temer of attempting to block a huge anti-corruption investigation known as Car Wash.

The Car Wash investigation has upended Brazil with scores of politicians indicted or subject to probes into alleged bribe taking and embezzlement.





Janot is investigating Temer for three concrete charges: obstruction of justice, passive corruption and criminal organisation.

At the heart of Temers scandal is the conversation he had with an executive from the JBS meat-packing business in which the president allegedly gives his blessing to monthly payments of hush money to former lower house speaker Eduardo Cunha  a witness in a corruption enquiry.

Cunha was jailed for 15 years in March after a Car Wash judge convicted him of bribe-taking.

As a powerful insider, Cunha has long been rumoured to be threatening to spill secrets on other politicians.

Temers attack on the integrity of the recording  which is often hard to hear  appeared to be part of carefully planned resistance after two days of near-silence from the government

The threat of impeachment

Temer  of the centre-right Brazilian Democratic Movement Party  took office in September, promising a new era for Brazil following the impeachment of leftist ex-President Dilma Rousseff over accusations of taking illegal state loans to patch budget holes in 2014.

Temer has until now enjoyed a solid majority in congress through his centre-right PMDB party, the PSDB social democrats and a string of smaller parties.

He needs that alliance to hold if he is to avoid impeachment.





So far, major parties appear to be sitting on the fence. However, the small PSB party, which has one minister in the government, decided on Saturday to pull out.

In an ominous sign for Temer, the powerful Globo media group has turned fully against him with an editorial on Friday declaring he has lost the moral, ethical, political and administrative conditions to continue governing Brazil.

On Sunday, nationwide protests are planned by leftist groups and turnout will be closely watched as a gauge of the public mood.

If Temer had to leave office, congress would pick a replacement to rule until after the 2018 elections.

However, there is widespread demand among Brazilians for advancing the 2018 polls and holding an immediate popular election. This would require congress to approve a constitutional change.
US president embarks on hectic nine-day tour of the Middle East and Europe with controversy likely to be close behind.

President Donald Trump is on a nine-day trip to the Middle East and Europe starting on Saturday. It is his first foreign foray as US president and there are a lot of things going on. Here are five things you need to know about the visit:

1. Trump is giving a big speech on Islam in Saudi Arabia. Trump has had a rough time trying to prove he doesnt hate Muslims. After all, during his election campaign, he once said he would support a ban on all Muslims entering the United States. Hes toned that down since becoming president, but an executive order banning entry to travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries, which was altered to six after widespread opposition, has been a nightmare.

A messy rollout, mass protests, court cases and confusion has mired it in controversy from day one. It also hasnt tamped down the perception that Trump has it in for Muslims. His speech this weekend to Arab leaders is an attempt to calm fears and re-establish relations with a world eager to mend ties with the White House. Ironically, White House officials say it will focus heavily on the need to fight ISIL and extremism.

2. Trump is visiting the Western Wall. The presidents Israel policy has been cloudy and controversial. He supports moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which would infuriate Palestinians and Arab leaders. Like many countries, the US has kept its embassy in Tel Aviv since Jerusalem includes disputed territory.

Trump has also appointed Ambassador David Friedman, who has raised money for Jewish settlements in areas occupied by Israel but claimed by the Palestinians. Recently reports surfaced that a US diplomat told Israeli officials the Western Wall is in disputed territory. Trumps national security adviser HR McMaster raised eyebrows last week when he refused to acknowledge unequivocally that its in Israel. No leaders will accompany Trump on his visit to the wall.

3. Trump is meeting with Pope Francis. This will be his first time as president and it might be a little awkward. During the 2016 election campaign, the pope said anyone who wants to build a wall  referring to Trumps most popular promise to build one extending along the US-Mexican border to prevent illegal immigration  is not Christian. Trump responded publicly by calling those words disgraceful and speculating that when ISIL attacks the Vatican, I can promise you that the pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president.

READ MORE: Donald Trumps Middle East visit  What to expect

4. Big protests are expected in Belgium. Trump will visit both NATO headquarters and the offices of the European Union (EU) while on a two-day stop in Brussels. He once called NATO obsolete and has suggested that some countries may follow the British vote to exit the EU. He has since walked back both comments as president.

But that wont stop Europeans from showing up to protest against his visit. A Trump Not Welcome Facebook page has nearly 9,000 people claiming they will attend. Donald Tusk, European Council president, has called Trump a threat to the continent.

5. Merkel and Obama will meet the same day Trump is at NATO. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Trump will give remarks during the NATO meeting, but not before she attends an event with former US president Barack Obama. They will make remarks at the Brandenburg gate, a symbolic spot where the Berlin Wall  the dividing line between East and West Germany  once stood. Its also where former US president Ronald Reagan once appealed to the Soviets to tear down this wall.

The not-so-subtle attack on the danger of building walls will undoubtedly be seen as a dig at the current president by the former. Trump has accused Obama of spying on him and received Merkel coolly during an Oval Office visit in March.
Scenes of joy as 82 schoolgirls freed from Boko Haram captivity see their parents for the first time since April 2014.

Parents of the Chibok girls released by Boko Haram earlier this month were reunited with their daughters on Saturday in the Nigerian capital Abuja.

There were emotional scenes at the reunion ceremony with fathers gripping their daughters in tight hugs, while mothers shrieked with joy, wiping away tears streaming from their eyes.

One beaming father picked up his daughter and swung her around in the air.

READ MORE: Nigeria  82 abducted Chibok girls freed by Boko Haram

They hadnt seen each other since April 2014, when fighters from the armed group snatched more than 200 schoolgirls from their dormitories in northeast Nigeria.

Im feeling very happy. I was dancing with her, shes very happy, said Yakubu Nkeki, whose niece Maimuna  whom he has raised as his own child  was among the 82 released.

Everyone was dancing today, even the old ones, everyone was dancing, Nkeki told AFP news agency.

All of us had lost hope. We thought the girls would not be returned. Nkeki added.

Nkeki, who represents the Chibok parents, said that they would attend a church service with the girls on Sunday, before returning home early next week.

Nigerias minister for women Aisha Alhassan has said that the governments goal is to have all the rescued Chibok girls back in school by September.

But the Nigerian government has been criticised for keeping the girls in their custody and limiting access to their parents.

Authorities should clarify to families whether the rescued girls are being held in preventive detention or as criminal suspects, Human Rights Watch said in a statement earlier this month.





The human rights organisation added that the Nigerian government should also be working to secure the release of others kidnapped by Boko Haram.

While the Chibok girls are the highest profile victims of Boko Harams abductions, authorities should extend the negotiations for release to other missing adults and children, it said.

Boko Haram has used kidnapping as a weapon of war, seizing hundreds of women and young girls in its quest to create an Islamic state in northeast Nigeria.

The group seized 276 girls from the remote town of Chibok in April 2014, triggering global condemnation and drawing attention to the bloody insurgency decimating the region.

A #BringBackOurGirls hashtag campaign went viral, endorsed by A-list celebrities and politicians alike, putting pressure on former president Goodluck Jonathan to tackle the Islamists.

In the immediate aftermath of the kidnapping, 57 girls managed to escape. Of the 219 who did not manage to flee, 106 have either been released or found.

READ MORE: Boko Haram releases video of purported Chibok girls

The group of 82 girls was released in May in exchange for five Boko Haram commanders following months of negotiations brokered by the Swiss government and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Twenty-one of their classmates were freed in October last year, while three others had previously been found or escaped.

The Nigerian government has said it is still in talks to release the remaining 113 girls in captivity.

Since the time of the Chibok kidnapping in 2014, Boko Haram has lost significant swaths of territory to the Nigerian government.

But the armed group still poses a threat to the ravaged region, which is suffering from a food crisis as a result of the eight-year insurgency which has left at least 20,000 people dead and displaced more than 2.6 million from their homes.
Woman, 23, says 54-year-old Hindu religious teacher raped her for years before she cut off his genitals in defence.

An Indian woman cut off a Hindu religious teachers genitals after he allegedly tried to rape her at her house in the southern state of Kerala, police said on Saturday.

The 23-year-old law student was at her residence in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram late Friday when she said the 54-year-old man attacked her.

District police chief G Sparjan Kumar told AFP news agency by phone that the suspect repeatedly visited the victims house to perform rituals for her fathers health.

The woman claimed the man had been assaulting her for several years, according to Kumar, who said police had registered a case against the suspect for sexual offences against a minor and rape.

She used a knife in her defence and cut off his penis, Kumar said.

The woman called the police herself following the incident.

She is now under police protection and receiving trauma counselling, the police chief added.

Area Deputy Commissioner of Police Arul B Krishna told The Times of India that the womans father had been bed-ridden for years.

Her mother became acquainted with the alleged suspect as she appointed him to conduct regular prayers at the house to remove all the problems faced by the family.

The woman told the police that she had told her mother she was being sexually abused by the religious guru.

We may also register a case against her mother for abetting the crime, Krishna told the newspaper.

READ MORE: Rape videos for sale in India

The man, Hari Swami, was rushed to the nearby government hospital in a serious state, Kumar added.

The local media reported that the suspect was in a stable condition after undergoing emergency medical procedures at the local hospital.

There have been other recent incidents of sexual assault involving religious men in the southern Indian state.

Two nuns and a priest, accused of covering up the birth of a baby born to a teenage girl who was allegedly raped by another priest, were arrested in Kerala last month.

Last year, a priest was sentenced to 40 years in prison by a Kerala court for raping a 12-year-old girl in 2014.
Irans reformist President Hassan Rouhani has decisively won the countrys presidential election, according to official results, fending off a challenge by principlist rival Ebrahim Raisi.

With all of votes in Fridays poll counted, Rouhani was re-elected with 57 percent, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmanifazli said on Saturday.

Of some 41.2 million total votes cast, Rouhani got 23.5  and won the election, Rahmanifazli said in remarks carried live by state TV.

PROFILE: Irans President Hassan Rouhani

Raisi, Rouhanis closest rival, got 15.8 million votes, he added.

A big turnout on Friday led to the vote being extended by several hours to deal with long queues.

Campaign pledges

Who is Hassan Rouhani? Born in 1948 in Sorkheh in northern Iran and began studying religion at an early age

Began political career in 1960s by following the exiled leader of the Islamic movement Ayatollah Khomeini

Fled Iran in 1977 after publicly declaring Khomeini an imam

Returned to Iran after the 1979 revolution and served as the secretary of Irans Supreme National Security Council from 1989 to 2005

Earned the nickname the diplomatic sheikh owing to his clerical background and role as Irans chief nuclear negotiator from 2003 to 2005

Sworn in as president on August 4, 2013

During his term, Iran reached a landmark deal in 2015 to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief

The election was seen by many as a verdict on Rouhanis policy of opening up Iran to the world and his efforts to rebuild its stagnant economy.

Rouhani swept into office four years ago on a promise to reduce Irans international isolation.

Fridays poll was the first since he negotiated a historic deal with world powers in 2015 to curb the countrys nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.

In the campaign trail, Rouhani sought to frame the vote as a choice between greater civil liberties and extremism, criticising the continued arrest of reformist leaders and activists.

Raisi, for his part, accused Rouhani of mismanaging the economy and positioned himself as a defender of the poor, calling for a much tougher line with the West.

Political commentator Mostafa Khoshcheshm said that in contrast to the 2013 election campaign, when Rouhani spoke about the removal of sanctions and the improvement of the economy, this time his message was different.

He resorted to other campaign slogans, like [calling for] social and political freedom, and he pushed the boundaries in order to gather public support, especially in large cities, Khoshcheshm told Al Jazeera.

If he has secured this result, its because of the large cities and the middle-class society living there  they have voted for him and made him a president and they expect him to do his promises.

Obstacles ahead

Rouhanis re-election is likely to safeguard the 2015 agreement, under which most international sanctions have been lifted in return for Iran curbing its nuclear programme.





Rouhani has vowed to work towards removing the remaining non-nuclear sanctions, but critics argue that will be hard with Donald Trump as US president. Trump has repeatedly described it as one of the worst deals ever signed, although his administration re-authorised waivers from sanctions this week.

Rouhani is also expected to face the same restrictions that prevented him from delivering substantial social change in his first term.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has veto power over all policies and ultimate control of the security forces, while Rouhani has been unable to secure the release of reformist leaders from house arrest.

Al Jazeeras Jonah Hull, reporting from Irans capital, Tehran, said that Rouhani, during an increasingly acrimonious election campaign, alienated a lot of Irans significant state institutions who may be in no mood to cooperate with him going forward.

Slow pace of change

While the nuclear deal was at the forefront of the election, the campaign was dominated by the issues of poverty and unemployment.

Rouhani has brought inflation down from around 40 percent when he took over in 2013, but prices are still rising by more than seven percent a year.

OPINION: Irans battleground  Supreme Leader vs President

Oil sales have rebounded since the nuclear deal took effect in January 2016, but growth in the rest of the economy has been limited, leaving unemployment at 12.5 percent overall  close to 30 percent for the young  and many more are underemployed or struggling to get by.

Rouhani now gets his second term, and will be able to continue the work that he started in his first four-year term trying to reform Iran, Hull said.

And moving on, crucially, from the nuclear deal to try and bring much more economic progress to satisfy the people who have found themselves extremely disappointed with the very slow pace of change since that agreement was signed.
Suicide bombers kill more than 50 people in separate attacks in Baghdad and Basra, police say.

More than 50 people have been killed in a string of suicide car bomb attacks in Iraqs capital, Baghdad, and the southern province of Basra, police have told Al Jazeera.

At least 33 people were killed on Friday in two separate blasts at checkpoints on a highway near oilfields in Basra, according to police.





The first explosion took place at the Rumeila checkpoint, and the second about one kilometre away at another checkpoint called al-Sadra.

Iraqs South Oil Company said there was no disruption to operations but oil police were put on maximum alert in response to the attack, officials told the Reuters news agency.

Baghdad attacks

Separately, two more attacks late on Friday killed at least 19 people, including security forces, and wounded 25 others in southern Baghdad.

Police sources said a suicide car bomber detonated explosives at the entrance of a checkpoint, just as another attacker blew himself up near a police station located about 100 metres away.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) armed group claimed responsibility for the Baghdad attacks.

READ MORE: Mosul civilians  Who knows who was shooting?

ISIL is under assault in both Iraq  in the countrys second city of Mosul  and in neighbouring Syria.

The armed group took vast swaths of Iraqi territory north and west of Baghdad in 2014.

Iraqi government forces backed by a US-led international coalition have since retaken many cities, including Tikrit and Fallujah.

But as ISIL has lost ground in Iraq, it has also retained the ability to stage regular attacks in areas it does not control.
Most of the dead are soldiers loyal to renegade General Khalifa Haftar, spokesman says of Thursdays attack.

An attack on an airbase in southern Libya has killed at least 141 people, mostly soldiers loyal to renegade Generals Khalifa Haftars self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), a spokesman for his forces said.

LNAs Ahmad al-Mismari told the AFP news agency on Friday that members of a militia loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli had carried out summary executions during Thursdays assault.

The victims also included civilians who worked at the Brak al-Shati airbase or were in the nearby area, Mismari said.

The soldiers were returning from a military parade. They werent armed. Most of them were executed, he said.

READ MORE: What does the Haftar-Serraj meeting mean for Libya?

The GNA denied ordering the attack, which it condemned, and said it had set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the allegations.

Mahdi al-Barghathi, the GNAs defence minister, was suspended, pending an outcome of the probe. Jamal al-Treiki, the head of GNAs Third Force militia, which was accused of carrying out the attack, was also suspended.

Libya has been wracked by chaos since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi, with rival militias and authorities vying for control of the oil-rich country.





The LNA does not recognise the authority of the GNA, and instead supports rival authorities based in the east. It has promised a strong response to the attack.

Martin Kobler, the UN envoy to Libya, voiced outrage at reports of deaths.

He suggested that if the reports were true, the unprovoked attack could amount to war crimes and may be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court.

Aguila Saleh, the speaker of the Tobruk-based parliament in eastern Libya, accused the GNAs Third Force of a serious breach of a truce agreement reached between Haftar and Fayez al-Sarraj, head of the Tripoli-based government, in Abu Dhabi on May 2.

Following the reconciliation talks, both men said they had agreed to put an end to violence in southern Libya, where tribes and militias vie for control of lucrative smuggling routes with neighbouring Chad, Niger and Sudan.

Saleh said he has ordered the armed forces to take the measures necessary to respond to the assault and defend the south and cleanse it of all outlaw militias.

His comments prompted alarm in Tripoli, with the GNA calling for an immediate ceasefire in the south.
Milan court rules Northern League MEP was guilty of racism over comments he made about Italys first black minister.

Cecile Kyenge, a black, Italian member of the European parliament and ex-minister for integration, has welcomed a Milan courts decision ordering a white supremacist MEP pay her 50,000 euro ($56,000) for making repeated slurs against her.

Kyenge, Italys first black minister, tweeted that the judges decision on Thursday showed that racism is a crime, not just a political opinion.

Racial hatred can never be an instrument of political struggle, she wrote in another message posted to the social media platform.

In a 2013 radio interview, Mario Borghezio, a member of the xenophobic Northern League, made racist remarks about Kyenges inclusion in the government of then-Prime Minister Enrico Letta.

This is a bonga bonga government, they want to change birthright citizenship laws and Kyenge wants to impose her tribal traditions from the Congo, he told Radio 24.

Borghezio also said Kyenge  a qualified ophthalmologist  took away a job from an Italian doctor.

OPINION: The media should resist far-right populist tendencies

He also said, among other things, that Africans are different. They belong to an ethnicity much different from ours. They havent produced great genes.

Borghezio, whose Facebook page shows him sat with a smiling Marine Le Pen, a far-right politician who recently lost Frances presidential election, once said he agreed with parts of Anders Breiviks manifesto. He was briefly suspended by his Northern League party over those remarks.

In violence that shocked Norway on July 22, 2011, Breivik set off a bomb in Oslos government district and then carried out the massacre at the annual summer camp of the left-wing Labor Partys youth organisation on Utoya, killing at least 77 people, most of them adolescents.

Nisha Agarwal, a lawyer and the commissioner of the New York City mayors office of immigrant affairs, tweeted her support for Kyenge.

[Kyenge] is such a dynamic intl leader and advocate for migrants, among many others  this is justice long due, she said.
Brazils top prosecutor has accused President Michel Temer of corruption and obstruction of justice, according to an investigation released by the countrys supreme court.

Attorney General Rodrigo Janot wrote that Temer and a senior senator attempted to derail a sprawling anti-graft probe known as Car Wash by legislative means and influencing police investigators, the court filings made public on Friday said.

In this way, there is evidence of possibly committing the crime of obstructing justice, Janot said.

The formal accusation is the latest revelation related to a secretly recorded audio, which purportedly captured Temer endorsing the paying of hush money to a former politician jailed on corruption charges.





The court also released plea-bargain testimony by the same man who recorded Temer  Joesley Batista, chairman of meat-packing giant JBS  which accused the president and his two predecessors of taking millions of dollars in bribes.

Batista said the company paid Temer 15m reais ($4.6m) in bribes.

Temers office denied in a statement that he obstructed justice by interfering in the probe and also denied accusations that he took bribes.

The scandal has sparked protests and prompted eight impeachment filings, raising serious doubts whether Temer, 76, can remain as president.

Temer on Thursday said he would not resign, adding that he wanted the investigation to proceed as fast as possible.

I have nothing to hide, he told an audience in the capital, Brasilia.

Temer took office in September, promising a new era for Brazil following the impeachment of ex-President Dilma Rousseff over accusations of taking illegal state loans to patch budget holes in 2014.

Millions in bribes

Prosecutors wrote they had proof that Aecio Neves, a senator accused of corruption, collaborated with Temer in attempts to slow or halt the Car Wash probe, which centres on political kickbacks in exchange for firms winning contracts at state-run enterprises, especially at oil company Petrobras.

According to the testimony, JBS had paid Neves to support a new abuse of authority law that seeks to make it easier for suspects and defendants to sue investigators, prosecutors and judges.

The measure, which passed the Senate last month, must still be approved by the lower house.

It has been sharply criticised by those leading Brazils crackdown on corruption.

READ MORE: Brazils beleaguered President Temer refuses to resign

The testimony also alleges that former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is already facing five corruption trials, received $50m in bribes in offshore accounts. Rousseff, Temers predecessor, was also accused of taking $30m in bribes, also in offshore accounts.

Lawyers for Lula said he was innocent. Rousseff also denied any wrongdoing in a statement.

During her impeachment trial, Rousseff said that her removal was the price she paid for refusing to quash the Car Wash probe, saying that corrupt politicians conspired to oust her to derail the investigations.

In addition to the three presidents, Congress members, ministers and several governors and mayors of major cities were named in the testimony. It implicates ruling and opposition parties alike.

This is easily the worst moment in Brazil since we returned to democracy, Claudio Couto, a political scientist at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, calling the claims the mother of all plea bargains.

This testimony is hitting everyone, all the major political players and, most importantly, a sitting president, he told the Reuters news agency.

Taking advantage





The court also released the audio tape of Temer speaking with Batista.

In the recording, which was made in March, the president appeared to condone a payment to silence testimony by Eduardo Cunha, a potential witness in the Car Wash probe.

Cunha, a former lower house speaker who last year orchestrated Rousseffs impeachment, has been convicted of corruption and is serving a prison sentence.

Temers office has questioned both the legality and content of the recording, which was first reported by the O Globo newspaper.

In a statement on Friday, Temers office said the president does not believe in the veracity of the declarations, and accused Batista, who is under investigation, of taking advantage of the situation.

Many politicians fear that if Cunha turned a witness for the state, his testimony could implicate scores of Congress and executive branch members.

Overall, the Car Wash probe has led to more than 90 convictions of businessmen and politicians and prompted the investigation of dozens of sitting Congress members and a third of Temers cabinet.

OPINION: There is no justice for the poor in Brazil

The constant march of indictments and new scandals has led to widespread calls among Brazilians for new elections.

At least eight pieces of proposed legislation to impeach Temer have been submitted in Congress, and a steady stream of people from many walks of life have called for him to step down.

On Friday, former Chief Justice Joaquim Barbosa added his voice.

There is not another way out: Brazilians must organise, go to the streets and demand with strength the immediate resignation of Michel Temer, tweeted Barbosa.
US Secretary of State says the arms agreements will help Saudi Arabia deal with malign Iranian influence.

The US and Saudi Arabia signed arms deals worth almost $110bn on Saturday, the first day of President Donald Trumps visit to the traditional US ally.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the arms agreements will help Saudi Arabia to deal with malign Iranian influence.

The package of defence equipment and services supports the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the entire Gulf region, Tillerson told reporters in Riyadh on Saturday.

This is in particular in the face of malign Iranian influence and Iranian-related threats which exist on Saudi Arabias borders on all sides, Tillerson said.

Al Jazeeras James Bays, reporting from Riyadh, said that the arms deal would be seen by both signatories as a win-win, especially as the deal involved arms that Barack Obama was not prepared to sell to Saudi Arabia, including missile defence systems.

READ MORE: Donald Trumps Middle East visit  What to expect

I think this is what both sides are trying to project here: a successful meeting and the US relationship with Saudi Arabia returning to the way it was before President Obama, said Bays.

Because certainly the White House says that it feels President Obama abandoned Saudi Arabia and this region, and they want the whole world to know that now they are getting things back on track.

The Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir said in the joint news conference with his counterpart Rex Tillerson that the two countries had signed a joint strategic vision declaration and hailed the talks as a truly historic day in the relationship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States, and we believe the beginning of a turning point in the relationship between the United States and the Arab and Islamic world.

The arms agreements are part of a series of wider trade deals. Al-Jubeir said the total value of those investments is in excess of $380bn, and claimed the deals would lead to the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs in the US and Saudi Arabia.

US conglomerate General Electric announced earlier on Saturday that it had also signed agreements and memorandums of understanding worth $15bn.





The deal came at the start of Trumps eight-day foreign tour that will also take him to Jerusalem, the Vatican and meetings with leaders in Europe.

The president and first lady Melania Trump were welcomed by Saudi King Salman as they disembarked at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday morning.

After a welcoming coffee ceremony, Trump and his entourage were brought to the royal court where the president was awarded the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabias highest civilian honour.

Trump held talks with King Salman and was to meet the kingdoms two crown princes on Saturday before giving a speech on Islam to leaders of Muslim countries on Sunday.

For Riyadh the visit is an opportunity to rebuild ties with a key ally, strained under Trumps predecessor Barack Obama who Sunni Arab Gulf states suspected of a tilt towards their Shiite regional rival Iran.

Trumps speech on Sunday to dozens of Muslim leaders has been touted as a major event  along the lines of a landmark address to the Islamic world given by Obama in Cairo in 2009.

The speech will be especially sensitive given tensions sparked by the Trump administrations attempted travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority nations and accusations of anti-Islamic rhetoric on the campaign trail.

The next leg of Trumps trip will be Israel. After meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Trump will see Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem, part of his efforts to revive the long-stagnant peace process.

INTERACTIVE: A timeline of US-Saudi relations

On Tuesday Trump heads to Rome to meet with Pope Francis. The two men are at odds on everything from climate change to refugee policy, although the pontiff says he will give the US leader an open-minded hearing.

The president will then meet NATO members in Brussels and attend a G7 summit in the Sicilian town of Taormina.
About 3,000 people, including 700 rebels, are being taken out of Waer district, according to provincial governor.

The last Syrian rebels and their families are being taken out from the last opposition-held neighbourhood of the central city of Homs, according to the provincial governor.

Talal Barazi told AFP news agency on Saturday that 3,000 people, including 700 rebels, were due to leave Waer district by the end of the day or dawn on Sunday.

The last evacuation of rebels, their families and civilians who wish to leave Homs, is under way. It is the last group, Barazi said.

The Russian-supervised operation began two months ago and has been carried out over several weeks.

Under the deal, opposition fighters are granted safe passage by the government out of Homs to rebel-held areas elsewhere in Syria.

READ MORE: Syrias civil war explained from the beginning

In all more than 15,000 people  12,000 civilians and 3,000 rebels  will have left Waer when the operation is over, Barazi said.

Dozens of people were carrying belongings including rugs, mattresses and bird cages as they prepared to board buses, AFP reported.

Soldiers and vehicles from Syrian regime ally Russia were seen on the outskirts of Waer.

Under the deal, between 600 and 100 Russian soldiers will deploy in Waer to provide security for residents who still live there or for those who were displaced by fighting and wish to return home.

The evacuation of Waer will bring Syrias government closer to cementing its control over more parts of the war-wracked country.

Earlier this month, rebels also began evacuating the last districts under their control in the capital Damascus, following their defeat in second city Aleppo in December.
US president receives warm welcome by King Salman as he seeks to repair ties with Washingtons closest Arab ally.

US President Donald Trump has arrived in Saudi Arabia on the first leg of his first foreign trip since taking office, in a crucial test abroad as political scandals mount at home.





In a red-carpet airport welcome, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud greeted Trump, his wife Melania and his entourage shortly after they landed in the capital, Riyadh, around 06:50 GMT on Saturday.

Trump will hold a series of meetings with the king and other Arab and Muslim leaders on Saturday and Sunday, before jetting off to Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories, the Vatican, Belgium and Italy in a nine-day tour across the Middle East and Europe.

During the two-day visit to the kingdom, Trump is expected to sign a major weapons deal, give a speech on Islam and discuss the battle against terrorism with more than 50 leaders.

It is the first time a US president has chosen Saudi Arabia as the first stop on a maiden trip.

Trumps visit is seen as highly symbolic, as he looks to repair Washingtons ties with its closest Arab ally.

During the final years of Barack Obamas US presidency, relations had undergone a period of difference of opinion, according to Saudi officials. These differences were largely centred around the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and the Obama administrations cautions to the kingdom about the civilian toll of the war in Yemen.

READ MORE: What to expect from Trumps Middle East visit

Al Jazeeras Washington editor James Bays, reporting from Riyadh, said the Saudis were very proud and excited that the US president chose the Gulf country as his first stop.

They want a reset of the relationship with the US. They were not happy with Obama, and they were not happy with the US policy in Yemen and in Syria, Bays said.

Ahmed Alibrahim, a Saudi political analyst, told Al Jazeera that the Saudis see this as a great day for relations with the US.

We think President Trumps cabinet does understand the Saudi challenges and does understand the challenges the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] faces.

He added that the kingdom would like to see more decisive statements, actions and sanctions on the Iranian regime.

Before the trip, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said the visit will bolster the strategic partnership between the two countries.

He added that several agreements will be signed, including political agreements  and big economic agreements.

Marwan Kabalan, an analyst at the Doha Institutes Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, told Al Jazeera the US and Saudi Arabia will discuss a strategic plan aimed at countering extremism as an ideological battle.

I think both sides have high expectations of this summit, as they are expected to discuss the most pressing issues for both of them like the conflict in Yemen, the war in Syria and the war on ISIL, Kabalan said, referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant armed group, also known as ISIS.

Trump is expected to address the entire Islamic world while trying to establish this sort of a strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia, particularly concerning groups like ISIL.

Arms deal

On Saturday, Trump is expected to announce an arms deal with Saudi Arabia worth more than $100bn, in what could be the biggest such agreement in history.





Speaking on condition of anonymity, US officials familiar with the package told the Associated Press news agency that the deal would include Abrams tanks, combat ships, missile defence systems, radar and communications and cybersecurity technology.

Much of the package builds on commitments made before Trump took office, although some elements are new, including weapons designed to help Saudi Arabia in an air campaign it has led in war-torn Yemen, officials said.

The Trump administration separately informed Congress on Friday that it will sell some $500m in precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia. These include laser-guided Paveway II bombs and JDAM kits for converting unguided bombs into smart bombs.

Historic summit

Also on the agenda in Riyadh is a summit of more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders, including those from the six nations that form the Gulf Cooperation Council, to discuss the fight against extremism.

Announcing the meeting, the Saudi foreign ministry said the historic summit should be the start to building a partnership between the Arab and Muslim worlds and the United States at various levels.

INTERACTIVE: A timeline of US-Saudi relations

Trump is expected to give a speech on Islam, calling for unity in the fight against radicalism and characterising the effort as a battle between good and evil, the AP reported, citing a draft of his speech.

The US president will avoid tough anti-Muslim rhetoric from his presidential campaign, as well as mentions of democracy and human rights, according to the draft of the speech, which remains subject to revision, AP said.

According to Al Jazeeras Bays, the meeting will also include talks on Trumps promise to restart peace talks between the Palestinians and Israelis.

Everyone agrees that a fresh approach could be helpful in solving this long-running conflict and President Trump certainly brings that  but Arab leaders will want to hear more than optimism, theyll want to know the US presidents plan to move forward, Bays said.

READ MORE: Five things to know about Donald Trumps first foreign trip

After the visit in Saudi Arabia, Trump will head to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories where he will meet his friend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem.

There are no plans for Trump to bring the two leaders together, a senior US official told the Reuters news agency, saying the administration does not believe it is the right time just yet.

Trump will then fly to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis, who has said he will give the US president an open-minded hearing, despite differences in belief on everything from climate change to policies towards refugees.

Trump will later meet members of NATO in Brussels and attend a G7 summit in Italy.

OPINION: The US never-ending days of reckoning

The foreign trip comes as Trump faces growing criticism at home.

As the US president jetted off to Saudi Arabia, reports by US media emerged that a senior adviser to Trump was a person of interest in a probe of possible collusion with Russia during last years election campaign and that the US president had boasted to Russian officials after firing former FBI Director James Comey earlier this month.

On Thursday, Trump also denounced the announcement of special counsel to conduct an independent investigation into the alleged Russian meddling in the election and possible collusion with Trumps team.
We examine the latest global hacking attack, its implications and the future of cyber security.

When the WannaCry virus hit computers in at least 150 countries around the world, some called it the beginning of a new era  an era in which hackers have become experts at finding weak spots in our online security.

If we digitalise more, if more information is going to be put out there, we need to make sure that privacy and also the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the information is preserved at all times. by Stijn Vande Casteele, co-founder and CEO of Brussels-based Internet security company Sweepatic

There was also a kind of dawning realisation of how vulnerable organisations all over the globe are to cybercriminals.

The WannaCry attack targeted Microsofts Windows operating system using malicious software or ransomware. It blocked access to computer systems and demanded that victims pay money via the crypto currency bitcoin.

The worlds biggest software maker was quick to point the finger of blame at the US government. But some experts say Microsoft is accountable too for the way in which it charges for new versions of its software.

With our lives becoming increasingly connected to the internet, are we likely to see the growth of things such as cyber insurance? How do we even start to put a price on our data? And do governments themselves have to start budgeting to protect their populations from cyber extortion?

Our technology editor Tarek Bazley reports on the global nature of the latest threat. And Stijn Vande Casteele, the co-founder and CEO of Brussels-based Internet security company Sweepatic, joins us from Brussels.

Also on this episode of Counting the Cost:

Wi-fi on a plane: Why is it so difficult to get online on an aircraft, and could that be about to change? If youve ever used aircraft wi-fi, it was probably incredibly slow and very expensive. Currently not every flight offers it and if you do get online, connectivity can be poor.

If we look at the global state of the in-flight wi-fi, passengers from the United States have a 66 percent chance of getting wi-fi connection, while the rest of the world has only 24 percent.

Communications firms say more than half half the worlds aircraft will be equipped for in-flight wi-fi within the next six years using signals from satellites. But with more customers getting online on planes, what about security? How vulnerable to attack are the networks that keep planes in the sky?

Ben Griffin, a regional director at Inmarsat aviation, joins Counting the Cost.

OPEC v the US shale producers: Oil has been a hot topic ahead of the OPEC meeting on May 25. For the past six months weve had a production cut in place. Compliance has been very good  its been around 90 percent and the big hope is that will continue.

Now Saudi Arabia and Russia have said they want global producers to continue with the cuts through to 2018. But seasonal factors that helped to boost compliance in the first half of this year are fading away. And OPEC is struggling to maintain its dominance over US shale producers.

Can the worlds top producers prevent another collapse in the price of crude?

Richard Mallinson joins us from Energy Aspects in London to discuss whether OPEC can keep oil prices buoyed.
Saudi Arabia rolls out the red carpet on the first stop of Trumps eight-day tour.

Donald Trump came to power promising an America first foreign policy.

On his first trip abroad as US president, allies are expecting to hear how they will be affected.

First stop is Saudi Arabia, then he is due to visit Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories, the Vatican, Belgium and Italy.

How will his trip shape US foreign policy?

Presenter: Dareen Abughaida

Guests:

Joseph Kechichian  senior writer at Gulf News

Kristine Berzina  transatlantic fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States

Mark Jacobson  former adviser to US Defence Secretary Ash Carter and visiting professor at Georgetown University
The Labour Party faces a right-leaning media with weeks until the election. Plus, the media black hole in Sinai, Egypt.

On The Listening Post this week: The UKs left-wing Labour Party is facing down a right-leaning British media with just weeks until the election. Plus, the media black hole in Sinai, Egypt.

Balanced or biased? British media coverage of Corbyn

With just over two weeks until Britain heads to the polls, the opposition Labour Party and its leader, Jeremy Corbyn, have been savaged by newspapers that lean heavily to the right. Even in broadcast media, critics argue, the ruling Conservatives have journalists fighting their corner.

Contributors:

Andrew Pierce, journalist, Daily Mail

Aaron Bastani, co-founder, Novara Media

Peter Catterall, professor of history and policy, University of Westminster

Annabelle Sreberny, professor of global media and communications, SOAS University of London

On our radar:

The cycle of murder and impunity against journalists continues in Mexico, as yet another prominent reporter Javier Valdez pays with his life.

Chelsea Manning walks free from US prison, while Sweden drops rape charges against WikiLeaks Julian Assange.

At least six people are killed and a further 24 injured after ISIL attacks Afghanistans state-owned broadcaster, RTA.

The silence in Sinai

For the past three years, Egyptian forces have been fighting an ISIL offshoot in the Sinai peninsula and all the while, the government of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has kept a tight lid on the story.

Having already jailed dozens of journalists, Sinai has become a black hole for news. Reporting that deviates from official government information has been criminalised under an anti-terror law leaving the sole remaining narrative one of military success and heroism trumpeted across all forms of pro-government media.

Contributors:

Joe Stork, deputy director for MENA, Human Rights Watch

Sherine Tadros, Head of UN office in New York, Amnesty International

Maged Mandour, Egyptian writer and researcher

Nancy Okail, executive director, Tahrir Institute for Middle Eastern Policy
The African Development Bank in collaboration with the African Union Commission and the World Economic Forum has launched the second edition of the Africa Visa Openness Index. The Index analyses the visa regime in Africa and how open countries are in terms of relaxation or elimination of visa requirements for citizens from other African countries []http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric...
Experts at the International Telecoms Week conference in Chicago have highlighted the need to accelerate investment in Africa to facilitate the continents broadband data explosion. Based on the theme Achieving A Connected Continent: Leading The Data Explosion Across Africa, the expert panel session with participation from Google, Facebook, WIOCC, Liquid Telecom and Angola Cables discussed []http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric...
RackWare today announced the general availability of its solution for managing hybrid cloud environments.

Theres a growing need for this kind of thing, given the adoption of hybrid cloud approaches by enterprises. More than 70 percent of heavy cloud users are considering hybrid cloud, according to IDCs (News - Alert) most recent CloudView study.

The Advanced Hybrid Cloud Management Suite addresses all types of scenarios, including public clouds, OpenStack, and physical environments, explains RackWare CEO and co-founder Sash Sunkara. And it has the ability to work with Oracle (News - Alert) databases, SQL clusters, and more.

The RackWare solution lets enterprises migrate different environments and support a range of servers. It allows for automatic parking, to help customers save money. And it enables automatic scaling, which makes environments manageable even as they expand.

This new solution is part of the companys RMM 6.0 platform, which has a variety of capabilities.

RackWare was founded in 2009 to enable enterprises to leverage private and public clouds. For the first couple of years of its existence, RackWare was focused on building a bridge so enterprises could move from their existing environments to the cloud, but without rewriting their applications, Sunkara explained in an interview last week. RackWare was able to win the business of such companies as CenturyLink (News - Alert) and SunGard during that time.

After raising its Series A funding in 2013, RackWare then introduced its second generation product. That was focused on scaling, said Sunkara. And RackWare around that time was able to sign on such companies as Crayola, Coke, Hallmark, and Procter & Gamble.

Following that, RackWare introduced a third generation product. That addresses disaster recovery. And it has provides significant savings for such RackWare customers as Blue Shield of California, SAP SuccessFactors, and Zebra Technologies (News - Alert).

Then some of RackWares larger customers asked the company to address hybrid cloud management. So the company has been in development on that for about a year and a half. And that work resulted in the Advanced Hybrid Cloud Management Suite.

Edited by Alicia Young










English News Nigerian blogger still in prison, one month after granted bail

Alwihda Info | Par Adil Abou - 20 Mai 2017



Police first arrested Omololu-Olunloyo on March 13 from her house in the southwestern city of Ibadan after she published on Instagram a letter purportedly from a churchgoer accusing a woman of using witchcraft to convince a pastor to sleep with her and give her gifts,

Uyo, Nigeria, May 19, 2017--Nigerian authorities should immediately release blogger Kemi Omololu-Olunloyo, in accordance with two court orders granting her bail, and prosecutors should drop all criminal charges against her, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Omololu-Olunloyo, who runs the blog HNN Africa, has been jailed for 69 days pending trial, despite two court orders for her release on bail. Police first arrested Omololu-Olunloyo on March 13 from her house in the southwestern city of Ibadan after she published on Instagram a letter purportedly from a churchgoer accusing a woman of using witchcraft to convince a pastor to sleep with her and give her gifts, according to media reports and her lawyers. A magistrate court in Port Harcourt arraigned her and Samuel Welson--the publisher of the Port Harcourt tabloid newspaper Rivers Today, which had republished the letter "on or about" February 20--on charges of criminal libel and publishing false news, according to media reports and the legal document. The magistrate court on March 30 ordered both released on bail, Welson and Phoebe Fawehinmi, a lawyer who is representing both journalists told CPJ. While Welson was released, police the same day re-arrested the blogger and brought her before the Federal High Court, which arraigned her under Nigeria's Cybercrime Act, which criminalizes any message sent using computer systems that the sender knows to be false. After several adjournments, the federal court on April 11 ordered her released on bail, but more than a month later, the deputy chief registrar at the court has yet to forward her paperwork to the judge for signature, despite her having met the conditions for bail, Eugene Meabe and Fatai Lawal, two other lawyers representing Omololu-Olunloyo, told CPJ. "Defamation should never be a criminal matter in the first place, but keeping Kemi Omololu-Olunloyo in prison for 69 days and counting, despite two court orders for her release on bail, is a clear perversion of justice," said Peter Nkanga, CPJ's West Africa representative. "Judicial authorities should cease dragging their feet and should release the blogger immediately." Omololu-Olunloyo's original post has been removed from Instagram, but a legal document CPJ has reviewed indicates it was published first "on or about" February 17. When she published the letter, Omololu-Olunloyo wrote that neither the pastor nor the woman had responded to her request for comment. Reached by telephone at 2:23 p.m. local time today, Emmanuel Aguma, the Rivers State attorney general and commissioner for justice, declined to comment on Omololu-Olunloyo's case, saying he had finished work for the day. "I have closed for the day, and I don't know you, so I will not talk to you," Aguma said. Omololu-Olunloyo is scheduled to appear at the Federal High Court again on May 23, her lawyers told CPJ. Omololu-Olunloyo and Welson are scheduled to appear together before the magistrate court on June 14, the lawyers said. Read online here. Contact: Angela Quintal Africa Program Coordinator Tel. +1 (212) 300-9004 Email: aquintal@cpj.org facebook.com/CPJAfrica/ @CPJAfrica @angelaquintal Jonathan Rozen Africa Program Researcher Tel. +1.212.300.9007 Email: jrozen@cpj.org facebook.com/CPJAfrica/ @CPJAfrica @Rozen_J



Dans la meme rubrique : < > Yunnan dispatches sci-tech experts to South Asia, Southeast Asia, builds bridge of int'l technological cooperation China's Beidou reaches world-leading level: white paper Silk Road e-commerce promotes trade among Belt and Road countries Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)
In 1963, President Kennedy spoke to members of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Kennedy asserted that "what makes editorial cartooning such a wonder" is the ability to "entertain and instruct us ... and ... place in one picture a story and a message and do it with impact and conviction and humor and passion  all that ... makes [editorial cartoonists] the most exceptional commentators on the American scene."

According to Randall P. Harrison, "there are a handful of basic techniques which the cartoonist manipulates to create a symbolic world of make-believe." The first process, known as leveling, is when "the cartoonist radically 'levels' what we usually see in our perceptual field thus creating a cartoon which is 2-dimensional rather than 3-dimensional." Then there is "sharpening," where "some items drop out so that the remaining items gather in importance." Thus, "[a]s a cartoon body shrinks, the head expands. As wrinkles and minor features drop out, the expressive features of eyes, mouth and brows (features that move and are therefore the most informative in the human face) become more prominent." And, finally, "the cartoonist assimilates through exaggeration and interpolation so that the fantasy, while still make-believe, 'makes sense' for the reader."

But the true art of the cartoon figure is centered on the "thought balloon and the speech balloon."

This is why Dilbert's creator, Scott Adams, is a refreshing rebuke to those who cannot abide common sense and logic. James Delingpole explains how the latest Dilbert strip is "causing liberal heads to explode." Concerning global warming, Adams "invites a climate scientist to explain the risk of climate change to the company." The expert (in a white coat, of course) patiently explains how scientists "put that data into dozens of different climate models and ignore the ones that look wrong[.]" And "then [the scientists] take that output and run it through long-term economic models of the sort that have never been right." Dilbert innocently asks, "What if I don't trust the economic models" and is instantly reproached with "[w]ho hired the science denier?"

At his own blog, Adams asks, "[I]f scientists can make climate prediction models that are reliable (or so they tell us), why can't they do the same with Muslim immigration predictions?" Thus:

Predicting the average temperature on Earth ten years from now is hard. There are too many variables. But predicting the outcome of immigration policies probably involves far fewer variables. All we need to do is look at other countries that experienced lots of Muslim immigration and subtract out the countries that reversed the trend with military force[.] A good immigration prediction model would find the 'tipping point' where the percentage of Islamic population nearly guarantees the entire country will become Muslim in the long run. Is that 10% or 65%? I have no idea. Suppose I said to you that 20% Islamic population will guarantee that eventually  perhaps in a hundred years or more  the country will have a dominant Islamic culture, with all that implies for women and the LGBTQ community. I don't know if having 20% Muslim citizens is anywhere near the tipping point. But consider that gays represent perhaps 10% of the country, and that was enough to change laws. Consider that the United States is strongly pro-Israel while the Jewish population of the United States is under 2%. The size of the minority seems less important than their level of motivation. Muslims appear to be motivated.

Concerning the tipping point, Jerome Corsi in 2013 described how "[t]he nightly rioting in Stockholm that establishment media ascribes merely to 'youths,' is being carried out by Muslim immigrants." Thus, four years ago, "Muslim immigrants in Sweden [totaled] slightly more than 6 percent of the population, providing additional support for the maxim that a Muslim population of 5 percent is a tipping point for political turmoil. In other countries, Muslim immigrants at that point have begun to seek concessions, including, typically, the right to govern themselves by Shariah, or Islamic law."

According to Barney Zwartz, who wrote about this issue in February of 2007, "life can become untenable when the Muslim population of a non-Muslim country reaches about 10 per cent, as shown by France[.]" In the Sydney Morning Herald, Professor Raphael Israeli asserts that "[w]hen the Muslim population gets to a critical mass you have problems. That is a general rule, so if it applies everywhere it applies in Australia." An expert on Islamic history, Professor Israeli states that "Muslim immigrants [have] a reputation for manipulating the values of Western countries, taking advantage of their hospitality and tolerance." Moreover, he maintains that "in France, which has the highest proportion of Muslims in Europe at about 10 per cent, it was already too late. There were regions even the police were scared to enter, and militant Muslims were changing the country's political, economic and cultural fabric, and demanding anti-Semitic and anti-Israel policies."

This was stated ten years ago. And the situation has worsened considerably. French columnist and author Eric Zemmour describes what he sees happening to France as "invasion, colonization, explosion." Zemmour defines the "arrival of millions of Muslims in France during the last five decades as an invasion, and the recent arrival of hordes of migrants as the continuation of that invasion. He depicts the creation of 'no-go zones' as the creation of Islamic territories on French soil and an integral part of a colonization process."

Others like Daniel Pipes take issue with the term "no-go zones" and prefer to use the term "semi-autonomous sectors," but the bottom line is that in these sections, "a majority population accepts the customs and even the criminality of a poorer and weaker immigrant community." In fact, "[t]he world has never seen anything comparable to the contemporary West's blend of achievement, timidity, and guilt, of hugely superior power matched by a deep reluctance to use it." Pipes maintains that this is, "arguably, West Europe's most acute problem."

Professor Israeli "said his warning did not include immigrants, including Muslims, who simply wanted to improve their lot. As long as they respected the law and democracy, their numbers  Buddhist, Muslim or Jew  were immaterial. It became material when a group accepted violence."

Yves Mamou highlights that "France has Europe's largest Muslim community, largest Jewish community, largest Chinese community, and largest Armenian community. The French integration model worked for all those groups except one. A growing percentage of Muslims in France are not accepting the rules that everyone else has accepted."

This highlights Scott Adams's point about the motivation of an individual. Howard Bloom has explained that "Islam is the only superorganism with a meme team  a worldview and a 'total system of life'  built for global rule by its founder. Islam's ... advantage is the eagerness of its militants to solve political disputes with violence. Violence is a potent force multiplier, especially in a world peppered with democratic societies. The chant among young Muslim jihadists is, 'We love death more than you love life.' Why? Because those who die killing unbelievers have an express ticket to fame, sex and paradise. The result: suicide bombers."

Toward the end of his blog post, Scott Adams asserts that "[i]t is nonsense to argue about whether our Muslim immigration policies are good or bad without the benefit of knowing where the tipping point is, if such a thing even exists. My guess is that the pro-immigration people and the anti-immigration people would agree we shouldn't go past the tipping point. But if neither side knows where the tipping point is, you can't call the opinion on either side sensible." Thus, "[t]he so-called sensible people in the middle (including me) have opinions that are effectively nonsense because we don't know where the tipping point is."

If a destructive value system is permitted to metastasize without any counterbalancing, the question of a tipping point eventually becomes a moot point. The sensible inquiry is not how many Muslim immigrants should be permitted to enter a country; the real question is, what is their motivation, and what values do they want to impose on the host country?

Andrew C. McCarthy notes, "How do we embrace our Islamic friends while excluding our sharia-supremacist enemies? To fashion an immigration policy that serves our vital national-security interests without violating our commitment to religious liberty, we must be able to exclude sharia supremacists while admitting Muslims who reject sharia supremacism and would be loyal to the Constitution."

Cartoons or not, we need to "level what we see in our perceptual field" and use the empirical evidence so law-abiding Muslims and any other groups are protected against those who would bring harm, destruction, and irrevocable blight.

Eileen can be reached at middlemarch18@gmail.com.
The civilian drone market was predicted to take off like a rocket. But the market has stalled. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is keeping drone technology bottled up in the U.S. while it continues to move forward in Asia and Europe.

The opportunities for drones are real. Oil companies, electric power utilities, and mobile operators are already using drones to inspect vital infrastructure. Companies including Amazon, Dominos, and Walmart are serious about putting drones into wider use. Everyone agrees that the industry must prove that drones are safe before they are allowed to deliver small packages to homes. But there is reason to believe that it can be done: Every day in the U.S. there are more than 23,000 commercial airline flights carrying well over 1 million passengers.

For now, the drone market is in a holding pattern. Several drone makers laid off workers over the last 12 months. The FAA recently reported that drone registrations are averaging about 8,300 per week. However, the forecast cited by the FAA in its 2017 annual report would require average weekly sales of more than 23,000 drones.

Many drone companies have tied their fate to a glacial FAA process that could be leading them down a blind alley. While many in the tech press (which moved sharply to the left during the Obama years) blame the layoffs on the growing dominance of Chinese drone maker DJI, Wall Street Journal columnist Gordon Crovitz points out that it was excessive FAA regulation that allowed a Chinese company to run away with the market ("While Amazon Waits, Drones Fly").

The demise of Flytenow offers further evidence that the FAA is an obstacle to innovation. Flytenow operated a flight-sharing website for private pilots, enabling them to offer rides to the public to help defray expenses. The FAA contended that when pilots offer rides online they become common carriers, forcing Flytenow to shut down.

Finding a way Forward

The biggest challenge confronting the drone industry today isnt safety -- its politics. Apparently, we have become so accustomed to federal agencies riding herd over businesses that no one batted an eye when Congress passed the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, which appointed the FAA to oversee the emerging drone industry. That action was a mistake for two reasons.

First, the FAA primarily manages large manned aircraft that fly long distances and cruise at high altitudes (typically around 30,000 feet). Commercial drones are small and mainly fly short distances at low altitudes (below 500 feet). While the FAA should retain the authority to keep drones at a safe distance from manned aircraft, the FAA has neither the motivation nor the skills to shepherd an emerging tech industry.

Second, the FAAs mission is to ensure safe air travel. Given that most passenger flights are interstate or even international, it makes sense for the FAA to apply one set of rules to the entire country. In contrast, one-size-fits-all rules do not make sense for drones used in environments as diverse as rural Wyoming and New York City. State and local governments -- in consultation with local citizens, users, and businesses -- should determine when and where the benefits of drone use outweigh the risks.

Despite the apparent good intentions of Chief Administrator Michael Huerta, who publicly called for his agency to be more flexible and stop moving at the speed of government, it took the FAA more than four years to create the first rules for small unmanned aircraft. Up until mid-2016, using drones for business purposes in the U.S. was actually illegal, though the FAA began issuing waivers on a case-by-case basis in 2014. The new Part 107 Rules were supposed to open the floodgates to commercial use of drones. In practice, the rules merely codified the uses that were already being granted waivers. The rules reduced the FAA examiners workload, but did almost nothing to spur business use.

A quick look at the restrictions contained in the Part 107 Rules reveals why. Drones may not be operated beyond line of sight of the operator, at night, or over people not directly involved in the drones operation. That means that drones still cant be used to examine crop fields on a large farm, patrol a private facility at night looking for intruders, or transport small items between facilities several blocks apart without first obtaining special permission from the FAA. Nor are the restrictions likely to be relaxed anytime soon.

None of this is to suggest that the FAA should have no role in the drone industry. The FAA should remain in charge of keeping drones away from restricted areas such as airports. Otherwise, the FAA could serve as a resource to the states rather than as a national gatekeeper, developing airworthiness guidelines, providing operator training, and helping to field-test new solutions.

Lately there has been much talk in the tech industry about flying cars and small electric aircraft with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability. Proponents say these new forms of air transportation could help alleviate automobile traffic congestion in and around major cities. Thats precisely the kind of thing that gets inventors and entrepreneurs excited. However, if we are going to allow commercial air taxi service for people by 2025 as proposed by Uber, then shouldnt we figure out much sooner how to permit drone delivery of small packages?

Ira Brodsky is a St. Louis-based consultant and the author of five books about technology. @IraBrodsky
If anyone had doubts about progressivism being a religious movement, those doubts should be laid to rest by a recent article in New York magazine dedicated to promoting a pilgrimage of faithful liberals to secular shrines dedicated to equality:

Need a spiritual vacation? A new ad and tourism campaign from New York takes you on a road trip through the states historic equal-rights monuments, from Manhattans Stonewall National Monument to Harriet Tubmans home in Auburn. The campaign, announced today by Governor Andrew Cuomo, is running in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of womens suffrage in New York State.

The ad for the proposed pilgrimage of the faithful features a mother and a daughter visiting the home of Susan B. Anthony. The daughters worshipful gaze resembles that of an acolyte looking at a crucifix.

Some may recall St. Andrew Cuomo, who in a secular interpretation of St. Patricks expulsion of snakes from Ireland, attempted an exorcism of people who were pro-life and pro-gun from the sacred soil of New York. If he had been able to put his threat into action as did kings of old, Cuomo, who considers himself Catholic even though he is almost violently pro-abortion, may have imitated Louis XIVs revocation of the Edict of Nantes, effectively sentencing conservative and religious New Yorkers to exile or worse.

At the same time the newly established holy sites of progressivism are being promoted with an assiduity similar to priests promotion of the Christian ceremony of the stations of the cross, progressives continue their campaign to rid the South of anti-progressive graven images.

Pilgrims of the faith, masked and wearing bulletproof vests, are busy taking down offensive monuments. In New Orleans, a Jefferson Davis monument is now gone. A statue of Robert E. Lee is being removed from public view and put into a museum lest a monument to racism and lack of diversity offend passersby. Its as if the honorable and brilliant Lee, who decided to fight for his homeland of Virginia, not slavery, was the equivalent of Saddam Hussein, Adolf Hitler, and Joseph Stalin all rolled into one. Evidently monuments to Northerner William Tecumseh Sherman are to remain in place, despite his contributions to total war, a concept anathema to faithful progressives.

What such activities amount to, of course, is erasure of history in order to reinforce what progressives see as the sole and only legitimate narrative of the Souths past and of history in general. For progressives, the South remains always in Deliverance mode, with inbred and degraded whites in remote regions of Georgia hanging on to cousin marriage, perversion, violence, and old time religion. Mississippi is always burning. The Bible Belt remains inherently racist.

It is not the first nor the last time competing paradigms of religious/political thought resulted in destruction of monuments deemed as representing heretical views. Jacobins plotted to blow up Notre Dame. French revolutionists succeeding in demolishing the great Abbey of Cluny while plundering its treasures. Bolsheviks destroyed icons and blew up Orthodox Russian cathedrals. Currently, ISIS vandalized the ancient city of Palmyra and destroyed one of the most ancient and venerated monasteries in the world. The Islamist organization also plotted to obliterate Notre Dame.

One of the most recent ISIS inspired attacks involved the desecration of the ancient, historic church Of San Marino ai Monti, Italy by a Muslim immigrant from Ghana, whose rampage was recorded by the buildings security cameras.

A bit of history is in order, as attacks on monuments involve more than just the joy of smashing things. Attacks on historic monuments are attacks on the ideas, history, and peoples they represent. They involve the destruction of history and of cultural and spiritual paradigms that are foundational to a given culture.

The basilica of San Marino ai Monti the ISIS-inspired culprit vandalized was founded in the 4th century and initially was devoted to all the martyrs slaughtered for their faith during the centuries preceding the building of the basilica. It was within this ancient building a meeting in preparation for the Council of Nicaea was held in 324. The current building dates from the Carolingian era. It stands as a monument to the history of the Christian faith and to Christians themselves. The attack on San Marino ai Monti was clearly an attack against Christianity itself.

In a similar manner, here in the United State, the smashing or removal of monuments on which the Ten Commandments are engraved reflect an animus far deeper than sheer vandalism would indicate. Rather, the attempts to obliterate such monuments are actually efforts to symbolically and truly to destroy the Western foundations of law and morality centered in Judaism and Christianity. The ideology of progressivism is to prevail, and its rituals, pilgrimages, monuments, and statues are to replace what has been and continues to be destroyed.

Of course, tyrants never stop at destruction of monuments and statues. Symbolism is the spiritual language of real people, of humans who have strong and often unbending faith. The targeting of offending monuments is nearly always followed by targeting people. It was only a short time ago that ISIS sympathizers slit the throat of 85-year-old Father Jacques Hamel as he celebrated mass.

The last stage of persecution exemplified by attacks on and destruction and defacement of revered monuments historically is exile to the backwaters of civilization and/or the extermination of the peoples whose beliefs are represented by these monuments, be they statues of people whose beliefs are deemed offensive or documents or slabs with Ten Commandments written on them. Banning the Bible from public schools and the military, for instance, is followed by persecution of professing Christians. Creation of sacred spaces on campus means others are kept out, by force if necessary. Defacement and destruction of Jewish synagogues and grave sites presaged the increasing persecution of Europes Jews.

In the short and the long run, taking down the statues of Robert E. Lee, destroying slabs with the Ten Commandments engraved on them, plotting to blow up Notre Dame, destroying the city of Palmyra, and vandalizing Christian churches all have one impetus behind them: No voice or history other than one must be heard or read. Society must be a monoculture free of contradicting or opposing voices.

History has shown and current times still reveal what such monocultures look like and how their leaders behave. They look like Soviet Russia. They resemble Pol Pots Cambodia. They have the face of present day Cuba, Venezuela, and North Korea.

All were and are places where only memorials to tyrants were and are allowed. All were and are places where history -- in all its ragged glory and ignominy, with all its heroes and villains, in all its exaltations and degradations -- is erased in order that mere banality of evil prevail.

God forbid America would imitate such countries.

Fay Voshell is a frequent contributor to American Thinker. She may be reached at fvoshell@yahoo.com
Can we seriously believe that Democrats are interested in a probe of collusion between the Obama White House and the intelligence community to derail the 2016 Republican presidential campaign? Whatever happened to a bipartisan investigation of harassment by the Obama IRS of conservative groups seeking the tax waivers that flowed swiftly to leftist groups? In Wall Street Journal columns of April 7 and May 12, Kimberly Strassel reported Comey's recalcitrance before congressional committees, noting Comey's refusal, as FBI director, to cooperate with Congress in helping to unmask the unmaskers  those who feloniously leaked to the media the identity of American civilians under intelligence surveillance. She summed up the problem: "All this  the Russia probe, the unmasking, the leaks, the fraught question of whether the government was inappropriately monitoring campaigns, the allegations of interference in a presidential campaign  is wrapped together, with Mr. Comey at the center."

Ms. Strassel noted Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Charles E. Grassley expressing his suspicions of the FBI leadership at a hearing earlier this month.

The fact is, for several months, Chairman Grassley has had reason to wonder if Comey agreed that the rule of law applies to persons leaking classified information to the anti-Trump media, as well as to Republican presidents. In a four-page letter to Comey, dated March 28, 2017, Grassley addressed 12 questions as to whether FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe should be "involved in the FBI's investigation of President Trump's associations and Russia" and whether, because of the political ties of McCabe's wife "with Clinton associates ... Mr. McCabe has been or should be recused from the investigation." (This letter noted that McCabe's wife had run as a Democrat for the Virginia state Senate and accepted "$700.000 from a close Clinton associate during the [FBI] investigation [of Hillary Clinton's emails, an investigation from which McCabe did not recuse himself.]"

Grassley reminded Comey: "As you know, Mr. McCabe is under investigation by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General." (As is Mr. Comey, as reported on the lead story of the New York Times, January 13, 2017.) Has the media called attention to the probes of Comey and McCabe by the Justice Department? I don't think so.

On April 28, 2017, Grassley again wrote to Comey:

On March 6, 2017, I wrote to you requesting information about the FBI's relationship with Mr. Christopher Steele, the author of the political opposition research dossier alleging collusion between associates of Mr. Trump and the Russian government. Although that letter asked for a response by March 20, the FBI has failed to provide one.

Grassley also asked for additional information from Comey:

When the FBI was in contact with Mr. Steele or otherwise relying on information in the dossier, was it aware that his employer, Fusion GPS, was allegedly simultaneously working as an unregistered agent for Russian interests? Please provide all related documents.

As of this writing, there has been no bipartisan call for an investigation of what Professor Stephen F. Cohen calls "Intelgate." Why cant Republican members of Congress investigate collusion among the FBI, the Obama White House, the Hillary Clinton campaign, and the media, for the purpose of 1) framing candidate Trump to prevent his election and 2), thereafter, covering up the conspiracy to reverse the results of the 2016 presidential election?
It seems that Jared Kushner is under investigation for his alleged ties to Russia.

Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has reportedly been identified as a "person of interest" in the ongoing investigation into possible ties between Russia and Donald Trump's campaign. Yashar Ali, a contributor to New York magazine said on Twitter: "It's Jared Kushner. Have confirmed this with four people. I'm not speculating."

Whom was Kushner meeting with?

Kushner ... has acknowledged that he met with the head of a Russian development bank, Vnesheconombank, which has been under U.S. sanctions since July 2014. The president's son-in-law initially omitted contacts with foreign leaders from a national security questionnaire, though his lawyer has said publicly he submitted the form prematurely and informed the FBI soon after that he would provide an update. Vnesheconombank handles development for the state, and in early 2015, a man purporting to be one of its New York-based employees was arrested and accused of being an unregistered spy.

Were Kushner's omissions accidental? There were so many of them, including several very recent meetings, making it hard to believe.

In seeking a top-secret government security clearance, Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, failed to report dozens of contacts with foreign officials, according to a Thursday New York Times report. The contacts included meetings with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak and the head of a Russian state-owned bank, Vnesheconombank, both of which took place in December.

I wonder why Kushner would not report those meetings!

You see, this is the problem with the rampant nepotism put into place by Donald Trump. Any other appointee could be easily fired if it turned out he was involved in corrupt or illegal practices. But Kushner is Trump's son-in-law. He wields tremendous Rasputin-like power, is widely believed to be the second most powerful man in the White House, and Trump would find it difficult to fire him because of his family connection.

The rot starts on top.

Questions for discussion:

1) If you're not #NeverTrump, does that make you #AlwaysJared?

2) If you voted for Trump, did you know that you were going to get Jared's policies in the White House?

3) If Kushner is indicted, shouldn't Trump bear some of the blame for bringing him into the White House in the first place?

Ed Straker is the senior writer at NewsMachete.com.
Is Representative Pelosi preparing Democrats for the reality that it's easier to impeach a president in fundraising letters than in the real world? After all, it'd take a congressional majority to bring it to a vote in the House. I'm not even talking about the 67 votes required to convict the president in the Senate. Therefore, it's not surprising that key Democrats are calling for calm, specially knowing that Mr. Trump could be seen a victim of their hysteria.

This is extremely interesting:

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday that some House Democrats need to "curb their enthusiasm" over the possibility that President Trump could be impeached. "I hope some would curb their enthusiasm until we have all of the facts and have confidence that when the American people understand what is there, whether it's grounds for impeachment or grounds for disappointment, then they'll know," Pelosi told reporters.

Grounds for disappointment? I think so.

Mrs. Pelosi is not alone. There are other Democrats lowering the volume, too:

When House Democratic leaders hastily called a news conference Wednesday to demonstrate their outrage at President Trump's latest dramatics, they took great pains to show they were not seeking to railroad him out of the White House. "No one ought to, in my view, rush to embrace the most extraordinary remedy that involves the removal of the president from office," said Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, the sober-minded senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. He warned that Democrats should not let their actions "be perceived as an effort to nullify the election by other means."

Nullify the election? It's nice to see that some Democrats are finally recognizing that Mr. Trump won the election.

My guess is that Mr. Mueller will conclude sooner rather than later that there was no collusion between the Russians and Trump campaign. Frankly, I've viewed this whole story as a combination of political irresponsibility and journalistic malpractice.

Nevertheless, Mr. Mueller may take this investigation in two very unpleasant directions for Democrats. First, who unmasked U.S. citizens? Second, who leaked?

The investigation may also take us to more Comey memos, such as any notes that he took about the Clinton email scandal or the meeting between Attorney General Lynch and President Clinton.

Let's remember that the Clinton independent counsel started in Whitewater and ended up with perjury charges over a relationship with Monica Lewinsky.

I think Representative Pelosi knows that Mr. Mueller is more likely to potentially embarrass Democrats than President Trump. My sense is that she is alerting her side to calm down or face massive disappointment.

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk), (YouTube) and follow me on Twitter.
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against the city of Irving, Texas and the local school district that alleged discrimination against Ahmed Mohamed, the student who brought a "clock" to school that looked suspiciously like a bomb.

Mohamed was arrested and charged with bringing a hoax bomb to school. Those charges were later dropped, but the resulting furor from the incident became a litmus test for "Islamophobia" in America. Those who supported the "innocent" teen were tolerant, broad-minded, and welcoming of diversity. Those who think the student wrong were haters. Ahmed ended up being invited to NASA headquarters and an event that featured President Obama as the left rallied to his cause.

Meanwhile, his father moved the family to Qatar but stayed only nine months. When the family moved back to Irving, they demanded $15 million not to pursue legal action. The town and school district refused to pay the extortion, which resulted in the lawsuit thrown out yesterday.

Daily Mail:

Court papers obtained by DailyMail.com reveal on May 18, a judge dismissed the entire case. The lawsuit sought unspecified compensatory and punitive damages along with attorney fees. The judge wrote: 'Plaintiff does not allege any facts from which this court can reasonably infer that any IISD employee intentionally discriminated against Ahmed Mohamed based on his race or religion.' Further, he notes that the suit failed to identify any policy, custom, or practice of the City that was allegedly the moving force behind any violation of Ahmed's Fifth Amendment rights. When the lawsuit was first filed in 2016, the district hit back at the Mohamed family's allegations saying Ahmed deliberately disobeyed his teacher by activating the clock despite her warning. The judge said the failed to allege any facts from which the court could reasonably conclude that Ahmed was discriminated against based on his race or religion. The ruling said the suit had: 'Absent allegations of intentional discrimination, or allegations from which the court can reasonably infer intentional discrimination, Plaintiff fails to allege an equal protection violation against the IISD.' Mohamed's complaint also said Irving Independent School District has an 'ugly history of race struggles,' and the State of Texas and the IISD have a 'history of discrimination against Muslims in Texas curriculum and schools.' Prior to filing the most recent lawsuit, the family demanded $15 million dollars in damages in the months after the arrest. Damages are only granted for intentional discrimination. Mohamed is allowed to file an amended complaint by June 1.

The lawsuits and extortion demand are pretty strong indications  if not proof  that the entire incident was a scheme concocted  probably by the father  to soak the city and school district for as much money as they could get. Obviously, the family was expecting a quick settlement. But Irving fought back and has now been vindicated.

The family say they will refile the lawsuit, and the judge has given them until June 1 to do so. But the judge's reasoning in throwing out the suit in the first place  that Mohamed failed the most basic legal test in a discrimination lawsuit  means that a similar result will ensue following the refiling of the lawsuit.
The effort to overturn the results of the 2016 presidential election continues. The strategy now seems to be to panic GOP members of Congress into believing that they will go down in flames if they even hint at support for President Trump in the face of the overwhelming propaganda campaign run by the media and Democrats. The fantasy animating this effort is that a group of federal legislators will tell President Trump that he has no support, and to avoid being impeached and convicted, he must resign, a la President Nixon.

If we are to believe a poll published yesterday in the Wall Street Journal, this fantasy is closer to realization. Reid J. Epstein writes:

Americans in swing counties are souring on President Donald Trump's job performance, according to a new poll released Thursday by Monmouth University. Among people in 300 swing counties, Mr. Trump's standing dropped to 34% approve and 54% disapprove in May, from 41% approve and 46% disapprove in March.

Richard Baehr provides a little context:
Most AT readers are by now well aware of the controversy surrounding the murder of the young DNC staffer, Seth Rich, who may or may not have been the source of the WikiLeaks exposure of Hillary Clinton and John Podesta emails last summer. Mr. Rich  who had expressed anger at the DNC "handling" of Bernie Sanders's misbegotten presidential run  was tragically killed by being shot twice in the back while walking through D.C. The D.C. police seem to still have possession of Mr. Rich's laptop computer.

Here is an odd occurrence that none in the media seems concerned about. Mr. Rich was shot in the back. Nothing was taken from his person  not watch, not wallet, not jewelry, etc. Both seem curious. But here is the essential non sequitur: why would a major metropolitan police agency label the crime a robbery? Nothing was taken. The victim was shot in the back, not face on, as might be the case if simply accosted in typical holdup style. If I am investigating a murder where the victim is shot in the back and no possessions of his are stolen, robbery would not be the first conclusion I reach. At the very least, the motive for the crime is undetermined. But to label it a robbery? Why not attempted rape? Why not a hate crime? Why not a domestic altercation? Why not crime of passion? Maybe Mr. Rich was the victim of two stray bullets? (Or one stray bullet that ricocheted  where's Arlen when you need him?) Has Maxine Waters or Nancy Pelosi asked where Donald J. Trump was that night? Better yet, was anyone overly confused about the motive behind Julius Caesar's demise? Was robbery ever attributed to Brutus?

But seriously, why robbery, indeed? As was true in Watergate  you know, the crime the MSM keeps trying its best to fit onto President Trump  the cover-up may be far more noteworthy than the crime. Except, tragically, for Mr. Rich and his family.

Stay tuned, Americans. TWA 800 is still aloft, it seems, and we are being played yet again.
Rob Rosenstein, Trump's new deputy attorney general, did the Trump agenda a huge favor on Wednesday when he appointed former FBI director Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate the Trump-Russia connection.

His action has already taken the wind out of the Democrat media's sails. They were running story after story in an attempt to keep the pretend scandal on the front pages. Now they must await the outcome of the investigation. Congressional investigations will also be put on hold, so as to avoid interfering with the special counselor's investigation.

The press will be forced to cover Trump's groundbreaking trip to the Middle East. They will be forced to report the new job-creating trade deal with Saudi Arabia and the new alliance that Trump is shepherding among Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and the Gulf Arabs against Iran and ISIS. Trump will come home from the Middle East a hero.

Our prediction of a positive outcome runs counter to the opinion of knowledgeable Trump supporters Dick Morris and Pat Buchanan. Both predict a negative outcome based upon their past experiences with independent prosecutors. Some Trump underling could even find himself falsely convicted of perjury (as was Scooter Libby, by the last special prosecutor).

But the difference here is that the 72-year-old Mueller is close to retirement, so he does not need to take scalps to further his career. Furthermore, no crime has been committed (except by Trump opponents who leaked and published classified data).

So Trump will be exculpated, which would put an end to the Trump-Russia allegation. We predict that Mueller's investigation will end within six months.

Then, turnabout will be fair play as Attorney General Sessions prosecutes the Obama administration for real crimes, perhaps beginning with its improper use of IRS power and NSA data for political purposes.

The Richmans co-authored the 2014 book Balanced Trade, published by Lexington Books, and the 2008 book Trading Away Our Future, published by Ideal Taxes Association.
President Trump's spectacular reception in Riyadh is a signal to the world (and to Saudi subjects, in particular) that big changes are coming. Elderly and frail King Salman ventured out onto the apron in 110-degree heat and actually shook Melania Trump's hand as she deplaned Air Force One, thereby touching a female infidel.

Perhaps even more important in terms of Saudi daily life, the women in attendance at functions did not wear head coverings and abayas. The entire nation saw this on television and understands that the fracking-created global oil glut changes everything, that the infidels no longer cower in fear of a cutoff of the oil Allah granted to the protectors of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The old arguments of the fanatics hold less water.

Change is coming. The king signaled that the restrictions declared by the Wahhabi clergy are no longer the ultimate arbiter of personal behavior, and that Saudis are going to have to start respecting the customs of the infidels. Something like his handshake gesture can seem trivial, quaint, or even humorous to Americans, but it is very serious business. The role modeling of the women at the highest and most formal level reaches deep into the culture.

It is now clear that the king and his two designated successors (Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nyef and Mohammad bin Salman) have made a deal to liberalize Saudi Arabia. The deal-maker president has told them that there is a price of continued American support.

This would be against the wishes of powerful factions of the Saudi Royal Family (about 5,000 strong), some of whom are closely aligned with (and fund) the radical Wahhabi clergy. For decades, the (principally) Saudi-funded Wahhabis have poisoned the Ummah (the global Muslim community) with their feudal views. Saudi Arabia became mega-wealthy only in the 1950s, and the world's Muslims were not violently engaged in much jihad. The Wahhabi clergy and the Saudi-funded mosques they brought with them prepared the soil for al-Qaeda at home and abroad.

Make no mistake: there is every possibility that a violent reaction or a coup within the Royal Family if sufficiently provoked. The clergy are important because they preach to the Saudi masses and could whip them up into an attempt at an overthrow of the corrupt royals, who siphon off so much of Allah's bounty for their own decadent pleasures, many of them haram. That is why Saudi Arabia has such a large investment in its security forces. The plan is for them to remain loyal in the event of an uprising, but man plans, and Allah laughs.

The royals are in a very delicate position. The dominant faction, the king and his two designated successors, have to loosen things up gradually, step by step, so as to not put their opponents over the edge into a revolt that would brutally slaughter untold numbers, quite possibly including themselves. As with the mythological frog in a pot of water on the stove, they have to increase the heat very slowly.

They have already agreed to a deal to reward President Trump with a massive arms purchase worth $109.7 billion. That's jobs and profits. But this aspect of the deal, from the New York Times, is important:

On the afternoon of May 1, President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, welcomed a high-level delegation of Saudis to a gilded reception room next door to the White House and delivered a brisk pep talk: "Let's get this done today." Mr. Kushner was referring to a $100 billion-plus arms deal that the administration hoped to seal with Saudi Arabia in time to announce it during Mr. Trump's visit to the kingdom this weekend. The two sides discussed a shopping list that included planes, ships and precision-guided bombs. Then an American official raised the idea of the Saudis' buying a sophisticated radar system designed to shoot down ballistic missiles. Sensing that the cost might be a problem, several administration officials said, Mr. Kushner picked up the phone and called Marillyn A. Hewson  the chief executive of Lockheed Martin, which makes the radar system  and asked her whether she could cut the price. As his guests watched slack-jawed, Ms. Hewson told him she would look into it, officials said. Mr. Kushner's personal intervention in the arms sale is further evidence of the Trump White House's readiness to dispense with custom in favor of informal, hands-on deal making. It also offers a window into how the administration hopes to change America's position in the Middle East, emphasizing hard power and haggling over traditional diplomacy.

This is a tangible and personal signal to the factions of the Saudi family represented in the high-level delegation. An Orthodox Jew, married to the favored child of the president (who became a Jew herself), saved them money using his personal connections. Call me suspicious, but I think this was carefully planned theatre. You have to see this against the background of the sudden new confluence of interests between Israel and Saudi Arabia, united in opposition to Iran and Arab radical Islamic terrorists. The two nations already covertly cooperate, a ruse that cannot last forever. Slowly and surely, the Saudis have to turn away from the Palestinians and toward an embrace of Israel. And it turns out that there can be a considerable upside to making peace with Israel and the Jews.

So where do the Saudis go from here? How do they demonstrate to Trump, the world, and their own subjects that things are changing, and that it is acceptable?

My guess is that a symbolic measure that does not affect anyone in Saudi Arabia will be the next step. An easy one would be to end the prohibition against Israeli civilian airliners flying over Saudi airspace when flying eastward toward India, Thailand, and beyond. Israel's economic and tourism ties with Asia are large and growing, so this restriction, which adds hours and costs, is an irritant to Israelis, as well as a political statement to the world that Israel is illegitimate.

The fact is that President Trump's planned nonstop Air Force One flight from Riyadh and Ben Gurion Airport in Israel will be the first publicly known flight between the two nations. (There is a decent chance that secret flights have taken place because the governments do talk to each other covertly.) So Trump is already liberalizing their aviation restrictions.

Allowing Israeli airliners to fly over Saudi territory would be a good first step toward eventual direct flights, a sign of complete acceptance of Israel as a legitimate nation, which is the only long-term solution to peace between Arabs and Jews in the Middle East. It is a long path, but there is no alternative to a step at a time, given the delicate political situation of the Saudi royals.

It is clear to me that President Trump has made a transformational deal, and that the West has a stake in helping it come to fruition.
The appointment of old FBI hand Robert Mueller to the post of special counsel, to investigate potential White House involvement in alleged Russian active measures in the past U.S. election, is just the sort of asinine behavior H.L. Mencken thrived on during his heyday as a columnist covering U.S. politics beginning in the early 1900s.

Witnessing our legislators today convinces me that Mencken did not go far enough then and would levitate straight in the air with conniptions today, seeing what we Americans are subjected to daily via the miracle of television: self-serving political posturing to paint over ugly, stinking, self-serving lies.

Worse, Menken would quit the business if he knew that the Washington Post and the New York Times were co-conspirators with the Democrats.

Current congresspeople, like their counterparts in Mencken's day, are third-rate citizens whose opportunities to stand in the spotlight are few and far between. Thus the clamoring to give their opinion, likely not having anything to say. The "clamor for the camera" is sadly visible, including new haircuts, Sunday suits, and blatant egos.

And let's not forget the kingpins of Congress, U.S. senators, whose caliber shows them to be not much better superficially. But far worse when you realize, they take out machetes to hack their way to a clearing they can control. I point to Chuck Schumer and John McCain and rest my case.

The Democrats were whupped worse in 2016 at every level than any time in their history. That's accepted. Democrats declared war the day after Election Day  not to detract from Trump and the GOP in preparation for 2020  but unashamedly threw down the gauntlet to remove Trump from office immediately.

By any measure politically worldwide, this behavior is unprecedented and radiates mental illness, specifically schizophrenia: irrational public behavior; teenage-level antics; delusional understanding of reality; unable to control themselves; and hearing voices issuing orders to kill  the only explanation that comes close to explaining Democrat behavior. It's what Mencken would call the "apex of moronia."
Like the microscopic bacteria, human beings too have learned to evolve and flourish in extreme conditions  from the scorching heat of the Sahara to the freezing tundra of Siberia. Even in inhospitable, high mountains where life supporting oxygen is low, humans have been living for millennia. Some 140 million people live permanently at high altitudes above 2,500 meters or 8,200 feet, in the Himalayas in Asia, the Andes in South America and in the Ethiopian Highlands of Africa, and some actually prosper in sprawling cities. Here we present 7 very high cities and settlements, each of which is located above 10,000 feet in elevation.

La Rinconada

La Rinconada in Peru is an old gold-mining camp in the remote Peruvian Andes, that has grown to major city status. Over 50,000 people live in this mountainous city at an altitude of 16,732 feet (5,100 m). It lays claim to the title of highest city in the world.

Despite having an economy fueled almost entirely by the nearby gold mine, the towns infrastructure remains poor. The city has no plumbing and no sanitation system, and there is significant contamination with mercury due to the mining practices.

Almost all the residents of this city are workers who emigrated to the remote location hoping to secure work and stake their claim in the riches. They work through a peculiar system of payment called Cachorreo. Employees work for 30 days without payment, and on the 31st day they are allowed to take as much ore from the mine as they can carry. Whatever the miners are able to extract from that ore is theirs. Despite the companies utilizing such a non-traditional system of payment, miners continue to flock to the region. The population of La Rinconada has skyrocketed over 230% in the last decade.

Photos credit

El Alto

The city of El Alto is one of Bolivia's largest and fastest-growing urban centers. With a population of over 1.1 million at an altitude of 13,615 feet (4150 meters), it is also one of the highest major cities in the world. At one time, El Alto was merely a suburb of the adjacent La Paz (see pictures of this incredible mountain city) on the Altiplano highlands, but due to the migration from Bolivia's rural areas to the La Paz region during the 1950s, the region grew and in less than 40 years laid claim to city status of its own.

The region where El Alto stands is dry and inclement and was therefore uninhabited until 1903, when the newly built railways from Lake Titicaca and Arica reached the rim of the canyon, where the La Paz terminus, railyards and depots were built along with a settlement of railway workers. In 1925 the airfield was built as base for the new air force which attracted additional settlement. In 1939 El Alto's first elementary school opened. El Alto started to grow tremendously in the 1950s, when the settlement was connected to La Paz' water supply. Before that all water had to be transported from La Paz in tanker vehicles. 1985 the district of El Alto and surroundings was politically separated from the City of La Paz and in 1987 El Alto was formally incorporated as a city.

Photo credit

Photo credit

Photo credit

Potosi

Another candidate from Bolivia, Potosi, is located at an elevation of 13,420 ft (4,090 m). Founded in 1545 as a mining town, it soon produced fabulous wealth, becoming one of the largest cities in the Americas and the world, with a population exceeding 240,000 people. Potosi lies at the foot of the Cerro de Potosi - a mountain popularly conceived of as being made of silver ore, whose peak at 4,824 meters has always dominated the city. The Cerro Rico is the reason for Potosi's historical importance, since it was the major supply of silver for Spain during the period of the New World Spanish Empire.

It is from Potosi, that most of the silver shipped through the Spanish Main came. During 1556 to 1783, 45,000 short tons of pure silver were mined from Cerro Rico of which 9,000 short tons went to the Spanish monarchy. Due to such extensive mining, the mountain itself has diminished in height by a few hundred meters.

In 1672, a mint was established to coin silver and water reservoirs were built to fulfill the growing population's needs. At that time more than eighty-six churches were built and the city's population increased to nearly 200,000, making it one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world. After 1800, the silver mines were depleted, making tin the main product. This eventually led to a slow economic decline. Nevertheless, the mountain continues to be mined for silver to this day. Due to poor worker conditions, lack of protective equipment and constant inhalation of dust, the miners still have a short life expectancy with most of them contracting silicosis and dying around 40 years of age.

Photo credit

Photo credit

Photo credit

Shigatse

Shigatse is the second largest city in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) of the People's Republic of China. With a population of 100,000, it is one of the larger cities of Tibet. The city is located at an altitude of 12,600 ft (3,840 metres) at the confluence of the Yarlung Tsangpo (aka Brahmaputra) river and the Nyang River (Nyang Chu or Nyanchue) in west Tibet. Shigatse lies on flat terrain surrounded by high mountains, and the urban area is located just south of the Yarlung Zangbo River, located in the south-central Tibet Autonomous Region. The city was the ancient capital of U-Tsang province, and currently is the administrative centre of the modern Shigatse Prefecture, an administrative district of the TAR.

Photo credit

Photo credit

Juliaca

Juliaca is San Roman's capital city in the Puno Region, of southeastern Peru. It is the region's largest city with a population of 225,146 inhabitants (as of 2007) and located at 12,549 ft (3,825 metres) above sea level, on the Collao Plateau. It is the largest trade center in the Puno region. It is also a major transit point in the region and has strong ties with Peru's southern cities, including Arequipa, Puno, Tacna, Cuzco, Ilo, and with the Bolivian Republic.

Photo credit

Photo credit

Oruro

Founded on November 1, 1606 as a silver mining center in the Urus region, Oruro is now a major city in Bolivia with a population of 235,393 (2010 census), located at 12,159 ft (3,706 m) above sea level. After the silver mines exhausted, Oruro was reestablished in the late nineteenth century as a tin mining center. For a time, Oruros La Salvadora tin mine was the most important source of tin in the world. Gradually, this resource became less plentiful, and Oruro again went into a decline, although its primary employer is still the mining industry.

Photo credit

Photo credit

Lhasa

Located at the bottom of a small basin surrounded by the Himalaya Mountains, Lhasa has an elevation of about 11,800 ft (3,600 m) and lies in the center of the Tibetan Plateau with the surrounding mountains rising to 5,500 m (18,000 ft). The Kyi River (or Kyi Chu), a tributary of the Yarlung Zangbo River, runs through the southern part of the city. This river, known to local Tibetans as the "merry blue waves", flows through the snow-covered peaks and gullies of the Nyainqentanglha mountains, extending 315 km (196 mi), and emptying into the Yarlung Zangbo River at Quxu, forms an area of great scenic beauty.

Lhasa is the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau having a population of over 550,000. The city contains many culturally significant Tibetan Buddhist sites such as the Potala Palace, Jokhang temple and Norbulingka palaces, many of which are located in Chengguan District, the city seat.

Photo credit

A satellite image shows the mountainous terrain surrounding Lhasa. Photo credit

The famous Potala Palace. Photo credit

Photo credit
COLUMBUS  A local Catholic church will be welcoming parishioners and visitors later this month to see a statue of the Virgin Mary.

The International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima will be at St. Isidore Catholic Church as part of a nationwide tour.

The event is in recognition of Mary appearing to three children in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. The statue is being brought to 100 dioceses in the country to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the series of apparitions.

Joan Jahn is coordinating the statues May 29 visit to St. Isidore.

She said Marys message of peace through penance and prayer is just as important today as it was then.

Mary is only Gods messenger. Mary is concerned about the fate of the world. Heaven knows we need peace, Jahn said.

Thousands have traveled to Fatima to visit the site where children Lucia dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto, who were recently declared saints, saw the apparitions take place. The tour is for those who cant make that trip.

The statue of Mary is one of two created in 1947 by sculpture Jose Thedim.

Fr. Joe Miksch, pastor at St. Isidore, said Catholics honor Mary because she is the mother of Jesus and she is asked to intercede on our behalf.

Having the church on the tour is a great opportunity, Miksch said. He isnt sure how many people will come to the church that day because it is also Memorial Day, but the viewing is open to the community.

Anyone is welcome to come and spend time in prayer, he said.

The following is a schedule for when the statue is at St. Isidore:

 7:45 a.m.  Rosary

 8:10 a.m.  Mass

 8:45 a.m.  Procession of the statue with the Knights of Columbus and first communicants

 9 a.m.  Message of Fatima presentation by statue custodian

 9:30 a.m.  Veneration of the statue/Scapular enrollment/exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.  Holy hours for area parishes

 3 p.m.  St. Bonaventure Parish

 4 p.m.  St. Anthony Parish

 5 p.m.  Veneration of the statue/Scapular enrollment

 5:30 p.m.  Message of Fatima presentation by Patrick Sabat

 6 p.m.  St. Isidore Parish  Knights of Columbus rosary for the country/Divine Mercy Chaplet/Benediction

 7 p.m.  Exit procession with Knights of Columbus/statue departs
(ANSA) - La Spezia, May 19 - Italian firm ASG Superconductors on Friday presented the first magnet for ITER, the world's largest experimental plant designed to show it is possible to produce energy from nuclear fusion. It is 14 metres high, nine metres long, weighs 300 tonnes - as much as a Boeing 747 - and is the shape of a big capital D. The super-high-tech magnet, the first of 18 destined for the ITER project, was made by the Malacalza family's ASG Superconductors in its La Spezia plant, which will go on to produce another nine (plus one spare one) of the 18 which will form the core of the Iter reactor being built at Cadarache in southern France.

The other nine will be made in Japan.

"We are very proud," said ASG Superconductors President Davide Malacalza, "we and all those who worked on building it: the head of production had goose pimples when he moved this coil for the first time.

"It took five years to realise the prototype".

The magnet will produce a magnetic field one million times stronger than that of the Earth.

ASG, which formerly made washing machines at the plant, now "puts the sun in a bottle," said production chief Marco Chiodo, 58, who has been through both eras.

"I joined the San Giorgio plant on May 7, 1981. There were a thousand of us making almost 2,000 washing machines a day. Now we're working on nuclear fusion.

"WE are proud of making, for the first time in the world, an object that has never been seen before. You could see washing machines everywhere. We had to be trained, but now we're here to present what we've succeeded in making". The first experiments with nuclear fusion are scheduled for 2025, ITER Director-General Bernard Bigot said, stressing the "great enthusiasm" among the 35 countries collaborating on the project.

The production of clean energy through nuclear fusion, which reconciles the energy needs of the modern world while safeguarding the environment, is a challenge that researchers and industries have been striving to meet.

The quality of ASG's nuclear fusion offering is the result of "unequalled technical and productive expertise", according to a statement on its website. ASG magnets have been used in all the main fusion experiments undertaken so far in Europe. ASG plays a leading role - as a supplier of magnets - in ITER (Europe) and JT-60SA (Japan), the two principal research projects which aim to study the feasibility of producing clean energy by replicating the process that takes place in the sun and stars.


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
Let me begin my comments with praise and admiration for all of our graduating seniors in the Columbus area.

Whether you attended CPS, Scotus, Lakeview or any number of the schools in our neighboring towns, you have reached a milestone in your young life. I wish you the best as you move on to the next chapter in your life and can only hope that for many of you the next chapter will be here in our community. Whether it be furthering your education at Central Community College or beginning your career with one of our many fine employers, Columbus is working hard to make this the type of community that attracts you and keeps you here.

Something Good Columbus is real and we are striving to make it great. With young people like our recent graduates staying and becoming taxpayers, things can only get better. Again, congratulations graduates.

A few weeks ago a Columbus delegation made a visit to Washington, D.C. The delegation included myself, some city staff, county representation and Loup Public Power representation. This has become a regular trip for the city and over the years we can point to specific successes that we have received from these efforts. Our goal is simply to get to talk with our elected officials and let them know what is going on in Columbus and what help we could use to accomplish our needs. We have found that by delivering our needs one-on-one we get their attention and many times are able to get some results.

It might be moving a project along that has gotten stuck in red tape. It might be helping with an alternative method of financing when the conventional methods have dried up. It might be getting sent in another direction for different help. Over the years, the city can look back on these trips and know they have helped with our Lost Creek drainage project, Lost Creek Parkway, the Highway 30 four-lane and our viaducts, just to name a few. The trip to D.C. is worthwhile, but after spending just a couple of days there it really makes you appreciate Something Good Columbus."

Many have asked where we stand with the public safety building. This project is full-speed ahead. We have told the consultant, Prochaska & Associates, to get things up to speed and be ready to make recommendations on specific sizes and then to help us narrow down location possibilities. I plan on seeing much discussion on this project as the summer evolves. Along with this, the hiring of our new fire chief is moving along well. We received many applications and from those there were a number who met the qualifications that we felt were needed. Those who met these qualifications will be offered to test and from the testing results we will narrow down our candidates to five or six. They will then be asked to interview. We hope to have this position filled by the end of summer.

Finally, as most of you know by now, I have accepted the retirement of our chief of police. Chief William Gumm has served the city extremely well for the past 23 years. I would be kidding myself if I said I didnt know this was coming, but I was hoping for a little more time.

Chief Gumm has been a pillar of our community, not only building and maintaining a dedicated police force, but he has been active with our youth and citizens. I have told people many times, "You dont read about our police chief in the newspaper or see him on the news." And thats a good thing.

Chief will remain in Columbus for the foreseeable future and will be available to help with the transition of a new chief. That selection process has begun with the posting for that position.
The Hong Kong operator which introduced the VVIP aircraft at EBACE last year is expected to get delivery of the second aircraft during the first half of 2018.

The 787 Dream Jet can fly up to 30 passengers comfortably non-stop for 18.5 hours.
She was a virgin when he raped her, impregnated her, and then beat her. She miscarried. A devout Catholic, she mourned her own pain less than that lost life. No amount of comfort from the priest made her tears stop flowing, but she resolved that it wouldn't happen again. She went to the police, and they shrugged their shoulders, because they couldn't fight back against the 18th Street Gang. Some of them were probably secret members of that brotherhood of criminality.

And so she did the only thing she could, the only thing that gave her hope that it wouldn't happen again, the only thing that made her believe the cycle of violence would end: She fled El Salvador.

She crossed three countries, two deserts, traveled with people who were themselves both refugees and criminals, and arrived at the border with Texas. She was taken into custody, denied bond, and held for three months, until someone finally gave her a chance to tell her story. She only told parts of it, omitting the lost child because of sorrow, and shame.

They let her out, and she came to Pennsylvania, to fight for her freedom and a peace of mind that would never be possible in her home country. And then she came to my office, and we began the three-year long legal dance to win her asylum.

This past Monday, a compassionate immigration judge listened to her story, told clearly but punctuated by sobs, in a courtroom in Philadelphia. He heard her tell how she tried to leave the man who beat her, but that it was only when he was arrested on a weapons charge that she was finally able to leave the home in which he kept her captive. And still, she said, he wouldn't leave her alone. From behind the bars of a Salvadoran prison cell, he was able to buy favors, and those favors involved getting a phone so he could threaten her with horrible things if she didn't "wait for him." She left her home, and went to another city, but his friends found her and reported back to him. The calls and threats started again. She went to another city, and the same thing happened. The police took reports, but they were no real help, raising their eyebrows in resignation when she said "What can I do?"

And then she gave the judge the record from the hospital, which confirmed that lost child, the one that would have been a boy, the one that was killed by a sharp kick in the stomach from the man who'd raped his mother.

It took three hours, and then, the blessed words: "I approve your case for asylum." The first thing she did was bless herself, and then collapsed in tears. This time, they were tears of joy because she'd been given a reprieve, a stay of execution, another sign that the God she loved and worshipped worked his miracles in cramped courtrooms.

As I sat there, I realized that if the people who are convinced that most illegal immigrants are unworthy, dangerous and illegitimate could have seen this woman and this process, they would at the very least come away with a sense that humanity is not determined by the shape and color of your passport. They might not want us to open our doors and our borders to refugees, and they might raise statistics about the amount of lies and falsifications that immigrants employ to gain a benefit. They might even just say, the days of Emma Lazarus are over, we have no room at the national inn.

I know they'd be hard to convince, because I live with them and share many of their other beliefs. They are not all bad people, and the racists among them are a minority, despite what the self-satisfied "human rights activists" will tell you.

They are simply Americans who don't understand the difference between a bleeding, frightened woman and a gang banger in the streets.

But I wish they could spend a few moments sitting beside someone who has suffered more than any human can expect to suffer and still, with rare resilience, straighten the back and move on. I wish they could watch as that person is told that they will have a second chance at life, another opportunity to build a solid, decent existence free from fear and coercion.

It is rare that we are given the great privilege of watching new lives emerge from the shadow of suffering. When it happens, it changes your view of your own life, and your obligations to others.

It happened to me again, this week.
YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. Economists say the increase of overall transactions in foreign countries with credit cards issued by Armenian banks is associates with development of outbound tourism, while increase of non-cash transactions is associated with formation of the culture of making payments with cards.

According to official statistics, 208,642 transactions with Armenian bank-issued cards were made abroad in March, 2017, while in February the number was 177,365 and in March of 2016  173,742. The volume of these transactions in March, 2017 amounted 6 billion 823 million drams  an increase of more than 1 billion drams in a month.

Economist Aram Kayfajyan told ARMENPRESS the increase is associated with development of outbound tourism. Tourists or businessmen are the ones using Armenian banking cards abroad, I dont think large expenditures are made with them. If people buy some property or begin activities abroad, usually cards arent used, he said, adding that taking into consideration the activation of Armenias economy, outbound tourism has also been activated, which can be the reason of volume and quantity increase of transactions made by Armenian banking cards abroad.

In March, the volume of cash withdrawals amounted 1 billion 444 million drams, while the quantity amounted to 14,162. Withdrawals increased by 179 million drams compared to February.

In March, 194,480 non-cash transactions with Armenian banking cards were made abroad, with a volume of 5 billion 380 million drams, compared to the previous year the quantity increased by more than 39 thousand. More card transactions were made than withdrawals.

Economist Tatul Manaseryan, director of the Alternative research center, says the decrease of cash operations is associated with the formation of a culture of making non-cash payments among Armenian citizens.
YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. More than 140 people have been killed in an attack on a Libyan airbase, a spokesman for the east Libyan armed forces said. Scores of troops are thought to have been killed in acts of summary execution, Deutsche Welle reports.

A spokesman for the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) confirmed on Friday that 141 people, most of whom were LNA soldiers, were killed a day earlier in an attack on an airbase in south Libya.

LNA spokesman Ahmad al-Mesmari said the attack on the Brak al-Shati airbase had been carried out by a brigade known as the Third Force, a militia group nominally aligned with the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA). Islamist militants were also thought to have been involved, al-Mesmari added.
YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. US Democrat Senator Jack Reed has issued a statement on Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogans security details attack on peaceful protesters in Washington, D.C. on May 16, reports ARMENPRESS.

I join with all Americans in condemning the violence by President Erdogans bodyguards against peaceful protestors outside the Turkish embassy in Washington, DC.

It was disgraceful that the Presidents bodyguards beat members of our community who were peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights.

Those members of the security detail involved in the attacks should be disciplined and the Trump Administration must make it clear to all embassies in the United States that our laws protect protesters and their right to peaceful assembly and free speech, reads the statement.

On May 16, a group of peaceful demonstrators protesting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans official visit to the United States, were attacked by pro-Erdogan groupsincluding members of Erdogans security teamat the Sheridan Circle near the residence of the Turkish Ambassador to the U.S.

In a footage released a bit later its clearly seen how Erdogan personally instructs his bodyguards to attack the protestors.
The battle between bulls and bears is going on, says Expert.

Saudi Arabia and non-Opec Russia have said they see a need for an extension to output reductions.

London: Oil prices were heading on Friday for a second week of gains on growing expectations that big crude exporters will extend output cuts to curb a persistent glut in inventories.

Brent crude was up 77 cents at $53.28 at 1328 GMT, its highest since April 21, while US benchmark crude oil was up 67 cents at $50.02.

Since the start of March, the Brent price has swung from more than $56 a barrel to less than $47 as opinion swayed over whether cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producers will offset rising US output.

The battle between bulls and bears is raging on oil, said Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at futures brokerage AxiTrader.

On the one hand, you have traders who worry about the efficacy of OPECs oil cuts on inventory levels. On the other, there are those who are focused on the real drawdowns that have started to occur in US oil stocks over the past month or so, he said.

Saudi Arabia and non-Opec Russia have said they see a need for an extension to output reductions. The initial agreement between Opec and other producers was for cuts of 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) to run through the first half of 2017.

Opec and other producers are due to discuss an extension during an Opec meeting on Thursday.

One of the biggest difficulties facing the cartel, however, is that there is a lag between output cuts and inventory changes, Bank of America Merrill Lynch said in a note.

It said Opec-led cuts take about three quarters to start drawing down inventories but US shale producers can ramp up output in just four quarters to fill in the gap left.

Russias largest oil producer Rosneft said on Thursday it was ready to stick to crude output agreements with Opec. But there are signs that Saudi Arabia, Opecs largest producer, is keeping markets well supplied.
After her purple lipstick made headlines last time, the actress continued her quirky choice of colours.

Mumbai: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan might not be doing many films off late, with her last film being 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil', but there is no doubt that when it comes to the glamour department, she is second to none.

Just when you thought that the most gorgeous former Miss World, was done showcasing her daring side to the world last Cannes, the lady turns up at Day 4 of the 70th edition of the elite Cannes Film Festival in a black off shoulder gown and bright orange lipstick.

Aishwarya, who is making her 16th appearance at the film fiesta this year, made headlines internationally for her bright purple lips at 69th Cannes Film Festival last year. While a section of fashion police vehemently criticized her choice, others lauded Ash for taking the bold fashion move.

Middle parting, hair let loose, black off shoulder gown, sky-high heels and a neon orange lip to do all the talking. Thats what Aishwarya is all about- elegance with a tinge of quirkiness!

On day 3, the Sarabjit star wore a gorgeous blue ballroom gown by Dubai-based Filipino fashion designer Michael Cinco, looking like an absolute fairytale princess.

Ash is one of the three Bollywood actresses to walk the red carpet this year. While Deepika Padukone made her debut on May 17 and 18, Sonam Kapoor is gearing up to make a killer appearance at the fest on May 21 and 22.

Mallika Sherawat and Shruti Haasan, too, were present at the festival. Shruti Haasan's 'Sanghamitra' is the only Indian film screened at the film fiesta this year. The actress, along with the music composer of the film and Oscar winner A. R. Rahman, walked the red carpet on May 18.

Mallika Sherawat, on the other hand, was promoting an international organization Free A Girl, of which she is the brand ambassador.

Aishwarya, sans hubby Abhishek Bachchan, had arrived in the city with daughter Aradhya.

As part of the festival, Aishwarya will present her 2002 cult Sanjay Leela Bhansali film Devdas at a big screen open to the public on the Martinez beach.

Cannes film festival began on May 17 and will go on till 28th of this month.
The court has already granted them interim relief from arrest.

Mumbai: A sessions court in Thane district on Friday reserved order on the anticipatory bail application filed by actor Shilpa Shetty and her businessman husband Raj Kundra till Saturday. The celebrity couple faces arrest in a case where a businessman has filed a FIR against them, alleging they cheated him of Rs 24 lakh. The court has already granted them interim relief from arrest.

During hearing, Kundra told the complainant to keep Rs 100 crore ready to pay him as the couple had filed a Rs 100 crore defamation suit against the complainant. Following this, the court directed Kundra to give an undertaking that he would not threaten the complainant.

Advocate Aniket Nikam along with Hiren Kamod, on behalf of the couple, argued that they had complied with the directions of the court by appearing before it and cooperating with the investigating agency. Advocate Nikam further argued that this was a matter of pure civil transaction and there was no element of any criminal offence and hence, his clients should be granted relief from arrest. He said that his clients firm, Best Deal TV Pvt. Ltd., was in a business partnership for over a year with the complainant and had made a payment of over Rs 1 crore to the complainant and hence, it could not be said that the accused had any intention of cheating the complainant.
Musharraf reportedly told a Pakistani TV channel that Kasab was 'just a pawn', while Jadhav 'may have killed' people.

The ICJ on Thursday stayed the death sentence awarded to Indian Naval officer Jadhav by a Pakistani military court on the charges of spying. (Photo: AP)

Jammu (J&K): India remained unperturbed after Pakistan decided to move the International Court of Justice (ICJ) with a plea to rehear the Kulbhushan Jadhav case.

The ICJ on Thursday stayed the death sentence awarded to Indian Naval officer Jadhav by a Pakistani military court on the charges of spying.

According to Pakistan media reports, Islamabad on Friday approached the ICJ to challenge its jurisdiction in the Jadhav case and pleaded a rehearing of the case within six weeks.

Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh has said that India was not concerned with Pakistan's bid to give a 'new twist' to the Jadhav case.

"We should have full faith in our Ministry of External Affairs and judicial experts," he said.

Singh also didn't give any importance to former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's observation that "Kulbushan Jadhav is a bigger terrorist than Ajmal Kasab".

Reacting to Musharraf's comments, Singh said, "I don't think we need to attach much significance to what they say. It doesn't make any difference whosoever says what."

Musharraf reportedly told a Pakistani TV channel that Kasab was "just a pawn", while Jadhav "may have killed" people.

Ajmal Kasab was hanged to death by India in November 2012 for his role in the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 in which around 164 Indians were killed by a group of ten Pakistani terrorists.
The attack came in the wake of Defence Minister Arun Jaitley reviewing the overall security situation in the Kashmir Valley.

According to sources, p6 RR and Handwara police have cordoned off the Behak area where the terrorists are believed to have managed to sneak in through the LoC. (Photo: Representational/AP/File)

Handwara (Jammu and Kashmir): A group of terrorists were intercepted near Line of control (LoC) in Handwara sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district on Saturday.

According to sources, p6 RR and Handwara police have cordoned off the Behak area where the terrorists are believed to have managed to sneak in through the LoC.

The attack came in the wake of Defence Minister Arun Jaitley reviewing the overall security situation in the Kashmir Valley with Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat and other senior Army officers.

The Defence Minister was apprised of various measures to strengthen the robust counter infiltration grid along the Line of Control.

He was also briefed on the close coordination amongst all government agencies towards restoring normalcy in the region.

He urged all defence personnel to continue their good job and ensure safety of the innocent people while dealing firmly with inimical elements.

He also directed the commanders to maintain a strict vigil along the Line of Control and remain prepared to give a befitting reply to any misadventure from across the border following the ceasefire violation earlier on Tuesday by the Pakistan Army in Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Pakistan Army, earlier on Sunday, instigated indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics, 82 mm and 120 mm mortars along the Line of Control (LoC) in Chiti Bakri area of Rajouri sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Indian Army also retaliated to the unprovoked act strongly and effectively.

At least two civilians including a minor girl were killed and nine people, including four soldiers were injured in the unprovoked firing by Pakistan in Rajouri district.
The top court said his petition was not maintainable.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has refused to register a writ petition filed by Justice C.S. Karnan, of the Calcutta high court, to recall the May 9 order sentencing him to six months imprisonment for contempt of court. The top court said his petition was not maintainable. As a result, Justice Karnan has no other option but to surrender and serve the sentence as his plea to the President for mercy is unlikely to be considered in the next few days.

An order passed by the registrar (judicial) on May 12 said, The proceedings were decided on merit, and after due consideration... As a sequel, the petitioner also stands convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for six months. The said findings have since attained finality.

The registrar said that it was well settled that judicial proceedings of the apex court are not amenable to challenge under Article 32 of the Constitution. He said, I am constrained to hold that the writ petition is not maintainable. The relief, if any, lies somewhere else. I, thus, see no reasonable cause to receive the present writ petition for registration.

In his petition, Justice Karnan said that the entire proceeding from February 8, when the contempt notice was issued, to his conviction and sentence, was without jurisdiction.

He said that from a mere reading of the provisions of the Contempt of Courts Act, it was manifest that what could constitute criminal contempt was any publication which scandalises, or tends to scandalise, or lowers or tends to lower, the authority of any court.

Justice Karnan said the allegations contained in the said letter were against the judges named therein and not against any court  neither the Madras high court nor the Supreme Court. If the said allegations were untrue, they would, at the most, amount to defamation, which would entail an actionable right, both civil and criminal, in the judges named in the said letter. The May 9 order, sending him to jail for six months, was passed in his absence, he pointed out, and sought a declaration that the contempt notice issued on February 8 is void.

Aggressive judge on backfoot

Earlier on Monday, the Supreme Court had warned Calcutta HC judge Justice C.S. Karnan for sending his advocate repeatedly to seek urgent hearing against the award of six month jail term to him. We are saying no and yet you (lawyer) continue to come again and again. You come five times or 20 times. But we are telling you that you are interfering with the process of the court. Everyday you are interfering with the process of court. We are liberal to you. It is for you to understand, we can be liberal and harsh, a five-judge constitution which was hearing a batch of pleas on triple talaq said.
Top defence body clears policy which allows local firms to manufacture equipment through foreign partnerships.

New Delhi: India has finalised its much-awaited defence policy to allow local private firms to build  through long-term foreign partnerships  high-tech equipment like submarines, fighter aircrafts and armoured vehicles.

The strategic partnership model, whose broad contours were finalised by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Saturday, may get the Cabinets approval this month itself, in a boost to the Centres effort to cut reliance on imports in matters of national security.

The defence ministrys apex procurement panel, which usually meets once a month, has now met twice in a week, in a clear indication of the governments keenness to push through the critical policy.

Saturdays two-hour deliberations, chaired by defence minister Arun Jaitley, reviewed ongoing acquisitions of military hardware and finalised the broad contours of a policy aimed at engaging the Indian private sector in the manufacture of high-tech defence equipment in India.

The model is a government-led effort for a transparent and competitive process to seek technology transfers and manufacturing know-how and set up domestic manufacturing infrastructure and supply chains.

Foreign manufacturers such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, BAE Systems and Saab are looking to India as one of the biggest sources of future growth. India is forecast to spend $250 billion on modernisation of its armed forces over the next decade.

A defence ministry power-point presentation on the subject says that while six Indian strategic partners will be shortlisted for each segment, preferably two or more global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will be identified for each segment. This will happen concurrently. Even if one OEM is shortlisted, the process will be taken forward, the document says.

As of now, the policy is expected to be implemented in three segments  fighter aircraft, submarines and armoured vehicles. However, the defence ministry may add more segments or subdivide the existing ones as the model matures.

Finally, only one strategic partner will be selected per segment to maintain focus on core areas. While selecting the strategic partner, aspects like willful default, debt restructuring and non-performing assets, besides the technical and financial requisites, will be considered.

In the final run, the selection will be based on a combination of price bids and segment-specific capabilities of the companies, says the document prepared after extensive stakeholder consultations with the Indian industry.

On the other hand, the degree of willingness of an OEM to conduct Transfer of Technology (ToT) to its Indian partner will be the main criterion in deciding whether the foreign company can qualify to partner an Indian company to manufacture military equipment.

In evaluating ToT, considerations will include range, depth and scope of technology transfer offered in identified areas, extent of indigenous content proposed, extent of eco-system of Indian vendors/manufacturers proposed, measures to support strategic partnership in establishing systems for integration of platforms, plans to train skilled manpower, and extent of future research and development planned in India, the presentation said.

The other critical criterion to be considered will be the willingness of the foreign company to help develop an ecosystem in India.
After she had committed the act, she called the Thiruvananthapuram police to inform them that she did it as an act of self-defence.

Kollam: In an act of self-defence, a 23-year-old woman chopped off a godman's penis on Friday, who had been reportedly assaulting her sexually for several years.

According to a report in The NewsMinute, the accused Sreehari alias Ganeshananda Theerthapada Swami, a 54-year-old swami had allegedly raped her multiple times since her high school days.

After she had committed the act, the victim had called the Thiruvananthapuram police to inform them about her assault. She also confessed that she had done so as an act of vengeance and in self-defence to the swami's actions.

The victims parents were followers of the Swami who belongs to an ashram in Padmana in Kollam, Kerala.

The report further stated that Swami, who was in a critical condition, was later admitted to the Medical College hospital on Saturday around 12:30 am. The incident reportedly happened on Friday at 11:30 pm, according to the police.

"She knew that no one would believe her if she said she had been sexually assaulted by a man of god. So, this was perhaps the only thing she could think of," the Circle inspector of Pettai station in Thiruvananthapuram said.

While the Medical College said in a press statement that the accused was out of danger, the woman has been taken to a government shelter.

The press statement further was quoted as stating, "A 54-year-old man from Kollam was admitted at 12.39 am to the hospital on Saturday. His penis had been cut (90%) and was hanging precariously. There was no way it could be stitched back. Plastic surgeons, who are urology experts in the hospital, did an emergency surgery to stop the blood loss and to enable him to pass urine."

According to the woman, her mother was well aware of the Swami's acts and he had repeatedly assaulted her at home. Aware of his arrival on Friday night, the victim is said to have kept a knife ready to chop off his genitals.

A case has been filed registered against the swami under IPC section 376 (rape) and under sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). "Case had been filed under POCSO as the assault and rape seem to have started when she was a minor," police were quoted as saying.

"No case has been registered against the woman. Investigations are still on," a senior police official said.

"It was a courageous step, no doubt about it," Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said after he was told about the incident.

Strangely, the girl's act is eerily similar to a Malayalam movie sequence called 22 Female Kottayam where the heroine apparently castrates the hero for betraying her.
UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath has stated that English language should be a medium of education from Class 1 to 4.

Lucknow: The Yogi government and the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) seem to be working at cross purposes on the issue of education in Uttar Pradesh.

UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath has stated that English language should be a medium of education from Class 1 to 4.

ABVPs demand comes at a time when Mr Adityanath has been advocating for English language as a medium of instruction from Class I to Class 6 in government schools.

According to ABVP leader Saket Bahuguna, the medium of instruction in government primary schools should be the mother tongue of the region, while English could be taught as one of the subjects. In states such as Maharashtra, popular local dialects could also be a medium of instruction.

The matter will be discussed at the national executive council meeting of ABVP in Lucknow from May 29 toMay 31. There will be around 400 ABVP representatives at the event.

The chief minister, on the other hand, has underlined the need for teaching English, written and spoken, at the primary level so that children can match up to the private school standards. The basic education department has already started identifying teachers who can converse in English and help students go beyond basic spoken sentences in English.

If our children can learn to write and speak English, they can do better than children in private English medium schools. At present, they lag behind only because of English, said a senior official.

A senior minister echoed similar sentiments when he said, We may champion the cause of Hindi but the fact remains that in todays competitive world, English is becoming even more relevant, especially in the private sector.

If children form government schools are looking for a career, they must have a working knowledge of English language and we are glad that the chief minister has recognised this. As for the patriotic factor, those who can converse in English are no less patriotic than those who cannot.

Meanwhile, the ABVP meet will discuss how to curb urban Naxalism spreading its tentacles in educational institutions. Communist organisations have been exposed by the ABVP. There is a section of teachers and students in some universities working as urban Maoists. We will discuss on ways to stop this phenomenon, said Mr Bahuguna.

He also said that teaching students distorted history about Indian heroes and personalities will also be debated. The other issues to be discussed in the meeting would be fee regularisation to make education affordable to economically weaker sections.
People accusing Tharoor of plagarism over his choice of words is stretching the conversation a bit too far.

Exasperating farrago of distortions and misinterpretations may seem like a rather complex and roundabout way of expressing your dismay at a misleading story, but you expect nothing less from Dr. Shashi Tharoor. Politician, public speaker, author of several books and a connoisseur of sizeable words, Tharoor sent out a rather frustrated tweet, earlier this month, at a news story being run by a prominent journalist on a newly launched news channel.

He, however, had probably not anticipated the interesting way in which the term would be incorporated into the lexicon of the everyday social-media savvy Indian. He also probably did not see accusations of lifting the word farrago come in.

The Internet was flooded with tweets drawing attention to Tharoor using a term similar to journalist Mehdi Hasans speech made many years ago. The politician, in turn, scoffed at the idea (Preposterous! he tweeted) that he had lifted the phrase, pointing out that he had been incorporating it  and many other interesting words  in his daily interactions for years. In fact, a tweet even pointed out that the late Vinod Mehta had associated farrago with Tharoor.

The situation in itself is quite the farrago, ironically. Laughs author Kiran Manral, I think people are just being proud of not knowing what the words mean. Its actually made people go back to the dictionary and understand what it means.

But is this a case of plagiarism? No, says theatre director, and ad-man Alyque Padamsee, Look, it just depends on the situation, he says. At this moment, Shashi replied to the journalist in the way he felt was most appropriate. I do not doubt his intellect. I dont think this is a case of plagiarism, as these are just four or five words. Plagiarism is when you take sentences and reiterate them exactly as somebody earlier had. This is just bizarre

Author Meghna Pant agrees with Alyque. I think these words are just part of Tharoors dictionary. And I believe it is great that hes using these words. If you go through his Twitter account, you will notice that he consistently uses words that not many are even aware of. So, from a writers point of view, its attractive, as it gives me new words which can enhance my language and intellect.

Kiran adds that one must cut Tharoor some slack. Considering Shashi Tharoor, and how hes an extremely well-read person, we can actually give him the benefit of the doubt, and say that he hasnt necessarily plagiarised, even though it is very difficult to actually confirm it.

Meghna, however, cautions that the farrago over farrago is taking over from the actual matter at hand  the mysterious death of Tharoors wife, Sunanda Pushkar. Instead of focusing on the issue of the death of his wife, were minimising the issue. In the end, nobody has a copyright on words, and theyre for everyone to use.

However, as part of the English lexicon, it might not be a popular word but people have pointed out previous instances of the words usage. A Farrago of Lies is a title of a book published in 2001. In 1927 a Harvard law professor Felix Frankfurter, summed up a controversial judgment involving Italian immigrants as a farrago of misquotations, misrepresentations, suppressions, and mutilations . . . Even further back on the timeline, On August 20, 1864, The Irish People newspaper, from Dublin carried the sentence .putting forth a farrago of folly and misrepresentation. These are just a few examples, which point that Tharoor is neither a plagiarist nor an inventor of the phrase.

An inventor of phrases on the other hand, who Tharoor is perhaps a keen follower of, was the iconic 18th century British essayist Samuel Johnson who was known for his complex and convoluted use of the English language. For example, phrases like dissimilitude of condition, petritious matter as projectiles, and fleet for matrimonial panegyricks found their way into Johnsons essay, hence into public parlance.

 With inputs from Meenketan Jha
AAP claims Mishras allegations stale.

New Delhi: Ousted Delhi minister Kapil Mishra on Friday said chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had opposed demonetisation due to his alleged links with hawala operators. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) termed Mr Mishras allegations as stale and said he wants to malign Mr Kejriwals image.

Mr Mishra, who has been suspended from the AAP, alleged that the party received money from a company of Delhi-based lawyer Rohit Tandon, who has been under radar of the Enforcement Directorate over alleged money laundering after demonetisation. Why did he (Mr Kejriwal) fiercely oppose demonetisation? Because his men, who hoard black money, were being raided by enforcement agencies. His collars are in my hands and he will surely land in Tihar Jail, he said.

Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh rubbished the charges saying the donations in question, received in the form of four cheques of Rs 50 lakh each, came through proper banking channels. It has been two years. Why have the probe agencies failed to unearth the wrongdoings? Mr Singh said. These donations had found an oblique mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech during the 2015 Delhi Assembly election campaign.

Earlier on Thursday, a East Delhi-based businessman Mukesh Kumar had claimed that it was he who donated the amount through four of his companies registered in Delhi. But in his Friday press conference, Mr Mishra claimed that Mr Kumar was not even director in two of the four companies, which he claimed were shell entities.

Goldmine Buildcon Pvt Ltd, Infolance Software Solution Ltd, Skyline Metal and Alloys Pvt Ltd, and Sunvision Agencies Pvt Ltd are the companies in question, according to Neil Terrance Haslam, a self-proclaimed whistleblower who has been assisting the rebel AAP leader in framing the allegations.

Mr Mishra wondered how the AAP accepted donations from Mr Kumar when one of his companies, SKN Associates, was slapped with a notice by the Delhi government in December 2013 for not paying VAT.

Ten days before AAP took office in 2013, Mukesh Kumars company was slapped a notice by the Delhi government for not paying VAT. And then this person goes on to donate Rs 2 crore to the AAP, he said.

The sacked Delhi minister also alleged that Mr Kejriwal-led government didnt act against Mr Kumar for defaulting on VAT after coming to power in 2013.
On the issue of women safety, the newly elected mayor of SDMC said that the corporation is in the process of identification of dark spots.

New Delhi: BJP councillor Kamaljeet Sehrawat, who had won the civic polls by a record margin, was elected unopposed as the mayor of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on Friday. After taking over, Ms Sehrawat said that she will meet Union home minister Rajnath Singh and request him to find a way for direct release of fund to the civic bodies in the national capital.

Ms Sehrawat demanded that Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government must release the fund to the civic bodies as per the recommendation of the Delhi Finance Commission (DFC).

We are here to serve the people and politics should not hamper peoples life. We request Delhi government to release fund as recommended by the DFC. If they do not release the fund, we will meet the Union home minister and request him to find a way so that the Centre can directly provide fund to the civic bodies to carry out development work in the city, added Ms Sehrawat.

Clean, green, and healthy Delhi is our priority. Parks will be beautified and health centres will be upgraded with additional facilities, the new mayor added.

On the issue of women safety, the newly elected mayor of SDMC said that the corporation is in the process of identification of dark spots. Once identified, LED lights will be installed at all dark spots soon.

On the topic of transparency in civic administration, Ms Sehrawat said m-governance is needed for success of the Digital India Programme. SDMC had already made most of its services online, so we need transparent and hassle free system for a smart city now, she said, adding that the corporation will try to implement the Deen Dayal Antodya Yojna Scheme for providing food to the poor at Rs 10, at the earliest.

Six members for the SDMCs standing committee were also elected. From BJP, Bhupender Gupta, Shikha Roy, Nandani Sharma, and Tulsi Joshi were elected as standing committee members. Congress councillor Abhishek Dutt from Andrews Ganj and AAP councillor Ashok Kumar from Hastsal ward were also elected to the committee.
The rescue teams had on Friday night recovered bodies of two victims, who fell into the river after the bridge collapse, police said.

Rescue and relief works in progress after the Sanvardem Bridge collapsed in Curchorem, South Goa on Thursday. (Photo: PTI)

Panaji: Rescue teams on Saturday recovered the body of a man, who had allegedly committed suicide by jumping into Sanvordem river last evening, police said.

Crowding of onlookers on an old bridge on the river to watch the efforts to rescue the man after he jumped into water had led to the collapse of the bridge, in which at least two persons died, police said.

The rescue teams had on Friday night recovered bodies of two victims, who fell into the river after the bridge collapse, police said.

"The third body was recovered during the rescue operation today. The body is that of the man, who had committed suicide before the bridge collapse," a senior police official told PTI.

The bridge across Sanvordem river, a tributary of the Zuari in South Goa, had caved in under the weight of scores of onlookers watching the rescue operation of the man, who committed suicide.

Two persons had drowned while around 20 swam to safety after the bridge, connecting Sanvordem and Curchorem villages in South Goa district, collapsed. Fourteen people were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals. Around 50 people had gathered on the bridge to watch the rescue efforts when it gave way and they fell into the water. The bridge has been closed for traffic for the last four years.

The search, which resumed this morning as several persons were still feared missing, was taken over by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) this afternoon from the Navy and a local agency.

The search and rescue operation which was called off at 3.30 am, had resumed at 7.30 am. While there was no breakthrough during the entire day, the third body was retrieved around 4.30 pm, police said.

"The rescue operations resumed at 7.30 am on Saturday to trace if more lives had been lost. However, the divers of the Indian Navy and Drishti Lifesaving Services engaged in the search stopped the operation in the afternoon as they did not find any more bodies," Superintendent of Police (South) Shekhar Prabhudesai said.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team from Pune took charge of the search operations in the afternoon. "An NDRF team from Pune arrived at the site and started assessing the situation. We have not yet called off the search and rescue operations. The decision whether to continue the search or withdraw it would be decided after National Disaster Response Force assesses the situation," South District Collector Swapnil Naik said.

At present, there are no bodies in the water near the accident site and there is a possibility that they might have been swept away in the river, he said.

A spokesman of the Indian Navy said since crocodiles are present in the river, precautions are being taken for the safety of the divers. Meanwhile, the state government announced that all the dilapidated and unsafe bridges would be dismantled soon.

"The work of preparing a list of dilapidated bridges across the state and then dismantling them will be taken up seriously," State Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai told reporters after visiting the site.

"The government will also carry out a safety audit of bridges and those which are found unsafe and not used by commuters, would be dismantled," he said.

The minister met the people who were rescued on Friday and are being treated at the district hospital in Margao.
The BJPs announcement came after the opposition took out Sangharsha Yatra in the state to raise farmers issues.

Mumbai: The state Congress president Ashok Chavan on Friday criticised the Maharashtra government for its decision to increase the surcharge on petrol, saying that there is no financial planning and the prices are on the rise.

The rate of petrol in Maharashtra is the highest in the country. Despite the Centres decision to reduce the petrol prices, the state government increased the surcharge twice in last two months. The total surcharge on petrol is now Rs 11 and the Maharashtra Congress will protest against this, Mr Chavan said.

Stating that the hike in surcharge would have a cascading effect on prices of products that are transported, Mr Chavan said the people would suffer.

The petrol price rise will hike the prices of goods that are transported through vehicles. Ultimately, the people will suffer in the process, Mr Chavan said.

The Congress leaders attack comes after the state governments decision on Wednesday to increase the surcharge on petrol by Rs 2. The state government took the decision just four weeks after it announced a price hike in petrol.

There is no proper financial planning, and the states expenditure is mounting. The common man is at the receiving end because of a slew of taxes, Mr Chavan added. He also questioned the Centres project of air connectivity between smaller cities.

Only two cities in Maharashtra were selected for the intra-state connectivity. But six additional air connectivity routes were announced between Maharashtra and Gujarat. Is the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) project only for Gujarat? Mr Chavan asked.

The Congress leader also criticised the increase in the stamp duty, saying that the construction business was already facing problems and by increasing the stamp duty, the common man is now in more trouble.

Mr Chavan even slammed the Samvad Yatra organised by the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) to interact with the farmers.

The BJPs announcement came after the opposition took out Sangharsha Yatra in the state to raise farmers issues.

This means there was no samvad (dialogue) earlier... and who will lead it? Raosaheb Danve, the state party president, who recently made derogatory remarks against the farmers, he added.
The complainant, Hitesh Keswani, alleged that Nitesh demanded money running into several lakhs every month.

Mumbai: Crying foul over a first information report (FIR) registered against him for alleged extortion of a restaurant owner, Congress MLA Nitesh Rane on Saturday refuted the charges. Terming it as a society dispute, Nitesh said he had complained about Estela restaurant to the police in April after the local citizens objected to noise from the restaurant. He said it was a conspiracy against him by the restaurant owner and said he would be filing a counter complaint against the restaurant.

An FIR was registered on Friday against Nitesh at Santa Cruz police station on a complaint by the owner of Estela restaurant that the Congress leaders men were creating a ruckus and trying to shut down the outlet forcibly.

The complainant, Hitesh Keswani, alleged that Nitesh demanded money running into several lakhs every month and that the incident occurred after Keswani refused to pay him this time. The Santa Cruz police arrested two men  Moin Shaikh (36), and Mohammad Illiyas Ansari (36)  who allegedly landed at Estela at Juhu Tara Road at about 10.30pm.

However, Nitesh said, Estela restaurant is near to my house. The local citizens have come to me complaining loud music and chaos at the venue. The citizens asked for help, after which I spoke to the municipal commissioner and the police to take action. But no action was taken till yesterday (Friday) by the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) or the police.

The Congress MLA alleged that it was a conspiracy against him. No money was deposited in my account. Why would I ask for money from the owner when I had complained against him? Also, instead of verifying the complaint and asking for my version, the police just registered the complaint, he said.
Imtiaz Shaikh, a 29-year-old relative of the bride and the manager of a tourism firm, died on the spot.

Mumbai: A bus carrying 40 people from Malad to a wedding reception in Mumbra turned turtle around 1 pm on Saturday near Powais Gandhi Nagar junction while taking a turn.

While the bus driver has fled, Imtiaz Shaikh, a 29-year-old relative of the bride  who was also the manager of the tourism firm that had provided the bus  died on the spot. Vikrolis Parksite police has registered a case against the driver, one Sanoj Nishad, and is on the lookout for him.

According to a police officer, the brides relatives occupied the bus, which was hired from tourist company Destiny Travels. The couple had got married on Friday.

One of brides maternal uncles, Riyaz Momin, who was in the ill-fated vehicle, told The Asian Age, There were eight children and 25 women on the bus. The bus took a turn and dashed into the divider twice before collapsing on its left-hand side. My nephew Imtiaz, who had arranged for the bus, died as he was sitting beside the driver. We were travelling to Mumbra for my nieces wedding reception. It has been really shocking for her and the rest of the family. We told her about the accident around at 5 pm. All of us were injured after the accident and an eight-year-old boy had 14 stitches, as his head was badly wounded.

Speaking about the accident, Mumbai police spokesperson DCP Rashmi Karandikar said, The bus was hired by a marriage party and was heading to Mumbra for the reception. The bus driver lost control of the vehicle while taking a sharp turn at the junction to enter LBS Marg when it hit the divider.

According to Sachin Patil, DCP zone 7, the bus was lifted with the help of a crane and the injured were removed after its panes were broken.

The rescue operation lasted over three hours and the injured were shifted to various hospitals in Kanjurmarg, Vikhroli and Powai. The teams from police stations at Powai, Vikhroli and Saki Naka were also called in for the rescue operation.

The traffic on LBS Marg towards Mulund was hit for over three hours after the incident. Eighteen of the injured were rushed to the privately-run Aniket Hospital and civic-run Rajawadi Hospital,and were later shifted to a hospital in Malad.

Dr Vidya Thakur, superintendent at Rajawadi Hospital said, We have received 14 patients from the accident, but no one is serious. One person was brought dead. We have admitted eight females and six males.

Dr Nivedita Gupta, causality medical officer (CMO) of Aniket Hospital, said, We have received four patients  Mumtaz Baloj (40), Shamim Baloj (30), Saud Baloj (12) and Huzefa Baloj (8). They are all stable and out of danger. Shamim has 12 stitches on her head, Huzefa has five stitches on his face and head while Saud and Mumtaj sustained minor injuries and cuts. We are awaiting Shamims CT scan report, but their relatives are insisting that they be shifted to a Malad-based hospital as they all reside there.
Female newsreaders appear regularly on many Afghan channels, but an entire station for women is a novelty.

Krishma Naz, 22, presenter of a music show, sits during recording at the station. Zan TV launches on Sunday with a staff of all female presenters.

Kabul: A new TV channel dedicated to women is set to begin broadcasting in Afghanistan, the first of its kind in a country whose media industry, like many areas of society, remains dominated by men.

Zan TV (Womens TV) launches on Sunday with a staff of all female presenters and producers, following a high-profile marketing campaign on billboards in Kabul and on social media.

Female newsreaders appear regularly on many Afghan channels, but an entire station for women is a novelty.

Its arrival highlights the fact that behind the daily stories of violence, change is taking place in Afghanistan, even if it is often slow and patchy.

I am so happy that this TV station has been created for women because there are women in our society who are not aware of their rights, said 20-year-old Khatira Ahmadi, a producer at the station.

So this station represents women and we work to raise the voice of women so they can defend their rights, she said. Womens rights and education are often cited by the government as among the biggest achievements in the country.
BJP workers in West Bengal have not stopped complaining ever since national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya was given charge of their state.

A hasty move by Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala has led to an unpleasant situation in the party. In his enthusiasm, Mr Surjewala held a press briefing recently to announce the appointments of Avinash Pande as the new general secretary in charge of Rajasthan and Sunil Jakhar and Pritam Singh as state unit chiefs in Punjab and Uttarakhand, respectively. Not just that but he also circulated the names to the beat reporters on WhatsApp. But this did not go down well with Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi, who looks after organisational matters, and has been authorised to release the final list of appointments after they have been duly cleared by the party president. In this case, Mr Surjewala rushed to the press before Mr Dwivedi had issued the formal note. Known to be an authority on organisational matters and a stickler for norms, Mr Dwivedi ticked off Mr Surjewala for not following proper procedures. He also refused to sign the official order. The upshot is that the formal note announcing the latest appointments has not been issued. This is not the first time that Mr Surjewala has fallen foul of his senior colleagues. There have been several instances in the past when he has called a separate briefing or issued a press statement after the partys official press conference. Mr Surjewalas statements are invariably given preference by the press over his colleagues briefing since he is the head of the partys communications department.

Former Union ministers Anand Sharma and Jairam Ramesh are not known to be on the best of terms. The tension between the two was palpable when they were Cabinet colleagues in the UPA government as they were constantly trying to score over each other. Last week, Mr Sharma stole a march over Mr Ramesh when he took centrestage at the special function organised at the Teen Murti Bhavan for the release of a book on Indira Gandhi Indias Indira. Edited by Mr Sharma, the commemorative volume has been brought out as a part of Indira Gandhis centenary year celebrations. Mr Sharma had reason to feel pleased as the book was released by President Pranab Mukherjee and the programme was attended by vice-president Hamid Ansari and the Congress partys top brass. Not to be left behind, Mr Ramesh was quick to send off mails to journalists, a few days before Mr Sharmas book was released, informing them about his forthcoming book, also on Indira Gandhi. Mr Rameshs book Indira Gandhi  A Life in Nature dwells on an unknown aspect of the late Prime Ministers personality  her passion for the environment, her dealings with conservationists and some of the important decisions taken during her time with regard to wildlife and forests. It is to be seen if Mr Ramesh can also muster a similar audience for his book release function.

It is no secret that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah hold complete sway over the government and the party. Senior ministers and party workers are generally discouraged from taking any major decision without the prior consent of the two leaders. Even their personal moves and actions are scrutinised closely. Take the case of road transport minister Nitin Gadkari. Not only is he a senior member of the Modi government but also has been the BJP president. But even he was not spared by the leadership. It is learnt that Mr Gadkari has planned a massive birthday bash in his hometown Nagpur later this month. It is also meant to double up as a show of strength, specially since Mr Gadkaris bete noire, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, has emerged as a leader in his own right. But these plans may have to be curtailed. According to the BJP grapevine, word was sent to Mr Gadkari by the two top bosses that he should refrain from an ostentatious show and scale down the celebrations as it would hurt the partys pro-poor image. This is particularly so as the official programmes currently being planned for the governments third anniversary celebrations will be highlighting the various schemes and policies initiated by Mr Modi for the poor and underprivileged sections. Meanwhile, Mr Gadkari is learnt to have told the leadership that the birthday celebrations are being organised by his supporters.

Bharatiya Janata Party workers in West Bengal have not stopped complaining ever since national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya was given charge of their state. Not only do they have to contend with his brusque manner but also deal with Mr Vijavargiyas idiosyncrasies. According to the workers, their meetings with Mr Vijavargiya are constantly interrupted as he has a habit of bathing and changing his clothes several times during the day. In addition, the senior BJP leader feeds 11 cows thrice a week and it is the task of the workers or his staff to round up the cows. To make matters worse, Mr Vijayvargiya insists that they should not bring the same cows but locate a fresh herd each time. This is proving to be really taxing for the workers, who say they are being constantly dispatched on a hunting spree.
Scientists say if Reading minds could soon be a reality, erasing of thoughts is not far behind.

Multiple agencies, including Facebook, are racing to perfect technology to read our minds. The scary thought is: Can they also erase our thoughts?

Sometimes, fact has a way of uncannily mirroring fiction. Seventy years ago, George Orwell penned 1984, a novel which foresaw a time when the Thought Police could read your mind and if you harboured thoughts not approved by the Party they could get you in trouble.

In 2002, Philip K. Dicks science fiction novel Minority Report was brought to the screen by Steven Spielberg, with Tom Cruise playing the Chief of PreCrime, whose job it was to arrest people who were even contemplating criminal acts.

In eerie ways, the first few months of 2017, have seen multiple agencies racing to perfect technology that could read peoples minds. Two weeks ago, at Facebooks F8 Developer Conference in San Jose, California (US), the company previewed technology where a subjects thoughts were monitored by a brain implant and it activated a keyboard, typing eight words a minute!

Facebooks goal is to refine the tool so that even without an implant, people could type 100 words per minute directly with their brain. The brain-to-text project is two years away from fruition, but there are concerns. Facebook already knows too much about our habits, tastes, etc. Do we want it to read our thoughts as well?

Scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have taken Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI scans to a whole new level. It is called Functional MRI (fMRI) and measures which areas of the brain are active at any given moment. Using these brain scans, they are now able to determine what a person is looking at  and producing the corresponding 2-dimensional image.

Another team at Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan, has succeeded in decoding the numbers 0 to 9 spoken by a subject directly from an electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring his or her brain waves, with 90 per cent accuracy. This brain-computer interface will be useful for people who have lost their power of speech. It will translate their thoughts into audible words. The researchers are confident that in five years the tool to do this can be simplified so that it is powered by a smartphone. This could lead to headlines like, Your phone could read your mind! While these developments excite neuro scientists, they are proving worrisome for ethicists  who concern themselves with the ethics and moral implications of new technology or policy. They ask: If scientists can read your thoughts, how soon will it be before they erase them as well or maybe even correct them, if someone finds them troublesome?

In India, the whole subject of Narcoanalysis (psychoanalysis of a patient in a trance induced by a narcotic drug) in celebrated cases, from Telgi to Kasab to Aarushi, has shown that law enforcers are ready to deploy ethically questionable and scientifically controversial techniques to solve crimes. So, will mind reading be the final frontier in the creeping invasion of privacy? Nations are duty-bound to protect its citizens and they may soon need to enshrine a Right to Cognitive Freedom Act. You may say, Hey! I already feel threatened, every time my phone uses neural networks technology to try and second guess when I am typing a message and inserts absurd words into my text. What they call the thin end of the wedge!
WannaCry, which started to sweep round the globe last Friday and has infected more than 300,000 computers in 150 nations.

The ransomware threatens to lock out victims who have not paid a sum of $300 to $600 within one week of infection.

French researchers said on Friday they had found a last-chance way for technicians to save Windows files encrypted by WannaCry, racing against a deadline as the ransomware threatens to start locking up victims' computers first infected a week ago.

WannaCry, which started to sweep round the globe last Friday and has infected more than 300,000 computers in 150 nations, threatens to lock out victims who have not paid a sum of $300 to $600 within one week of infection.

A loose-knit team of security researchers scattered across the globe said they had collaborated to develop a workaround to unlock the encryption key for files hit in the global attack, which several independent security researchers have confirmed.

The researchers cautioned that their solution only works in certain conditions, namely if computers had not been rebooted since becoming infected and if victims applied the fix before WannaCry carried out its threat to lock their files permanently.

Europol said on Twitter that its European Cybercrime Centre had tested the team's new tool and said it was "found to recover data in some circumstances".

The group includes Adrien Guinet, who works as a security expert, Matthieu Suiche, who is an internationally known hacker, and Benjamin Delpy, who helped out by night, in his spare time, outside his day job at the Banque de France.

"We knew we must go fast because, as time passes, there is less chance to recover," Delpy said after a second sleepless night of work this week allowed him to release a workable way to decrypt WannaCry at 6 am Paris time (0400 GMT) on Friday.

Delpy calls his free tool for decrypting infected computers without paying ransom "wanakiwi".

Suiche published a blog with technical details summarizing what the group of passing online acquaintances has built and is racing to share with technical staff at organizations infected by WannaCry.

Wanakiwi was quickly tested and shown to work on Windows 7 and older Windows versions XP and 2003, Suiche said, adding that he believed the hastily developed fix also works with Windows 2008 and Vista, meaning the entire universe of affected PCs.

"(The method) should work with any operating system from XP to Win7," Suiche told Reuters, via direct message on Twitter.

Delpy added that so far, banking, energy and some government intelligence agencies from several European countries and India had contacted him regarding the fix.

"THE ONLY WORKABLE SOLUTION"

Guinet, a security researcher at Paris-based Quarks Lab, published the theoretical technique for decrypting WannaCry files late Wednesday and Thursday, which Delpy, also in Paris, figured out how to turn into a practical tool to salvage files.

Suiche, based in Dubai and one of the world's top independent security researchers, provided advice and testing to ensure the fix worked across all various versions of Windows.

His blog post links to a Delpy's "wanakiwi" decryption tool which is based on Guinet's original concept. His idea involves extracting the keys to WannaCry encryption codes using prime numbers rather than attempting to break the endless string of digits behind the malicious software's full encryption key.

"This is not a perfect solution," Suiche said. "But this is so far the only workable solution to help enterprises to recover their files if they have been infected and have no back-ups" which allow users to restore data without paying black-mailers.

As of Wednesday, half of all internet addresses corrupted globally by WannaCry were located in China and Russia, with 30 and 20 percent of infections, respectively, according to data supplied by threat intelligence firm Kryptos Logic.

By contrast, the United States accounts for 7 percent of WannaCry infections while Britain, France and Germany each represent just 2 percent of worldwide attacks, Kryptos said.

Only 309 transactions worth around $94,000 appear to have been paid into WannaCry blackmail accounts by Friday (1345 GMT), sevens days after the attack began.
2 years back, then-citizen Trump criticized then-first lady Michelle Obama's decision to go bare-headed to Saudi Arabia with her husband.

First lady Melania Trump talks with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef during a ceremony to present The Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal to Donald Trump, at the Royal Court Palace in Riyadh. (Photo: AP)

Riyadh: Ignoring President Donald Trump's past admonition, US first lady Melania Trump did not cover her head on Saturday when they arrived in Saudi Arabia on the opening leg of his first international tour since taking office.

Two years ago, then-citizen Trump criticized then-first lady Michelle Obama's decision to go bare-headed on a January 2015 visit with her husband.

"Many people are saying it was wonderful that Michelle Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted. We have enuf enemies," Trump tweeted at the time, including a short-hand spelling for enough.

Under the kingdom's strict dress code for women, Saudi women and most female visitors are required to wear a loose, black robe known as an abaya, in public.

Most women in Saudi Arabia also cover their hair and face with a veil known as the niqab. But head coverings aren't required for foreigners and most Western women go without.

While Melania Trump dressed conservatively on Saturday in a long-sleeved, black pantsuit accented with a wide, gold-coloured belt, her below-the-shoulder brown hair blew in the breeze at King Khalid International Airport in the capital city of Riyadh.

She followed the example set by other, high-profile Western women, including Michelle Obama.

On visits earlier in 2017, British Prime Minister Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel also shunned head coverings.

Then-first lady Laura Bush generally went without covering her head, though she once briefly donned a headscarf that she received as a gift. Hillary Clinton, on trips to Saudi Arabia as Obama's secretary of state, also did not cover her head.

Trump's daughter, Ivanka, a senior White House adviser who is also accompanying her father, also left her head uncovered.

Saudi Arabia adheres to an ultraconservative interpretation of Islamic Shariah law where unrelated men and women are segregated in most public places. Women are banned from driving, although rights advocates have campaigned to lift that ban.

Guardianship laws also require a male relative's consent before a woman can obtain a passport, travel or marry. Often that relative is a father or husband, but in the absence of both it can be the woman's own son.
Trump leaves for Saudi Arabia on Friday afternoon and will make stops next week in Israel, Belgium and Italy.

Washington: With turmoil enveloping his administration at home, US President Donald Trump heads abroad on Friday for a trip the White House hopes will shift focus away from domestic controversies and on to his foreign policy agenda.

Mr Trump leaves for Saudi Arabia on Friday afternoon and will make stops next week in Israel, Belgium and Italy. The trip was billed as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the worlds major religions, while creating face time with Arab, Israeli and European leaders.

But, a political uproar in Washington over Mr Trumps firing of former FBI director James Comey, allegations that he pressed Mr Comey to stop investigating former national security adviser Michael Flynn and the subsequent appointment of a special counsel to look into allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and potential ties with Mr Trumps campaign threaten to overshadow his trip.

We look forward to getting this whole situation behind us, the President told a press conference at the White House on Thursday.

Mr Trump is expected to be welcomed warmly by leaders in Riyadh and Jerusalem, but lingering questions over his views on the Iran nuclear deal, commitment to Nato and skepticism of the Paris climate agreement could generate tension at meetings with European counterparts in Brussels and Sicily.

Its almost always true that when a President goes on a big foreign trip, especially one that has some important summits... that dominates the news and knocks most other stuff out, said Republican strategist Charlie Black.

Whether by accident or design, this will help him in terms of Russia news for a while, he said.

The White House laid out three purposes for the trip: reaffirming U.S. leadership globally, building relationships with world leaders and broadcasting a message of unity to Americas friends and to the faithful of three of the worlds greatest religions, said national security adviser H.R. McMaster.



What President Trump is seeking is to unite peoples of all faiths around a common vision of peace, progress and prosperity, he told reporters.



Trump generated controversy as a presidential candidate with his call that Muslims be banned temporarily from entering the United States. His administrations proposal to limit travel from several Muslim-majority countries is tied up in court.



McMaster said Trump would deliver a speech in Saudi Arabia expressing hope that a peaceful vision of Islam would resonate worldwide.



The national security adviser, who publicly defended Trump this week against allegations that he improperly shared intelligence information with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during an Oval Office meeting, has a lot riding on the trip himself.

Hes already on thin ice after his attempt to defend the presidents discussion of intelligence with the Russians, and he urged the president to do this trip, which may have been a bad idea, said one U.S. official. Its too long and covers too much ground and too many topics. If it goes badly, no matter whos fault it is, it will be H.R.s.

Although he kept a grueling schedule as a presidential candidate, Trump is fond of being home at night, often flying back to New York after campaign events to sleep in his own bed. The nine-day trip will be his longest since becoming president.
Police said the circumstances of Narasipuras death are still under investigation, but no foul play is suspected.

New York: A 20-year-old Indian-origin Cornell University student was found dead here after going missing this week.

Aalaap Narasipura, a senior electrical engineering student at Cornell's College of Engineering was reported missing since Wednesday.

Cornell University Police, working with the New York State Police, the Ithaca Police Department and the Ithaca Fire Department, recovered his body on Friday from Fall Creek, a short distance upstream from Ithaca Falls.

Cornell University Police confirmed Narasipuras identity. Police said the circumstances of Narasipuras death are still under investigation, but no foul play is suspected.

No other information is available at this time. Police had searched gorges and adjacent natural areas in Ithaca. Earlier authorities had issued an advisory describing Narasipura as a dark-skinned male, 5-feet-9 inches tall.

He was last seen in the early morning of May 17 on Cornell's campus, and was wearing shorts and a flannel shirt with bright blue socks and leather sandals. Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi expressed "profound sadness" at the death of Narasipura.

He described Narasipura as an "ambitious student" who was scheduled to graduate early this December.

"He was active on the Ultimate Frisbee team, enjoyed taking photos, and planned to continue at Cornell to pursue a Master of Engineering degree," he said in a statement.
Musharraf has been charged with involvement in the murder of the former two-time Prime Minister in 2007.

Islamabad: Pakistans former military ruler Pervez Musharraf wants to appear in person rather than testify through a video link in the Benazir Bhutto murder case, his lawyer has said.

Mr Musharraf has been charged with involvement in the murder of the former two-time Prime Minister in 2007.

Mr Musharrafs counsel, Advocate Akhtar Shah, during the trial proceedings of the high-profile murder case in the anti-terrorism court Rawalpindi maintained that his client was not interested in testifying through the video link, Dawn reported.

He, however, said Mr Musharraf wanted to testify in person and before an open court for which he required foolproof security from the ministry of defence.

According to the counsel, Mr Musharraf is on the hit list of several banned and terrorist outfits and facing serious life threats. However, the federal government has already declined such a request.

Mr Musharraf has been living in Dubai since last year when he was allowed to leave the country on pretext of medical treatment.
The 45-year-old Australian's accuser was angered by the decision and Assange declined to say whether he would leave the embassy.

London: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gave a clenched fist salute Friday after Swedish prosecutors dropped a seven-year rape allegation, but he insisted the "proper war" over his future was just beginning.

Assange stepped into the daylight on the balcony of Ecuador's London embassy, where he has been holed up since 2012, to celebrate, but said the road was "far from over". The 45-year-old Australian's accuser was angered by the decision and Assange declined to say whether he would leave the embassy.

British police could arrest him immediately for breaching earlier bail conditions if he left the building, while US authorities have warned they regard WikiLeaks as a "hostile intelligence service".

"Today is an important victory," Assange, in a black shirt and jacket, told reporters and a small band of supporters crowded around the tiny balcony. "But it by no means erases seven years of detention without charge. In prison, under house arrest and almost five years here in this embassy without sunlight. "That is not something that I can forgive. It is not something that I can forget."

Uncertain future: Earlier in Stockholm, Marianne Ny, Sweden's director of public prosecutions, said the rape investigation had been dropped because there was "no reason to believe that the decision to surrender him to Sweden can be executed in the foreseeable future". "It is no longer proportionate to maintain the arrest of Julian Assange in his absence," she said.

Assange jumped British bail by entering the embassy and claiming asylum, saying he feared he would eventually be extradited to the United States. US justice authorities have never confirmed that they have Assange under investigation or are seeking his extradition. But US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said last month that "we will seek to put some people in jail", when asked if arresting Assange was a "priority" for Washington.

US prosecutors have been drafting a memo that looks at charges against Assange and WikiLeaks members that possibly include conspiracy, theft of government property and violations of the Espionage Act, according to The Washington Post.

US President Donald Trump's administration has put heat on WikiLeaks after it embarrassed the Central Intelligence Agency in March by releasing files and computer code from the spy agency's top-secret hacking operations.

"The road is far from over. The war, the proper war is just commencing," Assange said, noting his lawyers were in touch with British authorities and hoped to begin a dialogue about the "best way forward".

Ecuador also urged Britain on Friday to let Assange leave. "Ecuador will now be intensifying its diplomatic efforts with the UK so that Julian Assange can gain safe passage in order to enjoy his asylum in Ecuador," the country's foreign minister Guillaume Long wrote in a statement. Assange's Swedish lawyer, Per Samuelsson, said his client plans to move to Ecuador because "it's the only nation where he is safe".

The former computer hacker said that despite the "extremely threatening remarks" emanating from Washington, he was "always ready to engage with the Department of Justice".

The department said Friday it had no comment on Assange. Asked if London would now support a request to extradite Assange to the United States, British Prime Minister Theresa May said; "We look at extradition requests on a case-by-case basis."

In Australia, his mother Christine Assange urged the Canberra government to provide him with a new passport so he could leave Britain.

"His passport's been confiscated, the Australian Government should immediately issue him another one and demand safe passage for him to take up legal asylum in Ecuador," she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"For the UK now to continue to keep him in that embassy, when he's uncharged and the warrant has expired is now breaching his human rights severely and is almost criminal," she said.

Decision a 'scandal': In Sweden, Assange's accuser was left stunned by the prosecutors' decision. "It is a scandal that a suspected rapist can escape justice and thereby avoid the courts," her lawyer, Elisabeth Fritz, said. "My client is shocked and no decision to (end the case) can make her change (her mind) that Assange exposed her to rape," she said.

The accusation against Assange dates from August 2010 when the alleged victim, who says she met him at a WikiLeaks conference in Stockholm a few days earlier, filed a complaint. She accused him of having sex with her as she slept without using a condom despite repeatedly having denied him unprotected sex.

Assange always denied the allegations, which he feared would lead to him being extradited to face trial over the leak of hundreds of thousands of secret US military and diplomatic documents in 2010, that brought WikiLeaks to prominence.
The GNA said in a statement late Friday a commission of inquiry had been set up to investigate the attack.

'The soldiers were returning from a military parade, they weren't armed. Most of them were executed', spokesperson said (Photo: AFP)

Tripoli: An attack on an airbase in south Libya has killed 141 people, mostly soldiers loyal to military strongman Khalifa Haftar, a spokesman for his forces said on Friday.

Members of the Third Force militia loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord in Tripoli on Thursday attacked the base used by Haftar's self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), military sources said earlier.

LNA spokesman Ahmad al-Mesmari late Friday said the victims included civilians who worked at the Brak al-Shati airbase or were in the nearby area, also reporting that summary executions took place.

"The soldiers were returning from a military parade. They weren't armed. Most of them were executed," he said.

The GNA said in a statement late Friday a commission of inquiry had been set up to investigate the attack.

It said it had decided to suspend its defence minister, al-Mahdi al-Barghati, and the head of the Third Force from their duties until those responsible were identified.

Both the GNA and defence ministry earlier condemned the assault and said they had not ordered any such action.

The unity government, the rival administration in eastern Libya and their respective backers are battling for influence in the North African country which has been wracked by chaos since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

The LNA does not recognise the authority of the GNA, and instead supports the rival authorities based in the east.

UN envoy 'outraged'

The UN envoy to Libya earlier on Friday voiced alarm at reports of the attack on the base, 650 kilometres (400 miles) south of Tripoli.

"I am outraged by reports of significant numbers of fatalities, including civilians and by reports that summary executions may have taken place," UN envoy Martin Kobler said in a statement.

Britain's ambassador to Libya, Peter Millett, also denounced the assault. "Disgusted by attack on Brak al-Shati & reports of mass executions. Perpetrators must be brought to justice," he wrote on Twitter.

The incident at the base in Wadi al-Shati district comes a month after an attack by the LNA on the Tamenhant airbase controlled by the Third Force near the south's main city of Sebha.

That attack was called off after a reconciliation meeting between Haftar and unity government head Fayez al-Sarraj in Abu Dhabi on May 2.

The speaker of the eastern-based parliament, which is supported by the LNA, accused the Misrata-based Third Force of a "serious breach of the truce agreement reached in Abu Dhabi".

Aguila Saleh said there were a "number of martyrs" in LNA ranks, without giving a figure.

The speaker said he had given orders for the armed forces "to take the measures necessary to respond to the assault and defend the south and cleanse it of all outlaw militias".

In Tripoli, the GNA called for an immediate ceasefire in the south, where tribes and militias vie for control of lucrative smuggling routes with neighbouring Chad, Niger and Sudan.

"We hope reason will prevail and that the escalation and provocation will stop," it said.

The unity government's defence ministry laid the blame on "those who started bombing Tamenhant base with warplanes and tanks", referring to Haftar's forces.

In new violence on Friday, a pro-Haftar tribal chief, Sheikh Ibrayek Alwati, and five other people including a child were killed in a car bombing outside a mosque in the eastern city of Slouq, medical and security sources said.
It emerged later Uzma had sought refuge in the Indian High Commission, requesting that she be repatriated back to India.

Islamabad: An Indian woman, who has sought refuge at the Indian mission on Friday submitted a six-page reply in the Islamabad High Court and reiterated her plea to return to India.

20-year-old Uzma, an Indian national who had travelled to Pakistan earlier this month, in the written plea said her Pakistani husband Tahir Ali "forced" her to marry him at gun point and also harassed her.

Uzma maintained her earlier statement in the court that she was "forced to marry" her Pakistani husband Tahir Ali on gunpoint. "Threatened to kill, harassed and badly humiliated," the Dawn reported, quoting the written reply.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) continued hearing the case of Uzma, who was reported to have gone "missing" at the Indian High Commission, a few days after her marriage to Ali, a resident of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the report said.

It emerged later that she had sought refuge in the Indian High Commission, requesting that she be repatriated back to India. First Secretary at the Indian High Commission Piyush Singh was present at the IHC. Their lawyer Shahnawaz Noon submitted a written reply to the court that detailed Uzma's version of events.

Uzma's lawyer aims to get permission from Islamabad to allow her to go back to India. Uzma's visa is said to expire on May 30. Last week, she had asked the court to help her get the immigration sheet from Pakistan to travel back to India and also waive police reporting. She also made Foreign Office a party in her plea.

The court has already asked Foreign Office to come up with reply on May 22. Ali also petitioned the court last week asking to let him meet Uzma in free environment. He has also rejected all allegations regarding forced marriage and committing violence. On Monday the court clubbed the petitions of Ali and Uzma to hear the case together.

Earlier, Pakistan's adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz said Uzma would be repatriated once her legal issues are sorted out.
by Chang Ping*

Corruption is not just the result of a money exchange; it also comes from a lack of transparency when agreements are implemented. One cannot expect a new Gospel from a government that promotes repression and abuse. An exiled Chinese scholar looks at the issue. Courtesy of ChinaChange.

Beijing (AsiaNews) - Rampant corruption and human rights abuses cast a long shadow over Beijings One Belt, One Road mega-project, this according to a Chinese expert currently in exile in Germany, writing in ChinaChange. From opaque guidelines to the lack of transparency in funding, this initiative raises not only doubts about international relations but also about its impact on human capital.

Seen with suspicion by quite a few world leaders, the recent summit in Beijing raises doubts and suspicions. Under a government and a leadership that promote the suppression of domestic dissent and violate democratic freedoms, the scholar wonders whether one can expect good news in economic matters and future development.

Here is his analysis:

God said: "Let there be light," and then there was light. Xi Jinping said: "A 'Project of the Century' must be undertaken," and then there was One Belt, One Road. At the just-completed summit in Beijing, Xi Jinping announced that China will invest hundreds of billions of U.S. dollars in 60 countries to lead in the construction of bridges, railways, ports and energy projects. This venture is known as One Belt, One Road, and involves more than 60 percent of the worlds population. It's projected to transform the global political and economic order, and can be said to be the largest overseas investment project undertaken by a single country in history.

Where does such an unprecedented, magnificent, and spectacular plan come from? How many Chinese were aware of it in advance? Was it critically evaluated? And what was the outcome of the evaluation? Other than Xi Jinping, there is probably no one who can answer these questions. And no one knows if he himself has carefully thought about it. People can at least learn about almighty God by reading the Bible. But the One Belt, One Road plan of renewing the world only consists of a few pages of empty speeches and some conference documents. According to Chinese media descriptions, the whole world is heralding the birth of a new savior.

One Belt, One Road: Dont Ask Me Where I Came From

It's been 500 years since Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation, but in China a corrupt "church" still monopolizes everything. Rational Europeans cast a suspicious eye. German Chancellor Angela Merkel did not attend the forum and "join in the festivities," and the German Minister for Economics and Energy, Brigitte Zypries, who attended the event, criticized the unclear source of capital in China's acquisition of German companies. Minister Zypries should also see that the lack of clarity does not just apply to the origin of part of the capital, but the whole "One Belt, One Road" project.

Joerg Wuttke, President of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, said in a recent interview: "I hope China is actually embracing the world and opening up to foreign trade instead of just reaching out." Risk analyst Andrew Gilholm said: "I don't think many people are buying the spin that this is all in the name of free trade and global prosperity." Siegfried O. Wolf, Director of Research at South Asia Democratic Forum in Brussels, was even more candid: "At present there is a lack of an effective platform for 'One Bridge, One Road' cooperation between Europe and China. If China is reluctant to build this bridge, and is unwilling to move toward multilateral mechanisms and disregards the values of the European Union based on good governance, rule of law, human rights, and democracy, then European skepticism of 'One Belt, One Road' will continue."

Countries outside Europe aren't irrational either. U.S. President Donald Trump, a businessman, has adopted a wait-and-see attitude toward China's Creation Project, and only sent National Security Council Asia Director Matthew Pottinger to attend the meeting. Australia rejected China's invitation. India boycotted the summit, saying that the "One Belt, One Road" project ignored "core concerns about sovereignty and territorial integrity." Many of the leaders attending the summit are autocrats who don't care about the questionable origin of China's funding, and know the Chinese government doesn't care how the investment is actually used once it's given.

Buy One, Give Two Away: Corruption and the Deterioration of Human Rights

Many Chinese believe that Xi Jinping is leading a fight against corruption. What is corruption? Corruption is not just the result of money being misused, but the lack of a fair and transparent mechanism itself. In this sense, the lack of democratic supervision of "One Belt, One Road" is a mechanism for corruption. As with all large projects in China, there is no restriction on power, and this inevitably results in the criminal activities of corruption, rent-seeking, giving and taking bribes and money laundering.

While the Chinese media was obediently singing the praises of One Belt, One Road and its benefit to all mankind, a Chinese netizen posted the comment: "Some people lamented that overnight we've returned to the Song Dynasty [translator's note: Song is a homonym for "give away" in Mandarin]. Others asked: the Southern Song Dynasty or the Northern Song Dynasty? Answer: No, its not 'Southern Song Dynasty or Northern Song Dynasty,' it's the 'Eastern Song [Give-Away] Dynasty' and Western Song [Give-Away] Dynasty!" Without public oversight, an unelected leader can take hundreds of billions of U.S. dollars in taxpayers' money and give it to authoritarian states. The only thing that taxpayers can do is sneer at and mock it. Can a sane person believe that this is a good thing?

In the process of cooking up "One Belt, One Road," China's human rights situation has significantly deteriorated and threatens the whole world. Can all thesethe kidnapping of Hong Kong booksellers, the coerced confessions of journalists, NGO workers, dissidents, and activists on China Central Television (CCTV), the disappearance of a Taiwanese human rights worker, and the cruel torture suffered by a large number of Chinese human rights lawyersmake you believe that such a government, which is expanding its economic and political clout through the "One Belt, One Road" program, will bring a New Gospel to mankind?

* Chang Ping is a Chinese media veteran and current events commentator now living in political exile in Germany.
Sesame is the result of cooperation between the regions governments and scientists, including Iran, Israel, and Egypt. The facility hosts a synchrotron that can help understand cancerous tissue, ancient scrolls, seeds, and plants. This might be the start of a new era in collaborative science. For an Iranian scientist, Science is different from politics.

Amman (AsiaNews)  In a region marked by conflicts and divisions  ranging from Syria to Iraq and the Holy Land  an advanced research centre represents a rare show of unity among Mideast nations.

The facility is located on the outskirts of Amman (Jordan), and shows that, despite political tensions and rows, adversaries can come together for a common goal.

Called Sesame  Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East , it hosts a synchrotron, a particle accelerator that acts as a powerful microscope.

Researchers from various countries, including Iranians, Israelis, and Palestinians who would never normally meet, will now use the machine together.

The name is a play on the famous phrase "Open Sesame" and is meant to signal a new era of collaborative science.

By generating intense beams of light, synchrotrons provide exceptionally detailed views of everything, from cancerous tissue to ancient parchments to plant diseases.

Sesame's vast white building, located amid dusty hills some 35km north of the Jordanian capital of Amman, makes a stark contrast to the olive groves around it.

The idea of a Middle Eastern synchrotron was first proposed 20 years ago but the sheer novelty of the plan and the extreme sensitivities of the region led to endless delays in finance, design and construction.

For most of the past decade, a British physicist, Prof Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith, has taken the project through a series of obstacles.

For a start, Israel and Iran do not have diplomatic relations with each other, nor do fellow Turkey and Cyprus.

At one point Iran was unable to pay its share because of international sanctions on banking, and two Iranian scientists working on Sesame were killed in what the Iranian government said were assassinations by the Israeli secret service.

After a freak snowstorm, the Sesame roof collapsed leaving key components exposed to the elements.

Yet, "The real problem has been finding the money - the countries in this region have science budgets that you can hardly see with a microscope," Smith said.

The turning point came in 2012 when Israel, Iran, Jordan and Egypt each agreed to contribute USm provided that all the others did too. That led to more funding from Italy, the European Union, and UNESCO.

There are some 60 synchrotrons in use around the world but Sesame will be the first in the Middle East.

Its purpose is to provide the regions young scientists with a reason not to emigrate to Europe or America, thus stemming the brain drain of research talent.

Dr Gihan Kamel is an Egyptian who returned to the Middle East from a synchrotron in Italy in order to work at Sesame. She sees the facility as vital for establishing advanced science in the region, enabling it to develop techniques for the early detection of cancer or for analysing key crops to improve agriculture or explore treasured documents like the Dead Sea Scrolls which are 2,000 years old.

The opening was "a very moving moment, said Prof Eliezer Rabinovici, a leading Israeli physicist. In his view, "People and scientists from all over the region as well as many parts of the world have demonstrated that one can work together over decades for a common goal benefitting humanity".

For Prof Mahmoud Tabrizchi, a senior Iranian scientist, "Science is different from politics, and Sesame is "the greatest event in science in the Middle East".
Pope Francis praised the Centesimus Annus Foundation for its work inspired by the Church's social doctrine. In economics and business, " things can change," the pope said. For him, poverty is a human and not merely economic phenomenon. Unemployment has "reached truly dramatic proportions in both developed and developing countries.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis today addressed the international conference of the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation held in the Vatican on 18-20 May, centred on Constructive Alternatives in an Era of Global Turmoil  Job Creation and Human Integrity in the Digital Space  Incentives for Solidarity and Civic Virtue.

In his address, the pontiff focused on new paradigms and forms of power derived from technology, the throwaway culture and lifestyles that ignore the poor and despise the weak. Such a situation needs alternative ways to understand economics and progress in order to deal with poverty and unemployment among youth and adults, which have reached truly dramatic proportions in both developed and developing countries.

Fortunately, we know that things can change, said the pope who praised the Foundation for its commitment to developing models of economic growth centred on the dignity, freedom and creativity that are the hallmark of the human person.

Fighting poverty

For the Holy Father, the fight against poverty demands a better understanding of the reality of poverty as a human and not merely economic phenomenon. Promoting integral human development demands dialogue and engagement with peoples needs and aspirations, listening to the poor and their daily experience of multidimensional, overlapping deprivations, and devising specific responses to concrete situations.

This calls for the creation, within communities and between communities and business, of mediating structures capable of bringing people and resources together, initiating processes in which the poor are the principal actors and beneficiaries. Such a person-based approach to economic activity will encourage initiative and creativity, the entrepreneurial spirit and communities of labour and enterprise, and thus favour social inclusion and the growth of a culture of effective solidarity.

Work and unemployment

Another critical issue is that of job creation in the context of the ongoing new technological revolution. How can we not be concerned about the grave problem of unemployment among the young and among adults that do not have the means to upgrade themselves?

This is a problem that has reached truly dramatic proportions in both developed and developing countries, and needs to be addressed, not least out of a sense of intergenerational justice and responsibility for the future.

In a similar way, efforts to address the complex of issues associated with the growth of new technologies, the transformation of markets and the legitimate aspirations of the workforce must take into account not only individuals but families as well.

This, as you know, was a concern expressed by the recent Synod assemblies on the family, which noted that uncertainty about work situations often contributes to family pressures and problems, and has an effect on the familys ability to participate fruitfully in the life of society.

I encourage your efforts to bring the light of the Gospel and the richness of the Churchs social teaching to these pressing issues by contributing to informed discussion, dialogue and research, but also by committing yourselves for that change of attitudes, opinions and lifestyles which is essential for building a world of greater justice, freedom and harmony.
by Sumon Corraya

Police surround a community centre over night, holding those arrested for drug possession. For the secretary of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Bishops Conference, they should not be prosecuted.

Dhaka (AsiaNews)  The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite police unit, arrested 27 young men, aged 20 to 30, on suspicion of being homosexual.

The operation took yesterday morning in Keraniganj, near Dhaka. A RAB unit reached the site overnight and surrounded a community centre where the young men had gathered.

"A total of 27 young people gathered in the Atizabar area of Keraniganj, said RAB-10 Capitan Md Jahangir Hossen. We got information and surrounded the community centre. Later, we caught them. We had heard that they were involved in same-sex activity.

According to police, the men met each month. During the raid they found drugs. Since they were not engaged in any sexual activities at the time of their arrest, police did not charge them with homosexuality, which is a crime in Bangladesh.

The police took into custody the owner of the community centre, who said he rented the space for 10,000 takas (US$ 125).

Most of those arrested are college students who met through social media and mobile phones. Since they were not caught in homosexual acts, they were charged with drug possession.

Being gay in Bangladesh can be deadly. Last year, Islamic extremists killed Xulhaz Manna, editor of Roopbaan, a LGBT publication, in a particularly vicious attack. The Islamic State group later claimed responsibility for the murder.

Gay activist Rafiqual Islam (not his real name) spoke to AsiaNews about the situation. "We live like prisoners in this society, he said. The countrys laws and our relatives are against us. Every day we face difficulties because we are gay. I hope police do not behave inhumanly with these young detainees." He hopes that see those arrested will be soon released.

Speaking to AsiaNews, Theophil Nisharon Nokrek, secretary of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Bangladesh, noted that the Catholic Church does not approve of same-sex acts; however, the young people in question should not be persecuted.

"They are human beings and have the right to live, he said. If police need to enforce the countrys laws, they can do so without violating human rights."

Boys of Bangladesh, i.e. BoB, is main network of Bangladeshi gay people at home and abroad. Millions of gay Bangladeshi men and women live in a difficult situation because of societys opposition to them.
Jamyang Losal, 22, torched himself near the Peoples Hospital in Kangtsa County. Police refused to hand over the body to his family.

Kangtsa (AsiaNews/RFA)  A young Tibetan monk set himself on fire and died on Friday in north-western Chinas Qinghai province in an apparent challenge to Chinese rule in Tibetan areas.

Since protests broke out in 2009, about 150 Tibetans have died in self-immolations.

Jamyang Losal, 22, set himself ablaze around 5 am yesterday near the Peoples Hospital in Kangtsa County (Gangcha in Chinese) in Qinghais Tsojang (Haibei) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, a local source said.

Losals body was taken away by the police, and when his family members went to the police station to claim his remains, the police refused to comply with their request, the source said.

Losal belonged to the Gyerteng monastery in Kangtsas Nangra town. About 20 monks currently study at the hermitage, which is located about 30 kilometres south of the Kangtsa county seat.

The dead monk was a native of Dong Gya village in Kangtsas Nangra township.
Italian regulators are being accused of not testing FCA vehicles following allegations that the company was using defeat devices.

The European Union (EU) has opened legal proceedings against the Italian government for not properly responding to allegations that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) cheated emissions tests.

Italian regulators are being accused of not testing FCA vehicles after it was found some models could feature defeat devices, like those used by Volkswagen in its emissions scandal case.

FCA hasnt formally been prosecuted for any wrongdoing, but the EU believes Italian regulators have been slow to act.

This comes after authorities claimed that the Italian transport department negated to test FCA models during a period of retesting, where cars from other manufacturers were analysed.

In an official statement, the European Commission said, "[We] are now formally asking Italy to respond to its concerns that the manufacturer has not sufficiently justified the technical necessity  and thus the legality  of the defeat device used.

The Italian government has two months to respond to the request. If it fails to do so, it could face legal action from the EU.
Small cars to attract 1-3 percent additional cess; electric vehicles benefit, not hybrids; luxury cars and SUVs to become cheaper.

The government has now given more clarity on the new Goods & Services Tax (GST) structure after releasing the rates for 98 categories of goods, including those for the automobile sector. Under GST, most vehicle categories will come under a standard 28 percent tax rate, along with a provision to separately levy an additional variable cess on any vehicle category.

The rates are as per the expectations of the industry and almost all segments of the industry have benefited by way of a reduced overall tax burden in varying degree, said Vinod Dasari, SIAM president.

The sub-four-metre small car segment will now attract a 1 percent cess for petrol models (less than 1,200cc) and 3 percent for diesel cars. This changes their effective GST rates to 29 percent and 31 percent, respectively, which is a slight increase from before and consumers might see a minor price increase in this segment. Taxation for mid-size cars and SUVs (length more than four metres, engines smaller than 1,500cc) will remain more or less unchanged at net rate of 43 percent. There is good news, however, for consumers in the market for large cars and SUVs (engines larger than 1,500cc) as there is now considerable reduction in indirect taxes from an earlier 50 percent to now 43 percent (GST of 28 percent plus cess of 15 percent).

In what seems like a bid to encourage the sale of electric vehicles, GST has been kept in a lower tax band of 12 percent; this includes two-, three- and four-wheelers as well. Surprisingly though, hybrid vehicles have been kept in the highest rate bracket there is, of 28 percent with an additional 15 percent cess (total of 43 percent), thus attracting the same amount of tax as a luxury car. This is especially significant since the government has been pushing to popularise clean and efficient vehicle technologies. This also seems like a setback for manufacturers like Toyota, Lexus and Hyundai, which have already committed significant investments towards hybrid technology.

"We were expecting some positive inputs towards hybrid vehicles but with the absence of that, and with the current taxation structure, there could be big challenges towards bringing in feasible hybrid technology. Luxury cars will definitely become cheaper by quite a bit. The impact on small cars will be negligible," Rakesh Srivastava, director (sales & marketing), Hyundai Motor India, told Autocar India.

Ownership costs of vehicles, too, are expected to rise, with auto parts now falling under the 28 percent tax slab of GST. This, along with 3 percent increase in the tax rate for services which now in total stands at 18 percent, could mean that vehicle servicing will cost more.

GST is expected to replace as many as 17 indirect central and state tax levies. The government has committed towards a deadline of July 1 for its rollout.

Impact of GST Segment Effective GST rate% Change w.r.t. previous structure Mid-size cars 43 Unchanged Small cars 29 Increased Large cars and SUVs 43 Decreased Electric vehicles 12 Decreased Hybrid vehicles 43 Increased

With inputs from E&Y
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, N.J.  Human blood was found on shrapnel discovered on a Revolutionary War battlefield in New Jersey.

Members of the Battlefield Restoration and Archaeological Volunteer Organization working in Freehold Township found the canister shot used by the Continental Army against British troops during the Battle of Monmouth in 1778. They then sent the lead to Colorado for testing, and it came back positive for human blood protein, the Asbury Park Press reported.

Dan Sivilich, who is president of BRAVO, believes the find is the only piece of a Revolutionary War canister shot thats ever been positively tested for human blood. Based on where it was found, it was probably fired by Pennsylvania artillery into the British 42nd Regiment, Sivilich said.

The canister shot was probably fired by Thomas Proctors Pennsylvania artillery, according to Sivilich. Legend has it that Molly Pitcher fired a cannon from the artillery after her husband fell ill and couldnt operate the weapon anymore.

It could have been a round that Molly Pitcher handled, Sivilich said. We cant say for sure, but it makes for interesting speculation

George Washington attacked the British during the battle, which ended in a draw. The British were able to march toward New York while the Americans held the field.

Sivilich hopes the Monmouth Battlefield State Park puts the piece of ammo on display.
Tampa Police are investigating a double homicide Friday evening at a condominium complex in New Tampa.

Man entered smoke shop and confessed to double murder

Investigators believe crime was not random

Substance or package at crime scene triggered haz-mat response

Investigators said a man entered the Green Planet Smoke Shop in the Shoppes at Amberly around 5:30 p.m. and told people in the store that he'd just shot two people in a nearby condominium. Witnesses in the store said the man was armed.

People in the store called 911, and when police responded to the scene, they were able to take the man into custody.

After interviewing him, investigators went to The Hampton at Tampa Palms condominiums, where they found the bodies of two dead men.

Investigators believe the crime was not random, and that the shooter knew the two victims.



Investigators also discovered a substance at the crime scene that triggered a Haz-Mat response. Police evacuated several units within the complex, and haz-mat units responded to the scene.

No injuries were reported at the shop where the subject made his confession.

No further information has been released. The investigation is ongoing.
Newton High School principal Timothy Kenebrew, who was on administrative leave pending an internal investigation, has resigned, the district announced.

Superintendent Michelle Barrow said in a press release that Newton ISD "has received the unsolicited, voluntary resignation" of Kenebrew. The board of trustees accepted his resignation Friday.

He was placed on paid administrative leave on April 28. Newton County Sheriff Billy Rowles said on May 2 that Kenebrew would not face criminal charges for sending text messages to a student.

In a May 15 letter addressed "to the community of Newton ISD," Kenebrew wrote "to address some of the rumors and speculation."

"I was recently notified that a complaint had been received by the District regarding the performance of my duties," he wrote. Being placed on administrative leave pending investigation "is the normal, accepted practice in Texas," he said.

"I can assure you that I am cooperating fully with the District during this matter. This issue is about my job performance and my conduct, this is NOT a racial issue," he wrote. "I do now want my status to create conflict or discord. We have worked too hard to lose any of the progress we have made as a campus."

Newton ISD did not release information on Kenebrew's replacement.
Dear Editor:

The Pennsylvania General Assemblys nonpartisan Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) recently released a report on the anticipated state budget deficit over the next two years. Its not a pretty picture, anticipating a $3 billion shortfall.

One of the major expenditures in each years budget is the Medicaid program, accounting for nearly 23 percent of all spending. Of that, long-term care services primarily for older adults account for 21 percent. That cost is only going to go up since Pennsylvanias over-85 population is the fastest growing segment in the commonwealth  increasing at 10 times the rate of all other segments.

These costs will continue to be an anchor on our state budget, but we believe theres at least a way to slow down the rate of budget increases in caring for older adults. And the good news is that consumers would actually benefit.

Currently, if a person with limited financial means needs around-the-clock assistance with activities of daily living, and does not have community supports to be cared for at home, the only option is to qualify for Medicaid and be placed in a nursing facility. What many dont know is that often that person could be cared for in an assisted living facility for half the cost, but Pennsylvania doesnt include assisted living in the Medicaid program. We very conservatively estimate that the government could save nearly $100 million or more annually if people could access assisted living instead of inappropriately being placed in a nursing facility.

Including assisted living in Pennsylvanias Medicaid program helps the consumer, their loved ones and taxpayers. Its time to make assisted living an option for low-income citizens who need full-time services.

Ron Barth

President and CEO

LeadingAge PA

Mechanicsburg
Boston-based Steward Health Care has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Franklin, Tenn.-based IASIS Healthcare.

The Wall Street Journal reported the transaction is for $1.9 billion. Becker's has reached out to Steward to verify the value of the deal and the article will be updated accordingly.

Under the deal, Steward will become the largest private for-profit hospital operator in the U.S. with 36 hospitals across 10 states, managed care operations in Arizona, Utah and Massachusetts and projected revenues of nearly $8 billion in 2018, the first year of consolidated operations. The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, is expected to close in the third calendar quarter of 2017, according to a news release on Steward's website.

Currently, Steward operates 18 hospitals and directly employs more than 1,300 multispecialty physicians in facilities across Massachusetts, Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania. IASIS operates 17 hospitals and one behavioral health hospital across Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana.

The deal will transfer operations of IASIS Healthcare's 18 hospitals, which encompass nearly 7,500 patient beds and approximately 38,000 employees  including more than 1,800 directly employed multispecialty physicians and several thousands aligned physicians  to Steward Health Care. Steward will also assume operations of IASIS' 140 outpatient facilities across Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Texas and Utah, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Steward Health Care is backed by private-equity firm Ceberus Capital Management LP and real estate investment trust Medical Properties Trust. Under the deal, Medical Properties Trust has agreed to acquire the interests of substantially all of IASIS' hospital real estate subject to long-term leases and loans with Steward, according to the news release from Steward. The terms of the agreement specify that cash proceeds paid by MPT and other financing sources will be used to retire IASIS' senior secured term loans and unsecured notes. Remaining cash proceeds will be paid to IASIS equity holders, including its majority stockholder, TPG Capital.

This deal marks the latest in a series of acquisitions for Steward, which in May closed a deal to acquire eight hospitals from Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems.
Sixteen Democratic attorneys general on Thursday filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in an attempt to preserve insurance subsidy payments under the ACA, according to Reuters.

The Republican-led House of Representatives brought the case in 2014 to eliminate subsidy payments to health insurers that cover a portion of out-of-pocket medical expenses for low-income Americans. House Republicans prevailed in court in 2016, and the Obama administration filed an appeal in the case but the court did not rule on the issues before President Donald Trump took office.

The attorneys general said their decision to intervene in the case was due, in part, to President Donald Trump's vow to let the ACA "explode." President Trump has threatened to withhold the subsidy payments to insurers, and the attorneys general argue that is part of the reason some consumers have seen double-digit increases in their insurance premiums, according to Reuters.

"The states and their residents cannot continue to rely on the executive branch to represent them in this appeal," states the attorneys general motion. They hope to intervene in the case and directly defend the law.

More articles on legal and regulatory issues:

Omnicare to pay $8M to settle false claims allegations in 28 states

Florida physician convicted on 67 counts of Medicare fraud

IU Health, HealthNet pay $18M to resolve false billing allegations
U.S. District Judge Ron Clark, a Texas federal judge, ordered Medtronic to pay a spine surgeon $23.5 million in a patent infringement case on May 16, according to Law 360.

Here are five things to know:

1. The case dates back to 2014, when Texas spine surgeon Mark Barry, MD, sued Medtronic in the U.S. District Court for Eastern Texas, claiming multiple patent infringements, according to Mass Device. He alleged Medtronic infringed his patent: "System and Method for Aligning Vertebrae in the Ameliorating of Aberrant Spinal Column Deviation Conditions."





2. The case went to court in November 2016, where the jury found Medtronic "actively induced" infringement on two of Dr. Barry's patents, noting the "conduct was willful," Law 360 reports. Dr. Barry was awarded $15.1 million for one patent and $2.6 million for the other. Dr. Barry then filed for supplemental damages.





3. Medtronic argued Dr. Barry presented no "authority to support the supplemental damages he seeks," Law 360 reports. Additionally, the company claimed Dr. Barry should not receive prejudgment interest because his "calculation is flawed." Judge Clark disagreed, however.

4. The final judgment on the case requires Medtronic paying $17.7 million for two patent infringements, plus a 20 percent enhancement on both patents' damages and about $2.4 million in prejudgment interest.

5. During the November trial, Medtronic turned to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, arguing two of the patents were invalid. The company alleged Dr. Barry's patents didn't describe anything inventive, Law 360 reports. The board denied Medtronic's claims and the company appealed in the Federal Circuit.

Judge Clark also denied Medtronic's claims that Dr. Barry's U.S. patent numbers were invalid.
To continue following the latest news and information for Bedfordshire and surrounding areas, simply enter your full postcode below
Prime Minister Releases Book Series written by MS Swaminathan

Published: May 20, 2017

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released a two-part book series written by the eminent agricultural scientist Dr. M.S. Swaminathan. The series is titled  M.S. Swaminathan: The Quest for a world without hunger.

MS Swaminathan

Dr. M S Swaminathan is known as the Father of the Green Revolution in India for his leadership and success in introducing and further developing high-yielding varieties of wheat in India. He is the founder and Chairman of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai. The Indian Government has honored him with its prestigious national decorations like Padma Shri and Padma Bhusan and he has been the recipient of numerous awards and prizes and medals from all over the world. He has been named Commandeur of the Order of the Golden Ark of the Netherlands, and has received the Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership, the Ordre du Merite Agricole of France, and the Golden Heart Presidential Award of the Philippines. He has been awarded the Charles Darwin International Science and Environment Medal, the Volvo Environment Prize, the UNESCO Gandhi Gold Medal, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Four Freedoms Medal, and the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development  to name just a few. In 1987, he was the first recipient of the World Food Prize, considered equal to a Nobel in the field of agriculture.

Some of the other books written by Dr. M S Swaminathan are: An Evergreen Revolution (2006), I Predict: A Century of Hope Towards an Era of Harmony with Nature and Freedom from Hunger (1999), Gender Dimensions in Biodiversity Management (1998), Implementing the Benefit Sharing Provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity: Challenges and opportunities (1997), Agrobiodiversity and Farmers Rights (1996), Sustainable Agriculture: Towards Food Security Farmers Rights and Plant Genetic Resources: A dialogue (1995), Wheat Revolution: a Dialogue (1993).

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2017

Topics: Persons in News

Latest E-Books
More workers could be laid off at Bombardier in Belfast

There are concerns over further job losses at Bombardier in Belfast amid a major plan to outsource IT, it can be revealed.

The Canadian aerospace giant announced this week that it had secured a six-year, $700m deal with IBM.

The outsourcing contract is believed to be a cost-saving measure within the company's IT infrastructure globally.

Around 140 staff at Bombardier here work in IT.

It is understood senior management are flying in from Canada next week to brief workers and management about what impact the move will have on the workforce.

It's also understood staff and unions had a conference call with Bombardier this week about the development.

While up to 140 staff could be affected, union sources say they believe job losses could be mitigated through workers transferring to other roles or leaving the company voluntarily.

Bombardier employs around 4,500 workers across Northern Ireland. The majority are based in Belfast and, among other work, produce the wings and parts of the fuselage for its C Series passenger planes.

It comes after Bombardier slashed more than 1,000 jobs here over the past year.

In October the plane maker announced a further 7,500 staff cuts globally, prompting fears of further cuts in Northern Ireland.

Sean Terriah of Bombardier, said this week: "As part of our turnaround plan, Bombardier is working to improve productivity, reduce costs and grow earnings.

"We will transform our service delivery model to focus on our core competencies, and leverage the best practices of our strategic partner across our infrastructure and operations."

Bombardier in Belfast said it had "no workforce announcements to make at this time".

"The IT transformation we are undergoing is in the planning phase and we will keep employees informed," it said.

Meanwhile, state-owned Chinese aircraft manufacturer Comac is in talks with at least one bank on a tie-up that could involve it making an investment in Bombardier's commercial aerospace arm or taking a stake in the C Series programme, according to the Financial Times.

Access to the C Series programme would boost Comac's aim to become a global aviation leader, competing with Airbus and Boeing.

However, talks between Bombardier and rival Airbus two years ago over a tie-up came to nothing.

Comac has itself tested a new short-haul commercial passenger aircraft, the C919.

Bombardier is also exploring a tie-up with Siemens for its rail business.
The pound rose above 1.30 against the US dollar for the first time since September as strong UK retail sales gave a boost to sterling and jitters surrounding calls for Donald Trump's impeachment weighed on the American currency.

Sterling was up more than 0.4% versus the US dollar at 1.303 in early trading, its highest level in nearly eight months, but was trading 0.2% higher at 1.300 by the afternoon.

Against the euro, the pound was up 0.5% at 1.168. Investors piled into the UK currency after month-on-month retail sales data outstripped expectations for April, rising by 2.3% due in part to the later timing of Easter holidays and warmer weather.

David Madden, a market analyst at CMC Markets UK, said the pound could make further gains.

"The positive run of UK economic data coupled with the political uncertainty in the US could see the 1.30 mark as a base to go long from." The strength of the UK currency weighed on the FTSE 100, which ended the day down nearly 0.9% or 67.05 points at 7,436.42.

Across Europe, the French Cac 40 and German Dax fell by 0.5% and 0.3%, respectively.
An Ulster Unionist candidate has apologised after putting up campaign posters which did not name his election agent - in breach of the law.

Police contacted Doug Beattie, who is standing in Upper Bann, about the error.

Candidates are legally required to display an imprint that includes the name of the printer and their election agent on their placards.

It is an offence not to include this information.

Mr Beattie said: "I have been informed that a number of my election posters, which had been recycled from previous elections, did not have an imprint which included the name of the printer and my current election agent.

"As the candidate I have to take full responsibility and apologise to anyone who was offended by my original recycled posters.

"Someone took the time to contact the police and as soon as they made me aware of the issue I acted swiftly and have removed the offending posters and replaced them with new posters which do bear the correct imprint."

A PSNI spokesman said: "Police were made aware and the individual concerned is taking steps the rectify this issue."

The Electoral Commission said: "The requirement for an imprint is set out in the Representation of the People Act (RPA) 1983 as applied by the Northern Ireland Assembly (Elections) Order 2001 (as amended).

"This places a legal requirement on the candidate and/or their agent to ensure that an imprint is included on their campaign materials.

"It is an offence if an imprint is not included.

"We have produced guidance for candidates on campaigning which includes information on imprints.

"As this would be a breach of the RPA 1983, the responsible body for investigating would be the PSNI."

An Electoral Commission handbook entitled 'Guidance for candidates and agents' states: "An imprint should be added to all campaign material and, in the case of printed material, must be added by law, to show who is responsible for its production.

"It helps to ensure that the campaign is transparent."

The guide adds: "On printed material, such as leaflets and posters, you must include the name and address of the printer (and) the publisher.

"You can use either home or office addresses."

Earlier this week Mr Beattie had been critical of the DUP candidate in the same constituency, David Simpson, over an error in his election literature.

Mr Simpson blamed a "printing error" for an inaccurate claim in his promotional leaflet about visiting soldiers in Afghanistan.

An election leaflet for Mr Simpson stated he had "visited British troops on the front line of Afghanistan".

The former Upper Bann MP was due to visit in 2010 but was prevented from going to the war-torn country because he was too big to fit in a flak jacket.

As a result, the Army prevented him from travelling.

Mr Beattie had said: "One would have thought that Mr Simpson would have read his own election leaflet prior to publication" and raised the issue.
Members of the Fire Service, for whom Conceptas brother Fergal works, form guards of honour at the funeral

While evil lurked in the shadow, seeking to destroy life, a devoted son cared for and tried to protect his mum from the man who murdered her, mourners were told yesterday.

Hundreds of people packed the Church of Saint Mary in Brookeborough to pay their final respects to Concepta (Connie) Leonard, a gifted musician.

They heard Fr Brendan Gallagher pay tribute to the bravery of Ms Leonard's only son, Conor.

The 30-year-old, who suffered stab wounds trying to protect his mother, braved the pain from his injuries to help carry her coffin into the tiny church that overflowed with people who had come to honour her.

Monday's attack was carried out by Ms Leonard's former partner Peadar Phair, whose body was also found at her Co Fermanagh house.

He took his own life after murdering her.

Hundreds of people from across Fermanagh and the traditional Irish music fraternity stood in silence at the church for Requiem Mass.

Guards of honour were formed by members of the Fire Service, the County Comhaltas and local school children as Ms Leonard's coffin was taken inside.

In an unusual but fitting final tribute, young musicians tutored by Ms Leonard encircled her coffin after Mass and played Irish traditional tunes as Conor waved his hand in tribute to his mother.

In his homily, Fr Gallagher said: "These past few days have been a great challenge to the faith of this family, this community, because on Monday afternoon in the light of a May day, evil intent visited this peaceful community.

"Evil lurking in the shadow, seeking to destroy life but, in that moment of madness, Conor cared for and protected his mum.

"We see him holding her hand to reassure her and we see him finding the courage and confidence to see help.

"That is the reality, the horror of evil intent. Since that time, this family, this community have stood in the light, to confront, to overcome the dark shadows that seek to destroy life."

Five months ago Ms Leonard (51) ended her five-year relationship with 55-year-old Phair and took steps to protect herself and her son from him.

She went to court and was granted a non-molestation order, which meant that Phair was not permitted to go anywhere near them or the family home.

This order was due to be renewed by the same court last Tuesday, but Phair, clearly intent on destroying any aspirations Ms Leonard had for a future without him, arrived at her home last Monday evening and forced his way inside. The exact chain of events which followed are still unclear. Ms Leonard's body was found in the house at Abbey Road.

Conor was found with stab wounds to his stomach, but was released from hospital in time for the funeral. Fr Gallagher reminded those who loved Ms Leonard that the "circumstances and tragedy" of her death could not destroy the love that was in her heart.

He continued: "Where is our God in this moment of evil? Could this tragedy have been avoided if circumstances had been different? We know that Connie would not want family or friends thinking or feeling that way because, for her, she had Conor with her and that was the most important person she wanted with her at that moment.

"The circumstances and the tragedy of Connie's death cannot destroy the love that was in her heart and soul. The love that all of you, family and friends received from her."

Ms Leonard was a prominent figure within the Irish traditional music scene, as is her son, her father Dinny, and wider family circle.

Her passion and talent for music was at the core of her Requiem Mass.

Three All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann medals she was awarded for accordion instrumental music, as well her accordion, were carried to the altar as representations of her life.

Fr Gallagher told the mourners: "Connie possessed so many beautiful gifts but she carried them in a very unassuming, humble way.

"Born into a family home that was filled with the sound of music and, from the age of six, she travelled with her father Dinny to music sessions and fleadhs the length and breath of Ireland.

"It was a gift she wanted to share with others - with her energy and enthusiasm, her infectious smile and the twinkle in her eye she has left a legacy of musical talent for generations to come."

Away from the Irish traditional music scene, Ms Leonard was, above all, a devoted mother to Conor.

Fr Gallagher said: "For Connie, the death of her mother Moira was a great loss but the absence of a mother's love was reclaimed when she gave life to her own son Conor. She was a devoted mother and, together, they shared a special bond of love. Conor was at the heart of everything in her life and, together, they developed friendships and lived experiences that most of us could only dream about.

"Conor had complete faith and trust in her and she, as a mother, gave him the confidence to live an independent life." The tragic and shocking circumstances that struck the heart of the small community around Brookeborough and Maguiresbridge has not lessened in the days since Ms Leonard was murdered.

It was etched on the faces of the hundreds who gathered at St Mary's Church, among them, Sonny McDermott, chairman of the local Irish music society.

In an earlier tribute to her, Parish Priest Fr Campbell said: "Connie was very well-known in Irish music circles, like her father Dinny, and would have taught hundreds of students in preparation for Fleadhs down the years.

"She was very talented and taught different instruments like the accordion, the fiddle, the banjo and drums.

"She was a big part of the community, and she will be very much missed.

"It's unbelievable, you couldn't explain how much of a loss it is."

Canon Lawrence Dawson, who knew Ms Leonard for many years, has provided spiritual comfort to the family in their grief this week. He said: "In the midst of the horror and terrible tragedy we have been put, there is light in the love of God and the way people have come to the family to pray with them, to offer their sympathy and to share their wonderful memories of Connie.

"Conor, thankfully, got out of hospital on Wednesday and so was able to be at the house, surrounded by his family and friends.

"This has been so hard on the whole family who are still coming to terms with their loss, we all are. I have known Connie for many, many years and I was very fond of her."

Hymns and music accompanied the family and congregation as they filed out behind the coffin, as Ms Leonard's remains were carried from the church, to be buried in the adjoining cemetery.
Pregnant Louise during the funeral of her husband Daryl in Portadown

Little Ella Burke will never know her father, Portadown Pikers fishing tragedy victim Daryl Burke, who died after his boat capsized on Lough Ree in March 2014.

Clutching his photo to her chest, the three-year-old proudly announces that she will soon be joining her three big brothers William (10), Callum (7) and Brooklyn (5) at Edenderry Primary School at the end of her road.

However, her 30-year-old mum Louise knows that her little girl could be disappointed, as she believes her child has effectively been refused a funded nursery school place by the Education Authority (EA) because her father is no longer alive.

Since her husband's death three years ago, the full-time mum-of-four has devoted her life to her children, and is in receipt of Widowed Parents' Allowance (WPA).

At the end of April she was shocked to receive a letter from the EA denying Ella a funded place at her top two nursery school choices, Edenderry Nursery and Seagoe Nursery.

Subsequent correspondence with the EA revealed that WPA, unlike Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance or, in some cases, Employment and Support Allowance, does not qualify a child to be considered for a funded nursery place.

This means that the young widow would have to pay a minimum of around 2,300 per year for a non-funded place, as well as splitting up her family and sending her daughter to a nursery further away.

Louise, who gave birth to Ella clutching a photo of her late husband, said she "burst into tears" when she heard that her only daughter had been refused a free place at a school less than 500 yards from her home.

"I felt like I had failed her, she is effectively being penalised for not having a daddy," the distraught mum told the Belfast Telegraph.

"My first choice had been Edenderry Nursery as it is so close, and I wanted Ella to go to the same school as her older brothers, but I was willing to consider three other schools too, even ones which are further away.

But they won't give me a funded place, even though I'm raising four kids on my own without their dad.

"I was on Income Support until I got Daryl's death certificate, and then was transferred to Widowed Parents' Allowance in 2015.

"Financially there was little difference, but I noticed on the nursery application form that there was no option to declare Widowed Parents' Allowance-only Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance. There was nowhere to state that I was a widow.

"I noted down my National Insurance number and assumed that they would check that, see I was in receipt of the benefit, and it would be taken into consideration."

However, the EA's refusal means Louise could be forced to keep Ella at home due to the prohibitive cost of a non-funded place.

"There are only two nurseries offering non-funded places remaining in the Portadown area," she continued.

"I have been left with no other choice than to apply, but even if I get a place, Ella won't be able to attend unless it's funded as it would cost a minimum of around 2,300.

"If your father dying doesn't qualify for special consideration, then what does? We are appealing and hope that the EA will overturn its decision and grant Ella a funded nursery place."

Louise's case has been taken up by former UUP MLA Jo-Anne Dobson, who wrote to EA chief executive Gavin Boyd expressing her concern.

In an email response to Mrs Dobson, the EA stated: "The benefits that are considered in terms of admission to a funded pre-school place are set in the Pre-School Education in Schools (Admissions Criteria) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999.

"They are currently confined to Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (and to those circumstances where an award of Income Support has been 'converted' into an Employment and Support Allowance and the Social Security Agency has confirmed that the level of benefit remains the same).

"It is not within the Education Authority's remit to alter the eligible benefits but these are likely to change with the introduction of Universal Credit and I will ask officers to be mindful of your comments as the department will be required to consult such changes."

Louise and Ms Dobson both say they are "shocked" at the "cold-hearted" manner in which the matter has been dealt with by the EA.

"Ella has been robbed of her daddy and now she is being punished again," Ms Dobson said.

"The state is taking away the first rung on the educational ladder because her daddy has died.

"Any criteria that excludes widowhood is very cold and calculated. It has been difficult for Louise to open up and talk about her situation, but she is caught in a bureaucratic nightmare and she needs help.

"If this can't be resolved Ella will miss out.

"If her parents had been alive, separated and in receipt of benefits, she would have qualified, but she is being penalised because her father is dead.

"I'm shocked that Louise has been through so much and now is forced to endure this.

"I would like someone from the Education Authority to come to the house, to meet Ella and see how close the school is before they make their decision.

"We want a simple change: a box which can be ticked to say the parent is in receipt of Widowed Parents' Allowance."

Louise, who still gets flashbacks to her husband's death, said she found the EA's actions "retraumatising".

"If Daryl was alive he would be furious," she added.

"When I told him I was having a girl, he was so protective, he wanted the best for her.

"If the situation was reversed and he was the one left behind, he would be fighting tooth and nail to protect his daughter.

"I'm fighting not just for myself but for other young widows. If Ella's situation helps change the law and helps another child get a place, it will be worth it."

The EA said: "The use of criteria relating to social disadvantage in terms of admission to a funded pre-school place is a matter for the Department of Education.

"The Education Authority cannot comment on the circumstances of individual children. We can confirm that the second stage of the admissions process for pre-school places is ongoing. Letters will be issued on June 9, 2017 to inform parents of the outcome."

No one from the Department of Education was available for comment.
MI5 opened a file on Jeremy Corbyn because of his links to IRA terrorists, according to reports.

The Labour leader, who has claimed his efforts to "reach out" to republicans were an effort to bring about peace in Northern Ireland, was investigated over fears he could have been a threat to national security at a time when he was supporting convicted terrorists and campaigning for a unified Ireland, The Daily Telegraph reported.

A spokesman for the Labour leader said the Security Service kept files on "many peace and labour movement campaigners" at the time.

Mr Corbyn's association with prominent republicans - including IRA terrorists - is well known and the newspaper reported a file on him was opened by MI5 by the early 1990s.

A source close to the investigation told the Telegraph: "If there was a file on someone, it meant they had come to notice.

"We opened a temporary file and did a preliminary investigation.

"It was then decided whether we should open a permanent file on them."

A file would be opened on "someone who sympathises with a certain group, or is friends with a specific person" and the purpose was to "assess whether the person was a threat", the source added.

Both Mr Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell have faced scrutiny over their association with the IRA.

On Friday, Mr McDonnell apologised again for comments he made praising the IRA's "bravery" in 2003.

After becoming Labour leader in 2015, Mr Corbyn defended reaching out to republicans at the height of the Troubles - including inviting IRA terrorists to the Commons - insisting that he "wanted the violence to stop".

The Labour leader said: "I invited people who were former prisoners, who had served their sentences, into the House of Commons at that time for a discussion about the prison situation and conditions in Northern Ireland, for a discussion about the possibility of a political development and a political solution." He added: "I don't want violence, I don't want killing, I don't want all the horrors that go with it."
Study on Common Risk Mitigation Mechanism (CRMM) for Solar Power Generation Projects in Solar Rich Countries Commissioned

Published: May 20, 2017

India along with countries like Argentina, Burkina-Faso, Chad, France, Ivory Coast, Mali, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda and Yemen has jointly commissioned a study to define and structure a Common Risk Mitigation Mechanism (CRMM) for solar power generation projects in solar rich countries. The commissioning of the study is aimed at dramatic reduction in the cost of finance for renewable energy and the overall price of electricity. The exercise is part of the international efforts aimed at implementing the the Paris Declaration of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) adopted on 30 November 2015.

The study has been entrusted to a task force chaired by Terrawatt Initiative (TWI), the World Bank Group, the Currency Exchange Fund (TCX), the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and also the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). Each of the participating countries will also appoint a qualified representative who will cooperate with the task force and provide information regarding the country specific expectations, experience and needs of the task force. All the countries lying fully or partially between the Tropics are also invited to join the task force and support this initiative in order to attract investments into solar sector.

Contents Need

ISA

Need

The Council on Energy, Environment and Water calculates the cost of capital to form a substantial amount in the total costs of renewable energy. In India it accounts for 70% of the total cost of solar Power. In this regard, the CRMM is expected to offer a simple and affordable tool that will develop a secure environment for private institutional investment in solar assets.

ISA

On the first day of the COP-21 summit, the International Solar Alliance was launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande as a union of countries with abundant sunlight. Under this alliance, 121 countries that fall within the tropics {i.e. between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn} have been invited to make collaborative efforts to harness solar energy to generate the electricity. Most of these countries fall within Asia, Africa and South America.There are three objectives behind the International Solar Alliance. First is to force down prices by driving demand; second is to bring standardization in solar technologies and third is to foster research and development.

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2017

Topics: International  International Solar Alliance  Solar power

Latest E-Books
There has been condemnation after children were present at a dissident parade in Lurgan last week

Thousands of dissident republicans are planning to march through Belfast city centre this summer to commemorate the anniversary of internment.

They are to lodge an application for the march on August 6, which will involve 10 bands, with the Parades Commission on Monday.

They aren't seeking to hold their rally at City Hall as they have tried to do in the past two years. Rather, they are planning to march from Ardoyne into the city centre and then on to Dunville Park on the Falls Road.

Last year, the parade, which was attended by Colin Duffy and other leading dissidents, was prevented by police from entering the city centre. Demonstrators dispersed peacefully.

But in 2015, there were clashes between the PSNI and republicans after the march was stopped. And two years earlier, 56 officers were injured after loyalist protesters attacked police during the demonstration.

Loyalist sources last night warned that counter-demonstrations were likely if this year's parade was given the go ahead. Dee Fennell of the Anti-Internment League said that the organisers would be applying for a march involving around 3,000 people.

"We will be applying to go down Donegall Street, up Royal Avenue and then into Castle Street on our way to west Belfast," he said.

"We took the decision not to apply to hold our rally at City Hall in order to lessen tensions and so the focus could be on the issues we are highlighting, like the continuing use of internment by remand, rather than faux outrage by some."

Mr Fennell said that the march would be setting off at 11am so that it would be clear of the city centre by lunchtime when stores open.

"Previously, there were complaints from CastleCourt management and Belfast Chamber of Commerce that the march interfered with business. That can't be said now," he added.

Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Dissident republicans There has been condemnation after children were present at a dissident parade in Lurgan last week Republicans who took part in the annual Easter Monday Commemoration who paraded through the City Cemetery in Derry. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 28.03.16 / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Dissident republicans

Mr Fennell said that participants would march to a single drumbeat, with no songs played, as they proceeded through the city centre.

"The loyal orders, pro-life and pro-choice, socialist and gay rights' activists all march through the city centre. If Belfast is truly a shared space, then republicans should have that right too," he stated.

DUP councillor, Lee Reynolds, said that the Parades Commission must proceed carefully.

"This particular parade has a very negative history in terms of our city.

"There have been breaches of previous determinations, so any new application must be considered in that light," he added.
Men appear in court over drug offences

Two men have appeared in court in Belfast accused of possessing 300,00 worth of cocaine.

Trevor George Alexander Lowry (36) and Anthony McGuigan (27) are charged with possession of a Class A drug, namely cocaine, and possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply.

The pair were arrested after detectives from the Reactive and Organised Crime Branch stopped two vehicles on the Templepatrick Road, near Doagh in Co Antrim, on Friday afternoon.

Cocaine with an estimated street value of around 300,000 and 500 in cash were seized in the operation.

At Belfast Magistrates' Court today neither men applied for bail and District Judge Harry McKibben remanded both men into custody.

Lowry, of Beech Drive in Carrickfergus, is due to appear in court again on May 25 for a bail application.

McGuigan, of Thyme Park in Antrim, is due to appear in court again on June 14.
Irish President Michael D Higgins will meet Pope Francis in Rome on Monday.

The President's office confirmed the audience would take place in the Papal Library at the Vatican and that the two Heads of State will discuss issues of "regional and global importance".

While in Rome Mr Higgins will hold talks with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of the Vatican, and meet Irish clergy and lay staff working at the Holy See.

The President will also travel to Venice for the Biennale on Sunday, the world's largest and oldest international art exhibition.

Earlier this month Mr Higgins met the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. Pope Tawadros had been in Ireland for a five-day visit.

Mr Higgins commiserated with the Coptic Orthodox leader over the recent killings of scores of his followers in bombings by Islamist extremists. Three attacks on Coptic churches and cathedrals in recent months which claimed some 80 lives have been claimed by IS.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wave as they board Air Force One to embark on his first overseas tour. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Ivanka Trump will travel with her father, the US President, on his trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel and Italy.

Ms Trump, a senior adviser to President Donald Trump, will be along for six days of the nine-day trip, a White House adviser said. She will join her father for some events and hold some of her own.

The official said Ms Trump will take part in a round-table discussion in Saudi Arabia on women's economic issues.

She converted to Judaism when she married husband Jared Kushner. In Israel, she will visit the Western Wall with the President, and in Rome she will discuss human trafficking.

Meanwhile, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, indicted on war crime and genocide charges, will not attend an Islamic summit in Saudi Arabia this weekend at which Mr Trump is a guest of honour, citing private reasons, according to Sudanese state media.

Al-Bashir has instead assigned his minister of state Taha al-Hussein to represent him at the summit in Riyadh, the SUNA news agency said. The summit will bring together more than 50 leaders from Muslim and Arab countries.

Saudi Arabia is holding the event under the slogan Together We Prevail, in hopes of fighting extremist ideologies and co-operating with US and Islamic allies to strengthen economic relations.

The US President will also be accompanied by the First Lady, Melania, on his inaugural overseas trip, a four-country, five-stop tour that began yesterday.

The Trumps will also visit Belgium, and the trip includes an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican.

The First Lady is joining the President for some events, but will participate in others on her own.

The White House is not releasing a comprehensive itinerary for Mrs Trump, citing security concerns. A native of the central European nation of Slovenia, she said she will spend time at her events speaking to women and children.

The Trumps are scheduled to return to Washington on May 27.

On Thursday it emerged that the US Justice Department has appointed former FBI director Robert Mueller as a special counsel to oversee the federal investigation into allegations that Russia and Donald Trump's campaign collaborated to influence the 2016 presidential election.

It was a concession by the Trump administration, which had resisted calls from Democrats to turn the investigation over to outside counsel. The White House counsel's office was alerted only after the order appointing Mr Mueller was signed. In a written statement, Mr Trump insisted again there were no nefarious ties between his campaign and Russia. "A thorough investigation will confirm what we already know - there was no collusion between my campaign and any foreign entity," he declared.
A photo of New York victim Alyssa Elsman is posted on a barricade

An 18-year-old woman killed by a car that barrelled down a pavement in New York's Times Square was a tourist, police said.

Alyssa Elsman, from Portage, Michigan, died, and 23 people were struck before the car was stopped by a security barrier.

Police said that the woman's 13-year-old sister was among the injured.

The driver, a 26-year-old US Navy veteran, told officers he was hearing voices and expected to die, two police officials said.

Helpless pedestrians had little time to react as the car went the wrong way up the pavement before smashing into a row of steel security barriers which had been installed in recent years to prevent vehicle attacks on the square. The car came to rest with its two right wheels in the air.

"He didn't stop," said Asa Lowe, who was standing outside a store when he heard screaming as people scattered. "He just kept going."

The carnage raised immediate fears of terrorism, fuelled by recent attacks in England, France and Germany in which vehicles ploughed through crowds of pedestrians. But investigators quickly turned their focus to the sobriety and mental health of the driver, who was identified as Bronx resident Richard Rojas.

"There is no indication that this was an act of terrorism," Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

Photographers snapped pictures of Rojas after he climbed from the wrecked car and ran down the street before he was tackled by a group that included a ticket seller and a muscular door supervisor at a nearby Planet Hollywood restaurant.

Rojas initially tested negative for alcohol, but more detailed testing was being carried out. They said Rojas told officers he had been hearing voices.

A week ago Rojas was arrested and charged with pointing a knife at a notary, whom he accused of stealing his identity. He pleaded guilty to a harassment violation. He was arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated in 2008 and 2015.

He pleaded guilty to an infraction in 2015 and was ordered to complete a drunken-driving programme.

In previous arrests, he told authorities he believed he was being harassed and followed.
Iraqi civilians walk through rubble as they flee fighting between Iraqi special forces and Islamic State militants in western Mosul (AP)

Iraq's special forces declared their mission in Mosul complete on Saturday after the group retook the last western districts from the Islamic State group within their area of operation, according to a military spokesman.

The announcement came despite ongoing battles in a handful of western Mosul neighbourhoods that continue to force hundreds of civilians to flee each day.

IS still controls some areas of western Mosul, including the dense Old City where some of the toughest battles are expected to play out.

Special forces spokesman Sabah al-Numan said his troops had completed their initial mission, but stood ready "to support any other forces if we are ordered to by the prime minister".

Elsewhere in central and southern Iraq, a series of bombings killed at least 27 people.

A suicide bombing Saturday near the oil-rich city of Basra killed at least eight people and wounded 41 others, according to a military commander.

Five civilians and three troops were killed when the bomber blew up his explosives-laden car on Friday at a checkpoint north of Basra just behind a bus waiting to be cleared, said chief of the Basra Operations Command, Lieutenant General Jamil al-Shimmari.

A second attacker drove down a desert road after the explosion and security forces killed him, Lt Gen al-Shimmari added.

In an online statement, IS claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted Shiites.

Basra, about 340 miles south east of Baghdad, is home to about 70% of the country's proven oil reserves of 153.1 billion barrels.

Located on the Persian Gulf and bordering Kuwait and Iran, the city is also Iraq's only outlet to the sea and the hub for most of the country's oil exports, with 3.23 million barrels exported from Basra last month.

IS also claimed responsibility for the double suicide bombings in Baghdad overnight that killed at least 19 people and wounded 33, according to an online statement.

Iraqi forces, backed by the US-led coalition, officially launched the operation to retake Mosul in October and the city's east was declared "fully liberated" in January.

The fight for Mosul's west was launched the following month and has been marked by some of the most gruelling and deadly combat in the fight against IS in Iraq to date.

AP
One of Disneys most beloved movies, Bambi, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year by joining the Walt Disney Signature Collection.

The Collection release will include a variety of new bonus material. Deleted scenes and characters, recordings of Walt Disney discussing the challenges and triumphs of the movie, and how the movie effected the Disney studio, other films and artists, are just some of the new content that will be released. Additionally, the digital release includes an exclusive, heartfelt feature on the incredible artist, Tyrus Wong, who inspired the films soft watercolor backgrounds and beautiful palette.

Beliefnet got exclusive access to some of the additional content that has never before been released for Bambi. In the clip below, Walt Disney speaks about how his daughter reacted to the movie after her first time seeing it.

Bambi arrives home on Digital HD, Disney Movies Anywhere, May 23rd and on Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand on June 6. Watch the official trailer for the Signature Collection release below.
An organization formed many years ago to help the region grow existing and new business and industry is testing the interest in a proposed "incubator" project.

David Grimes serves as the deputy director of the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission, a position hes held since 2009. He spoke at the Farmington Regional Chamber of Commerce's monthly luncheon on Thursday.

Grimes said the commission is reaching out to local businesses through events such as the luncheon to see if there is a need for a business incubator/accelerator facility.

Such facilities provide a safe, low cost space, shared support services and ongoing counseling/mentoring for new businesses.

The commission  which stretches from Cape Girardeau north to the Parkland area  is using a survey produced by Southeast Missouri State University to explore the potential market for such a facility.

We are looking at whether or not it makes sense to do a business incubator up in this neck of the woods, he said. Were looking at the northern part of our area  Madison, Iron, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve counties.

We need to find out if theres an interest for this or a need for this, and you guys know your local business and local folks better than I do.

The five minute survey can be found at: surveymonkey.com/r/SEMOINCUBATOR, or on the commissions website at www.semorpc.org.

A statistic provided by Grimes showed some studies suggest as many as 80 percent of new businesses fail in the first three years.

What we try to do with the incubators ... is cut that number down and provide an incubator concept  a sheltered environment, he said. You share the back office functions  someone to answer the phones, someone to take care of the filing, and make sure the bills are paid. Thats the concept.

Grimes said he is speaking to groups such as the chamber to encourage members to take the survey and to gather information for those looking to start a business to confirm the need for such a facility.

For more information, contact Grimes at 573-547-8357, ext. 306 or dgrimes@semorpc.org.

Also during the chamber luncheon, new member businesses were introduced by Laura Raymer, director of operations/member engagement for the chamber. Those businesses included: Southbrook Skilled Nursing and Rehab, Parkland Power Equipment, Patriot Embroidery, LLC, Country Junction Primitives, Louise Weiland and JCPenneys/Sephora.

Raymer also reminded those in attendance there was still time to sign up for the Servpro Country Days parade, one of the signature events of the Country Days weekend held annually on the first full weekend in June.

Deadline is May 24 and forms can be found at farmingtoncountrydays.com.

Also, advance ride tickets are available for Country Days weekend at a cost of seven tickets for $5. Tickets can be purchased at First State Community Bank - Downtown Farmington and Maple Valley, Ozarks Federal Savings & Loan, US Bank, Plummer's Ace Hardware, New Era Bank at Karsch Boulevard/Highway 32, Belgrade State Bank - Karsch Boulevard, and the Farmington Regional Chamber office at 302 N. Washington St. in Farmington.

The midway is being sponsored by Ozarks Federal Savings and Loan.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn returns an official copy of the countrys new constitution after signing it to Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha at the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall in Bangkok, April 6, 2017.

Thailand enters its fourth year under military rule Monday with the junta firmly entrenched in power and prospects for the return of democracy bleak despite promised elections at the end of next year, rights activists say.

On May 22, 2014, then-Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-o-cha overthrew the democratically elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra in a coup, saying the military had intervened to end street protests and years of political turmoil.

Coup leader-turned-Prime Minister Prayuth then vowed to restore order and unity, and rid the nation of those against the Thai monarchy, whose alliance with the military dates back six decades.

The junta-backed parliament or National Legislative Assembly has swiftly passed an array of laws aimed at gagging dissent, in a country that already had strict Lese-Majeste laws forbidding insults to the royal family.

Since the coup three years ago, the junta has detained 597 people, including politicians, activists and journalists, according to iLaw, an advocacy group for online law education.

Among them, 82 were held for violating Lese-Majeste laws, under which offenders can get as many as 15 years in jail for sharing a story on Facebook, while 64 were hauled up for sedition, iLaw figures show.

The junta recently banned people in Thailand from contacting, following or otherwise engaging online with three government critics overseas.

Already armed with highly restrictive web laws, the junta is also moving to introduce a new cyber law that would grant the authorities more powers to access private computer systems.

The 2007 Computer Crimes Act, originally aimed at stamping out Internet scams, is now used against critics or people who speak out against wealthy companies and figures, right groups say.

The issue of concern is the snuffing out of freedom -- [freedom] of speech, to hold demonstrations, peaceful public gatherings," said Angkhana Neelapaijit, a national human rights commissioner. "Human rights defenders are intimidated or prosecuted, she told BenarNews.

Undermined

She said that as the junta has rewritten the countrys constitution and got it approved by the people in a referendum in August and by new King Maha Vajiralongkorn last month, "the government should compromise and let people express their opinions."

The amended constitution paves the way for elections, postponed at least four times by the junta, and enables the military government to appoint a senate that will have a say in appointing the prime minister.

The junta, whose formal name is the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), had indicated that an election can be expected in November next year.

"The regular promises by the NCPO military junta to return democracy next year are undermined by their lack of respect for basic human rights like freedom of speech, association and peaceful public assembly that are critical for democratic participation, said Brad Adams, Asia Director of Human Rights Watch.

"Even if the elections for a new government are held at the end of 2018, which is the most likely scenario, one needs to ask what sort of democracy will it really be with a powerful Senate entirely appointed by the military, and mechanisms that make it harder for any one party in the lower house to gain a functioning majority? Adams told BenarNews.

The latest constitution is designed by the military and for the military, and will likely perpetuate soldiers' influence in politics well beyond the 2018 election," said Adams.

A state of chaos?

Prayuth has defended the junta's rule, saying the government has been working to lay a strong foundation for the country but that opposition politicians and critics had cast it in a bad light and made it look as though it is failing.

"I am concerned about the country, not about democracy," he was quoted saying by The Bangkok Post recently. "We'll have elections, but do we want to return to a state of chaos?"

Maj. Gen. Sansern Kaewkamnerd, the NCPO spokesman, said the government was making efforts to lay the groundwork for better governance.

The government has tried by all means to fix the nations problems and steer the country towards good governance, financial discipline, and make it free from corruption, he told BenarNews.

He accused some media outlets of "negatively" assessing the juntas achievements.

But the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA), which campaigns for press freedom in the region, said the Prayuth administration particularly took aim at online media over criticism of the government.

Online media are under spotlight -- accused of creating conflict or having key roles in criticizing the governments work results," said Kulchada Chaipipat, Bangkok-based media freedom campaigner for SEAPA.

The society has progressed beyond the point that the government has to control the media," Kulchada told BenarNews.

Kulchada said media organizations should be given the responsibility of taking action against media practitioners if they had breached the journalistic code.

Depending on dictators

Among the few who speak out against the junta is Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, a 20-year-old student leader.

Netiwit, who chairs the student council in Thailands oldest Chulalongkorn University, said the coup has done more damage than good to the country.

"For example, the constitution erodes the foundation of the democracy, the education curriculum is not good enough and human rights have simply vanished, Netiwit told BenarNews.

We need to get away from the cycle of coups and the feeling that we need to depend on dictators. We need to improve democracy to prevent any more coups from occurring, he said.

The Thai military has successfully seized power a dozen times since 1932.

In a fresh crackdown on Friday, police briefly detained eight people who held street protests seeking justice over a military crackdown in 2010.

Among them was Payao Akhard, the mother of a nurse who was killed as she tried to help a dying protester during demonstrations against then-prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's administration. She was among about 90 who were killed during the military crackdown.

Murder and other charges against Abhisit for ordering the military crackdown in 2010 had been dismissed.
ein Google-Unternehmen

Google-Dienste anzubieten und zu betreiben

Ausfalle zu prufen und Manahmen gegen Spam, Betrug und Missbrauch zu ergreifen

Daten zu Zielgruppeninteraktionen und Websitestatistiken zu erheben. Mit den gewonnenen Informationen mochten wir verstehen, wie unsere Dienste verwendet werden, und die Qualitat dieser Dienste verbessern.

neue Dienste zu entwickeln und zu verbessern

Werbung auszuliefern und ihre Wirkung zu messen

personalisierte Inhalte anzuzeigen, abhangig von Ihren Einstellungen

personalisierte Werbung anzuzeigen, abhangig von Ihren Einstellungen

Wenn Sie Alle ablehnen auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies nicht fur diese zusatzlichen Zwecke.

Nicht personalisierte Inhalte und Werbung werden u. a. von Inhalten, die Sie sich gerade ansehen, und Ihrem Standort beeinflusst (welche Werbung Sie sehen, basiert auf Ihrem ungefahren Standort). Personalisierte Inhalte und Werbung konnen auch Videoempfehlungen, eine individuelle YouTube-Startseite und individuelle Werbung enthalten, die auf fruheren Aktivitaten wie auf YouTube angesehenen Videos und Suchanfragen auf YouTube beruhen. Sofern relevant, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auerdem, um Inhalte und Werbung altersgerecht zu gestalten.

Wir verwenden Cookies und Daten, umWenn Sie Alle akzeptieren auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auch, umWahlen Sie Weitere Optionen aus, um sich zusatzliche Informationen anzusehen, einschlielich Details zum Verwalten Ihrer Datenschutzeinstellungen. Sie konnen auch jederzeit g.co/privacytools besuchen.
After a large scale manhunt took place in Hillsboro in Jefferson County on Thursday afternoon for a man who stole a police car, assaulted an officer and fled on foot, the suspect was arrested during the early morning hours Friday.

Jason Wilson, 32, is being charged with a class B felony of assault in the second degree - special victim, a class D felony of tampering with a motor vehicle in the first degree and a class E felony of escape from custody.

Jefferson County Sheriffs Department Corporal Matt Moore said started working right away and through their investigation they were able to link Wilson to an address in St. Louis City in the 2000 block of Oregon St.

They went up there and took him into custody without incident at about 2 a.m., said Moore. We are not ruling out an accomplice who helped him get to St. Louis City at this time. The investigation is going on with that ... were certainly not ruling that out.

Moore added they conducted a woods search and a total area canvas for Wilson for approximately six hours.

We scaled the search back when the sun started going down, said Moore on Friday morning. We are applying for warrants now and we are still waiting on the prosecuting attorney. We hope to get the charges back by this afternoon.

Around 1 p.m. Thursday afternoon detectives arrested Wilson, a known serial burglar wanted for several recent burglaries in the area of Highway 21 and Route B near the Phillips 66 gas station. He was taken into custody and handcuffed behind his back, seated and seat belted into a detectives vehicle.

When another investigator asked for assistance to photograph Wilsons vehicle and recovered items and the detective stepped away from his car, Wilson managed to maneuver and get out of his seat, get his hands in front of him and get control of the investigator's patrol car.

Records indicate Wilson dragged one investigator for a short distance as the officer tried to stop the escape.

As Wilson drove the patrol car at another investigator that officer fired shots at the vehicle in self defense. Wilson drove approximately an eighth of a mile up the road to an address across from Hillsboro United Methodist Church off Route B, where he drove through the yard before fleeing on foot into a wooded area.

Jefferson County Sheriffs Department Captain Gary Higginbotham confirmed shortly after the car had been located that all firearms that had been inside the patrol car have been accounted for, so they didnt believed Wilson to be armed with any law enforcement weapons at the time.

The sheriffs office will also be conducting an internal investigation to examine the officers actions during the incident.

Nearby schools were placed on a modified lock-down as a precaution at approximately 1:20 p.m. Thursday. They didn't lift the lock-down until approximately 4:45 p.m. and required parents in the area surrounding the manhunt to pick up their students from school, as they were not going to run buses in that area.

Jefferson County Sheriff David Marshak would like to thank the citizens of Jefferson County for their continued support and tips provided during the investigation.

Wilson is being held in the Jefferson County Jail on a $500,000 bond, with an attached bond of $500,000 for felony stealing. He is also considered a pretrial detainee.
DEAR DOCTOR: My brother, who is 65, was diagnosed with inclusion body myositis about five years ago, and the muscles in his arms, legs and hands are deteriorating rapidly. He's someone who loves life, so this is very hard to watch. His physician says there's no cure. What can you tell me about the disease? Is it being studied anywhere?

DEAR READER: We're very sorry to hear about your brother's struggles. We know from experience how difficult it is to see a loved one be unwell and be unable to help.

Inclusion body myositis, also known as IBM, is a progressive degenerative muscle disease, sometimes also referred to as a muscle wasting disease. The word "progressive" means that once the disease process begins, it will continue to advance.

As you already learned, there is no treatment or cure for IBM at this time. However, advances in the areas of precision medicine and immunotherapy will hopefully lead to new methods to manage, if not cure, the disease.

Let's start with what is known about inclusion body myositis.

There are two types of IBM. One, which is extremely rare, is inherited. It results from a genetic defect that is passed along from a parent's DNA. The other form, which has no genetic link and is slightly more common, is known as sporadic. Sporadic IBM, also referred to as s-IBM, is seen most often in people 50 years and older. It is more common in men than in women.

Although the exact cause of s-IBM is not yet known, it is believed to be the result of a malfunction in the immune system. In autoimmune disorders, the body's defense mechanisms mistakenly attack healthy tissue. In s-IBM, certain white blood cells attack muscle tissue and cause ongoing inflammation. There is also a second avenue of attack, which causes the muscle fibers to degenerate.

For many people, the first symptom of s-IBM is an increasing tendency to stumble, trip or fall. This is due to damage to the quadriceps, the large muscles of the thighs. The muscles of the wrists and fingers are also often affected.

Treatment at this time focuses on the use of corticosteroids to address inflammation, or drugs to suppress the immune system. However, several types of new drugs are now being studied in ongoing clinical trials. These are focused both on the inflammatory response in s-IBM, as well as stopping the progression of muscle destruction. Although some participants in the clinical trials have shown modest or even good response to the drugs, the benefits thus far have proven to be short-term.

If you are interested in learning more about clinical trials for s-IBM, visit clinicaltrials.gov, a government website that lists studies receiving federal funding, as well as some that are funded by private industry.

For information about clinical trials at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, located in Bethesda, Maryland, call the NIH Patient Recruitment Office at (800) 411-1222. Or you can email prpl@mail.cc.nih.gov.

Eve Glazier, M.D., MBA, is an internist and assistant professor of medicine at UCLA Health. Elizabeth Ko, M.D., is an internist and primary care physician at UCLA Health.

Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla.edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o Media Relations, UCLA Health, 924 Westwood Blvd., Suite 350, Los Angeles, CA, 90095. Owing to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.
We've noticed that some on our favorite rural Minnesota anti-Muslim activists are sharing a post on Facebook by anti-Muslim author Pam Geller. Here's a screengrab of her post:

There's only one Muslim currently serving in the Minnesota legislature, and that would be Ilhan Omar. Since the Minnesota House voted on HF2621, we can see who voted yes for the bill, introduced by state representative Mary Franson, R-Alexandria. Here's a screengrab:

It's clear that Omar voted yes. We're not sure who the stealth Muslims are in the Minnesota legislature, but perhaps Geller can share that. Of the four Demcorats who voted no, David Bly is Congregational, Rena Moran is Methodist, while Tina Liebling is a Jewish Minnesotan and Susan Allen is the daughter of an Episcopal priest

The headline for the post on Geller's website is Democrats legislators OPPOSE Minnesota bill against female genital mutilation, which doesn't clear much up, since "Democrats legislators" seems like sloppy editing. The passage in Geller's article--a direct quote from the Star Tribune article--is a bit murky:

"The bill won support from all but four of the 128 House members who voted, including Rep. Ilhan Omar, the countrys first Somali-Muslim legislator."

Is Omar grouped with the 123 other House members who voted "yes" or does that ambiguous comma group Omar with the four? Those coming to the article from Facebook might not look twice after seeing Geller's Facebook headline about Muslim legislators.

Update: A reader reminds us that Representive Omar also voted for the bill in Civil Law committee. [end update]

The Star Tribune copy within the article also broke from the standard journalistic convention of identifying lawmakers' party affiliation (see recent example here in the Strib). Geller opens:

This is evil. There are two sides to every issue: one side is right and the other is wrong, but the middle is always evil. Now, the author of the Senate version is voicing second thoughts about approving the legislation yet this session, though Senate GOP leadership have not committed to a course of action. We all agree this practice is absolutely horrible, and something needs to be done, said the author, Sen. Karin Housley. How can we empower communities to address this practice from within rather than having Big Brother come down and say, This is wrong?  Is this the new approach to law and order? Why have laws against murder or rape? Why not say, How can we empower communities to address this practice from within rather than having Big Brother come down and say, This is wrong?

Unsuspecting readers might be forgiven for thinking Housley is a Democrat, given both of Geller's headlines, but the author of the senate version of the bill is indeed a Republican from St. Mary's Point near Stillwater. The Star Tribune's copy editors didn't catch that omission.

One might think Geller could create yet a third headline to reflect that fact that state Senate Republican inaction, not "Democrats and MUSLIM legislators," is responsible for the upper chamber's lack of follow through.

It's not surprising why the anti-Muslim network in Minnesota is confused about this topic if they're swallowing the nonsensical spin in Geller's headlines.

Photo: Karin Housley, the Republican state senator with cold feet about an anti-FGM bill she authored. Its companion bill passed in the Minnesota House. Bonus: here's Willmar anti-Muslim activist Bob Enos' sharing of the Geller piece; note the screaming caps in the Geller Facebook post. Just as on Geller's own Facebook page, the factually incorrect headline persists, days later.

If you appreciate our posts and original analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 33166 770th Ave, Ortonville, MN 56278) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the paypal subscription button.



Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email sally.jo.sorensen@gmail.com as recipient.
Calls for a special prosecutor to investigate the Russia-Trump affair have multiplied in the days since President Trump fired FBI director James Comey. Almost invariably, Democrats and others calling for a prosecutor say such a step is needed to "get to the bottom" of the matter.

Yet there is still uncertainty among the public about whether anything lies at the bottom of the Russia-Trump controversy. Is there a crime down there? No one seems to know. The reason is simple: The FBI, which has been investigating alleged ties between Trump campaign figures and Russia for ten months, won't say.

To question after question; not just from the press, but from lawmakers with a constitutional responsibility to oversee the FBI, the Justice Department, and the intelligence agencies -- answers have been withheld on the grounds that they are classified, or the subject of an ongoing investigation, or both.

"I can't answer that," said Comey on many, many occasions during oversight hearings on the Russia affair.

"My answer would require me to reveal classified information, and so I can't answer that," said former acting attorney general Sally Yates in the same setting.

"I can't comment on that," said former intelligence chief James Clapper.

Now, as the Russia-Trump controversy festers, there are signs of growing impatience with the secrecy. Some lawmakers -- among them the Republican chairman and the Democratic ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee -- are pushing the FBI and other agencies involved to let Congress know what they are doing. In particular, lawmakers want to see evidence -- if there is any -- to show why the investigation is focusing not just on Russian misdeeds -- there's no doubt there are plenty of those to investigate -- but on Trump campaign figures, and possibly on the president himself.

On Friday, Judiciary Committee chairman Charles Grassley and ranking Democrat Dianne Feinstein sent a letter to FBI acting director Andrew McCabe and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein demanding briefings on the latest in the Russia investigation. The last paragraph of the letter indicated that the senators' patience is running thin. "Please contact (staff) by 5:00 p.m. today to schedule the briefings," Grassley and Feinstein wrote. "Thank you for your immediate attention to these important matters."

Not by tomorrow, not by Monday, not by the end of the week. Grassley and Feinstein wanted a response by 5:00 p.m. on the day of the letter. Given that the power of both parties is behind the request, they will most likely get what they want.

The day before, on Thursday, Grassley and Feinstein made news when they strongly suggested that Comey told them President Trump is not under investigation in the Russia matter. In a public committee meeting, Grassley said that when Trump said recently he had been informed he is not under investigation, "Sen. Feinstein and I heard nothing that contradicted the president's statement."

"I very much appreciate what you've said," Feinstein said to Grassley. "And it's very accurate ..."

A short time later, a Republican aide explained that Grassley was deeply concerned by last week's events. "We've seen an uptick in speculation about what has or hasn't happened," the aide said, "and what has or has not been found -- and that's not helpful if it is speculation not based on anything other than rumor or anything factual."

Now, others on Capitol Hill are expressing similar concerns. "It's hard to do oversight, especially on counter-intelligence matters, with so little information," said a Senate Republican Sunday. "That's been true for months."

"There is a counter-intelligence investigation focused on Russia, but the media and the Democrats conflate that with there being a criminal investigation focused on Trump," added a House Republican. "The FBI has fed into this by being coy."

"Coy" is an understatement. The result of the dozens of questions left unanswered by Comey, Yates, Clapper, and others is that the public -- and, to a lesser extent, lawmakers themselves -- don't know the basics of the Russia-Trump matter.

But what to do? Classified information is still classified information. Ongoing investigations are conducted in secrecy (except, of course, for leaks). How can Congress pry information out of the agencies?

"Congress can always coerce the FBI," said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in an email exchange Sunday. "Power of the purse. Change the law."

"Senators can make it an issue in the confirmation process for a new FBI director," the House Republican quoted earlier said.

Maybe so. Right now, though, it appears that bipartisan pressure, like that coming from Grassley and Feinstein, might help get information out. Does all of the information the FBI and other agencies have classified actually need to be classified? Can nothing more be made public? Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate could push hard on those questions.

In addition, Grassley and Feinstein want the FBI to brief every member of the Judiciary Committee, not just the chairman and ranking member. Just as a practical matter -- multiplying the number of people on the committee who know the facts by 10 -- that will certainly make it more likely that information will get out.

If nothing changes, the country could be facing months and months of accusations without voters knowing their basis in fact -- or lack of basis in fact. Meanwhile, the FBI and other agencies could remain "coy" while Democrats seek to create the impression in the public's mind that Trump and his aides colluded with Russia to throw the 2016 election. If the Trump team did that, the public needs to know. If they didn't, the public needs to know that, too. Soon.

Byron York is chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner.
On May 22, the residents plan to launch a protest via 200 boats. They say they are demonstrating against two planned deep sea ports in Kyaukphyu, but mostly are taking aim at a Chinese oil pipeline they allege is ruining their fishing industry.

Protest leader Ko Tun Tun from Maday Island said the residents submitted a request to hold the protest on May 18.

Local motorboats including the ones from Maday Island will arrive at Kyaukphyus Japanma jetty in the morning on May 22 and will navigate along the river to the oil port together with the fishermen from Kyaukphyu, he said. I want to invite the Arakan people to join us.

The protesters also plan to march on foot to the Chinese National Petroleum Corporations (CNPC) office in Kyauktan Village on Maday Island after the demonstration at the oil port.

Their demands include requesting CNPC to restore the fishing plots destroyed by the oil tankers, build roads around Maday Islands coastline, and carry out regional development.

The local residents claim the number of oil tankers has slowly increased. Before the oil tankers arrive, they are asked to clear the way, which halts their fishing operations. Often, they said they have to wait a long time unsure of when they can resume work, as they are not given an departure times for the tankers.

However, Kyaukphyu township administrator U Nyi Nyi Lin told Narinjara News that fishing is restricted along the ship path for only one and a half hour during the entry and exist of ships. He said otherwise, fishing is allowed at all other times.

The residents claim over 100 people working along the river route have been affected by the new oil tankers, and said the change is taking a toll on their income.

The first oil tanker arrived at Maday Port on April 9 laden with over 100,000 tonnes of crude oil from the Middle East and Africa. The new 478-mile pipeline, which cuts across Myanmar to Chinas Yunnan Province, is anticipated to carry up to 22 million tons of oil a year, equal to almost six percent of China's total oil imports last year.

Translated by Thida Linn

Edited by Laignee Barron
Folk Remedies For Snake Bite Wellness oi-Praveen

In case of a snake bite, the person should immediately be rushed to the nearest hospital. Though all snakes bite, only a few of them are poisonous and life threatening.

The venom of some snakes like cobra impacts the nervous system whereas the venom of other snakes like viper impacts the blood stream.

If a venomous snake bites, an anti-venom serum must be immediately given. Therefore, going to a hospital is a must. Also, the victim of the bite should be kept calm. If the person panics, the venom spreads in the body fast as panic increases heart rate.

Here are some folk remedies for snake bites. But always rush the victim to a hospital. Remedies may help by saving the person's life till medical help is offered.

Activated Charcoal Apply activated charcoal (damp) on the area of the snake bite. Tie it to the skin. Also, consume a couple of teaspoons of activated charcoal (damp). These steps should be taken soon after the bite. Activated charcoal is generally used to treat poisoning and overdose of certain drugs. This method helps as first-aid. Activated charcoal protects the blood cells by absorbing the poison. Marigold Marigold contains antioxidants known as flavonoids which offer protection from chemicals. It can reduce irritation and helps in speedy recovery. disorders-cure 9 Effective Ways To Get Rid Of Bug Bites Naturally Mongoose Plant Mongoose plant, is grown in south India. In many villages, this herb is used to treat snake bites (vipers) This plant is considered as an antidote. It contains chemicals that neutralise the snake venom. Oil Of Oregano Rinse the skin soon after the snake bite. Apply this oil on the area of the snake bite. It helps in drawing the venom out and disinfecting the wound. Don't use any essential oil directly. Add carrier oil to it before using. 14 Home Remedies For Mosquito Bites Curry Leaves In some villages, a soup prepared from curry leaves is used to treat snakebites. The porridge is said to remove the venom. Lavender Essential Oil This oil is a disinfectant. It can temporarily help by slowing down the venom's effect till the person is rushed to a hospital and offered medical help. gardening Remedies For Garden Insect Bites Bentonite Clay Make a paste by adding some echinacea powder and bentonite clay and some water. Apply the paste over the snake bite. Bentonite clay does a good job in flushing out toxins from your body. This clay can also be consumed, but you need to drink lots of water to flush it out.
The Most Extensive and Reliable Source of Information Related to the Mexican Drugs Cartels.



You will not find this level of coverage anywhere else, join us!





WARNING:

Posts may contain strong violent material, discretion is advised.





COMMENTS:

We do not publish all comments, and we do not publish comments immediately.




Country

Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Canada Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cuba, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Dominican Republic Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Haiti, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Jamaica Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Mexico, United Mexican States Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu US Virgin Islands Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/05/2017 (1999 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Celebrating volunteers who have made outstanding contributions in their community, Brandon-Souris Conservative MP Larry Maguire has unveiled the Canada 150 Service Medallion.

Nominations are currently open for the 30 medallions, which will be handed to those people in Brandon-Souris who have demonstrated initiative, leadership, and creativity in their service to others; have served as a role model for others in their community; or, have improved the overall quality of life of fellow citizens and the community as a whole, a release from Maguires office reads.

The medallions are being awarded through Maguires office after the federal Liberals cancelled the national commemorative medal program, which would have marked the nations 150th anniversary.

This is the first time in history that the federal government will not recognize hard-working Canadian volunteers on a milestone anniversary of Confederation, Maguire said in a release.

I firmly believe that Westman volunteers should be recognized for their efforts, and the Canada 150 Service Medallion provides the perfect way to do just that.

Nominees must have undertaken unpaid volunteer work and must be a resident of Brandon-Souris and a Canadian citizen. Nominators may only nominate one person and appropriate forms must be submitted by June 15.

Those selected to receive a medallion will be commended during a ceremony in July.

Information about the nomination process can be found online at larrymaguire.ca/canada150, emailing Larry.Maguire @parl.gc.ca and by phone at Maguires parliamentary office, at 613-995-9372.

 The Brandon Sun
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/05/2017 (2000 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The strong smell of exhaust lingered along a stretch of Rosser Avenue on Thursday evening as local car enthusiasts gathered for the first Cruise Night in Downtown Brandon of the year.

The main downtown strip was almost fully lined from Sixth Street to 13th Street, which was shut down to allow pedestrians a closer look at the diagonally-parked vehicles.

Vigorously wiping down his 1977 Z28 Camaro, Brian Clark readied his 550-horsepower prized car for fellow automobile enthusiasts enjoyment.

Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Two-year-old Conner Curtis sits atop his dad's 1991 Ford Tempo during the first Cruise Night in Downtown Brandon of the season on Thursday.

The exhaust kicks up a fair amount of dust that needs wiping away, he explained, adding; Im fussy about it. I like it nice and clean and pristine.

A longtime participant in Brandons monthly summer automobile enthusiast get-togethers, Clark said that the event is like a reunion for local area vehicle fans.

You get to know people when you do this, so its a nice social outing as well, he said, adding that while theres a lot of repeat attendees, theres always a batch of new vehicles to look at as new people come on board and existing enthusiasts fix up more rides.

Nothings ever the same when you come down here, he said, adding that while hes showing a Camaro now, hed previously shown a Corvette that he has since sold.

Thursdays show included an eclectic blend of vehicles, which participant Art Asham said is always the case at the downtown event.

His vehicle, a 1985 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia, was one of the more unique vehicles, perhaps trailing behind a classic Ghostbusters style ambulance that was parked nearby.

Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun A visitor to the first Cruise Night of the season peers into a 1955 Ford on Thursday.

The Volkswagen included two fold-down beds, a pop-up table, a sink, fridge and all the makings for a decent road trip vehicle.

Asham has joined wife Bonnie on a number of such road trips, to both west and east coasts and special trips to Vermont and New York State.

With others daydreaming about taking similar such trips in the vehicle, Asham said that he has received a lot of offers to buy it, which he has easily turned down.

Flattered by these offers, Asham said that its always nice to show off a vehicle that takes its owner quite a bit of dedication to maintain.

As a longtime visitor of the car show, Craig Senchuk said that he has spent years showering praise on others vehicles, dreaming about cars youd like to have.

About two weeks ago, he purchased a 1978 Ford Highboy F-150 4X4, which he showed off for the first time on Thursday.

Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Visitors to the first Cruise Night of the season cast long shadows on Rosser Avenue in downtown Brandon on Thursday.

My first time putting a truck in is a pretty good feeling, he said.

The trucks six-inch factory lift, with an additional six-inch lift, have drawn the eyes of many, he said, including his 14-year-old son Alex, who has taken to driving the truck around their Carberry-area property.

One of the events organizers, Dave Burba, said that more is being planned for subsequent events, with rock group Tripwire slated to perform at their July show.

This years events mark something of a renewal for the annual effort, with sponsors brought on to promote the events and younger members taking to social media to help pump up interest.

Thursdays event was the first of five, with subsequent events scheduled to take place along Rosser Avenue from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on June 1, July 6, Aug. 3 and Sept. 7.

Those interested in showing off their vehicles are encouraged to enter the event at Rosser Avenues intersection with 13th Street.

Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Visitors to the first Cruise Night of the season pack Rosser Avenue in downtown Brandon on Thursday.

 tclarke@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/05/2017 (1999 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

High school students from Manitoba and Saskatchewan came together in Brandon this week for the Manitoba High School Case Competition. Hosted by Brandon University and Assiniboine Community College, the two-day event is geared toward developing skills for the business leaders of tomorrow.

On Thursday afternoon, students from 10 Canadian high schools arrived at BU where they were accommodated for the duration of the event. Thursday evening consisted of a banquet and keynote speeches, followed by opening ceremonies.

On Friday, the students spent the morning preparing for the case competition.

Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Judges (foreground) listen as Nicholas Arp, Zach Cocks and Peyton Bardwell of Swan River Regional High School deliver their presentation during the Manitoba High School Case Competition at Brandon University on Friday. Students from a variety of Manitoba and Saskatchewan High Schools completed case studies divided into two categories: personal finance and entrepreneurship.

The students work in teams of three. The teams are presented with a case study, meaning a specific scenario, and are challenged with identifying the issues at hand in their specific case. After identifying the issues, the teams must design a customized plan to achieve the given goal and to solve the issues.

The team then presents a cohesive and detailed plan to a panel of judges, followed by a five-minute question period. The judges deliberate after the presentations and finalists are selected.

Student are not only given a competitive environment to practise their knowledge of business strategies and terminology, but, as event organizer Kyle Prevost said Friday, they also get the chance to apply those skills in an authentic setting.

Understanding that credit card interest sucks is another life lesson, Prevost said. Were hoping students learn from each other and push each other to new heights.

Davey Couvier, a Grade 12 student at Birtle Collegiate, and her team were tasked with formulating a detailed strategy to help fictional couple Jim and Pam achieve their financial goals.

Some of these goals included a new home, vacation time, settling existing debt, paying off Pams student loan and budgeting for their two sons. The team was also expected to plan for any foreseeable situation including disability insurance, a stock market crash or an unplanned third child.

Michaela Solomon/The Brandon Sun Laura Rincon, left, Emily Yang, middle, and Sophia Huang, a team from Vincent Massey High School, make use of their last few working minutes before presentations begin at the Manitoba High School Case Competition on Friday.

A lot of people dont expect high schoolers to know what theyre talking about, Couvier said. It gets everybody to go oh, they actually understand what they mean when they talk about things like tax refunds.

In addition to hard-hitting business skills, Provost said students also get a chance to hone their softer skills, such as design and presentation. This is especially true for Couvier, who admitted to struggling with public speaking.

My public speaking has improved after doing a lot of these, Couvier said. Its a really good confidence boost.

Dana Corr, principal at Birtle Collegiate, sees it from a different vantage point  that of a longtime educator.

I think because Im not a business teacher, the thing that I see most is how empowered they are.

Michaela Solomon/The Brandon Sun Davey Couvier presents the financial plan her group has developed for the fictional Jim and Pam. Couvier said she was nervous, but felt accomplished after the competition.

This is the first year for the MHSCC. Participating schools include Birtle Collegiate, Hamiota Collegiate, Swan River Regional High School, Portage Collegiate Institute, Swift Current Comprehensive, Campbell Collegiate, West Kildonan Collegiate, Minnedosa Collegiate, Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School and Vincent Massey High School.

 msolomon@brandonsun.com
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/05/2017 (2000 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Impeachment or the 25th Amendment? This is the choice facing many politicians in Washington these days as the unhinged U.S. President Donald Trump is leading his nation into confusion and disarray unseen since the halcyon days of Richard Nixon.

It is important for us to get the language right, so let me walk you through both impeachment and the 25th Amendment.

Impeachment is a legal process given, in this case, to the U.S. Congress. Congress is made up of two houses  the Senate and the House of Representatives. The process of impeaching a politician, for example Trump, would require a Representative to bring forward charges as outlined by the Constitution.

CP Lynn Meek wears a sign calling for the impeachment of U.S. President Donald Trump during an open meeting for citizens to voice their concerns to representatives in Greensboro, Ga., in February. The spectre of impeachment looms large in Washington these days after a special counsel was appointed to investigate allegations of the Trump campaigns ties to Russia. (File)

These possible charges include  bribery, treason or other high crimes and misdemeanours.

The House Judiciary Committee would then investigate and determine if grounds for impeachment exists. From that point, votes are taken. If the resolution to impeach is passed by the entire House, then the case is referred to the Senate for a trial.

As many of you will recall from former President Bill Clintons impeachment, the Senate then essentially hosts a trial  both sides are entitled to present their arguments. The Senate then votes  a two-thirds majority is required for conviction.

Clinton was impeached in the House, but won in the Senate. In doing so, he remained president and completed his term. Note that such Republican luminaries as senators John McCain, Mitch McConnell, Orrin Hatch and Jeff Sessions voted guilty in the Senate. I wonder aloud how current Attorney General Jeff Sessions manages his hypocrisy.

As you can surmise, Republican votes are necessary for Trump to be impeached. So, too, are actual crimes including bribery and treason. These are not as obvious as clear incompetence.

And this, my friends, is where the 25th Amendment must be considered.

Section Four of the 25th Amendment allows for the vice president, accompanying be a  majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments declare the President unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office 

While a great deal of legalese follows, essentially the vice president and a majority of the cabinet must declare Trump unable to perform his job, and then advise the Speaker of the House (Paul Ryan) and the President Pro Tempore (the aforementioned Orrin Hatch) of the Senate.

There would then be votes in both the House and Senate. If a two-thirds majority voted in the affirmative in both houses, then the vice president would become the new president.

So now you know, in broad terms, how the system works. From this columnists perspective, the 25th Amendment seems a more likely tool to rid Washington of President Trump.

Should he be removed? This is, of course, the much bigger question.

It is clear to all but the most addled minds that Trump is far beyond his competency. He simply isnt up to the job  he has proven this to everyone but his devoted group of followers. They are blind to his failings and appear dedicated to the Trump salesmanship.

Why would I be concerned about Trumps removal?

Any reader of this column will know of my complete disregard for his intellect, temperament and competence. This has been my position from the beginning. However, removing Trump is akin to a bullet-less coup.

If Washington really wants to send a message to disaffected voters, then remove Trump. Tell his supporters that their votes, legally placed, are without value.

On the other hand, do Americans stand back and watch him destroy their country? This is a miserable set of choices, but it underscores that elections count. There is a price to draining the swamp.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/05/2017 (1999 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba Hydros application to the utilities board for rate increases provides a golden opportunity for Premier Brian Pallister to do the right thing and save Manitoba Hydro and Manitoba taxpayers by not allowing the rate increase and by keeping his election promise (Bipole III Called Dumbest Decision, Winnipeg Free Press, Oct. 25, 2014) to scrap the Bipole III project.

It is not too late, and would curb the financial drain on Manitoba Hydro and the taxpayers.

The Bipole III capital cost represents a relatively small portion of the financial burden when all related costs are factored in. Bipole III will never generate positive revenue. It will be used to export electrical energy to spot markets at rates that generally are well below the cost of generation and transmission of the electrical energy.

Simply put, we will be selling at a loss. Rate increases will not salvage this mess. On the contrary, infusion of additional cash will simply increase the negative bottom line. The salvaged Bipole III infrastructure could be used to generate and transmit electrical power to Canadian markets at a profit.

It appears the only way Manitoba Hydro can survive is to transfer its financial burden to Manitoba taxpayers. Under the present structure, Manitoba Hydro will never be in a position to generate positive revenue from sales of electrical energy. It appears that all the Manitoba Hydro contracts are for sale of electrical energy to export spot markets. Spot markets were intended to provide utilities the ability to sell their surplus energy at substantially discounted rates, well below the cost of generation and transmission.

Manitoba Hydros financial predicament is a direct result of the NDPs gross mismanagement. The decision to route the Bipole III line on the west side has cost Manitoba Hydro billions of dollars. It is intended to deliver electrical energy to the export market at a below-cost rate. Although Bipole III was intended to be a backup for Bipoles I and II, the west side Bipole III line is not compatible with Bipole I and II. The west-side route will have a severe negative impact on the west-side infrastructure, including subterranean, surface pipe lines, irrigation systems and public health and safety. Stray ground currents will accelerate corrosion of most conductive infrastructures. The negative impact of electric and magnetic fields have to be factored in to the overall cost. This has not been addressed in the public arena, although it is well documented globally by many highly credible research facilities.

If the premier allows the rate increases, he will be endorsing the NDPs reign of terror that got us in this mess in the first place. If

this ill-fated project is not nixed, Manitoba Hydro is doomed to extinction. The NDP has demonstrated time and time again that they are masters at mismanagement. Ontario Hydro is one example.

We challenge Premier Pallister to do the right thing. Stop this fiasco.

 John Roschuk is a senior engineer technologist and a power quality consultant who has worked in the electrical field for 52 years, including 17 years with Winnipeg Hydro. His column recently appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/05/2017 (1999 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In 2005, there were 20 drugs on the Canadian market with an annual average cost of $10,000 or more, representing approximately five per cent of private drug plan costs.

By 2015, the number of high-cost drugs ballooned to 124, representing nearly one-quarter of private costs. There were only two drugs exceeding $50,000 on the Canadian market in 2005, but by 2015 the number of drugs over this threshold had grown to 20.

The solution to these runaway costs is

clear: pharmacare. By adopting a universal pharmacare program with the buying power to negotiate reasonable prices for the medications Canadians need, we create a system that benefits everyone.

The Council of Canadians has released a new report showing how universal pharmacare would save businesses money and improves Canadas economic competitiveness. Replacing private drug plans with a universal pharmacare program would save Canadian companies an estimated $8 billion annually.

Universal pharmacare would give Canada a significant competitive advantage over the U.S. Canadian employers would gain a $1 an hour competitive advantage, as inefficient private plans would become redundant, on top of the $4 an hour competitive cost advantage Canadian businesses already have with public health care. This would mean a significant gain for the Canadian economy in the short and long term.

Its time for workers and companies to come together and demand national pharmacare.

Heather Doty

Council of Canadians, Brandon/Westman Chapter
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/05/2017 (1999 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nearly three years ago, The Brandon Sun ran an editorial extolling the virtues of banning smoking on patios, just as Winnipeg then pondered enacting legislation to do just that.

Now in 2017, after Winnipegs half-hearted attempt went up in a puff of smoke, the topic has once again been rekindled in Winnipeg headlines, after Regina announced a possible patio smoking ban earlier this week.

On Thursday, we reported that Brandon is one of the last cities in Canada to allow patrons to have a puff on a public patio  along with Manitobas capital  yet indoor public places in this province have been smoke-free for more than a decade.

When it came into effect on Oct. 1, 2004, the Non-Smokers Health Protection Act was contentious. But some 13 years later, its safe to say that most Manitobans take it for granted that their favourite bar or restaurant, workplace or government office can be attended without walking through clouds of acrid smoke.

As we wrote three years ago, Brandon has had an extra couple of years to get used to it. In May 2002, the city passed what was then one of the most restrictive anti-smoking bylaws in North America.

Brandons bylaw was written with an eye on the provinces plans of the day. The city knew that the province was thinking about introducing an anti-smoking law of its own, and Brandon took care to write the civic law so that if a less restrictive provincial law was passed, the stricter city law would still be enforced.

Yet while the city bylaw banned smoking on outdoor patios, the provincial law allowed lighting up in these outdoor spaces. And, just a month after the provincial law was passed, Brandons council of the day voted to scrap its own bylaw and follow the provinces law instead.

Its time to revisit that decision.

There is a clause within the provincial act that would allow Brandon to pass a bylaw to enforce stricter regulations  like a smoking ban on patios. This is hardly a burning issue for Brandonites, as several Brandon establishments already voluntarily provide a smoke-free patio environment for their patrons. Prairie Firehouse, Browns Socialhouse, Montanas BBQ and Bar and Lady of the Lake, for example, all offer non-smoking patios, and they should be lauded for doing so.

There remain quite a few smoking patios in Brandon that serve no food or drink, but exist only as a place to corral smokers without making them pass through entrances again. We propose enshrining that natural differentiation into law.

We suggest that city councillors in Brandon should follow the example of their 2002 predecessors, and take the lead in this matter, as we have in the past.

Brandon was lauded around the continent as a leader in anti-smoking when we first passed Bylaw No. 6696 in 2002. Perhaps if Winnipeg and Brandon both contemplate a ban on patio smoking, then our provincial government might follow suit.

In this day and age, when we know so much about the effects of cigarette smoke on our public health, theres no good reason not to enshrine these ideals into law, for the good of our citizens.
Gardai are continuing to question a man arrested in connection with the death of a woman in Kilkenny.

Twenty-nine-year-old Rita Apine from Latvia died last Sunday after she was found at the bottom of the stairs in her home in Freshford.
The initial forecast for Canberra was for a wet and woolly weekend, and while the rain held off, it delivered on the woolly part.

A Celebration of Wool took over Kingston's Old Bus Depot Markets on Saturday, with more than 45 stalls showcasing everything from yarn, to rugs and even knitted jumpers.

Shearer Ian Elkins giving a demonstration. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos

This year was the first time the annual event was expanded to two days, with activities set to continue over Sunday.

Among those on display were workshops as well as sheep-shearing demonstrations, which were carried out by Canberra-based shearer Ian Elkins.
Richmond have once again stolen the headlines for all the wrong reasons after yet another final-minute capitulation against Greater Western Sydney.

A mere six days after fighting back from five goals down only to suffer an after-the-siren loss to Fremantle, Richmond squandered a 31-point lead to lose to GWS by three points.

The Tigers led all day but when Jeremy Cameron kicked truly from 50m out with 59 seconds left in the game, it was clear for everyone watching the game that the boys wearing yellow-and-black were about to endure some more indescribable heart ache.

Richmond become just the eighth team in history to lose three games in a row by less than a goal and after starting the season with five consecutive wins, they have now lost four on the trot.

If Fremantle and Melbourne win on Sunday, the Tigers will be clinging to a spot in the top eight by the skin of their teeth.

At Etihad Stadium earlier in the day, Sydney fired a warning signal for the rest of the competition.

Close to full strength, the Swans punished the in-form Saints to the tune of 50 points in the strongest indication yet that they are not a spent force just yet this season.

St Kilda had won five of their previous six games heading into this encounter but were no match for the rejuvenated Swans who have now won three in a row after losing their first six games.

Could Sydney achieve the great escape by making the finals from an 0-6 start? It's going to be one of the more fascinating storylines of the season.

At the MCG tonight, Collingwood overcame a 43-point deficit to run out 18-point winners against Hawthorn in a remarkable contest to keep their flickering finals hopes still alive.

And Adelaide treated the Brisbane Lions with contempt, smashing them by 80 points at the Gabba
Up to 7500 asylum seekers who arrived in Australia by boat have been given four months to apply for refugee status or face deportation.

Branding them "fake refugees", Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says they have until October 1 to provide detail about their protection claims. He says some have refused to lodge protection claims while others have refused to give even basic information about their identities.

"This is a very serious situation and it's costing Australian taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars a year," Mr Dutton said on Sunday. "Money that could be spent on education, on health, on police, on other services in the community. Now we aren't going to tolerate that any longer."

Many arrived without identity documents on boats run by people smugglers up to seven years ago under the previous Labor government, he said.
By April, LG Energy Solutions' "Easter Sale" was popular in the booming market for rooftop solar and battery packages, a product heavily subsidised by the federal government's solar rebate. Calling himself Tony Smith, the man no one had seen hired sales staff over the internet on commission-only contracts to flog his "product". This turned out to be an easy job for any half-experienced seller because LG Energy Solutions was offering top of the range German-engineered LG panels. For a package that LG, the Korean-owned conglomerate, sells for $25,000, LG Energy Solutions was offering for $15,999. The company was advertising on Facebook, Gumtree and in Fairfax Media metro newspapers.

Anita Jackson, an experienced solar saleswoman, sold $140,000 worth of orders in her first week. "It was a really bloody good price," she told Fairfax Media. She queried with Smith how it was that LG Energy Solutions could sell the same product so much cheaper but was told that as a "reseller", the company could set its own price, while LG's licensed distributors were forced to follow the Korean company's price. As April went on and a number of "red flags" were raised around dodgy tracking numbers and installations that had not happened, the truth dawned on Ms Jackson. "I had to get in touch with my customers and let them know it was a complete scam," she said.

There had never been any solar panels and Smith's staff had been selling little more than fresh air. Making things worse, consumers had rushed to lock in the deal of a lifetime by agreeing to pay the total price upfront. Fairfax Media has learned of one buyer who lost $35,000. Helen Vleugel, a retiree from Mt Martha in Victoria, and her husband Peter paid $9999 for panels that will never be installed. "You're looking at the LG logo wondering how this can be a fraud," she said. "It leaves you not wanting to buy anything off the internet ever again."

Some consumers have taken to solar industry online chat forums to seek answers. One poster, "Smartywishbone", said: "We are now so sad. My wife and I bought a system from these people (which was to be installed next week) for our son and daughter in law. We were hoping to help them with cost of living as they have a young family and are struggling with mortgage payment. Our $10,000 is now lost. We researched the company online  seemed all good." Iain Luck, who paid $9999 for panels for his home in Warragul, regional Victoria, said: "I've been saving forever to get solar panels." The Vleugels were alerted on April 21 in a "weird" phone call by their bank, ANZ. Its fraud department had been alerted to the scam but Ms Vleugel was left wondering why her payment, made 48 hours before, could not be frozen. At Bendigo Bank, the accounts of LG Energy Solutions had been frozen but not before Smith had managed to transfer what could turn out to be up to $1 million offshore.

The money was transferred to a company known as "Four Horsemen Limited". In a bizarre twist, Smith appointed Sydney liquidator Steven Kugel, instructing him to wind up the company. Mr Kugel believes his appointment could have been part of a naive plan to free up the final transfer from Bendigo Bank. What it did was lift the lid on the scale of wreckage left behind by the identity thief. There are 60 victims owed more than $700,000 but Mr Kugel suspects there are more, including people too embarrassed to come forward.

According to people who spoke to Fairfax Media, the fraud is being investigated by ASIC, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Queensland Fair Trading and Queensland Police, among others. An ASIC spokesman said it was "aware of the matter" but no other agency would comment on the record. DFAT is interested because Smith provided a fake passport to Mr Kugel bearing the same details as the driver's licence of Brisbane's Tony Agius. The real Agius is a citizen of Malta who does not have an Australian passport. The fake Agius is said to be well-spoken with an Australian accent, which one person said has a "hint of British".
A handpicked expert panel advising the federal government on its plan to protect the ailing Great Barrier Reef has warned the strategy does not address the greatest threat facing the natural wonder  greenhouse gas emissions  and has called for a significant overhaul.

The call to re-draw the Reef 2050 Plan follows an unprecedented second straight year of mass coral bleaching linked to rising water temperatures.

It comes as the World Heritage Committee is expected to consider Australia's progress in dealing with the threats facing the reef later this year. Released in March 2015, the plan was a response to concerns the committee would describe the reef's world heritage listing as "in danger", mainly due to development and farming practices along the Queensland coast.

But in a communique dated May 5, the Independent Expert Panel advising the government on the implementation of the plan says "action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions must be central to the response".
BEEP. B-BE-BEE-BEEP. Beep beep. If there's a soundtrack to Vietnam, it's this  the polite Morse code tapped out by motorcyclists threading their way through a country where motorbikes outnumber households. Unlike many Australian drivers, who lean on their horns in annoyance or frustration, Vietnam's motorcyclists are simply making their presence known.

Still, this dissonant symphony of horns can be intense for a first-time visitor. You might be fooled into thinking Hanoi, renowned for its French colonial charms, would be a peaceful haven. Wrong. A 2014 report estimated the capital is home to 2.4 motorbikes per household, which means there's a constant buzz in the air (as with flies, you soon learn to filter this noise out). There's talk of a metro rail system (the first line is scheduled to open next year) revolutionising the city's transport but, in the meantime, the trick to crossing the roads is to shadow the locals as they step out into the endless stream of traffic. Don't freeze, keep walking and you'll be just fine.

Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, is home to 2.4 motorbikes per household. Credit:Daisy Corlett / Alamy Stock Photo

On my first visit to Vietnam, I become obsessed with these motorbikes (some observers credit them with keeping the cities free of the gridlock that paralyses other Asian metropolises such as Bangkok). Specifically, I love how the xe om (motorbike taxi) drivers use their bikes as a bed, reclining on the seat, feet dangling over the handlebars as though their bike is as wide as an ocean. Sometimes, while waiting for a fare to happen along, they swivel the other way, transforming the bike into a comfy sofa. Occasionally, grooming is done in the tiny rear-view mirrors.

Then there's the sport of spotting how much can be crammed onto a motorbike. It's nothing remarkable to see a family of five wedged onto one bike. On a rural road, I spot a guy with two porcine pillion passengers (the full-size pigs carried in wicker baskets). The list grows: a towering pyramid of fresh flowers, cages packed with honking geese, fresh vegetables for the market, armfuls of corn, rattan chairs, paintings, hula-hoops, balloons  even a full-size wardrobe.
It's a surprising admission from the woman who is now considered to be one of the world's leading stylists thanks to her work with Vogue and time spent consulting for labels like Dion Lee and Kanye West's Yeezy.

"I used to look at the girls in the fashion office and just thought I could never be part of that because I didn't understand what it was or what styling was about," Centenera said.

Fast-forward 10 years and she's now advising the likes of Kim Kardashian West on how to dress, as well as shooting fashion editorials and styling runway shows around the world.

However, she's not resting on her laurels. Having recently relocated to New York she's still encountering setbacks. "As an Australian you need to work harder to prove yourself," she said. "There is a feeling that the work is sub-standard. I noticed when I first moved to New York [in August 2016] there were certain photographers, Australian photographers, who were at the top of their game who were reluctant to work with me and the magazine," she said.

"But once we actually did work together they were quite surprised at the level which we operate and work on. They were surprised at how prepared we were, surprised at the level of talent there was at the magazine and that it was not dissimilar to the editors they are working with in New York.
Angela Brown believes that turning her toddler's car restraint around so it was forward-facing caused the child's horrific injuries in a 100km/h car crash which transformed a once happy family life into a nightmare.

The Mudgee woman says she won't know for seven years whether her daughter Summer-Rose, who turns three this week, will fully recover from the severe whiplash that caused the young girl's neck to break in three places.

The trauma has given Summer's father terrible nightmares, although he wasn't to blame for the accident and the forward-facing car seat had been properly fitted, Ms Brown said. She now lives in fear, imagining accidents happening, and hearing the sound of the crash over and over again.

Even Summer, who has a small scar on her forehead to show for the months in hospital, has changed her behaviour.
Air traffic controllers at Brisbane Airport had a difficult job on Sunday morning, as thick fog lingered causing flights in and out to be delayed or diverted.

By 8am, the airport website showed a total of nine flights had been delayed and one diverted due to the low visibility.

The Brisbane CBD shrouded in fog on Sunday morning. Credit:Wendy Hughes

"Fog is usually short-lived, but this is quite a thick one," a Brisbane AIrport spokeswoman said.

"If you're flying today definitely check our website, app or your airline and expect potential delays."
For four years, Robyn Night went through hell as dozens of random men turned up to her house expecting sex, invited by her former boyfriend posing as her online.

Her fake online personas said she was an "extreme no limit slave pig" with "no rights whatsoever", with some even telling men to "come rape me".

Robyn Night endured 'deeply disturbing' acts of revenge from her former partner Ryan Kotynski. Credit:Jorge Branco

As police finally tracked and charged Ryan Kotynski, 42, for a "deeply disturbing" act of revenge, she resolved to do what she could to make sure no one would go through the same thing again.

The Queensland woman had almost given up hope that a growing push for national revenge porn laws, which she began publicly advocating for, was going anywhere when the news she had been waiting for arrived on Saturday.
One man is fighting for his life and another three have been hospitalised following a brawl at a house in Wangaratta.

Police and emergency services were called to a house in White Street about 12.35am following reports of a fight between five men.

Police said four of the five men were taken to hospital.

An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said one man, believed to be aged in his 40s, was taken to the Wangaratta Hospital with upper body injuries in a stable condition.
It was raining in Melbourne's CBD last Friday morning, and because it's autumn the city was scattered with leaves.

At the same time on Collins Street, just before Queen Street, a tram driver told passengers the ride would be slow for the next little while. That's because, the driver said, the tracks were slippery. It wasn't just due to rain.

Crowded tram stop at the Bourke Street mall. Credit:Joe Armao

It was because leaves had become stuck on the tracks; pressed onto the steel by the weight of the passing trams, but made more adhesive by the rain. The driver pushed on, moving slowly, only a few metres per minute.

By the time the tram stopped near William Street, many hopped off, while others remained for the tedious but necessarily careful journey toward Spencer Street. A passenger told Fairfax Media at no point did he feel the tram was in danger of slipping off the tracks, but that the driver explained this was a risk if the tram did not continue slowly.
New York: Richard Rojas did not speak much about his three years in a Navy uniform, but when he returned to the Bronx from a naval base in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2014, he was a different man.

His mind was clouded with conspiracy theories. His dreams of opening his own clothing business had wilted. He lashed out at friends who challenged him; some thought his grasp of reality had slipped and that he needed psychiatric help.

During a string of arrests in recent years, Rojas once threatened to kill police officers, and last week he accused a notary of trying to steal his identity and grabbed his neck, the authorities said. But despite his mounting aggression and mental health issues that began in childhood, friends and the authorities said, he never sought or received help, instead burrowing deeper into his paranoia and drinking or smoking marijuana.

On Thursday, Rojas, 26, was behind the wheel of a car that a friend said had been outfitted with a speeding detection system after a previous drunken-driving arrest. Under a wall of billboards and bright advertisements in Times Square, he waited for traffic to pass and then made an abrupt U-turn before accelerating and ploughing through three-and-a-half blocks of sidewalk crowds, killing an 18-year-old woman, Alyssa Elsman, and injuring 20 other people, the police said.
Cairo: Their voices distressed as they record pleas for safety on a mobile phone, two teenage Saudi Arabian sisters are the latest faces of the protest against the conservative kingdom's strict male guardianship laws.

Their case has come to light only weeks after Saudi Arabia was controversially elected by United Nations member states to a seat on the UN Commission on the Status of Women for a four-year term, from 2018 to 2022.

Areej and Ashwaq al-Harby escaped to Turkey to seek asylum, according to a series of brief videos they posted online where they claim that their family had abused them physically and forced them to live as prisoners in their own homes.

Turkish authorities detained the runaway sisters, aged 18 and 19 respectively, after their family put a request through the Saudi embassy to deport them.
President Donald Trump has touched down in Saudi Arabia as he sought to escape the scandals and chaos that have engulfed his administration back home.

Trump's arrival was greeted with a public enthusiasm that's rare in this usually restrained country. Huge billboards around the city featured Trump and King Salman, while the city's roads were lined with alternating US and Saudi flags.

Other billboards touted the long friendship between the two countries, displaying the historic picture of King Abdulaziz Al Saud, the founding monarch of the modern Saudi state, with Franklin D. Roosevelt, when the two met on a boat in the Great Bitter Lake offshoot of the Suez Canal in Egypt in 1945.

The Saudis welcomed Trump in his first overseas trip as president with trumpets, cannons and a red, white and blue flyover.
Former FBI Director James Comey has agreed to testify in open session before the Senate Intelligence Committee about the bureau's investigation into Russian influence in the 2016 US presidential election, intensifying President Donald Trump's political troubles.

The announcement from committee Chairman Richard Burr, of North Carolina, and Vice Chairman Mark Warner, the Virginia Democrat, followed only hours after the Washington Post reported that the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election had identified a senior White House adviser close to the president as a significant person of interest. The Post didn't name the official.

The probe is about to accelerate as investigators shift from work that has largely been hidden from the public to conducting interviews and asking for grand jury subpoenas, the Post reported, citing people familiar with the investigation.

Also, the New York Times reported on Friday that Trump had told top Russian diplomats who visited the Oval Office last week that firing Comey relieved "great pressure" on him. The report, which cited a US official who has seen a document summarising the meeting, said Trump also told the Russians the FBI director "was crazy, a real nut job."
Manila: China's president warned the Philippines that it would go to war if Manila insisted on enforcing an international arbitration decision rejecting China's claims over disputed areas of the South China Sea, the Philippine president said in a televised speech Friday.

Although both sides pledged for now to talk and to avoid confrontation, the remarks by the Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, highlighted the stakes in a part of Asia that has become a geopolitical flash point. The warning - which Beijing did not immediately confirm - also draws attention to a policy dilemma for the United States, which is trying to maintain its naval dominance in the Pacific in the face of China's military buildup and its construction of artificial islands in disputed waters.

President Rodrigo Duterte drew attention to the warning - which Beijing did not immediately confirm - in a speech to the Philippine coast guard. Credit:AP

In a landmark ruling last July, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, based in The Hague, delivered a sweeping rebuke of China's behaviour in the South China Sea, including the creation of islands that could be used for military purposes, and found that its claim of sovereignty over the waters had no legal basis. However, there is no legal mechanism for enforcing the decision, and Beijing has refused to abide by it.

In a speech Friday to the Philippine coast guard, in the southern city of Davao, Duterte claimed that President Xi Jinping of China had cautioned him against trying to enforce the ruling. Xi said the two countries could eventually discuss it, "but it cannot be done now," Duterte said.
James Risen is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. He's also currently under subpoena, possibly facing jail time, because of his reporting.



Specifically, he's being investigated because of an article on a CIA ploy to hinder Iran's quest for a nuclear bomb that went epically sideways and may have actually helped Iran along. 60 Minutes ran a great story on him this weekend, during which they cited a well-known statistic: the Obama administration has prosecuted more national security "leakers" than all other presidencies combined, eight to three.



But the story also prompted me to look into another figure, which is less well known and potentially more dramatic. Partially because of press freedom concerns, sentencing in media leak cases has historically been relatively light. Not so under President Obama. When it comes to sending these folks to jail, the Obama administration blows every other presidency combined out of the water  by a lot.



By my count, the Obama administration has secured 526 months of prison time for national security leakers, versus only 24 months total jail time for everyone else since the American Revolution. It's important  and telling  to note that the bulk of that time is the 35 years in Fort Leavenworth handed down to Chelsea Manning.



It takes a bit of digging to find all this information. As my public service for the day, here's a rundown of every leak case, the sentence (if there was one), and its current disposition.
Bucks Democrats expect to have majority in state House

Democrats expect to gain one more seat in state Senate, but still be in minority there.
Families need help: Donate and Give a Christmas

During the holiday season, in partnership with NJ 211, we are pleased to offer the Give a Christmas program to Burlington County residents.
Imports of truck and bus radial tyres (TBR) grew by nine per cent touching a new high of 120,000 units per month in the financial year 2017. Imported tyres now account for 40 per cent of the replacement demand for truck and bus radials in India. This has come as a severe blow to the domestic tyre which has put in hefty investments in TBR manufacturing.
The Indian (IT) services sector is looking beyond its primary market, the US  at Germany, Japan and China, to expand its business.
Last month, Kia Motor of South Korea announced it was entering the India market with an investment of $1.1 billion at a manufacturing site in Andhra Pradesh, slated to begin producing in 2019. Han Woo Park, president at the Seoul-headquartered entity, to Ajay Modi in an e-mailed interaction. Edited excerpts: that the company is doing a feasibility study for vehicles including SUV and sedan. Park, who spent three years as MD&CEO of Hyundai (Kias parent company) in India, said it will focus on a differentiated brand positioning and strong aftersales to gain volumes in the worlds fifth biggest car market.
Endtherepublis, Iloi and Ghostrider are definitely hard left Socialist, or Communist Totalitarian supporters. I find that interesting. The most interesting thing I can not help but wonder is why? Ilio will never answer a question. Instead just spew incoherent insults without actually saying anything. Ghostrider brings these stories always demonstrating some form of government sponsored totalitarian policy that he approves of. That leaves endtherepublic. Out of the three he is probably the most hard lined at the same time the most articulate. Even he has failed to address why he hates capitalism and wants to embrace a totalitarian state. He does do a good job of expressing how though.
Pakistan's former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf has called alleged Indian spy a bigger criminal than 26/11 Mumbai attack perpetrator Ajmal Kasab.

Asserting that Jhadav was involved in espionage and sabotage activities, Musharraf said that the former was a bigger criminal than Ajmal Kasab.

"Kasab was just a pawn but Jhadav was fueling terrorism and may have killed a number of people in sabotage activities," ARY News quoted Musharraf as saying.

Speaking about the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) temporary stay of the execution of Jadhav, Musharraf said that Pakistan should not have even appeared in the court as it is a matter of security.

"None has the right to dictate us about our security," he said.

A day after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed the death sentence awarded to former Indian Naval officer and alleged Indian spy by the Pakistan military court, Islamabad on Friday filed a plea in the Hague to rehear the case within six weeks.

Pakistan was set to re-challenge the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice after it granted injunction on Thursday on an Indian plea to stay Jadhav's execution, Dunya News reported.

The Pakistan's Foreign Office said on Thursday that the ICJ has no jurisdiction over the county's security matters, which in this instance was the execution of Jadhav.

Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said the decision to challenge the ICJ's jurisdiction was taken after consultation with all government institutions and agencies.

Zakaria said Pakistan's reply to the court was submitted in line with Article 36 of the Vienna Convention.

He pointed out that there exists a bilateral pact on consular access between Pakistan and India since 2008 and added that article 6 of the pact solely relates to consular access being determined on the merit of the case.

Zakaria said, "After India stood exposed on state-sponsored terrorism and financing terrorism, it tried to divert attention by presenting the Kulbushan Jadhav case with a humanitarian angle."

The ICJ, the primary judicial organ of the United Nations, stayed the death sentence awarded to former Indian Naval officer and alleged Indian spy Jadhav by the Pakistan military court, citing that both - India and Pakistan - were bound by the Vienna Convention and that the rights invoked by New Delhi under the Vienna Convention were plausible.
On May 10, two days after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced a major aggressive operation against Naxals, an IL-76 aircraft of the Indian Air Force landed in Raipur with men and machines.
As Pakistan filed a plea with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to rehear stay on former Indian Naval officer and alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, defence experts on Saturday said that the Pakistan's case is too weak and expressed confidence that no matter what Islamabad does the court's verdict will be in favour of India.

"The case itself is weak, whether Pakistan file a plea or not the case will remain as it is and the ICJ will stand firm in providing legal access to and also that the death sentence should be stayed," defence expert Colonel Sunil Deshpande told ANI.

He said that Pakistan case was weak, due to which it has faced lots of criticism in its own country and added that no matter what Pakistan does, the fact remains that its image has gone down completely across the world.

Echoing similar sentiments another Defence Expert Ranjit Rai asserted that the Pakistan is in a state of shock with the decision of ICJ and added that Islamabad may file a plea but the case is wide open and court's decision will be awaited.

"Pakistan is shelf shocked with the decision of the international court of justice. They cannot hang Jadhav nor can they do anything without the full trial going through in the Pakistan row," Rai told ANI.

Earlier on Friday, a day after the ICJ stayed the death sentence awarded to Jadhav by the Pakistan military court, Islamabad filed a plea in Hague to rehear the case within six weeks.

"Pakistan was set to re-challenge the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice after it granted injunction on Thursday on an Indian plea to stay Jadhav's execution," said Dunya News.

Earlier in a major reprieve to India, the primary judicial organ of the United Nations cited that both - India and Pakistan - were bound by the Vienna Convention and that the rights invoked by New Delhi under the Vienna Convention were plausible.

Justice Ronny Abraham of the ICJ said that the case was indeed debatable, while also adding that the ICJ had prime facie jurisdiction in the case.

Abraham added that under the Vienna Convention, India should have received consular access to seek justice for the former Indian Naval officer.

A military court awarded death sentence to Jadhav on April 10 on spying and terrorism charges. According to law, he can make a clemency appeal to the Chief of the Pakistan Army within 60 days of the verdict of the appellate court.

This means Jadhav can challenge till the end of Saturday his death sentence in an appellate court.
Pakistan on Friday filed a plea in the ICJ for it to rehear within six weeks the case of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, after the government was slammed by the opposition for "mishandling" the case at the world court.

Pakistan's Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz said Islamabad, with a new team of lawyers, will put forward its case vigorously in the International Court of Justice against letting off Jadhav on India's plea.

"Pakistan was set to re-challenge the jurisdiction of the ICJ after it granted injunction on Thursday on an Indian plea to stay Jadhav's execution," Dunya News reported.

According to law, Jadhav can challenge till the end of Saturday his death sentence in an appellate court. A military court sentenced him to death on April 10 on spying and terrorism charges.

Aziz maintained that the ICJ did not order Pakistan to provide consular access to Jadhav, but has merely put forward an opinion. He said a decision to provide consular access to Jadhav is yet to be made.

"Pakistan's security is so important and we have to maintain our fundamental sovereign right," he said.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan government came under attack from the opposition for "mishandling" the Jadhav's case and two opposition leaders linked the weak defence put up by Pakistan at the ICJ to a meeting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had with Indian business tycoon Sajjan Jindal.

Jindal is said to be a friend of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) leader Shafqat Mehmood asked Sharif to disclose details of his "secret meetings" with Jindal, the Dawn reported. He said the ICJ decision was an outcome of the Sharif-Jindal talks.

Mehmood attacked the government for selecting a lawyer at the ICJ "who had not a single international law case reported from the UK Supreme Court".

Another PTI leader, Shirin Mazari, accused the Pakistan government of deliberately playing a game to advance Indian interests.

"They wanted the ICJ to give a stay. This was a game which started after Jindal's visit to Pakistan," she said.

Another opposition leader, Kamil Ali Agha, described the ICJ decision as the "biggest diplomatic defeat" for Pakistan.

Minister of State for Information Marriyam Aurangzeb, however, said the case was fought in the best possible manner and advised the opposition not to play politics over issues of security.

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Pakistan Today that the issue of Jadhav concerns the nation's security and there will be no compromise on it.

The minister said the "Indian spy" was convicted after fulfilling all necessary legal procedures and any decision on the matter will be taken keeping in view security.

According to Islamabad, Jadhav was reportedly arrested from Pakistan's Balochistan province on March 3, 2016. However, Indian intelligence agencies suspect that Jadhav was abducted from the Iran-Pakistan border.

Pakistan alleged that the former Indian Navy officer was involved in spying and terror activities in Balochistan. He was convicted in April by a Pakistani military court and sentenced to death.
The bilateral trade between India and Africa is set to touch $ 100 billion (roughly Rs 6,50,000 crore) in next two years, said Akinwumi A Adesina, President, African Development Bank (AfDB). The development bank will holding its five-day annual meetings of the group at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar from May 22, 2017 onwards.

Commenting on the bilateral trade, Adesina said, "In 2005-06 the total bilateral trade between India and Africa stood at $11.7 billion, which has reached to $56.9 billion by 2015-16. Now we expect the bilateral trade to exceed $100 billion in the next two years, helped by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push for India-Africa partnership."
Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman releasing a book on the achievements of the ministry during the three years in government in a press conference in New Delhi (Photo: PTI)
The (DAC) on Saturday finalised the broad contours of a much-awaited policy under which select private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign entities.

Seen as a major initiative, the 'strategic partnership model' aims to create a vibrant defence manufacturing ecosystem in the country through involvement of both the major Indian corporates as well as the MSME sector.

The DAC, chaired by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, held in-depth deliberations on the new policy for the second time this week and decided to give a go-ahead to it.

Initially, the policy is expected to be implemented for manufacturing fighter aircraft, submarines and armoured vehicles. It is expected to be expanded to other segments at a later stage.

The policy is likely to be examined by the finance ministry before being considered by the Cabinet Committee on Security.

"Breaking new ground, the DAC under the chairmanship of Defence Minister, Arun Jaitley, today finalised the broad contours of a policy aimed at engaging the Indian private sector in the manufacture of high-tech defence equipment in India," the defence ministry said in a statement.

It said the policy envisages establishment of long-term strategic partnerships with Indian defence majors through a transparent and competitive process wherein they would tie up with global OEMs to seek technology transfers to set up domestic manufacturing infrastructure and supply chains.

"The policy will give a boost to the 'Make in India' policy in the defence sector and set Indian industry on the path to acquiring cutting-edge capabilities which will contribute to building of self-reliance in the vital sector," the ministry said.

Referring to sectors identified to implement the policy, it said additional segments may be added in future.

"Appropriate institutional mechanisms will be set in place to implement the policy," the minister said.

Last week, Jaitley had a meeting on the SP model with representatives of defence arms of leading groups including Larsen and Toubro, Ashok Leyland, Mahindra and Mahindra, Reliance Infra, Tata Group, Punj Lloyd, Adani Group and Bharat Forge Ltd.

At that meeting, some industry representatives had favoured a level playing field and expanding the industry base by allowing entry of new players.

It was learnt that some officials had also raised concern about possible "judicial intervention and federal audit" in case of award of successive orders to one 'strategic partner'.

The SP model was proposed by the Dhirendra Singh Committee in July, 2015. It had said that for the 'Make in India' initiative to become wider in the defence sector, the government should adopt a strategic partnership model, whereby a private firm is chosen for the development of a specific identified platform.

Last year, the then defence minister Manohar Parrikar had announced that the policy on SP model would be unveiled soon.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), the sector regulator, has suggested the private sector be allowed to launch satellites in low and medium earth orbits to expand the internet footprint in India.
Central Assistance for Border Area Development Programmes (BADP) has been enhanced from Rupees 990 Crore in 2016-17 to Rs. 1,100 Crore in the current financial year, the Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh said this while chairing the review meeting of Chief Ministers bordering with China, in Gangtok today..

.

He said that the Indo-China border is undemarcated, extremely cold with very difficult terrain and thus it is more important that impetus should be given to boost up infrastructure and peace in the border areas. The Home Minister praised the work of ITBP and said that the Centre was doing everything feasible for their smooth functioning in overcoming challenges. He stressed upon the development of model villages in the border areas and said that innovative and concrete proposals are welcome. Implementation of Border Areas Development Programme (BADP) projects and construction of border infrastructures are being taken up with high priority, he added..

.

The Chief Minister of Sikkim, Shri Pawan Kumar Chamling said that the army, paramilitary and the Government of Sikkim are implement ing a number of schemes under the BADP which are designed to meet the special developmental needs of the people living in remote and inaccessible border areas. The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat and Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Shri Pema Khandu also briefed the Union Minister on the issues related to development. Issues concerning border infrastructure including border roads, Border Out Posts, critical infrastructure and coordination between the concerned States and ITBP stationed in states were some of the main issues deliberated upon in the meeting. The states of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh were represented by Senior Officers..

.

Earlier, Secretary, Department of Border Management, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Smt Sanjeevanee Kutty presented the broad agenda of the meeting and apprised about the various programmes and initiatives being taken for development of infrastructure and other facilities for the security personnel and the population living in border areas. Likewise, a brief presentation was made by the Director General, ITBP, Shri Krishna Chaudhary..

.

Chief Secretary, Government of Sikkim, Shri A.K. Shrivastava gave the vote of thanks where he thanked the Union Minister for sparing his valuable time and visiting the beautiful state. He also thanked the various dignitaries of different states for attending the meeting of this kind which had happened for the very first time..

.

Later, addressing a press conference, Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh expressed pleasure that such a review meeting concerning infrastructure and other issues in Indo-China Border states was held for the first time. He appreciated the participation and inputs provided by the Chief Ministers of Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim and officials from the states of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. He put on record his appreciation for the contribution of Sikkim as the host state fort the meeting..

.

The Home Minister briefed the media about the various developmental projects being implemented by the MHA in the Border States. He also shared information regarding some of the projects and proposals in the pipeline. Shri Rajnath Singh stated that along with the border security forces, equal impetus should be given for the upliftment of civilian people living in these border areas. He stated that these people are the strategic assets of the country and their basic needs should be addressed. He added that the State Government of the Indo-China Border states have been requested to look into these issues..

.

Likewise, Shri Rajnath Singh informed that the MHA is focusing on modern villages, and stated that in the last financial year, 41 model villages were created for which a financial allocation of Rs. 92 Crore was made. He further urged the State Governments to submit maximum proposals for model villages to the Central Government. He further added that the issues concerning border areas are to be jointly addressed by the State and the Central Government in a coordinated way. He stated that any hindrances like land acquisitions, forest clearances and allocation of quarries should be sorted out diligently and in a time bound manner by the State Government with support from the Central Government..

.

Earlier, the Home Minister visited Nathula Pass and addressed a Sainik Sabha during his visit to the ITBP Border Out Post (BOP) Sherathang near Nathu La. Shri Rajnath Singh also laid the foundation stone of various ITBP projects in Gangtok..

.

Yesterday, upon his arrival on a 3-day visit to Sikkim, the Union Home Minister met the Governor Shri Shriniwas Patil and held talks with the Chief Minister Shri Pawan Kumar Chamling..

.
The recent spate of cyber attacks on computer systems across the world shows how some organisations are not doing enough to protect their systems against malicious hackers.

But if organisations had engaged the services of an then many of the vulnerabilities on their systems could have been found and fixed, rather than exploited.
Co on Friday rushed to fix a gamble that looks to have gone wrong, with the defense unit of the US plane maker seeking to fend off a Canadian threat to scrap the purchase of 18 Super Hornet jets, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Broadcom and a group led by KKR are emerging as the two leading bidders for Toshibas semiconductor unit as of Fridays deadline for second-round offers, according to people familiar with the matter.
Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app.

Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006.

Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more.

Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them.

26 years of website archives.
China denied US accusations that its jets conducted an unprofessional intercept of an American radiation-sniffing surveillance plane in the East China Sea and urged Washington to stop such activities.

The two Chinese SU-30 jets on Wednesday approached a WC- 135 Constant Phoenix aircraft a modified Boeing C-135 conducting a routine mission in airspace in accordance with law, Pacific Air Forces spokeswoman Lt Col Lori Hodge said in a statement.

The WC-135 crew characterised the intercept as unprofessional "due to the manoeuvres by the Chinese pilot, as well as the speeds and proximity of both aircraft," Hodge said.

She declined to provide further details and said the issue would be addressed with China through "appropriate diplomatic and military channels."



"We would rather discuss it privately with China," Hodge said in an email to The Associated Press. "This will allow us to continue building confidence with our Chinese counterparts on expected manoeuvring to avoid mishaps."



In China, Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said the American plane was conducting surveillance over the Yellow Sea the northern part of the East China Sea and that the Chinese jets moved to identify and verify the plane "in accordance with laws and regulations."



In a statement on the ministry's website, Wu said the operation was "professional and safe." Wu blamed surveillance by US planes and vessels as the "root cause of military security problems concerning sea and air" between the two countries and urged the US to stop such activities.

China declared an air defence identification zone over a large section of the East China Sea in 2013, a move the U.S. called illegitimate and has refused to recognise.

China has demanded foreign aircraft operating within the zone declare their intentions and follow Chinese instructions. Hodge declined to say whether Wednesday's incident was within the self-declared Chinese zone.

"US military aircraft routinely transit airspace throughout the Pacific, including the East China Sea," she said. "This flight was no exception."



Unexpected and unsafe intercepts involving US and Chinese military aircraft have occurred occasionally over the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety. Although China says it respects freedom of navigation in the strategically vital area, it objects to US military activities, especially the collection of signals intelligence by US craft operating near the coast of its southern island province of Hainan, home to several military installations.

In recent years, the sides have signed a pair of agreements aimed at preventing such encounters from sparking an international crisis, as happened in April 2001 when a Chinese jet fighter collided with a US surveillance plane over the South China Sea, leading to the death of the Chinese pilot and China's detention of the 24 US crew members for 10 days.
One day, ideally in the not-too-distant future, when Congress finally passes major legislation to curb carbon emissions  to reduce the environmental and economic harm caused by  Americans will owe a big thank you to the perseverance and discipline of the Citizens Climate Lobby. Special appreciation should go to one volunteer, Jay Butera, a businessman from Pennsylvania who has put intense effort into getting Democrats and Republicans in Congress to begin talking with one another about potential solutions.
The may be under 2.5 miles of water, but wreckage from the doomed ship could fetch close to $220 million at an auction this year.
Each year the Elsman girls went with family members on a trip, a vacation the two teenagers anticipated all year. On Thursday morning they were strolling the neon-trimmed heart of New York City when a motorist jumped the curb and plowed through three blocks of Times Square sidewalk and into crowds of pedestrians. Twenty people were injured, including 13-year-old Ava Elsman.
Here is Googles vision for the future of computing: As you drive home from work, you tell your car, Ok, Google, triggering the companys Assistant. You order food, the digital helper handles the transaction and makes sure its ready when you arrive.
has been on something of a public relations tour recently, showcasing paintings hes done since leaving office. The tour seems designed to rebuild his image as a tortured artist wrestling with his demons  a flawed but morally introspective tragic figure.
You may already have seen the tobacco packs currently sold in the UK: a dark, murky green colour with large graphic health-warning images and scary messages aimed at informing current and potential smokers about the devastating consequences of tobacco consumption. They have no colourful logos, with the brand name just displayed in small characters in a standard font.

These packs are now required by new regulations which entered into force in May 2016. There has been a one-year transitional period for the sell-through of old stock  and from May 20 2017 all tobacco products on sale in the UK must comply with the new rules.
The editorial board at the Democrat-Herald recently entertained a guest, a student from a mid-valley high school possibly interested in pursuing a journalism career.

This student came armed with plenty of smart questions that showed, first, he had done his homework, and second, that he'd likely make quite a good journalist.

At the end of the session, I had a couple of questions for him: Were the other students at his school watching "13 Reasons Why," the controversial fictional series on Netflix examining the death by suicide of a student? And did the portrayal of high school life in the series feel at least somewhat true to him?

First answer: Yes, he said, students were watching the show.

We'll get to the second answer in a bit.

If you have teenagers (or even if you know teenagers), you should know about "13 Reasons Why." You might even want to watch some of it: The series is beautifully acted and made (the first two episodes, for example, are directed by Tom McCarthy, who directed the Oscar-winning movie "Spotlight"). It's riveting television, but it's not pleasant viewing, and the suicide of the protagonist, Hannah, is depicted in graphic detail.

The series has generated controversy and charges that it glorifies and romanticizes youth suicide. Some school districts, including Corvallis, have sent home notices to parents about the show. A school principal in Canada reportedly banned his students from talking about the show while in school. (That always works.) Some experts fear that the series could trigger copycat acts among susceptible young people.

After watching some of the episodes, it's clear that the criticism has merit: Because of the way the plot is structured (it centers on a series of cassette tapes Hannah recorded before her death), Hannah is depicted as seeking a measure of revenge for the events, including bullying and a brutal rape, that lead to her suicide. The graphic display of the suicide runs counter to findings from more than 50 studies that such explicit depictions can be dangerous to people already at risk. The show does not address mental illness, which plays a role in 90 percent of suicides. And Netflix needed (and still needs) to do a better job linking its audience to resources that can offer help to troubled youth. Maybe that will come in season two, which Netflix recently approved. (The online version of this column includes a list of suicide-prevention resources.)

And yet: When I asked that student whether the show seemed to accurately capture high school life today, the answer was yes.

So I asked Ann Kirkwood, the suicide intervention coordinator with the Oregon Health Authority, for ideas on how parents and other adults could talk to the teenagers in their lives about "13 Reasons Why." (As it turned out, Kirkwood was in Corvallis last week, training officials from Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties on a pilot program, Connect, that works to help communities respond to suicide. "What we're trying to do is address the grieving needs of the families and the people left behind," she said.)

I asked about the best way to open discussions with young people about "13 Reasons Why." There must be a better approach than just blurting out "What do you think of that suicide show?" in the middle of the family dinner.

Kirkwood recommended a subtler approach: Start by saying something like, "People are talking about this show. Have you seen it? What do you think about it?" Use open-ended questions. Really listen to the answers. Here's the vital information to get across: Help is available. And suicide always is a tragedy.

Here's an approach that probably won't work: Follow the lead of that principal in Canada and ban everyone in your life from watching or even talking about "13 Reasons Why."

We can pretend "13 Reasons Why" isn't out there, being watched by students. But that's the same general strategy we've taken for years about youth suicide. Look how well that's turned out. (mm)
An attack on an airbase in south Libya has killed 141 people, mostly soldiers loyal to military strongman Khalifa Haftar, a spokesman for his forces said today.

Members of the Third Force militia loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord in Tripoli yesterday attacked the base used by Haftar's self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), military sources said earlier.

LNA spokesman Ahmad al-Mesmari late today said the victims included civilians who worked at the Brak al-Shati airbase or were in the nearby area, also reporting that summary executions took place.

"The soldiers were returning from a military parade. They weren't armed. Most of them were executed," he said.

The GNA said in a statement late today a commission of inquiry had been set up to investigate the attack.

It said it had decided to suspend its defence minister, al-Mahdi al-Barghati, and the head of the Third Force from their duties until those responsible were identified.

Both the GNA and defence ministry earlier condemned the assault and said they had not ordered any such action.

The unity government, the rival administration in eastern Libya and their respective backers are battling for influence in the North African country which has been wracked by chaos since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

The LNA does not recognise the authority of the GNA, and instead supports the rival authorities based in the east.

The UN envoy to Libya earlier on Friday voiced alarm at reports of the attack on the base, 650 kilometres (400 miles) south of Tripoli.

"I am outraged by reports of significant numbers of fatalities, including civilians and by reports that summary executions may have taken place," UN envoy Martin Kobler said in a statement.

Britain's ambassador to Libya, Peter Millett, also denounced the assault.

"Disgusted by attack on Brak al-Shati & reports of mass executions. Perpetrators must be brought to justice," he wrote on Twitter.

The incident at the base in Wadi al-Shati district comes a month after an attack by the LNA on the Tamenhant airbase controlled by the Third Force near the south's main city of Sebha.

That attack was called off after a reconciliation meeting between Haftar and unity government head Fayez al-Sarraj in Abu Dhabi on May 2.

The speaker of the eastern-based parliament, which is supported by the LNA, accused the Misrata-based Third Force of a "serious breach of the truce agreement reached in Abu Dhabi".

Aguila Saleh said there were a "number of martyrs" in LNA ranks, without giving a figure.

The speaker said he had given orders for the armed forces "to take the measures necessary to respond to the assault and defend the south and cleanse it of all outlaw militias".

In Tripoli, the GNA called for an immediate ceasefire in the south, where tribes and militias vie for control of lucrative smuggling routes with neighbouring Chad, Niger and Sudan.

"We hope reason will prevail and that the escalation and provocation will stop," it said.

The unity government's defence ministry laid the blame on "those who started bombing Tamenhant base with warplanes and tanks", referring to Haftar's forces.

In new violence today, a pro-Haftar tribal chief, Sheikh Ibrayek Alwati, and five other people including a child were killed in a car bombing outside a mosque in the eastern city of Slouq, medical and security sources said.
US President was hit on Friday by embarrassing leaks that a senior adviser was a person of interest in a probe of possible collusion with Russia during last years election campaign and that Trump had boasted to Russian officials of firing the man heading the investigation.
has selected Saudi Arabia as the destination for his first trip abroad, strengthening US ties to a regime that is fueling the very extremism, intolerance, and violence that the US government purports to want to eradicate.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday landed in Saudi Arabia, beginning his first tour which is scheduled to include stops in Israel, the Vatican City, Belgium and Italy.

Trump was received by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz at Riyadh's King Khalid Airport, Efe news reported.

Abdulaziz organised a small reception for Trump, who was accompanied by his wife Melania Trump.

The President is scheduled to hold a meeting with Abdulaziz and other Saudi Arabian politicians to close economic deals.

Coinciding with the start of his visit, Riyadh organised a Saudi-American business forum to strengthen investments and bilateral trade.

National oil giant Saudi Aramco expects to sign $50 billion of deals with US companies on Saturday, part of a drive to diversify the kingdom's beyond oil exports, Aramco's chief executive Amin Nasser said on Saturday.

Nasser was speaking at a conference of scores of senior US and Saudi business executives, coinciding with the visit of US President Donald Trump to Riyadh.

He said 16 agreements with 11 companies would be signed, including memorandums of understanding for joint ventures. Officials said earlier that many of the agreements would flesh out previously announced plans.

On Sunday, Trump is to participate in a meeting with member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council as well as a summit with leaders and representatives from around 50 West Asian and Islamic countries.

Parallel to these meetings, a forum for the fight against terror and extremism is to be held, sponsored by the Saudi-led anti-terror military coalition.

After wrapping up his two-day visit, Trump will travel to Israel, Palestine and the Vatican and then on to Brussels and Sicily where he is to take part in NATO and G7 summits.
US President told Russian officials at an Oval Office meeting last week that firing FBI Director James Comey eased pressure on him as he was a "real nut job" and "crazy", a media report claimed today.

"I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," Trump told Russian Minister Sergei Lavrov and the country's Ambassador to the US, the Times reported, citing minutes of the meeting between Trump and the Russians.

According to the US daily, the quotes and other excerpts from the minutes was readout to its correspondent by a Trump administration official.

Another on the condition of anonymity confirmed the quotes from the said document.

"I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off...I am not under investigation," he was quoted as saying by said the daily.

The White House did not comment on the authenticity of Trump's conversation with the Russian officials in the Oval Office on May 9.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told The New York Times in a statement that Comey had behaved politically and put unnecessary pressure on the president's ability to conduct diplomacy with Russia on matters such as Syria, Ukraine and the Islamic State.

"By grandstanding and politicising the investigation into Russia's actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia," Spicer said.

He said the investigation would have always continued, and the termination of Comey would not have ended it.

"Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations," he added.

According to the daily, a Trump Administration official defended president's purported conversation with the Russians as he wanted to a create a "sense of obligation" with them and to coax concessions out of them on Syria, Ukraine, and other issues.

The latest crisis to beset Trump comes days after an another revelation by the daily which claimed that the president has asked sacked FBI director James Comey to end the agency's investigation into ties between his former national security adviser Mike Flynn and Russia.

Comey was abruptly fired by Trump at a time when he was leading an investigation into whether Trump's election campaign had links with Russia in the US polls last year.

Another report published by The Washington Post claimed that Trump had revealed highly classified details to Lavrov and the Russian ambassador during the same meeting at the Oval Office.

Meanwhile, CNN reported that the Russian officials bragged that they could use former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn to influence Trump.

"This was a five-alarm fire from early on....The way the Russians were talking about him," an official of the previous Obama administration said.

"Another former administration official said Flynn was viewed as a potential national security problem," CNN reported.

The White House, however, denied such allegations.

"We are confident that when these inquiries are complete there will be no evidence to support any collusion between the (Trump) campaign and Russia," an official said in a statement to CNN.

"This matter is not going to distract the President or this administration from its work to bring back jobs and keep America safe," the official added.
President Trump told Russian officials in the Oval Office this month that firing the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, had relieved great pressure on him, according to a document summarizing the meeting.
Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali will now be representing Pakistan in the Kulbushan Jadhav case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

This announcement was made by Ashtar himself saying that the country's defence against India's case before the ICJ was prepared by the government in consultation with all stakeholders, including the military establishment, Geo News reported.

However, it is not clear yet whether Khawar Qureshi, who was representing the country in the case earlier, will be part of the legal team or not.

Speaking to The News, he said that the lawyer who defended Pakistan's case before the ICJ has represented Pakistan in international arbitrations in the past and was also cleared by the army and intelligence agencies to fight this highly-sensitive case.

Pakistan's National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Friday said that alleged Indian spy Kulbushan Jadhav's issue should not be politicised.

"If the Army chief said that he provided the lawyer for the Jadhav case and then any criticism directed at him is baseless," Geo News quoted Sadiq, as saying.

Opposition leader Khursheed Shah said the Attorney General should have been sent by the government to represent Pakistan's case in the ICJ.

He called the ICJ's temporary stay of the execution of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav a "setback" for the country and said the government's negligence was evident in the case.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has blamed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for the ICJ temporary stay of the execution of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav and asked him to clear his position in the parliament.

Calling the ICJ stay on Jadhav's execution as an 'unfavourable' outcome, the PTI has raised a series of questions, seeking an explanation from Sharif on the Indian response on the Jadhav issue.

"PM Nawaz should appear before the house to explain why Pakistan did not appoint an ad hoc judge as it had a right to and why the Foreign Office did not take legal advice before initiating correspondence on the issue," The Express Tribune quoted PTI Central Information Secretary Shafqat Mehmood, as saying.

Dr. Shirin Mazari, another PTI leader. and an expert on international relations, said that Pakistan should have gone to the ICJ fully prepared.

The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) said that the case at the ICJ had been mishandled and demanded a meeting of the national security committee on the Jadhav issue.

PPP vice-president Sherry Rehman said Pakistan had failed to plead its case and questioned as to why the counsel completed his arguments in 50 minutes against the allocated time of 90 minutes.

She said Pakistan should have appointed an ad hoc judge under relevant rules.

These reactions came soon after the Pakistan's Foreign Office said that the ICJ has no jurisdiction over the county's national security matters, which in this instance was the execution of Jadhav.

Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said the decision to challenge the ICJ's jurisdiction was taken after consultation with all government institutions and agencies.

Zakaria said Pakistan's reply to the court was submitted in line with Article 36 of the Vienna Convention.

He pointed out that there exists a bilateral pact on consular access between Pakistan and India since 2008 and added that Article 6 of the pact solely relates to consular access being determined on the merit of the case.

Zakaria said, "After India stood exposed on state-sponsored terrorism and financing terrorism, it tried to divert attention by presenting the Kulbushan Jadhav case with a humanitarian angle."

The ICJ, the primary judicial organ of the United Nations, stayed the death sentence awarded to Jadhav by the Pakistan military court, citing that both - India and Pakistan - were bound by the Vienna Convention and that the rights invoked by New Delhi under the Vienna Convention were plausible.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least two people were killed and 30 other wounded after assailants stormed the New Kabul Bank branch in Paktia, Afghanistan.

According to Paktia Police Chief Toryalai Abdiani, the attack started at about 2.30 p.m. local time when a suicide bomber detonated explosives at the entrance to the bank, allowing additional attackers to storm the building, reports the Tolo News.

Local officials said a second suicide bomber also detonated his explosives inside the bank.

The attack lasted at least two hours and ended with all attackers being reportedly ends killed.

This is the second coordinated attack launched by the militants in less than a week.

A group of insurgents entered the State Radio Television compound in Jalalabad city of Nangarhar province on Wednesday, leaving at least six people dead and more than 20 others wounded.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group offshoot in Afghanistan, ISIS Khurasan, claimed responsibility of the attack.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Baloch Republican Party (BRP) on Saturday held demonstrations outside the Pakistan Embassy in London against growing atrocities by the state's Army in Balochistan.

These atrocities include military operations, enforced disappearances and killings.

The main objective of the demonstration was to highlight the abduction of Baloch women at the hands of the Pakistan Army.

The protestors called on the International community to take immediate measures to stop the Pakistan Army and Intelligence Agencies from executing Baloch political activists.

Protesting BRP leader Mansoor Baloch alleged that the Pakistan and China nexus in Balochistan was causing death and destruction of the natives. He added that the so-called China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was against the will of the Baloch people and was unacceptable.

The protesting cavalcade headed to 10, Downing Street, the headquarters of the Government of the United Kingdom, from the Pakistan embassy.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former FBI Director James Comey, who was fired by the U.S. President, Donald Trump, amid an agency probe into Russian allegedly meddling in the U.S. election, has agreed to testify before the U.S. Senate Intelligence committee at a public hearing.

The hearing will be held after the May 29 Memorial Day holiday, the committee said in a statement .

Trump has denied allegations of any type of collusion between his campaign officials and Russian operatives.

President Donald said, "Everybody's convinced: They say there is no collusion. We have nothing to do with Russia."

Emphasizing that he wants to clear the air, Trump stated, "I want to get to the bottom if Russia or anybody is trying to tamper or play with our election."

The President also dismissed reports that he demanded loyalty pledge from former FBI Director James Comey at a private dinner .Trump responded saying, "No, I didn't but I think loyalty to the country, loyalty to the U.S. is important."

The White House has denied a media report suggesting that President Donald Trump had asked the sacked FBI chief James Comey to end the investigation against former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As the Enforcement Directorate (ED) slapped a money laundering case against P. Chidamabaram's son Karti and others, the Congress Party on Saturday hit out at the ruling party and alleged a political vendetta behind it.

"This is being done with the vendetta and it is a revengeful attitude, as leaders like Chidamabaram are actively indulged in politics. If leaders like him are defamed than naturally the party would become weak. This is why they are accusing the leader of the Congress Party at various places," Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge told ANI.

He said that the ruling party is trying to malign the image of the party and added that they would never succeed as such conspiracy would only make the Congress party more stronger.

"If somebody has really committed a crime so the law is there, they have the right to reach to the court. But to attack selective people and to use CBI is not correct," he said.

Earlier on Friday, the Enforcement Directorate slapped a money laundering case against Karti and others, taking cognizance of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR against him.

This came after the Income-Tax raids at Karti's residence in Chennai.

Karti, whose residence was raided by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the grant of FIPB approval to INX media private Ltd, said here on Wednesday that the 'drama' was finally over.

This came after his asserting that all charges against him are completely bogus and he will stand vindicated one day.

"Whatever I heard is only from the media. Nothing of substance. All charges on me are completely bogus and I will stand vindicated one day," Karti told the media.

However, CBI Joint Director Vineet Vinayak said the investigation is still underway and some important evidences such as hard disks, mails and documents have been recovered.

Vinayak said a criminal case was registered yesterday under various sections of conspiracy, illegal gratification to influence a public servant, cheating and misuse of official position against five main individuals and entities, unnamed officials of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) and others in the matters related in the grant of FIPB approval to INX media private Ltd, represented by its then directors Indrani Mukerjea and Pritam Mukerjea alias Peter Mukerjea.

An FIR has been lodged against Karti, Indrani Mukerjea, unknown officers of FIPB Unit of Ministry of Finance and others over alleged financial misappropriation over Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to Peter and Indrani's media company INX Media in 2008.

The charges include criminal conspiracy, cheating, taking gratification in order by corrupt or illegal means to influence public servant and criminal misconduct.

The case has been registered under section 120-B r/w, section 420, section 8 and section 13(2) r/w and 13 (1) (d) of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday cornered the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government over hiring a Pakistan lawyer to represent India in the sensitive Dabhol Power Corporation case in 2004, and said the Congress loved 'Made in Pakistan' lawyers more than the 'Made in India' lawyers.

"The Congress party has to explain why they did not hire any of either Indian origin or someone International, who could present India's case," BJP leader G.V.L. Narasimha Rao said.

"Was the case registered to only lose? Did the Congress not know the sensitivity involved? By hiring the Pakistani lawyer, the Congress showed they loved only 'Made in Pakistan' lawyers and that they did not trust in 'Made in India' lawyers," he added.

Another BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia told ANI, "The fact that Khawar Qureshi was engaged by the Indian Government in the year 2004 replacing the earlier lawyer in a claim that it was filed by Enron for 6 billion US Dollars at the International Court of Arbitration is very disturbing and it raises certain very serious questions. What was the rush for the UPA Government then to change the battery of lawyers that were already working on the case? And why was a person or lawyer of Pakistani origin brought in when there are so many talented lawyers in India?"

Reportedly, a law firm Fox Mandal recommended Qureshi for this case in which Enron had claimed 6 billion US Dollars against the Indian government.

In power in 2004, the Congress changed the entire legal team of the case and appointed Pakistani lawyer Khawar Qureshi at the International Court of Arbitration.

In Kulbhushan Jadhav's case at the ICJ, Khawar Qureshi was the counsel of Pakistan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi Police on Saturday arrested a gang of five burglars, who were so impressed by the lifestyle of international pop sensation Justin Bieber, that they used to throw lavish parties with stolen money.

According to the police, the gang, headed by Roshan Messi, specifically operated in the South Delhi's diplomatic area, with the stolen cash to hit rich targets.

Earlier on May 4, the suspects were released from a Juvenile Correction Home, where they were held on charges of previous incidents of burglary.

They, reportedly, had also targetted the residence of a French deplomat and a retired IAS officer.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Newly elected French President, Emmanuel Macron vowed to fight Islamist militants in Africa on his first visit to French troops fighting jihadis in Mali.

The President, who also holds the position of Army Commander-in-Chief sought to curb militants in Mali and the Sahel region, who posed a potential threat to Europe.

Macron extended his support to Mali's president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and assured him that France would continue to assist him in combating the situation with militants.

Macron also appealed to other European nations, particularly Germany to contribute more and increase European defence cooperation.

France has suffered multiple attacks by Islamist militants in the past two years losing 230 civilians and remains in a state of emergency.

The French President has maintained a military tone in his first week in office as he arrived for the traditional drive up to the Champs-Elysees in Paris on his inauguration day, and visited the bedside of wounded soldiers in Paris.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Advisor to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Saturday reiterated Pakistan's stand that Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav cannot be acquitted by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and his punishment will be in accordance with domestic laws.

He argued that Indian rant of victory following ICJ's stay at the execution of Jadhav was utterly false because the final verdict is yet to come, reports Dunya News.

"ICJ gave no verdict regarding consul access", he added.

Aziz said that India has made a mistake by going to the ICJ as it has now paved the way for Pakistan to raise the matter of humanitarian violations in Kashmir.

While answering to the question as to why Pakistan entered the ICJ on the Kulbhushan Jadhav matter, he said Pakistan is a member state of the United Nations and the decision was taken after consultation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India remained unperturbed after Pakistan decided to move the International Court of Justice (ICJ) with a plea to rehear the Kulbhushan Jadhav case.

The ICJ on Thursday stayed the death sentence awarded to Indian Naval officer Jadhav by a Pakistani military court on the charges of spying.

According to Pakistan media reports, Islamabad on Friday approached the ICJ to challenge its jurisdiction in the Jadhav case and pleaded a rehearing of the case within six weeks.

Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh has said that India was not concerned with Pakistan's bid to give a 'new twist' to the Jadhav case.

"We should have full faith in our Ministry of External Affairs and judicial experts," he told ANI.

Singh also didn't give any importance to former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's observation that "Kulbushan Jadhav is a bigger terrorist than Ajmal Kasab".

Reacting to Musharraf's comments, Singh said, "I don't think we need to attach much significance to what they say. It doesn't make any difference whosoever says what."

Musharraf reportedly told a Pakistani TV channel that Kasab was "just a pawn", while Jadhav "may have killed" people.

Ajmal Kasab was hanged to death by India in November 2012 for his role in the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 in which around 164 Indians were killed by a group of ten Pakistani terrorists.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mumbai Indians will aim to clinch a third Indian Premier League (IPL) title when they take on Rising Pune Supergiants in the final at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.

Mumbai Indians booked their place in the summit showdown after defeating Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets in Qualifier 2 in Bangalore on Friday to reach the final.

Pune, on the other hand, made it to the final after registering a 20-run victory over Mumbai Indians in the Qualifier 1 at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday.

The Steve Smith-led side, who have notched up a hat-trick of wins against Mumbai Indians in the ongoing tenth edition of the tournament, will head into the match eyeing a maiden title and full of confidence against Rohit Sharma's side.

However, Mumbai Indians are considered favourites, having entered the IPL final for the fourth time and are aiming to become the first team to win the title three times.

Although both the teams have a well-balanced squad at the moment, the absence of all-rounder Ben Stokes and spinner Imran Tahir could hurt Pune Super giants.

Meanwhile, Mumbai will look to restrict Pune's strong batting order with their pace attack featuring Lasith Malinga, Mitchell Johnson, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A group of terrorists were intercepted near Line of control (LoC) in Handwara sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district on Saturday.

According by sources, p6 RR and Handwara police have cordoned off the Behak area where the terrorists are believed to have managed to sneak in through the LoC.

The attack came in the wake of Defence Minister Arun Jaitley reviewing the overall security situation in the Kashmir Valley with Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat and other senior Army officers.

The Defence Minister was apprised of various measures to strengthen the robust counter infiltration grid along the Line Control.

He was also briefed on the close coordination amongst all government agencies towards restoring normalcy in the region.

He urged all defence personnel to continue their good job and ensure safety of the innocent people while dealing firmly with inimical elements.

He also directed the commanders to maintain a strict vigil along the Line of Control and remain prepared to give a befitting reply to any misadventure from across the border following the ceasefire violation earlier on Tuesday by the Pakistan Army in Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Pakistan Army, earlier on Sunday, instigated indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics, 82 mm and 120 mm mortars along the Line of Control (LoC) in Chiti Bakri area of Rajouri sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Indian Army also retaliated to the unprovoked act strongly and effectively.

At least two civilians including a minor girl were killed and nine people, including four soldiers were injured in the unprovoked firing by Pakistan in Rajouri district.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With the Gujjar community set to be included under the OBC category, Rajasthan Social Justice & Empowerment, Minority Affairs Minister Arun Chaturvedi on Saturday assured that the main motive of the Rajasthan government is to protect the jobs of the five castes in the state.

"Till Special Backward Class (SBC) law is not passed the five castes will be benefited under the Other Backward Caste (OBC) category," Chaturvedi told ANI.

He said that the government has already filed the SBC bill and that they are trying to pass the bill as soon as possible.

The Rajasthan government on Saturday assured that Gujjars and four other castes will be included back in the fold of OBC category and gain the benefits of reservation.

The Rajasthan High Court had earlier struck down the Special Backward Class Reservation Act, 2015 under which these castes were given reservation.

The Rajasthan Social Justice and Empowerment Department today in a notice declared that five castes -- Banjara/Baldia/Labana, Gadia-Lohar/Gadalia, Gujjar/Gurjar, Raika/Rebari and Gadaria (Gaadri) - have again been re-included in the OCB list. These communities were initially included in the OBC list in 1994.

A SBC law granted five percent quota in government jobs and educational institutions under the SBC category to four communities. Later this reservation ran into legal issues and the High Court put a stay on the reservation in 2009 stating that it was exceeded the legal ceiling of 50 per cent.

The Rajasthan State Assembly in September 2015 passed another Rajasthan Special Backward Classes Bill to give 5 percent providing reservation to the five castes.

After which the overall reservation in the state reached 54 percent. The High Court had to again scrap the Act last year, saying there were no extraordinary circumstances to allow the state's overall reservation in government jobs and education institutes to go beyond the 50 per cent cap set by the Supreme Court.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and a special team of Army intelligence have detained two Pakistani nationals on suspicion of being Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agents in Jaisalmer's Kunjarli village.

"Till now no such suspicious information has come out. So most probably they will be sent back to Pakistan," Superintendent of Police (SP) Gaurav Yadav told ANI

Pakistan's ISI is continuously making efforts to make Indian passengers, who visit Pakistan regularly for business, relationship and other purposes, their agents forcefully.

The ISI has deployed many old smugglers as spies after fencing at the border.

Earlier this month, the Mumbai Police, in a joint operation with the Uttar Pradesh ATS, arrested another suspected ISI agent.

A total of three people have been arrested so far.

One from Faizabad and two from Mumbai.

Two spies, Bariyam Khan and Haji Khan, were caught in between November-December last year from Kishangarh Range.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the wake of the prolonged unrest in the Valley, the Congress on Saturday held a meeting on its first policy planning on Kashmir.

The meeting of the policy planning group constituted by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, is led by former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

The meeting is currently underway at Manmohan Singh's residence.

Jammu and Kashmir Congress Parliamentary Affairs Committee's (PCC) Ghulam Ahmad Mir also attended the meet.

Meanwhile, the Centre put forward a very bold opinion in front of the Supreme Court last month of not talking to the separatist leaders, who demand 'azaadi' (freedom).

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, top law officer representing the Centre, made this statement while the apex court was hearing a petition filed by Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association (JKHCBA) to take to various stakeholders and consider their opinion in connection with the plea against the use of pellet guns in the state.

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 Pakistan's 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.

Kashmir has been broiling since the slaying of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani by the Armed Forces last year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two days after the death of Gudeppa Sooraj, a 26-year-old cadet from the Indian Naval Academy (INA) in Kannur district of Kerala, the police on Saturday recovered a suicide note alleging harassment by two senior cadets.

A case of abetment to suicide has been registered against both the Navy personnel.

Police say that the suicide note was recovered from his room in the academy.

According to reports, Sooraj was found in an unconscious and unresponsive condition on the floor of the academic wing around 5.30 pm on Wednesday.

He was then rushed to INA Navjivani Hospital in the campus and then referred to Pariyaram Medical College Hospital, where he reportedly suffered two episodes of cardiac arrest and died on Thursday.

Later, the Southern Naval Command ordered an inquiry into the matter.

Meanwhile, Sooraj's brother has also been alleging that the cadet was harassed by his seniors.

Also, Sooraj's kin alleged that he was harassed ever since he was readmitted to the Academy in January after a two-year legal battle against naval authorities following his dismissal alleging malpractice in exam.

Sooraj, had joined the Navy in 2010. He cleared the officer's exam in 2013 and was undergoing training in the academy, when he was dismissed for malpractice in exam. He later moved to the Kerala High Court and obtained an order in his favour before resuming his training early this year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 141 people including civilians were killed in an attack on Brak al-Shati airbase used by Libya's Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar's self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA).

The attack was reportedly launched by the Third Force militia, of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli. LNA spokesperson informed that the soldiers killed in the attack were unarmed and were executed while returning from a military parade.

The Government of National Accord has released a statement condemning the attack and informing that a commission of inquiry has been set up to investigate the matter.

The GNA has also suspended defence minister, al-Mahdi al-Barghati, and the head of the Third Force until the investigation is complete.

The attack follows a month after the LNA attacked the Tamenhant airbase controlled by the Third Force.

Libya has suffered unrest since Muammar Gaddafi's assassination as rival militias and authorities collided vying for the country's control.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As many as eight children fell sick on Saturday and were rushed to the hospital after consuming a mid-day meal in which a lizard was found.

The incident took place at an Anganwadi, in Vijayraghavgarh in the Katni district of Madhya Pradesh.

Children are reportedly fit and healthy now and the state officials have commenced an interrogation in this matter.

This is the second incident after May 15's when as many as twenty seven children fell ill in Bihar's Jamui after they ate a mid-day meal in which a dead lizard was found.

Earlier on May 10, children at a government school in Faridabad consumed a mid-day meal in which a baby snake was found.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With the successful conclusion of the first phase of local polls, Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is expected to resign by May 24.

"We are in internal discussions and preparations regarding the date for resignation. Prime Minister will resign not later by Wednesday and we will support the Nepali Congress for the formation of new government if the attempt to form a government on consensus fails," CPN-Maoist Centre Spokesperson Pampha Bhusal told ANI.

There is wide spread speculation and doubt that the CPN- Maoist Center will betray the Nepali Congress if the opposition CPN- UML (Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist) leaves the post of Mayor of Bharatpur to the Maoist Center.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's daughter Renu Dahal is vying for the post of mayor.

It is said that the CPN-Maoist Center will endorse CPN-UML candidate Bamdev Gautam, former minister for home affairs in theK P Oli led cabinet, as next Prime Minister.

Yhis was rejected Maoist Center Spokesperson Bhusal, who claimed that Maoist Center will support a Nepali Congress led government.

"Whatever the talks about the agreement for the exchange of post of Bharatpur Mayor post for Maoist Center with the post of Prime Minister for CPN-UML is false. Maoist Center will go with the government formed under the leadership of Nepali Congress and there is no doubt that we will support Nepali Congress in forming new government," Bhusal stressed.

The Nepali Congress, however, doubts the Maoist Center is fullyon the score.

"The talk about endorsing UML candidate Bamdev Gautam as Prime Minister by Maoist Center is heard. We cannot rely fully on the party as it has a bad performance in past regarding the support," a close aide of the NC leadership said.

The change of leadership puts a question mark over the budget and Constitution Amendment.

The Election Code of Conduct bars the government from introducing new plans in the budget, as the second phase of local body elections is scheduled to take place in three weeks time.

"This government is set to introduce the budget which will not have new plans and strategies, but will cover expenses of immediate need. There will be no new features and programs in it," Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Ajay Shankar Nayak said.

"The change in the government will not affect the second phase local election. About concerns over the demand of agitating parties, they also will come to consensus and take part in the election as they also are aware that the government cannot complete a constitutional provision of gaining a two- third majority," he added.

After the resignation of Prime Minister Dahal it is estimated that it will take over two weeks for Nepal to get a new Prime Minister and Cabinet.

President Bidhya Devi Bhandari will call upon all the parties to form a consensus if there is a failure to form a new government on the basis of majority.

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba is expected to be the next Premier of Nepal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh on Saturday said that for the first time in 25 years, the Indian Government is taking decisive action against the 'protected face of militancy' in Jammu and Kashmir.

Talking to ANI here, Singh made these comments in the wake of the Investigating Agency (NIA) team questioning Hurriyat leaders in connection with the funding from Pakistani sources, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), to foment unrest and spread terror in Kashmir Valley.

He further said that there have always been series of evidences that "separatism and so called separatist leaders are being funded, promoted, and sponsored from the Pakistani soil".

He credited the Modi government for taking action against the illegal Pakistani funding and its receivers.

"Now it is after probably 25 years of protected face of militancy that the present government has decided to proceed ahead with a decisive action. I think that is the credit that should be given to the present government," said Singh.

Meanwhile, the NIA team in Srinagar will question hardliner Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and three others who have been named by the agency in its preliminary report (PE).

The three others who have been named in NIA's PE are- Farooq Ahmed Dar, alias 'Bitta Karate', and Gazi Javed Baba of the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, and Naeem Khan. Naeem was caught on camera wherein he was seen confessing to receiving money from Pakistan-based terror groups.

The PE mentions LeT supremo Hafiz Saeed as a main funder of Hurriyat leadership in Kashmir Valley.

The NIA's action shows that the Modi government's will to go after the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) to tame the separatism in Jammu and Kashmir.

The APHC is an alliance of over two dozen organisations which seek either "independence" from India or merger with Pakistan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday questioned Kashmir separatist leader Ahmad Dar, Nayeem Khan and Ghazi Javed Baba, who have been accused of receiving money from Pakistan to create unrest in Kashmir.

"Today, the NIA has questioned Farookh Ahmad Dar @ Bitta Kharate at Srinagar regarding the hawala and terror funding issue. The questioning of Nayeem Khan and Ghazi Javed Baba is still going on," the NIA said.

During the investigation, the leaders were asked to produce certain documents for examination.

"The Hotel in Srinagar in which the sting operation took place, has been identified. The NIA team is completing formalities of identification of room, and collection of records. The NIA is probing all angles of the funding of separatist leaders," it added.

The investigative agency has so far collected copies of the FIRs of 150 cases and is analysing these FIRs which were registered in the recent past in the Valley, regarding damage caused to the schools and public property "as part of the larger conspiracy to perpetuate violence and chaos in Kashmir."

The NIA had registered a preliminary inquiry against these three leaders after a video emerged showing confessions that they received funds from Pakistan to damage public property and schools in the Valley.

Earlier, Kashmiri separatist and chief of Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani suspended Nayeem Khan's membership.

Separatist leader Khan later accused the Indian establishment of using the media to suppress his voice. He said that he was ready to face the NIA investigation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has held a highly classified meeting with his close legal aide and former attorney general Salman Aslam Butt in connection with documentation to establish the money trail of his family's London properties.

Sharif met Butt on Friday to get legal assistance regarding the ongoing investigation by a joint investigation team (JIT) formed in the wake of the Supreme Court verdict in the Panamagate case to probe the Sharifs' alleged graft, reports the Express Tribune.

Butt has been part of Sharif family's legal team in the past. He was engaged as a private counsel by the Prime Minister in the Panama leaks case last year. Butt is also close to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

He was, however, replaced with Makhdoom Ali Khan after he told the bench that the Prime Minister's statement, made on the floor of the house in April 2015 after the emergence of the Panama Papers about money trail of his family's' wealth and businesses, was a 'political' statement.

However, now the family has again sought his legal assistance to prove the money trail before the JIT.

Citing sources, the report said that Butt had produced all the documents before the apex court to establish the money trail for acquiring the London flats. He was also in touch with the Qatari family last year.

It was Butt, who had gone to Qatar and managed to get the first letter, which was submitted before the apex court during the course of hearing, from Prince Hammad Bin Jassim.

Butt had also submitted the affidavit of the PM's cousin Tariq Shafi to prove the money trail. All initial written replies along with documents had been submitted by him before the Supreme Court.

The Sharif family was earlier taking legal assistance from senior lawyer Khawaja Haris, who already held a couple of meetings with them and gave his legal advice to deal with the JIT.

May 20 is the last day for filing review petition against the apex court's decision but the family has not yet filed a review petition.

The legal team - including Makhdoom Ali Khan, Salman Akram Raja and Shahid Hamid, who represented the Sharif family in Panamagate case - has recommended them not to contest the apex court's decision as they fear further complications.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After Advisor to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Saturday reiterated Pakistan's stand that Indian Kulbhushan Jadhav cannot be acquitted by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and his punishment will be in accordance with domestic laws, defence experts in India claimed that it might be possible that Kulbhushan is dead or not in a 'presentable' state.

"It's a very unfortunate statement from a very mature politician. It gives rise to a couple of fears. Kulbhushan has already bumped off or he has been reduced to a very vegetative state and is not presentable. Secondly, it also indicates confusion and chaos in Pakistani thinking. The ICJ's verdict was a huge diplomatic, political, legal and international setback for Pakistan and if they now don't abide by it, it will be a bigger setback at both the regional and the International level and as far as the relationship between the two countries is concerned," defence expert P.K. Sehgal told ANI.

Another defence expert Raj Kadyan asserted that Pakistan might be confident that the China would bail them out by applying the Veto.

"There are two issues in this. One of course, Pakistan must be very confident that if they do not accept the verdict of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the only channel through which the court can have it enforced is through the Security Council. Pakistan must be confident that China will bail them out by applying the Veto," Kadyan told ANI.

"The second aspect is more worrisome. When you look at the whole development, whenever this issue has come to light why has Pakistan always been reluctant to give the consular access? Pakistan also knew that the denial of the consular access will get them exposed in front of the International community. I hope Kulbhushan is alive and my fear proves wrong," Kadyan added.

Earlier in the day, Sartaj Aziz argued that Indian rant of victory following the ICJ's stay at the execution of Jadhav was false because the final verdict was yet to come.

"The ICJ gave no verdict regarding consular access", Aziz added.

Aziz said that India had made a mistake by going to the ICJ as it has now paved the way for Pakistan to raise the matter of humanitarian violations in Kashmir.

While answering to the question as to why Pakistan moved the ICJ on the Kulbhushan Jadhav matter, he said Pakistan was a member state of the United Nations and the decision was taken after consultation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Looking forward to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's visit to Telangana, senior Congress leader V. Hanumantha Rao on Saturday said that the former will bring back Congress wave in the entire nation, adding the plight of the farmers will improve thereafter.

"Farmers are being mistreated in Telangana and there is a lot of unemployment as well. I think, Rahul Gandhi will bring back the wave of Congress back in the entire nation," Rao told ANI.

He further said that farmers who provide food to the millions are being arrested and tortured without any crime.

"Rahul Gandhi will support all the farmers and others. He will bring victory to the Congress party in 2019," he asserted.

He also added that the Congress has always respected the Opposition, unlike the present Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

Rahul Gandhi will address a massive public meeting called 'Telangana Praja Garjana' at Sangareddy on June 1.

He will also release a 'chargesheet' against the failures of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Government during the last three years in the state.

Rahul Gandhi had initially planned to have a meeting with the senior leaders of the party at Gandhi Bhavan, but as logistics are not conducive, it was decided to go straight to the public meeting at Sangareddy.

The party has decided to organize a massive car rally from Hyderabad to Sangareddy, a 45 km stretch, in which all senior leaders are expected to participate.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A suspected Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agent was arrested in a joint operation of the Army and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) from Jaisalmer's Kunjaladi village on Saturday.

The suspect has been taken to Jaipur for interrogation.

As per reports, the suspect has been arrested on the basis of lead provided by two Pakistan nationals arrested from Jaisalmer's Kunjarli village earlier today.

The ATS and a special team of Army intelligence detained two Pakistani nationals on suspicion of being ISI agents.

"Till now no such suspicious information has come out. So most probably they will be sent back to Pakistan," Superintendent of Police (SP) Gaurav Yadav told ANI

Pakistan's ISI is continuously making efforts to make Indian passengers, who visit Pakistan regularly for business, relationship and other purposes, their agents forcefully.

The ISI has deployed many old smugglers as spies after fencing at the border.

Earlier this month, the Mumbai Police, in a joint operation with the Uttar Pradesh ATS, arrested another suspected ISI agent.

A total of three people have been arrested so far.

One from Faizabad and two from Mumbai.

Two spies, Bariyam Khan and Haji Khan, were caught in between November-December last year from Kishangarh Range.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday announced Rs.1 crore compensation for the families of slain paramilitary jawans.

Rajnath made the announcement after chairing the first security review meeting in Gangtok with Chief Ministers of five states bordering China.

"I have ensured that families of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) soldiers killed in action get at least Rs. 1 Crore compensation," Rajnath Singh said.

Singh also declared that 34,000 posts of paramilitary constables were upgraded as head constables.

"It is our duty to know about the problems of jawans, that is why we have launched Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Mobile Application for grievance redressal of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel and also 34,000 posts of paramilitary constables will be upgraded as head constables," said Singh.

Earlier this day, the Home Minister visited the India-China border post and reviewed the security situation. He assured that a lot has been done for the welfare of paramilitary personnel but much more needs to be done in the coming days.

Singh asked the ITBP jawans to use the recently launched mobile app by the Home Ministry to register their grievances, including personal problems, so that the ministry can try to resolve them.

The Home Minister also promised to look into the demands of the ITBP to bring uniformity in high altitude allowances.

The total length of the Sino-Indian border is 3,488 km of which 1,597 km runs through Jammu and Kashmir, 200 km in Himachal Pradesh, 345 km in Uttarakhand, 220 km in Sikkim and 1,126 km in Arunachal Pradesh.

The border is not fully demarcated and the process of clarifying and confirming the Line of Actual Control is in progress.

The border areas, which are located at high altitudes, have inadequate development and infrastructure facilities. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) guards this border and has established 173 Border Out Posts (BOPs).

Out of these BOPs, 35 are in the western sector (Jammu and Kashmir), 71 in the middle sector (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand) and 67 in the eastern sector (Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh). The home minister also interacted with Army jawans.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday congratulated Iran's incumbent President Hassan Rouhani on his re-election to head the country.

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a telegram to Hassan Rouhani congratulating him on a convincing victory in the Iranian Presidential election," Sputnik news quoted a Kremlin statement, as saying.

"The Russian president expressed confidence in further successful implementation of the agreements, including those reached during the recent official visit of Hassan Rouhani to Russia, for the benefit of people in both countries and in the framework of maintaining stability and security in the Middle East and the whole world," the statement read further.

Meanwhile, "President Xi Jinping on Saturday sent a congratulatory message to his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on his re-election as president," tweeted People's Daily.

On Friday, over 40 million people voted in the Presidential election in Iran.

Earlier in the day, Iran's Interior Ministry announced that Rouhani was re-elected for the second term receiving 57 percent of votes.

Rouhani's win is likely to have a huge impact on the country's relations with the West and on the Iran nuclear deal, which was achieved after years of tough negotiations.

The election is seen as a verdict on President Rouhani's policy of opening Iran up to the and his efforts to revive the economy.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A court in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki district on Saturday acquitted former Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) scholar and alleged Hizbul Mujahideen operative Gulzar Ahmed Wani, who was accused of orchestrating a blast in Sabarmati Express in 2000.

Defence counsel M.S. Khan said that Wani and co-accused Moin were freed due to lack of evidence.

"In Barabanki, a case was registered which was based purely on the accused statements. There were no independent witnesses from the prosecution side, neither it was established that he hatched the conspiracy in the AMU's Habib Hall," Khan told ANI.

Wani, a resident of Srinagar, was arrested by the Delhi Police's Special Cell in 2001 allegedly with explosives and incriminating materials. He is currently in the Lucknow jail.

The blast took place on the evening of August 14, 2000 when the train was on its way from Muzaffarpur to Ahmedabad. Nine people were killed in the blast.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and U.S. President Donald Trump are likely to have wide ranging discussions on a number of issues including Islamabad's tense relationship with India, on the sidelines of the first Arab-Islamic-American Summit in Riyadh.

The summit is aimed at developing security co-operation to deal with the threat of growing violent extremism. Around 55 leaders are expected to attend the two-day summit, including U.S. President Donald Trump, to lay the foundations of an Arab NATO force to combat terrorism in the Middle East.

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud extended an invitation to President Trump and leaders of the Islamic world to attend the 'historic' summit to "Renew mutual commitment to global security and further strengthen already deep business, cultural and political ties."

"As we bring the world together to confront violent extremist ideology, so too are we working in partnership with our American and Islamic allies to improve the lives of our people and strengthen our collective economies," stated the official website for the .

Sharif is likely to meet President Trump on the sidelines of the U.S-Arab Islamic Summit.

Besides the U.S. and Pakistan leaders, 53 top officials have been invited to the summit from across the Arab and Muslim worlds.

However, the absence of Iran at the summit is being seen as Saudi Arabia's strategy neutralize Tehran's growing influence in the Middle East.
Iran's ambassador to Kuwait Alireza Enayati has said that Tehran is seeking constructive and peaceful talks with its neighbours to develop better ties with them.

The IRNA news agency quoted Enayati, as saying that the Islamic Republic of Iran with its incoming president's definitely seeking constructive talks and good neighborliness, because developing ties with neighbours is part of Iran's basic goals.

Speaking about U.S. President Donald Trump meeting the Arab States' officials, the envoy said Iran supports the dialogue to solve regional problems and has always stressed upon more cooperation between Persian Gulf countries.

He made these remarks while visiting polling stations for resident Iranians in Kuwait.

A large number of Iranians in Kuwait participated in the presidential elections by casting their votes.

After a huge voter turnout in an unexpectedly tight presidential race between President Hassan Rouhani and hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, the counting of votes began in Iran on Saturday

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said that voting for presidential and local elections in Iran was extended for the third time and stressed that polling will definitely end at 12 pm local time.

The polls opened at 8 a.m local time on Friday. More than 40 million people have voted in this election.

The election will go into a runoff if no candidate wins more than 50 percent of votes cast.

Iran's presidential elections will have a huge impact on country's relations with the West and on the Iran nuclear deal which was achieved after years of tough negotiations.

Electoral decisions in Iran are taken by its most powerful political body, the Guardian Council. It is the upper house of the Iranian Parliament and has twelve members, all of whom are men.

The Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei helps appoint the Guardian Council, panel of conservatives that decides who will run for president. Khamenei has the final say on all matter of foreign and domestic policy .

The election is seen as a verdict on Rouhani's policy of opening up Iran to the and his efforts to revive the economy.

President Rouhani has sought to frame the election as a choice between greater civil liberties and extremism.

Rouhani, meanwhile, is essentially running for re-election as an outsider, and is backed by Iran's reformist camp.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The 12th Presidential Election in Iran concluded on Saturday with incumbent President Hassan Rouhani being reelected for a second four-year term.

Here is a timeline of Iran's Presidents elected till now.

3 August 2013: Hassan Rouhani assumed the Presidential office in August 2013 as the 7th President of the country. During his election campaign he promised to prepare a "civil rights charter", restore the economy and improve rocky relations with Western nations. His 2017 election win has granted him a second term in the office.

3 August 2005 - 3 August 2013: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad assumed office as the 6th President of Iran in 2005. He was reelected in the 2009 election results that marked Ahmadinejad's second term in the presidential office.

3 August 1997 - 3 August 2005: Mohammad Khatami was the 5th President of Iran. Khatami is regarded as Iran's first reformist president, since the focus of his campaign was on the rule of law, democracy and the inclusion of all Iranians in the political decision-making process.

3 August 1989 - 3 August 1997: Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was appointed as the 4th President of Iran in 1989. He served another term by winning the election in 1993. He supported a free market position domestically, favoring privatization of state-owned industries and a moderate position internationally, seeking to avoid conflict with the United States and the West.

13 October 1981 - 3 August 1989: The current Supreme Leader of Iran, Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei was appointed as the 3rd President of Iran in 1981. He achieved his 1981 win by a landslide of 97 percent votes. He was the first cleric to assume the political office of President.

2 August 1981 - 30 August 1981: Mohammad-Ali Rajai assumed office as the 2nd President of Iran but was assassinated in a bombing on 30 August 1981 along with Prime Minister Mohammad-Javad Bahonar.

5 February 1980 - 20 June 1981: Sayyed Abolhassan Banisadr was the first Iranian president after the Iranian Revolution that abolished monarchy. The Iranian Parliament impeached Banisadr in his absence on 21 June 1981, because of his moves against the clerics in power, particular Mohammad Beheshti who was the then head of the judicial system.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After being granted bail in the much disputed 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case, former MP R.V. Vedanti on Saturday, in an explosive revelation, said the pulling down of the 'edifice' had the backing of the then Government.

Vedanti said that the then prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao had agreed to their request of not sending any forces in order to smoothen the process of demolition without any hindrance.

"On the night of December 5, 1992 around 11 p.m., the then prime minister Narsimha Rao called me and asked what would happen tomorrow? I told him that the kar sevaks would not move back behind demolishing the structure. He then asked what help I wanted. I told him that if their forces don't come, we would demolish it, to which Narsimha Rao agreed," Vedanti told the media here.

On the involvement of other senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders such as L.K. Advani, Uma Bharti, Murli Manohar Joshi, Vedanti said all of them had come to the spot after the action had begun, but they had requested the kar sevaks to come down the building and stop what they were doing.

"When the entire thing started, L.K. Advani, Uma Bharti, Murli Manohar Joshi and others came and asked the kar sevaks to come down from the structure. Kar sevaks were of the opinion that the temple would not be made until the 'structure' is demolished," he said.

The ministers, who are facing charges in connection with the Babri Masjid Demolition case, were granted bail by a special CBI court earlier today.

The accused were granted bail after signing a surety bond worth Rs. 20,000.

The next hearing in the matter will be held on May 22.

The five accused, namely former MP R.V. Vedanti, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Champat Rai, B.L. Sharma, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and Dharamdas were asked to appear before the court after a notice was issued to them.

The court was hearing a case against the accused alleged to having been involved in demolition of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya in 1992.

This comes a week after the Supreme Court allowed the CBI's appeal in the Babri Masjid demolition case and restored criminal conspiracy charges against BJP leaders L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh among others.

However, Kalyan Singh, who was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1992, enjoys constitutional immunity as the Rajasthan Governor and can be tried only after he leaves office.

The apex court ordered that two separate cases in Lucknow and Raebareli against Advani, Joshi and Bharti and unknown 'kar sevaks' shall be brought together in one trial.

The Supreme Court also directed the trial court in Lucknow to commence the proceedings in four weeks and hear the matter on a day-to-day basis so as to complete the hearing in two years. The apex court also said there will be no 'de novo' (fresh) trial.

The CBI has been ordered to ensure that at least one prosecution witness appears in the trial court for recording of testimony.

To ensure a speedy trial, the top court has given two important directions - first, no party shall be granted adjournments without the sessions judge being satisfied of the reasons for it; second, the trial judge hearing the case shall not be transferred till the judgement is delivered.

The Supreme Court also said that its order should be followed in letter and spirit. If the parties involved feel that the top court's order is not being followed in letter and spirit then they will be having the liberty to approach the apex court.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Passion and interest in films has encouraged a young Kashmiri to debut in Bollywood as a film producer.

Arbaz Bhat, the youngest Kashmiri producer has started shooting for the film "Hai Tujhe Salaam India".

The cast of the film includes Arya Babbar, Smita Goudkar, Aijaz Khan, Kamaljit, Ummee Umar, Asha Bhat.

Bhat said, "I am a resident of Kashmir and would surely love to begin the shoot of the film in my hometown. We have cast some local artists to promote young talent of the Valley."

He added, "Shooting the film in the valley has been a positive sign for locals here as it has given an opportunity to local vendors to enhance their trade."

Bhat who completed his schooling from the Iqra Educational Institute, was raised by his mother.

Arbaz joined the family business after completing high school. This, he says helped him from a financial point of view.

Later, he went to Mumbai to gain experience in film productions. In order to fulfill his dreams in making films, Bhat started working on a film and is now coming out with his first.

Bhat said, "The state government has helped a lot while shooting in the valley."

He further revealed that he has hired local technicians and artists so that they are employed even it is for a short while.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 54-year-old Swami was bobbitised by a 23-year-old girl in the state capital after she was subjected to alleged sexual harassment for the past five years.

According to a statement issued here on Saturday by Thiruvananthapuram Medical College hospital authorities, it was around 12.39 a.m that Hari Swami of a Hindu ashram near Kollam was brought to the hospital with his genitals severed almost 90 per cent.

A team of medical professionals conducted a plastic surgery and he is now reported to be out of danger.

According to the girl, the Swami was a frequent visitor to their home here and used to conduct religious ceremonies and right from the time she was a Class 12 student she was under his duress.

This incident occurred on Friday night when the girl using a knife slashed the Swami's genitals.

The local police have registered a case against the Swami.

Prameela Devi, member of the Kerala State Women's Commission, said she felt proud of the girl that she did this, as such acts by anyone especially when it comes under the guise of a religious tag, irrespective of the religion, is not acceptable, as such people should be role models to all.

Meanwhile, the police appeared confused on what was needed to be done with regards to the legal proceedings against the girl.

--IANS

sg/py/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP President Amit Shah arrived in Chandigarh on Saturday to a rousing reception by party leaders in the city.

Shah, who is on a two-day visit, was taken from the airport to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chandigarh headquarters in Sector 33 in a roadshow comprising scores of cars and two-wheelers.

He was received at the airport by Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher, Chandigarh BJP President Sanjay Tandon, former MP Satya Pal Jain and other senior BJP leaders.

Party leaders from neighbouring Punjab and Haryana were also present.

Shah inaugurated the new building of the Chandigarh BJP office and later address a meeting of senior leaders.

The visit, according to BJP sources, is aimed at preparations for the 2019 general elections.

Tight security measures were in place from the airport to the BJP office.

--IANS

js/ksk/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 179 pilgrims from Maharashtra -- among the 25,000 stranded after a massive landslide en route to the holy shrine of Badrinath -- are safe, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday.

"All the pilgrims from the state are safe... We are making arrangements to bring them home by trains from tomorrow (Sunday)," Fadnavis told mediapersons here.

At least 179 pilgrims, including 102 from Aurangabad, 38 from Pune, 30 from Nashik, six from Jalgaon and the rest from other parts, are stranded at different points in Uttarakhand after a huge landslide blocked the highway to Badrinath shrine on Friday.

A majority of them had gone through private operators for the annual pilgrimage to Badrinath, situated at a height of nearly 3,100 metres on the bank of Alakananda river.

Earlier, reports said a major portion of a hill collapsed on the highway near Hathipahad, blocking the road and stranding hundreds of vehicles on both sides in the Garhwal Himalayan range.

--IANS

qn/pgh/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
& Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BCPL) has tied up with leading online grocery store Big Basket to sell its home products for the Kolkata market, a company official said on Saturday.

The state-run company is also inthe process to join hands with retail chains and modern trade outlets.

"We are initiating a new front and going online. We have joined hands with Big Basket for Kolkata market. From Saturday, our products go live in the website and mobile app of the online store," Managing Director and Director (Finance) P M Chandraiah said here.

He said the company was looking at Rs 50-60 lakh of online sales in the current fiscal and at least Rs two crore in the next financial year from online space.

BCPL is focusing on marketing activities of its brands which includes home products like Pheneol, White Tiger, Naphthalene Balls, Cantharidine Hair Oil, Bleaching Powder and OTC Medicines.

"The online partner is committed to deliver products to the doorstep of the customer within 90 minutes," he said.

Founded by the Father of Indian Chemistry Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray, the company reported a net profit of Rs 4 crore in 2016-17 for the first time in six decades.
A 54-year-old godman bobbitised by a young woman he had been allegedly raping for years remained in a hospital here on Saturday even as police formally arrested him.

Simultaneously, the 23-year-old women was charged with voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means. This is a bailable offence, a police officer said.

The woman, whose name is being withheld, cut off the genitals of the godman, Hari Swami, a day earlier after accusing him of sexually harassing her for years.

Hari Swami remained warded at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital after undergoing plastic surgery after the woman severed almost 90 per cent of his genitals.

Doctors said he was now out of danger.

"The Swami's arrest has been recorded. He will be produced before the magistrate once he is discharged from the hospital," a police officer told IANS.

According to the woman, the Swami was a frequent visitor to their home here and used to conduct rituals right from the time when she was a Class 12 student.

Her father was apparently keeping unwell for a long time. On Friday, the woman grabbed a knife and attacked the Swami.

The woman reportedly told police that she could not take the sexual attacks any more.

On Saturday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan came out in support of the woman.

Asked if "strong action" would be taken against the accused, he shot back: "Strong action has already taken place. All we need is to extend our support to her."

A Hindu ashram near Kollam to which the Swami was linked said it had nothing to do with the godman.

Authorities at the Panmana Ashram, located about 80 km from here, said the Swami was removed from the rolls long back.

Girish Kumar from the ashram said the Swami left them more than a decade back and the ashram should not be blamed for his deeds.

"For long there was no news of him. Of late he had come here a few times. This is an ashram where many people come and go," said Kumar.

The Swami was initially in a denial mode about the incident and reportedly told the doctors that he himself slashed his genitals "as I do not need them".

But he later said that a woman had attacked him.

Prameela Devi, a member of the Kerala State Women's Commission, said she felt proud of the woman.

"Such acts by anyone, especially when it comes under the guise of a religious tag, irrespective of the religion, is not acceptable," she said.

BJP leader K. Rajashekharan also demanded action against the godman. "Anyone who does a crime needs to face consequences," he said.

--IANS

sg/mr/ahm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Brazilian business mogul has confessed to paying huge bribes to President Michel Temer since 2010, according to new court documents.

Joesley Batista, owner of Brazil-based global meatpacking giant JBS, confessed to prosecutors as part of a plea-bargain testimony related to the scandal surrounding JBS, which is being probed for alleged bribes paid to meat inspectors and irregular loans from state development bank BNDES to its holding company, J&F Investimentos, Efe news reported.

The documents released by the Supreme Court on Friday further ratchet up pressure on Temer, who was rocked earlier this week by allegations he encouraged the payment of money to a former top lawmaker convicted earlier this year of graft.

Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin, who is overseeing cases related to the investigation of a $2 billion bribes-for-inflated-contracts scheme centred on state oil company Petrobras, on Thursday approved an investigation into Temer based on the totality of Batista's confession.

The most explosive evidence are audio tapes, which Batista secretly recorded during a meeting with the President in Brasilia in March.

On the tapes, the President can be heard apparently recommending that the JBS chairman maintain the flow of money to the former speaker of Brazil's lower house, the imprisoned Eduardo Cunha, to buy his silence.

Cunha was convicted in March of offences that included receiving bribes in connection with a contract Petrobras signed in the African nation of Benin.

On the tapes, released to the media, Batista says that he is looking to have his company receive favours from government ministries, that he is in contact with prosecutors who are informing him about investigations and that he is bribing Cunha to keep him from entering into a plea-bargain arrangement.

The tapes have led to calls for Temer's resignation.

In one document, Batista said that between 2010 and 2011 he made monthly payments of 100,000 reais ($29,500) in exchange for "favours" from the Agriculture Ministry.

Temer, has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and said he can guarantee the tapes provide no proof of guilt.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL, on Saturday said it would bring investment to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore covering more than 10,000 large government or private buildings in next 2-3 years as part of the Energy Efficient Buildings programme.

UnionPower, New and Renewable Energy, Coal and Mines Minister Piyush Goyal launched the programme here, in the presence of Maharashtra PWD Minister Chandrakant Dada Patil.

EESL, a JV under the administration of Union Power Ministry, also signed a MoU with PWD Maharashtra to retrofit 1,500 buildings under PWD in Maharashtra with energy efficient appliances.

It is estimated that about 1 crore LED lights, 15 lakh energy efficient ceiling fans and 1.5 lakh energy efficient ACs will be retrofitted by EESL in these buildings.

"The National Buildings Energy Efficiency programme has the potential to reduce not only cost and energy consumption but significantly contribute to management of peak demand," Goyal said.

He also inaugurated National Building Dashboard which will allow the public to access real time information on the energy and monetary savings along with the CO2 emissions through the retrofitting in the buildings across the country.

Goyal said the National Building Dashboard is also an effective tool to not only measure savings real-time but demonstrate the transparency in implementation of projects.

--IANS

bdc/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister of State for External Affairs General V.K. Singh has asked the officials to focus on developmental activities in such a way that Ghaziabad is included in the list of smart cities.

Singh, a Lok Sabha member from Ghaziabad, said during a review meeting here on Saturday that "not including Ghaziabad in the list of smart cities of India is shameful to all of us".

In the meeting, District Magistrate (DM) Ministy S. Nayyar assured the minister that the civil officers along with police and local bodies officers would give a thrust to developmental activities so that the city becomes smart in all aspects.

The three local MLAs, Mayor Ashu Kumar Verma along with the DM, Vice Chairperson of Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) Kanchan Verma, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) H.N. Singh and Deputy Municipal Commissioner D.K. Sinha were also present at the meeting called by the Union minister.

--IANS

sps/pgh/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Indian equity markets on Friday closed on a flat note after a volatile trade session, as investors' booked profits. However, a key index scaled a new high during the intra-day trade, as healthy buying in banking and FMCG stocks buoyed sentiments.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE touched a new high of 30,712.35 points during the intra-day trade. It had touched a high of 30,692.45 points intra-day on May 17.

A rebound in global cues and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council's fitment of almost all goods as well as services in the tax slabs aided the markets to recover from lower levels.

However, outflow of foreign funds and caution ahead of derivatives' expiry next week capped gains.

The BSE Sensex closed at 30,464.92 points -- up 30.13 points or 0.10 per cent from its previous close at 30,434.79 points.

On the other hand, the wider 51-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed at 9,427.90 points -- down 1.55 points or 0.02 per cent.

"Markets ended flat on Friday after an extremely volatile session. Gains caused by firm global indices and reports of the GST Council finalising rates for most goods were mostly offset by profit booking," Deepak Jasani, Head (Retail Research), HDFC Securities, told IANS.

"Broad market indices like the BSE mid-cap and small-cap indices fell more thereby underperforming the Sensex. Major Asian markets ended higher, barring the Straits and Taiwan indices, while European indices like FTSE 100, CAC 40 and DAX traded higher."

In terms of the broader markets, the S&P BSE mid-cap index slipped by 0.72 per cent and the small-cap index by 0.88 per cent.

Anand James, Chief Market Strategist, Geojit Financial Services, said: "With currencies remaining volatile and with derivatives expiry approaching, investors chose to lock in gains on the last working day of the week."

On the currency front, the rupee strengthened by 20 paise to 64.64-65 per US dollar from its previous close of 64.84-85.

In investments, provisional data with the exchanges showed that foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold stocks worth Rs 988.70 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) purchased scrips worth Rs 349.21 crore.

"FMCG shares got an uplift from the GST tax rates finalisation, with shares of ITC and HUL hitting a fresh all-time high," Dhruv Desai, Director and Chief Operating Officer of Tradebulls, told IANS.

"IT sector stocks traded down on profit booking, while cement and power sector stocks outperformed the bearishness in the market on strong buying support."

Sectorwise, the S&P FMCG index rose by 176.12 points, the banking index by 100.19 points and the power index by 4.23 points.

On the other hand, the S&P consumer durables index fell by 162.20 points, the automobile index by 138.51 points, and the oil and gas index by 113.79 points.

Major Sensex gainers on Friday were: ITC, up 2.82 per cent at Rs 285.90; Hindustan Unilever, up 2.04 per cent at Rs 1,007.55; Axis Bank, up 1.83 per cent at Rs 500.85; State Bank of India (SBI), up 1.72 per cent at Rs 308.15, and Tata Motors, up 1.08 per cent at Rs 442.95.

Major Sensex losers were: Asian Paints, down 2.43 per cent at Rs 1,122.20; Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M), down 1.35 per cent at Rs 1,333.10; HDFC, down 1.16 per cent at Rs 1,521.30; Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), down 1.08 per cent at Rs 2,506.80; and Power Grid, down 1.06 per cent at Rs 205.90.

--IANS

ppg/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Picking up the gauntlet, the Election Commission on Saturday offered its EVMs for political parties to hack them, if possible, under a "Framework of Challenge" from June 3 but insisted that the machines cannot be tampered with in its custody.

Amid doubts raised about EVMs by political parties, the Commission held a demonstration of the EVMs equipped with VVPAT machines to prove its point that they cannot tampered with or manipulated either at the manufacturing stage or during polling, storing and counting.

Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi announced the schedule for the 'EVM Challenge' under a framework of conditions decided by the Commission. Those unable to prove their point will be dubbed to have failed the test.

He said it will be open to the national and state parties which took part in the recent elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur and claimed that the EVMs were tampered or could be tampered even under the poll panel's safeguards.

The exercise may last four-five days depending on the number of parties expressing interest. A decision will be taken whether to allow the media to witness it, he said.

The parties should prove their claims within the administrative and security protocols prescribed by the Commission at its headquarters from June 3, Zaidi said.

Any party which wants to join the challenge can confirm its participation by May 26. If its representatives fail to turn up on the appointed day and time, they will forfeit their right to take part in the challenge.

The 'Challenge Statement I' said the doubters should prove that the EVMs used in the five states were tampered to favour a candidate or a party by altering their results stored in the EVMs after the polls.

The claimants will have to alter the results in the Control Units used during these polls in exactly the same scenario as the EVMs remaining within the safeguards of the EC after the polls.

This covers the period of storage in strong rooms or during counting by pressing a combination of keys on Control Unit (CU) and Balloting Unit (BU) or by communication to CU or BU or both via external wireless or bluetooth or mobile phone.

'Challenge Statement II' asked the naysayers to prove that the EVMs used in the five states were tampered before or during polling.

The claimants will have to alter the results in the EVMs used during the polls in exactly the same scenario as the EVMs remain within the safeguards of the Commission before the poll in strongrooms or during polling.

Reacting to Zaidi's announcement, the AAP, whose leaders sought to demonstrate in the Delhi assembly that the machines can be hacked, said it will seek clarifications from the Commission on the proposed challenge. It did not say whether it will take part in the challenge.

Zaidi asserted that the machines can't be tampered with through external hardware -- wireless, WiFi, bluetooth device or mobile phones -- nor can they be manipulated at the manufacturing stage because of strict security protocol.

He said the results can't be altered by activating a Trojan Horse through a sequence of key presses because the micro-chip is programmed for one time use only.

The EVMs can't be physically tampered with nor their components be changed without anyone noticing, he said, adding the latest technological features make them tamper-proof with features like OTP micro-controllers, dynamic coding of key codes and other measures, he said.

Zaidi said the Commission does not use EVMs made abroad. These are produced through public sector manufacturers BEL in Bengaluru and ECIL in Hyderabad.

"The software programme code is written in-house by these two companies, not outsourced, is approved by the Technical Evaluation Committee of ECI and subjected to strict security procedures at factory level to maintain the highest levels of integrity."

The poll panel said each party can nominate up to three persons to take part in the challenge. However, EVMs involved in any election petition or ordered to be sealed by courts will not be available for the challenge.

--IANS

ps-aks/vsc/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump has told senior Russian officials that his abrupt firing of FBI Director James Comey had eased "great pressure" on him from the probe over his campaign's ties with Russia, a media report said.

A report in The New York Times quoted a White House-leaked file summarising the meeting with Russian officials.

"I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," Trump has reportedly told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak in the Oval Office on May 10, the day after he dismissed Comey, according to the document.

The New York Times said the document, which was based on notes taken from inside the Oval Office and has been circulated as the official account of the meeting, was read to the newspaper by a US official.

Afterwards, a second official confirmed the broad outlines of the discussion, Xinhua reported.

"I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off," Trump was quoted as saying.

"I'm not under investigation," the US president told Russian officials.

Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, did not dispute the account, only stressing that the ousted FBI chief had put unnecessary pressure on the president's ability to conduct diplomacy with Russia on matters such as Syria, Ukraine and the extreme terror group Islamic State.

"By grandstanding and politicising the investigation into Russia's actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia," Spicer said.

"The investigation would have always continued, and obviously, the termination of Comey would not have ended it. Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations," said Spicer.

Trump was using a negotiating tactic when he told Russian officials about the "great pressure" he was under, another US official defended the president to the Times, suggesting that Trump's purpose was to create a sense of obligation with Russian officials and to coax concessions on certain issues.

Trump is set to embark on his first overseas trip on Friday afternoon. The eight-day journey includes visits to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy and Belgium. The White House said earlier that Trump will not pick new FBI director nominee before he leaves the country.

On Thursday, Trump lashed out over the appointment of former FBI director Robert Mueller as the special counsel to probe Trump-Russia ties, saying that it "divides country". He said he had never colluded with Russia.

"I believe it hurts our country terribly, because it shows we're a divided, mixed-up, not-unified country," Trump said.

--IANS

qd/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Senior hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani on Saturday suspended Nayeem Khan's Front from the Hurriyat, even as Khan told media that the sting operation by a news channel was "doctored and fake".

In a sting operation conducted by India Today TV, Khan purportedly confessed to receiving funds from Pakistan to create unrest in the Kashmir Valley.

Geelani in a statement here said: "I have suspended the Front led by Muhammad from the Hurriyat till such time the controversy raised by the TV news report is explained".

Khan who was the provincial president of the Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference earlier told the media that, "the agenda of the Indian media is to defame the Kashmir struggle."

He said the video shown by India Today news channel was run in "bits and pieces and everything has been taken out of context".

"We generate funds at the local level to help victims of the conflict. Yes, Pakistan is a basic party to the Kashmir dispute and it is supporting the freedom struggle in Kashmir," Khan told the media.
A stray dog snoozes under a red boat lying next to a rickety teashop at Sur Bandars quay. It is Friday, and the harbour front is very quiet compared to the one at Gwadar, some 20 km away, where a Chinese deep sea port is under construction, promising to transform the sleepy town into a global trading hub.

At Sur Bandar's quay the fisherfolk gather and chat over endless cups of a strong, sweet concoction they call "doodh-patti", or just watch the world go by. I ask some if they have heard of the much-touted China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), but all shake their heads.

CPEC is a 3,000-km corridor from Kashgar in western China to Gwadar in Pakistan on the Arabian sea. It slices through the Himalayas, disputed territories, plains and deserts to reach the ancient fishing port Gwadar. Huge Chinese-funded infrastructure projects, including road and railway networks as well as power plants, are being built along the way. Originally valued at $46 billion, the corridor is estimated at $62 billion today.

The port under construction at Gwadar is owned by the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) and operated by China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC), which will run it for 40 years. For China, Gwadar is strategically perched close to the Strait of Hormuz, through which an estimated 40 per cent of the world's oil passes.

In Sur Bandar, though, the port development has brought only fear and uncertainty. Rumours are rife that it will bring an influx of fisherfolk displaced from Gwadar.

Saeed Mohammad, president of an association of Sur Bandar's fisherfolk, says he has heard that it will happen but does not know when. "But there is not enough space for their boats to berth here, it's not even enough for us," he exclaims.

There are about 7,000 fisherfolk with 1,000 or so boats in Sur Bandar, he says, while the number in Gwadar is easily three times more.

The GPA is constructing a jetty at Sur Bandar, which the residents suspect is to eventually accommodate the fisherfolk from Gwadar. The fisherfolk in Gwadar have also heard that they will be displaced to Sur. "We have been told several times by security agencies that we should leave the port and fish at Sur," says Dad Karim.

"We will not leave. This is the spot where we can fish all the year round; at Sur, there are three months -- June, July and August -- when fisherfolk cannot go to the sea due to high waves."

Gwadar, he explained, is naturally protected by a hammerhead-shaped peninsula, which forms two almost perfect semi-circular bays on either side.

"It will take us two hours by boat to reach Sur; because our homes are here," says Naseem Gajar, a fisherman with dark glasses fashionably perched on his head.

Not that the situation in Gwadar is much better, although they have heard many promises over the last dozen years.

On his visit last month, Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had said 1,100 km of roads will be built within the city, bringing with it "progress and prosperity".

But at the moment the town -- situated in one of Pakistan's poorest provinces, Balochistan -- doesn't have even basic services. A local journalist, Behram Baloch, says healthcare is rudimentary, and for women it is almost non-existent. For childbirth complications women have to be taken all the way to Turbat or even Karachi, nearly 500 km away.

Elsewhere in Pakistan, not a day passes without someone from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) making a reference to CPEC or how it will bring prosperity to the length and breadth of Pakistan, and in particular to Gwadar. Yet the voices of the indigenous fisherfolk of Gwadar -- who make up 80 per cent of the district's 185,000 inhabitants -- have been snuffed out.

"In my own country, my own town and on my very own land, I am being welcomed as an outsider by someone who is actually the outsider," says 65-year-old Dad Karim. Speaking about a recent meeting he had with the Chinese delegation working inside the Gwadar port, he says, "They smiled warmly, shook our hands and asked us how they can help us since we were their guests! How would you feel, tell me?"

The Chinese company says the fisherfolk's livelihoods will not be affected and that once the factories are set up there will be no dearth of work. "They will all be absorbed in activities related to their own occupation be it fish processing, or value-addition," says Dadullah Yousaf, a local working with the COPHC as Deputy Manager.

But the fisherfolk do not feel reassured. With more and more skilled workers making their way to Gwadar, locals with fewer skills and no education are likely to be left behind. The fear among local people is palpable. "We do not know anything other than fishing", is a refrain you hear wherever you go.

But even if locals acquire skills, they will find it difficult to earn as much as they do now. In a week, the fisherfolk can make from Rs 20,000 ($188) to Rs 50,000 ($471). The wages of an unskilled worker at the port are not more than Rs 20,000 a month, and those of skilled labour, somewhere between Rs 28,000 ($264) to Rs 50,000 a month. In effect, their earnings may drop to a quarter of what they make now, or even less.

The heavy security around the port has made the fisherfolk more insecure. The military has trained a 30,000 strong security force to protect infrastructure and Chinese workers. "We are looked upon with suspicion and are asked to carry our national identity cards, a copy of our fishing licence and even a photo of our vessel? as if we are terrorists," snorts local resident Ilahi Bux.

Bux was badly beaten with by a metal rod last month after his boat crossed an imaginary line and found itself inside what the security people terms the "red zone", a two-km long water channel next to the port. On days when a dignitary visits Gwadar, an increasingly common occurrence, the fisherfolk are banned from going to the sea. "The day we don't go out to the sea, there is nothing to eat at home," Bux laments.

Some analysts suspect China is more interested in Gwadar as a potential naval base than a trading route through the Arabian Sea. Pakistani officials disagree. "It stands to reason that there is a naval interest in Gwadar, but there is a strong economic interest too," said Kaiser Bengali, former head of the Chief Minister's Policy Reform Unit of the provincial government of Balochistan.

At any given time, the port can berth two or three large ships with capacity of 50,000 DWT (dead weight tonnage). By 2045, the port will be able to berth 150 ships and cargo up to 400 million tonnes, and will have multiple logistics services, a huge storage facility and a nine-square kilometre industrial free trade zone (GPFZ). Phase 1 of the GPFZ will be ready by early 2018.

The town of Gwadar is no longer sleepy, but it isn't fully awake either. The Fish Harbour boulevard is lined with real estate offices. Developers and investors remain optimistic about the future and land prices have sky-rocketed here. But many locals say that they sold their land cheaply in the early 2000s. In this new wave, it is "outsiders" who are now selling property at very high rates.

In fact, other than the local fisherfolk, it seems everybody else is benefiting.

(In arrangement with thethirdpole.net. Zofeen T. Ebrahim is Pakistan editor of thethirdpole.net. Views expressed are those of thethirdpole.net. Feedback at information@thethirdpole.net)

--IANS

zafeen/sac

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Intelligence Bureau chief Rajiv Jain on Saturday reached Chhattisgarh capital Raipur on a two-day visit to the state, official sources said.

He later visited Sukma to take stock of the security situation. He also held a meeting with senior officials in Jagdalpur to review the ongoing operations against the Maoists.

In one of the deadliest attacks, 300 to 400 heavily armed Maoists on April 24 ambushed a Central Reserve Police Force contingent in a forested patch between Burkapal and Chintagufa in Sukma district leading to the death of 25 troopers.

--IANS

hindi/tsb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India should actively participate in Sri Lanka's growing power sector, both traditional and renewable, a top government official has said.

"India has a good opportunity and should actively participate. The two governments are active in exploring business potential," B.M.S. Batagoda, Secretary, Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy, told visiting Indian journalists.

He also said the island nation's government is looking at the possibility of three-way joint venture among Sri Lanka, India and Japan in building an LNG terminal at Kerawalapitiya.

Batagoda said the Sri Lankan government has asked its power utility -- Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) -- and the Indian thermal power major NTPC Ltd to come up with a financial model for the proposed 500 MW liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fired power plant.

"We have asked CEB and the NTPC to come up with the proposal on the joint venture structure like shareholding pattern and other aspects for setting up the power plant," he said.

He said the financial modelling could be on the lines that was agreed earlier for the 500 MW thermal plant at Sampur in Triconmalee district.

The coal-fired plant project was to be a 50:50 joint venture between CEB and NTPC but was scrapped for a variety of reasons.

Batagoda said the land intended for this power plant can be offered to India to set up 50 MW solar power plant.

Sri Lanka is also planning to build another 500 MW LNG power plant with Japan.

Speaking about the proposed LNG terminal at Kerawalapitiya, Batagoda said Sri Lanka now has power plants with a generation capacity of 900 MW running on costly fuels. This terminal will enable these plants switch over to the cheaper LNG.

"India and Japan are keen to build the terminal. We are thinking of an open tender for the project. But India and Japan want government-to-government talks. We are also looking at the possibility of a three-way joint venture between Sri Lanka, India and Japan in building a LNG terminal," Batagoda said.

He said another 300 MW LNG power plant is waiting to be tendered.

Queried about purchasing power from India, Batagoda said a joint committee is looking at its feasibility. He said a new and shorter route for laying power cables and the financial model for a private player to own and operate it is being looked at.

"The other option is for two organisations of the two governments to own the cable company. Possibly India's Power Grid Corporation can be one of the partners," Batagoda said.

Alternatively, India can buy wind power from Sri Lanka, he added.

"We have 5,000 MW of wind power potential. We can export to India wind power and buy power from India for our base load needs," Batagoda said.

According to him, India should invest in wind power projects in Sri Lanka where the plant load factor (PLF) is good. The PLF of wind turbines in Sri Lanka is around 40 per cent higher than that of the turbines operating in India.

Sri Lanka will also come out with global tender for exploration of new gas wells and for attracting investors to develop gas wells. Cairn Lanka, a subsidiary of Cairn India, had discovered gas in two wells.

In the thermal power sector, Sri Lanka is now looking at super critical power plants instead of sub-critical ones, said Sulakshana Jayawardena, Director (Development), Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy.

The island nation has a total installed capacity of around 4,000 MW and plans to increase this to around 6,400 MW by 2025 while growing renewable energy sources manifold.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan was in Colombo recently at the invitation of wind turbine maker Gamesa. He can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in)

--IANS

vj/vm/sac

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani won a resounding victory in the 12th Presidential polls on Saturday as voters yearning for more freedom at home and less isolation abroad have emphatically backed the moderate cleric.

With a huge turnout, polling stations stayed open until midnight in parts of the country, defying concerns that moderates disillusioned by the weak economy or slow pace of change would not vote.

Iran's interior minister, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, announced live on state television that Rouhani received 23,549,616 votes (57 per cent), compared with his conservative rival Ebrahim Raisi, who won 15,786,449 votes (38.5 per cent).

More than 41.2 million people voted out of 56 million who were eligible to do so. The two other lesser known candidates, Mostafa Aqa-Mirsalim and Mostafa Hashemi-Taba, got 478,215 and 215,450 votes respectively.

No sitting president in Iran has failed to win a second term since 1981.

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the top leader of the country, commended the Iranian people for their "massive and epic" turnout in the country's twin elections.

"The winner of yesterday's elections, is you (the Iranian people), and the Islamic establishment, which has managed to win the increasing trust of this big nation despite the enemies' plot and effort," Khamenei said.

Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri said: "I congratulate the great victory of the Iranian nation in creating a huge and memorable epic in the continuation of the path of 'wisdom and hope'," referring to the government's slogan.

The European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini congratulated Rouhani on his re-election.

Mogherini said: "Iranians took passionately part to political life of their country. I congratulate President Hassan Rouhani for strong mandate received."

Despite the healthy margin of victory, Rouhan, 68, will face considerable hurdles, both at home and abroad, as he needs to demonstrate progress on overhauling the fragile economy. While he accomplished his goal of reaching a nuclear agreement with the US, China, Britain, France, Russia and Germany in his first term, that has not translated into the economic revival he predicted because of lingering unilateral US sanctions.

However, oil sales have rebounded since the deal took effect in January last year.

On the campaign trail, Rouhani had pledged to pursue talks with the US to lift further sanctions, and push for greater freedom inside Iran.

But the outcome of the election could have more immediate repercussions across the Middle East. Iran backs anti-Israel factions such as Lebanon's Hezbollah and has close ties with Syria's regime, which is opposed by the US and its regional allies.

Just as Iran's presidential vote took place, US President Donald Trump headed to Iran's main regional rival, Saudi Arabia, to begin a trip that will include a stop in Israel. Iran is expected to be a major topic of Trump's talks in both countries.

Despite increased tensions with the US since Trump's election, Rouhani sees Iran as benefiting from better ties with the West and from foreign investment. He has accused rivals of wanting to thwart progress.

Iran's President has important sway over domestic affairs and serves as the face of Iran to the world. But all key policies, such as diplomatic initiatives, must be cleared by Khamenei and his cadre of unelected leaders.

--IANS

ahm/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Jr. NTR, who turned 34 on Saturday, welcomed his birthday with his wife Lakshmi Pranathi and son Abhay.

"He rang in his birthday with his wife and son. He will spend the whole day with them. They might host a party in the evening for close friends and family," a source close to the star told IANS.

On Friday night, just minutes before he turned 34, Jr. NTR shared adorable photographs with his wife and son.

Within minutes, the images went viral on social media.

To coincide with his birthday, the makers of the actor's next outing, "Jai Lava Kusaa, released two new posters.

In the K.S Ravindra-directed film, Jr. NTR plays trip role and one of the characters, Jai, was unveiled on Friday.

--IANS

hp/dc/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Over 150 grenades, recovered by the police from beneath the soil in northern Tripura, have been defused by army experts, police said on Saturday.

The 151 grenades, buried at Gaurnagar in northern Tripura, were recovered by the police last week.

"Experts from army's divisional headquarters at Masimpur (near Silchar in southern Assam) came on Friday and defused the grenades," northern Tripura's Unokoti district police chief Ajit Pratap Singh told reporters.

He said students found the grenades while playing near a central school at Gaurnagar. They informed their elders, who immediately alerted the police, who rushed to the area and recovered the grenades after digging up the soil.

Local villagers said that the grenades might have been buried during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 when the sovereign country emerged.

Historian Bikach Chowdhury said Tripura had six to seven camps in four sectors from where the Bangladeshi 'Mukti Joddhas' (freedom fighters) fought Pakistani forces after being trained in Tripura.

"Over 1,600,000 Bangladeshis -- a number larger than the state's then total population of 1,500,000 -- had taken shelter in Tripura alone," he said.

The nine-month-long "Mukti Juddho" (Liberation War) later turned into a full-scale India-Pakistan War, leading to the surrender of nearly 93,000 Pakistani soldiers in Dhaka on December 16, 1971.

Tripura shares 856 km borders with Bangladesh.

--IANS

sc/ruwa/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US First lady Melania Trump stepped off Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport here on Saturday without a headscarf, potentially creating a stir in the conservative Islamic country.

Melania followed the example of her predecessor Michelle Obama, who during a visit to the country in 2015, attended several public events without a headscarf, ABC News reported.

Senior adviser and President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka, travelling as part of the presidential entourage, was also seen not wearing an abaya (traditional robe).

Women here, including visitors and foreign dignitaries, are expected to be fully covered in public, including their head and hair, as per the religious and legal code.

Michelle's flouting of the custom was seen by some as a sign of disrespect to her hosts. The White House at the time said she intended to make a statement in a country where women have few rights.

Trump criticised Michelle for not wearing a headscarf. During the Obamas' visit, Trump tweeted, "Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs Obama refusing to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted. We have enuf enemies."

The Trumps did seem to get a little political cover ahead of their visit from Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel bin Ahmen Al-Jubier, who told local media last week, "We welcome any style of clothing".

Al-Jubier said the government "usually doesn't demand", but makes "suggestions" to visiting female dignitaries.

--IANS

soni/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The father of a prominent Maldivian blogger murdered last month wants India's help to ensure justice for his son.

"I want India to press the (Maldives) government to make my son's murder case investigation go for a fair trial," Hussain Rasheed, father of Yameen Rasheed who ran a popular blog called The Daily Panic that poked fun at politicians of his country, told IANS during a visit here.

Yameen, who was known for his fight for democracy and human rights, was found dead in his apartment in Male with multiple stab wounds on April 23.

This was the latest in a series of attacks on media persons and politicians critical of the government of President Abdulla Yameen ever since then President Mohamed Nasheed controversially resigned in February 2012 following a mutiny by a large number of army and police personnel.

Yameen was also very vocal about the disappearance of fellow blogger and best friend Ahmed Rilwan since August 2014 and was getting threats. He approached the police in December last year but had to really push to get his concerns registered.

He is the third media person to be attacked in the last five years. In 2012 another blogger, Ismail Rasheed, narrowly escaped death after a knife attack.

Also, in October 2012, reformist religious scholar and Member of Parliament Afrasheem Ali was killed.

Painting a grim picture of the prevailing situation in the Indian Ocean archipelago nation which is faced with growing Islamic radicalisation, the senior Rasheed said that the current government of Abdulla Yameen did not enjoy much public support.

"I think if you hold a fair election, the government of Maldives will not get even five per cent of the votes," he said.

According to him, this was evident from the recent local council elections in which representatives of the ruling dispensation fared poorly.

Noting that India was the Maldives' closest friend and neighbour and the biggest democracy in the world, he said that an unstable government in his country would not be good for India's neighbourhood.

"We want India to help us to bring the government back on the path of democracy," Rasheed said.

On Friday, at a discussion on "Threats to Free Speech and Press Freedom: Murder of Prominent Blogger in the Maldives" organised by the Observer Research Foundation think tank, Rasheed gave an account of the events surrounding his son's murder.

He said that after being informed by the police about it at his parental home in one of the southernmost islands of the Maldives early April 23 morning, he rushed to Male but the hospital authorities there did not allow him to see his son's body as he could not have tolerated it.

When the body was finally handed over after being cleaned, Rasheed found that his son sustained 34 cuts on his body, including 14 on the chest, one on the throat and three on the forehead.

Rasheed said that his son had been getting death threats since 2011 but he was not told about it because of his heart condition.

After studying till class 12 in Kerala, Yameen Rasheed graduated in computer science from an institute in Bengaluru and was working at the Maldives Stock Exchange till the time of his death.

Speaking on the occasion, Shauna Aminath, a prominent Maldivian human rights activist, said that since 2012, there has been a severe decline in the democratic environment in her country.

"I fear the situation will soon become irreversible. We are witnessing new elements coming into play, especially Islamic radicalisation," she said, adding that President Yameen was increasingly becoming authoritarian.

"It is an ideology that is killing liberal values and democracy."

Aminath said that most opposition political leaders were in jail and there was no press freedom with two newspapers and a TV channel being shut down under the current regime.

She said over 200 young Maldivians have left to fight in Syria.

"We are in India's backyard. I hope India will not remain silent," Aminath said.

(Aroonim Bhuyan can be contacted at aroonim.b@ians.in)

--IANS

ab/vm/tb

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nalanda University plans to introduce Vedic Studies and may also start short-term executive programmes on subjects like Mindfulness and Yoga.

"Within the existing schools, we will create new departments," Vice Chancellor Sunaina Singh said in a statement.

"For instance, in the School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions we plan to introduce Vedic Studies, Indian Spiritual Tradition and Peace Studies," Singh said.

Envisioning Nalanda University as an intellectual bridge between India, Asia and the Asia-Pacific countries, she said the West looks to India as a solution centre.

"Indian knowledge systems have to be explored," Singh said.

"The University may also start some short-term executive programmes on subjects like Mindfulness and Yoga."

According to her, the university needs to build more schools and departments for academic excellence.

"The School of Linguistics and Literature and The School of International Relations and Peace Studies will be the next schools that we will focus on."

Located in the Buddhist pilgrim town of Rajgir in Bihar's Nalanda district, the university began its first academic session in September 2014 on a makeshift campus.

--IANS

ik/vgu/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A national bravery hero from Maharashtra, who was honoured by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year, was kidnapped along with his sibling from their home here, police said on Saturday.

As per the complaint registered late Friday night by their mother Sundarbai R. Bhil, her two minor sons, Nilesh and Ganpat, went missing and were kidnapped by some unknown persons, said the on-duty officer of Muktainagar Police Station.

Nilesh Bhil, 12, received the National Bravery Award in January 2016 for saving a village boy from drowning in a water tank the previous year.

Top police officers at the local and regional levels are monitoring the investigations involving the national hero and his seven-year old younger brother.

The motive behind the suspected kidnapping is not yet clear.

--IANS

qn/ksk/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday questioned various separatist leaders in the alleged hawala and terror funding from Pakistan-based terrorist groups.

While JKLF leader Farookh Ahmad Dar was quizzed, a NIA official also said that the agency was also questioning two other separatist leaders Nayeem Khan and Ghazi Javed Baba in the case.

The agency's action comes a day after its five member team arrived in Srinagar after registering a preliminary enquiry against Hurriyat's hardcore wing chief Syed Ali Geelani and his close aide and Hurriyat provincial president Nayeem Khan, Jammu and Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Dar alias Bitta Karate and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader Baba.

Probing the separatist leaders for allegedly receiving money from Lashkar-e-Taiba and other sources in Pakistan to fund stone-pelting and violent protests in Jammu and Kashmir, NIA officials have also asked the separatist leaders to produce certain documents for examination.

Earlier in the day, Geelani suspended Nayeem Khan's National Front from the Hurriyat, even as Khan told media that the sting operation by a news channel was "doctored and fake".

According to the investigating agency officials, the probe agency has collected the copies of at least 150 cases and are analysing these FIRs registered in the Valley recently, regarding damage caused to the schools and public property as part of the larger conspiracy to perpetuate violence and chaos in .

The probe agency's move followed an expose by national news channel India Today purportedly showing Pakistan pumping money to stoke trouble in the valley in connivance with Hurriyat leaders.

The channel aired a sting on May 16 in which the Hurriyat leaders allegedly confessed to its reporter that they received money from Pakistan-based organisations routed through hawala.

Following the sting operation, the probe agency also identified the hotel in Srinagar in which the sting operation took place and it was completing formalities of identification of the room and collection of records.

The agency is also probing all angles, the official said.

Following the NIA probe into the funding, the Enforcement Directorate, which probes economic offences, had said that it would also join the NIA probe into the matter of funding through hawala channels - an illegal cash transfer system across borders run by money brokers.

--IANS

aks/vd/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistani Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali would represent the country at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case relating to alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, a media report said on Saturday.

Ausaf Ali on Saturday announced that he would represent Pakistan in the Jadhav case at the ICJ, Geo TV said.

Earlier, Khawar Qureshi represented Pakistan.

On Thursday, the ICJ ordered Pakistan to halt the execution of Jadhav until a final decision in the proceedings.

This comes after the Pakistan government was slammed by the opposition parties saying "the verdict was a huge setback".

--IANS

akansha/ruwa/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actress Priyanka Chopras mother Madhu Chopra says her daughter is her "rolling stone" and is deeply interested in Indian regional cinema.

Priyanka and her mother are currently pitching three Indian regional films to international buyers at the 70th Cannes Film Festival.

"She's my rolling stone. (Priyanka) didn't just want to go and abandon things. She developed a production strategy about regional cinema, how to expose them, and how to use her brand value," Madhu told variety.com.

"She is deeply interested in Indian regional cinema, films that will be made by cast and crew in the regions, and not exploited by the Hindi industry (Bollywood). What we are making is not art, but it is niche," she added.

At Cannes, Priyanka's production banner Purple Pebble Pictures is pitching three projects -- Hindi-Konkani film "Little Joe", "Nalini", which will be shot in Bengali, Marathi and English, and "Little Visitors", a Sikkimese drama.

--IANS

sas/dc/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh chaired here on Saturday the first security review meeting with Chief Ministers of five states bordering China.

The Home Minister brought up the issue of connectivity in border areas and stressed the need to overcome these challenges.

Chief Ministers Mehbooba Mufti (Jammu and Kashmir), Virbhadra Singh (Himachal Pradesh), Trivendra Singh Rawat (Uttarakhand), Pawan Kumar Chamling (Sikkim) and Pema Khandu (Arunachal Pradesh) attended the meeting.

A Home Ministry official said the objective of the meeting was to strengthen coordination between the Ministry and the five states to improve overall border security.

The Minister is on a three-day visit to Sikkim from Friday.

Border infrastructure work undertaken by the Home Ministry, border area development programme, and coordination issues between the states and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police came up at the meeting.

The ITBP is responsible for the security of the 3,488 km India-China border in Jammu and Kashmir (1,597 km), Himachal Pradesh (200 km), Uttarakhand (345 km), Sikkim (220 km) and Arunachal Pradesh (1,126 km).

He said the Home Ministry, in the first stage, is building 27 roads near the border which will be completed by 2019-20. "Approval is being given for 48 other roads."

Rajnath Singh also stressed the need to strengthen basic infrastructure in the border areas in view of "thinning population and migration" from the border.

The Minister also advocated development of model villages in border districts and asked the states to send more proposals to the central government in this regard.

"The Centre is focussing on consolidated development of model villages in border districts. Last year, funds were released for 41 such villages," he said.

Rajnath Singh said the states should remove obstacles in border infrastructure development and that the problems pertaining to land acquisition and clearances need to be resolved.

He advised the Chief Ministers to send senior officers every six months to border areas in their respective states to review and implement the developmental work done in the villages.

Earlier in the day, the Home Minister visited Nathula Pass and an ITBP border post at Lachung, where he met troopers deployed on the Sino-Indian border.

He praised the ITBP personnel and asked them to be very vigilant while performing their border duties.

--IANS

rak/tsb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday expressed gratitude to the people as her Trinamool Congress-led government completed six years in power.

"Today is 20th May. In 2011, on this day, our government came to power in Bengal, ushering in a much-needed change and ending 34 years of Left Front misrule," she wrote on Facebook.

The first Trinamool ministry led by Banerjee took oath on May 20, 2011 and was sworn in for a second time on May 27 last year after retaining power in the assembly polls.

"On this auspicious day, I convey my heartiest greetings, best wishes and gratitude to Ma, Mati, Manush. Our resolve is to serve you better and better and make Bengal No. 1," Banerjee added.

--IANS

sgh/ssp/pgh/

mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Authorities imposed restrictions on Saturday in parts of Srinagar's Old City as separatists observed a "martyrs week" in the Kashmir Valley in memory of two senior leaders.

Authorities said restrictions on assembly of people were clamped in areas falling under the jurisdiction of three police stations: M.R. Gunj, Nowhatta and Safa Kadal.

"This has been done to maintain law and order," a police officer said.

Separatists are observing a "martyrs week" (Hafta-e-Shahdat) to commemorate the death anniversary of separatist leaders Mirwaiz Maulana Muhammad Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone.

While unknown gunmen killed Mirwaiz Farooq on May 21, 1990, Lone was killed in Eidgah grounds of Srinagar during the Mirwaiz's commemoration function on May 21, 2002.

The separatists have announced a rally to the Eidgah grounds to be led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the moderate Hurriyat group and son of the late Mirwaiz.

--IANS

sq/mr/py

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will attend the first ever Arab-Islamic-American Summit being held in Riyadh on Sunday, a media report said on Saturday.

The "Arab Nato" summit -- being held to develop a security partnership against a growing threat of violent extremism -- will also be attended by US President Donald Trump.

"Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz invited Sharif for the summit. The invitation was delivered by Saudi Information Minister Awwad bin Saleh al Awwad, who visited Islamabad last week," Dawn online quoted a Saudi Arabia government statement as saying.

Trump and leaders of the world's Islamic nations will meet to "address ways of building more robust and effective security partnerships to counter and prevent the growing threat of terrorism and violent extremism around the globe through promoting tolerance and moderation", the statement said.

Sharif has reaffirmed Pakistan's "alliance with the Kingdom by recalling the commonality of views of two countries on most regional and international issues and their collaboration" for achieving common interests and objectives.

It was "unlikely" that Sharif would get a one-on-one meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the summit, the report said.

--IANS

ruwa/py/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actress Shweta Menon, who predominantly works in Malayalam filmdom, says she is in search of substantial roles in order to be more active in Tamil cinema.

Her latest Tamil film "Inayathalam" released on Friday.

"I'm always on the lookout for great roles, irrespective of the language or industry. I would love to do more Tamil films; unfortunately, I don't come across any substantial roles. 'Inayathalam' offered me just the kind of role I was looking for and I jumped at it," Shweta told IANS.

In the film, she plays an investigative officer and works closely with cyber crime division.

"Thanks to my directors Shankar and Suresh, their in-depth research on my character was more than enough to understand and essay it. I like roles that challenge me and push me out of my comfort zone. This character was definitely enriching," she said.

--IANS

hp/dc/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A suspected agent of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been detained in Rajasthan, police said on Saturday.

Haji Khan was trapped during a joint operation by Police and the Army's intelligence unit, a police official said.

Khan was detained from his house in Kunjari village of Jaisalmer following intelligence inputs.

The police official said Khan, accused of sending confidential information to the ISI, had been sent to Jodhpur for further interrogation.

Investigators said they have recovered incriminating documents from his possession.

"Khan was detained a few months back but released due to lack of evidence," the official said. "He used to visit Pakistan regularly as his maternal house is there."

Kunjari village is situated near an Indian Air Force firing range, which is part of the Pokhran field firing range.

Security agencies believe the man may have shared information regarding the Army and Air Force with the ISI.

--IANS

as-rak/py/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, marking the beginning of his first foreign trip as President that includes visits to Israel, the Vatican City, Belgium and Italy.

Trump and his wife Melania landed at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport around 9.45 a.m. and were greeted with an elaborate welcoming ceremony, punctuated by a military brass band, a fighter jet flyover and a handshake from Saudi King Salman, the New York Times reported.

Melania stood near her husband without a headscarf, in the tradition of previous American first ladies.

She followed the example of her predecessor Michelle Obama, who during a visit to the country in 2015, attended several public events without a headscarf, ABC News reported.

Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner were also travelling as part of the presidential entourage. Ivanka was also seen not wearing an abaya (traditional robe).

"Great to be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Looking forward to the afternoon and evening ahead," Trump tweeted shortly after his arrival.

Trump was due to spend much of Saturday in meetings with King Salman and his government, including the powerful Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The US President's trip was greeted with public enthusiasm. Huge billboards around the city featured Trump and King Salman, while the city's roads were lined with alternating American and Saudi flags.

During his two-day visit, Trump is expected to announce a $100 billion-plus arms deal with Saudi Arabia as evidence of a renewed commitment by the United States to the security of the Gulf region, CNN reported.

The Trumps will join the Saudi royal family for an official dinner on Saturday night.

Coinciding with the start of his visit, Riyadh organised a Saudi-American business forum to strengthen investments and bilateral trade.

On Sunday, Trump will participate in a meeting with member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council as well as a summit with leaders and representatives from around 50 Middle Eastern and Islamic countries.

Parallel to these meetings, a forum for the fight against terror and extremism is to be held, sponsored by the Saudi-led anti-terror military coalition.

After wrapping up his two-day visit, Trump will travel to Israel, the Vatican and then on to Brussels and Sicily where he is to take part in NATO and G7 summits.

-- IANS

soni/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In his first overseas trip as President, Donald Trump sealed an arms deal with Saudi Arabia worth $350 billion over 10 years, with nearly $110 billion to take effect immediately. The agreement is said to bolster security "in the face of Iranian threats".

"This package of defence equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats, while also bolstering the Kingdom's ability to contribute to counter terrorism operations across the region," the White House said in a statement on Saturday, as quoted by CNBC News.

US President Donald Trump, along with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who is accompanying him on the trip, attended a signing ceremony for almost $110 billion worth of defence capabilities to be conveyed to Saudi Arabia, the US Department of State said in a statement on Saturday.

"This package demonstrates the United States' commitment to our partnership with Saudi Arabia, while also expanding opportunities for American companies in the region," the statement read.

The deal also "potentially supports tens of thousands of new jobs in the US," it added.

Reports of Washington and Riyadh engaging in talks over multi-billion arms deals emerged earlier in May.

--IANS

ahm/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Cab-hailing app Uber has warned an engineer who allegedly stole trade secrets and self-driving car technology from Google parent company Alphabet's unit Waymo to comply with court orders or risk being fired.

Uber issued a warning letter to Anthony Levandowski, saying it would take "adverse employment action against" him if he fails to comply the court's orders, TechCrunch reported on Saturday.

This came after Waymo argued that discovery in the case has been held up by Levandowski refusing to answer questions related to the alleged theft of proprietary data.

"Levandowski has repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment in the case, citing the potential for criminal action that could lead to self-incrimination," the report said.

Last week, a judge ordered that Uber "exercise the full extent of (its) corporate, employment, contractual and other authority" to force Levandowski to return any downloaded materials to Waymo.

Following that, Uber sent a letter to Levandowski giving him a choice between "deny(ing) ever having taken any downloaded materials from Google" or hand over any materials he might have taken from Google.

If he failed to comply, he would risk termination of his employment.

Google's self-driving car company Waymo in February filed a lawsuit against Uber for allegedly stealing trade secrets and technology from it.

The lawsuit, filed against Uber's self-driving vehicle unit Otto, argued that former Waymo manager Levandowski took information when he left the company and later co-founded Otto in January 2016.

"We uncovered evidence that Otto and Uber have taken and are using key parts of Waymo's self-driving technology. Today, we're taking legal action against Otto and its parent company Uber for misappropriating Waymo trade secrets and infringing our patents," Waymo wrote in a blog post.

The company said it found that six weeks before his resignation, Levandowski downloaded over 14,000 highly confidential and proprietary design files for Waymo's various hardware systems, including designs of Waymo's custom-built "Light Detection and Ranging" (LiDAR) and circuit board.

"To gain access to Waymo's design server, Levandowski searched for and installed specialised software onto his company-issued laptop. Once inside, he downloaded 9.7GB of Waymo's highly confidential files and trade secrets, including blueprints, design files and testing documentation," the company noted.

Levandowski copied the data to an external drive. He later wiped and reformatted the laptop in an attempt to erase forensic fingerprints.

--IANS

sku/na/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
North Korea has accused the UN and the US of "double dealing" for condemning Pyongyang's Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) tests, a media report said on Sunday.

Ambassador Kim In Ryong, deputy permanent representative of North Korea, on Friday read out a letter here that threatened to ignore UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions for discrimination and registered complaints against the world organisation and the US, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The sophism of the US claiming that it may carry out missile launches but not the DPRK and that its launches are a 'contribution' to peace and security while the one by DPRK is 'provocative' and strains tensions, is really the height of double-dealing standards," he said.

"The UNSC has kept mum about the US test-fire of an ICBM which flew more than 6,000 km across the ocean, even while crying out for 'denunciation' and 'sanctions' for ballistic rocket test-fires the DPRK carried out."

North Korea tested a Hwangsong-12 ICBM on May 14 which the council criticized, while the US tested ICBMs on April 26 and May 3 without criticism, the Pyongyang envoy said.

"If the UNSC does not call the US to account for its aggressive and provocative large-scale joint military exercises and ICBM launches, the DPRK will never recognise any UNSC 'resolution' taken over the DPRK's ballistic rocket launches but continue to disclose the absurdity of the UN 'sanction resolutions'," Kim said.

North Korea has ignored several resolutions against ICBM and nuclear weapons testing.

Kim said the UN has ignored requests for an "international forum of legal experts to clarify the legal basis of the 'sanction resolutions'."

North Korea's nuclear capability for self defence and deterrence is aimed at the US trying to antagonize, isolate and stifle the country, he said.

But, Kim said that if the Trump administration "truly wants to adopt a new policy towards the DPRK, drawing a lesson from the preceding administration's failure, it should replace the Armistice Agreement between the DPRK and US with a peace accord and the total removal of hostile relations".

Such a move would "help ensure lasting peace on the Korean peninsula and further global peace and security," he said.

A joint statement by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and National Intelligence Director Dan Coats said the Us aimed to use economic sanctions and diplomatic measures to pressure Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear and missile programmes.

The statement said the US remained "open to negotiations" toward the peaceful denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula while staying "prepared to defend ourselves and our allies".

--IANS

py/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A US Navy veteran who steered his car into pedestrians in New York's Times Square has been charged with murder and held without bail, police said.

The order was given to Richard Rojas, 26, at the Manhattan Criminal Court on Friday by Judge Tamiko Amaker, Xinhua news agency reported.

Rojas was arrested at the scene on Thursday which resulted in the death of an 18-year-old tourist Alyssa Elsman, and left 22 others injured.

The New York Police Department charged him late Thursday with one count of second-degree murder, 20 counts of attempted murder, and five counts of aggravated vehicular homicide.

Rojas, who stood handcuffed and did not speak during Friday's court hearing, told the police: "I wanted to kill them" and said he was high on synthetic marijuana when he was arrested.

Rojas reportedly emerged from his vehicle after the wreck, running, yelling and jumping before being subdued by police and bystanders.

Officials said Rojas had served in the Navy but was discharged in 2014 following disciplinary problems.

He was arrested for driving while intoxicated in 2008 and again in 2015. He was also detained earlier this month for menacing.

However, Rojas' motivation remains unclear.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US and Saudi Arabia announced deals worth over $55 billion on Saturday, coinciding with President Donald Trump's arrival here for a two-day visit.

The Saudis announced they had reached preliminary agreements with US defence companies, industrial manufacturers and oil and gas companies following a Saudi-US CEO Forum in Riyadh, CNN reported.

The series of deals also includes a $12 billion investment in a US oil refinery from Motiva Enterprises, a subsidiary of Aramco, Saudi Arabia's national oil and gas company.

The deals are at least in part aimed at garnering goodwill with Trump, who has focused on delivering a boost to companies in those three industries, giving him a multibillion-dollar package to champion as he returns to the US.

The agreement with defence companies represents just a part of the $110 billion deals that Trump and Saudi King Salman are expected to broker by the end of the US President's visit.

The defence portion of the agreements on Saturday included a $6 billion deal for Lockheed Martin to build 150 Blackhawk helicopters in Saudi Arabia, helping the kingdom develop its defence industry, which is a key component of the country's 2030 Vision plan.

US defence company Raytheon will also establish a branch in Saudi Arabia and General Dynamics agreed "to localise design, engineering, manufacturing, and support of armoured combat vehicles," the government announced in a press release.

The American technology and engineering giant General Electric (GE) also reached a $15 billion deal to work with the Saudi kingdom on a range of projects aimed at improving the country's power grid and energy capabilities.

Dow Chemicals will also build a $100 million manufacturing plant in the country.

The Saudi oil and gas industry also reached partnerships worth $22 billion between Saudi Arabia and US companies that will bolster the country's massive oil and gas industry.

Trump, along with his wife Melania and daughter Ivanka, arrived in Saudi Arabia's capital on Saturday for the first stop on his five-nation foreign trip, the first of his presidency.

Trump will be looking for more than just economic deals as he eyes an increased commitment from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies to combat the Islamic State and terrorism more broadly in the Middle East.

The deals represented a significant victory for the Saudi Deputy Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, who has championed the Vision 2030 plan as necessary to modernising the country and diversifying its economy.

-- IANS

soni/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP President Amit Shah said on Saturday that his party will win the next general election in the country in 2019 by a much bigger margin than the majority achieved in the 2014 elections.

Addressing media here during a 'Meet-the-Press' programme of the Chandigarh Press Club, he said that the people of the country were overwhelmingly behind the BJP government at the centre led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"We will win 2019 general election with much bigger majority. It will be much bigger than last time (2014)," Shah said, noting that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in three years of being in power in the centre, had provided a corruption-free and development-oriented government.

"The BJP has freed the country from (the shackles) of casteism (jaativaad), dynastic (pariwarvaad) and appeasement," said the BJP chief, who arrived here on Saturday to a rousing reception by party leaders and supporters.

Asked about the ongoing turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir, he said that the situation would soon be brought under control.

"Regarding Kashmir, such situations have occurred many times since 1989. We will control the situation," he said, adding that security agencies have started their work against separatist leaders who had a role in adding to the present tense situation in the Valley at the behest of Pakistan and its agencies.

Highlighting the achievements of the BJP in three years in power at the centre, Shah said that the Modi government had taken the country forward on all fronts.

"Even our political opponents unable to level any allegations of corruption against BJP government in three years. This is a big achievement for BJP," he noted.

He said that the BJP had emerged as the biggest political organisation in the world with over 11 crore party members.

Asked about the questions being raised by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders regarding the electronic voting machines (EVMs), Shah said: "I want to ask AAP leaders which EVM they used to get 67 seats out of 70 in Delhi elections."

On the BJP's loss in recent assembly elections in Punjab, he remained guarded.

"You all know that we (BJP) were a minor partner (in the alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal," Shah said, stopping short of blaming the Akali Dal for the loss.

He maintained that the Akali Dal-BJP alliance in Punjab "continues in the present". "The party doing its internal analysis of the election defeat in Punjab," he added.

--IANS

js/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pictures circulated worldwide of Russian President playing an impromptu ditty on a piano in the lobby of the hall where the One Belt One Road summit was held in Beijing. Putin performed on the evening China held its spectacular cultural show. But his musical talent was not much appreciated by the social media. Local newspapers reported that while many netizens praised Putin as a great leader, they were less impressed with his piano skills. It sounds like crap, wrote one Weibo user. Just because you can play the piano, doesnt mean you should, commented another. Others argued that that poor performance wasnt Putins fault, contending that the piano was there only for decoration. Some criticised him for undermining the show the hosts had put up.
The annual summer and autumn vacation season provides a stark reminder of Indias growing prosperity as the standard burst at the seams with families who can afford the luxuries of leisure travel. The numbers underline the trend. At the start of the new century, some 220 million domestic tourists partook of the delights of Indias holiday hotspots, tourism ministry data say. By 2015, the number had burgeoned to 1.4 billion. The visible upside of this surge in domestic tourism has been the expansion of the job-intensive hospitality sector, with all its multiplier effects. Increasingly, however, it is the downside of growing domestic tourism that is becoming grimly in evidence. To wit: The rapid decline in the civic quality of Indias popular tourist destinations.
At least four policemen were killed today when their vehicle came under attack from unidentified terrorists in Pakistan's restive northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The policemen were returning from an operation in Kamal Khel area of Kohat district when terrorists ambushed their vehicle, police said.

A Station House Officer (SHO) and an additional SHO along with two constables died in the firing, they said.

The police have cordoned off the entire area and started a search operation in Lachi tehsil to nab the attackers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Days after girl students here went on hunger strike demanding upgradation of their school, girls in another village of the district today held a protest with a similar demand.

The protest took place in Rajgarh village where girl students locked the gates of the government high school seeking upgradation of the school upto senior secondary level.

Earlier this week, girl students of government high school at Gothra Tappa Dahina village had observed hunger strike for a week with similar demand following which the state government accorded the status of senior secondary to their school.

"We have been raising the issue of upgradation of the school for past three years. Local political leaders have several times made promises to get the school upgraded but nothing has been done in this respect causing resentment among the villagers," said father of a schoolgirl.

Anjali, one of the protesting girls, questioned the state government saying, "How can daughters study when there was no government school upto at senior secondary level in their village."



The government should immediately upgrade the school if it really wanted to teach girls, she added.

The protesters said the village girls had to go to Balawas Jat village, located around 8 km away from here, for post-matric education and they always feared eve-teasing and molestation by boys of other villages while travelling to the school.

SDM Khushal Kataria along with education officers reached the school on getting information about the dharna but failed to persuade the schoolgirls to end the protest.

Kataria said he had apprised higher authorities of the situation. Now, the final call was to be taken by them in this regard, he added.

Dharmbir Balrodia, District Education Officer (DEO), said they had already sent the proposal to higher authorities for upgradation of the school.

"Since the school does not fulfil essential conditions for the senior secondary level hence the proposal is pending with the authority," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad lauded his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani today on his election victory and vowed to continue cooperating with Tehran, a key Damascus supporter.

Assad congratulated Rouhani on winning a second term and for earning "the trust the Iranian people gave him to continue bolstering Iran's position and role," according to a statement carried by Syrian state agency SANA.

The Syrian president stressed the need to "continue working and cooperating with the Islamic Republic of Iran to strengthen the security and stability of both countries, the region and the world," it said.

Iran, alongside Russia, is a key supporter of Assad, in power for 17 years and engaged in a devastating six-year war against a multitude of rebel and jihadist forces.

Iran has sent to Syria military advisers as well as thousands of "volunteer" fighters recruited among its own nationals as well as the Shiite communities in neighbouring Afghanistan and Pakistan since the conflict broke out in March 2011.

Fighters from Iran-backed Lebanese armed Shiite movement Hezbollah and Iraqi Shiite militias are also battling alongside Syrian regime forces.

According to a report published in March, some 2,100 combatants sent by Iran have died in Syria and Iraq.

Iranian and Russian military support, as well as that of Hezbollah, have helped the Syrian regime win key victories against rebel and jihadist forces.

Syria's conflict has killed more than 320,000 people, displaced millions and ravaged the country's economy and infrastructure.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bangladesh police today raided main opposition leader and former prime minister Khaleda Zia's office here in search for "anti-state" documents, triggering protests by hundreds of her supporters.

Dozens of police searched BNP chief Zia's office in the upscale Gulshan neighbourhood for two hours early this morning, but later said they did not find "any materials".

Police said they had a search warrant, but Bangladesh Nationalist Party alleged that law enforcers acted on an unknown general diary only to harass Zia, 71, who is facing about three dozen cases of alleged graft, treason and violence, local media reported.

Hundreds of supporters of Zia's BNP staged a protest outside the two-storey office building.

The party leaders alleged that the raid was part of an Awami League's conspiracy against BNP and was aimed at "harassing" Zia.

Earlier in the day, Gulshan Police Station OC Abu Bakar Siddique had said: "We have a court order to check if there is anything in the office that could compromise national security."



BNP and its front organisations today announced that they will hold countrywide demonstrations tomorrow to protest against the police raid.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Shravan Kumar, Chief Executive Officer of Children's Film Society of India (CFSI), has been honoured with an award.

Kumar has been bestowed with the "Edutainment Award" for his outstanding contribution to children's films education. The award, comprising a trophy and citation, was presented to Kumar at a function held here last night.

The function was preceded by an exhibition where leading educational institutions from all over the country provided career counselling to college students.

Replying to his felicitation, Kumar said CFSI made films for children which not only educate the young minds but also bring about creativity within them.

"Two years back, CFSI had organised International Children's Film Festival in Hyderabad in which 'Little Directors' section was introduced for films made by children themselves."



CFSI, a body under the information and broadcasting ministry, has been organising national and international film festivals for children with a hope that young people would one day become great movie makers and share their creativity with others, said Kumar.

A number of prominent people were also felicitated at the function. These included ad guru Prahlad Kakkar, Yogesh Lakhani, founder of Bright Outdoor Media Pvt Ltd, and Ujjwal K Chowdhary, Head, Education Division, Ramoji Krian Group, Hyderabad.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress today demanded resignation of Madhya Pradesh Minister Lal Singh Arya after a special court in Bhind issued arrest warrant against him in a murder case.

The court had yesterday issued arrest warrant against Arya, who holds the portfolio of General Administration Department, in Congress MLA Makhan Jatav murder case of 2009.

The court later stayed the warrant till June 3 on a plea made by the minister's counsel.

"BJP has no morality left and it's state president is shamelessly defending Arya and stating that the court order is not acceptable to them," Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, Ajay Singh told reporters.

"I am giving 48-hours ultimatum to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan to sack him from the cabinet failing which I will stage a dharna (sit-in) in front of his (Chouhan's) house," Singh warned.

Either Arya should resign or chief minister should sack him.

The party is adopting double standards on such matters. In the case of former minister, Anoop Mishra it took his resignation after an incident of alleged murder while it is acting differently in the matter of Arya.

"The party's DNA has changed in the last few years," he remarked.

The leader of opposition also took potshots at the state government on the Dearness Allowance (DA) fiasco, saying the government was running under the "influence of opium."



The state government had earlier issued order for 7 per cent DA for its employees and later corrected the figure to four per cent.

Singh demanded that Chouhan apologise to the employees on the issue.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Brazilian President Michel Temer, facing accusations that he obstructed a major fraud investigation, is to address the nation later today, a spokesman said.

"We will have a declaration by the president at the Planalto (presidential palace)," the press officer said. No time was given for what would be only the second direct public reaction from Temer since the scandal broke on Wednesday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The White House announced a huge arms deal with Saudi Arabia today as President Donald Trump took his first steps on the world stage, looking to leave mounting troubles behind at home.

The USD 110 billion deal for Saudi purchases of US defence equipment and services came at the start of an eight- day foreign tour that will also take Trump to Jerusalem, the Vatican and meetings with leaders in Europe.

The US president was given a warm welcome in the oil-rich kingdom - a mood in sharp contrast to Washington where pressure is building after fresh claims over his team's alleged links to Moscow.

Air Force One had barely taken off when it was announced late yesterday that James Comey, the former FBI chief fired by Trump, had agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the US elections.

Reports also emerged that Trump had called Comey "a nut job" and that the FBI had identified a senior White House official as a "significant person of interest" in its probe of Russian meddling.

The president and first lady Melania Trump were welcomed by Saudi King Salman as they disembarked at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh this morning.

Trump and his wife, who dressed conservatively in black but did not cover her hair as Saudi women are required to do, walked side-by-side to the tarmac where they both shook hands with the 81-year-old king.

After a welcoming coffee ceremony, Trump and his entourage were brought to the royal court where the president was awarded the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabia's highest civilian honour.

The arms sale agreement was just one of a series of deals to be announced during the visit, with US conglomerate General Electric saying it had also signed agreements and memorandums of understanding worth $15 billion.

"This package of defence equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats," a White House official said in announcing the deal.

Trump held talks with Salman and was to meet the kingdom's two powerful crown princes today, before giving a speech on Islam to leaders of Muslim countries tomorrow.

For Riyadh the visit is an opportunity to rebuild ties with a key ally, strained under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama who Sunni Arab Gulf states suspected of a tilt towards their Shiite regional rival Iran.

A more muted focus on human rights should also please Washington's traditional Sunni Gulf allies, analysts say.

Shortly after arriving Trump took to Twitter to express his delight at being in the kingdom.

"Great to be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Looking forward to the afternoon and evening ahead," Trump wrote.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
ELKO  For students in the associates of applied science radiology technology program at Great Basin College, the path to their degree involved many journeys.

For this years graduates, that meant traveling throughout the state to Carson City, Ely, Fallon, Pahrump and Winnemucca for clinical rotations during the two-year program.

It also meant having to juggle family and a full-time work schedule with their studies  a separate journey that meant sacrifice, late nights and missed family time.

Denise Wolford, 44, decided to go back to school four years ago. A stay-at-home, single mother, she became interested in the radiology field and learned more about the program from Director Mary Doucette.

Wolford enrolled at GBC and completed prerequisites in math, anatomy and physiology to enter the program in two years, but it would also mean changes for her family, she said.

A lot of adjustments for the kids getting used to mom being away from home a lot, Wolford said, however, the experience was good for both her and her children, who are 22, 14 and 9 years old.

It was a great learning experience. The program taught me a lot, Wolford said, and it also sets a good example for them (about) goals and how much hard work it takes to achieve them.

Wolford plans to continue her education at Weber State University to study radiation therapy in a regional program that is partially online and partially in class and do your clinical training at a regional site.

Taylor Grimes, 20, entered the program in 2015 with Wolford, a year after he completed his prerequisites, fascinated with the technology that gives him the ability to see through peoples skin.

We get to see things that no one else gets to see, Grimes said. We get to literally look at your bones and tissues. Its amazing.

During his first year, Grimes worked nearly full-time hours at Blach Distributing while studying for an associates of science degree, which will be completed next year.

I was working nights and my days off happened to fall on the two days we had class, Grimes said. I tried to balance time with my girlfriend and Ive been working on my second degree so I can transfer to the University of Nevada Reno.

Grimes plans to become a radiologist and cross-train in CT and MRI.

Its definitely been a struggle, time management-wise, to get everything done, Grimes added.

The journey isnt over for the radiology students, as they have to continue on for another modality to get our certification in ultrasound, MRI or CT, explained Wolford.

It takes a lot of sacrifice to go to school, agreed Doucette, explaining that the challenges of the students rotations give students more to put up with in the program, however, the last four years for Wolford have not been boring.

It seems like its been a long trek, but its been very exciting, Wolford said.
Pakistan today said that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has not given any order regarding consular access for Kulbhushan Jadhav who has been sentenced to death according to the laws of the country.

"The ICJ has only asked Pakistan to keep a stay on Jadhav's execution until it arrives at a decision," Pakistan PM's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said.

He also ruled out any compromise on the issue of Jadhav and said "when there will be matter of our national interest and security, then there will be no compromise."



His colleague and Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan said the case would be taken to its "logical conclusion in accordance with Pakistan's law and constitution."



Khan said certain elements are on the payroll of "our enemies" and receiving funds from them to stoke anarchy and unrest in the country.

Jadhav, 46, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of "involvement in espionage and sabotage activities" against the country.

The ICJ on May 18 stayed the execution of Jadhav.

Addressing a press conference here, Aziz said that when it comes to cases involving the death penalty, the international court has always given a stay order.

He said the ICJ has not decided on consular access and has only intimated that the matter will come under discussion. "The ICJ has not issued any order with regard to consular access," he added.

Aziz also claimed that Jadhav was not an ordinary Indian, and said he was "an officer in the Indian Navy who has also admitted to carrying out espionage activities in Pakistan."



Jadhav was sentenced according to the laws of Pakistan after he admitted to entering the country on fake passport and involvement in terror activities, the top diplomat added.

"We will try for early hearing of this case in the ICJ and will present our stance with full preparation," he said.

He said it was wrong to say that Pakistan has been defeated in ICJ and asserted that Pakistan has strong position regarding merit and jurisdiction of the case.

Aziz said the Kashmir issue would not be taken to ICJ as it is being dealt at the higher forum of UN Security Council. "We are not taking Kashmir issue to ICJ. I never said this as the forum for Kashmir is UN Security Council," he said.

He said Pakistan wants amicable resolution of the Kashmir issue in line with UN resolutions and Islamabad will "continue its political, moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiri people in their struggle for right to self-determination."



Talking about the visit of Indian tycoon Sajjan Jindal, Aziz said that it was a private visit and there was no need for Foreign Office to issue a statement on the issue. He also rejected any link between Jindal's visit and the Jadhav case.

Responding to a question as to why an ad-hoc judge was not nominated by Pakistan, he said the government could not appoint one within a short notice of five days.

He also rejected question about the Britain-based lawyer Khawar Qureshi and said he was appointed to plead the case after consultation with all stakeholders.

The Foreign Office was criticised for its "poor handling" of the case and for its choice of Qureshi as counsel.

Aziz, however, said that Pakistan will further strengthen its legal team and that it will go forward into the case with full preparation. "We will go with a strong team in the next hearing," he added.

Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali will plead Pakistan's case at the ICJ against Jadhav.

Their comments came after ICJ stayed Jadhav's execution and also endorsed Indian request for consular access to him.

The Pakistan government has come under a lot of criticism for its "mishandling" of the case at ICJ.

Jadhav's case is the latest flash-point in the tensions between Pakistan and India. The two countries last faced off at the ICJ 18 years ago when Islamabad sought its intervention over the shooting down of its naval aircraft.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 20-year-old Indian-origin Cornell University student was found dead here after going missing this week.

Aalaap Narasipura, asenior electrical engineering student at Cornell's College of Engineering was reported missing since Wednesday.

Cornell University Police, working with the New York State Police, the Ithaca Police Department and the Ithaca Fire Department, recovered his body yesterday from Fall Creek, a short distance upstream from Ithaca Falls.

Cornell University Police confirmed Narasipura's identity. Police said the circumstances of Narasipura's death are still under investigation, but no foul play is suspected. No other information is available at this time.

Police had searched gorges and adjacent natural areas in Ithaca. Earlier authorities had issued an advisory describing Narasipura as a dark-skinned male, 5-feet-9 inches tall.

He was last seen in the early morning of May 17 on Cornell's campus, and was wearing shorts and a flannel shirt with bright blue socks and leather sandals. Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi expressed"profound sadness" at the death of Narasipura.

He described Narasipura as an "ambitious student" who was scheduled to graduate early this December.

"He was active on the Ultimate Frisbee team, enjoyed taking photos, and planned to continue at Cornell to pursue a Master of Engineering degree," he said in a statement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An Indian boy has won the world's largest pre-college science competition in the US in the environmental engineering category for his project on biodegradation of pesticides.

Prashant Ranganathan, a 12th grader from Jamshedpur, alongwith over 20 high school students from various parts of India, participated in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

"My project will actually help farmers in biodegrading the pesticide which is plaguing the country," Prashant told PTI after he was declared winner in the environmental engineering category at this years' competition.

Four Indian-Americans received top awards in various categories.

In all, more than 1700 students from across the world participated in the week-long event which concluded here yesterday.

Student of Carmel Junior College in Jamshedpur, Prashant's project 'Biodegradation of Chlorpyrifos using native bacteria' said that farmers should not use pesticides.

Prashant who bagged the coveted award for his innovation for fighting against pesticide and getting rid of its side effects through biodegradable use.

"In almost all the states, like Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, Haryana and Bihar and Jharkhand, there's extensive farming. Using excessive amounts of pesticides, is affecting the health and the environment around them," he said.

While the topmost Gordon E Moore Award of USD 75,000 went to Ivo Zell, 18, of Germany for designing and constructing a remote-control prototype of a new "flying wing", almost participants of the Indian delegation returned from the annual competition with one award or the other.

"India really boasts really extraordinary mathematics, science, physics, education," Maya Ajmera president and CEO of Society for Science and Public, told PTI in an interview.

In fact, every section the award ceremony had the budding Indian scientists on the stage.

So were the Indian American high schoolers, promoting one of the Intel official to say "Indians and Indian Americans rock today" as the awards ceremony concluded at the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown Los Angeles.

Indian-American Pratik Naidu from Virginia bagged an award in the category of computational biology an bioinformatics, Adam Nayak from Oregon was declared the winner in earth and environmental sciences, Karthik Yegnesh from Pennsylvania in Mathematics and Rahul Subramaniam from Connecticut in the microbiology category.

As a result, Indians and Indian Americans accounted for nearly one-fifth of the top categories of the awards.

"I think that many generations of Indian scientists and engineers and computer scientists, have truly paved the way of this generation of young people doing extraordinary things," Ajmera said referring to the incredible and innovative projects of Indian students who participated in this year's science competition.

For instance, a sister-brother team of - Sairandi Sathyanarayanan & Sacheth Sathyanarayanan - from the National Public School in Chennai have invented a gearbox that generates electricity when a fisherman's boat is lying idle in night, which they said is enough to meet the energy needs of a fisherman's house for a day.

The team not only received accolades from the judges but were on the stage Friday for receiving awards in various categories.

Shinjini Ghosh, a 12 grader from South Point High School, Kolkata was recognised for developing a language identification kit based on the variations in intonation using discrete markov-chain model.

Similarly, Sahithi Pingali from Inventure Academy, Bangalore received multiple awards for developing a new approach to monitoring lakes in developing countries in a crowdsourcing environmental science.

Kunj Siddharth Dedhia, from the Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai have developed a smartphone application based on user feedback for cyclists to reduce incidence of lower back pain, while Chaitanya & Geeve George from the Little Rock Indian School in Udupi received an award for developing a smartphone aided multispectral imaging system.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate a dialogue process with the Hurriyat Conference for resolving the Kashmir problem.

Soz said he made this plea during a meeting with the Prime Minister at his residence late last evening.

"I emphasised that the Hurriyat Conference is the forum with which dialogue process should be initiated as early as possible," he told PTI here today.

The Congress leader said other parties representing different shades of opinion other than the separatists can join the process later.

"In recent times, the Hurriyat has remained united and that should be seen in Delhi as an advantage in the dialogue process rather than an impediment," he said.

Soz, who claimed he was invited for the meeting by the Prime Minister, said he told Modi it was "getting late in Kashmir by the day".

"There is a situation of great unrest on the ground -- a situation of deep anger in the minds of people, especially youth with a deep sense of hopelessness," he told the Prime Minister while urging him to respond to the "agonising situation".

The former union minister said he also impressed upon the Prime Minister that national opposition parties led by Congress is expected to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

Soz said he also highlighted the vilification of Kashmiris on most of the TV channels, other national media and agencies.

"Most of the TV channels and rest of the so called national media and agencies are vilifying Kashmiris and describing them as jihadis and not characterising feelings as aspirations of the people.

"I requested him that he could play his role in stopping this nefarious game of pumping alienation in Kashmir," he added.

Soz said the Prime minister's response to his input was "positive".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy today defended his party colleague P Chidambaram over the recent CBI raids at his son Karti Chidambaram's premises, saying he was a "clean politician."



"Chidambaram is being targeted by the Central government for writing and speaking against it," he said.

Central investigating agencies are now "entering and searching" the premises of political leaders "without any evidence," Narayanasamy told reporters at the airport here.

The senior Congress leader said people not just in Tamil Nadu but across the country were well aware about Chidambaram, and recalled that the latter had held the Home and Finance portfolios during the UPA regime.

"He is a clean politician. No one can make an accusation against him. Since he is speaking against the Narendra Modi government in parliament and writing against it, cases are being filed against his family (Karti) with a view to malign his reputation. This will never happen," he said.

On May 16, the CBI had searched the homes and offices of Karti across four cities for allegedly receiving money from a media firm owned by Indrani and Peter Mukerjea to scuttle a tax probe, a charge denied by him.

On Karti's London travel, Narayanasamy said the CBI or the Enforcement Directorate had not barred him from undertaking such a journey.

The chief minister said BJP was "trying to create confusion" in Tamil Nadu and said the party had no base in the state.

Whether by itself or with the help of an alliance, the party cannot prosper in the state, he said.

Narayanasamy also lashed out at the BJP government at the Centre for its handling of various issues, including the Cauvery dispute and farmers issue, adding this had resulted in the suffering of people of both Tamil Nadu and Puduchery.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A suspected ISI agent has been picked up by the intelligence branch of Rajasthan police from Jaisalmer district.

The accused, a resident of Jaisalmer, was nabbed yesterday and was taken to Jodhpur for initial questioning, the ADG (Intelligence), U R Sahoo, told PTI.

There were certain inputs that he allegedly had some "connections" with Pakistan's spy agency ISI.

He was on the radar of the intelligence agencies for some time now and was nabbed from his village.

"The man has not been arrested so far," the officer added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today congratulated Hassan Rouhani on his re-election as the President of Iran and affirmed India's commitment to strengthen the "special relationship" between the two nations.

"Heartiest congratulations to my friend, President @HassanRouhani on his re-election," Modi tweeted in English and Persian languages.

"India remains committed to strengthening our special relationship with Iran," he added.

The Prime Minister expressed confidence that Iran will continue to achieve new heights under the dynamic leadership of President Rouhani.

Rouhani, a 68-year-old cleric, won a resounding re- election victory today as voters backed his efforts to rebuild foreign ties and kickstart the struggling economy.

Rouhani, who spearheaded a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, framed the election as a choice between greater civil liberties and "extremism".

He defeated 56-year-old hardline cleric Raisi, who had had positioned himself as a defender of the poor and called for a much tougher line with the West.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Iranian President appeared to have secured a convincing election victory with voters backing his efforts to rebuild foreign ties, as initial results were announced today.

With almost all votes counted, Rouhani looked to have an insurmountable lead with 22.8 million votes compared to 15.5 million for his hardline challenger Ebrahim Raisi, election committee chief Ali Asghar Ahmadi announced on state television.

A huge turnout yesterday -- estimated at more than 40 million out of 56 million registered voters -- led to the vote being extended by several hours to deal with long queues.

"I congratulate the great victory of the Iranian nation in creating a huge and memorable epic in the continuation of the path of 'wisdom and hope'," tweeted Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, referring to the government's slogan.

Rouhani, a 68-year-old moderate cleric who spearheaded a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, has framed the election as a choice between greater civil liberties and "extremism".

Hardline cleric Raisi, 56, had positioned himself as a defender of the poor and called for a much tougher line with the West.

But his revolutionary rhetoric and efforts to win over working class voters with promises of increased handouts appear to have gained limited traction.

"Rouhani's vote, particularly in rural areas, shows that Iranian people no longer believe in economic populism and radical change," said Ali Vaez, Iran analyst for the Crisis Group, a think tank.

"They have the maturity to understand that the solution to their country's predicaments are in competent management of the economy and moderation in relations," Vaez told AFP.

Rouhani's central first-term achievement was a deal with six powers led by the United States that eased crippling economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear programme.

He gained a reprieve this week when Washington agreed to continue waiving nuclear-related sanctions, keeping the deal on track for now.

But the election comes at a tense moment in relations with the United States, with President Donald Trump still threatening to abandon the accord and visiting Iran's bitter regional rival Saudi Arabia this weekend.

Although Rouhani has been deeply entrenched in Iran's security establishment since the early days of the revolution, he has emerged as the standard-bearer for reformists after their movement was decimated in the wake of mass protests in 2009.

"We've entered this election to tell those practising violence and extremism that your era is over," he said during the campaign.

At recent rallies, his supporters chanted the names of reformist leaders under house arrest since 2011 for their part in mass protests two years earlier.

affairs researcher Foad Izadi, of Tehran University, said Rouhani may now have the leverage to push for more freedoms, despite opposition from the conservative- dominated judiciary and security services.
With a view to provide 24x7 power supply in Karaikal region, an automatic power sub-station would be set up here at a cost of Rs 48 crore, Puducherry Electricity Minister R Kamalakannan said today.

The sub-station would be setup at Pillaiteruvasal area and the Union Territory Government had already deposited Rs 30 crore with the Power Grid Corporation of India to execute the work, he told reporters here.

Karaikal is an enclave of the union territory of Puducherry.

The 230/110 KVA sub-station will directly get power from Neyveli Lignite Corporation and erection works would be completed before the end of 2018, he said.

"At present Karaikal region requires 65 MW.The Puducherry Power Corporation Limited supplies 30 MW and the remaining 35 MW is being obtained from Tamil Nadu grid. The new sub-station will ensure 24X7 power supply to Karaikal region," he said



The Minister said this move would give a fillip to the industrialisation efforts in Karaikal district.

He said the Electricity department was setting up underground cable feeders at Karaikal to ensure uninterrupted power supply even during heavy rains and floods.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Trinamool Congress leader was shot dead by four persons at Rashapunja in South 24 Parganas district, police said today.

Ismail Pailan was shot yesterday and rushed to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries today, they said.

The four persons have been arrested and investigation has been initiated.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Last week Nevada became the seventh state to enact an 80 mph speed limit. The signs announcing the change started going up on I-80 last week 40 miles east of Reno to the Winnemucca exit. Nevada joins South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Utah, which all have 80 mph limits in sparsely populated areas, while the highest in the country is found in Texas where on the toll road that connects San Antonio and Austin you can drive 85 mph.

Before the 1973 National Maximum Speed Law, which prohibited speeds greater than 55 miles per hour, Nevadans could drive at any speed that was safe and reasonable for the weather conditions."

The idea of limiting the country to 55 or less was a knee jerk reaction from our legislative leaders attempting to deal with the growing rage of Americans over the shortage of gasoline. The prospect of not being able to get to work, to school or to the store is foreign to most young people today primarily because of our gushing abundance of oil at the present. But back in the days of the oil crisis there were a lot of angry people waiting in line to get gas. The obvious question to ask from a scientific standpoint, did the slowing down of our traffic speeds help and was there really an oil scarcity at all?

To sum up the oil shortage in one paragraph is not easy to do because there are many factors that come into play. For one, the production of oil in the United States had reached its Hubberts peak in 1970 and by 1973 was importing 35 percent of its required 17.31 million barrels per day. Much of this oil was coming from the Middle East.

On October 6, 1973, Syria and Egypt, with support from other Arab nations, launched a surprise attack on Israel during the religious holiday of Yom Kippur. On October 12, 1973, U.S. president Richard Nixon authorized Operation Nickel Grass, a strategic airlift to deliver weapons and supplies to Israel, after the Soviet Union began sending arms to Syria and Egypt.

In response to American aid to Israel, on October 16, 1973, OPEC raised the posted price of oil by 70 percent. The following day, oil ministers agreed to the embargo, a cut in production by five percent from September's output and to continue to cut production in five percent monthly increments until their economic and political objectives were met.

The embargo had an immediate negative effect on the U.S. economy. The pump price of gasoline rose from a national average of 38.5 cents per gallon to 55.1 cents within six months. The energy crisis had begun in earnest.

Instead of working collectively to solve the bad situation the country found itself in, politicians suggested such moves as banning Christmas and commercial lighting altogether and asking gasoline stations to voluntarily not sell gasoline on Saturday nights or Sundays. This of course only exacerbated the situation by creating longer lines on Monday morning.

Although many people could do without festivity lights, it was the waiting and sitting behind a block-long column of cars that riled many. Fights and shootings broke out at many gas stations, especially ones that had multiple entrances due to people perceived to be cutting ahead. Sometimes you couldnt even get gasoline at all and at least 70 percent of stations had the plywood spray- painted sign no gas today."

Facing the alarming circumstance that incensed voters would not re-elect them, the U.S. Congress came up with the plan to save energy by forcing everyone to slow down on the nations highways. At least they were showing they were working hard at a solution and that we all must hang together in this situation.

The new speed limit would save gasoline so there would be enough to go around. In actuality, while Federal officials hoped gasoline consumption would fall by 2.2%, the real savings were estimated at between 0.5% and 1% resulting in one extra car per hundred would have gasoline.

Did the lower speed limit improve highway safety? That is hard to say. During the time the law was enacted and after it was repealed automobile fatalities did decrease but that may be attributable to fewer people driving and automobile safety improvements such as more effective seat belts.

Although the law was widely disregarded by motorists, and initially opposed by some states, many jurisdictions discovered it to be a major source of revenue by ticketing motorists. Up until the year 2015 the Pennsylvania Turnpike limited speeds to 55 mph with the big blue signs loudly boasting the fines you would pay with a soothing reminder that they are forced to use radar for your own protection."
US President Donald Trump has said his first trip overseas to "lands associated with three of the world's great religions" is aimed at uniting the civilized world in a fight against terrorism.

Trump, who embarked on a nine-day trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Vatican, Belgium and Italy, said in his weekly web and radio address to the nation that he would represent the views of the American people frankly and clearly.

"I will be visiting with the leaders in many different countries to strengthen our old friendships, build new partnerships, and unite the civilized world in a fight against terrorism.

"In that spirit of unity, I will travel to lands associated with three of the world's great religions," Trump said.

The address was recorded prior to his departure and released after he left for Riyadh aboard Air Force One from the Joint Andrews Airforce Base yesterday.

"My first stop will be Saudi Arabia - the heart of the Muslim world. There, I will address a historic gathering of the leaders of more than 50 Muslim nations," he said.

Many world leaders, he said, had expressed growing concern about terrorism, the spread of radicalization, and Iran's role in funding both.

"Now it appears Muslim leaders are ready to take more responsibility and a much bigger role in fighting terrorism in their region. It's about time we do it, we'll do it together, but it has to be done," he said.

"America cannot solve all of the world's problems, but we can - and we must - help any nation willing to join in the common cause of eradicating terrorism from the face of the earth," Trump said.

From Saudi Arabia, the president said, he travels to the ancient city of Jerusalem for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on bringing peace and prosperity to both the nations.

"Israel is an important American ally, but in recent years we haven't always treated them that way," he said, adding that it was time to renew this friendship.

"While I'm there, I'll also meet with President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority in Bethlehem to discuss ways to advance peace between Israel and the Palestinians."



Next on his itinerary is the Vatican where he said he would have the "great honour of an audience with Pope Francis". He looks forward to speaking with the Pope about how Christian teachings can help put the world on a path to justice, freedom and peace.

"I will also meet with friends and allies in Europe at a gathering of NATO in Brussels and at the G-7 Summit in Italy.

"Finally, I will close my trip by saying thank you to some of the courageous men and women of the United State Military serving their nation overseas."



Referring to his inaugural address, Trump said he pledged to strengthen America's oldest friendships, to seek new partners in pursuit of peace and, above all, to always put American people first.

"I also pledged that our partners must show that they're partners, they must show that they're friends, and they must contribute financially to the tremendous cost - the money that we're spending - is so big; it's so much; and it's not fair for our nation," Trump said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway that was closed due to a landslide near Vishnuprayag in Chamoli district, was thrown open for traffic today after 24 hours.

District Magistrate Ashish Joshi told PTI today that Border Roads Organisation (BRO) personnel worked overnight on a war footing to clear the debris after huge rocks rolled down the Hathi Pahar mountain yesterday and blocked a section of the highway between between Joshimath and Badrinath.

Yesterday around 3 PM, huge boulders rolled down the mountain and triggered a landslide which covered 75 metres area of the road with debris.

Around 1500-2000 pilgrims, stranded on both sides, were asked by the district administration to stop at convenient places in Badrinath, Vishnuprayag and Govindghat.

As per today's reports, out of around 2,000 stranded, 800 had resumed their onward journey.

Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has directed the Secretary of Disaster Management Department, Amit Negi, to constantly monitor the situation.

Earlier, cabinet minister and state government spokesperson Madan Kaushik assured that all pilgrims are safe.

In a press briefing here, he said those affected by the landslide were being taken care of by the administration.

The local administration and some welfare organisations including Badrinath-Kedarnath temple committee and Govindghat-based Gurdwara Management Committee have made efforts to provide food and shelter to the stranded pilgrims, he said.

Besides, the BRO has pressed into service three pokland machines, an earthmover and an air compressor to clear the debris.

To keep the work going on through the night, inflatable air towers are also being used, Kaushik informed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 1888 hailstorm in India has been identified by the UN weather agency among all-time deadliest weather events.

The severe hailstorm near Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh killed 246 people.

This is the first time that the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Archive of Weather and Climate Extremeshas broadened its scope from temperature and weather records to address impacts of specific events.

"Extreme weather causes serious destructionand major loss of life. That is one of the reasons behind the WMO's efforts to improve early warnings of multiple hazards and impact-based forecasting, and to learn lessons gleaned from historical disasters to prevent future ones," WMO Secretary- General Petteri Taalas said.

"The human aspect inherent in extreme events should never be lost," he added.

While the in-depth investigation by a WMO expert committee documented mortality records for five specific weather-related events, it did not address heat- or cold- waves, drought and floods.

The experts found that the highest mortality rate associated with extreme weather was during a 1970 tropical cyclone through what was at the time East Pakistan, which killed an estimated 300,000 people.

Other record-breaking weather events included a 1989 tornado in Bangladesh that killed an estimated 1,300 people, destroying the Manikganj district; a 1994 lightning-caused oil tank fire in Dronka, Egypt, which took 469 lives, while 21 people were killed by a single lightning bolt to a hut in the Manica Tribal Trust Lands in what was then Rhodesia.

The findings were announced ahead of twomajor conferenceson improving multi-hazard early warning systems and strengthening disaster risk reduction, taking place in Cancun, Mexico this month and organised by WMO and the UN Office on Disaster Risk Reduction.

Overall mortality can also decrease as a result of continuous improvement in related forecasting and warning infrastructure.

"These events highlight the deadly tragedies associated with different types of weather. Detailed knowledge of these historical extremes confirms our continuing responsibilities to not only forecast and monitor weather and climate but to utilise that information to save lives around the world so disasters of these types are lessened or even eliminated in the future," said Randall Cerveny, WMO Rapporteur on Climate and Weather Extremes.

The experts stressed that overall mortality can decrease as a result of continuous improvement in related forecasting and warning infrastructure. However even with improvements, mortality from weather-related events will continue.

"In order to put potential future weather-related catastrophes into accurate historical context, it is useful to have knowledge of baseline changes in weather-related mortality as monitored over the last one hundred and fifty years of official international weather records," said the WMO committee.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan today welcomed PMK's view for an alternative political front in Tamil Nadu without AIADMK or DMK and alleged they had done nothing for development, despite being in power successively.

"Both DMK and AIADMK did not do anything for the development of Tamil Nadu, though they ruled for several decades," he told reporters here.

The BJP leader said Tamil Nadu remains backward compared to neighbouring states and this condition should change.

For this an alternative political force should come to power in Tamil Nadu, he said.

The minister said BJP is taking all efforts for forming the alternative front, but did not elaborate.

"People of Tamil Nadu are searching for an alternative to DMK and AIADMK....They want to boycott both parties.. There is a vacuum in state politics, with people dissatisfied with both fronts," he said.

On the proposed Diamond jubilee celebration to mark DMK leader M Karunanidhi's political career, he quipped that even DMK men were not aware if he would participate in the celebrations.

"It is being organised for political gains. They are trying to form an alliance for the next elections," he said.

To a question, he claimed he was not aware what had transpired during the meeting yesterday in Delhi between former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"They may have talked about the interests of Tamil Nadu and development programmes in the interests of the state."



Panneerselvam of the rebel Puratchi Thalaivi (Amma) faction of AIADMK, had raised issues concerning the state, including release of pending funds, but no political developments were discussed.

Referring to the May 18 seizure of about Rs 45 crore demonetised currency notes from a man in Chennai, reportedly a BJP functionary, he said "So far as I know, the person from whom the seizure was made is not a BJP man.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The NDA today termed as "motivated", a case filed by the LDF government against the Kerala BJP president for uploading a controversial Facebook video, and vowed to fight it politically and legally.

NDA leaders in a meeting here adopted a resolution alleging that the government was trying to "demoralise" their workers by implicating them in false cases.

The leaders condemned the move against K Rajasekharan, and decided to fight the "politically motivated" case.

The video uploaded by the state BJP chief purportedly showed CPI(M) workers "celebrating" the demise of RSS worker Choorakadu Biju.

Police had booked Rajasekharan on May 16 on charges of spreading a false report over the killing of the Sangh man at Payannur last week.

He was hacked to death on May 12, allegedly by CPI(M) workers in Kannur, which has witnessed a series of clashes between the ruling party and RSS for the past one year.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Rajasekharan said BJP and its alliance partners would jointly organise various agitations at panchayats and state-level next week to "expose the wrongdoings" of the LDF government, which is completing its one year in power in the state.

He rejected Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's claim that there was no corruption charge against the government.

"It is a corrupt government," he said, referring to circumstances which forced CPI(M) leader E P Jayarajan to quit following charges of nepotism.

"It was a year of bad governance in Kerala. The LDF government has failed in all sectors. Prices of essential commodities are shooting up. The number of political killings has increased. Nineteen people lost their lives in political violence after LDF government came to power," he said.

Rajasekharan said that the NDA would organise various programmes in Kerala on May 26 to mark the third year of 'good governance' by the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.

He said BJP chief Amit Shah would undertake a three-day Kerala tour from June 2 as part of the party's preparations for the 2019 general elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dadri police has arrested a woman for allegedly murdering her husband here.

The woman's husband Atul Singhal was found dead under mysterious circumstances three days ago. He was a trader and had a shoe shop at Ghaziabad. After the death of his first wife, Atul got married to Anjana 12 years ago. The couple did not have child, police said today.

The man had two children from his first marriage. Anjana was upset with Atul and on May 18 she added "some posisonous chemical" in his tea. When Atul fell unconscious, she allegedly strangulated him to death, they said.

On the pretext of illness, she admitted Atul at Ghaziabad hospital. When police got suspicious and interrogated her, she confessed to have killed her husband.

The post-mortem report has revealed strangulation as the cause of death, police said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd, India's second-largest drugmaker by sales, said it expects no impact from a recent government notice that said the company is selling a high blood pressure drug that lacks the pricing regulator's approval.

India's drug pricing regulator, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), issued a show-cause notice to dozens of Indian and foreign drugmakers, who according to them, were selling medicines without NPPA approval on pricing. Calling it a violation of the country's drugs law, the agency has sought an explanation from these by June 15.

Dr Reddy's Telsartan Trio Active, which is used to treat high blood pressure and diabetic kidney disease, was included in the list.

"Dr Reddy's is in compliance with the NPPA's norms," a company spokeswoman told Reuters in an emailed statement on Friday.

"There is a discrepancy in data compilation by NPPA and we will communicate it to them appropriately," she added. The company did not immediately respond to a request for further clarifications.
The US-based technology major Apple has started selling iPhones at select stores in the country that were assembled in India as part of its trial run.

"Apple is selling iPhone SE in India at select stores. These phones were assembled in India on trial basis in limited quantities," an industry source told PTI. Apple did not comment on the development.

The technology major a couple of days back had said that it was "beginning initial production of a small number of iPhone SE in Bengaluru".

"The high-end India-made iPhones (iPhone SE) have already hit the Indian market. These have been on sale from May 2 onwards," another source said.

A picture shared by the source showed details of the iPhone SE with 32GB storage capacity with 'Designed by Apple in California, Assembled in India' printed on the box. The picture showed the price of Rs 27,200 inclusive of all taxes on the box.

The source also said the Cupertino-based maker of iPhones and iPads had completed the manufacturing of iPhones SEs in Bengaluru in April. The units are assembled by Apple's Taiwanese manufacturing partner Wistron Corp.

Earlier, Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge had told PTI that the making of iPhones in India would help Apple lower prices and gain a foothold in the Indian market. He had also expressed hope that it would bring in much needed taxes to the state as well.

Apple wants to bring its component manufacturers to India to make parts and export finished phones and is seeking tax concessions on import of key components. However, the central government has rejected most of the demands of the US company.

Kharge also had said if the Centre was keen on taking on China, it should not give special treatment to Apple alone, but to other players like Samsung and Lenovo also if they are desirous of opening manufacturing units in India.

Kharge had said the government should also give companies, including Apple, certain timelines, subsidies and incentives to create a level-playing field.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

A local police sergeants novel reveals the challenges police officers face protecting and serving their communities.

As America was entrenched in a heated debate over police matters in the U.S., active Police Service Area 7 sergeant Jordan Castro patrolled by day and wrote by night.

Inspired by the writings of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Castro, a Riverdale native and son of Cuban immigrants, penned something much deeper than a typical police thriller.

In his debut novel, Smoke and Mirrors: Police Dreams, the 37-year-old Manhattan College alum reflects upon modern American society and the profession of policing during the Police Era, one of the most tumultuous periods in recent history.

A term coined by Castro, the Police Era refers to the current public fascination of police matters in this social media driven world.

Writing from the frontlines, he framed the tale against the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter movement.

His intention for Smoke and Mirrors was not to portray all cops as heroes, but rather illustrate how the most well-intentioned, morally sound police officers can get in over their heads.

Cops are human beings with flaws, expressed Castro. Earning a badge and carrying a gun does not automatically remove us from the rest of the population. This is a universal American story about striving and how disparate worlds collide every day on the streets of NYC.

His literary work follows hard charging rookie cop, Brandon Rose, investigating an unsolved quadruple homicide which began on Ash Wednesday 2007.

The overzealous climber befriends 16-year-old Giselle, a sexually precocious lookout for a pack of monstrous drug dealers and manipulates a taboo relationship in the hopes she will reveal the Ash Wednesday killers identities.

Should Giselle fall for Rose, she may risk her life and his career, shattering Roses dreams of obtaining the coveted gold NYPD Detective Shield.

The Xlibris published novel explores such themes as the contemporary debate around police-involved civilian deaths, police assassinations and community strife and distrust.

Serving on the Force since 2006, Castro became a sergeant in 2013 and currently trains police officers in the south Bronx.

He was first assigned to the 48th Precinct and has worked at least one day in every Bronx precinct.

The novel is set in the fictitious 51st Precinct inspired by West Farms where Castro worked the beat his rookie year.

His intricately layered story serves many purposes including a social commentary and even a religious allegory.

The novel details Roses examination over the 40 days of Lent beginning on Ash Wednesday and concluding on Easter Sunday.

It rewards second readings, he noted.

Smoke and Mirrors took a year to write and a total of five to six months to edit.

Writing it was relatively easy because I was passionate about it and had a tremendous amount of material to work with from my experiences as a police officer, he shared.

Smoke and Mirrors is available via Amazon, www.barne sandn oble.com , Apple iBooks and throughout select NYC Barnes and Noble stores.

For additional information, visit www.smoke andmi rrors polic edrea ms.com .
In my previous article, I told about the ill-prepared attempt by the quickly formed Comstock militiamen to retaliate for the massacre at Williams Station. This group of 105 untrained volunteers was gathered from the farms, mines and businesses around the Comstock region. Not expecting the resolve of the 700 Paiutes gathered for a council at Pyramid Lake, these inexperienced militiamen were quickly defeated. Seventy-six of them, including Major Ormsby, were killed in the brutal first battle. The survivors, many of them wounded, limped back to Virginia City to regroup. Typical of the tragic events in that battle was the death of Major Ormsby.

In his attempt to escape the horde of Indians driving the whites from the narrow valley, Major Ormsby was riding a mule that had been shot through the flank and spurted blood with every step. The Major had been shot in the mouth and wounded in both arms, yet he rode on. Others of the group wanted to rally another attack, but the Major warned they should do what they could to save themselves.

As Ormsby was half way up the steep grade leaving the narrow valley, his saddle turned and threw him to the ground. The Major then walked to the top of the grade and turned around to face the pursuers. He recognized some who he had met before and desperately tried to seek mercy from them based on the past friendship he had with them. This proved of no use and he was killed with arrows to the stomach and in the face.

The remaining escapees continued on toward where Wadsworth now stands until it became too dark for the Indians to see them any longer. In all, there were 76 militiamen killed that day in the most disastrous conflict to the whites ever waged in what is now the State of Nevada. Most of the survivors were wounded but the Indians suffered no loss of life and just a few wounded braves.

Since the first attempt to defeat the threat of violence from the Indians had miserably failed, the local settlers and the mining interests on the Comstock decided to seek help from nearby California. Former Texas Ranger, Colonel John C. Hays happened to be in Virginia City at the time on business and promptly organized a regiment of about 500 volunteers which he called the Washoe Regiment. Placerville, Sacramento and Nevada City contributed another 160 volunteers to the effort. Hays and the Washoe Regiment quickly marched out to Williams Station and had a brief skirmish with about 150 Paiutes. The Indians retreated back home to Pyramid Lake and sent all their women and children to hide out in the Black Rock Desert, knowing a major battle was eminent.

Meanwhile, Capt. Joseph Stewart, commander of Fort Alcatraz in San Francisco, took command of a regiment of 200 regular army soldiers called the Carson Valley Expedition. Stewarts forces joined up with those of Colonel Hays near where Wadsworth is now located on June 1, 1860. Colonel Hays took command of the combined forces and the expedition headed north along the Truckee River to engage the enemy on June 2, 1860.

Colonel Hayes sent an advance party of two companies downriver where they soon found the scattered remains of many of those volunteers killed in the first battle nearly a month earlier. The main force moved slowly and cautiously at some distance behind and made a stand in a mile-wide canyon flanked on the west by the steep Virginia Range and on the east by the Truckee River. This was done to prevent being out-flanked by the Indians. Near the middle of the battlefield there was a rocky butte with gullies running down the sides where troops could find cover for making a stand.

The advance party encountered the Indians rapidly coming toward them in a wedge shaped formation. The advance party quickly retreated back toward the main force. The Paiutes advanced so quickly they took possession of the rocky butte and formed a skirmish line that extended from the Truckee River to the mountains on the west. Captain Stewarts Regulars formed the skirmish line along the west side and the volunteers formed to the east along the river. Capt. Edward Farris Storey commanding the volunteers from Virginia City and Capt. J.B. Van Hagen from California each led their companies to make a charge on the rocky butte and succeeded in taking it back from the Indians.

The Paiutes were slowly driven back along the skirmish line on the west side near the mountains by Captain Stewarts forces and along the river by those of Colonel Hays.

The battle line was nearly a mile long. For three hours the fighting continued until at last, the Paiute forces retreated back along the Truckee River toward Pyramid Lake.

On June 4, Captain Stewarts forces followed the path of the retreating Indians and found their village at Pyramid Lake to be abandoned. Colonel Hays sent a group of scouts in pursuit of the Indians through a canyon northeast of the lake on June 5. The scouts were ambushed and Private William Allen was killed. He was the last casualty of the Pyramid Lake Indian War. Also killed was Capt. Edward Farris Storey. He has been honored for his service and sacrifice by the people of the Comstock by having Storey County named for him. Major William Ormsby, killed in the first battle, has been honored by naming Ormsby County (now Carson City) after him.

Following the battle, Captain Stewart and his men built several earthen fortifications in the event the hostile Indians returned to the area to resume the fight. These were later abandoned when Stewart was assigned to construct a more permanent fort along the banks of the Carson River near Bucklands ranch. This was to become Fort Churchill.

In this, the second battle, there were 3 whites killed and 5 wounded. There are conflicting reports on how many Indians were killed since they carried many of their dead away with them as they retreated. In all, 750 volunteers and army regulars participated in the campaign. It is estimated there were 300 Paiute braves involved in the battle. An estimated 25 of them were killed and perhaps 20 more were wounded.

In my next and final article in this series, I will tell about the aftermath of this tragic time in our history and the construction of Fort Churchill to protect people from future Indian attacks.
Dr. Jed Hancock, Space Dynamics Laboratory director of Civil Space, welcomes students to a live downlink from the International Space Station on May 19, 2017 in North Logan.

NORTH LOGAN  Station, this is Houston. Are you ready for the event? The event, held Friday, May 19, 2017, was a live downlink from the <a href=https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html>International Space Station (ISS)</a>, and the crowd was more than ready to meet the astronauts. Gathered from schools from throughout the state, more than 200 Utah students filled the Robert F. Bennett Research Laboratory at the <a href=http://www.spacedynamics.org/>Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL)</a> in North Logan, with thousands more watching the broadcast from their classrooms.

The 20-minute call to the ISS was initiated by former NASA astronaut <a href=https://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/precourt.html>Charlie Precourt</a>, vice president and general manager of Propulsion Systems for Orbital ATKs Flight Systems Group. A veteran of four space flights with more than 932 hours in space, Precourt was in his element.

Well, are you all ready for some fun? Precourt asked the audience. The last time I did one of these, I was on the other side of it in space, so Im going to be a little bit jealous, but Im really, really thrilled to be able to be here to join you for this.

The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was made possible for the students in partnership with <a href=http://www.usu.edu/>Utah State University</a>, <a href=https://www.hatch.senate.gov/public/>U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch</a> and <a href=https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/jack-d-fischer>NASA</a>. As preselected students presented a list of 20 questions to two astronauts aboard the ISS, <a href=https://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/whitson.pdf>Expedition 51 Commander Peggy Whitson</a> and <a href=https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/jack-d-fischer>Flight Engineer Jack Fischer</a> captivated the audience with their answers.

George Joeckel is one of 25 students from InTech Collegiate High School who heard the live feed from space.

I thought it was so inspiring, Joeckel said. Just how awesome space is, and it was just amazing.

Joeckel said hes seriously considering a career in space exploration.

If thats the path that life takes me, he said, Im thinking I want to go!

Like Joeckel, all the students invited to participate in Fridays conversation with Whitson and Fischer are involved in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in affiliation with USUs <a href=http://utahstars.usu.edu/about>Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)</a> program.

This is a signal opportunity [for students] to be engaged with NASA in a way thats going to change their lives, said Eric Packenham, director and principal investigator of the GEAR UP 1 federal grant. They are going to be the future researchers that help us explore Mars and other planets and inhabitants and those kind of things, and were so proud of them. Were thankful for Senator Hatch, for Space Dynamics Lab, for NASA to give us this opportunity.

Opportunity was a buzzword throughout the ISS downlink, with Hatch, Whitson and Fischer emphasizing the importance of STEM education.

It doesnt matter where you come from, Hatch said, in a prerecorded message to the students. Connect what youre doing in school with the future potential of your career.

You are the generation thats going to take us into the heavens for good, said Fischer.

Orbiting approximately 250 miles above the earth at more than 17,000 mph, Whitson and Fischer made students laugh as they answered questions about their favorite foods in space, the weird stuff theyve seen and how their free time is spent. The astronauts also made the students think, discussing more than 300 experiments currently being conducted within the ISS, the effect of micro-gravity on the body and how emergencies are addressed on the space station. When Benjamin Huenemann, a sophomore at <a href=http://www.intechchs.org/>InTech Collegiate High School</a> asked the NASA pair whether musical instruments are played aboard the space station, <a href=http://thomaspesquet.esa.int/>French astronaut Thomas Pesquet</a> just happened to float byplaying a saxophone.

The question that perhaps best captured the purpose of the event came from Jason Shepherd, a junior at Wendover High School.

If you could give a 17-year-old one piece of advice, what would that be? he asked.

Fischer didnt hesitate.

I dare you to dream, he said. That has two important parts. First off, the dream part. Only you can find the thing that lights a fire in your soul. You have to define that for yourself. And then the second part of I dare you to dream is that no one is going to give that to you. Not everyone gets a trophy in life. If you dont work really hard at your passion, it will never happen. I can guarantee it. You need to find your passion, and you need to follow it with all youve got.

Cache Valley students who participated in the NASA downlink at SDL came from InTech Collegiate High School, Logan High School, Mount Logan Middle School, the <a href=http://cachemakers.weebly.com/>Cache Makers 4-H Club</a>, and children of SDL employees. Also represented were Dual Immersion Academy in Salt Lake City, North Sanpete Middle School, Uintah High School and Wendover High School. Students from Edith Bowen Laboratory School in Logan, Ephraim Middle School and Wendover Junior High School were also included, watching the ISS live feed on <a href=https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/#public>NASA TV</a>.

This was one of the best things Ive seen, said Eric Warren, SDLs director of public relations. To watch the kids get engaged live with an astronautthats amazing.

Jens Trauntvein, IT director at InTech, agreed.

Forgive the pun, but its astronomically amazing for them to be here, he said. Honestly, our students are exceptional and they put forth a lot of effort to make a difference. For them to have this opportunity to make some contacts in the aeronautical world and speak to people on the International Space Station Im so proud of them for having the courage to take the steps necessary to be involved.

Chaperoning 45 students at the event, Mount Logan School Principal Daryl Guymon said he wished all 1,250 of his students could have attended.

This is what were preparing our kids for, he said. Theres a lot of jobs out there right now that are available in STEM. What a great opportunity today to let these kids see what it is hands-on and learn how their education all connects together.

Its really incredible what happens in space, Jed Hancock, SDLs division director of Civil Space, told the students as their experience with Whitson and Fischer concluded, and your future is truly out of this world.

<hr />

jennifer@cvradio.com
ELKO  Mines pay a special tax in Nevada called net proceeds of minerals, but it can take years before the state and local governments see a large increase from a new operation.

Elko Countys newest mine is Newmont Mining Corp.s Long Canyon near Oasis. Many in the community dont understand how the tax law works, so they are surprised that local governments are not receiving millions in tax dollars from the new operation.

I think people thought that we were going to get buckets of money a couple years ago, when they announced it, said Elko County Comptroller Debbie Armuth.

When Long Canyon was announced, people thought it was going to be similar to the net proceeds that come out of Eureka County, said Assistant Elko County Manager and CFO Cash Minor.

I think when Newmont did their economic analysis and they shared that information, I think people realized it wasnt as big an operation as what they thought, he said. I think its a long-term operation, but theyre not going in on a large basis to mine everything at once.

The Department of Taxation determines net proceeds of minerals tax annually. The tax is based on the actual production of minerals from operating mines, oil and gas wells, and geothermal operations for the prior calendar year.

The net proceeds are determined by subtracting certain deductions from the gross yield of the mine. The tax has 12 approved deductions, which include the actual cost of extracting the mineral, refining the mineral, maintenance and repairs on equipment or facilities, reclamation work and others.

The tax rate applied to the net proceeds is a sliding scale between 2 and 5 percent and depends on the ratio of net proceeds to gross proceeds, according to the Department of Taxation. For example, if a company generates $1 million in net proceeds, out of a total of $2 million gross yield, then the ratio is 50 percent and the tax rate would be 5 percent.

In 2015, the actual net proceeds tax paid by 119 operations totaled about $91.8 million. The counties where the mines are located received about $46 million and the state received about $45.7 million for state debt and the general fund.

The counties that received the largest portions of net proceeds in 2015 are Lander at 32.85 percent, Eureka at 27.77 percent and Humboldt at 19.7 percent. Elko County received 5.58 percent.

Elko County had 15 active operations for the 2015-16 fiscal year. Those operations paid about $5.14 million in net proceeds and royalties and the county received about $2.43 million, according to the Department of Taxation. These numbers do not include the royalties paid.

Elko School District Superintendent Jeff Zander said school districts in the state are required to reserve net proceeds in the ending fund balance and appropriate them the next fiscal year.

The idea behind it, its a stabilization process, he said. Back in the day net proceeds were paid on estimates, people would appropriate in their budget based on estimates and then when the estimates didnt show up, it caused problems. So the Legislature put a law in place that requires you to reserve that one year in advance before it can be appropriated.

By statute, the district receives 75 cents of every $100 of assessed valuation from net proceeds that goes into the general fund and 75 cents of every $100, which goes into the pay-as-you-go fund, Zander said.

Realistically, nowadays we probably see anywhere from about $500,000 to maybe $1 million in net proceeds annually in each one of those funds, he said. To properly put that in perspective our general fund this year is about $85 million.

The school district receives about 60 percent of the net proceeds sent to the county, Minor said. The balance of the funds is allocated to the different tax rates. The government funds that receive a portion of net proceeds includes the County general fund, indigent fund, library, senior citizens services, Elko County Fair Board, the Elko Convention and Visitors Authority and the TV District and others.

Every fund that receives ad valorem tax, receives a piece of net proceeds, Armuth said. Its technically still a property tax.

The cities in Elko county dont normally receive much from net proceeds because the mines and other extractive industries are not located in their geographic areas.

Historically the County put net proceeds into capital funds, because staff considers it a volatile tax. Many factors  from the price of gold to an incident at a mine  can affect the amount.

The problem with net proceeds is it can go up or down 10,000 percent in a year, you cant rely on it, Minor said. It can be here one year and gone the next.

For a few years, including the 2016-17 budget, the County used some net proceeds in the operating funds. Armuth said net proceeds were put in operating to increase the ending fund balance.

The County is in the process of weaning its operating funds off net proceeds.

For several years, during the Great Recession, mines prepaid net proceeds to the state and local governments. Legislation was passed in December 2008 to accelerate the payment of net proceeds.

The rule of when mines paid net proceeds changed for the 2016-17 fiscal year, Armuth said.

In order to get back on track with actuals, we didnt receive any payment for one year, for the 16-17 year, she said.

They had already prepaid, so they didnt want us including any revenue because those mines had theoretically prepaid that tax for 16-17, Armuth said. Now there are a couple that are going to have to pay because they didnt pay enough.

However, the Department of Taxation didnt tell the County which mines still have to pay, and the County has not received any net proceeds this fiscal year.

Minor and Armuth said it will be better for local governments to not receive prepayments. A couple years ago the County had to refund Newmont Mining Corp. about $1 million because the mine overpaid. Minor said the company was refunded after it sold the Midas Mine.

Now, net proceeds are projected by the mining companies in February, but local governments wont receive funds from that tax until June of the following year, Armuth said.
G. Gorgisyans question: I dont know any case, when a policeman was punished (video)

At the 6th convention NA Yelk alliance lawmaker Gevorg Gorgisyan addressed several questions to Koryun Nahapaetyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs, nominated to the post by the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), April War showed that there are some problems in the army; what steps will you initiate to strengthen the control and for the revelation of problems and their solution. My next question relates to the RA Police. During the recent years we have had cases when disproportionate force used against peaceful protesters and practically no policeman was published. What mechanism will be used for this? As well as in the context of nation-army concept, what do you think about the idea of reserve army? Koryun Nahapetyan noted that they have always voiced problems existing in the army, but generally it was done in closed format, As for the problems in the police, there may be some assessments on the actions of the police to what extent they are legal and proportionate. There are legal assessments for that. Relevant investigations have been set by the Chief of the police. Some police employees were held accountable, in separate cases, criminal cases have been instituted. Gevorg Gorgisyan noted that probably there were punishments by the police, but they werent carried out publicly, Besides, I dont know a case when a policeman was punished. Koryun Nahapetyan said that in the police system there is a disciplinary committee, which discusses those questions, Reforms are also underway, but of course, there must be control in the police. As for your next question- reserve army- I think in a very short period you can see solution to this issue.
The complex car park entrance would need to be based off Northbourne under government plans to encourage the area as a "flowing boulevard", with the proposal to instead have it situated on Dooring Street.
"You learn about things at school, you can research for as long as you want, but there's nothing that quite conveys what happened and the true extent of things than going to places in person, meeting with people who are still connected to those things that happened a long time ago."
"There's definitely a lot of surprise in the community when you tell people you're a breeder, and there's even more surprise when you tell them you go to shows to show your animal."
While he was able to get an extension on the higher than average bill, Mr Wills said he didn't think he would be able to challenge it.
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 ...
Maggy in Armenia

Ahead of 2017 Aurora Prize Events the first Aurora Prize Laureate Marguerite Barankitse pays a special visit to Armenia. She will meet with communities, cultural and religious leaders in Armenia and Artsakh and will present her mission and the impact of the 2016 Aurora Prize. After one year I am extremely happy to visit Armenia again and this time I have more stories to tell. I have brought to Armenia the message of all those happy children and young people who has shelter or better education thanks to the Aurora Prize. Now they can dream more, said Marguerite Barankitse, 2016 Aurora Prize Laureate. I look forward to meeting young people of Armenia and Artsakh and everyone who will open their doors and hearts to me. On May 20 Marguerite Barankitse visited Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute where a special exhibition is opened dedicated to Aurora Mardiganian, the inspirational woman behind the Aurora Prize. Mrs. Barankitse left a note in the Memory Book of Honorable Guests and laid flowers at the Armenian Genocide Memorial. At the end of the visit the First Aurora Prize Laureate planted a tree in the Memory Alley of Tsitsernakaberd complex in memoriam of the Armenian Genocide victims. The mission and idea behind the Aurora Prize is very important to us and we felt the need to invite the Aurora Prize Laureates to have their symbolic presence at Tsitsernakaberd Complex planting a tree every year. It will become a continuous tradition both for Armenia and Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex, said Hayk Demoyan, director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute. From Yerevan Maggy will travel to the south of Armenia where she will visit the medieval Tatev monastery complex. In Goris she will meet local NGO representatives, cultural leaders and students. She will also visit Axel Bakunts house-museum. Later Marguerite Barankitse will take a trip to Artsakh where in Shushi she will visit St. Ghazanchetsots church, Upper mosque, and Naregatsi Art Center where a cultural performance will be set and she will meet with local community. In Stepanakert Marguerite Barankitse will meet the students of Artsakh State University, will visit War Martyrs Museum. Later she will go to Gandzasar monastery. Marguerite will also pay a visit to Gyumri where she will go to the Armeian Catholic Church and Trchunyan orphanage. In Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin Marguerite Barankitse will meet His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians and will present her work and the impact of the 2016 Aurora Prize. Maggy will also meet with the representatives of Altitude 5165 humanitarian organization in Etchmiadzin. From May 26 with hundreds of other guests Marguerite will attend Aurora Prize Events in Yerevan and Dilijan. The events will culminate with the 2017 Aurora Prize Award Ceremony on May 28 in Yerevan. Marguerite Barankitse, the founder of Maison Shalom and REMA hospital, received the Aurora Prize on April 24, 2016, for the exceptional impact of her actions on preserving lives during the years of civil war in Burundi. To date, she has saved 30 thousand children and offered them shelter and care.
Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing.

You are our people. You Care. We Care2.
Armenia: EU and Armenia Hold annual Dialogue on Human Rights

Todays Shushi, Occupied and Cleared of Armenians, is a Real Example of Turkish-Azerbaijani Policy of Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh

Ookla, the the global leader in internet testing and analysis has awarded Ucom

Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH

SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces

There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

Google Ad

There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces

LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET

STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN

This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan

Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments

Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan
Machine learning is concerned with the study of computer algorithms that optimize their performance through the learning. The learning becomes better with time using experience. The capability of learning is related to most of the aspects of intelligence. In order to teach people about the fundamentals and applications of machine learning, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad is conducting a five days course.

Key topics covered

Supervised learning methods

Unsupervised learning methods

Reinforcement learning methods

Dimensionality reduction methods

Instance based learning methods

Heuristic search

Application case studies

Also Read: IIT Bombay Launches Short Term Course on Space Flight Mechanics

When

10 July to 14 July 2017

Eligibility to attend short term course on machine learning

The candidates interested in attending short term course on machine learning should be either of the followings

B.Tech graduate

M.Tech graduate

PhD scholar

Faculty

Industry Personnel who are interested in Machine Learning

Target audience

students

researchers

faculty

industry executives

Fees

To register for this course the applicants will have to pay fees in advance as per the given chart

Industry Personnel 5000/-

Faculty 4000/-

Research Scholars/ M.Tech students 3000/-

B.Tech Students 2000/-

How to apply for short term course on Machine learning?

Participants can make payment by depositing the registration fee through online payment mode:

NEFT/IMPS etc. in Account No.718400301000256 (MLA- 2017) of Vijaya Bank MNNIT Allahabad (Branch Code: 007184; MICR Code: 211029004; IFSC Code: VIJB0007184).

The lodging and boarding arrangements for candidates from outside Allahabad can be made on request for a limited number of accommodations. The charges of lodging and boarding are separate from the registration fee.

The participants can download Registration Form available on the MNNIT Allahabad website or otherwise can use the registration form available of this pamphlet. Completed registration form along with online payment details (copy of Payment Response page) should send through E-mail

(stcmla2017@gmail.com) on or before June 25, 2017.

The selected applicants will be intimated by E-mail on or before June 30, 2017.

Dates to remember

Receipt of Registration form along with fee details on 25-06-2017

Selection Notification on 30-06-2017

Course Commences on 10th July

Also Read:Indian Institute of Science Offers Short Term Course on Nonlinear and Adaptive Control Design
Armenia: EU and Armenia Hold annual Dialogue on Human Rights

Todays Shushi, Occupied and Cleared of Armenians, is a Real Example of Turkish-Azerbaijani Policy of Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh

Ookla, the the global leader in internet testing and analysis has awarded Ucom

Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Google Ad

Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH

SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces

There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

Google Ad

There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces

LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET

STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN

This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan

Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments

Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan
A number of Audi shareholders have called on the German company to be more transparent and release additional details about its diesel emissions violations.



Speaking at the companys annual meeting on Thursday in Neckarsulm, Germany, Audi chief executive Rupert Stadler said the company would be transparent with the public but many investors are still shocked that neither Audi or Volkswagen have released findings of an internal inquiry.

Stadler told the crowd that law and ethics would become the companys ultimate benchmark and that it will continue until the job is done.

Despite this, supervisory board member at DWS Deutsche Asset Management, Christian Strenger said that more needs to be done, Auto News reports.

Its high time that promises for a blunt clearing up through full transparency by management bodies will materialize. Denying and deferring is all we have been hearing to date, he said.

Felix Schneider from shareholder rights group SdK backed up this sentiment by saying Audi has failed to clear up the diesel scandal for the public and for shareholders in a transparent way.

These calls for increased transparency come shortly after Stadler was approved for another five-year term as the chief executive of Audi.

PHOTO GALLERY
If youre involved in the car and social media worlds in any way, theres a good chance youve heard of Jon Olsson, a Swedish skier who has created some of the wildest custom supercars in existence.



Whether that be wrapping Lamborghinis in distinctive camouflaged designs or building an Audi RS6 inspired by DTM race cars, Olsson isnt the type of guy to hold back from seeing his dreams become reality.

Recently, the gentlemen at Car Throttle sat down with Olsson to discuss life, cars and everything in between and fittingly, the interview didnt take place in a studio. Instead, it was done on the edge of a frozen lake which the skier was drifting around on in a Praga R1R. Thats normal, right? Ok, maybe not but it definitely looks fun!

The YouTuber is currently embarking on a new car build involving a Rolls-Royce after parting ways with his supercharged Huracan. It promises to be his craziest creation yet and thats saying something.

VIDEO
Photo: File photo Steven Kaplan delayed his sentencing hearing Friday morning, after getting a new lawyer this week.

The two men convicted of being a part of a vicious assault outside of a Kelowna nightclub in 2014 will have to wait for their sentencing, after one of them decided to change their lawyer at the last minute.

Steven Kaplan was found guilty of aggravated assault in March for orchestrating the knockout sucker punch of Michael Martin, outside of Sapphire Nightclub on the night of Sept. 6, 2014.

Kyle O'Brien, a bouncer at Sapphire, was found guilty of assault, for dragging Martin from the club at the request of Kaplan, helping to facilitate the punch.

The pair were set to be sentenced in Supreme Court Friday morning, but Kaplan decided to change counsel earlier this week, forcing an adjournment.

Colby Johnson, defence council for O'Brien, said Friday that Kaplan's new lawyer, Ken Westlake, plans to have a psychological assessment done for Kaplan, which could delay the sentencing by about two months.

I learned yesterday at about 3:00 in the afternoon from Mr. Westlake that he was now retained, said Crown prosecutor David Grabavac. The matter's going to have to be adjourned.

Due to the sentencing principles of parity and proportionality for co-accused, both the Crown and defence agreed Kaplan and O'Brien should be sentenced at the same time.

Through no fault of his own, Mr. O'Brien is going to be inconvenienced today, Grabavac said.

While neither of the two men actually threw the devastating punch that fractured the victim's skull and put him in a coma, they were both convicted of assault, due to their involvement.

Kaplan, who had fought the victim earlier in the night, enlisted the help of the much larger Steven Kollie to sucker punch Martin.

On security footage outside Sapphire nightclub, Kaplan can be seen talking to O'Brien, before the bouncer goes in the club and drags Martin outside.

Following the punch, which took place directly in front of the club in plain view of O'Brien and the other bouncers, Kollie calmly walks away. None of the bouncers give pursuit.

Kollie was sentenced to five years in jail for the aggravated assault a year ago.
There are some uniquely dangerous conditions on Okanagan Lake this long weekend, and several organizations were out Friday urging boaters to be cautious.

The annual kickoff to safe boating week, hosted by the Okanagan chapter of the Canadian Power Squadron, took place on the Kelowna Yacht Club's docks Friday.

We have very high water levels, a lot of debris out there, so you can get into a lot of extra trouble, said Sally Howard, general manager of the yacht club.

City manager Ron Matiussi urged boaters to keep it slow when within 30 metres of shore, as boat wake can cause significant damage when water levels are so high.

Todd Johnston, acting captain with Kelowna Fire Department, said he's been out on many marine rescue calls.

Often, what happens is it's just people that are just not prepared, he said. This being a tourist area, a lot of people are drawn to the lake ... local knowledge is important, things can blow up quickly.

In addition to the unique concerns due to the high water levels and debris in the lake, organizers of the event stressed the importance of having personal flotation devices, a heaving line, flares and a fire extinguisher on board. Those lacking the required safety gear can face a fine.

We just want every boater out there to be safe, said the Power Squadron's Jona Benesha.
As local residents, firefighters, police and friendly strangers fill sandbags to protect homes from flooding creeks and rising lake levels, several locals have pointed to a simple device that could help expedite the sandbagging process.

A video posted on YouTube shows two young boys filling up six sandbags at once using a simple homemade tool made with PVC piping and wood.

The sandbags are placed over one end of the PVC pipes, and the sand is then filled into the other end.

In the video, the 10- and 13-year-old boys fill up six bags with sand in about 90 seconds.

Today, I saw about 20 workers in red shirts filling sandbags in the Casa Loma region, said Aaron Anderson. Not to belittle them in any way, but there were two people to make one sandbag in about 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

These two young boys could produce as much as 12 full-grown adults in half the time.
Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer

Residents now have access to a new state-of-the-art public viewing platform at the Vaseux Lake Wildlife Refuge in the South Okanagan.

Area dignitaries, volunteers and residents gathered at the location Friday for the grand opening of the three-storey structure, known as a bird blind.

"I am extremely happy," said project manager Eva Durance. "I think it's going to be a wonderful community facility and resource and conservation education centre."

Located on Crown land, the blind has been a project of the Important Bird and Biodiversity Area program of BirdLife International, run in the province through BC Nature.

With the help of the provincial and federal governments, nonprofit organizations, local businesses and individuals it was put together over four and a half years, replacing the one built in the 1990s.

Now finished the structure allows the public to enjoy the refuge in comfort, with minimal disturbance to birds and other wildlife.

From the top covered deck, one has a panoramic view of the lake, cliffs and surrounding grasslands.

The second level is enclosed with shutters over openings at various heights and a door. This protects visitors from inclement weather, especially in winter, and deters rodents from moving in.

The entry level is wheelchair accessible.

On Friday there was a brief program at the site including introductions from Robert Stewart, an ecosystem biologist with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources operations, and brief speeches by Durance, who spearheaded the project, and MP Richard Cannings.

Stewart thanked all those involved, starting with Durance, the Vaseux IBBA volunteer caretaker, and all the others who made it happen, describing it as truly a community effort.

Durance thanked everyone who thought replacing the former one was a good idea, while Cannings said the first blind was great but this one is even better.

There was also a ribbon cutting and tours of the new bird blind.
Photo: Contributed

Summerland officials are keeping a close eye on Okanagan Lake, as levels continue to rise.

According to information released by the district, the lake rose two centimetres from Thursday, putting the level at 342.76 metres above sea level Friday morning

This is 24 cm from the predicted high level of 343.0 metres.

Over the next few days, Summerland staff will be putting in survey stakes at various locations along the lakeshore to mark this level. The stakes will be useful for establishing the best location for sandbags and to determine where protection may be required.

Elevation mapping confirms the Trout Creek area is the most susceptible to more widespread flooding.

Over the weekend, a District of Summerland representative will also be visiting residents of lakefront properties most susceptible.

In addition, the district has renewed its supply of sandbags and will keep sand piles stocked over the weekend. The sandbags are available at the fire hall at 10115 Jubilee Rd.

Over the long weekend, the district will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as changes occur.

Should lake levels rise enough to cause concern of widespread flooding, an information centre will be opened at the district office.

Some Summerland amenities including the pathway at Landry Crescent, Centennial Trail along Peach Orchard Road and the path from Rotary Beach to the Peach Orchard Boat launch are already closed due to high water levels.
Photo: Contributed

A local state of emergency and an evacuation alert has been issued in the Twin Lakes area near Kaleden.

The threat of flooding in the vicinity of Horn and Nipit Lakes (Twin Lakes) has increased the potential danger to life and health and property damage for the properties listed below.

Twin Lakes Road numbered properies: 186, 188, 190, 192, 194, 196, 198, 200 and 202.

No other homes in the area are under an alert at this time.

Affected residents will be given as much advance notice as possible prior to evacuation; however, residents may receive limited notice due to changing conditions.

Homeowners in the area, expressed concerns about flooding this week.

For more information, check here
Photo: Darren Handschuh Vernon's new rainbow crosswalk is about human rights.

The new rainbow crosswalk in downtown Vernon represents more than just than the LGBTQ community  it is a symbol of human rights.

When Travis Irman approached Vernon city council in October to have the colourful crosswalk installed, he requested it have eight colours.

Irman explained a six-coloured rainbow is the international symbol of the LGBTQ community, but eight colours is the original flag for human rights groups.

It really is an inclusive crosswalk, said Irman.

It is also a symbol of acceptance and tolerance within the community.

It's an amazing step forward for Vernon. Especially to generate dialogue for inclusion in general, he said, adding it is a public declaration of where Vernon is going as a community.

A grand opening ceremony will be held May 26 at 6 p.m.

The colourful walkway was installed midblock on 30th Avenue, between 33rd and 34th streets Thursday evening.
Photo: The Canadian Press Prime Minster Justin Trudeau participates in a roundtable with the Council of India Societies of Edmonton, in Edmonton on Saturday.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested Saturday that it should be no surprise that the inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women has run into some snags.

"There were always going to be big challenges with such an important and meaningful commission," said Trudeau, who was in Alberta's capital to promote his government's child care policies.

Recently, there has been criticism that the inquiry is proceeding too slowly and that some of the victims' families are becoming anxious.

Trudeau said it's essential to have the inquiry to help put an end to what he calls an "ongoing national tragedy," but he steered clear of second guessing the inquiry's commissioners.

"We are trusting the commissioners to do the work that we laid out that they need to do."

The chief commissioner responded Friday to criticisms about delays.

Marion Buller says some "tremendous work" has already been done but blames poor communications for that information not getting to the public.

She said part of the reason for the delays is that commissioners are taking a different path than previous courtroom style inquiries.

She said they're taking an indigenous approach that will do no further harm to the victims and their families, something that can't be rolled out quickly.
Photo: Fleetmon.com The Travestern ran aground Friday.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating after a tanker ran aground east of Cornwall, Ont. late Friday.

The Travestern was making its way from Hamilton to Montreal when it ran aground in Lake St. Francis near Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que.

TSB spokesman Alexandre Fournier says nobody was injured and no environmental damage has been reported.

Two tugboats have been dispatched to free the tanker and the TSB has sent a team of investigators to the scene.

The cause of the incident is not yet known.
If you have just started your journey in an online casino or are looking for a new site to play,...
Missed Delivery?

If missed delivery or wet paper please call our office 909-628-5501 ext 110 Leave a detailed message with name, address, and phone number. Readers must call before 1 p.m. on Saturday. Re-deliveries are available for Chino residents until 1 p.m. Saturdays.

Click Here


remaining of

Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading.
Annual awards were presented at the 168th Commencement Exercises of Rhodes College on May 13. Rhodes graduates Jon Jay Lanham Hedges and Mary Katherine Crowell, along with Deborah L. Craddock, principal and vice president of trading at Southeastern Asset Management, received the 2017 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards. The awards are presented annually to two graduating seniors (one male and one female) and one non-student who have given selflessly to others and the college.

Mr.

Hedges, a political economy major from Little Rock, Ark., served as the 2016-2017 president of Rhodes Student Government, and he involved himself in the Micah Community that works to foster racial reconciliation and explore spirituality. Hedges has been described by his peers as thoughtful, caring, and kind. He served as a member of the Commission on Campus Culture as a second-year student, and as an intern, he has been helping to restore Clayborn Temple, a Memphis landmark that holds particular significance to the Memphis Sanitation Strike during the civil rights movement. Mr. Hedges also served as a student trustee.

Ms. Crowell, a biology/anthropology/sociology major from Soddy Daisy, too served as student trustee, listening to her peers in order to accurately convey their concerns to the board of trustees. As president of the Rhodes chapter of Chi Omega Fraternity, Crowell is described by her peers as a loving and empathetic leader, serving as a role model for each member. She has been a research Intern at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital and at Little Bird Innovation, which brings together business strategy, social sciences, and design to help organizations deliver meaningful change. Ms. Crowell also sits on the board of the Taraloka Foundation, which works to aid Himalayan girls in their education.

Ms. Craddock, a 1980 Rhodes economics alumna, has held leadership roles in several Memphis organizations including the Brooks Museum of Art, MIFA, and Ballet Memphis. She is principal and vice president of trading at Southeastern Asset Management and has always managed to devote time to her alma mater, serving on the Alumni Executive Board, the Presidents Council, and the Margaret Hyde Council. Ms. Craddock is the past president of the Charles E. Diehl Society, and she and her husband, Bob, are members of the Benefactors Circle. Most recently, she served on the search committee for the 20th president of Rhodes College, and she has agreed to serve as the vice-chair of the board of trustees.

Founded in 1848, Rhodes is a private, coeducational college of liberal arts and sciences located in Memphis. It aspires to graduate students with a lifelong passion for learning, a compassion for others, and the ability to translate academic study and personal concern into effective leadership and action in their communities and the world.
When Barry and Marla Beck launched Bluemercury in 1999 as an upscale, neighborhood alternative to the department store beauty-buying experience, they had to convince brands and investors to sell beauty outside the mall. Even their company's name  a combination of Marla's favorite color and ancient Roman messenger god Mercury, a nod to their focus on giving customers quality beauty information and advice  wasn't an immediate hit.

Today, the company, which has rapidly expanded since Macy's bought it for $210 million in 2015, has nearly 140 stores and another 40 are expected to open this year, including six Chicago-area stores, which would double their presence here. The first, in River North, opened in late April.

Advertisement

Barry Beck, founder and chief operating officer, sat down with the Tribune to talk about why Bluemercury is opening stores when so many retailers are closing, why you won't find them on Michigan Avenue and how a company that wanted to fix the department store beauty experience wound up becoming part of one. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: How long did it take to go from the idea to the first store?

Advertisement

A: The original idea I had was to bring these brands online, it was going to be an online-only business. The problem was nobody was shopping online. This was the first internet boom. My initial investor was Steve Case from America Online (now AOL) and they only wanted pure internet plays. I said guys, clicks and bricks is the future. They were dead set against (stores), but we needed it. We bought the first store, named it Bluemercury, opened a second store in Washington, D.C., but it was really the third store, in Philadelphia, that changed everything.

Q: How so?

A: This was a bet-the-company move. I didn't have a lot of capital. I'd burned a lot on the internet business. And the most precious resource any entrepreneur has is time. I said, I'm going to try this thing in a new city. If it works, I'm going to be a big success. If it doesn't work, OK, I'll find something else to do. The first sale of the day was for $3,000. We knew then that we were onto something.

Q: Why sell to Macy's in 2015?

A: The irony of selling to a department store is not lost on me. But it was an amazing recognition of the value we created. It's been an incredibly symbiotic relationship. Fifteen years ago, 90 percent of all luxury cosmetics were purchased at the department store. By 2014, it was down to 60 percent and still sinking. There was this whole transition, and we were part of it, bringing the client out of the mall and into the streets, and they wanted in on that. But on the other hand, I was scaling every function of my business, and it was really difficult. What I really want is to become a household, iconic brand, and they helped me do that. We're opening more stores than ever.

Bluemercury founder Barry Beck is photographed May 18, 2017, at a new store in Chicagos River North neighborhood. Beck launched the beauty chain in 1999 with his wife, Marla, and Macys bought the business in 2015. (Kristen Norman/Chicago Tribune )

Q: How do you choose where you want to be?

A: My philosophy is location is still everything. Density has been our friend. I'm going to blanket Chicago with new stores.

This client of ours uses us as a substitute drugstore. They pop in for a lipstick, a new tip or trick. We embed ourselves in the lives of the communities where you live. In cities, our clients are within a 5-mile radius (of the store). In the suburbs, it's never more than a 15-minute drive time.

Advertisement

I bet I could open 60 stores in Manhattan, 40 stores in Chicago, 50 in the greater Chicago area, and that's my intention. We don't see cannibalization, we see overall lift.

You notice I'm not on Michigan Avenue. That's not our business. We're neighborhood stores. And we think we're winning the hearts and minds of these customers because we have their trust.

Q: You noted that a lot of beauty sales still aren't done online, in part because customers want that trusted in-person experience. People made similar arguments about how we're never going to buy apparel or mattresses online, but we've started to. Do you think there's something different about beauty?

A: I've never been a technology guy. For me it's about customer behavior. People are ultimately social beings. They love interacting and they love being connected to each other, and shopping is a social experience, so I don't think it's going to go away. It's just going to change.

Two years ago, 75 percent of my Bluemercury customers were telling me they were influenced by marketing campaigns in beauty. Today, it's only 25 percent. The store has to transition to become a place for information, education, edu-tainment, where we'll do your facials and you can come in for a quick tip or trick or when you've got an emergency blemish and you're on your way to a black-tie event.

People also want things fast. If you're an affluent busy urban superwoman or suburban power mom, you don't need to go to the mall. You can grab your coffee at Starbucks and then grab your lipstick.

Advertisement

Q: Are you trying to branch out to a wider audience, or focusing on a particular type of customer?

A: I think over time people will discover us. We serve a pretty broad array of customers. Of people who come to Bluemercury, 50 percent of customers are coming for a solution to a problem or a product with a specific attribute.

I think that's the niche we're going to carve out, and it's really built around people. When I started 18 years ago, people in beauty were part-time workers. We gave people full-time work, benefits and a true career path, and we keep their knowledge and expertise inside the business. We created this secret sauce.

Q: Did you know when you started the company you wanted to create your own products and brands as well?

A: No, but we're always talking to our customers and studying the data. There are more vegans in the millennial generation than ever in history. They realize the epidermis is the largest organ in the body. They're more conscious of what they put on their skin than ever  they want vegan, they want gluten-free, they're thinking about what natural means to them. We knew there was demand for powerful products with natural ingredients. Our No. 1 (item), I call it my gateway drug, is our M-61 PowerGlow Peel pads. We sell one every eight seconds.

lzumbach@chicagotribune.com

Advertisement

Twitter @laurenzumbach
People stand in line to check in at the Spirit Airlines counter at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. A chaotic scene erupted May 8 at the Spirit Airlines counter after flights were canceled. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

A record 234.1 million passengers are expected to fly on U.S.-based carriers this summer, apparently not dissuaded by a series of customer-relations blowups in recent weeks.

Airlines for America, which represents the airline industry, attributes the projected 4% increase in summer travel to improving economic conditions, higher household net worth and lower airfares.

Advertisement

To accommodate the increase of about 100,000 more fliers a day, airlines plan to add 123,000 extra seats a day, according to the trade group.

John Heimlich, chief economist for the airline trade group, said the organization has spoken to various airlines to gauge whether Donald Trump's election as president or recent passenger incidents have had any effect on bookings.

Advertisement

"There is no detectable, no palpable changes in booking patterns," he said during a conference call Thursday.

Viral videos put airlines on the spot

Airlines have suffered several embarrassing controversies recently  all caught on video that went quickly went viral  that have raised disturbing questions about passenger treatment. Among them:

 A doctor was dragged off a United Airlines flight after refusing to give up his seat to make room for a flight crew. The incident forced United to overhaul its policies and training and prompted several other carriers to examine their overbooking practices.

 A family flying home from a Hawaiian vacation was booted from a Delta Air Lines flight after a dispute over seating for an infant.

 Violence erupted at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida after Spirit Airlines canceled several flights because of a labor dispute with pilots.

The airline group's forecast echoes AAA's prediction this week that 39.29 million Americans will travel for the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, a 2.7% overall increase compared with last year, with air travel expected to rise 5.5%.

The Auto Club of Southern California forecast that 3.03 million people in the Southland will get away for the long weekend, a 3.4% increase over last year. That would be a record and the sixth year in a row that the number of Memorial Day travelers has grown over the previous year.

Most of the vacationers  2.52 million  are expected to travel by car, up 2.9% from last year, with Las Vegas, San Diego, the Grand Canyon, San Francisco and Yosemite National Park expected to be the top destinations.

Advertisement

Gasoline prices are expected to hold steady around $3 a gallon, the second-cheapest average price for a Memorial Day holiday weekend since 2009.

Filomena Andre, the Auto Club's vice president for travel, said the increase in air travelers suggests that vacationers are planning to take more time off work and travel farther from home.

hugo.martin@latimes.com

To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter.
East Aurora School District is looking at the best way to offer student busing next school year. (Dirk Lammers / Associated Press )

East Aurora School District 131 officials are set to move forward with a plan for busing next school year that will not require the district to change school start times and will be more expensive than an alternative option.

The board opted at a recent meeting to have buses run at the same time next year, rather than staggering school start times and having the same buses run multiple routes. The plan remains to stagger start times during the following two years.

Advertisement

East Aurora school board members, in a historic mid-April vote, approved buses for all students who live more than 1.5 miles from their school. The district already provides transportation for special education students, some preschool and kindergarten students, and district students who attend the third- through eighth-grade John C. Dunham STEM Partnership School at Aurora University.

In the vote, the board approved a price range for busing, with the final number set to depend on several details that at the time had not been finalized. One of those details was whether the district would change start times next school year.

Advertisement

The plan that includes leaving start times the same is expected to cost $4.3 million over three years before bus aides are taken into account, or about $343,321 more than busing was projected to cost if start times were staggered, according to district documents.

The district also approved hiring two transportation-related personnel. Walter Doughty was approved to become the assistant director of transportation with an annual salary of $90,000, and Jose Juarez was relocated from the Benavides Kindergarten Center to become a transportation specialist, with an annual salary of $52,000, according to a school board personnel report.

District officials have said they expect to offset some of the cost of busing through the state's partial reimbursement for transportation and an anticipated increase in state aid, which depends in part on attendance. School board President Annette Johnson has said the board would "absolutely not" rely on a tax hike to pay for the expanded busing.

Interim Superintendent Mark McDonald cited several reasons for recommending keeping start times the same and having one round of bus routes next year.

He said changing the start of employees' workdays presented a "contractual issue" that would "take quite a bit of time to resolve."

School start and end times are laid out in the teachers and staff contract, which has another year left on it, and changes must be approved by the union.

The president of the East Aurora teachers and staff union has said the union is "cautiously optimistic" the district can pull off expanded busing for next school year if start times remain the same but thought adjusted start times could require another year.

McDonald also said parents have requested the administration include their input when making decisions about school scheduling, and officials would not have a chance to gather their opinions if they worked to change school start times for next school year.

Advertisement

Administrators hope the new buses will raise student attendance, and moving a school's start time earlier could have the opposite affect, McDonald said.

"We'd be solving one problem by creating another," he said.

sfreishtat@tribpub.com

Twitter @srfreish
This entrance for the Fabricators and Manufacturers Associations new headquarters in Elgin was designed so that it could be seen from Interstate 90. ( The Courier-News/ Mike Danahey )

The Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (International) celebrated its move to Elgin recently, while, in turn, city officials noted what the company's presence represents for Elgin.

"I've been told their decision to relocate from Rockford came down to Atlanta and Elgin," Mayor Dave Kaptain said. "They chose Elgin because they felt it was more centrally located. That's one of the things we offer businesses, our central location."

Advertisement

Elgin Development Group Director of Economic Development Tony Lucenko said the association contacted the Group back in August 2015 after learning that the EDG is the arm of the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce paid by the city for economic development work, including bringing new businesses to town.

Lucenko said FMA's relocation to Elgin was another sign of a vibrant local economy, where Elgin is a leader in its region for drawing businesses and where use of available space is strong.

Advertisement

FMA President and CEO Ed Youdell said the move allows the association to be closer to many of its members, which enhance FMA's ability to serve the metal fabrication industry and to set a foundation for its growth. Already, Youdell said, visits to the headquarters are up exponentially compared to when the office was in Rockford.

EDG Director Bob Malm noted that FMA also works with colleges and school districts and already has met with officials from Elgin Community College and Elgin School District U46. The association has a Metal Fabrication Lab at Harper College in Palatine.

FMA also has a foundation  Nuts, Bolts and Thingamajigs  that offers summer camps to get youth interested in modern manufacturing and scholarships to students across the country.

Senior Manager Cindy Day, who oversees credentialing and the foundation for FMA, said ECC and U46 already have joined the Association's Certified Education Center.

FMA actually moved into its new digs at the end of Point Boulevard in December, FMA Executive Assistant Nancy Hatten said. Seventy people work out of the building, and employees are allowed to telecommute, while its "fabricators concourse" area can hold about 200 people.

The Association was founded in 1970, produces 12 trade publications and its website states that it has members in the United States, Canada, Mexico and reaches into 30 other countries.

Its Elgin building already hosted a safety conference, which Youdell said was attended by 45 people, about 30 of them from out of the area. Further programming will draw more people to the Elgin area, he said.

Elgin officials have noted an ancillary benefit of having businesses such as FMA in the city is that they bring in guests who stay at local hotels, eat at local restaurants and otherwise spend money in the area.

Advertisement

The building is the work of Pancor Construction and Development. The company's director of construction, Peter Nelson, said the build-out took about nine months. One of the structure's unique features is the metalwork framing the FMA logo that can be seen from Interstate 90 and which was designed by one of the firm's architects, Nelson said.

One of the unique things about moving to Elgin was the approachability of the mayor, Youdell said.

During his comments prior to a ribbon cutting, Youdell said during the process of moving to Elgin he reached out to Kaptain by calling City Hall, and he was told he could call Kaptain on Kaptain's home phone number.

"That was unusual," Youdell said.

About 45 minutes after leaving a message, Youdell said, Kaptain called back, which helped lead to the company eventually winding up in Elgin.

mdanahey@tribpub.com
As of today, Illinois government will have gone 690 days without a state budget. In that time, there's been a lot of political posturing, name calling, "grand bargains" and attempts at compromise.

Nothing has seemed to jolt our elected officials from their intransigent positions. Marches, protests, letters and calls to lawmakers and the governor have so far failed in getting Democrats and Republicans, with less than two weeks to go in the legislative session, to compromise on a plan that would prevent the state from entering a third year without a budget. The end to the state's financial crisis may not conclude until after the 2018 elections when voters cry uncle and make electoral changes in state government.

Advertisement

In the interim, state government continues to chug along, somewhat. Bills get paid as the red ink piles up. If the stalemate continues, Illinois will end the budget year nearly $6 billion in debt. Currently, the state's total overdue bills are at a record $14.3 billion.

But if you think the ongoing state budget impasse is without its victims, think again. Reimbursements to state vendors and contractors have been delayed. Your local school district could be among the next casualties.

Advertisement

Take Round Lake Area Schools Community Unit School District 116for example, a district that's waiting for nearly $3 million in state funds. The money's been earmarked for lead water testing and repairs, but those projects aren't likely to happen this year.

Testing for lead in water should be a priority since the recent fallout from lead-ridden water in Flint, Mich., and some Chicago schools. Ironically, a new state law requires schools to test their water for lead.

Depending on testing results, repairs in Round Lake schools might need to be made. It's unclear how the 7,000-student district can cover those costs this summer if the missing state checks aren't in the mail.

Lead testing isn't the only priority for District 116 officials. Nearly 30 projects across the district have been identified and approved by the school board. Some of those might not happen if the funding doesn't come through, officials say.

Included in that wish list are plans to repair sidewalks, parking lots and roofs; finish up a variety of preventative maintenance projects; provide doors to some classrooms at Round Lake Beach Middle School; and create a secure entrance at Indian Hill Elementary School. That alone would cost an estimated $350,000.

With the missing funds comes the uncertainty of what projects the cash-strapped district can undertake the rest of the year. We imagine Round Lake, with a large low-income student population, is not alone among Lake County school districts facing similar predicaments. School buildings, like our homes, are investments that need regular maintenance.

Round Lake, like others across Illinois, is gladly receiving its general state aid payments on a regular basis. Yet, it has only received about a third of the $4.24 million in state special education and transportation assistance it's been approved to receive.

Educational funding in Illinois schools has penalized poor school districts for decades and the current situation facing Round Lake and others compounds the inequity. If approving a state budget is a difficult task, consider the effort it will take to revamp the school funding formula.

Advertisement

In the meantime, Lake County lawmakers need to make sure schools in their districts receive the money due for needed repairs. Especially when it comes to state-mandated testing of toxic lead in school water and paying for the cost to fix potential health and safety concerns.
A Lake County Jail inmate who was found unresponsive in his cell last year died of a massive abdominal infection while in custody, according to an autopsy report released to the News-Sun.

David Butterfield, 36, of Waukegan, had a significant medical history of substance abuse and childhood absence epilepsy, according to the report from the Lake County Coroner's Office. The autopsy, performed in March of last year, found bleeding inside Butterfield's intestines in addition to the massive infection in his abdominal cavity. The autopsy found no evidence of significant injuries that caused or contributed to his death.

Advertisement

The official cause of death was peritonitis, the inflammation of a membrane lining the abdominal wall that is usually the result of a fungal or bacterial infection. The condition requires prompt medical treatment usually involving antibiotics or surgery, according to the Mayo Clinic. Risk factors for the condition include cirrhosis, stomach ulcers and pancreatitis.

Toxicological tests showed naloxone, a medication used to reverse the effects of heroin and opioid overdoses, and promethazine, a sedative commonly used to prevent nausea and vomiting, in Butterfield's system.

Advertisement

Butterfield died March 4, 2016, at 8:36 a.m., according to the report. Additional records released by the Lake County Sheriff's Office show he had been on suicide watch, meaning jail officers are supposed to observe the inmate every 15 minutes. The last entry on the suicide watch form is for 7:20 a.m., when Butterfield was observed lying naked on the floor of his cell.

A jail official found Butterfield unresponsive in his cell at about 7:38 a.m., records show. Medical staff performed CPR, and Butterfield was taken to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan, where he was pronounced dead.

According to protocol in such matters, the Lake County Major Crime Task Force investigated Butterfield's death last year, records show. No recommendations were made following the investigation, and the task force found no instances of criminal wrongdoing, said Sgt. Chris Covelli, public information officer at the sheriff's office.

Butterfield was brought into custody on Feb. 29, 2016, after being arrested on a warrant for failing to appear in court on charges of possession of a controlled substance. While in custody, Butterfield told jail officials he was feeling sick from drug withdrawal. He was placed under the care of the jail's medical unit, according to a statement officials released at the time.

Before Butterfield was taken to the hospital, instructions from an automated external defibrillator advised rescue officials not to shock him, according to written statements from jail officials.

Butterfield had asked for a nurse at 5:45 a.m. March 4, less than three hours before he died. Suicide watch records show he was with a nurse at that time.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office declined to release Butterfield's medical records, citing privacy laws.

Attempts to reach Butterfield's family were unsuccessful. Jail records show he was unemployed, and his highest level of education was ninth grade. He had previous arrests in Lake County for criminal trespass, driving on a suspended license, operating an uninsured vehicle and criminal damage to government property, records show.

Advertisement

Butterfield is among six Lake County Jail inmates who have died in custody in recent years. Last year, Jonathan Velazquez was found dead in his cell of an apparent suicide, authorities said. Igor Karlukov, of Palatine, was found hanging inside his cell in 2014, and Thomas Arvie, of Waukegan, died in 2011 after suffering a stroke in his cell.

Jail officials were scrutinized after the 2012 deaths of inmates Lyvita Gomes and Eugene Gruber. Gomes, of Vernon Hills, died at a hospital in 2012 from malnutrition and dehydration after a 15-day hunger strike at the jail. Gruber, of Grayslake, died at a Chicago rehabilitation center months after he suffered paralyzing neck injuries while struggling with officers in the jail.

County officials changed the jail's medical care provider after their deaths.

lhammill@tribpub.com

Twitter @lucashammill
A self-described businessman has been sentenced to four years in federal prison and ordered to pay $2.3 million in restitution to a Naperville man and others he duped in what authorities said was a two-year Ponzi scheme.

Richard L. Thompson, 62, of Sarasota, Fla., pleaded guilty last summer to a felony count of wire fraud, according to U.S. District Court records.

Advertisement

In addition to the prison term, Judge Robert M. Dow Jr. sentenced Thompson to two years of mandatory supervised release following his prison release and ordered him to pay $2,265,572 in restitution to his victims, records said.

Between 2009 and 2011 Thompson persuaded investors to buy shares in his Latten Management LLC real estate development company and to personally loan money to him, falsely telling them he owned more than 200 acres of land called Catawba Peak in Tennessee, a release from the U.S. attorney's office said.

Advertisement

One of the swindled investors was identified as being a man from Naperville, who gave Thompson $125,000 from a retirement account, federal authorities said.

Thompson founded Latten Management in 2007 on the premise of developing vacation properties in Tennessee. He bought 54 acres of land in an area called Green Mountain and 15 more in Green Ridge Park. He kept the titles in his name, never transferring them to Latten Management, authorities said in 2015.

Thompson and several associates in 2009 defaulted on the Catawba Peak property, leaving a debt of just under $10 million, records said.

Nevertheless, Thompson gave investors tours of the properties, promising to develop the land into vacation homes, authorities said. He "misappropriated a substantial portion of investors' funds to pay for his own personal expenses, including his home mortgage, his family's credit cards, electric bills, college tuition, life insurance (policies) and a Lexus," authorities said.

Thompson's prison term is scheduled to start July 11.
Kellie Repasi, 18, smiles at a pupil while reading a book to his class at Kolling Elementary School in St. John. Lake Central High School offers high school students the chance to spend a year in a teaching assistant role in its teacher cadet program. ( Meredith Colias/Post-Tribune )

When she walked into Kolling Elementary in August, Tory Morris was intimidated by the prospect of helping to teach a room of 6-year-olds.

For years, she had thought seriously about becoming a teacher, but had little practical experience to know if she would actually like it.

Advertisement

When a high school counselor suggested that she sign up for a cadet teaching program, she accepted the chance to work with an elementary school teacher for part of the day this year.

About a dozen students are in the program, according to teacher Caryn O'Hara.

Advertisement

At first, the Lake Central senior was doubtful she would make it through the program.

"I didn't really know how to interact with them," said Morris, 18. "But, I kept coming and slowly they get excited to see you and want to know who you are."

Over time, her confidence grew, she became more authoritative and began to develop lesson plans, such as a recent unit on butterflies. First-grade teacher Cheryl Bussey watches over her work.

Morris has also observed meetings with parents, Bussey said.

"She has to understand how to engineer respect from her class and how to sort of still be their friend and not to be somebody that they are afraid of," said Bussey, a teacher for 22 years. "That is probably something that is one of the toughest jobs of any incoming teacher."

Bussey praised the opportunity available for Morris to build a foundation of teaching now, rather than waiting until the latter years in college.

"There's a lot of people that go into this without any real knowledge of what goes into the classroom," she said, "I think that's bad for the kids, too. You waste a whole education on something that you are not really cut out to do."

Morris said the experience has reinforced her decision to study elementary education at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis in the fall.

Advertisement

"I'm not sitting in college for two years and then just getting into student teaching," she said. "It makes me realize that I do really want to do this."

After a two-year dip, the number of initial practitioner licenses -- awarded to new teachers, administrators, and applicable staff including counselors -- jumped to 4,552 in 2015-16 from 3,843 in 2014-15, according to the Indiana Department of Education.

The 2015-16 levels represent a nearly 23 percent decrease from 2012-13 when 5,889 licenses were granted statewide.

Last year, River Forest High School started its own program that allows between 12 to 15 students to gain exposure to teaching in its elementary schools.

Although he can hope it will inspire them to enter teaching, Superintendent Steve Disney said the real test will come when student loan payments are looming as "real world economics comes into play."

Despite the increase statewide in initial teaching licenses awarded, River Forest and other districts across the state still struggle to find applicants for specific subjects like language arts, math, home economics and industrial technology, he said.

Advertisement

"It's concerning," he said. "Especially so when we know that the teacher makes the biggest difference with students' success."

mcolias@post-trib.com

Twitter @meredithcolias
Plans for the new Rock Island Station Shopping Center got a stamp of approval from the New Lenox Plan Commission Tuesday night, despite concerns from residents about increased traffic at the busy intersection of U.S. 30 and Cedar Road.

The retail center will be developed in two lots, with a new CVS Pharmacy anchoring the northeast corner on a 1.6 acre parcel, formerly occupied by a BP Amoco gas station and Hutchins Cleaners. The 1.2 acre parcel to the east will have an 8,400 square foot retail center with a Fleckenstein's Bakery, Durbin's Pizza, Zembar Jewelers, and a possible fourth tenant.

Advertisement

The village board, which has final approval, will review the plan at its June 12 meeting.

"This has been a long time coming," said Andrew Kolb, attorney for the developer TMC Illinois 2 LLC.

Advertisement

In June 2014, the village bought the four businesses for $2.8 million that were on that corner  BPAmoco, Hutchins, the Pit Stop Tavern and the shuttered House of Hughes Restaurant, with plans to spur redevelopment and generate sales tax revenue to build a new Metra train station, which is adjacent to this land.

In December, 2016, it closed on the sale of the eastern portion of this site to Heidner Properties. The sale to CVS is pending the necessary approvals of the zoning and variances.

Village officials have said that the former businesses were "under performing."

The new 13,100 square foot CVS  a new prototype for the pharmacy chain with a stucco and brick facade  will be situated in front of the existing train station on Church Street, which will be vacated to accommodate the development. It will also have a drive-through.

Since the site is located in a high traffic area and constrained by the Metra Railroad to the north and U.S. 30 on the south, it is "impossible" to meet all the village codes, said village planner Jeff Smith, adding that staff has no objections to easing the required parking and landscaping requirements.

According to Smith, 154 parking spaces are required, but the plan calls for 130. If necessary, shoppers will be able to use the Metra lot after hours. Instead of plantings along the foundation of the building, there will be planter boxes.

There will be one main driveway into the new development, off U.S. 30, with another right turn only access off Cedar Road.

Currently, motorists can only exit onto northbound Cedar from the Metra lot.

Advertisement

Sidewalks will be installed in the front of the entire shopping area, according to the plan.

Plan commissioner Andrew Hawkins said the village is "missing an opportunity" to include a bike path here, noting that commuters and shoppers would ride bikes to these destinations. The proposed sidewalk is five feet wide and 10 feet is needed for a bike path.

Officials said there will be no additional traffic signals to accommodate the new project because it would be too close to the existing signals at Cedar Road and Prairie Street.

That sparked criticism from resident Robert Buonadonna.

"Do you realize how dangerous and congested this area is now?" he said, noting that motorists will not drive east to Prairie Street to make a left turn at the signal. "Something got missed here."

Lorraine Drinane, who has lived on Cedar Road since 1973, said she is not in favor of having a CVS at the end of her street.

Advertisement

"We already have seven pharmacies in town. I can't understand why we need another. That corner is so bad now," she said.

Exiting the Metra lot is a madhouse now, residents said, and they fear traffic congestion will increase when the proposed Lincoln Square apartments are built at the eastern end of the Metra lot.

"Everyone is terrified," said Meg Zeier, a Prairie Street resident.

Kelly Bartelson, a paralegal with Kolb, said the stores will serve a lot of commuter traffic and pedestrian traffic, before and after the trains.

"People who are coming would go there anyway," she said.

CVS also wanted to deviate from the village's sign requirement, which allows one 15-foot tall sign per development.

Advertisement

But the two prospective property owners each wanted their own sign on U.S. 30, and CVS said it was "critical" to have a 20-foot sign to make its store visible to motorists.

Plan Commission Chairman Mark Muehlnickel said, "if you are attracting people from the train, they will know you are there."

"People will see the sign whether it is 15 or 20 feet and if they miss it, they don't have to go far to make right turns," he said, supporting the allowed 15-foot sign.

Muehlnickel also recommended more stone on the exterior of the pharmacy.

Robin Ellis, the village's community development director, later said there would be "temporary inconveniences" to Metra commuters during the construction of this site, since Church Street will be closed and the commuter parking lot will be reconfigured around the site.

"The village will be working to minimize the negative impact, but these inconveniences are all in the pursuit of major improvements not only for the village, but for the commuters as well," she said.

Advertisement

"It's been a long road to get to this point. The village has invested considerable time and effort to get us to this point," Bartelson said.

Village officials said they knew CVS was interested in that corner, but needed more land than just the BP gas station.

According to village documents, it bought the four businesses for nearly $2,889,000 and sold them as two parcels, with Heidner paying $450,000 and CVS paying $1.8 million, a total of $2.25 million.

The village also had to remove asbestos, demolish the buildings, complete the environmental clean-up, test the soil, survey the land and vacate Church Street, for a total cost of $3,371,600, according to information from the village.

Officials estimated that the village also spent $25,000 on legal fees, and one real estate broker earned about $80,000 on the transactions, even though Mayor Tim Baldermann said he personally negotiated all the deals.

A cost-analysis study was never done, even though Trustee David Smith said he requested one  twice, according to minutes of the village board meetings.

Advertisement

New Lenox did not seek appraisals when it bought or sold the land, or seek bids or request proposals from developers. But bids and appraisals were not required when they sold the land, since the village sold it as surplus property, village officials said.

There was no need to get appraisals because private developers who previously tried to purchase the businesses individually set the price at about $4 million, village officials said in an interview last fall.

There was no need to seek bids when it was time to sell the land because village officials said they knew "no one was going to outbid CVS," said village administrator Kurt Carroll. "We talked to others and no one would come close to what they would pay."

For the second parcel, Carroll said they talked to "numerous developers," but did not do a formal bid.

Even though the village is out money on this deal, Baldermann said it is an "investment" and he hopes to have a return on that investment within four years.

The clock on that four years begins will begin ticking when the new businesses start generating revenue from sales tax and video gaming  likely in the summer of 2018 when the stores are slated to open, Carroll said.

Advertisement

The new businesses are estimated to generate $150,000 to $160,000 in sales tax and gaming revenue annually  and that accounts for "cannibalization," the loss of sales tax revenue from other pharmacies and stores. Durbin's plans to have video gaming.

Village officials aren't concerned about having too many pharmacies at key intersections along U.S. 30. The new CVS will be the fifth drug store in less than a four-mile stretch of this highway, that now includes Osco, two Walgreens, and a CVS inside the Target. It also will be the third CVS in the village, with the other located at the south end of town, at Nelson and Laraway Roads. CVS also is located on U.S. 30 and Wolf Road in Mokena.

slafferty@tribpub.com

Twitter @SusanLaff
"Control versus chaos  that formula came to define my Russian experience. My journey to Russia turned up all of the stereotypes  onion domes, stacking dolls, hammers and sickles, exasperating bureaucracy  but it also went well beyond the cliches," wrote travel writer Cameron Hewitt about his trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Unknowingly, Hewitt perfectly captured the essence of Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg's "Red Giselle," appearing through Sunday at the Auditorium Theatre.

"Red Giselle" (1997) is a psychological thriller of epic proportions, ambitious in scale and boasting masterful execution of incredibly difficult choreography. This ballet is everything one might expect from a 1990s Russian ballet: unrestrained, unabashed drama. Conceived and choreographed by artistic director Boris Eifman, the ballet embodies "control versus chaos" in telling an imaginative adaptation of the true story of Russian ballerina Olga Spessivtseva, who defected to Paris at the height of the Bolshevik revolution. Spessivtseva was famous for her portrayal of Giselle, and Eifman's original plot intertwines the real story of Spessivtseva with her fictional doppelganger, particularly at the end.

Advertisement

The rather complex plot reads easily thanks to "Red Giselle's" ingenious stagecraft (sets and costumes by Vyacheslav Okunev and lighting by Eifman). A raked portion of the upstage is made into an apron lined in footlights backed by ornate, candlelit box seating and capped by a color-changing glass dome. The setting flips the stage 180 degrees, reining in the viewers' experience, so at times we are onstage with the dancers, looking out at an audience. An additional ramp stretching wing to wing fills the vertical space and guides us on the journey from war-torn Russia to Paris, where Spessivtseva first danced the role of Giselle in Diaghilev's Ballet Russes. The Ballerina, an anonymous character inspired by Spessivtseva (danced by the stoic Maria Abashova), is a young ballet dancer tempted by the dark chaos of Russian society at the height of the revolution, but drawn back to the safety of her apparently untouched dance studio and loyal ballet master until it, too, is permeated by political chaos and the Teacher is killed. She is forced to leave; all the grandeur of Paris cannot quell the Ballerina's anxieties, and she succumbs to hysteria.

Make no mistake: "Red Giselle" is not "Giselle." The ballet merely alludes to its namesake and passes almost entirely on the original's musical score by Adolphe Adam. The East-meets-West story is anchored by a mixtape of compositions by Tchaikovsky (Russian), Bizet (French) and Alfred Schnittke, a German-Soviet composer best known for his ballet "Peer Gynt." Balletomanes familiar with the 19th-century ballet will recognize only a few images, mostly toward the end. Bits and pieces of "Giselle's" opening scene are presented as a ballet within a ballet once the Ballerina arrives in Paris  including the maiden's flower-plucking scene testing Prince Albrecht's love for her before she drops dead of a broken heart  and there are plenty of references to Wilis in the ballet's final scene when the Ballerina descends into psychosis and enters a "mirror-world." In this case, the Wilis' iconic veils and frothy tutus include connected sleeves resembling straitjackets, which are used to prod and strangle themselves and the Ballerina. The real-life Spessivtseva battled mental illness too, unable to distinguish herself from the character she loved, and she was eventually confined to a psychiatric residential facility for 20 years.

Advertisement

Last performed in Chicago 17 years ago, "Red Giselle" is a melodrama that, in moments, verges on cliche, but I really loved every moment of it. It takes a certain mood and a glass of wine to fully embrace this ballet, but superb dancing and the seriousness (and striking beauty) with which Eifman lays out the personal and political consequences of a particular historical moment in Russia resonated deeply as we navigate a historical moment of our own.

Lauren Warnecke is a freelance critic.

ctc-arts@chicagotribune.com

When: Through Sunday

Where: Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway

Running time: 2 hours

Tickets: $33-$113 at 312-341-2300 or www.auditoriumtheatre.org







Watch the latest movie trailers.
"Aladdin" 

"Aladdin," the most frenetic and cartoonish of Disney's screen-to-stage musicals, officially opened its first national tour in Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. And Adam Jacobs, his gleaming white teeth, his charming costar Isabelle McCalla as Princess Jasmine and the rest have all acquired a little more attention to veracity and Broadway chops since this show's first turn on the rialto. The new "Aladdin" crew is committed and fun, which you would expect, but they also bring more emotional depth to a show naturally inclined to remain in the shallow end of the pool. You can't beat catching a first-class Equity tour right at the start. Through Sept. 10 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St.; $44-$153 at 800-775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com

Advertisement

"Blue Man Group"  1/2

"Blue Man Group" has been playing at Briar Street Theatre since 1997, a remarkable run of 20 years. There have been only two major overhauls in that time; the latest adds selfie sticks, new music and a livelier finale. I'd argue the Blue Men need a bigger overhaul  they still chomp marshmallows, bang drums and paint up audience members  but this remains a fine gateway for the young into the arts. If you've never had the pleasure, go. Open run at the Briar Street Theatre, 3133 N. Halsted St.; $49-$69 at ticketmaster.com

Advertisement

"Black Pearl"  1/2

Josephine Baker's crossing, and subsequent switch to French citizenship, came at a price. She had to deal with the sense of dislocation experienced by many emigres, a feeling that she could no longer love the country that did not love her back. This is clear in Black Ensemble Theater's rich, compelling and very moving biographical musical that represents perhaps the best writing I've seen in 25 years of watching the stories of black musical legends at this venerable theater. And it features dynamite performances from Joan Ruffin as the older version of Baker and Aeriel Williams as her impetuous younger self. Williams, a newcomer, can sing every note of the Baker repertoire and can dance the Charleston to within an inch of her life. Through June 18 at Black Ensemble Theater, 4450 N. Clark St.; $55-$65 at 773-769-4451 or blackensembletheater.org

"Chicago" 

William Osetek, the director of the highly entertaining new production of "Chicago" at the Drury Lane Theatre, finally got the rights to this most deliciously cynical of American musicals  you could see years of pent-up ideas crammed on stage, along with a lot of talent, excitement and raw desire. E. Faye Butler knocks us back in our seats with "When You're Good to Mama." And Kelly Felthous plays the unfortunate murderess Roxie as very much a lost soul until she wises up to her situation. She and Alena Watters' Velma are a study in contrasts, which is what Kander and Ebb originally intended. Through June 18 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace; $45-$60 at 630-530-0111 or drurylanetheatre.com

"Fantastic Super Great Nation Numero Uno"  1/2

"Fantastic Super Great Nation Numero Uno" is an inclusive and warmhearted new e.t.c. Theater show, directed by Ryan Bernier, that takes a broad view of the moment. There have been edgier revues on the e.t.c. stage, but this crew is so funny you worry some coastal talent-spotters soon will steal them away. Alan Linic plays a Cubs fans who slept through everything that has happened since. Katie Klein's old-school parody of affirmative women's daytime talk shows  "What's Up Girl?"  is probably the richest material of the night. Open run in Second City e.t.c. Theater in Piper's Alley, 1618 N. Wells St.; $19-$46 at 312-664-4032 or secondcity.com

"Hamilton" 

This Broadway show has given Chicago a Chicago-style production. The heartland "Hamilton" is performed by players mostly younger and less experienced than the original New York cast and is less flashy. But it is more in touch with the fundamental scrappiness of the early years of a rebel colony turned into a spectacular democratic experiment. And in a city whose native theater is founded on truth, it is somehow very much more human and vulnerable. That Chicago-style sensibility is led by Miguel Cervantes, the superb actor in the title role. This is a company that deserves to be embraced. Open run at PrivateBank Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St.; $65-$400 at 800-775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com

Advertisement

"Hookman" 

Terrifying audiences with slasher theater on a storefront budget is a tough assignment. All the more reason to admire the work the remarkably versatile director Vanessa Stalling is doing at Steep Theatre with Lauren Yee's "Hookman." This 75-minute creeper probes the psyche of a college freshman named Lexi (Kiayla Ryann), who has been through some tough stuff. Her grief and loss makes her everyday life seem nonsensical, which gives her the need to build something to take its place. In this play, it's the title character, a terrifying boogeyman (played by James Doherty) lurking in the shadows with his metal appendage. "Hookman" is set in a dorm at an East Coast college, with all of its young adults living in close quarters and flailing about at relationships. That spooked version of familiarity  such as in a scary little overture of flickering desk lamps  is what Stalling does so well. Through June 3 at Steep Theatre, 1115 W. Berwyn Ave.; $25-$35 at 773-649-3186 or steeptheatre.com

"Jesus Christ Superstar" 

If you know every note of "Jesus Christ Superstar," the rock opera penned by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, you'll be surprised by what you hear in director Ron Kellum's splashy new production at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora. This talented African-American cast really does have something new to give. The co-music directors Kory Danielson and Tom Vendafreddo clearly allowed a whole lot of freedom: I've never heard "I Don't Know How to Love Him" sung with the embellishments that Felicia Boswell offers. And why not? Through May 28 at the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora; $44-$59 at 630-896-6666 or paramountaurora.com

"La Havana Madrid" 

In the 1960s, many of Chicago's Puerto Ricans lived on the western side of Lincoln Park, just a few blocks from the Steppenwolf Theatre. "Yeah, like right here," says one of the characters in Sandra Delgado's heartfelt and fascinating musical tribute to those immigrants and the music, especially the salsa, that they brought to town. This new show, staged by Teatro Vista in Steppenwolf's intimate new 1700 Theatre, is a celebration of a nightclub run by the music promoter Tony Quintana and what it meant to the community it served. Hand-holding couples of a certain age have been finding their way to Steppenwolf for what has become the best-selling show in Teatro Vista's history. Through May 21 at Steppenwolf 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted St.; $15-$45 at 312-335-1650 or steppenwolf.org

Advertisement

"Linda Vista"  1/2

Dick Wheeler is a heterosexual white male, halfway to an antique, both the smartest guy in the room and a misanthropic grump. And "Linda Vista" is his play. His very funny play. How you feel about Wheeler, played at Steppenwolf in all his epic mediocrity by Ian Barford, largely will dictate how you feel about Tracy Letts' new world premiere. Its most telling scene takes place between Wheeler and his friend Paul. The men are talking about their deathbeds; they come to see that life then will suck, and that all you can do is grab whatever vestiges of happiness your aging bones, and dubious morals, will allow. Through May 21 at Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St.; $20-$94 at 312-335-1650 or steppenwolf.org

"Marry Me a Little"  1/2

Spring has sprung in Chicago. High time, then, for a Stephen Sondheim revue. Porchlight Music Theatre is staging "Marry Me a Little," about a pair of emotionally entangled New York singles and the least known of the Sondheim songfests. And Austin Cook, who stars in this show with Bethany Thomas and also serves as musical director, has been granted permission update the song list to include such ditties as "Rainbow" from "Into the Woods" and "The Best Thing That Ever Has Happened" from "Road Show." This show is mostly an excuse for 75 minutes of lesser-explored Sondheim. Such a pleasure. Through May 21 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.; $38-$51 at 773-327-5252 or porchlightmusictheatre.org

"The Mystery of Love & Sex" 

The two young people in Bathsheba Doran's compassionate play are what's often called soul mates. Charlotte (Hayley Burgess) and Jonny (Travis Turner) are longtime girl-and-boy friends who, as they head off to college, are exploring their own sexuality and trying to figure out if they are gay. She's Jewish, he's African-American. But this play is not just about their relationship, it deepens in Act 2 and brings in conflicts with Charlotte's parents, as well as the power and necessity for reconciliation. Through July 2 in the Gillian Theatre at Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe; $35-$80 at 847-242-6000 or writerstheatre.org

Advertisement

"Objects in the Mirror" 

"Objects in the Mirror" is Charles Smith's gripping new play at the Goodman Theatre about an African refugee who makes it out the camps  it moved me greatly not just with its unshakable compassion for its young protagonist, but with its determination to reflect the agonizing choices every refugee must make about identity and trust. Smith tells his global story with just a few characters, including teenager Shedrick Yarkpai (Daniel Kyri), his uncle and surrogate father John Workolo (Allen Gilmore), and an Australian lawyer (Ryan Kitley). Shedrick, incidentally, really exists. Smith didn't change his name to tell his story. If you see this piece  and by all means take a teen with you  you'll understand why that choice was so important. Through June 4 at the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St.; $20-$75 at 312-443-3800 or goodmantheatre.org

"Odysseo" 

As with the first Cavalia production, the best parts of the new, more spectacular "Odysseo" come when the horses are allowed to roam free over the stage. This touring French Canadian enterprise has the combined magic of a computer-generated set and a 17,500-square-foot performance space, and you really do feel a sense of having come upon them in the steppe of Kazakhstan or the damp of Norway. "Odysseo" is a show genuinely in love with the horse. Still, as a fan of acrobatics, I was mightily impressed with the act from New Guinea, the best tumblers I've ever seen. Open run in the White Big Top, Soldier Field South Lot, 1410 Museum Campus Drive; $34.50-$269.50 (VIP price includes food and drink) at 866-999-8111 or cavalia.com

"Paradise Blue" 

Black Bottom, the east side neighborhood of Detroit that once was the center of African-American life in that city, was the kind of place where a musician could play with dignity, as noted in Dominique Morisseau's play "Paradise Blue." That was before the community was razed to make way for Interstate 75. "Paradise Blue" is set in 1949 in a jazz club owned by Blue (Al'Jaleel McGhee), a gifted trumpeter who faces so many racial obstacles that he becomes dangerous to himself, his girlfriend Pumpkin (Kristen E. Ellis) and the pals, Corn (Ronald L. Conner) and P-Sam (Charles Andrew Gardner), who hang around in his Paradise. It's also filled with the music and longing of composer Orbert Davis in director Ron OJ Parson's languid TimeLine production. Through July 23 at TimeLine Theatre Company; 615 W. Wellington Ave.; $38-$51 at 773-281-8463 or timelinetheatre.com

Advertisement

"Shakespeare in Love" 

The smarty-pants 1998 movie "Shakespeare in Love" imagined a love affair between Shakespeare and Viola de Lesseps, a wannabe actress seduced by a life on the boards. The stage adaptation has had a mixed history (it really should have been a musical). But in the hands of the director Rachel Rockwell  who has put a lot of heart into the Chicago Shakespeare Theater production  it makes for a very warm, accessible and enjoyable night out. Nick Rehberger is unpretentious and likable as the man himself, Kate McGonigle is a pleasing Viola, and the whole play is now a love letter to the collaborative nature of Chicago theater. Through June 11 in the Courtyard Theater on Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand Ave.; $58-$88 at 312-595-5600 or chicagoshakes.com

"She Loves Me"  1/2

Emotional intimacy can be tricky at the Marriott Theatre and its in-the-round auditorium. But director Aaron Thielen's very lovely new production of the 1963 musical "She Loves Me" manages to carve out an exception for itself. This charming show  the book is by Joe Masteroff, music by Jerry Bock and lyrics are by Sheldon Harnick  is set mostly inside an old-school perfumery. The characters are ordinary folks striving to have successful romantic relationships, including the main couple, both clerks in the shop. You really care about these two, not the least because Alex Goodrich and Elizabeth Telford turn in such honest, vulnerable and realistic performances. This is perhaps Thielen's best work at the Marriott. Through June 18 at the Marriott Theatre, 100 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire; $50 to $60 at 847-634-0200 or marriotttheatre.com

"Spamilton"  1/2

With "Spamilton," the savvy parodist Gerard Alessandrini ("Forbidden Broadway") has come roaring back in a new, local production ideally timed for Chicago, delivering nonstop laughs to anyone with enough knowledge of "Hamilton" to get the gags. The famous "blue-collar/shining beacon/Puerto Rican" is played by Yando Lopez, an actor with a better vocal instrument than Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Eric Andrew Lewis blows out the room as Aaron Burr. It's a fair criticism to say that Alessandrini is perhaps too much in love with the real "Hamilton" to really skewer the show, but there's guaranteed fun here for Miranda obsessives. Open run at the Royal George Cabaret Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St.; $59-$99 at 312-988-9000 or spamilton.com

Advertisement

"Tony n' Tina's Wedding" 

I actually had a blast at this semiscripted affair that employs 23 actors to play members of the two feuding families joining in holy matrimony. Don't judge without going. Still, I wouldn't be recommending this thing if it were just like last time. The difference this time around is that the show begins in an actual Chicago church, where the congregants are to be commended for their sense of humor, and the scale and quality of the Chicago improv community (not all of whom are in the first blush of youth) have improved vastly in the years since I last saw this show. It's a rough, tough, divisive world out there. Here, everyone was having fun. Go in a group. Open run at Resurrection Church, 3309 N. Seminary Ave.; $75-$85 at 773-327-3778 or tonylovestina.com







Watch the latest movie trailers.
Whenever I mention the news media leans ridiculously far to the left, that it has lost half the country with its attitude and that the tone of the coverage of President Donald Trump is over-the-top hostile, I get the same darn reaction.

The eye-roll.

Advertisement

That big Anderson Cooper CNN eye-roll, often accompanied by a few theatrical sighs.

And when I leave the newsroom, it gets even worse on social media.

Advertisement

But now Harvard University's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy has come out with a study of media coverage of the Trump White House in its first 100 days.

It is astonishing because it comes from Harvard, not exactly the bedrock of American conservatism.

The study found that in Trump's first 100 days in office, the tone of the news coverage of the president has been a whopping 80 percent negative to 20 percent positive.

CNN and NBC struck a 93 percent negative tone on their Trump stories, with only 7 percent positive. CBS was third in the anti-Trump race, with a 91 to 9 ratio. And the pro-Trump Fox News? That network was 52 percent negative to 48 percent positive.

So what does fair and balanced really mean, anyway?

"It confirms what most people understand," said Tom Bevan, publisher and co-founder of RealClearPolitics, one of the go-to websites for media and political junkies.

Bevan spoke as a guest on "The Chicago Way" podcast that I co-host with WGN-AM radio producer Jeff Carlin.

"The response will be that Trump is deserving of this kind of coverage because he's conducted himself inappropriately, and these are self-inflicted wounds, and the press is doing nothing but covering him and his actions. But that's a little bit disingenuous," Bevan said.

Advertisement

"I think Trump has been treated unfairly by the press in his first 100 days. Everything he does is seen as a five-alarm fire."

Trump bears some of the blame for this. He mocked the media, called journalists "the enemy of the people," and went to Washington with much vulgar bragging, essentially promising he'd kick the political establishment right in the private parts. And telling the Russians that former FBI director James Comey is a "nut job" doesn't help.

And now the establishment kicks back.

Many beltway journalists are essentially establishment creatures, gatekeepers for the political ruling class, members of that class and fierce guardians of their place in the empire. The political class sees Trump and the 62 million Americans who voted for him as the stuff they scrape off their shoes.

While Trump's 80-20 negative coverage ratio is amazing, Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush also received much negative coverage in their first 100 days, at about 60-40 ratios.

So how was President Obama covered in his first 100 days? With a 60-40 positive to negative ratio, according to the Harvard study.

Advertisement

"That's a significant shift, a significant difference," says Bevan. "I think this is reflective of the fact that the media does root from the press box and they do cheer for certain personalities and they do cheer against others."

I have my own memory of the media's tone after Obama took office. It wasn't merely positive, it was adoring, gushy, in the way a small child looks up to a beloved parent, or a dog to the master who gives it biscuits.

It was as if the media were hugging a magical unicorn. Obama wasn't only given the benefit of the doubt. He was handed the Nobel Peace Prize though he hadn't done anything to earn it. And critics were trashed as nothing but racists.

Obama controversies, from his administration's gun running scandal in the "Fast and Furious" debacle to using the Internal Revenue Service as a weapon against conservative groups, were covered, somewhat. But generally, the tone was muted, respectful, nothing like it was for Trump or the Clintons.

Later, in Hillary Clinton's failed 2016 campaign, leaks of Democratic National Committee email  whether hacked by the Russians or not  demonstrated collusion between journalists and Democrats. But that cozy relationship has never properly been addressed, and that avoidance undermines the credibility of journalism as the media challenges Trump.

"Because of the way the press covered Obama, they lost so much credibility," Bevan said. "And because they did not take these things seriously, the IRS Scandal, Fast and Furious, you could go down the list of where they turned the other cheek.  And now where they're giving Trump the third degree on everything, that makes the contrast all that much greater.

Advertisement

"So you have a certain segment of the public, the people who voted for Trump, who literally do not trust what the media says."

And the divide between rigidly defined political tribes, one courted by the media, the other dismissed by it, grows even wider.

"It's not good for journalism, and it's not good for the country," said Bevan.

Agreed. But I don't see it changing any time soon. Do you?

Kass Printer's Row note: Would you like have some free coffee with me and tell stories? Then please save the date: Saturday, June 10, from 10 to 11 a.m. I'll be at the Printer's Row Lit Fest, Jones College Prep, 700 S. State Street, on the 2nd Floor Food and Dining stage.

Tickets are free, but reserve seats by going to this site. I know it's hard to find, as my event is buried at the bottom, but it's there. Hope you can make it. I'd love to see you.

Advertisement

Listen to "The Chicago Way"podcast, with John Kass and Jeff Carlin here.

jskass@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @John_Kass
Every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, a few dozen women would turn up in the basement of Rockefeller Memorial Chapel at the University of Chicago. They were from different walks of life but were there for the same reason: They were pregnant and didn't want to be.

The clergymen and women who opened their doors to these women provided spiritual guidance, but also practical assistance: It was before the Roe v. Wade ruling, but if a woman decided she wanted to end her pregnancy, they helped her get an abortion, and in some cases put women on planes to other states and even other countries where the procedure was legal.

Advertisement

They called themselves the Clergy Consultation Service on Problem Pregnancies, and their mission was to protect women from risky back-alley procedures by establishing and vetting a network of safe providers.

Made of up pastors, rabbis and other religious leaders, and operating on the premise that this was the most compassionate way to help the women, the group also pushed for local hospitals and doctors to provide abortions and sought to address any moral or spiritual questions the women posed about their decision.

Advertisement

Today, the religious community is predominantly identified with the anti-abortion movement, and efforts to ban or limit access to abortions have long been led by evangelicals and other conservative Christians.

But in the years leading to the 1973 Roe ruling, religious leaders from throughout the country organized a network of consultation services, and this weekend, many are gathering in New York City to celebrate their 50th anniversary.

The milestone is marked by a front page story in the New York Times from May 22, 1967, that profiled the mission and activities of the local group, which called itself Clergy Consultation on Abortion.

"Part of what was remarkable about it was they didn't try to go underground. They were being very upfront about what they were doing," said Abigail Hastings, who is coordinating the anniversary celebration.

"Hopefully, people will start to understand that even though the religious leaders now are not as loud as fundamentalists are about the abortion issue, they nevertheless have had a record of a positive stance on abortion when they recognize that it does endanger the woman's life or the way that she needs to live her life," Hastings said.

The message  and the fight  remain relevant today, advocates say, given various efforts to defund Planned Parenthood and chip away at access. President Trump has also signed an executive order to block aid to groups that provide abortion counseling overseas.

In the late 1960s and early '70s, though, the battle was primarily focused on making abortion safe and legal. According to a 1969 Chicago newspaper report, thousands of women each year were turning up at Cook County Hospital with complications from botched abortions, a figure the Rev. E. Spencer Parsons, then the dean of Rockefeller Chapel at the University of Chicago, cited at the time as the reason the Clergy Consultation Service was needed.

Parsons founded the group in April 1969 with 18 members; the number had reached 30 by the end of the year, and by then they had counseled more than 500 women, according to the published report.

Advertisement

Other groups in Chicago, primarily the Abortion Counseling Service of Women's Liberation, also known as the Jane Collective, were also helping women access abortions or even providing the procedure.

But women who sought out the clergy groups took extra comfort in knowing that they were led by "trusted, respected members of the community who represented someone who wasn't going to rip them off," said Gillian Frank, who has been studying the groups for years and is writing a book on them.

The Rev. Donna Schaper was a University of Chicago seminary student when Parsons recruited her to help with the effort. Now senior minister at Judson Memorial Church in New York, Schaper said she believes abortions are a medical choice that should be available to adult women.

"If you think you can take care of (more children), that's wonderful, but when you're poor and you're going to decrease the life space for other children ... I think that's morally wrong because you're not stewarding the life that is around you," Schaper said.

Many of the women Schaper counseled back then were less concerned about the procedure itself than whether God would still love them if they went through with it.

In those early days, many of the women were sent out of state, and some were even flown overseas to locations including London, for the procedure. The clergy guided the women in getting passports and smallpox vaccinations and arranged for their plane and hotel reservations, as they would stay for a day or two to make sure there were no complications. Clergy members would follow up with the women after the procedures.

Advertisement

Parsons regularly revised the list of providers. Meeting minutes of the group archived at Northwestern University show that members decided in the fall of 1969 to cease referrals in Illinois because "the legal risks are too high." Others doctors were dropped after women reported having bad experiences with them. The minutes used codes in place of providers' names, presumably to protect their identities.

One early member was Harold Kudan, founding rabbi of Am Shalom synagogue in Glencoe.

Kudan said he isn't sure whether his involvement was commonly known within the synagogue, but he did recall providing referrals to some congregants.

"I am gratified that I was able to assist in this work, and I'm glad I was able to help people in distress, which is actually part of my calling as a rabbi and a member of the clergy," he said.

The relative openness of the operation did come with risks.

In 1970, Rabbi Max Ticktin, then Hillel director at the University of Chicago, was threatened with prosecution by Michigan authorities after referring a woman to a doctor there for an abortion. The woman turned out to be an undercover agent, and authorities sought to extradite the rabbi, but prosecutors in Michigan eventually backed down amid protests and backlash.

Advertisement

Schaper had her own tussle with the law when, she said, the chapel basement operation was raided and all of the women and clergy present taken into custody. They were held at a police station for a few hours.

Schaper said service members refused to talk to authorities, citing clergy-client privilege, adding that police were "roughing us up and scaring us more than anything else."

She believes the experience for many women showed them they could make their own choices about other aspects of their lives as well.

"When a woman claims agency like that, she becomes different," Schaper said. "She's not a baby anymore."

Many of the clergy groups disbanded in the years after Roe v. Wade, though many members continued their work advocating for access to birth control and abortion.

One person who encountered the group in its infancy was Joseph Scheidler, a pioneer of the anti-abortion movement who became a full-time activist after Roe v. Wade and founded the Pro-Life Action League.

Advertisement

The Chicago resident, now 89, recalled picketing the Clergy Consultation Service but also attempting dialogue with the group.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

"These are supposedly religious people, and they send a terrible message about God's place in a person's life," he said. "They were willing to help women get abortions, when their obligation was to speak about the life that she was carrying and the sacredness of that life."

Scheidler called the group's anniversary celebration a "travesty."

Some religious leaders cite such widely held beliefs as one reason their work is not complete.

Kudan said he's worried about today's climate around abortion and that it's an important to remind people of what Roe v. Wade changed.

"We were setting obstacles in the path of women and subjugating them to all kinds of disabilities," Kudan said. "We should be helping them. It's insane what we're doing today. Women have a right to their own bodies; that's the bottom line."

Advertisement

Twitter @GraceWong630

gwong@chicagotribune.com
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County's Just for Kids Fishing Derby will be held June 11 at Silver Lake in the Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville. (Forest Preserve District of DuPage)

Park district receives Will County award

The Forest Preserve District of Will County awarded the Naperville Park District its "Appreciation of Partners" award for its support of the construction of Segment 5 of the DuPage River Trail through Knoch Knolls Park.

Advertisement

The $2.1 million project, which was completed last fall, extended the path from Knoch Knolls Park to the 95th Street bridge over the DuPage River.

The new trail connects several forest preserves, parks and greenways across Naperville, Bolingbrook and Plainfield and is part of a planned 40-mile DuPage River Trail system.

Advertisement

Blessing of the Bikes set for June 3

St. Raphael Catholic Church will hold its 2nd annual Blessing of the Bikes at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 3 in the church parking lot, 1215 Modaff Road.

Wheeled items including motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades, mobility scooters, and wheelchairs are invited to be blessed.

Snacks and drinks will also be provided.

Battle of the Bands winners chosen

Suburban Anarchy, a local rock band from Naperville Central High School, won the Naperville Park District Youth Ambassadors' 14th annual Battle of the Bands competition.

As winners of the contest, they will perform at Ribfest and will represent the park district in the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association's statewide Battle of the Bands.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

The second- and third-place winners, both from Neuqua Valley High School, were Second Grade and Ahead of Ourselves. They will play at the Frontier Kite Fly Festival on Sunday, June 4, and at Rollin' on the River on Friday, July 21.

Advertisement

Kids Fishing Derby to be held June 11

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County will host its 31st annual Just for Kids Fishing Derby from 8 a.m. to noon Sunday, June 11, at Silver Lake in the Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville.

The free event is for kids ages 15 and younger.

Prizes will be awarded to winners in four different age groups for the largest fish in three categories  bass, bluegill and miscellaneous  as well as to winners of the casting contest.

Kids should bring their own gear. Bait will be provided while supplies last.

Participants can register online or at the derby. For more information, go to www.dupageforest.org.
Chicago police are looking for a man accused of robbing a 7-Eleven at gunpoint in the Near West Side on May 18.

Chicago police are looking for a man accused of robbing a Near West Side 7-Eleven at gunpoint and tying up the clerk in the back of the store, authorities said.

The armed robbery occurred about 11:30 p.m. Thursday in the 600 block of West Jackson Boulevard, according to the Chicago Police Department.

Advertisement

A man wearing surgical gloves walked into the store, showed a semi-automatic handgun and announced a robbery, police said.

The man, whose age is estimated to be 25 to 35, then took the clerk to the back of the store and bound his hands before fleeing toward the Blue Line station on Clinton Street.

Advertisement

Police described the suspect as black, 6 feet tall and 140 to 165 pounds with a thin mustache. He was wearing a hat, a green Under Armour hooded jacket, blue jeans and light gray gym shoes.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Bureau of Detectives and ask for Detective Muehlfelder at 312-747-8380.
The Chicago Police Honor Guard at the 56th Annual Police Recognition Ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Chicago on May 19, 2017. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)

A call of a person with a gun crackled over the police radio, catching the attention of Chicago police Officers Arnulfo Gomez and David Pasillas as they patrolled through the South Side.

But when the officers responded to the home in the violence-plagued West Englewood neighborhood, they quickly learned a whole family was in desperate need of their help after two invaders had burst inside.

Advertisement

"Screams of horror before you walked into the house," Pasillas recalled Friday of that early morning in January 2016. "You hear them outside on the street."

Pasillas and Gomez soon found themselves in the middle of a gun battle with 29-year-old Charles Smith, and they eventually killed him. The officers came out of the home alive and uninjured, as did other eight people who were rescued inside.

Advertisement

Police officials honored Pasillas and Gomez on Friday with the Superintendent's Award Of Valor at the department's 56th annual recognition ceremony. The two officers, who went through the police academy together, were among more than 40 officers who received awards for their street heroics during a luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Chicago downtown.

After walking across a stage to receive award plaques from police Superintendent Eddie Johnson and Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the officers, clad in their dress blues, were stoic as they described their mindsets when they responded to the home.

"Our training kicks in right away," said Gomez in an interview. "We're trained in the academy to handle certain situations like that. We go over scenarios a lot. So it's a lot of practice."

The officers, both assigned to the Englewood patrol district at the time of the shooting, were nearing the end of their overnight shifts on Jan. 31, 2016, when they rushed to the home about 4:40 a.m. in the 7300 block of South Paulina Street.

There, they saw some broken glass at the front door and "proceeded with caution" into the home, Gomez recalled. Pasillas went in first, saw Smith and announced he was a police officer. Police dispatch recordings of the incident captured the drama that followed.

"Emergency! 10-1!" one officer, using police code for "officer needs assistance," shouted as a volley of shots rang out.

The officers returned fire as they sought cover. Soon, dozens of officers from the neighboring Deering patrol district and various citywide units hurried to the scene.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

By the time police charged in, officers found Smith dead with eight residents hiding. Authorities said Smith was armed with a .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun. An alleged accomplice of Smith's, Breanna Patterson, was later charged with felony murder in Smith's death, home invasion, residential burglary and aggravated kidnapping, Cook County court records show. She's currently awaiting trial on the charges.

Advertisement

In a Tribune interview at the home days after the shooting, Brianna Anderson, one of the eight people who hid from the home invaders, praised the police response.

"If they wouldn't have came in, did what they did, I probably would have been in my room, on my knees, dead," she said.

On Friday, Gomez explained that he and Pasillas were just doing their job, but acknowledged that such dangerous encounters "stays with us forever."

"We're all human. We all feel like everybody," said Gomez. "Preserve life. No matter if you're an officer or not."

jgorner@chicagotribune.com

Twitter: @JeremyGorner
A woman was critically injured when she was severely beaten in a home invasion in the Irving Park neighborhood Friday afternoon, police said.

The 78-year-old woman was taken to Presence St. Francis Hospital in Evanston in critical condition following the attack just before 1:15 p.m. in the 4100 block of North Avers Avenue, according to a police media notification.

Advertisement

The woman suffered "numerous blows to the head and face" during the home invasion, according to the release.

The attacker, who forced his way in through a back door, was described a tall Hispanic man who was wearing glasses and a red cap, police said.

Advertisement

Information on whether the home invasion might be part of a larger pattern wasn't immediately available. No one was in custody and Area North detectives were investigating.

Anyone with information about the attack is asked to call detectives at 312-744-8263, according to police.

Check back for updates.
An unsuccessful attempt to substitute a Cook County judge in a murder trial came to a bizarre head last week when the judge denied calling an attorney "Mr. Underpants" and accused him of wishing her dead.

Attorneys for Malvin Washington, 30, awaiting trial on a murder charge in a 2004 slaying, have alleged in court documents that Judge Diane Gordon Cannon is biased against the defense. The have sought several times to have the case transferred to a different judge.

Advertisement

But their efforts have so far failed, and the case remains in Cannon's court. On Friday, Cannon called attorneys representing Washington into court and lectured them on a range of issues, including allegations they lodged in a previous hearing that she was calling them names.

Cannon told the attorneys to "get this personality defect regarding me out of your minds," and said she had nothing against them or their client.

Advertisement

"I am not going to die before (this) case is over, much to your chagrin," she said. "I'm not going to continue this case for another two years so you can have an underpants motion."

Washington had previously been convicted of the 2004 murder, but that conviction was reversed after an appellate court determined the jury should have been given a particular instruction that Cannon declined to give.

The Illinois Supreme Court affirmed that reversal, which brought the case back to Cannon.

Washington was represented by the public defender's office, then later by attorneys with the Bluhm Legal Clinic at Northwestern University's Pritzker School of Law. In February, those attorneys asked the state Supreme Court to randomly assign another judge, accusing Cannon of, among other things, falsely insisting one of their key witnesses was a fraud. That court denied the request last month, and the case remains in front of Cannon.

At a hearing Wednesday, Washington's defense lawyers said they were told that Cannon had mocked them behind their backs  calling Jeffrey Urdangen "Mr. Underpants" and Alison Flaum "Ms. Phlegm" while they were out of the room.

Cannon denied it  "I would never say Mr. Underpants"  and apologized to Flaum if she pronounced her surname incorrectly, according to a transcript of the proceedings.

At Friday's hearing, Cannon again said she had not called the attorneys names.

"We were talking about 'Baywatch.' I did not call you David Hasselhoff. We were talking about 'Captain Underpants', my kid's favorite book. ... I did not call you Captain Underpants," she said to the attorneys.

Advertisement

An attempt to reach her after the hearing was unsuccessful. Judges are prohibited from commenting publicly on pending cases.

Cannon also accused Urdangen of telling people he hoped she would die of cancer before the case went to trial, an allegation Urdangen denied in court Friday.

"I have never, ever said to anybody that I wish you dead," Urdangen told the judge Friday.

Cannon also said that Northwestern law students had attended previous proceedings in her courtroom, and hinted that they been sent to keep tabs on her.

"It's sick to try to catch me, I don't know, walking out here naked?" she said. "Jump over the bench? Beat a witness?"

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

But the students have attended proceedings in several courtrooms, assigned for class to observe the day-to-day workings of the courthouse, said Thomas Geraghty, director of Northwestern's Bluhm Legal Clinic.

Advertisement

"They in no way were spying on Judge Cannon," he said after the hearing.

Cannon also asked Washington whether he wanted to continue being represented by his current defense attorneys, saying she did not know how much work they had done to prepare for trial but that "I know what preparation they've done in a war against me, so far."

Washington said he wanted to stay with his current lawyers. His jury trial is set to start in early June.

Cannon in 2015 acquitted Chicago police Cmdr. Glenn Evans on charges he shoved his gun down a man's throat despite evidence showing the alleged victim's DNA was on Evans' gun.

mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @crepeau
Tooba Hanif, 10, left, and Brittany Jones, 9, work together in their writing workshop an accelerated class in October 2008. Teachers at Passages Charter School on the North Side voted to authorize a strike in May 2017. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)

Unionized teachers at Chicago's Passages Charter School on the North Side set a strike date for next Thursday if they can't reach a contract agreement with the charter's operator.

Before heading into the latest round of labor negotiations Friday, union officials for Chicago ACTS Local 4343 held a press conference, promising to hit the picket lines if they can't make a deal with management by midnight on May 25.

Advertisement

Union spokeswoman Christine Geovanis said the two sides were "not close at all."

"Trust me, we don't take setting a strike date lightly," Geovanis said. "There's no place teachers like to be than in the classrooms with their students. It's really a testament that so many teachers would work at school where management doesn't value the educators teaching their students."

Advertisement

Administrators of the privately run charter released a statement Friday, expressing their "disappointment" with the union's decision to set a strike date, but acknowledged disagreements over salaries, the length of a school day and duration of a school year remain.

Passages officials noted a reduction in state funding due to budget issues cut student funding by $83,000. Still, the operator said in a statement that it plans to propose a counteroffer that includes a 16 percent annual pay raise for the coming school year.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

"We are working very hard to reach a fair compromise with the Union given the state of funding in Illinois and are committed to bargain at length at tonight's scheduled session in good faith to reach an agreement," the Passages statement said. "We continue to keep the education of Passages students first in all that we do."

The Andersonville neighborhood school enrolls about 470 elementary students, of which close to 40 percent have limited English skills, according to Chicago Public Schools statistics. Forty-three of the school's 46 bargaining unit members voted to authorize a strike, organizers said.

If Passages teachers walk off the job next Thursday, the union has said they will be the first charter school in the country to go on strike.

Passages is the third charter operator to be hit with the threat of a strike this school year. Teachers at the Aspira network of charter schools reached a contract agreement in March, about a week before a threatened strike. Teachers at the UNO Charter school network struck a last-minute deal in October.

All of the charter schools operate independently within Chicago Public Schools.

tbriscoe@chicagotribune.com

Advertisement

Twitter @_tonybriscoe
Philippe Y. Loizon, deputy chief probation officer, is shown during an interview May 14, 2014, at the West Side office of the Cook County Adult Probation Department. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune)

A high-ranking commander in the Cook County Adult Probation Department was fired Friday following accusations a rogue unit under his command had for years improperly teamed up with the FBI and other agencies to conduct warrantless searches of homes.

Chief Judge Timothy Evans, who oversees the scandal-plagued department, acted three years after the Tribune had first reported about the unit led by Deputy Chief Philippe Loizon.

Advertisement

Loizon was fired "for conduct, which diverges from the chief judge's vision," according to a statement from Evans' office. "Chief Judge Evans no longer has confidence in Mr. Loizon's ability to be a positive influence and contribute to the operations of the department."

The statement did not spell out what specific conduct Evans was referring to, nor did it explain why the chief judge acted now to terminate Loizon.

Advertisement

But the statement said that probation officers should "contact law enforcement only to report violations of criminal law or to request protection when the personal safety of officers or members of the public is at risk."

And Evans, in a letter to the probation chief directing him to fire Loizon, criticized Loizon's judgment and "his defiance of departmental policy and orders" relating to the relationship between law enforcement agencies and the probation department.

Loizon, 52, who made more than $115,000 a year, could not be reached for comment.

Lavone Haywood, the chief probation officer, informed Loizon he was fired. He referred questions to Evans' office. An office spokesman said no other probation officers were disciplined.

Loizon's firing comes as the probation department settled federal lawsuits in which two Chicago men alleged their civil rights were violated during warrantless searches involving teams of probation officers, Chicago police and the FBI. Those cases settled for a total of $110,000. Loizon was a named defendant in one of the suits, and officers he oversaw were named in both.

Unlike police, Cook County probation officers have the authority to visit homes and conduct surprise searches without court-ordered warrants if they have "reasonable suspicion." Often, the Tribune found, probation officers allowed the police and FBI to accompany the search  giving access to homes where they might otherwise need a warrant.

Loizon joined the probation department in November 1988 and rose through the ranks, earning a reputation as a tireless worker. The department and its officers work for the court system and monitor about 25,000 convicts sentenced to probation instead of prison.

In June 2003, Loizon was promoted to deputy chief. He oversaw several of the department's armed-officer units, including the gang intervention unit, which monitors high-risk gang members who are serving a sentence of probation. That unit was at the center of many of the accusations of wrongdoing.

Advertisement

In 2014, Loizon was taken off the streets and ordered onto desk duty by Evans following a Tribune investigation that found probation officers had allegedly planted drugs, stolen money and worked with other agencies to conduct warrantless searches. Probationers told the Tribune they were threatened with arrest if they didn't work as informants for police and the FBI.

Loizon remained on the probation department's payroll.

Evans hired the Chicago law firm Laner Muchin to look into what the Tribune had uncovered. He has not said what, if anything, was found or what changes he has made to the department, until Loizon's dismissal Friday.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

The Tribune reported in May 2015 that Robert Jones, who was on probation for a drug conviction, claimed Loizon had interfered with the Laner Muchin investigation. He said Loizon promised him a job and arranged for him to be given hundreds of dollars to meet with Laner Muchin lawyers. Loizon then had his lawyer sit in and monitor Jones' interview, according to Jones and the lawyer.

Jones said he did not tell investigators everything he knew and lied in an affidavit to protect Loizon.

Evans at the time called Jones' allegations disturbing and asked Laner Muchin to investigate further, indicating that, if true, the behavior could warrant possible prosecution.

Advertisement

Last August, Loizon went on medical leave. After a Tribune investigation in March found that Loizon had compiled more than $200,000 in compensatory time, Evans launched another reviewthis time into the department's compensation practices. Evans has not released what, if anything, was found.

Evans' spokesman, Pat Milhizer, said Loizon was officially off the payroll as of Friday. He said whether Loizon was entitled to any further comp time, and the amount of that time, was being reviewed.

tlighty@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @tlighty
Orangelo Payne, shown at his family's shoe shine shop, was held for 16 months after an illegal search of his home by an FBI agent and probation officers turned up an antique shotgun, Paynes lawsuit alleges. (Armando L. Sanchez, Chicago Tribune)

The Cook County state's attorney's office has settled two federal civil rights lawsuits that alleged a rogue unit in the troubled Adult Probation Department had improperly teamed up with Chicago police and the FBI to conduct illegal searches of homes.

The county agreed to pay a total of $110,000 to get the probation department and its officers dropped from the lawsuits. Chicago police officers and an FBI agent remain defendants and have maintained that they did nothing wrong.

Advertisement

The $110,000 in settlements bring to a close an embarrassing chapter for the Circuit Court's probation department, which has faced a series of controversies under the leadership of Chief Judge Timothy Evans.

Among those, Tribune investigations have found that since 2013, the probation department lost track of hundreds of probationers, some of whom went on to rape and kill while under the court's watch; and conducted illegal searches of homes.

Advertisement

Unlike police, Cook County probation officers have the authority to visit homes and conduct surprise searches without court-ordered warrants if they have "reasonable suspicion," according to agreements probationers sign. Often, the Tribune found, probation officers allowed the police and FBI to accompany the search  giving access to homes where they might otherwise need a warrant.

In two separate federal civil rights lawsuits, Michael Lipford and Orangelo Payne alleged their homes were illegally searched. Lipford and Payne each faced gun possession charges stemming from the searches, charges they later beat.

Lipford settled for $30,000 in March and Payne received $80,000 in his settlement, which was agreed to late last year.

Evans, the probation department and the probation officers did not admit to any wrongdoing, according to court records.

But the department no longer allows the FBI and other agencies to tag along on visits to probationers' homes. And on Friday, Evans dismissed the senior commander at the center of the controversy, Philippe Loizon.

"Representatives from law enforcement agencies, including the Chicago Police Department and the FBI, do not accompany probation officers on home visits," said Evans' spokesman, Pat Milhizer. "Probation officers will call police if they witness a crime, see an illegal item in a probationer's home or feel that they or a member of the public are in danger."

Beyond limiting access to probation officers' searches, Evans hired a politically connected law firm in 2014 to conduct a broad review of the department's conduct. But he has refused to say what, if anything, the law firm found or if he ordered any fixes.

The firm received more than $82,000 in taxpayer money, and one of its lead attorneys on the investigation later became a Cook County judge under Evans.

Advertisement

Payne, 37, previously on probation for a drug conviction, alleged in his April 2015 lawsuit that probation officers, along with the FBI and Chicago police, illegally searched his South Side home, leading to his arrest and wrongful imprisonment for 16 months. He sued Chief Judge Evans, the probation department, probation officers, Chicago police and the FBI.

Payne alleged in his lawsuit that the probation department encouraged misconduct by not investigating or disciplining probation officers who were improperly partnering with law enforcement agencies.

"The actions, omissions, and conduct of the Adult Probation Department Defendants ... were extreme and outrageous," the lawsuit alleged. "These actions were rooted in an abuse of power and authority."

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

Lipford, 60, who was not on probation but lived with a probationer, alleged in an August 2015 lawsuit that officers illegally searched his West Side apartment, arrested him without cause and then walked away with "several hundred dollars." He also said he suffered a stroke during his arrest. He sued the probation department, probation officers and Chicago police.

Lipford claimed in his lawsuit that he "suffered damages as a result of being arrested without cause, made to await criminal trial for just over a year while worrying about whether he would be found guilty, which would lead to a criminal record and potential incarceration."

Payne said this week that he agreed to settle because he was in a tight spot financially and needed money. "I'll never get back the 16 months I spent in jail," he said. "Was $80,000 worth it? No. But I was in a bind."

Advertisement

Lipford, too, said he was reluctant to settle with the probation department. He is hopeful, he said, that the remainder of his case goes to trial.

"I lived a nightmare," he said. "I have anxiety and headaches. I can't sleep. All I want to do is go to court and tell my story."

tlighty@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @tlighty
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich arrives to the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago on April 25, 2011. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

In what likely is his last legal option short of the U.S. Supreme Court, former Gov. Rod Blagojevich has asked the entire 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to again rehear arguments to overturn his corruption conviction and 14-year prison sentence.

The petition for a rare en banc hearing before the appellate court's full slate of justices was filed at the deadline Friday, a month after a three-judge panel quickly rejected Blagojevich's case.

Advertisement

Requests for an en banc hearing are seldom granted, particularly in cases such as Blagojevich's where the original panel was unanimous. In order to succeed, either one of the three judges who decided the appeal  Frank Easterbrook, Ilana Diamond Rovner and Michael Kanne  or one of the other six judges in active service must ask for a vote by the full court.

If a vote is called, a majority of the nine judges must favor the en banc hearing or the petition is automatically denied, according to the 7th Circuit's handbook on appeals. For Blagojevich, that would likely mean that five out of the six judges who weren't on his panel would have to agree to the rehearing.

Advertisement

If the request for a rehearing fails, Blagojevich's only other option would be to petition the U.S. Supreme Court  a move that is also considered a legal long shot.

Blagojevich's latest request comes weeks after the 7th Circuit issued a terse, six-page ruling roundly rejecting arguments that U.S. District Judge James Zagel failed to consider key factors in Blagojevich's rehabilitation in prison when he resentenced the former governor last summer to the same 14-year term he'd handed down in 2011.

The opinion said Zagel had considered the glowing letters written from fellow inmates as well as other evidence of Blagojevich's good works in prison but found them unpersuasive.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

As with many discretionary subjects, the fact that a judge could have ruled otherwise does not imply that the judge was compelled to rule otherwise, the opinion stated.

Blagojevich, 60, was convicted in 2011 of misusing his powers as governor in an array of wrongdoing, including most notably his attempts to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama after his 2008 election to the White House.

The conviction came less than a year after an initial trial ended with a jury deadlocked on all but one count of lying to the FBI, forcing the retrial.

In its first ruling in 2015, the 7th Circuit threw out five counts involving the Senate seat on technical grounds. But the court tempered the small victory for Blagojevich by calling the evidence against him overwhelming and making it clear that the original sentence was not out of bounds.

Zagel's decision in August to resentence Blagojevich to the original 14 years means he's still slated to remain in prison until May 2024.

Advertisement

With limited legal options, Blagojevich's best hope for a reprieve at this point could be a commutation of his sentence from President Donald Trump, who had a friendly relationship with the ex-governor when he appeared on Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" reality show in 2010.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
J.B. Pritzker, candidate for the Democratic nomination for Illinois governor, poses for pictures with union members after a rally against Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner at the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399 in Chicago on Wednesday, May 3, 2017. Pritzker for governor was endorsed by 14 labor unions. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker is making a $1 million deposit in a black-owned bank in Chicago, taking a page from Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's playbook.

The issue led to back-and-forth attacks from the two campaigns centered on failures of financial institutions Rauner and the Pritzker family have been involved with in their careers.

Advertisement

Pritzker's planned deposit, like Rauner's three years ago in a South Side credit union, carries the goal of generating support from black voters.

Pritzker's campaign tried to draw a distinction between the two men's actions: the Democrat's money pledge was only announced on a Chicago radio show, while Rauner's visit to the credit union was a major campaign event.

Advertisement

Appearing on WVON 1690-AM Monday, Pritzker was asked by a caller named "Bob" if he could do what Rauner did and "make a commitment to put $1 million of the money in a black bank so we can have loans and hire people?"

Pritzker, a billionaire investor and entrepreneur, responded: "As a matter of fact I have made a commitment to do that, and we met with a number of African-American faith leaders who were very encouraging about that and felt like that's a very important way for us to create employment in the African-American community, so that's something I've already done."

The money is going to Illinois Service Federal Savings in Bronzeville, the Pritzker campaign confirmed Friday.

When Rauner campaigned in July 2014 for the governor's office, the wealthy former equity investor attended a South Side meeting of the group Black Wall Street Chicago, where he pledged to deposit $1 million in a black-owned institution.

Later, Rauner showed up at the South Side Community Federal Credit Union at 54th and Wentworth Avenues, scaling back his deposit to $800,000 and giving another $200,000 as a grant. That was because the credit union couldn't generate enough revenue to pay Rauner the interest due on a $1 million deposit.

Pritzker's decision to pick Illinois Service was first reported by Crain's Chicago Business. The bank reported losing $3.8 million for 2016, federal records show, but showed a slight profit in the first three months of 2017.

Early in the primary campaign, Pritzker and his chief rivals for the Democratic nomination have been working to pick up support in the African-American community, a dedicated Democratic voting bloc. Pritzker has among his African-American supporters Aldermen Pat Dowell, 3rd; Roderick Sawyer, 6th; Emma Mitts, 37th; and Michael Scott Jr., 24th, as well as city Treasurer Kurt Summers.

In a statement, Pritzker's campaign sought to draw a distinction with their candidate's actions and Rauner's, contending when the Republican got elected in 2014 he "left Illinoisans behind."

Advertisement

"Unlike Bruce Rauner, Illinois communities can count on J.B. to stand with them as governor because that's what he's done his entire career," the Democrat's campaign said. "J.B. will ensure Illinoisans have a seat at the table as he works to grow jobs, support small businesses, expand access to capital, and bring investment directly into black and brown communities."

Rauner's campaign responded by calling Pritzker's planned deposit "a drop in the bucket to the hundreds of millions Pritzker made peddling subprime loans to minority communities, while costing the taxpayers $300 million and ordinary depositors their savings."

Though it didn't name the institution, the Rauner campaign was referencing the 2001 failure of Superior Bank, which involved the Pritzker family, heirs of the Hyatt Hotel fortune. The bank was chaired at one time by J.B. Pritzker's sister, Penny Pritzker, who went on to become Commerce Department secretary under President Barack Obama.

In December 2001, the Pritzker family and its business partner agreed to pay $460 million to the U.S. over the bank's failure and a decade later got a discount on remaining payments of the 15-year settlement by agreeing with regulators to pay off the balance early, Bloomberg News reported in May 2013.

The Rauner criticism of the Pritzker family's role in Superior prompted the Democrat's campaign to attack the Republican governor for what it said was profiting off of HomeBanc Mortgage Corp.

Rauner "drove the company into the ground, firing approximately 1,100 people, but making sure his CEO got a nearly $5 million golden parachute," said Pritzker spokeswoman Galia Slayen.

Advertisement

In September 2014, the Chicago Tribune reported on Rauner's involvement with HomeBanc, which was the subject of an attack ad then-Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn ran against his Republican challenger.

The equity firm Rauner formerly chaired, GTCR, partnered in 2000 to create HomeBanc Mortgage. While GTCR once held a majority stake, it reduced its holdings after a public stock offering and sold the last of its shares in September 2006, based on Security and Exchange Commission records.

GTCR's actions came just months before the sudden financial unraveling of the mortgage company in 2007 led first to the January firing of CEO Patrick Flood, followed by an August bankruptcy filing. But GTCR had no board members on the mortgage firm involved in its management since 2005, prior to Flood's firing and severance, and the bankruptcy filing. Records showed Rauner was not a board member of HomeBanc in the lead-up to its public offering in 2004.

rap30@aol.com

Twitter @rap30
RIO DE JANEIRO  Fighting to save his job amid a mushrooming corruption scandal, Brazilian President Michel Temer told the nation Saturday that an incriminating audio recording of him had been doctored.

"That clandestine recording was manipulated and doctored with (bad) intentions," Temer said at a news conference in capital of Brasilia.

Advertisement

Temer said he had filed a petition with the Supreme Federal Tribunal, the country's highest court, to suspend the corruption investigation into him until experts can analyze the audio that appears to show him endorse the payment of bribes to ex-House Speaker Eduardo Cunha for his silence.

It's unlikely the court would do that, as it authorized the opening of the investigation into Temer in the first place and ordered it made public.

Advertisement

Temer noted that the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper reported that the 39-minute recording had been edited. The audio was first reported by Globo newspaper on Wednesday.

Temer also questioned the motives of the man who made the recording, JBS meatpacking company executive Joesley Batista. He accused Batista of buying "large quantities of dollars to cause chaos on the exchange market" before giving the tape to prosecutors.

Temer's claims about the audio and Batista couldn't be immediately verified.

In the audio, Temer apparently endorses bribes for Cunha, who is serving a 15-year prison sentence of corruption and money laundering and who led the impeachment push against President Dilma Rousseff last year.

Rousseff was eventually ousted for illegally managing the federal budget, bringing Temer, who was her vice president, to power.

Temer's remarks were unlikely to have much impact on the spreading movement for him to resign. Even if the audio was edited, Temer's words to Batista to keep up the payments to Cunha seem clear. And Temer did not mention the long list of other allegations against him, nor acknowledge that allies have started to bolt.

Soon before Temer spoke, the Brazilian Socialist Party announced it was breaking from his coalition. The loss of its seven senators and 35 deputies mean Temer's ambitious plans to reform the country's pension system and labor laws are even less likely.

The leaders of several other parties in Temer's coalition also planned to consult with their members Saturday in Brasilia.

Advertisement

Brazil's highest court released documents on Friday revealing that the nation's top prosecutor is accusing Temer of corruption, obstruction of justice and being part of a criminal organization. In one plea bargain released as part of the tribunal's document dump, Temer is accused of taking $1.5 million in bribes. In another, Temer is accused of pocking about $350,000 of $4.5 million in illegal campaign finance channeled by the Workers' Party for the 2014 presidential ticket that included Temer as vice presidential candidate.

The calls for Temer to resign have been joined by Globo, the flagship paper of Brazil's biggest media company, which had been supporting the president's legislative program to boost an economy mired in its worst recession in decades. The company generally wields enormous influence among Brazilians because of its popular soap operas and media dominance.

"The president has lost the moral, ethical, political and administrative conditions to continue governing Brazil," O Globo said in an editorial.

Attorney General Rodrigo Janot's formal presentation of evidence was an extraordinary development in a corruption probe that is upending politics and just about everything else in Latin America's largest nation.

Janot accused Temer and Sen. Aecio Neves of trying to derail the three-year-old "Car Wash" investigation into a huge kickback scheme at the state-run oil company Petrobras via legislative means and by influencing police investigators.

Because the case involves a sitting president, the process is different than in any other kind of criminal case. With a formal investigation now opened, Janot's will now decide whether his case is strong enough to send it for consideration by the Chamber of Deputies in Congress.

Advertisement

If at least two-thirds of the members of the lower house voted in favor, the case would be sent back to the top court, which would then decide whether to put Temer on trial. If the court decided to try Temer, he would be suspended from office for up to 180 days. A conviction would permanently remove him from office.

At least eight pieces of proposed legislation to impeach Temer have been submitted in Congress.

Temer's speech failed to impress patrons watching him on television in a Rio de Janeiro restaurant.

"I still don't believe him," said cultural producer Aline Veiga. "He is a coup plotter. We have to keep fighting for our democracy."

Retired teacher Adilson dos Santos was equally unimpressed with Temer's words.

"All this corruption is regrettable and as a Brazilian I feel shame," he said.

Advertisement

Associated Press writer Stan Lehman reported from Sao Paulo. AP writer Mauricio Savarese, and AP video reporters Leo Correa and Diarlei Rodrigues contributed to this report from Rio de Janeiro.
Planned Parenthood affiliates announced the closures of 10 health centers across the Midwest and Southwest this week, citing a variety of reasons including political attacks by antiabortion lawmakers.

Planned Parenthood of the Heartland said it planned to close four clinics across Iowa because of the recent budget signed into law by Gov. Terry Branstad, who pledged to "defund" the women's health organization.

Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains announced it would close six clinics in Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico as an efficiency measure largely unrelated to the political climate. One contributing factor was the health care law enacted under former president Barack Obama, which caused many existing clients who previously paid for their care out-of-pocket to qualify for Medicaid, which offers a lower reimbursement rate, officials said. Another was a desire to consolidate services in a new facility the organization plans to build in New Mexico.

Concern about political attacks did play a role, said Whitney Phillips, a spokeswoman for the affiliate, who said the goal is to ensure "we can withstand anything that comes our way."

The decision removes Planned Parenthood's presence entirely from Wyoming, which becomes the second state after North Dakota to have no Planned Parenthood centers. The organization concluded that other clinics could handle the 500 patients served by its health center in Casper, Phillips said. She added that the organization plans to continue to have a political and educational role in the state.

The closures come at a pivotal time for Planned Parenthood, a 100-year-old nonprofit that provides birth control, testing for sexually transmitted diseases, cancer screenings and other services at hundreds of clinics around the country. It is facing attacks at both the state and federal level over its role as the nation's largest abortion provider and a prominent proponent for abortion rights.

Congressional Republicans are seeking to cut Planned Parenthood out of Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for the poor and disabled, with the House earlier this month passing a health-care bill that would do just that. Republican-led states also have sought to block taxpayer money from supporting the organization.

Planned Parenthood and its supporters have tried to push back against the measures, arguing they could lead to gutting services for the millions of people who rely on the organization for their health care.

By law, federal funds cannot be used to pay directly for abortions except in narrow circumstances. But antiabortion activists say taxpayer money should not support Planned Parenthood's non-abortion work.

In Iowa, an appropriations bill Branstad (R) signed last week ends a program that used mostly federal dollars to provide family planning services to low-income women. Branstad has said it will be replaced by a state-funded program that will direct funds to organizations that do not provide abortions. It follows a similar move by Texas four years ago.

Planned Parenthood officials say it will force the closure of clinics in Sioux City, Burlington and Keokuk, which will shutter June 30, as well as one health center in Quad Cities, which will continue to provide abortions until the building is sold. The closures will affect 14,676 patients, many of whom live in areas with scant resources for poor women seeking services like birth control, the organization says.

In three of the four Iowa counties where clinics are shuttering, Planned Parenthood served 80 percent or more of the women who received birth control at a publicly funded health center, officials said. In the case of Keokuk, women in that community will have to drive nearly an hour to find the closest provider of safety-net family planning services, they said.

"We will do everything we can to continue to care for as many patients as we can," Suzanna de Baca, president of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, said in a statement. "However, the harsh reality is that, despite all our efforts, there will be women who fall through the cracks and lose access to health care because of this dangerous legislation."

Antiabortion groups celebrated the news that the Iowa clinics would shutter and suggested that other health centers could absorb the patients.

"This is good news for families in the state of Iowa," Maggie DeWitte, director of Iowans for Life, said in a statement. "There are many quality community health centers in Iowa that provide comprehensive health care to women and families across the state. And they do so without taking the life of precious human beings."
Betty Shelby leaves the courtroom with her husband, Dave Shelby, right, after the jury in her case began deliberations in Tulsa, Okla., Wednesday, May 17, 2017. (Sue Ogrocki / AP)

TULSA, Okla.  A white Oklahoma police officer acquitted in an unarmed black man's shooting death will be back on the force next week, even as jurors who declared her not guilty of manslaughter unanimously agreed she should never return to patrol.

Tulsa police Chief Chuck Jordan issued a one-sentence statement Friday in which he said Betty Jo Shelby is reinstated. It comes a day after black community leaders rallied, urging city leaders to block the 43-year-old officer from getting back her job. She had been on unpaid leave since Sept. 22 when she was charged in the death.

Advertisement

Some leaders were taken aback by Shelby's quick reinstatement.

"The decision today was obviously a slap in the face, and I think that's how a lot of the black community feels," said Anthony Scott, pastor at First Baptist Church North Tulsa. "It's like pouring salt on a wound."

Advertisement

Shelby's attorneys said she'll rejoin the force Monday, but in limited capacity. The 10-year law enforcement veteran is barred from street patrol while an internal affairs investigation into the Sept. 16 shooting of 40-year-old Terence Crutcher plays out.

Shortly before the announcement of Shelby's reinstatement, the foreman of the jury that acquitted her Wednesday said in a court filing that if Shelby had thought to use her stun gun before Crutcher reached his stalled sport utility vehicle, the decision "could have saved his life."

"Many on the jury could never get comfortable with the concept of Betty Shelby being blameless for Mr. Crutcher's death," the foreman wrote. The jurors didn't identify themselves in the memo filed in court.

Another member of the jury told local news site The Frontier that various jurors thought Shelby could work a desk job or perhaps be another type of emergency responder  just not an officer on street patrol.

"I don't think she's a bad person," he told the publication, speaking on condition of anonymity because jurors didn't want to be associated with the highly charged case. "She just shouldn't be a cop."

The jury of eight women and four men, including three blacks, deliberated for about nine hours before reaching its verdict late Wednesday, prompting about 100 residents gathered outside the courthouse to protest the outcome.

Shelby's attorney, Shannon McMurray, acknowledged Friday that Shelby could have deployed her stun gun instead of a firearm, but said the officer had to make a "split-second" decision because she thought Crutcher was armed. No weapon was found.

"Could she have used a Taser? Yes. Might she be dead? Yes," McMurray said. "It's a classic law school exam: All the answers are right, but which ones are the most right?"

Advertisement

Shelby's police partner, Tyler Turnbough, deployed his stun gun at the same time she fired her handgun. Turnbough told a national police aid group last month that Shelby had no way of knowing what Crutcher was reaching for and that "to take a chance could be deadly."

A spokesman for the Crutcher family didn't return calls seeking comment on Shelby's reinstatement.

McMurray said Shelby's return to the force means "she's getting the due process she wasn't afforded when (prosecutors) jumped the gun and charged her."

Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler, who filed the first-degree manslaughter charge six days after the shooting, declined to comment Friday.

Crutcher was shot after Shelby approached him in a city street where his SUV had broken down.

Shelby had said she fired her weapon out of fear because Crutcher ignored her commands to lie down and kept reaching into his pockets.

Advertisement

But prosecutors said she overreacted, arguing that Crutcher had his hands in the air and wasn't combative  part of which was confirmed by police video that showed him walking away from Shelby with his hands above his head.

Crutcher's family said the verdict was a setback to racial harmony in Tulsa. They said the acquittal shows a larger failure of the legal system  and by extension society  to recognize the value of a black man's life. Their heartbreak echoed that of families across the U.S. following a spate of killings of blacks that has fueled a national debate over race and policing.

"The wedge that existed (Wednesday) has become the mountain range that we must climb today," said Anthony R. Douglas, the NAACP's Oklahoma chapter president.

About 16 percent of Tulsa's roughly 400,000 residents are black. Racial disparities in mostly black north Tulsa include neighborhoods without a real grocery store and a ZIP code where a black baby has 10 years less life expectancy than a white baby. One swath has yet to recover economically from a 1921 race riot where hundreds of black residents were killed and homes and businesses were burned.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, right, waves to the crowd while campaigning for Republican candidate for 6th congressional district Karen Handel, left, at an event in Dunwoody, Ga., Monday, May 15, 2017. (David Goldman / AP)

WASHINGTON  As a cascade of controversies consumes the White House, anxiety is rising among Republicans well beyond the Beltway that President Donald Trump's troubles could take a severe toll on the party heading into next year's midterm elections and beyond.

With a near-daily string of new scandals and unfavorable headlines - including this week's news of a special prosecutor to examine possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia - a growing number of Republicans across the country are watching dispiritedly as Democrats become further energized to turn out their voters in 2018, potentially tipping not only congressional contests but state and local races down the ballot.

Advertisement

"There were a lot of things that were promised to be done, and we're just getting a lot of noise out of Washington," said Marc Rotterman, a longtime Republican consultant in North Carolina who was a Trump supporter ahead of last year's election. "It seems it's Russia 24-7. When you're reacting and defending, you're not moving on your agenda. You're not fixing day-to-day problems for average Americans."

Rotterman said that "there still could be a course correction" but that if Trump and Republicans don't make good on their promises, they risk losing support - particularly from the blue-collar voters who helped propel Trump to victory last fall. "They're counting on him," Rotterman said.

Advertisement

Trump arrived in Washington in an uneasy alliance with establishment Republicans, many of whom were willing to overlook his eccentricities if they still were able to make good on shared legislative priorities, including repeal of the Affordable Care Act and tax cuts.

While Trump has issued a flurry of executive orders and delivered on one key conservative agenda item - the confirmation of a successor to the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia - there is mounting fear that other marquee campaign promises will not be realized, making it harder for Republicans to win elections.

Since Trump's controversial firing of FBI Director James Comey last week, the White House has been in full crisis mode.

"We cannot sustain this level of chaos from the White House and expect it will be anything less than a tragic outcome on Election Day," said Jennifer Horn, a former chairwoman of the New Hampshire Republican Party.

Horn, who was accused of anti-Trump bias during her tenure as chairwoman, said she has noticed "a significant increase in the level of anxiety about the president and his behavior" from party leaders around the country over the past two weeks.

Some Trump boosters offer a more measured take on what has transpired, suggesting the drama in Washington will not be foremost on the minds of voters.

"The next election will have a lot more to do with jobs numbers than Russia," said Barry Bennett, a Trump political adviser during last year's election campaign. If the economy "keeps perking along," he said, Republicans could do just fine.

While many Republicans are frustrated by what is going on in Washington, polls have shown that Trump remains popular with most members of the party and continues to be viewed positively by his base.

Advertisement

Trump also could try to energize his voters next year by blaming Washington's problems on the hostile establishment he says he is fighting.

However, it remains an open question how many of the blue-collar and other nontraditional GOP voters who backed Trump will turn out for other Republicans when he is not on the ballot. At the same time, Democratic voters tend not to turn out as strongly in nonpresidential years.

The Trump factor already is being tested in several special congressional elections this year to replace members plucked from the House to join Trump's Cabinet. All have shaped up to be closer than expected, and Trump's troubles are a particular factor in Georgia's 6th Congressional District - an affluent, Republican-leaning jurisdiction in suburban Atlanta.

"It's a close race that shouldn't be close," Republican pollster Whit Ayres, who is working for GOP candidate Karen Handel, said of the June 20 election.

Ayres said that Trump's troubles are clearly a factor in Handel's race against Democrat Jon Ossoff, as well as in other upcoming contests.

"It certainly doesn't make it any easier for Republican candidates in highly educated districts," Ayres said. "The atmosphere in Washington and attitudes toward the president create a far more energized Democratic base than you'd otherwise have."

Advertisement

Asked if the past two weeks have exacerbated that dynamic, Ayres said, "I believe this falls in the realm of the obvious."

Trump appeared at a closed fundraiser in Atlanta last month for Handel, but the candidate since then has seemed to distance herself from the president. During a fundraiser this week with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Trump's name was not mentioned by either Handel or Ryan.

A protester holds a sign while demonstrating against a scheduled visit by House Speaker Paul Ryan at a campaign event for Republican candidate for 6th congressional district Karen Handel in Dunwoody, Ga., Monday, May 15, 2017. (David Goldman / AP)

It remains an open question how many candidates will seek to appear with Trump heading into next year's election.

When the Republican National Committee met in California last week, Trump appeared via a taped message in which he suggested he would like to be heavily involved ahead of next year's vote.

"I'll be going around to different states," Trump said. "I'll be working hard for people running for Congress and the people running for the Senate. We can pick up a lot of seats, especially if it keeps going the way it's going now."

The last line in particular raised eyebrows. Even before the latest controversies, there were signs of serious Republican challenges in some 2018 races.

Advertisement

In Florida, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R), the dean of the state's delegation and the first Cuban American elected to Congress, recently announced her upcoming retirement after 35 years in office. Her district - which Hillary Clinton won over Trump by 20 points - is now considered a prime opportunity for a Democratic pickup. Several prominent local Republicans already have announced that they will take a pass on the race.

John McKager "Mac" Stipanovich, a longtime GOP campaign operative in Florida, said he fears numerous other Republican losses in his state and around the country if the party cannot deliver on promises to repeal Obamacare and cut taxes.

"If after all of the talk, after all of the chest-thumping, we can't get anything done, we may get clubbed like baby seals in 2018," said Stipanovich, who was an early Trump critic.

Most analysts consider control of the House to be in play next year. Following House passage of a health-care bill this month that would leave millions without coverage, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report downgraded the 2018 prospects for Republicans in 20 races across the country.

The publication noted that of the 23 Republicans sitting in districts that Clinton won last year, 14 voted for the GOP bill, which has been widely panned in public polls.

At this point, relatively few Senate races look competitive next year, but several governor's seats could be in play. Normally, governor's races are more insulated from issues playing out in national politics, but that might not be as much the case now, said Jennifer Duffy, a senior editor at Cook Political Report.

Advertisement

That is in part because Republican candidates are likely to get peppered with questions about what they think of Trump controversies, she said.

Thirty-six states have governor's races next year. Two states - Virginia and New Jersey - are holding contests this year.

While some candidates have sought to mimic Trump on policy and style, the GOP front-runners in both states voting this year - former Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie in Virginia and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno in New Jersey - are not talking much about Trump on the campaign trail.

In Washington, both the White House and Republican leaders in Congress are putting on a brave face about what they can still accomplish in coming months.

Ryan, acknowledging that Trump has had a "bad two weeks," said during a radio interview on "The Hugh Hewitt Show" Friday that "it's way too early" to be talking about the midterms. But he conceded, "If we don't keep our promises, then we'll have a problem."

At a conference sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, Vice President Pence suggested the White House remains focused on its agenda, regardless of distractions.

Advertisement

"Whatever Washington, D.C., may be focused on at any given time, rest assured, President Donald Trump will never stop fighting for the issues that matter most to the American people: good jobs, safe streets and a boundless American future," Pence told about 350 business leaders gathered for a summit on foreign direct investment in the United States.

Scott Reed, a lobbyist for the Chamber, said he continues to believe there is a "historic opportunity" for Congress to pass tax reform and make good on a Trump promise to invest $1 trillion in the nation's infrastructure - both of which are Chamber priorities.

"If they don't govern and get some concrete results, it's going to be a long couple of years," Reed said, referring to the party's electoral prospects. "This is the beginning of a lot of dominoes that will fall one way or another.

The Washington Post's Kelsey Snell contributed to this report.
Roland Eisenbeis worked for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County for more than three decades with a focus on land acquisition and preservation. ( Family photo )

Roland Eisenbeis headed conservation efforts for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County for more than 30 years, a career that began with land acquisition and preservation before shifting to active land management.

"Roland was involved from the very beginning with putting together the structure of the beginnings of conservation and resource management in the district that we see today," said Chris Anchor, senior wildlife biologist with the forest district, who met Eisenbeis after starting with the agency in 1981.

Advertisement

Anchor said Eisenbeis became the district's first superintendent for conservation around 1952. The title had shifted to director by the time Eisenbeis retired in 1984.

Anchor said when Eisenbeis joined the forest district not long after World War II, the guiding principle was to acquire the land and leave it alone.

Advertisement

"We would buy land and try to protect it from people," Anchor said. "We wouldn't burn it, we wouldn't thin it, we wouldn't cut brush."

Eisenbeis, 99, died of lymphoma Monday at his home in La Grange Park, according to his daughter, Gail Mikenas. He and his wife Betty, who survives him, were longtime Brookfield residents before moving to La Grange Park about two years ago.

He was born and grew up in Ashley, a small town in southern North Dakota. He completed a two-year program at what was then the North Dakota State School of Forestry at Bottineau, now Dakota College.

After forestry school, he landed a job with a greenhouse and flower shop in Elgin, where he met his future wife and got engaged before he was drafted into the Army ahead of World War II.

He was eventually assigned to work in intelligence with the Army Air Forces, working in India and on the island of Tinian, the launching point for the atomic bomb attacks against Japan.

At war's end, he returned to the Chicago area and in the late 1940s went to work for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.

By 1952, he was head of conservation for the district. Over the next 32 years, he led the shift to active management of district land resources, work that ultimately restored natural areas and nurtured native plants and animals.

"He was one of the last great naturalists, filled with idealism," said Stephen Packard, who as science and stewardship director for the Illinois Nature Conservancy in the 1970s worked with Eisenbeis as a volunteer.

Advertisement

Eisenbeis coupled his idealism with an inquiring mind.

"He had a broad vision," Packard said. "He was willing to explore new ideas."

Those new ideas were critical to making the most of natural areas. Packard explained that the original model of simply buying land and leaving it alone could turn land areas into what he called "thornscrub," overrun by buckthorn and other invasive species harmful to native plants and animals.

"The idea that prairies needed to be burned was not widely accepted," said Packard. "In the long run, we learned oak woodlands also needed burning since (fire-resistant) oaks don't reproduce in the (shaded out) dark."

Eisenbeis applied those new principles to Forest Preserve District lands. "He did a lot to develop conservation principles," Packard said. "It's what we came to call stewardship  active management and restoration."

Eisenbeis also helped set up volunteer programs to help manage the district's natural resources at times when resources were limited. His work with a state agency, the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, and the Illinois Nature Conservancy helped establish the Volunteer Stewardship Network.

Advertisement

Packard said a 2014 decision by the Forest Preserve District board will add land and expand restoration work started by Eisenbeis in 1977 to thousands of additional acres. "Roland laid the groundwork," Packard said.

Touring the district's Tampier Lake in southwest Cook County in 1975, he and the Tribune's Tom King stopped to watch people fishing. "Imagine what a kingly estate this would make for a rich man," Eisenbeis told King. "But we made it the estate of everyone."

Survivors also include another daughter, Sue Fisk; two sons Scott and John; a sister, Darlene Santos; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

There will be a memorial service at 5 p.m. Saturday in the meeting room in Bethlehem Woods Retirement Community, 1571 W. Ogden Ave., La Grange Park.
For the last month of his short and tragic life, in the summer of 1972, he was known to Chicago simply as Johnny.

He was the 6-year-old from the West Side who'd been beaten and kicked and slammed into a coma by his father. His plight touched the hearts of those in the Chicago region and around the nation, prompting a vigil of love and prayer for his recovery.

Advertisement

His story filled the Tribune and the city's three other daily newspapers and the radio and television newscasts. And it changed the law.

For nearly half a century, children in Illinois and the rest of the United States have been better protected against abuse and neglect because of what that young boy went through.

Advertisement

His name was Johnny Lindquist. He was born in Chicago to William and Irene Lindquist on Aug. 28, 1965. His mother contracted tuberculosis, and, for the first years of his life, Johnny shuttled back and forth between his parents and a series of foster homes.

In 1969, a Catholic Charities caseworker reported to a juvenile court judge that, by the end of one recent visit, Johnny was "covered with bruises and scars inflicted by both parents." A month later, on Aug. 1, Johnny was sent to live on the South Side with Robert and Florence Karvanek. He joined another foster child a few years older named Robert.

The Karvaneks built their lives around the two boys and soon moved to a farm in Tigerton, Wis., because, Robert Karvanek said, it was "better living."

For Johnny, life on the farm with its rolling meadows, a stand of woods and a trout stream was an idyll. There was a horse for him to ride, a tractor he learned to drive and a go-cart.

In December 1971, his caseworker arranged for Johnny to spend a weekend with the Lindquists. He returned describing the household as "a madhouse." Nonetheless, the presumption at the time of family service agencies was that a child belonged with his or her birth family. And, three months later, the Catholic Charities caseworker told the Karvaneks that Johnny would have to go back to live with the Lindquists.

"I told him to please, please, be good," his heartbroken foster mother said. But Johnny cried and threatened to run away from the Lindquist household.

On March 28, five months shy of his seventh birthday, Johnny was back with William and Irene Lindquist  and, in his childish way, he rebelled, wetting his pants and asking over and over again to be returned to the couple he called "Mom" and "Dad."

Testimony at the separate trials of the couple indicated that both soon began abusing the boy: Irene Lindquist hit him over the head so hard with a paddle that it cracked. William Lindquist punched Johnny with his fist.

Advertisement

Police later determined that, working together, the couple tied Johnny's hands together and his ankles with a plastic clothesline and stretched the line over a door so that the boy's hands were over his head. He was left this way about eight hours a day for three days. The Lindquists stopped the practice because Johnny's wrists began to bleed.

On Friday, July 28, the Lindquist family  which included Johnny and four siblings  moved into a second-floor apartment at 4729 W. Erie St. It was the worst day of Johnny's life.

William Lindquist's sister testified that when she brought sweet rolls to the family that morning, Johnny "looked kind of bruised up, not too bad, but I was going to ask my husband.  I was afraid for the boy. But then it was too late."

Another of William Lindquist's sisters testified that, later that day, "Irene hit Johnny on the back with a broom handle. She then had Johnny kneel in the corner of the living room with a towel over his face so she wouldn't have to look at his ugly face."

About 5 p.m. that day, William Lindquist was drinking beer on the first floor when his wife called him upstairs. "We didn't hear anything," one of those present said later. "The next we knew the police were here."

William Lindquist met the officers out in front with his boy's body in his arms, wrapped in a blanket. He had just called to say, "My name is Lindquist. I got a kid. I just beat him up. I want a police car to take him to the hospital right away."

Advertisement

At the police station, William Lindquist told investigators that Johnny had wet his pants, and he "saw red and began punching Johnny." Later, at his trial, the father testified the beating was inflicted by his wife.

For more than a month, Johnny was in a coma at St. Anne's Hospital. He turned 7 in his hospital bed.

St. Anne's was flooded with get-well cards for Johnny and received so many phone calls that they all began to be transferred to a designated "Johnny condition" staffer. Again and again, the worker said into the phone, "There is no change in Johnny's condition. He is still critical. The prognosis is poor, but he is showing a tremendous will to live  a tremendous fight for life."

That will to live touched the nurses who cared for the boy as his foster parents kept watch by his bedside. Barbara O'Donnell, the head nurse in the intensive care unit, told one interviewer:

"We're told hearing is the last sense to go. Patients have come out of comas and said they could hear people talking. Mrs. Karvanek sits in a chair by the bed. She tells him to hurry up and get better. She tells him they want to get him ice cream. She tells him about his birthday coming up and the party they want to have for him and the birthday cake."

Johnny never tasted his birthday cake. His frail battered body gave out a little after 1 p.m. on Aug. 31. An estimated 1,000 people attended his wake and passed by his small, white casket. His hair was neatly combed. He was dressed in a tuxedo he'd once worn for a wedding.

Advertisement

Later, William and Irene Lindquist were convicted of causing his death and sentenced to prison.

Irene Lindquist attends funeral services for her 7-year-old son, Johnny, in Chicago on Sept. 5, 1972. William Lindquist, the boys father, was found guilty in his death. (Chicago Tribune photo )

Within a year, four "Johnny Lindquist bills" were passed into Illinois law and became models for the rest of the nation. Previously, only physicians had been required to report child abuse, but, under the new laws, teachers, school administrators, truant officers, law enforcement officers, social workers, nurses, nursery school and day-care workers and public aid workers were given the responsibility to do so as well as the needed protection against slander lawsuits.

In his 2011 autobiography, "Nobody Calls Just to Say Hello," the late former Illinois Senate President Philip J. Rock noted that these Johnny Lindquist laws led to a doubling in the number of child abuse reports within the first year, to 6,748. By 1989, reports annually routinely topped 100,000.

Johnny Lindquist is buried in Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery in west suburban Hillside.

If he had lived, Johnny would be 51 today.

Patrick T. Reardon, who covered the Johnny Lindquist case in 1972 for the Austinite/Northwest Passage newspaper and later wrote about it for the Tribune, is the author of "Requiem for David," a poetry collection, and "Faith Stripped to Its Essence," a literary-religious analysis of Shusaku Endo's novel "Silence."
Job-seeking wingnuts keep filing into the Oval Office, invitations in hand, even as the Trump administration collapses under the weight of its own incompetence, corruption and bad faith.

Hey, folks, the West Wing is a huge dumpster fire, but it's still hiring!

Advertisement

The latest applicant is Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr., who has been crowing that he's been chosen as an assistant secretary within the Department of Homeland Security. At this writing, the appointment hasn't been officially confirmed, so perhaps there is time to forestall his apotheosis in Washington.

Even if you don't recognize Clarke's name, it's likely you've seen his image. He is known for his big cowboy hats, brash law-and-order rhetoric and savvy use of social media. And he is one of the few prominent African-Americans with a following in conservative circles. An unapologetic Donald Trump loyalist, he spoke at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland  interesting not least because he is purportedly a Democrat.

Advertisement

Clarke was seemingly tailor-made for the era of Fox News style populism. It's not just what comes out of his mouth, but the reassurance his words provide for Trump followers.

A classic example is Clarke's dismissive take on Black Lives Matter. He labels the loosely organized activist movement a "terrorist organization" and a hate group, and he claims it will eventually join ranks with the Islamic State. He likes to mock it with the phrase "Black Lies Matter," and in a pithy and often cited putdown, Clarke chided: "Stop trying to fix the police. Fix the ghetto."

Clarke's sweeping generalizations are a joy to those who wish to dismiss racially biased police misconduct and who regard every use of force as justified and above reproach. After all, they can point to Clarke and proclaim, "See, the black guy said it, so it must be OK!"

Clarke also provides an excuse to discount the inconvenient truth that the vast majority of African-Americans (and many police for that matter) hold far more nuanced views about tensions within urban communities and police-involved shootings.

For the red-blooded Trump supporter, Clarke ticks all the boxes. He's an NRA member. He supports a muscular policy of catching and deporting undocumented immigrants. He vilifies the mainstream media (except for Fox News, where he is a frequent on-air guest), disdains former President Barack Obama and can be counted on to belittle any charge of racism made by anybody, anywhere. He allegedly allowed an evangelical Christian group to proselytize county employees at a mandatory meeting.

But there is another side to Sheriff Clarke. If he gets his Washington gig he will be escaping a jail full of troubles  the jail that he has administered since 2002. An inquest into conditions at Milwaukee County Jail recommended criminal charges for seven staff members in the case of an inmate who died of dehydration. The investigation found that withholding water was a common way jailers punished inmates.

And that's not the only death at Clarke's jail. There have been three others in the past year, including that of a baby born to an inmate. According to a federal class action lawsuit filed against Clarke in March, deputies had refused to unshackle the mother when she went into labor. Shackling inmates when they are hospitalized  including with belly chains, which pose a threat to pregnant women  is Milwaukee County Jail policy, according to the lawsuit.

Such cruel and pointless deaths might cause others to be fired, their career certainly tarnished if not ruined. But, apparently, the scandals made Clarke's resume that much more appealing to Trump.

Advertisement

A real law-and-order man, that guy  except when it comes to certain constitutional rights. As The Nation reported, Clarke "proposes 'a suspension of habeas corpus' so that 'suspected' Americans can be jailed indefinitely as part of his war-at-home program for 'bold and aggressive action.' " He also advocates "rounding up Americans who are perceived as threats, suspending their rights, holding them indefinitely and handling cases with military tribunals rather than the courts."

He'll fit in well with the band of flamethrowers that President Trump has already surrounded himself with.

If he ends up joining the Trump administration, we can count on Clarke's flamboyance to draw scrutiny from the media. Expect controversy. (Somewhere in his Twitter timeline is a tweet in which he brags about having met with the Russian foreign minister.)

Stay tuned, because there's plenty more fuel for the dumpster fire.

Tribune Content Agency

Mary Sanchez is an opinion page columnist for The Kansas City Star.

Advertisement

msanchez@kcstar.com
CPS CEO Forrest Claypool listens in as Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel holds a press conference in his press office at city hall in Chicago on Friday, April 28, 2017. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Chicago Public Schools, its back to the wall, announced Friday it will borrow more money. The district's twin goals are to make a huge pension payment and finish the school year.

Good goals, but more borrowing by this drowning-in-debt district is bad news.

Advertisement

And there's more bad news to come. The Chicago Teachers Union is expected to release the results of its no-confidence vote on CPS CEO Forrest Claypool.

Bank on this: The vote won't be close. Teachers will overwhelmingly turn thumbs down on Claypool, who has tried to hold firm against CTU's radical demands.

Advertisement

Claypool has been on the job less than two years. Do teachers really blame him for more than a decade of financial mismanagement? For skipped payments into the teachers' pension fund? For a fiscal crisis that forced the district to close schools  too few and too late? For the district's plummeting enrollment?

Many teachers know better. CTU leadership evidently does not.

Union President Karen Lewis says Claypool is failing the district by threatening teacher layoffs and for proposing in last year's contract negotiations that teachers pick up more of the employees' share of their pension costs  the same share other city workers pay, but that CPS pays for educators. Lewis also has dinged Claypool for his admittedly loopy last-ditch idea to end the school year early to make budget ends meet.

But step back. Claypool also has trimmed many millions in expenses from the district's Central Office, cuts the union has long demanded. He has moved aggressively to shut underperforming charters, which the union wanted. He has tried to protect classrooms. He has intensified principal accountability. He has worked to improve graduation rates.

Yet CTU will pin him to the wall in a blustery no-confidence vote, even though the union refuses to work with him. Never has. Never will.

(Scott Stantis)

Sorry, CTU, but if blame is your game, look around  and look in the mirror. How about a no-confidence vote in everyone else who shamelessly cultivated this never-ending crisis?

How about some blame:

For all those previous CPS CEOs who borrowed and borrowed until the district now teeters at bankruptcy's brink, living on credit to pay bills and in fear of bankers who may finally snap shut the checkbook and say, "No. More. Money."

Advertisement

For all those past district CEOs  and Chicago mayors  who refused to close half-empty schools and keep the rest in good repair.

For the last CEO, who's now going to prison for steering more than $23 million in no-bid contracts to her friends as part of a scheme that would line her pockets.

For Illinois Democrats who controlled the legislature and governor's mansion for 12 years in Springfield. They could have fixed the outdated, failed school funding formula but did not. That formula has aggravated enormous funding gaps between rich and poor school districts in this state.

And a special serving of blame for Democrats up and down the ballot  some of whom were recruited, supported and financed by the CTU  who claim to be "progressive" but have ignored a property tax-reliant funding system that short-changes kids based on their ZIP codes. Over the past 20 years, CTU spent more than $16 million helping these politicians win seats. That is, teachers union leaders have poured mega resources into maintaining the dismal status quo  which includes a terrible shortfall in the union members' pension fund.

Instead of focusing on the fattest targets, CTU blames the relative newcomer, Claypool? Please.

On Friday, City Hall trotted out Mayor Rahm Emanuel's plan to borrow more money to finish this school year. Yet another massive budget gap looms in the next school year's budget. Emanuel reportedly is considering tax hikes  again  to help the district balance the books.

Advertisement

And of course Emanuel blames Gov. Bruce Rauner, the other guy who's been around only two-plus years. And even though Emanuel appoints every member of the Chicago Board of Education.

Meanwhile, more families flee CPS. That's the vote of no confidence that matters most.

Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook.

Become a subscriber today to support editorial writing like this. Start getting full access to our signature journalism for just 99 cents for the first four weeks.
So, I am puzzled that there are so few healthy adults who donate for the patients in our hospitals.

Maybe they dont realize that one of every seven patients will require a transfusion. Or perhaps they are gambling that they will never need the gift of life following an emergency and that blood will always be on hand.

For them, here is a little-known fact of life: Fewer than 10 percent of healthy and eligible Americans donate blood annually. That means the other 90 percent have to depend on those few who contribute.

 Carl Panek, Westchester
My guess is that most of these homes belong to law-abiding citizens who wish to contribute positively to their citys cultural identity. But instead of featuring one of these, Workmans entire article focuses on American radical Bill Ayers, who was a leader of the Weather Underground which waged war on America by placing bombs in federal buildings in the 1970s.

Isnt it bad enough that Ayers has flourished as a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago? Must the Tribune contribute to his efforts to recast himself as a progressive educator and sensitive man of culture? Some of us remember exactly who Ayers and his wife, Bernardine Dohrn, another Weather Underground leader, are and what they did.

The real mystery is why anyone would pay one cent for a ticket to spend time with Ayers  and why the Tribune would give him a single word of publicity.

 Penelope Blake, Rockford
Debbie Williams is about to retire after working as the administrative assistant at Arlington Heights School District 25 for the past decade. (Karen Ann Cullotta / Pioneer Press)

On a recent afternoon at Arlington Heights School District 25 headquarters, administrative assistant Debbie Williams remained calm in spite of a power outage, a visit from a news reporter and a looming deadline to finish the school board meeting agenda.

Pioneer Press caught up with Williams, who will be retiring next month after working as the administrative assistant to District 25 Superintendent Lori Bein. She shared a few memories from her decade of service to an organization that, she said, is best described as "caring."

Advertisement

Q: What led you to work at District 25?

A: I had worked with Dr. (Sarah) Jerome when she was a superintendent at Kettle Moraine School District in Wisconsin, and after she became superintendent in District 25, she let me know there was a job opening.

Advertisement

Q: Did you grow up in Wisconsin?

A: No, I'm from Cheney, Kansas, a small, rural town. I grew up on a wheat farm with my three brothers. I went to the local community college and majored in what was then called secretarial science.

Q: How has District 25 changed over the past decade?

A: Well, when I first started, the school board had just approved installing air conditioning at all of the schools, which was a big thing at the time. Of course, curriculum always changes. But what continues and carries on in District 25 is the caring and connecting of our teachers with the community. Our teachers are so creative, and they're always working for the betterment of their students. I've also seen the STEM labs come into our schools. The district has always been on the forefront of change, but they have been thoughtful about how they make those changes.

Q: What is your favorite part of your job?

A: I have a lot of favorite parts of this job, and it changes. But I would say it has to have been the fact that I get to connect with administrators, the staff and the community. I've also really enjoyed our annual "Get Ready for School" program. It's a community collaborative that brings backpacks and school supplies to students in need in Arlington Heights. But it goes beyond just school supplies. We also hold a resource fair that helps these families connect to social service organizations in the community.

Q: So, what do you have planned for your next adventure after you retire?

A: I'll be moving to Virginia Beach, which is where my daughter and her family live. I plan to get involved with volunteer activities and do some travel. Italy is on my bucket list.

Advertisement

Q: Could you tell me one word that you think best describes District 25?

A: Today, with everything that has come across my desk, I would have to pick the word "caring."

Shout Out is a weekly feature in which we introduce our readers to their fellow community members and local visitors throughout suburban Chicago.

kcullotta@tribpub.com

Twitter @kcullotta
The band Centerfold will take stage 7:30 p.m. June 29 at McCullough Park as part of the Fox Valley Park Districtas Free Concerts in the Park series. - Original Credit: Handout (Fox Valley Park District / HANDOUT)

Grab a blanket and pack a picnic basket  summer concerts are back.

In collaboration with the Village of Montgomery, the Fox Valley Park District will again offer its Free Concerts in the Park series this summer, kicking off 7:30 p.m. June 9, with five other Thursday evening concerts to follow.

Advertisement

"Free Concerts in the Park have been happening for more than 30 years, dating back to the early-mid 1980s," said Debbie Smith, community outreach manager for the Fox Valley Park District. "The shows will all be held on Thursday nights, which has traditionally worked out well so we're not competing so much with weekend activities."

Smith says these free performances are a great way for the park district to give back to the community as well as a fun opportunity for residents to enjoy their parks. The concerts take place at either Montgomery Park at River and Mill Streets in Montgomery or McCullough Park, 150 W. Illinois Ave. in Aurora.

Advertisement

"We seek out a variety of bands to cover various genres of music," Smith said.

Bands range from classic rock and rockabilly to country and pop. By featuring at least four new bands every year, organizers hope to keep things from getting stale.

Here is the concert lineup:

June 8: 3 AM at Montgomery Park

June 15: The StingRays at McCullough Park

June 22: Cowboy Jukebox at Montgomery Park

June 29: Centerfold at McCullough Park

July 13: Mason Rivers at Montgomery Park

Advertisement

July 27: Aurora American Legion Band at McCullough Park

"This year is the same variety with 3 AM playing melodic rock hits from the '90s to present, Centerfold (back by popular demand) that plays classic hits to contemporary  these bands appeal to generations," Smith said. "Then we add in The StingRays that bring rockabilly to the stage from '50s, '60s and '70s and throw in Mason Rivers for some awesome diversity with their mix of rock and country with both male and female vocal leads."

Attendance averages about 250 per concert, often attracting a multigenerational audience, from kids to grandparents.

"Certain groups of fans like certain types of music, which is why we always feature country/rock bands in Montgomery, very popular in that town," Smith said. "Most importantly, we want bands that appeal to all ages."

Bring your own lawn chairs, blankets or any other concert-going comforts. Coolers and refreshments are allowed, but alcohol is not.

Jen Banowetz is a freelance writer for The Beacon-News.

Advertisement

Fox Valley Park District's Free Concerts in the Park

When: 7:30 p.m. June 8, June 15, June 22, June 29, July 13 and July 27

Where: Montgomery Park at River and Mill Streets in Montgomery or McCullough Park, 150 W. Illinois Ave. in Aurora

Tickets: Free
Author and Ask Amy columnist Amy Dickinson will give a talk at the Batavia Public Library. (Dede Hatch/HANDOUT )

Amy Dickinson, the advice columnist who writes the popular "Ask Amy" column, will keynote an event May 25 at the Batavia Public Library.

Dickinson will speak at noon at the Batavia Public Library's Books Between Bites event.

Advertisement

Dickinson wrote the New York Times bestselling memoir "The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Story of Surprising Second Chances," which chronicles her experiences as a single mother.

She also writes the syndicated advice column "Ask Amy," which is published in over 150 newspapers and read by an estimated 22 million readers daily. Her latest book, "Strangers Tend to Tell Me Things," and others will be available for sale and signing at the program.

Advertisement

Dickinson is also a frequent panelist on National Public Radio's comedy quiz show "Wait WaitDon't Tell Me!"

Books Between Bites is held in the Founders Room located on the main level of the library, 10 S. Batavia Ave. The series is presented on the third Thursday from September through May.

The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, call 630-482-9157 or go to booksbetweenbites.com.

Joy Davis is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News
A 23-year-old Chicago man has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder in the January shooting of a cab driver in Aurora, court records show.

In addition to the attempted murder counts, Deonta Nabors also denied several other charges including aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated discharge of a firearm, attempted robbery and possession of a weapon by a felon. He remains held in Kane County Jail on $2 million bail with a June 15 court date scheduled.

Advertisement

According to authorities and court records, Nabors was on parole on Jan. 10 when a taxi picked him up at a gas station near North Avenue and Broadway in Aurora and drove him to the 400 block of Grant Street. Once there, Nabors demanded money from the 49-year-old driver and then shot him in the chest before fleeing the cab, police said.

The driver was taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Advertisement

Several hours later, an Aurora police officer made a traffic stop on a vehicle in which the passenger, Nabors, resembled the suspect description from the taxi shooting, police said, adding Nabors gave different names and birth dates to the officer multiple times before providing his actual information.

Nabors was paroled by the Illinois Department of Corrections in November on an escape conviction relating to electronic-home monitoring in Cook County, records show. He also faces an unrelated aggravated battery charge alleging he spit on a correctional officer in April, court documents state.

Dan Campana is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News
Michelle Meyer, executive director of Mutual Ground, said the state needs to live up to its commitments to social service agencies. ( Linda Girardi/The Beacon-News )

While elected folks in Springfield continue their dysfunctional ways, not to mention dereliction of duty, thank goodness for those who really do care.

When it comes to our most vulnerable citizens, social service agencies are busting their butts  and records  to keep their doors open.

Advertisement

CASA Kane County, for example, raised more than $500,000  we're talking half a million in one night  at its annual gala held in March. According to Executive Director Gloria Bunce, the event shattered previous records, selling out to 850 guests as early as five weeks prior to the evening.

Hesed House, the homeless shelter in Aurora, also saw eye-popping numbers at its Sixth Annual Derby Party in May, where $300,000 was raised in one night, a significant jump over last year's $200,000.

Advertisement

"The purses really opened wide," said Hesed House Executive Director Ryan Dowd.

The same can be said at Little Friends in Naperville, where its 41st Annual Benefit Auction brought in $300,000, up a third from last year's $200,000, which had doubled the amount made in 2015.

Likewise, at Mutual Ground in Aurora and Community Crisis Center in Elgin, spring fundraisers brought in record-breaking totals of $100,000 for each of these domestic violence shelters.

Officials say a more robust economy likely has something to do with the impressive figures. Those who donate regularly tend to be a little more generous when the stock market is doing well, noted Dowd. But agency leaders also attribute this success to simply doing a better job of getting their stories out to the public.

Renee Miklosik, assistant vice president of development and external relations for Little Friends, gives high-fives to the "core group of supporters" who have "become our best cheerleaders" when it comes to letting the already generous Naperville community know how much this autism center impacts lives.

"When they hear those stories," she said, "they forget the budget they brought to the event."

Bunce expressed similar sentiments, crediting board and committee members, as well as hundreds of volunteers, with spreading the word about CASA's program that benefits more than 600 abused and neglected kids in Kane County.

It's about "cultivating relationship and good stewardship," noted Bunce, who took over CASA Kane County a decade ago when the organization, she said, was in the red and its first fundraiser had only 85 people in attendance.

Advertisement

And yes, officials concur, people are likely more generous because they too are frustrated with dead-beat Springfield. And while Miklosik said Little Friends does not like to even mention the state budget in its fund raising attempts, ignoring what's going on is simply not possible for groups like Mutual Ground and Community Crisis Center, which are contracted by the state and depends on the state to honor that contract.

Michelle Meyer, executive director of Mutual Ground, and Gretchen Vapnar, executive director of Community Crisis Center, had both just returned from Springfield when I talked to them on Friday, and I could hear nothing but frustration and weariness in their voices.

Also downright anger.

Fund raising has always been an integral part of their budgets, and even if donations are up, that should not let the state off the hook, they both insisted. Nor does the money raised even begin to make up for what the state owes.

Meyer was deeply disappointed she did not get to meet with more legislators about the $500,000 debt the state will owe Mutual Ground next month, which ends fiscal year 2017, a shortfall that has forced dramatic staff layoffs as well as cuts in programs and services.

What hurts the most, said Meyer, is turning away clients  seven adults and 11 children in a 12-day period alone.

Advertisement

"We are bailing out the state," she said. "This is not a game. People are dying, families are being ripped apart. The state has an obligation."

Earlier in the week, the Senate once again failed to pass a bill that would have given full funding to domestic violence services, noted Vapnar. What's even more frustrating, she added, the vote had less support this time around than when it was presented earlier in the year.

"It's not fair to the people of Illinois who pay their taxes, expecting some of that money to go toward domestic violence, mental health, disabilities and addiction treatment," said Vapnar. "We are very fortunate when people support us. But they did not give us that money to bail out the state, and it becomes increasingly difficult to go back to the same people to ask for more money."

For Meyer, the issue has become so emotional, "I have even cried in front of legislators."

Vapnar, who has been in the trenches for over 40 years, wondered aloud if anyone in Springfield even cares. On Monday she must go before her board with budget recommendations for next year.

"But I am sitting here on Friday afternoon and I don't know what to say," she told me.

Advertisement

"Do I ask to cut staff? Give forced furloughs?" she asked. "I have always been proud of this state  they have been pioneers in their understanding of domestic violence. I don't know what happened."

And while these social service agencies continue to work hard to live up to their contracts, noted Vapnar, "it's not worth the paper it is printed on."

DCrosby@tribpub.com
Questioning authority and protesting  that's a sign of the times. But "the times" is the late 1960s in the epic rock musical, "Hair," coming to Metropolis Performing Arts Centre under Lauren Rawitz's direction. The 1968 Broadway musical is by Gerome Ragni and James Rado (book and lyrics), and Galt MacDermot (music).

Buffalo Grove resident Rawitz admitted that she was initially scared when she was given this directing assignment. "It's such an important piece and an iconic piece," she said. "I want to feel like I've covered the truth behind it and, at the same time, honor the history of the play."

Advertisement

To familiarize her young cast with the Vietnam War protests and the hippie culture, Rawitz relied on dramaturg Linda Scheufler, who assembled hundreds of pages of research. "We also brought in a helicopter pilot from the Vietnam War who spoke to us at length about what it was like to be there," Rawitz said.

Three Buffalo Grove actors are in the show, playing members of what's called the Tribe.

Advertisement

Leah Davis, a fan of the musical, plays Jeanie. "She is a fun-loving, people-pleasing activist," Davis said. "She's pregnant with the Tribe's baby. She's in love with the main character Claude (played by Jonathan Stombres)." Jeanie wishes the baby was Claude's  but it isn't.

"She is very smart," Davis said of her character. "I'm having a really good time getting to know her."

Alex Levy, a senior at Illinois State University, who plays Berger, said that "Hair" is one of his "favorite shows of all time. Since I was eight years old, I've wanted to be a part of it." Levy was particularly excited to join the Metropolis cast because he has been taking classes there since he was a child.

The actor said that his character, "does what he wants. He's free-spirited. He takes drugs and he has sex but he's also a political activist. He's the leader of the Tribe so the Tribe kind of looks up to him. He helps lead the protests so he's very active, but he also knows how to have a good time."

"It's an important show. It's also a really fun show to do," said Abby Vombrack who plays Sheila. "Sheila's a second semester student at NYU and she's a protestor. A lot of Sheila's core comes down to love, her philosophy, her energy, her vigor. But what I've been so moved by playing this part is the duality of this character and the way we have multiple sides."

Vombrack added that people sometimes leave the theater thinking, "'Let the Sunshine In' and Flower Power and stereotypes of the '60s. But, in doing this show I've been reminded of the ferocity and the intensity of the time, especially the young people we're portraying."

The show is filled with such cheerful tunes as "Age of Aquarius," "Good Morning Starshine" and "Let the Sun Shine In," but Rawitz agreed, "It's important that we're always remembering the backdrop of the Vietnam War and the young people fighting other people's battles. This is a play about protest, raising our voices, speaking up and fighting for what you believe in."

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre presents 'Hair'

Advertisement

When: previews May 18-21; regular run May 24-July 1

Where: 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights

Tickets: $38; $30 previews

Information: (847) 577-2121; www.metropolisarts.com
Mudgeon Quinn and her family were hoping to reopen Quinn's Coffee House, but scrapped plans to do so. (Chuck Fieldman / Pioneer Press)

The resurrection of Quinn's Coffee House in downtown Clarendon Hills is dead.

The family business that operated for 30 years at 2 S. Prospect Ave. closed Dec. 31, 2016, but had large signs of a rebirth when Peggy Quinn agreed to pay for a remodeling of the storefront and allow her children, Mudgeon and Patrick Quinn, to start the family business back up.

Advertisement

But the decision has been made to not continue with the remodeling and reopening.

"I'm really sad; I'm heartbroken," Mudgeon Quinn said. "I just feel so sad about it, and I have to drive by it everyday."

Advertisement

Quinn said the reality of what it would cost to finish the remodeling and bring the building up to village codes for electric and plumbing caused reopening plans to come to a screeching halt.

"We got an estimate for everything, and it's double what we expected," she said. "We expected it would cost $40,000 to $50,000, but it would have been over $80,000. It would have been $40,000 just to get the building up to code now. And the timing wasn't good, either. We wouldn't have been ready to open again until mid-summer, and that's when a lot of people are away on vacations."

Dan Ungerleider, Clarendon Hills' community development director, said an eye doctor expressed interest in the space, but that possibility never came to fruition.

"The landlord is looking for someone to take over the space," Ungerleider said. "I have to give the Quinns credit for keeping a family business open for as long as they did. That is pretty unusual."

Mudgeon Quinn said several local people inquired about helping to bring the business back after is closed at the end of 2016.

"People were willing to help, financially, but my mom wasn't comfortable with that idea," she said. "There was even talk of a GoFundMe campaign to raise money."

After Peggy Quinn agreed to fund the remodeling, plans were made for changes at Quinn's Coffee House.

Those changes included a new counter that has spots for three bar stools for customers, a new floor, painting of the walls, ceiling and bathroom, and new equipment, including an espresso maker.

Advertisement

Mudgeon Quinn also said she was planning to offer a new menu with more coffee drinks and bakery goods, along with breakfast sandwiches and lunches of sandwiches, soups, chili, and possibly Panini.

"We were really excited about coming back with some new things, while still keeping the atmosphere we had before, which everyone seemed to like," Quinn said.

"I'm glad we tried, but it just didn't work out."

cfieldman@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @chuckwriting
Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that some "patriotic" individuals may have engaged in hacking in the U.S. election, but continues to deny government involvement. After President Barack Obama announced sanctions on Russian spy agencies and expelled 35 diplomats, Putin declined to immediately retaliate , drawing praise from President-elect Donald Trump. On Jan. 17, 2017, Putin took a parting shot at the Obama administration, accusing it of trying to undermine Trump's election and calling a dossier alleging Russian spy agencies collected compromising material on Trump as "nonsense." After a report that Trump revealed classified information in a May 10 meeting with Russian diplomats, Putin offered to turn over to Congress records of the discussion. In a June 2017 interview with NBC's Megyn Kelly, Putin dismissed as "a load of nonsense" that Russia has damaging information on Trump. After 13 Russians were indicted by the United States in February 2018 for election-meddling, Putin insisted they didn't act on behalf of his government. Putin won re-election as Russian president on March 18, 2018, and received a phone call from Trump , congratulating him on the victory. (Anatoly Maltsev / AP)

Whew, what a week.

It was the sort of chaotic week that seemed to test the limits of heart patients like myself. Each day featured a new bombshell revelation, historic development or other notable event.

Advertisement

I've learned ways to better cope with stress in the three years since a near-fatal heart attack. One way is to take a deep breath, step back and try to put things in perspective.

I realize that for a newspaper columnist, that's a boring response compared to the tribal, partisan rantings that have become so popular. I feel like the Lou Mannheim character played by Hal Holbrook in the 1987 movie "Wall Street." He's a calm, measured guy who, in a famous scene, shares wisdom with the brash Bud Fox character played by Charlie Sheen.

Advertisement

"Man looks in the abyss. There's nothing staring back at him," Holbrook's character says. "At that moment man finds his character, and that is what keeps him out of the abyss."

At a time like this, I keep out of the abyss by sticking to the pursuit of truth and justice.

It might sound corny to some. Throw in "the American way" and you've got a tagline used to describe Superman. But in all seriousness, I find looking at current events through the prism of truth and justice helps provide perspective.

I try to avoid reacting to the news with too much emotion. There's plenty of that to go around. Whether you lean to the right or left, you can find interpretations that match your views. I understand the desire to seek comfort in friendly voices during times of great turmoil.

I don't see the point in trying to shout over the din by making outrageous statements that would get attention but do nothing to improve the situation. I could push buttons with the best of them. I know how to write and say things that seem to serve no other purpose than to get a rise out of people.

In online lingo it's called trolling. It's characterized by using insults to provoke an inflammatory response. I think it's stupid. I prefer civilized discourse to name-calling.

The past week may have been the biggest test yet of Donald Trump's presidency. On Monday, the Washington Post reported Trump disclosed highly classified intelligence to Russian officials during a meeting in the Oval Office.

On Tuesday, the New York Times revealed the existence of a memo authored by former FBI director James Comey that alleged Trump asked him to end the investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, raising questions about possible obstruction of justice.

Advertisement

On Wednesday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI director Robert Mueller to oversee the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.

On Thursday, Roger Ailes died. He built Fox News into a highly profitable media juggernaut before he was forced to resign amid sexual harassment allegations. Critics say he helped create today's polarized political climate that prizes passionate rhetoric and party loyalty above truth and integrity.

Then on Friday, Trump began his first foreign visit as president amid the chaotic developments of the week.

If Trump is the man staring into the abyss, this moment could define his character.

I think his supporters hope to see more of the man they elected. They want a leader who will fight for forgotten Americans, protect jobs, grow the economy, reduce the costs of government and lower taxes.

That's what he promised. I think he won because there was a ring of truth in what he said about making America great again. His criticism of Hillary Clinton was valid. His words resonated when he said people didn't want a president who would constantly be investigated for possible wrongdoing.

Advertisement

As he faced damaging revelations and mounting criticism this past week, Trump responded during a commencement address Wednesday at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

"No politician in history  and I say this with great surety  has been treated worse or more unfairly," Trump said.

To me, it sounded like a man in a character-defining moment faced the abyss  and he whined.

Everyone faces adversity. It's how you respond that determines your character.

I have faith that leaders in Congress will get to the truth about Russian interference in elections in the United States and elsewhere. I trust that if there is evidence of wrongdoing investigators will find it and justice will be served.

It will take time. I'm bracing myself for more explosive revelations. I cheer the work of journalists pursuing the truth.

Advertisement

I believe people of integrity will emerge to lead our government. I agree with the view that Republicans in Congress will eventually turn on Trump when they realize he's more of a political liability than a help to their chances in the 2018 elections.

Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, for example, on Wednesday praised the appointment of Mueller as special counsel.

"The American people deserve answers, transparency, and most importantly, the truth," Kinzinger said in a statement. "This special counsel appointment is a step in the right direction on getting answers on the many questions we have with Russian meddling in our election and our democracy."

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Trump, in my view, has shown little regard for the truth thus far in his administration. On the first full day of his presidency, he sent surrogate Sean Spicer out to tell reporters Trump's inauguration saw the biggest crowds in history, a blatant and easily disprovable lie.

There are myriad examples of "alternate facts" in the words of Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway. Trump often uses the term "fake news" to describe negative press about him, suggesting most media are in kahoots with "deep-state" leakers to undermine the legitimacy of his presidency.

Years from now, I imagine historians will look back at this moment in American politics through the lens of time and conclude that a movement built upon lies cannot succeed in a society that values freedom of the press.

Advertisement

Until then, I expect a lot more name-calling and partisan defending of bad behavior. I'll do my best to respond in calm, measured tones. Because that line uttered by Hal Holbrook's character in "Wall Street" is based on something written by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.

"Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you," Nietzsche wrote.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 20 44th president, former U.S. senator from Illinois, Democratic Party. (Getty Images)

mailto:tslowik@tronc.com

Twitter @tedslowik
New furniture for teachers and students at Burlington Central High School is part of the plan when Phases One and Two of the high school's build-out are completed.

Bids for the furniture were unanimously approved recently by the Central Community Unit School District 301 board.

Advertisement

When teachers were asked what they would put on wish lists for their classrooms, "ninety-nine percent of the teachers said they would like new desks," according to Kerri McCastland, Burlington Central High School assistant principal for building and operations.

"Bid packages for the Central High School classroom furniture were shared with nine companies," McCastland said. "Five companies responded with a bid package. School Specialty (in Wisconsin) gave us the lowest responsible bid on the teacher desk and chair that we requested in bid specifications. BOS (Roselle) bid an alternate student desk and student chair that provided more features and options for student usage and instructional methods."

Advertisement

McCastland said the reverse cantilever student chairs have lumbar support and the ability to rock back gently without tipping the chair. The base design and lightweight materials allow the chair to be safely placed atop the table for easier floor cleaning.

The conjunction table on the desk is uniquely shaped and can be grouped into bigger shapes for collaborative work/interaction in the classroom.

Denise Moran is a freelance reporter for the Courier-News.
Demolition of the old school house on Main Street in Huntley began Thursday, despite an eleventh hour plea to preserve the 142-year-old structure by Geri Rizzo of the Huntley Historic Preservation Commission at last week's board meeting. ( Jeanie Mayer/The Courier-News )

Demolition of the old school house on Main Street in Huntley began Thursday, despite an eleventh-hour plea to preserve the 142-year-old structure.

Geri Rizzo, of the Huntley Historic Preservation Commission, asked the village board at last week's meeting to save the old schoolhouse building from the planned demolition.

Advertisement

Rizzo said Joseph Mulvey, the architect who designed the building, is recognized for his work in designing the Grand Army of the Republic Hall in Aurora, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Rizzo appealed to the village to consider purchasing the building from the owners, the First Congregational Church.

Advertisement

"If the village would purchase the building, I would be willing to start up a foundation and raise money to reimburse the village," Rizzo said.

Village President Charles Sass thanked Rizzo for her work on the Huntley Historic Preservation Commission and for her interest in the building. No board action was taken regarding the building at the meeting.

Jeanie Mayer is a freelance reporter for the Courier-News.
Rep. Randy Hultgren, R-Plano, praised the choice for special counsel to investigate Russias role in U.S. Elections. ( Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP )

Area congressmen praised the appointment of a special counsel to investigate connections between Russia and President Donald Trump's campaign, though Republicans and Democrats differed on their reasons.

"It's clearly been tumultuous week," said U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Wheaton, referring to the Justice Department's appointment of former FBI Director Robert Mueller to lead a federal investigation.

Advertisement

He praised the choice. The issue, however, has been a distraction, Roskam said, and has prevented Congress from focusing on what more important, such as reforming the broken tax code.

"My constituents want those issues dealt with," Roskam, whose district includes portions of Elgin and Naperville, said during a Friday phone interview.

Advertisement

U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, had called for appointment of a special prosecutor right after Trump fired James Comey, who had been investigating Russia's role in U.S. elections as FBI director.

"Our democracy only functions as the Founding Fathers envisioned when its leaders, including the President of the United States, operate with full accountability and transparency in the interests of the United States and her citizens," Foster said in a prepared statement.

Democratic U.S. Rep Raja Krishnamoorthi, of Hoffman Estates, meanwhile, said the special counsel appointment is only one step that needs to be taken in the probe of Russian involvement in the election.

"I still firmly believe in the need for a 9/11-style commission on Russian interference," Krishnamoorthi said in a prepared statement. "While Mr. Mueller will be independently pursuing criminal investigations, there is a need for broader fact-finding in areas where the letter of the law may not have been violated, but important questions of national security still lie in the balance and must be addressed for the safety and security of the American people."

Republican Congressman Randy Hultgren, of Plano, praised the appointment of Mueller, calling him a "welcome addition." Roskam called him a "person of integrity" and said the appointment will go a long way to build back confidence.

"We all just want the facts to come out," Hultgren said in a prepared statement.

Local Republican Party leaders agreed, noting that nothing has been confirmed or denied without an investigation.

Kane County Board Member Kurt Kojzarek called much of what has been reported at this point speculation by the media and others.

Advertisement

"We all have to wait to see what the FBI and the special prosecutor find," said Kojzarek, a Republican. "I guess it's all a little premature to talk about until all the facts are in."

Kane County Republican Party chairman Tom Hartwell, however, said he doesn't believe there has been collusion, noting that one well-known Democrat said she had not yet seen evidence, a story that had picked up traction in conservative publications.

"If a Democrat says there is no evidence, then there is no evidence," said Hartwell, who is Kane County Circuit Clerk.

Jeff Meyer, the vice chairman of the Elgin Township Republican Central Committee and an Elgin Community College trustee, said he believes the FBI could have handled it without burdening taxpayers with an expensive special investigation.

"All I would like to see is what the investigation uncovers, stop the speculating and we get the facts," Kojzarek said.

The three Kane County Republican leaders said they support the President and his administration, and they would prefer that Congress focus on the tax code, immigration and balanced budgets.

Advertisement

"This is what we want government to focus its attention on," said Meyer.

raguerrero@tribpub.com

subaker@tribpub.com
School District U46 has opted out of a new state program that requires some schools to provide late breakfast for students that do not arrive to school on time.

Although students might arrive late to school due to busing issues, the School Board unanimously voted to not participate in this program. According to U46 Chief Operating Officer Jeff King the cost of this program would be nearly $300,000 annually.

Advertisement

The state's breakfast after the bell mandate necessitates that schools have low-income students to be served breakfast not just before school, but after the morning bell rings to start the school day. The program will start in the 2017-18 school year.

King said at the public hearing that when the district enacted a pilot program to serve breakfast after the bell a few years ago, teachers and students lost approximately 10 to 15 minutes of instruction time.

Advertisement

Deborah Moyers a high school math teacher feels, "it is not fair to punish students for late buses for which they have no control over."

"The district should consider how we can keep all kids fed," school board student representative Eric Loera said.

"Do we have hungry kids sitting in the classrooms?" Board Member Traci O'Neal Ellis asked.

Although local school districts have signs up urging the state to pass a budget, Illinois still does not have a budget in place.

District U46 CEO Tony Sanders has concerns over the lack of a state budget. Non-essential spending must be set aside, he said.

School districts cannot be expected provide extra programming, such as serving breakfast to children that arrive tardy to school. When the state puts together a budget and finds a way to equitably distribute tax dollars to all school districts within the state, school districts can provide students with some extras.

This is another example of a decision being made because Illinois still does not have a state budget in place. The U46 board felt that fiscal responsibility is more important than feeding students that arrive late to school.

When appropriate and fair funding of Illinois schools is put in place, students will have the option of eating after the bell rings.

Advertisement

Linda McDaniel-Hale is a Fox Valley resident who offers opinion on local topics.
A former Evanston public works director is suing the city and several city officials for what the lawsuit alleges was "discrimination on the basis of race, harassment and [a] racially hostile work environment, and for retaliation."

However, Evanston's city manager, who was named as one of the defendants in the suit, said Suzette Robinson's race played no part in the decision to eliminate her job.

Advertisement

"I deny Ms. Robinson's claims in this lawsuit that race or retaliation had any role in my decision-making," said Evanston City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz.

In the complaint, filed May 27, 2016, in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Robinson asks for $75,000 in compensation, plus attorney's fees and punitive damages. She names Bobkiewicz, the City of Evanston, city attorney W. Grant Farrar and human resources manager Jennifer Lin as defendants.

Advertisement

According to the lawsuit, Robinson was public works director for Evanston from March 2010 until August 2015. The suit said that she was one of "three African-American employees at the department director level reporting directly to Bobkiewicz."

The complaint reads that Robinson's position was eliminated, "effective immediately," in August 2015 after Bobkiewicz stated "that the city planned to combine public works and utilities into one department named the public works agency."

But the lawsuit says the City Council did not approve the "proposed reorganization" until September 2015.

Robinson alleges that Bobkiewicz "discriminated against her on the basis of race" and "retaliated against her" "for filing complaints about racial discrimination," according to court documents.

Robinson's attorney, Cynthia Hyndman, declined to comment on the lawsuit.

"It's our policy not to comment on pending litigation," Hyndman said.

A call placed to Robinson was not returned.

Lin and Farrar declined to comment on the allegations.

Advertisement

Bobkiewicz's emailed response came as he was named a finalist for a city manager position in Tacoma, Wash. He interviewed for the job last week but has seen withdrawn from being considered, he said.

In her lawsuit, Robinson alleges that Bobkiewicz began "a campaign of harassment and retaliation" after Robinson "expressed her concern about Bobkiewicz's treatment of the city's African-American community and employees."

Specifically, the complaint alleges that Bobkiewicz "made several derogatory comments about the city's black elected officials."

Further, she alleges he told Robinson that other staff members said "she had received her job only as a result of affirmative action and that she was not qualified."

The suit states the city manager "told Robinson that she was of no value to the City Council," among other complaints.

Bobkiewicz declined to comment further on the specific allegations raised in the complaint.

Advertisement

In January, Judge Sara Ellis, with the United States District Court Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, denied Bobkiewicz's motions to dismiss two of the counts in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also details previous allegations of discrimination against Bobkiewicz and includes reports of a written reprimand he received from then-Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl after Robinson filed a Healthy Work Environment Complaint against Bobkiewicz in 2014.

gbookwalter@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @GenevieveBook
Josh Soldin of Winnetka makes a donation to the Special Olympics on May 19, 2017, during the "Cop on a Rooftop" fundraiser at Dunkin' Donuts as Glencoe Public Safety Officer David Veit looks on. (Daniel I. Dorfman / Pioneer Press)

Glencoe Public Safety Department personnel participated in the "Cop on a Rooftop" fundraiser for Special Olympics Illinois on Friday.

Public safety officers and their vehicles appeared at the Dunkin' Donuts at 81 Green Bay Road where, depending on the size of their donation to the Special Olympics, individuals could receive a coupon for a free donut, a T-shirt or a coffee mug, according to Lt. Matt Esposito of Glencoe's Public Safety Department.

Advertisement

"We want to raise money for the athletes so they can participate in sports," Esposito said.

While they did not stand on the rooftop of the building for safety reasons, Esposito said some officers stood on top of a firetruck parked in the lot.

Advertisement

Esposito said between 10 and 15 officers, including some from Winnetka, came by between 5 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the event concluded.

Similar efforts were slated throughout the state, according to the Special Olympics website.

Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
A Beach Park man stands accused of possessing and intending to distribute more than a kilogram of cocaine and 156 grams of crack cocaine, according to a federal complaint filed Wednesday.

Allen Lymon, 42, also known as "Lil' Man," was charged with two counts of knowingly and intentionally possessing with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, said Special Agent Garrett H. Croon, media coordinator in the FBI's Chicago office, in an email. He was arrested Tuesday, appeared in federal court Wednesday and was ordered held until a detention hearing next week, Croon said.

Advertisement

Lymon had been under investigation by the FBI's Safe Streets North Task Force and the Lake County Sheriff's Gang Task Force, according to the complaint.

Intercepted wire and electronic communications authorized by U.S. Chief Judge Ruben Castillo of the Northern District of Illinois confirmed Lymon used his phone to "conduct narcotics trafficking activities," according to the complaint, which added that officials then obtained a warrant to search Lymon's Beach Park residence and two units at a nearby public storage facility.

Advertisement

Federal and Lake County officials on Tuesday recovered approximately 1,300 grams  1.3 kilograms  of a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine at the Beach Park public storage facility Lymon used, along with "a large amount" of U.S. currency, the complaint said.

Law enforcement agents also recovered about 156 grams of a white, rocky substance believed to be crack cocaine in the detached garage at Lymon's Beach Park residence, according to the complaint. They also seized four firearms  an AR-15 assault rifle and three loaded handguns  in the master bedroom, the complaint added.

After he was arrested, Lymon acknowledged in a videotaped interview with law enforcement agents that he sold drugs but would not reveal his supplier, according to the complaint. The complaint said Lymon said something to the effect of, "I won't snitch, I'll just do my time like a man."

Lake County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Christopher Covelli said the county's gang task force, which includes participation from the FBI, developed information on the suspect.

"It was a long-term investigation, and because of the amount of drugs and weapons, he was charged on federal statutes and not state law," Covelli said.

News-Sun reporter Frank S. Abderholden contributed.

lhammill@tribpub.com

Twitter @lucashammill
2016 "Mario, Make Me a Model" competition semifinalists from left: Lauren Hough of Barrington, Trevor Cielenski of Lockport, Maggie Krebs of Long Grove, Stephanie Turzinski of Winfield, with competition founder Mario Tricoci, Brianne Espinoza of Chicago, Jordan Jones of Aurora and Frederick Van Damme of Chicago. (Mario Tricoci Hair Salons)

'Mario Make Me a Model 2017,' the 9th annual program for young people seeking careers in modeling, begins with three open calls in the Chicago area on June 5-6.

The calls kick off at 4 p.m. Monday June 5, at Mario Tricoci, 900 N. Michigan Ave., Lower Level. Two more will be Tuesday, June 6: one at noon at Mario Tricoci Oak Brook, another at 6 p.m. at Mario Tricoci Schaumburg.

Advertisement

Last year's winner was Maggie Krebs of Long Grove, and Lauren Hough of Barrington was among the five finalists.

During the open calls, up to 50 contestants will be selected to move onto the quarter finals at the Wit Hotel ROOF on June 13, where they will walk an elevated runway in front of judges including representatives from Factor|Chosen Model Management, Fitness Formula Clubs, Matt Ferguson Photography and Mario Tricoci himself.

Advertisement

Seven semi-finalists will be announced at that event and will start training with Factor|Chosen Model Management and FFC. One week later, all seven will receive a professional makeover by the Mario Tricoci Hair Salon & Day Spa creative team before the field is further narrowed to five.

The remaining five finalists will be announced on July 23 and continue with training.

The winner will be announced Aug. 10 by Mario Tricoci at the end of a runway fashion show at the Geraghty, 2520 S. Hoyne Ave., Chicago. The show, featuring five emerging Chicago designers, will include the finalists among the professional models.

The competition winner receives prizes valued at $4,000, and all five finalists receive consideration for a modeling contract with Factor | Chosen.
Lincolnshire staff rarely have been used in legal work related to the legal challenges to the village's right-to-work ordinance, officials say (Pioneer Press file)

So far, village staff in Lincolnshire have not spent any local money and few man-hours on the ongoing legal challenge to the village's controversial right-to-work ordinance.

The work to conserve village resources amounts to a promise kept, according to some village officials, who said they were expecting lawsuits even before they passed the ordinance aimed at organized labor in 2015 and vowed then to limit local expenses related to the move as much as possible.

Advertisement

They went on to secure an agreement with the Liberty Justice Center, the legal arm of the Illinois Policy Institute, a Chicago-based conservative think tank, for pro bono legal representation. Labor unions ultimately filed two lawsuits  one in state court challenging procedural decisions before the final vote on the ordinance  and another in federal court challenging the legality of the ordinance.

In January, a federal judge struck down the right-to-work ordinance, ruling that federal law preempts the local ordinance, in a lawsuit filed by the International Union of Operating Engineers Locals 150 and 399, the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters, and the Laborers District Council of Chicago and Vicinity.

Advertisement

But village officials have said they plan to appeal the ruling.

Labor unions and Lincolnshire officials agreed to settle the lawsuit in state court but as part of the agreement, Liberty Justice Center covered the $10,000 paid to the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 and its individual plaintiffs.

So-called "right-to-work" legislation lets people work for a company in union-protected positions without having to join the union or pay the full share of union dues. In a zone designated right-to-work, non-union employees can get benefits negotiated with company management by a labor union.

As approved, the Lincolnshire ordinance does not apply to public-sector jobs like police service or firefighting.

Since legal challenges started, the Liberty Justice Center has never sent village staff any bills, said Village Manager Brad Burke. But in board meetings about a year ago, trustees discussed whether the village would have to cover ancillary expenses that would result from the lawsuits.

During one meeting last year, trustee Mara Grujanac said Burke and his staff likely would have to spend some work hours talking and meeting with representatives with the Liberty Justice Center, reviewing legal paperwork and other minor work.

She said at the time that she wanted an update on how many hours the staff spent on the cases  in any form. Burke recently delivered that update.

For all of 2016, he said, he spent about 16 hours on work related to the right-to-work lawsuits.

Advertisement

"There has not been any Village of Lincolnshire direct expenditure related to the right-to-work matter," Burke said. "There has been some limited Village staff time involved. This time has largely been my time in working with the Liberty Justice Center representatives and reviewing documents they prepared."

Grujanac recently said she has been satisfied with how staff time has been used with the ongoing legal challenges.

"It has not been a time-consumer for us at all," she said. "I'm very pleased about that."

Mayor Liz Brandt, who has championed the right-to-work ordinance, declined to comment about the village staff time because litigation related to the ordinance is pending, she said.

Since taking office, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has promoted right-to-work zones. Several other states that border Illinois  including Wisconsin  have passed similar legislation, and Rauner has asked Illinois municipalities to take up the cause within their own borders.

When Lincolnshire met to approve the ordinance in 2015, union members packed Lincolnshire Village Hall to protest the move.

Advertisement

Following the passage of the right-to-work ordinance in Lincolnshire, local labor unions also called on members to boycott non-union businesses in Lincolnshire and asked the public to do the same.

rwachter@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @RonnieAtPioneer
Paula Hawkins, a journalist turned author, described the process of writing a follow-up to her hugely successful "The Girl on the Train" as "frightening." Hawkins spoke to a crowd Friday at Christian Community Church's Yellow Box theater about her new work, "Into the Water." (David Sharos / Naperville Sun)

British novelist Paula Hawkins acknowledged that the prospect of following a blockbuster success was a daunting one.

"So many people read the last book, and I knew the next one was always going to be scrutinized and talked about. That's a frightening thing when you've written a new book," said Hawkins, author of hugely successful "The Girl on the Train." "I wrote the best book I thought I could at the time."

Advertisement

Speaking to a crowd of more than 125 at Community Christian Church's Yellow Box theater Friday night, Hawkins discussed "The Girl on the Train," which has sold more than 40 million copies and was made into a film starring Emily Blunt, as well as her new psychological thriller "Into the Water."

Hawkins was interviewed during the event by fellow author Mary Kubica, of Plainfield, who has penned several psychological thrillers herself, including "The Good Girl" and "Pretty Baby." The event was sponsored by Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, and included a book signing.

Advertisement

Hawkins said she started her career writing romantic comedies and financial help books before turning to thrillers, which she said better suited her own taste as a reader and writer. But that's not to say it was an easy process, she said, especially in terms of developing the characters and pacing the story.

"There were snags (in "The Girl on the Train") to be sure, but the main character I sort of had in my head," Hawkins said. "I'd also been thinking about that 'Rear Window' thing and sort of spotting something from your commute. I had these three points of view and time shifts and trying to get everything to fit together and keep the pace took several goes."

Regarding the film adaptation, Hawkins said it's important to treat the movie and novel as separate entities. Overall, she said, she's happy with the way the movie turned out.

"I think in the end they were pretty faithful to the book, but there were changes, most notably to the setting," she said. "It's somebody else's interpretation of your story and you have to accept that. Unless you're making the film yourself, it's going to be a different thing. They were faithful to the atmosphere of it, the darkness."

Hawkins said she likes to write in a small office she has in her London home and organizes her work at times based "on a word count per day." Writing the follow-up, she said, was much more difficult because, "I had so many other things going on."

"I was distracted and didn't have uninterrupted time to write," she said. "When I start, I tend to give myself a word count per day, but as the writing gets going, you find a rhythm. I keep a notebook by my bed in case I wake up with an idea, but ideas don't really come to me at night  they come to me in the bath."

The largely female audience Friday night talked about the compelling nature of Hawkins' break-through novel, and their anticipation for her newest work.

"I liked her last book, and read it in one day for a book group I'm with," Plainfield resident Nicki Strzelinski said. "I like psychological thrillers. ... I'd say it was one of my top three of all time."

Advertisement

Naperville's Mary Fazzi said meeting the author of a book you've read, "makes the experience of reading the book even more real."

"When you see the author, you realize this was not just a name but a real person who wrote something, and then it all means more to you," Fazzi said.

Melissa Maffiola, of Palatine, said she found Hawkins' novel "through word of mouth" and was impressed by her writing style.

"I like suspense novels, and after seeing the movie, I did like the book better, which is what many people say," Maffiola said.

Despite her success, Hawkins admitted, "I haven't necessarily been comfortable in the limelight."

"Most of what has happened to me has been positive but given what's happened, one feels a bit exposed and vulnerable because suddenly everyone is talking about you and I'm not used to being on that side of things," she said. "I was a journalist, and I'm quite an introverted person generally and not used to being the center of attention."

Advertisement

David Sharos is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
(Source: VNA)



On January 7th, the Australian Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources announced the suspension of prawn and uncooked shelled shrimp imports from Asian nations in fear of white spot disease outbreaks in Australia. The ban took effect on January 9th and will last for six months.

The MoIT has raised the issue at all bilateral meetings with the Australian side after the issue of the ban, expressing Vietnams concerns and asking Australia to consider removing the ban or replacing it with other measures with less negative impacts.

Minister of Trade Tran Tuan Anh sent a public letter to the Minister of Trade, Tourism and Investment and the Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources in February of Australia on the matter in February.

According to the MoIT, the Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources and the Minister of Trade, Tourism and Investment of Australia sent their replies on March 8 and April 30th, respectively, explaining that the ban was based on regulations of biosecurity.

They added that the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources is working on the matter, including reviewing import conditions for products targeted by the ban, in order to make necessary decisions for the resumption of safe trading activities of shrimp products soon.

The Australian ministers affirmed that Australia attaches importance to bilateral trade with Vietnam, including trading in agricultural products. They said Australia is willing to cooperate with Vietnam to review risk assessment measures./.
A scene from the movie, A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy with Ford Prefect (Mos Def, left) and Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman) playing stowaways on a spaceship. Note that Dent is clutching his towel with his life, something that might be a good idea on Towel Day, columnist Bill Mego says. (Laurie Sparham / Touchstone Pictures)

Naperville enjoys being the best town for this or that, and simply loves being the first town to do something. Well, I think I've identified something else we can be the first to do. I don't think there's any other town in Illinois that celebrates Towel Day, which is May 25.

So, what's that? Towel Day started as a tribute to the life and works of writer and satirist Douglas Adams, who wrote several books, most notably "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." The Hitchhiker books, which are a "trilogy" in five volumes, have sold many millions of copies worldwide, and have been translated into just about every medium imaginable.

Advertisement

So, why towels? Well, according to the "Hitchhiker's Guide," "A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value. ... More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-hitchhiker) discovers that a hitchhiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume ... that he is clearly a man to be reckoned with."

In other words, anyone who knows where his towel is has his life in order, which is something most of us would like to be able to say. By custom, the Towel Day towels that people carry around that day have the words, "Don't Panic," written on them. Those are the words printed on the cover of the Guide.

Advertisement

If you think Towel Day is just something celebrated by a couple of nerds in a London basement, you should visit towelday.org The first thing you will notice is a partial list of what is proposed for this year. If you click on the "last year" link on the bottom of the page, you will find Towel Day is celebrated in just about every country in the world. But not yet in Naperville.

Naperville Sun Twice-weekly News updates from the Naperville area delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

"The Hitchhiker's Guide" is an amalgam of humor and political satire. The idea for it came to Adams, as he was drunkenly stargazing in a field in Innsbruck, Austria, in 1971, according to several accounts, including one in The Guardian newspaper. He was hitchhiking from London to Istanbul with a stolen copy of Ken Welsh's 'Hitch-hiker's Guide to Europe."

Adams later wrote, "I got frantically depressed in Innsbruck. ... When the stars came out, I thought that someone ought to write a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy because it looked a lot more attractive out there than it did around me."

Adams, who was born in Cambridge, England, and who died after exercising in southern California, loved taking baths, but often wasn't organized enough to keep track of his towel. A notorious procrastinator, he once said. "I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they go by."

His books are loaded with clever social and political satire, and descriptions of fanciful devices, like Peril Sensitive Sunglasses, which turn completely opaque at the first sign of danger. This prevents you from seeing anything that might upset you because what you can't see can't hurt you.

You can get a feeling for Adams' gentle humor if you watch the TED talk he gave on endangered species (he was an ardent environmentalist). You can find it on You Tube, along with many other Adams videos. The second Hitchhiker book is, "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe." After that comes "Life, the Universe and Everything, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish, and Mostly Harmless."

I don't know if Naperville could ever loosen up enough to celebrate Towel Day. We take ourselves pretty seriously. But it would be great if at least, on May 25, our restaurants would give a free Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster to anyone who walked in with a towel. After watching the news these days, which seems reminiscent of Vogon poetry, we sure could use one.

bill.mego@sbcglobal.net
From left to right: U.S. Rep.Danny Davis, Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin and 20th Ward Committeeman Kevin Bailey were at a news conference Saturday at Austin Town Hall, 5610 W. Lake St. (Alex V. Hernandez / Pioneer Press)

Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin is asking for an independent investigation into how a search for a Villa Park teenager, who had gone missing after jumping into the Des Plaines River, was handled by various law enforcement agencies.

The body of Cameron Sanders, 16, was recovered at 10:25 a.m. Thursday, five days after he jumped off Rainbow Bridge in Melrose Park into the river. The body was found near the bridge, which is located behind the Lincoln College of Technology.

Advertisement

"It should not take this long to find an individual's body, and it was found just 150 yards from the bridge that he jumped off of," Boykin said at a Saturday afternoon news conference at Austin Town Hall, 5610 W. Lake St., Chicago. "This incident may be a glaring example of having too many different law enforcement agencies responding, with nobody in charge. It's too many Indians and no chief, right?"

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart announced on Monday that his agency had taken over the investigation. Dart said Thursday that the total search effort included 200 officers from the Cook County sheriff's office and various employees from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Chicago Police Department's dive team, the Cook County Forest Preserve police, Brookfield and Lyons fire departments, and members of the state's Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, which is a group of fire and emergency medical services operation teams.

Advertisement

"I think it's important that those agencies, those officers, act with sensitivity towards the family," said Boykin. He said Sanders' mother talked to him "about a number of people being insensitive, and I was concerned about that. I'm also concerned about the jurisdiction issues that plagued the beginning of the recovery."

During the news conference, Boykin wondered aloud whether forest preserve police were necessary, since the county already has sheriff's police and said Cook County Inspector General Pat Blanchard has agreed to his request for an investigation into how the search was handled. Boykin says he's concerned because he said it didn't seem that there was an initial effort to recover Sanders' body in a timely fashion.

"This area is in unincorporated Cook County, and it's my understanding that the forest preserve police department, along with Melrose Park police, were the initial respondents," Boykin said. "Quite frankly, I'm asking [Blanchard] to look into the forest preserve police department and their role in the response to this."

Boykin also says he's reached out to Illinois State Police to review the search efforts.

Reached by phone Saturday, Lambrini Lukidis, communications director for the Cook County Forest Preserve, said the right of way for Rainbow Bridge belongs to Canadian National Railway and the river underneath falls under the jurisdiction of Illinois State Police. Due to this, the forest preserve police had been technically an assisting agency during the search, Lukidis says.

"The forest preserve responded to the call on May 13; we were contacted first, and we immediately started contacting other agencies," she said.

Officers from the Cook County Forest Preserve continued to search the area, even after Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart took over the search effort, Lukidis said.

"Our search included watercraft, scuba divers and cadaver dogs. Our officers dedicated at least 400 man hours to the initial search," said Lukidis.

Advertisement

And as for Boykin's remarks about whether the Cook County Forest Preserve police are even necessary, Lukidis says that the comments aren't "germane to the conversation" about how the search effort for Sanders' body was handled.

"The forest preserve is a unique area of 70,000 acres  that's 11 percent of the county's footprint, and our officers are trained specifically to investigate this type of area," Lukidis said. "We have a lot of visitors to our preserves, and so we have about 100 uniformed officers who cover a lot of the area on foot, bike and patrol cars."

U.S. Rep. Danny Davis was also at Saturday's news conference. Davis said he was in the process of reaching out to Canadian National Railway to see how the area can be made less accessible to the public.

"We're going to ask the [Canadian National Railway] to take a good look at this area and see whether or not they can erect some kind of barrier that would prevent or inhibit kids from using [Rainbow Bridge] as a play area," he said.

Davis said that the federal government regulates interstate commerce, and while he could try and use legislation to force the railroad company do something about public safety at the bridge, he'd rather start by asking about it when he meets with representatives from the company sometime next week.

Patrick Waldron, a spokesman for Canadian National, stated in an email Saturday that the incident "is a terrible tragedy."

Advertisement

"[Canadian National Railway] has been working with the Cook County sheriff's office and other agencies to discuss issues of trespassing on the bridge," Waldron said in the email. "This incident is a tragic example of the dangers of trespassing on railroad tracks, structures or equipment. We encourage anyone who sees such activity to report it to police."

The Cook County sheriff's office issued a statement via email, saying "the sheriff is very concerned with the apparent delays in launching a comprehensive search for Cameron"

" The sheriff himself was on a boat up and down the river all day Tuesday and Wednesday, and several hundred staff from our office were searching until he was found," the statement read. "It's imperative that jurisdictional issues not impede recovery efforts as the delay only caused more anguish to a grieving family."

Attempts to reach the Cook County inspector general's office were unsuccessful.

Alex V. Hernandez is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. Lee V. Gaines contributed.
What's Quickly? It's where readers sound off on the issues of the day. Have a quote, question or quip? Call Quickly at 312-222-2426 or email quickly@post-trib.com.

President Trump told Russian officials in the Oval Office, "I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job." He said that relieved great pressure off of him. Why in the world do you tell Russian officials about your business with your FBI?

Advertisement

Hobart has always been a clean and well keep community. Now it seem that it's all about the uptown area. Drive down Wisconsin Street and see the yards that are not mowed, including homes and businesses. The house on 7th Place has been abandoned for years, it's been on fire and the yard is two feet tall. What a shame!

No, we are not snowflakes. We are not mad that Hillary lost. Stop your ridiculous excuses. We are smart enough to know that our country is in dire straits. If you want to keep your head in the clouds, go ahead. We are not that dense.

Advertisement

My retirement savings took a big hit the other day when the stock market tanked; money I live on. They report the reason for the drop was the resistance to our new president doing his job. Why cannot these agitators still bitter from the November losses just let the man do his job over his four years and then if he fails, vote him out.

I have a message for Joe Madden: send Jason Heyward down to triple AAA Iowa and keep Ian Happ with the team. While you are doing the right thing here, also swap their salaries.

Eliminating net neutrality is just another way for the Republicans and corporations to control content over the Internet. They get to decide what they want you to see. This is wrong and will only benefit a select few to my dismay.

A majority of Americans don't think allowing massive industrial pollution, kicking millions off health care, giving away national security secrets to the Russians, cutting taxes for the wealthy and mining in national monuments is making America a better country. The fact that you don't understand this just makes the rest of us understand why Trump said he loves the uneducated.

The "world" elected Donald Trump president? Good grief. If this is the level of understanding of our political system out there in Quickly land then we are in much bigger trouble than anybody thought.

Just watch. Through voter ID laws supposedly enacted to reduce non-existent voter fraud, Republicans have managed to disenfranchise many older people and members of minorities. Next, they'll try to figure out a way to do the same to millennials, who are deserting the Republican party in droves.

Read more at www.post-trib.com/quickly.
Pueblo judge orders competency evaluation in election tampering case

A judge has issued a gag order in the election tampering case of Richard Patton and ordered Patton to be evaluated for competency to stand trial.
At the event (Source: VNA)



The two sides agreed that economic-trade-investment link will continue to be the foundation for bilateral ties, and were committed to effectively carrying out the 2016-2020 Action Plan and soon completing procedures to upgrade the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area towards lifting two-way trade to USD1 trillion and the total investment to USD150 billion by 2020.

China pledged to support ASEANs central role and help the grouping carry out the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and goals on narrowing development gap, building infrastructure, strengthening connectivity and regional integration, especially via effectively utilising joint funds between ASEAN and China and funding from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

About the ASEAN-China strategic partnership, countries underscored the need to strengthen regional connectivity, including defining common priorities in Chinas Belt and Road initiative and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity. Accordingly, ASEAN asked China to continue providing support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), infrastructure building and sustainable development in the region.Turning to the East Sea issue, participants acknowledged the outcomes of the ASEAN-China SOM on DOC on May 18, including a consensus on submitting the draft framework of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) to the ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting in August for consideration and approval.

They affirmed that it is an initial step forward for the next negotiations on the legally-binding COC for the sake of peace and stability in the region.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung, head of the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) ASEAN Vietnam, highlighted the East Asias development prospect in regional and inter-regional connectivity and the role of ASEAN-China partnership in building the ASEAN Community.

Vietnam will work with other countries to enhance the effectiveness of regional cooperation mechanisms and frameworks as well as the ASEAN+ 3 (China, the Republic of Korea and Japan) mechanism, he said.

On regional and global issues, the Deputy FM underscored Vietnams principles and stance on the East Sea, the Korean Peninsula, and non-traditional security issues such as terrorism and trans-national and cyber crimes./.
 Flash

China and the Philippines Friday confirmed the establishment of a biannual bilateral consultation mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea.

The announcement was made in a joint press release issued after the first meeting of the China-Philippines BCM on the South China Sea. Under the BCM, officials from the respective foreign ministries and maritime affairs agencies will meet alternately in China and the Philippines once every six months.

The first meeting of the China-Philippines bilateral consultation mechanism on the South China Sea is held in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, May 19, 2017. [Xinhua]

Consensus on setting up the BCM was reached at the diplomatic consultations between the two foreign ministries this January, the release said.

During the just concluded first meeting, which was co-chaired by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin and Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Sta. Romana, both sides reiterated their commitment to cooperate and to find ways forward to strengthen mutual trust and confidence.

The two sides exchanged views on the importance of addressing concerns in the South China Sea and handling disputes there in an appropriate manner.

Noting the South China sea issue has "returned to the positive trajectory" in bilateral relations, Romana said in his opening remarks that the Philippines is confident in the resilience of ties with China.

Both sides reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace and stability, freedom of navigation in and flight above the South China Sea, addressing their territorial and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means, without resorting to the threat or use of force, through friendly consultations and negotiations by sovereign states directly concerned.

China-Philippines relations have seen "a beautiful turn around," Liu told the press Thursday, adding that China highly appreciates the positive, friendly and constructive attitude adopted by the Duterte government.

The significance of the meeting lies in the fact the Philippines has returned to the right track of bilateral consultation and managing differences properly with China, Liu said.

It shows the Philippines' agreement on adherence to the China-championed "dual-track" approach, which calls for disputes to be resolved peacefully through negotiation between directly concerned parties, and for China and ASEAN members to work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, said Wu Shicun, president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies.

The two countries are telling the international community that they are capable of handling issues of common concern without a third party's interference, Wu stressed.

The success of the first BCM meeting represents an important signal that China and the Philippines are jointly moving toward an early conclusion on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, Wu said, while adding that further efforts are needed from all parties on the issue.

The two sides held discussions on issues including the promotion of next-step practical maritime cooperation and the possible establishment of technical working groups.

Liu said China hoped there would be some joint development in gas and oil before maritime disputes are ultimately solved. According to the press release, the second meeting of the BCM will be held in the Philippines in the second half of this year. "The word mechanism demonstrates the bilateral consultation will be institutionalized rather than just a once-off thing," Liu said.
ATHENS - Greece will claim an important share of China's investment program as part of the development of the Belt and Road Initiative, a senior Greek official said Thursday.

Greek deputy Economy Minister Stergios Pitsiorlas made the remarks at a press conference in Athens, after his return from the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing during May 14-15.

Transport, telecommunications and energy are the three main sectors that the two countries are going to cooperate, according to the three-year action plan signed between the Greek and Chinese governments during the Forum. The Greek delegation was led by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

China has shown that Greece could play an important role in its plan for more economic cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road routes, Pitsiorlas said.

After the presence of COSCO SHIPPING in Piraeus port and the participation of China's State Grid as a strategic investor in Greek power grid operator ADMIE, Pitsiorlas highlighted that there was a keen interest from more Chinese companies to invest in Greece.

"During our visit in Beijing, we met with companies in the fields of energy, infrastructure, networks and construction, as well as tourism and the financial sector," he said.

During Tsipras' visit in Beijing, two major agreements were signed. The first was the cooperation between the Greek infrastructure development group Copelouzos and Shenhua Group, with a total investment of $3.38 billion in the energy sector. The second was FORTHNet with ZTE for the development of a fiber optic network, a total investment of $556 million.

For Pitsiorlas, there is a double opportunity for the country with an upgraded role. Greek companies can participate in the investment program.

In addition, as a hard core country of the EU, Greece can take the initiative to seek convergence between the objectives of Europe's development strategy and the goals of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Regarding obstacles raised by the EU's political or legislative environment, Pitsiorlas stated that there are also other European countries that have expressed their interest and potential partnerships with China.

"Good will synergies can overcome such obstacles," he added.
BEIJING - "This mobile container/vehicle inspection system will soon be delivered to Mexico... It is advanced in that it can erect an arch within several minutes to inspect moving vehicles without stopping them," Cai Zhifu, a worker of Nuctech company, told Xinhua in a recent intervew in Beijing.

Nuctech, derived from China's Tsinghua University and founded in 1997, is an advanced security and inspection solution and service supplier in the world.

The Chinese high-tech company impressed visitors and its potential customers with the world's first 3D scanner for airports at the 17th edition of the Airport Show held on May 15-17 in Dubai, the most populous city of the United Arab Emirates.

Its security equipment and solution have been installed in more than 150 countries and regions worldwide, including more than 50 countries along the Belt and Road routes, which covered customs, civil aviation, railway, postal logistics, border security and other areas, to help fight terrorism, maintain security and protect people's lives and property.

The China-made advanced equipment and system have performed well around the world, namely, in the Palestine-Israel border, the English Channel and the Port of Hamburg in German, and at major international events, such as Olympic Games in Beijing and Brazi's Rio, G20 summit in China's Hangzhou and World Expo in Milan, Italy.

In 2002, Nuctech equipment won reputation by defeating German and US products in an inspection test, during which Nuctech inspected drugs hidden inside a vehicle while the other two failed.

To maintain the highest level of detection, the company will frequently upgrade their systems to compete with terrorists and lawbreakers, who usually upgrade their criminal means, said Wang Weidong, vice chairman of Nuctech.

In 2016, a just-upgraded Nuctech equipment helped Australian Border Security seize 254 kg of cocaine and 104 kg of methamphetamine, worth $186 million.

Under the Belt and Road Initiative, China's innovative high-tech has brought tangible benefits to countries along the routes, especially in the developing countries, and won local people's recognition.

In Sri Lanka, more than 500 cataract sufferers regained sight in the end of last year, thanks to China-made intraocular lens innovated by Eyebright Medical Group.

Eyebright, a national high-tech enterprise focusing on protection and caring of eyes and vision health, launched in 2014 the first China developed foldable aspheric intraocular lens, breaking the dominance of foreign products in this field.

"Sri Lanka doctors look at the Chinese intraocular lens with new eyes, and many local cataract patients came to seek help," said Zhang Shunhua, doctor at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, who joined a Chinese government medical mission to Sri Lanka specialized in cataract treatment last year.

Through China's overseas medical assistance mission, Eyebright's products have helped people in many countries, including Cambodia, Sudan and Congo, to regain sight.

Nuctech and Eyebright are only two examples of many Chinese innovative enterprises, which have reached the Belt and Road routes countries and in turn have been supported by the initiative, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, with an aim to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes.

Over recent years, many Chinese high-tech companies, like telecom giants Xiaomi, Huawei and CRRC, supported by the Belt and Road Initiative, have opened up foreign markets, helping make innovation a new "name card" for China.

Chinese companies, especially those that are hosted and supported by Zhongguancun, a high-tech hub in the Chinese capital city, are trying to share with other countries their expertise in telecommunication and information technologies.

Technological innovation is an important momentum for development. China, with innovative technology and superb products, has begun to provide Chinese solutions and expertise to other countries, rather than the mere made-in-China products, to realize common prosperity.
Economies involved in the Belt and Road Initiative have taken on an increasingly important role in China's import and export sectors in the past two decades, a recent report showed.

Meanwhile, China has become the largest trade partner for 25 countries involved in the initiative, and the second- or third-largest trade partner for 19 of them, according to a report published on Wednesday by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.

Trade last year between China and five countries involved in the initiative including Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and India exceeded $70 billion, indicating that China and these countries constitute a part of the global value chain system, according to the report.

Nearly 27 percent of China's foreign trade last year came from countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, and the proportion was almost double that two decades ago.

From 1995 to 2016, the total value of imports and exports between China and the countries grew from $38.43 billion to $978.28 billion.

China maintained a trade surplus with 52 countries involved in the initiative last year, and the largest surplus was with India, which reached $47 billion.

The report said the surplus mainly came from the exports of medium and high-tech products as India has a greater demand for imports of such products in the process of promoting industrialization.

China had a trade deficit with 12 countries, with the largest trade deficit last year of $10.9 billion with Malaysia, said the report.

"It's mainly because China needs to import large quantities of intermediate goods, especially electronic information products, from Malaysia and other countries in the East Asia regional industry chain and then export them after assembling and processing," reads the report.

Nearly 37 percent of China's imports last year from the countries were primary products, said the report, as China has a high demand for energy while many of those along the routes of the initiative are resource-based exporters.

Concerning exports, China mainly exported low-tech products, such as apparel and textiles, which accounted for 32 percent of the total, and medium-tech products, such as mechanical engineering products, which accounted for nearly 31 percent, to these economies mainly because most of them are developing countries and have a relatively low level of industrial development, said the report.

The trade structure is expected to change when the initiative is pushed forward, said Shen Yuliang, director of the World Trade Research Center under the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang (Source: VNA)



Hang made the statement on May 19th in reply to reporters questions on Vietnams reaction to the latest test-firing of ballistic missile by the Democratic People Republic of Korea (DPRK).Vietnam is interested in recent developments relating to the Korean Peninsula and concerned about the DPRKs missile launch on May 14th, Hang stated.She stressed that the action violated relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council.Maintaining peace, stability and prosperous development in the region is a common responsibility of countries, she affirmed.

Vietnam calls on countries to strictly abide by relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, and take constructive and practical actions, contributing to maintaining peace, security and stability in the region and the world./.
Courier service companies on the Chinese mainland said they are speeding up their global expansion in order to seize opportunities arising from the Belt and Road Initiative.

Shanghai-based YTO Express Group acquired a controlling stake in Hong Kong-listed On Time Logistics Holdings this month, it said, to tap into the Hong Kong firm's extensive international network.

Chairman and President of YTO Yu Weijiao told a recent news conference in Hong Kong that the courier service company partnered with On Time for its established global footprint. On Time has branch offices in 17 countries and has 52 operating centers across the globe.

"YTO is determined to seize the historical opportunity of the Belt and Road Initiative and is committed to becoming a flagship Chinese courier service provider in the global market," Yu said.

Discussing the delivery sector's trends and outlook, Hao Winning, vice-president of YTO, said major mainland courier service providers had all entered the capital market and the next step was global expansion, which matched the country's Belt and Road Initiative.

YTO completed a backdoor listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange last October, becoming the first listed domestic parcel delivery company. Shentong Express then announced a 16.9 billion yuan ($2.45 billion) reverse takeover in December last year.

The mainland's biggest private courier company SF Holding went public earlier this year on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

Looking ahead, YTO's Hao said mainland products had successfully become global and it was time for services to reach out.

Mainland imports and exports stood at 24.3 trillion yuan ($3.7 trillion) last year, accounting for 11.2 percent of global trade. Yet the cross-border delivery business had been dominated by major foreign courier companies such as UPS, DHL and FedEx.

Ray Li, vice-president of SF's international business unit, told China Daily in a previous interview that their international business only accounted for about 2 percent of revenue. He believed Belt and Road countries and regions, especially those in Southeast Asia, South Asia and Eastern Europe, would become a core driving force in future.

SF has actively partnered with overseas carriers to set up a network covering about 200 countries and regions. It has also established 10 international branches. The first was founded in Singapore in 2010 and its latest offices were established in Vietnam and Thailand.

Backed by mainland e-commerce giant Alibaba, a major shareholder of YTO, Yu struck a confident note saying he believed Alibaba Chairman Jack Ma's strategic Belt and Road expansion would greatly benefit their business.

Yunfeng Capital, a fund backed by Ma, owns a 20 percent stake in YTO Express through a strategic investment deal in 2015. Yu expressed the ambition to be among the top five international courier service providers within five years.
Pedestrians walk past the Bank of England in London. [Photo/China Daily]

City can provide invaluable help in rollout of drive, says new appointee

The City of London Corp's new policy chief, Catherine McGuinness, said she wants the capital's financial services companies to engage more with the Belt and Road Initiative, so the business district can maintain its financial strength amid Brexit uncertainties.

The City of London Corp is the municipal governing body of the City of London, the historic center of London and the location of much of the UK's financial sector - as opposed to the wider London local government, run by the Greater London Authority.

"London would be able to help with the huge complexity of financing projects along those routes - each country and each project would bring their own risks and complexities," McGuinness told China Daily.

She said the City could provide invaluable help, given its expertise in project finance, green finance, insurance, financial product structuring, legal services, and the United Kingdom's historic familiarity with countries from Asia to Europe in the region covered by the Belt and Road Initiative.

McGuinness, who is a financial lawyer, stepped into her new role this month. Just before that, she visited Hong Kong and Shenzhen to discuss Belt and Road cooperation with government representatives and private-sector practitioners.

For her, engaging with China has significance, with London currently dealing with the stress of Brexit. According to research by the law firm Freshfields, which was published in May, City banks could move at least 9,000 jobs abroad as a result of Brexit.

McGuiness highlighted three goals for her team: ensuring continued access to European markets, creating clarity and stability in the Brexit transition and ensuring continued access to skilled and trained staff.

But she also admitted Brexit had prompted London to look further afield for opportunities.

As far as relations with China are concerned, her predecessor Mark Boleat had a high profile. During Boleat's five-year tenure, several Chinese banks gained London branch licenses, London established an official renminbi clearing bank and a currency swap line between China and the UK's central bank was established.

Those initiatives all turned London into a leading offshore renminbi hub. In the first three months of 2017, 36.3 percent of global offshore renminbi exchange transactions were conducted through London, which put the UK capital in the top spot for offshore renminbi foreign exchange transactions.

Asked what her China-related legacy would be, McGuinness said she would like it to be Belt and Road engagement.

"It's a very visionary project, something we feel we are natural partners to take forward," she said.
Two employees from Shanghai Fisheries Group Co Ltd serve tuna at an industry expo held in Shanghai. [Photo/China Daily]

The Shanghai municipal government announced a fresh round of reform and restructuring of local State-owned enterprises on Thursday.

As part of the reform, Bright Food (Group) Co Ltd will absorb Shanghai Fisheries Group Co Ltd. Shanghai Fisheries will thus become a wholly owned subsidiary of Bright Food.

It will retain its distinct identity though and continue to focus on deep sea fishing as well as intensive processing of, and trading in, aquatic products.

Shanghai Fisheries has more than 30 subsidiaries. Its total assets amount to 5 billion yuan ($725 million) and annual sales revenue comes to about 7 billion yuan.

Prior to this deal, Bright Food had already started foraying into aquatic products. It has been working on the cultivation of freshwater crab and South American white shrimp via its wholly owned subsidiary Shanghai Bright Special Aquaculture Co Ltd, which was established in 2013.

Bright Food's spokesman Pan Jianjun said the reorganization will help Bright Food to complete its food product industry chain. It will now have a presence in products related to freshwater, deep sea, inshore and distant seas.

"Bright Food can make best use of its advantage in cold chain, warehousing, processing and logistics to better secure food supplies to Shanghai," he said.

According to Fitch Ratings, Bright Food accounts for 41 percent of Shanghai's trade in vegetable and edible agriculture produce. The group also manages more than 80 percent of Shanghai's policy grain reserves and all of its edible oil reserves.

In its most recent rating for Bright Food, Fitch affirmed a "stable" outlook. The ratings agency considers Bright Food indispensable for maintaining Shanghai's food quality. With more food safety regulations in place now, Bright Food will cement its leading role in the industry.

Bright Food Group comprises four listed companies, including the well-known Bright Dairy and Food Co Ltd. While securitization of State-owned assets has become a buzz phrase in SOE reform, Pan said the group has no plan to merge all its entities for a single listing. Increasing the rate of securitized core assets is the group's goal at present, he said.

Shanghai was the first municipality to announce its local SOE reform plan in 2013. According to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the Shanghai Municipal Government, the result of reforms was better than expected in 2016.

The local SOEs earned 3.1 trillion yuan last year, with net profit reaching 305.8 billion yuan. They paid 300 billion yuan in taxes, up 15 percent from 2015.

The real economy enterprises saw their operational income and profit rise 8.7 percent and 12.2 percent year-on-year respectively.
NEW YORK - China Investment Corporation (CIC), the sovereign wealth fund, plans to make more direct investments in the United States, as it sees greater trade and investment potential in the world's largest economy, CIC said on Friday

Tu Guangshao, vice chairman and president of CIC, said setting up overseas branches is a strategic move for the fund to expand global outreach, deepen partnership, and improve investment capabilities.

China's sovereign wealth fund held an opening ceremony of its New York representative office and an investment seminar on Friday.

The New York representative office's main function, Tu explained, includes conducting research on North American economy, financial market and regulation policies, strengthening cooperation with business partners, collecting project information and providing support for the headquarters.

"It will also stay well-connected with local government agencies and regulatory bodies to enhance CIC's reputation and image as a responsible institutional investor," he said.

Tu is optimistic that China and the United States will expand cooperation on investment as the two countries are in mutual need of closer bilateral ties.

For China, outbound investment has become a key component in the sustainable development of its economy, as Tu observed.

He said that for the United States, President Donald Trump's pro-business policies including tax reform, deregulation and infrastructure plan, if effectively implemented, will further boost corporate spending, capacity utilization, and labor productivity.

"As an effective source of funding for these policies, foreign investment will serve as an important driver for the US economy," Tu said in a keynote speech.

According to Tu, US holdings currently accounts for approximately 40 percent of the fund's overseas portfolio, but mostly in open market.

He added that the fund is looking to change its investment strategy but the process will be a gradual one.

Headquartered in Beijing, CIC started with an initial funding of $200 billion. By the end of 2015, its total assets had surpassed $810 billion.

As China's sovereign wealth fund, CIC serves as a vehicle to diversify China's foreign exchange holdings and seek maximum returns for its shareholder within acceptable risk tolerance.
KIEV - Two Chinese companies and the city of Kiev have signed a deal to build a fourth subway line in the capital city of Ukraine, the city said Friday.

China Railway International Group and China Pacific Construction Group will be the managing partner and contractor of the project, responsible for engineering, procurement and construction.

The deal also includes a provision that the two Chinese companies will assist the Ukrainian government in raising funds for the project in Chinese financial institutions.

The Kiev City State Administration has estimated that the project to build the 16-km-long fourth subway line in the Ukrainian capital will cost about $1.3 billion.

Kiev currently has three subway lines with a total length of 67.6 km.
BEIJING - Chinese authorities Friday publicized detailed rules for financial institutions to conduct due diligence procedures on non-resident accounts in an effort to counter cross-border tax evasion.

Starting July 1, Chinese financial institutions will carry out due diligence on deposit accounts, escrow accounts, stock or bond right interests of institutional investors.

The information will be collected for exchange with tax authorities of other countries to detect tax evasion practices using offshore accounts.

In 2014, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) developed the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) for Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information in Tax Matters and the standard was later endorsed by the G20.

More than 100 countries, including China, have signed up to implement the standard.
BEIJING - China's tourism investment is expected to maintain rapid growth in 2017 as ongoing consumption upgrades will keep the sector on the fast track.

The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) Friday said tourism will remain a magnet for private capital, predicting direct investment will jump more than 20 percent from last year to 1.5 trillion yuan ($218.07 billion) this year.

Hot areas within the sector include rural travel, big data and tourism equipment.

"From now to 2040, the tourism will witness a golden period," Li Jinzao, head of the CNTA, said during a forum.

With China's GDP per capita surpassing $8,000, the sector is embracing for explosive growth boosted by steady economic development, rising incomes and consumption upgrades, Li said. "There will be sustainable increases in tourism consumption abilities and travel demand, as well as the number of tourists."

Given lackluster traditional industries, services, including tourism, have stood out as fresh impetus to the slowing economy. In 2016, the tourism revenue in China totaled 4.69 trillion yuan, contributing around 11 percent to the national economy.

Tourism investment rose 29 percent year on year in 2016, outpacing an 18-percent increase in the whole tertiary sector and a 21-percent rise in fixed assets.

The CNTA expects more than 14 billion trips will be made by 2040, which equates to every Chinese travelling at least nine times within the year. "Travel will be a part of the people's everyday lives," said the CNTA.

The country's first tourism fund was established by China National Travel Service Group Corporation at the forum on Friday, with total capital of up to 50 billion yuan.
BEIJING - The output value of China's satellite navigation and location-based service industry reached 211.8 billion yuan ($30.8 billion) in 2016, up 22.1 percent year on year, according to an industry white paper.

The industry's core output value totaled 80.8 billion yuan, 70 percent of which came from the country's self-developed BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), said the white paper released by the Global Navigation Satellite System and Location Based Service (GNSS & LBS) Association of China.

The BeiDou application has been widely used in wearable devices, mobile healthcare, express deliveries, bike sharing services, disaster prevention and relief, and other fields, according to the paper.

China has formulated a three-step strategy for developing the BDS, aiming to complete the deployment of the 35-satellite constellation around 2020 to provide services to global users.

It plans to launch six to eight BeiDou-3 satellites this year, with the launches featuring two satellites on a single carrier rocket.
HAVANA -- China and Cuba on Friday pledged to upgrade their bilateral ties to a new level and enhance cooperation in a variety of areas especially in fighting corruption.

Zhao Hongzhu, a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and deputy head of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, said China is set to significantly enhance ties with the island nation.

During a visit to Cuba at the invitation of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), Zhao held separate meetings with Salvador Valdes Mesa, a member of the political bureau of the PCC Central Committee and vice president of the Cuban Council of State, and Abelardo Alvarez Gil, a member of the Secretariat of the PCC Central Committee.

Zhao also held talks with Gladys Bejerano, vice president of the Cuban Council of State and comptroller general of Cuba.

China attaches great importance to developing relations with Cuba, Zhao said, adding that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Cuban President Raul Castro met on various occasions in recent years and the two leaders reached consensus on deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in a variety of areas.

Zhao said China will be a partner in Cuba's development and reform efforts.

The senior CPC anti-graft official also briefed the Cuban leaders on how China has strengthened discipline since the 18th CPC National Congress back in 2012.

The Cuban leaders said Cuba cherishes the traditional friendship between the two countries.

Cuba is mapping out its mid-and-long-term development plan, they said, adding Cuba will learn from the CPC the experiences of party and state governance and is willing to cooperate with China in anti-corruption work.
BEIJING  There is no space for ambiguity in the nature of cross-Straitss relations, a Chinese mainland spokesperson said Friday.

Major changes have occurred to cross-Straits situation in the past year, resulting in increasing tensions in cross-Straits relations, the loss of past achievements in peaceful development of cross-Straits relations and damages to the interests of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, due to Taiwan authorities' refusal to accept the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China principle, said An Fengshan, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

By refusing to endorse the 1992 Consensus, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has undermined the common political foundation for the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations.

If the political foundation is damaged, cross-Straits relations will return to the old path of uncertainty and turmoil, An said.

The fact that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan belong to one China shall not be changed, the principle of one China that is universally upheld by the international community shall not be challenged, he said.

"We will unswervingly stick to the one-China principle and uphold the 1992 Consensus. We will not tolerate any attempt to separate Taiwan from China," An said.

Chinese people on both sides of the Straits should stand shoulder-to-shoulder to safeguard the foundation of cross-Straits relations, contain "Taiwan independence" forces and endeavor to realize the great revival of the Chinese nation, An said.
THE CENTRAL ORGAN OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIETNAM The Voice of the party, State and Vietnamese people on the internet

Notify:

The requested content was not found or the content is invalid!


Chinese outbound visitors make up the largest group in region for five years running

The latest report released by the Pacific Asia Travel Association shows that the region's 47 destinations received a record 597 million foreign visitors last year, with China listed as the largest source of outbound tourists.

More than 246 million outbound visits from China to other Asia-Pacific destinations drove the region's annual year-on-year increase in foreign arrivals to 3 percent, or close to 18 million visits.

Of them, 93.7 million arrivals originated from Hong Kong, 24.4 million from Macao and more than 19.8 million from Taiwan.

Led by China, Northeast Asia became the largest contributor to the massive influx of outbound visitors, with 23.2 million originating from South Korea and 20.3 million from Japan.

The United States, which generated 45.8 million foreign visits, made the list of top-10 global economies as outbound tourist sources in the region, followed by its North American neighbors Canada, with 24.9 million, and Mexico, with 20.3 million.

Singapore was the only country from Southeast Asia on the top-10 listing, generating close to 19.9 million visits for the year.

On the other hand, 17 of those destinations had double-digit growth rates, ranging from more than 30 percent for Nepal and South Korea to over 20 percent for Mongolia, Japan and Vietnam.

Across the three major areas in the Asia-Pacific region, Asia was the front-runner for foreign arrivals by volume with almost 436 million international arrivals, up 70 percent from a year earlier. The Americas followed with close to 147 million arrivals, a year-on-year increase of 34 percent. The Pacific reported 24.5 million international arrivals, up 12 percent.

Intra-regional travel flows were extremely strong for Asia and the Americas, with 94 percent and 78 percent, respectively, of their inbound volumes arising from within their own region.

The Pacific was the only destination region to see the majority of its arrivals coming from outside the region. More than 52 percent of foreign arrivals into the Pacific in 2016 came from Asia, whereas the Pacific generated 32 percent of the inbound arrivals within its own region.

"The year was one of strong overall growth and even stronger increases for some sub-regions and individual destinations," said Pacific Asia Travel Association CEO Mario Hardy. "Clearly, the volume is there but the destinations winning and losing fluctuate frequently and rapidly."

Seven Asia-Pacific destinations, including the US, reported contractions in foreign arrivals in 2016 compared to 2015.

"We are in an age where solid marketing metrics are essential to guide strategic decisions and identify appropriate resource deployment alternatives, while reducing, simultaneously, risk and bolstering our ability to capitalize upon swiftly emerging opportunities," Hardy said.

Another Asia-Pacific tourism report, the Mastercard Asia Pacific Destinations Index 2017, which reviewed 171 destinations in the region, found that since China became the top source of tourists to Asia Pacific in 2012 - where it contributed 9.9 percent of international overnight arrivals - the country has retained the ranking for five consecutive years and increased its share to 16.2 percent in 2016.

Tourism generated $2.06 trillion in revenue and created 156.6 million jobs in the region last year, according to the report.

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn

Performers in Mongolian costumes take pictures while awaiting delegations to the traditional nomadic Naadam festival just outside Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Provided To China Daily. Tourists pose for a photo, sitting on the steps of a temple in Bhaktapur, an ancient city near Nepal's capital Kathmandu. Navesh Chitrakar / Reuters

(China Daily 05/20/2017 page10)
Toshihiro Nikai, the secretary-general of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, met with President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, raising hopes of Tokyo joining the China-proposed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Nikai also attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, which concluded on Monday, and was quoted as saying: "The key would be how quickly Japan can decide to participate" in the AIIB. Even Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday that joining the AIIB could be an option, if questions over the environmental impact of the projects funded by the bank and other issues were resolved.

Tokyo's change of attitude toward the AIIB, to some extent, is a result of the improving China-US relations. The four months of US President Donald Trump's tenure have seen fruitful interactions between the world's largest and second-largest economies, including a meeting and several phone calls between the two heads of state. That has not only strengthened the personal rapport between Xi and Trump, but also set the tone for cooperation on pressing issues such as the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

By sitting on the sidelines while China and the United States get closer, Japan could risk being marginalized in the geopolitical arena. So it would make perfect sense if Japan decides to join the AIIB and the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the past few years the Abe administration has increased trade and security exchanges with Southeast Asian and African countries, in an attempt to seek better relations with them and compete with China. The investments and financial aid provided to those less-developed economies, however, have imposed a heavy burden on Tokyo, especially because many of the investments will take a long time to bear fruits.

The costly diplomacy has also raised questions about the real purpose of Japan competing with China in Africa and other regions, and the consistency of Japan's foreign policy. Abe has to decide whether his government can afford to prolong such ill-considered policies to contain China, especially when China has refrained from putting at risk bilateral ties.

Many might argue that China's increased spending on defense could be putting Beijing-Tokyo ties at risk. But the fact is, Beijing has to raise its defense budget to better safeguard its core interests. The modernization of China's military is in line with its role as a major regional power, and does not target Japan or any other country.

Confrontations and conflicts have done no country any good. Reflecting this truth is the AIIB, for it already counts 77 countries and regions as its members, 10 more than the decades-old Asian Development Bank, which is mainly backed by Japan and the US. Hopefully, the US and Japan will also realize the futility of confrontations and join the AIIB under proper arrangements.

It is estimated that Asia needs infrastructure investment of $1.7 trillion per year through 2030. And by participating in the AIIB projects, Japan will be able to not only use most of its idle capital but also help Japanese investors to make decent profits.

China, as Xi said on Monday, welcomes Japan to take part in dialogues on cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. If Tokyo responds positively to Beijing's goodwill gesture, bigger deals, such as the trilateral free trade agreement between China, the Republic of Korea and Japan, could be within easy reach.

The author is a professor of Japan studies at China Foreign Affairs University.

(China Daily 05/20/2017 page5)
What happens if the United States is not ready to lead the world in its pursuit of clean energy transition? US President Donald Trump has unnerved the world with his policy moves and public comments, including those on climate change. During his meetings with top world leaders, Trump has ignored climate change and instead focused on national security and trade. It's another matter that climate change had been a major area of cooperation among China, the US, the European Union and Japan.

At the start of last year, the US was well positioned to lead the global fight against climate change. But last month Trump issued an executive order, rewriting the previous US administration's Clean Power Plan. He also ordered a recalculation of the social cost of carbon, lifting the moratorium on coal mining on federal land, and that climate change be disregarded in other areas of national policymaking.

By reversing his predecessor Barack Obama's policies on clean energy and carbon emissions, Trump is rolling back the new model of cooperative global governance embodied in the 2015 Paris climate agreement. The Obama administration had argued that other countries' commitment (along with that of the US) to reducing emissions under the Paris agreement was expected to create a big new market for the US' clean energy companies.

Over the past eight years, the Obama administration and China's leadership succeeded, to a large extent, in prioritizing climate action as part of their bilateral agenda. China became much more cooperative with the US on climate change since the UN climate change conference in 2009, and both sides achieved tangible results in reducing emissions and enhancing global cooperation. The US-China Joint Agreement on Technology Cooperation in 2014, for instance, laid the foundation for the Paris agreement a year later.

But the Trump administration's moves will not only prevent the US from playing a leading role in the fight against climate change, but also undermine American interests.

First, as the US veers away from clean energy technology, China is on way to becoming the leading supplier to a rapidly growing global market for clean energy. The Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, embedded in the Paris pact, are expected to generate $20 trillion in new demand for renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, and if Trump undermines the US clean energy sector, there is a good chance that the clean energy technologies the world uses will come from China.

Second, if Trump downgrades US commitment to the Paris targets, it could give China a cause to slow-walk its own emission reduction, while still claiming the global leadership mantle on emission reductions.

In contrast to the US, China is looking for new partners to take forward its global climate efforts, and President Xi Jinping has vigorously defended the Paris accord, saying it must not be derailed. China is helping drive renewable energy's global expansion, taking the country's actual climate leadership beyond mere rhetoric. Its emission reduction targets are enshrined in the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), with a financial outlay of $360 billion for renewable energy by 2020. It also seems on way to reaching its emission peak five years before schedule. This year the Chinese government will establish a national carbon market, which, with 5 billion tons of carbon trade each year, will be the largest in the world.

Though some 200 countries signed the Paris agreement, G20 countries account for more than 60 percent of the global emissions. Given the heightened financial risks associated with climate change, G20 countries implementing new rules can ensure a smooth transition to a more clean energy economy. China can work with India, Indonesia, Japan, Germany and France to continue to devise a new global cooperation paradigm that takes account of the diverging aspirations of different economies.

Besides, economic trends provide incentives for clean energy actions. Renewable energy generation accounts for the vast majority of new jobs in the energy sector. In fact, the solar and wind power sector employs more people than the highly automated coal, oil and gas industries combined.

Also, private sector players across the world are making the clean energy transition all but inevitable, and their agendas will not change simply because the US has started thinking differently. As long as this remains the case, China and other emerging economies will continue to pursue the clean energy transition.

These are difficult times, but collectively we can decide what kind of world we want to live in.

The author is a senior economist at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, Indonesia.

(China Daily 05/20/2017 page5)
[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Analysts from China and the United States participated in a seminar discussing Sino-US relations and bilateral trade in Beijing from Thursday

The two-day seminar, "China-U.S. Future Trade Relations after Mar-a-Lago Summit", was jointly organized by the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) and American Enterprise Institute (AEI).

The two countries recorded 500 billion U.S. dollars in bilateral trade volume in 2016, and are expected to increase trade corporation under 100-day action plan, said Jiang Shan from CCG.

The action plan, launched between China and the United States in April, has already received initial results in agriculture, energy, financial services and investment.

Under the plan, China will allow imports of U.S. beef and the United States will import poultry from China. The United States expects China and other partners to import liquefied natural gas and China will allow wholly foreign-funded financial services to provide credit ratings in China.

Derek Scissors from AEI believes that the two major powers have great potential in deepening economic and trade cooperations, for example, the development of energy sector in the United States will attract more investment from Chinese enterprises.

He Yafei, co-chairman of CCG and former vice minister of foreign affairs said that cooperation is the only correct choice for both countries.

"With more than 40 years of experience in diplomatic work, I'm confident to say that China will continue the path of peaceful development," said He. "China will also pursue its development within the existing international system."

In addition, he said China will work on promoting the democratization of international relations, so that developing countries and emerging markets worldwide can have a bigger say in global rule setting and decision making.

"China and the United States do have responsibilities to maintain stability and promote global economic growth," said He. "It is important for us to exchange views and provide policy recommendations for the two governments that will influence the future of the two countries."
Emperor Wanli. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Asked to name one particular funerary object he remembers most clearly, Sun Xianbao, who took part in excavating the Dingling Mausoleum in Beijing 60 years ago, cites a pair of jade rabbit earrings.

The rabbits, set in gold and with ruby stones as their eyes, once dangled from the ears of Empress Xiaojingwhen she was buried in 1603. Married to Emperor Wanli, she had the good fortune to give birth to a son who ultimately succeeded his father, but the misfortune to fall out of the emperor's favor after their fleeting relationship.

The Dingling Mausoleum in northwestern Beijing is the burial ground Wanli built for himself and shared with his two empresses, including Xiaojing.

Despite being banished to a corner of the Forbidden City out of her husband's sight, Empress XiaojingXiaojing being the funerary title of the empress, whose surname was Wang, but whose full name remains a mysteryby virtue of being the mother of Wanli's eldest son, for much of her life remained at the center of a power struggle, of which there would be no winner.
Archaeologists taking out funerary objects from a coffin at Dingling Mausoleum. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"The flesh on the three corpses has rotted completely, but the bones remain intact, and in all three cases the hair is soft and shiny." These words are from the first official report published by Chinese archaeologists on their excavation of the Dingling Mausoleum Beijing between 1956 and 1957.

The report, published in 1958, cited the discovery of "countless pieces of gold and jade jewelry and wares, and hundreds of fabric rolls"a treasure big enough to cause a stir in the archaeological world beyond China, and to fuel the imagination of many who had long had an interest toward the owner of the burial ground, Emperor Wanli, the long-est-reigning emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

In 1572, on the death of his father, Emperor Longqing, 10-year-old Zhu Yijun ascended to the throne to become the 14th emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Wanli, his reign title, embodies the meaning of eternity, something that every ruler has wished for himself and his empire.

On the throne, the teenage emperor would grow into a young man whose craving for ultimate authority was tempered, or impeded, by the existence of an all-powerful consul, Zhang Juzheng. Acting as the de facto ruler of the country, Zhang had an aptitude for governing matched only by his political dedication. However, what he failed to gauge was the level of resentment the young emperor harbored regarding his dictatorial management style.

Zhang died in 1582, a decade into Wanli's rule. The emperor waited for two years before lashing out at the dead man and his family, confiscating all its assets. Many family members were starved to death, and Zhang's eldest son committed suicide.

Zhang himself was convicted posthumously of crimes including encroaching on royal land, intimidating fellow officials and monopolizing power, and stripped of all his honorary titles. All this even though Zhang, thanks to a series of reforms he initiated and implemented with an iron hand, had greatly increased the military might of the state and enriched royal coffers.

If Wanli harbored any illusion that Zhang's death and denouncement finally heralded the era of his free reign he would soon find out how wrong he was.
Paintings of Jean-Charles Blais and sculptures of Wang Keping are on show in Beijing, making different reflections on silhouettes via the artists' diverse background and artistic languages. [Photo provided to China Daily]

French artist Jean-Charles Blais never knew his Chinese counterpart Wang Keping, but their art works have found common ground in their reflection on silhouettes.

A show of the two artists Silhouettes at Hadrien De Montferrand gallery in Beijing displays dozens of works, paintings from Blais and sculptures from Wang. Blais is known for sticking multiple layers of torn-off advertisement posters on top of each other in the early 1980s, while Wang made his name as a member of China's first experimental artistic group the "Stars" in the end of the 1970s. He mainly focuses on sculptures of female figures, using various woods like cherry, maple and oak. Representative works of both artists are on display in Beijing.

"Their work look quite similar, all figurative. But not that straightly figurative, somewhere between figurative and abstract," says Olivier Hervet, co-founder of the gallery.

Having working in China in the art market for about a decade, Hervet says Blais' works remind him of the Chinese craft paper-cutting, and the black-and-white style of Blais' paintings also have some echoes in traditional Chinese paintings.

In an email, the French artist says that while preparing for the show, he tried to introduce a Chinese perspective that he obtained from his knowledge of traditional Chinese paintings. It allowed him to put new elements into his works such as a juxtaposition of transparency and opaqueness.

It's the first foray for Blais in China. When the show opened in April in Beijing, Blais was in Japan for another show there.

Due to the prosperity of the Chinese art market, more and more European artists are turning their eyes to China, says Hervet, whose gallery mainly focuses on art exchanges between France and China. Due to the relevance of Blais' works to Chinese culture, the French artist's work should have particular appeal in Beijing, where collectors are open to world art, explains Hervet.

Wang Keping, the other artist in the show, has lived in France since the 1980s. He has held several solo shows in China in recently years. He attracted the art world's attention thanks to his avant-garde sculpture in a groundbreaking group show at the National Art Museum of China in 1979.

Wang's figure sculptures usually are cut from one piece. He respects how a tree moves and his works are very primitive, says Hervet.

"Both artists' have lots in common. Their art has some relevance to primitive art. They both are in their 60s but gained fame early in life," he says.

Although contemporary art now has various kinds of forms and changes fast, Hervet says people also need to look back and embrace those who shaped art history.

"It's natural for people to want to find something new. But sometimes we also need to rediscover new things from the old," he says.

If you go

When: 11 am-6 pm, until June 3.

Where: 798 Art Zone, 4 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing.

Contact: 010-5978-9320
Invited artist and Suzhou embroiderer Yao Huifen said she spent 20 years learning the craft.

"My work used to be solely traditional. For this exhibition I engaged in a different process, trying new ways to bring the traditional to the contemporaryit was very enjoyable," she told Xinhua at the beginning of the 57th Venice Biennale, or 2017 international art exhibition in Venice. The exhibition will runs to Nov 26.

Yao and other three artists have been invited to extend and interpret Chinese artistic traditions in a show titled "ContinuumGeneration by Generation" at the China Pavilion at this year's Art Biennale in Venice.

The China Pavilion is one of 86 national pavilions at the Art Biennale. Its core theme is that individual acts of creation take place in a communal context that stretches across the dimensions of both space and time.

The Continuum show at the Pavilion mixes embroidery and sculpture, painting and performance, video and puppetry, installations and photography to explore the notion that artists stand in an unbroken line from antiquity to now.

Yao made nine pieces for the show, each made using a different embroidery technique and up to 1,000 different colors.

"Some of the techniques I use go back 1,000 years," Yao said. "Taken all together, the pieces stand for continuity."

Also at the exhibition is work by Tang Nannan, who explores calligraphy and ink painting to make contemporary art.

In a mesmerizing black-and-white video unfolding in slow motion over four minutes, gray and black waves rise, curl and break across the lower half of the frame. Above them, bolts of lightning flash within banks of roiling black clouds, against a distant range of tall black mountains.

When asked how he achieved this effect, which is spellbinding, peaceful and unsettling at the same time, Tang said he filmed on location in his native Taiwan, then enhanced the footage with a computer program.

"I needed a prehistoric-looking landscape, which is hard to find," he explained. "It took me four months to prepare for the shoot, then two months to actually get the footage I wanted."

Also at the China Pavilion was Shanghai-born artist Wu Jian'an, who uses folk craft elements such as shadow puppetry and papercuts in his large-scale installations.

He works closely with Wang Tianwen, a shadow puppet master from east China's Zhejiang province, whose work is also featured in the Continuum show.

In a monumental piece titled The Heaven of Nine Levels, Wu engraved images of salamanders, frogs and human-faced birds on layers of stretched leather cut out in concentric patterns and standing over 5 meters tall by more than 3 meters wide.

The artist describes this as an evolution of the will to life and the will to power, with the "heaven of nine levels" as a food chain in which each being devours the other.

"It is a projection of human desires, a heaven that lies inside human bodies," he writes.
BEIJING -- China will closely coordinate with the United States to prepare for the upcoming first round of the China-US diplomatic and security dialogue to ensure its success, Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi said Saturday.

Yang made the remarks in a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Tillerson said the United States will coordinate with China in preparation for the dialogue and he hopes the talks will yield positive results.

Since Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, held meetings in April at Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, China-US relations, guided by the consensus reached by the two leaders, have made important and positive progress, Yang said.

Yang urged the two countries to continue high level official contact and execute the 100-day plan for economic cooperation established between the two countries. He called on both sides to continue to work closely on international issues.

Yang and Tillerson also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern such as the Korean Peninsula situation.
RIYADH - US President Donald Trump arrived on Saturday in Riyadh as part of a two-day trip to discuss cooperation, especially in counterterrorism, Al Arabila local news reported.

He was received by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and he will take part in Gulf and Arabic and Islamic summits to review key regional issues.

It is the first foreign visit of Trump since his election as a president of the United States.
Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (2-R) welcomes US President Donald Trump (L) with a coffee ceremony in the Royal Terminal after he arrived aboard Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 20, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

RIYADH - Dogged by controversy at home, President Donald Trump opened a nine-day foreign trip on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, looking to shift attention from a spiraling political firestorm over his firing of former FBI Director James Comey last week.

With delicate diplomatic meetings facing him, including three summits, Trump faces a challenge of advancing his "America First" agenda without alienating key allies during his first trip abroad.

Stepping off Air Force One in sweltering heat with his wife, Melania, Trump and his entourage received a red-carpet welcome from Saudi King Salman.

The trip has been billed by the White House as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world's major religions while giving Trump time to meet with Arab, Israeli and European leaders.

But uproar in Washington threatened to cast a long shadow over the trip. His firing of Comey and the appointment of a special counsel to investigate his campaign's ties to Russia last year has triggered a stream of bad headlines.

The New York Times reported Trump had called Comey a "nut job" in a private meeting last week in the Oval Office with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak.

The White House did not deny the report, but said the "the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations."

Trump and King Salman seemed at ease with each other, chatting through an interpreter. Walking with a cane, the king greeted Trump on the tarmac. A military brass band played, cannons boomed and seven Saudi jets flew over in V-formation, trailing red, white and blue smoke.

The two leaders sat side by side at the VIP section of the airport terminal and drank cups of Arabic coffee.

"Do you spend a lot of time in New York?" Trump was overheard asking the king.

On the drive to the Ritz hotel where Trump is staying, King Salman rode with the president in the heavily armored presidential limousine nicknamed "the Beast".

ARMS DEAL

After a royal banquet, Trump and the king were to have private talks and participate in a signing ceremony for a number of US-Saudi agreements, including a $100 billion deal for Saudi Arabia to buy American arms.

National oil giant Saudi Aramco expected to sign $50 billion of deals with US companies on Saturday, part of a drive to diversify the kingdom's economy beyond oil exports, Aramco's chief executive Amin Nasser said.

Trump is to deliver a speech on Sunday aimed at rallying Muslims in the fight against Islamic militants in Riyadh on Sunday. He will also attend a summit with Gulf leaders as part of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council.

Shortly after taking office, Trump had sought to block people from several Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States, but the travel ban has been blocked by federal courts.

The 70-year-old president's travel to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy and Belgium will be Trump's longest time away from the White House since he took office four months ago.

Even his hand gestures were likely to draw scrutiny in the Middle East, where the thumbs-up sign, a signature move of Trump's, is considered taboo.

The uproar over Comey's firing looked unlikely to go away.

"It's almost always true that when a president goes on a big foreign trip, especially one that has some important summits ... that that dominates the news and knocks most other stuff out," said Republican strategist Charlie Black.

Trump, who has expressed a desire for friendlier relations with Moscow, drew a storm of criticism this week when it emerged that he had shared sensitive national security information with Russia's foreign minister during a meeting last week in the White House.

The president was already under attack for firing Comey in the midst of an FBI probe into Russia's role in the 2016 election and possible collusion with Trump campaign members.

Moscow has denied any such interference. Trump has denied collusion and denounced the appointment of a special counsel as a witch hunt.

His fellow Republicans in Congress have expressed frustration that Trump's pro-business economic agenda, featuring a plan to cut corporate and individual taxes, has been pushed to the backburner by the turmoil.
Chinese navy ships are visiting Myanmar and will conduct communications, search and rescue, and other joint exercises with the Myanmar navy, Chinas defense ministry said on Saturday.

The ships arrived in Yangon on Thursday for a four-day visit, spokesman Wu Qian said in an online post.

China will strengthen strategic communication and deepen cooperation with Myanmar, while making joint efforts to safeguard regional peace and stability, and promote bilateral ties, he added.

The visiting ships consist of the missile destroyer Changchun, missile frigate Jingzhou and supply ship Chaohu from the Peoples Liberation Army Navy.

The ship visit started the day China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed to a framework for the South China Sea code of conduct.

It also came after Chinese President Xi Jinpings meeting with Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi in Beijing earlier this week during the Belt and Road Forum.

The trio of Chinese ships set sail from Shanghai on April 23 and will visit about 20 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania on a 180-day voyagethe longest goodwill visit with the greatest number of countries to be visited that the PLA Navy has ever made.
A German lawyer for a German company owed money  lots of money  wrote me last week to discuss retaining my law firm to help it collect on its debt by seizing U..S and Canada real property believed to be held by its Chinese citizen debtor. This lawyer was coming to me because he had liked my quotes in a Vancouver Sun article from last year, entitled, More Chinese cases target property in B.C., say lawyers.

The headline of this article is 100% correct, but the increase in lawsuits targeting properties in both the United States and Canada is not due to any change in laws; it is due to the increase in the number of properties held by Chinese nationals in the United States and in Canada. And these lawsuits involving United States and Canadian courts stem at least in part from the trust so many have in the efficacy of our two legal systems.

At least ten years ago, the Tokyos Yomiuri Shimbun interviewed me for an article, entitled, The Americanization of Law, [the link no longer exists]. The thesis of that article was that American law and American lawyers influence business laws the world over. Call it Americanization or whatever else you want, but the trend towards an overall liberalization of laws is so common as to be almost inexorable. That article focused on how companies in countries with less developed legal systems so often will engage in legal gyrations to get their cases heard by U.S. judges. That article mostly focused on how Russian and Korean companies were using the U.S. courts to sue other Russian and Korean companies and then seize their assets in the United States. This use of United States and Canada courts has not changed.

Anyway, back to the Vancouver Sun article, which has a somewhat similar thesis:

Lawyers say they are seeing a substantial increase in B.C. court cases filed by Chinese companies seeking to seize real estate assets from Chinese immigrants in B.C.

The Chinese plaintiffs are asking B.C. judges to enforce monetary judgments awarded in Chinese courts. These Chinese rulings typically involve people found in China to have defrauded Chinese banks or business partners and then fled to Canada with the money and invested in real estate here.

The rapid rise in the numbers of Chinese cases in Canada and the U.S.  two preferred destinations, according to the Chinese government, for financial fugitives  has also been recognized by Dan Harris, a Seattle lawyer who advises international law firms on strategies for recovering assets from Chinese defendants.

Such cases have been trickling into B.C. courts for several years, including a 2015 B.C. Supreme Court award of $670 million to the Bank of China against money allegedly laundered through buying multiple homes and setting up bank accounts in Richmond.

But, according to Vancouver lawyer Christine Duhaime, a precedent-setting case in June appears to have opened the flood gates. Duhaime says that after her client, China Citic Bank, won a so-called Mareva injunction from B.C. Supreme Court, prohibiting the sale of four Vancouver-area homes worth $7.2 million, calls from China poured in. The homes belong to a couple who were alleged to have fled China with an unpaid $10-million loan.

Duhaime says she understands this is the first case of a Mareva injunction, also called a freezing order, being won by a Chinese bank in North American courts. Such injunctions prevent assets from being sold before a court can rule on whether they should be used to repay a court award.

Based on the case, Duhaime says she has obtained information from China alleging that billions of dollars of bank fraud proceeds are invested in B.C. real estate. She said she could not share the documents for reasons of client privilege.

Many years ago, my law firm represented a former Hong Kong police officer who had left Hong Kong maybe thirty years earlier under a cloud of suspicion for having allegedly engaged in large-scale corruption. The City of Hong Kong had somehow learned that this police officer now owned substantial properties in Washington State and in California and it sued him to get that property.

The litigators at my law firm have litigated a large number of similar cases over the years, mostly involving private, not government, litigants. In many of those cases (most?) the plaintiff has chosen the United States as its venue from a whole host of options, including its home country, simply because it believes United States courts are most effective in rendering judgments and  even more importantly  having the capability to collect on those judgments by seizing assets. Many years ago, we were retained by an American company to enforce its Chinese judgment against a Chinese company in a California court. Its thinking  which was absolutely correct  was that it had spent years trying to collect against this powerful Chinese company, based in what was for China a small town and it would never succeed there. So we were tasked with turning the Chinese judgment into a United States judgment and then seizing product from the Chinese company as it came into the United States and payments to the Chinese company as they left the United States. These sorts of cases are also becoming more common.

Whats so interesting about the Vancouver Sun article though is how it reveals the pent-up demand for lawsuits by Chinese companies against Chinese citizens with property in British Columbia:

The (Citic) Mareva case absolutely increased the interest in China, and caused a number of banks in China to reach out to us and say We have all these cases. Can we do something in B.C., too? Duhaime said. There is lots of cases coming down the pipe, and there is lots of appetite in China from the government, down to the banks, to come to B.C. to enforce judgments.

In the Citic case, the defendant, Shibiao Yan, a citizen of China, is now seeking to overturn the Mareva injunction. Yan argues Mareva is a harsh and exceptional remedy that should only be available in the clearest of cases, according to B.C. legal filings. Yans lawyers did not respond to a request for comment on the case.

Duhaime says as the Citic case continues, her law firm is already working on new cases.

One of our next projects is a Toronto house we are looking at, worth $100 million, Duhaime said. A guy went to a bank in China, defrauded them, got a loan and all the money in one day, and moved to Canada and got a mansion. And no one asked any questions, even though he never worked a day in Canada. Its all the same type of story, where a foreign national doesnt have a job, but is living in homes in Canada and owes money to a bank in China.

Another Canadian lawyer expects these cases to increase as well:

McGowan said that he could not speak specifically about the case. But he told Postmedia that he anticipates a growing wave of legal actions from Chinese citizens seeking to recover debts by targeting B.C. properties.

What I can say generally is that Ive seen and Im anticipating seeing a lot more claims like this, McGowan said in an interview. The amount of inflow litigation from China is substantial. I think the Chinese are starting to appreciate there is an opportunity to make recovery on their losses in China  against people who have immigrated to Canada.

I then seek to explain the reasons for increased interest in pursuing Chinese-owned assets overseas:

Harris, the Seattle lawyer, said he agrees with the Vancouver lawyers 100 per cent that cases from China are rapidly increasing.

There is an influx of these cases because they are in some ways so easy to bring in the U.S. and in Canada, Harris said. And, more importantly, they are so easy to collect on, unlike in China, where winning a case is one thing but collecting on the judgment is another.

Harris said his firm is often approached by Canadian and U.S. lawyers seeking to recover assets from companies and people in China. He advises these lawyers to seek out assets owned by the litigation targets outside China and then take action in other countries with more effective legal systems for collecting on court judgments or arbitration awards.

But just to clarify. Suing Chinese individuals and companies in the United States or Canada makes terrific sense if they have assets in the United States or in Canada, but it will probably not make sense if they do not. One more thing you should know, however, is that it is very easy to get a judgment in the United States and then take that judgment to Canada and turn it into a Canadian judgment, and vice-versa. So if you are owed money by a Chinese national or a Chinese company that has assets in both Canada and the United States, you probably will be able to get away with suing in just one of the two countries and using your victory in that one to collect on assets in both.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak has said in Lithuania that Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SOF) officers need training in foreign training centers.

The press service of the Defense Ministry reported on Friday during the debriefing on the FlamingSword17 Multinational Exercise Poltorak met with Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) General Raymond A. Thomas and NATO Special Operations Headquarters Commander Vice Admiral Colin J. Kilrain.

The Minister thanked the American colleagues for support of Ukrainian SOF units.

"Our Special Operations Forces are still very young and need time and experience. We are interested in training of our men, we have the longing and learn quickly, I am sure we will make some progress," Poltorak said.

He added that U.S. instructors have prepared many Ukrainian soldiers. The defense minister noted significant results in this area.

"Last year we did not lose a single centimeter of our land, reduced the number of combat deaths and have some success in military matters," Poltorak said.

The defense minister informed his counterparts on the situation in the eastern Ukraine and the threat that may arise in the future.

"The security situation in Ukraine requires that Ukrainian Special Operations Forces have gained military capabilities," Poltorak said.

He said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces need not just the training, but the training of Ukrainian soldiers at foreign training centers.

Thomas, in turn, pointed out the progress of Ukrainian SOF.

"We are pleased to observe progress in how your soldiers act, and appreciate your achievements. Your Special Operations Forces were founded a year ago, and they are impressive. You build your own models of action and rely on your unique combat experience, not on theory. I also like that you root for your Special Operations Forces, because thats what I live for," he said.

Poltorak invited Thomas to visit the Defense Ministry of Ukraine in Kyiv and the International Peacekeeping and Security Center in Yavoriv.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that decisive steps should be taken to force Russia to fulfill Minsk agreements.

"Of course, now we have another situation when Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an order regarding recognition of fake IDs, the Russian government actually spread the ruble zone to the occupied territory of Ukraine, we have confiscation of assets belonged to the Ukrainian state and Ukrainian citizens by Russian authorities. Taking into account all these we must be more decisive in going forward to return the Minsk process to the constructive steps," he told reporters before the meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Gransee on Saturday.

He again said that he does not see the alternative to the Minsk agreements and Ukraine insists on their complete fulfillment.
(Photo : AVIC) Harbin Z-19E.

Advertisement

The Harbin Z-19E reconnaissance/attack helicopter developed specifically to meet the requirements of the international military trade market made its maiden flight in Harbin on May 18.



The Z-19E is a derivative of the Harbin Z-19 currently in service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and the People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF). The Z-19 entered service with the PLAAF in 2012 and some 100 of these helicopters might be operational in the PLAAF and the PLAGF.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

It has a maximum speed of 280 km/h and a range of 700 km. Its pylons can mount eight HJ-8 anti-tank missiles (or other anti-tank/air-to-surface/anti-ship missiles) or eight TY-90 air-to-air missiles.



The new generation export-oriented model developed by AVIC Harbin Aircraft Industry is China's latest narrow-body tandem-seat armed helicopter, said state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).



The Z-19E is also China's first export-oriented helicopter made especially for ground attack missions. It's mainly intended to attack tanks, armored vehicles, defensive positions and other targets on the ground.



It can provide direct fire support for ground troops; launch attacks on helicopters and other low-altitude targets; fly at a very low altitude and fly as part of a helicopter swarm.



"It is able to be deployed for battlefield support and a variety of other missions in a complicated battlefield environment during both day and night," said Li Shengwei, deputy chief designer of AVIC Harbin Aircraft Industry.



The helicopter has a tandem dual-seat cabin layout, providing both pilots in the front and back with a panoramic view. With a maximum take-off weight of 4,250 kg, the Z-19E is a light armed helicopter with advantages in cruising speed, climb rate and usable ceiling, according to its developer.



It isn't known if the Z-19E will also feature some of the advanced technologies in the Z-19. These technologies include a turret with FLIR (forward-looking infrared); a laser range finder and an advanced helmet mounted sight (HMS).



Advertisement

TagsHarbin Z-19E reconnaissance/attack helicopter, People's Liberation Army Air Force, People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Z-19, AVIC Harbin Aircraft Industry, export market
(Photo : NASA) NISAR.

Advertisement

The first satellite to be developed jointly by NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) -- the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite (NISAR) - is the world's most expensive Earth imaging satellite.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

NISAR will cost both national space agencies over $1.65 billion to co-develop, build and launch. The huge satellite will be launched from India in 2021 aboard India's Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).



Indian political analysts see NISAR as a symbolic of the stronger ties between both India and the U.S. under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They noted that NASA and ISRO hardly talked to each other before but this has now changed.



"NISAR is the first big collaboration between NASA and ISRO, certainly on radar but in general, as well," said Paul Rosen, a scientist working on the NISAR satellite project



He noted that NISAR is a major collaboration between India and the U.S., both in terms of the technical building of the satellite, as well as working together across the Pacific.



NISAR's payload will be an L-band (24 centimeter wavelength) polarimetric synthetic aperture radar or SAR to be produced by NASA, and an S-band (12 centimeter wavelength) polarimetric SAR to be made by ISRO.



The satellite will deploy a large mesh antenna. The 12 meter aperture mesh antenna will be supplied by Astro Aerospace, a Northrop Grumman company.



NISAR will provide an unprecedented detailed view of the Earth by using advanced radar imaging. It's designed to observe and take measurements of some of the Earth's most complex processes, including ecosystem disturbances; ice-sheet collapse and natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides.



Data collected from NISAR will reveal information about the evolution and state of Earth's crust. It will also help scientists better understand our planet's processes and changing climate, and aid future resource and hazard management.



"We are going to be making snap shots of the Earth every week using these two radars, which will give us time lapse images of the motion of tectonic plates; of the ice sheets; of the changes in vegetation over land in agriculture and forests," said Rosen.



"So what we are doing is looking at time variability of the Earth over the life of the mission so we can understand how disasters evolve; how earthquakes occur; how volcanoes occur; how the ice sheets are changing and affecting sea level rise and how forest fires and changes in the forest cover affect the atmosphere.



"It is very relevant to what society cares about which is changes in our climate, changes in our environment and how it affects society."



Under the terms of the agreement, NASA will provide the mission's L-band SAR; a high-rate communication subsystem for science data; GPS receivers; a solid state recorder and a payload data subsystem.



ISRO will provide the satellite bus; an S-band synthetic aperture radar; the launch vehicle and associated launch services.



Advertisement

TagsNASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite (NISAR), India, United States, Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), Satellite, Paul Rosen, synthetic aperture radar, SAR, NASA, ISRO
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko expects that G7 summit in Sicily would express the common position with Ukraine.

"It is important that this meeting is held before G7 summit. We hope that the Sicilian meeting will display the unity of the civilized world and Ukraine," he told reporters before the meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Gransee on Saturday.

The head of state thanked partner countries for support of Ukraine.

"I want to say that in May we are waiting for the completion of the ratification of the Association Agreement by the Netherlands. Thus, we would move forward on the way of returning Ukraine to Europe," he said.
Transforming the Future in Rural Colombia with Local Change Makers

Innovative workshops empower youth, protect the environment, and promote resilience in indigenous communities



Contact: Jill Watson, 305-448-5111



MIAMI, May 19, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- Often rural communities are the first who experience the direct effects of climate change, the pang of malnutrition, and the harsh reality of inadequate health care. To shed light on the most pressing issues affecting children and families, the community, and the environment northern Colombia, Malteser International Americas brought together a group of yet unknown community change makers  indigenous youth, school children, teachers, local police officers, and struggling farmers  and captured on film their transformation to make a difference, become environmental advocates, and change the course of their future.



"We continue to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable Afro-Colombian communities and the indigenous people of La Guajira and Magdalena through innovative projects that involve the very people we are helping, so they can play a role in creating better futures for themselves with our help," said Ravi Tripptrap, Executive Director, Malteser International Americas.



An intensive week-long workshop brought together 20 members from the community of varying ages and backgrounds to address critical issues affecting the world around them, and to eradicate stereotypes, build their self-confidence and technical skills, and create change amongst themselves and in their community.



"The inhabitants of this region have felt the catastrophic consequences of the changing climate, and malnutrition. As a result, livelihoods have been threatened and families have been hit hard," said Jelena Kaifenheim, Regional Manager Latin America and Caribbean, Malteser International Americas. "Our community-based initiatives build skills, empower, and improve the resiliency of entire communities.



Beginning with a series of transformative sessions and cathartic discussions, the group spent seven days working alongside acclaimed documentary filmmakers from Human Pictures, who taught the group how to use video cameras and technology to tell a story, interview members of the community, and edit the film for its final cut.



Simultaneously, with their own cameras, the Human Pictures team captured the personal and collective transformation of the group in the short documentary film: "We are the Environment. Communities United." (youtu.be/hMiX0N44Q0U).



Going above and beyond a human interest story, the film peers into the lives of the very people whom our health and nutrition and climate change adaptation programs help.



"Working with Malteser International Americas, we affirmed our belief that part of politically committed filmmaking is transferring our knowledge and also the means of production so communities can actively represent themselves," said Juan Mejia, Director at Human Pictures.



The week-long transformation was celebrated at a pop-up community film festival where the change makers debuted their film and visually express to their community the effects of climate change, the impact of their daily actions, and how they can create a better future for all.



This workshop was in part made possible by our partners on-the-ground ABIUDEA (Association of Biologists of the Universidad de Atlantico) and PDPC (Programa de Desarrollo y Paz del Cesar/Development and Peace Program of Cesar), and with the generous support of the German Development Ministry (BMZ).



Malteser International Americas has been on the ground bringing relief to indigenous people and Afro-Colombians in northern Colombia affected by armed conflict and internal displacement since 2014, especially in the departments of Magdalena and La Guajira. As a result of the conflict, the Colombians in the region suffer from malnourishment and lack food security. To address these issues, and to help people live healthier lives with dignity, Malteser International Americas expanded its relief and development work in Colombia.



Last year, Malteser International Americas was at the helm of international relief and tackled some of the greatest challenges facing the Americas.



In Colombia, the organization:

Protected 1,200 pregnant women and their unborn babies from the Zika virus by providing prevention kits to often neglected populations where stagnant water is an ideal breeding ground for mosquitos;



Improved community-based health in 23 indigenous communities (5,500 people) by training community health agents and saved 700 undernourished children with food support and training on nutrition of their mothers and other women in the community.



Provided support for clean-up measures in northern Colombia following floods resulting from Hurricane Matthew and distributed mattresses and 200 hygiene kits to affected families.

About Malteser International Americas:

Malteser International Americas is an affiliate of Malteser International, the humanitarian relief organization of the Order of Malta. Through our U.S. headquarters, Malteser International Americas provides immediate disaster response and preparedness, as well as vital healthcare and nutrition, and clean water and sanitation to vulnerable people in North America, Latin America and the Caribbean.



Visit www.orderofmaltarelief.org to learn more.
home World Pakistan grants pardon to young woman who attempted suicide attack on church

The Pakistani government has reportedly pardoned a young medical student who joined the Islamic State terror group and attempted to blow up a Christian church on Easter.

According to British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA), Noreen Jabar Leghari, 20, a second year student of MBBS in Liaquat University of Medical Science (LUMS), had left her family home in February to join IS in Syria. She was reportedly arrested by Pakistani security forces on April 16 during an attempted suicide attack on a church.

Major General Asif Ghafoor said in a statement that Leghari was not a terrorist, but she was about to become one when she was saved security forces. He argued that the Pakistani armed forces were able to save her well before she was brainwashed by the militants.

"So should we treat Noreen like a terrorist or release her so that she can tell others how she was trapped and used for terrorism?" he asked.

"In this way, awareness will be created among the younger generation and parents as well as institutions," he continued.

BPCA noted that one man was killed and four soldiers were injured during the operation to thwart the attempted bombing. The security forces arrested two more suspects and confiscated two suicide vests, weapons and other explosives.

Many Muslims had reportedly advocated for Leghari's freedom because of the belief that the promising young student had been brainwashed by the militants at a vulnerable age.

However, the BPCA Chairman Wilson Chowdhry pointed out that the student was intelligent enough to be considered for a role as a doctor, but her supporters describe her as "pliable and immature."

Chowdhry contended that many of Leghari's supporters would not campaign for her if she had targeted Muslims. He expressed his belief that the young student still has an animosity towards Christians.

"It is hard to believe the deep-rooted hatred that Miss Leghari had towards Christians that led to her becoming a suicide recruit, has simply vanished. Years down the line I pray we do not discover a series of 'Shipman' type deaths of Christians at any hospital she is employed by," he said.

While Leghari has been granted pardon, the Pakistani government continues to impose harsh punishments on Christians who were found guilty of committing blasphemy against Islam.

Earlier this month, a Pakistani court sentenced a Christian man named Zafar Bhatti for sending "blasphemous" text messages from his mobile phone.

Meanwhile, the Lahore Supreme Court has refused to fast-track the appeal of Asia Noreen Bibi's blasphemy sentence.

Bibi, a Christian mother of five, had been sentenced to death after her co-workers accused her of blasphemy when she drank water from a public well using a cup meant only for Muslims. The Christian mother has spent the last seven years in prison waiting for the court to hear her appeal.
My latest book has just been published, a guide to the huge region of dramatic mountains between Glen Carron and Little Loch Broom in the ...


A Round Rock man filed a lawsuit against his online date for texting during a movie earlier this week and now he has been repaid.

Crystal Cruz met with Brandon Vezmar, whom she met through the app Bumble, to return the $17.31 that he spent on a 3D showing of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and pizza.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Activists gathered in front of the Houston Police Department headquarters downtown to protest the enforcement of Senate Bill 4, or the "sanctuary cities" law.

The legislation allows police officers to inquire about a person's immigration status. Law enforcement officials who fail to cooperate with immigration officers may face misdemeanor criminal penalties and hefty fines under the new law. Story continues below





At a recent town hall, Police Chief Art Acevedo assured members of the Hispanic community that the department will take action against profiling by having officers detail in reports why they felt it necessary to check someone's legal status.

RELATED: Mayor, police chief face tough questions about immigration issues

Yet activists still see the possibility of racial profiling under the law.

"Things are bad enough as it is now, it's only going to get worse with this law," said David Michael Smith, protesting on behalf of the Houston Socialist Movement.

A few hours before the protest's start at 3 p.m., Acevedo tweeted out about the protest in both English and Spanish. Providing links to the event's Facebook page, the police chief called on the public not to be "mislead" by the protesters, saying that "SB-4 authorizes police to ask about immigration status, it does not require it."

Smith and others were not convinced.

"While technically true, the fact is officers are going to [ask about a person's status]," he said.

Jonathan Zapeta, with the United We Dream immigrant rights group, worries about a potential increase in the number of deportations as a result of SB 4 which is set to take effect Sept. 1.

He noted that families and communities will be torn apart as immigrants continue to play a pivotal role in society as workers, friends and neighbors.

"If you live in the U.S. I don't believe you don't know someone who is an immigrant," Zapeta said.

Others such as Elizabeth Lozano with the Carnalismo Brown Berets, worry that with police officers effectively serving as immigration enforcers their resources will be diverted away from protecting citizens.

"We still don't know if the federal government will reimburse local law enforcement officers for this," she added.

The protesters chanted peacefully Saturday afternoon with police officers stationed on opposite corners of Travis Street and others since police headquarters keeping watch through the glass walls.

Members of the American Civil Liberties Union were also on the scene. Earlier this month the national group issues a travel alert for Texas as a response to the passage of SB 4.

RELATED: ACLU issues 'travel alert' for Texas over SB4 immigration law

At one point, protesters moved to block a man trying to take photographs of the scene. Organizers said he would not identify himself nor had any press identification with him. Police officers stepped in and the man ultimately left.

The protesters then marched over to Discovery Green to partake in a Black Lives Matter rally.

Scroll through the gallery above to see which municipalities have declared themselves 'sanctuary cities'
A motorist was sentenced to a year's probation after he struck a Harris County deputy constable's patrol car while intoxicated.

On Tuesday, Jose Delon, 25, was spotted driving at what authorities said was a high rate of speed in the 16200 block of Mueschke in northwest Harris County.

Harris County Precinct 4 deputy constables gave chase and stopped the vehicle in the center median. Then, authorities said Delon placed his Ford Taurus in reverse and backed into the patrol car, causing damage to the county vehicle, officials said.

Deputies said they noticed a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. He had a blood alcohol level of .19 with 0.08 being the legal limit in Texas.

Delon was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. On Wednesday he received probation and a $200 fine, according to court records.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A traffic stop near the Texas-Mexico border led to a surprise for Customs and Border Protection agents.

Severiano Solis, Port Director at the Hidalgo Port of Entry, said agents on May 14 discovered 188 pounds of liquid methamphetamine hidden in the gas tank of a vehicle pulled over for a secondary inspection.

BIG BUST: Feds seize $3 million in narcotics at the border

Solis said in a statement that the drugs were worth $3.7 million. Story continues below





Agents stopped the 2008 Chevy Silverado, which was driven by a woman from the U.S., for a secondary inspection.

The vehicle was seized and the driver was arrested and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations agents.

Scroll through the above gallery to see the biggest drug busts along the Texas-Mexico border as well as what items smugglers use to hide narcotics tucked away in vehicles
Ukraine's state border guard service predicts rise of passenger flow to EU by up to 30% in first day of visa free regime

Ukraine's State Border Guard Service is ready for the visa free regime with the European Union (EU) and expects that passenger flow would grow by up to 30% in the first day of introducing it.

"As for our forecasts and expectations for June 11, we have studied the experience of our Moldovan and Georgian colleagues. It is different, as Georgia does not have checkpoints for vehicles with the EU, and our countries have different population figures. In general, taking into account the capacities of the checkpoints and summer time, we expect that passenger flow in the first day could increase by some 30% and later by 10-15%," Head of the State Border Guard Service Viktor Nazarenko said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

He said that today the service has taken some measures and it is ready to the visa free regime.

"Our service has implemented the entire set of tasks determined in the plan on liberalization of the visa regime for Ukrainian citizens. The president and government issued the relevant orders. We worked in three directions," he said.

The first one is the increase of security and quality of border control at the checkpoints, the second one is the further integration of the State Border Guard Service into the common European security system and the third one is training of staff.

"We would increase shifts and the number of staff, carry out relevant work with our adjacent services and colleagues. By the way, we have presented an initiative that the FRONTEX European border organization delegates its representatives to the checkpoints on the border with the EU countries and airport checkpoints from June 10," he said.

He said that all of the checkpoints have equipment for biometric control. They are connected to the Interpol database. The staff has been trained, including language learning.
Two separate instances of police brutality may be even more related than most people thought.

Last month, a Texas police officer was charged in the murder of a 15-year-old teenager who was leaving a house party.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Area authorities on Friday arrested nearly 50 alleged members or associates of the Texas Mexican Mafia, mostly on drug and firearm charges.

The hits on the prison-born gang, headquartered in San Antonio, comes as part of an investigation that has lasted about two years.

A federal grand jury indicted 37 gang members or associates Wednesday as part of the investigation led by the FBI that involved several other agencies. The indictment includes charges stemming from shoot-outs, home invasions, robberies, drug-trafficking and the gangs collection of the dime, a 10-percent street tax on other drug dealers.

In a related investigation involving FBI agents from Del Rio, more than 10 people were arrested in the Hondo area on state charges, the FBI said.

The 22-page indictment outlines a brief history of the gang, which has a paramilitary structure and whose members report to a general in the free world. The gang is run by imprisoned members, and its president is still considered to be Heriberto Herb Huerta, a founder who is serving life sentences in a super-maximum security prison in Colorado.

Among the 37 charged federally and arrested are Raul Alto Ramos, the gangs purported general in the free world; Victor Cafe Garcia, a captain; Mariano Huesos Valdez, a lieutenant of lieutenants; and Angel Mad/Che Cantu Garcia, another lieutenant of lieutenants.

The gang employs a blood in, blood out credo.

Once youre in, thats it brother, said retired Texas parole officer Angel Vasquez, who supervised numerous members of the Texas Mexican Mafia over several years.

The Texas Mexican Mafia, also known as Mexikanemi, had been one of the largest in the state and in the Bexar County Jail. But a series of crackdowns on the gang has imprisoned many old-school members, or some have died off, gang experts say. The gang has since been surpassed in numbers in the local jail by the Tango Blast, whose San Antonio sect is known as the Tango Orejones. That gang has clashed repeatedly with the TMM in jail and on the streets.

Among the litany of criminal incidents listed in the indictment are shoot-outs the Texas Mexican Mafia had with the Tango Orejones. On Jan. 13, for instance, three TMM members, Jimmy Turtle/Reaper Perez, Johnny Mad Cow Fonseca and Robert Chino Rodriguez tried to collect the dime from an Orejon gang member at an unspecified residence in San Antonio, and a shoot-out ensued, the indictment said.

Other crimes include discharging a firearm on Jan. 30, when Marcelino DeLeon, 42, was killed.

Bexar County sheriffs investigators have said DeLeon was known to be involved with the Mexican Mafia but had been saying he was out. He had been looking to sell a large amount of methamphetamine a few days before he was killed, according to court records.

Johnny Ray Morales, 29, was charged in state court with DeLeons murder that resulted from an attempt to steal the drugs in the 13800 block of West Loop 1604, investigators have said. No one is charged in the federal indictment with DeLeons murder.

Besides the FBI, the raids involved the San Antonio Police Department, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the New Braunfels Police Department, the FBI said in a statement. Officers with the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, San Antonio High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Homeland Security Investigations and federal task force officers with the Austin Police Department also assisted in the operation, the FBI said.

Most of those indicted appeared in federal court Friday, though three remained fugitives, officials said. Bail hearings were set for May 24 and June 1.
AUSTIN -- A Houston state senator Friday hailed the new state law mandating training for truckers to help combat human trafficking and said she will urge other states to follow Texas' lead.

"We will be putting thousands of sets of eyes and ears out there to help in our efforts against this this horrible epidemic," said Sen. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, who authored the legislation.

Gov. Greg Abbott signed the measure on Thursday that requires training for truck drivers and other commercial vehicle operators on recognizing signs of human trafficking, which currently impacts more than 300,000 victims in the state, according to a recent study.

Under the new law, applicants for a commercial driver's license will receive information about how to identify signs of human trafficking and how to report it, while public junior colleges and private career schools and colleges that offer commercial driving programs must include "education and training on the recognition and prevention of human trafficking."

The content of the training will be determined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board with input from the Attorney General's office, and may include materials developed by the national nonprofit organization Truckers Against Trafficking, according to Garcia.

Garcia plans to urge other states to introduce similar legislation. Currently, only Ohio has a comparable requirement.

"We all now have another tool to help victims and liberate those trapped," Garcia said in a statement. "I'll work hard with allies across the country so other legislatures replicate our initiative."

There was broad public support expressed for Garcia's bill and its House companion in public hearings, including from trucking industry representatives.

"The industry has prided itself for decades as being the knights of the road," said John Esparza, president of the Texas Trucking Association, at a Senate Transportation Committee hearing in March. "This is simply just recognition and education that works, it's proven it works."

The fight against human trafficking has been backed by Abbott and has garnered broad bipartisan support in the legislature.

The state's role as a hub for human trafficking spurred the Attorney General's office to establish the Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force in 2009, which makes legislative recommendations for each session.

In the current session, 11 of the task force's recommendations are included in House Bill 29, an omnibus bill that would increase penalties for traffickers and improve protections for victims, among other items, and several other human trafficking bills are on track to get to the governor's desk.

The new legislation to train commercial drivers, which took effect immediately, follows similar efforts at promoting human trafficking education to members of other professions, including law enforcement, education and social services.

"Texas has been focusing on anti-human trafficking efforts for over a decade and we lead the nation," says Mandi Kimball, director of public policy and government affairs for the nonprofit advocacy group Children At Risk. ""The I-10 corridor is the number one route for human trafficking and truck drivers are an important ally in this fight, since we know that at truck stops they come into contact with victims."

However, the latest legislation only applies to new applicants for commercial driver's licenses, and doesn't mandate training for existing license holders.

Texas reported a confirmed total of nearly 3,000 human trafficking cases between 2007 and 2016. However, the full extent of the problem is much greater, according to a recent study from the University of Texas.

According to researchers, there are at least 313,000 current victims of human trafficking in Texas, including 79,000 youths forced into prostitution or other types of sex trafficking.

Houston, long considered to be a center of trafficking activity, developed its own 91-point plan to combat it last year, and has reported progress in a number of areas. These include an increase in massage parlor closures, a decrease in advertising for the illicit spas, and an 80 percent spike in calls to the city's human trafficking hotline following a media campaign.

"We are proud to say that rather than a hub for trafficking activity, we are now largely recognized across the country as a leader for innovative solutions," Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a statement earlier this month to mark the one-year anniversary of Houston's Anti-Human Trafficking Strategic Plan.

The Pasadena-based San Jacinto College already includes human trafficking as part of the curriculum of its Truck Driving program, using a video created by Truckers Against Trafficking.

"Our faculty added this because we felt a responsibility to bring an awareness to this issue," chancellor Brenda Hellyer told the Senate Transportation Committee. "It's something that could be easily added."
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.
Nokia 3310 Release Date: Three Color Options, 22-Hour Talk Time Arrives In UK On May 24; Netherlands, Belgium On June 5

Nokia 3310 is coming to selected countries next week. HMD confirmed the news, further revealing that pre-orders are now open.

Nokia 3310 Is Coming To the UK On May 24

The revamped Nokia 3310 is coming to the UK beginning May 24 and will be available at 49.99 or $65 in different color variants of gloss finish yellow, dark blue, warm red and matte finish gray. Reports also indicate that the relaunched device will roll out to Germany beginning May 26, followed by the Netherlands and Belgium on June 5.

Advertisement

Nokia 3310's return, however, has received different opinions from the netizens. According to reports, while some are excited for the relaunch because of the upgrades, including the new version of Snake, others are less interested due to these changes that bring major changes to the original mobile device.

While Nokia 3310's worldwide release date remains unclear, the much-awaited revamp is expected to be released soon. Meantime, details regarding its features, specs, display and designs are already provided on the Internet, Mobile News reported.

New And Improved Nokia 3310 Boasts Of Incredible Features And Design

Nokia 3310 comes as a thin, light and durable device that provides an interesting twist on one of the most popular and best-selling feature handsets of all time. Aside from the new features, the improved mobile device will still include the legendary built-in game Snake from the original handset.

The new Nokia 3310 will boast of an amazing 22-hour month-long standby and talk-time with its colorful and modern designs. Meantime, a 2MP snapper with a LED flash is also included, although there are no reports yet about the camera performance. In other news, Nokia has asked a retailer not to take pre-orders for Nokia 3, 5 and the new 3310 to prevent a likely problem of bulk demand against less supply, NTA reported.

Advertisement Advertisement

Like us and Follow us

Follow @Koreaportal and

 2022 Korea Portal, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message.
Aryan (Zsombor Jeger) is a Syrian refugee fleeing Homs, accompanied by his father. As the border police close in, searchlights finds the boats and shots are fired, Aryan swims to land and then flees through the woods with the other refugees. It is an exciting and desperate sequence that Mundruczo films in a dynamic breathless single shot. The first of many eye-popping moments that one suspects might be a calling card to a Hollywood action career. Bela Tarr this aint.

The cornered Aryan is shot, but bizarrely begins to levitate and here we have the aforementioned high concept. Taken to a camp, Aryan falls under the care of rumpled and cynical Dr Stern (Merab Ninidze), who immediately sees an opportunity to make some money from the miraculous powers of the young Syrian. He takes him around a series of wealthy patients, convincing them of Aryans healing qualities and cashing in. Unfortunately, the two are pursued by Laszlo (Gyorgy Cserhalmi), a craggy policeman who first shot Aryan and now wants to finish the job with the help of a general contempt for the refugees and a militarised police force. So a disillusioned man guards a lonely miracle through a dystopian near-future  sound familiar?

The model is Alfonso Cuarons Children of Men, down to Clive Owens overcoat and one shot action sequences mixed in with political commentary. The action sequences include a stunning car chase through the streets of Budapest and a terrorist attack on the subway. Whether the political thought surrounding Mundruczos magical realism holds up to much scrutiny is another matter. Stern is a disillusioned atheist  he tells some Jehovah Witnesses he believes in the resurrection of Hungary  who slowly discovers his soul via Aryans innocence and power.

There are moments when Aryan is employed rather arbitrarily to take down some of the directors pet peeves  understandable with the skinhead fascist, not so much when he cant get French fries in a posh restaurant. It is this occasional randomness that threatens to unravel the film as political critique but then again with Hungarys current quasi-fascist government perhaps nuance is an inappropriate ask. Jupiters Moon is a highly ambitious and thoroughly entertaining trip and if the politics is more backdrop than subtext, what remains is compelling and occasionally beautiful enough for you to enjoy the flight.

John Bleasdale | @drjonty
Chennai, May 20 (IANS) Actor Jr. NTR, who turned 34 on Saturday, welcomed his birthday with his wife Lakshmi Pranathi and son Abhay.



"He rang in his birthday with his wife and son. He will spend the whole day with them. They might host a party in the evening for close friends and family," a source close to the star told IANS.



On Friday night, just minutes before he turned 34, Jr. NTR shared adorable photographs with his wife and son.



Within minutes, the images went viral on social media.



To coincide with his birthday, the makers of the actor's next outing, "Jai Lava Kusaa, released two new posters.



In the K.S Ravindra-directed film, Jr. NTR plays trip role and one of the characters, Jai, was unveiled on Friday.
Kolkata, May 20: The decision to put cinema tickets under the 28 per cent tax bracket in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime has raised questions over the survivability of Bengali films.



"28% GST on movie ticket is shocker. 14 times more than the current rate for bengali films. How will industry survive!!??," tweeted producer Mahendra Soni, co-founder of Shree Venkatesh Films, which has at least 100 movies to its credit including National Award winners "Chokher Bali" (late Rituparno Ghosh) and "Memories in March".



Soni's views were endorsed by filmmakers Srijit Mukherji and Kaushik Ganguly in retweets.
zippy.jpg

The University of Akron's kangaroo mascot Zippy.

(The Plain Dealer)

AKRON, Ohio -- Police are investigating after two University of Akron Zippy mascot costumes were reported missing. A University of Akron Police report says the kangaroo mascot costumes went missing May 12 between midnight and about 4 p.m. The report was taken Thursday.

Kristi Reese, manager of executive events at the University of Akron, reported the incident at James A. Rhodes Arena near Carroll and Spicer streets.

She noticed the two costumes were missing. Reese contacted all of the school year's student mascots, the report says.

The mascot costumes are worth about $2,500, according to the police report.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Saturday's crime and courts comments section.

Please take a moment and click here to help the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, a cleveland.com partner. Every dollar you give buys four meals for the hungry.
PEPPER PIKE, Ohio -- Theft from building, stolen vehicle; Brainard Road: A builder from Middlefield, 39, reported shortly after 7 a.m. on May 10 that a 6-by-10 foot Atlas trailer had been stolen overnight from a house under construction.

Also listed as stolen were Paslode spikers and a Seneco stapler, with no values attached. An investigation is continuing.

Traffic complaint, execution of warrant, drug paraphernalia, driving under suspension, driving a prohibited vehicle; Gates Mills Circle: Police were called on the afternoon of May 8 to the area of Fairmount Boulevard on a report of a man operating a dirt bike in the roadway.

The suspect, a Newbury man, no age listed, was found to have a warrant through the Geauga County Sheriff's Office for a probation violation, along with a suspected crack pipe in his possession for which he was also charged and taken to the Beachwood Jail. The off-road motorcycle was impounded.

Identity theft; Peppercreek Drive: A resident, 34, reported that an unknown party had made multiple attempts between last October and May 8 to open a credit card account using her Social Security number and maiden name.

Warrant served, driving under suspension, expired license plates, auto towed; I-271: A May 12 registration check at 8 a.m. on a Nissan Altima with a tag that expired last year showed that the driver, a Buckeye-Shaker Square man, 33, was driving under suspension, with active warrants from Bratenahl and Euclid. He was turned over to Euclid police.



Fraud, identity theft, South Woodland Road: An employee with the Forever Children group home reported that sometime between Feb. 25 and May 9, someone had been attempting to defraud a client, 30, based on information received from the client's mother.

If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page.

"

cleveland.com is a partner of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Every dollar buys four meals for the hungry. Click here to donate.
PARMA, Ohio -- Parma High School students celebrated their prom at the Astrodome Event Center on State Road on Friday night.

They enjoyed a formal dinner at the banquet center near the St. Josaphat Catholic Church late in the afternoon. Then around 8:30 p.m., a DJ started playing some of today's best pop tunes and students headed for the dance floor.

They wore their best outfits, with girls dressed in their most stylish dresses and boys sporting fashionable tuxedos.

Scroll through the gallery above to see some of their best attire.
Update (8:04 p.m.): Alice Franklin has been found

GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Police are looking for an 80-year-old woman who has been missing since Wednesday.

Alice Franklin was last seen in the area of Thraves Road and Alice Court, according to the Garfield Heights Police Department's Facebook page.

Police say she is known to go to Sunoco at Rockside and Turney roads. She also frequents Save A Lot, Marcs and Bigs Lots at Garfield Mall just west of the Sunoco.

She doesn't drive and typically walks everywhere, police say.

Frankin is 5' 3'', 160 pounds with short white and brown hair.

Anyone who has seen Franklin or know her whereabouts is asked to call police at 216-475-1234.

Please take a moment and click here to help the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, a cleveland.com partner. Every dollar you give buys four meals for the hungry.
CINCINNATI -- The mayor of Cincinnati has tearfully apologized to city police after his office unwittingly approved a proclamation honoring a man suspected of killing an officer in an ambush.

Mayor John Cranley delivered his apology Thursday at the police union hall, saying the proclamation was stamped by a new staffer. He said he also called the officer's widow to apologize.

"This was a huge mistake," said Cranley. "It's not done intentionally. It's human error, but the buck stops with me."

The proclamation designated June 1, 2017, as "Tre Day" in honor of Trepierre Hummons. Investigators say Hummons was hoping for "suicide by cop" when he killed Officer Sonny Kim in June 2015 before being gunned down by another officer.

The proclamation has been retracted.

"I love our police department," Cranley said. "I would never do anything to hurt them."

The mayor's office received the request for the proclamation from Ronald Hummons for his son Tre's birthday. It did not provide the son's full name, Cranley said. It said a proclamation would recognize work done by a foundation, set up following his son's death, to address mental illness.

Cranley's office receives proclamation requests from Cincinnati residents every week. Many are vetted by his press office and the mayor doesn't see them all.

Ronald Hummons also reached out to a local politician and a city council member, who said he didn't know about the request.
Brazil, attempting to extricate itself from a recession as its president fends off a corruption scandal, has a well-kept secret: A thriving financial technology (fintech) sector that has managed to defy the country's political and economic turmoil.

With President Michel Temer denying allegations that he condoned a bribe to silence a witness in Brazil's widening corruption scandal, the country may find itself in the position of having to remove its second consecutive leader before their time in office expires. Meanwhile, Temer's economic reform agenda  unpopular with the public but embraced by markets  hangs in the balance.

The political intrigue has all but drowned out a tentative rebound in the economy, and a nascent boom in fintech. Moody's Investor Service estimates that investments into digital disruption in the banking system has topped as much totaled 5 billion reais (more than $1.5 billion) per year.

At least for the moment, enthusiasm blooms for Brazil's fintech sector, which is driving innovation within the country's banking sector  an area known for being tightly held and bureaucratic. In fact, Brazil's central bank is mulling new regulations this year to oversee the growing number of fintechs, which an official told Reuters this week was "very positive" for the country's financial system.

A recent report by Moody's highlights the number of FinTech startups in Brazil has "surged" in recent years, now making it the largest financial technology market in Latin America with more room for growth.

Simultaneously, Brazil's largest banks are also investing heavily in fintech, in order to increase efficiency and appeal to millennial custumers  a significant and growing segment of the population with particular preferences.

"The structural shift in customers' demands and behavior is leading banks to increasingly focus on alternative service channels," Ceres Lisboa, senior vice president with Moody's and co-author of the report, wrote in a research note last month.

"Lenders are also attracted to digital banking because they see opportunities to reduce costs as Brazil's economy remains weak after a protracted recession," he added.

Aside from political risks, there are other factors that loom large in Brazil's fintech sector. A January report by Citi cited Brazil as a "laggard" when it comes to the ability to reduce costs, as well as its "digital readiness."

Yet with the growth in digital services forcing the country's banks to gradually downsize, Brazil is being forced to adapt to a younger and readily agile generation that is demands flexibility on the retail level.
watch now

Neither Russia nor the U.S. can be relied upon to stump up what will be a hefty reconstruction bill in Syria, according to the EU's foreign policy chief. While acknowledging that Russia is a major global player, European Commission Vice-President Federica Mogherini told a panel hosted by CNBC at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa in Jordan on Saturday that the country was weak economically. "If you look at the state of the Russian economy today it is difficult to call it a superpower," said Mogherini, who is also the high representative of the Union for foreign affairs and security policy. She noted that its gross domestic product (GDP) was smaller than that of most of the individual European Union member states. "Russia is investing a lot when it comes to defense and military activities but when it comes to economic power  forget it," she added, drilling home her point that countries closer to the troubles, such as those in Europe and the Middle East, must not underestimate the role they must play in restoring Syria to a functioning state once a political solution has been found. "My impression is that the new trends in Washington are not exactly those of paying the bill  am I wrong?" she continued, giving another reason for why Syria's closer neighbors must be prepared to step up financially when the time comes.

watch now

'We're losing a generation' Economic power aside, Mogherini's fellow panelists emphasized the importance of the U.S. and Russia engaging on a political level in order to stop the ongoing tragedy in Syria. "Six years of civil war, 400,000 people killed, chemical weapons used against the people of Syria, 3 million children out of school  We're losing a generation if this continues," declared Norwegian Foreign Minister, Borge Brende. "I think there is a way to break this impasse," he added, agreeing with German Defense Minister, Ursula von der Leyen, that bringing those two powers to the table was the essential first step. "If both of them have a common view on which way we should proceed in negotiations, the others will feel enough pressure to sit down and to negotiate seriously. This is crucial for progress," asserted von der Leyen.

watch now

The German defense minister also spoke of the necessity for a structured economic rebuilding plan to follow closely behind a political solution and to enjoy support from many countries, not just the U.S. and its closest allies. "Without humongous private investment it will not be manageable to create what is most necessary in the region which is 'jobs, jobs, jobs' for people to have prospects," she warned. 'We may be late or too late' Meantime, whatever happens at this point may be too late, warned Peter Maurer, president, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). "The fear is not so much with President (Donald) Trump or (Vladimir) Putin or anyone else in the region but more to discover that we may be late or too late. I am not sure by what we are witnessing on the ground in terms of extremist dynamics that this is easily stoppable even if the powers in the region and the global powers converge politically," Maurer pessimistically observed.

watch now
watch now

There is a feeling of hope in Europe since the election of incoming French President Emmanuel Macron, according to the boss of advertising giant, Publicis Groupe . Macron's campaign platform upon which he was elected featured a fight for Europe which is central to the confidence that is returning to the region, Maurice Levy told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Jordan on Saturday. "He has not accepted any concession or any compromise with the populists or with the extremists and this is something which is not only refreshing but very good for the future of Europe," Levy declared.

watch now

Yet, the long-time advertising chief was more circumspect on France's economic situation, saying that growth in the country was lagging and would need labor and tax reforms to be implemented before it is restored to health. Levy predicts a swift timeline for such changes, looking to July as the potential month for such acts being passed. "We believe that he will address all of these issues pretty fast and that France will be able to take off again," he opined.

Supporters celebrate at a rally for Emmanuel Macron, outside the Louvre on May 7, 2017 in Paris, France. Owen Franken | Getty Images
The United States sealed a multibillion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, the White House announced on Saturday, a move that solidifies its decades-long alliance with the world's largest oil exporter just as President Donald Trump begins his maiden trip abroad as leader of the free world.

The agreement, which is worth $350 billion over 10 years and $110 billion that will take effect immediately, was hailed by the White House as "a significant expansion of[the] security relationship" between the two countries.

Simultaneously, Saudi Arabia is in a broad-based push for economic reform, and as part of that effort signed a flurry of deals with private U.S. companies worth tens of billions of dollars.

Lockheed Martin, one of the world's largest defense contractors whose technology was part of the U.S-Saudi accord, said in a statement that the deal "will directly contribute to [Saudi Arabia's] Vision 2030 by opening the door for thousands of highly skilled jobs in new economic sectors."

The arms package represents an enhancement of Saudi Arabia's military capabilities as tensions flare in the region, with the U.S. viewing the Saudis as a linchpin in efforts to check the global ambitions of Iran. The country, the hub of Islam's most revered sites, but is also a target of radical Islamic extremism.

"This package of defense equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats, while also bolstering the Kingdom's ability to contribute to counter terrorism operations across the region, reducing the burden on the U.S. military to conduct those operations," the White House said in a statement.

For the Saudis, Trump's visit represents a diplomatic and public relations coup for Mohammed bin Salman, the Kingdom's 31-year old deputy crown prince. The U.S.-Saudi partnership has been fraught with controversy since the Sept. 11 attacks, which culminated last year in a Congressional vote to allow 9/11 families to sue the country for its suspected links to the attackers.

Saudi Arabia is the primary destination for U.S. arms sales, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, with the Kingdom purchasing nearly 10 percent of U.S. exports from 2011 to 2015.

We welcome @POTUS Trump to KSA. Mr. President, your visit will strengthen our strategic cooperation, lead to global security and stability.

The pomp and circumstance of the two-day Saudi visit also gives Trump  who sold himself to voters as an inveterate deal maker  a victory to merchandise abroad, just as his political pressures have intensified at home.

Over the course of the last week, the White House has been overwhelmed by news stemming from an inquiry into the Trump campaign's alleged links to Russia, and the abrupt dismissal of former FBI Director James Comey.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer (R) and Japan's Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko pose for a photo during the APEC Ministers Responsible For Trade (APEC MRT 23) meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam May 20, 2017.

"I'm here."

A terse response from U.S. President Donald Trump's new point man on trade, signalling perhaps some commitment to the Asia-Pacific, when CNBC asked him what message he hoped to convey to trade ministers gathered at an APEC meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer remained tight-lipped on the future of NAFTA, nor would he say if his country would re-enter the TPP trade deal when asked by CNBC.

Lighthizer's caution is understandable. Confirmed in the role less than a week ago, he's been thrust into the international spotlight at a time when U.S. trade relations are widely perceived as protectionist and inward-looking.

His message to trade ministers seeking a sense of the U.S. world view will probably sound like, "I'm new to the job, but be assured the U.S. has not turned its back on trade," said Deborah Elms, founder and executive director of the Asian Trade Centre. "It will be the right rhetoric."

Lighthizer seems to be striking the right tone, at least, in a flurry of hastily scheduled bilateral meetings at the sprawling National Convention Centre in the Vietnamese capital.

After his less-than-30-minute sit down with Canadian Minister for International Trade Francois-Philippe Champagne, the pair seemed on friendly terms, perhaps because they managed to chat on the flight to Hanoi. They both flew commercial.

"I'll give my personal number to your chief," Champagne said after discussing where they may meet next, a moment caught exclusively by CNBC cameras.

"And I'll do the same," replied Lighthizer.

Later in the morning, the USTR ignored questions after leaving his one-on-one with Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshige Seko, who described the talks to CNBC as "very friendly, very fruitful."

A statement from Lighthizer's team said the U.S.-Japan meeting was cordial and that the officials "agreed to promote mutually beneficial trade, fight trade barriers and trade distorting measures, foster economic growth, and help establish high standards," while working harder together to address "common concerns with respect to unfair trade practices utilized by third-countries."

More clarity, please

It seems that everyone here at the APEC trade ministers meeting is looking for a little clarity from the U.S. side.

"There is this rising tide of protectionism, and particularly new U.S. administration policies, and that makes it more complex because we are here for all the 21 [APEC] economies," said Alan Bollard, the executive director of the APEC Secretariat and former head of the RBNZ.

"So we're looking for more clarity about the U.S. position and we hope we may get some of that with the new U.S. trade representative."

The director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO) was also hoping for some insight during his meetings with Lighthizer. In an interview with CNBC, Roberto Azevedo acknowledged the anti-trade sentiment bubbling to the surface in many advanced economies, which he said has to do with the stress in the labor markets and noted that "trade is being blamed for that, unfairly I think."

But he was clear that the WTO is ready to listen to the Trump Administration.

"The question is how can the system help address the concerns that the United States has," Azevedo said.

He also shared his thoughts on the job faced by the 69-year old Lighthizer, who was a deputy trade representative under another Republican president, the late Ronald Reagan, and helped stop the flood of imports from Japan into the U.S. in the 1980s. The WTO chief praised Lighthizer's experience and knowledge of the multilateral system, but admitted the USTR has a hard, unenviable job ahead of him.

"It's going to be tough to see how he can connect all the dots between what the president says, what the private sector has been saying, what the agricultural sector has been saying, what Congress has been saying, the different parties. It's a lot of moving parts."

Juggling act

Lighthizer has indeed inherited a doozy of a job, juggling the renegotiation of NAFTA, or the North American Free Trade Agreement, the slew of bilateral trade deals his boss wants to work out, and the ever-present questions on the future of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

On NAFTA, he's already sent a letter to Congress, announcing the Trump Administration's intention to modernize the 22-year old agreement between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. That means the government can begin renegotiation in about three months.

Canada's trade minister seems confident they'll get a deal done.

"This has been a long-standing agreement," said Francois-Philippe Champagne. "We've done that 12 times already, so we're very confident that things are going to go very well."

Following his bilateral meeting with Champagne, Mexico's Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said any new agreement must be "win-win-win" for the three nations. And he noted that the clock is ticking.

"There are going to be elections in Mexico in the summer of 2018. There is going to be a Congressional renewal in the U.S. in November. Therefore, it is in the best interest of the parties to really try to align the process to be finished before the elections," said Guajardo. "Recent history has taught us that when you negotiate an agreement, you better be prepared to take it to the legislative branch in the same time period because a new government, you never know if it's going to honor what you negotiated."

Whither the TPP 11?

That may have been a thinly veiled reference to the TPP, and talks over the future of the trade pact, from which the U.S. withdrew in January, are overshadowing this APEC meeting. Ahead of the trade ministers gathering, the leaders of Japan and New Zealand showed they're keen to move the landmark agreement ahead, with or without the U.S.

"Eleven countries have made their judgement on the assumption that the U.S. will be in TPP," said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in an exclusive interview with CNBC. "We need to consider what is best and the 11 countries must be united."

And there appears to be a concerted effort here in Hanoi to show unity and positivity on proceeding. Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry Mustapa Mohamed said, "We will sort it out. We are open."

Australia's Minister for Trade Steven Ciobo echoed the sentiment: "Six months ago, people were sort of pessimistic about the TPP and thought that without the United States, this wouldn't happen," he said. "Now, we're much more realistic about it. I think that there is possibly a path forward."

New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay, whose country is one of two (along with Japan) to have already ratified the TPP, said his nation never thought the pact was dead.

"I would expect from a statement from the ministers when we meet on Sunday to show commitment to moving forward with that set of common rules, an endorsement of the importance of high-quality trade agreements that allow regional economic integration and a pathway toward some form of decision toward the end of the year."

That would mean coming close on the calendar to the APEC leaders' summit, also here in Vietnam in November, a meeting President Trump will be attending.

"There will be a deliverable," said the Asian Trade Centre's Executive Director Deborah Elms. "The intention is to announce [a TPP 11] deal by the leaders' summit."

More details are expected to come after the TPP 11 ministers hold a breakfast meeting on Sunday and release a statement at some point during the day.

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.
BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) -- China's tourism investment is expected to maintain rapid growth in 2017 as ongoing consumption upgrades will keep the sector on the fast track.

The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) Friday said tourism will remain a magnet for private capital, predicting direct investment will jump more than 20 percent from last year to 1.5 trillion yuan (218.07 billion U.S. dollars) this year.

Hot areas within the sector include rural travel, big data and tourism equipment.

"From now to 2040, the tourism will witness a golden period," Li Jinzao, head of the CNTA, said during a forum.

With China's GDP per capita surpassing 8,000 U.S. dollars, the sector is embracing for explosive growth boosted by steady economic development, rising incomes and consumption upgrades, Li said. "There will be sustainable increases in tourism consumption abilities and travel demand, as well as the number of tourists."

Given lackluster traditional industries, services, including tourism, have stood out as fresh impetus to the slowing economy. In 2016, the tourism revenue in China totaled 4.69 trillion yuan, contributing around 11 percent to the national economy.

Tourism investment rose 29 percent year on year in 2016, outpacing an 18-percent increase in the whole tertiary sector and a 21-percent rise in fixed assets.

The CNTA expects more than 14 billion trips will be made by 2040, which equates to every Chinese travelling at least nine times within the year. "Travel will be a part of the people's everyday lives," said the CNTA.

The country's first tourism fund was established by China National Travel Service Group Corporation at the forum on Friday, with total capital of up to 50 billion yuan.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Liu Yunshan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, meet with heroes and role models from public security departments across the country at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 19, 2017. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING, May 19 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with heroes and role models from public security departments across the country on Friday, stressing loyalty to the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, called for those working in the country's public security departments to serve the people, promote impartiality in law enforcement, and remain disciplined.

Premier Li Keqiang and Liu Yunshan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also joined the meeting.

Xi said that the heroes and role models are not only models for the public security system, but also the whole of society.

Hailing the public security forces as a team with a glorious tradition and excellent work, Xi said they have made remarkable contributions in safeguarding national security and social stability.

They have forged an "indestructible iron wall" for national security, public security and the safety of people's lives and property, with their sweat, and even blood and lives, the president said.

Xi said he was deeply moved by stories of public security officers risking their lives when carrying out missions, adding that he also felt sorrow for those who lost their lives during missions.

The great spirit of heroes and role models should be carried forward in the entire country in cultivating and practicing the socialist core values, said Xi.

Xi called on public security forces to devote their utmost efforts to safeguarding national security and social stability, so as to meet the public needs and create a safe and stable social environment for the upcoming 19th National Congress of the CPC later this year.

CPC committees and governments at various levels were also urged to support public security forces and take care of police officers.

A total of 615 public security units and 1,320 individuals were honored at Friday's meeting.
Margaret Thatcher became Leader of the Conservative Party by accident. Ted Heath was the very clear favourite. Yet even some Tory MPs who felt he was the right choice had felt bruised by the way he took them for granted. So the campaign pitch from Airey Neave and the rest of Thatchers campaign team was: All right, Teds going to get it. But lets take the chance to send him a message. If he gets a huge majority he will be more insufferable than ever.

Labour canvassers around the country are adopting the same tactic. The message is that there is no possibility of a Labour Government  so please vote Labour, safe in that knowledge that there is no risk of it leading to a calamitous Labour victory. It is perverse pitch  and at odds with the defiance of the clique of Corbynistas in charge of Labours national campaign effort. But I suspect the constituency Labour message of defeatism is working rather effectively. I have spoken to several voters this week who have said they would regard Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street as a disaster but are still voting Labour.

The message works best where there is a sitting Labour MP seeking to be returned again. Invariably they will seek to turn the election into one about local issues. How the MP is a hard working champion of the area who is fighting for you. How they are determined to save some local hospital (which invariably isnt genuinely under threat of closure anyway). There will be lots of pictures of the Labour MP looking caring and responsible  with no mention of Corbyn.

Yet a General Election is fundamentally about national issues. We are making a decision as to who should form the Government of our country. It seems frivolous  bordering on the irresponsible  for anyone to vote for an outcome that he regards as against the national interest on the basis that there is only a one or two per cent chance of a victorious outcome for the Party he is voting for.

My own hunch is that the Conservative majority could be even greater than the opinion polls suggest. James Forsyth writing in The Sun this morning says:

National opinion polls can only tell you so much about British elections. What really matters is what happens with certain voters in key seats.

This is why the Tory ground campaign is all about what they call TVT  or Targeted Voter Turnout  at the moment.

The formula is based on the work of Jim Messina, who ran the 2012 presidential campaign for Barack Obama and played a key role in the Tories securing their surprise majority in 2015.

This means reaching out to those voters in key seats who the Tories magic formula has identified as potential switchers to them.

Tories on the ground report amazingly good returns using this data. Conservative campaign headquarters remain desperate, though, to play down talk of a Tory landslide.

There will be other tactical considerations that will help the Conservatives. In Scotland some Labour supporters may respond to a plea to vote Conservatives to defeat the SNP. Perhaps some Labour supporters across Britain will have noted the suggestion that Corbyn will try to stay on as Labour leader if the Party secures an increased share of the vote. They may decide the best way to help Labour is to vote Conservative and make sure the defeat is so crushing that Corbyn is forced out.

So let us be honest and concede that the risk of a Labour victory is indeed tiny. Say one per cent. The simple plea to voters should be that however small the danger might be, it would be quite wrong to vote in a way that would increase it.
Taken from the RSS English organ Organizer, dated January 2, 1961, Golwalkar is cited as saying: Today experiments in cross-breeding are made only on animals. But the courage to make such experiments on human beings is not shown even by the so-called modern scientist of today.

Accusing human crossbreeding as it existed then as the result not of scientific experiments but of carnal lust, Golwalkar insisted on the need to look at the experiments our ancestors made in this sphere.

Further: Another still more courageous rule was that the first off-spring of a married woman of any class must be fathered by a Namboodri Brahman and then she could beget children by her husband.

According to the expert, Prof Shamsul Islam, who taught in Delhi University, The RSS belief of Aryan superiority has been borrowed from Hitler and his Nazi Party of Germany.

Pointing out that it was Hitler who declared that the ideal Aryan was blond, blue-eyed, and tall, Prof Islam says, Beginning in 1933, German physicians were allowed to perform forced sterilizations, operations making it impossible for the victims to have children.

Among the targets of this public programme were Roma (Gypsies), an ethnic minority numbering about 30,000 in Germany, and handicapped individuals, including the mentally ill and people born deaf and blind. Also victimized were about 500 African-German children, the offspring of German mothers and African colonial soldiers in the Allied armies that occupied the German Rhineland region after World War I., he adds.

The expert claims, The present project of RSS aimed at producing fair and tall customised babies is direct borrowing from the Nazis Lebensborn (Spring of Life) programme to create an Aryan master race.

Under this project of breeding of children of pure Aryan race, some 8,000 children were born in Germany and around 12,000 in Norway as part of Lebensborn under the direct supervision Nazi theoretician and leader, Heinrich Himmler to encourage women of pure blood to bear fair-tall Aryan children, he adds.

The RSS project of uttam santati, a white and tall customised child, in its first gear attempts to follow the Nazi Racist project, Lebensborn,, contends the professor.

And how was done? Golwalkar believed, In an effort to better the human species through cross-breeding the Namboodiri Brahmins of the North were settled in Kerala and a rule was laid down that the eldest son of a Namboodiri family could marry only the daughter of Vaishya, Kashtriya or Shudra communities of Kerala.
The first meeting of the China-Philippinesbilateral consultation mechanism on the South China Seais held in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, May 19, 2017. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)

GUIYANG, May 19 -- China and the Philippines Friday confirmed the establishment of a biannual bilateral consultation mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea.

The announcement was made in a joint press release issued after the first meeting of the China-Philippines BCM on the South China Sea.

Under the BCM, officials from the respective foreign ministries and maritime affairs agencies will meet alternately in China and the Philippines once every six months.

Consensus on setting up the BCM was reached at the diplomatic consultations between the two foreign ministries this January, the release said.

During the just concluded first meeting, which was co-chaired by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin and Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Sta. Romana, both sides reiterated their commitment to cooperate and to find ways forward to strengthen mutual trust and confidence.

The two sides exchanged views on the importance of addressing concerns in the South China Sea and handling disputes there in an appropriate manner.

Noting the South China sea issue has "returned to the positive trajectory" in bilateral relations, Romana said in his opening remarks that the Philippines is confident in the resilience of ties with China.

Both sides reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace and stability, freedom of navigation in and flight above the South China Sea, addressing their territorial and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means, without resorting to the threat or use of force, through friendly consultations and negotiations by sovereign states directly concerned.

China-Philippines relations have seen "a beautiful turn around," Liu told the press Thursday, adding that China highly appreciates the positive, friendly and constructive attitude adopted by the Duterte government.

The significance of the meeting lies in the fact the Philippines has returned to the right track of bilateral consultation and managing differences properly with China, Liu said.

It shows the Philippines' agreement on adherence to the China-championed "dual-track" approach, which calls for disputes to be resolved peacefully through negotiation between directly concerned parties, and for China and ASEANmembers to work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, said Wu Shicun, president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies.

The two countries are telling the international community that they are capable of handling issues of common concern without a third party's interference, Wu stressed.

The success of the first BCM meeting represents an important signal that China and the Philippines are jointly moving toward an early conclusion on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, Wu said, while adding that further efforts are needed from all parties on the issue.

The two sides held discussions on issues including the promotion of next-step practical maritime cooperation and the possible establishment of technical working groups.

Liu said China hoped there would be some joint development in gas and oil before maritime disputes are ultimately solved.

According to the press release, the second meeting of the BCM will be held in the Philippines in the second half of this year.

"The word mechanism demonstrates the bilateral consultation will be institutionalized rather than just a once-off thing," Liu said.
UPDATE: Jack Miller, whose Saturday media session was cancelled due to his huge fall, told BT Sport on Sunday: "There was no spat. I just told him what I thought and you know, 20 versus 3, we're gonna go with the majority vote. As Carmelo had said three times in a row.

"I just got sick of going round and round in circles. I think everyone at the table had... and I was the one who said it.

"But I told told Cristian [Gabarrini], my old crew chief who is working with him now, 'hey, please just tell him that I didn't mean anything by it. No disrespect. It's just an Australian way of coming across' - at least I blame it on that!"

Jorge Lorenzo has railed against a 'very rude' Jack Miller after the pair shared a heated exchange during Friday's MotoGP Safety Commission meeting when discussing the decision to reintroduce Michelin's stiffer front tyre construction.

Miller apparently told Lorenzo, 'Opinions are like arseholes. Everyone has one,' after the Majorcan had voiced his displeasure at the riders' decision not to offer the current tyre alongside the stiffer version.

The words clearly annoyed Lorenzo, who shared some fairly strong opinions with the media during his Saturday debrief.

"My opinion? It's a negative opinion regarding him," he said. "Yesterday in the Safety Commission he gave a really rude response. He basically told me to shove my opinion up my arse, or something like that.

"[It was] Very rude. I think that's something you shouldn't' say to any rider in front of the others, and certainly not to a five time world champion."

Lorenzo's comments came soon after Miller had miraculously escaped serious injury in a terrifying FP4 fall at the ultra-fast turn two. The Ducati man went on to say the Marc VDS man must pay greater attention to the risks involved in future outings, and compared the fall to Marc Marquez's infamous Mugello spill from 2013.

"I think that today God picked him up and said, 'Today isn't the day you get hurt." It was a similar crash to the one Marquez had in Mugello in '13. It gave him a warning that MotoGP is no joke. It's now up to him if he takes this advice onboard or not.

"In my opinion, [Miller] is one of the riders that that doesn't pay enough attention to the risk involved, he plays with it, and isn't as conscious of the risks of riding these bikes [as he should be]. But this is for him and he will know what to do."

Unexpectedly, Le Mans hasn't been a happy hunting ground for Lorenzo on the Ducati. Not only did the front tyre decision go against his wish, he finished FP3 in a woeful 23rd- last position -, before qualifying a disappointing 16th.

Speaking of the decision to change the front tyre construction from Mugello onwards, he continued, "Personally I think they were a bit hasty with the decision. They should have waited a little longer.

"The thing is this tyre was only tested at Jerez, and suddenly the riders said it was better after just one day of testing on only one kind of asphalt. For me, the feeling of the tyres changes a lot from track to track and asphalt to asphalt. We didn't have quite enough time to evaluate it.

"It's a tyre they discarded after preseason and now they've brought it back because some riders don't like the current one. It's true that the majority decided to change, but the decision was made too soon, they should have waited a little longer, for other tracks and other surfaces.

"But you have to accept that the majority has accepted this new tyre. For sure it was influenced by rider with a lot of power. The riders have more grip in the turn and we need a little more lateral grip. But we'll have to work a little harder and accept the decision of the safety commission."

On the issues that have prevented him from featuring further toward the front, he added, "I really believe that if we had more time in the dry, we would be much more competitive, but we don't have the time, and I'm still not as competitive as I was with a bike I know very well, that I was very quickly fast from the first or second lap.

"With this one, I still need to understand certain things, every time I need less time, but still I can't be as competitive as Dovi every time, as he knows the bike perfectly. We just have 30 or 40 minutes. That's not enough for me to be fast safely, and that's the problem.

"The lap time was not so bad, but the problem was that Zarco, Pedrosa, Dovizioso, there were so many fast riders in Q1, so this put me out of Q2, and I didn't have another 15 minutes to improve my lap time, and to feel better."
A Christian man who was essentially living as a slave in Pakistan has been freed after a Christian organization intervened.

Christian Today reports that Salim Masih was in servitude as a brick kiln worker. He was subjected to torture and lived as though he was a slave. Although slavery is illegal in Pakistan, Christians are often forced into such a life.

Masih was reportedly freed after the British Pakistani Christian Association intervened and paid a ransom to secure his release.

The organization says it tries to refrain from paying ransom to the captors, but Masihs case called for swift action.

Though British Pakistani Christian Association is loathe to pay brick kiln owners for the emancipation of slaves which a practice which perpetuates despite being outlawed, we realised we had no option in this instance if we were to save the life of Salim, read a press statement from the BPCA.

Masih praised God for helping him escape: When the men discovered an NGO had got involved the violence increased and I thought I would be killed. But somehow God saved my life I owe Him everything.

Christians often face discrimination and persecution in Pakistan. The country ranks fourth on Open World Watch List of countries where Christian persecution is most severe.

Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Publication date: May 19, 2017
No space for ambiguity in the nature of cross-Strait relations: spokesperson

(Xinhua) 09:41, May 20, 2017

BEIJING, May 19 -- There is no space for ambiguity in the nature of cross-Strait relations, a Chinese mainland spokesperson said Friday.

Major changes have occurred to cross-Strait situation in the past year, resulting in increasing tensions in cross-Strait relations, the loss of past achievements in peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and damages to the interests of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, due to Taiwan authorities' refusal to accept the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China principle, said An Fengshan, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

By refusing to endorse the 1992 Consensus, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has undermined the common political foundation for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

If the political foundation is damaged, cross-Strait relations will return to the old path of uncertainty and turmoil, An said.

The fact that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan belong to one China shall not be changed, the principle of one China that is universally upheld by the international community shall not be challenged, he said.

"We will unswervingly stick to the one-China principle and uphold the 1992 Consensus. We will not tolerate any attempt to separate Taiwan from China," An said.

Chinese people on both sides of the Strait should stand shoulder-to-shoulder to safeguard the foundation of cross-Strait relations, contain "Taiwan independence" forces and endeavor to realize the great revival of the Chinese nation, An said.
CSO  Does Irans espionage threat have teeth or are they a toothless entity?

We hear a good deal about Iran and their espionage and cyberespionage escapades. We also hear, perhaps more frequently, how Iran is also designated as a state sponsor of terrorism. Looking more at the former, without ignoring the latter, lets see what we need to worry about.

On 11 May 2017, the Director National Intelligence (DNI), Daniel Coats presented to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) the annual Worldwide National Threat Assessment. Iran was identified, by the DNI as being included in those from whom "The United States will face a complex global foreign intelligence threat environment in 2017. Iran distrusts the US and their intelligence services view the US as a primary threat.

In April 2017, the OILRIG hacker group, is suspected of a cyberespionage operation against Israeli entities. According to the Israeli Cyber Defense Authority, Iran was the sponsor of these attacks.

While in Germany, a Pakistani national, operating on behalf of Iran was sentenced to four-plus years for spying on behalf of Iran Quds Force, a part of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, in support of terrorist attacks to take place in France and Germany. The German counterespionage investigators found detailed dossiers including video and photos on the targets.

How does the United States feel Irans bite?

According to the DNI, Iran uses cyber and cyberespionage capabilities directly against the US. Indeed in 2016, the US DOJ charged seven Iranians working for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with cyber-attacks against the US financial sector and one of the seven with accessing the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems of the Bowman Dam, located in New York. (DOJ Indictment pdf)

FBI

Image credit: FBI - US Government

The DNI continued how the US may continue to expect Iran to develop capabilities to disrupt military communications and navigation. Furthermore, Iran will continue to pursue capabilities  to give it the capability to build a missile-deliverable nuclear weapons. (The DNI notes, Iran already has the largest inventory of ballistic missiles in the Middle East.)

Iran will attempt to penetrate US national decision making apparatus and the intelligence community (as will many other countries intelligence organizations). They will also be targeting US companies and research institutions to circumvent sanctions and acquire dual-use technologies.

To that end, the US DOJ has been meting out substantial penalties, including jail time for those violating the trade embargo/sanctions against Iran.

For example, ZTE pleaded guilty for violating US sanctions by sending US origin items to Iran. ZTE agreed to pay a substantial fine to the US government: $892,360.064. ZTE saw an additional $300,000,000 suspended, but which ZTE will pay if they violate the terms of the settlement agreement with the DOJ.

A Singaporean citizen, Lim Yong Nam aka Steven Lim was sentenced to 40 months in prison, following his guilty plea, for his role in illegally exporting radio frequency modules to Iran. These modules were later found in unexploded improvised explosive devices (IED) in Iraq. These modules are a prime example of dual-use technologies, as they are used within WANs to connect printers and computers. Lim exported the devices to Singapore and then re-shipped them onward to Iran, knowing they were export controlled items.

Review the DOJ website, additional individuals arrested and prosecuted for shipping military and dual-use technologies to Iran are readily identifiable.

In sum, Iran is anything but a toothless entity. They have teeth and a deadly bite. Their agenda goes beyond simple extraction of data. They are using their resources, as evidence by the German conviction of the Pakistani national for lethal actions. In addition, the US intelligence and defense communities are both hitting the klaxon hard and loud highlighting the threat posed by Iran.

While the DOJ has identified the individual, who accessed the SCADA system of the New York dam. The US Department of Defense Science Board, in their February 2017 Task Force Cyber Deterrence report, identified Iran as a country which the US must aim to deny the ability to undertake catastrophic attacks on US critical infrastructure via cyber. The lessons taken from intrusion into the Bowman Dam SCADA system should be mandatory reading for all who are charged with the protection of the national infrastructure to insure event amnesia does not occur.

Iranian IRGC targeting elements decide who is targeted, we decide how we protect our infrastructure, technology, and personnel.
KENT  A brush fire that grew to cover nearly 200 acres of craggy land on Schaghticoke Mountain finally died out last Friday afternoon after firefighters  working despite the presence of rattlesnakes had battled the blaze for three days.

Firefighters from 18 departments from New York and Connecticut, joined by officials from both states, worked to contain the fire.

The timber rattlesnakes, an endangered species, had fled their burning habitats into areas where firefighters were at work.

Dennis Schain, a spokesman for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which coordinated efforts to contain the blaze, said the fire was largely extinguished by 2 p.m. except for a few smoldering spots.

For at least two days, firefighters needed to hike two hours with backpacks full of water to get to the brush fire, which broke out Wednesday morning.

First reported at just five acres, the fire made quick work of brush near the Appalachian Trail. By Wednesday night, it covered 40 acres, the next day, 100. Before it was put out, the fire encompassed nearly 200 acres near the New York-Connecticut line.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, DEEP said.

Four volunteer firefighters were injured during the first day, with two requiring emergency room treatment, said Alan Gawel, chief of the Kent Volunteer Fire Department. But everyone was OK, he said, although some firefighters were recovering from large cuts and heat exhaustion. No one was bitten by a snake, DEEP said.

The fire didnt threaten any homes, buildings or livestock. By Friday, the fire had spread close to three lakes where it stopped, according to DEEP.

With little water for most of the fight, forces attempted to contain the fire by creating dirt trenches with equipment similar to rakes, shovels and hoes.

In a blitz approach, more than 100 firefighters worked Wednesday. About 20 returned Thursday, but by early Friday and into the afternoon, only five DEEP workers remained.

Cyndy Chanaca, a DEEP spokeswoman, said no dead snakes were found. But snakes are ubiquitous in the rugged terrain.

The timber rattlesnake has been prevalent in Conneticut since Colonial times, according to DEEP. Its one of only two venomous snakes in the state, the other being the northern copperhead. The fire erupted during the snakes active mating season.

Theodora Pinou, a Western Connecticut State University professor of biological and environmental sciences, said the snakes likely sensed the fire and escaped long before it got to them. As the fast-spreading blaze reached them, the serpents likely hid in burrows or dens, waiting to come out until the fire had passed, she added.

It wasnt the fire that upset the snakes, Pinou said, but more likely the movement of the firefighters that disturbed them.

Before forces returned to fight the fire Thursday, officials called area hospitals to ensure that antivenin was available. Luckily the snakes are rather passive creatures, said Schain, and tend to avoid attacking unless provoked. Regardless, firefighters and state officials were told to avoid the rattlers when possible, he added.

The growing fire was conquered because of a combination of DEEP suppression efforts and last nights thunderstorm, Chanaca said Friday. The fire is still smoldering within the perimeter. It is not 100 percent extinguished cold.

DEEP agents planned to put out hotspots until dusk Friday. One or two were to hike backin to monitor the fire Saturday, Chanaca said.

The deparatment will send wildlife experts to see how the fire affected the snakes, Schain said. Due to their endangered status, DEEP will rehabilitate and release any injured snakes they find.

blytton@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3411; @bglytton
FAIRFIELD  The Fairfield Regional Fire School had its official opening on Wednesday, according to a Facebook post from the Bridgeport Fire Department.

The school was renovated to have state-of-the-art construction and facilities to allow it to give the best available training to future firefighters, according to the post.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

GREENWICH  Cybercrime is on the rise in Greenwich and across the region, and law-enforcement officials and private industry are forging new partnerships to stay one step ahead of criminals armed with a new array of tools to steal data and money.

As cybercriminals become increasingly hi-tech  using 3D printers, miniature electronic devices and advanced software programs  police agencies are seeking to make the public better aware of security lapses that can lead to major thefts at local gas stations or office complexes.

Its a cat-and-mouse game, said Detective Mark Solomon of the Greenwich Police Department, a regional specialist in cybercrime who has ramped up a public education campaign with business and civic leaders in recent months to increase recognition of the problem.

Its the most rapidly evolving criminal activity out there, Solomon said during a recent briefing at Greenwich police headquarters. There hasnt been a crime that has branched out this quickly  financial and cybercrime has exploded. ... You come up with better security, and four- to six-months later, they defeat it.

The latest law enforcement initiative is looking to break up skimming operations, which use an electronic device to steal the data on a credit or debit cards magnetic strip. Greenwich police found a skimmer device and a camera to capture debit card information two weeks ago, Solomon said. There have been multiple incidents of skimming in Greenwich over the years, and 30 incidents were reported in Connecticut in 2016, he said.

The current wave of cybercrime to hit the region, and Greenwich, is the theft of debit card information at gas pumps.

More Information Security tips: *Cover the PIN pad with a hand or envelope when entering digits. *Manually inspect the card reader before inserting a card into the portal. If it's loose or wiggles, it could be compromised. *Use a different card to open the security door than the one used to make a withdrawal. The magnetic stripe on a credit card will usually open a door to an automated ATM vestibule. *Look for anything out of the ordinary. Signs with misspellings or unusual sounding directives could mean a device has been hacked. *Retail workers should be wary of attempts to distract them while a customer is preparing to use a debit card. Criminals can slip a "skimmer" onto a device in seconds, often with the aid of an accomplice. - Greenwich Police Det. Mark Solomon / Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force See More Collapse

Gas pump skimming has really taken off in Connecticut, said Solomon, who works with the Connecticut Financial Crime Task Force, based in New Haven.

Only about three inches in size, the devices are slipped into a gas pump and are impossible to detect from the outside.

Theyre purchased on the dark net (the black market Internet), he said. Some of these devices are Bluetooth enabled, so they can be operated remotely. The bad guys will drive by, pull up and extract the data, and put it on a laptop. They dont even have to get into the gas pump. And its not visible to the customer or the owner.

The magnetic stripes on debit and credit cards are 1970s technology, the detective said, and easy to hack. With information stolen from cards, the data can be applied to stolen gift cards to buy merchandise. Law enforcement is working with gas station operators to improve counter-measures like safety seals on the pumps, but there are costs involved.

Banks and automatic teller machines are also being targeted. Criminal gangs use 3D printers to create overlays, which look exactly like the portals in which a debit card is inserted.

Theyre pre-made overlays. They slap it on, and it captures the magnetic strip and the PIN. And its identical to the original face, said Solomon.

In other cases, a small pinhole camera will capture a customers PIN and match it to a skimmer that collects the magnetic strip information, allowing criminals to make withdrawals from the persons account.

Solomon said he advises consumers to shield their PIN numbers with a hand or envelope when they make a transaction. He says people can give a little tug or pull on the card reader to make sure its not a fake overlay.

The new computer chips installed on many new cards are helping to deter debit card cybercrime, but theyre not infallible. Its one of the better technologies out there, but its not perfect, the detective said.

Whos behind the cybercrime and skimming rings?

Some of the time, its organized crime groups, 20 to 30 people. Other times, its more nomadic, just three or four, said Solomon. Weve seen Armenian groups, Eastern European groups. Weve also seen Cuban criminal organizations coming up from Florida. And homegrown.

Stealing through fraudulent emails is another thriving criminal enterprise. Solomon said cybercriminals obtain email information and then attempt to dupe office workers into sending wire transfers or releasing personal identity materials. Law enforcement has been working with companies to ensure that big money transfers are only processed after face-to-face or verbal confirmation, Solomon said.

The ransomware hacks that caused major problems for hospitals, schools and businesses in Europe in recent days have not come to the U.S., but Solomon said similar initiatives have been carried out in Connecticut in prior years. Hackers wall off an organizations data, or an individuals laptop data, and then demand payment to release it. Its hard to crack, unfortunately, the financial specialist said. Backing up your files in multiple places  thats important.

A computer expert from Greenwich, Brian Desrosier, said hes worked with a number of companies in the area whose data have been hacked and then extorted.

The ransom keeps going up. Today its $2,000, tomorrow its $4,000, then $8,000 after that, and it goes up exponentially, said Desrosier, president of Computer SuperCenter in Greenwich. He said small companies can be especially at risk given their lower security resources, and it can take months before theyre even aware theyve been breached.

Its not a new phenomenon, its been going on for years, the computer specialist said. He advises consumers and business-owners to back up all their data and use two passwords instead of one  multifactor authentication.

And be very careful about clicking on emails when you dont know how the sender is, Desrosier said.

Solomon, who works with the the Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Service, the Internal Revenue Service and Connecticut State Police on the task force, said he uses his debit card all the time, and the public shouldnt be alarmed, only vigilant.

Its about having an awareness, he said.

Banks will almost always compensate victims of cybercrime  but the costs are passed on to the larger public.

For those caught in skimming operations, federal charges of aggravated identity theft and bank fraud will typically result in a four-to-six-year prison sentence.

The goal, the police detective said, is to stop the crime before its committed.

We want to arrest the bad guys and put them in jail, but if we can prevent people from being victims, thats even better, he said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Since the advent of public campaign financing a decade ago in the state, there has been a growing reticence among Republicans and Democrats with statewide political ambitions to declare themselves candidates.

Not when they can create an exploratory committee, which have higher contribution limits, no expenditure caps and allow for more wiggle room to pursue different offices.

The trend is not without critics, such as Sheltons longtime GOP mayor, Mark Lauretti, who is running for governor for a third time since 2010.

Exploring, thats for Lewis and Clark, for all you history buffs, Lauretti said. Im one of these people who know what they want to be when they grow up.

More than a dozen gubernatorial hopefuls have formed exploratory committees for 2018, double the number of declared candidates for the states highest office. Most of the top contenders have gone the exploratory route.

Its a smarter play to go with the exploratory, said Danburys longtime GOP mayor, Mark Boughton, who is testing the waters for a third run for governor.

Exploratory committees can hit up individual contributors for up to $375, compared to $100 for declared candidates under the states clean election program. Once they take the next step, candidates must either return $275 and put $100 toward public campaign financing or keep it all and go back to those contributors for an additional $100 to count toward public campaign financing.

Governor candidates can qualify for $1.4 million for the primary and $6.5 million for the general election by raising $250,000 in contributions in $100 increments or less. The threshold is $75,000 for lieutenant governor candidates, who can get $406,275 for the primary and $812,550 for the general election.

After his running mate abandoned him in 2014, Boughton drafted Lauretti to join him on the ticket so the pair could pool funds to get to the $250,000. Lauretti had raised more than $100,000 for his own campaign for governor, which stalled at the state GOPs convention.

Because Laurettis haul was purposed for governor, he faced the challenge of having to solicit those same contributors to give him money for a lieutenant governor run. Ultimately, Lauretti failed to collect enough signatures to join Boughton on the primary ballot, a death knell for both candidates.

Mark Lauretti is a classic example of why you should go exploratory, Boughton said. Now if he had an exploratory committee, then we could have easily merged the two committees and been done.

Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Dan Drew, the mayor of Middletown, raised more than $105,000 for his exploratory committee during the first three months of the year.

Im using the exploratory committee the way it was meant to be used, Drew said. The point here is to figure out whether you want to run and if the support is there or not. Figuring out how it all works and really understanding it well, I think, is the purpose of the exploratory committee.

Blurred lines

When potential candidates fill out the form to create an exploratory committee, it is for unspecified statewide office. Political insiders say thats a benefit because it allows for flexibility.

But some say thats where the lines can get blurred, especially for those who have indicated a specific race to supporters in fundraising letters and other communications.

I think its a little bit of the wild west out there, said Liz Kurantowicz, a former chief of staff for the Connecticut GOP and political consultant from Fairfield.

In a 2009 ruling, the state Elections Enforcement Commission cautioned would-be office seekers with exploratory committees to avoid characterizing themselves as candidates.

We dont police statements, said Joshua Foley, an agency lawyer and spokesman.

But when the commission receives a complaint, Foley said, it actively investigates the matter and adjudicates it. He cited a 2010 complaint against Kevin Lembo by his Democratic primary foe, Michael Jarjura, in the state comptrollers race.

Jarjura complained that Lembo established himself as a candidate for lieutenant governor while Lembo was in exploratory mode. Lembo sent out a news release declaring his interest in the lieutenant governors office and was introduced by the state party chairwoman at the time as a lieutenant governor candidate during the Democrats marquee fundraiser.

The commission ruled that Lembo should have dissolved his exploratory committee and created a candidate committee for lieutenant governor. Lembo opted to abandon $16,240 in qualifying contributions from his exploratory committee that were flagged. He still qualified for public financing and went on to win the election for comptroller.

What happened was he ended up forfeiting a lot of money, Foley said. Anything that happens after you make that public declaration cant be considered a qualifying contribution. So theres a danger.

Lembo is now exploring a run for governor. His adviser, Marla Romash, pointed out that 2010 was the first statewide election with the public financing system in place and that there was a learning curve for candidates.

Kevin has always and will always abide by the spirit and letter of the law and beyond, Romash said. Exploratory committees make sense because they give candidates an important opportunity to get around the state, listen to people, hear whats on people s minds and to make a thoughtful decision.

nvigdor@hearstmediact.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy
This column, with the headline Judgment calls, ran in May 1984, in the aftermath of the shooting death of a 15-year-old boy at the end of a stolen car encounter with Bridgeport police. In some respects, the circumstances recounted here differ from the encounter with Bridgeport police on May 9, 2017, that left 15-year-old Jayson Negron dead. The cases below involved high-speed pursuits. The Negron case did not. A lawyer says the car was not stolen. In other respects, though, the elements of the drama remain chillingly constant 33 years later  the stage crackles with the charged live-wire of tension, adrenaline, uncertainty  and fear  among the players. Shouting, guns unholstered, split-second perceptions and misperceptions. And, finally, an unleashing of lethal rounds.

The difficult decisions are always the judgment calls.

Cops may not make more judgment calls than the rest of us, but the potential impact is far weightier.

Thats a fact when you carry a gun.

Last month, a string of judgments led to the tragic shooting of 15-year-old Carlos Santos by a Bridgeport police officer.

It was early in the morning after a stolen car chase, and Police Officer William Perez drew his gun and went into a dark backyard after someone seen running from the car.

A drawn gun? A judgment call.

One of the last faces Bridgeport police officers see when they leave headquarters for the beginning of patrol is that of Patrolman Gerald DiJoseph, whose picture is on the wall in the line-up room.

DiJoseph went after a car involved in a minor motor vehicle infraction.

A judgment call.

DiJoseph ended up dead.

In the charged environment of the battle between Mayor Leonard S. Paoletta and Police Superintendent Joseph A. Walsh, the Santos shooting formed the platform for the mayors office to criticize the Police Department for its lack of a clear, comprehensive deadly force policy.

Complicating the picture was the fact that the gun Perez had drawn was a .22-caliber pistol he carried as his back-up weapon. He apparently, however, was not particularly familiar with its operation.

If I were a cop going into a dark backyard in pursuit of I knew not whom, Id have a gun out, too.

Paoletta said the departments deadly force policy was inadequate.

Maybe.

But it seems like theres another area that might need a policy.

Three of the most notorious incidents involving Bridgeport cops, kids and tragedy have occurred at the conclusion of a high-speed chase of a stolen car.

In 1977, there was another case involving a Bridgeport police officer and a 15-year-old Hispanic boy.

There was a stolen car and a chase. A gun drawn. The flash of a shiny object and the fatal shot.

In 1979, four Bridgeport cops pursued two kids in a stolen car along the Connecticut Turnpike into Fairfield.

When the two kids were caught, finally, after turning into a dead-end street, there was resistance and, according to witnesses, a severe beating administered by the cops.

Now, in 1984, this is Carlos Santos.

Three incidents in seven years does not constitute a pattern, but the beginning of some kind of grisly record regarding stolen cars is developing here.

On May 1, the Bridgeport Police Department reissued a policy and procedure memo on the emergency operation of police vehicles, which includes pursuit.

The memo emphasizes safety and restraint in handling a police car in a chase.

It also points out that the decision to chase does not rest with the police officer in the car.

Under the section entitled Pursuit Policy, is a subsection called Initiation of a pursuit.

It says the officer must immediately notify the dispatcher and request authorization to initiate pursuit. He has to give a reason and describe the vehicle hes pursuing and its occupants.

If he gets permission  a judgment call made by a supervisor back at headquarters  the officer is to fire up the siren, the lights, the whole routine.

The four-page memo, however, which was rewritten at the director of Acting Police Supt. Patrick J. Dolan, deals only briefly with ending a chase.

At the end of a 90-mile-an-hour chase, it would seem logical that a police officer is going to be agitated, scared, furious, poised for action in an adrenaline rush.

Fifteen- and 16-year-old kids must be scared, too.

But hows a cop to know hes chasing joy-riding teenagers?

The department obviously cant take a position that it is not going to pursue cars driven by suspected criminals.

That would tell them the way to escape is simply to run fast enough.

But it seems that a high-speed, full-wail chase should be permissible only if theres damn good reason to suspect the cars occupants have been involved in a crime.

In the case of a stolen car, at some point the risk of the chase becomes greater than any possible return from apprehension.

We cant spell out every situation in which you chase, or you dont chase, Dolan said the other day.

The decision to pursue, Dolan said, like many of those tough decisions cops make daily, is a judgment call.

Michael J. Daly is editor of the editorial page of the Connecticut Post. Email: mdaly@ctpost.com.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang(R) meets with Speaker of the House of Representatives of the PhilippinesPantaleon Alvarez in Beijing, capital of China, May 19, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo)

BEIJING, May 19 -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Friday met with Pantaleon Alvarez, speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, calling for continued improvement of bilateral ties.

Li told Alvarez, in a meeting held at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound in central Beijing, that it is in line with the fundamental interests of both countries and peoples and conducive to the peace, stability and development in the region that China and the Philippines develop a good-neighborly relationship.

China is willing to enhance mutual trust with the Philippines, step up cooperation and boost exchanges to expand common interests and solve disputes properly, said Li.

He called for consolidation of the foundation of public opinions that had helped put bilateral relations back on track, to ensure the healthy and stable development of the relationship.

Li also called on the two legislative bodies to strengthen exchanges and make greater contribution to bilateral friendship.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Philippines is the ASEAN rotating president this year.

Li said China supports the work of the Philippines and is ready to work with all parties to increase China-ASEAN ties and regional cooperation in East Asia.

Alvarez said the Congress of the Philippines supports the endeavor of President Rodrigo Duterte to improve and develop relations with China.

As pragmatic cooperation between the Philippines and China keeps producing new results, this will help the Asian countries to build consensus and pursue cooperation, he said.

He also welcomed Li to visit the Philippines and attend the East Asian Leaders' meetings on cooperation to be held in the country later this year.

China's top legislator Zhang Dejiangheld talks with Alvarez Friday.

Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) of China, said the NPC attaches great importance to relations with the Philippine Congress and would like to cooperate on governance, legislation and supervision.

He called on the two legislative bodies to increase exchanges, provide legal and policy support to pragmatic cooperation between the two countries and help expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

Alvarez said the Philippines backs the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China, believing it will contribute to Asia's development and prosperity.

He said the House of Representatives hopes to enhance cooperation with the NPC via setting up a parliamentary friendship group.

Alvarez is paying a visit to China from Thursday to Sunday at the invitation of Zhang.
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 ...
The undated photo shows two Chinese fighter jets flying in formation during a training exercise. [File Photo: navy.81.cn]

China has warned the United States that close-up surveillance of China can easily cause misunderstandings.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks in response to reports about China's interception of a U.S. military aircraft over the East China Sea.

China's Defense Ministry has confirmed that two Chinese fighter jets intercepted a U.S. military aircraft designed to detect radiation over the East China Sea on Wednesday.

A U.S. Air Force spokesperson said their aircraft was carrying out a routine mission over international airspace, and was operating in accordance with international law.

The Chinese spokesperson urged the US to have more respect for China's security concerns, saying such close-up surveillance is highly likely to cause misunderstandings, misjudgments, or unexpected incidents.

CGTN contributes to this story.
(Xinhua) 10:15, May 20, 2017

WASHINGTON, May 19 -- U.S. President Donald Trump told senior Russian officials last week that his abrupt firing of FBI Director James Comey had eased "great pressure" on him from the FBI probe over his campaign's ties with Russia, a New York Times scoop report said, quoting a White House-leaked file summarizing the meeting.

"I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job," Trump told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian ambassador to the United StatesSergey Kislyak in the Oval Office on May 10, the day after he dismissed Comey, according to the document.

The New York Times said the document, which was based on notes taken from inside the Oval Office and has been circulated as the official account of the meeting, was read to the newspaper by a U.S. official. Afterwards, a second official confirmed the broad outlines of the discussion.

"I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off." Trump was quoted.

"I'm not under investigation," the U.S. president told Russian officials.

Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, did not dispute the account, only stressing that the ousted FBI chief had put unnecessary pressure on the president's ability to conduct diplomacy with Russia on matters such as Syria, Ukraine and the extreme terror group Islamic State.

"By grandstanding and politicizing the investigation into Russia's actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia," Spicer said.

"The investigation would have always continued, and obviously, the termination of Comey would not have ended it. Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations." said Spicer.

Trump was using a negotiating tactic when he told Russian officials about the "great pressure" he was under, another U.S. official defended the president to the Times, suggesting that Trump's purpose was to create a sense of obligation with Russian officials and to coax concessions on certain issues.

Trump is set to embark on his first overseas trip on Friday afternoon. The eight-day journey includes visits to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy and Belgium. The White House said earlier Friday that Trump will not pick new FBI director nominee before he leaves the country.

On Thursday, Trump lashed out over the appointment of former FBI director Robert Mueller as the special counsel to probe Trump-Russia ties, saying that it "divides country." He said he had never colluded with Russia.

"I believe it hurts our country terribly, because it shows we're a divided, mixed-up, not-unified country," Trump said at a luncheon with a group of television news anchors in the day.
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.
GUIYANG, May 19 -- Following is the Joint Press Release for the First Meeting of the China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea issued on May 19 in Guiyang.

Joint Press Release for the First Meeting of the China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea

In the spirit of the friendly dialogue between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte during the latter' s State Visit to China in October 2016, and as agreed by both China and the Philippines, the First Meeting of China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea (BCM) was held in Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China on 19 May 2017. Chinese Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Liu Zhenmin and Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago L. Sta. Romana led their delegations to the BCM. Both sides exchanged views on issues related to the South China Sea in a frank, in-depth, and friendly manner, where both sides reiterated their commitment to cooperate and to find ways forward to strengthen mutual trust and confidence. Both sides had a fruitful and productive meeting.

Both sides held a brief, solemn, and warm inaugural ceremony, announcing the formal establishment of the BCM and the opening of its first meeting.

According to the Joint Statement of the People' s Republic of China and the Republic of the Philippines issued in October 2016, both sides agree to continue discussions on confidence-building measures to increase mutual trust and confidence and to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities in the South China Sea that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability. In this regard, in addition to and without prejudice to other mechanisms, a bilateral consultation mechanism can be useful, which will meet regularly on current and other issues of concern to either side on the South China Sea. Both sides also agree to explore other areas of cooperation. And at the diplomatic consultations between the two States' Foreign Ministries in January 2017, the two sides decided to establish the BCM and preliminarily reached consensus on the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the BCM.

During the meeting, the Heads of Delegation initialed the TOR which they agreed should be a platform for confidence-building measures and for promoting maritime cooperation and maritime security. The BCM will comprise equivalent officials from the respective foreign ministries and relevant maritime affairs agencies, and will meet alternately in China and the Philippines once every six months.

Both sides reviewed their experiences on the South China Sea issue. They exchanged views on current and other issues of concern to either side, and agreed to further discuss mutually acceptable approaches to deal with them. They also held discussions on issues including the promotion of next-step practical maritime cooperation and the possible establishment of relevant technical working groups.

With a view to creating a sound atmosphere for the healthy and steady growth of bilateral relations and for the smooth progress of practical cooperation in various fields, both sides exchanged views on the importance of addressing concerns in the South China Sea and handling incidents and disputes in the South China Sea in an appropriate manner. Such discussions are consistent with the October 2016 Joint Statement, where both sides reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace and stability, freedom of navigation in and over-flight above the South China Sea, addressing their territorial and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means, without resorting to the threat or use of force, through friendly consultations and negotiations by sovereign states directly concerned, in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The second meeting of the BCM will be held in the Philippines in the second half of 2017, while the exact date and place will be determined and mutually agreed upon through diplomatic channels.
(Xinhua) 10:19, May 20, 2017

KIEV, May 19 -- Two Chinese companies and the city of Kiev have signed a deal to build a fourth subway line in the capital city of Ukraine, the city said Friday.

China Railway International Group and China Pacific Construction Group will be the managing partner and contractor of the project, responsible for engineering, procurement and construction.

The deal also includes a provision that the two Chinese companies will assist the Ukrainian government in raising funds for the project in Chinese financial institutions.

The Kiev City State Administration has estimated that the project to build the 16-km-long fourth subway line in the Ukrainian capital will cost about 1.3 billion U.S. dollars.

Kiev currently has three subway lines with a total length of 67.6 km.
A couple of days ago, I saw TV footage of the outspoken Labour MP Jess Phillips on the campaign trail, seeking re-election in her suburban Birmingham constituency.

She was asked which issues voters mentioned most often on the doorstep. Ms Phillips did not miss a beat.

Immigration comes up... she said thoughtfully. And then, as if remembering herself, she started talking about bin collections instead.

Journalist Douglas Murray said that our political leaders have knowingly colluded in the mass movement of peoples into Europe

It was, I thought, an enormously revealing moment. For there is no issue so potentially dangerous as immigration. Many people have intense feelings about it, and many feel unable to raise them publicly.

Even in private, self-consciously tolerant people discuss immigration very tentatively, if at all.

The shadow of Enoch Powell  the Birmingham-born Tory who was cast into the wilderness after his controversial speech in 1968 about rivers of blood (a phrase he never actually used)  still hangs over the debate.

A few years ago, I was at a lunch in London, sitting next to the former editor of a national newspaper and the editor of one of Britains best-known magazines, both of them highly educated and liberal-minded people. The subject turned to immigration.

Its gone much too far, one said. Youre quite right, said the other, but of course you cant say so.

The journalist Douglas Murray has no such qualms. Best known for his acerbic columns in the Spectator magazine and his prize-winning book on the Bloody Sunday inquiry, he has just hurled a literary hand grenade into the debate about immigration and identity in todays Europe.

Indeed, the opening lines of his new book, The Strange Death Of Europe, could hardly be more incendiary.

Europe is committing suicide, Murray writes. Or at least its leaders have decided to commit suicide... As a result, by the end of the lifespans of most people currently alive, Europe will not be Europe and the peoples of Europe will have lost the only place in the world we had to call home.

In his book The Strange Death Of Europe, Murray (left) writes that leaders are filling cold and rainy northern towns with people dressed for the foothills of Pakistan or the sandstorms of Arabia

The causes, he thinks, are twofold. First, our political leaders have knowingly colluded in the mass movement of peoples into Europe, filling cold and rainy northern towns with people dressed for the foothills of Pakistan or the sandstorms of Arabia.

Second, he believes Europes intellectual and cultural elites, including those in Britain, have lost faith in its beliefs, traditions and legitimacy. Crippled with guilt, obsessed with atoning for the sins of empire, they have lost sight of the historic Christian values that their people expect them to defend.

As a result of their deluded utopianism, Murray thinks, Europe is ceasing to be Europe. Indeed, he believes that European culture as generations have understood it  the culture of Michelangelo and Mozart, Shakespeare and Goethe, Dickens and Wagner  is doomed.

Instead of remaining a home for the European peoples, he writes, we have decided to become a utopia only in the original Greek sense of the word: to become no place.

You will not be surprised to hear that Murrays book has gone down badly with the bien-pensant types at The Guardian, whose reviewer described it as gentrified xenophobia and a slightly posher version of naked racism.

In its way, that verdict tells you all you need to know about the intellectual blinkers of the liberal intelligentsia.

I opened Murrays book this week with slight scepticism, and I still think he overdoes the apocalyptic negativity.

Outspoken Labour MP Jess Phillips was speaking on TV when she suddenly changed the subject so as not to talk about immigration - showing the stigma people attach to the subject

Even so, at the risk of being accused of xenophobia by The Guardian  which would admittedly put me in crowded company  I believe he has penetrated closer to the heart of our current discontents than legions of liberal academics.

For one thing, it is refreshing to get some honesty about the historically unprecedented nature of immigration into Europe in the past 70 years.

In case you need reminding, the figures for Britain alone are simply mind-boggling.

Between 1997 and 2010, for example, the last Labour government allowed a staggering 2.2 million people to settle in this country, the equivalent of two Birminghams.

Under David Cameron, the Tories promised to reduce immigration to the tens of thousands. Yet the latest figures show that annual net migration is about 273,000, roughly a city the size of Hull arriving every year.

It is worth noting, by the way, that mass immigration has always been immensely unpopular. When I wrote a history of Britain in the Sixties, I could hardly fail to notice that even back then, at least seven out of ten people were dead against it, as shown by the deluge of approving letters that greeted Enoch Powells supposedly toxic speech.

Maybe his admirers were wrong; maybe they werent. But whatever your own view of immigration, there has never been an issue on which the political class has so consistently gone against the wishes of the British people.

At this point in the argument, your standard liberal academic would typically interject to insist that Britain has always been a nation of immigrants. We all come from somewhere else anyway, they say, we are all mongrels, so how dare we close the gates to a few more?

But as Douglas Murray shows, this is a shameless rewriting of our past. For most of our history, we have never been a nation of immigrants. Even the most famous influx in our history, the Norman Conquest, involved a tiny population transfer, the equivalent of no more than 5 per cent or so.

He believes Europes intellectual and cultural elites, including those in Britain, have lost faith in its beliefs, traditions and legitimacy (pictured, the Calais jungle)

As much as the BBC and other news organisations like to pretend that Britain has always been a beacon of diversity, the plain fact is that until the mid-20th century the massive, overwhelming majority of the people who lived here had been born here. Look at photo after photo from late Victorian London and the uniformly pale faces stare back at you.

The arrival of the French Huguenots in the 1680s, often cited by apostles of diversity, involved about 50,000 people, all of whom were white and Christian.

And although the Irish migrants who arrived in the 19th century faced more than their fair share of prejudice, our islands interlinked histories meant they were far from complete outsiders.

Liberal-minded types often find this embarrassing. Either they try to rewrite our history, relentlessly playing up the presence of tiny minorities of Africans and Asians, or they peddle a caricature of pre-Fifties Britain as a grey, boring place, which desperately needed an injection of immigrant colour.

This is not just a British hang-up. As Murray writes, European liberals love to paint their own societies as slightly boring or staid places. They write as if there is a hole at the heart of Europe which needs filling and without which we would otherwise be poorer.

(By the way, this is something they would never dream of saying about countries such as Bhutan or Burkina Faso. Nobody ever suggests that what these unforgivably monoracial countries need is an influx of migrants from Surrey.)

As a superbly damning example, Murray gives us the views of the impeccably liberal Fredrik Reinfeldt, Swedens Prime Minister between 2006 and 2014, who enjoyed the dubious reputation of being the Scandinavian David Cameron. He was a passionate advocate of mass immigration. Swedish people, he once said, were boring, while national borders were fictional constructs.

And in a perfect illustration of what Murray sees as the European elites chronic self-flagellation, Mr Reinfeldt even declared that only barbarism is genuinely Swedish. All further development has been brought from outside.

This would have come as a shock to the Swedish playwright August Strindberg, the film director Ingmar Bergman and the members of Abba, not to mention their countrymen who invented the seatbelt and the pacemaker.

It is refreshing to get some honesty about the historically unprecedented nature of immigration into Europe in the past 70 years

In any case, the results of Mr Reinfeldts liberal utopianism have been staggering. With just 10 million people, Sweden has taken in more refugees per capita than any other country. In 2015 alone, it accepted 180,000 incomers  more than the population of all but the three largest Swedish cities.

In recent months, the relationship between immigration and crime in Sweden has become hugely controversial. This is thanks largely to Donald Trumps comments about riots in Sweden based on a report on Fox News, which blamed an alleged breakdown in law and order in the country on an influx of migrants over the past 20 years.

But as Murray suggests, the really telling story is surely the rise of the far-Right Sweden Democrats  a nationalistic, anti-immigrant party that has come from nowhere to lead the opinion polls for the past two years. And this not in Thirties Germany but in 21st-century Sweden, ostensibly one of the most contented, tolerant and egalitarian societies on Earth!

It would, I think, be unforgivably lazy to blame this on the supposed racism of the great unwashed, as liberal intellectuals love to do.

In fact, almost every indicator shows that old-fashioned, poisonous prejudice has virtually died out, not just here in Britain, but across much of Western Europe.

Whatever The Guardian might think, Murray himself is not racist. Indeed, he writes movingly about the plight of the thousands of refugees who have paid up to $1,500 (1,150) each to travel on dangerous boats across the Mediterranean. As he remarks, any decent person should want to help them, not to push them back into the sea.

Between 1997 and 2010, for example, the last Labour government allowed a staggering 2.2 million people to settle in this country, the equivalent of two Birminghams

His own approach, by the way, would be for European countries to invest in holding centres in North Africa and to grant refugees asylum for a limited period only.

Whether this would work is impossible to say. But could it really be worse than the free-for-all of the past few years?

But I suspect his trenchant dismissal of all those naive liberal pieties will strike a chord with people in every corner of our political landscape. He pours scorn, for example, on the argument that immigration has magically made us a more tolerant society.

A survey of attitudes to homosexuality in 2015 found that just 16 per cent of people outside London thought it was morally wrong. The figure in London was 29 per cent, reflecting the much higher concentration of conservative Muslims.

Indeed, that conflict between Islamic fundamentalism and British tolerance is a sadly familiar story, from the death threats to the author Salman Rushdie over his novel The Satanic Verses to the horrific murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby by two Islamist converts.

Murray should have made it clearer, I think, that the vast majority of British Muslims are decent, peaceful, law-abiding citizens. Even so, he is absolutely right to argue that, for far too long, our political and cultural elites have been so afraid of being called racist that they have allowed Islamic extremists to fester unchecked.

Yet even now, the European political elite are desperate to silence their critics. Indeed, two stories from Murrays book genuinely shocked me.

The first comes from September 2015, when German Chancellor Angela Merkel reportedly asked Facebooks founder Mark Zuckerberg what he was doing to stop people criticising her open-door migration policy on his site. Are you working on this? she asked him  and he said that he was.

Under David Cameron, the Tories promised to reduce immigration to the tens of thousands. Yet the latest figures show that annual net migration is about 273,000, roughly a city the size of Hull arriving every year

My shock was twofold: that she felt entitled to ask him to shut down her critics, and that he meekly said he was doing it.

The second also comes from Germany. A month later, in the small city of Kassel, 800 migrants were due to arrive under Mrs Merkels scheme, so the authorities held a public meeting.

But when residents began to voice their concerns, the district president, Walter Lubcke, spoke up. Admitting immigrants, he said, was the German way. Anybody who did not agree, he added, was free to leave Germany.

This is outrageous, I think, not just because it is so arrogant, but because it is so counter-productive. For the past 50 years, the European political elite have been telling the people that they are wrong.

When the voters refuse to listen, the elite merely take that as proof that they need another dose of diversity to break their resistance once and for all. And so the dialogue of the deaf goes on.

Whether this really marks the end of European civilisation, as Murray claims, is a matter of opinion. I think he is far too pessimistic, although if I lived somewhere like the concrete Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis, a crime-ridden ghetto with a heavily North African Muslim population, I might think differently.

What is certain, though, is that we need caustic, but honest, voices like his if we are ever going to have a genuine debate about all this.

For by shouting down and silencing the Douglas Murrays of this world, the bien-pensant liberals are merely handing yet more ammunition to the strutting demagogues of the extreme Right.

I cannot think of a more foolish and dangerous approach. After all, we have seen that story before. We all know how it ends.
The phrase Notting Hill set entered the political lexicon almost 13 years ago.

It was coined by me to describe the coterie of rich, privileged, Oxbridge-educated careerists who were chums of David Cameron when he launched his ultimately successful bid to become Tory leader.

At the time, I was political correspondent of The Spectator magazine.

The phrase Notting Hill set describes the coterie of rich, privileged, Oxbridge-educated careerists who were chums of David Cameron when he launched his ultimately successful bid to become Tory leader

My intention was to categorise this group who mainly lived in or around Notting Hill, the area of West London which had become gentrified in the years following the 1958 race riots and which was much favoured by professionals such as investment bankers.

It also achieved fame as the location of the eponymous romantic comedy starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant (who played a charming-but-bumbling bookshop owner).

Indeed, many of Camerons inner circle could have had walk-on parts in that film, which centred on a group of self-obsessed and smug luvvies. Their charm and polish was matched only by a moral vacuity and lack of principle.

Like Tony Blair before them, they were youngish, media-savvy and metropolitan.

As voters were later to discover when they rose to positions of power, this gilded elite were incapable of understanding what life was like for hard-working families who did not live in the more comfortable parts of central London and the Home Counties.

Ultimately, their insincerity, arrogance and reliance on political gimmicks was exposed when Cameron lost last summers EU referendum vote and he humiliatingly had to resign as prime minister.

If June 23, 2016, marked the moment when a dagger was plunged into the heart of the Notting Hill set and everything it stood for, this week saw its death as Theresa May unveiled her unashamedly moral and honest vision for Britain.

As the writer who first gave them that name, I feel duty-bound now to comment on their demise.

This week saw the set's death as Theresa May unveiled her unashamedly moral and honest vision for Britain

And it was deliciously symbolic that as the vicars daughter set out her core beliefs and hopes for Britain, Cameron was in so-called Sin City, Las Vegas, pocketing a fat cheque for making a speech to billionaire bankers.

Crucially, Mrs Mays manifesto takes Britain in a new direction. It places public duty above private gratification. It brings an end to the cronyism that was one of the defining features of the Cameron era  which ended in a sleazy chumocracy with the former PMs aides receiving bumper pay packets and being garlanded with gongs and peerages.

Mrs May also wants a country where talent and hard work  not privilege and connection  should be the key to success.

Above all, her manifesto signals a new seriousness about politics. For she is prepared to make difficult and unpopular decisions of the kind which Cameron and his Notting Hill set shirked.

The most important of these concerns social care policy.

Her view that the elderly should not expect current and future taxpayers to pay for their care may have been criticised  because this policy risks leaving pensioners helpless in the face of rising costs.

But such a bold move is absolutely necessary if this country is to remain solvent in the decades to come, as its elderly population grows ever larger.

The truth is that Mrs May has shown courage.

The PM, too, has demonstrated admirable honesty in rejecting Camerons reckless tax promises, in jettisoning an unrealistic timetable to cut the national debt and in warning there is no magic tree to fund the NHS and schools. In sum, Mrs Mays unremittingly principled philosophy and the death of the Notting Hill set marks a return to real politics.

For anyone who values the clash of ideas and principle, then the General Election campaign of 2017 is shaping up to be an exemplary battle.

As well as the clear-cut position of Mrs May, Labour, under Jeremy Corbyn, deserves great credit for the way it has made a break with the past. Just as Mrs May has turned her back on the putrid legacy of Cameron, so Corbyn has finally expunged the moral horror that were the Blair years. With May and Corbyn, voters have a real choice between two very different philosophies  whereas in the age of Blair and Cameron, the two main parties manifestos were very similar.

Just as Mrs May has turned her back on the putrid legacy of Cameron, so Corbyn has finally expunged the moral horror that were the Blair years

Whether you agree with him or not, it is indisputable that Corbyn has produced a serious, socialist manifesto. His plans involve nationalisation of the railways, tax rises and whacking the rich.

Such policies are true to the soul of the Labour Party and to its early-20th century founders who fought to improve the conditions of the poor.

Like Mrs May, Mr Corbyn has restored honest politics to Britain. For that, I salute him  even if I accept he has displayed incompetence and that some of his colleagues are deeply flawed.

Significantly, I believe that this return to core values is also the result of last years Brexit vote.

One of the biggest defects with the EU has been its visceral hostility to democracy.

As a result, it is impossible for national politicians to address their voters concerns because key decisions are not taken at a national level, but in Brussels or the headquarters of the European Central Bank in Frankfurt.

This means that domestic politicians become reduced to impotence and feel they can cynically promise whatever they like without any chance of being expected to deliver.

In Italy and Greece, for instance, politicians are powerless to tackle the economic catastrophe and mass unemployment that has brought ruin and despair to both countries.

In Britain, politicians have been powerless to stop mass immigration from Eastern Europe because of EU rules concerning the free movement of people.

With these vital decisions being made by bureaucrats and bankers in foreign capitals, politicians have come to be held in utter contempt. No wonder there is so much apathy at election time.

Suddenly, with Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, Brexit and the death of the Notting Hill set, politics has become more relevant again. Politicians are accountable to the people who vote for them, not the bureaucrats. And this is certainly something to celebrate.

Shame on the Establishment Mr Fixit

This week, the Attorney General, Jeremy Wright, renewed his High Court bid to block a private prosecution of Tony Blair over the Iraq war.

How grotesque!

At a time when the availability of legal aid has been cut, leaving thousands of people struggling to pay court costs as they fight for justice, it is reprehensible for taxpayers money to be used to protect multi-millionaire Blair from facing the consequences of what I believe was an illegal war.

This week, the Attorney General, Jeremy Wright, renewed his High Court bid to block a private prosecution of Tony Blair over the Iraq war

I am afraid the Attorney Generals move confirms a depressing rule of modern politics. It is that the one thing that unites politicians is the need to protect each other.

Specifically, however, I believe that something can be done to stop Mr Wrights mistaken course of action.

The Conservative is standing for re-election as the MP for Kenilworth and Southam.

The good folk in this Warwickshire constituency who think Tony Blair should not have immunity from any criminal charges relating to the Iraq war should consider deeply whether this Mr Fixit for the Establishment deserves their vote on June 8.

Saturday vote saboteur

Support for my campaign to move elections from Thursdays to Saturdays comes from an unlikely source. Joe Haines  legendary press officer to Labour prime minister Harold Wilson  tells me that he convinced his boss to push for the switch in the Seventies.

Unfortunately, the then PM was put off by Labour grandee Ian Mikardo, who argued, bizarrely, that our people go away weekends.

As Haines comments sarcastically: Just imagine all those country cottages belonging to our people!
When was the last time you got away? As in, really got away?

For Cam and Chris Grant, 30, the high-intensity atmosphere of the city of Sydney - where they live and work - was the main catalyst for their new business, Unyoked.

Unyoked offers stressed-out city workers the chance to escape the rat race for a night or two, and stay entirely in the wilderness in tiny cabins without any wi-fi, technology or stress.

'Unyoked is the antidote to the daily grind, the nine to five and the rat race,' Cam Grant told Daily Mail Australia of the business.

'We came up with the idea because we are the target market.'

Scroll down for video

For Cam and Chris Grant (pictured), 30, the high-intensity atmosphere of the city of Sydney - where they live and work - was the main catalyst for their new business, Unyoked

'Unyoked is the antidote to the daily grind, the nine to five and the rat race,' Cam Grant told Daily Mail Australia of the business (pictured: one of the remote cabins)

The 30-year-olds in fact first found inspiration around a year and a half ago, when they were on a camping trip with some friends:

'We were on the Central coast, in Bouddi National Park, and had rented a campsite on the beach.

'We realised how much of a good time everyone was having, but also how much of a hassle it was to sort out.

'We wanted to recreate that experience of people getting away, but make it possible for everyone,' Cam said.

The 30-year-olds first found inspiration around a year and a half ago, when they were on a camping trip with some friends (pictured: one of the cabins close-up)

The twins then decided to launch Unyoked - an accommodation startup renting out tiny cabins on escape-worthy private properties in the Australian countryside

The twins then decided to launch Unyoked - an accommodation startup renting out tiny cabins on escape-worthy private properties in the Australian countryside.

'A wise person once said people often mistake making a living for having a life,' Cam told Daily Mail Australia.

People often mistake making a living for having a life

'The idea with Unyoked is that it's possible for everyone to have a micro adventure close to home.'

At present, Unyoked has two solar-powered sustainable properties within a two-hour drive of Sydney.

The cabins, Miguel and Heike, are set up somewhere in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales.

The pair have plans to stretch out into Melbourne, Western Australia and Tasmania in the future if things go well.

'There are lots of activities like hiking and walking trails in the areas, but the main idea is to just chill out and relax and reconnect,' Cam said.

'You get the coordinates for where you're going a couple of days before your trip, to convey a sense of adventure, and then you just drive there, unplug and live in the middle of nowhere for a night.'

At present, Unyoked have two solar-powered sustainable properties within a two-hour drive of Sydney (pictured)

'There are proven health benefits of getting back to nature and the power of silence,' Cam said - 'It helps you take stock of what's important'

The pair have plans to stretch out into Melbourne, Western Australia and Tasmania in the future

For those interested in a little 'rewilding', the $190 a night cabins come equipped with board games, fire pits, gas stoves and more.

'There are proven health benefits of getting back to nature and the power of silence,' Cam said.

'It helps you to take stock of what's important.'

So far, take-up has been big for Unyoked.

At present, Cam said that the properties are booked out until February 2018, but keen people are welcome to join the waiting list online:

'I don't think this whole trend for "rewilding" [getting back in touch with nature] is just a fad,' Cam said.

'People really do need to escape the pressures of modern life.'

For more information about Unyoked, you can click here.
If you've ever broken a bone, then you know the only cool part of any such injury is decorating a cast. Now, one woman is giving pets the same treatment with her adorable decorated casts for cats and dogs.

Veterinary technician Kate Doyle of Perth, Australia is bringing smiles to worried pet owners with her lovingly decorated animal casts that feature cartoon characters like Pokemon, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Superman.

The dedicated vet tech occasionally posts her custom creations to her Instagram account, where she has amassed thousands of fans.

Looking good! Perth, Australia-based veterinary technician creates colorful, cartoon-themed casts for injured pets

Feline friendly: Doyle's casts can be seen on both cats and dogs who have either fractured a limb or underwent ligament surgery

Dedication! The casts, which take between thirty minutes and three hours to make, are created entirely in Doyle's free time

Doyle, who has worked as a vet tech (the rough equivalent of a nurse for animals) for the past five years, told Mashable that she has spent the last two years making her special bandages.

Even more impressive is the fact that Doyle makes the casts completely in her spare time. Depending on the size and complexity, a custom bandage can take anywhere between thirty minutes to three hours. 'I keep a folder of them at work ready to use,' she said.

She admits that, while a Superman-themed bandage might not make a difference to a pup with a fractured arm or leg, they certainly help owners feel better about seeing their furry friend in pain.

A rainbow of cute! Doyle's diversified portfolio of cast creations include cartoon characters, superheroes, and other colorful critters

Super pup! While injured pets may not know or care what their casts look like, Doyle says it helps stressed out owners smile

Pun-ny! Hopefully, the injured cat on the left channeled the strength of its inner 'Catman' and that the cat on the right wasn't too tempted by the mouse on its leg

Rest and relaxation: When it comes to a sick or injured pet, Doyle advises worried owners to give their dog or cat a serene place to recover

Doyle is not only an expert cast-illustrator, but she also knows a thing or two about making an ailing pet feel comfortable. 'Keep them somewhere comfy and warm with their favorite blanket or bed,' she noted.

Because animals struggle to regulate their internal temperature after the stress of an operation, it's important to make sure they have something like a hot water bottle or even a sweater to keep them toasty.

A stressful surgery can also make pets reluctant to eat, but Doyle says it's important not to worry: 'They will eat when they are ready.'

Of course, it's nice to imagine that any pet with a Pikachu-themed cast is likely to heal all the more quickly.
Advertisement

The Duchess of Cambridge was sure not to outshine her sister on Saturday opting for a subtle peach ensemble for Pippa's nuptials to James Matthews.

Kate, 35, could be seen taking on the attentive sister role and was helping Pippa with her wedding gown as they entered St Mark's Chapel on Saturday.

As well as her pale pink maxi dress from Alexander McQueen Kate could be seen wearing an elegant fascinator from milliner Jane Taylor and 7,500 Kiki McDonough earrings as she and her father Michael Middleton accompanied Pippa into the church.

Pippa stunned in a high necked white bridal gown designed by Giles Deacon and a classic bridal veil as she prepared to say her nuptials to multi-millionaire fiance James Matthews.

Scroll down for video

The Duchess of Cambridge could be seen doing her best to keep the rowdy rabble of bridesmaids and pageboys under control as they arrived at St Mark's Church in Englefield on Saturday

Kate, 35, could be seen taking on the attentive sister role and was seen helping Pippa with her wedding gown as they entered St Mark's Chapel on Saturday

All though she is not officially a bridesmaid, Kate took on the role of herding the group of very young and excitable bridesmaids and pageboys into the chapel ahead of her sister's nuptials.

In a bid to quieten the rabble the mother-of-two could be seen hushing the youngsters who included her two children Princess Charlotte, two, and Prince George, three.

At a the Queen's garden party earlier in the week the Duchess admitted that she was 'worried' about how her children would behave at the wedding.

However, the children appeared to be on their very best behaviour on Saturday with the Duchess looking proud as they walked down the aisle.

While the royal cuties seemed were good as gold there was one pageboy who escaped Kate's attention managing to flick a v-sign before the camera on Saturday.

The Duchess of Cambridge could be seen tentatively rearranging Pippa's veil which was studded with dozens of crystals

Kate was brimming with joy as she lead the (very) young bridal party into the chapel ahead of her sister's wedding

Prince George appeared to be helping out his younger sister who was carrying a blossom heart matching her floral headband

Kate added some serious bling to her outfit with a pair of 7,500 Kiki McDonough earrings

But Maria Borrallo, George and Charlotte's Spanish nanny was seen arriving at the church today in full uniform in order to keep an eye on the tots today.

While not all of the children were on their best behaviour they couldn't help but look angelic dressed in adorable ensembles from Spanish clothing company Pepa & Co.

For the little girls Pippa had chosen cream coloured dresses with puffed sleeves and a blush coloured sash around the waist complete with a floral crown.

George and Charlotte were escorted by their mother the Duchess of Cambridge who was a vision in pale peach

At a young age it was no surprise to see Charlotte stay close to her mother during this morning's celebrations

Kate could be seen beaming with pride as she chatted to bridesmaid Charlotte after the ceremony

Framed by the entrance to the chapel the Englefield estate made a picturesque setting for the couple

PIPPA AND JAMES'S BIG DAY: A TIMELINE 8am - Pippa Middleton and her bridal party preened themselves ahead of the big day. Richard Ward - Kate's hairdresser - tended to Pippa's tresses 10.30am - Guests were greeted by best man Spencer Matthews and ushers, who were wearing morning suits with dusty pink ties, at the archway entrance. Among the first celebrity guests to arrive were ITV news anchor Tom Bradby and his jewellery designer wife Claudia. They were followed by former Byker Grove star Donna Air, James Middletons girlfriend and tennis star Roger Federer. Pippas uncle Gary Goldsmith waved to the assembled press as he arrived with his daughter. Princess Eugenie, wearing a navy blue dress and cream pillbox hat also waved to the cameras as she was accompanied by her long-term boyfriend Jack Brooksbank. 11am - The groom, James Matthews, also greeted guests at the entrance to the church. He appeared relaxed, at one stage sharing a joke with his brother. 11.20am - Mother of the bride Carole arrived with her son James, wearing a peach Catherine Walker outfit. 11.25am - The Cambridges nanny Maria Borrallo was then spotted entering the church in her distinctive brown Norland uniform. 11.26am - A minute or so later, two vintage Jaguar Mk IV cars pulled up caring the Duchess of Cambridge in the first car with George, Charlotte and younger page boys bridesmaids, followed by a second car (exactly the same, grey coloured) carrying the other, older ones (they wouldnt tell us who was who). 11.30am - They were shortly followed by Pippa and her father Michael in an open top gun metal grey 1951 Jaguar Mk V. They spent some time rearranging Pippas dress by the archway entrance - both Michael and an attendant - presumably one of Deacons. 11.45am - There was embarrassment when a couple of late comers arrived after Pippa had gone into the church. Bodyguards were scrambled to usher them in a side entrance. 12.40pm - The bride and groom emerged just as the sun started shining again, having rained during the 40-minute ceremony. 12.45pm - The pageboys and bridesmaids were assembled at the entrance and then walked out in front of the happy couple, with Kate helping to usher them into position. 12.50pm - Prince George throws a tantrum and Kate steps in to tell him to calm down. Kate ushered them all back into the cars and she went in the car with them as the bride and groom then made their way up to Englefield House on foot, after posing for photographs. 4pm - Pippa and James drive from Englefield House back to Bucklebury and wave at wellwishers along the 1.5 mile drive Crowds gathered and lined the sides of the road where James and Pippa drove down on their way back to the Middleton mansion after the wedding Advertisement

For the boys the new Mrs Matthews opted for golden pantaloons and a double breasted cream shirt with a Peter Pan collar and white stockings.

After saying their vows surrounded by their friends and family, the happy couple waved to the crowds as they drove in a Jaguar E-Type from the Englefield estate to the Middleton mansion for the evening reception in the 'portapalace' they've constructed in their garden.

Shortly after Pippa and James left, Kate came by in a grey Range Rover, this time with a personal driver behind the wheel.

Villagers soon began to speculate whether her husband William and little George and Charlotte were hiding behind the car's tinted back windows.

The wedding guests were all leaving the reception at Englefield Town Hall to commence the party at Carol and Michael's home on Pease Hill.

The party is expected to carry on all evening with an estimated 350 high-profile guests.

Kate could be seen trying to keep Pippa's troupe of pageboys and bridesmaids under control trying to encourage them to keep the noise down ahead of entering the church

Princess Charlotte appeared to be very giddy as she prepared to accompany her aunt down the aisle

Details of the wedding service, reception and celebrations have been kept under wraps by organisers but there has been speculation in the press the day will cost Pippa's parents Carole and Michael Middleton hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Reports suggest it will be a lavish affair, with a nod to the groom's Scottish connections included in his outfit, entertainment and the food, with haggis on the menu along with Scottish lamb and whisky, while there will also be a piper and a Spitfire flypast.

Pippa's guest list includes multiple members of the royal family with brother-in-law Prince William also in attendance accompanied by his brother Prince Harry.

The royal brothers could be seen making their way into the chapel ahead of the bride's arrival in Englefield on Saturday.

There was however, no sign of Prince Harry's girlfriend Meghan Markle who had been expected to attend the ceremony today.

Princess Eugenie could be seen arriving on the arm of Jack Brooksbank for the momentous occasion on Saturday.

Charlotte looked adorable in a white puffed sleeved gown and a flower crown while the young boys smartened up in golden pantaloons

THE NAUGHTY PAGEBOY WHO FLICKED THE VS While the majority of the bridal party appeared to be on their best behaviour - however, one of the pageboys couldn't help but stir up trouble. As photographers captured their entrance to the church the mischievous bridal party member turned back to flash the V sign at the camera. The youngster could be seen flashing the v-sign to photographers as he made his way into the church While the Duchess of Cambridge had done her best to get the rabble to behave - he appeared to escape her attention making for a photo which surely won't make the wedding album. Luckily one of his fellow pageboys appeared to be keeping an eye on the cheeky child - holding his hand to prevent any further mischief. Despite his rather obscene gesture the youngster couldn't help but appear angelic dressed in a pair of golden pantaloons and a white double brested shirt. Along with Prince George he was dressed in a pair of white stockings and pale pink pair of brogues. Advertisement

The Duchess of Cambridge's blush coloured dress perfectly matched the floral bowers decorating the church

Guests will now head back to the Middleton family home where a portapalace has been constructed in the grounds for guests to kick back and relax in

The Princess of York stunned in a navy blue dress at 560 from Paule Ka showcases her curves paired with a cream coloured cap for the occasion. She could be seen carrying a silver Anya Hindmarch clutch.

Her longterm partner Jack could be seen looking dapper wearing a traditional coat with tails paired with a yellow satin waistcoat.

One notable absentee was Prince Harry's girlfriend, Meghan Markle, who is thought to be joining the contingent for the reception back at the Middleton mansion this evening.

Rumours have been circulating for some weeks the Suits actress had been invited to the nuptials despite Pippa's 'no ring, no bring' policy. However, some believe Meghan may have chosen to stay away from the church ceremony to avoid upstaging Pippa and bringing more attention to her relationship with Harry.

To have her on his arm earlier today at such a high-profile event would once again have re-fuelled suggestions the pair could be set to marry.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were lucky to make it to the church on time having left for the ceremony from Kensington palace just hours earlier.

The couple, who were dressed to impress in their wedding outfits, were seen driving through London as they made the 50 mile journey to St Mark's Church in Berkshire.

Pippa Middleton was a vision of beauty in a glorious bridal gown designed by British designer Giles Deacon

Today Pippa was took on the role as princess for a day pictured wearing a delicate diamante tiara

Pippa and James looked the picture of happiness as they left the church following their nuptials

The newlyweds shared a romantic kiss in the grounds of the chapel after becoming man and wife

Off they go! Happy couple Pippa Middleton and James Matthews were seen leaving the church and heading off to the reception in their Jaguar E-Type after saying their vows in front of 100 friends and family at St Mark's Church in Berkshire

The groom's hair blew in the wind as he drove his new bride home after marrying her at St Mark's Church. Despite rain forecasts, the couple certainly got lucky with the weather

The Duchess appeared to be extremely popular among the bridal party who barely left her side

Made In Chelsea's bad boy Spencer Matthews appeared to be having a hoot - enjoying the company of both Prince William and Pippa's brother James Middleton

Princes William and Harry could be seen making their way into the church together, however, neither Meghan Markle or the Duchess of Cambridge are anywhere in sight

The royal pair could be seen making their way into the church without their partners - though it is thought that the Duchess of Cambridge may be readying Charlotte and George

The royal brothers seemed to be in high spirits ahead of Pippa and Matthew's wedding on Saturday

As he left the church it seemed that Meghan had in fact not secured an invite to the ceremony as she was nowhere in sight

Prince Harry could later be seen departing the church in his own car as he made his way to the reception

Prince William, who looked dapper in a satin waistcoat and red tie, drove his family-of-four in their Range Rover to the society wedding of the decade.

Kate will join a star-studded guest list today including Prince Harry and girlfriend Meghan Markle, plus the groom's younger sister, Made in Chelsea lothario Spencer Matthews.

While the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are yet to arrive other members of the royal family have begun to make their appearance at St Mark's Church.

Guests will be ferried in a fleet of cars following the hour-long ceremony, in the Middletons' nearby Bucklebury home where a 140ft long glass marquee has been installed for the lavish reception.

The newlywed duo could be seen making their way to the reception in a classic vintage car - and they have never looked happier

Princess Eugenie could be seen arriving on the arm of Jack Brooksbank for the momentous occasion on Saturday

The Princess of York stunned in a navy blue dress from Paule Ka showcases her curves paired with a cream coloured cap for the occasion, she could be seen carrying a silver crisp packet clutch Anya Hindmarch clutch

According to tradition, Pippa would have to make Kate the maid of honour rather than a bridesmaid, a role that goes to an unmarried female family member.

However, the royal was said to be anxious not to upstage her younger sister, 33, on her big day - and although at one point she was rumoured to be giving a reading, a source confirmed that she will be taking a backseat during the nuptials.

Pippa's wedding is, however, set to be a more of an intimate affair that her sister's 2011 nuptials at Westminster Abbey where she exchanged her vows in front of some 2,000 guests.

But she is said to have wanted a smaller, more intimate 'family' wedding when she weds wealthy hedge fund trader James today in front of some 100 guests.

Lady Gabriella Windsor was seen arriving wearing a pale blue dress cut above the knee with a matching formal jacket. She finished the look with a floral hat, purse and heels - all in a matching shade of cream

Carole's brother Gary Goldsmith arrives with daughter Tallulah, wearing a Mary Katrantzou sleeveless number

One chic lady wowed in a flowing, bohemian dress that matched Pippa's 'country vibe' wedding theme. She offset her look with a pair of trendy Aquazzura heels, which cost around 500 a pop

This female guest wore a 1960s-inspired dress with flower power detail, large circular glasses and a fascinator

This female guest could be seen in a white floral gown accompanied by a purse, heels and hat - all in a matching shade of pink

Yesterday, several dozen vans and lorries arrived at the Middleton family home, as well as the nearby village of Englefield. Among them was a van from Jones Hire, a premier catering rental company, providing tableware, furniture and kitchen equipment for prestigious events.

It is understood that a firm which has worked with Prince Harry, Boultbee Flight Academy, will be organising Pippas fly-past, which is rumoured to feature a Spitfire aircraft.

Security efforts surrounding the Englefield estate and Middleton home have been significantly ramped up in the lead-up to the main event, with metal fencing, CCTV and sniffer dogs being installed on site for the rehearsal yesterday.

Pippa and wealthy financier James had been friends for some ten years before getting engaged last summer.

One female guests wore a very brave loose-fitting purple jump suit and a black and white hat (left) while another was seen in a bright pink embroidered gown (right)

One female guest turned up in a red knee-length dress with matching toe nail varnish and silver stiletto heels (left) while another attendant wore a dark blue and black frock with a matching hat (right)

Two male guests sported matching tartan trousers as they joined the congregation in Berkshire on Saturday morning

Left: Talullah Goldsmith, who is Carole's niece, looked mature beyond her years in a chic blue and white dress at the event. She arrived on the arm of her father Gary, the disgraced brother of Carole. Right: Lady Gabriella Windsor looked chic in a white hat with floral embellishment and she smiled for the cameras

Tom Bradby and wife Claudia, left, joined colourful guests arriving at Englefield this morning

One female guest wore a yellow-ish gown with floral detail (left) while another opted for a dark blue dress with large cuffs (right)

Other female guests seen arriving at the wedding included these attendants in a purple dress and black jacket (left) and a very brave floral gown (right)

One guest wore a white top and blazer accompanied by a pink skirt and pink top hat (left) while another female guest was seen in richly-patterned gown (right)

Guests opted for an array of eye-catching colours as they arrived at St. Mark's Church on the private Englefield estate

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge cut it fine as they set off from Kensington Palace with just a few hours to spare ahead of Pippa Middleton's wedding today

Prince William, who looked dapper in a satin waistcoat and red tie, drove his family-of-four in their Range Rover to the society wedding of the decade

The Duchess could be seen wearing a peach fascinator and a pair of elegant earrings and she made her way to Berkshire
Advertisement

Carole Middleton was beaming with pride as she arrived at St. Mark's Church in Englefield for the wedding of her youngest daughter Pippa this morning.

The party entrepreneur, 62, was among the first arrivals at the Berkshire venue this morning, where the sun came out for the most anticipated wedding of the year despite fears of a downpour.

Wearing a bright pink dress and broad-rimmed hat, the Middleton matriarch defied her years as she arrived arm-in-arm with son James, 30.

Some 100 guests are turning up to watch Pippa, 33, wed financier James Matthews, 41, this morning before flocking to the Middletons' home where a giant glass marquee has been installed in the 180-acre grounds of Bucklebury Manor.

The 140ft structure, believed to have been shipped in from Belgium, cost an estimated 100,000 and has been filled with cherry blossom trees for the occasion - while the flowers alone may have set the family back as much as 16,000 according to Bridebook founder Hamish Shephard.

Arm in arm with her son James, mother of the bride Carole was among the first arrivals at the Berkshire venue this morning, where the sun came out for the most anticipated wedding of the year despite fears of a downpour

The Party Pieces owners are believed to be picking up a hefty slice of the bill for the lavish nuptials which are estimated to have cost anywhere between 200,000 and 500,000.

Yesterday, the couple and son James - flanked by the Matthews clan including Made in Chelsea star Spencer - joined family and friends for a last-minute rehearsal on the private estate.

Former flight attendant Carole is believed to have taken the lead in arrangements for the big day, having being forced to take a back seat at Kate's high-profile wedding to the Duke of Cambridge in 2011.

A source told the Daily Mail: Carole was so frustrated with Kates wedding, says a family member. Organising your daughters wedding is the high point of a mothers life. She didnt have much to do with Kates, so you can imagine how she is loving being involved with Pippas.'

Parents of the groom Jane and David Matthews looked to be in excellent spirits as they arrived at St. Mark's Church today. Elegant in mint green, Jane teamed her look with an emerald clutch and matching stilettos

Jane Matthews opted for a similar style to Carole however, her coat dress was slightly longer than that of Mrs Middleton and she had opted for more of a fascinator than a full brim hat

Wearing a bright pink dress and broad-rimmed hat, the Middleton matriarch defied her years as she arrived arm-in-arm with son James, 30

As is expected with any mother of the bride Carole was unable to take the smile off her face as she prepared to see her youngest married off

Carole and husband Michael, who met while working at British Airways, are believed to be extremely fond of their future son-in-law and approve of their daughters choice

Meanwhile Carole's wealthy businessman brother, Gary Goldsmith, was recently confirmed as a guest after a photograph of him wearing a bespoke three-piece suit by Mark Powell surfaced online.

Mr Goldsmith said he was hugely looking forward to the day but said he couldnt discuss the wedding any further as it was a 'private family event'.

This morning he tweeted a picture with his daughter, 'baby girl' Tallulah, wearing a sleeveless Mary Katrantzou dress.

Earlier this week, a Green Parlour florist van - the same company that Kate enlisted for the Royal Wedding in 2011 - was seen arriving at St Mark's Church, which is currently surrounded by a heavy police presence.

Sealed with a kiss! The happy couple share a smooch outside the church following the ceremony, flanked by their adorable cohort of bridesmaids and page boys before heading to nearby Bucklebury Manor for the ceremony

Supportive sister: The Duchess of Cambridge was put on bridesmaid and page boy duties but ensured she never strayed far from Pippa. The bride plumped for a bespoke Giles Deacon gown while Kate, 35, wore Alexander McQueen

The event will be guarded by Scotland Yard royalty protection officers, while airspace above both villages has also been closed to prevent intrusive press crews from flying overhead or launching drones to get video footage.

Carole and husband Michael, who met while working at British Airways, are believed to be extremely fond of their future son-in-law and approve of their daughters choice.

Sources have told the Mail that Pippas father has been tearing his hair out over the complexity of the arrangements - 'but he is hugely excited by everything, particularly in giving his youngest daughter away, they added.

Yesterday, metal barriers and surveillance cameras were erected around the church as security arrived on the scene just 24 hours before the couple will say their vows.

As the two mothers left the church all eyes were on the newlywed couple with both Jane and Carole looking equally as proud as the other

Pretty in pink: Carole and her husband Michael stand outside the church following the ceremony

Prince George was the star of the show as he led the bridal party out of the church in his adorable outfit by Spanish childrenswear brand, Pepa and Co

Prince George's mood quickly turned sour as he threw a tantrum outside the church whilst his sister held onto her mother's hand

Uh oh! The Duchess lost her cool as she told Prince George to quieten down after he descended into a tantrum outside the church following the service

The three-year-old was given a telling off by his firm mother outside the church after his mini tantrum

Mrs Middleton has become an unlikely fashion icon since her daughter was propelled to fame, and was even described as 'sexy' by sharp-tongued Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld.

So popular has her look become, supermarket Asda produced a cut-price range inspired by the Middleton matriarch after customers repeatedly asked for similar clothes.

She certainly looked younger than her years as she took centre stage as proud mother of the bride today in an outfit which would not have looked out of place on one of her daughters.

Pippa's millionaire banker groom popped the question last summer with a dazzling diamond ring worth an estimated 200,000.

He reportedly asked Michael for permission for his daughter's hand before getting down on one knee.

The Duchess of Cambridge was by her sister's side all day. Not only did she help straighten her dress train before the ceremony, she kept the children under control and stood loyally behind her after the nuptials

Kate stands with Princess Charlotte and Prince George, who were flower boys and girls at the wedding of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews, as she waits for her husband, Prince William

Carole's daughter Kate could be seen taking care of George and Charlotte as Pippa departed from the ceremony

Kate could be seen taking on the attentive sister role and was seen helping Pippa with her wedding gown as they entered St Mark's Chapel on Saturday

The Duchess of Cambridge could be seen tentatively rearranging Pippa's veil which was studded with dozens of crystals

Pippa had a total of four bridesmaids and four pageboys at her wedding including nephew Prince George (pictured) and niece Princess Charlotte

Carole's son James Middleton could be seen welcoming his long term girlfriend Donna Air as she arrived at the high profile event on Saturday

Spencer Matthews Pippa's now brother-in-law was seen giving the socialite a warm welcome

Spencer's parents, Jane and Michael, led the charge alongside Carole Middleton as the glamorous guests exited the church on the happy day

Here they come! L-R: Carole Middleton, in a peach ensemble, best man Spencer Matthews, Prince William, Michael Middleton, and fellow guests upped the style ante as they left the society event of the year

pencer Matthews was seen hand-in-hand with his sister whilst his reality TV girlfriend, Vogue Williams, attended a work event in Dublin

Spencer, who is a notorious party boy, was in high spirits as he laughed and joked with new brother-in-law James Middleton and Prince William following the service. Spencer's sister carried a luxurious boxy Dior tote, which costs up to 1,000

Pippa shared a candid moment with her father, Michael, ahead of the ceremony as they prepared to enter the church

Pippa arrived in style for her wedding to financier James Matthews earlier today by turning up in a vintage Jaguar

Pippa Middleton arrives with her father Michael Middleton for her wedding to James Matthews at St Mark's Church

The 41-year-old hedge fund manager was in high spirits as he arrived flanked by ushers James Middleton and Spencer Matthews ahead of the society wedding of the year

A beaming James Matthews, second from right, arrives at the church flanked by ushers James Middleton, third from left, and brother Spencer as he awaits his bride

Pippa Middleton is escorted by her father, Michael Middleton, as she arrives for her wedding to James Matthews

'James is a traditionalist and very much wanted to do things properly. That meant getting his future father in law's consent,' a friend of the couple told the Mail's Richard Kay.

Pippa, 33, was already living in the 17m mansion, where James has reportedly installed his-and-hers dressing rooms, at the time of their engagement in July last year.

Michael said in a statement at the time: 'Carole and I are absolutely thrilled with the news. They make a wonderful couple and we wish them every happiness together.'

St. Mark's Church dates back to 1190 but was extensively restored by Sir George Gilbert Scott (who designed St Pancras station and the Albert memorial) in 1857.

The church lies on the Englefield estate, owned by the Benyon family  current incumbent is Richard Benyon MP, richest MP in the House of Commons.

Spencer Matthews certainly looked happy to see James Middleton's girlfriend Donna Air

Spencer Matthews, brother of James Matthews, greets James Middleton's girlfriend Donna Air outside the church

Spencer Matthews beamed as he welcomed guests to the church, whilst Donna Air gave her boyfriend James Middleton a loving embrace

A dapper James Middleton looked smart as he arrived at the church. His long-term girlfriend Donna was there, too, right, but the pair arrived separately

James Matthews arrives in his Defender along with his groom party to his wedding to Pippa Middleton

Pippa's eye-watering wedding in numbers MARQUEE 100,000 - The glass conservatory-style structure that she is having installed in the garden of her family home is for Saturdays celebrations. The bespoke glass orangery was shipped from Belgium to her family home in Berkshire. The process is being overseen by Peppers Marquees, which holds the only royal warrant for supplying marquees to the Prince of Wales. DRESS 40,000 - Giles Deacon is the brains behind Pippa's bespoke gown, valued at around 40,000. Giles previously designed Abbey Clancys stunning wedding dress for her marriage to England footballer Peter Crouch which cost 10,000. WEDDING HAIR 300 It is predicted that she will style Pippa on her big day with her wedding price said to be 300. CATERING 70,000 - Experts from The Bride Book predict that top luxury London caterers will charge over 170 per guest for catering including all food, chefs and staffing, glassware and crockery hire, and linen hire. A marquee wedding requires an extra level of staffing compared to a permanent venue, which will increase Pippas catering costs to around 200 per guest, and will comprise the largest cost of the wedding. DRINKS 17,720 - 'We expect around 233 bottles of champagne alone will be drunk to keep the guests topped up during the drinks reception and speeches,' says Hamish. 'This champagne will cost around 9,320, on top of which will be fine wines for the wedding breakfast and open-bar cocktails for the evening.' FLORISTRY 16,000 - Hamish says: 'Marquees always require a lot more floristry and decoration than a venue, so luxury florists Lavender Green, the florists for the day, will have their work cut out. On top of this, the wedding florist will include the flowers for the church, plus the bouquet and more. 'With the wedding hosted in the Middletons' rustic garden, with wild flower meadows and in-bloom purple rhododendrons, expect tall overflowing centrepieces fusing the marquee with the garden. Elaborate table-centres can cost 300 each alone, so with 35 round tables for the guests, the cost can easily stack up.' PHOTOGRAPHY 3,500 - 'Hiring one of the top wedding photographers, including a gorgeous album, will cost around 3,500. Dorset-based Millie Pilkington, the private wedding photographer for William and Kates wedding, is most likely to be the person behind the lens.' VIDEOGRAPHY 4,000 - 'Without the worlds media filming every moment like her sisters wedding, Pippa will likely have a videographer there to capture the days special moments. Luxury videographers have teams of cameramen to capture all angles, plus usually a drone or two.' CAKE 2,600 - 'A stunningly-decorated cake from a top cake maker will start from 2,600 and need to be six-tiers to give a slice to each of the 350 guests. The cake-maker is thought to be luxury London-based Domino Purchas or local-Berkshire based top baker Rosalind Miller.' STATIONARY 5,125 -'The wedding will require a number of stationery elements including save-the-dates, the invitation, the Order of Service, the menus, and the stamps! Invitations from a top stationer will cost around 11 each before the other items are included. Mount Street Printers are said to be the chosen stationer.' Pampered Pippa's wedding has been estimated at costing anywhere up to 367,049, with the lavish reception among the biggest cost GYM MEMBERSHIP 55,000- Pippa has been hitting the gym hard and has joined Grace Belgravia, an exclusive club that promises to create the perfect Hollywood pins - at a cost of 55,000 for a lifetime membership. FACIALS 100 - Pippa has been making trips to a spa in South Kensington offering such treatments as 100 sugar cane facials. MUSIC 6,750 - 'From bell ringers and the organist and choirs in the church, to relaxed acoustic musicians for the drinks reception and a top wedding band and DJ for the party, music will be the centre of the entertainment. A top London 6-piece wedding band will cost over 4,250 with everyone else on top.' WEDDING RINGS 19,900 -'Rumoured best man Spencer Matthews better not make the expensive mistake of forgetting the rings. With their wedding rings said to be from Cartier, a diamond encrusted wedding ring for Pippa will cost 15,500 whilst a platinum band for James would be 1,440.' BRIDESMAIDS' OUTFITS 2,250 - 'Whilst the bridesmaids dress Pippa shone in at the Royal wedding cost over 2,000, the average cost of a designer bridesmaids dress is 750. The average number of bridesmaids a bride in the UK has is 3.4, so we are assuming Pippa will have 3 bridesmaids.' CHARLOTTE AND GEORGE'S OUTFITS 1,698 - 'With Prince George and Princess Charlotte due to be centre stage as flower girls and page boys, Nicki Macfarlane, who provided the flower girl outfits for the Royal wedding, will likely be back on hand. A page boy outfit will cost around 226 each, and flower girl dresses 340.' CHURCH FEES 456 - 'Pippa and James will need to pay the church their marriage fees, but whilst this is the most important part of the marriage, it has one of the smallest price tags.' DECORATION AND PRODUCTION 6,000 -'For spectacular lighting and production throughout the grounds surrounding the marquee and inside the marquee itself, a top London agency will likely be taking on the job of adding the absolute wow-factor. From bar hire to amazing dance floors, production is key to transforming the blank-canvas of a marquee into something truly jaw-dropping.' GROOMSWEAR 6,050 - 'Dashing groom-to-be James Matthews is likely to be wearing a bespoke tailor made tailcoat, waistcoat and trousers from one of Londons top Saville Row tailors. A bespoke tailcoat from a top tailor will cost around 4400 alone.' MAKEUP UP TO 1,400 - 'No doubt a top team will be on hand to ensure Pippa and the whole bridal party will be looking absolutely radiant. Hannah Martin of Bobbi Brown, who also did Kates wedding makeup for the Royal Wedding, is the top choice. WEDDING FAVOURS 700 - 'These lovely little gifts for every wedding guest should not break the bank. We expect something low-key and personal, such as a small jar of local honey considering the wild flower meadows that fill the Middletons garden.' LUXURY LOOS 4,000 - 'Dont forget the toilets! With this marquee wedding the luxury toilets that will need to be on hand are unlikely to be the plastic boxes we are used to seeing at festivals. Imagine luxurious bathrooms with gorgeous soaps and fresh linen hand towels. For 350 guests, top end mobile toilets will cost 4000.' VEIL 2,000 -'Celebrity milliner Stephen Jones is rumoured to be the designer of Pippas bespoke veil, which will doubtlessly have incredible attention to detail.' ENTERTAINERS 1,500 -'Whilst guests taking photos is expected to not be allowed at the wedding, a photobooth will be an ideal opportunity to capture the guests at their best. Luxury childrens entertainers, like Londons based Sharky+George who did the Royal wedding, are expected to be on hand to give parents, like William and Kate, the night off.' TOTAL ESTIMATED SPEND: 367,049 Advertisement

Swiss tennis player Roger Federer and his wife Mirka arrive at St Mark's Church in Englefield ahead of the wedding

What dress code? Colourful guests dressed in clashing colours included one woman whose ensemble appeared to be inspired by traffic lights (second right) while one female friend opted for purple tartan and a matching hat (far left)

Two male guests sported matching tartan trousers as they joined the congregation in Berkshire on Saturday morning

Guests opted for an array of eye-catching colours as they arrived at St. Mark's Church on the private Englefield estate

Tom Bradby and wife Claudia, left, joined colourful guests in elaboate headgear (right) arriving at Englefield this morning

Colourful lace dresses, big hats and eye-catching headgear were the order of the day as the congregation arrived
It has been described as the wedding of the year, so it should come as no surprise that there has been plenty of local interest in Pippa Middleton's wedding in Englefield.

Ahead of the bride's arrival on Saturday local villagers could be seen gathering in their drones outside St Mark's Church on the Englefield estate in the hope of catching a glimpse of the bride.

Crowds assembled around the entrance to the estate on Saturday and appeared to be in high spirits as they awaited the bridal party's arrival.

Scroll down for video

Royals fans arrived outside Englefield estate in their drones on Saturday

Among the royal fans was one enthusiast who had traveled all the way from America in the hope to catch a glimpse of the bride.

American Kourteney Coleman said she had followed the British royals ever since Princess Diana's wedding in 1981, and would not miss a chance to get a glimpse of the royals.

'I have a soft spot for Harry and his new girlfriend. She is an American actress, so we've watched her on the television,' she said. 'I was on the streets of London for Kate's wedding, so I'm here for Pippa. I admire her and will hopefully see her and her husband as they go by.'

Among the royal fans was one enthusiast who had traveled all the way from America in the hope to catch a glimpse of the bride

Despite thunder storms predicted for the big day it seems that locals seemed to have been blessed with good weather today

'I would love to see Pippa's dress, but I don't suspect I will. I'm pretty sure she will be driven right to the doors, but of course Kate and Wills, and George and Charlotte.

'We're royalists, my husband gives me a hard time about that, but we have been to all the Royal palaces, the summer homes and the Christmas homes.

'I remember as a young girl, getting up early and watching Princess Diana. We also love the Queen, we really admire Her Majesty.

Eileen Blested from Ireland was also present at 9am, and said that while she dreamed of seeing the Queen in person, she did not think she would turn up at the church.

The crowds appeared to have plenty to talk about as they awaited the arrival of the royals

Some English fans also claimed to have left home since 4.30am this/yesterday (Sat) morning just to catch a glimpse of the royalty

'I am hoping to see the Duchess of Cambridge, and hopefully I'll get a nice view of Pippa's dress,' she said. 'Sometimes they open the church up afterwards, and they let us see the flowers. That would be nice.

'[Pippa] is a very different girl from Kate, isn't she? The stature, the looks, but she's very pretty too.'

As for the royal loos and the 300,000 marquee, Mrs Blested said she could understand that Pippa would want to splurge on her own big day.

Police were on hand today in the event that any fans decide to take a closer look

'I'm not jealous. They have worked hard for it,' she said. 'If you've got that money you can do it, can't you?'

Some English fans also claimed to have left home since 4.30am Saturday morning just to catch a glimpse of the royalty.

'It's just so that in 10 years' time I can tell people I was here,' one attendee, wearing a neon pink T-shirt and an orange sun hat, said. 'It's just because it's Kate's sister, isn't it? That's what makes it so exciting.'

While there is yet to be any sign of the main stars, the crowds were provided with plenty to look at as lesser known guests arrived

Guest could be seen dressed to the nines as they arrived at what is being described as the wedding of the year

Despite a forecast of thunderstorms the well-wishers could be seen basking in the sunshine in the unpredictably good weather.

With the guest list including the likes of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte as well as Meghan Markle and Prince Harry the wedding is set to be a momentous occasion for the sleepy village of Englefield.

While there is yet to be any sign of the main stars, the crowds were provided with plenty to look at as lesser known guests arrived.

Hats appeared to be the order of the day with guests arriving showcasing their fancy head gear
Advertisement

Prince William and Harry were seen leaving the church earlier today after the society wedding of the year.

One notable absentee was Prince Harry's girlfriend, Meghan Markle, who is thought to be joining the contingent for the reception back at the Middleton mansion this evening.

Rumours have been circulating for some weeks the Suits actress had been invited to the nuptials despite Pippa's 'no ring, no bring' policy. However, some believe Meghan may have chosen to stay away from the church ceremony to avoid upstaging Pippa and bringing more attention to her relationship with Harry.

To have her on his arm earlier today at such a high-profile event would once again have re-fuelled suggestions the pair could be set to marry.

Earlier, the Duchess of Cambridge was sure not to outshine her sister Pippa Middleton on Saturday opting for a subtle peach ensemble for her nuptials to James Matthews.

Prince Harry was seen leaving the church earlier today for the society wedding of the year

William walked out of the service with Pippa's brother James Middleton after the ceremony in Englefield

Prince William and Harry were seen arriving at the church earlier today. However, Harry's girlfriend Meghan Markle could not be seen

William and Harry were seen entering at St Mark's Church in Englefield. It is believed Meghan will make an appearance at the reception later today

Harry was seen leaving the wedding earlier today in a car after the wedding of Pippa Middleton to James Matthews

Prince Harry removed his jacket for the car journey. Harry's girlfriend actress Meghan Markle has not yet been seen at the official church ceremony

Kate, 35, could be seen taking on the attentive sister role and was seen helping Pippa with her wedding gown as they entered St Mark's Chapel on Saturday.

As well as her pale pink maxi dress Kate could be seen wearing an elegant fascinator as she and her father Michael Middleton accompanied Pippa into the church.

Pippa stunned in a high necked white bridal gown and a classic bridal veil as she prepared to say her nuptials to multi-millionaire fiance James Matthews.

Her guest list includes multiple members of the royal family with brother-in-law Prince William also in attendance accompanied by his brother Prince Harry.

Megan, however, has not yet been seen at the official church service - she will appear later today at the reception

It is believed she will make an appearance at the reception later today. Earlier, the Duchess of Cambridge was sure not to outshine her sister Pippa Middleton on Saturday opting for a subtle peach ensemble for her nuptials to James Matthews

Earlier, the royal brothers could be seen making their way into the chapel ahead of the bride's arrival in Englefield on Saturday

Her guest list includes multiple members of the royal family with brother-in-law Prince William also in attendance accompanied by his brother Prince Harry.

The royal brothers could be seen making their way into the chapel ahead of the bride's arrival in Englefield on Saturday.

There was however, no sign of Prince Harry's girlfriend Meghan Markle who had been expected to attend the ceremony today.

Princess Eugenie could be seen arriving on the arm of Jack Brooksbank for the momentous occasion on Saturday.

The Suits actress is sure to make a splash when she makes an appearance at today's official wedding reception

There was however, no sign of Prince Harry's girlfriend Meghan Markle who had been expected to attend the ceremony today

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were lucky to make it to the church on time having left for the ceremony from Kensington palace just hours earlier

The Princess of York stunned in a navy blue dress at 560 from Paule Ka showcases her curves paired with a cream coloured cap for the occasion. She could be seen carrying a silver Anya Hindmarch clutch.

Her longterm partner Jack could be seen looking dapper wearing a traditional coat with tails paired with a yellow satin waistcoat.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were lucky to make it to the church on time having left for the ceremony from Kensington palace just hours earlier.

The couple, who were dressed to impress in their wedding outfits, were seen driving through London as they made the 50 mile journey to St Mark's Church in Berkshire.

The couple, who were dressed to impress in their wedding outfits, were seen driving through London as they made the 50 mile journey to St Mark's Church in Berkshire

Prince William, who looked dapper in a satin waistcoat and red tie, drove his family-of-four in their Range Rover to the society wedding of the decade.

Kate will join a star-studded guest list today including Prince Harry and girlfriend Meghan Markle, plus the groom's younger sister, Made in Chelsea lothario Spencer Matthews.

While the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are yet to arrive other members of the royal family have begun to make their appearance at St Mark's Church.

Guests will be ferried in a fleet of cars following the hour-long ceremony, in the Middletons' nearby Bucklebury home where a 140ft long glass marquee has been installed for the lavish reception.

Pippa kissed her new husband moments after they said 'I do' outside the church where they were joined by their adorable pageboys and bridesmaids

It was the moment the world had been waiting for and Pippa Middleton didn't disappoint as she dressed to impress in a stunning white Giles Deacon gown for her nuptials to the 41-year-old financier she began dating last year

The 33-year-old beamed with happiness as she displayed her famous figure in the fitted guipure lace gown by the British couturier, whose fans include Abbey Clancy and Kendall Jenner. Pictured, Kate with George and Charlotte

Princess Eugenie, dressed in a navy frock by Paule Ka, is joined by boyfriend Jack Brooksbank as they lead arrivals at the wedding of the year. Following the ceremony the guests travelled en masse for a champagne reception nearby

By royal appointment: Lady Gabriella Windsor was seen arriving wearing a pale blue dress cut above the knee with a matching formal jacket. She finished the look with a floral hat, purse and heels - all in a matching shade of cream

Here comes trouble! Carole's brother Gary Goldsmith, owner of infamous Ibiza villa 'Maison de Bang Bang', arrives with daughter Tallulah who stunned in a Mary Katrantzou sleeveless number for Pippa and James' nuptials

Pink and blue Guests including Vogue contributor Serena Hood, second right, opted for an array of eye-catching colours as they arrived at St. Mark's Church on the private Englefield estate this morning for the ceremony

Stopping traffic: Guests didn't hold back when it comes to colour, with one woman opting for a vibrant dress and jacket combination with dashes of yellow, green and orange (left) while two male partygoers donned eye-popping tartan trews

One stylish guest wowed in a flowing, bohemian dress that matched Pippa's 'country vibe' wedding theme. She offset her look with a pair of trendy, vibrant red lace-up Aquazzura heels, which cost around 500 a pop

One female guest turned up in a red knee-length dress with matching toe nail varnish and silver stiletto heels (left) while another attendant wore a dark blue and black frock with lace detail, adding a matching hat (right)

One guest looked glamorous in a pale pink textured dress teamed with patent court heels, a clutch, a statement fascinator and a cropped white blazer while her male companion, right, wore a matching dusky pink waistcoat

Pretty in pink: Katie Redman wore a vibrant, loose-fitting purple jumpsuit and a black and white hat (left) while another was seen in a bright pink embroidered gown with a pleated skirt, teamed with a miniature gold clutch (right)

This female guest could be seen in a white floral gown accompanied by a purse, heels and hat - all in a matching shade of pink. In keeping with the rose theme, her male companion, dapper in a grey morning suit, added a matching pink tie

One guest wore a white top and blazer accompanied by a pink skirt and matching pink top hat (left) while another female guest was seen in richly-patterned gown (right), offset with a pair of stylish velvet platform heels

Supportive sister: The Duchess of Cambridge was put on bridesmaid and page boy duties but ensured she never strayed far from Pippa. The bride plumped for a bespoke Giles Deacon gown while Kate, 35, wore Alexander McQueen

One female guest wore a vibrant yellow gown with floral detail and a blue hat covered in large yellow butterflies (left) while another opted for a blue dress with billowing cuffs (right) - adding a pair of sating nude heels to her ensemble

Two male guests sported matching tartan trousers as they joined the congregation in Berkshire on Saturday morning. The wedding party will now make their way to the Middleton home where a 140ft glass marquee has been installed

Swiss tennis player Roger Federer and his wife Mirka arrive at St Mark's Church in Englefield ahead of the wedding. Mirka, right, went for a dazzling gold ensemble with a kick-flare skirt, teamed with metallic stilettos and a delicate clutch

Colourful lace dresses, big hats and eye-catching headgear were the order of the day as the congregation arrived at St. Mark's Church this morning. Pippa and James were seen driving to nearby Bucklebury Manor after the ceremony

Elaborate headgear was the order of the day as female guests donned oversized hats, left, and feathered fascinators, right, ensuring they caught the eyes of the many photographers gathered outside the 12th-century church this morning

The picturesque venue dates back to 1190 but was extensively restored by Sir George Gilbert Scott (who designed St Pancras station and the Albert memorial) in 1857. It was packed to the rafters with some 100 guests this morning

Serena Hood, a fashion editor at British Vogue looked stunning in a bold blue dress. The new mother arrived on the arm of husband Peregrine Hood, a close pal of the Princes (left); closely followed by a stylish guest in a pink maxi dress (right)

Here she is! Pippa the bride arrives in a Jaguar with father Michael, wearing a sweeping Giles Deacon gown and veil. The designer is a favourite among celebrities including Kendall Jenner and was rumoured to be the brains behind the dress
The BBC were left red-faced today when a digital error accidentally matched a story about Pippa Middleton's wedding with a picture of notorious serial killer Ian Brady.

Pippa married James Matthews on Saturday at St Mark's Church in Berkshire.

However, an icon on the Google search page read, 'Pippa Middleton's wedding: Guests arrive at church' showed an image of the Moors murderer.

The BBC were left red-faced today when an error accidentally matched a story about Pippa Middleton's wedding with a picture of notorious serial killer Ian Brady

The BBC told MailOnline it did not include the picture of Ian Brady on its website story and were not responsible for its use. We have contacted Google for comment.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time the BBC has been caught out for a picture mismatch.

In October last year, BBC Breakfast hosts were embarrassed after producers accidentally used a picture of fugitive London Zoo gorilla Kumbuka to illustrate a story about Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Presenter Naga Munchetty was telling viewers they would be joined by Ms Sturgeon later in the programme when footage of the 7ft-tall 29st gorilla, which escaped from its enclosure on Thursday, was shown on the screen.

Pippa married James Matthews on Saturday at St Mark's Church in Berkshire

Viewers swiftly took to Twitter to comment on the BBC's mistake. Shaun Baines tweeted: 'Oscar to Naga for keeping a straight face over Gorilla-gate.'

The 79-year-old Ian Brady, who killed five children with lover Myra Hindley in the 1960s, died of cancer and emphysema at a secure mental health hospital this week.

The death of the Moors Murderer left unresolved the issue of where he dumped the body of little Keith, whose mother, Winnie Johnson, died in 2012 after fighting tirelessly for decades to find her son and provide a Christian burial.
(Xinhua) 10:30, May 20, 2017

(Hunan Daily/Zeng Zhiqian)

CHANGSHA, May 19 -- Central China's Hunan Province has honored a scientist for his contribution to a deep-sea drilling system.

Wan Buyan from Hunan University of Science and Technology was awarded a prize for a multi-purpose drilling system that he helped develop. The system gives China the ability to drill more than 50 meters into the seabed at a depth of more than 3, 000 meters, a significant achievement.

According to Wan, another drilling system project has been approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology, which could be used in future detection for storage and formation of combustible ice.

"The news that China has succeeded in collecting samples of combustible ice in the South China Sea has given us great encouragement," Wan said. "The new project could start as early as next month."

Currently the most advanced drilling rig can go about 200 meters into the seabed, but Wan said the new project could reach about 230 meters under the seafloor.

The success of his current drilling system has laid a solid foundation for future development, and Wan said that the new project could be used in the exploration and development of many other resources in addition to combustible ice.
One in five people in the UK suffer the irritating effects of hay fever.

As if a runny nose and itchy throat wasn't enough, difficulty nodding off is another common complaint.

Yet, simple adjustments to your daily routine could be all it takes to get some much needed shut eye.

Gentle nasal irrigation, showering with eucalyptus oil and banning pets from the bedroom can make the world of difference when it comes to turning in for the night.

A new infographic created by sleepypeople.com - the bedding company based in Heywood - has seven tips on how to help hay fever suffers battle their insomnia.

Holly Shaw, Nurse Advisor at Allergy UK, previously told MailOnline: 'A huge number report that their allergic rhinitis or hay fever affects their sleep.

'This is very significant, as it can impact on how the person functions the next day and lead to potentially more harmful medical complications if not treated.'

Allergy sufferers should try to keep allergens at bay or minimise their body's reaction to them

Nasal irrigation can remove allergens, irritants and inflammatory mucus when done correctly

Antihistamines can help allergy sufferers get some shut eye, but only if the right ones are taken

Using eucalyptus oil in the shower helps to clear sinuses, unblock noses and soothe throats

Wash bedding on a hot temperature at least once a week to remove dust mites and pollen

Avoid drying washing outside as this exposes it to pollen and mould circulating in the air

Have your pets sleep in a different room to you to help eliminate allergens from the bedroom
Before I started a new job at a large, inner city maternity unit a few years ago, Id imagined that the majority of my work would be dealing with post-natal depression.

To my surprise, most of the women referred to me didnt actually have a mental illness but were dogged by feelings of anxiety and inadequacy because they felt failures as mothers before theyd even started.

Pregnant women and new mums are bombarded with contrary advice and recommendations from all manner of professionals, making early parenthood a stressful and anxiety-provoking time  and it was heartbreaking watching these women beating themselves up because they felt that in some way theyd failed.

Pregnant women and new mums are bombarded with contrary advice and recommendations from all manner of professionals, making early parenthood a stressful and anxiety-provoking time. File image

One common concern was that theyd inadvertently consumed alcohol before realising they were pregnant. They then blamed themselves for any subsequent complication in their pregnancy or birth.

I spent the lions share of my time at the maternity unit reassuring them  dont worry were my two most frequently used words  pointing out that there wasnt good evidence that they would have caused their babies harm.

But it wasnt easy when this is contrary to the prevailing message of doom and gloom coming from po-faced public health officials.

They seem to love telling pregnant women in particular what to do and what not to do. Yet the vast majority of this hectoring advice is just hearsay and anecdote.

But now, finally, someone has stood up and spoken sense.

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service said this week that women are being unnecessarily scared by guidelines telling them to avoid all alcohol during pregnancy when the guidelines arent based on reliable evidence. File image

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service said this week that women are being unnecessarily scared by guidelines telling them to avoid all alcohol during pregnancy  with some even having abortions  when the guidelines arent based on reliable evidence.

The really good public health campaigns dont need to guilt-trip people or harangue them: theyre based on definitive evidence and are straightforward and clear.

And because theyre self-evidently beneficial, people do them of their own free will.

Take cot death, an awful occurrence which dominated the headlines for much of the Eighties and Nineties  not surprisingly, as it seemed to be the distillation of every parents worse nightmare.

The sudden drop in numbers was the result of a public health campaign called back to sleep (now known as Safe To Sleep) which built on research linking cot death to babies sleeping on their front.

It therefore encouraged new parents to put their children to sleep on their back. A clear, simple, evidence-based campaign.

But, of course, its not just pregnant women: public health professionals dont seem to have a clue when it comes to how to interact with the general public.

Doctors need to be holier than thou The Oxford medical student, Lavinia Woodward, who stabbed her boyfriend during a row, was told this week she may be spared jail when shes sentenced in September  because a custodial sentence would damage her hopes of becoming a heart surgeon. If shed been a man, rather than a young, slim, attractive female, theres no way this would have been suggested  or if it had, the liberal Left would have pounced on it as hateful and misogynistic. While the judge didnt want to damage Lavinia Woodward's (above) career prospects, I would say its a public duty to do so But the bigger issue here is whether Woodward should actually be a doctor. While the judge didnt want to damage her career prospects, I would say its a public duty to do so. Doctors hold a unique place in society, privy to the most intimate aspects of peoples lives. We transgress normal social boundaries in the questions we ask and how we touch and examine patients. To do this, we must be able to command absolute, unconditional trust. And to maintain this, we must hold ourselves to the highest standards. Of course, were still human and we make mistakes. But theres a difference between getting a parking ticket, and stabbing someone. People who behave like Woodward have no place in our ranks. Advertisement

I know quite a few public health doctors, and while theyre all very well-meaning  youd happily buy a second-hand car off them  none of them comes across as though they let their hair down and have a good party every now and then.

And I think thats part of the problem. Because they are so woefully out of touch with what normal, regular people enjoy and how they live their lives, the messages they come out with seem to consistently miss their mark.

If only public health officials realised that their puritanical, prescriptive and holier-than-thou attitude puts people off.

No one wants to be told how to behave by the dullard party-pooper sat in the corner with a scowl on their face. In fact, Id argue that their approach often backfires and makes people behave in a contrary way.

In psychology, this is called reactance and is based on the observation that people dont like being told what to do, feel or think  and the more theyre pressured into this, the more they resist.

I experienced this myself when I smoked. The more campaigns I saw trying to scare me into quitting, the more I resisted. Thats how the mind works.

Youd think that people working in public health would know this.

Reactance is made all the worse when it becomes apparent that theres no clear evidence for modifying your behaviour.

The classic example of this is with alcohol guidelines.

The way that public health officials have flip-flopped about the amounts people should, and shouldnt, be drinking is, to my mind, a textbook case in how not to do it.

The messages are contradictory, keep changing and lack any credible evidence base. Im a doctor, yet Im now confused about the safe limit for drinking.

Then, to cap it off, we had the Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies, saying theres no safe limit and every glass carries a risk.

She said we should do as she does and think of cancer when considering whether to have a glass of wine.

Is she serious? What a party-pooper. Too often, those in public health come across as bossy and self-righteous. It means people switch off. Who can blame them?

Doctors tend to roll their eyes if patients say theyve consulted Dr Google. Yet new research suggests that it can actually improve the relationship by making patients feel less sure about whats wrong  and so value their GPs contribution.

And sometimes, rather than turning people into hypochondriacs, it does the opposite.

One patient I treated in A&E said that based on what shed read, she just had glandular fever: in fact, she had TB. A salutary lesson in the risks of self-diagnosis.

Over the years that I have been a doctor, I have seen dozens of people whove become psychotic using cannabis. File image

I've seen cannabis ruin lives - DON'T legalise it

What on earth are the Liberal Democrats thinking? Reading their manifesto this week, I was horrified to see they were proposing to legalise cannabis. They need their heads examined.

Its utterly absurd that a political party that has made so much in recent years of championing mental health would actively pledge to legalise something we know is linked to severe, crippling mental health problems.

Its like someone championing running but promising to stamp on your foot.

Cannabis wrecks lives. Over the years that I have been a doctor, I have seen dozens of people whove become psychotic using it, and the number has increased recently as stronger forms such as skunk have become more widely available. The libertarian in me thinks that people should be free to make choices about what they do to themselves  then I remember my patients.

People arent making informed decisions about the risks because few ever witness the true horrors. Those that cannabis ruins are locked away in mental hospitals, or shut away in their rooms while their parents can only watch as their child slips away from them.

Proponents of legalisation erroneously claim there are few health problems associated with its use, but they cherry-pick individual studies to support their stance.

The prevailing evidence shows clear links between cannabis use and mental health problems. The Royal College of Psychiatrists is unequivocal: regular use of the drug has been found to double the risk of a psychotic episode or developing schizophrenia.

A seven-year study in Australia found that teenagers who used cannabis were five times more likely to develop depression or anxiety in later life. As the parent of any teenager who uses it will tell you, cannabis is also associated with personality and behavioural changes.

It enrages me that I have spent years trying to pick up the pieces of lives ruined by cannabis, yet here is a political party proposing reckless legislation that would see even more people destroyed.
If you are reading this in the South East, you might already have itchy eyes and a streaming nose.

Thats because the heavily-populated region is one of the worst places to be if youre allergic to pollen.

The first hay fever maps of Britain reveal the South East has the most problem plants, with hazel the most widespread, while Surrey is a birch hotspot.

The first hay fever maps of Britain reveal the South East has the most problem plants, with hazel the most widespread

Researchers working with the Met Office also warned those in Western England and Wales, as well as the South East, to watch out for alder tree pollen

The weed mugwort is also commonly found in urban areas.

Those with hay fever and asthma are more vulnerable in this part of the country, researchers suggest, because urban pollution from diesel fumes supercharge pollen particles, making them even more allergic.

Those in the North West, Wales and West Scotland should be most worried about grass pollen, set to strike next month in these areas.

Researchers working with the Met Office also warned those in Western England and Wales, as well as the South East, to watch out for alder tree pollen.

An estimated 13million Britons suffer from hay fever, while one in ten have asthma, which often causes a pollen allergy. The maps, which plot the abundance of 12 pollen-producing trees and plants, are published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.

Dr Nicholas Osborne, an epidemiologist at the University of Exeter, which helped produce the diagrams, said he hopes to better determine when plants pollinate, allowing us with time to provide better warning to allergy and asthma sufferers.

He added: In the future, more people will know what species they are allergic to.

Those in the North West, Wales and West Scotland should be most worried about grass pollen, set to strike next month in these areas

The South East has the highest proportion of three of the five most highly allergenic trees, according to researchers  birch, hazel and alder.

Birch trees are also common in the West Midlands and Cumbria.

The researchers also looked at plane and oak trees, which are uniformly distributed across England, as well as ash, pine and willow trees, and plants including nettle, plantain, dock and sorrel.
Parents could be shown pictures of their overweight children as fat adults to shock them into tackling obesity.

Newcastle University experts developed software that shows what will happen if youngsters continue to pile on the pounds.

The programme, which is backed by the Department of Health and could be rolled out across the NHS, has already been shown to reduce a child's weight gain.

Experts are increasingly worried that obesity has become 'normalised' in Britain  with 20 per cent of children starting primary school overweight, and 33 per cent overweight by the time they start secondary school at 11.

The programme, which is backed by the Department of Health and could be rolled out across the NHS, has already been shown to reduce a child's weight gain

Nearly half a million under-11s in the UK are obese, a problem which experts fear will create a boom in heart disease, diabetes and cancer in the years to come.

Many parents simply do not accept that their child has a problem  and those that do simply think they will 'grow out of it'. The Newcastle team found only 30 per cent of parents with an overweight child correctly identified them as having a weight problem.

The computer programme attempts to tackle the issue by confronting parents with the facts  using a child's measurements to create a 3D image of them overweight later in life.

The results, presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Portugal, showed overweight children whose parents were shown the images put on 9lb (4kg) less weight on average in the following year.

Lead researcher Dr Angela Jones said: 'Parents play a key role because of how they shape children's health behaviour.

'But we know that parents tend not to recognise when their children are overweight or obese. They tend to use visual assessments  they look at the children and compare them to others in the school.

'So unless a child is really large they're deemed to be fine.' The study involved 2,200 families with children aged four and five and ten and 11. Of the 334 youngsters who were overweight at the start, 41 per cent of them were deemed to have 'improved their weight status' a year later.

Experts last night said that in time it could help millions. Paul Aveyard, professor of behavioural medicine at Oxford University, said: 'It gets round the problem that people don't think their child is overweight and they will grow out of it, when we know that's not really true.

Experts developed software that shows what will happen if youngsters continue to pile on the pounds

'It's quite a striking result and it's cost free.' Professor Susan Jebb, the government's former obesity tsar, added: 'If you can show what your child looks like as an adult you can think, 'this is the kind of person who looks like they're going to have a heart attack'.'

Professor Jason Halford of the University of Liverpool, a spokesman for the European Association for the Study of Obesity, added: 'This is a really important tool because most parents think obesity is a really big problem  for others.'

However, Chris Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said it was 'intrusive nannying'.

Schools have sometimes wrongly warned parents of slim children warning that they are overweight. Measurements are based on body mass index, which has been described as an unreliable tool because it does not distinguish muscle from fat.

It means well-built athletes such as rugby players are classified as obese. The method is also flawed for children.
Britain is a nation of snackers. We spend more than 2.8 billion a year on snack foods  from crisps and nuts to popcorn  eating them on average seven times a week.

We buy four times more crisps than the French and Italians, and this might in part explain our national weight problem: more than 26 per cent of the population is now obese, the highest in any European country.

For many of us, including me, a bag of crisps is something we reach for on a regular basis when in a rush, stressed or just out of habit. As part of my new Channel 4 documentary Secrets Of Our Favourite Snacks, I and my co-presenter, TV chef Simon Rimmer, sought to find out why.

Tempting: Sophie with snacks in the documentary

For seven days, I kept a snack diary. In one week, I ate five bags of crisps. I once had a bag of Wotsits instead of dinner. Even when I was not hungry, and just doing a normal food shop, I could not resist grabbing some crisps as I wandered through the supermarket.

The answer to why I  and millions of others  find savoury snacks so irresistible may be deeply ingrained in the brain, as I found out during a visit to Imperial College, London.

Neuroscientist Dr Tony Goldstone has been carrying out research into what makes us crave certain foods  and has found similarities in the brains of snack-lovers and drug-addicts. Dr Goldstone and his team are investigating what effect the hormones we produce in the stomach  which control hunger and how much we eat  have on the brain.

Volunteers who were either obese or overweight were shown pictures of junk food  including crisps  while their brains were scanned.

The team found that the same areas in the brain that respond when an alcoholic sees a bottle of wine or a drug-addict sees cocaine reacted with similar intensity when the overweight volunteers saw pictures of high-energy foods such as crisps.

The team found that the same areas in the brain that respond when a drug-addict sees cocaine reacted with similar intensity when overweight volunteers saw pictures of crisps

The areas of the brain that responded to such foods also responded more strongly than when shown images of healthy foods such as vegetables or fish.

Dr Goldstone explained that this is because they are much more pleasant, palatable and motivating to eat, because our brains have evolved to crave the foods that gave us energy. Useful if you are a caveman  but not if you are a well-fed 21st Century Brit.

As part of the documentary, we left volunteers alone in a room with unlimited snacks for one hour. While a few nibbled, many went to town on the bowls, eating the equivalent of five or six packs in that time.

Marion Hetherington, Professor of Biopsychology at Leeds University, who specialises in human appetite, explained that when it comes to savoury snacks, research has found that we will eat until the bag is finished, no matter if it is big or small.

In particular, if we are distracted, say reading a book, watching TV or at the cinema, we do not notice how much we are eating.

This was true of our volunteers, who were shocked to find out how much they had eaten while mindlessly snacking from a bowl when reading or being on their phones.

So be warned  when you buy that sharing bag, like me, you may find yourself eating it all.

Secrets Of Our Favourite Snacks is on Channel 4 on Tuesday at 8pm.
A skull cap that fires electrical currents into the brain to kill cancer cells is being used to treat one of the most deadly forms of the disease.

Patients with glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer that affects about 4,000 people in the UK every year, has an estimated survival rate of 12 to 18 months.

In the new treatment, an array of electrodes is glued to the patients head, while a weak electrical current targets the cancer cells.

The current is applied for 18 hours each day, disrupting the cancer cells ability to divide, which eventually kills them.

When used in conjunction with chemotherapy, the number of people who survive for five years is almost three times greater than with chemotherapy alone.

A trial involving 700 people found that after two years of treatment, 43 per cent of patients receiving electrode therapy alongside the chemotherapy drug temozolomide were still alive, compared to 30 per cent of patients treated with temozolomide alone.

At five years, the survival rate was 13 per cent compared to five per cent.

The electrode cap, called Optune, is now licensed for use in the UK and Europe, though it is not yet available on the NHS.

British woman Jessica Morris, 51, who lives in the US with her husband and three teenage children, has been wearing the Optune for a year.

She had been out hiking in New York state in January 2016 when she suddenly collapsed.

She lost the ability to pronounce words properly, uttering what she now describes as gibberish before suffering a fit.

Jessica was taken to a local hospital, and within hours, a scan revealed that she had an aggressive form of glioblastoma.

The PR agency boss had surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and was fitted with the cap. She wears it for 24 hours a day and uses it in combination with a standard chemotherapy drug.

Her head has been shaved and she hides the array of electrodes with a headscarf, making the life-saving device almost invisible, save for a portable battery pack she wears round the waist.

It has been a gruelling 16 months for Jessica since her diagnosis left her fighting for her life, but she says she believes that life is improving and that Optune is boosting her chances of living to see her children finish school and graduate from university.

The manufacturer recommends that patients keep their systems turned on for 18 hours each day, but Jessica keeps hers running almost continuously.

Jessica Morris, 51, has been wearing the Optune for a year

She said: The electrodes are with me all the time and a reminder that Ive had brain cancer and am lucky to be alive.

When I was told by my neuro-oncologist at a New York hospital that there was a technology that could increase my survival, I naturally leapt at the opportunity. Im still a young woman, my family are growing up still and I want to be around as long as possible.

Every few days her husband, British journalist Ed Pilkington, 55, helps her change the pads that stick the electrodes to the scalp.

JESSICA is not sure how long she will be wearing Optune. Her doctor originally told her nine months but recently revised that estimate, saying she might want to keep it on for two years.

Her MRI scans havent shown any new brain tumour growth, and she wants to keep it that way. She said: If Im still doing well, why would I take it off?

There are just over 10,000 brain tumour diagnoses a year in the UK, and 5,000 deaths.

Less than 20 per cent of patients survive beyond five years of their diagnosis, whereas 86 per cent of breast cancer and 51 per cent of leukaemia patients survive beyond five years.

Unlike many cancers, avoidable lifestyle factors  such as smoking, obesity, and alcohol consumption  are not thought to increase the risk of developing the disease and the causes of brain cancers are poorly understood.

Brain tumours are the chief cause of cancer deaths in children and people under 40.

In 2015, the number of children dying from cancer was 194, with brain tumours taking 67 young lives and leukaemia 46.

David Jenkinson, chief scientific officer for The Brain Tumour Charity, said: The trial showed that a patients chance of living for at least four years after a glioblastoma diagnosis increased by 70 per cent if they used the Optune cap.

He added: This is a welcome advance for a group of patients who have few options and a very poor outlook.

Though the Optune skull cap is not offered by the NHS, several British glioblastoma patients have been treated by London- based neurosurgeon professor Christer Lindquist.
SATURDAY, MAY 6

While seeking revenge, observed American religious academic Douglas Horton, dig two graves  one for yourself.

Two years ago, Lord Sugar spoke at my 50th birthday party and ripped me to pieces with gems like:

Piers must have some talent because hes too ugly to have slept his way to the top.

So I was thrilled when he asked me to speak tonight at his top-secret 70th birthday bash at the new Four Seasons hotel opposite Tower Bridge.

As for what you buy the man who can afford everything, the answer in my case was an antique Belgian white-bearded gnome pointing his finger as if he was shouting YOURE FIRED!

I want to see your speech, he demanded a few days ago.

I emailed it to him.

It read: Alans the nicest, kindest, most gentle and caring human being whos ever existed on Planet Earth; a great businessman, philanthropist and humanitarian, and a man renowned for his shy, retiring modesty. Hes loving to animals and children, and the kind of guy who listens to criticism and often admits hes wrong rather than cause any kind of confrontation. Alan makes Mother Teresa look like a Hells Angel and it is our privilege and honour just to bask in the glory of his existence.

Is this a joke? he responded, clinging to 0.00001% hope I may actually mean any of that guff.

Yes, I replied. Youll get the real one on Saturday.

There were 70 guests, one for each year of his life.

I sat with his Apprentice slaves past and present, Karren Brady, Claude Littner and Nick Hewer, and we enjoyed a splendid feast before the speeches began with his grandchildren reciting a very funny rhyming tribute.

Then it was my turn.

Alans made a spectacular success of himself, I said. If you dont believe me, just ask him and hell tell you.

The room chortled with knowing laughter.

He built a 1.2 billion computer company called Amstrad. Unfortunately, there was another beardy-weirdy computer geek with anger management issues called Steve Jobs who also created a tech firm beginning with the letter A.

Alan didnt entirely recognise the magnitude of the threat. In 2005, he confidently predicted: Next Christmas, the iPod will be dead, kaput. Apple has since sold 350 million iPods.

I turned to football:

Alan was a brilliant chairman of Spurs  if youre an Arsenal fan.

In his nine-year reign, Tottenham never once finished in the top six.

Then television:

After Alan fired me in a Comic Relief episode of The Apprentice, I went on the US celebrity version of the show and was chosen as winner by the now President of the United States. Thus proving Donald Trump is a better judge of business skills than Alan Sugar.

Alan repeatedly predicted Trump had zero chance of becoming President. He will, I insisted, and when he does, Im going to have you deported from your Florida home. So start packing your bags, sunshine.

Finally, his marriage.

The Sugars married in 1968, so next years their 50th anniversary, I said.

To put this into perspective, for my Killer Women series I interviewed a murderess who bludgeoned her entire family to death and only got 44 years.

When Sugar spoke, the old growler went all romantic on us.

They say behind every great man is a woman, he said. Now I know youre waiting for the joke here but there isnt one. Its true in my case. My wonderful wife Ann looks after me like a baby and loves me to bits, and I love her also. Ive been happily married for 49 years, though youd have to ask her how long shes been happily married. Shes also been the best partner I could ever hope for, though unlike the Apprentice ones she costs me considerably more than 250,000 a year.

Of his childhood friends in the room, he said: Our early life secrets are safe because none of us can remember them. Were so old we confuse having a clear conscience with a bad memory.

And about his extended Sugar clan, he chuckled: The only thing Ive learnt about family over the years is that whatever happens you cant bloody fire them!

His real target, though, was me. The zingers flew fast and furious for more than 15 very long minutes:

l I didnt want a big showbiz event with loads of popular celebrities, so thats why I invited Piers.

l Hes a brilliant investigative journalist. I know that because I deliberately gave him the wrong location and date for tonight but he got here anyway.

l Actually, Piers is a long-time pal but please keep that admission in this room. Im the president of his fan club, and the secretary and treasurer. I have to be, Im the only member.

l We first met when I used to give him scoops at the Mirror. Looking at his waistline, it looks as if hes had a lot more scoops since  of ice cream. He recently criticised Kim Kardashians cellulite. Hmm. Unsightly blubber nobody wants to see on TV? Pot. Kettle.

l Hes been a big success on the ITV breakfast show, Beauty And The Beast. He has to work that early because he has to go back to his crypt when the Sun comes up.

l Ive been frequently asked why I havent slapped Piers in the face. The truthful answer is, I hate queuing.

Despite this onslaught, it was a fantastic party.

As for what you buy the man who can afford everything, the answer in my case was an antique Belgian white-bearded gnome pointing his finger as if he was shouting YOURE FIRED!

Disappointingly, Sugar loved it.
King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword Cert: 12A 2hrs 6mins

Rating:

Guy Ritchies new film begins with an epic sequence that looks more like The Lord Of The Rings or Game Of Thrones than anything we would recognise as even vaguely Arthurian.

There are evil wizards, dark towers belching fire and a Camelot besieged by war elephants the size of medium-sized hills. Theres no doubt about it, were definitely a long way from Tintagel.

Which Im sure is what Ritchie intended when he grabbed the familiar legend of King Arthur and gave it the most vigorous of creative shakings.

Guy Ritchies new film, starring Charlie Hunnam (above), begins with an epic sequence that looks more like Game Of Thrones than anything we would recognise as even vaguely Arthurian

Rather too vigorous a shaking, many will feel, as they struggle to keep up with a chaotic story and an opening that, shall we say, takes a little recovering from. I blame those elephants, not to mention the fact that weve soon gained an Asian character known as, er, Kung Fu George.

But once we all take a deep breath and realise that the Arthurian clock has effectively been reset to year zero, there is fun to be had here.

I mean, when did we last see a film in which King Arthur and his knights are a bunch of cockney geezers from what this historically fluid production insists on calling Londinium?

What ensues is less Knights Of The Round Table, more Lock, Stock And One Very Sharp Sword. The spotlight falls initially on Vortigern (Jude Law, above), a magician slayer and Arthur's uncle

What ensues is less Knights Of The Round Table, more Lock, Stock And One Very Sharp Sword; not so much Snatch as Swish.

With familiar characters such as Guinevere, Lancelot and Merlin all conspicuous by their absence, the spotlight falls initially on Vortigern, in real life a British warlord from the Dark Ages but here portrayed as the slayer of the evil magician Mordred and brother to Uther Pendragon  Arthurs father  whom he loses little time in dispatching too.

Small wonder that Jude Law, who plays him  rather well  spends most of the film channelling King John, Richard III, Macbeth and just about any other ruthlessly ambitious male monarch you can think of.

Poppy Delevingne, left, and Eric Bana, right. In this unrepentantly bloke-ish production, female characters are either princesses or whores, with neither occupation proving particularly long-lived

Its while Uther (Eric Bana) is being killed that his young son is pushed, Moses-like, into a boat, which ends up apparently drifting all the way to Londinium.

Here, Arthur is promptly adopted by warm-hearted prostitutes and grows up believing he was born in a brothel on a bridge in Londin Yes, yes, enough of Londinium.

Its now that we see the first signs that Ritchie may yet be able to do to Arthur what hes already done, so brilliantly, to Sherlock Holmes.

David Bechkam in a scene from the film

He brings all his kinetic film-making energies to the growing-up sequence with machine-gun editing and jump-cuts, so that the years flash entertainingly by in just moments.

Later, he uses another instantly recognisable Ritchie device, as plans are laid, banter is begun and the action fast-forwards  and occasionally rolls backwards  as alternative scenarios are brought instantly to cinematic life. Say what you like about Ritchie but he does crack on.

Which is just as well, as by now the waters around Camelot have magically dropped, the sword in the stone has emerged, and Arthurs date, not just with destiny but David Beckham  something of a distraction as a sword-drawing supervisor  awaits.

IT'S A FACT In order to prove himself fit for the role, Hunnam offered to fight Henry Cavill and Michael Fassbender - the other two contenders. Advertisement

Arthurs claiming of the sword, releasing all sort of magical powers, is a very nice piece of film-making indeed.

So the stage is set for Vort versus Art. Vortigern gets magical powers by sacrificing loved ones to a disconcertingly sexy and omniscient octopus that lives in Camelots flooded basement, while Arthur has a Mage (one with magical powers) on his side too. Her eyes turn black when shes really angry; weve all had girlfriends like that.

Elsewhere, in this unrepentantly bloke-ish production, female characters are either princesses or whores, with neither occupation proving particularly long-lived.

As the adult Arthur, Charlie Hunnam is certainly better than he was in The Lost City Of Z, but his acting style doesnt have the seamless fit that Robert Downey Jrs does with Ritchies free-wheeling film-making style in Sherlock Holmes. Are you falling for me like Im falling for you? he asks the pretty Mage (Astrid Berges-Frisbey) at one point. Now theres a tough call

SECOND SCREEN

Snatched (15)

Rating:

The Secret Scripture (12A)

Rating:

Colossal (15)

Rating:

If Trainwreck was the movie that put Amy Schumer on the Hollywood map, Snatched is the film that suggests she might, somewhat surprisingly, just have trouble staying on it.

Despite a game performance from co-star Goldie Hawn, the comedy is hampered by the fact that theres something fundamentally not funny about two women being kidnapped and held ransom by violent armed men.

Schumer plays Emily Middleton, a self-obsessed New Yorker who is sacked from her job and then dumped by her boyfriend just before leaving for a long-planned  and, more importantly, already paid-for  holiday in Ecuador.

Amy Schumer is too good for this not to have some funny moments and the 71-year-old Goldie Hawn can still deliver a good line too

So she nags her cat-loving, home-bird mother (Hawn) into joining her.

When they get there and Emily finds herself being chatted up and charmed by a handsome young man who, ordinarily, would be out of her league, we know there is trouble ahead.

Schumer is too good for this not to have some funny moments and the 71-year-old Hawn can still deliver a good line too.

But too much of the intended humour feels forced, relying on crudely drawn caricatures.

The two middle-aged female travelling companions (Wanda Sykes and Joan Cusack), one of whom used to be in Special Ops, are particularly unrewarding.

Jim Sheridan could probably have had more success with The Secret Scripture had Stephen Frears not got there first with the markedly similar Philomena.

Yes, its Ireland, babies born out of wedlock and asylum time again, as is made clear from the start.

My name is Rose McNulty, begins the unmistakable voice of Vanessa Redgrave, and I did not kill my child. And yet Rose has spent her entire adult life  50 years or more  in an institution now being closed to make way for a luxury hotel and spa.

Only Rose is refusing to leave, so psychiatrist Dr William Grene (Eric Bana) has been called in to discover why.

Cue a long flashback to the early Forties, with Rose  now played by Rooney Mara  having just lost her job in Belfast and arriving in a small border town in the Republic.

Mara and Redgrave are beautifully cast and extremely good in the central role. But you do need to be up with your Anglo-Irish history and you may find the last lap as contrived as it is sentimental.

Anne Hathaway plays Gloria, an alcoholic good-time girl who heads home from New York after a relationship break-up

Colossal is written and directed by the Spanish film-maker Nacho Vigalondo but feels like something Charlie Kaufman or Michel Gondry might have made  simultaneously high-concept and extremely silly.

Nevertheless, you can see why Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis might have thought it was worth a roll of the dice.

Their gamble almost pays off, with Hathaway playing Gloria, an alcoholic good-time girl who heads home from New York after a relationship break-up, and Sudeikis the old high-school friend who takes her under his protective wing.

And then a huge, Godzilla-like monster appears in Seoul terrorising the citys residents. As they do.

But thats not the odd bit; the odd bit comes when Gloria realises she is controlling the monster. If shes drunk the residents of Seoul are in trouble; if shes sober, they might just have a chance.

It all gets a bit too clever for its own good, and a strange film about the dangers of drinking turns out to be an excessively contrived and over-long film about memory and relationships.
The cheerful psychoanalyst is as improbable a creature as the vegan butcher, the blind hairdresser, or the butter-fingered brain surgeon.

In the late Seventies, when Adam Phillips first entered the world of psychoanalysis, he felt cold-shouldered by his peers. It was his general air of optimism that aroused their suspicions. Was there perhaps something wrong with him?

When I started in psychoanalysis it was a very earnest and sentimental profession, he recalls in an interview contained in his new book. There was a kind of vale-of-tears attitude to life, with the implication that life was almost certainly unbearable, that the really deep people were virtually suicidal So it was very difficult to be a relatively happy person training to become a psychoanalyst. I was then 23, and it seemed to be held against me as a sort of shallowness that I was in some way happy.

When Adam Phillips first entered the world of psychoanalysis, he felt cold-shouldered by his peers

These days, he is still capable of arousing strong feelings, both in and out of the profession. Some people dislike his many slim volumes, which often have upbeat, come-hither titles such as On Tickling, Kissing And Being Bored. They find them slight, or slippery, or both. In this latest book, he summarises the opposition. One kind of review says, This is narcissistic, self-indulgent, pretentious, empty. Dont be impressed and dont be fooled. 

Such criticism may well be tinged with envy. He has written 21 books, and edited many others, yet he only ever writes on Wednesdays, devoting the rest of the week to psychoanalysis. Though he does not see himself as a writer, he clearly has an extraordinary facility for writing. This, in turn, leads some to wonder whether his words dont slip a little too easily out on to the page, and whether his love of paradox and aphorism might in fact be a shield for shallowness.

His new book is subtitled Essays On Literature, but whether the essays are about T S Eliot or Edward Lear, Hamlet or Dr Johnson, they all come back, via one route or another, to psychoanalysis.

A limerick from Edward Lear, which Adam Philips quotes in his book

Phillips has a jaunty one-foot-in, one-foot-out approach to his profession. His more hard-line, beetle-browed colleagues must find this additionally infuriating.

In the past, he has been quoted as saying: For me, psychoanalysis is only one among many things you might do if youre feeling unwell  you might also try aromatherapy, knitting, hang-gliding. Now, he compounds this frivolity, over and over again, with lines that almost amount to quips, or light-hearted injunctions not to take his chosen profession too seriously. He talks of the need not to know yourself and seems to shy away from making sense of the unconscious, talking about the disabling temptations of sense-making.

The analyst who demands sense from the patient is at best distracting him and at worst violating him, he continues. Sometimes it is almost as though the man who first stood up as Defence Counsel for psychoanalysis has just turned himself into the Prosecuting Counsel, or, rather that he has switched his hat, and then switched it back again, and so on and so forth, in the manner of a music-hall turn. This is certainly a good time for psychoanalysis, he begins one sentence. He then switches hats and continues: because it is so widely discredited, because there is no prestige, or glamour, or money in it, only those who are really interested will go into it.

Phillips has a mellifluous style, as gentle as a stream in summer, flowing its way around any hard rocks it may encounter. Though he admires Sigmund Freud, and has edited his works for Penguin, his discipleship is far from strict; he seems happy to cherry-pick from the great mans thoughts and strictures, discarding anything unpalatable or discredited. At one point, he suggests that it was Freuds original English translator, James Strachey, who made him seem so forthright and intransigent. Phillipss Freud is a far more benevolent fellow, as valuable for his weaknesses as for his strengths, perhaps more so.

One thing one learns from Freuds writing, and indeed from the practice of psychoanalysis, is the value of weak theory: theories that are obviously not quite right invite conversation; strong theory creates a fight-or-flight situation. Does he really mean this? If so, he seems to be suggesting that half-truth is better than truth, or at least that murkiness is better than clarity. Or is he joking? His writing thrives on a playful see-sawing between soft and sharp, vague and forthright. He is  as he might put it  vehement only in his disapproval of vehemence.

His pursuit of paradox is unstoppable, popping up everywhere. On one page, psychoanalysis is too rational an account of irrationality, and on another it is a story about how there is nothing less desirable than an object of desire.

IT'S A FACT! Sigmund Freud was a great admirer of the works of William Shakespeare, which he read in English. Some think the plays influenced his ideas. Advertisement

We are prone to betray our values in the ways we protect them, he writes in an essay on Hamlet and revenge. Of Freud, he says that he wants to persuade us that the acknowledgement that we dont know what we are talking about is the precondition for talking. In an essay on the Italian novelist Italo Svevo, he states that what we really know about ourselves is how little we want to know about ourselves. Later, he talks of writers that are useful for all the ways in which they cannot be used.

And so on. Readers will respond to these push-me/pull-you statements with either irritation or excitement, depending on their disposition. Phillips would probably think that both responses are equally valid, and that to react in either way is preferable to not reacting at all. He has long been a standard-bearer for the English psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott, who was a great believer in the value of play; Phillipss prose is peppered with playfulness.

In his essay on the nonsense verse of Edward Lear, he argues that Lears nonsense is also a freedom not to make sense and regrets that psychoanalysis, in all its forms, radical and otherwise, has put its money on sense-making.

The most frequent adjective he employs when describing the work of those he admires is wonderful. Though he is an intellectual, he prefers to react with wonder than with certainty: to him, explanation is a sort of cul-de-sac. Unlike most psychoanalysts, he believes in leaving well alone. The making of meaning is a way of pre-empting an experience. If you go to a concert or listen to a piece of music thinking, What does this mean?, you wont have experienced the music.

Consequently, his favourite form of punctuation is the question mark. At one stage, he quotes Lears famous limerick There was an Old Man with a beard/ Who said, It is just as I feared!/ Two Owls and a Hen, four Larks and a Wren/ Have all built their nests in my beard!  And then he asks: If a beard can be a nest, several nests, what is a desire to grow a beard a desire for?

Some people may find this teasing style simply irritating. They would doubtless point out that a fair number of Phillipss generalisations dont stand up to scrutiny: they mean either too much, or nothing at all. What does he mean when he says: To be ashamed of oneself is to be in a state of total conviction? And when he says that an interest in childhood is always also an interest in misogyny, and in sex, privacy is always what is at stake, does he really mean ALWAYS, or has he just inserted the word for dramatic effect?

Poet and critic TS Eliot is one of the literary giants that features in the book

And what of his contradictions? In one essay, he praises the gloomy, self-absorbed writer W G Sebald; in another he firmly states that People should be doing everything they can to be as kind as possible and to enjoy each others company. Any art, any anything, that helps us do that is worth having. But if it doesnt, it isnt. So where on earth does Sebald fit in?

But to look to Phillips for logic and consistency is like going to an aquarium in search of frozen fish. He obeys nobodys rules but his own, and  rare among intellectuals, rarer still among analysts  makes you feel good to be alive.
Navdy Head-Up Display

599, navdy.com

So far, the 21st century has been a little stingy with gadgets that Hollywood assured me would be commonplace by now, such as jet packs and robot servants. So Navdy scores points by making one of my childhood dreams come true.

The dashboard gizmo gives your car one of those glowing head-up displays like the pilots have in Top Gun.

Of course, instead of helping me to blow Russian MiG fighters out of the sky, its telling me which turn-off to take to the nearest petrol station. That, I suppose, is the life I chose.

The dashboard gizmo gives your car one of those glowing head-up displays like the pilots have in Top Gun

The makers pretentiously describe Navdy as an augmented reality device  which sounds as if you might suddenly be assaulted by Space Invaders on the M3  but in reality its a fancy satnav, offering what youd get in a decent car but projected on to a pane of glass.

Posh car marques offer similar head-up displays built-in, but Navdy is an add-on, and the light is projected on to a thin sheet of glass rather than the windscreen, which is, the makers boast, 40 times brighter than an iPhone screen.

Its certainly clear and easy to read. Pilots use these so they dont have to look down at panels while flying  but in all honesty it feels a touch over-specced for driving 300 feet to Sainsburys.

On screen theres a speedo and fuel meter, delivered by a wire snaking up from the OBD-1 port in the car (I hadnt heard of it either, but its in most models released since 1993). Navdy also pairs with your phone via Bluetooth to offer satnav (you can set the destination either via a paired phone app or, if youre feeling brave, by voice control).

You can also set Navdy to read out text messages and (if youre utterly insane) Facebook notifications  all controlled by a neat little scroll wheel that clips on to your steering wheel.

Its a step up from many in-car satnavs but its also a wildly high price (some of which may be explained by the sumptuous packaging it arrives in). For now, Im not sure it can be my wing man any time, as they say in Top Gun.
(Xinhua) 11:04, May 20, 2017

BEIJING, May 19 -- China signed a bilateral social security agreement with Spain, according to a statement released Friday by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

The agreement was signed by Yin Weimin, Minister of Human Resources and Social Security, and Spanish Minister of Employment and Social Security Maria Fatima Banez Garcia, during the G20 meeting of labor and employment ministers in Germany.

Under the agreement, employees of Chinese companies working in Spain will be exempt from mandatory social security contributions including pension and unemployment insurance contributions in Spain. Spanish companies and employees will enjoy the same treatment in China.

The agreement will take effect after going through necessary legal procedures in each country.
Makeshift toll booths on Delhi's arterial DND flyway are causing choking snarls and putting lives at risk every day.

The booths - erected by Delhi's municipal corporation - block vehicles, defy logic, disrupt traffic and turn into deathtraps under the shroud of darkness.

On Friday evening Mail Today found vehicles crawling on the thoroughfare after clearing the entry point on the Noida side even as the MCD toll tax collectors - often accompanied by stick-wielding toughies - were busy collecting money.

Several motorists were making elaborate U-turns to escape the mess, adding to the chaos.

Traffic on DND flyway comes to a standstill nearly every evening, with booths in the middle of the road and staff trying to stop commercial vehicles, causing traffic to move at a snails pace

'Traffic has been stranded for about two hours,' said Rahul Mehta, a motorist on DND. 'I was supposed to reach home early today. But now I'll be taking a different route.'

The Delhi-Noida-Direct flyway connecting the Capital to the neighbouring city in Uttar Pradesh became toll-free with the Supreme Court on November 11, 2016 refusing to stay an Allahabad High Court verdict restraining Noida Toll Bridge Company Ltd from levying cess.

The decision came months after massive protests at the eight-lane, nine-km long link, with activists alleging corruption and overcharging.

Experts say that the booths pose danger to the lives of both the commuters as well as the collection staff

Demonstrators had demanded that the Rs 28 charge be scrapped as the operator had already made profits.

But after the flyway was made toll-free, South Municipal Corporation of Delhi placed its booths in the middle of the carriageway where motorists zip by at speeds up to 120 km/hr.

Since November, the lives of commuters have been at risk and it appears the civic body is waiting for a mishap.

According to a toll attendant, at least one minor accident takes place every day.

'It also leads to arguments between the drivers and even scuffles,' he said.

Suresh Gupta was returning from his office when he got stuck in the stubborn gridlock. He takes the DND flyway daily.

'All this is happening because of MCD's toll booth in the middle of the road,' he said.

'In the peak hours, like morning and evening, when traffic movement is at full strength, MCD tax collectors just jump onto the middle of the road, which can lead to accidents. Not only this: sometimes they threaten commuters too. This has become daily affair for travellers, which results in a jam-packed DND.'

When contacted, Jogender Chaudhary, the MCD toll tax collector on duty, tried to shift the blame.

'Today's DND traffic jam is not because of our routine process of toll tax collection. This is because today at least four cars broke down and vehicular movement was halted,' he said.

Mail Today had reported the matter a month ago, but the MCD appears unwilling to act against the toll mafia.

Experts say that the booths pose danger to the lives of both the commuters as well as the collection staff.

A speeding vehicle on a curve can also be a bigger threat on a day when visibility is poor, such as during rains. With monsoon drawing near, the rains may lead to a flurry of accidents on the flyway.
Well read: Old Mutual's Richard Buxton is a fan of classic literature

Sitting in a drawer in Richard Buxton's Islington home, there lies an unfinished thesis on John Milton's Paradise Lost.

He'd packed in his first job in banking to return to Oxford to write it, but quickly realised that finance had entered his bloodstream.

When he decided to quit a year later, his tutor, the esteemed literary don John Carey, told him he was welcome to come back any time and complete it. A glittering City career ensured he never did.

Buxton, 53, is chief executive of Old Mutual Global Investors, and alongside Neil Woodford is the UK's most renowned fund manager.

While the thesis has been gathering dust, he has been busily returning an impressive 86 per cent over the past decade, comfortably outperforming his peer group.

But if sweatshirt-wearing Woodford is an unfussy chunk of English cheddar, then elegantly coiffed Buxton is a more sophisticated slice of creamy Brie.

As well as his passion for 17th century English poetry, he's an opera buff, art lover and collector of paintings.

While his fellow stock pickers take home spreadsheets for their bedtime reading, Buxton prefers to immerse himself in classic novels.

Did I mention that he's also a gourmet chef? Friends say he's almost as proud of his salmon en croute as he is of his bulging 30billion portfolio.

That is not to say he is aloof  far from it. For all his fierce intellect, Buxton's a charming, approachable cove with a self-effacing sense of humour.

He's uncomfortable being described as a 'star manager', insisting his fund is a team effort, though admits the tag is rather hard to get away from.

His arrival at Old Mutual in 2013 from Schroders, where he'd risen to head of equities, was big news.

Old Mutual's then chief executive Julian Ide had been wooing him for some time. 'Wooed' is a polite way of putting it. Harassed might be more accurate. It had come to a point where Buxton told his PA to stop taking his calls.

He'd established a loyal following at Schroders and, when he relented to Ide's offer, it triggered a 1.5billion exodus from his fund.

Buxton is said to be almost as proud of his salmon en croute as he is of his bulging 30billion portfolio

Buxton favours a long-term, patient approach, usually sticking with a company for at least four years. Investment is an art rather than a science, he says, hence the benefit of his artistic background.

Before picking a stock, long hours are spent poring over a company's management, and he isn't afraid to speak out publicly about a firm he's invested in.

This week he hit out at excessive executive pay, while heaping praise on Lloyds chief Antonio Horta-Osorio for steering the bank back into private ownership.

Born in South London, his father worked at Coutts & Co. Buxton Snr had joined the Queen's bank aged just 15 and risen to head of branch banking. The next rung up was chief executive, and since that position was reserved for family members he took early retirement.

Richard chose to follow him into the City, landing a job after university with merchant bank Brown Shipley. Following that brief flirtation with academia, he joined Barings' UK equity team in 1990.

When Nick Leeson brought the bank crashing down five years later, Buxton was put in charge of the Baring UK Equity Fund. By the time Buxton left in 2002, the previously languishing fund was a top-quartile performer.

After spending 12 subsequent years at Schroders, he began to feel restless. He'd enjoyed his time there  it was where he met his second wife Sarah (he has two children from his first marriage)  but felt like a small cog in a giant wheel.

The bank had diversified into a spiralling behemoth and equities were barely 6pc of the business.

In Old Mutual, Buxton saw an opportunity to grow a business.

He's never regretted it. He loves the culture and having all his team on one floor. It's certainly been kind to him financially.

While he pays himself a 300,000 salary, analysts suggest his total pay package would likely be ten times that amount at least.

Old Mutual will be his last job, but he refuses to put a finite point on when he might retire.

Besides, the great thing about the fund management game is you get better with experience. Like Warren Buffett, Buxton doesn't rule out carrying on well into his advanced years.

If not, there's always that Milton thesis that needs finishing.
The death of Moors Murderer Ian Brady this week brings to a close his distinction of being the longest-serving detained criminal.

The evil child killer, who died from cancer in a Liverpool hospital on Monday, had was locked up for 51 years following his conviction in 1966.

Due to the horrific nature of his crimes with accomplice Myra Hindley, the 79-year-old was told he would never be released back into society.

He became Britain longest serving detainee after the death of John Straffen in 2007, at the age of 77, with the serial killer spending more than 50 years in jail.

There are still more than 60 others locked up who will never enjoy freedom again.

Here, we reveal Britain's other longest-serving criminals...

Robert Maudsley Detained since 1973 Robert Maudsley garroted a man who had hired him as a rent boy and is considered one of the most dangerous inmates in Britain today. He has been detained since 1973. Infamously known as 'Hannibal the Cannibal', the 63-year-old from Liverpool murdered his first victim John Farrell in 1973 while working as a rent boy. It was determined that Maudsley was not fit to stand trial and he was sent to Broadmoor psychiatric hospital. Robert Maudsley has been detained since 1973 after he garrotted a man who had hired him as a rent boy. He is considered one of the most dangerous inmates in Britain today Maudsley claimed the reason he killed Farrell was that the labourer had shown him images of children he had previously abused. However, in 1977, while in Broadmoor, Maudsley and a second inmate took a paedophile hostage and killed him over the course of nine hours. When prison officers managed to get into the cell, they found the victim with a spoon stuck in his skull. It led to Maudsley being nicknamed 'The Cannibal Killer' as it was rumoured he ate his victim's brain. He is considered so dangerous that he spends his time in solitary confinement and exercises one hour a day in the company of six prison guards. Advertisement

Charles Bronson First jailed in 1974 Born Michael Gordon Peterson, he was first jailed in 1974, aged 22, for an armed robbery on a post office and his jail time has been repeatedly extended for various crimes including taking prisoners hostage. The notorious prisoner and former bare-knuckle boxer changed his name to Charles Bronson in 1989. He has convictions for wounding, criminal damage, GBH, false imprisonment, blackmail and threatening to kill - and has taken hostages in 10 prison sieges, attacked at least 20 prison officers and caused 500,000 in damage in rooftop protests. Over the years, his outbursts have seen him moved 150 times. During a siege at Belmarsh in 1997, he was jailed for a further seven years after taking three prisoners hostage. Charles Bronson has convictions for wounding, criminal damage, GBH, false imprisonment, blackmail and threatening to kill On that occasion, Bronson demanded a helicopter so he could fly to Cuba and compare his beard with Fidel Castro's. He also asked for some ice cream and a cheese sandwich in case he got hungry on the flight - as well as an axe and sub-machineguns. He was given a life sentence in 1999 for holding a prison art teacher hostage for 44 hours for criticising some of his sketches. He once boasted: 'I've had more hostages than Saddam Hussein' and reportedly ate a budgie after he became annoyed by its singing. In 2014, he had two years added to his sentence after attacking a prison governor at HMP Woodhill. Bronson has spent much of his time in jail in solitary confinement due to his history of violence. Advertisement

John Massey Massey was jailed in 1975 for blasting Charlie Higgins with a shotgun after being thrown out of a Hackney pub for fighting Jailed in 1975 Although sentenced to 20 years for the murder of a bouncer, John Massey would end up becoming one of Britain's longest serving prisoners. He was jailed in 1975 for blasting Charlie Higgins with a shotgun after being thrown out of a Hackney pub for fighting. The 36-year-old also shot at police who were chasing him from the scene. In the penultimate year of his sentence while on a home visit to prepare him for life on the outside, he fled from his security detail. Massey fled to the Costa del Sol in Spain in 1994 where he remained for three years before his capture. Having been released on parole in 2007, he was ordered to stay at a South London hostel, but instead absconded to visit his father Jack who was dying of cancer. Massey handed himself and after two and half years was sent to Ford Open prison where he again went on the run. He was arrested and locked up in Pentonville where in 2012 he made yet another escape. He was at large for only four days before being captured and remains in prison. Advertisement

John Childs Hitman John Childs was convicted of six contract killings during the mid-1970s Jailed in 1979 Ruthless hitman John Childs was convicted of six contract killings during the mid-1970s after he had been dismissed from the Army for burglary. Among those he killed was 10-year-old Terry Brett, who was murdered to prevent him from telling police that he had witnessed him killing his father George. Childs also murdered Terence Eve, Robert Brown, Frederick Sherwood and Ronald Andrews. The men were shot or strangled with Sherwood killed over a 7,000 debt. Their remains have never been found as Childs dismembered their bodies and burnt them. After being convicted in 1979 of the six murders, Childs turned Queen's evidence to name those who had hired him to carry out the contract killings. Advertisement

Peter Sutcliffe Jailed in 1981 Ex-lorry driver Sutcliffe, better known as 'The Yorkshire Ripper', was responsible for the murder of 13 women during a terrifying five-year killing spree Better known as 'The Yorkshire Ripper', the former lorry driver was responsible for the murder of 13 women during a terrifying five-year killing spree. He is currently serving 20 concurrent life sentences having been jailed in 1981. Now aged 70, and in failing health, he has been told he will never leave prison. During the late 1970s, Yorkshire was gripped by a wave of terror with women being randomly attacked and killed. The killings led to what was then the biggest police investigation in British history as mutilated bodies of women, mostly prostitutes, began to mount up. Sutcliffe had attacked three women with a knife and hammer before claiming his first victim Wilma McCann in October 1975. The mother-of-four was struck twice in the head with a hammer and stabbed 15 times with a knife. Such was the savagery of the attack and later murders that the man being hunted by West Yorkshire police became known as 'The Yorkshire Ripper' because of similarities to the Victorian era serial killer known as Jack the Ripper. Sutcliffe's killing spree saw two women die in 1976 and the following year a further three. The lorry driver, who would later claim at his trial that he heard voices telling him to kill, was questioned by police during their mammoth investigation but released. Others to die included 19-year-old building society clerk Josephine Whittaker and 20-year-old student Barbara Leach. Those woman who survived his hammer and knife attacks were left traumatised for the rest of their lives. Some were able to give police description of their attacker but not enough information for detectives to stop his murders. It wasn't until 1981 when he was pulled over by police and found to be with a prostitute in a car with false number plates that he was considered a suspect. After two days of questioning, he confessed to being the Ripper. Following a two-week trial at the Old Bailey, Sutcliffe was convicted of 13 murders and seven attempted murders. He was jailed for life in May 1981. Two years into his sentence, he was attacked by another prisoner and in a 1997 attack lost an eye. Sutcliffe spent time in Broadmoor Hospital for the criminally insane but has since been returned to a normal prison. An appeal against his 'life means life' sentence was rejected in 2010 and he was told he will die behind bars. Advertisement

Dennis Nilsen Jailed in 1983 Often known as the 'kindly killer', the civil servant's ordinary looks belied a savage taste for murder. Over a five-year period, he killed 16 men, mostly students or homeless men, that he had brought back to his home in leafy Muswell Hill and Cricklewood in North London. Lured inside by the promise of alcohol or a place to spend the night, the former Met Police officer used a ligature to choke his victims unconscious. He would then drown them in the bath or a bucket of water. Over a five-year period, Dennis Nilsen (above, in 1993) killed 16 men, mostly students or homeless men, that he had brought back to his home in leafy Muswell Hill and Cricklewood in North London Nilsen had no problem killing his victims but faced a problem with what to do with the bodies. Using butchery skills he learnt during his time in the Army, he was able to chop the bodies up into small pieces. Police would later say he boiled the flesh of the body parts before disposing of the bones in his rubbish. Disposing of the larger parts of the bodies provided a greater problem. Some were stuffed in a wardrobe or under the floorboards. Once when a friend called unexpectedly, he flushed the parts down the toilet. This was to be his downfall as workmen were called to investigate why the drains in 23 Cranley Gardens were blocked up. The horrific discovery led police to Nilsen's home where they found two human heads. Nilsen, then aged 37, was arrested and later charged with 16 murders. Described by friends as a loner, Nilsen met his first victim in a pub in 1978. Stephen Holmes, 14, was persuaded by Nilsen to return to his home in Cricklewood where he was strangled. Other victims included Canadian tourist Kenneth Ockenden and 16-year-old Martyn Duffey. After his arrest, Nilsen could offer no reason why he killed. He pleaded not guilty to six murder charges at his trial in October 1983, with three men who survived his murderous assaults giving evidence. A jury convicted him of all counts and he was jailed for a minimum of 25 years in November 1983. In 1994, Home Secretary Michael Howard changed his sentence to a whole life tariff meaning he will never be free. Nilsen, 71, has said he is happy to die in jail. Advertisement

From Britain's most prolific female serial killer to the man who murdered eight-year-old Sarah Payne: Five more monsters who will remain behind bars

Serial killer Rose West's (above) victims included her own daughter

ROSE WEST

After Myra Hindley, she is without doubt the most reviled female prisoner currently serving a life sentence.

Together with her evil husband Fred West, she was responsible for murdering, sexually assaulting and dismembering young girls they lured back to their home in Gloucester.

As Britain's most prolific female serial killer she will never be released. Her victims included her own daughter as well as the daughter of her husband from a previous marriage and his mistress.

A sexual deviant, West took pleasure in assaulting the women as well as watching her husband rape them while held captive in the basement of their home in Cromwell Steet. It later became known as the 'House of Horrors' due to the appalling treatment of the women. Several of the victims were buried under the patio at the home.

The majority of her 12 victims were killed between 1973 and 1979 with the women suffering horrific sexual violence before being killed. They had been picked up at bus stops with Rose often pretending to befriend them and offer a place to spend the night.

Once inside, they never left - with Fred West using the women to satisfy his sexual urges before killing them.

Rose West protested her innocence but she stood trial alone after her husband escaped justice by hanging himself in his cell in January 1995

Those killed included Charmaine West, the daughter of Fred's previous wife Rena. Another was her own daughter Heather, who was murdered in June 1987 at the age of 16 after being abused by her parents all her life.

The bodies of several victims including Shirley Robinson and Therese Siegenthaler, a 25-year-old student, were found beneath Cromwell Street.

The couple's sordid life was uncovered after West was arrested for raping his 13-year-old daughter and police began to look into the disappearance of Heather, who had not been seen since 1987.

Rose protested her innocence but she stood trial alone after her husband escaped justice by hanging himself in his cell in January 1995.

At her trial, the public were shocked by the depravity of the couple and cruelty to their own children. Rose, who never gave evidence, was convicted of nine murders. Sentencing her to life, the judge Mr Justice Mantell told her: 'If attention is paid to what I think, you will never be released.'

In 1997, then Home Secretary Jack Straw later gave her a whole life tariff. It was only the second time in British criminal history that a woman had been condemned to die in prison - the first being Myra Hindley.

For more than four years, John Duffy roamed across London and the Home Counties raping and killing young women

JOHN DUFFY

For more than four years, John Duffy roamed across London and the Home Counties raping and killing young women.

With his childhood friend David Mulcahy, they shared a sadistic streak that first showed itself as 13-year-olds when they tortured animals. But in 1982, the pair had graduated to rape and later murder.

Their first victim was a 23-year-old woman who was raped near a railway station in North London. Over the next year, they carried out further attacks, almost all near a mainline railway station and close to Duffy's home in Kilburn, north-west London.

Police launched the biggest manhunt since the Yorkshire Ripper investigation but had little to go on as the pair wore masks and left behind little forensic evidence. They became known as the 'Railway Rapists'. By 1985, at least 18 women had come forward to police to reveal details of their rape attack.

Police believe there were many more who were too terrified to come forward.

During the rape spree, Duffy was questioned by police and even appeared in a line-up after one such assault but his traumatised victim was unable to pick him out.

By 1985, rape did not provide enough of a thrill for Duffy and he killed his first victim, egged on by his friend. On December 29, 1985, Alison Day, 19, was dragged off a train by Duffy and Mulcahy, and raped repeatedly.

She was then strangled with a piece of string after the pair realised she could identify them.

Months later, Maartje Tambozer, 15, was knocked off her bicycle as she rode to her home near Horsley station in East Surrey.

The Dutch teenager was raped and strangled and her body was set on fire to destroy any evidence. His third victim in May 1986 was TV presenter Anne Locke, 29, who was abducted and killed as she got off a train late at night in Hertfordshire.

Six months later while stalking another victim in a park, Duffy was held by police. He was charged with the three murders and multiple rapes. His accomplice Mulcahy was also arrested but released due to lack of evidence.

Duffy remained silent at his trial where he would stare at the jury earning him the moniker 'Laser Eyes'. Sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in February 1988, this was later extended to a whole life sentence.

Duffy kept silent about his accomplice until 15 years later in 1997 when he implicated his childhood friend and gave evidence against him. Mulcahy, who was said to despise women, was given three life sentences.

JEREMY BAMBER

Few murders attracted as much attention as those carried out by Jeremy Bamber in 1986 when he was just 24 years old. Wielding a shotgun, he killed his adoptive parents, sister and her twin sons in a shocking massacre at their Essex farmhouse.

The motive for the horrific killings was his desire to become rich and live a playboy lifestyle - and by wiping out his family, it cleared the way to inherit a fortune.

But based on circumstantial evidence - which Bamber has protested is wrong - he ended up being convicted of one of the most notorious murders of the 1980s.

The killing took place at White House Farm, near the village of Tolleshunt D'arcy in Essex in August 1985.

When police found the bodies of former RAF pilot Neville, his wife June, daughter Shelia and her twin six-year-old sons Daniel and Nicholas, all evidence pointed to a domestic tragedy.

Wielding a shotgun, Jeremy Bamber (left, in 1986; right, in 2002) killed his adoptive parents, sister and her twin sons in a shocking massacre at their Essex farmhouse. He has tried, and failed, to have his whole life sentence overturned

Former model Shelia Cafell, 28, had previous mental health problems and police were told by Bamber that his father had called him to say his sister had 'gone berserk' with a gun.

The telephone line went dead before he could say anything else. When police raced to the farmhouse, they discovered a scene of utter horror with the twin boys shot multiple times as they slept in their beds.

Initially, police suspected Sheila, who had been hospitalised with schizophrenia.

Among those found dead was Bamber's sister - former model Shelia Cafell, 28 - who had previous mental health problems

But as they observed the cool and calm nature of Bamber, they began to think otherwise. It was after his girlfriend Julie Mugford told police Bamber had talked about killing his family that he was arrested.

Bamber protested his innocence and more than 25 years after being jailed, continues to claim that he had nothing to do with the five murders.

Support for Bamber, now aged 57, has come from many people as it appeared Essex police had carried out a botched investigation, coupled with missing vital evidence.

The bodies of the victims were cremated within days and Bamber's clothes he wore hours before the shootings were never examined. Despite his not guilty plea, Bamber was convicted in October 1986 by a majority of 10-2.

Home Secretary Douglas Hurd later decided he would never be released. Bamber's case went to the Court of Appeal in 2001 with his lawyers saying they could show flawed forensic evidence meant he should get a re-trial.

But the three Appeal Court judges threw out the appeal saying they were more convinced than ever that Bamber was guilty.

Six years later, he lost another appeal to have his whole life sentence overturned.

ROY WHITING

Few criminals elicit such revulsion as a child killer.

Roy Whiting became the most hated man in Britain after he was jailed for a minimum of 40 years for the murder of schoolgirl Sarah Payne.

The labourer was already on the sex offenders' register and had served half of a four and half year sentence for abducting and sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl.

Although he could have been jailed for life, he was given the lenient sentence for pleading guilty to the 1995 offence.

When eight-year-old Sarah Payne went missing in July 2000 near Littlehampton, West Sussex, he was one of the first people visited by police.

Roy Whiting became the most hated man in Britain after he was jailed for a minimum of 40 years for the murder of schoolgirl Sarah Payne. Her body was discovered just over two weeks after she had gone missing while out on a day trip with her parents

Officers who quizzed Whiting were troubled by his apparent lack of sympathy and he was later arrested as he tried to leave his flat in his van.

Even though a petrol receipt placed him within three miles of where Sarah went missing, there was not enough evidence to charge him.

Sarah's body was discovered just over two weeks after she had gone missing while out on a day trip with her parents. Whiting denied any involvement and was not charged but later ended up being jailed on motoring charges in February 2001.

While serving a 22-month sentence, police forensic teams re-examined his van and he was charged with her murder.

At his trial at Lewes Crown Court, the jury heard a blonde hair from Sarah was found on Whiting's T-shirt. Fibres from her shoe was also found in the van.

On December 12, 2001, Whiting was convicted of the abduction and murder of Sarah and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The trial judge, Mr Justice Curtis, said that it was a rare case in which a life sentence should mean life. Home Secretary David Blunkett ruled in 2002 that Whiting should serve a minimum of 50 years.

Triple murderer Arthur Hutchinson has been locked up since 1984, having been convicted of the slaying of a couple and their son

ARTHUR HUTCHINSON

Triple murderer Arthur Hutchinson has been locked up since 1984, having been convicted of the slaying of a couple and their son.

He had previously spent five years in prison for the attempted murder of his brother-in-law and was about to be charged with rape and burglary in 1983.

Excusing himself to go to the toilet, he fled from Selby Police station and went on the run.

Hutchinson broke into the home of Basil Laitner, 59, his 55-year-old wife Avril, and their 28-year-old son Richard via a patio window, and stabbed them to death.

He also raped their 18-year-old daughter Nicola at knife-point before fleeing the murder scene in Sheffield.

After two weeks on the run, he was captured on a farm in Hartlepool on November 5, 1983.

Found guilty of all three murders in September 1984, he was jailed for life with a minimum of 18 years.

Home Secretary Leon Brittan said his life sentence should be just that and ordered that he never be released.

Hutchinson twice appealed against the life sentence only to lose.

The 75-year-old took his case to the European Court of Human Rights and earlier this year they also rejected his plea. He has been in prison for 33 years.
Advertisement

It's a world away from the childhood innocence at the heart of the Peter and Jane books.

But Ladybird Books is publishing a 12-volume history of the Second World War which will shine a light on some of the darkest and most dramatic moments of the six-year conflict.

The books, published by Penguin as part of a revival of the iconic Ladybird books brand, have been written by best-selling historian and novelist James Holland.

A 12-volume history of the Second World War is being published by Penguin as part of a revival of the iconic Ladybird brand

The illustrated books, instantly recognisable as Ladybirds, are set to focus on pivotal events including the Blitzkrieg, Battle of the Atlantic, war on the Pacific and D-Day Landings.

The first title in the new series, on the Battle of Britain, is published next month.

Holland, 46, who has written acclaimed books on the Dam Busters, Battle of Britain and the Burma campaign said he jumped at the chance to write the pocket-sized histories.

He said: 'When Ladybird approached me I said yes immediately. Anyone who is my age grew up reading the Ladybird Books.

'I can remember being inspired by their biographies on great figures like Nelson, Oliver Cromwell and Alfred the Great.'

The Second World War books will shine a light on some of the darkest and most dramatic moments of the six-year conflict

The new books which will be produced in the same iconic small hardback format are designed to appeal to children as well as adults who, like Holland, grew up with the originals.

Each volume will boast 24 pages of original illustrations by the artist Keith Burns. His artwork presents a unique new view of the Battle of Britain in the classic Ladybird style.

Holland's hopes his first volume will go some way to debunking myths about the Battle of Britain, including the idea that victory was a close run thing thanks almost entirely to the pluck of The Few.

Instead, he argues the country was well prepared for the airborne battle which followed the fall of France.

The new series of books on the Second World War have been written by best-selling historian and novelist James Holland

Britain not only had the world's first fully co-ordinated air defence system, but superior intelligence, tactics, and far higher aircraft production than the Germans.

The cover for the new Battle of Britain book by James Holland

Far from being a close run thing, Holland tells the story of a thumping victory and one from the Hitler's 'complacent and over confident' regime never really recovered.

He said: 'The idea that we were not prepared for a showdown with Hitler is one of those deeply entrenched myths which has no basis in fact at all.'

The book also argues that Hitler's obsession with the music of Wagner meant he took his eye off the ball.

The Nazi leader was at a festival dedicated to the composer's music when he should have been back in Berlin taking crucial decisions, Holland said.

Other books in the series will tackle The Desert War, The Eastern Front, The War in Italy, The Bomber War and Victory in Europe.

The history of the Second World War series is part of The Ladybird Expert series which includes a book on Climate Change co-authored by the Prince of Wales.

Rowland White, Publishing Director for Penguin, accepts that the new books, by virtue of their brevity, will only tell part of the story.

He said: 'They're introductions, so, yes, there's always going to be more to learn about any of the subjects we cover, but you've got to start somewhere.

'It's about providing a point of entry to a subject that, otherwise, might feel daunting or out of reach.'
A 'kind-hearted' university student with type 1 diabetes has tragically died after catching a simple stomach bug.

Tommy Green, 21, originally from Bury St Edmunds, went to sleep one night last week with a stomach illness but unexpectedly fell into severe hypoglycemia - extremely low blood sugar levels - during the night.

The Nottingham Trent University student, who was reading Quantity Surveying and Construction Commercial Management, did not wake up from his sleep.

Now well-wishers from around the world are honouring Tommy's life by 'dabbing' to boost awareness of the potentially fatal condition and to raise money for charities searching for a cure.

Tommy Green (pictured), a university student with type 1 diabetes, has tragically died after catching a simple stomach bug

Tommy Green, 21, (pictured in the Seychelles with his sister Molly) went to sleep last week with the illness but unexpectedly fell into severe hypoglycemia

Type 1 diabetes, which is distinct from type 2, is believed to affect more than 400,000 people in the UK.

Dabbing is a popular dance move which involves a striking pose of resting your head into the bend of one elbow whilst extending your other arm outstretched to the other side.

A social media post from a friend of the student said: 'At the weekend, one of our type 1 heroes was lost.

'Tommy was a kind-hearted university student who was sleeping off a simple tummy bug but sadly never woke up, a fear for so many in the type 1 community and sadly a reality for this family.

'Type 1 families will come together, candles will be lit, prayers will be said and T1 families will be dabbing in memory of Tommy.'

His mother Jo Green, who lives in Dubai, said: 'Thank you all so much... you are all completely amazing. We are staggered by your wonderful support. We are lifted to think this is raising awareness for diabetes.'

The Nottingham Trent University student (pictured with sister Molly) did not wake up from his sleep

A social media post from a friend of the student said: 'At the weekend, one of our type 1 heroes was lost'

Tommy's mother Jo Green said: 'Thank you all so much... you are all completely amazing'

Tommy's father Nick Green, a retired aircraft engineer who also lives in Dubai, posted a video online of former colleagues 'dabbing' in memory of his son.

He wrote on social media: 'Emirates Engineering dabbing for my son Tommy Green #dabfordiabetes #dab4tommy.

'Thanks guys for all your love and support from Nick, Jo and Molly.'

Hundreds of well-wishers have posted photos of themselves doing the now-famous 'dab' move using the hashtag #dab4tommy.

Tommy's close friend Russell Edge posted: 'Tom was my very best friend - the kindest soul. We miss him every day.'

What is type 1 diabetes? Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that causes the insulin producing cells in the pancreas to be destroyed, preventing the body from being able to produce enough insulin to regulate blood glucose levels.

It may sometimes be referred to as juvenile diabetes, however, this term is generally regarded as outdated because the condition can develop at any age.

Severe hypoglycemia is defined as having low blood glucose levels that requires assistance from another person to treat.

Severe hypoglycemia is classed as a diabetic emergency and is a complication that can occur in people with diabetes that take insulin and certain anti-diabetic tablets. Source: Diabetes.co.uk Advertisement

What is nocturnal hypoglycemia? Nocturnal hypoglycemia or night time hypos are common in people who treat their diabetes with insulin.

Symptoms are usually only realised once waking up from a hypo.

Due to their nature, you will usually only find out about having a hypo during the night after waking up from a hypo.

Therefore people may not even be aware that they are having night time hypos, so its useful to be able to spot the signs and symptoms of when nocturnal hypoglycemia may be taking place.

Whilst nocturnal hypoglycemia is most common in insulin users, it can also occur for people who take oral anti-diabetic drugs.

Source: Diabetes.co.uk Advertisement

Another friend Molly Ellison said: 'I am so lucky to have been able to call you my best friend as well as my housemate.

'So sad to see you go so soon, a day won't go by where I don't miss you and I'll always love you and remember you forever.'

Angela posted on Twitter: 'My lovely Egyptian friend Middo dabbing in memory of Tommy Green who lost his life this week to type 1 diabetes.'

Another poster Katie said: 'Sadly lost one of our family friends to type 1 diabetes. Share to show your support for Tommy.'

Caroline Smith posted a photo of her son's marine cadets troop 'dabbing' as a group.

She wrote on Facebook: 'My son Liam with Normandy Troop Plymouth 30 Royal Marine commando cadets xx (I have type 1 diabetes)'.

Hundreds of well-wishers have posted photos of themselves doing the now-famous 'dab' move

His friend Russell Edge posted: 'Tom was my very best friend - the kindest soul. We miss him every day'

Angela posted on Twitter: 'My lovely Egyptian friend Middo (left) dabbing in memory of Tommy Green who lost his life this week to type 1 diabetes' while a man in a ski lift (right) also took part

Caroline Smith posted a photo of her son's marine cadets troop 'dabbing' as a group

Sarah Jackson added: 'So sad, my heart goes out to Tommy's family. My Son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes three years ago at the age of 12, so I will light a candle in memory of Tommy.'

Zoie Carter-Ingham said: 'Heartbreaking - my thoughts go out to his family. A candle for Tommy will be lit in my home tonight.'

Charlotte Summers, chief operating officer of patient forum Diabetes.co.uk, told MailOnline: 'We would like to send our sincere condolences to Tommy's family and friends. It's tragic to lose Tommy at just 21 years old.

'Hopefully the overwhelming response and support from the global diabetes community is a small comfort to the family.'

Diabetes.co.uk the global diabetes community got behind the #dab4diabetes campaign and it has subsequently reached over 1.4 million people.

A spokeswoman for Nottingham Trent University told MailOnline: 'We have extended our condolences to Tom's family and our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time.'

One social media user posted a photo of their grandmother 'dabbing' for the campaign

Debbie Cope wrote: 'Showing support for the Green family, having lost their son to diabetes'

Christine Llewellyn added: 'Thoughts go out to the Green family. RIP Tommy'
This is the dramatic moment a rampaging man smashed up bottles of Duty Free alcohol and hurled them across a shop at Manchester Airport.

Holidaymakers were left terrified as the man exploded into anger and grabbed booze off the shelves of the store in the airport's Terminal 3.

An onlooker captured shocking footage showing the man shouting and hurling 'every bottle in sight' before being pinned to the ground.

The shop was forced to close for more than an hour as staff cleaned up the mess of shattered glass that was left behind during the rampage.

The one-minute clip, which was captured by holidaymaker Emma Louise-Lloyd on Thursday, shows a man shouting and hurling bottles of alcohol in a Duty Free shop at the airport

A 32-year-old was later arrested and has been released on bail.

Emma-Louise Lloyd, 26 from Shrewsbury, who captured the footage, told MailOnline: 'Me and my partner were waiting in the bar opposite the Duty Free in Terminal 3 waiting to go to Amsterdam when we heard a bottle smash.'

'I turned around to see a man standing with another bottle in his hand chucking them to the ground at every opportunity he had.

'He was shouting to all the Duty Free staff to get back as they tried to approach him. Then he shouted "My name's Michael and I'm from Burnley!"

'By now he had created a scene and everyone around was watching. The airport staff were asking people to get back to try and calm the situation but the man was pacing around and grabbing every bottle in sight.

According to Emma-Louise the man shouted "My name's Michael and I'm from Burnley!" during the rampage

'Some were bouncing off the ground whilst others were smashing. There was a strong smell of alcohol as so many had smashed.

'This went on for quite a few minutes. He then tried to push a stand over when there was a loud bang and someone jumped on him from behind.

'Then many more helped pin him to the ground and several minutes later the police arrived.'

The shop then stayed closed for over an hour while staff cleaned up the mess, she said.

The man is pictured holding up two bottles of alcohol before he smashes them on the floor. He was later arrested and released on bail

A police spokeswoman told MailOnline: 'On Thursday we got a call at 9:20am to reports of a man in the Duty Free shops of Terminal 3 who was smashing bottles of alcohol.

'Airport police attended and he was arrested on suspicion of affray. He was released on bail pending investigation.'

A Manchester Airport spokesman, said: 'We are aware of an incident involving a passenger in Terminal 3 yesterday morning. Greater Manchester Police were called to the scene and dealt with the matter.'
Corrie McKeague, pictured, vanished after a night out in Bury St Edmunds eight months ago. But a bitter family feud has erupted following his disappearance

A private war behind the public appeal for missing Corrie McKeague has been revealed as the airmans father criticised his estranged wife for being misleading.

The 23-year-old serviceman's mother Nicola Urquhart has been running a campaign called Find Corrie since he vanished after a night out in Bury St Edmunds eight months ago.

With a global following of 134,000 online, the appeal has become a mighty force and has been vocal in its criticisms of Suffolk Police who are handling the investigation.

It has raised more than 50,000 in donations, with money used to fund an alternative investigation by a private company with links to Nicola's brother.

But behind the campaign, a bitter feud has erupted between Nicola and her former husband and father to their three children Martin McKeague.

Speaking to MailOnline, he said he feels he had been pushed out from the beginning and has been forced to watch on as Nicola has made incorrect and misleading statements to the public.

He questioned the use of the money raised and decisions to allow Find Corrie posters used on a gambling website to tout for business.

The gunman's devastated father said the Find Corrie campaign directed witnesses away from an official police investigation, after advertising those who last saw the 23-year-old to call five private numbers instead of Suffolk Constabulary.

Martin said there was absolutely no need for a private investigator and said police told him there wasnt a single shred of evidence to suggest Corrie was anywhere but the landfill site officers are currently searching near Milton, Cambridgeshire.

Corrie's father Martin McKeague, pictured with his new wife Trisha McKeague, feels he has been pushed out by the missing serviceman's mother

Corrie's mother Nicola Urquhart, pictured, has been running a campaign called Find Corrie since he vanished after a night out in Bury St Edmunds eight months ago

He and wife Trisha, 54, sold their Jeep to buy a Fiat camper van to live near to the site near Milton, Cambridgeshire while the search in underway.

Martin was forced to sell his beloved motorbike to cover bills and has been on leave from his job as a deck supervisor on an oil rig after his son went missing.

The campaign recently announced a summer pop concert and fundraiser in Corries honour which Martin called disgusting.

He said: My son hasnt even been found yet, its tasteless.

Martin said the image the campaign was trying to portray of Corrie was inaccurate.

The Find Corrie page described Corrie, pictured, as happily single and denied rumours he was depressed, despite his father saying the 23-year-old was taking antidepressants

Corrie's devastated father told MailOnline: I dont know why they are trying to paint him in this way, as if he is a saint or a single lad'

Corrie's devastated father Martin, pictured with his wife Trisha McKeague, right, talks to MailOnline reporter Katie French

The Find Corrie page described Corrie as happily single and denied rumours he was depressed, despite his father saying the 23-year-old was taking antidepressants.

And then bizarrely the page exposed intimate details about the airmans sex and love life.

I dont know why they are trying to paint him in this way, as if he is a saint or a single lad, Martin said.

Corrie was hard work but we loved him very much, I dont understand what the people behind the campaign are trying to do at all, he said.

Then there were the confusing statements about April Oliver, the 21-year-old fitness instructor who was publicly announced as his girlfriend at the beginning of this year.

Corrie's devastated father Martin McKeague, pictured with his new wife Trisha, said the campaign directed witnesses away from an official police investigation

Corrie's mother Nicola, pictured, is said to have organised searches which Martin said he wasn't told about or invited to

Initially the page said he was single and always insists Corrie didn't know he was going to become a father when he went missing.

But Martin said that it 'totally untrue', and revealed Corrie was told during a trip to London with April just six days earlier.

'To say he didn't know is a lie,' Martin said.

Corrie disappeared less than a week after the romantic break away with April, who he had been seeing for five months in a whirlwind romance after meeting online.

He drove to Bury St Edmunds, nine miles from his station at RAF Honington, and parked up his blue BMW convertible before embarking on a night out.

This week Suffolk Police announced a three-week extension to the 11-week search of the landfill site where they believe Corrie's body and phone might be

They have been searching through the enormous mound of rubbish for months

He visited two bars before being asked to leave by a nightclub then visited a takeaway before falling asleep in a doorway. then at 3.25am, he was recorded on CCTV walking into a loading bay behind a branch of Gregg's.

Soon afterwards, in a town dotted with security cameras, Corrie vanished. He hasn't been seen since.

A missing persons appeal was launched three days later but police were baffled as to where the serviceman had gone.

His phone signal was later traced to following the same route as a refuse truck, believed to be carrying waste from a dumpster from the town centre.

Police believe Corrie somehow ended up in a bin but his body and phone have yet to be found.

A missing persons appeal was launched three days after Corrie went missing but police were baffled as to where the serviceman had gone

Police believe Corrie, pictured, somehow ended up in a bin but his body and phone have yet to be found

Originally there was a discrepancy by waste company Biffa who said the dumpster the serviceman is thought to have got into weighed 11kg, enough for the mobile device but not him.

Later it transpired it weighed 116kg - enough to include Corrie, who weighed around 13stone.

While Mr McKeague said he believed this was a genuine error, it ignited theories online about what could have happened to him.

This spurred the huge PR campaign of Find Corrie which involved an appeal video recorded by Hollywood actor Tom Hardy and a number of television interviews with Nicola.

Meanwhile online, theories developed that Corrie could have been taken by ISIS or somehow went missing walking back to his RAF base. Others suggested he went AWOL.

The father-of-three, pictured left with his new wife Trisha McKeague, said he 'isn't at all surprised' the internet is now abundant with conspiracy theories from thousands of people following the case of Corrie, pictured right, with interest and concern

Martin, pictured left with his wife Trisha, said watching back the CCTV of Corrie from the night he went missing was 'devastating'

But police said the chances Corrie managed to slip out of the cathedral town without being caught on camera were as low as one or two per cent.

Then as details about his private life emerged, there were concerns he could have met someone from a dating site or have been lured into a honey trap.

Martin said watching back the CCTV of Corrie from that night was 'devastating'. The clearly intoxicated RAF medic was seen stumbling around the town centre in his last-known recorded moments.

Not an angel, Martin and wife Trisha, Corries step mother, described the young man as the life and soul of the party but say he wasn't without his troubles.

He drank too much, which isnt uncommon, Martin said, He did get depressed. He used to talk to Trisha about it. Im sure that affected his state of mind on the night, he would have only recently found out April was pregnant.

When Martin McKeague, pictured with his new wife Trisha, returned back to his home in Cupar, Fife, days later, he received a call from one of his sons to say they were about to go live on air - without him. He said: 'I feel like I was pushed out'

The family's lives were turned upside down in the days after Corrie was last seen in Bury St Edmunds.

When an official missing persons appeal was launched, they realised it was serious. It was then on September 28, Martin and Corrie's step-mother Trisha met Nicola and were told Corrie had a pregnant girlfriend April Oliver and a sexual past they had 'no idea' about.

It was shortly after that the rift began to develop after Nicola told them she would deal with 'everything' - including the media. They agreed however, if a press conference was to go ahead, they would do it together.

But when Martin returned back to his home in Cupar, Fife, days later, he received a call from one of his sons to say they were about to go live on air - without him.

'I feel like I was pushed out, I don't know why, but Nicola wanted me out of the way for whatever reason,' Martin said during an interview with MailOnline which spanned several hours this week.

The family's lives were turned upside down in the days after Corrie, pictured, was last seen in Bury St Edmunds

'My two sons still havent spoken to me since, it's like I've lost all three of them.'

He said he believes she didn't want the campaign to have his influence. 'She wanted to be in control.

'This idea of a concert, crowd funding and wristbands - it's all nonsense. Using a gambling site to tout for business using Corrie's poster, that was disgusting.'

The feud deepened further when Nicola organised searches which Martin said he wasn't told about or invited to.

When he checked with police, the father-of-three said he was told they weren't necessary as there was no chance of finding Corrie where they were searching.

Because the fall-out happened behind closed doors, followers of the campaign will not have known the full extent of its toll on Martin and Trisha until now.

Because the fall-out happened behind closed doors, followers of the campaign to find Corrie, pictured above right, will not have known the full extent of its toll on Martin and Trisha until now

I have taken so much flack, when I didnt go to Nicolas searches I was asked why wasnt I there.

'People have used my sons against me on social media to get to me and have said I was an absent father which wasn't true,' he said.

Both have been subjected to abuse on social media at an already distressing time while Trisha was also removed from the Find Corrie Facebook group.

Martin said: 'Police told me there was no need (for the searches), there said there was no evidence he was there. The picture of Nicola in the field says it all, its all to get public sympathy.'

But final straw for Martin and what angers him the most about the campaign, was a decision the appeal made to publish five telephone numbers on the Find Corrie posters.

The clearly-intoxicated RAF medic was seen stumbling around the town centre in his last-known recorded moments

He believed this directed valuable witnesses away from the police and to the campaign organisers instead was a foolish mistake which has cost the force precious time.

He said: They used money from the fund to buy five phone numbers and put them on the posters which everyone was told to call which direct. But this directed phone calls away from the police.

The only excuse was the police couldnt answer the phone calls but to take that away is on a live case. That was the single biggest thing that never should have been allowed to happen.

The father-of-three said he 'isn't at all surprised' the internet is now abundant with conspiracy theories from thousands of people following the case with interest and concern.

'The public were told a D notice had been put on the case which is just ridiculous,' he said.

The order is an agreement between the government and news editors not to publish information in the matter of public security. The police said this is not in place.

Martin said: Only when we find Corrie we will find out whats happened to him. Then we will get the facts. We cant prove that there wasn't a murder and neither can police until a post-mortem is done,' he said.

He said: There is so much doubt in everyones mind so many theories but there is not a single shred of evidence. I understand why there are so many conspiracies out there when they have been given so much misinformation but police say there is no sign he is AWOL, he hasnt used his bank account.

With a plea of desperation in his voice, he said: If anyone has any hard evidence to suggest otherwise, we will go there. We will search. I would do anything to find my son. But that is what the police have told me and we have to put our trust in the police.

This week Suffolk Police announced a three-week extension to the 11-week search of the landfill site where they believe Corrie's body and phone might be.

Martin and Trisha, who have been dividing their time between their home in Cupar, Fife and Suffolk say they now want more than anything for him to be found.

Tearfully, Trisha ended the interview by saying: 'If we don't find him, how can we move on? How can life go on if we can't lay him to rest?'

Nicola declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline.
President Donald Trump has told the Pentagon to 'annihilate' the Islamic State group in Syria to prevent the escaped foreign fighters from returning home.

Instead of targeting jihadists as they leave a city, Trump has instructed the Pentagon to have jihadists encircled and killed, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Friday.

This campaign shows an increased urgency to stop battle-hardened jihadists from bringing their military expertise and ideology back to European capitals and other areas.

Scroll sown for video

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine General Joe Dunford, left, and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, right, spoke to reporters about President Donald Trump's campaign to defeat ISIS Friday

The briefing happened just as President Trump was going on his first trip out of the country as president. He is pictured Saturday at a bilateral meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud shake hands during a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh

The president has 'directed a tactical shift from shoving ISIS out of safe locations in an attrition fight to surrounding the enemy in their strongholds so we can annihilate ISIS,' Mattis said.

'The intent is to prevent the return home of escaped foreign fighters.'

Though the campaign against ISIS fighters has been accelerated, Mattis said civilians in war zones were not put in greater risk, according to the New York Times.

Marine General Joe Dunford, who chairs the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also said the US is working successfully with Russia to 'deconflict' military operations in Syria.

Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to quickly defeat ISIS, signed an executive order soon after taking office giving his generals 30 days to come up with a revised plan to wipe the jihadists out.

The review resulted in the new 'annihilation campaign' and saw commanders gain greater autonomy to make battlefield decisions.

Critics of Barack Obama's administration frequently complained of White House micromanagement and a lengthy approval process causing delays on the ground.

Mattis called foreign fighters a 'strategic threat' should they return home and said the annihilation effort would prevent the problem from being transplanted from one location to another.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis stands in front of a map of Syria and Iraq during a news conference at the Pentagon. He told reporters that President Donald Trump instructed the Pentagon to 'annihilate' the Islamic State group in Syria

Dunford, right, Mattis, center, and Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS Brett McGurk, left, are pictured Friday. Mattis told reporters that instead of targeting jihadists as they leave a city, Trump has instructed the Pentagon to have jihadists encircled and killed

A member of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, made up of an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters, removes an Islamic State group flag in the town of Tabqa, April 30, 2017

The US-led coalition has been battling ISIS since late summer 2014, supporting local fighters on the ground with a combination of considerable air support, training and weaponry.

Trump this month authorized the United States to arm the Kurdish faction of an alliance fighting IS in northern Syria, much to the consternation of Turkey, which views them as terrorists.

Though the jihadists have lost 55 per cent of the territory they once held in Iraq and Syria and over four million people have been liberated, ISIS still controls the Syrian stronghold Raqqa, swaths of the Euphrates River valley and other areas including a small part of Mosul in Iraq.

Syrian government forces gather in a street of Damascus' northeastern al-Qaboun suburb on May 16, 2017, after they retook the formerly rebel-held neighbourhood, during a tour which they provided

A view shows damaged buildings in Qaboun neighbourhood of Damascus, in this handout picture provided by SANA on May 16, 2017, Syria

Operations in Syria are further complicated by the country's tangled knot of groups fighting in the civil war.

Russia joined that conflict in late 2015 to prop up President Bashar al-Assad, bringing a new dimension of complexity and risk.

Russia and the US have been working together successfully, according to Dunford. The two sides established a hotline to inform each other of their forces' location to avoid any mishaps.

Dunford hinted the US had a 'proposal' to further enhance deconfliction, but he didn't give any details.

'My sense is that the Russians are as enthusiastic as we are to deconflict operations and ensure that we can continue to take the campaign to ISIS and ensure the safety of our personnel,' he said.

Separately, the Pentagon announced that Dunford has been nominated to serve a second two-year term in his job as the country's top military officer.
A man accused of being part of a tax evasion scheme which defrauded the Australian Tax Office previously used a corporate credit card to spend $100,000 on strippers and escorts.

Simon Paul Anquetil, 34, from Sydney's north shore, on Friday became the 10th person to be charged over the $165 million tax scandal which documents before a New South Wales court show involved a complex web of co-conspirators, companies, straw directors and bank accounts.

Mr Anquetil had splashed out $100,000 at strip clubs and escort agencies in Sydney and Melbourne before his alleged involvement in the tax fraud, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Simon Paul Anquetil (pictured) reportedly used a corporate credit card to spend $100,000 on strippers and escorts prior to his alleged involvement in a multi-million dollar tax fraud

Mr Anquetil on Friday became the 10th person to be charged over a $165 million tax fraud

The spending came prior to Mr Anquetil's IT company eStrategy Group, of which he was managing director, being placed into liquidation in September 2012. It owed American Express $100,000.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that in the Federal Court in July 2013, Mr Anquetil came under the scrutiny of Gillis Delaney lawyers senior partner Michael Hayter.

The court action revolved around Mr Anquetil having a 'dummy' director so that he could avoid personal liability for his spending on strippers, the paper reported.

Mr Anquetil used his American Express corporate card to spend $63,000 over a four-month period in 2011 at the Bada Bing strip club in Sydney's Kings Cross, the court heard.

He also clocked up a bill of $12,000 at the Melbourne escort agency First Ladies of Collins Street in just one day.

Mr Anquetil said he 'wasn't getting anything out of it' when asked 'You seriously think that it's appropriate that you would claim as a company expense $12,000 for one day taking a client to strippers?' and claimed he believed it was pole-dancing involved.

The Federal Court heard in July 2013 Mr Anquetil spent $63,000 over a four-month period in 2011 at the Bada Bing strip club in Sydney's Kings Cross (pictured)

Mr Anquetil also clocked up a bill of $12,000 in just one day at the Melbourne escort agency First Ladies of Collins Street

Mr Anquetil was released on bail on Friday after fronting a court in Sydney, having been charged with conspiracy to defraud the commonwealth

Mr Anquetil on Friday faced Sydney's Central Local Court charged with conspiracy to defraud the commonwealth, the same as his co-accused Adam Cranston, the son of senior tax official Michael Cranston. Mr Anquetil was released on bail.

Mr Anquetil was the former CEO and Chairman of Plutus Payroll Australia - a legitimate company at the centre of a complex web of alleged deception.

Excel spreadsheets allegedly maintained by the daughter of Michael Cranston helped police map out one of the biggest white-collar frauds in Australian history.

Lauren Cranston, 24, allegedly helped control the bank accounts of second-tier companies to which legitimate payroll claims were funnelled from the main company, Plutus Payroll, which belonged to her older brother Adam Cranston.

From a rented office in the Sydney suburb of Miranda it is claimed, Lauren kept records in Excel spreadsheets of the enormous figures allegedly being withheld from the ATO.

Police seized the laptop on which Cranston and fellow accused Devyn Michelle Hammond worked and those spreadsheets have allegedly helped detectives track the flow of money which funded lavish lifestyles including luxury cars, aircraft, properties and jewellery.

Cranston's alleged documentation not only showed where the money flowed but detailed bank accounts and their passwords.

Lauren Cranston (left) allegedly helped control the bank accounts of second-tier companies to which legitimate payroll claims were funnelled from the main company, Plutus Payroll, which belonged to her older brother Adam Cranston (right)

Lauren and Adam Cranston are the children of Michael Cranston (pictured), a senior tax office official. He is due to face court next month. It is not alleged that he had knowledge of the alleged scam

Her brother, 30-year-old Adam, allegedly asked their father for information after the second-tier companies were investigated.

'He is looking into it,' Cranston said in a conversation recorded in late January the court documents show.

'But considering he doesn't know about it [the fraud] it can't be like the biggest thing since Ben Hur.'

Co-accused Dev Menon, a tax lawyer accused of advising the group on how to manage the scam, allegedly commented: 'There is no question this would be the biggest tax fraud.'

A Clamenz Lawyers online profile for Menon, who now faces a charge of conspiring to defraud the commonwealth, describes his years of experience in tax, insolvency and transactional matters.

'His innovative approach to tax is highly reputable throughout the industry and he has been involved in many prominent tax and insolvency matters,' the biography reads.

The AFP allege the group used stolen taxpayer funds to fund their 'lavish lifestyles' (pictured, $1 million in seized cash)

Co-accused Dev Menon (pictured), a tax lawyer, is accused of advising the group on how to manage the scam

As authorities closed in on the alleged racket the co-conspirators began to turn on each other.

On one occasion participants were locked out of bank accounts by one of the so-called 'straw directors' - people paid to act as a front for the second-tier businesses.

Another close call came in the form of an alleged blackmail by journalist Stephen John Barrett who is accused by police of threatening to blow the scam open unless they coughed up $5 million.

Computers and documents were removed from the Miranda office in January.

By February it is claimed the co-conspirators were meeting to discuss avoiding liability.

According to the documents before the court, Menon described two 'fail safes': diverting attention to an accountant or a deceased person allegedly involved in an earlier ATO fraud case.

The Cranston siblings were arrested during raids on Wednesday.

Police believe Michael Cranston, who is due to face court next month, wasn't aware of the conspiracy.
The war on fatty foods has extended to Australia's iconic spread with Vegemite among a list of foods and spreads to be significantly reduced from public school canteens.

The New South Wales government has kick-started the move to warn public school's to avoid buying butter, hundreds and thousands, sweet biscuits, cream, salt, Nutella, icing and chocolate chips.

Vegemite can only be used in 'small amounts', while chicken nuggets, schnitzels, sausage rolls and pies are also some of the loved treats that will be 'occasional' items that are restricted, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Vegemite to be used in 'small amounts' as of next year as part of New South Wales government crack down on childhood obesity

NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes said it was time the government back up their words and restricted unhealthy food on canteen menus

The move is part of a system starting next year in an attempt to reduce obesity by five per cent by 2025.

The Education Department has decided these treats can't make up more than 25 per cent of the menu and the rest of the healthy list should be replaced with rice paper rolls, vegetable soup, hummus and bean and corn salad.

The main drink of choice should be water and sugar sweetened drinks are not permitted, except milk.

Education Minister Rob Stokes said it was time the government started backing up there words to reduce the fatty and salty foods on our school menu.

Pies will be significantly reduced in public school canteens (Stock Image)

'We can't teach good nutrition in the classroom and then sell rubbish in the playground,' Mr Stokes told the publication.

However, Liberal MP Peter Phelps slammed the decision of the government to replace all the items on the canteen menu and labelled New South Wales the 'nanny state'.

The canteen menu is encouraged to stock most food that has a 3.5 star health rating or higher.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 20

By Anakhanum Hidayatova  Trend:

The recent visits of NATO official representatives to Azerbaijan provided the opportunity to take stock of the implementation of NATO-Azerbaijan partnership, NATO Headquarters official in Brussels told Trend May 20.

The NATO official was commenting on the visits of Tacan Ildem, NATO assistant secretary general for public diplomacy, and Jonathan Parish, NATO deputy assistant secretary general for defense policy and planning, to Azerbaijan.

During the visits, the sides exchanged views on boosting NATO-Azerbaijan partnership through existing frameworks, including Azerbaijans Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) and the Partnership for Peace Planning and Review Process (PARP), the official said.

Azerbaijan and NATO also cooperate within the Partnership for Peace program. In 2017, NATO will continue to work with Azerbaijan to clean territories of mines and unexploded ordnance within the Jeyranchel program.
George Hessay, 15, from Rawcliffe in East Yorkshire, is said to have received insulting comments on the Sayat.me website

Schools across the country are urgently warning parents about a dangerous social media app which has been linked to bullying and suicide.

Sayat.me allows trolls to send online abuse anonymously to children and teenagers, with many receiving insults about their appearance and even death threats.

The app has been connected with the suspected suicide of 15-year-old George Hessay, who is said to have been taunted online before his death.

Since his death, Sayat.mes chief executive, Hanna Talving, has said that use of its website has been suspended.

Schools have written to parents after their pupils reported being bullied via the app, with some youngsters even receiving messages from paedophiles.

The app, which was set up by an Estonian-based web company, allows users to give sincere and honest feedback about others anonymously.

It has about 30million users worldwide, and while it is supposed to be for over-18s, youngsters are able to bypass the restriction by lying about their age.

Users are given a personal web address to display on their Instagram or Snapchat feed and invite anonymous comments, which they can then publish or keep secret.

Since his death, Sayat.mes chief executive, Hanna Talving (pictured), has said that use of its website has been suspended

Sayat.me has allegedly been linked to a number of suicides, and a petition set up by 13-year-old Millie Clatworthy (pictured with mother Laura Clatworthy) to urge Theresa May to shut it down now has 1,800 signatures.

One girl recently received the comment: You are a bitch, if you dont change then its not just me who will want to kill you.

This month, a letter sent to parents by Wrotham School in Sevenoaks, Kent, warned: This site is often misused as a way of making offensive, nasty, rude and inappropriate comments.

Young people may be using these sites without your knowledge and they might be receiving incredibly offensive comments that could lead to them becoming seriously distressed and upset.

Sayat.me is a social media app which allows people to send anonymous messages to one another as 'feedback'

And the Rawlett School in Tamworth, Staffordshire, posted online: Students are using the app to carry out cyberbullying. This is happening not just between students at Rawlett but between students across other schools.

Sayat.me has allegedly been linked to a number of suicides, and a petition set up by a 13-year-old girl to urge Theresa May to shut it down now has 1,800 signatures.

Millie Clatworthy, the daughter of a British Airways captain from Maidenhead in Berkshire, said: I started the petition because I saw this app cropped up over social media and I saw a lot of my friends were using it as well.

Tributes have been left around a tree on a village green near Goole where George Hessay, 15, of Rawcliffe took the bus to school

'I knew it was a horrible website. Because its anonymous, it will lead to online bullying and things like trolling and harassment.

A post on the petition from a member of George Hessays family blamed the app for his death.

The teenager, from Rawcliffe, East Yorkshire, who died on May 10, was described as the class joker but he had been bullied online, his family told friends. He is thought to have hanged himself.

Dan Raisbeck, of The Cybersmile Foundation, an anti-cyberbullying organisation, said the UK authorities are powerless to act because the site is hosted abroad.

The Google Play app store, Sayat.me's page has since been taken down, had suggested there was a link between Estonian-based software company Mooncascade and Sayat.me, while the social media platform said it was privately owned - but not by Mooncascade.

Sayat.me's page has since been taken down on Google Play.

In a statement, chief executive Miss Talving said: We have been made aware by police that they are investigating a bullying-related suicide and we offer our sincere condolences to those affected by this loss.

We deplore bullying and want it to have no place on our site. We will offer any assistance we can to the police. We have suspended use of the website to show how seriously we take these matters.

For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116123, visit a local branch or go to www.samaritans.org




An enraged Sydney man has taken to social media to vent his anger after shelling out $300 for a locksmith after he locked himself out of his home.

The Eastern Suburbs resident posted on the Facebook group Bondi Local Loop on Friday evening claiming he was ripped off after the call out only lasted two minutes.

He uploaded a photo of an advertisement of the company branding them 'RIP OFF ARTISTS!'

The post was quickly inundated with comments, with many standing up for the locksmith and berating the Facebook user for sharing the post.

One comment used a laughing emoji in reference to the inconvenient time of the call out

One Facebook user was left enraged with the customers 'arrogance' and let his views known with a savage response

Many comments suggested the confused customer should just accept the fee and move on

Some even suggested the the price was rather reasonable and that other companies may have charged more

Many users pointed out that as a skilled labourer and considering the out-of-hours call out, the tradie was well within his rights to charge the figure.

However some users were sympathetic towards the disgruntled customer suggesting he had been taken for a ride.

A handful of comments did point out that they believed the $300 charge was steep, especially considering the length of time spent with the client.

There were some users on Facebook who did feel for the customer and one warned that you have to be careful with locksmiths

The social media post caused quite a stir on Facebook with many locked in arguments as to whether $300 for an out-of-hours call out was a 'rip off'

Yet ultimately the general consensus suggested the puzzled patron should have done his research prior to making the call.

Daily Mail Australia contacted the locksmith at the centre of the storm yet they refused to comment on the matter.

The post has since been removed from Facebook.
It was the floating pirate radio station whose mission to transmit rocknroll helped kickstart the Swinging Sixties.

Now, more than half a century after it first began broadcasting, Radio Caroline is finally becoming legal.

Ofcom has awarded the radio station its first AM licence, allowing it to broadcast to audiences in parts of Suffolk and north Essex.

More than half a century after it first began broadcasting, Radio Caroline is finally becoming legal (pictured late controller Tom Lodge on the Pirate Radio Station ship)

Ofcom has awarded the radio station its first AM licence, allowing it to broadcast to audiences in parts of Suffolk and north Essex

It is understood the station plans to broadcast from its salvaged ship the MV Ross Revenge  which ran aground in the early Nineties  from the River Blackwater in Essex.

It comes fifty years after the 1967 Marine Broadcasting Act was used in a bid to scupper the station, which originally broadcast from international waters off the British coast.

The resulting struggle between the stations defiant and DJs and officials was the basis of the 2009 Richard Curtis film The Boat that Rocked.

Between its launch in 1964 and 1990 Radio Caroline used five different ships  one of which sank in the North Sea in 1980  before turning to broadcast via satellite from 1998 until 2013.

It comes fifty years after the 1967 Marine Broadcasting Act was used in a bid to scupper the station, which originally broadcast from international waters off the British coast

Since 2013 it has been broadcast online.

A licence bid was first made in 2010 and proposed to cover an area stretching between Ipswich and Diss in Norfolk.

Last night Peter Moore, who runs the station, said: Its our intention to broadcast to the same people we used to when we had ships off the Essex coast.

It will be the same sort of service they would have heard in the past delivered in the same way and presented in many cases by the same people before.

'Its like a living time capsule.
Prospective Sydney homeowners can breathe a sigh of relief with a top real estate expert claiming the five-year housing boom is coming to an end.

The plateau will be welcomed by first-home buyers and even real estate agents after five years of price rising for homes in Sydney and Melbourne.

The dip in prices is supported by a surge in housing construction, a cap on foreign spending and tightening in investor lending.

The five-year housing boom in Sydney is coming to an end, top real estate experts claim

The plateau is welcomed by first-home buyers and even real estate agents after capital city dwelling values have been rising for almost five years

Real Estate Institute of NSW president John Cunningham told The Daily Telegraph he believed the market would remain flat for the rest of the year, with agents often seeing auctions with only one bidder.

'I think prices have just caught up with buyers. Affordability couldn't be pushed over anymore and some of the crazy results has put some much-needed caution creeping into buyer sentiment,' he told the paper.

The predicted plateau will also be helped by a 50 per cent cap on foreign investors buying apartments in any one building and a 'ghost tax' for investors who leave their properties empty, introduced in the Federal Budget in May.

Mr Cunningham predicts prices will stabilise if there are more transactions, and first-time buyers shouldn't expect them to fall anytime soon.

The 1.2 per cent dip in Sydney's housing prices in May was helped by rising stock listings with 21,000 homes on the market - the highest for this period since 2012, CoreLogic revealed.

The stock rise will help result in a slowing in the market, CoreLogic's Cameron Kusher told the Telegraph.

'We've seen growth slow down, which suggests the end is near', but believes the market hasn't peaked just yet due to Sydney's growing population.

Real Estate Institute of NSW president John Cunningham believes the market would remain flat for the rest of the year, with agents often seeing auctions with only one bidder

Treasurer Scott Morrison said the answer to balancing the market would be supply

Treasurer Scott Morrison said the answer to balancing the market is supply.

'To assist housing affordability we need to build more homes,' Mr Morrison told The Saturday Telegraph.

'The reason why home prices in our capital cities have skyrocketed in recent years is because we simply aren't building enough homes to keep up with the insatiable demand.'

The lull is welcomed by first-time buyers who were desperately trying to save before prices increased, and experienced homebuyers who 'can't afford' to buy anymore.

The five-year housing boom saw prices increase 75 per cent to a median house price of $915,000.

Across capital cities in April, dwelling values increased by only 0.1 per cent, the lowest monthly rise since December 2015, with values in Sydney mostly flat with a 0.04 per cent decline, CoreLogic confirmed.

The dip in house prices is supported by a surge in housing construction, a cap on foreign spending and tightening in investor lending
Shakil Afridi (pictured) could be just days away from being freed if President Trump fulfils his campaign promise

The doctor jailed for helping US forces get Osama Bin Laden could be just days away from being freed.

There is new hope that Shakil Afridi could be released from jail because President Trump - who promised during his campaign to free Afridi within 'two minutes' - is set to meet with the Pakistani president, Mamnoon Hussain, at an Arab summit in Saudi Arabia this weekend.

'We strongly believe that all hurdles will be removed in Dr. Shakil's release,' attorney Qamar Nadeem told NBC News.

In 2011, Afridi - who was Bin Laden's trusted physician - helped the CIA run a fake hepatitis vaccine program to collect DNA samples of the 9/11 mastermind to confirm he was living in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

When the Pakistani government discovered his role in capturing Bin Laden, they immediately caught him when he was just minutes away from fleeing the country. A year after he was jailed, he was sentenced to 33 years in prison, initially on charges of treason and later because of his alleged connections with a local Islamic warlord.

His lawyers appealed the verdict and his sentence was overturned. But just a year later, the Pakistani government charged him in connection with his patient's death eight years earlier.

Scroll down for video

Last April, Trump - pictured on the White House South Lawn before his departure today - said he could free Afridi in 'two minutes' because the US gave a 'lot of aid' to Pakistan. But his comments triggered a sharp response from the Pakistani government, who insinuated that the doctor's freedom will not be dependent on the US. Pictured on the right is Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain at the 2016 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

In 2011, Afridi - who was Bin Laden's trusted physician - helped the CIA organize a fake hepatitis vaccine program to collect DNA samples of the 9/11 terrorist

Donald Trump said he could easily free the US aide if he took office, while campaigning in 2016.

'I would get [Afridi] out in two minutes...because we give a lot of aid to Pakistan. We give a lot of money to Pakistan,' he told Fox news.

Pakistani government officials responded, insinuating that Afridi's freedom will not come easy.

'Contrary to Mr. Trump's misconception, Pakistan is not a colony of the United States of America,' Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar said in a statement the following month.

While Pakistani has seemed immune to the mounting pressure from the United States to free Afridi, Nadeem is optimistic that the Middle Eastern government is close to freeing his client.

Things have finally started going in the right direction due to increased pressure on Pakistan by the U.S. officials,' he said.

The State Department spokesperson commented on Wednesday about the growing hopes for Afridi's freedom but did not offer any indication on timing.

'We believe Dr. Afridi has been unjustly imprisoned and have clearly communicated our position to Pakistan on Dr. Afridi's case, both in public and in private,' the spokesperson said.

'We continue to raise this issue at the highest levels during discussions with Pakistan's leadership.'

A 336-page report of the investigation into Bin Laden's raid was leaked to the public in 2013 and many of those who helped find the terrorist have been threatened.

Militant groups have threatened Afridi's attorney's life and in 2015, one of his lawyers, Samiullah Afridi, was shot dead by unknown men in Peshawar in March 2015.
Restaurant critic AA Gill left 3.4million in his will, having married his partner of 23 years just weeks before his death.

The writer, who died aged 62 on December 10 last year, decided to wed Nicola Formby, 52, after being diagnosed with cancer.

He bequeathed nothing to his ex-wife, the Home Secretary Amber Rudd, with whom he had two grown-up children.

AA Gill bequeathed nothing to his ex-wife, the Home Secretary Amber Rudd (pictured together), with whom he had two grown-up children

Gill left an estate of 4,796,266, which was reduced to 3,417,878 after paying liabilities such as legal and funeral costs.

He instructed that his estate be kept in a trust controlled by four trustees, headed by his wife.

The beneficiaries were named as Miss Formby, Gills four children and descendants, other relatives of his parents and anyone else added by his trustees.

Under tax rules as Gills spouse, Miss Formby, with whom he had twins, will not pay inheritance tax on any of the estate she receives. Gill hinted at the tax benefits of marrying his long-term partner in an interview shortly before his death.

Discussing his decision to wed, he said: Initially it was for quite practical reasons: an awful lot of what I am having to think about is Nicola. I said we should probably get married.

Gill revealed his advanced lung cancer diagnosis in November with characteristic frankness and humour in a piece for The Sunday Times, saying: Ive got an embarrassment of cancer, the full English.

There is barely a morsel of offal not included. I have a truckers gut-buster, gimpy, malevolent, meaty malignancy.

The writer, who died aged 62 on December 10 last year, decided to wed Nicola Formby (pictured together) after being diagnosed with cancer

He said he had been left feeling fantastically elated after proposing to his Miss Formby, who he always referred to in his reviews as the Blonde.

The will did not say how the money should be divided, but appeared to make clear that Miss Formby was the prime beneficiary.

It made no mention of Miss Rudd, a former investment banker, who was married to Gill from 1990 until 1995. He previously had a short-lived marriage to writer Cressida Connolly.

Gill and Miss Rudd had children Flora, 26, and Alasdair, 23, before he fell for Miss Formby  a South African ex-model and the mother of his nine-year-old twins, Isaac and Edith.
Talk about an astronomical return on investment. A sample of 'moon dust' from the Apollo 11 landing that was mistakenly sold on a government website for $995 is going up for sale for up to $4million.

It is a simple, square white bag that traveled to the moon in 1969 on Apollo 11 and carried back to Earth the first sample of lunar material ever collected.

That bag, owned by Chicago-area lawyer Nancy Lee Carlson, could fetch up to $4million when it goes on the auction block at Sotheby's New York in July.

The bag - which contains remnants of moon dust and is labeled 'LUNAR SAMPLE RETURN' - is a collection pouch used by astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, during the Apollo 11 mission.

'Moon dust' was captured by Neil Armstrong in the Contingency Lunar Sample Return Bag (above) and somehow ended up being sold on a government website

The bag was used to hold rocks and dust from the lunar region known as the Sea of Tranquility.

Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin stands on the moon on July 20, 1969, with Neil Armstrong reflected

Scheduled for July 20, the 48th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, the auction will be the first legal sale of such an artifact from the mission, Jim Hull, head of exhibits and artifacts at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), said in a telephone interview on Friday.

While there are legal restrictions on sales of material from moon missions, including lunar rocks and dust, it is believed some items have been sold on the black market.

The bag wound up at Sotheby's after a roundabout journey that included an attempt by NASA to get it back from its current owner.

Apollo 11 blasted off on July 16, 1969, with three astronauts aboard. Four days later, Armstrong and astronaut Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin flew the spacecraft Eagle down to the moon's surface. As part of the mission, the astronauts gathered lunar samples.

The moon dust was bought by Chicago-area lawyer Nancy Lee Carlson, and after a one year court battle with NASA, returned to her - it now goes up for sale at Sotheby's for $2-4million, an astronomical return on investment

After nearly 22 hours on the moon, Armstrong and Aldrin returned to the lunar module, lifted off and rejoined Michael Collins in the Columbia spacecraft for the journey back to Earth. They landed on July 24 and received a hero's welcome.

But the collection pouch got mixed up with other sample bags that were never used to hold lunar materials, Hull said.

At one point, the bag was seized the US Department of Justice during an investigation, and then mistakenly auctioned off to its current owner, Chicago-area attorney Nancy Lee Carlson.

Interested in the history of the bag, Carlson sent it to be analyzed by NASA, which confirmed its provenance through testing.

Ownership of both moon rocks or dust and artifacts from lunar missions is generally restricted, Hull said, and upon identifying the bag and finding that it contained remnants of lunar dust, the space agency sought to keep it.

But NASA lost a legal fight to keep the bag, and a U.S. District Court judge ordered it returned to Carlson in February.

Sotheby's expects the artifact to fetch between $2 million and $4 million, according to an emailed statement. Hull called the bag "invaluable" because it contains lunar dust and was used on such a famous mission.

Carlson paid only $995 for the bag as part of a mixed batch of items.

Sotheby's said Carlson plans to donate a portion of the sale proceeds to charity and to establish a scholarship at her alma mater, Northern Michigan University.
Cambridge students have cancelled a play after race activists complained about a lack of black actors.

Award-winning drama The Flick was due to be staged this term, but the project has been scrapped after accusations of 'whitewashing'.

The production team was criticised because the role of a character who had been African-American in the original script was given to a white actor.

The play, by Annie Baker, is set in a run-down cinema in Massachusetts and follows three underpaid ushers who chat as they carry out maintenance work.

All white: Cambridge students, pictured, have cancelled a play after race activists complained about a lack of black actors. Award-winning drama The Flick, by Annie Backer, was due to be staged this term, but the project has been scrapped after accusations of 'whitewashing'

When it was staged at the National Theatre last year, black actor Jaygann Ayeh played usher Avery.

Yesterday, Cambridge University Amateur Dramatics Club (CUADC) said it had been forced to cast a white actor for the role because too few black students auditioned.

It is the latest in a string of race rows to hit elite universities, with students calling for plays and events to be banned as they are 'offensive' to ethnic minorities.

The decision follows an open letter from student Amiya Nagpal, which she said was 'on behalf of the BME [black and minority ethnic] theatre community'. She said many plays put on by Cambridge students had been 'whitewashed', including The Flick. According to her, the casting did not follow the 'character specifications' in the script because of the casting of Avery.

The letter even complained about a student production of The History Boys because it had cast an East Asian actor to play a South Asian character.

She claimed student shows had 'often been amiss with ethnicity in regards to casting'.

When it was staged at the National Theatre last year, black actor Jaygann Ayeh played usher Avery, pictured right, with Louise Krause as Rose

But CUADC president Oscar Yang told the student paper Varsity only two black actors had auditioned. He said: 'The show required American accents and actors to be able to hold the stage. We did not feel those who auditioned would be able to play the role.'

He said the play had been mothballed over the race row because there was not enough time to recast the actors.

In an email sent to ticket-holders, CUADC said it was 'not able to adhere to the BME casting specifications in the script' when the show was originally cast.

Student unions now ban any instances of what they call 'cultural appropriation'  in which white people adopt clothes or customs of different cultures.

In 2015, Oxford students were branded racist for wearing fancy dress to an Arabian Nights-themed dance. Complaints have also been made about balls themed around The Great Gatsby and The Jazz Age as they could be seen to be celebrating a time when ethnic minorities had fewer rights.
Britain's family doctors are threatening to close lists to new patients in protest at NHS funding

Britain's family doctors are threatening to close lists to new patients in protest at NHS funding.

The drastic form of industrial action was called for by GPs who say primary healthcare is in crisis and will collapse.

Doctors at the British Medical Associations Local Medical Committees conference in Edinburgh voted by a two-thirds majority in favour of balloting all GPs over the move.

The ballot will take place later this year.

The current funding arrangements for family doctors are just a sticking plaster, and the move was necessary to defend patient safety, morale, and health in the medical profession, they said.

NHS England has announced a five-year plan to put general practice back on its feet with an extra 2.4billion a year in funding by 2020/21.

Called GP Forward View, the increase arose after pressure over mounting workloads, a lack of funding and a shortage of trainee GPs.

Dr Jackie Applebee, a GP from Tower Hamlets, East London, who proposed the move, told the conference that the Governments plan was failing to deliver the resources necessary to sustain general practice.

She said: Time after time we say the GP Forward View is an inadequate sticking plaster for the GP crisis.

'Lets stop banging our heads against the wall. If the Government was listening theyd have increased GP money ages ago.

General Practitioners Committee negotiator, Dr Mark Sanford-Wood, warned: In the manner this is proposed, as co-ordinated action, it is likely to be a breach of contract and the BMA could be said to be promoting that breach.

The drastic form of industrial action was called for by GPs who say primary healthcare is in crisis and will collapse (stock photo)

GPs are allowed to temporarily halt taking on new patients on an informal basis, if they face short-term problems providing adequate cover.

As many as one in ten practices across England have unilaterally closed their lists to new patients.

Patients who cannot speak English are getting double the appointment time with their GP, doctors say.

The Royal College of GPs admits it is inevitable appointments needing a translator or telephone translation service take longer than the standard ten minutes.

Beth Barrett, a GP at Shires Healthcare in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, told Radio 4s Today programme: Do we favour them? Certainly, if they need translation lines then they take longer.

Staff know, if someone comes in wanting an appointment with very little English, theyll give them a double appointment, because if they dont, its going to take that time anyway.
Chelsea Clinton's hedge fund boss husband appeared to be having a relaxed Friday after he was spotted leaving a Midtown bar at 2pm.

Marc Mezvinsky, who was wearing an unflattering, tight gray T-shirt and blue cap, visited the the Black Barn bar and restaurant in New York City earlier this afternoon with a male acquaintance.

Thankfully the bar is just round the corner from the $10 million Manhattan apartment he shares with wife Chelsea Clinton, and their two children, as Mezvinsky's mother-in-law Hillary Clinton decided to pay the family a visit just two hours later.

Chelsea Clinton's hedge fund boss husband Marc Mezvinsky appeared to be having a relaxed Friday afternoon

Mezvinsky was spotted leaving a Midtown bar with a male acquaintance at 2pm on Friday

The bar was just a short walk from Mezvinsky and his wife Chelsea Clinton's $10 million apartment

Mezvinsky was seen returning to his midtown apartment (pictured) after the bar - and just a couple of hours later his mother-in-law arrived for a visit

Hillary stayed for just an hour-and-a-half before she left on Friday at around 5.30pm. A few minutes after she left, her husband and Mezvinsky's father-in-law Bill Clinton arrived to their home.

Mezvinsky has had plenty of time on his hands ever since he quietly shut down his hedge fund Eaglevale Partners back in December.

Bloomberg reports that Mr. Chelsea Clinton and his partners are now working to return money to investors, including Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd C. Blankfein.

It was revealed last May that Mezvinsky suffered a huge loss after trying to bet on the revival of the Greek economy, forcing him to shut down one of his hedge funds.

He and his partners, former Goldman Sachs colleagues Bennett Grau and Mark Mallon, raised $25million from investors to buy up bank stocks and debt from the struggling nation.

Mezvinsky had persuaded clients to pour cash into the struggling European country in the hope it would bounce back and deliver massive profits. But after buying up government debt and bank stock, the dramatic upturn he and his partners predicted failed to materialize and the fund's value plunged by an estimated 90 percent.

Mezvinsky, who was wearing an unflattering, tight gray T-shirt and blue cap, when he visited the the Black Barn bar and restaurant in New York City today

Mezvinsky has had plenty of time on his hands ever since he quietly shut down his hedge fund Eaglevale Partners back in December

Eaglevale Partners was started in 2011 by Mezvinsky and his partners, with their former boss, Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd C. Blankfein, one of the first investors.

Another is leading financier, Marc Lasry, co-founder of $13 billion hedge fund Avenue Capital, where Chelsea worked after graduating from Stanford.

'I gave them money because I thought they would make me money,' Mr Lasry told The Times last year, after investing $1 million in Eaglevale and urging a relative to do the same.

Mezvinsky was long gone from his job at Goldman in October 2013 when his mother-in-law Hillary was paid to give a speech to executives at the company during a technology conference in Arizona.

She was reportedly paid $225,000 for that appearance.

Mezvinsky and his partners had written to clients in 2014 to declare confidence in their 'Hellenic Opportunity' fund, predicting that Greece was on the path to a 'sustainable recovery'.

By that point they had collected $25 million but stopped taking money by the end of that year when it became clear the country's economy would collapse without a massive Eurozone bailout.

Mezvinsky's investors are said to include a number of wealthy Clinton family supporters, some of whom have contributed campaign money to either Bill or Hillary

The Wall Street Journal reported in February 2015 that Eaglevalle said in a letter to investors that year that they had been 'incorrect' to bet on Greece and that is why the company had lost money two of the three years prior.

The main fund dropped 3.6% in 2014, fained just 2.06% in 2013 and lost 1.96% in 2012.

But good news for the people working at the hedge fund, as most funds collect management fees meaning money comes in even if funds lose money.

The failure is a huge personal blow to Mezvinsky, who is also the son of political figures, albeit less well known that his wife's famed parents.

His father, Edward Mezvinsky, represented Iowa's 1st congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms in the 1970s and his mother, Marjorie Margolies, represented Pennsylvania from 1993 to 1995.

Ed Mezvinsky pleaded guilty to 31 charges of felony fraud in 2001 and spent five years in federal prison after he admitted scamming his friends and family out of $10 million in a Ponzi scheme.

Just a couple of hours after Mezvinsky left the bar, his mother-in-law Hillary Clinton paid the family a visit (pictured)

Shortly after Hillary left, her husband and Mezvinsky's father-in-law Bill Clinton arrived to their home

His son met Chelsea Clinton at a political retreat when the pair were children and they became lifelong friends. They became romantically involved after her 2005 split from ex-boyfriend Ian Klaus, when Mezvinsky became 'a shoulder to lean on', according to Chelsea's chief of staff, Bari Lurie.

The pair married in July 2010 and two years later Chelsea revealed their desire to start a family, with Mezvinsky telling Vogue his wife was 'the yin to my yang'.

They welcomed their first child, Charlotte, in 2014, and announced last December that Chelsea was pregnant again with their second son Aidan.

Shortly after starting Eagleville, Mezvinsky and Chelsea moved into a $10million New York City apartment opposite Madison Square Park.

The four-bedroom, 5,000-square-foot apartment is one of only four residences in the building, which despite the low occupancy rate still has a full-time doorman.

The apartment, whose hallways stretch a full city block, also has two dishwashers, two washer and dryers, dressing rooms with double-sided vanity mirrors, and two massive walk-in closets.

The bedrooms meanwhile face right into Vera Wang's bridal design studio, who designed Cheslea's dress for her wedding day.

Famous neighbors in the building include NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon and jennifer Lopez, who paid $22million for the two-floor penthouse.

The apartment's current value is closer to $15million.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 20

Trend:

The OSCE MG co-chairs should urge continuation of substantive talks to change the status quo of the Nagorno-Karabakhs occupation, which is unacceptable and unsustainable, Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesman of Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry, tweeted May 20.

Hajiyev was commenting on a statement released May 20 by Richard Hoagland, the US co-chair of the OSCE MG, regarding the recent incidents on the contact line between the Armenian and the Azerbaijani troops.

Childish happiness of the Armenian side vis-a-vis the standard statement of the OSCE MG co-chairs is incomprehensible, Hajiyev tweeted. Everybody knows well that Azerbaijan will never ever tolerate occupation of its territories. Ceasefire is not a solution [to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict] and never can be. For lasting peace, the armed forces of Armenia must withdraw from the seized lands of Azerbaijan.

Hajiyev went on to add that the illegal presence of the armed forces of Armenia in the seized lands of Azerbaijan is the main reason of ceasefire violations and tension.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
American warplanes have attacked pro-Assad forces for the first time to protect a base used by British special forces and other allies on a covert mission in Syria.

US Air Force jets fired at troops advancing on a de-confliction zone near Al Tanf, where elite UK soldiers on a training mission are based.

The US had already agreed with Russia, which backs Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, that there would be no fighting in the area around Al Tanf.

But the pro-Assad convoy of 20 vehicles was deemed to pose a threat to US partner forces, and continued to advance across the desert following Russian attempts to stop it.

Defence secretary James Mattis, pictured arriving to the Iraqi capital of Baghdad in February this year, denied the attack marked an escalation of Americas role in Syria. He said: We are not increasing our role in the Syrian civil war. But we will defend our troops'

Dramatic footage captured the moment US warplanes launched an airstrike on a convoy of pro-Assad fighters as they tried to advance towards an American-backed rebel base in Syria

The airstrikes on Thursday mark the first time the US military has deliberately hit pro-government forces in response to a threat against Western troops.

The attack, which was condemned by Syria and Russia and which threatens to inflame the war, came as President Trump set off on his first international trip to the Middle East.

British special forces were first spotted near the heavily fortified Al Tanf base, close to the Jordanian and Iraqi borders, last June.

They are gathering intelligence, including the location of British foreign fighters for the RAF to kill, as well as training moderate Syrian rebels. Syria slammed the airstrike as a blatant attack on forces fighting terrorism and said several people were killed. Syrian government negotiator Bashar al-Jaafari said he had raised the massacre committed by the US aggressor with the UN.

The attack, which was condemned by Syria and Russia and threatens to inflame the war, came as President Trump was pictured setting off on his first international trip to the Middle East

Russias deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilov said the destruction of the convoy was a breach of Syrian sovereignty and an attack against Syrian armed forces was completely unacceptable.

The convoy, which included four tanks, was 17 miles from Al Tanf when it was struck.

A US-led coalition commander attempted to get the pro-Assad forces out of the zone by dispatching two US aircraft as a show of force. The jets then fired warning shots to get the vehicles to turn back, Pentagon officials said.

When the forces did not respond, but began setting up fighting positions in the protected area, they were attacked.

A member of US-backed rebel forces said the convoy included Syrian and Iranian-backed militias heading towards Al Tanf when it clashed with rebel forces.

The strike was a defensive move to protect allies, US officials said.

Defence secretary James Mattis denied the attack marked an escalation of Americas role in Syria. He said: We are not increasing our role in the Syrian civil war. But we will defend our troops.

The Ministry of Defence said the RAF did not take part in the strikes. MPs have not given approval for the RAF to strike any targets in the country except those belonging to IS.

A man checks the damage at the mountain resort town of Zabadani in the Damascus countryside in Syria on Thursday. A US airstrike struck pro-Syrian government forces for the first time, hitting a convoy in the desert near the border with Jordan, officials and activists said
Aaron Hernandez threatened to kill a guard and shoot his family and fought an inmate who spit in his face, during the two years he spent inside the Bristol County House of Corrections, a new report has revealed.

Hernandez, 27, who hanged himself in a prison cell at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center last month, was repeatedly disciplined after yelling at and threatening several guards, according to a disciplinary report obtained by NBC.

The ex-Patriot once reportedly yelled at a guard about how he would 'show him how to be a man' and not long after threatened to kill another guard and his family.

That particular guard had written Hernandez up, prompting him to tell the guard that he had a dream where he was chasing the guard and his family while they were vacationing.

Scroll down for video

Aaron Hernandez threatened to kill a guard and shoot his family and fought an inmate who spit in his face, during the two years he spent inside the Bristol County House of Corrections, a new disciplinary report revealed

The 104 pages of records released Thursday afternoon also reveal that Hernandez once called a third guard 'a scared b***h' after he denied him an extra tray of food.

In one appeal, Hernandez wrote 17 one-line hashtags, including #thisjailiscorrupt and #tellthesheriffisendmylove.

According to the records, Hernandez ripped up a note and ate it in front of a guard before he could take it from him.

The documents also describe an altercation between Hernandez and another inmate.

The 104 pages of records released Thursday afternoon also reveal that Hernandez once called a third guard 'a scared b***h' after he denied him an extra tray of food

The inmate reportedly spit in his face and said Hernandez was a member of the Bloods gang.

Hernandez would also pass notes to other inmates using a 15-foot piece of fishing line and write to his attorney using rap lyrics so the guards wouldn't understand what he was saying, according to the documents.

Another highlights Hernandez punching an inmate walking with his hands behind his back in the face.

The news comes just a few days after Hernandez's 'prison lover' hit back at claims from the ex-NFL star's fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins Hernandez, that he has been peddling 'a crock of bull' over their relationship behind bars.

Kyle Kennedy, who is still locked up in the top-security Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Massachusetts, repeated his call to be shown the Super Bowl star's suicide letter that he says was addressed to him.

'I want to be clear that at no time have I seen a note addressed to me from my close friend Aaron Hernandez but I have reason to believe it was in fact intended for me,' he said in a statement issued through his lawyer Larry Army.

'Based upon the close relationship that I had with Aaron, it is highly likely that it was in fact intended for me.'

Kennedy was reacting to comments made by Jenkins Hernandez during an interview with Dr. Phil.

The news comes just a few days after Hernandez's 'prison lover', Kyle Kennedy (right) hit back at claims from the ex-NFL star's fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins Hernandez (left), that he has been peddling 'a crock of bull' over their relationship behind bars

'It's not something I believe and it's not him': Jenkins Hernandez told Dr Phil she didn't believe Aaron was gay, calling him 'very much a man to me'

The note in question: Kennedy released the statement through his lawyer after Jenkins Hernandez, Aaron's fiancee, told Dr Phil she didn't think he was attracted to men

'I had no indication or any feeling that he was gay', Jenkins Hernandez said. 'He was very much a man to me. I don't know where this came from.

'It's embarrassing in a sense, it's hurtful. Regardless if it was true or not, it's just not something that I saw.

'It's not something I believe and it's not him,' she said in the interview which aired on Tuesday.

Hernandez, who played three seasons as tight end for the New England Patriots hanged himself with a bedsheet inside his cell at the prison in Shirley, Massachusetts in the early hours of April 19, two days after a Boston radio program had floated the suggestion that he was gay.

He had been serving a life sentence for murder.

The following week, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that heavily-tattooed Hernandez had been in a relationship behind bars with Kennedy, 22, who is serving 3-5 years for armed robbery.

She said she believes that Hernandez's suicide letter to their daughter may have been forged. His suicide letter to Shayanna (pictured) was released to the public

Shayanna (pictured with their daughter in court last month, left) said allegations that Hernandez was in a a relationship with Kennedy are a 'crock of bull'

The Boston law firm of Army & Roche released part of a letter that Hernandez had written from prison to Kennedy's sister-in-law in an attempt to show how close the two inmates were.

Hernandez had signed off with the words: 'Tell the family I said 'Hi' and I hope all is well.'

In another letter sent to his friend's businessman-father, Matthew Kennedy, Hernandez wrote: 'He's my brother and he always will be,' the law firm said.

The lawyer said that Hernandez had sent a message to Kennedy hinting that he was going to kill himself. 'I think I'm gonna hang it up, lol,' he wrote. It wasn't until after the suicide that Kennedy says he understood the meaning of the message.

Army also claimed that Hernandez gave Kennedy a custom-made $47,000 watch and wanted to make sure it was delivered to his family.

In her interview with Dr. Phil, Jenkins Hernandez poured scorn on Kennedy's claims. 'I don't know who this Kyle Kennedy is. I've never heard of him, honestly. Aaron has never mentioned him,' she said.

Jenkins Hernandez said her fiance never mentioned Kennedy and she didn't believe they were in a relationship in prison. Kennedy responded with a statement from his lawyer Tuesday

'If Kyle Kennedy was such a close friend, and Aaron was telling him he wanted to 'hang it up,' he would still be here because Kyle Kennedy should have, you know, poked that lightbulb in somebody's head and been a true friend and stopped it,' she said.

'I think it's very foolish for a man, or his counsel, to come out and talk about a $50,000 watch when he has a child, and offer his condolences to his fiancee and his child but then asking for such things or saying such things.

'It's not commendable,' she added. 'I think it's a crock of bull.'

Hernandez was serving life without the possibility of parole for the murder of his close friend Odin Lloyd. One theory was that Lloyd, who dated Shayanna's sister, Shaneah, knew of his sexuality and Hernandez was worried he would reveal it.

The murder conviction was vacated after his death under Massachusetts law because he had not exhausted all of his appeals.

Five days before his suicide Hernandez had been acquitted of a separate double murder.
A 19-year-old woman is fighting for her life after she was hit by a car and fell 15metres after being knocked off a bridge onto railway tracks below.

The woman was hit on Swann Road, in Brisbane's inner west, at 7.30pm on Friday and knocked over a fence on the bridge, police said.

Officers first on scene resuscitated the 19-year-old before paramedics arrived.

Scroll down for video

A 19-year-old woman was hit by a car on Swann Road and thrown over the fence onto the train tracks below

The woman, 19, was hit on the road (pictured centre) and thrown over the edge onto the train tracks on Friday night

The injured woman, believed to be from Redlynch in Cairns, was immediately rushed to Royal Brisbane and Woman's Hospital in a critical condition.

The female driver, 20, was taken to the same hospital as a precaution.

Police are investigating the incident.

The woman was resuscitated at the scene and rushed to Royal Brisbane and Woman's Hospital
Brussels expects Britain to help fund its gold-plated 55 billion pension pot  which gives the average EU official 59,000  for decades to come.

The astonishing perks allow the most senior officials, such as presidents of the EUs institutions, to draw a maximum of 166,000 in yearly payments in retirement.

The EUs 28 member states are currently lumbered with an astonishing 54.6 billion bill for pension and private health insurance payments.

Theresa May would face intense criticism if she agrees to foot the bill for lining the pockets of thousands including a string of Remain-supporting British peers

According to analysts, Brussels could demand between 4.4 billion and 5.7 billion from the UK for its pension pot during Brexit negotiations.

Theresa May would face intense criticism if she agrees to foot the bill for lining the pockets of thousands including a string of Remain-supporting British peers.

At 59,000, the average Brussels pension payout is more than twice the UK average salary.

And it is almost three times the average income of 21,800 for a retired household in the UK at the end of last year.

About 1,730 Britons are among the 22,000 retired EU officials currently benefiting from the scheme  which cost EU taxpayers 1.3 billion in 2015  including high-ranking British politicians. One of the most generously rewarded is former Labour leader Lord Kinnock, who draws an estimated 87,800 every year from his role as vice president of the European Commission.

Outspoken Brexit opponent Lord Mandelson, a former EU trade commissioner, is paid around 34,600 annually.

A pro-Brexit group said the combined pension pots of former MEPs and EU commissioners in the Lords totalled 10.2 million, involving yearly handouts worth more than 500,000.

In ten years time, it is estimated that the EU will have to pay out 1.5 billion in pension payments every year as more staff retire. Some 3,000 British officials will benefit.

The scheme involves EU taxpayers theoretically paying out 2 for every 1 that is contributed by officials towards their pension payments.

But a quirk in the system has seen EU officials under-fund contributions for several years, experts say, meaning that the eventual cost may be even higher for member states.

EU leaders, such as European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, have argued that the UK needs to meet its obligations

Unlike most pension schemes, the EUs system is not backed up by a fund and operates on a pay as you go basis with yearly payments taken from the Brussels blocs annual budget.

British ministers insist there is no obligation to pay it. But EU leaders, such as European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, have argued that the UK needs to meet its obligations.

A senior Brussels source said: Commitments have been made and this is not theoretical. These are commitments which exist and we need to make sure that the UK lives up to its part of these commitments.

Zsolt Darvas, a senior researcher for the respected Bruegel think-tank, said EU pensions are incredibly generous compared to similar schemes in EU countries such as the UK and Germany.

He said: It is a really huge amount but it was agreed by the member states.

He added that the lack of a fund behind the scheme, which he described as non-transparent, makes thorough analysis a big problem.
Homeowners are missing out on savings of 3,000 a year from the mortgage price war  because banks wont let them have the cheapest deals.

An estimated three million people are paying their banks standard mortgage rate, analysis for Money Mail found.

This means they are charged 4.59 per cent on average  five times the 0.89 per cent best rate now on offer.

Many borrowers who try to switch to cheaper offers are being turned away.

An estimated three million people are paying their banks standard mortgage rate, analysis for Money Mail found

This means they are charged 4.59 per cent on average  five times the 0.89 per cent best rate now on offer

Banks are rejecting applications if customers are not wealthy enough, do not have a big enough deposit to put down, have the wrong type of loan  or are simply too late in applying.

They are being locked out of a mortgage price war that started late last month, when Yorkshire Building Society launched a record low 0.89 per cent variable loan.

That deal, like many of the best offers, is only available to borrowers who have at least 35 per cent equity in their home, or a 35 per cent deposit.

Other banks are offering deals for as little as eight days and are having to turn away applications.

Banks are routinely denying the top deals to customers who have interest-only loans, while some are told that money struggles have left marks on their credit records and so they cannot have a loan.

Critics said it was wrong for banks to deny these savings to less wealthy borrowers who could do with a boost, and urged lenders to make cheap deals available to all.

If the average customer on a standard variable mortgage was allowed to switch to the best rate in the market they would save 283 a month or 3,396 a year. The figures are based on a typical 150,000 mortgage.

Andrew Montlake, of mortgage broker Coreco, said: Home loan rates have plummeted recently but the people who have benefited most are those with big deposits or lots of equity in their home. Its not fair that there is such a gap in the rates on offer to borrowers with large and small deposits.

Banks are rejecting applications if customers are not wealthy enough, do not have a big enough deposit to put down, have the wrong type of loan  or are simply too late in applying

Nearly a third of all mortgage borrowers are on their lenders standard variable rate, according to an analysis for Money Mail by Virgin Money.

Borrowers go onto the SVR when they come to the end of a fixed or tracker deal. Typically, SVRs are higher. In the past month lenders have made a flurry of rate cuts to lure customers whose deals at rival firms are about to end.

The price war has partly been driven by a clampdown on buy-to-let by City watchdogs, meaning banks are lending less to landlords and want to compensate by attracting homeowners.

Some deals they are using to lure customers are so cheap that lenders are pulling them because of high demand. They set aside a certain amount of money to offer at their best rates and when that dries up they take the deal off the market. Atom Bank pulled its 1.29 per cent deal after only eight days.

Experts say banks are also reserving the best deals for wealthy borrowers to manage demand. Most lenders see customers with larger deposits as less risky.

Despite the rate war, research shows costs are actually rising for borrowers with smaller deposits.

Six months ago the average two-year fixed rate for borrowers with a 5 per cent deposit was 3.97 per cent. Today, it is 4.2 per cent, said data firm Moneyfacts.
This is the secret facility where seized drugs worth more than $1 billion were torched by police in dramatic scenes.

The drug destruction operation from AFP saw two tonnes of meth and cocaine go up in smoke at a mystery location in New South Wales.

Footage shows men in face masks loading bags of the deadly drugs onto a conveyor belt before they are incinerated.

Footage shows the mass haul of seized drugs $1 billion moving down a conveyor belt before they are incinerated

'The burn-off is the end of the road for drugs which were actually destined for our street to cause misery for our community,' federal Minister for Justice Michael Keenan said.

Most of the drugs were seized from Australia's largest ever cocaine bust in February.

A yacht carrying 1.4 tonnes of the drug with an estimated street value of AUD$312 million was intercepted off Sanctuary Point on the NSW south coast on February 2.

Six men were arrested following a two-and-a-half year joint investigation between Australia and New Zealand.

High street prices make Australia an attractive destination for drug-smugglers, with police stopping more than 11 tonnes of illicit substances bound for the local market in the past 18 months.

Drug destruction have also been executed recently in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.



Footage shows men in face masks loading bags of the deadly drugs onto a conveyor belt

Most of the drugs (shown momente before being incinerated) were seized from Australia's largest ever cocaine bust in February

A yacht carrying 1.4 tonnes of the drug with an estimated street value of AUD$312 million was intercepted off Sanctuary Point
MI5 opened a file on Jeremy Corbyn over his links to the IRA, it was claimed last night.

The Labour leader was allegedly investigated 25 years ago because he was seen as a potential threat to national security.

At the time he had links with convicted terrorists and was campaigning for a united Ireland.

His support for the Republican cause led to security officials looking into his activities, a source close to the investigation told the Daily Telegraph. The source said the file was opened in the early 1990s.

Jeremy Corbyn, pictured with Ken Livingston and Gerry Adams - MI5 has now opened a file on the Labour leader over his links to the IRA

Cosy: Pictured from right to left, John McDonnell, Gerry Adams and Jeremy Corbyn in 2008

If there was a file on someone, it meant they had come to notice, said the source. We opened a temporary file and did a preliminary investigation. It was then decided whether we should open a permanent file.

A file would be opened on someone who sympathises with a certain group, or is friends with a specific person and the purpose was to assess whether they were threat, the source added.

Scotland Yards Special Branch was also monitoring the Labour leader at the time, it is claimed. Mr Corbyn is said to have expressed support for Hugh Doherty, a member of the Balcombe Street gang which carried out a wave of attacks in England in the 1970s.

The newspaper reported that in 1987 Mr Corbyn handed a petition to Margaret Thatcher demanding better visiting conditions for Doherty and his fellow IRA prisoner Nat Vella and the immediate transfer of Irish political prisoners to prisons near their homes.

The Balcombe Street gang was named after the street in Marylebone in which they were arrested in 1975. They were responsible for 16 murders during a 14-month campaign of terror, carrying out 50 bombings and shootings.

One of their victims was the television personality Ross McWhirter, who co-founded Guinness World Records with his twin brother Norris.

Mr McWhirter, who offered a 50,000 reward for information that would lead to the gangs capture, was assassinated in November 1975.

The Labour leader is pictured left, as an MP, alongside Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams back in 1995

John McDonnell says the IRA's 'armed struggle' should be 'honoured' John McDonnell sparked fury yesterday after he tried to defend his praise for the IRA's 'bombs and bullets' - saying he was only trying to bring about peace. The shadow chancellor was challenged over comments from 2003 in which he demanded people 'honour' Republican terrorists who were 'involved in the armed struggle'. He said their 'bravery' was what had brought the UK government 'to the negotiating table'. Asked today how he would explain those remarks to voters at the general election, Mr McDonnell said he had 'apologised for those words'. But he insisted he had been 'contributing' to the peace process. Advertisement

The gang members were released as part of the Good Friday Agreement in 1999. Mr Corbyn also supported the cause of IRA bombmaker Dessie Ellis, who was jailed for ten years in Dublin in the 1980s and later became a member of the Irish parliament.

Peter Francis, a former undercover Metropolitan Police officer has said he was asked to collect information on Mr Corbyn, then a backbench MP, as he infiltrated anti-racist groups in the 1990s.

Lord Tebbit, whose wife Margaret was left paralysed in the Brighton Tory conference bombing, said: It just marks him out as what he clearly is: a hard-Left, Marxist, terrorist sympathiser.

'Its a comfort to know they were indeed being monitored, although clearly they stayed just on the right side, for them, of being charged with any offences. It just makes me feel Theresa May is being perhaps unnecessarily indulgent towards the Labour party in order to win this election.

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said: MI5 kept files on many peace and Labour movement campaigners at the time, including anti-apartheid activists and trade unionists.

The Pitchford Inquiry is currently investigating how the security service carried out surveillance of political figures such as former foreign secretary Jack Straw, former Northern Ireland secretary Peter Hain and Jeremy Corbyn.
Four men have been taken to hospital following a violent brawl on a residential street with one man suffering life threatening injuries.

A fight broke out between five people on White Street in Wangaratta, north east Victoria, at 12.35am on Saturday morning.

Three of the men were taken to hospital in a stable condition while the fourth, a 41-year-old man, was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition, according to police.

Four men were taken to hospital with one of them suffering life threatening injuries

Police are on the hunt for a fifth man involved in the violent brawl

A 23-year-old and a 46-year old, both from Wangaratta, are under police guard in hospital.

A 27-year-old man also from Wangaratta has been released and is being interviewed by police.

Police are still on the hunt for a fifth man involved in the brawl who fled the scene, according to the police.

Investigators believe all the parties are known to each other.

Four of the men were arrested just after 11.30pm on Saturday.

Investigations are continuing.
Two men have been charged with murdering a former Special Operations Group police officer who was found dead in a Melbourne factory.

The body of Dean McGrath, 41, was found at the Governor Road, Braeside factory about 10am on Friday after a man handed himself in to the Mordialloc police station.

A 45-year-old Braeside man and a 47-year-old Rosebud man have been charged with murder and are expected to face Melbourne Magistrates Court on Saturday.

Two men have been charged with murder after the body of former Special Operations Group officer Dean McGrath was found in a Melbourne factory on Friday

Mr McGrath's body was discovered at the Governor Road, Braeside factory about 10am on Friday after a man handed himself in to the Mordialloc police station

Mr McGrath, a married father-of-two, left the police force in 2010 after suffering post traumatic stress disorder, The Age reported.

'He was softly spoken, modest, and a really, really good athlete. I just remember him as a good kid,' a former colleague told the paper.

The Herald Sun reported Mr McGrath is believed to have become a standover man after leaving the police force, with his death suspected to be drug-related.

Russell Schmidt, who works at a nearby factory, said he saw Mr McGrath's parents yelling their son's name outside the factory on Thursday night.

Mr Schmidt said Mr McGrath's father was looking for his son, who had failed to return home after phoning his wife to say he was on his way.

'The old man wandered over to me with tears in his eyes and said his son's name,' he told AAP.

The two men charged over Mr McGrath's murder are expected to face Melbourne Magistrates Court on Saturday

A worker from a nearby factory said he saw the Mr McGrath's parents yelling their son's name outside the factory the night before he was found dead

'[He said] ''My son is a machine. He's trained to be a killer. He's in SOG [Special Operations Group ... he was always the first one out of the helicopter''.'

Mr McGrath's vehicle was later found by his family with his belongings still inside and the keys in the ignition.

'It's most likely both parties were known to each other so the community can be assured there's no further risk,' Victoria Police Superintendent Amy Gledden said.
Anderson Cooper shocked his viewers after he told fellow commentator Jeffrey Lord that he'd 'defend Trump if he took a dump on his desk!'

The frustrated CNN host was discussing Trump's recent 'nut job' comments about his recently fired FBI director James Comey.

'You can't defend what the president of the United States just said,' Cooper told Lord during the live show on Friday.

Anderson Cooper (left) shocked his viewers after he told fellow commentator Jeffrey Lord (right) that he'd 'defend Trump if he took a dump on his desk!'

But when the conservative commentator tried to do just that, Cooper snapped: 'If (Trump) took a dump on his desk, you would defend it.'

Lord looked stunned before bursting out laughing at the extraordinary comment.

'I mean, I don't know what he would do that you would not defend,' Cooper back-paddled. 'I mean, you're a loyal guy, I think that speaks well of you.'

Cooper later apologized on Twitter for his comment saying: 'I regret the crude sentence i spoke earlier tonight and followed it up by apologizing on air.

'It was unprofessional. I am genuinely sorry,' he wrote.

The frustrated CNN host was discussing Trump's recent 'nut job' comments about his recently fired FBI director James Comey when he told Lord: 'You can't defend what the president of the United States just said,'

But when the conservative commentator tried to do just that, Cooper snapped: 'If (Trump) took a dump on his desk, you would defend it'

Lord looked stunned before bursting out laughing at the extraordinary comment

Cooper later apologized on Twitter for his comment calling it 'unprofessional'

The comment has divided opinion online, with many praising Cooper's straight talking.

'No apology needed,' one Twitter user wrote. 'Thank you for saying what the rest of us were thinking. Lord is an intellectually bankrupt embarrassment to CNN.'

But others have slammed the CNN host for his 'lewd' language, saying he has 'cracked'.

It is not the first time Cooper has lost his patience on air.

His interview with White House counselor Kellyanne Conway recently went viral, after he made an incredible eye roll at one of her comments.

In the most recent discussion with Lord, they were discussing the meeting notes that White House aides circulated internally, which stated that President Donald Trump met with Russia's ambassador and foreign minister just one day after Comey was fired and told them the ousted FBI director was 'a real nut job' whose departure would make life easier for him.

'I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job,' Trump said, according to the summary. 'I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off.'

Trump also assured the Russian envoys: 'I'm not under investigation.'
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 20

By Samir Ali  Trend:

An explosion occurred at the Baku Mechanical Foundry Plant in the Narimanov district of Azerbaijans capital.

The explosion occurred at about 14:00 (GMT +4hours). Oxygen cylinders exploded at the plant, according to preliminary information. Zamiq Mammadov died in the result of the incident. His brother was hospitalized in serious condition.

A criminal case has been launched in the Narimanov District Prosecutors Office, investigation is underway.

The two brothers came to the plant to fill the oxygen cylinders, according to the information.
President Trump's son-in-law personally intervened during a $110-billion arms deal to get Saudi Arabian officials a better price.

Jared Kushner, 36, paused a meeting with the Saudis during the deal at a reception room in the White House and called the CEO of Lockheed Martin, which makes a military weapon that was on offer at the table, the New York Times reported.

Kushner asked Marilyn Hewson, 63, to cut the price of a radar system - which is designed to shoot down missiles - the Saudis wanted to buy and she retorted that she will 'look into it.'

'As his guests watched slack-jawed, Ms. Hewson told him she would look into it,' officials told The Times.

Jared Kushner, 36, paused a meeting with Saudis during a $110-billion arms deal to negotiate a a better price for the Middle-Eastern officials. He is pictured here holding a joint news conference with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni at the White House

Kushner asked Marilyn Hewson, 63, to cut the price of a radar system the Saudis wanted to buy and she said she will 'look into it', as guests looked on 'slack-jawed'. She is pictured here during a panel discussion at the 2015 Fortune Global Forum in San Francisco, California

The Saudis presented a list of items they wanted to Kushner, which included planes, ships and precision-guided bombs. President Trump and Kushner are pictured here with Saudi Defense Minister and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC in March

The Saudis presented a list of items they wanted, which included planes, ships and precision-guided bombs.

But then an American official at the meeting told them to also consider buying the radar system. When Kushner realized the price may be a problem, he picked up the phone and called Hewson.

Former officials say that most of the arms on offer on the table had already been agreed upon while Barack Obama was president.

What is different is how Trump and his team have related with the Saudis. Obama's relationship with the Arabs was often times strained because he disapproved of the country's bombing in neighboring Yemen.

On several occasions, they have been accused of bombing hundreds of Yemeni civilians, while fighting Iranian rebels waging a revolt in the country.

But Trump and his team have made it clear that human rights violations will not affect deals with other countries.

Trump's approach with negotiating deals with the Saudis is markedly different from Barack Obama's whose relationship with the Arabs were often times strained since he disapproved of the country's bombing in neighboring Yemen. Yemenis are pictured here during the aftermath of a Saudi-led air strike in the nation's capital. More than 45,000 have been killed since the Saudi-led alliance began in March 2015

But Trump and his team have made it clear that human rights violations will not come in the way of deals with other countries. He is pictured here with Hewson as he signs an executive order on regulatory reform at his desk in the Oval Office at the White House

Kushner wanted to secure the deal before Trump's two-day stop in Saudi Arabia and reportedly began the meeting with a brief message: 'Let's get this done today'.

As part of his eight-day foreign trip, Trump will be visiting Saudi Arabia with Kushner and Ivanka.

The president will meet with King Salman at the royal court and attend a conference with Persian Gulf allies as well a summit meeting with the leaders of Muslim countries. He is also scheduled to visit a new center dedicated to combating terrorism and extremism.

But both Kushner and Trump have left for the president's first foreign trip amid the domestic crisis surrounding the investigation into the alleged collusion between the president's campaign and Russian officials.

On Friday, it was announced that ousted FBI director James Comey had agreed to publicly testify in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee during a hearing that is scheduled next week.

Speaking of the outcome he hopes Comey's testify will bring, Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr said on Friday evening: 'The Committee looks forward to receiving testimony from the former Director on his role in the development of the Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian interference in the 2016 US elections, and I am hopeful that he will clarify for the American people recent events that have been broadly reported in the media.'

Vice Chairman Mark Warner reiterated Burr's comments on Comey, who he said had 'served the country with honor.'

'I hope that former Director Comey's testimony will help answer some of the questions that have arisen since Director Comey was so suddenly dismissed by the President,' Warner said.

'I also expect that Director Comey will be able to shed light on issues critical to this Committee's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election.

'Director Comey served his country with honor for many years, and he deserves an opportunity to tell his story.

'Moreover, the American people deserve an opportunity to hear it.'

Trump will have a two-day stop in Saudi Arabia during his first foreign trip as a sitting president - amid a domestic crisis surrounding the investigation into his campaign's ties with Russia. He is pictured here waving as he and First Lady Melania depart the White House

Just hours ago, the Washington Post reported that the person of interest in the FBI investigation is a Senior White House official, although no name was mentioned. But a New York magazine reporter tweeted and said Kushner was the person in question. Kushner is pictured here with his wife Ivanka, as they join Trump in the Marine One helicopter

Trump's view on Comey was apparently markedly different during his meeting with Russia's ambassador and foreign minister last week, when he reportedly called Comey a 'nut job'.

'I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job,' Trump said, according to the New York Times summary. 'I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off.'

Trump also assured the Russian envoys: 'I'm not under investigation.'

The investigation into Trump's ties with Russia has been accelerating.

Just hours ago, the Washington Post reported that the person of interest in the FBI investigation was a Senior White House advisor, although no name was mentioned.

But a New York magazine reporter, Yashar Ali, tweeted that Kushner was the person in question.

'Person described as 'close to the President' and a 'senior advisor' to the President. Only two people fit: Jared Kushner and Stephen Miller,' Ali posted.

He later added: 'It's Jared Kushner, I have confirmed this with four people. I am not speculating.'

Previous reports on the persons of interests have mainly been about those on Trump's campaign staff who are no longer there.

So far, it has been revealed that the former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson communicated with Sergey Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to the US.

Trump has maintained that his campaign had nothing to do with Russia.

'There is no collusion between, certainly myself and my campaign  but I can always speak for myself  and the Russians  zero,' he said on Thursday.
The former girlfriend of Adam Cranston uploaded videos to YouTube documenting lavish overseas holidays she said was paid for by her boyfriend.

Toni Brady, 24, from Sydney, met the 30-year-old alleged leader of a $165 million tax scheme through a mutual friend over drinks in 2015.

That same year Ms Brady posted videos to her YouTube page showing her enjoying a luxurious trip to France where she dined at fine restaurants, bought designer clothing and stayed in a hotel 'suite'.

She also filmed herself flying first class back home.

In one YouTube video captured in Paris, Mr Cranston makes a brief appearance, although he is never named.

Toni Brady (pictured), the former girlfriend of Adam Cranston, uploaded videos to YouTube of her lavish overseas holidays

Toni Brady said Adam Cranston paid her rent and jewellery and took her and her family on trips overseas after their relationship began

Money was no problem for Mr Cranston, who almost immediately hired the 24-year-old to be his assistant and began showering her with gifts, she said (shopping bags pictured on Ms Brady's Instagram)

Replying to a comment on the video about 'who was the mystery man you were with', Ms Brady said she had 'a boyfriend'.

In the Paris video, Ms Brady visits some of the city's famous sights including the Eiffel Tower, eats at a luxury cafe along the Champs-Elysees and flashes an Omega bag while saying 'I bought a gift today'.

Ms Brady also posted videos in June from her time in Cannes, Antibes and St Tropez.

'Next week we're going to go to Paris and I don't know whether Monaco. We're going everywhere so that will be really fun,' Ms Brady said in the Cannes and Antibes video, without naming who she was with.

Showing a number of shopping bags from luxury stores, including Dolce and Gabbana, Ms Brady said: 'This is how you shop'.

'We've got the suite again because only the best for us,' she said as she filmed from the balcony of her Cannes apartment.

Ms Brady claimed the alleged leader of a $165 million tax evasion scheme took her on trips overseas and bought her designer clothing (pictured together on a trip in Paris)

Toni Brady (pictured) is the 24-year-old former girlfriend of Adam Cranston

Ms Brady (pictured), from Sydney, said she had a 'Pretty Woman' moment when she met the 30-year-old through a mutual friend over drinks in 2015

Ms Brady documented her lavish French holiday on camera. Here she is filming in St Tropez

Two months later, Ms Brady also uploaded a video of her time spent holidaying in the Maldives where she stayed with her mother in a deluxe bungalow.

Ms Brady this week told how Mr Cranston took her on trips to Dubai and Paris and spoiled her with designer shopping sprees and plastic surgery.

Money was no problem for Mr Cranston, who almost immediately hired the 24-year-old to be his assistant and began showering her with gifts, Ms Brady told The Herald Sun.

'It felt like a Pretty Woman situation,' she said.

'He bought me jewellery. Diamond earrings, Hermes bracelets, handbags. My favourite are Dolce and Gabbana.'

Ms Brady also uploaded a YouTube video from her time spent holidaying with her mother in the Maldives in 2015

Mr Cranston was charged with conspiracy to defraud the Commonwealth this week and has been accused by police of running a $165 million taxation fraud syndicate (pictured)

Ms Brady said Mr Cranston bought his and her Omega watches (pictured) and a Jeep in her name

'He bought me jewellery. Diamond earrings, Hermes bracelets, handbags. My favourite are Dolce and Gabbana,' Ms Brady (pictured) told The Herald Sun

Ms Brady is picture inside a lavish home trimmed with golden staircases and furniture

Although their relationship ended some time before Mr Cranston's wedding in October 2016, Ms Brady told the publication she has been dragged into her former lover's recent troubles.

She said her bank accounts  which she said Mr Cranston frequently wired money into even after their breakup  have been frozen and wiped out by the Australian Tax Office.

Mr Cranston was charged with conspiracy to defraud the Commonwealth this week and has been accused by police of running a $165 million taxation fraud syndicate.

Mr Cranston  the son of Australian Tax Office Deputy Commissioner Michael Cranston  was arrested at his Bondi apartment on Wednesday and granted bail on Thursday after his wife and grandmother posted $300,000 for his release.

He faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.

His 24-year-old sister, who faces the same serious offences as well as an additional charge of dealing with the proceeds of crime, was granted conditional bail on Thursday afternoon and will face court next month.

ATO deputy commissioner Michael Cranston (pictured leaving Sydney court) was charged following an investigation over a major tax evasion scheme allegedly involving his son and daughter

Adam Cranston (pictured) was arrested at his swanky Bondi apartment by police on Wednesday

Seized items are displayed at a press conference at the AFP headquarters in Sydney

Adam Cranston and his sister were among nine people who were arrested on Wednesday. AFP allege the group used stolen taxpayer funds to fund their 'lavish lifestyles' (pictured, $1 million in seized cash)

As a result of the investigation, Ms Brady said her bank accounts  which she claimed Mr Cranston frequently wired money into even after their breakup  have been frozen and wiped out

Michael Cranston was issued a court attendance notice for allegedly publicly abusing his position as a senior official of the Commonwealth, following the eight-month investigation by the Australian Federal Police.

Ms Brady told the Herald Sun she didn't know Mr Cranston was being investigated by police or allegedly involved in the fraud ring.

The 24-year-old said she worked for Mr Cranston for about a month at a Double Bay company that has since shut down.

But their relationship was physically almost immediately, she said.

After their relationship began, Ms Brady said Mr Cranston paid her rent and took her and her family on trips overseas.

Ms Brady told the Herald Sun she didn't know Mr Cranston was being accused of running the syndicate

The 24-year-old said she worked for Mr Cranston for about a month but their relationship was physically almost immediately

'He paid for my mum and I to go to the Maldives, and my girlfriend and I to go to Japan. I did solo trips too.'

Ms Brady told the Herald Sun Mr Cranston also bought shoes, jewellery, clothes, his and her Omega watches and a Jeep in her name.

Nothing was off limits  including 'liposculpture' for her buttocks, she said.

'I thought it was amazing, like a fairy tale. And it wasn't just about the money,' Ms Brady said, adding that she loved Mr Cranston and was 'heartbroken' when they split.

This week Ms Brady said she received a $128,000 bill from the ATO regarding end of year earnings she believed had already been taken care of.

Ironically, it had Michael Cranston's signature at the bottom, she said.

'He paid for my mum and I to go to the Maldives...I did solo trips too,' Ms Brady said

'I thought it was amazing, like a fairy tale. And it wasn't just about the money,' Ms Brady said
White House lawyers have started consulting experts on impeachment as murmurs of Donald Trump's removal from office have grown louder in recent weeks, it has been reported.

Lawyers in the White House counsel's office appear to be taking the distant possibility of impeachment seriously, having reached out to experts in the past week to gather more information, CNN reported.

While the gravity of the investigations into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia has escalated with the appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel, impeachment remains a long shot, especially given the GOP control of both the House and Senate.

Scroll down for video

White House lawyers have started consulting experts on impeachment as murmurs of Donald Trump's removal from office have grown louder in recent weeks, CNN reported

The White House issued a brief statement saying the reports were 'not true' and an attorney close to McGahn (pictured) said it wasn't something he would authorize

The White House issued a brief statement saying the reports were 'not true'.

An attorney close to White House counsel Don McGahn also questioned the reports, saying it wasn't something he would authorize.

Rep. Al Green, (D-TX), said on the House floor on Wednesday: 'The President must be impeached.

But Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), urged Democrats to take a more restrained approach, saying: 'No one ought to, in my view, rush to embrace the most extraordinary remedy that involves the removal of the president from office

He also warned that calls for impeachment could 'be perceived as an effort to nullify the election by other means.'

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstsein wrote a letter on Wednesday tasking Mueller with investigating links 'between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump.'

The wide scope also includes 'any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation'  which would appear to include any efforts Trump may have made to interfere with the FBI's investigation of National Security Advisor Mike Flynn.

'I accept this responsibility and will discharge it to the best of my ability,' Mueller said in a statement.

Lawyer Michael Cohen also visited the White House to discuss the possibility of hiring personal attorneys for Trump, CNN reported.

Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were impeached and acquitted. Impeachment remains a long shot with Trump, especially given the GOP control of both the House and Senate

And reports that a senior adviser was a 'person of interest' in a probe of possible collusion with Russia during last year's election campaign emerged just as Trump jetted off to Saudi Arabia on his first foreign trip as president.

The Washington Post, citing sources familiar with the matter, did not identify the senior Trump adviser except to say that the person of interest was close to Trump, a Republican who entered the White House four months ago.

U.S. law enforcement uses the term 'a person of interest' to mean someone who is part of a criminal investigation but not arrested or formally accused of a crime. The person may be cooperating or have information of use to investigators.
The husband of missing Polish-born lawyer Renata Antczak was arrested by police yesterday - but insisted his wife has simply been lured away by a cult.

Dr Majid Mustafa, 47, was apprehended along with a 45-year-old man almost a month after his 49-year-old wife went missing, according to reports.

She has not been seen since leaving her home in Hull, East Yorkshire, after dropping her 11-year-old daughter at school on April 25.

There was a large police presence outside her home on Friday and Humberside Police released a statement to confirm they had made arrests.

Dr Majid Mustafa, 47, was apprehended along with a 45-year-old man almost a month after his 49-year-old wife went missing (pictured together)

Polish-born Renata Antczak was reported missing after leaving her home in Hull, East Yorkshire, on April 25. She is pictured with her dentist husband Majid Mustafa

Speaking just hours before he was arrested, Mr Mustafa told The Sun: 'I had nothing to do with it. I just want to find her.'

He added that he was working with the police and replied 'no, of course not' when asked if he was involved in her disappearance.

Mr Mustafa said he believes his wife had gone back to her native Poland to join a cult.

Before she disappeared from her home, she left behind a piece of paper covered in her hand-writing and headed Freedom Ritual.

Just underneath, the mother-of-two had written, in her native Polish: 'I am free. I am free from everything. I am free from marriage. I am free from all obligation. I am free from everything.'

For her husband, the note, along with a strange gold amulet that he says Renata had started wearing shortly before she vanished, is a clear indication that something very strange was happening to his wife of 23 years in the months before her disappearance on April 25.

At the end of the letter, Renata had written: 'Thank you for all the lessons you have given me.'

Exactly who she was writing to is not clear, but Mr Mustafa, who owns a dental practice in the city, believes that his wife, who once worked as a lawyer in Poland but recently retrained as a 'healing' therapist, must have been lured into some kind of sect or cult.

'I think they brainwashed her step by step,' he says.

'It looks like someone was telling her this, and she wrote it down. We found the letter upstairs. Something is strange. Something is amiss.'

In the first and only in-depth interview he plans to give about Renata's disappearance, he admits he is at a loss to understand why she would suddenly have vanished.

But there are clues, of course. There is the note and the amulet  a gold necklace with a circular symbol. There are fears, too, expressed by family members in Poland, that she was increasingly unhappy in her marriage and might have been having an affair.

Syrian-born Mr Mustafa, who met Renata in Lodz after he emigrated to Poland 27 years ago, believes that his wife knew that all their lives were about to change.

'A few weeks ago, she told our eldest daughter: 'Promise me, whatever happens, you will look after your younger sister.' My daughter Magda said: 'Why did you say that?' and she said: 'Nothing. Nothing.' '

Mrs Antczak has not been seen since leaving her house after dropping her 11-year-old daughter at school earlier that day

Today there was a large police presence outside Mrs Antczak's home in Hull, East Yorkshire

While Humberside Police search for Renata, he is now juggling work commitments while trying to support their two daughters, 11-year-old Victoria and Magda, 23, a university student, at the family's neat three-bedroom home in the Kingswood area of Hull.

He has handed both the note and photographs of the gold necklace his wife wore to detectives in the hope that they might yield further clues as to what has happened to her.

But while he believes that the truth about her disappearance lies in Poland, where they were living until 2010 and which she frequently visited, police sources told me this week that they do not believe she ever left the UK.

They say there is no evidence that anyone of her name has travelled out of the country.

But Mr Mustafa believes Renata may have used an old Polish identity card to travel and insists there are claims that she has been seen in Lodz, where her sister and 84-year-old mother still live.

Renata vanished at around 1pm on Tuesday, April 25, leaving home on foot and wearing black trousers and a purple T-shirt.

Mr Mustafa, who was upstairs at the time, says that up until that point, the day was like any other.

'That morning, we just had a chat about Victoria,' he says. 'Everything was normal.'

Wedding day: Mrs Antczak's husband, Majid Mustafa, has previously said his wife had gone back to her native Poland to join a cult

The couple married in 1995 in Konstantynow Lodzki, in central Poland, and bought a three-bedroom house in the nearby village of Zabiczki before moving to the UK with their daughter Magda in 2005.

They lived briefly in London and Scotland before moving to Hull, where Mr Mustafa, who ran several successful businesses in Poland, launched a new dental business in 2010 called New Smile.

Both he and Renata are directors of the company.

As well as dental implants, Mr Mustafa offers cosmetic surgery, including a 'Vampire Facial', which involves extracting blood from the patient's arm, spinning it in a centrifuge to separate the plasma from the red and white blood cells, and then injecting it into the face with dermal fillers.

For Renata, who studied law at the University of Lodz and worked as a government lawyer there, life was rather more complicated.

She was not qualified to practise as a solicitor in the UK and instead found work as an EU welfare support worker in Hull on a project called the Community Integration Network, before being employed as a paralegal adviser at a solicitors' in the city.

But according to Mr Mustafa, all had not been well in their marriage since December  not long after Renata qualified as a therapist for an alternative health treatment called TimeWaver, invented by a German scientist who operates out of a castle near Berlin.

The controversial TimeWaver Frequency system uses a machine connected to two electrodes which patients are asked to hold.

According to its founder, nearly all diseases are caused by 'a decrease in the cell membrane voltage'  something which can be reversed by TimeWaver's 'cellular improvement of the membrane voltage of the cell'.

It can be used, he claims, to treat anything from pain to addictions to cardiovascular problems.

Renata returned to Poland to become a TimeWaver therapist, staying in hotels while she attended expensive training sessions which often went on until midnight.

The couple took out a loan to purchase the TimeWaver machine and she told her husband she'd need to spend a week every month in Poland learning to use it.

'Since December, with TimeWaver, her life started to change,' says Mr Mustafa. 'She is a lovely woman, a clever woman.

Humberside Police stand outside the house of missing Mrs Antczak, 49, in Hull today

The lawyer (pictured) has not been seen since leaving her home in Hull, East Yorkshire, after dropping her 11-year-old daughter at school on April 25

'But I am sure they have washed her mind totally.'

On one occasion, he recalls telephoning the hotel where she was staying and not getting a reply until 4 am.

'We were very worried about her,' he says. 'At 4am she answered. She said: 'Sorry I was downstairs in meditation.' We could hear water, music and birds.

'I said: 'What has meditation got to do with TimeWaver?' '

Back in the UK, he says, her behaviour became increasingly strange. His wife spoke on the phone every day with her TimeWaver colleagues.

While he was abroad undertaking specialist dental implant training, their younger daughter, Victoria, became ill with a temperature and her mother kept her off school.

The family GP prescribed anti-biotics but Renata insisted on using the TimeWaver machine.

In a publicity video she made, which was later posted online, Renata can be seen describing the 'positive effect' it had on her daughter's health.

Mr Mustafa, who trained as a dentist in Poland and at a private university, BPP, in London, recalls his shock when his wife explained what she was doing.

'She said: 'The antibiotics are not good.' I told her: 'Just give her the antibiotics.'

He says that early this year, her behaviour continued to be odd. 'The things she was saying were strange,' he insists. On one occasion, he overheard Renata, who had been raised a Catholic but no longer practised her religion, telling their daughters that the souls of the dead went 'to a different person on Earth'.

'She told our 11-year-old daughter that there are people who, if they look at something very hard, they can move it with their eye  telekinesis. I told her: 'Please don't say that to the child because she will say something at school.'

Then there was the strange necklace with the circular symbol. When Mr Mustafa asked her what it was, he claims she told him: 'This is to take the negative energy off us.' Renata also began burning candles and incense at home, he says, which she hadn't done before.

Then, he says, he was gobsmacked when Renata asked him for a divorce. He had no idea that there was anything wrong in their relationship.

'I was very surprised,' he says. 'I asked her: 'What's happened?' Did I do anything wrong in my life?'

'She just said she wanted a divorce. She wanted to work in Poland and she wanted to be independent. She wanted to take Victoria and go back to Poland.

'I was trying, all the time, until the last minute, to save our marriage. I told her people divorce when they have really serious problems  when you catch the man with another woman or come home drunk every day.

Before she disappeared from her home, the mother (pictured) left behind a piece of paper covered in her hand-writing and headed Freedom Ritual

'But she just said she wanted a divorce and wanted to be free.'

Back in Poland, family members were also aware that Renata wanted to end her marriage.

'When she was last home in January, she told her mum she had had enough and was filing for divorce,' a family source told the Mail this week.

'The whole family has been trying to contact her, sending her messages on social media, asking her if she's OK and to make contact. But she hasn't even opened them.'

Also speaking from Poland, Renata's sister Danuta Szulc told the Mail that Renata had asked her husband for a divorce and had made plans to enrol Victoria at a school in Poland from next term.

Mr Mustafa, she said, was hoping his wife would change her mind.

She described him as 'a good husband and father'. 'My sister's husband came here a few days before Easter and went around the whole family asking why Renata wants to divorce him,' she said.

'He said she had started proceedings. He seemed depressed about it.'

Mrs Szulc said that she also suspected that Renata was seeing another man during her regular visits to Poland.

'The last time I heard from her was in a phone call a few days after Easter,' she said.

'She was uncharacteristically reserved. I asked her what the matter was but she said she would tell me everything when she came back to Poland again at the end of May.'

Back in Hull, at the Flexible Salon hair stylist in Spring Bank where Renata used to work as a therapist, salon owner Iwona Janas is also desperately worried about her friend and says she doesn't believe that she would ever have abandoned her daughter.

'She is a great mother and would never leave her child like that. There are all kinds of ideas of what might have happened to her.

'No one really knows but something has happened.'

At Easter, just ten days before her disappearance, Renata gathered her family together at the small but smart home they rent.

She wanted to celebrate Victoria's 11th birthday, even though it was still two weeks away.

Mr Mustafa says his wife shrugged off their queries about why, saying: 'Because it's Easter and we're all together.'

By the time Victoria's real birthday came around, on April 30, her mother had been missing for five days.

A spokesman for Humberside Police said that extensive enquiries have been made both in the UK and with colleagues in Poland about Renata's whereabouts, and that sightings of her in Poland could not be corroborated.

He said: 'We've got no information on where she has been since April 25. We're still appealing for people with information, to people who know where she is, or to Renata herself, to come forward.

'We're hopeful we'll find her safe and well.'

Mr Mustafa says he is 'very appreciative' of the efforts the police are making to find his wife.

He adds: 'We still love her and want her to come back.'

Keith Marston, who lives next door to the property, said on Friday: 'There were lots of cop cars and there was a police van and officers with white suits on. One of those officers got in (her) car and took it away.'

A force spokesman added: 'We have arrested two men, aged 45 and 47, in connection with the disappearance of 49-year-old Renata Antczak on April 25.

'The arrests follow new information about her disappearance coming to light as part of the investigation into her whereabouts.

'In addition we are searching a number of addresses in Hull as part of ongoing enquiries. At this time no further details about the arrest will be made available.'

Additional reporting: Mark Branagan
Overcrowded trains in Sydney are becoming a regular sight, with passengers and tourism operators calling on NSW Transport to provide funding for more train services.

Commuters will often have to stand for an hour or more on the packed trains that depart from Strathfield Station or Central Station to the Blue Mountains in western Sydney.

Tourism operators in the Blue Mountains have also expressed concerns about the persistent overcrowding, with tourists expressing displeasure at having to stand for an hour or more.

Commuters travelling from Sydney to the Blue Mountains are often forced to stand or sit in cramped aisles for up to two hours

Long lines for an intercity train headed to the Blue Mountains via Parramatta from Strathfield Station in Sydney's inner-west

Jason Cronshaw, managing director of Fantastic Aussie Tours, which operates the Blue Mountains Explorer Bus, said: 'If something is not done about it, sooner rather than later, it will potentially have a negative effect on tourism because the word will spread.'

Bob Nanva, the national secretary of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, told Fairfax Media: 'We have people travelling to a world heritage tourism asset on a Third World rail service'.

Commuter Kylie Fearnley regularly takes this train on Sunday, and told the Sydney Morning Herald it was almost impossible to find a seat and that the toilets were disgraceful.

'We're jammed in like sardines or I have to stand up,' she said.

'I mean, we're heading into the western suburbs of Sydney, not into the Bronx.'

And the narrow aisles and stairs of the train's four carriages don't help local commuters and tourists with bulky personal items such as prams, bicycles and luggage.

Those tourists will often be heading to popular scenic destinations like Leura and Katoomba for the weekend.

A group of tourists sitting on the carriage's stairs and packed in the aisles like sardines

The jam packed trains are a common sight on the weekend, with the infrequency of train services between the Blue Mountains and Central Station exacerbating the problem.

In May, an elderly woman who was forced to stand up all the way to the Mountains collapsed in the vestibule, according to passenger Christopher Webber.

Commuter Miriam Williamson posted a photo to Facebook of a group of tourists sitting on the carriage's stairs and packed in the aisles like sardines.

Ms Williamson wrote: 'This is how we transport international tourist to the Blue Mountains. Peak season and only running 4 carriage trains. Lots of people taking photos because they can't believe it. Two hours is a long time to stand or sit in the aisles.'

A regular sight: Overcrowding on a platform at Parramatta Station in Sydney's west

Trish Doyle, the Labor MP for Blue Mountains, addressed the overcrowding issue in a Facebook post.

'Every weekend, train passengers are crammed in like sardines on four carriage trains on the Blue Mountains line.

'Matters were made even worse during the recent school holidays and Easter with huge crowds on platforms and terrible conditions for passengers inside packed trains.

'Not only does this reflect poorly upon our public transport system for international and interstate visitors but also it drives local residents insane,' she said.

She said increasing the number of carriages from four to six or eight could solve the problem.

A Transport for NSW spokesperson said the NSW government plans to spend $1.5 billion on train services, including new trains for the Blue Mountains line from 2019.
James Comey's father has defended his son, saying he was never 'crazy' about President Donald Trump and he's 'convinced that he's nuts'.

Since the firing of the FBI Director,the president has called him a 'grandstander' and a 'showboat', two things that Comey's father and people from his hometown of Allendale, New Jersey, highly disagree with.

'I never was crazy about Trump,' J. Brien Comey, 86, a Republican and a former borough councilman, told NorthJersey.com.

'I'm convinced that he's nuts. I thought he belonged in an institution. He was crazy before he became president. Now he's really crazy.'

Comey's father questioned the president's credibility, adding that he just 'couldn't vote for Trump' in the 2016 presidential election.

James Comey's father, j Brien Comey, 86, recently defended his son, saying he was never 'crazy' about President Donald Trump and he's 'convinced that he's nuts'

Comey's father questioned Trump's credibility, adding that he just 'couldn't vote for Trump' in the 2016 presidential election. The news comes the same day that Comey (right) has agreed to testify to publicly testify in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee after Memorial Day

And the folks of Comey's hometown, Allendale, had nothing but good things to say about him.

'Anyone from Allendale that knows the family and grew up around him knows that he is a good person and has an honest character and has the utmost integrity,' Patty Corn, who was a classmate of Comey's in high school, told NorthJersey.com.

Molly Patrick told the news site that 'there's nothing phony about him'. 'He's real,' she added.

Several residents in Comey's hometown feel that he's being harshly treated.

'There's nobody in Washington that I respect more for his integrity,' former Mayor Vincent Barra told the news site.

'I think it's unfortunate that he got caught in this whirlwind of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.'

'Every decision Jim has ever made is with a moral compass,' said Chris Kunisch, whose family has run the Allendale Bar and Grill.

And those still searching for answers surrounding Comey's firing just might get them after the 56-year-old agreed to publicly testify in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee in a hearing that will be scheduled after Memorial Day.

Chairman Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) said he hopes Comey's testimony 'will clarify for the American people recent events that have been broadly reported in the media' as the committee continues its investigation into Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 elections.

Vice Chairman Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) said he hoped Comey would 'answer some of the questions that have arisen since Comey was so suddenly dismissed by the President.'

The bombshell announcement on Friday evening came just hours after a summary of a May 10 Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump and Russia's ambassador and foreign minister was read to a New York Times reporter.

The bombshell announcement came just hours after a summary of a May 10 Oval Office meeting between Trump and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (2nd L) and Russia's Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak (4th L) was read to a New York Times reporter

According to the meeting notes that White House aides circulated internally, Trump met with Lavrov (pictured) and Kislyak just one day after Comey was fired and told them the ousted FBI director was 'a real nut job' whose departure would make life easier for him

According to the meeting notes that White House aides circulated internally, Trump met with Sergey Lavrov and Sergey Kislyak just one day after Comey was fired and told them the ousted FBI director was 'a real nut job' whose departure would make life easier for him.

'I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job,' Trump said, according to the summary. 'I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off.'

Trump also assured the Russian envoys: 'I'm not under investigation.'

The president has offered a variety of explanations for Comey's firing.

The White House initially cited a memo by deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein cataloging Comey's handling of the Clinton email investigation.

Trump later said Comey wasn't doing a good job, and told NBC News that Russia was on his mind when he decided Comey had to go.

During a Thursday afternoon press conference, Trump said Comey had turned in a 'poor, poor performance' testifying in the Senate, and slammed him for giving false testimony about about emails from Clinton's aide Huma Abedin that ended up on her disgraced then-husband Rep. Anthony Weiner's computer.

'That was a poor, poor performance. So poor in fact that I believe  and you'd have to ask him because I don't like to speak for other people  but I believe that's why the deputy attorney general went out and wrote his very, very strong letter,' Trump said.

Comey (right) is on the outs but former FBI director Robert Mueller (left) has been named as an independent counsel to probe Trump associate's alleged Russia ties

'And then on top of that, after the Wednesday performance by Director Comey, you had a person come and have to readjust the record, which many people have never seen before because they were misstatements made. And I thought that was was something that was terrible.'

The president's ties to Russia have become the subject of great speculation among Democrats who are convinced his presidential campaign colluded with Moscow to meddle in the November election and tilt it in his favor.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in a speech this week compared the dizzying scandals to Watergate and the Iran Contra scandal. Soon afterward, Rosenstein announced he was naming a special counsel to probe alleged Russian election interference.

Making matters more awkward for Trump, an ill-timed leak established that he revealed sensitive Israeli intelligence to his Russian guests about a new ISIS plot to detonate laptop-computer bombs aboard commercial aircraft.

Both houses of Congress and the FBI have been conducting a troika of investigations, and the Department of Justice this week appointed former FBI director Robert Mueller as a special counsel empowered to probe any criminal wrongdoing.

Trump insisted during a press conference on Thursday that there was 'no collusion between, certainly myself and my campaign  but I can always speak for myself  and the Russians'

In Thursday's presser, Trump called the broad menu of investigation a collective 'witch hunt'.

'And there is no collusion between, certainly, myself and my campaign  but I can always speak for myself  and the Russians,' he said. 'Zero.'

Congressional committees clamored to get Comey to testify in the wake of the reports, and House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz announced a hearing next week - despite not being able to find Comey's new phone number to get him to attend.

Chaffetz also wrote a letter to the FBI, requesting all 'memoranda, notes, summaries and recordings' of discussions between Comey and Trump be turned over by May 24.

News that Comey will testify broke as Trump was on the way to Saudi Arabia in his first international trip overseas.
Mammologists at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto have unveiled a preserved blue whale heart.

Weighing in at 600 pounds, roughly the size of a small pony, the heart went on display on Thursday.

The team says it's the first heart of the marine mammal to ever be preserved fully and could help it last for as long as 1,000 years.

A massive 600-pound blue whale heart, the first-ever to be preserved, was unveiled at the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada on Thursday (pictured)

Without the heart's blood and supporting structures, the organ weighs around 400 pounds. The extra pounds came from the steel mesh scientists put inside to keep the ventricles and the thinner blood vessels from collapsing (the heart in Guben, Germany in May 2017)

In 2014, nine blue whales died in Canada's Newfoundland when they became trapped in ice - an astonishing three percent of the wild population.

When these 300,000-pound creatures die, they almost always sink. But in a rare event, two washed up on the shores of Trout River in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Scientists were then able to salvage some of the whale's organs to conduct never-before-done research.

The plastinated, or preserved, heart is 'a thing of beauty', said Jacqueline Miller, a mammalogy technician from the ROM, who has been working with the whale since it was first discovered.

'It's quite a bit smaller than we were expecting.'

Miller admitted that she and her colleagues expected to pull out a heart relative to the size of a sedan, reported Motherboard.

However, it is rather the size of a small pony, measuring five feet by four feet by four feet - and could pump 58 gallons of blood per second.

Without the heart's blood and supporting structures, it weighs around 400 pounds.

However, Miller said the extra 200 pounds came after the team put steel mesh inside to keep the ventricles and the thinner blood vessels from collapsing.

A human heart is shown for size comparison in front of the plastinated whale heart, which is approximately the 'size of a small pony' (in Guben, Germany in May 2017)

Before it was displayed in Toronto, the heart traveled from Canada to Germany, where technicians worked on it for more than a year as no facility in North America was big enough to handle a whale heart (pictured in Guben, Germany in May 2017)

The heart was unveiled next to the skeleton of the massive blue whale it came from.

However, there were concerns about potential damage that could be caused because the organ had to be unwrapped from a box and lifted onto a platform, but no damage occurred.

Blue whales have the largest hearts of all animals and this organ represents the maximum size a heart can be to continue supporting a living creature, according to Miller.

Before it was displayed in Toronto, the heart traveled from Canada to Germany, where technicians worked on it for more than a year as no facility in North America was big enough to handle a whale heart.

Because of the massive size, no one was sure how long the plastination process would take.

The heart came from a blue whale that, in a rare incident, washed up on the shores of Trout River in the province Newfoundland and Labrador in 2014

First, scientists had to remove all the water from of the tissue, down to the cellular level. They did this by placing the heart in an acetone bath, the same chemical used in nail polish remover.

Next, they had to put it in a synthetic plastic, or polymer, bath.

Lastly, scientists put the whole tank of polymer in a vacuum chamber so that the existing acetone would bubble and boil away.

'Fat is very hard to plastinate,' explained Miller.

The heart remained in this vacuum for more than four months. Miller referred to the heart as 'Frankenheart' and compared the unveiling to the birth of a child because of how long the team worked on it.

'We're very, very proud,' she said, adding that the preserved heart could last for as long as 1,000 years.
Russian officials developed a relationship with Michael Flynn over the course of months and bragged that they could use him to influence Donald Trump, sources said.

'This was a five-alarm fire from early on, the way the Russians were talking about him,' a former Obama administration official told CNN.

Flynn was caught speaking to Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak in a December phone call that eventually led to his forced resignation just 24 days into his role as National Security Adviser.

After Barack Obama hit back at Russia for meddling in the elections, Flynn told Kislyak the Trump administration would approve of Russia's decision to hold off on retaliating, sources said.

Flynn went on to say the Trump administration would revisit the sanctions imposed since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, the sources said, and Putin followed his advice, announcing the next day that he would not retaliate.

Russian officials viewed Michael Flynn as an ally and bragged that they could use him to influence Donald Trump, sources told CNN

Flynn (right) developed a relationship with Russian officials for several months in 2016 before he was caught speaking to Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak in a December, sources said

The Russians saw Flynn as an ally, and while officials expressed their concerns, they also raised the possibility that the Russians may have exaggerated their clout on Trump's inner circle.

An official from the former administration also told CNN Flynn was viewed as a potential national security problem, echoing Sally Yates' testimony that Flynn could be subject to blackmail by the Russians.

And Barack Obama warned Trump against hiring Flynn during a face-to-face meeting back in November,CNN reported earlier this month.

But a White House Official issued a statement that read: 'We are confident that when these inquiries are complete there will be no evidence to support any collusion between the campaign and Russia.

'This matter is not going to distract the President or this administration from its work to bring back jobs and keep America safe.'

While Flynn's time in the White House was brief, he is still under investigation by the Senate Judiciary Committee and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Flynn reportedly told Trump's chief lawyer Donald McGahn on January 4 that he was under investigation for secretly working as a paid lobbyist for Turkey during the campaign.

Flynn's discussions of US sanctions with Kislyak (above) eventually led to his forced resignation just 24 days into his role as National Security Adviser

Flynn admitted that his lobbying firm was paid $530,000 for work that could have benefited the Turkish government just two months before he was appointed to the White House.

Flynn's consulting firm, Flynn Intel Group, was lobbying for a Dutch consulting firm with ties to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan before and immediately after the US election.

He failed to file documents with the Justice Department declaring he was a foreign agent until March, weeks after he resigned.

In the documents, he said the lobbying work 'could be construed to have principally benefited the Republic of Turkey.'

Flynn admitted that his lobbying firm was paid $530,000 for work that could have benefited Turkey (pictured Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan)

The filing also disclosed that Flynn secretly met with the Turkish foreign and energy ministers in New York before Election Day.

Flynn wrote an op-ed the day Trump was elected calling for the US to kick out anti-government Turkish cleric, Fethullah Gulen, who is living in exile in Pennsylvania.

Flynn also blocked a military plan against the Islamic State group that was opposed by Turkey.

After Flynn was forced to resign, Trump reportedly tried to get former FBI Director James Comey to drop the investigation into the ex-general.

Comey did not. He was controversially fired by the president on May 9.
Australian hardware giant Bunnings' quest to crack the British market is showing signs of a struggle because of poor timing, according to experts.

Losses from Bunnings UK and Ireland (or BUKI) have posted $48 million in the first half of the financial year, reports Sydney Morning Herald.

Analysts have speculated if the expansion into the UK was poorly timed with the effect of Britain's exit from the European Union.

Australian hardware giant Bunnings' quest to crack the British market is showing signs of a struggle (pictured: one St Albans store)

Losses from Bunnings UK and Ireland (or BUKI) have hit $48 million in the first half of the financial year

'I'm just not sure the expansion into the UK is a great idea,' one unnamed private equity insider said.

Analysts have voiced their surprise at the hardware company's first half losses, warning they may need to scale back the expansion.

'If it's going to lose [more] money in the second half, Wesfarmers really needs to put some parameters around it.'

Bunnings forked out 130 million pounds to expand the Homebase product range, at a time when the fallout from Brexit has driven a rise in the costs of imported products.

There are still only two stores Bunnings UK - both in St Albans in Hertfordshire.

Concerns about the expansion flared with the unexpected resigning of long-serving Bunnings CEO John Gillam late last year.

Analysts have speculated if the expansion into the UK was poorly timed with the coinciding effect of Brexit

Bunnings invested 130 million pounds to expand the Homebase product range

Earlier this year, Hardware industry expert Steve Collinge raised concerns about the expansion, reports NewsCorp.

'They have a lot of work to do. They've got to learn that they can't just copy and paste what works in Australia and hope that people are going to be queuing up for a sausage sizzle in the rain. It's one degree in the UK today. It's a real challenge,' he said.

He said they run a risk trying to price match if they are running the business at a loss.

'They also intend to price match against online players. This is high risk as you could end up haemorrhaging margin day in, day out,' he said.




Collingwood AFL woman's star Penny-Cula Reid is leading the charge for marriage equality during a rally that's expected to draw thousands.

Penny Cula-Reid, 29, will join activists from Equal Love to address the crowd at the State Library in Melbourne on Saturday afternoon.

Cula Reid is engaged to 30-year-old Mia-Rae Clifford, who plays for Melbourne in the AFLW, and the pair are the AFL's first publicly-known gay player partners.

Collingwood AFLW star Penny-Cula Reid will lead a rally in Melbourne to recognise marriage equality in Australia

The march is organised by marriage equality activists Equal Love

'It's very simple. Love is love,' Cula-Reid said in a statement on Friday.

'We all bleed the same blood, breathe the same air, regardless of race, religion, gender, age, sexuality or education, we are all equal and we should be treated as equal'.

Equal Love says the Turnbull government is trying to bury the issue, which is why activism on the streets is as important as ever.

'Turnbull is hoping people forget that he has refused to challenge the right wing and Nationals who oppose civil rights for LGBTI people. But we won't forget,' Ali Hogg, Equal Love Convenor said.

'We know that marriage equality could be a reality tomorrow if Turnbull allowed a free vote.'

The rally kicked-off at the State Library and will be followed by a march to the Victorian Parliament.

Penny-Cula Reid (pictured left) is engaged with AFLW player Mia-Rae Clifford (pictured right) from Melbourne

Equal Love have organised the march in Melbourne's CBD for Saturday
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 20

By Huseyn Veliyev  Trend:

SINAM, one of the leading IT companies in Azerbaijan, has presented technical recommendations to the authorized state body of Afghanistan on the introduction of the e-document management system, the IT company told Trend.

The negotiations on cooperation in this sphere were held in early May 2017 during the visit of Afghanistans delegation to Azerbaijan, according to the company.

The delegation studied the work principle of the ASAN Service, the company said. Bilateral meetings took place, and we presented to our Afghan colleagues the necessary materials and information on what should be done to switch to the e-document management system. Specific work can be started after the Afghan side makes a final decision.

ASAN (Azerbaijan Service and Assessment Network) is a state agency for government services to citizens in Azerbaijan.

At present, an analogue of Azerbaijans ASAN Service, named Asan Khedmat, operates in Afghanistan.
Three boys have been arrested over the alleged stabbing of a 10-year-old boy after an argument about his shoes.

One young boy, 12, wearing a red hat and blue jumper was seen being escorted by officers to the back of a police car.

Officers put the boy in the back of the car and drove off in front of a crowd of bystanders.

Scroll down for video

One young boy wearing a red hat and blue jumper was seen being escorted by officers to the back of a police car

Officers put the boy in the back of the car and drove off in front of a crowd of bystanders

Paramedics treated the boy for a stab wound to his torso at a house in Sydney's inner city suburb of Waterloo about 12.15pm on Saturday.

Police established a crime scene and arrested three boys, aged between 12 and 16, who were all known to the victim.

Witnesses say the injured boy tried to walk home after the attack but emergency crews were called and treated him, reports Daily Telegraph.

A neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said the alleged attacker was 'a troubled kid' who was known to police.

Police have established a crime scene at the home where a boy, 10, was stabbed

'The police are always knocking on the door telling the parents he's done something,' she said.

The victim, who went to the house to play with one of the boys, was taken to Prince of Wales Children's Hospital in a stable condition.

It is believed the stabbing occurred after the 10-year-old victim was bullied over his shoes.

Three boys, believed to aged between 12 and 16, were arrested at the scene and are assisting police with their inquiries in Redfern Police Station.

Anyone with information is urged to phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000

Paramedics treated the boy for a stab wound to his torso in Sydney's inner city suburb of Waterloo
Two police commanders in Texas have been demoted following an internal investigation into leaked body camera footage after a controversial arrest of a black woman and her daughters by a Fort Worth police officer.

Lawyers for the two assistant chiefs told NBC that the Assistant Chief Abdul Pridgen and Deputy Chief Vance Keyes met with Fort Worth Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald on Friday afternoon and were demoted to captains.

Keyes also faces a three-day suspension.

The Fort Worth Police Department began an internal investigation after officer William Martin's body-camera video from the December arrest of Jacqueline Craig was leaked along with Martin's disciplinary records.

Scroll down for video

Assistant Chief Abdul Pridgen (left) and Deputy Chief Vance Keyes (right) have been demoted following an internal investigation into leaked body camera footage after a controversial arrest of a black woman and her daughters by Fort Worth police officer William Martin

Lawyers for the two assistant chiefs said they met with Fort Worth Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald (center) on Friday afternoon and were demoted to captains. Keyes also faces a three-day suspension

In the shocking video, Craig called 911 to report that a neighbor assaulted her son after accusing him of littering.

Martin is then heard questioning Craig about why she didn't teach her son to not litter and suggesting the neighbor had the right to assault her son.

Seconds later, one of Craig's daughter attempts to get her to walk away from the scene, when Martin grabs her by the arm and pushes her to the ground.

Craig's daughter was also held to the ground as Martin grabbed her neck and cuffed her.

The 12-minute video also showed another daughter of Craig's being arrested. Charges against the women were later dropped.

'This has been one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make as chief,' Fitzgerald said at a Friday night news conference.

Pridgen and Keyes had been placed on restricted while authorities worked to determine who leaked Martin's body camera video in December.

Martin's private personnel file also was released. The evidence showed the same files that were leaked had been downloaded from Pridgen's office computer at a time he and Keyes were in his office, according to NBC.

The Fort Worth Police Department began an internal investigation after officer Martin's body-camera video from the December arrest of Jacqueline Craig (left) was leaked along with Martin's previous disciplinary records

Martin is seen in the video holding a Taser to the back of Craig's back as he forced her to the ground

Craig's daughter (pictured) was also held to the ground as Martin grabbed her neck and cuffed her

Not long after the cell phone footage went viral, video from the incident recorded on Martin's body camera was leaked. Pridgen and Keyes have denied leaking the video.

Family and supporters of Craig have repeatedly called for Chief Fitzgerald to be fired over his handling of the case.

Craig and her supporters said they feel the decision to demote Pridgen and Keyes is unjust because it's more severe than the 10-day suspension Martin received after the incident.

They also believe the body camera footage should have been made public from the start.

Pridgen earned $167,999 Keyes earned $133,972 in the initial positions, city records show.

After learning his punishment, Pridgen said: 'I'm pretty sure they can expect a lawsuit.'

The 12-minute video also showed another daughter of Craig's being arrested. Charges against the women were later dropped
Kelly Landry has been spotted shopping with her children two days after the court dismissed her AVO against estranged husband and accountant for the stars Anthony Bell.

The former Getaway TV star was seen enjoying her weekend with her daughters during a trip to the toy store in Sydney's luxurious Double Bay on Saturday following a harrowing six-month legal process.

While Ms Landry was spending time with her kids on Saturday following the long ordeal, it was earlier revealed police want to appeal the decision to dismiss her AVO against husband Anthony Bell.

Scroll down for video

Kelly Landry (pictured) went on a shopping trip with her children in Sydney

Kelly Landry was seen shopping a couple of days after her AVO against her estranged husband was dismissed in court

This comes as her supporters slammed the ruling as setting 'a terrible precedent' for other women.

A magistrate on Thursday dismissed an interim apprehended violence order against her estranged celebrity accountant husband.

Magistrate Robert Williams found there was no need for an AVO because he saw little to no chance of the millionaire financier being violent to Ms Landry in the future.

Kelly Landry was spotted in Sydney's luxurious eastern suburb of Double Bay

Kelly Landry was spotted enjoying her weekend with her children in Double Bay

Kay Schubach, a domestic violence campaigner who is one of Ms Landry's top supporters, said: 'It's a terrible precedent and a very dangerous decision'.

Ms Schubach said police prosecutors were 'keen' for an appeal through the Director of Public Prosecutions.

A New South Wales police spokeswoman said the agency was 'reviewing the decision.'

It's not over yet: Kelly Landry appeared tearful after the AVO decision was handed down on Thursday - but Daily Mail Australia has been told prosecutors are 'keen' for an appeal

Mr Bell was almost glowing with relief after the court win - telling reporters he felt relieved that 'justice has prevailed' and hoping to put the past six months behind them

Both Mr Bell and Ms Landry believe they have had a 'harrowing' past six months

Ms Landry hasn't had any discussions yet but is aware prosecutors have expressed interest in an appeal.

Susannah Quinn, a lawyer advising Ms Landry, said it was 'likely' police will consider whether an appeal should be sought for an expanded legal precedent.

Key Kelly Landry supporter Kay Schubach said prosecutors were keen on appealing the decision

Ms Schubach said she was 'perplexed' the magistrate had accepted Ms Landry had been in 'fear for her safety' last November, but at the same time dismiss the AVO.

'Anthony Bell is free to walk into the family home... I think it has placed Kelly in a dangerous situation.

'It has exposed her to danger again. It does set a really dangerous precedent'.

The magistrate accepted Ms Landry's version of events that Mr Bell knocked her arm into a wall on November 18.

That resulted in their young daughter's head hitting the wall, all of which was caught in audio made by Ms Landry and tendered to court.

Mr Williams told the court: 'The cry from (Ms Landry) and what both parties agree was the sound of the child's head hitting the wall cannot easily be forgotten.

'They were chilling sounds.'

But Mr Williams said he was not satisfied by Ms Landry's broader claim Mr Bell had been abusive or controlling.

And the magistrate found he could not be satisfied by Ms Landry's evidence that Mr Bell had fallen on top of her, put his hand around her throat and thrown her onto a bed during another alleged incident in 2012.

Mr Bell had strenuously denied both allegations of abuse.

But what's next? Ms Landry and her supporters were 'perplexed' by the magistrate's decision

Ms Landry and her family were resting and relaxing on Friday in the wake of the decision

In the audio, Ms Landry could be heard saying she was 'scared' as he tried to jimmy open the door to her bedroom with a butter knife.

'You are carrying on Anthony, you are acting psycho,' she could heard saying.

Meantime, Mr Bell said she was 'video-taping illegally to try and set me up.

'I'm not going to let you set me up for nothing I did.

'I am so scared of you Kel, because you've done this before'.

Then there was the sound of an altercation, a woman crying 'oww' and a child's scream.

Ms Landry is believed to be 'exhausted' after the harrowing months-long legal process.

A magistrate accepted Ms Landry's evidence about one version of events, but was not satisfied by another incident

She looked gutted when the decision was handed down on Thursday.

But a source close to her said she saw the decision as a 'win in some regards' thanks to the magistrate's finding about the November incident.

'That (finding) is what it was all about in the first place,' a source close to Ms Landry said.

'It's absolutely relieving to have gotten the result,' said Mr Bell, who hopes to put the decision behind them

Ms Landry was understood to be resting and relaxing with her family on Friday.

Meantime, her estranged husband was almost glowing with relief following the decision.

'I'm pleased justice has prevailed,' he said.

'It is absolutely relieving to have gotten the result.

'In saying that, we've got a couple of great children Kel and I.

'And my children love their mum very much.

'And it's very important... that I honour that position.'

The Sydney to Hobart champion said he wouldn't be speaking about his relationship with Ms Landry, except for a pledge to work on 'raising a couple of great kids together'.

He said he had grown up with a single mother and a sister and his values towards women were important to him.

'I hope that the events of the last six months can be put behind us,' Mr Bell said.




Advertisement

President Donald Trump has landed in Saudi Arabia as he begins his first foreign tour since taking office.

He touched down in the Middle East Saturday morning, hours after tweeting about his excitement for his first 'big foreign trip.'

Trump flew to the capital Riyadh overnight on Air Force One  becoming the only president to make Saudi Arabia, or any majority Muslim country, his first stop overseas as president.

His arrival following a 6,700-mile flight was met with the pomp usually reserved for the likes of a Papal welcome in South America.

The president got the red carpet treatment  literally  and some airport workers took off their shoes before manicuring it with brooms in 97-degree heat.

The Saudi King later presented Trump with the kingdom's top civilian honor, the gold King Abdulaziz medal, at the royal court.

Scroll down for video

President Donald Trump, pictured with first lady Melania, touched down Saturday in the Middle Eastern country of Saudi Arabia after tweeting about his excitement for his first 'big foreign trip'

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (right) welcomes DonaldTrump and first lady Melania Trump at the airport

The president got the red carpet treatment  literally  and some airport workers took off their shoes before manicuring it with brooms in 97-degree heat

Trump and First Lady Melania take part in a welcome ceremony by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (right) upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh today, accompanied by Prince Khaled bin Salman (center)

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump were both seen arriving in the Middle East on Trump's first foreign tour since taking office

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive to receive the Order of Abdulaziz al-Saud medal from Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (center right)

Donald Trump and wife Melania, dressed in a black jumpsuit with statement belt, sip a drink as they are welcomed by the Saudi king

US President Donald Trump receives the Order of Abdulaziz al-Saud medal at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh on May 20

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner arrive to attend the presentation of the Order of Abdulaziz al-Saud medal at the Saudi Royal Court

Trump and King Salman had a welcome ceremony inside the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport after Air Force One landed

Great to be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Looking forward to the afternoon and evening ahead. #POTUSAbroad pic.twitter.com/JJOra0KfyR  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 20, 2017

There were 30 U.S. flags at the ready at the airport, a tiny fraction of the thousands that line streets and highways between the airport and the city center.

A 90-person Royal Saudi Air Forces honor guard practiced rifle drills and then stood at attention while Trump and his kingly escort ambled toward the terminal.

He heard an eight-bugle fanfare, watched a seven-jet flyover trailing red, white and blue smoke. And cannon fire. Lots of cannon fire, which didn't cease until Trump and King Salman were safely inside.

The president got the red carpet treatment  literally  and some airport workers even took off their shoes before manicuring it with brooms in 97-degree heat

A 90-person Royal Saudi Air Forces honor guard practiced rifle drills and then stood at attention while Trump and his kingly escort ambled toward the terminal  with first lady Melania walking a few steps behind him

The president and the king sat together in 'The Beast,' the White House's armored SUV that travels in the belly of Air Force One

Inside the terminal, the fragrant smell of oud filled the air as workers burned the aromatic wood in charcoal lamps.

Wafting Saudi oud scents also permeate the air in the souks  marketplaces  that snake through the oldest part of town. Just steps away is Ad Deerah, known to locals as 'chop-chop square' because of periodic public beheadings.

Trump will face questions over the weekend about the wisdom of establishing partnerships with a government known for human rights violations and for its Medieval treatment of women.

Females cannot drive cars in the kingdom, and their every move, from travel to shopping, is overseen by male family members.

On Saturday the only females seen among the welcome retinue were a pair of small girls presenting flowers and an African-American woman, who turned out to be a U.S. Secret Service agent.

Melania and Ivanka Trump seemed determine to make a statement by deplaning without head coverings, a rare sight among women in Riyadh whose main choices are the hijab and the niqab.

Still, the first lady stayed a half-dozen steps behind King Salman and her politician-husband, escorted by a lone U.S. Marine in full dress uniform.

Donald Trump flew to the capital Riyadh overnight on Air Force One, and his arrival following the 6,700-mile flight was met with the pomp usually reserved for a Papal welcome in South America

The U.S. president was welcomed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (right) upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh this morning

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (left) shows the way to President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud welcomed Trump during a reception ceremony this morning

After a welcome ceremony inside the Royal Terminal, Trump and Salman sat together in 'The Beast,' the White House's armored SUV that travels in the belly of Air Force One.

The first stop was the glitzy Ritz-Carlton, whose exterior is being lit up at night with giant projected images of the American flag.

Trump's first overseas speech is expected to frame the global fight against ISIS and other Islamist terror groups as a 'battle between good and evil'  but early drafts suggest he will not use the phrase 'radical Islamic terrorism.'

He will also call on leaders in the Middle East to 'drive out terrorists from your places of worship.'

Signs of American caution are everywhere as the president who once campaigned on the strength of excluding Muslims from the U.S. ventured into the nation whose king partners in construction with the Bin Laden Group.

U.S. military snipers stood guard on nearby jetways. A duplicate Air Force One 747 jet stood by, lest Trump's schedule should be waylaid by engine trouble.

Wearing a dark suit and a bright blue tie, the president descended stairs from his exclusive plane with first lady Melania Trump, after staff including his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner  arm in arm  exited from the rear of the aircraft.

For a president who campaigned on an 'America First' platform, the trip to Saudi Arabia, pictured,is a crucial moment for U.S. allies to size up his commitment to decades-long partnerships

The president's daughter, Ivanka Trump, wore a long navy dress as she arrived in Saudi Arabia this morning as part of the party accompanying Trump

Trump is handed flowers during a welcome ceremony with Saudi King Salman at the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport

DONALD'S DIPLOMACY TOUR President Trump embarked Friday on a 15,600-mile trek through the Middle East and Europe, courting controversy at every stop. His itinerary: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA, May 20-21 The president will meet with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for coffee and participate in a signing ceremony expected to focus on arms sales. After a meeting with leaders of more than a dozen Muslim-majority countries, he will deliver a speech about Islam that the White House is hoping will diffuse tensions resulting from his travel ban while also cementing the U.S.-Saudi relationship as a bulwark against both ISIS and Iran's nuclear ambitions. Trump will also participate in the grand opening of a cultural center dedicated to fighting Islamic radicalism and promoting a more moderate approach to practicing the religion. The last four presidents confirmed their first trips abroad to Canada and Mexico, but Trump is going big before going home TEL AVIV AND JERUSALEM, ISRAEL, May 22-23 Trump will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visit Jerusalem's famed Western Wall. A planned trip to the ancient Masada fort was scrapped after it was determined that the Marine One helicopter couldn't land there  and the U.S. Secret Service was unwilling to put the president in a dangling cable car. Trump does plan to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the site where Christians believe Jesus Christ was buried and rose from the dead. He will also stop to pray at the Western Wall and lay a wreath at Yad Vashem, a Holocaust memorial. BETHLEHEM, THE WEST BANK, May 23 A high-stakes meeting with Mahmoud Abbas will mark Trump's second sit-down with the Palestinian Authority's president. Making progress toward an ever-elusive peace deal between Arabs and Jews is the most crucial foreign policy objective of the trip, according to White House insiders. VATICAN CITY, May 24 Trump's audience with Pope Francis could be a tense one, since the Pontiff questioned Trump's commitment to Christianity during last year's election campaign in reaction to his pledge to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico. Trump fired back, writing that '[f]or a religious leader to question a persons faith is disgraceful.' Still, he will take advantage of the Holy See's hospitality with a full tour of St. Peter's. BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, May 24-25 The president's first meeting with leaders from all 28 NATO member nations will provide him the opportunity to press them for greater financial contributions toward keeping Russia in check. His scheduled speech at the summit will also give him the breathing room to proclaim America's undying commitment to NATO, even though Trump called the alliance 'obsolete' while he was campaigning. Along the way the president will meet Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde and Prime Minister Charles Michel. He will also have a working lunch with newly elected French president Emmanuel Macron. TAORMINA, ITALY, May 26-27 The 43rd G7 summit, held on the island of Sicily, will be a chance for Trump to 'press America's economic agenda and call for greater security cooperation,' according to National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster. It will also allow the president to appear presidential and calm the free world's top economic powers about his leadership style. Trump will also attend a dinner hosted by Italian President Sergio Mattarella, after seeing the famed La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra perform. Advertisement

Trump bantered with the king about the Cleveland Clinic, which a previous Saudi monarch chose for cardiac surgery in the 1970s.

The American president began his improbable rise to power descending an escalator, arriving at the lobby of his Trump Tower skyscraper with no idea where he would be 22 months later.

On Saturday he ascended a different escalator leading from the airport tarmac to the king's sumptuous royal terminal, waiting for his foreign policy adventures to begin.

His first gesture to the press, the hated 'dishonest media,' was a trademark thumbs-up as the escalator climbed. The gesture is regarded in much of the Arab world as a vulgar sexual insult, although many in Saudi Arabia dispute that.

The president's stop in Saudi Arabia kicks off an ambitious international debut.

Soldiers on horseback carry US and Saudi Arabia flags and escort a car carrying Donald Trump to the Saudi Royal Court

Ivanka Trump participates in a presentation ceremony of the kingdom's top civilian honor, the gold King Abdulaziz medal, to President Donald Trump

Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump make their way to a luncheon after Trump received the gold King Abdulaziz medal

White House senior advisor Jared Kushner (center) stands alongside Donald Trump (left), commerce secretary Wilbur Ross (second from left) and chief economic advisor Gary Cohn (right) as they prepare to meet with Saudi Arabia's King and the Saudi delegation at the Royal Court in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia's King (second from right), Donald Trump and Melania Trump look at a display of Saudi modern art

President Donald Trump and the Saudi King gesture during a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh on May 20

He will travel next to Israel, have an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican, and meet with allies at a NATO summit in Brussels and the Group of 7 wealthy nations in Sicily.

For a president who campaigned on an 'America First' platform, the trip is a crucial moment for U.S. allies to size up his commitment to decades-long partnerships.

'President Trump understands that America First does not mean America alone,' said H.R. McMaster, Trump's national security adviser.

'Prioritising American interests means strengthening alliances and partnerships that help us extend our influence and improve the security of the American people.'

His critics expect a rocky week ahead for the china-shop bull Americans elected in November.

President Donald Trump said Friday, after a quiet morning at the White House he was 'getting ready for my big foreign trip'

The Saudi government is playing up the Trump visit, hinting at cooperation with the U.S. to fight Islamic radicalism in the region

During his tour, Trump will deliver a high-stakes speech about Islam in the heart of Saudi Arabia, meet with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nemesis Mahmoud Abbas and take in an audience with Pope Francis.

And that's before a NATO summit and a meeting of the G7 leaders.

Trump's itinerary is heavy with religious symbolism. He'll visit the birthplace of Islam, the Jewish homeland and the Vatican. Officials say the message is 'unity.'

'He strongly believes that it is the strength of the faith of people in these religions that will stand up and ultimately be victorious over ... forces of terrorism,' Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said.

The US and Saudi Arabian flags are seen flying together in the country's capital Riyadh

White House officials hope the trip marks an opportunity for Trump to recalibrate after one of the most difficult stretches of his new presidency.

The White House badly bungled the president's stunning firing of FBI Director James Comey, who was overseeing the federal investigation into possible ties between Trump's campaign and Russia.

On Wednesday, the Justice Department relented to calls from Democrats to name a special counsel, tapping former FBI chief Robert Mueller to lead the probe.

As Trump flew to Saudi Arabia, more reports stemming from the Russia investigation surfaced.

The New York Times reported that Trump called Comey 'a real nut job' while discussing the ongoing investigation with two Russian officials visiting the White House earlier this month.

He also told them that firing Comey had 'taken off' the 'great pressure' he was feeling from the investigation, the Times reported.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that an unidentified senior Trump adviser was being considered a 'person of interest' in the law enforcement investigation.

In addition, Comey agreed to testify at an open hearing of the Senate intelligence committee in the near future, the panel said.

Despite his domestic troubles, Trump was expected to get a warm reception in Saudi Arabia.

The kingdom's ruling family grew deeply frustrated with former President Barack Obama's detente with Iran and his restrained approach to the conflict in Syria.

In a sweetener for Saudi Arabia, U.S. officials said the Trump administration plans to announce $110 billion in advanced military equipment sales and training to the kingdom during the president's trip.

The package includes tanks, combat ships, missile defense systems, radar and communications and cyber security technology.

Trump will spend much of Saturday meeting with King Salman and other members of the royal family, culminating with a banquet dinner at the Murabba Palace.

He and First Lady Melania Trump were seen boarding Air Force One on Friday afternoon at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland

The president, the first lady, Chief of staff Reince Priebus, Jared Kushner, and Trump's eldest daughter, Ivanka, left the White House aboard Marine One just before 2pm Eastern

The President waves goodbye, hopefully to leave the turmoil of the last week behind as he leaves for his first foreign trip

The President and Vice President share some last words as Pence gets set to say farewell to the departing leader

The president, the first lady Melania Trump and Vice President Pence left the White House aboard Marine One just before 2pm Eastern

The first couple will spend 12 hours in the air on their overnight flight to Saudi Arabia

On Sunday, he'll hold meetings with more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders heading converging on Riyadh for a regional summit focused largely on combating the Islamic State and other extremist groups.

Trump dodged one potential land mine when Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who has been indicted on war crime and genocide charges, announced that he would not attend the summit for personal reasons.

The centerpiece of Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia will be a speech Sunday at the Arab-Islamic-American summit.

White House aides view the address as a counter to Obama's 2009 speech to the Muslim world, which Trump advisers view as too apologetic for U.S. actions in the region.
The 90-year-old owner of a Sydney Redfern terrace who was forced to re-paint after the council didn't like the colour blue has been hospitalised.

Charles Abdullah has owned the Douglas Street property since 1955 and was told he needed to re-paint his home because its striking blue hue 'did not comply with the council's colour scheme'.

'It's gotten that bad that my poor old father, who is 90 years of age, has ended up in The Prince of Wales Hospital and he has had to undergo open heart surgery,' his son Mick told 7news.

Scroll down for video

Charles Abdullah (pictured) has been hospitalised and underwent open heart surgery at the Prince of Wales Hospital

Mr Abdullah eventually caved in to the council's repeated requests and his bright blue home was downgraded to an olive-green colour.

The re-paint job cost the pensioner thousands of dollars and the once eye-catching terrace now blends in with the rest of the street.

The council's constant hounding took a toll on the elderly home owner's health and he has been hospitalised with serious heart problems.

Mick said his father is still baffled the council went to such extreme lengths to change the colour of his quaint home.

90-year-old Charles Abdullah sits in front of his Redfern home following the council's 'insane' decision to order the pensioner to re-paint the exterior a different colour

Mick Abdullah (pictured) said he couldn't believe the council would hound a 90-year-old over the colour of his home

Mr Abdullah's bright blue terrace house is within a Heritage Conservation Area and therefore is subject to regulations on the colour of its exterior

'There are larger problems than the colour of the house... you've got graffiti on the walls and rubbish on the street,' he said.

Mr Abdullah and his son were overwhelmed by the community support and the amount of people backing him on social media.

But it wasn't enough to stop the council closing in on the embattled property owner after threats of a hefty fine and even a court date.

The house on Douglas Street, Redfern supposedly didn't comply with the council's strict colour schemes

The pensioner discussed potential colours for his house with son, Michael, as they reluctantly planned to abide by the council's orders
The main suspect in the murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher is living in a five-bedroom house in Berkshire, it has been revealed.

Saleh Ibrahim Mabrouk had been arrested in November 2015 on suspicion of conspiracy to murder PC Fletcher, who was shot outside the Libyan Embassy in 1984.

He had spent the past 18 months on bail but was released on Tuesday.

Scotland Yard said they know who is responsible for her murder, but any prosecution has been blocked by the Home Office on grounds of 'national security'.

Saleh Ibrahim Mabrouk spent the past 18 months on bail but was released on Tuesday

Mr Mabrouk was spotted yesterday chatting and joking with neighbours outside his house, located in a cul-de-sac close to Reading town centre.

He purchased the house in cash for 385,000 in 2009, despite being under police investigation.

Land Registry documents show it was bought without a mortgage.

The house, which he lives in with wife Kamila Otman, 48, and their children, is now worth around 600,000, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Mr Mabrouk purchased the house (pictured, left) in cash for 385,000 in 2009, despite being under police investigation

PC Fletcher was killed as she policed a demonstration outside the Libyan embassy in St James's Square on April 17 1984.

Mr Mabrouk, a senior member at the Libyan embassy at the time, was arrested in connection with PC Fletcher's death.

He was expelled from Britain afterwards, only to be allowed back in 2000 after Britain resumed diplomatic relations with Libya.

Mabrouk was later officially granted asylum in the UK in 2012, five years after the evidence review around the case.

The oil expert, once a high-ranking member of Gaddafi's Revolutionary Committees, settled in Berkshire after fleeing Tripoli when Gaddafi fell.

On Thursday one of his sons said his father was too tired to talk

He said: 'He's been in legal meetings and he's very tired. He can't talk now. I'm sorry.'

In 2015, Mabrouk, his wife and son were also arrested on suspicion of money laundering amid claims he left Tripoli with tens of millions in state funds.

PC Fletcher was killed as she policed a demonstration outside the Libyan embassy in St James's Square on April 17 1984

In a further twist, senior police sources told the Daily Telegraph the case against him was dropped after approval from Downing Street.

A separate Whitehall source said that although senior ministers did nothing to stop it, they weren't involved in shutting it down.

Mr Mabrouk's lawyer has previously claimed his client was reassured by civil servants that he was not a suspect in 2002 when Tony Blair was pursing closer ties with Gaddafi.

His barrister Stephen Kamlish, QC, said: 'He got a letter from the Foreign Office saying: "you are not a suspect".

'I believe he received that in about 2002. It is a letter from a senior civil servant.'

It is understood that a dossier of evidence into the death of the officer, pictured, was blocked at ministerial level by the Home Office

The dropping of the investigation has sparked fury from within the police force.

Sir Paul Stephenson, who was Met Commissioner from 2009 to 2011, said: 'It doesn't feel right that we gave this man asylum.

'It is puzzling and concerning.'

He told the Telegraph: 'If it is the case he was granted asylum then based on the rules as I understand them it is very puzzling. It adds to the argument that a full explanation is required for why the case was dropped.'

Former Scotland Yard officer John Murray, who was with WPC Fletcher when she died, said: 'I am convinced some kind of amnesty was given to Mabrouk. We need to know what is so important to national security that the chief suspect in the murder of a police officer cannot be prosecuted.'

The Home Office said it could not comment on a 'national security issue'.
Chilling CCTV has shown the moment armed robbers terrorised Lidl supermarket staff - before fleeing with cash in a shopping trolley.

Tobias Morton, 35, and 36-year-old Dan Anderson were jailed for a total of 41 years on Thursday after their gang carried out nine raids in just three months.

West Midlands Police has released CCTV footage showing the Birmingham robbers and another masked raider raiding the Lidl store in Leicester.

In CCTV footage the three robbers are seen running through the empty store, pushing a trolley full of cash to their getaway car

The armed robbery was one of two raids that took place at Lidl stores on March 9 in 2015, the start of a crimewave

West Midlands Police has released CCTV footage showing the Birmingham robbers and another masked raider raiding the Lidl store in Leicester

Birmingham Crown Court heard the pair were part of a gang which struck at mainly Lidl and Aldi stores at closing time

The armed robbery was one of two raids that took place at Lidl stores on March 9 in 2015.

Footage shows three masked thugs - including one brandishing a sawn-off shotgun - walking into one of the supermarkets and ordering terrified staff into a backroom.

Money is then taken from the safe and put into bags, which are then placed in a shopping trolley.

The three robbers are then seen running through the empty store, pushing the trolley to their getaway car.

Ringleader Morton and Anderson, a distant cousin, were eventually caught after an iPhone was recovered from their getaway car as they were in a store, carrying out another raid.

The gang of armed robbers used a sawn-off shotgun to threaten staff at the store

Footage shows three masked thugs walking into one of the supermarkets and ordering terrified staff into a backroom

Painstaking police work identified two cars used in the raids and linked them to both men who were arrested and charged

Birmingham Crown Court heard the pair were part of a gang which struck at mainly Lidl and Aldi stores at closing time.

The masked and armed raiders carried out multiple armed robberies across Birmingham and Leicestershire in just 12 weeks, stealing in excess of 44,000.

But the cousins were finally caught after one brave victim snatched an iPhone from their getaway car as they carried out a robbery.

Detectives from West Midlands Police quickly identified Morton as the phone owner and then linked him to Anderson through mobile data analysis.

After further painstaking police work, officers were able to identify two cars used in the raids and linked them to both men who were arrested and charged.

Morton, from Great Barr, was jailed for 23 years after he admitted seven charges of robbery.

The dad-of-three had only recently been released from a lengthy sentence for two armed robberies when the crimewave began.

The cousins were finally caught after one brave victim snatched an iPhone from their getaway car as they carried out a robbery

Both Anderson and Morton gave no comment police interviews, but eventually pleaded guilty after seeing the overwhelming evidence against them gathered by detectives

He will spend 19 years in custody with an extended licence of four years.

Anderson, from Moseley, was jailed for 18 years - 14 years behind bars and four years on licence after admitting eight robberies.

Both men had lengthy previous convictions. Morton had 17 convictions, involving 35 offences.

In February 2000, he was jailed for two years for two robberies and in October 2006 he was sentenced for possession of a weapon.

In July 2007 he was jailed for robbery, while in February 2008 he received an indeterminate sentence for robbery.

Anderson's criminal history involved 17 separate convictions and 45 offences.

They included a prison sentence imposed in February 1998 for robbery and kidnap charges.

Detective Sergeant Glenn Marriott was the senior investigating officer in the case and said the iPhone recovery was a key breakthrough.

He said: 'They were organised and left no forensics in the early raids - but they had to be lucky.

'Yet they got greedy and it was greed that got them in the end. They left clues - and we only need one clue and the net closes in.'

Both Anderson and Morton gave no comment police interviews, but eventually pleaded guilty after seeing the overwhelming evidence against them gathered by detectives.

DS Marriott said: 'The evidence was compelling. They sought legal advice and eventually pleaded guilty. No similar offences have been committed since their arrests.'

The terror brought to victims can be seen in chilling CCTV from a number of the raids.
Terminally ill patients in Germany could soon be able to apply for poison to end their lives after a landmark ruling.

If approved, decisions are set to be made on a case-by-case basis after a court in Leipzig ruled the state could not deny access to deadly drugs in extreme cases, Pharmazeuitsche Zeitung reports.

Judges felt prescribing the deadly drug Natrium Pentrobarbitone was a fair way of ending pain.

Judges felt prescribing the deadly drug Natrium Pentrobarbitone was a fair way of ending pain

The country's Ministry of Health is examining the proposals, but use of the drug for assisted suicide is likely to require the approval of Parliament.

The proposal would see Germany's Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) deciding if individual patients should be allowed the poison.

A strict set of criteria requires patients to be in an extreme state of distress and suffering from an incurable disease with 'severe bodily suffering and especially strong pain'.

But experts have slammed the ruling saying the definition is vague in some respects, such as what is considered a serious incurable disease in law.

A strict set of criteria requires patients to be in an extreme state of distress and suffering from an incurable disease with 'severe bodily suffering and especially strong pain'

Eugen Brysch from the German Foundation for Patient Protection says: 'This is practically and ethically irresponsible. The Institute has to decide between life and death on undefined legal terms.'

Judges ruled that turning off life support machines is a 'appropriate alternative' and using the drug in Germany is preferable to pointing patients in the direction of assisted suicide abroad.

Germany's current law on narcotics states that drugs such as Natrium pentobarbitone can only be used as a therapy so despite the approval in court, the approval of the drug for suicide may still need to go through parliament.

The Ministry of Health stated that they will carefully examine the courts reasoning behind the verdict.
A man who robbed a Melbourne milk bar pointed his gun at a customer that came into the shop while he was holding it up.

The balaclava-clad, overweight robber with an Australian accent charged into the St Kilda East milk bar on Saturday around 9am.

Police say the man threatened the store's owner with a sawn-off shotgun which he pointed at the shopkeeper and later, a woman who opened the door while the incident was taking place.

Scroll down for video

The man (pictured) was armed with a sawn-off shotgun has robbed a Melbourne store

As the customer opened the door the robber raises his weapon at the unsuspecting shopper, who then backtracks and doesn't enter the shop.

The thief then exited the shop to a Mercedes Viano van with tape over the registration plates that was waiting for him.

The culprit made off with cigarettes and cash.

Police are now looking for the man who is estimated to be 185 centimetres tall, of solid build and speaks with an Australian accent.

The balaclava-clad man charged into the St Kilda East milk bar Saturday morning at 9am

He wore a grey hoddie and a black cover over his face.

A witness was able to capture an image of the van allegedly used to escape the scene.
Labor senator Sam Dastyari has launched an attack on Pauline Hanson, saying she has had a role in supporting the rise of extremism.

Senator Dastyari accused the One Nation leader of 'facilitating the groundwork' for extremists in Australia.

'She cleverly keeps one step away while facilitating the groundwork for some of the most awful, despicable, hatemongers Australia has seen,' he said according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

'She validates them, she empowers them and she does all of this with her eyes open.'

Labor senator Sam Dastyari (pictured) has launched an attack on Pauline Hanson, saying she has had a role in supporting the rise of extremism

Senator Dastyari accused One Nation leader Pauline Hanson (pictured) of 'facilitating the groundwork' for extremists in Australia

Senator Dastyari said Senator Hanson is not an extremist herself, but her 'dance partners' on the Right of politics are.

The two famously squared off on ABC's Q&A last year, when Senator Hanson probed Senator Dastyari - who considers himself a non-practising Muslim - over his faith.

The Labor senator also hit out at his own party's side of politics, saying intellectuals on the Left ignore acts in the name of religion if they go against 'our values'.

Senator Dastyari called out for both sides of politics to unite in a bid to combat rising extremism in the nation.

The two famously squared off on ABC's Q&A last year, when Senator Hanson probed Senator Dastyari over his faith

Senator Dastyari said national conversation needs to shift from focusing on what people believe in, to how people practice those beliefs

He said national conversation needs to shift from focusing on what people believe in, to how people practice those beliefs.

'To combat the real danger that is out there, extremism, in all its forms, we need to reach out to everybody,' he said, according to Sydney Morning Herald.

'What matters is not what you believe, but how extreme you are in the pursuit of those beliefs.

'The enemy is not Islam, just as it is not nationalism. The enemy is extremism.'
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 20

Trend:

Chinas ZTE Corporation, a multinational telecommunications equipment and systems company, has closed its representative office in Azerbaijan, a source in the countrys telecommunications market told Trend.

Coordination of work on projects in Azerbaijan will be temporarily held by the corporations representative in Georgia, the source said.

The activity of ZTEs representative office in Azerbaijan has been temporarily suspended and it is impossible to say exactly when the office will resume its activities, however, this issue is still under discussion, the source said.

ZTEs representative office in Azerbaijan has been operating since 2005.
This is the heartwarming moment emergency workers from drowning after the animals suddenly found themselves in deep water after a river burst its banks.

The fields where the animals normally graze were transformed into a huge lake near the town of Ishim in south-central Russia.

Dozens of horses suddenly found themselves up their necks in fast-flowing water and it was clear that some were in trouble.

The horses were left dangerously submerged up to their necks in fast-flowing water

The fields where the animals normally graze were transformed into a huge lake by the flooding

The spectacular rescue was caught on camera by astonished onlookers

Local residents tried to step in to help but soon found themselves struggling to cope with the extreme conditions and called emergency services.

Rescuers quickly arrived on the scene and waded in to herd most of the horses to the nearest safe point on dry land.

They then went out into the water again in dinghies to round up the stragglers and guide them to safety.

The rescue was caught on camera by eyewitnesses and the footage has been watched across the globe.

Rescuers quickly arrived on the scene and waded in to herd most of the horses to dry land

It comes after the river burst its banks leaving more than 100 local houses flooded with 420 people, including 107 children, evacuated

Viewer Bel Mar said: 'Thank you people with hearts. Thank you for saving the horsies.'

Anna Nimma added: 'Well done guys. You do a really good job keeping everybody safe.'

The river burst its banks after heavy rains which left more than 100 local houses flooded with 420 people, including 107 children, evacuated.

Most of those affected were able to stay with nearby relatives with the rest being provided with temporary accommodation.

Local authorities are providing all the affected villages with food and medication.
Horrifying experiments are being carried out on ISIS prisoners as the terror group tries to develop Chemical Weapons, documents reveal.

Iraqi special forces have uncovered details of the use of human 'guinea pigs' - who died during testing - after Mosul University was recaptured from jihadists.

Papers seen by The Times show terrorists have been using easily-obtainable pesticides to develop chemical weapons in experiments likened to Nazi research.

Iraqi special forces have uncovered details of the use of human 'guinea pigs' - who died during testing - after Mosul University (pictured) was recaptured from jihadists

The University was the scene of fierce fighting between Iraqi special forces and ISIS when it was captured in January

The documents have been found inside the University of Mosul, detailing cruel experiments on prisoners

The papers were found in the university in Mosul, which was recaptured from ISIS earlier this year after fierce fighting

It comes after it emerged ISIS has recruited weapons experts from around the world and shifted its research operation to Syria.

British and US intelligence services, which have verified the documents, fear the weapons could be used on targets in the West.

Shocking details of the cruel experiments reveal that one man, who died after 10 days, was fed thallium sulphate, which caused severe swelling to his stomach and brain.

Thallium sulphate is a highly poisonous agent which has been used as rat poison.

In a second documented experiment, a nicotine agent was injected into a man held captive by ISIS, and he died within two hours, The Times reports.

Chemical weapons experts working for ISIS have fled Raqqa and Mosul to set up in Al Qaim

ISIS fighters, pictured, are said to be fleeing Mosul and Raqqa for a stretch of land south of the Euphrates River

Chemical weapons expert Hamish de Bretton-Gordon told the newspaper: 'This is a horrifying throwback to the Nazis who would test nerve gas agents on humans.'

The university was recaptured in January, having been used by jihadists for chemical weapons testing for three years.

Since the city was recaptured, ISIS has moved its research operation to Syria.

This week it emerged that a cell is working on its chemical arsenal within the Euphrates River Valley.

Mosul University was abandoned by ISIS during fierce fighting as Iraqi special forces took control of the facility

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ISIS leader, is said to have made his way to the area and is in hiding

A source in the US defence department said thousands of ISIS terrorists have converged in the area, which is where the group's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is said to be hiding.

The production faction is made up of chemistry experts from across Iraq and Syria, who have been brought together for the first time, an official told CNN.

With so many of its strongholds under huge pressure from coalition forces, the move is said to be a tactical switch to boost its ability to defend those areas.

US authorities monitoring the area said they have observed a growing number of ISIS chiefs abandoning Raqqa for the stretch of land south of the Euphrates River.

'We know they have been moving a lot of their leadership out of Raqqa and we suspect much of their technical expertise and planning as well,' US Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway, a Pentagon spokesman, told CNN.

Colonel Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the US-led military coalition, told the site that ISIS have used what he called low-grade chemical agents in the past.

'We know ISIS is willing to use chemical weapons. This is not something we want to see them get good at,' he said.

The officials' conclusions are backed by the fact there have been more than 15 chemical weapon attacks since April 14 in or around Mosul.


The Tories today accused Jeremy Corbyn of waging a 'scare campaign' to cow voters into backing him.

They hit back after the Labour leader accused Theresa May of trying to 'pitch the young against the old' in her manifesto.

Speaking at a rally in Birmingham, he said the PM was sewing division by limiting pensioner benefits such as the triple lock and universal winter fuel allowance.

The Labour leader accused the Conservatives of trying to 'pitch young against old'

But the Conservatives said only Mrs May can be trusted to stand up to Brussels and get Britain the Brexit deal needed to protect the public purse.

And they urged Britons not to gamble over the crucial negotiations by backing Mr Corbyn in a protest vote.

A party spokesman said: 'The biggest threat to every generation in this country is getting Brexit wrong.

'Get Brexit wrong and we get everything wrong  from looking after our elderly to paying for our children's education.

'Our nation's economic security and our standing in the world depends on getting the Brexit negotiations right.

'If anyone is thinking about lodging a protest vote because of Jeremy Corbyn's scare campaign, here's the thing that's genuinely terrifying.

'If Theresa May loses just six seats then we will have a hung Parliament with Jeremy Corbyn as our Prime Minister, in charge of Brexit and propped up by the Lib Dems and SNP.'

He urged voters not to gamble over Brexit by voting Mr Corbyn into Downing Street.

The Labour leader described the Conservative manifesto as a 'typical nasty party attempt to set generations against each other'

Mrs May has announced she will introduce means-testing for the winter fuel allowance and reduce the pensions triple local to a double lock - guaranteeing that pensions will increase, but limiting the bill.

The policies were unveiled in the PM's tough love manifesto in which she vowed not to duck the tough choices that lie ahead.

She contrasted her plan with Mr Corbyn's proposals to sting Britain with a 50billion tax bombshell to bankroll his spending splurge.

Mr Corbyn - who backs giving the winter fuel allowance to millionaires - said the manifesto is typical of a 'nasty party'.

A Labour supporter looks in high spirits as he prepared to listen to Corbyn's speech today

He said: 'Where the Tories look to divide, Labour seeks to bring people together.

'The Tories are now trying to pitch the young against the old. Their manifesto is a typical nasty party attempt to set generations against each other.

'For pensioners they offer a triple whammy of misery, ending the triple lock which protects pensioner incomes, means-testing the winter fuel allowance and slapping a 'dementia tax' on those who need social care by making them pay for it with their homes.

'Some claim that cutting support for the elderly is necessary to give more help to the young. But young people are being offered no hope by the Tories either - loaded up with tuition fee debts and next to no chance of a home of their own.

'Labour stands for unity across all ages and regions. It is simply wrong to claim that young people can only be given a fair deal at the expense of the old, or vice versa. We all depend on each other.

'That's why we are calling on the Tories to drop their anti-pensioner package immediately - older people should not be used as a political football.'

Jeremy Corbyn has arrived in Birmingham as the party hosts a major rally in the city

There was a raucous atmosphere in Birmingham's International Convention Centre, where Mr Corbyn was welcomed by loud chants of 'Jezza, Jezza'.

One supporter shouted 'get them out' and 'evil scum' when the Tories were mentioned. But most of the 2,000 or so present focused their efforts on showing their support for the speakers.

There were loud cheers when shadow chancellor John McDonnell pointed out that Labour's manifesto is fully costed, unlike the Conservative document which was published without costings.

McDonnell issued a desperate plea to voters to back the party - by quoting Latin.

He has described himself as a Marxist and railed against private schools.

But he used Latin - an elite language which the vast majority of Britons don't understand - to issue his rallying call.

Speaking at a Labour campaign rally in Birmingham, he urged voters to 'carpe diem' - Latin for 'seize the day'.

He said: 'It's all to play for, let's get out there and win this election.

'Carpe diem, lets seize this opportunity, let's win this election.'

Corbyn's visit to Birmingham comes after it was claimed MI5 opened a file on him over his links to the IRA.

The Labour leader was allegedly investigated 25 years ago because he was seen as a potential threat to national security.

At the time he had links with convicted terrorists and was campaigning for a united Ireland.
Britain's biggest family are expecting another child, adding a boy to their 19-strong brood who all share a ten-bedroom house - which only has one bath.

Sue and Noel Radford, from Morecombe, Lancashire, describe bathing the youngsters as 'like a sheep dip' which requires 'gallons' of shampoo.

Other daily tasks include ploughing through seven loads of washing and preparing dinners requiring up to 60 sausages, 30 chicken thighs and 6.5 pounds of potatoes.

Sue and Noel Radford, from Morecombe, Lancashire, describe bathing the youngsters as 'like a sheep dip' which requires 'gallons' of shampoo. They are expecting their 20th child in September

The baby will now join Phoebe, one, Chris, 27, Sophie, 22, Chloe, 21, Jack, 19, Daniel, 17, Luke, 15, Millie, 14, Katie, 13, James, 12, Ellie, 11, Aimee, ten, Josh, nine, Max, seven, Tillie, six, Oscar, four, Casper, three and toddler Hallie (pictured, in 2016)

The couple, who own their 240,000 home and do not claim state handouts beside child benefits, are expecting a boy in September - but insist it will be their last.

Despite planning to only have three children, they stay fairly stress-free by adopting a methodical approach to everyday chores.

Mr Radford, 46, owner of Radford's Pie Company, told The Sun's Kate Jackson: 'Bathing the little ones is like having a sheep dip. We go through gallons of shampoo.'

Bathtime at home begins around 6pm and while the younger ones will be washed and in bed by about 7pm, the older ones stay up until 9pm.

Perhaps the biggest challenge of the year is Christmas, with Mrs Radford, 42, starting buying presents in September.

For the meal last year they bought three turkeys, eight pounds of potatoes, 56 Yorkshire puddings, which they served up with a 'conveyor belt' system.

The Radfords revealed that they were expecting a new addition to their mammoth family by posting an ultrasound on social media

The couple, who had their last baby, daughter, Phoebe in July last year, also shared this picture of a chalkboard announcing Mrs Radford's due date

The eldest two Radfords, Chris, a window fitter, and Sophie, both 23, have both flown the nest.

Back home is Chloe, 21, Jack, 20, Daniel, 18, Luke, 16, Millie, 15, Katie, 14, James, 13, Ellie, 12, Aimee, 11, Josh, nine, Max, eight, Tillie, seven, Oscar, five, Casper, four, Hallie, 23 months, and ten-month-old Phoebe.

The family rose to fame on Channel 4 documentary 16 Kids and Counting, which aired in 2013.

After falling pregnant with their first child when Mrs Radford was just 14, the couple decided to keep the baby as they were both given up for adoption at birth.
Pope Francis paid a surprise visit to a poor Roman neighbourhood where he blessed dozens of homes.

Heartwarming photos showed the happiness etched on the faces of those who opened the door to the Argentinian pontiff in Ostia, an impoverished suburb of the Italian capital.

The Vatican said Francis, 80, wanted to show his 'closeness to the families living on the peripheries of Rome'.

Pope Francis paid a surprise visit to the poor town of Ostia, in the suburbs of capital Rome

Heartwarming photos showed the happiness etched on the faces of those who opened the door to the Argentinian pontiff

The Vatican said Francis, 80, wanted to show his 'closeness to the families living on the peripheries of Rome'

In a statement, they said: 'He decided to bless their houses one-by-one, as the pastor does every year during the Easter season.'

Father Plinio Poncina, pastor at Stella Maris, one of Ostia's six parishes, posted signs informing families that he would be visiting them for an annual Easter blessing, the Catholic News Agency reported.

This blessing usually only lasts moments and consists of a priest walking through homes sprinkling holy water and leading the family in prayer.

He said it must have been a 'great surprise today when, as the bell rang, instead of the pastor the inhabitants saw Pope Francis'.

The Vatican said the Pope met with around dozen families inside the Piazza Francesco Conteduca complex and left each of them a rosary.

Local priest Father Plinio Poncina posted signs in Ostia informing families that he would be visiting them for an annual Easter blessing

Father Poncina said it must have been a 'great surprise today when, as the bell rang, instead of the pastor the inhabitants saw Pope Francis'

The Vatican said the Pope met with around dozen families inside the Piazza Francesco Conteduca complex and left each of them a rosary

Francis, who has built a reputation as a liberal and approachable pontiff, jokingly apologised to some families for the unexpected disturbance.

His trip to the 'lively community' of Ostia, home to 100,000, marks the second 'Mercy Friday' visit he has made since the close of the Jubilee of Mercy in November.

In March, he visited the St Alessio-Margherita di Savoia Regional Center for the blind in Rome.

Pope Francis kicked off his monthly works of mercy in January 2016 by visiting a retirement home for the elderly, sick, and those in a vegetative state.

A month later traveled to a center for those recovering from drug addiction in Castel Gandolfo.

Other visits throughout the year included refugees, children, formerly sex-trafficked women, former priests, infants, and the terminally ill.

His trip to the 'lively community' of Ostia, home to 100,000, marks the second 'Mercy Friday' visit he has made since the close of the Jubilee of Mercy in November

Pope Francis kicked off his monthly works of mercy in January 2016 by visiting a retirement home for the elderly
Four men from the depraved Rochdale child sex abuse gang are continuing to fight against extradition to Pakistan - five years after they were ordered to leave the country.

Ringleader Shabir Ahmed, 64, along with Adil Khan, Qari Abdul Rauf and Abdul Aziz are taking their case to the Court of Appeal to avoid being booted out of the UK.

Their cases are being funded by the taxpayer through the Legal Aid fund.

Shabir Ahmed, the ringleader of the Rochdale sex gang, who was played by Simon Nagra in the BBC drama Three Girls (right), is fighting plans to deport him to Pakistan

Their trial at Liverpool Crown Court heard five girls - aged between 13 and 15 - were plied with alcohol, food and money in return for sex and subjected to violence.

The story of the sickening abuse was turned into a TV drama, Three Girls, shown on the BBC this week.

Ahmed, a Pakistani who acquired British citizenship by naturalisation is serving a 22-year jail sentence after being convicted of a string of offences including rape in 2012.

As well as appealing against deportation Ahmed appealed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), claiming his convictions for child sex offences were a conspiracy by police and members of the jury to 'scapegoat' Muslims.

He told the court he was convicted by 'eleven white jurors', adding 'it's become fashionable to blame everything on Muslims these days.'

Judges in Strasbourg unanimously threw out his case, finding there was 'simply no proof' jurors acted improperly.

(Left to right) Adil Khan, Abdul Aziz and Qari Abdul Rauf are also fighting deportation

Three Girls, shown on the BBC this week in which actresses Liv Hil (left), Molly Windsor (centre) and Ria Zmitrowicz played victims Ruby, Holly and Amber

Of the nine men convicted over the scandal in 2012, only Shabir Ahmed, 64, who was caged for 22 years, and Mohammed Sajid, 40, who was jailed for 12 years, remain behind bars.

Adil Khan, 47, Abdul Rauf, 48, and Abdul Aziz, 46, have all been released on licence after going beyond the half-way point of their sentences.

Khan was convicted of two counts of engaging a child in sexual activity and one of trafficking a girl for sex within the UK.

Rauf was convicted of trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child, while Aziz was convicted of trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child.

Five years ago, it was ordered they be stripped of their British citizenship and returned to Pakistan.

Ahmed was jailed for 30 rapes after he and his gang groomed girls in Rochdale (pictured)

However they are still in the UK and have been granted permission to argue their publicly-funded case before the Court of Appeal.

Last week one of the gang's victims told how she 'just froze' when she came face-to-face with one of the abusers in Rochdale only a few weeks ago.

Speaking under the pseudonym Lily, the woman  who was groomed from the age of 11  told Good Morning Britain that she hadn't been taken seriously by the authorities.

She said: 'I actually bumped into one [of the abusers] in my hometown a few weeks ago. I just, I just froze. I was like, there's nothing I can do  I've brought it to court, he was sentenced and now he's out.'

A date for the hearing has not yet been set.

A Home Office spokesman said: 'All four men have been granted permission to appeal at the Court of Appeal.'

Mr Justice Bernard McCloskey McCloskey, Britain's most senior immigration judge, has previously criticised the men's solicitors, the Nottingham-based firm Burton and Burton, for 'frankly shameful' behaviour.

He said they had failed to submit the necessary papers to the court and had repeatedly asked for adjournments.

The case has raised fears that convicted criminals are adopting a strategy of timewasting and obstructing the courts to try and to put off any possible deportation from the UK as long as possible.

MPs have accused lawyers of making money by 'gaming the system' and using delaying tactics to spin out cases.
A former private school boy accused of raping a drunk teenage girl at a party has reportedly been granted a taxpayer funded overseas holiday to visit his parents.

The 15-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, is charged with aggravated sexual assault on the young girl a party in Bellevue Hill in Sydney's east on March 4.

Another 15-year-old is charged with filming the alleged assault and posting it online.

The court heard the government would cover the cost of the airfares for the boy to visit his parents under 'reunion' provisions, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

A 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a former student of The Cranbrook School (pictured) in Sydney's eastern suburbs after she passed out at a party

Teachers at the exclusive Cranbrook School, in Sydney's east, alerted police after learning mobile phone footage of the incident had been shared on Facebook.

The girl did not know she has been assaulted until she was told the next day, court documents revealed.

'The victim was intoxicated by alcohol and was not aware of the offence until she was informed by other people by text message the following day,' police allege.

The boy's father has a high ranking job with an Australian government department and works overseas, Bidura Children's Court heard on Thursday.

The court was shown texts between the boy and his parents that the prosecution argued demonstrated he would remain in the overseas country with his parents.

But the Crown agreed to alter the boys bail so he could visit his parents in the school holidays.

Under the boys bail conditions he cannot contact the victim or go with in 100 meters of the school she attends- Sydney Church of England Girls Grammar School in Darlinghurst.

The case will return to court in July.
Two Georgia teachers have been fired after giving an eighth grader with ADHD an award for the student 'Most Likely Not To Pay Attention'.

The 14-year-old girl was given the award at an assembly at Memorial Middle School in Conyers, about 25 miles east of Atlanta, this week.

The two teachers responsible for giving out the award were quickly sacked when Rockdale County Public Schools superintendent Richard Autry was made aware, WSB-TV reports.

The 14-year-old girl was given the award for 'Most Likely Not To Pay Attention' at an assembly at Memorial Middle School in Conyers, about 25 miles east of Atlanta, this week

The teenager was given the star-shaped trophy, with the plaque reading Most Likely Not To Pay Attention, as part of the school's spirit week celebrations.

Her mother, Nicole Edwards, said she was outraged after finding out her daughter was being bullied by her teachers.

'My goal is to make sure that this horrible event never happens to another kid again,' Ms Edwards said in a statement.

'As a parent, it is my job to protect my child from being humiliated and bullied, especially when the bully is her teacher.

The two teachers at Memorial Middle School in Conyers, about 25 miles east of Atlanta, were fired this week after handing out the award

'Making fun of any disability is not acceptable.'

She added that her family thanked the superintendent for taking immediate action.

School officials said the two teachers would not be returning to Memorial Middle School, or any other Rockdale public school.

Cindy Ball from the school board said: 'RCPS will neither condone nor tolerate any activities or insensitive behavior that may cause embarrassment or humiliation to our children.'
A migrant thought to be trying to get to Britain has been found burnt to death in Cannes - close to where celebrities were promoting their films about Europe's refugee crisis in the French Riviera resort.

The 'almost unrecognisable body' of the unidentified 30-year-old man was found hidden in a rooftop electrical unit of a train at Cannes La Bocca station just after 10pm last night.

Three other men ran away after a technician with SNCF, France's national railway, heard noises in the compartment and opened it.

The man's body was found close to Cannes La Bocca station shortly after 10pm last night

Many of the migrants who arrive in Italy are Africans who have paid thousands to people smugglers after being promised a new life in Europe

'All were migrants who had boarded at Ventimiglia in Italy,' said a source close to the case. 'The victim had been electrocuted while trying to remain hidden. Cause of death was cardiac arrest.

'It is common for migrants to board trains at Ventimiglia as they try to make their way to northern France, and then on to Britain.'

Many of the migrants who arrive in Italy are Africans who have paid thousands to people smugglers after being promised a new life in Europe.

They get across the Mediterranean in often hugely dangerous boats, and then continue their journeys alone.

The evening before the latest tragedy, British star Vanessa Redgrave was on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival after launching her documentary about immigrants called 'Sea Sorrow'.

It focuses on refugee camps in northern France, many of which are full of desperate young men prepared to take enormous risks to get to England.

The tragedy happened close to the site of the Cannes Film Festival, just hours after a documentary by Vanessa Redgrave (centre) about the refugee crisis was screened

Last Sunday another migrant was found with severely burnt legs in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, close to France's border with Italy, after climbing on a train roof at Ventimiglia.

In all there have been 12 migrant deaths in the area since 2016, with human rights group saying they have increased as border controls tighten.

Beyond being electrocuted on trains, migrants have also been killed on busy roads after trying to get aboard lorries.

Ms Redgrave, the Oscar winning 80-year-old actor turned director, said she wanted Sea Sorrow to highlight the 'horrifying deaths of so many people who shouldn't have ever had to get into these dreadful boats to try and get to safety.'

In an interview in Cannes this week, Ms Redgrave said: 'I hold our European government-and my own government-to blame.'

Other films focusing on migrants from war-torn countries at a highly political Cannes this year include 'Jupiter's Moon', by the Hungarian director Kornel Mundruczo.

It includes a scene in which a Syrian refugee is shot repeatedly by a policeman dealing with new arrivals.
A video showcasing a distressing moment a 66-year-old taxi driver was attacked by three young boys has police on the hunt for the trio.

Authorities say the three youngsters were attempting to dodge their $6.50 cab fare when they attacked the Gold Coast driver.

One young man was seen landing a punch to the driver's face, while another kicked him in the stomach.

Scroll down for video

The taxi driver (pictured left) was attacked by three young boys (right) trying to dodge a $6.50 taxi fare

The driver had been attempting to recover the money owed from the trio

The cab driver chased after the boys, demanding they settle their bill at 8:30am on Friday morning in an Ashmore Shopping Centre car park.



A Gold Coast Cabs representative told 7News the industry doesn't support drivers trying to remedy confrontations on their own.

'Obviously we don't encourage our drivers to take matters into their own hands but all of our vehicles are fitted with safety equipment, they have duress buttons, we've got security cameras fitted,' he said

One man landed a punch to the drivers face, another kicked him in the stomach

Police are now attempting to track down the trio and are reviewing the footage from the camera inside the taxi.

Anyone with any information is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 20

By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

While unconfirmed reports suggest that Iranian incumbent President Hassan Rouhani has defeated his conservative rival Ebrahim Raeisi, the countrys Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarid has tweeted urging respect for his countrymen.

The latest announcement by the countys Interior Ministry said that with 25 million ballots certified by the authorities so far, Rouhani got 14.619 million votes and Raisi gained 10.125 million votes.

According to the official announcement, 40 million votes had been cast, indicating a turnout of about 70 percent.

However, an official on condition of anonymity has told Reuters that the pragmatist Rouhani secured 21.6 million votes in Friday's election, compared to 14 million for Raeisi, with 37 million votes counted.

In the meantime, Mostafa Hashemitaba, a pro-reform candidate, has congratulated Rouhani on his possible win.

The 68 year-old president has promised to improve the countrys economic situation through opening Iran to the world. He has also pledged to give Iranians more freedom.
The victim of an alleged cowardly one-punch attack has died in hospital following the assault outside of a Melbourne nightclub.

Jaiden Walker lost his fight for life in the ICU a week after he was allegedly punched by an acquaintance outside of Cherry Bar in the CBD on May 6.

The 22-year-old was collapsed to the ground after his accused attacker Richard Vincec, 26, allegedly lashed out at him when he refused to shake his hand.

Jaiden Walker (pictured) died in hospital a week after he was allegedly punched by a 26-year-old man

Witnesses to Jaiden's fall claim his head made a 'deafening cracking sound' as it hit the pavement outside of the popular nightclub, The Herald Sun reports.

Mr Vincec was initially charged with assault but it was upgraded to manslaughter after Jaiden died.

Jaiden's heartbroken friends and family farewelled him at his funeral on Saturday, as his parents remembered him as a 'gentleman' with big dreams.

His father Jon Walker said he had no idea just how grave his son's injuries were when he arrived at the hospital hours after the attack.

'We thought we'd just go in, clean him up and take him home. We were wrong,' said Mr Walker.

'For the next four horrible days we sat with our lifeless little boy, holding his hand, waiting for him to wake up. But he never did.'

Jaiden's (pictured) heartbroken friends and family farewelled him at his funeral on Saturday, as his parents remembered him as a 'gentleman' with big dreams

Witnesses to Jaiden's fall claim his head made a 'deafening cracking sound' as it hit the pavement outside of the popular nightclub Cherry Bar (pictured)

His alleged killer is claimed to have shoved Jaiden in the chest before punching him on the right side of his face.

The father-of-three's punch 'immediately rendered Jaiden unconscious', the court heard.

Mr Vincec's partner of 10 years and mother to his three children, Jessica, gave evidence in support of his bail application.

She said if her partner was not granted bail, she would have to move to her grandmother's house and wouldn't be able to take her children to day care.

She said in the past, Mr Vincec had fought with her ex-boyfriend and threatened him, but had 'become a different person'.

'He does everything he can to provide us with whatever we need,' she told the court.

He has been charged with manslaughter, intentionally causing serious injury, recklessly causing serious injury and possession of drugs.
A New York enclave where Nazi sympathizers once proudly marched in streets named after Hitler is being forced to end policies that limit ownership of homes to people of German descent.

The German American Settlement League, which once welcomed tens of thousands in the 1930s to pro-Nazi marches at Camp Siegfried on eastern Long Island, has now settled an anti-discrimination case brought by New York state.

The settlement calls for a change in the league's leadership and adherence to all state and federal housing laws. It was sparked when two former residents brought a lawsuit against the league last year, claiming its policies hindered their attempts to sell their homes.

The tiny community of about 40 homes is a small part of the rural hamlet of Yaphank. The homes, which stretch down a narrow street called Private Road, are a combination of small bungalows and larger suburban-type ranches.

This is one of the 40 homes in a tiny community run by the German American Settlement League in Yaphank, New York. The league is now being forced to end policies that limit ownership of homes to people of German descent

The enclave in Long Island is where Nazi sympathizers once proudly marched in streets that were named after Adolf Hitler

Lawns are carefully landscaped and mailboxes - many with German surnames - sit street-side in the curbless enclave.

Historic news accounts recall a groundswell of Nazism in the enclave in the years before the start of World War II.

Camp Siegfried, where the homes stand today, was sponsored by the German-American Bund to promote Hitler, although many at the time also voraciously expressed loyalty to the United States.

Trains from New York City's Penn Station were often jammed with people who traveled 60 miles east to Yaphank. A New York Times story from August 1938 reported 40,000 people had attended the annual German Day festivities at Camp Siegfried.

Swastikas were commonplace, including on some of the homes in the enclave at the time, said Geri Solomon, archivist at Hofstra University.

'Some of the photos I have seen are kind of amazing,' Solomon said.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said the 2016 settlement of the federal lawsuit brought by the two former residents called for an end to discriminatory practices.

That settlement paid the former residents, who eventually did sell and moved out of state, $175,000.

Hundreds of German Americans give the Nazi salute to young men marching in Nazi uniforms. The event was a German Day celebration at Camp Sigfried on Long Island

The German American Settlement League once welcomed tens of thousands in the 1930s to pro-Nazi marches at Camp Siegfried on eastern Long Island

A large swastika is surrounded by a white picket fence at Camp Siegfried in New York in a picture taken in 1938

Despite that agreement, Schneiderman found the league 'continued to make new membership and property re-sale within the GASL community unreasonably difficult.'

The league owns the land on which the homes are situated and leases the property to homeowners. State investigators found that the league prohibited public advertisement of properties for sale.

Members seeking to sell their homes could only announce a listing in person at member meetings or through internal flyers and meeting minutes circulated to the existing membership.

Fred Stern, a member of the league's board and a 40-year resident, conceded that much of the real estate turnover through the years had taken place by word of mouth.

He said there was no need to advertise a sale because 'everybody knew when a house would become available.'

He blamed the complaints by the couple who brought the federal lawsuit on sour grapes, contending they had asked too much money for their home and that was the reason it didn't initially sell.

Nazi sympathizers pictured marching and carrying both US and Nazi flags during an outing from the nearby Camp Sigfried

Stern said homes in the community range in price from about $95,000 for a small bungalow to $300,000 or more.

An attorney for the couple involved in the 2016 settlement declined to comment on the attorney general's announcement.

Schneiderman's settlement with the league calls for the immediate replacement of the organization's leadership, and requires it to regularly report compliance.

An attorney representing the league did not return emails seeking comment.

Many residents in the tiny community declined to speak on the record, but those who did disputed their community is tainted by discrimination.

'There's a mixed bag; it's not like it was,' said Stern, who conceded the community was once primarily occupied by those of German descent.

'It's not like whatever they're saying. If you went to every house and asked people's nationality, it wouldn't be any different than any other neighborhood.'

Kaitlyn Webber told a television interviewer that her 'family's always been very open. We've never had any issues with anyone discriminating against anyone up here.'
People who share intimate images of others without their consent could face civil penalties as early as next year.

Revenge porn victim Robyn Night praised the Turnbull government for taking action against the growing phenomenon, saying she had nearly given up hope.

'It's good to see that it's still there in people's minds and people are still pushing for it,' Ms Night told the Sydney Morning Herald.

'I think that anybody that engages in [revenge porn] should actually do time [in jail] over it.

People who share intimate images of others without their consent could face civil penalties as early as next year. Revenge porn victim Robyn Night (pictured with husband River left) praised the Turnbull government for taking action against the growing phenomenon

The Federal Government is seeking public feedback on proposed civil penalties to target those engaged in revenge porn (stock image)

'It needs to be something serious so that people know that it is serious because it's going to happen more.'

The Federal Government is seeking public feedback on proposed civil penalties - including injunctions, infringement notices, formal warnings and take-down notices - to target those engaged in revenge porn.

Ms Night was the target of a brutal four-year revenge porn attack, in which her ex-boyfriend posted doctored pictures of her online, enticing 50 strangers to show up on her doorstep for sex.

Photographs of Ms Night were doctored to appear pornographic in nature and uploaded to fake profiles, where she was described as a 'no limits shame pig' who deserved 'extreme punishment'.

Ryan Kotynski, 42, was sentenced in the Brisbane District Court in February after pleading guilty to stalking Ms Night, and misusing her identity.

The ordeal led Ms Night to publicly advocate for national revenge porn laws, despite almost giving up before Saturday.

Ms Night (centre) and husband River leave the District Court in Brisbane. Ms Night was the target of a brutal four-year revenge porn attack, in which her ex-boyfriend posted doctored pictures of her online, enticing 50 strangers to show up on her doorstep for sex

Ryan Kotynski (pictured), 42, was sentenced in the Brisbane District Court in February after pleading guilty to stalking Ms Night, and misusing her identity

In a discussion paper released on Saturday, the government said the sharing of non-consensual images is of increasing concern globally.

Under its proposed changes, the eSafety Commissioner would be able to impose civil penalties and be given extra powers to investigate complaints, as is the case with cyberbullying.

A new online portal for reporting cases is also being created and will be launched in the second half of the year.

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield said strong and consistent regulation at a Commonwealth level is needed to hold perpetrators to account.

In the first instance, victims want the images taken down as quickly as possible, Minister for Women Michaelia Cash said.

Minister for Women Michaelia Cash said penalising revenge porn perpetrators and the sites which host this content would send a 'strong message that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated'

Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek (pictured) said her party's MPs had put forward private legislation to deal with the problem for years and there is 'no excuse' for another delay

'By also penalising perpetrators and the sites which host this content, we are sending a strong message that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated,' she said in the joint statement.

The government will be accepting submissions until June 30, with any legislation to be introduced by the end of the year.

State and territory governments on Friday also agreed to a national framework for working on new criminal penalties for the sharing of revenge porn.

Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek said her party's MPs had put forward private legislation to deal with the problem for years.

'We've seen parliamentary inquiries come and go and now the only action we have from the government is the announcement of another inquiry,' she told reporters in Sydney.

'It is very possible to take legislative action now if the government wished to do so. There's really no excuse for another delay.'
Ellie Taylor, 21, says she was accused of theft after a Morrisons worker failed to put her petrol through on the till

A student claims she was accused of theft by police after a bungling Morrisons worker forgot to put her petrol through the till - then tried to cover up his mistake by telling his bosses she had driven off without paying.

Ellie Taylor, 21, says she filled up her car then handed over 20 in cash to pay for her 11 of fuel and 5 of crisps and juice at a branch of the supermarket in Aberdeen, Scotland.

But she forgot to check her change and didn't notice that the checkout operator had failed to put through her fuel - despite authorising her to use the pump just moments earlier.

Police called the shocked student hours later demanding that she pay up or face a theft conviction - something which Ellie says would have 'ruined' her dream career working offshore as a cabin cleaner.

She told MailOnline: 'It was his responsibility to ask me if I had any fuel, he never asked me that so I assumed that he knew seeing as he did authorise the pump for me.

'I should have checked my change right enough and I never picked anything up at the time but obviously he'd failed in his responsibility.

'He didn't do his job right in the first place, it was his error and later on what he'd said to the police is that I'd just driven off without paying.'

Her mother Veronica, 51, who is the registered owner of her daughter's white Mini, was at work when she got a call from detectives investigating the apparent theft.

She was left 'worried' and in a 'total panic' over the phone call and quickly called her daughter Ellie, who is training to go offshore.

Police called Ellie, 21, pictured, hours after she left the Morrisons petrol station demanding that she pay up or face a theft conviction

Ellie was accused of committing a 'drive-off' - when someone fills up their car with petrol and speeds away without paying - at the Morrisons store (stock photo)

The student rushed back to the store to complain to a manager where she claims she was 'shooshed' to avoid other customers from overhearing her complaint and told to come back the next day.

She says she was accused of committing a 'drive-off' - when someone fills up their car with petrol and speeds away without paying the bill.

The manager claimed the employee was only following protocol but Ellie claims the man had no idea that she had handed over the correct cash.

She said: 'When I came in to complain later the manager said "that's the protocol for a drive-off" but it wasn't a drive-off - I came in and handed him over 20 which is more than sufficient to pay for what I had there.

Ellie, pictured, forgot to check her change and didn't notice that the checkout operator had failed to put through her fuel - despite authorising her to use the pump just moments earlier. She said: 'It's the employee's error - they've not been following the rules'

'Rather than holding his hands up to his manager and admitting he had made a mistake, he'd said to his manager I'd driven off straight away and then obviously their protocol is to go to the police.

'I got accused of stealing. My mum got a phone call from the police saying if I don't come in and pay it, I'm getting charged with theft.

'Rather than admitting he made a mistake, he thought it would be easier to go down that road and get me charged for his error.

'If they had gone ahead and charged me with theft I never could have got a job offshore cleaning people's rooms. It could have ruined my career.'

Ellie, pictured, says a theft conviction would have 'ruined' her dream career working offshore as a cabin cleaner

Following her petrol ordeal Ellie took to social media demanding an apology from the supermarket - racking up thousands of likes.

But the situation has divided commenters with many saying that the 21-year-old should have checked her change.

Others say the supermarket is at fault and the worker should have noticed that she had bought fuel.

But Ellie added: 'Right enough I could have checked my change and maybe it would have been picked up on, but it's the employee's error - they've not been following the rules.

But the situation has divided commenters with many saying that Ellie, pictured, should have checked her change. Others say the supermarket is at fault and the worker should have noticed that she had bought fuel

'It's his mistake, not mine. Why on earth would I get charged for him not holding his hands up and saying to his manager that he has made a mistake?'

A Morrisons spokesman told MailOnline: 'We've been in touch with the customer and have apologised.

'We should have dealt with the issue in a much better way. We have invited her back the the store to meet with the general manager.'
Labour's nuclear policy is in disarray as a member of the party's front bench team flatly contradicted a colleague's stance on Trident.

Nia Griffith, Labour's shadow defence secretary, said Emily Thornberry, who speaks on foreign affairs for the party, was incorrect to suggest the missile defence system could be scrapped.

Miss Griffith insisted Labour was 'fully committed' to the nuclear deterrent.

The row overshadowed Jeremy Corbyn's visit to Birmingham where he today accused Conservatives of risking a 'war between generations' with a manifesto that pitches young against old.

The row overshadowed the Labour leader's visit to Birmingham today

The rift started when Ms Griffith was asked on BBC Two's Newsnight about an interview with Ms Thornberry earlier this week in which she appeared to suggest Trident could be canned after a review, should Labour win the General Election.

'Well with all due respect, Emily is not the shadow defence secretary, I am,' said Ms Griffith.

'And we had a long meeting on Thursday at which we agreed the manifesto and nobody has raised the issue of removing the Trident nuclear deterrent from our manifesto.

'That was agreed last year that we would have it as part of our defence review, that we had last year We are absolutely committed to it.'

Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry (left) described herself as 'sceptical' about Trident but Nia Griffith (right) insisted Labour was 'fully committed' to the nuclear deterrent

Asked if Ms Thornberry was wrong, she added: 'Indeed...because last year we looked at it in particular at the national policy forum and it was decided we would keep the nuclear deterrent and that was reaffirmed at our conference in September.

'I'm being very clear. We made a commitment back in 2007 to renew the Trident nuclear deterrent and that is our position.'

She added: 'I was at the manifesto meeting andnot one query was raised about the nuclear Trident deterrent.'

Ms Griffith's stance was backed by Labour's candidate for Barrow and Furness, where the Trident subs are being built.

John Woodcock said Ms Thornberry's comments were 'unfortunate' but would have no impact as Labour will not win the election.

Mr Woodcock, who has previously said he could not support Mr Corbyn for prime minister, said Trident renewal had already passed the 'point of no return'.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'The policy on this is settled. There's a defence review at the start of every parliament. I think the Conservative government will do one when they return to office after June 8.

'This is a very unusual situation for the country to be in, but I have taken the decision to be honest and say that we know nationally what the result of this election is going to be.

'We know that Theresa May called this election because she's 20 points ahead in the polls and she's going to be Prime Minister after the election.'

The Labour leader today described the Conservative manifesto as a 'typical nasty party attempt to set generations against each other'

Mr Woodcock said it was 'unfortunate' Ms Thornberry's comments would distract from Labour's efforts to exploit Conservative vulnerability on domestic issues like the treatment of pensioners.

'Labour is going to be in opposition and the important thing is that we have as strong an opposition as we can and we don't allow a Tory landslide because of all the other things on domestic policy where they will do damage,' he said.

'I'm pleased to say I'm not the person who can explain what is in Emily Thornberry's mind at any particular moment. But it is unfortunate she said what she did because it creates confusion when in fact there is none about our policy, and we should be talking about the damage the Tories would do domestically.'

Labour's leadership has said Trident will be covered in a defence review if Mr Corbyn - a long-standing campaigner for nuclear disarmament - was in Number 10.

The policy set by party conference is to support Trident, but Ms Thornberry - who described herself as 'sceptical' about Trident - said she could not guarantee what the outcome of the review would be.

Asked if she could confirm the missile system would remain as Labour policy following the review, she told LBC radio: 'Well no, of course not, if you are going to have a review, you have to have a review.'

She added: 'Overwhelmingly we need to make sure that our policy is up to date and meets 21st century threats and no one can disagree with that, surely?

'You know there was a time when we gave up on sabres or horses, you need to keep updating your defence policy and meeting the most pressing and most obvious needs.'
American military defense companies have agreed to immediately sell nearly $110 billion in equipment and services to the Saudi Arabian government as part of a long-term agreement inked Saturday by the Trump administration and the Arab kingdom.

The deal, formalized in a signing ceremony in the capital city of Riyadh, also calls for an expanded deal worth a total of $350 billion over ten years.

'That was a tremendous day,' President Donald Trump said at the top of a bilateral meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef.

'Tremendous investments in the United States. Hundreds of billions of dollars of investments into the United States and jobs, jobs, jobs.'

The State Department released a fact sheet that described the military hardware Saudi Arabia will buy as 'aerostats, tanks, artillery, counter-mortar radars, armored personnel carriers [and] helicopters.'

President Donald Trump (L) was welcomed Saturday by Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (R), the first stop of Trump's first foreign trip since taking office in January

Trump and King Salman had a welcome ceremony inside the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport after Air Force One landed

White House chief economic adviser Gary Cohn (right) told reporters that a series of defense contracts inked Saturday would mean 'a lot of money, big dollars' for American companies

President Donald Trump and the Saudi King gesture during a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh on May 20

Separately, U.S. companies in the oil center stand to gain $22 billion in new deals with the state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco. And pacts with other companies could balloon that number as high as $50 billion.

House chief economic adviser Gary Cohn told reporters that the kingdom is 'going to hire US companies' for 'a bunch of infrastructure related things,' boasting that the deal is worth 'a lot of money. Big dollars. Big dollars.'

Saudi Arabia will 'invest a lot of money in the U.S. and have a lot of U.S. companies invest and build things over here,' Cohn said.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer claimed on Twitter that the $110 billion in immediate defense contracts represents the 'largest single arms deal in US history.'

Commerce Secretary Gary Cohn told reporters that U.S. companies would gain '23 new licenses, and then all of these contracts.'

'I can't imagine another business day that's been as good for the United States and the kingdom,' he said.

Donald Trump is in Saudi Arabia on the first of five stops during his inaugural foreign trip as president, getting chummy with King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and preparing to deliver a speech on Sunday that promises to frame his administration's relationship with the Muslim world.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner arrive to attend the presentation of the Order of Abdulaziz al-Saud medal at the Saudi Royal Court

US President Donald Trump receives the Order of Abdulaziz al-Saud medal at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh on May 20

Ivanka Trump participates in a presentation ceremony of the kingdom's top civilian honor, the gold King Abdulaziz medal, to President Donald Trump

Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump make their way to a luncheon after Trump received the gold King Abdulaziz medal

The new defense deals are part of Trump's strategy to hold both the ISIS terror army and Iran's nuclear ambitions in check through the intervention of Middle Eastern partners instead of expensive American military deployments.

A White House official said Saturday that the purchases are meant to accomplish just that, for the sake of Saudi and regional security.

The official also said a strengthened Saudi military will be better equipped to contribute to counterterrorism operations across the region.

Trump and Salman signed a joint vision statement, nine separate defense cooperation pacts  including eight that are finalized  and a separate set of 'private sector agreements,' according to White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer claimed Saturday on Twitter that the agreements signed by the US. and Saudi Arabia constitute the 'largest single arms deal in US history'

Saudi Aramco will be relying on U.S. companies to build new oil rigs like this one in the Persian Gulf

The White House said the military equipment and services contracts will support 'tens of thousands of new jobs in the U.S. defense industrial base.'

Separately, a CEO forum being held on the margins of the Trump-Salman meeting resulted in $22 billion in new deals in the oil and gas sector, according to the event's organizers.

Saudi Aramco announced agreements with U.S. companies including Weatherford, Jacobs, Honeywell, McDermott, and Nabors.

The agreements will result in an unspecified number of new offshore Persian Gulf drilling rigs, at a time when the kingdom is pumping less oil to stabilize global prices.

Aramco appears to be planning for a future that will require greater crude production by gearing up to produce materials and equipment that had previously been imported.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (right) welcomes DonaldTrump and first lady Melania Trump at the airport

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump were both seen arriving in the Middle East on Trump's first foreign tour since taking office
Melania Trump has spent her first few months as First Lady out of the spotlight.

But it hasn't kept her from playing an active role in her husband's presidency.

Though she's only been to Washington a few times since the inauguration, her friends and aides say she keeps a close watch on things from Trump Tower where she lives with son Barron.

One of her main concerns is believed to be how her husband is portrayed by the press.

They also claim she is worried about the President's staffers criticizing him while giving anonymous interviews to news outlets, according to Politico.

'Melania loves the president unconditionally, definitely, she really cares about the president, she feels a kind of protection,' her long-time friend Paolo Zampolli told Politico.

Zampolli, who was her former modeling agent and actually introduced the couple in 1998, continued: 'The main concern to the president and the first lady is that these leaks are unacceptable.'

Melania Trump flags up negative stories to her husband and believes his press team does not do enough to protect him, it has been claimed. She is seen arriving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the president on Saturday

Though she's only been to Washington a few times for events, friends and aides to the First Lady said she keeps a close watch on things from her Trump Tower apartment (above)

Melania is also said to be a fan of cable news, like her husband.

Sources close to her told Politico she will keep an eye on bad news and be one of the first people to alert the president.

She is also worried some of his staffers haven't done enough to back their boss, even though they have been out in force during political scandals.

The active, behind-the-scenes role is very different to the persona she shows in public life.

She has generally been seen as aloof and removed from her husband's political operation.

But in recent weeks, with his administration battling more leaks and scandals, she is believed to have become more involved and influential.

Melania is said to be one of several people the President calls at night to discuss dysfunction within the White House.

He also seeks the advice of Carl Icahn, Rupert Murdoch and Chris Ruddy, according to aides and friends of the President.

For the next week Melania will be traveling with her husband on his first trip overseas as President. They are pictured on Saturday arriving in Saudia Arabia

The First Lady is pictured with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Mohammed bin Salman at a welcome ceremony for the First Family

'She's very private and she's very smart. Anyone who thinks she's a mannequin doesn't get it,' longtime associate Roger Stone told Politico. 'She has excellent instincts into who is trying to exploit their influence with him.'

In recent weeks, her concerns have grown more centered on White House press secretary Sean Spicer, whose role may be changing when Trump returns from his overseas trip, sources claim.

An outside adviser told Politico that Melania was concerned Spicer was not doing a good job.

These behaviors are nothing new. On the campaign trail, Melania supposedly made her preferences known and would tell aides when she thought things could be handled differently, or better.

Former campaign aides said Trump took her opinion into account during the election.

In recent weeks, her concerns are said to have grown more centered on White House press secretary Sean Spicer, whose role may be changing when Trump returns from his overseas trip. Melania is pictured with her husband at a celebration of military mothers event on May 12
ISIS has executed 19 civilians in Syria, including two children, human rights activists have claimed today.

The executions are said to have happened in the last 24 hours in a village held by anti-jihadists in eastern Syria.

The claim has been made by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which said the terror group also captured fighters participating in a US-backed operation against ISIS.

Rami Abdel Rahman, of the British based group, told AFP: 'IS fighters entered Jazrat al-Boushams village on Friday evening and executed 19 civilians, including two women and two children, with bullets to the head before torching the corpses.

'Some were rounded up in the street before being killed, and others were executed at home.'

ISIS savages have executed and then dismembered dozens of women and children amid fears the terror group is plotting a wave of massacres in Shiite villages. Body bags were laid out on the floor after an ISIS raid in Aqareb (pictured)

Extremists beheaded some prisoners and used bricks to kill children before hacking off their limbs during horrific raids in Hama province in central Syria

It happened in Syria's eastern Deir al-Zor province, near the provincial boundary with Raqqa.

The Observatory posted a video showing the corpses of around a dozen men who had apparently been shot. Reuters could not verify the video's authenticity.

The three abducted fighters are believed to be members of the US-backed anti-ISIS Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces alliance (SDF).

Jazrat al-Boushams village is in Deir Ezzor province, which is largely controlled by the jihadists.

It was captured by the SDF when alliance fighters first entered the region earlier this year.

Two children were among the 19 massacted by the terror group in the latest raid, human rights activists have said (File picture)

In November last year, the SDF began an offensive aimed at taking the city of Raqqa, IS's de facto Syrian capital.

Despite being pressed militarily on all sides in Syria, notably by the SDF, the jihadist group retains an ability to carry out murderous attacks.

Separate forces are fighting the Islamists, who are enemies of all other sides in the Syrian conflict, including U.S.-backed Kurdish and Arab fighters, and Russian-backed Syrian forces.

The latest report comes a day after it emerged that ISIS savages had executed and then dismembered dozens of women and children amid fears the terror group is plotting a wave of massacres in Shiite villages.

Extremists beheaded some prisoners and used bricks to kill children before hacking off their limbs during horrific raids in Hama province in central Syria.

More than 50 were killed during clashes including at least 24 women and children in villages where many residents belong to the Ismaili branch of Shiite Islam.

It has raised fears of a new atrocities mirroring those ISIS carried out in other minority communities - including Yazidi areas - in Syria and Iraq.

The villages, Aqareb and Al-Mabujeh, are located near the town of Salamiyeh and the highway that links the capital, Damascus, to the northern city of Aleppo.

The two villages are home to members of several religious minority sects, and Al-Mabujeh has been targeted by IS before.

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said President Donald Trump had instructed the Pentagon to 'annihilate' ISIS in Syria.
A council tenant who tried to access her account from abroad instead saw other people's confidential information, raising concerns about the website's security.

Peter Lane, from Yorkshire who now lives in Portugal spoke for the Southwark resident who is currently visiting him and requested not to be named.

He said that she has been resident at the South East London address for 40 years, and had never encountered any problems accessing her account before.

'She is concerned that other people can now access her financial details, and other confidential information that the Council may have,' Mr Lane said.

A tenant who tried to access her Southwark Council account from abroad instead saw other people's confidential information, raising concerns about the website's security

'My friend asked me to check her account with Southwark Council to make sure she was still in credit.

'But when I tried to access it her details were absent but I saw four other accounts instead - two present and two former tenants.'

Addresses, council numbers and financial histories - including rent details, how much was in their account and whether they had had any repairs - were all clearly visible, Mr Lane said.

'I had checked the website before but it was offline for about 48 hours while it was being upgraded.

'We just want the council to be aware of the problem,' he said.

He said that his friend is now very concerned that other people may have access to her confidential details.

A council spokesperson said: 'At Southwark we take our residents' privacy very seriously'

'I called the council this morning but I could only get through to an emergency repairs department. They said they'd contact IT but the problem has not been resolved yet,' Mr Lane said.

A council spokesperson said: 'At Southwark we take our residents' privacy very seriously. After hearing there could be an issue with MySouthwark we have switched off the service until we have investigated and are sure that any issue has been resolved.

'The council's website is unaffected. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused but we must take every measure to ensure the private information of our residents is safe.'
Ian Paterson lied to patients and exaggerated or invented the risk of cancer to convince them to go under the knife

More than 100 people treated by a rogue breast surgeon who 'played God' with his victims' lives have come forward since his conviction, lawyers have claimed.

Ian Paterson lied to patients and exaggerated or invented the risk of cancer to convince them to go under the knife.

Paterson owned a luxury home in Birmingham as well as properties in Cardiff, Manchester and the United States, West Midlands police said.

He was convicted of 17 counts of wounding with intent and three counts of unlawful wounding against 10 private patients at Nottingham Crown Court last month after a seven-week trial.

Medical negligence specialist at Thompsons Solicitors Linda Millband said 103 clients treated at Spire Healthcare hospitals have sought legal advice from the firm following Paterson's well-publicised trial and guilty verdicts.

She said: 'Over the weeks we have received more and more calls from ex-private patients of Paterson.'

His trial heard harrowing testimony from 10 patients treated in the private sector between 1997 and 2011 at Spire's Little Aston and Parkway hospitals in the West Midlands, with one victim telling jurors: 'That person has ruined my life.'

One of the victims of Scottish-born Paterson looked like a 'car crash victim' after undergoing an unnecessary mastectomy while another had a 'significant deformity in her visible cleavage area' after a pair of needless operations on her left breast.

The surgeon had maintained all the operations were necessary but a jury of six men and five women agreed with the prosecution that Paterson carried out 'extensive, life-changing operations for no medically justifiable reason'.

Carole Johnson said: 'To realize that I was betrayed makes me question my own judgment and I feel like I cannot trust any doctor'

Paterson, 59, of Altrincham, was released on conditional bail ahead of sentencing this month.

The motives for Paterson's offending remain unclear, with Nottingham Crown Court hearing it may have been to enhance his status as a top surgeon or a desire to earn extra money.

Speaking after the case, Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Payne said: 'Paterson was a controlling bully, who played God with people's lives so he could live a luxurious lifestyle.'

Hundreds of Paterson's patients were recalled in 2012 after concerns about unnecessary or incomplete operations. Nine women and one man testified about the procedures during his trial, which dealt with surgeries between 1997 and 2011.

One patient, Frances Perks, who underwent an unnecessary mastectomy, hopes he 'rots in hell'.

'I think he's a psychopath,' she said. 'Why would anyone in their right mind do operations to people knowing that they didn't need them?'

Another victim, Carole Johnson, who had six surgeries in seven years, said he manipulated his patients into trusting him.

'I, for one, trusted him with my life,' she said after the verdicts. 'To realize that I was betrayed makes me question my own judgment and I feel like I cannot trust any doctor.'
Irans Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli has announced the final results of the 12th presidential election, declaring incumbent President Hassan Rouhani as the winner, PressTV reported.

He said after over 41 million votes counted, Rouhani stood in the first place with 57.13 percent of the ballots by garnering over 23 million votes.

Ebrahim Raeisi ended the second with 38.29 percent of the ballots equal to over 15 million votes.

Mostafa Aqa-Mirsalim, another presidential candidate, stood 3rd with 1.16 percent of the ballots after winning 478,215 votes.

He was followed by Mostafa Hashmitaba is in the last place with 215,450 votes or 0.52 percent.

The interior minister hailed the high turnout in the elections, noting that 73 percent of eligible voters had cast their ballots in Fridays elections.

Hashemitaba and Aqa-Mirsalim have congratulated Rouhani on his victory and thanked the people for their high turnout. Raeisi has also released a statement, wishing success for President Rouhani and expressing hope that improving the economic situation will be a top priority for the next administration.
The fiance of accused drug mule Cassandra Sainsbury is now considered a 'person of interest' to Colombian prosecutors investigating the 5.8kg of cocaine found concealed in her bag.

Scott Broadbridge, 23, is set to be questioned over his knowledge of Ms Sainsbury's trip to Colombia as his fiancee's trial draws closer on Channel 9's 60 Minutes on Sunday night.

'We have established here, had it confirmed from the prosecutor's office, that the Colombian prosecutor now considers Scott, the fiance, a person of interest in the investigation,' reporter Liam Bartlett said, according to the Herald Sun.

Scroll down for video

Ms Sainsbury together with her Australian fiance Scott Broadbridge who visited her in Colombia this week

Cassandra Sainsbury's fiance Mr Broadbridge (pictured) arrived in Bogota on Thursday and is now considered a person of interest

Mr Broadbridge has made explosive claims his fiancee (right) was lured to Colombia

'They want to interview him  sit down and ask him some questions. Over here, from what I can gather, the prosecutors office has to rely on Scott volunteering to sit down,' Mr Bartlett added.

Mr Broadbridge has made explosive claims the accused drug mule was lured to Colombia by fellow Australians.

In a bizarre twist in the case he also told Channel Seven's Sunday Night program that he has seen payments from the mystery group of Australians who reportedly led her to danger.

He has suggested Sainsbury is likely to plead guilty to being a drug mule for a mystery international syndicate, despite continuing to protest her innocence.

There are no suggestions Mr Broadbridge will face any charges.

Mr Broadbridge's exclusive interview with Sunday Night airs the same night as 60 Minutes' segment with Ms Sainsbury's mother and sister in Bogota.

The separate interviews will shed light on the alleged ugly family feud waging between Ms Sainsbury's fiance and her family.

Before her arrest in Colombia Ms Sainsbury and her mother Lisa Evans were not speaking, it was revealed.

Footage of Ms Sainsbury's mother breaking down in tears during the filming of the 60 Minutes documentary was also released.

In the documentary, which is due to air on Channel Nine on Sunday, Ms Sainsbury's mother Ms Evans is shown slumped over on the ground sobbing outside the Colombian prison where her daughter remains behind bars.

Before her arrest in Colombia Ms Sainsbury and her mother Lisa Evans were not speaking, it was revealed

Overcome with emotion, Ms Evans (centre) is seen doubled over on the ground as she is comforted by her daughter Khala Sainsbury (left) and a crewman from 60 Minutes (right)

'Hey Cass, it's mum, I'm here to help you. We're sitting around the corner,' Ms Evans said talking to Ms Sainsbury on the phone

Overcome with emotion, Ms Evans can be heard grasping for air and complaining she is unable to breathe.

'Hey Cass, it's mum, I'm here to help you. We're sitting around the corner,' Ms Evans said.

Ms Sainsbury's sister Khala Sainsbury is also pictured on the ground alongside her grief-stricken mother in an attempt to comfort her.

The pair reportedly sold their story to the Channel Nine program for approximately $1million.

Channel 9 said the interview costing $1 million was 'ludicrous' but it was pursuing the story as it was a 'national interest'.

Ms Sainsbury's mother and sister travelled to Colombia this week for the first time since her arrest on April 11 when she was caught with 5.8kg of cocaine in her suitcase at El Dorado International Airport.

Meanwhile a source from the Colombian police prosecuting Ms Sainsbury revealed a mystery black man who visited her in a Bogota hotel would unlikely save her from a lengthy stint in jail.

The source said the mystery man was irrelevant to Ms Sainsbury's legal case, despite her claim he tricked her into trafficking 5.8kg of cocaine.

Ms Sainsbury pictured with 18 bags containing 5.8kg of cocaine in total, which were found in her suitcase on April 11

Ms Sainsbury appears happy as she waves from behind bars at El Buen Pastor for film crews

Ms Sainsbury's mother and sister visited her at El Buen Pastor in Colombia for the first time since her arrest on April 11

Ms Sainsbury, a 22-year-old from South Australia, was caught with 5.8kg of cocaine in her suitcase at El Dorado International Airport in Colombia on April 11.

'If they catch you with drugs, you have to accept the punishment for these drugs,' a source for the prosecution told News.com.au.

'Where [the drugs] came from, at this moment, is of no interest to us. It doesn't have any relevance.'

The source for the prosecution, who works for the Colombian Fiscalia, said the justice system was not postponing Ms Sainsbury's case to look for the mystery man.

'They can't leave someone waiting while they look for the person who supposedly tricked them,' he said.

Colombian police have sourced the CCTV footage from the Bogota hotel where Ms Sainsbury stayed for eight days before her arrest in search for the mystery man, but say he is irrelevant to her legal case

Ms Sainsbury, 22-year-old from South Australia, has maintained her innocence since the day she was caught

The Adelaide woman claimed she was set up by a man named 'Angelo' who promised her 18 sets of discounted headphones as gifts for her wedding party.

She said the 18 packages wrapped in black plastic containing the cocaine were given to her the morning of her flight.

She denied she knew the packages were full of drugs and has maintained her innocence since.

The Fiscalia source said police secured CCTV footage from the Bogota hotel where Ms Sainsbury was visited by the mystery man in an effort to track him down because he was potentially breaking the law.

But he said the police search was separate to their case against Ms Sainsbury.

Ms Sainsbury is seen leaving her Bogota hotel where staff say a mystery man visited her

Ms Sainsbury pictured together with the suitcase which contained 5.8kg of cocaine

While he said the Fiscalia investigated the mystery man, he said its priority was to resolve Ms Sainsbury's case.

CCTV footage obtained from the Bogota hotel where Ms Sainsbury stayed for eight days before her arrest will not be released to the public until it is shown in court, for fear the man could go into hiding if he sees himself.

Ms Sainsbury remains behind bars in notorious Colombian prison El Buen Pastor, where she was jailed following her arrest on April 11, just over a week after she arrived in South America on April 3.

Ms Sainsbury will remain in prison while she awaits a court date.

Her Colombian lawyer Orlando Herran has encouraged Ms Sainsbury to plead guilty because she will likely be given a shorter jail sentence.

Ms Sainsbury faces 15-20 years in jail if she pleads innocent but is found guilty and faces five to 10 years if she pleads guilty.

Ms Sainsbury pictured following her arrest on April 11 when she was caught with 5.8kg of cocaine in her suitcase at El Dorado International Airport on her way home to Australia, bypassing London
The Italian coastguard on Saturday released dramatic footage of migrants being plucked from the water during rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea.

The video released showed one migrant floating using a life-saving device as officers came to his rescue while another, visibly shocked, hung on to the bow of a ship.

The coastguard said 2,121 people had been rescued altogether from 17 vessels between Friday and Saturday morning as they tried to reach Europe - but the body of a dead migrant was recovered.

The shocking footage shows the rescue of some of the thousands of migrants who were plucked from the water near Italy in just 24 hours

The video shows one migrant floating in the water using a life-saving device

The coast guard said 2,121 people had been rescued altogether from 17 vessels between Friday and Saturday morning as they tried to reach Europe - but one body was recovered

Smugglers are cramming migrants onto boats in Libya at a record pace this year.

Arrivals in Italy, where rescued migrants are brought, are up 35 percent on the same period last year.



A day after reaching safety, migrants who were on board the vessels told of arbitrary detention, slavery and beatings in Libya as Europe seeks to build up the Tripoli-based coastguard.

The European Union and Italy agreed in February to funnel millions of euros to the United Nations-backed government in Tripoli.

Arrivals in Italy, where rescued migrants are brought, are up 35 percent on the same period last year. This is the harrowing moment a migrant was saved from the water

The video has been released by the Italian coastguard which dispatched the rescue workers

Under new plans, migrants could be intercepted and taken back to Libya where they will be held in government-controlled centres

In the shocking video the Italian coastguard can be seen approaching migrants before plucking them from the water

The migrants say they are fleeing slavery and beatings in Libya

The funds were supposed to help it fight human trafficking and operate migrant centres to be managed by UN agencies - but those have yet to be opened.

But the capacity of Tripoli's coastguard is increasing with humanitarian groups fearing this will feed the lucrative smuggling business.

Migrants will be intercepted and taken back to Libya where they will be held in appalling government-controlled centres, only to try to make the crossing again at a later date.

On Friday MSF, one of the few aid agencies entering the government-controlled camps, said it had witnessed adult malnutrition, overcrowding, violence-related injuries and lack of basic hygiene.

This migrant can be seen looking pained as he is pulled from the Mediterranean Sea

He is one of thousands who were rescued from the water between Friday and Saturday morning

'In the first three months of 2017, interruptions in food supply were observed in two detention centres with detainees going for days without any food,' MSF said.

'As a result, MSF is treating adults suffering from malnutrition.'

After the Libyan coastguard stopped almost 600 migrants on Thursday, Italy's embassy in Tripoli tweeted: 'This is the right way forward.'

Yagob Mobark Ibrahim, 21, from Sudan, said: 'We are always suffering in Libya from hunger, and the Libyan people hate us.

'They don't look at us like people, they look at us like animals.'
Police phone taps have revealed Australian Tax Office deputy commissioner Michael Cranston told his son they 'have to think of a strategy' weeks before they were charged over a $165 million tax scandal.

Details of the calls were released in court documents this week, showing how Mr Cranston allegedly told his son Adam how to handle an ATO order on his company to pay moneys owed, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Three phone calls were tapped by police on April 28 and May 2, in which Mr Cranston warned his son about search warrants and told him he had been linked to one of the alleged tax fraud's masterminds, Peter Larcombe.

Police phone taps have revealed Australian Tax Office Deputy Commissioner Michael Cranston (pictured) told his son they 'have to think of a strategy' weeks before they were charged over a $165 million tax scandal

Details of the calls were released in court documents this week, showing how Mr Cranston allegedly told his son Adam (pictured) how to handle an ATO order on his company to pay moneys owed

Adam Cranston (pictured) was arrested at his Bondi apartment by police on Wednesday

'Mr Cranston told his son in one of the phone calls that 'it would be nice to get rid of that thing that Peter was involved in'.

'Mate, they've linked you to Peter for sure,' Mr Cranston said.

After the phone call, Mr Cranston told his son they 'have to think of a strategy', the court documents revealed, according to the Daily Telegraph.

In a prior phone call on April 28, Adam called his father to tell him his company Plutus was issued a 'garnishee order', demanding $23 million in unpaid taxes over only three months.

An Australian Federal Police officer displays some of the cash found after they brought down the alleged tax fraud syndicate

In a tapped phone call on April 28, Adam (pictured) called his father to tell him his company Plutus was issued a 'garnishee order', demanding $23million in unpaid taxes over only three months

Mr Cranston also asked if the order was 'related to the other matter', however he didn't elaborate.

In a second phone call minutes after, Mr Cranston told Adam he was worried Plutus was being investigated for intentionally being liquidated to avoid tax.

Mr Cranston then said he was sure Adam was linked to Larcombe, who killed himself in the United States in 2016 and warned his son in a third phone call on May 2 that he may be subject to search warrants and needed to get his affairs in order.

He then allegedly told his son he was lucky the 'coppers' were too busy to take on more referrals from the ATO.

Adam was arrested at his Bondi apartment on Wednesday and granted bail on Thursday after his wife and grandmother posted $300,000 for his release.

He has been charged with conspiracy to defraud the Commonwealth and has been accused by police of running a taxation fraud syndicate.

Mr Cranston was issued a court attendance notice for allegedly publicly abusing his position as a senior official of the Commonwealth.

Mr Cranston will face Downing Centre Local Court on June 13, Adam on August 8.
Two women and a man have been arrested after a block of flats in Portsmouth was turned into a 'blood bath'.

A resident in the flats in Keelan Court, in Southsea, heard shouting and slamming doors just after midnight and woke to find blood splattered across the walls and floor.

A police cordon is in place, blocking off access to the flats.

Blood was splayed across the floor and stairs of the block of flats in Southsea, Portsmouth

A 29-year-old woman from Southsea, a 32-year-old woman from Fareham, and 42-year-old man of no fixed address, are in police custody.

They have all been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent.

A police spokesman said a 28-year-old man was allegedly assaulted by three people.

Blood was seen on the floor inside the flat and three people have now been arrested

Pictures from the crime scene showed blood on the front door, the patio, the floor inside and the stairs.

Crime scene tape today blocked off access to the flats, where blood could be seen on the front door, the ground and the floor inside, next to the communal elevator.

A resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'The police are not saying anything and there is blood everywhere, all over the floors and doors.

'I heard someone banging around and slamming doors and shouting about 12.30am and now we have woken to find our lovely building is a blood bath.'

A police spokesman said a 28-year-old man was allegedly assaulted by three people

The block of flats is the building where body-in-the-bag killer David Hilder lived.

In 2013 Hilder was convicted of the manslaughter of David Guy, whose body was cut up.

A Hampshire police spokesman said it happened between midnight and 12.30am.

Anyone with information should call 101 quoting 44170189014.
James Comey is now reportedly convinced Donald Trump was trying to influence him in regards to the Russia investigation.

A source close to the fired FBI director told CNN he believes Trump was trying to sway his judgement but whether that amounted to an obstruction of justice was up in the air.

'You have to have intent in order to obstruct justice in the criminal sense... intent is hard to prove,' the source said.

It comes as Comey agreed to publicly testify in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee in a hearing that will be scheduled for after Memorial Day.

One of the main questions expected to be asked at the hearing is whether Comey believed Trump was trying to interfere with the FBI's investigation into Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 election.

Fired FBI Director James Comey has agreed to publicly testify in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee in a hearing that will be scheduled for after Memorial Day

Chairman Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) said Friday that he hoped Comey's testimony 'will clarify for the American people recent events that have been broadly reported in the media' as the committee continues its investigation into Russia.

Vice Chairman Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) said he hoped Comey would 'answer some of the questions that have arisen since Director Comey was so suddenly dismissed by the President.'

The bombshell announcement on Friday evening came just hours after a summary of a May 10 Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump and Russia's ambassador and foreign minister was read to a New York Times reporter.

According to the meeting notes that White House aides circulated internally, President Donald Trump met with Sergey Lavrov and Sergey Kislyak just one day after Comey was fired and told them the ousted FBI director was 'a real nut job' whose departure would make life easier for him.

'I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job,' Trump said, according to the summary. 'I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off.'

Trump also assured the Russian envoys: 'I'm not under investigation.'

The president has offered a variety of explanations for Comey's firing.

The White House initially cited a memo by deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein cataloging Comey's handling of the HIllary Clinton email investigation.

Trump later said Comey wasn't doing a good job, and told NBC News that Russia was on his mind when he decided Comey had to go.

During a Thursday afternoon press conference, Trump said Comey had turned in a 'poor, poor performance' testifying in the Senate, and slammed him for giving false testimony about about emails from Clinton aide Huma Abedin that ended up on her disgraced then-husband Rep. Anthony Weiner's computer.

'That was a poor, poor performance. So poor in fact that I believe  and you'd have to ask him because I don't like to speak for other people  but I believe that's why the deputy attorney general went out and wrote his very, very strong letter,' Trump said.

'And then on top of that, after the Wednesday performance by Director Comey, you had a person come and have to readjust the record, which many people have never seen before because they were misstatements made. And I thought that was was something that was terrible.'

Chairman Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) said he hopes Comey's testimony 'will clarify for the American people recent events that have been broadly reported in the media'

News broke shortly after it was revealed Trump (pictured with Sergey Lavrov) told his Russian guests on May 10 that James Comey was 'a real nut job'

The White House says the pot-shot at Comey was meant to ease tensions with Lavrov and help him ease into a negotiating posture

The Comey firing got another airing on Capitol Hill when Rosenstein briefed House members Friday. Rosenstein called James Comey a 'role' model, in his first official comments about the firing, but he is standing by the memo he wrote that President Trump used to justify his firing of FBI Director.

'I wrote it. I believe it. I stand by it,' Rosenstein told lawmakers in two closed-door meetings Friday.

'It is a candid memorandum about the FBI Director's public statements concerning a high-profile criminal investigation,' Rosenstein said.

Although he piled on Comey in the memo and called for new leadership, he stopped short of calling for his firing.

'I thought the July 5 press conference [by Comey] was profoundly wrong and unfair both to the Department of Justice and Secretary Clinton. It explicitly usurped the role of the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General and the entire Department of Justice; it violated deeply engrained rules and traditions; and it guaranteed that some people would accuse the FBI of interfering in the election,' Rosenstein said, according to a copy of his opening remarks.

The president's ties to Russia have become the subject of great speculation among Democrats who are convinced his presidential campaign colluded with Moscow to meddle in the November election and tilt it in his favor.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in a speech this week compared the dizzying scandals to Watergate and the Iran Contra scandal. Soon afterward, Rosenstein announced he was naming a special counsel to probe alleged Russian election interference.

Making matters more awkward for Trump, an ill-timed leak established that he revealed sensitive Israeli intelligence to his Russian guests about a new ISIS plot to detonate laptop-computer bombs aboard commercial aircraft.

Comey (right) is on the outs but former FBI director Robert Mueller (left) has been named as an independent counsel to probe Trumpworld's alleged Russia ties

Both houses of Congress and the FBI have been conducting a troika of investigations, and the Department of Justice this week appointed former FBI director Robert Mueller as a special counsel empowered to probe any criminal wrongdoing.

In Thursday's presser, Trump called the broad menu of investigation a collective 'witch hunt.'

'And there is no collusion between, certainly, myself and my campaign  but I can always speak for myself  and the Russians,' he said. 'Zero.'

On Friday Spicer insisted, as Trump has repeatedly, that malicious leaks from inside the administration are a bigger danger to the United States than anything Russia-related.

He also took pot-shots at Comey, who exploded a tactical grenade in Trump's face by revealing through his associates that he had written notes of at least one February meeting with Trump.

In one memo read aloud to a Times reporter, Comey wrote the president suggested he close a federal investigation into disgraced National Security Advisor Mike Flynn by saying: 'I hope you can let this go.'

Congressional committees clamored to get Comey to testify in the wake of the reports, and House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz announced a hearing next week - despite not being able to find Comey's new phone number to get him to attend.

Chaffetz also wrote a letter to the FBI, requesting all 'memoranda, notes, summaries and recordings' of discussions between Comey and Trump be turned over by May 24.

News that Comey will testify broke as Trump was on the way to Saudi Arabia in his first international trip overseas.

ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS 1. Special counsel Robert Mueller is overseeing the investigation into 'any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump'. The investigation also includes any possible cover up or obstruction of justice. 2. The House and Senate Intelligence Committees are looking more broadly into Russia's interference in the 2016 elections and any ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. 3. The Senate Judiciary Committee and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee are investigating Flynn's ties foreign entities after he failed to report his lobbying work for Turkey. He also lied about the nature of his communications with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. The investigation has expanded to investigate whether Trump told Comey to go easy on Flynn and whether that would count as obstruction of justice. Advertisement

Trump insisted during a press conference on Thursday that there was 'no collusion between, certainly myself and my campaign  but I can always speak for myself  and the Russians'

Spicer said in a statement: 'The President has always emphasized the importance of making deals with Russia as it relates to Syria, Ukraine, defeating ISIS and other key issues for the benefit and safety of the American people.

'By grandstanding and politicizing the investigation into Russia's actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia.'

'The investigation would have always continued, and obviously, the termination of Comey would not have ended it. Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations,' Spicer added.

Spicer's statement denIES that the president made the statements reportedly quoted in the memo.

Democrats are demanding any transcripts of Trump's Russia meeting following a report that Trump gave the Russians highly classified intelligence information.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, pushing back, offered to produce his own government's a written account, although the Russians had no known recording of the event. The Times' reporters were briefed by an American official.

It was 'based on notes taken from inside the Oval Office and has been circulated as the official account of the meeting,' according to the paper.

Separately, The Washington Post reported on Friday that investigators have identified a senior White House adviser as a significant person of interest.

The official is someone close to the president, according to officials, who wouldn't identify the person by name. A New York Magazine reporter then claimed in an unconfirmed tweet that the person is senior adviser and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner.

The focus on a current senior administration official takes the investigation inside the Trump White House for the first time.

Previous reports have indicated a focus on campaign officials and Trump associates who are no longer part of his inner circle.
Admission officers at Princeton University once noted that some American-Asian applicants were difficult to differentiate because of their 'very familiar profiles' and wrote that the potential students were 'standard premeds'.

The comments were highlighted by federal investigators as part of a probe into allegations of racial bias within the Ivy League school's admissions system several years ago.

While the seven-year investigation into its admissions practices was closed and the university was found not to have discriminated based on race, the documents highlighting the comments - some of which have been obtained by Buzzfeed - now form part of an ongoing legal battle.

Admission officers at Princeton University once noted that some American-Asian applicants were difficult to differentiate, according to documents related to the school's admissions system

In March, Princeton filed a federal lawsuit asking the court to block the Education Department from releasing any more of the documents related to the now-closed civil rights investigation.

The lawsuit was filed in a bid to stop organization Students for Fair Admissions from gaining access to the documents under Freedom of Information. The organization claims the documents prove cases of racial discrimination.

Of the documents obtained by Buzzfeed, admissions officers called Asian-American potential students 'standard premeds' or 'difficult to pluck out' and described them as having 'very familiar profiles'.

In relation to a native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander applicant, one officer wrote: 'Were there a touch more cultural flavor I'd be more enthusiastic.'

Another admissions officer said of a black student's application: 'Very few African Americans with verbal scores like this.'

The comments were highlighted by federal investigators as part of a probe into allegations of racial bias within Princeton's admissions system several years ago

When admission officers were interviewed by investigators about the comments they had written, they said they were not comparing applicants based on race.

The comments about Asians having 'similar profiles' were not about race, but rather that their resumes were similar to other applicants, the officers said.

Investigators eventually ruled that Princeton did not discriminate on race.

The investigation was initiated in 2008 after two Asian-American students complained of racial discrimination after they were rejected from the Ivy League school.

The documents the university is trying to keep sealed include information on 539 applications investigators examined and comments from admissions officers when they were interviewed as part of the probe.
The way President Donald Trump greeted the King of Saudi Arabia on Saturday morning was remarkably different from how Barack Obama did so in 2009.

Trump arrived in the country to begin his first foreign trip as president, and gave King Salaman a firm handshake as he was greeted by a red carpet and grandeur.

Video shows the moment that Trump and First Lady Melania disembark Air Force one at the Riyadh airport, where they were immediately met by the King and what appears to be a translator.

On Saturday, Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia to begin his first foreign trip as president, and gave King Salaman a firm handshake as he was greeted by a red carpet and grandeur

By comparison, President Obama met the then-Saudi King Abdullah in 2009 during a G-20 conference in London, and bowed, breaking from official State Department policy that advises the President not to bow to world leaders

By comparison, President Obama met the then-Saudi King Abdullah in 2009 during a G-20 conference in London, and bowed to him, breaking from official State Department policy that advises the President not to bow to world leaders.

The bow led to controversy back in the United States, and the administration at the time had to quiet concerns from the conservative media.

Though his administration tried to deny that the bow happened or excused it as a misunderstanding, Saudi outlets praised Obama at the time, saying that the bow was a sign of respect to the Saudi monarch.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud welcomes US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump during his first overseas visit as President

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud presents Trump with the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal at the Royal Court in Riyadh

Now, some of the President's supporters have taken to Twitter to call Trump's behavior 'refreshing'. One person, Vinnie James, wrote: 'LOOK CAREFULLY at these two photos. The one on the RIGHT is a lesson in American exceptionalism: @FLOTUS no hijab, @POTUS no kowtow.'

While he was correct in the differences in greeting style, James also suggested that Melania's not wearing a head scarf was something unique to this presidency.

However neither Michelle Obama and Laura Bush donned a head scarf while in Saudi Arabia with their husbands.

Now, some of the President's supporters have taken to Twitter to call Trump's behavior 'refreshing. One person, Vinnie James, wrote: 'LOOK CAREFULLY at these two photos. The one on the RIGHT is a lesson in American exceptionalism: @FLOTUS no hijab, @POTUS no kowtow'
The Liberal Democrats have been accused of being 'distasteful' after they launched an attack poster which imposes Nigel Farage's face onto Theresa May's body.

The poster, which comes with the words 'vote her get him' emblazoned across it, was launched by the party today in their key target seat of Twickenham, south west London.

Unveiling the billboard, Sir Vince Cable, the party's treasury spokesman, accused the PM of adopting the former Ukip leader's policies on Brexit.

But the poster sparked an angry reaction from some voters online - with some Lib Dems even saying they disliked it.

Unveiling the billboard, Sir Vince Cable, the party's treasury spokesman, accused the PM of adopting the former Ukip leader's policies on Brexit

And voters were quick to point out that while Mrs May has never proposed an alliance with other parties, the real danger is a coalition of the Lib Dems, SNP and Labour with Jeremy Corbyn at the helm.

On Twitter, 'Kenneth' wrote: 'Lib Dem unveil distasteful poster. Perhaps one of Nick morphed into Nicola would bean an appropriate response Lib Dem undemocratic remainers.'

Lynne Davies wrote on the site: 'As a Lib Dem, I have to say I strongly dislike this poster...'

Martin O'Hare wrote: 'Just seen Lib Dem poster how sad. Could you do a mock up of Tim "nice but dim", Corbyn, Sturgeon and see what you get, a bloody mess.'

The Lib Dems have focused their campaign on opposing Brexit and promising a second referendum in a bid to thwart the historic vote

The attack poster comes in the midst of a disappointing election campaign for the Lib Dems, who are being squeezed between the bigger parties in the polls.

They have focused their campaign on opposing Brexit and promising a second referendum in a bid to thwart the historic vote.

But the strategy appears to have backfired.

Research shows that even remain voters are fed up with their opposition to Brexit and are far more concerned with schools and the NHS.

Launching the poster, Sir Vince said: 'To understand what is going on you have to listen to the voices of the people who are Mrs May's cheerleaders and admirers.

'Nigel Farage. He purrs like an elder statesman, his job done.'

Sir Vince said Mr Farage 'is the architect in chief' of the PM's Brexit strategy

He said of the Prime Minister: 'She is using exactly the words and phrases I have been using for 20 years. I'm thrilled. He should be. She has adopted wholesale the UKIP model of Brexit. No half measures.'

He criticised the PM for trying to bring control to Britain's borders and get net migration down to the tens of thousands.

And he complained that Brexit will mean Britain leaving the single market and customs union - which are necessary for the UK to strike other free trade deals around the world.

Sir Vince said Mr Farage 'is the architect in chief' of the PM's Brexit strategy.

He said: 'And this is more than a meeting of minds with the Ukip hard right.

'There is an alliance. Not a Progressive but a Regressive Alliance. UKIP are standing down in a third of their seats for the Tories.

'They realise that there is no need for a Ukip candidate when the Conservative will represent them.

'That is what we believe the public should be reminded of until polling day.'

Sir Vince is hoping to win back his old seat of Twickenham from its Tory incumbent Tania Mathias in the elections on June 8.
Advertisement

Former Fox News boss Roger Ailes was eulogized in the town of Palm Beach at St. Edward Roman Catholic church Saturday morning in a service heavy with references to suffering.

'Beth (Ailes wife, Elizabeth) came to me Friday and asked that I officiate,' St. Edward Monsignor Thomas J. Klinzing told DailyMail.com. 'She asked me to base some of my reading on the theme of suffering. I believe Roger suffered quite a bit with those accusations.'

Klingzing was referring to Ailes' resignation last year from the network he founded after fired FNC anchorwoman Gretchen Carlson accused him of sexual harassment followed by other women coming forward with similar accusations.

Scroll down for video

Roger Ailes was remembered as an 'American' patriot during his intimate funeral on Saturday morning attended by no more than 100 people

Outside of Roger Ailes funeral at St. Edward Roman Catholic Church in Palm Beach, Florida

Roger Ailes' family was escorted into the funeral on Saturday. His wife asked that the officiant to base some of his reading on the theme of suffering

Ailes' coffin was carried out at 11am to the altar of the 90-year-old church, famously President John F. Kennedy's Winter White House church, as five members of the Palm Beach Police Department presented the colors.

The ceremony was kept secret by Ailes family members and was attended by fewer than 100 family and friends, and took place with heavy security under the watch of three private security guards.

The media guru and political strategist died on Thursday in Palm Beach, Florida aged 77.

A half dozen floral arrangements were set near the coffin, including one from Ailes' friend and former employee Sean Hannity.

President Donald Trump, who consulted with Ailes then had a falling out with him after Megyn Kelly was accused of going after Trump during a primary debate, did not send flowers, Klinzing said.

Elizabeth Tilson, wife of Roger Ailes, architect of conservative TV, and his son walk out of Ailes' funeral holding hands after it ended

Zachary Ailes is comforted by his mother, Elizabeth Tilson (widow of Roger Ailes) as he weeps following his father's funeral

Ailes' coffin was carried out at 11am to the altar of the 90-year-old church, famously President John F. Kennedy's Winter White House church, as five members of the Palm Beach Police Department presented the colors

Dennis Kucinich and his wife Elizabeth arrive at his funeral of Roger Ailes, considered by many to be the architect of conservative TV

Kucinich, pictured holding Elizabeth's hand, is a democratic politician and former representative for Ohio who was friendly with Ailes. At right is longtim political pollster Pat Caddell

Ethel Kennedy, pictured center holding hands with a family member, walks out of Roger Ailes' funeral on Saturday morning. Douglas Kennedy, a nephew of JFK who works at Fox News, read from Letters of Paul to the Romans, a passage about how nothing can separate a believer from the love of God. Journalist Michael Wolff is seen in the glasses and light gray jacket front left of the Kennedys

An organ player upstairs and a cantor provided the music as Klinzing read from St. John, St. Paul and Revelations.

'Roger was a member of this church,' Klinzing said. 'Ever since he moved to Palm Beach in September, he came with Beth every Sunday.

'He was always in a wheelchair but he left it outside. He was a very proud man.'

Klinzing said Ailes was a Presbyterian but converted to Catholicism when he married Beth in 1998.

'He was quite sickly,' Klinzing said.

Sean Hannity attended the funeral (center), he told DailyMail.com: 'He saw things in people that no one else would see. He is an American patriot of the highest level'

The service took place under heavy security under the watch of three private security guards

Rush Limbaugh, pictured, arrived at the funeral Saturday morning. Limbaugh and his wife Kathryn were in the front row

Kimberly Guilfoyle, center, who co-hosts The Five on Fox News was another mourner at the intimate funeral. She is walking with Laura Ingraham, center left, a conservative radio host

Rush Limbaugh and his wife Kathryn were in the front row. Douglas Kennedy, a nephew of JFK who works at Fox News, read from Letters of Paul to the Romans, a passage about how nothing can separate a believer from the love of God.

Sean Hannity read a responsorial psalm.

'I wouldn't be what I am today without Roger,' Hannity told DailyMail.com exclusively after the funeral. 'He took me as a local radio host in Atlanta and gave me the opportunity of a lifetime.

'He saw things in people that no one else would see. He is an American patriot of the highest level.'

Sean Hannity, a close friend of Ailes and one of his former employees, sent the family flowers for the funeral

Hannity read a responsorial psalm at the funeral. 'I wouldn't be what I am today without Roger,' Hannity told DailyMail.com exclusively. 'He took me as a local radio host in Atlanta and gave me the opportunity of a lifetime'

Ailes' mahogany coffin was draped in the American flag when it was wheeled into and out of the church

Indeed, Ailes' mahogany coffin was draped in the American flag when it was wheeled into and out of the church.

'He was an American original,' Limbaugh said, adding that he and Ailes hung out socially in Palm Beach. Fox reporter Kennedy attended with his 89-year-old mother Ethel, the widow of RFK.

'My family used to ask why I would work in a place where everybody wants to kill me,' Kennedy said. 'But Roger, who brought me to Fox, had such a big heart and the ability to connect with everybody.'

'He was an American original,' Limbaugh (pictured center) said, adding that he and Ailes hung out socially in Palm Beach

During the funeral, an organ player upstairs and a cantor provided the music as Klinzing read from St. John, St. Paul and Revelations. Pictured are friends and family of Ailes after the service

Family members of Roger Ailes are helped out of the church following the memorial for the Fox News icon

Friends and family of Roger Ailes, architect of conservative TV, walk out of his Saturday funeral, which was attended by the Palm Beach Police Department, who presented the colors
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson dodged a question Saturday about whether the White House knows the identity of a 'person of interest' under a microscope in the FBI's Russia investigation  by saying only that he didn't personally know.

'Does the White House know who this "person of interest" is?' a reporter asked during a joint press conference in Riyadh with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir.

'I do not have any information or knowledge regarding the person of interest that's been mentioned,' he replied, ignoring the broader question about what information the White House may have.

Investigators probing Russian interference in the presidential election have identified a senior White House advisor as a significant person of interest, according to a thinly sourced story in The Washington Post.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson denied on Saturday knowing anything about a senior White House aide identified by the FBI as a 'person of interest' in its probe of Russia's 2016 election meddling

A reporter for New York magazine claims the 'person' in the FBI's crosshairs is Jared Kushner (2nd L), President Trump's son-in-law and close confidant

The official is someone close to the president, according to unnamed sources the Post cited. A New York magazine reporter claimed Friday that presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner is the person in question.

'It's jared Kushner[.] have confirmed this with four people. I'm not speculating,' Yashar Ali tweeted.

Neither Kushner nor his spokesman responded to an email about whether he is the 'person of interest.'

Kushner, former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Tillerson himself are confirmed to have communicated with Sergey Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to the U.S.

Trump has maintained that his campaign never worked with Moscow to tilt the election in his favor, and no evidence has been made public to contradict him.

Tillerson held a joint press conference in Riyadh with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir

President Donald Trump (L) of the United States and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House

'There is no collusion between, certainly myself and my campaign  but I can always speak for myself  and the Russians  zero,' he said Thursday in Washington.

Among those under fire is sacked former national security advisor Mike Flynn, who was revealed to have had Russia contacts during the transition and who also spoke at an RT banquet in 2015 where he was seated next to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Senate Intelligence Committee has asked Flynn for documents, but his attorney has so far indicated he will not honor it, Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina said Thursday.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement in response to the Post's story: 'As the President has stated before  a thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity.'
Venezuela's attorney general Luisa Ortega Diaz on Friday spoke against handing over legislative powers to a president-backed constituent assembly, which she said would not end the crisis, Sputnik reported.

President Nicolas Maduro said on May 1 he would create a new legislature to ease tensions after a month of anti-government protests. The new body will have the power to rewrite the constitution.

"A state transformation that can potentially lead to a new constitution is neither necessary nor relevant in the search of a solution to the indisputable and unprecedented crisis the country is going through," Ortega Diaz wrote in an open letter to Elias Jaua, in charge of the assembly process.

She refused to take part in preparations to set up the new legislature, citing the governments intention to hold indirect elections and warned that, rather than reconcile the nation, the assembly could potentially deepen the political crisis.

Venezuelas opposition has condemned the decision as an attempt to bypass the parliament where it has a majority. It has brought thousands of protesters to the streets since early April after the Supreme Court briefly took over from the National Assembly.
The US Navy is moving a second aircraft carrier to the Korean Peninsula amid growing tensions in the region.

The USS Ronald Reagan is going to meet the strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson to conduct training exercises.

The Reagan left from its homeport, Yokosuka, Japan, on Tuesday, just two days after North Korea launched a ballistic missile 500 miles into the Sea of Japan Sunday.

The carrier had just finished maintenance and sea trials in its homeport before it set off for the Korean Peninsula, according to CNN.

The USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, pictured, is moving to the Korean Peninsula to meet with the USS Carl Vinson to conduct training exercises amid growing tensions rising in the region

The Reagan, pictured, left its homeport of Yokosuka, Japan, on Tuesday, just two days after North Korea launched a ballistic missile 500 miles into the Sea of Japan Sunday

When it arrives, the Reagan will do training exercises and ensure it can safely launch and recover aircraft.

'Coming out of a long in-port maintenance period we have to ensure that Ronald Reagan and the remainder of the strike group are integrated properly as we move forward,' said Rear Admiral Charles Williams, according to CNN.

Navy officials did not say how long both carriers will be in the region together, but it is expected the Reagan will replace the Vinson when it finishes deployment.

The Reagan is a 1,092-foot Nimitz-class nuclear powered carrier and has a crew of 4,539. It has about 60 aircraft and was commissioned in 2003. The carrier cost about $8.5 billion.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un, pictured, led the missile launch which took place in the Kusong region located northwest of the capital, Pyongyang, where the North previously test-launched an intermediate-range missile it is believed to be developing

Trump sent the USS Carl Vinson, pictured, and its carrier group to the Korean Peninsula last month as a warning to North Korea

Trump sent the USS Carl Vinson carrier group to the Korean Peninsula last month as a warning, amid growing fears North Korea could conduct another nuclear test in defiance of United Nations sanctions.

The carrier was sent ahead of the 85th anniversary of the foundation of the Korean People's Army, which has been marked with nuclear tests or missile launches in the past.

Instead, South Korea's military said that North Korea held massive live-fire drills, the North's 'largest ever' in an area around its eastern coastal town of Wonsan as it marked the anniversary.

Angered by the approach of the US aircraft carrier group, a defiant North Korea said the deployment was 'an extremely dangerous act by those who plan a nuclear war to invade'.

Kim Jong-Un is pictured visiting a tools and utensils exhibition in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 13

Ballistic missiles are displayed during a military parade in Pyongyang in this April 15 picture

Sunday, Kim Jong-Un fired a ballistic missile 500 miles into the Sea of Japan in the latest show of force amid tensions with the US.

The launch took place in the Kusong region located northwest of the capital, Pyongyang, where the North previously test-launched an intermediate-range missile it is believed to be developing.

A US official told CNN the missile landed in water 60 miles south of Russia's Vladivostok region, home of the Russian Pacific Fleet - although the Russian defense ministry said it had landed 310 miles off the coast.

It was the first launch in two weeks since the last attempt ended in a failure just minutes into flight.
A sanctuary has welcomed its first Humboltd penguin chick in decade and have temporarily dubbed it: 'Fluffy McFluff Face'.

The Hunstanton Sea Life Sanctuary, in Norfolk, welcomed the birth of of the young penguin on May 3 - weighing just 92g.

Staff will not know if the chick is a boy or a girl until it is three months old, when they are able to carry out a DNA test.

'Fluffy McFluff Face' has been welcomed by staff at the Hunstanton Sea Life Sanctuary in Norfolk

It was named after the research vessel dubbed Boaty McBoatface in a public poll

In the meantime, its carers have dubbed it 'Fluffy McFluff Face' as an ode to the research ship nicknamed Boaty McBoatface, while office workers have dubbed the chick 'Pip'.

A spokesperson for the sanctuary said: 'Fluffy McFluff Face came about as the carers didn't want to give it a proper name until August when the sex is known.

'The team threw around ideas and one person said 'Boaty McBoat Face', which led to 'Fluffy McFluff Face'.

'In the office, we call it Pip to link in with Pippa Middleton's wedding and also Pip is a gender-neutral name.

'We don't to give it a proper name until the end of August when we're able to establish its sex.'

A public poll was held to name the research vessel and the cheeky suggestion of 'Boaty McBoat Face' drew 124,000 votes, more than three times its nearest rival.

However, the vessel was christened Sir David Attenborough in honor of the naturalist and broadcaster  though one of the ship's remotely operated submarines is being named Boaty McBoatface.

Aquarist Hollie Stephenson added: 'The whole team is bursting with joy at the arrival of our first-ever penguin chick - we are all beaming like we are new parents ourselves.

The penguin's parents, Charlie and Jerome, are pictured. It is thought that there are fewer than 32,000 Humboldt penguins left in the wild

'Humboldt penguins are an extremely vulnerable species and it is the first time we have had a penguin chick here at the sanctuary.'

If the chick is female, it will be introduced into the Sanctuary's Humboldt penguin breeding programme.

The species are native to the coasts of Chile and Peru, where their numbers have declined rapidly as a result of habitat loss, industrial development, commercial guano removal and the El Nino effect.

It is thought that there are fewer than 32,000 Humboldt penguins left in the wild.
The U.S. secretary of state said Saturday that he is not completely opposed to dealing one-on-one with his counterpart in Iran, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Asked during a press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia whether he will ever 'pick up the phone' and call Zarif, Rex Tillerson told reporters that he has 'never shut off the phone to anyone that wants to talk or have a productive conversation.'

'At this point I have no plans to call my counterpart in Iran, although in all likelihood we will talk at the right time,' he said.

Scroll down for video

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (left) said on Saturday that he expects he will talk with Iran's foreign minister (not shown) at some point in the future

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was on top of the world in 2015 after the U.S. and other nations cut a nuclear proliferation deal with Iran  a pact President Trump has called 'the worst deal in history'

Trump is in Saudi Arabia for the weekend, the first of five stops on a nine-day diplomacy tour through the Middle East and Europe

On May 1 Trump told a reporter that he would be willing to sit down and meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un  and later called the despot 'a smart cookie'

Tillerson's statement of willingness to embrace a discussion with a nation that has turned 'Death to America' into a military parade slogan comes less than three weeks after President Donald Trump made a similarly quiet overture to North Korean despot Kim Jong-un.

The president said during a May 1 Oval Office interview that 'if it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honored to do it.'

The American secretary of state took questions alongside Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir just one day after Iranian president Hassan Rouhani won an easy re-election battle.

The American diplomat said he hopes Rouhani begins 'a process of dismantling Iran's network of terrorism, dismantling its financing of that terrorist network, dismantling the manning, and the logistics and everything that they provide to these destabilizing forces that exist in this region.'

He also said he hoped Rouhani 'restores the rights of Iranians to freedom of speech, to freedom of organization, so that Iranians can live the life that they deserve.'

Jubeir castigated Iran as an untrustworthy terror-backing rogue nation.

Tillerson said the U.S. wants newly re-elected Iranian president Hassan Rouhani to use his second temr in office to end his nation's support for radical terror groups

Tillerson greeted Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman al-Saud on Saturday during a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh

'They want to have better relations with us, but then they attack our embassies and assassinate our diplomats,' he said.

'They plant terrorist cells in my country and in countries allied to us. They supply militias that want to destabilize countries, like Hezbollah and like the Houthis others in Syria.'

He claimed that many of al-Qaeda's leaders have been given sanctuary in Iran since shortly after the 9/11 terror attacks, and that Iran's relationship with the Taliban 'destabilizes Afghanistan.'

'This is not the behavior of good neighborliness and this is not the behavior of a country those that want others to treat it with respect,' Jubeir deadpanned.

'This is the behavior of a state sponsor of terrorism.'

Jubeir also demanded that Tehran 'cease its human rights violations.'

Trump's first overseas trip as president started with a bang as he announced the Saudis will buy $110 billion worth of arms from American companies

The president has been anything but accommodating toward Tehran, fuming in February after Iran tested a ballistic missile despite warnings from the UN Security Council

Trump rattled a saber in Iran's direction just two weeks into his presidency, fuming on Twitter after Tehran conducted a missile test in a show of defiance to the West.

'Iran has been formally PUT ON NOTICE for firing a ballistic missile,' he tweeted. 'Should have been thankful for the terrible deal the U.S. made with them!'

'Iran is playing with fire - they don't appreciate how "kind" President Obama was to them,' Trump added a day later.

'Not me!'

Kim's regime has undertaken a number of missile testss since then, including one just six days ago.
It's the retirement development where residents have a wine-tasting session to choose the communitys house champagne and, in its care wing, tablets come on a silver platter rather than on a medicine trolley.

Battersea Place, just across the Thames from Chelsea, has good reason to claim to be Londons first luxury retirement community.

Its existence is a sign of the increasing number of options open to retirees when they start to think about the life they want to live  and how they want to be cared for  in the years to come.

Battersea Place, just across the Thames from Chelsea, has good reason to claim to be Londons first luxury retirement community

At Battersea Place, which is run by LifeCare Residences and stands opposite Battersea Park, residents can enjoy its pool, gym, cinema, library and restaurant in the knowledge that there is a 30-bed nursing home on site should they require it.

Prices start at 450,000 for a one-bedroom flat.

A more traditional retirement complex is Charters Village in East Grinstead, West Sussex, which is run by Retirement Villages. But, essentially for resident Dorothy Creelman, 82, and her late husband Clive, like Battersea Place, it was somewhere that had a care home on site.

They moved there in 2014 when Clive developed Alzheimers, and he could be cared for in his final days at Charters Court Care Home.

We loved Charters, says Dorothy. It felt safe and secure, plus all the staff and other residents were lovely. We bought a one-bedroom apartment in Charters Towers, the country-club-style development within the village.

It was very sad but I am glad we made the move to Charters when we did as the staff in the care home were wonderful.

Prices at Charters Village start from 375,000.

Rowena Hampton works on one of her pastels

Retirement housing provider McCarthy & Stone has a number of complexes where residents can sign up for its Retirement Living PLUS scheme, which gives them on-hand support whenever they need it.

Bowes Lyon Court in Poundbury, Dorset, is one, but many residents are still very active, with one, Rowena Hampton, 78, specialising in pastel portrait paintings, to the extent that she was asked to paint a special portrait of Bowes Lyon Courts duty manager, Jasmine Pearson, as a surprise wedding present. One-bedroom flats there start at 255,000.

Richmond Villages are part of Bupa and thus have a package that provides a level of care you might expect. Our Assisted Living means purchasing your own apartment and then we provide a full hotel-style package which includes all meals taken either in our restaurant or brought to your apartment, a daily maid service, laundry and utilities, says David Reaves, head of marketing at Richmond Villages. Richmond has seven villages across England.

For those whose priority is space, Renaissance Retirement prides itself on how large its flats can be.

There are more people looking to downsize who are healthier and wealthier than ever before, says Robert Taylor, managing director of Renaissance Retirement. They own their own homes outright and have a good deal of equity. They dont want to compromise on space  and why should they?

Prices at Renaissance Retirement, which has many flats already established but more currently under construction, start at 160,000.

Another firm with retirement homes being built right now is Platinum Skies, which has a business model that claims to enable retirees to access more capital when they sell their main home. It has registered social landlord status and can offer purchasers a chance to part-rent, part-buy.

Platinum Skies currently has 1,000 homes being built in the South of England  in Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and Salisbury. Prices at its Monterey development in Christchurch start at 140,000 for a 50 per cent share of a 280,000 home.
Andres Bohn Reyes, 28, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder after allegedly letting his pregnant, quadriplegic fiance die instead of seeking help for her

An Arizona man is facing a double murder charge for allegedly letting his pregnant, quadriplegic girlfriend die after she fell ill in 2014, instead of calling for help.

Andres Bohn Reyes, now 28, was arrested and charged on Wednesday with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of vulnerable adult abuse in Maricopa County Superior Court.

Reyes is accused of killing his 22-year-old quadriplegic girlfriend, Bridget Charlebois, and their unborn child in 2014.

At the time, they were living in Glendale, Arizona and Reyes was apparently engaged to Charlebois and being paid as her caregiver.

In the year prior to moving in with Reyes, Charlebois moved out of her parents' house and fired her old caretakers, according to FOX 10.

In court, Deputy County Attorney George Kelemen Jr. said Reyes 'did absolutely nothing' to save her life once she fell ill, resulting in her death, according to KPHO.

Charlebois is considered a vulnerable adult because she was 'confined to a wheel chair [sic] and [was] unable to care for or defend herself,' according to the probable cause statement.

In his probable cause statement, Kelemen said that Reyes was 'the lifeline between a completely incapacitated quadriplegic and whatever care and assistance she may require.'

The court documents revealed that, 'Reyes failed to provide medical assistance or activate Emergency Medical Services to Bridget Charlebois resulting in her death and the death of her unborn child (Isaiah Charlebois).'

Reyes was paid to be caregiver to his girlfriend, 22-year-old Bridget Charlebois. She was pregnant with their unborn son when she fell ill and died in 2014

Witnesses said Reyes had abused Charlebois multiple times, by shooting her with a BB gun and once leaving her without food and water, while in a soiled diaper for 12 hours

When interviewed by police, Reyes reportedly admitted that he knew she was pregnant and 'that he did not know what to do and or that [she] refused treatment' after she became sick.

Police said that they have evidence to the contrary  training records, policies and procedure from Reyes employer, home health agency Blue Thumb Staffing.

Although Charlebois' manner of death hasn't been revealed, 'There is medical evidence found at autopsy by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner to support the fact that proper medical intervention might have prevented the death of Bridget Charlebois,' according to the probable cause statement.

During their investigation, authorities found at least three occasions in which Reyes allegedly abused Charlebois while they were living together and he was her caretaker.

In two of the cases, Reyes is said to have shot Charlebois with a non-lethal, Airsoft BB gun. Both times, independent witnesses confirmed what happened and Reyes apparently told Charlebois' family members that he had shot at her.

Charlebois moved out of her family home when she was 21, firing her caretakers before moving in with Reyes and naming him her caretaker. She died a year later, at the age of 22

The third example of abuse presented in the probably cause statement alleges that Reyes 'abandoned' Charlebois 'without food and water for over twelve [sic] hours in a diaper soiled with urine and feces An independent witness witnessed this event and rescued Bridget Charlebois from circumstances that her primary care physician described as like to produce death or serious physical injury.'

Keleman said that in 2014, when Charlebois fell ill, 'She languished and died while he [Reyes] was present and did absolutely nothing.'

Reyes, who appeared in court without a lawyer, attempted to speak in his own defense.

'Your Honor, a lot of that was not true, to be honest,' he said, before the judge reminded him that anything he said was on the record and could be used in future legal proceedings.

The judge set Reyes' bond at $250,000 and set his next court date for May 23. He has been appointed with a public defender.

Reyes also has a non-extraditable California warrant for felony child abuse.
You would struggle to find a lovelier view anywhere than that from Pencefn, a hilltop farm near Tregaron in mid-Wales.

Lush meadows with sheep grazing peacefully roll down towards the valley of the Teifi, renowned for its salmon and sea trout. Close by are the Cambrian Mountains, where the river begins its journey at the limpid Teifi Pools.

But dwarfing the main farm are the towers and tanks of an anaerobic digester. The Government-subsidised 'green guzzler' turns animal excrement, human food waste and specially grown rye into methane gas, which is burnt in a generator to make supposedly environmentally friendly electricity for the National Grid.

This stretch of the River Teifi was affected by the release of a slurry-type effluent from an anaerobic digester

Last December, just a few months after it was built, the digester triggered an ecological catastrophe.

Unnoticed by the farm's owners, brothers Jim and William Lloyd, a pipe from a storage vat sprang a leak.

Thousands of gallons of black, toxic slime began sliding slowly downhill across those verdant meadows to a nearby stream  a tributary of the Teifi. The result was a poisonous 'tsunami', a flood of putrid sludge that flowed down the stream and into the river for hours. The consequences were devastating, and are likely to last many years.

This week, an investigation by this newspaper has revealed:

I According to local experts, the effects of the spill are so deadly, the river may take years to recover, so ruining the local economy;

l At least 1,000 mature trout and salmon were found dead immediately, but the full toll will be many times higher;

l Poison levels in an eight-mile stretch of the Teifi were so high almost no living things survived;

l The fly-fishing season should be in full swing this month but long stretches of the river are devoid of anglers;

l Lavish Government 'green' levies on fuel bills mean Pencefn's owners  despite being the source of the deadly leak  will continue to reap tens of thousands of pounds in subsidies, while also paying nothing for their own electricity;

A Facebook user and local to the area posted this photo of a dead fish in the river after the spillage. At least 1,000 mature trout and salmon were found dead immediately

l Despite this generous Government support, no official agency checked the plant's design or safety systems before it was built, or monitored its operation;

l The ultimate cause of the leak was shoddily installed plastic pipework  and both firms responsible have now gone into liquidation;

l Although the Pencefn leak is at least the 20th 'serious pollution incident' caused by an anaerobic digester since the beginning of 2015, scores of new ones are being planned across the country  some of the biggest by 'green' tycoon and former 'new age traveller' Dale Vince of Ecotricity, who advises Labour on its energy policy.

The impact of the Teifi spill soon became apparent. Late on Saturday, December 17, locals noticed the river was covered with a foul-smelling, bubbly slick below the town of Tregaron.

Because it was dark, it was not until the following morning that the source was located at the stream flowing down from Pencefn. Local fishing guide Steffan Jones walked the riverbank shortly after. Dead fish were everywhere.

At the confluence with the Pencefn stream he said he could 'clearly see the stain of the effluent about five feet above the river level. The stain had discoloured the bank all the way down to the water. I walked the whole stretch of the contamination  seven or eight miles  and the scale of this disaster was horrifying. It wiped out every living thing in the river for eight miles'.

This anaerobic digester power plant had a pipe failure which resulted in a large effluent spillage reaching the Tiefi river last December

The slick moved downstream at 5mph, contaminating everything in its path. Residents say that at Llandysul, the most popular angling centre on the Teifi, 30 miles below Tregaron, the river still stank.

Dr Ian Thomas, president of the Llandysul Angling Association, said the timing made matters worse. Mid-December is the peak of the winter spawning season, when salmon and sea trout swim from the ocean to lay eggs in the same pools and eddies where they were spawned. Both the fish and eggs they had laid were poisoned.

'The whole river has been affected, from the estuary to the headwaters,' said Dr Thomas.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW), which deals with pollution, said after the spill it had counted 1,000 mature dead fish. But Dr Thomas said there were many more.

Freshwater biologist Frank Jones said: 'There is still no final estimate from NRW of the total number of fish killed, but it will be a very big figure. Many of the sea trout had not yet spawned, and because they spawn several times in their lifespan this will have a big impact on future generations.

It could be years before they recover.' He said the fish population, especially salmon, had already been declining because of earlier slurry spills into the river. 'Slurry is stored in vast artificial lagoons, many of them well beyond their sell-by date. Sometimes they overflow and the slurry goes into the river.'

But the anaerobic digester spill meant it may now pass a critical 'tipping point', where salmon will vanish from the Teifi altogether.

May should be the start of the fly-fishing season, and last week there were a few optimistic anglers trying their luck around Llandysul, though none in the toxic epicentre below Tregaron.

Fishing guide Harry Jackson said his business was being hit. 'Fishing on the Teifi is world famous. Many of my clients come from abroad. But word gets out and hits on my website and bookings for this year are both down 50 per cent. And if people do come to fish but don't catch anything, then they won't come back.

'It isn't just me and other guides. It's the hotels, B&Bs, self-catering cottages, pubs and restaurants. The whole local economy is affected  and believe me, this is not a high-income area.'

The value of freshwater angling to the Welsh economy is more than 100 million a year  with the Teifi the biggest source of that income.

Anaerobic digesters have been spreading fast across Britain since 2010. Not only do they leak, they sometimes explode, as one did at Harper Adams University in Shropshire in 2014, when the blast destroyed a sizeable building.

But the gas they produce is classed as renewable green energy, which counts towards Britain's green targets, hence the enormous subsidies. Some digesters pump their methane to the gas grid and currently receive 216 million a year, directly from taxation. Others, like Pencefn, which supply electricity to the power grid, are subsidised by every energy bill payer.

Pencefn power is sold to the grid at more than double the wholesale market price of electricity. According to Dr John Constable, energy editor of the Global Warming Policy Forum, if Pencefn ran its digester at only half its nominal capacity, it would generate power worth 80,000 a year to its owners, of which 50,000 would be subsidy.

Dr Constable added that the assumption that anaerobic digesters are 'good for the environment' seems to account for the staggering weakness of the safety regulations that govern them.

One Tregaron resident, who asked not to be named, said he had been shown around the Pencefn plant before it started operating and wondered about the fact it was next to the tributary stream  with no barrier in case of a leak.

Dale Vince of environmentally friendly energy supplier Ecotricity and adviser to the Labour Party on its energy policy

After the disaster he had discussed it with an NRW official: 'She told me she would never have advised them to put the digester where it is, and there were no failsafes. I don't blame the farm owners. When you're building something so potent, especially when it's getting all that subsidy, you'd expect you'd have to consult the official agencies. Yet nobody looked at their plans or inspected the plant once it was built.'

Pencefn farm lies at the end of a long, private drive, and when The Mail on Sunday called last week, owner Jim Lloyd agreed to show us around. It was clear he was an unhappy man  and though some locals see him as a villain, he is also a victim.

He took us straight to the tank  about 30ft high and 60ft in diameter  where the leak took place. It was, he admitted, 'a complete construction failure'  a U-bend in a plastic pipe that formed the tank outlet blew out under the pressure of the toxic liquid. But because it was underground, nobody noticed until the slime hit the Teifi.

He demonstrated that since the leak, at a cost of 'tens of thousands', he and his brother had replaced the pipes with high-grade industrial steel  above ground, where any future leak would be seen immediately: 'We've fixed the problem. It will not happen again.' Within a month, he admitted, the plant was operating again  and attracting subsidy.

The Lloyds may be prosecuted for breaching pollution laws. They also face civil lawsuits from angling groups and others affected by the devastation.

The river of death's grim toll... It was an ecological catastrophe  thousands of salmon and sea trout like the one pictured abover were killed when a 'green guzzler' anaerobic digester leaked thousands of gallons of toxic waste into the River Teifi. And the worst thing about last December's leak from Pencefn farm in mid-Wales? That the plant, which generates methane gas from animal and human waste, gets tens of thousands of pounds in subsidies paid by every energy bill-payer, but was never subject to inspection. Advertisement

But Mr Lloyd said: 'The problem is, we're the last man standing now. Both the manufacturer and the contractor who installed the anaerobic digester have gone bust. We believe this was their fault  and there's nothing we can do. We're on our own and we can't sue them.' Contractor Hallmark Power Ltd went into liquidation on December 16  the day before the leak. The manufacturer, Combigas UK Ltd, followed suit on March 20 this year.

How did Mr Lloyd feel about poisoning the Teifi? 'We're completely gutted about what's happened. I'm well aware that for our small community and the tourism that sustains it, it's devastating,' he said.

Other anaerobic digester leaks have been almost as damaging. In December, the MoS revealed the case of Crouchland Biogas in West Sussex, which has received millions in subsidy yet has operated without planning permission since 2013. It sprang two huge leaks within a year, wrecking the neighbouring farmer's rare-breed sheep and cattle business.

Yet Mr Vince and Ecotricity  who are not connected to Crouchland Biogas  are pressing ahead with the first of many huge anaerobic digesters it wants to build at Sparsholt Agricultural College in Hampshire.

It had seemed earlier this year that proposed changes to subsidy levels had made this less viable, but Ecotricity spokesman Max Boon insisted: 'Our position on green gas hasn't changed. It is a massive opportunity, for the environment and economy, and a viable alternative to fracking.'

Perhaps Ecotricity should talk to the people of Tregaron. One resident asked: 'How can anyone say this is environmentally friendly?' He pointed to the bridge across the Teifi. 'You used to see salmon just there, along with big sea trout. I can tell you, there's no bloody salmon there now,' he said.

NRW said that it could not comment because its investigation is continuing.
Advertisement

Team Trump has let its hair down on the first night in Saudi Arabia by taking part in a traditional sword dance.

President Donald Trump was spotted swaying and smiling as he stood shoulder to shoulder with Saudis for the ceremonial male-only sword dance on Saturday.

Trump's Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross were more inclined to get involved as they linked arms with the men next to them and awkwardly danced to the drum beats as they held their swords.

The dance took place outside the King Abdulaziz Historical Center as First Lady Melania Trump, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka watched on.

While Trump's Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and Chief Strategist Steve Bannon also made a brief appearance, they didn't appear to join in the ceremonial dancing.

Scroll down for video

President Donald Trump was spotted swaying and smiling as he stood shoulder to shoulder with Saudis for the ceremonial male-only sword dance on Saturday

President Trump was spotted laughing as he held the sword during the traditional sword dance

The welcome took place before a state dinner in Trump's honor with the Saudi king and other senior Saudi royals.

The menu was set to include an array of dishes, including steak and ketchup alongside lamb and hefty portions of rice.

It comes after the Trumps were greeted by the Saudi king and a long red carpet when they landed in the capital, Riyadh, for the president's first overseas visit in office.

He touched down in the Middle East Saturday morning, hours after tweeting about his excitement for his first 'big foreign trip.'

Trump flew to Riyadh overnight on Air Force One  becoming the only president to make Saudi Arabia, or any majority Muslim country, his first stop overseas as president.

His arrival following a 6,700-mile flight was met with the pomp usually reserved for the likes of a Papal welcome in South America.

The president got the red carpet treatment  literally  and some airport workers took off their shoes before manicuring it with brooms in 97-degree heat.

The Saudi King later presented Trump with the kingdom's top civilian honor, the gold King Abdulaziz medal, at the royal court.

Trump's Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (right) and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross (left) were more inclined to get involved as they linked arms and awkwardly danced to the drum beats while holding their swords

Trump gripped the sword as he stood beside traditional dancers during a welcome ceremony at Murabba Palace

The welcome took place before a state dinner in Trump's honor with the Saudi king and other senior Saudi royals

Trump was joined by his wife Melania as he took part in a welcome ceremony with Saudi Arabia's King Salman (right)

Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner followed closely behind the President and First Lady

Pictures of Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman are projected on the front of the Ritz-Carlton, where Trump is staying in Riyadh

Trump and his team of advisers held a bilateral meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef on Saturday

There were 30 US flags at the ready at the airport, a tiny fraction of the thousands that line streets and highways between the airport and the city center.

A 90-person Royal Saudi Air Forces honor guard practiced rifle drills and then stood at attention while Trump and his kingly escort ambled toward the terminal.

He heard an eight-bugle fanfare, watched a seven-jet flyover trailing red, white and blue smoke. And cannon fire. Lots of cannon fire, which didn't cease until Trump and King Salman were safely inside.

Inside the terminal, the fragrant smell of oud filled the air as workers burned the aromatic wood in charcoal lamps.

Wafting Saudi oud scents also permeate the air in the souks  marketplaces  that snake through the oldest part of town. Just steps away is Ad Deerah, known to locals as 'chop-chop square' because of periodic public beheadings.

President Donald Trump, pictured with first lady Melania, touched down Saturday in the Middle Eastern country of Saudi Arabia after tweeting about his excitement for his first 'big foreign trip'

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (right) welcomes DonaldTrump and first lady Melania Trump at the airport

The president got the red carpet treatment  literally  and some airport workers took off their shoes before manicuring it with brooms in 97-degree heat

Trump and First Lady Melania take part in a welcome ceremony by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (right) upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh today, accompanied by Prince Khaled bin Salman (center)

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump were both seen arriving in the Middle East on Trump's first foreign tour since taking office

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive to receive the Order of Abdulaziz al-Saud medal from Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (center right)

Donald Trump and wife Melania, dressed in a black jumpsuit with statement belt, sip a drink as they are welcomed by the Saudi king

US President Donald Trump receives the Order of Abdulaziz al-Saud medal at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh on May 20

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner arrive to attend the presentation of the Order of Abdulaziz al-Saud medal at the Saudi Royal Court

Trump and King Salman had a welcome ceremony inside the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport after Air Force One landed

Great to be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Looking forward to the afternoon and evening ahead. #POTUSAbroad pic.twitter.com/JJOra0KfyR  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 20, 2017

Trump later said the first day of his maiden international trip had been 'tremendous.' He was largely kept away from reporters during a busy day of meetings and ceremonies in Riyadh.

He said deals the US government and private sector reached would lead to 'tremendous investments' in the United States. He said the deals will also create 'jobs, jobs, jobs.'

Trump has agreed to a defense cooperation deal with the Saudis, pledging $110 billion effective immediately and up to $350 billion over 10 years. There are some private sector agreements, too.

The military package includes tanks, combat ships, missile defense systems, radar and communications, and cybersecurity technology.

The president got the red carpet treatment  literally  and some airport workers even took off their shoes before manicuring it with brooms in 97-degree heat

A 90-person Royal Saudi Air Forces honor guard practiced rifle drills and then stood at attention while Trump and his kingly escort ambled toward the terminal  with first lady Melania walking a few steps behind him

The president and the king sat together in 'The Beast,' the White House's armored SUV that travels in the belly of Air Force One

Trump will face questions over the weekend about the wisdom of establishing partnerships with a government known for human rights violations and for its Medieval treatment of women.

Females cannot drive cars in the kingdom, and their every move, from travel to shopping, is overseen by male family members.

On Saturday the only females seen among the welcome retinue were a pair of small girls presenting flowers and an African-American woman, who turned out to be a U.S. Secret Service agent.

Melania and Ivanka Trump seemed determine to make a statement by deplaning without head coverings, a rare sight among women in Riyadh whose main choices are the hijab and the niqab.

Still, the first lady stayed a half-dozen steps behind King Salman and her husband, escorted by a lone U.S. Marine in full dress uniform, as she stepped off Air Force One.

Donald Trump flew to the capital Riyadh overnight on Air Force One, and his arrival following the 6,700-mile flight was met with the pomp usually reserved for a Papal welcome in South America

The U.S. president was welcomed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (right) upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh this morning

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (left) shows the way to President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud welcomed Trump during a reception ceremony this morning

After a welcome ceremony inside the Royal Terminal, Trump and Salman sat together in 'The Beast,' the White House's armored SUV that travels in the belly of Air Force One.

The first stop was the glitzy Ritz-Carlton, whose exterior is being lit up at night with giant projected images of the American flag.

Trump's first overseas speech is expected to frame the global fight against ISIS and other Islamist terror groups as a 'battle between good and evil'  but early drafts suggest he will not use the phrase 'radical Islamic terrorism.'

He will also call on leaders in the Middle East to 'drive out terrorists from your places of worship.'

Signs of American caution are everywhere as the president who once campaigned on the strength of excluding Muslims from the U.S. ventured into the nation whose king partners in construction with the Bin Laden Group.

U.S. military snipers stood guard on nearby jetways. A duplicate Air Force One 747 jet stood by, lest Trump's schedule should be waylaid by engine trouble.

Wearing a dark suit and a bright blue tie, the president descended stairs from his exclusive plane with first lady Melania Trump, after staff including his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner  arm in arm  exited from the rear of the aircraft.

For a president who campaigned on an 'America First' platform, the trip to Saudi Arabia, pictured,is a crucial moment for U.S. allies to size up his commitment to decades-long partnerships

The president's daughter, Ivanka Trump, wore a long navy dress as she arrived in Saudi Arabia this morning as part of the party accompanying Trump

Trump is handed flowers during a welcome ceremony with Saudi King Salman at the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport

DONALD'S DIPLOMACY TOUR President Trump embarked Friday on a 15,600-mile trek through the Middle East and Europe, courting controversy at every stop. His itinerary: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA, May 20-21 The president will meet with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for coffee and participate in a signing ceremony expected to focus on arms sales. After a meeting with leaders of more than a dozen Muslim-majority countries, he will deliver a speech about Islam that the White House is hoping will diffuse tensions resulting from his travel ban while also cementing the U.S.-Saudi relationship as a bulwark against both ISIS and Iran's nuclear ambitions. Trump will also participate in the grand opening of a cultural center dedicated to fighting Islamic radicalism and promoting a more moderate approach to practicing the religion. The last four presidents confirmed their first trips abroad to Canada and Mexico, but Trump is going big before going home TEL AVIV AND JERUSALEM, ISRAEL, May 22-23 Trump will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visit Jerusalem's famed Western Wall. A planned trip to the ancient Masada fort was scrapped after it was determined that the Marine One helicopter couldn't land there  and the U.S. Secret Service was unwilling to put the president in a dangling cable car. Trump does plan to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the site where Christians believe Jesus Christ was buried and rose from the dead. He will also stop to pray at the Western Wall and lay a wreath at Yad Vashem, a Holocaust memorial. BETHLEHEM, THE WEST BANK, May 23 A high-stakes meeting with Mahmoud Abbas will mark Trump's second sit-down with the Palestinian Authority's president. Making progress toward an ever-elusive peace deal between Arabs and Jews is the most crucial foreign policy objective of the trip, according to White House insiders. VATICAN CITY, May 24 Trump's audience with Pope Francis could be a tense one, since the Pontiff questioned Trump's commitment to Christianity during last year's election campaign in reaction to his pledge to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico. Trump fired back, writing that '[f]or a religious leader to question a person's faith is disgraceful.' Still, he will take advantage of the Holy See's hospitality with a full tour of St. Peter's. BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, May 24-25 The president's first meeting with leaders from all 28 NATO member nations will provide him the opportunity to press them for greater financial contributions toward keeping Russia in check. His scheduled speech at the summit will also give him the breathing room to proclaim America's undying commitment to NATO, even though Trump called the alliance 'obsolete' while he was campaigning. Along the way the president will meet Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde and Prime Minister Charles Michel. He will also have a working lunch with newly elected French president Emmanuel Macron. TAORMINA, ITALY, May 26-27 The 43rd G7 summit, held on the island of Sicily, will be a chance for Trump to 'press America's economic agenda and call for greater security cooperation,' according to National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster. It will also allow the president to appear presidential and calm the free world's top economic powers about his leadership style. Trump will also attend a dinner hosted by Italian President Sergio Mattarella, after seeing the famed La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra perform. Advertisement

Trump bantered with the king about the Cleveland Clinic, which a previous Saudi monarch chose for cardiac surgery in the 1970s.

The American president began his improbable rise to power descending an escalator, arriving at the lobby of his Trump Tower skyscraper with no idea where he would be 22 months later.

On Saturday he ascended a different escalator leading from the airport tarmac to the king's sumptuous royal terminal, waiting for his foreign policy adventures to begin.

His first gesture to the press, the hated 'dishonest media,' was a trademark thumbs-up as the escalator climbed. The gesture is regarded in much of the Arab world as a vulgar sexual insult, although many in Saudi Arabia dispute that.

The president's stop in Saudi Arabia kicks off an ambitious international debut.

Soldiers on horseback carry US and Saudi Arabia flags and escort a car carrying Donald Trump to the Saudi Royal Court

Ivanka Trump participates in a presentation ceremony of the kingdom's top civilian honor, the gold King Abdulaziz medal, to President Donald Trump

Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump make their way to a luncheon after Trump received the gold King Abdulaziz medal

White House senior advisor Jared Kushner (center) stands alongside Donald Trump (left), commerce secretary Wilbur Ross (second from left) and chief economic advisor Gary Cohn (right) as they prepare to meet with Saudi Arabia's King and the Saudi delegation at the Royal Court in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia's King (second from right), Donald Trump and Melania Trump look at a display of Saudi modern art

President Donald Trump and the Saudi King gesture during a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh on May 20

He will travel next to Israel, have an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican, and meet with allies at a NATO summit in Brussels and the Group of 7 wealthy nations in Sicily.

For a president who campaigned on an 'America First' platform, the trip is a crucial moment for U.S. allies to size up his commitment to decades-long partnerships.

'President Trump understands that America First does not mean America alone,' said H.R. McMaster, Trump's national security adviser.

'Prioritising American interests means strengthening alliances and partnerships that help us extend our influence and improve the security of the American people.'

His critics expect a rocky week ahead for the china-shop bull Americans elected in November.

President Donald Trump said Friday, after a quiet morning at the White House he was 'getting ready for my big foreign trip'

The Saudi government is playing up the Trump visit, hinting at cooperation with the U.S. to fight Islamic radicalism in the region

During his tour, Trump will deliver a high-stakes speech about Islam in the heart of Saudi Arabia, meet with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nemesis Mahmoud Abbas and take in an audience with Pope Francis.

And that's before a NATO summit and a meeting of the G7 leaders.

Trump's itinerary is heavy with religious symbolism. He'll visit the birthplace of Islam, the Jewish homeland and the Vatican. Officials say the message is 'unity.'

'He strongly believes that it is the strength of the faith of people in these religions that will stand up and ultimately be victorious over ... forces of terrorism,' Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said.

The US and Saudi Arabian flags are seen flying together in the country's capital Riyadh

White House officials hope the trip marks an opportunity for Trump to recalibrate after one of the most difficult stretches of his new presidency.

The White House badly bungled the president's stunning firing of FBI Director James Comey, who was overseeing the federal investigation into possible ties between Trump's campaign and Russia.

On Wednesday, the Justice Department relented to calls from Democrats to name a special counsel, tapping former FBI chief Robert Mueller to lead the probe.

As Trump flew to Saudi Arabia, more reports stemming from the Russia investigation surfaced.

The New York Times reported that Trump called Comey 'a real nut job' while discussing the ongoing investigation with two Russian officials visiting the White House earlier this month.

He also told them that firing Comey had 'taken off' the 'great pressure' he was feeling from the investigation, the Times reported.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that an unidentified senior Trump adviser was being considered a 'person of interest' in the law enforcement investigation.

In addition, Comey agreed to testify at an open hearing of the Senate intelligence committee in the near future, the panel said.

Despite his domestic troubles, Trump was expected to get a warm reception in Saudi Arabia.

The kingdom's ruling family grew deeply frustrated with former President Barack Obama's detente with Iran and his restrained approach to the conflict in Syria.

In a sweetener for Saudi Arabia, U.S. officials said the Trump administration plans to announce $110 billion in advanced military equipment sales and training to the kingdom during the president's trip.

The package includes tanks, combat ships, missile defense systems, radar and communications and cyber security technology.

Trump will spend much of Saturday meeting with King Salman and other members of the royal family, culminating with a banquet dinner at the Murabba Palace.

He and First Lady Melania Trump were seen boarding Air Force One on Friday afternoon at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland

The president, the first lady, Chief of staff Reince Priebus, Jared Kushner, and Trump's eldest daughter, Ivanka, left the White House aboard Marine One just before 2pm Eastern

The President waves goodbye, hopefully to leave the turmoil of the last week behind as he leaves for his first foreign trip

The President and Vice President share some last words as Pence gets set to say farewell to the departing leader

The president, the first lady Melania Trump and Vice President Pence left the White House aboard Marine One just before 2pm Eastern

The first couple will spend 12 hours in the air on their overnight flight to Saudi Arabia

On Sunday, he'll hold meetings with more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders heading converging on Riyadh for a regional summit focused largely on combating the Islamic State and other extremist groups.

Trump dodged one potential land mine when Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who has been indicted on war crime and genocide charges, announced that he would not attend the summit for personal reasons.

The centerpiece of Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia will be a speech Sunday at the Arab-Islamic-American summit.

White House aides view the address as a counter to Obama's 2009 speech to the Muslim world, which Trump advisers view as too apologetic for U.S. actions in the region.
Shoppers were horrified to see a sticker on a book about Madeleine McCann which read, 'when it's gone it's gone'.

The label advertised a 60 per cent reduction on a new study of Madeleine's disappearance in discount store The Works, where it was spotted by a Twitter user.

She posted an image of the blunder with the caption, 'Of all the price sticker choices...'

The label advertised a 60 per cent reduction on a new book about Madeleine's disappearance in discount store The Works, where it was spotted by a Twitter user

Replying to the tweet, one user wrote: 'Shame on you @TheWorksStores.'

Another person hit out at people who were making light of the mistake, with one writing: 'Do people not realise this is someones child?'

The book, Madeleine McCann: Ten Years On, develops the theory Madeleine left her bedroom in the Portuguese resort of Praia Da Luz of her own accord on the night she disappeared.

Its author, Danny Collins, claims the shutters can only be opened from the inside and the toddler wandered outside to look for her parents.

She was then kidnapped by a man who witnesses saw carrying a girl that night, the author claims.

Afterwards, he believes he child was sold on to Romany gypsies.

The book, Madeleine McCann: Ten Years On, develops the theory Madeleine left her bedroom in the Portuguese resort of Praia Da Luz of her own accord

Madeleine disappeared ten years ago this month, and since then numerous theories have been put forward in an attempt to explain what happened.

Detective Colin Sutton said last month a trafficking gang could have snatched her to replace a dead child or she could have been snatched by a paedophile.

But the former Scotland Yard officer theorised the 'most likely and credible scenario' for Madeleine's disappearance was a targeted kidnap.

At the tenth anniversary of their daughter's disappearance, Kate and Gerry McCann said they would 'never give up' hope of finding her.

Kate, 49, said: I obviously have to think about what age she is and [choose] something that, whenever we find her, will still be appropriate.

'Theres a lot of thought that goes into it. But I couldnt not shes still our daughter, shell always be our daughter.
The Chinese government killed or imprisoned 18 to 20 CIA sources in a two-year period, crippling US spying operations in Beijing.

The sources for the Central Intelligence Agency were jailed and killed from 2010 to 2012 and the origin of the breach has still not been identified, according to The New York Times.

Investigators remain divided over whether there was a spy within the CIA who betrayed the sources or whether the Chinese hacked the CIA's covert communications system.

The Chinese government impaired US spying operations in China by killing or imprisoning 18 to 20 CIA sources from 2010 to 2012, according to a report by the New York Times. (Stock photo of Chinese soldiers)

The Chinese killed at least a dozen people providing information to the CIA from 2010 through 2012, dismantling a network that was years in the making, the Times said, citing current and former US officials.

One source was shot and killed in front of a government building in China, three officials told the newspaper, saying that was designed as a message to others about working with Washington.

The breach was considered particularly damaging, with the number of assets lost rivaling those in the Soviet Union and Russia who perished after information passed to Moscow by spies Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen. Ames was active as a spy in the 1980s and Hanssen from 1979 to 2001.

The CIA declined to comment when asked about the Times report on Saturday.

The Chinese activities began to emerge in 2010, when the American spy agency had been getting high quality information about the Chinese government from sources deep inside the bureaucracy, including Chinese upset by the Beijing government's corruption, four former officials told the newspaper.

The information began to dry up by the end of the year and the sources began disappearing in early 2011.

As more sources were killed the FBI and the CIA began a joint investigation of the breach, examining all operations run in Beijing and every employee of the U.S. Embassy there.

The origin of the intelligence brief still has not been identified and investigators are divided over whether the Chinese hacked the CIA's communications system or if someone within the CIA betrayed Chinese sources

The investigation ultimately centered on a former CIA operative who worked in a division overseeing China, but there was not enough evidence to arrest him.

Some investigators believed the Chinese had hacked the CIA's covert communications system.

Still others thought the breach was a result of careless spy work including traveling the same routes to the same meeting points or meeting sources at restaurants where Chinese had planted listening devices, the newspaper said.

By 2013, US intelligence concluded China's ability to identify its agents had been curtailed, the newspaper said, and the CIA has been trying to rebuild its spy network there.
Its the summer of 2010 in Afghanistan, and British soldiers are fighting bloody battles with the Taliban in Helmand. Captain Johnny Mercer of 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, is on his third tour in four years, his job to call in artillery or air strikes on enemy positions. Returning to base with a patrol of 20 men from 3rd Royal Horse Artillery, they are ambushed and in the chaos he finds himself stranded in an open field, a sitting target for two Taliban positions. The year has already seen an appalling British death toll, and Mercer can only lie in the dirt, convinced he is about to be next

I could not move. Id be dead if I had just got up and bolted. The rounds were now coming in single shots from two enemy positions, trying to pick me off. They were kicking up the dirt around me. I hoped death would be painless but I suspected it wouldnt be. Ive never been so scared, before or since.

People talk about what comes into your mind when you are about to die. Some mention poignant things like their mother, or their children, some think of regrets. Well, I may be a bit too simple, but I just wondered how much it was going to hurt.

I thought of British troops who had died so bravely at Normandy. I dont know why I always thought of them. I remember as a boy learning about the war, struggling to understand the commitment required to lay down your life on the altar of your countrys freedom. I thought most of them probably died like this. Not in some glorious charge; not with others watching them sacrifice all they have for their freedom. Just s*** scared. On their own.

Comrades: Johnny Mercer, centre, with Bing Chandler, left, and Baz Barrowcliff at Khaamar base

I thought to myself, Make sure you die like a man. Dont embarrass yourself

I was convinced I would die. I was lying face down in the dirt. I had tried to get up a couple of times, but found myself instinctively ducking down again as rounds ripped past my head.

It took almost all my courage to change magazines and get up on one knee and put some rounds into the enemy position, but this seemed to anger the enemy and their fire increased.

The rounds were bracketing me  some landing to the left and some to the right. The Taliban usually had very poor or no sights on their weapons, but if they bracketed the target, they could correct their fire until they hit it. It was clear that sooner or later one of these rounds was going to find me.

I was totally fixed in position, on my own, being used as target practice by the enemy. The only thing that would definitely stop a round was my helmet.

I changed my body position to ensure that my helmet was facing the enemy, and got as low as I could between two ploughed furrows.

We had been conducting a standard doubled-up patrol (about 20 blokes) into an area that had previously been heavily occupied by the Taliban, but was now much quieter after recent weeks of fighting. As we headed out that morning I realised it was the August bank holiday weekend back home.

I thought of The Barbican in Plymouth, which would be a scene of carnage by the end of the day.

We had just begun our extraction back west towards our patrol base (PB) when a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) flew straight into a group of Afghan soldiers at the rear of our patrol, and was followed up with bursts of automatic weapon fire into all of us.

I was mid-way across a 500-metre-wide field, ploughed and ready for planting. I followed the correct drills as I swivelled to my left in the direction of the lone firing point to the south, and dropped to one knee to start engaging the enemy with my weapon.

Courageous: Mark Bing Chandler in Afghanistan

After a moment, I realised I couldnt hear anyone else returning fire, and I looked around me. For reasons I could not fathom then or since, no one else returned fire. The troops in front of me had forgotten all their training and legged it to a ditch about 300 metres ahead. Simultaneously, the troops behind me had run 300 metres in the other direction to a ditch we had passed before entering the field.

I was alone in the middle of a field, now the sole target of enemy automatic weapon fire. As I threw myself to the ground, I could hear that the group behind me were dealing with a Category A injury (immediate transfer to Camp Bastion) to an Afghan soldier; the others seemed to be walking wounded.

The rate of fire from the enemy increased substantially  either because they knew we had taken a casualty, or they could see me alone in the field, I could not tell which. The rounds were getting closer. Finally I spotted some action in the fire team to my front. A young lad had seen me, and he was frantically calling his section 2IC (second-in-command).

The section 2IC just stared at me, mouth agape. It then clicked that the only person who was going to get me out of this was myself; no one was going to do it for me. The guys immediate reaction to leaving someone behind was to panic; the patrol commander was busy sorting out the Cat A casualty. I had the radio on my back and the skills to bring down some heavy fire on to the enemy position.

I resolved to blast my way out of this, or at least try.

I pulled my map out of my trouser pocket. I had a good look at where I was and where the gun battery was located. I was so nervous my fingers were damp with sweat. The guns had performed so well for me on this tour. I could bring them to bear relatively quickly and land a couple of rounds of high explosive in the field to my front; that should give the enemy a shock and enable me to run.

I did not want to overplay my situation  was I really cut off? I would hate to cause a fuss for nothing. But I did not want to die.

Plymouth MP Johnny Mercer and his wife Felicity, outside his office at the Houses of Parliament

I calmed myself down and put a call out to the controlling joint fires station.

Hello, any call sign, any call sign, this is Witchcraft four-three. Requesting immediate emergency CAS [close air support]. Man isolated on his own in contact.

A thick American drawl came over the net.

Hello, Witchcraft four-three, this is Dealer one-four. I am a Cobra gunship. I am transiting now to you, confirm location of man left behind.

I gave the pilot a brief, including my own grid position, trying desperately not to sound as if I was as scared as I was. I knew that this was being listened to in headquarters, and I didnt want to embarrass myself.

Roger. Engaging now.

The sound was deafening. All hell broke loose as the gunships Gatling vomited ammo right over my head. The rounds were not going into the target (later I found out there were families in the compounds the Taliban were using as firing points), but were tearing up the ground no more than 80 metres to my south.

It was now or never.

I got up and ran for the ditch in front of me, where a collection of soldiers was now simultaneously engaging the enemy positions with machine guns. It was the noisiest battlefield I had ever heard.

Ive never been very quick on my feet, and this was no exception. It was only 300 metres or so, but it felt like a bloody long way. I didnt feel out of breath but my legs were very heavy indeed and the ground was thick. As I ran I braced for the pain of a bullet ripping through me. I tried not to think about it, but it was tough.

Repatriation of Lance Bombadier Mark Chandler from 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery

With the terrain and the weight of the kit, it took me about a minute to cover the distance.

I dived into the ditch on my a***, behind the machine gunner.

F***ing hell, boss, that was like something out of a film, said a soldier I didnt recognise.

Lets get the f*** out of here, lads, I said.

The Afghan soldier who had been hit in the initial contact was deteriorating fast. The company commander wanted to get a helicopter into the field behind us. I advised him that the medical evacuation and response team (MERT) may well come under contact again. I did not think the enemy position had actually been hit.

The MERT Chinook  accompanied as always by a UK Apache helicopter  landed OK, but almost as soon as its wheels were down a massive volley of shots rang out.

Someone fired off an RPG from right next to me. I could not hear a thing.

In the chaos, I looked back over my shoulder at the Chinook. The boys were running a man on a stretcher out to it. We could not lose the Chinook.

The MERT pilot was ready to lift. He called for clearance on the radio. I was pressing it so hard to my ear that it must have looked as if I was trying to insert it.

Stand by to lift. Await my call, I shouted. I yelled over at the company commander for an increased rate of fire. The patrol responded, as did the Afghan army unit. I could hear the Apache engaging as well. These enemy were giving it a good go. They wanted to down the Chinook.

I paused. The noise was insane  I could tell by the vibrations around my head more than anything, since the RPG had knocked out my hearing. The Apache was continuously firing above me. The Chinooks rotors were turning as it waited on the deck some 50 metres behind me. The entire patrol was engaging into the enemy positions from the berm line I was crouched behind.

The MERT Chinook  accompanied as always by a UK Apache helicopter  landed OK, but almost as soon as its wheels were down a massive volley of shots rang out (stock image)

MERT, you are cleared to lift. Cleared to lift! I shouted. In that one moment, I realised why I loved the Army so much. The teamwork was extraordinary. I distinctly remember thinking how brave those pilots were, sitting there with just a Perspex screen for protection, waiting for the command to lift. The lads all had their heads above the berm as they engaged the enemy position, determined to protect the helicopter. The pilot of the Apache gunship was coolly placing himself in harms way to protect the MERT. Discipline; control; courage; professionalism; teamwork; sacrifice. The British Armed Forces codified in one moment of battle.

Roger. Lifting now, said someone very calmly into the radio.

The weight of fire increased.

The Chinook raised and flared backwards. The noise remained intense. He continued to lift and eventually he was nose down, chugging away from the scene and back to Bastion. As the noise from the helicopter faded, so the enemy fire seemed to dwindle and stop.

By now we were only about two kilometres from PB Khaamar, and we started moving back in that direction, at a quicker pace now that the casualty was gone. I was last man in.

After surviving a heavy contact, the rest of the patrol had an overwhelming feeling of having got away with something, and the boys were understandably quite boisterous. I headed back to the tent, unable to speak. I felt the blood run to my head.

I pulled out my cigarettes. They were soaked with sweat and squashed. I tried to light one, but the sweat from my thumb had dampened the flint on the lighter. I couldnt get a flame out.

I put my head in my hands and shut my eyes, struggling to get a grip. I couldnt stop shaking. The stress of co-ordinating the joint fires as a solo effort; the experience of being left behind on my own; the repeated stamping on the monkey of fear in my head and keeping it under control  I think I was beginning to max out with what I could cope with. I could literally feel my head reaching saturation point.

Corporal Shaun Barrowcliff, known as Baz, a junior NCO from the Queens Royal Lancers, came in and lit my cigarette. My hand was shaking more than usual; I couldnt get the butt into my mouth. Every time I closed my eyes, I was back in the bloody field on my own.

I chain-smoked three or four cigarettes and gently forced my mind to settle down.

I had, by this point, come close to being killed a few times, and my coping mechanism was very simple. The more I thought about it, the worse it got. So I forced myself to think about other things. If I was struggling to get out of the cycle of thoughts about dying, I would get up and do something else  physically move my body, go for a run. Eventually I settled down.

Later, the company sergeant major appeared at our tent door. One of my blokes has just told me that we left you behind today. Were you ever going to say anything to me?

I was convinced I would die. I was lying face down in the dirt

I didnt want to say anything  it was a genuine f***-up in the fog of combat, and I didnt want to make a fuss.

OK. Im sorry, he said. I just felt I should come over and apologise. You did seriously f***ing well today. Should never have happened.

No dramas. Move on, I said.

I was the senior, most experienced and  given my control of joint fires  the most capable soldier on the ground in this area of operations. If it was going to happen to anyone, it may as well have been me.

And so much of this f***ing war was luck.

A commander will earn his rank in the heavy moments  the moment when someone gets shot, the weapon jams, the enemy is 20 metres away, and the radio isnt working.

The truth is, it is f***ing scary  were all f***ing scared. Seeing someone lose half their body and scream all the way on to the helicopter is traumatic. Seeing someone shot dead is traumatic.

In those moments you just want to run on to the helicopter, go home and be done with it. That, I feel, is when you earn your rank. Its just a piece of embroidery otherwise. Leadership isnt all about riding your horse at the head of the parade.

There are some f***ing hard, bloodsoaked, dust-encased, shaking-with-fear, s***-yourself yards you have to find it in yourself to make  you as an individual, not encouraged by others. But everyone has their limit and these guys were being pushed to it and beyond.

 Johnny Mercer, 2017
The United States and Saudi Arabia have agreed arms contracts worth $110 billion on US military sales to Riyadh, a White House official said Saturday, Sputnik reported.

"On Saturday, in a significant expansion of the over seven-decade long security relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the President [Donald Trump] and Secretary [Rex] Tillerson will attend a signing ceremony for almost $110 Billion worth of Foreign Military Sales cases via Letters of Offer and Acceptance and future defense capabilities under development listed in a Memorandum of Intent to support Saudi Arabia's defense needs," the official told reporters.

According to the White House, these contracts will significantly expand the bilateral cooperation in the sphere of security and promote stability in the region.

"[This contracts are] also bolstering the Kingdom's ability to contribute to counter terrorism operations across the region, reducing the burden on the U.S. military to conduct those operations," the spokesperson said adding that these agreements would support "tens of thousands of new jobs in the U.S. defense industrial base."

Trump arrived in Riyadh earlier in the day, making Saudi Arabia the first country he visited as the President of the United States.

During the visit, Trump is expected to hold bilateral talks with King Salman bin Abdulaziz, as well as a meeting with the leaders of six Arabian monarchies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates), and take part in the summit of the leaders of Arab and Muslim countries along with some 50 other heads of state or government.
Special Forces frogmen are searching for terrorist mines attached to the vast tankers that ferry gas from the Middle East to Britain, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Members of the Special Boat Service (SBS) and specialists from the Royal Navy are conducting the covert searches amid growing fears that Al Qaeda or Islamic State terrorists might attach explosives to ships in the Middle East  and detonate them when they reach the UK.

Giant tankers carrying millions of tons of liquid natural gas are being searched in secret while in foreign docks in a effort to prevent a horrific explosion, environmental disaster and, possibly, a huge loss of life.

Target: A gas tanker at South Hook, Milford Haven in Wales. Special forces fear that terrorists plan to attach explosives to ships in the Middle East  and detonate them when they reach the UK

A Navy diver handling a limpet mine in the turbid waters of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in around 1996

A senior Naval source said there was even the possibility that terrorists could plant mines on ships once they have entered UK waters.

A source said: The threat against gas tankers emerged a couple years ago and we have been training to counter it ever since. The concern is that tankers could be sailed into UK waters and destroyed either with mines or improvised explosive devices [IEDs].

It is entirely possible a major incident could result in fuel shortages in the UK and this would be disastrous economically.

The search mission began two years ago after intelligence emerged that terrorists had either acquired limpet mines, which can be attached to a ships hull, or were planning to develop a similar device.

Navy divers involved in underwater force protection operations  searching ships for mines  come from the SBS and from an elite team called Fleet Diving Unit 1.

The Special Boat Service badge

Using specialist military diving equipment, the frogmen can swim to depths of more than 200ft and are trained to defuse limpet mines and IEDs in the dark. Divers search ships  some of which are more than 300 yards long  using James Bond-style diver-propulsion vehicles to move underwater at speed.

Dozens of British ships have been searched in the past two years, although it is not known whether any mines have been found. Divers work in pairs, communicating with each other with special underwater radios and using sophisticated breathing equipment.

Some of the specialist dive teams are based on Naval ships and submarines but extra units can be deployed by small boats or by parachuting them into the sea.

Navy divers and the SBS also work together on counter-terrorist operations and are trained to recapture hijacked ships and to defuse bombs placed on oil rigs.

Although not part of the special forces, Navy divers have to undertake some of the most arduous training in the Armed Forces.

Intelligence officials believe that the main threat to gas tankers comes from limpet mines, which are small and relatively cheap. They can be attached to steel, fibre-glass or wooden hulls using magnets, suckers or silent-firing nail guns.

Using specialist military diving equipment, the frogmen can swim to depths of more than 200ft and are trained to defuse limpet mines and IEDs in the dark. Stock image of other divers in Hawaii

Each mine can blast a hole through a ships hull  and some are fitted with anti-handling devices, making the divers job even more hazardous.

As well as searching gas tankers, Royal Navy warships in ports in Egypt and Beirut  now regarded as high-threat for terrorist attacks  are also routinely searched.

Dozens of gas tankers enter British waters from around the world but those at risk of being targeted come mainly from Middle Eastern countries such as Qatar. The tankers unload at terminals on the Isle of Grain in Kent and at Milford Haven in Wales and the gas is fed to power stations around the UK.

A Navy spokesman said it did not comment on Special Forces or ongoing operations.
Theresa Mays hopes of an Election landslide hit a setback last night when a poll showed strong opposition to her plan to make more elderly people pay for care.

A Survation poll for The Mail on Sunday showed the Conservative lead over Labour has fallen to 12 per cent, a five point drop in a week. It follows the release of last weeks Tory manifesto which included social care reforms that were quickly branded a Dementia Tax by critics.

The proposals would mean that tens of thousands of people who receive care at home could face costly bills as  for the first time  the value of a persons home will be included in their assets, with only the last 100,000 protected.

A Survation poll for The Mail on Sunday showed the Conservative lead over Labour has fallen to 12 per cent, a five point drop in a week

According to the poll, the Conservatives are now on 46 per cent, Labour on 34 and the Lib Dems on eight. Just seven days ago, the average Tory poll lead was 17.

The Survation poll indicates 47 per cent oppose Mrs Mays social care funding plans, with 28 per cent in favour. Significantly, 28 per cent say the proposals have made them less likely to vote Tory, with eight per cent more likely to do so.

More than half say it has made them more worried about getting older, caring for elderly relatives, owning a house and securing their childrens future.

However, the poll also offers a series of boosts for the Prime Minister  and blows to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Mrs Mays manifesto move away from Margaret Thatcher-style policies is very well received.

Many see Mrs May as nearly as supportive of the working class as Mr Corbyn.

Even more embarrassing for Mr Corbyn, four out of ten non-Labour voters attracted to some of his policies, such as renationalising the railways and making the rich pay more tax, say they could not vote for them because Mr Corbyn was either incapable of making them work or they were impractical.

Even before last nights poll, Tory chiefs were privately braced for controversy over the social care changes.

And evidence soon emerged of Tory tensions. Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston, a GP, said it was right to tackle tough issues, but added: It comes as a huge shock to many to discover that if they have assets above 23,250 they are liable for all the costs of residential care.

The sting in the tail is that the proposals bring property assets into the means test for those needing care at home, and wealthier pensioners will lose winter fuel payments.

The Survation poll indicates 47 per cent oppose Mrs Mays social care funding plans

Her comments were echoed by fellow Conservative MP Bob Blackman who said: I support the policy but clearly there needs to be a limit on how much any individual or family is required to pay.

There were reports the social care proposal was inserted into the manifesto at the last minute by Mrs Mays powerful No 10 chief of staff Nick Timothy.

The decision by Mr Timothy, who has argued for extra taxes on inheritance, is said to have been opposed by John Godfrey, the head of the No 10 policy unit. Mrs May sided with Mr Timothy.

But the proposal was defended by Treasury Chief Secretary David Gauke, who said: Its easy for politicians to stand up and deliver a long list of free this, free that. Thats not what Theresa May is doing.

'There are tough choices on issues like social care and winter fuel. It is bold, but its right.

Mrs Mays decision not to flinch from tough decisions in her manifesto is vindicated by a more favourable response to other proposals.

Fears that abandoning David Camerons vow not to raise income tax or national insurance would provoke uproar have proved unfounded: 38 per cent support it with 39 per cent against. Scrapping winter fuel handouts for better-off elderly people is endorsed by nearly one in two voters.

Her hardline threat to walk away from the EU with no deal if talks in Brussels break down is backed by 45 per cent with 33 against. Mrs May will also draw comfort from support for the apparent shift in her manifesto away from Thatcherite policies, highlighted by promises to give more help to the working class and less to the rich.

Most surprising of all, asked if Mrs May or Mr Corbyn is most likely to help the working class, the Labour leader scores 37 per cent with the PM not far behind on 31.

There were reports the social care proposal was inserted into the manifesto at the last minute by Mrs Mays powerful No 10 chief of staff Nick Timothy

But she has her work cut out to win approval for other parts of her manifesto. There is strong opposition to ending the guaranteed annual 2.5 per cent pension rise and scrapping free hot lunches for all but the poorer primary school children.

The new survey suggests the Tory majority could be less than 100, still a massive win, but significantly lower than Mrs Thatchers 1983 landslide.

Survation interviewed 1,017 people online on Friday and yesterday.

PM's warning over national security as Labour women clash over Trident

Glen Owen, Political Correspondent for the Mail On Sunday

Britain's security will be threatened if Jeremy Corbyn wins the Election, Theresa May warned yesterday as Labour plunged into fresh infighting over the Trident nuclear deterrent.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry said she was sceptical about renewing Trident  only for her partys defence spokeswoman to slap her down as wrong.

The row started after Ms Thornberry used a radio interview on Friday evening to warn she wouldnt guarantee to keep Labours manifesto pledge to retain Trident if the party seized power.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry said she was sceptical about renewing Trident  only for her partys defence spokeswoman Nia Griffith to slap her down as wrong

Asked if she could confirm that the missile system would survive a party defence review, she said: Well no, of course not. If you are going to have a review, you have to have a review. You know there was a time when we gave up on sabres or horses.

You need to keep updating your defence policy and meeting the most pressing and most obvious needs.

But two hours later, Shadow Defence Secretary Nia Griffith told the BBC: Nobody has raised the issue of removing the Trident nuclear deterrent from our manifesto. Asked if Ms Thornberry was wrong, Ms Griffith said: Indeed, adding: Emily is not the Shadow Defence Secretary. I am.

Mrs May seized on the turmoil by telling an Election rally in West London: A Labour Government led by Jeremy Corbyn would not be unequivocally committed to the Trident nuclear deterrent.

The controversy is the latest in a series of embarrassing rows within Labour over Trident

They would not be able to defend this country. A Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour Government could not be trusted with the defence of our country.

The controversy is the latest in a series of embarrassing rows within Labour over Trident.

Only last month, Mr Corbyn infuriated colleagues by appearing to leave open the idea that renewing the nuclear deterrent could be left out of the manifesto. Party chiefs had to move hastily to quash the idea.

Mr Corbyn has campaigned for nuclear disarmament for decades. Just 15 months ago he told a Stop Trident March: Im very serious about this point. Very serious indeed. I dont want us to replace Trident. Everybody knows that.

Replacing the current class of Trident nuclear submarines is expected to cost 31 billion, with another 10 billion put aside to cover any extra costs.

Mr Corbyn tried to defuse the row yesterday. During a campaign visit to Birmingham he said: The manifesto makes it very clear that the Labour Party has come to a decision and is committed to Trident.

Last night, Barrow and Furness Labour candidate John Woodcock, who campaigned for Trident renewal as an MP in the last Parliament, waded into the row by saying that Ms Thornberrys remarks should be disregarded as she would never get the chance to be Foreign Secretary. He said: We know nationally what the result of this Election is going to be  Theresa May is going to continue as PM after the Election.

Now we socialists have a real leader: Mrs May

By Tom Harris

These are exciting times for socialists. Red-blooded, Left-wing policies have been so watered down by various Labour leaders that they resemble homeopathic medicines  too weak to change anything yet still inspiring the faith of a deluded few.

Now, at last, we have a leader who will stand up to the elites, to big business, to exploitative bosses. A leader who will raise taxes where necessary, who will make sure the workers have their say, who will intervene in free markets to protect consumers.

Just listen to our future Prime Minister: We do not believe in untrammelled free markets. We reject the cult of selfish individualism. We abhor social division, injustice, unfairness and inequality. We believe not just in society but in the good that government can do. Paying your fair share of tax is the price of living in a civilised society.

The ghost of Thatchers Government is at being laid to rest. And who is presiding over the exorcism? No, not Jeremy Corbyn  Theresa May! writes Tom Harris

The ghost of Thatchers Government is at being laid to rest. And who is presiding over the exorcism? No, not Jeremy Corbyn  Theresa May! For the first time in 40 years, working-class Labour voters are being offered a Tory manifesto they can sign up to.

Gone are New Labours attempts to bribe older, wealthier voters with winter heating allowances paid out irrespective of how well-off they were. Gone is the triple lock on pensions ensuring pensioners received bigger pay rises than those in work. Labour may be committed to that scam, but not the Tories.

Instead we have promises that firms previously owned by the Government  energy companies, for instance  can no longer rip off consumers and will be hog-tied by new regulation. Thatcher may be spinning in her grave, but Tony Benn will be dancing in his.

For the first time in 40 years, working-class Labour voters are being offered a Tory manifesto they can sign up to

Even the ultimate prize of the Conservative Partys Right wing  Britains departure from the EU will acquire a bitter taste. Instead of using the money well save on our 10 billion-plus contributions to the EU on tax cuts, it will go to a fund to reduce inequality. Labours manifesto features no such socialist innovation.

Mays departure from Tory norms has been made easier, of course, by Labours retreat from the centre ground of British politics. Working-class voters have always had more than their fair share of conservatism (with a small c) when it came to social values, money and patriotism. So it should come as no surprise that Mrs May has taken full advantage of Corbyns retreat into shady Left-wing irrelevance.

But Mrs May has taken her troops well beyond the line in the sand marked centre ground.

Hers is a bold, some might say reckless, strategy. And it has been made possible only because, the polls say, she would have to try very hard to lose this Election.

And former Labour voters seem to like what they see.

Who would have thought that socialism  securing, on behalf of the workers, the full fruits of their industry  would be realised under a Tory Government?

... Which is alarming traditional Tories like me

By Andrew Roberts

Theresa May went to Halifax to launch her manifesto on Thursday, a constituency that has voted Labour since 1987 but which will almost certainly go Conservative on June 8.

She emphasised that metaphorically, politically and geographically, the Conservatives are capable of striking deep into Labour territory.

Theresa May went to Halifax to launch her manifesto on Thursday, a constituency that has voted Labour since 1987 but which will almost certainly go Conservative on June 8

Her manifesto has been hailed as completely cutting the ground from under Jeremy Corbyn and Labour  and so it does. So why am I feeling queasy?

Although Mrs May is a Conservative, she is no Tory. This manifesto fires shot after shot at the philosophy of Toryism in a way that would have left Stanley Baldwin, Margaret Thatcher and Lord Salisbury reeling. The entire foreword could have been written by Tony Blair, and the programme of social engineering that the manifesto promises would have left aghast wet Tory Premiers such as Churchill, Macmillan and Heath.

Conservatives, according to Mrs May, have a belief not just in society but the good that government can do.

Mrs Thatcher, of course, never said there is no such thing as society, but she was adamant that governments should get out of the way and let individuals thrive.

In this manifesto we learn that Conservatives reject the cult of selfish individualism. They might reject individualism, but Tories dont. It has been the individual, not the community let alone the State, that has produced the advances that have secured the dignity of man. Tories believe it is only through the rights of individuals that the rest of society can function properly at all.

The manifesto also attacks what it calls social division, which merely means the natural state of society, which is split into classes and groupings. Thatcher instinctively understood how social mobility through meritocracy was the spur to self-advancement, but one shouldnt despise the class one was trying to enter.

It is Mrs Mays wholehearted embrace of the concept of classlessness, once proposed by John Major, that is extraordinarily utopian, especially coming from someone who states: We see rigid dogma and ideology not just as needless but dangerous.

In fact, ideology gave Mrs Thatcher a strong north star to guide by  invaluable for a Prime Minister.

Her manifesto has been hailed as completely cutting the ground from under Jeremy Corbyn and Labour  and so it does. So why am I feeling queasy? asks Andrew Roberts

The attacks on the privileged few in the manifesto  by which is meant the high-earners, or wealth generators  are unworthy in a party that denounces Corbyns politics of envy.

The plan to expel members of the House of Lords for poor conduct is another un-Tory example of the State choosing who can speak and vote in our legislature  something that would not look out of place in Cuba or China.

The endless concentration on victimhood  If you are at a state school If you are black If you are a woman and the references to white working-class boys  was used by Blair to atomise society, but shouldnt have found a place in a Conservative document. Nor is it true that the just about managing class have been ignored, since every politician has wooed the C1 and C2s from Thatcher to Blair. Remember white van man?

Classlessness is a chimera not achieved by any free society, and it wont come in a Britain that retains its public schools.

Mrs Mays plan to force the 100 top public school heads to set up academies as well as doing their actual jobs is another promised exercise in social engineering that sounds good in a political manifesto. But it is as un-Tory as her unprecedented audit of racial disparity and her commitment to remain a signatory of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Classlessness is a chimera not achieved by any free society, and it wont come in a Britain that retains its public schools

The paragraphs on climate change, gender pay gaps, further business regulations and forcing companies to give a years leave for carers, let alone for the most ambitious programme of investment in the NHS ever seen, could have been written by Alastair Campbell for the 1997 Labour manifesto.

Anyone hoping Brexit might be the start of a great deregulation drive that could make us the Singapore of the Atlantic should know that, under Mrs May, workers rights that were conferred on British citizens from our membership of the EU will remain.

Mrs May refers to herself as a Conservative, but if this anti-business, politically correct, profoundly un-Tory manifesto is enacted, it will soon be perceived that she is in fact on the centre-Left of British politics.

Conservatism has sometimes been defined as being whatever the Conservative Party wants to do at the time; Toryism, by contrast, has a long and proud history of principled opposition to the extension of State power over the individual, joint-stock companies, the legislature and institutions such as public schools.

I have on my desk my postal vote, and I will shortly be casting it for Mrs Mays party, because the only alternative Prime Minister is utterly unconscionable. Of course it may well be that the manifesto is part of a brilliant ploy to push Labour out of British politics altogether after 117 years by denying it any central ground whatsoever. If so, then Mrs May should be congratulated.

But if she means to do what she has written, traditional Tories like me should be
White House officials are venting their frustration with Donald Trump's behavior following new revelations that he trash-talked former FBI Director James Comey during a meeting with Russian officials, a report suggests.

The Daily Beast got candid opinions on the president from multiple administration sources - who remained anonymous - after a week of embarrassing leaks.

'Every day he looks more and more like a complete moron,' a senior administration official and previous Trump campaign staffer told the the site.

'I wish he'd grow a brain and be the man that he sold himself as on the campaign,' they added.

On Friday, the New York Times reported that Trump said Comey was 'crazy, a real nut job,' during a May 10 Oval Office meeting with Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian ambassador to the United States Sergey I. Kislyak.

Trump also allegedly told the pair: 'I just fired the head of the F.B.I.' and that 'I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off.'

White House officials are reportedly venting their frustration about Donald Trump's (pictured on May 18) behavior following a slew of new, embarrassing White House leaks

Many of Trump's senior staffers - including (left to right seen May 20) Steve Bannon, Gary Cohn and Jared Kushner - were in the air when the news broke that Trump allegedly trash-talked former FBI Director James Comey after firing him during a meeting with Russian officials

While Trump and many of his senior staffers were on Air Force One as they headed to Saudi Arabia yesterday, there were still plenty of other White House officials left in Washington, DC.

One Trump administration official told The Daily Beast that: 'If Donald Trump gets impeached, he will have one person to blame: Donald Trump.'

That same official said Trump could've avoided a lot of the blow back, such as impeachment calls and allegations of obstruction, from the leaks.

'Trump himself hasn't been implicated in any of these leaks except where he's implicated himself,' the official said, adding that, 'if he would just shut his trap,' there would be nothing for critics to talk about.

The official went on to say that, under normal circumstances, the fallout from having fired Comey would be the kind of thing that a communications team can easily handle.

'That's the worst part: he has a competent comms staff. But they can't do their jobs because he keeps running his mouth,' the official said.

'Every day he looks more and more like a complete moron,' a senior White House administration official was quoted as saying, regarding Trump's seemingly off the cuff remarks

A Republican source said an administration staff change and a 'frontal lobotomy for Trump' could help smooth things over after the reveal that Trump allegedly told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that things would be easier after Comey's firing

Trump's seemingly cavalier use of Twitter and unscripted comments to press has apparently been very trying for administration officials.

Another source, this time a Republican who had ties to a pro-Trump political group, had harsh things to say when asked if changing Trump's administration staff would make things more palatable going forward, following the Comey trash-talking reveal.

'Yes, if it comes with a frontal lobotomy for Trump,' the source said.

The only person who gave attributed quotes to The Daily Beast was David C. Gomez, a former FBI assistant special agent in charge, who spoke about Trump's apparent inability to see the potential legal ramifications of what he says.

Gomez noted that 'it's amateur night at the White House' because 'these guysand Trump especiallydon't know how to not implicate themselves.'

Under normal circumstances, Gomez said that law enforcement would rely on wiretaps in these kind of situations, but since Trump 'just comes right out and says it,' there's no need.
It has all the ingredients of a country house murder-mystery: poisoned victims, accusing letters, vanishing evidence and a host of suspects.

Sadly, it is no work of fiction, rather a real-life whodunnit that has cast a shadow over the Queen's Norfolk retreat, Sandringham.

Thankfully none of the victims were house guests. Instead, the case involves protected birds of prey who are believed to have met their end on the estate, or nearby, in curious circumstances.

The Queen's Norfolk retreat, Sandringham has had a spate of bird of prey killings

And in the best traditions of Agatha Christie, the crimes have baffled the local constabulary.

One of the mysterious cases hit the headlines two months ago when The Mail on Sunday revealed the death at Sandringham of a goshawk, the body of which was later incinerated.

Two years earlier a rare Montagu's harrier fitted with a tracking device vanished, and before that there were claims that two hen harriers  which face extinction in the UK  were blasted out of the sky while flying over the 20,000 acre estate.

Prince Harry and his friend William van Cutsem, who were shooting duck and pigeon nearby, were questioned by police but denied knowledge of the incident, as did a gamekeeper.

The Mail on Sunday can now report that another case has come to light, and this time there was tangible evidence  a poisoned sparrowhawk. They are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the punishment for killing one is up to six months in jail and a 5,000 fine.

Examination of the crime scene on the estate revealed a vital clue: a pigeon found a few feet from the sparrowhawk had been laced with a poison that would have killed any bird of prey scavenging on its remains. Tests on the pigeon found traces of bendiocarb, the same pesticide that killed the hawk.

Gamekeepers on other estates have previously been prosecuted for poisoning hawks to stop them killing game birds.

Officials from Natural England, the government agency tasked with protecting the nation's wildlife, launched an investigation.

It is understood that at least one member of the Royals' staff was tested for residue of the poison but none was found. Police searched some premises and asked for information about gamekeepers and their beats but found no evidence to link estate workers to the crime.

Details of the sparrowhawk case only emerged through a freedom of information request to Government agency the Chemical Regulations Directorate (CRD).

A sparrowhawk perched on a tree. One was poisoned on the estate recently

The request was made by animal rights group Raptor Persecution UK following the MoS story about the goshawk. Mysteriously, the name Sandringham is redacted in letters and emails relating to the October 2009 incident involving the sparrowhawk.

Estate staff names are also blanked out. It is not clear who censored the correspondence but the location  Norfolk  was left in, as was the description 'the private home of four generations of British monarchs'.

Emails also show that Government lawyers debated whether an estate that is owned by the Queen  who is patron of the RSPB  could be investigated over the alleged poisoning.

Police have conducted four investigations in ten years into confirmed or suspected deaths of birds of prey at Sandringham and land bordering the estate. No one has been prosecuted.

The sparrowhawk inquiry did reveal that dangerous pesticides were being improperly stored. The breaches led to a separate investigation and an official warning from the CRD.

Estate staff claimed in a letter to the CRD that the sparrowhawk and pigeon were killed elsewhere then dumped on the estate to implicate one of the estate's staff in 'a despicable crime'.

The estate also said it had tightened its pesticides procedures.

A spokesman for the Sandringham Estate said last night: 'In 2009 the body of a sparrowhawk was found on the Sandringham Estate. A thorough investigation was undertaken by Natural England, with which the estate co-operated fully. No one on the estate was found to be in any way liable and no further action was taken.'
Rabbi Lionel Blue, who was a regular on Radio 4s Thought For The Day segment, left 2.1 million in his will  the bulk of it to charity.

Blue, who was Britains first openly gay rabbi, died in December aged 86

Blue, who was Britains first openly gay rabbi, died in December aged 86.

Most of his estate was split equally between Friends of the Bereaved Families Forum, Age UK, PDSA, Carmelite Provincial Fund and Durhams Grey College Trust.
The body of Michael Doherty, 20, (pictured) who was last seen leaving a party is believed to have been found in the woods in Franklin, Massachusetts

The body of a Duke student who was last seen leaving a party a week ago is believed to have been found in Massachusetts woods.

Police suspect they found the remains of Michael Doherty, 20, at 2:30 pm on Saturday in Franklin, Massachusetts.

The junior - who had just arrived home for summer - was last seen after a party on Sunday at 1:30 am.

He'd planned for his brothers to pick him up but since he stayed later at the party, they were sleeping and didn't respond to his phone call when he was ready to leave.

A low-charged phone in hand and wearing a blue Nike T-shirt, black pants, and sneakers, the brown eyed 5ft10-inch student braved the heavy rain and decided to take a short cut through the woods to arrive home.

Authorities are yet to formally identify the body until they've investigated further, according to WBZ.

'Positive confirmation will not be available until the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has issued its findings,' police wrote in a press release.

'The thoughts and prayers of all the members of the Franklin Police Department and all of the other agencies that participated in searching for Michael go out to the Doherty family in this time.'

Scroll down for video

The Duke junior (pictured left) is believed to have been found at 2:30 pm on Saturday. When he went missing, several firefighters, police and volunteers (pictured right) searched through the marshy swamps in the woods where he was last seen

Earlier this week, the search team (pictured in the woods where Doherty was last seen )found his sneakers and shirt on the side of a marsh in the wooded area in Franklin

The authorities searched by ground and by air for a week. It was not until Sunday that two civilian searchers told authorities they'd found the body of a white male in the woods near a busy highway in Franklin. Pictured is the chopper used during the search

On Sunday morning, his parents called the police upon realizing he had not returned home.

Police, firefighters and volunteers intensely searched, by ground and by air, the wooded, swampy areas where he was last seen.

They found his sneakers and shirt on the side of a marsh in the woods.

It was not until Sunday that two civilian searchers alerted authorities when they found the body of a white male in the woods near a busy highway in Franklin.

Doherty's parents, Nancy and Dan, have been left 'devastated' since his disappearance, but have been hopeful he would return home.

'We just want our son home. We are devastated, heartbroken and we wouldn't wish this on anyone ever and we just want our son home. '
Advertisement

Thousands of people took to the streets of Iranian capital Tehran to celebrate moderate President Hassan Rouhani's landslide victory over hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi after election results were confirmed on Saturday.

Many female drivers held out the V for victory sign and flashed their car lights on highways to celebrate the win in the city's affluent north.

'I feel that I did a huge thing. I voted for my country's future,' said one, 32-year-old Sarah Hassanpour, who wore a loosely fitting headscarf covering only the back of her head. 'I am so happy, because there will be no war and insecurity.'

As night fell and news was filtering through that Rouhani had accrued an insurmountable lead, tens of thousands of his supporters celebrated by pouring into the streets of downtown Tehran, setting off fireworks and chanting in support of reformist prime minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi.

Many wore ribbons of Rouhani's colour purple as well as green in support of the opposition leaders under house arrest.

Rouhani, 68, said his re-election shows the country seeks peace and friendship as it pursues a 'path of coexistence and interaction with the world' in his victory speech.

Scroll down for video

Newly re-elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gestures during a televised speech after his victory in presidential election

Supporters of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani celebrate after he won the presidential election in Tehran on Saturday

A woman gives a V sign for victory as she and thousands others celebrate the election landslide

A voter flashes a victory sign with her inked finger while voting for the presidential and municipal councils election at a polling station

'Today, Iran is standing taller than at any time before and is ready to expand its relations with the world based on mutual respect and national interests,'Rouhani said in his victory speech. 'Today, the world knows that Iranians have chosen the path of interaction with the world away from extremism and violence.'

Iran 'is not ready to accept humiliation and threat,' he continued. 'This is the most important message that our nation expects to be heard by all - particularly world powers.'

However his first comment on the win highlighted the limits on expression that still exist in Iran despite his promises for greater openness.

'Great nation of Iran, you are the winner of the election. I humbly bow down before you. I will remain loyal to my promises to you,' he wrote on Twitter, which is banned by government censors but followed widely by Iranians able to get around the curbs.

The incumbent Rouhani secured a 57% outright victory, or close to 23 million votes out of the 40 million that were cast, over his main challenger, former prosecutor Ebrahim Raisi who received 38.5%, or 15.7 million votes, which was not enough to take the election to a second round.

The election, which was held on Friday, was widely seen as a referendum on the Rouhani's push for greater freedom at home and outreach to the wider world, which culminated in the completion of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal that hard-liners initially opposed.

Jubilant Rouhani supporters dance in the streets after the results were confirmed

A man holds aloft a picture of the incumbent president who will serve another term as the country's leader

Many wore ribbons of Rouhani's color purple as well as green in support of the opposition leaders under house arrest

Iranian voters are presenting for the presidential and municipal council election on May 19, 2017 in the city of Qom

Iranian presidential candidate and hard liner Ebrahim Raisi gestures as he casts his vote during the presidential election

The nuclear deal won Iran relief from international sanctions in exchange for limits on its contested nuclear program.

But Iran continues to suffer from high unemployment and a dearth of foreign investment, putting pressure on Rouhani to show he can do more to turn the sluggish economy around.

Although considered a moderate by Iranian standards, Rouhani was the favorite pick for those seeking more liberal reforms in the conservative Islamic Republic.

He appeared to embrace a more reform-minded role during the campaign as he openly criticized hard-liners and Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard, a paramilitary force involved in the war in Syria and the fight against the Islamic State group in neighboring Iraq.

That gave hope to his supporters, who during recent campaign rallies called for the release of two reformist leaders of the 2009 Green Movement who remain under house arrest

The two figures, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi, both endorsed Rouhani, as did Mohammad Khatami, another reformist who served as Iran's president from 1997 to 2005.

Cliff Kupchan, chairman of the Eurasia Group, said the landslide win gives Rouhani, who was first elected in 2013 with nearly 51 percent of the vote, a mandate he lacked in his first term.

Veiled Iranian women supporters of conservative presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi cheer as they hold their ID cards ready to vote

'I feel that I did a huge thing. I voted for my country's future,' said one female voter after the casting her ballot

ewly re-elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani walks past a picture of Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on arriving to deliver a televised speech

Rouhani gestures to the audience and cameras during his victory speech. Iran's president is the second-most powerful figure within Iran's political system

'Though he'll remain a centrist, Rouhani will be more aggressive in pursuing reforms,' he predicted, though he cautioned the path would not be easy.

'Rouhani will continue to face an uphill climb on political reform; the hard liners will dig in around education and other issues,' he wrote. 'But working with a centrist parliament, he will begin to ease the political darkness that followed the 2009 election.'

Iran's president is the second-most powerful figure within Iran's political system. He is subordinate to the supreme leader, who is chosen by a clerical panel and has the ultimate say over all matters of state.

Election officials repeatedly extended Friday's voting hours until midnight to accommodate long lines of voters, some of whom said they waited hours to cast their ballots. Analysts said a higher turnout would likely benefit Rouhani.

Raisi, his nearest challenger, is close to Khamenei, who stopped short of endorsing anyone in the election. Raisi ran a populist campaign, vowing to fight corruption and fix the economy while boosting welfare payments to the poor.

Many of Raisi's critics pointed to his alleged role condemning inmates to death during Iran's 1988 mass execution of thousands of political prisoners, and feared a victory for the hard-liner could worsen human rights in Iran and put the country on a more confrontational path with the West.

The two other candidates left in the race, Mostafa Mirsalim, a former culture minister, and Mostafa Hashemitaba, a pro-reform figure who previously ran for president in 2001, each garnered fewer than half a million votes compared to Rouhani's more than 41 million.

The Tehran Stock Exchange rallied after the election results came out, extending a recent winning streak to close nearly 1 percent higher at its highest level in three months.

One of the first world leaders to congratulate Rouhani was Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose government is strongly backed by Tehran. He congratulated him for the 'confidence that the Iranian people gave to him to go forward in boosting Iran's status in the region and the world.'

All candidates for elected office must be vetted, a process that excludes anyone calling for radical change, along with most reformists. No woman has ever been approved to run for president.
Conrad Hilton (pictured during a May 10 court appearance) was released from jail on bail on Thursday

Conrad Hilton was quietly released from jail in Los Angeles on Thursday morning.

The 23-year-old hotel heir slipped out of Twin Towers Correctional Facility at 6.53am, a week after appearing in court to hear the conditions of his release.

A judge ordered that Conrad post $90,000 in bail before he could be released in to the custody of his father.

His lawyer Robert Shapiro also requested that he be sent to The Menninger Clinic, a psychiatric hospital in Houston, Texas, for evaluation upon his release.

It is not clear yet if Conrad was sent to the institution. During his court appearance on May 10, he shouted homophobic slurs and claimed to have been assaulted by police.

He will return to court on May 25.

The troubled hotel heir was arrested on May 6 at his ex-girlfriend's mother EG Daily's house.

Daily called police at around 4am claiming he was trying to get in to the property, violating a previous restraining order that the family took out against him in 2015 following his split with their daughter Hunter Daily Salomon.

She said he had driven to the property in her ex-husband's Bentley which Conrad is accused of stealing before he made his way to her house.

Conrad was charged with grand theft auto and violating a restraining order.

During his May 10 court hearing, he described a photographer as 'so f****** gay' and told a judge that he 'does not have sex with hookers.

In video shot inside the courtroom, Conrad can be seen shaking his head and casting an annoyed gaze when the judge announces he will have to enter the hospital and that his father has been named his court-appointed custodian.

Conrad appeared behind a set of bars for the bail hearing, with his lawyer Robert Shapiro standing in front of him inside the main area of the courtroom.

His lawyer previously requested that he be sent to The Menninger Clinic, a psychiatric facility in Houston, Texas, upon his release

Loud and proud: Conrad shouted a gay slur during his May 10 court appearance. He is pictured standing behind his lawyer Robert Shapiro

The troubled hotel heir's parents Kathy and Rick were joined by his brother Barron for his court appearance

The homophobic slur came while the judge was reading off some of the more specific details of Conrad's bail conditions, which seemed to be of little interest to the defendant.

An amped-up Conrad could be seen making faces and looking around the courtroom during the judge's instructions, eventually directing his gaze at one photographer and mouthing 'so f***ing gay.'

He then mouthed more vulgarities to no one in particular and later winked at the videographer who was taping the proceeding.

The judge then told Conrad to take the charges 'very seriously,' saying that the court was taking them 'very seriously.'

That is when Conrad stated: 'I will never your honor. I am sorry to the court and the entire state for disrespecting the court. I do not have sex with hookers and I'm sorry.'

Conrad's family was already on hand at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center when he arrived for his appearance, with parents Rick and Kathy along with their youngest son Barron arriving a little after 10am to support Conrad in his latest legal battle.

His two older sisters, Nicky and Paris, were not seen at the courthouse.

Conrad not only stole a car and violated a restraining order taken out by an ex for the second time this past weekend, but also unleashed a verbal tirade filled with vulgarities as well as racial and homophobic slurs at officers.

He also accused the officers of groping him during his arrest, and told the men: 'I'm Conrad motherf***ing Hilton, don't you forget it.'

His parents and Shapiro were hoping that the court would order Conrad to check into a hospital so that his behavior can be diagnosed as a condition of his bail.

Bus a move: Conrad refused to board a bus to the courthouse on two occasions Tuesday

Familiar feeling: The Hilton family in court back in June 2015 (above) following Conrad's arrest on an international flight

Conrad twice refused to leave his cell at Twin Towers jail and board the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department bus that was set to take him and other prisoners to the courthouse for their appearances.

He did not manage to avoid being charged however despite his no-show, with the District Attorney's office announcing he is facing one felony count of driving or taking a vehicle without consent, two misdemeanor counts of disobeying a domestic relations restraining order and one misdemeanor count of contempt of court as a result of his conduct on May 6.

Before his arrest, Conrad appeared in a worrying video in which he pleaded to his ex-girlfriend's father to help him win her back

Sheriff's deputies were unable to physically remove him from his cell and put him on a bus without a court order.

Conrad wound up behind bars after he and a fried decided to steal a Bentley from the home of Rick Salomon on Saturday, using it to drive to the home of his ex-girlfriend Hunter Daily Salomon who has a restraining order against the Hilton heir.

Hunter is the daughter of Rick, who previously dated and made a sex tape with Conrad's oldest sister Paris.

In a video taken before his arrest, he pleaded with Rick to help him win Hunter back.

This is now the second time that police have been called to that residence to remove Conrad after he appeared on the property, violating the restraining order his 21-year-old ex was granted by the court.

The police were previously called following an incident in June 2015 during which Conrad broke into Hunter's house and threatened to kill himself just one month after she first filed a restraining order against her ex.

He was arrested one year prior after he allegedly 'screamed and threatened flight attendants' yelling profane statements such as 'I will f**king own anyone on this flight; they are f**king peasants' on a flight from London to Los Angeles.
Louise St John Poulton leaving Birmingham Magistrates Court

Britains largest pet insurance company has been accused of fuelling the barbaric puppy-farming trade by awarding unscrupulous dealers the status of trusted breeders without performing even basic checks.

Dealers who keep puppies in squalid conditions and riddled with contagious diseases sign up to the prestigious Petplan Breeder Scheme to trick unsuspecting dog lovers into believing they are buying from reputable kennels.

Along with a veneer of respectability, breeders who register with Petplan are also given welcome packs including 30 days free insurance cover to offer puppy buyers.

Every time a new customer takes out a Petplan policy, the breeders signed up to the scheme receive commission in the form of shopping vouchers.

Petplan says its breeders must adhere to a puppy charter that is supposed to ensure they maintain good standards of animal welfare and breeding practices.

The charter insists they have bred the litters themselves, are not being investigated by trading standards, and that the dogs are healthy and have been socialised by being handled regularly since birth  a key factor in ensuring a young dog will make a good pet.

But critics say that in reality the rules are often ignored as the charter puts the onus on the breeders to police themselves. One clause states: I understand that it is my responsibility to inform Petplan if I no longer comply with any aspect of this charter.

And we discovered that Petplan makes no checks when accepting a new breeder on to its register.

Last week, having been tipped off by animal welfare campaigners, our reporters proved that anyone can apply and be accepted on to the 10,000-strong Registered Breeder Scheme, with no safeguards as to whether they are caring, ethical breeders.

Six Mail on Sunday journalists signed up as Petplan breeders using bogus names. Every single application was approved with no questions asked, even though one reporter used the name Cruella de Vil  the arch- villain from the 101 Dalmatians story.

Petplan had a turnover in the UK of 440 million last year. It has earned a reputation for promoting responsible pet ownership and has donated millions to animal welfare charities.

That record makes its apparent seal of approval all the more valuable to unscrupulous dealers who join its breeder scheme. Being registered also allows puppy farmers to join the ranks of respectable breeders on Petplans Find A Pet website.

On its Facebook page, the firm described those on Find A Pet as trusted, but deleted the description after being contacted by The Mail on Sunday during this investigation and launched a review of its procedures.

Petplans breeder scheme offering free 30-day policies to customers has been used by criminal dealers such as Louise Poulton, left, to pose as respectable breeders and lure clients. Poulton, from Solihull, West Midlands, was convicted after a police and RSPCA raid on a farm where she and partner Sean Kerr sold sick and dying puppies, such as the one above

We have learned of at least two appalling cases of criminal gangs of puppy farmers who were signed up to the Petplan scheme.

A third kennel is still trading and offering the companys insurance despite an appalling record of sick and dying pups.

Earlier this year, in a case involving puppy farmers who were signed up to Petplan and making huge profits selling shih tzus and pugs, police and RSPCA officers raided a stable block in Solihull, West Midlands, where they found horrific scenes.

A dead puppy was discovered in a plastic carrier bag in the passenger footwell of a Peugeot van next to discarded fizzy drinks cans and McDonalds wrappers.

Inside the dingy property, more than 30 puppies were found alive but on floors coated with faeces and bedding soaked with urine.

Four animals  three of them pregnant  were kept in complete darkness with no ventilation.

The investigators described the dogs as petrified. It soon became clear why.

On a whiteboard in one of the stables, officers found chilling instructions for the daily care of the dogs, including the words: Keep puppies quiet, do not let them bark. Squirt them or use whip to crack in yard.

The authorities had been alerted after a string of puppies sold to new owners died within days of being bought from the squalid farm.

Dogs in cages littered with faeces. Staff were instructed to keep the puppies quiet by squirting them or cracking a whip

The raid resulted in Sean Kerr, 52, being jailed for six months in February after being found guilty of six charges of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs and three counts of failing to meet the needs of a number of dogs. He was ordered to pay 30,000 costs, a reflection of what the judge described as the small fortune Kerr and his partner Louise Poulton were estimated to have made by selling puppies at 400 a time.

Poulton, 43, admitted the same offences but escaped with a suspended sentence. She was ordered to pay 15,000 costs and was disqualified from keeping dogs for life.

Last December, BBCs Watchdog programme sent an undercover vet to investigate Ivy Leaf Kennels in Co Durham, reporting that in the past six years at least 52 puppies bought there were taken seriously ill in the days after purchase and 11 had died.

Owner Kevin Knox was reported to the RSPCA, but a trading standards investigation found there was insufficient evidence to support formal action. Mr Knox told Watchdog that a great deal of care was taken regarding hygiene and sanitation, but added that sometimes puppies did die.

He is still licensed as a breeder and his business as a pet shop with Durham County Council. The RSPCA declined to comment on the case.

When a Mail on Sunday reporter posing as a customer rang Ivy Leaf Kennels last week to ask about his pups, Mr Knox confirmed he would offer a months free Petplan insurance with the animals  proof that he has been registered on Petplans Breeder Scheme.

The Petplan scheme has been used by criminal dealers who buy in puppies but pose as breeders.

A gang of six dealers from Greater Manchester, led by former escort Grace Banks, imported hundreds of dogs from puppy farms in Ireland then pretended they had been born at home to family pets.

She and her brother Julian King raked in about 8,000 a week between them by selling puppies in poor health to unwitting animal lovers. When arrested, Banks, 29, was found to have dead puppies in the boot of her Mercedes. The gang were registered with Petplan and offered the insurance cover with their dogs, some of which had just days to live.

One undercover RSPCA investigator who worked on the case said: Petplans scheme is inadvertently encouraging massive puppy production.

The Manchester case resulted in three couples being jailed for a total of 50 weeks after admitting a string of animal welfare offences.

Shih tzus at Poulton's farm, in pitch-black stable blocks where the electric light was broken. The officers on the scene described the animals as 'petrified'

The gang were selling puppies of various breeds, including chihuahuas, pomeranians, spaniels, shih tzus and Yorkshire terriers, for between 550 and 650 each.

Yet 65 per cent were later found by their heartbroken new owners to have had life-threatening, congenital defects.

A spokesman for anti-puppy farming campaign group Cariad  which has repeatedly warned Petplan of the abuse of its scheme  said last night: We first made Petplan aware of our concerns by way of a formal report in March 2015, expressing deep concerns over the way the Breeder Scheme was being utilised by pet shop licence-holders and that Petplan were not monitoring their scheme in line with their own breeder charter.

And as The Mail on Sunday investigation proves, anyone who applies to join the Petplan Breeder Scheme will be accepted.

Companies like Petplan are providing a veneer of respectability to puppy sellers who are anything but. There are enough underhand tactics being employed by unscrupulous sellers without nationally respected companies helping them along.

Ian Briggs, chief inspector for the RSPCAs special operations unit, said: Unfortunately, assured and registered breeder schemes are used by unscrupulous puppy breeders and dealers to convince prospective buyers that they are credible and responsible.

We showed how anyone can sign up to Petplans breeder scheme by applying using bogus names, such as Cruella de Vil. No questions were asked and in less than a week our welcome packs arrived, including one, right, to Mr Cruella De Ville (sic). Inside were ten 30-day insurance vouchers for customers and an invitation to advertise our dogs on Petplans Find A Pet website

Organisations running such schemes should ensure they carry out necessary checks on the individuals and businesses who sign up so they can be sure they are only endorsing breeders with the highest of welfare standards. Schemes not properly monitored are open to abuse by unscrupulous sellers using them to con the public.

Petplan said it was reviewing its registration process following our revelations. A spokesman said: This will include certification at initial registration and earlier monitoring of applicants to identify any health issues with their pets.

Breeders were asked to commit to the charter when registering and subsequently any claims were closely monitored. But he added: We are not a regulator and cannot police all breeders. As there seems to be some confusion about this, we will make it clearer on our website that it is the responsibility of prospective owners to ensure they know the history of a puppy or kitten before making a purchase.

Our priority is to ensure the health and wellbeing of all pets, allowing them access to free veterinary care as they settle into their new homes, should they need it.

Ivy Leaf Kennels declined to comment last night.
The bitter feud that raged for decades between one of Britains most famous novelists, Dame Muriel Spark, and her son Robin has had one surprising side effect  pushing up the price of a copy of her most famous work by more than 20,000.

The signed edition of Dame Muriels 1961 classic The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie had been expected to go for 500 when it was put up for sale last week  but fetched an astonishing 17,000, rising to 21,250 when auctioneers fees and charges were added.

The book, inscribed with the message To Robin Love and wonkies, mummy xxx, was part of a collection of 14 lots that belonged to Robin Spark, a painter who died aged 78 in 2016, which were auctioned on Wednesday. Another lot sold for 12 times its original estimate of 1,500, before fees.

Dame Muriel Spark with her son who she famously fell out with

Dame Muriels long-running battle with her son became public in the 1990s when it emerged that he had taken offence at his mothers decision to question the familys Jewish roots. But last year The Mail on Sunday published unseen letters between the pair which showed the rift began decades earlier.

Experts last night said the feud would have added to the value of the lots which, in total, sold for more than 98,000, with auctioneers fees and charges included.

The book was inscribed with the message To Robin Love and wonkies, mummy xxx

Sparks biographer Professor Martin Stannard said: 17,000 for a single book is a very high figure, the kind you might expect a manuscript to fetch. I think the nature of their relationship added to their value.

Cathy Marsden, of Edinburgh auction house Lyon & Turnbull, which sold the items, said: It goes to show the importance provenance can play. We have sold a signed Miss Jean Brodie before but it went for 390.

It was a very publicised relationship and that may have played a part in adding to their value.

The correspondence published by the MoS showed Robin felt abandoned by his mother, who divorced his manic depressive father and left him, aged seven, with his grandparents while she pursued her glittering career overseas.

For her part, Dame Muriel resented the feelings of guilt she was supposed to feel for pursuing a career. In one letter dated 1966, the author told Robin she was too busy to attend his wedding in person.

The items sold indicate the author, who saw The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie made into an Oscar-winning film starring Maggie Smith, continued to reach out to her son even when the pair were barely speaking. One of the tomes included the message: Dearest Rob I bet you cant read this book from cover to cover, fondest love xxx mum.

Another, given to Robin for his 15th birthday in 1953, was signed with love from his mummy.

The fact that Robin Spark chose to keep hold of the books might be seen as proof that he never stopped loving his mother despite the feud.
Turkey's president said Saturday that the government is fighting those who openly support terrorism and spread terrorist propaganda, Anadolu reported.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of Fourth Ibn Haldun Symposium at Istanbul's Halic Congress Center, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Turkish government does not take issue with "different thoughts".

"Nowhere in the world is spreading terrorist propaganda considered freedom of thought," he said.

"No modern state allows terrorist groups to infiltrate and turn universities into their educational camps".

Erdogan also said Ibn Haldun University will be ready to receive students starting this fall for the 2017-18 school year.

The university was founded in 2015 and has undergone two years of preparation.

Rachid Ghannouchi, the leader of Tunisia's Ennahda movement, was also present at the symposium.

Ghannouchis speech, like Erdogans, highlighted Ibn Haldun's contributions to scholarship.

Ibn Haldun, a 14th-century North African and Arab historian, is considered a forerunner of sociology and demography.

Erdogan and Ghannouchi also had a one-hour closed-door meeting at the congress center.
The Global Seed Vault, designed to preserve the worlds agriculture in the case of a doomsday scenario, has been breached by meltwater from Arctic permafrost.

The vault is situated on the island of Spitsbergen, in Norways Svalbard archipelago, and opened nearly a decade ago.

It was intended to withstand global catastrophe  but, unusually warm winter temperatures this year sent unexpected amounts of meltwater pouring into the entrance tunnel, according to the Guardian.

The Global Seed Vault houses nearly one million samples and is the world's biggest collection of agricultural biodiversity. But, warming global temperatures is proving to be an unforeseen adversary

DOOMSDAY VAULT The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is buried on an island off of Norway's northern coast. It already stores nearly one million samples of seeds, which represent 13,000 years of agricultural history. The vault provides a last resort back-up to a network of seed banks around the world, which store seeds but can be threatened by war, accidents and natural disasters. Permafrost and thick rock ensure seed samples remain frozen even without power. The vault aims to secure millions of seeds representing every important crop variety available in the world today. Advertisement

While the flooding didnt reach the vault itself  meaning the seeds are so far unharmed  the breach has caused experts to question how climate change will affect the strongholds long-term survival.

The facility was designed to be self-sustaining, meaning no human intervention, but its now being monitored around the clock, officials told the Guardian.

Just months ago, the doomsday seed vault expanded its collection, with fifty thousand seed samples donated from all over the world to be kept safe until they are needed.

It now houses nearly one million samples and is the world's biggest collection of agricultural biodiversity.

But, warming global temperatures are proving to be an unforeseen adversary.

Experts are waiting to see how the effects will pan out  and are wondering if it will escalate as temperatures continue to soar, according to the Guardian. Theyre now working to waterproof the massive tunnel, create trenches that will channel excess water away

It was not in our plans to think that the permafrost would not be there and that it would experience extreme weather like that, Hege Njaa Aschim, from the Norwegian government, which owns the vault, told The Guardian.

A lot of water went into the start of the tunnel and then it froze to ice, so it was like a glacier when you went in.

This years unprecedented winter temperatures came on the heels of the hottest year on record.

And, with rising temperatures came above-average melting and rainfall.

The vault is situated on the island of Spitsbergen, in Norways Svalbard archipelago, and opened nearly a decade ago

While the flooding didnt reach the vault itself  meaning the seeds are so far unharmed  the breach has caused experts to question how climate change will affect the strongholds long-term survival

Now, experts are waiting to see how the effects will pan out  and are wondering if it will escalate as temperatures continue to soar, according to the Guardian.

Theyre now working to waterproof the massive tunnel, create trenches that will channel excess water away, and install flood pumps.

In addition to bringing in thousands of new seeds this past winter, experts recently opened a second Doomsday Vault in order to save the worlds books.

The precious books will be stored in digital form, allowing them to survive the most extreme conditions, including nuclear war.

The vault, which is called the World Arctic Archive, is also based in Svalbard.
It is a simple pleasure which gives babies their first giggle and remains fun into adulthood.

But scientists say you don't need company to engage in tickling, because some people can tickle themselves.

If you can, however, you might be a little bit more odd than everyone else.

Tickling is a simple pleasure which gives babies their first giggle and remains fun into adulthood (stock photo)

A study by the University of New South Wales in Australia suggests people who feel ticklish when they are the ones doing the tickling have a higher degree of 'schizotopy'.

This is a collection of personality characteristics including a lack of close friends, odd or eccentric behaviour and suspiciousness.

Dr Thomas Whitford, lead author of the latest study, said the inability to distinguish between self-generated sensations and those created by other people is linked with high schizotypy, which is a risk for psychotic disorders.

But he added: 'Everyone has some degree of schizotypy. Some people score high, some people score low. The higher you score, the better able you are to tickle yourself.'
You know those places that lay on trendy city beaches by dumping fake sand by the river as if theyre Rio or Miami?

I think of Paris and London (who lay on such metropolitan riparian amenities when the mercury rises) with fresh pity.

For this comes to you from Cascais, a mere 30 minutes from Portugals capital city, Lisbon, and yards from the following: groomed beaches the consistency and colour of powdered shortbread, where olive-skinned lovelies are  to use the technical term that seems right for once in this 27C April Iberian sunshine  skimpily romping with a volleyball; a world-class museum quarter including an institution devoted to Portuguese artist Paula Rego; a fish market where todays pearlescent sea creatures are being weighed and then slapped into a trundling conveyor belt of trays ready to be sold.

Tucking in: Rachel enjoys a lazy lunch in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, one of Europe's famed foodie havans

Hold on, Im not finished! Im also yards from several top fish restaurants, and later tonight I will toddle in my flip-flops to O Pescador and have the grilled fish platter  but only after Ive stuck a card into a slot and piped a chilled Esporao from Alentejo into a waiting wine glass in the high-tech wine bar at the Villa Cascais guesthouse.

Why dont all wine bars have the same help-yourself system? I really hope it catches on.

Ive never been to a destination that genuinely has it all in such close proximity: beach, culture, city, the nature, and nightlife (although my idea of a good time is being in bed with my book by midnight, so go elsewhere for the best fado dives/nightspots).

I am just half an hour from Sintra, Estoril and Lisbon, so its possible to cram in many of the sights in a short time. In Sintra we took a tuk-tuk up the steep cobbled lanes to the dramatic Castle of the Moors, a storybook edifice on a crag that stares across to a real bake-off romantic showstopper called the Pena Palace.

After youve done the castle and palace, wander around and have a glass or two of vino and some tapas. Youve earned it.

In Estoril, I flopped on the beach, swam, and drove past the famous casino, keeping my powder dry for the main event: Lisbon, the happening foodie capital of Europe.

Cascais (pictured), a mere 30 minutes from Lisbon, boasts everything from beaches and markets to museums and great restaurants

Lisbon is also hilly and reminded me of San Francisco thanks to its trams and hipsters. Indeed, it is so hip and trendy that Hollywood actor John Malkovich has opened a restaurant, Bica do Sapato, on the docks in Santa Engracia.

Ive never been to a destination that genuinely has it all in such close proximity

We also headed to the Bairro Alto, where all the restaurants my foodie friends recommended seem to be located, and ate at two of them with great pleasure and gusto. But we also just drifted around taking snaps of painted trams, of blue-tiled pastelarias with their mounds of glistening custard tarts, or took cityscape pictures from the various miradouros, or viewpoints.

We hired a car, but its really not that necessary as you can reach almost everything from Cascais: you can walk to Estoril, and there is a fast train to Lisbon, and connections to Sintra, but I rather enjoyed Mr Toading around with the top down in the sunshine.

So here are my top tips. Stay in the Villa Cascais, Hotel Albatroz or Senhora da Guia in Cascais. In Lisbons Bairro Alto, the Ex Libris serviced apartments come recommended.

Eat in Gambrinus or Pateo in Lisbon, and in Sintra, we liked Incomum. Well be back.
The first non-stop flights from the UK to Australia have gone on sale.

When Qantas starts its daily direct service between Heathrow and Perth on March 25 next year, it will be one of the longest non-stop flights in the world, and easily the lengthiest from a UK airport.

It will take about 17 hours to cover the 9,009 miles. As there is no need to refuel or change planes in the Middle East or Asia, the journey time has been shortened by about three hours.

Qantas starts its daily direct service between Heathrow and Perth on March 25 next year aboard its new Dreamliner (pictured) - to be one of the longest non-stop flights in the world

The flights are on the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

With bigger windows, improved cabin air quality, a generous 32 in seat pitch in economy, and self-service bars to encourage you to stretch your legs, the design of the planes will help minimise the discomfort of being cooped up for such a long time.

Even so, the flights wont suit everyone.

There are a plenty of reasons to spend time in the sunny and easy-going city of Perth and to take in Western Australias stunning beaches and Margaret Rivers wineries.

But most visitors to Australia choose to head to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef  all of which are on the other side of the country.

Secondly, it looks as if you will pay a premium for the new flights. The cheapest economy fare is 1,095 return, travelling in April 2018.

You can save money and break up the long journey, however, by flying through Dubai (pictured), Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur

Qantas says the price should dip below 900 during deal periods. Even so, flights with a stop en route are significantly cheaper.

On price-comparsion website Skyscanner, I found London-Perth flights in April 2018 for under 700 return, with Emirates via Dubai. With more flexibility on dates, you could travel for 575 return.

Thirdly, whatever the comforts of Qantass Dreamliner, its still a buttock-numbing 17-hour flight, so there is a strong argument for opting for alternative flights, with a mini-break comprising a stay of a night or two on the way.

Depending on the airline, route and your final Australian destination, it could be in Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur.

Given the multitude of stopover options, the best approach is to call specialist agents such as Trailfinders (020 7368 1200, trailfinders.com), Austravel (0800 988 4676, austravel.com) and Flight Centre (0800 587 0058, flightcentre.co.uk).

Stopover packages can be great value. Trailfinders quoted me London-Perth with Thai Airways, with two nights in a three-star hotel in Bangkok, for just 45 more than the flight alone.

But if you want the cred of being the first to travel non-stop to Oz, you could book Flight Centres Long Weekend In Perth package: it costs from 1,549pp, with three nights in a five-star hotel.
Their romance is proving increasingly difficult to keep track of.

Yet Jeremy McConnell remained defiant in the face of his doubters on Friday as he took to Instagram to share a clip in which he snuggled up to his sleeping girlfriend Stephanie Davis and their five-month-old son Caben Albi.

The 27-year-old's display of affection comes a week after he appeared in court on charges of assaulting his on-off partner, leading to fresh reports from The Sun that Stephanie's mum Pauline is concerned about their reunion.

Stephanie and Jeremy's love story began when they starred together on Celebrity Big Brother in January 2016 before becoming embroiled in a toxic romance which ended in April - a month before she announced she was expecting.

After persistently denying the paternity, Jeremy vowed to step up when he discovered he was the father although his arrest and subsequent court appearance left fans aghast yet kind-hearted Stephanie vowed to stand by the star.

Once again showing their union to fans, the Irish star, who recently completed a stint in rehab, posted a clip on Instagram in which he filmed Caben sleeping on his instantly-recognisable tattooed chest, while Stephanie snoozed alongside them.

He simply added the caption: 'Friday mornings', in what appeared to be resounding confirmation that the duo are indeed a couple once more despite legal proceedings.

Sleeping beauty: Jeremy McConnell remained defiant in the face of his doubters on Friday as he took to Instagram to share a clip in which he snuggled up to his sleeping girlfriend Stephanie Davis and their five-month-old son Caben Albi

Firm denial: The 27-year-old's display of affection comes a week after he appeared in court on charges of assaulting his on-off partner, leading to fresh reports from The Sun that Stephanie's mum Pauline is concerned about their reunion

Cosy: Once again showing their union to fans, the Irish star, who recently completed a stint in rehab, posted a clip on Instagram in which he filmed Caben sleeping on his chest while Stephanie snoozed alongside them

Doting daddy: He simply added the caption: 'Friday mornings', in what appeared to be resounding confirmation that the duo are indeed a couple once more despite legal proceedings'

While all seemed well in the McConnell-Davis camp, The Sun report that Stephanie's beloved mum is not convinced over the relationship which has resulted in a desperate Jeremy trying to win over his beloved's parent.

Sources told the publication: 'Pauline has never liked Jeremy. She is really concerned about his and Stephanies toxic relationship.

'While shes pretty icy about the whole thing and isnt really on talking terms with Jeremy at the moment  hes desperate to get her back onside. He thinks it will only strengthen his and Stephanies troubled relationship if they heal their rift.'

A representative for Jeremy declined to comment. MailOnline has approached Stephanie's representation.

'A Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde personality!' While all seemed well in the McConnell-Davis camp, The Sun report that Stephanie's beloved mum Pauline is not convinced over the relationship which has resulted in a desperate Jeremy trying to win over his beloved's parent

Last weekend, Pauline took to Twitter to retweet a post about being in an 'abusive relationship'. The original post lists the traits of such a relationship, including 'promising a great future but delivering a nightmare'..

After Jeremy denied assaulting Stephanie while appearing at Liverpool Magistrates' Court and hours later, her collapsing after a panic attack and ending up in hospital - Pauline shared with her followers that an abuse relationship involves someone who 'does something, denies it and then exclaims you are crazy'.

It went on to say the 'abuser' in such a relationship 'accuses you of doing things you aren't doing/things they are doing.

Telling: Last weekend, Pauline took to Twitter to re-tweet a post about being in an 'abusive relationship'. The original post lists the traits of such a relationship, including 'promising a great future but delivering a nightmare'

Mother and daughter: Pauline and Stephanie are incredibly close [pictured last Christmas]

'Does a great job promising a great future then delivering a nightmare. Are chronic liars and are highly manipulative. Uses guilt, charm, hope, love, obligation, fear or confusion to get what they want. Has a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde personality.'

MailOnline reached out to Pauline for comment on this post.

It came after Stephanie was discharged from hospital, with Jeremy seen leaving with her. Sources revealed Jeremy visited her in hospital, shortly before posting a shirtless snap in which he cradled his son - who appeared just weeks old in the image.

Jeremy was arrested for assault in March before appearing in court and admitting to criminal damage but denying an assault charge.

Proud papa: Jeremy McConnell has left hospital with his on-off girlfriend Stephanie Davis after she fell ill with a stress-related illness on Thursday

After his court appearance, Stephanie was taken to hospital with a representative confirming to MailOnline: 'I can confirm our client Stephanie has been admitted into hospital with a stress related illness this afternoon.'

In the wake of their departure from the facility, Jeremy shared a loving snap with the tot, who appeared considerably smaller than recent shots implying it was a throwback snap, under which he simply captioned a love heart.

Stephanie was in a hotel room in Liverpool when she collapsed soon after the case, forcing her to be hurried to the closest A&E and admitted overnight.

The new mum was said to be suffering from a 'stress-related illness' heightened by the events concerning her on/off boyfriend.

Jeremy had appeared at Liverpool Magistrates Court that morning, where he was facing assault charges by Stephanie, to which he pleaded not guilty.

In court, Jeremy spoke only to confirm his address and date of birth during a 15-minute hearing. A trial date has now been set for August 7 at Liverpool Crown Court following his not guilty plea to assault by beating.

Upset: Stephanie was in a hotel room in Liverpool when she collapsed, forcing her to be hurried to the closest A&E and admitted overnight

A spokesman for Merseyside Police told MailOnline: 'We can confirm Jeremy McConnell, 27, of Swords, Ireland has been charged with assault and criminal damage following an incident in Rainhill on 9 March 2017.'

Stephanie was reportedly 'shaken' after calling the police on Jeremy at the home she shares with their son. Jeremy has previously vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

Prior to the court case, Stephanie vowed to quit drinking after posting a worryingly incoherent tweet about cheating.

The pair are trying to rebuild their relationship but earlier on it appeared all was not well between them, with Stephanie tweeting: 'Someone who gives you and doesn't answer, don't I. There beat a cheat n always n in.'

The post was reportedly deleted 20 minutes later, but Jeremy blocked the star following a holiday the pair took together.

Stephanie revealed in an interview with Closer magazine just days before, that she and Jeremy would like to try for baby number two, following his recent stint in rehab.

Happier days: On Tuesday, a spokesman for Merseyside Police told MailOnline: 'We can confirm Jeremy McConnell, 27, of Swords, Ireland has been charged with assault and criminal damage following an incident in Rainhill on 9 March 2017

Quitting: Last week Stephanie vowed to quit drinking after posting a worryingly incoherent tweet about cheating

She confessed she was feeling 'broody', adding that her boyfriend wanted to be there for her next pregnancy, after missing out first time round. Stephanie admitted: 'We've both talked about having another baby at some point.

She said: 'For Jez, it's about wanting to put right what he did wrong and be there throughout my next pregnancy. And I'm so broody  I'd love to give Caben a little sister one day.'

She also revealed that wedding bells could be on the horizon, saying she 'can't wait to marry him one day'. Stephanie made the official announcement that she was in a relationship with the father of her son once again on This Morning last month.
She is certainly a bright spark in the future of fashion.

And Kendall Jenner opted to borrow from the future in a funky silver gown complete with a structured corset as she made a show-stopping arrival at the space-themed Chopard bash during the Cannes Film Festival on Friday.

The 21-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians star dazzled as she joined the great and good of the fashion world at the party while showing off her incredible frame and braless form.

Scroll down for video

Wow! Kendall Jenner opted to borrow from the future in a funky silver gown complete with a structured corset as she made a show-stopping arrival at the space-themed Chopard bash during the Cannes Film Festival on Friday

Kendall looked sensational as she swept into the SPACE-themed party held at Port Pierre Canto and organised by Chopard president Caroline Scheufele and Rihanna.

With the dress code reading as Galactic with a touch of diamonds, Kendall was wholeheartedly throwing herself into the idea of the evening in her silver gown by Ralph & Russo.

The cheeky dress was dazzling in its floor-sweeping length and cleavage boosting top while the sheer sides gave a flash of her bare skin underneath.

Showing off her slender frame, the structured top of the gown nipped in at her waist before the dress dropped into a pillar shape from her slender frame.

Elegance personified: The 21-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians star dazzled as she joined the great and good of the fashion world at the party while showing off her incredible frame and braless form

Blinged up: Kendall looked sensational as she swept into the SPACE-themed party held at Port Pierre Canto and organised by Chopard president Caroline Scheufele and Rihanna

Wild thing! Aware of the outlandish nature of the cut and style of her dress, she kept her beauty regimen pared-back and simple - complete with straight hair and dewy make-up

Given the event being organised by one of the world's top jewellers, Kendall was naturally loaned a plethora of sensational gems.

Sporting a coordinating earrings and necklace set, seemingly comprising of sapphires and diamonds, the stunning star off-set her dress perfectly.

Aware of the outlandish nature of the cut and style of her dress, she kept her beauty regimen simple with a slick bob and glossy lip.

Silver sensation: Opting for a similar outfit was Kendall's best pal Bella Hadid - who looked incredible in a silver gown Roberto Cavalli Couture with raunchy cut-out details

Cheeky! She too went braless as she wowed in the silver dress which boasted a hankerchief top half - complete with dainty tie at the back and neck

Just caught the train: The billowing back of the dress extended behind the star in long lavish lengths

Loving life: Bella was clearly in high spirits as she enjoyed the night out

Opting for a similar outfit was Kendall's best pal Bella Hadid - who looked incredible in a silver gown by Roberto Cavalli Couture, with raunchy cut-out details and a slinky shape.

She too went braless as she wowed in the silver dress which boasted a hankerchief top half - complete with dainty tie at the back and neck.

The bottom of the dress featured a silver sheath material with a split extending to the top of her thigh while strappy sandals extended the length of her leg.

Look at me! Bella was wowing the crowd in her slinky gown

Leading lady: Soon joining the fray was woman of the hour herself Rihanna, who was one of the lavish bash's hosts for the evening alongside Chopard president Caroline Scheufele

Dreamy: The pop star, 29, really was the belle of the ball in a pale blue Victoriana gown, reminiscent of that of fairy tales with a tight corset bodice and draped off-shoulder sleeves

Standing tall: Rihanna boosted her height in a pair of strappy heels which showed off her matching baby blue heels

The best for the best: Rihanna was adorned with an array of lavish jewels

Dream team: The songstress cosied up to Chopard's co-president Caroline Scheufele

Soon joining the fray was woman of the hour herself Rihanna, who was one of the lavish bash's hosts for the evening alongside Chopard president Caroline Scheufele.

The pop star, 29, really was the belle of the ball in a pale blue Victoriana gown, reminiscent of that of fairy tales with a tight corset bodice and draped off-shoulder sleeves.

Remaining traditional with the bodice and lacing at the back, Rihanna then injected a hint of her typically saucy style by adding a daring split to the skirt - which revealed almost all of her long and slender leg underneath.

She swept her raven tresses off her face to reveal her glowing skin to all, and accessorised with tribal jewels of glistening teal and silver as she hit the carpet.

Va va voom! Rihanna worked the garment's soaring split as she sexily perched one leg forward

Stunning: She swept her raven tresses off her face to reveal her glowing skin to all, and accessorised with tribal jewels of glistening teal and silver as she hit the carpet

Model material: Joining the bash was Winnie Harlow, who sported an elaborate red ballgown, complete with a beaded bodice and saucy thigh-high split, as she posed for cameras ahead of a night of partying

Joining the bash was Winnie Harlow, who sported an elaborate red ballgown, complete with a beaded bodice and saucy thigh-high split, as she posed for cameras ahead of a night of partying.

The star, who rose to fame on America's Next Top Model, oozed confidence and elegance as fiercely posed in her lavish red gown by Zuhair Murad.

The dress cut into a stylish strapless neckline at the top, to display her decolletage and plenty of smooth skin to all, before hugging her slim figure with a shimmering beaded bodice to her petite waist.

Making the look more dramatic, the scarlet gown then burst out into a full pleated skirt which cascaded gorgeously to the floor.

Red hot: The star, who rose to fame on America's Next Top Model, oozed confidence and elegance as fiercely posed in her lavish red gown

Striking: The dress cut into a stylish strapless neckline at the top, to display her decolletage and smooth skin to all, before hugging her slim figure with a shimmering beaded bodice

Never failing to show off her impeccable model figure however, the dress then split into a saucy thigh-high split on one side, to flash almost all of her svelte pins underneath as she paraded the carpet.

Adding further height to her statuesque frame with towering black heels, Winnie tied her look together with a dazzling silver and emerald necklace - which glistened in the light as she posed.

Leaving her hair pin-straight and adding only a classic red lip, the starlet oozed natural glamour and confidence during her fierce appearance at the party.

Leggy lady: Never failing to show off her impeccable model figure however, the dress then split into a saucy thigh-high split on one side, to flash almost all of her svelte pins underneath

Bit of bling: Winnie tied her look together with a dazzling silver and emerald necklace - which glistened in the light as she posed

Winnie shot to fame after being discovered by supermodel and entrepreneur Tyra Banks on her hit reality show - but recently revealed she had never believed she would make it on the show.

She said: 'When America's Next Top Model was casting for the new season I asked all my fans online to tag Tyra Banks so she could see my photos - and they did!'

'My little sister started a Facebook page for me and one of the producers from the show sent a message showing interest.

Confidence is key: Putting her best foot forward in black heels, the catwalk queen was the picture of confidence and elegance as she beamed for cameras

Stunning: Leaving her hair pin-straight and adding only a classic red lip, the starlet oozed natural glamour and confidence during her fierce appearance at the party

This is my moment: Winnie has become a household name in the fashion industry after finding fame on America's Next Top Model - but recently revealed she thought she would make it

'Initially I didn't believe it but I followed through and ended up being on the show for season 21. After Tyra gave me that opportunity it was my time.'

While she has now shot to prominence as a hugely successful model with vitiligo, the catwalk beauty recent admitted she is not a fan of being branded a 'role model' -as people shouldn't want to emulate others.

She told Elle Canada: 'I feel like I am an inspiration. Thats the word I prefer.

Star-studded: Winnie joined a host of other top models at the bash, including Czech beauty Petra Nemcova (above)

Brave: The 37-year-old once again opted for a risque split Elie Saab gown - clearly unfazed by the fact she accidentally flashed her underwear at last night's Loveless premiere

Chic: Eva Herzigova also attended the party, dazzling in a black velvet mini dress

Leggy display: The 44-year-old showed off her enviably toned pins in the thigh-skimming number, which featured a statement ruffle at the shoulder

'I dont believe that I have to be a role model, someone to be emulated. My mom inspires me, and I take great things from her, but there are things from my mom that I would never do.'

Winnie joined a host of other top models at the bash, including Czech beauty Petra Nemcova.

The 37-year-old once again opted for a risque split Elie Saab gown - clearly unfazed by the fact she accidentally flashed her underwear at last night's Loveless premiere.

Star quality: Also in attendance was Victoria's Secret stalwart Adriana Lima, who opted for a demure black gown by Reem Acra with a statement shimmering neckline

Back to black: The mother-of-two showed off her enviable figure in the Gothic gown, formed of a slinky black dress with a sleeved cape on top

Chic: Adriana oozed elegance in the regal number

Silver lining: A pair of dangling silver earrings framed her striking features

Fellow model Eva Herzigova also attended the party, dazzling in a black velvet mini dress.

The 44-year-old showed off her enviably toned pins in the thigh-skimming number, which featured a statement ruffle at the shoulder.

Also in attendance was Victoria's Secret stalwart Adriana Lima, who opted for a demure Reem Acra gown with a statement shimmering neckline.

Fit to bust! Julianne Moore followed suit in an all-black look, made sexier by its plunging neckline which displayed a saucy hint of cleavage

Chic: The dress stood out from the crowd with its sleek velvet material, interspersed with shining satin panels to show off the shape of her womanly frame

Meanwhile actress Julianne Moore arrived in a sophisticated velvet gown by Alexander McQueen, which flashed her womanly cleavage with a sexy plunging neckline.

Luxurious jeweller Chopard was hosting a bash in Cannes as an official partner of the annual festival.

Making this year's event more exciting however, the brand is commemorating the festival's 70th anniversary by creating a diamond-set edition of the coveted Palme d'Or - the highest prize that can be won at Cannes.

All eyes on her: Model Sara Sampaio stunned in a semi-sheer black gown embellished with sequins, also by Elie Saab

Sensational: Sara (L) stunned beside French actress Isabelle Huppert (R), who looked far younger than her 64 years in a vibrant mustard gown by custom Nina Ricci

The floor-length sheer lace gown was adorned by glitter-encrusted embellishment, delicately covering her modesty

Glam: Amping up the red carpet glamour, Sara dazzled in statement diamond drop earrings and an eye-catching ring

Purple power: Model Arizona Muse dazzled in a beaded purple gown and matching satin clutch

Shaking it up! Meanwhile Brazilian model Isabeli Fontana opted for a trendy sequin jumpsuit adorned with gold and black stars all over

Incredible: Natasha Poly, 31, dressed to accentuate her slender frame in a light blue lace dress as she continued her sartorially savvy display

Enviable figure: Natasha looked sensational in the striking figure-hugging number as she worked her angles like a pro

Beauty: She doused her pout in red lipstick and kept the rest of her make-up natural

Tallia Storm looked absolutely incredible as she flashed her lean legs in a stylish white semi-sheer dress
She's the proud mother of four young children.

And it seems AFL WAG Rebecca Judd is giddy with excitement at seeing her youngest, twins Tom and Darcy, getting ready to make their first steps.

On Saturday, the 34-year-old took to her Instagram Story to share a boomerang video of her eight-month-old sons, dressed in cute blue onesies, attempting to get up to walk their first steps.

Scroll down for video

Almost on the move! Rebecca Judd excited as her twins attempt to make their first steps

In the short clip, one of the boys can be seen on their front side kicking their legs around.

Meanwhile, her other son appears to be on his hands and knees propping himself up.

Rebecca, who is married to former AFL star Chris Judd, captioned her adorable post: 'Almost on the move.'

Mum and bubs: She shared a boomerang video of her eight-month-old sons, dressed in cute blue onesies, attempting to get up to walk their first steps

Right on schedule: In the short clip, one of the boys can be seen on their front side kicking their legs around

On Friday night the statuesque model shared a snap of one of the twins showing off their gummy smile and two growing front teeth.

She overlaid text on the video, writing, 'Man baby has more teeth.'

It's easy to see why the TV presenter is so obsessed with her bundles of joy - the baby boy oozes cuteness as he writhes around, smiling and laughing in the zoomed-in shot.

The twins aren't the only children Bec is blessed with; she and husband are also parents to five-year-old son Oscar and three-year-old daughter Billie.

Show us your teeth! Doting mum Rebecca Judd, 34, shared an adorable Instagram story on Friday of her baby boy growing two front teeth

It's teething time! She also shared a snap of her twins chewing on their toys

While the kids do have their endearing moments, the media personality has shared more challenging situations in the pasts.

In an interview on KIIS FM's 3pm Pick Up on Wednesday, Rebecca divulged a hilarious - yet embarrassing - story that involved her daughter.

She told the radio show's hosts that her daughter once waved one of her tampons in front of the other school mothers, while yelling: 'Mummy, I've got these for your fanny!'

'I was like, "how do you even know that's where they go?"' Rebecca laughed.

Family matters: Cris and Rebecca Judd (pictured) are proud parents to Oscar, five, Billie, three and eight-month-old twins Tom and Darcy

No doubt having a lot on her plate with such a large immediate family, the model has made other candid confessions about her parenting.

Speaking to Stellar earlier this month, she revealed she was a little hazy on when exactly she gave birth to her twins.

'You know, I recently had to Google their birthday,' she told the publication.

'I couldnt remember whether they were born on September 28, 29 or 30. It was so crazy around that time.'
He may have had some explaining to do after he was pictured holding hands with his glamorous former Strictly co-star last Sunday.

But Ore Oduba seemed keen to put it behind him as he posed with his wife Portia on the red carpet at a Cannes Film Festival party, smiling broadly with his arm around her.

Mrs Oduba, however, looked rather stony-faced as they arrived at the event on Thursday.

Arm in arm: Ore Oduba and his wife Portia at Cannes Film Festival this week

TV presenter Oduba, 31, who won Strictly Come Dancing last year, was spotted hand-in-hand with Laura Whitmore, 32, in a hotel lobby.

Earlier, he had been with his wife at the TV Bafta awards in London, but there was no sign of her when he was seen at the Mondrian hotel.

This week Oduba and his wife, a TV researcher, have been reporting together on the events in Cannes for ITVs This Morning.

Oops: He may have had some explaining to do after he was pictured holding hands with his glamorous former Strictly co-star Laura Whitmore last Sunday

Despite Mrs Odubas expression at the party in the French city  which was celebrating Magnum x Moschino, a collaboration between the ice cream brand and the fashion house  the pair had appeared loved up in the daily videos and photos they shared online.

But viewers said Mrs Oduba looked uncomfortable and that the couple seemed stilted working together.

Oduba wrote on Twitter last night: Over Cannes out!!! Portia and I have had the best time... and on our 6th anniversary too.
Sofia Vergara was spotted out and about in Beverly Hills on Friday, emphasizing her svelte midriff in a skintight sleeveless black top.

She'd pulled herself into a sheer maxi-dress with elaborate designs in red, yellow, white, black and green swirling over a black background.

Her brown hair falling free, the 44-year-old accessorized with a gleaming bracelet and a bulging pale pink purse covered in latticed patterning.

Scroll down for video

A place in the sun: Sofia Vergara was spotted out and about in Beverly Hills on Friday, emphasizing her chiseled midriff in a skintight sleeveless black top

The Barranquilla shot to global fame as the stylish and hot-tempered Gloria on the smash hit ABC sitcom Modern Family, which has been running since 2009.

Her new work includes the forthcoming The Emoji Movie, in which she's lent her voice amid a cast including T.J. Miller, Anna Faris, James Corden and Maya Rudolph.

Directed by Tony Leondis, the film features Sofia as Flamenco Dancer and also showcases the voices of Patrick Stewart, Jennifer Coolidge and Christina Aguilera.

Looking fabulous: She'd pulled herself into a sheer maxi-dress with elaborate designs in red, yellow, white, black and green swirling over a black background

After releasing in US movie theaters on July 28, The Emoji Movie - which also has such actors as Rob Riggle and Jake T. Austin - will release in UK cinemas August 4.

In a recent interview with People, Sofia dished a bit about her character, saying: 'I play the Flamenco Dancer. And she is always doing the Flamenco.'

Continued she: 'She does it in the morning when she gets up, she does it when shes eating, she probably does it when shes sleeping,' noting that: 'It makes things like driving or putting on her makeup very difficult.'

Flashing that smile: Her brown hair falling free, the 44-year-old accessorized with a gleaming bracelet and a bulging pale pink purse covered in latticed patterning

She's dished about the film: 'I thought it was a great adventure and who doesnt like an emoji? I thought it was going to be a perfect role for me because people are always saying that I look like her!'

Sofia has been married since 2015 to the dashing 40-year-old actor Joe Manganiello, arguably most famous for playing the werewolf Alcide on the HBO series True Blood.

She'd previously been married from 1991 - when she was 18 years old - until 1993 to Joe Gonzalez, by whom she's got a 24-year-old son called Manolo.
She never fails to command attention at red carpet events everywhere.

And Winnie Harlow certainly showed no signs of stopping on Friday , as she made a fiercely glamorous arrival at the Chopard bash, during the Cannes Film Festival.

The model, 22, stunned in an elaborate red ballgown, complete with a beaded bodice and saucy thigh-high split, as she posed for cameras ahead of a night of partying.

Scroll down for video

Model material: Winnie Harlow sported an elaborate red ballgown, complete with a saucy thigh-high split, to the Chopard bash at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday night

The star, who rose to fame on America's Next Top Model, oozed confidence and elegance as fiercely posed in her lavish red gown by Zuhair Murad.

The dress cut into a stylish strapless neckline at the top, to display her decolletage and plenty of smooth skin to all, before hugging her slim figure with a shimmering beaded bodice to her petite waist.

Making the look more dramatic, the scarlet gown then burst out into a full pleated skirt which cascaded gorgeously to the floor.

Red hot: The star, who rose to fame on America's Next Top Model, oozed confidence and elegance as fiercely posed in her lavish red gown

Striking: The dress cut into a stylish strapless neckline at the top, to display her decolletage and smooth skin to all, before hugging her slim figure with a shimmering beaded bodice

Never failing to show off her impeccable model figure however, the dress then split into a saucy thigh-high split on one side, to flash almost all of her svelte pins underneath as she paraded the carpet.

Adding further height to her statuesque frame with towering black heels, Winnie tied her look together with a dazzling silver and emerald necklace - which glistened in the light as she posed.

Leaving her hair pin-straight and adding only a classic red lip, the starlet oozed natural glamour and confidence during her fierce appearance at the party.

Leggy lady: Never failing to show off her impeccable model figure however, the dress then split into a saucy thigh-high split on one side, to flash almost all of her svelte pins underneath

Bit of bling: Winnie tied her look together with a dazzling silver and emerald necklace - which glistened in the light as she posed

Winnie shot to fame after being discovered by supermodel and entrepreneur Tyra Banks on her hit reality show - but recently revealed she had never believed she would make it on the show.

She said: 'When America's Next Top Model was casting for the new season I asked all my fans online to tag Tyra Banks so she could see my photos - and they did!'

'My little sister started a Facebook page for me and one of the producers from the show sent a message showing interest.

Confidence is key: Putting her best foot forward in black heels, the catwalk queen was the picture of confidence and elegance as she beamed for cameras

Stunning: Leaving her hair pin-straight and adding only a classic red lip, the starlet oozed natural glamour and confidence during her fierce appearance at the party

'Initially I didn't believe it but I followed through and ended up being on the show for season 21. After Tyra gave me that opportunity it was my time.'

While she has now shot to prominence as a hugely successful model with vitiligo, the catwalk beauty recent admitted she is not a fan of being branded a 'role model' -as people shouldn't want to emulate others.

She told Elle Canada: 'I feel like I am an inspiration. Thats the word I prefer.

'I dont believe that I have to be a role model, someone to be emulated. My mom inspires me, and I take great things from her, but there are things from my mom that I would never do.'
Watches are not rocket science. Or are they? Watches are not rocket...

Perhaps you dont have a PhD. Well, thats a shame, because with some watches, youll need one to understand how to tell the time. Perhaps you dont have a PhD. Well,...
He likes to wear camouflage clothing but Mickey Rourke is never going to blend in with a crowd.

The legendary actor, 64, grabbed lunch at one of his favorite eateries on Friday in LA wearing an ensemble of camo jacket and pants.

He wore a half-unzipped green hoodie under his jacket and had a white towel around his neck.

Out and about: Mickey Rourke, 64, grabbed lunch at one of his favorite eateries on Friday in LA wearing an ensemble of camo jacket and pants

The Wrestler Oscar nominee showed off his chest tattoos in the outfit that he paired with white gym shoes.

He kept his dark gray hair back from his eyes with a wide black headband and added large sunglasses.

The actor also carried a large plastic bottle of water.

Inked: The Wrestler Oscar nominee showed off his chest tattoos in the ensemble. He kept his dark gray hair back from his eyes with a wide black headband and added large sunglasses

Familiar figure: Rourke was accompanied by a male friend and the two chatted away as they walked with the recognizable star also pausing to greet fans

Idiosyncratic style: Rourke wore his favorite olive green hoodie half unzipped under his camo jacket and wore a white towel around his neck

Rourke was accompanied by a male friend who wore distressed jeans and t-shirt and carried a cell phone.

The two chatted away as they walked with the recognizable star also pausing to greet fans.

The star of Angel Heart and Wild Orchid is preparing to star in the supernatural horror movie Unhinged in which he will play a psychiatrist at a state-run hospital.

His character D. Elder 'wrestles with madness and a dark supernatural force as he races to stop an escaped patient from butchering five people held hostage in a remote house,' according to a March report on Deadline.com.
Glenn Close and Sally Field are looking amazing at 70.

Both of the veteran Hollywood beauties shined as they attended the 83rd Annual Drama League Awards in New York City at the Marriott Marquis Times Square on Friday.

Close, the Oscar-nominated star of films such as Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons and The Big Chill, went in a crisp white pantsuit outfit. The three-time Tony Award winner accessorized with brown sandals and had her white hair in a short and sassy style, complementing her subtly-made-up face.

Legends: Sally Field (L) and Glenn Close, both 70, were snapped at the 83rd Annual Drama League Awards in New York City at the Marriott Marquis Times Square on Friday

Field, who's taken home Academy Awards for Norma Rae and Places In The Heart, went in a matching sky blue sweater coat and dress, with beige slip-on flats.

She's up for a Tony this year for her performance in The Glass Menagerie.

The actresses were among an expansive cast of well-known faces at the nonprofit organization's daytime honors, the country's oldest in the theatrical world.

Danny DeVito, Laura Linney, Condola Rashad, Allison Janney, David Hyde Pierce, Audra McDonald, Josh Groban and Laurie Metcalf were all on hand for the afternoon proceedings in the Big Apple. Married couple Audra McDonald and Will Swenson hosted the festivities.

Broadway beauty: Sally is nominated for a Tony Award this year for her performance in The Glass Menagerie

Fashionable: Close was outfitted in a crisp white ensemble for the luncheon

Well-honored: Close has nabbed three Tony Awards in her career on The Great White Way

Garlanded: Bette Midler, who's 71, was feted with the day's highest honor, the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater Award

Saying her piece: Among the highlights of The Divine Miss M's Broadway career include her initial foray in Fiddler on the Roof in 1967, her 2013 comeback with Ill Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers and her current critically-acclaimed turn in Hello, Dolly!

Bette Midler, who's 71, was feted with the day's highest honor, the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater Award.

Among the highlights of The Divine Miss M's Broadway career include her initial foray in Fiddler on the Roof in 1967, her 2013 comeback with Ill Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers and her current critically-acclaimed turn in Hello, Dolly!

She'd swung by the event in a fringed purple top that was cinched in at the midriff and pleated below as it fanned out into a flowing hem.

The iconic The Rose actress posed with the award and was photographed speaking at a podium once the event got going.

Star power: Danny DeVito wore an all-black outfit to the afternoon proceedings

Stars of stage and screen: Emmy-award winning stars David Hyde Pierce and Allison Janney were in attendance at the ceremony

Stunning: Beautiful Condola Rashad is up for a Tony this year for her role in The Trip to Bountiful

Ben Platt, the 23-year-old performer from Dear Evan Hansen, won the Distinguished Performance Award, a rare honor that only one entertainer a year is awarded, only once in their lifetime.

Other notable honorees on the day included famed animal trainer Bill Berloni, who captured the Award for Unique Contribution to the Theater; and veteran director Michael Greif, who won the The Founders Award for Excellence in Directing.

The Drama League aims to provide help to artists and audiences, and is buoyed by a Directors Project that helps little-known filmmakers ply their craft on a larger scale.

The luncheon is considered a key primer toward the Tony Awards, with nominees mingling with voters, and awards helping illustrate the direction of the winds as the awards approach in less than a month.

Lovely ladies: Laura Linney (L) and Cynthia Nixon posed for a shot at the annual show

Success in the city: Nixon won her only Tony Award for the 2006 production Rabbit Hole

Beaming: Linney has been nominated for four Tony Awards, including this year for The Little Foxes

Amid a competitive field this year, the pop opera Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 is out in front with 12 nominations, including best musical.

Midler's Hello, Dolly! comes in second with 10 nominations, including one for the star for best actress in a leading role in a musical.

Dear Evan Hansen clocked in with nine nominations, A Doll's House, Part 2 received eight, and three productions - Come From Away, Groundhog Day and Oslo - got seven nods apiece. The Tonys air on CBS from Radio City Music Hall at 8/7c on June 11.

Beautiful: Audra McDonald co-hosted the Friday event with her husband Will Swenson

In style: Laurie Metcalf, who wore a patterned dress to the event, is set to revive her role on the Roseanne reboot
She rarely steps a foot wrong when it comes to her stylish displays on the red carpet.

And stepping out in yet another sartorially savvy ensemble, Naomi Campbell looked sensational as she attended The 9th Annual Filmmakers Dinner in Cannes on Friday evening.

The model, 46, turned heads on her arrival in a plunging floor-length frock that made for a dazzling display, thanks to its glittering semi-sheer design.

Scroll down for video

Sartorially savvy: Naomi Campbell, 46, looked sensational as she attended The 9th Annual Filmmakers Dinner in Cannes on Friday evening

It boasted kimono sleeves and a daringly low-cut neckline that teased a look at Naomi's cleavage underneath in a sophisticated manner.

Her dress cinched in a the waist to highlight her model frame and drew attention to the catwalk star's lengthy pins as its skirt reached down to the floor from underneath her bust.

Naomi accessorised her gown with a long gold pendant around her neck, layering it with a chunky statement necklace that sat high around her neck and a matching bracelet on her wrist.

The age-defying beauty flaunted her enviably youthful looks by teaming her dress with glamorous make-up that comprised of mascara-clad lashes and a nude lip.

Glamorous: The model (pictured above with the evening's host Charles Finch) turned heads in a plunging floor-length frock that made for a dazzling display, thanks to its glittering semi-sheer design

Showcasing her sleek new bob of late, Naomi wore her raven-hued tresses down in a straightened style to frame her face.

Striking a series of poses on the red carpet on her arrival to the plush event held at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in the Cap d'Antibes, Naomi made sure to stop for a photo with the evening's host Charles Finch.

Her appearance in Cannes comes after Naomi recently appeared on ITV Loose Women and confessed to being pushed to her limits by her busy working schedule.

She explained that she was forced to pull an 'all-nighter' before her live TV appearance and that had left her with a sore throat, after only allowing herself one hour of sleep.

The night prior to her interview on Loose Women, Naomi had been busy organising Fashion For Relief - a charity fashion show in aid of Save The Children that takes place during Cannes Film Festival.

The model is fronting the twelfth Fashion For Relief show which will see her and a slew of others don items donated by some of the world's most well-regarded fashion houses.
Their passionate kiss was one of the highlights of the series finale back in March, and received a rave reception on Twitter.

But fans of Call The Midwife have now been left devastated upon hearing the news that Patsy Mount and Delia Busby will be departing the BBC show.

According to the Mirror, the lesbian lovers, played by Emerald Fennel and Katy Lamb, as well as nun Sister Mary Cynthia, have quit the 1960s period drama - although producers stress they are not being killed off, to allow for a potential comeback.

Scroll down for video

Farewell: Patsy Mount and Delia Busby, played by Emerald Fennel and Katy Lamb (L-R), will be departing Call The Midwife in the next season

And another: The girls will leave alongside Bryony Hannah, who has starred as Mary Cynthia since the very first series in 2012

The departures sees three favourite characters leave Nonnatus House - with nurse and nun Mary, played by Bryony Hannah, having starred on the show since its first series back in 2012.

While Patsy and Delia have only appeared since seasons 2 and 4 respectively, they have won fans' hearts over the years with their controversial lesbian romance.

According to the paper, Patsy's Emerald is hanging up her midwife shoes to appear as Lady Ada Lovelace in ITV's Victoria with Jenna Coleman instead - although producers have made it clear all three will not be killed, in case they wish to return.

Favourites: While Patsy and Delia have only appeared since seasons 2 and 4 respectively, they have won fans' hearts over the years with their controversial lesbian romance (above)

New projects: According to the paper, Patsy's Emerald (right) is hanging up her midwife shoes to appear as Lady Ada Lovelace in ITV's Victoria with Jenna Coleman instead

A spokeswoman told the Mirror: 'Comings and goings are part of life in Call the Midwife and we wish Emerald, Kate and Bryony luck.

'We are always sad when actors move on, but time and again it has proved hugely exciting to bring new faces and personalities into the mix.'

MailOnline has contacted representatives at the BBC for comment.

Patsy and Delia only added to the series' explosive finale in March, which saw the pair indulge in a passionate kiss onscreen for the first time - despite their love affair beginning two years ago.

[Comeback kids: However producers have said they will not be killed off in order to leave the door open for a return, before adding: 'Time and again it has proved hugely exciting to bring new faces and personalities into the mix']

The display of affection between the two women came as they were reunited following a lengthy period apart, after Patsys father fell ill.

As Patsy returned to London, she declared Delia: I got on the boat the day after his funeral. Wherever I go next, you're coming with me, before they sweetly kissed.

Homosexuality in 1960s London was one of a number of social issues that was tackled in the drama, alongside female genital mutilation and domestic abuse.

Big finish: Patsy and Delia only added to the series' explosive finale in March, which saw the pair indulge in a passionate kiss onscreen for the first time

Viewers were therefore left delighted by the uplifting scenes, taking to Twitter to write: 'Patsy and Delia finally got a kiss and i am a puddle of tears!!! #callthemidwife', and 'Beautiful. So glad patsy made it back in time! That kiss at the end was beautiful! Positive changes #callthemidwife'.

The news may come as a blow to the show however, as it comes just two months after Ben Caplan, who played Sergeant Peter Noakes, announced he too was leaving.

The actor, 42, announced in March that he is 'honoured' to have been part of the journey, but is excited to 'show a little bit more diversity' in different and more modern roles.

End of an era: The news may come as a blow to the show however, as it comes just two months after Ben Caplan, who played Sergeant Peter Noakes (above), announced he too was leaving

Favourites: He had won the hearts of fans as the wife of Camilla 'Chummy' Brown, played by comedienne Miranda Hart (above)

He said: 'It's been lovely to have been there since the beginning, an amazing roller coaster ride, and I'm honoured to have been part of the whole journey.

'But there comes a point six years down the line that, as an actor, it's good to keep my foot in with the theatre world and exploring other roles.'

He had won the hearts of fans as the wife of Camilla 'Chummy' Brown, played by comedienne Miranda Hart.

The BBC has commissioned another three series of the drama, which has attracted an average audience of 8.55 million for each episode this year.
Less than two months after having her baby daughter, Amanda Seyfried looked amazing as she attended the Twin Peaks premiere in Los Angeles on Friday evening.

The 31-year-old posed with her actor spouse Thomas Sadoski at The Theatre at Ace Hotel at the debut of the revived cult classic, in which she plays Becky.

The Les Miserables beauty wore a slinky, low-cut black skirt with an embroidered bottom hem that read, 'EQUALITY.'

Scroll down for video

Looking good: Amanda Seyfried, 31, looked amazing less than two months after giving birth to her daughter with husband Thomas Sadoski, 40, on Friday

The Mamma Mia stunner rounded out her get-up with strappy black heels. With her blonde tresses parted and down, Amanda complemented her pale complexion with dark red lipstick.

Sadoski, 40, wore a dark blue suit with a dark grey tie and brown dress shoes. The actor is best known from appearances on on Life in Pieces, The Slap and The Newsroom.

He initially met Seyfried working on the off-Broadway show The Way We Get By, and they drew closer on the set of the recent film The Last Word.

Picture perfect: The Mean Girls beauty was outfitted in a sleek black dress for the premiere

Fashion statement: Seyfried's garment included an embroidered strip that read, 'EQUALITY'

Big year: It's not even halfway through, but 2017 has already been full of major milestones for the star, including a marriage and a new baby

The two, who got engaged last autumn and eloped March 12 i proceedings Sadoski described as 'beautiful' and 'everything that it should be.'

He told James Corden in March, 'We just took off into the country with an officiant and just the two of us, and we did our thing ... it was just the two of us talking to each other.'

In a subsequent interview with E! News at The Last Word premiere, prior to the birth of their daughter, Sadoski said he was both 'excited' and 'terrified' at the prospect of parenthood.

Adorable: The newlywed couple held hands as they posed at the glitzy premiere

Little fanfare: The duo wed earlier this year with just an officiant on hand for the low-key proceedings, according to Sadoski

Stunning: Amanda's dark lipstick was perfect for the occasion as the morbid drama finds its way back to TV

Confident: The buxom actress was impeccably made up at the Showtime event

He joked, 'Amanda gets the singing. I do the diaper changing.'

Sadoski was previously married to casting director Kimberly Hope from 2007 until 2015.

Seyfried was in romances with actors Justin Long, Josh Hartnett and Ryan Phillippe.

Heavy hitters: The show's co-creator David Lynch posed with leading man Kyle MacLachlan

Main man: Kyle brought along his stunning wife Desiree Gruber

Stunning: Actress Sheryl Lee was outfitted in a billowing blue garment at the premiere

Fashionista: Laura Dern, who appears in the debut of the reboot, wore an eye-catching ensemble to the screening

Returning: Grace Zabriskie reprises her role as Sarah Palmer for the Showtime reboot

Dapper: Dana Ashbrook one again plays Bobby Briggs as the series returns to the air after a quarter-century

There was a sense of nostalgia at the proceedings as a number of the show's early 90s cast are back in the same roles, which stays on the same timeline, 25 years after the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer.

Kyle MacLachlan reprises his role as FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, while series regulars Sheryl Lee, Madchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook, Everett McGill and Russ Tamblyn are on board. Cameos slated for this season include stars like Dern, Michael Cera and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails.

Twin Peaks' two-hour premiere airs on Showtime, Sunday at 9/8c.

New girl: Russell Simmons posed with Twin Peaks newcomer, Irish actress Amy Shiels

Solid: Madeline Zima was a vision in white, while Giselle DaMier was tickled pink

Petal: Jessica Szohr wore an eye-catching jumpsuit

Black and white: Berenice Marlohe wore a gorgeous short black dress, while Ana de la Reguera rocked a flowing pearl gown

Vision in white! Nafessa Williams, 27, teased a flash of her cleavage in the daringly low cut top, teamed with flared trousers and a metallic clutch

Stylish: Mae Whitman (L) gave onlookers a hint of her toned tummy in a cut out trendy tear-cut dress while Jane Levy (R) pulled off a safari traveller look with a necktie scarf and linen trousers

Supporting: Everett McGill made an appearance in quirky sapphire blue trainers and jeans, matched with a brown shirt

Eye-catching: Nicole LaLiberte showed off a lot of leg in a daringly high split in a fitted glittery turtle neck dress

Glamour: Candy Clark styled a flash of scarlet lipstick, she wore a black jacket to contrast her golden gown

Killer looks: Sara Paxton dazzled in a metallic minidress which caught the light as she sashayed through the premiere party

Gorgeous: Sheryl Lee, who starred in the 1990 series of Twin Peaks and the 1992 film, opted for a flowing navy dress teamed with gold sparkly lace up shoes

Graceful: Grace Zabriskie, best known for her role in Twin Peaks, oozed elegance in her floral flowing shirt and ankle high stiletto boots

Bold: Madchen Amick, best known for her role as Shelly Johnson in Twin Peaks, showed off some serious skin in the sheer panels of her tassel frock

Classy: Wendy Robie looked blooming lovely in her flowing floral attire

Inside: Amy was having a great time inside the party as she couldn't stop smiling
She's a fan of sharing flashback photos.

And Paris Hilton shared yet another one on Friday - this time, one from her teenage years.

Staring at the camera, she rocks a very low-cut silver dress as she reveals she is wearing some gravity-defying underwear.

'Me at 15 when I discovered push up bras': Paris Hilton shared flashback pic from 20 years ago on Friday

'Me at 15 when I discovered push up bras. #FlashbackFriday #TeenParis,' she captioned the snap.

Also spotted in the picture is the photographer's flash caught in the mirror, with 1996 being well before the era of the bathroom selfie.

Flash forward to 21 years later on Friday, and not much had changed, as the 36-year-old fashioned some bathing suits on Snapchat.

Before heading off to Cannes with boyfriend Chris Zylka on Friday night, the heiress had herself a mini bathing suit fashion show.

Same old: Flash forward to 21 years later on Friday, and not much had changed, as the 36-year-old fashioned some bathing suits on Snapchat

Wow: Among the outfits sampled was a white Louis Vuitton bikini that showcased her fantastic figure

Among the outfits sampled was a white Louis Vuitton bikini that showcased her fantastic figure.

After that she slipped into a tiny shimmering silver sequinned dress, paired with a white fur coat.

Keeping the coat, she then switched into a short green dress, accessorizing in a golden choker.

Finally it was back to the batching suits, as she sampled a graphic one-piece with a thin blue robe.

Flashy: After that she slipped into a tiny shimmering silver sequinned dress, paired with a white fur coat

Green goddess: Keeping the coat, she then switched into a short green dress, accessorizing in a golden choker

For a dip: Finally it was back to the batching suits, as she sampled a graphic one-piece with a thin blue robe

Natural light: For the last outfit she stepped outside to the pool area to give a more authentic backdrop

For the last outfit she stepped outside to the pool area to give a more authentic backdrop.

Paris's mini fashion show was in fact a behind the scenes look at her cover shoot for Galore Magazine's summer issue.

On Friday she jetted off to Cannes to the film festival, where she is DJing.

She and her beau are also one of the celeb couples walking in the Philipp Plein runway show.

BTS: Paris's mini fashion show was in fact a behind the scenes look at her cover shoot for Galore Magazine's summer issue

Lovebirds: The heiress was heading off to Cannes with boyfriend Chris Zylka on Friday night

If her Instagram's any indication, her trip to Cannes seems to have reminded her of another visit she'd once made to the country whose capital gave Paris her name.

She's posted an image of herself in a massive mesh-draped gown, beaming as she stood on what appeared to be a dance floor.

'Feeling like a Princess at my Debutante Ball when I was 18 in Paris,' read her emoji-strewn caption, which also included the hashtags: '#FBF' and '#TeenParis'.
Gwyneth Paltrow swung by a Nordstrom in Seattle on Friday for a signing while celebrating the pop-up Goop In@Nordstrom.

Goop is the name of the lifestyle website the 44-year-old began in 2008, which is getting a print edition with Conde Nast for a publisher, per Agence France-Presse.

For the Nordstrom event, Gwyneth had slid herself into a black sleeveless jumpsuit that framed her enviably trim figure and had a strap over only her left shoulder.

Scroll down for video

Aglow: Gwyneth Paltrow swung by a Nordstrom in Seattle on Friday for a signing while celebrating the pop-up Goop In@Nordstrom

She'd accessorized with the ensemble with a pair of gleaming gold bracelets and a gold ring that complemented her blonde hair, which fell free about her shoulders.

The Shakespeare In Love star, who's authored three cookbooks, spent a bit of her time at the Nordstrom sitting at a long white-clothed desk for a signing.

Whilst there, she got in a bit of posing alongside Erik Nordstrom and Pete Nordstrom, who along with their brother Blake Nordstrom are the company's co-presidents.

The look: For the Nordstrom event, Gwyneth had slid herself into a black sleeveless jumpsuit that framed her enviably trim figure and had a strap over only her left shoulder

She'd been in Los Angeles this Tuesday and had spoken at the Fast Company's FC/LA: A Meeting Of The Most Creative Minds event at Goop's Santa Monica digs.

Gwyneth's said: 'I'm interested in criticism based on fact, not on projections,' and: 'If you want to f*** with me, bring your A game,' according to Pret-A-Reporter.

Since its 2008 launch, Goop's rapidly become known for advice ranging from the idiosyncratic to the bizarre, exhorting women to steam clean their vaginas and theorizing about a 'Link Between Underwire Bras And Breast Cancer.'

Fan outreach: The Shakespeare In Love star, who's authored three cookbooks, spent a bit of her time at the Nordstrom sitting at a long white-clothed desk for a signing

At the Tuesday event, Gwyneth explained: 'On the media side of Goop, we like to know what people are freaking out about,' joking that 'if we hear that people are putting bees in their vagina, we'll write about it.'

She did however, insist she'd pulled that example out of the air and urged listeners 'not to try it at home,' maintaining: 'On the product side, we are more judicious.'

Quoth she: 'If we are selling it, it's because we love it; if we've made it, it's the best,' saying: 'if you opened Goop and saw a fast food ad, it would diminish our trust.'
They're the Queensland couple who are often caught bickering as they compete to become House Rules champions.

But on Saturday, Daniella and Aaron were all smiles as they celebrated their wedding anniversary with day out at the Panyiri Greek Festival in Brisbane.

Strolling arm-in-arm, the pair later packed on the PDA as they took a ride in the bumper cars.

Twinning! House Rules stars Daniella and Aaron were all smiles as they enjoyed a day out at the Panyiri Greek Festival in Brisbane on Saturday

Daniella cut a casual figure in faded jeans and a plain black t-shirt, teaming them with grey lace-up shoes.

The mum-of-two completed her outfit with stylish accessories, including a pair of round sunglasses and a floppy silver hat.

Husband Aaron matched the blonde beauty in his own comfortable clothes, donning dark wash jeans, a black top and canvas sneakers.

The star appeared to be sporting an injured wrist though, which was strapped up during the outing.

Wounded? Aaron appeared to be sporting an injured wrist, but it didn't seem to stop him from having fun, pumping his fists in the air as he and Daniella drove round in the bumper cars

Affectionate: Strolling arm-in-arm, the pair later packed on the PDA as they went on the ride, as the carpenter leaned in to lock lips with his wife

It didn't seem to stop Aaron from having fun though, pumping his fists in the air as he and Daniella drove round in the bumper cars.

As the ride came to an end the carpenter even leaned in to his wife as the pair locked lips.

The glamorous couple were also seen tucking into some food at the festival, laughing and joking as they did.

Building up their strength: The glamorous couple were also seen tucking into some food at the festival, laughing and joking as they did

It comes as the couple continue to push themselves for bigger and better reveals on the renovation reality show.

Giving it their all during last week's WA renovation, Daniella faced a problem when she discovered she had kidney stones.

The former professional dancer told TV Week that she woke up in the middle of the night 'with massive pressure' in her abdomen and facing 'horrendous' pain.

Hard at work: It comes as the couple continue to push themselves for bigger and better reveals on the renovation reality show

Painful problem: Giving it their all during last week's WA renovation, Daniella wound up in the hospital after she discovered she had kidney stones

But after being rushed to hospital and passing the stones, she was eager to get back to work and 'light duties'.

'I didnt want a medical condition to stop me from what I was starting to fall in love with, and that was renovating,' she told the publication.

The couple went on to score 24 points from the judges for their ensuite and lounge room, with praise heaped on the bright orange statement sink they used in the bathroom.
She's a doting mother to five children.

And Katie Price spent some quality time with her youngest child Bunny - who she shares with husband Kieran Hayler - as she arrived at Dublin Airport, Ireland on Friday.

The TV personality, 38, looked stylish as she cradled the two-year-old who looked super adorable in a very fitting bunny outfit.

Scroll down for video

Bonding: Katie Price, 38, spent some quality time with her youngest child Bunny - who she shares with husband Kieran Hayler - as she arrived at Dublin Airport on Friday

Katie, who according to her Snapchat flew into Ireland to get her hair done, infused the elements of style and comfort for the day with her little girl.

She donned a pair of ripped skinny jeans, a blush pink sweater and faux-fur lined navy bomber jacket - completed with a pair of eye-catching pink trainers.

The former glamour model, who also wore a pair of shades, put all focus on her little one as she held her close with immaculately manicured hands.

Bunny looked absolutely adorable as she was aptly clad in a pink hoodie - which boasted bunny ears.

Cute: The TV personality looked stylish as she cradled the two-year-old who looked super adorable in a very fitting bunny outfit

Looking good: She donned a pair of ripped skinny jeans, a blush pink sweater and faux-fur lined navy bomber jacket - completed with a pair of eye-catching pink trainers

Meanwhile, Katie recently shared a video on her Instagram page in which she discussed her being spotted without her wedding band.

Posing with bunny ears, Katie said: 'So Kieran... Why haven't I got my wedding ring on today?'

Kieran, 27, replied, 'Because she left it at home as usual.'

With the camera pointing back at her, Katie said: 'Uh-oh!'

Clearly finding the whole thing amusing, Kieran reposted it onto his own profile, captioning the image with 'Naughty girl' with a host of ring emojis.

Sweet: Bunny looked absolutely adorable as she was aptly clad in a pink hoodie - which boasted bunny ears

'Kieran, why haven't I got my wedding ring on?' Meanwhile, recently Katie shared a video on her Instagram page in which she and hubby Kieran Hayler discussed her being spotted without her wedding band

Kieran replied: 'Because she left it at home as usual,' as they playfully dismissed any trouble between them

The latest video comes after Katie declared: 'Jordan is never coming back!' in a video posted by her husband Kieran last week.

And Katie remained adamant that she will never revert to her famous alter-ego on Monday, by sharing her wishes for a more modern shake-up of her image on social media.

She took to Instagram to share the quote: 'I feel another transformation coming' with fans - but further affirmed she will never return to her glamour modelling days in the funny caption.

The star took to the social media site on Monday to share the phrase, which hinted at a new transformation, against a bright pink background.

Not coming back: Katie remained adamant that she will never revert to her famous alter-ego Jordan on Monday, after sharing her wishes for an image shake-up on social media

Determined: The British star shared the quote 'I feel another transformation coming' with fans on Instagram, teasing at a potential new look

Not happening: However Katie was quick to affirm that she would not be unearthing her famous Jordan counterpart in her caption (above)

However, after sending fans into a frenzy last week by claiming her famous Jordan counterpart will never make a comeback, Katie was quick to affirm this declaration in her caption.

In her usual witty but fierce style, she wrote beside the quote: 'And NO it's not Jordan.'

Speaking to The Sun at the event, she said she would only ever embrace her saucy counterpart once again if asked to pose in the nude by iconic publication Playboy.

She explained: 'There's no FHM, there's no Loaded magazine, there's no lads mags anymoreNuts and all that.

'So how on earth can I be Jordan? There's no bloody magazines to be Jordan for, unless American Playboy want me to do it again, then I will.'
She is the younger sister of Mary Kate and Ashley, but she is a star in her own right.

And Elizabeth Olsen took centre stage among the A-listers when she attended The ninth Annual Filmmakers Dinner in Cannes on Friday evening.

Leaving little to the imagination, the 28-year-old actress caught the eyes of onlookers when she went braless in a Gothic inspired transparent gown.

Scroll down for video

Striking: Elizabeth Olsen, 28, went braless, leaving little to the imagination in a sheer gown at The ninth Annual Filmmakers Dinner in Cannes on Friday

She put her sensational figure on display in the sheer pleated ensemble which showed off some serious skin - and her matching pants.

Her evening attire was complete with sequin-studded straps to add a hint of Hollywood glamour to her appearance.

The younger sister of Mary Kate and Ashley kept her accessories minimal to put the focus on her striking attire, only carrying a small clutch which brought out the colour in her dress.

Accentuating her youthful features, she wore deftly touches of mascara and a slick of cherry pink lip gloss to finish.

The American beauty let her golden curls fall down her shoulders in loose curls, giving her a tousled look.

Transparent: The younger sister of Mary Kate and Ashley put her sensational figure on display in the sheer pleated ensemble which showed off some serious skin

Elizabeth has just returned from Scotland, where she has been filming the third film in Marvel's The Avengers film series.

The star is reprising her role of Wanda Maximoff - otherwise known as Scarlet Witch in the film which will again feature a star-studded cast including Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zoe Saldana, Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey Jr.

In fact, Elizabeth recently credited Renner - who plays Hawkeye - with stopping her feel 'overwhelmed' on the Avengers set.

Classy: She kept her accessories minimal to put the focus on her striking attire, only carrying a small clutch which brought out the colour in her dress

The actress worked alongside the actor in the Avengers: Age of Ultron and has admitted she would have been plagued with anxiety if he wasn't for his advice

Speaking to Vulture, she said: 'My first day filming on Ultron, I was with Jeremy and we were ushering like 400 extras or something and I was really overwhelmed and Jeremy in a very simple way broke down a very human goal about why he's there, what he's doing and where his goal was and really simplified it for me.'

She has also been complimentary about the star-studded cast, telling The Telegraph: 'Everyone was incredibly kind and playful. Paul Bettany [the Vision] is hilarious, Downeys the kindest, Renner is a really funny person.

'Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Hemsworth  theyre all so nice. We had one dinner as a gang but everyone had moved their families over to London [for filming] so they didnt want to hang out with me!'

Eye-catching: She joined Harvey Weinstein, who wore a dark statement suit to the dinner
Until this February they had only ever seen their birth place of Malawi.

And Madonna's recently adopted twins Esther and Stella, 4, looked to be having the time of their lives as they explored the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos in Lisbon, Portugal on Friday.

The little girls looked adorable in matching ensembles, as their proud mom, Madonna, 58, shared snaps of them exploring the monastery.

Scroll down for video

Double trouble! Madonna's recently adopted twins Esther and Stella, 4, looked to be having the time of their lives as they explored the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos in Lisbon, Portugal on Friday

Clad in coordinating jeans, mini converse trainers and striped tops with heart details, the little girls put on a stylish display.

One of the twins showed her own unique style, adding a choker with an initial pendant, as well as a cap.

'Rascals', Madonna captioned the snap as they balanced on some pillars.

'Cotemplation': The little girls looked adorable in matching ensembles, as their proud mom, Madonna , 58, shared snaps of them exploring the monastery

And sharing a video as the girls excitedly explored the landmark in Portugal's capital, she added the caption 'The psychology of twins', along with a heart face emoji.

As the photogenic pair posed in perfect stillness, she uploaded another proud picture, writing 'Statues'.

Madonna has three other adopted children as well as two biological ones, Lourdes, 20, and Rocco, 16.

She'd adopted 11-year-old son David Banda from Malawi in 2006 when he was only a year old and she was with her second husband Guy Ritchie, whom she'd married back in 2000.

Madonna's since adopted three daughters from Malawi: 11-year-old Mercy, brought home in 2009, and Esther and Stella, adopted this February.

Besotted: Sharing a video as the girls excitedly explored the landmark in Portugal's capital, she added the caption 'The psychology of twins', along with a heart face emoji

Models: As the photogenic pair posed in perfect stillness, she uploaded another proud picture, writing 'Statues'

Matching: Clad in coordinating jeans, mini converse trainers and striped tops with heart details, the little girls put on a stylish display

Last year Rocco's father Guy Ritchie won a protracted nine-month custody battle with his mother, US pop icon Madonna, who lives in New York.

The decision means Rocco will remain in the UK with director Guy, and speaking outside the court at the time Guy's lawyer, Peter Bronstein, said the teenager would continue to live with his father in London.

According to Page Six, Bronstein said: 'The case is settled and everyone agrees that Roccos needs changed and hes going to be living with dad.

'Everyones agreed to that and theres no further need for any kind of a court case.'

Madonna's since adopted three daughters from Malawi: 11-year-old Mercy, brought home in 2009, and Esther and Stella, adopted this February

First-born: Madonna has three other adopted children as well as two biological ones, Lourdes, 20, and Rocco, 16
She's known for being ballsy in her business pursuits, and now PR maven Roxy Jacenko is taking the phrase literally.

Taking to Instagram, the publicist posted an image of her having fun in a ball pit at Nobu Play in Alexandria, Sydney.

Lying amidst a bunch of blue balls, the smiling 36-year-old was joined by several adorable kids, including her two-year-old son Hunter Curtis.

Ballsy move: PR maven Roxy Jacenko (pictured) looks stylish as she strikes a pose with two-year-old son hiding among the ball pit

Hunter, who Roxy shares with jailed husband Oliver Curtis, is almost fully immersed, with his head the only body part to peek out from the seas of plastic balls.

Striking a pose, with her right hand shaped in a peace sign, Roxy captioned the photo: 'All in a days work [laughing emoji] @nuboplay'

The ever-stylish Roxy wasn't one to dress down for the play date, however.

In typical Roxy fashion, she the controversial blonde look well put together in an outfit consisting of navy blue fitted blazer with cream button details on the front and sleeves.

Loving it! Hunter, who Roxy shares with jailed husband Oliver Curtis, was giggling as he was almost fully immersed in the sea of plastic balls

A kiss from mum! Hunter got a smooch from his stylish mummy after his play date

She teamed the jacket with dark skinny jeans and and a white t-shirt.

Forgoing her usual heels, the Sweaty Betty still managed to keep her bare feet looking flawless, with an immaculate white-polish pedicure.

The socialite added a number of accessories to complete the ensemble.

On her right hand, Roxy is rocking what appears to be a gold bracelet while her left hand also brought the bling with a statement watch.

Too cute: Pixie and Hunter Curtis are the adorable offspring of Roxy and Oliver Curtis

On their way! Roxy posted a selfie of her and her kids as they headed to the ball pit, captioning the snap: 'To @nuboplay we go '

While Roxy's other child, five-year-old daughter Pixie isn't in the ball pit snap, the Sydney businesswoman did also bring her along.

Ahead of the trip to Nobu Play, Roxy posted a selfie of herself in her car with Pixie and Hunter smiling in the backseat.

She captioned the image: 'To @nuboplay we go '
She made the heartbreaking discovery of finding her cousin unresponsive last week.

And Rosario Dawson understandably looked sombre as she stepped out in Marina Del Rey in California on Friday.

This is the 38-year-old actress's second public outing since reportedly discovering her cousin Vaneza Ines Vazquez dead at her home in Los Angeles area on May 11.

Scroll down for video

Brave: Rosario Dawson understandably looked sombre as she stepped out in Marina Del Rey in California on Friday

The New York native wore a brave face while out, clearly still mourning over the death of her 26-year-old relative.

Going bare-faced for the outing, she let her natural beauty shine through, leaving her raven tresses loose.

Wearing a casual but elegant baby blue Kaftan maxi robe, she teamed it with socks and sandals as she headed to her car with her coffee.

Staying strong: This is the 38-year-old actress's second public outing since reportedly discovering her cousin Vaneza Ines Vazquez dead at her home in Los Angeles area on May 11

Rosario's traumatizing experience was reported via TMZ Tuesday.

On Thursday, the actress discovered her cousin Vaneza unconscious downstairs in the star's Venice Beach apartment.

The star is said to have immediately called paramedics, but the team tragically could not resuscitate Vaneza after transporting her to hospital.

Rosario's cousin - who also worked for the starlet - had reportedly been suffering from migraines and also had hypertension.

Casual: Wearing a casual but elegant baby blue Kaftan maxi robe, she teamed it with socks and sandals as she headed to her car with her coffee

Natural causes: Autopsy results indicate Vaneza (pictured above) died from natural causes, and sources claim she did not have any history of substance abuse

The site reports that autopsy results indicate Vaneza died from natural causes, and sources claimed she did not have any history of substance abuse.

Vaneza's mother Lisa Centeno paid tribute to her daughter on Facebook. She wrote: 'Vaneza, my sweet, sweet beautiful baby - your passing has left me destroyed forever but I know you are at peace in Paradise. I love you, my alpha child.'

Friend Francisco Gomez added: 'It's still not registering that you're gone. The world has lost a truly beautiful person.

Vaneza Ines Vazquez (pictured right with Rosario third from left) is the cousin of actress Rosario Dawson

Tragic: Rosario Dawson (left) reportedly discovered her younger cousin Vaneza (right) dead at her Los Angeles home last week and quickly rang the emergency services

Rosario Dawson is pictured arriving at the Cesar Chavez Los Angeles premiere in 2014. Vaneza (circled) attended with her

'Spread your wings wide & touch the stars. You will forever be missed.'

DailyMail.com has contacted Rosario's representatives for comment.

Rosario often speaks about the importance of having a close relationship with her family and was raised by her mother Isabel - having never met her biological father.

She previously spoke about her upbringing with The Guardian, revealing that her mother fell pregnant at 17, and only found out she was expecting when she was picked for the 1980 Olympic volleyball team and was made to take a test.

Vaneza's mother Lisa Centeno wrote: 'Vaneza, my sweet, sweet beautiful baby - your passing has left me destroyed forever but I know you are at peace in Paradise. I love you, my alpha child'

The site reports that autopsy results indicate Vaneza (pictured right) died from natural causes

Whilst Rosario's father did not stay with her mother, she was later adopted by her mum's partner - who began dating Isabel when she was eight months pregnant.

'I think about that now,' Rosario explained. 'Such a young man, marrying a woman with a baby who's not his  that just doesn't happen. He just loved my Mom, and he loved me, and I loved my Dad, you know?'

Rosario was discovered at age 15 sitting on her stoop and asked to be in a film, Kids, which ultimately changed her life.

Two of a kind: Rosario pictured with her mother Isabel, with whom she enjoys a close relationship

Rosario Dawson often speaks about the importance of having a close relationship with her family. She is pictured with her brother Clay and her mother Isabel Celeste in 2015

She has recently been juggling a 'complicated' work schedule that has stopped her appearing in upcoming Marvel series, The Punisher - despite playing Claire Temple in a number of Marvel shows.

'At the end of the day, it's really hard to get all of those casts together. For The Defenders, it was difficult to get everybody together,' she told Collider.

'People are busy! There are so many times where I really want it to happen. I really wanted to do a cameo on The Punisher, but it doesn't always work that way.'
She's become something of a regular at London nightclub Bodos Schloss.

And Lottie Moss, 19, was not one to buck her own trend as she attended the swanky hotspot on Friday night and carried on the party to the early hours of the morning with friends, including George Lineker.

The model showcased her petite physique in a casual outfit, after penning a post discussing her body insecurities on Instagram post admitting that she has embraced her 'imperfections'.

Scroll down for video

Painting the town red: Lottie Moss, 19, attended Bodos Schloss on Friday night and carried on the party to the early hours of the morning with friends, including George Lineker

Candid: Lottie revealed that it took time to learn to love her body as she admitted she often sought out her 'imperfections' in a bikini Instagram snap on Friday

The encounter between George and Lottie may have been a slightly awkward affair, given that George was out with Lottie's boyfriend, 26-year-old Alex Mytton, on the infamous night where he was seen to grope a mystery blonde after an evening of high jinks at Raffles nightclub.

Alex was pictured placing his hand on the blonde's leather-clad derriere as he escorted her into a taxi after what appeared to be a heavy day of drinking at Chelsea favourites The Bluebird and The Phene.

However, Lottie appeared to disregard any tension, clambering into a taxi with George and other friends at the end of the evening to carry on the party.

An awkward encounter: There may have been tension between George and Lottie, given that George was out with Lottie's boyfriend, Alex Mytton, on the night where he was seen to grope a blonde

Hiding: George appeared to be a little camera-shy as he shielded his face

Putting the past behind them: However, Lottie appeared to disregard any tension, clambering into a taxi with George and other friends at the end of the evening to carry on the party

Party on: The group left together in a taxi after their evening of fun

Wearing a pair of black skinny jeans adorned with black tassels on the ankle, Lottie showcased her slender pins.

She paired the jeans with a white frayed edge top, and finished off the look with some white Converse trainers.

Letting her blonde tresses loose over her shoulders, the beauty carried a small boxy leather handbag and sported simple, natural-looking make-up.

Her black Niler London leather jacket added a touch of edginess with its red embroidery to an otherwise simple outfit.

Cool and casual: Wearing a pair of black skinny jeans adorned with black tassels on the ankle, Lottie showcased her slender pins

Alternative: Her black leather jacket added a touch of edginess with its red embroidery to an otherwise simple outfit

Earlier in the day, Lottie revealed that it took time to learn to love her body as she admitted she often sought out her 'imperfections'.

Taking to Instagram on Friday, the model shared a sizzling bikini snap as she urged her fans to embrace their shape.

In the shot, Lottie looked out over the ocean whilst clad in a tiny brown bikini as she showed off her pert posterior.

Confident: The 19-year-old model has shared a host of glamorous snaps from her holiday to Greece and she urged her fans to embrace their shape with her inspirational message

She wrote: 'We may not all love our figure, we all have imperfections but I have learnt to love mine, I don't have a small bum or huge boobs but I'm happy that way.

'And for any girls out there that think they need to photoshop pictures or adjust things about themselves in an unsafe way need to know that nobody is perfect.

'And although you go on Instagram and see loads of pictures of models that look amazing, I can tell you now it takes a lot of pictures, nice lighting, a flattering outfit, hair and makeup, etc to do so! #loveyourself'.

Lottie is the half-sister of supermodel Kate and has followed in her sibling's footsteps with a number of high-profile campaigns - even landing her own Vogue cover.

Im at my happiest when I model, so I figured I might as well do that,' she told The Telegraph.

'I could get a degree at any time. Theres no point doing one if you arent going to use it.'

Two of a kind: Lottie is the half-sister of supermodel Kate and has followed in her sibling's footsteps with a number of high-profile campaigns - even landing her own Vogue cover

The starlet is currently holidaying in Greece with her boyfriend Alex Mytton, signalling the end of their relationship woes.

The 26-year-old Made In Chelsea star, who has been dating Lottie since October, recently enjoyed an all-day drinking session with Gary Lineker's son George and was seen leaving a nightclub with his arm around a beautiful blonde.

The next day, Lottie wrote despondently to her fans on Twitter: 'Genuinely shocked and worried about my ability of picking men.' (sic)
She's back in her home country to participate in the defamation trial against Bauer media, the publishers of Woman's Day magazine.

And on Saturday, Sydney-born Rebel Wilson took the time to visit a Melbourne beach she appeared to have a connection with.

'Beach walk in my old hood in Melbourne,' the 37-year-old wrote in the caption, the day after she appeared in the supreme court, where she is suing over an article which she says included false claims the the actress lied about her age, her upbringing and more.

Homecoming! On Saturday, Sydney-born Rebel Wilson took the time to visit a Melbourne beach she appeared to have a connection with

Looking beaming and fresh-faced in the Instagram snap, Rebel wore a pair of thick glasses as she stood near the palm tree-lined shore.

Despite the overcast weather, the blonde beauty happily donned a black cap and took to the great outdoors.

Her all black ensemble was completed via a simple jacket and t-shirt combination.

The Pitch Perfect actress was born in Sydney, and also attended the Sydney-based Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP).

Old hood! 'Beach walk in my old hood in Melbourne,' the 37-year-old wrote in the caption (pictured here in November 2008)

In 2003, she starred in the Australian television series Pizza, playing the role of a gang leader.

She eventually won a scholarship through the theatre for New York's famed Second City Training Centre.

In 2008, she also created, produced, wrote and starred in the SBS comedy series Bogan Pride.

Pride! The Pitch Perfect actress was born in Sydney, and also attended the Sydney-based Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP),In 2008, she created, produced, wrote and starred in the comedy series Bogan Pride

On Friday, she appeared in a Melbourne court ahead of her defamation trial against the publishers of Woman's Day, due to begin next week.

The Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect actor flew in from the United States for a pre-trial hearing at the Supreme Court of Victoria.

She is suing Bauer Media for defamation over a series of magazine articles she says cost her movie roles.

As she left court, the actress said she was 'excited to get started' but could not disclose any information about the case until she begins giving evidence on Monday, according to News.com.au.

In town: The Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect actor flew in from the United States for a pre-trial hearing at the Supreme Court of Victoria

'I just think its really important that the truth comes out in this matter,' Rebel said.

The bubbly blonde appeared in good spirits, telling the crowd gathered outside that 'its really good to be here (in Melbourne)'.

She also said that she would also use her time there to celebrate a family milestone, saying: 'It's my grandpa's 90th birthday this weekend, so I'm kind of doing double duty'.

Rebel said that she expected her testimony to take 'a few days,' but in the meantime would 'have a great weekend... catching up on all my favourite restaurants and stuff'.
She's a staunch supporter of the body confidence movement and is never afraid to show off her perfect physique.

But Ashley James parted ways with her normal bikini-clad looks, as she arrived at the Hoxton Radio station in London on Friday.

The former Made In Chelsea star, 30, looked super funky for her outing in the figure-hugging black top which was clad in the logo 'Goal Digger' in large green lettering.

Scroll down for video

Statement style: Ashley James, 30, looked super funky as she arrived at the Hoxton Radio station in London on Friday

The DJ teamed the look with a pair of high-waisted slim-leg blue denims, which were slightly rolled up underneath.

Strolling along in a pair of comfortable black trainers, Ashley looked very much trendy as she also sported a pair of rose gold headphones around her neck.

Taking into consideration the low-key aspect to the day, Ashley wore her blonde locks in a messy bun - complementing her bronzed make-up look.

Trendy: The former Made In Chelsea star donned a figure-hugging black top which was clad in the logo 'Goal Digger' in large green lettering

Fashionista: The DJ teamed the look with a pair of high-waisted slim-leg blue denims, which were slightly rolled up underneath

Ashley regularly puts out unretouched images of her slim bikini body out on her social media as part of a fight against unrealistic body image.

But even she was shocked at her immediate reaction to the now-famous unairbrushed Kim Kardashian bikini photos which were taken during her recent trip to Mexico.

Posting a lengthy caption with a sexy shot of her in a revealing red swimming costume, Ashley admitted that she had to scold herself over judging Kim's 'cellulite'.

Wistfully penning a memory of her time on holiday in Holbox Island, Ashley turned her commentary to the subject of Kim's derriere.

Style star: Strolling along in a pair of comfortable black trainers, Ashley looked very much trendy as she also sported a pair of rose gold headphones around her neck

'To be honest, when I first saw the photos I thought two things. Firstly, I loved seeing cellulite because I thought it was great that she could of edited images and she didn't,' the model began.

'Secondly, my immediate subconscious reaction was to be judgmental of her body, and I had to stop myself because I realise - why do we do this or care about how another woman's body looks?'

Ashley's post then became philosophical in nature, and she proffered some advice for her fans that she follows herself.

'Does judging Kim Kardashian make me feel better about myself? I think judgement is natural, but I always to train myself not to think it and I never say it out loud to others.'

Having her say: Ashley regularly puts out unretouched images of her slim bikini body out on her social media as part of a fight against unrealistic body image

'I train myself to not think about it': Even she was shocked at her immediate reaction to the now-famous unairbrushed Kim Kardashian bikini photos which were taken during her recent trip to Mexico

Ashley is herself a victim of body shaming, claiming last month that a taxi driver 'slut-shamed' her for wearing a plunging black crop top.

Penning another commentary on an Instagram post about the incident, she revealed that she 'broke down in tears' and 'was made to feel like a cheap whore'.

Luckily, she decided to ignore the taxi driver, and bravely went on with her evening in the revealing top after deciding she shouldn't feel ashamed about her 'natural, God-given body'.
She is best known for her role as Hanna Marin in Pretty Little Liars.

But Ashley Benson looked every inch the Hollywood superstar as she strolled through the streets brimming with A-list movie stars for Cannes Film Festival in France on Saturday.

Keeping the chill off, the 27-year-old actress styled a mustard mid-length light coat over her casual ensemble.

Scroll down for video

Specs appeal! Pretty Little Liars star Ashley Benson caught the eye in mirrored shades as she arrived three days into the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France on Saturday

The Pretty Little Liars starlet wore cut off jeans which perfectly framed her suede ankle boots.

She accessorised with eye-catching glasses with mirrored frames which caught glimpses of the sunlight and onlookers as she sashayed through the crowds.

Ashley carried an oversized hand bag which picked out the raven ribbon colour of her choker, complete with metallic charms.

The California native wore her glossy golden locks loose with a parting as she proudly showed off her natural beauty.

Keep off the chill! The 27-year-old actress styled a mustard mid-length light coat over her casual ensemble

These boots are made for walking! The Pretty Little Liars starlet wore cut off jeans which perfectly framed her suede ankle boots

She's a natural beauty: The California native wore her glossy golden locks loose with a parting

Her sighting comes hours after the model had touched down in Nice airport keen not to miss the buzzing atmosphere at the festival.

Prepared for the festival's demand for fresh looks, Ashley had changed from her airport attire into the stand-out coat and boots.

Earlier on, she had pulled off a biker chick look with a leather jacket and a different pair of sunglasses.

Change of clothes: As a fashionista she was fully prepared for the festival's demands for fresh looks as she swapped her airport attire for the coat and boots

Change of scenery: The beauty had even changed her retro box sunglasses to mirrored shades when she was spotted out later

Ashley has yet to reveal what her next acting plans are now that Pretty Little Liars has come to an end.

Eight episodes of the Freeform series' final season are left to air, but filming wrapped on October 26, 2016.

To celebrate the end of their program, the main cast got tattoos of the first letter of their character's name on their pointer fingers.

In style: The model had touched down in Nice airport keen not to miss the buzzing atmosphere at the festival earlier in the day

Touch down: She was seen pulling off a biker chick look with a leather jacket

PLL debuted in June of 2010 on the ABC Family network, Benson starred with Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell and Troian Bellisario.

The program is loosely based off of a mystery book series with the same title about the murder of a girl named Alison, who was the leader of a popular clique.

The death of Alison haunts the girls as they start to receive notes from a mysterious villain, only known as A.

Touchdown: Also arriving for Cannes Film Festival on Friday was Emma Thompson

Cheerful: The English actress seemed in great spirits on the outing
He was photographed kissing Roxy Jacenko last month while her husband Oliver Curtis was locked up behind bars for insider trading.

Now, the Daily Telegraph is reporting that Roxy's ex-boyfriend Nabil Gazal is smitten with the PR maven, and is allegedly, 'telling family and friends he plans to make Mrs Curtis his wife should she ever divorce Curtis in the future'.

The multi-millionaire property developer, who split with Sweaty Betty's leading lady in 2010 before she met her now-husband and father of her children, is regretting calling time on their relationship, according to the publication.

Drama: While Roxy Jacenko and Nabil Gazal are yet to publicly address recent kissing snaps, however the Daily Telegraph is reporting that Nabil wants to marry the PR Maven

'He has told us he should never have let her get away from him in the first place,' an associate of Nabil reportedly told The Daily Telegraph on Saturday.

The source is said to have added: 'He is smitten with Roxy. She excites him.'

The Sydney publicist was captured kissing Nabil last month, while her husband Oliver Curtis nears the end of his 12-month jail sentence for insider trading.

And while Roxy, 36, and Nabil are yet to publicly address the sensational snaps, a new report claims the images have had a 'devastating effect' on their respective families.

Still smitten? 'He has told us he should never have let her get away from him in the first place,' an associate of Nabil reportedly told The Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday

The source is said to have added: 'He is smitten with Roxy. She excites him'

Earlier on Saturday, sources from the extended Curtis and Gazal families reportedly told Sydney Morning Herald that the intimate photos have caused upset.

The families are familiar with one another as married mother-of-two Roxy and Nabil are former lovers, having dated several years ago before splitting in 2010.

The publication claimed their relationship has also caused strain between Nabil's family, mentioning his mother has been most affected.

The Daily Telegraph is reporting that Nabil Gazal is allegedly: 'Now telling family and friends he plans to make Mrs Curtis his wife should she ever divorce Curtis in the future'

In the biography Blonde Ambition: Roxy Jacenko Unfiltered, by journalist Annette Sharp, it is alleged Nabil's mother was not convinced Roxy would be a good match for her son when they were together.

The book claimed 'some of the members of the Gazal family' felt that Roxy was 'a bit brash' for the wealthy and intensely private family.

The pair have remained in contact, despite Roxy marrying Oliver in 2012 and welcoming two children in subsequent years with the disgraced banker.

Better match? In the biography Blonde Ambition: Roxy Jacenko Unfiltered , by journalist Annette Sharp, it is alleged Nabil's mother was not convinced Roxy would be a good match for her son when they were together

Last month, Roxy, 36, was spotted kissing her ex-boyfriend Nabil at a post-dinner party held at his luxury Sydney apartment.

Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with Daily Mail Australia, Roxy revealed when her husband Oliver gets out of the slammer in June, there won't be any big celebrations planned and it will be 'business as usual.'

Daily Mail Australia have reached out to Nabil Gazal and Roxy Jacenko for comment.
Jordan Barrett had a stellar Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

Not only was he paid a reported $100,000 for his runway appearance, he was also said to be seen flirting with fellow model Elyse Taylor.

And on Friday the 20-year-old took a well deserved break at Bondi Beach, Sydney, frolicking in the waves with a friend despite the chilly weather.

Beach babes: Jordan Barrett took a well deserved break at Bondi Beach, Sydney, frolicking in the waves with a friend despite the chilly weather

The handsome the Byron Bay local forwent swimwear and jumped into the waves wearing a pair of long, blue and white striped Capri slacks.

The blonde rolled up the pants to his knees in order to be able to freely swim.

Accompanied by a male friend, Jordan raced into the water before diving head first into the foaming waves as they rolled on the shore.

As he waded into the waist-deep ocean, a glimpse of the model's red underwear peaked out.

Swim time: The handsome the Byron Bay local forwent swimwear and jumped into the waves wearing a pair of long, blue and white striped Capri slacks

Making do: The blonde rolled up the pants to his knees in order to be able to freely swim

Hint of skin: Jordan's multiple tattoos were visible as she walked on the shore

Like Jordan, his friend appeared to be wearing a regular pair of black pants into the surf.

The grey pants became clung to the man's form after he took a dip in them.

Emerging from the ocean with his hair pulled off his face and his muscular chest exposed, Jordan had his toned muscles on display.

Fancy free: Accompanied by a male friend, Jordan raced into the water before diving head first into the foaming waves as they rolled on the shore

That's pants! Like Jordan, his friend appeared to be wearing a regular pair of black pants into the surf

Fun times! The pair looked to be enjoying themselves as they raced into the water and frolicked about

Dive team: Jordan and his friend splashed among the waves on the famous beach, as the sea spray whipped up in the wind

Fearless: Jordan showed a hint of his red underwear once his pants got wet, with the garment peaking out from under the Capri slacks

Fighting fit: The model fought through the rolling waves to get in deeper

Peek-a-boo: The international model looked toned as he waded into the waist-deep ocean

Jordan and his friend appeared to have gotten into the water without towels, and used Jordan's white shirt and his friend's large beige scarf to dry off.

The Byron Bay boy left the beach wearing the white shirt with his hair in messy, beachy waves.

On Wednesday, Jordan reportedly caught the eye of Elyse Taylor, 30, at the InStyle Women of Style Awards in Sydney.

Splashing about: Jordan showed off his chiselled physique, alongside his equally toned friend

Back on dry land: The pair's swim was short-lived, with the cool temperatures seeing the boys abandon the surf

Out and about: The pair of men crossed the shore to their belongings after their swim

The model was reportedly seen 'flirting' with the fellow runway star.

Despite their 10-year age difference,The Daily Telegraph reports that Jordan 'put on a flirty display' with Elyse.

Rolling in the deep: Jordan cuffed his pants to make swimming in the famous beach's waves much easier

Twinning: Both the men had their hair slicked back from the water, and wore jewellery on their wrists

Quick dip: After the swim Jordan and his friend headed back toward the beach in their soaked clothing

Fashion blunder: Jordan's friend has to make some adjustments as he exited the surf, pulling up his pants

The pair are said to have 'locked eyes for most of the night' and 'linked arms' as they briefly left the room together.

Jordan was then seen 'draping his arms around her from behind' as they posed for a group photo with AFL WAG Jesinta Campbell.

Startled? Jordan appeared surprised at one point as his friend turned to talk to him

Bit cold? The cold conditions left the pair running to dry off

Drying off: The weather quickly set in as the two strolled across the sand, with Jordan brushing at his cheek

Making do: Jordan and his friend appeared to have gotten into the water without towels, and used Jordan's white shirt and his friend's large beige scarf to dry off

Sandy: The star wiped the water off himself with the striped scarf, taking care as he towelled down his arms

It's mine! The duo appeared to tussle over the items on the beach, reaching around each other for their clothing

Trade off? Jordan held his white shirt as he handed the scarf to his companion

Keeping warm: Once he put his shirt back on Jordan seemed much happier, as his friend watched on with the scarf clung around him like a sarong

The genetically-blessed fashionistas were also pictured at the event with former model and businesswoman Jodhi Meares.

The male model has a reputation as a 'cougar hunter' after being linked to Kate Moss, Paris Hilton and Lara Stone in the past.

Meanwhile, Elyse split with her husband Seth Campbell last year.

Taking a dip: The boys had earlier dumped their clothing on the beach before heading into the water

Got that model look: Tussling his golden locks, Jordan looked every bit the male model as he ran in

Fun but no sun: The dreary day didn't seem like the best opportunity for a swim, but Jordan seized the moment anyway

This way: The model pointed the way to the surf as his mate looked on

Enjoying some down time: Jordan took to the water after his stint at Fashion Feek

The former couple, who share three-year-old daughter Lila Louise, were married for just over a year.

It was recently claimed Jordan had earned a whopping paycheck to briefly walk the runway for Justin Cassin at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

Cool: The 20-year-old cut a cool figure in his casual clothes as he left the beach

Looking sharp: The water gave the model messy waves in his hair, as he quickly exited the scene

Getting his groove on: Jordan appeared to be listening to some tunes as he walked barefoot, with a headphone bud tucked into his left ear

The Daily Telegraph alleged he received $100,000 for his runway appearance.

In preparation for Fashion Week, Jordan had enjoyed a laser facial, a chakra healing massage and a glow protein shot at the All Saints Skin Clinic in Sydney.

Jordan enjoyed some downtime at the luxurious clinic ahead of attending the InStyle Women of Style awards in Sydney on Wednesday.
He followed in the footsteps of Dami Im and Guy Sebastian when he competed in this year's Eurovision Song Contest.

And despite finishing in ninth place, Isaiah Firebrace's star continues to burn bright across the globe.

Since his incredible performance the 17-year-old's song Don't Come Easy has entered the top 50 charts in 13 countries, according to News.com.au.

Scroll down for video

On the rise! Despite finishing in ninth place at the Eurovision Song Contest, Isaiah Firebrace's star continues to burn bright across the globe

The musician, who is currently on a two-week promotional tour to France, Belgium, Sweden, Norway and the UK, told the publication he did not expect such quick success.

After the competition his winning X-Factor song It's Gotta Be You also reached a spectacular 82 million streams on Spotify.

Of those, News Corp report that approximately 10 million came over the course of his rehearsals and performance in Kiev, Ukraine.

'I think it really surprised me. A lot. My season of X Factor got the lowest ratings ever so after it finished, I wondered how my song was going to go,' Isaiah said.

Easier than expected! Since his incredible performance the 17-year-old's song Don't Come Easy has entered the top 50 charts in 13 countries, according to News.com.au

Stellar success: After the competition his winning X-Factor song It's Gotta Be You also reached a spectacular 82 million streams on Spotify, with 10 million of those logged during his rehearsals and performance

Isaiah's Eurovision song Don't Come Easy has also fared well, with three million Spotify streams and more than four million YouTube views.

And it seems the former reality star made plenty of female fans in particular during his European trip, with roses and notes from admirers reportedly left in his dressing room.

'I talked to Blanche, who was competing for Belgium, and she said her friend wants my number. I think there were other requests from some of the volunteers as well,' Isaiah joked.

Plenty of support: And it seems the former reality star made plenty of female fans in particular during his European trip, with roses and notes from admirers reportedly left in his dressing room.

The teenager gave a solid performance in the final round of the Eurovision contest, looking polished in a metallic overcoat, black shirt and trousers.

It came after a nerve-wracking semi-final round that saw the star stumble on a high note.

But a few last-minute changes during rehearsals ensured Isaiah had smoothed out the kinks in his performance, beating Norway as he made it into the in top ten.
The Riyadh summit will see Arab leaders gather with US President Donald Trump in latter's first tour of the region

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi arrived in Saudi capital Riyadh Saturday on a two-day visit to participate in the Arab Islamic American Summit with US President Donald Trump Sunday.

Trump landed Saturday in Riyadh in his first foreign tour to the Middle East and Europe. He is also scheduled to travel to Israel and the Vatican.

The US president described the summit earlier as "a truly historic gathering in Saudi Arabia with leaders from all across the Muslim world."

Sisi is set to deliver a speech on Sunday during the Riyadh summit, according to presidency spokesman Alaa Youssef.



"The president will address the Egyptian vision towards framing a comprehensive strategy to fight the danger of terrorism, through intensifying international efforts aimed at suspending financing for terrorist organisations, [preventing them gaining] weapons and fighters, and [denying them] shelter," the spokesman added.

Sisi is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with a number of leaders and officials who will be participating in the summit, in order to reinforce relations and discuss potential opportunities for cooperation at various levels.

The invitation to the summit comes after an earlier meeting between El-Sisi and Saudi King Salman in late April in the Saudi capital, where the two Arab leaders said they looked forward to enhancing cooperation to face challenges and restore security and stability in the region, referring to the conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Libya.

Also earlier in April, Sisi and Trump met in Washington where the latter vowed to provide Egypt with firm backing and cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

The issue was addressed again in a phone call between the two last week in which Trump told Sisi that he plans to visit Cairo "at the earliest opportunity" to discuss ways of fighting terrorism in the Middle East, stressing the importance of strategic relations between Egypt and the United States.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


She announced she was expecting her first child with her ex earlier this week.

And Cara De La Hoyde, 26, cut a lonely figure as she was spotted attending the Baby Show in Birmingham solo.

The glamorous mother-to-be still managed to look fashion forward in a structured pastel blue shirt complete with tie detail.

Scroll down for video

Solo outing: Cara De La Hoyde, 26, cut a lonely figure as she was spotted attending the Baby Show in Birmingham solo

Yummy mummy: The glamorous mother-to-be still managed to look fashion forward in a structured pastel blue shirt complete with tie detail

Wearing a pair of distressed denim jeans, the Love Island alum showcased her slender pins.

Elongating them with a pair of pastel pink heels, she tossed her raven locks, styled into long waves, over her shoulder as she chatted to merchandisers.

Cara carried her belongings in an oversized Chanel tote bag, and appeared to wear minimal make-up for her outing.

Cheeky: Wearing a pair of distressed denim jeans, the Love Island alum showcased her slender pins

Leggy: Elongating her pins with a pair of pastel pink heels, she tossed her raven locks, styled into long waves, over her shoulder as she chatted to merchandisers

Sampling the goods: She crouched down as she sampled the exciting range of baby merchandise

She crouched down as she sampled the exciting range of baby merchandise.

Testing out the wide array of buggies for her new arrival, Cara grinned for the camera as she proudly displayed the beginnings of her blossoming bump.

However, she decided to kick off her heels, and opted for a pair of more comfortable looking flat sandals later in the day that were adorned with pearl embellishments.

Trial and error: Testing out the wide array of buggies for her new arrival, Cara grinned for the camera as she proudly displayed the beginnings of her blossoming bump

Rest: Later, she decided to kick off her heels, and opted for a pair of more comfortable looking flat sandals later in the day that were adorned with pearl embellishments

Cara revealed that she has been suffering from debilitating morning sickness on social media.

The Love Island star - who announced she had split from boyfriend Nathan Massey, 24, three weeks ago - took to Twitter on Wednesday night to ask her followers for their advice on how to tackle her ailment.

She posted: 'Why do they call it morning sickness when it lasts all day and night?Early night for me. Any good tips ladies?'

Feeling it: Pregnant Cara de la Hoyde, 26, has revealed that she has been suffering from debilitating morning sickness on social media

Among those who answered her plea was fellow Love Island star Cally Jane Beech - who welcomed her daughter Vienna on May 7 - and shared her trick to get over the uncomfortable symptom.

The new mum replied: 'Ginger tea bbe try that helped me xxx it's awful ain't it hopefully will go'.

Delighted with the tip, the ITV2 beauty insisted: 'Thanks hun, its on my shopping list. Currently going through a pack of ice lollies which seems to be helping.'

Looking for advice: The Love Island star took to Twitter on Wednesday night to ask her followers for their advice on how to tackle her ailment

Helping hand: Among those who answered her plea was fellow Love Island star Cally Jane Beech - who welcomed her daughter Vienna on May 7 - and shared her trick to get over the uncomfortable symptom

Aside from being plagued by morning sickness, the Kent native also revealed to her 286,000 followers on Twitter she was glued to Channel 4 series One Born Every Minute as she prepares to welcome the pitter patter of tiny feet in November.

Announcing the news in this week's issue of OK! magazine, Cara admitted she's been battling 'weird' morning sickness.

She confessed: 'I felt like I was going to throw up but I didnt. I looked like a cat choking on a fur ball'.

Her admission comes after she revealed she is pregnant with former flame Nathan's child, just a month after the couple parted ways.

Preparation: The Kent native also revealed to her 286,000 followers on Twitter she was glued to Channel 4 series One Born Every Minute as she prepares to welcome the pitter patter of tiny feet later this year

New beginning: Her admission comes after she revealed she is pregnant with former flame Nathan's child, just a month after the couple parted ways (Pictured in January)

Having set eyes on one another in the very first episode of last year's second season of Love Island, the duo were instantly connected and remained the longest standing couple in the series - leading to their win of the show and a whopping 50,000.

Cara and Nathan - who won last summer's Love Island - have no plans to reconcile their relationship, and just want to concentrate on their baby.

She told the publication: 'Its a shame and a sad situation. I know a lot of people will think, well youre going to have a baby together so just stay together  but were not going to do that just to look like the perfect couple.

When I told him, we were together but wed been having problems for a while. People are probably expecting us to get back together because were having a baby, but were not one of those couples who can force something if its not working.

Focus: Cara and Nathan - who won last summer's Love Island - have no plans to reconcile their relationship, and just want to concentrate on their baby

'I just want to concentrate on the baby and hes the same. Weve actually been having a really hard time. Its a lot to go through emotionally  breaking up, moving out and becoming parents. I was so happy, its what Ive always wanted. But I was thinking, should I be happy? Me and Nathan splitting up isnt the ideal situation.

The former circus performer explained she discovered she was pregnant when she had a smear test at the hospital but is excited for her adventure ahead.

Following the announcement, Nathan took to Twitter to open up about the revelation.

He penned: 'Yes it's true..I'm going to be a Dad. Its an emotional time for me and I'm overwhelmed by all the support from both my family and friends.'

'It's an emotional time for me': Love Island's Nathan Massey has broken his silence following ex Cara De La Hoyde's shock pregnancy news... (but doesn't mention her) - pictured in October

Previously Nathan, who found love with Cara last summer when they appeared together on racy reality show Love Island, shared the news of the couple's split in April.

Alongside a shot of himself looking solemn as he took a solo stroll while chatting on his phone, he wrote at the time: 'The worst feeling in the world is when you know that you both love each other, but still you can't be together!

'Me and Cara have split, we've had the summer of our lives together, but sadly come to a end , I wish her the best for the future.'

Looking to the future: Previously Nathan, who found love with Cara last summer when they appeared together on racy reality show Love Island, shared the news of the couple's split in April

Doing her part in spreading the news, brunette beauty took to Twitter around the same time as she announced: 'Me & Nath have split... sometimes love just isn't enough, but what will be will be... thank you for everyone's support lately.'

This comes after the brunette defiantly revealed that 'she couldn't imagine life without him' - contrary to reports claiming the pair have split.

The month before, Cara was forced to quash reports stemming from 'a close friend' stating that the pair had parted away shortly after they spoke to OK! Magazine about their union, admitting while they are 'not perfect' they are very happy.
Theo Fennell's business has slipped into administration

Theo Fennell, the Old Etonian jeweller whose silver shop has been the must-go place for the rich and famous for more than three decades, saw his business slip into administration last week, I can report.

But there is a silver lining to this dark cloud hanging over Londons silver tsar, as new investors are being lined up to rescue the flagship Chelsea jewellery store and save as many staff jobs as possible.

The irony for Fennell is that the signature bespoke part of his business, founded in 1982, has remained profitable while over-ambitious plans to expand with partnerships in other stores did not work.

The originality and craftsmanship of Fennell has earned him a loyal following, including those with pockets deep enough to buy such baubles as an 18,000 set of tequila shot glasses modelled on a US space rocket.

A friend close to the designer, who counts Sir Elton John among his list of clients, told me last night: Theo is hugely optimistic that his friends and clients still support the business.

He will always be a great craftsman. His bespoke business is still thriving and only his satellite businesses have suffered thanks to over-expansion.

Theos celebrity patrons include Liz Hurley and David Beckham, while his own 31-year-old daughter Emerald Fennell, one of the stars of BBC drama Call The Midwife, is usually seen wearing her dads creations.

Theo also creates trophies for some of the worlds most prestigious sporting events, including both the Italian and Monaco grands prix. This is his second dramatic business blip after he was forced off his own board in 2008 which saw the companys profits dip.

Theo returned to the company a year later but his majority shareholding was diluted and he was unable to stop the 28 partnerships opening across the world. These are now being blamed for losing the company 2.5 million last year and 5 million the year before.

The administrator in charge of restructuring the business said: While the market has remained strong for fine and luxury goods, the cost and pace of that could not be supported by the company indefinitely.
She announced her split from estranged husband Michael Klim in February last year.

And Lindy Klim told The Sun-Herald she is keen to finalise the divorce so she can 'move on' and marry her British fiance Adam Ellis.

With the split being far from amicable, the 39-year-old Balinese princess told the publication: 'It's very difficult'.

'It's very difficult': Lindy Klim told The Sun Herald her split from estranged husband Michael Klim is far from amicable

On the subject of divorce proceedings, she explained: 'Hopefully (a resolution) will all happen soon. I am ready for that to be over.

'It's not a good thing to go through. We are just getting through it,' she continued.

With relations between the former couple becoming strained, Lindy said of their very public break-up: 'It is what it is. It is very difficult.'

'I am ready for that to be over': Lindy said she looks forward to finalising her divorce from the former Olympian. Pictured in April 2015

This is not the first time that Lindy has spoken of her failed marriage to the 39-year-old former Olympic swimmer.

In a very candid interview with Harper's Bazaar, she said recently: 'I've learnt to be a much stronger person. I'm not a pushover anymore.

'A divorce is a really stressful and overwhelming thing - you can't pretend it's OK. It just doesn't work for everybody.'

'I've learnt to be a much stronger person. I'm not a pushover anymore': Lindy appeared to criticise Michael in a candid interview with Harper's Bazaar recently

Lindy explained she has become far more independent since the split.

The model also alleged she used to ask her ex-husband if she wanted to buy things during their marriage.

'I used to get away with preferring not to know things. I was like, "I don't want to know about that, it's too hard", or, "I have to ask my husband if I can buy that item". I don't want to be that person,' she added.

Moving on: Lindy became engaged to Adam Ellis (right) in October after a whirlwind romance. They debuted their relationship just a month after Lindy announced her split from Michael

Lindy became engaged to British property developer Adam Ellis last October after a whirlwind romance.

The couple started dating in March last year, just a month after Lindy and Michael announced they were separating after 10 years of marriage.

Lindy previously told Daily Mail Australia she did not predict falling back in love so soon after her high-profile split.

Finding love again: Michael is in a relationship with fashion designer Desiree Deravi (left)

'It's completely not what I expected, to fall back into another relationship, but he's so lovely,' she said cheerfully. It's about time I got on with my life.'

Lindy also said it was 'difficult' juggling single parenthood, and wished Michael and his new flame Desiree Deravi 'all the best.'

Lindy and Michael share three children together - Stella, 11, Rocco, 9, and Frankie, 6.
She shot to international fame as Bolivian agent Camille in Bond film Quantum of Solace.

And Olga Kurylenko showed off her A-list credentials as she posed in a glamorous midnight blue gown at the Cannes Film Festival.

The French actress, 37, glowed in the evening light as her crowdfunded film Salty was launched at the prestigious film festival.

Scroll down for video

Licence to thrill: Bond girl Olga Kurylenko dazzled in a demure midnight blue gown as her crowdfunded film Salty was launched at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday

Olga showed off her slight frame in the demure dress, which featured a white star shape across the bodice.

Her tiny waist was cinched in with a metallic belt, letting the plaited fabric drop to her feet.

The gauzy dress caught the wind as the actress posed on a boat, amping up the drama.

Olga paired the outfit with delicate drop earrings and a chunky black watch.

Starlet: The actress, 37, posed up a storm on the Lady Jersey Yacht in Cannes in her floaty frock, which was nipped in at the waist with a metallic belt

Tousled look: The wind blew through the actress's raven locks and picked up her plaited dress as she posed on the yacht in black peep-toe heels

She wore the dress with a pair of black peep-toe heels.

As she posed on the Lady Jersey Yacht, the evening sunlight lit up the hundreds of boats sitting in the Cannes harbour.

On Friday night, the actress was spotted with co-star Ben Cura at the Filmmaker's Dinner at the film festival.

Flourishes: Olga accessorised her look with a chunky black watch and a pair of delicate drop earrings

Funnywoman: Olga stars as supermodel Sheila in British comedy Salty, about an ageing rocker and reformed sex addict

Ben, 28, also posed with Olga on the yacht as they promoted the launch of their comedy Salty.

The British flick stars Antonio Banderas as ageing rocker Turk Henry, who is a recovering sex addict.

Turk travels to Chile with supermodel wife Sheila, played by Olga, where she is abducted by a group of pirates.

All-star cast: Olga stars opposite Antonio Banderas as rock star Turk Henry, who tries to rescue Sheila when she is kidnapped

Talented actress: Olga became internationally famous when she starred alongside Daniel Craig in the 2008 Bond film Quantum of Solace

Ben plays Juan Carlos in the film, which is the largest equity crowdfunded film of all time.

The film raised $1.9 million on crowdfunding site SyndicateRoom.

The movie wrapped in July 2016 and potential buyers will get to watch band new footage from the upcoming film at the festival.

Co-stars: Olga posed with Ben Cura, who plays Juan Carlos in the offbeat comedy, which raised $1.9 million on crowdfunding site SyndicateRoom

Record-breaking: Salty, which is being shopped to potential buyers at Cannes, is the largest equity crowdfunded film of all time
Earlier on, she dazzled in a vast train at the 120 Beats Per Minute premiere.

Yet Kendall Jenner proved she is not a one outfit per night kind of girl on Saturday as she headed to the Vanity Fair and HBO star-studded dinner - where she was in the presence of true Hollywood royalty in Clint Eastwood.

The 21-year-old reality star was in a position many would love as she laughed and giggled with the four-time Oscar winner and all round Hollywood legend, 86, while sporting a sexy black mini dress.

Scroll down for video

Oh hello! Kendall Jenner proved she is not a one outfit per night kind of girl on Saturday as she headed to the Vanity Fair and HBO star-studded dinner - where she was in the presence of true Hollywood royalty in Clint Eastwood

While Kendall soared to fame in 2007 on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, the show that propelled her entire family to huge fame and later helped launch her wildly successful catwalk modelling career.

Dubbed a supermodel of the 'Instagram Generation' of stars, she has been making her way through the fashion world in the last two years - fronting campaigns for Chanel, Giles Deacon, Givenchy and Pucci.

Clint meanwhile, boasts a career in movies of over six decades, with a string of accolades behind him including his plethora of Academy Awards, of which he was nominated 11 times, atop three Golden Globes and 12 nominations.

In a show of two generation paths crossing, the duo enjoyed what looked like a hilarious chat as they giggled and laughed alongside esteemed movie producer Brett Ratner.

A meeting of minds: The 21-year-old reality star was in a position many would love as she laughed and giggled with the four-time Oscar winner and all round Hollywood legend, 86, while sporting a sexy black mini dress

All the stars! Sure to make a huge effort while rubbing shoulders with such huge stars, Kendall slipped on a stunning structured mini which hung perfectly on her slender frame

Sizzling: Her ensemble was chic and stylish for evening ahead

That was then... While earlier in the evening she was billowing in an endless train, she saved a more bold choppy style for later with her futuristic mini complete with sharp shoulder pads and a volumunious skirt

Sure to make a huge effort while rubbing shoulders with such huge stars, Kendall slipped on a stunning structured mini which hung perfectly on her slender frame.

While earlier in the evening she was billowing in an endless train, she saved a more bold choppy style for later with her futuristic mini complete with sharp shoulder pads and a volumunious skirt.

She scraped her hair into a teetering bun pulled from a centre parting to show off her statement earrings complete with huge pearl details.

After a movie role? The leggy beauty was meeting with some of Hollywood's true greats

Dazzling: Kendall's legs took the focus in her sizzling ensemble

Model mayhem: Atop Clint, Kendall also posed alongside Camila Morrone and Daniela Lopez Osorio

All the ladies: Clint was joined by his glamorous girlfriend Christina Sandera

Edgy new 'do: Lily Collins, 28, turned heads as she stepped out sporting a new blunt fringe

Also at the bash was Lily Collins, 28, turned heads thanks to her new look that saw her glossy brunette tresses teamed with a quirky blunt fringe.

While her new fringe bluntly framed her trademark brows, the rest of Lily's bonce fell past her shoulders in tousled waves.

Ditching her usual red carpet show-stoppers that she has graced the red carpet in over the last few days, the Love, Rosie star decided to showcase her slender frame in a semi-sheer frock that teased a look at her high-waisted pants underneath.

Revamped look: While her new fringe bluntly framed her trademark brows, the rest of Lily's bonce fell past her shoulders in tousled waves

Sensational: The Love, Rosie star decided to showcase her slender frame in a semi-sheer frock that teased a look at her high-waisted pants and her enviable pins underneath

The unusual netted design comprised of a netted material and reached down to Lily's feet while sheathing her desirable figure.

It featured panels of different shades and a plunging velvet top that fell over her bust, before flaring out into netted sleeves.

Around the shoulders and its dropped hem, Lily's dress featured pom pom detailing - only drawing the eyes of onlookers even further to her enviable pins, visible underneath her revealing Prabal Gurung number.

She looked simply stunning for the dinner and chose to team her ensemble with embellished court heels and a subtle make-up look.

Flaunting her natural beauty: Lily (pictured with actress Julianne Moore) kept things simple when it came to her war paint and boasted a dewy complexion, along with long lashes to outline her eyes and a dark nude pink lipstick across her lips

Flaunting her natural beauty, Lily kept things simple when it came to her war paint and boasted a dewy complexion, along with long lashes to outline her eyes and a dark nude pink lipstick across her lips.

She has put on a defiant display overseas in Cannes, after her movie Okja - where she stars alongside Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal - caused chaos during its first screening at the festival.

The Netflix movie was subject to boos when it first began to play on screens and suffered a technical glitch five minutes into the viewing which only prompted more of the same response from its audience.

Gorgeous: Julianne Moore, 56, showcased her womanly curves in a show-stopper of a gown that was covered in sequins and boasted outlandish feathered sleeves

Smile! The Still Alice star was pictured rubbing shoulders with Beauty And The Beast actress Emma Thompson

What controversy? Tilda Swinton defiantly posed with Okja director Bong Joon-ho - in the face of the widespread criticism for the Netfliz movie

A statement from the Cannes Film Festival released to MailOnline read: 'A technical incident disrupted the beginning of the screening of Bong Joon-hos film, OKJA, which was shown this morning at a press screening at the Lumiere Auditorium.

'The session was interrupted for a few minutes but was then able to carry on as normal.

'This incident was entirely the responsibility of the Festivals technical service, which offers its apologies to the director, his teams, the producers and the audience at the showing.'

Lily plays the role of Red in the film that depicts the tale of a young girl who befriends a huge animal named Okja and risks everything to prevent it from being kidnapped by a powerful multi-national company.

Dressed to impress: Uma Thurman, 47, stunned in a plunging teal gown that teased a look at her more than ample assets

Elegant: Along with its figure-hugging bodice, Uma's dress billowed out into a full skirt around her legs - she was seen stealing a photo with Arnold Schwarzenegger inside the venue

The movie's cast shrugged off the drama surrounding its initial screening in Cannes at the movie's official premier on Friday night - and appearing in high spirits once again, Lily remained just as nonplussed as she rubbed shoulders with a bevy of stars during her latest outing at the festival.

Among the guest-list for Vanity Fair and HBO's dinner had been Hollywood actresses Julianne Moore, 56, and Uma Thurman, 47.

Julianne looked sensational for the evening as she donned a floor-length sequinned gown that garnered attention thanks to its outlandish feathered sleeves.

Beautiful: Arizona Muse arrived in a dramatic ensemble that featured a semi-sheer and intricately embellished off-the-shoulder top before flowing out into a huge ruffled skirt - complete with a long train

She's a muse: Arizona looked sensational in a mullet hemmed frilled number

March of the models: Arizona was joined by fellow model Petra Nemcova

Wow! Petra looked sensational in a purple gown which she appeared to be having fun with

The striking design perfectly showcased the Still Alice star's womanly curves and she swept her red tresses up into a chic up-do that was parted to one side.

Uma, meanwhile, chose to tease fellow dinner guests with a look at her more than ample assets in a plunging floral printed teal gown.

It was embellished with a glittering pattern and boasted a form-fitting bodice, before billowing out into a full skirt around the Kill Bill star's legs.

Wow factor: Salma Hayek dazzled in a figure-hugging black gown that featured gorgeous pearl collar detailing around the neck

Dinner date: She was joined by her husband of eight years Francois-Henri Pinault

Something funny? Emma Thompson and Jake Gyllenhaal were seen in a fit of giggles as they caught up at the star-studded dinner

High spirits: The duo appeared to be fan-girling over one another as they posed for a series of amusing photographs inside

That's the connection! Emma is close pals with Jake's actress sister Maggie Gyllenhaal - the girls met five years ago on set of Stranger Than Fiction and have remained close ever since

Having a giggle: The group were having a laugh as they posed on the boat

Man about town: Handsome Billy Zayn was enjoying the festivities as he loosened his bowtie

They were joined by model Arizona Muse who arrived in a dramatic ensemble that featured a semi-sheer and intricately embellished off-the-shoulder top before flowing out into a huge ruffled skirt - complete with a long train.

Eva Longoria, meanwhile, cut a striking figure in a champagne hued frock that featured glittering panels along each side.

She wore her luscious mane back swept back into a volumnious style and completed her latest glam ensemble with flawless make-up.

Golden girl: Eva Longoria cut a striking figure in a champagne hued frock that featured glittering panels along each side

So glam: She was seen striking up a pose alongside red-haired beauty Jessica Chastain

Salma Hayek dazzled in a figure-hugging one-shouldered black gown that featured gorgeous pearl collar detailing around the neck.

Letting her dress take centre stage, the Grown Ups actress swept her raven-locks up into a chic top knot - choosing to sport a similar blunt fringe to that of Lily's.

She was joined by her husband of eight years Francois-Henri Pinault who cut a smart figure in a navy two-piece suit.

On trend: Letting her dress take centre stage, Grown Ups actress Salma swept her raven-locks up into a chic top knot - choosing to sport a similar blunt fringe to that of Lily's

Fancy seeing you here! She looked ecstatic to be in the company of former Desperate Housewives star Eva as the girls exchanged a warm welcome

Light relief: Adam Sandler (left) and Ben Stiller (right) were in attendance to represent Hollywood's comedic actors

Picture perfect: The 50 First Dates star was joined by his wife Jackie Sandler who looked incredible in an understated floor-length dress

Beautifully elegant: Jessica Chastain wore a stunning white halter-neck gown that she daringly chose to go braless underneath, while wearing her glossy locks in soft glamorous curls

Smitten: She was joined by her beau Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo and the pair put on a loved-up display as they sweetly cuddled up together

Lily's co-star Jake Gyllenhaal seemed to be enjoying himself at the party as he shared a joke with Beauty And The Beast's Emma Thompson, while Jessica Chastain cuddled up to her beau Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo.

She cut an elegant figure for the event, as she sported a stunning white halter-neck gown that she daringly chose to go braless underneath, while wearing her glossy locks in soft glamorous curls.

Comedic actors Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller and Dustin Hoffman were in attendance.

Arnold Schwarzenegger put in an animated appearance as he worked the room, with British model Naomi Campbell also present for the evening's festivities.



Model behaviour: Naomi Campbell was spotted conversing with other dinner guests while dazzling in a beaded collared dress

Diamond girl: Naomi posed up a storm with Chopard president Caroline Scheufele

Incredible! While Mary J. Blige, 46, was age-defying in a fringed bandeau mini dress that emphasised her bust and put her slender pins on display

Pals: Will Smith posed with songstress Mary in the party

Old pals: Dustin Hoffman was seen deep in conversation with Arnold Schwarzenegger

A-list: Dustin then struck up a pose with Emma Thompson and joined Kendall in talking to Clint

Getting on: Dustin and Emma then posed with Noah Baumbach (L), who directed their new Netflix movie The Meyerowitz Stories

Friends in high places: Noah was then seen in deep conversation with Hollywood actor Jake Gyllenhaal (R)

Pucker up! Before planting a kiss on his wife Lisa (left) who joined him at the dinner and posing with French actress Isabelle Huppert (right)

Actor T.J Miller and his actress wife Kate Gorney - who looked sensational in a scarlet red design - made for a stylish duo with their dinner party attire

Suited and booted: Ben Stiller and Clint made sure they were dressed for the occasion

Happy couple: Clint was seen with girlfriend on his arm

Friendly display: He was seen in high spirits while deep in conversation with Rain Man star Dustin

Glamorous: Ping Hue and Lara Lieto looked chic in mini dresses

Hours earlier: The veteran actor had attended the Festival Palace - and clearly hopping from one another event to another was seen sporting the same ensemble he later arrived to dinner in

Centre of attention: Clint had taken to the stage during the restored copy presentation of 'Unforgiven' that took place earlier in the day on Saturday
After a first stage in China, the 2017 Silk Way Rally moves into the Gobi desert

The organisers of the Russia-China Silk Way Rally have rejigged the route of the 9,600-kilometre race in a bid to boost interest as the event enters its ninth year.

This year's rally fielding top level car and truck teams will begin on the iconic Red Square in Moscow on July 7 and will end more than two weeks later in China's ancient imperial capital Xian.

"We tried hard to place the route of the rally through as many towns as possible to give the local people in Russia, Kazakhstan and China a chance to see top class cars and trucks in action," spokesman Erik Khairullin told AFP on Friday.

"We also tried to reduce the time that the drivers spend between competitive legs as much as possible.

"We believe it will increase the interest for the rally a great deal."

After crossing the Russian border following the first three stages, drivers will then face four intense days of racing in the immense Kazakhstan steppes.

After a first stage in China and a day off on July 16, the rally moves on into the sands and dunes of the menacing Gobi desert before turning south towards the July 22 Xian finish.

Last year's winners and this year's favourites Peugeot will present three new cars for their French drivers Stephane Peterhansel, Sebastien Loeb and title holder Cyril Despres to overcome nearly 10,000 kilometres of often harsh terrain.

"The difficulty of the route looks really well-balanced," Peterhansel told AFP. "Today there're two major races in the world: Dakar and the Silk Way.

"It's hard to say which stage will be the most difficult as we have limited experience of races in Russia and China so far."

Peugeot will face tough opposition from a Toyota team led by the Qatari champion Nasser Al Attiyah and South Africans Giniel De Villiers and Leroy Poulter.

"It's my dream to win this race," Al Attiyah told AFP. "It will not be easy. I expect a tough race. But we try to win every competition in which we participate."

Meanwhile, the best truck pilots will also battle for the win.

The favourites Team Kamaz Master of Russia will clash with the Dutchman Gerard De Rooy (2012 and 2016 Dakar winner), who comes back to Silk Way after his first participation in 2009.

"I think we'll have a lot of fun," IVECO driver De Rooy told AFP. "In 2009 it was the most fantastic race that I've ever been in my life. And I think the upcoming race will be even better.

"I don't know if we can win the race but for sure we gonna win some days and some specials."

Silk Way 2017 Schedule

July 7 - podium start at Moscow Red Square

Stage 1, July 8: Moscow (RUS) - Cheboksary (RUS) 722.93 km (61.43 km special)

Stage 2, July 9: Cherboksary (RUS) - Ufa (RUS) 797.33 km (157 km special)

Stage 3, July 10: Ufa (RUS) - Kostakai (KAZ) 876.75 km (324 km special)

Stage 4, July 11: Kostanai (KAZ) - Astana (KAZ) 908.80 km (373.22 km special)

Stage 5, July 12: Astana (KAZ) - Semei (KAZ) 849.54 km (484.47 km special)

Stage 6, July 13: Semei (KAZ) - Urdzhar (KAZ) 597.13 km (387.66 km special)

Stage 7, July 14: Urdzhar (KAZ) - Karamai (KAZ) 412. 90 km (106.90 km special)

Stage 8, July 15: Karamai (KAZ) - Urumqi (CHN) 436.34 km (250.37 km special)

Stage 9, July 17: Urumqi (CHN) - Hami (CHN) 813.89 km (421 km special)

Stage 10, July 18: Hami (CHN) - Dunhuang (CHN) 517.53 km (360.28 km special)

Stage 11, July 19: Dunhuang (CHN) - Jiayuguan (CHN) 783.84 km (488.65 km special)

Stage 12, July 20: Jiayuguan (CHN) - Alxa Youqi (CHN) 483.79 km (254.75 km special)

Stage 13, July 21: Alxa Youqi (CHN) - Zhongwei (CHN) 690.31 km (318.66 km special)

Stage 14, July 22: Zhongwei (CHN) - Xi'an (CHN) 716.56 km (100.67 km special)

af/cw
Then-FBI Director James Comey is sworn in prior to testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC May 3, 2017

James Comey, the former FBI chief whose firing by President Donald Trump has triggered uproar, has agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the 2016 elections, lawmakers announced Friday.

"I hope that former Director Comey's testimony will help answer some of the questions that have arisen since Director Comey was so suddenly dismissed by the president," the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, said in a statement.

"Director Comey served his country with honor for many years, and he deserves an opportunity to tell his story. Moreover, the American people deserve an opportunity to hear it."

Both Warner and the committee's chairman, Richard Burr, indicated they were looking forward to Comey's testimony about Russian interference in the November 8 presidential elections that saw Trump secure the White House by scoring the electoral college, though Democratic rival Hillary Clinton won the popular vote.

No date has yet been set for the open session hearing, though the statement said it would take place after the Memorial Day holiday, May 29.

The White House has been thrown into turmoil by a succession of stunning allegations against the president this week, including that he may have obstructed justice by asking Comey to drop an investigation into one of his top advisors.

On Friday, The Washington Post reported that a senior White House official was now under investigation as part of a probe over Russian efforts to tilt the elections in Trump's favor.

And The New York Times said the US president had told top Russian officials Comey's sacking had relieved "great pressure" on him.

Trump told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week that Comey was a "nut job," according to the Times, citing notes taken at the meeting and read to the paper by a US official.

That flies in the face of the White House's public insistence that Comey's dismissal was not linked to his ongoing investigation.

The president's son-in-law Jared Kushner is among those whose contacts with the Russian government have come under scrutiny.

On Thursday, Trump declared himself the victim of the "greatest witch hunt" in American political history and denied allegations of collusion.

"There is no collusion between certainly myself and my campaign, but I can always speak for myself, and the Russians -- zero," Trump told reporters.

The White House on Friday predicted that the investigation would back up Trump's account.

"As the president has stated before -- a thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity," said spokesman Sean Spicer.
China has denied US allegations that two Chinese Sukhoi SU-30 fighter jets -- like this one from the Royal Malaysian Air Force -- intercepted an American military plane earlier this week, saying its aircrafts were acting "in accordance with the law"

China has denied US allegations that two Chinese fighter jets acted unprofessionally in intercepting an American military plane earlier this week, saying that its aircraft were acting in accordance with the law".

"Related remarks from the US side are inconsistent with fact," the Chinese Ministry of Defense said in a statement posted to its website late Friday.

"On May 17, a US reconnaissance aircraft was carrying out an operation in airspace over the Chinese Yellow Sea (the northern part of the East China Sea), and Chinese aircraft acted to identify and investigate in accordance with the law," the statement said, calling the action "professional" and "safe".

The US Air Force said in an earlier statement Friday that its plane, a WC-135 Constant Phoenix, was conducting a "routine mission" in international airspace when it was intercepted by two Chinese Sukhoi SU-30 fighter aircraft.

The WC-135 is a so-called "sniffer plane" designed to scan the atmosphere for signs of nuclear activity.

"The WC-135 was operating in accordance with international law. While we are still investigating the incident, initial reports from the US aircrew characterised the intercept as unprofessional," the Air Force said.

The statement out of Beijing came as Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi discussed preparations for the first round of the China-U.S. diplomatic and security dialogue in a phone conversation Saturday with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted in a statement that Yang and Tillerson "exchanged views... of common concern such as the Korean Peninsula," but did not say whether the aircraft incident was discussed.

Mid-air interceptions occur routinely in international airspace, but the US military will often call out foreign pilots if it judges the manoeuvres to be risky or unprofessional.

Meanwhile, China urged the US to halt such reconnaissance exercises in order to prevent future incidents.

"The American military's frequent reconnaissance operations are the root cause of security issues between the Chinese and US navy and air forces," the Chinese defence ministry's statement said.
People in Obo, a town at the eastern tip of Central Africa, are afraid that the departure of Ugandan troops could spark a resumption of attacks by the brutal LRA fighters

Sweat soaks into the bright red neckerchiefs of the soldiers slouching to attention on a steamy parade ground deep in the inaccessible forests of Central African Republic (CAR).

The military display marked the end of a failed years-long hunt for Joseph Kony, leader of the notorious Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group that has its origins in 1980s Uganda.

Arrayed against this elusive, lonely and brutal figure and his dwindling band of fighters, were a host of regional militaries supported by US special forces.

And yet, as Ugandan and American troops abandon their "capture or kill" mission, Kony remains at large.

The job of finding him now rests with the under-manned and poorly-trained Central African forces.

Lieutenant Hubert Zinja, spokesman for Central African troops in the town of Obo -- until this week the nerve centre of the US-backed, Ugandan-led hunt for Kony -- insisted they were up to the job.

"We are ready with what we have. We have the capacity to fight rebels," Zinja said.

- Civilians abandoned -

Civilians in Obo do not share his confidence.

Simeon Mbolinjbajbe, headmaster of the local secondary school, fears the departure of the Ugandan troops (UPDF) could lead to reprisals from LRA fighters believed to be hiding in the dense bush surrounding the town.

"When the UPDF are leaving, the people of Obo think they are abandoning them for any eventual attack because for us their presence means security," said Mbolinjbaje.

"We are worrying about what will come after them."

For three decades the LRA has cut a swathe of murder, rape and abduction across central Africa, preying on civilians in four different countries.

The UN estimates the LRA has slaughtered more than 100,000 people and abducted 60,000 children since it was established by Kony in northern Uganda in 1987.

A self-styled mystic and prophet, Kony launched his bloody rebellion to impose his own interpretation of the biblical 'Ten Commandments'.

Joseph Kony, who set up the brutal Lord's Resistance Army in 1987, is still on the run although his forces now number less than 100

Forced out of Uganda in 2006, the LRA splintered into small units that have roamed the lawless border regions of CAR, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan in the years since.

Kony is wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

- Catching Kony 'never our mission' -

Standing in the shade of a tree on Obo's main street, a Ugandan soldier fiddles idly with a rocket launcher as he watches over thatched market stalls with a sparse offering of plastic torches, rubber shoes and softening vegetables.

Close by, Steve Kaimba, a local government spokesman, agreed with the headmaster that the withdrawal of foreign troops leaves peril in its wake.

"We often say that there (has been) an important downsizing of LRA, but if LRA still run around, it means that nothing has been done," he said.

In 2009, the UPDF ended Operation Lightning Thunder, an earlier mission to kill or capture Kony that, like this one, has been outlasted by the fugitive rebel leader.

Despite evidence to the contrary, Uganda is eager to claim victory.

At Thursday's handover ceremony in Obo, Brigadier Richard Karemire, spokesman for the Ugandan army, claimed catching Kony "was never our mission".

"Our mission was very specific: to neutralise the LRA," he said.

"It is no longer a threat to Uganda."

As the Ugandan military washes its hands of the rebel its country spawned, the people of Obo watch and wait to see what comes next.
The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) are desperate to end Hun Sen's rule, which they say is increasingly corrupt and repressive

Tuk-tuks blaring pop music and flag-waving supporters of Cambodia's embattled opposition led a rally on Saturday for upcoming local elections, a bellwether for efforts to end the three-decade rule of strongman Hun Sen in next year's national polls.

The June 4 vote in more than 1,600 communes -- administrative clusters of villages -- will take Cambodia's political temperature ahead of a general election in 2018 that is expected to go to the wire.

The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) are desperate to end Hun Sen's rule, which they say is increasingly corrupt and repressive.

But the party has been squarely outmaneuvered by the wily premier, who pegs himself as a stabilising force in country still recovering from the horrors of the genocidal Khmer Rouge-era.

His Cambodia People's Party (CPP) draws the loyalty of many older Cambodians who fear political change could reopen historic wounds and dent a surging economy.

The rival CNRP has been hemmed in by legal cases since losing a disputed 2013 general election by a whisker.

Addressing thousands of opposition supporters at a Phnom Penh rally on Saturday, CNRP leader Kem Sokha said political change was on the horizon.

"We have travelled through obstacles, rainstorms and lightning... but the CNRP has managed to survive and is stepping forward," he said to cheers from the supporters, many with with CNRP stickers on their cheeks.

Kem Sokha took over the party leadership in March after long-time chief Sam Rainsy stood down amid a welter of legal cases that threatened to see the CNRP disbanded.

A strong showing by the CNRP in the June polls would send "shockwaves" through the ruling party, according to Sebastian Strangio, an expert on Cambodian politics and author of a recent book on the mercurial premier Hun Sen.

"The CPP risks losing control of a lower level of government that they have controlled since the fall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979," he added.

Conversely weak support for the CNRP could spell disaster in next year's national vote.

The CPP held a rival rally in the capital, which also drew thousands.

Hun Sen has overseen Cambodia's transition from a country ravaged by genocide to one of the region's fastest growing economies with a young, optimistic population.

But many Cambodians have grown weary of endemic corruption and rights abuses while Hun Sen's family and friends have also become hugely wealthy over the years.
Egypt's 2014 constitution gave women unprecedented rights, granting 89 parliamentary seats to female MPs and allocating 25 percent of local seats to women in municipal elections, social solidarity minister Ghada Waly said at the International Womens Forum in Stockholm on Saturday.

The minister said that Egypt has also recently seen the passing of positive legislation on women's issues, including increasing penalties for sexual harassment and female genital mutilation (FGM) as well as adopting policies that foster financial empowerment for women, according to Ahram's Arabic website.

In August 2016, Egypts parliament passed a bill raising the designation of FGM from a misdemeanour to a felony. In January 2017, an Egyptian legislative parliamentary committee approved a draft bill toughening penalties on sexual harassment -- an endemic problem in Egypt -- including jail terms of one year instead of the previous six months. Around 7.8 million Egyptian women suffered from violence in 2015, either at the hands of their husband, fiance, family or strangers, putting the statistics of gender-based violence in Egypt in both private and public places at 30.4% annually, according to the latest official estimates by Egypt's Economic Cost of Gender Based Violence Survey (ECGBVS), published in June 2016. Culture is stronger than legislation, and the culture doesnt change except with education and economic, social and political empowerment for girls, Waly said at the forum, attended by 735 prominent female figures from 40 different countries.

Egypt's current parliament has the highest number of women in the country's modern history, with 89 female MPs elected in 2015, representing 15 percent of MPs in accordance with the electoral law.

According to Article 180 of the constitution, a quota of "one quarter of the seats" on local councils are to be allocated for women.

Egypt ranks 132 out of 144 countries in gender equality, making it among the 20 bottom countries globally, according to the Global Gender Gap report 2016 published by the World Economic Forum.

However, it has progressed from the 136th out of 142 countries in the Global Gender Gap report 2015, particularly on the political threshold.

Established in 1974, the International Womens Forum is a unique organisation comprised of more than 6,500 women leaders in 35 countries and 76 forums around the world.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Abdul Rashid Dostum, a powerful ethnic Uzbek warlord linked to a catalogue of war crimes, departed late Friday in the middle of a criminal investigation

Afghanistan's embattled vice president Abdul Rashid Dostum has left for Turkey, officials said Saturday, in what could be another long exile for the former warlord following allegations that he raped and tortured a political rival.

Dostum, a powerful ethnic Uzbek warlord linked to a catalogue of war crimes, departed late Friday in the middle of a criminal investigation that has drawn attention to the culture of impunity that is hobbling Western-backed efforts to instil the rule of law in Afghanistan.

Speculation is rife that he has sought temporary exile in Turkey in a bid to escape prosecution, with observers saying it could mark the end of his checkered political career in Afghanistan.

But a spokesman for Dostum, Bashir Ahmad Tahyanj, insisted that he would return after visiting Turkey for "medical checkups and to visit his family".

Dostum is accused of abducting rival Ahmad Ishchi last year during a game of Buzkashi -- a type of polo played with an animal carcass -- in northern Jowzjan province.

Dostum, 63, allegedly kept Ishchi hostage in his private compound for five days, where he was said to be tortured and sodomised, an accusation that Dostum has denied.

Nobody was arrested or indicted despite reports that medical evidence backed Ishchi's claims that he was abused.

The country's attorney general launched an investigation into the allegations but Dostum evaded questioning by being holed up in his palace in central Kabul, guarded by his armed militiamen.

Afghanistan's Western allies initially piled pressure on President Ashraf Ghani's government to prosecute Dostum, who has survived all previous allegations of abuse.

But amid the public standoff it was clear the government favoured exile rather than a criminal trial against Dostum, which could trigger violence from his Uzbek support base.

The development highlights what human rights defenders call a sobering reality of Afghan politics -- some strongmen are simply too powerful to prosecute.

"It's a stunning example of what has become standard practice in Afghanistan, not just for Dostum but for anyone in a position of power: having promised to deliver justice the government has shown itself ultimately unwilling to do so," said Patricia Gossman, Afghanistan researcher with Human Rights Watch.

Earlier this month, another former warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who shelled Kabul during the civil war in the 1990s, returned to Kabul as part of a peace deal granting him immunity.

In 2008, Dostum was accused of abducting another political rival who had allegedly plotted to assassinate him. Dostum went into exile in Turkey after another long standoff until former president Hamid Karzai called him back.

Despite his human rights record, Dostum was invited to join the National Unity Government in 2014 in a bid by Ghani to attract the support of his Uzbek constituency.
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump step off Air Force One upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on May 20, 2017

US President Donald Trump landed in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh on Saturday for the start his first foreign tour since taking office.

A red carpet was rolled out and staircase rolled up to Air Force One minutes after it landed shortly before 9:50 am (0650 GMT) local time.

Trump and his wife Melania, who dressed conservatively in black but did not cover her hair, walked side-by-side to the tarmac where they both shook hands with Saudi King Salman.

Trump will hold talks with leaders in the ultra-conservative kingdom later Saturday and is to give a speech on "hopes for a peaceful vision of Islam" to some 50 Arab and Muslim leaders on Sunday.

The Republican president was to be accompanied by the first lady, First Daughter and presidential adviser Ivanka Trump and son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner on the first leg of his tour.

Trump will also visit Jerusalem and the Vatican on his tour.
Bangladesh police have raided the offices of the main opposition leader and two times former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia

Bangladesh police swooped on the offices of the country's main opposition leader hunting "anti-state documents" on Saturday, sparking angry protests by hundreds of party supporters.

Officials smashed locks to enter the office of two times former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in Dhaka, in what her party claimed was the latest politically-motivated move against the country's embattled opposition as it prepares for the next general election.

Hundreds of supporters of Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) rushed to the site after news spread about the raid and staged a protest outside the two-storey office building in the upscale Gulshan neighbourhood.

Dozens of police scoured the building for two hours but later said they "have not found any materials" in the search.

"We entered the office following a court order to search for anti-state and anti-government documents," Gulshan police chief Abu Baker Siddique told AFP.

The BNP said the drive was part of "a conspiracy" against Zia who is facing about three dozen cases of alleged graft, treason and violence.

"This is a politically motivated raid by the government. It is a move to taint our party leader's image," BNP spokesman Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told AFP.

Rizvi said police disabled close circuit cameras in the office during the operation as well as breaking door locks.

In recent months BNP has held meetings across to mobilise supports and prepare the party for the next general election, which is due in January 2019, but analysts have said may be held sometime next year.

The BNP opted to boycott the last polls in 2014 over fears it would be rigged, allowing Zia's bitter rival Sheikh Hasina's party to win without even contesting most of the parliamentary seats.

Since then opposition officials have said tens of thousands of their activists and supporters have been arrested and prosecuted by the government.
Rising Pune Supergiant celebrate during the first 2017 Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 Qualifier against Mumbai Indians on May 16, 2017

Steve Smith's Rising Pune Supergiant eye their maiden Indian Premier League crown as they meet tournament favourites Mumbai Indians in a mouth-watering title clash in Hyderabad on Sunday.

Pune, who ended seventh in the eight-team Twenty20 tournament last year, had a mixed start this season only to pick up momentum towards the business end.

Pune's record buy Ben Stokes proved to be the trump card as the England all-rounder's showing with the bat and ball was instrumental in the side clinching a play-off berth.

But the team showed in the first qualifier against Mumbai that it is not a one-man army after young spinner Washington Sundar turned out to be the unlikely hero with his match-winning haul of three wickets.

Sundar's performance made up for Stokes' absence, after he left for national duty before the knockouts.

However Pune, whose two-year run along with the Gujarat Lions ends this season, may be playing their last game in the cash-rich league after being denied an extension by the league's governing council early this month.

The two banned franchises - Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals - are all set to come back in the next edition of the league, having served two year suspensions for their involvement in 2013 spot-fixing saga.

But captain Smith, who took charge from Mahendra Singh Dhoni ahead of this season, is focused on the task at hand as he praised the team for its stupendous showing.

"It's just been about enjoying this season and doing what we can up until we play the last game. We have had a fairly successful year and played consistent cricket throughout," Smith said on the eve of the final on Saturday.

"I am excited about playing in my first IPL final and hopefully we can make it a good one tomorrow."

Dhoni's finishing powers might be on the wane but the gutsy wicketkeeper-batsman's presence is enough to intimidate the opposition. His 26-ball unbeaten 40 in the previous game was a proof of his game-changing ability.

"Steve Smith has led the side admirably and got Pune into the finals. Of course he has had great help from Dhoni," former India captain Sunil Gavaskar wrote in a column in The Times of India.

Pune's bowling arsenal boasts of fast bowler Jaydev Unadkat (22 wickets in 11 games) who is getting adequate support from fellow paceman Dan Christian, leg-spinner Adam Zampa and Sundar.

- Learning from past mistakes -

But two-time champions Mumbai would be no pushovers as skipper Rohit Sharma insisted that the team would take their confidence forward from the win against the Kolkata Knight Riders in the second qualifier.

Mumbai, who would be playing their fourth IPL final, have been the team to beat in this edition with 11 wins out of their 16 matches.

"We know that we have not performed well against them but conditions will be different for both the teams and we will try to learn from our past mistakes," Sharma, whose team has lost all its three games against Pune this season, said.

"As a team you have to prepare for the unexpected."

Champions in 2013 and 2015, Mumbai boast of a number of match-winners including some power-packed foreign presence in big-hitter Kieron Pollard and New Zealand fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan.

While McClenaghan did not play the last game due to an injury, Sharma insisted the team will take a call on their paceman ahead of the final game.

Wicket-keeper batsman Parthiv Patel has given the team many good starts in the tournament with Sharma, burly West Indian Pollard and Sharma also rising to the challenge.

Indian seamer Jasprit Bumrah has been the perfect death bowler for Mumbai with his ability to bowl consistent yorkers.
No caption

Sri Lanka's President announced Saturday new investigations into alleged secret detention centres as part of a drive to find tens of thousands of people still missing after the country's decades-long war.

Maithripala Sirisena said he would establish a mechanism to search locations where there are reports that people may still be incarcerated after the war, which ended in May 2009.

"If there are allegations that people are still being held in some locations, the government will set up a mechanism to inspect them," Sirisena told a rally in the former war zone of Sampur in the country's northeast.

Multiple official committees have examined the issue of missing people, and recommended actions including reparations and criminal investigations into some high profile cases.

Authorities have so far been slow to act, but Sirisena promised he would now implement these recommendations.

The International Red Cross urged the government last year to disclose the fate of the more than 16,000 people still officially missing after the island's ethnic war ended eight years ago.

Government forces crushed Tamil rebels fighting for a separate homeland for the ethnic minority, in a brutal offensive that ended 37 years of fighting. Some 40,000 people are thought to have been killed in the final few months of the conflict alone.

Huge numbers of Tamils disappeared during the war including after being arrested by security services, while thousands more died in military bombardments.

Thousands of people also went missing during a crackdown by security forces and pro-government vigilante groups on Marxist rebels between 1987 and 1990.

The ICRC had said that it registered 16,000 people as missing since setting up a presence in Sri Lanka in 1989. The database also includes more than 5,100 security personnel listed as missing.

Sirisena, a member of the majority Sinhalese community, has taken steps to reconcile with the minority Tamil community since coming to power in January 2015, but international rights groups say the pace of delivery has been too slow.

However, the government announced a landmark law last year to recognise those still missing as dead, allowing relatives to claim inheritances.
The last Syrian rebels and their families are evacuated from the last opposition bastion of Waer in central city Homs under a deal supervised by regime ally Russia

The last Syrian rebels and their families were being evacuated from the last opposition-held neighbourhood of the central city of Homs on Saturday, the provincial governor said.

Talal Barazi told AFP that 3,000 evacuees, including 700 rebels, were due to be taken out of Waer district by the end of the day or dawn on Sunday.

"The last evacuation of rebels, their families and civilians who wish to leave Homs, is under way. It is the last group," Barazi said.

Syrian opposition fighters board a bus at a checkpoint manned by regime forces ahead of their evacuation from Waer, the last opposition-held district in the central city of Homs, on May 20, 2017

The Russian-supervised operation began two months ago and has been carried out over several weeks.

Under the deal, opposition fighters are granted safe passage by the government out of Homs to rebel-held areas elsewhere in Syria.

"In all more than 15,000 people -- 12,000 civilians and 3,000 rebels -- will have left Waer" when the operation is over, Barazi said.

An AFP correspondent saw dozens of people carrying belongings including rugs, mattresses and bird cages as they prepared to board buses.

Soldiers and vehicles from Syrian regime ally Russia were seen on the outskirts of Waer.

Under the deal, between 600 and 100 Russian soldiers will deploy in Waer to provide security for residents who still live there or for those who were displaced by fighting and wish to return home.

The evacuation of Waer will bring Syria's government closer to cementing its control over more parts of the war-wracked country.

Earlier this month, rebels also began evacuating the last districts under their control in the capital Damascus, following their defeat in second city Aleppo in December.
A woman dressed in a wedding gown and holding a South African flag leads a march in Pretoria against the abuse of women following the spike in reports of women being murdered and raped in various parts of the country

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Pretoria on Saturday, angered by a rise in violence against women and children in South Africa, including killings and sex attacks.

Answering the call by a group calling itself "#Not In My Name" the protesters, most of them men, marched through the streets of the South African capital behind a woman symbolically dressed head to toe in white.

"The time to take collective responsibility for our shameful action is now," said Kholofelo Masha, on of the protest organisers, who described himself as "a loving dad, brother and uncle".

South African men have remained quiet on the issue for too long, he added: "You hear a lady screaming next door, you decide to sleep when you know there is a problem next door... No man should beat a woman or rape a woman while you're watching".

Reports of the rape and murder of women and girls have been front-page news recently in South Africa, which has some of the worst crime rates in the world.

According to official figures, a women is killed by someone she knows every eight hours somewhere in the country and one woman in five has been subjected to at least one act of violent aggression in her life.

The killing of Reeva Steenkamp by her boyfriend, Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, drew global attention to the issue of domestic violence in South Africa.

South African President Jacob Zuma on Thursday visited the home of the parents of a three-year-old girl who was raped and killed.

"We as the citizens of this country must say enough is enough," Zuma said then. "This is one of the saddest incidents I've come across. It's a crisis in the country, the manner in which women and children are being killed."

The ruling African National Congress has called the wave of violent acts "senseless and barbaric" while the main opposition Democratic Alliance party has denounced the "failure to make South Africa safe for all," and has called for a national debate on the problem.
"This is our problem. We don't want the European Union to take measures against a member state without discussions with us," said Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni

The presidents of Tanzania and Uganda called Saturday on the EU to lift sanctions on Burundi, but a diplomatic for the European bloc dismissed the appeal.

The joint plea, by Yoweri Museveni and John Magufuli came at a meeting of the East African Community (EAC) -- which also includes Burundi, Kenya and South Sudan -- in Dar es Salaam.

"This is our problem. We don't want the European Union to take measures against a member state without discussions with us," said Uganda's Museveni, who is EAC president and lead mediator in Burundi's seemingly intractable two-year-old political crisis.

Tanzania's president said Europe should be focused on its own issues.

"They are taking sanctions against Burundi when they too are facing difficulties at home, like the Brexit," Magufuli said.

But EU ambassador to Tanzania and the EAC, Roeland van de Geer, insisted that "sanctions remain as long as the situation does not change".

Burundi's sometimes violent political crisis began in April 2015 when President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run for a third term that his opponents regarded as unconstitutional.

Around 400,000 people have left Burundi because of the crisis and hundreds have died in violent clashes and targeted attacks.
America's deteriorating infrastructure costs each American family an estimated $3,400 per year

US asset management giant Blackstone and Saudi Arabia's main sovereign wealth fund announced Saturday they are launching a $40 billion investment vehicle to finance infrastructure renovation in the United States.

The announcement comes as President Donald Trump, who has promised to invest $1 trillion in a major infrastructure plan in the United States, visits Saudi Arabia during his first trip abroad.

The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) will contribute $20 billion to the new vehicle, while the remaining $20 billion will be raised from "other investors," Blackstone said in a statement without providing details on the timeframe.

Ultimately, this new fund aims to invest $100 billion in infrastructure projects, "principally" in the United States, according to the release.

"This potential investment reflects our positive views around the ambitious infrastructure initiatives being undertaken in the United States as announced by President Trump," said PIF managing director Yasir Al Rumayyan.

Deterioration in US roads, airports, railways and other infrastructure costs each American family an estimated $3,400 a year.

"There is broad agreement that the United States urgently needs to invest in its rapidly aging infrastructure," Blackstone president Hamilton James said.

Trump's promise of major infrastructure works has yet to get underway, with questions remaining over its financing, as the majority of Republicans in Congress oppose a massive injection of public funds.
According to two former senior American officials, 18 to 20 CIA sources in China were either killed or imprisoned

Beijing systematically dismantled CIA spying efforts in China beginning in 2010, killing or jailing more than a dozen covert sources, in a deep setback to US intelligence there, The New York Times reported Sunday.

The Times, quoting 10 current and former American officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the intelligence breach as one of the worst in decades.

It said that even now intelligence officials are unsure whether the US was betrayed by a mole within the CIA or whether the Chinese hacked a covert system used by the CIA to communicate with foreign sources.

Of the damage inflicted on what had been one of the most productive US spy networks, however, there was no doubt: at least a dozen CIA sources were killed between late 2010 and the end of 2012, including one who was shot in front of colleagues in a clear warning to anyone else who might be spying, the Times reported.

In all, 18 to 20 CIA sources in China were either killed or imprisoned, according to two former senior American officials quoted. It was a grave setback to a network that, up to then, had been working at its highest level in years.

Those losses were comparable to the number of US assets lost in the Soviet Union and Russia because of the betrayals of two infamous spies, Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen, the report said.

Western espionage services have traditionally found it exceptionally hard to develop spy networks in China and Russia.

The CIA's mole hunt in China, following the severe losses to its network there, was intense and urgent. Nearly every employee of the US Embassy in Beijing was scrutinized at one point, the newspaper said.

Meantime, then-president Barack Obama's administration was demanding to know why its flow of intelligence from China had slowed.

The revelations come as the CIA seeks to determine how some of its highly sensitive documents were released two months ago by WikiLeaks, and the FBI examines possible links between the Donald Trump campaign and Russia.

Both the CIA and the FBI declined to comment.
Prime Minister Sherif Ismail attended on Saturday the World Economic Forum on Middle East and North Africa held in Jordan

Egypts Prime Minister Sherif Ismail held on Saturday talks with his Jordanian counterpart as well as with the Cypriot president and a number of foreign investors on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa held in Jordan, state news agency MENA reported.

During the meeting, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades expressed his regards to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and extended an invitation for him to visit Cyprus.

Ismail briefed Anastasiades on the latest achievements reached through Egypt's economic reform measures, stressing that the country has become more suitable for foreign investors.

The prime minister also expressed his aspiration for the continued coordination between the two countries to confront terrorism and address the migrant issue, as well as cooperation in tourism by launching a joint tourism programme.

Investment Minister Sahar Nasr, who also attended the meeting, said the two sides discussed projects that include fish farming, olive farms and cooperation in the communications sector and supporting entrepreneurship.

Ismail also met with Jordanian PM Hani Al-Mulki and discussed a number of issues on the agenda for the Egyptian-Jordanian high commission, which will be held in July and will discuss a number of topics of shared interest between the two countries such as the economy and regional security.

Ismail also thanked Al-Mulki for giving a one-month grace period for Egyptian workers in Jordan who violated their visas to legalise their status without facing fines.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


MANILA, Philippines (AP) - The Philippines' top diplomat said Friday the government's new policy of rejecting aid with conditions applies to all donor countries, not just the European Union.

Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano made the statement a day after officials confirmed that Manila had declined about 250 million euros (nearly $280 million) in EU grants for 2017 to 2020 because the aid "would involve review of our adherence to the rule of law."

President Rodrigo Duterte has lashed out at the EU repeatedly for raising human rights concerns over his deadly crackdown on illegal drugs. He earlier challenged the EU to stop its assistance after the bloc warned that the Philippines risked losing tariff-free exports to Europe due to the thousands of people killed in Duterte's drug crackdown, and government moves to revive the death penalty.

Newly appointed Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, left, gestures as he talks with Catholic nuns during his visit to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Office of Consular Affairs to check on the passport processing area in metropolitan Manila, Philippines Friday May 19, 2017. Cayetano is a staunch defender of President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody crackdown on illegal drugs. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Asked by journalists what other donors are covered by the aid boycott, Cayetano replied, "All countries."

"We are just telling them very respectfully that we believe in our independence," Cayetano said. "We know our problems better than you."

Cayetano, a former senator and staunch Duterte ally who was sworn in as foreign secretary on Thursday, earlier this month defended the government's human rights record in the U.N. Human Rights Council's review of the Philippines.

Cayetano said the decision to end EU development assistance - one of the biggest amounts for the country, particularly in supporting the peace process with Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines - conveys a strong message to Europe that the Philippines has an independent foreign policy.

"We have good relations with the EU but it's going through a rocky period or a roller-coaster ride," he said. "We are all in this ride together."

He said he will meet with the EU's envoy to Manila to discuss the issue and iron out some "miscommunication" after he returns from Russia, where he will accompany Duterte on a trip next week.

The EU is a leading foreign investor in the Philippines, the only member of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations to enjoy duty-free exports under the EU's incentives for developing countries. The Philippines' duty-free exports to the EU were worth around 1.6 billion euros ($1.78 million) in 2016, according to EU delegation data.
MOSCOW (AP) - The head of a Russian parliamentary committee is accusing some American news outlets of being part of "a massive system" to affect Russia's politics.

In the wake of widespread claims that Russia tried to influence the U.S. presidential race, Russia's State Duma this year began examining the operations of certain U.S. media organizations broadcasting to Russia. They included Voice of America, Radio Liberty and CNN.

Leonid Levin, chairman of the Duma committee on information policy, said Friday during a synopsis of the committee's work: "These mass media spreading information on the territory of Russia are part of a massive system of U.S. influence on the internal political situation in Russia."

He says the investigation is continuing and that the head of the Federal Security Service will be called to testify.
Fernando Gaviria sprinted to his fourth stage victory of his Grand Tour debut to win stage 14 of the Giro d'Italia.

The 167-kilometres stage from Reggio Emilia finished as expected in a mass sprint and Gaviria (QuickStep-Floors) proved his pedigree as the fastest man in the race once more.

The Colombian came from the back and around the right side of the sprinters to edge Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) and win the 13th stage with Trek-Segafredo's Jasper Stuyven third at the end of the completely flat route from Reggio Emilia to Tortona.

Fernando Gaviria celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the 13th stage of Giro d'Italia

Gaviria receives the traditional kiss from race hostess on podium after winning his fourth win

Quick-Step Floors rider Gaviria sprays champagne to celebrate a remarkable Grand Tour debut

'It's been a different sprint today and a difficult sprint indeed but thanks to my team I managed to go back up and win one more stage,' said the 22-year-old Gaviria, who now looks certain to win the Maglia Ciclamino.

'I'm now the Colombian with most stage victories at the Giro but it doesn't mean much. To me it means that I came to the Giro well prepared.'

Pink jersey wearer Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) retained his 2min23secs lead ahead of 2014 winner Nairo Quintana and 2:38 ahead of Bauke Mollema.

'The wind made me nervous sometimes,' Dumoulin said. 'For most of the day it was side wind. In the finale it was more side head wind. But I was very well protected by the team so it was another good day for us.'

The Colombian came from the back of the pack to sprint around his rivals to win in Tortona

Sunweb's Tom Dumoulin celebrates on podium after retaining the Giro pink jersey

GIRO D'ITALIA GC STANDINGS: STAGE 13 1. Tom Dumoulin (Netherlands / Sunweb) 56:28:53"; 2. Nairo Quintana (Colombia / Movistar) +2:23"; 3. Bauke Mollema (Netherlands / Trek) +2:38"; 4. Thibaut Pinot (France / FDJ) +2:40"; 5. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy / Bahrain) +2:47"; 6. Andrey Amador (Costa Rica / Movistar) +3:05"; 7. Bob Jungels (Luxembourg / Quick-Step) +3:56"; 8. Domenico Pozzovivo (Italy / AG2R) +3:59"; 9. Tanel Kangert (Estonia / Astana); 10. Ilnur Zakarin (Russia / Katusha) +4:17" Advertisement

Team Sky rider Geraint Thomas abandoned the race before the stage. The Welshman, who spent the last year preparing for the Giro, was still suffering from the effects of a crash in the ninth stage and had lost time in the last two days.

Friday's stage was the last one for the sprinters. Many of them are expected to leave the race, although Gaviria has said he will continue for as long as possible.

Saturday's 14th stage is a 131-kilometer (81-mile) route from Castellania and is mainly flat until the final steep climb up to Oropa.

'I think Oropa is a climb that suits me well so I hope to be in the Maglia Rosa again on Sunday,' Dumoulin added.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The Latest on Iowa man pleading guilty in officers' deaths (all times local):

1 p.m.

Prosecutors say a man who pleaded guilty to killing two police officers in Iowa simply disliked law enforcement.

Polk County Attorney John Sarcone said during a hearing Friday that Scott Michael Greene drew a "to do" list in his jail cell that amounted to a hit list. The list included the names of three sheriff's deputies, as well as the names of the two slain officers, with checkmarks by their names.

Greene pleaded guilty Friday morning to the shooting deaths of Urbandale officer Justin Martin and Des Moines Sgt. Anthony Beminio. He was immediately sentenced to life sentences for two counts of first-degree murder.

Sarcone says evidence shows Greene bought a bottle of whiskey at a convenience store before he took a loaded assault rifle and shot the first officer he encountered on a street early on Nov. 2, 2016. The officers were killed as they sat in their patrol cars, about 2 miles apart.

___

10:50 a.m.

An Iowa man has changed his plea and admitted to killing two Des Moines-area police officers last fall.

Scott Michael Greene withdrew his not guilty plea at a Friday morning hearing and pleaded guilty to the shooting deaths of Urbandale officer Justin Martin and Des Moines Sgt. Anthony Beminio. He was immediately sentenced to life sentences for two counts of first-degree murder.

The 46-year-old Greene admitted he shot both men in the early morning hours of Nov. 2, 2016.

The officers were killed as they sat in their patrol cars, about 2 miles apart. Police arrested Greene later that day.
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) - Kyle Larson was about to discard his race suit and begin relaxing after it appeared Kurt Busch had bettered his time in qualifying for the NASCAR All-Star race.

Then came word of Busch's penalty - thrusting Larson back into the spotlight Friday.

Larson will start on the pole Saturday night in the NASCAR All-Star race after Busch was assessed a 10-second penalty when race officials discovered he had two loose lug nuts on his No. 41 Ford following a mandatory pit stop as part of the unique three-lap qualifying event.

Crew members perform a pit stop on Kyle Larson's car during qualifying for Saturday's NASCAR Cup series All-Star auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Friday, May 19, 2017. Larson won the pole position for the race. (AP Photo/Bob Jordan)

Larson had an average speed of 144.839 mph over three laps Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch will start alongside Larson after finishing one one-hundredth of a second behind Larson.

It was Larson's first pole in his first attempt at All-Star qualifying. He ran in the NASCAR All-Star race last year, but the qualifying was rained out.

"It's pretty cool," Larson said. "We were just hoping to finish in the top eight."

Kurt Busch was not immediately available for comment.

Larson was the slowest of the five drivers to advance to the second round.

As the first driver on the track for the second round, he set the tone with three mistake-free laps and a solid pit stop. Johnson bolted past his pit stop costing him valuable time, while first-round leader Kevin Harvick struggled with his car's handling. Harvick qualified third, one spot ahead of Johnson.

Kurt Busch will start fifth.

Denny Hamlin will start ninth after turning to a backup car in qualifying following a wreck in practice.

"I went into turn three a little bit hesitant to try to just see what was going on with the car and it just - it was backward as soon as I let out of the gas - really weird," Hamlin said.

Sixteen drivers participated in qualifying and are guaranteed a spot in the field, including four-time winner Johnson and last year's champion Joey Logano. Four more drivers will be added to the field Saturday - three from the Monster Energy Open and one through a fan vote.

The 70-lap All-Star event which pays tribute to Charlotte's "One Hot Night" of 25 years ago - the first All-Star night race at CMS - and will ultimately come down to one 10-lap shootout for the $1 million winner-take-all prize.

NASCAR has once again tweaked the rules.

Only 10 drivers will qualify to compete in the final 10-lap shootout. They're also allowing teams to use one set of "softer tires" to use during one of the four race segments.

The strategy will be whether to use them early to get into the final 10-lap shootout or wait until the end. If a driver decides to save the tires for the final shootout, they must start at the back of the field and weave their way up front.

Larson said he isn't sure when he will run on the softer tires.

"You have to run the tire at some point and in practice it did seem to have three- to four-tenths of more speed in it and I think it will be even more impactful when the sun goes down," Larson said.

Kyle Busch suggested that it might not be worthwhile to use the softer tires if he makes the shootout. He said they aren't as fast as he thought they would be in practice, giving only three-tenths of the second advantage over the older tires.

"It's not a huge, significant difference," Kyle Busch said.

___

More AP Auto Racing: ap.racing.org
MORRISVILLE, N.C. (AP) - An American Airlines flight has made an unscheduled landing at a North Carolina airport after a strong electrical odor was detected on board.

Spokeswoman Katie Cody said Flight 1889 from Charlotte to Hartford, Connecticut, was diverted to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, where it landed safely at 5:01 p.m. Friday.

Cody said three crewmembers were taken to the hospital as a precaution. She said a maintenance crew is evaluating the Airbus 320.

A statement from Raleigh-Durham said six others on the flight were checked out by medical responders, but declined to go to the hospital.

Another American flight diverted on its way to Charlotte. Flight 1866 from Providence, Rhode Island, to Charlotte, reported an engine-related issue en route and diverted to Hartford. No one was hurt.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The family of a black 13-year-old boy fatally shot by a white Columbus police officer after a suspected robbery last year said it is "completely dissatisfied" with how the investigation was handled after a grand jury voted not to indict the officer.

The Franklin County grand jury was considering whether Officer Bryan Mason should be charged criminally in the September 2016 shooting of Tyre King. Police have said Mason shot the teen after he pulled a BB gun that looked like a real firearm from his waistband during a foot pursuit.

Attorney Sean Walton issued a statement on behalf Tyre's family after the grand jury's decision on Friday.

FILE - This June 22, 2015, file photo provided by the Columbus, Ohio, Division of Police shows the division's official portrait of Columbus, Ohio, police officer Bryan Mason. A Franklin County grand jury voted Friday, May 19, 2017 not to indict officer Bryon Mason in the September 2016 shooting of Tyre King. Police say Mason shot the teen after he pulled a BB gun from his waistband during a foot pursuit. (Columbus Division of Police via AP, File)

"Tyre's family is saddened and completely dissatisfied with how the entire investigation was handled by the City of Columbus, the Columbus Division of Police and the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office," the statement said. "The deliberate indifference for the lives of its' citizens displayed by the City of Columbus and the pain Tyre's family has dealt with since his death was only exacerbated by the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office's apparent bias in presenting evidence and witnesses to the grand jury."

A county coroner said Tyre died of gunshot wounds to the head and torso and the manner of death was homicide, which is standard in the county when a person is shot, regardless of the circumstances.

Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien released a statement Friday that presents a version of the shooting and details the grand jury process. The statement provides no opinion from O'Brien on the grand jury's decision that Mason was justified in killing Tyre.

"Officer Mason stated that King was removing the BB pistol, that appeared to be a semi-automatic handgun, from his waistband when Officer Mason shot him three times," the statement said. "The BB gun was recovered on the ground at the scene several feet from where King laid."

O'Brien said the grand jury first met on Thursday. His statement said a judge gave the grand jurors instructions on police use of deadly force "derived directly from U.S. and Ohio Supreme Court decisions." O'Brien said it's his policy that all fatal police shootings are presented to grand juries.

Walton said he and Tyre's parents and grandparents met with O'Brien and two assistant county prosecutors on Monday. According to Walton, O'Brien told them that the prosecution's approach before the grand jury would be to rely on evidence from Columbus police, which Walton said the family found "extremely disheartening."

Walton has argued that because Tyre was shot three times on the left side, the results indicate he was running away at the time and not posing a threat to police. A medical examiner hired by the family reached the same conclusion.

O'Brien said a grand jury only inquires into whether or not a crime has been committed and in this incident whether any degree of unlawful criminal homicide occurred.

Mason was just two days into a new assignment when he responded to a robbery call in the city's Olde Town East neighborhood. That's where he encountered a 19-year-old and Tyre, who fled, leading to the chase and shooting. Mason's personnel file is full of commendations. He had been involved in three previous shootings, including one that was fatal, and was cleared of wrongdoing each time.

The 19-year-old man with Tyre the night of the shooting pleaded guilty to a robbery charge in November and agreed to testify against others as part of a plea deal. Demetrious Braxton told The Columbus Dispatch that Tyre had a BB gun that looked like a real firearm and wanted to rob someone.

The shooting has been a flashpoint in and around Columbus and spurred protests, including disruptions at Columbus City Council meetings. It added to a list of killings of black males by police that have attracted national attention.
DEAD SEA, Jordan (AP) - Digital start-ups run by young Arab entrepreneurs took center stage Saturday at the World Economic Forum, where participants said private sector-driven growth is key to solving the Middle East's stark economic problems, including 30 percent youth unemployment.

More than 1,100 politicians and business people came together for the forum's regional meeting. Among them were EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, CEOs from the region and the founders of 100 start-ups from the Arab world.

The forum's regional meeting was held as President Donald Trump, whose young administration is engulfed in controversy, began his first international trip with a visit to Saudi Arabia. In coming days, Trump is to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories before heading to Europe.

Attendees gather in the main hall of the World Economic Forum, at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Center, at the Dead Sea, Jordan, on Saturday May 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Elena Boffetta)

Mogherini said that Europe does "not see eye to eye" with the Trump administration on major issues such as trade, climate change and funding of U.N. agencies, but can "easily" work with the U.S. on the conflicts in Syria and between Israelis and Palestinians.

Europe's top diplomat warned that threatened U.S. cuts in funding U.N. agencies or humanitarian work "would create a major security issue worldwide, including in Europe."

The Syria refugee crisis has highlighted the link between aid and security. Hundreds of thousands of civil war refugees have migrated to Europe after facing increasingly difficult conditions in regional host countries, where cash-strapped aid agencies have struggled to provide basic support.

Iraqi President Fuad Masum called on investors to come to his country and help with reconstruction efforts, particularly in the northern city of Mosul, which was overrun by Islamic State extremists in 2014.

Since the fall, Iraqi forces backed by a U.S.-led coalition have slowly advanced in the city, pushing back the militants.

Masum said that he hopes Mosul will be liberated "in the next few days," adding that "our country is open to all investors."

Masum has described the scope of destruction in Mosul as "horrendous."

On the business side, participants said the region's governments and institutions must provide a nurturing environment for entrepreneurs, including access to financing.

Khaled Biyari, the CEO of the Saudi Telecom Company, said the region's young population - two-thirds are under the age of 30 - can drive the transformation.

Moving to a digital economy "can allow the region and the countries in this region to leap frog," Biyari said. "They don't have to go back and do what other developed nations have (done)."

For some entrepreneurs from countries in conflict, the challenges of doing business are much more basic.

Hussein Ahmed, one of the start-up founders attending the conference, has begun exporting coffee from war-wracked Yemen to the U.S. through his company Mocha Hunters. But his efforts are complicated by frequent power outages in his troubled war-torn homeland.

"To process the coffee you need machines and machines work with electricity," he said. "Can you imagine running a business without electricity?"
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) - After a year in office, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's administration is shunned by an angry China and facing even greater international isolation.

Yet, the island's first female president seems focused on policy initiatives at home as well as maintaining robust relations with the United States, Taiwan's most important source of arms and political support.

"I am expecting the leaders on the other side of the Taiwan Strait to accurately interpret the meaning of last year's presidential elections, and the good intentions that Taiwan tirelessly showed," she said in a speech to overseas Chinese media representatives on Friday. "This is a new era, because the Taiwanese people say so."

FILE - In this Tuesday, March 21, 2017, file photo, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, left, waves from a Zwaardvis-class submarine during a visit at Zuoying Naval base in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan. After a year in office, Tsai's administration is shunned by an angry China, but domestic concerns appear to be trumping relations with Beijing. (AP Photo/ Chiang Ying-ying, File)

China cut contacts with Taiwan on June 25 to protest Tsai's refusal to endorse Beijing's view that the two sides are part of a single Chinese nation. President Donald Trump's administration, at least initially, seemed poised to offer new support.

The then-president elect astonished many by talking directly on the phone with Tsai in December, a conversation not held between leaders of the two sides since Washington switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979. He then further stirred the pot by questioning the need to hold to the "One China" policy under which Washington maintains only unofficial ties with Taipei.

Soon afterward, however, he reasserted his support for "One China," resulting in Chinese President Xi Jinping flying to Trump's Mar-a-lago resort for an informal summit in April and last week's announcement of a trade deal under which China will again allow imports of American beef and purchase natural gas from the U.S.

China says it cannot resume normal interactions unless Tsai endorsed the "One China" principle, also known as "'92 consensus."

The sides split amid civil war in 1949 and China continues to regard Taiwan as part of its territory, to be recovered by force if necessary. Tsai's Democratic Progressive Party advocates Taiwan's formal independence as an island nation.

Taiwanese officials say their Chinese counterparts no longer answer their calls, emails or faxes and steady momentum toward increased contacts - highlighted by an unprecedented meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Tsai's predecessor Ma Ying-jeou in 2015 - has ground to a halt.

Beijing's silent treatment has been accompanied by moves to increase Taiwan's diplomatic isolation, including blocking its participation in international gatherings such as this month's World Health Assembly in Geneva. Taiwan is already excluded from the United Nations and other international organizations at Beijing's behest, and maintains diplomatic relations with only a handful of nations.

Beijing has also sought to exert economic pressure, particularly by discouraging Chinese tourists from visiting the island. That's brought about a 10 percent decline in overall visitor numbers in the first quarter of the year, although an increase in numbers of big-spending Japanese and South Koreans has helped partly make up the difference.

But rather than increase pressure on Tsai, such moves "only make Taiwanese more resentful," said Shelley Rigger, a political scientist and longtime observer of Taiwanese politics at Davidson College in North Carolina.

"People need to understand: Taiwanese have been living under this threat for decades. I don't think she will be compelled to make concessions. The focus is very much on domestic issues right now," Rigger said.

Gary Lin, a 78-year-old Taipei businessman echoed such sentiments.

"If you have a neighbor who only thinks of bombing you or eating you up, then you can't do anything about it," Lin said. "And you want president Tsai Ing-wen to kneel to (China) and beg? That's impossible. I would not agree to that."

At home, Tsai has been grappling with matters ranging from social justice to public welfare. She issued a formal apology on behalf of the government to Taiwan's indigenous people for the discrimination and neglect inflicted on them over the past 400 years, and has pushed for legalization of gay marriage. Tsai also announced that Taiwan will build its own jet aircraft and submarines, in part to revive local industries but also to counter the intense pressure China exerts on foreign nations not to sell weapons to Taiwan.

Taiwan has also moved to position itself as an attractive partner for Trump's push to promote domestic manufacturing, with the island's Cabinet saying earlier this month Taiwan plans to continue to buy U.S. semi-conductor machines, aircraft, services and military hardware and expects Taiwanese investment in the U.S. to reach $34 billion.

"Notwithstanding the flux of international affairs, maintaining and deepening U.S.-Taiwan relations remains Taiwan's top priority," the Cabinet said in a report made as part of a public comment process for a U.S. trade review.

Meanwhile, Tsai's government has been struggling to reinvigorate the island's high-tech economy, raise wages for young workers and push through reductions to highly lucrative public pensions that have elicited protests from retired senior servants. She's also been pushing a "New Southbound Policy" to encourage closer economic ties with the 10 nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and countries as diverse as Bhutan and New Zealand as a way of reducing dependency on China's vast market.

Although the stock market remains strong and the economy is tracking modest growth, Tsai has seen her job approval rating fall to 41.3 percent in a survey released this week, while 52.9 percent were dissatisfied, even while she remains the front runner for the next presidential election in 2020.

The only serious political pressure Tsai faces comes from the opposition Nationalist Party, which remains largely in disarray since losing both the presidency and its legislative in last year's elections.

"Certainly, President Tsai Ing-wen will not return to Beijing's demands, so I consider this stalemate, miscalculation, misunderstanding, lack of communication will continue throughout the year. Which is not good for the security and stability in the Taiwan Strait area," said Andrew Yang, who encouraged greater flexibility from both sides.

FILE - In this Friday, May 20, 2016, file photo, new Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, left, and Vice President Chen Chien-jen wave during their inauguration ceremonies in Taipei, Taiwan. After a year in office, Tsai's administration is shunned by an angry China, but domestic concerns appear to be trumping relations with Beijing. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying, File)

FILE - In this Tuesday, March 21, 2017, file photo, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen delivers a speech during her visit to Zuoying Naval base in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan. After a year in office, Tsai's administration is shunned by an angry China, but domestic concerns appear to be trumping relations with Beijing. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying, File)

FILE - In this Tuesday, March 21, 2017, file photo, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, center, along with Defense Minister Feng Shih-kuan, right, and Secretary-General of National Security Council Joseph Wu, left, cheer with navy officers during a visit to Zuoying Naval base in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan. After a year in office, Tsai's administration is shunned by an angry China, but domestic concerns appear to be trumping relations with Beijing. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying, File)
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - Cambodia's main opposition party believes it has momentum on its side in next month's local elections, which will gauge the support for Prime Minister Hun Sen ahead of national polls next year.

The U.S. State Department called on the government to avoid threats and political intimidation as the two-week campaigning for the June 4 communal elections started Saturday with tens of thousands of supporters of Hun Sen's ruling party and the main opposition party flooding the streets of the capital.

Hun Sen has ruled for three decades, and he has warned of civil war if voters do not support his ruling Cambodian People's Party. In the last communal elections in 2012, his party received 60 percent of the vote compared to the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party's 30.6 percent.

Cambodian Buddhist monks join the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) rally during the first day of the country's commune election campaign at outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Saturday, May 20, 2017. Ten of thousands of Cambodians kicked off a two-week campaign period Saturday for local elections that are seen as important indicators of how the big political parties are doing nationally. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

But the opposition now says it has a better chance of winning after it nearly upset the ruling party in general elections in 2013, triggering its boycott of the legislature that ended with the opposition returning to parliament after it struck a deal with the longtime ruler.

A State Department spokeswoman for East Asia, Alicia Edwards, said in Washington that the U.S. was urging the Cambodian government to "guarantee a political space free from threats or intimidation" and respect freedom of expression for all its citizens.

Cambodia's defense minister has reportedly warned that the army will "smash the teeth" of anyone protesting a win by the ruling party.

Speaking to supporters, opposition leader Kem Sokha said that his party would win the local and general elections but he appealed to party members to be patient.

Although accused of violence and intimidation of opponents, Hun Sen could also take some credit for bringing modest economic growth and stability in a country devastated by the communist Khmer Rouge's regime in the 1970s. Hun Sen left the movement that was responsible for the deaths of some 1.7 million people from starvation, disease and executions before it was toppled in 1979.

He did not participate in the campaigning Saturday, but in a message he said that his Cambodian People's Party had received strong backing from the people in the last 38 years since the collapse of the Khmer Rouge regime and brought peace and political stability.
El-Sisi is currently in Riyadh to attend the Arab Islamic American Conference

Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met on Saturday with the presidents of Burkina Faso and Tajikistan during his visit to Riyadh where he will attend the Arab Islamic American Conference, state news agency MENA reported.

El-Sisi and Tajikistans Emomali Rahmon agreed that both countries should bolster economic ties and trade with each other.

They also discussed ways to strengthen international efforts in fighting terrorism, with both presidents affirming the importance of the cultural aspects of fighting terrorism alongside the military and security dimension.

The two leaders also agreed on the importance of Egypt's Al-Azhar, the world's highest of Sunni learning, in spreading the accurate teachings of Islam and battling extremist ideas.

At the end of the meeting, Rahmon extended an invitation to El-Sisi to visit Tajikistan, which was welcomed by the Egyptian president, who said he would visit as soon as he can.

El-Sisi also met with Burkina Fasos President Roch Marc Kabore, where he praised Kabores efforts to stabilise his country during its transition.

The duo discussed possible ways of bolstering economic ties between the two countries and increasing trade.

They also discussed a number of shared African issues, including possible ways to eradicate terrorism.

El-Sisi extended an invitation to Kabore to visit Cairo soon.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump is casting the fight against radicalism in the Muslim world as a battle between good and evil.

A draft of the speech Trump is to deliver Sunday in Saudi Arabia abandons some of the harsh anti-Muslim rhetoric of his presidential campaign. The Associated Press obtained the draft.

In this early version of the speech, Trump urges Arab leaders to drive out terrorists from places of worship. And he envisions new partnerships with traditional allies in the Middle East.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, wave as they board Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Friday, May 19, 2017, prior to his departure on his first overseas trip. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Notably, the president's speech doesn't touch on democracy and human rights. Arab leaders often view those topics as moralizing by the U.S. Instead, Trump promotes the more limited goals of peace and stability.

White House officials say the speech remains a work in progress.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California's elected Democrats had tough words for President Donald Trump and the GOP Congress on Saturday, urging their party's fired-up activists to work against the 14 Republicans in the state's congressional delegation.

The party's leaders blasted Trump's alleged ties to Russia and presented California as the epicenter of liberal resistance to the president.

"The world, literally the world, is counting on all of you, counting on California to reject Trump's deception and destructiveness," said Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is among a crowded field of Democrats running for governor next year.

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee addresses the California Democratic Party convention, Saturday, May 20, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, often mentioned as a potential candidate for president in 2020, accused Trump of putting "Russia first, America second."

The convention comes less than a week after the U.S. Justice Department appointed a special prosecutor to investigate whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during last year's election - a charge Trump has vehemently denied and called a witch hunt.

In a sign of the vigor of the party's distaste for the president, outgoing party Chair John Burton, a longtime Democratic lawmaker and powerbroker known for his blunt and profane manner, extended two middle fingers in the air as the crowd cheered and joined him.

"F--- Donald Trump," he said.

California Republican Party Chairman Jim Brulte said Democrats are focused on Trump to avoid talking about their own policies, including a recent decision to raise gas taxes and vehicle fees to pay for road improvements.

"Democrats own California and they broke it," Brulte said in a statement. "They don't want to talk about their record in California which is why they want California voters to focus solely on President Trump."

The Russia attacks excited the Democrats, but no issue animated the party's base more than single-payer health care - government funded health care for everyone.

Rowdy activists organized by the California Nurses Association repeatedly interrupted speakers they deemed insufficiently supportive. When U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called for a "public option" in health care, the advocates began chanting "single payer." State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, who has previously suggested now is not the time for single-payer, received similar treatment.

Nurses' union director RoseAnn DeMoro warned officials not to assume activists will stick with them if they oppose single-payer health care.

While party activists are singularly united in their zeal to confront Trump and Congress, beneath the surface they are deeply split, still struggling to mend the divisions that exploded in last year's primary between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

The divide was on clear display in the race to replace Burton as party chair. It highlighted strong disagreements between longtime party activists and a new breed of progressives eager to more aggressively promote liberal priorities and reject money from corporate and establishment interests.

Eric Bauman, the longtime head of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, was narrowly elected chair, winning by just 62 votes out of nearly 3,000 cast.

Both major candidates endorsed Clinton's presidential bid and were largely aligned in their approaches to public policy, including support for single-payer. However, Sanders supporters rallied around Kimberly Ellis, the former head of an organization that works to elect Democratic women to office.

Ellis called for new blood in the party, a contrast with Bauman who said the party needs a steady hand to continue its dominance of California politics.

After the results were announced, Ellis refused to concede, telling her supporters that her team has "serious concerns about the vote count" and had talked with a lawyer.

"I want you to know that this race is not over," she said. She did not say what made her question the result.

Bauman lined up the support from the vast majority of elected Democrats and was the overwhelming favorite to win until agitators loyal to Sanders got behind Ellis.

He came under pressure for work his political consulting firm has done for corporate clients. Pharmaceutical companies paid the firm to work in opposition to a ballot measure that would have prohibited the state from paying more for prescription drugs than the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The measure, which Sanders supported and campaign for, failed after drug companies spent more than $100 million in opposition.

The race took a strange turn earlier this month when Bauman sent an email to delegates saying he had been the target of salacious rumors alleging he had inappropriate contact with teenage boys. The source of the rumors was unclear, and Ellis denounced them.

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee addresses the California Democratic Party convention, Saturday, May 20, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton raise their arms together in celebration during the California Democratic Party Convention in Sacramento, Calif., on Saturday, May 20, 2017. California Democrats had tough words for Republican President Donald Trump and the GOP Congress on Saturday as they continued their three-day convention with renewed optimism about their party's chances of tipping the balance of power in the U.S. House. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee poses for a picture after speaking at the California Democratic Party convention, Saturday, May 20, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

California gubernatorial candidate, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, jokes with John Burton chairman of the California Democratic Party, before addressing the California Democratic Party Convention, Saturday, May 20, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee addresses the California Democratic Party convention, Saturday, May 20, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Kimberly Ellis, who is running to head the California Democratic Party, addresses the California Democratic Party convention Saturday, May 20, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. Ellis is running against Eric Bauman to succeed current party chairman John Burton. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
GENEVA (AP) - A British physician, an Ethiopian former health minister and a Pakistani expert in non-communicable diseases are the three finalists vying for the top job at the World Health Organization in an election on Tuesday, aspiring to land a key U.N. post that confers great power to set worldwide medical priorities - and great responsibility as the world's go-to person when emergencies like Ebola, Zika and SARS strike.

For the first time, WHO's governing body made up of 194 member states will choose from three candidates - not one pre-selected by its executive board, as in past years. The closed-door vote is perhaps the highlight event of the 10-day World Health Assembly, which will also lay out strategies on issues like the fight against polio, preparedness for pandemic flu, and antimicrobial resistance.

Many are looking for further reform at WHO after the decade-long tenure of Dr. Margaret Chan, a politically savvy native of Hong Kong whose tenure nonetheless has been blighted by a flawed response to the Ebola outbreak in three west African countries that killed more than 11,000 people.

FILE - In this Jan. 26, 2017 file photo, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Ethiopian former Minister of Health, speaks at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. For the first time, WHO's governing body made up of 194 member states will choose from three candidates, Tuesday May 23, 2017. not one pre-selected by its executive board, as in past years. David Nabarro a British physician, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus a former Ethiopian health minister and Pakistani doctor Sania Nishtar are the candidates to replace WHO Director General Dr. Margaret Chan. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP, file)

Politics, as much as policy prescriptions, will be in the minds of many government envoys as voting begins Tuesday afternoon.

Here's a look at the candidates for the next five-year term starting July 1:

David Nabarro: The British physician led the U.N. response to some of the biggest health crises in recent years, including bird flu and Ebola. Although he has years of experience dealing with outbreaks, critics say his decades of work at WHO make him too much of an insider and that he may be unable to introduce the radical change needed to overhaul the agency.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: A former health minister from Ethiopia, he would be the first WHO director-general from Africa and is believed to have wide support from many African member states. Ghebreyesus is credited with expanding Ethiopia's health system and helping introduce initiatives that cut malaria deaths. The only non-medical doctor in the running, he has also been dogged by allegations that he covered up cholera outbreaks during his administration, despite international regulations requiring countries to report outbreaks of the bacterial disease.

Sania Nishtar: A Pakistani doctor, she has worked on non-communicable diseases for years and once served as a government minister responsible for issues including health, science and information technology. Unlike her competitors, Nishtar has little experience with outbreaks. During her campaign, she issued 10 pledges for action, including "transparency and accountability in all areas of its work" and a promise that the WHO leadership "will not be subject to special interests."

FILE - In this Jan. 26, 2017 file photo, Pakistani doctor Sania Nishtar, attends a press conference at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. For the first time, WHO's governing body made up of 194 member states will choose from three candidates, Tuesday May 23, 2017. not one pre-selected by its executive board, as in past years. David Nabarro a British physician, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus a former Ethiopian health minister and Pakistani doctor Sania Nishtar are the candidates to replace WHO Director General Dr. Margaret Chan. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)
Melania and Ivanka Trump opted not to wear head scarves during a tour of Saudi Arabia, less than two years after the president slammed former first lady Michelle Obama for failing to cover her head.

Melania was dressed elegantly in all-black when she and her husband landed in Saudi Arabia Saturday morning.

When she emerged from Air Force One at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, her attire was conservative.

The 47-year-old former model wore black patent stilettos and what is believed to be a $1,495 black Stella McCartney jumpsuit, cinched at the waist with a wide gold belt.

But she was missing a head scarf in a religious country that imposes some of the world's harshest restrictions on women.

The President's daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump also opted-out of covering her head during the state visit.

She wore a $1,490 long-sleeved printed Cedric Charlier maxi dress that showed her ankles and her tan pumps as she held hands with her husband Jared Kushner.

Melania Trump chose not to wear a head scarf when she and President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia Saturday, despite the religious country's strict dress code for women

The 47-year-old ex-model wore black patent stilettos and what is believed to be a $1,495 black Stella McCartney jumpsuit, cinched at the waist with a wide gold belt. She and her husband President Donald Trump are pictured leaving Air Force One for a welcome ceremony at the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport Saturday

Ivanka also chose to opt out of wearing a head covering for her arrival in Riyadh with her husband Jared Kushner

Ivanka wore a $1,490 long-sleeved printed Cedric Charlier maxi dress that showed her ankles and her tan pumps

Michelle Obama also chose not to wear a head scarf when she visited Saudi Arabia in 2015 with then-President Barack Obama and Trump tweeted his disapproval, saying the former first lady offended the Saudi people

Michelle Obama did not wear a head covering when she and then-President Barack Obama visited Saudi Arabia on a condolence visit in 2015, pictured

Melania's predecessor Michelle Obama did not cover her head when she accompanied then-President Barack Obama on a condolence visit in January 2015 after the death of King Abdullah.

Donald Trump tweeted his disapproval at the time, saying: 'Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted. We have enuf (sic) enemies.'

The President gave his trademark thumbs up to the press as he rode the escalator from the tarmac to the royal terminal at the airport in Riyadh.

In much of the Arab world, the gesture is considered a vulgar sexual insult, even though many in Saudi Arabia have disputed that.

Melania speaks with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef during an arrival ceremony for President Trump at the Royal Court in Riyadh

Ivanka watches her father arrive for a presentation ceremony of The Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal, at the Royal Court Palace

Trump and Melania visit an art exhibit before a bilateral meeting with Saudi King Salam at the Royal Court Palace Saturday

Though Melania did dress conservatively, with long sleeves and long pants, women in Saudi Arabia are expected to wear a robe called an abaya in public and not pants

Women are also expected to cover their hair and face, though many Western women choose not to

Two of Melania's predecessors, Michelle Obama and Laura Bush chose not to wear head scarves, with the exception of Bush wearing one briefly after she received a scarf as a gift

Former First Lady Laura Bush, pictured, also opted out of a head covering on her visit to Saudi Arabia in October 2007, with the exception of briefly wearing one as she met with cancer survivors in Jeddah. A Saudi woman is helping Bush put on the scarf, pictured right

Bush wore the scarf because it was given to her as a gift by Saudi doctor Samia al-Amudi

Under the kingdom's strict dress code for women, Saudi women and most female visitors are required to wear a loose, black robe, known as an abaya, in public.

It is generally frowned upon to wear pants and women are expected to cover their hair and face with a veil known as the niqab.

But covering one's head is not required for foreigners, and some Western women choose to forego the headscarf while in Saudi Arabia.

Earlier this year, British Prime Minister Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel also shunned head coverings, showing how common it is for high-level female visitors to skip wearing a headscarf or an abaya.

And during her time as first lady, Laura Bush generally went without covering her head, though she once briefly donned a head scarf she received as a gift.

As Obama's secretary of state, Hillary Clinton also did not cover her head on visits to Saudi Arabia.

When the President arrived in Saudi Arabia, he gave his trademark thumbs up to the press, even though the gesture is considered to be a vulgar sexual insult in many parts of the Middle East

Melania tweeted after she and the President arrived in Saudi Arabia for Trump's first trip abroad as the President

Saturday marks the first day President Trump has visited another country since he took office in January

Saudi Arabia adheres to an ultraconservative interpretation of Islamic Shariah law where unrelated men and women are segregated in most public places. Women are banned from driving, although rights advocates have campaigned to lift that ban.

Guardianship laws also require a male relative's consent before a woman can obtain a passport, travel or marry. Often that relative is a father or husband, but in the absence of both can be the woman's own son.

The country is at a potentially unprecedented crossroads, with its future identity at stake as economic and political interests have brought to the limelight longstanding gender norms.

Local media on Thursday quoted Saudi Arabia's foreign minister as saying authorities did not demand anyone adhere to any specific clothing regulations.

The US State Department's website says women who choose not to conform to wearing 'a full-length black covering known as an abaya, and cover their heads... face a risk of confrontation by Mutawwa and possible detention/arrest' in Saudi Arabia.

The Mutawwa, which literally translates to 'volunteers' from Arabic, are Saudi Arabia's Commission of the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, known as the 'morality police'.

Following accusations the Mutawwa were abusing their power, Saudi Arabia last year announced the religious police could no longer arrest suspects or request identification.

The President and the First Lady are pictured stepping down from Air Force One at the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport

President Trump and Melania meet Saudi King Salman, left, as they land in Riyadh Saturday
NEW DELHI (AP) - A 24-year-old woman in southern India cut off the genitals of a Hindu holy man who tried to rape her and who she alleged has been sexually assaulting her for the past eight years, police said Saturday.

G. Sparjan Kumar, a police officer in Thiruvananthapuram, the Kerala state capital, said the woman fled her home after the incident Friday night and called police.

The alleged attacker, 54-year-old Gangeshananda Theerthapada, who claims to be a spiritual healer, was reported to be in stable condition after reconstructive surgery.

Pinarayi Vijayan, the state's chief minister, told reporters on Saturday that it was brave of the woman to take such action. "It's a courageous and strong act by the woman," he said.

The New Delhi Television news channel said the woman's family knew Theerthapada, who used to visit their home to cure her bed-ridden father. She told police that he would rape her whenever he got an opportunity.

When he again visited her home on Friday night and tried to force himself on her, she got hold of a knife and attacked him, Kumar said.

Violent crimes against women have been on the rise in India despite tough laws enacted by the government.
SANAA, Yemen (AP) - The Saudi-led coalition battling Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen says it has intercepted a Saudi-bound rocket fired by rebels from a military base south of the Houthi-held capital.

The coalition leadership is reported in the official Saudi Press Agency as saying that its anti-missile system destroyed the rocket headed for a deserted area south of the capital Riyadh. The coalition said it has immediately retaliated by bombing the Houthi military base in the Attan area following the attack Friday.

Houthi-affiliated media had announced that the group fired a rocket targeting the Saudi capital on Friday.

A Saudi-led coalition has been battling Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen since March 2015, in a war that has killed more than 10,000 civilians.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Three people were killed and 30 others injured on Saturday when gunmen stormed New Kabul Bank's branch in eastern Paktia province, according to provincial officials.

Gen. Toryalai Abdyani, the province's police chief, said five militants attacked the bank; first a suicide bomber carried out an attack, then four gunmen started shooting and were later killed by security forces.

"All four gunmen were shot and killed by security forces while people were evacuated to a safe place," Andyani added.

Two of the bank's security guards were killed in the initial suicide attack in Gardez, the province's capital of, said Abdullah Hsrat, a spokesman for the provincial governor in Paktia. "Unfortunately the bank is located in the main market inside the city, that is why a number of shops and the bank building were damaged," said Hsrat.

A doctor at the provincial hospital in Gardez, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to brief media, said that three killed and at least 30 wounded were brought to the hospital by ambulances. Most of the wounded are civilians and a number of them are in critical condition, he added.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Taliban insurgents have recently increased their attacks against Afghan security forces across the country.

Elsewhere late Friday, Taliban militants attacked a district headquarters in neighboring Ghazni province, said Gen. Aminullah Amarkhail, the province's police chief.

In similar fashion, the attack in Waghaz district was kicked off with a suicide car bomb followed by Taliban gunmen charging from different directions. Afghan security forces fend them off, and the Taliban retreated after several hours of fighting.

Amarkhail confirmed that two police officers and around 20 Taliban fighters were killed in the battle and dozens of other Taliban were wounded in the clashes that lasted till the early hours of Saturday.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in Ghazni province in a statement sent to reporters.
DEAD SEA, Jordan (AP) - Germany's defense minister said Saturday that a Jordanian air base she visited has "a lot of potential" as a possible alternative for German troops stationed in Turkey.

Turkey recently blocked a request for German lawmakers to visit their country's 270 soldiers at the country's Incirlik air base. This raised the possibility that Germany might relocate planes supporting the campaign against the Islamic State group.

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said Saturday that she is to meet Jordan's King Abdullah later in the day and that she was impressed by a visit a day earlier to the Azraq air base in Jordan.

"There is a lot of potential in this air base and we were very grateful for a very positive reception and a lot of support," she told reporters at the World Economic Forum's regional gathering in Jordan.

Germany has not made a final decision on a possible move and talks with Turkey are ongoing, she said, adding that "in case we will have to move, we would be prepared."

Von der Leyen said it's important for German parliamentarians to be able to visit German troops stationed abroad.

Jordan and Germany are part of a U.S.-led international military coalition against IS, which controls territory in Syria and Iraq, both neighbors of Jordan.

The dispute between Germany and Turkey over access to German troops at the Incirlik base follows a similar standoff last year. It is the latest in a long line of irritants in Turkish-German relations.
OROPA, Italy (AP) - Dutch rider Tom Dumoulin put in a perfect performance on the tough climb up to Oropa to win the 14th stage of the Giro d'Italia and extend his overall lead on Saturday.

Dumoulin edged out Ilnur Zakarin at the end of the 131-kilometer (81-mile) route from Castellania, beating the Russian by three seconds. Mikel Landa was third, nine seconds behind.

"I'm super, super happy," Dumoulin said. "This is surprising. The team did such a good job again. We're in a really good vibe at the moment.

"We didn't even get half of the climbs. They put every climb in the last week. So it will be a hard fight but no one can take this day away from me."

Specialist climber Nairo Quintana had been favorite for the stage and it appeared as if he would claim victory when he attacked on the steep ascent, with four kilometers remaining. The Colombian opened up a nine-second lead with Zakarin but Dumoulin responded and chased him down, catching him with 1 1/2 kilometers remaining.

Dumoulin, Zakarin, Landa, and Quintana headed for the line together but the latter was dropped on the finishing straight and finished 14 seconds behind Dumoulin.

"I thought that I would be a bit better but it was a really fast climb and Tom is in a really good condition," Quintana said.

Dumoulin, who rides for Team Sunweb, is 2 minutes, 47 seconds ahead of 2014 winner Quintana. Thibaut Pinot moved into third, 3:25 off the pace.

"Now I have an even bigger advantage," Dumoulin added. "It's a really nice advantage now. But we cannot sit back and relax."

Two-time champion Vincenzo Nibali finished seventh, 43 seconds behind Dumoulin, and was fourth overall, 3:40 behind.

Most of the sprinters, including Andre Greipel and Jakub Mareczko, abandoned the race before the stage. However, Fernando Gaviria, who won four stages, and Caleb Ewan decided to continue and try to make it to the Milan finish in eight days.

The 15th stage on Sunday is a 199-kilometer route (124-mile) route from Valdengo to Bergamo, which contains two categorized climbs in the second half of the day.
Millions of Iranians joined long queues to vote on Friday, an early sign of strong turnout in an unexpectedly tight presidential election that could determine the future of the country's nascent emergence from international isolation.

The presidential vote pits incumbent Hassan Rouhani, who wants to normalize ties with the West, against a hardline judge who says Rouhani has gone too far and sold out the values of Iran's Islamic revolution to its enemies.

Rouhani, who struck a deal with world powers two years ago to curb Iran's nuclear program in return for the lifting of most economic sanctions, said the election was important "for Iran's future role in the region and the world".

"Whoever wins the election, we should help him to fulfill this important and serious duty," state news agency IRNA quoted him as saying after voting.

Rouhani, 68, who swept into office four years ago promising to open Iran to the world and give its citizens more freedom at home, faces an unexpectedly strong challenge from Ebrahim Raisi, a protege of supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Raisi has blamed Rouhani for mismanaging the economy and has traveled to poor areas holding rallies, pledging more welfare benefits and jobs.

He is believed to have the backing of the powerful Revolutionary Guards security force, as well as the tacit support of Khamenei, whose powers outrank those of the elected president but who normally steers clear of day-to-day politics.

"I respect the outcome of the vote of the people and the result will be respected by me and all the people," Raisi said after voting, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

In the last election, Rouhani won more than three times as many votes as his closest challenger. But this time the outcome promises to be much closer, as other conservative rivals have backed out and thrown their support behind Raisi.

The Guards and other hardliners hope that a win for Raisi, 56, will give them an opportunity to safeguard economic and political power they see as jeopardized by the lifting of sanctions and opening to foreign investment.

During weeks of campaigning the two main candidates exchanged accusations of graft and brutality in unprecedentedly hostile television debates. Both deny the other's accusations.

Some 350,000 members of the security forces were deployed around the country to protect the election, state television reported. The interior ministry said at mid-day that it had no reports of electoral offences so far, state television reported.

Rouhani has urged the Guards not to meddle in the vote, a warning that reflects the political tension. Suspicions that the Guards and the Basij militia under their control falsified voting results in favor of hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad led to eight months of nationwide protests in 2009, which were violently suppressed.

STARK CHOICE

For ordinary Iranians, the election presents a stark choice between competing visions of the country.

Rouhani, known for decades as a mild-mannered establishment insider rather than a gung-ho reformer, has taken on the mantle of the reform camp in recent weeks, with fiery campaign speeches that attacked the human rights records of his opponents.

Many pro-reform voters are still lukewarm Rouhani supporters, disappointed with the slow pace of change during his first term. But they are anxious to keep out Raisi, who they see as representing the security state at its most fearsome: in the 1980s he was one of four judges who sentenced thousands of political prisoners to death.

"I am on my way to vote for Rouhani. I like his detente policy with the world. I know he is not a reformist, but who cares? What matters is that he is not Raisi," government employee Yousef Ghaemi, 43, said by phone in the western city of Kermanshah.



For conservatives, the election represents a chance to restore the values of the 1979 revolution, which requires elected officials to be subordinate to the Shi'ite Muslim clergy and supreme leader.

"I cast my vote already - I voted for Raisi because he is a follower of Imam Khamenei. He will not confront the leader if elected. He will protect our Islamic identity," said Mehran Fardoust, 36, a shop keeper near the Imam Reza Shrine in the holy city of Mashhad, Raisi's home town.

In public, Khamenei has remained neutral, repeatedly calling for a high turnout. But Iranians in both political camps suspect he is in fact backing his protege Raisi -- not only for the presidency but potentially also as a possible successor to his own post of supreme leader, which the 77-year-old hardline cleric has held since 1989.

Despite the removal of nuclear-related sanctions in 2016, lingering unilateral U.S. sanctions that target Iran's record on human rights and terrorism have kept foreign companies wary of investing in Iran, limiting the economic benefits so far.

Raisi has focused his campaign on the economy, visiting rural areas and villages and promising housing, jobs and more welfare benefits, a message which could resonate with millions of poor voters angry at the Tehran elite.

Two other conservative candidates are still officially in the race. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two, presumably Rouhani and Raisi, would face each other a second time in a run-off in a week.

Polls close at 6 p.m. (1330 GMT), although authorities often extend voting into the evening. Ballot counting will start at midnight and final results are expected within 24 hours of polls closing, TV reported. The elections are also for city and village councils.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


TIRANA, Albania (AP) - The Albanian Muslim Community on Saturday called on political parties to hold a peaceful election campaign that coincides with the holy month of Ramadan.

Albania holds its parliamentary election June 25, which also marks the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid-el-Fitr. The date was decided after intensive talks among the parties mediated by U.S. and European Union officials.

Ylli Gurra, a leader of the executive organ of the country's Muslims, called on political parties and religious communities to be peaceful and respect each other.

Tirana's grand mufti also called on believers to feel free to vote, calling it "a historical and civil duty of the moment."

Religious communities play an important role in preserving harmony in Albania, where two-thirds of the population of 3 million is Muslim. The county also has Orthodox and Catholic communities.
SALEM, Mass. (AP) - A Massachusetts college says it's investigating after its Twitter account was hacked and filled with tweets containing racist language.

Campus police say the account of Salem State University was hacked Friday. The tweets reportedly included attacks on immigrants, criticism of the Black Lives Matter movement and praise for Republican President Donald Trump. They were deleted early Saturday.

The school tweeted an apology.

Salem State President Patricia Meservey said in an email that the posts don't reflect the school's viewpoints.

A spokeswoman says the school is trying to find out what happened, who was responsible and what security measures can be taken in the future.

The hack happened ahead of the school's commencement, which is set to take place Saturday.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - The Latest on Brazil's political crisis (all times local):

5:20 p.m.

The Brazilian Socialist Party has pulled out of President Michel Temer's coalition and has called for his resignation.

Brazil's President Michel Temer speaks during a national address from the Planalto Presidential Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, Saturday, May 20, 2017. Temer is suggesting that an audio that purportedly recorded him supporting hush money for an ex-lawmaker has been doctored. Temer says his administration will petition the Supreme Federal Tribunal to suspend the investigation against him until the audio is verified. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

The party announced it was leaving the coalition on Saturday shortly before Temer addressed the nation for the second time in a week to say he will not resign.

He also said he has filed a petition with the Supreme Court to suspend its investigation into allegations that he endorsed the payment of hush money to a former lawmaker jailed for corruption.

The loss of its seven senators and 35 deputies mean Temer's ambitious plans to reform the country's pension system and labor laws are even less likely to be approved.

___

3:05 p.m.

Brazilian President Michel Temer is suggesting that an audio that purportedly recorded him supporting hush money for an ex-lawmaker has been doctored.

Temer says his administration will petition the Supreme Federal Tribunal to suspend the investigation against him until the audio is verified.

He spoke to the nation on Saturday. In his words, "That clandestine recording was manipulated and doctored with (bad) intentions."

Temer's office has acknowledged that in March the president met with Joesley Batista, chairman of the JBS meatpacking company.

The recording has led to calls from many corners for the 76-year-old career politician to resign.
LAKEVILLE, Conn. (AP) - The Lime Rock Park race track in Connecticut is celebrating its 60th anniversary.

To celebrate, track officials say they are bringing back a man who attended the track's very first race to kick off the annual Memorial Day festivities.

Rod Kurst, who lives in Terrytown, New York, was 15 when he attended the race in 1957.

Lime Rock Park asked Kurst to be the Grand Marshal for the Pirelli World Challenge season opener on May 26 and 27.

Track officials plan to introduce him to the crown in the pre-race ceremony. He also will make the announcement for drivers to start their engines, and will then wave the green flag for the start of the Pirelli World Challenge GT SprintX race.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on the California Democratic Party convention (all times local):

10:30 p.m.

Kimberly Ellis is refusing to concede the race for California Democratic Party chair after party officials said the candidate popular with Bernie Sanders supporters was narrowly defeated.

Eric Bauman, left, who is running to head the California Democratic Party, talks with Horace Snowden, of the Placer County Democratic Party. before the start of the California Democratic Party convention, Friday, May 19, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. Thousands of California Democrats are gathering in the Capital city for the three-day convention that will see either Bauman or Kimberley Ellis succeeding current party chairman John Burton. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Ellis said late Saturday her team has "serious concerns about the vote count" and has talked with a lawyer. She says "this race is not over." Ellis did not say what made her question the vote count.

She lost by 62 votes out of nearly 3,000 cast to longtime party insider Eric Bauman. The result was a letdown for Ellis supporters who'd been energized by inaccurate reports on social media that she had won the race.

While both candidates backed Hillary Clinton in last year's contentious primary, Ellis attracted Sanders loyalists with her pledge to save the Democratic party from corporate influence.

___

9:45 p.m.

A Democrat backed by the party's establishment wing has narrowly defeated an insurgent candidate supported by Bernie Sanders loyalists to be the next California Democratic Party chair.

Eric Bauman's victory on Saturday disappointed activists loyal to Sanders, who stormed local Democratic Party conventions this year to win seats at the convention but came up short in the race for chair.

Bauman is the longtime head of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party and vice chair of the state party. He lined up the endorsements of most elected Democrats in California and was widely expected to win handily until Sanders loyalists threw their support behind Kimberly Ellis.

Ellis and Bauman both supported Hillary Clinton in last year's contentious presidential primary, but they differed in their views of the party's role in pushing a liberal agenda.

___

8:30 p.m.

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff is calling for unity in the Democratic Party in the face of still-simmering divisions between establishment Democrats and progressive activists looking to push the party to the left.

Schiff was the featured speaker Saturday at the California Democratic Party convention. He says Democrats must repair their party's wounds in order to save the country from what he says are Russian attempts to undermine it.

Schiff was a little-known congressman from Burbank before his position as the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee vaulted him to national prominence. He became the face of Democratic demands to get to the bottom of Russian influence in the 2016 election.

___

4 p.m.

Advocates of government-funded health care for all have repeatedly interrupted speakers at the California Democratic Party's annual convention.

Single-payer health care has fired up the thousands of Democratic activists at the convention in Sacramento on Saturday.

Hundreds of advocates organized by the California Nurses Association stormed into the convention as it began Friday night and shouted down a greeting by Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg.

Speeches by U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and state Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon were interrupted on Saturday.

Nursing union director RoseAnn DeMoro warned Democratic officials not to assume activists will stick with them if they oppose single-payer health care.

State party chairman John Burton chastised the rowdy advocates, telling them single-payer is hardly a controversial issue in the Democratic Party and asking them to be courteous.

___

12:30 p.m.

Elected California Democrats are urging the party's fired-up activists to channel their energy into defeating some of the state's 14 Republican representatives in Congress.

Officials presented California as the epicenter of liberal resistance to Republican President Donald Trump and the GOP Congress on Saturday at the California Democratic Party convention.

U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris says Californians have an "outsized responsibility to keep up the fight" and called on activists to "hold these Republicans accountable in their districts." Harris is often mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate for president in 2020.

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom says the world is counting on California to reject Trump. The candidate for governor says "Democrats do not succeed by playing it safe."

___

12 a.m.

California Democrats meet Saturday with renewed optimism about their party's chances of adding to their huge majority among the state's 53-member congressional delegation and potentially tipping the balance of power in the U.S. House.

In a state where Democrats are itching to lead the liberal resistance to Trump and the Republican Congress, the party's activists find themselves singularly united behind the goal of stunting the GOP.

But the Democrats are also a party divided, still nursing deep divisions between insurgent supporters of Bernie Sanders and the party's establishment wing.

The divide was on clear display Friday as they opened their annual three-day convention in Sacramento. Activists demanding government-funded health care for all residents stormed into the convention center and interrupted an introductory speech.

Kimberly Ellis, who is running to head the California Democratic Party, is hugged by supporter Treva Reid, before the start of the California Democratic Party convention, Friday, May 19, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. Thousands of California Democrats are gathering in the Capital city for the three-day convention that will see either Ellis or Eric Bauman succeeding current party chairman John Burton. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Eric Bauman, who is running to head the California Democratic Party, talks with Democratic activists Shelly Bailes, left, and Ellen Pontac, center, before the start of the California Democratic Party convention, Friday, May 19, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. Thousands of California Democrats are gathering in the Capital city for the three-day convention that will see either Bauman or Kimberley Ellis succeeding current party chairman John Burton. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Kimberly Ellis, who is running to head the California Democratic Party, takes a selfie with supporter Alejandro Carrillo, before the start of the California Democratic Party convention, Friday, May 19, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. Thousands of California Democrats are gathering in the Capital city for the three-day convention that will see either Ellis or Eric Bauman succeeding current party chairman John Burton. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

RETRANSMISSION TO CORRECT SPELLING OF NAME TO EASTIN - California gubernatorial candidate Delaine Eastin, the former state schools chief, talks with delegate Brock Neeley, right, of Porterville, at the California Democratic Party convention, Friday, May 19, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. Thousands of California Democrats are gathering in the Capital city for the three-day convention that will see either Eric Bauman or Kimberley Ellis succeeding current party chairman John Burton. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Supporters of Eric Bauman, who is running to head the California Democratic Party, cheer for their candidate during the California Democratic Party convention Saturday, May 20, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. Bauman is running against Kimberley Ellis to succeed current party chairman John Burton. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Surrounded by supporters, Kimberly Ellis, who is running to head the California Democratic Party, waves to the crowd after addressing the California Democratic Party convention Saturday, May 20, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. Ellis is running against Eric Bauman to succeed current party chairman John Burton. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Eric Bauman, who is running to head the California Democratic Party, addresses the California Democratic Party annual convention Saturday, May 20, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. Bauman is running against Kimberly Ellis to succeed current party chairman John Burton. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Surrounded by supporters, Eric Bauman, center, who is running to head the California Democratic Party, addresses the California Democratic Party annual convention Saturday, May 20, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. Bauman is running against Kimberly Ellis to succeed current party chairman John Burton. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
NEWARK, Ohio (AP) - The Latest on a deadly shooting last week at an Ohio nursing home (all times local):

4:10 p.m.

Hundreds of police officers and community members have come together at a funeral for an Ohio police chief killed in a shooting at a nursing home last week.

Kirkersville Police Chief Steven Eric DiSario was laid to rest Saturday near Columbus.

The 38-year-old had only been on the job about three weeks when he died from a single shotgun wound while investigating a report of a man with a gun.

The gunman's former girlfriend and a co-worker also were killed before the man killed himself on May 12 in Kirkersville, about 25 miles (39 kilometers) east of Columbus.

Authorities say Thomas Hartless had been in jail after pleading guilty in a domestic violence case but he was released early in April, a month before the shooting.

___

10:15 a.m.

A judge in Ohio says he will be haunted forever by his decision to grant early release to a domestic violence suspect who authorities say killed his ex-girlfriend, her co-worker and a police chief.

Licking County Municipal Judge Michael Higgins said Friday he will go to his grave regretting he didn't know who Thomas Hartless was when he signed off on his release.

Hartless was freed in April and then killed himself last week after the fatal shootings at a nursing home in Kirkersville, about 25 miles (39 kilometers) east of Columbus.

A review of what happened found a lack of checks and balances in the court's early-release process.

Hartless wasn't supposed to have weapons, but a probation officer never checked his home, where authorities later found over 60 guns.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Chinese government "systematically dismantled" CIA spying operations in China starting in late 2010 and killed or imprisoned at least a dozen CIA sources over the next two years, The New York Times reported Saturday.

The newspaper cited 10 current and former U.S. officials, who described the intelligence breach as one of the worst in decades. They spoke on condition of anonymity.

The report said U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies scrambled to stem the damage, but were bitterly divided over the cause of the breach. Some investigators were convinced there was a mole within the CIA, while others believed the Chinese had hacked the covert system the CIA used to communicate with its foreign sources. The debate remains unresolved, the paper said.

The CIA, which declined to comment to the Times, also declined to comment Saturday to The Associated Press.

The number of CIA assets lost in China rivaled those lost in the Soviet Union and Russia as a result of the betrayals by both CIA officer Aldrich Ames and FBI agent Robert Hanssen, who were arrested in 1994 and 2001, respectively, the report said. As many as 20 CIA sources were killed or imprisoned in China over a two-year period, the Times said, citing two former senior U.S. officials.

Investigators suspected a former CIA operative of being a mole, but failed to gather enough evidence to arrest him and he is now living in another Asian country, the report said. Those who rejected the mole theory attributed the losses to sloppy American tradecraft in China.

By 2013, the FBI and CIA concluded that China no longer had the ability to identify American agents, the Times said.
In a story May 19 about a flight disturbance on a flight from Los Angeles to Hawaii, The Associated Press misspelled the last name of a man who was restrained and taken into custody. His last name was Uskanli, not Usaknil.

A corrected version of the story is below:

Disturbance on LA-to-Hawaii flight brings FBI, fighter jets

Two U.S. fighter jets were summoned Friday to escort a flight from Los Angeles to Hawaii after an unruly man was subdued by passengers and flight attendants, who used a drink cart to block him from the front of the plane

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER and MICHAEL BALSAMO

Associated Press Writers

HONOLULU (AP) - Two U.S. fighter jets were summoned Friday to escort a flight from Los Angeles to Hawaii after an unruly man was subdued by passengers and flight attendants, who used a drink cart to block him from the front of the plane.

The man, identified by law enforcement officials as Anil Uskanli, 25, of Turkey, was duct-taped to his seat until the plane landed in Honolulu and federal agents boarded the plane and arrested him, passenger Lee Lorenzen said.

"The flight attendants just were really heroic," Lorenzen said. "By the time we landed and the FBI took him into custody, he was very mellow."

American Airlines Flight 31 had 181 passengers and six crew members aboard, said airline spokeswoman Katie Cody, who did not provide details on the incident.

The trouble with Uskanli actually began about eight hours before the flight departed. He was arrested before dawn at Los Angeles International Airport for opening a door that led onto an airfield ramp, according to Los Angeles Airport Police, who provided Uskanli's identity to The Associated Press.

Police say Uskanli had been drinking but didn't meet the criteria for public drunkenness. He was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor trespassing, given a date to appear in court and allowed to take the flight to Honolulu.

Passengers noticed him before the plane even took off.

Mark and Donna Basden were among the first to board the plane and found a laptop in the seat pocket of Mark Basden. The Albuquerque, New Mexico, couple assumed it was from the previous flight.

A flight attendant said it must belong to a man in the bathroom.

Then a "disheveled looking fellow" walked out, Donna Basden said.

Mark Basden handed the man the laptop, telling him it had been in his seat. He said the man scowled at him, took the laptop, opened it and closed it and then tried to sit in another seat in first class.

Donna Basden said the man "clearly looked out of place," but he didn't say anything. The flight attendant went up to him and asked to see his boarding pass, then when she looked at it she told him he was in row 35 and sent him to the back of the plane.

About halfway through the six-hour flight, the Basdens saw the same man, holding his laptop, with something over his head, which they thought was a towel or a blanket.

Passenger Grant Arakelian said, "He was very quiet, moving very sluggish. He was trying to approach the cabin, like where the captain is."

Lorenzen and his wife Penny Lorenzen, of Orange County, California, were sitting in first class and saw a "really serious look" on the flight attendant's face.

The flight attendant ran down the aisle with her serving cart and blocked the doorway separating first class from the rest of the plane.

"She jammed the cart in that the doorway and she just said, 'You're not coming in here,'" Lee Lorenzen said.

He said the man was pushing against the cart, trying to get through. At that point, passengers came up from behind and grabbed him. He was restrained with duct tape for the rest of the flight.

Uskanli having a laptop with him may have caused more concern than usual, with U.S. and European officials in recent weeks exchanging threats about aviation believed to include bombs hidden in laptop computers. Laptops have been banned on a handful of international flights, and could soon be outlawed on far more.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly was briefed on the midair disturbance, according to a statement from the department. There are no other reports of disruptions, but the department said it is monitoring all flights Friday out of caution.

As Uskanli was subdued, the cockpit called for help. Federal agents were sent to wait for the plane and two F-22 Raptors from the Hawaii Air National Guard scrambled to meet the plane.

"We got that military escort coming into Honolulu," Donna Basden said with a laugh, "so welcome to Hawaii."

___

Balsamo reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Andrew Dalton in Los Angeles and Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu contributed to the story, and AP Airlines Writer David Koenig contributed from Dallas.
Conservative plans to cut annual net migration to less than 100,000 people could lead to catastrophic consequences for the economy, a think tank has warned.

High employment, an ageing population and low productivity mean the UK needs at least 200,000 workers per year  more than double the Conservative target  to alleviate the crisis in public services and protect the economy, Global Future said.

In a new report, the think tank said the current political debate on migration was dishonest and both Labour and the Tories had failed to challenge outdated and backward-looking ideas that Britain would be better off with lower net migration.

Theresa May will get back control of our borders from the EU. Corbyns coalition of #chaos dont even want to control immigration #itvdebate  Conservatives (@Conservatives) May 18, 2017

It comes as a senior Conservative admitted that no timetable had been set out to get the numbers down from the current figure of 273,000.

Global Future chief executive Gurnek Bains said: Fewer immigrants will be bad for Britains economy, businesses, finances and public services.

There are now political leaders from across the political spectrum who either pretend lower immigration will solve every problem or connive in this deceit.

These politicians are not only selling voters short - they are selling our country short, too.

The report, which was backed by a number of industry groups, also said clarifying the position of EU nationals should be a priority to prevent an unwanted exodus of workers from the UK.

(Owen Humphreys/PA)

The Tory manifesto published on Thursday retained the 100,000 target, which has never been met since being introduced by David Cameron.

Sir Michael Fallon said it was an ambition to get the numbers down but said the economic cost of the policy could not be calculated because there was no fixed deadline.

Pressed on the cost on BBC Twos Newsnight, Sir Michael said: We havent set out a formulation of how much it will reduce by each year, what we have set out is our ambition to continue to bear down on immigration.

Brexit would make it easier, because of the end to freedom of movement, he suggested.

His comments provoked anger from political rivals as Ukips immigration spokesman John Bickley accused the Tories of taking the British people for mugs.

Mr Bickley told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: I was shocked to hear Michael Fallon effectively just brush off the fact that after six years of talking about bringing immigration down to the tens of thousands  I looked at their manifesto and actually I couldnt find the immigration section at first  its at the back end of the manifesto, it doesnt even have a chapter heading, he said.

(Philip Toscano/PA)

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron told the Press Association: It is a reminder Theresa May has set immigration targets throughout her time as home secretary and now as Prime Minister and has failed to meet them.

It is about the Conservatives now being basically Ukip.
Boris Johnson has said he is still opposed to expansion of Heathrow, despite the Conservatives pledging to expand the airport in their manifesto.

The Foreign Secretary told LBC radio that Heathrow expansion was the wrong solution given the problems with noise, traffic and air pollution.

But this puts him at odds with his partys manifesto, with Theresa May having pledged to continue with Heathrow expansion in the Conservatives flagship policy document.

Boris Johnson

Another brill afternoon with great people of Uxbridge & South Ruislip. If elected I will work hard for everyone across the area pic.twitter.com/RFEWcPFdWd  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) May 19, 2017

Mr Johnson has been a vocal critic of expanding Heathrow as both London mayor and now as an MP, where he represents a constituency in west London near the airport.

When asked about Heathrow expansion, Mr Johnson told LBC: The position is the one Ive been arguing as mayor and as Foreign Secretary, and that remains unchanged.

I think it is the wrong solution and I think particularly the noise and the vehicular and air pollution difficulties will be very difficult indeed.

Mr Johnson has advocated building a new island airport in the Thames estuary east of London.

Last October, after years of delay, the Government said that building a third runway at Heathrow was its preferred option for expanding airport capacity.

Conservative former MP Zac Goldsmith resigned his Richmond seat last year in protest at the decision to go ahead with the project.

He fought the by-election this triggered as an independent and lost to the Lib Dem candidate though he is standing again in next months General Election as the official Tory candidate.
Dogged by controversy at home, President Donald Trump opened a nine-day foreign trip on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, looking to shift attention from a spiraling political firestorm over his firing of former FBI Director James Comey last week.

With delicate diplomatic meetings facing him, including three summits, Trump faces a challenge of advancing his "America First" agenda without alienating key allies during his first trip abroad.

Stepping off Air Force One in sweltering heat with his wife, Melania, Trump and his entourage received a red-carpet welcome from Saudi King Salman.

The trip has been billed by the White House as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world's major religions while giving Trump time to meet with Arab, Israeli and European leaders.

But uproar in Washington threatened to cast a long shadow over the trip. His firing of Comey and the appointment of a special counsel to investigate his campaign's ties to Russia last year has triggered a stream of bad headlines.

The New York Times reported Trump had called Comey a "nut job" in a private meeting last week in the Oval Office with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak.

The White House did not deny the report, but said the "the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations."

Trump and King Salman seemed at ease with each other, chatting through an interpreter. Walking with a cane, the king greeted Trump on the tarmac. A military brass band played, cannons boomed and seven Saudi jets flew over in V-formation, trailing red, white and blue smoke.

The two leaders sat side by side at the VIP section of the airport terminal and drank cups of Arabic coffee.

"Do you spend a lot of time in New York?" Trump was overheard asking the king.

On the drive to the Ritz hotel where Trump is staying, King Salman rode with the president in the heavily armored presidential limousine nicknamed "the Beast".

Arms deal



After a royal banquet, Trump and the king were to have private talks and participate in a signing ceremony for a number of U.S.-Saudi agreements, including a $100 billion deal for Saudi Arabia to buy American arms.

National oil giant Saudi Aramco expected to sign $50 billion of deals with U.S. companies on Saturday, part of a drive to diversify the kingdom's economy beyond oil exports, Aramco's chief executive Amin Nasser said.

Trump is to deliver a speech on Sunday aimed at rallying Muslims in the fight against Islamic militants in Riyadh on Sunday. He will also attend a summit with Gulf leaders as part of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council.

Shortly after taking office, Trump had sought to block people from several Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States, but the travel ban has been blocked by federal courts.

The 70-year-old president's travel to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy and Belgium will be Trump's longest time away from the White House since he took office four months ago.

Even his hand gestures were likely to draw scrutiny in the Middle East, where the thumbs-up sign, a signature move of Trump's, is considered taboo.

The uproar over Comey's firing looked unlikely to go away.

"It's almost always true that when a president goes on a big foreign trip, especially one that has some important summits ... that that dominates the news and knocks most other stuff out," said Republican strategist Charlie Black.

Trump, who has expressed a desire for friendlier relations with Moscow, drew a storm of criticism this week when it emerged that he had shared sensitive national security information with Russia's foreign minister during a meeting last week in the White House.

The president was already under attack for firing Comey in the midst of an FBI probe into Russia's role in the 2016 election and possible collusion with Trump campaign members.

Moscow has denied any such interference. Trump has denied collusion and denounced the appointment of a special counsel as a witch hunt.

His fellow Republicans in Congress have expressed frustration that Trump's pro-business economic agenda, featuring a plan to cut corporate and individual taxes, has been pushed to the backburner by the turmoil.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The FBIs Trump-Russia investigation has moved into the White House, according to reports that pursued the president as he began his maiden foreign trip, while former FBI director James Comey has agreed to testify before the Senate intelligence committee.

White House hopes that Donald Trump could leave scandalous allegations at home were crushed in a one-two punch of revelations that landed shortly after his departure.

A Washington Post report, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter, said a senior Trump adviser is now considered a person of interest in the law enforcement investigation into whether Mr Trumps campaign associates coordinated with Russia in an effort to sway the 2016 election.

Former FBI director James Comey. (AP/Carolyn Kaster)

And The New York Times reported the president had told Russian diplomats last week his firing of nut job James Comey had relieved great pressure on him. The White House has said the firing was unrelated to the FBIs Russia investigation.

Late on Friday, the Senate intelligence committee announced that Mr Comey had agreed to testify at an open hearing at an undetermined date after Memorial Day.

Mr Comey will certainly be asked about encounters that precipitated his firing, including a January dinner in which, Mr Comey has told associates, Mr Trump asked for his loyalty. In the Oval Office weeks later, Mr Comey told associates, the president asked him to shut down an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Mr Comey is known to produce memos documenting especially sensitive or unsettling encounters, such as after the February meeting.

The new headlines were a fresh indication that Mr Trump would not be able to change the subject from what appears to be an intensifying investigation reaching toward the president and his inner circle.

The White House repeated its assertion that a thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity.

It did not deny the Times report that Mr Trump was critical of Mr Comey to the Russians the day after he fired him.

The Times reported Mr Trump noted the Russia investigation as he told Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak of his decision to fire Mr Comey.

I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job, the Times reported that Mr Trump said during the May 10 meeting. I faced great pressure because of Russia. Thats taken off.
President Donald Trump said the first day of his maiden international trip has been tremendous.

Mr Trump was largely kept away from reporters during a busy day of meetings and ceremonies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

But late in the day, he said deals the US government and private sector reached would lead to tremendous investments in the United States.

He said the deals will also create jobs, jobs, jobs.

Mr Trump has agreed to a defence cooperation deal with the Saudis, pledging 110 billion US dollars effective immediately and up to 350 billion US dollars over 10 years.

President Trump Participates in Signing Ceremony Supporting Saudi Arabia's Defense Needs #POTUSAbroad https://t.co/QzEaKuDo63 pic.twitter.com/Zps2qRMHox  Department of State (@StateDept) May 20, 2017

There are some private sector agreements, too.

The military package includes tanks, combat ships, missile defence systems, radar and communications, and cybersecurity technology.

Mr Trump and Saudi King Salman signed a series of agreements cementing their countries military and economic partnerships.

Mr Trump arrived in Riyadh after an overnight flight and was welcomed at an elaborate airport ceremony by Saudi King Salman.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump Arrive in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia #POTUSAbroad @WhiteHouse @POTUS pic.twitter.com/YMsjpCUVGW  Department of State (@StateDept) May 20, 2017

He is the only American president to make Saudi Arabia, or any majority Muslim country, his first stop overseas, a choice designed in part to show respect to the region after more than a year of harsh anti-Muslim campaign rhetoric.

Mr Trump waved from the doorway after Air Force One touched down and before descending the staircase with first lady Melania Trump.

Several jets then flew overhead leaving a red, white and blue trail.

At a later ceremony at the grand Saudi Royal Court, the king placed the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud, the nations highest civilian honour, around Mr Trumps neck.

The medal, given to Mr Trump for his efforts to strengthen ties in the region, has also been bestowed on Russian president Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Theresa May and Mr Trumps predecessor, Barack Obama.

The king and Mr Trump were overheard discussing natural resources and arms, and the king bemoaned the destruction caused by Syrias civil war.

White House officials hope the trip, complete with images of the accompanying pomp and pageantry of a president abroad, will help Mr Trump recalibrate after one of the most difficult stretches of his young presidency.

The White House bungled the presidents firing of FBI Director James Comey, who was overseeing a federal investigation into possible ties between Mr Trumps campaign and Russia. This week, the Justice Department relented to pressure from Democrats and named former FBI chief Robert Mueller as special counsel to lead the probe.

But fresh news reports about the Russia investigation surfaced shortly after Mr Trump departed and threatened to overshadow the nine-day trip.

Trump's approval ratings down 3 points since he fired Comey. https://t.co/XxvWwz6NaM pic.twitter.com/GDRr3SvMiS  Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) May 20, 2017

The New York Times reported that Mr Trump called Mr Comey a real nut job while discussing the ongoing investigation with two Russian officials in the Oval Office earlier this month.

He also told them that firing Mr Comey had taken off the great pressure he was feeling from the investigation, the Times reported.

Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported that an unidentified senior Trump adviser was being considered a person of interest in the investigation. Separately, Mr Comey agreed to testify at an upcoming, open hearing of the Senate intelligence committee, the panel said.
The Premier League has been awash with some memorable brilliant goals and superb saves but at the other end of the scale are some things best not remembered.

Here we take a look at some of them.

Payet on strike

West Ham United can confirm that a 25m fee has today been agreed for the transfer of Dimitri Payet to Olympique de Marseille#COYI pic.twitter.com/U99Cl6cEdO  West Ham United (@WestHam) January 29, 2017

Dimitri Payet, West Hams player of the year last season, took umbrage when the club rejected Marseilles 20million bid for him in January and promptly told the Hammers he would not play for them again. The winger eventually got his way when he rejoined his former club for 25million just before the close of the transfer window.

Berahino ban

 'Let's make some memories'@SBerahino has a message for all you #SCFC fans



 pic.twitter.com/m0zWvtIb5f  Stoke City FC (@stokecity) January 20, 2017

After his struggles and public fall-outs with manager Tony Pulis you would have thought Saido Berahino would have wanted to keep out of trouble this season. He was certainly out of sight - not featuring between September and January - until it emerged he had failed a drugs test and was serving a suspension. Berahino, who had moved to Stoke by the time the news broke, later claimed his drink had been spiked on a night out.

Karanka turns on fans

Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka in the dugout (RIchard Sellers/PA)

Aitor Karanka had some difficult times while manager at Middlesbrough but it was evident his tenure was coming to an end when he launched an attack on supporters after the 3-1 defeat to West Ham. He berated the awful atmosphere and said players deserve more respect. Six weeks later he was sacked after failing to lift the club out of the relegation zone.

Flirtation with China

Back home after a great pre-season camp in China. Thanks to all our fans over there for the brilliant support  pic.twitter.com/JM15q31RdS  Wayne Rooney (@WayneRooney) July 26, 2016

In January it seemed everyone was doing it. Diego Costa, who was missing from the Chelsea side in the one week when speculation was at its highest, and Wayne Rooney were the two prime examples. Both publicly courted the new-found wealth of the Chinese Super League but neither left the relative comforts of the Premier League.

Waiting for Wenger

Less of a moment and more of a saga. The continual will-he, wont-he, has-he, hasnt-he conjecture dragged on for months with the Frenchman suffering death by a thousand questions as every poor result produced another press conferences enquiry.

Sunderlands sexism row

David Moyes (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Black Cats boss David Moyes landed himself in hot water when he suggested to a female radio interview she might get a slap even though youre a woman for her line of questioning. Moyes subsequently apologised but the damage had been done.

The Bob Bradley experiment

Swansea City can confirm that the club has parted company with manager Bob Bradley. Full story to follow. pic.twitter.com/jMJ8wkUvgh  Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) December 27, 2016

Swanseas American owners thought bringing in their compatriot to be their third permanent manager in 10 months would solve their fluctuating fortunes. They were right in one respect as results stopped fluctuating and took a nose dive. Bradley won two out of 11 games, picking up just eight points, and his 85-day reign ended with the club next-bottom of the Premier League on goal difference only.

Sanchezs fragile face

Arsene Wenger showed his frustration as Sanchez went done (John Walton/Empics)

The Arsenal forward may have had a good season for the Gunners but his reaction to being hit on the shoulder by Leicester defender Christian Fuchs throw in - appearing to check if the referee was looking before collapsing to the turf holding his face - was frankly embarrassing. The Chile international did not do himself any favours by then posting a picture on social media of him holding an ice pack to his lip. Alexis Sanchez was by no means alone in taking a dive this season but his over-reaction made his the worst.

London stadium trouble

Stewards and police step in as tempers flare at London Stadium (Nick Potts/PA)

Seven people were arrested after plastic bottles, seats and coins were thrown as hundreds of supporters clashed and riot police entered the concourse during West Hams 2-1 win over Chelsea at the London Stadium in October. It was not the first disturbance at the Hammers new home, which experienced a number of teething troubles during their first season at the former Olympic Stadium.
Former British Rowing chairman Dame Di Ellis has died at the age of 79.

A former international competitor with England and Great Britain, Ellis became GB team manager in 1988. A year later she took over as chair of the Amateur Rowing Association, which in 2009 changed its name to British Rowing, and stayed at the helm until 2013.

She was made a dame in the Queens Birthday Honours in 2013, and in 2014 was appointed as an honorary president of British Rowing.

British Rowing Executive Chair Dame Diana Ellis

It is with great sadness that we report the death of Dame Di Ellis who passed away peacefully on Thursday morning https://t.co/2MfedYodtl pic.twitter.com/l0DXmQVgJQ  British Rowing (@BritishRowing) May 20, 2017

British Rowing stated: It is with great sadness that British Rowing reports the death of Dame Di Ellis, who passed away peacefully on Thursday morning following a short illness.

Dame Di was an instrumental figure and stalwart of British rowing for over 60 years. During her life, she was an inspiration and champion to so many, both within rowing and across the wider British sporting landscape.

Her enduring love of rowing, her grace and fortitude will never be matched; she will be dearly missed by all.

She leaves behind husband John, daughter Claire and two grandsons, British Rowing said.

Annamarie Phelps, the current British Rowing chairman, said: Di was an incredible lady: genuine, wise, reflective and truly inspirational. Hers was truly a life to celebrate.

She was a mentor and confidante to so many, always quietly shaping opinion and thinking ahead. Di will be missed across the breadth of British sport but particularly across British Rowing to which she was entirely devoted.

British Olympic Association chairman Sir Hugh Robertson added: This is a sad day for the entire Olympic movement in this country.

Anyone who worked with Di would know that she was not only passionate about sport and its role in society, but driven to see greater opportunities carved out for all, especially for women in sport.
By Cynthia Kim

SEOUL, May 18 (Reuters) - South Korea marked the anniversary of a pro-democracy uprising on Thursday with new President Moon Jae-in leading a large crowd in singing an iconic song of protest, a symbolic closure to nearly a decade of conservative rule.

"March for the Beloved" has been a call to arms in protest movements since the early 1980s and an anthem for the country's often deadly struggle for democracy.

The song was played officially for the first time since 2008 at a national cemetery in the southwestern city of Gwangju, where hundreds and possibly thousands were believed to have been killed when local citizens rose up against the military dictator Chun Doo-hwan on May 18, 1980 and were crushed by police, paratroopers and tanks.

An official death toll has never been disclosed.

"'March for the Beloved' isn't just a song," Moon said at the commemoration event in Gwangju. "It is the spirit of the May 18 democracy movement itself."

More than 10,000 people attended, media said, the largest ever at the annual event.

Moon's decision to have the song be part of the official programme was among the moves the former human rights lawyer has made since taking office last week to reaffirm his liberal convictions and reverse the conservative legacy of his predecessor, the disgraced leader Park Geun-hye.

Moon has picked a former student activist, Im Jong-seok, once accused of being a pro-North Korea sympathiser, as his chief of staff.

Moon also ordered the project of drafting a state-issued history textbook be scrapped immediately. It was a signature initiative of Park, who said a standard textbook was needed to correct the bias in how history is taught at schools.

Critics have said the project was an attempt to whitewash the oppressive rule of military dictators, including that of her father, Park Chung-hee, who is credited with building a modern industrial country at the expense of democracy during his 18 years in power.

CONSERVATIVES' COOPERATION

Moon was elected in a snap election after Park Geun-hye was removed from office in March over a corruption scandal. He has vowed to cut the cozy ties between big business and government and be more transparent and accessible to the public.

Moon, however, will need cooperation from conservative lawmakers to push through his agenda in the fractured parliament, including boosting fiscal spending to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs.

"I understand that (the liberals) are in a party mood over their victory," said Jeong Tae-ok, a lawmaker at the conservative opposition Liberty Korea Party said.

"But singing 'March for the Beloved' and removing the textbooks and such won't help them when they need a lot of help (from the opposition) over bigger issues like job creation and North Korea."

Like Moon himself, some of the political leaders attending the Gwangju commemoration had been jailed for taking part in democracy movement. They stood singing with hands joined, pumping their fists to signal defiance against injustice.

It was an extraordinary reversal after Moon's two conservative predecessors attended the memorial event in Gwangju standing while a choir sang "March for the Beloved" and protesters scuffled with security guards.

Moon suggested he may try to reverse a landmark agreement reached by the Park administration with Japan in 2015 to resolve the issue of "comfort women," as those forced to work in Japan's wartime brothels are known.

Scrapping the agreement, which he said most South Koreans cannot accept, would be another move to erase Park's legacy, who sought to move past the issue that has long plagued ties between the neighbours as they try to forge efforts to end the North Korean nuclear crisis.

"Moon is no different from any other new governments in terms of removing old legacies," said Lee Jun-han, a political science professor at the Incheon National University. "These are no big policies, but he is taking symbolic steps to show that the liberals are now in the driving seat." ($1=112.5 yen) (Reporting by Cynthia Kim, Editing by Jack Kim and Bill Tarrant)
By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS, May 19 (Reuters) - North Korea's deputy United Nations envoy said on Friday "it is ridiculous" to link Pyongyang with the WannaCry "ransomware" cyber attack that started to sweep around the globe a week ago or the hacking of a U.N. expert monitoring sanctions violations.

WannaCry has infected more than 300,000 computers in 150 nations. It threatens to lock out victims who have not paid a ransom within one week of infection. French researchers said on Friday they had found a last-chance way to save encrypted files.

"Relating to the cyber attack, linking to the DPRK, it is ridiculous," North Korea's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Kim In Ryong told a news conference when asked if Pyongyang was involved in the global WannaCry attack or the U.N. hack.

North Korea is also known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"Whenever something strange happens, it is the stereotype way of the United States and the hostile forces that kick off noisy anti-DPRK campaign deliberately linking with DPRK," Kim said.

Symantec and Kaspersky Lab said on Monday that some code in an earlier version of the WannaCry software had also appeared in programs used by the Lazarus Group, which researchers from many companies have identified as a North Korea-run hacking operation.

A spokesman for the Italian mission to the United Nations, which chairs the U.N. Security Council North Korea sanctions committee, said on Friday that a member of the U.N. panel of experts who monitor sanctions violations had been hacked.

No further details on the extent of the hack or who might be responsible were immediately available.

The U.N. Security Council first imposed sanctions on North Korea in 2006 and has strengthened the measures in response to the country's five nuclear tests and two long-range rocket launches. Pyongyang is threatening a sixth nuclear test. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Grant McCool)
HANOI, May 20 (Reuters) - U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Japan's economy minister, Hiroshige Seko, expressed an interest in strengthening bilateral trade and fighting trade barriers on Saturday, a statement from the U.S. trade representative said after the meeting.

The statement said they had a cordial first meeting, on the sidelines of the meeting of trade ministers from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries in Hanoi, Vietnam.

It said they: "agreed to promote mutually beneficial trade, fight trade barriers and trade distorting measures, foster economic growth, and help establish high standards."

"In particular, both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation to address common concerns with respect to unfair trade practices utilized by third-countries," it said. (Writing by Matthew Tostevin; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
By Harry Pearl

SYDNEY, May 20 (Reuters) - Australia is investigating if problems in the propulsion systems of two $1.5 billion warships built by manufacturers from Spain, Germany and Britain are the result of design flaws.

Naval engineers are trying to figure out exactly what is causing the problems onboard the HMAS Adelaide and HMAS Canberra, the largest ships ever constructed for the the Royal Australian Navy.

Both Landing Helicopter Docks (LHDs) were built by Spanish firm Navantia using propulsion pods from German company Siemens , and fitted with with combat and communications systems by British company BAE Systems.

Oils have leaked into parts of the vessels propulsion system where they shouldn't be, naval chiefs said in a briefing on Friday.

"Am I disappointed? Yes. We were not expecting to find this," said Vice Admiral Tim Barrett, the chief of the Royal Australian Navy.

Rear Admiral Adam Grunsell, the head of maritime systems in defence forces capability acquisition and sustainment group, said the problem could be a design issue, but stressed it was too early to speculate.

The HMAS Adelaide, which is currently dry docked in Sydney Harbour, will miss the biennial Talisman Sabre joint military training exercise with the United States in June, Barrett said. It was unknown, as yet, what role HMAS Canberra would take.

The three companies are working with the navy to help identify the problems.

A spokeswoman for BAE Systems in Australia said the company was working with the navy to restore the ships capabilities.

A representative from Navantia was not immediately available for to answer questions. Siemens declined to comment.

HMAS Canberra and HMAS Adelaide were commissioned in late 2014 and 2015 respectively, and were touted as a the next generation of Australian naval ships when they took to the sea. (Reporting by Harry Pearl; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
PARIS, May 20 (Reuters) - France's new Armed Forces Minister Sylvie Goulard has vowed to press ahead with European defence projects and work more closely with Germany, a move she said was vital to deter countries tempted to look inwards.

Goulard, a European expert, took the control of the renamed defence ministry last week, a surprise decision by President Emmanuel Macron that further emphasised his European push and desire to work towards greater defence integration.

"I am attached to making European defence projects move forward," she said in a her first message to military and civilian personnel released on Saturday.

"Some elements already exist, but others still need to be conceived and developed to better ensure our security in these times of interdependence. To achieve this effort, work with Germany will be decisive."

A European lawmaker who speaks four languages, Goulard is respected in Brussels as a straight talker, having acted as adviser to former European Commission president Romano Prodi.

A close ally of Macron, she ranks fourth in the government hierarchy, and becomes only the second woman to head the ministry, which reverts to its pre-1974 name of Ministry of the Armed Forces.

Goulard also said she wanted to ensure that Franco-British security and defence cooperation did not suffer from London's decision to leave the European Union.

An advocate of closer EU integration, Macron backs a "multi-speed" Europe, an idea that has earned growing support in Germany and other EU countries since Britain voted to leave the bloc.

In the past, France has tended to be seen by allies as an intransigent, go-it-alone power because of its military interventions in arenas like Libya, the Middle East and the Sahel. (Reporting by John Irish Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
By Gulsen Solaker

ANKARA, May 20 (Reuters) - Turkey's pro-Kurdish party elected a new co-leader on Saturday to replace Figen Yuksekdag, who has been in jail on terrorism charges since November and was stripped of her parliamentary status three months ago.

At a Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) congress held amid tight security, Serpil Kemalbay was chosen as joint leader, alongside Selahattin Demirtas, who is also in prison over terrorism-related charges but remains a member of parliament.

In a statement from his jail cell in northwest Turkey, Demirtas called for the HDP to prepare "a plan to fight for democracy and peace" in the face of a "political purge".

"We are experiencing the virtual shutdown of all democratic political channels," he said in a statement read out at the congress to applause from delegates.

"But whatever happens ... the HDP will not abandon democratic politics, it will insist on non-violent methods to find a solution to political problems," he said.

Photos of 10 jailed HDP deputies, including Demirtas and Yuksekdag, were displayed on the congress stage. Their arrest handicapped the second-largest opposition party before April's referendum in which Turks approved constitutional changes sharply boosting President Tayyip Erdogan's powers.

The HDP, which opposed the political overhaul, says as many as 5,000 of its members have been detained as part of a crackdown which rights groups say targets dissent.

Prosecutors want Demirtas jailed for 142 years and Yuksekdag for up to 83 years on charges of terrorist group propaganda. Demirtas was sentenced in February for "insulting the Turkish people, the government and state institutions".

Their arrests, along with tens of thousands of others since an abortive putsch in July, drew international condemnation.

The government says the HDP is an extension of the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged an insurgency in Turkey's largely Kurdish southeast for more than three decades.

The HDP denies direct links to the PKK, deemed a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and European Union. (Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Dale Hudson)
Iranians yearning for more freedom at home and less isolation abroad have emphatically re-elected President Hassan Rouhani, throwing down a challenge to the conservative clergy that still holds ultimate sway.

State television congratulated Rouhani on his victory. The architect of Iran's still-fragile detente with the West, he led with 58.6 percent of the vote, compared with 39.8 percent for his main challenger, hardline judge Ebrahim Raisi, according to near-complete results broadcast on Saturday.

Although the powers of the elected president are limited by those of unelected Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who outranks him, the scale of Rouhani's victory gives the pro-reform camp a strong mandate.

Rouhani's opponent Raisi was a protege of Khamenei, tipped in Iranian media as a potential successor for the 77-year-old supreme leader who has been in power since 1989.

The re-election is likely to safeguard the nuclear agreement Rouhani's government reached with global powers in 2015, under which most international sanctions have been lifted in return for Iran curbing its nuclear programme.

And it delivers a setback to the Revolutionary Guards, the powerful security force which controls a vast industrial empire in Iran. They had thrown their support behind Raisi to safeguard its interests.

"I am very happy for Rouhani's win. We won. We did not yield to pressure. We showed them that we still exist," said 37-year-old Mahnaz, a reformist voter reached by telephone in the early hours of Saturday. "I want Rouhani to carry out his promises."

Nevertheless, Rouhani stills faces the same restrictions on his ability to transform Iran that prevented him from delivering substantial social change in his first term and thwarted reform efforts by one of his predecessors, Mohammad Khatami.

The supreme leader has veto power over all policies and ultimate control of the security forces. Rouhani has been unable to secure the release of reformist leaders from house arrest, and media are barred from publishing the words or images of his reformist predecessor Khatami.

"The last two decades of presidential elections have been short days of euphoria followed by long years of disillusionment," said Karim Sadjadpour, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment who focuses on Iran.

"Democracy in Iran is allowed to bloom only a few days every four years, while autocracy is evergreen."

The re-elected president will also have to navigate a tricky relationship with Washington, which appears at best ambivalent about the nuclear accord signed by former U.S. president Barack Obama. President Donald Trump has repeatedly described it as "one of the worst deals ever signed", although his administration re-authorised waivers from sanctions this week.

Trump arrived on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, his first stop on the first trip abroad of his presidency. The Saudis are Iran's biggest enemies in the region and deplore the nuclear deal.

Turn-out

Rouhani, known for decades as a mild-mannered member of the establishment, campaigned as an ardent reformist to stir up the passions of young, urban voters yearning for change. At times he crossed traditional rhetorical boundaries, openly attacking the human rights record of the security forces and the judiciary.

During one rally he referred to hardliners as "those who cut out tongues and sewed mouths shut". In a debate last week he accused Raisi of seeking to "abuse religion for power". The rhetoric at the debate earned a rare public rebuke from Khamenei, who called it "unworthy".

The big turnout appeared to have favoured Rouhani, whose backers' main concern had been apathy among reformist-leaning voters disappointed with the slow pace of change.

Many voters were particularly determined to block the rise of Raisi, one of four judges who sentenced thousands of political prisoners to death in the 1980s, regarded by reformers as a symbol of the security state at its most fearsome.

"The wide mobilisation of the hardline groups and the real prospect of Raisi winning scared many people into coming out to vote," said Nasser, a 52-year-old journalist.

"We had a bet among friends, and I said Raisi would win and I think that encouraged a few of my friends who might not have voted to come out and vote."

The election was important "for Iran's future role in the region and the world", Rouhani said on Friday after voting.

Raisi, 56, had accused Rouhani of mismanaging the economy, travelling to poor areas and holding rallies where he promised more welfare benefits and jobs.

Despite the removal of nuclear-related sanctions in 2016, lingering unilateral U.S. sanctions that target Iran's record on human rights and terrorism have kept foreign companies wary of investing, limiting the economic benefits so far.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


By Jeff Mason and Steve Holland

RIYADH, May 20 (Reuters) - Under political fire at home, U.S. President Donald Trump sealed a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia on Saturday on his maiden foreign trip as he struggled to shift attention from the aftermath of his firing of the director of the FBI.

The arms deal, plus other investments that U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said could total up to $350 billion, was the central achievement of Trump's first day in Riyadh, first stop on a nine-day journey through the Middle East and Europe.

Speaking to journalists after a ceremony to exchange agreements, Trump said it was a "tremendous day" and spoke of "hundreds of billions of dollars of investments into the United States and jobs, jobs, jobs. So I would like to thank all of the people of Saudi Arabia."

King Salman gave Trump a remarkably warm greeting, meeting him at the steps of Air Force One on arrival, shaking the hand of Trump's wife, Melania, riding with Trump in his limousine and spending most of the day with him.

But the political turmoil back in Washington consumed the headlines in the United States and cast a long shadow over the start of Trump's trip, which will include stops in Israel, the Vatican, Italy and Belgium.

His firing of Federal Bureau of Investigation head James Comey on May 9 and the appointment of a special counsel to investigate Trump's 2016 presidential election campaign ties to Russia have raised the question of whether he tried to squelch a probe into allegations of a Russian connection.

Fanning the flames was a New York Times report that Trump had called Comey a "nut job" in a private meeting last week in the Oval Office with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and ambassador Sergei Kislyak. The Times quoted briefing notes of the conversation.

Amid a mood of frustration, officials on board Trump's Riyadh-bound presidential plane scrambled to coordinate on responding to the story with staff in Washington and those who had just landed in the Saudi capital.

Asked for a response, the White House said that for national security reasons, "we do not confirm or deny the authenticity of allegedly leaked classified documents."

Russia's Interfax news agency on Saturday quoted Lavrov as saying he had not discussed Comey with Trump. "We did not touch this issue at all," the minister said.

In another development, the Washington Post said a White House official close to Trump was a significant "person of interest" in the investigation into possible ties with Russia.

Tillerson, asked about the story, said he did not know who the "person of interest" was.

Against that backdrop, Trump soldiered through a long day of diplomacy.

Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir called the results of Trump's meetings with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz "the beginning of a turning point" between the United States, Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies.

Both he and Tillerson made clear the arms deal was aimed at countering Iran on a day that Hassan Rouhani was re-elected as Iran's president.

Tillerson said Rouhani should use his second term to end Iran's ballistic missile testing and stop promoting extremism in a volatile region.

He said he had no plans to talk to his Iranian counterpart but that he in all likelihood he would do so "at the right time."

Al-Jubeir said Trump and King Salman agreed that action had to be taken to ensure Iran did not continue "aggressive policies in the region."

Trump's trip has been billed by the White House as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world's major religions, while giving him time to meet with Arab, Israeli and European leaders.

CONTRAST WITH OBAMA VISIT

King Salman gave a more favorable welcome to Trump than he had granted last year to Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, who was seen in the Arab kingdom as soft on Iran and hesitant on Syria.

Trump and King Salman seemed at ease with each other, chatting through an interpreter. At the royal al-Yamama palace, the king draped around Trump's neck the King Abdulaziz medal, the country's top civilian honor.

At the end of the day, Tillerson and U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, holding swords, were seen participating in a ceremonial dance at Marraba Palace with a Saudi group.

As Trump arrived for dinner with the king, a spectacle awaited him: Men dressed in long white turbans and carrying swords swayed and chanted in unison to beating drums in a courtyard. Trump, clearly enjoying himself, smiled and swayed, even seeming to dance a little at the center of the group.

SYRIAN CIVIL WAR

During their conversation earlier in the day, the king was overheard lamenting the Syrian war. Trump ordered air strikes against a Syrian airfield in April in response to a chemical weapons attack by government forces against civilians.

"Syria too used to be one of the most advanced countries. We used to get our professors from Syria. They served our kingdom. Unfortunately, they too brought destruction to their own country. You can destroy a country in mere seconds, but it takes a lot of effort," he said.

Trump's response could not be heard.

The arms package includes a pledge by the kingdom to assemble 150 Lockheed Martin Blackhawk helicopters in Saudi Arabia, in a $6 billion deal expected to result in about 450 jobs in the kingdom.

National oil giant Saudi Aramco was also expected to sign $50 billion of deals with U.S. companies on Saturday, part of a drive to diversify the kingdom's economy beyond oil exports, Aramco's chief executive Amin Nasser said.

U.S. technology and engineering conglomerate GE said it had signed $15 billion of agreements with Saudi organisations.

Trump is to deliver a speech in Riyadh on Sunday aimed at rallying Muslims in the fight against Islamist militants. He will also attend a summit of Gulf leaders of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council.

Shortly after taking office, Trump sought to block people from several Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States, but the travel ban has been blocked by federal courts. (Reporting by Steve Holland and Jeff Mason; editing by Sami Aboudi, Andrew Roche and Grant McCool)
BRASILIA, May 20 (Reuters) - The controlling shareholder of meatpacker JBS SA will continue talks with Brazilian prosecutors after a deadline passed to accept an 11.2 billion real ($3.44 billion) fine in ongoing negotiations for a leniency deal, a person familiar with the discussions said on Saturday.

The fine, which prosecutors sought to finalize by midnight on Friday, is part of a settlement with J&F Investimentos, as the investment vehicle controlled by brothers Wesley and Joesley Batista is known, for admittedly paying bribes to Brazilian politicians.

The bribes form part of a massive corruption scandal that this week, when a recording by Joesley Batista implicated Brazilian President Michel Temer and two of his predecessors, rattled Brazilian financial markets and led many to press for Temer's resignation or impeachment. Temer has denied wrongdoing.

JBS, the world's largest meatpacker, is one of several major Brazilian corporations that has admitted to making illegal payments to politicians and government officials in exchange for favors and contracts with state enterprises.

A series of investigations over the past three years has led to dozens of indictments and sentencing of political and corporate chieftains and revealed a damning culture of kickbacks and other graft at the highest levels of Brazilian government and business.

Although prosecutors so far have agreed to spare the Batistas jail time and levy smaller personal fines on each of them, the company and prosecutors have not yet agreed on the corporate financial penalty.

Whereas the 11.2 billion reais sought by prosecutors would represent a penalty equal to over 5 percent of the group's total revenue last year, J&F countered with an offer of just 1 billion reais, or about 0.5 percent of 2016 revenues.

The person familiar with the ongoing negotiations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said talks would continue until a value for the fine can be agreed upon.

($1 = 3.2590 Brazilian reais) (Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello; Writing by Paulo Prada; Editing by Mary Milliken)
India should actively participate in Sri Lanka's growing power sector, both traditional and renewable, a top government official has said.

"India has a good opportunity and should actively participate. The two governments are active in exploring business potential," B.M.S. Batagoda, Secretary, Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy, told visiting Indian journalists.

He also said the island nation's government is looking at the possibility of three-way joint venture among Sri Lanka, India and Japan in building an LNG terminal at Kerawalapitiya.

Batagoda said the Sri Lankan government has asked its power utility -- Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) -- and the Indian thermal power major NTPC Ltd to come up with a financial model for the proposed 500 MW liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fired power plant.

"We have asked CEB and the NTPC to come up with the proposal on the joint venture structure like shareholding pattern and other aspects for setting up the power plant," he said.

He said the financial modelling could be on the lines that was agreed earlier for the 500 MW thermal plant at Sampur in Triconmalee district.

The coal-fired plant project was to be a 50:50 joint venture between CEB and NTPC but was scrapped for a variety of reasons.

Batagoda said the land intended for this power plant can be offered to India to set up 50 MW solar power plant.

Sri Lanka is also planning to build another 500 MW LNG power plant with Japan.

Speaking about the proposed LNG terminal at Kerawalapitiya, Batagoda said Sri Lanka now has power plants with a generation capacity of 900 MW running on costly fuels. This terminal will enable these plants switch over to the cheaper LNG.

"India and Japan are keen to build the terminal. We are thinking of an open tender for the project. But India and Japan want government-to-government talks. We are also looking at the possibility of a three-way joint venture between Sri Lanka, India and Japan in building a LNG terminal," Batagoda said.

He said another 300 MW LNG power plant is waiting to be tendered.

Queried about purchasing power from India, Batagoda said a joint committee is looking at its feasibility. He said a new and shorter route for laying power cables and the financial model for a private player to own and operate it is being looked at.

"The other option is for two organisations of the two governments to own the cable company. Possibly India's Power Grid Corporation can be one of the partners," Batagoda said.

Alternatively, India can buy wind power from Sri Lanka, he added.

"We have 5,000 MW of wind power potential. We can export to India wind power and buy power from India for our base load needs," Batagoda said.

According to him, India should invest in wind power projects in Sri Lanka where the plant load factor (PLF) is good. The PLF of wind turbines in Sri Lanka is around 40 per cent higher than that of the turbines operating in India.

Sri Lanka will also come out with global tender for exploration of new gas wells and for attracting investors to develop gas wells. Cairn Lanka, a subsidiary of Cairn India, had discovered gas in two wells.

In the thermal power sector, Sri Lanka is now looking at super critical power plants instead of sub-critical ones, said Sulakshana Jayawardena, Director (Development), Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy.

The island nation has a total installed capacity of around 4,000 MW and plans to increase this to around 6,400 MW by 2025 while growing renewable energy sources manifold.(IANS)
UPFA General Secretary and Minister, Mahinda Amaraweera yesterday stressed the need for a cabinet reshuffle and said if this did not happen, his party would reconsider being in the government.

A Cabinet reshuffle is a must. It will be done by President Maithripala Sirisena in consultation with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The SLFP is keen to have it carried out as early as possible because all SLFP members, party supporters and the public are expecting it, he said .

The minister said it was a misconception to believe that the portfolios assigned to the UNP should be reshuffled among its members and those assigned to the SLFP reshuffled among its members.

There is no such agreement between the SLFP and the UNP. President Sirisena has the constitutional authority to appoint any SLFP or UNP member to any of the portfolios after consulting the Prime Minister," he said adding that the President and the Prime Minister had agreed to a reshuffle and the SLFP was insisting that it be carried out as early as possible. (Sandun A. Jayasekera)
In the wake of the collapse seven-storey building in Wellawatta on Thursday, the Megapolis and Western Development Ministry assured legal action would be taken against all substandard and unauthorized constructions in Colombo.

It said initially, action would be taken against the unauthorized constructions alongside the canals in Wellawatte.

Subsequently, some 1,800 constructions in Wellawatta and Bambalapitiya identified as substandard and unauthorized will be screened for gross violations of construction procedures and stern actions will be taken against the owners.

Addressing a news conference held at the Ministry, Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said they had launched a sample survey in February 2017 to list out unauthorized constructions in Colombo.

This survey will be expanded beyond Colombo with the assistance of the Statistics Department. So far, we have identified about 10,000 substandard structures which had mushroomed in Dehiwala, Mt. Lavinia and Kolonnawa as a result of unplanned urbanization. Action will be taken against the owners. Some of the buildings may have to be demolished while some others may be fined, he said.

Meanwhile, commenting on Thursdays building collapse in Wellawatta where one person was killed and more than 20 injured. The minister said a structural failure had caused the tragedy.

He said the owner had obtained approval for the plan from the Colombo Municipal Council for a housing complex to be built on this land in 2009 but had not obtained a Certificate of Compliance prior to occupying the building.

To obtain a Certificate of Compliance, the standard of the building should be evaluated by a team of technical experts. This had not been done for this housing complex. Against this backdrop, the owner had started constructing another building adjacent to the housing complex on a section of the canal reservation land without approval from the authorities. This was the building which collapsed, the minister said.

He said they had written to the IGP urging action against the building owner under the Penal Code on the basis that a valuable life had already been lost in this tragedy.

The minister said the incident was an eye opener to expedite action against unauthorized and substandard constructions in the country and highlighted the need for an effective and rapid legal procedure to take action against the owners of these building constructions. (Lahiru Pothmulla)
Ever since India did not attend the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) summit in Beijing last week, it has been constantly criticised by the Chinese media for being "rigid and obstructionist". There are some in India who have criticised the governments move. India will eventually be an important player in the OBOR, and it can not avoid the mega-project since initiatives like the BCIM Economic Corridor will bolster Indias Act East Policy.

Yet, New Delhi was left with no option, given the fact that China did not take Indias concerns regarding the CPEC project passing through disputed territory (Gilgit-Baltistan) seriously.

It is not just PM Modi, but even his predecessor Manmohan Singh unequivocally pitched for strong ties with China. The former PM went to the extent of saying that there is enough space for both India and China to grow. A joint statement in the aftermath of the meeting between Singh and his counterpart Wen Jiabao in 2010, reiterated the same point: There is enough space in the world for the development of both India and China and indeed, enough areas for India and China to cooperate.

The Pakistan factor has begun to overshadow the bilateral relationship between Indian and China.

PM Modi too has devoted a lot of capital to strengthen ties with Beijing. Modi laid out the red carpet for President Xi Jinping during his India visit in September 2014. The visit was overshadowed, however, by incursions by the PLA (Chinese People's Liberation Army). The Indian PM while commenting on these incursions conveyed Indias concerns on such incidents, saying, "Even such small incidents can impact the biggest of relationships just as a little toothache can paralyse the entire body". The PM came in for a lot of criticism domestically, yet he persisted.

During his visit to China, while addressing the media, PM Modi emphasised the relevance of the relationship and said: "I am pleased to visit China in the first-year of my government. This is one of our most important strategic partnerships The re-emergence of India and China and their relationship will have a profound impact on the two countries and the course of this century We are committed to set a new direction between the two largest Asian countries."

Chinas hyphenation of India and Pakistan

What has dramatically changed under president Xi is the hyphenation of India with Pakistan. It is not just the CPEC project that passes through disputed territory, but China has also blocked the UN resolution of declaring Masood Azhar's JEM as a terrorist twice. China was also steadfast in its opposition to Indias entry into the NSG. While China and Pakistan have always shared a robust relationship, Xis predecessor Hu Jintao sought to de-hyphenate Beijings ties with India, from its relationship with Islamabad.

Bilateral relationship: Beyond the Pakistan factor

While the Pakistan factor has begun to overshadow the bilateral relationship, India has sought to work jointly with China in AIIB (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank), Shanghai Cooperation organisation and BRICS Bank. Even at the bilateral level, efforts have been made to enhance economic linkages, and involve new stakeholders such as state governments in improving bilateral ties. During PM Modis visit to China in 2015, an India China Forum of State Provincial Leaders was inaugurated. While speaking at the inauguration of the forum, the PM stated: "A number of decisions can be taken quickly by the state governments. These interactions also make the state governments more sensitive and aware of the international dynamics and requirements.

PM Modi was accompanied by the chief ministers of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

States such as Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat have sought to build ties with Chinese Provinces.

In fact, at the peak of tensions between both the countries in 2016, two chief ministers, Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh) and Shivraj Singh Chauhan (Madhya Pradesh) visited China.

Naidu has been able to attract a number of Chinese investors. Chinese mobile manufacturer, Xiaomi, has set up its second facility in Sri city (Andhra Pradesh) along with Foxconn (Taiwanese electronic equipment manufacturer).

Interestingly, Xiaomi has recently increased its share in the Indian smartphone market. For the January-March quarter, this was estimated at 14 per cent, second to Samsung. Vivo too managed to muster up more than 10 per cent of the market share. The state of Gujarat has strengthened its ties with Guangdong. During Xis 2014 visit, an agreement was signed for making Guangdong and Gujarat sister provinces.

Interestingly, Chinese entrepreneurs have also understood the potential of Indias start-up sector. Jack Mas Ali Baba has a 60 per cent stake in Paytm.

Changing nature of dynamics within South Asia

While no one can doubt Chinas economic prowess and capabilities, resentment in Sri Lanka and Pakistan is on the rise while countries like Bangladesh have unequivocally stated that terms of Indian financial assistance are far more favourable.

India has improved ties with Bangladesh, and is pushing for greater connectivity through projects like the BBIN Economic Corridor. The recently launched South Asia satellite in which all South Asian countries, but Pakistan participated reiterates the fact that unlike the 1990s, where all South Asian countries complained about Indian hegemony, today smaller countries in spite of their differences want to benefit from Indias economic growth and progress in areas like science and technology and Information technology. Indias neighbours other than Pakistan have thus realised the importance of ties with both India and China.

A far more self-confident India

While New Delhi cannot dictate the contours of the OBOR, it can certainly not be coerced into participating in the project. Also, while New Delhi cannot dictate Beijings ties with Pakistan, the former cannot arm-twist India into engaging with Pakistan. Beijing would also be making a big mistake by attempting to hyphenate a US $2-trillion economy, which has a massive market, with Pakistan.
While most of India is euphoric over International Court of Justice's order staying the execution of Kulbhushan Jadhav by Pakistani military court till further notice, a question not asked very is  whether this is going to make any difference at all in the long run?

Will the ICJ actually be able to stop the execution permanently, if it so desires? What will happen if Pakistan cocks a snook at the ICJ? We will go to the United Nations, say some. There will be sanctions, say others. We will get even tougher, say others (how?). And so on and so forth. Will that make any difference? What happens if Jadhav is already dead? Thats a dreaded question, but a valid one all the same.

Every diplomatic incident hides a larger story that a country wants to tell the world. Here, the incident seems a straightforward case of Pakistan getting hold of an Indian fall guy (he was, in fact, abducted from Iran, say reports) and putting flimsy charges of spying that wont stick. One has to ask why Pakistan did such a sham job in the first place. It was such a shoddy job that it was prima facie dismissed by the entire ICJ unanimously.

Once again we are missing the wood for the trees because Pakistan cares two hoots for this small picture which seems to have been botched up by amateurs. Our enemy is sticking to the larger story that they are trying to tell the world.

It is time to bring out a big gun for every small transgression.

Pakistan continues to tell fairy tales to the world that they are not training terrorists, they are victims of terrorism, the Kashmir uprising is totally indigenous and they are ready to talk to any number of parties and organisations for peace, and it is only India that is pushing bilateralism down the worlds throat.

That story stays and we havent been able to stop them from telling it. Now add Balochistan and Jadhav to the mix and we have Pakistans new story it has been telling to the world. Pakistan claims that Jadhav came to Balochistan way back in 2003 to become Hussain Mubarak Patel. His naval background was because it would help destabilise Gwadar Port.

Jadhav has been accused of helping Balochi nationalists conducting blasts and he has been officially charged with trying to destabilise the entire China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. What proof do they have for this grand scheme? Virtually zero that will stand up in courts.

So why are they doing it? Because thats their new story: Gallant China and progressive Pakistan are trying to develop Balochistan while "bad-old" India is trying to stop that by inciting trouble among the locals.

So what are we doing? Nothing much actually except going to the ICJ to prove the innocence of one man while not doing much about the maligning of an entire country. That brings us right back to the only story weve told since 1947: That we are a soft state and we will never ever go out of our way to check Pakistan no matter what.

In 1947, we watched mutely as PoK slipped from our hands. In 1960, we humiliated ourselves with the one-sided Indus Water Treaty. In 1965, we signed a very magnanimous Rann of Kutch peace agreement. We got nothing out of the war the same year. We lost our best prime minister mysteriously too while signing a humiliating treaty and refused to even investigate his death!

In 1971, we held tens of thousands of Pakistani prisoners of war and huge swathes of land. Pakistan abused us in international fora and we meekly handed all that advantage for absolutely nothing.

In 1999, we meekly refused to cross the LoC during the Kargil War even though Pakistan brazenly captured Indian posts. Finally, Pakistan has been arming thousands of terrorists into Kashmir and overall tens of thousands have died and we have done practically nothing.

Just add Balochistan and Jadhav to the mix.

The current government began well giving powers to Indian troops to fire across the LoC, heightening surveillance and there was the surgical strike of 2016. But we have lapsed into the past and are telling the world the story of the soft state once again.

In The Untouchables (1987), Sean Connery tells Kevin Costner on how to catch the dreaded mobster, You wanna get (Al) Capone? Heres how you get him. He pulls a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue!

The India version could well be

Pakistan pulls a knife, you keep quiet. Pakistan pulls a gun, you keep quiet. Pakistan sends one of yours to the hospital, you keep quiet. Pakistan sends one of yours to the morgue, you go to court!

When will the Indian government realise that its not Kashmir. It wasnt Punjab. It isnt Jadhav. Pakistan since inception has been trying nothing short of the complete disintegration of India. As long as we reply bit by bit, instead of looking at the larger picture, its only going to get worse.

We have reached a stage where we have to give it back tenfold for every Pakistani incident instead of a belated half-measure.

A series of surgical strikes into the LoC. Complete breakage of all bilateral ties. A diplomatic blitzkrieg at all international fora. Permanent dissolution of the Indus Water Treaty. Economic sanctions against Pakistan. A pledge to ensure that Balochistan will get independence and give asylum to their government-in-exile.

It is time to bring out a big gun for every small transgression starting with Jadhav.

This is the first time that Pakistan is not in a position to fight a full-fledged war. They are ravaged by self-inflicted terror wounds. Their economy is in a shambles. They dont have enough oil and armoury reserves.

Afghanistan and Iran are totally fed up of Pakistan. China doesnt want to disrupt its economic corridor. America has bigger problems of its own. India is for the first time closer to countries such as the UAE than Pakistan. What does one usually do in such a position of strength?
EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini lauded Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on his resounding re-election victory on Saturday and pledged the bloc would maintain work to implement the 2015 nuclear deal.

"Iranians passionately took part (in) the political life of their country. I congratulate President Rouhani for (the) strong mandate received," Mogherini said on her twitter account.

"The EU is ready to continue work for full JCPOA (nuclear deal) implementation, bilateral engagement, regional peace, and meet expectations of all people in Iran," she added.

The European Union and other top world powers reached agreement with Iran in 2015 on curbing its nuclear programme and they began easing economic sanctions in January 2016.

Brussels billed the agreement as clearing the way towards improved relations with Iran but progress has been slow and tensions have risen over Tehran's continued support for the ruling Assad regime in Syria who the EU believes must step down.

Rouhani, a 68-year-old moderate cleric who spearheaded the nuclear deal with world powers, won 57 percent of the vote, according to Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Two soldiers and two suspected rebels were killed Saturday in Indian Kashmir near the de-facto border that divides the disputed territory with Pakistan, the Indian army said.

Kashmir has been split between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947, with both nations claiming it in its entirety.

Indian army spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said the four died during an exchange of fire.

"Two terrorists attempting infiltration into our side in Kashmir in Naugam sector were eliminated. Two soldiers were also martyred in the exchange of fire," he told AFP.

Indian and Pakistani soldiers have in recent weeks clashed along many areas of the Line of Control, the de-facto border dividing Kashmir between the two countries, leading to deaths of soldiers and civilians on both sides.

The nuclear-armed rivals have accused each other of initiating the firing and violating a 2003 border ceasefire agreement between them.

Rebel groups have fought for decades roughly 500,000 Indian soldiers deployed in the territory, demanding independence or a merger of the territory with Pakistan.

New Delhi regularly accuses Pakistan of arming and training anti-India rebels and pushing them across the heavily militarised border to launch attacks on Indian forces.

Islamabad denies the accusations, saying it only provides moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri struggle for the right to self-determination.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Tension over land claims in Tunis Village, in Fayoum, have led local potters to shut down operations in solidarity with villagers

"Closed" is the sign that marked all of the pottery workshops of Tunis Village, Fayoum governorate, for the first time in 30 years.

This small village located in the heart of Fayoum, two hours' drive from Cairo, has been a cultural and artistic hub as well as the haven of indigenous pottery making for the past 30 years.

"The government took down the fence of a pottery workshop of potter Alaa Ibrahim and is threatening to tear down the whole building," explained Mohamed Abu Zeid, potter resident of Fayoum and pottery professor at the German University in Cairo.

It all started when the government decided to add a police unit inside Tunis Village. The government then started searching for spots that are owned by villagers under the claim that it's a state property, escalating tensions.



Government officials were not immediately available for a comment.

The pottery village has been the host of an annual handicraft festival that promotes handicrafts and tourism in the whole of Fayoum.



This year, in it's sixth round, Alex Bank became the main sponsor of the event as part of its corporate social responsibility initiative "Ibdaa Men Masr" (Creativity from Egypt) that connects all Egyptian indigenous and handicrafts artists in order to promote their art.

"We are currently signing a petition from all of the residences and we are addressing the minister of local development directly," explained artist Mohamed Abla to Ahram Online, one of the artistic community builders of Tunis as well as founder of Egypt's only cartoon museum, located in Tunis Village, which is also closed in solidarity with locals.

"We ask the government to clearly legalise the ownership status of the people of the village, who are not breaking any laws by the way. Most of them have bought this land they already live on from the government, who refused or stalled in granting permits or registering the ownership of the land they own.

"Besides, Tunis may be the only village in Egypt whose agrarian land increased during the past 30 years at the hand of villagers themselves who reclaimed the land and used it for agriculture. So the claim of trespassing on agrarian land is not true; the villagers built their houses on sand/rocky land to begin with," he added, arguing that Tunis is not even a proper village, its a small ranch (ezba) that lies within the premises of another village, with two small roads and some 250 houses.

"Now have you ever heard of a police station built inside a place that small? If so, why can't the government locate their police unit inside the already built house owned by the government inside the village?"

Meanwhile all pottery workshops, including the oldest pottery school in the village, are closed in solidarity with villagers.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


On 8 May each year, the world recognises Thalassemia, shedding more light on the battle those living with the condition endure and raising awareness on the possibility of decreasing the number of carriers through various means.

This year, marking this occasion took a different turn.

On 18 May, the Egyptian Thalassemia Association (ETA) collaborated with NGO Resala's Saving Lives Team, El-Sawy Cultural Wheel and the private sector's Novartis Pharma to tell the brave and heroic stories of people living with the condition through the eyes of two women.

The honesty of the turmoil in the stories of Heba Ibrahim and Manal Shoukry grabbed the attention of the audience.

Im 26 years old, and was diagnosed with Thalassemia when I was only one-year-old. As a child, it was not easy being sick and getting treatment. But if anything, I believe it helped build my character, said Heba Ibrahim.

Heba said how she learned a lot from other patients as she grew up, and this enforced her firm belief in the power of exchanging information and social support.

As for Manal Shoukry, she stressed that it is critical to promote understanding of Thalassemia to ensure that children and adults receive appropriate care and support.

"I now volunteer with the Egyptian Red Crescent to inform patients and their families about Thalassemia - with treatment, these children can pursue fulfilling lives, she said.

The documentary Voices, Stories of Patients: Transfusion-dependent Thalassemia (TDT) is part of a global patient-oriented program designed to raise awareness of transfusion-dependent Thalassemia by portraying daily life and the human and medical challenges.

Almost 30,000 patients with Thalassemia are registered in Egypt, according to the ETA.

The main purpose of the documentary year was not only to give hope to sufferers and show how life goes on, but also to seize the opportunity to push forward demands for stemming the problem of the increasing number of Thalassemia patients through enforcing a premarital check-up by law, shed light on breakthrough oral treatment, and highlighting further challenges

Dr Amal El-Beshlawy, professor of hematology and pediatrics and chairman of the ETA, sheds more light on Thalassemia.

It is a genetic disorder that is passed over from parents to their children. It significantly affects red blood cells, thus leading to severe anemia. Subsequently, the patient may suffer from excess iron in his blood due to excessive blood transfusions," she says.

"A baby is born with the disease if both parents carry the gene, and as early as six months, blood transfusions should take place every three to four weeks to compensate for the shortage of hemoglobin.

"The problem is that after a while the blood cells break down and leave iron binding to vital organs like the heart and the liver, which eventually affects the function of these organs if left untreated, causing fatal problems."

El-Beshlawy said that in Egypt, the iron accumulation problem had been tackled for years by giving the children shots, which was an agonising burden, but fortunately new oral medication has come to the scene, and now their daily intake can help the child take their blood transfusions without suffering the side effects of iron accumulation.

She further highlighted the success of models that put a national premarital plan into action, like in Greece and Cyprus. In Cyprus, where 14 percent of the population are carriers of the gene, only one child is born each year with the disease

On the other hand, 1,000 children in Egypt are born with the disease every year.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


RICHMOND  Virginias unemployment rate held steady from March to April at 3.8 percent after declining each of the previous three months, as employment growth slowed in April.

The state's jobless rate was down from 4 percent in April 2016, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Friday.

The rates have been adjusted for seasonal factors that may cause temporary changes in employment. The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained below the national rate, which was down one-tenth of a percentage point in April to 4.4 percent.

While the March and April jobless rates of 3.8 percent are the lowest for the state since May 2008, the government data also showed that job growth was essentially zero from March to April, with gains in six major industry sectors such as professional and business services offset by losses in five other sectors such as trade, transportation and utilities.

"We had a pause" in job growth, said Ann Macheras, vice president of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

"If this recent trend we saw in March and April were to continue, that would be a concern," she said. "I would start to say that job growth has stalled, but I think it is a little too early to make that statement yet."

From April 2016 to April 2017, employers in Virginia added about 44,400 jobs to their payrolls, a growth rate of 1.1 percent. That was slower than the national job-growth rate of 1.6 percent for the same period.

Even with the pause in April, Macheras noted that for the first four months of 2017, Virginia employers added an average of 4,750 jobs a month, an improvement when compared with job growth of only about 2,025 a month for the first four months of 2016.

Virginia's labor force expanded by 11,054 to more than 4.3 million in April, growing for the 13th consecutive month, the commission reported.

Unemployment rates declined in 10 states in April, increased in one  Massachusetts  and held relatively stable in the other 39, the Labor Department said Friday.

April unemployment rates for the Charlottesville region and other areas of the state are scheduled to be released on May 31.
New Delhi: Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today assured exporters that they would get their refund tax claims within seven days under the new goods and services tax (GST) regime. She also said that the GST Council has been fairly seized of the tax refund issue under the new indirect tax regime, to be rolled out from July 1.

"On the refund, we are very very clear that 90 per cent of the advanced payed money (by exporters in the GST regime) will be refunded within 6 to 10 days, post which an interest of about 6 per cent will be given for any delay by the government to exporters," she told reporters here.

She said this while speaking about the initiatives and achievements of the ministry in the last three years. However, Sitharaman added that the ministry has asked the GST Council to consider to formulate an alternative mechanism for small and medium exporters on the issue pf payment of taxes.

"Our request with the council was that for SMEs. If we can think of giving an alternate to them rather than asking them to pay first and then get refund. We are yet to hear from them (Council)," she said.

Exporters have been demanding ab-initio exemption from payment of taxes under the GST regime arguing that delay in refunds often takes months. Further, she said GST will help in improving exports as inputs are going to cost lesser for manufacturing exporters, as it would result in improving the product competitiveness in the global markets.

When asked about exporters' concern on rupee fluctuations, she said traders are fairly seized of this as "it is not a sudden fluctuation. Currency fluctuation has become a new normal".

"But, if there are extreme fluctuations, it is for the RBI to look at intervening just that much, so that, any extreme fluctuations are taken care of," she added.

On job creation, the minister informed that any proposal which goes to the Union Cabinet, "its (proposal's) implication on jobs, is something which the Prime Minister is very keen and we all are providing expected impact on direct and indirect employment of every such proposals which goes to the Cabinet". India's exports grew by about 5 per cent to USD 276 billion in 2016-17.
Srinagar: With companies indicating a possible rise in prices on the Goods and Services Tax rollout from July 1, the finance ministry today warned India Inc

against raising rates arbitrarily in anticipation of the GST.

The tax department may invoke the anti-profiteering clause after the mechanism is put in place and may look into balance sheet of companies if they have gained from the GST and whether the benefits have been passed on to consumers.

"The machinery for the anti-profiteering authority may not be ready at present but any change in prices will be called into questioned," Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said, adding that any fluctuations in prices will be closely

monitored.

The GST Council in its two-day meet finalised the rates for goods and services, giving companies adequate time to work out their pricing policies. Adhia said the government will soon begin work on setting up an anti-profiteering agency, as proposed in the GST law and the tax department may even initiate suo motu action against firms.

"We expect companies to cooperate. We hope we don't have to use the weapon (of anti-profiteering authority)," he said. The GST Act includes the provision of setting up an anti-profiteering authority to ensure that companies pass on the benefit of tax reduction to customers.

The GST Council has fitted the goods and services in tax brackets of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent. Adhia said that despite the higher standard rate of 18 per cent, service providers will get input tax credit that will lower the effective incidence of the GST to around the current incidence of 15 per cent.

The tax department feels tax cut benefits should be passed on to consumers through more transparent billing. Several analysts have opined that consumers may have to bear the brunt of the higher tax.
New Delhi: Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today sought to calm frayed nerves on the contentious visa issue, saying the number of H-1B visas for Indian IT professionals would not come down. She asked the industry not to get panicky.

"No need to get panicky on the visa front. The lottery process is something I suppose they (the US) wanted to do a correction on. The numbers are not something they are changing... the numbers will not come down," Sitharaman told reporters here.

Over the past few weeks, there is a growing sentiment of protectionism across various developed economies, including the US, seeking to safeguard jobs for locals and raise the bar for foreign workers.

In the US, the Trump administration wants to replace the current lottery system with a more merit-based immigration policy. A mere 17 per cent of total US visas go to Indian companies and a number of American firms benefit from services provided by Indian firms, she noted. India has time and again expressed hope that the review of H-1B visa process will take into consideration the positive relationship between the two countries.

Any change in visa norms can affect the movement of labour as well as spike operational costs for IT players. In response to the proposed tightening of the visa regime, Indian IT firms have been ramping up hiring of locals in the US, a market that accounts for almost 60 per cent of the India's technology export revenues.

On changes in the selection process for H-1B visa, the minister hoped that "where the high skill set is required, they (US) would look for that, rather than for first time graduates".

The selection for such visas is getting selective, but the "numbers are not changing". "No need of getting panicky... because the number of H-1B visas that we have got, we will continue to get that," she promised.

US President Donald Trump in April had signed an executive order for tightening the H-1B visa programme to stop its "abuse" and ensure the visas are given to the "most- skilled or highest paid" petitioners, a decision that is seen to impact India's USD 150 billion IT industry.

The Indian IT industry expressed serious concern over the issue as these visas were mainly used for short-term work in the US.

The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialised fields.

Indian technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year for their US operations. The US market accounts for about 60 per cent of the revenue of Indian IT. Reforming the H-1B visa system was one of the major election promises from Trump.

As per several US reports, a majority of the H-1B visas every year are grabbed by Indian IT professionals. India accounts for the highest pool of qualified IT professionals, whose services go a long way in making American companies globally competitive.
Mumbai: A three-day special session of the Maharashtra Legislature to discuss and ratify the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, 2017, to pave the way for the national roll-out of GST on July 1, will begin here today.

The draft Maharashtra GST Bill, approved by the state cabinet, will be tabled during the session. The bill seeks to protect financial powers and autonomy of local self-government bodies in the state.

The Assembly proceedings will begin at 11 am today, a Vidhan Bhawan official said. A condolence motion will be moved in the Assembly to pay tributes to former minister A T Pawar and former MLAs Yashwant Patil and Dayaram Kapgate.

In the Legislative Council, a condolence motion will be moved to mourn the demise of former MLC Gajendra Ainapure. Maharashtra had ratified the GST Constitutional Amendment Bill in August 2016. On April 6, Parliament passed

four GST bills which now have to be ratified by all states to enable the shift to GST on July 1.

BJP's bickering ally Shiv Sena had expressed reservations on the GST, arguing that the introduction of a single tax across the country would nullify local taxes like octroi duty that the civic bodies collect.

The Sena had pointed out that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which it rules, may lose nearly Rs 7,000 crore on account of octroi getting subsumed after the introduction of GST.

The draft GST Bill passed by the state cabinet has a provision to compensate the BMC and other local bodies for the loss of their sources of revenue. In the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, BJP has 122 members and Shiv Sena 63.

An official said the GST introduction would lead to abolition of several state taxes like sugar purchase tax, state's share in central sales tax, entry tax on vehicles and goods manufactured in other states, lottery tax, octroi and

local body tax.
Mumbai: While the Cannes Film Festival is synonymous with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for Indians, the second-most popular actress at the film festival has been Sonam Kapoor.

The actress has been a regular at the French Reviera since 2011 and is set to walk the red carpet this year too.

Cannes this year has made headlines because of the debut of Deepika Padukone, who has also come on board as the brand ambassador of a renowned cosmetic brand that both Aishwarya and Sonam endorse. However, Aishwarya did manage to bring the spotlight back on her with her stunning red carpet appearance on Friday.

And while Aishwarya is also set to walk the ramp on Saturday, Sonam has also landed in the French city on the same day.

The actress took to social media to express her excitement as she reached Cannes and shared a picture.

Sonam has impressed with her choice of outfits in recent years and it will be interesting to see what the actress would do differently this time when she will be walking the red carpet on Sunday and Monday.

Other than these actresses, Shruti Haasan and Mallika Sherawat have also made an appearance at the 70th edition of the festival, which is scheduled to continue till 28 May.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on Day 4 of the Cannes Film Festival'17. Ash, Sonam and Deepika are attending the fest as representatives of a popular cosmetic brand.

Mumbai: Just when you thought that the most gorgeous former Miss World, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, was done showcasing her daring side to the world last Cannes, the lady turns up at Day 4 of the 70th edition of the elite Cannes Film Festival in a black off shoulder gown and bright orange lipstick.

Aishwarya, who is making her 16th appearance at the film fiesta this year, made headlines internationally for her bright purple lips at 69th Cannes Film Festival last year. While a section of fashion police vehemently criticized her choice, others lauded Ash for taking the bold fashion move.

Middle parting, hair let loose, black off shoulder gown, sky-high heels and a neon orange lip to do all the talking. Thats what Aishwarya is all about- elegance with a tinge of quirkiness!

On day 3, the Sarabjit star wore a gorgeous blue ballroom gown by Dubai-based Filipino fashion designer Michael Cinco, looking like an absolute fairytale princess.

Ash is one of the three Bollywood actresses to walk the red carpet this year. While Deepika Padukone made her debut on May 17 and 18, Sonam Kapoor is gearing up to make a killer appearance at the fest on May 21 and 22.

Mallika Sherawat and Shruti Haasan, too, were present at the festival. Shruti Haasan's 'Sanghamitra' is the only Indian film screened at the film fiesta this year. The actress, along with the music composer of the film and Oscar winner A. R. Rahman, walked the red carpet on May 18.

Mallika Sherawat, on the other hand, was promoting an international organization Free A Girl, of which she is the brand ambassador.

Aishwarya, sans hubby Abhishek Bachchan, had arrived in the city with daughter Aradhya.

As part of the festival, Aishwarya will present her 2002 cult Sanjay Leela Bhansali film Devdas at a big screen open to the public on the Martinez beach, as part of the festival.

Cannes began on May 17 and will go on till 28th of this month.
Deepika Padukone poses for photographers upon arrival at the screening of the film Loveless at the 70th international film festival, Cannes, southern France (Photo: AP).

Mumbai: Earlier this week, Deepika Padukone attended the Cannes Film Festival as the brand ambassador of a cosmetic brand and boy did she rule the fashion game!

From slaying in her gorgeous Marchesa outfit to stunning everyone in her Brandon Maxwell ensemble, Deepika made quite the statement in her bold and beautiful avatar.

Not only the Indian fashion circuit, but also the international fashion police were all praises for Deepika Padukones red carpet style for the Loveless premiere on day 2 of the Cannes Film Festival.

And it seems Lady Gaga agrees! The pop star, who is a fashion inspiration to many herself, liked a picture of Deepika Padukone that designer Brandon Maxwell posted on Instagram. Take a look.

Be it the Met Gala or the Cannes Film Festival, Deepika sure knows how to make heads turn with her classy style!
Ranveer Singh with a fan (L), the actor seen in a jovial mood right outside the bar (R).

Mumbai: The name Ranveer Singh is synonymous to quirk and enthusiasm, and the actor would not have it any other way. So when one of the most promising actors of Bollywood decided to drop in at a local bar in Mumbai, the crowd, most expectedly, went berserk.

On Friday night, the actor went to a bar called Anti Social in Khar, Mumbai.

Dressed in a crimson yellow sleeveless tee and a bizarre pair of lemon yellow pants, the actor looked weird but excited. He was happily posing with his fans, who had no idea that their favourite star was supposed to make an appearance there, and looked in good spirit.

Ranveer is notorious for his outlandish dressing sense and this public appearance was no exception to this self-imposed rule. Singhs pair of shades were equally odd but its him. Who cares, right?

Although the star left after a short while, the memory of it will last much longer in the minds of his fans. What a way to surprise!

Professionally, Ranveer will next be seen as a 16th century tyrant in Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Padmavati alongside Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor.

After wrapping up this period drama, the Bajirao Mastani actor will don the role of a rapper in Zoya Akhtars Gully Boy.
The rain began on Wednesday evening, no more than a couple of hours before Yusuf Arakkal's sculpture was to be unveiled on M.G. Road. To his wife Sara, being rained out meant a near-catastrophic blow - the journey, which began in 2014, had been rife with obstacles and close calls. Much to her relief, the skies cleared, mere moments before the unveiling was scheduled to begin, and the ceremony proceeded without a hitch.

"It was a miracle," Sara remarked later, incredulously, at her house on Friday afternoon. Nearly eight months after the passing of her husband, the legendary artist Yusuf Arakkal, Sara has thrown herself, heart and soul, into carrying forth his legacy, a story she recounts interspersed by occasional bouts of tears. I took care of everything, even shopping for his clothes, he was quite picky about style! He was always immersed in his work and this was my way of giving him the space he needed.

The sculpture had been commissioned by Biocon CMD, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, an old friend of the family, back in 2014. To Yusuf Arakkal, the project was a special one, taking him back to one of his deepest interests - aeronautics. "He was an engineer with HAL for 18 years and had the technical expertise to take on a project like this." Titled Science and Technology Takes Off, the sculpture was intended for the Visvesvaraya Museum, which was getting a facelift at the time. Arakkal would set out each week, sandwiches and a flask of coffee in tow, to Scorpion Engineering Works, where the design was being executed. The sculpture, said Sara, was finished in a little under a year, but much to their disappointment, didn't make it to the museum.

About a month ago, Sara received a phone call from Scorpion Engineering Works, which had been housing late artist Yusuf Arakkal's one-and-a-half tonne steel sculpture for nearly two years. "They were moving elsewhere and I had a week to get the sculpture out." But where? And how? Distraught, she appealed to Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw. The deadline had passed, but little progress had been made. "Kiran was busy too, but she put me in touch with Vasanth Rao of BMRCL. The rest fell into place in no time."

Six months after her husband's passing, Sara has thrown herself into putting his affairs in order and bringing unfulfilled projects to fruition. "That was what he wished for and I entered the art world only for him." Her eyes glisten, as she says softly, - "I spend all my time on this. And I'm doing it all alone."

The Christ Series came next. Yusuf Arakkal, who had a deep fascination for Jesus Christ, had hoped to donate one of his paintings to the Vatican museum. Their prospects looked bright; a team from the Vatican visited the studio in Bengaluru to look through the works and a letter of appreciation came from Pope Benedict VI. Shortly after that, a new Pope was instated and things came to a standstill. A month passed without a response and then six. Before they knew it, a year had gone by with no progress. This is the project Im working on now, because its what my husband wanted. I dont know how Im going to achieve it. All I can do is pray. God is helping me.

We had people from the Vatican visit to look at the series and we even received a letter from Pope Benedict VI. A new Pope was instated before the project came through and nothing happened after that. We waited a month, then six and before we knew it, a year had passed. Yusuf was very disappointed but there was nothing we could do then. Now, were starting from the beginning. Enquiries are being made at the Vatican now and were optimistic.

A gramophone stands in one corner of the Arakkal's picturesque living room - "Yusuf's collectibles," she smiles. "He liked to play old Malayalam songs on this. And I had to listen, of course!" On the other side is a little keyboard, which belongs to her eight-year-old granddaughter. Yusuf loved music  he was teaching himself to play the flute. Their household help, Anthony, who has been with the family for two decades, supported this musical endeavour ardently, fishing out old tapes with songs Arakkal could learn. Again, I was the unwitting audience, she laughed, a burst of amusement which manages to alleviate the sadness that had crept into her eyes. He collected pipes, too, although he had stopped smoking them!

We pause on our way out to look at Arakkal's studio, spic and span and awash in sunlight. I ensure its always clean and organised, Sara remarked, as we stood, momentarily agape, before his Last Supper. Journalist P. Sudhakaran, is scheduled to visit too, to take a look at Orphan, a novel Yusuf Arakkal had been working on. I think its a novel, she smiled. Yusuf didnt tell me much about it, but we hope to have it published now.

The list is long, but she perseveres, from publishing his writings to taking his final works across the country and helping young artists through her gallery. I wont stop as long as Im alive. There are moments when I feel lost, but Yusuf always threw me into the deep end so I would learn to swim back to shore.
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLC Karanam Balarama Krishna alleged that the attack was the outcome of group rivalry in the party in the area and that the local MLA was behind it. (Photo: File/Representational)

Amaravati: Two men, both supporters of a TDP legislator, were killed and four others injured after they were attacked by some unidentified persons in Vemavaram village in Addanki constituency on Friday midnight, police said on Saturday.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLC Karanam Balarama Krishna alleged that the attack was the outcome of group rivalry in the party in the area and that the local MLA was behind it.

The deceased, G Anjaiah and Rama Koteswara Rao, were followers of Balarama Krishna, who alleged that his rivals in the party led by Addanki MLA Gottipati Ravi Kumar was responsible for the murders.

Prohibitory orders has been clamped in the village and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu instructed the Director General of Police (in charge), N Sambasiva Rao, to book the culprits immediately.

The incident took place about midnight when six persons were returning home on motorcycles after attending a marriage. They were waylaid near the village centre and charged at with sticks and knives after being attacked with chilli powder on their faces, police said.

"Two of the six died on the way to a hospital in Chilakaluripeta, while the remaining four were undergoing treatment," a police official said. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC have been imposed in the village.

Prakasam district Superintendent of Police Trivikram Varma camped in the area to ease the tension prevailing in the village, where an elaborate security has been put in place under the four sub-divisional police officers.

The deceased were followers of Balarama Krishna. The legislator alleged that his rival faction, led by Ravi Kumar, was responsible for the killings. "Some people, who defected from the YSR Congress to the TDP to protect their properties and make money, have indulged in this gory act. They are bent on eliminating the TDP cadre in an organised manner," Balarama alleged.

"Chandrababu should explain why he admitted such elements into the party," he said. Ravi Kumar, however, denied the allegation saying he was unaware of the rivalry among the cadres.

"I am against such violent politics. I am only trying to sail together with everyone. It's not proper for Balarama to make such allegations against me," Ravi Kumar said in Addanki.

Feud between the families of two leaders had often resulted in violent incidents in the area in the past as well, local people said.
Gangeshananda Theerthapada underwent an emergency surgery and his condition is stable now.

Thiruvananthapuram: A godman has been deprived of his manhood by a 23-year-old law student who slashed his vital organ when he tried to rape her at Kannamoola, near here, on Friday night. He had been abusing her since her school days, it is said.

The police said the woman used a knife to cut off the genitals of Swami Gangeshananda Theert-hapada alias Hari, 54, of Kollam district when he sexually attacked her around 11.30 pm.

A police team, which reached the spot after receiving a call from the girl, admitted the swami to the Government Medical College Hospital where he underwent an emergency surgery as he had suffered 90 per cent cut on his vital organ. Hospital sources said he was stable now. 

The swami was booked for rape under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The police took the statement of the girl, but no case was registered against her, said Inspector-General (Thir-uvananthapuram range) Manoj Abraham.

The police said the family of the girl had been associated with the godman eight years ago when he started offering special pujas for the recovery of her paralysed and bed-ridden father, an ex-service man.

While the swami was reported to be linked to the Panmana ashramam at Chavara, Kollam, the ashramam in a statement said that he had dissociated with it 15 years ago and entered business.

The godman first claimed he injured himself. However, he later retracted it and gave a statement that the woman had attacked him.

The victim was doing an internship with a police station, a source said.

Ms Prameela Devi, member of the Kerala State Womens Commission, said that the girl will be provided all legal help.
Bhopal: Indian Air Force (IAF) transport aircraft IL-76 landed at Swami Vivekanand airport in Raipur in Chhattisgarh on Wednesday amidst reported massive preparations by security forces to launch a major offensive against Naxals in conflict zone of Bastar in that state.

The development has triggered speculations of a large scale anti-Maoist offensive being planned by security forces in Bastar in the wake of April 24 Naxal ambush on a CRPF party at Burkapal in Chhattisgarhs Sukma district that killed 25 jawans. But, IAF authorities described the transport aircraft landing in Raipur airport as a routine one.

The aircraft carried some technical and store equipment needed for Nandini Airstrip in Bhilai, (nearly 25 km from Chhattisgarh capital of Raipur), which operates an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for reconnaissance mission, Air Commodore Ajey Shukla, Task Force commander said.

IAF sources said in the past also IAF transport carriers and other aircrafts landed in Raipur airport to deliver spare parts of IAF choppers deployed in the state.
New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Saturday opposed the bail plea of Sukesh Chandrasekhar, the middleman in the alleged All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) symbol bribery case, following which a Delhi Court reserved to order in the same.

The court has reserved its order to May 22.

The Delhi Police claimed that Sukesh has many cases pending against him, also asserting that more arrests are likely to be made in the case soon.

Earlier on April 25, a Delhi Court extended the alleged middleman's police custody till April 28, hours after the AIADMK leader TTV Dinakaran accepted that he met Chandrashekhar in his bribery dealing with the Election Commission of India (ECI).

While Dinakaran initially refused to have known Sukesh, he later accepted meeting him when Sukesh himself gave the details of his meeting with the former.

Dinakaran, who is accused of trying to bribe an Election Commission official in an attempt to retain AIADMKs 'Two Leaves' symbol, however, maintained that he did not pay any money to Sukesh.

The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police now has to establish the possible reasons for which the two might have met. For this, they have sought of the help of the Election Commission official who helped him in dealing with the poll watchdog.

Searches were also being conducted at Sukesh's Kochi residence to trace the amount paid to him. Details of calls made and received, and messages sent and received were also being sought.

Earlier on April 23, Dinakaran was cross-examined along with his 'friend' Mallikarjuna and P.A. Janardhanan, sources stated.

They were quizzed about the money trail of the alleged bribe. They were also interrogated as to why Dinakaran had stayed over with Mallikarjuna for around 10 days after an FIR was filed against the former.

On April 22, Dinakaran was given a set of questions by the Delhi Police in connection with the case.

The questionnaire included queries about the money trail, his association with Chandrashekhar, the middleman alleged to have struck deal for Rs. 50 crore to help Dinakaran's AIADMK faction keep the 'two leaves' poll symbol, how many times he met Sukesh and whether any meeting with the Election Commission officials took place or not etc.
New Delhi: In an unprecedented move, Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa, the Chief of Air Staff, has written a personal letter to each officer in the Indian Air Force (IAF), asking the officers "to be prepared for operations with our present holdings, at a very short notice".

"In the present scenario, there is an ever persistent sub-conventional threat. Therefore, we need to be prepared for operations with our present holdings, at a very short notice. Training needs to be focused towards this," says the letter.

The "sub-conventional threat" is said to be a reference to the 'proxy war' by the Pakistan, which is reflected in the increasing number of terror attacks on military camps and the rising public unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.

The mention in the letter of "our present holdings" is an indication of the severe shortfall in the number of fighter squadrons with the IAF.

The IAF is authorised for 42 squadrons of fighter aircraft but its current holding is down to 33.

A deal for 36 Rafale fighters, signed with France, and a decision to induct indigenous Tejas fighters will barely make up for the de-induction of the MIG series of fighters from the fleet.

Asking officers to be "combat effective professionals", ACM Dhanoa wrote that "There is no choice but to stay abreast of new technological advancements both own as well as that of our adversaries. Only then will we come out with war-winning, out of the box solutions."

The letter also covered a range of issues from "favouritism" in the force to "sexual harassment".

The letter reminds officers that "in the recent past, there have been instances and occasions where lack of professionalism has shown the IAF in poor light".

Indulging in uncharacteristic plain speak, the IAF chief writes that "we have been witness to a few instances of 'favouritism' in selection of officers for prime assignments and promotions".

"This is something we can not afford," the letter reads.

Pointing out that "officers holding responsible appointments tend to display human kindness' while dealing with those involved in wrongful practices", the letter warns that "abusive behaviour, resorting to physical intimidation and behaviour amounting to sexual harassment by seniors is not acceptable".

The letter has been posted and delivered to each of the nearly 12,000 officers of the force.

This is the first time that an IAF chief has written a personal letter to all officers, although two Army chiefs - Field Marshal (then General) K M Cariappa on May 1, 1950 and General K Sundarji on February 1, 1986 - have penned similar missives.

An IAF spokesperson, however, described the letter as "internal communication" and refused to comment on its contents.
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (EC) on Saturday summoned Narada News Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mathew Samuel and asked him to appear at the Kochi ED office on May 24, in connection with the Narada sting probe.

This is the second ED summon to Samuel who received a notice last Thursday as well.

Earlier this week, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had also summoned Samuel for the second time in connection with money laundering sting operation.

Mathew, however, said he won't be able to appear as he recently underwent surgery.

The ED filed its case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after the CBI filed its case.

The sting operation pertains to the secret filming of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders and an IPS officer while they were allegedly accepting money from representatives of a fictitious company in return for extending favours to it.

TMC leaders against whom the CBI has registered cases, now also booked by the Enforcement Directorate, include Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Roy, Lok Sabha MPs Saugata Roy, Aparupa Poddar, Sultan Ahmed, Prasun Banerjee and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.

West Bengal ministers, including Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim, Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Environment Minister Sovan Chatterjee, Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Minister Subrata Mukherjee have also been named in the FIR.

Former Minister Madan Mitra, MLA Iqbal Ahmed and IPS officer Saiyaad Mustafa Hussain Mirza have also been made accused in the case.

Samuel had earlier released three sets of videos of the sting operation, where top TMC leaders were allegedly seen accepting bribes from journalists posing as businessmen.

The ruling party had dismissed the allegation citing that the tapes are 'doctored'.

The sting operation video was released by the portal on March 14, 2016, just ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections.
Walkers, health enthusiasts, sportspersons attend the signature campaign Save Parade Ground on Friday. On a weekday close to 2,000 Hyderabadis use the ground in the morning and evening, while over the weekend the number doubles. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: Over 1,000 walkers, health enthusiasts, sportspersons and regulars to Parade Ground have stepped up against the KCR government for eyeing the largest and only lung space in Secunderabad. In a signature protest, many criticised the TRS governments plan to build Secretariat at Parade Ground, calling it unnecessary. By occupying the 12-acre open space; this busy zone will become congested due to VIP movement, restricted to common man, changing the face of Secunderabad.

On a weekday, close to 2,000 Hyderabadis use the ground (morning and evening), while the count doubles up during the weekend. The regular ones met at Parade Ground on Friday morning and signed a signature protest Save Parade Grounds. The signature protest raises numerous questions. Some walkers find it hard to believe that the Army had agreed to give away a massive piece of their prime property.

Ms Vandhana Sinha, a regular walker, said, Has the government even bothered to ask its voters about this plan before they negotiated with the Army. Why is the TRS government hunting after public space? Hyderabad has expanded beyond Hitech city; they should look for land in new corridors, not the core city. Another walker Mr S.S. Shetty added, Already the citys open space is shrinking, thanks to land sharks. This move will strip Hyderabad off the last of its open space. There is sufficient space in the present Secretariat, since offices belonging to Andhra Pradesh administration have shifted. Why does the government not make use of it, rather than building a new secretariat.

Parade Ground is the only place that hosts Independence Day parade and Republic Day parade in the state capital. Regular goers will form a human chain on Saturday morning at Parade Ground to protest against the government move.
Indian army soldiers take position during an encounter with militants in Jammu and Kashmir. (AFP/File)

Srinagar: Two militants and two soldiers were killed in a fierce encounter as the Army today foiled an infiltration bid in Naugam sector of the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir.

"An infiltration bid was foiled by alert troops along the LoC in Naugam sector. Two infiltrating terrorists were killed," an army official told PTI.

He said two soldiers attained martyrdom in the operation, which was continuing till last reports were received.

Earlier on Saturday, a group of terrorists were intercepted near LoC in Handwara sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district on Saturday.

According to sources, p6 RR and Handwara police had cordoned off the Behak area where the terrorists were believed to have managed to sneak in through the LoC.

The attack came in the wake of Defence Minister Arun Jaitley reviewing the overall security situation in the Kashmir Valley with Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat and other senior Army officers.

The Defence Minister was apprised of various measures to strengthen the robust counter infiltration grid along the Line of Control.

He was also briefed on the close coordination amongst all government agencies towards restoring normalcy in the region.

He urged all defence personnel to continue their good job and ensure safety of the innocent people while dealing firmly with inimical elements.

He also directed the commanders to maintain a strict vigil along the Line of Control and remain prepared to give a befitting reply to any misadventure from across the border following the ceasefire violation earlier on Tuesday by the Pakistan Army in Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Pakistan Army, earlier on Sunday, instigated indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics, 82 mm and 120 mm mortars along the Line of Control (LoC) in Chiti Bakri area of Rajouri sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Indian Army also retaliated to the unprovoked act strongly and effectively.

At least two civilians including a minor girl were killed and nine people, including four soldiers were injured in the unprovoked firing by Pakistan in Rajouri district.
New Delhi: The challenge to prove that EVMs cannot be tampered with will start from June 3, the Election Commission announced on Saturday, asserting that the machines are tamper-proof.

The announcement came over a week after the Election Commission threw down the gauntlet to political parties to prove that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) used in the recent assembly polls were tampered with.

"The EVM challenge will start from June 3," Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said, addressing a press conference.

He said people who had questioned reliability of EVMs have not yet submitted any proof or credible material to support their claim.

Zaidi said replacement of the internal circuit of EVMs is not possible at all.

"Our EVMs have strong technological features and are tamper-proof," he said. Zaidi rubbished the Aam Aadmi Party's claim that EVMs could be tampered with, and said no manipulation of the machines is possible.

He also said that improving the election process is a responsibility of all stakeholders and the EC is taking all necessary steps in this regard.

Several major opposition parties had claimed that the faith of people in the machines has eroded.

The BSP and AAP had alleged that the machines used in the recent assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjab were tampered with and favoured the BJP. Later, several other parties had joined the chorus and waned the EC to revert to paper ballots.

The EC has already announced that it will ensure paper trail of voting in all future elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
Hyderabad: Union commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday rejected the Telangana state governments request for establishment of a Turmeric Board at Nizamabad, the turmeric hub of South India.

She said that the Central government cannot establish individual Boards for each commercial crop.

However, Ms Sitharaman said that the Centre was ready to establish a Spices Park clubbing one or two commercial crops at Nizamabad if the state government was willing to allot land.

She was speaking to newsmen in New Delhi when her attention was drawn to the repeated requests for the Turmeric Board by the TS government and Nizamabad MP K. Kavitha. The commerce minister said it was not possible to set up individual boards for every crop.

We have already established Spices Boards for the entire country, if the Telangana government insists and allots land, the Centre will set up Spices Park at the same place that can take care of the needs of turmeric farmers, Ms Sitharaman said.
Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) resorted to a cover-up operation to clear unclaimed bodies after Deccan Chronicle visited the mortuary to enquire about the delay in disposal of bodies on Saturday.

Until 6.00 pm, the transit room in the mortuary was filled with bodies. However, 21 bodies were cleared within minutes on a war footing by the civic staff.

Two ambulances were rushed to the Osmania General Hospital (OGH) to shift the bodies from the mortuary. It is learnt that the bodies were shifted to the Hayatnagar graveyard for cremation.

Although the mortuary had nearly 34 bodies, the civic staff cleared the corpses that were on the list till May 17.

The ones that reached there from May 18 will have to be disposed of after the 72-hour waiting period was over.
Protesters formed a human chain connecting the two ends of the Parade Ground on Saturday morning. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: Save Parade Ground, We dont want the Secretariat here, slogans rent the air at Secunderabads largest lung space on Saturday morning.

Over 700 regular morning walkers, including senior citizens, women and children participated in the protest against the TRS governments move to build a new administration building there.

The group of regular visitors to the Parade Ground took a pledge to unite and stand against the government, saying Im with Parade Ground.

Looks like the KCR government is following a Vastu rules by building a new secretariat. The civil society should take this matter to the high court, said Mohammed Jameel, a walker.

The group formed a human chain connecting the two ends of the Parade Ground. Protesters started coming in from around 6.30 am.

The group terming themselves as Im with ParadeGround decided to hold protests every single day at the ground till the government dropped the decision.

Parade Ground Walkers Association convener Parashuram claimed: This fight will grow bigger. This is a peoples movement. We are connected to this place not just because its a walking ground. This is part of history; it is like losing a jewel on the citys crown. The protest will continue till the government drops the idea.

Another protest has been planned on Sunday morning. The group has called for more support especially from the regular morning-evening walkers.

Meanwhile, a plea against the move to shift the Secretariat from its present location is pending in the high court. The government has not filed a counter, yet.

Petitioner Mr M. Padmanabha Reddy said that, Vastu or any other religious, spiritual belief system is purely for the individual to follow, and is completely independent of the state or state structure in a federal republic. Such belief systems cannot stand scientific scrutiny. To think that such majestic and eco-friendly building blocks housing the Secretariat are sought to be dismantled based on the whims of the political leadership, under the pretext of Vastu, is painful, and amounts to squandering of public money.
Thiruvananthapuram: A godman Swami Gangeshananda Theerthapada has been deprived of his manhood by a 23-year-old law student who slashed his vital organ when he tried to rape her at Kannamoola, near here, on Friday night.

The swami was booked for rape under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The police took the statement of the girl but no case was registered against him, said Inspector-General Manoj Abraham.

The police said the family of the girl had been associated with the godman eight years ago when he started offering special pujas for the recovery of her paralysed and bed-ridden father, an ex-service man.

The godman first claimed he injured himself. However, he later retracted it and gave a statement that the woman had attacked him. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan applauded the girl for bold action and offered to support her.
President Moon Jae-in on Thursday appointed a special envoy to the presidential inauguration in Ecuador in honor of old friendly ties.

Minjoo Party lawmaker Park Young-sun will attend the inauguration of Ecuador's president-elect Lenin Moreno next week and deliver a personal letter from Moon to Moreno, a government source said.

Moon attended the country's presidential inauguration as special envoy for President Roh Moo-hyun in January 2007.
Blood, tissues, toxic waste is being flushed down OGH drains, which then enters the Musi river. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: The mixing of blood, tissues and abdominal fluids in the drainage leads to health hazards with the proliferation of harmful bacteria and viruses.

These fluids mix in the drainage and create a bad smell. It also allows a lot of decomposing worms and other micor-organisms to flourish in the drainage.

A senior doctor on condition of anonymity explained, People who live along these drainage lines have to ensure that their drinking water pipelines are maintained properly. Else, it can lead to severe contamination. It can lead to different kinds of skin infections and as there are various micro-organisms, it allows the bad bacteria to survive in different forms.

A major worry is that most of these drains mix into the Musi river. Environmentalists say it makes the soil around the riverbed full of toxic waste.

Madhu Choudhary, an environmental engineer, explained, The soil around the lakebed and the riverside is not fertile any longer as it has a lot of sewage outlets opening to it.

Most of them are filled with toxic waste. Hence if there are vegetables and other small crops being cultivated, there are chances of them being contaminated.
The Allahabad High Court on Friday asked the government to place before it details of creches and the services provided. (Photo: YouTube screengrab/File)

Lucknow: The Allahabad High Court on Friday said that there were large-scale irregularities and fund bungling in implementation of mobile creche scheme in Uttar Pradesh and asked the government to place before it details of creches and the services provided.

"The scheme has not virtually been implemented though the payments have been made and there are large scale irregularities and misuse of funds," said the Lucknow bench of the court.

It further expressed serious displeasure that no effective action appeared to have been taken against the erring persons.

A division bench of justices Sudhir Agrawal and Virendra Kumar directed the Principal Secretary of Department of Women and Child Development and the Secretary of UP Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board to place on record as to how many creches had been established and what services were actually sought to be provided.

It also sought details of the persons who were not rendering any work, had taken money and who were the supervisory officers responsible for such fraudulent payment.

The court passed the order on a pending public interest litigation filed by local lawyer HK Verma in 2014. The PIL had raised the issue of alleged irregularities and bungling in the scheme and sought action against the responsible persons.

The state government filed a report in relation to the alleged scam. After perusal of the report, the court was irked that though there appeared serious fund bungling, no action appeared to have been taken against the guilty persons and the officers who had connived in the bungling with oblique motive.

The bench also directed that the two officers would file their personal affidavits in the matter and also appear before it on May 29 to explain the things.
Chennai: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam working president M K Stalin on Friday expressed happiness on the comment of Tamil superstar Rajinikanth lauding him as an "efficient" politician.

Using the popular one-word dialogue 'Magizhchi (happy)' from Rajinikanth's blockbuster movie 'Kabali', Stalin said, "I am replying in his language."

Rajinikanth had said despite the presence of "efficient" politicians like Stalin and Anbumani Ramadoss, the "system was affected". He had also praised Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol Thirumavalavan and Naam Tamizhar Katchi leader Seeman.

Stalin said on June 3, the birthday of party chief M Karunanidhi will be celebrated along with the Diamond Jubilee of the nonagenarian leader's 60-year long career in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

Karunanidhi was first elected to the Assembly in 1957 and since then he has been a member of the House continuously which includes his membership for sometime in the now defunct Legislative Council.

He said if permitted by the doctors, Karunanidhi may participate in the celebrations.
Bengaluru: Asserting that there was no anti-incumbency against his government, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday expressed confidence that people will once again vote Congress back to power in the 2018 polls.

Normally for any government which completes four years, there would be anti-incumbency factor that would start working against it, and most of the times, it has turned out to be true, he told reporters here.

But after completing four years, I can say that people of Karnataka still have confidence in my government and there is no anti-incumbency against it," he said at a "Meet the Press" organised by Press Club of Bangalore and the Reporters' Guild here.

Chiding the BJP for not doing its bit in getting farm loan waived by the Centre, he ridiculed the party's claim of winning over 150 seats in 2018 polls.

"People have decided, even if you perform somersault, Yeddyurappa's claims of mission 150 won't be achieved. Do you think mission 150 is in your pocket- for it to be so easy? It is people who will decide," he said.

Siddaramaiah said the BJP is indulging in "self-deception" and keeps away Muslims and Christians, while its national leaders advertise themselves with slogan "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas".

There was no honesty on their part in following it, he said, adding "It is an act of self deception they are indulging in."

Claiming that his government believed and followed? "inclusive growth", Siddaramaiah said it was clear on its path towards ensuring social justice.

He said his government had fulfilled 155 of the 165 promises made in the manifesto. The remaining would be done in the next one-year period.

Questioning "achhe din" claims of the Narendra Modi-led government, Siddaramaiah said its only achievement was demonetisation of high value currency and the trouble it caused to the common man.

Responding to a question about senior party leaders who brought him to the Congress being unhappy about him, he said no Karnataka leader brought him to the party.

He said "... No one, they are only claiming. I'm revealing it today that no Karnataka Congress leader was behind my joining Congress."

He said had formed All India Progressive Janata Dal some years back and it did not perform well in local body polls. "I knew Ahmed Patel, he asked me to join Congress and introduced me to Madam (Sonia Gandhi), he said.
Hyderabad: BJP national president Amit Shahs three-day visit to Telangana, starting from May 22, is a matter of debate among all political parties, including his own. Politicians of all hues are trying to figure out whether the purpose of the visit is to target and weaken the ruling TRS or the main Opposition party, the Congress.

The visit of any political party leader is usually to strengthen and expand the party base. But Amit Shah choosing Nalgonda district, which is considered a Congress bastion, has led to speculation that it is the Congress that is the target.

The BJP national president was earlier to visit only Hyderabad, from where the MIM has been winning since 1984. But now, two-and-a-half days are to be devoted Nalgonda and only half-a-day to Hyderabad.

Nalgonda district is predominantly a Congress district, especially the Nalgonda Lok Sabha segment from where five Congressmen and one from their ally, the CPI, got elected from six out of seven Assembly constituencies in 2014.

When the BJP announced that it is confident of coming to power in the state in 2019, and it is the only political alternative to the ruling TRS, political pundits expected the partys national president to take on the TRS in the North Telangana districts where the ruling party claims almost 100 per cent political dominance.

The BJP has held a few Lok Sabha segments in North Telangana previously, such as Karimnagar and Hanamkonda, but Amit Shah is not visiting these areas to strengthen his party there.

The answer to this puzzle could lie in the cordial relations that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has been cultivating with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last few months.

He was the only non-BJP Chief Minister to support the demonetisation move, and the Prime Minister twice consulted Mr Chandrasekhar Rao when he visited the state. Mr Chandrasekhar Rao has praised the Modi governments performance as corruption free and recently had a one-on-one meeting with the Prime Minister in Delhi.

He has also reportedly extended his full support to any BJP-backed Presidential and Vice Presidential candidate.

Though the details of the Delhi meeting with the Prime Minister are not known, a few days later the Central government approved the Telangana Land Amendment Act in record time. It has also approved handing over Parade Ground and other Cantonment lands to the Telangana state government that were specifically sought by the Chief Minister.

Officials in the TRS government say they dont have any problems with the implementation of the AP Reorganisation Act and the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues have stopped being critical of the Central government and the BJP, except for one instance: a senior minister who was critical of the Central governments role in the chilli price issue had taken permission from the Chief Minister for the verbal attack.

In the light of these increased friendly relation between the TRS and the BJP, the reason behind Amit Shahs choice of Nalgonda district makes a little more sense. The Congress is the main rival of the TRS in Telangana, and of the BJP at the national level. It is in the interests of both these parties to finish off the Congress in the state so that only they two will flourish. Or, maybe, it is just a temporary understanding between the TRS and BJP till the Presidential and Vice Presidential elections are over.
The impressive victory of moderate and reformist Iran President Hassan Rouhani, who was seeking a second term, in the election whose result was announced on Saturday, is a sign with potentially good prospects. A sweeping victory for a moderate leader against the diehard conservative former judge Ebrahim Raisi, in an election in which the voting percentage was above 70, can potentially help ease tensions in a volatile region.

For India too, the victory of the reform-minded President will make it easier to do normal business with Iran since the US had promised lifting of sanctions against it following the signing of the US-led international accord under which Iran had agreed to scale back its nuclear facilities. President Rouhanis principal support base appears to have been the urban centres where personal freedoms  encapsulated by the opening of high-speed Internet which helped open the window to the world  mattered considerably.

But in spite of the promise that lifting of US sanctions will improve the economy, the national economy remains crisis-ridden. An important reason is that Washington has not delivered fully on sanctions. It is to be seen how Ayatollah Rouhani proceeds on this with a hostile Trump administration in place in America. But Iran does hold a few cards. It has greatly improved ties with Europe. Besides, its support remains crucial to the survival of the US-backed Hydari regime in Iraq as well as to the fight against the ISIS.
Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal says that ever since the BJP came to power they have been targeting all Opposition parties.

It has been three years and about 30 politicians belonging to Opposition parties have been raided or searched by the investigating agencies. Do you think its a witch-hunt?

I dont want to make allegations of those sorts. But one thing is clear that ever since 2014 when this government came to power they have been targeting all Opposition leadership. Not just of the Congress but leaders of other political parties as well. You look at the Aam Aadmi Party, ever since they came to power, one after the other, their leaders, MLAs and ministers are being targeted. Its a daily phenomenon. While the Delhi government is also incapable of working, the Centre is making sure that the AAP doesnt work by specifically targeting leaders and then the top leadership.

Now if you look at West Bengal in Saradha scam and other things they are targeting one leader or the other of the Trinamul Congress. While Mamata Banerjee was in comfort with them the targeting stopped, the moment she was ostensibly against this government all of it started again. In the same fashion they targeted Lalu Prasad Yadav. They also targeted Congress leadership in the Associated Journals Ltd issue, which according to me is a non-issue. Now they are targeting P. Chidambarams son and indirectly Mr Chidambaram. They targeted former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and now they are after Motilal Vora, who is about 90 years old. They have targeted Himachal Pradesh chief minister by starting a CBI investigation in Delhi when there was no occasion to do so. Jagan Mohan Reddy is in their radar but at the moment they are quiet because they need his support in the presidential election. They have started going after the leadership in Tamil Nadu too.

But the BJP says that the investigating agencies are just doing their job and it is the misdeeds of the Congress and other Opposition parties, which are coming out. Your comments.

You are absolutely right, naturally they would say that, but if there are misdeeds it will be determined through the course of trial in a court. I can assure you that there are a lot of misdeeds they are aware of in their own government in which no action has taken place. In the Vyapam scam we have given them documentary evidence. We all know the misdeeds of the Central Cabinet ministers. I do not want to name them but these became a subject matter for a lot debates in Parliament and in the media. People who were convicted were also made ministers. So the basis on which they are targeting the Opposition, if they were to observe the same yardstick against their leaders, most of them would be under the net of the CBI.

Do you think the investigating agencies on which the country relies are losing their credibility by such actions?

Oh absolutely without any doubt! They called the CBI a caged parrot when the UPA was in power. The role being played by them is detrimental to the functioning of a democracy. The CBI has become the long arm of this government. Now there are reports that the CBI has started threatening people that if you dont give statements in a particular manner, which they want, then they shall deal with you. Now they are using the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to their advantage as well, even if the case is not proved and the CBI has just filed an FIR immediately after that the Enforcement Directorate proceeds against those people even if there is no chargesheet filed under the PMLA and seizes their properties.

What is the way forward to counter this attack so that you can make your point of vendetta politics being played out by the government?

There are two fronts here on which we will have to take on this government. One is of course the legal battle, we will have to deal with them in court and provide adequate defence for various leaders who are being targeted. There would also be a political plan. All Opposition parties will have to come together to fight this partisan government.

Is the Congress reaching out to other Opposition parties to have an Opposition coalition?

See a coalition cannot only be on the basis of this targeting; there needs to be a broad-based Opposition not only limited to this. There needs to be a meeting of minds. Today we are seeing democracy being trampled. The very systems of government, which we are used to, are being used to the ruling partys advantage. Governments are becoming partisan, the media (both print and electronic) also is sought to be controlled by the government. The real facts of what is happening on the ground are not emerging. There needs to be a broad-based Opposition to this government.

Its been three years since the Modi government came to power. How do you see the three years?

While there has been great hype over what this government has done I dont see much happening on the ground. On the economic front they say the GDP is moving ahead at the rate of seven per cent. If you look at the job growth it is at one per cent. I dont see the GDP being reflected in increasing jobs for people. Their foreign policy is in shambles and relations with neighbours is at an all-time low whether it is China, Pakistan or Nepal. On the social front we are seeing the kind of violence we have never seen before all over the country. There are no concrete steps in the health sector. The only field in which some progress has been made is digitalisation, but this only helps the elite section of society.

There is massive agrarian stress. We have been pointing this out to the government too. There is no credit off take in the industrial sector. Manufacturing and MSME sectors are badly ailing with no policy of the government. There is a lot of hype but very little action on the ground.

The BJP is at an all-time high. Only two years are left for general election. So how is the Congress going to counter this?

There is no doubt about it that Narendra Modi has used all institutions and created an environment of sabka saath sabka vikas. The Congress will no doubt go to the people and expose the realities of the BJP, which are hidden because massive hype is being created in the media. Also, we will have to see a broad-based Opposition unity to take on the BJP government at the Centre.

In the three years how do you see the internal security challenge, which is always a difficult subject for any government?

Look what happened in Sukma. It is for all to see what is going on in Kashmir. If you just look at the figures 172 terror incidents and 1,343 ceasefire violations under the present regime have taken place. In the Northeast, there have been 344 civilian deaths and 99 security personnel have lost their lives. In Naxal-related incidents, there have been 278 security personnel deaths. I can go on, but the government has to act and act fast.
Its a typical example of an upright babu victimised and harassed for exposing corruption. Whistleblower bureaucrat Jitendra Gupta who had taken the cudgels against transport mafia in Bihar has sought transfer to another cadre citing safety concerns. According to sources, Dr Gupta has sent his request to the department of personnel and training (DoPT). And now the Supreme Court too has come to his rescue. The apex court has directed the Centre to consider Dr Guptas request for change of cadre.

The 2013-batch IAS officer of the Bihar cadre, who is currently posted as officer on special duty in the department of environment and forest in Bihar, came up against the states transport mafia, which landed him in jail for a month. However, it was soon established that the bureaucrat was implicated in a fabricated case following which he was given a clean chit by both the Patna high court and the Supreme Court. But evidently the harassment of the babu continues, even after a clean chit from the judiciary.

Loyalty above all

The recent empanelment of 1984 and 1985 batches of IAS officers to secretary level came as a complete surprise to many babus. It is for the first time that the Centre has done so, and some feel that by clubbing two batches together the government has deprived many deserving officers of a chance to be selected. But for obvious reasons, no one serving is willing to speak out. However, some retired babus are not averse to speaking their minds, on behalf of their brethren. One retired secretary-level officer says that the government is changing criteria repeatedly to accommodate those officials who are close to the current political dispensation. Certainly, the list of secretary-equivalent officers has never been as long as the main list. Taking a peek at the near future, it is being said that some babus will serve under their juniors who were selected to the main list.

Around nine IAS officers, who have not been empanelled and working on Central deputation at additional secretary level, will return to their respective parent cadres or continue as subordinate to their same 1984 batch mate officers empanelled for secretary and secretary-equivalent posts in Government of India.

A growing fissure?

The much-awaited secretary-level reshuffle in Dilli has unwittingly revealed that all may not be well between the Prime Ministers Office and the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh. Behind the public bonhomie, there is a tussle underway over who will have the final say in appointing the chief secretary. Until the secretary reshuffle, most observers had believed that shipping secretary Rajive Kumar was a shoo-in for the post. He apparently represents the Bhumihar lobby, but some insisted, had the support of the PMO. Instead, Mr Kumar gets to stay on in the capital, and has been also saddled with the additional responsibility of road transport and highways.

His removal from the fray leaves the other strong contender Sada Kant, backed by the brahmin lobby, pretty much the new shoo in, even as the search for a Thakur candidate is also on in parallel. Of course, Yogi would no doubt prefer an officer from his own Thakur community. The caste conundrum has complicated this appointment, as both Yogi and the PMO try to push for their favourites. Somewhere in all this, the RSS may even have its own plans. Curiously, many in Dilli are surprised that any differences at all have been hinted at only after two months of Yogi becoming the chief minister. It was assumed that Yogi would wait quietly for six months or so and then impose his chosen babu stealthily. Wonder whats changed?
Ever since the Jan Sangh was set up in 1951, one of its main aims was to wipe out Muslim law and enforce a uniform civil code. After its reincarnation in 1980 as the BJP, this demand became one of its emblems. Once he became Prime Minister, Narendra Modi made Muslim personal law embodied in the Sharia a target of his campaign. He picked on the one feature that many Muslims themselves were moving towards reforming because they saw it as contrary to religious injunctions  the triple talaq. Last year, Mr Modi said, Getting Muslim women their rights as per the Constitution is the responsibility of the government and society, moaning, what is the crime of my Muslim sisters when someone says talaq thrice over the phone and her life is destroyed?

As far back as December 1995, the leftist All India Democratic Womens Association stated, This convention condemns the propaganda of the BJP for an immediate uniform civil code which is directed against the Muslim community. It protests against its hypocritical claim that it is motivated by concern for womens rights, in this case, Muslim women. It is this very political platform which in its earlier incarnation as the Hindu Mahasabha and the Jana Sangh had led the Opposition to any reform in Hindu laws, leading to an opportunist compromise at the cost of womens equality.

Speaking in the Central Legislative Assembly in 1925, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah said, I have no hesitation in saying that the Privy Council have on several occasions absolutely murdered Hindu law and slaughtered (Muslim) law. He himself had won his spurs in public life by securing the passage of the Mussalman Waqf Validation Act, 1913, which nullified a Privy Council ruling in 1894 on waqf-alul-awlads that would have ruined many Muslim families. In 1897, the Privy Council made it clear that it preferred commentaries of doubtful accuracy to the Quranic text. It chose to rely on the dicta in the Hedaya, translated by Hamilton, and N.E. Baillies Digest of Muhammadan Law. Two of the greatest Muslim judges, Justices Ameer Ali and Syed Mahmud (son of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan) had exposed the errors in the translations.

After Independence, Pakistans Supreme Court discarded this legacy. It ruled that it was the duty of the courts to ascertain the law from the Quran and the hadith for themselves in preference to the opinions of British-era commentators. But Muslims of India did not shed the sham doctrines of the Privy Council. Some high courts judges departed from the beaten path and believed that the existing Muslim law on divorce had no sanction in the Quran. The Quran enjoins a clear procedure. The first step is appointment of arbiters if you fear a breach between the couple. Failing their efforts, either side can demand divorce; khula by the wife and talaq by the husband, for which a period of three months (iddah) is obligatory. It is revocable before that.

In 1943, Maulana Abul Ala Maududi said, Due to want of knowledge, Muslims have been generally given to understand that a talaq can be pronounced only through the triple-divorce formula, although it is an innovation and a sin leading to many legal complications. If people knew that triple divorce is superfluous and even a single talaq would dissolve the marriage, of course, leaving room for revocation during the next three months (iddah) and remarriage thereafter, innumerable families could have been saved from disruption.

Section 7 of the Pakistans Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961 establishes an arbitration council, and mandates conciliation and a 90-day interim before a divorce is affected. Sadly, the organisations that profess to represent Indias Muslims on this issue studiously ignore this law  and thus play into the hands of the BJP, defying Muslim womens bodies that are committed to the Sharia but that want the triple talaq to go.
US President Donald Trump made some sweeping promises during his historic campaign to win the election last year. The most interesting was that he would drain the swamp. This meant he would clean up Washington (which is believed to have been founded on top of a swamp). This claim today appears ridiculous because Mr Trump does not appear to have any competence at all in governing or in politics. He was sold as a sort of genius. But his first months in office have shown him to be a clownish figure, who is vain, angry and unable to exercise minimum control over his administration.

This would not otherwise be visible, but Mr Trumps insistence on daily tweeting has amplified his erratic behaviour. He offers his opinion incessantly in a state of great excitement (he is fond of using exclamation marks), and makes things difficult for those in charge of maintaining his image. Here Mr Trump offers a contrast to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is also fond of using Twitter, but does so differently from Mr Trump. Both men have three crores followers and both used social media to reach their voters directly because neither man trusts journalists. Mr Trump believes he is being treated unfairly, and that his genius is not recognised or appreciated by his opponents and the media. Mr Modi thinks that his history with communal violence is used against him even though, according to him, he did nothing wrong.

Social medias rise, which came after Mr Modi took office in Gujarat, offered him the chance to eliminate the media layer and he has done this very effectively. Till the arrival of Twitter he constantly got into squabbles with journalists (walking off from one interview with Karan Thapar on air). This showed that he feels anger and irritation as much as Mr Trump does, but he handles it very differently now. The difference between the way the two men use Twitter comes in the first instance from content. Mr Trump offers his opinion on things frequently, and is not afraid to show his anger or his irritation. On May 18, his own justice department launched an investigation into the Trump campaigns alleged ties with the Russians. Mr Trump tweeted: This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history! He also compared himself to previous Presidents and said he was not being treated fairly: With all of the illegal acts that took place in the Clinton campaign & Obama Administration, there was never a special counsel appointed!

Mr Trump is also rude and does not hesitate to attack journalists or other individuals through his Twitter account. On May 12, he tweeted this: The Fake Media is working overtime today! It could be said that Mr Trump is being honest, but it is difficult to see how this sort of childish behaviour helps Mr Trump in any way. This is where Mr Modi is very different. I said that both men feel the same way about the media, but Mr Modi is extremely restrained when communicating formally. His Twitter feed is usually just a list of things he did for the day. For example, on May 19: Interacted with a delegation of the Nagaland Tribes Council today. Or he wishes people, specially other politicians, on their birthdays. Like this on May 17:

Greetings to former PM & leader of farmers, Shri HD Deve Gowda ji on his birthday. May Almighty bless him with good health & a long life. And this on May 19: Dear President @ashrafghani, wishing you a wonderful birthday. May you be blessed with a long and healthy life. Mr Modi also advertises policy announcements, though he usually links the tweets to reports published on his own official website rather than that of newspapers. It is impossible to assess what the Prime Minister of India is thinking by going through his Twitter feed, which is not the case with the US President. It has become easy for journalists to even learn which channels Mr Trump watches because after watching it he immediately tweets something in response.

Both Mr Trump and Mr Modi came into politics as outsiders promising to clean up the system. One has been on the job for a little over three years and the other only a little over three months. But already Mr Trump is not only being linked to failure but being seen as an incompetent by many, including some of his own supporters. Mr Modi on the other hand has also made mistakes and overpromised. However, his cautious and careful approach have insulated him from criticism. Mr Trumps daily childish hysterics and breast beating about how he is being mistreated are working against him. It has become embarrassing to watch the holder of the worlds most powerful office.

Aakar Patel is a writer, columnist and executive director of Amnesty International (India)
Le Pen announced her candidacy while facing forces of division that could frustrate her new goals. Her popular niece is leaving politics, her disruptive father is back in the ring and her party is in disarray.

"I cannot imagine not being at the head of my troops in a battle I consider fundamental," Le Pen said in an interview on the TF1 television station, her first public appearance since her May 7 loss to centrist Emmanuel Macron.

Le Pen will run for a seat in a district in her northern stronghold of Henin-Beaumont, a hardscrabble former mining region where she lost a similar bid in 2012. A new failure could jinx her bid to unite the National Front and to make it France's leading opposition party.

Emerging from her crushing defeat in France's presidential contest, far-right leader Marine Le Pen said Thursday she will run for a parliamentary seat in June elections and that her National Front party has "an essential role" in a new political landscape.

At the same time, Macron has upset the political equation, drawing from the left and right to win the presidency and to create his government. The new president now is looking across the political spectrum to obtain a parliamentary majority to support his agenda.

"We are in reality the only opposition movement," Le Pen said. "We will have an essential role to play (and) a role in the recomposing of political life," she said, reiterating her contention that the left-right divide has been replaced by "globalists, Europeanists and nationalists" like herself.

Le Pen is counting on the 10.6 million votes she received as a presidential candidate to propel her anti-immigration party into parliament in the June 11 and June 18 elections.

The party also hopes to pick up votes from "electoral orphans" unsatisfied with Macron and feeling betrayed by the mainstream right, National Front Secretary-General Nicolas Bay said this week.

The National Front plans to field candidates for each of France's 577 electoral districts, hoping to block Macron's movement from obtaining a majority of seats and to secure a strong bloc of its own to counter his new government.

Le Pen dismissed the notion that there were links between her loss and a series of events widely seen as potentially weakening the National Front.

The party recently lost a rising star who served as a unifier on its conservative southern flank. One of the National Front's two current lawmakers -- Le Pen's niece, Marion Marechal-Le Pen -- announced last week that she was leaving politics, at least temporarily.

Enter Jean-Marie Le Pen, who likened his granddaughter's exit from politics to a "desertion." The elder Le Pen, who was expelled from the party he co-founded because of his penchant for making anti-Semitic comments, is backing up to 200 parliamentary candidates through an ultra-conservative alliance, the Union of Patriots.

Some of the five parties represented in the alliance are headed by former National Front militants who, like Jean-Marie Le Pen, were expelled by his daughter in her bid to scrub up the party's image for the presidential contest.

His own Jeanne Committees will present some 35 of the 200 candidates. The decision smacks of revenge, but the elder Le Pen's aide denied that was the case.

"This is not meant to cause trouble for the National Front. It is to defend the values that the National Front no longer defends," the aide, Lorrain de Saint Affrique, said. The risk that other far-right parties would challenge the National Front "has existed since the National Front decided to exclude Jean-Marie Le Pen," De Saint Affrique said. "They should have thought of that then."

The competition from all but obscure parties is not a substantial threat to Le Pen, but mirrors frustrations roiling the National Front, some of which became public following Le Pen's defeat.

More menacing, her top lieutenant, Florian Philippot suggested after Le Pen's loss to Macron that he would leave the party if it decided to do away with the goal of leaving the euro currency -- a divisive proposal but at the top of Le Pen's presidential platform.

"I'm not there to keep a post at any price and defend the reverse of my deep convictions," he said last week on RMC radio.

Le Pen conceded Thursday that the subject of the euro "considerably worried the French" and would be discussed after the parliamentary elections. "We will have to take this into account, reflect," she said.

She welcomed Philippot's launching this week of an association, called The Patriots, which could be seen as the budding of a potential rival, like the movement Macron started 13 months ago, En Marche (On the Move).

"The more ideas the better," she said.
Washington: As US President Donald Trump prepared to head to Saudi Arabia today, Washington and Riyadh issued their first "joint terrorist designation" blacklisting a Hezbollah leader.

Hashem Safieddine is head of the executive council of Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Lebanese armed movement which Washington has branded a "foreign terrorist organisation".

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia joined the United States in designating Hashem Safieddine," the State Department said in a statement. "As a result, any of his assets held in Saudi Arabia are frozen, and transfers through the Kingdom's financial sector, are prohibited."

Separately, the department's Bureau of Counter terrorism tweeted that this marked the "first-ever" State Department and foreign nation "joint terrorist designation", underlining the close cooperation between US and Saudi officials.

"The action against Safieddine is the latest example of the strong partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia in combatting the financing of terrorism," the State Department said.

The official Saudi news agency SPA confirmed Safieddine's listing, and alleged he had given his organisation advice on carrying out terrorist acts and on supplying support to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Trump has chosen the kingdom as the venue of his first foreign presidential visit, and this weekend he will meet King Salman and address an audience of up to 50 leaders from across the Muslim world on the threat of extremism.

Safieddine, a Lebanese citizen who is in his 50s, is the head of Hezbollah's executive council, which runs the group's political affairs and social and economic programmes in Lebanon's Shiite community. He is a cousin of Hezbollah's overall leader Hassan Nasrallah, and is spoken of a potential candidate to succeed him and take charge of perhaps the most powerful non-state movement in an unstable region.

The US designation order did not link him to any recent Hezbollah attacks, but noted the group's historical involvement in the 1983 bombing of a US Marines barracks in Beirut, a US embassy bombing in 1984 and a passenger jet hijacking in 1985.

In the same statement, the State Department also added Muhammad al-Isawi whom it said had taken over the leadership of the Islamic State group franchise in Egypt's Sinai peninsula in August 2016 to the sanctions list.

As "specially designated global terrorists", Safieddine and al-Isawi will see any assets they hold in areas under US jurisdiction frozen, and US citizens will be forbidden from any dealings with them.

Separately but simultaneously, the US Treasury added two Yemeni tribal leaders, Hashim Muhsin Aydarus al-Hamid and Khalid Ali Mabkhut al-Aradah, to its own sanctions list, branding them leaders of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud stop for coffee following Trump's arrival in Riyadh (Photo: AFP)

Riyadh: US President Donald Trump landed in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh on Saturday for the start his first foreign tour since taking office.

A red carpet was rolled out and staircase rolled up to Air Force One minutes after it landed shortly before 9:50 am (0650 GMT) local time.

Trump and his wife Melania, who dressed conservatively in black but did not cover her hair, walked side-by-side to the tarmac where they both shook hands with Saudi King Salman.

Trump will hold talks with leaders in the ultra-conservative kingdom later Saturday and is to give a speech on "hopes for a peaceful vision of Islam" to some 50 Arab and Muslim leaders on Sunday.

The Republican president was to be accompanied by the first lady, First Daughter and presidential adviser Ivanka Trump and son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner on the first leg of his tour. Trump will also visit Jerusalem and the Vatican on his tour.

Saudi Arabia has been enthusiastic about Trump's presidency after seeing his predecessor Barack Obama as too soft on its arch regional foe Iran and cool towards Washington's bilateral relationship with Riyadh, a mainstay of the Middle East's security balance.

Trump will make stops next week in Israel, Belgium and Italy. The trip has been billed as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world's major religions while including meetings with Arab, Israeli and European leaders.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump will also seek to rebuild relations with the Muslim world on his first foreign trip starting Saturday in Saudi Arabia as political scandals mount at home.

Trump can expect a warm reception when he arrives in the oil-rich kingdom for talks with King Salman, but the domestic mood was grim following news that the FBI's investigation into his campaign's ties with Russia extends to a current senior White House official.
Negative portrayal of Hinduism has led to several instances of bullying of Hindu children in classrooms, according to Director of Hindu Education Foundation USA (HEF) Shantharam Nekkar. (Photo:

Washington: Indian-Americans have expressed anguish over the negative portrayal of Hinduism and India in the proposed California school textbooks.

"It is disappointing to see that even after a decade of building awareness by the Hindu-American community, textbooks especially by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), McGraw-Hill, Discovery and National Geographic continue to use orientalist narratives to portray Indian civilisation," said Shantharam Nekkar, director of Hindu Education Foundation USA (HEF).

Nekkar's remarks came at a public hearing conducted by the California Department of Education (CDE) at Sacramento on Thursday. For the past several years, the Indian-American community has been battling to remove several inaccuracies and myths about Hinduism from the textbooks.

The State of California mandates that the textbooks to be based on the framework laid down by the Department of Education.

The framework was revised last year amidst many controversies, including attempts by a few academics and groups to replace 'India' with 'South Asia'.

Over the past two years, the Department has made several updates to the framework based on inputs by scholars, students and the community members, mentioning Hindu concepts like Yoga and Dharma, Sages Vyasa and Valmiki and Indian achievements in science and technology.

Hindu groups pointed out that many of these changes have not reflected in the textbook drafts. "Some publishers continue to single out and denigrate Hinduism while ignoring new additions to the framework that can help present Indian civilisation on par with other civilisations and cultures," said Sharat Joshi, a parent from San Jose.

"Negative portrayal of Hinduism has led to several instances of bullying of Hindu children in classrooms," he added. The Department of Education will send its recommendations to the State Board of Education (SBE) later this year for its approval.

The textbooks recommended by the board are expected to be adopted by schools starting early next year.
Donald Trump, Melania Trump President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, wave as they board Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, prior to his departure on his first overseas trip. (Photo: AP)

New York: President Donald Trump left for Saudi Arabia on Friday on the first leg of a trip that the White House hopes will shift attention away from the political firestorm triggered by his firing last week of former FBI Director James Comey.

The trip, which also includes stops in Israel, Italy and Belgium next week, has been billed by the administration as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world's major religions while giving Trump time to meet with Arab, Israeli and European leaders.

But uproar in Washington threatened to cast a long shadow, after Comey's firing, allegations Trump had previously pressed the FBI chief to stop investigating former national security adviser Michael Flynn, and the subsequent appointment of a special counsel to look into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible ties to Trump's campaign.

"Getting ready for my big foreign trip. Will be strongly protecting American interests - that's what I like to do!" Trump said on Twitter hours before he left on his first foreign trip since taking office in January.

Trump, who has embraced what he describes as an "America First" approach to US foreign policy and international trade, is expected to be welcomed warmly by leaders in Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Lingering questions over his views on the Iran nuclear deal, commitment to NATO security and scepticism of the Paris climate agreement, however, could generate tension at meetings with European counterparts in Brussels and Sicily.

"It's almost always true that when a president goes on a big foreign trip, especially one that has some important summits ... that dominates the news and knocks most other stuff out," said Republican strategist Charlie Black.

"Whether by accident or design, this will help him in terms of Russia news for a while."

Trump, who has expressed a desire for friendlier relations with Moscow, drew a storm of criticism this week when it emerged that he had shared sensitive national security information with Russia's foreign minister during a meeting last week in the White House.

The president was already under attack for firing Comey in the midst of an FBI probe into Russia's role in the 2016 election and possible collusion with Trump campaign members. Moscow has denied any such interference. Trump has denied collusion and denounced the appointment of a special counsel as a witch hunt.

His fellow Republicans in Congress have expressed frustration that Trump's pro-business economic agenda, highlighted by a plan to cut corporate and individual taxes, have been pushed to the backburner by the turmoil.

"He clearly did have a bad two weeks. And clearly it's my hope that he does ... right the ship, that he improves so that we can just get going," Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan said on the Hugh Hewitt radio show on Friday.

Message of unity

The White House has laid out three purposes for Trump's trip: reaffirming US leadership, building relationships with world leaders and broadcasting a message of unity to US allies and to the faithful of three of the world's major religions.

Trump generated controversy as a presidential candidate with a call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States, which he called a national security plan to prevent Islamist militant attacks. A measure he has issued since taking office to impose a temporary travel ban on people from six Muslim-majority countries has been blocked by courts.

National security adviser HR McMaster told reporters on Thursday that Trump would deliver a speech in Saudi Arabia expressing hope that a peaceful vision of Islam would resonate worldwide.

The national security adviser, who publicly defended Trump this week, has a lot riding on the trip himself.

"He's already on thin ice after his attempt to defend the president's discussion of intelligence with the Russians, and he urged the president to do this trip, which may have been a bad idea," said one US official. "It's too long and covers too much ground and too many topics. If it goes badly, no matter whose fault it is, it will be HR's."

Although he kept a gruelling schedule as a presidential candidate, Trump is fond of being home at night. During the election campaign, he often flew back to New York after events to sleep in his own bed. The nine-day trip will be his longest since he became president.
New York: A 20-year-old Indian-origin Cornell University student was found dead in New York after going missing this week.

Aalaap Narasipura, a senior electrical engineering student at Cornell's College of Engineering was reported missing since Wednesday.

Cornell University Police, working with the New York State Police, the Ithaca Police Department and the Ithaca Fire Department, recovered his body on Friday from Fall Creek, a short distance upstream from Ithaca Falls.

Cornell University Police confirmed Narasipuras identity. Police said the circumstances of Narasipuras death are still under investigation, but no foul play is suspected.

No other information is available at this time. Police had searched gorges and adjacent natural areas in Ithaca. Earlier authorities had issued an advisory describing Narasipura as a dark-skinned male, 5-feet-9 inches tall.

He was last seen in the early morning of May 17 on Cornell's campus, and was wearing shorts and a flannel shirt with bright blue socks and leather sandals. Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi expressed "profound sadness" at the death of Narasipura.

He described Narasipura as an "ambitious student" who was scheduled to graduate early this December.

"He was active on the Ultimate Frisbee team, enjoyed taking photos, and planned to continue at Cornell to pursue a Master of Engineering degree," he said in a statement.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump walk with Saudi King Salman to a coffee ceremony and presentation ceremony of The Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal at the Royal Court Palace on Saturday. (Photo: AP)

The White House announced a huge arms deal with Saudi Arabia on Saturday as President Donald Trump took his first steps on the world stage, looking to leave mounting troubles behind at home.

The $110 billion deal for Saudi purchases of US defence equipment and services came at the start of an eight-day foreign tour that will also take Mr Trump to Jerusalem, the Vatican and meetings with leaders in Europe.

Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir said deals worth in excess of $380 billion were signed during Mr Trumps visit.That was a tremendous day. Tremendous investments in the United States, Mr Trump said at talks with Saudi King Salman. Hundreds of billions of dollars of investments into the US and jobs, jobs, jobs.

The US President was given a warm welcome in the oil-rich kingdom  a mood in sharp contrast to Washington where pressure is building after fresh claims over his teams alleged links to Moscow.

The President and First Lady Melania Trump were greeted by King Salman as they disembarked at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. White House spokesman Sean Spicer hailed the defence agreement as the largest single arms deal in US history.

This package of defence equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats, a White House official said.

Softer tone on Islam

Mr Trump will use his first visit to the Middle East to call for unity in the fight against radicalism in the Muslim world, casting the challenge as a battle between good and evil and urging Arab leaders to drive out the terrorists from your places of worship, according to a draft of the speech obtained by The Associated Press.

Abandoning some of the harsh anti-Muslim rhetoric of his presidential campaign, the draft of the speech, slated to be delivered in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, envisions new partnerships with Americas traditional allies in the Middle East. It notably refrains from mentioning democracy and human rights  topics Arab leaders often view as US moralising in favor of the more limited goals of peace and stability. We are not here to lecture  to tell other peoples how to live. We are here instead to offer partnership in building a better future for us all, the document said.
The Taliban have had a strong presence in the province of Ghazni for years. (Photo: AP/Representational)

Ghazni(Afghanistan): Taliban fighters launched a three-pronged attack on parts of the central-eastern Afghan city of Ghazni overnight, driving a Humvee packed with explosives into the entrance of a district governor's compound during the assault, police said on Saturday.

The assault on Ghazni, on the highway linking the capital Kabul with the southern city of Kandahar, ramps up the Taliban's spring offensive and comes as US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis prepares to present recommendations to President Donald Trump on future troop levels in Afghanistan.

In the north of the country, the Taliban has stepped up its operations and targeted Kunduz, a city that they have twice managed to seize for brief periods in the past.

The Taliban have had a strong presence in the province of Ghazni for years, but provincial police chief Aminullah Amerkhil said the overnight attack from three directions was the fiercest launched by the insurgents. However, he said his men had held out.

Hashim Zwak, the police chief of Waghaz district, was wounded in the hand during the fighting. He described how the militants drove a Humvee packed with explosives into the entrance of the district governor's compound and blew it up before other fighters tried to overrun the police defenders.

"They put all their effort into it but they could not defeat us," Zwak told from a hospital in Ghazni city.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said, however, that the fighters had gained control of Waghaz district, straddling the highway to the south of the city and fighting was continuing in other areas.

He said several members of the security forces had been killed and many vehicles destroyed along with weapons and ammunition.

The provincial police chief said the Taliban had suffered far heavier casualties, with 25 fighters killed, while only two members of the security forces died.

"The Taliban put all their pressure on Afghan security forces to take control of at least one district but we fought well and pushed them back," Amerkhil said.
Christine Assange, the mother of Julian Assange, called on the Australian Prime Minister to help her son seek political asylum abroad. She said she was happy that Sweden dropped rape charges against him.

Ms Christine later told a radio channel that she was officially calling on Malcolm Turnbull to step in, act like a prime minister, and protect a citizen. The WikiLeaks founder has been living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012, after exhausting legal avenues to prevent his extradition to Sweden. Mr Assanges legal team have also called on the Australian government to negotiate his release with US and UK. The UK has not commented on whether it has received an extradition request from the US.
London: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gave a clenched fist salute Friday after Swedish prosecutors dropped a seven-year rape allegation, but he insisted the "proper war" over his future was just beginning.

Assange stepped into the daylight on the balcony of Ecuador's London embassy, where he has been holed up since 2012, to celebrate, but said the road was "far from over".

The 45-year-old Australian's accuser was angered by the decision and Assange declined to say whether he would leave the embassy.

British police could arrest him immediately for breaching earlier bail conditions if he left the building, while US authorities have warned they regard WikiLeaks as a "hostile intelligence service".

"Today is an important victory," Assange, in a black shirt and jacket, told reporters and a small band of supporters crowded around the tiny balcony.

"But it by no means erases seven years of detention without charge. In prison, under house arrest and almost five years here in this embassy without sunlight.

"That is not something that I can forgive. It is not something that I can forget."

Uncertain future

Earlier in Stockholm, Marianne Ny, Sweden's director of public prosecutions, said the rape investigation had been dropped because there was "no reason to believe that the decision to surrender him to Sweden can be executed in the foreseeable future".

"It is no longer proportionate to maintain the arrest of Julian Assange in his absence," she said.

Assange jumped British bail by entering the embassy and claiming asylum, saying he feared he would eventually be extradited to the United States.

US justice authorities have never confirmed that they have Assange under investigation or are seeking his extradition. But US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said last month that "we will seek to put some people in jail", when asked if arresting Assange was a "priority" for Washington.

US prosecutors have been drafting a memo that looks at charges against Assange and WikiLeaks members that possibly include conspiracy, theft of government property and violations of the Espionage Act, according to The Washington Post.

US President Donald Trump's administration has put heat on WikiLeaks after it embarrassed the Central Intelligence Agency in March by releasing files and computer code from the spy agency's top-secret hacking operations.

"The road is far from over. The war, the proper war is just commencing," Assange said, noting his lawyers were in touch with British authorities and hoped to begin a dialogue about the "best way forward".

Ecuador also urged Britain on Friday to let Assange leave. "Ecuador will now be intensifying its diplomatic efforts with the UK so that Julian Assange can gain safe passage in order to enjoy his asylum in Ecuador," the country's foreign minister Guillaume Long wrote in a statement.

Assange's Swedish lawyer, Per Samuelsson, said his client plans to move to Ecuador because "it's the only nation where he is safe".

The former computer hacker said that despite the "extremely threatening remarks" emanating from Washington, he was "always ready to engage with the Department of Justice".

The department said Friday it had no comment on Assange. Asked if London would now support a request to extradite Assange to the United States, British Prime Minister Theresa May said: "We look at extradition requests on a case-by-case basis."

In Australia, his mother Christine Assange urged the Canberra government to provide him with a new passport so he could leave Britain.

"His passport's been confiscated, the Australian Government should immediately issue him another one and demand safe passage for him to take up legal asylum in Ecuador," she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"For the UK now to continue to keep him in that embassy, when he's uncharged and the warrant has expired is now breaching his human rights severely and is almost criminal," she said.

Decision a 'scandal'

In Sweden, Assange's accuser was left stunned by the prosecutors' decision. "It is a scandal that a suspected rapist can escape justice and thereby avoid the courts," her lawyer, Elisabeth Fritz, told AFP in an email.

"My client is shocked and no decision to (end the case) can make her change (her mind) that Assange exposed her to rape," she said.

The accusation against Assange dates from August 2010 when the alleged victim, who says she met him at a WikiLeaks conference in Stockholm a few days earlier, filed a complaint.

She accused him of having sex with her -- as she slept -- without using a condom despite repeatedly having denied him unprotected sex.

Assange always denied the allegations, which he feared would lead to him being extradited to face trial over the leak of hundreds of thousands of secret US military and diplomatic documents in 2010, that brought WikiLeaks to prominence.
'The soldiers were returning from a military parade, they weren't armed. Most of them were executed', spokesperson said (Photo: AFP)

Tripoli: An attack on an airbase in south Libya has killed 141 people, mostly soldiers loyal to military strongman Khalifa Haftar, a spokesman for his forces said on Friday.

Members of the Third Force militia loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord in Tripoli on Thursday attacked the base used by Haftar's self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), military sources said earlier.

LNA spokesman Ahmad al-Mesmari late Friday said the victims included civilians who worked at the Brak al-Shati airbase or were in the nearby area, also reporting that summary executions took place.

"The soldiers were returning from a military parade. They weren't armed. Most of them were executed," he said.

The GNA said in a statement late Friday a commission of inquiry had been set up to investigate the attack.

It said it had decided to suspend its defence minister, al-Mahdi al-Barghati, and the head of the Third Force from their duties until those responsible were identified.

Both the GNA and defence ministry earlier condemned the assault and said they had not ordered any such action.

The unity government, the rival administration in eastern Libya and their respective backers are battling for influence in the North African country which has been wracked by chaos since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

The LNA does not recognise the authority of the GNA, and instead supports the rival authorities based in the east.

UN envoy 'outraged'

The UN envoy to Libya earlier on Friday voiced alarm at reports of the attack on the base, 650 kilometres (400 miles) south of Tripoli.

"I am outraged by reports of significant numbers of fatalities, including civilians and by reports that summary executions may have taken place," UN envoy Martin Kobler said in a statement.

Britain's ambassador to Libya, Peter Millett, also denounced the assault. "Disgusted by attack on Brak al-Shati & reports of mass executions. Perpetrators must be brought to justice," he wrote on Twitter.

The incident at the base in Wadi al-Shati district comes a month after an attack by the LNA on the Tamenhant airbase controlled by the Third Force near the south's main city of Sebha.

That attack was called off after a reconciliation meeting between Haftar and unity government head Fayez al-Sarraj in Abu Dhabi on May 2.

The speaker of the eastern-based parliament, which is supported by the LNA, accused the Misrata-based Third Force of a "serious breach of the truce agreement reached in Abu Dhabi".

Aguila Saleh said there were a "number of martyrs" in LNA ranks, without giving a figure.

The speaker said he had given orders for the armed forces "to take the measures necessary to respond to the assault and defend the south and cleanse it of all outlaw militias".

In Tripoli, the GNA called for an immediate ceasefire in the south, where tribes and militias vie for control of lucrative smuggling routes with neighbouring Chad, Niger and Sudan.

"We hope reason will prevail and that the escalation and provocation will stop," it said.

The unity government's defence ministry laid the blame on "those who started bombing Tamenhant base with warplanes and tanks", referring to Haftar's forces.

In new violence on Friday, a pro-Haftar tribal chief, Sheikh Ibrayek Alwati, and five other people including a child were killed in a car bombing outside a mosque in the eastern city of Slouq, medical and security sources said.
The president is also facing questions about his ties with Russia during the presidential election and allegations he revealed classified material to Russias foreign minister during a meeting in the Oval Office.

The controversies include the firing of former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey amid allegations Trump wanted Comey to stop investigating former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

We look forward to getting this whole situation behind us, Donald Trump told reporters Thursday.

Donald Trump begins his maiden international trip as U.S. president Friday, leaving the White House awash in a slew of controversies that has some politicians invoking comparisons to the Watergate scandal that brought down the presidency of Richard Nixon.

Stops on the upcoming trip include Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Vatican; places sacred to three of the world's major religions.

In Saudi Arabia, Trump, who has been outspoken about his mistrust of Muslims and has tried to ban Muslims from entering the U.S., is set to deliver a speech on Islam before a group of Muslim leaders. H.R. McMaster, Trump's national security adviser, said the president is hopeful for the emergence of a peaceful vision of Islam.

Controversy precedes the U.S. president on his stop in Israel as well, following Trump's alleged disclosure of Israeli intelligence to Russian officials.

The U.S. president will also go to the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis who has said he will not make any judgments about Trump before meeting him.

Trump will then go to Belgium, where he will meet with NATO members in Brussels before ending his trip in the Sicilian town of Taormina for a G7 summit.

Sudan President Omar al-Bashir will not attend the Islamic summit with Trump in Saudi Arabia, according to Sudan's state news agency SUNA. The agency said "personal reasons" were preventing him from attending, but did not list the reasons.

Bashir has for years faced charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court for crimes committed against civilians in Darfur. He has yet to be arrested.


Baghdad: A suicide bombing near the oil-rich city of Basra killed at least eight people as the Islamic State group took the fight against Iraqi forces deep into the country's south, a military commander said Saturday.

Five civilians and three troops were killed when the bomber blew up his explosives-laden car on Friday at a checkpoint north of Basra just behind a bus waiting to be cleared, said chief of the Basra Operations Command, Lt. Gen. Jamil al-Shimmari.

At least 41 others were wounded, al-Shimmari said. A second attacker drove down a desert road after the explosion and security forces killed him, al-Shimmari added.

Basra, about 550 kilometers (340 miles) southeast of Baghdad, is home to about 70 percent of the country's proven oil reserves of 153.1 billion barrels. Located on the Persian Gulf and bordering Kuwait and Iran, the city is also Iraq's only outlet to the sea and the hub for most of the country's oil exports, with 3.23 million barrels exported from Basra last month.

In an online statement, IS claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted Shiites. The group also claimed in the statement responsibility for the double suicide bombings in Baghdad overnight that killed at least 19 people and wounded 33.

The attacks come as Iraqi forces, backed by the US led coalition, are slowly moving in on the last neighborhoods held by IS militants in the northern city of Mosul.

IS now only holds a handful of neighborhoods in that key city, including the Old City where the most intense battles of the operation are expected to play out.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani won a resounding re-election victory on Saturday as voters overwhelmingly backed his efforts to reach out to the world and rebuild the struggling economy.

Rouhani, a 68-year-old moderate cleric who spearheaded a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, took 23.5 million votes  57 per cent  compared to 15.8 million  38.3 percent  for hardline challenger Ebrahim Raisi.

But Irans efforts to open up to the world face a stark challenge from US President Donald Trump, who has threatened to tear up the nuclear deal and is currently visiting its bitter regional rival Saudi Arabia. Iranians none the less flocked to the polls, with turnout hitting 73 per cent.

Election organisers were forced to extend polling by several hours as they struggled to adapt to a population explosion that has added 20 million names to the voting rolls in the past two decades. Already last night we had the feeling we were heading for a landslide, and it came true, said Farid Dehdilani, an adviser for the Iranian Privatisation Organisation, who worked on Rouhanis campaign.

Our people reaffirmed their confidence in President Rouhani and their support for engagement with the world, he added. Raisi, 56, had positioned himself as a defender of the poor and called for a tougher line with the West. But his revolutionary rhetoric gained limited traction.

A voice of change
Accompanying her husband on his first international trip, US First Lady Melania Trump on Saturday stepped off of Air Force One conservatively dressed in long sleeves and pants to conform to the strict dress code that Saudi Arabia enforces for its female citizens. But one thing was missing from her black and gold-belted ensemble: a head scarf.

Instead, Mrs Trumps below-the-shoulder brown hair blew freely in the breeze at King Khalid International Airport in the capital city of Riyadh. Mr Trump in 2015 had criticised then-first lady Michelle Obama for not wearing a headscarf during a visit to Saudi.
Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will leave for Saudi Arabia on Sunday to attend an international Islamic conference where he is likely to meet US President Donald Trump.

Prime Minister Sharif was invited by Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin to attend the Arab Islamic American Summit. The issue of terrorism and relations between the US and Muslim countries are expected to dominate the summit.

On the sidelines of the summit, Sharif is likely to meet the world leaders who will be attending the conference, including Trump, the Geo News reported.

During the two-day visit, Sharif will also hold talks with Saudi leadership and will discuss several economic and security agreements. Sharif will also visit Masjid-e-Nabawi.

Trump reached Riyadh today on his first trip abroad since taking office. Trump is the only American president to make Saudi Arabia, or any majority Muslim country, his first stop overseas as president.

After two days of meetings in Riyadh, Trump will travel to Israel, have an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican, and meet with allies at a NATO summit in Brussels and the Group of 7 wealthy nations in Sicily.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched a fresh probe to track the funding to separatist leaders in Kashmir by 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed.



Sources told DH that a NIA team has landed in Srinagar and registered a preliminary enquiry into the funding to Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani and his associates by Saeed and other Pakistan-based militants.



After completing the preliminary investigation, the NIA is set to question Syed Geelani, Naeem Khan, Gazi Javed Baba and Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate in the coming days, they revealed.



The fresh probe comes in the backdrop of a senior Hurriyat leader spilling the beans in a TV sting operation about a Hafiz-Hurriyat nexus.



The NIA will investigate how the money sent from Pakistan was distributed in the Valley to fuel the unrest.


Security in some sensitive localities in the old city area here has been beefed up with the deployment of RAF team after tension between members of two communities over repair work at a mosque here.



A police official said today that two sides exchanged brickbats at Phool Chowk under Kotwali police station area last night.



The police had to use mild force to restore the order, the official said.



The trouble began when a shopkeeper from one community objected to the installation of a new minaret to replace a damaged one.



Police said that his shop was in the building adjoining the mosque and the shopkeeper argued the new minaret was larger than the original one and this could obstruct any future construction by him.



The mosque committee agreed to install a smaller minaret after the authorities intervened.



However, rumours started that the mosque was going to be demolished after senior district BJP leaders arrived on the spot.



SSP Rajesh Pandey told PTI the situation "is well under control" but police are taking no chances.



Rapid Action Force team has been deployed in the area and the dispute over the minaret has been resolved, he added.



Meanwhile, a senior district official is reported to have asked the members of the mosque committee as to how repair works at a place of worship were undertaken "without official permission".
US President Donald Trump has said his first trip overseas to "lands associated with three of the world's great religions" is aimed at uniting the civilised world in a fight against terrorism.



Trump, who embarked on a nine-day trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Vatican, Belgium and Italy, said in his weekly web and radio address to the nation that he would represent the views of the American people frankly and clearly.



I will be visiting with the leaders in many different countries to strengthen our old friendships, build new partnerships, and unite the civilised world in a fight against terrorism.



"In that spirit of unity, I will travel to lands associated with three of the world's great religions, Trump said.



The address was recorded prior to his departure and released after he left for Riyadh aboard Air Force One from the Joint Andrews Airforce Base yesterday.



My first stop will be Saudi Arabia  the heart of the Muslim world. There, I will address a historic gathering of the leaders of more than 50 Muslim nations, he said.



Many world leaders, he said, had expressed growing concern about terrorism, the spread of radicalization, and Iran's role in funding both.



Now it appears Muslim leaders are ready to take more responsibility and a much bigger role in fighting terrorism in their region. Its about time we do it, well do it together, but it has to be done, he said.



America cannot solve all of the world's problems, but we can  and we must  help any nation willing to join in the common cause of eradicating terrorism from the face of the earth, Trump said.



From Saudi Arabia, the president said, he travels to the ancient city of Jerusalem for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on bringing peace and prosperity to both the nations.



Israel is an important American ally, but in recent years we haven't always treated them that way, he said, adding that it was time to renew this friendship.



While I'm there, I'll also meet with President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority in Bethlehem to discuss ways to advance peace between Israel and the Palestinians.



Next on his itinerary is the Vatican where he said he would have the great honour of an audience with Pope Francis. He looks forward to speaking with the Pope about how Christian teachings can help put the world on a path to justice, freedom and peace.



I will also meet with friends and allies in Europe at a gathering of NATO in Brussels and at the G-7 Summit in Italy.



"Finally, I will close my trip by saying thank you to some of the courageous men and women of the United State Military serving their nation overseas.



Referring to his inaugural address, Trump said he pledged to strengthen America's oldest friendships, to seek new partners in pursuit of peace and, above all, to always put American people first.



I also pledged that our partners must show that theyre partners, they must show that theyre friends, and they must contribute financially to the tremendous cost  the money that were spending  is so big; its so much, and its not fair for our nation, Trump said.
The famed Sri Krishna temple here today received a threat call, following which its security has been tightened, police said.



The temple officials received a call from an unknown person in the morning and threatened that the shrine would be "destroyed".



The caller alleged that there was corruption in the administration of the Temple, police said.



Based on a complaint from the temple management, a case was registered and investigation was on. Steps were on to collect Call Detail Record (CDR), they said.



More police personnel were deployed in the temple premises and bomb squad intensified checks, police said.



The Guruvayur Sri Krishna temple is one of the major pilgrimage centres in the Kerala, visited by millions of devotees every year.
China will focus on smart manufacturing by integrating the strategy of Made in China 2025 with the Internet Plus initiative, and with entrepreneurship and innovation to upgrade the countrys traditional industries and help advance economic restructuring.

The decision was made at a State Council executive meeting presided over by Premier Li Keqiang on May 17, when a report on the strategys implementation was delivered.

Since implementing the strategy in 2015, China has seen steady progress in industrial capabilities, smart manufacturing, innovations, and product quality and branding. A recent case in point was the passenger jet C919, which took its first test flight earlier this month.

The meeting decided to focus on smart manufacturing and further deploy new technologies such as industrial internet to turn manufacturing into a smarter and greener sector offering better services and products.

Average productivity was up by 38 percent for Chinas first 109 pilot projects in smart manufacturing, while operating costs dropped by 21 percent, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The Premier said Made in China 2025, as a crucial part of supply-side structural reform, is vital to moving the countrys economy up the value chain. The key is to exploit the advantages of Chinas domestic market and human resources, as well as further promoting basic research and innovations, he said.

Implementation of the strategy has introduced strength to the real economy, especially equipment manufacturing. However, we should also stay aware of our weak links, as much of the industry is at the medium and lower end of global supply, Premier Li said.

Made in China 2025 was first unveiled in his Government Work Report in March 2015. Two months later, the State Council released a guideline focusing on five key projects, including smart manufacturing, and 10 key fields such as new materials.

Key technologies will be at the top of the agenda, including independent research and development. Innovative development in fields such as new materials and robots will be accelerated.

As of May 17, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has approved pilot regions for the strategy, namely 12 cities such as Ningbo in Zhejiang province and three city clusters in provinces such as Jiangsu. Some of them will be designated as national demonstration areas, which will get favorable policies in investment, financing and other fields.

The Premier urged establishing demonstration areas, where small and medium-sized enterprises can develop with large companies for collaborated growth and greater global competitiveness.

The meeting also decided to cultivate a new model of incorporating the manufacturing sector with the internet Plus initiative. The country was set to strengthen cooperation with other countries to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

China will introduce advanced management while raising quality standards and making companies keep quality as a priority. More efforts will be made to attract and recruit talent from home and abroad. More items for government approvals will be streamlined with lower threshold for market access and improved oversight to nurture an excellent business environment. Greater financing support will be given to the real economy to increase resources for industrial upgrading. Intellectual property rights will also be given greater emphasis to safeguard the legitimate rights of market entities.
The Shiv Sena today asked the government not to get over excited over the ruling given by the International Court of Justice in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case until the Indian national is brought back home safely.



It, however, hailed the efforts taken by the External Affairs Ministry to secure the release of the former Navy officer, who has been sentenced to death by a military court in Pakistan on espionage charges.



"Pakistan's arguments have been decimated in the court at The Hague. But the fight has not ended yet. We cannot forget the handiwork of Pakistan and also Sarabjit Singhs murder in a Lahore jail. Thus, the government should not get over excited over the ICJ order and remember that worries won't end till Kulbhushan Jadhav is brought back safely," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.



It said the diplomatic moves made by the External Affairs Ministry from the very beginning proved to be important in Jadhavs case.



"External Affairs minister (Sushma Swaraj) had been from the beginning assuring that India will do everything possible to save Jadhav's life and her assurances have proved true at the first stage. She needs to be congratulated for this," it said.



The Sena also praised Indias lawyer at the International Court of Justice, Harish Salve, saying the credit of the interim order going in Indias favour went to the effective way he presented our case, laying out facts and the manner in which Pakistan had violated clauses of the Vienna Convention.



Since Jadhav's arrest last year in March, India had sought consular access to him over a dozen times. It wasn't granted even once by Pakistan.



On May 18, in a major boost to India, which moved the UN's highest judicial body against the death sentence, the ICJ instructed Pakistan to take all "necessary measures at its disposal" to ensure that Jadhav was not executed pending a final decision by it.
Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa, the Chief of Air Staff, has written a personal letter to each officer in the Indian Air Force, asking them 'to be prepared for operations with our present holdings, at a very short notice'.



Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa sent the letter on March 30 when the increasing number of terror attacks on military camps and the rising public unrest in Jammu and Kashmir caused serious concern in the government.



"In the present scenario, there is an ever persistent sub-conventional threat. Therefore, we need to be prepared for operations with our present holdings, at a very short notice. Training needs to be focused towards this," said the letter sent to nearly 12,000 officers of the IAF.



Though Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa did not mention Pakistan by name, his reference to the 'sub-conventional threat' was seen as a reference to the 'proxy war' by the Pakistan.



This is the first time that an IAF chief has written a personal letter to all officers, although two Army chiefs, Field Marshal (then General) K M Cariappa on May 1, 1950 and General K Sundarji on February 1, 1986 have sent a personal letter to their men.



Alluding to the Air Force facing a shortage of manpower and equipment, the IAF chief said, "There is no choice but to stay abreast of new technological advancements both own as well as that of our adversaries. Only then will we come out with war-winning, out of the box solutions."



The Air Chief Marshal's reference to making the optimum use of "our present holdings" appeared to underscore the fact the IAF, which is authorised to have 42 squadrons of fighter aircraft, has now only 33 squadrons.



Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa, who took as IAF chief on December 31 last year, also asked his officers to be "combat effective professionals," saying that "in the recent past, there have been instances and occasions where lack of professionalism has shown the IAF in poor light."



Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa said "we have been witness to a few instances of 'favouritism' in the selection of officers for prime assignments and promotions" adding, "This is something we can ill afford."



He also warned the erring officials saying, "abusive behaviour, resorting to physical intimidation and behaviour amounting to sexual harassment by seniors is not acceptable."
Indian and Chinese scholars today participated in a seminar in China's Fuzhou city on cultural linkages shared between the two countries since ancient times.



The Consulate General of India in Guangzhou and Fujian Museum, Fuzhou, in collaboration with Fujian Provincial People's Government Foreign Affairs Office and Department of Culture organised an international seminar titled 'IndiaChina Cultural Linkages since Ancient Times' at Fujian Museum on May 19.



It was part of the ongoing Indian Art Exhibition "Gupta Art and Chinese Parallel 400-700 AD" in Fujian Museum, a statement from the Indian Consulate in Guangzhou said today. The seminar was addressed by eminent scholars from India and China, it said.



The Indian side was led by Karam Tej Singh Sarao, Professor at Department of Buddhist Studies, University of Delhi and Y K Sailas Thangal, Consul General of the Indian Consulate in Guangzhou.



Singh Sarao is an acclaimed scholar of Indology, Buddhism and Pali language, the statement said.



From the Chinese side, Fu Qi Sheng Director General of Fujian Provincial Bureau of Cultural Heritage, Curator of Fujian Museum Wu Zhi Yue and scholars from Fujian Academy of Social Sciences and professors and scholars (Indologists) from various parts of China presented their research papers.



The Indian Art 'Gupta Art and Chinese Parallel 400-700 AD', the exhibition was opened at the Fujian Museum on January 25, 2017.



The exhibits are some of the most important and rare artefacts of ancient Indian sculptures that travelled to China under an agreement signed between the two countries.



The sculptures being exhibited are sourced from nine Indian museums consists of both Buddhists and Hindu art of Gupta period. The exhibition attracted large number of Chinese art lovers and appreciated for the display of rare artefacts which belongs to the history of India and China dating back to 400 AD. Earlier the exhibition was held in Palace Museum in Beijing.



The presentations and subsequent discussions touched upon the close historical contacts and linkages between the people of India and China both in cultural, trade and commerce since the ancient times, the statement said.



The seminar is yet another important event being organised by the Consulate in the run up to the forthcoming BRICS Summit which is to be held in Xiamen in September this year, it said.
A national bravery award winning boy - who was honoured by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year - and his brother has been missing from Jalgaon district - prompting the police to form special teams and launch a massive manhunt to track down the two brothers.



The boys - Nilesh (12) and Ganpat (7) - are missing from Muktainagar in Jalgaon district and there are fears that the duo could have been kidnapped.



Their parents Revaram Bhil and Sundarbai - both work as labourers in farms - lodged a complaint with the Muktainagar police station on Friday evening. Another brother, Nikesh (10), is safe at home.



According to the complaint, on Tuesday, everything was okay and then the Bhil couple reached home, their three children were playing. While Nilesh went missing on Wednesday, Ganpat went missing on Thursday.



"Police has registered a case and investigations are underway. All efforts are being made to trace them," senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse, a six-time MLA from Muktainagar and former Revenue Minister told Deccan Herald.



Inspector Vandana Sonawane, the investigation officer said that investigations were in progress and no stones are being left unturned. "We have published appeals to the public in the local media today, put up posters with photos of both the boys at various public places, markets, bus and railway stations," Sonawane said.



Informed sources said that this is not the first time that Nilesh went missing. "Nilesh had gone out of home twice, but for one or two days and had returned," the sources said, adding: "What is a matter of concern that this time two brothers are missing." Besides, both had disappeared on different days - and this has led to fears that they could have been kidnapped. "We are also looking at various angles including rivalry involving the family or ransom or they went missing or they went into jungles and could not trace the route back," the sources said.

The Bravery Awards



Nilesh had received the General National Bravery Award in January 2016 - coinciding with the Republic Day celebrations - from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for saving a village boy from drowning in a water tank the previous year. The National Bravery Award scheme, initiated by the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW), are awarded to children in the age group of 6-18 years for exemplary acts of bravery. The awards consist of five categories, including the Bharat Award, Sanjay Chopra Award, Geeta Chopra Award, Bapu Gaidhani Award and the General National Bravery Awards. The awardees receive a medal, a certificate, and cash prize. Bharat Award winners get a gold medal, while the others receive silver. The cash amount ranges from Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000.
The challenge to prove that EVMs can be tampered with will start from June 3, the Election Commission announced today, asserting that the machines are tamper-proof.



The announcement came over a week after the Election Commission threw down the gauntlet to political parties to prove that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) used in the recent assembly polls were tampered with.



"The EVM challenge will start from June 3," Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said, addressing a press conference.



He said people who had questioned reliability of EVMs have not yet submitted any proof or credible material to support their claim.



Zaidi said replacement of the internal circuit of EVMs is not possible at all. "Our EVMs have strong technological features and are tamper-proof," he said.



Zaidi rubbished the Aam Aadmi Party's claim that EVMs could be tampered with, and said no manipulation of the machines is possible.



He also said that improving the election process is a responsibility of all stakeholders and the EC is taking all necessary steps in this regard.



Several major opposition parties had claimed that the faith of people in the machines has eroded.



The BSP and AAP had alleged that the machines used in the recent assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjab were tampered with and favoured the BJP. Later, several other parties had joined the chorus and waned the EC to revert to paper ballots.



The EC has already announced that it will ensure paper trail of voting in all future elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
Police today fired in the air to disperse a mob which blocked roads here, demanding the arrest of those involved in the lynching of four persons of a community in Seraikela-Kharswan district.



"Police fired in the air and hurled tear gas shells to disperse the mob. However, the situation is under control now and adequate force have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order, Deputy Commissioner of East Singhbhum district Amit Kumar said.



The protesters gathered in the Mango area here demanding immediate arrest of the culprits involved in the lynching of four person of their community under Rajnagar police station area, police said.



The members of a community also put up road blockade in Dhatkidih under Bistupur police station area of East Singhbhum district, disrupting traffic movement.



Four persons were lynched on Thursday by villagers suspecting them to be child lifters in Seraikela-Kharswan district.



Three others were also lynched on the suspicion of being child lifters on the same day at Nagadih in East Singhbhum district.



Meanwhile, Muslim Ekta Manch (MEM) today submitted a memorandum to Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das through the deputy commissioner demanding the arrest of the culprits.



The MEM demanded stringent action against those involved in spreading child lifting rumours.



The Congress today alleged that there was "jungle raj" in the state.



"Beginning from Jamshedpur, Seraikela, Dhanbad and Bokaro, the rumours of child lifting has been gaining ground for the last seven days, which led to lynching," AICC spokesperson Ajoy Kumar in a statement.



Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das had yesterday announced Rs 2 lakh compensation to the family members of each victim lynched by the villagers in Seraikela-Kharswan and East Singhbhum districts on the suspicion of being child lifters.



Das had strongly condemned the incidents and directed the officials to identify the miscreants who spread rumours about child lifters and those taking law in their own hands.
The Pakistani-origin lawyer who represented Pakistan in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had been hired by the UPA government in 2004 to argue an arbitration case, the BJP said today.



Accusing the Congress of being Pakistan's voice on a host of issues, BJP spokesperson G V L Narsimha Rao said the party must explain why its government hired Khawar Qureshi in the "very sensitive" Enron case.



The Congress-led UPA government had changed the legal team representing India in the arbitration case against the US firm over the controversial Dabhol power project, he said.



This was a question linked to "patriotism", Rao told reporters.



"What was the compulsion that the UPA government hired Qureshi?... Over the last few years, we have seen several incidents of the Congress speaking in support of Pakistan. It was speaking in Pakistan's voice on the surgical strikes as well," Rao told reporters.



Citing the example of Harish Salve, who was the lead counsel for India at the ICJ this week, he said it was surprising that the UPA government could not find an Indian lawyer to represent the country in such a sensitive case.



Rao named Congress leaders Salman Khurshid and Mani Shankar Aiyar as instances of Congress leaders allegedly speaking in support of Pakistan.



The ICJ this week stayed the execution of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was arrested by Pakistan on charges of espionage and subversive activities. While Pakistan claims he was nabbed from Balochistan, India maintains that he was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.
BJP national president Amit Shah today said the 'Kashmir problem' emerged because of Congress, expressing confidence that Narendra Modi led NDA government will soon control the present situation in the Valley.



"What else Congress can say. Kashmir problem emerged because of Congress," Shah said while addressing media here today.



He was asked to respond to the Congress allegations, which had reportedly accused NDA government of failing to control the situation in Kashmir.



Concerned over the "disturbed" situation in the Valley, the Congress had formulated a policy-planning group for Jammu and Kashmir on April 19, to take forward the peace initiative in the state.



The policy-planning group is chaired by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and includes former Home Minister P Chidambaram and CWC members Karan Singh and Ghulam Nabi Azad, besides the J-K Congress in charge Ambika Soni.



The Congress has been critical of the Centre as well as the PDP-BJP coalition government over the handling of the situation in J-K since July last year.



When asked about Kashmiri students indulging in stone pelting at the security personnel, Shah said such situations had emerged in the past as well.



"Kashmir faced such situations several times since 1989 (since onset of militancy in the state). It is not for the first time that such a situation had erupted and these situations were controlled. Whenever security agencies adopted a tough stand, such situations arose. I am confident that this situation will soon be controlled," he said.



Praising the three-year old regime of Modi government at the Centre, he said the NDA government has worked for the upliftment of poor, downtrodden, labourers and farmers.



He said the present government at the Centre has taken a bold step like demonetisation to contain spread of black money to a large extent and boost country's economy.



Welcoming the International Court of Justice (ICJ) order, which stayed the execution of former Naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, he termed it as "a very big achievement" for the government.



Earlier, a large number of BJP workers and supporters accorded a grand welcome to Amit Shah at the airport here this morning and organised a roadshow, while escorting him to the party office in the city.



The BJP chief is on a 110-day country-wide tour, which began in Jammu last month. His tour will be in two phases-- 95 days and 15 days. With an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Shah is travelling across states to strategise and find ways to strengthen the party at the grass-root level.



Shah was received by Chandigarh BJP president Sanjay Tandon, the party's local MP Kirron Kher and others.



"Chandigarh is the fourth place on Shah's itinerary for the 95-day tour which began with his visit to Jammu on April 29. The BJP chief has also visited Himachal Pradesh and Tripura," Tandon said.
Premier Li Keqiang called for the enhancement of bilateral ties with the Philippines during his meeting with Pantaleon Alvarez, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, on May 19 in Beijing.

Premier Li said a solid friendship between China and the Philippines serves the fundamental interests of both countries and people, and are conducive to regional peace and development.

China is willing to strengthen mutual political trust with the Philippines, expand beneficial cooperation and reinforce exchanges at all levels, said the Premier.

He also called for efforts to expand common ground and properly handle differences to consolidate public support for normal and stable bilateral ties.

In addition, the Premier hopes to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the legislative bodies of China and the Philippines.

Premier Li also mentioned that as this year marks the 50th anniversary of ASEAN, China supports the work of the Philippines as the rotating presidency of ASEAN, and is ready to work with all sides to promote China-ASEAN relations and regional cooperation in East Asia.

Alvarez said both of the Philippines houses of Congress support President Rodrigo Dutertes efforts in improving and developing its relations with China.

The pragmatic cooperation between the Philippines and China has constantly reaped new achievements, which are conducive to consensus and cooperation among Asian countries, Alvarez said.

He also welcomed Premier Lis visit to the Philippines this year and attendance to leaders meetings on East Asian cooperation.
Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Jairam Ramesh on Saturday blamed Modi government for failing to generate enough employment opportunities in the country.



In the past two years Modi government could generate less than four lakh jobs against its claim of over 2 crore jobs per annum. As per the Union governments figures, only 1.50 lakh jobs were created in 2015 while two lakh in 2016, Ramesh said on Saturday while addressing media persons in the city.



The Modi government, that completes three years on May 16, can be best defined by the phrase, 'Adhiktam Prachar, Nyuntam Vichar'. (maximum propaganda, minimum thought process).



He alleged that job growth had slackened as investment had dried up. He also hit out at Modi government for what he called poor track record in the field of agriculture and rural development.



The Minimum Support Price (MSP) (of farm produce) grew at the slowest pace. MSP for paddy grew at 9 percent annually during the last three years of Manmohan Singh governments tenure. This has shrunk to 3.4 percent per annum under the NDA rule, he said.



"Procurement of wheat too has come down by 60 lakh tons in last two years. This has been compensated by imports. This is the Make in India in agricultre!".



Ramesh also again hit out at Modi government on the issue of demonetization of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination notes, saying that though the decision was announced on November 8, 2016, it has been six months and the Modi government is yet to divulge details on how much money was deposited in the banks.
The separatists should take a moral high ground and come out clean on the sting operation by a Delhi-based television channel which showed them allegedly being involved in subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir, Independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid said today.



His remarks came in the wake of the sting operation on separatists Nayeem Khan and Farooq Dar alias Bitta Karate wherein they confessed to receiving money from Pakistan-based terror groups.



"I humbly request Hurriyat (Conference) friends as citizens of the state and as well wishers of the mass resistance...you are representing the sentiment and you should take a moral high ground as people have a right to know the truth behind these attempts to defame Kashmiris," he told reporters here.



The legislator said the Hurriyat had nothing to hide.



"Money is needed everywhere. People will continue to offer money, but their means should be good and it is better if everything is transparent. I am sure Hurriyat has nothing to hide because they are representing the sentiment," he said.



The Independent MLA also asked the media to follow journalistic ethics while reporting on Kashmir.

"There should not be a race for TRPs by defaming or insulting Kashmiris," he said.



In a similar vein, Rashid condemned the breach of privacy of separatist leader Yasin Malik, wherein a female journalist allegedly barged into his bedroom.



Rashid claimed that he was also approached by those behind the sting operation. "They offered me loads of money which I refused. I told them I did not need money for speaking the truth," he said.



The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has named Nayeem Khan and Farooq Dar alias Bitta Karate along with Naeem Khan in its Preliminary Enquiry (PE) against the alleged role of separatists in carrying out subversive activities in the Kashmir Valley, including pelting security forces with stones, damaging public property and burning schools and other government establishments.
She believed if she raised a slogan from the world's highest peak she would be heard.



Her message: 'Fight Against Human Trafficking'.



Kanchhi Maya Tamang, a trafficking survivor, summited Mt Everest with the message this morning, and in turn became the first Tamang woman from Nepal to scale the 8,848-metre peak. Tamang also carried a banner through her arduous trek that read, "we are people, not property".



Not alone in her belief, the returnee migrant worker from Sindhupalchowk - a three-hour drive from capital Kathmandu - was accompanied by 19 other climbers who found a fair weather to make final summit pushes.



Tamang reached the peak at 6:00 am, officials said.



In association with UN Women, Tamang and Pemba Dorje Sherpa climbed Mt Everest to spread the message from the roof of the world. It was the first time that someone climbed Mt Everest for women's empowerment and gender equality, according to UN Women Nepal.



"Dorje has scaled Mt Everest 16 times," said Gyanendra Shrestha, a liaison officer at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.



Besides Kanchhi Maya and Pemba Dorje, the 19 other climbers included nine Nepalese and the rest were foreigners.



Everest has seen a record number of climbers this season due to a backlog resulting from the 2014 and 2015 avalanches. More than 375 climbers from around the world have been waiting for weather to improve to make summit attempts.



As many as 25 climbers, including six Indians, stood atop the world's highest peak from the Tibetan side after nine rope-fixing Sherpas opened a climbing route to the summit point earlier this month.

Officials say nearly 150 climbers will make their final summit pushes from north side within the next couple of days.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's much talked about 'Anti-Romeo Squad' seems to have turned into a 'Shakespearean tragedy' and is set to be rechristened very soon.



Apparently bowing to all the flak following the alleged humiliation of couples and lovers by the squad, the UP government was contemplating to change its name to 'Nari Suraksha Dal' (women protection squad).



According to the sources, the state government was also considering to give more powers to the Dal and include more women in the squad. ''A proposal to change the name of the squad is under consideration...it is likely to be finalised shortly,'' said a senior police official here on Saturday. He also said that the new squad would work under a woman officer.



The decision to rechristen the 'Anti-Romeo Squad' comes in the wake of severe criticism from the women's rights activists across the country, who had termed it ''unconstitutional'' and ''illegal'' and demanded its immediate dismantling.



''Surely it is not the way to protect and make the women feel safe.....these squads are attacking the women's ability to take decisions and progressive thinking'', said women's rights activist Madhvi Kuckreja.

''What is disconcerting is that these squads decide what is moral...they are picking up Romeos on the basis of doubts'', Madhvi added.



The opposition parties had also criticised the government over the squad. Some activists had also objected to the name 'anti-Romeo' saying that in the Shakespeare's play 'Romeo and Juliet', Romeo had been depicted as an ideal lover and not someone, who passed lewd comments on the girls.



Setting up such a squad was one of the poll agenda of the BJP. The party had maintained that it had been performing its duty in a just and fair manner. But there have been reports of the humiliation of lovers and young couples by the squad.






BJP president Amit Shah today exuded confidence that his party will win the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with even bigger mandate than what it got in 2014.



Praising the Narendra Modi government, he said it has send out a positive message to people that the BJP-led regime was decisive.



"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emerged as most popular leader of the country after country's Independence, there is no doubt in this," he told reporters during a press conference.



With an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he is on a 110- day country-wide tour, which began in Jammu last month. Shah is travelling across the states to strategise and strengthen the party at the grass-root level. He said that the BJP, which started with ten members, today has got 11 crore membership, making it world's biggest political party.



The BJP president said the party had done well in the recent assembly polls in the states.



With the BJP-led NDA government soon completing three years in office, Shah said, "In this country dynasty, casteism and appeasement had been plaguing the country's politics for a long time".



"The nation's politics has moved forward under the BJP leadership to get rid of these ills," he said.



Shah said that the results of assembly polls of Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand, where BJP got absolute majority, "has proved that people have whole heartedly accepted and appreciated three year-rule of the Modi government."



"We have been in power for nearly three years now, but even our political opponents have not been able to point any finger at us on corruption, which is a biggest achievement of our government," he said.



The BJP chief said the NDA government worked for uplift of poor, downtrodden, labourers and farmers and also took bold steps like demonetisation to contain spread of black money to a large extent and boost the country's economy.



Shah described as "a very big achievement" of the government the order of International Court of Justice (ICJ) which stayed the execution of former naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav.



Asked about his reaction about a Pakistani-origin lawyer, who represented Pakistan in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case at the ICJ had been hired by the UPA government in 2004 to argue an arbitration case, Shah said, "The nation knows about the character of the Congress, what should I say?"



Further, when asked about the Jadhav case in ICJ, he said, "I feel that Harish Salve presented the side of Kulbhushan Jadhav and government convincingly at the international forum and it is a very big relief for the family of Jadhav and for country. I feel that it is a very big achievement of the Government of India."



Asked about the farmers' suicide in the recent past, Shah said, "The central government is commited to save the country's farmers. But the deterioration that had taken place place (over past several years) could not be set right in one day".



On the allegations of tampering of electronic voting machines (EVM) by the AAP, Shah said, "I want to ask the AAP leaders that they got 67 seats out of 70 (in Delhi assembly polls) from which EVMs, you just ask them".

Address the media, Shah said that from north to south, BJP is increasing its base.



"In Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal and Tripura, we are concentrating on these states and we have been able to garner the people's support there," he said.



Speaking about the BJP's presence in the country, he said, "In various Vidhan Sabhas around the country, there are 1387 BJP MLAs, 13 governments in various states are of the BJP and at four places we are in power with our allies."



He said the country's economy "which was in bad shape during the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government is today fastest growing economy in the world."



"On the GST, we undertook the exercise to bring all parties and stakeholders together and to bring it as law. It is also a big achievement of our government," he said.



He said when the BJP came to power, there were 60 per cent people who did not have even a single bank account.



"Today, 28.7 crore bank accounts have been opened under Jan Dhan account. Under Jan Dhan scheme, there is not a single family now which does not have a bank account," he said.



"We were committed to clean politics and in this regard we have taken steps to rein in black money," he said, pointing out "bold step" on demonetisation taken in this regard. "We started a campaign against shell companies who were involved in black money," he said.



He said over 90 lakh tax payers have been enrolled within one year, which is biggest figure after Independence.



He said when Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, "then he had said the BJP government will be of poor, labourers and farmers".



"We have taken a number of steps for the farmers and launched many schemes for them. The government constructed four crore toilets for the poor," he said, elaborating out several pro-people initiatives of the Modi government.
Former BJP MP Ram Bilas Vedanti and four others, including Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Champat Rai, all accused in the Babri Mosque demolition case, on Saturday surrendered before a special CBI court here.



All of them were later granted bail on furnishing a personal bond of rupees 20 thousand each.



The leaders surrendered in the wake of the Supreme Court's order for restoring the criminal conspiracy charge against senior BJP leaders, including L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti, in the Babri Mosque demolition case and transferring the trial from the Raebareli special court to Lucknow.



The matter would now be heard on Monday. Speaking to reporters after being granted bail, Vedanti said that the disputed structure had been demolished to pave the way for the Ram Temple.



He reiterated that it was he, who asked the Karsevaks to demolish the structure and not Advani or Uma Bharti.
Moving the American embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would end the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, a senior Palestinian official said today.



"We believe that moving the US embassy to Jerusalem would mean the end of the peace process," Saeb Erekat, second-in-command of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), said days ahead of a visit to the region by US President Donald Trump.



Trump promised during his election campaign to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, whose status is one of the thorniest issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.



The new US ambassador to Israel David Friedman, who took up office on Monday, has also backed the move.

There has been no movement so far on the pledge which would break with decades of American policy on the city, home to some of the holiest sites in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.



The Palestinians and the Arab world fiercely oppose such a move which the international community has warned could spark fresh unrest.



"I hope that President Trump would give us a chance," Erekat said at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa at the Jordanian Dead Sea resort of Sweimeh.



"He said... he will not impose solutions on us or on the Israelis," Erekat said. "(But) the fact that he is going to move the embassy is imposition, is dictation."



Erekat said a Palestinian state without east Jerusalem as its capital would have "no meaning".



Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed the east of the city in a move never recognised by the international community.



Trump, who arrived in Saudi Arabia Saturday on his first foreign tour since taking office, is set to visit Israel on Monday and the occupied Palestinian territories on Tuesday.
Gunmen stormed a bank in southeastern Afghanistan today, killing three people and wounding over 30 more, officials said, as the country struggles with a rise in violent attacks.



Five attackers, armed with suicide vests and guns, forced their way inside after one of them blew themselves up at the entrance of New Kabul Bank in Gardez, the capital of Paktia province, Abdullah Hasrat the provincial spokesman told AFP.



"People were queueing to receive their monthly salaries from the bank when they were attacked," he said.



Abdul Wali the deputy provincial governor said most of people in the bank were members of the security forces.



"After around two hours of stand off, all the attackers were killed. Unfortunately, two police and a civilian also lost their lives," he said adding that 31 other people were wounded.



No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but militants such as Taliban and the Islamic State group have previously carried out similar attacks, including on banks where Afghan security forces regularly collect their pay.



In 2014, an attack on Kabul Bank killed at least ten people, including five police, in Lashkar Gah, the capital of volatile Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.



Similarly, a Taliban attack on a bank killed around 40 people in Jalalabad, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province in 2011.
The CPI ministers on Wednesday opined that the Cabinet should consider the Media Regulation Bill only after a detailed study as there are possibilities of the move stirring controversy at the national-level.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today quizzed three Kashmiri separatists in connection with its probe into the role of Lashker-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed and hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani in subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir.



The NIA team, headed by the Additional Director General, had asked Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmed Dar alias 'Bitta Karate' and Gazi Javed Baba to appear before it for for their explanation on an expose on a television channel where they had claimed receiving funds from Pakistan.



After initial reluctance, the three separatists fell in line and were questioned separately by the team of NIA, which named them in its Preliminary Enquiry (PE) yesterday.



The NIA team will be gathering evidence collected by the Jammu and Kashmir Police about the burning of schools as Khan had claimed that the educational institutions were targeted as per the plans hatched from across the border.



The schools were targeted last year after banned Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8.



Besides these three, NIA has named Saeed and Geelani in the PE, which precedes the filing of a case.



Nayeem Khan, who was suspended by Geelani from Hurriyat today, was seen on television during the sting operation purportedly confessing to receiving money from Pakistan-based terror groups.



Geelani suspended Khan's National Front from the basic membership of the Hurriyat Conference until the clarification of all the related issues comes to fore and the truth comes out, a spokesman for the hardline leader said.



Khan had held a press conference here in which he claimed that the video was "doctored" and challenged the channel to run his full video instead.



"The video is doctored, simulated and a collage of bits and pieces. It does not have a shred of credibility. The agenda of Indian media is to defame the Kashmir struggle and pro-freedom leadership," he said.



The NIA's PE alleged that the separatists were receiving funds from the LeT chief to carry out subversive activities in the Kashmir Valley, including pelting security forces with stones, damaging public property and burning schools and other government establishments.



The NIA took cognisance of the news item related to a recording of conversations between a TV reporter and leaders of separatist groups operating in the Kashmir Valley in this regard.
Belize is a dot on the map, located in the narrow strip connecting the two Americas. The tiny country shares a border with Mexico, and those who have heard about Belize, know it mostly for the deep blue sea, as well as the Great Blue Hole, a large underwater sinkhole off its coast. Incidentally, with a drop of over 400 feet, its also the largest sea hole in the world.



But there is more to Belize. Seldom do people know it for the various delicacies. From tamales to chicken tacos, the country is home to some delicious corn-based specialties that go well with cocktails made with Caribbean rum.



But what catches attention here are the corn tortillas and masa (which means dough in Spanish). So popular are the tortillas that the local populace eats it with anything. Even with dumplings, as the Chinese living in Belize are known to do. Fuelled by such demand, masa is prepared in large quantities in little factories that are located across the country.



Factors & factories

Belize is divided into five districts and each of them has its share of corn tortilla factories. But, closer to the north in Corozal and Orange Walk, you will find more tortilla factories because of the influence of the product from the neighbouring country of Mexico. Factory workers will have you know that unlike eating them, the making is tedious.



Most factories start operations on a daily basis at 4 am! As I walked into Tortilleria Chicos (located on a busy highway in Corozal), the fragrant smell of freshly ground corn was overpowering. It was like being trapped in a giant can of Green Giant corn, easily the most popular can of corn in any neighbourhood supermarket in India or abroad.



Tortilleria Chicos is believed to have gotten its name from the founder Munda Remunda Medina (fondly known as Ms Medina by the local folk). The tale that most people like to narrate is that she had a little (chico in Spanish) boy whom she brought up. Medina is said to have named this factory after him in 1981. She and her husband resided in the wooden bedroom that had an attached kitchen and a bathroom above the tortilla factory, which has been left undisturbed after Medinas death. It s believed that like this boy, Medina looked after many children.



While Medina and her husband never had children, she was extremely fond of kids. When her brothers daughter was little, she asked if she could look after her niece but was denied the opportunity as her folks were extremely fond of their daughter.



When Medina got old and needed somebody to take care of her, it was this niece who moved in to help and manage the factory. Maria Cocoon, the niece, trained under Medina at the factory and thus became its inheritor.



The matriarch of the family, 64-year-old Cocoon, once took care of seven children  five of her own, a grandchild and a friend of her oldest childs kid, along with the factory. Today, she doesnt visit the factory at all. Her three sons, Anjef, Rohel and Ademir, along with his wife Delisa, manage the factorys operations.

Delisas maternal family makes bread in Orange Walk. Before marriage, she would eat bread but now eats only corn tortilla.



Along with the family members, there are 16 workers at Tortilleria Chicos, working six days a week for roughly eight hours a day.



All through my chat with the 26-year-old Delisa, the smell of corn seeped through the planks of the wooden house and its wooden furniture. Raw corn bought from suppliers by the pound is first cleaned and cured. It is cooked with a few extra secret ingredients and made into masa. The masa is then passed through the grinder and rolled into tortillas in a machine.





On a good week, the factory prepares about 1,000 kilos of corn tortillas. Another popular corn tortilla is the maseca tortilla, which is very much like the tortilla available in Mexico. The only factory in the Corozal district of Belize that sells maseca tortillas is Ronnys Tortilla Factory, located in a small by-lane. Named after the founder of the factory, Ronny started this business eight years ago. Like every other corn tortilla factory in Belize, even this factory starts production at 4 am. Workers dont continue working at a factory for long because its a demanding job, in the sense that it involves attending to a lot of machinery, says Ronny.



Flattened to perfection

In a 28ft-by-15ft-matchbox-looking, rectangular-shaped space, Ronny has two machines producing the tortillas. The machine, working on pressure and gas, first mixes the masa and then doles out the tortillas. This machine, as opposed to a round one that he used for the first couple of years, is more economical as it uses lesser electricity, is more productive and less noisy. On his first sale, eight years ago, Ronny sold only three bags of maseca tortillas. Today, Ronny plans on opening tortilla factories in all districts of Belize.



One pound of masa gives about four kilos of tortillas. Since the last four years, the price of the tortilla and masa has remained the same  $1.40 for the former and 75 c for the latter (in Belize Dollars). Still, the factories continue to dole out the masa and tortillas.



Chicken tacos, tamales are popular as breakfast dishes  Belizean idli-dosa. Tourists traverse the country by enjoying its chicken and veg tacos and other delicacies. Little do they know that this is the mainstay for people like Ronny and the Cocoon family.



So, if youre planning a trip to Belize, be ready for a corn feast.
Some call it the Red Island because of its laterite soil, but others prefer the moniker the eighth continent, owing to the multitude of species of flora and fauna that have evolved here during the millions of years of the islands isolation. Call it what you want, but Madagascar certainly boasts of plants, animals and particularly, landscapes that can only be seen here, and that is one of the reasons why I embarked on my two-month adventure to this exotic land.



Arriving in Antananarivo or Tana by flight with a friend, we were welcomed at the airport by Christian, who would accompany us for a week to the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park. Getting there was not going to be straightforward, and in Madagascar, the journey is quite often the destination.



We went to the taxi-brousse station and sat in a sort of bush taxi, waited for nearly two hours for passengers to be stuffed in like sardines and the roof to be loaded with bags until it was almost double its height, before leaving for Antsirabe. Nobody complained and the peoples patience seemed boundless. The Route Nationale (RN) 7 was in acceptable shape compared to other roads in the country, and we drove past brick huts that looked exactly like houses that children draw. A scary number of trees had been burnt down to create space for rice cultivation and to feed zebus, two of the Malagasy peoples staples. They practise slash-and-burn agriculture to cater to their insatiable appetite for rice.



Villages many

In Antsirabe, we went to a house which belonged to Lanto, a young guide and tour operator, and were welcomed by his wife Tojo and their children. She cooked us dinner, rice and zebu, of course, and hosted us for the night.



In the morning, Christian took us to his brothers handmade paper workshop, a well-known product of his

Antaimoro ethnic group. We then took another taxi-brousse to Miandrivazo village and reached in time for an extraordinary sunset. The next morning, yet another taxi-brousse took us to Masiakampy, where we climbed into a pirogue (a dugout canoe) to float down the Tsiribihina for more than two days.



While rowing down, we encountered fishermen and pirogues transporting food and people. Christian cooked us a sumptuous vegetable, fish and egg salad, and rice with a zebu sauce. After lunch, it got very hot, so we opened our umbrellas for protection. But in the evening it was more pleasant as we entered the Bemaraha gorge, whose wall blocked the sun. We spotted our first lemurs here  beady-eyed baby brown lemurs which frolicked on the rocky gorge wall. We soon reached our campsite, a beach by the river with a beautiful waterfall further inland, which served as a shower.





The next morning, we were off early and visited a small dusty village called Begidro, where kids who were used to Western tourists were perplexed by our appearance, thinking we were some unknown Malagasy ethnic group! It was only when I took my camera out that they came running, calling us vazaha (or foreigners) and asking for sweets, photos and whatnot. In the evening, we saw baobabs for the first time just before reaching our campsite, an enormous stretch of sand by the river. The night sky was clear and dark, and we sipped our rhum arrange  rum with various ingredients, this time milk, orange and ginger. The next morning, we had just an hour on the pirogue, and I saw a huge crocodile basking on a sandbank in the middle of the river. We soon arrived at a spot where a cart pulled by two zebus awaited us. Riding through a village with people following us, we reached our four-wheel drive in Antsiraraka, which took us across the Manambolo river on a motor-driven platform to Bekopaka.



The next morning, we drove 17 km to the national park entrance. We barely started walking through the dry forest when our guide, Laurent, pointed to lemurs. We saw the white cuddly Deckens sifakas up on a tree, unperturbed by our presence. The social primates were grooming each other and paused for a few seconds to look at the unexpected visitors before getting back to their business. Inside the forest, we saw more brown lemurs before reaching the tsingy  pointed limestone formations sculpted by the rain. Unlike other limestone blocks that are white, oxidation has turned the tsingy grey.



Sculpted by time

Millions of years ago, Madagascar separated from Africa and its western part was covered by the sea. The Mozambique Channel receded, revealing a flat limestone platform with fossils of corals and sea creatures, with some crevasses. Rain eroded these fissures, thereby creating some strange pointed formations.



Ages ago, the Vazimba tribe that lived here had to walk on tiptoes, which in their language is called tsingy; hence the name. It was exhilarating to climb these structures with a harness and carabiners. From the belvedere at the summit, I was treated to a spectacular view of a forest of big or grands tsingy. Climbing across the pointed stones, we crossed a bridge suspended around 80-100 metres above an abyss between the tsingy.



We climbed down through narrow passages to the forest and rejoined our car to drive back to Bekopaka. Here we visited the small or petits tsingy, just 15-20 metres high. Although they are less impressive than the grands tsingy, this maze-like area with narrow passageways has interesting flora and fauna like pachypodium and various lizards native to Madagascar.



The next day, we crossed the Manambolo and the Tsiribihina to race across a sandy track to visit a 700-year-old enormous baobab called baobab sacre and a couple of them in a loving embrace called les amoureux. We reached the avenue of the baobabs where tall Grandidiers baobabs, with their resplendent golden trunks shining in the setting sun, stand like sentinels along the dirt track.



In a week I had used seven modes of transport to visit two unique sites. Madagascar is a complicated country to visit, but the incredible array of landscapes here makes it well worth the effort.
Iraq's special forces declared their mission in Mosul complete today after the group retook the last western districts from the Islamic State group within their area of operation, according to a military spokesman.



The announcement came despite ongoing battles in a handful of western Mosul neighborhoods that continue to force hundreds of civilians to flee each day.



IS still controls some eight square kilometers of western Mosul, including the dense Old City where some of the toughest battles are expected to play out.



Special forces spokesman Sabah al-Numan said his troops had completed their initial mission, but stood ready "to support any other forces if we are ordered to by the Prime Minister."



Elsewhere in central and southern Iraq, a series of bombings killed at least 27 people.

A suicide bombing today near the oil-rich city of Basra killed at least eight people and wounded 41 others, according to a military commander.



Five civilians and three troops were killed when the bomber blew up his explosives-laden car yesterday at a checkpoint north of Basra just behind a bus waiting to be cleared, said chief of the Basra Operations Command, Lt. Gen. Jamil al-Shimmari.



A second attacker drove down a desert road after the explosion and security forces killed him, al-Shimmari added. In an online statement, IS claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted Shiites.



Basra, about 550 kilometers (340 miles) southeast of Baghdad, is home to about 70 percent of the country's proven oil reserves of 153.1 billion barrels. Located on the Persian Gulf and bordering Kuwait and Iran, the city is also Iraq's only outlet to the sea and the hub for most of the country's oil exports, with 3.23 million barrels exported from Basra last month.



IS also claimed responsibility for the double suicide bombings in Baghdad overnight that killed at least 19 people and wounded 33, according to an online statement.



Iraqi forces, backed by the US-led coalition, officially launched the operation to retake Mosul in October and the city's east was declared "fully liberated" in January.



The fight for Mosul's west was launched the following month and has been marked by some of the most grueling and deadly combat in the fight against IS in Iraq to date.


The citys own mens couturier Tailorman has charted plans to double its sales this year as it expands its product portfolio. Just three years into its launch as made-to-order brand, the company has introduced its ready-to-wear range, which is set to take its revenues from Rs 24 crore in 2016-17 to around Rs 50 crore this financial year.



Tailorman co-founder Gautam Golchha said, We always wanted to launch a ready-to-wear line. As per our estimation, it will contribute to 50% of our business, with our core business of bespoke wear contributing to the other 50%, adding that the ready-to-wear line will fuel the companys growth as there is huge untapped potential within the segment. The summer collection of its ready-to-wear range comprises three separate lines  Nouveau, Revelry and Resort catering, catering to work wear, party wear and casual wear, respectively.



Going forward, we will introduce sub-segments within the ready-to-wear range. We find that there is plenty of opportunity in the athleisure segment, and want to go big on the trend, said Vidya Nataraj, co-founder, Tailorman. Athleisure has been the most popular fashion trend in the recent past. We are nimble right now, so we are in a good position to be able to do it, when compared with more established players Golchha added.



The self-funded company plans to raise funds in the next 12 months, as it claims to be set on its path to omni-channel retail. About 30% of our sales happens online, wherein customers, who have already purchased at Tailorman are confident to place their orders or bespoke wear online, he said. Tailorman will re-launch its website in a month to enhance the omni-channel experience offered to the customer.

DH News Service
Consumer electronics major Panasonic India is set to invest in excess of Rs 150 crore on expansion of capacities across various segments and categories in India during the current financial year.



The company, which has already announced a manufacturing plant for refrigerators in Jhajjar, Haryana, will be investing Rs 115 crore in that. The plant will commence operations from January 2018 and will have initial production capacity of three lakh units per annum, extendable to five lakh units.



Panasonic, currently produces 65% of its refrigerators sold in India within the country and is expecting to take the number to 80% after the inauguration of the plant.



Among other product segments, company produces 80% of the mobiles, 75% of the televisions, almost 80% and air conditioners, that are sold in India, within the country itself. Balance quantity is imported from various countries including Japan.





The company will be investing Rs 48 crore on its upcoming India Innovation Centre (IIC), in association with Tata Consultancy Services, in Bengaluru this year.



The centre, over the next five years, will see a cumulative investment of Rs 240 crore. Of the total investment, we will be investing 15%-20% in the initial year, Manish Sharma, President and CEO, Panasonic India and South Asia told DH.



He said, in addition to these investments, Panasonic will also spend an estimated Rs 350 crore on advertising and promotion of its consumer business in India in FY18.

I wouldnt say that those are the investments to create capablities, but yes those are also huge investments for us, Sharma added.



Expected jump

The Indian entity, which has seen more than 30% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in the last three years, is planning to increase its share in the global revenues of Panasonic Corporation, its parent entity, to 4% by 2019, from the current level of 2%, Sharma added.
Philips Lighting India Vice Chairman and Managing Director Harshavardhan Chitale called upon the government for strict enforcement of mandatory Indian standards in lighting hardware and solutions, especially LED bulbs.



In an interaction with DH, Chitale said organised players are investing heavily to comply with government regulations in the lighting industry. Government has made it mandatory all products from the lighting industry should comply with Bureau of India Standard (BIS) and RoHS standards. But we do not have any authority for its stricter compliance, he said.



The government wanted all the LED manufacturers to comply with RoHS Compliance and BIS. RoHS Compliance is an international directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.



According to industry analysts, Indias lighting business worth Rs 15,000 crore a year, is going through technological transformation backed by growth of smart cities and IoT. We are finding cheap Chinese products available in the grey market and it is giving competition to players who are complying with government regulation, he said.



Chitale also pointed out that besides safety hazard these substandard products are not designed for Indian voltage conditions, Indian environment conditions and they will create the spark, blow up and melt as they are using substandard materials.



LED bulb comprise one of the leading product portfolios for Philips Lighting and it is leading player in the B2C and B2B segment. B2B segment we are the market leader and in the B2C our share is closer to 30%, he said.



Philips has made India its global research and development hub for solar lighting. We started out R&D and product development last year and developed three products in this segment, said.



The three product segments are home lighting system, community lighting system and solar lantern. We have given lighting system to 1,000 villages in the country and sold 1.50,000 units till now. One lakh houses are now using solar solution in India, he said.



We are focusing more on solar products as they will help us in energy saving. Besides planning more products in this year, we have made it clear that solar products will be exported from India, said Chitale.

DH News Service
Homegrown tile manufacturing major Somany Ceramics is looking to grow its business in the sanitaryware segment, an area it ventured into only few years ago.



Having decided to move into sanitaryware by 2012, the company put up a small manufacturing unit, under its subsidiary Somany Sanitaryware at Morvi, Gujarat, in 2015. This facility, with a capacity of 3.03 lakh pieces, saw an investment of Rs 20 crore. Explaining the reasons governing the companys expansion strategy, Somany Ceramics Managing Director Abhishek Somany said, We were sold out for the existing capacity, and were buying more capacity from the outside open market to meet demand. We had also bought a piece of land, envisaging that we would be trebling our capacity.



Accordingly, the company trebled its sanitaryware capacity to 11.5 lakh pieces this year, with an investment of over Rs 30 crore, which included plant and machinery, and not land.





Unlike tiles, where Somany enjoys a wide pan-India presence, in sanitaryware, it sees strong traction mainly in North India, and some pockets of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat, among others. With the trebled capacity, it intends to enter all other markets.



Sanitaryware is a serious vertical for us. Were a late entrant into the segment, and its difficult to break into a market which is already occupied by strong players. Yet, it offers us better margins, and we have been able to scale up, Somany told DH. Last year, the company earned around Rs 80 crore in the segment, when the sanitaryware market was valued at Rs 3,500 crore. It holds around 2.5% market share.



As part of its sanitaryware portfolio, Somany sells Indian pans, normal couple closets, single pieces, wall-hung toilets, and a range of basins and urinals, apart from premium brand French Collection.



As an extension of its sanitaryware ambitions, the company is also looking at setting up a greenfield plant for bathroom fittings at Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, which will be operational over the next 12 months.

Besides, Somany Ceramics will focus on expanding its distribution network across India through several franchisee stores, experience centres and design studio on wheels.



Last year, Somany saw a turnover of over Rs 1,800 crore, with tiles growing around 10%, while sanitaryware grew 30%.



Currently, sanitaryware and fittings together contribute 5%-7% to our revenues. We aim to double it, and overtime, both businesses would constitute 12%-15% of our total revenues, Somany concluded.
A state government is entitled to initiate the process of attaching properties of chit fund companies which swindle innocent investors and fail to pay them back as per their promise, the Supreme Court has said.



A bench of N V Ramana and Prafulla C Pant held as valid one such order passed by the authorities under the Tamil Nadu Protection of Interests of Depositors (In Financial Establishments) Act, 1997.



The state government issued orders for attaching the immovable properties of the partners of financial establishment (Global Capital Trading Services) on complaints that the company offering higher rate of returns had made only part payments on huge deposits of money.



After going through the relevant provisions of the Tamil Nadu Act, the bench said it showed that the object of law was to ameliorate the situation of thousands of depositors from the clutches of financial establishments.



The companies deceived the investors by offering high rates of interest on deposits and committed deliberate fraud in repayment of the principal and interest after maturity of such deposits, the court added.



It is clear from the relevant statutory scheme that in order to curb the malady of financial swindlers and to deal with such problems effectively, the state of Tamil Nadu enacted this statute to protect the interest of innocent investors, the bench said.



The court noted that in the instant case, an FIR was registered for cheating and criminal breach of trust in 2010 against the company.



Subsequently, in 2012, the orders were issued for attaching the properties of the financial institution and its partners.



The apex court allowed an appeal filed by the state against the Madras High Courts Madurai bench order, which had set aside the proceedings of attachment initiated against the company.




A person old enough to be her grandfather becomes her tormentor, pestering her to go out with him. However, the sordid saga ended and the dirty old man was nabbed by the police and produced in court.



According to the Rachakonda Police Commissionerates She Team, a 24-year-old MBA student went to the Kushaiguda Sai temple along with her grandfather on May 15. The old man suddenly took ill. Another old man offered help and dropped the young woman and her grandfather at their home. Before leaving, he took the womans mobile phone number on the pretext that he would like to know the health status of her grandfather.



The apparent good samaritan then called the woman and asked her to go out with him on a long drive. The surprised young woman politely declined his offer. As he started pestering her, she told him that she had to talk to her father before going out with him. He threatened her against telling her parents but insisted that she go out with him. She stopped responding to his phone calls and avoided him.



She then contacted the She Teams through their app and filed a complaint, giving details of the randy old man. Kushaiguda police were alerted immediately. They zeroed in on the old man and checked his call records. They identified him as 76-year-old Vinod Dewan, a resident of Lake View Residency in Sainikpuri, Secunderabad. They apprehended him and booked a petty case against him.



The relieved woman thanked the She Team through a message: Thank You She Team; you helped me out of this problem. Your team did a great job.
Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Jairam Ramesh on Saturday blamed the Modi government for failing to generate sufficient employment opportunities in the country.



In the past two years, the Modi government generated less than 4 lakh jobs against its claim of over 2 crore jobs per annum. As per the Union governments figures, only 1.50 lakh jobs were created in 2015 and 2 lakh in 2016, Ramesh said on Saturday, while addressing journalists.



The Modi government, which completes three years in power on May 26, can be best described by the phrase, Adhiktam Prachar, Nyuntam Vichar (maximum propaganda, minimum thought process), he said.



He also hit out at the Modi government for what he called poor track record in the fields of agriculture and rural development.



The Minimum Support Price (MSP) of farm produce grew at a very slow pace. The MSP for paddy grew at 9% annually in the last three years of the Manmohan Singh governments tenure. This has shrunk to 3.4% per annum under the NDA rule, he said.



Procurement of wheat too has come down. This is the Make in India agriculture, Ramesh said.
In a first, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday chaired the first security review meeting with the chief ministers of five states bordering China.



Chief ministers of Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh  Trivendra Singh Rawat, Pawan Kumar Chamling and Pema Khandu, respectively  and representatives from Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh attended the meeting held in Gangtok.



He asked the state governments to remain very vigilant against Chinese transgression along the India-China border, which is not clearly demarcated. India and China have been engaged in border talks for clarifying and confirming the Line of Actual Control .



Directed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the home minister called for upgrading facilities in these areas. Located at high altitudes, these places have inadequate development and infrastructure.



The Centre wants to focus on the development of model villages in the border districts so that people do not migrate to other areas. In the first stage, the home ministry is building 27 roads near the border, which will be completed by 2020. A set of another 48 roads will also be taken up. Rajnath said the thinning of population and migration from the border areas is a cause of concern.



The Indo-Tibetan Border Police guards the 3,488 km India-China border in Jammu and Kashmir (1,597 km), Himachal Pradesh (200 km), Uttarakhand (345 km), Sikkim (220 km) and Arunachal Pradesh (1,126 km). They have established 173 Border Outposts (BOP). Out of these, 35 BOPs are in the western sector (Jammu and Kashmir), 71 in the middle sector (Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand) and 67 in the eastern sector (Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh).




In a major breakthrough in the killing of two jewellers, the Mathura police on Saturday arrested six robbers after a brief encounter, in which about six police personnel were injured.



The kingpin, Rakesh alias Ranga, was arrested and ornaments worth around Rs 20 lakh and firearms were recovered from him, SSP Vinod Kumar Mishra told reporters. He said Rakesh was carrying a reward of Rs 15,000 on his head.



Acting on a tip-off, a police team, led by SP (City) Ashok Kumar, surrounded the residence of one of the accused.



After a brief encounter, Rakesh, his brothers Neeraj and Kamesh, Ayusha, Aditya and Vishnu were arrested.



Two inspectors, three sub-inspectors and one constable were injured. One constable was also attacked with a sharp-edged weapon, while Rakesh and Kamesh were also injured. The injured have been hospitalised.



Gold and diamond jewellery worth Rs 20 lakh, one pistol, two magazines, 19 live rounds and six empty cartridges, four country-made pistols with 10 live and four empty cartridges, one knife, Rs 10,500 cash, seven mobile phones, three SIM cards and one memory card have been recovered.



The incident created a flutter in the state with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath declaring in the Assembly that the case would be solved within three days.



Not honoured



But the three-day time limit could not be honoured though DGP Sulkhan Singh visited Mathura and the STF was camping here. Four police personnel were suspended following the incident.



On May 15, six armed men on motorbikes barged into the jewellery shops in the market in Mathura and opened fire, killing two persons, Vikas and Megh. Two others were injured in the incident, the police had said. Injured are being treated in a private hospital.



The traders across the state had taken exception to the case and had on Friday observed a day-long strike.



They also sent a memorandum to the chief minister. The traders had threatened to intensify the stir from Saturday evening.




To probe the alleged terror funding to Kashmiri separatists by Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday questioned several Hurriyat leaders in Srinagar.



Sources told DH that the NIA team, headed by a DIG-level officer, questioned some Hurriyat leaders, including Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate and Gazi Javed Baba to get the details of the funds provided by LeT and ISI for organising and sustaining unrest in Kashmir.



The NIA is likely to question Hurriyat hawk Geelani and some others in the coming days in connection with the alleged terror funding, they revealed.



Earlier on Friday, the NIA had registered a preliminary enquiry (PE) against Geelani, Khan, Karate and Baba. The PE reveals that money is transferred from Pakistan to agents in Old Delhis Ballimaran and Chandni Chowk areas before it is taken to the valley, sources said. The fresh probe comes in the backdrop of Hurriyat leaders spilling the beans in a TV sting operation about Hafiz-Hurriyat nexus. The NIA, sources said, is investigating how the money sent from Pakistan was distributed in the Valley to fuel the unrest.



Some more people are expected to be involved in the nexus. The NIA is also expected to scrutinize phone and bank details of several other people suspected to be involved in routing the funds to separatists and militants, sources said



The exhaustive probe will start only after the team gets some clue of funding from across the border as revealed by three Hurriyat leaders in a sting operation conducted by a TV news channel, sources added.



In August last year, the NIA had summoned Nayeem Geelani elder son of octogenarian Geelani for appearance at its Srinagar sub-office to probe flow of funds into his bank account from overseas which in turn was allegedly being used for anti-national activities in the Valley. The name of Geelanis son had emerged during the preliminary investigations by the premier probe agency then. Meanwhile, Geelani on Saturday suspended Nayeem Khan from his faction of Hurriyat. The suspension will come into force with immediate effect in Srinagar and Hurriyat chapter of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, Geelani said in a statement.



While reacting to the sting operation by the news channel, Nayeem Khan said, Sting operation conducted by a Delhi-based TV channel is fake and doctored. I challenge the TV channel to run my full video instead of bits and pieces.



Stone-pelters nabbed



Cracking down on trouble mongers, the police on Saturday arrested two chronic stone-pelters who were reportedly involved in creating disturbances in central Kashmirs Budgam district, PTI reports from Srinagar. The arrested youth included a college student, the police said, adding a mask and a green and white flag, an apparent refence to the Pakistani flag, were recovered from them.


The world does not know that we go through excruciating pain, said Gagandeep Singh Chandok, a thalassemia patient.



The 34-year-old was diagnosed with thalassemia when he was one-and-a-half-years old. Being a carrier of beta thalassemia major (blood disorder that reduces production of haemoglobin), Chandok spoke of excruciating pain during treatment.



He, however, is not alone. Karnataka has an estimated 2,500 children suffering from thalassemia according to Sankalp India Foundation, an NGO that has been working for the past 10 years in the field of preventing and curing thalassemia.



According to the NGO, many families are plagued by this disease due to little or lack of prevention techniques. More than 750 children approach the NGO for regular treatment at its centres in Bengaluru and Belagavi.



According to the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, there are approximately one lakh people born with thalassemia every year in the world, including 10,000 in India. It is estimated that there are around 65,000 to 67,000 beta thalassemia patients in the country.



There are 8,000 to 10,000 children born with thalassemia every year, said Dr Sharat Damodar, haematologist and head of bone marrow transplant unit at Narayana Health City, Bengaluru. The most common treatment for thalassemia major patients is red blood cells transfusion. Most thalassemia major patients receive red blood cell transfusions every two to three weeks.



I have to infuse two units of blood in 15 days. Apart from that, I am injected a medicine called Desferal where the injection needle is pricked into the muscles and placed under the skin for about 10 to 12 hours, said Chandok.



It costs Chandok around Rs 30,000 and at least six trips to the hospital every month.

Rakesh Dhanya, CEO of Sankalp India Foundation said that there is no organisedprogramme for thalassemia patients in Karnataka. It depends solely on the individuals ability to get funds from the government unlike many other states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu where a system is in place.



He said, One child applied for the benefit from the Chief Ministers Relief Fund in 2015 but got it only two months ago.



He said a sustained programme will be able to channelise funds while the present system, where individuals approach the government, will not bear fruit.



He said Health Minister Ramesh Kumar had promised his support when they approached him for help but they are yet to see results.



Dr Damodar said there is a need for India to have gene therapy for thalassemic patients since it does away with the need for a donor and rectifies the problem with the patients own gene.



Mumtaj Surya is a 30-year-old thalassemia major patient. Thalassemia major patients surviving beyond the age of 20 to 25 is difficult due to iron overloading as a result of blood transfusion.



However, Mumtaj has regularly been taking blood transfusions and maintaining the iron within reasonable limits.



Many of them tend to have endocrine problems. Because of infertility issues, a lot of them dont get married, Dr Damodar said.



However, Mumtaj was able to maintain her endocrine function and went on to marry her distant relative after confirming that he does not have thalassemia. She delivered a baby boy, who is not affected by thalassemia. This is a rare occurrence in the history of thalassemia, said Dr Damodar.
Anurag Tewari's friends and 2004 batch alumni of Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology, observed a candle light vigil in HSR Layout in Bengaluru mourning the death of the IAS officer.



His friends said Anurags death had shocked them. "Since it is an inter-state matter involving claims of scams being unearthed by him and death in another state, any state-specific inquiry won't be conclusive.



This, combined with contradictory and fake stories aired by various media, justify a CBI investigation into the case. We have seen a few pictures of Anurag immediately after his death which raise a suspicion over the autopsy report of asphyxia, said one of his friends.



They also stated that according to information shared by friends and family, he was about to unearth scams worth crores of rupees involving high profile political figures and bureaucrats.

DH News Service


Optical fibre cables (OFC) continue to be an eyesore even on TenderSURE roads, by remaining overhead though these cables were supposed to go underground, beneath the pavements.

TenderSURE roads were planned in a manner that all utilities are shifted beneath the pavement. BBMP has laid ducts and chambers for these cables on TenderSURE roads, but they have not been used so far.



When Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was inaugurating five TenderSURE roads early this week, five youths were laying overhead cables at the junction of Residency Road and St Marks Road, where the TenderSURE works have been completed.



Sources in BBMP said they had directed the telecom firms at a meeting to shift the OFCs. The companies had sought one-year time to shift them, they said.



Engineer-in-chief of BBMP M R Venkatesh said the Palike was not insisting that OFCs be shifted from overhead to underground for the time being, because abrupt removal of cables would disrupt information and communication services.



There are many important offices, which will be badly affected. Take for instance, Reserve Bank of India and the police headquarters on Nrupathunga Road.



They depend on the OFCs very much. The telecom firms have sought some time to lay them underground, said Venkatesh.



One of the reasons for the reluctance of the telecom companies is that the OFC-laying fee on TenderSURE was almost double of what the Palike charges for normal roads.



A Palike engineer said, The fee for laying cables on normal roads is Rs 850 per running metre, whereas on TenderSURE Roads, the fee is Rs 1,500.



He said the Palike had previously proposed to collect Rs 3,000 per running metre as OFC laying charges on TenderSURE roads, but could not implement it due to pressure from the companies.




Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar said on Saturday that upright and honest officers in the state were dying under mysterious circumstances in the recent past.



IAS officer D K Ravi and DySP Ganapati died under suspicious circumstances and now IAS officer Anurag Tewari, who was serving as commissioner of food and civil supplies, has died under mysterious circumstances.



Anupama Shenoy, unable to bear the harassment and interference of elected representatives in her work, resigned as DySP. These instances prove honest officials were being harassed, he said at a BJP event in the city.



Tewari was an efficient officer and had served under various capacities in Kolar, Bidar, Kodagu, and Chamarajanagar. There was speculation that Tewari was about to unearth a Rs 2,000-crore scam in his department. To bring out the truth, the government must hand over the probe into Tiwaris death to the CBI, he said.






Citizens Traffic Forum Meeting, a monthly event organised by the Bengaluru Traffic Police every third Saturday of the month, exists only on paper.



Meetings between citizens and the traffic police personnel for addressing traffic related grievances and finding solutions to them was the brainchild of former Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M A Saleem and was followed diligently under his leadership.



When DH did a reality check on Saturday, it was evident that meetings werent held for a long time.

For instance, Peenya traffic police station wore a deserted look with hardly any citizens there. A constable said the sub-inspector who conducts the meeting was on leave. Yeshwantpur traffic police station too had no meeting.



But when they were asked about the meeting, a few constables looked at the calendar and immediately arranged tables and chairs and organised a meeting with a few autorickshaw and cab drivers who had come there for affixing display cards to their vehicles.



Malleswaram traffic police station was no different. A constable said senior officials were attending a meeting at the traffic management centre (TMC).



When several traffic police stations across the city were contacted, it was evident that these monthly meetings to ensure people friendly policing, were not happening.



Banaswadi traffic police said they would conduct the meeting next week while Ashoknagar traffic police said that they had conducted the meeting.



Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) R Hithendra said he was unaware that meetings are not being held.



"It is good that we got to know that meetings are not happening. I will ensure that every police inspector is present for the citizens meeting henceforth at their respective police stations without fail and take a note of public grievances and find solutions, he said.



An active resident of Basavanagudi said the meeting at his areas traffic police station happens once in three to four months. We try to attend these without fail, but many a time, meetings get cancelled due to one reason or the other, said B S Manohar, vice president, Basavanagudi residents welfare association.
Senior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa and a few of his supporters have again approached the partys central leaders with their grouse against state party president B S Yeddyurappa.



On Saturday in Bengaluru, Eshwarappa and others are learnt to have met party national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao.



According to sources in the party, Eshwarappa, accompanied by M B Bhanuprakash, M B Nandeesh, Sogadu Shivanna, Somanna Bevinamarad, A H Shivayogi Swami, S A Ravindranath and others met Rao, who is in charge of the state, at the BJP office in Malleswaram as early as 6.45 am. The discussion lasted for one hour. In all, as many as 18 BJP rebels who have openly questioned Yeddyurappas style of functioning and also his choice of candidates for the post of office bearers and district presidents, attended the meeting.



The rebels pointed out that they had stated at a convention held in Palace Grounds in Bengaluru last month that they will take out a mammoth rally in Bengaluru on Saturday (May 20) if their demand for revising the list of office bearers and district presidents was not met by that day. However, there was little progress, they said.



The rebels said a meeting of a panel as suggested by national president Amit Shah comprising Eshwarappa, Yeddyurappa and RSS functionaries deputed to the BJP  B L Santhosh and Arun Kumar  to sort out all internal differences, had not been convened.



Besides, there was too much interference in the party affairs by a state general secretary. However, they did not mention the name. The rebels at other forums have stated that former minister Shobha Karandlaje was meddling too much in party affairs.



Rao is said to have told the delegation that he will look into all issues, take them up with the central leadership and ensure they are solved. At the same time, they should not make any public statements and give bytes to the media on the internal affairs of the party, the sources said. Rao also told them that no one should associate with the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade.



Eshwarappa and his supporters are said to have met RSS functionaries at Chamarajpet later in the day and held discussions with them.



The rift between Yeddyurappa and Eshwarappa camps has been on for several months now and was even evident at the BJP state executive meeting in Mysuru recently.



The two leaders had even tried to put up a show of unity at the first day of the Janasamparka Abhiyan tour on Thursday which began from Tumakuru but parted ways the next day. Yeddyurappa would continue with his drought tour from Bagalkot from Monday.
The contrast between core Bengaluru and the newly added areas comprising 110 villages was stark.



While areas under core Bengaluru get all the attention and their demands are met, the outskirts, including villages under the Yeshwantpur Assembly constituency, continue to crave for basic civic amenities like water, underground drains, streetlights and law and order.



Residents of Yeshwantpur Assembly constituency rarely had an audience with government officials. But on Saturday, they got an opportunity to air their civic woes and get them addressed instantly when DH and Prajavani offered them a platform through their popular interactive programme Janaspandana  Citizens for Change.



A host of government officials and public representatives, including Yeshwantpur MLA S T Somashekar, offered solace to the aggrieved citizens who had turned up in good numbers at BEL Layout near Magadi Road.



Jyothi Nagaraj of Herohalli set the pace for the programme when she pointed out that there was no swimming pool or playgrounds in her ward.



There is no space for children for physical activities. We need a swimming pool, an indoor and outdoor stadium. In the absence of these facilities, we have to travel as far as Vijayanagar, Malleswaram and Basaveshwaranagar, she said.



She also pointed to the lack of slabs covering drains in her area. In his reply, assistant executive engineer (AEE) Venkatesh said a proposal had been made to the BBMP head office. Efforts will be made to include these demands in the next BBMP budget.

Water, drains and roads



Narase Gowda of BEL Layout said underground drains are choked and must be replaced. A similar complaint was made by Vinod Kumar of Lingadheeranahalli. S A Ramanna of Omkaranagar, Meenakshi from Anjananagar and Umashankar from Herohalli complained about acute water shortage in their areas. Some residents said roads had not been repaired for years.



Clubbing the issues together, MLA S T Somashekar said efforts were on to bring Cauvery water in his constituency. A survey is under way at Doddabidarakallu and in 15-20 days, the work of laying Cauvery water pipelines will also start. I have asked the authorities to stop asphalting as roads would have to be dug up again for laying pipelines, he said.



He said the government applied to the Japan International Cooperation Agency for loan for the project but the request was turned down.



Herohalli corporator V Rajanna said the work on underground drains had been taken up along with laying pipelines for supply of Cauvery water in the 110 villages that were added to the BBMP. The work may take three to four months.



Lakes and NGT order



Ramakrishna Bhat of Thunganagar and Umashankar of Herohalli complained that sewage had polluted Herohalli lake despite a sewage treatment plant (STP) being installed there. Umashankar said sewage from Vighneshwaranagar, Bhuvaneshwarinagar and Madeshwaranagar was flowing into the lake. He said the STP works only two hours a day.



Those running the STP seem to be saving on electricity. Installation of the new STP is going on at a snails pace, he pointed out.



In reply, Rajanna said the old STP had developed technical problems, necessitating the construction of a new STP. He said the new STP will be functional in a fortnight.



Umashankar sought to know the implications of the National Green Tribunals order redefining the buffer zones of lakes and stormwater drains.



What will be the fate of houses already built within the buffer zone? Will the BDA compensate if the layouts have come up within the buffer zone? he enquired.



Herohalli corporator Rajanna admitted that clarity was required on this issue and the government has approached the Supreme Court to clear the air.



Urva of Upakar Layout complained that streetlights in his area were not functioning due to which criminals are having a field day. He said a high mast light should be installed. Agreeing with him, Somashekar said Rs 5 crore has been granted for streetlights in his constituency along 33 km of roads comprising 250 layouts. The funds granted will not suffice. Yet, he said he would see to it that streetlights are installed in his constituency.



N Krishnakanth demanded bus facilities to City Market, Shivajinagar and Majestic. In reply, Somashekar said he had spoken to Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy but there was a shortage of buses due to which the demands have not been met. He said he would speak to him again.



Girishan and Narayana from Doddabidarakallu highlighted the inadequate garbage disposal and the damaged water filter plant in their area. They also said roads are in bad shape and there are frequent traffic jams at Anjananagar.



Julian of Ullala ward complained that the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has clubbed the two meters in his building and was giving a common bill.



There are separate meters in my house  one for the ground floor and another for the first floor. Earlier, I was getting separate bills. For the past two months, I am getting a common, hefty bill  almost Rs 1,000 per month. This is unfair, said Julian.



In reply, BWSSB AEE Chandrashekhar said there was an order that separate bills for independent houses should be clubbed together.



Julian demanded the copy of the circular, which the AEE could not produce. Interrupting the BWSSB engineer, the MLA assured Julian he will get the order copy and will speak to the BWSSB chairman on Saturday itself to resolve the issue.



There were complaints about parks and playgrounds being encroached upon. The growing stray dog problem, dumping of waste on vacant sites too figured during the programme. People also complained that some land grabbers were encroaching upon vacant sites.



Crackdown on garbage dumping



The dumping of waste in secluded residential areas compelled the Yeshwantpur MLA, S T Somashekar, to act tough against the garbage mafia in the city.



At Janaspandana  Citizens For Change programme, Somashekar said one of the residents had sent him images of garbage being dumped at Tavarekere, based on which he ensured that action was taken against the garbage contractor.



After I acted tough against the contractor, illegal dumping of waste has reduced by almost 70%. We are installing CCTV cameras to track the garbage contractors. Get me the pictures of the waste and I will certainly initiate action, said Somashekar. Gowdaiah, a resident of Herohalli ward, pointed out sewage and garbage were destroying the Herohalli lake. He suggested ways to get rid of the sewage and garbage.



Illegal activities in Thurahalli forest



Chaitanya of Shobha Hill View Apartment said the Thurahalli forest had become a den of illegal activities. Anti-social elements go to the forest every day and light a fire there, she complained, urging the authorities to check these activities.


Spoorthy J, 10, regularly volunteers to write examinations as a scribe for visually impaired students in the city. She is one of the many youngsters who have helped hundreds of visually impaired students write academic and competitive examinations.



The Volunteer For A Cause  Penpals (VFC) project helps visually impaired students find a helping hand in volunteers across age groups and backgrounds to pursue their academic dreams.



Volunteers have helped write over 2,000 examinations for 300 visually impaired students in the last two years. Schools for the blind and organisations approach us seeking scribes for their students. We share the requirement in our network of volunteers and one of them writes the exam for the student, said Savio Sequeira, the project coordinator.



The scribes are youngsters and working professionals who even take a day off from work to write exams. About 70% of the examinations are written in Kannada while the rest are in English. Usually students from class 10, pre-university approach us for scribe requirements, said Sequeira, who is also a HR professional.



Selfless cause



In 2013, I volunteered to be a scribe for a student as the person who was supposed to write the exam did not turn up. After the exam, the student asked him how much he should pay me. I was shocked to know people charge for such a noble cause. It was then that I decided to start the Volunteer For A Cause  Penpals Penpals project, said Surendran Nair, founding member of VFC.



It is because of these volunteers I have been able to write my exams effortlessly. They have never stepped back from helping me in my time of need, said P Lamare, a visually impaired student from Jyoti Nivas College.



The volunteers are friendly and selfless. They help us understand questions that enables us to answer them properly, said Latha Mani, a visually impaired student pursuing her Bachelors in Education from Vivekananda College.



We have had volunteers from a 10-year-old kid to a 55-year-old woman. Students with disabilities also approach us to write examinations and we readily help, said Sequeira.




In a joint operation, the prison staff and West Division police on Thursday caught a convict who was at large for the past four years.



Shanker (41), was convicted on July 12, 2004 in the abduction of a businessmans son in 2001. The court had sentenced him to life imprisonment. Shanker had escaped from custody twice in the past, exposing chinks in the prisons security.



Shankar obtained parole in 2011 but never returned. The police launched a manhunt and arrested him within a few months, said a senior officer.



Fled from hospital



In January 2013, a team of 20 convicts which included Shanker, was taken to Victoria Hospital for treatment. On the pretext of answering the natures call, he went into the washroom and fled from there.



The police and prison officers made several attempts to trace him, but in vain, said the police.

Recently, one of the reformed convicts met Krishna Kumar, the chief superintendent (Prisons), Central Prisons, Parappana Agrahara and told him he knew of Shankers whereabouts. He also told the officer that Shanker was often using multiple disguises to evade arrest.



Based on his leads, the police tried to arrest Shanker when he was moving around in Vijayanagar, but failed.



Near Gopalan Mall



We received information that Shanker was moving around in Gopalan Mall on Mysuru Road on Thursday, said a senior police officer.



On our request, the police informants clicked Shankers picture and shared it with us. We matched his pictures with those in our records and confirmed his identity. Rajarajeshwarinagar and the Byatarayanapura police station staff were sent to the spot, while a team from the Parappana Agrahara prison immediately left for the mall, he said.Shanker was relishing burgers at the mall when the police arrested him.




United Bengaluru under the aegis of Naagarika on Saturday began its action by visiting lakes, which need immediate attention.



The Yellamallappa Chetty Lake Series located in the north of Bengaluru encompasses the entire Yelahanka zone. Rampant urbanisation has led to increased encroachment and dumping of domestic and industrial effluents into the lake system.



As part of the United Bengaluru initiative  Reclaim and Protect Our Lakes, a group comprising urban and lake experts, members of lake groups, elected representatives and government officials visited Puttenahalli, Allalasandra, Yelahanka and Jakkur lakes.



Those who took part in the campaign on Saturday were freedom fighter H S Doreswamy, N S Mukunda of Citizens Action Forum, urban expert Dr Ashwin Mahesh, Rain Water Club member S Vishwanath, Yelahanka BJP MLA S R Vishwanath, Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, corporators R Padmavathi, Munidra Kumar and Satish M.



The members gave the citizens handouts summarising the NGT order to prevent the deterioration of water bodies and inform them that such violations would invite a fine of Rs 5 lakh. The members promised that they will help the citizens fight the case legally too.


Bengaluru Development Minister K J George on Saturday said action against companies and other institutions polluting Bellandur lake will be taken in keeping with the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).



The minister told reporters after taking part in the Anti-terrorism Day oath at Vidhana Soudha: NGT has clearly ordered strict action against the companies, apartments and other institutions polluting the waterbody. On the accusations levelled by JD(S) corporator Manjula Naryanaswamy alleging that supporters of Congress MLA Munirathna manhandled her, he said that action will be taken according to law.



The minister led the gathering in taking a pledge to oppose all forms of terrorism and to uphold and promote peace, social harmony and understanding among all fellow human beings during the event.
Torrey Pines High School freshman and cellist Darren Jiang recently earned two prestigious awards. He was chosen to compete in the 10th International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians in Kazakhstan in June. He is also a first place winner of the 2017 American Protege International Music Talent Competition.

Darren will be traveling to participate in the 10th International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians in Astana, Kazakhstan, from June 15-25. The competition is run by the Kazakh National University of Arts and the Association of Tchaikovsky Competition Stars. It is the largest and most prestigious competition for young musicians under the age of 17.

In December Darren will travel to New York to perform in the Winners Concert of the American Protege Competition in the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

Darren is a member of the Advanced Orchestra at Torrey Pines High School. He began piano lessons at age 5 and cello lessons at age 8. In 2013 Darren moved to San Diego where he continued to study the cello under Ruslan Biryukov. In addition to his participation in the orchestra at TPHS, Darren plays in a variety of chamber groups. He was the principle cellist of the Mainly Mozart Intermediate Orchestra in 2015.

Prior awards Darren has earned include being chosen to participate in the 2016 International Villa Musica Festival in Germany as well as being the 3rd prize winner at the 2016 Satori String Competition in Los Angeles.
By Samantha Raphelson

18 May 2017 (NPR)  President Trump is expected to face pressure from European Union leaders at the G-7 summit in Italy next week to keep the U.S. in the Paris Climate Treaty. Trump recently signed an executive order aiming to roll back President Barack Obamas Clean Power Plan but did not address the Paris agreement. European Union leaders arent the only ones who are imploring Trump to keep the U.S. as part of the largest climate agreement in history. Ben van Beurden is the CEO of Shell, the giant energy company. Even though hes in the business of selling fossil fuels, van Beurden tells NPRs Ari Shapiro the U.S. should stay in the climate agreement. We believe climate change is real, van Beurden says. We believe that the world needs to go through an energy transition to prevent a very significant rise in global temperatures. And we need to be part of that solution in making it happen. Opponents of the Paris climate agreement argue that governments should not require companies to limit their oil and gas exploration projects. But van Beurden says the industry wants governments around the world to develop a consistent policy. One of the biggest concerns that I have around climate change is the unpredictability in which governments will go about it, van Beurden says. If we have a very clear understanding that governments, successive governments, will continue to act consistently with a certain policy set that we believe in, I have no issue with it. Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and BP have also pledged their support for the Paris climate pact. Exxon CEO Darren Woods wrote in a blog post the Paris accord creates an effective framework for all countries to address rising emissions. [more]
By Sharon Lerner

24 March 2017 (The Intercept)  When the Environmental Protection Agency informed people in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, last July that the local neoprene plant was emitting a chemical that gave them the highest risk of cancer from air pollution in the country, the information was received not just with horror and sadness but also with a certain sense of validation. For years, many of the people living on this little square of land between the train tracks and the Mississippi River levee have felt they suffered more than their share of illnesses. Troyla Keller has a rash and asthma that abate every time she leaves the neighborhood and worsen when she returns. Augustine Nicholson Dorris had breast cancer and seizures. And David Sanders has trouble breathing, a tumor on his thyroid, and neurological problems. It took a lot away from me, said Sanders, whose speech is slurred, when I visited the area a half-hour west of New Orleans in February. Several people spoke of shuttling their children and grandchildren to the nearby ER for asthma treatments. And many residents also frequent the neighborhoods two busy dialysis centers. A third is under construction. [] Besides being a likely human carcinogen, chloroprene, the gas the plant has been releasing into this community for 48 years, is known to weaken immune systems and cause headaches, heart palpitations, anemia, stomach problems, impaired kidney function, and rashes. So the EPAs news, bad as it was, provided a form of relief. After all these years, a government agency was helping to explain the residents strange predicament. The people living next to the plant might be sick, but at least they werent crazy. The air pollution crisis in St. John the Baptist may be the best illustration of why we need the EPA  and how the imminent slashing of the federal agencys budget will be measurable in illnesses and deaths. Since 2002, the EPA has periodically published a report estimating the expected number of cancers per million people in every census tract based on airborne emissions from industry. For most of the country, the expected number of cancers due to this pollution is somewhere between zero and one. The national average is .968. But for the people living in the census tract within St. John the Baptist that is home to the Taylors, Kellers, Sanders, and Gerards, the risk is dramatically higher. According to the EPAs most recent National Air Toxics Assessment, which was published in December 2015, the lifetime risk of cancer from air pollution in this area, which is less than 2 square miles, is a staggering 777 per million people, by far the highest in the country and more than 800 times the national average. Other census tracts near the plant had risks that were more than 200, 300, and 400 times higher. [more]
Deepika Padukone Keeps It Classy & Flaunts Her 'RK' Tattoo Like A Boss On Day 2 Of Cannes!
Aircel-Maxis case: HC seeks Marans' reply on ED's plea

The Delhi High Court on Friday sought response from former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran, his industrialist brother Kalanithi Maran and others, to a notice issued on an appeal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Aircel-Maxis money laundering case.

Justice S P Garg issued notice to former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran, industrialist Kalanithi Maran and his wife Kavery Kalanithi, South Asia FM Ltd (SAFL), its managing director K Shanmugam and Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd (SDTPL) and sought their replies within four weeks on the ED's plea against a 2 February order of a special court.

The Enforcement Directorate moved the Delhi High Court challenging the special CBI court's 2 February order that discharged Marans and the two companies of all charges in a money laundering case in connection with the Aircel-Maxis deal, citing lack of evidence.

Special CBI judge OP Saini while discharging them had said that the charges were based on ''misreading of official files'', speculations and surmises of the complainant.

It also found no prima facie case warranting framing of charges against any of the accused on the basis of the materials placed on record before it by the ED.

The ED had alleged that the two firms, which were then controlled by Kalanithi, had received Rs742 crore as proceeds of crime from Mauritius-based companies Maxis Communications Berhad and All Asia Networks, owned by Malaysian businessman T Anand Krishnan.

The directorate had also attached properties, including shares, movable and immovable assets worth Rs742.58 crore on the allegation that the money was paid for Dayanidhi by two Mauritius-based companies through Sun Direct TV and South Asia FM.

The ED had chargesheeted the Maran brothers, Kavery, South Asia FM and its managing director K Shanmugam and Sun Direct TV under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The entrance is announced by a suspended canopy, via glass doors flanked by 3-d sculpted concrete panels and a marquee that establish the abstract vocabulary of undulating energy and movement. The stairwell and second floor reception are clad in dimensional CNC-milled lacquered panels that conceal storage, signage and lighting. The circular ripple motif carries through to a colorful and warm library that provides comfortable seating and a social gathering space. The area creates an oasis of calm for reading and stretching, as well as social space for connecting with friends and neighbors. Open, bright studios with sprung floors and glowing skylights are the focus for dancers. The two studios are flexibly divided and can open up to one large dance stage with blackout curtains at performance time.


After spending over 20 years of playing to packed audiences across the USA, Ballyshannon man Sean Daly is back on home soil and about to embark on his first irish tour with his band, The Shams.

Sean is the frontman of the popular Irish rock band, The Shams, who were based in San Francisco.

He now is bringing the exciting and high energy act back to its roots in Ireland.

Daly is originally from Ballyshannon but is now based in Galway, but still manages to commute back the States once a month to manage a company he has there.

They started out playing a host of covers from bands like the Pogues but they now have a wealth of their own material and has gained them a loyal following in the US.

Im back in Ireland now with my wife Amy and our children and looking forward to playing the gigs here. Two of the band from America are coming over for them. I was hoping they all could have come over but we have a couple of Irish lads playing with us as well.

He formed The Shams in 2011 and with his fiery live performances and their popular original songs, such as "Go On Home Boys" off their EP "One and All", the band quickly garnered a loyal following throughout the States.

They have played along with Damien Dempsey, Mundy and the Wolf Tones among others well known acts and will also make an appearance at this years Rory Gallagher Festival in Seans home town

Sean Daly and The Shams have a short West of Ireland tour, the Auld Sod Tour, kicking off on Thursday with live performances at: Owen Roe's in Ballyshannon, Donegal on May 25th, Monroe's Live in Galway City on May 26th, The Harp Bar in Cork City on May 28th, The Chasin Bull in Bundoran, Donegal on June 2nd, The Wolfe Tone Bar in Letterkenny, Donegal on June 3rd

You can find their music, tour dates and other information on their website at www.theshamsmusic.com and on FaceBook at Sean Daly & The Shams and on Twitter @theshamsmusic.
The $1.9 million (Rs 13 crore) Centenario was revealed in 2016 to mark the 100th birthday of the industry leader, and it's limited to 40 units that are divided between coupes and convertibles. Lamborghini says they're all sold out.

The Centenario is custom made entirely of exposed carbon fibre with a few rich accents in Blu Nethuns. Inside the supercar, is the same colour scheme set to leather and Alcantara. The company says the rest of the Centenario's U.S. customers will receive their cars by this year.

A naturally aspirated V12 powers the Lamborghini Centenario with 749bhp capable of sprinting 100km/h in 2.8 seconds en route to a top speed of 350km/h. The company produces each one to the personal tastes of the customer via its Ad Personam program.

"When Ferruccio Lamborghini began realizing his dream of creating the best supercars in the world, he wanted to reach a large audience through production, but he also wanted to keep the unique nature of limited-edition vehicles that clients are able to personalize to their own tastes and style," Automobili Lamborghini America COO Alessandro Farmeschi said in a statement.

All you're going to notice in this delivery video is the Centenario gradually being unloaded. Nobody wants to ruin something that's both impressive and worth Rs 13 crore.
Microsoft executives, led by CEO Satya Nadella, introduced a series of enhancements to the companys critical data and cloud services at the kickoff of its annual Build conference on Wednesday, demonstrating new ways to expand adoption of artificial intelligence, personal digital assistants and other innovations.

Nadella told conference attendees that there will be more than 25 billion intelligent devices in the world by 2020, and the role of developers will be to extend new technologies to meet that challenge.

So, whether precision medicine or precision agriculture, whether its digital media or the industrial Internet, the opportunity for us as developers to have broad, deep impact on all parts of society and all parts of the economy has never been greater, he said.

More than 500 million Windows 10 users now can be reached through the Windows Store, Nadella noted, as well as 100 million monthly active users of Office 365, 140 million monthly users of Cortana, and 12 million organizational entities in the Azure Active Directory  including small, medium and large businesses, as well as educational institutions.

Microsoft offered a preview of Azure IoT Edge, a cross-platform runtime that allows cloud functionality to be run remotely on IoT devices. The technology runs on both Windows and Linux, and it can operate on devices smaller than a Raspberry Pi.

Predictive Maintenance

The company demonstrated how one of its clients, Swedish cutting tool manufacturer Sandvik Coromant, is using Azure IoT Edge, along with Cortana Intelligence and Dynamics 365, to predict machine breakdowns on a factory floor more than 100 times faster than traditional models.

In another demonstration, Microsoft showed how Azure Stack, Azure Functions, Cognitive Services and commodity cameras could help manage worker safety on industrial sites. Because the camera can differentiate among industrial tools and workers, it could be used in a scenario to prevent an unauthorized worker from gaining access to a jackhammer or potentially dangerous tools, for example.

In another demonstration, the company showed how Microsoft Graph is used with Office 365 to create Cortana skills that are pushed across devices  for example to send out a meeting reminder, or to push a low fuel warning to your cars new Harman Kordan-developed Invoke smart speaker, which is powered by Cortana.

Microsoft signed new agreements with HP to develop Cortana-based devices, and with Intel to develop Cortana-based reference platforms. Microsoft also has made the Cortana skills kit available for public preview, allowing developers to build skills for Cortana and publish it to the Cortana channel of the Bot framework.

Microsoft demonstrated how multiple products, including Dynamics 365, Office 365, Microsoft Graph, Microsoft Teams, and others will be integrated into Tact, a new sales experience platform that can turn any AI-connected device into an AI-powered virtual sales assistant.

Microsoft introduced Azure Cosmos DB, which it says is the first globally distributed data service that allows you to horizontally scale throughput and storage anywhere, with guaranteed low latency, high availability and consistency. Users can scale hundreds of millions of requests with a single click.

Microsoft announced new MySQL and PostgreSQL-managed services joining the AzureSQL database, and provided an early preview of Microsofts new database migration services.

The company announced general availability of Visual Studio 2017 for Mac.

It also announced general availability of Windows Server Containers support in Azure Service Fabric.

Developers now can publish for Microsoft Teams, its new chat-based workspace in Office 365. The company introduced new Microsoft Graph APIs for developers, including APIs for SharePoint and Planner.

Competitive Landscape

Major cloud computing firms like Microsoft, Google and Amazon are pursuing different strategies to capitalize on emerging market opportunities, said Jeffrey Kaplan, managing director of ThinkStrategies.

The most obvious example is the latest smart devices that each of the companies are rolling out, which combine voice recognition, AI, communications and ambient computing capabilities to provide a widening array of consumer and collaboration applications for the home and office, he told TechNewsWorld.

Microsofts announcements targeted the core developer audience at the Build conference, noted Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT.

Not surprisingly, Azure is particularly strong in its support for Microsofts individual and group applications, which arent high priorities for some other cloud providers, he told TechNewsWorld.

Microsoft is typically ranked second behind AWS in terms of the size of its facilities and business, but there is research showing that Microsoft is gaining share against AWS, King noted.

Gupshup, a bot platform provider, announced an agreement to use Microsoft Cognitive Services on Interbot, its bot-to-bot communications platform, which will be used to develop bots for Microsoft Teams, Skype, Skype for Business, Cortana and other platforms.

There are a wide variety of applications for both B2B and B2C customers that will benefit from bots being able to more intelligently communicate with one another, leveraging Microsoft APIs and accessing Bings knowledge graph, said Beerud Sheth, CEO of Gupshup.

For example, bots will be able to perform news and sentiment mining in real time, as well as review and recognize images and videos and trigger appropriate actions as a result, he told TechNewsWorld.

Customers want Microsoft to make their jobs easier, Sheth said. They want to see advances like support for edge computing, for example, which opens up paths to new projects or business opportunities. They want to see support for emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, that enhance or broaden the appeal of their work.
Blog Archive June 2021 (1) May 2021 (77) April 2021 (77) March 2021 (82) February 2021 (68) January 2021 (64) December 2020 (67) November 2020 (66) October 2020 (66) September 2020 (67) August 2020 (74) July 2020 (83) June 2020 (92) May 2020 (86) April 2020 (104) March 2020 (105) February 2020 (74) January 2020 (75) December 2019 (75) November 2019 (70) October 2019 (89) September 2019 (69) August 2019 (81) July 2019 (77) June 2019 (73) May 2019 (110) April 2019 (110) March 2019 (102) February 2019 (85) January 2019 (123) December 2018 (116) November 2018 (112) October 2018 (121) September 2018 (107) August 2018 (150) July 2018 (163) June 2018 (190) May 2018 (145) April 2018 (112) March 2018 (124) February 2018 (113) January 2018 (164) December 2017 (150) November 2017 (144) October 2017 (169) September 2017 (171) August 2017 (135) July 2017 (131) June 2017 (147) May 2017 (160) April 2017 (138) March 2017 (156) February 2017 (143) January 2017 (203) December 2016 (208) November 2016 (185) October 2016 (173) September 2016 (194) August 2016 (232) July 2016 (225) June 2016 (238) May 2016 (231) April 2016 (215) March 2016 (246) February 2016 (226) January 2016 (252) December 2015 (230) November 2015 (250) October 2015 (234) September 2015 (222) August 2015 (253) July 2015 (275) June 2015 (279) May 2015 (223) April 2015 (226) March 2015 (243) February 2015 (258) January 2015 (281) December 2014 (292) November 2014 (296) October 2014 (413) September 2014 (472) August 2014 (506) July 2014 (483) June 2014 (488) May 2014 (512) April 2014 (497) March 2014 (531) February 2014 (482) January 2014 (535) December 2013 (482) November 2013 (441) October 2013 (416) September 2013 (491) August 2013 (521) July 2013 (491) June 2013 (470) May 2013 (457) April 2013 (426) March 2013 (420) February 2013 (414) January 2013 (489) December 2012 (433) November 2012 (504) October 2012 (469) September 2012 (430) August 2012 (427) July 2012 (360) June 2012 (336) May 2012 (362) April 2012 (322) March 2012 (263) February 2012 (224) January 2012 (291) December 2011 (295) November 2011 (325) October 2011 (330) September 2011 (319) August 2011 (333) July 2011 (318) June 2011 (387) May 2011 (373) April 2011 (389) March 2011 (375) February 2011 (335) January 2011 (400) December 2010 (445) November 2010 (395) October 2010 (312) September 2010 (262) August 2010 (277) July 2010 (323) June 2010 (386) May 2010 (360) April 2010 (333) March 2010 (351) February 2010 (336) January 2010 (384) December 2009 (353) November 2009 (300) October 2009 (308) September 2009 (350) August 2009 (298) July 2009 (255) June 2009 (203) May 2009 (193) April 2009 (186) March 2009 (197) February 2009 (173) January 2009 (148) December 2008 (181) November 2008 (197) October 2008 (236) September 2008 (304) August 2008 (314) July 2008 (273) June 2008 (27) May 2008 (1) April 2008 (6) October 2007 (1) May 2007 (1) April 2007 (6) March 2007 (2) February 2007 (1) October 2006 (1) September 2006 (1) August 2006 (4) July 2006 (4) June 2006 (1) July 2005 (1) May 2005 (2) March 2005 (1) June 2004 (2) May 2004 (1) April 2004 (4) March 2004 (2) February 2004 (2) July 2003 (2) June 2003 (5)
By Mike Matz

Eighty-one years ago, Franklin Roosevelts secretary of the interior, Harold Ickes, proposed a vast, four million-acre national monument for southern Utah. Over the ensuing decades, pieces of Ickes vision were realized in the establishment of Canyonlands and Capitol Reef national parks, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Last year, another president and his interior secretary took a big step toward completing Ickes dream. At the request of five Native American tribes living in the vicinity, and after nearly a weeklong tour by former Interior Sec. Sally Jewell of places proposed for protection, Barack Obama signed a proclamation under authority of the Antiquities Act to designate 1.3 million acres of land as the Bears Ears National Monument.

The move protected an area of sublime beauty and major cultural significance: Bears Ears includes more than 100,000 archeological sites.

We worked very closely with our scientists, people on the ground, people in the communities that know these landscapes well, the tribes, particularly in [the] case of Bears Ears, that understood whats needed for hunting, gathering and traditional practices and sacred sites, Jewell recently told the Salt Lake Tribune. Those shaped the boundaries of these monuments which were very carefully thought out.

On April 26, President Donald Trump took action that could begin to unravel the achievement of this decades-long vision. He signed an order directing Interior Sec. Ryan Zinke to review all national monuments established in the past 21 yearsupward of two dozen sites in states primarily across the West, including Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalanteto assess whether the reservation of these public lands is the smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects to be protected and whether the designated lands are really historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures.

Hikers approach a sandstone spire formation on the Owl Canyon trail in Bears Ears National Monument. Bob Lingner

In late March, I visited Bears Ears with friends. We camped at the head of Mule Canyon, spent time at a rim overlooking Arch Canyon, and hiked into Owl Canyon and up Indian Creek. Our conclusion: This is a spectacular place. Sec. Ickes in 1936 and the coalition of tribes last year were absolutely right in pushing for its protection, and all Americans are fortunate to have this natural heritage preserved for them and their children and grandchildren.

Throughout the monument, we saw prehistoric structures and historic landmarks, from the intricately built stone watchtowers that guarded a water spring at the head of the canyon to Newspaper Rock, a sandstone slab filled with centuries worth of pictographs.

These 2,000-year-old petroglyphs on Newspaper Rock near Monticello, Utah, are within the Bears Ears National Monument boundary. Bob Lingner

We heard coyotes yipping at dawn, just as the sky was beginning to light the red rock afire. High up a sandstone fin we spied ancient cliff dwellings carved into the nearly vertical rock face. In the deep blue of a cloudless day, an arch spanning two precipitous ridges cast a stripe of shade on the canyon bottom where we hiked. We saw elk traversing a mesa through sagebrush flats and deer browsing in juniper-pinyon forests.

Each of these moments is etched upon our memories, and we count ourselves lucky to have found Bears Ears as it has always been.

It is now up to all citizens to speak up for our national monuments. Submit your comment by May 26 to urge President Trump and Sec. Zinke to preserve Bears Ears as it was approved. My friends and I have. Having experienced this special place ourselves, we are now personally invested in its intact protection so that our children and grandchildren can explore and enjoy it as we have.

Nevills Arch in Owl Canyon off Cedar Mesa in the monument. Bob Lingner

Mike Matz directs The Pew Charitable Trusts U.S. public lands program, focusing on wilderness and national monument projects.
By Letha Tawney, Celina Bonugli and Daniel Melling

Utilities are breaking away from traditional electricity products to offer customers access to large-scale renewable energy. Until very recently, utilities did not differentiate the sort of power they offered customers. With very few exceptions, everyone shared in the cost and used electricity from the same fleet of power generating stations.

But over the past four years, even regulated U.S. utilities have begun to offer new, large-scale renewable energy options to customers.

World Resources Institute data shows that across ten U.S. states, utilities now offer 13 green tariffsprograms that let customers purchase large-scale renewable energy over the grid.

We take a closer look at the trends and motivations that have made utilities important players in the rapid scale up of renewable energy to serve corporate buyers in the U.S.

1. Why are utilities stepping up?



In markets where wind and solar power have become

cost competitive, utilities have more economic incentives to add renewable energy. Renewable resources just offer a great low price for the next 20 yearswithout the risks of fossil fuel price spikes.

Utility leaders overwhelmingly anticipate substantial solar and wind power growth in the next ten years, according to

Utility Dives 2017 survey of the sector. Among utility executives, 71 percent say utility scale wind will increase moderately or significantly over the next ten years and 82 percent predict the same for utility scale solar.

Recently, Pat Vincent-Collawn, CEO of PNM Resources

announced a plan to eliminate coal by 2031 and move toward renewables and natural gas, calling it the best, most economical path to a strong energy future for New Mexico. WEC Energy Group CEO Allen Leverett told shareholders in May 2017 that the company is exploring solar, probably the biggest change weve seen in last five years is solar and the cost of solar. The technology curve really has fallen fast in terms of improvement in cost.

Mid-American, a Berkshire Hathaway Energy subsidiary, has

talked about their extensive investments in wind in the same wayas an effective way to keep prices low for customers. The company also used their wind investments to serve the renewable energy requirements of major data centers, such as Facebook and Google, in their service territory.

2. How big is the demand for renewable energy on the grid?



Through RE100,

90 companies have committed to 100 percent renewable power. Clean energy and greenhouse gas reduction targets are now the norm for Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 companies. World Wildlife Fund and Ceres Power Forward 3.0 report shows that almost half of the Fortune 500 and a majority of the Fortune 100 now have climate and energy targets.

Companies with renewable energy commitments can

only go so far with on-site solar and efficiency. To meet the most ambitious targets, like a 100 percent renewable energy goal, companies have to tap into the grid and are turning to their utility to provide solutions.

Big businesses have communicated their needs to U.S. utilities. Sixty-five companies have signed on to the Renewable Energy Buyers Principles, which tell utilities and other suppliers what industry-leading, multinational companies are looking for when buying renewable energy from the grid.

And utilities are listening. Utilities without green tariffs or state mandates are still considering new renewable energy options to attract businesses. Describing a new wind project, Appalachian Powers new president Chris Beam

told the Charleston Gazette Mail, at the end of the day, West Virginia may not require us to be clean, but our customers are [] we have to be mindful of what our customers want.

3. How are utilities stepping up?



To meet customer demand for renewable energy, traditional utilities have now created 13 green tariff options across 10 states. In the six months since the last update to World Resources Institutes issue brief,

Emerging Green Tariffs in U.S. Regulated Electricity Markets, utilities have added three more green tariffs optionsincluding the first offered by a public power company, Nebraskas Omaha Public Power District.

States with renewable energy options are more competitive when attracting high-growth corporate business. When Omaha Public Power District announced a new green tariff to supply a Facebook data center, Tim Burke, Omaha Public Power Districts president and CEO, told the Omaha World-Herald, we have several customers right now that are putting together potential expansion projects and will utilize that (new) rate to grow.

4. What is the impact of green tariffs on the grid?



Who is using these tariffs? To date, customers have contracted for approximately 900 MW of new renewable energy under five of the tariffs. This is approximately enough electricity to power 160,000 average American homes a year. This spring, utilities and customers are negotiating hundreds more megawatts of additional purchases.

In April 2017 alone, major announcements from Puget Sound Energy and Omaha Public Power District, confirm that buyers are ready and willing to act in partnership with their utility.

5. How can customers keep up with these new options?



World Resources Institutes interactive U.S. Renewable Energy Map: A Guide For Corporate Buyers shows all the green tariffs that utilities offer across the nation. The map also details one-on-one special contracts that customers have signed with utilities. These special contracts show a utility is willing to explore options, even if they havent gone as far as creating a new tariff.





6. Whats next?



Today green tariffs are a small part of the overall U.S. renewable energy marketreflecting their pilot status. But the programs create a runway for renewables at a time when demand is only increasing, not just from businesses, but also cities, universities, hospitals and smaller companies.

Innovative partnerships will continue to emerge between utilities and their customers as both grapple with the rapidly changing electricity sector. Green tariffs are only three years old, but with increasing demand, interest in renewables by utilities and the continued fall in renewable energy prices, green tariffs look like theyre here to stay.
#lending rules S. Korea to begin eased lending rules next month South Korea will carry out eased lending rules for first-time homebuyers and owners of one home next month as the once-hot housing market appears to be entering a downturn amid ris...

#football Son Heung-min says ready to play at World Cup with protective mask As he recovers from a recent facial surgery, South Korean football icon Son Heung-min said Wednesday he will play at the upcoming FIFA World Cup with a protective mask. The Tott...
Having attained the position of the worlds second largest economy, China seems bent upon reaching the top spot in record time. It is doing this by spending its way to prosperity as part of a grand strategy that seeks to attain both geopolitical and economic competitive advantage. Twenty-eight heads of state/government and representatives from 100 countries and a large number of international organisations gathered in Beijing on 1415 May as part of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. They launched the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road project, also called the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) or One Belt, One Road. The BRI is a massive international development project that envisages, at the least, a number of roads, railway lines and ports that will connect major economic centres in China, via various routes, with Europe. Japan and India, Asias second and third largest economies, however, chose to boycott the forum. New Delhi was concerned about sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, of course, invoked historical memory of the Silk Road or the Silk Route, the network of trade routes from 150 BCE to the 1450s CE that connected the Asian continent from east to west, from Japan and the Korean peninsula to the Mediterranean Sea. The name derives from the lucrative trade in silk but a by-product of the international commerce was cultural and technological diffusion. While romanticising the historical Silk Route, Xi emphasised the advantages of mutual learning and benefit, openness and inclusiveness, and called the new Silk Roadthe BRIthe project of the century. But marketing of the project aside, one must try to grasp its underlying geopolitics and political economy.
Something went wrong, please try again later.

Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later.

Sign up to our newsletter for the latest on Sam Ryder's Eurovision stint PLUS a weekly roundup of all of Essex's latest celebrity and TV news

A group of Essex women have raised more than 20,000 for a breast cancer charity after taking part in a night time walk through London.

'The Golden Girls' participated in the 20th annual Moonwalk, a 15.1 miles trek though the capital, organised by charity Walk the Walk.

On May 13, 15,000 people walked the route in decorated bras for the charity's flagship fundraising event.

Three of the 39 women from Essex involved in this year's fundraiser have recently been affected by breast cancer, with one of them still undergoing treatment.

Maria Dowding, 49, and Amanda Parker-Gamon, 51, have both just finished their cancer treatments, while their friend April Allpress, 48, is having chemotherapy as she battles an invasive ductal carcinoma.

Maria, from Ongar, April, from Ayrbridge and Amanda, from Chigwell, have all used scalp cooling equipment, which helps patients to retain their hair, and have praised the benefits of these machines.

Funding the cost of installing and maintaining these devices in hospitals across the UK is something Walk the Walk is very passionate about.

All three fighters were thrilled to realise that the scalp cooler that April is currently using has been donated by Walk the Walk, which made doing the Moonwalk even more special for them.

Amanda said: "After the shock of discovering that I had breast cancer, the support and love of my wonderful Golden Girls meant that we have all joined together to turn this into a positive experience.

Maria's daughter, TOWIE star Amber Dowding, showed her support for her mum and friends by taking part in the charity walk.

The inspiring group of women have already smashed their initial target of 10,000, raising an incredible 22,137.48.

Walk the Walk Founder and Chief Executive Nina Barough CBE said: "I think our 20th year was certainly marked in style. Our Walkers looked magnificent.

"The energy of everyone coming together before the walk was electric. And even the early morning rain hasn't really dampened anyone's spirits.

"It was the most extraordinary birthday party and it really felt like the end of an era and the beginning of the next part of the story".

Walk the Walk has raised more than 117 million since 1996, with the money granted either to fund research into breast cancer or to help improve the lives of those with cancer now.

You can still donate to the fundraising page here.
Something went wrong, please try again later.

Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later.

Get the latest on all the biggest court and crime news in Essex direct from our expert court reporter

A man who repeatedly flashed his penis whilst masturbating at cleaners in a public toilet has been found guilty of exposure.

Jamie Hernaman, 28, committed the offences at the Market Road toilets in Chelmsford between February 1 and March 4 of last year.

Hernaman, of Pavitt Meadow, Galleywood, appeared before Chelmsford Crown Court on May 11 for the start of his trial.

On Wednesday (May 17), he was found guilty of two counts of intentionally exposing his genitals intending that someone would see them and be caused alarm or distress.

During the trial, prosecutor Jeremy Rosenberg told the court how a cleaner working at the Chelmsford City Council toilets reported Hernaman to the police on March 4, 2016.

"She was cleaning the male toilets when she saw Mr Hernaman who was about to walk into one of the cubicles," said Mr Rosenberg.

"He changed his course and didn't go in the cubicle of the toilets. He instead went to one of the urinals.

"The cleaner described how he turned and looked at her with his penis out and masturbated."

Handing down sentence, Judge Christopher Morgan sentenced Hernaman to a six month community order and 20 days of rehabilitative treatment.

In addition, Hernaman is banned from entering the Market Road toilets for 12 months and must pay a 600 fine.
Hi. I have a similar profile to yours. My wife was primary applicant, ANZSCO 261312 (Developer Programmer), NSW SS 190 visa. She claimed points for my skills as well. We filed visa on 21st October and had CO contact on 31st October asking for Form80 and Form1221 which we uploaded on myimmi account on 13th November. Post this there was a verification call from Australian High Commission from New Delhi to my wifes office where they verified with her reporting managers and HR if she has performed those duties or not plus few questions around whether she has informed the organization about her PR plans or not. Then post this we got the grant on 13th April 2017. So we got our grant after 3 months of employment verification. However we emailed and called DIBP post employment verification twice to check the status of our file. So expect 1-3 months time buddy. DIBP is random. I would say dont have high expectations because if it comes in 1 months then it would be a pleasant surprise and if it comes in 3 months then also you would be fine because you did not expect much from DIBP. So I would say just be prepared for 3 months minimum.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Hi guys,



Couple of years ago, mine and my partners name were taken to register for the electrol register.



Since then my partner, who is on a spouse visa, continues getting voting letters. Will I be able to use these as evidence of cohabitation as I am not sure they are allowed to vote? Please can someone clarify.



Sent from my SM-G928F using Tapatalk
Preparing your application for submission

Supporting documents should be sent as soon as possible to the UK after the online application form has been completed, and should include your unique GWF number. The documents may be sent before your application and biometrics are submitted.

AndyJD said: That's what we thought, she turned up in Moscow with everything on Friday, and all they did was take her photo, fingerprints, current passport, old passport, and told her that she needed to send everything else to the UK, so she went to DHL in Moscow, and actually sent them to me, they should arrive on Monday, I will check everything over, add a stamped addressed envelope and send to Sheffield, so I should be able to get them there by Wednesday at the latest.



I was under the impression, like you, from reading the TLS website that they would scan everything there. Click to expand...

It seems like total chaos with this new "system". The UKVI advice here in Hong Kong says documents should be sent "as soon as possible" but doesn't give any deadlineOf course, that's for HK, I don't see a similar guidance on the Russia site, but it should be similar.
I have been reading a lot of fascinating posts that raises the excitement level even further to move to SA. This is my first question as a new member and hope that I am not repeating previous questions.



My daughter is married to and lives in Johannesburg with her SA born husband and their 2 young children.

Does anyone know if I would qualify to make an application to move to SA based on their status? My daughter is still waiting for her espousal documents to be finalised.

I am retired and will not intending to work.

I do not qualify for required monthly income although I will have sufficient funds to support myself and all living costs.

What are my options concerning applications travelling on Australian passport?

I am looking for this to be my final move having lived in many countries due to work.



Thank you
Our Lady of the Lake University has received the largest gift in school history, money that will benefit the schools communication sciences and disorders program.

Elizabeth Carrow Woolfolk, a former faculty member at OLLU and pioneer in language theory and assessment, founded the universitys Harry Jersig Speech-Language-Hearing Center in 1955. The clinic provides speech language pathology and audiology services for children and adults.

Woolfolk and her husband, who live in Houston, are making two donations that together will surpass the schools previous largest donation, $2 million from oil executive and philanthropist Bill Greehey in 2010.

The first gift, of $1 million, will expand the universitys Communication Sciences and Disorders program into the Elizabeth Carrow Woolfolk and Robert M. Woolfolk School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, bolstering the curriculum and creating a speech pathology doctoral program.

The couples second donation, in an undisclosed amount, will establish the Woolfolk Center for Research in Language Disorders. In an interview, Woolfolk said shed like the center to develop a data bank of tests and profiles of children with disorders to strengthen diagnoses for conditions such as autism.

Weve got a lot of wonderful things that weve done for people. Its exciting, said Woolfolk, 89. Its one of the types of disorders that you can really do something about.

Woolfolk received her bachelors from what was then Our Lady of the Lake College in 1949, and earned a masters at the University of Texas at Austin in deaf education and a doctorate from Northwestern University in speech and language. For a time, she was a nun with the Congregation of Divine Providence.

She headed up the program in speech pathology and audiology at UT Austin and also joined the faculty at the Baylor College of Medicine, where she headed its Speech Pathology Program and helped establish clinics at three Houston hospitals, including Texas Childrens Hospital, she said. Over her career, she became well-known for developing assessments to help determine the extent and nature of patients language disorders. She is the author of multiple books, textbooks and journal articles.

Eva Nwokah, a professor and department chair of OLLUs Communication Sciences and Disorders program, said the donations are an outgrowth of recent attempts to enhance the program. Woolfolks gift, she said, will help preserve her legacy at the university.

We have a long history of training speech language pathology, Nwokah said. This gift is a wonderful gift that will help us really expand and develop, and build on the programs that have existed for a long time.

lcaruba@express-news.net
As officials try to find the right words to explain the impact of the death of a San Antonio firefighter, family members of all firefighters are working to cope with the sudden, stark reality of the dangers their loved ones face on the job.

Scott Deem, 31, died Thursday after he was unable to escape from a building on fire on San Antonios Northwest Side. Many firefighters and their family members shared their fears, shock and grief on Facebook and other social media sites upon hearing a firefighter hadnt made it out before the flames engulfed the building.

Kimberli Vosburg, the wife of 16-year veteran fire engineer Robby Vosburg, shared on Facebook her thoughts as her 8-year-old son, Cutler, woke to the news of Deems death:

Cutler woke up this morning doing a welfare check on all his favorite people because he went to sleep last night watching the fire on TV and watching his dad worry.

As he went through his list  Uncle Ronny Fikes (Cutlers godfather), Uncle Brack Harrington (his dads best friend) and many more  it made me realize that up until this point in his young life his Daddy's job was just really cool. It consisted of fun dinners at the fire station, hanging out with fun guys (and gals) and knowing that his Dad and Uncles do the saving; they help people.

His young mind never truly processed that the work his Dad does could mean that at some point his Daddy would need to be saved. It broke my heart to see the worry in his face.

31-year-old Scott Deem left behind a pregnant wife and two children. At about 9:30 this morning (Friday), these kids will be looking for their Daddy to walk through their door. Im sure his wife will be praying for him to walk through that door as well, that this was all just a nightmare. I really wish that were the case.

SAFD was changed last night. It has been 20 years since a firefighter was lost in the line of duty. Many in the department had never experienced this, my husband included.

The SAFD family was changed. Their children are waking up with the realization that their Daddys and Mommys could be hurt while on shift, and that's their job.

It's still a super cool job and Daddy will always be Cutler's hero, but now there is a worry in his mind that was never there before.

Being a fire wife, you know what you are in for, but I realized I've taken for granted that at 9:40 a.m. every morning after shift, my firefighter will come home to me. It made me realize that our home may not be where he ends his shift or where he will be welcomed.

Scott Deem, I know you were welcomed into your eternal home with open arms. I pray for your wife and I pray for your children. You will always be their hero and one of ours also. God Speed.

Vosburg said she asked her son why he mentioned Fikes and Harrington, specifically.

They are my other two Dads, he said, and I know if my real Daddy needed them in a fire, they would be there to save him, because I know they love me that much.

Cutlers response illustrated the brotherhood philosophy Fire Chief Charles Hood discussed when he said he made the decision to suspend the search for Deem because the men and women of this organization would continue to pour into that building and risk their lives to pull their brother out.  It was one of the most difficult decisions of my life, but there are no regrets for doing that, because we saved lives.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A hail damage repair shop owner and a firearms forensics expert testified Friday in the murder trial of door-to-door salesman Richard Amezquita, saying his story of being hit with rocks and firing a gun at the owner from the street in self-defense seemed plausible.

Amezquita, who worked for Vivint selling home security systems, was charged with murder Nov. 7, 2015, in the fatal shooting of Kerry OToole, 53, at his home in the Stone Oak area on the Far North Side.

He told the police OToole answered the door in an agitated state, then attacked, kicked and choked him, then chased him, before Amezquita fled back to his car and fired four shots from the drivers seat toward the house.

In the third and last day of testimony in the 186th State District Court, Richard Ernest, director of the Alliance Forensics Laboratory in Fort Worth, told the jury that the states claim that Amezquita fired his gun on or near OTooles porch didnt add up with his tests.

I found no gunpowder on any part of (OTooles clothing) ... not a single particle, said Ernest, explaining that bullets fired within about 5 feet of the victim would have left gunpowder residue like carbon and nitrites. Ernest also said four shell casings from Amezquitas .9 mm handgun were found in the car, not on or near the porch.

Ernest, a former Georgia Bureau of Investigation analyst who said he had testified in court at least 1,000 times, testified that his re-enactment of the shooting suggests that the angle of the gun, fired from the car at about 40-45 feet away, would have roughly matched the angle of the bullet holes in OTooles house.

Do you think the shots were fired on the porch? defense attorney Edward Bartolomei asked his expert.

Theres little evidence to support that the event happened on the porch, said Ernest. The defendants story is more likely. Ernest did, however, agree with prosecutor Kimberley Gonzalez that an entry wound in OTooles back could suggest that the homeowner was retreating when Amezquita fired. In opening arguments, Gonzalez told the jury that Amezquita had a choice of calling the police or driving away, but instead decided to shoot him.

The first witness of the day, hail damage technician Michael Paul, said he worked on Amezquitas car after the shooting and that there was clear gouging damage that almost certainly came from a large rock, and not hail or a stray car door in a parking lot, as the state suggested.

Testimony concluded Friday. The case will go to the jury Monday morning. If convicted, Amezquita would face a maximum of life in prison.

bselcraig@express-news.net
On the day the Alamo fell to Mexican Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, March 6, 1836, with a sky full of cannon fire and flames, circumstantial evidence indicates that the stout mesquite gate leading into the compound remained intact and standing on the south side of the fortress.

A San Antonio family whose ancestors include Jose Francisco Ruiz, one of the two native Texan signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence, Francisco Antonio Ruiz, mayor of San Antonio in 1836, and Blas Maria Herrera, the Paul Revere of the Texas Revolution, has protected for nearly two centuries what they believe to be that gate.

Ruiz-Herrera family members quietly concealed the gate on their Southwest Bexar County ranch near Von Ormy until early 1984 when they entrusted the gates two leaves; one badly weathered, one less so  to state restoration experts and eventually the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin. (Though often referred to in the plural, the two leaves were meant to be hung together, forming one gate.)

Texas archaeologists will only go so far as to say the Herrera Gate is certainly from one of the San Antonio missions and is a rare exquisite example of woodworking from the Spanish Colonial period (prior to 1821). Yet they are careful to say the familys detailed oral history is more than just credible  it has repeatedly been proved true by Spanish archives.

They are just an incredible piece of architecture, said Kay Hindes, city of San Antonio archaeologist and author of a definitive 1998 study on the gate. The expertise and tools of the men who made these gates were far less primitive than some people imagine. They made beautiful works of art that are a testament to their craftsmanship.

But the gates preservation as part of Texas history is equally about an indefatigable daughters love for her father and his quest to protect what he has believed since childhood to be a part of the Alamo.

Stella (Evie) Herrera Patton, a seventh-generation Texan now living in California, grew up on Pruitt Avenue on the South Side and remembers countless childhood trips out to the 30-acre Bexar County ranch that has been in the family for 180 years.

Id go walking with my dad, recalled Patton of her father, Adolph C. Herrera, the great-grandson of Blas Herrera. Wed go fishing on the Medina. We got perch. I learned to swim there. The water moccasins would go one way, wed go the other. Daddy brought me jack rabbits.

Adolph C. Herrera, a retired firefighter, died in 1999 at age 86.

Every Easter wed go out to the ranch, said Patton, laughing through her tears, and we might have 40 or more sisters, cousins, uncles, and Dad would dig a hole a week before for the fire pit and the barbacoa. We had a pinata and cascarones.... He meant everything to me.

Then one day at her Dads house in 1975, Patton recalls her father saying to her young husband of just two years, Peter Patton, Mijo, I need you to go to the ranch with me. Were gonna go get the gate to the Alamo.

If the bemused son-in-law had any doubts about Herreras mission that day, he didnt betray them as they loaded into a Ford pickup and drove in silence to the ranch.

Peter Patton later wrote in his own account that he and Adolph took a shovel and walked to a spot about 20 feet east of an old dance hall on the ranch. Adolph planted the shovel in the ground and hit some corrugated tin roofing.

I watched in wonder as Adolph pulled the metal away from the earth, Patton wrote, and to my amazement two gates came out.

They leaned them against the small adobe dance hall (built around 1849), and there they remained unprotected in the South Texas weather until November 1984, when Evie Patton contacted Kay Hindes, at that time a young archaeologist for the University of Texas at Austins Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory (TARL), and persuaded her to adopt the gate.

It was archaeological love at first sight.

Im a farm girl, said Hindes, chuckling, and I realized these were important. It was pretty exciting.

In her yearlong study, she wrote: The craftsmanship and condition of the Herrera Gate probably indicates it was neither part of a humble dwelling nor a veteran portal from a military stronghold. This artifact likely came from either a fine residence or one of the mission complexes. Hindes says Spanish Colonial gates this large  each leaf was about 8 feet tall by 4 feet wide  may still be found in New Mexico and perhaps might even be in use in northern Mexico, but that she knew of none in the public domain in Texas.

Years after Adolphs death, Hinds is still clearly moved by the mans reverence for authenticity and detail.

He was always so humble, she recalled, but he knew his history. Hed tell me something  like the detailed methods the Spanish would use to dry and cut the mesquite they used for these gates, and how the Spanish carpenters thought the wood should be cut under the waning moon  and Id go to the archives and find he was right. He was just a lovely person.

The story Adolph C. Herrera told Hindes is that the gate came from one of the missions and that after the battle, the Alamo compound was dismantled for scrap lumber and that his ancestors bought quite a bit and took it to their ranch. Some accounts concerning Alamo artifacts, Hindes writes, are documented by an 1847 inventory of Alamo property bought, sold and repaired by the U.S. Army Quartermasters Department.

Hindes said there were some 30 skilled carpenters among the estimated 3,000 Spanish colonizers, including craftsmen from Spain, local mestizos and men from the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. (Some archaeologists suggest that the gate may even have been made in Mexico and brought to the San Antonio missions.)

They were master craftsmen and would have been well-respected, Hindes said. They had at least five types of chisels, numerous wood planes, plumb bob tools for leveling, augers and even something called a pit saw.

Franck Cordes, curator of the Bullock, said modern woodworkers would often be shocked that the early Texans could work so precisely in mesquite, a relatively hard wood, without power tools.

They even made some mesquite stirrups, Cordes said. They used techniques passed down from 16th-century craftsmen. Yet the Herrera Gate is level and square from top to bottom, and when it was hung it was a good snug fit. And this was not a light piece of wood.

Both leaves of the gate went to the Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory first. The least-weathered of the two leaves went to the University of Texas at San Antonios Institute of Texan Cultures for years before it went to the Bullock Museum, where it was on display from the museums opening day, in 2001, until 2015. It remains there in storage temporarily while the museum renovates its first floor for a reinterpreted exhibit on Texas history through 1821 that will open in 2018.

The second leave remains with the TARL in Austin, and is undergoing a more thorough restoration. Hindes, Evie Patton and others, while appreciative of all the efforts of other museums, say they hope the leaves can one day be reunited and stay for good in San Antonio.

Through Pattons efforts, the family ranch is now on the National Register of Historic Places, but she says it requires considerable upkeep and has no tax-exempt status. Texas Preservation named it to the Texas Most Endangered Historic Places list in 2011. One day, Patton said, shed like to see the family ranch converted into some kind of low-key historic site, perhaps like Lyndon Johnsons home outside Johnson City.

I have a grandbaby who is a ninth-generation Texan, she said. I want my children to know the family they came from.

bselcraig@express-news.net

COMING MONDAY: The historic Guenther House
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

AUSTIN  Reminded of the horrific stories of people killed in crashes caused by texting drivers, the Texas Senate voted 23-8 Friday to ban the practice statewide.

By passing this bill, we will save lives. Thats the most important thing we can do as legislators, said Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, who championed the measure with Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland.

The legislation gained renewed attention after a head-on collision on March 29 killed 13 people heading back to New Braunfels after a church retreat in Leakey. National Transportation Safety Board officials said the driver who crossed the center line into oncoming traffic, Jack Young, told them he was checking his phone for a text at the time of the accident.

That crash was among the tragedies cited during Senate floor debate, but a senator who opposed the measure pointed out that there were other issues raised besides texting. Investigators said they found prescription drugs and marijuana in Youngs vehicle.

Im sorry, that was not a texting accident, said Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, who argued that there are reasonable uses of the device while you are driving.

House Bill 62 as amended in the Senate would establish a misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine of up to $99 on a first offense of using a hand-held device to read, write or send texts while operating a moving vehicle. A second offense would be punishable by a fine of $100 to $200.

If the action killed or seriously injured another person, it would be a Class A misdemeanor.

There would be exceptions for such things as using a GPS device for directions. Hands-free use for talking would not be affected by the bill.

The bill already has passed the House and will return to that chamber for consideration of Senate amendments.

Craddick said Friday he will ask the House to concur in the changes and send the measure to Gov. Greg Abbott for his consideration.

A spokesman for Abbott didnt comment Friday when asked whether the governor supported the bill. Craddick told the San Antonio Express-News in April that Abbott had said he would back such legislation when he was asked about it at a 2015 fundraiser in Midland.

We expect him to do what he said he would do, Craddick said Friday.

Passage of the bill came after the Senate rejected a proposed amendment by Taylor that would have required that an officer both see the use of the hand-held device and that its use be established by other evidence in order for the offense to be prosecuted.

Taylor said he agreed with increasing penalties when serious bodily injury and death occur. But he said that in general, using a cellphone is no more dangerous than other things people do while driving.

It is unsafe to text and drive, Taylor said. It is also unsafe to eat a hamburger and drive.

A texting ban was approved by lawmakers in 2011, but then-Gov. Rick Perry vetoed it, calling it a government effort to micromanage the behavior of adults.

Zaffirini, who has been working to pass the measure for a decade, said the ban would be a deterrent.

There are people who text and drive, including some senators, who said that they will not text and drive when it is illegal, she said. Now, it will be illegal.

pfikac@express-news.net

Twitter: @pfikac
Attorney General Ken Paxton is hoping the Trump administration will not resist Texas in court as the administration rewrites Obama-era environmental regulations.

In a letter sent this week, Paxton urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to stop the clock on more than 12 lawsuits it has pending with the EPA over new regulations related to climate change, clean air and wetlands protection.

With briefing and motion deadlines pending in many of the cases, the letter asked the EPA to direct Department of Justice lawyers to suspend the cases while the EPA reviews the rules. This would save Texas and industry groups legal fees, it argues.

The letter was addressed to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, former attorney general of Oklahoma, who has said he does not believe that greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels are driving global warming.

The letter comes in response to an EPA request for comments that came out of a March 1 executive order by President Donald Trump to alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens placed on the American people.

Paxtons letter champions the concept of cooperative federalism, arguing that states should be free to experiment with their own regulations.

For only if the states are able to experiment, so that we may learn lessons from our collective experiences, will the depth and breadth of the potential of our Union be fulfilled, it states.

Texas Public Policy Foundation general counsel Robert Henneke called Paxtons request a sound course of action. The conservative think tank sued the EPA this month over the EPAs finding in 2009 that greenhouse gases endanger human health and welfare.

You had the position in the last administration of not really cooperating with states, Henneke said. Now that we have an administration thats open to the notion of federalism and rule of law, I think it is a sensible action for Texas for reconsideration of these issues that were raised.

Henneke added that Pruitts background shows hes committed to run an EPA that stays within the confines of its statutory limitations that have been set by Congress.

Many environmental advocates see Texas regulators as too cozy with polluting industries, leading to standards and enforcement that harm public health and the environment.

Eric Schaeffer, executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project, a group that has sued Texas over its environmental enforcement, attacked Paxtons letter on its legal arguments. Schaeffer is also a former director of the EPAs civil enforcement office.

EPA cant just unilaterally suspend deadlines and wipe rules off the books without violating the laws that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt swore to uphold when he took office, Schaeffer said in an email.

If the Trump administration wants to eliminate rules like smog standards or regulations on oil and gas pollution, it must first submit them for public comment, then make a decision based on those comments with legal justification, he said.

Thats how the rule of law that Paxton and Pruitt keep talking about actually works in the real world, he said.

bgibbons@express-news.net,

Twitter: @bgibbs
Jimmy Galindo is Carlos Urestis worst nightmare.

On Thursday, Galindo, the former Reeves County judge, signed a plea deal in which he admitted to accepting bribes in exchange for helping a company score a multimillion-dollar medical-services contract for the Reeves County Detention Center.

Uresti, the San Antonio-based Democratic state senator, allegedly was Galindos partner in the scheme, using the cover of his consulting business to split $850,000 in bribes with the former county judge, according to court documents.

By accepting the plea agreement, Galindo agreed to fully cooperate in the investigation and prosecution of any and all criminal transactions known to the defendant. That means providing information on Vernon Farthing, the owner of Physicians Network Associates (PNA), the company that Galindo helped with the detention-center contract bid.

It also could mean ratting out Uresti.

Up until last Tuesday, when Uresti was indicted on 13 charges carrying more than 200 years in prison, the legal speculation about him focused primarily on FourWinds Logistics, a bankrupt frac-sand company for which Uresti served as outside general counsel and received commissions for attracting investors.

Last August, the San Antonio Express-News published reporter Patrick Danners deep-dive on Urestis questionable activities with FourWinds. The emotional heart of the story involved Denise Cantu, a Harlingen woman who lost her 13-year-old daughter, 4-year-old son and two friends in a horrific 2010 accident in which the rear tire of her Ford Explorer blew out.

As Cantus attorney, Uresti secured a substantial wrongful-death settlement for her. He then persuaded her to invest $900,000, the bulk of that settlement, in FourWinds. She ended up losing most of her money.

Cantu later said that Uresti didnt tell her that he was earning a commission from her investment, while he maintains that he did.

After a February raid by the FBI and IRS on the senators law office, Team Uresti knew that a FourWinds-related indictment was a serious possibility. The Reeves County indictment, however, caught them by surprise.

While FourWinds is a complicated case with many business tentacles, the Reeves County indictment couldnt be simpler. The indictment states that Galindo and Uresti were a team who split up $850,000 in bribes from Farthing over 10 years. It contends that Farthing hired Uresti as a consultant and paid him $10,000 a month, approximately half of which Uresti funneled to Galindo.

The feds have bank statements, check numbers and Galindos cooperation. Theres no easy way out of this one for Uresti, who insists that the charges against him are groundless.

Galindo viewed the detention center, located on the outskirts of Pecos, as the big cash cow for his economically ravaged West Texas county. He oversaw an expansion of the complex (which primarily houses undocumented residents with immigration or drug violations) in 2000 and said the project couldnt have come at a better time, when weve seen a downturn in sulfur mining and oil and gas.

When the federal government subsequently dragged its feet on sending more prisoners to the facility, Galindo wrote a letter to then-President George W. Bush, urging him to intercede on Reeves Countys behalf with the Bureau of Prisons.

Hundreds of jobs will be lost and our local economy will be destroyed, Galindo warned about the impact if Reeves County didnt get its expected influx of prisoners.

The letter worked, but it also resulted in the prisons management being contracted out to the GEO Group, a Florida-based company with a reputation for shoddy treatment of prisoners. Just like Galindo, the GEO Group saw prisoner detention as big business.

With the GEO Group in control, and Galindos handpicked PNA as the medical provider, the prison encountered a series of detainee deaths, culminating with the case of Jesus Galindo (no relation), a 32-year-old man with epilepsy, who died of a seizure in solitary confinement. His family said PNA failed to provide him the anti-seizure medication he needed.

Jesus Galindos death resulted in a detention-center riot and an ACLU of Texas lawsuit. Reeves County and Physicians Network Associates were named as defendants in the suit.

So the Reeves County case involving Uresti goes way beyond bribery. For Jesus Galindo and other detainees, it might have meant the difference between life and death.

ggarcia@express-news.net

Twitter: @gilgamesh470
Recently, the virtual pages of Religion News Service have been graced with further crossfire related to the endless evangelical argument about LGBTQ inclusion.

Jonathan Merritt posted a piece defending evangelical blogger Jen Hatmaker against her evangelical critics, who have treated her to the now-standard exclusion, criticism and rejection since she offered full LGBTQ inclusion.

Conservative Southern Baptist Denny Burk offered the usual rebuttal. His message was that the door is open for those of us who have abandoned clear biblical truth to come back home to orthodoxy; but there can be no compromise with error.

In Merritts post, he referred to my own work, an October 2014 book called Changing Our Mind. In that book, which Jonathan helped make (in)famous with this interview upon its release, I argued step by step that it was possible (and, finally, imperative) for evangelical Christians to change our mind on many aspects of the LGBTQ issue.

When I released my book, I was met with the same chorus of rejection from many of the same people who are treating Hatmaker to the same experience today. I should not have been surprised, but was surprised, at the ferocity of the resistance. Publishing that book led to my exile from the American evangelical community.

The good news for me was that my career was by that time not dependent on good standing in the U.S. evangelical community.

It has taken me some time to process fully what has happened to me and what I should make of it. I have had a bit of post-evangelical syndrome and have laid low for a while.

But now, roughly 30 months later, I am about to offer two kinds of public responses to what I have experienced. You might call them a micro and a macro response.

At the micro level, I have prepared a new third edition of my Changing Our Mind book. It will be out in early June. This edition contains a new introduction, a new study guide and a lengthy new Response to Critics, in which I finally engage the main lines of critique that my book  and subsequent interviews and posts  received.

A highlight of this epilogue includes my acknowledgment that common evangelical modes of reading Scripture and undertaking moral discernment will never lead to a fully inclusive posture toward LGBTQ persons. But I then go on to make the case for why I believe those common evangelical modes are inadequate ways both of reading Scripture and discerning moral truth.

At the macro level, I have also written a memoir: Still Christian: Following Jesus Out of American Evangelicalism. This book, out in August with Westminster John Knox Press, is both a spiritual autobiography and professional memoir. It tells about a confused young man wandering into a Southern Baptist church in the summer of 1978 and emerging four days later as a born-again Christian  and what happened to him in the 40 years after that.

What happened? A love affair with Jesus that for the great majority of 40 years was spent in Southern Baptist and evangelical contexts, until my own sense of moral and intellectual integrity forced me to take stands leading to my exit from those worlds.

Everybodys story is different. Of course, millions of American Christians remain quite happily situated in Southern Baptist and/or evangelical Christianity. I wish them only the best, and am done fighting with them.

But millions of others have made their exits, or had their exits made for them, and now wander in a kind of exile. I think that my story might connect with that of many others who find themselves post-all-of-that, perhaps helping chart a way forward.

I now believe that incommensurable differences in understanding the very meaning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the interpretation of the Bible, and the sources and methods of moral discernment, separate many of us from our former brethren  and that it is best to name these differences clearly and without acrimony, on the way out the door.

I also believe that attempting to keep the dialogue going is mainly fruitless. The differences are unbridgeable. They are articulated daily in endless social media loops.

Still, in Changing Our Mind, 3rd edition, to discharge my scholarly debts and to be fair to those who have sought to engage my thinking, I attempt one last foray into dialogue with my critics on the LGBTQ inclusion front.

And in Still Christian, I give an account of my spiritual journey for any who might want to engage it.

The Rev. David Gushee is director of the Center for Theology and Public Life at Mercer University.
PLAIN CITY, Ohio,  Select Sires dedicated the European Union-qualified barns at its Plain City facility as the D.R. Monke Production Center in honor of retiring Vice President of Production Operations Dr. Donald Roy Monke.

Completed in 2010, the bio-secure, environmentally friendly production facilities house bulls qualified for semen shipment to any location in the world.

Accomplished career

Monke will retire June 30, 2017, after a 40-year career at Select Sires. He was the first staff veterinarian in Select Sires history and eventually became vice president of production operations in 2003 where he coordinates the work of semen collection teams, progeny test bull herds, farming operations, maintenance, bull transport and the veterinarian department.

Monke graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 1977 and received a masters of business administration from Franklin University in 2003. He served on the National Association of Animal Breeders (NAAB) Sire Health and Management Committee and was chair of the Certified Semen Services board of directors for ten years.

In 1999, he was elected to the NAAB board of directors and served as chairman from 2003 to 2005. He was a member of the United States Animal Health Association for over 30 years and co-chair of the Bluetongue and Bovine Retrovirus Committee from 1999 to 2001.

He served on the Dairy Subcommittee of the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board from 2010 to 2011 and is currently a member of the Cattle Health Advisory Committee for the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Monke has traveled to Japan, Australia, Europe and South America as a veterinary technical adviser to USDA, NAAB and World Wide Sires, and assisted with the negotiation of international health regulations. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007 and the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Animal Breeders in 2014.

Pillar of success

Dr. Monke has been one of the pillars that helped build Select Sires into the company it is today, explains David Thorbahn, Select Sires president and C.E.O. Don has not only been a pioneer in research and international health standards for Select Sires but has been a pioneer in advancing the entire A.I. industry.

Based in Plain City, Ohio, Select Sires Inc. is North Americas largest A.I. organization and is comprised of nine farmer-owned and -controlled cooperatives.
Canadian Cattlemens Association (CCA) President Dan Darling and fellow beef producer group leaders in Mexico and the United States issued a joint letter to the elected political leadership of their respective countries today to clarify their shared view that the terms of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) affecting beef producers are strongly supported as they currently exist and should not be altered.

The letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, U.S. President Donald Trump, and President Enrique Pena Nieto of Mexico was signed by Darling, National Cattlemens Beef Association (NCBA) President Craig Uden, and Confederacion Nacional de Organizaciones Ganaderas President Oswaldo Chazaro Montalvo.

The three beef cattle producer associations are united in their support that the terms of trade remain unchanged in the anticipated NAFTA renegotiations. The unlimited duty free beef trade that NAFTA enables between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico reflects the true integrated nature of the North American beef cattle industry. The U.S. is Canadas top export market, accounting for 70 per cent of Canadian beef exports and nearly all our live cattle exports. In 2016, Canada exported 270,000 tonnes of beef and 764,000 head of live cattle to the U.S. valued at more than $3 billion ($1.7 billion as beef and $1.4 billion live cattle). A further 16,000 tonnes of Canadian beef went to Mexico for $109 million, making Mexico Canadas fourth largest beef export market.

On the import side, Canadians purchased $978 million of U.S. beef and $19 million of Mexican beef in 2016.

We believe that our economies will be stronger under NAFTA than without NAFTA. We urge you not to jeopardize the success of the men, women and families engaged in the cattle and beef industries of each of our countries, who depend on the success that market access provides under NAFTA, the joint letter states.

The letter also encourages political leadership to reject efforts to use NAFTA as a platform to resurrect failed policies of the past, especially the misguided mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) policy.

Source: Cattle.ca
Having said all this, we do wish there had been greater gains for Western Australian agriculture, as there appears to be a few big ticket items that will only affect us minimally, or not at all, such as the majority of the $20b investment into rail  only $792m of which will go to WA.
Lena Dunham has axed her Lenny IRL tour due to complications with her endometriosis.

Lena Dunham

The 31-year-old actress and writer had been planning to undertake a US tour with her Lenny Letter team but has had to pull out after her disease, in which abnormal tissue grows outside the uterus, got worse.

She wrote in her most recent newsletter: "To be perfectly honest, I'm in the greatest amount of physical pain that I have ever experienced. After being told I was endometriosis-free after my last procedure, more disease was found in deeper spots that required immediate surgery and now physical therapy. This disease is wily and unrelenting, and I'm really blessed to have a community, both online and IRL, who let me express how hard that is. Inspired by you, I'm gonna say 'Eff you' to embarrassment and walk the walk of a woman who really takes care of herself. My goals have to be simplified for this moment: to write and to heal."

Lena underwent her fifth operation for the female reproductive disease in April but was admitted to hospital after the Met Gala earlier this month, after suffering more complications.

Lena added: "I've always been open with you all about the challenges I've been dealt with my health, even when it's scary and embarrassing, even when it makes me feel weak or less than. So I'm not going to stop now, even though part of me really wants to, cuz enough is enough. My body, which I've worked through all kinds of pain for many years, just doesn't have what it takes to do this tour. Lenny is about giving 100 percent of ourselves, 100 percent of the time, and I couldn't bear to limp through this.

"Obviously, your tickets will be refunded in full - we're not monsters! - and we hope to be back when my uterus has taken a chill pill. (But not my spiritual uterus. She'll never chill. She's incapable of chill.)"
Mariah Carey celebrated her twins' sixth birthday with a lavish bash.

Mariah Carey celebrates Roc and Roe's birthday [Instagram]

Moroccan and Monroe - Mariah's children with former husband Nick Cannon - were born on April 30, 2011 and Mariah has now taken to Instagram to share pictures from their spectacular birthday bash this year.

She wrote: "Roc & Roe's 6th birthday bash! It would not have been possible without you @KatMinassiEvents

"Thank you @KatMinassiEvents for making #DemKids birthday bash so magical (sic)."

Nick also celebrated at the party and planner Kat Minassi revealed it was a real family affair.

She said: "It was the icing on top of the cake. They were so happy to see him and ran over to him to give him hugs and kisses."

"When the kids walked into the party, Monroe said 'Oh my God! This is the most beautiful party.' She was blown away and in such a shock. Monroe turned to her mom and said 'Thank you mommy!'"

Nick and Mariah, 47, split at the beginning of 2014 following six years of marriage and it has been speculated that they are considering giving their relationship another chance.

A source told PEOPLE recently: "Mariah and Nick are getting along great. Nick spends most of his time with Mariah and the kids. Mariah is great with Nick around. There seems to be hope that they will get back together permanently. They are co-parenting."

The former 'America's Got Talent' host also raised when he revealed that he quite often sleeps over at pop star's house.

Asked if they were still having sex, Nick said: "There would be nothing wrong with that, but that's not the case. I mean, she's gorgeous but, you know, I'm respectful."

Instead, the 36-year-old hunk insists he's merely there to put the former couple's twins to bed and then, more often than not, goes home.

He added: "We have a lot of love for each other. I do spend the night... in the kids' room... I'm respectful ... (sometimes) I put the kids to bed and I go home."
Sharon Osbourne thinks she needs "therapy" for her television addiction.

Sharon Osbourne

The 'X Factor' judge - who spends the majority of her time in the US - has been forced to take six weeks off work while she recuperates from a painful back injury and, during that time away from the cameras, has developed an obsession with watching the British news channels.

She explained: "I can't stop watching the news because of what's been going on in the world. I just have to watch it every day. The political climate is all crazy everywhere. I watch the English news, I have the BBC on and I'll have Sky on. I've been off work for six weeks with a back injury and all I did was watch the bloody news. I swear to you, I need therapy."

The 64-year-old TV personality is so fixated on the news that she often lashes out at her husband Ozzy Osbourne - who she married in 1982 - if he talks over the bulletins she's been waiting for.

She told the Radio Times: "As soon as he sees the news, that's it. He's a big fan of the news. He talks the whole time, he never shuts up and I have to smack his leg. I'm like: 'Shhhhh, I'm going to miss it, you're talking through the piece I've been waiting for."

Meanwhile, Sharon hasn't just been binge-watching the news while she's been laid up in bed with her bad back as she's also been re-watching old series of the period drama 'Downton Abbey'.

She added: "When I was resting my back, I did also watch a lot of old movies, which I love. I rewatched 'Downton Abbey' too. I spend more time in American than Britain but I love British TV.
Pippa Middleton took inspiration from her sister Duchess Catherine at her wedding on Saturday (20.05.17).

Pippa Middleton and James Matthews

The younger sister of the Duchess of Cambridge tied the knot with businessman James Matthews in a stunning ceremony at St Mark's Church in Englefield, Berkshire before travelling to the reception at her parents' home in Bucklebury in a vintage E-Type Jaguar.

The scene was reminiscent of Catherine's wedding to Prince William, where the couple delighted crowds outside Buckingham Palace in London, when they appeared in an Aston Martin convertible decorated with a Just Married sign.

Pippa's stunning lace dress was designed by Giles Deacon, who revealed the bride was involved in the process.

He told Business of Fashion: "She has a great eye, she knew what she wanted. I wanted that 'how-was-that-done?' factor. It's all hand-pieced which is why you don't actually see a seam. There's incredible movement. I always loved the dancing scenes in "The Leopard." I know they were all hoop crinolines in the film, but there's something gorgeous about having that great movement, with the skirt spinning round, keeping its shape."

And Giles was thrilled to get the prestigious commission.

He said: "When you set up a modern British couture house, bridal is an essential part of the business. They're wonderful pieces to work on. The red carpet is fantastic, but it's a real privilege to create a unique bridal piece for a client who may have dreamed about it all their life."

Duchess Catherine and Prince William's young children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, were pageboy and flower girl at the ceremony, while the groom's reality TV star brother, Spencer Matthews, was best man.

Although Prince Harry attended the ceremony, his girlfriend - 'Suits' actress Meghan Markle - did not.

However, Harry reportedly drove back to London from Bucklebury to pick up Meghan so that she could attend the reception.
Global home furnishings retailer IKEA has decided to open its second store in India in Navi Mumbai in January 2019 with an investment of around Rs 1,000 crore. The store is expected to employ 700 direct co-workers. The Swedish headquartered retailer plans to open 25 stores across the country by 2025. Its first store is coming up in Hyderabad in early 2018.The Navi Mumbai store will also employ around 1,500 workers for providing services including assembly and delivery, according to an agency report. The stores ground-breaking ceremony was held at Turbhe in Navi which was attended by Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Global home furnishings retailer IKEA has decided to open its second store in India in Navi Mumbai in January 2019 with an investment of around Rs 1,000 crore. The store is expected to employ 700 direct co-workers. The Swedish headquartered retailer plans to open 25 stores across the country by 2025. Its first store is coming up in Hyderabad in early 2018.#

The store is the result of the MoU signed earlier by IKEA and Government of Maharashtra as a major step towards establishing retail stores in the state. We will extend full cooperation to enable ease of doing business in the state, the chief minister was quoted as saying in the report.IKEA furniture is devised for intelligent space management. There is a huge market for it here as Maharashtra has a target for affordable housing. We are going to build two million affordable houses, he said.IKEA had earlier stated that Maharashtra would be a key market where it would open up five-six stores with a distribution centre in Pune.We will make a positive footprint by creating employment, investing in skill development, growing local sourcing to meet demands in India and globally, IKEA Indias chief executive officer Juvencio Maeztu said, according to the report. (SV)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Mimaki Europe, developer of wide-format inkjet printers and cutting machines for the sign/graphics, and apparel markets, has bagged two prestigious awards at the recently concluded FESPA 2017 expo, a leading digital print expo, held at Hamburg, Germany from, May 8 to 12, 2017. It was the most successful expo ever with two stands totalling 534 square metres.Mimaki Europe received two prestigious awards for the best object printer for the Mimaki UJF-MkII Series and the best textile printer under 100 square/h for the Mimaki Tx300P-1800 with its dual ink capability. At the show, Mimaki Europe also introduced Yuji Ikeda as its new managing director.

Mimaki Europe, developer of wide-format inkjet printers and cutting machines for the sign/graphics, and apparel markets, has bagged two prestigious awards at the recently concluded FESPA 2017 expo, a leading digital print expo, held at Hamburg, Germany from, May 8 to 12, 2017. It was the most successful expo ever with two stands totalling 534 square metres.#

Ronald van den Broek, general manager sales at Mimaki Europe said, We were especially pleased with attendee interest in the technology demonstration of our 3D printer, the Mimaki 3DUJ-P. Based on Mimakis advanced UV inkjet technology, the 3DUJ-P offers high definition modelling with a maximum size of 500 x 500 x 300 millimetres.Van den Broek also reports that Mimakis new high-speed direct-to-textile Tiger-1800B printer was also well received. It was the first time that Mimaki showcased the printer with sublimation ink after demonstrating the machine with reactive ink in previous shows.In the textile hall, where the high-speed, direct-to-textile Tiger-1800B with sublimation ink took centre stage, Mimaki also had on display the award-winning Tx300P-1800 and Tx300P-1800B direct-to-textile printers, updated to simultaneously load both textile pigment and sublimation dye inks. This enables the use of a single printer to print directly on a wide range of textiles without the need to change out ink systems.According to Van den Broek, many visitors to the stand were seeking solutions that would enable them to print on natural fibres with solutions like the Tx300P-1800 with textile pigment ink. Visitors were interested in using sublimation printing for Fast Fashion and soft signage. In addition to learning about the Mimaki printers on display, visitors to the Mimaki stand discovered the wide range of applications that Mimaki printers are able to produce. (GK)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 19, 2017 / Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Ocwen Financial Corporation ("Ocwen" or the "Company") (NYSE: OCN) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, Southern District of Florida, and docketed under 17-cv-80500, is on behalf of a class consisting of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Ocwen securities, seeking to recover compensable damages caused by defendants' violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

If you are a shareholder who purchased Ocwen securities between May 11, 2015 and April 19, 2017, both dates inclusive, you have until June 20, 2017 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll free, ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased.

[Click here to join this class action]

Ocwen Financial Corporation is diversified financial services holding company. The Company's primary businesses are the acquisition, servicing, and resolution of sub-performing and nonperforming residential and commercial mortgage loans, as well as the related development of loan servicing technology and business-to-business e-commerce solutions for the mortgage and real estate industries.

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Ocwen engaged in significant and systemic misconduct at nearly every stage of the mortgage servicing process; (ii) the foregoing conduct, when it became known, would subject the Company to heightened regulatory scrutiny and potential criminal sanctions; (iii) as a result of the foregoing, Ocwen's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On April 20, 2017, the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a press release entitled, "Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sues Ocwen for failing borrowers throughout mortgage servicing process," reporting that the Company had generated errors in borrowers' accounts, failed to credit payments, illegally foreclosed on homeowners, and charged borrowers for add-on products without their consent.

On that same day, it was further reported that the North Carolina Office of the Commissioner of Banks and state regulators from more than twenty states issued a cease-and-desist order to Ocwen's subsidiaries as a result of the Company's mishandling of consumer escrow accounts and a deficient financial condition. The Order "specifically prohibits the acquisition of new mortgage servicing rights and the origination of mortgage loans by Ocwen Loan Servicing (NMLS number 1852), a subsidiary of Ocwen, until the company is able to prove it can appropriately manage its consumer mortgage escrow accounts."

On this news, Ocwen's share price fell $2.91, or 53.89%, to close at $2.49 on April 20, 2017.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Florida, and Los Angeles, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 7, 2017 / Lundin Law PC, a shareholder rights firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit against Zebra Technologies Corporation ('Zebra Technologies' or the 'Company') (NASDAQ: ZBRA) regarding possible violations of federal securities laws between March 17, 2015 and May 9, 2016, inclusive (the 'Class Period'). Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired shares during the Class Period should contact the firm prior to the September 25, 2017 lead plaintiff motion deadline.

To participate in this class action lawsuit, click here.

You can also call Brian Lundin, Esq., of Lundin Law PC, at 888-713-1033, or you can e-mail him at brian@lundinlawpc.com.

No class has been certified in the above action yet. Until a class is certified, you are not considered represented by an attorney. You may also choose to do nothing and be an absent class member.

According to the Complaint, throughout the Class Period, Zebra Technologies issued materially false and/or misleading statements, and/or failed to disclose: that it understated its income taxes through the end of 2015, under accrued certain 2015 estimates, in particular with respect to its sales commission plan, and overstated the net realizable value of trade receivables acquired in connection with its acquisition of Motorola's Enterprise division. Zebra Technologies also failed to disclose the impact of material weaknesses identified in its internal controls and procedures over financial reporting and disclosure, which caused the misstatements and rendered the Company's financial guidance for 2015 and the first and second quarters of 2016 materially false and misleading.

On May 10, 2016, Zebra Technologies announced disappointing financial results for its first quarter of 2016, stating that 'first quarter results [were] belowexpectations, with lower sales and earnings reflecting the continuation of a cautious enterprise spending environment.' On the same day, the Company filed its quarterly report on Form 10-Q with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for the first quarter of 2016, which confirmed that Zebra Technologies found defects in its internal controls in 2015 that had impaired its ability to accurately forecast its pretax income and deferred taxes. When this news reached the public, shares of Zebra Technologies fell in value materially, which caused investors harm according to the Complaint.

Lundin Law PC was founded by Brian Lundin, Esq., a securities litigator based in Los Angeles dedicated to upholding shareholders' rights.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in certain jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethics rules.

Contact:

Lundin Law PC

Brian Lundin, Esq.

Telephone: 888-713-1033

Facsimile: 888-713-1125

brian@lundinlawpc.com

http://lundinlawpc.com/

SOURCE: Lundin Law PC
Mevion Medical Systems announced today that the MEVION S250i Proton Therapy System has achieved CE Marking clearance. CE Marking permits clinical use of the system within the European Union and any country that recognizes the CE Mark. The MEVION S250i system includes HYPERSCAN technology, the next generation of pencil beam scanning (PBS) for faster, sharper, and more robust proton treatments.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171113005323/en/

The first European MEVION S250i proton therapy system installation will be completed in 2018 at the Zuid-Oost Nederland Protonen Therapie Centrum (ZON PTC) at the Maastro Clinic in Maastricht, the Netherlands. (Photo: Business Wire)

"This milestone is part of Mevion's global expansion of cutting-edge compact proton therapy systems in Europe," said Perjan Pleunis, Field VP of Business Development (EMEA). "Mevion has led the way in establishing compact proton therapy as the most technologically advanced and financially viable choice in proton therapy." European CE Marking is the first regulatory clearance for the MEVION S250i system. Mevion also submitted for US FDA 510(k) clearance in September.

First European Installation

The first European MEVION S250i proton therapy system installation will be completed in 2018 at the Zuid-Oost Nederland Protonen Therapie Centrum (ZON PTC) at the Maastro Clinic in Maastricht, the Netherlands.

The MEVION S250i system will be the first of its kind in Europe. Designed to deliver faster, sharper, and more robust treatments, the HYPERSCAN PBS technology incorporates the fastest energy layer switching, optimized spot sizes, and the Adaptive Aperture proton multi-leaf collimator system. This capability provides dose gradient advantages with up to a three times sharper lateral penumbra reducing dose uncertainty at the edge of the tumor thus sparing healthy tissue and preventing unnecessary radiation to sensitive locations. This improved precision in delivery is combined with hyper-fast beam delivery reducing the sensitivity to motion that current PBS technologies face when treating moving lesions such as those in the thoracic cavity.

Built on Leading Compact Proton Therapy Technology

The MEVION S250i system is based on Mevion's high efficiency, low financial risk S250 Series platform. The core technology of the S250 Series includes the world's only gantry mounted superconducting synchrocyclotron, a six degree-of-freedom treatment couch and advanced in-room IGRT imaging, all leveraged in the S250i system. This compact, fully integrated platform has years of successful clinical experience, proven financial viability and now delivers next generation pencil beam scanning.

The MEVION S250i lowers the cost per patient by reducing capital costs, reducing operating costs, and increasing treatment throughput. Mevion customers have achieved the fastest per-room patient ramp-up in the history of proton therapy. High throughput is achieved via linac-like workflow, low maintenance requirements, and industry-leading uptime. Demonstrating that compact proton therapy is a viable option for any size cancer center is core to Mevion's mission of making proton therapy accessible to as many patients as possible.

About Mevion Medical Systems

Mevion Medical Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of proton therapy systems for use in radiation treatment for cancer patients. Mevion is based in Littleton, Massachusetts, with a presence in the Europe, Japan and China. For more information, please visit www.mevion.com.

Follow Mevion on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mevionmedical

Connect with Mevion on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mevion-medical-systems

About the MEVION S250 Series

The MEVION S250 Series is elegantly designed to deliver high-powered, efficient proton therapy treatments. Built upon the world's only gantry-mounted proton accelerator and benefiting from Mevion's patented Direct Dose beam delivery technology, the MEVION S250 Series delivers on the therapeutic promise of proton therapy while enhancing beam quality, stability and uptime. The result is a high-quality treatment with reduced system complexity, higher reliability and throughput, and lower capital and operating costs-making the MEVION S250 Series a compelling, financially viable solution for all cancer centers.

The MEVION S250 Series includes:

MEVION S250 Proton Therapy System, offering highly stable, next-generation volumetric delivery capabilities

offering highly stable, next-generation volumetric delivery capabilities MEVION S250i Proton Therapy System with HYPERSCAN technology, overcoming pencil beam scanning uncertainties by delivering robust IMPT treatment at hyper-speed

technology, overcoming pencil beam scanning uncertainties by delivering robust IMPT treatment at hyper-speed MEVION S250mx options, making proton therapy fully scalable, with two, three and four room designs that are inherently redundant and support 100% facility uptime

The MEVION S250i Proton Therapy System is 510(k) pending and has not been cleared by the USFDA for clinical use.

LPR171113

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171113005323/en/

Contacts:

Mevion

Melanie Benton, 978-540-1551

mbenton@mevion.com
HANGZHOU, China, May 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Organized by the Hangzhou Tourism Commission in a joint venture with Expedia Media Solutions, "Silk Road Race, Explore the Living Hangzhou" tourism campaign has officially come to an end. Hangzhou, China has successfully achieved a prestigious status as a global travel destination with the influence of the campaign; weaving China and Europe closer together for future interactions.

"The collaborated campaign has opened doors for European travelers to explore Hangzhou; promoting the province as a premier global travel and trade destination will economically benefit both China and Europe." Associate Director of Hangzhou Tourism Commission, Mr. Zhao expressed.

Reinstating the significance of the Silk Road, the "Silk Road Race, Explore the Living Hangzhou" campaign has deepened Europe-China relation, welcoming Europeans to Hangzhou. Over 30000 visitors have browsed the campaign website, while more than 16000 retweets were received in the competition between England, France, and Germany. France was first to reach 5,500 interactions to win the race; selected participant from the country has been rewarded with two return flights to Hangzhou courtesy of China Southern Airlines and a 5-night accommodation sponsored by JW Marriott Hotel Hangzhou.

The continued growth of visitors can be foreseen via the impact of the "Silk Road Race, Explore the Living Hangzhou" campaign and continued efforts in promoting Hangzhou, China. Since the G20 Summit, the long-term city planning that has taken place has further boosted Hangzhou's tourism development; exemplifying by upgraded city infrastructure and tourist attractions.

The active participation in the "Silk Road Race, Explore the Living Hangzhou" campaign has demonstrated the vision and wisdom of explorers who had created the Silk Road a thousand year ago. Bringing the Silk Road to life once again, adventures await in this dynamic city, Hangzhou's inspiring energy ensures to provide travelers memories that last a lifetime; marking the Paradise of China, a truly unique place to visit, explore, and then visit again.

For more update on Expedia's latest promotions and activities, visit via Twitter and Facebook.

Twitter:

twitter.com/ExpediaUK

twitter.com/ExpediaFR

twitter.com/ExpediaDE

Facebook:

facebook.com/Expedia

About Expedia

The Expedia group is the world's largest online travel company, with an extensive brand portfolio that includes leading online travel brands. For more information, please visit www.expediainc.com/
Mumbai: A three-day special session of the Maharashtra Legislature to discuss and ratify the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, 2017, to pave the way for the national roll-out of GST on 1 July, will begin in Mumbai on Saturday.

The draft Maharashtra GST Bill, approved by the state cabinet, will be tabled during the session. The bill seeks to protect financial powers and autonomy of local self-government bodies in the state.

The Assembly proceedings will begin at 11 am on Saturday, a Vidhan Bhawan official said.

A condolence motion will be moved in the Assembly to pay tributes to former minister AT Pawar and former MLAs Yashwant Patil and Dayaram Kapgate.

In the Legislative Council, a condolence motion will be moved to mourn the demise of former MLC Gajendra Ainapure.

Maharashtra had ratified the GST Constitutional Amendment Bill in August 2016. On 6 April, Parliament passed four GST bills which now have to be ratified by all states to enable the shift to GST on 1 July.

BJP's bickering ally Shiv Sena had expressed reservations on the GST, arguing that the introduction of a single tax across the country would nullify local taxes like octroi duty that the civic bodies collect.

The Sena had pointed out that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which it rules, may lose nearly Rs 7,000 crore on account of octroi getting subsumed after the introduction of GST.

The draft GST Bill passed by the state cabinet has a provision to compensate the BMC and other local bodies for the loss of their sources of revenue.

In the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, BJP has 122 members and Shiv Sena 63.

An official said the GST introduction would lead to abolition of several state taxes like sugar purchase tax, states share in central sales tax, entry tax on vehicles and goods manufactured in other states, lottery tax, octroi and local body tax.
Asha Parekh means different things to different people. Some think of her as one of the most successful Hindi film stars from the 1960s, some look at her as the ultimate glamour diva and some need a while to clear their minds of the likes of Nargis, Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Waheeda Rahman, Saira Banu before they can recall her. Much like Asha Parekh, the person, her autobiography, The Hit Girl (Om Books International, 2017) too, would mean different things to depending on who was reading it.

No matter how hard you strive, there is no escaping pre-judging a book  any book  by its cover. In the case of The Hit Girl, the lady smiling on the cover has the same twinkle in her eyes but she doesnt seem anything like the Asha Parekh, the matinee idol of yore. The memories of Asha ji in Dil Deke Dekho (1959), Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai (1961), Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963), Love in Tokyo (1966), Teesri Manzil (1966), Kati Patang (1970), Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971), Caravan (1971) and Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978) are all relegated to the background in a flash for one look at the cover convinces you that youd get to celebrate the person behind the image. For anyone with the slightest interest in Hindi cinema it is a no-brainer that there is a lot to celebrate when it comes to Asha Parekh but reading The Hit Girl you feel let down because somewhere neither the subject nor the co-writer is convinced about what being Asha Parekh might have really meant.

Written along with veteran scribe and screenwriter-filmmaker Khalid Mohamed, The Hit Girl has Ms Parekh tracing her life and career right from the early days of her childhood where she would break into a dance at the drop of a hat to performing in front of Bimal Roy, who then cast her in a brief role in Maa (1952) to her sharing the screen with the iconic Vyjayanthimala in Aasha (1957) to her joining the Filmalaya School of acting at the insistence of founder-producer Sashadhar Mukherjee to ultimately her landing her breakthrough role in Nasir Husains Dil Deke Dekho. Since Dil Deke Dekho Asha Parekh not only featured opposite some of the biggest male stars of the era  Shammi Kapoor, Dev Anand, Manoj Kumar, Dharmendra, Shashi Kapoor, Jeetendra, Joy Mukherji, etc.  but nine out of the 10 first rapid releases that she had were huge ticket sellers. Not only did Asha ji enjoy a great fan following she had filmmakers like Satyajit Ray making a beeline to cast her in their films. On top of it, she was also a style icon and managed to carve a special space for herself amongst the other successful stars of the decade such as Saira Banu, Sadhana and Waheeda Rahman.

Yet looking back today you think of Asha Parekh only in the context of a few films that have survived the test of time primarily due to their music (Teesri Manzil, Kati Patang, Caravan). You would wonder what is that despite being one of the most successful stars, who was labeled the Hit Girl or the industrys lucky mascot and someone who continued to work well in the 1980s and even had an impressive second career as a television director (Jyoti, Palash Ke Phool, Kora Kagaz) makes Asha ji an addendum when talking about film stars in India. It is here that The Hit Girl falls short. It fails Asha ji as well as the reader by talking about the obvious and not scratching slightly beneath the surface. Ms Parekh is candid about herself and her life right from her love for Nasir [Husain] sahab, the emptiness of her existence following the death of her parents, her depression that nearly drove her to end her own life and keeping in mind the manner in which she opened up perhaps the first-person voice somewhere robs the book of the significance, and even the greatness it had the potential of.

When the design and the layout of a book that tells the story of an era and a star that had much more than what met the eye ends up being the best thing about it, you know that its a great dish but served half-heartedly. The book also has a foreword by Salman Khan, an authors note by Khalid Mohamed, an essay called Flashback by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who regrets never being able to cast Asha Parekh in a movie even though he is convinced that she was born to be my heroine, besides a five-page essay Personally Speaking by Sai Paranjpye, who has never made a film with Asha Parekh. The Hit Girl could have changed the perception crafted by popular film press where our collective consciousness about the 1960s and the 1970s was shaped to believe that the brilliance of a Raj Khosla or a Vijay Anand would never come out of the shadow of the opulence of a K Asif or a Mehboob Khan, or an Asha Parekh was transformed into an afterthought to a Sharmila Tagore or a Mumtaz. This is not to say that one wouldnt find great stuff in Asha Parekhs The Hit Girl; her reliving moments where she interacts with Satyajit Ray, who believed that she would have been apt for his Kanchenjungha (1962), or the part where she talks about the making of her hospital and her lifelong pursuit of dance are just some of the wonderful nuggets that would make reading The Hit Girl worthwhile.
Kangana Ranaut recently spoke about the Manikarnika issue involving Ketan Mehta, as well as her upcoming project Teju, which will be her directorial debut.

Speaking to Mumbai Mirror, she said that she is set to play an 80-year-old woman on the threshold of death but not quite ready to let go. She described the character as being "a warm, vibrant woman, full of life, who doesnt feel old at all."

The film will roll out in December and is scheduled to release at the end of 2018. Kangana Ranaut is scripting the film too, and spoke about how the film will touch upon subjects like mortality and the essence of existence in a light-hearted manner. She also spoke about growing up around senior citizens, adding that seeing them ignored in any society or country pains her.

In the recent past, Ranaut also expressed that she will not work as an actress with any director after her film Manikarnika.

For this film, she was sent a legal notice by director Ketan Mehta, where he mentions that he was in talks with Ranaut about the film with him since 2015. He has claimed that she hijacked the project and is currently working on it with producer Kamal Jain. The legal notice asks that she stop working on the film.

Ranaut has responded to the issue by saying that she has no contract with Mehta, adding that there are no similarities between the two projects and that she has sent an interim response to his team.

Kangana Ranaut recently found herself embroiled controversy when writer Apurva Asrani accused her of stealing the writing credits for her upcoming film Simran.

Also read: Being Kangana Ranaut: Why it's becoming increasingly difficult to support the talented actress
Cannes: Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is set to star in the epic story of a white anti-apartheid activist who escaped from one of South Africa's toughest jails, the film's producers said Friday. The breakout thriller Escape From Pretoria is based on Tim Jenkin's account of his dramatic escape from the notorious Pretoria Maximum Security Prison with his friend Stephen Lee in 1979. Jenkin, now 68, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for handing out leaflets supporting the then banned African National Congress.

But the following year he managed to make a set of wooden keys for a series of doors inside the jail, which housed the country's death row.

Using a device made from a broomhandle and a mirror he had hidden in his cell, Jenkin opened his cell door and then freed his neighbour and friend Lee.

Both managed to slip out of the tightly guarded prison and eventually flee to London.

Producer David Barron, who also worked on the Harry Potter films, said the movie of this "astonishing true story" would be "political without being polemical".

"Escape From Pretoria is a rare combination of genre and drama, and I am delighted to bring together the potent combination of Daniel Radcliffe and Francis Annan," he added, as the film was launched at the Cannes film festival.

Annan, a rising young black British director, also wrote the script for the film, which will be shot in South Africa next year.

Radcliffe, 27, has also been signed up to play the lead in the action comedy Guns Akimbo, which was also unveiled at Cannes.
(Star rating: *  because there is just one star, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insaan)

Make absolutely no mistake about this: Saint Dr Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singhji Insaan is a filmmaker at the very peak of his immense powers. It is one thing to even conceive of a project as ambitious as Jattu Engineer; but to pull it off with the aplomb that he has, is indication of a director who has transcended rare cinematic heights.

He has invoked all the masters, the many auteurs who have inspired him to become the man that he is today. From Kurosawa to Ray, from Scorcese to Coppola, from Jean-Luc Godard to Bergman, he has paid homage to everyone. And such is the quality of filmmaking, that they would be honoured by his efforts. And welcome him to the pantheon with open hands.

As always, calling him a director is doing disservice to the 42 other roles that he performs on the sets of every movie. Including one that simply says prop maker. Yes, his humility is as touching as his smile. Despite being the richly deserving recipient of a Dadasaheb Phalke Award, he makes all the props used for the film with his own masculine hands. And when you think about how the film is an elaborate ego-massaging prop unto itself, you will begin to comprehend the levels at which Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singhji Insaan works.

Jattu Engineer is set in small-town India, the kind thats instantly recognisable from the wafting aroma of cowdung in the air. The rustic nature of this village is brought out with unbearable sensitivity. Its something no man could do, only Insaan could. And Insaan does. In the hands of a lesser person, this is where it would end. But with Insaan, this is where it begins. He suffuses the film with instantly recognisable characters. Who among us hasnt shared a table with a man who talks in donkey-like brays? Or with that typical small-town character who always  every single time  mixes up the front and back side of an animal? Insaan brings his own personal sensibilities to every frame.

Just like any other small town in India, this too is full of oppressed villagers brutalised by an evil and self-serving administration. By doing this, Insaan proves that its not just the Western masters he emulates; he also doffs his well-stuffed hat at legendary cinema from India like Sholay and Lagaan. The film is a tumultuous saga, a triumph of good over evil, of savage ruthless men, who are taught the righteous path by the pure hearts of children.

The telling of the tale is tastefully  and rightfully  old-fashioned. Insaan doesnt discriminate among people when he makes a film. His movies can be enjoyed by everybody. Even those who laugh only at fart jokes. No, make that especially those who laugh at fart jokes. He also reserves special mockery for people who mix up their English words. There is one man in particular who keeps saying pregnant every time he wants to say present. And villagers who have just thrashed a girl for walking with a boy know exactly how pregnant is different from present. The complexity of the humour touches all the finer nuances of gratification.

But it is as much a treatise on the power of ideas as it is on the manifestation of their eventual outcomes. It is clearly something Insaan has kept bottled up within him for years now, and few among us will be able to view the cathartic bloodletting that follows with dry eyes. In a devastating takedown of people who question the value of bringing fruits to a fistfight, there is one scene where Insaan beats up a Pehelwan using only tomatoes and bananas. Take that, naysayers! Thats clearly the last well be hearing of you and your ilk!

But, as with every revenge saga, there needs to be punishment to cancel out the crime. Class war begets more class war, and inequality has been simmering gently in this town, like prime, slow-cooked flavoured meat. When the oppression gets too unbearable, there is a Rocky-like training montage involving inspiring upbeat music and slow-motion shots of Insaan walking. The films complexity lies in its specificity. At the end of this, we are witness to some more slow-motion shots of Insaan walking, this time with a natty chorus and jingle, while the corpses of his enemies lie prone. It can only be the crystallisation of a persons life experiences and tribulations. Scorcese would have definitely been proud.

There are also more subtle nods towards filmmaking conventions, that prove Insaan is not only an accomplished actor, director and prop maker, but also a keen student of the art. For instance, the villains, those with evil in their hearts, are shown to be with black faces. As they are brainwashed by Insaan, the black leaves their faces. They start looking more  shockingly enough  human. Then, in a clear sign that the film, despite its lofty accomplishments, remains rooted in quotidian realities of small-town India, these faces turn whiter as their hearts get purer.

After all, isnt a white face the only true sign of a blemish-free character?

Take a bow, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singhji Insaan. You have yet again created a cinematic equivalent of something that is so real, it well might be the very air around us.
Before we talk about Sudheer Varmas latest film, Keshava, starring Nikhil and Ritu Varma, its worth putting few things in perspective about why we watch movies and what we want from them.

Chapter 1: The Beginning

We want to be moved by the drama, we want to empathise with the journey of the protagonist and root for that character, and more than anything else, we hope that the film has enough material to keep us engaged throughout the narration. We watch movies because they put us into the shoes of people, whose lives we probably dont live or havent witnessed. Its this thrill and the collective joy of experiencing a strong emotion  be it comedy, drama, action  that stays with us. The filmmaker begins the story with a What if? and in the end, you are either convinced or left gasping for more, based on whats offered to us.

Chapter 2: The Journey

In this context, Keshava falters a lot. Theres plenty of stuff that could have been better and unfolded in a manner which would force us to be on the edge of the seats. But heres the twist  despite its many flaws, Keshava feels different not because of its conflict or the drama, but how the characters behave in any given situation. Sudheer Varma brings up the dilemma of What if? through the films lead character Keshava and gives us plenty of interesting moments, but in doing so, it doesnt quite add up into an overwhelming experience when you look at the bigger picture.

Chapter 3: Flashback

The film is about a young mans journey, who wants to avenge the death of his family. Keshava (Nikhil) is this films Arya Stark, who has a list of people whom he wants to kill at all costs. But he suffers from a rare medical condition where his heart will stop functioning if he gets tensed or goes into a hyper-excited state. So, he ends up controlling his emotions to an extent that we dont know whats going through his mind. In the entire film, this is one of the very few things thats consistent till the end. 12 years later, Keshava gets his first chance and he strikes a name from his list. Soon, the murders sends ripples across the police department and a special investigation officer, Sharmila Mishra (Isha Koppikar) is appointed to investigate the case. The rest of the story is about the cat and mouse chase that ensues between Keshava and Sharmila.

Chapter 4: The High, And The Rise Of A Star

If you are willing to look beyond the lack of strong conflict and heightened sense of danger that the protagonist has to deal with, one of the best things about Keshava is its visual treatment. Its spectacularly shot and Telugu cinema has found its new star in cinematographer Divakar Mani. The bright-yellow hues mingle with the green-shades of a small town, thus creating a visual tone thats rarely seen in Telugu films, and both Sudheer Varma and Divakar Mani treat each scene with so much care that you get sucked into this world quickly.

Then, theres Prashant Pillais background score which adds plenty of tension in some of the key moments of the film. The dialogues are minimal; however, the interplay of sound and visual imagery convey a lot more than what we might expect. Sudheer Varma also deserves credit for imbibing humour in a unique way. Whether its pitching Vennela Kishore and Priyadarshi are rivals in college, or introducing Satya as a cab driver in a rather tense situation, the humour in the film works.

For Nikhil, Keshava is the kind of film which tests his scope as an actor. After doing a string of hyper-energetic characters, where he just wouldnt stop talking, Keshava portrays him as a brooding young man whose silence is louder than anything else. The other two lead actors Ritu Varma and Isha Koppikar deliver impressive performances, and Rao Ramesh springs a surprise in the final act.

Chapter 5: Shallow Ground

The concept of revenge is one of the recurring themes in Telugu films and blame it on the way weve grown up watching such films, we expect the characters to have an emotional outburst at some point. But when it comes to Keshava, everything is kept in a subtle manner. We know why a certain thing is happening, but the emotional connect is minimal because Sudheer Varma reveals far too much too soon. The screenplay too leaves little that would surprise us in the end. But the bigger issue here is  theres barely an obstacle, at least it feels so, for the lead character. Hes smart enough to not leave behind any clues, and even when he gets caught, he gets out of the situation rather quickly. The lack of a strong anti-force to Keshavas journey turns the drama into something more monotonous, which leaves you wanting for a change. The change doesnt come until the end.

Chapter 6: The End

In hindsight, its quite clear that Keshava isnt about its story or the conflict. It throws an interesting What if? question to the viewers and the reasons why certain things happen may not sound all that convincing, but its hard to ignore the experience of watching a film which feels like breath of fresh air in terms of how its made. Theres plenty of stuff to like in the film, a lot of thrills too  but it also leaves you wanting more.
New Delhi: With an aim to enrol more African students, Delhi University has undertaken a slew of measures, such as extension of online registration for foreign nationals till 31 May and answering their queries on email.

The Foreign Students' Registry (FSR) of the varsity has received over 300 applications from African nationals, the varsity said in a statement.

"To increase the number, the varsity will be extending online registration deadline for foreign nationals from 20 April to 31 May," it said.

The FSR office will also answer queries from African students on fsr@du.ac.in and fsr_du@yahoo.com and respond to phone calls on 91-11-27666756.

"The varsity is committed to reaching out to international students which will result in strengthening social, cultural and political ties between the two countries," the varsity's registrar said in the statement.

Attacks on African students took place earlier this year in parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), and it resulted in a diplomatic backlash for India.

India's External Affairs Ministry had condemned the attacks and said India is committed to the safety of foreigners in the country. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj spoke to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Aditya Nath Yogi on the issue.

Amnesty International in Nigeria had asked: "On 27 March, four Nigerian men were beaten up by locals. Why would people face such terror because of the colour of their skin?"

It demanded that authorities in India's Uttar Pradesh state "must bring to justice those responsible of racist attacks on Black African Students".

"Living in India must not become a life-threatening issue for black people," it said.

With inputs from agencies
Editor's Note: Fort Kochi and Mattancherry, 10 kilometres to the west of Ernakulam, were once bustling commercial hubs till the late 20th Century. Today, the various ethnic communities that had made this place home are struggling to stay relevant, trying to keep their businesses and traditions. In this multi-part series, Firstpost looks at these communities and their place in the history of Mattancherry. This is the fifth part of the series.

The Golden Age is before us, not behind us this famous Shakespearean quote borrowed by Cutchi Memon Jamath to describe its checkered past perhaps sums up the history of the Memon community in Keralas port city of Kochi.

The Memons, who were driven out from their homeland at Kutch in Gujarat by a drought in the early 19th Century, had to face several odds in rebuilding their lives in Kochi. They fought them with a great deal of perseverance and flourished as one of the leading business communities in Metropolitan Cochin.

When our forefathers landed in Cochin in 1815 the only capital they had with them were their goodwill of being honest and trustworthy businessmen. The Maharaja of Cochin, who knew about these attributes, allowed them to settle down in the city. He believed that the Memons will make his state prosperous by making use of their foreign trade links, says AS Abdul Latheef Sait, vice-president of Cochin Cutchi Memon Jamath.

The Memons did not disappoint the King. They started in earnest by finding global market for various products from the state. While other ethnic groups focused on spices, the Memons concentrated on fish products. They began the global hunt by exporting dry shrimps to Burma. Memons were the first in Kochi to export dry shrimp.

The Memons also took a leading role in seafood industry when India started exports in 1950s. Abad Fisheries, which was established by a Memon (Usman Hashim) in 1931, is today a leading processor and exporter of frozen seafood. The firm has also diversified its business into hospitality and realty sectors.

Memons also tried to lay a strong foundation for commerce in the city by establishing the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The chamber established in 1857 is one of the oldest chambers of commerce in the country. It played a leading role in the all-round development of the state since its inception, according to Latheef Sait.

While other ethnic communities kept off politics, the Kutchi Memons made their mark in politics as in the business front. The members of the community had mostly associated with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which is currently the second largest constituent of the Congress-led Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF).

While late Ebrahim Suleiman Sait and GM Banatwala served as national president of the party, several others held important positions in the state unit of the IUML. Members of the community were also elected to Cochin Corporation and Mattancherry municipality several times. Zakaria Sait, a prominent member of the community, was elected to the State Legislative Assembly in 1980, 1987, and in 1992 from Mattancherry. He held the office of the deputy Speaker from 1980 to 1982. He had also served as deputy mayor of Cochin Corporation.

Though Kutchi Memons worked hand in hand with the local Muslims, the history of Muslims in Kerala is quite different from that of the Memons.

While the Kerala Muslims trace their origin to the trade links between Arabia and Malabar that existed even before the advent of Prophet Muhammad, the Kutchi Memons embraced Islam only in AD 1421. Memons were originally Lohanas, belonging to Vasiya caste, in the Sindh region of Gujarat.

According to Frontiers of Embeded Muslim Communities in India by Vinod K Jairath, Pir Yusuffuddin Sahib converted them to Islam. The first convert was named Adam. He gave them the title Momin, meaning believer which in due course changed into Memon. The Memons settled in Bhuj, capital of Kutch, after the Hindu communities in Sindh ostracised them.

They started migrating to various parts of India after a drought hit the region. Apart from Kochi, Alappuzha also hosted another group of Memons. Like Kochi, Memons were given all facilities to settle in Alappuzha by King Raja Kesava Das with a brief to promote the export trade of copra (dried coconut) and coir, according to Jairaths book.

According to Latheef Sait, currently there are about 3,000 Kutchi Memons in Kochi. Local people call them Saits or Sethu (owners). Memons mostly follow the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam. However, some follow other Sunni schools such as the Maliki and Shafii schools.

We identify ourselves as Hanafi Muslims as we believe there is one Allah and Prophet Mohammed is his messenger. We have our own mosque. Even though there isnt much difference in religious rituals, we dont go to the mosques of other sects, says Latheef.

Therefore, Memons establish mosques wherever they go. The prominent mosque of Memons at Mattancherry is Kutchi Hanafi mosque. The mosque built in 1875 still exists. Lateef said that the population of the Memons was shrinking as majority of them have adopted small family norms unlike other Muslims in the state.

The total population of Kutchi Memons across the world is less than 30,000. Mumbai has the maximum number of 15,000 Memons, says Lateef Sait. Memons are bound together by Jamaths, which literally means congregation.

Established with the objective of promoting the betterment of the community, the Jamaths are vested with powers to issue marriage certificates, resolve matrimonial disputes and enforce rules and guidelines to check undesirable practices. They also undertake various programmes to support the poor and needy members of the community.

The general impression among people is that most members of the Memon community are rich businessmen. This is not true. Only 50 percent of the community is involved in business and trade. Others are doing various jobs. The new generation is not coming to business as the modern business requires huge investments, says Nishad Ummer, an executive committee member of the Kochi Cutchi Memon Association.

Nishad, who works in a bank, said that a sizable number of the community is poor. Many of them struggle to make both ends meet. Nishad said that the association was trying to uplift them by providing them stipends and financial assistance for various purposes, including marriage.

Abdul Azees Essack, who is involved in coconut oil trade, said members of the community were, however, closely knit. They celebrate religious festivals like Eid together and come together for social occasions like marriages. Marriage celebrations last more than a week. They bring together relatives and friends in large numbers to the homes of the bride and the groom.

Language is a big factor that has kept the identity of the community intact over the years. While the Memons in other parts of the country have abandoned Kutchi and switched over to Urdu, those in Kochi still speak their own language, which is close to Sindhi.

Though almost all Memons are fluent in Malayalam, they speak only Kutchi at homes and at Kutchi congregations. Though they have adopted the local food in many ways, Memons like to stick to traditional foods as far as possible. The most well-known dish is Muttiya, which are dumplings set in meat and vegetable broth.

Though the business conditions have changed a lot, Memons are not worried about their prospects. We have not abandoned our basic principle of honesty despite many adversities. We have nothing to fear as long as we stick to our values, says Latheef.

Part 1: Century-old settlements fight to retain historical legacy

Part 2: Big retail, local players push entrenched Gujarati trader community towards migration

Part 3: Persecuted for centuries, Konkanis found home in a small plot of land in Kochi

Part 4: Tamils of Dhobi Khana rue at younger generation seeking white collar jobs
Is India a safe country to live in? A spate of leaks of poisonous chemicals has once again raised the specter of the Bhopal gas tragedy, which saw thousands of Indians lose their lives in what is considered the worlds worst industrial disaster.

In the first week of May, more than 475 students of the Rani Jhansi Sarvodya Kanya Vidyalaya girls' school and a government girls senior secondary school, along with nine teachers, were hospitalised due to the poisonous gas chloro (methyl) diphensylsilance leaking.

The gas caused eye and throat irritation and acute dizziness. Thirty students fainted and had to be rushed to nearby hospitals.

The gas leaked from a container depot located in Tughlaqabad, close to both schools. A swift intervention by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) helped diffuse what could have turned into a very ugly situation.

This leak happened right after chlorine gas leaked at a water treatment plant in Karnataka in May. The staff of the Belur Municipal Corporation, Hassan district tried to plug the leak. They developed breathlessness, nausea and a burning sensation in their throats.

Around 25 people, including four employees of Belur Town Municipal Corporation (TMC), were affected. Some had to be hospitalised.

This isn't the first time Hassan district saw a leak. In 2016, an HPCL gas pipeline leaked in Ankapura village. This was caused by a hole in the pipeline that runs between Mangaluru-Hassan-Mysuru-Soluru. Once again, villagers who inhaled the gas had to be sent to hospital.

Earlier this year, 20 people were hospitalised after chlorine gas leaked from a cylinder in Por village, Vadodara district. The victims complained of irritation in their eyes and throat, and had to be sent to the state-run Sayajirao hospital.

Shivrajpur, Kanpur saw a horrific accident on 15 March, 2017. Ammonia leaked from the gas chamber of a cold storage facility, causing a huge explosion. The roof of the building collapsed, trapping over two dozen people. The NDRF had to be called in. Five labourers died immediately. Eight more suffered serious injuries, and four of them passed away in hospital.

"As a nation, we have no institutional memory," says Gopal Krishna of the Toxics Watch Alliance. "We have learnt no lessons from the Bhopal disaster, which is why our environmental laws remain the weakest in the world. To compound the problem, we have no political will to ensure that industrial accidents do not occur."

Krishna points to the example of the gas leaks that occurred in quick succession at the Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) and the Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL). The first accident occurred at the Bhilai Steel Plant run by SAIL, followed by an explosion at a GAIL gas pipeline near Nagaram village, Andhra Pradesh.

The gas leak at the Bhilai Steel Plant injured 50 people and resulted in the death of deputy general managers BK Singh and NK Katariya, master technician A Samuel, senior operator Yarad Ram Sahu, assistant fire station officer Ramesh Kumar Sharma and two others.

Plant authorities claimed the accident occurred when a key pipe which supplied water to the gas cleaning plants of the blast furnaces ruptured. Loss in water pressure caused gas to enter the pipeline, adversely impacting the technical crew who were trying to rectify the fault, they claimed.

The plant authorities ordered the inquiry comprising some bureaucrats and experts from the steel industry, but the recurring leaks indicate that not enough attention is being paid to long-term preventive measures.

Krishna says SAIL has been witness to several accidents in the past few years. "SAIL management remains tight-lipped despite the death of 13 employees and another 26 receiving minor injuries. Two SAIL employees were sentenced to a year's imprisonment, but most of these accidents have been brushed under the carpet," Krishna alleges.

Dr Shashidhar Reddy, former chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, blames lack of maintenance as the key reason for these disasters. Reddy is also apprehensive that many of these pipelines are being laid in heavily populated areas.

Reddy said that 12,144 kilometres of pipeline had been laid at the start of the 12th Five Year Plan which began in 2012, which will be expanded to 15,928 kilometres by the end of the plan.

"By 2020, we expect to lay 32,737 kilometres of pipelines across the length and breadth of the country," he said. "We need to comply with strict safety standards, especially since some of these pipes will go through densely populated areas. We will see pipelines from Bathinda to Srinagar, Surat to Paradeep, Chennai to Tuticorin, Kakinada to Haldia. Pipelines will criss-cross the length and breadth of the country," Reddy added.

Indias safety record leaves much to be desired. In 2009, forty-five workers were killed due to a chimney collapse at the BALCO construction site in Korbe, Chattisgarh. An inquiry revealed the accident occurred because of failure to adhere to safety norms.

Other major accidents worth recounting: The massive fire at the state-run Hindustan Petroleum refinery-cum-petrochemical complex in Visakhapatnam in August 2013, which left nine workers dead and 34 injured. The fire at the Indian Oil terminal in Jaipur in 2009 killed 11 workers and caused a $60 million loss. This accident was attributed to a failure to follow standard operating procedures and poor upkeep of equipment.

The Bhopal gas leak saw over 500,000 people being exposed to methyl isocyanate gas and other toxic chemicals. However, convictions were few and no lessons were learnt. The National Disaster Management Authority and other safety experts repeatedly warned the government on the need to have strict safety measures in place, especially for people living in and around hazardous zones.

Environmental lawyer MC Mehta says: I dont think we have learnt much from the Bhopal disaster. Most laws are poorly enforced. What the Bhopal disaster and the several industrial accidents that have followed it shows that we are all talk. However, the victims are not given compensation and no liability is fixed on erring companies. The government wants to give fast-track clearances to companies without looking at the environmental impact of their projects. If we can give fast-track clearances to companies, why cant we set up fast-track courts to deal with claims that may arise out of industrial accidents?"

But the government seems to be on a different track. In April, during a key UN meeting on hazardous waste, hazardous chemicals and hazardous substances, the Indian contingent claimed that India was in a position to handle hazardous waste products and was therefore in a position to deal with imported waste products from more industrialised countries.

For a country constantly on the receiving end of industrial accidents and gas leaks, such a claim, seems far-fetched indeed.
New Delhi: Unapologetic over allowing a 'yajna' on campus, Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) Director General KG Suresh on Saturday said that he need not be taught secularism.

The two-hour-long 'yajna' was performed ahead of the seminar on 'National Journalism in the Current Perspective: Media and Myth'. Since it was announced, the event has attracted criticism from various quarters on social media.

However, the DG sought to defend the move saying that it was only in India that such rituals were conducted.

"Because of the ritual, there was talk that secularism of the country was in danger. But fools have to know that in the past we had accommodated all the religions in the country," said Suresh in his address in the seminar.

"Lighting lamps in an event, Bhoomi Pooja (prayer to land) happen everywhere, why not this? Even Muslims can perform Namaz, Sikhs can take up their rituals on the campus," the DG said.

Suresh alleged that a section of the media was behaving like "mafia" and was tagging reporters as "Sanghis".

"I just reported on work taken up by the RSS in certain incidents and later was tagged a Sanghi," Suresh said.

Suresh also refused to take any form of criticism over inviting controversial ex-Bastar IGP SRP Kalluri for the media seminar on 20 May.

"Why should I stop him? Why not Kalluri? He is coming to the event amid press people, and they will question him," said Suresh.

Kalluri, during his tenure as the Bastar IGP, was at the centre of controversies for human rights violations in the Naxal-affected region of Chhattisgarh.

Meanwhile, a section of IIMC students staged a demonstration outside the campus for the holding of the 'yajna' and the invite to Kalluri, besides allegedly denying them entry into the campus. Members of the nearby Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students' Union also joined the protest following which security personnel were deployed outside the campus.

Police officials who barricaded the gates said the institute was closed for the day.
India grapples with one of the highest Maternal Mortality Rates (MMR) in South East Asia, has one of the highest incidences of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) but has one of the smallest health budgets globally, a new World Health Organisation (WHO) report shows.

The MMR for India is 174 per 1,00,000 live births which is higher than Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Thailand and Indonesia among the WHO-designated South East Asia Region (SEAR), says the World Health Statistics 2017 report, released ahead of the World Health Assembly to be held at the end of this month.

The healthy life expectancy at birth for India is 59.5 years. This is lower than all figures in the neighbourhood but for Pakistan, which has a health life expectancy of 57.8 years.

The neo-natal mortality rate is around 37 and the under-five mortality rate is 47.4 per 1,000 live births.

With 4,97,396, who needed interventions for NTD in 2015, India topped the list on this count among the SEAR countries. NTD comprises diseases like leprosy, kala-azar, river blindness and rabies. The high number is also because of Indias large population size as compared to its smaller neighbours. But the number remains huge even if one compares it to China which had 26,101 patients needing interventions for NTD in 2015.

There is a 23.3 percent chance of dying from a non-communicable disease (NCD)  cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease  between the age of 30 and the exact age of 70 if you are born in India. This is one of the highest in South East Asia. The WHO has been recording a spike in NCD in middle-income and developing countries. Indias percentage is comparable to Russia (29.3), Pakistan (24.7), South Africa (26.5) but higher than China (18.3) and Brazil (16.9).

India has the highest mortality rate in South East Asia owing to the lack of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) at 27.4 deaths for 1,00,000 population as per 2012 data.

Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution is 133.7 per 1,00, 000 population in India, again, according to 2012 data and is only less than North Korea among SEAR countries. This is more than the rate for almost all African nations except Sierra Leone as well as Afghanistan. But it remains lower than China.

The suicide mortality rate of 15.7 per 1,00,000 people in India as per 2015 data is more than many war-torn African nations like Nigeria and South Sudan but is comparable and less than many European nations like Sweden and Poland. China, with its large population, has a rate of 10 per 1,00,000 people.

Stunting among Indian children is one of the highest in the world and lower only than Timor-Leste in SEAR.

Only 34 percent of the Indian population relied on clean fuels as of 2012.

In spite of such concerning numbers, the General Government Health Expenditure (GGHE) as percentage of government expenditure in 2014 of five percent was one of the lowest in the world, and the same as Angola. The GGHE has gone down further since 2014. Compare this with other BRICS countries: Russia (9.5), China (10.4), South Africa (14.2) and Brazil (6.8). Switzerland is one of the highest spenders on health in Europe with a whopping 22.7 percent invested as health budget.

A separate report published on Thursday called the Global Burden of Disease in The Lancet that assesses the mortality rate from 1990-2015 for 32 diseases that should not cause death gives India a lower health care index than Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

Global numbers

As many as 2.1 million people were estimated to have become newly infected with HIV in 2015 and an estimated 1.1 million people died of HIV-related illnesses.

The global under-five mortality rate in 2015 was 43 per 1,000 live births, while the neo-natal mortality rate was 19 per 1,000 live births  representing declines of 44 percent and 37 percent respectively compared to the rates in 2000.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health problem with an estimated 10.4 million new TB cases and 1.4 million TB deaths, with an additional 0.4 million deaths resulting from TB among HIV-positive people in 2015, says WHO.

Globally in 2016, there were 155 million children under the age of five who were stunted (too short for their age), 52 million wasted (too light for their height) and 41 million overweight.

The number of global deaths in 2015 attributable to hepatitis is estimated to be in the order of 1.3 million.

The number of global deaths in 2015 attributable to hepatitis is estimated to be in the order of 1.3 million with about 257 million people living with hepatitis B virus infection, and 71 million people were living with hepatitis C virus infection.

In 2015, of the total of 56 million deaths, about 40 million deaths occurred due to NCD, accounting for 70 percent of all deaths.

Majority of such deaths were caused by the four main NCDs, that is, cardiovascular disease (17.7 million deaths accounting for 45 percent of all NCD deaths); cancer, 8.8 million deaths (22 percent); chronic respiratory disease (3.9 million deaths which is 10 percent of all deaths); and diabetes (1.6 million deaths which is 4 percent of the total NCD deaths).

In 2014, 92 percent of the world population was living in places where WHO air quality guideline standards were not met.
Srinagar: Independent MLA in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Abdul Rashid said on Saturday that the

separatists should take a moral high ground and come out clean on the sting operation by a Delhi-based television channel which showed them allegedly being involved in subversive activities in the state.

His remarks came in the wake of the sting operation on separatists Naeem Khan and Farooq Dar alias Bitta Karate wherein they confessed to receiving money from Pakistan-based terror groups.

"I humbly request Hurriyat (Conference) friends as citizens of the state and as well-wishers of the mass resistance...you are representing the sentiment and you should take a moral high ground as people have a right to know the truth behind these attempts to defame Kashmiris," he told reporters in Srinagar.

"Money is needed everywhere. People will continue to offer money, but their means should be good and it is better if everything is transparent. I am sure Hurriyat has nothing to hide because they are representing the sentiment," he said.

Rashid also asked the media to follow journalistic ethics while reporting on Kashmir. "There should not be a race for TRPs by defaming or insulting Kashmiris," he said.

In a similar vein, he condemned the breach of privacy of separatist leader Yasin Malik, wherein a woman journalist allegedly barged into his bedroom.

Rashid claimed that he was approached by those behind the sting operation. "They offered me loads of money which I refused. I told them I did not need money for speaking the truth," he said.

The National Investigation Agency has named Khan and Dar in its preliminary enquiry against the alleged role of separatists in carrying out subversive activities in the Kashmir Valley, including pelting security forces with stones, damaging public property and burning schools and other government establishments.
Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency on Saturday quizzed three Kashmiri separatists in connection with its probe into the role of Lashker-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed and hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani in subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) team, headed by the Additional Director General, had asked Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmed Dar alias 'Bitta Karate' and Gazi Javed Baba to appear before it for for their explanation on an expose on a television channel where they had claimed receiving funds from Pakistan.

After initial reluctance, the three separatists fell in line and were questioned separately by the team of NIA, which named them in its Preliminary Enquiry (PE) on Friday.

The NIA team will be gathering evidence collected by the Jammu and Kashmir Police about the burning of schools as Khan had claimed that the educational institutions were targeted as per the plans hatched from across the border.

The schools were targeted in 2016 after banned Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces on 8 July.

Besides these three, NIA has named Saeed and Geelani in the PE, which precedes the filing of a case. Nayeem Khan, who was suspended by Geelani from Hurriyat on Saturday, was seen on television during the sting operation purportedly confessing to receiving money from Pakistan-based terror groups.

Geelani suspended Khan's National Front from the basic membership of the Hurriyat Conference until the clarification of all the related issues comes to fore and the truth comes out, a spokesman for the hardline leader said.

Khan held a press conference in which he claimed that the video was "doctored" and challenged the channel to run his full video instead. "The video is doctored, simulated and a collage of bits and pieces. It does not have a shred of credibility. The agenda of Indian media is to defame the Kashmir struggle and pro-freedom leadership," he said.

The NIA's PE alleged that the separatists were receiving funds from the LeT chief to carry out subversive activities in the Valley, including pelting security forces with

stones, damaging public property and burning schools and other government establishments.

The NIA took cognisance of the news item related to a recording of conversations between a TV reporter and leaders of separatist groups operating in the Valley in this regard.
LONDON: BPs trading arm made nearly $4 billion in 2020, according to a copy of an internal BP presentation seen by Reuters, almost equalling the record trading profit in 2019 despite the collapse in oil demand caused by the pandemic.



Trading revenue for majors such as BP and rival Royal Dutch/Shell shielded them from the full impact of the worst recession to hit the modern energy industry, helping finance their shift towards a new business model in a lower carbon economy.



Even with near record trading earnings, BP posted a $20.3 billion loss with writedowns in 2020 and a $5.7 billion loss without writedowns, plunging into the red for the first time in a decade.



BP, which does not publicly disclose the revenue from its trading arm, would not confirm the content of the presentation seen by Reuters and declined to comment for this article.



BP and Shell are banking on cash flow from trading to support them through their transition and to generate profit as they focus on renewable and power markets and become less dependent on fossil fuels.



BP has formally promised to cut oil and gas output, while Shell says its oil production has peaked. Both say they are expanding trading and they still make billions of dollars a year moving oil and gas around the world.



BP plans to expand power and renewables trading but many of those markets are highly regulated and unlikely to deliver the same profit margins as oil and gas.



One of the biggest trading plays in 2020 was to store oil during the downturn, buying it at low prices and selling it later when prices recovered.



It was a relatively simple game with minimal risk because the oil futures market allowed traders with access to large storage to lock in future profits through hedging.



BP made around $1.7 billion on this strategy alone in the second quarter of 2020, according to the presentation.



It made lower but steady earnings in the first and third quarter, while it generated only about $250 million in the fourth quarter of 2020 after betting on weak gas prices that soared instead, according to the presentation.



BPs 2020 result showed the big impact oil and gas trading can have on performance.



BP Chief Financial Officer Murray Auchincloss told analysts in August on a second quarter results call that there had been an exceptionally strong contribution from oil trading.



Last year, was one of the most volatile for oil, which is generally good for trading. Volatility is likely to become a more prominent feature of what is an uneven transition to renewable energy worldwide.



Trading is likely to provide a financial buffer before investments in renewables start to pay off.



We think the power of integration from our trading organisation is awfully good, Auchincloss said in August, adding BP could secure returns on investment in double digits with integrated trading of oil, power, natural gas and solar energy.



Oil majors typically do not disclose any figures for their trading divisions performances and figures emerge once every few years through internal reports.



Without contributions from trading last year, BPs results would have looked bleaker.



BP had a replacement cost net loss of $18.1 billion in 2020, down from a $3.5 billion profit in 2019, because of massive writedown due to low oil prices.



Without the writedowns, underlying replacement cost loss before tax was $5.7 billion, of which BPs production division generated a $5 billion loss and refining a $3.1 billion profit.



In the BP structure, oil trading belongs to the refining division while gas trading sits under production.



The internal presentation seen by Reuters combined results of oil and gas trading under one umbrella as integrated supply and trading (IST).Reuters




Pune: On 20 May, student leader Kanhaiya Kumar hit out at the Centre, alleging that the social fabric of India was being destroyed through "attacks on the principles of democracy and the Constitution".

He claimed that an "atmosphere of violence" was prevailing in the country.

"The condition of the country is worsening, as an atmosphere of violence is prevailing to such an extent that it is becoming a normal thing," he told reporters on the sidelines of a conference in Pune.

"On one hand, soldiers are getting killed on the border, and on the other hand, people are getting attacked and killed in the name of cow, farmers are committing suicides, students are committing suicides due to discrimination. People are being killed on communal grounds," said the former president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU).

Another student leader from JNU, Shehla Rashid; a social activist from Gujarat, Jignesh Mevani; and Tehseen Poonawalla, an entrepreneur and political commentator, were also present at the occasion.

"Currently, there is the Constitution on one hand and the Manusmriti on the other. There is a rule of one person on one side and democracy on the other. Earlier, people used to say Rajya Sarkar (state government), Kendra Sarkar (Centre). Now, people say Yogi sarkar, Modi sarkar," Kanhaiya quipped, in a reference to the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre and the Yogi Adityanath-led government in Uttar Pradesh.

Kumar further alleged, "Right now, two things are going on  concentration of power and normalisation of violence  and because of this, the basic principles of democracy such as freedom, equality, fraternity, and socialism are under attack."

Through concentration of power and normalisation of violence, there is an "attempt to destroy the social fabric" of the country, he added.

Rashid took a dig at the Centre, saying the Modi government completed three years, but there was still no "positive news". She then added, "Moreover, there are only negative things and the country is in the reverse gear."

Mevani, who led a campaign against Dalits in the Una attakcs in Gujarat, said, "Before coming to power (at the Centre), Modiji was talking about 'sabka sath sabka vikas'. But now, Muslims and Dalits are feeling unsafe in the country. They are living in bewilderment. The government has failed to provide even basic things such as food, shelter to the underprivileged. Instead issues like love jihad, ghar wapsi, gau raksha are being promoted."
Srinagar: Two militants and two soldiers were killed in a fierce encounter as the army on Saturday foiled an infiltration bid in Naugam sector of the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir.

"An infiltration bid was foiled by alert troops along the LoC in Naugam sector. Two infiltrating terrorists were killed," an army official told PTI. He said two soldiers attained martyrdom in the operation, which was continuing till last reports were received.
Islamabad: Pakistan's Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali will plead Pakistan's case at the International Court of Justice against Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav.

The development came after the Pakistan Foreign Office was criticised for its "poor handling" of the case and for its choice of Britain-based Khawar Qureshi as counsel.

The ICJ on 18 May stayed the execution of Jadhav.

The Attorney General said the countrys defence against Indias case before the ICJ was prepared by the government in consultation with all stakeholders, including the military establishment, Geo TV reported.

He also dismissed criticism on why Pakistan accepted the global court's jurisdiction.

Referring to the Pakistan's March 2017 declaration in relation to the jurisdiction of the ICJ, Ausaf said that the ongoing propaganda on the issue was misplaced.

"The correct position is that Pakistan had signed off to an unconditional declaration to agree to the jurisdiction of the ICJ way back in September 1960. In March 2017, we made a declaration of exceptions, reservations, and conditions," Ausaf said.

He said that the original 1960 declaration was without reservations and exceptions. Pakistan prior to March 2017 had signed up to an ipso facto (by the fact itself) compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ.

"We had become signatory to a declaration of submission to jurisdiction without any exceptions in September 1960."

In March 2017, he said, Pakistan created the firewalls, including the one relating to the security of Pakistan for the first time. He explained that in the present case, the ICJ is not looking at this aspect of the matter.

"They are looking at the Vienna Convention and the optional protocol to the convention. India and Pakistan both are signatories to this. The optional protocol invests the ICJ with powers and jurisdiction to decide disputes between member states."

"If we were to withdraw this declaration, we would have to go back to 1960 declaration which gives jurisdiction without exceptions," he maintained.

The TV channel also reported that Qureshi was paid 50,000 pounds for the case. However, the Indian lawyer charged only one Indian rupee for his services.
As Pakistan seeks re-hearing of the Kulbhushan Jadhav case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz said that Pakistan did not lose at the ICJ.

"(It is) wrong to say Pakistan lost at the ICJ, court stayed execution, didn't order on consular access to Jadhav," Aziz told reporters in Islamabad on Saturday.

Wrong to say Pak lost at ICJ, court stayed execution, didn't order on consular access to Jadhav: Sartaj Aziz, Pak Foreign Affairs Advisor  ANI (@ANI_news) May 20, 2017

"There was paucity of time earlier, we will strengthen our legal team for the next time," Aziz added in the press conference.

There was paucity of time earlier, we will strengthen our legal team for the next time: Sartaj Aziz, Foreign Affairs Advisor, Pak #Jadhav  ANI (@ANI_news) May 20, 2017

He asserted that the ICJ cannot nullify Indian spy Jadhavs death sentence. Jhadav had confessed to carrying out terrorist activities inside Pakistan and was a naval officer using a fake passport. He was sentenced according to the countrys law, Aziz added as reported by The Express Tribune. "(he) has also admitted to carrying out espionage activities in Pakistan," PTI reports Aziz stating.

Addressing a press conference here, Aziz said that when it comes to cases involving the death penalty, the international court has always given a stay order.

On the debate of consular access, Aziz said, "The ICJ has not issued any order with regard to consular access." "The ICJ has only asked Pakistan to keep a stay on Jadhav's execution until it arrives at a decision," Aziz added.

Talking about the visit of Indian tycoon Sajjan Jindal, Aziz said that it was a private visit and there was no need for Foreign Office to issue a statement on the issue. He also rejected any link between Jindal's visit and the Jadhav case.

Aziz had announced on Friday that Pakistan will get a new team of lawyers to defend the Pakistani counsel."Pakistans security is so important and we have to maintain our fundamental sovereign right," Aziz had quoted while making the announcement.

Pakistan's Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali will now plead Pakistan's case at the ICJ against the 46-year-old Indian national.

The development came after the Pakistan Foreign Office was criticised for its "poor handling" of the case and for its choice of Britain-based Khawar Qureshi as counsel.

The Attorney General said the countrys defence against Indias case before the ICJ was prepared by the government in consultation with all stakeholders, including the military establishment, PTI reported.

Pakistan, which announced the sentence on Jadhav on 10 April, claims its security forces arrested him from its restive Balochistan province on 3 March last year after he reportedly entered from Iran. However, India maintains that he was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Navy.

In the judgment released by the ICJ at The Hague on Thursday, the tribunal asked Pakistan to take all "necessary measures at its disposal" to ensure that Jadhav was not executed pending a final decision by it.

Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria also dismissed the ICJ's provisional measures stating Article 36 (2) of the Vienna Convention, "Pakistan does not accept the ICJ's jurisdiction in matters related to national security." Sartaj Aziz asserted in the press conference that, "when there will be a matter of our national interest and security, then there will be no compromise."

His colleague and Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan said the case would be taken to its "logical conclusion in accordance with Pakistan's law and constitution."

Aziz also discussed the Kashmir issue at the conference, stating that it will not be taken to ICJ as it is being dealt at the higher forum of UN Security Council. "We are not taking Kashmir issue to ICJ. I never said this as the forum for Kashmir is UN Security Council," he said.

Aziz said Pakistan wants an amicable resolution of the Kashmir issue in line with UN resolutions and Islamabad will "continue its political, moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiri people in their struggle for right to self-determination."

Jadhav's case is the latest flashpoint in the tensions between Pakistan and India. The two countries last faced off at the ICJ 18 years ago when Islamabad sought its intervention over the shooting down of its naval aircraft.

With inputs from agencies
Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Saturday said the surrender policy designed for militants was "a total failure".

Speaking at a function in Imphal, the chief minister said that he had discussed the matter with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

"It is disappointing that there is no proper supervision over the outfits which have joined the national mainstream," he said. "This has rendered the surrender policy meaningless."

According to rules, weapons surrendered by militants should be deposited with the Army and members of the surrendered outfits must stay inside designated camps.

Singh said there was "a system failure since there is no effective control over the former insurgents".

"There is no proper surrender policy. The former insurgents are not given adequate assistance in terms of building houses and more. There are no means of livelihood for these people and their families," he said.

While the army has signed suspension of operations with some militant outfits, the Manipur government had refused to honour them. And hence police and paramilitary forces continued to hunt, kill or arrest the tribal insurgents despite their signing the pacts.

The neglected former insurgents were left to fend for themselves once they were lured overground, one official said.
Srinagar: Nayeem Khan, the senior separatist leader who allegedly confessed to receiving funds from Pakistan to create unrest in the Valley in a sting operation by a news channel, on Saturday termed the video as "doctored and fake".

Khan, addressing a press conference in Srinagar, said: "The agenda of the Indian media is to defame the Kashmir struggle."

He said the video shown was run in "bits and pieces and everything has been taken out of context".

"We generate funds at the local level to help victims of the conflict. Yes, Pakistan is a basic party to the Kashmir dispute and it is supporting the freedom struggle in Kashmir," Khan told the media.

Meanwhile, Geelani suspended the membership of Khan from the Hurriyat.

Geelani in a statement said: "I have suspended the National Front led by Muhammad Nayeem Khan from the Hurriyat till such time the controversy raised by the TV news report is explained".
Thiruvananthapuram: Sending out a strong message against corruption, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said that wrongdoers will not have 'political guardians' in the Left Democratic Front (LDF) rule.

"There is no corruption charge against the government. We have been able to give a corruption-free governance during the past one year," he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, listing out his government's achievements.

The government's effort was to transform the state into a corruption free one, he said. When it was pointed out that probe into corruption cases like bar bribery and solar scams seemed to be limping along, Vijayan said his government would not compromise on corruption cases of the previous United Democratic Front (UDF) regime.

"However, the government cannot intervene in the probe of the investigation agencies," he said.

Vijayan claimed that the CPM-led LDF government had succeeded in ushering in a healthy political culture by 'cleansing' the system left by the previous UDF government, which saw the emergence of a 'decaying' political culture.

"They clung to power with greed," he said adding wrongdoers will not have 'political guardians anymore'.

"A cleansing of political culture took place during the one-year LDF rule," Vijayan said, adding his government's effort was to bring development and peace back to the state.

The chief minister said there was no dearth of controversies in the state."But this government will not go behind controversies. We will implement what is good for the people and no controversy will stand as an impediment," he said.

Vijayan said there has been a gradual decrease in opposition to the development of National Highways and laying of Gas (India) Limited (GAIL) pipeline project and people had started to cooperate.

The government was prepared to give good compensation to those who would lose their land, Vijayan said.

On the state's Kerala Bank proposal, he said it would become a reality soon.

On the inauguration of Kochi Metro, he said the state was keen that Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the prestigious project. "We had written to the Prime Minister's Office in April, seeking his convenience to inaugurate the project. The government is in touch with the PMO and we are hopeful that the prime minister will inaugurate it," he said.

Asked if private investments have come into the state, the chief minister said some talks had been held in this regard, especially in the information technology sector.

He described as 'unfortunate', the continuing standoff between the media and lawyers in Kerala. "This situation should not continue. Both groups should hold discussions and sort it out," Vijayan said.
Srinagar: The authorities on Saturday dismissed a Hurriyat meeting scheduled at separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's residence to discuss a sting operation.

A Hurriyat spokesman said a large contingent of police and paramilitary was posted outside Geelani's Hyderpora residence.

The news channel showed a video of Nayeem Khan, a senior leader of the Geelani-led Hurriyat, allegedly confessing that he has been receiving funds from Pakistan for stoking unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.

The separatists were allegedly receiving funds from chief of Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) Hafiz Saeed to carry out subversive activities in the Valley, including pelting stones at security forces, damaging public property and burning schools and other government establishments.

The spokesman said Khan was also called to the meeting to explain his position.

The National Investigation Agency has also taken cognisance of the news item and has already sent a team to Srinagar to investigate the clandestine fund transfer issue.
Jaipur: The Rajasthan government re-included five castes, including Gujjars, in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category on Friday.

The state high court had struck down the Special Backward Class (SBC) Reservation Act, 2015, which provided special backward class status to Gujjar and four other castes, in December last year.

The state's Social Justice and Empowerment Department issued a notification declaring that the five castes  Banjara/Baldia/Labana, Gadia-Lohar/Gadalia, Gujjar/Gurjar, Raika/Rebari and Gadaria (Gaadri)  have again been included in the OCB list.

The communities were first included in the OBC list in 1994.

A law was enacted in 2008 to grant five percent quota in government jobs and educational institutions under the SBC category to four communities. It was implemented in 2009 and a separate government notification was issued in 2012 to include Gadaria (Gaadri) in the SBC list.

However, the quota ran into legal issues and the high court stayed the reservation in 2009, as it had exceeded the legal ceiling of 50 percent.

The state Assembly in September 2015 passed the Rajasthan Special Backward Classes (reservation of seats in educational

institutions in the state and of appointments and posts in services under the state) Bill to give 5 percent reservation to the five castes and issued a notification on 16 October, 2015, to bring the act into effect.

Following the notification, the overall reservation in the state had reached 54 percent.

The high court had scrapped the Act last year, saying there were no extraordinary circumstances to allow the state's overall reservation in government jobs and education institutes to go beyond the 50 per cent cap set by the Supreme Court.

"The Act was struck down by the high court on 9 December, 2016. As a result, all five castes have again been included in the OBC list," the notification issued by ACS, Social Justice and Empowerment, Ashok Jain said.

The notification is effective from 9 December, 2016. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Gujjar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti spokesperson Himmat Singh Gujjar said the community will protest against the decision.
Jaisalmer: A suspected agent of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was detained in a joint operation by Rajasthan Police Intelligence Wing and the army intelligence unit in Rajasthan, an official said on Saturday.

The agent identified as Haji Khan was detained from his house in Kunjari village of Jaisalmer following intelligence inputs.

A Rajasthan Police official said Khan, accused of sending confidential information to the ISI, has been sent to Jodhpur for further interrogation.

Investigators said they have recovered incriminating documents from his possession.

"Khan was detained few months back but released due to lack of evidence," the official said, adding: "He used to visit Pakistan at regular intervals as his maternal house is there."

Kunjari is situated at the Air Force's Chandan field firing range, part of Pokhran field firing range, and agencies believe that detained spies shared vital information regarding exercise of the Army and Air Force to the ISI.
The Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE) will declare its Class XII results later on Friday. The results for Science stream will be declared earlier, while those for Arts and Commerce will take more time.

Candidates who appeared for the Class XII exams this year can check out their results on the official websites of the Tripura state board, tbse.in and tripuraresults.nic.in.

Students have been requested to keep all their relevant candidate information, like roll numbers, ready in order to avoid delays.

Declaring Science results on priority is as per the pattern followed by several other state boards this year, which have also done the same; this is in order to let students appear for national-level engineering and medical entrance examinations.

Class XII exams in Tripura were held on 2 March, and ended on 8 April.

Last year, nearly 25,240 candidates appeared for the Class XII exam out of which 75.11 per cent passed.
No casualties were reported in a massive landslide on the Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway (NH-7), thanks to an alert police constable of Uttarakhand Police.

Hindustan Times reported state police officials as saying that the constable noticed pieces of rocks falling down the Hathi Parvat after which he immediately alerted senior officials at Chamoli.

As the rocks continuously kept rolling down the hill, the police closed the route before a huge chunk of the hill slid down destroying a 60-metre long portion of the National Highway near Vishnuprayagat about 2 pm.

The alert policeman helped the pilgrims keep away from the landslide which left thousands of pilgrims stranded who were travelling towards the Badrinath shrine. The Char Dham yatra, the annual pilgrimage to shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri has been stopped until the debris is cleared and the road becomes motorable again.

Officials have said that work on clearing the debris has begun and out of the 1,000 people stranded after the landslide, nearly 800 people have already resumed their onward journey.

Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat had instructed the Secretary of Disaster Management Department, Amit Negi, to monitor the situation and arrange for food and lodging for the stranded people.

District Magistrate of Chamoli Ashish Joshi told PTI that the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) personnel are working on a war footing to clear the debris after the landslide and they have assured that the road will soon be operational again.

According to a report by Navbharat Times, the officials have asked the people to avoid any unnecessary travel till the situation is under control. The pilgrims who were on their way to Badrinath, are being stopped at Karnapriyag, Nandprayag, Pipalkoti, Joshimath and Chamoli.

President Pranab Mukherjee had visited the Badrinath shrine, the last Char Dham shrine to be opened this year, on 6 May. Char Dham Yatra was inaugurated by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on 27 April in Rishikesh.

Uttarakhand faced a similar situation after heavy rains and landslides left nearly 30 people dead in July 2016.

In 2013, an estimated 5,000 people, most of whom were pilgrims, were killed due to landslides and flash floods which followed heavy rains in Kedarnath valley. Many bodies were never found; thus, taking the unofficial toll even higher.
Thiruvananthapuram: A 23-year-old woman cut off the genitals of a man when he allegedly tried to rape her at her home in Pettah in the city late Friday night.

The 54-year-old man, an inmate of an ashram in Kollam, was rushed to the government medical college hospital in Thiruvananthapuram with critical injuries in the wee hours, police said on Saturday.

He underwent an emergency surgery and his condition is stable now, a hospital release said.

The woman in her complaint stated that the accused has been known to her family for the past few years and has been harassing her since she was a minor, police said.

He frequented her home for performing poojas and used to assault her during the visits, the complaint said.

When he tried to abuse her last night, she protested and chopped off his private organ with a knife, it added.

A senior police official told PTI that a case has been registered against the man under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO) and IPC 376 (punishment for rape).

No case has been registered against the woman, he said.

The police declined to divulge details, saying the investigation is on.
Chandigarh: BJP President Amit Shah said on Saturday that his party will win the next general election in the country in 2019 by a much bigger margin than the majority achieved in the 2014 elections.

Addressing media here during a 'Meet-the-Press' programme of the Chandigarh Press Club, he said that the people of the country were overwhelmingly behind the BJP government at the Centre led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"We will win 2019 general election with much bigger majority. It will be much bigger than last time (2014)," Shah said, noting that the BJP, in three years of being in power in the Centre, had provided a corruption-free and development-oriented government.

"The BJP has freed the country from (the shackles) of casteism (jaativaad), dynastic politics (pariwarvaad) and appeasement," said the BJP chief, who arrived on Saturday to a rousing reception by party leaders and supporters.

Asked about the ongoing turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir, he said that the situation would soon be brought under control.

"Regarding Kashmir, such situations have occurred many times since 1989. We will control the situation," he said, adding that security agencies have started their work against separatist leaders who had a role in adding to the present tense situation in the Valley at the behest of Pakistan and its agencies.

Highlighting the achievements of the BJP in three years in power at the Centre, Shah said that the Modi government had taken the country forward on all fronts.

"Even our political opponents unable to level any allegations of corruption against BJP government in three years. This is a big achievement for BJP," he noted.

He said that the BJP had emerged as the biggest political organisation in the world with over 11 crore party members.

Asked about the questions being raised by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders regarding the electronic voting machines (EVMs), Shah said: "I want to ask AAP leaders which EVM they used to get 67 seats out of 70 in Delhi elections."

On the BJP's loss in recent assembly elections in Punjab, he remained guarded.

"You all know that we (BJP) were a minor partner (in the alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal," Shah said, stopping short of blaming the Akali Dal for the loss.

He maintained that the Akali Dal-BJP alliance in Punjab "continues in the present". "The party doing its internal analysis of the election defeat in Punjab," he added.
The challenge to prove that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) can be tampered with will start from 3 June, the Election Commission announced on Saturday, asserting that the machines are tamper-proof.

The announcement came over a week after the Election Commission threw down the gauntlet to political parties to prove that the EVMs used in the recent Assembly polls were tampered with.

"The EVM challenge will start from 3 June onwards," Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said, addressing a press conference.

"Election Commission desires all citizens and stakeholders to remain aware, vigilant and alert about our electoral processes," PIB quoted Zaidi as saying.

He said people who had questioned the reliability of EVMs have not yet submitted any proof or credible material to support their claim.

Zaidi said replacement of the internal circuit of EVMs is not possible at all.

"Our EVMs have strong technological features and are tamper-proof," he said.

"Election Commission will never, ever allow the faith of the people in the integrity of the election process to be shaken," he added. "Election Commission would leave no stone unturned in preserving the purity, integrity and credibility of the electoral democracy of our country."

LIVE: ECI is thankful to all the citizens, voters, political parties and all stakeholders for their unwavering faith in the Commission:CEC pic.twitter.com/fRnzKOVJQg  PIB India (@PIB_India) May 20, 2017

Zaidi rubbished the Aam Aadmi Party's claim that EVMs could be tampered with, and said no manipulation of the machines is possible.

He also said that improving the election process is a responsibility of all stakeholders and the Election Commission is taking all necessary steps in this regard.

Several major Opposition parties had claimed that the faith of people in the machines has eroded.

The BSP and AAP had alleged that the machines used in the recent assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjab were tampered with and favoured the BJP. Later, several other parties had joined the chorus and waned the Election Commission to revert to paper ballots.

The Election Commission has already announced that it will ensure paper trail of voting in all future elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.

With inputs from PTI
The Income Tax department conducted raids on the premises of people considered close to former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. The Bihar BJP unit had been alleging for some time now that Lalu and Co. have been involved in land scams to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore in the state. The raids follow the release of audio tapes where the RJD strongman can be heard talking to jailed underworld don-turned-politician about the law-and-order situation in the state.

Lalu has clearly been shaken up by these developments. He has already come out alleging vendetta politics against the BJP, and has even announced a grand anti-BJP rally on 27 August. Lalu is a fighter, and will hit back as hard as it gets.

Lalu clearly considers himself to be a torch-bearer against the so-called "communal politics" of the BJP. He came into the limelight in 1990 when he stalled LK Advani's 'rath yatra'. Though BJP ruled Uttar Pradesh for most of the 1990s, Lalu never allowed the party to enter neighbouring Bihar till 2005. Nitish Kumar and Arvind Kejriwal are the new-age anti-BJP crusaders, but Lalu is an old hand.

"Jab tak rahega samosein mein aloo, tab tak rahega Bihar mein Lalu," is a famous couplet which underpins his significance in Bihar's politics.

RJD's voteshare has been in the range of 18-20 percent in last four elections, even after losing power in Bihar in 2005 to the JDU-BJP combine. In a state with three major parties  JDU, RJD and BJP  and a clutch of smaller parties with pockets of influence, to get 20 percent voteshare is no mean feat.

Muslims and Yadavs, who form 30 percent of Bihar's population, are Lalu's most vocal supporters. RJD has historically got over 60 percent of their votes, translating into 18 percent of its voteshare.

Yadavs owe their empowerment and development to Lalu. Even other leaders like Sharad Yadav, Pappu Yadav and Ram Kirpal Yadav have emerged from the community, but nobody enjoys a stature like the RJD strongman.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, when BJP swept many states, even bagging 90-100 percent seats in some, the wily Lalu, along with the Congress, held fort in Bihar. BJP won less than 80 percent seats in the Hindi heartland. The RJD-Congress alliance won 30 percent votes even at the peak of the Narendra Modi wave. In fact, had the RJD-Congress-JDU 'mahagathbandhan' taken shape in Bihar during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, they could have clinched 28 out of 40 parliamentary seats, while BJP would have managed only 12, down from the 31 it won.

But the I-T raids have spurred Lalu Yadav. He already shares a good rapport with opposition leaders. He will now work vigorously to unite parties against Modi. The slow pace of investigation in our country means he can claim victimisation as well.

Lalu has come back victorious after many such crises in the past. In 1994, Nitish Kumar and George Fernandes formed an alliance with BJP. But in 1995, Lalu came back with a bang in Bihar. In 1997, he broke away from the parent Janata Dal party and formed his own party and made his wife Rabri Devi the chief minister of Bihar after he was jailed in the fodder scam. In 2015, his party made a strong comeback (highest number of MLAs in Bihar) after he was convicted in the fodder scam two years earlier, and was forced to resign as MP.

All these prove Lalu is a survivor. He has the pulse of the people in Bihar's hinterland. His supporters see him as one championing the cause of the poor and the downtrodden.

Instead of broadening its alliance, BJP is alienating regional parties. It's using the old trick from the 2014 Lok Sabha, where it tried to engage opposition leaders in various scams in public courts. Now BJP is in power and can't use same method again. But it needs to try Lalu in court and prove charges against him.

But it needs to keep in mind that Modi became stronger after Congress unleashed cases against him. This might also work to Lalu's advantage in Bihar, consolidating his hold over his anchor vote segments.

To sum up, the enigmatic, rustic, popular, powerful, jovial, happy-go-lucky politician in Lalu Prasad Yadav is not finished yet. And a Mahagathbandhan involving him would pose serious challenge to BJP in Bihar in 2019, because of its arithmetic advantage and appeal across caste groups.

BJP is trying every trick in the book to destabilise this alliance  woo Nitish, threaten Lalu  but it won't work. In a triangular contest, 20 percent voteshare is a lot. In a bipolar contest, whoever Lalu supports would win, like in 2015. BJP is staring at a loss of 15-20 seats in Bihar in 2019 Lok Sabha elections in my opinion. I-T raids won't deter Lalu!
Lucknow: BSP chief Mayawati alleged that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has failed to fulfil its prime constitutional duty of providing peace and security to the people of the state.

On chief minister Yogi Adityanath's statement that his government would deal with criminals "in a language they understand", she said the government appears to be "ignorant" of the fact that only the language of law is required to deal with them.

"This government has clearly failed to fulfil its foremost constitutional duty of provideing peaceful and secure life to the people," Mayawati was quoted as saying in a party release.

Asserting that the people of the state did not get the real benefit from the change in government as the crime rate has not gone down, she said, "On the contrary, caste violence and political vendetta have become common."

"There has been continued attack on traders who are considered the vote base of the BJP and they are observing bandhs. Saharanpur and Mathura incidents have exposed the reality of the tall claims made by the Yogi Adityanath-led government... protests against electricity woes have become common," Mayawati claimed.

She said, "It only requires a firm resolve and will power to make criminals understand the language of the law."

The BSP supremo said for the BJP, which had promised to bring change in Uttar Pradesh, it should be a matter of grave concern that even the policemen are being beaten up. "In fact, most of the cases of caste and communal violence is a conspiracy of the BJP," she alleged.
Nashik: ShivSena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said he is prepared to forego power and withdraw all the party's ministers from the BJPled government in Maharashtra if Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is willing to announce a total loan waiver for debtridden farmers.

Uddhav, however, made it clear that the Sena would continue outside support to the BJP government.

"What are you engaging in; midterm poll surveys? If you have the courage, waive loans of farmers. I will opt out of power by withdrawing all my ministers but will continue to support your government from outside", Uddhav said in a daylong agriculture convention organised by the Sena in Chopada town here.

Uddhav said the Sena is often questioned on criticising its ally (BJP) and told to withdraw from the government if it has a problem.

"I will not waste a second to kick away power when time comes. We are committed to the well-being of farmers and

people. If once we get into the battle field against you, we will not back out till we win. The government has changed but problems continue unabated. This is the same CM who used to demand a loan waiver while he was in the Opposition. Today he has forgotten everything", he alleged.

"If loan waiver is a temporary solution, so be it. But it has to be done now. Whatever happens in the future, we will see," he said.

Uddhav also criticised the BJP's ambitious MumbaiNagpur Samurddhi Expressway project and said, "the project may be

good to bring both capitals nearer, but it is wrong to take away lands of farmers forcibly for the Expressway. Make farmers prosperous first and then carry out your project".

"We cannot ruin farmers' lives and build the Samruddhi Expressway. Such development is of no use", he told a gathering at the convention attended by Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana chief and MP, Raju Shetti, agriexperts, farmers and others including senior Congress leader Vinayakdada Patil.

In a veiled attack at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, over note ban and his poll promises, Uddhav said, "'Mann ki baat' should stop now and 'farmers ki baat' should begin. It was promised ahead of the (2014) LS polls that black money would be brought back and Rs 15 lakh would be deposited in every Indian citizen's account. Now please deposit Rs 15 lakh in every (debtridden) farmer's account."

"It is the common man and the farmers' who were hit most by demonetisation. They are still suffering," he added.

Uddhav also trained his guns on state BJP chief Raosaheb Danve over his recent remarks that farmers continue to

complain (and cry) despite the state government doling out sops to bail out Tur growers.

"Now you will have to cry", he said, adding the farmers have been insulted at a time when the government is not

procuring the Tur produce and also not giving a loan waiver to help them tide over the agrarian crisis resulting out of drought conditions, unseasonal rains and lack of good market price for their produce.

He alleged that the government imported Tur even after the Centre-appointed Arvind Subramaniam committee predicted a bumper crop this time.

Several Shiv Sena ministers, MLAs and MPs including Sanjay Raut were present at the event.
Patna: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya, Union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti among other prominent leaders and MPs will visit Bihar to showcase the achievements of the Narendra Modi government in the past three years.

The Narendra Modi government will complete its third year in office on 26 May, 2017. "Our prominent national and state leaders will visit various parts of the country to showcase the achievements of the Narendra Modi government in the past three years," senior Bihar BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters.

"As part of the party's massive campaign, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya, Union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti among other prominent leaders and MPs will be visiting the state between 25 May to 15 June," Sushil Modi said.

The date of the visit has not been finalised, Modi added.

"After holding talks with the leaders who will visit Bihar, and their convenience, the party will decide as to which leader will go where," the former deputy chief minister said.
New Delhi: The Dalai Lama will himself pick his successor, which may happen "soon", President of the Tibetan government-in-exile Lobsang Sangay said on Saturday, asserting China does not have any say on the issue.

The current Dalai Lama, while still very active, recently turned 81 but is yet to make a decision about his successor.

"As far as the next Dalai Lama is concerned it's already on the table and he can come through reincarnation, selection or emanation. These options are on the table but not yet executed," he said while speaking at the 'Indo-Tibet Summit' organised by the South and East Asia Foundation in New Delhi.

"He (the Dalai Lama) says that he will decide at the age of 90, but I think it should happen sooner and I think it is likely to happen," he said.

In reincarnation, one has to die and reborn. Selection is when the high lamas meet and select the Dalai Lama and emanation is when the Dalai Lama designates his own successor before he passes away.

Sangay said that as per the procedure, selection of the next Dalai Lama by China would be "illegitimate".

"The communist party says religion is poison. They don't believe in religion. They destroy monasteries, disrobe monks and nuns. What is the basis of legitimacy they will have to select the next Dalai Lama? Not at all," he said.

Drawing a parallel of Chinese picking the next Dalai Lama akin to a communist leader selecting a Shankaracharya he said, "Do you think the devotees will accept the Shankaracharya? Very unlikely! Hence, selecting the Dalai Lama is Dalai Lama's business and no one else's".

Last month, China's official think-tanks had announced that the next highest monk of Tibetan Buddhism must have the endorsement of Beijing. China has held the same positions for years now.

The Dalai Lamas have historically enjoyed considerable political and spiritual influence over Tibetans.

China is keen to pick up the successor to the current Dalai Lama to firm up its hold over Tibet, which it has kept under tight political, military and administrative control after it took over the area in 1951.

Sangay also said that the Tibet administration was adopting a middle-way policy in dealing with China, a view supported by the Dalai Lama.

"There are practical reasons because China says 'One China' cannot be negotiated. That's a reality. And we say, OK, if that is non-negotiable then what is negotiable is genuine autonomy, which is written in the Chinese constitution and which should be given to Tibetan people," the president said.

Sangay also expressed gratitude towards India for all the support shown by it towards the Tibetan cause over the years.

"India and Indian government has done the most work for Tibetan people. But recently, what has happened is that what was happening in closed doors is now being done out in the open," he said.

He cited the Dalai Lama's visit with President Pranab Mukherjee at the Nobel Peace laureates conference at the presidential palace, the International Buddhist Conference in Nalanda, where the Tibetan spiritual guru was the chief guest, and Sangay's presence at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony as the proof that the Indo-Tibet ties have become more open.
By Parisa Hafezi and Babak Dehghanpisheh

| DUBAI/BEIRUT

DUBAI/BEIRUT President Hassan Rouhani pledged on Saturday to open Iran to the world and deliver freedoms its people have yearned for, throwing down a defiant challenge to his hardline opponents after securing a decisive re-election for a second term.Rouhani, long known as a cautious and mild-mannered establishment insider, reinvented himself as a bold champion of reform during the election campaign, which culminated on Friday in victory with more than 57 percent of the vote. His main challenger, hardline judge Ebrahim Raisi, received 38 percent.In his first televised speech after the result, Rouhani appeared to openly defy conservative judges by praising the spiritual leader of the reform camp, former President Mohammad Khatami. A court has banned quoting or naming Khatami on air. "Our nation's message in the election was clear: Iran's nation chose the path of interaction with the world, away from violence and extremism," Rouhani said. He promised to serve as president for all Iranians, not just those who voted for him.Although the powers of the elected president are limited by those of unelected Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who outranks him, the scale of Rouhani's victory gives the pro-reform camp its strongest mandate in at least 12 years to seek the sort of change that hardliners have thwarted for decades.Rouhani's opponent Raisi, a protege of Khamenei, had united the conservative faction and had been tipped as a potential successor to the 77-year-old supreme leader. His defeat leaves the conservatives without an obvious flag bearer.The re-election is likely to safeguard the nuclear agreement Rouhani's government reached with global powers in 2015, under which most international sanctions have been lifted in return for Iran curbing its nuclear programme. And it delivers a setback to the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), the powerful security force which controls a vast industrial empire in Iran. They had thrown their support behind Raisi to safeguard their interests."We won. We did what we should do for our country. Now it is Rouhani's turn to keep his promises," said coffee shop owner Arash Geranmayeh, 29, reached by telephone in Tehran.Rouhani, 68, faces the same limits on his power to transform Iran that prevented him from delivering social change in his first term, and that thwarted Khatami, who failed to deliver on a reform agenda as president from 1997-2005.But by publicly thanking "my dear brother, Mohammad Khatami" in his victory speech, Rouhani seemed to take up that mantle. It was a remarkable challenge to the Shi'ite Muslim religious judicial authorities, who have blacklisted Khatami from public life for his support for other reformists under house arrest.

Many experts are sceptical that a president can change much in Iran, as long as the supreme leader has veto power over all policies and control over the security forces. Some said the pattern was all too familiar from Rouhani's first victory four years ago and Khatami's victories the previous decade."The last two decades of presidential elections have been short days of euphoria followed by long years of disillusionment," said Karim Sadjadpour, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment who focuses on Iran."Democracy in Iran is allowed to bloom only a few days every four years, while autocracy is evergreen."The re-elected president will also have to navigate a tricky relationship with Washington, which appears at best ambivalent about the nuclear accord agreed by former U.S. president Barack Obama. President Donald Trump has repeatedly described it as "one of the worst deals ever signed", although his administration re-authorised waivers from sanctions this week.Trump arrived on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, his first stop on the first trip abroad of his presidency. The Saudis are Iran's biggest enemies in the region and are expected to push hard for Trump to turn his back on the nuclear deal.

BREAKING TABOOS

Rouhani's reinvention as an ardent reformist on the campaign trail helped stir the passion of young, urban voters yearning for change. At times he broke rhetorical taboos, attacking the human rights record of the security forces and the judiciary.During one rally he referred to hardliners as "those who cut out tongues and sewed mouths shut". In a debate last week he accused Raisi of seeking to "abuse religion for power". The language at the debate earned a rare public rebuke from Khamenei, who called it "unworthy".The contentiousness of the campaign could make it more difficult for Rouhani to secure the consent of hardliners to carry out his agenda, said Abbas Milani, director of the Iranian Studies program at Stanford University."Rouhani upped the ante in the past ten days in the rhetoric that he used. Clearly it's going to be difficult to back down on some of this stuff."The Guards could also use their role as shock troops of Iran's interventions across the Middle East to try to derail future rapprochement with the West, said Meir Javedanfar, an Iranian-born lecturer at Israel's Interdisciplinary Centre Herzliya.

"Since the 1979 revolution, whenever hardliners have lost a political battle, they have tried to settle scores," he said."I would worry about the more confrontational policy of the IRGC in the Persian Gulf ... and more confrontational policy with the U.S. and Saudi Arabia."Among the congratulatory messages sent to Rouhani by world leaders, Iran's battlefield ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad looked forward to cooperating "to strengthen the security and stability of both countries, the region and the world".The biggest prize for Rouhani's supporters is the potential to set Iran's course for decades by influencing the choice of a successor to Khamenei, who has been in power since 1989.A Raisi victory would have probably ensured that the next supreme leader was a hardliner. Rouhani's win gives reformists a chance to build clout in the body that chooses the leader, the Assembly of Experts, where neither reformists nor conservatives dominate.Khamenei praised Iranians for their big turnout after voters queued up for hours to cast their ballots. The strong turnout of around 73 percent of eligible voters appeared to have favoured Rouhani, whose backers' main concern had been apathy among reformists disappointed with the slow pace of change.Many voters said they came out to block the rise of Raisi, one of four judges who sentenced thousands of political prisoners to death in the 1980s, regarded by reformers as a symbol of the security state at its most fearsome."The wide mobilisation of the hardline groups and the real prospect of Raisi winning scared many people into coming out to vote," said Nasser, a 52-year-old journalist. "We had a bet among friends, and I said Raisi would win and I think that encouraged a few of my friends who might not have voted to come out and vote." (Additional reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; writing by Peter Graff; editing by Andrew Roche)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
The White House announced a huge arms deal with Saudi Arabia on Saturday as President Donald Trump took his first steps on the world stage, looking to leave mounting troubles behind at home.

The $110 billion deal for Saudi purchases of US defence equipment and services came at the start of an eight-day foreign tour that will also take Trump to Jerusalem, the Vatican and meetings with leaders in Europe.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said deals worth in excess of $380 billion were signed during Trump's visit.

"That was a tremendous day. Tremendous investments in the United States," Trump said at talks with Saudi King Salman.

"Hundreds of billions of dollars of investments into the United States and jobs, jobs, jobs."

The US president was given a warm welcome in the oil-rich kingdom  a mood in sharp contrast to Washington where pressure is building after fresh claims over his team's alleged links to Moscow.

Air Force One had barely taken off when it was announced late on Friday that James Comey, the former FBI chief fired by Trump, had agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the US elections.

Reports also emerged that Trump had called Comey "a nut job" and that the FBI had identified a senior White House official as a "significant person of interest" in its probe of Russian meddling.

The president and first lady Melania Trump were greeted by King Salman as they disembarked at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday morning.

'Iranian threats'

Trump and his wife, who dressed conservatively in black but did not cover her hair as Saudi women are required to do, walked side-by-side to the tarmac where they both shook hands with the 81-year-old king.

Trump in 2015 criticised then-first lady Michelle Obama for not wearing a headscarf during a visit to Saudi Arabia, saying on Twitter that her hosts had been "insulted".

White House spokesman Sean Spicer hailed the defence agreement as the "largest single arms deal in US history".

"This package of defence equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats," a White House official said.

As well as the talks with Salman, Trump was to meet the kingdom's two powerful crown princes on Saturday, before giving a speech on Islam to leaders of Muslim countries on Sunday.

For Riyadh the visit is an opportunity to rebuild ties with a key ally, strained under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama who Sunni Arab Gulf states suspected of a tilt towards their Shiite regional rival Iran.

Major speech to Muslim leaders

Sunday's speech to dozens of Muslim leaders has been touted as a major event  along the lines of a landmark address to the Islamic world given by Obama in Cairo in 2009.

The speech will be especially sensitive given tensions sparked by the Trump administration's attempted travel ban targetting several Muslim-majority nations and accusations of anti-Islamic rhetoric on the campaign trail.

Trump wants Gulf states in particular to do more to tackle extremists such as the Islamic State jihadist group.

In return he is expected to take a harder line on Iran, where it was announced Saturday that President Hassan Rouhani had won a resounding re-election victory as voters overwhelmingly backed his efforts to reach out to the world.

While most US presidents make their first foreign trip to neighbouring Canada or Mexico, 70-year-old Trump has opted instead for the Middle East and Europe.

He travels to Israel and the Palestinian Territories on Monday and Tuesday, and then to the Vatican and to Brussels and Italy for NATO and G7 meetings.

Avalanche of revelations

The trip is fraught with peril for the real estate magnate, who is known to dislike lengthy travel.

The avalanche of revelations in the run-up to his departure has eroded Trump's standing at home.

On Friday, a report by The Washington Post that the probe into his campaign's Russia ties had identified a "significant person of interest" in the White House undercut Trump's insistence his election bid had nothing to do with the Kremlin.

The White House was rocked by another bombshell when reports emerged that Trump said his firing of "nut job" Comey had relieved "great pressure" on him due to the investigation.

The scandals have revived questions about his ability to strike a presidential tone with his foreign counterparts.

The first leg of the trip is likely to be the easiest  Saudi leaders are keen to work with an administration they see as more in line with their goals.

The normally austere kingdom put on a major display for the visit, with the streets of Riyadh lined with US and Saudi flags and billboards featuring Trump and King Salman.

The next leg in Israel could be more complicated, despite the history of warm ties between Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The visit is already awash in controversy, from a row over Trump's planned visit to Jerusalem's Western Wall, the holiest prayer site for Jews, to his alleged disclosure of Israeli intelligence to Russian officials.

After meeting Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Trump will see Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem, part of his efforts to revive the long-stagnant peace process.

On Tuesday Trump heads to Rome to meet with Pope Francis. The two men are at odds on everything from climate change to refugee policy, although the pontiff says he will give the US leader an open-minded hearing.

The president will then meet NATO members in Brussels and attend a G7 summit in the Sicilian town of Taormina.

These meetings  including with new French President Emmanuel Macron  will be closely watched for signs of whether Trump and traditional US allies in Europe can work together.
Washington: Indian-Americans have expressed anguish over the negative portrayal of Hinduism and India in the proposed California school textbooks.

"It is disappointing to see that even after a decade of building awareness by the Hindu-American community, textbooks especially by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), McGraw-Hill, Discovery and National Geographic continue to use orientalist narratives to portray Indian civilisation," said Shantharam Nekkar, director of Hindu Education Foundation USA (HEF).

Nekkar's remarks came at a public hearing conducted by the California Department of Education (CDE) at Sacramento on Thursday.

For the past several years, the Indian-American community has been battling to remove several inaccuracies and myths about Hinduism from the textbooks. The State of California requires that the textbooks be based on the framework laid down by the Department of Education.

The framework was revised last year amidst many controversies, including attempts by a few academics and groups to replace 'India' with 'South Asia'.

Over the past two years, the Department has made several updates to the framework based on inputs by scholars, students and the community members, mentioning Hindu concepts like Yoga and Dharma, Sages Vyasa and Valmiki and Indian achievements in science and technology.

Hindu groups pointed out that many of these changes have not reflected in the textbook drafts.

"Some publishers continue to single out and denigrate Hinduism while ignoring new additions to the framework that can help present Indian civilisation on par with other civilisations and cultures," said Sharat Joshi, a parent from San Jose.

"Negative portrayal of Hinduism has led to several instances of bullying of Hindu children in classrooms," he added.

The Department of Education will send its recommendations to the State Board of Education (SBE) later this year for its approval.

The textbooks recommended by the board are expected to be adopted by schools starting early next year.
New York: A 20-year-old Indian-origin Cornell University student was found dead in New York after going missing earlier this week.

Aalaap Narasipura, a senior electrical engineering student at Cornell's College of Engineering was reported missing since Wednesday.

Cornell University Police, working with the New York State Police, the Ithaca Police Department and the Ithaca Fire Department, recovered his body on Friday from Fall Creek, a short distance upstream from Ithaca Falls.

Cornell University Police has confirmed Narasipuras identity. Police said the circumstances of Narasipuras death are still under investigation, but no foul play is suspected. No other information has been released by the police at this stage.

Police had searched gorges and adjacent natural areas in Ithaca. Earlier, authorities had issued an advisory describing Narasipura as a dark-skinned male, 5-feet-9 inches tall.

He was last seen in the early morning of 17 May in Cornell's campus. Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi expressed "profound sadness" at the death of Narasipura. He described Narasipura as an 'ambitious student' who was scheduled to graduate early this December.

"He was active on the Ultimate Frisbee team, enjoyed taking photos, and planned to continue at Cornell to pursue a Master of Engineering degree," Lombardi said in a statement.
Islamabad: An Indian woman, who has sought refuge at the Indian mission in Islamabad, submitted a six-page reply in the Islamabad High Court on Friday, and reiterated her plea to return to India.

Uzma, 20, an Indian national who had travelled to Pakistan earlier this month, in the written plea said her Pakistani husband Tahir Ali "forced" her to marry him at gunpoint and also harassed her.

Uzma maintained her earlier statement in the court that she was "forced to marry" her Pakistani husband Tahir Ali on gunpoint. "Threatened to kill, harassed and badly humiliated," The Dawn reported, quoting the written reply.

The Islamabad High Court continued hearing Uzma's case, who was reported to have gone "missing" at the Indian High Commission, a few days after her marriage to Ali, a resident of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the report said. It emerged later that she had sought refuge in the Indian High Commission, requesting that she be repatriated back to India.

First secretary at the Indian High Commission Piyush Singh was present at the IHC. Their lawyer Shahnawaz Noon submitted a written reply to the court that detailed Uzma's version of events.

Uzma's lawyer aims to get permission from Islamabad to allow her to go back to India. Uzma's visa is said to expire on 30 May.

Last week, she had asked the court to help her get the immigration sheet from Pakistan to travel back to India and also waive police reporting.

She also made the Foreign Office a party in her plea. The court has already asked the Foreign Office to come up with reply on 22 May. Ali also petitioned the court last week asking to let him meet Uzma in a free environment. He has also rejected all allegations regarding forced marriage and committing violence.

On Monday, the court clubbed the petitions of Ali and Uzma to hear the case together.

Earlier, Pakistan's adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz said Uzma would be repatriated once her legal issues are sorted out.
By Parisa Hafezi and Babak Dehghanpisheh

| DUBAI/BEIRUT

DUBAI/BEIRUT Vote counting began in Iran on Saturday after a high turnout in an unexpectedly tight presidential election pitting President Hassan Rouhani, who wants to normalise ties with the West, against a hardline judge who says he has already gone too far.More than 40 million votes were cast, the interior ministry said, indicating a turnout of about 70 percent in Friday's vote, roughly similar to the showing in 2013 elections when Rouhani swept into office in a landslide victory.(For a graphic on Iran's presidential election, click reut.rs/2rmyLFC)Voting was extended by six hours because many people were still waiting in line. Iranian newspapers praised the turnout, carrying headlines like "a historical victory for Iranians".Pro-reform news websites said Rouhani was the victor. They offered no evidence, but the big turnout could favour Rouhani, whose backers' main worry has been apathy among reformist-leaning voters disappointed with the slow pace of change.Rouhani, 68, who took office promising to open Iran to the world and give its citizens more freedom at home, faced an unexpectedly strong challenge from hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, a protege of supreme leader Ali Khamenei.The election is important "for Iran's future role in the region and the world", Rouhani, who struck a deal with world powers two years ago to curb Iran's nuclear programme in return for the lifting of most economic sanctions, said after voting.Raisi, 56, has accused Rouhani of mismanaging the economy and has travelled to poor areas, speaking at rallies pledging more welfare benefits and jobs.He is believed to have the backing of the powerful Revolutionary Guards security force, as well as the tacit support of Khamenei, whose powers outrank those of the elected president but who normally steers clear of day-to-day politics.

"I respect the outcome of the vote of the people and the result will be respected by me and all the people," Raisi said after voting, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. However, Raisi later appeared at the Ministry of Interior in Tehran on Friday and complained of a shortage of ballot sheets at many polling stations, according to Fars. More ballot sheets were subsequently sent out, the agency reported. In the last election, Rouhani won more than three times as many votes as his closest challenger. But this time the outcome might be much closer, as other conservative rivals have backed out and thrown their support behind Raisi.The Guards and other hardliners hope that a win for Raisi will give them an opportunity to safeguard economic and political power they see as jeopardised by the lifting of sanctions and opening of the country to foreign investment.During weeks of campaigning, the two main candidates exchanged accusations of corruption and brutality in unprecedentedly hostile television debates. Both deny the other's accusations.

Rouhani has urged the Guards not to meddle in the vote, a warning that reflects the political tension. Suspicions that the Guards and the Basij militia under their control falsified voting results in favour of hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad led to eight months of nationwide protests in 2009, which were violently suppressed.STARK CHOICE

For ordinary Iranians, the election presents a stark choice between competing visions of the country.Rouhani, known for decades as a mild-mannered establishment insider rather than a gung-ho reformer, has taken on the mantle of the reform camp in recent weeks, with fiery campaign speeches that attacked the human rights records of his opponents.

"I voted for Rouhani to prevent Raisi's victory. I don't want a hardliner to be my president," said Ziba Ghomeyshi in Tehran. "I waited in the line for five hours to cast my vote."Many pro-reform voters are still lukewarm Rouhani supporters, disappointed with his failure to make broader changes during his first term. But they are anxious to keep out Raisi, who they see as representing the security state at its most fearsome: in the 1980s he was one of four judges who sentenced thousands of political prisoners to death."I am on my way to vote for Rouhani. I like his detente policy with the world. I know he is not a reformist, but who cares? What matters is that he is not Raisi," government employee Yousef Ghaemi, 43, said by phone in the western city of Kermanshah.For conservatives, the election represents a chance to restore the values of the 1979 revolution, which requires elected officials to be subordinate to the Shi'ite Muslim clergy and supreme leader."I cast my vote already - I voted for Raisi because he is a follower of Imam Khamenei. He will not confront the leader if elected. He will protect our Islamic identity," said Mehran Fardoust, 36, a shopkeeper near the Imam Reza Shrine in the holy city of Mashhad, Raisi's home town.Despite the removal of nuclear-related sanctions in 2016, lingering unilateral U.S. sanctions that target Iran's record on human rights and terrorism have kept foreign companies wary of investing, limiting the economic benefits so far. Raisi has focused his campaign on the economy, visiting rural areas and villages and promising housing, jobs and more welfare benefits, a message which could have resonated with millions of poor voters angry at the Tehran elite.If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two, presumably Rouhani and Raisi, will face each other a second time in a run-off in a week. (Additional reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, Editing by William Maclean and Mark Trevelyan, Grant McCool)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Tehran: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani appeared to have secured a convincing election victory with voters backing his efforts to rebuild foreign ties, as initial results were announced on Saturday.

With almost all votes counted, Rouhani looked to have an insurmountable lead with 22.8 million votes compared to 15.5 million for his hardline challenger Ebrahim Raisi, election committee chief Ali Asghar Ahmadi announced on state television.

A huge turnout on Friday  estimated at more than 40 million out of 56 million registered voters  led to the vote being extended by several hours to deal with long queues.

"I congratulate the great victory of the Iranian nation in creating a huge and memorable epic in the continuation of the path of 'wisdom and hope'," tweeted Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, referring to the government's slogan.

Rouhani, a 68-year-old moderate cleric who spearheaded a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, has framed the election as a choice between greater civil liberties and "extremism".

Hardline cleric Raisi, 56, had positioned himself as a defender of the poor and called for a much tougher line with the West.

But his revolutionary rhetoric and efforts to win over working class voters with promises of increased handouts appear to have gained limited traction.

"Rouhani's vote, particularly in rural areas, shows that Iranian people no longer believe in economic populism and radical change," said Ali Vaez, Iran analyst for the International Crisis Group, a think tank.

"They have the maturity to understand that the solution to their country's predicaments are in competent management of the economy and moderation in international relations," Vaez told AFP.

Rouhani's central first-term achievement was a deal with six powers led by the United States that eased crippling economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear programme.

He gained a reprieve this week when Washington agreed to continue waiving nuclear-related sanctions, keeping the deal on track for now.

But the election comes at a tense moment in relations with the United States, with President Donald Trump still threatening to abandon the accord and visiting Iran's bitter regional rival Saudi Arabia this weekend.

Although Rouhani has been deeply entrenched in Iran's security establishment since the early days of the revolution, he has emerged as the standard-bearer for reformists after their movement was decimated in the wake of mass protests in 2009.

"We've entered this election to tell those practising violence and extremism that your era is over," he said during the campaign.

At recent rallies, his supporters chanted the names of reformist leaders under house arrest since 2011 for their part in mass protests two years earlier.

International affairs researcher Foad Izadi, of Tehran University, said Rouhani may now have the leverage to push for more freedoms, despite opposition from the conservative-dominated judiciary and security services.
Baghdad: Iraq's special forces declared their mission in Mosul complete on Saturday after the group retook the last western districts from the Islamic State group within their area of operation, according to a military spokesman.

The announcement came despite ongoing battles in a handful of western Mosul neighborhoods that continue to force hundreds of civilians to flee each day. Islamic State still controls some eight square kilometres of western Mosul, including the dense Old City where some of the toughest battles are expected to play out.

Special forces spokesman Sabah al-Numan said his troops had completed their initial mission, but stood ready "to support any other forces if we are ordered to by the prime minister." Elsewhere in central and southern Iraq, a series of bombings killed at least 27 people.

A suicide bombing near the oil-rich city of Basra killed at least eight people and wounded 41 others, according to a military commander.

Five civilians and three troops were killed when the bomber blew up his explosives-laden car yesterday at a checkpoint north of Basra just behind a bus waiting to be cleared, said chief of the Basra Operations Command, Lt. Gen. Jamil al-Shimmari.

A second attacker drove down a desert road after the explosion and security forces killed him, Al-Shimmari added. In an online statement, Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted Shiites.

Basra, about 550 kilometres (340 miles) southeast of Baghdad, is home to about 70 percent of the country's proven oil reserves of 153.1 billion barrels. Located on the Persian Gulf and bordering Kuwait and Iran, the city is also Iraq's only outlet to the sea and the hub for most of the country's oil exports, with 3.23 million barrels exported from Basra last month.

Islamic State also claimed responsibility for the double suicide bombings in Baghdad overnight that killed at least 19 people and wounded 33, according to an online statement.

Iraqi forces, backed by the US-led coalition, officially launched the operation to retake Mosul in October and the city's east was declared "fully liberated" in January.

The fight for Mosul's west was launched the following month and has been marked by some of the most grueling and deadly combat in the fight against Islamic State in Iraq to date.
Baghdad: Suicide bombings at checkpoints in Baghdad and south Iraq claimed by the Islamic State group killed at least 35 people and wounded dozens more, officials said on Saturday.

The bombings, which hit Iraq on Friday night, came as Iraqi forces battle Islamic State in Mosul in a massive operation launched more than seven months ago to retake the country's second city from the jihadists.

In Baghdad, suicide car bombers attacked in the area of a checkpoint in the city's southern Abu Dsheer area, killing 24 people and wounding 20, Brigadier General Saad Maan told AFP.

Security forces were able to kill one of the attackers, but the second blew up his car bomb, Maan said.

Islamic State issued a statement claiming the attack but gave a different account of how it unfolded, saying that one militant clashed with security forces using a light weapon before detonating an explosive belt, after which a second blew up a car bomb.

In south Iraq, a suicide bomber blew up an explosives-rigged vehicle at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city of Basra, killing 11 people and wounding 30, according to Riyadh Abdulamir, the head of Basra province health department.

Another militant who left a second explosives-rigged vehicle was killed by security forces, the Basra Operations Command said.

Islamic State also claimed the Basra attack, but said that both bombs were successfully detonated.

The jihadist group overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since recaptured much of the territory they lost to the jihadists.

After recapturing the cities of Tikrit, Ramadi and Fallujah, Iraqi forces launched an operation to retake Mosul  at the time the largest population centre still in Islamic State hands  last October.
London: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gave a clenched fist salute Friday after Swedish prosecutors dropped a sevenyear rape allegation, but he insisted the "proper war" over his future was just beginning.

Assange stepped into the daylight on the balcony of Ecuador's London embassy, where he has been holed up since 2012, to celebrate, but said the road was "far from over".

The 45yearold Australian's accuser was angered by the decision and Assange declined to say whether he would leave the embassy.

British police could arrest him immediately for breaching earlier bail conditions if he left the building, while US authorities have warned they regard WikiLeaks as a "hostile intelligence service".

"Today is an important victory," Assange, in a black shirt and jacket, told reporters and a small band of supporters crowded around the tiny balcony.

"But it by no means erases seven years of detention without charge. In prison, under house arrest and almost five years here in this embassy without sunlight.

"That is not something that I can forgive. It is not something that I can forget."

Earlier in Stockholm, Marianne Ny, Sweden's director of public prosecutions, said the rape investigation had been dropped because there was "no reason to believe that the decision to surrender him to Sweden can be executed in the foreseeable future".

"It is no longer proportionate to maintain the arrest of Julian Assange in his absence", she said.

Assange jumped British bail by entering the embassy and claiming asylum, saying he feared he would eventually be extradited to the United States.

US justice authorities have never confirmed that they have Assange under investigation or are seeking his extradition.

But US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said last month that "we will seek to put some people in jail", when asked if arresting Assange was a "priority" for Washington.

US prosecutors have been drafting a memo that looks at charges against Assange and WikiLeaks members that possibly include conspiracy, theft of government property and violations of the Espionage Act, according to The Washington Post.

US President Donald Trump's administration has put heat on WikiLeaks after it embarrassed the Central Intelligence Agency in March by releasing files and computer code from the spy agency's topsecret hacking operations.

"The road is far from over. The war, the proper war is just commencing," Assange said, noting his lawyers were in touch with British authorities and hoped to begin a dialogue about the "best way forward".

Ecuador also urged Britain on Friday to let Assange leave.

"Ecuador will now be intensifying its diplomatic efforts with the UK so that Julian Assange can gain safe passage in order to enjoy his asylum in Ecuador," the country's foreign minister Guillaume Long wrote in a statement.

Assange's Swedish lawyer, Per Samuelsson, said his client plans to move to Ecuador because "it's the only nation where he is safe".

The former computer hacker said that despite the "extremely threatening remarks" emanating from Washington, he was "always ready to engage with the Department of Justice".

The department said Friday it had no comment on Assange.

Asked if London would now support a request to extradite Assange to the United States, British Prime Minister Theresa May said: "We look at extradition requests on a case-by-case basis."

In Australia, his mother Christine Assange urged the Canberra government to provide him with a new passport so he could leave Britain.

"His passport's been confiscated, the Australian Government should immediately issue him another one and demand safe passage for him to take up legal asylum in Ecuador," she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"For the UK now to continue to keep him in that embassy, when he's uncharged and the warrant has expired is now breaching his human rights severely and is almost criminal," she said.

In Sweden, Assange's accuser was left stunned by the prosecutors' decision.

"It is a scandal that a suspected rapist can escape justice and thereby avoid the courts," her lawyer, Elisabeth Fritz, told AFP in an email.

"My client is shocked and no decision to (end the case) can make her change (her mind) that Assange exposed her to rape," she said.

The accusation against Assange dates from August 2010 when the alleged victim, who says she met him at a WikiLeaks conference in Stockholm a few days earlier, filed a complaint.

She accused him of having sex with her, as she slept without using a condom despite repeatedly having denied him unprotected sex.

Assange always denied the allegations, which he feared would lead to him being extradited to face trial over the leak of hundreds of thousands of secret US military and diplomatic documents in 2010, that brought WikiLeaks to prominence.
By Eric Beech and Jeff Mason

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON U.S. President Donald Trump was hit on Friday by embarrassing leaks that a senior adviser was a "person of interest" in a probe of possible collusion with Russia during last year's election campaign and that Trump had boasted to Russian officials of firing the man heading the investigation.The reports, emerging just as Trump jetted off to Saudi Arabia on his first foreign trip as president, were likely to extend the turmoil engulfing his administration since the May 9 firing of former FBI Director James Comey. The Washington Post, citing sources familiar with the matter, did not identify the senior Trump adviser except to say that the person of interest was close to Trump, a Republican who entered the White House four months ago.U.S. law enforcement uses the term "a person of interest" to mean someone who is part of a criminal investigation but not arrested or formally accused of a crime. The person may be cooperating or have information of use to investigators. Separately the New York Times reported that Trump boasted to Russian officials at a White House meeting last week that firing Comey relieved "great pressure" the president faced from a law-enforcement probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. "I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," Trump said, according to the Times, which cited a document summarizing the meeting and read to it by an unnamed U.S. official. "I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off."Trump met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russia's ambassador to Washington in the Oval Office the day after Trump fired Comey, who was in charge of the Russia election probe.The Times said the document was based on notes taken from inside the Oval Office. Reuters was not immediately able to verify the accuracy of that account.Comey, who has not spoken publicly in the 10 days since he was fired, will testify in an open session of a U.S. Senate committee investigating possible Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Committee leaders said on Friday he would appear sometime after the U.S. Memorial Day holiday on May 29."I am hopeful that he will clarify for the American people recent events that have been broadly reported in the media, the committee chairman, Republican Richard Burr, said in a statement announcing the appearance.POPULARITY FALLS

Public approval of Trump has dropped to its lowest level since his inauguration, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Friday. The May 14-18 opinion poll found that 38 percent of adults approved of Trump while 56 percent disapproved. The remaining 6 percent had "mixed feelings."U.S. stocks immediately pared gains after the reports but still closed higher for a second straight day.Earlier this week, investors dumped stocks in response to reports that Trump in February had asked Comey to stop investigating his former national security adviser, prompting accusations the president may have tried to hamper the probe.

"As the president has stated before - a thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said in a statement in response to the Post report.After days of political tumult in Washington, the Justice Department announced the appointment on Thursday of a special counsel to look into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion by the Trump campaign.The Times report added to the impression given by Trump himself in a television interview last week in which he said the Russia issue was a factor in firing Comey. The White House has given different versions of the reasons for the dismissal.Asked about the Times report, Spicer said of the former FBI chief, "by grandstanding and politicizing the investigation into Russia's actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia.""The investigation would have always continued, and obviously, the termination of Comey would not have ended it," Spicer said, adding that the real story was the leaks of "private and highly classified conversations."

'INFLECTION POINT'

Democrats, who have compared the widening scandal to the Watergate break-in and cover-up that in 1974 brought down Republican former President Richard Nixon, were quick to pounce on the latest reports.Democratic Senator Edward Markey called them "seismic revelations," and he questioned whether the United States might be heading into a constitutional crisis. "This is an inflection point in the entire Russia collusion investigation," he told MSNBC. "It makes it very clear that what Donald Trump was trying to do was to end the Russian investigation." "This is what OBSTRUCTION looks like: 'I faced great pressure because of Russia. Thats taken off,'" Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy said on Twitter.Before the latest reports, the White House had hoped to shift attention away from the political firestorm in Washington to foreign policy as well as the president's ambitious pro-business economic agenda in Congress.Trump's trip, which also includes stops in Israel, Italy and Belgium next week, has been billed by the administration as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world's major religions while giving him time to meet with Arab, Israeli and European leaders. Trump, who has embraced what he describes as an "America First" approach to U.S. foreign policy and international trade, is expected to be welcomed warmly by leaders in Saudi Arabia and Israel.Lingering questions over his views on the Iran nuclear deal, commitment to NATO security and skepticism of the Paris climate agreement, however, could generate tension at meetings with European counterparts in Brussels and Sicily. (Additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, John Walcott and Eric Beech; Writing by Paul Simao; Editing by Frances Kerry and Howard Goller)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Washington: US President Donald Trump has said his first trip overseas to "lands associated with three of the world's great religions" is aimed at uniting the civilized world in a fight against terrorism.

Trump, who embarked on a nine-day trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Vatican, Belgium and Italy, said in his weekly web and radio address to the nation that he would represent the views of the American people frankly and clearly.



I will be visiting with the leaders in many different countries to strengthen our old friendships, build new partnerships, and unite the civilized world in a fight against terrorism.

"In that spirit of unity, I will travel to lands associated with three of the world's great religions, Trump said.

The address was recorded prior to his departure and released after he left for Riyadh aboard Air Force One from the Joint Andrews Airforce Base on Friday.

My first stop will be Saudi Arabia  the heart of the Muslim world. There, I will address a historic gathering of the leaders of more than 50 Muslim nations", he said.

Many world leaders, he said, had expressed growing concern about terrorism, the spread of radicalization, and Iran's role in funding both.

Now it appears Muslim leaders are ready to take more responsibility and a much bigger role in fighting terrorism in their region. Its about time we do it, well do it together, but it has to be done, he said.



America cannot solve all of the world's problems, but we can and we must help any nation willing to join in the common cause of eradicating terrorism from the face of the earth", Trump said.

From Saudi Arabia, the president said, he travels to the ancient city of Jerusalem for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on bringing peace and prosperity to both the nations.

Israel is an important American ally, but in recent years we haven't always treated them that way", he said adding that it was time to renew this friendship.

While I'm there, I'll also meet with President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority in Bethlehem to discuss ways to advance peace between Israel and the Palestinians".

Next on his itinerary is the Vatican where he said he would have the great honour of an audience with Pope Francis. He looks forward to speaking with the Pope about how Christian teachings can help put the world on a path to justice, freedom and peace.

I will also meet with friends and allies in Europe at a gathering of NATO in Brussels and at the G-7 Summit in Italy.

"Finally, I will close my trip by saying thank you to some of the courageous men and women of the United State Military serving their nation overseas.

Referring to his inaugural address, Trump said he pledged to strengthen America's oldest friendships, to seek new

partners in pursuit of peace and, above all, to always put American people first.

I also pledged that our partners must show that theyre partners, they must show that theyre friends, and they must contribute financially to the tremendous cost  the money that were spending  is so big; its so much; and its not fair for our nation", Trump said.
Islamabad: At least 30 people were injured in a clash between two groups of students at a top university in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, a media report said.

Geo News reported that the two groups hurled stones at each other during the clash at Quaid-i-Azam University. There were also reports of exchange of fire between the students. The report did not say what triggered the clash.

A heavy contingent of police personnel have been deployed on campus and they fired tear-gas shells to disperse the students.

Authorities have also called in the paramilitary rangers to control the situation.

The 30 injured students, some of whom received gunshot wounds, have been admitted to city hospitals. Police arrested a few students involved in the clash and seized weapons from them.

The university administration has ordered closure of boys hostels at the varsity, for an indefinite period.

Students have been asked to immediately vacate the dormitories.
Lahore: On Saturday, Pakistani lawyers gave a seven-day deadline to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign on the Panama Papers scandal otherwise they will launch a nationwide movement against him, according to media reports.

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) announced their joint stance. "Both bar associations are of the view that in light of the Supreme Court's ruling on the Panama Papers case (that questioned the moral authority of the premier to rule), Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should no longer hold his office and should therefore resign," a joint statement issued by the both bar associations said after their convention.

It said the judgement in the Panama case has clearly indicted Sharif and his children for financial improprieties and corruption and a joint investigation team has been formed to probe him.

"For fair and independent inquiry against the premier, Nawaz Sharif should step down till the final report of the JIT. In case he does not resign till 27 May the lawyers throughout Pakistan will launch a nationwide campaign and movement to ensure his resignation," the statement said.

Before the convention the lawyers supporting the ruling PML-N clashed with the members of the office-bearers of both bars in a bid to stop them from launching a movement against the premier.

The PML-N lawyers locked SCBA President Rasheed A Rizvi in the Lahore High Court's library. Rizvi was later freed when the locks were broken by SCBA members. Police were called in to control the situation.

Later the lawyers led by Rizvi took out a rally on the Mall Road to press the premier to resign. Opposition believes that Sharif will have to resign in the wake of the lawyers movement.

National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said come what may Sharif will not resign and he will remain prime minister till 31 May, 2018.

Sharif narrowly survived in three-two judgement in his favour in allegations of corruption in the Panama Papers case on 20 April.

The case against Sharif emerged in 2016 after the Panama Papers leak linked his children to offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands in relation to the purchase of upmarket property in London.

Opposition figures have accused Sharif of failing to explain the source of the offshore money and lying to Parliament. Sharif and his family have denied any wrongdoing.
Pippa Middleton got to the church on time Saturday, 20 May 2017, for her wedding to a wealthy financier with a party of senior royals, including her sister, looking on.

She and hedge fund manager James Matthews are marrying a church in rural England.

Middleton arrived at the church accompanied by her father in a vintage convertible. She was wearing a bespoke wedding gown designed by Giles Deacon and a long veil by prominent hat-maker Stephen Jones.

Matthews arrived shortly before his bride-to-be in formal wear.

The wedding party includes Prince George, a page boy at 3, and 2-year-old Princess Charlotte, a bridesmaid. They arrived with their mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, Pippa's sister.

Prince William and Prince Harry arrived together wearing formal suits.

There was sporadic rain in the area mixed with periods of sunshine. Well-wishers and hordes of reporters gathered outside the church grounds but were kept far from the building.

The ceremony is at St. Mark's Church in Englefield, west of London, to be followed by a later reception at the bride's parents' estate in nearby Bucklebury.

The airspace above both villages has been closed to prevent intrusive press crews from flying overhead or launching drones to get video footage.

There is speculation Harry will bring his American girlfriend, actress Meghan Markle, to the reception.
Narobi: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Friday appealed for $92 million to alleviate the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Somalia.

Almost 6 million people are in urgent need of food in the Horn of African nations, Xinhua quoted ICRC's Dominik Stillhart, Global Director of Operations, as saying.

"We are appealing to the international community to extend assistance in order to avoid deaths from lack of food," Stillhart said after visiting Somalia to access the humanitarian situation. He noted that the main driver of food insecurity is the ongoing protracted conflict as well as the systematic lack of respect for international law and especially in conflict-affected areas.

The humanitarian agency said that the real crisis is in the rural areas which have experienced two consecutive seasons of drought.

ICRC said that due to the prevailing conflict in Somalia there are 150,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the town of Baidoa, which is double the amount last year.

According to humanitarian agencies, up to 250,000 Somalis died due to the 2011 drought.

"However, there is hope, the drought will end soon given the early signs from the current rainfall season," he said.

Stillhart observed that even if the rains are good, there will be no immediate change as the resilience of the people needs to be built to overcome future shocks.

Since January, ICRC has reached 1 million beneficiaries in Somalia. ICRC is also appealing for 450 million from international donors to combat drought situation in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria.
Tripoli: An attack on an airbase in South Libya has killed 141 people, mostly soldiers loyal to military strongman Khalifa Haftar, a spokesman for his forces said on Friday.

Members of the Third Force militia loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord in Tripoli on Thursday attacked the base used by Haftar's self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), military sources said earlier.

LNA spokesman Ahmad al-Mesmari late Friday said the victims included civilians who worked at the Brak al-Shati airbase or were in the nearby area, also reporting that summary executions took place.

"The soldiers were returning from a military parade. They weren't armed. Most of them were executed," he said.

The GNA said in a statement late Friday a commission of inquiry had been set up to investigate the attack.

It said it had decided to suspend its defence minister, al-Mahdi al-Barghati, and the head of the Third Force from their duties until those responsible were identified.

Both the GNA and defence ministry earlier condemned the assault and said they had not ordered any such action.

The unity government, the rival administration in eastern Libya and their respective backers are battling for influence in the North African country which has been wracked by chaos since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

The LNA does not recognise the authority of the GNA, and instead supports the rival authorities based in the east.

The UN envoy to Libya earlier on Friday voiced alarm at reports of the attack on the base, 650 kilometres (400 miles) south of Tripoli.

"I am outraged by reports of significant numbers of fatalities, including civilians and by reports that summary executions may have taken place", UN envoy Martin Kobler said in a statement.

Britain's ambassador to Libya, Peter Millett, also denounced the assault.

"Disgusted by attack on Brak al-Shati & reports of mass executions. Perpetrators must be brought to justice", he wrote on Twitter.

The incident at the base in Wadi alShati district comes a month after an attack by the LNA on the Tamenhant airbase controlled by the Third Force near the south's main city of Sebha.

That attack was called off after a reconciliation meeting between Haftar and unity government head Fayez al-Sarraj in Abu Dhabi on 2 May.

The speaker of the eastern-based parliament, which is supported by the LNA, accused the Misratabased Third Force of a "serious breach of the truce agreement reached in Abu Dhabi".

Aguila Saleh said there were a "number of martyrs" in LNA ranks, without giving a figure.

The speaker said he had given orders for the armed forces "to take the measures necessary to respond to the assault and defend the south and cleanse it of all outlaw militias".

In Tripoli, the GNA called for an immediate ceasefire in the south, where tribes and militias vie for control of lucrative smuggling routes with neighbouring Chad, Niger and Sudan.

"We hope reason will prevail and that the escalation and provocation will stop", it said.

The unity government's defence ministry laid the blame on "those who started bombing Tamenhant base with warplanes and tanks", referring to Haftar's forces.

In new violence on Friday, a proHaftar tribal chief, Sheikh Ibrayek Alwati, and five other people including a child were killed in a car bombing outside a mosque in the eastern city of Slouq, medical and security sources said.
Cairo: Sudan's state news agency says Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, who has been indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court, will not attend the Islamic Summit in Saudi Arabia where US president Donald Trump is the guest of honour.

SUNA news agency says al-Bashir has excused himself from attending the summit Sunday "for personal reasons." It didn't elaborate.

More than 50 Muslim leaders are expected to attend the summit in Riyadh.

Al-Bashir's invitation to the summit was a source of unease for US officials.

Washington had shunned al-Bashir, who has been Sudan's leader since 1989, and is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sudan's Darfur region.

The UN estimates 300,000 people have died in the last decade as conflict raged in the region.
Washington: White House lawyers have begun researching impeachment procedures to prepare for the possible impeachment of US President Donald Trump, although officials still believe this is a distant possibility, according to a CNN report.

White House officials believe the president has the backing of Republican allies in Congress, and that impeachment is not on the cards, according to the people briefed on the legal discussions.

Even Democrats have tried to calm impeachment talk out of concern as it is premature.

But lawyers in the White House counsel's office have consulted experts on impeachment during the past week, and have begun collecting information on how such proceedings would work, a person briefed on the matter told CNN on Friday.

However, a White House official denied the report saying "it's not true" that the lawyers are researching impeachment procedures.

The legal discussions are part of a broader internal effort to bolster the president's legal defence, which has become more complicated with the Justice Department's appointment of a special counsel to pursue the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Earlier this week, close advisers to Trump, including lawyer and surrogate Michael Cohen, visited the White House to discuss the need to hire personal attorneys for Trump.

If an impeachment hearing was opened with the majority of votes at the House of Representatives, it would then require at least two thirds of the votes at the Senate, which is still controlled by a conservative majority, reports Efe News.

Only three US presidents have ever faced impeachment or imminent threats of impeachment.

Former Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were impeached but later acquitted, while Richard Nixon resigned from office in 1974 before impeachment proceedings could begin.
By Julia Edwards Ainsley

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON The Trump administration is exploring whether it can use an obscure ethics rule to undermine the special counsel investigation into ties between President Donald Trump's campaign team and Russia, two people familiar with White House thinking said on Friday.Trump has said that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein's hiring of former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to lead the investigation "hurts our country terribly." Within hours of Mueller's appointment on Wednesday, the White House began reviewing the Code of Federal Regulations, which restricts newly hired government lawyers from investigating their prior law firms clients for one year after their hiring, the sources said. An executive order signed by Trump in January extended that period to two years.Mueller's former law firm, WilmerHale, represents Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who met with a Russian bank executive in December, and the president's former campaign manager Paul Manafort, who is a subject of a federal investigation.Legal experts said the ethics rule can be waived by the Justice Department, which appointed Mueller. He did not represent Kushner or Manafort directly at his former law firm.If the department did not grant a waiver, Mueller would be barred from investigating Kushner or Manafort, and this could greatly diminish the scope of the probe, experts said.

The Justice Department is already reviewing Mueller's background as well as any potential conflicts of interest, said department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores.Even if the Justice Department granted a waiver, the White House would consider using the ethics rule to create doubt about Mueller's ability to do his job fairly, the sources said. Administration legal advisers have been asked to determine if there is a basis for this. Under this strategy, the sources said the administration would raise the issue in press conferences and public statements.Moreover, the White House has not ruled out the possibility of using the rule to challenge Muellers findings in court, should the investigation lead to prosecution.

FOCUS ON CASTING A CLOUD OVER MUELLER

But the administration is now mainly focused on placing a cloud over his reputation for independence, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Kathleen Clark, a professor of legal ethics at Washington University School of Law, said the Justice Department can grant a waiver if concerns about bias are minimal.

She said subjects of the investigation could later argue that its results cannot be trusted, but she believes the argument would not stand up in court. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on whether it is reviewing the ethics rule in order to undermine Mueller's credibility. Mueller's former colleagues at WilmerHale, James Quarles and Aaron Zebley, are expected to join his investigation, according to a spokeswoman for the law firm. Neither Quarles nor Zebley represented Kushner or Manafort. Mueller will now lead the ongoing Federal Bureau of Investigation probe into Trump's associates and senior Russian officials. Unlike Kenneth Starr, the independent counsel appointed by a three-judge panel to investigate Bill and Hillary Clinton's real estate holdings in the 1990s, Mueller depends on the Justice Department for funding and he reports to Rosenstein, who was appointed by Trump. When he announced Mueller's appointment this week, Rosenstein said Mueller will have "all appropriate resources to conduct a thorough and complete investigation." (Reporting by Julia Edwards Ainsley, additional reporting by Gina Chon in Washington and Jan Wolfe in New York; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Cynthia Osterman)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Riyadh: Washington has agreed to an arm deal with Saudi Arabia worth $110 billion, a White House official said on Saturday, the first day of US president Donald Trump's visit to the traditional US ally.

"This package of defence equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats," the official said. It will also bolster the kingdom's "ability to contribute to counter-terrorism operations across the region, reducing the burden on the US military to conduct those operations," the official added.

Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson "will attend a signing ceremony" for the deals, the official said.

The official described the agreements as "a significant expansion of the over seven-decade-long security relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia." The official did not provide details of the agreements with Riyadh, which is one of the world's biggest defence spenders.

A preliminary deal worth USD 6 billion to assemble 150 Lockheed Martin Blackhawk helicopters in Saudi Arabia was separately announced at the Saudi-US CEO Forum held in Riyadh during Trump's visit.

The programme to "support the final assembly and completion of an estimated 150 S-70 Black Hawk utility helicopters" will support around 450 jobs in the kingdom, said a forum statement.

US defence contractors are major suppliers of weapons to Saudi Arabia, which for more than two years has led a coalition conducting air strikes and other operations against rebels in Yemen.

The new deals come despite mounting pressure on Washington from rights groups to stop arms sales to Riyadh, which has come under repeated criticism over civilian casualties in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia on Thursday announced the creation of a new military industries firm as part of the kingdom's efforts to boost defence production.

The kingdom's Public Investment Fund said the new government-owned company, Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), "aims to become one of the world's top 25 defence companies by 2030." The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in an April report that in 2016, Saudi Arabia was the world's fourth-largest military spender, spending $63.7 billion.
Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 2022 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. FAQ - New Privacy Policy
Congress should not reverse all of the bank regulations put in place in the wake of the financial crisis, said San Francisco Fed President John Williams on Friday. In a talk with students at El Camino High School in San Francisco, Williams said the banking sector is now more resilient as a result of lessons learned from the financial crisis. "Without credit, a modern economy doesn't work," Williams said. He said he had a "fantasy" that he wouldn't tell Congress exactly what to do on bank regulation if they don't tell him what to do about monetary policy. Congress should consider policy changes to make sure the Social Security system can last for the next half century. Every year of delay makes the problems more difficult to fix, he said. Shoring up the system would give workers greater confidence, he said.

Copyright  2017 MarketWatch, Inc.
What happened

Shares of flooring retail specialistLumber Liquidators Holdings Inc.(NYSE: LL) are up 12.1% at 3:05 p.m. EDT on May 19 following an upgrade by Oppenheimer analyst Brian Nagel. This is the second positive analyst note and upgrade this month, following the news on May 10 that Wedbush analyst Seth Basham upgraded the stock and increased his target price to $27.

Like Basham, Nagel also increased his price target for Lumber Liquidators stock, but with a far more optimistic price target of $34. Even after today's big jump, that's still a 16% premium over the current price.

So what

Image source: Lumber Liquidators.

Like his fellow analyst, Nagel's upgrade was due to the efforts of Lumber Liquidators' current management team to turn the company around after a couple of rough years dealing with legal issues and the customer fallout related to its formerly Chinese-made laminate flooring. Not only has it taken steps to secure access to capital as things play out, but it has invested in improving its product lineup, procurement, and improving the store experience. The company has also begun offering professional installation, a move that's turned out to be very popular and profitable.

The other part of the upgrade is tied to the generally positive economic environment the company is operating in. Housing is strong, and a generally healthy economy is creating tailwind that's helping Lumber Liquidators yield positive results. Sales have begun to recover in recent quarters as customers start coming back in greater numbers.

Now what

The new management team has indeed made significant progress as noted by the recent analyst upgrades, and the market for its products and services does look likely to remain healthy on the back of a solid and improving economy.But the company isn't out of the woods just yet.

First, it's legal issues are ongoing. It took a $15 million charge last quarter toward a future resolution in its biggest challenge related to the Chinese-made laminate, but negotiations for a settlement have only just begun and there's a lot of work before a resolution is complete (and no guarantees that $15 million will cover the total amount).

At the same time, sales haven't fully recovered, and the company is still losing money. This is partly because of high legal expenses from its ongoing legal proceedings -- costs that will eventually fall -- but it's not the only driver behind the cash burn.

The company only has so much cash and available credit to rely on before it runs out of liquidity. This is a risk investors shouldn't ignore. Lumber Liquidators has made substantial progress and is moving in the right direction, but time is of the essence before taking on more debt or selling stock to raise cash becomes a very real consideration. Either action would cost shareholders in the short term.

10 stocks we like better than Lumber LiquidatorsWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Lumber Liquidators wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.

Click here to learn about these picks!

*Stock Advisor returns as of May 1, 2017

Jason Hall owns shares of Lumber Liquidators. The Motley Fool recommends Lumber Liquidators. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Friday discussed what fiscal proposals can help stimulate the economy, without greatly impacting the U.S. debt.

Of the various fiscal proposals, the two that have the most potential for supply side growthone would be tax reform on the corporate side, make that more efficient and try to promote more capital investment. And the second would be smart infrastructure investment, make us more productive, he said during an interview on Wall Street Week.

Bernanke believes the Trump administration can successfully reform the corporate tax code and invest in infrastructure spending without blowing up the U.S. deficit.

The higher priority would be to reform the corporate tax code, make it more efficient -- that can be done with moderate increases in deficit, said Bernanke. Infrastructure spendingif you do good maintenance today, you dont have to do that maintenance tomorrow. If you make the economy more productive that increases your tax revenues.
U.S. private equity firm Blackstone and Saudi Arabia's main sovereign wealth fund said on Saturday they planned to create a $40 billion vehicle to invest in infrastructure projects, mainly in the United States.

Blackstone and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding for the project, which will depend on further negotiations.

The proposed venture was announced during the visit to Riyadh of President Donald Trump, who has said he wants to rebuild crumbling U.S. infrastructure.

Blackstone said it expected the vehicle to have $40 billion of equity commitments, with a $20 billion anchor investment from the PIF with the rest from other investors. Through this equity plus debt financing, Blackstone expects to invest in more than $100 billion of infrastructure projects, it said.

The new fund "reflects our positive views around the ambitious infrastructure initiatives being undertaken in the United States as announced by President Trump," the PIF's managing director Yasir al-Rumayyan said.

Blackstone president Hamilton James said: "This will create well-paying American jobs and will lay the foundation for stronger long-term economic growth."

(Reporting by Andrew Torchia; Editing by Alison Williams and Helen Popper)
President Donald Trump may be having a rough go in the United States these days, but in Saudi Arabia, on his first foreign trip as President of the United States, he is getting a royal welcome layered with pomp and circumstance. The Saudis are doing this because they are ecstatic about the prospects of change in U.S. foreign policy after what they view as a disastrous Middle East policy under President Obama. The President is also expected to carry a message favoring moderate Islam at the historic Arab Islamic American summit.

President Trumps critics seem a little miffed that Saudi Arabia is granting such adulation to a guy that once said that Saudi Arabia wouldnt exist without U.S. assistance. They are shocked that a man that dared to call out radical Islamic terror for what it is and has been openly critical of Saudi Arabia, could be held at such high esteem by the new Saudi King, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

President Barrack Obama, who bowed to the former Saudi King, saw U.S. relations sour with the kingdom. The Saudis were tired of his endless chatter and lack of action. Obama's policy of not following through on red lines in Syria, and the lifting of sanctions on Iran, made the kingdom feel like the U.S. had been abandoned by its long term ally. The Saudis even went after the U.S. shale oil industry in part to get back at President Obama. So even after President Trumps provocative statements on Saudi Arabia, the kingdom is happy that he is now the man in charge.

Donald Trump once warned he could halt oil imports from Saudi Arabia and now he is cutting oil deals with them. Many thought that the President's moves to empower the U.S. energy industry and bring back oil energy jobs would hurt relations with the Saudis but in fact, it has turned out to be the opposite. Instead of a production war, Trumps pro-energy agenda has warmed the Saudis heart. The state oil major Saudi Aramco, which is planning the biggest initial public offering in history, is also expected to sign contracts with a dozen U.S. energy firms including Schlumberger (NYSE:SLB), Halliburton (NYSE:HAL), Baker Hughes (NYSE:BHI), and Weatherford (NYSE:WFT) worth a reported $50 billion. Deals which will help Saudi Arabia develop local production. They also cut deals with General Electric (NYSE:GE) valued at $15 billion with more expected from drilling companies National Oilwell Varco (NYSE:NOV), Nabors Industries (NYSE:NBR) and Rowan Companies (NYSE:RDC) and others according to Reuters. So instead of oil production wars with U.S. companies like we had during the last administration, President Trump is getting Saudi Arabia to cut deals with them.

The Saudis, along with other moderate Arab countries, know they need the U.S. to defeat their enemies. In Trump they see a President that will be strong against terror states like Iran and groups like ISIS. At the same time, the Saudis are aware that Trump has been very critical of the country. They view this meeting with the new President as a very important starting point and want to show that despite Trumps criticisms, change can come and they can be more open.

The Saudis are even going as far as allowing country music superstar Toby Keith to perform his pro-U.S. military songs and even his drinking songs, in Riyadh. Oh sure, only men can show up but it is a step in the right direction. Maybe the Saudis are sending an even deeper message, that when it comes to the war on terror, as Toby Keith belts us his Americana tunes, it is time for a little less talk and a lot more action, they believe that President Donald Trump and the U.S. military will help them defeat our common enemies. The Saudis want Uncle Sams name on the top of its list with the Statue of Liberty shaking her fist, all brought to you courtesy of the Red White and Blue.
Dogged by controversy at home, U.S. President Donald Trump won a warm reception in Saudi Arabia on Saturday but struggled to shift attention from the political firestorm over his firing of former FBI Director James Comey.

A $110 billion deal in which Saudi Arabia will buy U.S. arms to help it counter Iran, with options running as high as $350 billion over 10 years, was the central achievement of Trump's first day in Riyadh, first stop on a nine-day journey through the Middle East and Europe.

Speaking to journalists after a ceremony to exchange agreements, Trump said it was a "tremendous day" and expressed his thanks to Saudi Arabia.

"Tremendous investments in ... the United States, and our military community is very happy," he said.

"Hundreds of billions of dollars of investments into the United States and jobs, jobs, jobs. So I would like to thank all of the people of Saudi Arabia."

But the turmoil back home consumed the headlines and cast a long shadow over his first foreign trip as president.

His firing of Comey and the appointment of a special counsel to investigate his election campaign's ties to Russia last year have raised the question of whether he tried to squelch a probe into the alleged Russia connection.

Fanning the flames was a New York Times report that Trump had called Comey a "nut job" in a private meeting last week in the Oval Office with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and ambassador Sergei Kislyak. The Times quoted briefing notes of the conversation.

Asked for a response, the White House said that for national security reasons, "we do not confirm or deny the authenticity of allegedly leaked classified documents."

Russia's Interfax news agency on Saturday quoted Lavrov as saying he had not discussed Comey with Trump. "We did not touch this issue at all," the minister said.

In another development, the Washington Post said a current White House official close to Trump was a significant "person of interest" in the investigation into possible ties with Russia.

The fallout followed Trump to Riyadh but did nothing to cool the welcome he received by the royal Saudi family.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz greeted Trump on a red carpet as he stepped off Air Force One, shaking the hand of his wife, Melania, and riding in the U.S. presidential limousine.

CONTRAST WITH OBAMA VISIT

It was a more favorable welcome than had been granted last year to Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, who was seen in the Arab kingdom as soft on Iran and hesitant on Syria.

Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy, the Vatican and Belgium has been billed by the White House as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world's major religions, while giving Trump time to meet with Arab, Israeli and European leaders.

Trump and King Salman seemed at ease with each other, chatting through an interpreter. At the royal al-Yamama palace, the king draped around Trump's neck the King Abdulaziz medal, the country's top civilian honor.

The king was overheard lamenting the Syrian war to Trump, who ordered air strikes against a Syrian airfield in April in response to a chemical weapons attack by government forces against civilians.

"Syria too used to be one of the most advanced countries. We used to get our professors from Syria. They served our kingdom. Unfortunately, they too brought destruction to their own country. You can destroy a country in mere seconds, but it takes a lot of effort," he said.

Trump's response could not be heard.

The presidents decision to make his first official trip abroad to Saudi Arabia, followed by Israel, countries which both share his antagonism towards Iran, marks a contrast with Obama's approach.

Trumps criticism of the nuclear deal Iran reached with the U.S. and five other world powers in 2015 pleases both Saudi Arabia and Israel, who accused Obama on going soft on Tehran.

Poll results showed on Saturday that Iranians had emphatically re-elected President Hassan Rouhani, architect of Iran's still-fragile detente with the West.

HELICOPTERS

The arms package includes a pledge by the kingdom to assemble 150 Lockheed Martin Blackhawk helicopters in Saudi Arabia, in a $6 billion deal expected to result in about 450 jobs in the kingdom.

National oil giant Saudi Aramco was also expected to sign $50 billion of deals with U.S. companies on Saturday, part of a drive to diversify the kingdom's economy beyond oil exports, Aramco's chief executive Amin Nasser said.

U.S. technology and engineering conglomerate GE said it had signed $15 billion of agreements with Saudi organisations.

Trump is to deliver a speech in Riyadh on Sunday aimed at rallying Muslims in the fight against Islamist militants. He will also attend a summit of Gulf leaders of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council.

Ahead of Trump's trip, the White House said the president expected tangible results from Saudi Arabia in countering Islamic extremism.

Shortly after taking office, Trump sought to block people from several Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States, but the travel ban has been blocked by federal courts.

The 70-year-old president's trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy and Belgium will be Trump's longest time away from the White House since he took office four months ago.

The uproar over Comey's firing looked unlikely to go away. Moscow has denied any interference in the 2016 election. Trump has denied collusion and denounced the appointment of a special counsel as part of a "witch hunt".

(Editing by Sami Aboudi and Andrew Roche)
Under political fire at home, U.S. President Donald Trump sealed a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia on Saturday on his maiden foreign trip as he struggled to shift attention from the aftermath of his firing of the director of the FBI.

The arms deal, plus other investments that U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said could total up to $350 billion, was the central achievement of Trump's first day in Riyadh, first stop on a nine-day journey through the Middle East and Europe.

Speaking to journalists after a ceremony to exchange agreements, Trump said it was a "tremendous day" and spoke of "hundreds of billions of dollars of investments into the United States and jobs, jobs, jobs. So I would like to thank all of the people of Saudi Arabia."

King Salman gave Trump a remarkably warm greeting, meeting him at the steps of Air Force One on arrival, shaking the hand of Trump's wife, Melania, riding with Trump in his limousine and spending most of the day with him.

But the political turmoil back in Washington consumed the headlines in the United States and cast a long shadow over the start of Trump's trip, which will include stops in Israel, the Vatican, Italy and Belgium.

His firing of Federal Bureau of Investigation head James Comey on May 9 and the appointment of a special counsel to investigate Trump's 2016 presidential election campaign ties to Russia have raised the question of whether he tried to squelch a probe into allegations of a Russian connection.

Fanning the flames was a New York Times report that Trump had called Comey a "nut job" in a private meeting last week in the Oval Office with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and ambassador Sergei Kislyak. The Times quoted briefing notes of the conversation.

Amid a mood of frustration, officials on board Trump's Riyadh-bound presidential plane scrambled to coordinate on responding to the story with staff in Washington and those who had just landed in the Saudi capital.

Asked for a response, the White House said that for national security reasons, "we do not confirm or deny the authenticity of allegedly leaked classified documents."

Russia's Interfax news agency on Saturday quoted Lavrov as saying he had not discussed Comey with Trump. "We did not touch this issue at all," the minister said.

In another development, the Washington Post said a White House official close to Trump was a significant "person of interest" in the investigation into possible ties with Russia.

Tillerson, asked about the story, said he did not know who the "person of interest" was.

Against that backdrop, Trump soldiered through a long day of diplomacy.

Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir called the results of Trump's meetings with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz "the beginning of a turning point" between the United States, Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies.

Both he and Tillerson made clear the arms deal was aimed at countering Iran on a day that Hassan Rouhani was re-elected as Iran's president.

Tillerson said Rouhani should use his second term to end Iran's ballistic missile testing and stop promoting extremism in a volatile region.

He said he had no plans to talk to his Iranian counterpart but that he in all likelihood he would do so "at the right time."

Al-Jubeir said Trump and King Salman agreed that action had to be taken to ensure Iran did not continue "aggressive policies in the region."

Trump's trip has been billed by the White House as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world's major religions, while giving him time to meet with Arab, Israeli and European leaders.

CONTRAST WITH OBAMA VISIT

King Salman gave a more favorable welcome to Trump than he had granted last year to Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, who was seen in the Arab kingdom as soft on Iran and hesitant on Syria.

Trump and King Salman seemed at ease with each other, chatting through an interpreter. At the royal al-Yamama palace, the king draped around Trump's neck the King Abdulaziz medal, the country's top civilian honor.

At the end of the day, Tillerson and U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, holding swords, were seen participating in a ceremonial dance at Marraba Palace with a Saudi group.

As Trump arrived for dinner with the king, a spectacle awaited him: Men dressed in long white turbans and carrying swords swayed and chanted in unison to beating drums in a courtyard. Trump, clearly enjoying himself, smiled and swayed, even seeming to dance a little at the center of the group.

SYRIAN CIVIL WAR

During their conversation earlier in the day, the king was overheard lamenting the Syrian war. Trump ordered air strikes against a Syrian airfield in April in response to a chemical weapons attack by government forces against civilians.

"Syria too used to be one of the most advanced countries. We used to get our professors from Syria. They served our kingdom. Unfortunately, they too brought destruction to their own country. You can destroy a country in mere seconds, but it takes a lot of effort," he said.

Trump's response could not be heard.

The arms package includes a pledge by the kingdom to assemble 150 Lockheed Martin Blackhawk helicopters in Saudi Arabia, in a $6 billion deal expected to result in about 450 jobs in the kingdom.

National oil giant Saudi Aramco was also expected to sign $50 billion of deals with U.S. companies on Saturday, part of a drive to diversify the kingdom's economy beyond oil exports, Aramco's chief executive Amin Nasser said.

U.S. technology and engineering conglomerate GE said it had signed $15 billion of agreements with Saudi organisations.

Trump is to deliver a speech in Riyadh on Sunday aimed at rallying Muslims in the fight against Islamist militants. He will also attend a summit of Gulf leaders of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council.

Shortly after taking office, Trump sought to block people from several Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States, but the travel ban has been blocked by federal courts.

(Reporting by Steve Holland and Jeff Mason; editing by Sami Aboudi, Andrew Roche and Grant McCool)
Oprah Winfrey is speaking at commencement ceremonies at colleges in upstate New York and Massachusetts this weekend.

The author, actress and former talk show host is giving a speech Saturday at the graduation ceremony for Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs. Winfrey will receive an honorary Doctorate of Letters in the Arts from the private liberal arts college during the ceremony being held at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

On Sunday she'll speak at the commencement ceremony for Smith College, a women's liberal arts school in Northampton, Massachusetts. Smith will also bestow an honorary degree on Winfrey.

One of Smith's graduating students and another from Skidmore previously attended the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, a boarding school that the media mogul opened in 2007 for poor girls in South Africa.
Modeling may seem glamorous, but 20-year-old Danish model Ulrikke Hoyer has revealed a potentially ugly side of the business.

The veteran catwalker penned a Facebook and Instagram post on Thursday about being fired from a Louis Vuitton 2018 Cruise show in Kyoto, Japan, for allegedly appearing bloated and too big. Hoyers pants size ranges between 2 and 4.

In her Facebook post, which had garnered nearly 3,000 thousand likes and over 260 comments as of Friday afternoon, she says she was a victim of the modeling industrys brutal demands to be thin at the price of physical health and mental well-being.

Many of the girls dont have their periods, and/or changes [in] the color of their skin because of bad and incorrect nutrition and almost everyone have a completely distorted relationship with food, she writes. Sadly enough this is the truth, I can say this because I see and hear this all the time on jobs and show.

MODEL BARES ALL IN PHOTOSHOP-FREE CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE BODY CONFIDENCE

After arriving in Japan, she had a fitting, she recalls in her post. But later that evening, her modeling agent called, allegedly informing Hoyer that her measurements were not adding up to the fashion labels standards.

"According to her I had a very bloated stomach, [and a] bloated face, and [she] urged me to starve myself with this statement Ulrikke needs to drink only water for the next 24 hours, she writes on Facebook. I was shocked when I heard it. This was exactly what we have wanted to avoid when we tried to cancel because I was bigger.

Hoyer took heed to her agents foreboding words and says she skipped dinner that evening. But the following morning, her breakfast was allegedly taken away as one woman from the label was checking to see if she was eating food.

EX-BIKINI MODEL WARNS AGAINST LIFESTYLE: WHAT A 'WARPED BRAIN I HAD'

The starving Hoyer writes that she was supposed to be re-fitted later that day, but it never came to pass.. She later found out she was kicked out from the show, she writes.

Not only did I have a belly, my face was puffy now also my back was a problem, they now thought that I fitted the dress on my back differently than in Paris, she writes, explaining she allegedly noticed those complaints on an email at her agency after the incident. I didnt know whether I should cry or laugh.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Ultimately, Hoyer writes on Facebook, she wants to reveal the harsh realities of the modeling industry  not to shame Louis Vuittons creative director. She writes on Facebook that she feels runway clothing is made for women to have eating disorders.

In September, the New York Times named Hoyer the No. 1 model to watch.

The casting director for Louis Vuitton, Ashley Brokaw, reportedly denied Hoyers claims.

Nobody would ever tell anybody not to eat, Brokaw told the Business of Fashion. Its just not true.
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.

We didnt pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.

President Ronald Reagan

May is traditionally a month of delight and expectation. Summer is drawing near, the school year will end soon, pools begin to open, maybe a beach trip is planned. I look forward to all of that. But, for me and my family, an underlying twinge of pain, sadness and loss invades our hope and anticipation of an otherwise joyful month.

On May 14, 2007, my world flipped upside down. My husband, Army Major Larry Bauguess, was serving in his dream job, deployed to Afghanistan, as an operations officer in the 82nd Airborne Division. Larry was a warrior and a gentleman and, true to his roots, he was participating in a peace meeting in Pakistan.

By all accounts, the historic meeting was successful. The Afghani, Pakistani and U.S. leadership had reached an agreement. The leaders from all three sides shook hands, exchanged coins and posed for pictures. A short while later, a uniformed Pakistani Frontier Guardsman, who had the mission to provide security for our troops, instead raised his rifle, took aim and opened fire. Larry stood between the shooter and his men. On his feet, he protected his men and took the brunt of the assault.

Our tiny daughters Ryann and Ellie and I were in our home at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, when the notification team came to deliver the heartbreaking news. The sound of the doorbell startled me. I remember walking to the door on that beautiful May afternoon expecting to see a little one on our front porch wanting to play with my girls. When I looked through the peephole, I saw something entirely different.

Through the tiny glass tunnel, I saw a man dressed in army greens. As I pushed away from the door, blood rushed to my face and a cold chill raced up my spine. When youve been in and around the Army for as long as we have, you know what it means when a man dressed in an army-green suit with a chest full of ribbons comes to your house during a time of war.

Since that day, my daughters and I have had quite a journey of heartache and pain, but we have had joyful moments, too. We work very hard to strike a balance. We lean on our faith. We follow Larrys example.

We miss him. Every. Single. Day. We feel his void in everything we do, even 10 years later. But, we have chosen to drive on in a manner that, we hope, has honored him. If we didnt do that, if we had quit, if we had given up on life or felt sorry for ourselves even for a minute, Larry Bauguess would come down here and say, I didnt give my life so you could stop living yours. He would tell us to drive on. He would say, Live your life. The best way to honor me is to get back out there and continue to live.

I know he would say that to me, and I would say the exact same thing to him. So, we drive on. We live our lives, and we live in a way that we hope brings honor to him.

So, this Memorial Day, enjoy the pool. Enjoy the beach trip. Relish in the fact that the school year is almost over and summer is right around the corner. But, please, remember those intrepid Americans who, for decades and decades, have given that last full measure of devotion. Remember those who have given their lives to provide the blanket of freedom that allows us to live free. Never forget their sacrifice. Pray for the families left behind. And always remember that, though it absolutely is worth fighting for, freedom isnt free.
During the final episode of Season One of the fictional and controversial Netflix series, "13 Reasons Why," the main character, high school junior Hannah Baker, requests a meeting with school counselor, Mr. Porter. She tells him she's "lost," and "doesn't care about anything" anymore, and that she "needs everything to stop." She's a young woman sliding into the abyss of hopelessness, and the thoughts of suicide that follow.

Clever, funny, and beautiful Hannah is beleaguered by a series of personal and public calamities, most revolving around bullying and a horrific rape. The difference between the two isn't as vast as many think. Both dehumanize their target, and include the lust for, and pleasure gained from, power, domination, and control.

Hannah Baker is confused, and at times despondent, before Porter. The fire behind her glamorous and hazel-blue eyes fades to embers. Shes still breathing, but shes dying inside.

Before deciding to take her life, she records how, after leaving Porter's office, she waited to see if he would throw open his dark, walnut-colored office door to pursue and rescue her. But his phone rings. Again. Concerned about Hannah, but over-worked, he takes the call instead.

"No one is coming forward to stop me" from killing herself, she says. The music at this point is ominous, but in a positive way, as if to celebrate and even glorify her ensuing suicide. The soundtrack makes her decision sound and feel heroic.

As someone who works with thousands of youth each year to diminish bullying, and tired of speaking with mothers destroyed by their childs decision to kill themselves due at least in part to bullying, I wish that scene never appeared, because otherwise deft Hannah Baker handed agency of her life to another, a lethal mistake that some youth wont notice.

Others aren't responsible for our mental health. Yet at the same time, others do influence it, especially bullies, which is an important and lost message this series offers us, a series even elementary school-aged children are watching.

In addition to our current campaign to reverse the thoughts of glorifying suicide, we should also use this Netflix series as an opportunity to battle adolescent bullying, the leading cause of child abuse in our nation.

We should explain how serial targets are two to nine times more likely to consider suicide. We should reveal to children and adults how being cruel, mean and even wicked helps children gain and maintain social status, especially during the middle-school years. In an attempt to grow needed empathy, we should explain how a female serial target like Hannah is 25 times more likely to develop agoraphobia than her non-bullied peers, ruining adult lives.

In order to return the needed stigma to bullying, and get the attention of serial bullies, we should explain how they are far more likely to go to prison after graduation and abuse their future spouse and children.

But most importantly, we should use "13 Reasons Why" to show how standing up to bullying represents the best in human nature by promoting the virtue of kindness, but not just any form of kindness. We must promote courageous kindness, because as the late Maya Angelou explained, Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently.

We must tell true stories of heroic kindness bolstered by courage, the kind a young mother named Lisa told me about recently. Before graduating from high school three years ago, she noticed how a boy she didnt really know was being bullied at lunchtime by five girls. Lisa became angry and indignant, which helped fuel her courage to invite the young man to sit with her and her friends during lunch for the remainder of the school year.

What Lisa didnt know, until three years later after meeting the boys mother, was that he was planning to kill himself. He created a suicide box, which contained a cord to hang himself, a suicide note, and keepsakes that he wanted his mother to cherish. She found it in his room and tearfully confronted her son when he returned from school. He told his mother that he wasnt going through with it. He told her about kind and courageous Lisa.

"We are the inheritors of a coarsened societyA coarse place is by definition anti-child because it is anti-innocence, writes Peggy Noonan.

I believe bullying will get worse across the nation due to our coarsening society. But it will get better in pockets of resistance. Lets use "13 Reasons Why" to grow our resistance, by creating more students like Lisa, who stand up to bullying and in the process save the lives of real-life Hannah Bakers.
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that "to be great is to be misunderstood," and no doubt Charles Lindbergh would have wholeheartedly agreed. It began on May 20, 1927, as the twenty-five year old pilot lifted off from Long Island's Roosevelt Field, turned northeast, and flew the 3,610 miles that altered his future and our world forever. Though the Atlantic had been crossed piecemeal and by airship, no one had flown non-stop from New York to Paris in a fixed wing aircraft. Two French pilots made the attempt but vanished without a trace, and no one had yet embarked alone - except Lindbergh. A prior Army pilot, he had previously barnstormed and flown airmail knowing that the success of this flight would prove the viability of commercial air travel.

Lindbergh, known as "Slim" to his few close friends, would fly more than thirty-three hours in a tiny cockpit above the vast, empty ocean. After landing in Paris at 10:22 PM on May 21, his quiet, unassuming nature immediately endeared him to the French; politely refusing their offer of 150,000 francs, he insisted it be donated to the widows of fallen aviators. Lindy's own countrymen were equally enamored and 300,000 of them turned out on a steamy, Saturday June afternoon to welcome him home. But it wasn't just the flight; at last, America had a hero again. A man untouched by political corruption, or avariciousness self-promotion. Following the scandalous 1920's, Americans were ecstatic and emotionally renewed to have a public figure who did not lie, twist words, or obfuscate the truth. A man they could truly admire.

Lindbergh, ever the reluctant celebrity, stuck to his principles and continuously reminded the adoring world that his passion was aviation. Like Raymond Orteig, the hotelier who had put up a $25,000 prize for completing the flight, Slim hoped that bringing cultures closer together would increase mutual understanding and tolerance. Perhaps future disagreements would be resolved without bloodshed and the horrors of World War One, or any war, avoided. He staunchly hoped for this, as he continued to believe in the potential of aviation for peaceful purposes.

This desire for peace led to Lindbergh's involvement in the America First Committee and one of the greatest misunderstandings he endured. Formed in early September 1940 during the Battle of Britain, the movement resisted American participation in World War Two. Among the 800,000 Americans who joined the AFC were Walt Disney, Gerald Ford, General Robert Wood, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Sinclair Lewis. They believed, as did Lindbergh, that America had shed enough blood for Europe.

Everything changed the moment Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7,1941.

With the United States now at war Slim sought to have his officer's commission reinstated so he could fight. This was blocked by President Roosevelt himself, who had never forgiven the pilot for a very public dispute over airmail contracts. So, with no other options Lindbergh became an aviation consultant solving engineering and production issues while personally teaching pilots fuel saving combat techniques. After receiving permission to tour the South Pacific as a technical representative, Slim managed to fly fifty combat missions.

He didnt have to do any of this.

Charles Lindbergh could have remained safe at home, as so many celebrities and politicians did, but he loved America and would not stand idle while others died for his freedom. Misunderstood? Certainly. Lindbergh was surely complex, a study in contradictions. He loved his family but was often undemonstrative; a natural fighter who abhorred war, yet he fought courageously for his country. Of his personal actions later in life, none but his family are entitled to pass moral judgments.

Regardless, Charles Lindbergh's magnificent flight represented then, as now, the best of American character; honesty, resiliency and, above all else, the courage to meet a challenge and prevail. As he would later write, "A victory given stands pale beside a victory won."
The Supreme Court's decision Monday not to hear an appeal regarding the North Carolina voter ID law has jubilant critics of the law proclaiming victory. Yet vote fraud is still a problem in our country.

Since the November election, Hillary Clinton and her allies have offered numerous excuses as to why she lost her bid for president. In the six months since Americans cast their votes, Clinton and her team have blamed Russia, James Comey, and Wikileaks for her defeat in the polls. And now they are adding voter photo ID laws to the list of culprits.

Why? Because photo voter ID laws, she and other critics claim, prohibit eligible voters from voting. They are unwilling to admit the truth about this common sense reform and its intention to protect eligible voters right to vote and to vote only once.

In Missouri, for example, our new photo voter ID law (which 63 percent of Missourians supported in November) includes a provision requiring the government to provide individuals who do not have any form of photo ID with a free government-issued non-drivers license ID. The law also directs my office to assist these individuals in securing the necessary supporting documents that are required to obtain such an ID. These provisions were included in Missouris new statute to ensure the law not only prohibits ineligible voters from committing vote fraud but also guarantees all eligible voters their opportunity to vote.

The bottom line: If youre an eligible registered Missouri voter, you can vote, but only once.

Critics of photo voter ID laws additionally and routinely claim that vote fraud does not exist and swiftly dismiss documented cases of such fraud as irrelevant. Its hard to explain this thinking, especially when, in North Carolina, more than five hundred illegal votes were cast in the 2016 election, and in Kansas, nine individuals were convicted of voting in multiple states. What do the critics have to say about these documented cases of vote fraud? They say theyre insignificant.

I strongly disagree.

In Missouri, during a 2010 Democratic primary, one of our state representatives won his race by one vote. But as it was later discovered, three members of his family pled guilty to charges of vote fraud. Those three insignificant votes swung an entire election and denied his opponent a fair race. I ask photo voter ID critics to explain the insignificance of such a case.

The disappointing reality is that as long as we have elections, people will try to cheat. Yet, I believe in our election system and verifying voters are who they say they are is the simplest and most effective way to prevent vote fraud. More than 30 other states agree, as they have their own versions of voter ID laws.

Few laws in the United States have endured as much political and legal scrutiny as voter ID laws. These statutes were drafted with extraordinary deference to opponents, containing numerous accommodations to ensure that no eligible registered voter is disenfranchised. In addition, they have been litigated in nearly every state where enacted, and time and again, these common sense photo voter ID laws have been upheld in both state and federal courts.

This past week, President Trump appointed a commission to investigate fraud and provide a national perspective on voting issues and election integrity. As a state election authority, I have been fighting to protect our state's elections from fraud. It is refreshing to finally have a federal administration that will partner with us on election integrity issues, not stand in the way of common sense reforms.

I commend the appointment of a voter integrity commission and look forward to its recommendations. And hopefully, the commission findings will finally inform Hillary Clinton that the will of the American people is the reason for her loss, not common sense voter ID laws.
On the eve of President Trumps first overseas trip, an unfortunate dispute emerged over the question, whose wall is it? But who is the rightful owner of the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem should be indisputable. It is, after all, the last remaining piece of the Jewish Temple compound, destroyed by the Romans in the year 70 CE, and thus the primary destination for Jews in Israel and around the world to gather for prayer to this day.

Thankfully, one member of Trumps cabinet, U.S. ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, is clear on the matter. I believe the Western Wall is part of Israel and I think that that is how weve always seen it and thats how we should pursue it, Haley said in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). Weve always thought the Western Wall was part of Israel.

Haley has been indefatigable in defending Israel at the UN, rigorously pressing other UN member states to end their longstanding hostility toward Israel on a range of issues, including the status of Jerusalem, Israels capital.

Suprisingly, however, one U.S. diplomat in the presidents advance team told his Israeli counterparts that the Western Wall "is not yours," that it is in the West Bank. Follow-up remarks by Press Secretary Spicer and National Security Advisor McMaster did not offer the clarity needed, certainly falling short of Haleys direct statement.

Denying any Jewish connection to Jerusalem has been a Palestinian tactic, supported by the wider Arab and Muslim worlds, for decades. UNESCO member states have shamefully accepted the con and joined in Palestinian historical revisionism. Last October, UNESCO member states passed two resolutions referring to the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site, only by its Muslim name, Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, ignoring any Jewish, as well as Christian, connection to this site.

While another resolution was adopted earlier this month with less support than before, it mostly repeated the same assertions regarding Jerusalem, Israels capital city, and holy sites in Jerusalem and the West Bank. The U.S. opposed those measures, which makes the sudden vagueness on the Western Wall somewhat odd.

Judaism -- and its centrality to Jewish identity, worship, and history -- predates Islam by millennia, and Christianity, with its linkage to Biblical sites in Jerusalem, predates Islam by centuries. The only time adherents of all three religions have enjoyed complete freedom of worship in Jerusalem has been under Israeli administration.

Whenever Israelis and Palestinians have negotiated peace, going back to Camp David in 2000, there were discussions about sharing sovereignty over Jerusalem. But years of Palestinian violence and Palestinian Authority refusal to engage in bilateral talks raised and reinforced doubts about the possibility of agreeing on the final status of Jerusalem, and the topic was left on the back burner.

That President Trump will be the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Western Wall, assuming it happens, is profoundly significant. He should accept Prime Minister Netanyahus offer to join him and his family at Judaisms holiest site. That would provide a powerful visual statement of U.S. recognition that Jerusalem is central to the Jewish people, and therefore should be recognized as Israels capital.

As Ambassador Haley told CBN, Obviously I believe that the capital should be in Jerusalem and the embassy should be moved to Jerusalem. All their government is in Jerusalem. So much of what goes on is in Jerusalem and, I think, we have to see that for what it is."

During his visit, President Trump should make clear, consistent with his efforts to advance Israeli-Palestinian peace, that he will fulfill his promise and begin the process of moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
This week's Opinion article by Representatives Goodlatte and Labrador begins: One of the most important aspects of immigration reform is bolstering enforcement of existing immigration law. I and other immigration reformers agree with that statement, as far as it goes. The article then tries to make the case for legislation being marked up in the House Judiciary Committee, the Davis-Oliver Act. This proposed legislation doubles down on the enforcement-only strategy for immigration control first tried in California in Proposition 187 and enacted at the federal level twenty years ago. Lest we Republicans forget, the result of the first experiment was twenty years of Democrat dominance of state politics in California, and of the second was 11 million undocumented immigrants, two-thirds of whom have lived in the United States for at least 10 years.

Representatives Goodlatte and Labrador acknowledge at the outset that most unlawful immigrants come to the U.S. seeking a better life for themselves and their families. Their bill, however, does not deal with the reality created by the 1996 enforcement bill signed by President Clinton: for those who wish to immigrate legally, most paths to legal status were closed off, even if they were desirable immigrants who worked hard, payed taxes and supported U.S. citizen families. The authors of the 1996 closed off loopholes that were actually important safety valves in the immigration system. From the 1950s to 1996, for example, the law recognized that long-term illegal residents who had US family members that would suffer hardship if they were deported should be given legal status. The 1996 massively restricted the discretion of immigration officers and judges. The end result is millions of people in the United States who pay taxes and have families here, but who have no way to get legal because of the 1996 law.

Communities around the heartland are now getting a crash course in the consequences of the 1996 law. In Granger, Indiana, a woman who voted for Trump saw her husband detained and removed from the United States by ICE. Provisions of the 1996 law prevented her familys lawyers from getting her petition on his behalf considered. In Beaver, West Virginia, three men  one married to a local woman and in the country for 20 years  were detained for removal. By the time these detentions take place, it is likely too late for US citizen relatives to do anything for their loved ones.

The Davis-Oliver Act does nothing to try to help sort out the situation of these US families, or of other immigrants like those brought by their parents to the US at a young age, now grown up in the US but without status. Congress could address our outdated system to provide a path to legal status for people like medical students, servicemembers, and entrepreneurs brought here illegally through no fault of their own.

The House Judiciary Committees bill tries to ratchet up the failed promise of the 1996 Act: if only taxpayers spend even more money, allow even more incarceration, and permit assault-rifle-wielding federal officers in their communities, that people from other countries who share our values and have contributed to our country will no longer want to stay here. The Davis-Oliver Act would add 12,000 officers to the federal payroll and mandate arming them with assault rifles, nearly doubling the size of the largest armed police force in the federal government. It would increase detention mandates and enrich the private prison industry with further taxpayer millions. It would mandate that states and localities spend their resources to do the federal governments job, violating the Tenth Amendment more extremely than the Brady gun control bill that was struck down by the Supreme Court. It would also criminalize all immigration violations, a provision rejected by the Senate in 2005.

DHS Secretary Kelly recently stated that DHS has already substantially reduced illegal immigration merely by executing the laws Congress has already enacted. ICE has all the legal tools it needs to round up criminals, as well as immigrants whose only violation was to come seeking to become American. The real tools Congress needs to provide are paths back to legal status for those given no options by our outdated immigration system. Congress needs to provide that path to the majority of hardworking, honest immigrants who just want the chance to continue contributing economically to our country. Enforcement resources can then be focused on real dangers to our communities.
As Washington debates what actions to take to rev up economic growth, the free-market private sector, which waits for no one, is witnessing the beginning of a new trend.

For a decade, America has been a tale of two economies: a strong one for skilled workers and a worrisome, poor one for workers without skills. The gap, however, is now diminishing, as low unemployment, rising expectations and economic reality are causing a recruitment war to begin, a war thats good for workers, including those with no skills.

I hear it from employers across the country  if they dont raise wages, offer more opportunities for training and career advancement or improve their work environments, they cant keep their workforce.

At long last, the marketplace is shifting from an employers market to a workers market. The implications run deep.

Up until now, times have been tough and wages have been low for workers who dont have a college degree or any specialized form of training. The growing number of able-bodied, prime working-age people who have left the workforce is the underbelly of our economy. Many men, especially blue collar workers who lost their jobs years ago, have abandoned their hopes of finding a new one. Its part of the reason why the labor force participation rate is so low.

But as the recruitment war takes off and wages rise, there is evidence already that these unskilled workers will respond and jump into the workforce in greater numbers. The labor force participation rate dropped steadily for the last fourteen years, bottoming out in September 2015 at 62.4%. Its risen now to 63.0%. Society cant give up on these people, and these would-be workers cant give up on themselves.

Across the board, wage growth has been low until now, despite the drop in unemployment from 10 percent in 2009 to 4.5 percent today. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, real weekly earnings for the median full-time worker increased just over 1 percent from 2009 to 2016.

Despite the drop in unemployment, the fact that wages were essentially flat for 10 years contributed to the public sense that there was something wrong with the economy. Its a big reason many blue-collar workers and high school educated Americans were drawn to President Trumps promise last year to make America great again.

But now, ask virtually any business owner or manager and theyll tell you its getting harder for them to find people to fill the jobs they have available.

Janis Petrini, who owns an Express Employment Professionals office in Michigan, told me that unemployment in the western area of her state is running at 3 percent. Employers have jobs available for anyone willing to work, but employers are finding it hard to grow because they cant find enough help.

In Huntsville, Alabama, the local Express office recently paid unskilled workers between $9-$11 an hour, but theyre finding now that if they dont pay $12/hour, people wont accept jobs and turnover is too high.

Stories like this are increasingly common in all regions of the United States and across large numbers of business sectors. At long last, the drop in unemployment has led to a tightening of labor markets at the same time that consumer sentiment and business optimism are rising. The result will be rising wages, otherwise businesses wont be able to keep a qualified workforce.

Its not just wages that I expect to rise. Workers tell us all the time they want a job that provides a culture and an environment they enjoy. Young workers want flexibility to work from home or to work non-traditional hours. Business leaders who inspire their workforce and offer chances for career advancement tend to retain workers, while those who dont will find that their workforce will accept pay raises from competitors.

Since the Great Recession, American businesses have been cautious. The hangover of the recession, combined with the federal governments high tax and increased regulatory response to many policies, put a wet blanket over economic growth, all of which contributed to low wage growth.

But a corner has been turned.

Businesses are now recognizing that there is a growing fierce competition for labor.

As the business cycle turns and the recruitment war heats up, workers will be the big winners, whether Washington acts or not.
The New York Times report about President Trump telling the Russians in the Oval Office that firing FBI Director James Comey had relieved great pressure on him is a bigger story than the Washington Posts Russia report, said Fox News contributor Karl Rove on The Story with Martha MacCallum on Friday.

Its a confirmation of what we knew. Holt interviewed Trump who said, in essence, I fired him because he was a pain, said Rove. The direct connection between I faced great pressure because of Russia and thats taken off and it just sounds unseemly.

Another troubling aspect of the New York Times story, according to Rove, is that the notes were taken at a meeting attended by only four officials: Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Sec. of State Rex Tillerson, and National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster.

The idea that private notes from a presidential meeting like this would be circulated. This is in violation of several laws, they better find out who is doing this kind of stuff. Just as they could leak this to the press, someone could also leak details of the White House meeting to our adversaries just as easy as they leak this to the public to the Washington Post or the New York Times

Lets be clear. Person of interest means its somebody the FBI wants to talk to. Theres a big difference between that and being the subject of the investigation or the target of the investigation, said Rove. I think its overblown.

MacCallum asked Rove and Fox News contributor Marie Harf if we will get some answers from Comey when he testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee after Memorial Day.

This is going to be must-watch TV, said Harf, who used to work in the Obama administration. It will be very interesting to see how Comey plays this hearing, how forthcoming he is.
A Republican lawmaker in the 2017 Virginia governors race is calling for a legislative investigation into Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffes order to restrict carbon emissions from power plants.

State Sen. Frank Wagner is calling for a legislative committee hearing to investigate McAuliffes latest executive order, which would put more regulations on carbon emissions from electric power plants.

McAuliffe, whos ineligible to run again because of term limits, ordered the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to draft a plan on the matter. This follows President Trump signing his executive order challenging the Clean Power Plan, an Obama administration act for climate change. The governor has now created his own state based substitute.

Wagner is one of three major GOP candidates running for the open governors seat.

In the running is former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie, and former Virginia co-chairman for Trumps campaign, Corey Stewart. Stewart was later fired by the Trump campaign for protesting outside the RNC.

In the latest poll conducted by Christopher Newport University, Gillespie, the establishment candidate, leads the primary with 38 percent. Stewart is polling at 11 percent and Wagner trails at 10 percent.

This is election-year posturing, McAuliffes spokesman Brian Coy told the Richmond Times Dispatch about Wagner calling for the hearing. The governor signed this to reduce hot air.

Wagner argues this investigation is not a political stunt.

What people perceive is their own damn business. he told the Times Dispatch.

He plans to call his emergency hearing before Memorial Day, just less than a month before the gubernatorial primary. Wagner says his agenda for this meeting is to see what affects these regulations would have on small businesses in Virginia.

Democrats have two candidates in their gubernatorial primary -- Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam and former Congressman Tom Perriello, both are polling at 26 percent.

According to Geoffrey Skelley, associate editor of Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball, this is the first time a Virginia governors race has had contested races for both parties. The primaries are June 13, and the next governor will be elected on Nov. 7.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Saturday in Saudi Arabia that the focal point of President Trumps visit to the Gulf nation is to curb the threat of neighboring Iran, while putting much of the burden on recently reelected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Rouhani has a new term, Tillerson said at a press conference in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. And he could use that term to dismantle a network of terrorism.  Thats what we hope he does.

Tillerson, well known in Saudi Arabia for his visits as ExxonMobils chief executive, said the United States also hopes Rouhani puts an end to ballistic missile testing and restores freedom of speech in his country.

Trump has been critical of Iran and a 2015 international deal led by then-President Barack Obama in which billions of dollars worth of economic sanction are being lifted in exchange for Iran curbing its nuclear weapons program.

Tillerson also said Saturday, the kickoff day of Trumps first overseas trip as president, that he might eventually talk to Rouhani but has no immediate plans.

Ive never shut off the phone to anybody who wants to have a productive conversation, he said.

Among the other concerns discussed by Tillerson were ending the terror threat posed in the region by the Islamic State group and finding a solution to the years-long civil war in neighboring Yemen, where Saudi Arabia supports the government and Iran backs the rebel Houthi group.

We have a lot of work ahead of us in that regard, Tillerson said.

Tillerson spoke alongside Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir.

Al-Jubeir borrowed a Trump phrase when he said stronger U.S. ties will allow the region to "drain the swamps from which extremism and terrorism emanates."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Vice President Pence kept a busy Saturday while President Trump was overseas, espousing the president's leadership in a college commencement speech and urging Americans to thank U.S. military personnel.

If you see a member of the Armed Forces on Armed Forces Day  reach out and say, 'Thank you for your service,' " Pence said at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, in Ohio.

I couldnt be more proud to work for a president who is so dedicated to the armed services. President Trump is overseas renewing the United States role as a leader among allies.  Serving with him every day, I know Trump will be the best friend the Armed Services will ever have in the White House.

Pence spoke just days after published news reports about him starting a so-called leadership PAC -- amid speculation he was using the group for 2020 White House run.

The group will in fact be used to cover Pence's travel to promote Republican candidates during the 2018 congressional midterm races.

Sources have dismissed the speculation about a presidential bid, amid Trumps tumultuous start and such a move being unusual for a vice president.

Early Saturday, Pence urged graduating students at Grove City College, in Pennsylvania, to become leaders and cited Trump's "leadership and perseverance" as an example.

Trump on Saturday was in Saudi Arabia for the start of a nine-day overseas diplomatic trip, his first such since taking office in January.

"If you aspire to lead, you'll need courage, because leadership brings both honor and opposition," Pence told hundreds of graduates and their families Saturday at the commencement.

Pence later in the day, Pence travelled to his home state of Indiana, where he is scheduled to give the commencement speech Sunday at Norte Dame University, in South Bend.

Grove City is a private, Christian liberal arts college with about 2,500 students and about 50 miles north of Pittsburgh.

Anyone who dreams big will encounter those who think small. Anyone who dares to step forward will find those who'd rather they stay put. And anyone who thinks they can will always hear from those who are sure they can't," Pence said in his commencement speech.

He also cited Trump as "an example of leadership and perseverance" to applause from the crowd, citing the president's efforts on the economy, education, security and -- to more applause -- for standing "without apology for the sanctity of life and all the God-given liberties in the Constitution of the United States."

"But as the president said just about a week ago in a ceremony just like this, 'Nothing worth doing ever came easy,'" Pence said. "Following your convictions means you must be willing to face criticism from those who lack the courage to do what's right,'" the vice president quoted the president as saying.

Pence told graduates to inspire those around them, since people follow those they respect, but they should "aspire to be men and women of character" and aspire to service rather than selfish ambition.

After his address, Pence, who was also awarded an honorary degree, stood on the platform and shook hands as each graduate passed after being handed their diplomas. Officials said the graduating class of 606 was the largest in the school's history.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump met with Arab leaders on the second day of his first trip abroad ahead of a major speech calling for Muslim unity in the fight against terrorism.

Trump joined leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council in an effort to counter the financing of terrorism. The U.S. was joined by leaders from Bahrain, Kuwait Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Dina Powell, White House adviser, told reporters that the U.S. signed a memorandum with GCC nations that represents the farthest reaching commitment to not financing organizations with links to terrorism.

Although texts of the agreement have not been released, the press looked on as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson exchanged documents.

Trump also announced at the meeting with Arab leaders that he plans on making another foreign trip as he accepted Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissis invitation to Egypt.

The centerpiece of Trumps two-day visit to Saudi Arabia is his speech on Sunday which will address the leaders of 50 Muslim-majority countries.

He is expected to cast the challenge of extremism as a "battle between good and evil" and urge Arab leaders to "drive out the terrorists from your places of worship," according to a draft of the speech obtained by The Associated Press.

That was a tremendous day, Trump said shortly after signing the arms deal. Tremendous investments in the United States and our military. Hundreds of billions of dollars of investments into the United States and jobs, jobs, jobs."

The arms deal is part of a larger, $350 billion economic package between the ally nations.

Trump and first lady Melania Trump were greeted in Saudi Arabia at the airport by 81-year King Salman, in a red carpet ceremony that also included a military flyover in which several jets left red, white and blue streamers.

Trump called his visit to Saudi Arabia "a great honor" and joined the king in a brief coffee ceremony at the airport terminal before heading to his hotel and other official events of the day.

After signing the deal and talking with top Saudi leaders, Trump and the first lady are scheduled to participate in a royal banquet dinner and a museum tour at the Murabba Palace in Riyadh.

Before the dinner, Trump participated in a traditional Saudi "war dance," performed this time to celebrate the countries' renewed friendship.

Trump is also scheduled to make a major speech Sunday in which hes expected to show support for Americas Persian Gulf allies, a likely reset after months of talk about Muslim extremism.

The presidents next stop in his nine-day tour will be Israel, followed by an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican, then meeting with allies at a NATO summit in Brussels and the Group of 7 wealthy nations in Sicily.

Great to be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Trump tweeted upon landing on Air Force One. Looking forward to the afternoon and evening ahead.

The first lady wore a black pantsuit with a golden belt and did not cover her head for the arrival, consistent with custom for foreign dignitaries visiting Saudi Arabia.

Trump shook hands with the king, compared to then-President Barack Obama in 2009 appearing to bow before then-King Abdullah, a move some viewed as a sign of American weakness.

Trump, during his winning presidential campaign and in the first several months of his presidency, has argued that the United States can no longer be the worlds police officer and that other nations must become more self-sufficient in efforts to combat such terror networks as al Qaeda and the Islamic State and in protecting themselves against rogue nations like Iran and North Korea.

The multi-billion dollar arms deal in the clearest terms possible shows the United States commitment to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf partners and expands economic opportunities, the White House said.

The deal will include tanks, combat ships, missile defense systems, radar and communications and cybersecurity technology. And it will support tens-of-thousands of new jobs in the U.S. defense industrial base, the White House said.

Trump did not address the cameras. But Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Saudi Foreign Minister Abdel al Jubeir held a joint press conference.

Jubeir said Trump "certainly has the vision and, we believe, strength to bring about Middle East peace.

He also called Trumps trip a truly historic visit.

Said Tillerson: Were very proud of this relationship we're embarking on.

He also took a question about a recent news report about somebody within the White House being a person of interest amid ongoing investigations into whether Trump and his associates colluded with Russia to help Trump win the 2016 presidential race.

Tillerson said he had no knowledge about such a person of interest.

White House officials hope the trip gives Trump the opportunity to recalibrate after one of the most difficult stretches of his young presidency. The White House badly bungled the president's stunning firing of FBI Director James Comey, who was overseeing the federal governments investigation into possible Russia collusion.

Trump on Sunday will also hold meetings with more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders converging on Riyadh for a regional summit focused largely on combating the Islamic State and other extremist groups.

Still, the centerpiece of Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia will likely be the speech Sunday at the Arab-Islamic-American summit.

White House aides view the address as a counter to Obama's 2009 speech to the Muslim world, which Trump criticized as too apologetic for U.S. actions in the region.

Trump will call for unity in the fight against radicalism in the Muslim world, casting the challenge as a "battle between good and evil" and urging Arab leaders to "drive out the terrorists from your places of worship," according to a draft of the speech obtained by The Associated Press. The draft notably refrains from mentioning democracy and human rights  topics Arab leaders often view as U.S. moralizing  in favor of the more limited goals of peace and stability.

It also abandons some of the harsh anti-Muslim rhetoric that defined Trump's presidential campaign and does not contain the words "radical Islamic terror," a phrase Trump repeatedly criticized Hillary Clinton for not using during last year's campaign.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump in Saudi Arabia on Saturday signed a nearly $110 billion arms deal to help the Persian Gulf ally with its military-defense system.

"That was a tremendous day," Trump said after signing the deal with Saudi leader King Salman. "Tremendous investments in the United States. Hundreds of billions of dollars of investments into the United States and jobs, jobs, jobs."

The White House says the package includes defense equipment and other support to help the Arab nation and the rest of the Gulf region fight again terrorism and the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, according to the White House.

Trump during his winning presidential campaign and in the first several months of his presidency has argued the United States can no longer be the worlds police officer and that other nations must become more self-sufficient in efforts to combat terrorism and in protecting themselves against rogue nations like Iran and North Korea.

Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia early Saturday as the start to his nine-day, overseas tour that will also take him to Israel and Europe. The international trip is Trumps first since taking office in January.

Great to be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Trump tweeted upon landing in Air Force One. Looking forward to the afternoon and evening ahead.

Trump is expected to pledge his respect and support to Saudi leaders and to the region, after months of harsh anti-Muslim rhetoric.

Trump greeted at the Saudi airport with an elaborate ceremony, punctuated by a military flyover and a handshake from Saudi King Salman.

First lady Melania Trump wore a black pantsuit with a golden belt and did not cover her head for the arrival, consistent with custom for foreign dignitaries visiting Saudi Arabia.

In 2015, her husband had, in a tweet, criticized former first lady Michelle Obama for not wearing a headscarf during a visit to the kingdom.

After two days of meetings in Riyadh, Trump will travel to Israel, have an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican, then meet with allies at a NATO summit in Brussels and the Group of 7 wealthy nations in Sicily.

The multi-billion dollar defense deal in the clearest terms possible shows the United States commitment to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf partners and expands economic opportunities, the White House said. The deal will also supporting tens-of-thousands of new jobs in the U.S. defense industrial base, the White House also said.

The package includes tanks, combat ships, missile defense systems, radar and communications and cybersecurity technology.

The 81-year-old King Salman greeted Trump at the airport. The two leaders exchanged pleasantries and Trump said it was "a great honor" to be there.

Several jets then flew overhead leaving a red, white and blue trail.

Saudi Arabia offered Trump the elaborate welcome ahead of his two-day stay. Billboards featuring images of Trump and the king dotted the highways of Riyadh, emblazoned with the motto "Together we prevail."

Trump's luxury hotel was bathed in red, white and blue lights and, at times, an image of the president's face.

Trump and the king met briefly in the airport terminal for a coffee ceremony before the president headed to his hotel before the day's other meetings.

White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus told reporters on Air Force One that Trump spent the flight meeting with staff, working on his upcoming speech to the Muslim world and getting a little sleep.

White House officials hope the trip gives Trump the opportunity to recalibrate after one of the most difficult stretches of his young presidency. The White House badly bungled the president's stunning firing of FBI Director James Comey, who was overseeing the federal investigation into possible ties between Trump's campaign and Russia. On Wednesday, the Justice Department relented to calls from Democrats to name a special counsel, tapping former FBI chief Robert Mueller to lead the probe.

After spending much of Saturday meeting with King Salman and other members of the royal family, Trump was to end the day at a banquet dinner at the Murabba Palace. On Sunday, he'll hold meetings with more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders converging on Riyadh for a regional summit focused largely on combating the Islamic State and other extremist groups.

Trump dodged one potential land mine when Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who has been indicted on war crime and genocide charges, announced that he would not attend the summit for personal reasons.

The centerpiece of Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia will be a speech Sunday at the Arab-Islamic-American summit. White House aides view the address as a counter to Obama's 2009 speech to the Muslim world, which Trump criticized as too apologetic for U.S. actions in the region.

Trump will call for unity in the fight against radicalism in the Muslim world, casting the challenge as a "battle between good and evil" and urging Arab leaders to "drive out the terrorists from your places of worship," according to a draft of the speech obtained by The Associated Press. The draft notably refrains from mentioning democracy and human rights  topics Arab leaders often view as U.S. moralizing  in favor of the more limited goals of peace and stability.

It also abandons some of the harsh anti-Muslim rhetoric that defined Trump's presidential campaign and does not contain the words "radical Islamic terror," a phrase Trump repeatedly criticized Hillary Clinton for not using during last year's campaign.
President Trump upon arriving in Saudi Arabia on Saturday did not bow to the Gulf leader as former President Barack Obama appeared to do -- a move interpreted as American weakness.

In 2009, Obama appeared to bow to then-Saudi leader King Abdullah at a G-20 summit in London.

Videos show Obama bending at the waist toward the king. The White House at the time purportedly denied that the president had bowed, with a source saying Obama was taller than the king, so he had to lean.

Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia marks the start to his nine-day, overseas tour that will also take him to Israel and Europe. The international trip is Trumps first since taking office in January.

Trump was greeted at the Saudi airport with an elaborate ceremony, punctuated by a military flyover and a handshake from Saudi King Salman.

First lady Melania Trump wore a black pantsuit with a golden belt and did not cover her head for the arrival, consistent with custom for foreign dignitaries visiting Saudi Arabia.

The 81-year-old King Salman greeted Trump at the airport. The two leaders exchanged pleasantries and Trump said it was "a great honor" to be there.

Two things need to happen, Zuhdi Jasser, founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, told Fox News on Saturday about Trumps trip. President Trump needs to shore up our alliance with the Sunnis who feel abandon, and that starts with Saudi Arabia. And in the short-term, he needs to create a coalition that will decimate and defeat ISIS.

Obama critics said the former president suggested several times in 2009, just after getting elected, that the United States owed the Arab world an apology.

There have been times when America has shown arrogance  even dismissiveness, Obama said that year in France.

Saudi Arabia offered Trump the elaborate welcome ahead of his two-day stay. Billboards featuring images of Trump and the king dotted the highways of Riyadh, emblazoned with the motto "Together we prevail."

Trump's luxury hotel was bathed in red, white and blue lights and, at times, an image of the president's face.

Trump and the king met briefly in the airport terminal for a coffee ceremony before the president headed to his hotel before the day's other meetings.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Mississippi teenager charged with murder in the death of a 6-year-old told investigators that the boy was actually shot by another of the three teen suspects, according to an investigator's sworn statement.

The Associated Press obtained the sworn statement Friday from a source with knowledge of the case involving the death of Kingston Frazier. The boy was found shot to death at the side of a dead-end road inside his mother's abandoned car, hours after someone stole the Toyota Camry from a supermarket parking lot.

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Rusty Clark said in the sworn statement filed in connection with the case that 17-year-old Dwan Wakefield of Ridgeland told Clark and another investigator 19-year-old Byron McBride of Pickens was at fault.

"During this interview, Wakefield implicated Byron McBride as the person who actually stole the vehicle and shot and killed Frazier," Clark's statement said.

When asked for further comment, MBI spokesman Warren Strain declined, saying "the court document speaks for itself."

Wakefield, McBride and 17-year-old D'Allen Washington of Ridgeland are being held without bail in Madison County, just north of Jackson, awaiting Monday morning court appearances. It's unclear if any of the three have lawyers.

Though all three are charged with capital murder, only McBride could face the death penalty. The U.S. Supreme Court outlawed the death penalty for crimes committed by people younger than 18 in 2005.

Madison County Coroner Alex Breeland said Kingston was shot multiple times. District Attorney Michael Guest said authorities are still looking for the gun used to kill Kingston but are confident they have enough evidence against the three teen suspects to proceed without it.

"I do not believe that it is anything other than a crime of opportunity," Guest said, saying there was no evidence of any deeper plot besides stealing a car that Ebony Archie left running with her child inside. He said he didn't believe anyone else was involved.

Security video shows that after Archie left her car about 1 a.m., another car drove up and a man got out and then drove off in her Camry. Frazier was in the back seat.

Archie's family members told local news media Friday that she had picked up her son from his grandmother after going out with friends to celebrate her birthday and was going into the Jackson supermarket to buy party supplies to celebrate Kingston's kindergarten graduation, which was scheduled Friday.

"She feels guilty for the fact that she decided to go inside the store and leave the car running when she went inside the store," David Archie, Ebony Archie's uncle, told WLBT-TV.

The car was found eight hours later, abandoned in a muddy ditch about 15 miles (20 kilometers) north of Jackson in Gluckstadt. People continued to stream to the site Friday afternoon, with some leaving small memorials. One note said "Kingston R.I.P. Sweet angel fly high. You are loved and will be missed. Prayers for your family."

Guest wouldn't say if any of the men have confessed, but Clark's statement made clear that at least Wakefield has talked to investigators. Guest said investigators are gathering surveillance video from near where the car was abandoned, as well as seeking mobile phone evidence that could indicate the whereabouts of the suspects.

Breeland said an autopsy was completed and the boy's body was released to a funeral home. However, no funeral arrangements had been scheduled as of Friday afternoon.

Guest said Washington is currently under indictment for armed robbery in Madison County. Court records the other two men have no criminal history as adults.

Associated Press photographer Rogelio Solis contributed to this report from Gluckstadt, Mississippi.
The third Saturday of May is Armed Forces Day, a day designated to honor Americans serving in the military. There are thousands of veterans organizations that assist those who have served every single day.

American Corporate Partners (ACP), a non-profit organization in New York City, is the only group that matches veterans with mentors at major corporations in the country.

Many of the people we work with have never been in the private sector before. They've never had a resume that's been written for a private sector person, said Sid Goodfriend, chairman and founder of American Corporate Partners.

DANA PERINO: LET'S DO THIS, MILLENNIALS! HERE ARE YOUR TOP 5 MENTORING TIPS FOR 2017

Goodfriend started ACP in 2008. After working as a banker for many large U.S. companies for 25 years, he wanted to move onto something more meaningful. He was looking to give something back to the country.

Goodfriend approached many business leaders he had worked with in the past. The first person he approached was the chairman of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi.

I told her I wanted to start a program a little like Big Brothers Big Sisters [of America], except in this case the little brother might be 250-pound Marine sergeant, he said. Its really hard finding a job that leads to a meaningful career. A big part of what we do is we help people explore what the careers are and then we help them get there.

When the organization first launched, six corporations committed to Goodfriends idea.

Today, up to 70 companies work with ACP, including Deloitte, VISA, UPS, and Liberty Mutual. Fox News Channels parent company, 21st Century Fox, also participates.

Karl Rove has been a supporter of ours, but so has David Axelrod, said Goodfriend. We've had great results from companies that would in normal cases not be in the same room with each other.

AFGHANISTAN'S FEMALE POLICE: PORTRAITS OF COURAGE, PATRIOTISM DESPITE GRIEF

Right now, nearly 2,700 veterans are mentored by someone in the corporate world through ACP. More than 9,700 have completed the program.

Most of ACPs funding comes from their corporate partners. The cost of mentoring a veteran is $1,000 a year. Participants apply online and ACP staff reaches out to everyone who inquires. Most of the mentorships are done virtually.

As long as they have served since 9/11 and we believe they would be appreciative of the time of their mentor, we've taken everyone, said Goodfriend, who has never earned a salary as chairman of the organization.

He estimates their participants make an average of $70,000-a-year to start.

ACP protege Jamilla Smith, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, is working as a recruiter for Bloomberg in Manhattan.

One of the first things I learned is how to navigate the corporate landscape and how to interact with my co-workers in a professional, technical manner, said Smith.

Her mentor is Rose Lanard, chief diversity officer, at S&P Global. She says mentoring is a big part of her companys culture. Her corporate responsibility team approached her about ACP.

I just jumped right at it. I knew it would be a big win, said Lanard.

Lanard's commitment to veterans is a personal one. Her father served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War and her cousins served in Vietnam.

I think that I would have a lot more anxiety in terms of how to interact with the professionals in corporate America and how to have those difficult conversations, how to make the decisions, how to garner different opportunities, said Smith, who joined Bloomberg earlier this year.

Smith, who was raised in New York City, says her military background prepared her for the demands of corporate life.

The biggest one I can think of it is attention to detail. That's something huge in the area of recruiting, said Smith.

Lanard said working with Smith has been a two-way experience.

Jamilla has been remarkably open, open to feedback, creative, thoughtful, and dynamic, Lanard said. I look forward to our conversations.

The pair expects their partnership will go beyond the conclusion of their one-year commitment.

We're both ready to keep going. I think that's a really important mark of a good partnership as well, she said.

Smith aspires to work up the ranks in her career, either in management or a role in corporate diversity.
A Bowie State University student died just after 3 a.m. Saturday after being assaulted with a knife on the University of Maryland's College Park campus.

He was taken to the hospital, according to Fox 5 DC, but did not survive his injuries.

A suspect, whom Prince George's County Police say is a University of Maryland student and whose name has yet to be released, was taken into custody.

According to Fox 5 DC, police say the attack was random, unprovoked, and the two did not know each other. Charges are pending.

The victim from Bowie State University, Marylands oldest historically black university, has not been identified, but police say they will release his name after notifying next of kin.
Irans President Hassan Rouhani won re-election by a wide margin Saturday, giving the moderate cleric a second four-year term.

The 68-year-old incumbent secured a commanding lead of 57 percent. His nearest rival in the four-man race was hard-liner Ebrahim Raisi, who secured 38 percent of the vote.

Rouhani won the presidential election back in 2013 with only 51 percent of the vote.

As Rouhani appeared close to victory, some female drivers held out the V for victory sign and flashed their car lights on highways in Tehran's affluent north.

"We made the victory again. We sent back Raisi to Mashhad," his conservative hometown in northeastern Iran, said Narges, a 43 year-old beauty salon owner, who declined to give her full name. She said she spent more than three hours outside waiting to vote, "but it was worth it."

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli announced the vote tallies in a televised news conference, based on a count of more than 99 percent of the ballots. He said Rouhani garnered 23.5 million votes out of 41.2 million ballots cast. Iran has 56.4 million eligible voters.

Iran's president is the second-most powerful figure within Iran's political system. He is subordinate to the supreme leader, who is chosen by a clerical panel and has the ultimate say over all matters of state.

Election officials repeatedly extended voting hours until midnight to accommodate long lines of voters, some of whom said they waited hours to cast their ballots. Analysts have said a higher turnout would likely benefit Rouhani.

Friday's vote was largely a referendum on Rouhani's more moderate political policies, which paved the way for the landmark 2015 nuclear deal that won Iran relief from some sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.

Rouhani has come to embody more liberal and reform-minded Iranians' hopes for greater freedoms and openness at home, and better relations with the outside world.

Raisi, his nearest challenger, is close to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, who stopped short of endorsing anyone in the election. Raisi ran a populist campaign, vowing to fight corruption and fix the economy while boosting welfare payments to the poor.

The two other candidates left in the race, Mostafa Mirsalim, a former culture minister, and Mostafa Hashemitaba, a pro-reform figure who previously ran for president in 2001, respectively have 478,000 and 215,000 votes each.

Hashemitaba was among the first to predict an outright win for Rouhani as he offered his congratulations Saturday morning.

"Rouhani will apply his ever-increasing efforts for the dignity of Iran" in his next term, the reformist said.

The Tehran Stock Exchange rallied after the election results came out, extending a recent winning streak to close nearly 1 percent higher at its highest level in three months.

Although considered a moderate by Iranian standards, Rouhani was nonetheless the favorite pick for those seeking more liberal reforms in the conservative Islamic Republic.

He appeared to embrace a more reform-minded role during the campaign as he openly criticized hard-liners and Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard, a paramilitary force involved in the war in Syria and the fight against Islamic State militants in neighboring Iraq.

That gave hope to his supporters, who during recent campaign rallies called for the release of two reformist leaders of the 2009 Green Movement who remain under house arrest. The two figures, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi, both endorsed Raisi, as did Mohammad Khatami, another reformist who served as Iran's president from 1997 to 2005.

Iran has no credible political polling to serve as harder metrics for the street buzz around candidates, who need more than 50 percent of the vote to seal victory and avoid a runoff. But what scant data that was available before the vote showed Rouhani in the lead.

The position of president is a powerful post. He oversees a vast state bureaucracy employing more than 2 million people, is charged with naming Cabinet members and other officials to key posts, and plays a significant role in shaping both domestic and foreign policy.

All candidates for elected office must be vetted, a process that excludes anyone calling for radical change, along with most reformists. No woman has ever been approved to run for president.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
North Koreas deputy U.N. envoy said on Friday that the country will continue to strengthen its nuclear program as a necessary measure needed to counter U.S. aggression.

Kim In Ryong told reporters that the U.S. hostile policy towards North Korea is the root of all problems and that putting a definite end to this would be a prerequisite for solving all problems on the Korean peninsula, Reuters reports.

North Korea tested a longer-range missile last weekend, which experts say was a significant advance for a weapons program that aims at having a nuclear-tipped missile that can strike America. The test triggered a new U.S.-backed push for a fresh round of U.N. sanctions against the North.

Kim praised the test launch and said that regardless of U.S. sanctions, Pyongyang would never abandon its nuclear deterrence for self-defense and pre-emptive strike capability.

At the Pentagon, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said that the recent missile test showed North Korea isnt complying with pressure from the international community.

He stressed the need for a peaceful resolution, stating that a military solution to the standoff with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program would be "tragic on an unbelievable scale.".

"If this goes to a military solution it is going to be tragic on an unbelievable scale, and so our effort is to work with the U.N., work with China, work with Japan, work with South Korea to try to find a way out of this situation," Mattis said.

All 15 members of the U.N. Security Council this week called the launch a violation of existing sanctions and vowed to take new measures, including additional sanctions.

President Trump is looking to both China and Russia, the two permanent members on the Security Council, to join the U.S.-backed campaign of diplomatic and economic pressure on North Korea to get it to denuclearize.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Have you ever been in a real-life situation where you found yourself saying, You just cant make this stuff up? Well, I found myself saying just that while moving my grandmother, who lives in Maryland, into a senior citizens community this week.

Being 89 years old with limited mobility, she wasnt able to do as much packing on her own as she thought she could. The plan was for the movers to come, help her finish, and then take the boxes and her furniture to her new apartment. Unfortunately, it didnt quite work out like that and a large majority of her belongings were left at her old house.

Not having anymore boxes, my mother bagged some things up in large black lawn trash bags for me to take to my grandmothers new place. All was going well until I went to bring in the last, and heaviest, trash bag.

As I entered the building, I heard plunk, plunk, plunk as something hit the floor. When I looked down to see what it was, I realized that there was a hole in the bag and decorative marbles were falling out onto the floor and rolling everywhere. Yes, I was dropping small round objects that could cause someone to take a terrible tumble should they step on themin a senior citizens center.

I frantically attempted to pick up the marbles that had fallen on the floor, only to have more fall out in the process. I made my way across the lobby and into the elevator, dropping marbles and picking them up again as I went.

A little old lady was standing in the hall as the elevator doors opened on my grandmothers floor. Of course, more marbles fell out when I stepped off. She said, Hon, I think you dropped something. To which I replied, Yes, I think I have lost my marblesliterally. I told you. You cant make this stuff up.

Despite my little comic episode, it was a pleasure to be able to help my grandmother move into her new apartment. I saw it not only as a way to bless her, but also as a way to be obedient to the command to honor your father and mother found in the Ten Commandments.

In the original Hebrew language, the word for honor meant heavy or weight. To honor someone meant, I weigh you down with respect and prestige. I place upon you great worth and value.

My grandmother may not technically be my mother, but she devoted her life to caring for my brothers and me when my father abandoned us. I lived with her on weekends. She worked at our private Christian school for no pay in exchange for our tuition.

She even got up early one morning and stood in a long line at Ticketmaster so that I could get great seats at the New Kids on The Block concert. To top that, she went to the concert with thousands of screaming preteen girls and never once complained.

I could fill this entire newspaper with all the things she has done for me throughout my life. Because of who she is, it is easy to follow the command to honor her. But what if our parents do not necessarily deserve honor? What if they have hurt, abused or abandoned us?

God commands us to honor our parents regardless of their performance, behavior and dysfunction. In doing so, we are required to walk by faith. I admit that I found this difficult to do for many years in regards to my father. His addictions and selfish desires always came before his children.

In my fathers case, I believe the best way that I can honor him is by the way I live my life. I have been vigilant against falling prey to addictions. I selflessly give to others whenever I am able to do so. I gave everything I had to educate young people against the dangers of substance abuse. Sometimes we honor our parents by becoming the exact opposite of who they are.

For an adult child, honoring our parents means recognizing what theyve done right in our lives. It means seeing them through the eyes of Christ, with understanding and compassion. It means forgiving them as Christ has forgiven us.

We do not honor our parents because they deserve it. We honor them because God commands us to. Sometimes they may drive us crazy and we may feel like we have lost our marbles, but honoring our parents, however God leads us to do so, can bring great satisfaction and healing to our lives.
Judy Hart gave a little woohoo from the audience when the King George Board of Supervisors broadened the countys tax relief program for the elderly and disabled.

The supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to increase income limits for the program from $25,000 to $40,000 a year. The change makes more King George residents eligible for being excluded from paying any real-estate taxes.

Im very excited because there are some people who desperately need and deserve this program because of their situation and at this point in their lives, said Hart, King Georges commissioner of revenue. Its an excellent program for folks who have this need.

The Virginia Department of Taxation allows localities to offer some sort of tax relief to residents over 65 and those who are totally disabled. A constitutional amendment in 2010 allowed towns, cities and counties to set their own limits on income and assetsand as a result, the program varies greatly from one locality to another in the Fredericksburg region.

A March story in The Free LanceStar noted that King George County had the second lowest income qualification in the area. Only those with the most limited meansno more than $25,000 of income a yearqualified in the rural county.

At the request of Supervisor Chairwoman Ruby Brabo, who first asked in 2013 to change the requirement, the income level was raised. Hart, who was elected two years ago, also expressed interest in having the income levels changed.

I think this is a win for the citizens of this county, Brabo said.

While King George previously had a low income requirement, it is one of the few localities in the Fredericksburg area that exempt the total real-estate bill. Fauquier County does the same, and Orange County exempts qualifiers from up to 90 percent of the bill.

Other localities offer a flat exemption, ranging from up to $1,000 in Caroline County and up to $3,000 in Stafford County.

The deadline to apply for tax relief in King George was March 1, and 44 people signed up, Hart said. At least five others asked about the program, but didnt qualify because their income was above $25,000 a year.

Residents in any locality who have questions about the program can contact their commissioners of revenue. Participants in the tax relief program have to apply annually, and the deadline varies from one locality to another, from March 1 to May 1.
The Embrey Mill neighborhood in Stafford County came alive Friday morning as dozens of people lined the sidewalks to welcome home the newest residentsa wounded veteran and his family.

At a heart-warming home dedication ceremony, retired U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Goodrich; his wife, Jacqueline; and their two children, Lucy, 8, and Tag, 5, were presented with the keys to their new, mortgage-free home.

Retired Marine Lt. Gen. Ron Christmas said Goodrich and his family exemplify the virtues of honor, courage and commitment.

I only have to look to my left to see courage, Christmas said, referring to Goodrich at his side. Michael is truly a hero and represents all the young men and women who serve today.

Goodrich served in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2012, he sustained severe injuries to his jaw and the right side of his body after his outpost in Afghanistan was attacked. His service earned him a Purple Heart, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star and the Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star.

Christmas said it is important to honor veterans. He returned home from the Vietnam War during a time when veterans received little recognition. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1996 after 34 years of active duty. His service in the Vietnam War earned him the Navy Cross and the Purple Heart.

By honoring the Goodrich family with this new home, you honor all veterans, Christmas said.

The Goodrich familys journey to their new home began on Veterans Day, when Operation Finally Homea nonprofit that brings together organizations and individuals to provide homes for veteranssurprised them with the news at a Washington Wizards game at the Verizon Center.

Just weeks later, the community gathered for a ground-breaking ceremony followed by the Notes of Love event in February where members of community got the opportunity to write inspirational notes on the studs of the home.

The communitys arms have been open since the very beginning, when the only thing here was a bulldozer and dirt, said Larry Adams-Thompson of Operation Finally Home.

Dale Hall, vice president of operations at Embrey Mill homebuilder Miller & Smith, said dozens of organizations contributed to make the home a reality. One of the most common phrases he heard over and over again from those involved was: What else can I do?

This was not a check-the-box exerciseeveryone involved went above and beyond, Hall said.

Stafford Supervisor Laura Sellers told the family that Stafford, and especially Embrey Mill, is a special place to call home.

A resident of Embrey Mill herself, Sellers said middle and high school-aged children ride their bikes up and down the streets after school, and an ice-cream truck with scoopable ice-cream shows up at their outdoor movie nights in the summer.

This is a great place to live and raise a family, Sellers said. Welcome to the neighborhood.

The Goodrich family is excited about their new beginning.

Were still in a bit of shock and in complete awe of how the community came together to support our family today, and over these last nine months, said Jacqueline. We have a forever home now, and are the utmost grateful to Operation Finally Home, Miller and Smith, Newland Communities and to everyone who helped welcome us into a new chapter of our lives.
Mildes record argues for higher office

I am happy to give my support to Paul Milde in his quest to represent the 28th District of the Virginia House of Delegates. I know of no one better qualified to represent our area.

Paul is a strong leader who will work as hard as they come for our best interests in Richmond. Paul has demonstrated so many times that he can get results.

As a member (currently chairman) of the Stafford Board of Supervisors, he has received well-deserved credit for major Stafford County accomplishments such as saving Crows Nest from development, along with thousands of additional acres all over the county.

Paul is fiscally responsible. That is reflected in the countys AAA bond rating, which is no small feat. He helped in recruiting Germanna Community College and Stafford Hospital to the county. Stafford has led the commonwealth in job, wage and new business growth for 10 years.

I could go on, but clearly we will be in good hands with Pauls representation in the General Assembly, as Stafford residents have been with his service on the Board of Supervisors.

Berkley M. Mitchell

Fredericksburg
Free Freightnet Membership

List your company in the Freightnet directory. It's Free, it's Easy and your company can be displayed in front of potential freight buyers within 24 hours.
New Zealand lamb production is expected to fall by far more than originally anticipated, according to Beef and Lamb New Zealand.

Earlier this month, The New Zealand levy board revised its production forecast down from a 2% to 5% drop to 23.2m head, compared with the 2015-16 season.

The mid-season review also anticipated slaughterings of 19.2m head, a 4% fall compared with last season and a further increase from the 2% predicted back in November, according to AHDB Beef & Lamb.

See also: New Zealand sheepmeat imports down 18%

The two revised reductions will have a knock-on effect for New Zealand lamb exports, which are now expected to fall by 3% to 293,000t product weight.

However, the fall in numbers has been slightly offset due to higher carcass weights as a result of an increase in the availability of feed, according to the UK levy board.

New Zealand is the largest exporter of lamb to the UK, accounting for 72% of the 22,646t of total UK lamb import in the first three months of 2017.

This represents a substantial 18% fall compared with the same three-month period 12 months ago.

German market

The UK lamb trade will be further buoyed by the growing demand for British lamb in Germany.

German lamb consumption has grown for the past two years to 73,000t in 2016, with continued growth forecast for this year, said AHDB Beef & Lamb.

This has been driven by the growth of Germanys Muslim population, with a tradition of high lamb consumption.

However, with a population of more than 82m people, lamb consumption in Germany is still just 850g per person each year.

UK exports to Germany

The UKs share of German lamb imports has quadrupled in past decade to 20%, making it the nations second-largest supplier behind New Zealand.

A contradiction in trade figures between German imports and UK exports puts total UK lamb meat in Germany in 2016 to somewhere between 8,200t and 10,900t.

The German market is a key target for UK lamb and AHDB, with self-sufficiency at just 40% and domestic production forecast to continue to decline.
You can bet the Preakness Stakes online from Michigan in the comfort of your home at any one of the internationally licensed racebooks, none of which will ever require a social security number. Why go to the tracks when you can relax at home or enjoy the race with friends?

If you must go to the tracks, check out Hazel Park north of Michigan, which will be welcoming folks for a Preakness Stakes simulcast viewing.

Do you think Derby winner Always Dreaming has what it takes to win this year's Triple Crown? Join us on Saturday, May 20, to cheer him on and to watch and wager on the 142nd Preakness Stakes! We'll have commemorative Preakness glasses and Black-Eyed Susans for sale, and a night of live thoroughbred racing after the main event! We will be opening at 10:00am. Pimlico's first race is at 10:30. Preakness stakes is race 13. Advanced wagering on the Preakness will be available on Friday, May 19.

There are advantages to betting at either internationally licensed online racebooks or US-based racebooks that we review below.

Bookmaker vs. XpressBet

Bookmaker TWINSPIRES.COM 8 Percent Cash Back No Cash Back Free Cash Signup Bonus Free Cash Signup Bonus In Business Since 1986 Taking Bets Online Less Than 10 years Does Not Require Social Security # Must Provide Social Security # Will Not Report Winnings to Government Reports Tax Info to Government Offers Betting on Hundreds More Events Limited to Horse Betting Betting on Over 50 Race Tracks Betting on Over 50 Race Tracks
You can bet the Preakness Stakes online from Minnesota in the comfort of your home at any one of the internationally licensed racebooks, none of which will ever require a social security number.

In Minnesota, licensed on-track pari-mutuel system of wagering on horse races is legal.

Unlike TwinSpires.com, which does not allow betting from Minnesota, Bookmaker does not require customers to provide a social security number or fill out a tax form in order to join or claim your winnings.

Various methods of deposit and withdrawal are available including credit cards and direct cash transfer.

TwinSpires.com and many of its competitions does not accept bets from these states. Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Puerto Rico, The Virgin Islands, Canada

Bookmaker vs. XpressBet

Bookmaker TWINSPIRES.COM 8 Percent Cash Back No Cash Back Free Cash Signup Bonus Free Cash Signup Bonus In Business Since 1986 Taking Bets Online Less Than 10 years Does Not Require Social Security # Must Provide Social Security # Will Not Report Winnings to Government Reports Tax Info to Government Offers Betting on Hundreds More Events Limited to Horse Betting Betting on Over 50 Race Tracks Betting on Over 50 Race Tracks
You can bet the Preakness Stakes online from Pennsylvania in the comfort of your home at any one of the internationally licensed racebooks, none of which will ever require a social security number. Most US-based horse books restrict a large swath of PAs population.

There are restrictions when it comes to betting at one of the handful of US-based horse betting sites like XpressBet and TwinSpires from PA.

For example, residents located within 35 miles of Parx, Penn National, Pocono Downs, Harrahs Philly, or Presque Isle Downs are prohibited from opening Xpressbet accounts. That includes folks living in the Philadelphia area.There are advantages to betting at either internationally licensed online racebooks or US-based racebooks that we review below.

Bookmaker vs. XpressBet

Bookmaker TWINSPIRES.COM 8 Percent Cash Back No Cash Back Free Cash Signup Bonus Free Cash Signup Bonus In Business Since 1986 Taking Bets Online Less Than 10 years Does Not Require Social Security # Must Provide Social Security # Will Not Report Winnings to Government Reports Tax Info to Government Offers Betting on Hundreds More Events Limited to Horse Betting Betting on Over 50 Race Tracks Betting on Over 50 Race Tracks
You can bet the Preakness Stakes online from Wisconsin in the comfort of your home at any one of the worldwide licensed racebooks. BetUS is one such website and they will NEVER report your winnings or ask for a social security number.

Wisconsin does not have race tracks so plenty of folks will be wagering from their place of residence.

There will be viewing parties throughout the state with the most heavily promoted perhaps in Middleton at the Bishops Bay Country Club near Madison. You will need to be a member however.

There are advantages to betting at either internationally licensed online racebooks or US-based racebooks that we review below.

2021 Preakness Stakes Odds

Medina Spirit +200

Concert Tour +265

Midnight Bourbon +600

Crowded Trade +1200

Risk Taking +1200

Rombauer +1200

Keepmeinmind +1600

Unbridled Honor +2200

France Go de Ina +2500

Ram +3300

BetUS vs. XpressBet

BetUS TWINSPIRES.COM Free Bets No Cash Back Free Cash Signup Bonus Free Cash Signup Bonus In Business Since 1994 Taking Bets Online Less Than 10 years Does Not Require Social Security # Must Provide Social Security # Will Not Report Winnings to Government Reports Tax Info to Government Offers Betting on Hundreds More Events Limited to Horse Betting Betting on Over 50 Race Tracks Betting on Over 50 Race Tracks
Jan. 6, 1950  May 15, 2017

Gregory C. Sullens, 67, of Sweet Home passed away Monday.

He was born to Claud and Peggy (Dietz) Sullens.

He graduated from Sweet Home High School in 1968, and enlisted with the United States Marine Corp. After basic training at Camp Pendleton, Greg was deployed to Vietnam, where he fought and served with honor until 1972. He was awarded the Purple Heart for his injuries sustained during combat.

Upon returning home from Vietnam, Greg married Dee (Ego), and they started their family in Sweet Home. They had two children, Ali and Kyle.

Greg worked for many years at the Champion Mill site in Lebanon until he and his wife purchased Santiam Spray Service in 1986. Greg owned and operated Santiam Spray Service for 21 years and was a leader in the field of herbicide and pesticide management.

Upon his retirement in 2007, Greg was able to enjoy many years pursuing his hobbies and interests. There are several less sage rats in the state of Oregon, thanks to Gregs many hunting trips with friends.

Greg was able to continue pursuing his love for vintage cars and trucks, and had many restored.

Spending time at his cabin in the forest was one of his latest pastimes, as was traveling. He also enjoyed spending time helping out up on Kyles farm, where he and Dee raised their own kids. Many of his friends and acquaintances were the benefactors of his unique generosity and eccentric humor.

Greg is survived by his two children, Ali Gardner and Kyle Sullens; and five grandchildren, Gavin and Grace Gardner, Amelia, Olivia and Sophia Sullens.

He will be missed greatly by his family.

A memorial service will be hosted by his children at 10 a.m. on Saturday June 3 at Sweet Home Funeral Chapel.

Memorial donations can be made in Gregs name to SHEM (Sweet Home Emergency Ministries), one of the many charitable organizations that Greg supported locally.

Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling arrangements. www.sweethomefuneral.com
So when did Ashlee Chavez know that coming to the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library was a good fit?

When she found out the library had eliminated fines for late returns for juvenile and young adult items.

That was one of the things that led me to say yes, Chavez said Friday in an interview on a bench in front of the library. It was about accessibility and it made sense. Libraries should be about eliminating barriers to access. And its not just dollar signs. And I thought this is the type of place where people think like me about libraries.

Chavez, 32, has been thinking about libraries for much of her life. A veteran of library work in Phoenix, Arizona; Lompoc, California; and San Antonio, Texas, Chavez is finishing her first week as director of the Corvallis-Benton County system. Chavez replaces Carolyn Rawles, who retired Nov. 1 after 18-plus years as the director here.

Chavez, who will earn just more than $100,000 per year in her new position, already has had the grand tour, visiting the branch outlets in Philomath, Monroe and Alsea.

The branch libraries really impressed me," she said. "The money (for the buildings) was raised in the community. It shows a real passion and dedication to libraries. You dont find that in just any community.

Chavez, who had risen to the position of library director in Lompoc, said returning to that post was an important factor in the move to Corvallis.

I moved to San Antonio because I wanted to be in a big city again, Chavez said. But after being there a couple of years and having a one-hour commute each way though its only 7 miles to work  well, I have no desire to live in a big city anymore.

I wanted to move to a community the right size, good to raise a family in and put down roots. When I was director I felt pride at the job I had done when I got home. In a big library its harder to get things done. Every community has its processes and bureaucracy. In a medium-size place its easier to get things done. I wanted to go somewhere where I felt I could be myself, do creative and innovative things and really serve the community.

Now that Im here, I know I made the right decision. Its awesome. It feels perfect.

Chavez has filled virtually every library role possible in her previous stops. Circulation, story time, reference desk, managing programs. And budget work.

"Making sure that people's tax money is put to good use. Even that felt great. I've always loved library work ... talking to people, helping them find stuff."

Chavezs daughter, Caitlyn, just turned 4, and Chavez and her husband, Mark, did not want to disrupt her school years with a lot of moving. Ashlee grew up in a U.S. Air Force family and "had a nomadic childhood."

Caitlyn has become a reader, which has opened up an even greater appreciation for libraries on the part of her mother.

Its been really cool, Chavez said. Children are really amazing the way they develop with language and reading. Having a child with the love of reading makes me love my job even more. A lot of people do only come to the library because of their children. Its a great way to instill interest in literacy.
Corvallis 10-year-old Eyra Neil forgot to tell her neighbors that a fire truck would be picking her up for school on Friday.

So they kind of came running out to see what was going on, she said with a giggle.

The fourth-grader was this years winner of the annual essay contest put on by the Corvallis Fire Department to become fire chief for a day. Firefighters drove Eyra to Adams Elementary School, where her classmates greeted her enthusiastically.

She then met Mayor Biff Traber, who encouraged the 10-year-old to email or call him with more good ideas, Eyra said. She won the contest with an essay about a fire prevention festival she would plan as fire chief.

Eyra also met Fire Chief Roy Emery, who allowed her to send an email to the department thanking them for the opportunity to be fire chief for a day. She then ate pizza with the Station 1 firefighters before taking a ride in the bucket of a ladder truck. Eyra, 100 feet in the air and wearing a blue hard hat over her long hair, gazed down at the firefighters watching her from below.

I have not been up that high before, she said after returning to the ground. That was a brand new experience. I was so excited.

She also raced a firefighter to see how fast they could put on all the turnout gear.

He won by a couple of gloves, Eyra said.

Fire prevention officer Carmen Westfall taught Eyra how to use a fire extinguisher. A firefighter then lit a small blaze in a bucket, which Eyra put out with a plume of white foam.

Since the experience to be a fire chief for a day is only open to fourth-graders, Eyra said it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Unless the 10-year-old grows up to be a firefighter.

I think that being a firefighter would be just amazing, she said. You get to help a lot of people out.
One of the problems of the American health care system, is that it really is not a system. Instead, it is a fraying web of insurance monopolies whose business models are based on selling policies to healthy people and denying service to the unhealthy.

If you have private health insurance and think you can rely on it, consider this question: Whats the greatest cause of personal bankruptcy in America? Answer: 62 percent of all bankruptcies are attributed to inability to pay medical bills. And about 75 percent of those declaring bankruptcy have some form of health insurance! Every year, about 600,000 Americans declare health cost-related bankruptcy; can you ensure you wont be among them?

At the projected rate of increase, it has been estimated that health costs for an average American family of four will equal the income for that same family by 2030. Obviously, that is neither sustainable nor possible, because total collapse will come before that point is reached.

This should make the average American break out in cold sweats, but that doesnt include many members of Congress  like Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz, who recently advised Americans that they could pay for their health care rather than buying a new iPhone! Chaffetz, recipient of free health care at the Cadillac level, thinks a $500 expenditure will fix a $10,000 problem (the average cost for healthcare in 2016).

Another problem with American health care is the denial among too many of those we elect to serve us. Rather than deal in reality, they blithely refer to the free market as the solution for health care. The fact is that Congress hasnt allowed a truly free market among insurance and pharmaceutical companies for decades, practically encouraging corporate mergers which kill competition. Further, Congress has cynically prevented negotiation for affordable drug prices, leading America to the highest pharmaceutical costs in the world. American health care is killing us.

No, this is not a system  its a train wreck, happening slowly, but surely, across America. And providing health care to Americans is not a new problem. As the British journal of medicine, Lancet, just observed, Millions of (American) citizens do not now have a full measure of opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health. Millions do not now have protection or security against the economic effects of sickness. The time has arrived for action to help them attain that opportunity and that protection. The time was Nov 19, 1945, and the author of the quote was President Harry S. Truman.

Seventy-two years later, America still hasnt solved its glaring problem, while the rest of the developed world has moved on to one form or another of universal health care. Is a universal system of health care, such as single payer, a magic pill? No, but its the best way to remove excess costs related to profit-making and wasteful administration. And where a universal system exists, people are mostly grateful for it. Employers like it because they are no longer burdened with having to constantly search for the best insurance for their employees, and employees are no longer chained to their jobs for fear of losing that insurance.

Lacking leadership at the federal level, several states are now looking to create their own true system of a universal health care for their residents  Oregon among them. Credible studies have shown that single payer is feasible and affordable, and that everyone is benefited by health care for all. But to achieve it, your voice and your vote will be needed to finally stop the train wreck.

We can do better!
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
Court case : Distinct evidence of rape and robbery

Bonn The case shocked the people in and around Bonn two months ago - now a 31-year-old faces charges of rape in a particularly severe case and severe extortionate robbery.

Teilen

Teilen Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Tweeten

Tweeten Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Drucken

About two months ago, the people in Bonn and the surrounding region were shocked: A young couple from the South of Germany, who was camping on a meadow in the Siegaue near Geislar, was attacked, threatened and robbed during the night. At the end, the 23-year-old female student was raped by a dark skinned stranger, only meters away from the tent, while he supposedly threatened her with a keyhole saw. Her 26-year-old boyfriend had to watch helplessly.

All he could do was to make an emergency call. When the police arrived, the culprit had already disappeared into the dark. In connection with this case, six days later a 31-year-old asylum seeker from Ghana was arrested in Beuel thanks to an extensive public search with photofit picture. The charges of rape in a particularly severe case and severe extortionate robbery were disclosed by the Bonn prosecution on Friday. The 31-year-old is to be brought before the criminal division of the district court, according to spokesman Bastian Sczech. Already weeks prior the assault during the night before April 2, the refugee, who came into the country via Italy illegally, was seen in the area around the banks of the Rhine.

The evening before the assault he was seen by witnesses. The theft of the rucksack, which the accused is supposed to have stolen from teenagers at a barbecue party under the Nordbrucke, remained unobserved. The keyhole saw, which the accused used during the robbery and the sexual assault, was contained in that rucksack. Shortly after midnight, according to the prosecution, he tore the tents tarpaulin, woke the sleeping couple and demanded money very aggressively. They gave him six Euro, and he also took a loudspeaker. Only then the assailant got interested in the young woman, who was standing half naked before him. In broken English he called her a slut, grabbed her and declared that he wanted to have sex.

It cannot be ruled out that the refugee was only on a raid when he spontaneously decided to abuse the female student sexually, says Sebastian Bu, spokesman for the prosecution. But that is only a speculation. Of course, you cannot examine his thoughts. Not least, because the accused remained mainly silent and denies to have been at the crime scene that night. It is beyond question for the investigators that he is indeed the rapist - due to the DNA traces alone. But there is more proof: When the 31-year-old was arrested, he was carrying the stolen loudspeaker under his arm. And he also had the rucksack, which he stole at the barbecue party, with him. The accused, who claims he went to secondary school in Ghana, stems from a clan who runs a cocoa plantation, by his own account. Because of a severe falling out with the family, he had to flee. Italy already denied his application for asylum, and as Germany also denies him a right of residence, deportation looms.
Shopping : Hats, ice-cream and fashion: Bonns city centre changes constantly

Bonn The Bonn city centre is constantly changing: Some shops get renovated, on the other hand some branches close. The Friedrichstrae soon will have one empty shop less, and since the closure of Hut Weber, with Hut.de there is now a new place near the Dreieck to ensure people can get through the summer with fashionable hats.

Teilen

Teilen Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Tweeten

Tweeten Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Drucken

Das Eislabor is opening its third Bonn branch, at the Friedrichstrae. With homemade ice-cream from natural ingredients the owner, Petra Recker, has made a name for herself beyond Bonn. According to internet ratings, her ice-cream outlets are some of the best in the entire country.

After opening two Eislabors in the Maxstrae in the old town and in the Friedrich-Breuer-Strae in Beuel, fans of special flavors like salty caramel, avocado and lemon with lavender flower can look forward to enjoying their ice-cream at the branch in the Friedrichstrae. Classic flavors like vanilla, stracciatelle and strawberry sorbet are available too, of course. A staff member confirmed the opening of the new brand to happen on June 10, just in time for the Friedrichstraenfest on Saturday, June 17. Hats are not just available at Galeria Kaufhof, Karstadt and SinnLeffers but now also at Hut.de. The shop opened last autumn and is the specialized hat store in town, important place to got for all hat lovers.

The hit hat this summer: the Panama hat, as employee Helga Bursch reveals. For men and women, apparently. Also, the flat cap never goes out of style. In the premises of what was formerly Hut Weber, there is change on the horizon too - on June 1, a tailor will open its doors, according to a notice on the shop window. The Mexx branch near the Marktbruke is closed again, after it already closed briefly in 2013 following a take-over by a Turkish textile enterprise.

Mexx was reopened at that time, and has now shut its doors. Advertising at the premises suggests that Super Dry is about to open a shop there. There is no date to be confirmed yet. A change of licensees is also imminent at the Bottlerplatz. On July 15, the Tommy Hilfiger Store will close. We did not extend our franchise contract, says store manager Gotz Sundermann, without revealing any details. On September 1, this property will be turned into a Levis shop. The haberdasher Baron & Earl in the Acherstrae is currently running a clearance sale due to closure of its business. After six years, the owner Dirk Scharpenberg, will close the shop doors for good - the last day of sale will be July 1.
One of the largest gold nuggets in modern times pulled from Northern Californias Gold Country has sold to a secret buyer.

The new owner of the so-called Butte Nugget and its exact price will both remain mysteries at the buyers request, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Saturday.

But Don Kagin, the Tiburon-based coin dealer who brokered the deal, said that a prominent Bay Area collector paid about $400,000 for the nugget weighing 6.07 pounds. That wasnt far off from the asking price, he said.

Lets just say its a win-win for everybody, Kagin said, adding that the nugget went up for sale Thursday with the deal finalized on Friday.

Historically, prospectors found giant gold nuggets in California during the 19th century Gold Rush days, including a 54-pound chunk found in Butte County in 1859. It has been decades since a report of anyone discovering a rock of 6 pounds or more in California.

The gold hunter who found the nugget found it in July in the mountains of Butte County. He also asked Kagin to keep his name and the location of the discovery a secret.

Reports of the nuggets pending sale caused a near frenzy among gold and history buffs, with the newspaper reporting one bidder inquiring from Australia.

We spoke with six different people who seemed to have a legitimate interest, said David McCarthy, Kagins chief numismatist. But he was the first person to make an offer and he had the right prices.

Note: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by AP.
Special curved technology used

As mentioned earlier, the Galaxy S7 Edge was the first one to embed quad-edge flexible technology on their display which comes with the curves at both top and bottom.

Also Read: Pre-order Galaxy S8 and S8+ and redeem free wireless charger

On the other hand, by using the special curved technology, the radius of the curvature present at the left and right edges of this AMOLED screen can be varied. This makes the device to have a curved display with natural curve design.

Comparison with Galaxy S8 display

The recently released much-hyped smartphones, Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ also sport the similar display with lessened bezels at the top and bottom.

This technology used in Galaxy S8 duo is called as Infinity Display. When compared with Galaxy S7 Edge, the screen of the new S8 device comes with a higher screen-to-body ratio with a resolution of 2,960 x 1,440 pixels.

Display used in upcoming Note 8

Everyone are waiting for the launch of the refurbished Galaxy Note 8. It is also expected to come with an Infinity Display similar to S8.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 to feature a dual-camera setup similar to iPhone 7 Plus

As per the rumors, the Note 8 will sport a 6.3-inch UHD display with 4K resolution. There is a high chance of company once again getting rewarded with the same award next year.
Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

OUTHWEST ASIA, May 19, 2017  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 27 strikes consisting of 65 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

U.S. Central Command continues to work with partner nations to conduct targeted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria as part of the comprehensive strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.

Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 19 strikes consisting of 27 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Abu Kamal, five strikes destroyed 10 ISIS oil storage tanks, three ISIS wellheads and an ISIS oil tanker.

-- Near At Tanf, two strikes destroyed two front-end loaders, a piece of construction equipment, a tactical vehicle and a tank.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike engaged and ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.

-- Near Raqqa, eight strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units; destroyed four fighting positions, two tunnels, two vehicle bomb-making facilities, a mortar system, a vehicle, a supply cache, an ISIS headquarters, a weapons cache, and a tactical vehicle; and damaged three fighting positions.

-- Near Tabqah, three strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed a vehicle, a fighting position and a tunnel entrance.

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted eight strikes consisting of 38 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Huwayjah, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed an ISIS warehouse.

-- Near Mosul, five strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units and a sniper; destroyed 13 fighting positions, three rocket systems, two heavy machine guns, two medium machine guns, a vehicle bomb, and a mortar system; and damaged seven fighting positions and three ISIS supply routes.

-- Near Sinjar, a strike destroyed four ISIS-held buildings.

-- Near Tal Afar, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a tactical vehicle.

Additionally, five strikes were conducted in Iraq and Syria on May 16 and 17 that closed within the last 24 hours:

-- Near Raqqa, Syria, on May 16, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed six ISIS-held buildings, four ISIS tunnels, two fighting positons and one tactical vehicle.

-- Near Sinjar, Iraq, on May 17, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed three vehicles.

-- Near Raqqa, Syria, on May 17, three strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed two fighting positions and a supply cache; and damaged two ISIS supply routes and a fighting position.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

These strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The destruction of ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria also further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct external operations throughout the region and the rest of the world, task force officials said.

The list above contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft; rocket-propelled artillery; and some ground-based tactical artillery when fired on planned targets, officials noted.

Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike, they added. A strike, as defined by the coalition, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single or cumulative effect. For example, task force officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined, officials said.

The task force does not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Department of the Army announces 1st Cavalry Division deployment

By U.S. Army Public Affairs May 19, 2017

WASHINGTON -- The Department of the Army announced today the summer 2017 deployment of approximately 3,500 soldiers from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, to the Republic of Korea.

As part of the regular rotation of forces, the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team will replace the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division and support the United States Forces-Korea's commitment to our Republic of Korea partners.

"The Black Jack Brigade looks forward to returning to the Republic of Korea," said Col. Steve Adams, commander of 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. "Our troopers are trained and ready for this vital mission, and we are honored to sustain and strengthen this longstanding strategic alliance."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Balikatan 2017 comes to closure with ceremony

US Marine Corps News

By Staff Sgt. Peter Reft | May 19, 2017

Leaders from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, U.S. military, representatives from Japan Self-Defense Forces and Australian Defence Force, as well as local government officials concluded this year's Balikatan exercise at Camp Aguinaldo, May 19, 2017.

The ceremony marked the conclusion of two weeks of bilateral U.S.-Philippine military exercises that focused on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counterterrorism, and other combined military operations.

Leaders came together to speak on behalf of all involved parties to show their appreciation for the teamwork and friendships that made the 33rd Balikatan successful.

"Together, we have just completed a tremendous event that focuses on missions that enhance the combined capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States, along with contributing forces from Australia and Japan," said U.S. Marine Brig. Gen. Brian Cavanaugh, deputy commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific. "We train together as partners and allies while strengthening our friendship."

AFP leaders also recognized the strengthening friendship and addressed service members who participated in the events.

"As I toured and visited the various events of the combined Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Special Forces, I saw and felt your passion and enthusiasm to improve your skills as military professionals," said Armed Forces of the Philippines Lt. Gen. Oscar Lactao, Philippine exercise director.

AFP leaders also expressed how their U.S.-Philippine military history of standing together with common goals tied into Balikatan exercises.

"These challenges have given us opportunities to further strengthen our ties," said Gen. Eduardo Ano, chief of staff, AFP. "Balikatan exercises have been an avenue for us to nurture our bond as well, and they are manifestations of our unity of trust and willingness to come each other's aid in times of need."

Ano added that he was certain this year's lessons will enhance interoperability between partners.

Top military leaders expressed how this year's successful Balikatan exercise further developed their nations' partnership.

"I cannot be any more pleased with the manner in which our militaries have worked together and once again demonstrated the enduring bonds which exist between us, bonds that have been forged from years of working together shoulder to shoulder," Canavaugh said.

The Philippine Secretary of Defense concluded the ceremony by explaining the core principal for which Balikatan exercises are held.

"Balikatan is a perfect demonstration of collaboration, proving that nations will be stronger if they work together and that the weight of threats and challenges is made lighter if we shoulder the burden together," said Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






U.S., JMSDF Complete PASSEX in South China Sea

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS170519-10

Release Date: 5/19/2017 10:24:00 AM

From Destroyer Squadron 7 Public Affairs

SOUTH CHINA SEA (NNS) -- Ships from the U.S Navy and Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) completed a passing exercise (PASSEX) in the South China Sea, May 18.

The PASSEX included personnel exchanges, cross-deck flight operations, communications exercises, division tactics, a tracking exercise and photo exercise. The bilateral event aimed to enhance interoperability between the two navies and emphasized the importance of communications and coordination while operating together at sea.

"This was another great opportunity for the U.S. Navy to work closely with JMSDF at sea," said Capt. Alexis Walker, deputy commodore, Destroyer Squadron 7. "Integrating the crews through personnel exchanges allows our Sailors to build and strengthen the personal relationships that are the foundation of our naval partnership."

Ships participating from the JMSDF included the Izumo-class helicopter destroyer JS Izumo (DDH-183), with embarked Escort Flotilla One Command Element, and the Takanami-class destroyer JS Sazanami (DD-113).

"The U.S.-Japan alliance is stronger than it has ever been, and it is growing stronger," remarked Rear Adm. Yoshihiro Goka, commander, Escort Flotilla One. "Conducting bilateral exercises with U.S. Navy regularly, JS Izumo and JS Sazanami will contribute to regional peace and stability in this Indo-Asia-Pacific region."

Participating for the U.S. Navy was the littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS 4). Coronado Commanding Officer Cmdr. Doug Meagher talked about the importance of the exercise.

"This PASSEX allowed the Coronado crew to operate and train side-by-side with professional sailors from one of the world's most capable naval forces," said Meagher. "Our ships executed flawlessly while operating in close proximity, and that's a testament to not only the expertise of the U.S. and JMSDF sailors, but also to the strength of our naval partnership."

Personnel exchanges were conducted through cross-deck helicopter operations utilizing Coronado's embarked MH-60S and the SH-60K Seahawk aboard Izumo.

The three ships conducted precision maneuvering events and communication exercises while underway, both focused on ensuring the two navies are prepared to work together efficiently in future operations.

"My ship, JS Izumo, the largest ship in the JMSDF, has high capability in support of HA/DR (humanitarian assistance/disaster relief) activities in this region," said Capt. Yoshihiro Kai, commanding officer, JS Izumo. "This bilateral exercise improved our teamwork, tactical skill and readiness."

"Bilateral exercise like this increased tactical skills and improve response capabilities," said Cmdr. Hirotaka Okumura, commanding officer, JS Sazanami.

A PASSEX is unique because it allows navies to operate closely and in ways shore exercises do not allow. It further provides the crews with real-life situations to practice their everyday watchstanding and communication skills with foreign vessels.

Prior to the PASSEX, the three ships participated in the International Maritime Defense Exhibition (IMDEX) in Singapore. IMDEX is one of the largest maritime exhibitions in the Asia-Pacific region, featuring a trade show and a series of multilateral exercises and exchanges.

On behalf of Commander, Task Force 73, Destroyer Squadron 7 serves as operational commander for littoral combat ships rotationally deployed to 7th Fleet, and conducts advanced planning, organizes resources, and directly supports the execution of maritime engagements such as the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise series, the Naval Engagement Activity (NEA) with Vietnam, and the multilateral Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) exercise with Bangladesh, Cambodia, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






America ARG and 15th MEU successfully complete COMPTUEX

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS170519-09

Release Date: 5/19/2017 10:16:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kristina Young, USS America (LHA 6) Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- The America Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) successfully completed a Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) off the coast of Southern California, May 17.

The 17-day event is the second of three at-sea periods within the integrated training phase aimed at preparing the ARG/MEU team for deployment by testing its ability to react to real-world scenarios and perform as an integrated unit providing a robust set of sea-based capabilities, an extensive set of ship-to-shore connectors, and the ability to respond to crises and deter transnational threats.

The America ARG is comprised of the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), as well as the amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego (LPD 22) and the amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52).

"COMPTUEX allows us the opportunity to demonstrate mobile, lethal and ready combat power," said Capt. Rome Ruiz, commodore of Amphibious Squadron 3. "This exercise has focused on integration, innovation, and sea control. Not only did the ARG/MEU integrate as a blue-green team, but we had the opportunity to integrate and establish sea control with other naval assets including destroyers and carrier strike group assets."

During the exercise, the ARG took tactical control of USS Preble (DDG 88), allowing the ARG to operate in a composite warfare concept structure, while conducting antisubmarine warfare operations. The ARG was also able to work together with the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group to perform highly complicated air warfare evolutions.

"Moreover, innovation was the apex of honing our tactical excellence," said Ruiz. "Mastering new capabilities during this training phase harnesses the ARG/MEU distinct combat power and enables us to project power anytime, anywhere."

Pearl Harbor and her crew were the trailblazers of air innovation during COMPTUEX, embarking aircraft on board and maintaining them for three days, a feat not demonstrated by most amphibious dock landing ship and one that will extend the reach of the ARG in training and on mission. Additionally, each ship ran through a series of evolutions that tested the ARG's ability to respond to different scenarios, such as air-surface warfare, noncombatant evacuation operations, show-of-force transits, maritime infrastructure protection, visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) drills, and air defense exercises, among others.

"We've done a wide array of exercises and used our assets to our advantage to protect the force," said Lt. Cmdr. Todd Blackman, gun boss aboard America. "We have a very capable team on America and in this ARG to support the nation."

COMPTUEX prepares the ship for deployment in a safe training environment where lessons learned can easily be applied going to the final training phase, Certification Exercise (CERTEX).

"COMPTUEX is the time for us to master our environment and resources," said Blackman. "It allows us to sharpen our capabilities and refocus our efforts in the most efficient way. The training environment provides us the opportunity to gain better insight into how to keep the ship and the ARG safe against whatever the aggressor may be, so that next time [during CERTEX] we can perform flawlessly."

The America ARG and the 15th MEU plan to execute integrated pre-deployment training in June during CERTEX to ensure the ARG is ready to deploy later this summer.

"COMPTUEX is vital to our workup cycle because it prepares us to face the threats we will potentially see on deployment," said Intelligence Specialist 1st Class (IW/SW/AW) Matthew Quirk, assigned to the ship's nautical or otherwise photographic interpretation and examination (SNOOPIE) team aboard San Diego. "One of the biggest lessons learned is that communication and logs are key. The ability to recreate events for national-level decision makers relies on this and enables us to see the trends and get ahead of the problem."

More than 1,800 Sailors and 2,600 Marines are assigned to the America ARG and the 15th MEU in preparation for the ARG's deployment later this year.

The ARG and accompanying MEU is comprised of a team whose combined skill sets allow them to execute a wide variety of missions, to include, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, amphibious assaults, VBSS, maritime interdiction operations, noncombatant evacuation operations, tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel, and theater security operations.

America ARG is part of U.S. 3rd Fleet, which leads naval forces in the Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy. U.S. 3rd Fleet constantly coordinates with U.S. 7th Fleet to plan and execute missions based on their complementary strengths to promote ongoing peace, security, and stability throughout the entire Pacific theater of operations.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






China jets intercept US spy plane over East China Sea: US official

Iran Press TV

Fri May 19, 2017 4:45AM

The United States says two Chinese jets have intercepted a US spy plane flying over the East China Sea.

The Chinese Sukhoi Su-30 jets reportedly came within close proximity of an American four-engine WC-135 jet, with one of the Su-30s flying upside down, directly above the American plane, Lieutenant Colonel Lori Hodge, a spokesperson for the US Air Force, said on Thursday.

The Chinese fighter jets had outmaneuvered the US jet, forcing it to descend hundreds of feet from its position.

"The issue is being addressed with China through appropriate diplomatic and military channels," Hodge said.

The crew of the US Air Force WC-135 Constant Phoenix aircraft, also known as a "nuke sniffer," described the confrontation as "unprofessional." One crew member said the intercept was "unprofessional" because of "the maneuvers by the Chinese pilot, as well as the speeds and proximity of both aircraft."

The WC-135 has been regularly deployed on missions in Northeast Asia, according to US officials. The "nuke sniffer" reconnaissance planes have been used in the past to gather evidence of nuclear activities by North Korea, according to reports by US media.

The US's military presence in the region concerns China, which says such presence causes unnecessary tensions.

Chinese forces conducted two more interceptions last year, one in the South China Sea and one in the East China Sea. In the second case, a Chinese J-10 fighter came within 100 feet of a US Navy RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft.

Japan scrambles jets

Meanwhile, Japan said on Friday that it had scrambled fighter jets after a Chinese vessel sailing in disputed waters launched a drone.

Japan dispatched four planes, including two F-15 fighters and an airborne warning and control system (AWACS) plane to waters surrounding the islets on Thursday, Japan's Defense Ministry said.

Japan and China are at odds in a longstanding territorial row over a group of small uninhabited islands in the East China Sea administered as the Senkakus by Japan but claimed as the Diaoyus by China.

Yoshihide Suga, Japan's top government spokesman, told a regular press briefing that the incident took place Thursday and that Japan filed a "strong protest" against China.

"This is a new form of activity by China," he said, adding, "We strictly protested that this is a unilateral escalation and that we absolutely cannot accept it."

Japan has said its military scrambled a record number of jets last year, mostly in response to an increase in approaching Chinese aircraft.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






US Navy deploys second aircraft carrier to North Korea's doorstep

Iran Press TV

Fri May 19, 2017 4:11AM

The US Navy is moving a second aircraft carrier to the Korean Peninsula to take part in training exercises days after North Korea conducted a "successful" ballistic missile test.

The nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan departed for the Korean Peninsula on Tuesday after undergoing a maintenance period and sea trials in its base in Japan, CNN reported.

The Nimitz-class carrier will join the USS Carl Vinson in the region for dual training exercises in a show of force amid rising tensions with Pyongyang.

Together the two ships have a total of 90 F/A-18C Hornet and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighters.

"Coming out of a long in-port maintenance period we have to ensure that Ronald Reagan and the remainder of the strike group are integrated properly as we move forward," Rear Adm. Charles Williams said in a press release.

Once in the region, the Reagan will conduct a range of exercises but primarily focus on certifying its ability to safely launch and recover aircraft, the Navy said.

On Sunday, North Korea test-launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile that many experts believe could be its most advanced yet. The missile flew some 700km (435 miles), reaching an altitude of 2,000km and landing in the sea west of Japan.

After the test, Pyongyang warned the "US mainland and Pacific operations" are within range of North Korean missiles.

American experts also said the latest missile, which reportedly can carry a nuclear warhead, could reach the US state of Hawaii if it was fired on a normal trajectory.

The Carl Vinson strike group was deployed to the region late last month in response to increased missile activity by Pyongyang.

President Donald Trump warned at the time that there was a chance for a "major conflict with North Korea," but said, "We'd love to solve things diplomatically."

Tensions have rapidly escalated on the Korean Peninsula since Trump said in early April he would act "unilaterally" against Pyongyang.

However, Trump later said he would be "honored" to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un under "the right circumstances."

The North has repeatedly said it would not abandon its missile and nuclear programs unless the US ended its hostility toward the country.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






U.S. Military Says 750 IS-Linked Fighters Killed In Afghanistan Since Early March

RFE/RL May 19, 2017

Combined U.S. and Afghan forces have killed 750 Islamic State (IS) extremists in Afghanistan since early March, reducing the militants' territory and fighting strength by two-thirds, the U.S. military says.

A statement on May 19 said joint "counterterrorism" forces of Afghan soldiers and U.S. Special Forces also destroyed "cave and tunnel complexes, command and control centers, and logistics nodes," revealing the "full barbarity" of the militants' operations.

The statement said "over a dozen" of the ISIS Khorasan forces' top leadership had also been killed, using the name of the IS affiliate that operates in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Using another widely known acronym for Islamic State, the statement added that "these operations will continue until ISIS Khorasan is defeated in 2017."

U.S.-backed forces have been in Afghanistan since invading after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks in the United States carried out by Al-Qaeda militants, whose leaders were being harbored by the Taliban-led government.

The coalition drove the Taliban from power, but the militant group has been resurgent in recent years and controls large portions of the country.

U.S. forces in Afghanistan have also been battling IS-linked fighters for more than a year, mainly in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

Nangarhar was the province where the U.S. military on April 13 dropped its most powerful nonnuclear weapon ever used in combat on what it said was a major militant command center, killing some 94 militants.

In early May, the U.S. military confirmed that the IS leader in Afghanistan was killed in a joint Afghan-U.S. operation in Nangarhar.

Abdul Hasib, who was appointed last year following the death of predecessor Hafiz Saeed in a U.S drone strike, was killed in a raid by 50 U.S. Special Forces and 40 Afghan commandos, the military said.

U.S. President Donald Trump is considering a request by the U.S. military to increase U.S. forces in Afghanistan by up to 5,000 troops, adding to the 8,400 U.S. troops now in the country.

The total international force in Afghanistan is about 13,000, down from around 100,000 during the peak of the 16-year U.S. military presence in the country that drove the Taliban from power.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-750-islamic- state-fighters-killed/28498210.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






South Sudan: UN report exposes human rights violations against civilians in Yei

19 May 2017  A United Nations report has documented human rights violations and abuses against civilians that may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity, in what used to be a peaceful multi-ethnic town in South Sudan.

"The conflict in Yei, in particular, highlights the startling level of impunity in South Sudan, which has fed successive cycles of violence across the country," said the report, which contains the findings of an in-depth investigation into violations committed in and around the Central Equatoria town, 150 kilometres southwest of the capital, Juba, between July 2016 and January 2017.

The report by the Human Rights Division of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) exposes violations and abuses by both sides of the conflict, based on ethnicity or their presumed association with the other side, including 114 killings by pro-Government forces.

The extent of the abuses by armed opposition groups remains unclear due to lack of access to areas where these groups are active. The report finds that these violations and abuses may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity and that they warrant further investigation.

Yei had been a largely peaceful town, with between 200,000 and 300,000 residents of many different ethnicities, until July 2016, when violence erupted between Government and opposition forces, which led to the departure of opposition leader Riek Machar into the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

As Government forces chased him, fighting simultaneously broke out along the route, particularly in Yei, fuelling strong divisions along ethnic lines and resulted in targeted killings, arrests, rapes and mass civilian displacement of more than half of the population of the town.

Satellite imagery shows that there was widespread burning of homes and businesses, resulting in the forcible displacement of tens of thousands of civilians.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Report: Corruption in Nigerian Military Benefits Boko Haram

By Salem Solomon May 19, 2017

As Nigeria fights the brutal insurgency of Boko Haram, its army is hampered by an equally dangerous enemy: corruption.

That is according to a new report by Transparency International (TI), a German-based non-governmental organization, which found that Nigerian military officers, politicians and other elites have enriched themselves by diverting money that was meant to fight terror.

Much of this money is said to have disappeared through kickbacks, payments to "ghost soldiers" who don't exist, or via no-bid contracts resulting in inflated spending that benefits politically-connected contractors.

Nigeria's vice president believes that $15 billion was lost on fraudulent arms procurement deals alone.

"Corruption is worsening the conflict, and it's a big driver of insecurity in Nigeria," said Katherine Dixon, Transparency International's program director. "So, over the last 10 years, corrupt elites have profited from the conflict in the northeast and driven Nigeria to a crisis point."

Nigerian military sees 'successes'

Nigeria's director of defense information, Major General John Enenche, told VOA's Daybreak Africa on Thursday that the report is false and unfortunate.

"I would tell the whole world, since 2015, from when this new leadership took over, things have changed," he said. "So, I am suspecting that this kind of report is just meant to tarnish our image, demoralize our troops and discourage the international community that [is] helping us in our efforts to sustain the successes we are attaining in the northeast."

Some of the corruption allegations mentioned in the report predate President Muhammadu Buhari, who made eradicating corruption a major campaign promise.

The administration has taken action to fulfill its pledges, according to Dixon. "What the president has done is, he has set up these ad hoc committees to look into historic spending and has taken some steps to identify and prosecute individuals which have been involved in security sector corruption in the past," she said.

A drop in oil prices has left corrupt officials in Nigeria scrambling for other ways to enrich themselves, according to TI's findings. Since defense makes up 20 percent of Nigeria's budget, it is an attractive target.

Although military rule officially ended in Nigeria in 1999, TI says a small group of senior officers continue to control spending, and they, along with civilian enablers, enrich themselves through schemes like phantom contracts.

In 2014, for instance, National Security Adviser Colonel Sambo Dasuki awarded a $500 million contract for refurbished helicopters to a company owned by a friend and financier of former President Goodluck Jonathan. The delivered helicopters were not suitable for combat and have never been deployed, TI reported.

"For the price of each helicopter provided by this contract, the Air Force could have acquired seven top-grade, brand new military helicopters," an unnamed source cited in the report said.

Troops suffer, terror gains

Dixon believes that it's ultimately the frontline troops who suffer from this kind of corruption. Under-equipped soldiers have been killed in ambushes or have simply fled the battlefield when faced with the superior firepower and equipment of the terror group.

In 2015, 66 soldiers who had been sentenced to death for desertion had their sentences commuted when the court heard testimony that they did not have proper weapons or equipment.

Other soldiers supposedly on the lines don't exist at all. "Payments aren't made to the soldiers on the ground, and you end up finding lots of ghost soldiers in the ranks," Dixon said, referring to soldiers who exist only on paper to generate payments for commanders.

TI found that the corruption also helps Boko Haram in its recruitment efforts.

"If you've got an ill-disciplined security sector that is abusing its own power, whether it's because its soldiers are not being paid or because there's just [a] sort of a culture of impunity, then, of course, you are driving people to join groups like Boko Haram, who offer a very simplistic alternative to what is considered to be a corrupt establishment," Dixon said.

TI recommends that the Nigerian military develops an anti-corruption strategy, provide public access to security information, regulate security votes and protect whistle-blowers.

Dixon says that monitoring confidential procurement is also essential.

"Some secretive spending will inevitably have to happen that should be overseen by a particular committee, so that you have proper monitoring that's confidential procurement," she said. "So any spending that is important enough to remain secret is important enough to monitor effectively."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Philippine President Alleges China Threatened War

By VOA News May 19, 2017

Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte says Chinese President Xi Jinping threatened him with war if the Philippines begins drilling for oil in a disputed part of the South China Sea.

Duterte said Friday in Manila that Xi gave him a firm but friendly warning when they met in Beijing on Monday. The Philippine head of state said he told Xi his island nation intended to enforce an international arbitration ruling and begin searching for oil in a part of the South China Sea that Beijing claims as its exclusive property.

Paraphrasing his conversation with Xi, Duterte said he told the Chinese president: "We intend to drill [for] oil there. If it's yours, well, that's your view; but my view is, I can drill the oil, if there is some inside the bowels of the Earth, because it's ours."

Duterte's speech Friday appeared to be intended to silence domestic critics who have accused him of failing to press the maritime territorial dispute.

He continued with his account of the meeting with Xi: "His response to me [was], 'We're friends. We don't want to quarrel with you. We want to maintain the present warm relationship. But if you force the issue, we'll go to war.' "

Account may upset China

Political observers said Duterte's frank account of the conversation in the Chinese capital could infuriate China.

Ironically, the Philippine president's remarks came on the same day that China and the Philippines opened talks on the mainland aimed at resolving their South China Sea dispute. The two sides said they agreed to seek "mutually acceptable approaches" to settling disputes that divided them.

The talks in Guiyang, in southwestern China, included discussion of the arbitration ruling last year that invalidated Beijing's sweeping claims of South China Sea sovereignty. The Philippines' ambassador to China, Jose Santiago Romana, said the delegates "touched on it [but] didn't dwell on it."

Officials meet in Beijing

And in Beijing Friday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with a senior political figure from the Philippines, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, and called for continued improvement of the two nations' relations.

The ruling last July by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague voided China's claim to almost all of the South China Sea and declared China had infringed on the traditional rights of Philippine fishing boats in the area.

China has ignored the ruling and insisted that any maritime disputes in the area must be resolved bilaterally, by the countries directly concerned, not through international bodies.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Taliban attacks Afghanistan's Ghazni from three directions

Iran Press TV

Sat May 20, 2017 3:34PM

Taliban militants have launched an attack from three directions on parts of the central-eastern Afghan city of Ghazni.

Provincial police chief Aminullah Amerkhil said the overnight attack was the fiercest launched by Taliban militants, who have had a strong presence in the province of Ghazni for years.

Amerkhil said Afghan forces had repelled the raid on the city, which is located on the highway linking the capital Kabul with the southern city of Kandahar.

"The Taliban put all their pressure on Afghan security forces to take control of at least one district but we fought well and pushed them back," Amerkhil said.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the police official said Taliban had suffered far heavier casualties, with more that two dozen militants killed, while only two members of security forces died during the battle.

Hashim Zwak, the police chief of Waghaz district, who was wounded during the fierce fighting, described how the militants drove a Humvee packed with explosives into the entrance of the district governor's compound during the assault.

Militants blew it up before other comrades tried to overrun the police defenders, he added.

"They put all their effort into it but they could not defeat us," Zwak said from a hospital in Ghazni city.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed, however, that the militants had gained control over Waghaz district. Mujahid added that several members of Afghan government forces had been killed and many vehicles destroyed along with ammunition.

Taliban has stepped up its operations and targeted Kunduz, a northern city they have twice managed to seize for brief periods in the past.

In late April, the militant group announced the start of its so-called spring offensive, a heightened campaign of bombings, ambush attacks, and other raids that begins as weather conditions improve.

Taliban increases its attacks across Afghanistan every spring, targeting government officials and US-led foreign forces in the country. Many ordinary people also often fall victim to the attacks.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Bangladesh police raid office of opposition leader Khaleda Zia

Iran Press TV

Sat May 20, 2017 3:39PM

The office of Khaleda Zia, the main opposition leader in Bangladesh, has come under a raid by police forces as authorities claim they were searching for ant-state documents.

"We entered the office following a court order to search for anti-state and anti-government documents," Gulshan police chief Abu Baker Siddique said on Saturday of the raid which took place in an affluent neighborhood of the capital city of Dhaka.

Other sources said police had found no valuable material during the raid. Dozens of police officers surrounded the compound for two hours as other forces smashed the locks to enter the office. Other reports said close circuit cameras were also disabled by the police during the raid.

Khaleda Zia and her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) party condemned the raid as politically-motivated, saying it was meant to weaken the BNP as it prepares for the next general election.

"This is a politically motivated raid by the government. It is a move to taint our party leader's image," BNP spokesman Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, adding that the drive was part of "a conspiracy" against Zia.

Zia, a two-time former prime minister, faces about three dozen cases of alleged graft, treason and violence. She and the BNP have staged numerous rallies across Bangladesh in anticipation of the next general election, which is due to be held in January 2019. The party had boycotted the last general election in 2014 allowing the rival party led by Sheikh Hasina to easily win the polls and took office. The move came after the BNP endorsed increasing fears that the polls could be rigged.

Reports have said Hasina's government, which faces almost no opposition from the BNP in the parliament, have arrested tens of thousands of party supporters and activists over the past three years.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Pentagon's New Strategy Aims To 'Annihilate' Islamic State Militants

RFE/RL May 20, 2017

The Pentagon has shifted its focus in the battle against Islamic State (IS) and now is aiming to "annihilate" the extremist group's foreign fighters so they cannot return home to the West, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis says.

Mattis told reporters on May 19 that U.S. President Donald Trump approved a Pentagon recommendation for a "tactical shift from shoving ISIS out of safe locations in an attrition fight to surrounding the enemy in their strongholds so we can annihilate ISIS."

The Pentagon believes that strategy will lead to fewer terrorist attacks like the ones in Paris, Belgium, and elsewhere by IS militants and sympathizers, which killed hundreds of people.

"The intent is to prevent the return home of escaped foreign fighters," Mattis said. "The foreign fighters are the strategic threat should they return home to Tunis, to Kuala Lumpur, to Paris, to Detroit, wherever.

"Those foreign fighters are a threat. So by taking the time to de-conflict, to surround and then attack, we carry out the annihilation campaign so we don't simply transplant this problem from one location to another," he said.

Though IS has lost 55 percent of the territory it once held in Iraq and Syria and over 4 million people have been liberated from its control, much remains to be done to fully expel IS from Mosul, the group's stronghold in northern Iraq.

Moreover, the battle for Raqqa, the group's self-proclaimed capital, has barely begun.

To further the "annihilation campaign," Trump made the controversial decision this month to arm Kurdish forces in Syria that have been the most effective U.S. allies in the battle against IS. The decision caused consternation in Turkey, which views the Kurdish forces as "terrorists."

The Pentagon's move to encircle IS in Syria also appears to have contributed to an incident this week where U.S. forces bombed a convoy carrying Syrian and Iranian-backed militia forces engaged in Syria's civil war, killing eight of the fighters.

Marine General Joseph Dunford, who Trump reappointed as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on May 19, said the Pentagon had made a proposal to Russia to try to avoid such conflicts in areas where both countries are operating in the future.

"We have a proposal that we're working on with the Russians right now," Dunford said. "I won't share the details, but my sense is that the Russians are as enthusiastic as we are to de-conflict operations and ensure that we continue to take the campaign to ISIS and ensure the safety of our personnel."

Russia reacted with outrage to the U.S. air strike on Syrian and Iranian-backed forces near Al-Tanf on Syria's border with Jordan, calling it "illegitimate" and a "flagrant violation of Syria's sovereignty."

With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pentagon-strategy-aimes-annihilate- islamic-state-militants-mattis-dunford/28498904.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Embattled Afghan Vice President Dostum Leaves For Turkey

RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan May 20, 2017

Afghan officials say controversial Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum has left the country amid claims that he ordered his men to abduct, beat, and rape a political rival last year.

Yaseen Khamosh, a media adviser to Dostum, told RFE/RL late on May 19 that Dostum had gone to Turkey for medical reasons.

Later, Bashid Ahmad Tayanj, an Afghan parliament member and the spokesman for Dostum's Junbish Party, said on Ayna TV that Dostum was on a flight to Turkey but would return after receiving medical treatment.

In a statement, presidential spokesman Shah Hussain Murtazawi said he wished Dostum "good health."

No details about Dostum's health were available.

The reports of Dostum's flight from Afghanistan come amid unresolved accusations that men loyal to him were involved in the kidnapping and abuse of a political rival last year.

The charges led to domestic and international calls for an investigation and for Dostum to be prosecuted.

The Afghan government did not comment on Dostum's future or if his departure was related to his alleged involvement in the abduction.

Tayanj dismissed speculation on social-media sites that Dostum was going into exile.

"General Dostum never leaves the country but remains alongside his people during difficult times," Tayanj said.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the 2016 detention of Ahmad Ishchi, who said he was abducted by Dostum's militia, beaten, and sexually abused before being released after several days.

But the powerful ethnic Uzbek warlord has evaded questioning and has not been charged with any offense.

"It's a stunning example of what has become standard practice in Afghanistan, not just for Dostum but for anyone in a position of power: having promised to deliver justice the government has shown itself ultimately unwilling to do so," says Patricia Gossman, Afghanistan researcher with New York-based Human Rights Watch.

In 2008, Dostum went into exile in Turkey amid similar allegations that his militia had abducted, beaten and sexually assaulted a political rival.

President Ashraf Ghani was heavily criticized when he chose Dostum to be his vice president ahead of the 2014 presidential election that he won.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan correspondent Stanikzai Safiullah

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/embattled-afghan-vice-president- dostum-leaves-for-turkey-medical-treatment/28498871.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Canadian CF-18 Combat Aircraft to Patrol Skies Over Iceland

Sputnik News

01:12 20.05.2017

The Canadian Armed Forces announced that Ottawa is dispatching its CF-18 combat aircraft to Iceland.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  Ottawa is dispatching its CF-18 combat aircraft to Iceland as part of Operation Reassurance to contribute to NATO deterrence efforts, the Canadian Armed Forces announced in a statement on Friday.

"A detachment of Canadian CF-18 Hornet fighters are ready and will begin patrolling Iceland's airspace as part of Operation Reassurance on May 22, 2017," the statement noted. "For approximately one month, Air Task Force (ATF)-Iceland, based out of Keflavik Air Base, will provide continuous air surveillance and interception capability which could be launched immediately to meet and identify unknown airborne objects within, or approaching NATO airspace."

Air Task Force-Iceland is an upgrade of Operation Reassurance put forward by Canada at a 2016 NATO Summit in Warsaw, Poland, the statement.

"Approximately 180 Canadian Armed Forces members of the Air Task Force-Iceland are deployed to Iceland for approximately one month," the statement said. "This contingent includes a Royal Canadian Air Force fighter detachment and personnel in support of Air Task Force Iceland."

Iceland is the only NATO country with no standing military forces of its own, the statement added.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Canada Warns it May Cancel $2 Billion Super Hornet Buy Over Boeing Probe

Sputnik News

00:52 20.05.2017(updated 00:55 20.05.2017)

Ottawa may cancel its planned purchase of 18 Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters over an investigation against Canadian plane maker Bombardier, initiated by its US rival, Boeing.

Canada may cancel the purchase of the Super Hornet fighters, which were to update Ottawa's aging fleet of CF-18 Hornets, over allegations raised by Boeing.

According to the US company, Bombardier receives subsidies from the Canadian government that allow it to sell CSeries passenger planes below the market price.

"The US market is the most open in the world, but we must take action if our rules are being broken," US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement during a hearing into Boeing's claim in Washington.

The decision to initiate a probe was met with opposition in the Canadian government. On Thursday, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said the allegations are unhelpful to ongoing trade negotiations.

"The aerospace industries of Canada and the United States are highly integrated and support good, middle class jobs on both sides of the border," Freeland said.

"We strongly disagree with the US Department of Commerce's decision," she added, saying that Boeing's petition is "clearly aimed at blocking Bombardier's new aircraft, the C Series aircraft, from entering the US market."

But Freeland did not stop there. She added that Ottawa is now "reviewing current military procurement that relates to Boeing," a statement that was later supported by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, according to CTV News.

According to various military experts, Freeland was most likely talking about the 18 Super Hornets purchase, a deal that could be worth up to $2 billion.

"Our government will defend the interests of Bombardier, the Canadian aerospace industry, and our aerospace workers," Freeland's statement read.

According to CBC, aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia of the Teal Group said the Canadian government's move was inevitable, and it's up to Boeing to consider the next step.

"If Boeing is smart it'll press the do-over button and walk away," he said in an interview, adding that the military contracts the aeronautics giant risks losing are worth much more than any modest gains it could make from a successful trade complaint.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






In wake of 'WannaCry' attacks, UN cybersecurity expert discusses Internet safety

19 May 2017  A United Nations cybersecurity expert says that cybercrime is ultimately preventable, and that the internet  even the hidden so-called 'dark net'  has very good elements to it.

That may seem difficult to believe for people in the 150 countries hit by the 'WannaCry' ransomware, some of whom have had to pay hundreds of dollars in digital currency, Bitcoin, to get back photos of their families and other files on their laptops, or the families unable to board a train in Germany or see a doctor in the United Kingdom.

"Law enforcement and diplomats have been warning people of ransomware for some time, but this is really the first time that we've seen an attack of this size," said Neil Walsh, Chief of Cyber and Emerging Crime at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Last Friday's attack was due to a strain of Windows ransomware  which like the name suggests, encrypts files and holds them ransom. It entered individual systems as a compressed zip file through a security loophole in the Windows operating systems, and went on to scramble information in hundreds of thousands of machines belonging to hospitals, banks and other organizations around the world.

Mr. Walsh told UN News that the attack attributes its success to the fact that the operating systems used by those companies were old and did not have a security patch.

His advice boils down to clicking yes to software updates, using an up-to-date antivirus system, and backing up data into a device separate from the computer.

"If you weren't expecting an attachment from someone, or it looks strange, don't open it," Mr. Walsh added.

Headquartered in Vienna, and with teams in Guatemala, El Salvador, Tunisia and Thailand, Mr. Walsh's role is to help create an inter-governmental response to cybercrime. That involves, in part, public outreach about internet risk, including to children and their parents, and working with police, prosecutors and judges around the world to improve how cases are investigated and tried.

Despite the increased number of cybercrimes in the past several years, some governments do not understand cyber risk, he said.

"It still never fails to amaze me that some governments say we don't have cybercrime in our country, we don't see any threat here," Mr. Walsh noted. "And technically that means that they don't have the capability to identify, to look for and to respond to it. So my role, and the role of my people, is to help governments understand that and to help them put strategies in place to minimize that risk to them."

His teams also work with victims, to make sure that they have avenues to report crimes to the police, and sometimes seeking redress from a non-governmental organization or charity.

"There's no such thing as a victimless crime, and that's the same in cyberspace as in crime committed in the physical world," he added.

From 'I Love You' to Botnets

Cybercrime has evolved since the "Melissa" and "I Love You" computer worms in 1999 and 2000, becoming more common and more destructive.

"If we look back on some of the attacks we've seen over even in the past six months, one of the most common threats outside of ransomware that we've seen is called a botnet," Mr. Walsh said.

Bots are malware that sneak into a person's computer and quietly wait for commands. These zombie-like devices can then be used as part of a network, or botnet, for possible attacks.

"What that means is that cyber criminals have taken over lots of different devices that are connected to the internet. Now I don't mean traditional computers or smart phones, I mean everything from refrigerators to CCTV cameras to TVs. By compromising these devices, it's possible for a cybercriminal to cause real harm," the UN expert said.

That means more than getting a shopping password or stealing a credit card number  it could be shutting down the telephone system in a country or compromising a nuclear plant.

"If we consider this sort of weaponization of cyberspace and the impact that that could have, especially on developing countries, it could be enormous. If you had a significant cyberattack on a country that had no real capability to respond to a threat to its critical national infrastructure, you could have an immediate and long-standing impact."

Despite these threats, cybersecurity is still often viewed as the role of an IT department. There is not even an agreed-on definition of cybercrime around the world.

"It's one of those things that has become quite politically nuanced," Mr. Walsh said. "Our role here at UNODC is to help those political and diplomatic discussions, but also to help the investigations happen, irrespective of the definition behind it, because the crime still happens irrespective of what we're calling it."

In that context, UNODC has advocated for a free and open internet that would only be used for good, the UN expert said.

"Cybercrime is ultimately preventable," he said. "If you know what the risk is, you're less likely to become a victim."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russian Experts Give Their Impressions of China's 'Stealth Drone-Like' Chopper

Sputnik News

18:10 19.05.2017(updated 19:56 19.05.2017)

China's new attack and reconnaissance helicopter, the Z-19E, made its maiden flight over the port city of Harbin, northeastern China on Thursday. Observers from Zvezda  the official television network of the Russian Defense Ministry, were impressed with the chopper's sleek styling, but suggested that its combat capabilities are questionable.

The Harbin Z-19E, dubbed the "Black Whirlwind," is the export version of the Z-19 recon/attack helicopter developed by Harbin Aviation Industries Group (HAIG) in the early 2010s and introduced into service in the Chinese military in 2012. Chinese media described the Z-19E's creation as "a major step in China's entry into the global market for attack helicopters."

The company hopes that its narrow-body, tandem-seat 4,250 kg chopper will fill demand for armies looking to improve their ground attack capabilities. The Z-19E is armed with anti-tank and anti-armored personnel carrier missiles, and can also work with special ops' forces to carry out reconnaissance missions.

HAIG designers touted the new helicopter's capabilities for daytime and nighttime operations, its maneuverability, cabin visibility, and safety features ensuring increased survivability for crew.

Being very similar to the Z-19, its domestic cousin, developers say that the foreign-market oriented Z-19E is up to international standards, and that it has an English-language operating interface.

Commenting on his impression of the new helicopter, Zvezda contributor Dmitri Yurov explained that judging by looks alone, the Z-19E certainly looks impressive: "The small helicopter looks more like a stealth drone than a strike vehicle."

"But is there a place for the futuristic machine outside China?" he asked. After all, the analyst noted that "the need for modern combat helicopters is generally determined by only three basic parameters: this is the so-called PAC rule  Protection, Armament, Cost."

Yurov emphasized that when it comes to protection, conditions of modern warfare are such that helicopters need all the protection they can get. "Conflicts, even local ones, abound with a variety of destructive means, even when they are conducted in places where the fighting is done mostly by taped-together automatic rifles."

"Even the smallest active conflict comes with a large number of large-caliber machineguns, and old but still operational anti-aircraft artillery," Yurov added. "Ever since the Soviet War in Afghanistan, it has been clear that armored protection of the hull and cockpit is the first and most important element in the survivability of the helicopter and its crew."

Unfortunately, the analyst noted that "over time, the lessons of the Afghan War and the use of helicopters in combat have been diligently forgotten by manufacturers."

"Piously believing in the correctness of their own arguments, foreign defense consortiums began developing and building what specialists have dubbed 'stealth helicopters'. Unique in many respects, the combat vehicles, fitted with a narrow fuselage, and bodies made out of composites and light alloys, have become the main attraction of arms exhibitions. One of the first choppers of this class was the Eurocopter Tiger  a joint development by French and German engineers. At exhibitions, developers often claimed that the Tiger's Kevlar hull and armored partitions would allow it to survive even hits from the 23-mm shells of the Soviet ZSU-23-4 Shilka [anti-aircraft gun]."

Of course, Yurov noted, "as a rule, experienced pilots with hundreds of flight hours in Afghanistan under their belts who know what it's actually like to fly under a hail of bulletsroll their eyes at such statements. On the question of what documented proof there is to back up such claims, the Tigers' developers have politely kept silent, making reference to secrecy and the uniqueness of their project"

In effect, "if one were to ask any pilot, especially those who had flown combat missions in Afghanistan, to detail what the four barrels of the Shilka are really capable of, the question of the expediency and reliability of using an ultralight strike helicopter will disappear of its own accord."

Speaking to Zvezda, Lieutenant-Colonel (ret.) Yuri Pogrebnyak, a veteran pilot who operated a Mil-24 helicopter gunship during the Soviet War in Afghanistan, said that advances in technology notwithstanding, it remains questionable whether the new tech justifies the light armor on the new light helicopter designs.

"During fighting, at times, we would come back to base with dozens of bullet holes from large-caliber machineguns. Our choppers would be out of service for a long time, and would take a long time to repair, but they always fulfilled their main task  the crew would make it back to the airfield. But the Mi-24 weighs over 10 tons! I'm afraid to even consider what would happen if a helicopter made of polymers was hit by a [23-mm round]. Such materials have advanced a long way, of course, but the old ammunition hasn't gone anywhere. It remains a big question who would emerge the winner in such a contest."

Even more curious, Yurov noted, was the fact that China already has a good helicopter gunship design at its disposal. This is the WZ-10, based not only on the Soviet and Russian experience in helicopter construction, but on the Italian A129 Mangusta design. "The WZ-10 even looks similar to the Italian helicopter, although it differs from it structurally." This includes the Chinese design's seven ton weight (nearly double that of the A129's four tons).

As for the Z-19 and its new export model, the Z-19E, Yurov suggested that this design does not seem to meet the demands of a modern war, "even of the smallest kind." From its power plant, to the fan-in-tail rotor design, to the concept of reduced visibility using electronics, "all of this is very similar to what the French and Germans attempted to create with the Tiger almost thirty years ago."

Furthermore, the analyst suggested that "the maximum take-off weight of 4.5 tons almost immediately clarifies the helicopter's combat capabilities. For comparison, the normal takeoff weight of a Mi-28N attack chopper, whose active use in tandem with Ka-52 Alligators in Syria is now being studied by foreign specialists, is nearly 11 tons. The armor on the Mi-28N's hull allows it to withstand high-explosive fragmentation projectiles with a 20 mm caliber, while the main rotor blades continue to operate even when struck by 30 mm shells and frag explosives."

Put another way, Yurov stressed that the Z-19 has a long way to go to reach the level of China's own WZ-10. "Nominally, the Z-19 has a good auto-cannon and guided missile weaponry. The 23-mm automatic cannon and up to eight ATGMs onboard can allow it to fight enemy armor. However, it remains a big question why China needed a helicopter with combat capabilities that are substantially inferior to [the WZ-10], a chopper that has already been adopted into service with the Chinese military."

The answer, the observer added, is that the Z-19E may be a kind of 'probe' exploring possible global demand for Chinese military helicopters. But there are important circumstances worth taking into account which may limit its appeal, according to Yurov. "Major customers engaged in upgrading their air forces prefer to buy heavily armored and armed helicopters capable of taking on enemy tank groups and withstanding dozens of hits by bullets and several missiles. The Z-19, with all due respect to stealth technologies, cannot boast such indicators."

"The reality of modern war, even decades after the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, remains unchanged. The outcome of battles is determined by armor, armament and speed. The narrow fuselage based on polymer materials, modern Kevlar armored panels defending against 12.7 mm bullets  these are suitable for a short incursion and a quick departure for home, but not for a serious military operation," Yurov concluded.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Xi calls for public security forces to be loyal to CPC

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 09:36, May 20, 2017

BEIJING, May 19 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with heroes and role models from public security departments across the country on Friday, stressing loyalty to the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, called for those working in the country's public security departments to serve the people, promote impartiality in law enforcement, and remain disciplined.

Premier Li Keqiang and Liu Yunshan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also joined the meeting.

Xi said that the heroes and role models are not only models for the public security system, but also the whole of society.

Hailing the public security forces as a team with a glorious tradition and excellent work, Xi said they have made remarkable contributions in safeguarding national security and social stability.

They have forged an "indestructible iron wall" for national security, public security and the safety of people's lives and property, with their sweat, and even blood and lives, the president said.

Xi said he was deeply moved by stories of public security officers risking their lives when carrying out missions, adding that he also felt sorrow for those who lost their lives during missions.

The great spirit of heroes and role models should be carried forward in the entire country in cultivating and practicing the socialist core values, said Xi.

Xi called on public security forces to devote their utmost efforts to safeguarding national security and social stability, so as to meet the public needs and create a safe and stable social environment for the upcoming 19th National Congress of the CPC later this year.

CPC committees and governments at various levels were also urged to support public security forces and take care of police officers.

A total of 615 public security units and 1,320 individuals were honored at Friday's meeting.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






China Rejects US Allegations of Aircraft Intercept Over Yellow Sea  Ministry

Sputnik News

09:27 20.05.2017(updated 13:50 20.05.2017)

Chinese Ministry of National Defense refuted allegations of the US Pacific Air Forces of having "unprofessionally" intercepted a US reconnaissance aircraft over the Yellow Sea, the ministry's spokesman Wu Qian said on Saturday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  On Friday, the US Air Force's Pacific Air Forces said that on May 17, two Chinese Su-35 aircraft intercepted a US WC-135 reconnaissance plane collecting radiation samples over the Yellow Sea. According to the US military, the intercept was "unprofessional" due to the "speeds and proximity" of both Chinese planes.

"The relevant action was professional and safe," Wu said in a statement, adding that "the US account did not accord with the facts" and stressing that the Chinese planes followed the laws and regulations to identify and verify the US aircraft.

"We hope that the US side stops relevant reconnaissance activities, to avoid this kind of incident happening again," Wu said, stressing that the reconnaissance activities carried out by the US military aircraft are cause military security issues between the countries.

The WC-135 reconnaissance plane is a modified Boeing C-135 aircraft, with its primary task being to track down radioactive debris and collect radiation samples in the atmosphere after detonation of a nuclear device.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






North Korean Missile Made Successful Atmospheric Re-Entry in Latest Launch

Sputnik News

18:56 19.05.2017

North Korea's ballistic missile test on Sunday showed the country's advances in its technological capabilities after the intermediate-range missile made a successful re-entry, media reported.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  NBC News reported on Friday, citing US officials, that North Korea's KN-17 missile test made a successful atmospheric re-entry, which marks progress in the country missile program development.

On Sunday, North Korea conducted its latest test of a ground-to-ground intermediate ballistic missile, which fell in the Sea of Japan after flying some 500 miles.

Pyongyang confirmed the following day the missile had successfully reentered the earth's lower atmosphere.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Satellite Photos Show That N Korea Modernizing Sohae Rocket Launch Site

Sputnik News

11:58 19.05.2017

Newly acquired satellite images show that North Korea is modernizing its Sohae Satellite Launching Station located in the North Pyongan province, from which four ballistic missiles were launched in March 2017, media reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  According to the 38 North analytic portal, the footage showed on Thursday that new roads were being constructed all through the launch site. The images also revealed new observation points and an excavation for a yet unknown purposes near the launching pad.

On March 6, North Korea launched four missiles from Sohae in the direction of the Sea of Japan and tested a new high-thrust rocket engine 12 days later.

Since the beginning of 2016, North Korea has carried out a number of missile launches and nuclear tests, prompting worldwide criticism and escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula. As a result of Pyongyang's actions, the UN Security Council tightened the sanctions regime for North Korea in an attempt to force the country into stopping its ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Indian Navy Test-Fires Extended Range Barak 8 Missile

Sputnik News

13:40 19.05.2017

A week after three successful test firing of short-range air-to-air defense system Israeli Spyder, the Indian Navy has conducted the successful test of medium range surface-to-air missile Barak 8 from the INS Kochi, a Kolkata-class guided-missile destroyer.

New Delhi (Sputnik)  The test was conducted on Wednesday by the Navy, which validates the integration of the missile and the associated fire control system with the indigenously developed ship-borne combat management suite.

"This firing not only marks a significant milestone in proving the integration of the missile and the associated fire control system (FCS) with the ship-borne CMS, but also demonstrates the vital area defense capability of the ship," an Indian Navy statement said.

The missile also tracked a low-flying high-speed target at enhanced range with pin-point accuracy. Barak 8 is an advanced air defense system being jointly developed by Indian government-owned Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The 4.5-meter-long missile can carry a payload of 60 kg. Missile system also includes a multi-functional surveillance and threat alert radar for detection, tracking and guidance of the missile. It is powered by a dual-pulse solid propulsion system developed by DRDO.

India had signed an over $1.6 billion defense contract with Israel Aerospace Industries for supplying advanced medium range surface to air missiles and missile defense systems to the Indian Army. The missile will be produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) in partnership with L&T, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and others Indian companies. It is expected that major part of the Barak 8 production would be undertaken in India in a bid to save costs.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Leader: Iran's destiny in hand of all people

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, May 19, IRNA -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the presidential election is very important, stressing that the fate of the nation and electing the head of the executive power is in the hand of all individuals from all walks of life.

The Leader made the remarks after casting his vote in the 12th presidential and fifth city and village council elections here on Friday.

Ayatollah Khamenei described the elections as great blessing calling on the people for a big turnout.

"I advise people to have a broader participation and come to the polls as soon as possible.

'I believe the presidential election is vital and I call on the Iranian people to pay heed to the importance of the event,' the Leader added.

Referring to the fifth city and village council election, Ayatollah Khamenei said the vote is also important because those being elected by the people for the city and village councils have to address the ordinary and routine issues people face in everyday life.

The Supreme Leader also acknowledged the job done by media people that help show the world the landmark political event in the Islamic Republic.

In addition to Iranian journalists, some 570 international journalists from 42 countries are covering the great event in Iran.



According to reports, over 56 million of Iranians are eligible to go to the polls. Out of the total eligible voters over 1.3 million are those who vote for the first time.

Iran's presidential election is being held nationwide and in 102 countries.

The presidential candidates include President Hassan Rouhani, Custodian of the Imam Reza (AS) Holy Shrine Ebrahim Raeisi, former minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mostafa Mirsalim and former Minister of Physical Education Mostafa Hashemi Taba.

First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri and Mayor of Tehran, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf were other presidential candidates who quit the presidential race to support their favorite candidates (Rouhani and Raeisi respectively).

1483**2044

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Iraqi govt. forces recapture another district in western Mosul

Iran Press TV

Fri May 19, 2017 3:54PM

Members of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) have reclaimed full control over another district in western Mosul as government forces and allied fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units are battling to flush Daesh Takfiri terrorists out of the country's second largest city.

The commander of Nineveh Liberation Operation, Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Yarallah, said CTS forces had liberated al-Warshan neighborhood from the grip of Daesh following intense clashes with extremists stationed there, Arabic-language al-Sumaria satellite television network reported.

Yarallah added that Iraqi forces had inflicted heavy losses on Daesh ranks during the operation and destroyed a large amount of their military hardware.

The media bureau of the Popular Mobilization Units, commonly known by the Arabic word Hashd al-Sha'abi, also announced in a statement that fighters from the 99th Brigade of the pro-government forces had intercepted and shot down a Daesh drone.

The statement noted that the unmanned aerial vehicle was flying over the Makhoul Mountains, which lie 40 kilometers north of Salahuddin's provincial capital city of Tikrit.

Hashd al-Sha'abi fighters also targeted a gathering of Daesh Takfiris in the area, setting two vehicles ablaze and injuring scores of the terrorists.

Separately, the volunteer forces retook Cairo village as they continue to achieve more territorial gains in Qairawan region west of Mosul. A number of Daesh outposts were destroyed during the liberation operation.

Brigadier General Mohamed al-Jubouri from the Interior Ministry's elite Rapid Response forces also said the troops had thwarted Daesh terrorist attacks against 17 Tamuz, Mushirfa, Najjar and al- Rifa'I neighborhoods, killing 12 extremists in the process.

Mohamed Jassem, a police officer from Mosul, told Basnews news agency that five police officers were killed and eight others wounded on Thursday, when Daesh drones struck their position in al-Marir village south of the city.

The United Nations said on Thursday that another 200,000 people might flee their homes as fighting escalates in Mosul.

UN humanitarian coordinator Lise Grande said nearly 700,000 people have already been displaced from Mosul ever since Iraqi army troopers and their allies launched a major operation on October 17, 2016 to retake the city from the Daesh Takfiri terrorists.

"The number of people fleeing their homes in western Mosul are overwhelming. They are fleeing under very difficult circumstances. Many are food insecure and haven't had access to safe drinking water and medicines for weeks or months," Grande said in a statement.

Iraqi army soldiers and volunteer fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units have made sweeping gains against the Takfiri elements since launching the Mosul operation.

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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russian Military Deploying Nearly 200 Troops to Arctic for Mystery Mission

Sputnik News

15:26 20.05.2017(updated 15:31 20.05.2017)

The Russian Ministry of Defense has deployed the first detachment of a specially-trained group of troops to the Arctic on a curious new mission.

The Russian military has deployed the first platoon of military ecologists to the northern Russian city of Norilsk to begin an environmental cleanup operation in the Arctic zone, Deputy Minister of Defense Gen. Dmitri Bulgakov said.

"The first platoon formed in the Central Military District for environmental cleanup of Defense Ministry territory in the Arctic zone has landed in Norilsk today," Bulgakov said, as quoted by Zvezda, the Russian Defense Ministry's official television network.

The senior officer said that the army also plans to send a second detachment of 94 servicemen from the 12th Chief Directorate of the Ministry of Defense for environmental cleanup work in the Novaya Zemlya Islands on Monday.

Novaya Zemlya is located about 1,200 km northwest of Norilsk, an industrial city in Russia's Krasnoyarsk Krai which is about 2,890 km northeast of Moscow. Both territories are located above the Arctic Circle.

Bulgakov said that the deployment of military ecologists to the Arctic will be completed by early next month.

In early June, the military will also deploy several platoons of environmental cleanup troops based in the Eastern Military District to Wrangel Island, Kotelny Island, and Kildin Island.

According to preliminary estimates by the Defense Ministry, a total of 186 troops will engage in environmental clean-up operations in the Arctic this year. They are expected to collect over 3,900 tons of scrap metal, and do other cleanup work. The troops will be provided with engineering equipment and other specialized tools, as well as the necessary personal safety gear. All personnel have been fully trained in the proper safety measures.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






US-Saudi Arabia seal weapons deal worth $110 billion

Iran Press TV

Sat May 20, 2017 2:40PM

United States President Donald Trump has closed an arms deal with Saudi Arabia worth almost $110 billion, and extending up to $350 billion over 10 years.

The White House announced on Saturday the $110 billion deal will take effect immediately.

"This package of defense equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the (Persian) Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats, while also bolstering the Kingdom's ability to contribute to counter terrorism operations across the region, reducing the burden on the U.S. military to conduct those operations," the White House said in a statement.

Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson "will attend a signing ceremony for the deals," according to a White House official.

The deal is a victory for Trump as his political pressures intensify at home due to campaign's alleged links to Russia, and the abrupt dismissal of former FBI Director James Comey.

The pact includes a $6 billion contract to assemble 150 Lockheed Martin Blackhawk helicopters in Saudi Arabia, an official statement about the deal said.

The deal also includes a $1 billion THAAD missile system and contract for four multi-mission warships worth $11.5 billion, according to an unnamed official cited in media.

Saudi Arabia is US arms dealers' most important client and Washington's No. 1 ally in the Middle East region.

Also, General Electric company said it signed agreements and memorandums of understanding worth $15 billion with Saudi Arabia on Saturday during Trump's visit to the oil-rich kingdom.

General Electric said it also signed a MOU with oil giant Saudi Aramco "to undertake a digital transformation of Aramco's operations," the statement said.

The MOU signed with Aramco will generate $4 billion in annual productivity improvement, it added.

The Saudi rulers have moved to diversify the oil-rich kingdom's traditionally oil-dependent economy following the sharp fall in crude prices in 2014.

'Saudi threatens military intervention in Iran'

In an interview earlier this month with al-Arabiya TV, Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman rejected the possibility of normalization of ties with Iran, and threatened military intervention in Iran. "We will not wait until the battle is in Saudi Arabia, but we will work so the battle is there in Iran."

Iran has condemned the Saudi deputy crown prince's remarks, saying his diatribe against the Islamic Republic is a proof that the kingdom follows "confrontational and destructive policies" in the region and towards Tehran.

Saudi Arabia has been incessantly pounding Yemen since March 2015 in an attempt to bring back to power the resigned president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who is a staunch ally of Riyadh, and to undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement. The Riyadh regime has, however, failed to reach its goals despite suffering great expense.

The military aggression has claimed the lives of more than 12,000 people, most of them civilians.

Since 2011, the Saudi regime has also been sponsoring Takfiri terrorists fighting against the Syrian government, which has left hundreds of thousands people dead and millions more displaced.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Saudi King Says Trump Visit Will Strengthen Cooperation, Enhance Global Security

RFE/RL May 20, 2017

Saudi Arabia's king says the ongoing visit of U.S. President Donald Trump to the kingdom will "strengthen our strategic cooperation" and help enhance global security and stability.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud made the comments in a May 20 message on Twitter as Trump was in Riyadh on his first foreign trip since taking office in January.

King Salman later handed the Trump Saudi Arabia's highest civilian honor, the King Abdulaziz medal, for "his quest to enhance security and stability in the region and around the world."

Bilateral relations have been strained by former President Barack Obama's rapprochement with Iran, Saudi Arabia's regional rival.

However, Trump has been a fierce critic of the landmark nuclear deal in 2015 with world powers.

The accord resulted in significant limits on Tehran's most sensitive nuclear activities -- which many in the West believed were part of an effort to build atomic weapons -- in exchange for sanctions relief.

On May 21, the U.S. president will deliver a speech to dozens of leaders of Muslim states at a regional summit in Riyadh in which he is expected to call for a united stand against extremism and intolerance.

Multibillion-dollar deals between the United States and Saudi Arabia are expected to be signed during the trip.

Trump is accompanied on his visit by First Lady Melania Trump and several senior White House aides.

His eight-day tour will also include stops in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Brussels, the Vatican, and Italy.

The Trump administration has been hoping that the visits would help him reinforce close U.S. ties with key allies, particularly in the Middle East.

But the trip has been overshadowed by the deepening crisis surrounding the investigation into Trump's associates and their ties to Russian officials.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, AFP, and the BBC

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-saudi-arabia- trump-arrives-riyadh/28499088.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Receives US President

Saudi Press Agency

Saturday 1438/8/24 - 2017/05/20

Riyadh, Sha'ban 24, 1438, May 20, 2017, SPA -- The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received at Al-Yamamah palace here today President Donald Trump of the United States of America.

The US President was also received by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense.

An official reception ceremony was held in honor of the US President; the national anthems of the two countries were played and he reviewed the guard of honor.

The US President shook hands with Prince Saud bin Abdul-Mohsen bin Abdulaziz, Advisor to the King; Prince Dr. Turki bin Mohammed bin Saud Al-Kabeer, Advisor to the King; Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Advisor to the King; a number of princes, ministers, and officials. On his part, the King shook hands with the official delegation accompanying the US President.

Then, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques accompanied the US President to the main reception hall at the Royal Court where the King decorated the US President Donald Trump with King Abdulaziz Necklace Medal, which is the highest medal in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in recognition of historic and strong ties binding the two friendly countries as well as the King's recognition of the US President's efforts in enhancing bilateral relations in various fields and his keenness on enhancing security, stability and peace in the region and the world.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques held a luncheon banquet in honor of the US President and his accompanying delegation.

Following the banquet, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the US President toured Saudi Contemporary Art Exhibition, which displays samples of the works of Saudi artists in the Bridges Program and their participation in exhibitions in the United States of America in order to promote coexistence among different cultures and highlight Saudi artistic skills, where the Bridges Program is considered as an initiative from King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture.

The audience and banquet were attended by Prince Muqren bin Abdulaziz Al Saud; Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh region; Prince Turki bin Abdullah bin Mohammed, Advisor to the King; Prince Dr. Turki bin Saud bin Mohammed, President of King Abdulaziz city for Science and technology ; a number of princes, ministers and senior officials.

--SPA

16:36 LOCAL TIME 13:36 GMT

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






US to Supply Saudi Arabia With THAAD, Patriot Missile Systems

Sputnik News

20:08 20.05.2017

Saudi Arabia will receive from the United States Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense systems to protect itself and the region "from missile or other airborne attacks," according to US Department of State.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  Washington and Riyadh reached an agreement, in line with which the United States will supply Saudi Arabia with Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense systems to improve security capabilities of US main ally in the region, US Department of State said Saturday.

According to the statement, Saudi Arabia will receive Patriot and THAAD systems to protect itself and the region "from missile or other airborne attacks."

THAAD system is designed to intercept short, medium and intermediate ballistic missiles at the terminal incoming stage, while Patriot is a long-range, all-altitude, air defense system capable of countering tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and advanced aircraft.

The agreement stipulating the various arms supplies to Saudi Arabia worth $110 billion was reached during the official visit of US President Donald Trump, who arrived in Riyadh on Saturday, making Saudi Arabia the first country he visited as the President of the United States.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






US Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia May Reach $350Bln Over Next 10 Years

Sputnik News

17:58 20.05.2017

The United States and Saudi Arabia will sign a joint vision statement and nine defense cooperation agreements, including eight letters of acceptance and one letter of intent, according to White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  US arms sales to Saudi Arabia may reach $350 billion over the next 10 years, Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Saturday.

According to Sanders, at a ceremony in Riyadh, to be attended by US President Donald Trump and State Secretary Rex Tillerson later on Saturday, the sides will sign a joint vision statement and nine defense cooperation agreements, including eight letters of acceptance and one letter of intent.

Trump arrived in Riyadh on Saturday, making Saudi Arabia the first country he visited as the President of the United States.

During the visit, Trump is expected to hold bilateral talks with King Salman bin Abdulaziz, as well as a meeting with the leaders of six Arabian monarchies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates), and take part in the summit of the leaders of Arab and Muslim countries along with some 50 other heads of state or government.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) revealed in a study in April that Saudi Arabia was the third largest military spender in 2015 but dropped to fourth position in 2016 after the United States, China and Russia.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Washington, Riyadh Agree $110Bln Contracts on Military Sales to Saudi Arabia

Sputnik News

17:22 20.05.2017(updated 17:26 20.05.2017)

The contracts will help provide stability in the region, a US official said.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The United States and Saudi Arabia have agreed arms contracts worth $110 billion on US military sales to Riyadh, a White House official said Saturday.

"On Saturday, in a significant expansion of the over seven-decade long security relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the President [Donald Trump] and Secretary [Rex] Tillerson will attend a signing ceremony for almost $110 Billion worth of Foreign Military Sales cases via Letters of Offer and Acceptance and future defense capabilities under development listed in a Memorandum of Intent to support Saudi Arabia's defense needs," the official told reporters.

According to the White House, these contracts will significantly expand the bilateral cooperation in the sphere of security and promote stability in the region.

"[This contracts are] also bolstering the Kingdom's ability to contribute to counter terrorism operations across the region, reducing the burden on the U.S. military to conduct those operations," the spokesperson said adding that these agreements would support "tens of thousands of new jobs in the U.S. defense industrial base."

Trump arrived in Riyadh earlier in the day, making Saudi Arabia the first country he visited as the President of the United States.

During the visit, Trump is expected to hold bilateral talks with King Salman bin Abdulaziz, as well as a meeting with the leaders of six Arabian monarchies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates), and take part in the summit of the leaders of Arab and Muslim countries along with some 50 other heads of state or government.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Trump's Visit to Saudi Arabia Will Strengthen Global Security  Saudi King

Sputnik News

14:50 20.05.2017(updated 16:12 20.05.2017)

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz said that the visit of US President Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia will contribute to the global security and development of the bilateral cooperation.

DUBAI (Sputnik)  The visit of US President Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia will contribute to the global security and development of the bilateral cooperation, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz said on Saturday.

"We welcome Trump to KSA [the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia]. Mr. President, your visit will strengthen our strategic cooperation, lead to global security and stability," King Salman wrote on Twitter.

Trump arrived in Riyadh on Saturday, making the capital the first stop on his five-city, nine-day tour. Saudi Arabia is the first country Trump visits as the President of the United States.

Shortly after the arrival, Trump was presented with the country's highest national award, the Order of King Abdulaziz, in the royal Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh. The Saudi side explained at the ceremony that the award was granted to Trump "in appreciation of the historical close bonds between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States" and in efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between the countries and "to enhance security, stability and peace in the region and the world."

During the visit, Trump is expected to hold bilateral talks with King Salman, as well as a meeting with the leaders of six Arabian monarchies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates), and take part in the summit of the leaders of Arab and Muslim countries along with some 50 other heads of state or government.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Trump, Saudi King Salman Sign a Nearly $110-Billion Defense Deal

By Steve Herman May 20, 2017

Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz and U.S. President Donald Trump signed a nearly $110 billion agreement Saturday to bolster the military capabilities of Saudi Arabia.

The defense deal, effective immediately, was one of a series agreements the two countries signed to enhance their military and economic partnerships, including a second defense pact with options valued up to $350 billion over the next 10 years.

"It was a tremendous day," Trump said while meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef at a Riyadh hotel. "Jobs, jobs, jobs," the president said in a reference to the potential job creation opportunities the agreements provide.

The White House said in a statement earlier the defense deals will create new opportunities for U.S. companies in the Middle East region and support "tens of thousands" of new jobs in the U.S. defense industry.

The White House statement also said the deals will help both countries more effectively address common threats.

"This package of defense equipment and services supports the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats, while also bolstering the Kingdom's ability to contribute to counterterrorism operations across the region, reducing the burden on the U.S. military to conduct those operations," the statement said.

Included in the defense agreements is a $6 billion pledge to assemble 150 Lockheed Martin Blackhawk helicopters in Saudi Arabia, which is expected to result in the creation of 450 jobs in Saudi Arabia.

Additionally, American conglomerate General Electric said Saturday it signed $15 billion in agreements with Saudi organizations. Saudi Aramco said it expected to sign $50 million in deals with U.S. companies in an attempt to diversify the kingdom's economy beyond oil exports.

Earlier Saturday, King Salman presented President Trump with the kingdom's highest civilian honor during a meeting at the Royal Court in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.

After Trump and others entered the court to the music of bagpipes, King Salman decorated him with the gold King Abdulaziz al-Saud Medal.

Trump arrived in Riyadh Saturday to begin his first foreign trip as president.

The president and his wife, Melania, were greeted at the airport by King Salman. The king and the Trumps walked along the red carpet into the Royal Hall, a terminal at the airport, where they talked briefly. Minutes later, the Trumps, along with the Saudi king departed the airport in a motorcade, heading to the city along a route with deserted streets.

Unprecedented destination

Heavy security was evident at the airport, including military vehicles with weapons.

Saudi Arabia is an unprecedented destination for an initial overseas visit by any U.S. president.

It is all the more surprising in the wake of his "America First" rhetoric and campaign statements calling for a "Muslim ban" backed by subsequent orders attempting to limit travel on six Muslim-majority countries.

Saudi Arabia, which has deep, long-standing energy and defense ties to the United States, was not named in the travel bans.

Trump will spend much of the first day of his trip meeting with King Salman and other members of the royal family before an evening banquet. On Sunday, he will meet with dozens of Arab and Muslim leaders for a regional summit focusing on combating extremism.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo confirmed Friday he will attend the meeting. An Indonesian government spokesman said, "We see this as an important meeting because it is the first time a meeting between the new American government and Islamic countries addressing issues that are of concern to us all, especially regarding the fight against radicalism and terrorism."

Trip's focus

President Trump, confronted by growing political scandals at home, intends to use the visit to portray his administration as a global leader by helping birth an alliance with like-minded Muslim leaders to combat "radical Islamic terrorism" (Trump's phrase and one the Saudis do not want to use).

"It lays to rest the notion that America is anti-Muslim," Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubair told reporters earlier this month.

"It's very important that the president is reaching out to Muslim-majority countries in the world, and trying to identify who our friends are and work with them to beat our common enemies," Democratic Congressman Thomas Suozzi, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East told VOA. "We have to recognize that most of the Muslims in the world are peace-loving people, who have strong faith and want to have a harmonious world we need to embrace."

A shared vision with the Gulf Cooperation Council and Organization of Islamic Cooperation to enhance the battle against the Islamic State group and al-Qaida could be interpreted as putting Trump squarely on one side of the Sunni-Shi'ite ideological schism in the Muslim world.

The Saudis are Sunnis (Islam's majority), while Iran is dominated by Shiites.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russia, Syria blast US strikes targeting anti-Daesh forces

Iran Press TV

Fri May 19, 2017 10:11AM

Russia and Syria have condemned US airstrikes targeting anti-Daesh forces, saying the "brazen" attacks violate the Arab country's sovereignty and show Washington's claims of fighting terrorism are false.

The US military launched the attack against a convoy of the Syrian military heading towards the border near Jordan where Daesh terrorists are based.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov on Friday described the attacks as "unacceptable," which also claimed the lives of civilians.

Speaking in Geneva, Gatilov said the strikes violated Syria's sovereignty and would not help efforts to achieve a political solution to the ongoing crisis in the country.

A Syrian government's military source said the US strike hit "one of our military points" late Thursday, killing several people and causing material damage.

The source said the attack hampered efforts by the Syrian army and its allies to fight Daesh terrorists who have been wreaking havoc in Iraq and Syria for years.

"This brazen attack by the so-called international coalition exposes the falseness of its claims about fighting terrorism," the source said.

"The Syrian Arab Army is fighting terrorism on its territory, and no party has the right to determine the course of its operations," the Syrian military source added.

Syrian state media provided no precise figures about the number of casualties, but the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said eight people were killed in the attack.

The US said the attack targeted "pro-regime forces... that posed a threat to US and partner forces" in the nearby Tanf base where American troops train what they call "moderate" militants.

Yehya al-Aridi, a spokesman for the foreign-backed opposition High Negotiations Committee holding talks with a Syrian government delegation in Geneva, welcomed the US strike as a "robust action" against Damascus.

The development comes only a few days after US jets killed nearly two dozen civilians in an attack on an area in Syria's eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr near the border with Iraq.

In September last year, US airstrikes on Syrian army positions near the Dayr al-Zawr military airport also killed over 80 soldiers.

The latest strikes are the first against government forces since the United States launched cruise missile strikes on a Syrian air base in April in the face of army advances against foreign-backed terrorists.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Moscow Says New US-Led Coalition Strike Near Syrian Al-Tanf 'Illegitimate'

Sputnik News

21:25 19.05.2017

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called the latest US-led coalition airstrike against Syrian pro-government forces in southern Syria "violation of Syria's sovereignty."

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The latest US-led coalition airstrike against Syrian pro-government forces in southern Syria severely violated Syria's sovereignty and negatively affected the prospects of political settlement in the crisis-torn country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday.

On Thursday, a US defense official told Sputnik that the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State terror group (ISIL or Daesh, banned in Russia) conducted a strike near the At Tanf hamlet against Syrian government forces which were operating in an established US-Russian de-escalation zone and posed a threat to forces of the United States and its allies. The coalition's spokesperson told Sputnik that warning shots were fired prior to carrying out the airstrike.

The US-led coalition of 68 nations is conducting airstrikes, ground-based and rocket-propelled artillery fire against the Daesh in Syria and Iraq. The strikes in Iraq are conducted in support of the Iraqi government, but those in Syria are not authorized by the UN Security Council or the government of President Bashar Assad.

The strike on Thursday is a second instance of the US administration under President Donald Trump attacking Syrian territory. On April 6, Washington conducted a missile strike against Syrian government troops at the Ash Sha'irat airbase in the Idlib province. Trump claimed that the strike was a response to an alleged chemical weapon attack in Idlib, an incident which the White House blames on Damascus without providing evidence.

COALITION'S REAL GOALS

The Syrian Defense Ministry confirmed the attack on Friday, saying that the United States used false pretenses to attack its troops.

"The attempts to justify this aggression by the absence of response to a warning to stop the advance are unacceptable," the statement, obtained by Sputnik, read.

The defense ministry urged the coalition to focus on fighting terrorists instead of carrying out attacks on the government forces.

"The Syrian Army is really fighting terrorist groups the Islamic State and the Jabhat Fatah al Sham (both outlawed in Russia)  those, who say that they fight terrorism, should direct their attacks on them and not against the only legitimate Syrian army, which fights terrorism alongside its allies and friends, " according to the statement.

RUSSIA'S REACTION

Moscow strongly condemned the coalition's attack on Friday, as evidenced by the public statements of Russia's top foreign officials.

"Whatever the reason for the decisions that the US command made to carry out that strike was, the strike is illegitimate, it is illegal and a regular gross violation of the Syrian Arab Republic's sovereignty," Lavrov told reporters.

Lavrov added that Moscow is inquiring about the details of the strike.

"As for the strike itself, as I know, we are still clarifying all the details, but according to some reports, several dozen civilians died as a result of the strike. I repeat, all this needs to be double-checked," Lavrov said.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov raised concerns about the strike's influence on the process of the political settlement in Syria.

"Any military actions entailing the aggravation of the situation in Syria certainly influence the course of the political process, especially such actions that were committed against the Syrian armed forces," Gatilov said.

The minister stressed that the potentially deadly coalition strike was "absolutely unacceptable" and violated the sovereignty of Damascus.

"This was not an operation against the Islamic State or the Nusra Front [also known as the Jabhat Fatah al Sham]," Gatilov added.

The official also condemned the timeline of the coalition's attack, which took place just a day after an airstrike by the coalition in Syria claimed civilian lives.

"Literally a day before this, a strike was carried out resulting in the deaths of a large number of civilians in Syria, which is also unacceptable and of course does not contribute to the creation of a favorable political environment," Gatilov said.

The coalition's airstrike was not accidental and Washington's explanations only support such allegations, Konstantin Kosachev, the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Russian upper house of parliament, said.

"The airstrike that the US-led coalition carried out on Thursday on the pro-government Syrian forces could not be considered an accident or a mistake. This was an intentional act, the consequences of which are yet to be assessed," Kosachev wrote on Facebook.

Kosachev also commented on the words of US Defense Secretary James Mattis, who said, referring to the recent airstrike, that Washington was defending its troops and not increasing its role in the Syrian civil war.

"The United States practically admits that they carry out attacks on the pro-government forces of the sovereign state, defending its own military units, which are deployed there illegally, without the authorization of the UN Security Council or the invitation of the country's government. Basically they are the occupation forces. And a party of conflict," the lawmaker underlined.

ACCIDENTAL OR NON-ACCIDENTAL ATTACK

The US-led coalition strike on Thursday was yet another case when the official position of Washington contradicts with the real situation "on the ground," when people, who even by the US point of view are not terrorists, fall victims of such attacks. A number of both accidental and intentional strikes took place during the coalition's military campaign in Syria.

On September 17, 2016, a coalition aircraft carried out four airstrikes against positions of Syrian government troops near Deir ez-Zor, leaving 62 personnel killed and some 100 wounded. The Pentagon said the airstrike was a mistake and targeted militants.

"In this incident, ultimately, we made an unintentional regrettable error primarily based on human factors in several areas in the targeting process," the lead investigator, US Air Force Brig. Gen. Richard Coe said following the probe.

The US investigator noted that coalition forces managed to stop the airstrikes against Syrian forces due to Russian warnings.

"We would not have stopped the strike, but for the phone call from the Russians  They would have continued longer, so we are certainly grateful for that phone call," Coe said.

The US official added that the coalition accidentally provided the Russian military with inaccurate information about the planned airstrike on September 17.

"In that first phone call we made to Russians, we unintentionally passed erroneous information on the location of the strikes  Specifically the location we gave to Russia was off by several kilometers," Coe said.

Then on April 4, the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces blamed the Syrian government for the incident in Khan Sheikhoun, which allegedly involved the use of chemical weapons. Damascus denied any involvement in the incident and the Syrian army said it did not possess chemical weapons as they had been destroyed by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

However the Western powers rushed to condemn Damascus, while Russia insisted on a proper investigation and said the incident was likely the result of an airstrike on a militant weapons cache rather than a deliberate attack.

Despite the lack of the investigation's conclusion, the incident was used by the United States as pretext for a missile strike on April 7, launching 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Syria's military airfield in Ash Sha'irat.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Daesh terrorists kill 19 Syrian civilians, abduct 3 SDF militants: Report

Iran Press TV

Sat May 20, 2017 4:57PM

A monitoring group says members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group have killed nearly 20 people, including two children, in a village in Syria's eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr.

Director of the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), Rami Abdel Rahman, said on Saturday that Daesh extremists raided the village of Jazirat Albu Shams, northwest of Dayr al-Zawr, last evening and executed 19 civilians, including two women and two children, with bullets to the head.

He added that Daesh extremists then set the corpses ablaze, noting, "Some were rounded up in the street before being killed, and others were executed at home."

Abdel Rahman further stated that Daesh Takfiris also abducted three militants of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) before withdrawing from the village.

The development came just a day after Daesh terrorists executed more than 50 people in Syria's central province of Hama.

The SOHR reported that at least 15 civilians and 27 pro-government fighters were killed when Daesh terrorists launched attacks against the villages of Aqarib al-Safi and al-Mabujeh on Thursday.

Most of the civilians had been beheaded and mutilated, the Britain-based group said, noting that another 10 bodies were yet to be identified as pro-government fighters or local residents.

It added that 15 Daesh terrorists were also killed in the dawn attack on the two villages.

Syria has been fighting different foreign-sponsored militant and terrorist groups since March 2011. United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimated last August that more than 400,000 people had been killed in the crisis until then.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Turkey Planning New Operations in Syria, Iraq Against Kurdish Armed Groups

Sputnik News

16:54 20.05.2017(updated 17:00 20.05.2017)

Turkey's General Staff has developed a new plan of anti-terrorist operations in the region against possible attacks of the Kurdish armed groups in Syria and Iraq, local media reported on Saturday.

ANKARA (Sputnik)  According to the Anadolu news agency, citing military sources, the plans imply a "resolute rebuff to any attacks of the militants of the branches of the terrorist organization PKK [Kurdistan Workers Party] in Syria and Iraq".

The military bases that are supposed to be used within the framework of the General Staff's plan, have finished preparations for operations in the neighboring countries, the media said, adding that military equipment and several military units have been deployed to the border regions.

According to the agency's sources, Turkish intelligence services have organized a round-the-clock surveillance in the border region next to the territories controlled by the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Iraq and in Syria.

Units of the opposition Syrian Liberation Army are engaged in intensive military training organized with support of the Turkish Armed Forces, the media added, explaining that the training program started on March 29 in boot camps built near the Syrian border. According to the military sources in the region, the key goal is to "build an entirely new Syrian Liberation Army, which will secure success of the new operations in Syria."

Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in Turkey, Iraq, and Syria. In Iraq and Syria, the Kurds are fighting against the Daesh terror group, outlawed in Russia, while in Turkey they are engaged in a conflict with state authorities. The PKK is designated as a terrorist group in Turkey, which considers the PYD and the YPG extensions of the PKK. However, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia alliance, which includes the YPG, have been receiving support from the United States in fighting against the Daesh (terrorist group outlawed in Russia) in Syria.

Turkish forces repeatedly struck Kurdish positions in northern Syria and Iraq. Earlier in May, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his US counterpart Donald Trump that, if attacked by the YPG, Turkey will respond "and no one will be consulted" prior to the action.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






New U.K. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt has reversed most of an economic package announced by the government just weeks ago, including a planned cut in income taxes. Hunt said Monday he was scrapping almost all the tax cuts announced last month by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Liz Truss, and also signaled that public spending cuts are on the way. It was a bid to soothe turbulent financial markets spooked by fears of excessive government borrowing. The move raises questions about how long the beleaguered prime minister can stay in office, though Truss insisted she has no plans to quit. She vowed to lead the Conservatives into the next general election, but many in the party want her gone.
We value your privacy.

Focus Taiwan (CNA) uses tracking technologies to provide better reading experiences, but it also respects readers' privacy. Click here to find out more about Focus Taiwan's privacy policy. When you close this window, it means you agree with this policy.
'He was either gonna shoot me or I was gonna shoot him.' Officer describes deadly shootout
More than 100 first responders and others recently gathered at Triad Park in Kernersville to watch Duke Energy linemen and trainers share the essentials of power line safety. The demonstration featured lines and infrastructure found in most neighborhoods.

Representatives from the following organizations attended the training: Chatham County Emergency Medical Services, Forsyth County Emergency Management, Haynes Dye and Finishing, Kernersville Fire Rescue Department, American Red Cross, Colfax Fire Department, Forsyth County Sheriffs Office and Greensboro Fire Department.

We appreciate the partnership we have with first responders and their work to help keep our customers and communities safe, said Jimmy Flythe, Duke Energys director of government and community relations in western North Carolina. Severe weather, accidents and other events that damage power lines, poles and other equipment can create a hazardous situation. This training helps first responders know what to look out for and how to stay safe.

Duke Energy also recently announced Power/Forward Carolinas  a $13 billion, 10-year project to modernize the states electric system. The upgrades will harden the system against storms and outages, making it safer and more resilient.

Customers who experience an outage during a storm should call the automated outage-reporting system at 800-769-3766 or text OUT to 57801. Customers can also report an outage or view current outages online at www.duke-energy.com.

Duke Energy encourages consumers to always have an emergency kit ready in case they experience a power outage.

For more information and safety tips, visit www.duke-energy.com.
GREENSBORO  Hardly anything could just be tossed into the discard or donate piles started by his boys as Rabbi Eliezer Eli Havivi, who is retiring from Beth David Synagogue, packed up 25 years of memories.

He pauses, described oldest son Daniel Havivi, of sorting through items alongside his dad in the home where he and his three siblings were raised.

And he has a story to tell, the son, a lawyer in Washington, said with a laugh. Hell say, Oh, no, no you cant throw this out. You made this when you were in the third grade.

More stories inevitably follow in the living room as the rabbi known for his Carolina blue T-shirt with Tar Heels written in Hebrew prepares to leave for Philadelphia, where he will take up at least temporary residence.

I have a long list of projects, Havivi said. The first thing is to do nothing. Just to be. 



Havivi, 65, has spent 25 years  a tenure that has become more of a rarity among rabbis  at the synagogue, one of two in the city.

People make jokes that my first steps were in the synagogue, said his daughter, Noa, who graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill last week.

Described as a trusted guide and tower of strength in his congregation, Havivi is also known as a bridge builder with people of other faiths  and no faith  in the community.

He is a storyteller with an infectious curiosity for learning and a charm that is natural and genuine.

He is an educator at his core, holding community study sessions on the religious books of other faiths and their connections. On trips to Israel, he has helped guide local Christians and clergy to the Jordan River and walked alongside young people during the March of the Living through historic, yet wrenching, Holocaust-era death camps.

Im Presbyterian, but hes become my rabbi, said Tara Sandercock of the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, who bonded with Havivi while traveling on several interfaith study missions. He talks with you as though you are the most wonderful person.

At his retirement dinner last week, Mayor Nancy Vaughan and City Council member Nancy Hoffmann presented Havivi with a key to the city. Hoffmann reminded him that in medieval days, it was literally the key to the lock at the gate of a city. She encouraged him to use it often.



Havivis coming to Greensboro in 1991 was a fluke.

A 1980 graduate of Jewish Theological Seminary in his hometown of New York City, he was offered positions in other big cities when Beth David was also looking for a spiritual leader.

He had served for four years as director of Camp Ramah in the Poconos, an educational camp for Jewish youngsters to learn about their religious and cultural heritage.

He then moved to Israel with a group of college friends to start a kibbutz, a collective farming settlement outside the ancient city of Nazareth. There, he learned how to build roads and houses, repair waterlines and run a hamlet of 40 people.

He would move from the kibbutz to work at a teachers college in Tivon, with his wife and two small children.

Then it was back to the United States, where he wanted to serve as a rabbi in a synagogue.

The visit to Greensboro was an afterthought, Havivi said of making the trip to Beth David.

But he found people here who were eager to learn about their faith. And the congregation connected with his teaching style, which combined a deep knowledge with a strong wit.

And when offered the job, Havivi decided to stay.

In his office is a photo of him teaching a class, and hes holding a book and his head is thrown back in laughter, said Risa Hanau, a Beth David member and vice president of clinical services at Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro.

Its really the joy that he carries within him that he shares with the community. That is kind of the essence of him.



The congregation found a leader who was engaging and empowering, giving them the skills, confidence and permission to be active leaders in services, said David Altman, a former president of the synagogue and the CEO of the Center for Creative Leadership.

And next to them and behind them and in front of them is Rabbi Havivi, Altman said. Sometimes he leads and sometimes he follows. Sometimes he pulls and sometimes he pushes. He always has a hand on your shoulder, helping you find your own path to helping you express your Judaism.

Havivi looked for other ways to help synagogue members live out their faith on a daily basis. He did so, for example, by asking a local Brueggers Bagels to make the first batch of the day kosher for observant Jews.

Every time a college student came to the synagogue, he made sure they got to know other college students in the congregation  even stopping in the middle of services to do so.

He wanted to create a home away from home for them.

Its really important to me that people not feel like strangers and alone when they walk into the synagogue, Havivi said.

He also wanted congregants to find a connection in the prayers and songs that would make their lives more meaningful.

Altman recalled a sermon Havivi gave of driving down Friendly Avenue in a panic.

He was in a rush to get somewhere, probably to visit someone in the hospital, and he got behind someone driving very slowly, Altman said.

Growing increasingly frustrated, he moved over a lane and pushed down on the accelerator.

And as he was passing he looked to his left and it was a congregant of Beth David Synagogue, Altman said. He thought, What if I was videotaped all the time, that every behavior I engaged in was subject to being viewed by other people? How would that change how I behaved? That was the essence of that sermon and I think about that often. What would you do if you knew someone was watching you all the time? That was 10 to 15 years ago, and I remember it. And it guides me.

The congregation appreciated his humanity.

They watched him go through a divorce from his wife, Judy. The two shared custody of their children, with them living with each parent every other week.

They were role models for the community in how they handled that, said Marilyn Chandler, a close friend and executive director of the Greensboro Jewish Federation.

Havivi said the divorce helped him be better at counseling those dealing with the same issues.

More important for some members of the congregation was how he handled gay marriage, which he initially opposed.

He held seminars at the synagogue where he read through rabbinical papers and theology. He educated himself.

Thats a great characteristic of his, said Ellen Lennie Gerber, a member of the congregation who is gay and attended those discussions.

Gerber later happened upon Havivi at a National Conference for Community and Justice dinner in 2013. She and her then-partner had been in a committed relationship almost five decades, and she mentioned to Havivi that the Supreme Court could soon take the case.

He told her that when the time came, he would marry them. He said, I will do it for you,  Gerber recalled. I almost fell over. I had always dreamed of having a Jewish wedding in the synagogue in front of friends and family and community.

He wed them in the sanctuary under a chuppah, or canopy, made from the prayer shawls of both the womens relatives.

He had evolved, Gerber said. Thats the word he used.

Afterward, both women crushed glass, as is the Jewish tradition for the groom. Part of my evolution, part of the worlds evolution, is its not about sex, Havivi said. Its about love.



Some of the memories wont fit in boxes.

The Wednesday early morning pancakes before school with the kids at Tex and Shirleys, when they all lived at home.

Or inviting non-Jews to his home for the Passover seder.

Or those neighborhood walks talking about their children and life with the Rev. Michael Usey of College Park Baptist Church. Usey often took members of his congregation to the synagogue, where Havivi would regale them with insights from the Old and New Testaments.

Soon, Havivi will tackle an office sprawling with one-of-a-kind treasures, such as the series of intricate and colorful biblical scenes made of pipe cleaners that adorn a wall.

And the photo of him and Saliba Hanhan, a Palestinian. A copy hangs on the wall at Hanhans Jerusalem Market downtown. The two have shared long conversations as Havivi shopped or grabbed a meal.

Weve known him for over 20 years now, Hanhan said. Few people make such an impression on you.

Havivi timed his retirement with Noa, his youngest child, graduating from college.

So this next stage really is a clean slate. He plans to write books, travel, maybe fill in as an interim rabbi at another synagogue.

Its time for me to have a new adventure, Havivi said.

What he wont do is come back to officiate at weddings, funerals and other Jewish celebrations here. It is important for him that the new rabbi lead the congregation.

I will tell them, Havivi said of requests, that I will come back as a guest.
GREENWICH  A proposed antenna on Pemberwick Road to boost Verizons network could be the first of many in town, according to a local telecommunications expert.

Bill Stoddard, an Old Greenwich resident with decades of experience in the field, warns that the demand for stronger and faster data networks is driving the desire to install as many antennas as possible in towns like Greenwich.

This is something the town needs to get on top of, said Stoddard, founder of Accenture, an information technology services company that worked with industry giants Verizon, AT&T and Sprint. This is going to really change all our lives and, as importantly, its going to change the value of properties.

The technology being pursued by Verizon isnt the installation of a new cell tower. Instead it wants to place an antenna on an existing telephone pole outside a Pemberwick Road residence.

Stoddard said the potential is there for six to 13 antennas on the same pole, as different carriers follow suit, a visual he compared to a toilet brush. And due to the demands for increasing data network capability, Stoddard said CEOs believe they need to have the antennas every 200 feet, adding up to about 700 per square mile. Some companies are shooting for antennas every 75 feet, which would mean thousands per square mile, he said.

This is coming at us very quickly over the next three years, Stoddard said this week to a meeting of the Pemberwick-Glenville Association.

Installation of the antenna is not guaranteed. The decision on whether to allow it and others like it will be made by the state Public Utility Regulations Authority. But a lawsuit is ongoing to try to move that power over to the Connecticut Siting Council, which Stoddard said would likely be more sensitive to community concerns (although a 2016 review by Hearst Connecticut Newspapers found that the Siting Council since its 1972 formation had approved 96 percent of the applications that had come before it).

Greenwich, Danbury and other parties are plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Verizon, which was filed last September and which also seeks a temporary hold on further applications while the matter is being adjudicated.

Vince DiMarco, head of communication for the Pemberwick-Glenville Association, said the group had hoped to have representatives from government and the industry at the meeting.

I was told by PURA they cant show up because of the lawsuit, DiMarco said. Nobody is going to talk when theres litigation. We wanted to make sure people understood what was going on in the first place.

Additionally, a bill which would allow for municipalities to have a greater voice in the placement of antennas and other technology is before the state Senate. Connecticut municipalities currently have no power to block technology such as cell towers or antennas.

Some residents are concerned about potential health risks posed by a proliferation of antennas in residential neighborhoods.

With all of our airwaves that are replete with this data, how will those electromagnetic fields affect our health and well being? Marianne Schorer asked at this weeks meeting.

Ludmila Kravchychyn added, My kids are going to be sleeping 10 hours every day for 20 years inside a magnetic field. This is new and its impossible to be sure that there is no effect.

However, Stoddard did not agree with the fears, saying a cell phone was probably a thousand times deadlier than the antennas. He said actual radiation would not hurt the town, but the fear of radiation could drive down property values.

I really dont think you need to worry about it, Stoddard said, later adding the strength coming from the antennas would be minuscule.

His assurances didnt assuage the concerned audience members, however.

Our government isnt very strict with guidelines, said Karen Zand. Look the food industry. Theyre not strict with guidelines for cancer-causing foods. Theyre not going to be very strict with how they measure cancer-causing cell phone towers in our neighborhoods.

Stoddard contended that the reason the providers want the antennas to go up is because of the demand. If consumers didnt want them, the companies wouldnt be pursuing the stronger networks, he said.

If we dont want it and dont pay for it, then they wont do it, Stoddard said. The way to solve the problem is for all of us to stop buying that stuff.

Voice usage on cellular phones has leveled off, he said, but there has been a spike in demand for data capacity to play online games, text and stream video. He predicted demand will only increase in future years as people begin using technology like driverless cars.

They want to focus on areas like ours because were heavily populated and will pay for all their services, Stoddard said. Thats their target. Were targeted.

kborsuk@greenwichtime.com
A man was handcuffed and led off a plane in Honolulu on Friday after passengers helped duct-tape him to his seat and fighter jets escorted the flight to the airport.

Before he even boarded the plane, Anil Uskanil had been arrested by police at Los Angeles International Airport after a worker allegedly spotted him walking through a security door leading from the terminal to an airfield ramp shortly before 3 a.m Friday. He was released after being charged with a misdemeanor, police said. The 25-year-old had been drinking, airport police explained in a statement, but wasn't drunk.

He later boarded American Airlines Flight 31, but looked disheveled and "clearly out of place," passenger Donna Basden told the Associated Press.

Basden said that when she and her companion sat down in their first-class seats, they found a laptop computer in the seat-back pocket. A flight attendant said the computer probably belonged to a man had left it there and gone to the bathroom, according to Basden.

Uskanil retrieved the laptop - scowling, Basden's companion said.

Uskanil reportedly tried to then sit in a different first-class seat, but he was eventually directed to his seat at the back of the plane.

Halfway through the flight, around 9:30 a.m., according to an FBI agent, Uskanil again appeared in the front of the plane with his laptop. This time, passengers said, had a towel or blanket over his head.

"He was very quiet, moving very sluggish," passenger Grant Arakelian said, according to the Associated Press. "He was trying to approach the cabin, like where the captain is."

Uskanil's intentions were unclear, an FBI agent later told reporters. But intelligence officials have been on alert after warnings of possible terrorists group efforts to hide bombs in laptop computers and other electronic devices. Laptop computers have been banned from carry-on baggage on many U.S.-bound flights from the Middle East, and they may soon be banned on flights from Europe.

A flight attendant ran down the aisle with a beverage cart, using it to block Uskanil from the front of the plane.

"She jammed the cart in the doorway and she just said, 'You're not coming in here,'" passenger Lee Lorenzen told the Associated Press.

Lorenzen was among several passengers, including an off-duty police officer, who tried to restrain the man.

"He was pushing against the cart and a bunch of guys grabbed him," he told Hawaii News Now. "They found some duct tape. There were pillows and blankets. And they taped him to his chair."

Reports of Uskanil's behavior on the plane prompted two F-22 Raptor fighter jets to scramble.The escort was in accordance with security procedures, a Navy commander told CNBC.

After the plane landed in Honolulu, a passenger took video of FBI agents leading Uskanil, a Turkish national, off in handcuffs. Agents and police dogs then searched every seat and passenger.

The cockpit was never breached and bomb technicians found nothing threatening in Uskanil's possessions, according to the FBI. He was taken for medical evaluation, and faces a complaint for interfering with a flight crew.

The Department of Homeland Security is involved in the investigation, and agency officials said all U.S. flights would be monitored after the incident, "out of an abundance of caution."

American Airlines did not provide more information on the incident, and it's unclear if Uskanil has a lawyer. The FBI did not respond to questions, and it was unclear if he was still detained.
The Nokia 9, or as we've known it so far - the Nokia 8, has landed in the hands of the folks over at frandroid.com, albeit in an enclosure meant to keep its design away from prying eyes. What it can't hide is the connectors required for operation, and that means confirmation on the Type-C ports (as all of the new Nokias, so nothing out of the ordinary) and the 3.5mm headphone jack.



Nokia 9 prototype

The display is a 5.3-inch QHD affair (CPU-Z reports 5.27 inches) and the reviewers have measured a 530nits maximum brightness. An Always On feature has also been implemented.

Other key specs include the Snapdragon 835 chipset, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. On top of this runs Android 7.1.1 with a Pixel-like launcher painted in Nokia-blue. The phone is bundled with a pair of earbuds, and a QuickCharge 3.0 fast charger.



Nokia 9 prototype

There are two cameras on the back of the phone, reportedly a 2x13MP setup. A dual LED flash is under the lenses, as is what appears to be a laser autofocus window. A few early snaps look underwhelming but do bear in mind that they've been taken with a prototype device and have also been downscaled. Anyway, here they are.



Nokia 9 camera samples (downscaled to 1,436x1,077px)

A hefty price tag of $700/750 has been rumored for the smartphone, so Nokia better iron out whatever kinks there are in the camera before launch date.

Source
As expected, the Samsung Galaxy S8 has been officially announced for China. The unveiling took place at a dedicated event yesterday at Great Wall Theater (located beneath the Great Wall).

"The evenings speakers announced collaborations with some of Chinas most popular gaming and video services, including Tencent and iQiyi, to optimize content to take full advantage of the Galaxy S8s Infinity Display," the tech giant said in a blog post.

"Samsung also discussed partnerships with Weibo, Chinas massively popular microblogging website, and the WPS Office software, which will offer users more ways to utilize their Gear 360 camera and Samsung DeX."

The flagship will officially go on sale in the country starting May 25. There's currently no information on what price tag it will carry.

Source




Haiti - Economy : Chaos and Confusion on the Dajabon Border Market





Friday in Dajabon, chaos and confusion prevailed for several hours in the binational weekly market, following an order from the authorities in Port-au-Prince (according to information gathered at the border), prohibiting the entry first of thirty Dominican products, before being generalized in total confusion to almost all the products usually sold on the market.



The situation provoked strong tensions and blockages for more than a kilometer along the Massacre river, because of the Haitian traders who tried despite the ban, to go to Haiti with the Dominican merchandise they had bought.



The Association of Merchants of Juana Mendez strongly protested for this surprise ban and forced the mayor of this city to intervene as mediator in this case to allow the lifting of this measure. By noon, the Dominican products most in demand by Haitians, were again authorized and business activity has resumed normally...



The Association of Dominican merchants hopes to have explanations in the next few days about the reason for this sudden ban, in order to allow trade to continue normally on both sides of the border.



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Agriculture : 12 Haitian scholars begin their Master in the USA





In an effort to increase the number of highly trained Haitian researchers and extension personnel, the U.S. Feed the Future initiative project "Appui a la Recherche et au Developpement Agricole" (AREA), is committed to subsidizing the training at Master level of 20 Haitian students at the University of Florida (UF), University of Illinois and Louisiana State University.



A group of 12 students will be leaving Haiti on May 20th to attend English language training this summer to prepare for admission to their graduate programs at the University of Florida and Louisiana State University beginning this August. They will join two Haitian students who started their programs at UF in January. Some of the topics that the students will research include disease and pest management in rice and sorghum, optimizing water use efficiency, nutrient management and post-harvest technologies for major food crops, and climate smart production techniques to optimize crop productivity. The remaining 6 students are expecting to leave Haiti in the coming fall.



One of the students will be working under the supervision of two researchers from the Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead to tackle major challenges (mainly disease and nematode) faced by banana growers in Cabaret, Arcahaie and Montrouis regions. The two researchers visited Haiti last month and met with the Vice Dean for research at FAMV and the Head of the plant production department at MARNDR to discuss their involvement in that research program.



During their graduate programs, the students will work with the public and private sector in Haiti to promote agricultural modernization, and provide research-based information and recommendations for farmers to improve food security in the country. Every graduate student will have a research professional from Haiti on their graduate committee who will provide guidance and support to their graduate research work. "Through the student research projects, we will connect agricultural experts in Haiti to the experts at our U.S. university partners," confirmed Dr. Lemane Delva, Director of Research for the AREA project. And according to Dr. Rose Koenig, a UF faculty member and Interim Director of IFAS Global "At the University of Florida our faculty looks forward to mentoring and interacting with these talented and dedicated students. Their research will provide solutions to some of the major food production challenges in Haiti and lead to improved household food security and livelihoods".



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Security : Bad weather, rescue operations are active in the field





Following the bad weather of recent days, the human balance has increased from 5 to 7 people and 19 fishermen disappeared on the Cotes des Irois, Dame-Marie and off Anse d'Hainault. The material damage is considerable, especially in agriculture and road infrastructures. Torrential rains caused flooding of most rivers, overflowing of dry ravines and flooding in the most affected departments.



The Civil Protection structures participated in various rescue operations and carried out preventive evacuations at Anse d'Hainault, Pestel (Cayemites) and Port-de-Paix, where a total of 500 people were placed in temporary shelters. Relief operations that continued throughout the day of 18 May, are maintained in areas mostly affected by persistent rains, which have left nearly 3,000 families affected throughout the country, including more than 1,600 in the Nippes .



At the same time, measures to assist the population began, notably in Nippes, where 145 families were assisted. In the South, 120 food kits were distributed to families.



On the other hand, technicians of public works and workers ave multiplied their interventions on several stretches of road damaged or cut off by runoff due to floods and landslides, notably at Arniquet, Port-Salut and Roche-a-Bateaux (South) and Marfranc (Grand'Anse) and also in Port-de-Paix in the North-West. Teams are also working in some flooded neighborhoods, for remediation work.



Volunteers of the Civil Protection were also deployed in several cities for cleaning. It should be noted that according to forecasts of the National Center of Meteorology, the meteorological situation prevailing in the great Antilles is likely to cause stormy showers on some departments of the country this weekend.



Given the cumulative rainfall recorded in Haiti and the 100% saturated soils, especially on the southern peninsula of the country, the Ministry of the Interior is calling on people in areas at risk of floods and landslides. To take extra precautions and to apply the usual safety precautions because of the heavy showers that continue to hit some parts of the country.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20980-haiti-flash-partial-assessment-of-the-bad-weather-5-dead-19-missing.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Security : Prison Break at the National Penitentiary





The Chief Inspector Gary Desrosiers, deputy spokesman for the National Police of Haiti (PNH) confirmed that 3 prisoners : Civil Fils (accused of kidnapping and forcible confinement), Arnel Joseph and Etienne Nelson (accused of armed robbery and association of criminals), escaped from the National Penitentiary on Wednesday at about 5:00 am, explaining that the inmates had managed to get out of the prison by piercing a wall before climbing the surrounding wall height of 7 meters...



A fourth detainee, Kener Telsaint aka "Ti coq" was shot dead by an agent of the National Prison Administration (APN).



Gary Desrosiers, announced that 14 agents of the APN are currently under investigation by the General Inspectorate of the National Police of Haiti (IGPNH), to determine their responsibilities and possible complicities.



Seee also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20013-haiti-flash-nightmare-at-the-national-penitentiary.html



TB/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Words of sympathy from the Minister of the Interior

Following the torrential rains that killed 7 and made 19 missing persons, Max Rudolph Saint-Albin, Minister of the Interior and Local Government, presents his sympathies to the families and relatives of the disappeared. The Directorate of Civil Protection deplores the fact that most of these deaths are related mainly to the fact that people tried to cross streams at the time of the floods, despite prohibitions and instructions. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20980-haiti-flash-partial-assessment-of-the-bad-weather-5-dead-19-missing.html



Moise promises a Haitian flags factory

On May 18 in his speech Jovenel Moise promised to facilitate the establishment of a textile factory in Arcahaie in order to allow the manufacture of the Haitian flag.



Fire of a tank truck

The traffic was blocked on the "Route de l'Amitie" at the level of teh localioty "Huit-Cents-Metres", following a spectacular road accident where a truck of gasoline spilled and caught fire near the bridge of the "Vallee de Jacmel". Firefighters traveled to the area to try to control the violent fire in the presence of the Police, of South-East Departmental Delegate, the Deputy Mayor of Jacmel and civil protection officials. The fire was finally mastered in the night from Thursday to Friday. The accident caused no casualties, a house was evacuated temporarily and traffic on the "Route de l'Amitie" was partially restored.



Fuel : Fanmi Lavalas mobilizes

The Fanmi Lavalas party described the decision of the new government team to raise fuel prices as a "provocation" and announced a mobilization to force the government to reverse this unpopular measure.



Read also ultimatum of Moise Jean-Charles https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20978-haiti-news-zapping.html



First 100 days of Moise (Video)

"My first 100 days in power bear the mark of a redefinition and restructuring project. Project supported by: the fight against corruption, curbing waste, reducing the state's lifestyle, setting a legislative agenda, setting up the public service observatory, the caravan of change, the massive investment decisions in agriculture, tourism, the subcontracting industry, digital, education, environment, housing, security and public health," declared President Jovenel Moise in a special program around his first 100 days as Head of State.







Public policies for Haiti and DR

This week, a workshop on public policy recommendations for Haiti and the Dominican Republic was held in Port-au-Prince. An initiative of the Binational Observatory for Migration, Environment, Education and Trade (OBMEC).



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20390-haiti-policy-preliminary-recommendations-of-the-binational-observatory.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-15955-haiti-politic-official-launch-of-the-binational-observatory.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2017/05/20 | Source

Added episode 14 captures for the Korean drama "Queen of Mystery" (2017)

Advertisement

Directed by Kim Jin-woo-II, Yoo Yeong-eun-I

Written by Lee Seong-min-II

Network : KBS

With Choi Kang-hee, Kwon Sang-woo, Lee Won-keun, Shin Hyun-bin, Kim Hyun-sook, Yoon Hee-seok,...

16 episodes - Wed, Thu 22:00

Synopsis

"Queen of Mystery" tells the story of a prosecutor's wife who's always dreamed of being a detective. After actually solving a case, she ends up in an unlikely crime-fighting duo with a young police captain.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2017/04/05

More
Published on 2017/05/20 | Source

Added episodes 7 and 8 captures for the Korean drama "Suspicious Partner" (2017)

Advertisement

Directed by Park Seon-ho-I

Written by Kwon Ki-yeong

Network : SBS

With Ji Chang-wook, Nam Ji-hyun, Choi Tae-joon, Kwon Nara, Lee Deok-hwa, Nam Gi-ae,...

Formerly known as "Watch out for this Woman" (  , i yeo-ja-leul jo-sim-ha-se-yo)

40 episodes - Wed, Thu 22:00

Synopsis

"Suspicious Partner" will be a romantic comedy in a judicial setting with a killer thrown into the mix. A Taekwondo practitioner turned judicial trainee turned murder suspect.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2017/05/10

More
EITC Victories Await in Both Hawaii and Montana

by Aidan Davis, ITEP JustTaxes Blog, May 4, 2017

Two states are on the verge of embracing a tried and tested anti-poverty policy, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). In the past two weeks, lawmakers in both Hawaii and Montana passed EITC legislation, which governors in both states are expected to sign.

Once officially enacted, these states will join 26 other states and the District of Columbia in using EITCs to boost low-wage workers earnings and to offset some of the regressive state and local taxes they pay.

While both bills will improve tax fairness, reward work, and help families meet their basic needs, they have notable differences.

Hawaiis HB 209 would enact a sizeable EITC equal to 20 percent of the federal credit. But the bill includes three unusual provisions that will limit the credits usefulness to low-income families. First, the credit would be nonrefundable, meaning that taxpayers earning too little to owe state income tax will receive no benefit. Second, Hawaii taxpayers could claim the credit only after all of the states existing refundable credits have been applied. And third, the credit would expire after tax year 2022. Hawaii lawmakers should consider lifting these restrictions during the next legislative session.

Montanas HB 391, enacted via a bipartisan effort, includes an EITC equal to 3 percent of the federal credit. Unlike Hawaiis proposed EITC, this credit would be refundable, meaning that Montanans would receive a refund for the portion of the credit that exceeds their income tax bill. The importance of refundability hinges on the fact that it can be used to offset any state and local taxes paid, rather than only income taxes. This is particularly important given the upside-down nature of state and local tax systems where low- and moderate-income families pay a bigger share of their income in taxes than wealthier taxpayers. While Montanas EITC would represent a meaningful step toward poverty alleviation, the 3 percent credit would become the lowest in the nation, behind Louisianas 3.5 percent credit.

---30---

HB209: Text, Status

Related: Tracking Tax Hike Bills: And Then There Were Two
Lawsuit against Hawaii Churches Hurts the Surrounding Community

by Sarah Kramer, Alliance Defending Freedom, May 19, 2017

A 2016 study estimated that religious organizations offer over $300 billion in economic benefit to our country each year. Yes, that is billions with a b. And thats the most conservative estimate. Taking into account the value in goods and services that religious organizations provide, the estimate increases to over one trillion dollars.

So, you would think that communities nationwide would recognize religious organizations as a valuable part of our society. But a case out of Hawaii says differently.

One Love Ministries and Calvary Chapel Central Oahu are two churches in Honolulu, Hawaii that used to meet in local schools after hours. The churches would pay rent based on an agreement that they made with the school. And the churches, on their own initiative, provided numerous benefits to the schools outside of the rent payments, such as new air-conditioning, sound systems, and paint.

Two atheists, Mitchell Kahle and Holly Huber, however, found out about this arrangement and sued the churches under Hawaiis False Claims Act. They claim that the churches had been defrauding the government by paying substandard rent to the schools, even though the schools agree that the churches paid all the required rent.

A court originally dismissed this lawsuit but gave the Kahle and Huber time to revise their complaint. The court allowed their amended lawsuit to proceed and ADF appealed that decision to the Hawaii Intermediate Appeals Court. Today, ADF asked the appeals court to dismiss this case completely.

Kahle and Huber have a habit of attacking religious liberty wherever they go. (They have since moved to Michigan, where they have continued their campaign against religion.) Besides their obvious religious hostility, it appears that this suit is financially motivated, as Kahle and Huber stand to benefit personally.

The community gains nothing if the case is allowed to move forward. These churches were meeting the needs of local schools in exchange for meeting space. They provided a unique benefit to the public, as many churches do.

Unfortunately, this is not the only attack that churches have faced recently. And not only is religious liberty at stake in these cases, but also the positive impact churches make on their surrounding communities. For example:

We await a decision in the Supreme Court case Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer . The Supreme Court will weigh in on whether the government can discriminate against certain individuals or organizations simply because they are religious. (The State of Missouri excluded Trinity Lutheran from participating in a playground resurfacing grant open to all non-profits simply because it is a church.)

But Trinity Lutheran opens up its playground to children in the surrounding community. Do the children on Trinity Lutherans playground deserve to be less safe than those on a secular playground?

In Iowa and Massachusetts , government officials have tried to apply sexual orientation, gender identity ordinances to local churches, claiming that they are not permitted to preach on biblical sexuality and that they must open their bathrooms to members of the opposite sex.

These churches provide multiple services to the community such as meals for the needy. But government officials said they would be forced to open up their bathrooms to members of the opposite sex if they open up their facilities to the public. That would force the church to choose between these community service events and protecting the privacy of those using their facilities.

The churches serving the neediest in our communities deserve better.

And in One Love Ministries and Calvary Chapel Central Oahus case, the only thing these churches have done is serve the schools and bring great benefit to their surrounding communities. We should all agree that is worth defending.

HJ: Oral Arguments Schedule

* * * * *

ADF: Hawaii court should dismiss frivolous lawsuit against Oahu churches

News Release from ADF, May 18, 2017

HONOLULU  Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Jeremiah Galus and Senior Counsel Erik Stanley will be available for media interviews Friday following oral arguments at the Intermediate Court of Appeals of the State of Hawaii in a case concerning their motion to dismiss a lawsuit against two Oahu churches. Two atheists falsely accused the two churches of defrauding the governmentmerely for being included among all the community groups that are allowed to use empty school buildings after hours.

ADF attorneys and James Hochberg, an ADF-allied attorney in Honolulu, represent two Oahu churches, One Love Ministries and Calvary Chapel Central Oahu, against a baseless lawsuit claiming that the churches defrauded the state by violating Hawaiis False Claims Act.

Churches who serve the neediest in their communities should be welcomed, not driven out by false accusations, said ADF Legal Counsel Jeremiah Galus, who will argue on their behalf before the court. The claims in this baseless lawsuit are entirely false and are driven by an atheistic agenda that is hostile to churches. The facts and evidence show that these churches were at all times truthful and that they have made all required payments to the schools. No one benefits from this suit except the two atheists bringing it, who stand to gain financially if they are successful.

In 2013, the atheists, Mitchell Kahle and Holly Huber, filed their original lawsuit, Kahle v. New Hope International Ministries, with Hawaiis Circuit Court of the First Circuit under the states False Claims Act. The law allows whistleblowers with inside information to expose fraudulent billing by government contractors; however, the lawsuit fails to cite a single instance in which the churches submitted a false statement to defraud the government. Additionally, the churches have made substantial contributions to the schools through donated improvements and volunteer time exceeding what was required under law. For example, during the several years that One Love Ministries rented Kaimuki High School, the church community provided mentoring of Kaimuiki students; performed landscaping and maintenance of the school campus; replaced the floor of the auditorium stage; invested in remodeling all of the campus bathrooms; and removed graffiti from the school on a weekly basis, among other enhancements.

These churches have not only made all of the required rent payments, theyve sacrificially given much more in service and funding to the schools and communities they love, added ADF Senior Counsel Erik Stanley, director of the ADF Center for Christian Ministries. We are hopeful that the appeals court will dismiss this lawsuit that never should have been brought in the first place.

ADFs motion to dismiss on behalf of the two churches explained that Kahle and Huber have failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted because they have not alleged and cannot allege that there were any false claims by One Love or Calvary Chapel. Because the existence of a false claim is a necessary element of a [bona fide] complaint, and because [Kahles and Hubers] allegations, even if taken as true, demonstrate that no false claim exists (or can exist), their Complaint must be dismissed. The trial court originally ruled to dismiss the lawsuit, but due to conflicting federal law covering the same issue, the court allowed the atheists to amend their original complaint. In 2014, the two churches filed an appeal of the trial courts decision to allow the atheists baseless lawsuit to proceed.

Since then, while the churches are still serving the ohana of Hawaii, Mitchell Kahle and Holly Huber years ago moved away to Michigan, added co-counsel James Hochberg of Honoluluamong the nearly 3,200 allied attorneys with ADF.

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.

Related Case: Kahle v. One Love Ministries
Board of Education selects next Superintendent

News release from DoE, 19-May-2017

Christina Kishimoto, Ph.D., signed a three-year contract (Just long enough for HSTA to regroup and try again) and will start on August 1, 2017. "I look forward to working hand in hand with Hawaiis teachers, leaders, staff, parents, community members, and student leaders to execute on this vision of high quality college, career, and community readiness."

HONOLULU The State of Hawaii Board of Education (BOE) is pleased to announce it has selected Christina Kishimoto, Ph.D. as the incoming Superintendent to lead the Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE). After a rigorous search process that spanned several months and 92 applicants, the BOE interviewed two final candidates on May 11, 2017 before making its decision.

Because both finalists were so highly qualified, it was a difficult decision for the Board, said BOE Chairperson Lance Mizumoto who led the committee that conducted the search. In the end, however, we felt that Dr. Kishimoto has the right combination of experience, knowledge, and focus to implement the strategic vision for educational change set forth in the Governors Blueprint for Education and the BOE and HIDOEs newly revised joint strategic plan. We invite the state to join us in welcoming Dr. Kishimoto with respect, generosity, and warmth.

Kishimoto signed a three-year contract and will start on August 1, 2017. She will begin her transition out of her current role as Superintendent of the Gilbert Public Schools (GPS) district in Arizona.

It is with great excitement and honor that I accept this critical education leadership position for the State of Hawaii and the Hawaii Department of Education, said Kishimoto. In partnership with Chairperson Mizumoto, the Board, and Governor David Ige, I look forward to implementing a vision of excellence for all students. I look forward to working hand in hand with Hawaiis teachers, leaders, staff, parents, community members, and student leaders to execute on this vision of high quality college, career, and community readiness.

We are excited to have someone with a track record of reducing achievement gaps and a commitment to school empowerment to lead our public school system, stated BOE member and former HIDOE teacher and administrator Patricia Bergin. I am confident that Dr. Kishimoto will bring fresh ideas to our system, and her strong family ties to Hawaii and her excitement to embrace the foundational pieces of our system, such as Na Hopena Ao, demonstrates that she understands and respects Hawaiis uniqueness.

University of Hawaii at Manoas College of Education professor and a member of the advisory group to the search committee Patricia Halagao stated, I was impressed with Dr. Kishimotos focus on school design models that celebrate and sustain our diversity of language and culture. As a former public school teacher and someone who now trains teachers, I also appreciate how Dr. Kishimoto elevates teachers as educational experts and aims to create a system conducive for us to thrive and do what we do bestteach.

Kishimoto has been the GPS Superintendent since July 2014. She is recognized nationally as a visionary leader in education for her reform work in school turnaround and portfolio school development. Kishimoto earned a Masters in Public Affairs from the University of Connecticut and a doctorate from Columbia University. In June 2014, she completed two years of board service on the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, an organization focused on student centered practices and policies.

During the selection process, the BOE conducted a thorough background check, which included civil, criminal, financial, and educational verifications. Chairperson Mizumoto added, In addition, district officials, former Superintendents, and other individuals in the Gilbert district were contacted. Various negative statements made about Dr. Kishimoto were either inconsequential or simply invalid.

Next month, the BOE will hold a news conference to formally introduce Kishimoto as the new HIDOE superintendent.

Outgoing HIDOE Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi ends her term on June 30, 2017. The BOE plans to name an interim Superintendent to serve during the transition month of July.

"Congratulations and best wishes to Christina," said Supt. Matayoshi. "I'm confident she will build on the progress made to improve our public education system, and continue to keep students at the center of all that we do."

The BOE formulates statewide educational policy and appoints the Superintendent as the chief executive officer of the public school system. For more information about the Superintendent search and process, please visit the BOEs website at http://boe.hawaii.gov.

* * * * *

HNN: Her annual salary starts at $240,000 -- $40,000 more than outgoing schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi

KITV: I have family who are there on Oahu and Hilo.

KHON: Now that the superintendent has been selected, (Translation: We fought this tooth and nail) we look forward to the opportunity to work with her to change our test and punish culture (Translation: Eliminate teacher accountability), improve the special education crisis (Translation: Hire lots more HSTA members), recruit and retain teachers (see!) as well as strengthen Hawaiis career and technical education programs (Translation: Hire lots more HSTA members), said HSTA president Corey Rosenlee.

HNN: Mom says school not doing enough after bed bug crawls out of library book
Where Might Kim Jong Un Strike If He Gets His Treasured ICBM?

by Ryan Pickrell, Daily Caller, May 19, 2017

North Korea is squaring off with a superpower, and propaganda has offered insight into the targets the North might aim for in the event of a conflict.

North Koreas missile and nuclear weapons technology is advancing rapidly. The North successfully tested a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile Sunday that some observers suspect may be the foundation for a future intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the key to threatening the U.S. mainland.

The objective is to preserve the regime, right? Vipin Narang, a MIT professor with a deep knowledge of nuclear strategy, told The Washington Post. You really have to stop the invasion. If you think you need nuclear weapons to do that, how do you deal with the fact that the U.S. is going to make you a smoldering, radioactive hole at the end of that? Well, if you can hold American homeland targets at risk, that might induce caution.

The North is still developing the technology to strike the U.S. with an ICBM, despite their aggressive threats. Nonetheless, North Korean propaganda offers insight into the targets they might shoot for if they had one.

A North Korean photo from 2013 reveals a map, which some analysts call the Map of Death, identifying U.S. targets for potential nuclear strikes.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presides over an urgent operation meeting on the Korean Peoples Army Strategic Rocket Forces performance of duty for firepower strike at the Supreme Command in Pyongyang. The sign on the left reads, Strategic forces plan to hit the mainland of the U.S.. REUTERS/KCNA

Open source intelligence analysts suspect that the four targets identified on the map are Hawaii, San Diego, Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, and Washington, D.C. The U.S. Navys Pacific fleet is headquartered in Hawaii, and its home base is in San Diego. Barksdale is the headquarters for Air Force Global Strike Command, which is essential for U.S. nuclear deterrence and global strikes. The Department of Defense and other national security agencies are located in D.C.

Amplified image of the map from the meeting (Reuters via KCNA)

Other analysts add Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, where U.S. Strategic Command is located, and Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, home to nuclear-capable B-2 stealth bombers, according to WaPo. The North could also potentially threaten Seattle or San Francisco. North Korea revealed a propaganda video featuring a simulated nuclear strike on the latter during a state concert celebrating the 105th anniversary of the birth of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung last month.

An ICBM test is expected this year, according to Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats.

While it cannot yet strike the U.S. mainland, North Korea has the weapons technology to hold Northeast Asia hostage.

Eager to stave off a U.S. invasion, the North, according to the rhetoric in their state media reports, would likely focus on U.S. military bases and high-profile strategic assets, like the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system being installed in South Korea.

North Korea launched a salvo of extended-range Scud missiles early March into the East Sea/Sea of Japan, with North Korean state media claiming the Korean Peoples Army was rehearsing for strikes on U.S. bases in Japan. Open source intelligence reports revealed the North was aiming for Iwakuni Marine Corps Air Station, where a squadron of forward-deployed F-35s were stationed. When the USS Ohio made a port call to Busan last year, the North fired a missile into the sea. Open source intelligence, coupled with media reports at the time, revealed that the North was practicing bombing Busan.

The Norths newest missile, the Hwasong-12, has a range that puts Guam, specifically Anderson Air Force Base, within striking distance. The U.S. has a number of strategic bombers stationed in Guam, several of which have flown past the DMZ in a show of force.

If the US goes reckless, misjudging the trend of the times and the strategic position of the [Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea], all the US military bases in the operational theater in the Pacific, including Guam, will face ruin in the face of an all-out and substantial attack mounted by the army of the DPRK, a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson told the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in August last year.
Martin Gallagher had gone to shop to buy a SIM card

A customer at a mobile phone store was arrested after he had a dispute with staff and threatened that he was "going to get his mates".

Martin Gallagher (33) had gone to get a SIM card with his girlfriend and children when he became abusive towards the shop workers.

He also tried to throw an item from the shopping centre at investigating gardai as he was led out into the car park.

Judge David McHugh fined him 80 when he appeared in court on a public order charge.

The judge said this was not the way 99.9pc of people would react when they had a customer service issue.

Gallagher, of Chaplain's Terrace, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour with intent to cause a breach of the peace.

Blanchardstown District Court heard the incident happened at the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in Clondalkin on April 24.

Gallagher had been in the Three Store and was asked to leave after he became abusive to staff, Gda Sgt Maria Callaghan said.

He did leave, but he returned and said he was "going to get his mates".

Convictions

When gardai arrived he calmed down, but then, as he was being escorted from the shopping centre, he began shouting in the car park.

He picked up an item and attempted to throw it at the gardai, Sgt Callaghan continued.

Gallagher was arrested and taken to Ronanstown Garda Station, where he was charged.

The court heard he had previous convictions for drink- driving and casual trading dating back to 2007.

He had been given a four-year driving ban for the drink-driving offence.

On the day of the mobile phone shop incident, he was trying to buy a SIM card and was not getting what he wanted, his lawyer said.

Things "got heated", and he apologised for what happened.

Gallagher's lawyer asked the judge to be as lenient as he could.

Judge McHugh said "99.9pc of people who have a difficulty with customer service" would have handled matters differently.

The accused, who was in receipt of social welfare, was granted free legal aid.

He did not address the court during the hearing.
A father-of-four with a drink problem had relapsed when gardai caught him driving with more than three times the legal limit of alcohol in his body, a court heard.

Paul Plant (51) was banned from driving for six years when he appeared before Dublin District Court.

Plant, of Ellensborough Rise, Kiltipper, pleaded guilty to drink driving.

The court heard that Plant stopped at a garda checkpoint in Templeogue Road on March 30 at 1.10am. He provided a driving licence but failed the roadside breath test and was arrested and taken to Terenure Garda Station.

Separated

A test there showed a reading of 79mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath.

The accused had one previous conviction, for drink driving, in 2011.

He was banned from driving for three years for that offence, but his disqualification had expired at the time of the latest incident.

Plant had separated from his wife as a result of alcohol issues, his barrister John Griffin said.

He had relapsed but is no longer drinking alcohol, he added.

Plant was a self-employed carpenter but is currently out of work.

Judge Fiona Lydon fined the accused 250 and said her hands were tied in relation to the length of the driving ban.
Jonathan Dowdall said he would never contemplate making threats to the family of Alexander Hurley

A former Sinn Fein councillor who tortured a man in his garage has denied the victim was told that he was in the IRA and a friend of Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald.

Jonathan Dowdall (40) insists some of the evidence in the case is incorrect.

He does not accept prosecution assertions that references were made to the IRA and the two Sinn Fein politicians during the victim's ordeal.

He also maintains that the imprisonment did not last for three hours and that he did not threaten his family.

Late

He made the claims through his lawyer as he was due to be sentenced at the Special Criminal Court.

Evidence and mitigation had been heard earlier this month.

Michael O'Higgins, defending, asked for a new hearing to be held if the disputed evidence was going to add to Dowdall's sentence.

Vincent Heneghan, prosecuting, said it was "far too late" and asked the court to proceed.

Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy adjourned the case for further submissions on May 30.

Dowdall was remanded in custody along with his father, Patrick (60), who is also to be sentenced for his part in the crime and who is making the same claims about the evidence.

The father and son, both of Navan Road, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning and threatening to kill Alexander Hurley at their home on January 15, 2015.

The court previously heard Jonathan Dowdall suspected Mr Hurley of conning him over a motorbike sale.

It was said Mr Hurley pleaded for his life as Jonathan Dowdall covered his face with a cloth and poured water on his head while Patrick threatened to cut his fingers off with pliers.

Mr O'Higgins said that the accused was wrong in what he did, but he did not accept some aspects of the evidence.

There were references to him having a position in the IRA and that he was friends with Mr Adams and Ms McDonald, and these were not accepted.

It was also suggested his client threatened the victim's family, but he would "never contemplate making such a threat".

Mr Heneghan said the State had relied on the book of evidence, which was "long served" on the accused and the evidence had not been contested.
Oh....A special shout out to Constable Doucette for the Mr 'Gee Golly' Award of 2017Ah Ah Ah$5 bills cunningly held together by strips of tape and foil, in what police are calling a "splice and tape" trend among counterfeitersThe sticky-tape switcheroo is affecting Canada's new $5 polymer bills, which have been touted as harder to counterfeit than the old paper banknotes. Police say counterfeiters are removing the clear panel near the side of the bill, which also contains two shiny, embedded holographic strips. The clear plastic is being replaced with tape, and tinfoil is being used as a substitute for the holograms.Investigators suspect the real $5 panels are being repurposed to create higher-denomination counterfeits, while the cobbled-together $5 bills are being put back into circulation. The result is two Frankenstein-like sets of bills, with each containing elements of real and fake banknotes.Holograms on the $5 bill show Sir Wilfrid Laurier's portrait at the top of the clear panel, and the Mackenzie Tower, which constitutes the West Block of Parliament, at the bottom. Tiny fives are written across the front and back of the panel.Other bills depict Sir John A. Macdonald ($10), Queen Elizabeth II ($20), William Lyon Mackenzie King ($50) and Sir Robert Borden ($100) in their holograms, along with various structures from Parliament Hill along the bottom.RCMP Cpl. Vinh Ngo, of the Federal Serious and Organized Crime unit, said the problem is widespread. "I think it's everywhere really," Ngo told CTV Vancouver. "There are no certain geographical patterns."He added that there are "some elements" of organized crime involved in the counterfeiting.An estimated $75 billion worth of banknotes are currently in circulation. The most commonly-duped bills are the $20 and $100 denominations.The RCMP website says cash is the most common means of payment for transactions under $25, and the second-most common means for transactions between $26-$100."These types of crime are driven by greed and financial gain," said Const. Jason Doucette, of Vancouver Police. Doucette suggested the low-budget counterfeits might indicate a larger scheme. "There's not a lot of financial gain in doing one $5 bill, so I suspect there's more to come."When presented with the fake $5 bills, several Canadians in Vancouver couldn't immediately tell the difference."This is what these individuals prey upon  people not verifying the bank note," Bank of Canada analyst Farid Salji said.Salji says Canadians should always check two or more of the security features on their bank notes, so they don't get duped by a Frankenstein bill. "Never rely on one," he said.The Bank of Canada website includes thorough breakdowns of each polymer banknote, including its history and security features.
$14.50:

The amount of money Bryan Boyd ultimately spent per vote to try to unseat longtime Bristol Tennessee City Councilwoman Margaret Feierabend, which he failed to do in this past weeks election.

According to campaign financial disclosure statements, Boyd spent $11,612 from Jan. 1 to May 6. Feierabend spent $5,150, less than half of Boyds expenditures.

Feierabends 854 votes to Boyds 797 means that she spent $6.03 per vote to clinch her victory.

Missed the election? The Herald Courier has you covered.

175:

Seventh-grade civics students who learned about how local government works by participating in mock city council meetings this week.

The students heard presentations from city officials at City Hall and the school administration building. They also received a history lesson from officials at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

Teaching students about how governmental bodies work with mock scenarios goes back decades. In Model UN, students step into the shoes of ambassadors from UN member states to debate current issues on the organization's agenda. The young delegates make speeches, prepare draft resolutions, negotiate with allies and adversaries, resolve conflicts and navigate the rules of procedure, according to the United Nations Association.

Just as the United Nations replaced the League of Nations at the close of World War II, there used to be a Model League of Nations, which ended at the same time.

Model UN has entered pop culture in two notable shows or movies: Winning London, a movie starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and in an episode of Parks and Rec.

Check out what the students learned.

2:

Months until the Sullivan County Commission must approve a written open records policy under a new law. The law aims to make access to public records less confusing and requires all government entities in the state to establish a written policy by July 1.

Most of the U.S. could be a lot more transparent. According to the 2015 State Integrity Investigation, a data-driven assessment of state governments by the Center for Public Integrity and Global Integrity, only three states  Alaska, California and Connecticut  scored higher than a D+ in their overall ranking.

In most states, open records laws are laced with exemptions and part-time legislators and agency officials engage in glaring conflicts of interests and cozy relationships with lobbyists, according to the center.

Tennessee and Virginia both received a D rating and ranked 15th and 16th in the country, respectively.

Read more about what Sullivan County has planned for the new policy.

Reece Ristau is a data and general assignment reporter for the Bristol Herald Courier.
During an interview last June in his New York office, I asked Donald Trump about his use of language that many considered insulting and divisive. Will there be a pivot for you from the primaries to the general election campaign?

The candidate said I agree about the tone of the campaign and that he intended to pivot. Its starting very soon, he promised.

Were still waiting.

The president was within his rights to discharge FBI Director James Comey, but it is the way he did it, sending a letter instead of a face-to-face meeting or even a phone call, that was disturbing. Comey was not only blindsided when he learned of his dismissal during a speech in Los Angeles, the president called him names and then tweeted that Comey ...better hope that there are no tapes of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press! Intimidation is ugly and unbecoming for any president. Comeys sudden dismissal is fueling suspicions there is more to discover about alleged connections between the Trump campaign and Russia, something that has yet to be proved.

Whatever Comeys shortcomings  and there are more than a few  he deserved better, even if only to make the president look good. In an interview with Lester Holt of NBC News, the president called Comey a showboat and said he was guilty of grandstanding. Maybe so, but wouldnt the president have benefited by thanking Comey for his years of public service? Wouldnt it have been better if hed said, I want to see the FBI move in a different direction?

The president has threatened to cancel the daily White House briefings because he says he is moving so fast his spokespeople dont always get it right. Fine, let him brief the press directly as FDR and Calvin Coolidge did.

I voted for Trump and have appreciated his promises to take the country in a better and more prosperous direction. His selection of Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court and his promise to fill lower courts with constitutional conservatives has the potential to place government back within the boundaries the Founders set for it. His businessman instincts to reform a government that has become bloated, dysfunctional and burdened with debt are much needed. However, the presidents goals are hurt when he, instead of his policies, becomes the story  especially a negative story.

Anger is not policy. Insults do little to change anyones mind. The latest Quinnipiac University Poll shows the presidents approval rating has dropped to 36 percent, a near record low. His disapproval has risen to 58 percent. Astonishingly, the poll also shows the media, which Trump has often called fake news, and worse, is now trusted more than him. That is bound to harm his policy goals as Democrats smell blood and feel empowered to oppose him on everything.

Here are some positive suggestions that might turn things around. An old Glen Campbell song should be his theme: Try a Little Kindness. Find some positive things to say and do. Unemployment has fallen to its lowest level since 1988. Have some newly employed people in, as he did with the coal miners, some of whom were unemployed or underemployed during the Obama years. They could thank the president for reducing expensive regulations on businesses that allowed them to hire more people.

Trump should remind Americans where he is trying to take the country. Turn those constant tweets into positive statements. Just as light overcomes darkness, so, too, do positives overcome negatives.

Americans respond to optimism (read Ronald Reagans speeches). Let the Democrats own gloom and doom. The president should rise above that and rekindle an optimistic spirit that has always led America to new heights. Please knock off the insults, Mr. President. They are poisoning your presidency and the good you and a Republican Congress can do.

Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com.
Maryland election 2022: Dan Cox concedes governor race to Wes Moore

Republican Dan Cox conceded the election, calling Governor-elect Wes Moore. But throws jabs at Hogan, more.
Lindsey Andersen has a kidney disease most people cant pronounce.

Shes had two kidney transplants, but both of those organs have failed.

Now, at age 33, shes been on dialysis for 13 years and hopes a donor will come forward.

I guess what Im looking for is somebody to save my life, she said, quietly.

Andersen wont live as long of a life on dialysis as she would with a transplant.

Dialysis is really hard on your body and the longer youre on dialysis, it increases your mortality rate versus getting a transplant, said Lori Schmida, kidney pancreas transplant coordinator at Nebraska Medicine. Statistically, shell live a longer, healthier life with a transplant than staying on dialysis.

Because Andersen has a high level of antibodies, finding a donor hasnt been easy. Her best chance of receiving a kidney would be if many donors stepped forward.

Andersen, who lives in Fremont, was only 12 when the symptoms of kidney disease emerged.

She had headaches and vomited. A doctor noticed she had unusually high blood pressure for someone so young.

At first, they thought I might have Lupus, she said.

But a nephrologist (a kidney disease specialist) determined the diagnosis. Anderson has membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, a disease that destroys the filtering function in the kidneys.

Within a couple months, she was put on a transplant list. Anderson was in seventh grade when she started dialysis, which filters fluids and toxins out of the blood. Back then, there wasnt a dialysis clinic in Fremont, she said.

So after school, Andersens mom, Teresa, took her to dialysis in Omaha. She went three times a week, 4  hours each time.

They had to put me on an infant machine, because I was so young. The adult machine was too hard on my body, she said.

Andersen can have no more than 32-36 ounces of fluids a day, including anything that melts at room temperature, like gelatin and ice cream. She must control her sodium, potassium (something found in bananas and potatoes for instance) and phosphorus intake and can only have a cup of dairy product a day.

Youve really got to watch what you eat, she said.

She remembers those early years of wanting to eat Doritos, but only being able to have about five chips. Finding low sodium products was difficult back then.

Andersen was on dialysis for a short time when a kidney became available and she had her first transplant.

The anti-rejection meds really were rough on me, she said, adding, I was on high doses of prednisone.

She gained weight and was up to 217 pounds. The kidney didnt turn out to be a good one.

I was sick a lot with it and in and out of hospitals all through high school, she said. That kidney lasted almost four years and then my body ended up rejecting it.

Andersen went back on a transplant list and received another donor kidney when she was about 16 years old.

But a year later, she began running high temperatures and had to go to the hospital for observation. That was upsetting for the teen girl, who just wanted to go camping with her pals.

I wanted to be a regular teenager and spend time with my friends, she said.

An infectious disease doctor determined she had histoplasmosis, a lung infection caused by inhaling fungal spores found in the soil and from bird droppings.

Andersen graduated from Fremont High School in 2002. Life went well for a while, but then Andersen learned that her body was rejecting the kidney.

So I started dialysis right before my 21st birthday and Ive been doing it ever since, she said.

Andersens arms are scarred from fistulas.

A fistula is created by attaching a vein to an artery to provide for the high blood flow necessary for dialysis, said Dr. Eric Langewisch, associate professor of medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Its your lifeline, Andersen said.

The last five months have been tough. Anderson had clots removed from a fistula. In December, Andersen had a graft (a tube inserted to connect an artery to a vein) in her right arm, but it caused nerve damage and she cant use the fingers of her hand. That has kept Andersen, a nursing assistant, from working, but she is involved in physical therapy.

In April, a permacath was placed in the upper right part of her chest for dialysis, but she and Langewisch said catheters are prone to infection.

I had a chest cath years ago and I ended up getting septic and was in the hospital for a week and I was on six liters of oxygen, she said.

Andersen is concerned, because shes running out of access points for dialysis. She might be able to have peritoneal dialysis in her abdomen or a graft in her thigh.

The older I get, the harder its going to be to get access points for me, she said. Ive been waiting 13 years for a kidney transplant and out of those 13 years they havent come close to finding a match for me. And its due to the antibodies that I have built up from my two previous transplants and how long Ive been on dialysis.

Schmida also said finding a kidney for Andersen is tough.

Its very difficult to find her a match, because her antibody levels are at 100 percent, which is the highest they can be, Schmida said.

Langewisch agreed.

Her best chance for finding a donor is screening as many suitable donors as possible, he said.

Approximately 16,000 people get transplants a year, from roughly 6,000 living donors and 10,000 deceased donors, Langewisch said. About 100,000 people are waiting for kidney transplants.

Andersen, whose best bet is a living donor, said shes been quiet about her situation in the past, but is reaching a critical point.

We figured it was time to come out and see if anybody was willing to help or possibly see if they could be a donor, she said.

Nebraska Medicine is involved with Kidney Paired Donation that involves pairs of living donors and recipients.

If someone would like to be a donor for Andersen, but isnt a match, that person still could be part of an exchange.

Andersens donor could provide a kidney to someone else. In turn, that persons donor could provide a kidney to Andersen if there is a compatible match.

The paired donations have greatly increased the number of recipients whove received kidneys and Andersen said shes have a better chance of receiving one through this exchange.

Andersen said her insurance would cover the potential donors testing and surgery.

Those interested in donating may call 800-401-4444 or 402-559-5000 to speak with a donor coordinator at Nebraska Medicine. Coordinators will ask questions over the phone, discuss the evaluation process and mail information to the individual. Forms must be filled out and mailed in before an evaluation would take place. Would-be donors would want to give Andersens name.

Schmida said would-be donors could complete paperwork on the website nebraskamed.comkidneydonor.

One miracle person might be that special donor to save my life, Andersen said.

Even while going through surgeries these last couple months, Andersen did earn an associates of science and health administrative services degree.

Its an accomplishment that Im proud of after all Ive gone through to earn a college degree, she said.

She and her husband, Jeff Waters, had a commitment ceremony in October 2016. Andersen said she has a great support system of family and friends. She wants to return to her job.

I really miss working she said. I want to get back to work so badly.
May 27, 1962 -- May 15, 2017

The world lost a little sparkle with the passing of Kristina Hazel Cole on May 15, 2017.

She was welcomed into the arms of our Lord after a courageous battle with cancer.

Born on May 27, 1962 in Denver, Kristina lived every moment with a creative flair.

She graduated from Valley High School in Valley, class of 1980, and went onto attend Northwest Missouri State University in Marysville, Mo.

She later attended and graduated from the Nancy Bounds School of Modeling.

Kristina had an eye for finding beauty in everything, thus developing a love for photography, being able to express this beauty through her lens.

Kristina was united in marriage to Perry Cole Sr. and took on the role as mother to Perrys four children, Perry Jr., Anthony, Laura and Christopher. On March 22, 2003, Kristina gave birth to their daughter, Elizabeth Peri Cole, her pride and joy. She also cherished her 12 grandchildren.

Kristina most recently worked as a financial advisor at Westwood Holding Group, Inc. in Omaha.

She served as Worthy Advisor for the Rainbow Girls in Valley.

Kristina was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Fremont, teaching Sunday school and serving on the School Board for Trinity School.

Kristina is survived by her parents, Marvin and Joan Suhr, Fremont; husband, Perry Cole; daughter, Elizabeth of Fremont; sisters, Gayle (Tom) Krueger, Lincoln, and Shawn (Jim) Dockerty, Fremont; brother, Martin (Patra) Suhr, Arlington; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by paternal grandparents, Hazel and Mike Suhr; maternal grandparents, Ben and Tiena Lager; aunt/uncle, Patricia and Art Sauer; and uncle, Darrell Penner.

A celebration of life/memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 27, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1546 N. Luther Road, Fremont. There will not be a visitation.

Memorials in lieu of flowers can be made for Elizabeths educational fund.

Condolences may be sent at www.reichmuthfuneralhomes.com.

Reichmuth Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

21901 W. Maple Rd., 402-289-2222
Ian Michael, professor of marketing at Zayed University, Dubai, has vivid memories of listening to stories told by his great-grandmother, Agnes Footman, when he was 12 years old. Sipping grog in an old-style British home at Hyderabads Sarojini Devi Road, Agnes would tell of her great grandfathers family of fighters and revolutionaries who migrated to India during the Great Famine of the 1840s and 50s. She would go on for hours, talking about the valour and lineage of these Irishmen. As a child, the thing that stood out most for Ian was his familys accent  an unusual mix of Irish and Indian.

About 40 years later, when he mentioned his Irish connection to Fokiya Akhtar, a fellow professor at the university, she said the story had the potential for a documentary. In the next few months, Michael and Akhtar had multiple sittings and locked the script for the documentary, Boys from Vepery, which they plan to release in mid-2018.

The protagonist of the documentary is John Footman. He was my great-grandmothers grandad. Footman was a famine migrant who travelled by ship from Ireland to Vepery, Madras, in 1847 as enlisted Irish fusiliers with the British East India Company. My mums mother also came from Irish stock. Her grandfather, William Curran, sailed as a 10-year-old boy from Ireland with his father Patrick and his three sisters, Michael told HT, via email.

The documentary traces John Footmans family to Clonakilty, a town in County Cork, Ireland.

(Left to right): Ian Michael, Fokiya Akhtar, genealogist Michael OMahony and historian Tim Feen at the site of John Footmans home in Dundeady island, Ireland. (Ian Michael)

Most of the Footmans served in the Army and Railways. After the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, the British East India Company was disbanded and John Footman joined the British Army. He married a woman called Matilda, who was most likely Mangalorean. Their eldest son, Patrick, joined the British Railways in Madras. Patricks daughter Agnes (Michaels great-grandmother) left Madras with three of her brothers to settle in Secunderabad. She married Lewis Francis, a senior railway line inspector with the then British railways.

My grandmother Joyce Curran was the Station Master of Nampally (a Hyderabad suburb) station in the 1960s and 70s. Her brothers, the Currans, were divers at the Mazagaon docks in Bombay. They migrated to the UK a few years after India got independence, says Michael.

In India, the Footmans kept to themselves, mostly interacting with members of the Irish-Indian and Anglo-Indian communities. The only Indians they interacted with were the people they worked with. Nor did they imbibe the Indian culture. The women of the family never wore Indian clothes.

All their weddings were held at two Parsi community centres  the Zoroastrian Club and Percys hotel in Secunderabad. And their dances, especially at Christmas and New Years Eve, would involve lots of dancing and drinking, just like they would have back home in Ireland.

Picnics centred on fishing and shooting. Michael remembers going with his uncles and grand uncles, fishing and shooting in the forests of Andhra Pradesh, including Nizamabad.

For research, Michael made multiple visits to Ireland to obtain baptism and death certificates; went through the records of the British Indian Army and the Chelsea Hospital. He began investigating the Curran side of the family, but ended up getting more details about the Footmans. I met relatives. We were several generations apart during filming and this feeling was nostalgic, filled with unique emotions, Michael says.

The Currans house, Anderson House at Mazagon Docks, then Bombay. (Ian Michael)

Michael uncovered during his research a fascinating connection with General Michael Collins, a politician and soldier who spearheaded the struggle for Irish independence in the early 20th century and became the leader of the provisional government of the Irish Free State. I discovered that John Footmans mother was one Joan Collins, who came from the same village as General Collins, says Michael.

He also stumbled upon the information that the ancestors of the late US President John F Kennedy, Margaret Field and James Hickey, came from Clonakilty and surrounding villages too. So while John Footman chose to use the Indian Ocean route and came to India in 1847, his probable mates, the Fields and Hickeys, chose the Atlantic-to -Newfoundland route and went to Boston, Michael says.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The carcass of a four-year-old tigress was found in Balaghat districts Khairlanji forests, taking the tiger mortality in the state to 13 this year. Khairlanji forests are nearly 470 kms south east of Bhopal, near Maharashtra border.

Madhu V Raj, divisional forest officer (DFO) Balaghat North (territorial) told HT over phone that the field staff spotted the carcass in the Khairlanji forest range near Maharashtra border. The carcass bore no injury marks. The exact cause of its death will be clear only after the post mortem results come, he said

With this MP has lost nine tigers within last two months and 13 this year. Since January 2015, MP lost 54 tigers. This is the second tiger death in Balaghat district this year. On April 21, nearly a year old tiger died in Balaghats Katangi forest area. Last month, a tiger was shot using a vintage Bharmar gun in Betul district. The tiger became partially paralysed and later died in Bhopal. In the last week of February, in Midghat area of Sehore on the Bhopal-Hoshangabad rail track , a tiger was found dead near a pool of water near the rail track. Earlier in January a ten-year old tigress died due to electrocution in Banas river area near Sanjay-Dubari Tiger Reserve in Shahdol district.

According to the last tiger census conducted in January 2015, the tiger numbers had increased in MP from 257 in 2010 to 308 in 2015. However since January 2015, 53 tigers have died in MP. In 2016, MP recorded nearly one-third of the tiger deaths (30 of 97) in the country, the highest for any state.

Box: 13 tiger death in MP 2017 so far

May 20: Four-year-old tigress found dead in Balaghat districts Khairlanji forests.

May 6: Four year old male tiger dies in Satpura Tiger Reserve.

April 27: Third tiger cub reared with the help of a dummy toy tigress mother at Bandhavgarh dies from Parvo virus infection

April 23: Two tiger cubs that were being reared with the help of a dummy toy tigress mother at Bandhavgarh die from Parvo virus infection

April 22: Partially-paralyzed tiger shot using a vintage Bharmar gun in Betul, dies in Bhopal

April 21: Nearly a year old tiger dies in Balaghat districts Katangi forest area

April 11: A three year old male tiger dies in -Dubari Tiger Reserve in Shahdol district

April 1: A tiger is run over by a train between the Budhni and Mid-Ghat area in Sehore district.

March 11: Less than a year old tiger dies in Kanha tiger reserve.

Feb 27: A tiger is found dead near a pool of water near the rail track in Midghat area of Sehore on the Bhopal-Hoshangabad rail track.

Jan 22: A 2-3 year male tiger is killed in Bandhavgarh tiger reserve

Jan 19:A ten-year old tigress dies due to electrocution near Sanjay-Dubari Tiger Reserve in Shahdol district.
Gwalior witnessed yet another face-off between Dalit students and Jiwaji University authorities on Saturday, over a month after they last locked horns over permitting Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations on the institution premises.

The latest confrontation occurred after police booked two Dalit students under the IT Act as well as various sections of the Indian Penal Code for posting allegedly defamatory comments against the university vice-chancellor and other officials on a social networking site. Dalit students took up a dharna at Dusshera Ground in Thatipur area to protest the action.

The university administration lodged a complaint against two students  Suraj Rajoriiya and Pradeep Jodhpuriya  for posting defamatory comments against vice-chancellor Sangeeta Shukla and other faculty members. We are investigating the matter, said Gwalior superintendent of police Ashish.

The students, however, said the comments stemmed from simmering discontent over being cheated by university officials.

The previous agitation was called off in the second week of April after university authorities gave their assurance that five students suspended for alleged indiscipline would be allowed to continue with their academic activities. However, the institution management allegedly failed to keep its word. Notwithstanding the promises made earlier, the students were barred from appearing for their examinations.

We called off our stir on the university administrations request. But then, the probe committee formed by the university administration consisted of professors who were openly opposing us during the protest. How can we expect a fair investigation by such a committee? asked Jodhpuriya.

Another student, Rai Singh, said the university then began preventing them from writing examinations. First, they didnt allow us to appear for the internal exam. Now, they have disallowed us from submitting the form for the final examination on May 24. They are even trying to extract an apology for staging the April protest. We are being harassed by faculty members, he added.

Jodhpuriya claimed there was nothing objectionable about his Facebook post. Now they want to prevent us from expressing our wrath on the social media. I didnt post anything thats defamatory to the V-C or other faculty members. But they still lodged a complaint against me, he said.

The university proctor, however, denied the charges. We gave the five students a chance to present their version of the story before the probe committee, but they never attended their meetings. They arent being allowed to appear for examinations because their suspension has not been revoked yet. These students have crossed all limits. They have taken to insulting teachers by posting defamatory comments, Sharma said.

Vice chancellor Sangeeta Shukla couldnt be contacted despite several attempts.

Five Dalit students  including Jodhpuriya and Rajoriiya  had taken up an indefinite fast in April to protest the university administrations refusal to allow the celebration of Ambedkar Jayanti on the campus, besides alleged harassment by law department head Ganesh Dubey and proctor RA Sharma. A girl student also lodged a complaint against a few professors under the Schedule Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty, her husband Raj Kundra and three others facing a case of duping an export firm owner of Rs 24 lakh, were ordered by a court to give an undertaking that they would never threaten the exporter.

On May 9, the Thane court had granted interim protection from arrest to Kundra, Shetty and three other accused who were former directors of Best Deal TV.

The five accused were asked by Additional Sessions Judge Sangeeta Khalipe to give the undertaking after the counsel for the export firm owner Ravi Bhalotia alleged that Kundra threatened his client right inside the court room.

Bhalotia is the complainant in the case of cheating and breach of trust against Shetty, Kundra and three others, who were present in the courtroom for hearing on their anticipatory bail pleas.

As the hearing began, Bhalotias counsel Vishal Bhanushali said Kundra told his client inside the court that he would recover Rs 100 crore from him (Bhalotia). Bhalotia also filed an affidavit to back his allegation. The judge then sought an undertaking from all the five accused that they will not indulge in such behaviour again. The defence lawyer agreed to give the undertaking tomorrow.

The court, on May 9, had granted Shetty, Kundra and their three associates interim protection from the arrest after they sought the pre-arrest bail. Advocate Bhanushali told PTI that he would also file a police complaint in this matter.

The drama unfolded in a packed courtroom, as litigants and lawyers thronged the courtroom and the adjoining corridor to catch a glimpse of the Bollywood actress.

In April 2017, Bhalotia, owner of Bhalotia Exports, had lodged an FIR with Kongaon police in Thane district that he had supplied bedsheets to Best Deal TV (BDTV) of which Kundra and Shetty are directors. BDTV, an e-commerce and tele-shopping platform, sold the bedsheets but didnt pay him sale proceeds of Rs 24 lakh, he alleged.

Police registered a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust under the IPC. They also questioned Kundra.

On May 9, the Thane court had granted interim protection from arrest to Kundra, Shetty and three other accused who were former directors of BDTV.

During the arguments today, prosecution opposed their pre-arrest bail pleas, saying there is a clear-cut case of cheating, and the accused could influence the probe since they are influential people. The court would pass the order on bail pleas tomorrow, advocate Bhanushali said.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Actor Harshvardhan Rane shot to fame in Bollywood with the film, Sanam Teri Kasam (2016). However, prior to this, he had already worked in the Telugu film industry and made a name for himself. I just followed my gut feeling when I went to Hyderabad in 2008. Telugu and Hindi cinema, both have a wide reach. I could sense that kind of exchange happening between Tollywood and Bollywood even before Baahubali (2015) released.

The 33-year-old actor adds that he found this a great space where he could explore cinema of both the industries. Im [probably] the first guy who went to the South and played the hero [and not a negative role], says Rane, who has been a part of other Telugu films such as Thakita Thakita (2010), Prem Ishq Kadhaai (2013) and Anaamika (2014).

Rane, who has a cameo in the upcoming Telugu film Fidaa, believes that right now is a great time for Bollywood actors to be part of the southern film industry, thanks to director SS Rajamouli, who helmed the Baahubali films.

Rajamouli played the role of an express highway between two industries and now, people can exchange art more frequently. A person like this is always needed between two big industries, to bridge the gap. A lot of exchange has been happening, but a better format has been created by this man, adds Rane.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Actor Kriti Sanon doesnt believe in playing a role on-screen just for the sake of it. The actor, who has worked in two films so farHeropanti (2014) and Dilwale (2015)  seems to have prepared a bit too hard for her role in her next film, Raabta.

In the film, Kriti will be seen portraying two different characters, which are quite distinct from each other. First, she plays the role of a modern girl and the other character shows her in distant past, with sinister-looking kohl-eyes.

Actors Kriti Sanon and Sushant Singh Rajput have often been romantically linked-up .

According to a source, before shooting for the intense dramatic scenes, the 26-year-old actor would scream loudly, as she felt that doing so helped her perform well and get into the character and its feel.

Ask Kriti if such a thing actually made it easier for her to get into the skin of the character, she says, In Raabta, we were in a mansion and there was an intense scene between me and Jim [Sarbh]. Just before the take, every time, I used to scream my lungs out. It releases a lot of energy and makes me get into the zone, both physically and mentally. It was funny because Dinoo (director Dinesh Vijan) told me later that the crew thought I was possessed.

Actor Kriti Sanon in a still from Raabta, starring Sushant Singh Rajput and Jim Sarbh.

On why she opted for such a technique in the first place, Kriti adds that everyone has their own process. For me, I think of what the character must be feeling before a scene and in that moment. For intense scenes, depending on the scene, I sometimes just walk really fast or listen to a particular song that puts me in that zone, adds the actor, who will be sharing screen space with actor Sushant Singh Rajput. The two are rumoured to be dating, despite denials from both.

Apparently, everyone in the crew was surprised and pleasantly impressed to see Kriti putting in so much efforts to play her part so well. Kriti has developed her own methods of delivering intense sequences. She had found a pattern, wherein, before filming every serious scene, she made sure to release the tension thats there in her mind, says the source. Directed by Dinesh Vijan, the film is set to release on June 9 and also stars actor Rajkummar Rao.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Actor R Madhavan recently attended a college festival in M.O.P Vaishnav College for Women in Chennai. The 46-year-old, who is working on multiple films this year, was the chief guest at the annual festival and had to deliver a talk on education, career goals and women empowerment.

https://www.facebook.com/BlushChannel/videos/1265039536840333/ ... thank you sooo very much folks . So touched and moved. A post shared by R. Madhavan (@actormaddy) on Dec 1, 2016 at 1:59am PST

Soon after Madhavan entered the college, he was surrounded by students, so had to be escorted by security guards. The actor, however, was pleasantly thrilled to see the response of the crowd. It was an amazing experience to interact with the students. I was deeply moved by their love and affection. It is true that the crowd can get a little out of hand at such events. However, I like to look at this as love from my fans. These things happen, cant be avoided, says Madhavan, who has acted in films such as 3 Idiots (2010), and the Tanu Weds Manu franchise.

On the work front, it is going to be a busy year for Madhavan. The actor has seven films including Munna Michael, Chanda Mama Door Ke and a web series called Breed in the pipeline this year. Besides, he will also be penning a book on organic farming soon.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
From looking ripped to looking thin, actor Randeep Hooda has taken up multiple looks in his films and he says his meals depend a lot on what character is he taking up next.

My fitness regime depends on what role I am playing. Sometimes it is just black coffee. For Do Lafzo ki Kahaani (2016) I had to take a lot of supplements to build a prize fighters body, it was very hard with lots of time in the gym. It would have gone waste had I not taken the right kind of nutrition along with it, says Randeep, who was recently in the Capital to launch nutrition supplement chain Body Building Indias latest initiative, which also includes a pay per visit gym called gym99.

The actor feels that in India, we dont have enough educational exposure when it comes to understanding the right kind of nutrition required for the body.

We need structured and authentic way to take care of our bodies. There is a lack of education in nutrition. It should not be restricted to depending on body-builders. The way we eat out foods is not the healthiest of combinations and Indian food is indulgent of such things. A lot of people in our country are vegetarians and many body building products dont cater to that, which stops people from getting the right nutrition, he says.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Sonam Kapoor and her clothes have always garnered utmost attention  be it red carpet events or film premiers. But the actor has qualms in admitting that she loves clothes and that shed rather people talk about her clothes than personal life. In an interview with HT Cafe, Sonam talks about Cannes, clothes and her slate of upcoming films.

Excerpts

What do you like the most about attending the festival?

I am wearing some amazing clothes so I am quite excited about that. But the best thing is just the energy. I make sure to have fun because if you arent having fun that shows in the way you look and the way you dress. I dont feel the pressure because I am walking for a cosmetic giant but I am sure it would have been different if it were for a film.

So what is your plan of action for your stay there?

This time, Cannes for me will not be such a grand affair because I am hardly there for three days. I rush in, do my red carpet appearances and rush out. I have absolutely no time for parties and all of that. It is a very rushed visit.

Do you think there is too much scrutiny on the clothes that celebrities wear at international events?

I have been lucky as far as my clothes are concerned. But Id rather people talk about my clothes, so I am fine with that too.

Suddenly, you have a lot of films that you are simultaneously working on

Yes. I took a year off after Neerja so it was high time I got back to the sets. I have three films this year and to be honest, I am scared. I have finished the first schedule of Padman and then I move to the Sanjay Dutt biopic and hen Veere Di Wedding.

Kapoor sisters drama always everywhere #Repost @rheakapoor  Drama for no reason    A post shared by sonamkapoor (@sonamkapoor) on Sep 18, 2016 at 3:32am PDT

Veeri Di Wedding is being touted as the first film on girl-bonding. Is that true?

Absolutely. It is a very commercial film and in India, we can make films that are for women and about women. Why do women oriented films have to be hard-hitting for them to make an impact? Its a genuine film about four women and there is no lead role. I am really excited to work with Kareena (Kapoor Khan), Swara (Bhaskar) and Shikha (Talsania). They are all wonderfully talented women and actors. We will also have Rhea (Kapoor, sister) so I am sure we are going to have an amazing time. After Aisha and Khoobsurat, I am looking forward to working with my sister as these are the films that have me a solid fan base of girls.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Never judge a book by its cover, but in the case of The Sun and Two Seas this might be misplaced. If you find yourself purchasing the book for the sheer beauty of its cover illustration you would have made a wise decision. The writing and the story within these covers is of epic proportions and leaves you wanting a sequel, a prequel or a spin-off!

This magical tale woven around historical events during the construction of Kalingas Konark sun temple in the mid-13th century, is Vikramajit Rams fourth book. The writers earlier works are on such subjects as sculpture in Indian architecture and on the ancient temples of central India. To say that his previous works have prepared him for this wholly engrossing historical fiction would be accurate.

The Sun and Two Seas is a detailed history lesson on early medieval India interlaced with a story line about intriguing characters that holds the reader until the last printed word.

The sage Sovereign lady of Cadambagiri starts off the book with the Great Fire of 1237. Her balanced actions throughout the rest of the story seem to be in repentance of this single act of rage. It is from these ashes that the writer conjures a story that stretches between Hind and Aphrike (Africa).

Narasimha I, the sovereign of Kalinga from 1238-64, wishes to leave a marvellous architectural landmark for posterity and overcomes mountainous obstacles to fulfil his lifelong dream. Another character, the cousin of the Consort of Kalinga, cousin-by-marriage to Narasimha I, is mostly recognised by the reader through his attire and his romantic wit. The author skillfully keeps him and many other characters nameless to the end.

The beauteous young man is perhaps the most endearing character. This is his coming-of-age story in many ways. Suffice to say that any further talk about him in this review will spoil the readers fun. This is how the summary on the book flap describes him: The Consorts young cousin drifts aimlessly through the palace, playing the flute and flirting with handsome soldiers.

Author Vikramajit Ram (Speaking Tiger)

The colourful residents of Hall of Enchantments, the chubby, bejewelled, scheming head Courtesan and her girls, add glamour and intrigue to the story and several characters cross paths at her court.

Vikramajit Rams characters converse in a delectably vivid way: the Courtesans indulgent dialogues bring in comic relief, the Consorts cousin charms with his passionate declarations and child-like curiosity, and then theres the sincerity of Narasimha himself.

Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender (LGBT) readers will find this book interesting for the comprehensive image it gives of sexuality in ancient India. Closets do not exist and homosexual or bisexuals are not considered perverse. Just a little too adventurous. However, patriarchy is very much alive and kicking.

The plot thickens as assassins follow their quarry from city to city, a jealous princess plots to usurp power from her sister, and a voyage across the Indian Ocean to exchange royal gifts goes quite off-track. If that is not enough, the great king, overcome by failure, is faced with yet another hiccup that threatens to stop the construction of the Sun temple.

Read more: Gazing at a dying god

At first, readers might believe this is a revenge tale but the real turn in the action occurs when the lovers in the story are separated. Their love story will take you by surprise and warm your heart. It will then crush it, quite like your very first love did, in a sudden and cold manner.

Despite weaving a fine tangle of plots and characters, the story progresses neatly. By the end, it is hard to settle upon one character as the protagonist for all the characters are temptingly meaty. But if one had to choose a protagonist, it would be the story. The best kind of books manage that.

Pradhuman Sodha is an independent journalist.
A is the only person for who Ive ever missed a flight. Two years ago, after our lunch in Colaba, I was scheduled to fly to Goa. But she had to look for gifts for a friend who had had a baby  would I join her? Outside of being one of the most influential opinion-makers in the world, Arianna (Huffington) had won my mind at lunch with her hands-on scholarship and considered listening. Naturally, I agreed, and by the time we were done, I failed to make my flight. Since then, as our friendship evolved, her counsel has impressed me, and this conversation is proof that even while she was at Davos and mired in talks with likes of Shakira, she made time for our chat.

Live life large

I begin with a rather long question. Your life has embodied an important motif: fate does not merely hand you second chances, it hands you chance after chance, if you are able to listen. After the end of your marriage, you founded a blog, one you probably never imagined would turn into an empire of sorts. Now, youve set aside the Huffington Post crown and are on the cusp of Thrive (which among its goals, aims to eradicate the burnout epidemic and advocates all round well-being  and sleep  in particular). Whats the role of chance in your life; and how would you guide someone to distinguish between chances for transformation vs the persuasions of distraction?

Given that change is inevitable, she starts, her eyes gleaming with warmth, And we cant know the future, the role of chance is big in all our lives. Mine is no exception. I also believe there is a purpose to our lives, even though its sometimes hidden from us. And often, the biggest turning points and failures and successes only make sense as we look back at them in the rear-view mirror, rather than as were experiencing them. So what I would tell people would be to live life, as one of my favourite poets Rumi put it, as if everything is rigged in our favour.

I point out that her website was built on forms of expression  opinion pieces, breakthrough reportage, personal videos etc. And yet, one casualty of excessive expression means we struggle to consolidate a private self that is scattered by public dissemination. Was this one of her motivations behind Thrive?

After I collapsed from exhaustion in 2007, I became more and more passionate about the need to shift our culture away from the delusion that we have to burn out in order to succeed, she tells me. And then I wrote my books Thrive and The Sleep Revolution. And as I went around the world speaking about them, and our epidemic of stress, burnout and sleep deprivation, I saw how deeply people want to change their lives. So I wanted to go farther than just raising awareness  I felt the need to turn this passion into something real and tangible that would begin to help people change their daily lives. It was a call to action I couldnt ignore, and so I founded Thrive Global.

Strength vs power

Ariannas work has consolidated her position as one of the most powerful women in the world. Ive known people on such lists, which over time have only made me question our public definitions of power. Conventionally, power means to radiate wealth, fame, clout. But increasingly, Im inspired more by strength, which is innate and clean, and radiates steely endurance.

On a beach holiday recently, instead of snapping shots of sunsets and tweeting photos of my dinner, I took in the rare pleasure of just talking, having shared experiences, and being immersed in the present.

You speak of this in your book Thrive, which you gave me in Mumbai two years, ago, about redefining the metric of success. How will these endeavours of remapping success span out in Thrive Global? I ask.

I love your distinction between power and strength, and youre absolutely right to value the latter much more  we all have strength, she says warmly. And, yes, redefining success will absolutely be a part of Thrive Global. Thats because our broken definition of success is what fuels this culture of burnout. The current wellness landscape deals with downstream symptoms of the epidemic  conditions and illnesses like obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Thrive Global intervenes upstream, at the root causes  the stress and burnout caused by this flawed definition of success.

I confess that Im considering a digital detox and ask her advice. You should definitely do it! she affirms. I did one over the holidays at the beach with my family in 2014. Instead of snapping shots of sunsets and tweeting photos of my dinner, what I got instead were the rare pleasures of just talking, having shared experiences, and just being immersed in the present. So I dont think youll be tempted to tell people what you ate for dinner  youll be too immersed in great conversation.

She recommends Thrive Globals app ThriveAway to aid my digital detox. Its a vacation email tool that automatically deletes your incoming emails when youre away, while also letting senders know when you will be back so they can email you again if they want. You can truly disconnect and recharge, which is the point of the vacation (or, in your case, going off the grid). This way, you wont be tempted to secretly check your email or worry about a mountain of email when you get back on the grid.

Arianna Huffingtons formal wardrobe has a style lesson for every womenpreneur (Getty Images)

We go on to speak about success and I tell her for me, success is being alone without experiencing loneliness; it is being free from peoples perception of me; it is also being out in the sun, on the beach, I cannot imagine success greater than to privilege myself with sunlight. So what does success mean for Arianna?

Thats a wonderful definition of success, she compliments. And, yes, we all have our own. Its important not to just accept societys definition of success. For me, its about being present for those I love  my daughters, loved ones and friends  and also being able to meaningfully connect with others and make a difference in someones life.

I tell her about a recent public crisis I endured  attacks on a piece I had written, which in turn had me questioning man-y friendships. Arianna is no stranger to public criticism. So, when one is in the middle of a public crisis  when people, in droves, are hounding you  what is the correct response? Mostly to just ignore it, she confirms to me, waving her hand calmly. You cant control what other people say and think, but you can control your response, which is an idea we get from the Stoics. And its just as important not to listen to that internal voice of criticism and self-doubt, which I call the obnoxious roommate living in our heads.

Give peace a chance

It sometimes seems odd for someone so busy to advocate quiet time. Hardly a day goes by when she is not doing a talk, whizzing off on a jet, handling a new business. So how do you reconcile the contrariness of advocating time for oneself and a simpler schedule when youre on the run, setting up yet another (we hope) empire of ideas? I query.

She draws a slow breath. Well now (since her collapse from exhaustion) I do it while not taking my sleep and well-being for granted. Yes, I fly a lot, but Ive gotten very good at sleeping on planes and I take a lot of measures to prevent jet lag, especially napping. And when Im home I try to get seven to eight hours of sleep every night.

We discuss the changing nature of reporting, the suspect role of mainstream media, and how the Trump election forced us all to re-think the political punditry on display. Not only online surveys but even the esteemed New York Times had predicted a landslide Hillary win. This shows how the Internet is very different from the undermined but invincible reality called the people, I tell her. All those deeply felt essays I had pored over in the Guardian were only the intellectual equivalent of a cat video: amusing but good only for recess.

She laughs: Actually, probably worse than cat videos, since cat videos can be very entertaining! But, yes, the mountain of what in America is known as horse race analysis  endless real-time speculation about motives and whos up and whos down  and polls only distracts from the real issues.

Finally, we speak about a reunion, either in America or in India, and I ask her what role has India played for her consciousness. When I was 17, I studied comparative religion at Visva-Bharati University, outside of Calcutta. And during that time I travelled all across India, and fell in love with the country. And Ive loved it ever since.

All I can say is: Colaba is calling, Arianna, hurry back over.

The writer is a bestselling author, photographer and the co-founder of the Sensorium Festival, an annual arts festival in Goa

Follow @HTBrunch on Twitter

From HT Brunch, May 21, 2017

Follow us on twitter.com/HTBrunch

Connect with us on facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch
U.S. technology and engineering conglomerate GE said on Saturday it had signed $15 billion of business deals with Saudi Arabia as part of the kingdoms drive to diversify its economy beyond oil.

It came as dozens of senior U.S. business executives met Saudi counterparts at a conference coinciding with the visit of President Donald Trump to Riyadh.

The agreements, which involve almost $7 billion of goods and services from GE itself, range from the power and healthcare sectors to the oil and gas industry and mining, GE said. Some of the deals are memorandums of understanding which would require further agreements to materialise.

Among the projects, GE will help make Saudi power generation more efficient and provide digital technology to the operations of oil firm Saudi Aramco, aiming to create $4 billion of annual productivity improvements at Aramco. It will cooperate in medical research and training.
The Naupada police detained two men after they were found in possession of Rs 1 crore in demonetised notes.

Manoj Harishchandra Cheddha,32, a finance company agent and his aide Prathamesh Bhaskar Gawde,22, had come to Thane to exchange the old notes for new ones illegally, said the police. They are residents of Dadar and had collected the money from a businessman in the area. They were supposed to keep Rs20lakh of the entire amount as fee for exchanging the old notes, said an officer.

The police are now trying to find out details about the businessman. We have given the accused a weeks time to tell us about the businessman from Dadar and how they were going to exchange it. If they dont give us the information then the income tax department will take legal action against them, said Ravindra Doiphode senior police inspector from Thane anti-chain snatching squad.

He added that the police had received a tip off about the men and acted accordingly. Cheddha and Gawde came to Naupada near Talao Pali on Friday night and they were carrying a plastic bag. We nabbed them and on checking the bag, we found that it had Rs 1 crore in old notes, said Doiphode. The income tax department has been informed about the incident and would soon hand the men over to them, he added.

We know the name of the person who was going to give Cheddha and Bhaskar the new notes and are trying to get more details on him, said Doiphode.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Nebraska senators approved a pair of resolutions declaring support for refugees and so-called Dreamers on Monday.

The level of support for those who were born elsewhere but are Nebraskans, however, was tepid  and extremely disappointing for a state that has long welcomed the refugee and immigrant.

Neither measure reached a majority: 24 senators supported Sen. Tony Vargas resolution on Latino immigrants brought to the U.S. as children and only 21 voted in favor of Sen. Kate Bolzs resolution supporting refugees. Both also had large contingents  17 and 14 lawmakers, respectively  listed as present not voting.

Dreamers and refugees came to what we affectionately call the Good Life in search of a better life. Unlike them, however, we were fortunate enough to be born into it.

Nebraska is home to an estimated 3,000 young Latinos, protected from deportation as Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals if they meet particular requirements, and 11,000 refugees from dozens of nations. Though they combine to make up slightly less than 1 percent of the states population, these groups deserve the same support by lawmakers as native-born residents.

Diversity may be a loaded, negative word to some, but Nebraska has long been blessed as a melting pot of different cultures and nations. Towns of German, Swedish, Czech and Danish origins dot the state, while larger cities were shaped by enclaves of Russians, Italians, Poles, Lithuanians and others.

Today, this remains true, although the nationalities have changed. Immigrants and refugees endured hardships elsewhere before reaching their promised land and long-awaited safety in Lincoln or Nebraska at large.

Despite their long roads to their new homes, these two groups have been subject to baseless demonization and discrimination by national officials eager to score points with a political base, human cost be damned.

By their silence, too many state lawmakers failed to stand up against the fear and misunderstanding these fellow Nebraskans face.

Though both Bolz and Vargas are Democrats in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, their resolutions werent poison pills. Supporting fellow humans trumps any and all party lines.

Republicans and Democrats alike  along with the lone Libertarian and independent senators  took a symbolic stand to support these two groups who have been the target of hateful, divisive words and actions in a toxic political environment at the national level.

Nebraska is stronger with all of them, Bolz correctly noted.

This Legislature represents all Nebraskans, regardless of their national origin or country of birth. The failure of so many lawmakers to support them in a manner as mild as a formal legislative reception is truly disappointing.

Journal Star, May 19, 2017
Language barrier is turning out to be a major hiccup for the health department in the ongoing Chardham yatra while communicating with pilgrims, especially those from the southern states.

According to officials, the Chardham pilgrims are being instructed to get themselves checked for medical fitness at health posts set up along the route. They are also getting advisories regarding the precautions to be taken en route to high-altitude treks.

Routine health checkups are being conducted for pilgrims to Kedarnath and Badrinath (which require high-altitude trekking) at health posts. However, many people especially those coming from the southern states are not able to understand either Hindi or even English at times. If we inquire about any medical complication, they are unable to communicate, Uttarakhand director general (health) Dr DS Rawat told Hindustan Times.

We plan to take help from our staff (hailing from southern states) wherever possible, a health department official said.

Pilgrims are getting medical checkups and other facilities at over 12 medical relief posts along the Kedarnath trek route. There are over six first medical response posts replete with doctors, pharmacists, technicians and paramedics along the Yamunotri trek, he added.

Garhwal commissioner Vinod Sharma, who is the nodal official looking after the Chardham operations, meanwhile, said all health advisories and important instructions will be translated in English and prominent regional languages. Ill ask officials to get advisories and other important information translated in English as well as regional languages for convenience of the pilgrims. Well also use social media for the purpose (to circulate and disseminate advisories in different languages), Sharma said.

The Chardham Yatra - the annual pilgrimage to Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri shrines - began on April 28. Over 5.5 lakh pilgrims have visited Uttarakhand so far. Around 29 deaths were reported on the Chardham route since the commencement of the Yatra, with most of the deaths due to heart attacks or health-related ailments.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Firing a fresh salvo at the Election Commission of India, the Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday accused the poll panel of acting under political pressure.

The criticism came hours before the ECI was scheduled to hold a demonstration on the working of electronic voting machines (EVMs). The poll panel is also expected to announce dates for an EVM hacking challenge in the wake of concerns raised by some opposition parties about the reliability of the machines.

At a press conference on Saturday, the AAP accused the ECI of not announcing the date for a hackathon. On whose pressure is the ECI delaying its own promise to conduct an EVM hackathon? asked senior party leader Sanjay Singh.

Will the ECI only listen to one party which is the BJP? There are 18 parties and several other parties that have raised the EVM issue, but ECI is listening to only one party, he said.

He demanded that the ECI should conduct the EVM tampering challenge in an on-camera setting so that everybody could witness the process.

The party also said that the poll panel should consider conducting elections through the paper ballot system. All foreign countries like America, Japan, Germany and Britain have gone back to ballot paper, said Singh.

According to an Election Commission announcement, the demonstration of the functioning of the EVMs and VVPATs on Saturday will be followed by a press conference.

The poll panel had announced after an all-party meeting on May 12 that it will hold the challenge to let opposition political parties prove their contention that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used in the February-March assembly elections were, or could be, tampered with.

Representatives of the Aam Aadmi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Congress and Trinamool Congress had raised concerns over EVMs at the all-party meeting.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Former Bastar inspector general of police SRP Kalluri on Saturday afternoon was greeted with chants of Jai Shree Ram as he walked up on the stage at the IIMC audotorium

The IPS officer, who had a controversial tenure as inspector general of police in Bastar, described his IIMC appearance as his  launch  in Delhi .Earlier this year, the top cop had been transferred out of Bastar on allegations of human rights violations and threatening journalists.

Go to Bastar. There are 40 lakh people there. If more than five people say anything against me, I will quit. This is my launch in Delhi, Kalluri, who was in Delhi to deliver a talk during the seminar on Nationalistic Journalism in Current Scenario: Media and Myth, said.

In the morning, chaos ensued outside at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication campus, located right next to JNU, as some students alleged they were not being allowed to enter. Amid heavy police security, students later protested outside the campus gates as the daylong seminar continued inside the IIMC campus.

IIMC director general KG Suresh had earlier brushed away criticisms over Kalluris invite.

Nationalistic journalism seminar: Students protest against controversial Bastar cop Kalluri supposed to attend, havan @htTweets @htdelhi pic.twitter.com/I98RT5BX21  Ritam Halder (@ritam_de_scribe) May 20, 2017

Why should I stop him? He is coming to an event that will see the presence of media personnel and they will question him, Suresh in his address in the seminar.

Protesters outside the IIMC gate, meanwhile, held up posters and placards outside the IIMC gate that read Kalluri go back. They demanded that the IPS officer go on a long leave till the completion of a National Human Rights Committee inquiry. There were around 20-25 police personnel on the campus on Saturday.

Accusing the organisers of not allowing students to attend the session, Dipankar Patel, a student, said, We too want to know what this nationalistic journalism is. Let us enter, engage in dialogue.

We will oppose this forced saffronisation. We are just 15-20 in number but were not being to enter, said Sachin Shekhar, another student. The students were also agitating against a yajna (a ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras), which kicked off Saturdays daylong seminar.

One of the organisers told HT that the yajna was done at the start of the seminar, as per schedule. Instead of lighting a lamp, we did a yajna. What is wrong in that? he said.

The IIMC director general, too, defended the move.

Because of the ritual, there was talk that secularism of the country was in danger. But people dont know that in the past we have accommodated all religions, Suresh said.

Lighting lamps in an event, just like bhoomi poojas. Why not this?, he added.

One of the organisers even went on to claim that most of the protesters were not students of the institute.

Most of the protesters are external elements from JNU. Barely 2-3 students are from here. We dont want this unnecessary chaos inside the venue, said Praveen, one of the organisers.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Omwati is stationed in one corner of Delhis Jantar Mantar at around 9am every morning. The woman, in her seventies, is a juice vendor and is addressed as Amma by many who know her.

She is shy and conscious of media shutterbugs. She thinks it will only bring her trouble.

Her grandchild, a boy around 10 years of age, hovers around the kiosk as she sets it up. It takes her about 20 minutes to set up the kiosk after which she settles down in wait of thirsty passersby.

I have been here since 1983. My husband died in 1992 when my son was 12 years old. I brought him up by myself and now he is gone too, she says as her grandson hovers around the little kiosk under a tree. She had the natural skill of a woman used to managing multiple things at the same time. Even as she speaks of her loss and days gone by, she keeps an eye out for prospective customers, while also craning her neck to see the child.

She lost her son to tuberculosis last year. He was only 35 years of age. She now manages the household which comprises her daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.

Her eyes turn misty as she reminisces old times but then we spot a person approaching the kiosk. She wipes her eyes quickly, straightens her saree and takes off the mic. Theres a customer, let me make him some juice. Please take this (mic) off, she says.

The customer throws a quick glance at her small stock of fruits and places his order. Without ceremony she turns the press, her arms wasted, slender arms betraying no sign of fatigue.

After the customer leaves, she throws a hostile glance at the security personnel standing close by. I set shop around 9 or 10 am. Theres no work, whats the use of coming early in the morning? The police surround the place on all four sides, Amma says. The policewomen sitting outside the gate can hear us.

Jantar Mantar, which has earned a reputation as the Capital protest site, sees heavy security presence throughout the year. Amma says, it hampers business for her here.

This is the time of the year when small vendors like Amma make a killing. But, Amma says its not enough. How will a business which makes Rs 100-200 a day help me raise two grandchildren? asks Amma, who is happy now that we have gulped down several glasses of sweet lime juice. She travels everyday from Khajuri and, crosses the place near Ram Park Road where, she observes, Delhi police holds recruitment drives.

All Amma wants from the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) to help her build a better place of business.

Jantar Mantar was very good earlier. Now it has changed. Now theres nothing here. If I had a pension plan, I could have survived. Now, if I get a better shop, I will be able to take care of the children, she says.
The 2002 Gujarat carnage will no longer be called anti-Muslim riots in NCERT textbooks and will be instead referred to as the Gujarat riots to describe one of the worst communal violence in India since Independence.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the course review committee that includes representatives of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the National Council of Educational Research And Training (NCERT), sources said.

The change will be made in a Class 12 textbook, published in 2007 during the Congress-led UPA governments tenure.

According to official estimates, nearly 800 Muslims and more than 250 Hindus were killed in the violence in February-March, 2002, and is considered one of the worst communal riots in the country since Independence. The violence was sparked by the death of 57 Hindu pilgrims who were burnt alive in a train compartment at a station in Godhra.

The move could rile the minority community that bore the brunt of the weeks-long violence. Over the past three years, changes in textbooks have been a controversial issue. Several BJP-ruled states, including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Maharashtra, tweaked schoolbooks in a way that triggered opposition allegations that these governments were trying to saffronise education.

The NCERT  the governments think thank on school education -- termed the move a routine to keep textbooks updated.

Points raised by CBSE have already been taken up by NCERT. Changes will be made and it will be reflected once the book is reprinted by the end of the year, a senior NCERT official told HT seeking anonymity.

This review is an ongoing process and before every reprint we do incorporate new acceptable feedback and also update the information. This year we are doing it in a more planned and comprehensive manner.

The official also said the NCERT is carrying out a review of all textbooks to ensure that the latest developments are included.

A chapter titled Politics in India since Independence (page 187) in the Class XII political science textbook has a passage under the heading Anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat.

In February-March 2002, large-scale violence against Muslims took place in Gujarat . A bogey of a train that was returning from Ayodhya and was full of karsevaks was set on fire... Suspecting the hands of Muslims in setting fire to the bogey, large-scale violence against Muslims began in many parts of Gujarat... the passage reads.

It also talks about the National Human Rights Commission criticising the Gujarat governments role in failing to control violence and provide relief to victims. Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat at that time.

Sources said the meeting decided to change only the subtitle, as of now. HT has a copy of the minutes of the meeting.

Besides NCERT and CBSE representatives, teachers of some private schools also attended the review meeting on May 11 in Delhi. The CBSE reviewed the book on its own and sent a report to the NCERT following which the meeting was called, the sources added.

In a separate development on May 13, the NCERT also decided to replace the map of East and South East Asia in the same textbook that showed Aksai Chin, an area in Kashmir under Chinas control, as a disputed area.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A model who was told to drink only water for 24 hours before a Louis Vuitton show before having her appearance cancelled has hit out at the treatment that she and others in the industry face. Ulrikke Louise Lahn Hyer, a 20-year-old model from Denmark, who is a US size 2 or UK size 6, was allegedly sent home from the Louis Vuitton Cruise show in Kyoto last week after a fitting.

Writing an open letter on Facebook, the Danish model and current face of Chloe described how the shows casting agent told Hoyers agent: Ulrikke needs to drink only water for the next 24 hours. Described as having a very bloated stomach and bloated face, she was sent home from Kyoto.

Hyer is the current face of Chloes S/S 17 campaign, has been photographed by Tim Walker and David Sims and has been on the catwalk for Stella McCartney, Marchesa and Oscar de la Renta.

She described the standards models are held to as completely unattainable and directly damaging to the human body  Many of the girls dont have their periods, and/or [have] changes the colour of their skin because of bad and incorrect nutrition, and almost everyone [has] a completely distorted relationship with food.

Models display latest creations designed by Nicolas Ghesquiere during the Louis Vuitton Cruise 2018 Collection at Miho Museum in Koka, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, Sunday, May 14, 2017. (AP)

She added: What should have been a truly amazing and unique experience ended up being a very humiliating experience. Louis Vuitton has declined to comment.

As Hyer admits in her post, cancellations are expected. But the verbal shaming, and what she describes as a lack of respect and decency, suggest a new low in industry standards, echoing industry watchdog James Scully , who said in a talk in December that the industry was in danger of treating models like Tinder swipes.

The responsibility of models welfare traditionally falls with the casting agent, who chooses the models, oversees the fittings and is responsible for the models during the show.

Scully, a casting director and former booking agent for Harpers Bazaar, became a whistleblower earlier this year when he used social media to shine a spotlight on the mistreatment of models at Balenciagas autumn/winter show, which subjected 150 models to sadistic and cruel treatment. The label sacked its casting agency.

The incident comes in the midst of a sea change surrounding mistreatment. Some changes have been clearer than others. Days before Emmanuel Macron won the presidential election , two new French laws were passed, and from this October excessively thin models will be required to provide medical certificates proving they are healthy for work .

Many other countries, including India and Israel, have implemented measures to promote wellbeing within the industry, and the Council of Fashion Designers of America has guidelines for its members. Pressure is growing to administer the same practice in the UK .

It is hoped that model confessionals like Hyers will help change industry practices, which up until fairly recently were only lightly regulated.

Charlie Howard is a 26-year-old plus-size model who appeared in Glamour and Harpers Bazaar. She left mainstream modelling after being dropped by her agency a few years ago. Then a size 6, she recalls how after stepping off the Eurostar in Paris for a casting, she was told by her French agency to lose two inches from her waist in a week, and encouraged to walk and run everywhere. She went on to develop an eating disorder before leaving her agency, going up to a size 10, and joining a plus-size agency, Muse, in New York.

Howard has since set up the All Woman Project , a campaign group for diverse, unretouched images. If only the fashion industry could grasp that making clothes that are representative of all women was a positive thing, she said. Speaking about Hyers experience, she said: It should be about clothes that fit the model, not the model fitting the clothes. She adds: Im a size 10 and its crazy that Im plus-size, but here we are.

She describes the advice given by casting agents as akin to an unspoken order: Its rare for people to actually tell you not to eat, but its implied when they say you are the wrong size or that you need to lose a few inches.

According to Howard, in order to gain traction, models usually require the backing of their agency  in the case of Hyer, her Danish agency requested evidence for the cancellation  or a reasonable level of fame. When British model Jourdan Dunn spoke out against Dior  the model was reportedly dropped for having boobs  and later, Victorias Secret (she nicknamed the underwear line VS as BS ), the model was praised for using her fame to criticise players within the industry. But it wasnt until recently that Karen Elson, a cover star, told Womens Wear Daily about being cancelled earlier in her career: Im just going to say this: I was in New York fashion week and I got cancelled from a fashion show. It was something to do with body stuff, she said.

The higher the brand, the stricter the requirements, says Howard, talking about Hyers alleged experience with Louis Vuitton. But there is a belief that you either moan or accept it, and if you dont accept it, there is always someone behind you who will. Speaking out can absolutely damage your career, she says.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more
With her hair poker straight and loose, her subtle make-up paired with dark-hued lips, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looked every inch a royal princess at the 70th Annual Cannes Film festival. She wore a floor-sweeping powder blue ballroom gown by Dubai-based Filipino fashion designer Michael Cinco.

Aishwarya poses for the photos. (AFP)

The former beauty queen looked stunning in the off-shoulder gown, fitted from the waist and flowing out into a ballroom dress with a plunging neckline.She made her way to the red carpet as the ambassador of global cosmetic brand LOreal Paris on Day 3 of the gala.

The off-shoulder dress suited her like a charm. (AFP)

The detailing on the dress is incredibly intricate. (REUTERS)

The 43-year-old not only posed for the shutterbugs at the red carpet, but also at one moment folded her hands to gesture Namastey.

Aishwarya flaunted beautiful shared of red in her hair. (AFP)

Aishwaryas red carpet look was much different from the first look from the fiesta, where she sported a bottle green layered dress embellished ensemble with colourful floral motifs by Yanina Couture.

It took an entire army. (AFP)

She was later seen posing with Hollywood star Eva Longoria for the camera. While Aishwarya looked ravishing in an off white dress with colourful floral prints, Longoria sported a casual look in a grey track suit.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more
Satish alias Kala, the ring leader of an extortion gang that was busted on Friday, was meticulous in planning and assuming different identities, which ensured that he was able to mislead the police for over eight years.

Kala, who hails from Sonepat, had jumped parole in 2008 and has been on the run till his arrest. During that time, he allegedly executed eight murders and ran an extortion racket.

Police said prior to his arrest, Kala was living in Uttarakhand with his wife under an assumed identity of Anil Gupta. However, at home, he would wear a turban and dress like a Sikh.

Sumit Kuhar, DCP, Crime, whose team arrested the gang members involved in over 16 murders, said Satish planned every hit meticulously.

He was working on a retainer for Mahesh Attack and Binder Gujjar gangs, who operated a major liquor business and gambling dens, he said.

During his time in jail, Satish killed one Jassu to avenge the murder of his mentor Ramni was Khatkad, an influential gangster from Hissar, who was also politically connected.

Satish managed to smuggle inside the jail a barbers shaving blade and also a gun, which was used to kill Jassu. The brazenness of the act was shocking. Kala was awarded life imprisonment in that case as well, said a police officer.

All expenses of Satishs gang were borne by the Gurgaon based gangsters to ensure that their business in Delhi and Gurgaon was neither touched nor threatened by any rival.

The formidable reputation that Satish had also ensured that none of their rivals tried to enter their turf.

Police commissioner Sandeep Khirwar, while announcing the arrest of these gangsters, admitted that it was a long and tenuous operation that led to the busting of this gang.

One Webley Scott revolver, an ordinance board pistol and a US army pistol have been recovered from the accused.

Officials also said the gang met in the city only when they had to execute a major hit. The job of surveying the area and arranging vehicles was left to youth who were involved in petty crimes so that the acts do not evoke suspicion,

Kuhar said.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
This might just make you see your beloved Captain Jack Sparrow in a whole new light altogether. According to the blog post of Screenwriter Terry Rossio, who has been involved in every Pirates film so far, an early version of the script was rejected by Johnny Depp because it had a female villain.

He wrote, My version of Dead Men Tell No Tales [the US title for Pirates 5] was set aside because it featured a female villain, and Johnny Depp was worried that would be redundant to Dark Shadows, which also featured a female villain.

The Alice Through the Looking Glass star has been recently in news because of the rumours and allegations surrounding Johnny Depps personal life and professional behavior.

Rossio also wrote about the various hurdles and potential deaths a script can face during development.

My television series Magical Law lapsed when Gore Verbinski decided to direct The Lone Ranger instead. Our theatrical feature Lightspeed was put on the back burner when Disney acquired the Star Wars franchise, he added.

On a related note, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is scheduled to release on May 26 in the US.

The movie stars Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and Geoffrey Rush.
US actor Jesse Eisenberg is set to play a famed mime artist who helps save Jewish children during the French resistance in World War II. The Hollywood Reporter said Saturday that Resistance will star the Jewish-American actor, who played Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, as Marcel Marceau.

The mime artist became famous as Bip The Clown and is thought to have inspired Michael Jacksons moonwalk dance. Marceau, who died in 2007, was the son of a kosher butcher who was killed at Auschwitz.

As part of the French resistance to Nazi occupation, Marceau helped rescue Jewish orphans whose parents had been killed, and went on to perform his mime act all over the world for more than half a century.

His first major performance was to thousands of US troops after the liberation of Paris in 1944.

Marceaus son Baptiste Marceau has been closely involved in researching the film and will serve as executive producer, The Hollywood Reporter said.

American-Venezuelan producer Claudine Jakubowicz is set to produce the movie. She retweeted a message from her husband, the director Jonathan Jakubowicz, saying, Difficult to share good news with so much pain in the streets of Venezuela. But sometimes Resistance can give birth to art.
Marvel fans have a big reason to celebrate. Acclaimed actor and Academy Award nominee, Tom Hardy has been roped in to play Venom in a Spider-Man spin-off which is set to release in October, 2018.

The film, which will be directed by Ruben Fleischer of Zombieland, will bring back the character of journalist Eddie Brock who is the first to become infected by Venom.

Tom Hardy is Eddie Brock in #Venom, the upcoming film from Sonys Marvel Universe releasing October 5, 2018  production starts this fall. pic.twitter.com/OZQqDEvoum  Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) May 19, 2017

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Venom will be the first of a series of movies from Sonys Marvel and Spider-Man universe. A Silver Sable/Black Cat project is also being produced.

The last time Hardy was seen in a superhero franchise was in Christopher Nolans hit The Dark Knight Rises, where he played Batmans nemesis Bane. He was nominated for Academy Award in a Supporting Role (Male) for The Revenant.

Tom Hardy and Christian Bale on the sets of The Dark Knight Rises.

Venom is an alien symbiote which needs a human to leech on and survive. However, it also gives its host superhuman powers which often make the person greedy for more. It was last played on the big screen by Topher Grace in Sam Raimis Spiderman 3.

Spider-Man: Homecomingstarring Tom Holland and Robert Downey Junior is scheduled for a July 7 release.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
A 12-year-old boy from Maharashtra, who received the National Bravery Award in January 2016 for saving a village boy from drowning in a water tank and was honoured by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was kidnapped along with his sibling from their home in Jalgaon, police said on Saturday.

As per the police complaint registered on Friday night by their mother Sundarbai R Bhil, her two minor sons, Nilesh and seven-year old Ganpat, went missing and were kidnapped by some unknown persons, said the on-duty officer of Muktainagar police station.

Nilesh Bhil received the bravery award in January 2016 for saving a village boy the previous year.

Top police officers are monitoring the investigation involving the national hero and his younger brother. The motive behind the suspected kidnapping was not yet clear.
Former Aligarh Muslim University scholar and suspected Hizbul Mujahideen operative Gulzar Ahmed Wani was on Saturday acquitted by a Barabanki court of the charge of orchestrating a blast in Sabarmati Express train in 2000.

According to the counsel for the accused, the court freed Wani and co-accused Mobin due to lack of evidence.

The court of additional sessions Judge MA Khan acquitted both the accused of all the charges as the prosecution could not establish any of the charges levelled against them, advocate MS Khan said over phone.

Wani, who was arrested by Delhi Police in 2001 allegedly with explosives and incriminating materials, is a resident of Peeparkari area of Srinagar and is currently lodged in a jail in Lucknow.

The blast was carried out on the eve of Independence Day when the train was on its way from Muzaffarpur to Ahmedabad, claiming nine lives.
The trigger for a string of lynchings in Jharkhand was a message circulated through mobile application WhatsApp that spooked villagers, mostly unsuspecting tribals, into believing that their children may be targeted by abduction gangs.

...Suspected child lifters are carrying sedatives, injections, spray, cotton and small towels. They speak Hindi, Bangla and Malyali. If you happen to see any stranger near your house immediately inform local police as he could be a member of the child lifting gang, the message in Hindi said.

Villagers along the borders of Seraikela-Kharsawan, East Singhbhum and West Singhbhum districts picked up weapons and were attacking strangers since the rumour started spreading.

On Thursday, seven people were beaten to death in two incidents.

Police said they have not been able to trace the origin of the message yet.

New to such media and smartphones, most of the villagers taking up arms believe what they see on their devices without question. They lack the ability to distinguish between a rumour and news, said a tribal filmmaker, Vinay Purty. Everything shared on the phone is regarded as true, prompting people to react with emotion and anger, he said.

In the tribal belt in Kolhan region, people are largely illiterate or school drop outs.

The platform, and social media websites such as Facebook, are also being used to circulate photos and videos of the attacks, fanning more tension.

We are in talks with the service providers and might take a decision soon to ban social media in the entire district for a day or two till the rumours die down, said East Singhbhum rural SP, Shailendra Burnwal.

Photos and videos of the attacks triggered violent protests in Jamshedpur where roads were blocked and people clashed with policemen in multiple localities.

Four of them men killed on Thursday were Muslims, leading many in the minority community to believe that the attack was communally motivated.

Many Muslim-dominated areas in Jamshedpur were shut down and the police used lathis to disperse violent protesters.
Even as the Election Commission of India on Saturday challenged political parties to hack its EVMs June 3 onwards, the Aam Aaadmi Party (AAP) said they are not satisfied.

The party criticized the poll panel for imposing terms and conditions on its EVMs tampering challenge. Party leader Atishi Marlena said that there was no point of a hackathon if the EC does not allow them to open the machines.

They (EC) said that the motherboard of EVMs cannot be changed. So, let the EC allow us to bring our tools to change it. If still we are unable to reconfigure the machine then we will accept defeat, Marlena said.

But will the EC allow us to open the machines?

AAP leader Sanjay Singh said that the party will send a delegation which in the next two days would meet the EC and understand their Dos and Donts for hacking the machines. There is no clarity in the ECs challenge of hacking EVMs. It is putting so many conditions. It wants us to cross the sea with our hands and legs tied, he said.

The party also demanded that upcoming elections be fought on paper ballots, hours before the ECs press conference. All foreign countries like America, Japan, Germany and Britain have gone back to ballot paper, said Singh.

However, the election watchdog refused the proposal on Saturday.

Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said majority of the political parties which participated in the all-party meeting in New Delhi on May 12 had supported use of EVMs with paper trail machines.

Singh had also alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party is the only party that has been quiet on the EVM issue. Between 2009 and 2014, BJP had fought against ECs EVMs. Not that its on a winning streak, it is mum, while 18 parties and several others are saying that EVMs are not tamper proof, Singh said.

The party has been demanding the EC to use EVMs equipped with voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) in all future elections and to tally the votes and slips of 25% of randomly chosen booths.
Attorney general Ashtar Ausaf Ali will represent Pakistan in Kulbhushan Jadhavs case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) following widespread calls for a change in the countrys legal team after the tribunal stayed the former Indian Navy officers execution.

After the ICJ ordered Pakistan to stay Jadhavs execution on Thursday, opposition parties criticised the governments handling of the case at The Hague-based court and demanded a change in the countrys legal team.

Ali told The News daily that he would personally represent Pakistan at the ICJ when it takes up Jadhavs case.

The ICJ is expected to take up written submissions from India and Pakistan when it begins hearings in Jadhavs case. No date has been announced by the UNs highest legal body for the next hearing.

The performance of Khawar Qureshi, the London-based lawyer who was Pakistans lead counsel at the ICJ, has been criticised by legal experts and opposition parties.

However, Ali said Pakistans defence against Indias case was prepared by the government in consultation with all stakeholders, including the military establishment.

Qureshi has represented Pakistan in international arbitrations in the past and was cleared by the army and intelligence agencies to fight this highly sensitive case, he said. Qureshi was paid 50,000, he added.

Harish Salve, Indias lead counsel, charged only one rupee for taking up Jadhavs case.

Ali also described speculation about the Pakistan governments declaration on the ICJs jurisdiction, made on March 29 this year, as misplaced and not factual.

The correct position is that Pakistan had signed off to an unconditional declaration to agree to the jurisdiction of the ICJ way back in September 1960. In March 2017, we made a declaration of exceptions, reservations and conditions, he said.

The original declaration of 1960 was without reservations and exceptions. Before March 2017, Pakistan had signed up for an ipso facto compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ, he said.

In the declaration made in March, Pakistan told the ICJ it would not accept the courts jurisdiction in cases involving national security.

Ali said there was no sinister motive behind the new declaration. In March, he said, Pakistan created firewalls, including one relating to national security, for the first time.

In Jadhavs case, the ICJ is not looking at this aspect of the matter. They are looking at the Vienna Convention and the optional protocol to the convention. India and Pakistan both are signatories to this. The optional protocol invests the ICJ with powers and jurisdiction to decide disputes between member states, Ali said.

India successfully argued at the ICJ this week that Pakistan had violated Jadhavs rights under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations by repeatedly denying consular access to him since his arrest in March last year.
A CBI special court on Saturday granted bail to five VHP leaders in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case on personal bond of Rs 20,000 each and a guarantor for every defendant.

Judge SK Yadav approved the bail applications of Ram Vilas Vedanti (59),

Mahant Nritya Gopal Das (79), Mahant Dharamdas (68), Champat Rai Bansal (71) and Baikunth Lal Sharma (88) after they surrendered in the court before applying for bail.

A sixth accused, Shiv Sena leader Satish Pradhan from Mumbai did not appear because he is unwell.

All five persons have been granted bail by the court. Satish Pradhan will appear on Wednesday, said KK Mishra, counsel of the VHP leaders.

Following directions of the Supreme Court for daily hearing of the case, the judge fixed Monday as the next date of hearing.

After appearance of Satish Pradhan before the court, date for appearance of LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti will be fixed, Mishra added.

The court campus, which has been set-up on the third floor of the Institute of Cooperative and Corporate Management Research and Training, Indira Nagar, resonated with chants of Jai Sri Ram when the VHP leaders came out after their bail applications were approved.

After getting bail, one of the accused, Vedanti said, It was I who had instigated the crowd to bring down the (disputed) structure in Ayodhya. Advani ji was the one who was trying to restrain kar sewaks (on December 6, 1992).

He remained adamant that the Ram temple must be built in Ayodhya.

Even Muslims want Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. For ensuring communal harmony in the country, the temple is necessary, Vedanti said.

The VHP leaders appeared before the special court after it sent them a notice.

Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that senior BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and others will be tried for conspiring to bring down the 16th century Babri mosque.

The SC order came after the CBI challenged the Allahabad high courts decision to uphold the trial courts discharge order favouring Advani, Joshi, Bharti and Kalyan Singh, who is at present governor of Rajasthan.

Due to immunity provided by the constitution to governors from legal proceedings, the CBI court did not issue notice to Kalyan Singh to appear before it.

Hearing the CBIs petition on April 19, the two-judge bench of the Supreme Court of Justice PC Ghose and Justice RS Nariman had also ordered the CBI to club the two cases pending in Rae Bareli and Lucknow courts, and also directed to conduct the hearing of the case in Lucknow.

It was after the apex courts order that the CBI had sent summons to all those associated with the demolition of the mosque, including BJP and VHP leaders.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Indian Air Force chief has asked his officers to be prepared for operations at short notice and with our present holdings, sending out rare individual letters to 12,000-odd personnel of the countrys air defence wing.

The letter by Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, the chief of air staff, was signed on March 30, an IAF source told Hindustan Times.

The missive comes amid heightened tensions with Pakistan and occasional verbal exchanges with China, mainly over cross-border terrorism and spike in militancy in Kashmir.

In the present scenario, there is an ever persistent sub-conventional threat. Therefore, we need to be prepared for operations with our present holdings, at a very short notice. Training needs to be focused towards this, media reports quoted the air chief as saying.

The mention of sub-conventional threat in the letter was a reference to Pakistans proxy war, which is reflected in the increasing number of terror attacks on military camps and the rising public unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.

Our present holdings was a reference to a shortfall in the number of fighter squadrons with the IAF, the reports added.

The IAFs squadron of fighter aircraft is down to 33 from the sanctioned strength of 42. A squadron usually consists of 16 to 18 aircrafts.

The air force is hoping to strengthen its combat units with the induction of the Tejas light combat aircraft, more Sukhoi-30s, Rafale warplanes, Indo-Russian fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) and possibly a medium-weight fighter that could be built in India in collaboration with a foreign player.

The air chief also asked officers to be combat effective professionals and added that there is no choice but to stay abreast of new technological advancements both own as well as that of our adversaries. Only then will we come out with war-winning, out of the box solutions.

The letter covered a range of issues from favouritism in the force to sexual harassment.

The letter reminds officers that in the recent past, there have been instances and occasions where lack of professionalism has shown the IAF in poor light.

Indulging in uncharacteristic plain speak, the IAF chief said, we have been witness to a few instances of favouritism in selection of officers for prime assignments and promotions.

This is something we can ill afford, the report added.

The air chief said officers holding responsible appointments tend to display Milk of Human Kindness while dealing with those involved in wrongful practices and warned that abusive behaviour, resorting to physical intimidation and behaviour amounting to sexual harassment by seniors is not acceptable.

It is the first time an IAF chief has written personal letter to officers. However, two army chiefs -- Field Marshal (then General) KM Cariappa and General K Sundarji -- had penned similar missives earlier.
Bhagalpur A month after the Bihar government commercially launched neera  a pre-fermentation version of palm juice to discourage consumption of toddy, a university in the dry state has started an initiative to promote the non-alcoholic drink through a short advertisement film.

The advertisement film, prepared at the media centre of Bihar Agriculture University (BAU), Sabour, in Bhagalpur district, 224 km southeast of state capital, Patna, was screened at the universitys extension council meeting on Wednesday.

The BAU media centre was also preparing a print advertisement on neera, vice chancellor (VC) Ajoy Kumar Singh said.

Singh said the BAU was planning to screen the neera commercial before chief minister Nitish Kumar, who had earlier ordered for preparation of a comprehensive action plan on industries related to the pre-fermentation version of palm tree juice.

While announcing total prohibition in Bihar on April 5, 2016, Kumar had said sale of toddypost fermentation version of palm juice  would be allowed in accordance with a 1991 guideline, but plans would also be made for commercially harnessing neera.

Singh said the film, without any comparative reference to other non-alcoholic beverages, attempts to establish neera as a healthy drink.

He said the advertisement film was part of the universitys plan of branding and promoting its agricultural technology and products. The BAU media centre will soon make promotional films on agricultural technology concerning direct seeded rice and seed treatment. Among agricultural products, the university plans branding and promotion of squash made by BAU from Sabour green mango, he added.

Ramdutt, principal investigator of BAU projects related to branding of agricultural technology and products, said the film on neera also attempts to showcase the refreshing feeling the drink exuded during summer.

COMMERCIAL INITIATIVE

BLURB

The film, without any comparative reference to other non-alcoholic beverages, attempts to establish neera as a healthy drink

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The CISF has banned non-uniformed entry and use of mobile phones and toilets by its personnel inside the core security area of airports in the backdrop of alleged involvement of some of them in drugs and gold smuggling rackets.

The aviation security headquarters of the paramilitary force here has issued a set of guidelines for its on-duty jawans and officers who guard 59 civil airports in the country, many of which are categorised as sensitive and hyper-sensitive from the security point of view.

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) chief OP Singh confirmed that the force has issued some special directives for its staff working at airports, keeping in mind the overall security concerns of these facilities thronged by lakhs of passengers to fly to their destinations within the country and abroad, every day.

There has been a ban for the past several years that no CISF personnel on airport security duty shifts will carry his or her mobile phone. These measures will now be enforced very strictly, the CISF director general told PTI.

The DG said the new measures were taken keeping in mind few past incidents where CISF personnel were found involved in alleged illegal activities.

Recently, the force suspended two jawans deployed at Chennai and Bengaluru airports for their alleged connivance with gold and drugs couriers respectively.

As per the new directives, no force personnel will be allowed to enter the airport terminal, the security hold area where passengers are allowed after frisking and just before boarding and the Customs area of the arrival hall, unless they are deployed there.

The CISF personnel will also not be allowed to carry phones or any bag inside the airports and any exception to these rules will be made strictly after the airport security chief concerned issues a written permission.

Among the other donts include: No entry for those personnel who are not in uniform, prohibiting them from using toilets in the security hold area and mandatory frisking of troops who enter the sterile or the high security zone of the terminal for duty. The sterile zone indicates the terminal area that is next to the tarmac where aircraft are parked before flying out or after landing.

Entry of CISF personnel into the operational area should be allowed only after proper frisking and checking, the new directives said adding that a compromised personnel can be used by terrorists to smuggle explosives or weapons into the sensitive terminal area or even inside the aircraft.

The directives said a special eye has to be kept on personnel involved in bomb detection and disposal duty and those handling sniffer dogs as they are not tied to specific duty points and could be vulnerable or lured into the conduct of illegal activities.

The force has also asked its 59 Chief Airport Security Officers (CASOs) or the contingent heads to immediately implement these measures at their respective airports and depute a special counter-intelligence team to keep a check on the activity of its own personnel.

The jawans and officers in airport security duty have also been asked to mandatorily deposit their Aerodrome Entry Permit identity cards issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) after their duty hours.

It is also planned to shift all the administrative offices of the force outside the airport terminal to prevent unnecessary movement of the force personnel.
The Election Commission on Saturday challenged political parties to prove their claim that electronic voting machines can be tampered with, inviting them to an event starting June 3 that could potentially end a raging debate over the devices.

The panel ruled out reverting to paper ballots but reiterated that the voter-verifiable paper audit trail  short for the commonly used VVPAT  will be used along with EVMs in all future elections to ensure transparency. VVPAT records the candidate and symbol a person voted for in a paper receipt.

But the ECs guidelines for the hackathon drew a snide remark from Arvind Kejriwals Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which said the poll panel wants us to cross the sea with our hands and legs tied.

The AAP is among several political parties which claim the EVMs can be hacked to show results in favour of a particular party.

Kejriwal and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati had even blamed EVMs for the BJPs sweeping victory in Uttar Pradesh recently, hinting at mass tampering of the machines. The EC says the charges are unverified and have maintained that its EVMs are tamper-proof.

EVMs -- introduced in India in 1982 for a bypoll in Kerala  were among several measures taken by the poll panel over the years to clean up Indias democratic process which were once blighted by controversies over rigging, booth capturing and voter intimidation.

The EC will leave no stone unturned in preserving the purity, integrity and credibility of the elections and reinforcing the faith and trust of the people in electoral democracy, chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi told reporters on Saturday.

He said the challenge is open only to recognised national and regional parties, who can nominate up to three representatives of Indian nationality. It is likely to be spread over 4-5 days.

The challenge Interested parties will have to confirm their participation to the poll panel by 5pm on May 26. The parties can only choose a maximum of four EVMs used in the previous assembly elections. The EVMs cannot be taken out of the EC headquarters during the challenge nor can their internal circuits be changed. Claimants will have to prove their allegation by showing how the machines can be tampered with in the same technical and safeguard scenarios in which they are stored. Claimants shall be deemed to have failed if: 1) The EVM becomes non-functional after tamper attempt 2) The EVM is functional, but the results are same as ECI-declared results 3) They violate the guidelines or withdraw

However, EVMs cannot be taken out of the premises during the challenge nor can their internal circuits be changed, he said, laying down a set of dos and donts .

On the allegations made by different parties, Zaidi said: People who questioned the reliability of EVMs havent yet submitted any proof or credible material to support their claim.

He trashed allegations that EVMs can be tampered with using Trojan Horse -- a key press sequence -- or by use of external tools such as a bluetooth device or mobile phone.

EVM chips are one-time programmable and dont have a wi-fi chip. If they are tampered with, the machine become inoperable, he said, adding that it is impossible to inject viruses into the voting machine.

He said the panel will consider the demand for increasing the display time on the VVPAT machines from seven seconds to 15 and will soon announce the decision on the percentage of votes that will be counted using the paper trail machines.

At a meeting last week, most political parties urged the EC to count a percentage of voted by tallying the results shown by the EVMs with the VVPAT results.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
From Election Commission holding demonstration of EVMs to new revelations hitting US President Donald Trump, here are the top stories of the day you need to look out for:

1- EC to hold demonstration today to prove EVMs cant be tampered with

The Election Commission will hold a demonstration today on the working of electronic voting machines (EVMs) to allay fears that the devices can be tampered with. The poll panel will also announce dates for a EVM-hacking challenge in the wake of opposition concerns over the reliability of the machines. According to an Election Commission announcement, the demonstration of the functioning of the EVMs and VVPATs will be followed by a press conference.

Read the story here.

2- Indias poorest areas suffer the heat, mostly in MP and Chhattisgarh, as govt plans target cities

People living in underdeveloped parts of central India are most vulnerable to the health impacts of heat waves, a Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) for India has found. The index considered various factors including a persons age, caste, income and health, as well as the green cover in an area, as having a bearing on peoples heat vulnerability, and its analysis of 640 (of the 707) districts in the country finds 10 districts to be very high risk. Six of these are in relatively underdeveloped areas in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The number of deaths due to heat waves recorded in 2015  more than 2,400  was higher than the number of deaths caused by any other natural disaster.

Read the story here.

3- Land of apple orchards, south Kashmirs Kulgam and Shopian now hotbed of militancy

Kashmir has been in turmoil in recent months, but what is worrying security forces in particular is the emergence of south Kashmir as the hotbed of home-grown militants. Intelligence inputs suggest the presence of 200 active militants in the Kashmir Valley comprising 10 districts. Ninety of these militants are from south Kashmir. Once known for their placid apple orchards, Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian and Kulgam - the four districts of south Kashmir - have seen escalating tension between militants and security forces.

Read the story here.

4- NCERT Class 12 textbooks wont describe 2002 Gujarat riots as anti-Muslim

The 2002 Gujarat carnage will no longer be called anti-Muslim riots in NCERT textbooks and will be instead referred to as the Gujarat riots to describe one of the worst communal violence in India since Independence. The decision was taken at a meeting of the course review committee that includes representatives of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the National Council of Educational Research And Training (NCERT), sources said. The change will be made in a Class 12 textbook, published in 2007 during the Congress-led UPA governments tenure.

Read the story here.

5- CISF bans phones, use of toilets for its jawans at airports

The CISF has banned non-uniformed entry and use of mobile phones and toilets by its personnel inside the core security area of airports in the backdrop of alleged involvement of some of them in drugs and gold smuggling rackets. The aviation security headquarters of the paramilitary force here has issued a set of guidelines for its on-duty jawans and officers who guard 59 civil airports in the country, many of which are categorised as sensitive and hyper-sensitive from the security point of view.

Read the story here.

6- Shiv Sena to protest against BJPs Rs 46,000-cr Mumbai-Nagpur expressway, says it will ruin farmers lives

Slamming the proposed Mumbai-Nagpur super expressway, one of chief minister Devendra Fadnaviss pet projects, Shiv Sena in its party mouthpiece Saamana said it will protest if the state government decides to push for the project at farmers cost. In an editorial, which appeared on Friday, the party alleged that voices opposing the project were being suppressed by the authorities. The Sena said it would do everything to safeguard farmers interest. Just two days ago, the Sena had targeted CMs flagship water conservation scheme 1 Jalyukta Shivar  alleging that it was fraught with corruption worth crores.

Read the story here.

7- Rs 246 cr spent on training scheme for Kashmiris, only 10% get jobs

Six years after New Delhi introduced Udaan, a flagship programme to provide Kashmiri youth with professional training and jobs, an HT investigation shows fewer than 10,000 people, or just over 10% of the target, were employed through a scheme riddled with corruption. The government gave Rs 246 crore to private companies for the scheme to cover accommodation, food and travel expenses of candidates. Of the 9,780 Kashmiri youths who received jobs under Udaan, it is unclear how many are still employed because the schemes nodal agency, the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), eventually loses track of the beneficiaries.

Read the story here.

8- Trump hit by new bombshell revelations on Russia as he leaves for overseas trip

The investigation into the Russian meddling in the 2016 US elections and alleged collusion by Trump campaign aides has identified a significant person of interest, who is currently serving in the White House as a senior adviser to the president and considered close to him, The Washington Post has reported. The newspaper, however, did not name the person. The revelation by The Post came around the time the New York Times reported the President Donald Trump had described the sacked FBI director James Comey as a nut job to Russian officials he met in the Oval Office last week, and told them his firing had taken the pressure off him.

Read the story here.

9- Russia links, impeachment: Mood at White House grim as Trump administration grapples with crisis

Less than four months ago, a keen set of young up-and-comers strode into the White House in their best high heels and power ties, bursting with optimism and pride in serving their country. Now, their stint in the White House -- the supposed apogee of their lives, something to brag about someday to the grandkids -- has begun to look more like it would be an albatross tied around their necks. Donald Trump may have left behind his domestic woes as he jetted off Friday on his first foreign trip, but he also left behind a White House staff that is increasingly demoralised and overwhelmed.

Read the story here.
The Election Commission will on Saturday hold a demonstration on the working of electronic voting machines (EVMs) to allay fears that the devices can be tampered with by political parties and candidates.

The poll panel will also announce dates for a EVM-hacking challenge in the wake of opposition concerns over the reliability of the machines.

According to an Election Commission announcement, the demonstration of the functioning of the EVMs and VVPATs will be followed by a press conference.

The poll panel had announced after an all-party meeting on May 12 that it will hold the challenge to let opposition political parties prove their contention that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used in the February-March assembly elections were, or could be, tampered with.

It also announced that all future elections will be held using Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail.

The VVPAT system records the candidate and symbol a person voted for but the voter cannot take the receipt home.

Several opposition politicians had alleged EVM-tampering in assembly polls but the commission ruled out such a possibility.

Representatives of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and Trinamool Congress had raised concerns over EVMs at the all-party meeting.

The AAP had welcomed the poll panels announcement of holding an EVM challenge but insisted on the hackathon. The party said given a chance, it can prove that the machines can be hacked.

The Trinamool Congress had demanded a return to paper balloting in the country.

The poll panels announcement came after the AAP used a dummy EVM to purportedly show how the machine could be manipulated. EC, however, dismissed the Arvind Kejriwal-led partys assertion outright, saying the machine used by Bharadwaj was a lookalike of an EVM and therefore could be used to demonstrate any magic or tampering.

In 2009, the Commission had held a similar challenge and it claims no one was able to tamper with its machines. Then 100 EVMs from various parts of the country were brought to Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi for the challenge.
What could have been a Good Samaritan act has landed an Indian Information Services (IIS) official in trouble, because he misrepresented himself as an employee attached to the office of a cabinet minister.

The official had shot off a letter to a senior police officer in Haryanas Gurgaon on behalf of a colleague, whose complaints against domestic abuse were allegedly not being heeded to.

According to sources, the official had complained that the police personnel had been slow in following up his colleagues complaints, and tried to use his clout to evoke action.

In that letter, he identified himself as a representative in a senior ministers office, which, upon inquiry by the Haryana police, turned out to be incorrect.

The official, whose identity is under wraps, is now being investigated by the information and broadcasting ministry, under which the IIS falls.

The ministry has initiated disciplinary proceedings against a senior IIS Group A officer for impersonation. He falsely used the wrong identity to be part of a central ministers staff while he was not even posted in that ministry, a source told HT.

The I&B ministry has also decided to take disciplinary action against officials for lapses in identifying and punishing two employees who had been on leave without sanction for nearly two decades.

The ministry has dismissed two officials from AIR, Anil Kumar Jain and Rakesh Mohan, both assistant directors in the engineering department for unauthorised absence from duty.

The dismissal of the two officials from service will disqualify them for future employment under the government, an official said.

Rakesh Mohan has been absent from duty since June 1998, while Anil Kumar Jain has not reported to work since June 1996. The decision has been taken following procedures and DoPT guidelines in consultation with the recruiting authority, UPSC, the official said.

The disciplinary action has been taken in keeping with the Modi-governments policy of cracking the whip on errant officials, I&B Ministry official said.

In January this year, two IAS officials were suspended after a departmental review found them unfit for the job.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The defence ministry on Saturday cleared the decks for private sector players to build military equipment such as fighter jets, submarines and armoured vehicles in India.

It finalised the broad contours of a policy that would work as a template for cooperation between Indian and foreign firms for military hardware.

The government had released its defence procurement procedure in March 2016 but without a key chapter on the strategic partnership model that would govern collaboration between foreign vendors and Indian companies for defence manufacturing.

The ministry held a series of meetings with defence equipment manufacturers and industry associations before finalising the model. The defence acquisition council, headed by defence minister Arun Jaitley, met on Saturday and finalised the policy.

A defence ministry spokesperson said the policy envisaged long-term strategic partnerships between Indian players and global OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) for technology transfer to set up domestic manufacturing infrastructure and supply chains. The platforms covered under the model include helicopters.

In future, additional segments may be added, the spokesperson said.

Read more: Jaitley says India not happy with label of worlds largest arms importer

A pool of six defence firms is likely to be formed under the model, allowing them to bid for big-ticket military projects. The firms are L&T, Tata, Mahindra Defence, Reliance Defence, Bharat Forge and Adani Group.

The worlds biggest arms importer, India needs to upgrade its defence infrastructure and manufacturing equipment at home would save precious foreign exchange, cut procurement delays and generate jobs.

The guidelines are expected to provide fresh impetus to talks between India and Western aircraft makers for setting up production lines for single-engine and twin-engine fighter planes in the country. India plans to induct more than 400 fighter planes over the next decade.

The guidelines will also govern a Rs 64,000-crore project to build submarines in the country. Several foreign manufacturers are eyeing tie-ups with domestic shipyards to be part of the one of the costliest projects under the Make in India programme, the Modi governments ambitious plan to attract foreign investment and step up manufacturing.
Days after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Pakistan to stay the execution of Kulbhushan Jadhav, interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the case of the former Indian Navy officer would be taken to its logical conclusion according to the countrys laws.

Khan, a close aide of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, made the remarks while addressing a passing out parade of paramilitary forces at Warsak near Peshawar in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

On Thursday, the United Nations highest court had directed Pakistan to stay the execution of Jadhav, given capital punishment by a military court for alleged involvement in espionage and terrorism, till it gave its final decision on Indias petition to annul his death sentence.

An individual, a spy was arrested in Pakistan after he was involved in a serious campaign and activities against Pakistan, Khan told reporters, speaking in Urdu while responding to questions on the issue of Jadhav.

According to Pakistans Constitution and laws, he (Jadhav) has been sentenced and according to the same Constitution and laws, his case will be taken to its logical conclusion, he said in footage aired on news channels.

Khans further said that Pakistans stance at the ICJ is based on the lines I just discussed with you.

Pakistani media reports also quoted Khan as saying that if Jadhav was not apprehended on time, he would have carried out more terrorist activities in Pakistan. He did not give details.

Islamabad has said that Jadhav, 46, was arrested in the restive Balochistan province for alleged involvement in espionage and subversive activities. New Delhi has dismissed these charges, saying Jadhav was kidnapped from the Iranian port of Chabahar, where he was running a business after leaving the navy.

Meanwhile, an unnamed official of Pakistans foreign ministry told The Nation newspaper that the country is determined to win its case against Jadhav at the ICJ.

The official said Pakistan will contest the case with a new vigour to prove Jadhavs involvement in terrorism, which led to scores of deaths. A new legal team will be finalised to represent Pakistan at the ICJ after the recent embarrassment, the official said.

Another unnamed official said Pakistan had all the evidences against Jadhav to prove him a terrorist. He added, The case against him is crystal clear. We will make sure he gets what he deserves. We will fight till the end.
A suspected agent of Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was detained in a joint operation in Jaisalmer by the intelligence units of Rajasthan Police and the Indian Army, officials said on Saturday. Two Pakistani nationals were also detained in another operation but officials said they will be sent back.

A report by IANS said Haji Khan was detained from his house in Kunjari village of Jaisalmer following intelligence inputs.

Khan, accused of sending confidential information to the ISI, has been sent to Jodhpur for further interrogation, a Rajasthan Police official said.

Investigators said they recovered incriminating documents from his possession.

Khan was detained a few months back but released due to lack of evidence, the official said, adding: He used to visit Pakistan at regular intervals as his maternal house is there.

Kunjari is situated at the Indian Air Forces Chandan field firing range, part of the Pokhran field firing range, and agencies believe that detained spies shared vital information regarding exercise of the army and air force to the ISI.

The accused, a resident of Jaisalmer, was nabbed on Friday and taken to Jodhpur for initial questioning, additional director general of police (Intelligence) UR Sahoo told PTI.

There were certain inputs that he allegedly had some connections with the ISI, and was on the radar of the intelligence agencies for some time now. The man has not been arrested so far, the officer added.

Meanwhile, an ANI report said the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and army intelligence detained two Pakistani nationals on suspicion of being ISI agents in Jaisalmer.

Till now, no such suspicious information has come out. So most probably they will be sent back to Pakistan, superintendent of police Gaurav Yadav told ANI.

2 Pak nationals were detained over suspicion. Nothing suspicious found during interrogation by various agencies: SP Jaisalmer #Rajasthan pic.twitter.com/n60BcU3k2T  ANI (@ANI_news) 20 May 2017

Earlier this month, police in Mumbai, in a joint operation with the Uttar Pradesh ATS, arrested another suspected ISI agent. Three persons -- one from Faizabad and two from Mumbai -- have been arrested so far.

Two alleged spies -- identified as Bariyam Khan and Haji Khan -- were also detained in November-December last year from near the Kishangarh range in Rajasthan, the ANI report said.
Ailing DMK patriarch M Karunanidhis birthday celebration on June 3 is being seen as a mega political event with top Opposition leaders converging in Chennai with an aim to reach consensus on a common Presidential candidate.

After suffering resounding defeats in several state and municipal elections after the BJP came to power in the Centre, non-NDA party leaders, including the Congress, are keen to sink their differences and firm up a common strategy on the Presidential election.

Karunanidhis birthday celebration is likely to see participation from former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda of the JDS, Farooq Abdullah of the NC, JD(U)s Nitish Kumar, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, Sharad Pawar from NCP and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, who reportedly wont be flying down to Chennai due to her poor health, is scheduled to convene a joint meeting with Opposition leaders later this month to deliberate upon who could be their Presidential candidate.

Over the past weeks, she has held several one-to-one meetings with prominent Opposition leaders, including Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Sitaram Yechury of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and D Raja of the CPI.

The Congress, which logged its lowest-ever tally in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, and managed to win just seven seats in UP has been facing pressure from regional satraps to accommodate their concerns when finalising a candidate for the post of President.

While the ruling NDA has a clear edge in the Electoral College that elects the President, it remains short of a complete majority.

Opposition leaders feel that by putting up a spirited fight for the Presidential election the goal of a united pitch against the BJP in the 2019 general elections would become achievable.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Kashmir has been in turmoil in recent months, but what is worrying security forces in particular is the emergence of south Kashmir as the hotbed of home-grown militants.

Intelligence inputs suggest the presence of 200 active militants in the Kashmir Valley comprising 10 districts. Ninety of these militants are from south Kashmir.

Once known for their placid apple orchards, Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian and Kulgam - the four districts of south Kashmir - have seen escalating tension between militants and security forces.

Analysts say the reasons behind south Kashmirs growing lawlessness include political disenchantment with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which governs Jammu and Kashmir in coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

PDP with his soft separatist agenda earlier enjoyed a degree of goodwill among local militants and the socio-religious group Jamat-e-Islami. The region was considered a bastion of Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, the late father of incumbent chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.

But analysts say the PDP no longer enjoys the same degree of popularity after its pact with the BJP. Many feel betrayed and even some PDP leaders now privately admit that radical forces command more influence in the region. Most disenchanted, they say, are those who are educated and with relatively affluent backgrounds.

South Kashmir, incidentally, was also the focal point of street protests triggered by the allege rape and murder of two young women in Shopian in May, 2009. Government investigations dismissed the deaths as a result of drowning, but resentment lingers among residents still.

Social media savvy Burhan Wani, the Hizbul Mujahideen commander killed in an encounter with security forces last year, also drew many youngsters of south Kashmir to the fold of militancy. Wanis videos showing him and his associates holding guns and even unwinding in apple orchards struck a chord. Wani gave a face to the militancy, in contrast to militants who used to cover their faces in public earlier.

Officials say Wanis viral videos turned out to be an effective recruitment tool for the militants and the number of locals joining militant outfits have been on the rise. Compared to 2013 when 31 youth joined militancy, the number rose to 66 in 2015. This year, some 88 youngsters have joined militancy, police say.
The Election Commission held a demonstration on the working of electronic voting machines (EVMs) on Saturday amid allegations by opposition parties that the devices are vulnerable to hacking and tampering.

Several opposition parties -- chiefly the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Mayawatis Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) -- have alleged that the EVMs were tampered with in the February-March assembly elections in 5 states and the just concluded civic polls in Delhi.

Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Trinamool Congress, also petitioned the poll panel as well as President Pranab Mukherjee about the vulnerability of the EVMs.

The allegations have been vehemently denied by the poll panel.

Here are the Live updates:

4:58pm: EVMs with VVPATs will be used in elections in Gujarat and Himachal this year, says CEC

4:52pm: Our EVMs have been sent to Bhutan, Nepal and Namibia, many countries are showing interest in our machines: Zaidi

4:42pm: Our polling process is completely transparent, so is the EC, we take suggestions of parties into account: CEC Zaidi

4:30pm: Hope with the introduction of 100% VVPATs, this issue will rest conclusively, says CEC when asked what if parties still raise this issue after the challenge in the next elections.

4:26pm: VVPAT wit h EVM will restore trust and faith of people, also its a law now as following SC direction, so EC has to use it: CEC on why introduce VVPATs if EC is so sure of EVMs

4:24pm: Hacking is not a prestige or adverserial issue, we want to learn from it and further strengthen our processes, says CEC

4:20pm: Wont like to comment on what happened in Delhi assembly; our machines are tamper-proof, if you change the internal circuit of our machines,then they arent our machines: Zaidi on question about EVM hacking demonstration in the assembly

4:17pm: Inspection of machines will be a visual inspection: EC

4:15pm: Each party can nominate up to 3 persons for the challenge, they should be Indians: Zaidi

4:13pm: Machines will be allowed to be opened for visual inspection, says CEC

4:09pm: The challenge is likely to remain open for five days: CEC

4:08pm: ECI through this challenge will restore & enhance, faith & confidence of voters in EVM voting system: CEC

4:06pm: Parties to be allotted 4hr slots during which theyll be granted access to EVMs, VVPATs and ballot units for EVM challenge: CEC Zaidi

3:59pm: Challenge open to national & state parties,can nominate 3 authorized persons, will need to confirm their interest by 5 pm on 26 May: CEC

3:58pm: National and state parties that participated in the elections in five states can participate in this challenge.

3: 52pm: During our meeting with political parties, we had assured them of organising an open challenge; the ECI now propose open this challenge on June 3 for the parties: CEC

3:50pm: EVMs are not hackable as these, are stand alone machines and not connected to internet and/or any other network:CEC

3:46pm: Replacement of internal circuit of #EVMs is not possible. Our EVMs have strong technological features and are tamper-proof: EC.

3: 45pm: Neither defective machines nor look-alike EVMs can get reinducted into the polling process, says Zaidi

3: 43pm: It will also be a matter of pride that India will become first country to deploy 100% VVPATs or paper trail in world: Zaidi

3:36pm: Zaidi says another misinformation is that EC is using foreign-made EVMs. All machines are made in India and their software codes are written and approved by leading technocrats.

Changing the existing programme and introducing a new one is detectable and they make our machines inoperable.

3:33pm: EVMs cant be physically tampered with, claims CEC Zaidi.

3:31pm: EC rebuts the claim that a Trojan horse can be used for hacking. A Trojan horse cant be inserted into EVMs.

Once a key is pressed on a ballot unit, the data is transferred to the control unit under a code. After pressing once, other clicks wont be accepted. To activate a Trojan horse, hackers need a wireless received and the EVM doesnt have any possibility, says Zaidi.

3:30pm: Our manufacturers are not aware of the candidates key numbers, thats why manipulation at the stage of manufacturing isnt possible.

3:25pm:The Commission will like to tell that EVMs are not related to any other machines or the internet. Therefore, it cant be tampered with or hacked by any devices.

3:23pm: Certain complaints generated a wrong impression of the ECI. The Election Commission is not responsible for local body elections, state election bodies are: Zaidi

Watch the conference Live

3:33pm: The Commission believes in total transparency and it will receive suggestions to improve. We also maintain equi-distance from all parties. Zaidis statement comes in the wake of AAP accusing the poll panel of favouring the Bharatiya Janata Party.

3:21pm: The CEC lists out all measures that the poll panel had promised to make at its press conference earlier in May, including the use of VVPATs in all elections. India will be the first country to have 100% use of VVPATs.

3:20pm: The introduction of the EVM was a positive electoral reform. Some doubts have been raised on their functioning.

The Commission has duly acknowledged the claims. However, the Commissioned hasnt received any substantial reasons or material information to make the claim credible, says EC.

3:15pm: The chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi addresses the press conference. He says the ECI is globally acknowledged for conducting fair elections and adopting technological developments.

3:05pm: EC plays a five-minute film to explain the working of an EVM. The film explains how the EVM is secured at multiple levels to safeguard it from hackers.

3pm: The poll panel begins its press conference on EVM hacking row.

2pm: Hours before the Election Commission is scheduled to hold a demonstration on the working of paper trail enabled voting machines, AAP leader Sanjay Singh claims that the EC was delaying announcing the hackathon dates. He also claimed that the poll panel was listening to only one party.
As many as eight children fell sick on Saturday and were rushed to the hospital after consuming a mid-day meal in which a lizard was found.

The incident took place at an Anganwadi, in Vijayraghavgarh in the Katni district of Madhya Pradesh.

Children are reportedly fit and healthy now and the state officials have commenced an interrogation in this matter.

This is the second incident after May 15s when as many as twenty seven children fell ill in Bihars Jamui after they ate a mid-day meal in which a dead lizard was found.

Earlier on May 10, children at a government school in Faridabad consumed a mid-day meal in which a baby snake was found.
A major fire broke out at a shopping mall, adjacent to a petrol pump on busy Boring Road, in Patna early Saturday morning. All securitymen trapped inside were safely evacuated.

Director general, homeguard and fire services, PN Rai said there was no casualty.

The blaze at GV Mall is under control and fire fighters are working hard to douse it completely, Rai told HT.

Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said in a tweet on the microbloging site that the mall was owned by son of a Rashtriya Janata Dal MLA and Rohini Acharya, daughter of Lalu Prasad, had purchased an office at Rs 58 lakh in the building.

JV Mall (sic) of Praveen Yadav son Rjd Mla Shri Narayan gutted in fire.Rohini d/o Lalu 58 Lakh office in 2014 in this bldg, Modi tweeted.

The fire, believed to have been caused by short circuit inside the AC plant, was first noticed at 5.15 am by a patrolling party from SK Puri police station. The police team broke open the main gate of the mall, which was locked from outside, and rescued eight private security guards trapped inside, Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manu Maharaaj said.

Located in a thickly populated area, the mall houses restaurants, two dozen shops, offices of many companies and a FM radio station. An electronic goods showroom and a commercial complex share the boundary wall with the mall. Besides, there are four petrol pumps in the Boring Road area.

Rai said more than 50 fire fighters, who were pressed into service, prevented the flames from spreading to nearby buildings.

READ| Two children die, 250 houses gutted as fire breaks out in Bihar

Had there been delay in removing LPG cylinders from restaurants in the mall, the fire could have engulfed more buildings and resulted in a big tragedy. The spread of fire to the petrol pump in the neighbourhood could have wreaked havoc in the area, he added.

Another official said the fire broke out in the ground floor and spread to other floors of the building. The huge stock of clothes, leather items and other inflammable materials in the shops and offices added fuel to the fire, he said.

The fire officials said safety measures in such a big building in a posh locality was not up to the mark. We have found poor arrangement to check such incident in the building, they added..

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Six members of a gang allegedly involved in the killing of two jewellers in Mathura on May 15 were arrested following an encounter with police on Saturday, officials said.

The arrested six were identified as Rakesh alias Ranga, the leader of the gang, two of his brothers  Kameesh alias Chini and Neeraj  and Aditya, Aiyush and Chotu. Two gang members were injured in the encounter.

On May 15, two traders were killed and two others were injured during a robbery in Koyalawali Gali in Holi Gate area. Six armed men came on motorbikes and barged into jewellery shops in the market falling under Kotwali police station limits, and opened fire. Two persons, identified as Vikas Agarwal and Megh Agarwal, were killed.

Police tracked down the gang members to Hanuman Gali in Choubeyapada of Mathura. They were hiding there since the night of the crime, said additional director general of police (Agra Zone) Ajay Anand.

Police is said to have recovered the gold looted by the gangsters but details are awaited.

Six of the accused have been arrested. Two of them were injured in the encounter, and one of them, Neeraj, has been taken to SN Hospital in Agra for treatment, Anand told Hindustan Times.

Rakesh is a resident of Choubeyapada and has a criminal record. He was recently released from jail.

The arrests took place a day after bullion traders observed a statewide bandh demanding arrest of the assailants.

All 1,445 jewellery shops in Lucknow, along with 16,770 shops in other parts of the state were closed.

Jewellers took out a scooter rally in Mathura,and staged dharnas in Lucknow and Kanpur.

Family members of one of the killed traders also sat on a dharna in Mathura on Thursday. They ended their protest after officials sought two days to arrest the accused.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A Navy cadet accused his trainers and superiors of mentally and physically harassing him in a note before he purportedly jumped off a building at the Ezhimala Naval Academy on Wednesday.

G Sooraj (26), a native of Tirur in Malappuram district, died of his injuries on Thursday, and police said on Saturday that they recovered a suicide note.

Four trainers/officers named in the note will be booked for abetting suicide, a senior police officer of north Kerala said, adding that they had informed the academy authorities of the note.

Soorajs family dismissed the suicide theory and accused naval authorities of withholding information about his death. A born fighter, my brother will not commit suicide, a sibling of Sooraj said.

The Indian Naval Academy said in a statement that Sooraj was found unconscious and unresponsive on the floor of the academy wing by a duty sailor at 5.50 pm on Wednesday.

He was taken to the ICU of the naval medical unit, and shifted to Pariyaram medical college hospital where he developed a cardiac arrest the next day, the press release said.

Sooraj joined the navy as a sailor in 2010. He appeared for the officers test in 2013 and joined the Indian Naval Academy (INA) in Ezhimala near Kannur.

His relatives said many officers did not like this and routinely harassed him.

They pulled him up on several occasions citing indiscipline. In 2015 he was terminated from the INA but the Armed Forces Tribunal reinstated him.

He re-joined the academy as an officer cadet in January this year.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday questioned three Kashmiri separatists accused of receiving money from Pakistan to fuel unrest in the Valley.

Farookh Dar alias Bitta Karate was questioned in Srinagar regarding the hawala and terror funding issue. The questioning of Nayeem Khan and Ghazi Javed Baba is still going on, said a spokesman of the federal anti-terror agency.

He added that the accused have also been asked to produce certain documents for examination.

Later in the evening, the NIA raided Jammu and Kashmir National Fronts chairman Nayeem Khans house.

Read more | Separatist Geelani says army-run schools indoctrinating Kashmiri kids, BJP refutes charge

The NIA is verifying contents of a sting operation carried out by a TV channel in which the separatists were seen talking about receiving money from Pakistan for funding violent activities including torching of schools and stone pelting.

The hotel in Srinagar in which the sting operation took place, has been identified. The NIA team is completing formalities of identification of room and collection of records, said the spokesman.

He said the agency is probing all angles of the funding of separatist leaders.

Earlier on Saturday, Jammu and Kashmir National Front and its chairman Nayeem Khan were suspended from the Hurriyat Conference by the Geelani faction.

However, Nayeem Khan denied the allegations of receiving funds from Pakistan, claiming the sting operation was fake and doctored. Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, he alleged that the media group had used his statements out of context to defame the Kashmir struggle.

Investigators have also collected the copies of the FIRs of about 150 cases and analysing these FIRs registered in the Valley in the recent past regarding damage caused to the schools and public property as part of the larger conspiracy to perpetuate violence and chaos in Kashmir.

(With input from Toufiq Rashid in Srinagar)

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Geelani faction of the Hurriyat Conference suspended the membership of Jammu Kashmir National Front (JKNF) chairman Nayeem Khan on Saturday, a few days after a sting operation by a Noida-based television channel showed him allegedly admitting to the use of Pakistani funds to finance the 2016 unrest.

Earlier in the day, Khan told reporters that the sting operation was fake and doctored. Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, he alleged that the media group had used his statements out of context to defame the Kashmir struggle.

We generate funds at the local level to help victims of the conflict, Khan added.

Confirming the JKNF chairmans suspension, a statement issued by Geelani claimed that though the Hurriyat Conference had summoned all its constituent members  including Khan  to hear his side of the story, police did not allow them to hold the executive body meeting. He (Nayeem Khan) has questioned the veracity of the said clip, but we have decided to suspend his membership until all related issues are clarified. It is my moral duty as the supreme head of the forum to fulfill my assigned duties, he said.

However, the statement went on to describe the Indian press as a biased and untrustworthy entity that is hell-bent on defaming the Kashmir freedom movement. They are working for Indian agencies... as a mouthpiece for fanatical forces, it said. Their frivolous efforts at involving Pakistan is being done to mislead the international community.

While Geelani admitted that the neighbouring country was a prime party in the issue, he insisted that the agitation for a free Kashmir was an indigenous movement.

The 2016 uprising wasnt preplanned, and it certainly wasnt instigated by Pakistan, the statement said. It was a spontaneous reaction from the people after the martyrdom of (Hizbul) commander Burhan Wani. During the five-month-long agitation, people braved pellets and bullets. Many were massacred, and several others sacrificed their eyesight.

Claiming that no money is provided by Pakistan, he said, We do need resources to combat the military might of India, but we raise them from local sources.

The sting operation, which also featured Tehreek-E-Hurriyat leader Gazi Javed Baba and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (R) chairman Farooq Ahmed Dar, showed Khan saying that all separatists get funds from Pakistan. Neither of the three had been in the news in recent times.

Separatist leader Yasin Malik lodged a police complaint against a woman journalist of the media group concerned on Friday, alleging that she breached his privacy. I was sleeping when she barged into my room, asking questions about the sting. I was half-asleep. This is against the ethics of journalism. You dont barge into peoples bedrooms, telling the family that you have an appointment, the separatist leader said.

Malik was not named in the sting.

An NIA team had arrived in Srinagar the previous day to question top separatist leaders regarding funds received from Pakistani sources, including terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), to fuel the Kashmir unrest. Although sources said four prominent separatist figures  including hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Khan  will be questioned in this regard, a Hurriyat spokesperson said they have received no notice so far.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
BHABUA

A vigilance court in Patna on Friday issued non-bailable warrant of arrest against 23 persons, including 12 doctors, in the Rs 6.33-crore National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam in Kaimur district of southwest Bihar.

Dr Punit Kumar Singh, son of former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) minister Jagadanand Singh, was among 12 doctors facing arrest for alleged financial irregularities committed between 2009 and 2012, Kaimur superintendent of police (SP) Harpreet Kaur said on Saturday.

Singh had unsuccessfully contested the recent election to Bihar legislative council from Gaya graduate constituency as an RJD candidate.

Kaur said the 23 accused were facing charges under Sections 420 (punishment for cheating), 409 (criminal breach of trust), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471(using forged document), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code and Section 13(1)(D) of Prohibition of Corruption Act.

The audit report of the State Health Society, Bihar, showed that payments under NRHM had been made for fake tubectomy procedures and deliveries. Some of the doctors were found to have conducted more than one tubectomy procedure and facilitating delivery on a single woman, Kaur, who had ordered a detailed investigation in the matter while reviewing the case last year, said.

The report had pointed out that a woman, Mina Devi, was shown to have given birth to 12 children within four months, besides undergoing tubectomy procedures 14 times during the same period. Surprisingly, she was 36 years of age when tubectomy was performed on November 23, 2009, but her age was shown as 29 when she gave birth to a child after four days, the report added. At least 11 women delivered children five to 12 times in four months, besides undergoing tubectomy seven to 11 times in the same period, deputy superintendent of police Dilip Kumar Jha, the investigating officer of the case, said.

One of the doctors, Dr Hira Singh, had performed tubectomy on 413 women at four hospitals, covering a distance of more than 100 km in day, Jha quoted the report as saying.

The scam was detected in 2011 when the audit team of State Health Society found embezzlement of NRHM fund.

BLURB

The report had pointed out that a woman, Mina Devi, was shown to have given birth to 12 children within four months, besides undergoing tubectomy procedures 14 times during the same period...

The scam was detected in 2011 when the audit team of State Health Society found embezzlement of NRHM fund
In the last photographs taken of him, Mohammed Naeem is pleading to a group of villagers as blood trickles down from his head. Half of his body is soaked in red. His shirt presumably ripped away, and dirt marks on his pants suggest he was kicked repeatedly. Hands folded, the father of three struggles to convince the people surrounding him that he is innocent.

But they lynch him anyway.

Naeem was the last of four people to be beaten to death on Thursday by villagers in Sobhapur, less than an hours drive from Jamshedpur, Jharkhands most populous city.

Another group of three were lynched less than 20 kilometres away.

Naeems last moments became the face of a string of attacks in the state triggered by rumours spread on WhatsApp that child abduction gangs are on the prowl.

Villagers, mostly tribal people, along the borders of Seraikela-Kharsawan, East Singhbhum and West Singhbhum districts picked up weapons such as sticks and bats, and were attacking strangers. Sobhapur falls under the Seraikela-Kharsawan district.

Two people were killed over similar suspicions earlier in the week. None of the victims were involved in kidnapping.

Naeems last moments bring back memories of Gujarat tailor Qutubuddin Ansari, whose image of pleading to a rioting mob in Gujarat in 2002 became the face of one of Indias worst communal violence. Ansari was rescued.

Naeem was not as fortunate.

A charred vehicle that was torched by angry people during a violent protest. (PTI Photo)

A resident of Ghatsila in East Singhbhum district, Naeem and his cattle trader companions were passing through Sobhapur early in the morning on Thursday.

Villagers along the Tata-Chaibasa road stopped their SUV, dragged the four people out and tortured them for four hours before killing them.

Naeem was the last to die, even though the police had reached the spot before the last of fatal blows landed on him.

Outnumbered, the police did not intervene.

Jalauddin said Naeem, his brother-in-law, was an affable man. He took good care of his aging parents and groomed his children well. Naeems wife is a deputy village head.

The family declined to accept a compensation of Rs 2 lakh offered by the district administration. They, and people in their villagers, demanded the chief minister meet them and promise justice.
The custom of female genital mutilation (FGM), practised by the Dawoodi Bohra community, is a criminal offence and if the community does not stop it voluntarily, the government will bring in a law to ban the practice, Union women and child development (WCD) minister Maneka Gandhi told Hindustan Times.

Section under IPC that makes FGM illegal Section 320 (causing grievous hurt), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 325 (punishment for voluntarily causing grievous hurt).

On May 8, the SC sought response from the Centre and four states on a PIL seeking ban on female genital cutting, which is mainly practised by Dawoodi Bohras, a Shia Muslim sect.

The Dawoodi Bohras are a two-million strong business community and they reside mostly in western cities including Mumbai.

We will write to respective state governments and Syedna, the Bohra high priest shortly to issue an edict to community members to give up FGM voluntarily as it is a crime under Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, 2012. If the Syedna does not respond then we will bring in a law to ban the practice in India, Gandhi told HT.

Sections under POCSO Act that makes FGM a crime Section 3 & 5(committing penetrative sexual assault on a child), Section 9 (aggravated sexual assault) and 19 (reporting an offence).

Commonly called khatna, the custom is inflicted on young girls, when they are six or seven-year old. Carried out mostly by untrained midwives, it involves cutting off the clitoral hood, in the belief that it will curb a womens sexual drive.

The WCD ministry had already started consultations with community members and NGOs on the issue, after receiving several representations from Bohra women to end the custom, when the apex court stepped in 12 days ago.

The 14th-century-old custom is tolerated even today, without enforcement of existing IPC provisions. Banning it will be a big step towards eradication of the practice, said Shaheeda Tavawalla Kirtane of womens group Sahiyo that works towards getting the practise eradicated.

Echoing Kirtanes view, Gandhi said that despite the fact that the custom is illegal under Indian law, it continues surreptitiously. It could be that the community is not aware of the specific provisions of law that makes FGM illegal. So we decided to sensitise them about the provision in law, she said.

FGM is banned in 24 African countries. Many western countries, including the United Kingdom and the US have also outlawed the practice. In December 2012, the UN General Assembly adopted a unanimous resolution to eliminate the practice.

In her petition against FGM filed in the apex court, advocate Sunita Tiwari has said, it amounts to serious violation of the rights of children as even minors have a right of security of person, right to privacy, bodily integrity and the freedom from cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment.

In India, it is only recently that women from the community have started speaking up against the custom. In 2015, an online petition on the website Change.org Speak out on FGM was started by women from Bohra community.

Later on, non-Bohras also joined the campaign. But, except for the National Commission for Women that has backed the campaign; the government has mostly remained silent.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Authorities imposed curfew-like restrictions on parts of Srinagar on Saturday to thwart a proposed rally by separatists ahead of the death anniversary of Hurriyat leaders Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone.

People were prohibited from assembling in large numbers at Nawhatta, Safa Kadal and MR Gunj areas in the old city, a stronghold of moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. The district magistrates directive resulted in chaos, with traffic jams being reported from zones where the restrictions were not in place.

Local residents said security forces did not allow free movement in several parts of the city, resulting in many college students  who are currently writing their semester tests  reaching their examination centres late. A number of schools were also shut over fears of violence.

Hurriyat is observing the Hafta-e-Shahadat (martyrs week) to commemorate the death anniversary of the two deceased leaders. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had announced that the Awami Action Committee (AAC) will hold a workers rally at the party headquarters in Rajouri Kadal this afternoon, followed by a prayer meeting at Hawal.

Several party activists were detained by police while they were taking out the AAC rally.

An AAC spokesman condemned the imposition of restrictions on the old city as well as the house arrest of its chairman as sheer frustration on the part of the authorities. This is an open admission of political defeat on the part of the government, he said.

The spokesman said delegates from all the districts of Kashmir were supposed to attend a workers rally, and later assemble at the Shaheedi Chowk in Hawal. However, police and paramilitary forces sealed all the routes leading to the area with concertina wire to prevent such a gathering, he added.

Accusing the Indian government of caging the people for demanding their fundamental right to self-determination, he said, The more the state persists with such a policy, the more will the people resist it.

Separatists have also urged the people to observe a shutdown on May 21 to protest the killing of Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq at the hands of unidentified assailants on that day in 1990. Many others were also killed on the day, when security forces allegedly opened fire on mourners bearing the chief priests body.

Lone was shot dead on the same day in 2002, while he was commemorating his predecessors death in Eidgah.

The Hurriyat leader has said the day will be also observed as the Youm-e-Tajdeed Ahad, a day on which the people will renew their pledge towards taking the freedom struggle forward.
Qantas has introduced mobile check-in and digital boarding passes for customers travelling between Australia and New Zealand. The technology is being rolled out as part of the airlines strategy to speed up the journey through the airport for customers travelling internationally.

Until now, customers travelling across the Tasman were typically required to queue up for a printed boarding pass. The new technology allows eligible customers travelling between Australia and New Zealand to finalise check-in and passport checks online and head straight to the lounge or boarding gate after passing through immigration and security  all with the digital boarding pass on their mobile device.

The offering will be initially made through web and mobile (Qantas.com) before being extended to the Qantas app in June 2017. From this time, Qantas will also look to extend the service from its trans-Tasman routes to other destinations on its international network.

It comes shortly after Qantas gave its backing to Australian and New Zealand government efforts to streamline border processing for customers travelling across the Tasman, calling for a renewed effort to make the experience more like domestic air travel.

Qantas International and Freight CEO Gareth Evans said, Seamless domestic travel has been a reality since Qantas pioneered smart check-in technology in 2010, but the barriers have always been a lot higher for international flights.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday announced that the family of each paramilitary jawan who dies in action will be given a compensation of Rs 1 crore each.

He also declared that 34,000 posts of paramilitary constables were upgraded as head constables.

Addressing a Sainik Sammelan of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Force at the Sherathang border outpost, the home minister said the nation appreciates and is proud of the sacrifice of its paramilitary jawans.

The paramilitary forces have been fighting the Maoists in central and eastern parts of the country, militants in Jammu and Kashmir, and guarding the borders in inhospitable terrains.

The sacrifice of our jawans cannot be compensated with money. But the families of martyrs should not face any difficulty. Therefore, I will ensure that family of each paramilitary jawan gets at least Rs 1 crore as compensation, he said.

The announcement came nearly a month after the killing of 25 CRPF jawans by Maoists at Sukma in Chhattisgarh.

Earlier, the home minister visited the India-China border post here and reviewed the security situation.

The home minister said a lot has been done for the welfare of paramilitary personnel but much more needs to be done in the coming days.

Singh asked the ITBP jawans to use the recently launched mobile app by the home ministry to register their grievances, including personal problems, so that the ministry can try to resolve them.

The home minister also promised to look into the demand of the ITBP to bring uniformity in high altitude allowances.

The total length of the Sino-Indian border is 3,488 km of which 1,597 km runs through Jammu and Kashmir, 200 km in Himachal Pradesh, 345 km in Uttarakhand, 220 km in Sikkim and 1,126 km in Arunachal Pradesh.

The border is not fully demarcated and the process of clarifying and confirming the Line of Actual Control is in progress.

The border areas, which are located at high altitudes, have inadequate development and infrastructure facilities.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) guards this border and has established 173 Border Out Posts (BOPs) .

Out of these BOPs, 35 are in the western sector (Jammu and Kashmir), 71 in the middle sector (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand) and 67 in the eastern sector (Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh).

The home minister also interacted with Army jawans.
A court in Uttar Pradeshs Barabanki district acquitted former Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) research scholar and suspected Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) operative Gulzar Ahmed Wani on Saturday of all charges in the 2000 Sabarmati Express blast case.

The court of additional sessions judge MA Khan acquitted Wani and co-accused Abdul Mubeen of all the charges due to lack of evidence, Prabhat Singh, Wanis counsel said. Mobin was already on bail since 2008.

Passing the order, Judge MA Khan observed that no evidence had been produced by the police before the court against Gulzar Ahmad Wani and Abdul Mobeen.

Only of the basis of portraying them as SIMI members, the cops had made the two accused in the Sabarmati Express blast, said the court.

Over a dozen people were injured after a bomb exploded on the Sabarmati Express in Barabanki district, 25 km from state capital Lucknow, on August 14, 2000.

Wani, who was pursuing his PhD in AMUs Arabic department, was arrested from New Delhi on July 31, 2001, and named as an accused in the case. He was 28 years old.

A resident of Tapper Pattan in Baramulla district of north Kashmir, Wani, has been in jail since then. After Saturdays verdict, Wani would be a free man after languishing behind bars for 16 years. His family, the counsel said, was in Lucknow to complete his release formalities from the jail.

Wani was also accused of being a conspirator in 10 other cases of explosions and slapped with 14 FIRs in different police stations of Delhi, Maharashtra and UP prior to 2000. But he was acquitted in all other cases.

On April 25 this year, the Supreme Court termed Wanis custody spanning over 16 years without bail as shame.

He has been acquitted in 10 out of the 11 cases but still you want him to be in jail without bail, a bench of Chief Justice JS Khehar and justice DY Chandrachud told the counsel for UP government, who opposed Wanis bail.

The top court also fixed a date in November for his release even if the trial was incomplete.

Among the 11 cases against him, Wani was, however, convicted for 10 years for allegedly carrying explosives to trigger a blast in Delhi. But, Singh said, his sentence was suspended and that it was one of the longest jail terms for a person before being acquitted in all cases.

The only pending case against him was the Sabarmati Express train blast case.

He would have been released on bail on November 1, 2017, as per SCs April 25 order for the prosecution could not gather the evidence [against him], Singh said.
Six years after New Delhi introduced Udaan, a flagship programme to provide Kashmiri youth with professional training and jobs, an HT investigation shows fewer than 10,000 people, or just over 10% of the target, were employed through a scheme riddled with corruption.

The low rate of success comes despite an expenditure of Rs 246 crore that the government gave private companies to cover accommodation, food and travel expenses of candidates.

Worse, of the 9,780 Kashmiri youths who received jobs under Udaan, it is unclear how many are still employed because the schemes nodal agency, the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), eventually loses track of the beneficiaries.

As mandated in Udaan guidelines, all candidates are tracked up to three months after they join the organisation, an NSDC spokesman wrote by email on condition of anonymity.

HT has also found instances of job offer letters being forged to claim money, and of humanities students being placed for training in technical subjects they knew little about. The NSDC spokesman said they hadnt come across any such complaints.

Udaan was introduced in 2011 as a goodwill gesture following mass protests in Kashmir the previous year. The scheme ran till last March.

The idea behind the scheme was to incentivise Indian corporations to visit Kashmir, meet with students and provide them with training and jobs. Under the scheme, private companies received Rs 1.35 lakh per candidate.

Though training was not covered, there was a reward of Rs 50,000 for organisations that arranged a job for a candidate. Grants were not made available to public enterprises, and perhaps as a result, of the 88 companies that participated in Udaan, all but five were privately owned.

The HT investigation, based on a memo received from the NSDC through the Right to Information Act, reveals that 31,903 candidates joined training as against a target of 90,000; 22,237 completed training; 14,694 were offered jobs and 9,780 accepted their offer.

The data indicated that 20% of the candidates and 50% of the job offers came only in the last three months of the scheme. The NSDC did not respond to HTs requests for more information about this last-minute jump in enrolment.

According to a senior official, some corporations intensified their efforts to take advantage of the governments grant before it was too late.

Last month, the government ordered an audit of the skill program Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) after HT questioned its claim of having trained about two million youth under the scheme.

HTs investigation of the Udaan scheme reveals issues as well. Students reported problems with some of the training and staffing institutes. The general practice that a majority of companies follow is that they bring the candidates, give them accommodation and then leave them on their own. Training is just for the sake of it, says Muzamil Ahmad, one candidate who never received a job offer.

Udaan has been forced to rely on trainers more than big employers, resulting in, among other things, a paucity of jobs. The training company Prolific Systems and Technologies Private Limited, for instance, was given a target of 3,500 candidates, ended up training only 920, and connected only 410 to job offers.

Another trainer, Vision India Services Private Limited, was responsible for 1,750 candidates, only 30% of whom got jobs. For this, Vision received Rs 21.28 crore. Himanshu Kaushik, one of Visions directors, blamed the companys low success rate on its inability to update its server.

HT met more than 50 students in National Capital Region (NCR) who alleged that companies middlemen bring students from the Valley to various training institutes outside of the state to appropriate government grants.

Some students have become institutes agent and they get commission for bringing student to training centers, revealed one of the students enrolled under Udaan scheme. He said commission amount ranged from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Spiders have started spinning webs in the electric fans in this village. During daytime the mercury climbs well past 40 degree Celsius but more than 1,000 residents of Karmashole village near Largarh cant switch on the fans, nor can they switch on lights after dark.

The pump sets essential for irrigation in these parched lands cant be operated either. The villagers have to visit the nearest village in Lalgarh about 5 km away to charge their phones.

Read: HT Special | Life on the periphery: In Morni, life without light

Life changed for the villagers seven months ago when the transformer was damaged by lightening. It has not been repaired since.

Karmashole is located at the heart of what was once a Maoist fortress. At a spot close to the village, in October 2010, rebel leader Kishenji released police officer Atindranath Dutta who was abducted and held in custody for a few days. (HT Photo)

The villagers are tribals. Almost everybody is a daily wage earner. Locals said that the power department officials are not eager to repair, or replace, the transformer because most of them failed to clear their electricity dues. Locals also told HT that they informed the state-run utility officials that they are ready to pay their dues in instalments.

I have narrated our problem to Amulya Maity, who looks after the power department of West Midnapore Zilla Parishad. I have also told him that villagers are ready to pay up in instalments. But the transformer needs to be replaced immediately as the suffering has peaked with the rising mercury, Sanatan Mahato, a local gram panchayat member told HT.

Read: No electricity, no network, no money: Battered Tamil Nadu struggles post cyclone Vardah

We requested the power department many times earlier, but they did not take any step, Mahato alleged.

To add to the woes of the villagers, norwesters have not been frequent in these areas. To escape the heat, many villagers are leaving their homes frequently taking refuge under trees.

Maity admitted the hardships. Its a fact that the locals of the village are suffering without electricity. But there is this problem of outstanding bills. After the request of the villagers and the gram panchayat member, I have asked the power department officials to realize the arrears in instalments and replace the transformer. I hope the work will be done shortly, Maity told HT.

Karmashole is about 150 km away from Kolkata is at the heart of what is famous as Jangalmahal in West Bengal, the forested area spread over the districts of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura where the writ of the Maoists ran. On a night of October 2010, at a spot close to this village Maoist leader Kishenji released police officer Atindranath Ghosh after he was abducted and held for three days by the rebels.

Ironically in this former red zone, there has been no agitation by the villagers despite the prolonged hardships.

Agriculture is suffering terribly as irrigation depends on pump sets here. All 300 households in the area are dependent on this transformer.

Everyone in the village is suffering due to scorching heat, but the aged and the children are suffering more. The students cant study after dark as they have to depend only on kerosene lamps, said Dulki Mahato, a local.

We are poor. Most of the people are daily wage earners. We never refused to pay bills. But we need some time to pay up, she added.
A whopping 2.5 million candidates in West Bengal vie for 6,000 Group-D jobs, lowest rung of employment in a government.

The written test for the recruitment will be held from 2:30 pm on Saturday.

The figure translates into 417 candidates aspiring for one post.

The fifth annual employment-unemployment survey of the labour and employment ministry for the year 2015-16 said 49 persons per 1000 are jobless in the state.

Candidates having masters or doctoral degrees too applied for the positions, the minimum eligibility for which is education up to class VIII. The advertisement for the recruitment was issued late last year.

In terms of sheer numbers, there are more pathetic benchmarks.

In 2015, it was reported that 2.3 million candidates applied for 368 positions of peons in Uttar Pradesh. That is 6,250 candidates for every post. There were about 250 doctorate applicants in UP. The number of doctorates vying for the D-Group jobs in West Bengal is not known yet.

Employees falling under this category are usually required to work as peons and orderlies.

The basic pay for these positions is Rs 4,900 and the monthly pay adds up to Rs 12,000-13,000.

The written exam has thrown quite a logistical nightmare before the administration that has pulled out all stops to ensure smooth conduct of the exam to be held across the state.

Transport operators associations have asked their members to deploy maximum number of buses and cabs on Saturday. While 950 government buses run every day on an average, about 1,100 buses will ply on Saturday, said an official. Metro rail authorities, too, have decided to run 300 trains during the day against a daily average of 224.

The government has asked taxi and auto rickshaw associations to ensure all the vehicles hit the streets on the day to ensure smooth passage of the candidates to and from exam centres.

Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway authorities have decided to keep all ticket counters in major stations such as Sealdah and Howrah open to handle the rush. All suburban trains have been asked to stop at all stations and not only at the designated halts.

Many candidates came to Howrah and Sealdah from the districts in the morning to ensure that they can reach the exam centres ahead of time. In the districts candidates were seen climbing to the roof of buses to reach the exam centres.

The written exam is only the first step in the screening process. Successful candidates will need to undergo an interview after which a panel will be prepared.

As and when vacancies arise in different departments, the candidates who make it to the panel will get appointments.

The test will be consisted of three papers--English, Bengali and arithmetic. There are 116 exam centres in Kolkata. Each will accommodate between 450 and 600 candidates, said a Kolkata Police officer.
The Shiv Sena told the Indian government not to get excited over the International Court of Justices ruling in the in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case until the Indian national is brought back home safely.

It, however, hailed the external affairs ministrys efforts to secure the release of the former Navy officer, who was sentenced to death by a military court in Pakistan on espionage charges.

Pakistans arguments have been decimated at the Hague. But, the fight has not ended yet. We cannot forget the handiwork of Pakistan and even Sarabjit Singhs murder in a Lahore jail. That is why the government should not get excited over the ICJ order. It should remember that its worries wont end until Kulbhushan Jadhav is brought back safely, reads an editorial in the partys mouthpiece Saamana.

It said the MEAs diplomatic moves were instrumental to the case. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had been had assured us in the very beginning that India would do all it could to save Jadhavs life. She needs to be congratulated, it says.

The ICJ order has come as a great relief to the familly of Kulbhushan Jadhav and people of India.  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) May 18, 2017

I compliment my team of officers in the MEA for their tireless efforts and hard work.  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) May 18, 2017

The Shiv Sena also praised Indian lawyer Harish Salve, saying the effective manner in which he presented his case led to the verdict in the countrys favour.

On May 18, the ICJ instructed Pakistan to take all necessary measures at its disposal to ensure that Jadhav was not executed pending a final decision.
A three-day special session of the state legislature began at Vidhan Bhavan on Saturday by passing the Maharashtra Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to the Local Authorities) Act 2017 to safeguard the financial interests of 27 municipal corporations in the state, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The session was to discuss and ratify the Goods and Service Tax (GST) which will come in force from July 1. The GST will unify the countrys economy into a common market and eliminate a string of central and state levies. The act is significant as the BMC gets a considerable share of its revenue through octroi, which will now be scrapped with the introduction of the GST regime.

Under the regime, the states and Centre will collect identical rates of taxes on goods and services.

For example, if 18% is the GST rate on a particular good across the country, the states and the Centre will get 9% each called the CGST and SGST rates.

The state government ratified the provision of compensating the urban local bodies with an 8% compounded rise every year. The Shiv Sena-ruled BMC will get the compensation of about Rs7,200 crore for the loss of Octroi in the first year of the GST regime.

The state government has also promised it will consider the rise in the percentage of compensation every five to seven years and introduce a performance-based indicator, so that the civic bodies that have a better performance in collecting tax will get more compensation.

Ruling ally Shiv Sena had expressed apprehension about the autonomy and financial sustainability of the civic body. It had also warned to not support the GST bill if a compensation was not agreed upon. The bill passed by the assembly has the compulsion on the state government to release the compensatory funds on or before the 5th of every month.

To safeguard the financial autonomy of the BMC, the bill has also ensured the provision of the bank guarantee towards the compensation. The compensation will be based on the annual revenue of the municipal corporations from octroi and local body tax in 2016-17.

Meanwhile, the Opposition raised questions about less compensation to the civic bodies when the state government was compensated 14% by the Centre for five years. State finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said the compensation for civic bodies is much more than their growth rate. The compensation given to the municipal corporations is 8% with the compounded rate when the actual growth rate of the civic bodies is just 4.5% a year. Secondly, when the centre has the made provision of the compensation only for five years, the state will compensate corporations forever, he said.

Read

Mumbaiites, your restaurant bills are set to rise, GST to make eating out costlier

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Mumbai police have secured a non-bailable warrant against gangster Dawood Ibrahim, one of Indias most-wanted criminals and a US-designated global terrorist, in connection with a 1999 fake currency case registered at Sakinaka police station in Andheri.

A source in the intelligence agencies told Hindustan Times that the decision to seek the warrant was the outcome of an effort to consolidate Dawoods criminal activities into a database. Intelligence agencies are scrutinising every case registered against the gangster and checking if warrants have been issued. Agencies are monitoring Dawoods criminal activities closely with the help of his friend-turned-nemesis Chhota Rajan, who was deported from Indonesia in November 2015, the source said. Last Tuesday, the Mumbai police petitioned the court that hears cases registered under the states organised crime law, the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and sought a warrant against Dawood.

The judge questioned the unusual move, coming as it did after 22 years. He asked the prosecution about the need for such a measure given that the Mumbai police had not taken any significant steps against the gangster for several years.

The prosecution told the court that the police had sanction to prosecute Dawood under MCOCA. After a couple of hearings, the court agreed to issue the warrant on Thursday and the police received it on Friday.

READ: Mumbai terror attack: No extradition request with MEA for Dawood, Hafiz Saeed

The 1999 case was registered triggered by the arrests of two people  Gulab Jethanand Khemnani and Salim Yaqub Kara  who were found with Rs 5.50 lakh in fake currency on July 2, 1999. Their arrests led to the police to Pakistani national Mohammed Parvez Mohammed Jaffar Soda; Kishore Chetanmal Lalwani alias Lala; and Ashok Awasti. The police seized another Rs 5 lakh in fake currency from them. Four more men were arrested subsequently  Gullu Ghansham Hashmatrai Lakhani alias Gul; Tejas Manjibhai Patel alias Teja, Ajgarali Kurban Hussain Mandsarewala, and Raju Ramchand Sachdeo.

Khemnani told the police that the fake currency was being sent from Pakistan by Dawoods aide Mohammed Tariq Khan alias Baba. He said he got involved in the racket through his friend Lalwani, whom he had heard talk to Baba and Dawood about flooding India with fake currency.

The nine men were convicted and sentenced to 10 years in jail. On December 20, 2006, the high court upheld their conviction but halved their sentences.

Though Dawood and Tariq were mentioned as absconding accused in the case, the police had never obtained warrants for their arrests, or even sought permission to continue investigating their activities since filing the charge sheet in 1999. This lapse created a hurdle for them when they approached the court 22 years later; it took a few hearings for the prosecution to explain why the police and intelligence agencies needed the warrant.

.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Maharashtra government has cleared the decks for Indias first eco-friendly taxis, powered by batteries.

HT has learnt that a major app-based taxi aggregator plans to launch a fleet of battery-operated taxis in Nagpur, the hometown of union transport minister Nitin Gadakari, on May 26, the third anniversary of the Narendra Modi government. Sources in other taxi aggregator firms, however, claimed that electric taxis were not yet financially viable, considering their high price and long charging hours.

The state transport authority (STA) this week cleared the introduction of zero-emission, battery-operated vehicles that will be used as eco-friendly taxis. The authority, which is chaired by states transport secretary, asked the government-appointed Khatua panel, which is formulating a fare structure for conventional and app-based taxis, to also decide the fare structure for e-taxis.

A proposal to allow electric taxis in the state has been under consideration for the past three years. It first came up for discussion before the STA on January 18, 2014. But ahead of the launch in Nagpur, the STA cleared the proposal without holding a meeting, for which it is required to give at least seven days prior notice to all members.

According to the STAs resolution, only hard-top, battery-operated vehicles can be registered as e-taxis. They must have a seating capacity of five to six and enough space for luggage. An RTO source said only two battery-operated cars  Mahindra e-Verito and Mahindra e2O Plus  are currently on the market.

Also, under the Maharashtra City Taxi Rules 2017, they must have power equivalent to  at minimum  that of a 980cc petrol or diesel engine. A senior official in the transport department said that battery-operated vehicles could also be registered as black-and-yellow cabs.

Under Section 74 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, taxis in Maharashtra must have a minimum engine capacity of 980cc and run on CNG. This rule was a major hurdle in the launch of e-taxis.

To fix the minimum power of the battery-operated vehicles, the STA had approached the Automatic Research Association of India (ARAI) in Pune. With its feedback, the STA clarified on May 9, 2015, that e-taxis should have power equivalent to 980cc.

Under the STA resolution, manufactures will now have to produce certificates from type-approval agencies such as ARAI and CIRT that show their vehicles have power equivalent to 980cc or 1400cc, said a senior official in the transport department.

Under the Maharashtra City Taxi Rules 2017, 70% of every taxi operators fleet must comprise vehicles with an engine capacity of less than 1,400cc, and only 30% can exceed this limit. In its resolution, STA also said that battery-operated vehicles with power equivalent to a 1400cc engine or more would be included in the 30%.

Read

First in India: 200 electric taxis to run on Maharashtras roads on May 26

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
To boost rural tourism in line with the new Maharashtra Tourism Policy, 2016, the state school education department has asked all schools to conduct at least one educational tour for classes 5 to 10 to rural areas. But parents and schools are worried whether it will be safe to take students to such far-off locations.

A government resolution (GR) issued by the department on Saturday gives permission to schools of all mediums and boards-including CBSE, ICSE and international ones-to undertake trips to rural areas that have historical, geographical, cultural or educational significance. The destinations should give students an opportunity to witness first hand any historical or geographical object, states the GR.

Education officials admit that the GR was issued by the department after the tourism and cultural affairs department requested them to organize school tours to promote rural tourism. In the Tourism Policy released last year, the governments action plan includes that at least one educational tour/visit to such units to be made mandatory for students

But the department has stipulated that schools cannot force students to take part in the trip. We have issued this GR at the behest of the tourism department to promote rural tourism, but the trips must be organised only after taking permission from the parents, said Suvarna Kharat, deputy education secretary.

However, parents and schools have objected to the government promoting rural tourism at the expense of students.They complained that taking school students to rural locations is risky and the GR is silent on the safety guidelines to be followed. School children are too young to be taken to rural areas, most of which are far from the city, said Anil Bornare, teacher at Swami Muktananda High School, Chembur and spokesperson of the state teachers association.

Parents said that the department needs to lay down safety guidelines before allowing such trips. School trips to nearby hill stations, resorts have proved risky in the past, because schools dont follow any safety guidelines, said Jayant Jain, president of the Forum for Fairness in Education, a parents, teachers group. He added that the department also needs to specify the amount of fees that schools can charge for such trips. This is another loophole. Schools have been known to charge astronomical amounts for tours, said Jain.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
airberlin launches new long-haul flight from Berlin-Tegel to Los Angeles. airberlin now offers three connections per week between the capital of Germany and the second largest city in the United States.

airberlin will now take off for Los Angeles three times a week at 1:35 pm in an Airbus A330-200. Passengers who want more comfort will enjoy their flight in Business Class, which includes a three-course meal as well as high-quality drinks and wines. The FullFlat Seats with a sleeping surface measuring more than 180cm promise a relaxing sleep. Time also flies in Economy Class, in one of the 46 XL Seats that offer 20 per cent more legroom, for instance.

Passengers who book a long-haul flight in Economy Class with airberlin can, up to twelve hours before departure, take advantage of the catering service called airgusto, which is a tasty alternative to the normal catering. This service provides a selection of 20 meals from 17 different trendy restaurants. It is possible to order up to twelve hours before departure with the booking number on iFleat.com or via the free iFleat app. For more information on the restaurant service, please visit airberlin.com/airgusto.

And additional inaugural flight will follow at the end of May from Berlin-Tegel to San Francisco. The beginning of the summer schedule saw the connection between Berlin-Tegel and New York City (JFK) reinforced to entail two daily flights. Miami is also now offered five times a week from Berlin-Tegel. With its current summer schedule, airberlin offers a total of 33 weekly non-stop services to five destinations in the US out of Berlin-Tegel: New York (JFK), Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Shiv Sena leader and minister of state for housing Ravindra Waikar demanded that a proposed station at Jogeshwari on the Metro-7 corridor be named after party founder late Bal Thackeray, or more specifically, the trauma care centre nearby that bears his name.

Waikar sent a letter to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authoritythe implementation agency of the Andheri (East)-Dahisar (East) line  on April 14 to name the station as Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Care Centre Station. The station is near Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Care Municipal Hospital on the Western Express Highway at Jogeshwari.

MMRDA plans to call the station JVLR Junction after Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link Road.

In the letter to the MMRDA commissioner, Waikar wrote, It is learned that the name of the station on the Metro corridor has been proposed as JVLR Junction. However, keeping sentiments of the locals in mind and the fact that the proposed station is close to the Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Care Municipal Hospital, the station should be called Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Care Centre Station.

Meanwhile, a senior MMRDA official said it was too early to decide the names of stations.

We will take an appropriate decision at the time of commissioning of the corridor, said Dilip Kawathkar, deputy metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA. The 16.5-km elevated metro line is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2019.

This is not the first time the Sena is demanding a name change for a mass transport project.

A few months ago, residents of Dadar (East) demanded that the name of a station on the monorail corridor be changed to Vitthal Mandir from Dadar East. Rahul Shewale, Shiv Sena MP from Mumbai South Central, had backed the residents

demand.

The Shiv Sena and its ally Bharatiya Janata Party have been busy proposing name changes.

The state government has sought to rename Elphinstone Road Station to Prabhadevi after a 300-year-old temple of the Hindu deity in the area; and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.

The centre has already approved the states recommedation to rename CST.

READ

Centre nod to rename Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Elphinstone Road station

Grant Road to Gamdevi: Sena wants Marathi names for Mumbai train stations

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Slamming the proposed Mumbai-Nagpur super expressway, one of chief minister Devendra Fadnaviss pet projects, Shiv Sena in its party mouthpiece Saamana said it will protest if the state government decides to push for the project at farmers cost.

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray lashed out over the Rs46,000 crore project saying it would destroy the lives of farmers whose lands will be acquired for the 706 km expressway.

In an editorial, which appeared on Friday, the party alleged that voices opposing the project were being suppressed by the authorities. The Sena said it would do everything to safeguard farmers interest.

Just two days ago, the Sena had targeted CMs flagship water conservation scheme 1 Jalyukta Shivar  alleging that it was fraught with corruption worth crores.

Addressing a rally in Akola, Thackeray even claimed to unearth an irrigation saying that is was bigger than the one that occurred during the Cong-NCP regime in the state.

Countering the allegations, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said, It is beyond our knowledge why the Sena is joining hands with the Congress and the NCP, who have always been against the development of Marathwada and Vidarbha. There is no corruption involved in any of the projects. And if those levelling allegations are able to prove even an iota of wrongdoing, the CM will immediately implement corrective measures.

Congress Slams BJP

Congresss Mumbai unit chief Sanjay Nirupam alleged that the CM and union transport minister Nitin Gadkari tweaked norms of the request for qualification (RFQ) for the expressway project. He said contractors affected by this alleged tweaking have approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

It is a massive road scam in the offing and the CM is at its epicentre. The norms were tweaked in such a way that only five bidders remained in the process, Nirupam added.

Rubbishing Nirupams allegations, Bhandari said the government will not push for the project against the will of farmers.

Moreover, the Opposition held a meeting on Friday to chalk out a strategy during the three-day special GST session which starts today .

We will express our apprehensions and concerns over various issues, including drop in revenue, compensation of the loss and loss incurred by municipal corporations following the implementation of the new tax regime. We have decided to not let the bill pass without a debate. We will also push for loan waiver for farmers, said a Congress leader.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRC) started cutting trees in Flora Fountain, just two days after the Supreme Court disposed of a residents plea to stop the hacking of trees for the Metro-3 (Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ) project.

On Saturday, resident Ashwin Nagpal spotted contractors axing four trees at a site surrounded by construction barricades.

READ: SC dismisses plea, tree cutting for Mumbai Metro can resume

The hacking of trees was stopped in February, after the Bombay high court (HC) issued an interim ban acting on a petition by south Mumbai resident Nina Verma. On May 5, the HC vacated this stay, saying a balance needed to be struck between development and preserving the environment.

The resident then took the matter to the SC, which disposed of it and asked her to approach a two-member HC panel with grievances.

READ: Work on Mumbai Metro-3 to start by end of June, depot design revised to minimise tree-cutting

The petitioner approached the HC on Friday and requested the court to set up the panel. We have not got a reply from the court yet. But as MMRC has resumed cutting trees, the damage has already begun, said Verma.

Nagpal, who spotted the felling of trees, said: While driving down, I saw a tree being felled and asked the contractor why they were doing so. Initially, they said they will stop but after speaking to a few people, they resumed work. They told me to take my grievances to the MMRC. Nagpal added: It is still not clear whether tree felling can resume, as the HC committee has not heard the petitioners grievances, as directed by the SC. It seems more trees will be felled over the weekend.

The resident took pictures and a video of the trees being hacked, after the contractor refused to entertain any questions from Nagpal.

MMRC officials said they will do whatever is required to complete the project after the SC order. The Supreme Court on May 18, 2017 has upheld the Bombay high court order on vacating of cutting of trees. Accordingly, MMRC will proceed with all activities that are essential for implementation of Metro-3 and compliant with the court decisions said a spokesperson from MMRC.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Sanitation workers expecting silt and muck were surprised to find demonetised notes worth Rs10,000 instead in a Thane drain.

Workers from the Thane Municipal Corporation were cleaning a gutter near Thane stations B cabin when the found the stash around 9.30 am on Saturday. They suspect that more notes may be hidden deeper in the drain.

Our regular pre-monsoon nullah clean-up is ongoing. Workers stumbled across several Rs500 and Rs1,000 notes. They found Rs10,000 in just one chamber. We might find more on cleaning another chamber. We suspect the nullah may have carried some of these notes through the drains to a bigger nullah, said Balaji Haldekar, medical officer, TMC.

Haldekar said he asked the workers to inform the Naupada police so they can investigate further.

Officials suspect that residents who did not want to be caught with the demonetised notes disposed of them in the drain.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Union minister and Ghaziabad MP General VK Singh on Saturday held a review meeting with government departments and reviewed various projects such as the metro and road repair work.

During the meeting, the officials of the public works department (PWD) revealed that the road repair work on nearly 30.5km, out of a total road network of 145km under the PWD jurisdiction in Ghaziabad, was taken up.

The officials said the remaining repair work will be completed by June 15, the deadline given by the state government for the project.

The Union minister also expressed his unhappiness over the dismal rating of the city in the latest Swachh Survekshan ranking released by the Ministry of Urban Development. He asked officials of the municipal corporation to make efforts to improve the citys ranking in the next survey. He also asked officials to maintain the development work so that the city gets selected in the Centres Smart City project , said mayor Ashu Verma, who was present during the meeting.

Ghaziabad city fared badly and came in at the 351st spot out of a total of 434 cities that took part in the cleanliness survey. In 2016, Ghaziabad had ranked 67th among the 73 cities that were surveyed.

Apart from the various civic infrastructure development work, Singh also sought a detailed report about the ongoing metro work for the 9.41km route and also a detailed project report for the metro extensions proposed from Indirapuram to Mohan Nagar and from Vaishali to Mohan Nagar.

The district magistrate also told the minister that nearly Rs140 crore in pending compensation to farmers was paid and expedited during the past 10 days.

The compensation was pending since the time of the last SP government. The compensation is meant for farmers whose land was acquired for the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway and the dedicated freight corridor proposed in the NCR.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
When Pakistan National Security Advisor Nasir Janjua met his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval in Bangkok on December 6, 2015, he was told that no less than 79 Pakistani nationals were languishing in Indian jails on terrorism related charges.

Doval told Janjua that there were documented records, including valid passports, to prove they were Pakistanis.

While Janjua tried to fob off the charges as irrelevant to the discussion, one of the delegates in the meeting asked him to show one Indian incarcerated in Pakistani jail on terrorism-related charges.

At that time, Gen (Retd) Janjua had no answers.

Three months later, former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav was picked up ostensibly from Balochistan on charges of abetting terrorism and spying. He was sentenced to death by a Pakistan military court on April 10, 2017, suggesting the Rawalpindi GHQ will go to any lengths to spite India.

The sentence now stands stayed by International Court of Justice (ICJ), thanks to deft moves by the Modi government.

On April 26, 2017, the Pakistan military released confession of arrested Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan saying that his organisation was being funded by Kafir RAW  the Indian external intelligence agency  for carrying out terror operations in Pakistan.

While India may mock at the ham-handedness of Pakistan Army in extracting so-called confessions from both Jadhav and Ehsan, within a span of 15 months of the Janjua meeting, New Delhi had been placed at parity with Islamabad for sponsoring terrorism in the neighbouring country.

India may cry foul over coercion of Jadhav till kingdom comes, but it is our word against Pakistani armys for the rest of the world.

Simultaneously, with the Jadhav card, the Pakistan army scuttled Prime Minister Narendra Modis December 25, 2015 peace initiative by orchestrating the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist strike at Pathankot airbase on January 2, 2016, and followed it by pushing in as many infiltrators as possible into the Kashmir Valley.

Capitalising on the public anger over the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani last July 8 in a police encounter, the deep state of Pakistan achieved a remarkable objective of orchestrating a hate-Kashmiri campaign in hinterland India, where even the India supporters in the Valley were tarnished by the same brush and subjected to ridicule.

Forgotten were the 88,951 Kashmiri voters who had the remarkable courage to vote in the April 9, 2017 Srinagar Lok Sabha election amidst all mayhem and affirmed their faith in Indian democratic process.

As if this was not enough, Pakistan has now virtually become a client state of China by joining the one belt, one road (OBOR) initiative amidst much fanfare this month. The $62 billion economic corridor goes through northern areas and occupied-Kashmir to Gwadar in Balochistan.

Three years after he assumed office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today faces a daunting challenge to national security from Pakistan through terrorism and internal subversion, and from China, which is choking New Delhi through encirclement diplomacy or OBOR in South Asia.

To be fair to PM Modi, he made huge efforts to reach out to both President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, but both moves were shot down by powerful army leaderships in those countries.

Be it the Peoples Liberation Army or Pakistan Army, any peace initiative from perceived adversary India will be scuttled by military stand-offs like the 2014 Chumar or the 2016 Uri attacks.

The security challenge to Modi government is getting severe as its newfound ally US is being ruled by a temperamental President, who is now being investigated on charges of blocking an FBI inquiry into his former NSA leaking secrets to Indias old ally Russia.

Despite Indian overtures at the highest level, its tried and tested ally Russia is now playing the piano to Chinese tunes.

The situation may appear tight for India but those who recommended to New Delhi to participate in OBOR initiative to appease China must not forget the February 22, 1994 Parliament resolution of getting Occupied Kashmir vacated from Pakistan. Signing on OBOR with CPEC running through PoK would have been political suicide for Modi government.

While India must now prepare for a two-front military deterrent capability, given the umbilical relationship of Pakistan and China, the new challenges also gives New Delhi an opportunity to come out on its own.

The global high table has no free lunches and to believe that Indian rise would be largely benign and uncontested is a fallacy.

India should push for stronger engagement with China and even Pakistan, but such a move should be dictated by long term national interest, not weakness.

Time has come for PM Modi to engage the politicians in Kashmir linked with Indian democratic processes to find lasting peace in Valley as well as empower those whose aspirations lie with India like Lt Ummer Fayaz.

On a global front, India needs to look beyond its immediate neighbours and diplomatically engage countries like Japan, Korea and economic power houses of West Asia. If the Modi government can bring peace and connectivity to North-East, then the southern silk road, linking South East Asia to Moreh in Manipur, could be an answer to China OBOR.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The hearty Punjabi meal does not mean its healthy too. The incidence of anaemia in Punjab has grown by 40% among women in the reproductive age of 15 to 49 years, from 38% in the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) held in 2005-06 to 53.5% in the survey conducted in 2015-16. Though more common among women, the percentage of anaemic men too has doubled between 2005 (13.6%) and 2015 (25.9%).

A box of iron and folic acid tablets shows the expiry date of July 2017 at the Bathinda drug warehouse. (HT Photo)

This survey report was the basis for the Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC) to order 33 crore tablets in 2015. Ironically, the same survey is now being quoted by the department to hold special camps for the first time in the state for anaemia.

In a letter dated April 26, 2017, written to all civil surgeons, PHSC managing director Varun Roojam has asked them to hold special camps owing to significant population of Punjab suffering from anaemia, including 53% women between 15 and 49 years.

Whos anaemic in Punjab? Children (between 6 and 59 months): 56.6% Non-pregnant women (15 to 49 years): 54% Pregnant women (15-49 years): 42% All women (15-49 years): 53.5% Men (15-49 years): 25.9%

It adds: Sufficient amount of iron and folic acid tablets are available in the Bathinda and Kharar drug warehouses. A detailed report of the camps and distribution of tablets should be sent before May 25, 2017.

But behind the urgency of the government is a glaring lapse  the iron tablets are due to expire in June, July, September and December this year. By health departments own admission, two crore tablets in its warehouses will expire this year. A letter dated May 2, 2017, from the chief pharmacist of the Bathinda warehouse has also cautioned civil surgeons of the state that iron and folic acid tablets are piling up in the store and not being distributed properly. There are three government drug warehouses in Punjab at Bathinda, Kharar and Amritsar.

A dose of facts Iron tablets ordered in 2015: 33 crore Money spent: 6.2 crore Tablets near expiry: 2 crore

The Punjab Health Systems Corporation orders 214 drugs on the essential drug list (EDL) every year costing 80 crore. The technical and financial bids are decided by a committee of experts comprising doctors and the lowest bid is accepted at the administrative level. So the responsibility for ordering the medicine is shared up to the level of the principal secretary of the health department.

Roojam says the demand for iron and folic acid tablets was raised under the Union governments National Health Mission (NHM). I took over just one month back. After I realised that two-crore iron tablets were due to expire, I ordered that special camps be set up to distribute them, he told HT.

MINISTER SMELLS A SCAM

Punjab health minister Brahm Mohindra ruled out a scam in procurement of medicines when HT contacted him for comments on Thursday. He had then only blamed the previous government. The health department is in a shambles. I am trying to put it in order. Why did the former health minister not ensure how much medicines were bought and distributed, he said. The department was under BJP ministers, Surjit Jyani and Madan Mohan Mittal before him.

The medicines were supposed to be distributed immediately but are still lying in government stores. These will expire in October this year and as a result, cannot be distributed now.

However, on Saturday, Mohindra dubbed it as a medicine scam. Iron tablets worth 6.28 crore were procured apparently by officials to get commission in the previous government. But a huge quantity is still lying in the government stores. Unfortunately, these will expire in October this year as a result these cannot be distributed now. An inquiry has been marked to the health secretary, he said at a health camp in Ludhiana.

Former health minister Surjit Jyani said iron tablets should not fall short of the requirement. Why is excess tablets being cited as a scam? Anaemia is high in Punjab and the tablets come cheap. The iron pills are distributed to children in schools, to pregnant women and other women too. There was no need for the department to hold special camps. The ASHA workers and ANMs (auxiliary nurse midwife) distribute them door to door in villages. If they feel there is scam, they can order a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into it, he said.

GLARING LOOPHOLES

PHSC director Dr Rajesh Sharma says the demand for 33 crore iron tablets was raised by the state programme officer of the National Iron Plus Initiative (NIPI) for anaemia control under the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK). The tablets were ordered in June 2015 and came in three lots with different expiry dates. The ones expiring in June-July and September have already been consumed. The ones expiring in November, December too will be consumed by then, he said.

Tablets expiring in June-July and September have already been consumed. The ones expiring in November, December too will be consumed by then.

But pictures of boxes of iron pills being released by the Bathinda warehouse last week show the expiry date of July and the ones being distributed at Bhai Mohkam Singh UPHC Sakatri Bagh hospital in Amritsar of September. There are discrepancies also on how the demand of 33 crore was worked out. Assistant programme officer, RKSK, Punjab, Yugesh Kumar, said the 33-crore figure was based on one-year consumption of 4.5 lakh women registered for antenatal care  one tablet a day and two tablets a day for 65% women in the age group of 15 to 49 years who are anaemic. He, however, could not explain why 65% figure was taken and how many women fell under this category.

WHY NOT DISTRIBUTED?

Even if the number of tablets ordered by the Punjab health systems corporation was in keeping with the high problem of anaemia in Punjab, it still raises the question of why these were not distributed within a year of delivery.

There is a nexus between health officials and pharma industry.

There is a nexus between the health department officials and the pharma industry. The medicines are ordered in excess or shown in excess on paper. The iron tablets ordered are also of poor quality. Some dissolve as soon as you open them. Earlier, pharma companies based in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, with small turnover were winning the tenders by bidding the lowest amount. Later, the turnover criteria were raised to ensure better quality. Every year, medicines worth crores are procured and they are destroyed after expiry. But no one is held accountable, an official of the health department said on condition of anonymity.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Class-12 students of schools falling in border districts, barring Fazilka, have performed better than those in other districts in the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) examination, results of which were declared recently.

Five of the top six positions in terms of pass percentage have gone to border districts.

Gurdaspur bagged the top position with a pass percentage of 76.14, followed by Tarn Taran 72.31 and Amritsar 71.08. Ferozepur and Pathankot secured fifth and sixth slots with pass percentage of 64.33 and 64.10 respectively. The fourth position has gone to Muktsar with 64.84 pass percentage.

Out of border districts, only Fazilka did not fare well as it came third from bottom with 54.77 pass percentage.

Meanwhile, Rupnagar is at the lowest rung with 53.53% students managing to get through and Moga second from bottom with 54.35% clearing the exam.

Elaborating on the trend, PSEB chairman Balbir Singh Dhol said, Wherever there is concentration of more CBSE schools, the results of PSEB schools drop. But the areas where there are not many options like the border districts, the PSEB gets better results as the entire lot comes to PSEB.

He added, We have also observed that areas where people do not have big land holdings, students there perform better in comparison to those having many big landlords.

Out of the total 3.14 lakh students, only1.96 lakh cleared the PSEB examination this year, with pass percentage dropping to 62 from 76 of the last year.

Punjab education minister Aruna Chaudhary has said principals of those schools with pass percentage less 20 will be transferred. Even those teachers who have shown less than 20% results subject-wise would also face departmental action.

In all, there are 62 schools where overall pass percentage was less than 20.

BLURB Five of top six positions in terms of pass percentage have gone to border districts

0% results in many schools: Phoolka

BATHINDA Observing that many schools in Punjab had 0% results in PSEB Class-12 examination, senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader HS Phoolka on Friday demanded hike in the states budget for education sector

As many as 15 schools have come into our notice where the entire class has failed the Class 12 exams this year. We will raise the issue in the Vidhan Sabha and demand 23% of the state budget for the education sector on the pattern of the Delhi government, Phoolka said at a press conference here.

He also demanded resignation of Union minister and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, saying many schools with 0% results were in her constituency.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
How are you supposed to feel when a hall full of people applauds every dialogue about how the two Punjabs  one in India, the other across a barbed wire, in Pakistan  are essentially the same? Are you supposed to whistle too? Its not such an existential question unless you consider that we live in an age of love measured by hatred. How about we look at things from this perspective: You are watching the movie in Chandigarh, which wont have existed had there been no partition and had Lahore not been sent off to the other side.

This Punjabi movie that carries these anti-national dialogues is Lahoriye, referring to the people of Lahore. Its romantic to a fault, and makes everything look so easy and breezy. I watched it because I wanted to indulge in some sentimental crying in times of sinister laughter that wants us to laugh along.

Writer-director Amberdeep Singh (Photo: Facebook)

Before you go away thinking its all about how I felt, let me discuss a bit of the story for your benefit. A guy on this side cultivates land right on the border, and so does his eventual love interest, on the other side. The eventuality does not take long as the romance, like I said, is easy and breezy. Their eyes meet, and thats quite enough. Love blossoms with a letter thrown across the dreaded line, and an easy-visa visit for the hero to her village. Its all white so far, very little black. But then, true to his style, writer-director Amberdeep Singh brings in a charming shade of grey.

The heroines cousin is a burly guy, almost stereotypical, who surprises you with how cool he is about the whole thing. He helps the hero get a rendezvous with the heroine, and love gets reciprocated. It wont be a spoiler if I tell you that they eventually get married. It has got all the ingredients the melodrama, the pretty boy-girl, some fantastic songs.

But it also ends up underlining many other things that perhaps only a Punjabi will claim to know.

It tells you how the third generation after 1947 understands, even feels, a strange attachment with the mitti, the soil, of our other side. It plays on the language, and shows how a difference of the Punjabi script  Gurmukhi here, Shahmukhi there  is perhaps the easiest to defeat among all our differences. And the Roman script of English now unites us, though it was brought to us by those who divided us. The movie simply tells you how the uniformity of the new world is helping bring back the old world.

Or, let me reframe that last sentence. The movie reveals how some nuance-killing, uniform traits of a market-driven new world can help us create a saleable, romantic idea of the old world. Sounds harsh?

Well, let me be honest. Sometimes, it seems delusional to believe that Pak Punjab must also be feeling the same affection towards us. Ive been reminded repeatedly by fellow Indians that West Punjab has bloodthirsty fanatics running amok, and that the dove-like demeanour of many others is merely a facade. Those from other states within India even write that sentimentality towards Pak leaves the Indian Punjabi weak.

Ive not turned cynical for nothing suddenly. I still dont have the answer to my moot question: How am I supposed to feel about the movie? Let me try and answer that for myself: Its the same feeling that I felt when I went to Lahore in 2013. It felt odd. So much so that the heart wants to err on the side of delusion. After all, a delusion that nurtures love is better than a reality that treats hatred for the other as a mark of love for the own. Define own.

Find the writer on Twitter @aarishc or email at aarish.chhabra@hindustantimes.com

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
No fans under Ujala

This week HT did a story on how the UT administration is selling LED bulbs, tubelights and fans at discounted rates at its Sampark centres. Its a part of the Ujala scheme of the government of India as these LEDs are known for reducing energy. The idea is to encourage more and more residents to buy LEDs instead of normal bulbs and CFLs. While bulbs are available, fans have disappeared off the shelves. Residents ask whats the point of publicising the scheme when these items arent available? Thats because of massive demand in the city. We should be able to have fans in a weeks time, said the programmes regional manager Nitin Bhat. Weve sold 15,000 fans in the city so far in a month and a half.

Getting a passport

Applying for a passport may have become easier in Chandigarh as its all online. But this doesnt mean that you can get a passport issued sooner. Once you apply for a passport or for reissuance of the passport online, you are directed to deposit the fee which is also done online by using your credit/ debit card or online banking. After that you get an appointment with the passport officer which could be even a month later. For instance, this person filed an application on May 3 and got appointment for May 30. And you dont know how far are you from getting your passport issued?

Verka restaurant shut for now

Verka plant is a very unlikely place to attract people to its restaurant. But people drive in droves to this place, perhaps because it is located right on the highway when you are entering Chandigarh from Kharar/Mohali side. Also their offerings are an additional attraction like ice creams and lassi in sizzling weather like now. However, the restaurant is shut now and the notice says its closed for renovation. Enquiries revealed that the organisation wants to lease it out to some private contractor to run it.

Not beckoning enough

Much has been written about how well-known places in the tricity have been a casualty because of the Supreme Courts ban on sale and serving of liquor in a radius of 500 metres from the national and state highways. However, there are some places which were low profile, yet preferred by many. For instance, the Chandigarh Institute of Hotel Management runs a hotel Chandigarh Beckons. It has also been affected by the SC ban as it also falls within the 500-metre category. Staff says it doesnt beckon customers as much now.

arvind.chhabra@hindustantimes.com

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Via Rail Canada announced that many Canadians will be taking the train to celebrate Canadas 150th anniversary in 2017. As the reservations increases, Via Rail announces capacity increases, direct connections between Ottawa and Quebec City, as well as new stops.

Our efforts are focused on offering a service that meets the needs expressed by our customers, so that more people choose to take the train. Over the next few months, VIA Rail expects to see a 5% overall increase in the number of available seats per mile compared to the summer of 2016. For Canadas 150th anniversary, we invite all those wishing to participate in the festivities to get on board our trains- its the best way to see Canada, said Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, President and Chief Executive Officer of VIA Rail.

Starting May 29, the number of direct connections on the popular Quebec City  Montreal  Ottawa route will increase once again this year. A new Sunday afternoon departure in both directions will be added to the schedule, offering another option for those wishing to return home at the end of the weekend. A daily direct connection to Quebec City will also be added to the schedule.

VIA Rail has listened to its passengers and added two more stops at Saint-Hyacinthe station during peak hours starting May 29. Passengers will now have a choice of three trains heading to Montreal and then on to Ottawa: 07:58*am, 11:09am and 8:20pm. Trains bound for Quebec City will leave the station at 7:00am, 9:43am (on weekends), 1:33pm, 5:29*pm and 7:16pm.

These improvements are complemented by a style change for front-line employees, who began wearing brand-new accessories a few days ago. VIA Rail developed a new style for its accessories, in line with its updated, dynamic brand image, that features bright colors to make employees more visible to passengers needing assistance.
Eleven members of an Afghan family, mostly women and children, were killed Friday when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb while they were travelling for an engagement ceremony in the countrys volatile east.

The attack occurred in the Mohammad Agha district of Logar province but no militant group has so far claimed responsibility.

The bomb struck their Toyota sedan when they were going for an engagement ceremony, said Logar governor Mohammad Halim Fidai.

The victims included five women and five children.

Provincial authorities blamed the Taliban, who launched their annual spring offensive last month, for the killings.

The Taliban were not immediately reachable for comment, but roadside bombs have been the militants weapon of choice in their war against foreign and Afghan security forces.

The bombs also increasingly kill and wound civilians.

Some 987 child casualties were reported from conflict-related incidents in the first four months of 2017, a record high for the period since the United Nations began documenting such cases.

US soldiers inspect the site of a roadside bomb blast at Abed Kheel near Charikar district of Parwan province. (AFP Photo)

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan voiced alarm when five boys from one family were killed this month by an unexploded mortar round in Laghman province.

The children were playing outside their home and found the mortar round, likely fired during fighting earlier in the day, said UNAMA chief Tadamichi Yamamoto.

A family destroyed in seconds -- this horror is just one of too many incidents documented at the onset of this fighting season.
President Donald Trump on Friday left on a nine-day maiden overseas trip during which he will visit five countries amid the controversy surrounding investigations into whether his campaign associates collaborated with Russia to sway the election.

Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, Israel, Vatican, Belgium and Italy during his visit with the defeat of ISIS topping his agenda. He is also expected to push for his agenda of boosting US economy, bringing peace in conflict-prone zones of the world and calling for greater security cooperation.

Getting ready for my big foreign trip. Will be strongly protecting American interests - thats what I like to do! Trump told his nearly 30 million followers on Tweeter hours before he boarded Air Force One along with his top officials and a battery of White House reporters from Joint Andrews Air Force Base.

Getting ready for my big foreign trip. Will be strongly protecting American interests - that's what I like to do!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 19, 2017

In Saudi Arabia, the first stop of his trip, Trump will address leaders from more than 50 Muslim countries with the message of peace and calling for a partnership with the Islamic world.

The leaders of the Muslim world  including those from Afghanistan and Pakistan  would be asked to sign a pledge to make it illegal in their countries to raise funds for extremist and terrorist groups.

Senior administration officials said the US later would hold these countries accountable if there is any violation of the pledge.

However, a major highlight of his trip would be his address to the Muslim world.

The speech is intended to unite the broader Muslim world against common enemies of all civilisation and to demonstrate Americas commitment to our Muslim partners, his National Security Adviser Lt General H R McMaster said ahead of the trip.

McMaster said Trump will also participate in a signing ceremony of several agreements that will further solidify US- Saudi security and economic cooperation.

According to senior administration officials, agreements are expected to cross a whopping $ 500 billion in all, with security co-operation alone accounting for $300 billion.

During his Saudi Arabia visit, Trump would have a chance to interact with President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

However, the White House has not confirmed if the two leaders have a bilateral meeting with either Ghani and Sharif.

Both have made a request for the bilateral meeting.

From Saudi Arabia, Trump would travel to Jerusalem, where he will meet with the Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and would reiterate his commitment to the security of the country.

In his meeting with the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem later, Trump will convey his administrations eagerness to facilitate an agreement that ends the conflict.

He will urge Palestinian leaders to take steps that will help lead to peace. And he will visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and say a prayer at the Western Wall, McMaster said.

McMaster said Trump looks forward to celebrating the rich contributions of Catholics to America and to the world in his meeting with the Pope in Vatican, his next stop.

In his meeting, Trump expects to discuss a range of issues of mutual concern, McMaster said.

Trump would then head to Brussels where he will meet with the presidents of the European Union and that of the European Council.

He will then hold a working lunch with the newly elected president of France, whom he will meet in person for the first time, McMaster said.

In Brussels, Trump will deliver his remarks at the unveiling of NATOs memorial to their shared struggle in front of a piece of the Berlin Wall and a segment of the World Trade Center.

He will reaffirm Americas commitment to the alliance and repeat his insistence that, for the good of the alliance, all members must share responsibility and share burdens, McMaster said.

From Brussels, Trump would travel to Sicily for the G-7.

Throughout the summit, he will meet bilaterally with leaders, including the Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni. In the formal meetings, he will press Americas economic agenda and call for greater security cooperation, he said.

On the first night of the summit, he will also attend a concert performed by the La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra, followed by a leaders dinner hosted by the President of Italy.

Before departing Italy for home, the President will speak to American and allied servicemen and women and their families, McMaster said.
China has denied US allegations that two Chinese fighter jets intercepted an American military plane earlier this week, saying that its aircrafts were acting in accordance with the law.

Related remarks from the US side are inconsistent with fact, the Chinese ministry of defense said in a statement posted to its website late on Friday.

On May 17, a US reconnaissance aircraft was carrying out an operation in airspace over the Chinese Yellow Sea (the northern part of the East China Sea), and Chinese aircrafts acted to identify and investigate in accordance with the law, the statement said, calling the action professional and safe.

The US Air Force said in an earlier statement on Friday that its plane, a WC-135 Constant Phoenix, was conducting a routine mission in international airspace when it was intercepted by two Chinese Sukhoi SU-30 fighter aircraft.

The WC-135 is a so-called sniffer plane designed to scan the atmosphere for signs of nuclear activity.

The WC-135 was operating in accordance with international law. While we are still investigating the incident, initial reports from the US aircrew characterised the intercept as unprofessional, the Air Force said.

Mid-air interceptions occur routinely in international airspace, but the US military will often call out foreign pilots if it judges the manoeuvres to be risky or unprofessional.

Meanwhile, China urged the US to halt such reconnaissance exercises in order to prevent future incidents.

The American militarys frequent reconnaissance operations are the root cause of security issues between the Chinese and US navy and air forces, the Chinese defence ministrys statement said.
James Comey, the former FBI chief fired by President Donald Trump, has agreed to publicly testify about Russian interference in the US elections, as fresh allegations increased pressure on the American leader.

In an Oval Office meeting with senior Russian officials last week, Trump called Comey a nut job and said firing the intelligence chief had relieved great pressure on him, The New York Times reported.

The exchange supports claims that Trump sacked Comey over the bureaus probe into possible collusion between the real estate moguls campaign and Moscow.

The Washington Post meanwhile said the FBI has identified an unnamed senior White House official as a significant person of interest in its sprawling probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

The reports came just as Trump flew to Saudi Arabia to kick off his first foreign trip as US leader -- highlighting how the controversy over his teams alleged links to Moscow is dogging his fledgling presidency.

Comey will testify in open session of the Senate Intelligence Committee at some point after the Memorial Day holiday, May 29, though a date has not yet been set.

The ex-FBI chief has not spoken publicly since his surprise firing last week.

I am hopeful that he will clarify for the American people recent events that have been broadly reported in the media, panel Chairman Richard Burr said in a statement.

The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, said he expects Comey to shed light on issues critical to this Committees investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election.

However, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Comey declined their invitation to testify before the panel over the circumstances surrounding his abrupt removal.

Were extremely disappointed in James Comeys decision not to testify voluntarily before the Judiciary Committee, said Chairman Chuck Grassley and the panels top Democrat, Dianne Feinstein, urging Comey to reconsider.

There is no reason he cant testify before both the Intelligence and Judiciary Committees... Given his commitment to the people and the mission of the FBI, we expected him to be responsive to the senators responsible for vetting its next proposed leader.

The White House has been thrown into turmoil by a succession of stunning allegations against the president this week, including that he may have obstructed justice by asking Comey to drop an investigation into one of his top advisors.

Moscow ties under microscope

The latest report from the Post, citing unnamed sources familiar with the investigation, undercuts Trumps insistence that his campaign had nothing to do with the Kremlin.

Trumps national security advisor Michael Flynn was forced to resign for misleading Vice President Mike Pence about a phone call with the Russian ambassador.

The presidents son-in-law Jared Kushner is among those whose contacts with the Russian government have come under scrutiny.

I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job, Trump told Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov last week, according to the Times, citing notes taken at the meeting and read to the paper by a US official.

I faced great pressure because of Russia. Thats taken off.

That flies in the face of the White Houses public insistence that Comeys dismissal was not linked to his ongoing investigation.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer did not dispute the Timess account.

Intercepted Russian communications suggest that Russian officials felt that they had built up such a strong relationship with Flynn that they could use him to influence Trump and his inner circle, CNN reported.

It cited current and former administration officials as saying US intelligence officials were so concerned about the conversations between Flynn and the Russians that they would limit how much sensitive information they shared with him.

Did he or didnt he?

On Thursday, Trump declared himself the victim of the greatest witch hunt in American political history and denied allegations of collusion.

There is no collusion between certainly myself and my campaign, but I can always speak for myself, and the Russians -- zero, Trump told reporters.

The White House on Friday predicted that the investigation would back up Trumps account.

As the president has stated before -- a thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity, said Spicer.

Spicer offered a new explanation for the firing, saying that Trump had been trying to improve relations with Russia -- and Comey got in the way.

By grandstanding and politicizing the investigation into Russias actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia, he said.
Suicide bombings at checkpoints in Baghdad and south Iraq claimed by the Islamic State group killed at least 35 people and wounded dozens more, officials said on Saturday.

The bombings, which hit Iraq the previous night, came as Iraqi forces battle IS in Mosul in a massive operation launched more than seven months ago to retake the countrys second city from the jihadists.

In Baghdad, suicide car bombers attacked in the area of a checkpoint in the citys southern Abu Dsheer area, killing 24 people and wounding 20, Brigadier General Saad Maan told AFP.

Security forces were able to kill one of the attackers, but the second blew up his car bomb, Maan said.

IS issued a statement claiming the attack but gave a different account of how it unfolded, saying that one militant clashed with security forces using a light weapon before detonating an explosive belt, after which a second blew up a car bomb.

And in south Iraq, a suicide bomber blew up an explosives-rigged vehicle at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city of Basra, killing 11 people and wounding 30, according to Riyadh Abdulamir, the head of Basra province health department.

Another militant who left a second explosives-rigged vehicle was killed by security forces, the Basra Operations Command said.

IS also claimed the Basra attack, but said that both bombs were successfully detonated.

The jihadist group overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since recaptured much of the territory they lost to the jihadists.

Security in Baghdad improved following the 2014 IS assault, presumably because the jihadists were occupied with fighting and control of territory elsewhere in the country.

After recapturing the cities of Tikrit, Ramadi and Fallujah, Iraqi forces launched an operation to retake Mosul -- at the time the largest population centre still in IS hands -- last October.

They have recaptured the citys east and are now fighting to retake a dwindling number of areas still under IS control in west Mosul.

Half a million people are currently displaced as a result of the battle for Mosul, and around 250,000 civilians are estimated to still be trapped inside the citys west.

The presence of the civilians, who either chose not to leave or were prevented from doing so by IS, complicates any final assault to seal victory in Mosul.

Human shields have become a central feature of the vastly outnumbered jihadists defences, and IS has stopped at nothing to deter people from escaping the city, including killing people who seek to flee.

And the recapture of the city will not mark the end of the IS threat: the jihadists also control territory along the Syrian border and in Kirkuk province, as well as areas in Syria itself.

Experts warn that the jihadists may increasingly turn to bombings targeting civilians and hit-and-run attacks on security forces as they lose additional ground.
Members of the Islamic State group have executed 19 civilians including two children in a village held by anti-jihadists in eastern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Saturday.

IS fighters entered Jazrat al-Boushams village on Friday evening and executed 19 civilians, including two women and two children, with bullets to the head before torching the corpses, Rami Abdel Rahman of the Britain-based monitor told AFP.

Some were rounded up in the street before being killed, and others were executed at home, said the head of the Observatory, which gathers its information from a large network of sources across the war-torn country.

He said the jihadists also abducted three members of the US-backed anti-IS Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces alliance (SDF) before withdrawing from the village.

Jazrat al-Boushams village is in Deir Ezzor province, which is largely controlled by the jihadists.

It was captured by the SDF when alliance fighters first entered the region earlier this year.

The village is also near the neighbouring province of Raqa, which IS mostly controls.

In November last year, the SDF began an offensive aimed at taking the city of Raqa, ISs de facto Syrian capital.

Despite being pressed militarily on all sides in Syria, notably by the SDF, the jihadist group retains an ability to carry out murderous attacks.

On Thursday, IS killed more than 50 people in an assault on two government-held villages in central Syrias Hama province.

A day later, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said President Donald Trump had instructed the Pentagon to annihilate IS in Syria in a bid to prevent escaped foreign fighters from returning home.
President Donald Trumps top adviser on international economic issues, Kenneth Juster, could land up in Roosevelt House, home to the US ambassador to India, if his detractors in the White House prevailed in the high-stakes infighting currently underway between proponents and opponents of globalism.

Ambassadorship to India is currently on the back-burner of the administration, according to multiple sources, specially on account, in their view, of its preoccupation with ongoing controversies about the Russia probe and the stifling impact it has had on our plans to forge ahead with its agenda.

Speculation has continued, but with waning intensity in recent weeks.

Shalli Kumar, a Chicago businessman who was the largest Indian American donor to Trump, had emerged as an early frontrunner, but was quickly eclipsed by talk about Ashley Tellis, a widely respected Indian-born expert, and others.

A former US ambassador to India who is advising the administration on this search is said to have suggested the names of John Chambers, the CISCO executive chairman and chairman of the US-Indian Business Council since 2015, and Alan Mulally, the legendary former president and chief executive officer of the Ford Motor Company.

Juster, a lawyer who previously served as deputy secretary of commerce  a position roughly the equivalent of minister of state in India - is aligned with the globalists, who favour a larger US involvement in the global economy, according to Politico that first reported the tussle.

And that put him on the wrong side of Trumps chief strategist Steve Bannon, head of the anti-globalist and pro-nationalist faction, which doesnt automatically imperil Justers position, because Bannon himself is struggling to regain the clout he lost by taking on Jared Kushner, the presidents son-in-law.

But Politico was told by an administration official, He is not long for the White House. I know he is going to be reassigned  He is not going to be here long. The question is where will he go. Thats the only reason hes not gone already is theyre trying to find him an alternate position.

The same official said Juster was being considered for for an ambassadorship, possibly the US ambassador to India.

Juster, a lawyer from Harvard, is an old India hand, having launched the High Technology Cooperation Group to promote trade in sensitive dual-use goods and technology, as deputy secretary of commerce in the George W Bush administration in 2003.

As deputy director of the White Houses National Economic Council, which is headed by Gary Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs executive, Juster had emerged as a top contact at the Trump White House for visiting Indian officials, especially during the time the administration transitioned from one NSA to another  from Michael Flynn to HR McMaster.

Indian officials refused to comment on or off the record, but generally speaking New Delhi prefers a US ambassador with access to the White House, and Juster has that even if it was to a faction that looks in danger of losing this internal tussle, and some personnel such as Juster, for now.

In another time and tussle, Juster may be on the winning side.
Energised by a series of events that bolstered a flagging cause, pro-Khalistan groups in Canada are planning to amplify their separatist message in the months ahead by organising a referendum campaign.

The effort will start with the Punjab Independence Referendum 2020 Conference to be organised by the hardline activist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) at the Moonlight Convention Centre in Mississauga, a suburb of Toronto, on June 17.

SFJ plans to hold similar events in other North American cities, including Houston, Dallas and Philadelphia, culminating in a big scale declaration-centred gathering in New York this August, according to SFJs legal advisor Gurpatwant Pannun. In all the major cities, we are going to start doing the conference to make the Sikh community aware and garner support for the referendum, Pannun said.

He said one of the groups objectives is to file a case for Punjab independence in United Nations.

This renewed movement abroad for a separate Khalistan comes a couple of months after pro-Khalistani elements appeared to be losing traction.

But that changed as several developments occurred in succession. One of those that may have energised the movement is the election of Captain Amarinder Singh to head a Congress government in Punjab. While the Liberal Party dispensation in Ottawa and its provincial outfits have developed a comfortable working relationship with the Narendra Modi government in New Delhi, the Congress still angers hardliners who control Sikh organisations and gurdwaras, through which Canadas ruling party canvasses for votes within the community.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus presence at a Khalsa Day nagar kirtan in Toronto was particularly troubling for India, since such events have traditionally been known to have a strong Khalistani component.

As Pannun said, Over the years the message has not been diluted. This is supposed to be a Khalistan Day, that we want a separate country. So there shouldnt be any doubt why a Khalistan float should be there or pictures of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale should be there.

Adding to the volatile mix was the honouring of two of the main proponents of a motion in the Ontario Assembly that described the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as genocide.

While Indian diplomats doubt the lasting power of this resurgent movement, there is no doubt that they will find the summer of 2017 getting warmer even as they try to cool temperatures by re-engaging the Sikh community in the country.

That process has begun and will proceed with outreach activities such as Indias high commissioner Vikas Swarup attending the 350th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh at a gurdwara in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver, next month.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Melania Trump started her very first foreign trip as US first lady with a small dose of controversy, after her sartorial choice set tongues wagging across social media.

She chose not to wear a headscarf. In Saudi Arabia.

The Middle Eastern nation has strict dress codes for women, and women there are required to wear a long loose robe known as an abaya. Most also cover their hair with a niqab.

Melania wore a black pantsuit with a golden belt as she stepped out of Air Force One onto the Riyadh tarmac, but she had not donned the customary headscarf. A picture of her being served beverages in the attire was later posted on her official FLOTUS account.

The US first lady is not the first foreign female dignitary to forego the headscarf on her visit. Earlier this year, German Chancellor Angela Merkel chose not to wear one. And British Prime Minister Theresa May too decided against covering her hair, saying she wanted to be a role model for women.

Head coverings arent required for foreigners in Saudi Arabia and most Western women do not wear one.

However, Melanias decision to eschew the dress code caused a stir because, as many on social media pointed out, US President Donald Trump had in 2015 criticised then first lady Michelle Obama for making the same choice during her visit to the country.

Melania is not wearing a head scarf! Where is the outrage?! We HAVE TOO MANY ENEMIES! https://t.co/Ta9boxaYfd  D. Changstein (@iamnotatwit) May 20, 2017

Hilarious.

Fyi, Saudi Arabia doesn't mind foreigners not wearing a head scarf.

It was fine for Michelle and fine for Melania. https://t.co/PTglINnWNE  K J-A Petersen (@kiwim0n) May 20, 2017

Trump had said in a tweet that, while many people applauded Obamas decision, the people of Saudi Arabia were insulted and that the US had enuf (sic) enemies.

Of course, Melania does not have to abide by her husbands preferences on dress code, but its worth noting that this isnt the first time that the behaviour of Trump or those around him in office has clashed wildly with his earlier rhetoric.

And its unlikely to be the last.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Pakistani lawyers on Saturday gave a seven-day deadline to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign on the Panama Papers scandal, failing which they would launch a nationwide movement against him.

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) announced their stance together.

Both bar associations are of the view that in light of the Supreme Courts ruling on the Panama Papers case (that questioned the moral authority of the premier to rule), PM Nawaz Sharif should no longer hold his office and should therefore resign, a joint statement issued by both the bar associations said after their convention in Lahore.

They said the judgement in the Panama case has clearly indicted Sharif and his children for financial improprieties and corruption and a joint investigation team has been formed to probe him.

For fair and independent inquiry against the premier, Nawaz Sharif should step down till the final report of the JIT. In case he does not resign till May 27 the lawyers throughout Pakistan will launch a nationwide campaign and movement to ensure his resignation, the statement said.

Lawyers supporting the ruling PML-N clashed with members of both bars in a bid to stop them from launching a movement against the premier.

The PML-N lawyers locked SCBA President Rasheed A Rizvi in the Lahore High Courts library. Rizvi was later freed when the locks were broken by SCBA members. Police were called in to control the situation.

Later the lawyers, led by Rizvi, took out a rally on Mall Road to press the premier to resign.

Sharif narrowly survived in the three-two judgement in his favour in allegations of corruption in the Panama Papers case on April 20.

The case against Sharif emerged last year after the Panama Papers leak linked his children to offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands over the purchase of upmarket property in London.

Opposition figures have accused Sharif of failing to explain the source of the offshore money and lying to parliament. Sharif and his family have denied any wrongdoing.
Less than four months ago, a keen set of young up-and-comers strode into the White House in their best high heels and power ties, bursting with optimism and pride in serving their country.

Now, their stint in the White House -- the supposed apogee of their lives, something to brag about someday to the grandkids -- has begun to look more like it would be an albatross tied around their necks.

Donald Trump may have left behind his domestic woes as he jetted off Friday on his first foreign trip, but he also left behind a White House staff that is increasingly demoralised and overwhelmed.

On Wednesday night, inside the cramped communal offices of the White Houses famed West Wing, the news struck like a thunderclap -- a special counsel had been appointed to investigate ties between Trump, his inner circle and the Kremlin.

As a television on the wall blared the news over and over, young aides to the President sat stone-faced and mute.

Collusion, grand jury, impeachment -- the pundits were droning on, but those words stood out.

Donald Trump, joined by chief of staff Reince Priebus, vice-president Mike Pence, speaks on phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office at the White House. (Reuters File Photo)

Communications staff scuttled from meetings to their desks and back, in the vain hunt for a positive way to spin news that could define the rest of Trumps presidency.

For months, Trumps staff have lived with exhaustion, back-stabbing and a seemingly perpetual drumbeat of crisis.

This latest wrenching experience -- just the midpoint in a week of tumult as bad as any modern administration has experienced -- was played out in full view of the world, and for the history books.

A White House photographer stalked the hallways snapping pictures of a historic, if harrowing, moment for posterity, before being shooed away.

How are you?

Trumps management skills -- lauded by many, including himself -- have nevertheless not translated into a finely tuned White House.

Backbiting and almost daily rumors about mass firings are the norm.

Staff privately complain about the administrations incompetence and understaffing.

A television plays a news report on US President Donald Trump's recent Oval Office meeting with Russia's ambassador to the US. (Reuters File Photo)

Aides say they often wonder whether they will be allowed to return to work the next day -- half expecting heartbreak, half wanting deliverance.

Some half-joke that an innocuous How are you? has become something like an existential question, as they whisper to each other about the latest staffing rumors.

Some say they are looking for the exit. Others are fearfully talking about lawyering up.

Republicans outside the still half-staffed administration who have been asked for lists of jobs they are willing to consider are holding off.

For a few Trump aides, like press secretary Sean Spicer, the personal and professional maelstrom has played out in a brutally public way.

Sean Spicer attends a joint news conference held by Donald Trump and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos at the White House. (Reuters Photo)

Ridiculed by satirists, mocked by the press corps and almost ritually undermined by his boss, Spicer has also had to suffer the humiliation of his colleagues briefing the press that he will soon be a goner, while his family looks on.

One would-be successor, Kimberly Guilfoyle -- a former lawyer, model and now Fox News presenter -- even told her hometown newspaper recently that she was already talking to the White House about taking over Spicers job.

I think I have a very good relationship with the President, Guilfoyle told The Mercury News.

I think I enjoy a very straightforward and authentic, very genuine relationship, one thats built on trust and integrity, and I think thats imperative for success in that position.

Spicer -- like key aides Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump and Steve Bannon -- on Friday boarded Air Force One for a pressure-cooker first foreign visit to Saudi Arabia, Israel, the Palestinian territories, the Vatican, Brussels and Sicily.

For the staff happy to be left behind at the White House, the next week may offer some much needed respite.
The investigation into the Russian meddling in the 2016 US elections and alleged collusion by Trump campaign aides has identified a significant person of interest, who is currently serving in the White House as a senior adviser to the president and is considered close to him, The Washington Post reported on Friday.

The newspaper, however, did not name the person.

The revelation by The Post came just about the same time as The New York Times reported the President Donald Trump had described the sacked FBI director James Comey as a nut job to Russian officials he met in the Oval Office last week, and told them his firing had taken the pressure off him.

I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job, Trump told Russia foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and ambassador Sergey Kislyak, according to a transcript of the conversation read out to The New York Times by an official.

I faced great pressure because of Russia. Thats taken off, Trump said. Im not under investigation, he added.

Both these explosive new revelations were reported just about the time Air Force One was clearing the US airspace carrying President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump to their first overseas tour that starts in Saudi Arabia and will take them to more 5 nations before they return home after 9 days.

In short, investigators now have a suspect  a person of interest is someone who is believed to be possibly involved in a criminal act but has not been arrested or formally charged. And evidence that Trump trying to shut the down the Russia probe, for whatever reason, is mounting.

The person of interest is in the White House, which ruled out Michael Flynn and campaign aides who are all long gone. Senior adviser Jared Kushner, attorney general Jeff Sessions and secretary of state Rex Tillerson are the currently serving officials with known prior contacts with Russians.

But The Post said this new turn in the investigation did not indicate criminal charges were either necessarily near or imminent.

That call might be former FBI director Robert Mullers, who has been named the special counsel to head the investigation of the Russian meddling, Trump campaigns alleged collusion and anything else that could come up given the broad authority at his disposal.

As the president has stated before, a thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity, White House spokesperson Sean Spicer said in a statement.

About the nut job comment to the Russians, Spicer said, also in a statement, By grandstanding and politicizing the investigation into Russias actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia. The investigation would have always continued, and obviously, the termination of Comey would not have ended it. Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations.

He did not, significantly, dispute the account of the conversation given to the Times.

Trumps meeting with Lavrov and Kislyak drew considerable attention, coming as it did just the day after the president had stunned the country firing Comey without a warning. Photos of the meeting were released by Moscow, and not the White House that controls media coverage of these events.

At the same meeting, Trump had also shared with the Russians highly classified intelligence about the Islamic State passed on to the United States by Israel, potentially endangering the life of the spy in the ranks of the terrorist outfit who had provided it.
Investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential elections and alleged collusion by Donald Trumps campaign aides has identified a significant person of interest who is currently serving in the White House as a senior adviser to the president and is considered close to him.

The person has not been named.

This revelation by the Washington Post came just about the same time as the New York Times reported Trump described former FBI director James Comey as a nut job to Russian officials he met in the Oval Office last week, and told them his dismissal had taken the pressure off him.

I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job, Trump told Russia foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and ambassador Sergey Kislyak, according to a transcript of the conversation read out to The New York Times by an official. I faced great pressure because of Russia. Thats taken off.

Im not under investigation, he added.

These explosive new revelations broke soon after Trump left for his first overseas tour as president. Though the White House reacted  not disputing either story vigorously  there was no response from Trump after he landed in Riyadh as he and his team plunged straight into the bilateral visit, starting with a grand reception by Saudi Arabias King Salman at the airport.

The two countries signed defence cooperation agreements worth $110 billion effective immediately and $350 billion over 10 years, according to the White House. There were other deals that were done by private sector firms separately.

The mood appeared upbeat in the travelling delegation  Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner was seen giving national security adviser HR McMaster a high-five, after a long and lavish lunch and just before the start of bilateral meetings.

A major highlight of the Saudi leg of the five-nation, nine-day trip is expected to be a speech by Trump on Sunday, in which he is expected to urge the Muslim for unity in the fight against radicalism, which he will frame as battle between good and evil. He will tone down his anti-Muslim rhetoric, according to the Associated Press, that was given access to a draft of the speech.

Back home in the US, the new revelations overshadowed the trip. Investigators now have a suspect  a person of interest is someone who is believed to be possibly involved in a criminal act but has not been arrested or formally charged. And evidence that Trump trying to shut down the Russia probe, for whatever reason, is mounting.

The person of interest is in the White House, ruling out Michael Flynn and campaign aides who are all long gone. Senior adviser Jared Kushner, attorney general Jeff Sessions and secretary of state Rex Tillerson are the currently serving officials with known prior contacts with Russians.

But the Washington Post said this new turn in the investigation did not indicate criminal charges were either necessarily near or imminent.

That call might be former FBI director Robert Muellers, who has been named special counsel to head the investigation of the Russian meddling, Trump campaigns alleged collusion and anything else that could come up, given the broad authority at his disposal.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said in a statement: As the president has stated before, a thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity.

About the nut job comment to the Russians, Spicer said: By grandstanding and politicizing the investigation into Russias actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia. The investigation would have always continued, and obviously, the termination of Comey would not have ended it. Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations.

He did not, significantly, dispute the account of the conversation given to the New York Times.

Trumps meeting with Lavrov and Kislyak drew considerable attention, coming as it did just the day after the president had stunned the country firing Comey without a warning. Photos of the meeting were released by Moscow, and not the White House that controls media coverage of these events.

At the same meeting, Trump had also shared with the Russians highly classified intelligence about the Islamic State passed on to the United States by Israel, potentially endangering the life of the spy in the ranks of the terrorist outfit who had provided it.
The US military on Friday scrambled two Air Force fighter jets to escort an American Airlines flight into Honolulu International Airport after a disturbance involving a Turkish passenger aboard the plane was reported, officials said.

The nature of the fracas was not immediately disclosed by the FBI, the military or American Airlines, but local news media reported a passenger had tried to force his way into the cockpit of Honolulu-bound Flight 31 from Los Angeles.

The man was subdued by an off-duty law enforcement officer and others aboard the aircraft, and the flight landed safely at 11.35 am Hawaii time, officials said. No injuries were reported.

Federal authorities were preparing a criminal complaint to charge Turkish national Anil Uskanil, 25, with interference with a flight crew, Federal Bureau of Investigation special-agent-in charge Paul Delacourt said at a Honolulu news conference.

Delacourt, when asked by a reporter if Uskanil tried to break into the cockpit, said the Turkish man was in the aisle of the plane and it was unclear what his motivation was.

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) police said separately that Uskanil had been detained, questioned and released hours earlier after he was caught by security there going through a terminal concourse door leading out to the airfield.

Los Angeles airport police spokesman Rob Pedregon said Uskanil was a ticketed American Airlines passenger with a boarding pass who had cleared security screening but claimed that he lost his way because he was tipsy from drinking.

As he did not appear to meet the criteria for public drunkenness, police let him go with a citation for misdemeanour trespassing, Pedregon said. He was escorted to the street in front of the terminal when released, Pedregon said.

Because the LAX incident occurred at about 2.45 am Pacific time, nearly three hours before the first flights of the day, he would have had ample time to get through security again and catch a plane to Hawaii as scheduled.

Pedregon said it is not unusual for LAX passengers to mistakenly go through an unauthorised exit door at the terminal.

American Airlines said its Honolulu-bound flight, an Airbus A321, was carrying 181 passengers and six crew members.

One passenger who spoke to HawaiiNewsNow, a consortium of three television network affiliates, said a first-class flight attendant deserved much of the credit for preventing the suspect from reaching the cockpit.

I would just never want to go against her. She was tasked with keeping him out of there, and she did a great job, Lee Lorenzen told the news outlet.

The incident prompted Pacific Command to dispatch a pair of F-22 fighter jets to intercept the passenger plane.

The F-22s escorted the airliner to the airport in accordance with homeland defence procedures. Local law enforcement responded once the civilian airliner was on the ground, said command spokesman Dave Benham said.
Candidates of Indian origin are taking on each other in constituencies where large numbers of the British Indian community have settled, setting the stage for a splash of India-style colour in campaigning.

Bollywood stars have been deployed in the past  Abhishek Bachchan travelled to Leicester to campaign for Keith Vaz (Labour) in an open air car during the 2015 election, while Sanjay Dutt was at hand to help the longest-serving MP of Asian origin during the 2010 election.

Vaz, the MP from Leicester East who won with a large margin in 2015 is sitting pretty, but now faces an unusual challenge from Sujata Barot  a physically challenged community activist known for her local campaigns, who is standing as an independent.

Kenya-born Barot, 56, is a former presenter on BBC Radio Leicester, and is raising 1,000 through a crowd-funding website for her campaign (more than 400 was quickly raised). She and her family are known in the local community.

Barot told HT: I have very good support, but our community has a habit over generations to vote for Labour and Keith Vaz. They dont realise that both are not good for us locally and at the national level. This election is a wake-up call for them.

Calling herself a supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Barot said she was mainly campaigning through social media and posters. According to her, the constituency needs a change after many years of being represented by Vaz.

In Ealing Southall, sitting MP Virendra Sharma (Labour) faces opposition from sections of the electorate unhappy with him for major problems in the constituency, such as closure of some medical services, traffic, drugs and alcoholism.

The ethnically diverse constituency includes voters of Pakistan origin, who question Sharma during meetings for standing up for India on issues such as the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and Pakistans alleged support for terrorism.

This is a British election, and we should be debating British values, not old community conflicts, ancient arguments and squabbles from half a world away and half a century ago, he said, as his critics distribute leaflets against him on the streets of Southall.

The Conservative Party has fielded 13 Indian-origin candidates, while the Labour has 14. Experts believe the June 8 election may see a further erosion in Labours support from the community that has veered towards the Conservatives in the 2010 and 2015 elections.

Bollywood stars have not yet made a splash, but another aspect unique to South Asian politics is evident  voting according to the biraderi system of family and tribal patronage with roots to clans in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir villages, from where many voters of Pakistan origin hail.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A court in Texas has dismissed a lawsuit by the family of a Muslim teen who was invited to the White House by Barack Obama after having constructed a clock that police mistook for a bomb.

Ahmed Mohamed, who was 14 at the time, became an internet sensation after being handcuffed and detained for hours for bringing his invention  a circuit board wired to a digital display  to school in the Texas city of Irving, near Dallas.

He was charged with making a hoax bomb, though the charge was later dropped. Ahmed said he merely wanted to show his work to a new teacher to impress her.

The Irving school system suspended Ahmed for three days even after determining that his clock was harmless. The lawsuit contended he was discriminated against because of his race or religion (his parents immigrated from Sudan).

But in a decision Thursday, federal judge Sam Lindsay found that the plaintiffs had offered no facts from which this court can reasonably infer that any (Irving school district) employee intentionally discriminated against A.M. based on his race or religion.

An attorney representing the Mohameds said they planned to appeal the decision.

The story of the inventive teen whose electronics hobby made him a terror suspect gained worldwide attention when it arose in September 2015.

It was seen by some as evidence of widespread anti-Muslim sentiment among American police.

But others flocked to support him.

Cool clock, Ahmed, then president Obama tweeted at the time. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science.

The young mans family accepted Obamas offer, and the following month Ahmed visited the presidential residence during a day devoted to the sciences.

Silicon Valleys leading institutions sent sympathetic messages; he received offers to intern at Twitter and to visit the offices of Google and Facebook.

But his family announced not long afterward that they would be moving to Qatar.
Washington has agreed arms deals with Saudi Arabia worth almost $110 billion, a White House official said Saturday, the first day of President Donald Trumps visit to the traditional US ally.

This package of defence equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats, the official said.

It will also bolster the kingdoms ability to contribute to counter-terrorism operations across the region, reducing the burden on the US military to conduct those operations, the official added.

Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will attend a signing ceremony for the deals, the official said.

The official described the agreements as a significant expansion of the over seven-decade-long security relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The official did not provide details of the agreements with Riyadh, which is one of the worlds biggest defence spenders.

A preliminary deal worth $6 billion to assemble 150 Lockheed Martin Blackhawk helicopters in Saudi Arabia was separately announced at the Saudi-US CEO Forum held in Riyadh during Trumps visit.

The programme to support the final assembly and completion of an estimated 150 S-70 Black Hawk utility helicopters will support around 450 jobs in the kingdom, said a forum statement.

US defence contractors are major suppliers of weapons to Saudi Arabia, which for more than two years has led a coalition conducting air strikes and other operations against rebels in Yemen.

The new deals come despite mounting pressure on Washington from rights groups to stop arms sales to Riyadh, which has come under repeated criticism over civilian casualties in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia on Thursday announced the creation of a new military industries firm as part of the kingdoms efforts to boost defence production.

The kingdoms Public Investment Fund said the new government-owned company, Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), aims to become one of the worlds top 25 defence companies by 2030.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in an April report that Saudi Arabia last year was the worlds fourth-largest military spender, spending $63.7 billion.
China and Philippines will begin their bilateral talks this week to sort out the disputes over the South China Sea. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's administration wants to establish closer ties with China by overcoming the sovereignty rows and also aims to get investments and business.

On Saturday, Manila's ambassador to Beijing stated that this week, both Philippines and China will begin their bilateral conversation regarding the differences over the South China Sea to smoothen the tensions that exist between China and Philippines. According to reports from Reuters, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will be attending a high-level meeting on China's new Silk Road plan that is scheduled to be held in Beijing. Moreover, he is said to be in favor of avoiding sovereignty rows and showing support to China for business and investment.

Jose Santiago Santa Romana, the Philippine ambassador to China further feels that the issues will not be resolved overnight but with the start of the bilateral talks, the relation can surely be better in times to come. He also told reporters that the talks on the sensitive issues are scheduled to take place in China.

Santa Romana also revealed that the first session is scheduled this week but this will be a continuous exercise wherein both China and Philippines will meet twice a year to share views and opinions on the disputed South China Sea. Notably, he stated these prior to Duterte's arrival in Beijing for the Chinese President Xi Jinping's pet project, One Belt, One summit.

In related news, it has been said that so far, the South China Sea issue was unresolved and frozen as the territorial row was taking up all the attention, Channel News Asia. But, now, the Duterte administration is treating this as something which is a very pressing issue. Moreover, Philippines is now mending ties with China and Russia. It must however be mentioned that so far China has not made any revelations regarding the bilateral talks to resolve the issue related to the South China Sea.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
North Korea just had a successful missile test-launch and because of this, experts were telling that this will pave the way for the development of global ballistic missile. This can also give an opportunity for the country to come up with an enhanced performance key targeting the U.S.

It was also reported that North Korea has been working on a long-range missile which can reach the U.S. If indeed the country is developing something like this, Reuters reported that it will require them to come up with a missile that could travel a distance of 8, 000 km or equivalent to 4, 800 miles.

It can be recalled that North Korea is firm with its program to continue with its missile and nuclear testing amidst tension with U.S. and other countries. Moreover, the United Nations also asked China to press sanctions on North Korea in order to stop its nuclear programs.

Last Sunday, North Korea was able to launch its ballistic missile which was named Hwasong-12. The said missile flew at the highest angle to ensure that no country will be affected with its launching. It was reported that Hwasong-12 had a trajectory of an altitude of 2, 111.5 km or 1, 312 miles.

Because of its recorded trajectory, this means that the missile was able to reach a very high altitude which was beyond the lateral distance a missile should travel. Because of this, the experts were quick to conclude that North Korea can show a level of performance which was never seen before.

Apart from this, it was also concluded according to CNBC that North Korea will be able to launch a missile that can strike and reach the U.S. base at Guam. With this, the country is well ready to develop a global ballistic missile.

With its latest missile launching last Sunday, it was reported that North Korea can successfully launch long-range rockets which will be able to send objects into the outer space. Further, the country will be able to carry big and weighty nuclear warhead.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Stanley Kubrick's iconic horror movie, The Shining, will make its haunting debut at Universal Studios' "Halloween Horror Nights". The Shining will bring unspeakable terror to "Halloween Horror Nights" in terrifying new mazes opening at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood, beginning this September.

"The Shining" maze at Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights will provide guests with a unique opportunity to relive some of the film's most iconic, and sinister, moments. While venturing through the eerie Overlook Hotel, guests will be thrust into the hotel's tragic history of murder and madness, bearing witness to caretaker Jack Torrance's spiraling descent into insanity. Nightmarish visions will come to life in this macabre maze, overwhelming guests with the "shine" of the murderous, ghostly entities that lurk around every turn  all while trying to escape the wrath of Jack Torrance as he violently succumbs to the hotel's paranormal forces.

The Shining has been regarded as "a masterpiece of modern horror" by critics and fans alike. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, the film's enormous influence on pop culture has been captured throughout a multitude of films, television shows, music and more since its disturbing debut in 1980.

Universal Studios' "Halloween Horror Nights" is the ultimate Halloween event. For more than 20 years, guests from around the world have visited Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando and Hollywood to become victims inside their own horror film. The streets of each coast's event are transformed into highly-themed scare zones where menacing "scare-actors" lunge from every darkened corner. Multiple movie-quality haunted houses are erected throughout the event, based on everything from iconic slasher films to hit horror television series to haunting original stories.

Additional details about Universal Studios' "Halloween Horror Nights" will be revealed soon. For more information about Halloween Horror Nights at either Universal Orlando Resort or Universal Studios Hollywood, visit www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com.
It looks like you've reached a page that doesnt exist (anymore).

Please use the navigation or search above to find content on Hospitality Net.

Go back to home
With over 24 years experience in the hotel industry, Heemann has worked with prestigious hotel brands across the globe and brings his extensive knowledge of the hospitality and F&B industry to his new role. The German national started his career at Marriott Hotel, Hamburg as a casual waiter. Following a five-year stint with the hotel, he moved to London where he worked for both Morriott Hotel Marbel Arch and Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square. In 2002, Heemann ventured to the US where he took the position of event sevice manager at JW Marriott Desert Ridge, Resort & Spa, Phoenix until 2004. His next role brought him back to Germany, where he reprised the role of catering and conference services manager at The Ritz-Carlton, Wolfsburg. Here he was responsible for leading and managing all activity in the hotel. In 2008, Heemann joined Hotels Astoria & Angleterre, St Petersburg as the director of group and event sales, before being promoted to director of food and beverage in 2011. Continuing his journey in Russia, Heemann took a job in Moscow at Hotel Metropol as director of food and beverage. Here he increased the hotels profit and revenues by 14.1%, and managed the hotel conversion from state to privately owned.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 Erik Lesser/MBR Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Carlo Allegri/INVL Show More Show Less



A Fox News prime-time personality has been accused of wrongdoing and is leaving, the latest setback in a season of tumult for the cable network.

Bob Beckel, a host of the talk show "The Five," was fired Friday because of an insensitive remark he made to an African-American employee, Fox News said. The network declined to elaborate on the specifics of Beckel's remark.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

WASHINGTON - A sizable majority of rural Americans backed Donald Trump's presidential bid, drawn to his calls to slash environmental rules, strengthen law enforcement and replace the federal health care law.

But many farmers are nervous about another plank in Trump's agenda: His vow to overhaul U.S. trade policy, including his intent announced last week to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico.

Trump's message that NAFTA was a job-killing disaster had never resonated much in rural America. NAFTA had widened access to Mexican and Canadian markets, boosting U.S. farm exports and benefiting many farmers.

Farm Country went on red alert last month when it looked as if Trump wasn't even going to pursue a NAFTA rewrite: White House aides had spread the word that the president would simply withdraw from the pact.

"Mr. President, America's corn farmers helped elect you," Wesley Spurlock of the National Corn Growers Association warned in a statement. "Withdrawing from NAFTA would be disastrous for American agriculture."

Within hours, Trump softened his stance. He wouldn't dump NAFTA, he said. He'd first try to forge a more advantageous deal with Mexico and Canada - a move that formally began last week when his top trade negotiator, Robert Lighthizer, informed Congress of the administration's intent to renegotiate NAFTA.

As a candidate, Trump defined his "America First" stance as a means to fight unfair foreign competition. He blamed unjust deals for swelling U.S. trade gaps and stealing factory jobs.

But NAFTA and other deals have been good for U.S. farmers, who stand to lose if Trump ditches the pact or ignites a trade war. The U.S. has enjoyed a trade surplus in farm products since at least 1967, government data show. Last year, farm exports exceeded imports by $20.5 billion.

''You don't start off trade negotiations ... by picking fights with your trade partners that are completely unnecessary," said Aaron Lehman, a fifth-generation Iowa farmer who produces corn, soybeans, oats and hay.

Many farmers worry that Trump's policies will jeopardize their exports just as they face weaker crop and livestock prices.

"It comes up pretty quickly in conversation," said Blake Hurst, a farmer in northwest Missouri's Atchison County.

That county's voters backed Trump more than 3-to-1 in the election but now feel "it would be better if the rhetoric was a little less strident" on trade, said Hurst, president of the Missouri Farm Bureau.

Trump's main argument against NAFTA and other pacts was that they exposed American workers to unequal competition with low-wage workers in countries like Mexico and China.

NAFTA did lead some American manufacturers to move factories and jobs to Mexico. But since it took effect in 1994 and eased tariffs, annual farm exports to Mexico have jumped nearly five-fold to about $18 billion. Mexico is the No. 3 market for U.S. agriculture, notably corn, soybeans and pork.

"The trade agreements that we've had have been very beneficial," said Stephen Censky, CEO of the American Soybean Association. "We need to take care not to blow the significant gains that agriculture has won."

Surplus with Mexico

The U.S. has run a surplus in farm trade with Mexico for 20 of the 23 years since NAFTA took effect. Still, the surpluses with Mexico became deficits in 2015 and 2016 as global livestock and grain prices plummeted and shrank the value of American exports, notes Joseph Glauber of the International Food Policy Research Institute.

Mexico has begun to seek alternatives to U.S. food because, as its agriculture secretary, Jose Calzada Rovirosa, said in March, Trump's remarks on trade "have injected uncertainty" into the agriculture business.

Once word had surfaced that Trump was considering pulling out of NAFTA, Sonny Perdue, two days into his job as the president's agriculture secretary, hastened to the White House with a map showing areas that would be hurt most by a pullout, overlapped with many that voted for Trump.

"I tried to demonstrate to him that in the agricultural market, sometimes words like 'withdraw' or 'terminate' can have a major impact on markets," Perdue said. "I think the president made a very wise decision for the benefit of many agricultural producers across the country" by choosing to remain in NAFTA.

Trump delivered another disappointment for U.S. farm groups in January by fulfilling a pledge to abandon the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which the Obama administration negotiated with 11 Asia-Pacific countries. Trump argued that the pact would cost Americans jobs by pitting them against low-wage Asian labor.

But the deal would have given U.S. farmers broader access to Japan's notoriously impregnable market and easier entry into fast-growing Vietnam. Philip Seng of the U.S. Meat Export Federation notes that the U.S. withdrawal from TPP left Australia with a competitive advantage because it had already negotiated lower tariffs in Japan.

Trump has also threatened to impose tariffs on Chinese and Mexican imports, thereby raising fears that those trading partners would retaliate with their own sanctions.

Farmers know they're frequently the first casualties of trade wars. Many recall a 2009 trade rift in which China responded to U.S. tire tariffs by imposing tariffs on U.S. chicken parts. And Mexico slapped tariffs on U.S. goods ranging from ham to onions to Christmas trees in 2009 to protest a ban on Mexican trucks crossing the border.

The White House declined to comment on farmers' fears that Trump's trade policy stands to hurt them. But officials say they've sought to ease concerns, by, for example, having Perdue announce a new undersecretary to oversee trade and foreign agricultural affairs.

Still Trump fans

Many farmers are still hopeful about the Trump administration. Some, for example, applaud his plans to slash environmental rules that they say inflate the cost of running a farm. Some also hold out hope that the author of "The Art of the Deal" will negotiate ways to improve NAFTA.

One such way might involve Canada. NAFTA let Canada shield its dairy farmers from foreign competition behind tariffs and regulations but left at least one exception - an American ultra-filtered milk used in cheese. When Canadian farmers complained about the cheaper imports, Canada changed its policy and effectively priced ultra-filtered American milk out of the market.

"Canada has made business for our dairy farmers in Wisconsin and other border states very difficult," Trump tweeted last month. "We will not stand for this. Watch!"

Some U.S. cattle producers would also like a renegotiated NAFTA to give them something the current version doesn't: The right to label their product "Made in America." In 2015, the World Trade Organization struck down the United States' country-of-origin labeling rules as unfair to Mexico and Canada.

Many still worry that Trump's planned overhaul of American trade policy is built to revive manufacturing and that farming remains an afterthought.
The Trump administration's plans to dismantle the Clean Power Plan and its waffling on the Paris climate accords could push renewable energy investors away from the United States, according to the accounting and consulting firm EY.

Every year, the firm ranks countries on its Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index, which examines a nation's policies, incentives, natural resources and need for renewable energy. Last year, the U.S. topped the firm's list of potential renewable energy growth following the extension of the wind production tax credit.
Somehow, Debra Winger hadn't heard the old joke about the three ages for women in Hollywood - babe, district attorney and "Driving Miss Daisy."

It prompted the familiar Winger laugh. "I think I skipped district attorney," she cracked.

That isn't really true - she was in the lawyer drama "Legal Eagles" - and it isn't really true that her latest role falls into Category 3.

Winger stars in "The Lovers," a movie currently playing that comes by its title honestly. The onetime ingenue star of "Urban Cowboy" and "An Officer and a Gentleman" has - at 61 - been given one of the most sexually candid roles of her career. She prepared for it by being a 61-year-old woman.

"I think that I have an ego, but, look, if you're altering your looks, working out more than any normal human can work out in order to achieve a certain, unreasonably perfect standard, you're not going to be able to tell a whole bunch of stories. You're going to end up limiting yourself. I've always been a poster child for 'Let's take the makeup down a notch,' " Winger said.

In "The Lovers," she plays a woman in a long, fraught marriage to an inattentive and unfaithful man, played by Tracy Letts, the actor and playwright (he wrote "August: Osage County"). Both spouses are having affairs - she with a younger man (Aidan Gillen). His is acknowledged, hers is not, leading to intrigue that adds unexpected, unpredictable spice to their relationship.

For Winger, it means R-rated scenes with two different men. She knows that's unusual territory for an actress her age, but she says the constraining factors that affect actresses apply to women in all walks of life.

"You see the trap that's there for women, to be desexualized. For one thing, you do it to yourself. You're picking the kids up at school, you don't want to be dressed provocatively. That's not my thing, anyway. I play it kind of safe. I'm lucky to have a healthy marriage, a husband who's always telling me I'm looking great."

Winger is winning praise for the role ("her radiance shines through," said Variety) and for her work in the Netflix series "The Ranch," playing a bartender and sounding board for her son (Ashton Kutcher), a former pro athlete now adjusting to life out of the spotlight.

Winger knows all about that. After a lucrative career and a trio of Oscar nominations ("Terms of Endearment," "An Officer and a Gentleman," "Shadowlands"), she grew weary of limited choices in Hollywood, and so she made a radical one.

She left.

"For me, the antidote for it was just to have a life. To choose the kind of life I wanted, not just the kind of role I wanted," Winger said.

She married actor Arliss Howard, moved to a farm in Sullivan County, N.Y., and raised children - essentially taking 20 years off, though she returned from time to time to take supporting roles in movies such as "Rachel Getting Married."

It takes a lot to get her back - she mulled over "The Lovers" for five years, working with writer-director Azazel Jacobs (who directed the HBO series "Doll & Em"), until the script was just right - for Winger, that meant a nod to the movies of the 1970s (by John Cassavetes, Bob Rafelson) that made her want to be an actress.

"It's a small story, a concise story, very low-budget, but it's so full of life and so true, at least as far as these characters are concerned," she said."There's that old adage, women should write more. And I'm all for more people having the opportunity to tell their own stories.But I have to point out this story was written by a 43-year-old white guy, and it's one of the best roles I've ever had."

The cheating spouses in "The Lovers" are involved in lengthy affairs. The movie mines that situation for a strange sort of comedy - their dormant marriage becomes a refuge from the demands of extramarital affairs, and though the subtext remains unspoken, husband and wife begin to sense they have a lot in common.

"We've all bought into these ideas, the institution of marriage, owning a home, having a job," she said. "We're told you need all of these things to have the American dream, and so often part of it doesn't work out, so you have this whole sector of America white-knuckling it."
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The smoke and live-fire cooking event that brings some of the nation's top culinary talent to Houston is ready to spark up again. Southern Smoke, a fundraiser created by Underbelly's Chris Shepherd, has set a date for 2017: Oct. 22.

And James Beard Award winner Shepherd is again leaning on his top toque buddies to help make Southern Smoke a high-profile affair. Last year's event attracted more than 1,200 people to the Underbelly "campus." In fact, its popularity has prompted Shepherd to expand the Southern Smoke brand.

There will be an additional Southern Smoke in spring 2018. Details have not been set yet, but it will be called Southern Smoke Spring and offer more intimate culinary experiences with exclusive chef's table dinners in private homes throughout Houston. So far, the Houston chefs who have signed up for Spring include recent James Beard Award winner Hugo Ortega of Hugo's, Kata Robata's Manabu Horiuchi, Southern Goods chef Lyle Bento and chef Brandi Key, who has multiple restaurants under the Clark Cooper Concepts umbrella. More details and visiting chefs will be announced in the fall.

In the meantime, the lineup for Southern Smoke 2017 is formidable.

This year's chefs - all of whom will cook using smokers or live fire - will include returning favorite Aaron Franklin, the James Beard Award-winning pitmaster at Franklin Barbecue in Austin; Rodney Scott, pitmaster for Scott's Barbecue in Hemingway, S.C., and Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ in Charleston, S.C.; Mike Lata, the James Beard Award-winning chef/partner of FIG in Charleston, S.C.; James Beard Award-winning chef Jason Stanhope of FIG; superchef Ashley Christensen, the James Beard Award-winning owner of Poole's Diner and numerous other restaurants in Raleigh, N.C.; and one of New Orleans' most beloved culinary ambassadors, John Besh, the James Beard Award-winning owner of August and other top restaurants in the Crescent City.

The Southern Smoke experience would not be complete without the participation of the HOUBBQ Collective, involved since the inaugural event two years ago. The collective includes chefs Ryan Pera of Coltivare, Seth Siegel-Gardner and Terrence Gallivan of The Pass & Provisions, James Beard Award-winning chef Justin Yu, late of Oxheart, and Shepherd. Collective members also will participate in Southern Smoke Spring.

Shepherd created Southern Smoke to honor his friend and former sommelier Antonio Gianola, who got a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in 2014. To date, the event has raised $464,000 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Tickets go on sale at noon Aug. 7 at SouthernSmoke.org. VIP tickets that include early admission, premium wines and a gift bag including participating chefs' cookbooks, will be $350; general admission, $200.

As in past years, the event will be held on the grounds of Underbelly, Hay Merchant and Blacksmith on Westheimer in Montrose.
Tradition dictates that the prom queen and king dance together on the big night. And that's just what Needville High School's crowned couple, Katie Vacek and Kernie Baker, did on May 13 - one slow spin on the dance floor. Then Kernie detached Katie, who is paraplegic, from their conjoined harnesses and lowered his girlfriend back into her wheelchair.

In some ways, it was a full-circle moment. Last year, as juniors, the high school sweethearts rekindled an old flame. They arrived with different dates but walked out with each other.

Last year, Katie could walk.

"We were in the same prom group and wound up at the same after-party," Kernie, 17, said. "We stayed up on the couch talking all night. Then we started texting, and before I knew it, we were dating again."

The couple met in first grade, when the Bakers moved 30 miles south from Pecan Grove to Needville. The Vaceks, a founding family, are well-known around the Fort Bend County town.

"We moved here in the '20s and never left," Katie, also 17, said. "We have really deep roots here."

She's exactly one month older than her boyfriend and doesn't let him forget it. Both joined the high school band as freshmen - she plays flute, he prefers trumpet - though it wasn't until sophomore year that their relationship went from platonic to romantic. Things didn't end well that first time around.

Kernie says they were different people back then. Katie thinks they were just immature.

But life, the pair learned, can change in an instant.

The young twosome watch a lot of Netflix. "Breaking Bad," "The Office" and "Stranger Things" are their favorite shows. Sometimes they go out to eat, and they've driven to the beach once or twice.

Playing in the woods is another favorite pastime in Katie's family. There's a huge clearing behind her cousins' house where their parents grew up climbing in the oak trees. And that's what Katie, Kernie and her cousins were doing on Feb. 26, when Katie suddenly lost her balance.

She fell backward and grabbed onto branches, but none of them held.

Kernie feared the worst.

"I saw her on the way down and how she hit the ground, folded in half," he said. "I immediately knew that she broke her back or there was something severely wrong."

The 15-foot drop knocked her unconscious. She awoke on her stomach and could hardly breathe. Or feel her legs.

"My back basically snapped in half," Katie said.

Emergency Medical Services first responders evacuated her in the bed of a pickup. Pain medication kicked in as she was transferred to a Memorial Hermann Life Flight helicopter.

"Everything was kind of fuzzy, but I remember how loud it was in there, and that getting to the Medical Center only took eight minutes," Katie recalled. "I asked how we got to Houston so fast and someone answered, 'Well, there's not a lot of traffic up here.' "

Details from that day are hazy. Conversations flash in pieces, faces are blank. She remembers a man injured from a motorcycle accident lying in the hospital bed next to hers.

Katie woke up in the Intensive Care Unit seven hours later and spent the next month-and-a-half at TIRR, the Institute for Rehabilitation and Research Memorial Hermann. Her spinal cord injury is classified as level T6. She has lost all feeling below her waist but retains full use of her arms and can "sort of tighten" her abdominal muscles.

"She can do a modified crunch," Kernie added with pride. "She can use her upper body, which is more than they thought she would have."

Originally, he hadn't planned on asking her to prom at all. It was assumed that they would go together.

After Katie's accident, Kernie and a friend decided that the occasion called for a grand gesture. So they designed a poster that read, "You may need to sit down for this one, but wheel you chair a dance with me at prom?"

"I wasn't sure how that was going to go over," he said. "It was only a month after she fell, but everyone loved it."

He also submitted an entry into Al's Formal Wear's first-ever Promposal Contest - and won.

"His 'promposal' was very simple, but the feeling you got from his message was very sweet and sincere," company president Carla Laudig said. "You don't always find that these days with teenagers."

Kernie received a free tuxedo rental and $100 to spend on prom expenses such as dinner and flowers. He picked a gray suit to complement Katie's dress.

"The look on his face when he tried it on - he just lit up," Laudig said.

Kernie didn't stop there. He asked TIRR Memorial Hermann to create a special harness so that he and Katie could dance together on prom night.

Wish granted.

Needville High School seniors Katie Vacek and Kernie Baker were named queen and king of their prom. Needville High School seniors Katie Vacek and Kernie Baker were named queen and king of their prom. Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Staff Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Staff Image 1 of / 32 Caption Close Promposal 1 / 32 Back to Gallery

His date's search for the perfect gown played out like a fairy tale, too.

"Because of the harness, I needed a two-piece dress," Katie said. "A family friend knew a lady who owns a prom-dress store, Katelyn's Krazes. She would text me pictures of dresses and then send them to the hospital for me to try on. We spent a whole day doing that in physical therapy."

The winning look was a sage-green and light-pink cropped top with matching skirt. Kernie chose a blush bow tie and handkerchief to match.

Around 9:45 p.m. on prom's "Night of a Thousand Lights" at the Safari Texas Ranch, Katie checked her makeup in the ladies' room while her best friend and her mother carefully removed her leg braces and strapped on the harness.

Kernie replaced his tuxedo jacket with a mountain-climbing vest and waited patiently for his date.

Their classmates were doing a line-dance when Katie wheeled back into the crowd. Then Kernie lifted her into his arms, and it was just the two of them, bound by Velcro, as Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" faded into white noise.

"We had the whole dance floor to ourselves," Kernie said. "I'm pretty sure everyone in the building stopped to watch us dance. It was a special moment."

They were crowned prom queen and king shortly after. Katie never cried, though her parents and classmates did.

The couple left early to change before joining their classmates at an after-party, the same one that brought them back together the previous year.

"We were reminiscing; it's where we fell in love," Kernie said. "Sure, the accident threw off plans for prom, the dancing aspect, at least. I would have loved to dance every song with her."

Elizabeth Conley contributed to this report.
On Friday it was learned that the Texas Renaissance Festival would not host the second edition of the Middlelands music festival on its grounds in Todd Mission near Conroe.

Some 66,000 music fans descended on the grounds for three days of electronic music acts, camping, dancing, and other various forms of festival merriment.

PARTY DOWN: Middlelands festival brings thousands of EDM fans to Texas Renaissance Festival grounds

Locals, though, didn't care for the traffic woes and noise in the area. A town hall meeting on Thursday saw them air grievances. Many expressed worries of extreme drug use. There were dozens of minor drug arrests, which comes with the territory when it comes to major music festivals.

On Friday afternoon Texas Renaissance Festival general manager Terre Albert released a statement on the aftermath of the new festival.

"TRF is always looking for new ways to bring fun and magic to the Houston area, which is why we partnered with Insomniac, C3 Events and Live Nation, to create the Middlelands music festival on our grounds," Albert wrote.

PARTY'S OVER: Dozens of arrests made at Houston area's new Middlelands festival

"Middlelands was a great success and brought over 60,000 people to the area from all over the country and the world. However, after a meeting with executive leadership and based on Texas Renaissance Festival's overall mission, we have made the decision to not move forward in hosting the event again."

"We were very surprised and disappointed by the decision ...," Pasquale Rotella, founder and CEO of Insomniac, responded later Friday in a statement. "From the beginning, MDL producers set out to create a safe and enjoyable experience for both attendees and residents in the surrounding neighborhoods, with hopes to stimulate the growing local economy."

Rotella added: "Contrary to news reports, the producers of MDL traveled to Houston for the Town Hall meeting but were subsequently told it was cancelled by TRF officials. We fully appreciate the beauty of Todd Mission and the nearby areas, and were prepared to implement residents' feedback in order to transform MDL into a valued community event. An astounding 66,000 guests attended the inaugural MDL festival, with many sharing their positive experiences. To our fans, rest assured we plan to return."

There was no immediate word on the location of next year's event.
"The future is so bright I need sunglasses," said County Judge Jay Knight.

He wasn't joking. The judge laid out a stunning blueprint that is at the threshold of a county that has enjoyed a lazy, country life for most of its existence. But life is about to change, and not necessarily for the worse.

While the county has undergone a painful transition from an agricultural life to more manufacturing and soon to be urban, commissioners have vowed to get control of the growth and provide residents a blended experience and maintain much of the county's charm and historical precedence.

"It's still somewhat agricultural, but consider in 1973, we farmed 37,000 acres of rice in Liberty County. Now the county farms about 7,400 and that's quite a change," he said. "With the change of the land usage comes a change of the user group. We had to get onboard quickly to fall in line with the change coming."

He discovered through his years of service on the Dayton Community Development Board and a stint on the Dayton city council, the possibilities for economic development in the county if you reach out to get it, he told chamber members at the monthly meeting of the Liberty-Dayton Chamber of Commerce luncheon on May 17.

Knight said he and his fellow commissioners began to look at economic development regionalism.

"We're in competition with Chambers, Harris, Montgomery, San Jacinto, and Hardin County. We're Liberty County - we're not just Dayton, Cleveland or Liberty. Not just Devers, Raywood or Ames. We're a team and we're going to treat it this way," Knight said.

And with that revelation and much more, Knight and commissioners developed a Strategic Plan for the county.

The 181-page document is on the county website and Knight said it was easy reading.

"We came into office in 2015 and it was obvious that there wasn't one here and so I got with Alexis Cordoba with the Agrilife Office and she in turn reached out to the Texas Target Communities group," the judge said. "They set up teams within the cities and mapped out a plan on where they wanted to go with this future growth," he said.

The entire program cost the county absolutely nothing coming from the Texas A&M system, but what they received was a gold mine of help and direction for the county's coming growth.

"Keep in mind that the strategic plan is a living document and in three to five years, will need to be updated," he said.

One of the successes of the current administration was the creation of a county-wide economic development group that included the three major cities in the county - Cleveland, Dayton and Liberty.

"We have meetings quarterly and discuss current and future projects, including the one south of Dayton," he said.

One of the major topics discussed in those meetings would be a county-wide drainage district.

Another of the accomplishments was the establishment of the Development Review Committee, an idea that has been adopted by other surrounding counties.

The group is comprised of the judge, commissioners, sheriff, emergency management, tax assessor-collector, the central appraisal district, Texas Department of Transportation, and superintendents from area school districts.

"Don't bring me a plat," the judge would say to developers. "Come and talk to us and tell us what you're wanting to do."

The judge said it's all about negotiations.

"They want something, we want something," he said.

The negotiations and neighborly bending the fork are what has inspired changes with the developer in the Plum Grove subdivisions from unrestricted to restricted communities that will soon have homes with a price point much higher than the shanties that littered the countryside.

The growth is well documented that is coming to the county and with it, a whole new set of developer tools that the county has never seen before. It has meant a learning curve for elected officials throughout the county who have had to pick up the differences between a MUD and a PID, or a TIRZ and a MMD - all of them ways for the developers to recoup some of their expenses on the front end with infrastructure.

"These negotiations have brought to us a deeper tax base from which to draw, too," Knight said.

With the additional revenue coming, the county will be better able to meet the needs of the growth and existing maintenance and law enforcement requirements.

With the growth goes out the door the days of abatements to attract new business, he said.

"Those days are gone. They're coming anyway," the judge said.

"We're the last explored area between Houston and Beaumont," he reminded chamber members.

The growth, he said, would be coming across the river for the next 10-20 years. According to land developers and their engineers, the growth could reach upward of more than 120,000-plus new people in the county in the next decade.

"What we want to do is to make sure we provide a good quality of life that I think you all deserve," he said.

The conundrum is that rooftops don't provide the finances necessary to run the county and cities, but industry does.

"That goes against my upbringing as a farm boy," Knight said, "but it's based on fact."

Knight said he's on the cusp of making a major announcement on negotiations with the railroad, but will save that for a date in the near future.

Knight has been called the 'workshop' judge because of his affinity for hosting the off-site meetings with commissioners and doing the business of the county before court.

In his first year, he hosted 33, the second year 43 and is on pace this year to reach 60, but, he says, it works.

"We are no longer just road commissioners, but administrators," he said.

That role will continue to change as the growth of the county reaches its pinnacle.

"I see a lot of good things happening for our county. I have a lot of interest and people calling every day asking about land out here," he said.

He gave some advice to those in the county who might be owners of large tracts of land.

"If someone wants to buy it, find out why," he said. "If they're wanting to build bad commercial or residential projects, you can help us help everyone and we can head it off before it becomes a problem."
President Donald Trump promised to be a better friend to Israel than Barack Obama was, but as the new U.S. president prepares to visit Israel, frustrations that soured U.S.-Israeli relations in the past are beginning to return.

Trump's insistence that he wants to bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the peace table, accompanied by overtures to Palestinians, have caused some second-guessing of Trump's motives on Israel's political right.

And despite effusive praise for Trump ahead of his visit Monday, there are misgivings within the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Privately, Netanyahu has groused that Trump's personal stake in what the president has called "the deal of the century" puts the Israeli leader in a difficult spot, former U.S. officials and others said.

The Trump administration is also poised to disappoint some in Israel and among his own supporters in the United States by reneging on a campaign pledge to quickly move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the capital, Jerusalem. Facing a June 1 deadline for a decision, Trump is now expected to defer a congressional mandate to move the embassy on grounds that doing so could ignite Arab violence and spoil chances for peace.

Some of Trump's domestic troubles are likely to follow him to Israel, too, amid reports that the classified secrets he shared with Russian diplomats this month had come from Israel. Israeli leaders have remained tight-lipped about the leaks, saying only that security ties between Israel and the United States remain strong.

"The security relations between Israel and its greatest ally, the United States, are deep, significant and unprecedented in their scope and their contribution to our strength. That is how it always was and how it always will be," wrote Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman in a tweet Wednesday.

The Netanyahu government is also playing down a diplomatic tiff over whether and how Trump would visit religious sites.

After a chaotic back-and-forth over his itinerary, Trump now plans to visit the Western Wall in East Jerusalem, one of the holiest sites in Judaism, but without Israeli officials or a U.S. statement that the sacred site belongs to Israel.

White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster pointedly refused to answer questions last week about Israeli sovereignty over an area where the United States has long maintained ownership should be decided through negotiations.

"We have not yet made a final decision about my visit to the Western Wall," Trump said in an interview with the Israel Hayom newspaper on Thursday. "We have great respect for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the decision to have the rabbi (of the Western Wall) accompany us was primarily because that is the custom at the site. It could still change."

Trump told the newspaper he believes he can hammer out a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

In the interview, Trump evaded the question of whether the U.S. Embassy would move to Jerusalem.

If Netanyahu hoped to score points by having Trump go against established protocol surrounding the Western Wall, he was disappointed, said Daniel Levy, a former Israeli peace negotiator who is president of the nonprofit U.S./Middle East Project.

"I think the Israelis were trying to pull a fast one on the administration" in hopes of showing how tightly aligned the two governments are and how much has changed since Obama, Levy said.

The Trump team knows pressure tactics when it sees them, Levy added. "I don't think they are falling for it."

Obama, like some U.S. presidents before him, was annoyed or worse by what his White House saw as Israeli intransigence and highhanded tactics. Trump's pledge to change the bitter tone of the U.S. relationship with Israel that had developed under Obama will not prevent Israel from trying to manipulate him, former U.S. and Israeli officials said.

Both Israel and the United States have far more reasons to emphasize the positive facets of their relationship and are unlikely to disagree in public, Levy and other analysts said.

Still, Israeli analysts have scoffed at what they call Trump's clumsy decision to skip a visit to the fortress city of Masada, where Netanyahu had invited Trump to speak. The U.S. explanation that Trump canceled the visit after being told that he could not land his helicopter atop the UNESCO heritage site was played for laughs in Israeli media.

Trump has also ruffled feathers by planning a relatively short stop at Israel's Holocaust memorial, a ritual for every American official on their first official visit to the country, former U.S. peace negotiator Martin Indyk noted on Twitter.

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog said disappointment with Trump is largely limited to members of Israel's "deep-right wing that were sure that President Trump would be working for them."

Trump's fierce pro-Israel stance has limits, and just like past U.S. presidents, Trump has his own agenda, Herzog suggested.

"The truth of the matter is - and I always knew and understood this - that whoever sits in the Oval Office and at helm of the United States understands the complexities and sensitivities of situation here."

Those complexities of religion, history, sovereignty and peace in the Middle East were somewhat foreign to Trump as a candidate, when he scorned Obama for what he called mistreatment of Israel and said little about the Palestinians.

In office, Trump has backed away from two decades of U.S. commitment to a sovereign Palestinian state and given Israel wider latitude to build homes in the Jewish settlements in the West Bank free of American rebuke. But he has also publicly advised Netanyahu against massive settlement construction now and invited Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the White House within weeks of hosting the Israeli leader.

Trump has also said he does not think a peace deal is as hard a task as it seems.

"I think most Israelis and the prime minister as well see President Trump as a welcome change to the previous U.S. administration, especially with regards to the basic entity of Israel and with regards to security and other matters," said Zalman Shoval, a former Israeli ambassador to the United States and onetime adviser to Netanyahu.

"The visit is very important because it highlights the strength of the relationship between Israel and America," said Israel's minister for regional cooperation, Tzachi Hanegbi, who is a close associate of Netanyahu. "There was never a president who came to Israel during the first few months of his term, and there was never a visit by an Israeli prime minister so early on his term."

Herzog said he was hopeful Trump would "bring with him what I call 'a break-the-impasse' " proposal for peace talks. "That is why there is a lot of anticipation of his visit."

Netanyahu's government says it is willing to hold direct negotiations so long as the Palestinians drop preconditions for talks.

Abbas appears more inclined to do that, perhaps as a gesture to Trump, several analysts said. Any accommodation of the Palestinians - including even holding talks - is likely to cause headaches for Netanyahu with the right flank of his coalition.

"What the Israelis would most like out of any U.S. administration is that we are behind them 100 percent and, ideally, that we help shift the pressure to the Palestinians," said Frank Lowenstein, a former U.S. special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

"If there is any frustration on the Israeli side, it's probably not that this administration hasn't been on their side - but it may be that they haven't taken the next step and really put the onus on the Palestinians."

---

Eglash reported from Jerusalem. William Booth, also in Jerusalem, contributed to this report.
Former vice president Joe Biden stirred the Democratic pot a little bit on Thursday night.

Appearing at the SALT hedge fund conference in Las Vegas, the possible 2020 presidential candidate weighed in on Hillary Clinton's 2016 candidacy in a way that Clinton supporters sure won't like.

"I never thought she was a great candidate," Biden said, according to reports. "I thought I was a great candidate."

Biden clarified, according to CNN, that "Hillary would have been a really good president." But that isn't likely to make Clinton supporters feel much better.

Biden isn't the first leading Democratic figure with possible designs on 2020 to apparently slight Clinton. Clinton's 2016 primary foe, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has repeatedly offered some version of this quote: "It wasn't that Donald Trump won the election; it was that the Democratic Party that lost the election."

Those comments have definitely rubbed some Clinton supporters the wrong way, and Biden's are likely to even more so, given how direct they were.

Of course, Biden isn't saying anything that most every election analyst already hasn't. You can make a pretty objective case that Clinton wasn't a great candidate, given she lost an election she was expected to win to an opponent who became the most unpopular president-elect in modern history. And even Clinton herself has acknowledged her shortcomings in appealing to voters.

"I am not a natural politician, in case you haven't noticed, like my husband or President Obama," she said at a Democratic debate in March 2016.

That's not a far cry from what Biden said on Thursday night. And in most situations, a party that lost a presidential campaign wouldn't so fiercely guard the good name of the candidate who lost - much less one who had just lost a second presidential campaign in eight years. Republicans, for instance, were only so happy to place the blame for their 2012 loss squarely on the shoulders of Mitt Romney and his failure to connect with real people. The same goes for Democrats and John Kerry in 2004.

So why not Democrats in 2017? Part of the reason is that they simply don't feel Clinton really lost. Russia's hacking, FBI Director James Comey's late announcement about her emails (and the media's coverage of that issue) and her popular vote win have combined to create a genuine sense that she was robbed - almost literally so. And Clinton has only fed that beast with her repeated comments dissecting the unfair reasons why she lost.

It's a delicate dance for the likes of Biden and Sanders right now. They want to emphasize that the party can do better, but in doing so, they risk alienating some very passionate and outspoken Clinton supporters with an almost religious sense of righteousness about 2016.

Perhaps it could be done more delicately, but to pretend Biden is wrong about Clinton not being a great candidate is to bury your head in the sand. And that's a pretty dangerous thing for Democrats to do right now.
The only Harris County judge to fight the county's defense of its controversial bail system has been notified he will not get his own lawyer to appeal the high-profile federal lawsuit that has divided county leaders.

Judge Darrell Jordan - one of 16 criminal court at law judges sued over the county's cash bail system - is fighting to keep a county-funded attorney who will carry his push to end the lawsuit to the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

First Assistant County Attorney Robert Soard, however, sent an email Thursday telling Jordan that the appeal for him and other judges will be handled as a group, even though Jordan disagrees with the other judges.

"By taking me out of the fight - by me not having an appellate lawyer - then I can't attack the unconstitutional grounds that they're coming from," he said. "My lawyer should be coming in, and we should be going over what the other judges have filed ... We should be telling the truth from my viewpoint."

He vowed to continue his challenge of the system.

"This fight is too important to just sit back and give up," he said in an email to the Chronicle.

Soard said Friday he could not discuss conversations between Jordan and the county attorney's office because of attorney-client privilege, but he said an attorney from his office is reviewing the matter.

In the email exchange with Jordan, however, Soard said the legal fight has centered on the county, diminishing the legal arguments needed on behalf of individual judges, the sheriff or six hearing officers also named in the case.

"Our office is of the opinion that additional filings on your behalf in this case are not appropriate or necessary at this time," he said in the email, a copy of which was provided by Jordan to the Chronicle. "We have been unable to identify any claim or defense that you may assert that is separate from that of the County or the other County Criminal Court at Law Judges acting as a legislative body."

Jordan has ardently supported a recent ruling by Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal that held the county's cash bail system unconstitutional, saying it keeps low-level defendants locked up while awaiting trial because they are too poor to pay for bail.

The judge ordered the county to begin a new system May 15 offering personal bonds to people facing misdemeanors, if they do not have additional charges or other legal constraints.

The appeals court ordered a temporary halt to the order while it considers the case.

The county has drawn criticism for its rising legal bills, which had reached close to $3 million for outside attorneys as of last week. The lawsuit has pitted county officials one against another over how justice is served in the third-largest county in the country.

Typically, the county provides legal representation when leaders are sued in their official capacity. Rosenthal's injunction targets the judges in their "legislative capacity," however, since the judges work together to set bail practices, according to Soard's email.

No judge named in the case has a personal attorney in the appellate process, said Melissa Spinks, the county's managing attorney for litigation.

Jordan said Friday, however, that he has been excluded from meetings where the 15 other judges discussed the case. He blamed County Attorney Vince Ryan for cutting off his legal representation.

"Vince Ryan has found a way to silence my voice," he said in an email. "I have no other lawyers to call for advice."

Soard said he was unaware of Jordan's allegation that he had been excluded from meetings, but said his office would look into it.

The exchange comes as the case itself remains in limbo. In her ruling on April 28, Rosenthal wrote that cash bail is no more effective than releasing defendants accused of low-level crimes on personal recognizance bonds while they await trial. Requiring cash bail treats poor defendants differently than those with the means to gain their own release, in violation of the U.S. constitution, she concluded.

Over the objections from Jordan and a slew of other county officials  including Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, District Attorney Kim Ogg and Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis  the county had argued in two separate motions filed by different teams of lawyers that Rosenthal's order would have upended the county's bail system and put the public at risk.

Now, both sides are waiting for the appeals court to decide whether to reverse Rosenthal's injunction or leave it in place, a decision that could be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. In either case, the case would still go to trial, barring a settlement.

The county has, in recent years, pushed for reforming the impact of its bail practices to minimize the impact on poor people who cannot afford bail while awaiting trial.

On July 1, the county is expected to implement a new "risk assessment tool" that would help judges and hearing officers release those accused of crimes pending trial if they pose a low risk to the public.

The county this month approved spending nearly $1 million to beef up its pretrial services department to help run the new risk assessment program and monitor those released.

On Tuesday, the Harris County Commissioners Court is expected to vote on funding eight new positions in the public defender's office. The public defenders would be present at bail hearings to help ensure those who cannot afford attorneys and are accused of a crime understand their rights and are not unfairly jailed.

Gabrielle Banks contributed to this report.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Two hours after a hit-and-run driver struck a bicyclist on Houston's northeast side, throwing his body into a roadside ditch, Tawana Atkins sent a text message to her sister, authorities said.

"I hit somebody sis," Atkins wrote about 5 a.m. April 27, according to a police office's sworn statement. "I don't know if they dead r not."

A minute later, she purportedly added: "I no im going to jail."

Authorities say Atkins' text messages tell a different story than the one she initially provided to a hit-and-run investigator who visited her townhome in southeast Houston last month. After the police investigator noted a Chevrolet Tahoe out front with a damaged front grill, Atkins, a 32-year-old mother of four, told the officer she had damaged her vehicle the previous day after hitting a telephone pole while driving intoxicated, police said.

Prosecutors and police Friday announced hit-and-run charges against Atkins as well as a man suspected in a separate crash last month. Police said at least one case would have been "virtually impossible" to solve without information from anonymous tipsters. Officials said hit-and-run cases are notoriously difficult to investigate and prosecute for lack of witnesses and evidence.

More Information Tips are vital Authorities asked anyone with information about unsolved cases to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. Tipsters may remain anonymous. See More Collapse

Kim Ogg, the Harris County district attorney, joined Houston police at the Crime Stoppers headquarters Friday to discuss the two cases and emphasize that drivers gamble when they flee from crashes: If they stay, they might face less severe penalties, or no charges at all. If they flee, they can face up to 20 years in prison.

The law enforcement officials warned that hit-and-run crashes in Houston are keeping pace with last year, when city police tallied 179 such crashes that left victims dead or seriously injured - 59 percent more than the average for the previous four years. A police captain said that while some drivers are intoxicated, many are distracted by cellphones.

The most recent hit-and-run crash came Thursday night when a 91-year-old woman was struck near a crosswalk on 15th Street in Houston's Heights neighborhood, police said. The woman was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital and rushed into surgery, but she did not survive. Police said they are looking for a driver who fled, possibly in a white Toyota SUV. Investigators think the driver might live nearby.

Victim's brother relieved

The collision that led police to Atkins happened in the early hours of April 27.

Reginald Lauderdale, a 54-year-old man who loved playing bass guitar, was on his bicycle in the 9500 block of Tidwell, said Capt. William McPherson, chief of the Houston Police Department's vehicular crimes unit. Lauderdale was struck from behind. The impact sent his body across the street into a ditch, where it was spotted about 3 a.m.

The crash knocked off part of a chrome front grill as well as a Chevrolet symbol, according to an officer's sworn statement. A tip came in through Crime Stoppers later the same day. The officer visited Atkins' residence and saw a brown Tahoe with matching damage, as well as a shattered front windshield where investigators later found short black hairs.

Atkins told the officer she was driving while intoxicated in that area when she struck a telephone pole, according to the sworn statement. When the officer told her it was a person who was struck - and that the victim had died - Atkins asked for a lawyer.

Police said they searched Atkins' cellphone and found a text-message exchange that morning. The sworn statement describes the text messages as follows:

At 6 a.m. she wrote: "I fina gt rid of that truck." That afternoon, the two texted about selling the vehicle to Auto Trader.

Atkins was arrested Thursday and charged with failure to stop and render aid.

Lauderdale's 49-year-old brother said Friday that he was relieved.

"It changed a whole lot," Randy Lauderdale said. "That let me know for sure, God answers prayers, that God never sleeps. Whatever is done in the dark will come to light.  I'm glad that there are good people out there who called and turned that person in. I just want to talk to them and thank them and hug them. Because if it weren't for them, I really thought this person wasn't going to be caught."

Though he said he still hurts deeply after the loss of his only sibling, he added that the chance for justice "brought a little hope to me and my family."

Motorcyclist killed

The second crash discussed Friday came the day after Lauderdale's death, when Jose Portillo was struck and catapulted off his motorcycle on Westheimer near Eldridge shortly before 1 a.m. April 28.

Police say David Legate, 32, crossed over the concrete median and drove his brown Toyota Tacoma pickup westbound in the eastbound lanes, hit Portillo's motorcycle head-on, then crossed back over the concrete median as he drove away without stopping. Portillo was taken to Ben Taub Hospital, where he died.

The impact was severe enough that it left pieces of Legate's brown Tacoma strewn across the roadway, according to an officer's sworn statement. The debris included the driver's side mirror, part of the front grill and the lower half of a license-plate holder that included the dealer's name.

A tip came in to Crime Stoppers the same day after a neighbor noticed damage to Legate's vehicle. When an officer interviewed Legate, he said he was involved in a crash but did not remember the details. He asked for a lawyer. He was arrested May 12 and charged with failure to stop and render aid.

"We had very little to work on," McPherson said of both cases. "Then we got a tip through Crime Stoppers. This tip led us directly to our suspect's vehicle."

Neither Atkins nor Legate had previously faced felony charges in Harris County. As of Friday, both remained in the Harris County Jail with bail set at $30,000. Atkins does not yet have a defense attorney listed, and Legate's appointed lawyer did not respond to requests for comment.

Andy Kahan, a crime victims' advocate in the mayor's office, said finding hit-and-run perpetrators can help the families left behind.

"Grief is intensified when justice is lacking," Kahan said. "Sadly, justice is still lacking for many of these cases."

Kahan helped push the Legislature last decade to eliminate the statute of limitations on the crime, which used to be three years.

Sean Teare, the top Harris County prosecutor for vehicular crimes, said drivers often get off without charges if they stay at the scene of a crash. Even when drivers are intoxicated, they might face only misdemeanor charges if the victim was at fault, such as crossing outside of a crosswalk.

Jail time for drunken driving is generally less than a year, and first-time offenders often benefit from diversion programs that allow treatment rather than jail time. Failure to stop and render aid, on the other hand, carries the same punishment range as intoxication manslaughter: two to 20 years in state prison.

One official shared a common slogan: "If you run, you're done."

Margaret Kadifa contributed to this report.
Grand Prairie Police Department

A 23-year-old teacher in North Texas was arrested Thursday after being accused of an improper student-teacher relationship.

Derek Fuller, 23, is a Grand Prairie High School math teacher who police said was involved with a female student who is younger that 14, reports the Star-Telegram.
Last October, we were in the midst of debate preparation for Hillary Clinton when news of the "Access Hollywood" tape broke. The senior Clinton team immediately wondered what the event's impact would be. Would there still be a debate two days later? Would Donald Trump show up? Would his running mate, Mike Pence, take his place? How could Trump survive?

Trump not only showed up for the St. Louis debate that Sunday, he stood on the stage and told Clinton that if it were up to him she'd "be in jail." Ten days later, Trump insisted at the Las Vegas debate that allegations made against him by nine women of groping and other unwelcome physical contact were so baseless that he "didn't even apologize to [his] wife" for his actions. Twenty days after that, Trump was elected president of the United States.

The lesson: It is dangerous to underestimate Trump's survival skills. And so, as the appointment of a special counsel to investigate the Russia mess has Washington buzzing with nascent impeachment talk, 25th Amendment scenarios and rumors about resignation, it is worth remembering how tenaciously Trump pursued power, along with five key assets he has to maintain his grip on it.

First, while he is proving to be an incompetent president, Trump is an incredibly skilled politician. He did not come to the presidency by accident: He spent 30 years laying the groundwork for his run - attacking President Ronald Reagan on trade in the 1980s, putting out a campaign book in 2000, forcing President Barack Obama to release his birth certificate in 2011. He vanquished an all-star GOP field in 2016 - beating a Bush, the Republicans' Obama (Marco Rubio) and lionized candidates such as Scott Walker and Chris Christie. He resoundingly won the Republican primary in New Hampshire. He was the host of a top-rated television show for almost a decade: no small communications achievement.

Second, there is the power of the presidency, and Trump's ability to use its allure as a bulwark against accountability. Trump's staff may feud with one another, but - with two family members ensconced in the West Wing - they seem prepared to defend him by any means necessary. Well-regarded people - such as national security adviser H.R. McMaster and Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein - have shown a willingness to sacrifice their own credibility to protect Trump. And a retinue of prominent law firms appear ready to provide legal and public relations cover in defense of Trump and his family.

Third, there is the desire of many observers to try to normalize Trump and get "back to business." This obviously includes most Republican members of Congress, who have shown a penchant for dismissing concerns about Trump so long as he continues to pursue an agenda of repealing Obamacare and cutting taxes.

But this instinct extends beyond partisans: Remember how media commentators, including some liberal voices, acclaimed Trump's presidential leadership after one well-executed speech three months ago? It might take shockingly little - a successful foreign trip next week or progress on Obamacare repeal in Congress - for pundits to conclude that he is "back on track."

Fourth, there is the intensity of his most devout supporters. While Trump has falsely boasted about many things, he was probably right when he said that he "could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody" and still maintain their support. Trump's "tribal" supporters back him, not because of what Trump does or says, but because they want the affiliation they enjoy as Trump supporters. While these hard-core supporters were not sufficient to put Trump in office - experts believe this group is 25 percent to 40 percent of the electorate - even at the lower end of that range, they make up a majority of Republican primary voters in most Republican-held districts. That is a powerful check on Republican senators and representatives who might stand up to Trump - as House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., learned when he was booed in his own district for distancing himself from Trump during the "Access Hollywood" conflagration.

And fifth, there is the frightening risk that Trump's die-hard supporters are more devoted to Trump than they are to the rule of law. The United States prides itself on being "a government of laws, not of men," but polls show that an increasing number of Americans generally, and Trump supporters specifically, have "lost faith in democracy." Sinclair Lewis's brilliant novel "It Can't Happen Here" portrayed an alliance between populist rhetoric and corporatist policies that established an iron grip on government and trampled legal accountability. A Trump campaign email, sent the day the latest Comey allegations emerged, echoed Lewis's depiction, labelling the growing scrutiny of Trump as "sabotage," accusing government officials of being against an "America First agenda" and urging supporters to "be prepared to go into the trenches to FIGHT."

Trump is down but not out. Indeed, he may even be at his most dangerous in "wounded animal" mode. The effort to hold him accountable for any abuses of power will face formidable obstacles in the weeks and months ahead. He should not be underestimated.

---

The writer, a Post contributing columnist, served as a senior White House aide to Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and was a senior adviser to Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign.
Editor's note: Mexican journalist Javier Valdez Cardenas received the 2011 International Press Freedom award from the Committee to Project Journalists. He was honored for his courageous work covering organized crime, namely Mexico's drug cartels. "In Mexico, he does something which can get you a bullet in the back of the head at any moment: report the news," then-CNN executive Mark Whitaker said as he introduced Valdez. On Monday, Valdez was murdered in an apparent ambush near the offices of the news weekly he founded in his home state of Sinaloa. What follows below is the speech he delivered at the CPJ awards on Nov. 22, 2011.

Good evening. Many thanks to the Committee to Protect Journalists for this distinction, which for me is unparalleled.

I have nourished my withered soul with expressions in the streets, embraces and handshakes, and words in which I have taken shelter. This International Press Freedom Award is the finely aged and nutritious sum of all those embraces. When Carlos Lauria informed me, I thought it was a cruel dream, and now I don't want to be woken up.

I have been a journalist these past 21 years and never before have I suffered or enjoyed it this intensely, nor with so many dangers. Where I work, Culiacan, in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico, it is dangerous to be alive, and to do journalism is to walk on an invisible line drawn by the bad guys - who are in drug trafficking and in the government - in a field strewn with explosives. This is what most of the country is living through. One must protect oneself from everything and everyone, and there do not seem to be options or salvation, and often there is no one to turn to.

Thus it is important to count on family and friends, journalists and media outlets like the newspaper La Jornada, for which I am a correspondent, and the weekly Riodoce, of which I am a founder.

In my books, "Miss Narco" and "The Kids of the Drug Trade," published by Aguilar, I have told of the tragedy Mexico is living, a tragedy that should shame us. The youth will remember this as a time of war. Their DNA is tattooed with bullets and guns and blood, and this is a form of killing tomorrow. We are murderers of our own future.

This is a war, yes, but one for control by the narcos. But we the citizens are providing the deaths, and the governments of Mexico and the United States, the guns. And they, the eminent, invisible and hidden ones, within and outside of the governments, they take the profits.

I dedicate this award to the brave journalists, and to the children and youths who are living a slow death. I have preferred to give a face and a name to the victims, to create a portrait of this sad and desolate panorama, these leaps and bounds and short cuts towards the Apocalypse, instead of counting deaths and reducing them to numbers.

This award is like a lighthouse on the other side of the storm, a safe harbor beyond the tempest. At Riodoce, we have experienced a macabre solitude because nothing that we publish has reverberations or follow-up. And that desolation makes us more vulnerable. Despite all of this, with all of you, and this award, I can say that I have somewhere to take shelter, and to feel less alone.
Jason Bean valued being able to become bowl eligible with Kansas
Pittsfield Looking to Standardize Park Signage

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  The new sign for Durant Park will be the model for all park signs in the future.

Parks and Open Space Manager Jim McGrath presented the design to the Parks Commission on Tuesday, showing a fairly basic sign with letter naming the park, the city's seal, and a note that it is overseen by the Parks Commission. McGrath said the signage replicates the standard signs at the city's conservation areas except with a green background instead of maroon.

"We'd like this commission to be thoughtful about is this the right sign and I think it is," McGrath said, hoping that the sign will become the template for all parks signs.

As of now, the city parks have differing signs. McGrath hopes to slowly replace those over time starting with the new sign at Durant, which had already been budgeted. There the two-sided signs will be placed at both entrances.

"They are very simple and straightforward in their design," he said. "The idea is that the view from the road, they all have a consistent look."

McGrath said the plan isn't to do a wholesale replacement of park signs but when resources come together. McGrath said the city does have a sign shop in-house as well a good relationship with Pixley Signs to get the work done.

Chairman Simon Muil liked the design McGrath presented.

"I think short, sweet, and to the point," he said.

Parks Commissioner Anthony DeMartino suggested possibly adding an established date as well. McGrath said that is possible, but warned about the most recent attempt to do so. When the city rebuilt the First Street Common the design plans used 1870 as a placeholder with the intent that the established date would be verified.

"That was never verified," he said.

A Google search pulled up a copy of "The History of Pittsfield, Massachusetts from the year 1876 to the year 1916" by Edward Boltwood. That showed the Common was established as a city park in 1883. So the date carved into the stone outside of the Common is wrong.

"The detail that was in the construction plans showed the construction of this sign wall," McGrath said.

After Durant Park, the next new sign would likely be at Clapp Park. McGrath said he is currently working with the Rotary and the Buddy Pellerin Field Committee on applying for a state grant for a large renovation of that park.

"That grant will go in in July and there is not match required by the city, that is being paid by the partners," McGrath said. "It is a big visible project for the city with some really good, strong partners."

Christopher Porter Park on Highland Avenue has a similar interest in revitalization. Porter's family has raised some $23,000 and on Tuesday the Parks Commission accepted a donation of new playground equipment for the park.

"This is intentionally designed to be a very colorful playground," McGrath said. "That's exactly what we want and that is exactly what the family wants."

Currently, the park only has two swing sets and a slide. The new equipment will replace those. The family is also looking for new picnic tables and benches. As for a sign though, the Parks Commission raised eyebrows about a sign the Porter family constructed and erected on the site. Commissioners felt the sign's size was too jarring and expressed concern that the commission was not notified of the construction.

Nonetheless, they still thanked the Porter family for all of the efforts they have put into the park.

McGrath said he'd like to replace the sign with one that fits the newly accepted design.

Durant Park is scheduled to get a new shelter. McGrath said Greylock Federal Credit Union donated $25,000 for the new shelter and it has been ordered. But, the installation is dependent on city resources and donated labor so scheduling the installation has become somewhat challenging.

"We're going to do what we can to get this thing in," McGrath said.

As for the future dog park at Burbank , McGrath said he is working on getting a preliminary design and cost estimates to go with the city's application for funding from the Stanton Foundation. But, he emphasized that the city won't build it unless the friends group, a volunteer effort to manage and oversee the operations, is formed.

"We absolutely need to make sure this is a committee that is well functioning and has the resources they need," McGrath said. "This dog park isn't going to be built until we are confident that we have the right people."

Dog parks tend to lend themselves to more stewardship by nature but if there isn't a strong group, the park could go south quickly, McGrath said. As the design unfolds and grants are applied, he's hoping the friends group can become a strong force as well.

Springside Park will also see some temporary new structures. Chris Parkinson and Tessa Kelly are heading the Mastheads project, an art, history, and residency program. The two are constructing small writers studios based on historical authors in the city. The buildings will then be open to resident writers to work out of. In total five are being construction with one eyed to be in Springside Park.

"They are basically open air pavilions," Parkinson said, adding that the small structures will be brought in on a trailer in July and placed inside the park. It will be removed at the end of the project.

"I anticipate very little disruption to the landscape," he said. "It is pretty minimally invasive."
State Sen. Adam Hinds met with BRPC on Thursday to discuss his work and hear the commission's concerns.

Hinds Gives BRPC Updates From the State House

LENOX, Mass.  Local organizations have great long-term plans for the future of Berkshire County. But, state Sen. Adam Hinds said the state needs to get the "fundamentals right" before that can take hold.

Hinds spoke with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission on Thursday and reviewed the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. He said 1Berkshire also has a similar blueprint with how to revitalize the Berkshire economy. But, both plans are still two or more years away, he said.

"In the interim, we need to double down on getting high-speed internet right and double down on education," Hinds said.

The Pittsfield Democrat said population loss is straining municipal and school budgets and the county's median household income is trending well below state average. The lack of high-speed internet is making business development difficult.

"Unfortunately it is easier and easier to make the case that there is more need for investment in the western part of the state," Hinds said.

When it comes to broadband, Hinds said the Massachusetts Broadband Institute's push to bring broadband to all corners of the commonwealth only gets the county "to the starting line, not the finish line." He said the Senate has asked for a full accounting of the program and has requested town-by-town updates on a regular basis.

Once that is done, "then we can start talking about what are going to be our regional strategies."

When it comes to broadband, BRPC's Mount Washington representative Jim Lovejoy is concerned with the quality of the service. Last year, the state loosened up the requirements for a private company to provide internet. The state is now incentivizing companies like Charter to expand services.

But Lovejoy said those offered services may not be as good of quality for businesses.

"It seems we are setting our sights too low," Lovejoy said. "If we are talking about economic development we need the infrastructure."

BRPC Executive Director Nathaniel Karns said there are federal regulations in place because of the Charter's merger with Time Warner Cable to upgrade 80 percent of the "legacy systems" across the nation. But, Karns is concerned that Berkshire County could end up being part of that 20 percent that is not upgraded.

Sheffield BRPC representative Rene Wood said Charter recently pulled the Springfield news station WWLP, cutting a tie to Boston and state coverage. She said if Massachusetts is going to provide the money for a rollout, then the company should have to provide Massachusetts programming and not lump the Berkshires in with the Albany, N.Y.

Hinds said he's not happy with the decision to pull the channel either but, changing the region the county is in for television service is a federal thing. He's hoping U.S. Rep. Richard Neal will help with that.

"I'm hugely disappointed that a major tool of communicating with constituents is being torn away," Hinds said.

Another concern of Hinds is Eversource's proposed rate hike. Hinds said the last time such an increase was approved, three Berkshire mills were shut down. He believes if the rate hike is approved, it could be devastating to Western Massachusetts.

Hinds also discussed the ongoing budget. Next week the Senate will start deliberations on the Senate Ways and Means budget.

"I've pretty happy with the senate version of the budget. When it comes to education, it takes steps toward early education and the foundation budget," Hinds said.

But, the state is facing a $462 million revenue shortfall so, "this is not the budget year or the revenue year to take on major investments."

Nonetheless, increases to the foundation budget for education funding is "putting a flag in the ground and saying this is something we need to get serious about as a state."

Hinds said Massachusetts looks really good on paper in a number of ways but there is a disconnect, a disconnect he said leading to the state failure to balance a budget.

"It shouldn't come as a surprise that we can't balance the budget because our economy is out of balance," Hinds said.

He used the workforce figures as an example. On paper, the state is ahead in job growth. The same number of jobs were created from 1995 to 2000 as were from 2010 to 2015. However, the income increases for the more recent five-year period is half that of the previous period.

"Employment has shifted from higher-paying sectors to lower-paying sectors," Hinds said.

He is also calling for changes to the tax code, particularly with what's known as the Fair Share Amendment, to help generate revenue. He estimates the current tax code is missing out on $3.5 billion in revenue.

Wood raised additional concerns because a number of programs BRPC provides to rural towns had been cut in the Senate's budget  particularly the District Local Technical Aid program. Small towns rely on BRPC's technical assistance with municipal projects because many cannot afford to pay full-time staff.

"We depend on Berkshire Regional Planning Commission to have that money to help us," Wood said.

The funds for BRPC's help on such planning projects had been "zeroed out," Karns said. Meanwhile, Pittsfield City Planner CJ Hoss said the state is considering major overhauls to zoning regulations, which will require a heavy amount of work with no state funds to help pay for it.

Hinds said those funds are in negotiation currently. As for unfunded mandates like Hoss mentioned, Hinds said there is a bill under consideration that will require any such new laws be coupled with a financial study to make it clear to lawmakers the impact it will have on towns. He hopes that will help contain some of those issues.
The Grade 6 Boys Advisory Group explain their plant project at Thursday's School Committee. PreviousNext

Clarksburg School Committee OKs $2.44M Budget for Fiscal 2018

CLARKSBURG, Mass.  The School Committee on Thursday approved a school budget of $2,448, 000 for fiscal 2018, down 4 percent over this year.

The budget, which as been essentially level funded the last couple years, was cut by some $103,000 as the behest of town officials. Clarksburg is again grappling with difficult budget season and voters will see a total budget trimmed by some $120,000 at next week's town meeting.

"We will be using more [school] choice money than we have used in the past," said Superintendent Jonathan Lev. "It's not an easy budget for next year, it will be a struggle. We will have less in our choice account than we've had the last couple years."

He anticipated that the school would have to lay off some paraprofessionals and possibly cut programs. At the same time, the school will have to add a kindergarten teacher to accommodate a growing number of incoming kindergartners.

The budget will go before town meeting next Wednesday, May 24, at 6:30, at the school. Prior to that meeting, the School Building Committee will hold an informational session on plans for a renovated elementary school at 5 p.m.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority recently accepted the committee's preferred project, a renovation and addition.

"Now we are moving into the schematic design that will just further get our thoughts and look at everything a little more closely," Lev said.

He encouraged residents to attend the informational meeting, which will include a PowerPoint presentation and will have both the architect and the project owner's manager there for questions.

"This is not just for the school, it's for the whole community," Lev said. "We would love to have people come ... we will try to answer as many questions as we can."

Principal Tara Barnes said the kindergarten teacher had not been hired yet but room would be found in the budget somehow. A grant will fund some transitional, informal classes for the incoming kindergarteners a few days a week leading up the beginning of the school year. How many and how long will depend on the amount of interest.

Parents had expressed concern over the size of the incoming kindergarten class at previous meetings. They did not want to get into a situation as had happened several years ago when the class became outsized and a teacher was added during the school year, finding it too disruptive.

Barnes said 22 children had been confirmed to attend kindergarten and three more families were expected to complete registration. With 25 children, it was decided to split the class and add five school choice spots. That would create two equal classes of 15 each and offer room if any new children moved into town over the summer.

The board voted to approve five choice slots.

In other business, Barnes said testing for the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System had been completed that day. She also updated the board on some school activities including after-school sessions in reading, cooking and knitting being funded by the Parent-Teacher Group.

Boys in the Grade 6 Advisory Group also made a presentation about their Mother's Day project. They used their recess time to grow some 180 seedlings for the other children to take home to their mothers.

The board continued discussion on a deliquent paid-lunch policy and were provided a new policy on residency to review. Lev said the school does not have a standard on determining residency for children attending the school.

"We just realized that everybody else had a policy and we just needed to get one on the books," he said.
Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Netflix's controversial Cannes film festival debut was received warmly by spectators who gave the film a four-minute standing ovation.

Bong Joon-ho's animal rights drama Okja, which stars Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal, premiered at the French festival yesterday (19 May) after a morning press screening for journalists generated boos due to a technical glitch which saw the film halted for 15 minutes.

Last week, Spanish director Pedro Almodovar threw a cloud of uncertainty over how the film would be judged after stating all competing films should be ones with a guaranteed theatrical release. Okja will only be available to watch on streaming service site Netflix.

The films to know about at Cannes 2016 Show all 14 1 /14 The films to know about at Cannes 2016 The films to know about at Cannes 2016 Julieta Director: Pedro Almodovar

Starring: Adriana Ugarte, Emma Suarez

What's it about? The Spanish filmmaker's 20th film is based on three short stories from Alice Munro's 2004 book, Runaway which tracks a woman's search for her missing daughter. The films to know about at Cannes 2016 American Honey Director: Andrea Arnold

Starring: Sasha Lane, Kate Mara, Shia LaBeouf

What's it about? In British filmmaker Andrea Arnold's (Red Road) American road movie - her first film set and filmed outside the UK - a teenage girl who gets caught up in a whirlwind of hard partying as she crosses the Midwest with a band of misfits. The films to know about at Cannes 2016 Personal Shopper Director: Olivier Assayas

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Lars Eidinger, Nora von Waldstatten

What's it about? Stewart reteams with French filmmaker Assayas following Clouds of Sils Maria for this ghost story set in the fashion underworld of Paris. The films to know about at Cannes 2016 It's Only the End of the World Director: Xavier Dolan

Starring: Lea Seydoux, Marion Cotillard, Vincent Cassel

What's it about? Xavier Dolan (Mommy) returns with this film based on the play Juste la fin du monde which tells the story of a terminally ill writer who returns home after 12 years to announce his impending death. The films to know about at Cannes 2016 Paterson Director: Jim Jarmusch,

Starring: Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani

What's it about? An original film from Amazon Studios that follows Paterson, a bus driver in the city of Paterson, New Jersey who lives an inhibited life compared to that of his wife, Laura. The films to know about at Cannes 2016 I, Daniel Blake Director: Ken Loach

Starring: Dave Johns, Hayley Squires, Micky McGregor

What's it about? Written by Paul Laverty (the man behind Loach's Palme d'Or winner The Wind That Shakes the Barley, the film follows the titular protagonist, a joiner who seeks financial felp from the state following an illness. The films to know about at Cannes 2016 Loving Director: Jeff Nichols

Starring: Joel Edgerton, Michael Shannon, Marton Csokas

What's it about? Jeff Nichols' Midnight Special follow-up tracks an interracial couple based in Virginia sentenced to prison in 1958 for getting married. The films to know about at Cannes 2016 The Handmaid Director: Park Chan-wook

Starring: Kim Min-hee, Ha Jung-woo, Kim Tae-ri

What's it about? The Oldboy director's latest South Korean film follows an heiress who falls in love with a petty thief. The films to know about at Cannes 2016 The Neon Demon Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Starring: Elle Fanning, Jena Malone, Keanu Reeves, Christina Hendricks

What's it about? Winding Refn's third consecutive film to compete for the Palme d'Or, this horror thriller follows an aspiring model who moves to Los Angeles where 'her vitality and youth are devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will take any means to get what she has.' The films to know about at Cannes 2016 Cafe Society Director: Woody Allen

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Blake Lively

What's it about? Woody Allen's latest will open the Festival. It is a New York romantic comedy set in the 1930s with a cast including Steve Carell, Parker Posey, Corey Stoll and Judy Davis. The films to know about at Cannes 2016 The BFG Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Mark Rylance, Rebecca Hall, Bill Hader

What's it about? Based on the Roald Dahl classic, the story follows a young girl named Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) who befriends a friendly giant. The films to know about at Cannes 2016 Money Monster Director: Jodie Foster

Starring: George Clooney, Jack O'Connell, Julia Roberts

What's it about? A money-oriented live TV show is interrupted when the presenter is taken hostage by a blue-collar worker compelled to turn to violence following his recent financial losses. The films to know about at Cannes 2016 The Nice Guys Director: Shane Black

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe

Reason to see: Shane Black (Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang) and his razor sharp wit return in a comedy set in 70s LA. The films to know about at Cannes 2016 Captain Fantastic Director: Matt Ross

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Frank Langella, Kathryn Hahn

What's it about? In the forests of the Pacific Northwest, a father who devoted his life to raising his six kids with an irreverent education is forced to leave his paradise and enter the 'real' world.

Following this, Cannes festival bosses introduced a new rule that only films with a theatrical distribution in France would be able to compete in future.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, most of the crowd's cheers were reserved for the film's young star, South Korean actor Ahn Seo-hyun.

 Okja - trailer

Okja tells the story of young girl Mija (Seo-hyun), who lives deep in the forests of Gangwon Province, South Korea. It will be available on Netflix worldwide from 28 June.

Netflix has one other title in competition, Noah Baumbach's The Meyerowitz Stories, which will compete alongside films including Sofia Coppola's The Beguiled and Wonderstruck from Carol filmmaker Todd Haynes.
Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Sony's Marvel spin-off focusing on Spider-Man villain Venom has found its lead actor in Tom Hardy.

According to reports, the Oscar-nominated actor is in final negotiations to play the character under the guidance of Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer. He is said to be playing Eddie Brock, the first character to become the alien symbiote, in the film which has been written by Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner (The Amazing Spider-Man 2, 2014).

The project, which was announced earlier this year, is set to be released 5 October 2018.



Having been forced to cancel the planned Sinister Six film, Sony is rebooting its Marvel-affiliated slate with Spider-Man: Homecoming which will serve as Tom Holland's first solo outing as the web-slinger.

The studio is also prepping films focused on other characters from the Spider-Man universe, including Silver Sable.

Venom, created by writer David Michelinie and artists Todd McFarlane and Mike Zeck, was first introduced in 1968. The character was one of many villains to appear in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3 in which he was played by Topher Grace.

Hardy's credits include The Dark Knight Rises, The Revenant, Legend and Christopher Nolan's upcoming WWII drama Dunkirk.
Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The Arctic stronghold known as the Doomsday Vault, which was designed to protect the worlds most precious seeds from global catastrophe, has been flooded by melting ice.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, built to preserve humanitys food sources in the event of man-made or natural disasters, was breached after rising temperatures sent water gushing through its entrance tunnel.

The doomsday crypt is located deep within a mountain on the northern Norweigian island of Spitsbergen and lies beneath a thick permafrost which had been expected to provide impregnable protection.

Its high-security doors were closed in 2008 and were not expected to be opened for many generations.

But a dramatic rise in Arctic temperatures during the hottest year ever recorded melted ice and brought heavy rain during winter, when snow would typically have been falling.

The meltwater froze in the entrance tunnel and did not infiltrate the seed bank itself, which stores millions of packets of samples from the worlds most important crops. But the breach has raised questions about the the vaults ability to survive disasters.

Hege Njaa Aschim, spokeswoman for the Norwegian government, which owns the seed bank, told The Guardian: It was not in our plans to think that the permafrost would not be there and that it would experience extreme weather like that.

It was supposed to [operate] without the help of humans, but now we are watching the seed vault 24 hours a day. We must see what we can do to minimise all the risks and make sure the seed bank can take care of itself.

She added: We have to find solutions. It is a big responsibility and we take it very seriously. We are doing this for the world.

The vaults managers have installed pumps to remove water if it is flooded again and are working to make the entrance tunnel waterproof. They must now wait to see if soaring temperatures seen at the end of 2016 were a one-off or part of a longer trend.

The Arctic has experienced much sharper rises in temperature in recent decades than the rest of the world, with Spitsbergen an astonishing 8C to 11C higher in winter than the average between 1961 and 1990.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Afghanistan's Vice President may remain exiled in Turkey following claims he ordered thugs to beat and rape a political rival in a scandal that rocked the country.

Abdul Rashid Dostum, 63, allegedly commanded ten bodyguards to abduct Ahmad Eshchi and then joined in as they tortured the politician with an assault rifle at his private compound in Kabul last November.

The former warlord denies any involvement and has been guarded by his militiamen while prosecutors investigate and decide whether to bring charges.

Afghan officials have subsequently confirmed the Vice President has flown to Turkey.

General Dostum later insisted the trip was for medical reasons, according to a statement issued by his office.

I have remained with my people in difficult circumstances, and I am concerned about the security situation in the country, it said, according to the New York Times.

After completing the medical checkups, I will return to the country in a short while.

General Dostum has been linked to a string of war crimes committed during Afghanistan's civil war.

Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear Show all 16 1 /16 Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2001 Afghans at the Killi Faizo refugee camp desperately reach for bags of rice being handed out to the thousands who escaped the bombardment in southern Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. (Chaman, Pakistan, December 4, 2001) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2002 Mahbooba stands against a bullet-ridden wall, waiting to be seen at a medical clinic. The seven-year-old girl suffers from leishmaniasis, a parasitical infection. (Kabul, March 1, 2002) All photos Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2003 A mother and her two children look out from their cave dwelling. Many families who, fleeing the Taliban, took refuge inside caves adjacent to Bamiyans destroyed ancient Buddha statues now have nowhere else to live. (Bamiyan, November 19, 2003) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2007 Students recite prayers in a makeshift outdoor classroom in the Wakhan Corridor, a mountainous region in northeastern Afghanistan that extends to China and separates Tajikistan from India and Pakistan. (Northeastern Afghanistan, September 2, 2007) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2007 Bodybuilders in the 55-60 kg category square off during a regional bodybuilding competition. Many Afghan men, like others around the world, feel that a macho image of physical strength is important. (Kabul, August 6, 2007) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2008 A woman in a white burqa enjoys an afternoon with her family feeding the white pigeons at the Blue Mosque. (Mazar-e-Sharif, March 8, 2008) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2009 Addicts inject heroin while trying to keep warm inside the abandoned Russian Cultural Center, which the capital citys addicts use as a common gathering point. Heroin is readily available, costing about one dollar a hit. (Kabul, February 9, 2009) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2009 An elderly man holds his granddaughter in their tent at a refugee camp after they were forced to flee their village, which US and NATO forces had bombed because, they claimed, it was a Taliban hideout. (Surobi, Nangarhar Province, February 7, 2009) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2009 Seven-year-old Attiullah, a patient at Mirwais Hospital, stands alongside an X ray showing the bullet that entered his back, nearly killing him. Attiullah was shot by US forces when he was caught in a crossfire as he was herding sheep. (Kandahar, October 13, 2009). Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2010 US Army Sargeant Jay Kenney (right), with Task Force Destiny, helps wounded Afghan National Army soldiers exit a Blackhawk helicopter after they have been rescued in an air mission. (Kandahar, December 12, 2010) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2010 An Afghan National Army battalion marches back to barracks at the Kabul Military Training Center. (Kabul, October 4, 2010) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Eid Muhammad, seventy, lives in a house with a view overlooking the hills of Kabul. He and millions of other Afghans occupy land and housing without possessing formal deeds to them. (Kabul, November 21, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Razima holds her two-year-old son, Malik, while waiting for medical attention at the Boost Hospital emergency room. (Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province, June 23, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Young women cheer as they attend a rally for the Afghan presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani. (Kabul, April 1, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Burqa-clad women wait to vote after a polling station runs out of ballots. (Kabul, April 5, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2015 Relatives, friends, and womens rights activists grieve at the home of Farkhunda Malikzada, who was killed by a mob in the center of Kabul. Farkhunda was violently beaten and set on fire after a local cleric accused her of burning a Quran. (Kabul, March 22, 2015) Paula Bronstein

He was previously accused of having a political rival beaten and raped, and travelled to Turkey for an extended period in 2008 following the claims.

Afghanistan's President, Ashraf Ghani, invited the powerful Uzbek warlord to join the country's national unity government six years later.

Nobody has been arrested or charged following Mr Eshchi's allegations last year.

The latest development is seen as a blow to Western-backed efforts to promote the rule of law in the country.

Afghan attorney general Mohammad Farid Hamidi said the case is under serious investigation".

Additional reporting by agencies
Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley has accused the Conservatives of waging war against young people in a speech outlining the partys manifesto pledges.

Mr Bartley, who heads up the party with Caroline Lucas, pledged to ban unpaid internships and to improve improve conditions for renters in the private sector at a campaign event in London.

Launching policies written by young people, Mr Bartley said the Green Party will match Labours promise to abolish tuition fees and cancel all student debt.

Mr Bartley said that as the father of three children  the oldest of whom is 18 and about to go to university - he worries constantly about their prospects.

Not a day goes by when I dont now worry about their future. Will they be able to get a job thats both rewarding and pays the bills? Will they find a secure place to live? Will they even get a foot on the housing ladder?

How will they manage to carry that debt they are burdened with from university as they are trying to raise their own family as this Government transfers the public debt and hangs it around the necks of young people?

As a parent, I sometime feel absolutely powerless to help.

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

Mr Bartley accused the Tories of conspiring to make life harder for young people through policies such as the removal of housing benefit for under 25s and attacked the Liberal Democrats for breaking their promise not to increase tuition fees, which were hiked to 9,000 a year under the coalition government.

He said the Green Party's youth policies would ensure all interns and trainees are paid the minimum wage, attacking Government minister Matthew Hancock, who once said young people are not productive enough to warrant being paid the living wage.

The party's manifesto also pledges to introduce rent controls and more secure tenancies for private renters.

Mr Bartley said he knows leaving the EU is a huge concern for many younger voters, who are more likely to have wanted to remain than their older relatives .

He said: Together we can build a raft for young people negotiating the Brexit storm.

Young people have the most to lose from an uncertain future outside the EU, and we're promising a referendum on the final Brexit deal, with the chance to stay in the EU if voters don't like the Government's deal.

The ACC in Liverpool hosted the UK Green Party conference (PA)

Mr Bartley worked on former Conservative Prime Minister John Majors campaign team when he was challenged for leadership by John Redwood in 1995, but has denied he was ever truly a Tory, instead describing himself as a former "floating voter".

He is a descendant of the Quaker prison reformer, Elizabeth Fry, and has said he identifies with the "non-conformist" tradition of social reform.

As the father of a disabled son, he famously clashed with former Prime Minister David Cameron in 2010 over the Tories policies around mainstream school places for children with disabilities.

The Labour Party is also promising to help younger people with pledges to abolish tuition fees and restore maintenance grants and the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for 16-18 year-olds.

Labour is also pledging more funding for school-based counselling to improve mental health and to end cuts to youth services.

The Liberal Democrats are attempting to win back the youth vote by re-introducing housing benefit for young people and extending the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds, as well as offering rent-to-buy deposit free homes for young people.

The Conservatives, who have frequently been attacked for hitting young people hardest through spending cuts while protecting the interests of the grey vote, have pledged to improve technical education and to widen access to mental health care in schools. Young people will also be given the right to be forgotten on social media by erasing anything posted online before their eighteenth birthday.

There has been a push to encourage more young people to have their say at the ballot box this time around, after just 43 per cent of those aged 18-24 voted at the 2015 general election, according to Ipsos Mori, compared to a turnout of 78 per cent among the over 65s.

Current opinion polls show Labour 19 points ahead of the Conservatives among 18-24-year-olds, although this is reversed among older age groups, with the Tories still around 15 points ahead overall.
Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

You dont actually have to give Lynton Crosby millions of pounds to know that political parties win when they keep things simple, even if it would appear to help.

In a crowded field, that is arguably the Labour Partys gravest problem. In messaging terms, the Conservatives whittled themselves down to a single person and a single phrase long ago.

Meanwhile, the complexity of the challenge facing Labour requires the party to transform itself into an electoral tundra. Simultaneously at risk from pro-EU Liberal Democrats in their London heartlands, and from Ukip and and the Conservatives in northern seats they have not lost in decades.

Every candidate, in every part of the country, will need to have different things to say. Every battleground is different. Every fight a bespoke fight.

Attempts to quantify what might happen vary wildly. But if a degree of dignity is to be maintained its arguable that 72.8 per cent Remain-voting Bermondsey and Old Southwark in the south, and 69.6 per cent Leave-voting Hartlepool in the north will need to stay red. In the former, the Lib Dems eye a comeback. In the latter, local elections earlier this month showed the Ukip vote is holding up better than anywhere in the country.

Its a formidable task.

I asked Labours candidates in both places, Neil Coyle and Mike Hill, if they were confident of victory. Mr Coyle said he was optimistic. Mr Hill said hopeful.

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

But how do they square such a formidable electoral circle?

Forty-four year-old Coyle had not yet been an MP for two months before he decided to make himself one of the required 36 Labour MPs to sign leadership nomination papers for an obscure long time backbencher by the name of Jeremy Corbyn. When Labour was hammered in local elections less than a year later, he wrote an article for the Guardian saying he now regretted that decision. It was co-authored with his friend Jo Cox. Blairs old strategist John McTernan chose less hesitant language. He called them both morons.

At his campaign launch in a room above a pub off London Bridge, Coyles strategy appeared to start and end with visceral hatred of the Lib Dems.

Simon Hughes, a Lib Dem grandee, if such a thing is possible, is standing again, having held the seat for years until his voters deserted him for Labour and Coyle in 2015.

Coyles hopes are two-fold: That the betrayed Lib Dem voters of 2010 have not yet forgiven them. And that anyone who subsequently might feel betrayed by Labour over Brexit will recognise they have not been betrayed by him personally.

Im not going to distance myself from what I said about Jeremy Corbyn, he told The Independent, as local volunteers put out sausage rolls on tables covered with paper tablecloths. We need better leadership.

 McDonnell claims Labour is 'going to win' after pensioners abandoned by May

But it is my name on the ballot paper, not Jeremys. Voters have a straight choice between me and Simon Hughes.

Simon Hughes broke his pledge with the electorate here, by not voting against tuition fees, voting eight times for the bedroom tax, which four thousand people are paying in this constituency. There are families denied access to justice as a direct consequence of his cuts to legal aid, for which he was the minister. I speak to them all the time.

They turned against the Lib Dems here in 2015 because Simon Hughes was working for the Tories and not for the people of Southwark.

In 2015 I promised I would never vote for anything that would harm this community. I have kept that promise, even when it has meant voting against the Labour whip in the House of Commons.

Ive kept consistent. I campaigned against leaving the European Union. None of the facts or the evidence have changed. I voted against triggering Article 50. I voted against the Brexit Bill.

He did indeed, but his party voted for it, in overwhelming numbers, a fact that is not lost on the people of Southwark who have, in recent years, not needed too many excuses to vote Lib Dem. You would think the yellow Brexit siren call would be overwhelming, but Coyles views on this are intriguing, and not unreasonable. He actually blames the Lib Dems for Brexit itself.

Ask the people here who they saw, out on the streets, campaigning for Remain. They saw me. I was out every weekend, every night. They didnt see Simon Hughes. But its not just about that.

Former Lib Dem Justice minister Simon Hughes (Susannah Ireland)

The Lib Dems cannot pretend for a second that their contribution to the coalition did not affect that referendum result. The proxy for that result was immigration. It was people saying, I cant get a GP appointment for me and my family and my kids. I cant get that. So there was a blame game, and cuts in public services contributed to that blame game. And who was cutting those services? The Lib Dems were there doing all that, right behind the Tories. Five years of coalition cuts contributed to that referendum result. Theres no doubt about that.

Mike Hill, a library worker turned trade union official, has lived in Hartlepool for 18 years.

He watched Labours decimation in the local elections with horror, not least the horrendous defeat to the Conservatives in the Teesside mayoralty contest, for which his constituency forms part of the electorate. But inside the shockingly bad news, there was something that could arguably be re-badged as hope.

Labour won here, Ukip second. Tories third, he said. Elsewhere, all over the country, Ukip voters jumped ship to the Conservatives in overwhelming numbers. If Ukip hold on to their support in Hartlepool, it could be sufficient for him to hold on to the narrow lead his predecessor Iain Wright maintained at the general election in 2015, where Ukip came frighteningly close to stealing a seat that has been Labour since the 1950s.

None of this is to say, however, that Hill doesnt have an overwhelmingly thankless task on his hands. Labour is supporting Brexit, of course, but they are late to a cause that has come to usurp all others around here.

Pro-EU supporters gather outside a pub in Hartlepool ahead of a visit by UKIP leader Paul Nuttall (Getty Images)

My campaign is all about being positive about the town, he said. My campaign is about championing the place. It is about celebrating the place and taking the town forward. Showcasing Hartlepool, its infrastructure, its jobs, unique industries like engineering. Its basically a positive approach to supporting aspirations.

It was in a Hartlepool chippy of course, where a notorious New Labour myth was born. The towns last but one MP, Peter Mandelson, was out campaigning when he is said to have ordered cod and chips, pointed to the mushy peas and said, And Ill have some of that guacamole please.

The storys not true, but that it is so well known says much about Labours historic divisions. It was, in fact, an American intern, working with senior Labour figures, who did the deed. But it was Neil Kinnock who spread the tale far and wide. Back then, Labours internal conflicts were almost jovial. Their nature has not changed, only the volume.

Its a town that voted 70 per cent to leave, says Hill. I acknowledge thats the will of the people of Hartlepool. What we need is strong engagement with the EU as Brexit takes place. We need to use the Brexit negotiations to protect the interests of the workers.

What were getting on the doorstep and what were going to get more of, is people who voted for Brexit, but who didnt vote for a Brexit that would damage their economy. They didnt vote for a Brexit that will impact their jobs and livelihoods. We need a Brexit that is in the best interests of the people of Hartlepool.

I asked Hill if Brexit is in the interests of the people of Hartlepool. The pause is so long the election may well have been and gone.

We need to approach Brexit in an aspirational sense, he eventually said. Thats the best approach to it.

As a northern town weve benefited greatly from EU investments. Wed miss that funding if we didnt find alternatives. But we aspire to find alternatives. If you look at growth in industries, like the dismantling of offshore oil platforms, which is huge in Hartlepool, like the nuclear industry, like engineering, like aeronautical engineering, the alternatives are there.

For Labour to win in Southwark, Coyle needs voters to hold their nerve. He makes the point that, for those considering going back to the Lib Dems, whose messaging on Brexit appears to be less ambiguous, there is no guarantee they will not be betrayed again.

People in this constituency know my position and know where I stand.

I hope voters know that its my name on the ballot paper. The Lib Dems cannot be trusted. [Tim] Farron has been careful in his wording. He has not ruled out coalition with the Conservatives. That party could conceivably be in a position where it has to support Brexit.

There is, of course, a real risk that his could be one of one of the more extraordinary parliamentary careers of recent times, of which there will certainly be a few. To be returned to Parliament with a realistic expectation of serving a Labour government, and to then be chucked out again two fifths of the way through a supposedly fixed five year term, having borne witness to political pyrotechnics on a scale rarely seen.

Its been, he pauses. Its been Ugh. It is a sigh to end all sighs. His shoulders almost strike the floor. Jo Coxs murder was the worst day of my life. The referendum was a disappointment. To have seen a country turn in on itself, and not to have facilitated within families the conversations that could have changed it  that was a big disappointment. Then weve had internal problems, and people within the Labour Party trying to smear and intimidate me.

UK Independence Party leader Paul Nuttall knocks on the door of a resident during a visit to Hartlepool (Getty Images)

Things could have been better. But I really do genuinely enjoy the job.

The local election results on 4 May left Hill uncertain quite who it is he has to beat on 8 June, Ukip or Conservative. Since then, it has been suggested Ukip leader Paul Nuttall should have stood in Hartlepool, not Boston and Skegness, given the now high likelihood it will be Hartlepool that returns the highest Ukip vote in the land. But Mr Hill has his thoughts on that.

People here want a local candidate, he says. (It is almost amusing to consider that the most Eurosceptic corner of the country had, for decades, Mandelson as its MP.)

The Ukip candidate is a local councillor. Thats why its holding up. If you ask me who I need to beat, Ukip or the Tories, its both. We need to beat both.

I hope the voters will listen to our policies, and back a local candidate whose only aim is to champion their views.

One thing is certain. In both places it will be close. Southwark will decide who has betrayed it the least. Hartlepool will decide if, after more than half a century of monogamy with Labour, whether it is still the party that stands for who it is.

Both are hoping for the best. But it is hope, not confidence.
Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

MI5 reportedly opened a file on Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn amid concerns over his willingness to enter into dialogue with members of the IRA.

The security agency is believed to routinely keep files on people of interest, including political activists and campaigners. Archived documents have revealed Mr Corbyn attended several events supporting the militant Republicans during the 1980s and 1990s.

An unnamed source reportedly told The Telegraph: If there was a file on someone, it meant they had come to notice. We opened a temporary file and did a preliminary investigation. It was then decided whether we should open a permanent file on them.

A spokesman for the Home Office said they could neither confirm nor deny who M15 kept files on in the interests of national security.

The Metropolitan Polices Special Branch reportedly monitored Mr Corbyn at around the same time because of his involvement with anti-racist groups, but it is unclear whether intelligence was shared between the organisations. The MI5 file is reported to have been opened "by the early 1990s".

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said: M15 kept files on many peace and Labour movement campaigners at the time, including anti-Apartheid activists and trade unionists.

M15 has previously come under fire from privacy organisations for keeping files on leading left-wing historians and academics, including Eric Hobsbawm and Christopher Hill, who were both once members of the Communist Party.

Nobel prize-winning author Doris Lessing was also spied on by the security service for 20 years  long after she had abandoned her youthful interest in communism.

At the height of the troubles, Mr Corbyn was a backbench MP for Islington North and appeared at a number of Republican protest events, along with his long-time friend, the now Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell.

Mr Corbyn was arrested in 1986 for joining a protest outside the Old Bailey intended to show solidarity with members of the IRA including Patrick Magee, who was later convicted of the Brighton bombing.

Recommended The history of collusion between MI5 and the IRA

The Labour leader was criticised by families of IRA last year after he failed to explicitly condemn the group during a telephone interview with BBC Radio Ulster.

When asked if he condemned the IRA, he replied: I condemn all bombing, it is not a good idea, and it is terrible what happened.

But supporters of the veteran left-winger have said his relationship with Republicans should be viewed in the context of the successful peace talks which followed.

He consistently called for a peace process while maintaining his support for a united Ireland throughout his backbench career. Shortly after he entered Parliament in 1983, he said the large Irish population in his constituency had voted for him to be their MP with a clear 'Troops Out' ticket".

Former Home Office minister Chris Mullin has described Mr Corbyn as being ahead of his time because of his willingness to hold dialogue with Republicans when few other politicians would dare to do so for fear of upsetting popular opinion on the UK mainland.

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn told The Telegraph: Jeremy campaigned for peace in Northern Ireland. To do so, he campaigned for the rights of all to be respected and spoke to people on all sides of the conflict.

Jeremy campaigned for fair trials and against miscarriages of justice, after a series of well publicised cases, such as the Guildford Four and the Birmingham Six.

Prime ministers including Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Edward Heath held secret talks with the organisation during their premierships, according to files released by the National Archives or contemporaneous newspaper reports.
Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry was wrong to claim Labour could abandon its commitment to the UKs nuclear deterrent, the party's defence spokeswoman has said.

Nia Griffith, the shadow Defence Secretary, slapped down the suggestion that Labour would review Trident if it came to power and insisted the issue was already settled.

Labours manifesto said the party backed the renewal of the nuclear weapons programme, but speaking to the LBC radio station, Ms Thornberry said she was sceptical about Trident and indicated the party could drop its support.

Asked if she could guarantee Trident renewal would remain Labour policy following a defence review, she said: Well no, of course not, if you are going to have a review, you have to have a review.

But Ms Griffith told BBCs Newsnight: With all due respect, Emily is not the shadow Defence Secretary  I am.

We had a long meeting on Thursday at which we agreed the manifesto and nobody has raised the issue of removing the Trident nuclear deterrent from our manifesto. That was agreed last year, that we would have it as a part of our defence review that we had last year as part of our national policy forum process.

Asked if Ms Thornberry was wrong to state Labour was going to review its commitment to Trident, she replied: Indeed.

The party was fully committed to a nuclear deterrent, Ms Griffith added.

With all due respect, Emily [Thornberry] is not the shadow Defence Secretary  I am, says Nia Griffith (PA)

Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, has long advocated unilateral nuclear disarmament but appears to have accepted he would struggle to persuade a majority of his party colleagues to back his position.

The partys manifesto states: Labour supports the renewal of the Trident nuclear deterrent. As a nuclear-armed power, our country has a responsibility to fulfil our obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty. Labour will lead multilateral efforts with international partners and the UN to create a nuclear-free world.

Sir Michael Fallon, the Conservative Defence Secretary, last month said voters had been left completely unsure as to what would actually happen to our nuclear deterrent under a Corbyn government.

He said the Prime Minister would be prepared to use Britains nuclear weapons as a pre-emptive initial strike.

Sir Michael added: In the most extreme circumstances, we have made it very clear that you cant rule out the use of nuclear weapons as a first strike.
Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Theresa May has failed to convince the public that the Conservatives are the party of the workers, according to an exclusive poll for The Independent by ORB.

Despite the Prime Ministers election pitch to ordinary working class people, the public believes by a margin of 2-1 that Labour would do the best job of representing the working class.

Only 19 per cent of the bottom DE social group and 23 per cent of C2 skilled manual workers believe the Tories would best represent the working class, while 46 per cent and 43 per cent name Labour respectively.

A majority of people in the North West, North East, Yorkshire and Humberside and Wales, all being targeted by Ms May, think Labour would be the best party for the working class. Even 26 per cent of people who voted Tory at the 2015 election say Labour would do the best job, while half of them (52 per cent) choose the Tories.

Overall, 47 per cent of the public think Labour would best represent the working class, while 23 per cent opt for the Tories and 4 per cent the Liberal Democrats.

Tory strategists insist the Prime Minister is broadening the partys appeal. She has campaigned in several traditional Labour areas and launched the Tory manifesto in Halifax on Thursday. She has promised the greatest extension of rights and protections for employees by any Conservative government in history.

 Theresa May launches the Conservative manifesto

Ms May, who admitted in 2002 that the Tories were seen as the nasty party, has not yet convinced voters that the label no longer applies.

According to ORB, only one in three people (35 per cent) agree that the Conservatives can no longer be called the nasty party, while the same proportion disagree and 30 per cent neither agree nor disagree. Only 12 per cent strongly agree with this statement but 21 per cent strongly disagree.

One in 10 people who voted Tory at the last election believe the nasty tag still applies, while another 20 per cent are not sure and 70 per cent say the party can no longer be called nasty.

Labour and the Lib Dems claimed this week that the Tories are still the nasty party. Their supporters appear to agree. Only 13 per cent of Labour and 23 per cent of Lib Dem voters in 2015 believe the label no longer accurately describes the Tories.

According to ORB, only one in three people (34 per cent) agree that a Conservative landslide next month would be good for the country, while 39 per cent disagree and 27 per cent neither agree nor disagree.

While two in three people who voted Tory two years ago think a landslide would be good for the country, the same proportion of Labour voters and 60 per cent of Lib Dem voters in 2015 disagree.

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

ORBs findings suggest that the warnings by rival parties and their individual candidates that Ms May is on course for a landslide could potentially reduce her majority. Three in 10 people (28 per cent) say the prospect of a Conservative landslide means they would consider voting for another party, including 15 per cent of 2015 Tory voters, 45 per cent of Lib Dem and 41 per cent of Labour supporters. But 42 per cent of people, including 70 per cent of Tory voters last time, would not consider backing another party.

Ms May seems to have persuaded the public that winning a big majority next month would strengthen her hand in the Brexit negotiations. By a margin of 2-1, they agree that she is likely to get a better deal for the UK if she enjoys a big majority (48 per cent to 25 per cent). One in four 2015 Labour voters (27 per cent) agree with this proposition.

Some 49 per cent of people believe the Tories would do the best job in getting a good Brexit deal, including one in four 2015 Labour voters. One in five people (19 per cent) say Labour would get the best deal, while 6 per cent say the Lib Dems would.

The Tories are well ahead on the economy. Some 47 per cent say they would do the best job, including 17 per cent of 2015 Labour voters and 34 per cent of Lib Dem supporters. Only one in four people (26 per cent) name Labour.

However, many people appear to doubt the Tories credentials on health. Some 29 per cent think the party would do the best job on the NHS while 43 per cent believe Labour would, including one in five people who voted Tory two years ago.

ORB interviewed 2,095 adults across the UK on Wednesday and Thursday
Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Senior Tory ministers including Boris Johnson and Liam Fox have accepted luxury food hampers as gifts from the Saudi Arabian government despite criticism of the country for its human rights record and contributing to a famine by bombing civilians in neighbouring Yemen.

The Saudis have gifted Conservative ministers 20 luxury food hampers costing around 200 each since the party came to power in 2010, according to official government records analysed by The Independent.

Campaigners said the hampers were a garish sign of friendship between the autocracy and Whitehall, noting the irony of food hampers being given while millions starved due to Saudi bombs.

The United Nations has warned that seven million people are in danger of starving to death in Yemen, which has been the subject of a bombardment by Saudi Arabian warplanes since 2015.

In January the UN said the death toll from the intervention, on the side of the internationally-recognised Yemeni government, had reached 10,000 people. It has also said the Saudi-led coalition is responsible for most of the civilian casualties in the conflict against Houthi rebels.

Ministers Mr Johnson, Mr Fox, Greg Hands and Tobias Ellwood have all accepted hampers since the start of the Saudi bombardment of Yemen in April 2015, with the other ministers accepting them before. Lib Dem Vince Cable also accepted a hamper in 2011. After being accepted most of the hampers were retained by the ministers departments, with some used for hospitality or passed on elsewhere.

The Foreign Secretary was also given a solid metal/silver horse ornament in September last year by the countrys foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir. The horse is being held by the Foreign Office.

The Saudi dictatorship has one of the worst human rights records in the world  it executes its critics and treats women appallingly. Its bombing campaign in Yemen has killed thousands and pushed millions to the edge of starvation, Joe Lo of Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) told The Independent.

This garish sign of friendship is all too typical of the close-knit relationship between Whitehall and the Saudi regime. The UK Government should be using its influence to stand up for those suffering in Yemen, not accepting luxury hampers from those that are bombing them.

The Government is currently defending a High Court legal challenge against CAAT over the issue of arms exports to Saudi Arabia. Ministers have continued to sign off arms exports to the country despite reports of the bombing of civilians and advice from the chief civil servant in charge of export control that it should be paused.

As many as 460,000 children face severe malnutrition in Yemen and 70 per cent of the population struggle to feed themselves (Reuters) (REUTERS/Naif Rahma)

Targets reportedly hit by the Saudi Arabian coalition in Yemen include schools, hospitals, wedding parties and food factories.

Theresa May last month defended Britains ties to the autocratic country, while Donald Trump made the nation the first stop on his first foreign tour.

Rather than just standing on the sidelines and sniping, its important to engage, to talk to people, to talk about our interests and to raise, yes, difficult issues when we feel its necessary to do so, the Prime Minister said.

The situation in Yemen Show all 14 1 /14 The situation in Yemen The situation in Yemen Houthi supporters trample on a US flag during a gathering mobilizing more fighters into several Yemeni battlefronts, in Sana'a, Yemen EPA The situation in Yemen People carry the coffins of men, who were killed in the recent Saudi-led airstrikes during their funeral, in the Old City of Sanaa, Yemen AP The situation in Yemen Pro-government fighters give food to Yemeni children on the road leading to the southwestern port city of Mokha. Yemeni rebels are putting up fierce resistance in a key Red Sea port city where they are encircled by pro-government force Getty Images The situation in Yemen A Yemeni stands in front of a graffiti protesting US military operations in war-affected Yemen, in Sana'a, Yemen. According to reports, US Special Forces troops allegedly disembarked from US helicopters in the Yemeni town of Yakla and attacked several houses belonging to members of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, killing three high-ranking Al-Qaeda members and nine civilians, six women and three children. One American serviceman has been killed and three injured in the attack EPA The situation in Yemen US Special Forces troops allegedly disembarked from US helicopters in the Yemeni town of Yakla and attacked several houses belonging to members of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, killing three high-ranking Al-Qaeda members and nine civilians, six women and three children. One American serviceman has been killed and three injured in the attack EPA The situation in Yemen A Yemeni female fighter supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels, and carrying weapons used for ceremonial purposes, takes part in an anti-Saudi rally in the capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen Yemeni female fighters supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels, and carrying weapons used for ceremonial purposes, take part in an anti-Saudi rally in the capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen A boy shouts slogans next to pro-Houthi fighters, who have been injured during recent fighting, during a rally held to honour those injured or maimed while fighting in Houthi ranks in Sanaa, Yemen Reuters The situation in Yemen Balls of fire and smoke rise from a Houthi-held military camp following alleged Saudi-led airstrikes, in Sana'a, Yemen EPA The situation in Yemen Yemenis search under the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen A Yemeni boy looks on as Yemenis search under the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa Getty The situation in Yemen A Yemeni boy sits amidst the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa AFP/Getty The situation in Yemen Marine One with US President Donald Trump flies with a decoy and support helicopters to Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, for the dignified transfer of Navy Seal Chief Petty Officer William 'Ryan' Owens who was killed in Yemen Getty Images The situation in Yemen US President Donald Trump aboard the Marine One to greet the remains of a US military commando killed during a raid on the al Qaeda militant group in southern Yemen on Sunday, at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, US Reuters

An HM Government spokesperson said: The Government has clear and strict rules in place on ministers accepting gifts or hospitality and all gifts are received in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

A Conservative spokesman said: These are not personal gifts that ministers have received  the goods are typically donated to charity or retained by departments. Governments of all political colours routinely receive gifts from diplomats.
Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Nadine White Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter The Race Report Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

The Race Report email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

A Ukip parliamentary candidate has been suspended for sending a series of racist tweets calling Africans animals and questioning whether the Holocaust was bad.

The party said it would launch a full investigation into the allegations against Wiltshire North candidate Paddy Singh, whose membership was also suspended.

Mr Singh sent a series of extreme messages from his personal Twitter account in which he attacked Pakistanis, Africans and the Chinese as animals, and described Israelis as typical present day Nazis.

The tweets were brought to light by political action group Hope not Hate, which described Mr Singhs page as a reliable fount of wild racism and antisemitism.

Mr Singh did not respond to The Independents request for comment, but confirmed to the BBC that he posted the tweets.

He said he had never been racist and did not mean any offence.

Instead of tweeting immediately in anger, I should have reflected on the articles and tweeted the next day, he said. I will definitely reflect on what I say, and will not write anything spontaneously in anger.

Mr Singh stood for the party in the recent Wiltshire Council elections, receiving just 49 votes (3.6 per cent).

Recommended Take this general election quiz to find out who to vote for

North Wiltshire is a safe Conservative seat with the party holding a 21,046 majority over the Liberal Democrats in 2015. The Ukip candidate was third with 11.5 per cent of the vote.

A Ukip spokesperson told The Independent: Mr Singhs party membership has been suspended while we investigate these allegations and we are no longer endorsing him as our candidate in this general election.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

A 14-year-old boy could be registered sex offender for life after being arrested over his relationship with his 12-year-old girlfriend, his lawyer has warned.

The teenager from Harris County, Texas has been charged with aggravated sexual assault after having consensual sex with the girl, who was a year below him at school.

The boy's mother said she feared her son will be classed alongside paedophiles and rapists, a prospect she described as "sick".

She added: "He had consensual sex with his little girlfriend and he loved her. They were boyfriend-girlfriend. And because he turned 14, they want to make him a sex offender, put him on the registry with paedophiles and child molesters - really sick and dangerous people."

He faces the charges despite a legal defence, sometimes known as a "Romeo and Juliet" rule, that allows some juveniles to have sex with someone within three years of their age.

The exemption does not apply if one of the parties is under the age of 14.

Joseph Gutheinz, the boy's lawyer, told the Houston Chronicle: "The idea that a 14-year-old who has sex with a person just a little bit younger then him or her would be treated as the worst of the worst in our society and placed on the sex offender registry is really sick."

The attorney, who spoke on the condition his client was not identified, said the boy's family were "going through hell".

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

He said the teen would not have faced charges if he was 13, adding: "Because he was 14 by two months, they want to ruin his life. What kind of life is he going to have if he's a sex offender?"

The Harris County District Attorney's Office did not respond to requests for a comment.

But experts said the case could be dismissed if the boy's lawyers can prove the sex was consensual.

Jackie Stewart Gravois, an attorney with the Harris County Public Defender's Office, added: "That's going to be up to the discretion of the prosecutor."
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Twitters co-founder has publicly apologised for the role the social media platform might have played in the election of Donald Trump.

In an interview with the New York Times, Evan Williams was asked about remarks made by Mr Trump in March when he said: I think maybe I wouldnt be here if it wasnt for Twitter.

Its a very bad thing, Twitters role in that, Mr Williams admitted. If its true that he wouldnt be President if it werent for Twitter, then yeah, Im sorry.

Mr Trump has 30 million followers on his personal account on the platform and was known as a prolific tweeter well before he announced his intention to seek the Republican nomination for presidency.

Since entering the White House and taking control of the @POTUS (President of the United States) Twitter handle, he has 17 million followers of that account.

The platform was used extensively by his supporters during the presidency to advocate him and to denounce Hilary Clinton  although it was also well utilised by his detractors.

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 President told Fox Newss Tucker Carlson: I think that maybe I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Twitter, because I get such a fake press, such a dishonest press. I mean, if you look at  and I'm not including Fox, because I think Fox has been fair to me, but if you look at CNN and if you look at these other networks.

Recommended Donald Trump Twitter analysis reveals the secrets behind his tweets

Mr Trumps prolific and often combative style of tweeting has been under scrutiny since he took office with recent reports that close aides have intervened to urge him to tone down some of his posts.

The Wall Street Journal reported that members of his team warned Mr Trump his tweets risked painting him into a corner both politically and legally.

In the interview with New York Times  a newspaper repeatedly attacked by the President as a failing organisation, despite its plethora of journalism awards  Mr Williams admitted that Twitter has its downsides, including an attraction for extremists and those who seek to abuse and insult others.

I thought once everybody could speak freely and exchange information and ideas, the world is automatically going to be a better pace. I was wrong about that.

Mr Williams has stepped down from his role as CEO of Twitter and is working on a new blogging platform, known as Medium.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

A pair of US Air Force fighter jets were scrambled to escort an American Airlines flight after a disturbance involving a passenger.

The plane was flying from Los Angeles to Honolulu International Airport when a Turkish national and named as Anil Uskanil reportedly tried to force his way into the cockpit.

The FBI did not disclose exact details of the incident but he was subdued by an off-duty law enforcement officer. No injuries were reported and the flight landed safely.

The incident prompted Pacific Command to dispatch a pair of F-22 fighter jets to intercept the passenger plane.

Command spokesman Dave Benham said they "escorted the airliner to the airport in accordance with homeland defence procedures. Local law enforcement responded once the civilian airliner was on the ground," .

Federal authorities are preparing a criminal complaint to charge Uskanil with interference with a flight crew, FBI special-agent-in charge Paul Delacourt said at a news conference.

He also added that it was "unclear what [Uskanil's] motivation was".

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) police said separately that Uskanil had been detained, questioned and released hours earlier after he was caught by security going through a terminal concourse door leading out to the airfield.

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

Los Angeles airport police spokesman Rob Pedregon said Uskanil was a ticketed American Airlines passenger with a boarding pass who had cleared security screening but claimed that he lost his way because he was slightly drunk.

As he did not appear to meet the criteria for public drunkenness, police let him go with a citation for misdemeanour trespassing.

The incident at the airport took place nearly three hours before the first flights of the day and Mr Pedregon said it was not usual for passengers to mistakenly go through unauthorised doors.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Steve Harvey, the US comedian and host of television show Family Feud, has been accused of torturing his ex-wife in a $60m (46m) lawsuit.

The 60-year-old star allegedly carried out prolonged torture" and inflicted "severe mental pain" on his former partner Mary Harvey - claims he "vehemently denies".

According to the lawsuit she attempted suicide after Mr Harvey acknowledged a nine-year affair with a woman that produced a child.

The claim, filed at Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday, states: The Plaintiff was threatened, arrested and placed under gag order, to keep the information she knew from becoming public to protect the defendants [sic] public image.

The intentional infliction of emotional distress went well beyond emotional anguish and concludes with anxiety, heart attack, stroke, hypertension, immune system disturbances, ulcers and degenerative neurological disorders."

Mr Harvey's lawyer, Brandon Williams branded the case - alleging child endangerment, torture, kidnapping and other counts - meritless and frivolous.

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

He told SFGate: Mr Harvey vehemently denies any allegations set forth in the lawsuit.

The complaint is meritless, frivolous and the allegations are completely false. We will vigorously defend/counterclaim against the complaint.

The stand-up comic rose to fame hosting The Steve Harvey Show and the Miss World pageant, where he announced the wrong winner in 2015.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The driver of a car that ploughed into a crowd of pedestrians in New York's Times Square told police he wanted to "kill them all" and said officers should have shot him, according to prosecutors.

Richard Rojas said he had been smoking marijuana laced with the hallucinogenic drug PCP before what detectives believe was an intentional attack, a court heard.

The has been charged with murder and multiple counts of attempted murder, in connection with incident which claimed the life of an 18-year-old girl and injured 22 other people at the New York tourist hotspot.

He murdered in cold blood, said assistant district attorney Harrison Schweiloch.

 Video shows wrecked car that drove into pedestrians in Times Square

Rojas, wearing the same red T-shirt and jeans he was photographed in a day earlier, appeared subdued. He did not enter a plea and was held without bail.

His lawyer, Enrico Demarco, had no comment, while family and friends who attended the hearing cried outside court and did not speak to reporters.

Rojas, who lived with his mother in the Bronx, drove his car from his home to Manhattan, then made a U-turn in Times Square.

He steered his car onto a pavement and ploughed through helpless tourists for three blocks before crashing into protective barriers.

Recommended Driver charged with murder after Times Square car crash

Alyssa Elsman, of Portage, Michigan, was killed. Her 13-year-old sister was among the injured.

A friend of Miss Elsman said her family went on a trip to New York each year.

Olivia Lemke said: She was just selfless. She always wanted to make people happy. Thats all she ever cared about."

Three people were still in critical condition with serious head injuries on Friday and a fourth was being treated for a collapsed lung and broken pelvis.

Richard Rojas appeared in court charged with murder and attempted murder on Friday (AP)

Photographers snapped pictures of a wild-eyed Rojas after he climbed from the wrecked car and ran through the street waving his arms. A group that included a security supervisor at a nearby Planet Hollywood restaurant tackled him.

After he was detained, he said he wanted to kill them all and police should have shot him to stop him, a prosecutor told the court.

Rojas had glassy eyes, slurred speech, and was unsteady, during his arrest, the criminal complaint said. Officials are awaiting toxicology results.

PCP, or phencyclidine, can cause users to become delusional, violent or suicidal, according to the US National Drug Intelligence Centre.

Rojas enlisted in the Navy in 2011 and served for part of 2012 aboard the USS Carney, a destroyer. He spent his final months in the Navy at the naval air station in Jacksonville, Florida.

In 2012, he was arrested and accused of beating a cab driver who he claimed had disrespected him by trying to charge too much, according to the arrest report.

The arresting officer said Rojas screamed, my life is over as he was being detained.

Alyssa Elsman, 18, was killed by Rojas's car (Facebook)

After his arrest, Rojas told the officer he was going to kill all police and military police he saw following his release from jail, the Jacksonville sheriffs office report stated.

Alan Ceballos, an attorney who represented Rojas in that case, said the state charges were dropped after the military stepped in to take jurisdiction over the criminal case.

Navy records show that in 2013 Rojas spent two months at a naval prison in Charleston, South Carolina. He was discharged in 2014 as the result of a special court martial, a Navy official said.

He will next appear in court over the Times Square attack on May 24.
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The US and Saudi Arabia have reached a $110bn-plus arms deal, significantly expanding the longstanding security relationship between the two countries, the White House has said.

Hours after landing in Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh, the Presidents first stop on his foreign trip, Donald Trump and Saudi King Salman signed a series of agreements that included a military sales agreement of about $110bn, effective immediately, plus another $350bn over the next decade.

The White House said this package of defence equipment and services supports the long-term security of Saudi Arabia in the face of Iranian threats.

Alongside the United Arab Emirates, the Middle Eastern country is currently conducting a military campaign in neighbouring Yemen against Houthis, a rebel group believed to be financially and militarily supported by Iran.

Mr Trump appears to be taking a tougher stance on Iran compared to his predecessor Barack Obama, pleasing Saudi Arabian officials. The Obama administration halted some arms sales to Saudi Arabia last year out of concern that the weapons would be used to bomb civilians in Yemen. The Trump administration has freed up those weapons, which are part of the $110bn package, the New York Times reported.

According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Saudi Arabia is the top destination for US arms, with the kingdom purchasing about 10 per cent of US exports from 2011 to 2015.

The latest arms deal will also improve Saudi Arabias ability to fight terrorism, the White House said, reducing the burden on the US military to conduct counter-terrorism operations in the Gulf region.

This package demonstrates, in the clearest terms possible, the United States commitment to our partnership with Saudi Arabia and our Gulf partners, while also expanding opportunities for American companies in the region, and supporting tens of thousands of new jobs in the US defense industrial base, a statement said.
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trump received Saudi Arabias highest civilian honour within hours of touching down in the Middle Eastern kingdom.

King Salman placed the King Abdulaziz al Saud Collar around Mr Trumps neck during a ceremony in the country's capital, Riyadh - the first stop on the US President's nine-day, five-country tour.

The gold medallion has also been bestowed on Russian President Vladimir Putin, British Prime Minister Theresa May and Mr Trumps predecessor, Barack Obama.

Mr Trump was being honoured for his efforts to strengthen the relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia, and his quest to enhance security and peace in the region and the world, the speaker at the ceremony said.

While in Saudi Arabia, the US leader is expected to give a speech on Islam. He also announced a $110bn arms deal between the two countries.

Members of the White House delegation in attendance included First Lady Melania Trump, Mr Trumps eldest daughter Ivanka Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner and Chief Strategist Steve Bannon..

Upon the president's arrival, King Salman tweeted: We welcome @POTUS Trump to KSA. Mr. President, your visit will strengthen our strategic cooperation, lead to global security and stability.

On Mr Trumps first trip abroad as president, he will also visit Israel, the Vatican, Italy and Belgium.
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trumps administration is reportedly examining the possibility of using an obscure ethics rule to undermine the investigation into ties between the Presidents campaign team and Russia.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein's has hired former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to lead the investigation which Mr Trump has claimed hurts the United States.

Mr Trumps administration is apparently reviewing the Code of Federal Regulations, which restricts newly hired government lawyers from investigating their prior law firms clients for one year after their hiring, two White House sources told the Reuters news agency.

Mr Mueller's former firm, WilmerHale, represents Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and the president's former campaign manager Paul Manafort.

Legal experts said the ethics rule can be waived by the Justice Department, which appointed Mueller, as he did not represent Mr Kushner or Mr Manafort directly.

But the White House will still consider using it rule to create doubt about Mr Mueller's ability to do the role fairly, the sources said.

The Justice Department is already reviewing Mueller's background as well as any potential conflicts of interest, department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The news comes amid reports that Mr Trump told Russian officials during an Oval Office meeting that firing former FBI Director James Comey eased pressure caused by an investigation into Russia's influence in the 2016 campaign.

"I just fired the head of the FBI He was crazy, a real nut job," Mr Trump told Russian ambassador Sergey Lavrov and the country's ambassador to the US, Sergei Kislak, The New York Times reported.

"I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off."
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trump has been accused of hypocrisy after appearing to "curtsey" while receiving a gold medal from the king of Saudi Arabia.

Back in 2012, Mr Trump criticised his predecessor Barack Obama for bowing to foreign leaders, including then-Saudi King Abdullah.

But he bowed his head while receiving the country's highest civilian honour on Saturday, the Collar of King Abdulaziz al-Saud.

After King Salman placed the chain around his neck, the President performed a small dip widely interpreted as a curtsey by observers.

One Twitter user commented: "Unlike Obama, Trump refuses to debase himself by bowing before a king. Diplomat that he is, he deftly opts instead for a half-curtsey."

Outraged conservatives also chastised Mr Obama for bowing to the Saudi king, contending that the leader of the free world must not bend over to foreigners.

10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Show all 10 1 /10 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In October 2014, three lawyers, Dr Abdulrahman al-Subaihi, Bander al-Nogaithan and Abdulrahman al-Rumaih , were sentenced to up to eight years in prison for using Twitter to criticize the Ministry of Justice. AFP/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2015, Yemens Sunni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was forced into exile after a Shia-led insurgency. A Saudi Arabia-led coalition has responded with air strikes in order to reinstate Mr Hadi. It has since been accused of committing war crimes in the country. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Women who supported the Women2Drive campaign, launched in 2011 to challenge the ban on women driving vehicles, faced harassment and intimidation by the authorities. The government warned that women drivers would face arrest. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Members of the Kingdoms Shia minority, most of whom live in the oil-rich Eastern Province, continue to face discrimination that limits their access to government services and employment. Activists have received death sentences or long prison terms for their alleged participation in protests in 2011 and 2012. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses All public gatherings are prohibited under an order issued by the Interior Ministry in 2011. Those defy the ban face arrest, prosecution and imprisonment on charges such as inciting people against the authorities. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2014, the Interior Ministry stated that authorities had deported over 370,000 foreign migrants and that 18,000 others were in detention. Thousands of workers were returned to Somalia and other states where they were at risk of human rights abuses, with large numbers also returned to Yemen, in order to open more jobs to Saudi Arabians. Many migrants reported that prior to their deportation they had been packed into overcrowded makeshift detention facilities where they received little food and water and were abused by guards. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses The Saudi Arabian authorities continue to deny access to independent human rights organisations like Amnesty International, and they have been known to take punitive action, including through the courts, against activists and family members of victims who contact Amnesty. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1000 lashes and 10 years in prison for using his liberal blog to criticise Saudi Arabias clerics. He has already received 50 lashes, which have reportedly left him in poor health. Carsten Koall/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Dawood al-Marhoon was arrested aged 17 for participating in an anti-government protest. After refusing to spy on his fellow protestors, he was tortured and forced to sign a blank document that would later contain his confession. At Dawoods trial, the prosecution requested death by crucifixion while refusing him a lawyer. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Ali Mohammed al-Nimr was arrested in 2012 aged either 16 or 17 for participating in protests during the Arab spring. His sentence includes beheading and crucifixion. The international community has spoken out against the punishment and has called on Saudi Arabia to stop. He is the nephew of a prominent government dissident. Getty

"By bending over to show greater respect to Islam, the US president belittled the power and independence of the United States," the Washington Times said in an editorial. "Such an act is a traditional obeisance befitting a king's subjects, not his peer."

Videos and photos show Mr Obama bending at the waist toward the king, but the White House maintained that the president never bowed.

Saudi Arabia is the first stop on Mr Trump's nine-day, five-country tour abroad.

Along with his seemingly awkward "curtsey", Mr Trump also took part in a traditional "Ardha" sword dance.

Videos show Mr Trump smiling and swaying from side to side, while Secretary of State Rex Tillerson joined a line of Saudi participants.
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trumps mental health poses an "existential threat" to the world because of his power to launch nuclear weapons at any time and for any reason, a leading psychiatrist has warned.

John Zinner said the US President's inability to feel guilt makes us all vulnerable to his inner rage.

He believes Mr Trump suffers from a fundamental self-esteem problem, which could lead to serious consequences.

The American Psychiatric Association states it is unethical for members to speculate over the mental health of a public figure from a distance under the Goldwater rule.

However, the clinic professor from George Washington University told The Times he felt he had a duty to society to speak out.

We are facing an existential threat from Donald Trump because of his unfettered authority to launch nuclear weapons at any time and for any reason, he said.

[He] has a particular kind of character thats very well known, especially by psychoanalytically orientated mental health people. What it involves is a fundamental self-esteem problem; an insecure self-esteem, side by side with a sense of grandiosity. So the person has a very contradictory image of themselves.

He also claimed the former real estate mogul has an extreme sensitivity to slights, saying: He cant take criticism, and blames others, as hes doing right now, blaming his staff for all the things that he did. His other reaction is rage.

The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images

Dr Zinner is not the first psychiatrist to break the Goldwater rule, something that has divided medical opinion since Mr Trumps inauguration.

The American Psychological Association issued a statement regarding their version of rule during the 2016 presidential campaign, after a number of media outlets asked them to weigh in on Mr Trumps psychological fitness to become president.

Our Code of Ethics clearly warns psychologists against diagnosing any person, including public figures, whom they have not personally examined, President Susan McDaniel wrote at the time.

The clause, dating back to 1973, was named after the 1964 Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater.

Over 2,000 psychiatrists responded to Fact magazines 1964 survey asking if Mr Goldwater was psychologically fit for the presidency in their estimation.

The majority said he was not and the magazine published nearly 40 pages of the psychiatrists responses shortly before the election. Mr Goldwater lost and subsequently sued the now-defunct magazine for libel and won.
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Fired FBI director James Comey has agreed to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee in an open session to answer questions on the investigation into links between the Trump team and Russia.

Mr Comey was sacked by Donald Trump last week. The surprise move triggered accusations the President was attempting to obstruct an ongoing FBI probe into interference by the Kremlin in last November's US election.

On Wednesday, the committee called on Mr Comey to testify, asking the sacked bureau boss to appear in both open and closed sessions.

Two days later, with Mr Trump on board Air Force One heading to Saudi Arabia for his first foreign trip as President, confirmation came that Mr Comey had taken up their offer to appear in a public hearing.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Richard Burr, said he hoped the former FBI chief's testimony would "clarify for the American people recent events that have been broadly reported in the media".

The committee looks forward to receiving testimony from the former director on his role in the development of the intelligence community assessment on Russian interference in the 2016 US elections," he said.

The hearing will be scheduled after the 29 May Memorial Day holiday, the committee's statement said.

Mr Comey's willingness to testify in an open session will likely alarm the White House, which has been struggling to contain the fallout from the sacking of one of America's highest profile officials.

 The top Democrat on the House intelligence committee calls on Comey to publicly testify

Relations between Mr Comey and the President have continued to deteriorate in recent days. Last week Mr Trump warned the ousted FBI director on Twitter against leaking information to the media.

"James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press," he tweeted on 12 May.

The latest twist in the Comey saga came on Friday when The New York Times (NYT) published a report of a meeting between Mr Trump and Russian officials in the Oval Office.

"I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," Mr Trump said, according to a document detailing the Russian visit. "I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off."

The President also reiterated that he was not personally under investigation.

The document, which was read to the NYT by sources in the White House, is the latest evidence that Mr Trump fired Mr Comey at least in part because of an ongoing investigation into possible collusion between his campaign and Russian officials.

He had previously admitted that the investigation was part of the reasoning for the decision.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trump will urge Arab leaders to drive out the terrorists from your places of worship, positioning the challenge as a battle between good and evil in a marquee speech on his first foreign presidential trip.

Abandoning some of the harsh anti-Muslim rhetoric of his presidential campaign, a draft of the speech obtained by the Associated Press shows Mr Trump will emphasise the importance of partnerships and peace, although he will refrain from mentioning democracy and human rights.

This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects or different civilizations," the text reads. This is a battle between those who seek to obliterate human life and those who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil.

It adds: We are not here to lecture  to tell other peoples how to live, what to do or who to be. We are here instead to offer partnership in building a better future for us all.

The White House confirmed the draft was authentic, but cautioned the president had not yet signed off on the final product.

If he does stick to the draft, Mr Trump will condemn Syrias President Bashar Assad for committing unspeakable crimes against humanity and Iran for contributing to spiralling violence in Syria.

All nations of conscience in the Middle East must work together to roll back Irans destabilising influence, restore a more stable balance of power in the region, and pray for the day when the Iranian people have the just and responsible government they deserve, the draft reads.

Iran and Syria were not invited to the summit, and they are not part of a regional military alliance that Saudi Arabia is establishing to fight terrorism. The kingdom backs efforts to topple the Syrian government, which counts Iran and Russia as its closest allies.

The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images

The speech describes terrorism as a widespread problem, but it makes no mention of radical Islamic terrorism  a regular phrase he utilised during his campaign.

Instead he will position himself as an emissary for the American people, to deliver a message of friendship and hope

Administration officials believe Mr Trumps decision to begin his trip in Saudi Arabia sends a powerful message to the kingdom: the strained ties that marked US-Saudi relations under Obama are over.

Unlike the Obama administration, which distanced itself from authoritarian leaders and took a moral stance against the human rights violations that in many cases fuelled resentment and extremism, Mr Trump is focusing on deal-making. Only in the case of Iran does his speech advocate for the longest-suffering people who are subject to their leaders reckless attempts to dominate their neighbours.

By contrast, Mr Trump hails Americas friendship with Saudi Arabia, which stretches back many decades, and covers numerous dimensions.

It is a markedly different message from his campaign tweet that said Saudi Arabia and many of the countries that gave vast amounts of money to the Clinton Foundation want women as slaves and to kill gays.

Additional reporting by Associated Press.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Julian Assanges mother has called on the Australian Prime Minister to help her son seek political asylum abroad.

Christine Assange said she was very pleased after Swedish authorities announced they were dropping a rape allegation against him.

But she told ABC Radio Brisbane: Im officially calling on Malcolm Turnbull to step in, act like a prime minister, and protect a citizen.

Id like him to take to task Sweden for what theyve done breaching his human rights and lying to the media, and I would like him to pressure the UK Government to allow him safe passage to Ecuador.

The WikiLeaks founder has been living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012, after exhausting legal avenues to prevent his extradition to Sweden.

Although the Scandinavian country has now dropped the charges, the Metropolitan Police have said they would still be obliged to arrest Mr Assange if he left the embassy because he still faces the lesser charge of failing to surrender to a court, an offence punishable by up to a year in prison or a fine.

The UK has not commented on whether it has received an extradition request from the US, where Mr Assange could, potentially, face trial.

Mr Assanges legal team have also called on the Australian government to negotiate his release with Washington and London.

Ecuadors foreign minister, Guillaume Long, has also called for the UK to grant safe passage to Mr Assange.

In February, Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop met with members of Mr Assanges legal team, after a report published by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said he should be freed.

Asked if she would support Britain extraditing Assange to the US, Theresa May said the Government looks at extradition requests when we receive them on a case-by-case basis.

 Julian Assange hails 'victory' as Sweden drops probe

After the charges were dropped Mr Assange made a rare appearance on the balcony of the embassy in London where he has been holed up for almost five years.

Condemning what he called the terrible injustice of the years he has spent in prison and self-imposed exile under threat of extradition, he said: Today is an important victory, but it by no means erases seven years of detention without charge in prison, under house arrest and almost five years in this embassy without sunlight.

Seven years without charge while my children grew up without me. This is not something that I can forgive. It is not something that I can forget.

He also insisted that WikiLeaks will continue distributing material concerning the activities of the CIA in the United States, and will accelerate its publications.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trump has touched down in Saudi Arabia on the first stop on his first international trip since taking office in January.

Saudi and Arab news channels showed footage of Trump's plane arriving in the Saudi capital Riyadh and the US President being welcomed by Saudi king Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud. The two leaders exchanged pleasantries and Trump said it was "a great honour" to be there.

The elaborate welcoming ceremony also included a flyover by military jets.

Mr Trump's wife Melania was dressed demurely in a black pantsuit, but did not wear a headscarf. In declining to adhere to strict Saudi dress codes where women are expected to cover their heads, Ms Trump followed the leads set by recent high-powered visitors like Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Michelle Obama, who all avoided wearing headscarfs.

Top regional ally Saudi Arabia has said the trip will conclude political and commercial agreements and will help bolster the joint fight against Islamist militants.

The White House is said to be hopeful the trip will shift focus away from domestic controversies and on to the president's foreign policy agenda.

Mr Trump's first overseas trip as president comes as he faces mounting controversy at home following the firing of FBI Director James Comey.

Robert Mueller, himself a former FBI director, has now been appointed as special counsel to oversee the investigation into possible ties between Russia and the Trump presidential election campaign. The appointment of the 'utterly incorruptible' Mr Mueller following the sacking of Mr Comey was described by one commentator as taking Mr Trump "from the frying pan to the fire."

Trump himself has, inevitably, already tweeted about his trip, in what appears to be an attempt to use it to focus attention on the America First agenda that won him grassroots support on the campaign trail.

Trump's national security adviser H.R. McMaster has now stressed: "President Trump understands that America First does not mean America alone. Prioritizing American interests means strengthening alliances and partnerships that help us extend our influence and improve the security of the American people."

In a potentially controversial sweetener for Saudi Arabia, US officials said the Trump administration plans to announce $110 billion (84 billion) in advanced military equipment sales and training to the kingdom during the president's trip. The massive arms deal is expected to include tanks, combat ships, missile defense systems, radar and communications and cybersecurity technology.

Saudi Arabia has already been enthusiastic about Trump's presidency after seeing his predecessor Barack Obama as too soft on its arch regional foe Iran and cool towards Washington's bilateral relationship with Riyadh, a mainstay of the Middle East's security balance.

Ahead of Mr Trump's arrival, billborads featuring his image and that of the Saudi king lined the highways of Riyadh. Red, white and blue lights and at times an image of the US Presidents face were beamed onto the front of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel where Mr Trump will be staying.

Mr Trump is the first US president to have made Saudi Arabia, or any majority Muslim country, their first overseas stop. The decision has been seen by some commentators as aimed in part at helping smooth over ill-feeling generated by his anti-Muslim campaign rhetoric and his attempts in office to enforce what critics have dubbed a Muslim travel ban.

It is thought, however, that the speech Mr Trump is due to deliver about his hopes for a peaceful vision of Islam and the need to confront radical ideology has been drafted by Stephen Miller, a senior adviser who played a key role in drawing up the travel ban.

Trump will make stops next week in Israel, Belgium and Italy. The trip has been billed as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world's major religions while including meetings with Arab, Israeli and European leaders.

After the initial welcoming ceremony in Riyadh, Mr Trump and the king paused briefly for coffee in the airport terminal before the president headed to his hotel.

After a short stop at his hotel, Mr Trump was driven to a reception at the Saudi Royal Court, his presidential limousine flanked by more than a dozen horses.

Trumpets played and soldiers stood at attention as the president walked into the al-Yamamah Palace, with a grinning Mr Trump congratulating the king on a very impressive spectacle.

The king placed the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud, the nation's highest civilian honour, around Mr Trump Trump's neck. The medal, given to Mr Trump for his efforts to strengthen ties in the region, has also been bestowed on Theresa May, Vladimir Putin, and Barack Obama.

The king and Mr Trump were overheard discussing natural resources and arms, and the king bemoaned the destruction caused by Syria's civil war.

Mr Trump was accompanied by Melania, daughter Ivanka and his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner.

The king and Mr Trump were expected to have a bilateral meeting after lunch.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The Italian government has made 12 vaccines mandatory for children attending school up to age 16 in an effort to combat what it characterises as misinformation about vaccines.

The new measures followed an intense public debate over vaccines after a measles outbreak and political sniping over accusations that the populist 5-Star movement had emboldened anti-vaccine advocates.

Paolo Gentiloni, the Italian Premier, told a news conference that the new rules aimed to combat anti-scientific theories that have lowered Italys vaccination rates in recent years.

The government approved making 12 vaccines, including measles, rubella and chickenpox, mandatory starting this September for children attending Italian pre-schools through the second year of high school. Other required vaccines include tetanus, diphtheria, polio and hepatitis B.

The health minister, Beatrice Lorenzin, said children will not be accepted into nursery or pre-schools without proof of vaccinations, while parents of children legally obliged to attend school will face hefty fines for noncompliance.

The certification will be required every year, she said.

Claims of a link between the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which have proved to be false, took deep root in Italy.

In 2012, a court in Rimini awarded damages to the family of a boy with autism, who claimed his condition had been caused by the vaccine. Three years later, the decision was overturned on appeal.

Associated Press
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The king of Saudi Arabia, a major backer of rebel forces in Syria, appeared to lament the destruction caused by the civil war while meeting with Donald Trump in Riyadh.

Syria too used to be one of the most advanced countries, King Salman told Mr Trump, according to a White House press pool report.

We used to get our professors from Syria, the King continued. They served our kingdom. Unfortunately, they too brought destruction to their own country. You can destroy a country in mere seconds, but it takes a lot of effort.

King Salman greeted Mr Trump in Riyadh with a warm welcome, meeting the President on the airport's tarmac, which he did not do when Mr Trump's predecessor Barack Obama visited Saudi Arabia last year.

The Saudi Arabian capital is the US leader's first stop on his nine-day, five-country tour abroad.

The civil war in Syria has been underway for more than six years, fought between Bashar al-Assad's forces, anti-government rebels, Isis and Islamist groups linked with al-Qaeda.

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

Saudi Arabia provides significant military and financial assistance to several rebel groups.

Riyadh also criticised the Obama administrations decision to not intervene in Syria militarily after Western countries accused Assads government of carrying out a chemical weapons attack.

In response to a sarin attack by pro-Assad forces that killed dozens of civilians, Mr Trump ordered air strikes against a Syrian airfield in April.

With the exception of that attack and another air strike in May, the US-led coalition in Syria is generally not fighting Assads government and is instead focusing military efforts on driving Isis out of swathes of territory.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Iraq's special forces have declared their mission in Mosul complete after some of the last remaining western districts were retaken from Isis.

Despite the announcement, battles are still raging in a handful of neighbourhoods, forcing hundreds of civilians to flee each day.

Isis, which seized the ancient city in June 2014, still controls around eight square kilometres of western Mosul, including the densely populated Old City where some of the fiercest and most gruelling final battles are expected to play out in the narrow streets that are impassable for tanks.

Special forces spokesman Sabah al-Numan said his troops had completed their initial mission, but stood ready to support any other forces if we are ordered to by the Prime Minister".

The battle to retake the city from the jihadis began in November as a joint initiative between Iraqi government forces, the Kurdish Peshmerga and US-led coalition, and has so far displaced an estimated 700,000 people.

The UN has warned that up to 200,000 more people could flee Mosul as Iraqi forces push into the final Isis strongholds.s with US-led allied militia

As military operations intensify and move closer to Mosul's Old City area, we expect that up to 200,000 more people will flee, Lise Grande, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, said in a statement this week, describing the figures as alarming.

In pictures: Mosul offensive Show all 40 1 /40 In pictures: Mosul offensive In pictures: Mosul offensive A doctor carries an Iraqi newborn baby at a hospital in Mosul, Iraq July 18, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi girls play at a yard of a school in Mosul, Iraq July 18, 2017alal Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A woman on crutches who is a relative of men accused of being Islamic State militants is seen at a camp in Bartella, east of Mosul, Iraq July 15, 2017. Picture taken July 15, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A displaced girl, who fled from home carries a doll at Hamam al-Alil camp south of Mosul, Iraq July 13, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi federal police members and civilians celebrate in the Old City of Mosul on 9 July 2017 after the government's announcement of the "liberation" of the embattled city. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office said he was in "liberated" Mosul to congratulate "the heroic fighters and the Iraqi people on the achievement of the major victory" AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A picture taken on 9 July 2017, shows a general view of the destruction in Mosul's Old City. Iraq will announce imminently a final victory in the nearly nine-month offensive to retake Mosul from jihadists, a US general said Saturday, as celebrations broke out among police forces in the city. AFP In pictures: Mosul offensive Members of the Iraqi federal police raise the victory gesture as they ride on a humvee while advancing through the Old City of Mosul on 28 June 2017, as the offensive continues to retake the last district held by Islamic State (IS) group fighters. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Smoke billows as Iraqi forces advance through the Old City of Mosul on 26 June 2017, during the ongoing offensive to retake the last district held by the Islamic State (IS) group. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi man wearing the green scarf of the Shi'ite faith kisses an Iraqi Army soldier on safely reaching the Iraqi forces position as Iraqi civilians flee the Old City of west Mosul where heavy fighting continues on 23 June 2017. Iraqi forces continue to encounter stiff resistance with improvised explosive devices, car bombs, heavy mortar fire and snipers hampering their advance. Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A picture taken from the inside of an Iraqi forces armoured vehicle shows residents walking through a damaged street as troops advance towards Mosul's Old City on 18 June 2017, during the ongoing offensive to retake the last district still held by the Islamic State (IS) group. Military commanders told AFP the assault had begun at dawn after overnight air strikes by the US-led coalition backing Iraqi forces. They said the jihadists were putting up fierce resistance. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi Army soldiers advance in a destroyed street after an Iraqi forces airstrike targeted an Islamic State sniper position 17 June 2017 in al-Shifa, the last district of west Mosul under Islamic State control. IS snipers, as well as car and suicide bomb attacks continue to hinder the Iraqi forces efforts to retake the final district. A series of airstrikes by Iraqi helicopter gunships attempted to hit multiple Islamic State sniper positions in al-Shifa. Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier frisks a displaced Iraqi man at a temporary camp in the compound of the closed Nineveh International Hotel in Mosul on 16 June 2017 which was recovered by Iraqi troops from Islamic State group fighters earlier in the year. A screening centre set up in the compound's fairgrounds sees a constant stream of Iraqis fleeing the battle for Mosul, awaiting their turn to be checked by the Iraqi forces who are searching for suspected Islamic State (IS) group members. The small fairground lies at the end of a pontoon bridge across the Tigris recently opened to civilians that is the only physical link between the two banks of the river. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqis staying at the al-Khazir camp swim in a river near the camp for internally displaced people, located between Arbil and Mosul on 11 June 2017. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi government forces drive on a road leading to Tal Afar on 9 June 2017, during ongoing battles to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi policeman carries a poster bearing an image of Mosul's iconic leaning minaret, known as the "Hadba" (Hunchback), on 22 June 2017. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqis stand in line to receive food aid in western Mosul's Zanjili neighbourhood on 7 June 2017, during ongoing battles as Iraqi forces try to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. Living conditions in Mosul have again deteriorated since the start of the Iraqi government's offensive on the city in October in which they retook a large part of the west of the city. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Displaced Iraqis carry lightbulbs and sacks as they evacuate from western Mosul's Zanjili neighbourhood as government forces advance in the area during their ongoing battle against Islamic State (IS) group fighters on 13 May 2017 AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) flashes the victory gesture as he patrols in western Mosul's al-Islah al-Zaraye neighbourhood on 13 May 2017 AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi army soldiers from the 9th armoured division on a truck flash the sign of victory as they drive back from Mosul to the town of Qaraqosh (also known as Hamdaniya) Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Members of Iraqi forces flash the sign of victory on their vehicle as they advance towards Hammam al-Alil area south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi security forces gestures in Hammam al-Alil, south of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi children, one flashing the sign of victory, greet Iraqi army's soldiers from the 9th armoured division in the area of Ali Rash, adjacent to the eastern Al-Intissar neighbourhood of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Peshmerga forces look at a tunnel used by Islamic State militants near the town of Bashiqa, east of Mosul, during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier takes a photograph with his phone as his comrade stands next to a detained man, whom the Iraqi army soldiers accused of being an Islamic State fighter, who was fleeing with his family in the Intisar disrict of eastern Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iranian Kurdish female members of the Freedom Party of Kurdistan (PAK) hold a position in an area near the town of Bashiqa, some 25 kilometres north east of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi families, who fled their homes in Hamam al-Alil, gather on the outskirts of their town Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Displaced people walk past a checkpoint near Qayara, south of Mosul, Iraq AP In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi families who were displaced by the ongoing operation by Iraqi forces against jihadists of the Islamic State group to retake the city of Mosul, are seen gathering in an area near Qayyarah In pictures: Mosul offensive A boy who just fled Abu Jarbuah village is seen with his family at a Kurdish Peshmerga position between two front lines near Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi child eats a pomegranate upon the arrival of Iraqi forces in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive People who just fled Abu Jarbuah village sit as they eat at a Kurdish Peshmerga position between two front lines near Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A couple who just fled Abu Jarbuah village are escorted by Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Women carry a boy over a wall as civilians flee their houses in the village of Tob Zawa, Iraq AP In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier and a civilian ride a motorbike as smoke rises behind them, on the road between Qayyarah and Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi forces, wearing a skull mask, waits at a checkpoint for people fleeing the main hub city of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier sits at a checkpoint in an area near Qayyarah Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi men prepare food portions for Iraqi forces deployed in areas south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi forces celebrate upon the arrival of vehicles bringing food to them Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi childen smoke cigarettes upon the arrival of Iraqi forces in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi forces distributes drinks to children in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty

The numbers of the people moving are now so large, its becoming more and more difficult to ensure civilians receive the assistance and protection they need.

Human Rights Watch said the Iraqi army and other local security officials had forced over 300 displaced families to return to districts of Mosul that are still at risk of attack by Isis fighters.

These families should not be forcibly returned to unsafe areas and areas that lack adequate water, food, electricity, or health facilities, said Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

Elsewhere in central and southern Iraq, a series of bombings in the past few days have left at least 27 people dead.

A suicide bombing near the oil-rich city of Basra killed at least eight people and wounded 41 others, according to a military commander.

 Children of Mosul describe life under Islamic State

Five civilians and three troops were killed when the bomber blew up his explosives-laden car at a checkpoint north of Basra just behind a bus waiting to be cleared, said chief of the Basra Operations Command, Lieutenant General Jamil al-Shimmari.

A second attacker drove down a desert road after the explosion and security forces killed him, Lt al-Shimmari added.

Isis claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted Iraqi Shia Muslims, who make up the overwhelming majority of Basras population.

Isis has also claimed responsibility for a double suicide bombing in Baghdad that killed at least 19 people and wounded 33.

Analysts have warned that as Isis loses its city strongholds of Mosul and Raqqa, the group is likely to step up its bombing campaign against civilians elsewhere.

Additional reporting by AP
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Melania Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia without a head scarf as she joined her husband on his first foreign trip as president.

King Salman greeted the pair at the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport in Riyad, alongside other senior officials from the Middle Eastern kingdom.

Like other recent female Western visitors, the Ms Trump did not cover her hair upon arrival in the conservative Islamic kingdom.

Earlier this year German Chancellor Angela Merkel opted not to do so.

Prime Minister Theresa May also decided not to eschew the dress code in the conservative country, saying she wanted to be a role model for oppressed women.

However, Donald Trump previously criticised former First Lady Michelle Obama for not wearing a head scarf during a visit to the Middle Eastern country.

In a 2015 tweet, he wrote: Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted. We have enuf enemies.

Saudi Arabia has strict practises when it comes to women in public spaces: they are required to wear a full-length robe and cover their hair.

Some women wear a niqab  which covers their entire face with a veil.

These and other restrictive laws are in compliance with the guardianship system, which limits womens movements and enforces a ban on female drivers.

The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Show all 9 1 /9 The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the media White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC. Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal Getty The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Mexico wall A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and abortion US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House. Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York. US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and 'Obamacare' Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California. US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities' US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law AP The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the travel ban US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and climate change US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Foreign visitors however, are not forced to follow the regulations.

During his two - day visit, Mr Trump is expected to make a speech urging Arab leaders to "drive out the terrorists from your places of worship" and will throw his support behind the country, while simultaneously criticising the Assad regime in Syria for its unspeakable crimes against humanity", and Iran for contributing to its spiralling violence.

The US president will also likely announce a $350 billion (268.5 billion) arms deal with Saudi Arabia  one of the largest of its kind in US history.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

A horrified couple learned their missing child had been shot dead during a botched car theft when they stormed a police press conference about the case.

Kingston Frazier was repeatedly shot after his mums Toyota Camry was stolen from a Kroger supermarket car park in Jackson, Mississippi, earlier this week

The six-year-old had been left asleep in the back seat with the car running as his mother, Ebony Archie, bought something from the shop.

When the youngster's body was discovered in the abandoned vehicle around eight hours later, police announced the news to the media before telling his parents.

 Parents of killed boy find out at police press conference

As Kingstons father David Archie rushed towards gathered TV crews and journalists after an officer said: Its never a good day when something like this happens, our hearts go out to the family.

Mr Archie shouted: Wheres my son? I aint heard sh*t about my son all day. And I know he aint right. If there's something wrong let me know right now.

A policeman spoke to the worried father, after which he cried: My son is dead, man. They killed my son, they killed him, they shot him, they shot him.

As the cameras filmed the grieving father, a woman can be heard screaming in distress.

The suspected killer, McBride (Madison County Sheriff's Office)

Byron McBride, 19, is accused of shooting Kingston repeatedly after driving to the supermarket car park in a Honda Civic with Dwan Wakefield and DAllen Washington, both 17 years old.

The teenagers have been charged as adults for capital murder and for the killing of a child during a kidnapping.

Their alleged victim was due to graduate from kindergarten at North Jackson Elementary School this week.

A spokesman for the school, Sherwin Johnson, told the US news channel WAPT: The Jackson Public School District is deeply saddened by the tragic death of North Jackson Elementary scholar, Kingston Frazier.

He was beloved by his classmates and teachers and will surely be missed. The District is providing grief counsellors to the students and staff of the school.

We ask all citizens to keep the Frazier family in their thoughts and prayers.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Palestinian militant group Hamas has banned dog walking through the Gaza Strip to "protect our women and children".

The Islamist organisation, which controls the coastal enclave, will force dog owners to keep their pets indoors as temperatures rise to more than thirty degrees in the summer heat.

Officials claim the clampdown is a response to a rise in dog walking through the streets, which they say is "against culture and traditions in Gaza".

Pet owners could be forced to sign agreements not to walk their dogs under the ban, which has effect in busy areas such as markets and beaches.

Police spokesman Ayman al-Batniji said no penalty has been specified, and assured dog owners they can still walk their animals through fields in the countryside.

He told The Telegraph: In recent weeks, the phenomenon of young men walking with their dogs in the streets has widely spread.

Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Show all 12 1 /12 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict The fire in my heart is beyond my ribs. You left me beloved - Soliman Shaheen, 15 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict Let me get enough of you, as Im still hungry for your smile my son - Soliman Shaheen, 15 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict They besiege me in my homeland so I flew to heaven - Rodaina Al Agha, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict And I am still facing the pain all by myself - Lama Shakshak, 15 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict My brother, I watched you go while my heart was tearing - Helen Mo'amar, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict My new doll is lonely in the rubble - Ayah Sha'ath, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict When a soul hugs another soul they never split, even in death - Ismail Matar, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict Everyone is gone and I stayed alone to make the world witness the injustice done to me - Hamza Shaheen, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict The hand that carries the arms carries roses too - Madeeha Al Majayda, 15 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict My eyes tell you about a dream that overcame the fence - Soliman Shaheen, 15 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict A childhood caught in an unjust siege - Hadeel Quidh, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict All the details are torn after you - Hamza Shaheen, 17

"It is neither of our culture nor of our traditions....we are not against dogs, we use dogs in our work - the ban is simply to protect our women and children.

Dog ownership is said to have risen in Gaza in recent years, though some Islamic clerics consider the animals to be unclean and forbidden.

Hamas has fought three wars with Israel since 2007 and has carried out hundreds of armed attacks in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories since it was founded three decades ago.

 Hamas police beat, arrest protesters at Gaza rally

The group's 1988 charter called for Israels destruction but the organisation dropped the anti-Semitic language for which the original charter was heavily criticised in a new manifesto launched this month.

While it does not explicitly recognise the state of Israel, it now accepts the borders of a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 boundaries.

It also erases all mentions of ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, the pan-Arab Islamist movement which has been banned by the authorities in neighbouring Egypt.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Chechyan LGBT activists are urging governments to help gay men fleeing Russia fearing persecution because of their sexual identity.

Five countries are in talks with the Russia Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Network, which has reported a wave of kidnappings, torture and disappearances in Chechnya, a semi-autonomous region in southern Russia that borders Georgia.

More than 100 people are said to have been abducted and tortured in a prison near the Chechyan city of Grozny, according to the investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta.

 Hundreds protest at Russian embassy over 'gay concentration camps' in Chechnya

Victims of the government crackdown are being targeted because they are gay or thought to be gay, it is claimed.

Officials in the Muslim majority region have denied the allegations and insisted that gay people dont exist there.

The Russia LGBT Network hopes to persuade five countries, including two non-EU nations, to grant visas to dozens of people who have been forced into hiding in Russia. It did not name which countries had offered to help.

A spokesperson told the BBC: They cant stay in Russia for too long, we know its not safe for them to stay here.

The group added that Theresa Mays government has not offered to help with visas, despite publicly condemning the violence.

Foreign Office officials said they were lobbying the Russian government to provide protections for the LGBT community, but said asylum claims must be made in Britain.

Lithuania has granted visas to two men and announced its involvement in the talks.

The countrys Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told BBC reporters: Its very important to act, because they are suffering. We are taking care of Russian citizens... [whose] rights were abused.

Seven other men have been granted visas in countries which have not been named.

The situation has attracted international condemnation from governments and groups including Human Rights Watch, who say victims have been rounded up, beaten and humiliated.

The International Criminal Court has also received a complaint from three gay rights groups in France who claim Chechyan policies amount to a genocide against gay people.

Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov has denied any crackdown on gay people by saying that his province doesnt have non-traditional sexual orientation.

Mr Kadyrov has also been accused of hunting his critics down  both within Russia and outside its borders  and the journalists who exposed the crackdown have left Russia for safety after they were labelled enemies of the country.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he will ask authorities to investigate the allegations.
Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Around 40 per cent of young travellers risk being hit with medical bills worth tens of thousands of pounds by going abroad without insurance, research suggests.

Holidaymakers aged 18-24 are most likely to travel without investing in a policy, according a survey of more than 2,000 Britons by The Association of British Travel Agents (Abta).

The group warned that if people are injured or fall ill overseas their families may struggle to raise money for treatment or repatriation.

One case highlighted was that of 29-year-old Michael Doyle, who was diagnosed with blood poisoning in Bulgaria and passed away before his parents could raise 20,000 to bring him back to the UK for further dialysis treatment.

His father, John, told the BBC: "Bulgaria is an excellent place to go, it's not different from anywhere else in the world but you need to have insurance."

The family of Craig Lindley, 35, from South Yorkshire, have raised more than 32,000 to help him return to the UK for further treatment after he fell ill in Thailand.

In another case, the loved ones of Dorset grandmother Esther Jones are trying to raise 50,000 after she became unwell while travelling to Australia without insurance.

A quarter of British travellers surveyed said they went on holiday without insurance over the last year, up from 22 per cent the year before, with more than a third feeling they did not need cover.

The 13 cheapest destinations for a beach holiday in Europe Show all 13 1 /13 The 13 cheapest destinations for a beach holiday in Europe The 13 cheapest destinations for a beach holiday in Europe 13. Menorca, Spain 74.40 The 13 cheapest destinations for a beach holiday in Europe 12. Corfu, Greece 72.26 The 13 cheapest destinations for a beach holiday in Europe 11. Marmaris, Turkey 70.81 The 13 cheapest destinations for a beach holiday in Europe 10. Kefalonia, Greece 68.49 Shutterstock The 13 cheapest destinations for a beach holiday in Europe 9. Porec, Croatia 65.19 The 13 cheapest destinations for a beach holiday in Europe 8. Zante, Greece 64.65 The 13 cheapest destinations for a beach holiday in Europe 7. Crete, Greece 63.16 The 13 cheapest destinations for a beach holiday in Europe 6. Costa Blanca, Spain 62.29 The 13 cheapest destinations for a beach holiday in Europe 5. Gijon, Spain 61.01 The 13 cheapest destinations for a beach holiday in Europe The 13 cheapest destinations for a beach holiday in Europe 3. Limassol, Cyprus 51.82 The 13 cheapest destinations for a beach holiday in Europe 2. Algarve, Portugal 47.04 The 13 cheapest destinations for a beach holiday in Europe 1. Sunny Beach (Slanchev Bryag), Bulgaria 41.55

Abta spokesman Mark Tanzer said: "Rather than having to resort to the kindness of strangers, holidaymakers should make sure that they have the right insurance in place.

"Every year, we see cases of people falling into difficulty due to travelling without insurance.

"Often their families have to raise thousands of pounds for their treatment or repatriation and that's why it is so worrying to see an increase in younger people travelling without insurance."

The average medical claim on a travel policy comes in at almost 1,000.

Relatives of people who die abroad could face bills of up to 17,000 for the repatriation process - yet insurance policies start at less than 5 for an individual and 17 for a family.

The plans usually provide cover for cancellations and delays, medical expenses if you have to visit a doctor or hospital overseas, personal liability if you cause damage to people or things, protection if your bags or possessions are stolen, lost or damaged and emergency assistance or repatriation if you have to be brought back to the UK after an injury.

"The Foreign and Commonwealth Office cannot pay medical bills if you are hospitalised abroad, nor can we fly you home," a spokesperson said.

"Take out an appropriate insurance policy and make sure you know what it covers you for.

"It may feel like an added expense but it's very worthwhile if you compare it to what you could end up paying if something goes wrong on holiday."

Additional reporting by PA
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

There are two views of Donald Trump that are the polar opposite of each other, and they are both wrong. One is that he is far outside the norms of politics, a threat to the rule of law, women, minorities, and possibly to human life on the planet. The other is that he is far outside the norms of politics, sent by the honest folk of a forgotten country to drain the sinful swamp of Washington and to make America great again.

The holders of both views have been satisfied by the Presidents first foreign trip so far. For his detractors, it has been a chance to ask, semi-seriously, if it is safe for him to be out of the country for as long as five days. A mere four months after his inauguration, the airwaves are thick with talk of impeachment and questions about whether he will be allowed back into the US on Friday. He has been compared to the dictator of a banana republic who dare not go abroad in case he is deposed in his absence.

For his supporters, it is a chance for America to walk tall on the world stage again after the diffidence of the Obama era. They will be delighted by the brashness of the Saudi welcome, with the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh projecting a five-storey image of President Trumps face, and the stars and stripes, onto the side of the hotel, and billboards of the President and the King all over the city. The trip is a chance to defy the liberal naysayers at home and to show that their President is a leader, not a difference-splitting creature of the bureaucratic elite.

The reality, of course, is that President Trump is a politician like any other, and in practice he is pursuing a conventional and heavily constrained domestic and foreign policy. He is possibly less good at conventional politics than most, less disciplined and less consistent, but beneath the bluster the continuity is more striking than the change.

Those of his opponents who regard him as a hideous aberration overlook the parallels with what has gone before. Even the comparison with Richard Nixon, particularly fashionable at the moment, only emphasises that all this has happened before. In fact, despite the breathless invocations of the legend of Watergate, the better model is Bill Clinton, who was actually impeached in 1998, then acquitted eight weeks later. These matters are more about politics than law, and the chance of a majority in the House of Representatives to impeach (that is, to charge) President Trump is remote, so early in his presidency, and the chance of securing the two-thirds majority in the Senate needed to convict him is more remote still.

Like most presidents, Mr Trump has achieved little domestically so far. In his first term, President Clinton lost his healthcare reform: President Trumps is still stalled in Congress. His travel restrictions are still in the courts, and his wall has been downgraded by leading Republicans to a symbol.

President Trumps foreign policy, meanwhile, has turned out to be fairly conventional. This trip reaffirms the traditional US alliances with Saudi Arabia and Israel. His strike against Assad in Syria last month was a conventional assertion of US power against a Russian proxy, despite all the fuss about the Presidents alleged closeness to Vladimir Putin. This is not to say that American foreign policy is coherent, but there has been no great break with what has gone before.

None of this means that we should feel comfortable about Mr Trumps presidency. His avowed policies of protectionism and of closing the US from the world are not in the best interests either of the US or the rest of the world. But he has been  in practice, so far  neither the great villain nor the great hero that he has been painted.
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Julian Assange is of course innocent unless he is proved guilty. But his refusal to put the allegations against him to the test has done him no good at all. It is a disgrace that he has been able to avoid due judicial process. He has abused this countrys respect for the rule of law, jumping bail and misusing our law on diplomatic immunity.

He still stands accused of rape in Sweden, an offence allegedly committed in 2010 and for which he is liable for prosecution until 2020, when the 10-year statute of limitations expires. Today, however, the Swedish prosecutor abandoned the attempt to extradite him, because there is no prospect that the government of Ecuador, in whose London embassy Mr Assange has sought refuge, will give him up.

It is not clear whether this will make any difference in practice to Mr Assanges position. Despite his defiant speech from the balcony today, he knows that if he leaves the embassy he would be arrested by the British police on the charge of failing to surrender to a court. What is clear, however, is that he is likely never to face trial for rape.

The insouciance with which his remaining supporters treat this serious charge is appalling. It is politically motivated, they allege. He would not face a fair trial, they say. When your political world view leads you to accuse the Swedish justice system of being an arm of a US conspiracy, you need to consider whether you have stepped through the looking glass into a paranoid parallel universe. (And if the conspiracy against St Julian were so powerful, why would the British authorities not have simply gone into the embassy and apprehended him?)

 Julian Assange celebrates victory of Swedish prosecution being dropped on Ecuadorean balcony

In the absence of due legal process, it seems that a rough form of justice must suffice. Mr Assange has imprisoned himself for five years. Apart from his most committed supporters, who believes his protestation that he has been detained without charge? He is free to leave, but he must face the accusations against him. His reputation has suffered. Once a hero of transparency, he is now regarded as deluded apologist for some of the more sinister forces in the world. Many of the facts of the case that would have been heard in court have been aired. Most people have formed a view of his conduct, in some cases, both for and against, influenced by their view of his political activity. But when the best that your defenders can say is that you have been guilty of bad sexual etiquette, as George Galloway did, you are not in a good position.

Once upon a time, WikiLeaks, the subversive organisation set up by Mr Assange, did some valuable work in the name of openness. It exposed the Trafigura scandal of the dumping of toxic waste in Africa. From there WikiLeaks moved on to dumping diplomatic secrets online indiscriminately, which mostly embarrassed Middle Eastern leaders who didnt want their urging of US action against Irans nuclear ambitions known. And then WikiLeaks appeared to be entangled in Russian interests, which ended up with its being considered party to interference in the American election  on the side of the authoritarian right.

In his rant against the European Union today, Mr Assange revealed the extent to which he has succumbed to the paranoid world view where the far left meets the far right.

How much better it would have been if the charges against Mr Assange in his personal life could have been tried in court. As it is, the rough justice of his self-incarceration is the best that his alleged victims can hope for  with the moral contamination of WikiLeakss once-noble mission an unfortunate side effect.
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

So its a good win for the Iranian regime  and its enormous population of young people  and a bad win for Trumps regime, which would far rather have had an ex-judicial killer as Iranian president so that Americans would find it easy to hate him. Maybe Hassan Rouhanis final-week assault on his grim rival candidate and his supporters  those whose main decisions have only been executions and imprisonment over the past 38 years  paid off. Who among Irans under 25s, more than 40 per cent of the population, would have wanted to vote for Ebrahim Raisi whose hands had touched the execution certificates of up to 8,000 political prisoners in 1988?

So the man who signed Irans nuclear agreement with the United States, who struggled (often vainly, it has to be said) to reap the economic rewards of this nuclear bomb truce with the West, who believed in a civil society not unlike that of former president Mohamed Khatami  who supported him in the election  won with 57 per cent of the vote, backed by 23 million of the 41 million who cast their ballot. The corrupt and censorious old men of the Revolutionary Guard Corps and the bazaaris and the rural poor  the cannon fodder of the Iran-Iraq war as they often are in elections  have been told they no longer belong to the future.

But what a contrast this election has been to the vast congress of dictators and cut-throat autocrats greeting Donald Trump in Riyadh  just as the Iranian election results were announced. Save for Lebanon and Tunisia and Pakistan, almost every Muslim leader gathered in Saudi Arabia treats democracy as a joke or a farce  hence the 96 per cent victories of their leaders  or an irrelevancy. They are there to encourage Sunni Saudi Arabias thirst for war against Shia Iran and its allies. Which is why the Saudis will be appalled that a (comparatively) reasonable Iranian has won a (comparatively) free election that almost none of the 50 dictators gathering to meet Trump in Riyadh would ever dare to hold.

Photographer Olgac Bozalp captures street style in Iran Show all 18 1 /18 Photographer Olgac Bozalp captures street style in Iran Photographer Olgac Bozalp captures street style in Iran Photographer Olgac Bozalp captures street style in Iran Photographer Olgac Bozalp captures street style in Iran Photographer Olgac Bozalp captures street style in Iran Photographer Olgac Bozalp captures street style in Iran Photographer Olgac Bozalp captures street style in Iran Photographer Olgac Bozalp captures street style in Iran Photographer Olgac Bozalp captures street style in Iran Photographer Olgac Bozalp captures street style in Iran Photographer Olgac Bozalp captures street style in Iran Photographer Olgac Bozalp captures street style in Iran Photographer Olgac Bozalp captures street style in Iran Photographer Olgac Bozalp captures street style in Iran Photographer Olgac Bozalp captures street style in Iran Photographer Olgac Bozalp captures street style in Iran Photographer Olgac Bozalp captures street style in Iran Photographer Olgac Bozalp captures street style in Iran Photographer Olgac Bozalp captures street style in Iran

There are those who will remember, of course, that executions proceeded apace under Rouhanis previous presidency  though not on the Golgotha scale of the 1988 executions  and that Rouhanis revolutionary credentials are clear: just before Saddam Husseins Iraqi invasion of 1980, he managed to re-organise Irans tattered post-revolutionary army. But if Raisi symbolised the repressive past, Rouhani, however imperfectly, represents the future. For now.

Because everything depends on how he will respond to the madness of the Trump regime and its willingness to support the Sunni war machine with more than $100bn of weapons against Iran and its allies and friends. Rouhani must pray that Irans response can be political  he does at least have the satisfaction of knowing the voter turnout in Iran this week was 70 per cent against Americas miserable 58 per cent in the Trump-Clinton election last year. Iranians are a very political people and take their presidential polls seriously, even if only six out of 1,600 potential candidates were allowed to stand.

As they will the next man to be chosen as Supreme Leader when Khamenei departs. This critical position  without any precedent in Islam, it is now regarded as untouchable  could go to Ayatollah Sayed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, a man who, as head of the judiciary, reduced some of Irans more vicious punishments without being a true reformer. But this was true of old Hashemi Rafsanjani, the ex-president and Richelieu of Iran who died earlier this year. No one in Iranian politics can talk of reform and civil society without acknowledging the revolution and the martyrs of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

It was in the aftermath of this First World War-style conflict that the mass executions began. The only prominent cleric to stand against them was Ayatollah Ali Montazeri, whose courageous and moral decision cost him the Supreme Leadership. He spent the rest of his life under virtual house arrest. Khamenei took his place. And among the brutal men who then showed their Islamisism in the execution chamber, a massacre of prisoners that came to be known as the national disaster, Raisi could not expunge his name. Perhaps his only compensation today is that many of the Sunni Arab leaders gathered in Riyadh to applaud Americas mad President have almost as much blood on their hands. But they got elected.
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Does the populist revolt now sweeping across the developed world mean that globalisation will be reversed? Donald Trump was elected on the back of nationalist populism. Theresa May will get her big majority in part because of her rejection of the globalist agenda of Tony Blair and David Cameron. Beyond the developed world populism has been harnessed by elected populist leaders such as Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan. One sentence of Mays caught the force behind the revolt with brutal clarity: If you believe you are a citizen of the world, youre a citizen of nowhere.

The forces behind the rise in populism have been brilliantly analysed by David Goodhart in his book The Road to Somewhere, published in March. In it he describes how greater economic openness in the West has not benefited all of its citizens. The effect is that there is a now a new divide between the mobile people who feel they can achieve their own identity as global citizens  the people from Anywhere  and those who feel marginalised and identify with their roots  the people from Somewhere.

There are two sides to the revolt. In part it is a political and social movement, an assertion of identity, a desire to have our country back. But it is also an economic movement, a push against some aspects of a more global economy. Of course they are interlinked. But looking at the economics, nearly everyone wants the benefits of globalisation, such as an iPhone made in China, even if they resent immigration from Mexico or Continental Europe.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. 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

That leads to a huge question: can economic globalisation continue, despite the populist push-back against social globalisation?

This is the theme of a new book by Stephen D King, Grave New World  The End of Globalisation, the Return of History. He is senior economic adviser to HSBC, and Independent readers may remember that for many years he was the Monday economic columnist for the paper.

Until recently most people in the West, whatever their views as to its benefits or costs, believed that globalisation was inevitable. Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General, famously put it this way: It has been said that arguing against globalisation is like arguing against the laws of gravity.

But now globalisation is stuck. Take a simple measure. For the past three or four years international trade has no longer been rising as a proportion of global GDP. In fact it has fallen back a little. We also know what happened to the last great burst of globalisation at the end of the 19th century. Anyone with a sense of history can pick up many uncomfortable parallels with the world of 1914 and today, including the rise of Germany then compared with the rise of China now.

King argues that if the US retreats from its overall support for globalisation, the progress of the past half-century is threatened.

Successful globalisation, he writes, cannot be just a market-driven process. It must also involve cross-border sponsorship of both ideas and institutions that underwrite or obligations and responsibilities to each other  In the absence of firm US leadership  and persistently weak economic activity in the developed world  is there any future in Western-style globalisation? It is tempting to suggest not

He argues that people and organisations in the West have to defend globalisation by pointing to the inconsistencies in the arguments of those who attack it. For example, those who oppose the World Trade Organisation have to explain why the old world in which small countries could not challenge import restrictions by big ones (he quotes Ecuador tackling the US over a ban on imports of shrimps) was somehow better than the present one.

But he ends by saying that if the views of those who favour insularity and protectionism prevail, it really will be a Grave New World.

Too gloomy? Well I suppose the key questions are first, whether globalisation can sustain its present plateau, or whether we face a gradual slide into greater trade restrictions, or worse, tit-for-tat import controls; and second, whether once the present tensions and pressures are accommodated, globalisation can resume its upward path.

Part of the problem is that memories of the pre-globalisation world fade. How many people in the UK remember that until 1979 you were restricted on amount of foreign currency you could have when you went on a foreign holiday? It was called exchange control. Or that there was an import levy on a foreign car  though come to think of it, there still is if you bring in one from America?

Most of our new freedoms we take for granted: the ability to buy foreign goods, or to move money to friends or family abroad. There is understandably huge resentment towards companies that use such freedoms to avoid paying tax in the countries in which they do much of their business, but that is really a flaw in tax law rather than in globalisation itself. There is of course concern when companies shift production  jobs  abroad to countries where there is cheaper labour, but anyone who opposed that has to answer the question: do we really want to be a cheap labour economy? Where competition seems unfair, for example when a foreign company receives government subsidies, there are measures that can be taken to tackle this. As for foreign takeovers, no one seem to mind too much if foreign investors buy office buildings in the City of London, though we do deeply resent it when they muck up our chocolate bars.

There is however one aspect of globalisation that does cause the greatest tension, and that is the movement of people. The movement of goods, services, and money are all in some measure accepted. But people? No. All countries to some extent restrict migration and the question is surely how to order migration to the benefit of the largest number of people. Maybe it is too crude a way of putting it, but if countries could manage migration more effectively, that would persuade their electorates to give greater support for globalisation more generally. Otherwise Im afraid we might move towards a graver new world economy.
The UK needs over 200,000 immigrants coming into the country every year if it is to avoid the "catastrophic consequences" to the economy of Brexit, a think tank has warned.

The report by Global Futures, a pro-immigration think tank, said the current political debate is dishonest and is failing to serve the public.

Prime Minister Theresa May this week restated the Conservative Party's pledge to bring down immigration to the tens of thousands per year.

But Global Futures said that while there appears to be strong support among voters for cutting immigration - it was a key issue in the EU referendum debate - there is no debate about the consequences of this for national prosperity or living standards.

"The UK is close to full employment, has an ageing population and low productivity growth," the think tank warned policy makers.

"These factors make immigration an essential ingredient of a successful economy looking ahead.

"Global Future's top-down economic view is that a net migration figure well in excess of 200,000 will be needed long into the future to avoid catastrophic consequences for the economy."

It argued that net inward migration of more than 200,000 will be needed to avoid the collapse of whole sectors, as well as to alleviate the crisis in public services such as social care and the National Health Service.

"This report shows that the government's target of cutting net migration to the tens of thousands, either immediately or in the long-term, is based on an outdated and backward looking view of policy in this area," Global Futures said.
Last weekend's rain has helped bring wildfires under control, but farm leaders are warning that without a change in government policies, it is only a matter of time before there is another outbreak of what are proving to be increasingly destructive blazes.

Fumes from the largest blaze in Cloosh Valley, Galway, which last week destroyed more than 3,500 hectares of Coillte-owned forest and bogland, caused air pollution in the county to be on a par with the choking smog that hovers over the city of Beijing in China, according to NUI Galway researchers.

The wildfire has resulted in multi-million euro losses for the forestry company.

While much of the focus has been on the blame game around who started these fires, the bigger question is why wildfires are becoming an annual crisis for farmers, Coillte and local authorities - not to mention the fire services which were stretched to breaking point.

Issues such as the abandonment of commonage land, the restricted controlled burning season on commonages, and lack of fire training for farmers have been identified by farming experts as the primary reasons for the escalation in blazes that have destroyed thousands of hectares of land and forestry nationwide.

Despite strong opposition from wildlife groups, farm bodies insist that an extension to the controlled burning season under the 2016 Heritage Bill has the potential to "significantly reduce" the risk of gorse fires in the future.

Agri consultants maintain that better management of "abandoned commonage" should be incentivised as a preventative measure. There are 15,000 commonage farmers in Ireland, all in western counties and mostly in hilly areas.

Teagasc is calling for the roll-out of controlled burning training for farmers.

Ian Kenny, a member of the Agricultural Consultants Association, says the warm, dry, windy weather conditions in April and early May dried up commonage vegetation to a cinder, creating the ideal conditions for a fire-storm.

The large-scale vegetation on some commonage areas fuelled the flames.

"It has happened almost always on commonage land, where a number of farmers jointly own it," said Mr Kenny. "In some areas there is a lot of vegetation because there is less [a tradition of] grazing sheep."

He maintains the increase in vegetation is the result of a de-stocking programme initiated in 2000, combined with an ageing sheep farmer population.

Despite recent Government attempts to address the issue through GLAS schemes and commonage management plans, the upshot is that some commonages are not fit for grazing.

The lack of profitability in hill farming is also discouraging young farmers from entering the sector - leading to commonage abandonment, claimed Mr Kenny.

"Once sheep move off a commonage, it's almost impossible to settle sheep back on that commonage again. Some of those areas will never have stock again.

"Sheep or other stock on commonages manage them through grazing, it gives better flora and fauna, better results. But when commonages get abandoned, they tend to get dominated by rushes, long woolly heather or gorse," he said. "Rather than vegetation being eaten or burnt off, it's left there so greater fuel loads are accumulating. This means when the fire actually happens, it burns more intensively and for longer periods of time."

Mr Kenny said the Government should consider introducing 'shepherd schemes' and young hill farmer incentives in order to make viable the abandoned commonages in every county.

"The Government could pay farmers extra to put sheep in on a new commonage, they could introduce a targeted plan and they'd be paid as shepherds.

"It's quite possible, especially where these big fires have burned in areas around Castlerea and Tubbercurry. It would be very easy, when that vegetation grows back, to settle a flock of ewes."

And while farmers have been blamed for starting gorse fires in many areas, Mr Kenny said it is "inconceivable" that farmers lit the spark.

"It isn't possible that a farmer would do this, not in May, it would be crazy. Farmers are the biggest losers because the land has been destroyed; there will be no vegetation for sheep for maybe a couple of years. Forestry plantations owned by farmers are gone as well and there is fencing destroyed that the farmers have to replace," he said.

"Farmers follow a well established way of burning heather up to the height of your knee within a defined burning season when the ground is wet. All you're trying to do is a low-level intensity fire that doesn't damage the structures because you want the vegetation to grow back almost instantly for sheep.

"It has to be cigarettes or possibly some disposable barbecues used by tourists," he said.

However, John Casey, forestry development officer with Teagasc in Cork, believes the wildfires in Kerry, Cork, Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon, Westmeath, Longford and Donegal were deliberately set - either through malicious arson or by landowners illegally removing accumulated gorse and irrigated heather.

He says the outbreak highlights the need for more training for farmers.

"If you want to bring this land back in active and productive management, we need to promote best practice in terms of fire risk.

"It's about joined-up thinking by the rural community, everybody living in that area, everybody has a stake," Casey said.

He says that climate change is also playing a role.

"We are having milder winters, there is more ground vegetation; a lot of it is agricultural practices but with dry winters, it does dry out faster," he said.

Meanwhile, the IFA has raised the issue of "red-tape" around controlled burning whereby farmers have to notify a large number of authorities, including gardai, fire services, National Parks and Wildlife and neighbouring landowners, before being granted approval to legally burn.

"There should be one person to contact rather than liaising with five or six different authorities," said Pat Dunne, IFA national hill committee chairman.

Sanctions

It is illegal to cut, remove or destroy hedgerows and burn vegetation in uplands between March 1 and August 31 in order to protect breeding birds.

The maximum sanction for a first-time burning offence outside this period is 1,000.The maximum penalty for a subsequent offence is 5,000.

Farmers also run the risk of losing their single farm payment as a result of illegal burning.

Mr Dunne insists that extending the controlled burning season under the 2016 Heritage Bill, which is currently before the Oireachtas, would be a "sensible move".

"As it stands, the law makes it almost impossible for burning to be done on upland vegetation. The growth and vegetation underneath has to die down and wither before it will burn.

"It's very difficult to get people to accept and understand that, and that's a problem.

"If it was burned in the early part of the year in a managed way, you wouldn't have this big reservoir of stuff. In many cases we have 17 years of growth built up on mountains and once that starts to burn, there is no stopping it, and that is the real problem as far as we're concerned," he said.

Mr Dunne also supports the Teagasc proposal for controlled burning training for farmers.

"Training for farmers is very important and there is none of it there. We need proper demonstrations and fire groups set up."
"Was there a will?" or "who got the place?" are questions which are still commonly (if quietly) discussed in the outer circle of mourners at the funeral of a farmer.

That these conversations take place show that, while farming has progressed on other fronts, its well known that the approach to succession can be stubbornly archaic.

A Macra survey from a few years back found that almost half the farmers aged over 50 hadn't identified a successor. Remarkably similar figures have been reported in other studies and jurisdictions.

When it comes to "successor identification" in a farming context, while it could mean that it hasn't been decided who is going to get the farm, it could just as easily mean that they haven't been told.

Either way, it suggests that there hasn't been any substantive discussion on the matter between the parties concerned.

Farm families who haven't experienced some kind of strain over inheriting land are as common as hen's teeth. It might just be a coolness at family functions. Or a split that widens down the generations.

It also seems there is very little chicanery which hasn't been done to acquire land. In my extended family, there is a story, from the mid-20th century, of a father who levered a farm out from under his own widowed daughter to give to his son, ie into the family name.

So why are farmers slow to consider a transition?

Among the fears is that, because farming is a low-income business, if the reins are handed over, they could end up without enough to live on. Or, in the event of a relationship breakdown, that the farm could be broken up or sold off. Out of the family name, even!

Another reason, identified in an American study, is that farming is such an intrinsic part of farmers' identity that they find it difficult to countenance retirement.

But there are now several options which allow for an orderly handover.

If a conversation is to be instigated, it needs to be by the person with the power, the one with their name on the deeds.

A few years ago, a female farmer of my acquaintance who had land in her own name told me how two of her large number of children sat her down and asked her about her will. (She didn't tell them; she was keeping them all on their toes.)

They wouldn't have seen themselves as being at the top of the pecking order - usually eldest son, any other son, daughter - so they probably felt safe enough in their questioning.

But some people spend much of their lives afraid of saying something that could jeopardise a possible inheritance.

For many, the daze they experience over the days of the funeral of a father or a mother may be as much about concern for their future as it is about parental loss. How pathetic is that, when power has been put before everything else.

The absence of a will, or a poorly written or unfairly conceived one, is a recipe for disaster, emotionally and practically. Often financially, too.

While some families manage to work things out amicably between themselves, the courts are always dealing with some family dispute over land.

It's tragic that siblings, who may have grown up genuinely loving one another, end up ripping each other to shreds, with the only big-time winners being the legal practitioners.

Perhaps there is a fear that making a will is an admission of being on a slippery slope of decay. But it's a sensible, mature, move. Whether 24 or 64, anyone with assets or responsibilities should have a will.

Farmers need to ensure that the solicitor they engage is familiar with this complex area, to ensure that the will is drawn up properly.

A useful starting point for those embarking on the journey is Teagasc's Farm Succession and Transfer Guide.
The European Commission has said Ireland needs to demonstrate progress on recovering the 13bn in back taxes from Apple, warning that the Government was taking too long to collect the money.

The money allegedly owed to Ireland is now five months overdue. The Department of Finance has repeatedly said that it is working with the European Commission (EC) and Apple to nail down the specific amount that must be paid, arguing it is a complex task.

But Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, inset, who delivered the decision last summer, ramped up the pressure when she told CNBC that the process was taking too long, although she said she hoped the money would be recovered very soon.

The EC also stated that if a member state fails to meet its obligations, court action could follow. A spokeswoman said yesterday that Brussels now expects progress as soon as possible, adding: The Commission is always ready to support the Member State in the recovery process and gives consideration to the fact that recovery in certain cases may be more complex than in others, and thus may require some more time.

She added: At the same time, the Member State must demonstrate progress on recovery and a coherent strategy to enforce the decision within the set deadline. The EC said that if a member state fails to meet its obligation, the Commission could refer it to the EU courts for failure to implement a state aid decision. The Department of Finance said it is working with the EC and Apple on the issue, but could give no indication of when the payment would be made.

Although the formal deadline has now passed, it is not unusual or uncommon for Member States to require more time for recovery, a spokesman for Finance Minister Michael Noonan reiterated.

Irish officials are continuing this intensive work to ensure that the State complies with all our recovery obligations as soon as possible, and remain in regular contact with the Commission and Apple. The EC announced last August that Ireland must collect 13bn plus interest from Apple for taxes that were unpaid over a decade as a result of a tax treatment that amounted to illegal State aid to the company.

The Government and Apple have appealed the decision. Once collected, it is to be held in an escrow account, while challenges to the ruling by the State and Apple work through the European courts. It is understood that officials are working to determine the specific amount that Apple must pay, which includes detailed work around profits and where those profits came from.

It is also believed that Ms Vestagers intervention has been met with surprise by officials.
Total claims paid out in 2016 amounted to 1.34bn, down 40m from the previous year. Stock picture

State-owned health insurer VHI has reported making bumper profits, just weeks after imposing a new price rise on its one million members.

The increase in premiums at the start of this month was the second in the past six months.

The company said it had made a net surplus of 56.4m last year.

This was almost 11m more in profits than the previous year. The company was also able to boost its financial reserves.

The company reported a fall in the cost of its claims paid out, a key factor when determining its pricing.

Total claims paid out in 2016 amounted to 1.34bn, down 40m from the previous year.

Health insurance expert Dermot Goode, of totalhealthcover.ie, said there was a need for VHI to explain why it was hiking its premiums when its claims costs fell last year.

"We need more details from VHI on why it increased rates twice in the last six months when claims costs paid out have gone down," Mr Goode said.

Read More

The cumulative rises for families have been between 6pc and 10pc in the last year, he said.

This means a family with two adults and two children will end up paying an extra 250 on a mid-level plan when they renew.

Asked how his company could justify price hikes when its financial results were so good, VHI chief executive John O'Dwyer said the price rise this month was the lowest in the market. He said health insurance was a low profit-margin business, and he held out the prospect that there would be no further rises this year.

"I can't guarantee it, but I am confident that we won't have any more price rises this year," he added.

Mr O'Dwyer told the Irish Independent VHI does not pay a dividend to the Government, and any surplus it makes goes back to customers in the form of lower premiums.

"I want to stress that all the money we make goes back to customers in the form of lower premiums. We have the lowest premium rises in the market."

As well as the premium rises, the company has also benefited from a rise in the health insurance levy, which funds insurers with older customers.

VHI has the lion's share of older customers. The levy ensures older people do not have to pay more for the same level of cover as younger people.

Mr O'Dwyer insisted the levy was not inflating premiums.

Next month, Irish Life Health is to raise its prices by an average of 3.2pc. But some plans will go up by double this amount.

The costs for a family of two adults and two children could increase by between 100 and 250, depending on the Irish Life Health plan held.

Both Laya and VHI have already increased their rates twice in the last six months.

The hikes are despite the fact that all three insurers have been helped by a strong rise in the numbers of people with private health insurance.

The jump has been put down to economic recovery and the introduction two years ago this month of late-entry penalties.

An extra 150,000 people took out health cover in the past two years, said the Health Insurance Authority. More than two million people now have cover.

The largest increase was in the number of people in their 40s taking out policies in the last two years.
The European Space Agency (ESA) and DCU have joined forces to establish a Satcom IoT Maker Space.

The project will support the development of innovative Machine-to -Machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies for satellite communications.

Based at the universitys Innovation Campus, the initiative will provide opportunities for prototyping and the validation of challenging innovative technologies proposed by ESA and DCU, which are targeted at industry, space tech entrepreneurs, academics and the wider maker-movement.

Published projects will provide opportunities for target stakeholders to address individual design and development challenges.

Over an 18 month period, projects will be awarded and implemented by target stakeholders via a competitive process.

Maker Space activities will be fully funded, with typical values of between 5k and 20k per activity.

DCU is delighted with this announcement and we are looking forward to engaging with innovative Irish inventors, entrepreneurs, and companies to develop new ideas and services in the field of satellite communications for M2M/IoT, Prof. Brian MacCraith, President of DCU said.

The project is supported by both Enterprise Ireland and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.

The news was welcomed by the Minister for Training, Skills & Innovation, John Halligan TD, who congratulated DCU on securing the ESA contract.

This activity has the potential to support a growing number of Irish technology companies which are developing innovative technology solutions for the expanding internet of things market, Halligan said.
Over 50pc of children have more than two hours of screen time per day at weekends. Stock Image

An Irish education technology start-up has confirmed the high-internet usage period in Ireland among young children.

We know from our 2016 survey of 4,400 primary school children in Ireland that 54pc of them are having more than two hours screen time per day at weekends, Joe Kenny, Zeeko, founder and CEO, said.

The comments come following the publication of a World Health Organisation report which has suggested that a dramatic rise in the use of computers and social media is wreaking havoc on the health of young people.

The WHO Report, Adolescent obesity and related behaviours: trends and inequalities in the WHO European Region, 2002-2014 is based on the results of surveys sent to over 200,000 children in 42 countries.

Zeeko has said that eduction is key to promoting a healthy balance for children in using computers and social media.

We need to invest and develop positive behaviours among primary school children in order alleviate the impact of excessive internet and technology use among teenagers, Kenny said.

Zeeko, founded by Joe Kenny in 2013, is headquartered at the centre for new ventures and entrepreneurs at UCD and is an Enterprise Ireland high-potential start-up company.

The company recently received EU funding to evaluate the side effects of virtual reality technology on young people in the areas of education, environment behaviour, empathy and health.

Between July 2016 and June 2017 Zeeko will deliver internet safety seminars in primary schools, secondary schools and companies to over 60,000 pupils, 2,900 teachers and 6,000 parents.
We are just days away from cult TV series Twin Peaks' highly-anticipated return to our screens.

For ardent fans, it's been a date circled in red on calendars with the fervent urgency of a thousand birthdays come crashing together; for those new to the show, however, the entire idea can seem a little daunting.

Boasting two seasons and its own prequel film Fire Walk With Me, only those prepared to dedicate a weekend tethered to the couch are likely to be able to catch up now, but that doesn't necessarily mean the uninitiated should be forced to skip out on the new season.

First off, creator David Lynch's own special brand of surrealism likely means even hardcore obsessives won't perfectly understand what's happening in the new episodes, so the experience is unlikely to be too different either way.

Beyond that, we've collated together a guide (with major spoilers) to help you catch up with what's already taken place, alongside some of the familiar faces we're set to meet once more, 25 years on.

Who Killed Laura Palmer?

Season one

Shes dead. Wrapped in plastic. Its the mystery that enraptured TV audiences of the early 90s: who stood behind the murder of the homecoming queen, the shining star of a quaint Washington state town?

It turns out, Twin Peaks was a town only serene on the outside; there are secrets everywhere, and even Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) is discovered to be living a secret double life tinged by drugs and prostitution.

FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) is sent to investigate; though everyone comes under suspicion, Cooper is aided by a series of strange dreams, coffee and pie. Which is where the shows famous Red Room sequences and use of phonetic reversal come in, as two supernatural individuals  The Man from Another Place (a dwarf dressed in a red suit) and The Giant  offer cryptic clues.

The killer, too, is revealed to be of a supernatural origin: Bob, a demonic spirit who takes possession of Lauras own father Leland (Ray Wise) as a young boy. Bob spurs Leland to kill Laura, kidnapping both her and another girl, Ronette Pulaski (Phoebe Augustine).

Leland is also discovered to be responsible for the earlier murder of Teresa Banks (Pamela Gidley) in a neighbouring town, alongside the death of Lauras doppelganger cousin Madeleine Ferguson (Lee). But back to Bob  an inhabitant of a place called the Black Lodge, described as the extra-dimensional source of great evil, and a kind of opposite to the place of purity, the White Lodge.

Video of the Day

Read More

The plot thickens

Season two

Season Two did expand the shows narrative scope to introduce the villainy of Windom Earle (Kenneth Welsh), Coopers former partner and the man responsible for the death of his first true love (and wife) Caroline, however, whats more important here is the shows final episode.

It sees Cooper follow Earle into the Black Lodge after he kidnaps new love interest Annie (Heather Graham); here, he becomes trapped in a strange maze of two apparent Red Rooms linked by a hallway, each offering new nightmarish visions that bring together Bob, Laura Palmer, The Man from Another Place, and The Giant. He even faces a sinister doppelganger of himself.

However, what may prove particularly crucial for Season Three is what happens once Cooper leaves the Black Lodge and returns to the normal world; everything is seemingly back to normal, until Cooper enters the bathroom, looks in the mirror, and sees Bob in the reflection.

Smashing his face into the mirror and laughing manically, this is exactly the place where Twin Peaks left us.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

It's easy to assume that the Cooper we see at the end of Twink Peaks is possessed by BOB's spirit, as Leland was. However, LYnch has said the prequel film Fire Walk with Me is key to understanding the new series, and it's here that a different interpretation is offered.

The film tracks Laura Palmer's last week alive, illuminating events only spoken of in the original series, and creating a nightmarish vision of her torture by BOB and eventual murder at the hands of her father.

However, we also see her dream of the Black Lodge, where she's visited (somehow) by both Cooper and Annie, with the latter telling Laura to write in her diary that "the good Dale" is trapped in the Lodge and can't leave. Which seems to hint that the Cooper we see smashing his face into the mirror isn't Cooper at all, but the evil doppelganger he comes across in the Black Lodge.

The new episodes take place 25 years down the line, echoing one of the strange utterances of Laura to Cooper in the Red Room in Twink Peaks: "I'll see you again in 25 years." What that means will surely be uncovered soon.

Twin Peaks premieres at 2am on May 22, Sky Atlantic and will be shown again at 9pm on May 23. You can catch up on Seasons One and Two on Sky Box Sets.
20 May 2017; General view of mourners outside the church during mass. Memorial Mass for Rescue 116's Ciaran Smith. Oldtown Church, Oldtown, Co. Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn

20 May 2017; Members of Wild Geese GAA club and friends make their way to the church. Memorial Mass for Rescue 116's Ciaran Smith. Oldtown Church, Oldtown, Co. Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn

20 May 2017; Cortege of family and friends make their way through guard of honour to the church. Memorial Mass for Rescue 116's Ciaran Smith. Oldtown Church, Oldtown, Co. Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn

20 May 2017; Members of Irish Coast Guard make their way to the church. Memorial Mass for Rescue 116's Ciaran Smith. Oldtown Church, Oldtown, Co. Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn

The widow of hero Rescue 116 crew member Ciaran Smith gave a moving speech on how he changed her life at a remembrance service today.

Hundreds of people attended the memorial service in Oldtown in north county Dublin.

Winchman Ciaran Smith and winch operator Paul Ormsby have been officially missing since Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter 116 crashed off north Mayo in mid-March.

The remains of Captain Dara Fitzpatrick and co-pilot Mark Duffy were recovered during search operations.

Expand Close 20 May 2017; General view of mourners outside the church during mass. Memorial Mass for Rescue 116's Ciaran Smith. Oldtown Church, Oldtown, Co. Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp 20 May 2017; General view of mourners outside the church during mass. Memorial Mass for Rescue 116's Ciaran Smith. Oldtown Church, Oldtown, Co. Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn

Efforts to locate their remains have so fair failed.

Speaking at the service his widow Martina said: "Ciaran absolutely blessed my life. My dream was always pretty simple, and that was to have a happy home - and boy I hit the jackpot.

Expand Close 20 May 2017; Members of Irish Coast Guard make their way to the church. Memorial Mass for Rescue 116's Ciaran Smith. Oldtown Church, Oldtown, Co. Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp 20 May 2017; Members of Irish Coast Guard make their way to the church. Memorial Mass for Rescue 116's Ciaran Smith. Oldtown Church, Oldtown, Co. Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn

"There was nothing bigger or more important to him than his family."

Mourners were earlier told by celebrant Fr Pat Reilly of Ciaran's compassion for others.

Expand Close Mourned: (from the top left, clockwise) Capt Dara Fitzpatrick, Capt Mark Duffy, and winchmen Ciaran Smith and Paul Ormsby / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Mourned: (from the top left, clockwise) Capt Dara Fitzpatrick, Capt Mark Duffy, and winchmen Ciaran Smith and Paul Ormsby

"He didn't just say the words, he lived the gospel by his actions - by his care, his compassion.

"Starting with his family, and reaching out to care and help other people. He risked his life to save others."

A preliminary report into fatal crash of Coast Guard Rescue helicopter 116 released last month found a vital omission in the aircraft's onboard warning system.

In the report, the Air Accident Investigation Unit says that its initial inquiries have found that an Enhanced Ground Positioning Warning System did not have the 'lighthouse obstacle' included in an obstacle database and that 'the terrain of the island' was not listed on a terrain database.

Examining what happened in the moments before the collision, the report found that 'the helicopter pitched up rapidly, impacted with terrain at the western end of Black Rock and departed from controlled flight.'

The report also contained information from the voice recorder from R116.

In the seconds before the helicopter impacted with Blackrock Island, crew members were heard discussing 'an island directly in front of us' before advice to 'come right' is issued. But three seconds later, the last recorded communication took place.

The AAIU says the inquiry is ongoing and a final report into the accident will be published in due course.
A man has been charged with the murder of a mother found dead at her Kilkenny home.

Rita Apine (29) was found at the foot of her stairs in Freshford with serious injuries last Sunday.

The Latvian woman later died after being rushed to St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny city.

A man in his 30s was arrested at the time but later released without charge.

He was re-arrested on Friday under section four of the criminal justice act and sources have confirmed that he was charged at Kilkenny station this evening.

It is believed that he was known to the victim.

He will appear before a special sitting of Kilkenny District Court at 11am tomorrow morning.

Ms Apine moved into a rented house last December having lived for some time in Kilkenny city before that.

The suspected murder victim and her daughter moved into the private rented house in Freshford late last year, having initially sought housing from Kilkenny County Council, and previously lived at St Teresa's Terrace in the city.

Ms Apine was not working but was hoping to learn to drive later this year and seek work when her daughter started pre-school.
The mental health of murder accused Eric Locke at the time he caused his ex-girlfriend's death has exercised the minds of everyone in a packed courtroom No 9 in the Criminal Courts of Justice this week.

Is Mr Locke (35) just a bit odd, with his love of making lists, reading bus timetables and his encyclopaedic knowledge of Manchester United - indeed someone who might do well on a pub quiz team?

Or does he suffer from a mental disorder, namely, pervasive developmental disorder (PDD)?

Was Mr Locke diagnosed with a mental disorder only on the eve of his trial, as prosecutor Remy Farrell SC claimed, or has he "always been different since his teens", as defence counsel Patrick Gageby SC claimed?

Did he kill Sonia Blount because he was angry she was meeting a stranger for sex in a hotel and this induced a rage in him for "revenge and retribution" or was he mentally unwell and suffer an "out of body" experience?

Or as Mr Locke put it: "It was almost like watching someone else do it."

The jury heard from three psychiatrists this week who gave "markedly different" evidence.

However, Mr Gageby told the jury it's not the psychiatrists' function to decide whether Eric Locke is truthful. "You're entitled to cherry-pick", he said.

Read More

Mr Locke (35), of St John's Park East in Clondalkin, Dublin, has admitted he caused the death of Ms Blount but says he did not mean to kill her and is pleading the defence of diminished responsibility.

The mum-of-one was found dead in a room in the Plaza Hotel in Tallaght on February 16, 2014.

He used a fake Facebook profile to meet Ms Blount, whom he had briefly dated.

In his closing speech to the jury yesterday, Mr Gageby said the totality of the evidence supported Mr Locke having a mental disorder.

Prosecutor Mr Farrell disagreed, saying the evidence clearly showed Mr Locke "knew well" what he was doing was wrong, was able to control himself and there was no question of diminished responsibility due to a mental disorder.

Mr Farrell suggested Mr Locke is an "inveterate liar".

He also said Mr Locke "thought" through every step of meeting Ms Blount, including "needling" her to leave a keycard at hotel reception.

"Ms Blount had understandable contempt for Eric Locke. This 'whackjob', she said. There's no way she would have opened the door to him."

Mr Farrell also asked the jury whether there was one member who believed the sex was consensual, saying this was "integral to his story".

However, Mr Gageby said the diagnosis of PDD stood up, outlining Mr Locke's suicide attempt and treatment in hospital and his dealings with Pieta House.

These are the issues that the jury will have to consider when they begin their deliberations on Monday.
Most of us encounter gardai only when we need them - in other words when we are victims of crime or we require documentation (such as passport applications) witnessed.

When you do need the Garda you would like to see an agile, quick response by officers who are well equipped, motivated and led from the front.

That's why the current crises which have enveloped the force leave one wondering how can the officers at street level possibly deliver an effective service when there is dysfunction in the top echelons.

Now, a Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland has been unveiled and described as the most comprehensive root-and-branch review since the establishment of An Garda Siochana in 1922. The 12 commission members (average age 61) are faced with a task of enormous proportions - they have 18 months to examine every aspect of policing and produce recommendations in a blueprint for the future.

Despite a string of tribunals and commissions of inquiry, the Garda force has become mired in scandals - the latest of which is the one million bogus breath tests and the complex financial chicanery at the Garda College.

More recently, there's been the investigation by this newspaper which showed the force was playing fast and loose with the regulations around telephone wire taps and in effect eavesdropping on entirely innocent people.

There's also the unsettling revelation by the 'Sunday Independent' that a decorated detective was transferred out of the force's intelligence section after he raised concerns the phone tap on a political activist was put in place for "political purposes". Now it has been left to commission chairperson Kathleen O'Toole and her disparate group of professionals and academics to source and cure the myriad problems at the heart of the organisation.

It makes me wonder:

How can a commission whose members' average age is in the 60s possibly get to grips with contemporary policing problems?

How can it set a vision for the Garda into the 2020s?

What is its experience of cyber crime and the scourge of social media deviancy?

Who among the members has experience of policing Temple Bar or any provincial town centre at 1.30am?

Why aren't there any experienced street cops or detectives (even from outside Ireland) on the commission?

Nonetheless, this commission will examine the structure, oversight and accountability of the force, including its culture and ethos. Also under consideration in this wide-ranging investigation will be whether An Garda Siochana should continue to have responsibility for State security and immigration or if these tasks are allocated to separate bodies.

This group will also have to look at the Garda's failure to be inclusive of the many civilians in its ranks. I have always detected that many (not all) officers treat their "civilian" colleagues as second class, even though their work is just as vital as frontline street or detection policing. It is a bit like a consultancy firm where accountants look down their noses at engineers. It simply does not make sense; everyone should feel part of the one organisation and equally valued. Unfortunately that, in my experience, doesn't generally happen in law enforcement.

It is noteworthy that a decision was made to establish this enquiry before the Garda Commissioner's appearance before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) when she was openly contradicted by one of her civilian deputies, John Barrett. The apparently irreconcilable differing accounts centre on a meeting at which Mr Barrett raised with Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan and her uniformed deputies the issue of a complex web of bank accounts and questionable financial activities in the Garda College.

At the PAC, Ms O'Sullivan said the issue was briefly mentioned over a quick cup of tea and lasted a few minutes. Mr Barrett contradicted the Commissioner by claiming there had been a two-hour meeting to discuss the financial irregularities, producing detailed memos and notes from that meeting and several others.

While we will have to wait for the Commissioner's response to these allegations at a forthcoming PAC meeting, this incident has exposed an apparently fractured management tier at Garda headquarters.

Morale among the frontline Garda responders who police our streets is as low as I have ever experienced - including the bitter civil war that split the Garda Representation Association right down the middle in the early 1990s.

Officers are also trying to carry out their duties with decades-old technology and depleted numbers - in the face of an increasingly sceptical and demanding public. Ms O'Sullivan is one of the force's most experienced detectives who led numerous successful operations against the biggest drugs traffickers in the State. She will be acutely aware of the problems on the ground. These, however, are now issues that Ms O'Toole's commission will have to confront. She herself has a major job of work to do convincing citizens that her group can deliver change, given that reports she drew up in her previous job in the Garda Inspectorate are still gathering dust in Garda HQ and the Department of Justice.

It is noteworthy that one of the younger commission members is Dr Vicky Conway. In her 2014 book, 'Policing Twentieth Century Ireland: A History of An Garda Siochana', she argued that many of the serious problems embedded in the organisation are attributable to the Government's controlling influence.

The law lecturer and criminologist was critical of the controversial, and in my opinion deplorable, 2005 Garda Siochana Act, brought in by former justice minister Michael McDowell.

She argued it politicised the organisation even further. I agree and I think it set in motion the circumstances which led to a greater siege mentality in the force which in my view made it harder for whistleblowers to be heard.

Her warning that a failure to implement reforms based on the recommendations of the Morris Tribunal would lead to further scandals proved prescient.

Reports are fine. Strategy, tactics and culture are the real drivers of change.

Culture comes from the top, from the CEO. In the case of the Garda, that is the Commissioner.

It ultimately lies with whoever he or she is to implement real and positive change, leading from the front.

Paul Williams is also the co-presenter of 'Newstalk Breakfast'
Irelands first bereavement counselling service for children affected by homicide in Ireland has been launched.

Operated by Advocates for Victims of Homicide (AdVIC), the free of charge counselling service will be the first of its kind in Ireland to give support directly to children after the death of a family member.

AdVic Chair Barbara Clinton spoke about the effect trauma from a homicide can potentially have on a child and the necessity for this new service.

Families across the country are left devastated after their loved one is taken from them, Clinton said.

While the impact on adults is terrible, the effect on children is far worse. Having a parent or sibling suddenly disappear from their lives can fundamentally disrupt their lives and leave them dealing with many issues as they grow older.

Although we have developed and offered counselling services to families of victims of homicide for a decade, it has been clear for some time that we had to develop a specific bereavement service for children based on feedback we have received.

The service will be provided by a group of professional counsellors trained by groups such as An Garda Siochana, the office of Director of Public Prosecutions and the State Pathologist.

Developed by counselling co-ordinator Noeleen Slattery Lee and Brid Smith, Chair of the Irish Childhood Bereavement Network, the service will run in conjunction with AdVICs existing counselling resources.
What Trump Administration appointees lack in reticence they make up for in certitude. Take Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

Just two weeks after being shown his stately office at the U.S. Department of Agricultures South Building, Perdue announced a major makeover of it: he invoked a 2014 Farm Bill directive to create a new USDA post, undersecretary of trade, by eliminating an existing post, undersecretary of rural development.

Administration officials described this "demotion of Rural Development as an 'elevation,'" explained the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, because the new trade salesperson "would report directly to the Secretary"

But thats selling baloney as steak, commented the NSAC, because "All undersecretaries, including the undersecretary of rural development, already report directly to the Secretary" so "the assertion is misleading..."

Not to Secretary Perdue who mentions daily that his main goal as USDA boss is "to be American agriculture's unapologetic advocate and chief salesman around the world."

As such, creating an Undersecretary for Global Ag  even if you have to strip American rural communities of, first, their megaphone inside USDA and, later, their funding  is, well, apparently the way its going to be. Besides, this is America's destiny, explained Perdue when announcing the undersecretary swap May 11.

"The men and women of American agriculture are hardy people," he said, "many of whom were born into the calling of feeding America and the world."

Sonny the Salesman knows you have to sell the sizzle to sell the steak.

The USDA redo fits perfectly with the Administrations broader goal to revamp key U.S. trade agreements like the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, and the hope to negotiate more bilateral deals like the just-announced, 10-point deal with China that will reopen the nation to American beef exports.

Typical of this White Houses announcements, though, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, went overboard in his bragging about the China deal. It was a "herculean accomplishment," claimed Ross, that amounted to "more than has been done in the whole history of U.S.-China relations on trade."

That was too much even for the never-in-doubt editorialists at the Wall Street Journal who noted May 15 that the "deal was modest" and the move to open its beef markets was mostly a restatement of a "promise" made by the Chinese premier last September.

But the agreement does signal "Mr. Trump has pulled back from protectionism," added the Journal  much to the relief of American farmers and ranchers. U.S. ag exports, after all, have averaged about $140 billion per year since 2010.

Still, if the White House is now in a "trade-is-good" phase  which easily could change the next time our mercurial president hops on Twitter  bigger trade deals, like the renegotiation of NAFTA, pose enormous challenges that wont be sorted out over the dessert course.

For example, American dairy groups want Canada to dismantle its milk quota system so U.S. fluid milk and dairy products can, literally, flood north. What would American negotiators have to give the Canadian prime minister and his Liberal colleagues for them to agree to that deal?

Hint: The moon and stars would be the starting point, not the end point.

So, too, with Mexico where negotiators now are at an impasse on a standing U.S. deal that allots Mexico 53 percent of all U.S. refined sugar imports. The U.S. wants that promised access cut to 15 percent. Mexicos reply, understandably, is "Hey, pal, we had a deal."

Moreover, its ag minister defiantly noted May 16, that if the U.S. imposes import duties on any of the now-in-limbo Mexican sugar, he would "be willing to react in-kind with duties possibly targeting U.S. fructose."

That would slap U.S. corn growers silly because Mexico buys 79 percent of all American high fructose corn syrup exports (1.1 million metric tons out of a total 1.4 MMT in calendar year 2015).

Artfully, however, the Mexican ag minister never mentioned any wall.
The George bar was vandalised with homophobic messages this morning. Photo: Gary Shaw/Twitter

Ireland's best known gay club's exterior was vandalised with homophobic messages overnight.

Discriminatory messages were chalked on the The George on Dublin's George street in the early hours of this morning.

Last traces of graffiti being washed off @TheGeorgeBar earlier today. pic.twitter.com/PaWPjeBqcN  weareDublinTown (@weareDublinTown) May 20, 2017

The vile messages were promptly washed away by staff.

The vandalism comes during a weekend of celebrations as Ireland marks two years since the Marriage Equality Refendum passed.

Before the messages were cleaned off, Twitter user Gary Shaw took a snap.

Management for the club released a statement on their Facebook page, saying the are "shocked and truly disheartened" after the incident.

"Thanks for all the support and messages today. We are shocked and truly disheartened to see our building vandalised especially with the anniversary of the equality vote this weekend.

"But at times like these our community has come together in support like it always does. We won't let this ruin us celebrating today's anniversary."

Editor of the Gay Community News Brian Finnegan told Independent.ie that the vandalism shows homophobia still exists in Ireland.

"It happened on the exact anniversary to the day of the marriage equality referendum in May 2015. Last night in The Tivoli Theatre over 2,000 people came together to celebrate Yestival, and at the same time down the road this was taking place.

"The George is Dublin's most identifiable gay spot and this shows that there are still people who think it's perfectly acceptable to be viciously homophobic and anti-gay.

"It clearly indicates that everything is not rosy for gay people. There are gay people who are bullied at school, who are afraid to come out and be openly gay.

"It's unbelievable that it happened on the exact day of a milestone for gay people in Ireland. Shame on the people who did it.

"It's good to see that people are very clearly disgusted and upset by the vandalism, but people need to reflect on how this still exists."

Responding on Facebook, drag queen Panti Bliss, AKA Rory O'Neill, said it's a interesting to note the incident took place when a gay man is likely to become the next Taoiseach.

"On the day that The George (Ireland's oldest gay bar) was covered in hate graffiti, it's interesting to note that our new Prime Minister is probably going to be an out gay man," the Pantibar co-founder wrote.

"That would have been unthinkable only a few years ago, and I think the latter is more indicative of where Ireland is now, than the former."

Dublin councillor Gary Gannon blasted the "coward's" attack on the popular nightspot.

"The LGBTQ community have contributed so much to our Republic. I am forever grateful to each one of you for staring down those hateful people who offer nothing."

Independent.ie have contacted The George for comment.

Readers affected by homophobia can contact the Gay Switchboard on 01 872 1055.
Supporters of Housing Minister Simon Coveney have discussed whether he should pull out of the Fine Gael leadership race rather than face a humiliating defeat.

Mr Coveney's campaign is in meltdown as Leo Varadkar sails towards a landslide victory in the battle to replace Enda Kenny. Sources told the Irish Independent that "big decisions have to be made" and there is a "strong argument" for conceding defeat.

After serious consideration I am supporting @campaignforleo for the leadership of @FineGael pic.twitter.com/TZUuFUopJu  Kieran O'Donnell (@kodonnellLK) May 20, 2017

Fine Gael senator Kieran O'Donnell is the latest to declare for Leo Varadkar; it is understood that the Limerick Senator has been seen as a Coveney target.

It is understood Mr Coveney wants to continue the fight, telling those close to him that even if he can't win, Fine Gael should still debate its future direction.

In a thinly veiled swipe at his opponent, Mr Coveney last night said believing polls and swaying with the wind, without any evidence or scrutiny, was weak.

Speaking at a private meeting in Ennis, Co Clare, he added: "But now we need a new start for this party.

"And may the best person win. But may the best person win after a process that has tested them fully so that we all know what we are voting for and who we are voting for.

Expand Close The decision by Agriculture Minister Michael Creed not to express a preference is seen as a major blow to Simon Coveney Picture: Jason Clarke / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The decision by Agriculture Minister Michael Creed not to express a preference is seen as a major blow to Simon Coveney Picture: Jason Clarke

Read More

"If that winner is Leo Varadkar, I will shake his hand and work with him to build a better country."

However, those backing the Cork TD accept only a major gaffe by Mr Varadkar will stall his march to power.

On a difficult day for Mr Coveney, he appeared at a press conference alongside junior minister Pat Breen and TD Joe Carey. The Irish Independent can now reveal that both Clare representatives have pledged their allegiance to Mr Varadkar.

Mr Breen said: "I believe he also has the ability, tenacity, ambition and imagination to lead our country into a new economically strong and progressive era."

Mr Coveney also lost out on expected endorsements from Waterford TD John Deasy and Limerick TD Tom Neville.

A decision by Cork-based Agriculture Minister Michael Creed not to express a preference is also seen as a major blow to Mr Coveney.

"I've obviously spoken to Michael about this. I'm sure Leo has too. There are lots of people in the party, I think, who remember the very difficult and very divisive leadership contests that Fine Gael have been through in the past. I think there's a long way to go yet and people like Michael Creed - I'm not going to start forcing them out. That's not my style," he said.

Read More

The decision of Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan to go with Mr Varadkar came as "a major shock" to Mr Coveney's team. Mr Flanagan described the Dublin West TD as the "change" candidate.

Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe said he was "the most capable politician of my generation".

Mr Varadkar will hold a rally in Dublin today which was due to be his opening pitch in the race - which now appears all but over.

Fine Gael has booked hotels in Dublin, Cork, Ballinasloe and Carlow for hustings and has budgeted around 250,000 for running the contest.

The Social Protection Minister has already amassed 40 of the 73 votes in the parliamentary party, which amounts to about 35pc of the overall vote - even before councillors and party members are factored in.

"I'm really humbled at the level of support I have received from my colleagues," he said, yesterday, adding: "I'm not counting my chickens."

He will tell today's rally that he can offer "a new kind of leadership, a new way forward for Fine Gael and Ireland".

Extracts of his speech seen by the Irish Independent state: "Ireland stands at a crossroads. The economic collapse required strong and decisive government. We are emerging from what has been a lost decade for many of our people. We need new ambition to respond to the challenges that have built up, to meet the hopes, aspirations and needs of all our people."

He promises to make Fine Gael "a modern, campaigning party and a fighting force once again".

"With the right leadership, we can make Ireland a shining light for all our citizens and a country that provides equal opportunity for all, based on the values of integrity, hard work and respect, and underpinned by sound public finances and a growing economy."

Mr Coveney will hold his own rally in Cork tonight, where it is expected he will declare a desire to fight on.

Fine Gael parliamentary party endorsements for leader

The Fine Gael parliamentary party makes up 65pc of the total electorate.

That makes each of the 73 members' votes worth 0.9pc of the total ballot.

Of the remaining electorate, 230 party councillors account for 10pc, while the remaining 25pc is rank and file members.

Leo Varadkar Simon Coveney Total: 45 Total: 19 Ministers: 17 Ministers: 5 TDs: 16 TDs: 5 Senators: 11 Senators: 8 MEPs: 1 MEPs: 1 Richard Bruton -Minister Simon Harris - Minister Frances Fitzgerald - Minister Damien English - Minister Michael Ring - Minister Dara Murphy - Minister Eoghan Murphy - Minister David Stanton - Minister Sean Kyne - Minister Marcella Corcoran Kennedy - Minister Joe McHugh - Minister Kate O'Connell - TD Helen McEntee - Minister Maria Bailey - TD Charlie Flanagan - Minister Sean Barrett TD Paul Kehoe -Minister Hildegard Naughton - TD Patrick O'Donovan - Minister Peter Fitzpatrick - TD Regina Doherty - Minister Tim Lombard - Senator Mary Mitchell O'Connor - Minister Jerry Buttimer - Senator Paschal Donohoe - Minister Paudie Coffey - Senator Heather Humphreys - Minister James Reilly - Senator Pat Breen - Minister Colm Burke - Senator Catherine Byrne - Minister John O'Mahony - Senator Andrew Doyle - Minister Paul Coghlan - Senator John Paul Phelan - TD Gabrielle McFadden - Senator Noel Rock - TD Deirdre Clune - MEP Tony McLoughlin - TD Alan Farrell - TD Michael D'Arcy - TD Tom Neville - TD Josepha Madigan - TD Pat Deering - TD Jim Daly - TD Brendan Griffin - TD Ciaran Cannon - TD Colm Brophy - TD Peter Burke - TD Fergus O'Dowd - TD John Deasy - TD Joe Carey - TD Neale Richmond - Senator Catherine Noone - Senator Paddy Burke - Senator Martin Conway - Senator Michelle Mulherin - Senator Maura Hopkins - Senator Ray Butler - Senator Frank Feighan - Senator Maria Byrne - Senator Joe O'Reilly - Senator Kieran O'Donnell - Senator Brian Hayes - MEP

Undeclared Enda Kenny - Outgoing Party Leader * Martin Heydon - Party Chairman * Michael Noonan - Minister Michael Creed - Minister Bernard Durkan - TD Sean Kelly - MEP Mairead McGuinness MEP

* Outgoing leader Enda Kenny and party chairman Martin Heydon will not make an endorsement
Kevin 'Boxer' Moran was driving back to Athlone after a day's work in Leinster House recently when he heard something on the radio that made his blood boil.

There was a discussion about how the minority Government wasn't working, which is standard fare, but then one of the contributors sniped that things have gotten so bad the country has an incoming minister that hasn't even got a Junior Cert.

The first-time TD is widely recognised around Leinster House as a politician who's never in a bad mood, yet that one barb hit him hard.

Next Friday, as part of a deal between Fine Gael and the Independent Alliance, he will take over from Sean Canney as the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief Minister.

And before he does, he has decided it's time to "let the public have a real image of what 'Boxer' Moran is like".

"There's no point in me telling half the story. I know there are plenty of people that are going to criticise me for what I'm going to say to you. I'll take that criticism.

"But I would say nobody is perfect in Dail Eireann," he told the Irish Independent.

'Boxer' (54), as he likes to be called, has two secrets that have weighed heavy on him for decades.

The first is the battle with dyslexia that saw him quit school at 12. The second is how close he came to killing himself in his early 20s.

"It's something that I never spoke about or told anybody about. I kept it inside of me. I'm not proud of it," he said of the latter.

Expand Close Kevin Boxer Moran works a pump during the flooding at The Strand in Athlone in December 2015. Photo: Frank McGrath / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Kevin Boxer Moran works a pump during the flooding at The Strand in Athlone in December 2015. Photo: Frank McGrath

Financial problems in his taxi firm had stacked up on top of what he now believes was depression. He suffered panic attacks and didn't know where to turn for help.

"This particular Sunday, I was out with the lads at a clay pigeon shoot. Normally I'd drop the lads at the pub and I'd go home. But this day I didn't go home. I went up a back road," he said.

In an almost confessional tone, he bluntly stated: "What came over me that day for six or seven minutes, I don't know. It was a complete blackout. I did have a bad time in my life. I did load a gun and I did pull the trigger But I pulled away the gun at the last second. What made me do that, I can't tell you."

The Longford/Westmeath TD went through several "horrible" months trying to recover from the shock and getting to grips with his mental health problems.

Luckily, he had a small network of friends that he opened up to, including his wife Michelle.

"What I experienced that day is within me still and I carry it. What I have done is used it to help others," he said, adding on several occasions that he isn't looking for sympathy.

By the time Fianna Fail councillor Cieran Temple knocked on his door in the mid-1990s, 'Boxer' was back on form. Mr Temple wanted 'Boxer' to run for his seat on Westmeath County Council and Athlone Town Council. It was a welcome approach but it brought his other secret back to the surface.

"I hadn't the courage to tell Cieran that I couldn't read or write. I kept putting him off. The third time he called, my wife was there and Michelle said 'if you want to run, I'll help you'," he said.

At the selection convention he was handed a piece of paper with a list of people to thank for helping get his name on the ticket.

"I was absolutely mortified that I was expected to get up and read this thing out. I took the mic and said 'thanks very much to ye all for voting for me and I hope to see ye back here when I'm elected' and I sat down," he recalled.

Staff in the council quickly spotted there was an issue and the town clerk made staff available to help. They worded his motions and assisted in breaking down the paperwork.

"I became Mayor of Athlone and that created another problem. Everybody knows the mayor has to speak at a lot of functions. I had no problem speaking off the cuff but I couldn't do a script," he said.

Prior to events, he used to hold secret meetings with a fellow councillor in the basement of Athlone Castle where he could practise his speeches.

He contested Fianna Fail's nomination to stand at the 2007 General Election but was narrowly defeated at convention by Mary O'Rourke.

After splitting from Fianna Fail, he ran in the 2011 election and the 2014 by-election.

"I still never told anybody my story. Four years ago, my wife and I sat down. I failed in two attempts to get elected to the Dail and we knew we had to do something about my education. We started doing scripts at home," he explained.

Then TDs Shane Ross and Michael Fitzmaurice came calling in the hope 'Boxer' would join the Independent Alliance.

"I had to explain to the lads the problems that I had. Shane said 'don't worry, we'll help you all the way'," he said.

It was a big step towards finally dealing with something that he had hidden since he was a child.

"In school, I knew there was a problem and I could avoid it by creating a problem in class. I spent more time in the principal's office than I did in the classroom because I had to hide from the difficulties that I had."

He lasted only a couple of weeks in Athlone's Marist College before taking a job on a building site. It wasn't until he was 16 or 17 that he was diagnosed with dyslexia.

Now on the verge of holding national office, he has told colleagues like Denis Naughten and Katherine Zappone about his struggles with literacy.

"For me now going in as minister would I write an essay, no I wouldn't. Can I read? Yes I can," he said.

"I'm not telling this story for somebody to take pity on me. I'm telling it for people like me so that they don't hold the problem within themselves.

"I believe that within myself I'm still not the polished article but I am working very hard to make that happen. I got where I am today through myself and the help of my wife and other people and I'll continue that road."

Put to him that once he told his story there was no going back, he replied that there were thousands like him who struggled with mental health and dyslexia.

"I want those people to be inspired by me coming out. I don't want them to go down the road that I did for years, holding myself back, afraid to say exactly where the problem was," he said.

Boxer knows he will be "hounded" in the Dail chamber but intends to spend "longer hours" preparing for his contributions than other ministers.

"I'll give it my best shot. As long as I don't make a mistake that might hurt the country, I don't mind. If I make a mistake reading the script so be it," he said.

If you have been affected by issues raised in this article please contact the Samaritans in confidence on 116 123 or Pieta House on 1800 247 247 - or text HELP to 51444.
Leo Varadkar, pictured, and Simon Coveney are the contenders to be the new Taoiseach

Simon Coveney, is one of the contenders to be the next Taoiseach

HOUSING Minister Simon Coveney is holding strategy meetings with his closest advisors amid mounting pressure for him to end his Fine Gael leadership bid given the near unassailable lead already boasted by his rival, Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar.

Mr Coveney cancelled a planned media event at 2pm outside his Carrigaline, Co Cork constituency office just minutes after Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald endorsed Mr Varadkar as Taoiseach Enda Kenny's successor.

The Cork TD instead decided to address the media at a campaign rally in the Capitol Complex in Cork city centre at 8pm.

The rally, planned to be attended by hundreds of his Cork supporters, will be one of the first major events staged in the multi-million Euro new complex.

Mr Coveney will spend the afternoon lobbying and consulting with local councillors who now offer his best chance of a comeback in the race.

A spokesperson this afternoon insisted he would not be withdrawing his name.

Expand Close Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney Photo: Frank McGrath / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney Photo: Frank McGrath

There was mounting speculation today that Mr Coveney would quit the competition after Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar today unveiled 45 parliamentary party supporters at his campaign launch.

It is understood some members of his team believed he should pull out of the race and instead seek to unify the entire party behind Mr Varadkar.

However, Mr Coveneys spokeswoman confirmed this afternoon he would not be pulling out of the competition.

(Hes) definitely not pulling out and wants to see it through, she said.

However, key supporters admitted that matters have significantly changed over the past 48 hours.

"It is an uphill battle, that is for sure. But it is still possible," Senator Jerry Buttimer said.

However, other key advisors to Mr Coveney have urged him to consider whether persisting with the full two week election campaign would run the risk of generating damaging splits in the party.

Mr Coveney has himself repeatedly warned that the campaign to elect a new Fine Gael leader should not be allowed prove fractious or threaten to generate divisions within the party.

"Party unity is absolutely vital," he warned at a Kinsale event two weeks ago.

Some are now concerned at the media headlines generated by comments from key Coveney supporter, Kate O'Connell TD, where she described Mr Varadkar's supporters as "choirboys."

One advisor, who asked to be unnamed, admitted that the flood of senior Cabinet endorsements for Mr Varadkar has substantially changed the electoral landscape.

"It is simply stating the obvious to say that the momentum is now with Leo's campaign. There's a mountain to climb for us," he said.

"Whatever decisions need to be taken, I have absolutely no doubt but that Simon will take them."

The Coveney campaign was left reeling by senior Cabinet members including Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan, Education

Minister Richard Bruton and Public Reform Minister Paschal Donohue endorsing Mr Varadkar.

The Coveney campaign suffered a further blow when support expected from specific people including Agriculture Minister Michael Creed failed to materialise.

But European Affairs Minister Dara Murphy, a key Coveney supporter, still insisted that the campaign could take a twist.

"I would not be concerned. We have a big parliamentary party. We have a large number of councillors and the largest membership of any political party in the country."

Mr Murphy challenged analysts who said Mr Varadkar was virtually at the finishing post.

"I am not sure (about that)- the only poll that matters in when people vote."

"Of course our electoral system allows our 20,000 members and our hundreds of councillors to also have the opportunity to contribute to this."

"There is plenty left in this campaign for sure."

Senator Buttimer said while the parliamentary party vote was important, a close race will be decided by the party's councillors and their 20,000-strong membership.

"It is very hard to predict," he said.

"I always felt it would be a very close race between two hugely talented politicians who are two excellent candidates."

"I still believe that everything is there to be campaigned for."

"I don't think anyone was actually that surprised by the early declarations of support for Leo."

Mr Murphy said the importance of the election cannot be overstated.

"We have two excellent candidates in the field. Enda Kenny did a great job for the country and he stood aside at a good time particularly with a bit of a gap in the Brexit process," he said.

"We will know in the next few weeks which of the two will take over the party."

"It is a very, very important time for the country and we need strong, stable Government."

"I worked beside and known Simon Coveney for many years. I think he has got the qualities we need at this time to lead our country."

Fine Gael parliamentary party endorsements for leader

The Fine Gael parliamentary party makes up 65pc of the total electorate.

That makes each of the 73 members' votes worth 0.9pc of the total ballot.

Of the remaining electorate, 230 party councillors account for 10pc, while the remaining 25pc is rank and file members.

Leo Varadkar Simon Coveney Total: 45 Total: 19 Ministers: 17 Ministers: 5 TDs: 16 TDs: 5 Senators: 11 Senators: 8 MEPs: 1 MEPs: 1 Richard Bruton -Minister Simon Harris - Minister Frances Fitzgerald - Minister Damien English - Minister Michael Ring - Minister Dara Murphy - Minister Eoghan Murphy - Minister David Stanton - Minister Sean Kyne - Minister Marcella Corcoran Kennedy - Minister Joe McHugh - Minister Kate O'Connell - TD Helen McEntee - Minister Maria Bailey - TD Charlie Flanagan - Minister Sean Barrett TD Paul Kehoe -Minister Hildegard Naughton - TD Patrick O'Donovan - Minister Peter Fitzpatrick - TD Regina Doherty - Minister Tim Lombard - Senator Mary Mitchell O'Connor - Minister Jerry Buttimer - Senator Paschal Donohoe - Minister Paudie Coffey - Senator Heather Humphreys - Minister James Reilly - Senator Pat Breen - Minister Colm Burke - Senator Catherine Byrne - Minister John O'Mahony - Senator Andrew Doyle - Minister Paul Coghlan - Senator John Paul Phelan - TD Gabrielle McFadden - Senator Noel Rock - TD Deirdre Clune - MEP Tony McLoughlin - TD Alan Farrell - TD Michael D'Arcy - TD Tom Neville - TD Josepha Madigan - TD Pat Deering - TD Jim Daly - TD Brendan Griffin - TD Ciaran Cannon - TD Colm Brophy - TD Peter Burke - TD Fergus O'Dowd - TD John Deasy - TD Joe Carey - TD Neale Richmond - Senator Catherine Noone - Senator Paddy Burke - Senator Martin Conway - Senator Michelle Mulherin - Senator Maura Hopkins - Senator Ray Butler - Senator Frank Feighan - Senator Maria Byrne - Senator Joe O'Reilly - Senator Kieran O'Donnell - Senator Brian Hayes - MEP

Undeclared Enda Kenny - Outgoing Party Leader * Martin Heydon - Party Chairman * Michael Noonan - Minister Michael Creed - Minister Bernard Durkan - TD Sean Kelly - MEP Mairead McGuinness MEP

* Outgoing leader Enda Kenny and party chairman Martin Heydon will not make an endorsement
SOCIAL Protection Minister Leo Varadkar is the favourite with the bookies to succeed Enda Kenny

There is mounting speculation this afternoon that Housing Minister Simon Coveney is considering withdrawing from the Fine Gael leadership contest.

He cancelled a media event scheduled to be held in Co Cork this afternoon to meet supporters to discuss whether he should withdraw from the race.

A rally with supporters is still scheduled for 8pm - however speculation within the party is that the contest will be over sooner rather than later.

Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald and Rural Minister Michael Ring backed Leo Varadkar's leadership campaign, in a move many believed gave the Social Protection minister an unassailable lead in the race.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Leo Varadkar Credit: David Conaghy Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald Photo: Arthur Carron / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Leo Varadkar Credit: David Conaghy

"He is committed, intelligent and determined. He is a deep analytical thinker with a diligence to turn his ideas into reality," Minister for Justice said at the official launch for Varadkar's campaign for the leadership of Fine Gael on Saturday afternoon.

"Above all, he has empathy. He understands the challenges people and families face in Irish society. It's not about having economic growth. It's about using that growth so that no one gets left out"

"Leo is the leader to renew and recommunicate Fine Gael values...let's make these two weeks count and win in a decisive, generous way".

Michael Ring said Leo Varadkar "is the right man for the job at the right time".

Expand Close Leo Varadkar Credit: David Conaghy / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Leo Varadkar Credit: David Conaghy

"He has the great qualities needed to represent the country home and abroad. He will be a great leader of Fine Gael and a great Taoiseach," he said.

"When this contest is over I have no doubt the party of Fine Gael will come behind you as leader and as Taoiseach of this country," he added.

Minister Catherine Byrne and Senator Joe O'Reilly have also declared for Leo Varadkar this afternoon.

Varadkar spoke at the Dublin City Council Civic offices this afternoon to make the campaign announcement.

He began by paying tribute to Enda Kenny as Taoiseach.

"I truly believe that when history records Enda Kenny, it will record him as the man who gave Ireland back her future," he said.

"Now the country needs a new mission, it stands at a crossroads...We can make mistakes that we have in the past or we can get it right this time, and I am determined to get it right."

Varadkar said that he wants to make Fine Gael a modern campaign party and "a fighting force once more".

"Against a rising tide of populism...we need a stable foundation to build the Ireland we need," he said.

"I will seek to forge a new social contract where anyone who contributes to the system benefits from it...Leadership will be about more than one person."

He said that he wants the party to be united in terms of ideas and values and "how we work with other people and convey those values".

"Ireland can be a country that provides equality and opportunity for all...I ask for your trust and your support. So let's begin anew," he concluded.

The Social Protection Minister said he will include Housing Minister Simon Coveney in his Cabinet if elected next Fine Gael leader and Taoiseach.

"An honest, diligent, patient man. I wish I had the patience Simon had," he said.

However, Mr Varadkar would not commit to keeping Health Minister Simon Harris at Cabinet.

Mr Harris is the only Cabinet member to publicly support Mr Coveney.

Mr Varadkar received a round of applause from supporters when he announced he would keep Mr Coveney at Cabinet.

But purposely refused to state whether Mr Harris would be kept at the Cabinet table.

Mr Vardakar said the leadership campaign "is only starting".

"I'm very keen to take the campaign to the rest of the country," he said.

When asked about the scathing attack by Dublin Bay South TD Kate OConnell who labelled TDs who have come out in support of Mr Varadkar as boys that are singing for their supper, he had no response.

"I want it to be a positive campaign and I don't think theres room for any negative commentary in a positive campaign".

Mr Varadkar said it will be a hard task to match Enda Kenny's performance.

"The position I made was that the timing was a matter for Enda Kenny. It was his decision in the end," he said.

CampaignForLeo will now see the current Minister for Social Protection travel around the country before the first leadership debate takes place at the Red Cow Hotel, Dublin this Thursday.

Leo Varadkar has now secured the votes of 45 of the 73 members of the parliamentary party.

The votes from Fine Gael TDs and Senators will account for 65pc of the overall vote, with 25pc of votes coming from party members and the remaining 10pc from local representatives.

Meanwhile, Simon Coveney is scheduled to appear at a rally in Cork tonight in a bid to gather some much needed local support.

Fine Gael parliamentary party endorsements for leader

The Fine Gael parliamentary party makes up 65pc of the total electorate.

That makes each of the 73 members' votes worth 0.9pc of the total ballot.

Of the remaining electorate, 230 party councillors account for 10pc, while the remaining 25pc is rank and file members.

Leo Varadkar Simon Coveney Total: 45 Total: 19 Ministers: 17 Ministers: 5 TDs: 16 TDs: 5 Senators: 11 Senators: 8 MEPs: 1 MEPs: 1 Richard Bruton -Minister Simon Harris - Minister Frances Fitzgerald - Minister Damien English - Minister Michael Ring - Minister Dara Murphy - Minister Eoghan Murphy - Minister David Stanton - Minister Sean Kyne - Minister Marcella Corcoran Kennedy - Minister Joe McHugh - Minister Kate O'Connell - TD Helen McEntee - Minister Maria Bailey - TD Charlie Flanagan - Minister Sean Barrett TD Paul Kehoe -Minister Hildegard Naughton - TD Patrick O'Donovan - Minister Peter Fitzpatrick - TD Regina Doherty - Minister Tim Lombard - Senator Mary Mitchell O'Connor - Minister Jerry Buttimer - Senator Paschal Donohoe - Minister Paudie Coffey - Senator Heather Humphreys - Minister James Reilly - Senator Pat Breen - Minister Colm Burke - Senator Catherine Byrne - Minister John O'Mahony - Senator Andrew Doyle - Minister Paul Coghlan - Senator John Paul Phelan - TD Gabrielle McFadden - Senator Noel Rock - TD Deirdre Clune - MEP Tony McLoughlin - TD Alan Farrell - TD Michael D'Arcy - TD Tom Neville - TD Josepha Madigan - TD Pat Deering - TD Jim Daly - TD Brendan Griffin - TD Ciaran Cannon - TD Colm Brophy - TD Peter Burke - TD Fergus O'Dowd - TD John Deasy - TD Joe Carey - TD Neale Richmond - Senator Catherine Noone - Senator Paddy Burke - Senator Martin Conway - Senator Michelle Mulherin - Senator Maura Hopkins - Senator Ray Butler - Senator Frank Feighan - Senator Maria Byrne - Senator Joe O'Reilly - Senator Kieran O'Donnell - Senator Brian Hayes - MEP

Undeclared Enda Kenny - Outgoing Party Leader * Martin Heydon - Party Chairman * Michael Noonan - Minister Michael Creed - Minister Bernard Durkan - TD Sean Kelly - MEP Mairead McGuinness MEP

* Outgoing leader Enda Kenny and party chairman Martin Heydon will not make an endorsement
A fortnight lying on a beach may seem like the perfect boost - but new research suggests it's enough to cause muscles to waste and fitness levels to plunge.

The study on healthy young adults found startling changes to muscle mass and metabolism could occur during a couple of weeks on holiday, or simply lazing around.

It warns that the changes could trigger an increased risk of developing chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and potentially even premature death.

Researchers from Liverpool University examined 28 fit, young adults, with an average age of 25 for the study. For a two-week period, they asked participants to cut their activity levels by 80 per cent, from 10,000 daily steps to just 1,500.

By the end of 14 days, the 20-somethings had lost almost a third of a kilo of lean muscle (0.8 pounds)  and saw their waistlines expand by almost half an inch (1cm).

There was also an increase in liver fat and an increase in bad cholesterol markers while overall, cardio-respiratory fitness levels also declined.

Expand Close Tourist boom: Sunbathers on Playa de Palma beach in Majorca, Spain. / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Tourist boom: Sunbathers on Playa de Palma beach in Majorca, Spain.

When the group returned to their previous fitness habits, the study also found, they were unable to return to shape within two weeks.

The research was presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Porto this week.

Lead researcher Dr Dan Cuthbertson said: In a group of physically active, healthy young individuals that met the recommended physical activity guidelines, just 14 days of increased sedentary behaviour resulted in small but significant reductions in fitness that were accompanied by reductions in muscle mass and increases in body fat."

He said people who do not exercise risk obesity and illnesses such as Type 2 diabetes.

"The take-home message is two-fold," Cuthbertson said. "If you do formal exercise, it may not be enough and keeping active as part of your daily life is important.

"And for those who don't exercise, avoiding prolonged sitting and increasing your daily step counts has clear health benefits.

Expand Close Costa Brava / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Costa Brava

"People have become obsessed with 10,000 steps a day and this research shows it's a good thing."

In Ireland, overweight and obesity rates have doubled in the past two decades, with just 40pc of Irish adults now of "a healthy weight", according to the Department of Health's Obesity Policy & Action Plan 2016-2025 (read the PDF here).

Dr Cuthbertson added: Our day to day physical activity is key to abstaining from disease and health complications. People must avoid sitting for long periods of time.

Steven Ward, chief executive of fitness organisation ukactive said: Physical inactivity is societys silent killer and even short bouts of being sedentary can lead to deadly diseases.

Thats why its so important for us to build movement into all aspects of our lives  commuting, working and at play  to reap the myriad benefits of an active lifestyle.

We know from our own ukactive research that lazy summer holidays wreak havoc on our childrens health, so its vital that families stay active together at this time of year to ward off unhealthy habits.

Read more:

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
The decision taken on Thursday by Dublin City Council to set aside space for a world-class film studio in the new Poolbeg special development zone is such an encouraging one.

On Thursday evening, after a day finalising a new documentary on Brexit and Ireland, which airs on RTE One on Monday night, I slumped down, like so many hundreds of thousands of Irish workers, knackered in front of the TV. It was well gone "wine o'clock", so with a deserved glass in hand, I flicked through the options.

The range of choice these days, from Netflix and Amazon to terrestrial TV, is truly extraordinary. Finally, I decided to watch the end of a compelling documentary series on BBC4 about OJ Simpson. When you know how the story ends, tuning in at episode five is no big deal.

Coming shortly after the Netflix documentary 'The People v OJ Simpson', this one was called 'OJ, Made in America'. An Oscar-winner, the documentary series is about the Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman murders, and OJ's trial, acquittal, subsequent life and the overarching role of race which dominated one of the biggest media events in US history. In truth, it was a media circus as much as a criminal trial.

The quantity of quality TV and film content available to us now is mind-boggling. All around the world, TV and film is a massively growing industry. It is mainly an English-language phenomenon, already worth $130bn per year. The industry is set to grow in double digits as people like us change our viewing habits.

When it comes to film and TV, we are living in an age of great disruption.

In the past, the TV companies (usually large nationalised corporations) and the local cinema cartels controlled the distribution of TV and film content. Not any more. Technology has changed all that. The new players - such as Netflix and Amazon - in cahoots with the broadband providers have turned the TV world on its head and the upshot is that the old monopolies no longer control distribution. People are watching whatever they want, whenever they want.

This is bad news for the old business model, but like so many other disruptions it creates massive opportunities.

And the disruption is not only centered on content distribution, there is also another profound disruption going on and that is the end of patience. When I was a boy, the "Who shot JR?" slogan captured the nation. It was a cross-cultural mania: my Mass-going granny in West Cork demanded to know "Who shot JR' as did my wife's strict Presbyterian grandmother in rural Antrim. What they had in common was patience - the patience to wait for the next series of 'Dallas' to find out what happened.

Nowadays, people want a box set to binge on. The notion of the cliffhanger gripping a nation for months on end is gone as we binge on three episodes in a row until, delirious from lack of sleep, we realise it's 2am on a school night and we are addicted to "just one more episode".

This is the new way of consuming TV and film.

The younger you are, the less patience you have. The end of patience implies that more and more content is being made, watched and discarded. But it is being consumed and because the model of consuming has changed where we pay subscriptions, the demand for content will be as voracious as the sum of our appetites.

This disruption in the production, distribution and consumption of TV and film provides an amazing opportunity for creative industries here in Ireland. Hollywood is bursting at capacity and giant American studios are scouring the world for ideal locations to make TV. Why not Ireland?

The other day walking through Dublin Airport, I marvelled to myself at the outrageous success of Ryanair. What right had a country like Ireland, with no history in aviation manufacturing, to end up having the biggest airline company in Europe? Had you suggested such a thing two or three decades ago, people would have thought you were bonkers, but it happened. Ryanair is the biggest operator in Europe by a country mile.

If Ireland can host the largest airline operator in Europe, why not the largest film and TV business in time?

Arguably, we are much better suited to build on an existing film and TV industry, and one that is already vibrant. Last year, Ireland had an embarrassment of riches at the Oscars' top table.

Imagine if those movies had been made here as well as being driven by Irish creative talent?

For years, the Irish film and TV industries have been quasi-extractive. By this I mean Irish talent was often extracted out of here and fused with American or British capital, to write and star in films or series that were produced elsewhere.

So why not aim to produce it here and keep the value added in Ireland? Sometimes an industry makes sense for a country.

However, you can't just produce films and TV series without the infrastructure. As someone who sometimes makes documentaries, it's clear that over the past few years advances in technology mean studios are replacing locations. In film, this move is much more evident. So to be in with a shout of getting some of this global business, Dublin needs a state-of-the-art studio.

This is why the decision taken on Thursday by Dublin City Council to set aside space for a world-class film studio in the new Poolbeg special development zone is such an encouraging one.

The City Council voted unanimously to include the site for a large Hollywood-style movie studio down in Poolbeg just beneath the iconic Pigeon House towers.

This is an excellent decision and one that shows real vision for the future of the city as a destination for high-end content, creative people as well as lots of other jobs. You might not realise that it takes loads of different types of workers to make films and TV, from painters and decorators, carpenters and set designers, to scriptwriters, musicians, actors and directors as well as accountants, lawyers and money men.

It's a huge intertwined and overlapping ecosystem.

By setting aside space for this type of studio, the Council has shown true ambition for the city. This move could well be seen as the creative and artistic version of the setting up of the IFSC.

You need the vision to see that things can be done and you need luck in terms of whether your timing is right. Thirty years ago, the global finance industry was in its infancy, today it is huge and the IFSC gamble paid off. The omens for making TV and film globally now look much more attractive.

The Poolbeg studios could be the idea whose time has come.
ALGONA  The 33rd annual ABATE of Iowa Freedom Rally in rural Algona will feature live music, camping and all things motorcycle.

The event will be June 29 to July 1st at the group's Freedom Park, 2507 160th Ave., about 4 miles north of Algona.

This year's bands include Godessess of Rock, Rukkus, The Jimmys, Iron Cowgirl, Dustin Bogue and Jasmine Cain. Country artist Chris Janson whose hits include "Buy me a boat and Holdin her will perform Friday. Hairball will take the stage Saturday.

The Beer Barn also will featured daily live music. The event also features a tattoo and beard contest, bike rodeo, burnout pit, dyno, bike show, fireworks, helicopter rides, a sled pull and more.

Advance tickets can be purchased until June 9 for members of ABATE and the Motorcycle Riders Outreach. Advance tickets are not available for non-members.

Tickets in advance are $40 for single members and $60 per couple. Only one person in a couple needs to be a member to qualify for the rate. At the gate, member tickets are $45. Tickets are $70 for non-members at the gate.

Saturday only tickets are $40.

ABATE stands for A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education.

ABATE of Iowa schedule

Thursday, June 29

Beer Barn  Cross Eyed Mary and Taintd

Main Stage  Goddesses of Rock, Rukkus and The Jimmys.

Friday, June 30

Beer Barn  Iron Cowgirl and Deliverance

Main Stage  Iron Cowgirl, Dustin Bogue and Chris Janson.

Saturday, July 1

Beer Barn  Midget Wrestling and Jammer.

Main Stage  Iron Cowgirl, Jasmine Cain and Hairball.
Hundreds of thousands of euro were flowing through the secret bank accounts of a social welfare fraudster while she was claiming tens of thousands in social welfare benefits, Dundalk Circuit Court has been told.

Tara McKenna (53), Shannon House, Channonrock, admitted sample counts of making false declarations for Job Seekers' benefit and Back to School Allowance totalling more than 56,000 on dates between February 22 2012 and May 26 2015.

She is originally from England and worked in her family's haulage business before moving to Northern Ireland where she was a post mistress prior to coming South.

McKenna was caught by a special joint operation between Gardai and the Department of Social Protection who investigated those who had been making claims for a number of years. Every month between those dates, McKenna had signed a declaration that she was out of work and met the income threshold for the payments, but investigators uncovered two secret bank accounts - one in which 483,000 had been lodged, with 450,000 withdrawn, while the second, which McKenna initially didn't tell the detectives about, had 226,000 going through it.

Investigators found out that McKenna's husband, Paul, had been working in the mining industry in Africa and had sent the payments to her accounts. She claimed she was separated from her husband since 2012, but a Garda told Dundalk Circuit Court it was her belief the couple were only 'geographically separated' and he was continuing to support her and their five children.

During a formal interview with detectives in May 2015, McKenna said her husband had been working in Africa and he had sent the money to her to cover mortgage payments and living expenses.

The Garda said she believed McKenna 'had enjoyed a good standard of living from the money from Africa'. The court heard just 800 has been paid back so far, with McKenna agreeing to paying back the Social Protection Department 100 a month. In addition, a bank draft for 10,000 was in court made out to the department.

Judge Michael O'Shea was told that Paul McKenna had previously run a successful business, but it had collapsed in 2010 because of the recession.

Barrister Irene Sands said McKenna, who has no previous convictions, is in the process of separating from her husband.

The barrister said the money was being put through McKenna's own accounts 'because her husband had debts' from his previous business.

McKenna had made the claim for social welfare for the family in 2011 after her husband's firm went bust, and this initial claim was legitimate and correct.

But the defendant should have told the social welfare office that her husband was contributing. Ms Sands said: 'The payments he sent were large sums, but it was erratic and the money was being spent on machinery etc. He couldn't use his own account because he was in debt to creditors. She was not the beneficiary of these vast sums of money'.

Ms Sands added McKenna had met the Probation Service a number of times ahead of the sentencing report they had prepared, including on one occasion with her husband. She is a full-time mother and homemaker, had shown remorse and has recently been diagnosed with a neurological condition that could be a 'pre-cursor to MS'.

Judge O'Shea said the money involved in the social welfare payments was from the taxpayer. He said: 'There is a duty on every person to ensure that everything is done properly. There can be no concealment of material facts and the department is relying on the forthrightness and honesty of the applicant.

'She acted dishonestly and knowingly concealed material facts which was social welfare fraud'.

He imposed a two year sentence, but suspended it for two years on condition that McKenna continue to pay back the Department of Social Protection.
National Biodiversity Week, 2017, commences on Friday May 19 and continues up until Sunday 28th May. It presents a great opportunity for people, young and old, to get a sense of the wonderful natural heritage that surrounds and connects us all.

As stated on the National Biodiversity Website (www.biodiversityweek.ie), 'National Biodiversity Week is about communicating the importance of biodiversity and motivating people to play their part in protecting it. It's also about entertaining them, showing the fun and wonder that can be found in nature and inspiring people to learn more, see more, do more'.

Biodiversity, essentially meaning the variety of life in the natural world, has many hotspots around the world. Ireland, as a comparatively small landmass, and having become isolated from mainland Europe after the retreat of ice following the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago, has a much more modest level of biodiversity, one example being that Ireland has only 27 of the total 204 terrestrial mammals found in the majority of Europe. In a recent government report to the Convention on Biological Diversity, it was documented that Ireland is currently host to 31,448 different natural species across the kingdoms of the natural world (i.e. plants, animals, fungi, protists, etc.). Invertebrates and fungi account for close to 80% of all Irish species recorded and it is estimated that a further 8,500 species of algae (protists) and fungi have yet to be discovered in Ireland.

The natural world is a most fascinating place and Biodiversity Week presents a great opportunity to get involved in nature-friendly activities and to learn about the real world around us. Over 50 events to date have been organised throughout Ireland, including a number in the County of Cork.

On Saturday 20th May from 6 to 8pm at Cloghna Head, West Cork, there will be a wonderful event where those present will get the chance to possibly see and most certainly learn about the variety of whales off Irish shores. The 'watch will be delivered by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) Sightings Officer, Padraig Whooley, who will be on hand to explain the field-craft behind whale watching and to help identify the different species that can be seen in this area. There will also be a wide range of whale artefacts and discussion on whale and dolphin biology, ecology and IWDG's ongoing research on the larges whale of West Cork'. The event is free and all are welcome; attendees are advised to wear suitable walking shoes and have with them a light rain jacket, sunglasses, sunscreen and water.

On Sunday 21st May, at Streamhill (about 5km north of Doneraile); a wonderful butterfly walk will take place, commencing at 11am. The walk will be led by Damaris Lysaght and those present will get to learn all about the butterflies in County Cork. Those interested in attending - all welcome - are requested to email tmurray@biodiversityireland.ie.

Also on Sunday 21st May as part of National Biodiversity Week, there will be an event in the Glengarriff National Nature Reserve. The afternoon, from 2pm to 5pm, will examine aquatic biodiversity and all present will be instructed on how to sample rivers for macroinvertebrates (which in themselves are indicators for the quality of water present). The demonstration will be given by the award winning StreamScapes company.

On Monday, May 22nd, there will be a National Biodiversity Week talk by Ted Cook in the Council Chamber, County Hall, commencing at 3pm. Ted will discuss the importance of biodiversity to our lives today and it promises to be a fascinating event. All welcome.

A few days later on Thursday May 25th, a butterfly monitoring course will take place in East Cork, organised by SECAD (South and East Cork Area Development). The course, which runs from 10am to 4pm is free and open to all, and would particularly benefit community based organisations involved in local heritage projects, particularly Tidy Towns Groups. The course will be given by Tomas Murray of the National Biodiversity Data Centre, who will introduce the biology and the species of Irish bumblebees and butterflies, and provide training on how to monitor both groups of pollinators according to international standards. The course takes place in the SECAD Office, Owennacurra Business Park, Knockgriffin, Midleton and for more information visit www.secad.ie/contact.

These biodiversity events and many more are listed on www.biodiversityweek.ie. As part of the week the Irish Environmental Network have also organised a Biodiversity Photographer of the Year competition, where entrants will be in with a chance to win up to 500 in cash prizes. For secondary school students, there is also a 'Young Biodiversity Photographer of the Year' competition. All entries must be taken in the month of May 2017 and emailed to competition@ien.ie. The deadline for entries is 31st May, 2017.
Cork East TD Sean Sherlock has called on the HSE to stop producing stock answers and address the backlog of Early Years Intervention in Cork and around the country.

"The fact that the HSE does not have extrapolated waiting list figures for children's disability services is extremely concerning," said Deputy Sherlock.

"Instead of highlighting targeted areas which can then be addressed, they choose to bury the figures within a larger subsection. Children's disability is a crucial area that demands immediate action in the case of each child," he said.

Deputy Sherlock questioned how the Department of Health say what it will cost to clear the backlog but the HSE cannot say what the backlog is. "Either the costing was incorrect and we were misled by the Department or the HSE is deliberatively keeping these figures a secret because they know that it is another bad news story. Families of children with special needs and those needing assessment in North Cork deserve to know the true figures," he said.

'We're facing a housing timebomb'

Cork North West TD, Michael Moynihan has said that we are facing a long term, social housing timebomb unless Minister Coveney does more to support local authorities build or purchase new houses.

Deputy Moynihan was commenting after he obtained figures from the Department of Housing that shows that only 107 social housing units have been brought into use by Cork City and County Councils between 2011 and 2016.

The housing sector is in disarray, he warned.
The sighting of a highly invasive, three foot long rodent on the banks of the River Lee over the last week has been described as a "serious issue", according to Cork County Council.

The South American Coypu, a non native species to Ireland, has been linked to the spread of diseases such as toxoplasmosis and leptospirosis, both of which are highly contagious.

Cork County Council have said that they believe two or three of the animals were released on the Curraheen River over two years ago and efforts have been ongoing to exterminate them to stop any further breeding.

So far, 10 Coypus have been captured from the Curraheen River. However, there were sightings last week along the River Lee suggesting that they have spread further afield.

The Council have said that they are a "highly invasive non-native mammal which is in the group of species which must be dealt with immediately and with priority."

Coypus - also known as river rats - have been known to cause damage to river banks and destroying crops.
A fascinating docu-drama set to be aired on Cork's LifeFM will shine light on a landmark trial in Irish legal history involving a powerful landlord, a priest and brilliant lawyer.

'The Price of Liberty', which will be aired at 3pm on Thursday, May 25 and at 5pm the following Saturday, explores prejudice, legal prowess and the murky world of 18th century Ireland.

In 1780, Lord Doneraile mercilessly whipped one of his tenants, Father Neale, an impoverished elderly priest in the wide open as punishment for not complying with a request that was impossible to fulfil.

'The Price of Liberty' is an hour long documentary based on the resultant court case that finished with a landmark result.

It is also the case that brought brilliant Irish lawyer John Philpot Curran to prominence.

A Protestant lawyer who believed in Catholic Emancipation, Curran is a vital figure in Irish history who somewhat unfortunately has fallen into semi-obscurity.

The trial was a sensation and has a collection of exciting twists and turns, concluding with pistols at dawn.

Using a combination of interviews with historical experts Dr Patrick Geoghegan and Dr David Fleming, and dramatic segments recreating key moments and events, the radio documentary will explore the shocking incident and the resultant case, providing context and analysis along the way.
A 21 year old Drogheda man has been jailed for one and a half years for what Judge John O'Shea branded 'a vicious, violent, ruthless assault'.

Dean Johnson of 18 Rathmullen Park pleaded guilty stabbing a man whom he had followed after a party.

Evidence was given at the Circuit Court in Dundalk that the victim had been out socialising on the evening of June 28, 2014. The accused had been present, went away for about an hour but his mood had changed and he was behaving in a peculiar fashion when he returned. He took out a kitchen knife and started waving it. The victim and his friend decided to leave as they felt there was going to be trouble. As they left, they heard shouting behind them.

They continued past Sarsfield's pub down Chord Road when the group, including the accused, caught up with them, The accused walked towards him with a knife in his hand, and the victim ran up Oulster Lane, where the accused caught him and began swinging the knife into the left hand side of his body. It broke the skin and the knife went in before breaking in two and falling to the ground.

The group walked away and the victim kept walking up Oulster Lane. He began to feel pain and leaned against the wall. He looked down and saw blood on his t-shirt and the gardai were called.

He was taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital where he was treated for a small stab wound on the left side of his stomach. While he had fully recovered from his injuries, he was still fearful when socialising at night. The incident still weighs heavily on him and he has nightmares about it.

While the accused initially denied having anything to do with the knife, he admitted it after being shown cctv footage. He also accepted that he could have killed his victim. He had no previous convictions.

Counsel for the accused said his client had just turned 18 at the time of the incident. He was attending a party and there was some suggestion that he left and when he came back his demeanour had changed due to drink or drugs. At that stage, for whatever reason, he picked up a knife.

Since that time, he had devoted himself to sport and had got involved in a MMA club, training three times a day. He had given up drink for concentrating on a life of physical fitness and would have his first fight in four weeks time.

His father had died when he was very young and he had limited cognitive abilities and had anger issues and depression, which he had self-medicated with alcohol. He was now dealing with life, hadn't come to the attention of the gardai and his partner was expecting a child.
ALGONA | A new added-money barrel race will collect canned goods for the Kossuth County Food Pantry this year.

The Cans for a Cause barrel race will be held Aug. 19 at the Kossuth County Fairgrounds, 700 Fair St., Algona.

Warm-ups start at 5 p.m., followed by open arena from 6:30-6:45 p.m.

Open division starts at 7 p.m.

Entry fees are $30 for the Open division, $20 for Youth and $10 for the spouse race.

The spouse race is open to the husbands, fathers, mothers, boyfriends and girlfriends of participating barrel racers. It is restricted to those who do not compete in barrel racing.

Riders who bring three non-expired canned goods will receive a free warm-up run.

The added-money total will be announced before the event.

For details, call 712-298-2528.

North Iowa Events Center, Mason City

June 7-11 -- Midstates Summerfest hunter/jumper show.

June 13-17 -- Midstates Summer hunter/jumper show

June 19-21 -- Midstates Encore hunter/jumper show.

June 23-25 -- Dressage show.

July 9 -- Horsemen of Iowa's North Iowa Saddle Club Open Show.

July 23 -- Horsemen of Iowa Youth Fun Show.

Aug. 5-6 -- Dressage show.

Sept. 9-10 -- Dressage show.

Sept. 13-17 -- Midstates Fall hunter/jumper show

Open Riding

Saddle clubs around North Iowa host regular open riding sessions at the North Iowa Events Center in Mason City.

This year's dates include June 6, June 27, June 28, July 5, July 10, July 11, July 25, Aug. 1 and Aug. 8.
It has been an exciting week for France with the elections alone but it also made headlines for the introduction of a ban on catwalk models that are deemed to be too thin.

It seems that models will have to produce a doctor's certificate to show they have a healthy body mass index.

The country is also set to introduce a new law making it mandatory to indicate if Photoshop has been used on any image.

I think that while some people might find this excessive, these are both well thought out changes and will certainly help with promoting healthier body image, and with letting people know whether what they are looking at is real or not.

However, it would need to be rolled out internationally in order to have a significant impact on young people today.

Referring to 'Photoshop' is pretty vague as this is simply an editing tool for photographs but I think that the message really relates to the unrealistic editing and enhancement of model and lifestyle shots. The vast majority of what we see is nothing but fake and unattainable.

Of course a young, slim and fit woman with flawless skin and long flowing hair is going to sell so-called 'health products' because there are people out there who truly believe that all they have to do is take supplements, drink some sort of tea and live on green smoothies to look this way. The model herself doesn't even look this way without the image being enhanced so how does any regular person expect to achieve this?

There is nothing but negative backlash when any famous person dares to put on a bikini and reveal the horror that is cellulite, or if a new mother has any sort of a bump after she gives birth then she is criticised for not snapping back into shape. When did we become a society that thinks that this is all that is important, that taking the perfect selfie and aspiring to these unrealistic standards will bring happiness?

Social media has so much to answer for. It has gone from being a harmless bit of fun to a dangerous stick with which to beat those with low self esteem.

The reason France wants to label Photoshopped photos is because while it is plainly obvious to many, that what they see is just an illusion, to many others this is a reality to which they compare themselves. It's a positive first step, but much more is still needed.
Two Enniscorthy families proudly took possession of the first ever passive local authority houses in Ireland at a special ceremony in the Madeira Oaks housing estate last week.

The beautiful three-bedroom homes at Numbers 141 and 142 were built by Bennett Construction on behalf of Wexford County Council at a cost of 190,000 each which was funded by the Department of the Environment.

The delighted families were presented with the keys to their shiny new properties at a hand-over ceremony attended by County Council chairman Paddy Kavanagh, Enniscorthy Municipal District chairman Oliver Walsh, Enniscorthy District Manager Liz Hore, Tenant Liaison Officer Eddie Doyle, Michael Bennett of Bennett Construction and site foreman Willie Burke.

Energy consumption for space heating, water heating, lighting and ventilation in the NZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Building) houses, is kept to a minimum and comes from a renewable source.

The houses are economical to heat which means lower heating bills for the tenants and they are well ventilated with less condensation and lower risk of mould growth. The tenants will enjoy improved air quality and quieter buildings in houses that are easy to maintain.

It is considered that the extra cost involved in building is good value for money over the lifetime of the house.

The Madeira Oaks houses have been certified as passive by Mosart, the Passive House Designers and Certifiers.

Wexford County Council is committed to the building of passive homes and wants to lead by example to show the private sector what is possible, according to a spokesman.

The local authority is due to take delivery of six more passive houses in the same Enniscorthy estate which were also built by Bennett Construction.

'This small scheme provides us with very good houses for our tenants and the construction has given us a really good understanding of the construction principles that are required. We will monitor these houses and re-visit them to see how they are performing,' the spokesman added.
The Riverside Park Hotel will have a new look entrance soon after a planning application was given a green light.

The Neville family, the owners of the hotel, had applied to the council for an extension and alterations to the main entrance and reception area of the hotel. They also looked for permission for alterations to the conservatory corridor of the hotel.

The development which is within the curtilage of the protected structure of the Millhouse Bar, Salthouse Lane, will involve elevation changes to the front (east) elevation of the hotel and amendments to the existing set down area, footpath and terrace to the front of the hotel and the provision of an access ramp.

Planner Liam Bowe said that the alterations were designed to fit in and complement the existing design of the hotel adding it was in keeping with the character of the hotel. He said the alterations to the existing set down parking hotel were a positive improvement.

Wexford County Council granted the permission subject to conditions including the payment of 790 as a roads and community contribution levy.
A full programme of events is planned for the Wexford Literary Festival, kicking off this weekend on Friday May 19 at 4pm at Enniscorthy Library with the Children's Book Trailer Award, then at 8pm at the Presentation Arts Centre with Enniscorthy Drama performing four 15-minute plays to see who will come away with the inaugural One Act Drama Award.

On Saturday May 20 the Church Institute is the venue for author talks, panel discussions and workshops with some of Ireland's top writers - Andrea Hayes, Shane Dunphy, Louise Hall, Michael O'Higgins, Alex Barclay, Lisa Coen, Sarah Davis Goff, Sue Leonard and Gaby Smith discussing ghost writing, crime writing, non-fiction writing and the world of publishing.

While at the library authors Shane Hegarty and Caroline Busher will host story time for younger readers and writers of the future.

At 8pm on Saturday evening Enniscorthy Castle will be transformed into a gin joint with class as Wexford Literary Festival Chairperson Carmel Harrington will be in conversation with leading Irish author Sinead Moriarty as gin cocktails are delicately sipped from china tea cups.

Sunday May 21 is the awards ceremony at the Athenaeum at 3pm when Bibi Baskin will presents the prizes to the winners of the Colm Toibin Short Story Award, the Anthony Cronin Poetry Award and the Window Display Award.

A lot of hard work and dedication has produced yet another packed weekend for the fourth Wexford Literary Festival and all involved are to be commended for their commitment and trojan efforts celebrating all things literary at Enniscorthy.
St Mary's Church in Enniscorthy was alive with the sound of music recently at the Hello Summer concert hosted by the Enniscorthy Choral Society.

Aislinn O'Leary of the Society said the event had been a great success with around 250 in attendance.

'It was a great night and the star of the show was 13-year-old Emma Murphy from Clonroche. She is an exceptionally talented pianist and is currently on Grade 7. We had hired a baby grand piano for the concert and her performance was spectacular.'

In addition there were performances by Roisin Dempsey, Credo and of course Enniscorthy Choral Society while Emma was accompanied by Yvonne Collier.

Aislinn said the choral society were delighted with how well the concert had went saying that it is a bi-annual concert that the society organises showcasing both their talents and the talents of other musicians.

The Enniscorthy Choral Society which boasts around 25 members recently enjoyed great success at the choral awards in Kilkenny taking home a first and second prize. 'At the concert we sang the pieces we performed in Kilkenny and we also had a solo performance from John Burke O'Leary.

'In total we sang in five different languages at the concert', said Aislinn. 'Czech, Italian, Latin, Irish and English.'
The legendary racing and rally driver Rosemary Smith will officially open the upcoming annual Malahide Classic and Vintage Motor Show at The Grand Hotel.

Malahide Classic and Vintage Motor Show is a charity fundraiser organised by Malahide Lions Club and will take place at the Grand Hotel in Malahide on Sunday, May 28, opening to the public at 11am.

This is the sixth running of the popular event which now attracts car lovers and families from all across Dublin and Leinster.

Entrance to the event will cost 5 per adult or 15 for the whole family with the entire and the proceeds will go to the Alzheimers Society of Ireland and the Parkinsons Association of Ireland.

There will be motoring nostalgia and music for mum and dad. For the kids, there's a play area and face painting.

It promises to be a great value event for families and motor enthusiasts alike and all in support of two great causes.

Rosemary Smith originally trained as a dress designer but found her biggest talent was in rally driving and was world-famous in the 60s and 70s when she was one of the first women to compete and win in this male-dominated sport.

She participated in many of great rallies in was the only woman ever to win the Dutch 'Tulip' rally, in 1965.

Still going strong and active in the Irish motoring scene, Rosemary still runs her own driving school and promotes a safe driving programme aimed at Transition Year students.

The Lions Club is a community organisation dedicated to the idea that the men and women who live in a community are in the best position to know who needs help and why.
A Balbriggan Transition Year student has graduated from St. Patrick's Mental Health Services' Walk In My Shoes TY programme.

The programme saw students experience a week long placement in St. Patrick's University Hospital, which was hosted by the Adolescent Mental Health team. To date, almost 600 students have taken part in the programme, which is currently in its seventh year.

Isabelle Martin from Loreto secondary school was presented with her certificate by St. Patrick's CEO Paul Gilligan and Celebrity speaker Jordanne Jones.

The placement is designed to educate young people on important mental health issues and to challenge the stigma associated with mental health difficulties.

On completion, participants become mental wellbeing ambassadors and return to their schools and communities with an added understanding of positive mental health. Each graduate delivers a presentation to their classmates to spread their understanding of the importance of promoting positive mental health in school and in their communities.
Mayor of Fingal Councillor Darragh Butler, Councillor David OConnor, Councillor Malachy Quinn and Councillor Tony Murphy with the Dublin heat Rose of Tralee contestants at Ardgillan Castle

May began in Balbriggan with a delightful display of stunning Roses in the Bracken Court Hotel as the contestants in this year's Dublin selection for the Rose of Tralee dropped by on the way to meet the Mayor of Fingal at Ardgillan Castle.

The 32 contestants in this year's Dublin selection for the prestigious International Rose of Tralee Festival were treated to a champagne reception in Balbriggan's stylish four-star hotel, ahead of a recent visit to the beautiful Ardgillan Castle nearby.

Sunshine welcomed the Roses to Balbriggan, alongside the Mayor of Fingal Cllr Darragh Butler and David Ryan, manager of the Bracken Court Hotel who were delighted to welcome the Rose of Tralee contestants to north Fingal.

The Roses enjoyed the opportunity to meet their fellow contestants, as well as the current Dublin Rose, Lorna Whyte, a primary school teacher, who wished the 2017 selection entrants all the best.

The Bracken Court Hotel will host the Fingal Rose of Tralee selection night on Friday, May 19, with the Dublin Rose selection process now divided into two heats for contestants north and south of the county.

The Fingal Roses will be hoping to secure one of twelve places for the overall Dublin Rose Final, which takes place on Saturday, May 27.

The Rose of Tralee International Festival is one of Ireland's largest and longest running festivals and the unique global celebration of Irish culture celebrates 58 years in 2017.

The heart of the festival is the selection of the Rose of Tralee which brings young women of Irish descent from around the country and around the world to County Kerry each August.

It is an honour that the Bracken Court Hotel has been selected to host the prestigious selection event and to entertain the Fingal Roses and their families and friends, according to Laura Moriarty, Operations Director for the family run hotel group.

'Supporting the legendary Rose of Tralee festival is a real honour for the Moriarty family, and we are looking forward to the selection evening which, based on the very beautiful and bright young ladies who visited earlier this week, will not be an easy task for the Dublin judges,' the hotel director said.

Lorna Whyte from Malahide was chosen as the 2016 Dublin Rose, representing Dublin City and Country in the Tralee festival last year. The overall winner was 27-year-old Maggie McEldowney from Chicago, who took the Rose of Tralee 2016 crown and described her time at the festival as 'the experience of a lifetime'.

The Bracken Court Hotel in Balbriggan may just be the start of a similar experience of a lifetime for one young Fingal woman, in the 2017 Rose of Tralee International Festival, the Balbriggan hotel team hopes.
Several heritage projects in Fingal are to benefit from a new tranche of funding through the Government's 'Structures at Risk Fund' and the 'Built Heritage Investment Scheme'.

Fine Gael TD for Dublin Fingal, Alan Farrell, has announced that heritage projects in the North County are to benefit from 114,500 in funding.

Deputy Farrell said: 'New funding totalling 114,500 has been granted to Dublin Fingal for heritage projects here. Providing funding under these schemes is a commitment in Fine Gael's Action Plan for Rural Development, 'Realising Our Rural Potential'. This funding for Dublin Fingal is part of an announcement by my colleague, Minister Heather Humphreys of 4.8 million for 569 heritage projects across the country.

'Through the Structures at Risk Fund, Dublin Fingal will receive 30,000 for works on the thatched cottage, Newlane, Darcystown, Balbriggan. Separately, North county heritage projects will receive 84,500 through the Built Heritage Investment Scheme.'

Thatching work at a cottage in Darcystown and on Tankardville House will both be funded to the tune of 10,000 each. Other works funded under these programmes include 8,000 for window and lintel repairs on Corduff House, 8,000 for energy efficiency improvements to the White House at Holmpatrick and 7,000 for external and internal joinery repair at Lambay Castle.

The thatched cottage on the Skerries Road in Rush will get some attention as will Glebe House in Kilsallaghan, The Vicarage in Donabate and Woodbine Cottage on the Hearse Road. Other properties to benefit from the funding include Smyth's Factory in Balbriggan and individual properties on Drogheda Street in Balbriggan and Convent Lane in Skerries.

Deputy Farrell concluded: ''This funding will allow for the conservation and repair of protected structures across Dublin Fingal. These buildings and structures are so important to our heritage and identity as a county, and maintaining and repairing them is a crucial part of the regeneration of our communities.'
Fingal Dublin Chamber founder and CEO, Tony Lambert is to step down from the Chamber after 23 years.

Tony Lambert was a founding President of the Fingal Dublin Chamber when it started in 1994 and has occupied the role of Chief Executive Officer since 2000.

Speaking on behalf of the Chamber's Board, President Guy Thompson thanked Tony for his stewardship and his tireless dedication and commitment to the Chamber during the past 23 years.d

'The Fingal Dublin Chamber has grown under Tony's leadership since it started in 1994. From humble beginnings, Tony has made an enormous contribution to the success of Chamber which is now the region's largest business organisation representing almost 350 members.

'His passion, energy and drive has positioned the Chamber as the key lobbying group for business in Fingal. Fingal Dublin Chamber is now a vibrant, growing, dynamic and successful chamber and we thank Tony most sincerely for his contribution and wish him the very best in his future projects.'

Paul Reid, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council said: 'Tony has made a valuable contribution to business in Fingal over the past 23 years. Like Fingal County Council, the Chamber began in 1994 and both bodies have worked closely together ever since to make Fingal a good place to do business in.

'Tony has been extremely passionate in his promotion of Fingal and its businesses and worked extremely hard to grow the membership of the Chamber so it could truly represent the county's business community. He leaves a wonderful legacy and, on behalf of everybody in Fingal County Council, I would like to wish him the very best in the future.'

Throughout his career as Chamber CEO, Tony has steered the Chamber from economic boom years to keeping it steady during the recessionary years and nurturing it back to growth again.

He consistently delivered a range of high quality business breakfasts and evening networking events.

The highlight of the Chamber calendar is the Fingal Dublin Business Excellence Corporate Responsibility Awards.

The annual awards ceremony showcase Fingal as a centre of business excellence with an opportunity to celebrate innovation, customer services, product development, sustainability and business leadership in the Fingal region.

Tony was a key driver in the joining together of the D15 Chamber with Fingal Dublin Chamber which provided a centralised and more consolidated service for members.

He represented a strong voice for the Chamber at local government level and championed the importance of Dublin Airport as a major economic hub in North Dublin.

Under his direction, Tony positioned the Chamber as one of the largest providers of export document services in the country, offering a special one-stop shop service for a wide range of leading pharma, machinery, food and IT exporting companies.

Tony said: 'I have decided to step down form my role as Chief Executive of the Fingal Dublin Chamber to pursue other interests including travelling and business consultancy work which I have been putting off due to the exciting and wonderful work with the Chamber.

'It has been a great honour and privilege to lead the Chamber over the years and to meet and work with so many outstanding, innovative and creative business leaders.'
EAGLE GROVE | GoServ Global, a faith-based disaster relief organization headquartered in Eagle Grove, will mark its sixth anniversary June 10 with a banquet/fundraiser in Spencer.

Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. at the Clay County Events Center, with dinner beginning at 6 p.m.

Program highlights include a Q&A with GoServ Globals country directors. Worship will be led by Pastor Rivenson Dige of Haiti.

Admission is free, but there will be an opportunity to make a donation at the banquet to help offset the cost of the celebration and enable GoServ Global to raise additional funds.

Donations by check can also be sent to GoServ Global, Box 193, Eagle Grove, IA 50533.

For a $400 contribution, banquet-goers can sponsor a table of eight.

Sponsors may choose to reserve the table for their own invited guests who they feel would have the most impact on GoServ Global.

Sponsors also may also choose to sponsor a table with guests chosen by GoServ Global.

Seating is limited. Those who plan to attend the banquet should RSVP at amy@goservglobal.org or at 515-448-3131 by May 30.
Irish Water has confirmed the Compulsory Purchase of lands in Swords to progress an upgrade of the Broadmeadow outfall from the 22 million upgraded Swords Waste Water Treatment Plant.

Irish Water has published confirmation of the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) to acquire the necessary lands for the project off Estuary Road in Seatown West and adjacent to Lissenhall Park and Gartan Drive in Seatown West in Swords.

Irish Water says the upgrade of the outfall will help to protect the Broadmeadow Estuary.

The utility is progressing upgrade to the outfall pipe for the Swords Wastewater Treatment Plant which is part of the overall upgrade works to the Swords Wastewater Treatment Plant.

This phase of the project requires an upgrade to the outfall pipe at Broadmeadow Estuary to support the future increased treatment capacity at the Swords Wastewater Treatment Plant and to protect the environment from wastewater pollution, according to Irish Water. Following confirmation of the CPO, Irish Water now intends to open a tender competition for a contractor to complete the works which are expected to last for up to a maximum of six months.

Commenting on the announcement, Paul Fallon, Wastewater Infrastructure Manager, at Irish Water said: 'Irish Water is committed to investing in the wastewater treatment infrastructure in Swords to support the needs of this fast growing population.

'The upgrade to the outfall pipe at Broadmeadow will provide a cleaner environment for the community. The granting of the Compulsory Purchase Order will enable us to continue to progress this project.'

Irish Water spent over 530 million on water services in 2016. Capital investment of around 700 million per year is needed for a 'sustained period of several decades' to address the condition of Ireland's water infrastructure, according to the utility.
A new legal action is being taken against North Runway

A second group has launched a bid for a judicial review of Fingal County Council's decision to grant an extension to the planning permission for Dublin Airport's planned 320 million new runway.

A Judicial Review action brought by Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) alleges the local authority 'failed to provide satisfactory explanatory reasons for granting the extension to the original decision to allow a third runway at Dublin Airport'.

The environmental group are claiming that the council was 'fully aware that the extra runway would result in increased greenhouse gas emissions, in contravention of the objectives of the 2015 Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act'.

According to FIE Director Tony Lowes' affidavit, the council confined consideration to a number of 'entirely general observations in relation to the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the possibility of certain actions being taken by the European Union in 2017 and 2018.

'These observations do not discharge the Council's obligations under the legislation to have regard to four criteria - the national mitigation plan, the national adaptation framework, the implementation of the national transition objective, and the objective of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions - before deciding to grant the extension.'

The organisation claims that 'in this case, the council made no mention of these legal requirements'.

In its action, FIE has drawn attention to the recent decision of the Austrian Federal Administrative Court to refuse permission for a third runway at Vienna Airport due to the negative impact of climate change and the contribution to it by air traffic.

FIE, which was founded in 1997, is represented FP Logue Solicitors and John Kenny, BL in the legal action.

Fingal County Council said it was not in a position to comment on the case while the matter was before the courts and the daa had no comment to make on the legal case for the same reason.

The case is the second seeking a judicial review of the council's decision to grant an extension to the planning permission for the new runway and follows a similar action taken by a group of residents in St Margaret's.
Swords is now Dublins largest town according to new figures released by the CSO

Swords is officially the largest town in Dublin and the second largest in the country according to new figures release by the Central Statistics Office from the 2016 Census.

The Fingal capital now has a population of some 39,251 according to the Census figures and comes second in the country, only to Drogheda. There is an important anomaly in the figures as the area of Kinsealy and Drinan is counted separately in the Census figures and if you include that area with Swords, it takes the greater Swords area to a population of over 45,000, comfortably exceeding the population of Drogheda which is 40,956.

Swords as defined by the CSO increased its population by 6.3% since the last Census in 2011 but that Kinsealy and Drinan area had the greatest level of growth in Fingal, climbing 14.3% in the same period.

There was big news for Balbriggan in the latest Census 2016 figures too, as the north Fingal town broke through the 20,000 population mark for the first time with 21,723 people now living in the town, up 8.8% on the 2011 figure.

Malahide was the next most populous town in the north county with a population of 16,550 although its rise in population since 2011 was somewhat smaller that either Swords or Balbriggan at just 4.4%.

Skerries also passes a significant milestone in its history in these figures, which show the coastal town exceeding 10,000 residents for the first time, albeit by just 44 people. That represents a 3.9% increase on the 2011 Skerries population.

The two towns on the Donabate and Portrane peninsula have very different stories to tell in these latest Census 2016 figures. Donabate experienced significant growth since 2011, recording a population of 9.8% to 7,443 residents.

Donabate's near neighbour of Portrane was actually the only major town in Fingal to see population fall.

Portrane's population fell by 9.9% from 1.372 in 2011 to 1,236 in 2016 which could be at least partially explained by the depopulation of St Ita's Hospital. Lusk experienced one of the highest rates of increase in population in the county at some 10.9%. The town has expanded from 7,022 residents in 2011 to 7,786 in 2016.

Rush is getting closer in population to its neighbours in Skerries and is close to breaking the 10,000 population barrier, with 9,943 residents now living in the town, an increase of some 7.7% on 2011.

Portmarnock is also edging towards that 10,000 mark with a population of 9,446 which represented one of the smallest increases in population in the county since 2011, at just 1.9%.

The figures were released last Thursday by the Central Statistics Office as it published the second in the series of eleven thematic reports from Census 2016 - Profile 2: Population Distribution and Movements.

The population of Dublin is up 5.8% according to the figures which records the new Dublin population at a whopping 1,347,359 people.
Courtown Harbour is the fastest growing town in terms of population in County Wexford, according to newly-released figures from the Central Statistics Office.

They show that the population of Courtown rose by more than 26 per cent between 2011 and 2016, compared to a county average of three per cent population growth over the same period.

Percentage population changes listed among larger towns since 2006, show that the population of Wexford town grew to 20,072, and increase of 10.5 per cent and Enniscorthy's population grew by 13.6 per cent to 10,838.

Courtown Harbour's population rose from 2,857 to 3,591.

Of a total population of 149,722 in Wexford in April 2016, 38.6 per cent (57,753 persons) lived in urban areas, with 61.4 per cent (91,969 persons) living in rural areas. The census figures date back to 1841 when the county's population stood at 202,033. In 1961, the population had shrunk to 83,308. By 1881 it had grown to 123,854. BY 1901 it had fallen again to 104,104 and by 1926, it was down again to 95,848 and by 1961 it stood at 83,308. Twenty years later, by 1981, it had grown to 99,081, to 116,596 by 2002, and to 131,749 by 2006 and 145,32O by 2011.

Nationally, 62.7 per cent of people live in urban areas and 37.3 per cent in rural areas.

Wexford, with 20,188 persons, is the largest town in the county.

Of the 7,055 usual Wexford residents who moved in the year to April 2016, most (5,497) moved elsewhere within the county.

Only 487 of the 2,872 Wexford households, who moved in the year preceding the census bought their new home with a mortgage or loan, while 1,838 rented their accommodation.

Nationally, 263,551 usual residents moved in the year to April 2016.

The population of County Wexford rose to 149,722 by 2016, compared to 145,320 in 2011, an incrase of three per cent.

Thirty four per cent of people now living in County Wexford were born outside the county, and 12.9 per cent were born out of Ireland. More than 19 per cent of people born in the county were living in another country.

The numbers of households moving in the year immediately before the census stood at 2,872 in 2016, almost identical to the 2011 figure of 2,876. The vast majority, 1,838 were renting, 487 had a mortgage or loan and 505 owned their homes outright.

Of the 7,055 usual Wexford residents who moved in the year to April 2016, most (5,497) moved elsewhere within the county.
The need for two purpose-built Autism classrooms at Gorey Community School was highlighted in the Dail last week by Deputy Michael D'Arcy.

He said the school provides services to students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but doesn't have a purpose-built unit.

'There are facilities in Creagh College, but they have no students or staff,' he told this newspaper afterwards. 'Gorey Community School has students and staff but no facilities.'

'They get by as best they can with the facilities that are there, but it's getting to a point where it's no longer tenable,' he added. 'They are looking for a two classroom facility that can accommodate 12 students.'

He put the matter to the Minister for Education and Skills Richard Bruton TD in the Dail last week who said he would take it up with the relevant authorities. 'The Department seemed to have been unaware that there was no ASD unit in the school,' said Deputy D'Arcy. 'The realisation there is no unit is a starting point. The school has submitted an application for the unit and there is room to build one. I will continue to push the issue.'
Almost two hundred people from all walks of life gathered in the Riverside Park Hotel for the Fine Gael Public meeting on Brexit, called by Minister Paul Kehoe.

'I was delighted with the level of interest shown by the people of Wexford as this was an important opportunity to hear their concerns and to be able to lay out for them the government's plans,' said the minister following the meeting, which took place on Monday night last week.

"There is no doubt that there are challenging times ahead with regard to Brexit but it was important to assure people that we are doing all that is possible to plan for the worst case scenario and take advantage of any opportunity that may present itself,' he said.

The keynote speaker for the meeting was Minister for Social Protection, Leo Varadkar, who provided the crowd with a detailed overview of the approach being taken by the government, highlighting the key negotiating priorities, the main risks and the successes to date.

Rowena Dwyer, Chief Economist, from the IFA, demonstrated the extensive preparation that has been undertaken by her organisation in identifying the risks and in working with the government to put in place safeguarding plans for the industry.

Neil Hughes, Baker Tilly Hughes Blake provided some very sound advice for businesses:

'Don't panic, be flexible, prepare to diversify,' as a means for surviving and indeed thriving as Brexit unfolds.

Karl Fitzpatrick, the President of Wexford Chamber of Commerce, highlighted a number of opportunities that may open up, such as the possibility of enticing foreign students from the UK to Irish Universities.

Mr Fitzpatrick focused on the opportunities that Brexit could deliver for Ireland, particularly noting the revenue which could be generated from EU Framework Contracts with an estimated annual value of 140 billion.

The UK has been the most successful country in the EU in terms of winning these contracts, however they will soon be ineligible to tender for these valuable projects

Verona Murphy, the New Ross-based President of the Irish Road Haulage Association outlined the impact the a hard border would have on the haulage industry and the knock-on effects that this would have on all goods and services across the country.

The final speaker of the night, Nicholas Dunne, of Killowen Farm, who detailed how his business has already evaluated the risks being posed by Brexit and the steps that he is taking to seek out new markets and develop his business - his concluding words, 'plan better, plan harder and plan faster' provided a fitting end to the speeches. A robust Question and Answer session hosted by John Burke-O'Leary, Enniscorthy Chamber of Commerce followed the speeches, where there was an honest conversation about the concerns from the audience and suggestions for going forward were taken on board.

Summing up the meting Minister Kehoe Stated: 'I believe is key to surviving Brexit will be preparation and planning and we are extremely lucky to have such pro-active, positive and forward thinking organisations throughout the Country representing the various sectors and working together to seek the best possible outcome for Ireland.'
The Waterford High Hopes Choir will perform at St Michael's Church, Gorey, on Friday, May 19, in a concert for Bunscoil Loreto's pitch

The power of music to inspire and to heal will be evident to all who go along to St Michael's Church, Gorey this Friday, May 19, at 7.30 p.m. as the High Hopes Choir from Waterford comes to town for a special performance.

Their musical director is Gorey native Phil Brennan who took on the role a year and a half ago. Phil is also known for his work with the Island of Ireland Peace Choir, but this time he is bringing another choir to perform in Gorey.

The High Hopes Choir came about in 2014, after the world renowned conductor David Brophy set out to change the lives of people affected by homelessness through singing.

This vision led to the birth of the High Hopes Choirs. The story featured in an RTE documentary which received great acclaim, and today there are High Hopes Choirs in Dublin, Cork and Waterford.

The Waterford choir has between 20 and 25 members and several musicians. It has travelled widely, performing at home and abroad.

'All of the members have experienced homelessness at some stage in their lives,' explained Phil. 'Some still sleep rough because they are so used to it.'

He explained that part of the choir's work is to help rehabilitate them into society. 'Seven of them now have jobs,' he said. 'They're finding accommodation, addiction treatment, and getting their life back together.'

Several of the members will share their stories during the concert.

'You get a very raw, honest, open experience,' said Phil. 'They draw you in with their honesty. They come from a place where they have been broken, battered, and bruised.

'What comes out is their honesty and their energy. When people go to a concert, they get more out of it than they expect.'

'Many of them are picking up the pieces,' he added. 'They are just so honest. They have taught me more in the last year and a half, than I learnt in four years of doing a PhD.'

'Most of all, their resilient spirit comes out in the concert,' he concluded.

Also performing on the evening is the Bunscoil Loreto Choir and Orchestra as the concert is a fundraiser for the new playground and pitch fund at Bunscoil Loreto.

Phil said that the inclusion of both groups on the programme will make for a nice mix and a special evening.

'We are honoured and privileged that Phil and the members of this choir have agreed to come to Gorey to perform for us,' said Bunscoil Loreto principal Aileen Kennedy. 'It will truly be an amazing concert.'

The High Hopes Choir will also visit the Bunscoil Loreto on Friday afternoon to do a workshop with the pupils before the concert.

Tickets for the High Hopes concert are available from the Bunscoil Loreto office at 10 per adult and 5 per child. All support would be greatly appreciated for this worthy cause.
A delightful exhibition of art work by the Tom Byrne Art Group ran in the foyer at Gorey Library last week.

The collection of 40 pieces was the culmination of six years of work by the group which is tutored by Marie Hall.

The Tom Byrne Art Group was formed in January 2011 by a small group of friends who live with MS and acquired brain injury, after the art classes ceased at the Irish Wheelchair Centre in Ballycanew.

The weekly classes started out in the Badminton Hall, Gorey, and moved to the home of Tom Byrne in Adamstown in 2013, when Tom, who has an acquired brain injury, became ill and was unable to travel long distances.

As well as expert guidance from Marie, the group enjoys freshly baked scones by group member Mary O'Rourke from Carnew, while member Kevin Doyle from Gorey brings the finished paintings to be framed. Another member, Patricia Murray from Courtown, who was unable to attend, has produced some fantastic paintings over the years.

They also receive great support, tea and sandwiches from their hostess Kathleen, Tom's mother, while Catherine Denton is their supervisor, entertainer, and art critic.

Tom previously worked in the ESB, and thanks went to his friend Pat Whelan, who is retired from the company, for opening the exhibit. Works were displayed by Kevin Doyle, Mary O'Rourke, Kathleen Byrne, and Marie Hall. Sincere thanks went to all who viewed the exhibit, and Gorey librarian Anne Griffin and her team for their support.
GRAFTON | Janet Bottleman didn't plan to be an activist.

The Grafton mom just wanted to do right by her late daughter, Brigett.

Brigett, 27, was found dead in her home in Manly on Dec. 6, 2010. Her husband, Tyler Wirtjes, was found guilty of sexually assaulting her the night before she died.

He later collected her life insurance benefits.

Furious, Bottleman was determined to change state law so that never happened again.

After multiple attempts, continued persistence by Bottleman and Brigett's father, Donald, and the combined efforts of three area legislators  two current and one former  the bill was signed into law earlier this month.

It goes into effect July 1.

"I'm just so happy to see the end and to honor Brigett," Bottleman said. "At least something good came out of so much tragedy."

'Last Straw'

The Bottlemans discovered the issue when they tried to collect $6,245 in death benefits from an insurance policy they got for their daughter when she was about five years old.

They wanted to put any money left over from the policy, which Brigett Wirtjes assumed control of as an adult, into a trust for her young daughter.

The girl, who is not Tyler Wirtjes' child, went to live with an aunt after her mother's death.

"We went to file for it, for the payout, and Tyler was listed as the beneficiary," Janet Bottleman said. "And, he's sitting in prison convicted of doing horrible things against her, but, yet, he's still the beneficiary."

Farm Bureau Life Insurance also had questioned whether Tyler Wirtjes or Brigett's daughter should receive proceeds from the policy, and filed a court motion asking a judge to decide.

In its request, the insurance company's attorney cited a section of Iowa Code that states that prohibits those who intentionally or unjustifiably cause the death of another person from collecting their insurance proceeds.

The Bottleman's attorney, Patrick Rourick, filed documents contending that Tyler Wirtjes was disqualified from getting the money, because he had been convicted of two felonies that arose out of events that led to his wife's death.

The attorney warned his clients that they would probably lose, but they went to court anyway over the principle, Bottleman said.

He was right. They lost.

A judge ordered the money should be released to Tyler Wirtjes, who was then and is still incarcerated about 115 miles away at Fort Dodge Correctional Facility.

"Tyler wins this hearing from his prison cell and I'd just had it," Bottleman said.

The Crusade

Tyler Wirtjes got the money because only those convicted of killing someone were prohibited from collecting their victim's life insurance benefits.

He was never charged of killing his wife.

Wirtjes was convicted of sexually abusing Brigett by having sex with her, twice, while she was passed out after drinking with him and two friends, who also were convicted of charges in the case.

Brigett Wirtjes was found dead the next day.

An autopsy by the State Medical Examiner's Office could not determine the cause and manner of her death, which was listed as undetermined.

It did find her blood-alcohol level was .347 percent, which is a near-lethal level of intoxication. Alcohol intoxication also is listed as the manner of injury on her death certificate, although that document also listed her cause of death as undetermined.

The autopsy also found Brigett Wirtjes had a bite mark on her left thigh, cuts on her nose and knees, contusions of the breasts and blunt-force injuries to her genital area.

In Bottleman's mind, that Tyler Wirtjes could collect insurance benefits after the conviction was unconceivable.

"You just wonder how many other families this happened to before I stumbled across it, because they hit you at the lowest point in your life and you just don't have anything left emotionally," she said.

Bottleman reached out to then-Sen. Mary Jo Wilhelm, D-Cresco.

Wilhelm helped craft a bill that barred those convicted of certain crimes  kidnapping, assault, sexual abuse, human trafficking as well as murder or manslaughter  from receiving insurance benefits if the victims of their crimes died within six months of the criminal act.

It passed the Iowa Senate twice, but couldn't get traction in the House.

Wilhelm was voted out of office last year, but her successor, Sen. Waylon Brown, R-St. Ansgar, made good on a promise to Bottleman that he would continue to try to get the bill passed.

"Knowing the family and also know the situation, it's just one of those things where I wanted to make sure that it didn't fall by the wayside," Brown said. "Really, what I did was just picked up it up where it left off."

Bipartisan Effort

Brown and Amanda Ragan, D-Mason City, co-sponsored a slightly modified version of the bill to this year's legislature.

This time, it passed both chambers at the state capital.

When Gov. Terry Branstad signed it into law on May 10, Bottleman was by his side holding a photo of her daughter. Later, she hugged him.

"It was just so surreal," Bottleman said. "It was like a dream."

She was joined at the signing by Ragan and Wilhelm, as well as another legislator Bottleman credited with helping push the bill past the finish line, Rep. Jane Bloomingdale, R-Northwood.

For Wilhelm, it was important to be there for the signing.

"It meant a lot to me, because I know it meant a lot to the family," she said.

Brown was humbled to be a part of the legislation.

"It was one of those situations where that horrible incident brought to light an issue that we probably didn't even know existed in the state, so it was really being able to close that loophole for future times that tragedies like that could happen," he said. "To make sure those assets were actually going to where they needed to go, is what it really came down to."
On Sunday April 9 the men, women and children from the Listry Greyhound Supporters ran their annual Greyhound Rag Meeting in aid of the Kerry Cancer Support Group on the farm of Kieran Kennedy in Lahard.

The event was very well supported by the greyhound community, not only in Kerry but among owners and trainers from as far away as Galway and Kilkenny who made the long journey to the foothills of the MacGillycuddy Reeks.

While being a great fundraiser for Listry GAA Club over the past 30 years, in most recent times the rag meeting has become a direct fundraiser for a very worthy charity, the Kerry Cancer Support Group. And one family steeped in the sport in Listry know only too well how important that charity is.

"Over the past five years we have been delighted to have donated in the region of 9,000 to a charity very close to the hearts of our community," Paul Kennedy, who lost his beloved father Steve to cancer, wrote this week.

"Having spent the past five years trying to come to terms with the loss of a family member to this disease, we felt it is important to stress how absolutely vital this service is to our community. The most important part of this charity for us is in its title, 'support'. Until you are directly faced with it and the harrowing upheaval to life as you know it, it may not be apparent what this great charity provides in terms of a service and support structures," Paul said.

"Imagine having to travel from the far reaches of Kerry to CUH in Cork for treatment every week. You may not always have somebody to drive you, you don't want to be a burden on the same people all the time, you feel nervous and worried about what lies ahead, the effects of the treatment will not allow you to drive safely yourself so what do you do, who can you turn to?

"That's where you need support and that's where the Kerry Cancer Support Bus comes in, providing daily transport to and from CUH, servicing all of Kerry and parts of Cork, totally free of charge. This ensures you don't have to go through the journey alone; you are facing it as part of a group of people who all understand where you are coming from and can relate to battle you are fighting. What an incredible source of support to be able to offer anyone in this position, you don't ever have to be on your own," Paul added.

He said that Asdee native Fr Pat Moore - who died just two weeks ago - really helped illuminate what cancer patients have to go through with the illness in his blog.

"The recent passing of Fr Pat Moore, former parish priest of Duagh, shone a new light on the daily struggles faced by cancer patients and their families. Father Pat kept an online blog at the caringbridge.org site throughout his battle with cancer over the past two years and even published a book called "Weathering the Storm" in late 2016, which focused on his battle with the disease.

"He bared his soul by documenting the daily trials and tribulations he went through; giving a detailed insight into the many great people he met along his journey that supported him in his battle. The blog reached thousands online and the humility with which he delivered it struck a chord with people across all generations."

Just weeks before he died the Asdee cleric reached out in a hugely meaningful way to the fundraiser, Paul explained: "On the evening of Sunday the 9th of April, as our committee members dusted themselves down after another successful running of our Listry Fundraiser, father Pat was to make his final contribution to the Kerry Cancer support group, by donating 3,000 from the proceeds of his book to the charity. Unfortunately only a few weeks later, his two-year battle with cancer was to come to end as he slipped away on the May 1. The huge legacy of support he has left behind him will comfort cancer patients and their families long into the future," Paul said echoing the sentiments of so many.
Valerie McGrath, Maria Clifford and Sheila O' Mahony at the ITT Horizon Exhibition in The Education Centre in Tralee last week. Photo by Fergus Dennehy

Medical and Pharmacy students based at the Institute of Technology Tralee pictured at the ITT International awards night held recently at the North campus Institute of Technology, Tralee. Photo by Dominick Walsh.

It's certainly been a busy few weeks for the team up at the IT Tralee with the college having played hosts to a number of events such as the ITT Scifest, the IT Horizon Exhibition for Final Year Students and an awards night for the college's Medical and Pharmacy students.

The IT Tralee Scifest saw over 200 post-primary school students from schools across Kerry putting their knowledge of science to the ultimate test as they exhibited 91 different science projects on the campus;

Of the the 200 students that entered on the day though, it was one brainy young man , Jack Nagle, from Killorglin, who stood out amongst the crowd as he was named as the overall winner on the day for his project entitled 'Tractor Safe Lock'

"My research found farmers are not pulling their handbrakes when they leave their tractors. This has caused many deaths in my own local community and all over Ireland. Not to mention all the accidents that are unheard of. My device automatically engages the handbrake when the operator exists the tractor. This stops the tractor from rolling and crushing the farmer under the wheel of his tractor. There is nothing to buy on the market similar to my device and I feel it is vital considering the amount of deaths that have been caused by these type of accidents.," said Jack, speaking about his project.

Last week also saw another momentous day for IT Tralee students as they presented their finished final year projects to the public for the first time; the Horizon Exhibit, as it was dubbed, also offered the students a networking opportunity for industry representatives to meet potential new employees.

"Fourth year Creative Writing for Digital Media student Leanne Ahern, one of the exhibitors, stated: "The event was a great success! It was a wonderful opportunity to showcase our work to friends, family, potential employers and the public."

The college also recently presented awards to the International Medical and Pharmacy students in a ceremony at the North campus of the college.
A Coast Guard helicopter was flown in to Dingle on Monday afternoon to airlift an injured tourist to hospital following an accident on a tour bus on the Slea Head Drive.

It is understood that the woman fell on the bus as she was taking a photograph and suffered a severe injury to her nose.

She was taken by ambulance to Pairc an Aghasaigh in Dingle where she was stretchered to the waiting helicopter and flown to University Hospital Galway for surgery.

Members of the West Kerry Coast and Cliff rescue unit assisted in the operation, which attracted a small crowd of spectators who scaled the perimeter walls of the sportsfield to catch a glimpse of the action.
Kerry County Council has served notices on five landowners at Fenit Island, ordering them to remove fences that prevent the public accessing popular walking routes on the island.

On May 4 the council served the notices on John Murphy of Fenit Island; Liam Kathleen and Kit McCarthy of Fenit Island and Seamus O'Sullivan whose address was given as Bindon Street, Ennis, Clare.

The notices give the five people eight weeks to remove fencing which the council says was erected without permission.

Each of the five landowners have also been given four weeks to pay 250 to meet expenses incurred by the council in dealing with the matter.

The notices have been issued on foot of a ruling that was delivered by An Bord Pleanala almost two years ago when the planning board declared that permission was required for the fences.

The erection of two metre fences - electrified in some parts - which prevent people accessing coastal paths on the island led to a number of protests in the locality.

In 2012 landowners secured a permanent injunction from the district court banning trespassers from entering their property.

Kerry County Council also ruled in favour of the fences declaring that they were not an unauthorised development.

However, the council's decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanala by the 'Keep Ireland Open' group - an organisation that campaigns for the right of recreational users to have access to the countryside.

The planning board overturned the council's original decision and ruled that developments, such as fences, on any land that was habitually open to, or used by, the public in the preceding 10 years must have planning permission.
A planning application to erect 14 mammoth wind turbines between Gneeveguilla and Ballydesmond has received over 50 formal objections along with a single group objection comprising more than 180 signatures.

A fourth public meeting was held on Monday night in Gneeveguilla which received very strong local backing that they did not want the turbines in any shape or form.

Kerry County Council has received a mammoth planning application of over 1,300 pages from Silver Birch Renewables Ltd to erect the turbines which would extend across 15 individual landholdings in the townlands of Tooreenagarriv, Ballynahulla, Barna, Knocknageeha, Lisheen, Reanasup and Reaboy. The wind turbine company is hoping to secure planning for two turbines in Barna, one in Knocknageeha, two in Reanasup, one in Lisheen, three in Reaboy and five in Ballynahulla.

However, it is the sheer size of the proposed turbines which is causing deep concern among residents as Silver Birch Renewables Ltd hopes to secure planning for 10 years for the development of the 14 wind turbines, which would have a rotor diameter of up to 120 metres and a blade tip height of up to 150 metres above ground level.

They would be among the highest ever developed in the country. Planning permission is also being sought for two permanent meteorological masts and two medium voltage substation and one high voltage substation and 13 new site entrances consisting of seven new and six upgraded.

On the Silver Birch Renewables Ltd website, there are more than 17 letters of consent signed by landowners based in Reanasup, Lisheen, Knocknageeha, Reaboy, Ballinahulla in Ballydesmond, Knockrour East, Scartaglin and Tooreencahill stating that they are giving their permission to Silver Birch Renewables Ltd to make their planning application for the development of the windfarm on their lands.

In one such letter, it is stated that the compensation package will be 1,000 on signing (this) letter and 1,000 per year (index linked) from first exporting the power for the lifetime of the windfarm (approx 20 years). The development land earmarked for the turbines will be leased from the landowners  including Coillte.

In November 2016, Collette Hunt on behalf of Coillte Teorana wrote to Kerry County Council confirming that negotiations were at an advanced stage with Saorgus Energy Ltd/Silverbirch Renewables Ltd in respect of an option for a proposed windfarm to be located on lands which include lands owned by Coillte.

Some landowners also signed further consent forms that the wind turbines can be located within 2.5 rotor diameters of their land boundary and the proposed rotor diameter could be 120 metres depending on the suitability of the turbine for the site/location.

Most of the letters of consent were signed by landowners in March 2017 but others were also signed between August and September 2015.

Letters of objection state strongly that should the wind turbines be granted planning, it would lead to degradation of the region as well as a huge environmental impact and lead to the decrease in the value of property as well as health and safety risks.

The fear of Japanese knotweed further spreading was also cited, along with the possibility of a re-occurance of the 1896 Knocknageeha landslide. Other factors cited included damage to flora and fauna.

At the public meeting, Cllr Brendan Cronin (Ind) said he strongly backed the local campaign, Sliabh Luachra Windfarm and residents who objected and said he has seen what wind turbines do to a region.

This has a devastating effect on families and it splits communities without question. Its a huge problem, he said.

He said that having wind-turbines in Ballydesmond and Gneeveguilla of such a monstrous size was difficult to even contemplate.

He was also critical of the level of public consultation by Silver Birch Renewables Ltd describing it as very poor.

Thomas Fitzpatrick and Shaun ORourke, who are both homeowners fear they will be greatly affected by the wind turbines if the development is allowed proceed.

They said they had contacted Silver Birch Renewables Ltd twice to attend the public meting and they failed to get a response.

Mr Rourke said they had only become aware of the planning application two weeks ago when Mr Fitzpatrick happened to see the application and they, along with other residents, were on the back-foot in launching their own campaign and lodging objections as the the final date for making submissions to Kerry County Council was fast approaching.

The vast 1,385 planning application on the KCC website contains an Environmental Impact Statement undertaken by Malachy Walsh & Partners for Silver Birch Renewables Ltd, where it is stated that no significant negative impacts are envisaged in relation to the human environment and noise and shadow flicker will be controlled by technology at source ensuring acceptable levels are not exceeded.

It also states that habitat loss as a result ofthe proposed development is not considered significant and no rare or protected plant species were detected within the proposed development site. Regarding noise, it is stated that the relevant noise thresholds set out in the wind farm planning guidelines will be achieved at all locations.

An email from the wind firms Community Liaison Officer informed The Kerryman that a query we lodged on the plan had been noted and that the company would respond in writing shortly. There was no response by the time of going to press on Tuesday.
Kerry TD Michael Healy Rae has come under fire from constituency colleague John Brassil after the Kilgarvan man - who is chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs - failed to show for what Brassil described as 'one of the most important' Brexit-related events before the Oireachtas.

Deputy Healy Rae was nowhere to be seen in the Dail on Thursday as TDs and senators packed out the chamber to hear from the EU's lead Brexit negotiator Michele Barnier.

140 of the State's 158 TDs were present for the historic address, in which Barnier insisted Ireland's critical position would figure prominently in the EU's negotiations.

But Healy Rae's absence led Fianna Fail Kerry TD John Brassil to question his 'suitability' for the chair of the hugely-important committee.

Michael Healy Rae explained he did not attend the Dail on Thursday because he was not given an opportunity to either meet Barnier before the address or address Barnier in the chamber in his guise as chairman of the committee.

He has hit back at Brassil saying it would be more 'in line' for the Ballyheigue-native politician 'to work for the people and not be watching what I'm doing'. Deputy Healy Rae insisted that Barnier's appearance before the Dail was due to an invite he had, in fact, personally extended the French politician at one of numerous meetings in Brussels as part of his work with the committee.

But Deputy Brassil described Healy Rae's absence as a 'blatant disregard' for the Dail and its workings. He said he was moved to public criticism given the massive importance of Barnier's address at a time of such deep economic uncertainty for Ireland.

Brassil said he was reliably informed Michael Healy Rae was hosting a clinic in Listowel while Barnier was addressing the Dail.

"Michael is an expert TD, he said himself that he was delighted Barnier attended on foot of his invitation, but the fact that he didn't bother to turn up, instead prioritising the constituency clinic, displays a blatant disregard for the Dail and its workings," Deputy Brassil told The Kerryman. "Making the excuse that he wasn't able to speak is unacceptable. There were 135 TDs present who weren't afforded the right to speak either but were there to hear such an important address. Does he think his own opinion is so important that if he can't speak it's not worth attending?" Brassil asked.

Only party and group leaders were given the opportunity to speak - ruling Healy Rae out as a regular member of the Rural Independent Group of TDs.

Healy Rae said he had expected that he would have been given the chance to speak as chairman of the committee - a position worth 9,120 on top of the TD salary.

"I thought that they would give me more speaking time as chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs...I tried very hard to get speaking time. You would imagine it would only have been proper to give me that opportunity but it wasn't offered."

For that reason, Deputy Healy Rae effectively snubbed the occasion. While he did not deny having been at a clinic in Listowel at the time, he said Brassil 'doesn't know where I was'.

Michael Healy Rae meanwhile pointed to his ongoing work with the committee, teasing out the ramifications for the State of Brexit in a bid to advise of ways by which to lessen its worst likely impacts.

He said he is pleased with the progress of his idea to bring European ambassadors before the committee every Tuesday morning - interviewing more than ten so far amid numerous other witnesses.

"My answer to John Brassil is that I never interfered with work another person was doing. It would be more in his line to work for the people and not be watching what I'm doing."

He did not say why he was only prepared to attend on Thursday on the guarantee of being able to speak. When The Kerryman pressed the point he said: "There's a crowd of people here waiting for me [in Dingle]. I'm after answering the question." Brassil meanwhile said he had been working for the people. "I'm here in the Dail on the three days it sits in the week and working at home the rest of the week, doing the job I was elected to do."
Peter O'Connor (51) from Abbeylands, Milltown had symptoms of depression, heart failure and Motor Neurone Disease - but when a simple blood test in a German laboratory came back, it eventually confirmed that he was in fact suffering from Lyme Disease.

Peter took ill seven years ago after receiving a 'bulls eye rash' to his leg from a tick bite while horse trekking in Kilderry Wood, close to where he lives.

Peter's quality of life deteriorated and his frustration was added to by the fact that Lyme Disease was not detected as the cause of illness after several tests. It was only when a friend of Peter's watched a TV programme about Lyme Disease that he noticed Peter's symptoms were identical to those featured in the programme.

Peter's wife Ann-Marie gave an emotional account of her husband's struggle at Monday's meeting of Kerry County Council where she pleaded with authorities to do more in terms of educating people on the dangers of the disease. She is also calling on Kerry doctors, interested in Lyme Disease, to come forward and help people.

"We spent nearly seven years going to our GP being told it was all in Peter's head and that it was depression. I knew my husband wasn't depressed. But he was down because they couldn't identify what was wrong with him. Getting answers from the medical profession was the hardest thing," Ann-Marie told The Kerryman.

The couple's life has changed utterly since the illness as Peter can no longer enjoy the quality of life he once took for granted. Ann Marie says they now live from day to day.

"We were a couple who enjoyed ourselves and liked to socialise with friends but all this has changed. Peter can't work and we're trying to pay for supplements that help him, which are very expensive. Peter's sister helped us and only for that we would have been put to the pin of our collar."

"Two weeks of antibiotics is what Peter was offered and our next appointment is not until July," Ann-Marie continued.

"I was speaking to a lady recently whose daughter's bloods came back negative from a test here. She sent them to Germany and they replied to say the bloods tested positive for Lyme Disease."

Ann-Marie warned people not to remove the tick if bitten but to attend a doctor straight away. The medical view is there is a three-week timeframe from 'time of bite' when antibiotics should be prescribed.

"Even now they are still querying Peter's diagnoses. The trouble with Lyme Disease is that it can mimic symptoms of other illnesses and our medical profession needs more training. There are people out there now who have probably been bitten by a tick and they haven't a clue. It's not an exaggeration to say that vets probably know more about ticks than the medical profession does. You won't see many posters about ticks in a doctor's surgery," Ann-Marie concluded.

Ann-Marie is part of a group called 'Tick Talk Ireland' who are currently campaigning for awareness about Lyme Disease. They will stage a public rally at Leinster House on Tuesday, May 30.

Ann Marie's speech struck a chord with councillors who were unanimous in their praise for Peter in his fight against the disease. Councillors Michael Cahill and Patrick Connor-Scarteen called for greater awareness, especially in a county like Kerry where outdoor activities are more prevalent. Cllr Niall Kelleher said more education about Lyme Disease was required in National Schools.

Cllr Brendan Cronin said it made no sense not to have a test system that doesn't pick up on the symptoms of Lyme Disease, while Cllr Jim Finucane also said a lack of response in recognising a test for Lyme Disease was baffling, adding that the Minister for Health should provide a fund to help people travel abroad for treatment.
160 people attended a two day 'not for profit' inspirational event in Sligo recently.

The Get Up and Go with Passion and Purpose event took place at IT Sligo on 21st April.

13 world renowned and nationally acclaimed speakers including David McGowan, impressed the audience with a wide range of topics relating to health and well being. Organiser Eileen Forrestal said: "We covered topics including having a positive mind-set, overcoming impossible odds coping with physical challenges, overcoming depression, setting personal goals and what it takes to stand for a greater cause in the world such as inspiring positive futures and organ donation."

She said: "Everyone enjoyed the style, variety and pace of the event and appreciated the high calibre of speaker and the quality and value of the messages.

Fellow organiser Brendan Sands thanked all those who had travelled from the four corners of the world.

"This is the third annual Get Up and Go event to be held in Sligo, the purpose of which is to give people an opportunity to experience Sligo, the "Inspiration Destination" of the Northwest, to take time out to listen to powerful and passionate speakers and be inspired to 'getupandgo' forward in life," he said.

This event also marked the official launch of Get Up and Go Publications newest book Get Up and Go Heroes, of 25 inspirational stories. The proceeds of the event and Heroes book will go to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, Northwest Simon, Pieta House and CHAB School Cambodia.
MASON CITY | Trinity Lutheran Church will hold its annual Vacation Bible School and Day Camp from June 12-15.

The deadline for registration is May 28.

Counselors from Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp will be involved in leading activities at the church throughout the week.

Activities for children age 3 through kindergarten will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. The cost is $20 per child.

Activities for children entering grades 1-6 in the fall will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants should bring a sack lunch. The cost is $20 per child, with a family maximum cost of $60.

A closing celebration for everyone will be held at 5 p.m. on June 15 at Trinity, which will be followed by a supper sponsored by the Trinity Youth and Family Committee.

Registration forms are available in the church office or online at www.trinity-mc.org.

Day Camp Week also includes activities for youth in middle school and high school.

A pizza night with a bonfire for grades 7-8 will take place at 6 p.m. June 12. High school students will meet at 9 p.m. June 14.
David McGowan pictured beside the Boeing 767 which he managed to get to Enniscrone from Shannon by road and sea for his Quirky Nights Glamping village which he hopes to open next summer provided he can get funding in place

The banks are trying to play 'hardball' with him but the man behind the Quirky Nights glamping park in Enniscrone says he won't be deterred in his efforts to raise the 2.5m needed to open it.

David, who hit the headlines all over the world when he brought a decommissioned Boeing 767 from Shannon to the proposed glamping park by sea, says he would have been signing his life away had he taken up the loan offers from the banks.

"I did have offers from the banks but when I went home and read the small print I'd have been putting everything I have at risk including the family home and my two funeral homes, a business which I have built up over the past 25 years.

"I just wasn't prepared to put my wife and three children through that and that's why I'm now looking at the alternative of crowdfunding to raise what I need and if I achieve that it will be a lesson for every young person who wants to set up a business in the West of Ireland.

"The banks just wanted to tie me up in knots. They were prepared to give me the money but wanted a personal guarantee for 2million and I would want to be half mad in the head to agree to that. If it did go wrong they'd take it off me and sell it for a third and then go after my business and my house. I'm just not going to put it at risk.

"The reality is that there isn't a banking system in this country for the ordinary Joe Soap. What we have is a banking system for the rich.

"I was in touch with the four major lenders in this country and they tell me that I've no tangible assets and that they'd be left with a hundred tonne of scrap and that's their thinking on it and I'm not afraid to say it.

"It's disheartening for anyone who wishes to set up a business in the West if Ireland. There wouldn't be a problem anywhere else in the country getting the money but the West of Ireland is seen as high risk and a no go area and they've no interest in allowing anyone invest in it.

"But, I'm researching another way without the need to resort to the banks and if I succeed that will act as a great encouragement for young business people who want to set up in the West," David told The Sligo Champion as he was about to enter another speaking event, this time at Croke Park to the Retail Association of Ireland. His story of positivity and overcoming the odds has proven to be inspirational.

And, few will doubt if David won't be able to make his crowdfunding plan work.

"The idea is to get a 100 pledge per person and for that they would get a 50% discount on their stay at Quirky Nights and they would also get a certificate and their name on the proposed terminal building at the site.

"I've 70,000 followers on the facebook page and I only need 25,000 of them to make the pldege. It is achievable. It will mean I won't be giving away my site to the banks and I won't be paying 250,000 a year in interest.

"At every opportunity I promote Sligo. I'd say 80% of what I do is promoting the county and now I need to make a business out of it.

"I don't want to make the mistake of signing my life away," said David, who has invested around 1.3m of his money into the project to date.

And, he's constantly sourcing different forms of disused transport to sit alongside the already impressive array of machinery which includes the Boeing, a train, London taxi and double decker bus.

An ambulance used in the hit US series of the 1970s MASH has also found its way to the Enniscrone park which David says he hopes to open in the summer of 2018.

Glamping nights will be its main functiion but he is already thinking of including a terminal building to faciliate conferences.

David's enthusiasm for the development knows no bounds. His latest plan is to bring a disused submarine from Boston to Enniscrone.

The Russian submarine served as a museum in Providence but sank in a 2007 storm and the authorities there want to get rid of it as soon as possible though it has been ruled the 200 feet long vessel weighing 250 tonne is not seaworthy so it cannot be towed to Ireland.

"I managed to get them to give it to me for nothing and I had hoped to pull it across from the US but I'm not giving up on it.

"There was a meeting there recently of about 30 fellows from the West of Ireland who said they'd come up with a plan for it.

"We might end up putting it on a boat. I'll get it to Sligo somehow. I got a plane out of Shannon when people said it couldn't be done," he says.

Uppermost in his mind is a planned music festival at the site on May 27th/28th next.

"I know it will work out. It won't be easy but it's putting Sligo on the map again and bringing much needed money into Enniscrone," he says.

There's some 75 bands line up for the festival and again David says he's had to deal with some doubters.

"I was at a meeting about it the other day and there was 16 people there and I never seen such negativity. I ended up walking out of the room and I told them not to come back to the table unless they were positive. Not one person left the room," says David.
A new Wild Atlantic Way TV ad filmed at Mullaghmore will encourage people to 'Get Away from it All.'

The new Failte Ireland TV advertisement will began airing this week as part of the latest home holiday campaign for the Wild Atlantic Way.

The ad, which is a key feature in a wider, 'Embrace the Wild Atlantic Way of Life' campaign, emphasises the opportunity for Irish people to discover the west coast and truly get away from it all as they personally benefit from a break along the world's longest defined coastal route. The ad will be aired throughout May on RTE, TV3, Channel Four and a number of Sky channels amongst others.

The ad, with a soundtrack from Irish band Walking on Cars ('Don't Mind Me'), includes footage of Mullaghmore (Co. Sligo), Keem, Achill (Co. Mayo), Ballinskelligs (Co Kerry) and Derrigimlagh (Co. Galway) to highlight the variety of experiences to be had along the Wild Atlantic Way and its ability to allow visitors to relax and reconnect.

The new ad can be viewed here [https://youtu.be/kDfnkmo43OU].

The television campaign is also being accompanied by advertising across national and local radio, outdoor, online and social media channels and will run during May and will be repeated in September and October.

Welcoming the campaign, the Minister of State for Tourism, Patrick O'Donovan TD said:

"While many overseas visitors are discovering the joys of the Wild Atlantic Way, the route has also been incredibly popular with the domestic audience.

The west coast brand has helped rejuvenate many tourism businesses and communities along its route and is driving incremental growth in visitors and revenue.

I am pleased to see Failte Ireland leveraging this domestic appeal to maintain business momentum beyond the high season with targeted advertising in spring and autumn and would encourage anybody who has not had the experience yet to get out there and discover the west."

The Wild Atlantic Way campaign follows hot on the heels of Failte Ireland's latest domestic marketing campaign for Ireland's Ancient East which was rolled out in March.

Visitors who stayed in hotel accommodation accounted for over 3.6 million domestic trips in 2016.
Sligo town native Dr Michael Barret is the new Head of School of Business and Social Sciences at IT Sligo

It Sligo has announced the appointment of Dr Michael Barrett as the new Head of School of Business and Social Sciences.

The Sligo town native succeeds Dr Perry Share who recently took up a new role as Project Manager of the Institute's bid (along with its Connacht-Ulster strategic Alliance partners GMIT and Letterkenny IT) to gain designation as a Technological University.

Dr Barrett is a past student of the former Sligo RTC, having studied Electronics. He joined the staff of IT Sligo in 1999 and since then has held senior Head of Department roles in Information Systems (Accounting & Computing), and in Business. He has also worked on a range of key strategic projects for the Institute. More recently, this included the development of Ireland's first honours degree apprenticeship programme in a landmark collaboration with the Insurance Institute and the wider Insurance Industry. The new BA (Honours) in Insurance Practice had its first intake of new apprentices in September 2016.

"As a Sligo man with a deep connection to both the Institute and the region, it is a privilege to lead the School of Business & Social Sciences and its talented staff through the next stage of its development," said Dr Barrett.

"I look forward to helping IT Sligo continue its path towards re-designation as a Technological University."

Congratulating Michael on his appointment, Dr Brendan McCormack, President of IT Sligo said: "Michael has been a passionate advocate for IT Sligo over the years, and has taken the lead of a range of Institute-wide projects. His work ethic and drive to move IT Sligo forward have earned him the respect of both the student and staff body here. I know that he will continue to enhance that reputation in his new role."

Dr Barrett's appointment comes as the refurbishment of the School of Business & Social Sciences building continues. The multi-million euro project, due for completion in September, will provide a transformed learning environment for Business and Social Sciences students.
In the wake of last week's gorse and forest fires around the county, the Sligo Leitrim West Cavan branch of the Irish Natura Hill Farmers Association has said controlled burning was an essential part of upland management.

The Association is calling on both Minister Heather Humphreys and Minister Michael Creed to finally take action to change legal burning dates within the Heritage Bill to include March. Burning is an agricultural activity in the uplands in a similar way to re seeding or topping of green land according to CAP spokesperson Colm O'Donnell.

"Traditionally, hill farmers burned off the mature vegetation in the month of March when conditions were favourable i.e. it was dry enough to carry out a controlled burning safely, without affecting ground nesting birds. No level of expertise could carry out this activity when the ground is too wet, or indeed too dry, as is currently the case," said O'Donnell.

Minister Creed needs to support Minister Humphreys proposal to extend the burning dates to include the month of March. Then farmers need vital supports from the Local Authorities, Fire Service, the DAFM and the NPWS to rectify this monster, which has been created by bad legislation, said O'Donnell.
The streets of Sligo are being dug up at present as part of a major Irish Water investment and the good news it's on schedule.

Work is progressing according to plan on the Sligo City Water Main Rehabilitation and Pearse Road Sewer Network Project according to Irish Water with the contractors on track for completion of the mains replacement works this month.

Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council, Cllr Hubert Keeney has visited the site to view the progress being made.

The 6.8 million investment by Irish Water in partnership with Sligo County Council, involves the replacement and rehabilitation of ageing water mains, installation of new sewers and replacement of all service connections.

The project will benefit residents and businesses by reducing leakage and bursts and improving water quality and supply to consumers.

To date, works in Cleveragh Road, Tonaphubble Lane, John Street and Smiths Row have been completed. Works are ongoing on JFK Parade with road closures there running to May 19th.

Padraig Hanly, Irish Water's Infrastructure Programme Regional Lead commented: "The contractor has been progressing well with the works programme. To date they have completed mains laying works in Cleveragh Road, Tonaphubble Lane and have moved to the city centre where works will continue to progress over the coming weeks.

"The contractor will notify residents and businesses in advance of any planned works as they progress through their works programme.

"This investment will greatly improve the water infrastructure for residents and business owners in Sligo City.

"The replacement of these ageing water mains will improve the security of supply to customers and will also ensure that the existing and future residential and commercial development needs of the town are served. Water quality will also be improved by replacing existing cast iron pipes with new plastic polyethylene pipes."

Ward and Burke Construction Limited are the appointed contractors for this project which involves the replacement and rehabilitation of approximately 8.7km of ageing water mains, the installation of 1.5km of foul and storm sewers in the Pearse Road area and the replacement of all service connections including any lead services encountered. The project will also deliver financial savings over the medium and long term through reduced maintenance costs associated with the upgraded pipeline.

Cllr Keaney said: "The replacement of these ageing water mains that are prone to frequent bursts will improve the service being supplied to the people of Sligo.

"This partnership between Irish Water and Sligo County Council will lead to significant improvements and is universally welcomed by local householders and businesses.

"I want to commend the project team for their work to date and acknowledge the patience and understanding of the people directed affected by the ongoing work."

This project forms part of Irish Water's investment plan. Works have been prioritised to address the most critical issues in line with commitments outlined in Irish Water's Business Plan. Delivery of the business plan will involve a 5.5 billion investment in capital spending on drinking water and wastewater quality and capacity and new infrastructure up to 2021.

The work on this project will be limited to short sections to minimise impact on residents, businesses and road users. The works will involve some short-term water shut offs for a number of hours over a day or two in each area when the pipes are being connected to the system. The project team will ensure that householders and businesses are advised of any works in their area in advance and will be given a minimum of 48 hours prior notice of any planned water shut offs.

The project team will notify the local community in advance of planned works in their areas and provide contact details should they have any queries. The team will work closely with businesses to minimise any potential disruption and with An Garda Siochana to manage traffic while the works are underway.

Meanwhile, Irish Water will this week begin the process of taking in charge the administration of 6,389 business customer accounts in County Sligo.

The change will see responsibility for account administration for existing business customers in Co Sligo moving to Irish Water from the Council.

Charges for business customers, credit terms and the frequency of billing will remain unchanged while this transition is taking place.

Irish Water took over responsibility for providing public water services to business customers in January 2014. Before this, Local Authorities billed businesses for water services provided to them and they have continued to issue bills on behalf of Irish Water on an interim basis since then. Irish Water is now assuming responsibility for business billing administration.
Men's Shed groups from across Co Wicklow enjoyed a wonderful occasion recently as Blessington Men's Shed hosted the first cluster meeting for the county.

Guest speakers on the day were CEO of the Irish Men's Sheds Association Barry Sheridan, Edel Byrne from the Irish Heart Foundation and representatives from each of the seven sheds around Wicklow.

Mr Sheridan thanked everyone for the huge turn out and congratulated the Blessington Men's Shed on its great success since it started over five years ago and referenced their recent Wicklow County Council top environmental award.

He talked about the success of Men's Shed throughout Ireland, which has gone from strength to strength with almost 400 sheds now in the north and south of Ireland and as much as 10,000 men sit down talking every week. He also spoke about the importance of all sheds sharing their experiences and working together and the importance of members' physical and mental wellbeing.

Blessington Men's Shed has extended a big 'thank you' to all who helped on the day, including 'shedder' John Doran for his demonstration of wood turning and his lovely display of ornaments; the Coimin Centre ladies, who provided refreshments; and to Barry Hamilton for documenting the day on camera.
With an Irish man now topping the table, excitement is set to reach fever pitch ahead of the Emerald Enduro rolling into Wicklow in around ten days times.

Dubliner Greg Callaghan took the lead in the global series with victory in Madeira last weekend and, having won the Emerald Enduro for the past two years, fans are hoping he will maintain his grip on top spot on the slopes of Carrick Mountain, near Glenealy.

The third Emerald Enduro - round four of the Enduro World Series - will take place on Sunday, May 28, and will see the world's top mountain bikers race over 50km of technical terrain in a rally style format with testing special stages.

2016 was a turning point for Irish Enduro racing with four of the five categories won by Irish riders - an unheralded achievement crowned by Greg Callaghan's victory.

Event organiser Niall Davis from Biking.ie in Ballinastoe said that last year's event and the spectators who attended it were truly fantastic.

'It will be hard to top the amazing weekend we had last year, seeing Greg Callaghan cement his status as one of the world's best and seeing three other Irish competitors take the top step,' said Mr Davis.

'The crowds helped the riders to fly and the positive feedback from international riders was quite humbling. Irish riding is booming currently and it is great to see so many young riders coming up in all disciplines of the sport!'

In addition to Sunday's Emerald Enduro, a Challenger event will take place on Saturday, May 27, where riders can dip their toe into the elite level of Enduro by taking on four of the six stages from the full race. Riders from both events will practise on the Friday on stages one to four, with the Emerald Enduro riders practising stages five and six on Saturday while the Challenger event is on.

Four hundred riders will take part in the Emerald Enduro. The event is unique in professional sport as it allows ordinary riders to ride the same race as the pros. The first rider will head off at 8 a.m. with the professionals the last to leave.

A large contingent of Irish riders, both amateur and professional, will take part.

Greg Callaghan was already Ireland's top professional before his table topping turn in Madeira last weekend while Dan Wolfe had some amazing stage results last year and is on the hunt for a good place.

In the Under 21 category, Greg's cousin Killian Callaghan has moved into second place overall following a fourth place finish in Madeira, while Leah Maunsell has two victories in 2015 and 2016 to her name.

The enduro weekend will be accompanied by a full race village on Carrick Mountain, featuring a huge expo area, food vendors, exhibitors and the team pit area. Signing sessions will also take place throughout the weekend.

The start/finish and podium are also in this area. However, a short walk along the trails will bring spectators to the bottom of all six stages, making it possible for supporters to get to several different stages during the race and see the riders multiple times.

Admission is free for under 18s with adult admission 5.

For more information, like 'emeraldenduro' on Facebook, follow @emeraldenduro on Twitter or visit emeraldenduro.com.
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.
Montessori teachers and others who educate young children gathered in Bray recently for the launch of the 'Big Start campaign, calling for increased investment in the early years sector.

The meeting took place at the St Peters Parish Centre in Bray, and was the first of a series to be hosted by SIPTU around the county.

Gill Gray was among the early years service providers who attended the meeting.

'From birth to six years of age are the most critical years of a child's development,' said Ms Gray. 'Many studies have highlighted the positive affect of early years services to children's development. However, the state fails to value and respect early years educators by underfunding the sector as a whole and expecting them to work long hours for the minimum wage.

'These educators have the key responsibility of moulding our children to become educated, responsible and socially adept citizens but they themselves are among the lowest paid workers of any sector. It is a nonsensical situation.'

People present heard that the average wage for early years educators is just over 10 an hour. They have to sign on during the summer months, during which they are asked if they are looking for work. Some of the educators present said that they face a number of challenges, including difficulty getting a mortgage, and that people are not encouraged to go in to the profession due to the salary available.

Primary school teacher Gemma Corcoran said that it is apparent when children come in to the primary cycle when they have received early years education beforehand. She said that speech is one of the areas in which it is most apparent. 'I can't understand why I am more valued than you are,' she told the people present at the event.

SIPTU organiser, Shonagh Byrne, said: 'The early years sector is in crisis. Parents are paying high fees, yet providers are struggling to make ends meet and educators are under-paid and undervalued. The key message of the Big Start Campaign is that to build a quality early years sector for our children, the government needs to increase investment.'

A number of public representatives attended, including Minister Andrew Doyle, Cathaoirleach of Bray Municipal District Cllr Steven Matthews, Cllr Joe Behan, Cllr Tom Fortune, and Cllr John Ryan.

Mr Doyle said that he was 'happy to support the campaign and ensure that the issues raised stay on the political agenda'.

Cllr Behan, a retired school principal, said that he was highly impressed with the professionalism and dedication of all the people who attended the meeting. 'I was thoroughly shocked to realise the abysmally low rates of payment in the early years sector at present,' he said.

'As we all know, the quality of a child's future development is inextricably linked to the provision of excellent early years education. I believe strongly that excellent early years education is being provided but it is not valued at all by this Government.

'I do not believe that provision of child care places is sufficient of itself. The Minister and the Government should be also committed to ensuring that the education provided at this level is excellent and is rewarded properly. This is vital both for the welfare of our children and our nation but also for the rights of the 23,000 providers and educators , the vast majority of whom are women.'

He has called on the Minister for Children Katherine Zappone and the Government to fund a salary structure for early years educators and providers and to supt providers 'in their vital work of administration and leadership in this sector'.
An estimated 30 jobs are to be lost from June when St Catherine's Association will no longer provide school transport services to students attending St Catherine's Special School in Newcastle.

The provision of service will then be handed back to Bus Eireann.

In a press statement this week, it was outlined that a decision has been taken by the Board of Directors and the Senior Management team at St Catherine's Association (SCA) to transfer the provision of service to Bus Eireann at the end of the current term.

'SCA's core business is in the provision of social care services which will be our focus, not transport services. The operation of the transport system by SCA is a legacy of a time when the association and the school were very much intertwined,' the statement said.

'The transport system is to get children to and from St Catherine's Special School. Bus Eireann are the body responsible for providing the transport service to and from schools and have sub-contracted it to SCA down the years. The cost of running the transport fleet has significantly exceeded the funding provided by Bus Eireann/DES for many years. This situation clearly couldn't continue and the board are conscious that public funds from the Department of Health cannot be spent on subventing services from the Department of Education,' the statement said.

St Catherine's Association said that its bus fleet is in very poor condition and generating increasing maintenance and repair costs year on year.

'It would take an investment of circa 750k to repair and replace the fleet and there is no funding available for this. Obviously, when Bus Eireann outsources the work to contractors, it is up to the contractors to look after their own fleet. This decision has not been taken lightly and unfortunately there are redundancies involved,' the statement continued.

The association said that it is committed to doing what it can to minimise the impact on those affected and who wish to seek employment with the new contractors.

It also outlined that one school route was handed back to Bus Eireann last year when a bus broke down beyond repair and that 'this transition went very smoothly'.

According to Sinn Fein TD John Brady, the news has come as a 'devastating blow' to those who face losing their jobs.

'It is now apparent that the school transport currently provided by St Catherine's Association for children attending St Catherine's Special School will cease at the end of this school term,' said Deputy Brady.

'I am informed that Bus Eireann will take responsibility for school transport for the 2017/18 school term. However, definite arrangements are yet to be put in place as to the logistics of this. Central to any changes must be to ensure that the least amount of disruption is caused to children and their families,' he said.
A former equestrian centre manager who was 'renowned in the world of horses' has been given a six-and-a-half year sentence for the possession of over 6 million worth of cannabis resin.

Raymond Molloy (55) spent 11 years on the run, living and working in the Isle of White, before being extradited back to Ireland and pleading guilty to possession of the drugs for sale or supply in Dublin on August 16, 2002.

Sergeant Michael Phelan told Garnet Orange SC, prosecuting, that gardai stopped a van, driven by Molloy, in Coolock, as part of an ongoing surveillance operation, and recovered 498kg of cannabis resin, with a street value at the time of 6.34 million.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Molloy, who has no previous convictions, had been approached by a number of individuals, one of whom was a family member, who proposed establishing the Slade Valley Equestrian Centre.

These people in the gardai's view, 'targeted' him because of his in depth knowledge of horses.

Sgt Phelan said that Molloy, previously of Hollywood, Co Wicklow, returned home from abroad to find an unfamiliar van parked at the equestrian centre. One of his business partner's then 'put him under pressure to collect a second van from a nearby pub, bring it to the equestrian centre, and load it with cannabis,' he said.

It was while driving the van containing the cannabis resin that gardai stopped and arrested him and seized the drugs.

Mr Orange said that while in custody Molloy told gardai he knew 'something bogey was going on'.

'As the investigation went on it became apparent he (Molloy) had a very good idea of what was happening,' Sgt Phelan said.

Molloy was due to stand trial in 2004 but failed to appear, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Eleven years later, in April 2015, gardai received information that he was living and working in the Isle of White. He was then extradited back to Ireland to face trial.

Orla Crowe SC, defending, told the court that Molloy was taken advantage of, and that threats and duress were exerted on him.

'He was told that his horse's throats would be slit if he did not do as he were told,' she said.

The court heard that he was not a man of means, had never been in trouble before and was not a member of a criminal enterprise.

'A 30-minute situation lead to enormous ramifications for an otherwise law abiding citizen,' she said.

Sgt Phelan said that Molloy was 'one hundred percent genuine with us' and was 'involved at the lowest possible level'.

The court heard that since his arrest in 2002 Molloy has made several attempts on his life and received psychiatric treatment due to a serious deterioration in his mental health.

Judge Martin Nolan said that Molloy was mature enough when the offence occurred to decide whether or not to involve himself in the operation.

'He didn't make the right decision, he made a huge error of judgement and went on the run until the wheels of justice began to turn,' he said.

He gave Molloy credit for his early guilty plea, his co-operation with gardai and his admissions.

'He didn't know who he had involved himself with, he didn't know they were shady,' he said.

Judge Nolan said he accepted that Molloy had paid a price for his actions in that he had lived in fear these past number of years, but said that a custodial sentence of six-and-a-half years was the correct punishment given the 'very serious nature of the crime'.

Another man involved in the operation, David Dempsey, was also charged with drug offences relating to the seizure of the cannabis resin in Coolock, firearms offences and in relation to the discovery of additional cannabis resin at his home.

Dempsey was convicted and sentenced to eight years by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in 2003.
Work began on the water reservoir at Hollywood/Donard yesterday as Irish Water began the final phase of a programme of maintenance on County Wicklow reservoirs.

The project, which is being done in partnership with Wicklow County Council, is being carried out to inspect the condition of the reservoirs and to enable Irish Water to carry out any necessary maintenance work.

Work on the Hollywood and Donard reservoir got under way at noon yesterday (Tuesday, May 16) and are due to continue until noon tomorrow (Thursday, May 18). Water tankers will be located near the Hollywood Inn and Tuttys Bar in Hollywood and in the Square in Donard village for the duration of the works.

Work is scheduled to take place at the Valleymount/Ballyknockan reservoir from noon on Tuesday, May 30, until noon on Thursday, June 1, and at the Barndarrig reservoir from noon on Wednesday, June 21, until noon on Friday, June 23. Irish Water has committed to writing to all affected households and businesses ahead of the works commencing to keep them informed of the situation.

The locations of water tankers for these two later projects will be announced closer to the time.

The reservoirs will be emptied to facilitate the maintenance work and this may cause interruption to customers' water supplies, which is why water tankers are being provided for the duration of the works.

Once the reservoirs are drained, an inspection will be carried out to determine if any upgrade work is required. This might require the reservoirs to be out of service for longer, but, again, Irish Water has committed to keeping customers informed on all updates during the project.

All the reservoirs will also be cleaned during the programme.

The reservoirs included in this phase of the programme include the Hollywood and Donard, Valleymount/Ballyknockan and Barndarrig reservoirs. Work was completed last year on the Coolboy/Coolafany, Kiltegan, Knockananna, Knockanarrigan, Rathdangan, Stratford, and Thomastown Reservoirs.
Donna Air arrives ahead of the wedding of the Duchess of Cambridge's sister Pippa Middleton to her millionaire groom James Matthews, dubbed the society wedding of the year at, St Mark's church in Englefield, Berkshire. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday May 20, 2017. See PA story ROYAL Pippa. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

Donna Air waves to the waiting crowds as she arrives ahead of the wedding of the Duchess of Cambridge's sister Pippa Middleton to her millionaire groom James Matthews, dubbed the society wedding of the year at, St Mark's church in Englefield, Berkshire. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday May 20, 2017. See PA story ROYAL Pippa. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

Roger Federer and his wife Mirka arrive ahead of the wedding of the Duchess of Cambridge's sister Pippa Middleton to her millionaire groom James Matthews, dubbed the society wedding of the year at, St Mark's church in Englefield, Berkshire. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday May 20, 2017. See PA story ROYAL Pippa. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

Roger Federer and his wife Mirka arrive ahead of the wedding of the Duchess of Cambridge's sister Pippa Middleton to her millionaire groom James Matthews, dubbed the society wedding of the year at, St Mark's church in Englefield, Berkshire. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday May 20, 2017. See PA story ROYAL Pippa. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

James Middleton (R), brother of the bride, walks with his mother Carole Middleton as they attend the wedding of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews at St Mark's Church in Englefield, west of London, on May 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Justin TALLISJUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images

James Middleton (R), brother of the bride, walks with his mother Carole Middleton as they attend the wedding of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews at St Mark's Church in Englefield, west of London, on May 20, 2017. Pippa Middleton hit the headlines with a figure-hugging outfit at her sister Kate's wedding to Prince William but now the world-famous bridesmaid is becoming a bride herself. Once again, all eyes will be on her dress as the 33-year-old marries financier James Matthews on Saturday at a lavish society wedding where William and Kate's children will play starring roles. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Justin TALLISJUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images

Roger Federer and his wife Mirka arrive at St Mark's church in Englefield, Berkshire, for the wedding of the Duchess of Cambridge's sister Pippa Middleton to her millionaire groom James Matthews at an event dubbed the society wedding of the year. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday May 20, 2017. See PA story ROYAL Pippa. Photo credit should read: Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA Wire

Roger Federer and his wife Mirka arrive ahead of the wedding of the Duchess of Cambridge's sister Pippa Middleton to her millionaire groom James Matthews, dubbed the society wedding of the year at, St Mark's church in Englefield, Berkshire. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday May 20, 2017. See PA story ROYAL Pippa. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

Tennis star Roger Federer and his wife Mirka are among the guests to arrive at St Mark's Church in Englefield, ahead of the much anticipated wedding of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews.

The Duchess of Cambridge's sister Pippa is set to wed her millionaire groom at 11.30am and A-list guests have descended on the usually serene village of Englefield for the celebrations.

The mother of the bride, Carole Middleton, has also arrived ahead of the ceremony, walking arm in arm with her son, James Middleton.

Presenter and actress Donna Air is also among the celebrity guests gathering in the small village, accompanying her boyfriend, the brother of the bride James Middleton to the service.

Expand Close Roger Federer and his wife Mirka arrive ahead of the wedding of the Duchess of Cambridge's sister Pippa Middleton to her millionaire groom James Matthews, dubbed the society wedding of the year at, St Mark's church in Englefield, Berkshire. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday May 20, 2017. See PA story ROYAL Pippa. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Roger Federer and his wife Mirka arrive ahead of the wedding of the Duchess of Cambridge's sister Pippa Middleton to her millionaire groom James Matthews, dubbed the society wedding of the year at, St Mark's church in Englefield, Berkshire. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday May 20, 2017. See PA story ROYAL Pippa. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

Princess Eugenie is being accompanied to the service by her partner Jack Brookbank,

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are said to be making their way to the church, having left London in the last hour, bound for Englefield earlier this morning.

Expand Close Princess Eugenie and and her partner Jack Brookbank arrive ahead of the wedding of the Duchess of Cambridge's sister Pippa Middleton to her millionaire groom James Matthews, dubbed the society wedding of the year at, St Mark's church in Englefield, Berkshire / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Princess Eugenie and and her partner Jack Brookbank arrive ahead of the wedding of the Duchess of Cambridge's sister Pippa Middleton to her millionaire groom James Matthews, dubbed the society wedding of the year at, St Mark's church in Englefield, Berkshire

Meanwhile, the usually serene village of Englefield has been overrun by TV satellite vans and wedding well-wishers clad in neon-orange fedora hats and Union Jack flags.

Meryl Elizabeth Evans, in her 60s, travelled from South Wales to witness the "wedding of the year" between Pippa Middleton and financier James Matthews at St Mark's Church.

Expand Close Roger Federer and his wife Mirka arrive ahead of the wedding of the Duchess of Cambridge's sister Pippa Middleton to her millionaire groom James Matthews, dubbed the society wedding of the year at, St Mark's church in Englefield, Berkshire. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday May 20, 2017. See PA story ROYAL Pippa. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Roger Federer and his wife Mirka arrive ahead of the wedding of the Duchess of Cambridge's sister Pippa Middleton to her millionaire groom James Matthews, dubbed the society wedding of the year at, St Mark's church in Englefield, Berkshire. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday May 20, 2017. See PA story ROYAL Pippa. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

She said: "We didn't get here till nine, and we thought we wouldn't be able to see anything. But there weren't too many people - we didn't have to fight our way in.

"It's a nice atmosphere, everybody's friendly, it's just a nice country feel to it."

Video of the Day

Mrs Evans said she was most looking forward to spotting the guests' attire, and said: "I'd love to see the fashion - the clothes, the hats and the fascinators. But they'll all be in cars so we'll probably see it on TV.

"We've met people from around the world, and the camera crews are from everywhere. It is the wedding of the year, isn't it?"

Expand Close Donna Air waves to the waiting crowds as she arrives ahead of the wedding of the Duchess of Cambridge's sister Pippa Middleton to her millionaire groom James Matthews, dubbed the society wedding of the year at, St Mark's church in Englefield, Berkshire. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday May 20, 2017. See PA story ROYAL Pippa. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Donna Air waves to the waiting crowds as she arrives ahead of the wedding of the Duchess of Cambridge's sister Pippa Middleton to her millionaire groom James Matthews, dubbed the society wedding of the year at, St Mark's church in Englefield, Berkshire. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday May 20, 2017. See PA story ROYAL Pippa. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

Mrs Evans, who also visited the church on Friday, noted the secretive atmosphere among the locals.

She told the Press Association: "We went to one of the villages nearby and they weren't excited. I don't know if they'll bother coming here.

"We wish the newlyweds all the best and let's hope that the weather stays nice for them."

Among the frenzied media babble stood royal fan Sandra Shaw, who arrived brightly dressed for the occasion in a neon-orange T-shirt and hat, and a Union Jack flag.

The 55-year-old, who drove from Warrington in Cheshire, said: "I didn't look at the mileage, but it took us three-and-a-half hours to get here.

"I'm excited to see the younger royals more than the older ones."

Ms Shaw said she was hoping to see Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who will star as a pageboy and bridesmaid, despite worries about their behaviour expressed by their mother, the Duchess of Cambridge.

Her sartorial choice was driven by the toddlers, who she hoped might wave as they spotted her standout outfit.
Spencer Matthews attended the wedding of his brother James to Pippa Middleton while Vogue hosted an event in Dublin

Spencer Matthews may have spent the afternoon in the company of royalty at the wedding of his brother James to Pippa Middleton, but his girlfriend, Vogue Williams, spent the day in Dublin thanks to the bride's 'no ring, no bring' rule.

The Irish reality star (31) hosted a 'Get Active' event in Dublin department store Arnotts this afternoon, offering her top health tips and showcasing her unique gym style.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Spencer Matthews, brother of the groom, greets Britain's Princes William and Harry outside the church ahead of the wedding of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews at St Mark's Church in Englefield Spencer Matthews (left), the brother of groom James Matthews, stands at the entrance of St Mark's Church in Englefield, ahead of his brother's wedding to Pippa Middleton / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Spencer Matthews, brother of the groom, greets Britain's Princes William and Harry outside the church ahead of the wedding of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews at St Mark's Church in Englefield

Spencer accompanied his older brother, hedge fund manager James Matthews, to the ceremony this morning in Englefield as he wed Pippa, the sister of the Duchess of Cambridge.

While Spencer dressed up in his formal wear, Vogue was in much more casual attire as she tweeted from the event this afternoon.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

"My office for the day," she tweeted, along with a picture in her stylish gymwear.

Bride Pippa enforced a 'no ring, no bring' rule earlier this year, ahead of her wedding to James, which meant that guests could only bring their partners if they were engaged or married.

The bride was said to have been wary of Spencer's mischievous personality ahead of the wedding, and is rumoured to have requested his best man's speech to be 'toned down'.

The sister of Kate Middleton married her love earlier today at St Mark's Church in Englefield, in front of 150 A-list guests. Although Prince Harry's girlfriend Meghan Markle did not attend the ceremony this morning, it is believed she will attend the reception this evening.

Expand Close Prince George (second right) leaves with other page boys and flower girls following the wedding of Pippa Middleton and her husband James Matthews at St Mark's church in Englefield, Berkshire. / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Prince George (second right) leaves with other page boys and flower girls following the wedding of Pippa Middleton and her husband James Matthews at St Mark's church in Englefield, Berkshire.

The couple exchanged vows at 11.30am at the pretty St. Mark's Church in Englefield, where niece and nephew Princess Charlotte and Prince George acted as flower girl and page boy.

Bride Pippa stunned in a bespoke Giles Deacon dress which she teamed with a Stephen Jones veil, a Maidenhair Fern tiara, and Manolo Blahnik ivory satin shoes.

Expand Close Pippa Middleton (R) and her new husband James Matthews leave St Mark's Church in Englefield, west of London, on May 20, 2017 following their wedding ceremony. / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Pippa Middleton (R) and her new husband James Matthews leave St Mark's Church in Englefield, west of London, on May 20, 2017 following their wedding ceremony.

Video of the Day

Among the guests packing into the small Berkshire church were Roger Federer and his wife Mirka, Price Harry and of course the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Pippa and James have spent the past week preparing for all eyes to be on them as they tied the knot in a ceremony on front of at least 100 guests - including two potential future British Kings - before they head to the Middleton family home for a Scottish-themed reception.
Iraqi forces are moving in on the last areas held by IS in Mosul

Two car bombs in Baghdad have killed 11 people, including four police officers, and wounded at least 20, Iraqi police said.

The first attack targeted a police checkpoint on Friday night. Moments later, the second blast hit a nearby street crowded with civilians.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but it bore the hallmarks of the Islamic State group.

The bombings come as Iraqi forces are slowly moving in on the last neighbourhoods held by the Islamic State group in Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city.

AP
President Donald Trump has landed in Saudi Arabia as he begins his first foreign visit since taking office.

Trump flew to Riyadh overnight on Air Force One to become the only American president to make Saudi Arabia, or any majority Muslim country, his first stop overseas.

Heres everything you need to know.

Whats the aim of the visit?

The visit is aimed at building stronger partnerships to combat terrorism in the region.

The scheduling choice is designed in part to show respect to the region after months of harsh anti-Muslim campaign rhetoric.

Trump will address the leaders of Arab and Muslim nations in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

What is he expected to say in his speech?

According to a draft of a speech obtained by AP, he will say: This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects or different civilisations.

This is a battle between those who seek to obliterate human life and those who seek to protect it, the text reads. This is a battle between good and evil.

The speech envisions new partnerships with Americas traditional allies in the Middle East. It noticeably refrains from mentioning democracy and human rights  topics Arab leaders often view as US moralising  in favour of the more limited goals of peace and stability.

The White House said this is not a final draft and it could change leading up to Sundays speech.

What has happened on the visit so far?

The president and First Lady Melania Trump waved as they stood at the top of stairs that had been rolled to the side of the official presidential aircraft after it landed.

Mr Trump was greeted by King Salman, they exchanged a handshake and the president said it was a great honour to be there before they attended a brief coffee ceremony.

The First Lady wore a black pantsuit with a golden belt and did not cover her head, consistent with custom for foreign dignitaries visiting Saudi Arabia.

Where is Trump visiting next?

The President will also travel to Israel, have an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican and attend the Nato summit in Brussels and the G7 meeting in Sicily.
From the Liberal Democrats controversial campaign poster to Ukip suspending a candidate, here is what happened on the General Election campaign trail on Saturday.

Whos had a good day?

Theresa May seized on an opportunity to claim that Labour cannot be trusted with the defence of the country.

After shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry suggested the party could withdraw its support after a post-election review of Britains defence needs, Jeremy Corbyn was forced to restate Labours commitment to Trident renewal.

The Prime Minister said: We have seen yet again from Jeremy Corbyns Labour Party today that a Labour government led by Jeremy Corbyn would not be unequivocally committed to the Trident nuclear deterrent.

They would not be able to defend this country.

Whos had a bad day?

Ukip has suspended one of its General Election candidates over a set of social media posts which prompted allegations of racism.

Paddy Singh will continue to be listed as Ukip candidate on the ballot paper for North Wiltshire in the June 8 election, but the party is withdrawing its endorsement of him.

Tweet of the day

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

Jeremy Corbyn shared an up-close selfie on Twitter with Rebecca Long-Bailey, Labour candidate for Salford and Eccles, and EastEnders actress Maddy Hill, who appealed to young people at onstage at Corbyns rally in Birmingham.

Picture of the day

Sir Vince Cable unveiled a campaign poster for the Liberal Democrats featuring Nigel Farages face superimposed onto the Prime Ministers head, during a General Election campaign visit at a rugby club in Twickenham.

Quote of the day

Comedian Eddie Izzard, who revealed his intention to become a Labour politician after speaking out in support of Jeremy Corbyn, said his vision of politics would get the whole world of seven billion people all having a fair chance.

What do the polls say?

According to Press Association polls, the Conservatives remain on 47%, while Labour have gained one percentage point, taking them up to 32%. The rest of the parties remain lagging behind.

Obscure election fact of the day

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

Theresa May has said in todays Times that she puts jam on scones before cream (the Cornish method)  as do 61% of Brits, according to YouGov.
Brazilians have staged demonstrations calling for the president to step down after the supreme court opened an investigation into allegations he endorsed the payment of hush money to a jailed former politician.

The accusations against President Michel Temer have plunged Latin America's largest nation into crisis yet again.

Its currency and stocks have plummeted and a series of reforms designed to pull the economy out of recession stalled.

It has been just a year since Mr Temer took over following the impeachment and removal of his predecessor, Dilma Rousseff.

Now, the calls are growing for him to be impeached or resign. The latest to join that chorus was Brazil's bar association, which voted late on Saturday to submit a request for Mr Temer's impeachment to Congress.

Unions, political parties and activists called for Brazilians to come out on Sunday to demand he step down, though protests in major cities were smaller than expected.

Hundreds of people huddled under umbrellas and building porticos to avoid the rain in Sao Paulo. Many said they have opposed Mr Temer since he took over from Ms Rousseff because they regard her impeachment as politically motivated and illegitimate.

On Sunday, they were protesting against his proposals to loosen labour laws and change the pension system as much as they were responding to the recent allegations.

"We're here to get Temer out of government because he is a coup-leader, because he is against teachers" and other workers, said Tatiana Camargos, a 41-year-old biology teacher.

In Rio de Janeiro, 150 people waved union flags on the boardwalk along Copacabana beach. They signed a giant banner with messages, such as "out with Temer" and "I want a better Brazil".

Another 100 people marched to the house of Rodrigo Maia, speaker of the lower house of Congress, to call for Mr Temer to be ousted and immediate elections.

He has defied calls to resign, saying a recording was doctored and denying any wrongdoing. The recording appears to have Mr Temer endorsing the payment of bribes to ex-House Speaker Eduardo Cunha in exchange for his silence.

Cunha is serving a sentence after a corruption conviction.

Mr Temer has asked the Supreme Federal Tribunal, Brazil's highest court, to suspend its investigation into him - something it is unlikely to do.

Attorney General Rodrigo Janot has accused him of corruption and obstruction of justice in the case before the court.

He said a preliminary analysis of the recording showed that the conversation was logical and coherent and its contents were consistent with the testimony of people cooperating with the prosecutor's office.

Some allied political parties have already withdrawn their support for Mr Temer and others are considering it.

The proposals to change the labour law and pension system have stalled in Congress amid the political turmoil, and many fear the country will remain in limbo for as long as he is in power.

AP
MASON CITY | Jim Collison will explain his theory on how First Congregational United Church of Christ in Mason City is directed tied to "The Music Man" during Sunday's service at the church.

Meredith Willson, who wrote the famous musical, attended First Congregational UCC while growing up in Mason City.

Mason City businessman, journalist and researcher Jim Collison has wondered where Willson got the idea for The Think System, which Professor Harold Hill employed in "the Music Man."

Collison thinks he has found the answer and it has a direct link to First Congregational UCC. He will explain it all in a message at the 10 a.m. service on Sunday.
Libya has descended into civil war since Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown

The death toll from a militia attack on a Libyan air base has increased to 141, including two civilians.

Colonel Ahmed Mosmary, a spokesman for forces loyal to an east-based parliament, said the number killed in Thursday's attack had increased from 60.

Mr Mosmary said the attack on Buraq al-Shati air base in southern Libya effectively ends the ceasefire brokered by the national unity government between militias and the forces commanded by army chief General Khalifa Hifter in the area.

Libya descended into chaos following the 2011 civil war that toppled and killed dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The oil-rich nation is now split between rival governments and militias.

AP
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wave as they board Air Force One prior to his departure on his first overseas trip (AP)

President Donald Trump has touched down in Saudi Arabia as he begins his first trip abroad since taking office.

The visit is aimed at building stronger partnerships to combat terrorism in the region. He is also hoping to move past the controversies engulfing his administration.

Mr Trump flew to Riyadh overnight on Air Force One to become the only American president to make Saudi Arabia, or any majority Muslim country, his first stop overseas.

The president and First Lady Melania Trump waved as they stood at the top of stairs that had been rolled to the side of the official presidential aircraft after it landed. Mr Trump was greeted by King Salman, they exchanged a handshake and Mr Trump said it was "a great honour" to be there.

White House chief of staff Reince Priebus told reporters on the plane that Mr Trump spent the flight meeting with staff, working on his upcoming speech to the Muslim world and getting a little sleep.

The scheduling choice is designed in part to show respect to the region after months of harsh anti-Muslim campaign rhetoric.

He will also travel to Israel, have an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican and attend the Nato summit in Brussels and the G7 meeting in Sicily.

Mr Trump will addresses the leaders of Arab and Muslim nations in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

According to a draft of a speech obtained by AP, he will say: "This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects or different civilizations.

"This is a battle between those who seek to obliterate human life and those who seek to protect it," the text reads. "This is a battle between good and evil."

The speech envisions new partnerships with America's traditional allies in the Middle East. It noticeably refrains from mentioning democracy and human rights - topics Arab leaders often view as US moralising - in favour of the more limited goals of peace and stability.

The White House said this is not a final draft and it could change leading up to Sunday's speech.
The FBI's Trump-Russia investigation has moved into the White House, according to reports that pursued the president as he began his maiden foreign trip, while former FBI director James Comey has agreed to testify before the Senate intelligence committee.

White House hopes that Donald Trump could leave scandalous allegations at home were crushed in a one-two punch of revelations that landed shortly after his departure.

A Washington Post report, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter, said a senior Trump adviser is now considered a "person of interest" in the law enforcement investigation into whether Mr Trump's campaign associates coordinated with Russia in an effort to sway the 2016 election.

And The New York Times reported the president had told Russian diplomats last week his firing of "nut job" James Comey had relieved "great pressure" on him. The White House has said the firing was unrelated to the FBI's Russia investigation.

Late on Friday, the Senate intelligence committee announced that Mr Comey had agreed to testify at an open hearing at an undetermined date after Memorial Day.

Mr Comey will certainly be asked about encounters that precipitated his firing, including a January dinner in which, Mr Comey has told associates, Mr Trump asked for his loyalty. In the Oval Office weeks later, Mr Comey told associates, the president asked him to shut down an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Mr Comey is known to produce memos documenting especially sensitive or unsettling encounters, such as after the February meeting.

The new headlines were a fresh indication that Mr Trump would not be able to change the subject from what appears to be an intensifying investigation reaching toward the president and his inner circle.

The White House repeated its assertion that a "thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity".

It did not deny the Times report that Mr Trump was critical of Mr Comey to the Russians the day after he fired him.

The Times reported Mr Trump noted the Russia investigation as he told Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak of his decision to fire Mr Comey.

"I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," the Times reported that Mr Trump said during the May 10 meeting. "I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off."

White House spokesman Sean Spicer called the president's rhetoric part of his deal-making.

"By grandstanding and politicising the investigation into Russia's actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia," Mr Spicer said.

"The investigation would have always continued, and obviously the termination of Comey would not have ended it. Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations."

AP
Voters fill in their ballots while voting for the presidential election at a polling station in Tehran, Iran (AP)

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has been re-elected by a wide margin, figures show.

The victory gives the moderate cleric a second four-year term to see out his agenda pushing for greater freedoms and outreach to the wider world.

The 68-year-old incumbent secured a commanding lead of 57% in a race that drew more than seven out of every 10 voters to the polls. His nearest rival in the four-man race, hard-liner Ebrahim Raisi, secured 38% of the vote.

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli announced the vote tallies in a televised news conference, based on a count of more than 99% of the ballots.

He said Mr Rouhani garnered 23.5 million votes out of 41.2 million ballots cast. Iran has 56.4 million eligible voters.

In 2013, Mr Rouhani won the presidential election with nearly 51% of the vote. Turnout for that vote was 73%.

Iran's president is the second-most powerful figure within Iran's political system. He is subordinate to the supreme leader, who is chosen by a clerical panel and has the ultimate say over all matters of state.

Election officials repeatedly extended voting hours until midnight to accommodate long queues of voters, some of whom said they waited hours to cast their ballots.

Analysts have said a higher turnout would likely benefit Mr Rouhani.

Friday's vote was largely a referendum on Mr Rouhani's more moderate policies, which paved the way for the landmark 2015 nuclear deal that won Iran relief from some sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme.

Mr Rouhani has come to embody more liberal and reform-minded Iranians' hopes for greater freedoms and openness at home, and better relations with the outside world.

Mr Raisi, his nearest challenger, is close to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, who stopped short of endorsing anyone in the election.

Mr Raisi ran a populist campaign, vowing to fight corruption and fix the economy while boosting welfare payments to the poor.

Many of Mr Raisi's critics pointed to his alleged role condemning inmates to death during Iran's 1988 mass execution of thousands of political prisoners, and feared a victory for the hard-liner could worsen human rights in Iran and put the country on a more confrontational path with the West.

The two other candidates left in the race, Mostafa Mirsalim, a former culture minister, and Mostafa Hashemitaba, a pro-reform figure who previously ran for president in 2001, respectively have 478,000 and 215,000 votes each.

AP
Parents of the kidnapped schoolgirls are being reunited with their children (AP)

The 82 Nigerian schoolgirls recently released after more than three years held hostage by Boko Haram are being reunited with their families for the first time.

Some of the dozens of families were seen on Saturday in the capital, Abuja, where the girls were taken by Nigerian authorities after their release early this month.

It was the largest liberation of hostages since 276 Chibok schoolgirls were abducted from their boarding school in 2014.

Five commanders from the extremist group were exchanged for the girls' freedom, and Nigeria's government has said it would make further exchanges to bring the 113 remaining schoolgirls home.

Many of the girls were forced to marry extremists and have had children. Some have been radicalised and have refused to return. It is feared that some have been used in suicide bombings.

The mass abduction in April 2014 brought international attention to Boko Haram's deadly insurgency in northern Nigeria, and it launched a global Bring Back Our Girls campaign that drew the backing of some celebrities, including former US first lady Michelle Obama.

Thousands have been kidnapped during the extremists' eight-year insurgency, and more than 20,000 have been killed.

The release of the 82 schoolgirls this month came after an initial group of 21 girls was released in October.

Nigeria's government has acknowledged negotiating with Boko Haram for their release, with mediation help from the Swiss government and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Since the latest release, many families in the remote Chibok community have been waiting for word on whether their daughters were among them. A government list of names circulated, and parents were asked to confirm the freed girls' identities through photos.

Both groups of freed girls have been in government care in the capital as part of a nine-month reintegration programme that President Muhammadu Buhari has said he will oversee personally.

But human rights groups have criticised the government for keeping the young women so long in the capital, far from their homes.

AP
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk with Saudi King Salman to a coffee ceremony and presentation ceremony of The Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal at the Royal Court Palace (AP)

US First Lady Melania Trump chats with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz al-Saud at a ceremony where US President Donald Trump received the Order of Abdulaziz al-Saud medal from Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh on May 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump step off Air Force One upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on May 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Melania Trump has raised eyebrows after arriving in Saudi Arabia without a headscarf, two years after her husband criticised then-first lady Michelle Obama for not wearing one in the Muslim country.

Accompanying her husband on his first international trip, Mrs Trump stepped off Air Force One conservatively dressed in long sleeves and trousers to conform to the strict dress code that Saudi Arabia enforces for its female citizens.

But one thing was missing from her black and gold-belted ensemble - a head scarf.

Instead, Mrs Trump's below-the-shoulder brown hair blew freely in the breeze at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

Expand Close US First Lady Melania Trump chats with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz al-Saud at a ceremony where US President Donald Trump received the Order of Abdulaziz al-Saud medal from Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh on May 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp US First Lady Melania Trump chats with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz al-Saud at a ceremony where US President Donald Trump received the Order of Abdulaziz al-Saud medal from Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh on May 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Under the kingdom's strict dress code for women, Saudi women and most female visitors are required to wear a loose, black robe, known as an abaya, in public. Most women in Saudi Arabia also cover their hair and face with a veil known as the niqab.

But covering one's head is not required for foreigners, and some Western women choose to forgo the headscarf. Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel both shunned head coverings during earlier visits.

Mrs Obama did not cover her head when she accompanied then-president Barack Obama on a condolence visit in January 2015 after the death of King Abdullah.

And during her time as first lady, Laura Bush generally went without covering her head, though she once briefly donned a head scarf she received as a gift. Hillary Clinton also did not cover her head on visits to Saudi Arabia.

Expand Close President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk with Saudi King Salman to a coffee ceremony and presentation ceremony of The Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal at the Royal Court Palace (AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk with Saudi King Salman to a coffee ceremony and presentation ceremony of The Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal at the Royal Court Palace (AP)

Nonetheless, Mr Trump, whose long trail of Twitter messages often comes back to haunt him, tweeted his displeasure over Mrs Obama's decision to appear bare-headed in 2015.

"Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted. We have enuf enemies," he tweeted.

Mr Trump's daughter Ivanka, a senior White House adviser who is accompanying her father, also did not cover her head.

AP
With Iowas head-spinning 87th general assembly behind us, many citizens havent grasped the full impact of Republican governor Branstad approved laws, our economic condition and lobbyists guided GOP agenda.

For starters, on July 1, 2016, the beginning of Iowas fiscal year 2017, Iowas treasury boasted a $928 million surplus. The legislature adjourned on April 22 with a $130 million deficit; $1.058 billion negative turnaround. The deficit is compounded knowing Iowa will lose federal funding and matching funds for many state agencies.

Its important to remember GOPs Terry Branstad and Kim Reynolds 2010 pre-election promise of increasing family incomes by 25 percent and creating more than 200,000 new jobs by 2015. Neither promise has come even close to fruition but could have been aided if the Republican controlled House and Senate would have focused on strengthening K-12 public schools and building Iowas skilled workforce.

A significant legislature miscue was in continuing to give $611 million annually as corporate tax breaks. Iowas 38 tax credit entitlement programs have slowed our economic prowess and put us further in debt. A plethora of studies conducted by various institutes have found corporate incentives are of little long-term job creation or economic value.

Underfunding K-12 schools, eliminating successful family planning programs resulting in a consequential $3 million loss of federal funds, reducing Resource Enhancement and Protection Program funding, stripping $30 million from ISU, UNI and UI, closing ISUs Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, reducing funding for child care assistance, altering Iowas heralded 3-tier alcohol distribution system to benefit one convenience store, cutting job training and for Iowans with disabilities and stopping Iowas art in public building programs were just a few of the poorly thought out actions of our GOP-controlled legislature.

Other GOP-driven mistakes orchestrated by lobbyists include limiting 184,000 Iowans in the public sectors collective bargaining contract negotiations to wages only, freezing Iowas minimum wage to $7.25 and nullifying cities and counties to act otherwise, cutting workers compensation benefits for injured workers, requiring one of five forms of government-issued I.D. to vote that will discriminate against minorities, elderly and disabled, approving Wild West stand-your-ground and children usage gun rights, banning post-20 week abortions even in the case of pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, funding block to Planned Parenthood despite 77 percent of Iowans supporting the health care service and limiting lawsuits for livestock producer nuisance, environmental hazards and medical malpractice.

There were at least seven missed opportunities from the 87th General Assembly:

 Ensuring equal pay for equal work

 Passing any legislation to address the states pathetic water quality problem

 Putting a stop to Iowas $4.2 billion Medicaid privatization mess that has forced health care businesses to close due to non- or delayed-payment by insurance firms and placing in jeopardy the health care of 568,000 poor or elderly Iowans

 Increasing instead of cutting inspections of nursing homes

 Increasing instead of cutting $8 million for Department of Human Services field operations who protect children and seniors from abuse

 Offering financial incentives for school districts to share administrative functions and improve efficiencies-of-scale

 Offering financial incentives to expand Iowas preschool offerings assures a $4 economic payoff for every $1 invested

Expressing my thoughts on Iowas legislature endeavors is one thing. Your thoughts are just as important.

Be proactive and let your elected state representative and senator know what initiatives you approve, which actions you hold in disdain and what issues they ignored.

This is your government. Elected officials work for you. Make them accountable and if you disagree with their decisions, remember at the next election you can give them an opportunity to find work elsewhere.
Donald Trump told Russian officials during an Oval Office meeting that firing former FBI Director James Comey eased pressure caused by an investigation into Russia's influence in the 2016 campaign, the New York Times reports.

"I just fired the head of the FBI He was crazy, a real nut job," Mr Trump said, according to a document detailing the Russian visit. "I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off."

The President also reiterated that he was not personally under investigation.

The document, which was read to the New York Times by sources in the White House, is the latest evidence that Mr Trump fired Mr Comey at least in part because of an ongoing investigation into possible collusion between his campaign and Russian officials.

He had previously admitted that the investigation was part of the reasoning for the decision.

The White House did not dispute the account portrayed, and instead said that the FBI investigation had put unnecessary pressure on the President's ability to conduct diplomacy with Russia.

"By grandstanding and politicising the investigation into Russias actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said. "The investigation would have always continued, and obviously, the termination of Comey would not have ended it. Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations."

Read More

Meanwhile, on Friday evening the Senate Intelligence Committee confirmed that Mr Comey would testify in 'open session' about the investigation into possible links between the Trump team and Russian officials.

Mr Comey's ouster followed requests from the President that he stop an investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who was forced to resign for misrepresenting a conversation he had with Russian officials to Vice President Mike Pence. It was later discovered that the Trump administration knew about Mr Flynn's connections to Russia - which also include payments for a speech to the Russian state supported news organisation RT - even before bringing him into the White House. Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates had also warned the White House that Mr Flynn was potentially vulnerable to Russian extortion nearly three weeks before he stepped down.

Close aides and advisors to Mr Trump have been under scrutiny for having contact with Russians during the campaign and during the presidential transition period. The United States government officially announced last year that Russia had meddled in the 2016 election.
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump step off Air Force One upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on May 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Donald Trump (C-L) and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (C-R) stop for coffee, in the presence of First Lady Melania Trump (2nd-R), in the terminal of King Khalid International Airport following Trump's arrival in Riyadh on May 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Donald Trump is welcomed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on May 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, the first stop on his maiden international trip since taking office in January.

Top regional ally Saudi Arabia has said the trip will conclude political and commercial agreements and will help bolster the joint fight against Islamist militants.

Saudi and pan-Arab news channels showed Air Force One on the tarmac in Riyadh in front of a red carpet flanked by Saudi soldiers.

The White House hopes the trip will shift focus away from domestic controversies and on to his foreign policy agenda.

Expand Close US President Donald Trump (C-L) and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (C-R) stop for coffee, in the presence of First Lady Melania Trump (2nd-R), in the terminal of King Khalid International Airport following Trump's arrival in Riyadh on May 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp US President Donald Trump (C-L) and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (C-R) stop for coffee, in the presence of First Lady Melania Trump (2nd-R), in the terminal of King Khalid International Airport following Trump's arrival in Riyadh on May 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia has been enthusiastic about Trump's presidency after seeing his predecessor Barack Obama as too soft on its arch regional foe Iran and cool towards Washington's bilateral relationship with Riyadh, a mainstay of the Middle East's security balance.

Trump will make stops next week in Israel, Belgium and Italy. The trip has been billed as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world's major religions while including meetings with Arab, Israeli and European leaders.
Former US Congressman Anthony Weiner wept yesterday as he pleaded guilty to sending sexually explicit messages to a teenage girl, ending an investigation into a "sexting" scandal that played a role in last year's US presidential election.

"I have a sickness, but I do not have an excuse," a tearful Weiner said, apologising to the 15-year-old girl to whom he sent sexually explicit images and messages last year.

The charge of transferring obscene material to a minor carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, but Weiner is likely to get less. As part of his plea agreement before US District Judge Loretta Preska in New York City, federal prosecutors said they would consider a term between 21 months and 27 months "fair and appropriate".

Weiner will be sentenced on September 8.

The former Democratic congressman's political career imploded after a series of scandals involving inappropriate sexual exchanges with women online.

The probe into his exchanges with the teenage girl, however, also helped upend the final days of the 2016 US presidential campaign.

Federal agents who had seized Weiner's laptop discovered a batch of emails from Huma Abedin, a senior aide to Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee for president in 2016.

As a result, James Comey, then the director of the FBI, announced in late October that the agency was reviewing the messages to determine whether to reopen its investigation into Mrs Clinton's handling of official correspondence.

Mrs Clinton, who was leading in national polls at the time, has blamed her loss to Republican Donald Trump in part on Mr Comey's announcement, even though he said two days before the election in November that the review had uncovered no new evidence.

Hours after the court hearing, Ms Abedin filed for divorce, the 'New York Post' reported.

She had announced her separation from Weiner last summer after a new round of explicit messages emerged that included an image of Weiner's crotch as he lay in bed with their young son.
Known for being a part of films like 'Goliyon Ki Raasleela: Ram-leela' and 'M.S Dhoni: The Untold Story', actor Ashrut Jain is all set for his next feature film 'An Indian Dream' which is based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Clean India' Campaign.

Ashrut is now heading towards France to attend the International Cannes Film Festival. As per sources, the actor who is already busy with a feature film will also shoot for a short film in France itself.

Ashrut had garnered praises for his performance in his last film 'M.S Dhoni: The Untold Story'.








New Delhi, May 20 (IBNS): Central Assistance for Border Area Development Programmes (BADP) has been enhanced from Rupees 990 Crore in 2016-17 to Rs. 1,100 Crore in the current financial year, the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said this while chairing the review meeting of Chief Ministers bordering with China, in Gangtok today.

He said that the Indo-China border is undemarcated, extremely cold with very difficult terrain and thus it is more important that impetus should be given to boost up infrastructure and peace in the border areas.

The Home Minister praised the work of ITBP and said that the Centre was doing everything feasible for their smooth functioning in overcoming challenges.

He stressed upon the development of model villages in the border areas and said that innovative and concrete proposals are welcome.

Implementation of Border Areas Development Programme (BADP) projects and construction of border infrastructures are being taken up with high priority, he added.

The Chief Minister of Sikkim, Pawan Kumar Chamling said that the army, paramilitary and the Government of Sikkim are implementing a number of schemes under the BADP which are designed to meet the special developmental needs of the people living in remote and inaccessible border areas.

The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Trivendra Singh Rawat and Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu also briefed the Union Minister on the issues related to development.

Issues concerning border infrastructure including border roads, Border Out Posts, critical infrastructure and coordination between the concerned States and ITBP stationed in states were some of the main issues deliberated upon in the meeting.

The states of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh were represented by Senior Officers.

Earlier, Secretary, Department of Border Management, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Sanjeevanee Kutty presented the broad agenda of the meeting and apprised about the various programmes and initiatives being taken for development of infrastructure and other facilities for the security personnel and the population living in border areas.

Likewise, a brief presentation was made by the Director General, ITBP, Krishna Chaudhary.

Chief Secretary, Government of Sikkim,A.K. Shrivastava gave the vote of thanks where he thanked the Union Minister for sparing his valuable time and visiting the beautiful state.

He also thanked the various dignitaries of different states for attending the meeting of this kind which had happened for the very first time.

Later, addressing a press conference, Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh expressed pleasure that such a review meeting concerning infrastructure and other issues in Indo-China Border states was held for the first time.

He appreciated the participation and inputs provided by the Chief Ministers of Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim and officials from the states of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

He put on record his appreciation for the contribution of Sikkim as the host state fort the meeting.

The Home Minister briefed the media about the various developmental projects being implemented by the MHA in the Border States.

He also shared information regarding some of the projects and proposals in the pipeline.

Rajnath Singh stated that along with the border security forces, equal impetus should be given for the upliftment of civilian people living in these border areas.

He stated that these people are the strategic assets of the country and their basic needs should be addressed. He added that the State Government of the Indo-China Border states have been requested to look into these issues.

Likewise, Shri Rajnath Singh informed that the MHA is focusing on modern villages, and stated that in the last financial year, 41 model villages were created for which a financial allocation of Rs. 92 Crore was made.

He further urged the State Governments to submit maximum proposals for model villages to the Central Government.

He further added that the issues concerning border areas are to be jointly addressed by the State and the Central Government in a coordinated way.

He stated that any hindrances like land acquisitions, forest clearances and allocation of quarries should be sorted out diligently and in a time bound manner by the State Government with support from the Central Government.

Earlier, the Home Minister visited Nathula Pass and addressed a Sainik Sabha during his visit to the ITBP Border Out Post (BOP) Sherathang near Nathu La.

Rajnath Singh also laid the foundation stone of various ITBP projects in Gangtok.

On Friday, upon his arrival on a 3-day visit to Sikkim, the Union Home Minister met the Governor Shri Shriniwas Patil and held talks with the Chief Minister Shri Pawan Kumar Chamling.
New York, May 19(Just Earth News): Though Bosnia and Herzegovina has continued its efforts towards membership in the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), negative incidents could still derail the country from the path of peace and stability, a senior diplomat told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday.

As we enter the third decade of peace implementation, it cannot be assumed that Bosnia and Herzegovina is on a glide path to a peaceful, viable State irreversibly on course for European integration, said High Representative Valentin Inzko during a briefing on the situation in the country.

The Office of the High Representative was created in 1995 to oversee the Dayton Peace Agreement signed by the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia that formally ended the 1992-1995 Bosnian war.

We need to be mindful of the fact that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a complex political and security environment, where negative scenarios can quickly endanger the Dayton Peace Agreement and the progress achieved after Dayton, Inzko told the 15-member body, stressing the need for the international community to retain all the instruments at hand.

In this regard, he supported the EU military forces presence on the ground with an executive mandate and its extension, an issue to be considered by the UN Security Council in November.

The EU military force is a relatively inexpensive but necessary investment in peace and stability in the Balkans, he said, as it provides an essential baseline of physical and psychological security that supports the EU, his Office and other international organizations.

Regarding the Euro-Atlantic integration, Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities formally received the EU Questionnaire in December and the adaptation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU took place in the same month.

Equally encouraging was the consensus and forward-looking pragmatism demonstrated by the countrys Presidency in adopting the so-called Defense Review of military forces last November, one of the requirements to participate in the NATO Membership Action Plan.

At the regional level, bilateral cooperation and overall reconciliation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia has continued to improve, he noted.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, however, faced some significant challenges over the last six months, including the controversy between Bosniak political representatives and Serb political parties over whether the country should submit a request for revision of the International Criminal Courts 2007 judgment in the genocide case of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia vs. Serbia.

In another negative development, Croat politicians have intensified calls for the federalization, which was understood by some to imply the further ethnic division of the country into three to four federal units, one of which would have a Croat majority.

Further, the situation with regard to rule of law continued to deteriorate, with corruption a serious problem.

These will require continued attention and commitment from the international community, he said.

UN Photo/Manuel Elias

Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, May 20(Just Earth News): In the wake of the heavy rains, floods and landslides that hit Peru earlier this year, the United Nations agriculture agency said on Friday that it is working with the Government to assist some 7,000 mostly small-scale farmers to restore their capacity to produce crops and feed their families.

Citing preliminary estimates, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) said that adverse conditions caused by the coastal El Nino phenomenon from January to March had affected about 445,000 people in Perus worst-hit northern coastal areas  59 per cent of affected households.

According to Peru's Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, more than 60,000 hectares of crops have been severely or partially affected and 18,000 hectares were left completely unusable, FAO reported.

To address the situation, the Government approved the Agrarian Reactivation Plan with an investment of $76 million. FAO seeks to complement this by requesting some $3.1 million from the international community to support activities aimed at restoring family agriculture in the remote areas of Piura, Lambayeque and La Libertad.

The FAO recovery project will provide the necessary inputs to establish orchards, recover irrigation infrastructure and provide technical assistance in animal health, the UN agency explained.

FAO stated that these activities will be implemented directly, with affected farmers receiving cash-for-work transfers for household income generation, access to food and mitigating migration to cities.

In Piura, Lambayeque and La Libertad, FAO will support the rehabilitation of local supply markets, to ensure that farmers and fisher folk can quickly reinsert themselves into these marketing channels so that they obtain direct sources of income, the agency added.

As climate disasters are the emergencies that most impact food security and agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean, FAO is calling on the international community to support the recovery of the livelihoods of the affected farmers and farmers, coordinated with the national government and subnational governments.

According to FAO, addressing these challenges requires adequate risk governance, early warning and monitoring systems, implementation of good practices and risk prevention and mitigation technologies in the agricultural sector, to ensure a rapid response focused on saving lives and livelihoods.

FAO, together with the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), is supporting countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to develop a Regional Strategy for Disaster Risk Management in the agricultural sector and food and nutritional security, in response to a request by the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.

Photo: UNICEF/Jose Vilca

Source: www.justearthnews.com
Kabul, May 20 (IBNS) : A senior commander of the Taliban group has been killed along with six other militants in eastern Laghman province of Afghanistan.

Quoting local government officials Khaama Press said the senior Taliban commander killed during the operation has been identified as Faqir Mohammad Khairkhwa who was killed during an operation on Friday.

The officials further added that another Taliban militant was also critically wounded during the operation.

The militants suffered the casualties during the Silab-5 operations being conducted in the restive parts of Laghman province, the officials said, adding that the Afghan security forces did not suffer any casualties during the operations.




Prevent Unauthorized Transactions in your demat / trading account Update your Mobile Number/ email Id with your stock broker / Depository Participant. Receive information of your transactions directly from Exchanges on your mobile / email at the end of day and alerts on your registered mobile for all debits and other important transactions in your demat account directly from NSDL/ CDSL on the same day." - Issued in the interest of investors.

KYC is one time exercise while dealing in securities markets - once KYC is done through a SEBI registered intermediary (broker, DP, Mutual Fund etc.), you need not undergo the same process again when you approach another intermediary.

No need to issue cheques by investors while subscribing to IPO. Just write the bank account number and sign in the application form to authorise your bank to make payment in case of allotment. No worries for refund as the money remains in investor's account."

www.indiainfoline.com is part of the IIFL Group, a leading financial services player and a diversified NBFC. The site provides comprehensive and real time information on Indian corporates, sectors, financial markets and economy. On the site we feature industry and political leaders, entrepreneurs, and trend setters. The research, personal finance and market tutorial sections are widely followed by students, academia, corporates and investors among others.
What happens when a subject of a painting tragically dies? Well, even though the painting remains unfinished, it creates history because of the circumstances in which it was half- made. Many times, a famous painting remained unfinished due to the artists vanity and sometimes being too perfect also came in between the artworks completion.

Here are 11 such intriguing unfinished paintings and the interesting stories behind them.

1. Treaty of Paris  Benjamin West

Sean Munger

The famous Benjamin West painting remained unfinished because the British delegates refused to be painted! After the American Revolution, the US founding members assembled in Paris for peace talks with the French, Spanish, Dutch, and British. During this time, famous painter Benjamin West was hired to paint the historic moment, however the British refused to get painted because they were too embarrassed of their defeat. Thus, the painting has blank space because the British delegates were supposed to be there.

2. The Entombment  Michelangelo

Wikipedia

There is a mystery around why Michelangelo left this painting unfinished. The Entombment is a painting showing Jesus body being carried after his crucifixion. It is said that Saint Agostino Church commissioned Michelangelo to make the painting, however he sent back the money he was given and he never spoke about the painting, even in his notes.

3. Oscar Pistorius  Natalie Holland

PA Real Life

The Paralympian had won six gold medals at the 2012 Paralympics, and to celebrate the feat, a Russian-born artist Natalie Holland was asked to paint various portraits of Pistorius. As she was about to finish the third portrait, Oscar was sentenced to jail for murdering his girlfriend. Due to the controversy, the picture remains incomplete.

4. Adoration of Magi  Leonardo Da Vinci

Italian Renaissance Art

The genius left an unfinished painting of the Adoration of Magi, which was later repainted by Filippino Lippi. Leonardo Da Vinci took years to complete a piece of art, because he believed that quality takes time. The same happened when he was commissioned by Augustinian monks to paint the Adoration of the Magi, displaying the Three Wise Mens arrival to meet Jesus. But during the same time, he was commissioned to make The Last Supper and thus he left the Adoration of Magi unfinished and left for Florence.

5. James Hunter Black Draftee  Alice Neel

COMMA Foundation

American portrait artist Alice Neel used to invite random strangers to pose for her. A gentleman named James Hunter Black accepted the invitation and posed for the painting. In the first seating, Neel finished drawing most of his face and an outline of the body. However, Black disappeared during the second seating, leaving the painting unfinished.

6. Turning Road  Paul Cezanne

art and architecture

Sometimes an artist thinks that a wrong brushstroke would ruin the painting, and thus they leave the canvas without finishing the painting. Same happened with Paul Cezanne's 'Turning Road and heleft some sections of the painting bare. Some speculate that his eyesight betrayed him, whereas others say that he didnt wanted to spoil the painting and wanted to go by the less is more ideology.

7. Unfinished portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt  Elizabeth Shoumatoff

wikipedia

Elizabeth Shoumatoff never imagined even in her dreams that a subject would die while she was painting them. It was Franklin D. Roosevelt, USAs 32nd President who collapsed while Shoumatoff was painting him. Roosevelt got a stroke and died the same day. The Unfinished Portrait hangs at Roosevelt's retreat, the Little White House, in Warm Springs, Georgia.

8. Portrait Of George Washington  Gilbert Stuart

Wikipedia

Renowned portrait artist Gilbert Stuart who has painted over 1,000 people has an unfinished portrait of George Washington to his name. Stuart had made a portrait of Washington which was a success, however it was the second portrait which he could not finish. Washingtons wife had commissioned Stuart for a second portrait. However, he couldnt finish it. The unfinished portrait later was used on a one-dollar note.

9. Madonna With The Long Neck  Parmigianino

Wikipedia

The Italian Renaissance painter, Parmigianino was commissioned to paint a portrait of Mary and Jesus. Known as a perfectionist, he was so much into making the painting perfect that he did not notice the unfinished sky and floating feet in this painting.

10. Victory Boogie-Woogie - Piet Mondrian

allart

The unfinished, abstract painting named Victory Boogie-Woogie by Dutch painter Piet Mondrian went for $40 million in 1998! It was due to Mondrians unfortunate death from pneumonia in 1944 that the painting remained unfinished.

11. The Death of Marat - Jacques-Louis David

bc.edu

One of the most famous paintings during the French revolution, The Death of Marat is the painting of Jean-Paul Marat, a revolutionary leader who was murdered brutally. Painter Jacques-Louis David painted Marat leaving the background unfinished. It is said that it was a deliberate move by the painter and that the incompleteness of the painting was depicted to show the incompleteness of Marats life.
Heaven and Hell - the two afterlife abodes waiting for us once we pass over. Will we be welcomed by haloed angels into the house of all that's good or be thrust into the cage that awaits us in the fiery depths of this universe?

Only time will decide. But will it?

While some claim heaven can be found on the earth, others are more than convinced that accessible gateways to hell actually exist! Throughout the chapters of history, one can find tales of legends that prove this even more strongly. Come, let's course through these.

1. The Mayan Cenotes

aquaworld

The word 'cenote' is the translation of the Mayan word 'tz'onot' which means 'sacred well'. The Mayan Cenotes are the underlying waterways flowing across Central American and Mexico that were formed by corrosion of limestone rock by subterranean water. People believe that the cave is a gateway to the Mayan underworld called Xibalba.

Cenotes were used by the Mayans to make sacrificial offerings. Anyone who was suspected of witchcraft was thrown into the dark abyss of this place. One of the most recent discoveries made here was that of an 18-year-old 'Crystal Maiden' who was believed to have been sacrificed in a ritual to pacify the gods of the underworld.

2. The Masaya Volcano

wikimedia commons

While the natives took the volcano to be an abode of a siren - who also doubled as a God - the Spanish travellers did indeed conclude that the volcano led to hell. In 1529, people held the opinion that the volcano was active with demonic activities when a priest named Francisco de Bobadilla actually hiked up to the 'hell mouth' of this portal to rid it of whatever monster it housed.

3. St Patrick's Purgatory

the irish times

Situated in Lough Derg, St Patrick's Purgatory was founded in the 15th century. The legend says that when it was visited by St Patrick, he was tormented by Jesus's visions of the torture he had experienced on the island. St Patrick was sent on a trail to a cave that housed a portal to purgatory. The saint saw a barrage of visions where he witnessed souls being punished before being led to heaven and hell.

The monastery, which is located on Station Island, became a rage among Catholic pilgrims who would throng here to pray and fast before shutting themselves in the cave for a full day. The monastery was eventually shut down in 1632 but today, a three-day pilgrimage is still being allowed.

4. The Acheron

makemytrip

Also known as the 'River of Woe', the Acheron is a river coursing through northwest Greece. Ancient Greeks believed that there were not one but several entrances to Hades and Necromanteion of Ephyra on the Acheron was one of those.

In Greco-Roman mythology, there are many references to the river especially in Homer's Odyssey and Dante's Inferno. Souls would be left on the banks of the Acheron forever for being indecisive about which afterlife to choose.

5. Mount Hekla

nature world news

Located in the southern mountains of Iceland, Mount Hekla has been known to hold the door to hell. In the 12th century, numerous accounts of predatory birds hovering over mount Hekla were recorded and first published in a book called 'Flatey Book Annal'.

It was claimed that these birds were nothing else than the souls of the damned themselves. In another poem, Hekla has also been described as the "eternal prison of Judas" after his betrayal of Jesus.

6. Fengdu Ghost City

getty images

The inferno in Chinese mythology is known as 'naraka'. The Fengdu City of Ghosts is lined with sculptures of demons, ghosts, and other mythical creatures that reside in the underbelly, waiting to punish the bad. They stand tall and ready to pronounce their judgment.

In fact, the legend states that the dead have to cross the Bridges of Helplessness to receive their judgment. After this, they have to face the Mirror of Retribution before being reincarnated. Others still have to go through torture before they can reach the final stage, the Wheel of Birth.

7. Houska Castle

Tres Bohemes

Houska Castle in the Czech Republic is believed to have been built on a pit that leads straight to hell. The castle has no kitchen, no water, and no humans as its sole purpose was to keep the unknown monster caged and not make the castle inhabitable.

According to legend, in the 13th century, King Ottokar II wished to inquire about the inhabitants of the pit below. He announced to pardon any prisoner who would agree to go underground to find the secrets it held. As soon as the first volunteer went in, his murderous screams had him pulled back up. The prisoner's hair had turned white and he could scarcely talk. Since then, the King took some obnoxious creature to be the inhabitant of the inferno.

Pray tell, would you be ready to visit these places and believe the truth that makes them so sinister?
A 23-year-old law student from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram has told the police that she chopped off the genitals of a self-styled godman who had been sexually abusing her for years.

AFP/ Representational Image

The victim told police on Friday night that she acted in self-defence after the godman tried to rape her. The 54-year-old godman, identified as identified as Swamy Ganeshananda, an inhabitant of the Panmana Ashram has been admitted in Thiruvananthapuram Medical College hospital in a critical condition.

Doctors who conducted an emergency surgery on him said the gentiles cannot be surgically reattached.

ANI

The godman, in an effort to cover up his crime, reportedly told the police that he himself cut off his organs and that he wasn't attacked by anyone. The cops who have shifted the victim to a shelter home isn't buying his version of the story.

PTI/ File

Local media quoting police reported that in her statement the victim said the godman had been sexually abusing her since she was 16 years old. On Friday night she had kept a knife ready in her room, which she used to attack the godman when he tried to rape her.

What is even more shocking is that the mother of the victim was aware of what was happening and it is alleged that she was in some kind of relationship with the godman who was a regular at their home for poojas after the girl's father became paralysed some years ago.

The mother has also been taken into custody by the police for questioning.

Meanwhile, the Panmana Ashram which the swami claims to a part of has distanced itself from the godman. In a statement, the Ashram said the accused had studied there fifteen years ago and had left after completing his studies.
The four-day (May 14-17, 2017) visit to New Delhi of President Mahmoud Abbas comes at a crucial time. This is his fifth visit to India but the first since May 2014 when Prime Minister Modi came to power.

afp

The two leaders had, however, met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September 2015. A month later, President Pranab Mukherjee visited Palestine during his three-nation Middle East tour.

That was followed by the visit of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Ramallah in January 2016. During these visits, both Mukherjee and Swaraj reinforced Indias commitment to the Palestinian cause and reiterated support for the nation-building process in Palestine. During her visit, Swaraj also inaugurated the Palestinian Digital Learning and Innovation Centre built with Indian support.

Historically, India has maintained steadfast support for Palestine and has continued to extend political, diplomatic and developmental support. In his press statement during Abbasvisit, Modi said, India has been unwavering in its support of the Palestinian cause. And, we hope to see the realisation of a sovereign, independent, united and viable Palestine, coexisting peacefully with Israel.

Earlier, during his October 2015 visit, President Mukherjee had said: India would like to see the people of Palestine living within secure and recognised borders, side by side and at peace with Israel, as endorsed in the Arab Peace Initiative, the Quartet road map and relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions.

ap

Over the years, however, the Indian position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has evolved. Earlier, Indias solidarity with the Palestinian struggle was stronger to the extent that for more than four decades it refused to have formal diplomatic ties with Israel. But post-Cold War geopolitical shifts compelled India to chart a new foreign policy course leading to the establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992.

Since then, India has maintained a balance between furthering bilateral relations with Israel and expressing solidarity with Palestine.

India and Israel share strong bilateral relations with robust security and defence ties, counter terrorism cooperation and growing collaboration in other fields including agriculture, IT and environment. Cultural contacts, educational exchanges and business ties have also grown significantly in recent years.

ap

The growing warmth between India and Israel was on display when President Reuven Rivlin visited India in November 2016.Rivlin was not only accompanied by a large government and business delegation, but he also stayed in India for a week during which he visited the Centre of Excellence in Agriculture in Karnal, Haryana and the Aqwise water treatment plant in Agra, both set up and run with Israeli support.

Also Read: Why India Cant Hide Its Love For Israel Anymore

He also jointly inaugurated the Agro Tech 2016 in Chandigarh with President Mukherjee. Further, India signed contracts worth USD 1.4 billion with Israel Aerospace Industries to purchase two Phalcon/IL-76 AWACS and 10 Heron TP UAVs.

ap

Critics have argued that Indias growing relations with Israel dilutes its commitment to the Palestinian cause. However, the fact remains that flourishing ties with Israel has not changed Indias stance on the conflict and it continues to support the realisation of a sovereign and the independent state of Palestine. Nonetheless, it has also become sensitive to Israeli security concerns.

Hence, India is at times seen as a suitable international interlocutor to facilitate negotiations. The Palestinian side has on many occasions urged India to be more active along with other international players to facilitate Israel-Palestine negotiations. For example, in an interview to The Hindu on May 16, Abbas said: In the case of India, we have always mentioned that we want India to be involved, besides Arab countries, EU, Russia and other members of BRICS. New Delhi has, however, so far kept away from any active involvement in the peace process.

Global efforts to resume the peace talks have come to a nought due to various factors, the most important being the lack of political will on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides. The lack of a credible mediator has also been a major roadblock for the resumption of talks.

ap

President Trump, like his predecessors, is trying hard to bring Israel and Palestine to the negotiating table. He has chosen to visit Saudi Arabia and Israel for his first foreign tour, which was preceded by several high-level meetings with regional leaders in Washington including with King Abdulla II of Jordan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Abbas.

Of late, countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and UAE have initiated backroom efforts to resume talks and the Trump administration has shown a keen interest in the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian talks. In the wake of the planned Trump tour to the Middle East, a Wall Street Journal report noted that the Arab Gulf states have offered to take concrete steps to establish better relations with Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will make a significant overture aimed at restarting the Middle East peace process.

ap

The timing of Abbass visit to India is significant at many levels; most importantly because Modi is all set to undertake a maiden visit to Israel in July. Since it will be the first ever visit by an Indian prime minister to Israel and will not be accompanied by a customary visit to Palestine, pundits believe that Abbass visit is a balancing act. However, there is more to the visit than just maintaining a balanced relationship with Israel and Palestine.

afp

India has been reinvigorating its policy towards the Middle East and has been keen to engage with the wider region, going beyond the core area of its interestthe Persian Gulf. Modi has visited major countries of the region including Saudi Arabia, UAE and Iran, while Swaraj has undertaken a number of visits including to Israel-Palestine, Iran, Egypt and some GCC countries. In addition, President Mukherjee also visited Israel, Palestine and Jordan in October 2015.

India has also engaged with Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and countries in North Africa through visits by Minister of State for external affairs M. J. Akbar and Vice President Hamid Ansari. The flurry of engagements shows that the Middle East is a priority for Prime Minister Modi.

Given that India has friendly relations with all countries in the region, has good ties with both Israel and Palestine and vital stakes in the Middle East, it can use diplomatic channels to emphasize to all stakeholders the need for the resumption of the peace process.

ap

Though a challenging and arduous task, the changing geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East and Indiasown growing interests make it difficult for India to remain indifferent. India might not be keen on undertaking a larger role in the peace process but its friendly relations with major stakeholders and major Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt can help it to facilitate the resumption of talks.

There are indications that the Modi government is rethinking New Delhis hands-off approach toward the Middle East peace process. For example, India sent the prime ministers special envoy on counter-terrorism, Asif Ibrahim, to the Paris Peace Conference in January 2017, underlining its preference for the resumption of the peace process and indicating its willingness for involvement.

ap

Though this was not the first time that India was part of such an international effort, it is the changed circumstance of continued stalemate, rising tensions and growing instability in the region that make Indias participation notable. India has in the past participated in peace conferences such as the Madrid conference of 1991 and the Annapolis conference of 2007, but has not been actively involved in international efforts for the resumption of talks.

Abbass visit to New Delhi following his meeting with Trump in Washington and preceded by Modis visit to Israel, if seen alongside Ibrahims participation in the Paris Peace Conference and Indias growing engagements in the region, appear to indicate that India is adopting a new approach toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hinduism is generally misunderstood in the western society. There have been many authors over centuries who, with their very limited understanding of this ancient way of life, write about the religion and its followers only imaginative accounts. Once again, this time in the US where a textbook has portrayed Hinduism negatively.

toi

"It is disappointing to see that even after a decade of building awareness by the Hindu-American community, textbooks especially by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), McGraw-Hill, Discovery and National Geographic continue to use orientalist narratives to portray Indian civilisation," said Shantharam Nekkar, director of Hindu Education Foundation USA (HEF).

Nekkar's remarks came at a public hearing conducted by the California Department of Education (CDE) at Sacramento on Thursday.

For the past several years, the Indian-American community has been battling to remove several inaccuracies and myths about Hinduism from the textbooks. The State of California mandates that the textbooks to be based on the framework laid down by the Department of Education.

hindueducation

The framework was revised last year amidst many controversies, including attempts by a few academics and groups to replace 'India' with 'South Asia'.

Over the past two years, the Department has made several updates to the framework based on inputs by scholars, students and the community members, mentioning Hindu concepts like Yoga and Dharma, Sages Vyasa and Valmiki and Indian achievements in science and technology.

Hindu groups in US pointed out that many of these changes have not reflected in the textbook drafts.

"Some publishers continue to single out and denigrate Hinduism while ignoring new additions to the framework that can help present Indian civilisation on par with other civilisations and cultures," said Sharat Joshi, a parent from San Jose.

diyatvusa

"Negative portrayal of Hinduism has led to several instances of bullying of Hindu children in classrooms," he added.

The Department of Education will send its recommendations to the State Board of Education (SBE) later this year for its approval. The textbooks recommended by the board are expected to be adopted by schools starting early next year.
Summer vacations are the most looked forward to by school and college students. People have different plans about spending their vacations following their respective passions. But there are some people who wish to spend this time helping others. Nishita Rajput from Vadodara is one of them.

She has been spending all her summer vacations collecting funds for the education of underprivileged girls. The 24-year-old has, for the last 10 years, collected more than Rs 1 crore for the girls from the economically backward sections of the society.

I collect Rs 1000 in the form of a check and deposit them in the schools they study in Rajput tells us.

Nishita Rajput

Daddy's Pride

Currently, pursuing her post graduation in Labour Practice, Rajput was 14 when her father, a businessman and philanthropist, began involving her in the activities he did. Rajput tells us that her family used to take her to spend time with children in orphanages, And sometimes we would also get the children home. I would share my bedroom with them and they would be treated the way I am treated at home, she describes while calling herself nothing more than a mediator.

Nishita Rajput

As she grew up, she became more involved in these activities and began spending more and more time socialising with the underprivileged kids, especially girls. All this when she was a teenager, who later approached to her father as she wanted to begin her own venture.

The idea for me was to educate as many girls as I can. In times like these when women worldwide are setting an example of excellence, why should any other girl here be left behind just because of poverty, she shares.

The money goes to schools run on a small scale in rural areas and other remote areas. Some schools are also run by NGOs and lack funds to educate girls, which they receive from Rajputs help.

Nishita Rajput

Care for others comes first

Rajput could be called as one of the most generous hearted youngsters in todays times. This is evident when she talks about giving love to those who lack it. Not just the girls from the orphanage, but the old age homes, as well as senior couples also have caught the attention of Rajput. The couples who are senior citizens, who do not have anybody to look after them are provided free meals by Rajput.

My father has supported me in this endeavour. However, I make it a point to visit these couples frequently. Its not just food, but the love they need which is what I aim to give them, she says.

Nishita Rajput

Personal touch

So far, in the first half of 2017 she has collected fees worth Rs 28 Lakhs. Rajput visits every home in and around her city who wish to donate to the cause. She tells us that so far more than 5,000 girls have been educated because of her initiative. And so far, she has not formalised her work by funding any organisation.

I do it all on my own as I wish to have transparency in the work that I do. As the word spread, I get donations from US and UK as well. This has made a huge difference to the work I do and I am grateful to everyone supporting it, she says. Rajput has paid fees worth more than Rs 1 crore now educating more than 5,000 girls and her aim this year is to educate 10,000.
Israeli culture minister Miri Regev's Cannes red carpet outfit seems to have made people red with anger.

Twitter/@lisang

The right-wing member of Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition made an appearance on Wednesday night at the Cannes Film Festival. The white and gold dress bore the landscape of Jerusalems Old City, the Dome of the Rock and Tower of David printed along the hemline.

JPG

According to a press release, Regev said she wanted the dress to express in its spirit the beauty of Jerusalem, in honour of the 50th anniversary of its liberation and unification.

"Miri Regev's dress is cool and all, but it's lacking one little thing: the 370,000 Palestinians living in 'united' East Jerusalem, 41 per cent of its population," wrote a Twitter user Shira Makin.

The dress sparked political fury on social media and opened the floodgates on satirical memes:

#1 This tweet redesigns the dress to show a nightime scene of the Old City with fireworks bursting overhead

The real dress which the Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev should wear at #Cannes #Cannes2017 pic.twitter.com/VuxVmaGHNt  Elia Ghorbieh (@Elia_gor) May 18, 2017

#2 In this, the dress features image of the Israeli separation wall

Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev wears provocative dress at Cannes. Someone on Internet redresses the problem (pun intended) @monakareem pic.twitter.com/0HfgwKSZSA  Bina Shah (@BinaShah) May 18, 2017

#3 Another version showd three Israeli paratroopers celebrating the conquest of Western Wall.





#4 This gif shows fire engulfing the city, which points to the ongoing turmoil.

via GIPHY





#5 This tweet shows Israeli warplane on an airtsike spree

#6 Another on portrays the raging war in the city

Regev wanted the dress to draw a positive political reaction, certainly ended up up in a huge failure. "Jerusalem is not a provocation, and it was lovely to see how much affection the dress received at Cannes, she told Ynet.
FUTORES II (Future Understanding of Tectonics, Ores, Resources, Environment and Sustainability) will be held in tropical Townsville, Australia, on 4-7 June 2017.

The conference will address issues related to new understanding in mineral deposits, tectonics, basins, metallogenesis, new technologies and approaches in mineral and energy resources exploration, including the challenge of exploration in areas with cover, and trends in the resources industry. The FUTORES II conference will have a similar format to the inaugural and highly successful FUTORES conference held in 2013. The Economic Geology Research Centre (EGRU) at James Cook University, is proud to host this event and we welcome academic colleagues, industry and government geologists, and students to this inspiring event.
No one  at least no one outside North Korea  will argue North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is unpredictable, if not unstable.

And he's working to achieve a goal of nuclear-armed missiles.

To say that's a volatile mixture is to define the word understatement.

In what arguably is the most difficult overseas threat to the United States and its allies facing the administration of President Donald Trump, North Korea continues to launch missile tests, thumb its nose at pressure to stop, and make threats, including threats against the United States.

Where does this end?

Today, the answer to that question is as murky as the view from outside North Korea is of life inside the secretive country. Troubling doesn't begin to describe this tension-filled standoff for which no simple answers exist.

As America and other nations, including China, strategize (together, we hope) about North Korea, we prefer to hear measured instead of aggressive rhetoric from our leaders here at home.

In our view, saber-rattling serves no useful purpose in dealing with Kim. Certainly, American power is no secret to him; we don't need to flex our military muscles, they speak for themselves.

In other words, we see little to no upside, but a possibly dangerous, provocational downside to remarks like this one, offered by President Donald Trump in an April 27 interview with Reuters: "There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely."

Rather, we believe more potential value exists in the kind of talk we heard from Trump during an interview with Bloomberg News on May 1 when the president said he would be "honored" to meet with Kim face to face "under the right circumstances."

We cringed at use of the word "honored," but we do not dismiss altogether the idea of a high-level meeting of some kind between U.S. and North Korean leaders (as well as leaders of other nations in the region because this isn't only America's problem) at some future point if it would reduce nuclear stress and uncertainty.

Of course, a spectrum of considerations would require discussion before any such meeting happens.

Nuclear weapons raise stakes. Nuclear weapons in the hands of someone like Kim raise them still more. In response, nations involved in and impacted by this dispute, including the U.S., should seek to turn down the heat and pursue constructive dialogue. The alternatives are, frankly, unthinkable.

This editorial appeared in the May 11 edition of the Sioux City Journal, another Lee Enterprises publication.
It was a day of celebration for no fewer than 114 constables who passed out from the Police College in Oji River, Enugu State.

DSP Ebere Amarizu, the spokesperson of Enugu State Police Command, made the disclosure in a statement issued to newsmen on Friday in Enugu.

He said the officers included mechanics and painters.

Others are marine deck officers, mounted troopers, welders, tailors, dog handlers, nurses and iron benders.

The statement described the event as memorable despite the fact that some officers fell along the way and could not make it to the last day.

It said the Inspector-General of Police (I-GP), represented by Mr Danmallam Mohammed, Enugu State Police Commissioner, urged the successful officers to be shining examples.

The IGP, Mr Ibrahim Idris urged the officers to be change agents and good ambassadors of the force.

He also urged them to keep away from illegal conducts capable of tarnishing their personality and the image of the police.

He further warned on the need to respect the tenets of human rights and to be guided by the principle of emotional intelligence.

He also urged them to be disciplined and respect constituted authority, the statement quoted the IGP as saying.

The statement said the Commandant of the College, CP Anthony Ogboji, said that 10 of the trainees fell on the way and could not make it to the end.

He said the affected trainees were screened out.

Source: ( PM News )
A 18-year-old, Nigerian identified as Nkechinyere Chidi-Ogbolu recently graduated with a bachelors degree in chemical engineeringwith distinctionfrom Howard University in Washington D.C., US. A 18-year-old, Nigerian identified as Nkechinyere Chidi-Ogbolu recently graduated with a bachelors degree in chemical engineeringwith distinctionfrom Howard University in Washington D.C., US.

Chidi-Ogbolu is however only just getting started.She has already enrolled for a PhD program at the University of California Davis.

The young and brilliant student grew up in Nigeria where she was often pushed to higher classes from a young age because she was too intelligent for her age. Speaking to her universitys newspaper, The Hilltop, Chidi-Ogbolu spoke of her achievement: I was overwhelmed with emotions; it was just a very happy day overall.

She also credited her achievement to her familys strong support system that enabled her to focus on her studies. and she said her future plans, is to help find cures for major ailments such as Ebola and to help her Nigerian people back home.

Source: ( gossipnaij.com)
Wrong medications could have taken the life of a 13-year-old student of Command Secondary School, Suleja, Abuja who escaped death after being treated at the school clinic. The student had gone to the clinic because he had high body temperature but after the medication was administered on him the student began to develop rashes. It was learnt that the students eyes turned red and his lips were swollen. Wrong medications could have taken the life of a 13-year-old student of Command Secondary School, Suleja, Abuja who escaped death after being treated at the school clinic. The student had gone to the clinic because he had high body temperature but after the medication was administered on him the student began to develop rashes. It was learnt that the students eyes turned red and his lips were swollen.

NAIJ.com gathered that the students reaction to the medicine worsened after the same nurse left him at the clinic for three days without administering any medication to help his condition.

According to reports, by the time the school management called the parents of the poor student the condition had already reached a fatal stage. The student was immediately rushed to the Kubwa General Hospital in Abuja. On getting to the hospital the doctors revealed that the student was reacting to sulfur but the school had told the parents that the student was given Augmentin and Paracetamol.

Medical experts at the National Agency for Foods Drug Administration and Control expressed that the reaction might not have gotten to a fatal stage if the school had taken the boys condition seriously. According to SaharaReporters, the school management has refused to speak on the tragic incident until the parents of the young boy established a case against the management. However, Colonel B.S.Omoge, the schools matron, revealed that the boy was given Fansidar and Paracetamol. Omoge also disclosed that the schools commandant was given a notification after the boy developed the reaction. The boys parents have asked for justice against the schools management that neglected to do the proper thing for their child who was in pain for three days.
The Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, has continued to acting in his office effectively as he has given an order of a 24-hour operations at the Apapa port and outrightly banned touting by officials or unofficial persons at any port; be it air, land and sea ports in Nigeria.

Mr. Osinbajo had on Thursday signed three Executive Orders dealing with the business environment, local content in public procurement and timely budget submission. The Orders take effect immediately.

The acting president said in the Order that, the Apapa Port shall resume 24-hour operations within 30 days of the issuance of this Order and there shall be no touting whatsoever by official or unofficial persons at any port in Nigeria.

According to the directive on port operations, on duty staff shall be properly identified by uniform and official cards while off duty staff shall stay away from the ports except with the express approval of the agency head. The FAAN Aviation Security (AVSEC) and Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) Security shall enforce this order.

To address the menace of touting at the ports, the Order expressly stipulates that all non-official staff shall be removed from the secured areas of airports. No official of FAAN, Immigration, security agency or Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) or any other agency is to meet any non-designated dignitary at any secure areas of the airport.

The acting president also directed that the official approved list of dignitaries that have been pre-approved to be received by protocol officers shall be made available to AVSEC and other relevant agencies ahead of their arrival at the airport.

According to the Order, any official caught soliciting or receiving bribes from passengers or other port users shall be subject to immediate removal from post and disciplinary as well as criminal proceedings in line with extant laws and regulations.

All relevant MDAs at the airports shall within 30 days of the issuance of this Order merge their respective departure and arrival interfaces into a single customer interface, without prejudice to necessary backend procedures, the acting president directed.

On the harmonisation of activities of agencies operating at the ports, Mr. Osinbajo ordered that all agencies currently physically present in Nigerian Ports shall within 60 days harmonise their operations into one single interface station domiciled in one location in the port and implemented by a single joint task force at all times, without prejudice to necessary backend procedures.

The new single interface station at each port, the order stipulates, shall capture, track and record information on all goods arriving and departing from Nigeria and remit captured information to the head of the MDA and the head of the National Bureau of Statistics on a weekly basis.

In addition, the acting president, through the Executive Order, has directed each Port in Nigeria to assign an existing export terminal to be dedicated to the exportation of agriculture produce within 30 days of the issuance Order.

Source: ( Premium Times )
The attempt to bomb the University of Maiduguri has continued on the rise , just barely 48 hours after three suicide bombers attacked the University of Maiduguri, another bomber on Saturday detonated his explosive outside the perimeter fencing of the school.

The Borno State police commissioner, Damian Chukwu, said the incident happened at about 10 a.m.

He said the bomber hid near the the universitys Children Secondary School, and detonated the bomb, killing himself, when he sighted a security man coming in his direction.

There was no other casualty in the incident, he said.

The incident, the third in less than two weeks, has however heightened tension in the campus, as students and staffers alike expressed worries over the frequent attacks there.

The university lies on the outskirts of Maiduguri, on the route to Bama.

Aside from the brick perimeter fence on the front side of the university, there is no major barrier at the back of the University, which seems to allow insurgents easy access into the campus.

Last week, one of the five Boko Haram commanders swapped for the 82 abducted Chibok School girls appeared in a video threatening to inundate the country with more bomb attacks.

The military dismissed the video as cheap propaganda.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
The health of President Muhammadu Buhari has been a major worry for Nigerians as a lot of prominent persons in the country have called for his resignation.

The latest to for the resignation of the President is the co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) group, Aisha Yesufu, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to resign on health grounds.

She advised the National Assembly to impeach the president if he fails to step down.

We need to take our country back, let the president resign, if he cant resign, let the National Assembly do the right thing and lets have another president. It is not about President Buhari, its about Nigeria, and right now Nigeria is suffering and we cannot continue to allow this, Ms. Yesufu said in a two-minute, 20 seconds video posted on her Twitter account on Friday morning.

Some Nigerians have begun to ask the president to step down as his health apparently declines.

Mr. Buhari travelled to London last Sunday, almost two months after returning from extended medical leave there.

The president first left the country for London on January 19 and returned on March 10. He has not disclosed his ailment.

After his return, a member of the House of Representatives, and Mr. Buharis ruling All Progressives Congress, Abdulmumini Jibrin, had advised the president to resign, saying his ill health had badly affected governance.

Ms. Yesufu said in the video that the idea of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo acting as president is not working and that governance is stagnated in the country.

She called on Nigerians to wake up, saying the acting president cannot do much because he wants to be seen as a good man.

For crying out loud, the president is sick, the president is not capable of discharging his duties as president, why cant he resign? Sickness can be on anybody, nobody is wishing the president bad.

When would we realise this Acting President thing is mere lip service and not working out? May God heal President Buhari. He needs to resign pic.twitter.com/NLWO8Jldpl  Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) May 18, 2017

The fact that he is sick doesnt mean he is going to die today or tomorrow. Somebody that is as healthy as I am now can drop dead. It is life!

How long are we going to wait and keep watching everything go in disarray? Who is going to sign the budget, we dont know. The report on Babachir, what is happening to it? Why are we being held to ransom? she said.

Addressing the president directly, Ms. Yesufu said: President Muhammadu Buhari, you have gotten the best in this world. A lot of things that you have, most people cannot even dream of.

You have been president twice, you said it yourself, you have reached the peak of your career as a military man and as a politician.

Can you allow each and every one of us as Nigerians be able to reach the peak of our careers? Can you just take some time off, take care of yourself? May God give you good health.
The BBC has alleged that the Federal government paid 2 million euros and released 5 imprisoned Boko Haram bomb makers in exchange for the 82 Chibok school girls released on May 6th.

The Federal government has however not denied claims that there were negotiation with the sect members for the release of the girls. However the details of the negotiations were not clearly stated.

In this new report by BBC, it is alleged that 2 million euros was released in exchange for the girls. Part of the report reads

The release of the 82 girls came with a price. Five senior Boko Haram militants were moved from a high security unit to be driven to freedom. The details of the deal are sketchy. Our sources dont want to be named and their version of events is hard to confirm, but they say the men were high-level Boko Haram bomb-makers, and that they were accompanied by two million euros in cash.

Paying a ransom as well as swapping prisoners was a sticking point that almost unravelled the whole deal, one source tells us. It should have happened sooner, but the president was hesitating about freeing the five  and especially about the money, says the person with detailed knowledge of the deal. Persuading him was very, very difficult. It was the most difficult part of the whole negotiation. He didnt want to pay any money.

The ransom was two million euros. Boko Haram asked for euros. They chose the suspects and they gave us the list of girls who would be freed.

Read the full report bbc.co.uk/chibok_girls
A very popular theatre arts student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) was on Wednesday, stabbed to death while he was heading home from his campus.

Identified as Ayoola Ayorinde, popularly known as AYBillion, reports gathered claims that he was a father of a 4-month-old child he had with his coursemate, and was planning on submitting his final year project when the gruesome incident occurred.

He was walking home with his brother, because he stayed off campus. His brother was walking some few steps away from him as he was pressing his phone, when two men came with a bike and stab him right on the chest and zoom off.

He then, removed the knife and tried chasing them, but he couldnt go far. He fell and was rushed to the hospital, the place was stitched, he stayed for another 4 hours, but later died.

Source: Yabaleftonline
Two dispatch riders of Ghanaian Vice Presidents convoy have been involved in an accident.

Reports said the incident occurred at Song, a village in the Mion district when a Nissan Patrol vehicle crossed the dispatch riders as the convoy of the vice president, Mahamudu Bawumia was moving from Yendi to Tamale.

The Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Muhammed Yussif Tanko said riders of motorbikes with registration number GP-4135 and GP-4425 were thrown off the motorbike and crashed on the ground.
Special Prayer was organised for President Muhammadu Buhari by Islamic scholars in Zamfara on Friday for the quick recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari is presently on medical check-up in London.

The prayer session was organised by the state government as part of the activities to mark the second anniversary of Buhari.

It is also to mark the sixth anniversary of Gov. Abdulaziz Yaris administration in the state.

The prayer session which took place at the Gusau Central Jumaat mosque was led by the Chief Imam of the mosque, Malam Liman DanAlhaji.

DanAlhaji urged Muslims to always pray for their leaders, saying that Islam taught and encouraged prayers for leaders.

It is only when we pray for leaders that they would be guided by Allah to lead us in a right direction.

But if we continue abusing, insulting them, saying bad prayers for them, we will be involved in the consequences, he admonished.

The Chairman of governor Yaris sixth-year anniversary committee, Alhaji Lawal Liman, said the prayers were organised in all Jumaat mosques across the 14 local government areas of the state.

In his remarks after the prayer session, the state Deputy Governor, Malam Ibrahim Wakkala, commended the committee for organising the prayer sessions and described them as timely.

Source:( PM News )
The Kwara State government has renamed its university after the late strongman of Kwara politics, Olusola Saraki.

Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, made the announcement in Ilorin at the inauguration of the Sola Saraki Educational Foundation on Friday, May 19, 2017.

Ahmed, who declared that the Kwara State University, KWASU, would henceforth be called Sola Saraki University, explained that renaming the university was a better way of immortalising the late politician.

He said the late Waziri of Ilorin, had immense love for education as evident in his contributions to the building of several primary and secondary schools across the state.

The governor called on individuals and corporate bodies to invest in education as a way of securing the future of the children and donated N15 million for the takeoff of the foundation.

Sola Saraki was the father of Bukola Saraki, Nigerias Senate president. He was born on May 13, 1933 in Ilorin, Kwara State, he was until his death regarded as the strongman of Kwara politics. He first ran in the 1964 parliamentary election for Ilorin as an independent candidate but lost.

After the election, he returned to medical practice in Lagos, only returning to party-politics in 1978/79.
After 100 days in office, President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, has jetted off on his first foreign trip as US president Friday, departing from Joint Base Andrews in the Washington suburbs en route to Riyadh.

Trump and his wife Melania left aboard Air Force One on what will be an ambitious six-stop trip that takes in Saudi Arabia, Israel, the Palestinian territories, the Vatican, Brussels and Sicily.

More details later.
A blackmailer who claims to be a journalist has landed in Kirikiri Maximum Prison attempting to extort money from a popular clergy in Lagos through blackmail. Ohio Ojeagbase, 38, walked into the net of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, after perfecting his extortion plot on Bishop (Dr.) Chris Kwakpovwe, the General Overseer of the Manna Prayer Mountain and publisher of the daily devotional, Our Daily Manna. He was arrested alongside a Lagos-based lawyer, Barr. Uche Iloani accused of working together with Mr. Ohio who owns Probiters Report.

Trouble started for Ohio and his accomplice after they had planted a lady in Bishop Kwapovwes ministry to function as a staff whose job was to feed them with information that could facilitate their blackmail plans on the clergy.

Rita Ibeni, the staff, who worked in the media department of the ministry for about five years, was fingered after a massive looting of the ODM Video Unit of media and video equipment worth N5.6 million. The main suspect and other departmental staffers were arrested. When she was confronted with evidence of the theft, she absconded from the church office. This prompted her arrest at the instance of the ministry and a case was filed at Area H Police Command, Ogudu, Lagos. Upon her arrest, Barr. Iloani, who claimed to be her counsel, came forward to demand for her immediate release with a plea to the ODM and the ministry that the matter would be settled out of court.

However, as soon as Rita Ibeni was granted bail, the story took a new twist as Mr. Ohio went to work. He wrote a letter to Bishop Kwakpovwe claiming that the latter tried to oppress one of his staffers and that they were going to publish a story in that regard which could finish the ODM Vision which has affected millions of lives across the Globe. According to him, Whatever we tell the public will be believed since we have 250 million online membership. He demanded millions of naira from the man of God if he wanted the story killed. Ohio Ojeagbase claimed he and his accomplice had recorded verbal (audio) conversations between Rita and the bishop where the man of God made sexual advances at the former. However, further probe and forensic examination later, revealed that the recording was fake as the fabricated voice was not the bishops.

After series of accusations and threats to publish negative story of sexual harassment and threat to life concerning the Bishop and even threats of kidnap of his loved ones by other faceless members of the group, they demanded settlement to avoid the story going viral, claiming it was not their intention to damage the image of the revered man of God. They also told the bishop they had done a human google on him and they knew his worth! At that point, the bishop smelled a rat and quickly reported the matter to the police.

The lawyer asked for N15 million (fifteen million naira) for inconveniences tagged as professional fees and the inconveniences his client Ms Rita Ibeni had gone through during her arrest, while Mr Ohio demanded for 50% of whatever is paid to the lawyer.

The suspects also gave the man of God the option of handing in original copies of his property documents that they would help him facilitate quick loan from a bank so he could make the payment without stress. That was when the Bishop Dr Chris Kwakpovwe went back to the police to lodge complaints. The police then advised that further calls, SMS or meetings be electronically recorded as evidence, and that was done.

They were, however, rounded up on Wednesday, April 12th, 2017 in Ogudu, Lagos, while they were at the agreed venue for the man of God to make payment. Journalists further gathered that they came on that day with two borrowed jeeps.

The case was charged to court on Thursday April 17, 2017 where the suspects were remanded at Kirikiri Maximum Prison over their inability to meet up with the bail conditions.

We gathered that Mr. Ohio had earlier blackmailed many clergymen and businessmen in the country. The suspects, according to information made available to us, were in the habit of planting people in the homes and offices of wealthy men and women, clergy men, business men and women to plan how to blackmail and extort money them eventually.

Speaking on the incident at the court premises, the bishop told journalists that he knew that this was a plot to DISTRACT him from the LOOTED VIDEO EQUIPMENTS CASE, Blackmail/Extort money (millions) from him and discredit him as a man of God, but his proactive approach to get to the bottom before they carried out their nefarious acts stopped them in their tracks. He said he never made any advances and can never do so with the suspected looter of the video unit (the former employee). I am used to such satanic fabrications, gang-ups, lies, concoctions and distractions! He reminded journalists of a current and lingering court case which involves a lady who took him to court for the ridiculous charge of falling down and breaking her teeth at a Lagos National Stadium programme  World Anointing Night, 6 years ago.

Thousands of souls came for that programme from 23 countries, 6 years ago. The lady whom I never met, took me to court and she is claiming 22 million damages. The case which provoked nationwide outrage against the lady is still on.

As a man of God, such lies, manipulations, fabrications, temptations and battles are expected because the devil is mad and will be mad against any child of God who is living right and who is a terror to his kingdom. But he is only a roaring lion without teeth. Was Joseph not wrongfully attacked and blackmailed by Mrs Portiphar? But did he not sit on his throne at last? I have learnt that in life, success attracts uncommon battles and for every one person who celebrates your success, there are at least two others who are plotting your down fall. Indeed, there are no blue skies without storms but the rainbow is the final bus stop if you refuse to be distracted from your goals! Victory is sure by Gods grace! I shall make no deeper comments for now since the matter is before the courts. He said.

Source: Dailymail.net.ng
Two men have been shot dead in broad daylight at a high profile funeral ceremony attended by top politicians.

Two suspected thieves were shot dead at a funeral service of the late PCEA Moderator John Gatu in Karen, Nairobi.

According to Tuko, police officers said they were found breaking into a vehicle at the venue and stealing a laptop during the ceremony.

It was learnt that the police officers were forecd to kill them after they refused to surrender.

President Uhuru Kenyatta was in attendance at the funeral held at PCEA Muteero Church in Karen.

Uhuru eulogised Gatu as great man of honour and dignity who loved both his church and his country.

We have lost a great leader , a man of peace that we should all seek to emulate. We should live by his creed to love family, country and God to have a peaceful and harmonies life, said Uhuru.

The PCEA moderator passed away on Friday, May 12, while receiving treatment at a Nairobi hospital.

He recently hit the headlines after revealing that Uhurus father oversaw a cultist act that saw Kikuyu community swear an oath of loyalty to him after he fell out with Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
The South African government on Friday deported 90 Nigerians for alleged immigration-related offences.

Joseph Alabi, the spokesman for the Lagos Airport Police Command confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Mr. Alabi said the deportees, who are all men, landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at about 3.30 p.m. Friday.

He said they were brought back to Nigeria aboard a South African Airways aircraft with registration number BBB712 from Johannesburg.

This afternoon, about 3.30pm, 90 Nigerians were deported from South Africa for committing immigration-related offences.

Some of them were alleged to have been living in the country without valid documents.

They were received by the appropriate agencies including the police and profiled before being allowed to depart to their respective destinations, Mr. Alabi said.

NAN reports that South Africa had also on February 28 sent 97 Nigerians back home for committing various offences

They deportees were made up of 95 males and two females.

Source: (NAN)
A Med-View passenger plane carrying as many as 100 people has been grounded by a bird strike at Maiduguri airport.

It has been revealed that barely 24 hours after the European Commission banned Med-View Airline from operating into its airspace over safety issues one of its four aircraft, a Boeing 737 with the registration number 5N-MAA has been grounded by a bird strike at Maiduguri airport.

According to SaharaReporters,a source close to the airline revealed on Friday night that the incident occurred a few seconds after the aircraft took off from Maiduguri en route to Abuja and Lagos.

The pilot immediately made an air return to base and disembarked all the passengers who were later told to return to their various homes while the airline makes arrangement for a new aircraft to convey the passengers.

SaharaReporters reports there are over 100 passengers on board the aircraft at the time of the incident.

Sources stated that the Managing Director of the airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole had been informed of the incident and its engineers would this morning leave Lagos for Maiduguri to know the extent of the damage to the aircraft.

The source, however, said that one of the two engines of the aircraft was badly damaged by the incident.

The source stated that just three aircraft is remaining in the fleet of the airline and that flight operation will be impacted by the latest crisis.

It is not clear if the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has been notified of the incident.

Med-View has its first Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday in Lagos and by Thursday, European Commission named the airline as among 180 others that failed safety test.

It would be recalled that DANA Air in April had a similar incident with its MD 83 aircraft with the registration number 5N-SRI two weeks ago.

The aircraft had departed Lagos for Port Harcourt at 11am but made an air return back to Lagos immediately when it was hit by birds upon take-off.
An obviously angry woman has stormed the venue of the wedding ceremony between her ex and his bride to disrupt activities.

A woman has kidnapped her ex-boyfriend at gunpoint from his own wedding just moments before he was due to marry another woman.

Ashok Yadav was about to exchange vows with his future wife in the Uttar Pradesh region of India when a car pulled up at the wedding venue and his ex-girlfriend got out with a gun, according to India Today.

Alongside three armed men, she forced the groom into the car before speeding off, it was claimed.

According to local media, Mr Yadav had worked with his ex-girlfriend in a medical clinic in Banda and the pair had agreed to marry.

However, he reportedly started to avoid her after his parents arranged a marriage with another woman in the nearby town of Hamirpur.

Mr Yadav repeatedly refused to see his ex-girlfriend and cut off all ties with her without explanation, local media claims.

Hamirpur police said officers were investigating the incident and a search operation has been launched to locate the pair.

One officer from Maudaha police told Times of India he believed the kidnapping was staged and that the couple had eloped together.
In what will come across as a really shocking development, a man has cut off his own nose while he was high on drug.

An unnamed man has been said to have cut off his own nose while high on drugs.

According to Metro UK, police described being faced with a bloodbath when they arrived at the scene in Newtown, Birmingham.

The man, who had taken a synthetic form of cannabis known as Black Mamba, was experiencing an extreme psychotic episode and had blood pouring from his face.

Pcs Thomas Walker and Michelle Jacques were first on the scene, they battled for almost 30 minutes to help the man and stem the blood loss.

The six West Midlands police officers who saved his life have been praised.

Sergeant Jonothan Rattenbury and Pcs Lewis Williams, Chloe Morgan and Harry Matharu also arrived to help restrain the man and carry him down three flights of stairs to the waiting ambulance.

Birmingham Police Inspector Mat Minton said: I believe the actions of these officers saved the mans life.

They were met with the sight of someone whod mutilated himself and was outwardly displaying hostility and aggression towards them.

They had to deal with that while trying to provide emergency first aid.

Its hard to imagine how challenging that scene must have been for the officers who first attended  they did a brilliant job.

Sgt Rattenberry later described it as a bloodbath and the most gruesome scene hes encountered in 26 years of police service.

Black Mamba is known to mimic the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive chemical in cannabis.

However, synthetic forms of the drug are more potent than natural cannabis, increasing the risk of harmful side effects  which can include psychotic episodes, convulsions and organ failure.

Black Mamba was reclassified as a Class B controlled drug in 2013 after gaining popularity as a so-called legal high.

These narcotics were outlawed completely when the Psychoactive Substances Act came into effect a year ago.

Police Superintendent Andy Parsons said: Some people are still viewing Black Mamba as a low-risk drug substitute and are taking it without any consideration for their safety.

But our view is that there is no safe way to use Spice or Mamba. The reality is that these psychoactive substances can have catastrophic effects.

Unscrupulous distributors are making it using dangerous, potent chemicals which can be lethal, while the psychological impact can be devastating and lead people to self-harm or harm others.

We cannot stress enough that Black Mamba is a very dangerous drug. It is also now illegal to possess synthetic cannabis like Black Mamba and Spice so users could end up with criminal records.
A white garment church pastor who allegedly defrauded his own church member of huge amount of money, is being brought to book.

A white garment church pastor identified simply as Philips, 32, has been arrested by policemen attached to the Lagos state police command over allegations that he fraudulently obtained the sum of N316, 000 from a member of his church, a certain Mr. Uche.

According to The New Telegraph, Pastor Philips who claimed to be the founder of the church located at a community in Ogun State was arrested after his member one Mr. Uche informed the police. Mr. Uche a baker in Lagos State said he was deceived by his pastor who said that he would die soon if he failed to carry out a ritual but unknown to him, Pastor Philips set him up and used fake prophesy to obtain the money from him under false pretences.

Mr. Uche said: I have known Pastor Philips for a long time. He has been praying for me to succeed in life. I went to him for prayers and he gave me a red candle to burn in my house. After about three weeks, I decided to light the candle overnight. I was shocked when I woke up the next morning and saw two cat eyeballs and two needles in the wax of the burnt candle.

I was terrified and I called him about the cat eye balls and needles.

He told me it was a bad sign that could lead to my death. He told me to meet him at Ajangbandi and I went there only for him to tell me to come to a place close to Badagry. I went there and he told me that I had to pray and make sacrifice for three days. He added that each of the sacrifice will cost N200, 000. I begged him that I did not have such money.

He later reduced it toN300, 000. He said he would buy a goat and other ingredients for the rituals. He also told me he would cleanse my house from the evil lurking to kill me.

He came back and demanded more money and I gave him N16, 000. I later told a friend about the rituals and he told me I had been duped. He said he had similar experience with the pastor.

I invited the pastor to come and take more money and when he came I told him how disappointed I was in him. I went on to call the police to arrest him. I am disappointed. I will never trust any pastor or Imam ever again.

Narrating why he defrauded his member, Pastor Philips said financial hardship led him to crime.

He said. I started my church since 2002. I am a painter but I got the calling of God to start a church.

Uche is my member and I have been praying for him to succeed in life. I needed N36, 000 to pay for house rent and I did not know what to do. I was lamenting to a friend known as Abbey and he told me to deceive Uche to get money from him. He was the one that gave me the idea to put cat eyeballs and needles in the candle I gave Uche.

I pretended that the candle would help him succeed in busines but when he saw the eyeballs and candles, he was scared and I took advantage of his fear and told him he would die. Unknown to him I planned everything with my friend Abbey so as to get money from him.Luck ran out on me and I was exposed and arrested.
Abdullahi Yunusa, a Security Guard on duty at female BOT hostel of the University of Maiduguri, Borno state has landed in a hospital after averting an attack by suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers.

The young man who is being treated at the institutions clinic from injuries sustained in the process revealed how the attack on the female hostel was foiled

Speaking to Yerwa Express, Yunusa, said at about 11 pm in the night, we heard a heavy explosion not too long from our place, that is the one at ZEMA, adding that they were immediately alerted by the unusually loud sound.

Less than 20 minutes later, while trying to find out where the explosion occurred, we also noticed an unusual movement around where we were stationed. Being on alert already, we paid attention to the movement. Suddenly, a man wearing a dark blue shirt and strangely barefooted emerged from behind the hostel.

We were all startled, we lit torch at his direction to be sure that he was alone and ascertain the real situation. The vigilante on duty working with us shouted at him, asking him to stop and identify himself, Yunusa adds.

The security further added that the suicide bomber could not respond sensibly, he kept responding: Afuno ba, in Kanuri, meaning I dont understand Hausa, as he kept approaching them.

The vigilante and hunter instantly fired at his direction when he sensed danger. The bomber who understood he was already trapped took to his heels and climbed the hostels fence, as the vigilante tried to gun him down.

We ran after him through the main entrance but we could not see him.

A student who saw him when he crossed the fence into the hostel while she was washing told us that he drank water from the bucket she was using and breezed away. As we were convinced he was up to no good and possibly a suicide bomber, we went on a rigorous search and traced his footsteps when we discovered that he was hiding on top of a tree already inside the hostel.

On sighting him, Mr. Yunusa said that the vigilante tried to shoot him with his local hunters gun.

The bomber was daring us, saying that anyone who wants to die should come forward until the local gun hit him.

When he fell down from the tree, he was attempting to go into their midst to detonate the device strapped to his body to cause greater casualty.

However, according to the security, the vigilante was able to shoot him at his back, causing the device to explode with him (the suicide bomber) only and injuring the five of them who are already receiving treatment at the universitys clinic.

Though according to the sources he came from behind the hostel, nobody was sure where he targeted.

Less than 30 minutes before the hostel attack, two suicide bombers believed to be on the same mission, had also detonated explosive devices strapped to their bodies in the university at a separate location a little far removed from the campus and staff quarters

The circumstance in which the first explosions went off is not clear but no casualty was reported.

Source: Naijaloaded
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam said he is very convinced of Insurance Commissioner Julie McPeaks professionalism after allegations surrounding her lifestyle broke in local media.Julies worked for me for six years. I am very convinced of her professional approach to this in terms of looking out for whats in the best interests of the state, Governor Haslam told local media.NewsChannel5 revealed in an investigative report that Commissioner McPeak has been going on all-expense paid trips outside the state, which critics questioned for alleged conflict of interest.In a follow up report, the local media outlet quoted Tennessee Citizen Action advocate Andy Spears as saying, If I were the governor, I would be asking, wheres my insurance commissioner?Governor Haslam also explained that his office reviews all travel requests from his commissioners, and therefore is aware of McPeaks trips.
E arrivata lufficialita, dopo una giornata di voci rincorrenti: per il triennio 2018-2021 sara lemittente Sky a godere dei diritti televisivi per trasmettere, in esclusiva assoluta, le partite non solo delle prossime edizioni dellEuropa League ma anche quelle della massima competizione continentale, la Champions. Un pacchetto da favola per il quale la tv satellitare di Rupert Murdoch avrebbe messo sul piatto unofferta giudicata piu congrua di quella presentata dalla concorrente Mediaset. A dare lannuncio dellaffare concluso e stata la stessa Sky che, in un comunicato, ha spiegato che il nuovo format sviluppato dalla UEFA ci consentira di portare ai nostri abbonati un prodotto rivoluzionario per il calcio europeo in Italia. Per la prima volta la UEFA Champions League e la UEFA Europa League saranno insieme in unesclusiva offerta integrata, che permettera agli appassionati di seguire fino a 7 squadre italiane, mai cosi tante prima dora, impegnate nelle sfide con i migliori club europei.

Sky: Rafforzata leadership

Anche il livello tecnico dellofferta sara altissimo ed e ancora lemittente a rivelare i dettagli: Continueremo a fare innovazione, trasmettendo le partite piu importanti anche in 4K HDR. Questofferta senza precedenti rafforza la posizione di Sky come leader della programmazione sportiva in Italia ed e anche un altro passo importante di sostegno al calcio italiano. Insomma, per i prossimi tre anni, sara unegemonia totale quella della satellitare sul calcio europeo, avendo mantenuto il pacchetto Europa League (gia sua esclusiva) e affiancandola a quello ancor piu appetibile della Champions League ad appannaggio Mediaset dal 2015 al 2018.

Sfida Serie A

Ora la sfida fra i due colossi delle trasmissioni sportive si spostera sui diritti televisivi della prossima Serie A, per la quale si e ancora in attesa di un nuovo bando che, come annunciato dal commissario della Lega, Carlo Tavecchio, avra le stesse caratteristiche del precedente, andato pero a vuoto: solo una delle offerte presentate per i cinque pacchetti, infatti, superava la soglia minima richiesta dalla base dasta. Niente di fatto, quindi, anche in virtu della stessa Mediaset che, in sostanza, ha disertato il bando (giudicato inaccettabile) non presentando alcuna offerta. La battaglia, anche in questo caso, sara sulle esclusive: del resto, dopo essersi vista scivolare via una componente importante come la Champions, sulla Serie A Mediaset dara sicuramente battaglia.
What Is an Initial Coin Offering (ICO)?

An initial coin offering (ICO) is the cryptocurrency industrys equivalent of an initial public offering (IPO). A company seeking to raise money to create a new coin, app, or service can launch an ICO as a way to raise funds.

Interested investors can buy into an initial coin offering to receive a new cryptocurrency token issued by the company. This token may have some utility related to the product or service that the company is offering or represent a stake in the company or project.

Key Takeaways Initial coin offerings (ICOs) are a popular way to raise funds for products and services usually related to cryptocurrency.

ICOs are similar to initial public offerings (IPOs), but coins issued in an ICO also can have utility for a software service or product.

A few ICOs have yielded returns for investors. Numerous others have turned out to be fraudulent or have performed poorly.

To participate in an ICO, you usually need to first purchase a more established digital currency, plus have a basic understanding of cryptocurrency wallets and exchanges.

ICOs are, for the most part, completely unregulated, so investors must exercise a high degree of caution and diligence when researching and investing in them.

1:53 Click Play to Learn All About Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs)

How an Initial Coin Offering (ICO) Works

When a cryptocurrency project wants to raise money through an ICO, the project organizers first step is determining how they will structure the coin. ICOs can be structured in a few different ways, including:

Static supply and static price : A company can set a specific funding goal or limit, which means that each token sold in the ICO has a preset price, and the total token supply is fixed.

: A company can set a specific funding goal or limit, which means that each token sold in the ICO has a preset price, and the total token supply is fixed. Static supply and dynamic price : An ICO can have a static supply of tokens and a dynamic funding goalthis means that the amount of funds received in the ICO determines the overall price per token.

: An ICO can have a static supply of tokens and a dynamic funding goalthis means that the amount of funds received in the ICO determines the overall price per token. Dynamic supply and static price: Some ICOs have a dynamic token supply but a static price, meaning that the amount of funding received determines the supply.

These three different types of ICOs are illustrated below:

Image by Sabrina Jiang  Investopedia 2022

White Paper Release

Alongside structuring the ICO, the crypto project usually creates a pitchbookcalled a white paper in the crypto industrythat it makes available to potential investors via a new website dedicated to the token. The promoters of the project use their white paper to explain important information related to the ICO:

What the project is about

The need that the project would fulfill upon completion

How much money the project needs

How many of the virtual tokens the founders will keep

What type of payment (which currencies) will be accepted

How long the ICO campaign will run

The project releases the white paper as part of its ICO campaign, which it designs to encourage enthusiasts and supporters to buy some of the projects tokens. Investors can generally use fiat or digital currency to buy the new tokens, and its increasingly common for investors to pay using other forms of crypto such as Bitcoin or Ethereum. These newly issued tokens are similar to shares of stock sold to investors during an IPO.

What Happens to the Funds?

If the money raised in an ICO is less than the minimum amount required by the ICOs criteria, the funds may be returned to the projects investors. The ICO would then be deemed unsuccessful. If the funding requirements are met within the specified period, the money raised is spent in pursuit of the projects goals.

Who Can Launch an ICO?

Anyone can launch an ICO. With very little regulation of ICOs in the U.S. currently, anyone who can access the proper technology is free to launch a new cryptocurrency.

But this lack of regulation also means that someone might do whatever it takes to make you believe they have a legitimate ICO and abscond with the money. Of all the possible funding avenues, an ICO is probably one of the easiest to set up as a scam.

Buying Into an ICO

If youre set on buying into a new ICO that youve heard about, make sure to do your homework. The first step is ensuring that the people putting up the ICO are real and accountable. Next, investigate the project leads history with crypto and blockchain. If it seems that the project doesnt involve anyone with relevant, easily verified experience, thats a red flag.

Even if anyone can establish and launch an ICO, that doesnt mean everyone should. So if youre thinking about organizing an initial coin offering, ask yourself if your business would substantially benefit from one.

Special Considerations

ICO activity began to decrease dramatically in 2019, partly because of the legal gray area that ICOs inhabit. Investors can research and find ICOs in which to participate, but there is no surefire way to stay abreast of all the latest initial coin offerings. You can use websites like TopICOlist.com and websites that compare different ICOs against one another.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) can intervene in an ICO if necessary. For example, after the creator of Telegram raised $1.7 billion in an ICO in 2018 and 2019, the SEC filed an emergency action and obtained a temporary restraining order, alleging illegal activity on the part of the development team. In March 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a preliminary injunction. Telegram was ordered to return $1.2 billion to investors and pay a civil penalty of $18.5 million.

There is no guarantee that an investor wont be on the losing end of a scam when investing in an ICO. To help avoid ICO scams, you can:

Make sure that project developers can clearly define what their goals are. Successful ICOs typically have straightforward, understandable white papers with clear, concise goals.

Look for transparency. Investors should expect 100% transparency from a company launching an ICO.

Review the ICOs legal terms and conditions. Because traditional regulators generally do not oversee this space, an investor is responsible for ensuring that an ICO is legitimate.

Ensure that ICO funds are stored in an escrow wallet. This type of wallet requires multiple access keys, which provides useful protection against scams.

Some ICOs require that another cryptocurrency be used to invest in an ICO, so you may need to purchase other coins to invest in the project.

ICO Hyping

ICOs can generate a substantial amount of hype, and there are numerous sites online where investors gather to discuss new opportunities. Famous actors, entertainers, or other individuals with an established presence like Steven Seagal also have encouraged their followers or fans to invest in a hot new ICO. However, the SEC released a warning to investors stating that it is illegal for celebrities to use social media to endorse ICOs without disclosing what compensation they received.

Boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. and music mogul DJ Khaled once promoted Centra Tech, an ICO that raised $30 million at the end of 2017. Centra Tech was ultimately deemed a scam in court, resulting in the two celebrities settling charges with U.S. regulators, plus three Centra Tech founders pleading guilty to ICO fraud.

Investors seeking to participate in ICOs should familiarize themselves with cryptocurrency and understand everything about an ICO before participating. Because ICOs are barely regulated, prospective investors should exercise extreme caution when investing.

Initial Coin Offering (ICO) vs. Initial Public Offering (IPO)

IPOs raise money for companies seeking funds from investors and result in the distribution of shares of the companys stock to investors. For ICOs, crypto companies raise funds through the sales of coins or tokens. In both cases, investors are bullish about the company or the cryptocurrency and invest based on the belief that the assets value will increase over time.

The primary difference between an ICO and an IPO is that investing in an ICO doesnt secure an ownership stake in the crypto project or company. ICO participants are gambling that a currently worthless currency will later increase in value above its original purchase price.

IPOs are highly regulated and scrutinized by government organizations such as the SEC, while ICOs are largely unregulated.

Although IPOs are funded by generally more conservative investors anticipating a financial return, ICOs may receive funding from risk-tolerant supporters keen to invest in a new, exciting project. An ICO differs from a crowdfunding event because it offers the possibility of financial gain over time, whereas crowdfunding initiatives receive donations. ICOs are also referred to as crowdsales.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Initial Coin Offerings

Online services can facilitate the generation of cryptocurrency tokens, making it exceptionally easy for a company to consider launching an ICO. ICO managers generate tokens according to the terms of the ICO, receive them, and then distribute the tokens by transferring the coins to individual investors. But because financial authorities do not regulate ICOs, funds lost due to fraud or incompetence may never be recovered.

Early investors in an ICO are usually motivated by the expectation that the tokens will gain value after the cryptocurrency launches. This is the primary benefit of an ICO: the potential for very high returns.

But the legality of cryptocurrency or digital assets is not guaranteed to persist. In 2017, the Peoples Bank of China officially banned ICOs, slamming them as counterproductive to economic and financial stability. In 2021, the Chinese government went on to ban cryptocurrency mining and declared all cryptocurrency transactions illegal.



Examples of Initial Coin Offerings

Ethereums ICO in 2014 is an early, prominent example of an initial coin offering. The Ethereum ICO raised $18 million over a period of 42 days. In 2015, a two-phase ICO began for a company called Antshares, which later rebranded as Neo. The first phase of this ICO ended in October 2015, and the second continued until September 2016. During this time, Neo generated about $4.5 million.

In another example, during a one-month ICO ending in March 2018, Dragon Coin raised about $320 million. Also in 2018, the company behind the EOS platform shattered Dragon Coins record by raising a whopping $4 billion during a yearlong ICO.

The first instance of the SEC cracking down on an ICO occurred on Dec. 11, 2017, when the agency halted an ICO by Munchee, a California company with a food review app. Munchee was attempting to raise money to create a cryptocurrency that would work within the app to order food. The SEC issued a cease-and-desist letter, treating the ICO as an unregistered securities offering.

How do you know when new coins are launched? Many exchanges, websites, and aggregators list new coins. Some examples are Coinbase, Gemini, Kraken, CoinGecko, and CoinMarketCap. You can also find new coins announced on social media platforms such as Twitter.

Is an initial coin offering (ICO) legal? Initial coin offerings (ICOs) are legal. However, the ICO is illegal if the project and coin dont pass the Howey Test used by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to determine if an offering is an investment instrument.

What is an ICO used for? Creating a blockchain and cryptocurrency is a costly endeavor. Developers must pay for legal counsel, programmers, facilities, and other expenses. An ICO is intended to raise funds to pay for the costs incurred during a blockchains or coins development.

Investing in cryptocurrencies and other initial coin offerings (ICOs) is highly risky and speculative, and this article is not a recommendation by Investopedia or the writer to invest in cryptocurrencies or other ICOs. Because each individuals situation is unique, a qualified professional should always be consulted before making any financial decisions. Investopedia makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy or timeliness of the information contained herein.
CINCINNATI, May 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lunch just got more fabulous as Bethenny Frankel, Skinnygirl founder, best-selling author, chef, TV producer and reality TV star, visited Cincinnati today to celebrate the Midwest launch of Skinnygirl Market Fresh Deli. The new line of all natural, pre-packaged lunchmeat is gluten-free, preservative-free, has less than 80 calories per serving and is endorsed by the American Heart Association for lower sodium and fat. The original Skinnygirl herself made appearances at Kroger and Dress for Success Cincinnati to host meet and greets and share details of how to enjoy a healthy, hassle-free and full-flavored lunch without the guilt. While at Dress for Success Cincinnati, she also hosted a Q&A to discuss her other latest initiative  B-Strong: Find Your Yes  of which Skinnygirl Market Fresh Deli is a supporter. This program, a division of Dress for Success, provides a multi-layered support system, resources and financial assistance for women coping with crisis situations.



Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/59ea06d5-5ee9-4dca-9433-35ee6afa213a

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b673e226-bfb8-4b42-b6a5-42fecfdf6fcd

Im happy to be in Cincinnati to support two new projects highlighting my biggest passions  healthy living and giving back, said Bethenny Frankel, Founder & CEO, Skinnygirl. Fans in Ohio have always been so welcoming, so Im excited to be back in town and celebrate the Midwest launch of Skinnygirl Market Fresh Deli and B Strong with them today.

During Frankels stop at Dress for Success Cincinnati, she and Mike Paribello, senior director of new brands and categories for Smithfield Foods, the licensee of Skinnygirl Market Fresh Deli, presented the organization with a $1,000 gift card for groceries at Kroger, which will help provide lunch and learn events within the community.

Bethenny has been a long-time supporter of Dress for Success, shining light on the organizations mission of empowering women, and were honored to host her for this event today, said Lisa Nolan, executive director of Dress for Success Cincinnati. This generous donation will go to help further the goals and programs of Dress for Success right here in our community.

Following her Q&A at the organization, Frankel visited Kroger to sign autographs and pose for pictures with 500 adoring fans. Attending guests had the opportunity to meet and interact with the entrepreneur and reality TV star, as well as try the new Skinnygirl Market Fresh Deli line of products.

We are thrilled to welcome Bethenny Frankel to Cincinnati and introduce the new line of Skinnygirl Market Fresh Deli products to our customers, said Margaret McClure, vice president of merchandising for Kroger. At Kroger, our goal is to provide our shoppers with superior products that fit their lifestyle and, with this new line of premium lunchmeats, were giving them a convenient option that doesnt sacrifice flavor.

To learn more about Skinnygirl Market Fresh Deli, visit SkinnygirlLunchMeat.com and connect with Skinnygirl at Facebook.com/Skinnygirlbrand and on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat at @skinnygirlbrand. For more information or to donate to B Strong, visit www.bethenny.com/bstrong.

About Skinnygirl

Founded on the practical, healthy lifestyle expertise of Bethenny Frankel, Skinnygirl provides solutions to womens most common health concerns making the path to healthier living as fun and straightforward as possible. Products are created with distinctly high standards for the best ingredient quality, nutritional content and taste. Skinnygirl empowers women to lead balanced lives by making healthy choices easy. To learn more about Skinnygirl, please visit www.Skinnygirlofficial.com and connect with us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Skinnygirlbrand and on Twitter and Instagram at @skinnygirlbrand.

About Bethenny Frankel

Reality TV star, self-made businesswoman, natural foods chef, five-time New York Times best-selling author, and mom, Bethenny Frankel first came to national attention with her wit, wisdom, and humor when she was named first runner-up on NBC's "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart." Her success on the series led her to Bravos "The Real Housewives of New York City. Bethenny is the Founder & CEO of Skinnygirl, a thriving lifestyle brand featuring products offering women practical solutions to everyday problems, including the first low calorie cocktail brand, non-alcoholic beverages, microwave popcorn, candy, lunch meat selections, coffee, tea, sweeteners and appliances, etc. She most recently added executive producer to her resume with the premier of Food Porn on FYI and the launch of her production company, B Real Productions. She has been named one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities by Forbes magazine.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan's Famous, Farmland, Armour, John Morrell, Cook's, Kretschmar, Gwaltney, Curly's, Margherita, Carando, Healthy Ones, Krakus, Morliny, and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

About The Kroger Co.

The Kroger Mid-Atlantic division operates 121 stores in the region, which includes North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and parts of Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio. The Kroger Co., headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, focuses its charitable efforts on supporting hunger relief, health and wellness initiatives and local organizations in the communities it serves. For more information about Kroger, please visit www.kroger.com.

About Dress for Success

Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to almost 145 cities in 21 countries. To date, Dress for Success has helped more than 925,000 women work towards self-sufficiency. Visit www.dressforsuccess.org to learn more.
The FBI's Trump-Russia investigation has moved into the White House, according to reports that pursued the president as he began his maiden foreign trip, while former FBI director James Comey has agreed to testify before the Senate intelligence committee.

White House hopes that Donald Trump could leave scandalous allegations at home were crushed in a one-two punch of revelations that landed shortly after his departure.

A Washington Post report, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter, said a senior Trump adviser is now considered a "person of interest" in the law enforcement investigation into whether Mr Trump's campaign associates coordinated with Russia in an effort to sway the 2016 election.

And The New York Times reported the president had told Russian diplomats last week his firing of "nut job" James Comey had relieved "great pressure" on him. The White House has said the firing was unrelated to the FBI's Russia investigation.

Late on Friday, the Senate intelligence committee announced that Mr Comey had agreed to testify at an open hearing at an undetermined date after Memorial Day on May 29.

Mr Comey will certainly be asked about encounters that precipitated his firing, including a January dinner in which, Mr Comey has told associates, Mr Trump asked for his loyalty. In the Oval Office weeks later, Mr Comey told associates, the president asked him to shut down an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Mr Comey is known to produce memos documenting especially sensitive or unsettling encounters, such as after the February meeting.

The new headlines were a fresh indication that Mr Trump would not be able to change the subject from what appears to be an intensifying investigation reaching toward the president and his inner circle.

The White House repeated its assertion that a "thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity".

It did not deny the Times report that Mr Trump was critical of Mr Comey to the Russians the day after he fired him.

The Times reported Mr Trump noted the Russia investigation as he told Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak of his decision to fire Mr Comey.

"I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," the Times reported that Mr Trump said during the May 10 meeting. "I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off."

White House spokesman Sean Spicer called the president's rhetoric part of his deal-making.

"By grandstanding and politicising the investigation into Russia's actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia," Mr Spicer said.

"The investigation would have always continued, and obviously the termination of Comey would not have ended it. Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations."

- AP
Melania Trump has raised eyebrows after arriving in Saudi Arabia without a headscarf, two years after her husband criticised then-first lady Michelle Obama for not wearing one in the Muslim country.

Accompanying her husband on his first international trip, Mrs Trump stepped off Air Force One conservatively dressed in long sleeves and trousers to conform to the strict dress code that Saudi Arabia enforces for its female citizens.

But one thing was missing from her black and gold-belted ensemble - a head scarf.

Instead, Mrs Trumps below-the-shoulder brown hair blew freely in the breeze at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

Under the kingdoms strict dress code for women, Saudi women and most female visitors are required to wear a loose, black robe, known as an abaya, in public. Most women in Saudi Arabia also cover their hair and face with a veil known as the niqab.

But covering ones head is not required for foreigners, and some Western women choose to forgo the headscarf. Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel both shunned head coverings during earlier visits.

Mrs Obama did not cover her head when she accompanied then-president Barack Obama on a condolence visit in January 2015 after the death of King Abdullah.

And during her time as first lady, Laura Bush generally went without covering her head, though she once briefly donned a head scarf she received as a gift. Hillary Clinton also did not cover her head on visits to Saudi Arabia.

Nonetheless, Mr Trump, whose long trail of Twitter messages often comes back to haunt him, tweeted his displeasure over Mrs Obamas decision to appear bare-headed in 2015.

"Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted. We have enuf enemies," he tweeted.

Mr Trumps daughter Ivanka, a senior White House adviser who is accompanying her father, also did not cover her head.

AP
Six UK police officers have been praised for saving the life of a man who sliced his nose off while high on drugs.

West Midlands Police described being faced with a "bloodbath" when they arrived at the scene in Newtown, Birmingham, in October last year.

The man, who had taken a synthetic form of cannabis known as Black Mamba, was experiencing an extreme psychotic episode with blood pouring from his face.

Pc Thomas Walker and a colleague, who does not wish to be named, were first on the scene and battled for almost 30 minutes to help the man and stem the blood loss.

Sergeant Jonothan Rattenbury and Pcs Lewis Williams, Chloe Morgan and Harry Matharu also arrived to help restrain the man and carry him down three flights of stairs to the waiting ambulance.

Birmingham Police Inspector Mat Minton said: "I believe the actions of these officers saved the man's life.

"They were met with the sight of someone who'd mutilated himself and was outwardly displaying hostility and aggression towards them. They had to deal with that while trying to provide emergency first aid.

"It's hard to imagine how challenging that scene must have been for the officers who first attended - they did a brilliant job.

"Sgt Rattenberry later described it as a bloodbath and the most gruesome scene he's encountered in 26 years of police service."

We cannot stress enough that Black Mamba is a very dangerous drug that can have catastrophic effects. https://t.co/PQOEBn2a5Q  West Midlands Police (@WMPolice) May 20, 2017

Black Mamba mimics the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive chemical in cannabis.

However, synthetic forms of the drug are more potent than natural cannabis, increasing the risk of harmful side effects - which can include psychotic episodes, convulsions and organ failure.

Black Mamba was reclassified as a Class B controlled drug in 2013 after gaining popularity as a so-called "legal high".

These narcotics were outlawed completely when the Psychoactive Substances Act came into effect a year ago.

Police Superintendent Andy Parsons said: "Some people are still viewing Black Mamba as a low-risk drug substitute and are taking it without any consideration for their safety. But our view is that there is no safe way to use Spice or Mamba.

"The reality is that these psychoactive substances can have catastrophic effects.

"Unscrupulous distributors are making it using dangerous, potent chemicals which can be lethal, while the psychological impact can be devastating and lead people to self-harm or harm others.

"We cannot stress enough that Black Mamba is a very dangerous drug. It is also now illegal to possess synthetic cannabis like Black Mamba and Spice so users could end up with criminal records."
New figures provided by Finance Minister Michael Noonan show a surge in the number of individuals making protected disclosures to the banking regulator.

Mr Noonan said over 40 reports from whistleblowers have been received by the Central Bank this year compared to the 50 recorded in all of 2016. Since new protection for persons making protected disclosures to the Central Bank came into force in August 2013, almost 200 whistleblowers have come forward with their concerns. The legislation also introduced new obligations on certain categories of officials in regulated firms to disclose breaches of financial services legislation to the Central Bank.
NEW YORK, May 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against KBR, Inc. (KBR or the Company) (NYSE:KBR) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, and docketed under 17-cv-01375, is on behalf of a class consisting of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired KBR securities, seeking to recover compensable damages caused by defendants violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.



If you are a shareholder who purchased KBR securities between February 26, 2016 and April 27, 2017, both dates inclusive, you have until July 3, 2017 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll free, ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased.

[Click here to join this class action]

KBR provides professional services and technologies across the asset and program life-cycle within the government services and hydrocarbons industries worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Government Services, Technology & Consulting, and Engineering & Construction.

Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Companys business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the Companys United Kingdom (UK) subsidiaries had violated applicable bribery and corruption laws; and (ii) as a result of the foregoing, KBRs public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On April 28, 2017, the United Kingdoms Serious Fraud Office confirmed that it had opened an investigation into the activities of KBRs UK subsidiaries, their officers, employees and agents for suspected offences of bribery and corruption.

On this news, KBRs share price fell $1.43, or 9.24%, to close at $14.05 on April 28, 2017.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Florida, and Los Angeles, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com
The low-cost Icelandic carrier yesterday launched its year-round Cork-Reykjavik service, which offers connections to 10 destinations across North America, including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Montreal, Miami, New York, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Toronto, and Washington DC.

Wow will operate four weekly flights on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday during the summer season, and three flights a week during the winter.

Fares to Reykjavik start at 59.99 each way, with connecting one-way fares to New York and Boston available yesterday for 160, and to San Francisco from 170.

Wow uses main city airports, with their Boston service flying to Logan Airport and their New York flight landing at Newark Airport.

Cork Airports managing director, Niall MacCarthy, said they are delighted to welcome the airline, founded and led by flamboyant entrepreneur Skuli Mogensen.

Iceland is an amazing and unique country to visit and has become an increasingly popular destination for Irish travellers, he said.

We encourage people to either take two holidays in one, stopping off for a day or two in Iceland en route to the States, or alternatively, grab a coffee in the modern terminal in Reykjavik and jump on a connecting plane to one of the 10 destinations.

On board yesterdays inaugural flight was a group of US and Canadian media, Svana Fridriksdottir, vice president of Wows communications section, and Dana Welsh, Tourism Irelands Canada manager.

Ms Fridriksdottir said Wow is delighted to add Cork Airport to their expanding route network and that Ireland has become a popular destination for Icelanders.

Were confident that our new route to Cork will be very attractive for weekend getaways to see one of Irelands most impressive cities and beautiful coastlines, she said.

Tourism Irelands CEO Niall Gibbons said the new service is really good news for tourism to Cork and for the south of Ireland.

Cork Chamber CEO Conor Healy praised airport management for landing the route.

In light of Brexit, better connectivity across the Atlantic will be particularly important to enable more market diversification, said Mr Healy.
Google Lens, which uses image-recognition technology, was revealed this week by the internet firms CEO Sundar Pichai.

Google Lens is a set of vision-based computing capabilities that can understand what youre looking at and help you take action based on that information, said Mr Pichai.

Users will be able to point their phones camera at a shop front or a heritage site and a Google Maps card will pop up on the screen, inviting them to learn more about the area theyre in.

When your phone camera is pointed at a shopfront, for example, Google Lens will pull up the name of the store, its rating and other business information. It is understood that the when the technology is used via Google Assistant, your phones camera will be able to use the tool to translate languages.

Other abilities include shopping suggestions. During a demonstration of the new technology, a phone camera was pointed at a concert venue. A pop-up then displayed on the screen showing upcoming gigs, where to buy tickets, and an option to add a date to your calendar.

Google Lens will also allow people to join a wifi network by focusing their phone camera on the routers log-in information. The tool is being described as having the ability to turn your camera into a super-intelligent search engine.

No release date has been set but the company said the new tool will be available in coming months.
The Save Cork City group outlined their alternative proposals last night and insisted a tidal barrier, extensive quayside repair, and a raft of upstream measures to slow the flow of the River Lee are right for Cork from a cultural, heritage and economic point of view.

In what is the largest flood defence scheme in the history of the State, the OPW has proposed a combination of measures, including changes to the management of the Inniscarra and Carrigadrohid dams, and the construction of direct flood defences, including embankments on the Lee Fields, in Fitzgeralds Park, as well as raised quay walls along the city centres northern river channel.

But in a detailed 56-page document entitled Potential Cork, the Save Cork City group said the raised quay walls represent a final tipping point in Corks future that would see much of the citys character and potential lost forever.

The raised walls plan is unworkable, costly, 50 years out of date and not adequate to deal with climate change, and they warned it could interfere or interact in unknown ways with the groundwater in the citys complex Lee buried valley gravel aquifer.

They said most people who have seen the OPWs walls plan would prefer a tidal barrier, and the campaigners said they have costed a 910-metre structure at Little Island for 135m, based on construction and maintenance costs over 50 years.

A tidal barrier causes no disturbance to the current river landscape in the city or to the city economy during construction, they said.

Flooding on Carrigrohane Road and the Lee Fields area in Cork

Once in place, the group said work could start on the repair and reinstatement of the quay walls  a gentle intervention that would reveal and reinforce the historic city environment.

And they said management of the entire Lee catchment would include tree planting, wetland restoration, water diversion, attenuation, reinstatement of ditches and alteration of land drainage methods in cooperation with landowners to reduce the flow of the river into the city centre.

The Cork Business Association, which along with Cork Chamber, supports the OPW proposals, said they will await the outcome of the OPWs consultation process where more than 1,000 submissions will be considered.

Meanwhile, Cork County Council confirmed yesterday that it has submitted an application to seek approval from An Bord Pleanala for the proposed Douglas Flood Relief Scheme along parts of the Douglas River, the Grange Stream, and the Tramore River at Togher and St Patricks Mills, Douglas.

The works include walls and embankments; new culverts; replacement, widening and extension of existing culverts; channel widening, deepening, realignment and regrading.
Mindaugas Janusaukas, a 64-year-old Lithuanian who has been living in Ireland for 14 years, was found guilty of punching Ilona Daukantiene at the home she was then sharing with her husband, Jonas Daukantas, in Kinsale on November 4, 2015.

Bandon District Court heard that Ms Daukantiene and Mr Daukantas had been married 33 years at the time of the incident but were also separated yet still living in the same apartment when the assault occurred.

Solicitor for Mr Mindaugas, Eamon Fleming, said the situation had been like a Russian novel.

Judge James McNulty heard evidence from Ms Daukantiene that she had been working two jobs at the time the assault occurred and had come home and gone to bed.

She said that her husband and the defendant had returned to the flat to drink and she alleged that Mr Mindaugas came into her room looking for cigarettes. She told the court that she said she did not have any and needed to get up at 6am for work.

She said she later went into the kitchen to make tea and said to the men that they should stop drinking. She claimed Mr Mindaugas then twice threatened her, telling her to get out or he would punch her.

She said he then struck her in the face with his fist. Ms Daukantiene then left the flat and went to Kinsale Garda station. The court was told that she used the out-of-hours call service since the station was closed and gardai from Bandon responded.

She went to the doctor the next day and medical notes from that visit and a second visit to the doctor some days later noted that she had a swollen jaw which had a bruise consistent with the history given.

She still had pain and tenderness at the time of the second visit while garda photographs of her injuries taken at the station when she reported the incident were also shown to the judge.

Ms Daukantiene denied assertions on behalf of the defendant that it was her husband who had asked about the cigarettes or that she had been angry and had used abusive language towards the men.

She also denied that she had scratched the defendants face and that instead of him punching her, the pair had grappled in the kitchen.

The court heard that, in the statement she made to gardai, Ms Daukantienes husband was alleged to have laughed and said very good, very good when the defendant struck her.

Mr Mindaugas denied that he had punched Ms Daukantiene and admitted that the men had shared a bottle of wine earlier at his house before going to Mr Daukantasa home, where he said they both had three whiskeys.

He and Mr Daukantas denied they were drunk and the defendant claimed the scratches he had received had faded after two days.

Judge McNulty noted inconsistencies between the versions of events given by the two men and said that the court was satisfied that Ms Daukantiene was a credible witness. He also noted that, in his evidence, Mr Daukantas said I did not see the punch.

Of Mr Mindaugas, he said: The court has no doubt about his guilt.

He sentenced him to six months in prison, which was subsequently appealed.
Following advice from the Health Service Executive, Irish Water, and Cork County Council issued a boil water notice yesterday for the area supplied by the Millstreet public water supply.

The areas affected include Millstreet, Ballydaly, Laght, Drishane, and Keale.

In a statement, Irish Water said the notice has been put in place as a precautionary measure to protect approximately 2,500 people served by this supply following the detection of low levels of cryptosporidium in a recent test.

Irish Water has identified this as a vulnerable supply due to the lack of adequate treatment and has been carrying out regular testing of the supply to ensure there was no threat to public health, it said.

Contractors were appointed last month to put in place two ultraviolet disinfection units, micro filters, and ancillary works at the plant at a cost of 210,000 and work has now begun on site to install the system.

This work is expected to be complete in mid-June.

Irish Water advises that water must be boiled for drinking, drinks made with water, and the preparation of salads and other food which are eaten uncooked. It also says boiled water should be used for brushing teeth.

The company apologised for the inconvenience caused by the imposition of the boil water notice, adding: We will continue to monitor the supply and lift the notice as quickly as possible.
Judge Gerard OBrien said yesterday that while there was a lot favourable to the accused, Gavin Clancy, in the probation report, what jumped out of it was that he had prioritised his job over attending to treatment for drug addiction. The judge said this decision was askew in terms of where Clancy found himself at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Sinead Behan said the accused had changed his view on this and was about to commence a 28-day drug treatment programme at Arbour House.
YOU have to admire the way the new first couple of France has come out ahead of the posse to fend off comments about the 24-year difference in their ages.

Newly elected president Emmanuel Macron said it was misogynist to think he could not be in love with his wife, Brigitte Trogneux, just because he is 39 and she is 64. If he does nothing more in his presidency, that in itself is a worthwhile message to hammer home. Allez, Monsieur Macron.

Mr Macron also said that nobody would question the validity of their relationship if he were 24 years older than his wife.

Theres been a rush to agree with him on that point. Many have turned to his counterpart in the US as evidence. Look at the age difference between US President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, who is 23 years his junior; nobody thinks that strange, or so the argument goes.

But that is not quite true, is it? I, for one, think its very strange that a woman such as Melania could be attracted to a man like Donald Trump. I doubt Im the only one, but lets not get personal.

Thats the problem when you start to allow public scrutiny of private lives  it gets very personal, very quickly, and not in a good way.

Witness the uncomfortable conversation about how Mr Macron met his wife  he was a 15-year-old schoolboy when he fell for his teacher, a 40-year-old married mother of three.

If you turned the gender tables on that story  15-year-old girl falls for 40-year-old male teacher  many more eyebrows would be raised. (Yet more proof that the way we consider the behaviour of men and women is inconsistent and hypocritical.) As it is, a new book by Figaro journalist Anne Fulda about how the young Macrons parents tried to prevent the match is playing into our insatiable desire for tittle-tattle. What emerges, however, is more a story of enduring love. Apparently, Emmanuel Macron went off to Paris to make his fortune and told Brigitte that he would be back to marry her.

They married in 2007, some 14 years after their initial meeting. And they are still together. Scandaleux.

It would be interesting to see the coverage if a similar political relationship emerged here. To be fair, we have been rather Gallic in our tendency to ignore, or at least underplay, the private shenanigans of our politicians.

In France, the infidelity of former president Francois Mitterrand was known about for years but was treated discreetly. When he died in 1996, his wife, his lover, and her daughter all famously mourned him together at the funeral.

Here, former taoiseach Charles Haugheys relationship with social diarist Terry Keane was more of an open secret; one she wrote about with relish in her columns in the Sunday Independent.

The story never ventured outside those columns, as it would have in the UK, until she spoke about it openly on the Late Late Show in 1999.

The reaction to that interview was interesting; many erred on the side of discretion and felt, if not for Haughey himself, for his family.

You would probably have to go back to the story of Charles Stewart Parnell and his long-term relationship with married woman Kitty OShea to find a case where an Irish politicians private life cost them their career.

When Labour junior minister Emmet Stagg was questioned by police in 1994 after being found with a gay man in his parked car in an area of a Dublin park frequented by male prostitutes, the public anger instead focused on the police officer who leaked the story.

The junior minister had done nothing illegal. There was a frenzy in the tabloids, but the man was allowed to go on with his job  and his life. I remember feeling proud to be Irish at the time.

Restraint, alas, has become a thing of the past, in France at least. Perhaps it started with Nicholas Sarkozy, whose presidental term began with a divorce from his second wife and, later, his marriage to pop star Carla Bruni.

Thats celeb gold in any language, and what the French call the people or celebrity press jumped on the story. It helped that the president was fond of bling and media attention, but a Rubicon had been crossed.

His term was followed by Francois Hollande, a man with a complicated personal life. Remember those paparazzi photographs of him zooming towards his lover on the back of a scooter?

The magazine Closer ran a seven-page expose on his alleged tryst with actress Julie Gayet. The French public was offended, not by Hollandes behaviour, but by the magazines indiscretion.

When the former president refused to answer questions about his private life, three in four people said he was absolutely right to do so.

Lets hope that the fuss about the new French president and his wife is just a giddy response to the inauguration of a new first couple.

If no laws are being broken and no public money passes hands (nepotism included), a politicians private life should remain private.

The blurring of the private and professional doesnt do anybody any favours  it plays into the hands of those who would have us focus on the image rather than the reality.

For instance, what has been added to the body of universal knowledge after all that press analysis of the amazing coincidence that the First Lady of the US, Melania Trump, and the First Lady of France, Brigitte Trogneux, both wore powder-blue at their husbands inaugurations?

Ironically, Spin, a French political drama series about the political workings of the Elysee Palace finished last night on More4. The shows scandal was that the presidents young lover was pregnant and he wanted to divorce his wife. His older, childless wife. How very old hat.

If we can learn anything from the beginning of the Macron presidency, it is this. The untidy business of relationships is complex, nuanced  and, quite frankly, none of our business.
Every weekday before dawn, a migration takes place near the desert on Africas south-western coast.

At 5.30am in the Namibian enclave of Swakopmund, whose century-old buildings still bear the imprint of German colonisation, solitary men in khaki uniforms emerge from houses and apartment complexes.

They are not African but Chinese. No one else is stirring in the Atlantic coast town as the men converge on a house on Libertina Amathila Avenue.

Dylan Teng, a boyish 29-year-old engineer, is among the last to arrive. Just as he has done nearly every day since landing in Namibia three-and-a-half-years ago, Teng joins the others in wolfing down a breakfast of steamed buns and rice porridge.

At precisely 6am he boards a bus emblazoned with the letters CGN - China General Nuclear, a state-owned behemoth that owns the biggest Chinese project in all of Africa.

An hour later the bus descends to the Husab Uranium Mine, a 4.6bn investment. Teng has made this trip nearly a thousand times, but Husab always seems like a mirage: a virtual city stretching 11km across the desert floor, from two vast open pits being gouged out of the rocky substratum to a processing plant that, on the last working day of 2016, produced its first drums of the yellowcake that can be used to generate nuclear power (and also to make weapons).

One of the few university graduates from his village in Chinas southwestern Sichuan province, Teng is keenly aware of Husabs significance. It is not simply a lifeline for Namibias struggling economy, one that the country estimates will increase its gross domestic product by 5% when the mine reaches full production next year.

The uranium itself, almost all of which will go to China, will also help turn Tengs homeland into a world leader in nuclear energy. In Beijing, where he worked before coming here, Teng lived under the gray blanket of coal-generated pollution.

Now he is working for the future  his own and his countrys  under an African sky of cobalt blue. I never imagined I would end up halfway around the world, he says.

Chinas gravitational pull can be felt today in every nook of the globe. Few countries feel the tug more strongly than Namibia, a wind- swept nation with a population of 2.4 million.

The desert where the Husab mine has materialised in recent years used to be known only for the presence of Welwitschia mirabilis, the national plant that can live for more than 1,000 years. Now, in little more than 1,000 days, Chinas reach has spread far beyond the uranium mine.

The Husab Uranium Mine in Namibia

Just north of Swakopmund, a Chinese telemetry station sprouts from the desert floor, its radar dishes pointing skyward to track satellites and space missions.

Forty kilometres south, in Walvis Bay, a state-owned Chinese company is building an artificial peninsula as part of a vast port expansion. Other Chinese projects nearby include new highways, a shopping mall and a 400m fuel depot.

Driven by economics (a hunger for resources and new markets) and politics (a longing for strategic allies), Chinese companies and workers have rushed into all parts of the world.

In 2000, only five countries counted China as their largest trading partner; today, more than 100 countries do. Even as Chinas boom slows down, its most ambitious scheme is still ramping up:

With the One Belt, One Road initiative, President Xi Jinping has spoken of putting 1.6tn over the next decade into infrastructure and development throughout Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

For a nation like Namibia, Chinas pitches can be irresistible partly because theyre rooted in historical solidarity. Beijing backed the black nationalist movements liberation struggle against apartheid and its white South African overlords.

Sam Nujoma, the leader of the South West Africa Peoples Organization (SWAPO), visited Beijing in search of guns and funds in the early 1960s. When Namibia finally claimed independence in early 1990, China became one of its first diplomatic allies.

Besides direct investments like the Husab mine, China provides no-strings financing that, unlike Western aid, is not conditional on such fine points as human rights or fiscal restraint.

We welcomed China very much because, for the first time, it gave us a real alternative to a Western-driven agenda, whether it was South Africa or the Western world, Calle Schlettwein, Namibias minister of finance, told me.

The Chinese say, we want you to be masters of your own destiny, so tell us what you want. However, they have their conditions, too, he says.

They want de facto total control over everything, so its difficult to bring about a situation that is truly beneficial.

Chinas leaders say its influence is entirely benign. And indeed, many of the projects Chinese companies are pursuing  roads and railways, ports and pipelines  might never be built without them.

Chinas investment in the Husab uranium mine, in which CGN subsidiaries hold a 90% stake and the Namibian government owns 10%, is doing its part to stave off a recession.

We helped Namibia gain its political liberation, Xia Lili, a former Chinese diplomat who now works as an executive at a Chinese company in Windhoek, the Namibian capital, says.

Now were helping it fight for economic emancipation.

For some Namibians, however, the flood of Chinese loans and investments doesnt look so much like freedom as it does a new form of colonialism. The infrastructure is welcome, but as projects financed by the Chinese loans they have saddled the economy with debt.

Over the last few months, moreover, a series of scandals involving Chinese nationals  including tax evasion and poaching endangered wildlife  has soured locals on a foreign presence that can seem largely extractive: pulling uranium, rhino horns and profits out the country without benefiting a population that ranks among the most unequal economically in the world.

The sign on the lime green cement wall outside the restaurant, written in Chinese, read Ye Shanghai: Shanghai Nights.

Inside, six middle-aged Chinese men and women  including James Shen and his wife, Rose, the proprietors  crowded around a table peeling prawns and sucking heartily on the shells.

Blaring from the television on the wall was a special report on CCTV-4, a channel from Chinas state television broadcaster, describing the powers of the Peoples Liberation Army.

The couples restaurant is in Walvis Bay, a port surrounded on three sides by the Namib Desert. James and Rose are part of the early wave of Chinese immigrants who landed in Africa 20 years ago and never left.

My husband came to look at business here, and he fell in love with the wide-open spaces, Rose told me. But were still Chinese first and foremost.

The Husab Uranium Mine in Namibia: China has invested 4.6bn for its nuclear power industry.

Like many Chinese immigrants around the world, the couple began by opening a small shop, filling the shelves with cheap clothes, shoes and bags shipped by container from China. Their store, James and Rose, still stands at a central intersection of Walvis Bay, even as their ventures have expanded to include a hotel, a restaurant, a karaoke bar, a massage parlour and a trading company. Today there are such Chinese-run stores in nearly every town in Namibia. One of the most influential Chinese immigrants in Namibia, Jack Huang, parlayed a small textile business into a mining, real estate and trade conglomerate. A 49-year-old native of Nantong, a city located about two hours northwest of Shanghai, Huang moved to Namibia nearly two decades ago.

Huangs success has come, in part, from cultivating connections with Namibias political elite. SWAPO, the guerrilla-group-turned-political-party, has dominated Namibias elections since its independence. Huang has referred to Nujoma, Namibias founding father, as my special adviser.

During the 2014 election campaign, Huang and the SWAPO candidate Hage Geingob (then the prime minister, now the president) attended a gala dinner at which, according to local reporting, the Chinese businessman pledged Geingobs political party a donation of 1 million Namibian dollars  about 90,000. (Huang denies this.)

Huangs friends prefer to emphasise how much he has given back to his host country through his charity, the Namibia-China Loving Heart Organisation. (Huang was out of the country at the time of my visit, but he authorised two deputies to speak with me on his behalf.)

Last year, however, the local media revealed that before Geingob was elected president in 2014, Huang was the owner of a majority stake in a real estate venture whose only other shareholders are Geingobs family trust and ex-wife. The men tried to distance themselves from each other in the press.

Still, Huangs friends worry about his courting of the powerful. I kept warning Jack, says one businessman who occasionally socialises with Huang. Dont get too close to the fire. Youll burn your fingers.

As a load-and-haul engineer at the Husab mine, Teng helps choreograph 26 gargantuan trucks. So far, the trucks have hauled more than 100 million metric tons of rock out of Husabs open pits.

As production increases this year, far more will be needed to process the 15 million pounds of uranium oxide that the mine aims to produce annually. The pressure is always on to stockpile enough so the processing plant never runs out of rock, Teng says.

As its economy has slowed recently and commodity prices have plunged, China has sharply reduced some of its imports, causing a few boom areas, like Western Australia, to go bust.

With uranium prices at less than half their level before the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Namibias two other active uranium operations have stopped digging up rock and process only already-stockpiled material. However, Husab forges ahead, hiring many of the hundreds of workers laid off at those other mines.

There is a simple reason that CGN can afford to ramp up production at Husab: It is selling most of the uranium to itself, the Chinese state, so price is almost irrelevant. An even bigger reason is Chinas ambition both to reduce its carbon emissions and to become a world leader in nuclear power.

Nearly 88% of Chinas energy now comes from fossil fuels, only 1% from nuclear power. (Solar, wind and hydropower account for the remaining 11%.) To reach its clean-energy goals China has put nuclear power back on an almost impossibly fast track.

The country now has 37 nuclear reactors, with another 20 under construction, and it aims to have 110 reactors by 2030. This rate of growth, six new plants each year, would catapult China past the United States as the worlds top nuclear power, but it also raises concerns at home and abroad about whether Chinas safety standards can keep pace.

CGN did not allow me to visit the mine or interview its managers, claiming that they were too busy increasing production. To get a glimpse of the complex, I drove down a back road to the highland plain where the Welwitschia mirabilis grow, near Husabs back gate.

Before construction began at Husab in 2013, the company transplanted four rare Welwitschia specimens that would have been destroyed  a symbolic gesture in a country that reveres the ancient plant.

Since then, CGN has seemed eager to dispel the uncaring reputation that Chinese state-owned companies have earned: It has made donations to drought victims, offered scholarships to local engineering students and, in a first for a Chinese company in Namibia, even invited a local labour union to set up shop at the mine site.

Husab is a tangible, direct investment, but most Chinese projects in Namibia and around the world are financed by soft loans that carry risks. Last year, China established a new 60bn fund to finance infrastructure projects in Africa, mostly with Chinese lending.

The projects can be essential, but most of the loans stipulate that a Chinese state-owned company must take the lead, ensuring that the work and profits are kept largely in the Chinese family. Countries like Namibia are left holding the debt.

Schlettwein, the finance minister, told me, I dont think those are real investments, but opportunities latched onto by Chinese enterprises without really adding value to the Namibian economy.

Such criticism irritates Chinese business owners and diplomats, who point out that Chinese companies have invested more than 5bn in Namibia and now employ more than 6,000 Namibians.

Were here to do business on an equal footing with the locals, says Xia Lili, the former diplomat who is deputy general manager of Huangs Sun Investment Group and secretary-general of the Namibia-China Loving Heart Organisation.

We bring in money to establish mines and factories. Who benefits? The Namibians. Did the Western powers ever do this? Not nearly as much. So this talk of new colonialism is untrue.

Namibia is starting to push back. Last year the government pulled out of a 570m loan agreement with a state-owned Chinese company to expand the Windhoek airport.

Then in September, as sluggish growth and other foreign loans pushed Namibias debt to over 40% of its GDP, the government suspended all new loan tenders. Schlettwein says the freeze was an act of belt-tightening, not a move specifically targeting China.

Xi Jinping: 1.6tn investment in Africa, Asia and Mideast.

Nevertheless, he says: It sends out a signal that Namibian interests are not to be trampled on indiscriminately. It sends a signal that our relationship must mature.

One morning in late December, the Namibian conservation biologist Chris Brown was working in his Windhoek office when he heard a banging at the gate. Rushing out, he found two angry Chinese men in button-down shirts: the first and second secretaries from the Chinese embassy.

One of them threw a letter through the gate, Brown says, and shouted: These are lies! You are making China look bad in the eyes of the world! The pages were the same ones Brown hand-delivered to the Chinese embassy two days before  and then sent to other diplomatic missions, media outlets and international organisations.

Signed by 45 local environmental groups, including Browns own Namibian Chamber of Environment, the letter blamed Chinese nationals for a sharp surge in the commercial poaching of wildlife in Namibia  and excoriated the embassy for doing little to stop it.

Over the last two years, Namibia has lost nearly 200 elephants and endangered rhinos to poaching. In November, a Chinese smuggler was caught in the Johannesburg airport with 18 rhino horns  all from Namibia. (Rhino-horn powder is an ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine that is believed to strengthen the immune system.)

China is not the only culprit in the 19bn illegal wildlife trade. However, its growing hunger for the exotic and dubiously curative is devastating worldwide populations of rhinos and elephants, sharks and tigers.

Huang Hongxiang, a former journalist from China who investigated ivory and rhino-horn poaching in Namibia, has started a Kenya-based nonprofit organisation, China House, to help Chinese companies and communities engage in wildlife conservation as a form of corporate social responsibility.

In a lot of global environmental issues, Chinese are part of the problem, so they have to be part of the solution he says.

Three months after Browns letter provoked the indignant response, the Chinese embassy hosted a meeting of Namibian activists and some 60 Chinese business leaders. Besides trumpeting Chinas recent ban on all ivory sales, the acting ambassador, Li Nan, denounced poaching and lectured Chinese nationals about obeying Namibian law.

Huang also spoke out against poaching, but a different kind of dragnet was closing around him. On February 1, the tycoon and four others (three of them Chinese) were arrested at Windhoeks international airport for their participation in a supposed tax-fraud scheme that netted nearly 300m  the largest case in Namibian history.

The arrests were part of a two-year investigation into more than 30 Chinese companies accused of concealing illegal earnings. While in custody, Huang reportedly tried to contact Geingob, but his business partner declined to help.

In mid-February, soon after Huangs release on 75,000 bail, he claimed that the tax-fraud case against him was based on outdated information. Xia, his deputy at Sun Investment, told me that Huang divested from Golden Phoenix, a company named in the case, more than eight years ago, but that the transaction had not been entered into the official computer system. When this trial is over, Huang may file lawsuits against those who attacked his businesses, Xia says.

As the afternoon sun weakens over the Husab Uranium Mine, most of the 2,000 or so Namibian workers return to their desert barracks. Teng and the other Chinese engineers board buses for the ride back to Swakopmund. After sharing another Chinese meal together, the men disperse. Teng walks back to his apartment, where he will spend a few hours on his computer doing administrative and supervisory tasks.

Our real secret is that we work 12-hour days while everybody else works eight, Teng says.

Saving more in Namibia than he could in China, Teng has built a tidy nest egg. In 2014, when a CGN delegation from China visited Husab, Teng chatted with one of the two women in the group. Online flirting ensued. In January, Teng returned from a trip to China with a ring on his finger. Hed married the visitor  mission accomplished. Tengs other goal has not yet been achieved. He wants to see Husab reach its full potential next year, fuelling Chinas continued rise.

The Chinese migrants who have gone out into the world, the risk-takers who have found spots in Asia, Latin America and Africa, are as diverse as China itself: young and middle-aged, unschooled and highly educated. They are not a monolith.

What binds these individuals together is an abiding belief that their presence overseas is making China better and stronger. This shared conviction, as much as the state that has nurtured it, is what makes China a colossus, a nation that can be seen by others, in the same instant, as a blessing and a curse.

Brook Larmer is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine. Adapted from an article that originally appeared in The New York Times Magazine
And it was case of blinding them with fancy buns and hipster coffee as Leo Varadkar formally announced he would be putting himself forward to become the next leader of Fine Gael.

Calling a media briefing on Leo Avenue, just off Leo St, located in the Dublin constituency of his birth  which he was keen to point out  a laid-back Leo sauntered down the red-brick-terraced street clutching a tray of coffees.

As the sun beamed down, his star appeal was further cemented by the fact that he had another shining figure, Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Paschal Donohoe, by his side.

Leo cupcakes were used to appease the press pack, kept waiting 30 minutes for Leo Varadkar to brief them.

Donohoe described Varadkar as the most capable politician of my generation.

He was among a string of Fine Gael TDs who were yesterday rolled out via the airwaves and Twitter streams to declare support for Varadkar to become the next leader of Fine Gael.

This list included Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan, junior ministers Patrick ODonovan and Paul Kehoe, chief whip Regina Doherty, as well as TDs Tony McLoughlin, Fergus ODowd, Tom Neville, and John Deasy.

Varadkar seemed to have already grasped the concept of taoiseach time as he arrived almost 30 minutes late for the press briefing, perhaps hoping coffee and buns  adorned by a chocolate Leo logo  would sweeten up the pack of waiting journalists.

Laying out his stall, he thanked all of the people who had so far gone public in endorsing him and said he was humbled by the support.

He will formally launch his campaign in Dublin today before taking it around the country  and was eager to point out that he was looking forward to the hustings.

Leo Varadkar with his biggest supporter to date, Paschal Donohoe, on Leo Street in Dublin.

For the first time, councillors and around 20,000 grassroots members will have a weighted vote in the leadership election  andVaradkar wanted to point out that this had been all down to him.

It was my proposal back as an early member in my early 20s, said Varadkar, adding that all members should have their say.

Humble as ever, Varadkar denied the contest was over, despite his growing list of high profile supporters. Its day two of a 16-day contest. It started very well and I am really humbled by the level of support that I received.
Dallas, TX (SMU), May 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The SMU Cox School of Business honored six alumni at the schools annual Distinguished Alumni and Outstanding Young Alumni Awards Luncheon on Friday, May 19. Three Distinguished Alumni Awards and three Outstanding Young Alumni Awards were presented at a luncheon ceremony in the Collins Executive Center on the SMU campus. Award nominations are submitted to the SMU Cox Alumni Association for consideration by a selection committee.

This years Distinguished Alumni honorees are, in alphabetical order: Peter T. Dameris, BBA 82; Kirk L. Rimer, MBA 89; and Liz Youngblood, MBA 05. Outstanding Young Alumni honorees are: Amber Venz Box, BA 09; Baxter Box, MBA 11; and Vik Thapar, MBA 09.

SMU Cox Distinguished Alumni 2017

Peter T. Dameris (BBA82), CEO of On Assignment, Inc., is responsible for overseeing company growth as a leading provider of staffing services in the technology, creative, healthcare technology and life sciences sectors. Since Dameris joined On Assignment in 2003, annual revenue has grown from $200 million to more than $2.4 billion. Fortune Magazine ranked On Assignment the nations third fastest growing company in 2014 and the fourth fastest growing company in 2015. In 2012, Staffing Industry Analysts ranked it the countrys second largest IT staffing company.

Kirk L. Rimer (MBA 89) is a principal and co-head of Crow Holdings Capital-Investment Partners, which functions as an outsourced investment office for a select group of partner families. Since joining CHC-Investment Partners in 2011, Rimer has played an integral role in building the firms investment strategy and expanding its partner base. Before CHC, he spent 21 years at Goldman Sachs, working with individual investors and corporations on risk management and equity investments.

Liz Youngblood (MBA 05) serves as CEO of the University of Mississippi Medical Center  Adult Hospitals. She is a veteran senior health care executive whos held leadership roles in for-profit, nonprofit and academic health care systems. Before she moved into healthcare leadership, she began her career as a nurse, working with thoracic and general surgery patients. Youngblood is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. She has an extensive background in health care strategy, operations, coordination of care, and operational improvement.

SMU Cox Outstanding Young Alumni 2017

Amber Venz Box (BA 08) is the president and co-founder  with Baxter Box  of rewardStyle, the largest global monetization platform for top-tier style influencers and retail brands. She co-conceptualized and launched rewardStyle at age 23. As the creative visionary behind the company, Venz Box set the tone for rewardStyles mission-driven approach to empower content creators growth and development. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communication and Public Affairs at the Meadows School of the Arts in 2008.

Baxter Box (MBA 01) is CEO and co-founder  with Amber Venz, now Amber Venz Box  of rewardStyle, the worlds largest monetization platform for top-tier style influencers and retail brands. Baxter began his career as an engineer and investor in several early-stage technology start-ups. The same year he completed his MBA, Amber Venz and Baxter Box conceptualized an effective way to monetize the content of fashion blogs. The company represents one of the most influential and measureable marketing platforms worldwide, with over a million brands and retailers in network.

Vik Thapar (MBA 09) is a principal with Cypress Growth Capital. He has more than 18 years of experience spanning venture capital, private equity and information technology consulting. With the Cypress team, he is responsible for all aspects of the investment lifecycle, from identifying promising companies to providing ongoing support to portfolio companies. While working toward his MBA at Cox, he changed careers, moving from technology consulting to venture capital and private equity. He serves on the Board of Directors of TeXChange, the Southwest Venture Forum at SMU Cox, the U.S.-India Chamber of Commerce and the University of Texas at Dallas Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

SMU Cox Distinguished Alumni must hold: an undergraduate or graduate degree from SMU; a position of distinction in the business community; demonstrate outstanding career success; be active civic leaders and community partners; and be involved with SMU and the Cox School through activities and contributions. Those recognized as SMU Cox Outstanding Young Alumni must meet the same criteria, but can be no more than 40 years of age at the time of the awards luncheon. Nominations for either honor may be sent to Kevin Knox, assistant dean of external relations and executive director of the SMU Cox Alumni Association at kknox@cox.smu.edu.

About SMU Cox

The SMU Cox School of Business (smu.edu/cox), originally established in 1920 on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and was named in honor of benefactor Edwin L. Cox in 1978. SMU Cox is a nationally and internationally ranked business school with undergraduate (BBA) majors in accounting, finance, financial consulting, general business, management, marketing, real estate finance and concentrations in energy management, entrepreneurship, real estate finance and risk management and insurance. The Cox School offers four Master of Business Administration programs including the Executive MBA (EMBA) and Full-Time MBA, Fast Track MBA, and Professional MBA (PMBA), with concentrations in accounting, finance, general business, information technology and operations management, management, marketing, real estate and strategy and entrepreneurship. The school also offers the JD/MBA with Dedman School of Law; MA/MBA with Meadows School of the Arts; Specialized Masters of Science (MS) programs in Accounting, Business Analytics (Full and Part-Time), Finance, and Management; Sport Management and Health Promotion Management with Simmons School of Education and Human Development; and Engineering/MBA and MS in Engineering Entrepreneurship with the Lyle School of Engineering. For professionals not seeking a degree, SMU Cox Executive Education and multiple certificate programs cover a broad range of disciplines. The Cox School of Business maintains an active alumni network globally.

###

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7be7583c-5270-4144-b2c4-5c3e23370559

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b47de0a6-b597-43c0-9334-0a3fcd0ca28f
McDermott is the only EPCI contractor attending the forum

MOU outlines McDermotts nine initiatives in support of Aramcos In-Kingdom Total Value Add (IKTVA) initiative

MOU further demonstrates McDermotts commitment to Saudi Arabias 2030 vision



RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, May 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- McDermott International, Inc. (NYSE:MDR) announced today it signed another memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Saudi Aramco to expand and develop the companys physical and human capital within Saudi Arabia as part of Aramcos In-Kingdom Total Value Add (IKTVA) initiative.

The MOU was signed as part of the first ever Saudi-U.S. CEO Forum. McDermott was the only engineering, construction, procurement, and installation (EPCI) services contractor attending the summit along with other major U.S. business leaders. The forum was organized to coincide with U.S. President Donald Trumps visit to Saudi Arabia. At the forum, Saudi ministers and CEOs from major U.S. companies met to discuss expanding business between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

The MOU demonstrates McDermotts support of Saudi Arabias Vision 2030 and Aramcos IKTVA program. The Company has committed to a nine-initiative plan to increase its contribution to the countrys localization efforts and aid Saudi Aramco in meeting its 2021 objectives. McDermott plans to increase the number of Saudi nationals in its Middle East workforce to 40 percent by 2030.

Todays announcement enhances our deep-rooted relationship with Saudi Aramco, our largest customer, and further demonstrates our commitment to Saudi Arabia and its vision, said David Dickson, President and Chief Executive Officer of McDermott. As part of our global strategy to enhance our capabilities and deepen customer relationships, this MOU strengthens our long-term plans to transition our Middle East operations to Saudi Arabia, which we believe positions us competitively in the regional market."

McDermotts nine-initiative plan expands the Companys local supply chain, develops full-scale fabrication and marine facilities and moves area operations to Saudi Arabia and provides career training and development opportunities for highly-skilled Saudi nationals.

These initiatives underpin our long-term goal to significantly grow our business not just in Saudi Arabia, but regionally, said Linh Austin, McDermotts Vice President, Middle East and Caspian. This also builds on our recent efforts to increase Saudi Arabian-based fabrication and engineering through the opening of our new yard in Dammam and office in Al Khobar, as well as locally-sourced procurement.

McDermott believes the potential value of the MOU is approximately $2.8 billion USD and will create up to 2,000 jobs over the next several years.

Saudi Aramco launched the IKTVA program in 2015 to expand Saudi Arabian-based business operations to help drive domestic value creation and maximize long-term economic growth, diversification, job creation and workforce development to support a rapidly changing local economy.

McDermott has extensive experience offshore Saudi Arabia, having worked in the region for more than 50 years.

About McDermott

McDermott is a leading provider of integrated engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI), front-end engineering and design (FEED) and module fabrication services for upstream field developments worldwide. McDermott delivers fixed and floating production facilities, pipelines, installations and subsea systems from concept to commissioning for complex Offshore and Subsea oil and gas projects to help oil companies safely produce and transport hydrocarbons. Our customers include national and major energy companies. Operating in approximately 20 countries across the world, our locally focused and globally integrated resources include approximately 13,500 employees, a diversified fleet of specialty marine construction vessels, fabrication facilities and engineering offices. We are renowned for our extensive knowledge and experience, technological advancements, performance records, superior safety and commitment to deliver. McDermott has served the energy industry since 1923, and shares of its common stock are listed on the New York Stock Exchange. To learn more, visit our website at www.mcdermott.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

In accordance with the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, McDermott cautions that statements in this press release which are forward-looking, and provide other than historical information, involve risks, contingencies and uncertainties that may impact McDermott's actual results of operations. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about: McDermotts commitments to Saudi Arabias Vision 2030 and IKTVA program; the details regarding the transactions contemplated by the MOU; the expected benefits to be derived from the MOU; our beliefs with respect to competitive positioning in the Middle East market; the number of Saudi nationals that will comprise McDermotts Middle East workforce; the expected timing and results of implementing McDermotts IKTVA plan; and McDermotts beliefs with respect to the potential value and job creation resulting from the MOU. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Those statements are made by using various underlying assumptions and are subject to numerous risks, contingencies and uncertainties, including, among others: our inability to successfully execute on our IKTVA plan, adverse changes in the markets in which we operate or credit markets, the effects of competition, actions of third parties and changes in conditions and other factors affecting our industry. If one or more of these risks materialize, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected. For a more complete discussion of these and other risk factors, please see McDermott's annual and quarterly filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. This press release reflects management's views as of the date hereof. Except to the extent required by applicable law, McDermott undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement.
Get unlimited access to all content and features at ivpressonline.com with our Full Online Access Subscription. Read our E-Edition, the digital replica of the print newspaper online, access content in exclusive sections including Family, Teen, Business, Databases, Farm and more. This option does not include daily home delivery of the Imperial Valley Press newspaper. For home delivery service, please select Premium or Premium Plus.
Chicago, IL, May 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) is proud to announce the winners of this years Military Foodservice Awards (see full list below). The awards program aligns with the NRAEFs commitment to support America's armed forces and veterans through training and post-duty employment.

During the 2017 National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show, individuals and teams were honored at the Military Foodservice Awards gala dinner and ceremony for their commitment to foodservice excellence in management effectiveness, force readiness support, food quality, employee and customer relations, resource conservation, training and safety awareness.

In addition to the Awards ceremony, the honorees participate in a multi-day foodservice training program at Kendall College and attend industry sessions hosted at the NRA Show.

Foodservice members are oftentimes the unsung heroes of the military, and we are honored to annually celebrate individuals who do so much for our country and their installations every day, said Rob Gifford, Executive Vice President of the NRAEF. The NRA, NRA Show and NRAEF have a decades-long partnership to honor excellence in military foodservice, which began in 1957 with the Air Force Hennessy Trophy Awards program. I speak for all of us when I say we are proud to carry on this tradition. To all of the 2017 award recipients, we salute you.

The following installations were recognized as the 2017 Military Foodservice Awards winners:

Winners of the Philip A. Connelly awards:

Winner for the best garrison food operation: Arm Field Support Brigade

Winner for the best active army field kitchen: Echo Troop, 2 nd Squadron, 6 th Cavalry Regiment, 25 th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25 th Infantry Division

Winner for the best Army Reserve Field Kitchen: Headquarters and Headquarters Company 391 st Military Police Battalion

Winner for the best Army National Guard: Echo Company 1/169th Aviation Battalion

Winners of the Marines W.P.T. Hill awards:

Winner for the best military/contractor garrison mess hall: Mess Hall 4417

Winner for the best full food service contracted garrison mess hall: Mess Hall 227

Winner for the best active field mess: II MEF Headquarters Group

Winner for the best reserve field mess: 4th Combat Engineer Battalion

Winners of the Captain Edward F. Ney Memorial Awards:

Award for best aircraft carrier: USS Ronald Regan (CVN 76)

Award for the best small/medium afloat: USS Ashland (LSD 48)

Award for the best large afloat: USS America (LHA 6)

Award for the best large ashore: Mercer Hall Galley

Award for the best small ashore: Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek Fort Story

Award for the best submarine: USS Missouri (SSN 780)

Winners of the Captain David M. Cook food service excellence awards:

Award for the best food service operation small category: USNS Walter S. Diehl (T-AO 193)

Award for the best food service operation medium category: USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4)

Award for the best food service operation large category: USS Emory S. Land (AS-39)

Winners of the 2017 John L Hennessey awards:

Air Force region 1 category winner: Little Rock AFB

Air Force region 2 category winner: Peterson AFP

Winner of the 2017 John L. Hennessey awards for Air Force Reserves: 512 Memorial Affairs Squadron

Winner of the Senior Master Sergeant Kenneth W. Disney food service award:

123rd Force Support Squadron

The John L. Hennessy Award recognizes excellence in foodservice for the Air Force; the W.P.T. Hill Award honors Marine Corps foodservice operations; the Kenneth Disney Award recognizes Air National Guard; the Captain Edward F. Ney honors the Navy; the Philip A. Connelly Foodservice Awards honors the Army; and the Captain David Cook award recognizes the Military Sealift Command. In order to choose the winners for these prestigious awards, representatives from the NRA, NRAEF, and the Society for Foodservice and Hospitality Management travel with senior military officers to installations around the globe on a yearly basis to evaluate foodservice operations.

The Military Foodservice Awards dinner gala and ceremony, as well as the Kendall College training program are sponsored by Sodexo, Aramark, Ecolab, Hobart, BJs Restaurants, New Chef, Rose Packing, Sysco, Hormel, Butterball, Acosta, Ventura Foods, Skip and Gayle Sack, Kitchens to Go and several others.

In addition to recognizing foodservice excellence within the armed forces, the NRA and NRAEF support military hospitality programs and opportunities for veterans through the Armed Forces Forum for Culinary Excellence and training programs at The Culinary Institute of America, as well as through virtual platforms that connect employers in the industry with veteran job seekers.

About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation

As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the industrys training and education, career development and community engagement efforts. The NRAEF and its programs work to attract, empower and advance todays and tomorrows restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include: ProStart  a high-school career and technical education program; Restaurant Ready  partnering with community based organizations to provide opportunity youth with skills training and job opportunities; Military  helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice careers; Scholarships  financial assistance for students pursuing restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees; and, the Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship Project  a partnership with the American Hotel & Lodging Association providing a hospitality apprenticeship program for the industry. For more information on the NRAEF, visit ChooseRestaurants.org.

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7bbef741-b2c7-402d-a6de-01bb4aeda3a9

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9c46cb14-ddbc-4373-97c8-8620b4648cba

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0b2f598c-50e8-47ab-a181-b993e623107c
IT'S the Festival of Transport this weekend on the Isle of Wight, with classic cars, buses, and steam trains galore. There's even a replica of the one of the most famous ships of the discovery age.

Rydabus runs from midday today (Saturday) and from 10am tomorrow (Sunday), with vintage buses from a bygone age touring the Island. Find out more information here

Ride in style and treat yourself to a two course dinner at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway tonight. Take the Sundowner for a trip through the countryside coupled with a carvery at the Calbourne Room.

Book in advance for one of two sittings at either 6pm or 7.45pm. Evening trains run from Havenstreet at 6.30pm, 8pm and 9.30pm.

A replica of one of the the most famous Portuguese ships of the discovery age, Caravel Boa Esperanca, which navigated the Cape of Good Hope in 1488, is in Cowes this weekend. The Caravel Boa Esperanca will be open to from 10am until 7pm today (Saturday) and tomorrow (Sunday).

In Bembridge today (Saturday) is the Bembridge at War exhibition by Bembridge Heritage Society showing how the village has responded to the challenges of wartime.

Comedy fans can enjoy a charity night at the Balcony, Ryde, this evening (Saturday) from 8pm, or you could catch Lee Nelson's show, Serious Joker, at 7.30pm in the Shanklin Theatre

The Isle of Wight Symphony Orchestra is playing at the Medina Theatre tonight (Saturday) at 7.15pm with proceeds going to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance.

Head over to St Lawrence today (Saturday) from 11am for the Garage Gallop , with 17 garage sales running all day, it's like a tabletop sale bonanza with your chance to buy things you didn't even realise you needed.

If you didn't catch the Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe last weekend, now is your final chance with the last two showings today (Saturday) and tomorrow (Sunday) at 2.30pm at the Trinity Theatre, Cowes.

In Steyne Park, Bembridge, tomorrow (Sunday) is the Ford Takeover car show. Starting at 10am there will be 160 Fords on display from classic to modern.


By continuing to browse or by clicking "Accept," you agree to our site's privacy policy.
Mel Pearce, a good old boy who grew up in Winston, will never forget Ava Gardner. She was a beautiful lady, thats for sure, Pearce told me last week.

He knew her close-up as few others did, images in his head ranging from ones of his loving and lovely aunt to those of her remains he hardly recognized in a Smithfield funeral home on a winter day in 1990. She was only 67 but had been weakened by illnesses she bravely fought.

Ive long been stuck on this star from Tarheel roots, infatuated by her magic and wondering at how lightning strikes and sends a select few soaring. Such lightning has been mysterious and awesome for our state as well. And fleeting.

Gardner came from modest means in Johnston County and never forgot her family back in North Carolina, including her sister Myra in Winston, a beauty in her own right, and Myras son Mel. Some of his earliest memories are of the crowds gathered outside their house here, trying to catch a glimpse of the visiting aunt who just wanted to kick back barefoot in blue jeans, in sharp contrast to the elegant character who would soon make her a screen legend, The Barefoot Contessa.

Shed left North Carolina as a teenager, first following her sister Bappie to New York, where her photogenic looks and charisma took her to Hollywood. She made it big in the 1950s, working through a hard-loving, hard-drinking and ultimately doomed marriage to Frank Sinatra, the third and favorite of her marriages, the first to movie star Mickey Rooney, the second to bandleader Artie Shaw.

When Gardner left our state to make it big, Tobacco Road was just that. There was no nurturing avenue for hardworking future stars. But as Gardners light faded and until years past her death, our state stubbornly built its own path. By 2012, whats now known as the UNC School of the Arts in Winston was churning out stars, we had a moneymaking film industry in the Wilmington area and we had films being made across the state, including in our town.

But when Republicans clinched control of the state in 2012, they ended film incentives that had nurtured this industry, replacing it with a watered-down grant program. I believe Gardner would have cursed that weak funding as hard as she would have cursed someone trying to slip her a watered-down drink.

She lived her life on her own terms and spent much of it overseas. But she never forgot her family here, occasionally returning to support Democratic Party causes, including those of her brother, state legislator Jack Gardner.

And during the Vietnam War, when Mel Pearce was serving in the U.S. Naval Reserve and temporarily stationed outside London, Gardner, in the states filming her fine cameo at the end of The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, instructed her housekeeper to open her London condo to Pearce and a buddy. They enjoyed pubs, shows and a wax museum for three weekends.

Later in the war, when news broke that the ship Pearce was serving on had been the site of an accidental turret-gun explosion that killed several men, Gardner called Sinatra, her ex, who in turn called his buddy Spiro Agnew, the vice president, to confirm that Mel was not among the dead.

Gardner had their backs.

Just as Pearce had his aunts back in Smithfield in January 1990. He held his mothers arm and his sisters as they laid Ava to rest by the graves of family members on a rainy day. She had died in London, a world away from Smithfield. Sinatra sent flowers. But few stars, if any, came.

Avas beloved dog, a Pembroke Welsh corgi named Morgan, ended up in the care of her friend Gregory Peck and lived to be 15, Lee Server writes in Ava Gardner: Love Is Nothing, the excellent biography published in 2006.

Mel Pearce, an Elon graduate, has made his own way in the world. He has two good sons. Now retired from business, he recently moved from Winston to Hendersonville.

He stays active in the Smithfield museum dedicated to Ava, and recently donated a rare early recording of Youre My Thrill that Sinatra had made just for her. Pearce keeps in touch with the relatives he shares with Ava in the Smithfield area.

Mel Pearce is 68 now and, he says, feeling every bit of it. Hes one year older than his Aunt Ava was when she died. His mother, father and sister are all gone now, but his brother, Cliff, lives on. Pearce keeps Avas memories alive, just as he does those of the rest of his family.

The lightning strikes for some of us and takes us to the stars. Some, like Ava, will always speak to us from work that will live, hitting universal chords that resonate deep within us. This would be a good year for our legislature to finally recognize that and recommit to our lucrative film industry. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper put film incentives in his proposed budget. The legislature should take him up on that.

Were all special souls, making our own way on this side of eternity and beyond, sustained by the stars and art, love and family.
his weeks event: President Trump defends sharing highly classified information on ISIS with Russians.

Stephen Flynn: 1. Yes, as president, Trump has the right to declassify and share any and all classified information. But every other president was smart enough to keep their mouth shut when it came to handing out secret material to countries that are not allies.

After that, it's back to the cover-up by the staff. Just admit to the press that he screws up and go about your work. He can't fire everyone, at least not all at once.

Linda Hill: 8. President Trump has defended his conversations with other leaders as crucial in the war against ISIS. Was the information considered classified? Yes, according to some sources. Not so fast, people.

President Trump declared that he had an absolute right to share information with foreign leaders concerning terrorism and airline safety. I agree. It befuddles me that the same people who defended Hillary Clinton's sharing of emails (sent through a questionable server) marked with a c (classified) are condemning the president for verbally sharing important information concerning global safety.

Clinton claimed that she didn't know that the c meant classified. That remark, after her many years in government, was huge, but there was no outrage. The media continued to drink her Kool-Aid and promote her.

President Trump is following through on his promise to rid the world of ISIS. If that means sharing information, then I think that, in the interest of global safety, President Trump should be given a bit of leeway.

Clint Johnson: 7. When our own intelligence people in the room dispute The Washington Post's account and the Israelis, supposedly the intelligence source, shrug, this could be fake news 

Steve Lawson: 0. Trump's blunders are occurring almost on a daily basis. This action is one of his worst if not the worst. Classified information has been shared with Russia by presidents in the past but only in extraordinary situations and not before in-house consultations with the intelligence community and other appropriate government officials, plus preparing a script in advance. This act of incompetence was done with a bravado approach by a person that speaks without giving any thought to how his fiascos affect foreign policy, national security, relationships with allies or the safety of our and allied spies. He continues to be an embarrassment to our country.

John Wayne Lambeth: We don't know what was shared. I have faith that nothing would be said or shared by our president to harm our country  Media meltdown is fake. Rate it a 10 for trump, a 1 for media coverage.

Suzanne Carroll: 0. Just what is the president hiding about all of his connections with Russia? This on top of the latest revelation of the president asking former FBI Director James Comey to stop investigating Flynn, his former national security director, is more than suspicious. Thank God we have investigative journalists who seek the truth.

Mike Walker: 1. Apparently a president can share whatever information he chooses, so some of the hue and cry over this is political posturing. Regardless, the wisdom of the sharing is definitely subject to question.

Going further, this issue may be overshadowed by reports of Trump asking James Comey to terminate his investigation into Michael Flynn's Russian contacts. As it stands now, Trump and the White House must truthfully clarify these still muddled matters, as does Comey (why did he not report Trump's alleged interference to the Justice Depart-ment?).

If Trump did indeed attempt to stop the investigation, he is unfit for his office. If he did not, we need, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, less drama emanating from the White House.

Anne Wilson: Score of 1 for endangering the country. Is there no end to the absurdity and danger of this man? Because of my upbringing and respect for the highest office in the land, it grieves me to continue speaking about him in such a disparaging manner.

What is most disturbing about this incident is that the chaos surrounding Trumps most recent breach of security is being fiercely defended by his administration. Its as if there are no checks and balances, and Trump is allowed to botch at will, fire staff at will, collude with Russia at will, and yet his own administration refuses to stop the insanity. It appears that Trump can neither be taught protocol, nor does he learn from mistakes. He claims to have the absolute right to do whatever.

Winston-Salems Sen. Richard Burr is in the prime position to uphold the Constitution, as chairman of the Intelligence Committee, and there is little doubt that Sen. Mark Warner would join him in insisting on an independent investigation. Burr has already announced that this is his last term, so it makes sense for the sake of the country that he take charge, enlisting Warner, and set forth seeking truth.

Now we learn that Trump asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. How long can we afford to limp along, from blunder to blunder?

Linda Petrou: I cannot give this a number as this has become way over the top. It is time for the media to stop their lying and slander of this president. They are reporting things with no sources and reporting on memos that were written for self-serving reasons.

It is evident that the media is going to do what they can to get rid of President Trump. There was even cheering in The Washington Post newsroom when its story hit.

This has got to end. Don't they know or don't they care what they are doing to this country? Personally I think they don't care. They are not doing their job. They are calling all the president's men liars. They are out to totally destroy this man who beat the establishment candidate.

Hayes McNeill: 0.Though born a century ago, Will Rogers still offers keen insight into our politics. Consider these quips: There are men running governments who shouldnt be allowed to play with matches, and It is better for someone to think you are a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

Just sayin.

Tony Gagliardi: 0. From what I heard today, there is no factual basis for the story. I assume you are quoting The Washington Post.

National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster says that there were no secrets shared, only things that were commonly known elsewhere. Why is everyone so concerned about what Trump did or did not share? You all didn't care when President Obama and Hillary Clinton shared what were secrets during his tenure and gave away rights to nuclear materials to Russia. There are so many lies being distributed by the media and the anti-Trump people no one knows what to believe.

Jim Monroe: 5. The president doesn't have a security clearance. He can be told anything that he asks for or needs to know. Technically, as he has said, he can determine who knows what.

That does not mean what he did (he seems to have admitted it now) was a good idea. It's like when you're told a secret and told not to tell anyone but you do it anyway.

I hope that he will learn at some point when to talk and when to listen. As the old saying goes, sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut and look stupid rather than open your mouth and prove it.

Pat Blankenship: 8. No doubt this is a serious matter involving national security. Do you think Trump told the Russians where ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clintons 30,000 missing emails are located?

Don Witte: 0. Remember: It is Trump first and the U.S.A. second. Stop tweeting. Looks like a fool.

John Harrison: 0. It gets worse by the day. In the course of a week, we have had the Comey firing; followed by intimidating tweets; blabbing confidential information to un-friendly nations; and now a memo purportedly asking the FBI director to stifle an investigation. When will the inane antics draw to a close?

From the outset, Donald Trump's fitness for the presidency was questionable; what else does he have to do to convince the GOP of this simple truth?

In the meantime, the business of government sputters, and faith in democratic processes erodes further.

Virginia Underhill: President Trump is at the mercy of his uncontrollable imagination, and by association, so are we. He's our president, you know. He operates on the premise that he is immune to prosecution in nearly every matter, and, unfortunately, this theory has not been legally challenged by anyone.

He satisfies his self-aggrandizing impulses and his powers of control by defying tradition and becoming overtly informal among longtime adversaries such as Russia. What is he revealing to them?

Once his ego is satisfied, he stirs up new controversies to prove the validity of his decisions. Relationships with a number of other unfriendly nations are tenuous right now. One wonders if he realizes the dire consequences of his games. Probably not. I rank this practice a dangerous 0.
A settlement [text, PDF] was reached between plaintiffs and several car manufacturers in a lawsuit concerning defective Takata [official website] airbag inflators on Thursday. The faulty airbags would rupture and expel debris, causing injury and damage to the vehicles cabin. At least 16 deaths [NPR report] were linked to the defect. Toyota, Subaru, Mazda and BMW [corporate websites] will collectively pay out $553 million in a deal that covers nearly 16 million vehicles. The settlement will not cover personal injuries or damage to property but will compensate those who own cars with the defective airbags by providing rental cars. Claims against other auto manufacturers in the suit, including Honda, Ford and Nissan [corporate websites], are still pending.

Auto manufacturers have continued to face punishment for issues with their vehicles and parts in the US. In February Takata pleaded guilty [JURIST report] to wire fraud arising out of the airbag defects. In July the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration determined [JURIST report] that Fiat Chrysler failed to provide a remedy and notices for 23 recalls related to malfunctions of their automobiles. In 2014 the US DOJ announced [JURIST report] a $1.2 billion settlement agreement with Toyota for misleading customers and US regulators. In November 2012 Toyota settled [JURIST report] a class action lawsuit for $35.5 million brought by its shareholders for failing to disclose vehicle quality issues. In 2010 Toyota agreed [JURIST report] to pay $32.4 million in fines following investigations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. JURIST Guest Columnist Bruce Aronson in 2011 argued [JURIST op-ed] that the recent corporate scandals in Japan, including the Toyota recalls, highlight the need for reform of that countrys corporate governance structure.
The Human Rights Division of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) [official website] released a report [PDF] on Friday that revealed the findings of a year-long investigation into human rights violations in the Yei Town, Central Equatoria area of South Sudan. The human rights violations stem from violence between the government and opposition forces led by Riek Machar [BBC profile]. The report found 114 cases of Sudans Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) and allied militias killing civilians that were perceived to be supporters of the opposition group, the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM), based on their ethnicity. The documented cases included [press release] attacks on funerals, indiscriminate shelling of civilians, and sexual violence towards women and girls with an excessive degree of brutality. The report also found that the SPLA subjected civilians to detention and torture while looting and destroying their property. Aside from the casualties, these human rights violations has also led to the displacement of tens of thousands of civilians who are fleeing the ethnically motivated violence. The documented cases in the UN report refer mostly to violations committed by the SPLA because the government would not allow the investigators into areas that were occupied by opposition forces. However, the report does include a few cases of human rights violations committed by the SPLM. These cases include similar instances of murder, rape, and abduction.

The conditions in Sudan have been a pressing issue in the past few years. As recently as last month Eugene Owusu, the top United Nations official in South Sudan, warned [JURIST report] that without peace in South Sudan, humanitarian conditions would continue to deteriorate. Only days earlier Owusu made a similar plea [JURIST report] to the government and opposition of South Sudan to ensure the protection of civilians and aid workers in the country. South Sudan [JURIST backgrounder], which was officially recognized [JURIST report] as an independent nation in July 2011, has spent much of its brief history as a nation in civil war. In March, the Chair of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan [official website] said [JURIST report] that there is a need to establish courts and bring prosecutions against those who have committed rights abuses throughout the nations conflicts. In January, UNMISS reported [JURIST report] that a violent period in July 2016 left hundreds of civilians dead. In December the UN said [JURIST report] that ethnic cleansing was occurring in South Sudan.
REPUBLICAN CITY  Work by Twin Valley Weed Management Area partners the past 10 years to clear downed trees, noxious weeds and other debris from the Republican River and its major tributaries has improved a watershed vital to south-central Nebraska farmers and the economic well-being of the entire region.

Those efforts, along with water conservation and streamflow augmentation projects, are aimed at getting water to Kansas for Republican River Compact compliance.

Lower Republican Natural Resources District General Manager Mike Clements of Alma said the water projects have value only because of the phenomenal work by Twin Valley to improve the conveyance system.

The primary channel work at the lower end of Nebraskas part of the basin was done in 2008 and 2009 with $1.1 million allocated by the Nebraska Legislature through LB701. Clearing was done on 85 miles from Harlan County Lake to the Kansas state line the first year and on 60 miles from the lake to Cambridge the second year.

Clements said the rivers water-carrying capacity was greatly improved, with the channel in some locations going from 10 feet wide a decade ago because of phragmites infestations to 100 feet wide now.

Its been very important to us that we can carry the water to Kansas that we have to, he said. Its an ongoing thing. If you turn your back on it even for a year, youre going to be in serious trouble.

Clements said the LRNRDs integrated water management plan says if management actions arent enough for compact compliance, irrigation systems with the most immediate impact on the river could be shut down. That could involve 78,000 irrigated acres in the district.

After two years of LB701 funding, the Twin Valley clearing and weed projects have continued with support from the Nebraska Environmental Trust.

Maintenance forever

TVWMA Coordinator Merle Illian of Red Cloud said maintenance is required to ensure that channel-choking and water-consuming weeds dont get the upper hand again.

Its a constant battle, he said, that has required an all-out effort the past 10 years.

The county weed superintendents, I cant give them enough credit. They worked their tails off, Illian said.

The need for vigilance was clear in 2016.

We just had an explosion of phragmites, Illian said, and its not clear what conditions re-energized the prolific plant that spreads by rhizomes. It about made me sick. It really did.  We thought we were gaining on it.

Identifying and treating hot spots is the focus for the next five years. Illian said the TVWMA Committee has set noxious weeds and woody vegetation control as maintenance priorities.

Kent Aden of Cozad, owner of Working Ecosystems and a TVWMA contractor, spent the past week spraying Canada thistles around Harlan County Lake with water-safe herbicide.

He and Illian said fall is the most effective time to spray phragmites.

Illian will work this summer with private landowners and partners such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NRDs, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and weed superintendents to identify sites with large or inaccessible infestations.

Those sites will go on a fall work list for on-ground spraying using all-terrain vehicles and aerial spraying by another longtime Twin Valley contractor, Dan Lyle of Sky Copters in Ulysses, Kan.

Right now we need help on this, Illian said, from landowners who can watch for weed problems that need to be reported to him and also spray small weed patches on their properties.

Another TVWMA project with private landowners is regenerating areas along the river where trees were thinned. He said cool-season grasses have been planted to enhance grazing and there are new plantings of fruit trees.

A big difference

The work weve done has made a world of difference, Illian said. I would hate to see this basin if we hadnt done anything.

He gets a glimpse of the alternative when he looks downstream from where the river crosses the state line near Superior.

Illian said Kansas has done very little to remove debris in the river channel or control invasive species around lakes that also have problems with blue-green algae and zebra mussels. Its like night and day, the work weve done compared to what hasnt been done, he added.

Larry Janicek, operations project manager at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Republican City office, said: We rely on the weed management group.  We cannot fund it (weed work around the lake) ourselves.

The corps provides the chemicals and Twin Valley makes the applications, Illian said.

Janicek said Harlan County Lake also is in much better condition as a result of the upstream channel improvements.

As Aden refilled the tank on a tracked ATV Tuesday to spray more Canada thistles on the north side of the lake, he said, This is a great example of something you dont see a lot of, with private landowners and local, state and federal (entities) all working together.

Clements said Illians leadership is the key to the strong partnership.

Meanwhile, Illian talks about the contributions made by all of the partners.

When the Republican City native was asked why he continues as TVWMA coordinator, he replied: I love the river. Ive always loved the outdoors and I like the people I work with. Im 68 years old. I retired once already, but I need something to do.
GRAND ISLAND  The Nebraska Beginning Farmer & Rancher Network will present a workshop on U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency disaster and loan programs from 10 a.m. to noon June 6 at the Hall County Extension office at Grand Islands College Park.

The free event also will include information about the Nebraska Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Program.

Speakers will be ag law attorney Joe Hawbaker of Omaha and Amy Swoboda, a food and farm attorney with Legal Aid of Nebraskas Beginning Farmer Project.

To register or for questions, call the Rural Response Hotline at 800-464-0258.
MINDEN  David L. Henery of Minden was licensed to the Board of Examiners for County Highway and City Street Superintendents after successfully completing examination in April.

According to a Nebraska Department of Roads press release, Henery, an Equipment Operator III for the Kearney County Roads Department, is licensed as a County Highway Superintendent. He was one of ten Nebraskans to be licensed by the Board of Examiners.

The next examination will be Oct. 6 with application deadlines of July 10 for those who would like to take the pre-exam training; and Aug. 14 for those wanting to take the exam without the pre-exam training.
KEARNEY  Area residents are looking for smaller, affordable homes and hold Kearney in high-esteem for its quality of life, according to a study presented at Fridays Kearney Planning Commission.

City planners heard from RDG Consulting on the conclusions from a six-month housing study considering the opinions of more than 1,600 people in the Kearney area.

We were very impressed with the turnout on the survey. ... We had a number of renters complete the survey, and that often ... is a difficult demographic for us to capture, RDG Urban Planner Amy Haase said.

Other takeaways from the survey included eagerness to address housing affordability, a desire for more variety in housing types and sizes, a need for quality versus cost in rentals, a wish for smaller homes for students and young families, and the esteem in which Kearney residents hold the areas economy, public amenities, quality of life and the environment that has been built, including Kearneys neighborhoods.

Kearney is a growing community. Housing and housing prices are always going to be a problem if we dont address it, one survey respondent said.

Another topic noted in the report was the lack of pet friendly housing. There were 461 written comments and 13 percent of those mentioned the need for pet-friendly options with concerns ranging from outright pet prohibitions to nonrefundable pet deposits and pet-rent, according to the report.

Its hard to find pet friendly housing that is affordable, one responder said.

I can understand a renters policy about animals, but there seems to be no middle ground in Kearney, another responder said.

The study predicted Kearneys population will increase by 7,000 residents to about 40,000 by 2030, and that 200 housing units per year must be built to keep up with growth.

While Kearney has many assets for continued growth, the RDG study said the city has a number of housing challenges that must be addressed through policy, investment and workforce development.

The study also pointed out a need for more contractors, subcontractors, builders, developers and laborers. Planning Commissioner Tami James Moore pointed to this as an opportunity to partner with area schools and colleges to teach trades. Students who leave for Omaha or Hastings to learn these skills most likely arent coming back, she explained.

We do support our educational community very strongly, and I think they need to acknowledge that this is an important need for our community to move forward, James Moore said. We need that next generation of hands-on building professionals. ... We need to grow our own.

After hearing from RDG, planning commission Chair Stan Dart said people must be willing to take the risk to improve the housing situation in Kearney. One organization, Kearney Housing Authority, said it is up to the task.

Were ready throw our hand in the air and our hat in the ring and say were ready to take that risk, Executive Director Carrie Hardage said. KHA oversees public housing and voucher programs.

The KHA Board of Directors looks forward to using the housing study to proceed with affordable housing options, Hardage said.

Its going to take support and these stakeholders and this coalition. ... But, yes, were willing to take on some of that risk, Hardage said.

Creative, thoughtful folks can derive something from this and I hope that we do, Dart said.

The study was authorized by city planners in October 2016. Funding for the study was provided by a Nebraska Investment Finance Authority grant and the Kearney Community Redevelopment Authority.

Fifty-one percent of survey participants were home owners, and 49 percent were renters. Many responded online, but RDG also gathered comments during face-to-face sessions with realtors, lenders, builders, students, seniors, major employers, nonprofits and others, City Planner Coelette Gruber said in a previous interview with the Hub.

Planning commissioners will choose whether to approve the report at their June meeting.

Managing Editor Mike Konz contributed to this report.

@AmandaPush
REPUBLICAN CITY  Although Twin Valley Weed Management Area work in the Republican Basin focuses on keeping the river channel free of debris and controlling invasive noxious weeds, trials are underway on an additional benefit.

Pollinator plantings.

These are areas where weve gone in after thinning (trees) along the river, said TVWMA Coordinator Merle Illian.

Those projects already have dual benefits of enhancing water in the river and improving grazing areas for some landowners by planting cool-season grasses. The new idea is to add pollinator-friendly plants, forbs and legumes to the seed mix.

Illian said a 30-plant mix of pollinator seeds was planted on 45 acres at two trial plots on either end of the TVWMA. One is on land near Arapahoe owned by Todd Schutz, and the other in Nuckolls County is owned by John Ray.

One question to be answered is how well the mix will work on rough ground along the river that has trees, stumps and sandy loam soil. So its kind of an unknown down there. We really hope this all works, Illian said.

He said officials of the Nebraska Environmental Trust, which has provided most of Twin Valleys funds over the past decade, are enthusiastic about projects that can provide habitat for bees and butterflies.

In an article Illian wrote for the spring 2017 edition of Weed Watch, he said pollinator project funding has come from the Trust and Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Other cooperators are Pheasants Forever and Adams County Extension Educator-Entomologist Ron Seymour.
Whats with short-sighted state legislators, especially those who wont allow themselves to support unique ideas to solve problems such as the housing shortage in rural Nebraska towns? Weve heard many times how the lack of housing stands in the way of economic development. Companies that are ready to expand cannot. Theyre unable to attract a sufficient workforce because there is no place for the new employees to live.

The housing shortage is a stubborn barrier, a big problem that requires big thinking, yet legislators this week missed an opportunity by allowing LB496 to die. Introduced by Sen. John Stinner of Gering, the bill would use tax increment financing to support housing development in communities outside Omaha and Lincoln. TIF uses increased property taxes from a newly developed area to pay for streets, sidewalks and other public infrastructure associated with the development.

TIF has played a large part in Kearneys growth by encouraging investment in many types of new business construction. The investments might not occur, if not for the TIF incentive.

Stinner wisely proposed harnessing the power of TIF to help small towns solve their nagging housing shortages, but Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte led the charge against the proposal. He said it would divert property taxes from the schools and other taxing entities that need the revenue. Groenes view is short-sighted because it fails to recognize that schools and other taxers eventually do reap added revenues on the full value of the new TIF developments, typically in 10 to 15 years. During that time, new employees have moved to town and the local businesses where they work can expand.

Unfortunately, Groenes negative reaction to Stinners idea poisoned other lawmakers and LB496 stalled.

Nebraskas communities are facing a variety of tough challenges. It would help if lawmakers would be more supportive of bold new ideas. If TIF can help business investors to move ahead with projects, it likely would also be a strong incentive for housing development. We hope Stinner reintroduces his TIF proposal for housing. Our states sputtering economy needs a shot in the arm, not a retreat to the same tired approaches that arent helping solve todays problems.
I woke up Thursday morning with an epiphany I feel compelled to share. First, full disclosure  I fall into the baby boomer age demographic. Now the epiphany. In the late 60s and early 70s, liberal boomers were called hippies. Based on what was shown on TV at the time, hippies were primarily located on the East and West coasts, they wanted pot legalized, promoted free love, hated the Republican president and wanted him impeached, and were very big on the concept of anti-establishment. And, most of all, their mantra was, Dont trust anyone over 30.

Fast forward 50 years to where we are today. Liberal boomers now are called progressives, and based on the past electoral map, one could say they still are concentrated on the East and West coasts. They continue to stand for everything they wanted in the 60s and early 70s, except now they are the very establishment they railed against when they were in their 20s, and they want everyone to trust them because they now are more than 60 years old.

Using Bill Clintons presidency as the beginning when boomers began taking over the federal government, think about what has happened. The debt has grown from around $2.6 trillion to $20 trillion, our country has been attacked by outside enemies  remember watching the twin towers of the World Trade Center fall?  Russia has recovered from the demise as the USSR to become a global power, and North Korea and Iran went from being defanged rogue states to emerging global nuclear threats. In addition, police are assassinated in the streets, many of the countrys inner cities are in chaos, free speech is under attack, and so on.

I have told my kids that it will be their generation who will have to clean up the boomer generations mess.

Greg Benson, Kearney
Wyoming authorities have arrested 25 people believed to be involved in a methamphetamine trafficking ring.

The people were arrested Thursday (May 19) after authorities carried out three search warrants in the Rock Springs and Green River area. Arrests were also made in Fort Bridger and Evanston.

The arrests had been part of a region-wide warrant operation.

According to court documents, in December of 2016, detectives with the Sheriffs Narcotics and Arrest Group (SNAAG) and special agents from Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigations Southwest Enforcement Team (DCI SWET) developed information regarding the illegal transportation, distribution, and use of methamphetamine throughout Southwest Wyoming by a loosely-organized, Green River-based, drug trafficking organization.

Those arrested include:

Darcy Gene Akin, 60, of Green River, who is charged with alleged delivery of meth and conspiracy to deliver meth;

Zachary Montague Boyce, 30, of Rock Springs, who is charged with alleged delivery of meth and conspiracy to deliver meth;

Martina Caspari, 43, of Salt Lake City, Utah, who is charged with alleged delivery of meth, conspiracy to deliver meth, and possession with intent to deliver meth;

Gwen Marie Dunigan, 44, of Manti, Utah, who is charged with alleged delivery of meth;

Christina Marie Eichler, 41, of Midvale, Utah, who is charged with alleged conspiracy to deliver meth;

Michael Telesforo Flores, 38, of Green River, Wyoming and Midvale, Utah, who is charged with alleged conspiracy to deliver meth, possession with intent to deliver meth, and possession of meth;

Neil Patrick Gilbert, 41, of Rock Springs, who is charged with alleged delivery of meth;

Jenny Arlene Gilson, 40, of Rock Springs, who is charged with alleged delivery of alprazolam;

Kim Bonnie Gotfrey, 48, of Rock Springs, who is charged with alleged delivery of meth;

Tiffany Ann Mitchelson, 38, of Rock Springs, who is charged with alleged conspiracy to deliver meth;

Treina Lynn Montoya, 35, of Fort Bridger, who is charged with alleged conspiracy to deliver meth;

Jarrod Scott Morrison, 40, of Green River, who is charged with alleged conspiracy to deliver meth;

Jonathan Wesley Mortimer, 35, of Green River, who is charged with alleged conspiracy to deliver meth;

Kathy Jean Moskovita, 55, of Green River, who is charged with alleged conspiracy to deliver meth;

Douglas Evan Myers, Jr., 29, of Green River, who is charged with alleged conspiracy to deliver meth;

Curtis Craig Ness, 45, of Green River, who is charged with alleged conspiracy to deliver methamphetamine;

Michael James Pacheco, 49, of Rock Springs, who is charged with alleged delivery of methamphetamine and conspiracy to deliver methamphetamine;

Erik Duane Pecheny, 32, of Green River, who is charged with alleged conspiracy to deliver meth;

Lucas Jacob Rodriguez, 43, of Rock Springs, who is charged with alleged delivery of meth;

Joshua Douglas Sommerville, 41, of Rock Springs, who is charged with delivery of meth;

Zachariah Newton Strange, 36, of Green River, who is charged with delivery of meth and conspiracy to deliver meth;

Shanna Kay Straw, 43, of Rock Springs, who is charged with alleged possession of methamphetamine;

Stanley Eugene Tromburg, 56, of Rock Springs, who is charged with delivery of meth;

Lance Lee Winders, 36, of Green River, who is charged with conspiracy to deliver meth;

Andrea Wright, 36, of Rock Springs, arrested on a local bench warrant for alleged failure to pay child support;

Sheriff Lowell credited a cooperative effort by all involved agencies with the investigation, and thanks the community for its continued support.

Sweetwater County Sheriffs Office reminds citizens all persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law.
Nearly 100 people turned up at a public meeting in Kilkrenny city this week about the future of local post offices.

Organiser, Fianna Fail TD, Bobby Aylward, said there had been a palpable sense of genuine concern among the postmasters and postmistresses who attended the event in the Springhill Court hotel on the city's Waterford Road.

They all essentially called for the same thing, to be afforded a fair opportunity to increase footfall in their post offices, to make their business more viable, Deputy Aylward pointed out.

This can only be done through expansion of services such as the delivery of motor tax and basic banking services, the South Kilkenny Deputy added.

 The postmasters want to see leadership, creative thinking and collaboration between themselves and the Government and they want An Post to deliver more innovative services such as tourism hubs and health screening facilities within the network.

The more services the post office network can offer, the more people that will use it, this making it more sustainable, Deputy Aylward said.

Fianna Fail Spokesperson on Communications, Environment and Natural Resources, Timmy Dooley said that the possibility of implementing a Public Service Obligation should be examined to ensure security for those in communities where it may not be commercially viable.

He said Fianna Fail was looking at this measure strongly, particularly in rural areas.

Treasurer of the Irish Postmasters Union and Postmaster of the Cross Post Office, Summerhill, Tramore Mr Sean Martin, spoke about the need for political leadership from politicians of all parties and none.

He said that the time for talking was now done and that politicians needed to stand up and act as if they were serious about making as many post offices in rural areas viable as possible.

Many Postmasters spoke of their disapproval of the preferential treatment that the Government have shown toward the banks in the past.

As well as being bailed out by the Government Guarantee Scheme, Deputy Aylward claimed the government was trying to push Social Welfare recipients towards banks as a preferred method of payment. With a united voice, everyone at the meeting, called on the Government to introduce a post office, savings incentive scheme to make saving with your local post office more attractive and financially beneficial.
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.

Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.

If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .

Support our mission and join our community now.
YENAGOA, Nigeria, May 20 (Reuters) - A Nigerian labour union that had called for the shutdown of all Exxon Mobil Corp facilities in the Niger Delta has suspended its strike at its Rivers state branch in the oil production hub, two union representatives said on Saturday.

Reuters had been unable to verify independently whether members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) had shut the company's facilities in the region on Friday, and oil industry sources said there was no impact on production. "The strike has been suspended," said Chika Onuegbu, who represents PENGASSAN in Rivers state.

Onuegbu and a senior PENGASSAN official, who also said the strike in Rivers state had been suspended but did not want to be identified, said the move followed a ruling by an industrial arbitration panel.

Nigerian labour unions have held a number of strikes in the last few months over the dismissal of oil industry workers.

The latest industrial action was in protest at the sacking of 150 workers in December, of which 82 were PENGASSAN members.

Strikes by Exxon workers in Nigeria at the end of last year did affect output, delaying loadings by weeks.

(Reporting by Tife Owolabi and Alexis Akwagyiram in Lagos; Editing by Dale Hudson)
Stuff reports:

A Marlborough widow who fraudulently collected $373,000 from ACC has lost an appeal against her convictions. ACC discovered Janice Walker was receiving a widows pension while living with another man.  Walker denied nine criminal charges and took the case to trial. She was found guilty and ordered to pay the money back. Her lawyer Rob Harrison appealed the decision, arguing last month that Autism Spectrum Disorder could have affected her communication with ACC and the court. She was diagnosed after her sentencing at the Blenheim District Court last year.

She spent 20 years lying and ripping the system off, and then claims it is due to something she found after she was sentenced!

However, the Court of Appeal in Auckland rejected Walkers appeal on Friday. She knew what a de facto relationship was and deliberately lied on the forms, the appeal decision said. Walker raised four children, managed nine or ten rental properties and ran a business, so she must be a mentally capable person, the decision said.

Yet greedy for more.

Walker was eligible for weekly compensation from ACC after her husband died in an accident in the late 1980s. She signed an ACC form every year until 2012 stating she was not married or in a de facto relationship. However, an ACC investigation discovered Walkers new partner moved into her 400-acre Okaramio property in 1992, and helped to build a family home there. ACCs investigation in 2013 found their relationship was in the nature of marriage, and weekly compensation to Walker should have stopped in 2004. Walker was recorded as saying in an interview with ACC that she had lied about the man living with her in case it affected her payments. But she maintained the relationship was not de facto because there was no sexual element. We were still living under the same roof, but there was no intimacy, no sleeping together, no talking, she told an ACC staff member.

A small flaw in her argument though:

They had a child together, shared a bank account and started a family trust

Maybe another virgin birth?

Share this: Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Reddit

WhatsApp

More

Pinterest

Print



Tumblr


A laid off pastry chef at Babbo, Mario Batali's and Joe Bastianich's flagship restaurant in the West Village, is suing the celebrity owners and several coworkers for discrimination, citing multiple instances of homophobic and anti-Mexican harassment.

In the suit, filed Wednesday in Brooklyn Supreme Court, Isaac Franco Nava alleges that he was wrongfully terminated after repeatedly complaining to supervisors about the abuse. According to the suit, Franco was regularly taunted for being a "stupid Mexican," "girly," and a "f-ggot" by his manager, Adam Onany, and two coworkers, Kevin Herbert and Juan Flores.

The lawsuit alleges that the harassment began immediately after Franco joined the restaurant in November of 2015.

In 2016, Franco sent a written complaint to Babbo's head pastry chef, Rebecca D'Angelis, which did not result in meaningful discipline and eventually led to increased harassment, according to the suit. Franco says he had several subsequent conversations with D'Angelis, his immediate supervisor, but nothing was done to stop the tormenting.

According to the suit, Franco complained to the pastry chef once more on April 11th, and this time was promised that the issue would be brought to higher-ups, including Batali and Bastianich. Instead, Franco alleges that the supervisor set him uppromising Franco that he could take a pork chop home, after he missed Babbo's free nightly dinner, and firing him for theft the following day.

The suit accuses the supervisor of "conspir[ing] with Defendants to assert false disciplinary charges charges against" Franco, and adds that "Batali and Bastianich knew or should have known about this plan."

Representatives of the restauranteurs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Isaac is a proud member of the gay community and to be routinely harassed at work because of his sexual identity and race is completely unacceptable," attorney Eric Baum told the Daily News. "He brought this lawsuit ... to make sure this does not happen to any other employee." Franco seeks unspecified damages.

This is not the first time that Mario Batali has faced legal trouble from employee mistreatment. In 2012, the celebrity chef and his partners were sued by waiters for tip skimming, resulting in a $5.25 million settlement.
Ninety Sevier County students offered free tuition at Arrowmont



GATLINBURG - The Smoky Mountain School of Appalachian Arts and Culture has kicked off , with ninety area eighth-grade students attending. Each student was able to attend tuition-free, thanks to a partnership between SmartBank and Sevier County Schools.







Students learn basketweaving at Arrowmont. Image courtesy of Arrowmont.


By Jhoo Dong-chan



The nation's retailers, which have suffered a sales nosedive following China's trade retaliation against Korean firms over the deployment of the U.S. missile defense battery here, are expected to sustain another bad spell this year.



Large retailers enjoyed a momentary surge in sales amid the high number of holidays earlier this month, but the momentum was barely sustained for two weeks. To top it off, the new Moon administration hinted at tightening regulations on them as a part of its efforts to protect local businesses.



Industry insiders say their businesses would not recover anytime soon even if the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) row subsides.



According to industry analysts, Friday, the nation's major department stores suffered nearly a 2 percent drop in sales last month year-on-year. Sales of Lotte Department Store declined 1.9 percent while Hyundai Department Store was down by 1.6 percent in the period.



Sales of Lotte and Hyundai Department stores increased by 2.8 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively, during the Golden Week period, which is between May 1 and 6.



Taking account of their May sales so far (May 1 to 17), however, the figures drop to a 1.4 percent and 0.3 percent increase, respectively, compared to the same period last year.



"May Sales were a bit poorer than we'd expected," a Shinsegae Department official said."We expected consumer confidence would hit the bottom during the Golden Week, but it fell short of what we anticipated. Consumers are reluctant to come out because fine dust has blanketed the entire peninsula."



President Moon Jae-in's campaign pledge to strengthen regulations on large retailers is another obstacle in their operations here, industry observers say.



During his presidential campaign, Moon promised prohibiting large retailers from building their branches in metropolitan areas as well as forcing them to close two days in a month.



Moon's other pledges to raise the nation's minimum wage to 10,000 won by 2020 and to let non-regular workers becom regular workers are other obstacles to retailers' profitability.



The nation's retailers are also paying attentions to whether the THAAD row will be mended in China since Moon has been critical of the hasty deployment of the U.S. missile defense battery here during his presidential campaign.



Expectations are very high, but major Korean retailers that operate in China have already sustained severe blows in sales.



According to the think tank Hyundai Economic Research Institute, China's retaliation could cost Korea up to 8.5 trillion won ($7.54 billion) in lost sales this year, or about 0.5 percent of gross domestic product.



Lotte Group in particular is falling victim to the retaliations because nearly 90 percent of its 99 Lotte Mart outlets in China, 87 of them, have been closed for months.



E-mart, which once operated 30 branches in China, has already decided to withdraw from the market.








A former member of 2NE1, Sandara Park, is indeed having a really good time in her career as she has a lot of projects going on. One of the most notable ones is her Korean movie debut, "One Step".

And recently, she confirmed that she really has no time when it comes to dealing with her love life. But surprisingly, despite her recent revelation, she also gave out some hints as to what kind of guy his ideal type is.

Just recently, Sandara Park took the opportunity to talk about her love life when she visited the Philippines for the promotion of her movie, "One Step". In the interview, she revealed a lot about her plans for her career as well as the details about her personal life.

And with the interview, Sandara Park wasn't able to dodge through the rumors about her possible romantic relationship with G-Dragon.

According to Korea Portal, Sandara Park says that the ideal type of guy is someone who shares her hobbies and interests. She specifically states that he wants a guy who is also into music, fashion and even cats.

One of the best highlight statements that she says during the interview was that she prefers to date slim guys over the built ones. She specifically says that she wants a slim and cute guy. Sandara Park reveals that she isn't into muscular guys because she herself is a petite girl.

The "One Step" star also took the chance to deny all of the allegations that she has something to do with the breakup of her close Filipino friend, Robi Domingo, shot broke up with Gretchen Ho, her long time girlfriend.

Sandara Park says that they are just good friends and nothing more. According to Asia Starz, despite the obvious hints that she said when she describes her ideal guy, she still says that she and G-Dragon didn't have something romantic between the two of them.
The weather has warmed up and the ground has sufficiently thawed, so it's time to start planning a visit to Storm King Art Center. This year, the Hudson Valley institution's centerpiece is an exhibit of sculptor David Smith, called The White Sculptures.

Smith has been an important artist to Storm King, where they have fourteen of his sculptures among their permanent holdings, most acquired "soon after Storm Kings co-founder Ralph E. Ogden visited Smiths home and studio at Bolton Landing, New York, in 1967, two years after the artists death." Here's more from Storm King:

Ogden was struck by the outdoor installation of sculpture, which Smith had devised during his lifetime, and acquired thirteen works. Several are on permanent display just outside the Museum Building, while five, too fragile for the outdoors, are on view inside. The acquisition of Smiths works was instrumental in shifting Storm Kings primary mission, leading Ogden to focus his collecting efforts specifically on outdoor sculpture.

looks at Smith's use of the color throughout his career, with six of his huge works placed on Museum Hill, mimicking how they were situated at his farm. In a video, Smith's daughter Candida Smith says she "felt an intimacy" with the sculptures on the farm and a "sibling relationship... They were protectors. They were playmates."

Other sculptures and paintings are housed inside of the galleries.

Another intriguing work that's on view is Heather Hart's site-specific installation which looks like a home's rooftop peeking out from the grass. The piece is titled 'The Oracle of Lacuna,' and Storm King notes the name is a "reference to the gaps present in official, written histories of the Hudson Valley regiongaps that individuals fill and refill with interpretations and translations originating from personal experiences, as well as fantasies." The rooftop, which people can walk on, will be the stage for upcoming poetry slams and concerts.

"The narratives of 'The Oracle of Lacuna' are meant to emerge and transform through public programming and viewer activation. I am interested not only in creating a site-specific liminal space for personal reclamation but also in unpacking dominant narratives and creating alternatives to them," Hart said.

Storm King Art Center is at 1 Museum Road in New Windsor, NY. Tickets are $18 for adults; $15 for seniors; and $8 for those 5-18 years old or students (children under 4 are free). It's open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., and then, for summer weekends between May 26 and September 2, Friday and Saturday hours are 10 a.m. till 8 p.m. Their website gives details on different transportation packages.

Reporting by Sai Mokhtari
The Manhattan District Attorney announced that a suspect had been indicted in the death of a transgender person who was found on a Manhattan sidewalk last month.

D.A. Cy Vance said that the victim, who was known as Kenneth or Brenda Bostick, 59, was struck "with such force that it left a skull injury that caused the victims senseless and tragic death 12 days later."

Authorities say that Joseph Griffin, 26, approached Bostick around 10 p.m. on April 25 on Seventh Avenue between 27th and 28th Streets and allegedly struck them with a "long, metal object." Then, 90 minutes after fleeing the scene, Griffin allegedly ran into traffic and climbed onto a taxi cab that had stopped and proceeded to smash the windshield.

Bostick was discovered unconscious outside 343 Seventh Avenue near West 29th Street in Chelsea on April 25 and was taken to a hospital, where they were pronounced braindead on May 4.

Police initially identified Bostick as Brenda Bostick, but the Village Voice spoke to a social services provider who said Bostick identified as male. The provider said, "For the people who knew him and worked with him, the medias constant reference to him as she is extraordinarily painful and difficult."

At a vigil last week, NY1 reported, "A former case worker for the victim says they identified as a trans woman for part of their life, but transitioned back to male and went by the name 'Kenneth' before dying. People we spoke with say no matter what gender a person identifies with, people within the trans community need to be protected."

"When you're trans, your life is in danger," said another. "You know, especially when you're black, you're poor, you're homeless  your life is in danger."

Griffin was charged with first-degree manslaughter for Bostick's death as well as third-degree criminal mischief for the taxi cab incident. Vance said, "My Office is committed to ensuring that justice is served in Bosticks memory."

Ed. note: This post was updated to reflect that Bostick was a cisgender male who identified as a woman for a time before transitioning back to male.
The History Museum on the Square will receive a complete Springfield Wagon on Saturday. This wagon was purchased new by a family in Mt. Vernon in the early 1900s. The Hall family from Willard, the current owner, bought it from the original owner.

Henrys Towing, a friend and supporter of the museum, will haul the wagon to Springfield and deliver it to the historic Fox Theatre on Park Central Square around noon Saturday. The museum will store it temporarily until permanent storage can be arranged.

The museum has owned a half-size replica of a Springfield Wagon for many years, and now we have an original. This is a great day for the museum, said executive director John Sellars. We cant say enough about this gift by the Hall family and the help we are getting from our volunteers and Henrys Towing that will make it possible to preserve this wonderful piece of our history.

Before it is put into more permanent storage, the wagon will be on display on the stage of the Fox Theatre for a few weeks. Information about the dates of the display will come this summer.

----

At one time, the factory for the Springfield Wagon Company was on Sherman Avenue just south of what is now Chestnut Expressway. Harry Cooper Supply Company on the east side of Sherman is now at that site. Its wagons were known and used across the Plains States and Southwestern United States.

Brief history of Springfield Wagon Company from the State Historical Society of Missouri:

The Springfield Wagon Company was organized in 1872 by a group of businessmen and merchants in Springfield, Missouri. Near bankruptcy forced the reorganization of the company in 1875, at which time Homer F. Fellows, Norris W. Fellows, and Ezekiel Boyden began managing the firm.

The new managers made improvements in the supply and sales departments, after which the company began to thrive in the fiercely competitive wagon market. However, the company was still in debt, and the Fellows brothers and Boyden became sole owners in late 1875 after a controversial lawsuit.

The Springfield Wagon was a durable, premium product. Because of cheaper freight rates on raw materials and finished products at Springfield, the company had an advantage over its nearest

competitors. Beginning in southwestern Missouri and northeastern Arkansas, the Springfield Wagon Company expanded its markets to include Kansas, Indian Territory, and Texas.

Despite stiff competition and a fire that destroyed the factory at Springfield in 1884, the Springfield Wagon Company was one of the dominant firms in the wagon trade by 1890. The company carried on a record business with the U.S. Army during World War I, and by 1925 it enjoyed a virtual monopoly as the other companies abandoned the wooden wagon trade.

In order to cope with the steadily decreasing market, the company began to manufacture steel farm wagons and highway trailers in 1927. Based on the sales of those products, the company remained solvent through the Depression.

In 1941 the Phipps Lumber Company of Fayetteville, Arkansas, a long

-time supplier of hardwoods for wagon manufacture, bought the Springfield Wagon Company. Phipps continued to produce the Springfield Wagon until lack of demand brought an end to production in 1951.
Seven residents and three police officers were recognized for quick thinking and decisive actions in three incidents in which lives were saved.

The residents received the Civilian Gallantry Award and the officers received Life Saving Bars.

In addition, three officers were honored for their work in investigating and locating a mother and three children who disappeared just before a joint custody exchange. Two officers were cited for their actions that resulted in the arrest of an armed robber.

The awards were handed out during the seventh annual Lake Geneva Police Department Awards Ceremony on May 11 at city hall.

New officers Shannon Gee, Kyle McNeil, Brock Bouland and Aaron Greetham were sworn in, as were new reserve officers Ben Posanski and Suzanne Muedini. Lt. Bridget Way and Sgt. Sean Hinzpeter were recognized for their promotions.

Also honored was the memory of Albert C. Exner, the first and only Lake Geneva police officer to be killed in the line of duty. Exner was shot and killed in June 1931, while investigating shots being fired in the city. His sons, Al and Don Exner, were honored guests at the ceremony.

Employee of the Year

Records Clerk Holly Povish works on many behind the scenes projects, producing the department annual report and budget book. She administers the departments social networking sites which have resulted in the arrest and prosecution of a number of suspects. Povish also boosts morale by organizing department cook outs, gift exchanges and pot lucks.

Citizen Gallantry Awards

At about 11:34 a.m. on April 13, at Stellana U.S., 999 Well St., Eddie Premble, Aranda Manriquez and Pedro Barajas were nearby when a fellow employee, Peter Dreksler, stabbed himself in the femoral artery while disassembling a piece of equipment.

Premble immediately began to apply pressure to the wound to staunch the bleeding. Manriquez and Barajas also assisted in applying pressure because the location of the wound did not make a tourniquet possible.

Their quick action kept the victim alive until police and emergency medical personnel arrived.

Flight for Life took the victim to Froedtert Memorial where his injury was treated and he made full recovery.

At about 6:46 p.m. Feb. 28, police received a call about a possible drowning at Badger High School.

Quick action by Lauren Kaiser, Glenn Biller, Rachel Senft and Jessica Newlun saved the victim. Kaiser pulled the 42-year-old woman from the pool. Biller began CPR and an automated external defibrillator was deployed by Senft and Newlun. Senft gave the victim rescue breaths until Officer Caitlyn Tietz took over chest compressions until emergency medical workers took over.

The victim was transported to a local hospital and made a full recovery.

Life Saving Bars

Tietz was awarded a bar for her participation in the rescue at Badger.

Sgt. Sean Hinzpeter and Officer Aaron Greetham were called to a possible drug overdose on March 11.

The officers found a 23-year-old woman who had overdosed on heroin lying on a living room floor, appearing pale and lifeless with blue hands and feet.

Hinzpeter began chest compressions and called for other officers to get the Narcan kit and oxygen. The victim began to take shallow, infrequent breaths and Greetham administered Narcan to the victim.

The victim received several doses of Narcan from EMS personnel and later regained consciousness. She was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Commendations

On May 16, 2016, Lake Geneva police received a complaint of a custody exchange in which one of the parents did not show up.

Police also learned that the three children had been truant from school for the past week. Lt. Ed Gritzner and detectives Joseph Ecklund and Seth Keller began an investigation to locate the missing mother and children.

Working with a task force that included the FBI and various state police agencies, Gritzner, Ecklund and Keller spent a total of 337.5 hours investigating and checking leads.

On May 23, 2016, a tip from a local resident vacationing in Savannah, Georgia, led authorities to the mother and the children, who were returned home safely.

Gritzner, Ecklund and Keller were recognized for their long hours of work and for their professional manner in dealing with the public and family members.

At about 4:52 a.m. May 30, 2016, police were called to Walgreens, 351 N. Edwards Blvd., on the report of an armed robbery. Sgt. Dan Derrick and Officer Glen Nettesheim were among the officers who responded.

The robber demanded narcotics and threatened to blow up the store with a drone.

The suspect had fled. But while en route, Nettesheim reported seeing a gray SUV headed northbound on Edwards that turned west onto Sheridan Springs Road.

Surveillance video showed that the gray SUV had left the Walgreens parking lot at 4:49 a.m. The description of the SUVs registered owner was similar to a witness description of the robber. Witnesses also said that the suspect had a note in his hand.

Derrick searched a garbage can and found the robbers note. On the note was the name of the gray SUVs registered owner. Officers learned that the vehicle had been seen in Genoa City. Derrick, a member of the Lake Geneva and Walworth County SWAT Team, determined that the SWAT team would serve the search warrant. The suspect was taken into custody peacefully.

Also receiving letters of commendation were:

Special Agent James Langnes of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). A member of the Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement Program Manager, Langnes worked closely with the Lake Geneva police and local emergency services workers to identify clandestine one-pot methamphetamine labs.

Trooper Michael Smith of the Wisconsin State Patrol, as a member of the patrols Technical Reconstruction Unit, has assisted Lake Geneva police with four fatal traffic crash investigations in the past year.

Officer Theon Ward was commended for his assistance in organizing the countywide National Night Out on Aug. 2, 2016, sponsored by Walworth County Crime Stoppers.

Service bars

Officers receiving the SWAT Team Service Bar for current and past service were: Chief Michael Rasmussen, Lt. Edward Gritzner, Lt. Bridgett Way, Sgt. Sean Hinzpeter, Sgt. Daniel Derrick, Detective Seth Keller, and officers Jeffrey Nethery, Brandi Nelson, Lucas Hansen, Kara Richardson, Thomas Giovannoni and William Walser.

Those receiving the Field Training Officer/Communications Training Officer bars: Lt. Ed Gritzner, Sgts. Dan Derrick, Sean Hinzpeter and Jason Hall; detectives Seth Keller and Joseph Ecklund; officers, Jeffrey Nethery, Brandi Nelson, Theon Ward, William Thornburgh and Thomas Giovannoni; Communications Supervisor Jean Froggatt and telecommunicators Patricia Holwick and Brenda Barton.
A 21-year-old man died last Thursday in Geneva Lake after his kayak tipped over.

Rameses Huerta and a 21-year-old woman were kayaking near Covenant Harbor Bible Camp around 6:30 p.m. when both kayaks flipped.

Both kayakers were approximately 150 yards from the shoreline, and the water was between nine to 12 feet deep.

The woman was rescued by a person near the scene and was brought to shore, but Huerta did not return to the surface after going under water, according to the press release.

Emergency crews located Huerta within one hour of searching. Resuscitation efforts were taken but were not successful and Huerta was pronounced dead at the scene.

The female was treated for hypothermia and was later released at the scene, according to the Wisconsin DNR.

Factors

During the incident, the water temperature was 55.9 degrees, said Water Guard Deputy Conservation Warden Jacob Cross.

The cooler water temperature likely played a part in Huertas death, Lake Geneva Fire Capt. Mark Moller-Gunderson said.

The water temperature is problematic because cold water will immediately diminish your strength, Moller-Gunderson said. You immediately loose your muscle strength. The body starts to conserve energy and temperature and so the extremities lose blood circulation and you can get panicky.

He also said that clothing, especially bulkier apparel, will slow down reaction time in the water.

Huerta wasnt wearing a personal floatation device, something Moller-Gunderson said likely contributed to his death.

I dont know what the medical examiner will come forward with, but in my mind this is the tragic combination of cold water, possibly panic when he flipped over, the clothing, no floatation device, he said. All those things will work against you at a time when you need to get out of that situation.

Safety precautions

Moller-Gunderson said that when taking out a kayak or any other watercraft, it is important to know your own abilities and limitations.

He also said to check the weather conditions and to proceed with caution if it is windy or if the water is choppy.

I would also encourage other kayakers to stay closer to shore rather than be in the middle of the lake for two reasons  one is that the middle of the lake will have more boat traffic, and because the closer you are to the shore means the closer you are to getting to land if something does happen, Moller-Gunderson said.

Cross said that wearing a lifejacket, not just having one on board, is a must.

It is required that they (kayakers) have personal floatation devices with them on board, Cross said. And especially this time of year with the water being colder, it is best to wear them and not just have them readily accessible. Wearing a lifejacket is very important this time of year with the water temperatures being as cold as they are.

If your kayak does flip over, Moller-Gunderson said the best thing to do is to remain calm and try and hang on to the boat so you can call for help.

And never swim alone, he added.
PRESS RELEASE

Chinese Ambassador Reiterates Call for U.S. To Join Belt and Road Initiative

May 19, 2017 (EIRNS)Speaking yesterday at the Gala Dinner of the Committee of 100, the premier group responsible for defending the interest of Chinese-Americans, Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai draws a link between the Belt and Road Summit and the meeting between the two presidents in Mar-a-Lago. The summit defines the future of U.S.-China relations," Cui said. And the Belt and Road Summit has far-reaching implications for mankind. And there is a connection between the two events, he said. We are living in a world of change, Cui continued.

While there are advances in many fields, there is also great income disparity, job loss, and global challenges. If I might borrow an analogy from traditional Chinese medicine, I would say it is always important to orient toward the causes of disease, which [TCM] defines as qi [life energy], which Im not sure how to translate. But when qi is disrupted, there is disease, so that bringing qi back to its normal functioning is the remedy. Our missing qi is connectivity. Uncoordinated policies and unconnected infrastructure have kept us apart. China has proposed a future of shared destiny. And the key lies in connectivity. The Belt and Road Initiative offers the right tool. It aims to realize physical connectivity and soft connectivity,

Cui said.

The BRI promotes more than building roads. It is a type of connectivity that would lead to peace and prosperity. But it demands inclusiveness and looks for common ground. If we learn from each other, it will make us stronger,

Cui said.
PRESS RELEASE

North and South Korea Met at the Beijing Belt and Road Forum

May 19, 2017 (EIRNS)Hankyoreh, a liberal newspaper in South Korea, reported that the South Korean representative to the Beijing Belt and Road International Forum had a substantial meeting with the North Korean delegate to the forumthe first meeting between Seoul and Pyongyang since deposed President Park Geun-hye unilaterally shut down all economic and political contacts after the fourth North Korean nuclear test in January 2016.

The head of the South Korean delegations, Minjoo (Democratic) Party member of the National Assembly Park Byeong-seok, announced to Hankyoreh that he had met before the forums opening on the morning of May 14 with the head of the North Korean delegation, Minister of External Economic Relations Kim Yong-jae. "I met with Minister Kim, who had arrived beforehand, and we ended up having a conversation as a matter of course," Park said. Park said he had first expressed his governments objection to the North Korean missile test which had taken place that morning, but then proceeded to spend "some time talking about various issues," as Hankyoreh put it.

Most importantly, Park said: "I got the sense that the North has some hopes for inter-Korean dialogue."

Park was cautious about predicting any talks right away, saying that "There are constraints when it comes to resuming dialogue," indicating that some indication of a willingness to freeze the nuclear and missile tests is necessary first.
PRESS RELEASE

Russia Denounces Latest U.S. Air Strike Against Assad Forces Inside Syria as Illegal and a Violation of Sovereignty

May 19, 2017 (EIRNS)The United States launched an air strike against Syrian government military forces inside Syria, Fox News and others reported yesterday. According to the Pentagon account, Syrian army forces were allegedly massing several vehicles including at least one tank, near the Jordanian border, and were moving towards one of the four de-escalation zones. That particular zone has American troops present who are training the Syrian Democratic Forces and Syrian Arab Coalition. After the Assad military forces were warned off various times, but didnt turn back, according to the U.S. report, an air strike against them was called in by the Americans. The Pentagon issued assurances that the latest attack by the United States does not reflect an escalation.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sharply denounced the American military strike as illegal and a violation of sovereignty.

"Whatever the reason for the decision that the U.S. command made to carry out that strike was, the strike is illegitimate, it is illegal and a regular gross violation of the Syrian Arab Republics sovereignty,"

Lavrov said. He added that Russia is still clarifying the details, but

"we are very much worried that the general, seemingly imminent understanding of the need to unite the efforts of all who really oppose, on the ground and in the air, the terrorists of Daesh and former Jabhat al-Nusra, is beginning to erode."

Syrias UN ambassador also denounced the air strike as an "aggression" and a "massacre."
PRESS RELEASE

Russia Security Chief: Other Nations Are Eager To Coordinate on the Fight Against Terrorism

May 19, 2017 (EIRNS)Russia will be hosting its annual international security summit on May 23-25 in the city of Tver. For that occasion, Russian Security Council secretary Nikolay Patrushev was interviewed by RT yesterday, where he emphasized that dialogue between Russian intelligence agents and their counterparts abroad continues, often despite official restrictions.

"All in all, we see that this eagerness to communicate with us expands," Patrushev noted. "We dont feel any isolation at all. On the contrary, the number of those attending [the security summit] is growing constantly." He stated that they expect up to 90 countries to participate this year in Tver, as compared to last year when 75 were present. Seventy bilateral meetings are planned, RT noted, adding that "sixteen European countries will be present." Ukraine and Georgia are not sending delegations, nor is the United States.

Patrushev also addressed the matter of North Korea, reiterating Russias standing policy. In a Rossiya-24 TV interview, he said: "When they [North Korea] develop their missile technologies and nuclear potential, this concerns us.... But we also see another sideone should not push them towards this, but this is happening. They see that they are in isolation and they should ensure their security themselves, and that no one will assist them here, and see threats for themselves."
UPDATE, May 22: The Trump Administration on Monday asked for another 90-day abeyance in the CSR appeal, while continuing the payments in the interim. The action means an appellate decision on the legality of the crucial cost reduction subsidies will be put off for as much as three months. The Administration also indicated it opposes the request by 15 states and the District of Columbia to take over the defense of the CSR payments from the White House.

To some experts, this is the worst of all possible worlds: It continues the uncertainty over Trumps policy on the crucial payments, while putting off further court deliberation until after many insurance companies have filed their initial rate requests for 2018.

The result is that an uncertainty surcharge will be baked into insurers premium requests, says former Medicaid and Medicare chief Andy Slavitt, who calls it a Trump surcharge and estimates it at about 19%.

Advertisement

NEWS: If true and doesn't change, and not surprising, 19% Trump surcharge will be baked into 2018 premiums. https://t.co/T8paBva46f  Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) May 22, 2017

Nicholas Bagley of the University of Michigan observes that Congress still could make the CSR problem go awayCongress by appropriating the money or amending the law to make the subsidies available permanently. Trump could also blow up Obamacare at any point by dropping the White House appeal of the lower-court ruling that the payments are illegal.

In other words, Trumps action Monday solves nothing, and leaves the individual insurance market profoundly unsettled.

Yes, House v. Price will be delayed for 90 days. But Congress can still appropriate the money -- and Trump can still drop the appeal.  Nicholas Bagley (@nicholas_bagley) May 22, 2017

===========

Original column, Friday, May 19:

Organizations representing most of the healthcare industry  along with attorneys general from 15 states and the District of Columbia  took desperate steps Friday in a last-ditch attempt to keep President Trump from blowing up the Affordable Care Act.

Action being contemplated by Trump could lead to millions of Americans suddenly moving to the ranks of the uninsured, a coalition of healthcare groups wrote in a letter to Senate Republican and Democratic leaders. This threatens not just their own health and financial stability, but also the economic stability of their communities.

Monday is a crucial deadline. On that day, the Trump administration has to tell a federal appeals court whether it will continue to defend the ACA against a legal attack by the House of Representatives. Alternatively, the White House could seek a 90-day stay on the proceedings. The attorneys general are asking the court to allow them to take over the defense from the White House.

[Uncertainty about the cost-sharing reductions is] the single most destabilizing factor causing double-digit premium increases for 2018.  Letter to Senate leaders from seven healthcare organizations

The industry leaders and states are reacting to signs that Trump is a thin reed to rely on to preserve health coverage for millions. The President has increasingly made clear that he views decisions about providing access to health insurance...as little more than political bargaining chips, the states say in the motion to the appeals court.

The issue before the court is a dangerous one for the Affordable Care Act and some 10 million Americans who depend on its individual exchanges for their health coverage. At the center of the case are the acts cost-sharing reductions  subsidies covering deductibles and co-pays for individual buyers with income less than 250% of the federal poverty line.

The subsidies this year come to $7 billion, to be paid to insurers covering 7 million customers. The subsidies are authorized under the healthcare act, but House Republicans filed a lawsuit in 2014 asserting that because the money hadnt been specifically appropriated, paying the money is illegal. They won the first round in U.S. District Court last year, but the judge stayed her ruling pending an appeals court decision.

Ending the cost-sharing reductions would destroy the individual insurance market in many states, where insurers have the legal right to cancel policies immediately if the CSRs arent paid.

Thats where matters stand. Since his inauguration, Trump has dithered over whether to pay out the subsidies and continue fighting for them in court. On occasion, hes threatened to kill the payments as a bargaining chip to force Democrats to negotiate an Obamacare repeal.

On Tuesday, according to Politico, Trump told aides he wants to end the subsidies. And as my colleague Noam Levey reported Thursday, at a recent meeting, Trumps new Medicaid and Medicare chief, Seema Verna, offered a bargain to stunned industry officials: The administration would fund the cost-sharing reductions if insurers supported House Republicans hugely unpopular bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

These alarming signals prompted the flurry of letters and pleas filed Friday by insurers and state officials. The industry letter was signed by Americas Health Insurance Plans, the insurance industry lobbying group; the American Academy of Family Physicians; the American Benefits Council; the American Hospital Assn.; the American Medical Assn.; the Blue Cross Blue Shield Assn., the Federation of American Hospitals and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

They called uncertainty about cost-sharing reductions the single most destabilizing factor causing double-digit premium increases for 2018. Insurers must file preliminary rate requests in many states by June 21, which means theyre pondering right now whether to participate in the market next year.

The consequences of a blowup are dire, they warned. Not only will millions lose their coverage, but doctors, hospitals and employers will face higher healthcare costs. Taxpayers will pay billions in extra costs, they wrote, because higher premiums will mean higher tax subsidies for eligible buyers. And for more than 2 million Americans in the individual market who earn too much to receive subsidies, higher premiums could make coverage unaffordable.

The organizations place the responsibility squarely on the lawmakers: At this point, only Congressional action can help consumers. Thats because the CSR issue would be rendered moot by a simple fix of a few lines enacted by Congress, authorizing the payments.

The same organizations have made a similar appeal before, with letters to Congressional leaders and to Trump on April 12. Those appeals went unheard. The only subsequent action on Capitol Hill was the passage by House Republicans of the American Health Care Act, an Obamacare repeal measure that would cost 24 million Americans their coverage if enacted into law, according to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. Fridays letter has a more urgent tone.

The states initiative is being led by California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and his New York counterpart, Eric Schneiderman. Its joined by Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia.

Ending the cost-sharing reductions, the states say, could trigger the very system-wide death spirals that central ACA features were designed to avoid. Sharply higher prices and the loss of the CSRs would prompt healthier buyers to drop their coverage, leaving only costlier patients in the market. That would force premiums even higher, prompting more of the healthy buyers to drop coverage.

Trumps threats to end the CSRs make clear that the current administration does not represent the states interests, the motion says.

If the court allows the states to take over the laws defense, its a game changer, Nicholas Bagley of the University of Michigan observed in a tweet Friday. Trump couldnt unilaterally dismiss the appeal; the states could keep it alive.  Insurers could breathe a bit easier.

But that would only remove the immediate threat, not the threat that the court eventually could rule the CSRs illegal. As long as the lawsuit remains under consideration, Bagley noted, insurers will have to price that possibility into 2018 premiums.

Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com.

Return to Michael Hiltziks blog.

UPDATES:

8:57 a.m., May 22: This post has been updated with reports that the Trump Administration will ask for another 90-day delay in the appeals case.
An appeals court on Friday struck down a Federal Aviation Administration rule that required owners of drones used for recreation to register their craft.

The ruling was a victory for hobbyists and a setback for the FAA, which cited safety concerns as it tried to tighten regulation of the fast-growing army of drone operators.

Some pilots of commercial airliners have reported close calls with drones flying near airports.

Advertisement

About 760,000 hobbyists have registered more than 1.6 million drones since 2015, and sales have skyrocketed. The FAA estimates that hobbyists will buy 2.3 million drones this year and 13 million by the end of 2020. Commercial operators from photographers to oil pipeline and cellphone tower owners were forecast to buy another 10 million through 2020.

The FAA decided in 2015 to require hobbyists to register their drones, or model aircraft. Violators could be sentenced to prison.

The registration requirement was challenged by John A. Taylor, a drone hobbyist in the Washington, D.C., area.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit agreed with Taylor, saying that a law passed by Congress and signed by President Obama in 2012 barred the FAA from imposing new regulations on model aircraft.

The three-judge panel said that safety was obviously important and making hobbyists register may well help further that goal to some degree, but it was up to Congress to repeal the ban on FAA rules for model aircraft.

A spokesman for the FAA said the agency was reviewing the decision.

The ruling demonstrated the schism in the drone world. The Assn. for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, whose members include big commercial drone operators and manufacturers, expressed disappointment with the courts ruling. The groups president, Brian Wynne, said registration helps create a culture of safety that deters careless and reckless behavior. He vowed to seek a legislative fix in Congress.

A lawyer for Chinas DJI, the worlds biggest drone maker, said registration was reasonable and fostered accountability and education to drone pilots. Brendan Schulman said he expected more discussion between industry and governments over the program.

Some model aircraft enthusiasts had complained that the registration requirement was too burdensome.

On balance this is probably a good thing, said Vic Moss, a commercial photographer and drone operator in Colorado. The FAA definitely overstepped their boundaries with the registration, and the fact that they called it an emergency action didnt help them look good.

Moss was worried, however, that the issue was so contentious that the FAA might successfully lobby Congress for clear authority to regulate hobbyists.

Registration cost $5 and had to be renewed every three years. It required owners to mark aircraft with an identification number and imposed civil and criminal penalties on those who did not comply.

Taylor also challenged FAA restrictions on where drones can operate in the Washington area. The court said that appeal was filed too late.

ALSO

United says its planes are secure even though cockpit door access codes were revealed

AT&T workers in California and Nevada call a three-day strike

Fox News fires Bob Beckel from The Five, claims he made insensitive remark to black employee
Weve got Bjork. Weve got the legendary theater director Peter Brook. We have a 24-hour party for Lou Harrison and the architect behind the Marciano Art Foundation. Im Carolina A. Miranda, staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, and this weeks art and culture newsletter has more offerings than the all-you-can-eat at Sizzler:

Bjork in pixels

Bjork-apalooza is about to hit L.A., and The Times Jessica Gelt is on it. The famed Icelandic musician is staging a virtual reality exhibition titled Bjork Digital, she is presenting her new book 34 Scores for Piano, Organ, Harpischord and Celeste, and she has a sold-out show with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Im trying to be truthful to the lives we lead now, the artist says of the digital project. We are on our phones now  sharing files and ideas, making videos, photos and songs. Los Angeles Times

Advertisement

Interview with history

Legendary theater director Peter Brook, photographed in New York in 2014. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Times theater critic Charles McNulty had an epic sit-down with British theater director Peter Brook, who is about to open his latest production at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. McNulty looks at this masters long history (he is 92) of working with gifted actors (Laurence Olivier, Alec Guinness) and staging groundbreaking productions (Marat/Sade and his nine-hour The Mahabharata). The new work Battlefield is a 70-minute distillation of Mahbharata that explores societys slide into a dark and chaotic phase. We are, Brook tells McNulty, in the very last part of a sliding slope going downwards. Los Angeles Times

And because McNulty is on a tear, he also has pieces on Guillermo Calderons new drama, Kiss, Amy Freeds The Monster Builder and Wallace Shawns The Designated Mourner. Whew!

A bold openness

Kulapat Yantrasast, founder of the architecture firm Why in his Culver City studio. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

L.A. is unveiling a new museum next week: the Marciano Art Foundation, which has taken up residence inside the old Scottish Rite Masonic Temple on Wilshire Blvd. I profile architect Kulapat Yantrasast, a protege of Pritzker Prize-winner Tadao Ando and founder of the Culver City firm Why, about his work redesigning this unusual space. I like it because it feels alive, says Yantrastast of the unusual building. Its not a white box. It has these eccentric details. Los Angeles Times

Plus, Jori Finkel reports on the L.A. art spaces that are opening in vintage settings  including the Marciano Art Foundation and the Main Museum. New York Times

Taking measure of the Expo Line

A train crosses a bridge to the 26th Street/Bergamot station in Santa Monica. (Christina House / For The Times)

Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne looks at the zoning and urbanism issues surrounding the Expo Line  and it aint pretty. Should we focus on the fact that new zoning plans for the Expo corridor in Los Angeles and Santa Monica have yet to be implemented? he asks. Or that the plans, as written, are so watered down by worries about density and new development as to be effectively meaningless in attacking our acute housing shortage? Maintain that unworkable status quo, El Lay! Los Angeles Times

Plus, Hawthorne also reports on plans by the Berggruen Institute, the public policy think tank established by Nicolas Berggruen, to construct a campus in the Santa Monica Mountains designed by Herzog & de Meuron, as well as its takeover of a 1924 building in MacArthur Park, which Spanish firm SelgasCano will renovate. Los Angeles Times

Celebrating Lou Harrison

A motley band makes its way to Lou Harrison House in Joshua Tree to mark the centennial of the composers birth. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

In the meantime, Times classical music critic Mark Swed attended a 24-hour celebration in Joshua Tree to mark the 100th anniversary of composer Lou Harrisons birth. He was often treated as an outsider artist for his protean interests, which included Indonesian gamelans, Esperanto and microtones. It was an event that included star-gazing, tree plantings and some gorgeous performances of Harrisons work. Los Angeles Times

Plus, Swed took in a production of the Long Beach Operas As One, a coming-of-age tale by Laura Kaminsky that is also a transgender story. As One, he writes, is not so much an opera of ripped-out-of-the-headlines relevance than a traditional, if unconventional, love story. Los Angeles Times

A look at Latino representation

The team staging They Shoot Mexicans, Dont They? at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

The San Gabriel Mission Playhouse is staging a monthlong series of events that look at issues of Latino representation in Hollywood, with screenings of a documentary about the Latino image and the 1927 Douglas Fairbanks film The Gaucho. The programming will include a staging of They Shoot Mexicans, Dont They, by Theresa Chavez and Rose Portillo. The Times Vera Castaneda reports. Los Angeles Times

Protest in light

Artist Robin Bell made headlines earlier this week when he projected phrases onto the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.  including a sign that read Pay Trump Bribes Here. I spoke with Bell about his protest work: Were not going to slow down any time soon. Los Angeles Times

Note to self

Sci-fi writer Octavia Butler used to write notes to herself to quell her doubt. These are now on view at the Huntington Library in San Marino  along with manuscripts, photographs and notebooks. Los Angeles Times

A modest proposal

A photo from 2010 shows the Hollywood sign near the top of Beachwood Canyon adjacent to Griffith Park. (Reed Saxon / AP)

Pedestrian access to the area around the Hollywood sign has been an ongoing struggle between the public and a few dozen private home owners in the Hollywood Hills. In this must-read historical report (and spectacular attack on NIMBYism), Adrian Glick Kudler argues that perhaps the best thing L.A. can do is not get rid of the sign, but instead dispose of the wealthy community nearby, making the area truly open to everyone. After all, its what the city did with Chavez Ravine and Bunker Hill. Make a sandwich, pack the pipe and apply the tanning lotion. This is is one helluva long read. Curbed

In other news

Playwright Edward Albee in 2009. (Washington Post / Getty Images)

 The Edward Albee estate has denied the rights for Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? to Oregon theater director Michael Streeter over casting issues, including the casting of an African American man in the lead. The Guardian

 Online, a roiling debate about the state of music education: to teach, or not to teach, music theory. The Conversation

 Sarah Kirkland Snider on being a woman composer in a male-dominated field. New Music Box

 The highlights and controversies of the Documenta exhibition in Athens. The Guardian

 Plus, both the curators of Documenta and the Venice Biennale have put their romantic partners in their respective shows. Cue the chin-scratching emoji. Artnet

 Felipe Ehrenberg, the Mexican conceptual artist known for his socio-political work and as co-founder of Beau Geste Press, has passed away. Note to L.A. curators: Would love to see a show of his work here. Artforum

 Filmmaker Alejandro Inarritu has unveiled a harrowing virtual reality film at Cannes about crossing the border. It will land at LACMA on July 2. New York Times

A Sothebys official speaks about Untitled, a 1982 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat. (Don Emmert / AFP/Getty Images)

 Annals of the 1%: A Basquiat sold for $110.5 million at Sothebys this week. New York Times

 A profile (with repeated use of the phrase lifestyle brand) of choreographer Bejamin Millepied and his contemporary ballet troupe L.A. Dance Project, which recently signed a lease for new headquarters in the Arts District. Dance Magazine

 Five artists  including L.A.s Kerry Tribe  are recipients of the 2017 Herb Alpert Award in the Arts. Los Angeles Times

 The Ford Theatres complex is ready to inaugurate its newly renovated amphitheater with its 2017 summer line-up, which includes collaborations with New Yorks Lincoln Center Festival and the Apollo Theater. Los Angeles Times

 Susana Bautista has been named executive director of the Pasadena Museum of California Art. Artforum

 Its the 100th anniversary of the birth of seminal Mexican novelist Juan Rulfo. David Marcial Perez revists the landscapes of his life and novels. El Pais (in Spanish)

 Incidentally, Rulfo was an accomplished photographer. Bomb Magazine

And last but not least

Portraits of Trump made with food. Eater

Sign up for our weekly Essential Arts & Culture newsletter 

carolina.miranda@latimes.com

@cmonstah

ALSO

Datebook: The Hammers new acquisitions, a daylong performance in Echo Park, sculptures of female guerrillas

Aliens, abstraction and Thomas Kinkade: An L.A. exhibition summons the spiritual and the fantastical

How the iconoclastic life and quiet death of L.A. artist Chris Burden was captured in a new documentary
A Star Is Born: Morgan Freeman turns 80 today By Los Angeles Times Staff (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) I like to play characters who are the absolute opposite of me. I think the farther you get from yourself, the more fun you have because the real you is hidden away. Those are the kind of parts where you can become totally empty and let the character fill you up. Thats what I look for -- a role that gives me a chance to be someone completely different.  Morgan Freeman, 1993 FROM THE ARCHIVES: No Sweat: Morgan Freeman Slides Into the Directors Chair Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Chloe Grace Moretz addresses body-shaming controversy over Snow White movie By Josh Rottenberg (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Actress Chloe Grace Moretz has long been known as a strong voice when it comes to issues of feminism, whether its over-sexualization of female characters or equal pay for women. Now shes speaking out against the marketing campaign behind one of her own projects. Moretz went on social media Wednesday to address criticism that marketing for the animated film Red Shoes and the 7 Dwarfs  an updated tweak on the Snow White story, with Moretz as the voice of the classic fairy-tale character  engages in body-shaming. I have now fully reviewed the [marketing] for Red Shoes, I am just as appalled and angry as everyone else, this wasnt approved by me or my team, the actress wrote. According to the website of the South Korean animation studio behind the film, its story centers on a Princess who doesnt fit into the celebrity world of Princesses  or their dress size. When she puts on a pair of magical red shoes, she instantly becomes skinnier. The films synopsis promises an empowering message in which Snow White learns not only to accept herself, but to celebrate who she is, inside and out. But the films trailer and other marketing materials have been blasted as fat-shaming. Plus-size model Tess Holliday took to Twitter to criticize a billboard for the film that appeared at the Cannes Film Festival, where Red Shoes was seeking distribution, that suggested that the less svelte Snow White was no longer beautiful. How did this get approved by an entire marketing team? Why is it okay to tell young kids being fat = ugly? @ChloeGMoretz pic.twitter.com/PVhgwluGTM  Tess Holliday  (@Tess_Holliday) May 30, 2017 Hearing the complaints about the films tone-deaf marketing, Moretz agreed  and told her more than 3 million followers so in a pair of tweets. I have now fully reviewed the mkting for Red Shoes, I am just as appalled and angry as everyone else, this wasn't approved by me or my team  Chloe Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) May 31, 2017 Pls know I have let the producers of the film know. I lent my voice to a beautiful script that I hope you will all see in its entirety https://t.co/IOIXYZTc3g  Chloe Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) May 31, 2017 Even as she apologized, she promised that the marketing doesnt represent the complete picture and the films ultimate message is a far more positive one than initial impressions may suggest. The actual story is powerful for young women and resonated with me. I am sorry for the offense that was beyond my creative control https://t.co/HZP2ydPCAX  Chloe Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) May 31, 2017 Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Singing tween ventriloquist from Americas Got Talent is the cure for what ails you By Christie DZurilla Had enough outrage? Heres the cure for what ails you, courtesy of Americas Got Talent. Take a deep breath, exhale slowly and witness one Darci Lynne Farmer, a 12-year-old singing ventriloquist from Oklahoma City, who on Tuesday night got the Golden Buzzer from AGT judge Mel B for a performance that exuded unadulterated joy. Armed with bunny-puppet pal Petunia on lead vocals, Darci Lynne delivered a surprising version of Summertime for her audition. She ended up earning a ticket straight to the competitions live shows. You made my heart melt, said Mel B, who Darci Lynne later dubbed the best Spice Girl. I believe that that rabbit is a real separate person, judge Howie Mandel said. I love you. I believe youre gonna go far. You just changed your life tonight, young lady. https://t.co/VZmgRXv4PZ  Darci Lynne (@ItsDarciLynne) May 31, 2017 Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

John Legend makes case to take canceled drama Underground elsewhere By Nardine Saad (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) John Legend is making a case for the recently canceled TV drama Underground to be picked up by other content providers. The Oscar-winning musician, who is an executive producer and played abolitionist Frederick Douglass on the Underground Railroad-centered show, rallied fans to give it a second life when cable broadcaster WGN America announced Tuesday it would be canceling the series after two seasons. The network has been scaling down its investment in original programming as part of a deal that its parent company, Tribune Media, made with conservative-leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. Sinclairs purchase of Tribune gives it control of more than 200 local TV stations and WGN America. The shift was not lost on Legend, who fired off a series of tweets to promote the content brought forth by Underground and its creators, Misha Green and Joe Pokaski. WGN America has been bought and is going a different direction strategically. We will find a new home for Underground! he tweeted, adding, Content wins. Were not reliant on a particular network to make great content. Were so proud of our show and the audience that supported! Legend, who has made no secret about his liberal politics, cautioned fans to be wary of Sinclair and claimed that theyre trying to make local stations mini Fox Newses that lean even further to the right. He completed his plea by asking followers to feel free to drop some hints to the network/streaming services you want to pick up #Underground. Show them who will be watching! View Instagram post Despite Underground being a terrific and important series, it no longer fits with our new direction and we have reached the difficult decision not to renew it for a third season, Peter Kern, president and CEO of Tribune Media, said in a statement. It is our hope that this remarkable show finds another home and continues its stories of courage, determination and freedom. Sony Pictures Television, the studio that produces Underground, is said to be trying to find it a new home. See The Times roster of new, returning and canceled series here. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Liam Gallagher plays new music at Manchester benefit show By August Brown In the wake of the terrorist attack outside an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, scores of artists joined forces to raise money for the victims. Among them was Liam Gallagher, the former singer and frontman for the citys most beloved rock band, Oasis. Gallagher played a benefit show for the bombing victims on Tuesday at the O2 Ritz Manchester. At the show, his first as a solo artist, he played several new songs, including the single Wall of Glass, which you can watch above. It was a preview of his forthcoming solo LP, As You Were. (Previously, Gallagher fronted the post-Oasis rock band Beady Eye.) For Oasis fans, he played several classic tracks, including Be Here Now with Oasis guitarist Paul Bonehead Arthurs and an a cappella take on Live Forever. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

CNN fires Kathy Griffin from New Years Eve show over controversial Trump picture By Christie DZurilla (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) Kathy Griffin is out of a job at CNN. The cable network on Wednesday terminated its agreement with the comic, who for years has co-hosted its New Years Eve program with Anderson Cooper, after a photo of Griffin holding a bloody, severed head in the likeness of President Trump went viral on social media. The image, taken by photographer Tyler Shields, elicited strong criticism from liberals and conservatives alike. Griffin apologized for the gory image in a 30-second video posted online Tuesday night. I beg for your forgiveness, Griffin said in the video. I went too far. Trump denounced the image Wednesday, calling it Sick! and saying Griffin should be ashamed. CNN has terminated our agreement with Kathy Griffin to appear on our New Year's Eve program.  CNN Communications (@CNNPR) May 31, 2017 Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Lebanon officially bans Wonder Woman from theaters By Josh Rottenberg If you live in Lebanon, Wonder Woman wont be coming to a theater near you anytime soon. On Wednesday, the country officially banned the superhero film just hours before it was set to arrive in theaters. The ban followed an effort by a group called Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel, which urged the Lebanese governments Ministry of Economy and Trade to block the film because its star, Gal Gadot, is Israeli. News of the ban, which had been the subject of speculation since Monday, was announced on social media by Lebanons Grand Cinemas and Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel. Lebanon has had a contentious relationship with the state of Israel for decades and has an official law on the books that encourages boycotts of products from its neighbor to the south. Israeli citizens and anyone whose passport shows theyve traveled to Israel are prohibited from entering Lebanon. Earlier films featuring Gadot, including Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Furious 7, have successfully screened in theaters in Lebanon, however. Batman v Superman, which introduced Gadots Wonder Woman, was the third biggest hit at the box office in Lebanon last year. And, as has been pointed out, Wonder Woman was, in fact, made by three companies based in America and two based in China, so calling it an Israeli product is debatable. But, on its Facebook page, the Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel complained that Gadot had served two years in the Israeli Defense Forces (national military service is mandatory for Israeli citizens over 18) and boasted about the army training her for Hollywood. Wonder Woman lands in American theaters on Friday and, fueled by overwhelmingly positive reviews, is expected to perform strongly. Read our recent profile of director Patty Jenkins, in which she explains why the world needs Wonder Woman, right here. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

If President Trumps got the whole world in his hands, Trevor Noah says were in trouble By Robert Lloyd Having caught fire too late Tuesday for late-night TV, and with several hosts extending their Memorial Day weekend, the #covfefe hashtag would have to wait at least until Wednesday for its monologue moment. There were, however, some late-night-related tweets reacting to Twitter addict @realdonaldtrumps since-deleted mistyping of what is assumed to be the word covering or coverage. What makes me saddest, wrote Jimmy Kimmel, is that I know Ill never write anything funnier than #covfefe. The account for CBS Late Late Show poked some fun at Trumps gaffe, too. who do you want to see on the next covfefe karaoke  The Late Late Show with James Corden (@latelateshow) May 31, 2017 Meanwhile, Trevor Noah and Comedy Centrals The Daily Show were back after a week off, above, catching up with President Trumps whole first trip abroad. International Hand Stuff was the name of the segment, which framed the excursion in terms of the presidents mitts. There were references to Trump touching the glowing white orb and Jerusalems Western Wall (they build one wall 2,000 years ago, Noah said in his Trump voice, zero Mexicans in their whole country); the question of whether First Lady Melania Trump swatted away her husbands hand on the tarmac in Tel Aviv (leave it to Fox News not to recognize what rejection from a woman looks like); and Trumps power handshake from new French President Emmanuel Macron (the first time that President Trump was on the receiving end of an unwelcome hand grab). The last manual metaphor was given to the German chancellor, who, after her visit with the American president, said, We Europeans must take our fate into our own hands. Yeah, said Noah, clearly Angela Merkel got one look at Trump and was like, All right, our fate is in our own hands, because his clearly ruin everything they touch. Jimmy Kimmel also looked at Trumps trip abroad, which he described, with probable irony, as spreading joy and optimism all over the world. Titled Drunk Donald Trump: Sicily, the segment replayed a portion of Trumps speech at half-speed. The effect is uncanny. Later, sitting outside on some steps -- urine-stained steps, apparently -- Kimmel asked a series of kids, who really do say the darnedest things, about the state of the union. If we measure a late-night host solely by an ability to engage with children in a way thats friendly, direct, deadpan and mostly honest, Kimmel is in a league with David Letterman, nearly. How did he think Donald Trump was doing, Kimmel asked one boy. Not really well, the child replied. My sister told me that Donald Trump is against another state. Which state? Is it  Nebraska? Yeah, Nebraska. A lot of people are happy that he is bombing Nebraska, said Kimmel. (I did say mostly honest.) Do you think it was a good idea? No, replied the boy, cause they have, like, better bombs. I think theyre going to be OK, though, I really do, the host said. Once football season starts, theyre usually pretty solid. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Kathy Griffin apologized for that bloody severed-head stunt. But few are forgiving her By Nardine Saad (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) First Lady Melania Trump is the latest detractor of Kathy Griffins bloody depiction of the presidents decapitation. As a mother, a wife, and a human being, that photo is very disturbing, FLOTUS said in a statement to NBC News. When you consider some of the atrocities happening in the world today, a photo opportunity like this is simply wrong and makes you wonder about the mental health of the person who did it. Griffins photographs and video by photographer Tyler Shields showed the comic straight-faced, holding up a blood-splattered severed head that appeared to be Trumps. The president denounced Griffins stunt, saying that she should be ashamed of herself and that the piece greatly disturbed his 11-year-old son, Barron. Griffins apology wasnt accepted by some on Twitter either, which spewed a variety of reactions, including several right-wing jabs that Griffin had been radicalized by Islamic State, the terror group that frequently beheads its victims. Several also sympathized with the presidents family, citing TMZs story about Barron believing that something horrible had happened to his father when he saw the images on the news. CNN subsequently fired Griffin from her co-hosting duties for its New Years Eve broadcast, and she has also been dropped as a spokesperson for Squatty Potty. Trumps eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., was delighted by the bathroom footstool makers response but criticized CNN for not immediately doing the same. So Squatty Potty pulls the plug on Kathy Griffin, but CNN still evaluating and weighing their options, the presidents eldest son tweeted. Insane whats going on there!!! He then added, Apologies for my last tweet. I didnt mean to group Squatty Potty with CNN. Obviously one of them has moral/ethical standards. Griffins CNN compatriot, Anderson Cooper, who co-hosts the giggle-filled New Years Eve show for the cable news channel, did not come to his pals defense. For the record, I am appalled by the photo shoot Kathy Griffin took part in. It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate, Cooper tweeted. CNN host Jake Tapper also said on the air that he thought the beheading imagery by Griffin about the president was disgusting and inappropriate. For the record, I am appalled by the photo shoot Kathy Griffin took part in. It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate.  Anderson Cooper (@andersoncooper) May 31, 2017 For those asking, I said on air that I thought the beheading imagery by Griffin about the president was disgusting and inappropriate.  Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 30, 2017 Meanwhile, others believed that Griffins apology was a step in the right direction. Kathy Griffin did the right thing by apologizing. That sort of behavior, that sort of message, isn't acceptable in any setting.  George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) May 31, 2017 I think she did the right thing asking for forgiveness and acknowledging that this was a horrible mistake, so I think she can, Minnesota Democrat and former Saturday Night Live writer Sen. Al Franken told CNN on Wednesday. Kathys a friend and shes a terrific comedian, but this had no business being in our public discourse..., Franken said. And I talked to her. She has apologized  a real, fulsome apology. Shes actually begged for forgiveness, and I believe in forgiveness. Still, there was more snark to be had. Kathy Griffin's stupid photo was gross & offensive. She should lose her leadership role in the DNC and no longer be a candidate for office.  Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) May 31, 2017 Update, 10:55 a.m.: Story added news that CNN has fired Griffin from its New Years Eve broadcast. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Melania Trump questions Kathy Griffins mental health after inflammatory photo shoot By James Reed President Trump and Melania Trump (Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images) As a mother, a wife, and a human being, that photo is very disturbing. When you consider some of the atrocities happening in the world today, a photo opportunity like this is simply wrong and makes you wonder about the mental health of the person who did it.  Melania Trump, responding to Kathy Griffins controversial stunt involving a severed head in the likeness of President Trump Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

A Star Is Born: Clint Eastwood turns 87 today By Los Angeles Times Staff (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) If you want to be in for the long haul, you just have to trust your judgment about the material. ... If you go whoring for the money, the audiences will figure you out. They know when youre being a jerk, when youre just trying to get them in a room and show them a movie you dont even care about.  Clint Eastwood, 1993 FROM THE ARCHIVES: Clint, closing in on El Dorado Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

This Is Us not moving to Thursdays, after all By Yvonne Villarreal Consider it a flash-forward flashback: Poised to help NBC reclaim its Must See TV glory on Thursday nights, This Is Us is now staying put in its Tuesday time slot before the switch even happened. The breakout drama from last season will keep hold of the 9 p.m. hour on Tuesdays where it performed mightily in its debut season, the network announced Tuesday. Itll retain its lead-in, The Voice. The move means some rejiggering for Thursdays. The revival of Will & Grace, which was slated to open the night, will now kick off the 9 p.m. hour. It will be surrounded by comedies Superstore, The Good Place and Great News to create a two-hour comedy block. Chicago Fire will take up the 10 p.m. hour instead of Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. That drama will keep its This Is Us lead-in by moving to Tuesdays. Heres NBCs revised schedule: Tuesdays 8 p.m.  The Voice 9 p.m.  This Is Us 10 p.m.  Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders Thursdays 8 p.m.  Superstore 8:30 p.m.  The Good Place 9 p.m.  Will & Grace 9:30 p.m.  Great News 10 p.m.  Chicago Fire Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Erin Moran died of cancer, autopsy report confirms By Christie DZurilla Erin Moran is shown in 1992. (Wally Fong / Associated Press ) The coroner reportedly says Happy Days actress Erin Moran died of complications from cancer and cancer alone. Thats in line with what her husband said in an open letter written shortly after her death on April 22 at age 56. Tests showed no illegal narcotics were involved in her death, according to an autopsy report obtained by TMZ on Tuesday from the coroners office in Harrison County, Ind. Moran struggled with substance abuse earlier in her life, and media assumptions about her cause of death were amplified by a comment from Scott Baio during an early morning radio interview April 24. When Baio learned his former costar had been battling cancer, he fell all over himself trying to set the record straight. I was asked ONLY about Erins troubled past due to drug & alcohol abuse. I was still upset and said I felt that living that kind of a lifestyle will catch up with you and nothing good would come of it, he said on Facebook. THIS WAS BEFORE THE CAUSE OF DEATH WAS ANNOUNCED STATING STAGE 4 CANCER. One of the former child stars brothers, Tony Moran, told the Sun on May 30: My first thoughts were she must have had a heart attack caused by years of substance abuse. She has always battled demons and in recent years things have gone from bad to worse. In reality, as described by her husband, Moran had discovered last December that she had squamous cell carcinoma of the throat. After undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, by April she could no longer speak, eat or drink. She had a feeding tube. Baio posted the open letter from Steve Fleischmann, Morans husband of nearly 24 years, on his own Facebook page April 25. It got so bad so fast, Fleischmann said. The coroner told me it was really really bad. It had spread to her spleen, she had alot of fluid in her lungs and part of her brain was infected, Fleischmann wrote. The coroner said even if she was in the hospital being pumped full of antibiotics she still would not of made it. He said it was the best that she was with me and went in her sleep. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

WGN America cancels Underground, but will it really be the end? By Yvonne Villarreal  A chat with Aisha Hinds and Jurnee Smollett-Bell, the badass women from Underground. WGN America has canceled slavery-era-set drama Underground. The fate of the series, which centered around the Underground Railroad, seemed doomed given how the network has been scaling back its investment in original programming. Until now, the drama, from creators Misha Green and Joe Pokaski, had stood as the lone original scripted series on the network following the recent cancellation of Outsiders. The shift away from original programming comes after Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., the conservative-leaning Baltimore-based company, announced it had agreed to buy Tribune Media in a deal that would give it control of more than 200 local TV stations and WGN America. As WGN America evolves and broadens the scope and scale of its portfolio of series, we recently announced that resources will be reallocated to a new strategy to increase our relevance within the rapidly changing television landscape, Peter Kern, president and CEO of Tribune Media, said in a statement. Despite Underground being a terrific and important series, it no longer fits with our new direction and we have reached the difficult decision not to renew it for a third season. Kern added: It is our hope that this remarkable show finds another home and continues its stories of courage, determination and freedom. Sony Pictures Television, the studio that produces Underground, is said to be trying to find it a new home. When Underground stars Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Aisha Hinds stopped by the Los Angeles Times video studio last week, both seemed hopeful that Undergrounds story wasnt over. We havent heard anything yet on the status of Season 3, said Hinds, who joined Season 2 portraying Underground Railroad icon Harriet Tubman. But I do know there is quite a bit more of this story to tell. And I know that we have engaged viewers waiting to see the story. If WGN is not our home, well find a home. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Lebanon might ban new Wonder Woman because of stars Israeli heritage By Libby Hill A new foe has arisen to oppose Wonder Woman at the box office: Lebanon. The Associated Press reported Tuesday that Lebanon is seeking to ban Warner Bros.'s new Wonder Woman movie because lead actress Gal Gadot is an Israeli. On Monday, Lebanons National News Agency reported that the Ministry of Economy and Trade was adopting measures necessary to ban the film from screening. Relations between Israel and Lebanon have been strained since Israels independence in 1948, with Lebanon still abiding by the Arab League boycott of Israel adopted in 1945. Lebanon does not recognize the State of Israel and does not accept Israeli passports or passports indicating a person has entered Israel. But is Wonder Woman an Israeli product? The film is produced by five production companies DC Films, Atlas Entertainment, Cruel and Unusual Films, Tencent Pictures and Wanda Pictures  three companies based in the United States and two in China. Gadot, however, is proud of her heritage. She served two years in the Israel Defense Force as required by the countrys conscription requirements and has posted in the past in support of IDF during the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict. The ban of the film would have to move quickly, as screenings are scheduled to begin in Beirut on Wednesday. But such action would require approval from a six-member committee from the Ministry of Economy, a process that had yet to begin, according to the Associated Press. Wonder Woman debuts in U.S. theaters Friday. 4:10 p.m.: This article was updated with information from Lebanons National News Agency. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Olivia Newton-John has a new cancer diagnosis; her June shows are postponed By Christie DZurilla (Esteban Felix / Associated Press) Olivia-Newton John has reluctantly postponed her June concert dates after learning that the back pain shes been waylaid by recently is caused by breast cancer that has metastasized to her sacrum. I decided on my direction of therapies after consultation with my doctors and natural therapists and the medical team at my Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia, the 68-year-old singer said Tuesday in a statement on social media. Those therapies include a short course of photon radiation therapy in addition to natural wellness therapies, the statement said. Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, at which time she underwent chemotherapy after a modified radical mastectomy with reconstruction. Her treatment also included acupuncture, which she said helped her with nausea, as well as yoga, meditation and massage. Three weeks ago, Newton-John postponed her May shows, with her team citing a bad issue with Olivias sciatica. Now, her June shows in the U.S. and Canada have been put off. Ticket-holders are being directed to venues for refunds, and any rescheduled dates will be posted on Newton-Johns official website. Olivia ... is confident she will be back later in the year, better than ever, to celebrate her shows, the Tuesday statement said. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

After Cannes delay, Victoria & Abdul trailer debuts By Amy Kaufman One week after Focus Features scrapped plans to unveil the trailer for Victoria & Abdul during the Cannes Film Festival, a preview of the upcoming British drama has debuted online. Set in 1887, the film stars Judi Dench as Queen Victoria and follows the monarch as she strikes up an unlikely friendship with a Muslim Indian (Ali Fazal) who has traveled to the U.K. to deliver a ceremonial coin to her majesty. Focus, which is owned by Universal Pictures, was set to debut the trailer last Wednesday but postponed the release after the bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, on May 22. A source told The Times the decision was made in part because a big piece of marketing right after the attack could seem insensitive. Directed by Stephen Frears, Victoria & Abdul is set for release at the start of awards season in September. The trailer centers on the real-life relationship that blossomed between the two, with Abdul going from servant to teacher while informing the queen about everything from the Koran to the joys of Indian mangoes. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Ready for Alanis Morissettes Jagged Little Pill as a musical? Its happening By August Brown (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) Alanis Morissettes angsty, groundbreaking 1995 album, Jagged Little Pill, always seemed like it had enough melodrama to make it into a theatrical production. Now its coming to a stage in Massachusetts. The new production of Jagged Little Pill, helmed by Juno writer Diablo Cody and director Diane Paulus, will debut at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge next May. The musical will feature songs from the LP  famed for its unsparing look at relationships  along with other music from Morissettes catalog and Pill producer Glen Ballard. This team that has come together for this Jagged Little Pill musical is my musical theater dream come true, Morissette said in a statement. The chemistry between all of us is crackling and I feel honored to be diving into these songs again, surrounded by all of this searing talent. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Reunited Brady Bunch kids fondly remember Florence Henderson on Today By Nardine Saad It was a very Brady reunion on Tuesday. The Brady Bunch kids Barry Williams (Greg), Christopher Knight (Peter), Mike Lookinland (Bobby) and Susan Olsen (Cindy) came together on NBCs Today show to reflect on the iconic family sitcom and pay tribute to its late matriarch, Florence Henderson, nearly 50 years after the show debuted in 1969. The syndicated series about a blended family of six children and their housekeeper has permeated the pop culture zeitgeist with its unmistakable style and earworm theme song. With numerous parodies and attempted reboots in its wake, the comedy has endured because of its wholesome values, the cast members said. What you have on The Brady Bunch is something youre not going to see these days, which is a family where the parents and the kids respect each other today the formula is get the parents out of the show for the kids shows, said Olsen, a.ka. the youngest one in curls. You know how you dont grow old for yourself until you see yourself in a photo? Somehow you just dont see it, Knight explained. Its as though the show keeps us young in everyones mind, but were really this old. Added Williams: Everyone always refers to us as kids. No matter how we mature, were still the kids. After acknowledging that they would always be best known for The Brady Bunch, the actors said, they realized early on that they would never be able to walk away from the series at different stages of their careers. For Williams it was when a teenage girl asked him to sign an autograph for her mother and for Lookinland it was when he realized that his fans now had grandchildren. Knight said the show was always going to be in the room before me and it was always going to be in the room after me. Olsen, who claimed that she had written some off-color lyrics attached to the theme song, added that you spend a little while trying to run away from it, but you cant. Its like having a hunchback. You cant disguise it, so you might as well dress it up. As for their TV mom, Henderson, who died in 2016, the kids remembered her fondly. Everyone she met felt better about themselves and about the world around them after having spent a moment with Florence, Knight said. She was a mentor, a friend. We learned from her, added Williams. We learned how to interact with the public. She was so gracious with her fans, and we all learned how to do that graciously. Mostly she loved to make people laugh. You probably know that if youve been in her space. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Prince William talks about taboo of mental illness and death of Diana in new interview By Libby Hill As the 20th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales approaches, her son Prince William has opened up to British GQ about the loss. I would like to have had her advice, William told the magazine. I would love her to have met Catherine and to have seen the children grow up. It makes me sad that she wont, that they will never know her. The prince was just 15 when his mother was killed in a high-speed car crash on Aug. 31, 1997, and he and younger brother Harry were left to deal with their grief under great public scrutiny. While Prince William has of late found the words to speak publicly about his mother, the journey to that place has not always been easy. It has taken me almost 20 years to get to that stage, William said. I still find it difficult now because at the time it was so raw. And also it is not like most peoples grief, because everyone else knows about it, everyone knows the story, everyone knows her. View Instagram post It may have taken years, but William and Harry have found a way to honor their mother in a fashion that she would likely greatly appreciate: charitable work. Known as the Peoples Princess, Diana was a tireless advocate for those in need and worked to destigmatize AIDS in the 1980s, to fight the use of landmines and to better the lives of the underprivileged. In the last year, William and his brother, alongside Williams wife, Kate, have expanded their involvement in Heads Together, a mental health campaign led by the Royal Foundation, which aims to start a productive conversation about the reality of mental illness. Smashing the taboo is our biggest aim. We cannot go anywhere much until that is done. People cant access services till they feel less ashamed, so we must tackle the taboo, the stigma, William said. The Heads Together campaign has sparked several headlines for the royal family in recent months. In April, Prince Harry admitted that the death of his mother left him very close to a complete breakdown for which he finally sought professional help three years ago. The experience that Ive had is once you start talking about [mental health], you suddenly realized, actually, youre part of a big club ... and everybodys gagging to talk about it, Harry said during the Mad World podcast with Bryony Gordon. The GQ interview is not the only conversation that Prince William has had recently about mental health, either. He participated in a highly publicized FaceTime chat with Lady Gaga on the matter. In the interview, Prince William acknowledged that his public persona might suggest otherwise, but privately, he is impassioned about the issue. I cannot understand how families, even behind closed doors, still find it so hard to talk about it. I am shocked we are so worried about saying anything about the true feelings we have, the prince said. Prince Williams full interview with British GQ is available in its July issue, on newsstands June 1. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Ariana Grandes mom has a message for Manchester bombing victims By Christie DZurilla Joan Grande, left, and Ariana Grande in September 2015. (Kevin Mazur / Getty Images) Days after daughter Ariana Grande issued a statement about last weeks post-concert bombing in Manchester, England, mom Joan Grande posted her own thoughts about the incident that left 22 dead and scores more injured. I join my daughter in extending my help & services to all those affected by the diabolical act of terror which occurred in Manchester! she wrote on Twitter as a Memorial Day message that also thanked U.S. servicemen and women. My heart goes out to all the victims: those who lost their lives, those injured, those recovering & all survivors of that night, along with the families and friends whose grief knows no bounds. The elder Grande was still in her front-row seat at the show, about to go see her daughter backstage, when the suicide bomb went off, TMZ reported. Mama Grande took about 10 kids who were seated around her to safety backstage, the website said. Ariana Grande similarly offered her assistance to those in need on Friday in a statement declaring her intention to return to the incredibly brave city of Manchester for a benefit concert. We will never be able to understand why events like this take place because it is not in our nature, which is why we shouldnt recoil, the Bang Bang singer said. We will not quit or operate in fear. We wont let this divide us. We wont let hate win. #MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/oUDmB7VD6x  Joan Grande (@joangrande) May 29, 2017 Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

A Star Is Born: Annette Bening turns 59 today By Los Angeles Times Staff (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) "[W]hen they teach you to act, they teach you about objectives. You have a need -- a kind of emotional imbalance -- its not neurotic, but you want something. I try to consciously beef up that motivation in order to intensify what Im doing. You get an image in your head of what you want and then you find a way of expressing that.  Annette Bening, 1991 FROM THE ARCHIVES: Regarding Annette Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Swedens The Square wins Palme dOr and Sofia Coppola wins best director at Cannes By Los Angeles Times Swedish director Ruben Ostlund reacts on stage after he was awarded with the Palme dOr for the film The Square during the closing ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. (Alberto Pizzoli / AFP / Getty Images) Ruben Ostlunds The Square, a ferocious drama of conscience, according to Times critic Justin Chang, about how a single lapse in judgment can cause a mans entire life to unravel, won the Cannes top prize, the Palme dOr on Sunday. The Grand Prix award went to Robin Campillos 120 Beats per Minute. Sofia Coppola won best director for her film The Beguiled, which stars Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell. Kidman also won the festivals 70th anniversary prize. Joaquin Phoenix won best actor for Lynne Ramsays You Were Never Really Here and Diane Kruger won best actress award for Faith Akins In the Fade. More coverage to come. Meanwhile... Here is what Justin Chang wrote about Ostlunds The Square, and Steven Zeitchiks interview with the director, who talked about the element of surprise in his movies: I really like scenes that when they end where you dont know 100% where to put them. It starts funny or it starts sad and then it becomes something else. When you get that shift, you know youve succeeded. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

A Star Is Born: Kylie Minogue turns 49 today By Los Angeles Times Staff (Axel Koester / For The Times) I have this following  mainly young girls. This album had to appeal to those fans. If the singing was too R&B, they wouldnt like it, I guess. These producers think pop music is candy music. Theyre saying: Here, kids, have a piece of candy.  Kylie Minogue, 1988 FROM THE ARCHIVES: Fame, fortune, but no respect Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Gregg Allman, pioneer of Southern rock, dies at 69 By Nardine Saad Gregg Allman performs with the Allman Brothers Band in 1979. (George Rose / Los Angeles Times) Gregg Allman, the gravel-voiced singer who helped lift the Allman Brothers Band to prominence with a hard-churning brand of soulful rock that became part of the soundtrack of the 1960s and 70s and set the coordinates for a musical genre known as Southern rock, died Saturday at the age of 69. According to a statement posted on his official website, Allman, who had canceled concerts and entire tours in recent years as he battled a variety of health issues, passed away peacefully at his home in Savannah, Ga. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

70 years of Cannes in 17 seconds: The art of the yacht deal, from Steven Spielberg to Steve Bannon By Steven Zeitchik  Steven Zeitchik, Justin Chang and Kenneth Turan are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Zeitchik, with Chang behind the camera, recalls the time he wound Steven Zeitchik, Justin Chang and Kenneth Turan are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Zeitchik, with Chang behind the camera, recalls the time he wound up on a yacht with a future member of the Trump administration. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

70 years of Cannes in 17 seconds: The time Sofia Coppolas Marie Antoinette was booed By Justin Chang Steven Zeitchik, Justin Chang and Kenneth Turan are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Chang, with Zeitchik behind the camera, recalls the year Sofia Coppolas Marie Antoinette played in competition and was booed by certain members of the media audience.  Steven Zeitchik, Justin Chang and Kenneth Turan are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Chang, with Zeitchik behind the camera, recalls the year Sofia Cop That same year, when the film debuted in theaters, Times critic Kenneth Turan looked back on the boos at Cannes and concluded the reaction wasnt just about the filmmaking. Here is the essay he wrote on Oct. 13, 2006: -------------------- WHO OWNS HISTORY? And, more to the point, who owns Marie Antoinette? Though theyre not usually phrased that way, those questions have swirled around Sofia Coppolas quietly exuberant new film about the doomed young French queen (only 18 when she ascended the throne, 37 when she was executed) since it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year to some scattered  and widely misunderstood  boos. For the displeasure came not, as might be expected, from the French critics -- whod already seen the film and whose generally positive notices were already on record in Le Film Francais, the French trade paper -- but from political types who had an ax to grind about the films portrait of the woman in question. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor split after 17 years of marriage By Christie DZurilla (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor have split up after 18 years together, 17 of them as husband and wife. With tremendous love and respect for each other, and the 18 years we spent together as a couple, we have made the decision to separate, they said Friday in a joint statement. Our priority will continue to be raising our children as devoted parents and the closest of friends. We kindly ask that the media respect our privacy at this time. The Zoolander director and the Brady Bunch Movie actress met in L.A. in 1999, while he was developing a pilot in which she was going to star. They started dating that April and by November were engaged. They got married in May 2000. Stiller, 51, who proposed to Taylor while he was doing Meet the Parents, told Parade in 2013 that art imitated life when he was about to pop the question. I asked her father for permission before I did it, he said. It was like Meet the Parents in real life, because Christines father is an intimidating guy who owns a security company; were good friends now, but at the time I was in the basement rec room saying, I really would like to marry your daughter... Why the basement? " He was trying to find a place to sort of secretly ask my dad if it was OK to ask my hand in marriage, Taylor told New York magazine in 2008. The Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story costars have two kids together, daughter Emma, 15, and son Quinlan, 11. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

70 years of Cannes in 17 seconds: The home away from home for luminaries By Kenneth Turan  Kenneth Turan, Justin Chang and Steven Zeitchik are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Turan, with Chang behind the camera, brings us to the historic Hot Kenneth Turan, Justin Chang and Steven Zeitchik are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Turan, with Chang behind the camera, brings us to the historic Hotel Splendid, which over the last 146 years has been a home away from home for luminaries ranging from the French composer Jacques Offenbach to the late critic Roger Ebert. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

L.A. music fixture Rodney Bingenheimer will leave KROQ next month By Mikael Wood Rodney Bingenheimer, the veteran radio DJ and rock-scene insider familiar to several generations of Los Angeles music fans, is ending his long-running show on L.A.'s KROQ-FM (106.7) after more than 40 years. Rodney on the ROQ will air for the final time on June 4 at midnight, Bingenheimer, 69, wrote on Facebook Thursday. It has been an amazing run, and I will be thanking all of you when I say goodbye to KROQ next week, he said in the post. I am planning on some special callers and special music as I say a proper goodbye. In a statement to The Times, KROQ program director Kevin Weatherly called Bingenheimer one of the most influential voices on the radio and said he and his staff will forever be grateful for the indelible mark that Rodney on the ROQ has left on this station, our listeners and the alt-rock music scene. Bingenheimer launched his show on the influential modern-rock station in 1976, four years after he opened Rodneys English Disco, a nightclub on Sunset Boulevard popular among the decades glam acts. On the radio, Bingenheimer quickly became known for championing new artists including the Sex Pistols and Blondie; he continued playing music by up-and-coming talent over the years, throwing his considerable enthusiasm behind the likes of Oasis and Coldplay. In his Facebook post, Bingenheimer  the subject of a 2003 documentary called Mayor of the Sunset Strip  didnt say why he was leaving KROQ. But he noted that hes not retiring from music. As this chapter closes, he wrote, I will be opening another chapter of my rock life soon. Heres his full statement on Facebook: Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Ariana Grande to hold benefit concert in incredibly brave city of Manchester By Christie DZurilla (Valerie Macon / AFP/Getty Images) Ariana Grande on Friday announced her intention to return to the incredibly brave city of Manchester to spend time with fans and play a benefit concert to assist victims of the suicide bomb attack launched after her show in the British city earlier this week. I have been thinking of my fans, and of you all, non stop over the past week. The way you have handled all of this has been more inspiring and made me more proud than youll ever know, the 23-year-old singer said in a statement on social media. The compassion, kindness, love, strength and oneness that youve shown one another this past week is the exact opposite of the heinous intentions it must take to pull off something as evil as what happened Monday. YOU are the opposite. Grande gave no details about when she would return other than to say theyd be coming as soon as things were confirmed. The statement was her first since a brief tweet after the bombing saying she was broken and so so sorry. That day, Grande and her mother left Britain for Florida. She acknowledged her own reaction to the incident in saying she was sorry for the pain and fear you must be feeling and the trauma that you, too, must be feeling. She also talked about not wanting to go the rest of the year without being out there for her fans; at this point, her tour has been suspended only until June 5. There is nothing I or anyone can do to take away the pain you are feeling or to make this better, she said to the victims of the attack and their loved ones. However, I extend my hand and heart and everything I can possibly give to you and yours, should you want or need my help in any way. Those who were most tragically affected, Grande said, will be on my mind and in my heart everyday and I will think of them with everything I do for the rest of my life. View Instagram post Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Equality, not feminism, is the watchword at Wonder Woman premiere By Sonaiya Kelley Victoria Ikerd from San Diego, left, and Sylvia Vale from Culver City strike their best Wonder Woman pose. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) The stars of Warner Bros. Wonder Woman took to the red carpet outside Hollywoods Pantages Theatre Thursday night to celebrate the films premiere with a unified message. It just wasnt the message some people might expect. I think the world needs all types of superheroes, director Patty Jenkins said when asked why we need Wonder Woman. What a beautiful message right now because were in a dark place, and thats the only way were going to get to the other side, if everyone becomes a hero. (Warner Bros. canceled the films London premiere after Mondays attack in Manchester.) Despite the obvious girl power on display, many of the films stars and creators shied away from identifying it as a feminist film, hoping not to isolate the male fans in attendance. SEE PHOTOS FROM THE WONDER WOMAN PREMIERE  I think that the film just takes a great character and tells a great story about how that character came to be, Charles Roven, the films producer, told the Los Angeles Times. Obviously the character wouldnt be who she is if she wasnt a woman, but shes a very specific woman, Roven added. Theres no other superhero character in the DC Universe who embraced their legacy and knew what they wanted to be and became [it]. And thats completely inspirational to everyone, not just women. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Bella Thorne and Scott Disick together in Cannes? Legit nothing By Christie DZurilla (Joshua Blanchard / Getty Images, left; Lars Niki / Getty Images) In whats been called a battle of strategic hookups between exes Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick, Bella Thorne has put up a white flag and flown away. Disick, 34, and Thorne, 19, were seen Monday at LAX on their way to the Cannes Film Festival, where  surprise!  Kardashian, 38, was already hanging out and getting handsy with Younes Bendjima, a 24-year-old boxer-turned-model. According to E! News, the latter twosome is for real but keeping it light. The Kardashian ex and the actress from The DUFF? Perhaps not so much. Thorne and Disick raised eyebrows Wednesday with a high-profile cuddle-fest by a pool in Cannes. Alas, by Thursday, word has it via TMZ, Thorne wasnt comfortable with her party-boy travel partner when he got his drink on: After tweeting Thursday that Yo this #cannes fancy life isnt for me, she told one person that she had been doing Legit nothing trolololo with Scott and another, Hahahah Im not talking to scott or anyone else. Scott is partially using Bella and a few other girls as a crutch to make Kourtney upset and feel jealous, a Keeping Up With the Kardashians"-related source told People on Thursday, sounding like a description of an upcoming episode of the show. They are both playing this game with each other and at the moment neither one of them are backing down. Around 3 a.m. Friday, Cannes time, Disick was paying attention to another lady, putting this pic of his and Kardashians 4-year-old daughter, Penelope, up on Facebook: Um, hashtag #supersad? Bye Cannes you were boring Thorne said Friday on Snapchat, posting video from the seat of what appeared to be a private plane. Kardashian, Bendjima and half-sis Kendall Jenner left Cannes on Friday as well. Yo this #cannes fancy life isn't for me  BITCHIMBELLATHORNE (@bellathorne) May 25, 2017 @bellathorne bells, what were you doing with Scott?  chrystal (@justintheslayer) May 25, 2017 Legit nothing trolololo https://t.co/t9eW4B17oI  BITCHIMBELLATHORNE (@bellathorne) May 26, 2017 Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Netflix cancels London premieres of Orange Is the New Black and GLOW By Libby Hill The fatal terrorist incident at an Ariana Grande concert Monday in Manchester, England, continues to resonate throughout the entertainment industry. Netflix canceled its plans for a London premiere for Season 5 of Orange Is the New Black and the pilot for GLOW, the latest series from Orange creator Jenji Kohan. Following the terrible events in Manchester on Monday night, we have decided to cancel our special screening of Orange Is the New Black and GLOW on Tuesday [May 30], a Netflix spokesperson told The Times on Friday. Our thoughts are with all of those affected by this tragedy. According to those knowledgeable about the decision, the streaming services choice to forgo its screenings comes from internal discussions only, not from any pressure from local authorities. This is just the latest cancellation in the wake of Mondays tragedy, which took the lives of 22 individuals, including victims as young as 8 years old. On Wednesday, Warner Bros. scuttled plans for a London Wonder Woman premiere, originally scheduled for May 31. Similarly, Universal Pictures announced Thursday that it had canceled its London premiere for The Mummy originally slated for June 1. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Oasis Liam Gallagher schedules Manchester benefit show By Mikael Wood (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times) Former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher will play a hometown concert next week in Manchester, England, to benefit the families of Mondays bombing at the Manchester Arena. Its outrageous, the singer told the Manchester Evening News regarding the terrorist attack that killed 22 people following a concert by Ariana Grande. There are kids and people dying all over the world. And for what? He went on to say, I want to try and help pick people up. People like me, doing what we do, its our duty to give people a good time. The show, scheduled for Tuesday night at the O2 Ritz, will serve as Gallaghers first solo gig and comes ahead of the release of his debut solo single, Wall of Glass, from an album expected in October. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Body-slamming? Late-night hosts remind us that Donald Trump once did that on TV By Yvonne Villarreal Lest America forget the nations history of political candidates with body-slamming tendencies, the late-night circuit offered a refresher course Thursday night. Playing catchup to Wednesdays news that Greg Gianforte, the billionaire Republican candidate in Montanas special congressional election, had allegedly body-slammed a Guardian reporter after the journalist asked him about the Republican healthcare bill, TV hosts weighed in on the matter. Think about that, Late Night host Seth Meyers said. The GOP healthcare plan is so bad, Republicans would rather body-slam reporters than answer a question about it. His response to the question, Meyers continued, was to give the reporter a preexisting condition. Late Show host Stephen Colbert expressed faux skepticism about Gianfortes ability to move past the incident and win the election. That happened the night before the election, Colbert said. I just dont know how anyone could vote for a candidate who body-slams people. Cue a clip of Donald Trump performing such a move in 2007 when he appeared on WrestleMania 23" and tackled WWE Chairman Vince McMahon to the ground before shaving his head. I forgot, Colbert said after playing the clip. Nothing matters. During his A Closer Look segment, Meyers also played the Trump clip. That was a thing, a real thing that happened. and we still said Yeah, he should be president. For the record: Gianforte won Montanas special election Thursday. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

A Star Is Born: Stevie Nicks turns 69 today By Los Angeles Times Staff (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times) I think if people like to dress like a gypsy and they get a little inspiration from me to do it, then its great. Its definitely something everyone should try at least once in their lives. Dress like a gypsy!  Stevie Nicks, 1997 FROM THE ARCHIVES: Airy Godmother Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

For the 40th anniversary of Star Wars, see how fans packed L.A. theaters in 1977 By Los Angeles Times Staff When the original Star Wars opened on May 25, 1977, only about 40 theaters across the country initially screened the movie. In Los Angeles, fans packed showings in ways theater managers and moviegoers had never seen. For the 40th anniversary of Star Wars, we revisit this story examining the earliest stages of the Star Wars phenomenon. The Times originally published this story on June 4, 1977. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

George Lucas predicted Star Wars Disney future in 1977 interview with The Times By L.A. Times staff Happy 40th anniversary, Star Wars! Before the first-ever Star Wars premiered on screens across America on May 25, 1977, Los Angeles Times writer Paul Rosenfield sat down with the creator of a galaxy far, far away. Then 33, George Lucas was just a few days shy from the release of his space opera, prophetically claiming that Star Wars was the movie he thinks Disney would have made when Walt Disney was alive. Who knew decades later that the droids and the mouse would reside in the same castle? This story was originally published on June 5, 1977, and titled, Lucas: Film-Maker With the Force. (Also from our archives, read The Times original Star Wars review here.) I think of this as a movie Disney would have made when Walt Disney was alive ... I call it space opera. Thats a genre thats been around a long time, in the books of Burroughs and Heinlein, but never really done on film.  George Lucas in 1977 Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Guns N Roses is playing Los Angeles again By Mikael Wood Guns N Roses will play two hometown concerts this fall, the reunited Los Angeles hard-rock band announced Thursday, one Nov. 24 at Staples Center and another Nov. 25 at the Forum. The dates are part of a new extension of GNRs Not in This Lifetime Tour, which launched in April 2016 with a show at the Troubadour that marked the first time in decades that frontman Axl Rose had performed in public with guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan. The tour went on to hit Coachella and Dodger Stadium. Opening acts for the L.A. shows werent announced, but GNR revealed that country singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson will warm up crowds at stadium shows in August in Denver; Little Rock, Ark.; and Miami. Other acts with opening slots on the tour include ZZ Top, Deftones and Royal Blood. Tickets for the newly scheduled concerts go on sale June 3. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Claire Foy shoots down Lisbeth Salander rumors: I dont know about any of this By Glenn Whipp Claire Foy (Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times) Claire Foys sister called her last week, none too pleased that her sibling hadnt told her that shed be playing Lisbeth Salander in The Girl in the Spiders Web, the long-delayed follow-up to the 2011 David Fincher film The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. My sisters like, Oh, what are you doing? and I was like, Im not doing anything! I dont t know about any of this! Foy told The Times Wednesday in an interview before an Emmy season promotional event for the actress Netflix series, The Crown. Its really weird, Foy added. Ive never experienced that before where theres a rumor about a possible job like this. Its very surreal. News broke last week that Foy was either in talks, eyeing or had been all but cast to play Lisbeth in the reboot of the Stieg Larsson book series. So is Foy, who plays Queen Elizabeth on The Crown, even in the running? No. Im not even in the same arena, Foy said. I cant even contemplate doing anything at all, to be honest, at this present time. The 33-year-old British actress just finished shooting Season 2 of The Crown last week. The ambitious series requires a nine-month commitment, meaning that Foy hasnt had much down time the last two years. She also has a 2-year-old daughter with her husband, actor Stephen Campbell Moore. So you can understand why, when asked about her immediate future, she emphatically states: Good God, no. I have got no plans to do anything. Those sentiments would seem to preclude her from The Girl in the Spiders Web, which is scheduled to begin filming in September to make an Oct. 15, 2018, release date. Then again, when asked what kind of role shed like to do after playing the reserved Elizabeth, a woman nicknamed Shirley Temple, Foy replied: I think I need to play somebody who expresses themselves and is able to communicate on a more open level, something really different. Like the avenging anti-heroine Lisbeth? Well ... Foy answered, with a hint of a smile. Well just have to wait and see. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Sony taps Gina Prince-Bythewood to direct Spider-Man spinoff Silver & Black By Libby Hill (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times) Sony continues to get its superhero ducks in a row, with Deadline reporting Thursday that the studio had tapped Gina Prince-Bythewood to direct Silver & Black, a film centered around comic book characters Silver Sable and Black Cat. Prince-Bythewood also will rewrite the script for the film, originally written by Christopher Yost, screenwriter of Thor: The Dark World. Silver Sable and Black Cat are characters that originated in correlation to Spider-Man and have served as both allies and antagonists to the web-slinging superhero over the years. Silver & Black is the latest Spidey-related endeavor for Sony, with Spider-Man: Homecoming, starring Tom Holland, premiering July 7, and Venom, starring Tom Hardy as the sometimes villain, sometimes anti-hero, hitting theaters Oct. 5, 2018. The film will not be Prince-Bythewoods first dalliance with superheroes. She directed the pilot for Freeforms upcoming series Marvels Cloak & Dagger, about two teenagers learning to deal with both superpowers and love. Prince-Bythewood is an experienced director of critically acclaimed films including Love & Basketball and Beyond the Lights, and she is well-versed in the world of television, where Foxs Shots Fired, the show she created and produced with husband Reggie Rock Bythewood, just concluded its first season. The director becomes the latest woman tapped to helm a superhero film, with Patty Jenkins Wonder Woman debuting in theaters June 2. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Happy puking: Baywatch is the summer blockbuster critics love to hate By Christie DZurilla  Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron and Priyanka Chopra star in Baywatch. Whats more fun than seeing the new Baywatch movie? Having movie reviewers see it for you! Los Angeles Times critic Jen Yamato was in the Enjoy It for What It Is camp, describing the film thusly: "[I]t not only owns its dumbness but hurtles itself all the way back around through a flurry of genitalia jokes and F-bombs to splash unapologetically in an R-rated surf of winking postmodernism, led by the charismatic Dwayne Johnson, Hollywoods most unsinkable movie star. But although not everyone hates it  64% of audiences dug it, according to Rotten Tomatoes  a lot of reviewers put the bouncing-beach-bodies flick firmly in its place, damning it, and then damning it with faint praise. That said, here are a few snacks, both bad and (relatively) good, from the Baywatch snark buffet. Over at the Chicago Tribune, they took the Yeah, and ...? approach to the review. The Bad: The movies comic instincts... are consistently coarse and frequently scrotal. The Good: The bodies on screen are pretty, which I seem to remember was a selling point of the 1989-2001 TV series. As we said, yeah, and ...? The Roger Ebert website perhaps cut closest to the bone, pulling few punches. The Bad: "[T]his is another one of those raunchy comedies thats barely a movie, that looks like it was edited by dumping a bunch of footage into whatever movie-cutting software theyre using and hitting randomize. The Good: "[T]he movie has a pervading air of crass amiability about it  its almost like a two-hour end-credits gag reel. (Nevertheless, it contains an end credits gag reel.) Now could you tell us what you really think?: Rolling Stone painted a vivid picture of the Baywatch experience. The Bad: Think of yourself sitting down for a big two-hour wallow in instant stupid with a vat of popcorn, slathered in fake butter and possibly a mound of melted M&Ms on top. It feels great chugging it down, then your stomach hurts, your head aches and you puke the whole thing up so you can forget about it in the morning. Thats Baywatch in a nutshell. Happy puking. The Good: Of the recent spate of moldy TV material morphing into movies, with 21 Jump Street on top and CHIPs bringing up the rear, Baywatch barely escapes the basement. One reason it does: The Rock. Helpful! Turns out if you liked 21 Jump Street and CHiPs, this flick is for you! The New York Times loosened up its necktie for this one. The Bad: The digital effects  fire and water, mostly  are lackluster, and the whole thing has a crummy, overcast, second-rate-theme-park look to it. The Good: Like its source material, Baywatch is sleazy and wholesome, silly and earnest, dumb as a box of sand and slyly self-aware. Its soft-serve ice cream. Crinkle-cut fries. A hot car and a skin rash. Tacky and phony and nasty and also kind of fun. Tacky? Phony? Nasty? We didnt know it was a date movie. The Washington Post, of course, just couldnt leave politics out of it. The Bad: Its no shock that the women in Baywatch dont have much to do beyond look good. ... Maybe dodging bad lines was a relief for the actresses. Its not like the screenplay, by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, gives performers a lot to work with. The Good: If, indeed, Dwayne the Rock Johnson ditches Hollywood to become our next commander in chief, Baywatch may be singled out as the low point of his pre-political career. Well, at least Johnson has that out of the way. The Tampa Bay Times went deadpan. The Bad: Imagining Johnson and genetically gifted co-stars in swimsuits is all it took to pitch Baywatch. Director Seth Gordon and six writers didnt come up with much beyond that. The Good: What Baywatch has in its favor is Dwayne Johnson fireman-carrying a dead weight comedy to safety. We think thats a compliment. Maybe. Variety noted the films nods to current market and societal trends. The Bad: Baywatch ... is a stupidly entertaining trash folly, the kind that could only be made today: an obscenity-and-insult-laced, aggressively competent adaptation of a 25-year-old TV show that manages to repackage every aspect of the series except, perhaps, the reason it was popular in the first place. The Good: They wear their butt-hugging red bathing suits with dignity and pride, which makes this a highly sexually responsible Baywatch. The reviewer at the New York Post appeared to be familiar with the TV series global success. The Bad: Even the action scenes need CPR, often undermined by effects so chintzy, you wonder if the money intended for them was instead eaten up by the productions seven-figure waxing budget. The Good: On the bright side, itll probably do killer business in Germany. Wait, were they just dissing the Hoff? Finally, one need go no further than the AV Club to understand Rotten Tomatoes 19% positive critics rating. The Bad: "[N]obody not even the filmmakers cares about Baywatch all that much. Yet the jokes on them: In spoofing something so forgettable, theyve made something even less memorable. The Good: Nobody cares about Baywatch. Nuff said. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Seth Meyers says Trumps cruel budget cuts would harm the presidents supporters most By Chris Barton After a number of weeks filled with late-breaking developments on the Trump administrations apparent ties to Russia, Wednesday night was a chance for late-night hosts to sort of catch their breath and essentially choose their own adventure. Jimmy Kimmel focused on the seemingly less-than-happy photos of the pope with President Trump that circulated on Wednesday, while Stephen Colbert took a brief swipe at the $2-trillion double-counting error in Trumps budget. Seth Meyers, however, took advantage of his shows A Closer Look segment to make time for all of the above. After addressing the photo of the stone-faced pope with Trump, Meyers recapped the latest developments in the investigations into whether, among other things, the president engaged in obstruction of justice by firing FBI Director James Comey. But then Meyers took on the administrations proposed federal budget, which could cause harm to many. While noting the budget amounts to a wish list that Congress will battle over, Meyers said the proposals harshness was not to be discounted. What someone wishes for tells you a lot about that person, Meyers said before recounting the many cuts the budget proposes to Social Security and Medicaid. The show then rolled a number of clips in which Trump the candidate promised not to do just that. This budget lays bare just how much of a fraud Trumps campaign was, Meyers added, noting how hard many of these cuts to the social safety net would hit Trump supporters. He then squared off the pointed words of Trump the candidate versus his actions as president to underscore his point. Maybe its better those two never meet, Meyers said. I think they would hate each other. Watch the clip above. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Universal Pictures cancels London premiere of The Mummy in wake of Manchester bombing By Libby Hill  Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Annabelle Wallis and Sofia Boutella star in The Mummy. The specter of Mondays terrorist attack in Manchester, England, continues to loom large. Universal Pictures announced Thursday morning the cancellation of next weeks London premiere of The Mummy, the second such development this week. All of us at Universal have been devastated by the terror attack in Manchester and continue to stand with the community and country as it recovers, the statement from the studio read. Out of respect to those affected by this tragedy we have decided not to move forward with the London premiere for The Mummy scheduled to take place next week. The film, starring Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe, serves as the launch of Universal Pictures Dark Universe, an extended universe that will see the reboot of several classic monsters from the Universal vault, including the Invisible Man and Frankensteins Monster. Cancellation of the June 1 London premiere for The Mummy comes just a day after Warner Bros. nixed its May 31 Wonder Woman London premiere. Ariana Grande, whose concert was targeted in the Manchester attack that killed 22 people, similarly suspended her tour through June 5 on Wednesday. A statement from the artists representatives said the suspension comes until we can further assess the situation and pay our proper respects to those lost. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Al Gore on the French Riviera: Why he was reluctant to make An Inconvenient Sequel By Kenneth Turan Former Vice President Al Gore arrives on the red carpet for the screening of The Killing of a Sacred Deer at the Cannes Film Festival. (Alberto Pizzoli / AFP / Getty Images) It has not been a very good year for those concerned with climate change. The U.S. is considering leaving the landmark Paris climate pact, a hostile appointee leads the Environmental Protection Agency, and right-wing websites chortle, Trumps Latest Move Will Make Al Gore Fry. But is Al Gore himself despondent or depressed about it all? Not in the slightest. Ive been inoculated in the year 2000, he says, combining a burst of genial good humor with a reference to his presidential election loss to George W. Bush. I now have a resistance to being disheartened, the antibodies are still thriving in my bloodstream. As we all learn, one of the hidden secrets of the human condition is we learn the most from our most painful experiences. Former Vice President Al Gore at the Carlton hotel for the Cannes Film Festival, which is screening his documentary An Inconvenient Sequel. (Stephanie Cornfield / For The Times) To spend time with Al Gore is to meet a man enough at ease with himself to dress as if for a Senate hearing in white shirt, suit and tie even though hes in the south of France; a warm, engaged, surprisingly funny individual whose innate courtesy has him personally hang a reporters sports coat on a nearby hotel room hanger. Yes, he does tend to stay on message when he talks (how could he not) and he likes to draw graphs in the air with his hands (Im going to get a little geeky for a moment, he apologizes with a smile, Im sorry, its a failing). But he combines this with good-humored self-awareness and a fiercely committed intelligence. If you think Im earnest now, you should have seen me earlier, he says. You cant change who you are. At times Ive tried, but Im old enough to stop worrying. Gore is in Cannes to promote the worldwide release of an impassioned and involving new documentary, An Inconvenient Sequel. Due in U.S. theaters on July 28, it brings us up to speed on where the battle against climate change stands more than a decade after the Oscar-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Im here for a lot of to-ing and fro-ing is how Gore puts it. I think Ive done 75 seven-minute interviews  Japan, Russia, Brazil, everywhere. The day before yesterday I was live on [the French cable channel] Canal Plus when the interpreter talking in my earpiece was evacuated from his building because of a bomb scare. The questioner was going a mile a minute in French, but because of those 75 seven-minute interviews, I picked up enough key words to fight my way through it. Gore has been concerned with climate change since he took a class with pioneering global warming theorist Roger Revelle as a college student in the 1960s. Not only did Gore never imagine when I was a young man that this would become an all-consuming body of work for me, he also never anticipated that the work would involve the movies. More than that, he was frankly dubious about both of his films. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Ellen DeGeneres says shes in for a Netflix stand-up comedy special By Christie DZurilla Ellen DeGeneres is working on a new comedy special  for the first time in a very long time  and this time shes working with Netflix. Looks like its been 15 years since you did a stand-up special. ... How about one for Netflix? the streaming service asked her Wednesday on Twitter. Minutes later, DeGeneres replied, Let me think about it. Ok Im in. Heres how in she is: Im writing it now, I cant wait, DeGeneres said in a statement confirming the upcoming gig. Ill keep you posted when and where Im gonna shoot my Netflix special. Im excited to do it; Im excited for you to see it. Previously, HBO was home for DeGeneres comedy specials: her One Night Stand in 1992, Ellen DeGeneres: The Beginning in 2000 and Ellen DeGeneres: Here and Now. The second and third shows notched two Emmy nominations each. In March, the former sitcom star announced shed be returning to prime time with Ellens Game of Games, which shes hosting for six episodes on NBC. No air dates have been set. Its going to be like a combination of American Ninja Warrior, RuPauls Drag Race and a water park, DeGeneres said in a statement. OK, its nothing like that, but you should still watch. Looks like it's been 15 years since you did a stand-up special, @TheEllenShow. How about one for Netflix?  Netflix US (@netflix) May 24, 2017 Let me think about it. Ok I'm in. https://t.co/kUAdHyXAjS  Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) May 24, 2017 UPDATES 2:30 p.m.: This article was updated with confirmation from Netflix and a statement from DeGeneres. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Chris Cornells body has been cremated, report says; funeral set for Friday By Christie DZurilla Chris Cornell in 1991. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) The body of Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, who died last week in Detroit, was reportedly cremated Tuesday in Hollywood, and a funeral is planned for later this week. Widow Vicky Cornell, brother Peter Boyle and friends Linda Ramone and singer J.D. King were at Hollywood Forever Cemetery for the cremation, sources familiar with the service told TMZ. Cornells body was flown to Los Angeles from Detroit on Sunday, family attorney Kirk Pasich told Rolling Stone on Monday, and a private funeral will be held Friday. Pasich told Variety on Sunday that public memorials will be held when its decided. The short time between the end of Soundgardens May 17 show and 52-year-old Cornells death was chronicled in a police report obtained by the Detroit News. He and the band walked offstage around 11:15 p.m. May 17. Fifteen minutes later Cornell was in his hotel room, the report said, where bodyguard Martin Kirsten (who used to work for and date Heidi Klum) helped him fix his computer and gave him two Ativan. At 11:35 p.m. Cornell was talking to his wife, Vicky, who said Friday through her attorney that she had been concerned because her husband was slurring his words and told her he might have taken a few too many anxiety pills. She called Kirsten at 12:15 a.m. Thursday and asked him to check on the singer, the report said; the bodyguard kicked in the hotel room door, then the locked bathroom door, and found Cornell. At his final show, Cornell seemed high and was out of character from note 1, lead sound engineer Ted Keedick told TMZ in an interview published Wednesday. He said the Soundgarden frontman did not appear depressed. However, Keedick said: Id never heard his voice that way before. He was having serious control problems. One concert-goer told the Detroit News last week that as far as she could tell, Cornells final show was honestly great. Nothing seemed off. Tuesday at Detroits Fox Theatre, the site of that last performance, Norah Jones played a tribute to Cornell: an acoustic version of Black Hole Sun. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Ariana Grande suspends tour through June 5 By Christie DZurilla Ariana Grandes tour has been suspended through June 5, her management team said Wednesday. That includes the cancellation of concerts planned for Thursday and Friday at Londons O2 Arena. Twenty-two people died and at least 59 were injured in a suicide attack Monday night outside Manchester Arena, where Grande had just concluded a stop on her Dangerous Woman Tour. We ask at this time that we all continue to support the city of Manchester and all those families affected by this cowardice and senseless act of violence, the singers reps said in a statement. Our way of life has once again been threatened but we will overcome this together. The dates that have been put on hold until we can further assess the situation and pay our proper respects to those lost, the statement said, are: London, May 25-26

Antwerp, Belgium, May 28

Lodz, Poland, May 31-June 1

Frankfurt, Germany, June 3

Zurich, Switzerland, June 5 The next tour stop after that is a June 7 concert in Paris. Speculation that the tour would be put on hold has been rife since the day after the bomb went off  actually, immediately afterward and before the number of casualties was known, many on social media were already worried that shows would be axed  but the situation had been in limbo until now. An exhausted"-looking Grande returned home Tuesday to Florida, where she and her mother were met at the airport by Mac Miller, who hugged and kissed his girlfriend in an emotional reunion. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Warner Bros. cancels London Wonder Woman premiere following Manchester attack By Josh Rottenberg In the wake of Mondays deadly terrorist attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, Warner Bros. has announced it is canceling a planned premiere in London next week for its superhero film Wonder Woman. Our thoughts are with those affected by the recent tragedy in the UK, the studio said in a statement. In light of the current situation, we will not be proceeding with our plans for the premiere and junket activities in London. Starring Gal Gadot and directed by Patty Jenkins, the highly anticipated film  which is set in Europe during World War I  will hold its U.S. premiere on Thursday in Los Angeles. It arrives in theaters June 2. The studio faced a similar situation last year when its European premiere of Batman v. Superman was scheduled to be held in London just hours after terrorist attacks struck Brussels, killing 32 people and injuring many others. In that case, the studio said in a statement that it had decided to go ahead with the event rather than yield to terror. But as Britain mourns the 22 people killed in the Manchester bombing, with scores more wounded, and with the countrys security threat level raised to its highest, signaling the possibility of another imminent attack, Warner Bros. clearly determined that the circumstances called for a different course of action. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

New Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer shows off Spideys tricked-out, Iron Man-style super-suit By Josh Rottenberg Spider-Man has a few new tricks up his spandex sleeve, with the latest trailer for Sonys upcoming franchise reboot Spider-Man: Homecoming offering a deeper look at Spideys newfangled, tech-enhanced super-suit. Courtesy of billionaire inventor/playboy Tony Stark, the suit is embedded with Iron Man-style technology. A Jarvis-like computer assistant informs Peter Parker (Tom Holland) of the 576 possible web shooter combinations he has at his command. A parachute can also be deployed out of the back of the suit when needed, and the chest piece can detach and turn into a drone. For those who prefer their Spidey old-school, though, the trailer also promises a return to Parkers teenage roots  though with a decidedly cockier spin than the shy, alienated high school nerd weve often seen depicted in the comics and onscreen. Hollands Parker is clearly feeling his superhero oats, boasting to Stark of taking down a petty bike thief and raring for bigger challenges, Spanish quiz or no Spanish quiz. (Cue Michael Keatons villainous Vulture.) Informed by his best friend Ned that Stark has installed a training-wheels protocol on his super-suit to disable some of its abilities, Parker gripes, Im sick of Mr. Stark treating me like a kid. But you are a kid, Ned reminds him. Yeah, Parker says, a kid who can stop a bus with his bare hands! Spider-Man: Homecoming hits theaters July 7. Watch the trailer below. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Performers move U.K. concerts after Manchester bombing, but for some, the show goes on By Christie DZurilla Floral tributes in Manchesters St. Anns Square on May 24, 2017. (Jeff J. Mitchell / Getty Images) Manchester Arena has postponed concerts by Take That, an English pop group from the city that was to play there Thursday, Friday and Saturday. But its working to see that a KISS show proceeds next week. Unfortunately, due to the tragic events that unfolded on Monday night, it is not possible for the concerts to take place, the arena said in a statement. These have now been postponed and more information will follow. In another statement, the arena cited the ongoing police investigation. Take That had previously postponed a show at another location, saying Tuesday on its website, Out of respect to all of the people and their families that were affected by the horrific incident last night at the Manchester Arena, we have decided to postpone our show tonight in Liverpool. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. KISS is scheduled to play Manchester Arena on Tuesday, and the venue said it is working on that show with promoters and police. pic.twitter.com/HkR9ilSTSt  Manchester Arena (@ManchesterArena) May 23, 2017 As far as the Ariana Grande concerts set for Londons O2 arena on Thursday and Friday, as of Wednesday morning no decision had been made. Were still in contact with the tour promoters regarding a final decision, the O2 team said on Twitter Wednesday morning. As yet the tour is not officially postponed or canceled, despite media reports. Katy Perry, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, Imagine Dragons, Shawn Mendes and the Chainsmokers will all go ahead with performances this Saturday and Sunday in Hull, England, at BBC Radio 1s Big Weekend, according to TMZ. Hull is about two hours from Manchester. Blondie postponed a Tuesday-night show at the Round Chapel in London, saying in a series of tweets the day of the show that the move was out of respect for the victims of the terrible attack at the Manchester Arena, and noting that plans to reschedule the show were in the works. The Afghan Whigs have moved their Friday show to the O2 Ritz Manchester from Manchester Cathedral, which, as of Wednesday morning, was still cordoned off by police. The Ritz said Tuesday that it would stay silent on social media for two days in sympathy with those who lost their lives or were injured, physically or mentally, but that it would have news Thursday about any rescheduled shows. Other acts that had been scheduled to perform in the Manchester area but not in the arena in coming days, including Colour of Noise, Damien Dempsey, Shriekback and the Cranberries, canceled their shows for reasons unrelated to the suicide attack. Most announced those plans well before Monday. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

A Star Is Born: Bob Dylan turns 76 today By Los Angeles Times Staff (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times) When people think of me, they are not necessarily going to buy the latest record anyway. They may buy a record from years ago. Besides, I dont think interviews sell records.  Bob Dylan, 1985 FROM THE ARCHIVES: Bob Dylan -- Still A-Changin Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Late-night TV hosts, U2 plead for love after Manchester bombing By Robert Lloyd After the news, late-night talk shows are televisions most topical forum. We turn there for the satirical distance and perspective that might allow us to process the day and get to sleep  for laughs when laughter is appropriate, but also for a thoughtful response when events go beyond ordinary human folly to the terrible and unthinkable. Mondays suicide bombing after an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, was on the minds of some late-night hosts Tuesday night. Theres really nothing you can say that can approach the shock and the grief of the victims and their families, said Stephen Colbert on Late Show, asking his audience to go online to hear what his CBS colleague James Corden, who follows him on The Late Late Show, had to say the night before. All we can add here, said Colbert, is that following acts of senseless violence like this, its all the more important not to be controlled by fear, but instead to be reminded by the action of people of Manchester who rushed to the aid of their friends and strangers alike. It is just more proof that evil cannot succeed as long as good people are willing to love each other. On NBCs Late Night, host Seth Meyers had similar thoughts. At its best, being at a concert is an incredible collective experience, he said. Its a chance through a shared love of music to connect with, to sing with and to dance with people you dont know.... And so this comes down to the way we treat strangers, and while some cowards chose to treat strangers with hate, from everything I read, Manchester was filled with people last night who provided aid and comfort to help victims who were total strangers to them. He ended with a plea for all of us to not need a tragedy to remind us of the importance of treating those we do not know with love instead of hate. The Irish band U2, in Los Angeles to perform concerts of their own, were among Jimmy Kimmels guests on ABCs Jimmy Kimmel Live. Kimmel brought up Manchester. I imagine that is something you guys have been thinking about, he said. They hate music, they hate women, they even hate little girls  they hate everything that we love, lead singer Bono replied. The worst of humanity was on view in Manchester last night  but so was the best, as people took perfect strangers into their houses and queued up for blood banks. Manchester has an undefeatable spirit, I can assure you. Kimmel wondered how growing up in Northern Ireland in an era of political and sectarian violence had affected their music. It was so commonplace for a number of years, answered the Edge, the bands guitarist, that it just became a constant background to life. And occasionally something particularly awful would happen and it would really affect you  but that was almost the worst of it. You got to the place where [it was] just ongoing every week, every month. Punk rock helped, added Bono. It made us suspicious of partisanship, it made us up suspicious of sectarian ideas. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Elisabeth Moss and BBC America join forces for Typhoid Mary limited series By Libby Hill (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times) The Handmaids Tale star Elisabeth Moss is wasting no time in lining up new projects. BBC America announced Tuesday its partnership with Moss and Annapurna Television in developing Fever, a limited series focused on the tale of Typhoid Mary. The series will adapt the novel of the same name, written by Mary Beth Keane and set in early 20th century New York, where Mary Mallon is unknowingly transmitting typhus to those around her. She was an immigrant in turn-of-the-century New York, a time of huge change and progress in America, Moss said of the character in a statement released by the network. She was incredibly unique, stubborn, ambitious and in fierce denial of any wrongdoing until her death where she lived out her days imprisoned on an island just off of the Bronx in N.Y. She is incredibly complicated, something I seem to enjoy playing, said Moss. Moss will star in the series and serve as executive producer alongside director Phil Morrison (Enlightened, Junebug) and writer Robin Veith (The Expanse, True Blood). Annapurnas Sue Naegle and Megan Ellison will also serve as executive producers. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Universal Music Group CEO on Manchester attack: A level of evil beyond comprehension By Christie DZurilla Lucian Grainge, CEO of Universal Music Group, in November 2016. (Frazer Harrison / Getty Images) Lucian Grainge of Universal Music Group sent a company-wide memo Tuesday, calling it a day of remembrance of victims of the suicide attack in Manchester, England, and acknowledging that emotions were raw. "[W]e grieve for all of those lost there, offering our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones, said the chief executive of UMG, parent company of Ariana Grandes recording label Republic, in a note obtained by Variety. Twenty-two people, one only 8 years old, were killed Monday night and at least 59 were hurt when a bomb exploded as Grandes concert at the Manchester Arena was ending. This hits home for us as a music company, Grainge said, because so many of us, myself included, spend so much time out seeing our artists perform, let alone attending concerts as fans. Thats why weve chosen music as our career  or rather music has chosen us. No UMG employees, including Grande and her crew, were injured in the blast, he confirmed, and help from human resources and security was offered to those with questions or concerns. That said, Grainge continued, the fact that such an unspeakable act can be committed at a place where innocent people  including so many young people  come together peacefully to enjoy music reflects a level of evil beyond comprehension. READ MORE: Suspected Manchester suicide bomber identified as U.K. son of Libyan immigrants>> Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Ariana Grande returns home to Florida after Manchester attack By Christie DZurilla People attending a vigil for Mondays suicide-attack victims brought flowers to St. Ann Square in Manchester, England, on Tuesday. (Jeff J. Mitchell / Getty Images) Ariana Grande reportedly returned home to Florida on Tuesday after the bombing outside her Manchester, England, concert that left 22 dead and at least 59 injured. As they exited a private plane, Grande, her mom and her dog were met on the tarmac in Boca Raton, E! News said, by family members and rapper Mac Miller, whom the 23-year-old has been dating since last summer. Miller gave Grande a long hug and a kiss, a source told E! It was a very emotional reunion and they stood talking for a minute before getting into the car, t
Welcome to books this week! Im Los Angeles Times Books Editor Carolyn Kellogg with the news of what weve got for you, and more.

THE BIG ESSAY

Back when David Kipen  now one of our critics at large  was director of literature at the NEA, he met a man with a crazy idea: a museum dedicated to authors and writing. Kipen recalls that meeting, and considers how we think about what culture belongs where, on the occasion of the opening of the American Writers Museum in Chicago. (He hasnt been yet; if you have, let me know!)

At the American Writers Museum in Chicago. (Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press)

Advertisement

BOOK REVIEWS

Isadora is not a history of the famous dancer Isadora Duncan; its a biographical novel. Amelia Grays prose is ideally suited to writing this particular life, explains Ellie Robins. As seen in her previous novel, Threats, and, particularly, her last short story collection, Gutshot, her writing has a carnivorous intensity. Read the review.

George Orwell was a novelist and journalist; Winston Churchill was Englands prime minister. The two never met. So why has Thomas E. Ricks, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, put the two together in his new book, Churchill & Orwell: The Fight for Freedom? It has something to do with their emergence from near-anonymity, the times that shaped them, and the way their core beliefs  if different  had common ground. Mary Ann Gwinn has our review.

THRILLING

The main character in Dennis Lehanes new thriller, Since We Fell, Rachel Childs, is a journalist whose mother refuses to tell her who her father is. I asked Lehane how being a parent has affected how he thinks about the dynamics between parents and children. Its all I think about, he told me. As a parent, you live with this terrible knowledge that you fail all the time, and a lot of times in ways you cant even see. Read our interview.

Dennis Lehane (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

POP

Chuck Klostermans writing about pop culture includes Guns N Roses, Taylor Swift, Kobe Bryant and much more, and its collected in the new book Chuck Klosterman X. Jim McLaughlin asks him, Is Kobe Bryant the loneliest man on Earth? The answer is in our interview.

BESTSELLERS

The Girl on the Train was a massive international hit; now Paula Hawkins is making her mark with her follow-up, Into the Water, which debuts at No. 1 on our fiction bestseller list this week. In all my stories, I want to write about ordinary people in kind of extraordinary circumstances, she told The Times. People whose lives are just going along quite normally and then something suddenly goes wrong.

NEWS

Author George R.R. Martin has a pile of pilots in development with HBO connected to Game of Thrones  and its been hard for him to find time to work on The Winds of Winter. Also for HBO, Matt Ruffs novel Lovecraft Country is being adapted as a series by Jordan Peele, the comedian who wrote and directed the breakout horror hit Get Out. A book recommendation from Bill Gates can make an instant bestseller. McDonalds is giving away books in Happy Meals again  but only in Canada. And here at home, Amazon will be opening its first brick-and-mortar bookstore in L.A.  Amazon Books is slated to go into a 5,227-square foot space at Westfield Century City mall.

carolyn.kellogg@latimes.com

@paperhaus
Good morning. Im Paul Thornton, The Times letters editor, and it is Saturday, May 20, 2017. New bombshells are dropping all around us, so by the time you read this newsletter, it may be obsolete  my apologies. Lets take a look back at the week in Opinion.

Donald Trump is one of the least popular presidents in the history of polling thanks largely to the nearly universal dislike among liberals of the commander in chief. But what sets Trump apart is the distaste many conservatives have expressed for him since the moment he became the Republican Partys likely presidential nominee in early 2016. Two of those anti-Trump conservatives, Max Boot and Jonah Goldberg, took to The Times op-ed page this week to weigh in on the presidents historically chaotic month.

Boot wants Trump to resign:

It is too soon to say this is the beginning of the end for a president who has already defied predictions of his political demise. Impeachment still is a long shot in a Congress so firmly dominated by the presidents own party. But it is no longer unthinkable, and it no longer depends on having to prove a nebulous connection between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the past week, copious evidence has emerged of Trump obstructing justice, proving the old Washington adage that the cover-up is always worse than the crime. Republicans who have been incorrigible in their defense of the indefensible are suddenly showing glimmers of self-respect. On Tuesday night, Fox News, which performs the same function for this White House as RT (Russia Today) does for the Kremlin, was reporting that it couldnt find any Republicans willing to defend Trump in public. Let us hope this is not just a temporary aberration, as was the case when the Access Hollywood videotape was released in October, with craven partisans first un-endorsing and then re-endorsing the genital-grabber. No Republican should aspire to be known as the Rabbi Korff of the Trump administration  Baruch Korff was the Nixon diehard who was advising the president not to resign right up until the day that he actually did. Instead Republicans should aspire, as suggested by Tom Wright of the Brookings Institution, to be the second coming of Leo Amery. Who was Leo Amery? He was the Conservative member of Parliament who in 1940 quoted Oliver Cromwell to Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, the architect of appeasement: You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go! >> Click here to read more

Meanwhile, Goldberg implores Vice President Mike Pence to do something:

As you like to say, Trump threw away the old playbook. You have a role to play beyond acting like a campaign flunky, praising the president at every turn as a man of action displaying his broad-shouldered leadership. Theres room to do more on your own shoulders. Much of the presidents power is derived from what Teddy Roosevelt called the bully pulpit, or what legendary political scientist Richard Neustadt called the power to persuade. In todays media landscape, you have an especially potent bully pulpit, because youre the one person the president cannot fire. Lets assume Trump played you for a patsy. I dont think you should resign, but threatening to do so if he does it again might  just might  help the president get his act together, which would be good for you, the party and the country. You are also the tie-breaker in the Senate, which means something given the GOPs precariously thin majority. The president claims to value loyalty, but we know he respects strength. For your sake and the country, maybe its time to show some. >> Click here to read more

Remember Monday? Neither do I. Thankfully, I have The Times searchable archives at my disposal to help me recap starting at that long-ago point in time when the only existential crisis facing the Trump administration was the presidents firing of FBI Director James Comey . Heres a day-by-day recap of the week, along with the Opinion content reacting to whatever development had just taken place.

Monday: News breaks that Trump shared top-secret intelligence with two Russian officials in an Oval Office meeting the previous week.

The Times Editorial Board: Putting aside the national security implications, this episode, and how it played out at breakneck speed Monday, proved once again that the administration is in a spiral of dysfunction, careening from one controversy to the next and never managing to get out of damage-control mode.

Times readers: Its time to start talking impeachment. Richard C. Armendariz of Huntington Beach wrote: On the campaign trail, Trump questioned whether Clinton should receive security briefings, and now this is a proper question to ask of the president. Can he be trusted with the nuclear codes?

Tuesday: A Comey memo says Trump sought to halt the FBIs investigation of former national security advisor Michael Flynn .

Doyle McManus: The latest wrinkle, on Tuesday, was the news that Trump asked Comey to end the FBI investigation of Flynn, according to notes Comey made in February. (By the time you read this, a new revelation may have succeeded that one.) In private, Republicans in Congress have grumbled for weeks about a White House that doesnt know what its doing. Now theyre beginning to do the grumbling in public.

The Times Editorial Board: It is important not to rush to judgment about this allegation. But the comments attributed to Trump by Comey are deeply disturbing and the presidents past prevarications make it hard for Americans to take his denials at face value. That is why Congress needs to focus on establishing the truth about this matter, and soon.

Wednesday: Robert Mueller is appointed special counsel to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

The Times Editorial Board: A thorough investigation by the FBI and the Justice Department, important as it is, will proceed mostly in secret and cant answer all of the questions the public has about Russian meddling in last years election. Thats why its vital that Congress do its duty to investigate these events  in public to the greatest extent possible.

Erwin Chemerinsky: On Wednesday, Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein announced he was appointing former FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III as special prosecutor to take over the Justice Department investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Without the protection of the independent counsel law, however, Trump can order Rosenstein to fire Mueller, and fire Rosenstein if he refuses. Nor is an investigation by Congress or an independent commission enough. Criminal charges, if warranted, cannot be brought unless there is a prosecutor.

Times reader: Now that Mueller has been appointed special counsel, I know that I will accept whatever he concludes on the President Trump-Russia matter. He is a man of honor who will continue to be what he has always been  intelligent, mature and irrefutably honest.

Thursday: Trump, after his initial calm reaction to Muellers appointment, tweets that the investigation is a witch hunt.

Max Boot: Trump has been in office only 117 days, but he has already overstayed his welcome. For the good of the country, he should resign before our new national nightmare gets worse.

Amy Wilentz: The presidents tweets range from defensive bullying and outright attacks on his detractors ... to photos with teachers and police officers. His twitter habit may seem insignificant in comparison to his policy preferences, but its damaging the national discourse, to say the least, and the technology should be off-limits to him  as well as future presidents.

Friday: Trump leaves the country for Saudi Arabia.

Ann Friedman, on the five stages of Trump news cycle grief: In the dread-filled period between the election and Trumps inauguration, pundits warned that panicking about every White House policy change and misstep would prove unsustainable. Just 17 days into his presidency, Arianna Huffington, the clickbait queen-turned-lifestyle guru, offered advice on How To Get Out Of The Cycle Of Outrage In A Trump World. Now that we have experienced more than 100 days of this administration, Ive realized that the stages of Trump grief are easier to identify than they are to transcend.

Whatever next week brings in Trumpland, Ill be there. Reach me at paul.thornton@latimes.com.
They marched in silence down the main walkway of the Cal State L.A. campus, amid the excitement of commencement day, holding up cardboard cutouts depicting a woman in a cap and gown with her fist raised.

The signs called for the release of fellow student Claudia Rueda, 22, who was detained Thursday by Border Patrol agents.

Ruedas detention sparked claims that she had been targeted in retaliation for protesting the arrest of her mother, who was swept up by federal agents during a massive cocaine bust last month. Rueda was moving her familys car outside her aunts Boyle Heights home in the early morning hours when she was detained and taken to a federal facility near San Diego.

Advertisement

On Saturday, as families filed into the stadium before the start of commencement, about a dozen of Ruedas supporters  including other students, activists and university professors  silently made their way through the campus. Their cardboard signs explained her story.

Professor Alejandra Marchevsky, who taught a gender, sexuality and migration class that Rueda attended last semester, described her as a motivated, organized and exceptional student.

To see her education interrupted in this way, its just tragic, Marchevsky said.

Most people paused to read the signs but kept walking. Many looked confused. A couple of advocates passed out fliers.

Serafin Serrano encountered the protest on his way to the graduation.

Rueda had participated in his youth leadership program through Volunteers of America when she was a senior in high school, he said. She stood out as a natural leader, whose passion was always immigration activism.

Its not a shock that you have other young people out here in the sun with signs supporting her, Serrano said. She embodies community.

According to activists and friends, Rueda was targeted because of protests she led in recent weeks over the detention of her mother, Teresa Vidal-Jaime, 54, who was picked up during a drug raid that targeted other members of her family. Authorities determined that Vidal-Jaime was not involved in the alleged trafficking and she was released on bail.

In a statement Friday, Border Patrol said Rueda was one of seven people taken into custody as part of an investigation into a cross-border narcotics smuggling operation. But all were arrested on suspicion of immigration violations, not drug offenses, according to the Border Patrol statement.

Marchevsky said that after President Trump announced his executive orders on immigration, Rueda stayed after class to find out more about the policy changes and ask what she thought would happen.

When her mother was detained, Rueda stopped attending classes and began staying at her aunts house because she didnt feel safe at home.

Rosemary, a fellow student and friend of Ruedas who asked that her last name not be used for fear of retaliation, helped organize the silent march on Saturday. She said students have been pushing university officials to designate the campus as a sanctuary for those who are in the country illegally. Though the university has a Dreamers Resource Center for such students, Rosemary said, it lacks sufficient funding and staff.

This is a perfect example of why education and deportations cant coexist, she said. She had to put her education on hold to get her mom out [of detention]. She was under fear that she would be next.

Cal State L.A. spokesman Robert Lopez said the university has the only endowed dreamers center in the California State University system. He said senior administrators, including President William Covino, have been communicating with members of Congress and several government agencies seeking assistance for Rueda.

Friends said Rueda was focusing on Latin American studies at Cal State L.A. and that she has lived in the United States most of her life.

Her mothers job at a local bakery paid her tuition.

Ruedas attorney said she was eligible for protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, but hadnt been able to pay for her application.

andrea.castillo@latimes.com

@andreamcastillo

UPDATES:

6:50 p.m. This article was updated with comment from Cal State L.A.

4:20 p.m.: This article has been updated with addition details from the march.

The article was originally published at 2 p.m.
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, left, and Mayor Eric Garcetti get a close look at some of the weapons collected at a recent gun buyback. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Uzis, AK-47s and an anti-tank launcher were among the nearly 800 weapons turned in at the latest Los Angeles Police Department gun buyback  an annual event that police say is helping to reduce gun crime in the city.

Some of the guns had gathered dust for years or even decades before their owners handed them over May 13 in return for a $100 or $200 Target gift card.

Advertisement

But even weapons that are not being used pose a safety risk, city officials said, because they can be stolen, found by small children or used to commit suicide.

Each of those guns represents one less opportunity to take a life or to lose a life, Mayor Eric Garcetti said at a news conference Friday.

The buybacks have netted more than 16,000 guns since their inception in 2009. The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department operates a similar program. The guns are melted down, and some of the metal is reused as construction material.

In March, Garcetti announced a goal of removing 20,000 guns from the streets over five years, including guns collected in buybacks. The LAPD has received a $1-million federal grant for a gun intelligence center that will attempt to put more shooters behind bars by linking guns to crimes.

Last year, LAPD officers took about 5,000 guns off the streets, not including buybacks, and are on pace to surpass that number this year, said Police Chief Charlie Beck.

Some of the nearly 800 guns, including AK-47s and an anti-tank launcher, turned in at a recent LAPD gun buyback. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Some academic studies have questioned the effectiveness of gun exchanges, noting that the people who participate, and the weapons they turn in, differ as a group from those who commit violent crimes. A 2013 study of a Hartford, Conn., buyback program found that there was no subsequent drop in gun-related deaths.

But Beck pointed to a decrease in gun violence in Los Angeles and credited the buybacks as one factor.

Guns are what turn a minor dispute between young people on the street from a shouting match to a funeral, Beck said.

Among the 772 guns turned in at this years buyback, which took place in South Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, were 370 handguns, 220 rifles, 142 shotguns and 40 assault weapons. Police officers handed out about $81,000 in gift cards, with about $10,000 donated by Gun by Gun, a nonprofit gun violence prevention group.

Every one of these guns has a story, Beck said.

One gun was brought home by a World War II soldier, he said. Others were turned in by family members after the owners went to prison. Six of the guns were stolen.

City Councilman Mitch Englander, whose uncle was shot to death in the San Fernando Valley 23 years ago, said the buyback will be worth it if even one shooting is prevented.

Had we done this all for one gun, it would have been a success  one less victim, Englander said.

cindy.chang@latimes.com

@cindychangLA
A 1-year-old boy taken from San Francisco by his possibly suicidal father was found safe in Los Angeles on Friday night, and the Amber Alert they prompted has been called off.

The father, Jason Lam, and the boy, Makai Bangoura, were found in the Palms section of the city, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Advertisement

Lam is in police custody and the tan 2000 Toyota Corolla that had been the subject of the Amber Alert has been impounded.

After first saying the father and son could be anywhere, authorities a few hours later said they might be heading south on Interstate 5 toward Southern California, and that proved correct.

Jerry Rodriguez, chief of investigations at the San Francisco district attorneys office, said at a news conference earlier Friday that the boys mother went to police Thursday to report that her son had not been returned by his father.

He said authorities issued the alert Friday after learning the toddler might be in danger.

The alert warned that Lam may be suicidal and should not be approached without law enforcement, but it did not say why he was considered a danger.

UPDATES:

9:40 p.m.: This article has been updated throughout with the child and father being found.

This article was originally published at 6:10 p.m.
For a quarter-century after his charred body was found inside a Pep Boys torched in the 1992 Los Angeles riots, he was known as John Doe No. 80.

He was the only remaining unidentified victim among the more than 60 people who lost their lives in the deadliest riots in U.S. history.

His body was so badly burned that coroners investigators were left with only some teeth and a partial print from his left middle finger.

Advertisement

But they never forgot about him. Every few years, they would try to match the fingerprint.

Recently, coroners investigators sent the print to an FBI squad that specializes in identifying victims of disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Last month, as the 25th anniversary of the riots approached, a name came back: Armando Ortiz Hernandez, who was 18 when he died.

Hernandez had a few minor arrests in Los Angeles County and Anaheim, allowing the FBI investigators to make a match, said Ed Winter, deputy chief of investigations for the Los Angeles County coroner.

We tried many, many times over the years. Every couple of years, someone would pick up the file, Winter said. Finally, we did it.

Hernandezs only known relative is a sister in Mexico, who was recently notified of his death.

In many cases, detectives have not been able to determine the circumstances of deaths tied to the rioting that engulfed Los Angeles after four LAPD officers were acquitted in the beating of a black man, Rodney G. King.

Because the fire at the Pep Boys was deliberately set, John Doe No. 80s death was ruled a homicide. He joined the list of 23 riot-related homicides that have never been solved.

Whether his identity will shed light on his death is unclear. Hernandez was inside the auto repair shop at 5801 S. Vermont Ave., just north of Slauson Avenue, when it was set on fire sometime after the riots started on April 29, 1992. His body was not found until May 2.

Jorge Macias was a young officer patrolling the area at the time when he was flagged down by a 10-year-old boy.

He said, Officer, theres a dead guy in there! Macias said in an email to The Times.

He pointed to a burnt-out pile of rubble on the west side of the street, which I believe was either Figueroa or Vermont. I asked him to show me where, and we approached the still-smoldering structure. The boy pointed beyond some fallen girders, which had fallen at acute angles ostensibly from the roof, when the roof had given way, sealing the victims fate. I had to duck-walk under the maze of obstacles, including the blackened steel beams, until I reached the remains, Macias said.

A pair of blue underwear and the remnants of a pair of bluejeans, as well as a .38-caliber bullet casing, were found inside the blackened store. Hernandez died of smoke inhalation and burns, according to the coroner.

He was cremated and buried in a mass grave at the L.A. County cemetery with other unclaimed bodies.

Looking back 25 years later, Macias said: I never forgot this person or the young boy that first led me to the body.

richard.winton@latimes.com

Twitter: @lacrimes

cindy.chang@latimes.com

Twitter: @cindychangLA

ALSO

Border Patrol detains 22-year-old Cal State L.A. student activist; her lawyer says it is retaliation

L.A. city attorney says new limits on assisting immigration agents dont violate federal rules

Jury rules in favor of West Hollywood in whistleblower trial

UPDATES:

8:30 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from the LAPD officer who found the body.

This article was originally published at 7:25 p.m.
A wildfire burning in San Diego County south of Jamul had scorched more than 1,000 acres by Saturday night and was threatening the community of Dulzura, where residents were alerted to the possible need to evacuate.

Authorities sealed off several backcountry roads and evacuated a campground as wind-swept flames roared through brush-filled hills and tall grasses at a dangerous rate, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. Residents with animals in the path of the fire should leave early and take pets with them, said Dan DeSousa, director of the county Department of Animal Services.

The blaze, called the Gate fire, broke out about 11:20 a.m. on a dirt road off State Route 94 that leads to a Bureau of Land Management recreational area commonly used for target shooting, Cal Fire Capt. Isaac Sanchez said.

Advertisement

He said the dirt road was behind a local landmark pink gate, the basis for the fires name. The blaze was 20% contained as of 9 p.m. as crews battled hot, dry conditions.

Highway 94 was shut down between Honey Springs Road and Highway 188, and Otay Lakes Road was closed between Wueste Road and Highway 94. Residents were not being allowed through, and motorists were advised to avoid the area.

When winds pushed the blaze west toward Pio Pico RV Resort and Campground, the facility was evacuated as a precaution. A late-afternoon shift then sent flames southeast toward Dulzura, Sanchez said, where mostly grass and sparse brush was burning.

A Chula Vista officer who was directing traffic near Otay Lakes and Wueste was struck by a vehicle about 2:30 p.m., suffering serious but not life-threatening injuries, police said.

Five air tankers and three helicopters were making water drops at one point, Sanchez said. Fire crews from several agencies were helping on the ground.

Smoke from the blaze could be seen from many parts of the county.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

pauline.repard@sduniontribune.com

Davis and Repard write for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Staff writer Gary Robbins contributed to this report.

ALSO

Victims of alleged U.S. visa fraud sue to get their money back

Supporters of Cal State L.A. student activist detained by Border Patrol hold silent rally on commencement day

In reversal, L.A. upholds election rejecting skid row neighborhood council

UPDATES:

9:45 p.m.: This article was updated the new information on the fire and comments from animal the animal services department.

8 p.m.: This article was updated with new information on the fire.

4:30 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details on the fire.

This article was originally published at 1:45 p.m.
Desiring an American education for his children, William Li said he put $500,000 into a visa program that provides green cards in exchange for job-creating investments in the U.S.

After giving his money to the California Investment Immigrant Fund in 2011, the Chinese businessman took annual trips to Los Angeles. Each time, he said, a representative would take him on a tour of various vacant sites around Rancho Cucamonga and assure him the developments were on track.

But the projects were never built.

Instead, according to an FBI affidavit, Victoria Chan, an attorney; her father, Tat Chan; and their friend Fang Zeng used their clients money to buy luxurious homes and expensive cars. Federal agents raided the homes and offices of the Chans and Zeng last month. No arrests have been made nor charges filed. An FBI spokesperson said the investigation is ongoing.

Advertisement

On Friday, Li and three other investors filed suit in civil court, alleging breach of contract and various other charges.

It was taking so long for the developments, Li said. But we just assumed that that was how things worked in the U.S.

Under the EB-5 program, foreigners are granted temporary residence in the U.S. if they invest at least $1 million into a business venture; the amount required is cut by half if a project is designed to create full-time jobs in an area of high unemployment. If a project ultimately meets the visa programs requirements, the investors are granted permanent legal residence in the U.S.

Authorities say the Chans and Zeng accepted at least $50 million from more than 100 Chinese investors and submitted multiple fraudulent green card applications to immigration authorities.

Some California Investment Immigrant Fund clients, including Li, did receive temporary green cards. Investigators have said they are trying to determine whether any of the investors were complicit in the fraud.

According to officials, at least three of the firms clients were on the run from Chinese authorities.

Jin Xu  a former official in the city of Wuhan wanted for bribery and abuse of power  is 13th on Chinas most-wanted economic fugitives list. Liu Fang, the former deputy director of a government insurance company wanted for bribery, is listed 66th. The third fugitive has not been named.

All three received temporary green cards, according to the affidavit.

Li and the other plaintiffs are asking for their $500,000 investments back, as well as compensation in an unspecified amount for emotional and financial distress, attorney Jing Wang said.

At a news conference in Diamond Bar on Friday, Li said he was steered toward the investment firm by the Kunming St. Lawrence Economic Development Consulting Co., an immigration consultancy in Kunming, China.

That company is being sued in Chinese court by another group of investors, Wang said.

EB-5 has garnered strong support for directing billions in foreign funds  largely from Chinese nationals  to job-creating American enterprises. But high-profile scams have plagued the program.

It recently gained attention when the sister of Jared Kushner, President Trumps son-in-law, promoted an EB-5 development tied to her brothers business during an appearance in Shanghai.

In February, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced legislation that would end the program, calling it a special pathway toward citizenship for the wealthy.

Others have called for reforms that would raise the minimum investment required for a visa and direct the Securities and Exchange Commission to provide more consistent oversight.

The EB-5 program will expire Sept. 30 if Congress does not take action.

Meanwhile, Li is exploring options to move his family to America. If he can get his money back, he plans to invest it right back into the EB-5 program.

frank.shyong@latimes.com

Twitter: @frankshyong
A white Oklahoma police officer acquitted in an unarmed black mans shooting death will be back on the force next week, even as jurors who declared her not guilty of manslaughter unanimously agreed she should never return to patrol.

Tulsa police Chief Chuck Jordan issued a one-sentence statement Friday saying that Betty Jo Shelby had been reinstated. It came a day after black community leaders rallied, urging city leaders to block the 43-year-old officer from getting back her job. She had been on unpaid leave since Sept. 22, when she was charged in the death of Terence Crutcher, 40.

Some leaders were taken aback by Shelbys quick reinstatement.

Advertisement

The decision today was obviously a slap in the face, and I think thats how a lot of the black community feels, said Anthony Scott, pastor at First Baptist Church North Tulsa. Its like pouring salt on a wound.

Shelbys attorneys said she would rejoin the force Monday, but in a limited capacity. The 10-year law enforcement veteran is barred from street patrol while an internal affairs investigation into Crutchers Sept. 16 shooting death plays out.

Shortly before the announcement of Shelbys reinstatement, the foreman of the jury that acquitted her Wednesday said in a court filing that if Shelby had thought to use her stun gun before Crutcher reached his stalled sport utility vehicle, the decision could have saved his life.

Many on the jury could never get comfortable with the concept of Betty Shelby being blameless for Mr. Crutchers death, the foreman wrote. The jurors didnt identify themselves in the memo filed in court.

Another member of the jury told the Frontier, a local news site, that various jurors thought Shelby could work a desk job or perhaps be another type of emergency responder  just not an officer on street patrol.

I dont think shes a bad person, he told the publication, speaking on condition of anonymity because jurors didnt want to be associated with the highly charged case. She just shouldnt be a cop.

The jury of eight women and four men, including three blacks, deliberated for about nine hours before reaching its verdict late Wednesday, prompting about 100 residents gathered outside the courthouse to protest the outcome.

Shelbys attorney, Shannon McMurray, acknowledged Friday that Shelby could have deployed her stun gun instead of a firearm, but said the officer had to make a split-second decision because she thought Crutcher was armed. No weapon was found.

Could she have used a Taser? Yes. Might she be dead? Yes, McMurray said. Its a classic law school exam: All the answers are right, but which ones are the most right?

Shelbys partner, Officer Tyler Turnbough, deployed his stun gun at the same time she fired her handgun. Turnbough told a national police aid group last month that Shelby had no way of knowing what Crutcher was reaching for and that to take a chance could be deadly.

A spokesman for the Crutcher family didnt return calls seeking comment on Shelbys reinstatement.

McMurray said Shelbys return to the force means shes getting the due process she wasnt afforded when [prosecutors] jumped the gun and charged her.

Tulsa County Dist. Atty. Steve Kunzweiler, who filed the first-degree manslaughter charge six days after the shooting, declined to comment Friday.

Crutcher was shot after Shelby approached him in a city street where his SUV had broken down.

Shelby said she fired her weapon out of fear because Crutcher ignored her commands to lie down and kept reaching into his pockets.

But prosecutors said she overreacted, arguing that Crutcher had his hands in the air and wasnt combative  part of which was confirmed by police video that showed him walking away from Shelby with his hands above his head.

MORE NATIONAL NEWS

Exhumed priests DNA does not match evidence from Baltimore nuns slaying scene

NAACP will oust its president and revamp to better combat an uncertain era under Trump

Former Rep. Anthony Weiner pleads guilty to sexting with teen; wife files for divorce
Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It is Saturday, May 20. Heres what you dont want to miss this weekend:

TOP STORIES

A tribe in crisis: The Yurok Native Americans have lived off the Klamath River for centuries  its salmon providing nourishment for the tribe. But over the last 50 years, the yearly migration of salmon from the Pacific dwindled, and poverty, addiction and lawlessness gripped the reservation. Last year, a rash of suicides had pushed the tribe, Californias largest and one of its poorest, into an existential crisis. Heres how they resolved to fix this crisis. Los Angeles Times

Newsom in the crosshairs: A lawsuit to overturn a San Francisco ballot measure that can limit the height of waterfront developments is stirring up trouble for Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom as he runs for governor. Los Angeles Times

Advertisement

What the what? Amazon is planning to open a bookstore in a Century City mall, its first brick-and-mortar bookstore in Los Angeles. The online retailer, credited with causing a crisis in the physical bookselling industry, has opened five brick-and-mortar bookstores in the last 18 months and has announced plans for seven more. Los Angeles Times

Pushing against the narrative: Heres why California Republicans arent as vulnerable as they look. The Democrats were absolutely convinced that running against Trump down-ticket was going to create the biggest Democratic blue wave of all time, and it did not work at all, said Mike Madrid, a Republican consultant. POLITICO

Dana, be careful! The FBI warned Rep. Dana Rohrabacher in 2012 that Russian spies were trying to recruit him, officials said, an example of how aggressively Russian agents have tried to influence Washington politics. The New York Times

A helping hand: A then-13-year-old boy living in Los Angeles is credited with helping the Los Angeles Police Department stop and take down the infamous Night Stalker serial killer. CBS LA

Snow summer? With record snowfall in mountain areas, California ski resorts are hoping for an endless winter. Los Angeles Times

OC noir: The story of the Newport Beach murder yacht  the Well-Deserved  and the choice of what to do with it. OC Register

Gross sight: San Franciscos latest tourist attraction: A rat cafe with real rodents. Mercury News

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY

Earlier this week, Times staff writer Thomas Curwen dropped a stunner of a story about the massive tunnel being built 60 feet below downtown L.A. Curwen started in the papers advertising department 33 years ago and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2008 for a story about a father, a daughter and a grizzly bear. He walked your Essential California team through his latest piece:

How did you first hear about this story? What about the subject interested you?

I was working at the Times one Saturday afternoon. Construction crews had closed Spring Street as they were building the 2nd and Broadway Metro station, and I started talking with the flag man. I knew they were digging a tunnel for the subway, but it wasnt until he described their work  navigating this monstrous machine 60 feet underground  that I realized that we had to share this story with readers.

I contacted the Metropolitan Transit Authority, who had held a media day in January for the tunnel boring machine and had turned down follow-up requests from other media who wished to visit the tunneling crew. With a little perseverance, I was able to persuade Metro that the Times would be the best outlet to tell this story.

I was fascinated at the prospect of such an epic undertaking going on just under my feet. Weve all seen the construction cranes crowding the skyline of downtown Los Angeles, but just as importantly, the city is pushing its way underground. As soon as I toured the tunnel, I knew this would be a terrific story.

In the story you talk about how these guys who build these tunnels travel around the world. If you could, which project would you like to travel to visit?

As I started to write, I read a number of accounts about other tunnels both local and international. There were, of course, stories in The Times of the construction of Red Line during the 1990s as crews pushed their way under the Hollywood Hills. And then there were two terrific features in the New Yorker about tunneling under the Alps and working in Manhattan. Finally, I watched on Netflix a PBS documentary on the Crossrails project thats taking place under the streets of London.

Each of these accounts gave me a great view of these astonishing projects.

What surprised you the most in the course of reporting? Were there any setbacks while you were down there?

I was most surprised at how mesmerizing the tunneling process was. Yes, there was dust and heat and it was extremely loud, but as the crews operated the tunnel boring machine, digging and building the rings, I felt like I was watching a ballet, this methodical choreography of construction that proceeded like clockwork, slowly grinding its way ahead through the depths of the earth.

I spent two shifts in the tunnel, meeting the workers at 4:45 a.m. and staying with them until 3:30 p.m. The days were long but resulted in a thorough knowledge of the tunneling process that, I believe, informed the story.

Was there anything that didnt make it into the article that youd like the reader to know?

What I enjoyed most about the time spent in tunnel was getting to know the miners. I realized that details of tunneling how the machine worked, the geology of downtown Los Angeles, the science of subsidence and heaving  might get a little arcane, and I wanted instead to weave into the piece more intimate details from some of these lives: Scott Halseys passion for tunneling (a big kids dream, as he told me), Jose Bautistas struggle to get out of debt from student loans, Alex Barajas following his fathers footsteps into the tunnel.

Im grateful to these miners who shared their stories so willingly with us and helped bring to life their work creating a subway system that will serve the city for decades to come.

This weeks most popular stories in Essential California:

1. Climb inside the massive tunnel 60 feet below downtown L.A. Los Angeles Times

2. Honest Los Angeles street signs. The New Yorker

3. What $1,700 rents you right now in Los Angeles. Curbed LA

4. Uncovering the storied history of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. LAist

5. Inside Apples insanely great (or just insane) new mothership. Wired

ICYMI, here are this weeks Great Reads:

Gold speaks: Times food critic Jonathan Gold says the time for Filipino cuisine is now, and the place is Los Angeles. He writes: In the idealized form youre seeing from young chefs and restaurateurs, it can be a light cuisine filled with fruits, vegetables and seafood, and more dependent on dashes of fish sauce, vinegar and citrus for flavor than on slugs of added fat. Los Angeles Times

An outsiders view: Hollywood being out of touch is a common refrain, and, here, three southerners discuss media and politics. They all come to this same conclusion. The folks in Hollywood, those that went there to make it big, they got enamored with the bright lights and the money and forgot where they come from, says Ann Jones of Flowery Branch, Ga. They forget that were all just people, but I think that comes from getting away from the family farm and getting ensconced in themselves. Los Angeles Times

Trumps bestie: In reality, no politician has more clout with the Trump White House than House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy does. He was one of the first Republican leaders to express support for Trump, and when Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republicans disowned him after the release of the infamous Access Hollywood tape, McCarthy held his tongue and served as a go-between. In business and in politics, Trump prizes loyalty above all else, and McCarthys decision to stick by him is paying off. The California Sunday Magazine

Problems in Fremont: As Tesla attempts to dramatically increase the number of electric cars it produces, its factory workers in Fremont reveal stories of pain, injury and stress. In an interview, Tesla CEO Elon Musk conceded his workers had been having a hard time, working long hours, and on hard jobs. The Guardian

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad.
Would Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo have won his reelection bid Tuesday if his challenger, bike advocate Joe Bray-Ali, hadnt flamed out in the final weeks of the campaign? No one knows for sure, but the outcome probably wouldnt have changed; its tough for any challenger to overcome the advantages of incumbency.

Nevertheless, it would be wise for Cedillo and all the citys elected leaders to examine the circumstances that forced an incumbent who should have won in a cakewalk over a political neophyte into a runoff. Because this just doesnt happen to council incumbents backed by the citys political establishment and the special interests that fund them, except in extraordinary cases. The last time it occurred was in 2003, when a popular state Assembly speaker (and future L.A. mayor) named Antonio Villaraigosa took on a not-as-popular councilman named Nick Pacheco and forced him out of office.

Tuesdays runoff wasnt only about the dynamics of one council district. It was a referendum of sorts on the entire city and the way its leaders have been doing business for far too long  namely, by acting as deal-makers on land-use decisions in their districts, negotiating directly with developers who contribute to their reelection campaigns.

Advertisement

This approach is not new to L.A., and the results of this kind of case-by-case spot zoning can be seen in every neighborhood in the city. Ultimately it sparked the anti-development backlash that put Measure S, an initiative to temporarily halt major developments and slow future growth, on the March ballot.

Was it a coincidence that Cedillo was forced into a runoff in the same election in which the so-called Neighborhood Integrity Initiative, was on the ballot?

Was it a coincidence that Cedillo was forced into a runoff in the same election in which Measure S, the so-called Neighborhood Integrity Initiative, was on the ballot? Though its impossible to know for sure, its wise for city officials to pay heed. The concerns that animated Measure S supporters  gentrification, displacement, the lack of affordable housing, congested traffic and development transforming existing neighborhoods  are acute in District 1, which is experiencing a bit of a boom at the moment. Highland Park, for example, has become the poster neighborhood for gentrification and the associated concern about longtime residents being priced out by newcomers (who probably had been priced out of their previous neighborhoods). But the same anxiety is felt citywide.

The worries of voters in this race were only exacerbated by what many community members felt was an indifference to their concerns and a lack of response from the councilmans staff. Bray-Ali was smart enough to tap into that frustration and fear, offering a forward-thinking vision of the citys land-use future. He seemed like a credible alternative  at least until revelations about his history of disturbing online commenting came to light, causing many supporters (the Times editorial board among them) to rescind their endorsements.

So the lesson here is that if this could happen in District 1, it could happen in any Los Angeles council district. And it will if the citys leaders continue to approach development on a case-by-case basis rather than working with their constituents to adopt community plans, then adhering to them. And they may not be so lucky as to face a challenger with troubling personal baggage.

For his part, Cedillo acknowledged after the first round of voting that his office must to do a better job of serving constituents, and he said he has made staff changes in recent months to accomplish that. Thats a good start, but its not enough.

Cedillo also needs to step up and be a leader in trying to solve L.A.s housing shortage. The citys failure to dramatically increase the supply of affordable housing cant be laid entirely at Cedillos feet, but as chairman of the councils Housing Committee, he is uniquely positioned to guide policy. Instead of sitting on potential solutions even as frustration with gentrification and displacement grows citywide, as he did with the value capture proposal by Councilman Mitch OFarrell, Cedillo should be leading the charge for a comprehensive affordable housing plan for the city.

Cedillo and his colleagues are right to encourage market-rate developments to ease the housing crisis. But such projects must be just one part of a smart, comprehensive approach to housing that the public can understand and doesnt come at the expense of neighborhoods and residents. If not, there may be a close election in their futures.

To read the article in Spanish, click here

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Sen. Kamala Harris says she hasnt considered running for president By Phil Willon U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Despite swirling speculation, Californias U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris said shes not giving any consideration to running for president in 2020. Harris was appearing at the annual Code Conference hosted by the tech news site Recode in Rancho Palos Verdes on Wednesday night when site co-founder Kara Swisher asked if she had eyes on the White House. Im not giving that any consideration. Ive got to stay focused, said Harris, a Democrat who was elected to the Senate in November after serving as Californias attorney general. After she won the seat vacated by former Sen. Barbara Boxer, Harris quickly gained a reputation as a potential presidential candidate in 2020. Harris took questions from Swisher alongside Laurene Powell Jobs, a philanthropist and the widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs. Though she brushed off the presidential rumors, Harris urged Democrats to try harder to make convincing arguments on issues such as climate change instead of just criticizing those who disagree with them. She told the audience at the posh Terranea Resort where the conference is being held that it would be a mistake to dismiss the concerns of Americans who supported Trump in the November election. She said the issues that concern them  good jobs and the future of their families  are the concerns of all working-class Americans. There is a healthy number of people in our country who are feeling displaced, rightly, Harris said. I think we have to deal with that. Still, Harris dished out plenty of jabs at the Trump administration. She criticized Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions for resuscitating the war on drugs and told him to leave Grandmas medical marijuana alone. Harris also criticized the Trump administrations more hard-line immigration policies, and said she was concerned about allegations of collusion between Trumps campaign and the Russian government. These are serious times. These are not issues we can just sit around with a glass of Chardonnay debating and philosophizing about, Harris said. The decisions that are being made right now are impacting real human beings. Watch the entire interview: Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump wouldnt release his tax returns, so lawmakers move to make it mandatory for Californias primary By John Myers (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Legislation to require presidential candidates to disclose their tax returns in order to gain a spot on Californias presidential primary ballot won passage in the state Senate on Wednesday, but only after a tense debate that largely centered on President Trump. Senate Bill 149 was approved on a strict party-line vote, 27-13. The bill now moves to the state Assembly, and was one of the last bills debated during a marathon session at the state Capitol to consider bills before a Friday deadline for action. The bill would require presidential candidates to file copies of their income tax returns with state elections officials for the five most recent taxable years. Failure to do so would mean their name wouldnt appear on Californias presidential primary ballot. The legislation was introduced in December, in the wake of Trumps refusal to disclose his tax returns during the 2016 campaign. The president has continued to reject calls for the information. Hes shaping international policy which could enrich himself, and the American public has no way to know, state Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) said of Trump during Wednesday nights floor debate. This legislation will help make transparency great again. Republicans denounced the bill as another in a long line of efforts by Democrats in the Legislature to lash out at the election of Trump and the defeat of Hillary Clinton. I get it that some people hate Trump, state Sen. Joel Anderson (R-Alpine) said. Weve got to move ahead. Weve got to get over it. Tensions flared after Anderson tried to amend the bill on the floor  first, to require statewide and legislative candidates to also release their tax returns, and then to require a birth certificate from candidates who want access to the states primary ballot. Both were rejected by Democrats. A legislative analysis of SB 149 said some legal scholars believe the plan, which would be the first of its kind in the nation, would pass muster with the U.S. Constitution. Nonetheless, the analysis concluded that it would probably be challenged in court if signed into law. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

California Senate moves forward with bill that would overhaul Los Angeles County MTA By Patrick McGreevy Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) proposed to revamp the Los Angeles County MTA. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The state Senate on Wednesday approved a bill that would expand and reshape the agency that oversees mass transit in Los Angeles County. Opponents of the measure include Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the city and county of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. The bill by Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) was sent to the Assembly for consideration after squeaking by with a 22-11 vote in the Senate. The measure would expand the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board from 12 to 15 members. It would also reduce the number of county supervisors on the board from five to two, remove the appointment of two public members and increase Los Angeles City Council member appointments by the mayor from two to five. This will allow for proportional and fair representation, Mendoza told his colleagues, adding that the board currently is made up of haves and have-nots fighting to get their share. Sen. John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa) opposed the measure because he said he saw it as Sacramento meddling in local policymaking. But Sen. Scott Wilk (R-Palmdale) supported SB 268. Too much power is concentrated in too few people, he said of the current board. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Single-payer healthcare is popular with Californians  unless it raises their taxes By John Myers (Rich Pedoncelli / Associated Press) Almost two of every three Californians in a new statewide poll said they like the idea of a single-payer, government healthcare system, but far fewer support the idea if it includes a tax increase. The poll released Wednesday night by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found that 65% of adults surveyed support the creation of a single-payer state healthcare program to cover all of the states residents, and 56% of likely voters approved of the idea. Opinion was sharply divided between Democrats (75% support) and Republicans (66% oppose) who were surveyed. The single-payer proposal under consideration in the state Capitol, Senate Bill 562, assumes at least $50 billion in new taxes to fund the healthcare system. Asked about taxes, support drops to 42% of the adults surveyed and 43% of likely voters. While a majority of Democrats in the PPIC poll continued to support the idea if it means more taxes, support drops substantially among unaffiliated independent voters. The state Senate is expected to consider the single-payer bill before the end of the week. A legislative analysis put the estimated total cost of a new healthcare system that covers all Californians at $400 billion, while an analysis released on Wednesday by supporters provided a $331-billion estimate. The pending legislation by state Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) does not identify what taxes would be raised but makes the enactment of the plan contingent on a full funding proposal. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Knowingly exposing others to HIV should no longer be a felony, state Senate says By Patrick McGreevy The Senate voted to no longer make it a felony for HIV-positive people to donate blood or semen without telling the blood bank they are infected. ( (Toby Talbot / Associated Press)) The state Senate on Wednesday voted to no longer make it a felony for someone infected with HIV to knowingly expose others to the disease by having unprotected sex without telling his or her partner about the infection. The crime would be downgraded to a misdemeanor, and the bill would also apply to people who donate blood or semen without telling the blood or semen bank that they have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, or have tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, the precursor to AIDS. The measure, which next goes to the Assembly for consideration, was introduced by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who said it is unfair to make HIV/AIDS the only communicable disease given such harsh treatment by prosecutors. These laws are irrational and discriminatory, Wiener told the Senate, adding that the current felony status is creating an incentive not to be tested, because if you dont know your status you cant be guilty of a felony. The measure was widely opposed by Republican lawmakers including Sen. Joel Anderson of San Diego. If you intentionally transmit something that is fundamentally life-threatening to the victim, you should be charged and go to jail, he said. Sen. Jeff Stone (R-Murrieta) said, My friends, its not a gay issue. Its a public health issue. We shouldnt allow someone to play Russian roulette with other peoples lives. Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), a physician, voted for the bill and argued that it undermines public health to imprison those with HIV under the current law. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Hillary Clinton: I was the victim of a very broad assumption I was going to win By Seema Mehta Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday that she has no plans to run for office again, but she plans to remain involved in civic life, particularly helping the Democrats efforts to regain control of the House in 2018. Im not going anywhere, Clinton said at the annual Code Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes. I have a big stake in what happens in this country. I am very unbowed and unbroken about what happened because I dont want it to happen to anybody else. I dont want it to happen to the values and the institutions I care about in America. And I think were at a really pivotal point, she said. And therefore Im going to keep writing and keep talking and keep supporting people who are on the front lines of the resistance. The 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said she woke up on election day expecting to win. Clinton told the gathering that she was responsible for every decision the campaign made, though she did not believe they caused her surprise loss. She attributed that to several things, including alleged Russian interference in the election and weaponizing stolen information and fake news. She also pointed a finger at the Democrats for falling behind the GOP in using technology and data to target voters, the media for covering her e-mail controversy like it was Pearl Harbor, misogyny and the high expectations many had for her candidacy. I was the victim of a very broad assumption I was going to win, she said, adding that she always expected the race to be close. Trump responded on Twitter, saying that Clinton still refused to accept that she lost because she was a terrible candidate. Crooked Hillary Clinton now blames everybody but herself, refuses to say she was a terrible candidate. Hits Facebook & even Dems & DNC.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 1, 2017 Clinton, who has increasingly jabbed President Trump, including at last weeks commencement address at Wellesley College, blasted his reported plan to pull out of the Paris climate accord as really stupid because of the economic implications. She described his personality as impulsive and reactive. And she joked about his peculiar overnight tweet about constant negative press covfefe, saying she thought it was a hidden message to the Russians to laughter from the audience. Going forward, Clinton said that she believes that it was realistic for Democrats to retake the House in 2018, notably by focusing on Republican congressional districts she won  including seven in California. She sounded less optimistic about the Senate. Updated at 6:06 p.m.: This post was updated to add President Trumps response to Clintons remarks. This post was first published at 5:41 p.m. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

California lawmakers take aim again at establishing statewide rules for drones By Jazmine Ulloa A state senator from Santa Barbara is taking another shot at establishing statewide regulations for the use of drones after the budding industry thwarted her efforts to pass similar legislation last year. Senate Bill 347, introduced by Democratic Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, would limit disruptive drone use near private property and prohibit the weaponization and reckless operation of the unmanned aerial vehicles. It also would require pilots to obtain insurance and to license, register and mark the aircrafts per federal regulations. The bill moved out of the Senate on Wednesday with a 26-13 vote. It heads to the Assembly for consideration. Speaking on the Senate floor, Jackson urged support for what she called comprehensive drone legislation, saying California needs common-sense rules that provide certainty for everyone and keep the public safe. Washington is not going to be acting on this issue very soon, she said, citing a federal appeals court decision that this month found the Federal Aviation Administration doesnt have the authority to regulate the use of drones by hobbyists. Debate has raged in recent years over just where federal authority begins and ends. And Jacksons attempts at drone legislation last year were blocked amid opposition from lobbyists who argued against creating a patchwork of laws that varied by state. Under Jacksons new proposal, violations would be punishable by a fine of up to $250 or a misdemeanor, and the California Department of Transportation would be tasked with developing liability insurance requirements. It has the support of the California State Assn. of Counties, the League of California Cities and the Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Assn, but it once again faces tough industry opposition. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

School districts would be prohibited from shaming students whose parents havent paid for school lunches By Patrick McGreevy Students eat lunch at Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School in Los Angeles. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times) Students whose parents have not kept their school lunch bills current would no longer go through shaming that includes marking their hand so they cannot be served, under legislation approved Wednesday by the state Senate. The measure by Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) would require school districts to ensure that any student whose parent has unpaid school meal fees is not treated differently, or delayed or denied a nutritiously adequate meal. Hertzberg introduced the legislation after hearing of school districts taking lunch trays from students whose accounts were not current and throwing the food in the trash, embarrassing the students in front of their friends. No more shaming, Herzberg told his colleagues. Dont visit the failures of the parents on their kids. The measure passed on a 39-0 vote and was sent to the Assembly for consideration. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Emilio Huerta, undaunted by 2016 loss, is back to challenge Rep. David Valadao By Sarah D. Wire (Sarah D. Wire / Los Angeles Times) Bakersfield lawyer Emilio Huerta came more than 13 percentage points short of winning Californias 21st Congressional District seat in 2016, but he plans to try again in 2018. Huerta, 59, blames his loss to Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) on inexperience and a rash of negative ads at the end of the campaign. We learned a lot in the last campaign. As a first-time candidate there was certainly a lot to learn and I think we did a good job, Huerta said Wednesday. The son of labor icon Dolores Huerta, he has worked for the United Farm Workers union  which his mother co-founded  throughout the Central Valley district. Huerta said Valadaos vote for the Republican healthcare plan shows hes ignoring Valley residents needs because it would end the expansion of the MediCal program, which many of the districts residents use for healthcare. Its going to be a pretty significant issue, he said. He is the first Democrat to announce a bid for the seat. Democrats are heartened by the fact that, while Valadao won the seat with 56.74% of the vote, the district has continued to trend Democratic in voter registration and chose Hillary Clinton for president with 54.72% of the vote. That tells me that there were die-hard Democrats, committed Democrats that vote, Democrats that were not convinced that my campaign should be supported and I think a lot of that has to do with me being a first-time candidate, Huerta said. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has made the seat a target for 2018. The majority-Latino district includes parts of Fresno, Kern, Kings and Tulare counties. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Gov. Jerry Brown and Democrats say Trump is going backwards if he pulls out of Paris climate pact By John Myers Gov. Jerry Brown warned Wednesday that a decision by President Trump to withdraw the United States from a 2015 global climate change agreement could be tragic, and vowed to keep Californias ambitious efforts in place and on track. Here we are, in 2017, going backwards, Brown said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. It cannot stand, its not right and California will do everything it can to not only stay the course, but to build more support  in other states, in other provinces, in other countries. The governor also criticized efforts to the president to dismantle climate change initiatives launched by former President Barack Obama. Trump is going against science. Hes going against reality, the governor said. We cant stand by and give aid and comfort to that. News that the president had either made the decision to pull the country out of the Paris Accord on climate change or was on the verge of doing so drew swift condemnation from California leaders. Brown and other top lawmakers attended the talks in late 2015 that resulted in the international agreement, and insisted on Wednesday that it would not hurt the states own efforts to sharply curtail greenhouse gas emissions. As with so many other matters, from human rights to healthcare, the Trump administration has continued to surrender our nations longstanding role as a global leader, Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) said. Others pointed out that a decision to remove the United States from the agreement would leave it in rare company among other nations. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted that such a decision by Trump would be more than just dumb + destructive. Brown, who leaves Friday for a weeklong visit to China to encourage more climate-change cooperation, predicted any decision to step away would suggest the countrys priorities arent clear. It sends a very muddled message, the governor said during an interview in his state Capitol office. Is the message [that] we like dirty cars and gas guzzlers? And were going to have a coal future? That cant happen. And Brown again suggested that Californias experience on the issue offers a road map for others. If we want to retain and enhance manufacturing, we have to do what California is doing, in clean energy and clean technology, he said. Thats the future of jobs, the future of sustainability. And we better get on board. And California will be right there with the best of them. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

This Orange County congressmans immigration town hall turned chaotic and led to three arrests By Sarah D. Wire The majority of calls into Rep. Lou Correas Orange County congressional office are about immigration worries and what the Trump administrations enforcement policies mean for Correas many Latino constituents. Theres a lot of fear in my district, he said. So the freshman Democrat has held seven town halls, all focused on immigration and explaining immigrants rights. Theyve been peaceful, with representatives from groups such as the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles and the Mexican Consulate invited to help Correa answer questions. But as the crowd of about 100 people gathered at Santa Anas Delhi Center on Tuesday evening, Correa knew this time would be different. We had some people there, probably a dozen of them, that immediately had signs that were not complimentary to yours truly, he said. Two women arguing about immigration issues had already gotten into an altercation outside the town hall. They were cited for assault and battery, and barred by police from going inside. Correa told the crowd inside he would give a short presentation about immigration policy coming out of Washington and then have a question-and-answer session. About a dozen people were having none of it. Some of the most tense moments came when Correa started talking about green card holders who served in the U.S. military and have since been deported. Maam, Im trying to be courteous here, he said as a woman kept speaking over him. As soon as I started speaking, it became very clear they were not going to let me speak, Correa said Wednesday. They just got louder and louder. Video of the town hall posted on social media shows people in the crowd yelling Americans first and Illegals have no rights. Correa repeatedly asks them to let him speak. Are you guys going to cooperate, or am I going to have to ask you to leave? he said. About 15 minutes in, as some in the crowd continued to shout and their attention turned to berating a group of counter-protesters, Correa declared the meeting over. A handful of people circled around Correa as he tried to leave, yelling Shame, shame and You guys all want welfare. One womans voice can be heard repeatedly yelling Coward! Police emptied the room amid chants of USA. The crowd streamed into the parking lot, where confrontations quickly started between supporters of President Trump and others who appeared to be focused on Native American rights. Videos posted on social media show men shouting at one another, their faces so close their noses are practically touching. Police officers kept trying to separate the groups. (Warning: The video below includes language that some readers might find offensive.) Santa Ana Police Department spokesman Anthony Bertagna said a man struck a Trump supporter on the head with a pole bearing an anti-fascism flag. He was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Bertagna said. The man was brought to police headquarters, and a group of about 10 people followed along to protest, he said. Shortly after, the town hall peacefully resumed in a different room with a much smaller crowd, Correa said. Several California members of Congress have held similar immigration-specific town halls or workshops in the last few months as questions swirl about changes to federal immigration policies and enforcement. The purpose of the town halls is to let people know how to follow the law, let them know their legal rights and responsibilities, Correa said. Protesters have characterized it as teaching people who are in the country illegally how to avoid deportation and get federal benefits. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

California plan for 100% renewable energy by 2045 clears key hurdle By Liam Dillon California will receive all of its power from renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, by 2045 under legislation that passed the state Senate on Wednesday. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) touted his bill, Senate Bill 100, as the most ambitious program in the world. Clean energy is the future, De Leon said. SB 100 ensures that California leads into the future. The measure would also speed up the states goal of reaching 50% renewable energy, changing the deadline from 2030 to 2026. SB 100 passed over objections from Republican senators. Sen. Jeff Stone (R-Temecula) criticized the measure as government getting ahead of technological capacity. What if we cant make that mandate that were putting into law today? Stone said. What its going to do is drive up electricity bills for our businesses. De Leons bill now moves to the Assembly. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

A new proposal on Californias cap-and-trade program emerges as vote is delayed By Chris Megerian Assemblyman Adam Gray (D-Merced), left. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) A coalition of business-friendly Democrats is detailing their own ideas for cap and trade, a centerpiece of Californias fight against global warming, the latest bid in a crowded field of efforts to extend the program. Cap and trade requires polluting companies to buy permits to release greenhouse gas emissions, and lawmakers have been considering a push from Gov. Jerry Brown to extend the program beyond 2020. The new plan would force the program to sunset in 2025, earlier than previous proposals from other lawmakers. It would also direct revenue from the program toward improving air quality and helping agricultural and trucking companies lower their emissions by replacing aging equipment. The plan is also aimed at keeping costs down for industries regulated by cap and trade, allowing them to support green projects known as offsets instead of reducing their own emissions. California must continue to lead the world by implementing a strong climate policy that ensures both a healthy environment for future Californians and growth in all sectors of our economy, Assemblyman Adam Gray (D-Merced) said in a statement. The pro-business Democrats plan is the fourth such effort announced by various factions within the states ruling Democratic Party this year with two others emerging from the Assembly and one from the Senate. The plans offer varying degrees of changes to the existing program, either to prioritize pollution reductions in disadvantaged communities or eliminate offsets. Republican lawmakers also have said they want to be part of the cap-and-trade debate. Brown has pushed for a two-thirds supermajority vote of the Legislature to extend the program by the state budget deadline next month. But Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) said at a Wednesday news conference that that wasnt going to happen. Cap-and-trade is a very complex issue, De Leon said. Its very arcane. We want to make sure we get it right. De Leon said he hoped for a deal by the end of the year. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Senate fails to back bill to delay the Aliso Canyon reopening, but lawmaker will try again Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

California state Senate advances bill to ban smoking and use of e-cigarettes in government housing By Patrick McGreevy Californians would no longer be able to use tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, in public housing and within 25 of those buildings under a measure approved Tuesday by the state Assembly. Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) said the measure builds on a smoking ban approved last year for federal public housing projects by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In addition to applying the smoking ban to state housing, expansion to include e-cigarettes makes sure the law cover new technology in tobacco use. The bill takes effect by July 30, 2018. Wood said tobacco-related diseases cost taxpayers significant funds each year. This bill will save money but will more importantly save lives, Wood told his colleagues before the vote. The measure is opposed by the Western Center on Law and Poverty, which worries it will lead to more evictions. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Californians would not be able to buy more than one rifle a month under bill approved by state senators By Patrick McGreevy Terry McGuire, owner of Get Loaded in Grand Terrace, shows a customer a Cobalt Kinetics BAMF rifle about a week after the 2015 shooting rampage in nearby San Bernardino. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times) Californians would be prohibited from buying more than one firearm in any 30-day period under a measure approved Tuesday by the Senate to reduce straw purchasing and circumvention of gun laws. California already bars people from buying more than one handgun a month. The bill by Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-La Canada Flintridge) expands the limit to also cover long guns, including rifles and shotguns. The measure, which next goes to the Assembly for consideration, seeks to address concerns that some people buy large quantities of guns and then sell them on the underground market to criminals and others not eligible to own guns. There is no need or reason why a person would need to purchase more than one gun a month, Portantino said during the floor debate. Republicans, including Jeff Stone of Murrieta, opposed the legislation. This is yet another example of the government trying to infringe on the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens, Stone said. Sen. Jim Nielsen (R-Chico) said he has seen no proof that past gun-control measures approved by the state have made the state safer. Its more of the same that will not decrease violent crime, Nielsen said. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

California state senators want to stop the public from smoking at California beaches and parks By Patrick McGreevy Californians would be barred from smoking or using electronic cigarettes in state parks and at beaches under a bill approved Tuesday by the state Senate. Sen. Steve Glazer (D-Concord) said his bill would address the health problems caused by smoking but also the harm done to the environment by discarded cigarette butts and the fire danger posed by the practice. Cigarette butts contain more than 150 toxic chemicals and although small in size, have a huge negative impact on the environment and the animals that live in them, Glazer told his colleagues. A legislative analysis said the bill does not address the concerns raised by Gov. Jerry Brown when he vetoed a similar bill last year. The veto message read, in part, The complete prohibition in all parks and beaches is too broad. A more measured  and less punitive  approach might be warranted. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

School day wouldnt begin before 8:30 a.m. in California under bill that clears the state Senate By John Myers (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) California teenagers wouldnt be required to start their school day before 8:30 am under a bill approved Tuesday by the state Senate. The legislation by Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-La Canada Flintridge) would not fully take effect until 2020, and sparked a lively floor debate over the science on the sleep patterns of middle and high school students, and whether they simply need to go to bed earlier. I expect this would only dispose them to stay up later, said state Sen. Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber). Another Republican lawmaker, Sen. Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield), said students need to learn what its like in the workforce. Job preparation is what schooling is all about, Fuller said. Unless youre a musician or someone who works nights, you probably did not start in the later morning. Opponents also said the later start time could affect collective bargaining agreements with teachers and other school employees. Supporters, however, pointed to a recommendation for later start times from the American Academy of Pediatrics. A University of Minnesota study linked school start times to sleep deprivation and the rate of car crashes among teenage drivers. The morning sleep time is the most valuable for student health, said Portantino. Their test scores go up, their attendance goes up, their graduation rates go up. The bill would allow rural school districts to obtain a waiver if they couldnt make the change. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) ended the debate with a simple request of the senators on behalf of teenage students. "Lets just let them sleep in a little bit, he said with a smile. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

More transparency proposed for prescription drug price increases under bill passed by California Senate By Patrick McGreevy Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-Azusa), shown speaking in March, won Senate approval Tuesday on a bill that would require more transparency on drug prices. (Melanie Mason / Los Angeles Times) Alarmed by skyrocketing prices for some prescription drugs, the California Senate on Tuesday approved a measure aimed at increasing pressure to hold down costs to consumers by requiring more public reporting of price hikes. The lawmakers approved a bill that would require drug manufacturers to notify health plans and state purchasers such as the prison department of increases in the wholesale cost of drugs in writing at least 90 days before the new costs were to take effect. The measure also requires that health plans and insurers notify state regulators of pricing information for the most costly drugs. Were not saying that they cant raise the price. Were just saying notify us, Hernandez said during the floor debate. And if [the price] goes up a significant amount, we should be able to question why. The measure passed by a 26-10 vote with some Republicans, including Sen. Ted Gaines of El Dorado Hills, opposed. Gaines said the pharmaceutical industrys pricing of drugs helps it pay for development of new medications. It funds their research, Gaines said during the debate. The measure next goes to the Assembly, where a similar bill last year failed to win passage. Hernandez said more opponents are talking to him this year about possible compromises, although the bill is opposed by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Hernandez said the bill is needed, adding that current regulations allow pharmaceutical companies to reap obscene profits at the expense of the entire healthcare system. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

California Senate advances bill to make pot use in cars an infraction By Patrick McGreevy San Bruno police officers stop cars at a DUI checkpoint. State officials are proposing to make it an infraction to use marijuana in motor vehicles. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) Just months after state voters legalized the recreational use of marijuana, the state Senate on Tuesday voted to prohibit its use in automobiles because of concerns over drugged driving. A bill by Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) makes it an infraction for drivers and passengers to use marijuana in motor vehicles. Stiffer penalties already exist for motorists found to be driving while impaired by drugs. California voters legalized recreational use of marijuana in November although the state does not plan to begin issuing licenses for its legal sale until January. In Washington state, which previously legalized pot, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that the number of drivers who had recently used marijuana before fatal accidents doubled from 2013 to 2014, Hill told his colleagues. Washington serves as an eye-opening case study for what other states may experience with road safety after legalizing the drug, Hill told his colleagues before the unanimous vote to approve the measure and send it to the Assembly for consideration. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

California lawmakers want to give parents at smaller companies 12 weeks of protected family leave By Jazmine Ulloa State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara). (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) California lawmakers are once again seeking to expand the states paid family leave program to smaller businesses after Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar measure last year. SB 63, authored by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), on Tuesday moved out of the state Senate with a 25-13 vote. It now heads to the Assembly for consideration. The legislation, a priority bill for the California Legislative Womens Caucus, would allow parents at companies with 20 to 49 employees to take 12 weeks of leave to care for a newborn or newly adopted child  without fear of losing their jobs. Under the current state law, only workers at businesses with 50 or more workers can take advantage of program. On the Senate floor Tuesday, the debate on the issue echoed that of last year. Republican lawmakers argued the bill would kill jobs and hurt small businesses already struggling in California. Those in favor argued progressive family leave policies attracted a strong and healthy workforce. Jackson said her bill would impact only 6.3% of California companies, while helping 16% of its workforce, a population of 2.7 million residents across the state. With so many women in the workforce than ever before, and with so many struggling, two-income families, this is a critical moment in time, she said. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Kimberly Ellis files formal challenge over result of state Democratic Party chairperson election By Seema Mehta (Jay Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) The candidate who narrowly lost the race to be the next leader of the California Democratic Party on Tuesday filed a formal challenge of the election result. Kimberly Ellis campaign, which was already in the process of reviewing the ballots cast during the state partys convention two weekends ago, said they were filing the challenge to meet a requirement in the party bylaws that such an action must be taken within seven days of the contested act. Our review process is ongoing. Its critical that all formal processes outlined by the CDPs bylaws are followed at this time so that there can be no concern about raising issues in the manner prescribed by our party, said Hilary Crosby, immediate past controller for the state party and an Ellis supporter. Ellis campaign said challenges were also being filed in races for a vice chair, secretary and multiple regional directors. Chris Masami Myers, state party executive director, acknowledged receiving the challenges and said in a statement that they would be reviewed in accordance with the standard practices described in the bylaws. The partys compliance review commission, made up of six members who were appointed during former Chairman John Burtons tenure, will review the evidence and take oral or written testimony before issuing a ruling in mid- to late June. The state party chair race was the most heated and contentious. Longtime party leader Eric Bauman entered the race with advantages, but Ellis made the contest competitive. In the election, held this month at the state party convention in Sacramento, Bauman beat Ellis by just over 60 votes. But amid allegations levied by her supporters of ballot-box stuffing and ripped-up ballots, she refused to concede the race. Her campaign has been reviewing individual ballots for a week. Bauman did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Updated at 4:57 p.m.: This post was updated to add additional information about how the review will be conducted. Updated at 3:35 p.m.: This post was updated to add a comment from a state party official. This post was originally published at 2:37 p.m. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Darrell Issa gets on his office roof to take a picture of protesters. A mild hubbub ensues By Sarah D. Wire Yes, this is really @DarrellIssa on the roof of his district office building. Too afraid to come speak with assembled constituents below. pic.twitter.com/wCYRjO8Ev8  Mike Levin (@MikeLevinCA) May 30, 2017 It began when one of Rep. Darrell Issas 2018 opponents, Mike Levin, posted an image on Twitter, saying the Vista congressman was hiding on his office roof from hundreds of protesters on the street below. The photo of Issa standing on the roof ricocheted around Twitter, with many comparing it to a scene from the popular television show The Office, and left-leaning media outlets quickly publishing headlines like Darrell Issa Appears to Flee to Building Roof to Avoid Protesters. Like most things, what happened at Issas office appears to have been a bit more nuanced. Issa soon tweeted that he had spent the morning talking with constituents gathered outside the office today, then popped upstairs to take a quick pic!. Multiple images, including one from Levins account and from Issas account, show the congressman on the street with protesters. Spent the morning talking with constituents gathered outside the office today, then popped upstairs to take a quick pic! pic.twitter.com/K2CFdenOIj  Darrell Issa (@DarrellIssa) May 30, 2017 I just received an unprompted call from @DarrellIssa who said he tried, unsuccessfully to speak with protesters outside his district office.  Joshua Stewart (@jptstewart) May 30, 2017 .@DarrellIssa said the protesters wouldnt' speak with him, so he went up to the roof and took pictures.  Joshua Stewart (@jptstewart) May 30, 2017 The protests occur weekly outside Issas Vista district office, and the congressman has come out to speak with the group at least twice since President Trumps inauguration. Issa narrowly won reelection in 2016 over a novice opponent, and Democrats are targeting his seat in 2018. Issas staff said he tried to speak with all the protesters using their sound system, but was rebuffed. Rally organizer Ellen Montanari said she decided not to hand over the protesters microphone so Issa could take questions from the crowd because he refused to shake her hand before the protest began. He refused to do that, and he said, Step away, you are a protester. And I said I am a constituent,  Montanari said. She said he also made disparaging remarks about the protesters and the signs they carry. Issas spokesman, Calvin Moore, said Montanari cant simultaneously organize people to stand outside our office with Where is Darrell? signs and feign outrage how he wont answer her questions  and then deny him the ability to answer his constituents questions, he said. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

State Senate Democrats pass bills designed to protect against Trumps possible changes Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Rep. Adam Schiff says alleged Russian meddling in election was an effort to destroy American democracy By Seema Mehta U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, left, discusses Russias threat to liberal democracies around the world at discussion discussion hosted by Erwin Chemerinsky at UCI. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) said Tuesday that the alleged Russian meddling in last years presidential election was about far more than favoring one candidate over another. He said it was an effort to undermine the foundation of American democracy in order to prop up an authoritarian regime in Moscow. Now if you look at this as just a one-off intervention, you might be inclined to dismiss the greater significance of it, or if you listen to the president, you might be inclined to dismiss this as simply efforts to relitigate a lost election, Schiff told several hundred people at UC Irvine. But the significance is really far greater. Quite separate and apart from the desire of the Russians to help Donald Trump and hurt Hillary Clinton was a more fundamental objective, and that was really to tear down at our democracy. Schiff is the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, which is investigating allegations of Russian intervention in the presidential election, including the leaking of hacked Democratic emails and contacts between Trump associates and Russians. Trump has declared the investigation the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history on Twitter. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare), the former chairman of the committee, recently told hundreds of Republicans at a fundraiser that the investigation is about nothing more than Democrats trying to justify Clintons loss. Nunes stepped down from his position after allegations arose that he mishandled classified information. Schiff said Russian President Vladimir Putin would have reasons for wanting to see Clinton fail and Trump succeed  he believed that the CIA and Clinton were secretly behind mass demonstrations in Russia in 2011, and because Trumps positions on issues such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization were more favorable to Russia than Clintons. But Schiff argued the larger point was sowing discord in the U.S., so Putin could argue that American democracy is no better than his government. Talk of rigged elections and surveillance, questioning the independence of the judiciary and freedom of the press  as Trump has done  boost Putins message, Schiff said. And the efforts are not limited to the United States, he added, pointing to allegations that the Russians made an effort to interfere in Frances recent election. The reality is there is new ideological struggle. Its not communism versus capitalism anymore. It is authoritarian versus democracy, he said. This is the broader challenge we are facing. Schiff also warned that there is no way to prevent Russian cyber-spying and that future attempts to interfere with American elections will only be more sophisticated, so voters must be educated. One of the most important conclusions the intelligence agencies have reached is the Russians will do this again, he said. The only real defense is to inoculate ourselves, to educate ourselves about what the Russians have done, why they are doing [it and] what they may do in the future and somehow we have to develop a consensus regardless of which party it helps and which party it hurts  that we will reject it. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Rep. Devin Nunes: Democrats are using Russia investigation to justify Clintons loss By Sarah D. Wire (Jim Lo Scalzo / EPA) House Select Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes told hundreds of local Republicans at a recent private fundraiser that congressional investigations into Russias interference in the 2016 election are about Democrats trying to justify Hillary Clintons loss. The Democrats dont want an investigation on Russia. They want an independent commission. Why do they want an independent commission? Because they want to continue the narrative that Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump are best friends, and thats the reason that he won, because Hillary Clinton would have never lost on her own; it had to be someone elses fault, Nunes told Republicans the day after he stepped away from leading the House investigation. His remarks were recorded on video and provided to The Times. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Californias embattled tax board would lose power over staff and funding under lawmakers plan By John Myers Following months of accusations about mistakes and improper use of power by its elected members, the state Board of Equalization could lose substantial power and gain an independent overseer under legislation introduced in the state Assembly. The bill by Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) would shift much of the power over staff and spending authority away from the independent tax board and create a new inspector general to watch over its actions. What were trying to do is make sure that the reform is transparent, Ridley-Thomas said. Thats what I think the moment demands. The plan, introduced as an amended bill just before the Memorial Day holiday, comes in the wake of audits alleging the tax agency made multimillion dollar miscalculations on revenue allocations and that some of its elected members improperly used staff members who were supposed to be focused on tax collection. Earlier this month, Gov. Jerry Brown called the situation a mess and in April asked for an investigation by the state Department of Justice. Four members of the Board of Equalization are directly elected by voters. The fifth, state Controller Betty Yee, serves in an ex officio capacity. The Assembly bill would transfer significant staff decisions to the agencys executive director and would require the Board of Equalizations members to have their operations funded in detailed line items included in the state budget. It would also create an inspector general office and would require the boards members to disclose all ex parte communications with those seeking action by the agency. I think that these issues can be addressed if we keep them in the sunlight, said Ridley-Thomas. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

New advertising campaign targets lawmakers over votes for climate change policies By Chris Megerian A coalition of California businesses launched a new advertising campaign on Saturday to pressure lawmakers against enacting tighter policies on climate change and air pollution. The campaign includes online videos and television advertising that warn of higher costs for business and residents. It arrives as Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers are debating whether to extend the cap-and-trade program, which requires companies to buy permits to release greenhouse gases, and how restrictive the system should be. The first lawmaker being targeted is Assemblyman Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova), accusing him of allowing unelected state employees to raise hidden taxes on gasoline and electricity because he voted last year for a tougher target to reduce emissions by 2030. Other lawmakers could face similar advertisements. Were locked, loaded and ready to go statewide, said Rob Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable, which is funding the campaign through an advocacy group called Californians for Affordable and Reliable Energy. The roundtable represents the states largest corporations, including oil refineries and manufacturers who have been critical of climate policies. A dollar figure was not disclosed for the advertising campaign, which will represent a balancing act for the roundtable. It supports the cap-and-trade program as an alternative to more restrictive regulations, but it opposes some of the current proposals to extend it. One measure would tie the program to air quality, targeting a wider range of pollutants than just greenhouse gases, and another would make it function more like a tax and charge higher prices for emission permits. Were at a tipping point here, Lapsley said. We need to get this information out into the public in order to try and create balanced policies. Although polls show broad support for fighting global warming in California, concerns about higher costs for constituents could be influential with some lawmakers who recently passed legislation to raise gas taxes to fund road repairs. Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) is facing a recall campaign over his vote. Nonpartisan legislative analysts have said cap and trade could boost the price of gasoline by 24 cents to 73 cents by 2030. Environmentalists have said its inaccurate to tie any single policy to fluctuations in gas prices. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

California Politics Podcast: The debate among Democrats didnt end at their convention By John Myers The official gathering of California Democrats lasted only three days, but the lingering debate and simmering tensions could keep going well into next years elections. On this weeks California Politics Podcast episode, we look back at the line in the sand drawn at last weeks California Democratic Party convention by some of the partys most passionate progressive activists -- including the blunt speech delivered by an influential labor union leader last weekend. We also discuss big new developments this week on the topic that energized those Democratic activists: a single-payer healthcare system for California. On Monday, a fiscal analysis put a large price tag on legislation to enact that sweeping healthcare change. Im joined this week by Times staff writer Melanie Mason. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

California lawmakers quietly refuse to stop unlimited cash flowing from political parties to their campaigns By John Myers (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) An ambitious effort to close a widely used loophole that allows large donations from political parties to be funneled into California races was rejected on Friday. The bill by Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-San Rafael) would have made political party money donated to statewide and legislative candidates subject to the same contribution limits as individuals. Under the language of a voter-approved initiative, Proposition 34, money from political parties is exempt from those existing limits. Its a money-laundering scheme that has completely duped voters, Levine said last fall when he first promised to introduce the bill. The proposal was quietly killed, without a formal vote, by the Assembly Appropriations Committee during its biannual session to act on bills placed on the so-called suspense file due to their estimated costs. Committee staff estimated that Levines AB 1234 would have six-figure costs both for enforcement and for placing the issue before voters in 2018. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Veteran Democratic operative criticizes Kimberly Ellis for refusing to concede party chair race By Seema Mehta Supporters of Kimberly Ellis make signs, refusing to accept her loss to Eric Bauman for the California Democratic chair post. (Jay Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Veteran Democratic operative Bob Mulholland slammed infighting among California Democrats, and urged Kimberly Ellis, who came up short in a nasty party chair election, to work to unify the party. I  and others did not understand some of your supporters  attacks on those of us who have spent decades or years building the Democrats in California as the most successful political Party in the country, he wrote in an open letter to Ellis on Thursday. He sent the email in the aftermath of the partys rancorous convention last weekend that featured a bitter leadership battle between Ellis, a favorite of newer members including the backers of Bernie Sanders failed presidential bid, and longtime party leader Eric Bauman. After Bauman was declared the winner by a razor-thin margin of just over 60 votes, Ellis refused to concede and demanded an audit of the vote as some of her backers floated rumors of ballot-box stuffing and discarded ballots. Ellis demurred when asked about Mulhollands scathing letter. While our review continues, we are refraining from making any statement that might cause further division, Ellis said. If we hope to truly unify this party, it will require patience by all. Officials with the Ellis campaign have been reviewing ballots this week. A spokesman said they had looked at about two-thirds by the end of Friday and hope to be done by the middle of next week. Joe Macaluso, Ellis strategist, declined to discuss the results and said her team needed to review additional documentation beyond the ballots. Were trying to stay true to our process and not release anything, but were in it, he said. Its an extensive process. Mulholland argued in his public letter that the convention should have showcased the partys message, not intraparty spats. Our annual Conventions should take care of internal business (Platforms, election of Officers, Resolutions, etc.), but more importantly a communication to voters, especially moderate Democrats and Independents about their concerns and issues, Mulholland wrote. If such busy people had a minute to read some news about our Convention, they saw Democrats yelling and arguing about ballots being stuffed, sounding like a Trump event. This Convention failed them. Mulholland listed the partys successes in the state, including Democrats lopsided voter registration edge, its nearly three-decade record of supporting Democratic presidential candidates, its election of female senators since 1992 and its hold of every statewide office, supermajorities in both chambers of the Legislature and nearly three-quarters of the congressional delegation. Over the last 29 years, thats a [1.000] batting record, he wrote. Mulholland called on Ellis to hold a news conference with Bauman once she is satisfied with her audit of the vote. Then, he wrote, lets move on. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

California lawmakers block proposals meant to make it easier to track and report hate crimes By Jazmine Ulloa Graffiti mars the steeple on the Greater Holy Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Compton in January. Cases of vandalism make up close to one-third of reported hate crimes, according to a new report. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times) California lawmakers Friday stalled measures meant to help report and track hate crimes across the state, proposals filed amid a wave of incidents reported after the 2016 presidential election. The state Assembly Appropriations Committee shelved bills that would have created new hate-crime reporting requirements for police and a hotline under the attorney generals office for victims wishing to report an attack. Of those bills, a proposal filed by Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima) initially sought to develop a state government database with the names of felons convicted of hate crimes related to race, religion and sexual orientation. That proposal was amended to instead require every law enforcement agency to forward a summary of a reported hate crime, upon conclusion of an investigation, to the human relations commission within its jurisdiction. But a committee analysis found it could cost the state more than $150,000 to help agencies redact personal information from their records. The committee also shut down bills that would have required police to update policies to address hate crimes and include a checkbox on the front pages of reports that would prominently provide an option to indicate whether a crime was bias-related. Local law enforcement officials have reported a recent rise in reported hate crime incidents. Existing state laws require local and state law enforcement officials to compile hate crime information. California jurisdictions reported a 10.4% statewide increase in those incidents last year. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Here were the top six moments from last nights L.A. congressional race debate By Christine Mai-Duc Robert Lee Ahn, left, and Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez sparred in a debate Thursday night ahead of the runoff for the 34th Congressional District seat. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) Attorney Robert Lee Ahn and Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez sparred Thursday night at the first and only debate in the runoff race for the 34th Congressional District seat. The candidates, both Democrats, offered little in the way of policy differences. Both agreed President Trump has racist tendencies, that keeping the Affordable Care Act is a top priority, and that they would fight to protect immigrants rights. Ahn came out swinging, repeatedly calling Gomez an insider whos sponsored by special interests, while Gomez pointed to his work supporting progressive policies in the Legislature and endorsements hes received from left-leaning groups. Here are the top six exchanges: The numbers problem: Gomez again criticized Ahn for a response he gave in an L.A. Times questionnaire that suggested he would negotiate with Republicans to protect parts of Obamacare. Gomez said Democrats need to take a hard line and that Ahn was too soft on support for Medicaid. In case you havent noticed, we have a numbers problem in Congress, Ahn shot back. Until were able to take back the House, were going to have to talk to the other side.

Gomez again criticized Ahn for a response he gave in an L.A. Times questionnaire that suggested he would negotiate with Republicans to protect parts of Obamacare. Gomez said Democrats need to take a hard line and that Ahn was too soft on support for Medicaid. In case you havent noticed, we have a numbers problem in Congress, Ahn shot back. Until were able to take back the House, were going to have to talk to the other side. Gomez fact-checks Ahns name-check: Ahn made the case that voters should send an attorney to Congress to help in the legal battles against the Trump presidency. I will join fellow attorneys and Congress members Ted Lieu and Adam Schiff in the fight, Ahn said to the crowd. Gomez, who spent much of the evening bringing up his legislative experience and vast array of endorsements, responded: I hate to mention it, but, you know, Adam Schiff and Ted Lieu have endorsed me.

Ahn made the case that voters should send an attorney to Congress to help in the legal battles against the Trump presidency. I will join fellow attorneys and Congress members Ted Lieu and Adam Schiff in the fight, Ahn said to the crowd. Gomez, who spent much of the evening bringing up his legislative experience and vast array of endorsements, responded: I hate to mention it, but, you know, Adam Schiff and Ted Lieu have endorsed me. Getting more personal: In discussions about immigration and healthcare, Gomez and Ahn delved a little deeper into their backgrounds. Gomez talked about his young nephew who feared that his mother, a permanent resident, might be deported after Trump was elected. Ahn told the story of how his parents came to the United States with $700 each and cobbled together enough money to open a hamburger stand, eventually building their piece of the American Dream.

In discussions about immigration and healthcare, Gomez and Ahn delved a little deeper into their backgrounds. Gomez talked about his young nephew who feared that his mother, a permanent resident, might be deported after Trump was elected. Ahn told the story of how his parents came to the United States with $700 each and cobbled together enough money to open a hamburger stand, eventually building their piece of the American Dream. Ahn on the attack: Ahn repeatedly criticized Gomez for taking money from corporate interests. Special interests, big pharma, big bankers. ... Its all payback time [for Gomez donors] on Day One, Ahn said. On Day One, I owe the people of the 34th District and thats it. Ahn pitched himself as an outsider who understands the district and whose small-business experience will help him relate to the problems facing everyday residents.

Ahn repeatedly criticized Gomez for taking money from corporate interests. Special interests, big pharma, big bankers. ... Its all payback time [for Gomez donors] on Day One, Ahn said. On Day One, I owe the people of the 34th District and thats it. Ahn pitched himself as an outsider who understands the district and whose small-business experience will help him relate to the problems facing everyday residents. A litmus test: Gomez fought back against the idea that hes a corporate Democrat, primarily by pointing to several endorsements hes received from left-leaning groups. If I was so establishment, I dont think Our Revolution ... would actually endorse me, Gomez said of the Bernie Sanders-affiliated group. If you want a litmus test, thats a litmus test if youre a progressive ... if youre actually able to take on the status quo.

Gomez fought back against the idea that hes a corporate Democrat, primarily by pointing to several endorsements hes received from left-leaning groups. If I was so establishment, I dont think Our Revolution ... would actually endorse me, Gomez said of the Bernie Sanders-affiliated group. If you want a litmus test, thats a litmus test if youre a progressive ... if youre actually able to take on the status quo. Gomez gets skewered on gas tax: As part of his argument that he has fought for the little guy, Ahn expressed outrage that Californias gas taxes will increase July 1, saying theres nothing progressive about the gas tax hike Gomez voted for. We already paid 38 cents per gallon. Where is that money going? Ahn said, echoing a line many legislative Republicans have used. Sacramento politicians, this is what they do, they take our money and they spend it and theres no accountability. Gomez responded by saying public safety was at stake and that fixing roads was the responsible thing to do. If you missed it, you can watch the entire thing here. The election is set for June 6. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Rob Reiner, Hollywood bigwigs and Netflix co-founder team up to give Villaraigosas campaign a major cash boost By Seema Mehta (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Hollywood heavyweights are set to host a major fundraiser for Antonio Villaraigosas gubernatorial campaign on June 15, ensuring an infusion of large contributions shortly before a key fundraising deadline. Donors are being asked to contribute up to $29,200 to attend a summer reception at the home of media executive Peter Chernin and his wife Megan, the site of a celebrity-studded fundraiser for President Obama in 2013. Co-hosts include Paramount Pictures chief Jim Gianopulos, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, video game honcho Robert Kotick, comedian George Lopez, Sony chief Michael Lynton, NBCUniversal vice chairman Ron Meyer, producer Rob Reiner, super-agent Rick Rosen, producer Orly Adelson, former U.S. Ambassador to Spain James Costos, former White House decorator Michael Smith and attorney Michael Tuchin. Villaraigosa, the former mayor of Los Angeles, entered the governors race in November. Through the end of 2016, he raised $2.7 million, a respectable haul in a short time period when Democratic donors were reeling from the presidential election and distracted by the holidays. But his fundraising lags behind that of his top rivals, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Treasurer John Chiang. So political observers will be scrutinizing his next financial disclosure report, which will cover the first six months of 2017. The fundraiser occurs 15 days before the fundraising period closes on June 30. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

A delay on cap-and-trade vote would be a victory for Donald Trump, Gov. Jerry Browns office says By Chris Megerian (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Despite hesitance and resistance from state lawmakers, Gov. Jerry Brown is refusing to budge from his goal of reaching a deal next month to extend Californias cap-and-trade program. The latest tug-of-war on the issue came this week in an email exchange circulated among Capitol staff members and advocates working on climate change policies. Kip Lipper, an environmental advisor for Senate leadership, wrote in a Thursday email that there were no plans to take up a cap and trade reauthorization bill anytime soon. Echoing concerns that have percolated among lawmakers, Lipper said senators were gas tax weary about the possibility of another difficult vote after deciding to raise gas taxes to pay for road repairs earlier this year. The cap-and-trade program, which is a cornerstone of Californias fight against global warming, requires companies to buy permits to release greenhouse gas emissions and could boost the price of gasoline. With votes hard to come by, Lipper wrote, the issue should not be rushed. Camille Wagner, Browns legislative secretary, responded on Friday saying there was no reason to delay. Weve all been meeting for months on this issue, she wrote. We know the areas of agreement and disagreement  now is the time to work through those. She added that NOTHING is more important than getting a deal as soon as possible. This is not a time for retreat or a time to give aid and comfort to Donald Trump by undermining a pillar of Californias bold program to arrest climate change, Wagner wrote. If Californias Cap and Trade falls because we fail to act, climate denial wins. Brown had already faced resistance to his push to reach a deal on cap and trade in June, when the state budget is due. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) previously said we dont have to extend it this year. The disagreement over the timeline for reaching a deal is only one of the disputes surrounding cap and trade. Assembly leaders have raised the possibility of pushing legislation with only a majority vote, an idea the governors office rejected. Brown wants a two-thirds vote to insulate cap and trade from legal challenges. There are also varied ideas about how the program should function in the future. Assembly legislation would modify cap and trade so it also targets local pollution, rather than just greenhouse gases. Senate legislation would make the program function more like a carbon tax. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

The effort to make tampons tax free in California has been delayed until 2018 By John Myers (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Legislation to eliminate California sales taxes on the purchase of tampons was delayed Friday by the Assemblys fiscal committee until 2018, a blow to advocates who say the tax is an unfair burden on low-income women and families. The delay imposed on AB 9 is the second setback this month for efforts to eliminate taxes on products for women and children. A separate bill that included a tax-free provision for diapers was killed in a legislative committee on May 8. The bill that was held back on Friday, written by Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), would have excluded tampons, sanitary napkins and other menstrual products from sales taxes. A legislative committee analysis estimated the proposal would reduce state general fund revenues by $10.5 million a year. Dozens of other bills with a cost to state government were killed by the Assembly Appropriations Committee, while AB 9 was instead reclassified as a two-year bill, meaning it is eligible to be heard again in the second year of the legislative session. Gov. Jerry Brown last year rejected a similar measure that sought to make tampons tax-free, writing in his veto message that tax breaks are the same as new spending  they both cost the general fund money. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Outside money spills into L.A. congressional race as election day nears By Christine Mai-Duc Spending by outside groups hoping to influence Los Angeles congressional race is picking up, with less than two weeks to go before the runoff for the 34th Congressional District. Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez and attorney Robert Lee Ahn, both Democrats, are competing to fill the former seat of Xavier Becerra in the June 6 election. Becerra stepped down months ago to become the states attorney general. Spending separate from the candidates campaigns is reaching into the six-figure range, with most of the outside money going to support Gomez, the heavy favorite of establishment Democrats. One group funded primarily by an Ahn donor, Citizens for a Better Government, has spent $40,264 on data, printing and postage for mailers, and $8,000 on treasury services to support Ahns bid. The Latino Victory Fund, which has endorsed Gomez, recently spent $29,640 on direct mail and $30,000 on phone banking and voter canvassing for the candidate. Billboard company Outfront Media LLC has spent $1,973 on billboards for him. Also backing Gomez is a group called Middle Class Values PAC. The group spent $19,653 on mailers supporting Gomez despite not having reported receiving any major contributions so far this year. The groups biggest donors last year were a handful of Nevada casino owners and developers, but most of that money appears to have been spent on Democrats running for Congress in Pennsylvania and Nevada. Outside spending in the 34th Congressional District race has been dwarfed by candidate spending. As of March 31, Gomez had spent $446,455 and Ahn had dropped about $767,315 on his run. New campaign finance figures from both candidates are due at midnight Friday. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Gov. Jerry Browns budget team drops its hotly debated plans to redefine the states spending limit By John Myers (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) With questions mounting about the legal justification for omitting some $22 billion in expenses from Californias long-standing spending cap, Gov. Jerry Browns administration dropped the plan Thursday while promising to work on the issue again later this year. Browns advisors told the Assembly Budget Committee that this could include some changes in state law to clarify the rules surrounding whats known as the Gann limit, a cap on state spending growth imposed by voters in 1979. The cap has rarely come into play in state budgeting in recent years, as it was loosened by a subsequent ballot measure in 1990. The governors administration said it continues to worry about how the law interacts with other mandates related to school funding. School financing has changed significantly since the limit was first established in 1979, said H.D. Palmer, Browns budget spokesman. Because of that, we continue to believe we need statutory clarifications related to these school funding changes. Legislative analysts warned lawmakers in April that the governor may have been overestimating how much room for spending was left under the cap, a dispute that continued for weeks while lawmakers began drafting plans for formal budget negotiations next month. Earlier this week, state senators again raised concerns about the complex estimates used to determine how much spending the Gann law would allow in the budget year that begins July 1. And they provided an analysis by the Legislatures lawyers that suggested Browns proposal could be unconstitutional. The spending limit is enforced over two fiscal years, which means Brown and lawmakers have time to reconcile different estimates. But absent changes similar to those advocated by the governor, a portion of future tax revenues would have to be split between schools and rebates to taxpayers. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

California Senate, Assembly advance their own plans on how to spend tobacco tax revenue By Melanie Mason (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Perhaps the biggest budget skirmish that remains unsolved this year is how California should spend revenue from the tobacco tax voters approved last fall. Gov. Jerry Brown wants to put that money to expand overall spending on Medi-Cal, which provides subsidized healthcare for the poor. But the some of initiatives backers, namely doctor and dental groups, have cried foul, arguing that money is meant to go to increasing payments for providers. Now, the Senate and Assembly are weighing in. In plans approved in their respective budget committees this week, both houses stray from Browns proposal to put the money toward general Medi-Cal costs and lay out their own ideas on how to divvy up the revenue. But while both houses reject Browns approach, there are key differences between their proposals. Most significantly, the Assembly would allocate all $1.1 billion in projected tax revenue in the next budget year. The Senate, meanwhile, would spend just under $350 million next year, gradually ramping up spending to $1.1 billion by fiscal year 2020-21. Both houses also would increase provider payments, but in different ways. The Assembly would put around $857 million toward once-yearly incentive payments to physicians and dentists that would be tied to their Medi-Cal and Denti-Cal caseloads. The Senate proposed putting $150 million next year to physician rate increases that would be targeted for those working in high-need areas and specialties. That number would increase in successive years, topping out at $700 million by 2020. The Senate also would put $130 million toward higher rates for dentists. The California Medical Assn., which has been pushing for higher reimbursement rates, praised both houses for including the higher rates, but group spokeswoman Joanne Adams noted that the current Legislature cannot tie the hands of a future governor or Legislature, indicating a preference toward the Assembly approach. Each house would allocate $50 million for reimbursement rates for family planning providers, a priority of Planned Parenthood. And both houses put money toward expanding Medi-Cal to cover young adults up to age 26 who are in the country illegally. The proposal builds on Californias policy of making children without legal status younger than 19 eligible for Medi-Cal, which went into effect last year. Anthony Wright, of the advocacy group Health Access, noted that by expanding coverage for those up to age 26, it would align with Obamacares policy of letting children stay on their parents health insurance until that age. This is a concrete and tangible way to show we are actually taking steps forward in expanding coverage, Wright said. The Brown administration estimates that around 130,000 people would be eligible for Medi-Cal under such a proposal, and such an expansion would cost the state just under $230 million. The Senate proposal would put around $63 million toward that expansion in the upcoming budget year and around $85 million in subsequent years. The Assembly would put $54 million toward the plan. The Brown administration did not take a position on the Medi-Cal expansion proposal, but H.D. Palmer, spokesman for Browns Department of Finance, noted that the Senate was using higher revenue projections than Browns plan, which allows legislators to propose more funding. Palmer said the administration was sticking with its original proposal to use tobacco tax dollars for general Medi-Cal spending. The budgets proposal for Prop. 56 will provide increased funding for healthcare programs and services in a way thats consistent with the measure that voters approved last fall, Palmer said. ------------ FOR THE RECORD May 25, 2017, 4:58 p.m.: A previous version of this article reported that both houses were using higher revenue projections than Gov. Browns budget proposal. The Senate is using higher projections; the Assembly is using the same estimates as the Brown administration. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

California chief justice says she stands by her decision to speak out against Trumps immigration actions By Jazmine Ulloa California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye on Thursday said she stands by her position that courthouses should be areas where immigration arrests should not occur. Cantil-Sakauye, a former prosecutor who rose through the judicial ranks as an appointee of Republican governors, drew national attention in March after she blasted the federal governments expanded immigration actions, among which she said included stalking immigrants at courthouses. Speaking at a Sacramento Press Club luncheon on Thursday, she said the Supreme Court chambers fielded an outpouring of calls and letters after her comments. Some were profane and angry, from residents living outside the state. Others came from supporters. At Sac Press Club luncheon, Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye said she fielded lots of anger, support after courthouse enforcement remarks. pic.twitter.com/6OBrZOfI45  Jazmine Ulloa (@jazmineulloa) May 25, 2017 Many said that as a judge, she should not wade into politics. U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly admonished her in a letter, spurring California state leaders to respond in defense of state policies. On Thursday, Cantil-Sakauye stood by her decision to denounce the actions, saying, If I couldnt speak out as chief justice, I dont know who could. Courthouses in California have numerous programs to encourage people to come forward and ask questions, seek services and mediate issues, Cantil-Sakauye said. If we have a segment [of the population] that is afraid to come, then we are looking at no access to justice, [and] potentially public safety issues, which is antithetical to what the justice system exists for, she said. To me, it is a safe zone, and I ask that courthouses be placed on par with school districts and hospitals and churches. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Rep. Darrell Issa says the federal employee insurance program should be expanded to all Americans By Sarah D. Wire Though it wasnt included in the House Republicans healthcare bill, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) still believes Americans should have access to the same insurance plans federal employees pick from, and hes hoping the Senate will embrace the idea. In a letter Thursday, Issa asked the Senate Health Care Working Group to consider opening the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program to more, or all, Americans. Its a national insurance idea thats persisted since the program began in 1960, and a proposal Issa has pitched before. The program allows more than 8 million current and retired federal employees across the country to shop among hundreds of health insurance plans and then apply their employer contribution to whatever plan they choose. Private insurance companies have pulled out of several state insurance marketplaces, where people whose employers dont offer insurance can purchase insurance using a federal subsidy. That leaves people with fewer health insurance choices, a common complaint cited by Republicans as a reason to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Its choice. If the government can maximize choice to you and then subsidize where appropriate based on need, then weve met the two bases for government involvement, Issa said. Issa voted for the American Health Care Act, the GOP bill to roll back much of Obamacare that passed May 4 without Democratic support, but he stresses that he did so just to keep momentum. One of the reasons I voted for this in the House was to keep the process alive so we could do reform, Issa said. Leveraging business models that work is the goal that somebody like me wants to do. Find out what works and invest in it, find out what doesnt work and fix it or abandon it. On Thursday, the Congressional Budget Office said the bill as passed by the House would cause 23 million fewer people to have health insurance by 2026. The budget office, which Congress relies on to analyze the complex legislation, projected that many additional consumers would see skimpier health coverage and higher deductibles. The Senate has essentially said it will write its own version of the bill. Issas letter to his Senate colleagues also urges members to protect people with preexisting conditions, safeguard coverage for people with mental illnesses and protect people near retirement age from a spike in their premiums. Theres still more to be done. This bill is going to be about compromise, and a down payment on change, Issa said. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Senate President Kevin de Leon is busy raising campaign funds  but for what office? By Phil Willon Senate President pro Tem Kevin de Leon. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) stirred up speculation about a possible run for governor or U.S. Senate when he released a slickly produced video just before the California Democratic Partys convention last weekend, but he has remained coy about his future political plans. That doesnt mean he isnt padding his campaign war chest, though. De Leon has two fundraisers lined up in Los Angeles in June, presumably for his 2018 campaign for California lieutenant governor. The question is whether De Leon actually will run for lieutenant governor. In the past, he has said he hasnt made a decision. He has also given his supporters the go-ahead to endorse state Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-Azusa), a longtime political ally, in the race. De Leons campaign account for lieutenant governor had $1.7 million in the bank at the end of last year. He raised close to a half-million this year, according to state political financial disclosure reports. The first fundraiser in June is being hosted by veteran Hollywood executive Peter Guber and his wife, Tara, in Bel Air on June 8, with suggested contributions ranging from $500 to $2,500. The second is in late June at the Palm in Los Angeles. The fundraiser is hosted by Craig Darian, CEO of the Occidental Entertainment Group, and his wife, Kimberly, as well as Albert Sweet, the founder of the company. The suggested donations are the same as for the earlier fundraiser. De Leon made history in 2014 when he was selected by his colleagues as the first Latino to lead the California Senate. The tenure has been marked by significant action on climate change, immigration and gun control. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Volkswagens clean car plan falls short in low-income neighborhoods, California regulators say By Chris Megerian (Markus Schreiber / Associated Press) State regulators have asked Volkswagen to revise its plan to invest in zero emission technology in California, a victory for critics who said the automaker wasnt doing enough in disadvantaged communities. The investment plan, which will total $800 million over 10 years, is part of Volkswagens obligation under a multi-billion settlement for evading pollution rules. California, which is struggling to get enough zero emission vehicles on the road to meet its goals, is eager to move forward, wrote Air Resources Board Executive Officer Richard Corey in a Wednesday letter to Electrify America, a Volkswagen subsidiary. However, Corey wrote, we need more information on how the company will meet its target of spending 35% of its investment in disadvantaged communities, a target set by state regulators in hopes of broadening the adoption of electric vehicles. Corey also asked Electrify America to consider supporting hydrogen fueling stations, rather than just electric chargers. Once the company submits an updated version of its plan, state regulators will consider whether to approve it. Electrify America said it is reviewing the letter. Dean Florez, a member of the Air Resources Board, said the original investment plan had significant holes and included no real investment in disadvantaged communities. He praised the decision to request revisions and said the board should hold VWs feet to the fire. This story has been updated with additional comments. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Lawmakers scrap effort to make it easier to pass local transportation taxes By John Myers An effort to boost the chances of local ballot measures raising taxes for transportation needs was quietly killed Thursday in the state Capitol. The proposal, which would have ultimately required changing the California Constitution through a statewide vote, was in response to the high hurdle set decades ago for local taxes earmarked for specific projects. Those kinds of taxes in cities and counties require two-thirds of the vote. The constitutional amendment by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) would have lowered the vote threshold to 55% of ballots cast for any transportation proposal. Wiener argued the long list of local transportation projects lacking funds wont completely be erased by the $52-billion transportation plan signed into law last month. And he pointed specifically to examples like a transportation tax plan in the Bay Area last year that garnered 62% of the vote  still slightly shy of the two-thirds mandate. While the effort can be brought back before lawmakers adjourn the current session in the summer of 2018, Thursdays action represented a major setback for transportation groups and labor unions that supported it. The measure was opposed by business and anti-tax advocates. Wiener said he intends to re-introduce the measure in the coming weeks. We must improve and expand transportation throughout our state, which has suffered from decades of underfunding, he said in a written statement. Update 1:29 p.m. This story was modified with additional information regarding constitutional amendments and the legislative process. Update 4:10 p.m. This story was updated with comment from Sen. Wiener. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Sex offenders will not be banned without exception from school grounds after state bill is shelved By Jazmine Ulloa State Sen. Connie M. Leyva, right. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) The state Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday shelved a bill that would have banned all registered sex offenders from school campuses without exception. Senate Bill 26 by Sen. Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino) would have made it a misdemeanor for a registered sex offender to enter any school building or grounds without lawful business. State laws keep registered sex offenders from living near schools. But those who have not been convicted of having sex with a minor under age 16 can visit or volunteer with groups or organizations that work with children if they give proper notice, and are granted permission. They cannot work directly with children. The committee advanced another bill by Leyva that would extend benefits under the Safe at Home initiative to former victims of forced prostitution or labor. Senate Bill 597, introduced with Secretary of State Alex Padilla, passed with a unanimous 7-0 vote. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Measure to help California students refinance private loans is shelved By Melanie Mason State Treasurer John Chiang, a candidate for governor, is behind a new effort to help people with student debt refinance their loans. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) A measure to help Californians saddled with student debt refinance their student loans was shelved in a key fiscal committee on Thursday. The measure by state Sen. Benjamin Allen (D-Santa Monica) was touted as a way for the state to coax private lenders to offer more favorable interest. The proposal would have carried a $25-million price tag. We will continue to push for sensible solutions to the student loan crisis that provide real relief to the millions of Californians saddled with too much debt, Allen said in a statement. State Treasurer John Chiang, a 2018 gubernatorial candidate, had championed the bill, SB 674, as a way to try to get [Californians] out of debt as quickly as possible. College graduation is supposed to be synonymous with opportunity and prosperity and not a detour into a modern-day debtors prison, Chiang said in a statement. Although I am disappointed SB 674 will not be moving forward, I will continue to use my position as the states banker to invest in Californias young people and its future with innovative solutions that will make it more financially feasible to obtain a higher education, he added. 3:58 p.m.: This article was updated to add comments from Sen. Benjamin Allen and Treasurer John Chiang. This article was originally published at 11:17 a.m. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Where bills go to die: Lawmakers begin clearing the suspense file with hundreds of measures in limbo By John Myers (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) From a sales tax exemption on tampons to healthcare rules and marijuana regulation, a massive stack of proposed laws faces a major deadline Friday morning at the state Capitol. To survive, they must clear whats known as the suspense file -- the place where bills that would cost taxpayers money are held in legislative limbo. By law, bills with a fiscal impact must be sent to the floor of the Assembly and Senate by the close of business on Friday. That means its decision time for more than 800 pieces of legislation. The Senates fiscal committee will decide the fate of bills on Thursday; the Assembly will do so on Friday. Bills are generally sent to the suspense file if their projected cost to the state is $150,000 or more. The procedural move was widely used during Californias deficit years as a way for lawmakers to weigh the pros and cons of proposals in light of limited resources. But government watchdog groups have long pointed out that the clearing of the suspense file ends up hiding some of the legislative sausage-making from public view. Thats because bills that dont clear Fridays hurdle are essentially killed without a recorded vote. And neither chamber offers any explanation for why those bills were killed. Decisions on the fate of the suspense file are made in private, hours or days before the public hearing. In the Assembly, the appropriations committee chairperson will simply tell the public that a decision has been made to hold the bill. In the Senate committee, killed legislation wont even be mentioned during Thursdays hearing. That means that no one will know for sure whether a bill is really killed because of its price tag or its politics. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Formal apology sought after U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters was cut off during state convention speech By Jazmine Ulloa (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) In my 20 years as a Democratic Party leader, I have never experienced such the type of behavior as I did at the Sacramento Convention hall on Saturday evening.  Darren Parker, longtime chairman of the African American Caucus The California Democratic Party African American Caucus is asking the state party for a formal apology to U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters and its members for what it called disrespect by a private subcontractor at its weekend state convention. Waters, a Los Angeles Democrat known for her comments on President Trump, had been speaking at a caucus meeting during the event Saturday night when the sound to her microphone was cut off. SEE THE VIDEO OF WATERS SPEECH> Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

California sees a rebound in cap-and-trade auction, bolstering key climate change program By Chris Megerian (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) State regulators announced strong results from Californias cap-and-trade program on Wednesday, spurring analysts and supporters to say the system remains solid despite questions about its political future. The program requires oil refineries, food processors, power plants and other facilities to buy permits to release greenhouse gas emissions. Nearly all of the permits offered by the state in its latest auction were purchased, generating an estimated $500 million in revenue. Thats a shift from other recent auctions, where most of the permits went unsold, reducing revenue that state leaders have counted on for 
President Trump was greeted with elaborate pomp in Saudi Arabias capital Saturday, his first day of a five-country tour that will test his capacity to manage complex international diplomacy while the White House faces a growing political crisis at home.

In choosing the oil-rich kingdom as his first foreign stop since taking office, Trump found a host eager to use all the opulent symbols of state to seek a reboot in relations after the strains of the Obama era.

In a ceremony at the lavish Royal Court, King Salman presented Trump with the nations highest honor, the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud, for his quest to enhance security and peace in the region and the world.

Advertisement

Hours earlier, Salman personally greeted Trump on a red carpet at the foot of Air Force One before a dramatic flyover of military aircraft honored the visiting president.

When Obama last visited, in April 2016, the king famously snubbed him, sending the governor of Riyadh to welcome him on the runway while the king greeted other visitors at the airport.

If the Saudis worried about Trumps harsh language during the campaign  when he called for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States  they clearly had forgiven him.

By days end, Trump and members of his Cabinet were swaying to the music and chanting of a traditional sword dance as part of an extravagant dinner in his honor at a second royal palace.

The Saudis had objected to Obama almost from the start. They didnt approve of his abandoning Egypts leader during the so-called Arab Spring uprisings in 2011, for failing to hold his red line against Syrian President Bashar Assad in 2012, for easing sanctions on Iran as part of the nuclear deal in 2015 and for promoting liberties that many Saudis dont enjoy.

Trump was accompanied by his daughter Ivanka and First Lady Melania Trump. Like many foreign women, neither wore the head scarf that women in Saudi Arabia are legally required to wear in public.

Their failure to do so was notable only because in January 2015, Trump complained on Twitter that Saudis were insulted that Michelle Obama appeared here without a head scarf.

First Lady Melania Trump talks with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef at the Royal Court Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 20, 2017. (Evan Vucci / AP)

Beyond the ceremonies, Trump and the king signed agreements locking in a $110-billion package of arms sales to Saudi Arabia and investments in the U.S. economy.

Parts of the arms-sale agreement were set into motion under the Obama administration, but Trump took credit for the final product.

That was a tremendous day. Tremendous investments in the United States. Hundreds of billions of dollars of investments into the United States and jobs, jobs, jobs, he told reporters later.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the arms deal lowers the demands on our own military, but it also lowers the cost to the American people of providing security in this region.

The two leaders also issued what they called a Joint Strategic Vision Declaration that each side cast as a major step forward in the seven decades of bilateral relations.

Although the White House has struggled at home, Trumps team has been invested in making his first foreign trip a success since the earliest days of the administration.

Recognizing their inexperience in running a major foreign trip, the White House enlisted several veterans of President George W. Bushs advance teams, overseen by Trumps deputy chief of staff, Joe Hagin, also a former Bush official.

Before landing in Riyadh, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus told reporters on Air Force One that the president spent the flight meeting with staff, reading newspapers and working on a major speech on Islam he is scheduled to deliver Sunday to the Arab Islamic Summit.

The rest of the flight was spent getting very little sleep, Priebus said.

White House officials have alternately been eagerly awaiting the trip and gritting their teeth over its potential pitfalls.

No modern president has attempted such an ambitious debut on the world stage, and Trumps itinerary  which also includes a two-day visit to Israel, an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican and participation in NATO and G7 summits in Brussels and Sicily  is being carefully choreographed to present Trump as a confident commander in chief.

But Trumps May 9 firing of FBI Director James B. Comey set off fast-moving developments that turned questions over Russian meddling in the 2016 election and Moscows potential influence with key Trump aides into a full-blown crisis.

It was from aboard Air Force One that White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer responded to a report in the New York Times that Trump told Russian officials in the Oval Office that his decision to fire Comey  whom he described as crazy, a real nut job  had relieved great pressure on him over the Russia investigation.

White House officials did not dispute the story, nor a separate Washington Post report that an unnamed senior Trump aide is under federal scrutiny as a person of significant interest to the investigation.

The Comey drama has distracted both the president and some of his top aides as they were meant to be ramping up preparation for the trip.

As anyone whos been involved with any of these trips knows, its all hands on deck  especially if you have multiple different stops where multiple different agenda topics need to come up, said Richard Nephew, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who worked in the State Department under the Bush and Obama administrations and on Obamas National Security Council.

There are lots of pitfalls here, starting with the fact that this administration has been, for obvious reasons, pretty distracted.

But James Carafano, a foreign policy and national security analyst for the conservative Heritage Foundation who advised the president during the campaign and his transition, said a successful trip could be just what the administration needs.

The great thing about a foreign trip is, to a great extent, you can stage manage it a lot more, he said. It does allow the president to detach a little bit from the heated political debate here in the United States and help him lay out how hes going to engage in two very critical regions in the world.

The Saudis hospitality spoke to their eagerness to repair relations with Washington. On Sunday, they will host a pair of related summits focused on combating terrorism and preventing radicalization, as well as other perceived threats.

I think theres an enormous opportunity in Saudi Arabia to bring the whole Arab world together, said U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) , chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who met last week with other senior members of the committee and national security advisor H.R. McMaster, deputy national security advisor Dina Powell and senior advisor Jared Kushner to discuss the visit.

They felt very neglected. The Iran agreement in particular was one that really caused them to feel like Americas priorities were not with them, Corker said in an interview. And then you look at the fact that their relationship with Israel has never been better, it is a tremendous opportunity.

Despite Saudi unease with the Obama administrations diplomatic efforts with Iran and Trumps clear pledge to revisit the deal, Corker said he did not expect the agreement to be a major part of talks.

Adel Jubeir, the Saudi foreign minister, told reporters that Trump and Salman discussed how critical it was that Iran adhere to the letter of the agreement.

We welcome an Iran that is open to the world, the Saudi diplomat said a day after Iranian voters reelected President Hassan Rouhani, who helped negotiate the Iran nuclear deal. We welcome an Iran that lives at peace with its neighbor. We welcome an Iran that doesnt interfere in the affairs of other countries. But this is not the Iran we see.

michael.memoli@latimes.com

For more White House coverage, follow @mikememoli on Twitter.

ALSO

Some Saudis see Trumps visit as the chance for a crucial turning point in its relationship with the U.S.

Why Gulf Arab leaders are welcoming Trumps transactional foreign policy

Trumps trip is expected to shine a spotlight on the United States relationship with Saudi Arabia

Get live updates on our Essential Washington news feed

UPDATES:

2:55 p.m: This article was updated with additional details.

8:40 a.m.: This article was updated with a comment by Trump.

7 a.m.: This article was updated with the signing of an arms-sale agreement and additional details of the day.

12:35 a.m.: This article story was updated with additional details of the arrival formalities.

12:01 a.m.: This article was updated with information about Trumps flight aboard Air Force One.

This article was originally published at 11:55 p.m.
Boy Scouts: Top leaders didnt call Trump to praise speech as the president said By Associated Press The Boy Scouts denied Wednesday that the head of the youth organization called President Donald Trump to praise his recent politically aggressive speech to its national jamboree. Trump told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published Wednesday, I got a call from the head of the Boy Scouts saying it was the greatest speech that was ever made to them, and they were very thankful. Politico published the transcript of the interview. We are unaware of any such call, the Boy Scouts responded in a statement. It specified that neither of the organizations two top leaders  President Randall Stephenson and Chief Scout Executive Mike Surbaugh  had placed such a call. The White House had no immediate response to the Boy Scouts denial. Surbaugh apologized last week to members of the scouting community who were offended by the political rhetoric in Trumps July 24 speech in West Virginia. Other U.S. presidents have delivered nonpolitical speeches at past jamborees. To the dismay of many parents and former scouts, Trump promoted his political agenda and derided his rivals, inducing some of the scouts in attendance to boo at the mention of former President Obama. I want to extend my sincere apologies to those in our Scouting family who were offended by the political rhetoric that was inserted into the jamboree, Surbaugh said. That was never our intent. Surbaugh noted that every sitting president since 1937 has been invited to visit the jamboree. Stephenson told the Associated Press two days after the speech that Boy Scout leaders anticipated Trump would spark controversy with politically tinged remarks, yet felt obliged to invite him out of respect for his office. Hoping to minimize friction, the Boy Scouts issued guidelines to adult staff members for how the audience should react to the speech. Any type of political chanting was specifically discouraged. Stephenson, who did not attend Trumps speech, said the guidance wasnt followed impeccably. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Mayor of London again calls on Trump to cancel state visit By Christina Boyle (AFP/Getty Images) The mayor of London has reiterated his calls for President Trumps state visit to Britain to be canceled in the wake of the citys terrorist incident, saying his policies go against everything we stand for. The war of words between the two leaders intensified further Monday evening after Trump criticized Mayor Sadiq Khans response to the London Bridge terrorist attack in two tweets, and the mayor said Trump should not be welcomed in the capital. Since Saturday Ive been working with the police, with the emergency services, with the government and others to deal with the horrific attack on Saturday, Khan said Monday evening. I just havent got the time to deal with tweets from Donald Trump. But when pressed on whether he thinks a state visit for later this year should go ahead as planned, Khan was unequivocal. My position remains the same. I dont think we should be rolling out the carpet to the president of the United States in the circumstances where his policies go against everything we stand for, Khan told Channel 4 news. When you have a special relationship, it is no different to when you have a close mate: You stand with them in times of adversity, but you call them out when theyre wrong. And there are many things about which Donald Trump is wrong. Trump initially criticized Khan hours after the London attack posting on Twitter: At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is no reason to be alarmed! Khans office soon pointed out that the president had, in fact, misquoted Khan, who actually said that Londoners should not be alarmed by the increased armed police presence on the streets. Trump took to Twitter again on Monday to slam the London mayor once more. Pathetic excuse by London mayor Sadiq Khan, who had to think fast on his no reason to be alarmed statement. MSM [Mainstream media] is working hard to sell it! the president wrote. This is not the first time Khan, the first Muslim mayor of a major Western capital city, has called for Trumps state visit to be banned. He previously branded Trumps policies on immigration and proposed travel ban on people entering the U.S. from predominantly Muslim countries cruel. An online government petition calling for the invitation to be withdrawn also gathered more than 1.8 million votes. The visit was first announced during Prime Minister Theresa Mays trip to Washington, where she became the first foreign leader to meet the newly-inaugurated president. State visits are personal invites from the British monarch and involve a significant amount of pomp and ceremony, and usually a state banquet. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

He helped bring down President Nixon. He thinks President Trump is even worse. By Mark Z. Barabak (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) John Dean is a connoisseur of coverups, a savant of scandal, so he can more than imagine what its like inside the Trump White House right now. Its a nightmare, he said, presiding in a high-backed leather wing chair off the lobby of the Beverly Hills Hotel. Not just for those in the headlines  political strategist Steve Bannon, jack-of-many-duties Jared Kushner  but for their unsung assistants and secretaries as well. They dont know what their jeopardy is. They dont know what theyre looking at. They dont know if theyre a part of a conspiracy that might unfold. They dont know whether to hire lawyers or not, how theyre going to pay for them if they do, Dean said in a crisp law-counsel cadence. Its an unpleasant place. Dean was a central figure in Watergate, the 1970s political scandal against which all others are measured, serving at the tender age of 32 as President Nixons White House attorney. In that capacity Dean worked to thwart investigators after the clumsy break-in at Democratic Party headquarters, then flipped and helped sink Nixon by revealing the presidents involvement in the coverup. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Two decades ago, Washington state Republicans repealed and replaced a healthcare overhaul there. It didnt end well By Noam N. Levey Republicans in the state of Washington didnt wait long in the spring of 1995 to fulfill their pledge to roll back a sweeping law expanding health coverage in the state. Coming off historic electoral gains, the GOP legislators scrapped much of the law while pledging to make health insurance affordable and to free state residents from onerous government mandates. It didnt work out that way: The repeal left the states insurance market in shambles, sent premiums skyrocketing and drove health insurers from the state. It took nearly five years to repair the damage. Two decades later, the ill-fated experiment, largely relegated to academic journals, offers a caution to lawmakers at the national level as Republicans in the U.S. Senate race to write a bill to repeal and replace the federal Affordable Care Act. Its much easier to break something, said Pam MacEwan, who led a Washington state commission charged with implementing the law in the mid-1990s and now oversees the state insurance market there. Its more difficult to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.  And thats when people get hurt. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office echoed that warning last week, when it concluded that the healthcare bill passed by the House last month would destabilize insurance markets in a sixth of the country and nearly double the number of people without health insurance over the next decade. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Companies accelerate hiring, adding a robust 253,000 net new jobs, ADP says By Jim Puzzanghera A now hiring sign is seen in Baton Rouge, La., on May 5. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) Companies accelerated their hiring last month, adding a robust 253,000 net new jobs in a sign the labor market remains healthy and the economy is strengthening after a weak winter. The private-sector job creation figures reported Thursday by payroll firm Automatic Data Processing far exceeded analyst expectations and was well above the downwardly revised 174,000 net new positions added in April. Job growth is rip-roaring, declared Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moodys Analytics, which assists ADP in preparing its report. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

All jokes aside, Trumps covfefe tweet sparks questions too By Brian Bennett President Trump sparked a global kerfuffle over covfefe with his bizarrely truncated tweet just minutes into Wednesday, spawning countless jokes across Twitter but also more serious questions for which the White House gave no answers. Press Secretary Sean Spicer, during an unusually short 11-minute briefing in which he insisted he not be on camera, declined to give any explanation for Trumps tweet posted just after midnight. Nor would he translate what the president was trying to say in the garbled message that broke off midsentence. But Spicer told reporters that the public should not be concerned that the president sent what the questioner called somewhat of an incoherent tweet. The president and a small group of people know exactly what he meant, Spicer said. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Biden launches new PAC, keeping the 2020 door open By David Lauter (Steven Senne / Associated Press) Former Vice President Joe Biden is launching a new political action committee, a platform that will allow him to provide help to favored candidates and, inevitably, boost speculation about a possible run for the Democratic nomination in 2020. The organization, which Biden is calling American Possibilities, will be staffed by a former top political aide to the vice president, Greg Schultz, who is also a veteran of President Obamas reelection campaign. The PAC will allow Biden to raise money that he can use to travel the country, contribute to candidates in governors races this year and congressional and state races in 2018 and generally do the sorts of things that aspiring politicians do to keep their names in the headlines. All that cant help but nurture questions about whether Biden, 74, will try yet again to attain the office he first started running for in 1987. In public appearances, which have taken him to electorally important states, and interviews since the 2016 election, Biden has been sharply critical of the Trump administration, but has also pointed to flaws in his own party. In one interview, he pointed to a bit of elitism thats crept in to the partys approach to working-class voters. At the same time, he has given carefully ambiguous answers when asked about his plans. At a conference in Las Vegas earlier this month, he responded to the question about a presidential run by saying: Could I? Yes. Would I? Probably not. In the announcement for the new group, Biden said that the negativity, the pettiness, the small-mindedness of our politics drives me crazy. Its not who we are. Its time for big dreams and American possibilities, he said. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

U.S., regions foreign ministers debate Venezuela By Tracy Wilkinson (AFP / Getty Images) The United States and foreign ministers from across the hemisphere met in Washington on Wednesday to attempt to force Venezuelas leftist government and its angry opposition into talks. Hunger and violence have pushed Venezuela to the brink of humanitarian disaster, diplomats say. But Wednesdays meeting of the Organization of American States faced unlikely prospects for success: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro does not trust the organization and has said his nation will withdraw its membership. Some OAS nations, including several U.S. allies in the Caribbean, have criticized the regional bodys efforts as intervention promoted by Washington. But U.S. officials are hoping the sheer weight of the crisis will unite the region to put pressure on Venezuela. Theres more and more concern about what were seeing, and so more and more countries have gotten over their reluctance to question or go against the wishes of the Venezuelan government, a senior State Department official said in a briefing for reporters. Its really hard to stand by and do nothing in the face of the kinds of institutional steps weve seen in Venezuela, and the increasing humanitarian suffering, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, in keeping with frequent administration practice. Although the OAS periodically brings its members foreign ministers together, this is the first time a meeting has been convened to deal with a single topic, U.S. officials said. At the conclusion of Wednesdays session, diplomats said they had discussed two resolutions. One, promoted by Caribbean nations, called on Venezuela to reconsider withdrawing from the OAS. A second more pointed resolution authored by the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Panama and Peru urged the Maduro administration not to go ahead with a constituent assembly that would rewrite the Venezuelan constitution. Many fear it would dissolve the few democratic institutions that remain and favor the ruling Socialist Party. Separately, the Venezuela opposition, emboldened by a string of increasingly massive street demonstrations, sharply criticized Wall Street for extending what it called a lifeline to the Maduro government. At issue is the purchase by Goldman Sachs of Venezuelan government bonds for a reported $865 million, a major discount for paper originally worth $2.8 billion. Goldman Sachs confirmed the purchase of the bonds, issued in 2014 by the state oil company PDVSA, after it was reported in the Wall Street Journal. We are invested in PDVSA bonds because, like many in the asset management industry, we believe the situation in the country must improve over time, Goldman said in a statement. The firm added that it made the purchase through a secondary dealer to avoid direct interaction with the Venezuelan government. That distinction meant nothing to the Venezuelan opposition, which accused Goldman of making a buck off the suffering of the Venezuelan people. The Trump administration previously has targeted the Maduro government, slapping economic sanctions on its vice president and pro-Maduro Supreme Court justices. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Former FBI director spoke with new special counsel and is cleared to testify before Senate panel By Joseph Tanfani The special counsel investigating possible links between Russia and the Trump presidential campaign has cleared former FBI Director James Comey to testify before a congressional committee about his contacts with President Trump, according to an associate close to Comey. Comey met with Robert S. Mueller III, whom the Justice Department appointed on May 17 to investigate any Russian ties to the Trump campaign, and Mueller said he had no problems with Comeys testifying, the associate said. Trump abruptly fired Comey as head of the FBI on May 9. The president later said in an interview on NBC News that he was concerned about the FBI investigation into what he called the Russia thing. Comey reportedly wrote internal memos after his meetings with Trump. In one, he wrote that the president had requested he ease up on the FBI probe of Michael Flynn, who served as Trumps national security advisor until he was ousted in February for lying about his contacts with Russian officials. The Senate Intelligence Committee announced on May 19 that Comey had agreed to testify after the Memorial Day holiday. The hearing has not been scheduled. The FBI separately declined a request from the House Oversight Committee to turn over Comeys memos. The bureau said it would need to consult with Mueller before making any decisions. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), the committee chairman, said in response that he would not push the matter. The focus of the committees investigation is the independence of the FBI and the events leading to Comeys firing, he wrote. In a separate development, a senior Justice Department lawyer with experience in complex financial fraud investigations has agreed to join Muellers investigation. Andrew Weissman has led the fraud section at Justice, where he oversaw probes into corporate wrongdoing at Volkswagen and Takata. Weissman also is a veteran of the FBI. Weissman is the highest-ranking Justice Department official to join the special counsel office being set up a few blocks from the main Justice building in downtown Washington. Mueller also hired two colleagues from the WilmerHale law firm, where he worked, and brought on a former Justice Department spokesman, Peter Carr, to handle media inquiries. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Analysis: In President Trumps wake, divisions mark both Democratic and Republican parties By Cathleen Decker Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez address a crowd at the California party convention in May. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Six months after President Trump breached long-standing political boundaries to win the White House, the nations major political parties still muddle in his wake. On the sun-swept lawn of the Hotel del Coronado two weeks ago, national Republican leaders sipped cocktails and listened to San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, one of the partys brightest lights in the most populous state, praise a brand of moderate Republicanism that looks nothing like the versions coming out of Washington  either the populism of the president or the more orthodox conservatism of congressional leaders. A week later, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez talked in a Sacramento interview of the remarkably constructive debate underway in his party, characterizing its divisions as largely in the past. Within hours, he and other party leaders were booed as they welcomed delegates to a state convention that would be filled with persistent internal warfare on healthcare and other issues. No political party is immune to disagreement; indeed the path to power often relies on combustible ideological diversity. But Democrats and Republicans alike seem particularly adrift and quarrelsome these days. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump preparing to pull U.S. from Paris climate accord, amid last-minute lobbying By Evan Halper President Trump hasnt made a final decision on whether the U.S. will quit the Paris Accord on climate change, but White House officials indicated Wednesday that he was headed in that direction, setting off a worldwide reaction. A flurry of leaks, counter-leaks and public statements thrust back into the spotlight a decision that has been agonized and untidy even by the standards of a White House known for internal drama. Wednesday morning, when officials told some news organizations that Trump had settled on pulling out of the climate agreement, seemingly everyone in the world jumped in to try to influence or spin his decision, from the Chinese government to the coal industry to the state of California. That offered a foretaste of the reaction Trump likely will receive if he does follow through on his vow to pull the United States out of the 195-nation pact, which President Obama hailed in 2015 as one of his major achievements. Other nations have swiftly moved to take over the leadership role on climate that the United States would be abandoning. Some states have followed suit, promising they would break with Washington to work with other countries in their efforts to contain global warming. During Trumps recent overseas trip, U.S. allies warned him that Americas broader diplomatic influence would be undercut if the administration gave up its seat at the climate negotiating table. All the public lobbying on Wednesday moved Trump to weigh in himself. He knocked down reports that he had decided to withdraw with a tweet announcing that he was still making up his mind. The mixed messages coming out of the White House left open the possibility that the original news reports reflected the views of officials who were aiming to steer the final outcome by presenting withdrawal as a done deal. Trumps schedule for the day includes meetings with advisors hoping to talk him into staying in the agreement, at least to some extent. If Trump does withdraw the U.S. fully from the Paris pact, scientists warn it will be a tremendous setback to the worldwide effort to contain temperatures from rising an average of 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The consequences for the United States would extend beyond global warming. It will be a very big deal all over the world, said Todd Stern, the lead U.S. climate negotiator during the Obama administration. There will be consequential blowback with respect to our diplomatic position across the board. UPDATES 9:27 a.m.: This post was updated throughout with staff reporting and additional details. 6:23 a.m.: This post was updated with Trumps tweet. 6:04 a.m.: This post was updated throughout with additional details. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

U.S. Supreme Court makes it harder to sue police for barging into homes By David Savage The U.S. Supreme Court made it harder to sue police for barging into a home and provoking a shooting, setting aside a $4-million verdict against two Los Angeles County deputies on Tuesday. The money was awarded to a homeless couple who were startled and then shot when the two sheriffs deputies entered the shack where they were sleeping. The unanimous ruling rejected the so-called provocation rule that some lower courts have used. Under that rule, police can be sued for violating a victims constitutional rights against unreasonable searches if they provoked a confrontation that resulted in violence. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump lashes out at Germany over NATO spending and trade after Merkel questions the U.S. commitment to its allies By Brian Bennett (Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images) President Trump took aim at German trade practices and defense spending Tuesday following pointed criticism from Chancellor Angela Merkel that Germany may not be able to rely on its allies. We have a MASSIVE trade deficit with Germany, plus they pay FAR LESS than they should on NATO & military. Very bad for U.S. This will change, Trump wrote in a tweet. Last week, White House spokespeople had denied that Trump criticized German trade practices after the German newspaper Der Spiegel quoted him as having done so. Trump unsettled Merkel and other allies during the recent NATO summit when, during his remarks, he did not mention the central commitment members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization make to defend each other. We have a MASSIVE trade deficit with Germany, plus they pay FAR LESS than they should on NATO & military. Very bad for U.S. This will change  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2017 Trumps policy toward climate change is another point of contention with many European countries. Trump promised during the election to tear up the landmark Paris climate accord. Merkel said the conversation with the U.S. on climate change last week during the G-7 meetings in Sicily, which followed the NATO summit, was extremely difficult. During a campaign speech in Munich on Sunday, Merkel said Germany must rethink how much it can rely on its allies. The era in which we could rely completely on others is gone, at least partially, Merkel said. I have experienced that over the last several days. In a 2014 meeting, NATO defense ministers agreed that each state would move toward a goal of raising military spending to 2% of its annual economic output by the year 2024. German defense spending is below that goal. The U.S. trade deficit with Germany shrank to $65 billion in 2016 from $75 billion the year before. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Consumers spend at fastest pace in four months in a sign of spring economic rebound By Jim Puzzanghera (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Americans ratcheted up their spending in April at the fastest pace in four months, in a sign the economy has rebounded this spring after a lackluster winter. The new data also could help push Federal Reserve officials to hike a key interest rate again when they meet in two weeks. Personal consumption expenditures increased 0.4% in April, up from 0.3% the previous month, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. Americans had more money to spend, with personal incomes also rising 0.4%  twice the pace of growth in March. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

White House communications director Michael Dubke resigns By Associated Press White House Communications Director Mike Dubke listens as a reporter asks a question during a press conference in the East Room of the White House on April 20. (Shawn Thew / EPA) White House communications director Michael Dubke has resigned. Kellyanne Conway, White House counselor, told The Associated Press that Dubke handed in his resignation before President Donald Trump left for his international trip earlier this month. In an interview on Fox News on Tuesday, Conway said Dubke made very clear that he would see through the presidents international trip, and come to work every day and work hard even through that trip because there was much to do here back at the White House. Dubke issued a statement Tuesday morning: It has been my great honor to serve President Trump and this administration. It has also been my distinct pleasure to work side-by-side, day-by-day with the staff of the communications and press departments. A Republican consultant, Dubke joined the White House team in February after campaign aide Jason Miller  Trumps original choice for communications director  withdrew from consideration. Dubke founded Crossroads Media, a GOP firm that specializes in political advertising. -- 6:03 a.m.: Updated with Dubkes statement Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Should Jared Kushner keep his security clearance? Adam Schiff isnt sure By Laura King The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank), says hes not sure that President Trumps son-in-law and advisor, Jared Kushner, should retain his security clearance. The California Democrat, who has been a sharp critic of Trump, also said in an interview aired Sunday that national security advisor H.R. McMaster, a highly respected military officer, had been tarnished by his association with the White House. Schiffs comments, on ABCs This Week, came amid growing questions about Kushners contacts with Russian officials before Trump took office. Trump has denounced the latest round of news reports, saying that some of them could be based on fabricated sources. Top Trump aides, including John F. Kelly, the secretary of Homeland Security, pushed back Sunday against the suggestion that there was anything untoward about establishing back channel communications with the Russians during the presidential transition. Schiff said he regretted that McMaster had done so as well, saying he believed the White House used the solid reputations of people like him to back up dubious actions. Sadly, I think this is an administration that takes in people with good credibility and chews them out and spits out their credibility at the same time, said Schiff, who acknowledged that what McMaster said about back channel communications was true in the abstract. I think anyone within the Trump orbit is at risk of being used, he said. Kelly, in separate talk-show appearances on Sunday, said there was nothing untoward about an incoming administration establishing communications with a foreign power in order to lay the groundwork for better relations. Schiff declined to discuss the substance of the allegations regarding Kushners contact with Russian officials during the transition and whether Kushner had been forthcoming about them, but said enough questions had been raised that his access to top-secret intelligence should be scrutinized. I think we need to get to the bottom of these allegations, Schiff said. But I do think there ought to be a review of his security clearance to find out whether he was truthful, whether he was candid. If not, then theres no way he can maintain that kind of a clearance. Schiff was also critical of continuing involvement in aspects of the Russia probe by fellow Californian Devin Nunes (R-Tulare), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, who stepped aside from the probe earlier this year after the House Ethics Committee began investigating whether he had improperly revealed classified information. Nunes remains involved in decision-making about the issuance of subpoenas, Schiff said, adding: I dont think that he should, given that he has stepped aside or recused himself. The committee is investigating Russian entanglements by figures in Trumps circle, including fired national security advisor Michael Flynn, who has been the target of multiple subpoenas. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump still wide open on climate change, Pentagon chief says By Laura King With President Trump set to make a decision this week about whether the U.S. should remain part of the landmark Paris climate accord, Defense Secretary James Mattis said Trump remains wide open on the issue. During a visit to Europe that ended Saturday, Trump dismayed European allies by refusing to commit to remaining in the 2015 accord during talks with European Union officials in Brussels and at the Group of Seven gathering in Sicily. The president said in a tweet that he will make a decision this week. Mattis, who was present at some of the Brussels talks, said that Trump is still making up his mind, and that he has been inquisitive about other leaders opinions. The president was open  he was curious about why others were in the position they were in, his counterparts in other nations, the Defense secretary said in an interview aired Sunday on CBS Face the Nation. And Im quite certain the president is wide open on this issue as he takes in the pros and cons of that accord. During his European trip, Trump met privately at the Vatican with Pope Francis, who presented him with a copy of his papal encyclical on environment and climate change. French President Emmanuel Macron, who met with Trump in Brussels, also said he had pressed the issue with the U.S. president, though the White House did not mention that appeal in a summary of their meeting. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Homeland Security secretary defends Jared Kushner, blasts Manchester intelligence leaks By Laura King There is nothing inherently wrong with an incoming presidential administration establishing back channel communications with a foreign power such as Russia, Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly said Sunday. Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Kelly was asked about reports by the Washington Post and other outlets that President Trumps son-in-law and close advisor, Jared Kushner, sought to set up secret lines of communication with Russian officials prior to Trump being sworn in. The retired general did not confirm the reports, but said the principle of establishing secretive contacts during a presidential transition doesnt bother me and is a legitimate means of building relationships. I think that any channel of communication, back or otherwise, with a country like Russia is a good thing, he said. Kelly did not address a central element of the reports  that Kushner discussed the possibility of using Russian communications channels from a Russia diplomatic outpost to shield from U.S. intelligence surveillance whatever discussions Trump transition officials wanted to have with Moscow. The FBI, a special counsel and multiple congressional committees are probing Russian interference in the presidential campaign and whether the Trump camp colluded in it. The U.S. intelligence community says Russian cyberattacks were meant to boost Trump and harm his opponent, Hillary Clinton. In a separate interview on NBCs Meet the Press, Kelly defended the integrity of Kushner, whose involvement in communications with Russia has brought the investigation closer to Trump personally than has previous scrutiny of others in his campaign circle or the White House. Calling Kushner a great guy, a decent guy, the Homeland Security secretary said the presidents son-in-laws No. 1 interest, really, is the nation. Also in the NBC interview, Kelly excoriated intelligence leaks in the wake of last weeks deadly bombing in Manchester, England. British officials including Prime Minister Theresa May were angered by disclosures about details of the investigation, including the release of the dead attackers name and detailed photos from the bomb scene that were published by the New York Times. Several outlets cited unnamed U.S. officials as the source of the information including the bombers identity. The Times did not say how it obtained the photos. Britain routinely shares intelligence with close allies like the United States with the expectation that it will be kept confidential. Kelly said that failing to keep such secrets could seriously damage intelligence-sharing arrangements with other nations. I believe when you leak the kind of information that seems to be routinely leaked - high, high level of classification I think its darn close to treason, Kelly said. It is not clear what level of classification, if any, the information about the British investigation would have had. Trump himself, who recently caused controversy when he passed sensitive intelligence on Islamic State to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and discussed the location of U.S. nuclear submarines with the president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has denounced the Manchester leaks and vowed to track down the source or sources. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

In tweets, Trump says stories based on White House leaks are fabricated By Laura King President Trump is back  and tweeting. In a Sunday morning series of posts on Twitter, the president repeated his denunciations of the fake media, celebrated the Republican victory in a Montana special election and declared his overseas trip a success. Trump returned to the White House late Saturday after a swing through the Middle East and Europe, the first foreign trip of his presidency. During it, he tweeted only sparingly. While Trump was away, controversy continued to swirl around his White House, with media reports focusing on son-in-law Jared Kushners role in Trump campaign contacts with Russian officials. The GOP healthcare plan and Trumps budget also came under withering scrutiny during the presidents absence. In Sundays tweets, Trump said cascading leaks from within his administration were in fact fabricated lies by news organizations based on sources that did not exist. One tweet was corrected to fix the spelling of exist. It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2017 Trump also complained that the special congressional election in Montana, called to fill the seat vacated when Ryan Zinke became his Interior secretary, was such a big deal to Dems & Fake News until the Republican won. The V was poorly covered, he said, referring to the Republican victory. The victory by Republican candidate Greg Gianforte received extensive coverage. It was widely expected, given Montanas significant Republican edge, but made more suspenseful on the eve of the election when Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault for an incident in which he struck a reporter who had asked him a question. The president received mixed reviews for his inaugural overseas venture. He was praised by some for his outreach to Sunni Arab allies in the Persian Gulf, but continued his administrations practice of making no public criticism of serious human rights violations. In Europe, he rattled allies by declining to explicitly endorse the NATO alliances bedrock common defense pledge or pledge to adhere to the Paris climate accord. Whatever the commentary surrounding the trip, Trump counted it a success. Hard work but big results, he wrote. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Trumps international trip underscored what America First looks like on the world stage By Michael Memoli Donald Trump made no secret during the presidential campaign of his disdain for Americas trading partners, his skepticism of longtime alliances and his eagerness to refocus U.S. foreign policy on the single-minded pursuit of American security. That was the largely the president the world got as Trump made his way through the Middle East and Western Europe over the last nine days, Trumps first foreign trip may have produced memorable, and at time cringe-inducing, images of the new president, whether grasping a glowing orb in Saudi Arabia or shoving the prime minister of Montenegro at a NATO meeting in Brussels. But perhaps most profoundly, the trip underscored what America First, as Trump has branded his governing philosophy, looks like on the world stage. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump says hell decide on Paris climate deal next week By Associated Press Seven wealthy democracies ended their summit Saturday in Italy without unanimous agreement on climate change, as the Trump administration plans to take more time to say whether the U.S. is going to remain in the Paris accord on limiting greenhouse gas emissions. The other six nations in the Group of Seven agreed to stick with their commitment to implement the 2015 Paris deal that aims to slow down global warming. The final G-7 statement, issued after two days of talks in the seaside town of Taormina, said the U.S. is in the process of reviewing its policies on climate change and on the Paris agreement and thus is not in a position to join the consensus on these topics. Trump tweeted he would decide his stance on the Paris agreement next week. The announcement on the final day of the U.S. presidents first international trip comes after he declined to commit to staying in the sweeping climate deal, resisting intense international pressure from his peers at the summit. I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2017 Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, who chaired the meeting, said the other six wont change our position on climate change one millimeter. The U.S. hasnt decided yet. I hope they decide in the right way. Gentiloni said climate was not a minor point and that he hoped the United States would decide soon and well because the Paris accords need the contribution of the United States. French President Emmanuel Macron also chimed in on the climate issue, praising Trumps capacity to listen. Macron said he told Trump it is indispensable for the reputation of the United States and the interest of the Americans themselves that the United States remain committed to the Paris climate agreement. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was more downbeat, calling the G-7 climate talks very unsatisfactory. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Everyones a winner! Or what to take away from that special congressional race in Montana By Mark Z. Barabak Republicans were celebrating Friday, and relieved, and it was easy to see why: The party hung on to Montanas sole congressional seat even though its candidate faced a freshly lodged criminal charge for physically assaulting a reporter on election eve. Though they fell short in yet another special election  Greg Gianforte won handily, 50% to 44%  Democrats also found reason to be pleased: Their candidate, flawed as he was, continued a pattern of polling better than might be expected  over-performing, to use the political parlance, and that could hold future promise. Its possible, as elections analyst Nathan Gonzales put it, to lose and still have momentum. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

In commencement address, Hillary Clinton remembers fallout from Nixon, makes subtle jab at President Trump By Kurtis Lee Hillary Clinton delivers the commencement address at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Mass., on Friday. (Josh Reynolds / Associated Press) Hillary Clinton delivered a subtle dig at President Trump on Friday, offering some parallels between his presidency and that of former President Nixon. While delivering a commencement address at her alma mater, Wellesley College, a private womens liberal arts school in Massachusetts, Clinton, without naming Trump, recalled how many young people in the 1970s reacted to Nixons reelection and later battles with the Justice Department. We were furious about the past presidential election of a man whose presidency would eventually end in disgrace with his impeachment for obstruction of justice, she said, pausing to note she was referring to Nixon. Actually, Nixon was not impeached, though many in Congress, including members of his own party, called for it. Clinton said Nixons resignation came after he fired the person heading the investigation into him at the Department of Justice. In 1973, Nixon ordered Justice Department officials to fire a special prosecutor who was looking into taped conversations recorded in the Oval Office as part of the Watergate investigation. A year later, in August 1974, Nixon resigned. Some political observers  mostly Democrats -- have compared Trumps recent firing of FBI Director James B. Comey, who was overseeing an investigation of possible collusion between Russians and Trumps campaign, to Nixons actions. Last week, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) called for Trump to be impeached. Clinton, who has made few public appearances since Trump defeated her in last years presidential election, also assailed the Republicans new budget proposal. She called the budget, which proposes cuts to education and Medicaid, an attack of unimaginable cruelty on the most vulnerable among us  the youngest, the oldest, the poorest and hard-working people who need a little help to gain or hang on to a decent, middle-class life. In a statement, the Republican National Committee said Clinton was lashing out after her election loss. Clinton graduated from Wellesley in 1969 and last delivered a commencement address at the school in 1992. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

At G-7 Summit, a day of clarification for the White House By Michael A. Memoli (Sean Gallup / Getty Images) As President Trump met with leaders of the worlds leading economies here Friday within miles of an active volcano, the White House was working to ease a pair of diplomatic eruptions. Trump was due to meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit in this coastal Sicilian resort town, amid tensions between their countries, longtime allies, following leaks to U.S. media outlets involving Britains investigation of the Manchester terrorist bombing. Separately, a top White House adviser partially confirmed reports that Trump had said Germany is very bad during Thursdays NATO meetings in Brussels, but clarified that the president was referring only to German trade policies. Trump said, according to the German magazine Der Spiegel, See the millions of cars they are selling to the U.S.? Terrible. We will stop this. Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council, acknowledged that Trump made the remark but added that the president doesnt have a problem with Germany. He said his dad is from Germany. He said I dont have a problem with Germany, I have a problem with German trade, Cohn said. Press access to the G-7 meetings has been extremely limited, though the surrounding setting has produced abundant compelling visuals. Editorial press access extremely limited for G7 meetings. But man, pretty pictures & good times for Taormina Chamber of Commerce (via AP) pic.twitter.com/WT2EdKrwJ5  Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) May 26, 2017 Trump tweeted that he expected to spend the day focused on economic growth, terrorism and security. The summit, and Trumps eight-day inaugural foreign trip, ends Saturday. Other allies here were likely to press Trump on another issue: climate change, specifically whether Trump will carry out his campaign promise to pull the United States out of the landmark Paris climate deal. Trump was hoping to better understand the European position, Cohn said. White House officials have said the president will make a decision once he is back in the United States. He knows that in the U.S. theres very strong opinions on both sides but he also knows that Paris has important meaning to many of the European leaders. And he wants to clearly hear what the European leaders have to say, Cohn said. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

As Trump wavers over Paris climate accord, European leaders give him an earful By Evan Halper Mining operation near Grevenbroich, Germany. (Martin Meissner / Associated Press) With President Trump balking on his vow to shred the Obama-negotiated Paris agreement on climate change, the last place the pacts staunch opponents wanted to see the president is where he will be this weekend  meeting other world leaders unanimous in their warnings that withdrawal from the accord would seriously damage Americas economy and world stature. Trump has repeatedly delayed fulfilling his campaign pledge to move against the agreement. The longer the White House deliberates over Paris, the more Trump seems to be searching for a face-saving excuse to walk back his previous position. The White House indecision over the climate accord  which has the support of every nation except Syria and Nicaragua  reflects a deeply divided worldview in a Trump inner circle now packed with establishment Republicans. The issue also presents yet another policy reckoning for Trump. On the campaign trail, he vowed to strike blows against the existing world order. But on the Paris agreement, as on other matters, he is finding that political backup for such pledges can fade quickly when the moves lack robust support from major U.S. companies or majority voting blocs. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Overcoming assault charge, Republican Greg Gianforte wins Montana congressional seat By Mark Z. Barabak Republican Greg Gianforte overcame a last-minute assault charge to win Montanas special congressional election Thursday, keeping its lone House seat in GOP hands and dealing Democrats a setback in their bid to gain a red-state toehold ahead of the 2018 midterm election. Gianforte, 56, a wealthy businessman who ran unsuccessfully for governor in November, had long been the front-runner against Democrat Rob Quist, a professional bluegrass musician making his first run for public office. With more than 90% of the votes counted, Gianforte was holding a healthy lead with just over 50% support. Appearing at an exuberant victory rally in Bozeman, the congressman-elect hushed the crowd and apologized to the reporter with whom he tangled on election eve, reversing his campaigns initial assertion that the journalist was to blame. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

FBI investigating Kushner meetings, report says; House leader seeks more Comey documents By Associated Press (Andrew Harrer / Getty Images) The chairman of the House Oversight Committee asked the FBI on Thursday to turn over more documents about former FBI Director James B. Comeys interactions with the White House and Justice Department, including materials dating back nearly four years to the Obama administration. Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that the FBI is investigating meetings that President Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, had in December with Russian officials. The FBI and the Oversight Committee  as well as several other congressional panels  are looking into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible connections between Russia and the Trump campaign. Trump fired Comey on May 9 amid questions about the FBIs investigation, which is now being led by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, a former FBI director. Kushner, a key White House advisor, had meetings late last year with Russias ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak, and Russian banker Sergey Gorkov. The Post story cited anonymous people familiar with the investigation, who said the FBI investigation does not mean that Kushner is suspected of a crime. Kushners attorney, Jamie Gorelick, released a statement saying: Mr. Kushner previously volunteered to share with Congress what he knows about these meetings. He will do the same if he is contacted in connection with any other inquiry. Earlier Thursday, House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz told acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe that he wants records of Comeys contacts with the White House and Justice Department dating to September 2013, when Comey was sworn in as FBI director under President Obama. In a letter to McCabe, Chaffetz said he is seeking to review Comeys memos and other written materials so he can better understand Comeys communications with the White House and attorney generals office. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Banks want higher debit-card swipe fees, but an effort to allow them has crumbled By Jim Puzzanghera Banks had hoped Congress would let them charge merchants higher fees to process debit card purchases, but an effort to allow that has crumbled  a victory for retailers and, possibly, shoppers who might have had to shoulder those costs. In the latest chapter of a long-running fight, a repeal of federal limits on so-called swipe fees no longer will be part of a House financial regulation bill, said the legislations author, Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas). Hensarling, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said he decided to strip the provision from the bill because many lawmakers are balking at removing the limits. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Appeals court rules against Trump travel ban By David Lauter A federal appeals court has ruled against President Trumps travel ban, upholding a nationwide injunction barring the administration from enforcing the executive order. The ruling is the latest legal setback for Trump on the travel issue and, like several previous court rulings, the outcome rested heavily on his own words. Trumps order restricting travel from six majority-Muslim countries speaks with vague words of national security, but in context drips with religious intolerance, animus and discrimination, Chief Judge Roger L. Gregory of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in his ruling. Read the 4th Circuits decision to uphold the block on Trumps travel ban The 10-3 ruling included numerous citations to campaign statements in which Trump called for a ban on Muslims immigrating to the United States. The plaintiffs who have challenged the travel order have argued that it is a disguised version of the Muslim ban that he called for during the campaign. Trumps statements provide direct, specific evidence of what motivated both EO-1 and EO-2, the court said, referring to ther first and second versions of the travel order: President Trumps desire to exclude Muslims from the United States. The 4th Circuit, based in Richmond, Va., is one of two appeals courts that have recently heard arguments on the travel ban. A similar case is pending before the 9th Circuit, based in San Francisco. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Obama, in Berlin with Merkel, says world cant hide behind a wall By Erik Kirschbaum Hours before German Chancellor Angela Merkel flew to Brussels to meet with President Trump and other NATO heads of state, she rekindled an old acquaintance with Trumps predecessor, Barack Obama. About 70,000 people packed an avenue by Berlins landmark Brandenburg Gate on Thursday to hear the two leaders speak, with cheers and chants of Barack, Barack! breaking out when the former president took the stage. Without mentioning Trump by name, Obama spoke of the need for universal healthcare and a nuanced approach to immigration in response to security threats. This is a new world we live in  we cant isolate ourselves, the former president declared, with Merkel looking on. We cant hide behind a wall. Obama spoke of this weeks deadly bombing at a pop concert in Manchester, England, saying leaders had to find ways to balance security fears and fundamental rights. One of the biggest challenges is how do you protect your country and your citizens from the kinds of things that we just saw in Manchester, he said. And how do you do it in a way that is consistent with your values and your ideals? Making his first European speech since his presidential term ended, Obama told the crowd he had spent the last four months trying to catch up with my sleep and devoting more time to his family. Im very proud of the work I did as president, he said to more cheers, adding that he considered healthcare reform a signature achievement. Republicans are now in the midst of trying to dismantle his Affordable Care Act. My hope was to get 100% of people healthcare, he said. We didnt quite achieve that, but we were able to get 20 million people healthcare who didnt have it before. Obamas speech was not timed to coincide with Trumps first visit to Europe as president, aides said. The invitation was extended before Trumps trip to Brussels  the fourth leg on multi-stop tour  was scheduled. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Macron says he pressed Trump on climate accord By Catherine Stupp French President Emmanuel Macron, who met President Trump for the first time on Thursday, said he urged the U.S. leader to respect the Paris climate accord. The White House, however, did not mention the issue in its readout on Trumps working lunch in Brussels with the newly elected French president. Macron told reporters as he headed into the meeting that climate change would be one of the issues he raised, along with concerns about terrorism and the economy. Afterward, at a news conference, the French president said that in his talk with Trump, he reiterated the importance of the landmark climate accord. No hasty decision on this subject should be taken by the U.S., Macron said. Our collective responsibility is to make sure this commitment remains a global commitment. Referring to the agreement, he added: Its one of a kind. In its readout, the White House said Trump urged Macron to meet NATO commitments on French defense spending and help ensure that the alliance is focused on counter-terrorism. It also said the two leaders talked about the importance of defeating Islamic State and other vital issues. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump lawyers ask Supreme Court to reject 2nd Amendment claim by men who lost gun rights over nonviolent crimes By David Savage President Trump speaks at an NRA event in Atlanta in April. ( Scott Olson / Getty Images) Trump administration lawyers are urging the Supreme Court to reject a 2nd Amendment claim that would restore the right to own a gun for two Pennsylvania men who were convicted more than 20 years ago of nonviolent crimes. The case of Sessions vs. Binderup puts the new administration in a potentially awkward spot, considering President Trumps repeated assurances during the campaign that he would protect gun ownership rights under the 2nd Amendment. But the Justice Department under Trump has embraced the same position in this case that was adopted under President Obama: to defend strict enforcement of a long-standing federal law that bars convicted criminals from ever owning a gun, even when their crimes did not involve violence. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman withdraws from FBI director search By Associated Press (AFP/Getty Images) Former Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut has withdrawn his name from consideration for the role of FBI director. Lieberman interviewed last week with President Trump, who publicly identified him as a leading candidate. But in a letter sent to the White House, Lieberman says hes pulling out. He says he wants to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, given Trumps hiring of one of Liebermans law partners to represent him in the investigation of ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. The White House declined to comment. Several other people interviewed for the job have also withdrawn from consideration. Trump fired former FBI Director James B. Comey earlier this month. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

At NATO celebration, Trump tells allies to spend more on defense By Michael A. Memoli (Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Images) President Trump used his first NATO meeting to rebuke member nations who fail to meet the trans-Atlantic alliances defense spending target, saying American taxpayers unfairly are left to pick up the slack. Speaking at dedication ceremonies for NATOs new headquarters, Trump noted that the defense budgets of 23 of the 28 members dont meet a target equal to 2% of each respective nations economic output, while the United States has spent more on defense in eight years than the other 27 combined. Many of these nations owe massive amounts of money from past years, he said. We have to make up for the many years lost. By his scolding, Trump was directly delivering to NATO allies the criticism that was a staple of his nationalist campaign for president. But his lecture came at an event intended to be celebratory, showcasing unity and resolve for the nearly 70-year-old alliance: the dedication of its shining, glass-enclosed new headquarters in Belgiums capital. The ceremony also was meant to call attention to the fact that the only time NATO has invoked its collective defense agreement was on behalf of the United States, after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. Trump stood beside a section of wrenched steel from the downed World Trade Center Towers, a relic NATO calls the Article V artifact, to signify that post-9/11 invocation of the NATO charters article holding that an attack on any one member would be considered an attack on all. Speaking to reporters before the president arrived, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg acknowledged that the alliance had a long way to go to meet its goals. But its much better than it was just two years ago, he said. The reality is that when we decrease defense spending when tensions are going down, as we did after the end of the Cold War, we have to be able to increase defense spending when tensions are going up. And now we see that tensions are going up. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Watch: Trump lectures NATO leaders on defense spending By L.A. Times staff  As NATO leaders looked on, President Trump told NATO members that they must finally contribute their fair share of defense payments. President Trump lectured members of the NATO alliance on Thursday, urging them to pay their fair share on defense. As NATO leaders looked on during a ceremony at the alliances new headquarters, Trump said that member nations must finally contribute their fair share and meet their obligations. The president has been urging NATO leaders to live up to a 2011 decision to increase spending on defense to 2% of GDP by 2024. Trump said 23 of the 28 member nations are not paying what they should and that the situation is not fair to the people of the United States. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

President Trump promises to review Manchester investigation leaks after anger from Britain By Noah Bierman Trying to head off a diplomatic rift with Britain, President Trump on Thursday issued a statement promising a complete review of possible intelligence leaks related to this weeks deadly terrorist attack at a Manchester concert. Some British officials have suggested that U.S. officials are leaking sensitive information to American media outlets about the investigation into the attack. The New York Times posted forensic photographs collected from the scene of the Manchester concert bombing, which upset British officials. Whether the photographs were provided by U.S. officials or came from some other source is not publicly known. Trump avoided questions earlier Thursday about the possible leaks. His statement came just before he was set to address NATO at its new headquarters in a speech considered pivotal to his first trip abroad as president. British Prime Minister Theresa May was expected to confront Trump over the issue when they meet later in the day. May told reporters as she entered the NATO gathering that she would make clear to Trump that intelligence shared between law enforcement agencies must remain secure. We have a special relationship with the USA. Its our deepest defense and security partnership that we have, she said. Of course that partnership is built on trust, and part of that trust is knowing that intelligence can be shared confidently, and I will be making clear to President Trump today that intelligence shared between law enforcement agencies must remain secure. In his statement, Trump said that the alleged leaks coming out of government agencies are deeply troubling. These leaks have been going on for a long time, and my Administration will get to the bottom of this. The leaks of sensitive information pose a grave threat to our national security. The statement continued with a promise to request the Department of Justice and other relevant agencies to

launch a complete review of this matter, and if appropriate, the

culprit should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Trump also reiterated said there is no relationship we cherish more than the special relationship between the two countries. Separate leaks within his own administration and related to investigations of his campaign ties to Russia have also been a source of anger to Trump. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Montanas congressional election: that assault charge, the Trump factor, and why is it on a weird day (Thursday)? By Mark Z. Barabak Its election day in Montana after a wild 24 hours, with voters deciding who will fill the House seat vacated when Republican Ryan Zinke left to head the Interior Department under President Trump. The contest Thursday has drawn nationwide attention and an extraordinary amount of money  and that was before the GOP front-runner was accused of attacking a national political reporter. The events have turned the contest into one of the strangest in memory. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump ignores questions about intelligence sharing ahead of NATO meeting By Michael A. Memoli (Peter Dejoing / Associated Press) President Trump refused to answer questions Thursday about concerns among key allies on intelligence sharing with the United States, just as he prepares to join many of them here to inaugurate the new NATO headquarters. During a brief photo opportunity at his first meeting with Emmanuel Macron, Frances newly elected president, Trump for a second time remained silent as a reporter asked about a potential breakdown in the U.S.-United Kingdom intelligence-sharing relationship. British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to press Trump on the issue when they meet later Thursday, after the New York Times posted forensic photographs collected from the scene of the Manchester concert bombing. The acting U.S. ambassador to Britain told the BBC that the leaks were deeply distressing. Speaking to reporters at the site of a NATO leaders meeting, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also deflected questions about whether the incident has led him to reevaluate his nations intelligence-sharing arrangements. We will continue to work with all our allies to keep Canadians and all citizens around the world safe, he said. Ahead of a working lunch with Macron, Trump said terrorism was at the top of the agenda, while also offering his congratulations to the 39-year-old for his tremendous victory. All over the world, theyre talking about it, he said. In addition to terrorism and the economy, Macron said he planned to discuss climate change and energy. His nation hosted the climate summit that produced the agreement under which countries pledged to reduce their carbon emissions, of which the Trump administration is considering dropping out. Trump also ignored a question about whether former national security advisor Michael Flynn should cooperate with the investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Trump has no news conference scheduled with reporters for the entirety of his eight-day foreign trip, which ends Saturday. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Trump visits European Union headquarters; EU leaders cite some differences By Catherine Stupp Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, said Thursday that differences remain between the Trump administration and the European Union on Russia, energy and trade. I am not 100 percent sure that we can say today that we have a common opinion about Russia, Tusk, a former Polish prime minister who is sometimes called the other Donald, said after a meeting with President Trump at EU headquarters. Tusk added that while some issues remain open, like climate and trade, the leaders agreed first and foremost on the need to combat terrorism. EU officials were skeptical in advance of Trumps visit. Their concerns were driven in part by the U.S. leaders positive stance on Britains vote last year to leave the bloc. Trump at the time called it a great idea. However, he has since spoken of the importance of European unity. European officials are also concerned that the Trump administration might withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement to limit global warming, and turn away from trade arrangements with the EU. Trumps visit to Brussels marked the fourth leg of his first overseas trip. Before heading into the talks with Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, he spoke enthusiastically about his earlier stops in Saudi Arabia and at the Vatican. His ceremonial welcome last week in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, Trump told the European officials, was beyond anything anyones seen. The Saudis staged elaborate festivities including a traditional sword dance. And the president called his private encounter with Pope Francis on Wednesday very impressive. The president and the pontiff met privately for half an hour, and Francis presented Trump with gifts including a copy of a papal encyclical on climate change. The pope was terrific, Trump said. After the visit to the EUs sprawling new headquarters, Trump headed to a luncheon with the newly elected French president, Emmanuel Macron. The two men were meeting for the first time. During the French presidential campaign, Trump had praised Macrons far-right opponent Marine Le Pen for her tough positions on immigration and borders, but he had stopped short of endorsing her. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Manchester attack makes terrorism the focus of Trumps NATO meeting By Michael A. Memoli (Emmanuel Dunand / AFP/Getty Images) The deadly suicide bombing in Britain and threats of more attacks thrust counter-terrorism to the top of President Trumps agenda for talks with NATO leaders here on Thursday, buttressing his bid to enlist the alliance he had called obsolete to join the fight against Islamic State. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, anticipating the alliance meetings, told reporters flying with the president to Brussels from Rome, where Trump met Pope Francis earlier Wednesday, that Mondays attack in Britain is going to strengthen the resolve in this fight against terrorism. Tillerson stopped short of predicting that NATO would agree to formally join the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, but said it would be a really important step if the alliance did so. The attack, which killed 22 people at a pop concert and was said to be the work of a 22-year-old British man whose family is from Libya, also figured in Trumps brief meeting with the pope at the Vatican. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Analysis says 23 million more people would be uninsured by 2026 under GOP healthcare bill By Noam N. Levey (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) An analysis released Wednesday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office finds that the Republican healthcare bill that passed the House earlier this month would nearly double the number of Americans without health insurance over the next decade. The report likely will complicate Republican efforts to get the controversial bill through the Senate. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

By throwing Americas lot in with Sunni Arabs, does Trump miss opportunities with Iran? By Tracy Wilkinson On his first official trip to the Middle East, President Trump has resoundingly thrown Americas lot in with Sunni Arab states and cast Shiite Iran as a global pariah, even as Iranians reelected a president who has offered to work with the West. During his two days in Riyadh, Trumps full-throated support for the autocratic monarchies in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, as well as his fierce denunciation of Iran, allowed him to claim an historic new coalition of interests. In the next two days, in Jerusalem, he doubled down and argued that Israel and the Arabs should join forces against Iran and along the way, resolve Israels conflict with Palestinians in a grand bargain that has eluded diplomats for decades. But as he departed for Rome on Tuesday, Trump had little to show beyond lofty rhetoric, symbolic visits and a shower of flattery from kings, potentates and a prime minister. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Fed officials appear ready for another interest rate hike and are considering how to reduce assets By Jim Puzzanghera Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet L. Yellen (Michael Dwyer / Associated Press) Most Federal Reserve monetary policymakers indicated they were ready for another small interest rate hike -- perhaps as soon as next month -- if economic data strengthened as expected following a weak winter, according to an account released Wednesday of their most recent meeting. Fed officials also considered a plan to start reducing the $4.5 trillion in Treasury and mortgage securities and other assets the central bank has purchased since 2008 in an attempt to stimulate the economy. The plan, which they said likely would begin later this year, would involve slowly allowing some of the maturing securities to be cashed in instead of reinvesting the money in new securities, the meeting minutes showed. The goal would be to avoid roiling financial markets and causing interest rates to jump. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

So whats with the president and Melania Trump holding, or not holding, hands? By Tom Kington First Lady Melania Trump does not say much in public, but her actions seemed to speak louder than words  or at least sent tongues wagging  when she appeared to rebuff the presidents proffered hand as the couple descended from their plane in Rome late Tuesday. As President Trump looked to take her hand on the steps of Air Force One, Melania Trump quickly moved it out of reach, raising it to her head to adjust her hair. That made for two such episodes in two days. She had appeared to brush Trumps hand away at the airport in Tel Aviv during the previous stop in the presidents foreign tour. Video of that scene, often accompanied by snarky commentary, quickly went viral. Compare that to Melania Trumps positively hands-on visit on Wednesday to a Rome childrens hospital, Bambino Gesu, following the couples visit with Pope Francis. After praying to a statue of the Madonna at the entrance to the hospital, the Catholic first lady smiled cheerfully and chatted to children, posing for selfies and providing a very happy, maternal presence, according to one onlooker. Great visiting you! Stay strong and positive! Much love, Melania Trump, she wrote in the visitors book. Staff at the hospital said Melania Trump had been buoyed by her meeting with Pope Francis, and further proof came when photos emerged of the Trumps quick visit to the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday. As the president and first lady stood together to admire Michelangelos 16th century fresco, the Last Judgment, they held hands. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

House Intelligence Committee will subpoena Michael Flynn, Schiff says By Sarah D. Wire The House Intelligence Committee is preparing to issue subpoenas to President Trumps former national security advisor, Michael Flynn, according to the committees ranking Democrat, following the lead of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) said the House subpoenas will be designed to maximize our chance of getting the information we need for the committees investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign. I think we need to use whatever compulsory [processes] necessary to get the information that he possesses, Schiff said. Earlier this week, Flynns lawyers said he would refuse separate Senate subpoenas for any records about his former business dealings with Russia, citing his constitutional right to avoid self-incrimination. The Senate committee then issued separate subpoenas to two of Flynns businesses, which the panel said were not entitled to 5th Amendment protections. A federal grand jury in Virginia also has issued subpoenas regarding Flynns business dealings with Turkey and Russia, and the newly appointed special counsel investigating the Russia matter, Robert Mueller III, is expected to focus on Flynns role as well. Given the criminal investigations, Schiff said the House panel is highly unlikely to grant Flynns earlier request, through his lawyers, for immunity in exchange for his testimony. He said the panel would need more information about what Flynn would say and whether the testimony would be truthful. It also would need to ensure that granting immunity wouldnt affect the special counsels ongoing investigation, he said. Thats not somthinge I think we would entertain until far later, if at all, said Schiff, a former prosecutor. Certainly count me as very skeptical that we would get to that point. Trump forced Flynn to resign as national security advisor in February after news accounts revealed Flynn had misled White House officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, about his contacts with Russian officials. Schiff spoke to reporters at a breakfast Wednesday hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Watch live: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos testifies on Trumps budget Follow live coverage from Times education reporter Joy Resmovits: Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Israel acknowledges pinpoint change needed after Trump intelligence disclosure By Joshua Mitnick After a week of silence, Israel publicly acknowledged for the first time, though in oblique terms, that it was the source of sensitive intelligence that President Trump shared with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week in a White House meeting. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Israels army radio on Wednesday that Israeli officials had carried out an internal pinpoint correction after discussing and reviewing the episode. Lieberman did not elaborate, and declined to confirm or deny whether Trumps remarks had endangered an agent of Israel. But he said his government considered the matter resolved. Everything that needed to be clarified with the friends in the U.S. was done, he said. All of the conclusions we had to draw  it was all done. The Israeli defense ministers comments came the day after Trump wrapped up a two-day visit to Israel and the West Bank. When word of Trumps disclosure to Lavrov emerged in U.S. news reports last week, the defense minister and other Israeli leaders confined themselves to expressing public confidence in the two countries intelligence cooperation. Israel did not comment more directly, presumably to avoid embarrassing the U.S. president just before his visit. But Trump himself mentioned the controversy anyway, in an awkward on-camera moment during the trip. With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu biting his lip alongside, Trump volunteered to reporters being hustled out of a news appearance: Just so you know, I never mentioned the word or name Israel. Never mentioned it during the conversation. News reports, however, had not said the president mentioned Israel in connection with the intelligence, only that the specificity of his remarks to Lavrov would in all likelihood have allowed the Russians to determine the source. The White House at first denied Trumps disclosure to Lavrov had occurred as reported, but then the president himself tweeted about it, saying he had the right to share information as he deemed fit. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump calls meeting with Pope Francis an honor By Michael A. Memoli "A very great honor," Trump says to the pope when they began their meeting in the pope's private study pic.twitter.com/NGsbsahAyT  Carol Lee (@carolelee) May 24, 2017 President Trump held a half-hour private meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Wednesday, declaring it a great honor despite their past public dissension. The unconventional Republican and the first Jesuit pontiff made for an unlikely pair in the Vaticans Apostolic Palace, where Catholic leaders have presided or centuries and American presidents have come or decades. Francis was silent as the two sat across one another at the popes wooden desk to begin the audience at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time. Exactly a half-hour later, the ringing of a bell signified the end of the private encounter. For the White House, the Vatican stop caps a tour through key sites of the worlds three major religions, following stops in Saudi Arabia and Israel, designed to promote tolerance and a united approach to terrorism. When you put it all together, youre really showing that this problem of radical extremism is one of the great problems of our time, a senior Trump aide told reporters Tuesday en route from Israel to Rome, briefing anonymously as is common White House practice. By putting everybody together you can really build a coalition and show that its not a Muslim problem, its not a Jewish problem, its not a Catholic problem, its not a Christian problem, it really is a world problem. In an exchange of gifts after their private meeting, Francis offered the president a medal by a Roman artist of an olive, a symbol of peace. We can use peace, Trump responded. Where Trumps and Francis interests may align on peace and combating terrorism, they disagree sharply on issues like immigration and poverty. Like Trump, the Argentine pope has shown a predilection for unscripted comments that have shaken the staid Vatican bureaucracy, as when he criticized candidate Trumps proposed stricter immigration policies including a border wall as not Christian. Trump fired back, calling the popes remarks disgraceful. Any animosity was not apparent Wednesday, as a meeting between Francis and a larger U.S. delegation ended. Thank you. I wont forget what you said, Trump said. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Proposed budget would deeply cut State Department and its programs By Tracy Wilkinson (AFP / Getty Images) The State Department leadership voiced support for President Trumps proposed budget, which would impose deep cuts on spending for diplomacy and foreign aid, but critics vowed to fight to restore the funds in Congress. In a statement, the department said the presidents $37.6-billion request for it and for the U.S. Agency for International Development would support a leaner, more efficient government in line with Trumps America first mantra. If approved by Congress, that would represent a reduction of roughly 30% from the current fiscal year. Nongovernmental agencies that receive State Department support to carry out humanitarian and other work around the globe expressed deep alarm. The State Department statement said its new priorities would include efforts to counter terrorism, support Israel, promote border security and battle transnational crime and the spread of infectious diseases. The statement makes no mention of women-empowerment programs or efforts to fight climate change, issues that rose to prominence under the Obama administration. The proposed budget would allow the United States to remain engaged in the United Nations, but officials would seek a more fair distribution of the funding burden, the statement said. And it would eliminate direct funding for quasi- and non-governmental organizations that serve niche missions. The American Jewish World Service, which fights poverty all over the world through 450 local organizations, said much of its work would be jeopardized. At a time when poverty, human rights abuses, famines and conflicts are wreaking havoc globally, said the groups president, Robert Bank, the United States must not abdicate its long bipartisan tradition of providing development assistance and diplomatic support to the most vulnerable people around the world. Mercy Corps, a U.S.-based development and advocacy organization that works in 40 countries, said gutting development programs was short-sighted and absolutely shameful and could put millions of lives at risk. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, called the budget cruel and mean-spirited and said it would force the United States to abandon our global role as a champion for freedom, democracy and the rule of law. If President Trump thinks the United States can shrink into a defensive crouch without long-term repercussions, hes sorely mistaken, Engel said. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Sessions first proposed budget: A crackdown on immigration and violent crime By Joseph Tanfani Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) In the first budget proposal under President Trump and Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, the Justice Department is seeking hundreds of millions in new funding to pay for an immigration crackdown on the border and a surge in resources to fight violent crime. Like the Department of Homeland Security budget, which includes billions for expanded immigration detention, more border agents and technology to catch those crossing the border illegally, the Justice Department budget is a reflection of the new get-tough policies promised by Sessions. The budget asks for another 300 federal prosecutors  230 to focus on violent criminals and gangs, and another 70 to concentrate on filing criminal charges on those crossing the border illegally. The shift in the spending priorities are in line with other policy changes ordered by Sessions, including a renewed focus on seeking stiff mandatory minimum sentences for drugs and other crimes. The $27.7-billion budget seeks 450 new attorneys and support workers for the immigration courts, which are now clogged with a backlog of 560,000 cases. There would also be another $50 million for increased immigration detention, plus 40 new U.S. marshal jobs to help take care of the expected increase in immigrants heading to federal court. With Trumps immigration initiatives tied up in federal court, the budget seeks another 15 lawyers to handle that litigation, plus 12 more to help handle property acquisition needed for Trumps promised Southwestern border wall. Violent-crime enforcement would get another $198 million, with the largest amount, $70 million, going toward setting up more anti-violence and gang task forces. Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod J. Rosenstein said more resources are needed because of what he called an alarming increase in the rates of murder and other violent crimes. The department is also asking for another $40 million for more drug enforcement to combat the opioid epidemic, which he said is spreading havoc throughout the United States. Sessions new policies should lead to an increase in prison population, so the budget contains funding to fully open a new supermax prison in Thomson, Ill., with room for 1,500 to 2,000 inmates. The department also wants to put more resources behind the FBIs efforts to counter cyber attacks and to figure out ways around encryption technology, along with another 50 agents to counter foreign intelligence and threats from homegrown terrorists. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Economists say Trumps budget proposal doesnt add up By Don Lee President Trumps inaugural budget proposal claims to eliminate the nations deficit in 10 years, thanks largely to faster economic growth that it projects will come from the presidents sweeping tax cuts. Never mind the overly optimistic projections on economic growth. Or that Trumps tax overhaul has not happened yet. Even allowing for both, economists say Trumps budget still does not add up. The administration is counting on generating $2.1 trillion in additional revenue over 10 years from better economic growth. But Trumps budget proposal leaves out the cost, or the revenue lost, from the massive tax cuts. In other words, the economic gains that the administration has said it would use to pay for tax reform is apparently also being counted on to pay for deficit reduction. Some people call that double-counting. You cant use the same money twice, said Marc Goldwein, a senior vice president for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan group that advocates keeping government budgets under control. Lawrence Summers, former Treasury secretary in the Clinton administration and top economic advisor to President Obama, called it an elementary but egregious accounting error. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the right-leaning American Action Forum and former director of the Congressional Budget Office, said the proposal did not necessarily mean there was an outright omission or a double-counting. Its possible that the administration is looking for such strong economic growth to drive significantly extra revenue from payroll taxes, he said, or it could be that Trump officials were using different base lines from which they were drawing their results. But on the face of it, he said, the budget and tax-plan numbers dont seem to match. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has estimated that Trumps plan to cut corporate and individual taxes would cost the federal government about $5.5 trillion over 10 years, adding more than $6 trillion to the national debt. Details of Trumps tax overhaul, however, are still being developed, and its possible that the administration is assuming a revenue-neutral tax plan  although experts say big tax cuts never pay for themselves. On Tuesday, Mick Mulvaney, Trumps budget chief, did not provide a direct answer or explanation to questions about double-counting. Instead, he told reporters that you have to make assumptions about a budget. He went on to say that one of the assumptions that was not made was to take into account the uncollected taxes every year, which he said amounted to $486 billion last year. And we dont assume an additional penny of that being closed as part of our tax reform, said Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget. Of the 3% annual economic growth assumption, Mulvaney responded that the Obama administration in its first couple of years had based its budget on growth of 4.5%. In fact, Obamas first budget proposal as president, in May 2009, assumed economic growth of between 4% and 4.6% for the budget years 2011 to 2013. Since the Great Recession ended in mid-2009, the U.S. economy has been growing on average about 2% a year, and the Congressional Budget Office, the Federal Reserve and most private economists see the economy advancing at about 2% annually over the next 10 years. Alice Rivlin, a former Fed vice chair and director of the Office of Management and Budget under Clinton, said its true that the Obama administrations growth assumptions proved too optimistic. But she noted that those projections were not unreasonable for that time and period in the economic cycle. Then, there was greater potential for growth with unemployment high and many more people than today available for work. Today, the economy is nearing its eighth year of expansion, and the jobless rate is 4.4%, at or near full employment. With the aging of baby boomers, labor force growth slowing, and lackluster productivity gains, economists see the current moderate growth persisting for the foreseeable future. This has been a very long period of growth and were at the high end already, Rivlin said. If we are so lucky to have continuous, steady growth, its not likely to be at 3% or 4% or 5%. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Who wins and who loses in Trumps budget The White House Office of Management and Budget sent Congress the presidents inaugural budget today, projecting spending and revenues over the next 10 years. The fiscal package, which include a partial skinny budget from March, reflects President Trumps priorities for the nation, but lawmakers are sure to reject many of the deep cuts in domestic and foreign affairs programs. The departments of State, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Education and Housing, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, are the biggest losers. The winners are the Pentagon and Homeland Security programs. Even with the increases in defense spending and large tax cuts, the administration projects that economic growth spurred by tax cuts will erase annual deficits by 2027. Take a look at some of the numbers released today. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

What that Montana special congressional race will  and wont  tell us about Trump and his political problems By Mark Z. Barabak Democrat Rob Quist is a quintessential cowboy who doesnt seem to relish campaigning in Montanas special congressional election. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) On Thursday, the political world will eagerly look to Montana and a closely fought congressional race for the latest test of Democratic strength and Republican resilience in the turbulent age of Trump. The major candidates and outside groups have sunk more than $8 million into the contest, a huge sum in a state where $250,000 pays for a robust week of television advertising. But for all that money and all the outside interest, the election will turn less on national trends than circumstances close to home: on the personalities and histories of the main contestants, their different campaign styles and, perhaps most of all, on who is regarded as the more authentic Montanan. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Terrorist attack in England has conservative media focused on safety of allies By Kurtis Lee (Dave Thompson/Getty images ) Its a sight witnessed all too often: an explosion, screams, people sprinting to safety. Late Monday night, this was the scene at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, after a man with possible ties to Islamic State militants set off a suicide bomb, killing 22 people and, once again, setting in motion a global discourse on how to fight terrorism. President Trump, while visiting Bethlehem, said the attack was committed by evil losers in life. Throughout the campaign and early in his presidency, Trump has said defeating the Islamic State is a top priority. (He reiterated that point in a speech Sunday in Saudi Arabia, urging Muslim leaders to plot their own course in combating terrorism.) In recent months, with attacks in Berlin, Paris and London, conservative media have questioned the safety of Europe and warned that the United States could face similar attacks. With the latest attack, some on the right are again homing in on the safety of our allies. Here are some of todays headlines: 2017 has seen a terror attack attempted in Europe every nine days (Breitbart) The attack in Manchester blankets the home page of the right-wing website. Europe has indeed been the location of high-profile attacks this year. In Paris last month, Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack on the Champs-Elysees in which a man fired an automatic weapon, killing a police officer. And in March, a man plowed his car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, near the British Parliament in London, and then fatally stabbed a police officer. In all, four people were killed and dozens injured in what police called a terrorist attack. The Breitbart piece is an analysis of different terrorist attacks attempted and carried out in Europe since January. Attacks and attempted attacks have taken place in Austria, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy, Russia, Sweden, Norway, and Germany, on average every nine days, the piece says. Pences message of civility and open debate lost on those who most needed to hear it (Weekly Standard) The debate over free speech on colleges campuses continues. In recent months, conservative speakers have canceled speeches on college campuses in the face of anticipated protests. And others, who have opted to speak, have faced vocal backlash. On Sunday, as Vice President Mike Pence began to address students at the University of Notre Dame commencement, several dozen stood and walked out of the ceremony. In his speech, Pence talked about civility and open debate, and this piece argues that the m
Born from a zeal for American history and a fondness over tea came the business that 26-year-old Blake Driver co-founded with his father, Tod Driver, and uncle Brad Driver.

Americas Tea, an Irvine-based business that launched in March, has flavors representing 14 states and cities.

The business will eventually sell a flavor symbolizing each of the 50 states.

Current blends include a hibiscus herbal tea for Hawaii, an energizing black tea for the city of Manhattan and a sweet peach iced tea for Georgia.

We wanted to develop a brand that celebrates Americas unique history and the diversity of its 50 states, Blake said. There was so much divide in the last political election. People were on polar opposite sidesthats why we thought to push a brand that celebrates the country as a whole.

The family calls it The Peoples Tea.

According to Blake, he and his family always have been a patriotic bunch and find it an interesting coincidence that their surname matches that of William Driver, an American sea captain who lived during the 19th century and coined the term Old Glory for the flag of the United States.

We havent tried to confirm if theres a connection, but its cool we have the same last name, Blake said.

Blake, who earned his masters in business administration from Concordia University in Irvine, began drafting the idea for the business around September.

Packets of tea at Americas Tea in Irvine, including The OG. (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)

Theres a lot of tea companies so the idea of a tea theme came up, Blake said, explaining why he later developed the patriotic premise behind their blends.

To brainstorm which flavors epitomize which states, the business team researches the trends and loose keywords that pop up in Google searches when looking up a specific kind of tea.

For instance, wed type in herbal teas and saw that Hawaii was the highest result, Blake said.

Along with selling city and state flavors, Americas Tea offers presidential teas such as a citrus black tea called The Jefferson and a spearmint green tea called The OG or Original George [Washington].

To accompany the tea flavors, Blake said he also plans to design a mug for each of the 50 states.

So far, Americas Tea has sold to locations all over the country, including Las Vegas, North Carolina, Ohio, New Mexico, Illinois and Florida.

In keeping with its patriotic purpose, the business also gives 5% of every tea sale to the Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation, a Boston-based organization dedicated to helping those transitioning from military to civilian life.

For more information on Americas Tea or to place an order, visit americastea.co.

Alexandra.Chan@latimes.com

Twitter: @AlexandraChan10
When Debbie Davis heard shed be the new principal for a high school in a coastal city in Orange County, she envisioned it to be an easy feat.

Shortly after she began adjusting as principal for Back Bay High School in Costa Mesa, Davis realized her role wouldnt be as smooth as she imagined.

The school was based on pushing out packets of work for kids, there was a low graduation rate and most of the students were in independent programs, Davis said of the continuation high school within the Newport-Mesa Unified School District. These students were only in class for three hours a day when it should have been longer.

Fifteen years later, Davis is ready to pass the baton onto a new leader as she plans to retire at the end of this school year.

The first few years were rough as she began transitioning the institution into a campus that fostered encouragement, praise and offered sound instruction.

A few teachers who were used to their routine and werent keen on making a transition in their teaching style left, Davis said. The district allowed her to personally interview candidates and hire new teachers.

Packets are easy, but the kids are left without any instruction, Davis said. To send home students with packets just wasnt a match. And (schools) arent recognized if youre packet pushers.

School hours were extended from three to five hours, a new round of certificates were awarded to students for improved attendance and teachers met weekly to talk about their students and problems.

Supt. Fred Navarro said Davis is a textbook example of a transformative leader.

She evolved the school into what it needed to be to ensure the success of students, Navarro said. I wish her all the best in her well-earned retirement.

As an educator for 47 years, Davis said serving as principal for Back Bay has been the highlight of her career.

The schools atmosphere began to change, Davis said, as she noticed attendance rates picked up and students were engaged during instruction.

Continuation high schools have a reputation for being the last stop,  Davis said. But its changed now and were productive and rigorous and get our kids into college.

Back Bay boasts two awards earned during Davis leadership. In 2016 the school won a silver award for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports by the California PBIS Coalition. This year the California Department of Education awarded Back Bay as the 2017 Model Continuation High School.

Davis also received recognition for her leadership and earned the title of 2016-2017 California Continuation Education Assn. Region 10 Administrator of the Year.

As the school year comes to a close, Davis said she will miss being around kids the most.

Kids help you keep in touch with whats going on in the world and thats something Ill always carry forward, she said.

The district is seeking input from parents on what they would like to see in the next principal. Parents can fill out an online survey.

Priscella.Vega@latimes.com

Twitter: @vegapriscella
Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley is planning to run for the citys new at-large mayoral seat in 2018.

Foley confirmed to the Daily Pilot this week her intention to run. She said she has been planning it for some time and hosted a campaign fundraising event at a Santa Ana law firm in April.

Foley, an attorney who lives in Costa Mesas Mesa del Mar neighborhood, was first elected to the City Council in 2004. She won reelection in 2008 and left in 2010 after winning a seat on the Newport-Mesa Unified School District board.

In 2014, she returned to the council for a four-year term. Last year, Foleys council colleagues appointed her mayor, a largely ceremonial position.

Under new city rules taking effect in 2018, mayors will be elected by voters throughout the city. The council will be expanded to seven members from five, and council members other than the mayor will be elected by districts.

In the mayors race, Foley could face Gary Monahan, a former mayor and longtime councilman who recently expressed interest in returning to City Hall.

Candidates will not be able to pull papers to officially run until next year, but they can file other paperwork to begin campaign fundraising now.

Rohrabacher says hes not paid by Russia

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) laughed when a reporter from The Hill newspaper asked Friday whether he is getting paid by Russia, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times.

Am I getting money from Russia? No, Rohrabacher said.

The question stemmed from a Washington Post story this week that disclosed an audio recording from last year in which House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) said he thought Rohrabacher and then-presidential candidate Donald Trump were being paid by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A transcript of the tape notes McCarthy and others in the room were laughing, and McCarthys staff has said the comment was meant as a joke.

That was a joke that didnt make it, Rohrabacher told The Hill, adding that he and McCarthy are friends.

For decades, Rohrabachers willingness to work with Russia has made him a bit of an outlier within the Republican Party, and people have questioned his stance repeatedly.

Rohrabacher told The Hill that McCarthy has apologized for his comment and the attention it has caused.

Rohrabachers 48th Congressional District is a target for Democrats in the midterm elections. His prospective opponents in 2018 have jumped on his friendliness toward Russia as a campaign issue, with one, Democrat Harley Rouda of Laguna Beach, even sending a letter asking the FBI to investigate.

The New York Times reported Friday that the FBI warned Rohrabacher a few years ago that Russian spies were trying to recruit him.

Rohrabacher told the paper that he appreciated the warning but didnt need it.

Any time you meet a Russian member of their Foreign Ministry or the Russian government, you assume those people have something to do with Russian intelligence, he said.

On Friday, Indivisible OC, an activist group that has held weekly protests against Rohrabacher since January, called on the FBI to investigate the matter. The group scheduled a protest for Friday night in Laguna Beach.

Dana Rohrabacher speaks in our name. The loyalties and integrity of our House representative, and any politician to that matter, should not be in question, Indivisible OC said in a statement. As district constituents and as citizens, we have the right and the duty to ensure our democratic values and process are not compromised.

bradley.zint@latimes.com

Twitter: @BradleyZint
After one civil compromise, two criminal trials, two probation violation proceedings, two appeals and one afternoon in jail, Phillip Leland Richardson thought maybe  just maybe  the 15-odd years of code enforcement prosecution by Costa Mesa City Hall were done.

They werent.

In May 2013 Richardsons probation from his earlier criminal conviction ended. By June, the city began its fourth prosecution related to maintenance of his vacant home at 276 E. 19th St., alleging violations similar to those in years past: illegal storage in public view, deteriorating paint, illegal tarps. They posted a violation notice on the front door.

The city says it tried unsuccessfully to contact Richardson throughout the year. Echoing an episode years earlier, violation notices were sent to two wrong people with similar names. Through a city spokesman, a code enforcement officer said he researched similar names as Phillip Leland Richardsons in hope for a lead.

That summer, the city obtained a warrant and forcibly entered the home, which officials contended in court filings was a threat to public health and safety. They assumed, based on the condition of the exterior, the interior was far worse.

Warrant in hand, seven people entered the house. What they found, and would later swear to in court filings, attests to a property in disarray: piles of boxes and trash stacked nearly to the ceiling, CDs hung on wires, holes in the ceiling, a sagging roof, inoperable plumbing, broken tiles in the bathtub, grime, spider webs, animal feces, a bees nest.

Officials soon red-tagged 276 E. 19th St., deeming it uninhabitable. The conditions were compared to hoarding. Richardson had moved elsewhere.

According to a court filing, some at City Hall believed Richardson was homeless.

Richardson, however, said he has never been homeless. He argues today that the warrants approval without his knowledge was a move by the city because it didnt want to contact him.

Richardson points to previous city records with his contact information, including other Eastside Costa Mesa mailing address.

Its unclear why the city did not use those records before getting its warrant, although according to a court filing, months after the house was red-tagged, a contracted paralegal called two phone numbers the city had for Richardson but she said they were disconnected.

In fall 2013, the city asked for a receiver to take over the property and bring it up to code. In those filings were the first instances of any Costa Mesa residents claiming in a court record any personal harm caused by Richardsons property.

One was Frederick Arnold, Richardsons neighbor across the street since the mid-1970s. He wrote that since the death of Richardsons wife, Julie, in 2000, the property deteriorated even further.

In my opinion, Arnold wrote, the property is a fire hazard, as well as a health hazard.

Arnold declined to be interviewed for this article.

A missed court hearing, missed signals

The city located Richardson at his other Eastside address in December 2013 by talking to his former neighbors.

At that first contact, according to city records, officers didnt speak to him about his property. They didnt talk to him about a recent complaint alleging that rats, presumably from Richardsons property, were eating through military care packages being assembled in the neighborhood.

Rather, they talked to him about his vehicle, which was in question.

Richardson was hand-delivered a stack of court filings at his second Eastside address a few days later. On top of the pile was a notice for a Nov. 18, 2013, hearing about appointing a receiver. It arrived a month late.

Richardson said he initially didnt feel the matter was urgent, especially considering the records werent delivered with the required 72 hours notice. So he set it aside and soon left for a family funeral in Northern California. It would be a grave mistake.

On Dec. 18, a Jones & Mayer attorney stood alone in a Santa Ana courtroom, asking a judge to approve Los Angeles-based California Receivership Group to take over Richardsons property. Permission granted.

Not long after, Michael Richardson contacted his father, lamenting that their old house was mysteriously boarded up and fenced and four vehicles were missing.

The elder Richardson then began to fully realize the extent of the citys latest enforcement campaign.

In multiple interviews, Richardson and his daughter, Melissa, contested the hoarding allegations, calling the photos of the houses interior staged and made to look worse. Richardson argued the validity of the photos themselves, saying they were never authenticated in court.

I struggle with living in Costa Mesa because I dont feel safe here, Melissa said, pointing to the years of code enforcement efforts on her childhood home. I honestly dont know what we did wrong in the eyes of the city to make them want to attack us like this.

Richardsons son James compared his father to Jeffrey The Dude Lebowski in the 1998 comedy The Big Lebowski. In the film, the pacifistic Dude, played by Jeff Bridges, wants to replace a rug that got urinated on but finds himself in a continually escalating conflict.

James sees his fathers situation like that: a dispute that began small  $35 infraction tickets  and ballooned.

In a recent interview, Richardson wore a shirt James gave him. It depicts the Dude standing on his rug.

All the Dude ever wanted, it reads, was his rug back.

The hoarder whisperer clears out the house

Mark Adams wife jokes that he never sees beauty anymore because he routinely deals with blight. But when he found himself driving along East 19th Street in Costa Mesa on the way to a job in Newport Beach in 2012 and 2013, he noticed the neighborhoods charms.

Eastside Costa Mesa contains many older homes. The area has been built and rebuilt, parcel by parcel, over the decades, resulting in a mix of 1920s Craftsman cottages alongside larger and newer mansions of varied architectural styles. Single-family homes usually sell for at least $1 million.

Its nothing but nice houses, Adams said in an interview. No wonder people are distressed about the condition of this property.

Adams company, California Receivership Group, promotes itself as the premier receivership firm in California, with sensitivity to the human and social side of the work. He sees himself as a housing advocate who can clean up distressed properties and rid communities of blight.

Adams said he doesnt remember specifics about removing Richardsons four vehicles and boat in December 2013, though he noted they werent valuable. The companys general practice, he said, is if a removed vehicles registration is current, the vehicle is stored. If not, it is sold.

Richardson contended his registrations were current, though some vehicles were registered as non-operational.

A professional organizer, described by Adams as a grandmotherly type whose unofficial name is hoarder whisperer, cleared out Richardsons house. He told the court the home was filled with refuse and junk and not much else.

When asked about Richardsons claims of lost property, the company says it walks a fine line between spending time looking for things of value. For them, at some point, it becomes a waste of resources.

California Receivership disputes Richardsons claims of $300,000 worth of lost property, calling it absolutely, provably false. A company attorney said it did recover Julie Richardsons ashes and put them in the storage container; Richardson said he never found them in the container.

The courts inventory requirement of items recovered in the house was satisfied with a photo that primarily shows stacks of boxes with no indication of whats inside.

Richardson entered his house weeks after it was cleared. One photo he took shows Who is your Daddy spray-painted on a wall in cursive.

Adams said in an interview he had not heard about the graffiti. He asserted in filings, however, that the home had been held open for transients and vandals to occupy. He also noted in an email that Richardson faced several years of foreclosure proceedings on his property.

Adams claimed in court that a fully automatic M16 rifle was found in Richardsons house and given to Costa Mesa police.

Richardson, a firearms appraiser, denied ever owning an M16, which is illegal in California.

A Costa Mesa police spokeswoman confirmed that the department received a weapon from 276 E. 19th, but it was a rusted and clearly inoperable Colt AR-15, a semiautomatic weapon thats legal in California if registered.

Seeing that it was broken, police destroyed it, the spokeswoman said.

Richardson said he doesnt recall ever owning a Colt AR-15.

A Cadillac plan to rehab a kidnapped house

Richardson retained an attorney, Aaron Morris, to help with the civil complaint.

Adams initially suggested demolishing the house for about $50,000. He also offered two rehabilitation plans that went as high as $289,000 and involved adding a bedroom and other upgrades so the house better fits with the recent construction in the neighborhood.

What ensued next were two years of paperwork battles. Adams would file a report about things to repair or replace in the house. Morris would contest it. Sometimes Costa Mesas attorney would chime in, saying the city simply wanted the property fixed, and that Richardson was dragging out the process.

In an interview, Adams said that of all the cases hes worked, Richardsons stands out  its rare to have such a big fight over a single small house.

There was not a move that we made in this case that was not belligerently fought by Mr. Richardson and his attorney, Adams said. They resisted everything.

Morris contended Adams was overstepping his role as receiver by coming up with a Cadillac plan to get the house ready for sale, not fix health and safety violations.

Eventually, the judge, who visited Richardsons property, disliked how items California Receivership wanted to fix kept popping up, so he had Adams discharged.

Adams stands by his record.

We would not have done 162 properties all over California for 92 different judges if we had a reputation for gold-plating the work we do, he said. If we went down that path again with a judge that wanted to do line item by line item, we might decline the assignment. Its just too exhausting for us.

Upland-based receiver Eric Beatty replaced Adams. Like Adams, he wanted to demolish the house, which by then was bare bones and further deteriorating. Its siding and windows had been removed.

Richardson objected.

In a court filing, he argued that his constitutional rights were being violated. He said the home had been kidnapped and has been repeatedly tortured and suffered great atrocities because of the actions of both receivers.

The home can be brought back to its former glory, he wrote, and it should be.

The plea didnt convince the judge. In May 2016, the old farmhouse came crashing down. The dirt lot sold for $681,000.

Total government overreach or a problem home?

In December, Richardson stood on the sidewalk outside his former homestead, which he had hoped he could pass onto his children.

It remains a vacant lot, fenced off.

Richardson pointed to the propertys avocado tree, which he believes is at least 100 years old. He thought of his son Michael, who used to make money selling the fruit.

Richardson spied something lodged in the dirt: his old black mailbox. He walked past the fence and over the uneven clumps of dirt, snatched the box and lobbed it into his truck.

Total government overreach, he said.

Where Phillip Richardsons home once stood on East 19th Street in Costa Mesa is now an empty lot. (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)

After the demolition, the city posted a short story about 276 E. 19th St. on its website. The headline read Problem home is razed after years of substandard conditions.

The Richardson case has cost taxpayers considerable money, most of which may never be known. There are no financial records of the 2001 civil compromise, the two criminal trials, the probation violation proceedings and the appeals.

In the latest civil complaint, Costa Mesa received about $63,000 in legal reimbursements. Attorneys billed at least 321 hours for it.

A full accounting of who got what within the $681,000 sale remains unclear.

Beatty received a check for about $151,000, according to escrow records. Beatty declined in an email to discuss his payments, but pointed to a court ruling saying he could receive about $77,500 for his fees and costs on the job.

The court approved about $80,000 for California Receivership Group, reimbursement for fees, costs and advances.

The bank that had Richardsons outstanding home loan balance took about $170,000. Real estate brokers got about $34,000.

Richardson received some $64,000, less than one-tenth of the final sale price.

What could have been done differently?

Resentment lingers. Richardson said he has looked into filing a lawsuit for $500 million in damages. He said the figure represents four years pay Costa Mesa receives from taxpayers, which is approximately $125 million annually.

When asked about the large amount, Richardson replied, What are your constitutional rights worth?

He has some regrets, particularly about the legal proceedings: challenging the search warrant off the bat, contesting the citys efforts to contact him.

He wishes his attorney had been more of a pit bull in court.

Costa Mesa officials declined interviews, except to answer specific questions in writing. Dan Peelman, Costa Mesas prosecutor who took Richardson to criminal court twice, never responded to interview requests. He no longer works for the city.

City spokesman Tony Dodero noted that the city was within its rights to litigate the case. Officials said severe hoarding, which they consider Richardsons case to be, is not unprecedented but is usually remedied. They were not aware of another code enforcement prosecution effort against a homeowner that went as long as the 20-odd years against Richardson.

The city of Costa Mesa takes great measures to work with the community and individual property owners to come up with solutions to public nuisances, Dodero said in a statement. There are hundreds of cases where the city successfully resolved issues to everyones satisfaction. The city had to thoroughly communicate and develop extensive documentation because the property owner decided not to work together toward a solution.

The owner of this property had ample time to remedy the significant problems but the problems continued for years. It is unfortunate that we were not able to come to a resolution with the owner of this property and it is too bad his neighbors and the surrounding area had to live nearby this problem property for so long.

Adams called Richardsons prolonged fight an utterly complete waste of time and money. Had Richardson been OK with demolishing the house off the bat, he wouldve gotten a lot more money out of the sale, Adams noted.

He truly has no one to blame but himself, Adams added, for all the litigation and all the cost.

bradley.zint@latimes.com

Twitter: @BradleyZint

ALSO

Problem Home, Chapter 1: How a little house in Costa Mesa triggered a 20-year war between its owner and the city

Problem Home, Chapter 2: A history of challenging local government

Problem Home, Chapter 3: The criminal tarp offender goes to court over weeds and lawn parking

Problem Home, Chapter 4: Phillip Richardsons crimes  continuing public nuisances  eventually land him in jail
It was 2005. An Orange County Superior Court judge had ordered Phillip Leland Richardson  convicted of using an illegal tarp to cover his belongings and allowing trash to gather on his lawn  to bring his home up to code within 30 days of his sentencing.

On Day 30, a code enforcement officer visited the home at 276 E. 19th St. in Costa Mesa. He reported seeing a car part, large water bottle, lawn mower, vacuum, corrugated panel, tools, a tire, discarded pots, construction cones, boat and Boogie board outside. The officer also reported tarps covering driveway items, on a motor home, and on items in the side yard.

After repeated visits that year, city officials were dissatisfied. They alleged that November that Richardson violated his probation. The citys contracted prosecutor, Dan Peelman, led the effort.

Richardson unsuccessfully asked the judge to dismiss the allegation while contesting a new one: his badly decayed roof shingles.

Richardson asserted City Hall made a beautification matter about health and safety concerns in order to overstep his property rights because Costa Mesa harbored insecurity issues. Its roofs were not as pretty as the roofs in Newport Beach.

Richardson told the court he wanted to add a second story, rendering moot the shingles complaint. In the back of his mind, he harbored aspirations of transforming his Costa Mesa home into something like the Beaufort Inn, a historic Victorian mansion in South Carolina.

His plea failed. The court determined he had violated probation and sentenced him to 90 days in jail and fines.

Richardson appealed, calling his punishment cruel and unusual. The court stayed his sentence until his appeal was settled.

Eventually, Richardson was let go on an unrelated technicality. In 2006, Peelman began prosecuting Benito Acosta, an Orange Coast College student and Latino activist arrested on suspicion of disrupting a Costa Mesa council meeting. But in that proceeding, a judge learned Peelman was never sworn in as a prosecutor. She considered the oversight a constitutional issue and threw the Acosta case out.

Appellate judges reviewing Richardsons case shared the same sentiment, so they threw out Peelmans case against Richardson.

Peelman, however, wasnt done. Weeks after the appellate ruling, in an email he laid out a plan to re-prosecute Richardson, essentially on similar allegations that had been overturned.

All is not lost, Peelman asserted.

Theyve got their man  or do they?

About three weeks later, a fresh code enforcement log on 276 E. 19th cited a deteriorated roof, as well as a dishwasher, stove, discarded bikes, pieces of cardboard and other items out front.

The case got off to a rocky start. In April 2009, the city ordered a Philip L. Richardson of Canoga Park, some 70 miles away, to bring the Costa Mesa home into compliance.

They had the wrong man. For months, the frustrated Canoga Park Richardson tried to convince City Hall of the mixup, noting he was a legally different person who spelled his first name with one L, not two.

The city didnt believe him. One official wrote back he had to prove he didnt own the house.

Eventually a code enforcement officer realized the mistake and, over the phone, apologized.

That August, Peelman filed a second criminal complaint against the correct Richardson. It alleged he illegally stored items in front of his house, which had a deteriorated roof and unkempt landscaping.

Richardson again defended himself in court. He sought a dismissal for what he deemed double jeopardy but was unsuccessful. A jury ended up convicting him on all charges.

This time, Peelman wanted Richardson in jail. He argued that he has shown no remorse for his conduct or the conditions of his property.

Richardson instead got probation, fines and an order to replace his roof and keep up with his yard.

He appealed but lost. Richardsons crimes, the judges ruled, were continuing public nuisances.

Payments and a day in jail

In 2011 and 2012, the city continued to inspect Richardsons house and take him to court for allegedly violating his probation.

In one complaint, sent in 2012, someone reported hoarding. Rats and insects had allegedly traveled from Richardsons house to the complainants property.

It is bad for the neighborhood and is a complete eyesore, the letter concluded.

Meanwhile, Richardson was paying his fine with $100 monthly installments, but sometimes he missed, and the court issued an arrest warrant. Then hed show up and pay.

Richardson didnt pay in August 2012, records show. Out went a warrant.

Richardson arrived in a Newport Beach courtroom the morning of Sept. 13, check in hand. That didnt appease Superior Court Judge Stephanie George. She ordered him arrested.

Richardson spent the day in the courthouse jail. Before the facility closed, he was escorted back into Georges courtroom, where he admitted violating probation. George applied his jail time and suspended his remaining fine balance.

The case was closed May 12, 2013.

Richardson thought it was over. It wasnt.

In Chapter 5, the city begins its fourth effort on the Richardson home since 2001 and moves in on his property.

bradley.zint@latimes.com

Twitter: @BradleyZint

ALSO

Problem Home, Chapter 1: How a little house in Costa Mesa triggered a 20-year war between its owner and the city

Problem Home, Chapter 2: A history of challenging local government

Problem Home, Chapter 3: The criminal tarp offender goes to court over weeds and lawn parking
Iranian voters delivered a decisive reelection victory to President Hassan Rouhani, endorsing his efforts to engage with the West and find a peaceful path out of diplomatic isolation, according to official results released Saturday.

The Iranian interior ministry announced that Rouhani won 56.9% of the votes cast in Fridays election compared with 38.6% for his closest rival, hard-line judge Ebrahim Raisi. Two other candidates also received votes.

Jubilant young supporters wearing green and purple headbands and scarves celebrated in the streets and sounded car horns in middle-class northern Tehran, a Rouhani stronghold.

Advertisement

With this election, the Iranian nation has announced that it wants to improve relations with the world based on mutual and national interests, Rouhani said in a speech on state television.

Today, the Iranian nation knows that it wants to follow a nonviolent path of engagement with the world.

By giving Rouhani a second four-year term, Iranian voters cemented their support for the 2015 nuclear agreement that Iran signed with six world powers, under which Tehran has curbed its uranium enrichment in exchange for an easing of international economic sanctions.

Although some Iranian hard-liners have criticized the deal because it has failed to bring immediate economic benefits to most people, Iranian voters have signaled in two consecutive national elections that they firmly support a diplomatic approach to resolving Irans international disputes. Rouhanis win follows last years parliamentary elections in which moderate and reformist candidates had their best showing in years.

But Rouhanis policy of conciliation faces a severe challenge from President Trump, who is considering toughening U.S. policy toward Iran. On Saturday, Trump began a visit to Saudi Arabia, Irans arch-rival, where he was due to sign a $100-billion arms sale agreement. Trump was next scheduled to visit Israel, another ally whose government views Iran as a disruptive force in the Middle East.

Iranians have once again endorsed a policy of dialogue with the West, but the question is if Trump will unclench his fist and embrace this window for diplomacy, said Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council, which advocates for better U.S.-Iran relations.

Rouhani won nearly 23 million votes, a strong improvement over the 18.6 million he garnered in 2013, signaling that he had broadened his support well beyond the young and educated urbanites who propelled him into office.

Despite some analysts fears that economic frustrations would depress voter turnout, 75% of eligible voters cast ballots. That continues a trend in Iran, where slates of candidates are determined by a 12-member Guardian Council but campaigning and voting are relatively free, and turnout has not dipped below 60% for a presidential election in 20 years.

The result was as much an endorsement of Rouhani  himself part of the clerical establishment  as a rebuke to Irans security establishment and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was widely believed to have backed Raisi. The previously little known judge was a lackluster candidate who promised cash handouts to the poor but was associated with the executions of thousands of political prisoners in the 1980s.

Whenever you give Iranian voters any space to choose, they will choose the most reformist-leaning candidate out there, said Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Middle East Institute.

Its not because Tehran folks think [Rouhani] is a democrat, but they happen to believe he is better than the alternative. You could not have picked a darker, more shadowy character than Raisi.

Whether Rouhani will be able to use his mandate to bring about further reforms remains to be seen. In the Islamic Republics theocratic system, the supreme leader has the final say on foreign policy matters, and conservative mullahs impose restrictions on what Iranians can wear and watch.

Under Rouhani, TV satellite dishes are more tolerated and the dress code for women has been somewhat relaxed, although headscarves remain mandatory. But he has failed to enact political reforms, such as gaining the release of three major opposition figures who have been under house arrest since the Green Movement protests of 2009.

Rouhani promised during the campaign that all the remaining economic sanctions against Iran  including some imposed by the U.S. because of Tehrans support for terrorism  would be lifted in his second term. He also called on Irans security forces, led by the shadowy and powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, to go back to the barracks  an implicit call to rein in their backing of militant groups in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and elsewhere.

He does not have a great deal of leverage or power to carry out everything he wants to carry out, said Misagh Parsa, a sociology professor at Dartmouth College and author of the 2016 book Democracy in Iran.

He told Iranians, I am going to get rid of all the sanctions, but his problem is the supreme leader has the final say. The supreme leader and hard-liners have been thriving since the [U.S.] hostage crisis and the Iran-Iraq war by instigating conflicts to promote national cohesion.

Some analysts said Rouhani would avoid a confrontation with Khamenei in part because he could be angling to succeed the ailing, 77-year-old supreme leader. Khamenei was a sitting president when he was selected to become Irans second supreme leader in 1989.

At 68, Rouhani may have improved his chances considerably over another contender for the leadership, Raisi.

Average Iranians have already said wed rather have you, and that is much more consequential in the long term for the Islamic revolution, Vatanka said.

Most Rouhani supporters were not thinking that far ahead.

The election campaign and todays victory have provided a window for the youth to express themselves and be happy at least for a few days, said Mostafa Hashemi, 31, celebrating in Tehran with a purple balloon in one hand and a firecracker in the other.

It is a refreshing break every four years, so who cares what the future will be. Seize the moment.

Special correspondent Mostaghim reported from Tehran and Times staff writer Bengali from Mumbai, India.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Follow @SBengali on Twitter for more news from South Asia

ALSO

Why Gulf Arab leaders are welcoming Trumps transactional foreign policy

Five things Americans should know about Irans upcoming presidential election

Some Saudis see Trumps visit as the chance for a crucial turning point in its relationship with the U.S.

UPDATES:

12:55 p.m.: This article has been updated throughout with more details, quotes and background.

2:45 a.m.: This article was updated with remarks from Irans interior minister.

This article was originally published at 1:04 a.m.
CVM opens probe after press reports that the company at the center of the latest corruption scandal bought "large quantities" of dollars in the currency markets
Moravian Academy students celebrated their prom Friday night at Hotel Bethlehem.

Scroll through the photos above, then click through the link below for more prom photos.

MORE PROM

Don't forget to check back to lehighvalleylive.com/prom for full coverage of the celebrations across our region.

SHARE YOUR PROM PHOTOS

Don't forget to tag @lehighvalleylive in your Instagram photos and @lehighvalley on Twitter - we'll highlight the best pics!

BUY THESE PHOTOS

Are you one of the people pictured at this prom? Want to buy the photo and keep it forever? Look for a link below the photo caption to order prints in a variety of sizes or products like shirts or coffee mugs.

Jim Deegan may be reached at jdeegan@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @jim_deegan. Find lehighvalleylive on Facebook.
Nazareth Area High School students celebrated their prom Friday night at the Palace Center in Allentown.

Scroll through the photos above, then click through the links below for plenty of more photos from this year:

MORE PROM

If these photos have you looking for more prom, check out the photos from last year.

Don't forget to check back to lehighvalleylive.com/prom for full coverage of the celebrations across our region.

SHARE YOUR PROM PHOTOS

Don't forget to tag @lehighvalleylive in your Instagram photos and @lehighvalley on Twitter - we'll highlight the best pics!

BUY THESE PHOTOS

Are you one of the people pictured at this prom? Want to buy the photo and keep it forever? Look for a link below the photo caption to order prints in a variety of sizes or products like shirts or coffee mugs.

Jim Deegan may be reached at jdeegan@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @jim_deegan. Find lehighvalleylive on Facebook.
A teenager who visited Bergen County from an unidentified foreign country earlier this month came down with measles - and may have exposed others to the highly contagious disease, the N. J. Department of Health warned late Friday.

The 16-year-old stayed at the Ramada Rochelle Park at 375 West Passaic St. in Bergen County. Hotel guests who were there May 12 through 11 a.m. May 13 may have been exposed to measles.

In addition, the teenager was hospitalized at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. There, exposure may have occurred to visitors who were there from 9 a.m. May 13 until 1 a.m. May 14, and again on May 15 from 3 to 5 p.m.



People who came in contact with this person could develop symptoms as late as June 5.



The hospital is now in the process of contacting individuals who may have been exposed.



Anyone who came in contact with the teenager could develop symptoms as late as June 5, state officials said.

Measles symptoms include rash, high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. It can cause serious complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis (swelling of the brain). Measles infection in a pregnant woman can lead to miscarriage, premature birth or a low-birth-weight baby. Measles is easily spread through the air when someone coughs or sneezes. People can also get sick when they come in contact with mucus or saliva from an infected person.



Anyone who has not been vaccinated or has not had measles is at risk if they are exposed.

Anyone who suspects they may have the measles should call ahead before visiting a doctor or clinic so that provisions can be made to lessen exposure to other patients as well as staff.

Measles remains a common disease in many parts of the world, including areas in Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and Africa. There were three cases reported in New Jersey in 2015, the last year for which statistics are available.

Although measles has technically been eradicated in the United States, dozens of cases are "imported" each year. Last year, 70 people in 16 different states came down with measles, and measles made headlines in 2015 when it was spread to visitors to Disneyland.

Kathleen O'Brien may be reached at kobrien@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @OBrienLedger. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
A tip from Facebook staff led authorities to a Pennsylvania man who was allegedly sharing child pornography through the site's messenger service, according to media reports.

William Garris Jr., 36, of East Stroudsburg, was arrested Friday at his Pocono Township job, where authorities with a warrant found videos and pictures on his phone -- some depicting children as young as 5, both WFMZ-TV and The Pocono Record report.

Garris is charged with disseminating and possessing child pornography and related counts, and was sent to the Monroe County jail in lieu of $50,000 bail, the reports say.

WFMZ reported that Facebook tipped off the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which forwarded the information to the Monroe County District Attorney's Office.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
UPDATE: Man shot by state troopers ID'd as 47-year-old

The man fatally shot by law enforcement Saturday morning was attempting to kill himself by lighting fireworks around his neck, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

Troopers were called to a single-family home on Good Road at the edge of Lower Mount Bethel Township for a report of a suicidal male who lived there, said Capt. Richard H. D'Ambrosio during a press conference Saturday evening. D'Ambrosio commands Troop M, which covers the Lehigh Valley.

The man was not there when police arrived, but called a family member as they spoke with the troopers -- he said that if police were called, he would blow himself up, D'Ambrosio said, reading from a prepared statement.

He drove to the home and troopers confronted him in the street, according to the statement. The man apparently had a device around his neck with a fuse attached, that was later determined to be a firework mortar.

Good road is closed off at Main Street in Lower Mount Bethel Township on May 20, 2017, as authorities investigate a reported police-involved shooting. (Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com)

State police say he refused orders to get on the ground. The troopers opened fire when he attempted to light the fuse.

A county dispatcher said state police called for EMS response at 10:11 a.m. The man was taken to St. Luke's Hospital in Bethlehem Township where he was pronounced dead.

The troopers were not injured and are on administrative leave as the Troop M major crime unit investigates, D'Ambrosio said.

"It's difficult" for the troopers, the commander said of the shooting. "They're doing the best they can."

Earlier Saturday, authorities had Good Road closed from both Main Street and Ackermanville Road, at the edge of the township.

Lines of police and emergency vehicles extended up the road, which is lined with white fences and sprawling fields from Saddle Valley Farm. Officials including state troopers could be seen up the road near a house, where police tape cordoned off a section of the road.

Horses wandered behind some of the fences as the investigation continued.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
The achievement of Abbeyleix in preserving its landscape is being honoured with the hosting of a big conference in the Laois town this summer.

National Landscape Forum 2017 is themed Local Communities their Landscape and is scheduled to take place in the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel in June.

Hosted by Landscape Alliance Ireland, the forum is said to mark a significant development in the evolution of the event with the organisers saying it is being hosted "by the dynamic, progressive community of Abbeyleix".

It is hoped the theme will facilitate an in-depth exploration of the interactive relationship between communities and their landscape. The organisers say it will explore the challenges faced in managing landscape responsibly, creatively and sustainably in the interests of achieving a high quality of life for present and future generations.

The organisers say Abbeyleix, its community and its hinterland will provide an "ideal, tangible living stage-set for the exercise".

The Abbeyleix Bog project was recently chosen as a top ten example of conservation in Ireland. The achievement and ongoing work is to be recognised in May when President Michael D Higgins visits as part of National Bio-Diversity Week.

The town's environment is a key part of the work carried out by Abbeyleix Tidy Towns. Landscape is to the fore in the committees entry to the European Entente Florale competition this month.

For further information contact: Terry ORegan, Landscape Alliance Ireland E terryjoregan@gmail.com, M 087 2407618, T 021 4871460

Landscape Alliance Ireland is supported by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Rural, Regional & Gaeltacht Affairs, The Heritage Council and Laois County Council.

For more on the Alliance and event check here

The conference takes place at the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel, Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd June.
A Laois secondary school student has won a big award at the prestigious Bord Gais Energy Student Theatre Awards.

Liam Oxley, of Heywood Community School, was voted Best Male Performance in a Leading Role for his part in the musical 'Little Shop of Horrors' which was staged in the school last November.

The play itself was also shortlisted for Best Musical in the awards which were announced last week.

As part of the shortlisting, the school was invited to perform an extract from their show in the Bord Gais Theatre in front of a live audience of students from across Ireland. Only four schools nationwide made the shortlist. Niall Mulpeter was the Heywood CS production's Musical Director.

Liam was nominated for for his portrayal of the hapless shopkeeper Seymour Krelborn.

When I got the news I was overcome with shock. I never imagined that I would be shortlisted for such a prestigious award," Liam told the Leinster Express after being nominated for the award.

Thomas Dunne, a 3rd year at St Mary's CBS Portlaoise, was also nominated in the Best Short Scene Script category for his play titled The Wedding Van.

The Laois finalists attended the Oscars style awards ceremony, on May 17 in the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, hosted by a special guest MC.

All shortlisted schools will receive their own plaque and a group school photo at the ceremony in honour of their achievement.

The awards were hosted by RTE 2FM presenter Eoghan McDermott. More than 1,700 primary and secondary school students representing 63 schools from across Ireland attended. They were entertained by The Strypes!

The Awards were set up by Bord Gais Energy to recognise and reward participation in the dramatic arts in schools around Ireland. This year, 2,616 entries were received from a record 309 primary and secondary schools.

Special guests at the Awards ceremony included members of the Bord Gais Energy Student Theatre Awards judging panel; actor and author Amy Huberman, Dancing with the Stars runner-up Aoibhin Garrihy, best-selling novelist Sinead Moriarty, writer and storyteller Dave Rudden; Bord Gais Energy Theatre Manager Stephen Faloon and Bord Gais Energy sponsorship programme manager Tanya Townsend.

Open to primary school pupils from 3rd  6th class and all secondary school students, the Awards featured 12 categories including performance and production categories such as Best Overall School Musical, Best Costumes, and Best Performance in a Leading Role to written categories such as Best Dramatic Review and Best Short Scene Script. A new category, Best Original Production, was also added to the 2017 Awards in appreciation of the exceptional quality of original productions entered in 2016.

Commenting on the Awards, Dave Kirwan Managing Director, Bord Gais Energy said: We set up these Awards four years ago to recognise and reward the incredible effort that goes into schools drama all around Ireland at both primary and secondary level. Today was about celebrating all the hard work that the students, teachers and parents put into schools drama whether it is acting, writing or directing.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of our winners today and everyone who entered this years Awards  the talent, creativity and enthusiasm shown by students, teachers and parents has been exceptional!

Bord Gais Energy will be announcing dates for the 2018 Bord Gais Energy Student Theatre Awards in the coming months. Schools who wish to enter next years awards can register their interest on bgesta.ie.

Dont miss out!
Having excelled in the commercial tile supply business, a Newbridge father and daughter team have now set out to conquer the domestic market.

Brian Cornally and his daughter Laura recently opened the Newbridge Tile Store showrooms in the Courtyard Shopping Centre (beside the Zipyard).

The pair decided to use their expertise on major projects to help homeowners on their own renovation projects and new builds.

A native of Piercetown, Brian is involved in Newbridge Drama Group and Moorefield GAA club. His dad, John is very well known in the town and used to run greyhounds at Newbridge Greyhound Stadium.

I found a lot of people were coming up to me asking me if we had tiles for their bathroom or kitchen, so we decided to open up a showroom in Newbridge, he said.

Don't get me wrong. It's been tough, but we are working very hard and it's early days.

Back in the boom, there were four tile shops in Newbridge, but all unfortunately closed.

Having amassed 35 years in the flooring industry, Brian spotted an opening for a new store.

His daughter Laura previously worked for Kilkenny for three years.

Despite being only a small business, Brian has managed to secure some major contracts including the supply of tiles for the 17m Munster Rugby High Performance Centre and 25m diving pool at the University of Limerick.

He also was awarded a contract for the Hilton Hotel in Dublin, some of the McDonalds' franchises and Butlers Chocolates.

It's hard for small businesses out there. I started up the business when I became unemployed and the Kildare Leadership programme really helped me. I don't think a lot of people would be in business if it wasn't for Kildare Leader. I found them a huge support, he said.
A number of Athgarvan residents are concerned about the future development of Athgarvan without an integrated approach being in place.

Two significant planning applications have recently been lodged for the heart of the village.

The Athgarvan Development Committee is seeking an urgent meeting with the County Councillors, planners, the developers, existing shopowners and representatives from Athgarvan to ensure there is an integrated approach versus mutually exclusive developments being allowed to take place.

The Development Committee said; while the local community welcomes the clean up of the derelict site at the crossroads, it also welcomes further discussion with the County Councillors and the planners involved. And how will it complement/contrast with the development at the Athgarvan Inn.

The group pointed out there is no integrated plan as such for Athgarvan.

At the moment it can barely cope with the traffic, lack of parking and turning facilities. Yet we now have two developments in for consideration from opposing developers both offering an array of housing, shops and offices, it said.

Athgarvan is primarily a commuter town. The majority of the population works elsewhere. It begs the question why we need a further eight shops. If you look at nearby Two Mile House the retail outlets are empty except for one.

In nearby Brownstown a row of shops and apartments are also idle.

The group asks; So where is the logic and prudent planning in this situation? How will the planners develop the town as a whole?

The community requested and were advised that an architect would be appointed to formulate an integrated approach to the development of the two Town Centres. Where is this person?

The group pointed out that while it may be argued there is a need for housing in Ireland at the moment, it believes this also needs to be balanced with existing homes, and the proven need for shops and facilities.
Vince Cable wrote an interesting article in City Am last week about the imminent appearance (on polling day, of all days) of Fred Goodwin, the former head of RBS in a court case brought by 9000 retail investors.

Goodwin, alongside RBS itself and several other former executives at the bank, are defendants in a case brought against them by 9,000 retail investors, including many current RBS employees. The trial starts in less than two weeks (22 May) and Goodwin will be called to the stand after the opening remarks. The claimants allege they were wilfully misled over the true financial woes of RBS during the 12bn rights issue of 2008, which was supposed to stabilise the bank. Within months, RBS had to be rescued by the government, which spent 45.5bn of taxpayer money to stop it from collapsing.

Vince notes that Goodwins defence is being publicly funded and he still enjoys a lucrative RBS pension:

Goodwin has spent the past seven years hiding from a public still furious that his dreadful calls  notably the 2007 purchase of Dutch bank ABN Amro  helped bring Britains economy to its knees. He left RBS in 2009 and was later stripped of his knighthood. But he has never been properly taken to task for his failures. This is ironic given he would surely never have been so lenient on his own enemies, reportedly keeping Freds black book filled with names of executives who had angered him. He couldnt tolerate alleged failures by his own staff, berating them for using Sellotape or offering him the wrong type of biscuit. In exile, he has had a 342,500 RBS pension to keep him company. The bank is still 72 per cent-owned by the government, so the taxpayer is funding his lifestyle. Whats more, were funding most of Goodwins defence. The legal bill for Goodwin and his fellow accused executives was estimated at 6.5m last year, with RBS picking up the tab. The bank will have spent more than 125m on this case when the trial ends later this year  one of the biggest fees in British legal history.

He argues that the Treasury should have settled this case before it came to court to avoid both unnecessary expenditure and the potential further damage to RBS that could result:

Whatever the merits of the case, we should be grateful to the claimants  thousands of ordinary men and women  who have finally forced Goodwin out of hiding. But for RBSs own sake, this trial could and should have been avoided.

You can read the whole article here.

* Newshound: bringing you the best Lib Dem commentary in print, on air or online.
Scottish Liberal Democrat general election campaign chair Alex Cole-Hamilton and young activists will be outside the U.K. Green Investment Bank headquarters in Edinburgh where Alex will call on young voters to register before Mondays deadline so that they can have a say in their future

He will declare that only the Liberal Democrats are making the steps necessary to leave behind a green legacy for future generations.

Leaving a sustainable legacy for our children is the most important task of this current generation and both UK and Scottish Government have failed in that task. The Conservatives dont care for the environment and the selling off of the Green Investment Bank is just one example of the UK Government rolling back progress made by the Liberal Democrats and neglecting the needs of future generations. Meanwhile the reckless cut to Air Passenger Duty by the SNP will only further pollute our air. While the Conservatives continue to put forward a cold and mean-spirited vision of Britain, Liberal Democrats are committed to seeing a better future where we leave behind a world that is sustainable and green for our children and I urge those that want to see a greener future to vote Liberal Democrats.

Liberal Democrats take very seriously the responsibility of looking after our planet for future generations. There are also many other reasons for young people to choose the Liberal Democrats. Having a say on the Brexit deal is a big one. As is restoring their right to Housing Benefit and our plans to invest in education and mental health. Those 18 year olds who didnt get a say in the EU referendum have a powerful reason to vote for us.

If you are reading this and you havent registered to vote, please do so here by Mondays deadline.
AROUND 1,600 social houses are to be rolled out across Limerick over the next four years, it has emerged.

Briefing members of the Metropolitan District this week, Seamus Hanrahan, senior executive architect with Limerick City and County Council, says it is anticipated that almost two thirds of the units will be new builds while the remainder will be provided in others ways.

Details of the plans have been included in the Governments Rebuilding Ireland progamme which is set to run between 2018 and 2021.

In addition to new builds, Mr Hanrahan said other units will be delivered through Approved Housing Bodies or through buy-to-rent schemes.

All of the units, he said, will be additional to those provided through the regeneration programme which is ongoing in certain parts of the city.

Answering questions from councillors, Mr Hanrahan said the figures in the plan have been extrapolated from national targets set by the government.

He said 79% of the current demand for social housing in Limerick comes from the Metropolitan area but that there is also significant demand in locations such as Newcastle West and in Castleconnell.

Cllr Cian Prendiville the plan sounds good and is good spin but will not address the current housing crisis. He also expressed concerns that the local authority is considering a public-private-partnership model to develop some council-owned sites in the city.

While welcoming the plans, Cllr Seighin O Ceallaigh said they are inadequate and will not get anywhere near solving the crisis.

Former Mayor of Limerick, Cllr John Gilligan, said he was concerned that the new houses will be allocated to people who have previously been moved as part of the regeneration programme while the housing waiting list continues to grow.

All we are doing is moving people around, we are doing nothing to increase the housing stock  its a bit like your gross wage versus your net wage, he said.

A number of councillors expressed concern that the majority of the new housing units will be developed in the greater city area while others said they were concerned that the local authority is competing against first time buyers when acquiring properties.

In response, Mr Hanrahan said while the council viewed around 300 properties last year it bought just 50 and did not pursue the purchase of others.

We pull out if we are up against a first time buyer or if the property is not vacant, he said.

Cllr James Collins said the current crisis is because demand is exceeding supply in many areas which has also resulted in rental costs spiralling in recent months.

He said more needs to be done to increase supply and he urged council management to look at ways of freeing-up residential-zoned sites which have not been developed for a variety of reasons.

During Mondays meeting, Mr Hanrahan confirmed he expects the Dooradoyle/Raheen area will be added to the list of Rent Pressure Zones in the coming months.
FOUR women have been presented with awards at this years Limerick Women in Business awards evening for their roles in local business.

Thirteen finalists were shortlisted for the Network Ireland Limerick Business Women of the Year Awards, sponsored by Local Enterprise Office Limerick and AIB, which took place on Wednesday, May 10 at No 1 Pery Square.

Rachel Walsh of Discover Digital won the emerging new business award. The employee award went to Rachel Leahy of Cube Printing. Valerie Dolan, Dolans Pub & Restaurant, won the arts category, while Bernie Carroll of Students Programme Ireland Ltd won the SME award.

The winners of each award category will now go on to the national finals for Network Ireland in October in Wicklow.

Throughout the year we support the personal and professional development of our members so its great to have an opportunity to recognise their achievements, ambition and professionalism, said Edwina Gore, president of Network Ireland Limerick, at the ceremony.

Our network is growing rapidly and its fantastic to see such a wide variety of businesses represented. I hope our winners and finalists really benefit from the recognition they are receiving by being part of these awards.

I would like to especially thank the support of our sponsors, LEO Limerick and AIB, and judges who made this fantastic evening possible, added Ms Gore.

Winner of the emerging new business prize, Rachel Walsh, created Discover Digital in 2016 after noticing how small businesses could save money by using digital marketing channels to reach their customers. Her company specialises in digital strategy, execution and training.

Meanwhile, winner of the employee award Rachel Leahy undertook a complete rebranding of Cube Printing following her marketing degree at LIT.

Arts award winner Valerie Dolan bought what is now known as Dolans Pub & Restaurant with her husband in 1994, turning it into a brand that has become famous for live music.

And SME award winner Bernie Carroll identified a gap in the market and set up Student Programmes Ireland Ltd. She saw European students coming to Ireland to improve their English language learning skills, and realised that families and schools could greatly benefit from tailor made programmes.

The awards night was opened by special guest speaker Shauna Keogh, an Emmy-nominated film producer and director of docu-drama series.

Take risks. There are times when you doubt yourself, but have belief and make sure you have the right people around you, she said.
THE BATH versus shower debate and running the dishwasher without a full load are just two of the research areas investigated by a group of Limerick students who have scooped a top prize in a national competition.

Students from St Patricks NS in Bruree were awarded for their work on their project Saighdiuiri Uisce at the Sustainable Energy Authority of Irelands (SEAI) One Good Idea final at Croke Park this Tuesday.

They were one of six teams to reach the final of the competition which tasked students with forming creative solutions to climate change.

The students from third class focused on educating people on water waste and impressed the judges with creative, but simple ways of conserving water. They had a slogan Dont use water in haste, think about waste.

They went around to the classes telling them different ways that they could save water or waste less water, explained Karen Murnane, third class teacher. They wrote a puppet show, they made a film, they made a board game and posters. We had a page on the school website. They put a tip per day on the school website, she added.

The team - Sonny McCartan, Chloe OShea, Rachel Lyons, Gemma Lynch, Grace Weaver and Kayla McGrath  travelled to Croke Park for the final along with their parents, fellow third class pupils, as well as school principal Jimmy Woulfe, teacher Lauren Birmingham and SNA Eileen OConnell.

Over 350 campaigns were submitted to this years competition.

We got a lovely trophy, each of the children got a tablet computer and we got 1,500 for the school, said Ms Murnane.

The AIB Special Merit Award which was presented to the team from CBS, Colaiste Mhichil in Limerick for their campaign Cleaner Better Savings.
IRISH Cement has moved to reassure Mungret residents no burning of rubber material is currently taking place at its factory.

As part of future plans, the company is seeking to phase out the use of petroleum coke, and use rubber tyres and solid recovered waste. The firms licence application  which has caused concern in many quarters  is currently before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Claire Keating, the chairperson of neighbouring Sli na Manach residents association, said many parents in Mungret park complained of a smell of rubber allegedly emanating from the plant.

She said Limerick Against Pollution  the group set up in opposition to Irish Cements plans  had received reports that Irish Cement has already started tests of rubber at the plant.

But a spokesperson for the firm has issued a firm denial of this, saying: Irish Cement can categorically state there is no burning of any rubber material taking place at the Mungret factory at the present time.

"The company is not currently licensed for such activity and it would therefore be inappropriate and would go against the terms of the industrial emissions licence under which the factory currently operates.

Separately, it has also emerged this week that three real-time air monitors have been installed to measure the emissions coming from Irish Cements plant.

One has been erected in OConnell Street, one in Castletroy and one beside the plant in Mungret.

All this comes against the backdrop of a public meeting next Monday night in which Sinn Fein MEP Liadh Ni Riada will outline the avenues of appeal residents have through the European Union.

The meeting, which kicks off at 7.30pm in the South Court Hotel, will look at options of European intervention.

Cllr Cian Prendiville has also criticised the environmental regulator after it emerged Irish Cement will be asked to inspect its own premises.

Even though this is standard procedure, Cllr Prendiville wants the EPA to instead carry out an independent probe.

It is the same type of light-touch, self-regulation that we saw in the banks before the crash. Lets not forget that Irish Cement originally completely denied the dust emission was anything to do with them, it was only after the community proved the dust came from their factory that they admitted it, he said.
A RUGBY supporter appeared to be removed from his seat at Thomond Park during this Saturday's PRO 12 semi-final- minutes after Osprey's out-half Dan Biggar was heckled while kicking a penalty - for the second time.

A steward and a member of an Garda Siochana could be seen speaking with the man for several minutes before he left his seat in the upper-deck of the East Stand.

Biggar was heckled twice during the first half resulting in the stadium announcer appealing for supporters to remain silent as is the age-old tradition at Thomond Park.

Thousands of fans cheered as the man was led from his seat while one spectator who contacted the Limerick Leader said: People were disgusted. They were shouting out out out at the man in question.

It is not known if the man was allowed to remain in the stadium after he left his seat.

It is believed he was cautioned by gardai but not arrested.

On the pitch, Munster beat the Welsh club 23-3 to set up a final at Dublins Aviva Stadium next weekend against the Scarlets.
Recently, marches erupted all over the country to celebrate science, protest science denial and cynically call proposed cuts in federally funded research an impending disaster -- despite the fact that R&D has never had more money in American history.

In the interest of this concern for science and truth seeking, I would like to critically examine a policy prescription from Montanas Democratic candidate for U.S. House, Rob Quist.

In an attempt to defend the Obama-era EPAs Clean Power Plan, Quist advocated replacing Colstrip's coal-fired power plants with so-called green technology sources.

This comment has gone critically unexamined so far, so thats where the science comes in.

Colstrip, one of the largest coal-fired plants in the West, produces 2,094 megawatts of electricity. One square meter of industrial solar panel produces 15 watts, and that number assumes average sunlight conditions across the United States. Colstrip, in southeastern Montanas Rosebud County, is likely in the lower end of that spectrum.

To replace all units at Colstrip (which has a footprint of about 3.4 square miles), you would need a solar farm covering roughly 54 square miles. The largest solar farm in the world is a bit larger than 10 square miles and produces 850 megawatts of power.

Now here are some of the policy implications.

Quist is endorsing a proposal to spend your tax dollars  I think that we need to subsidize companies like these, he told MTPR -- to build a solar farm five times the size of the worlds largest existing facility simply to match the current daily output from Colstrip. The Chinese spent about $898 million to build their 10-square mile farm. Even a quick back of the napkin calculation tells us that building one five times as large in Montana would cost many billions more.

The fact is, Quist cant really tell us how much a mega-project like converting Colstrip to solar or wind would cost, because its a fantasy to begin with. Even if he could give us an estimate, it would only serve to illustrate how expensive  and what a hugely consumptive use of land  such a project would be.

That cost estimate doesnt even consider important questions: What do we do if its cloudy? Do Montanans, Oregonians and Washingtonians have to go without lights and heat when it snows? Battery storage at this scale is nowhere close to being economically feasible. Instead, natural gas power plants could be used as a backup for wind and solar for the six months of the year when we are covered in snow -- but why do that when we have a cheap, plentiful and reliable source of energy already there and functioning?

And while conversions to solar and wind are always sold as environmentally friendly, never do supporters talk about the degradation wrought by their pet projects, including: the environmental impact of all that rare-material mining needed to build more solar panels; the unforeseen costs to plants and wildlife with 54 square miles of shade where there use to be sunlight; and the impact on local bird populations if we replaced Colstrip with wind farms.

Taking this unserious policy recommendation seriously raises genuinely serious implications for the economic well-being of Montanans, who would see their electric and tax bills increase massively and 54 square miles of land used up for what currently produces more reliable power at 5 square miles.

The radical environmental movement, which supports plans like the one proposed by Rob Quist, is always ready to point out the costs and risks of hydrocarbon energy. Rarely do they want to talk about the costs and risks of their favored alternatives, particularly in relationship to the often-invisible benefits.

The bottom line is that Quists proposal would use in the neighborhood of 15 times more land to produce the same amount of less reliable power, while having almost no effect on the goal of reducing global temperatures. The entire Clean Power Plan would reduce global temperatures only 0.009C by the year 2100  a change undetectable by modern equipment and that would have no discernible effect on human existence, according to the EPAs own climate model.

I dont know about you, but from where I am standing, these costs simply dont justify these benefits. Montanans cant afford what Rob Quist is selling with this idea.

David Herbst is the state director for the Montana chapter of Americans for Prosperity.
The graceful whale swims by undulating its wide tail up and down. And so does the shark, right?

Wrong.

Like other fish, sharks swim by moving their tails side to side. So, why do these two marine creatures  the shark and the whale  swim in such different ways? [What's the World's Largest Whale?]

Whales move their tails up and down because they evolved from mammals about 50 million years ago, said Kenneth Lacovara, a professor of paleontology and geology and the dean of the School of Earth & Environment at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey.

"When quadrupedal [four-legged] mammals run, their spine flexes up and down," Lacovara told Live Science. Whales retained this anatomy, which allows them to gallop underwater, so to speak, Lacovara said.

The oldest known relation in the modern whale lineage is Pakicetus attocki, a four-legged, wolf-size mammal that likely had webbed feet. P. attocki lived on the edges of a shallow ocean and chowed down on fish about 50 million years ago, Live Science previously reported.

As evolution progressed, the lineage that led to whales became more, for lack of a better term, whale-like. For instance, the 35-million-year-old Basilosaurus lived in the water and measured about 60 feet (18 meters) long, as long as a bowling lane. However, the animal still had tiny, dog-size hind limbs, a remnant of its quadrupedal past, according to PastTime.org.

"[The limbs] were on their way to becoming vestigial appendages," Lacovara said. But, even as these vestigial limbs disappeared, whales were "retaining that same musculature that they got from their quadrupedal ancestors," he said.

On the other hand, because sharks are fish, they move their tales back and forth. Even when fish first ventured onto land, they still moved in a side-to-side motion. For example, the 375-million-year-old Tiktaalik roseae, the first fish thought to venture out of the water, likely moved in a side-to-side motion, Lacovara said.

In fact, many modern reptiles, such as lizards and snakes, still move in a side-to-side shimmy. As ancient animals evolved, some developed an up-and-down motion as their muscles and bones changed over time, Lacovara said.

This change didn't affect every animal, however. For instance, the mosasaur, an ancient sea reptile that lived during the dinosaur age, swam with a side-to-side stroke, even though its ancestors once lived on land. "Their ancestors probably hadn't shed that side-to-side motion" while they were terrestrial, Lacovara said.

In contrast, dinosaurs developed an up-and-down step, which is part of the reason for their success, as it helped them move faster than their lizard-like reptilian ancestors and crocodilian cousins, Lacovara said. Dinosaurs didn't move like lizards at all, he said. Rather, their limbs were under their bodies, "more like a horse than like a lizard, and their feet were hinged for straight-ahead motion."

However, for movement in the water, neither the side-to-side nor the up-and-down motion seems to offer an obvious advantage, Lacovara said. If one of those options were superior, there would be an evolutionary pressure to change, and there isn't an "evolutionary pressure to switch from an up-and-down motion to side-to-side motion [or vice versa]," he said.

Original article on Live Science.
The redness of a sunburn comes from the body flooding the area with blood to treat the damage and from inflammation of the skin.

Though sunburn is often laughed off as a side effect of a leisurely visit to the beach or the pool, it can be quite serious. In the United States, over 5.4 million cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer are treated each year and 90 percent of these cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Causes

Sunburns all start with melanin and UV rays. The UV rays found in sunlight and tanning beds damage the skin by damaging the DNA inside of cells. Once the DNA is damaged, the cell usually dies. Melanin is the skin's defense against this damage.

When the skin is exposed to the sun, it makes more melanin to protect the skin's lower layers from damage. As the skin becomes damaged, it produces even more melanin. The extra melanin causes some people to become a darker color, or tan. Other people turn red, which is a sign of a sunburn. The redness of a sunburn comes from the body flooding the area with blood to treat the damage and from inflammation of the skin.

"Melanin is a natural sunscreen," said Gary Chuang, an assistant professor of dermatology at Tufts University School of Medicine. "When your body senses sun damage, what it does is, it starts sending out melanin into surrounding cells and tries to protect them and shield them from getting more damage." [Science of Summer: What Causes Sunburns?]

To protect the skin, the melanin absorbs the UV light. Then, it disperses it as heat.

Melanin is also what makes people have light or dark skin. People with light skin have very little melanin while people with dark skin have a lot of melanin. How long a person spends in the sun, combined with their skin type, determines if and when a person burns. Darker people don't sunburn because they have more natural sunscreen than those with less melanin.

Dermatologists use the Fitzpatrick Scale to determine a person's risk of sunburn by their skin type, according to Dr. Sharad P. Paul. Paul is a skin cancer specialist, skincare expert, evolutionary biologist, author and an adjunct professor at Auckland University of Technology.

Here is how the Fitzpatrick Scale works:

Type 1 skin always burns and never tans, which is typical of redheads and platinum blondes. These people can spend a maximum time of 67 minutes, unprotected, in the sun divided by the UV index at that time. So, if the UV index is 12, the person can spend 5.85 minutes in the sun, unprotected, before burning.

Type 2 skin burns easily, but tans with difficulty. This is usually typical of blondes and those who are blue-eyed. Skin type 2 can spend a maximum time of 100 minutes divided by the UV index in the sun without burning.

Type 3 skin rarely burns and tans easily. This skin type usually belongs to those with brown or black hair and those with brown eyes. Skin type 3 can spend a maximum of 200 minutes divided by the UV index in the sun without burning.

Type 4 skin burns sometimes and tans easily. These people are usually of Mediterranean, Spanish or Indian decent. Skin type 4 can spend a maximum time 300 minutes divided by the UV index in the sun without burning.

Type 5 skin is dark brown and never burns, but tans easily. This is typical of darker Indian skin and some North African skin.

Type 6 is skin that has a lot of melanin and does not burn. This skin also tans easily, though it is hard to see since the skin is already so dark.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a sunburn, which typically start a few hours after exposure, include hot, pink or red skin that can be tender to the touch. Some swelling may also occur. In severe cases, the person may experience headache, fever, fatigue and chills, according to the Mayo Clinic.

In second-degree burns, the skin may form liquid-filled boils as a way to cool down the area. "If the blisters cover a large area, such as the entire back, or you have chills, a headache or a fever, seek immediate medical care," Dr. Delphine J. Lee, a dermatologist at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, told Live Science.

Symptoms of sunburn can last for days as the skin repairs. The worse the burn, the longer the healing will take. Typically, a sign that the end is near is the damaged areas peeling and falling off.

Sunburn doesn't only happen to skin, though. Eyes can also be sunburned. Sunburned eyes often feel gritty or painful, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Treatment

Treatment should start as soon as the person realizes they are burnt. "First, stop further ultraviolet light exposure by getting out of the sun," said Lee. Staying out of the sun while the burn heals is also important.

Lee also advises soaking in cool water to help reduce skin temperature and help soothe the skin. After soaking, pat the skin dry with a towel, but leave some water on the skin. Then apply a moisturizer to trap the last few water molecules remaining on the skin. This will help prevent dryness, which can cause more discomfort. Do not peel the skin off as the sunburn heals. Let the dead skin fall off naturally. A hydrocortisone cream from the drugstore can help ease discomfort.

Over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin or ibuprofen can help reduce swelling, redness and discomfort. "Be sure to ask your board-certified dermatologist if you have other medical conditions or are unsure of the proper dose of these medications," said Lee.

It is also important drink extra water to prevent dehydration, since the sunburn draws fluid to the skin surface and away from the rest of the body.

Prevention

"The best way to approach a sunburn is to prevent it," said Lee. To prevent sunburns, Lee suggests avoiding the sun by seeking shade (especially when the sun's rays are the strongest from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), cover up with sun-protective clothing and a hat and wear sunscreen. "A shot glass (1 ounce) of sunscreen is an adequate amount to be used when most of your skin is exposed while wearing a swimsuit and should be reapplied every two hours," said Lee.

Sun-protective swimwear and UV blocking tint on car and home windows can also prevent unintentional burns. These can be particularly helpful for those who easily burn.

Sunglasses that block 100 percent of UV rays is key to preventing eye burn and damage to the eye.

Don't think that clouds prevent sunburns. Eighty percent of the UV rays still get through the clouds, so protection is needed on those days, too, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Also, be especially careful around ice, snow and water, as they can reflect sunlight. Snow can actually double a person's exposure to UV rays, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Additional resources
Victims don't usually loom large in true-crime stories. "Serial," which kicked off the current boom, didn't leave a lasting impression of Baltimore teenager Hae Min Lee, who was killed in 1999. The podcast was really about whether the man found guilty of her murder, Adnan Syed, had been wrongfully convicted.

The same goes for HBO's "The Jinx," which was more interested in the bizarre, sinister Robert Durst than the people he allegedly killed. Viewers might not even recall the name of the dead woman at the center of Netflix's "Making a Murderer," but they'll certainly remember Steven Avery, who's sitting in jail for her death. (It was Teresa Halbach, by the way.)

That all changes with "The Keepers," Netflix's new docuseries, which started streaming Friday. The dead still can't speak for themselves. But there are victims who give voice to horrific stories.

The ads for the series focus on the murder of a nun and teacher, Catherine Cesnik, who disappeared in November 1969. Her bludgeoned body was found a couple months later at a garbage dump not far from her Baltimore apartment. In Episode 2, however, "The Keepers" reveals that it isn't just about Cesnik. It's as much about one of her students at Archbishop Keough High School, Jean Wehner.

Wehner is the heart of the series, elevating it from a typical titillating whodunit to a devastating drama that will haunt viewers long after they've binged the seven installments. Now in her 60s, Wehner is blonde and freckled, with an open, welcoming demeanor that's all the more astounding considering everything she's been through: As a student at Keough, she was routinely sexually abused by the school's chaplain, Joseph Maskell, and his associates, including another priest, police officers and local businessmen.

A devout Catholic and an innocent teen, Wehner believed that the nightmare was penance for what Maskell told her was a sin: the fact that her uncle had abused her as a young child.

At the time, Wehner assumed that she was the only one the priest was assaulting. She wasn't - but she kept it to herself, with one exception. When Cesnik asked if Maskell was making her do things she didn't want to do, the girl responded with a silent nod.

Wehner buried her experience for decades, but the memories resurfaced in the early 1990s. During that time, she had another recollection: Maskell taking her to see Cesnik's body and telling her she'd be next if she talked. Once the memories came back, Wehner went to the Baltimore Archdiocese, but when the church failed to acknowledge her ordeal, she initiated a lawsuit under the name Jane Doe in 1994. She and another woman were thwarted, however, by the Maryland statute of limitations. Meanwhile, the Catholic Church's lawyers cast doubts on the veracity of Wehner's resurfaced memories.

Filmmaker Ryan White ("The Case Against 8") directed the series, and he found Wehner through his aunt, another Keough alumni.

"I keep describing her as honest, and it's an ironic adjective because this is a woman who has been doubted her entire life," White said. "But if you sit down with her for a few hours, you realize how honest and raw she is."

The narrative is also told from the perspective of two other Keough alums who were Cesnik's students, Gemma Hoskins and Abbie Schaub. The pair, who hadn't known about the abuse, have become amateur sleuths late in life, trying to get to the bottom of a murder that police had once abandoned. (Since the series was filmed, Baltimore County Police have returned to the case, even exhuming the remains of Maskell, who died in 2001, to see if his DNA matched what was found at the scene of the murder; it didn't.)

"I knew when I met Abbie and Gemma that that was cinematic gold," White said. "It was such a fresh way of accessing a mystery like this - through the (point of view) of the victim's students who cared very deeply for her and were saying this isn't too late."

Former students, not to mention Cesnik's closest friend and her younger sister, speak at length about the magnetic, beloved nun. The series includes audio of Cesnik reading a poem she wrote and excerpts from intensely personal letters.

But Wehner still has an outsize impact on the story, if only because she's such an anomaly. Survivors of sexual abuse rarely open up about their ordeals, so it's startling and awe-inspiring to watch someone speak so frankly in front of a camera. White knew that part of the story might be too much for some viewers to handle. True-crime fans can enjoy watching murder mysteries, perhaps in part because they can separate themselves from a victim who's not usually presented as a three-dimensional character.

"But it's a lot harder - and I've experienced this firsthand - to look at and talk about child sex abuse," he said.

White left out certain details he thought would be too wrenching. He also included Wehner in the editing process to some extent. In one of the show's many gut-punching moments, the woman reads from a letter she wrote to the Baltimore Archdiocese in the 1990s, detailing one of the awful ways Maskell abused her. Afterward, she begins sobbing. White knew that was a powerful moment, but he wouldn't use it unless Wehner gave the OK.

"Contractually, once you film with someone you can use whatever's on camera, but it was important for me to get her blessing," he said. "I knew it was going to be painful for her and her family to watch, so I explained to her what I thought the importance of that was and she 100 percent agreed, which I think is so brave."

Wehner's courage is one of the lasting impressions of "The Keepers." After years of being silenced and doubted, her forthcoming attitude comes off as nothing less than heroic. Her candor could have positive effects for sexual abuse victims who are on the fence about telling their own stories. Scott Berkowitz, the president of RAINN, an anti-sexual-violence group, says that whenever pop culture or high-profile cases shed light on abuse, the organization sees an uptick in calls to its sexual assault hotline. After producers of "The Keepers" reached out to the organization a few weeks ago, the hotline staff received extra training.

"I think that it may have a really significant impact," Berkowitz said of the docuseries. "We're expecting this will generate a lot of calls by viewers who want to talk about their own experience, many of whom will have kept it to themselves for many years."

"The Keepers" also takes a detour into the recent successful fight in Maryland to extend the statute of limitations for children who endured sexual abuse (they used to have until age 25; now it's 38). The ringleader of that bill was Del. C.T. Wilson, D-Charles, whose adoptive father abused him.

"I was dreading this day," Wilson said of the release of "The Keepers." He's told his story many times before, but never so publicly. Even though he's received thousands of letters from victims thanking him for opening up about his suffering, the humiliation he feels has never receded.

"Every time I've tried to tell my story, it's because I just wanted people to not feel like they were alone," he said. "That was the biggest issue with me - just feeling like I was the only one."

All the victims in "The Keepers" exude a fierceness as they finally get to tell their stories after realizing that others endured the same sick cruelty.

Toward the end of the series, Wehner learns a bombshell about the church's complicity in her suffering. After letting an expletive fly, she closes her eyes and collects herself. Later, she pours herself a big glass of red wine.

"Some part of this is really squelching people's righteous anger and people's need to make things public," she says while standing in her kitchen. "Stop acting like we're invisible. We're not invisible."
A gleaming episode from the San Antonio Symphonys long-ago history rematerialized Friday night.

A young Spanish guitarist named Angel Romero recorded Joaquin Rodrigos Concierto de Aranjuez with the San Antonio Symphony in November 1967 at Municipal Auditorium, now the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, a record that endures on compact disc.

Romero returned Friday night with the symphony for another Rodrigo concerto, Fantasia para un gentilhombre, or Fantasy for a Gentleman.

The same poetic sound, the magisterial guitar playing, the gossamer strings, the hint of flamenco and the glistening woodwinds reappeared like magic from 50 years ago.

Rodrigos melodies are simple but heartfelt and wistful. They speak of peace and romance. Romeros performance was nothing if not authentic. After all, Rodrigo was practically a member of the Romero family when Angel Romero was a little boy.

After the concerto, Romero told the audience of about 1,200 people the story of how his parents met in Spain. He then played an encore composed by his father, Celedonio Romero, the Fantasia from Suite Andaluza.

The program opened with Emmanuel Chabriers enthralling portrayal of southern Spain, Espana, which swirled with a mixture of orchestral colors and mighty trombones.

Music Director Sebastian Lang-Lessing then did something unusual, directing the first movement of Heitor Villa-Lobos lovely Bachianas brasileiras No. 4 by itself before the Rodrigo concerto.

The orchestra played the final three movements of the Villa-Lobos piece after intermission, in vivid fashion, mixing the Baroque style with Brazilian pizazz and rhythms. The second movement was especially graceful.

The program concluded with Claude Debussys tricky and difficult Iberia, one of the three pieces from the composers Images. Lang-Lessing expertly guided the orchestra through the dreamlike sequences that involved quick footing tempo changes and required detailed accents as the intoxicating music portrayed village life, festivals and dancing.

The percussion section starred in the Debussy, especially with the tambourine and castanets. With three final orchestral strokes to end the piece, the symphony ended the final program of its 2016-17 classical series season.

The program repeats at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Tobin Center downtown.

dhendricks@express-news.net
No Montana editorial board should endorse a Republican candidate for U.S. Congress at this juncture of this Presidency. If an editorial board has done so, the endorsement should be withdrawn immediately in a headline. Given President Trumps request for loyalty by the F.B.I. Director and his request to the F.B.I. Director that the investigation into General Flynn be terminated, we know the Trumps expect loyalty to the Trumps, not the nation. The election by Montanans of a Republican who twice had Donald Trump, Jr. campaign for him, whose campaign fundraising is based on calls to support the Trump Presidency, would leave Montanans no independent, thoughtful representation in the important issues of this day.

By his disclosure of top-secret intelligence to the Russians, President Trump has directly jeopardized Israels agents imbedded in ISIL. Yet, Trumps only response is not an acknowledgment of his error, but the narcissistic statement I have the right. The damage to allies confidence in sharing intelligence with the United States will prove as great a detriment to the security of the people of this nation as the damage to the American Muslims willingness to share information with U.S. law enforcement by candidate Trumps promise to ban all Muslims from entry into the U.S.

Add to that a Trump health care agenda that results in the total loss of health care insurance for 24 million Americans, and the jeopardizing of affordable health insurance for 130 million Americans with preexisting conditions. Enough already. Vote for anyone but a Republican that owes loyalty to a Trump Presidency.

John Hollow, Captain, USNR-Retired

Helena
A 21-month-old-boy taken from San Francisco on Friday, triggering a Bay Area-wide Amber Alert, was found safe by police in Los Angeles who apprehended his father, who took him, authorities said.

The boy, Makai Bangoura, was found in Los Angles by the Los Angeles Police Department before 8 p.m., said Alex Bastian, a spokesman for the San Francisco district attorneys office.
WASHINGTON - The Pentagon has stepped up communication with the Russian military over Syria, a top official said Friday as the Trump administration lays plans for future operations likely to thrust U.S. forces closer to Russian and Syrian troops.

Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the United States had opened a new channel between senior U.S. and Russian military officials to discuss what Pentagon officials refer to as the "deconfliction" of ground and air operations within Syria.

The United States is now in the third year of its campaign against the Islamic State in Syria, where the application of Russian military might has strengthened the hand of President Bashar Assad.

"I'm confident that we've made progress in that regard over the last couple months," Dunford told reporters at the Pentagon.

"My sense is that the Russians are as enthusiastic as we are to deconflict operations and ensure that we can continue to take the campaign to ISIS and ensure the safety of our personnel," he said, using another name for the Islamic State.

The United States has sought mostly to limit its involvement in Syria to operations against the extremist group, hoping to avoid being pulled into the larger civil conflict. It has done so, in part, by focusing on areas such as Raqqa, the group's de facto capital, where the Syrian government has little military presence.

Dunford suggested that communication with Russia would become more important as the United States looks beyond an upcoming offensive to recapture Raqqa toward operations in places like Deir al-Zour, an eastern city where both the Islamic State and Syrian government are active.

The preview of future offensives comes as the Trump administration seeks to highlight the progress it has made in combating the Islamic State.

At a news conference focusing on that campaign, senior U.S. officials said the group had lost about 23,000 square miles of territory under its control since the peak of its power in 2014.

Speaking alongside Dunford, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said that President Donald Trump has approved a series of measures to expedite the group's defeat.

Among those steps, Mattis said, is a new emphasis on encircling and cutting off the Islamic State in population centers, rather than positioning local forces around cities in a way that could allow militants to escape and regroup elsewhere.

"By taking the time up front to surround these locations, instead of simply shoving them from one to another . . . based on the recommendation that we made and the direction that President Trump took, we now take the time to surround them," Mattis said.

"Foreign fighters are the strategic threat, should they return home to Tunis, to Kuala Lumpur, to Paris, to Detroit, wherever," he said. "So by taking the time to deconflict, to surround and then attack, we carry out the annihilation campaign so we don't simply transplant this problem from one location to another."

Mattis said Trump had also delegated decision-making "to the right level to aggressively and in a timely manner move against enemy vulnerabilities."

Defense officials said that those measures had been approved several months ago. The delegation of authority would permit military commanders to send troops closer to the front lines in a wider array of situations than had occurred previously, said one official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military strategy. In Iraq, the Obama administration had already authorized the U.S. troops to operate with local forces at the battalion level in some situations.

The Trump administration, in a break with practice under President Barack Obama, has quickly moved to shift responsibility for tactical decisions on a range of issues from the White House to the military.

"No longer will we have slowed decision cycles because Washington, D.C., has to authorize tactical movements on the ground," Mattis said, referring to the Islamic State fight.

Dunford's remarks regarding Russia come as the administration confronts a snowballing controversy over the Trump camp's alleged ties to Russia.

While Trump has displayed a friendly stance toward Russian officials at times, his administration has also blasted Moscow over its support for Assad. Last month, Trump authorized a series of missile strikes on Syrian government targets after a chemical attack that officials suggested was covered up with the help of Russia.

While Dunford said military coordination was prohibited by U.S. law, he said expanded communications would be helpful as the areas where U.S. troops and aircraft operate become "increasingly complex and constrained."

Under the recently established channel, the official responsible for planning future operations on the Joint Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr., routinely talks to his Russian counterpart, Dunford said.

In another illustration of U.S.-Russian dialogue, Dunford said that he spoke Thursday with Valeriy Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff of Russia's armed forces.

"We are looking for the Russians to work with the regime, to deconflict our operations," Dunford said.

The current arrangement did not appear effective as recently as Thursday, when U.S. officials asked Russia to steer forces affiliated with the Syrian government away from an air base manned by U.S. Special Forces and Washington-backed rebel groups. When the pro-government forces did not respond, U.S. aircraft ultimately launched an attack on some of them.
NEW ORLEANS - They are all gone now. On Friday, the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee became the last of New Orleans's four contested monuments to go, an end to more than 130 years of publicly honoring a man who embodied Southern pride and racial oppression.

The monuments sat at the entrance to the city's largest park, on a vaunted greenway, in a major traffic circle and in one of this city's squares. They occupied places where you won't find many tourists meandering with long-necked frozen cocktails.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu marked the historic moment with a rousing speech that sought to end nearly two years of heated debate in the city over what the monuments said about its past.

"They are not just innocent remembrances of a benign history. These monuments celebrate a fictional, sanitized Confederacy ignoring the death, ignoring the enslavement, ignoring the terror that it actually stood for," Landrieu said, adding that Lee and the Confederate army fought against the United States. "They may have been warriors, but in this cause they were not patriots."

Since April, the monuments' fates have drawn the national spotlight, prompting 24-hour vigils populated by people who call the structures emblems of Southern history and honor or landscape-defining art. Some came with guns on display, strings of ammunition strung across their bodies. Others, during an ultimately nonviolent faceoff with activists determined to see the statues taken down, limited themselves to flak jackets and riot gear. A contractor involved in removal work pulled out of the job after an arsonist set his $200,000 Lamborghini ablaze.

As the battle in New Orleans wanes, fights over rebel monuments, memorabilia and merchandise are rising across the country, in areas as far-flung from the Confederacy as Massachusetts and Ohio. Historically, Confederate symbols have appeared at times of racial discord.

Questions about what to do with rebel symbols in public spaces - where they can be barred or removed and what they mean - have themselves become a source of conflict. The Southern Poverty Law Center counts at least 60 Confederate symbols removed or renamed in the two years since a white supremacist murdered nine black parishioners in a Charleston, South Carolina, church.

Last week, a Boston-born, self-described white nationalist, Richard Spencer, led a nighttime gathering of white people clenching tiki torches in front of the Lee statue in Charlottesville, a scene that city's mayor called reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan.

"What brings us together is that we are white, we are a people, we will not be replaced," Spencer said at one of two rallies held near the monument, which the city plans to sell and remove.

Amid the familiar "hate or heritage" debate, some defenders say Confederate symbols have taken on a uniquely modern utility. Some use them as political weapons wielded against a perceived decline in white dominance and the alleged tyranny of political correctness.

But Carol Anderson, a historian and professor of African American studies at Emory University, says that the various reasons given for defending Confederate monuments and symbols share a common underlying expectation - that even in an increasingly diverse democracy, power and influence should remain unchanged.

"Beneath all of the talk is a longing for an America that is not only predominantly white but where the resources of a very, very rich nation are funneled almost exclusively toward whites," said Anderson, author of the 2016 book "White Rage." "These are who people believe that they are actually oppressed and disadvantaged whenever anyone else's voice is heard, their needs addressed and their political will prevails."

- - -

Karl Burkhalter, a retired racehorse trainer and self-described history buff from a small town near Baton Rouge, kept a 24-hour vigil near New Orleans's Jefferson Davis statue in the days leading up to its early-morning removal on May 11. While keeping vigil, the 61-year-old even slept in his car.

Burkhalter, who is white, described feeling nauseated as the vigil keepers' ranks expanded to include white supremacists and neo-Nazis. But like other monument defenders, Burkhalter described the North's treatment of Southern whites during the war and reconstruction as an affront. White Southerners, particularly poor ones accustomed to basic rights that differentiated them from blacks, felt reduced and abused. That isn't right, Burkhalter said, but that treatment prompted Jim Crow laws and practices that - among other things - prohibited black voting, full use of public facilities, jury service and public-office holding.

"These monuments, they were a reflection of the fact that the only bit of self-esteem so many white people down here had left was tied to the sacrifices they had made for the Confederacy," he said. "I think that's what upsets so many people about the idea of removing them now."

In February 1884, less than two decades after the end of the Civil War, New Orleans gave its first prominent public space to a Confederate monument, a multistory, white stone column topped by a statue of Lee in the center of one of the city's busiest roundabouts. The statue faced north allowing Lee, as local legend has it, to keep a watchful eye on the enemy.

For Nick Glover, a 66-year-old Vietnam War veteran, removing Lee's statue and the three other Confederate monuments from the New Orleans landscape amounts to an official act to "dishonor men of valor." Glover, who is white, says two of his ancestors fought for the Confederacy at Gettysburg, Pa. As he sees it, the men the monuments honor defended liberty. However, conversations about the denial of freedom for most blacks in the past should be avoided in the present, he said.

"This right here is a history that's got to be honored and preserved," Glover said, standing near a statue of Confederate Gen. P.T.G. Beauregard, which the city removed Wednesday. "I think we ought to be able to celebrate that without all the talk about white supremacy and slavery."

In New Orleans, it's not rare to hear these heartfelt beliefs in an unblemished heritage, rooted in a certain set of ideas: The North began the Civil War. The war was not about slavery. Slaves were rare, expensive and therefore, well-treated. Reconstruction and civil rights gains for blacks - most of which were soon rescinded by Jim Crow laws - created danger and corruption.

They form the premise for a distinctly pro-South story of the Civil War that began to proliferate in the 1870s - with war memorials dedicated to the bravery, heroism and honor of Southern soldiers - and appeared in textbooks for about a century. Today, historians note that Mississippi's own secession documents cite the protection of $4 billion worth of property - slaves - for leaving the Union. The same is true of many other states. But the ugly, factual aspects of the war and why it was fought were cloaked in a haze of heritage.

"Heritage is selective recall," said James Grossman, executive director of the American Historical Association, a District-based professional organization of historians. "It's often interlaced with fable and myth, but it is not actual history. It does not, as history should do, make you uncomfortable."

- - -

Three days before the Davis statue came down, James Miller, 85, came to look at the scene. Actually, the avid photographer came to capture it.

"This is just an incredible portrait of hate," said Miller, who is black, just after standing from a low crouch he assumed to capture a set of vigil keepers standing behind police barricades, Confederate and American flags.

Miller, who now lives in the suburbs outside New Orleans, was raised in Birmingham, Alabama, by his great-grandmother and her husband, both of whom were born slaves.

When Miller was a young man, he says that white men angry about civil rights activism in Birmingham blew up a church killing four black girls, and Miller saw Sheriff Bull Connor turn water hoses and police dogs on civil rights protesters - including children. Even with that long view of U.S. history and politics, the conflicts in New Orleans, Charlottesville and other towns debating Confederate monuments are mystifying to Miller.

"Some days, I'm not able to understand how anyone alive can claim that the Confederacy was not a treasonous regime," said Miller. "Those men on those monuments took up arms against other Americans so some rich white men could keep their slaves."

For now, New Orleans will store the four Confederate monuments in an undisclosed location, due to threats made against city officials, activists, contractors and work crews involved in taking them down. City officials announced late Thursday that an unspecified water feature will replace the Lee statue, and an American flag will fly where the Davis fixture once stood. Nonprofits and government agencies will eventually be allowed to submit plans that would put the statues on private property. City Park officials will decide what will replace the Beauregard statue.

Malcolm Suber, a coordinator with Take 'Em Down NOLA, a social justice organization, said the campaign began several decades ago to remove about 130 Confederate memorials and monuments in the city, as well as namesake streets, schools, public facilities and the like.

In December 2015, six months after the Charleston church shooting, the New Orleans City Council voted 6 to 1 to remove the four Confederate monuments.

"This is a done deal. The city council voted. The courts have ruled," Suber said. "And even though some of these folk seem to believe that they ought to have more say, these monuments to white supremacy and brutality are coming down in this majority black city."

Still, the idea that the monuments have only recently become controversial in New Orleans persists.

Glover, the Vietnam veteran, said he believes that the idea that the statues are offensive to some was invented by Landrieu, the city's first white mayor since the 1970s.

"Nobody in New Orleans had any kind of a problem with these monuments. Not when they went up. Not now," Glover said. "Everyone I've ever heard talk about these things considers them military memorials, symbols of sacrifice. The women of this city baked cookies and cakes to put these things up. It simply makes no sense to take them down because Mitch and his daddy don't like them or, maybe Mitch needs a career."

Landrieu is a Democrat and scion of a very blue political dynasty in a very red state. His father, Maurice "Moon" Landrieu, served as New Orleans's mayor and in the state legislature in the 1960s and 1970s. At City Hall, the elder Landrieu boosted the number of black staffers in the then-mostly white city government; and in the legislature, he was one of just a handful of white lawmakers who voted to integrate the state's schools.

The younger Landrieu denies that his mission is personal.

"I think that what this entire experience tells us," he said, "is that we, in this city, in this country, may not be as sophisticated about these matters as we may think."
Public lands have become a major issue in this campaign, and for good reason. Whomever Montanans elects as their next congressman, he will have the opportunity to vote on congressional budgets that will have an enormous impact on our public lands.

Budgets are more than numbers; theyre also values statements. And the budget President Trump recently proposed makes clear that he does not value our public lands the same way Montanans do.

His budget would cut the Department of the Interiors budget by 12%, representing a decrease of $1.5 billion from the 2017 budget. The Department of the Interior oversees the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, among other agencies. At 21%, the presidents proposed slash to Agricultures budget is even more draconian. The Department of Agriculture administers Montanas largest land management agency, the U.S. Forest Service.

According to The New York Times, the president wants to reduce funding to the Department of Agriculture by cutting the budget of the Forest Service, which already has to neglect many of its core duties because it now spends more than half its operating budget fighting fires.

Our land management agencies are already operating on threadbare budgets. Any more cuts to the Forest Service and BLM, especially ones as drastic as the president proposes, would have a devastating impact on the public lands that make our way of life possible.

Heres a sampling of the vital work our public land management agencies are already neglecting because of the budget constraints they currently face:

 Maintaining campgrounds and trailheads that provide the public access to traditional hunting and fishing grounds. In a popular Bitterroot campground, for instance, a contaminated water system wasnt replaced in 2015 because funding for it was diverted to fighting fires.

 Completing restoration projects that reduce fuel loads, improve water quality, and create much-needed jobs. In the Beaverhead-Deerlodge Forest, as an example, westslope cutthroat trout should have been restored to 25 miles of stream in 2015. That didnt happen also because funding was diverted to firefighting.

 Treating thousands of acres of noxious weeds in Montana. Along the Rocky Mountain Front, for instance, the Forest Service said it needs to treat a minimum of approximately 879 to 1,149 acres every year to reduce infestation, but the agency cant meet those goals because it doesnt have the money to do so.

 Improving Forest Service roads to increase recreational access and protect fish and wildlife. In 2015, the Flathead National Forest was unable to complete re-surfacing on 20 miles of a primary access road in the Swan Valley because funding was diverted to firefighting.

If the Trump budget were enacted, the biggest hit to public lands in Montana would land on trail maintenance. There are 29,000 miles of trails in Montana managed by the Northern Region of the Forest Service. In 2015, the regional office was able to perform basic maintenance on only 13,000 of those miles. The remaining 16,000 miles went unmaintained for lack of funding.

Trails bring people from all over the country to our gateway towns, where they fill up on gas, eat in restaurants, and sometimes stay the night. They contribute to Montanas $6 billion outdoor recreation economy. Without a properly functioning Forest Service or BLM, that economy is at risk, and so are the 64,000 jobs that currently rely on it.

Whoever becomes our next congressman would need to fight tooth and nail for a budget that enables our public lands managers to create the conditions that allow our outdoor recreation economy to continue to thrive.

For far too long weve been expecting our public land managers to do more with less. Allowing those agencies to bleed to death, as President Trumps proposed budget would certainly do, would sap the energy from our economy, threaten our outdoor way of life, and degrade the lands and waters we hold so dear.

John Todd is the conservation direction at Montana Wilderness Association.
Stanley Greene, a onetime Black Panther who became a celebrated international photojournalist, portraying war, poverty and disaster in Chechnya, Afghanistan, Iraq and the U.S. Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, died May 19 at a Paris hospital. He was 68.

He had complications from hepatitis, which led to liver cancer, said a friend and colleague, Kadir van Lohuizen.

In his youth, Greene dabbled in radical politics and spent time in a psychiatric hospital before becoming an assistant to the acclaimed photojournalist W. Eugene Smith in the early 1970s.

Greene chronicled the punk rock scene in San Francisco in the 1970s and early 1980s before moving to Paris, where he worked as a fashion photographer.

"I was a dilettante," he told Newsweek in 2004, "sitting in cafes, taking pictures of girls and doing heroin."

His career in photojournalism began as "an accident" at age 40, he said, when he was on assignment in East Berlin late in 1989, at the very moment the Berlin Wall was breached. His photograph of a young woman in a tutu atop the wall was reprinted all over the world. She was above the scrawled phrase "Kisses to All," waving a bottle of champagne as guards descended on her.

Amid the collapse of Communist bloc of Eastern Europe, Greene discovered his vocation.

"I honestly believe photography is 75 percent chance, and 25 percent skill," he said in a 2012 talk in Charlottesville. "In accidents, we really discover the magic of photography."

Wherever he went, Greene was a striking figure in his black leather jacket and sunglasses, accented with scarves, rings, bracelets and a bandoleer of film canisters across his chest.

"He was very charismatic," van Lohuizen said in an interview. "People would melt for him because there was integrity in his eyes."

Over the years, Greene took his cameras to Croatia, Kashmir, Afghanistan and Lebanon. He covered genocide in Rwanda and strife in Azerbaijan, Iraq and Syria.

In Mali in the early 1990s, he saw children dying of starvation, as flies crawled across their faces.

"I photographed them as I would a fashion model," Greene later wrote.

He was unhappy with the results, "but they taught me a lesson," he told Newsweek in 2004. "You have to take photographs from the heart and not from the head."

Remembering the example of Smith, his mentor, Greene sought powerful, sometimes dangerous assignments that could document the human struggle.

In 1993, he was the only western journalist inside the Russian parliament building when it came under siege during a violent coup attempt that left almost 200 people dead.

"The fact that I thought I was going to die gave me courage," Greene told the New York Times photography blog Lens in 2010. "Courage is control of fear. I think that this incident is the one that steeled me."

He traveled more than 20 times to Chechnya, where he chronicled the devastation wrought by Russian troops as they battled separatists in the former Soviet republic.

"There are stories that get to you so deeply that you have to get them out - and this was mine," Greene told the Times.

His 2003 book "Open Wound: Chechnya 1994 to 2003," containing 81 photographs and an accompanying text, was "a testament to the fact that photography's moral force is alive and well," Toronto Star foreign correspondent Olivia Ward wrote in 2004.

Mr. Greene was one of the few western journalists in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004, when four U.S. contractors were killed. Their bodies were burned and then hung from a bridge.

"It was the most horrendous thing to see," he told Time magazine. "The people were standing around - they were like at a barbecue."

Shortly after Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in 2005, Greene was there to photograph the physical and psychic damage. He returned for the next five years, showing how the lives of thousands of people had been forever changed.

As a photographer, Greene was a strict classicist of the old school: He preferred shooting film on Leica and Nikon cameras and detested the digital manipulation of images.

But as a journalist who walked into war zones with only his cameras, he didn't believe there was such a thing as impartiality.

"I have been accused of having lost my objectivity," he told Newsweek. "But when you sit on a fence and watch genocide without doing anything about it, you are as guilty as those who are committing it."

Stanley Norman Greene Jr. was born Feb. 14, 1949, in Brooklyn. Both of his parents were actors and social activists. His father, who was blacklisted for his political beliefs in the 1950s, had roles in the films "For Love of Ivy" and "The Wiz."

The younger Greene "was that kid my parents told me to stay away from," he said in 2008. He participated in antiwar demonstrations and joined the Black Panthers, later sheepishly admitting, "I was attracted to the Panthers by the berets and leather jackets."

Because of drug and behavioral problems, he spent two years in a psychiatric facility in his teens.

In the early 1970s, he became an assistant to Smith, whose photographic essays in Life magazine and other publications are considered landmarks of the form.

Greene later moved to San Francisco, where he received a bachelor's degree and, in 1980, a master's degree from the San Francisco Art Institute. While there, he photographed the city's thriving music scene and its equally thriving drug underworld.

He briefly worked at Newsday - "I was constantly doing delicatessen openings" - before quitting and moving to Paris in 1986.

In 2007, Greene, van Lohuizen and other photographers formed the Amsterdam-based NOOR photo agency.

Greene's photography appeared in many of the world's best-known magazines, but he often had to finance his travels from his own shallow pocket.

"I live from hand to mouth," he told the Times in 2010. "Let's be real here. I don't own an apartment. I don't own a house. I don't own a car. I don't have any stocks and bonds. All I own are my cameras."

Greene, who was married at least twice, had numerous girlfriends over the years but no children. Survivors include a brother.

Greene received five World Press Photo awards, among other honors, and in 2010 published a photographic memoir, "Black Passport." He often spoke at international photography conferences.

In recent years, he had documented the environmental and human cost of the digital age, traveling to Nigeria, India, China and Pakistan, where people salvaged discarded electronic devices from waste dumps. He said he was not interested in quick-hit photography but preferred deep-immersion assignments in which he could explore complex visual tales.

"I think at the end of the day we have to be storytellers," Greene told Italian Vogue magazine in 2013. "Yeah, I think that you have to be obsessed."
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

In a bluntly worded letter, Uber ordered a star engineer to return any purloined Waymo documents, or deny under oath having stolen them, and threatened to fire him if he doesnt comply.

Ubers letter to Anthony Levandowski, written Monday by Uber general counsel Salle Yoo and made public late Thursday, is the latest salvo in the case of Waymo vs. Uber.

Waymo, the self-driving car unit of Google parent company Alphabet, says its former employee Levandowski illegally downloaded 14,000 documents and brought that stolen technology to Uber to help fast-track its race to develop robot vehicles. In February, Waymo sued Uber and its subsidiary Otto, a startup founded by Levandowski, alleging unfair competition, patent infringement and the theft of trade secrets.

Uber wrote the four-page letter under a court order. U.S. District Judge William Alsup, in a ruling released Monday, said Waymo had compelling evidence of Levandowskis alleged downloading, and ordered Uber to return the documents to Waymo by May 31. Alsup also barred Levandowski from working on a form of laser sensor called lidar, the technology that Waymo claims Uber copied.

Uber, which denies wrongdoing, has testified that it scoured its computers but has been unable to locate any of the materials.

While we have respected your personal liberties, it is our view that the courts order requires us to make these demands of you, Yoo wrote to Levandowski. We insist that you do everything in your power to assist us in complying with the order. She gave him until Wednesday to comply.

Citing his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination, Levandowski has refused to testify in the case. He has extended those rights to his personal laptop, leading to Alsups speculation in court that the stolen documents might be on that device.

Uber addressed that issue. This letter requires you to turn over information wherever located, including but not limited to, your personal devices, and to waive any Fifth Amendment protection you may have, Yoo wrote.

The letter sets up a showdown between Uber and the man whose company it paid $680 million to acquire  a man who is a close confidant of Uber CEO Travis Kalanick.

I feel like were brothers from another mother, Kalanick said of Levandowski, according to Bloomberg, which reported the CEO courting the engineer during long evening walks in San Francisco from SoMa to the Golden Gate Bridge.

When Uber bought Otto, Kalanick put Levandowski in charge of Ubers self-driving research, an effort the CEO considers crucial to his companys future. As the lawsuit heated up this month, Uber said it demoted Levandowski to be the No. 2 person on that team and recused him from work on lidar, as the judge later ordered.

Levandowskis attorneys filed a motion Thursday asking Alsup to modify his order to protect their clients Fifth Amendment rights. The judge overstepped his bounds by setting up a coercive choice for the engineer between preserving his livelihood and preserving his constitutional rights, they argued.

The stakes for Levandowski  and Uber  are high. Alsup has referred the case to federal prosecutors for possible investigation of trade-secret theft. Mr. Levandowski is faced with a clear possibility of prosecution, his lawyers wrote.

If found guilty, Levandowski could face up to 10 years of jail time, said Christopher Broderick, an intellectual property lawyer in Los Angeles who is not involved in the case. If Uber is found complicit in the theft of trade secrets, it could face fines of up to three times the value of the stolen technology  a potentially staggering sum as autonomous vehicles are expected to become a multitrillion-dollar industry.

It is difficult to gauge how much this could be because the value of self-driving car technology is so valuable it is difficult to quantify, Broderick said in an email.

Waymo has alleged that Uber did not have Levandowski sign an agreement to cordon off technology acquired elsewhere before joining Uber, although other engineers typically did so.

Yoos letter spelled out that prohibition, although it comes many months after Levandowski joined Uber.

On Wednesday, Yoo assumed a new role as Uber chief legal officer, meaning she will no longer directly oversee Ubers legal battles  such as the Waymo lawsuit.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid
The Montana Highway Patrol says a pickup truck driven by a 25-year-old woman was westbound in Cut Bank at about 2 a.m. Saturday when it went off the road. The driver overcorrected three times, causing the pickup to roll several times. The driver and two other occupants were thrown from the vehicle.
AUSTIN -- The Texas Legislature moved closer Friday to enacting its latest round of restrictions on abortion services, with the House voting largely along party lines to impose new regulations on how providers can dispose of fetal remains and blocking some fetal tissue donations to researchers.

In a 96-47 vote, the House tentatively passed Senate Bill 8 after more than five hours of often emotional and testy debate. Authored by Republican Sen. Charles Schwertner of Georgetown, the bill prohibits health service providers from donating fetal tissue from elective abortions to medical researchers. It also would require health care facilities to dispose of embryonic or fetal tissue by burial or cremation and would enact a state ban on late-term abortions, which already are prohibited nationally.

Rep. Cindy Burkett, the Republican from Sunnyvale who sponsored the bill in the House, said the omnibus legislation is necessary, in part, because the state does not have the authority to enforce existing federal law banning so-called "partial-birth abortions."

(Story continues below ...)

"Recent events have highlighted that the federal ban alone is not sufficient to prosecute such offenses," Burkett said. "This bill just mirrors what is at the national level."

Democrats and legal experts disputed her claim. "We are already subject to federal law," said Rep. Jessica Farrar of Houston.

Outnumbered Democrats said Burkett's bill would risk women's lives by placing additional requirements on providers and facilities that perform abortions. They also voiced confidence the federal courts would overturn several parts of the bill, which must return to the Senate for its approval or rejection of the House's changes.

Seven states have enacted similar so-called "dismemberment abortion" bans, and courts have blocked their enforcement in as many as four states. The term was coined by anti-choice activists to describe the dilatation and evacuation procedure often used in second-trimester abortions.

In an attempt to shield the bill from such legal challenges, Burkett amended SB 8 so that if a judge finds parts of it to be illegal or otherwise unenforceable, the remainder of the bill would still apply.

"It seems that with this amendment, there is a tacit admission that what we're doing here will be struck down by the courts once again," said Democratic Rep. Chris Turner of Grand Prairie, referring to last year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that invalidated most of Texas's strict abortion law. "This legislature has a recent history of passing bills that are unconstitutional."

Burkett also faced a slew of amendments from her Republican colleagues who wanted to widen the bill's scope and use SB 8 as catch-all for other abortion-related measures that failed to make it through the legislative process. One proposal by Rep. Briscoe Cain, a Republican from Deer Park, would bar donations of umbilical cords and placentas, in addition to fetal tissue, if they are derived from elective abortions; it passed on a 93-39 vote.

Prompting a drawn-out partisan fight, a GOP amendment by Rep. Stephanie Klick of Fort Worth would outlaw so-called "dismemberment abortions."

Opposing the measure, Democrats pressed Klick on her amendment's vague definition of medical emergencies and stated that the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have said the evacuation procedure is generally the safest in the second trimester.

Klick countered that a doctor can use other options if the woman's life is in danger, rejecting a slew of Democratic amendments to her proposal that would have created exemptions in some cases. One would have included women who become pregnant as a result of rape or incest. Another defeated Democratic proposal would have allowed a doctor to use the dilation and evacuation procedure if they decide, in their professional judgement, that it is the safest method for the woman.

"This is a ban on a medically proven, safe abortion procedure," said Rep. Donna Howard, a Democrat from Austin, in an emotional speech. "They are using politically motivated and inflammatory language that is medically inaccurate. With the highest maternal mortality rate in the country, Texas risks raising these numbers with banning the safest abortion procedure."

The House approved Klick's amendment 92-42.

The omnibus abortion bill was not the only drama the House saw Friday, when the chamber again delayed a vote on Senate Bill 2, the Senate's priority property-tax reform bill. A record keeping change was the reason, much as it was the day before that had rolled the vote to Friday.

Mike Ward contributed to this report.
Dear Dr. Roach: My feet hurt me so much that I no longer want to live. I am a 63-year-old white female. I have Type 2 diabetes, since 2014. My podiatrist says that I have plantar fasciitis, osteoarthritis and foot neuropathy. I have all the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy and then some. My feet feel like I am walking on hot coals almost all the time. I would say there are only two days a month when my feet feel tolerable, and I can't figure out why. My podiatrist can't either. I have been taking Metanx four times a day and 400-mg gabapentin three times a day. I cannot get any relief. Please help me! I am at my wits' end, and the pain has driven me into a deep depression. Foot pain 24/7 has left me with no life.

-- K.J.

A: Any of the conditions you have can cause significant pain, and I can understand how having all of them can make life miserable. It can be difficult to separate out which of your conditions might be most responsible for the pain. As such, you may benefit from a pain-management specialist. For example, you might not be on enough gabapentin: 900 to 1,200 mg, three times daily, often is necessary. Other medications are used in combination, but require individual evaluation.

Finally, depression with chronic pain is common, and treating your depression likely will help your overall view of life, and maybe your pain as well. Don't despair; there is help available.

Details requested

Dear Dr. Roach: Could you please have your readers indicate their age and their gender when they have a medical question?

-- M.T.

A: I certainly encourage people to include their age and gender. Physicians use this information to make possible diagnoses more or less likely. Some people may just forget to do that, so I appreciate the reminder, M.T.

However, some people may not be comfortable giving that information (although I only ever use initials, and will change those if asked), so I answer as best I can without that information.

Many of my letters still come via U.S. mail, which makes it difficult or impossible for me to get in touch with writers.

Routine precautions

Dear Dr. Roach: I'm a 35-year-old man, and I take 6-MP for Crohn's disease. My dog had a skin infection with MRSA. Do I need to be worried or do something different?

-- P.G.

A: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterial species that is resistant to many common antibiotics. It used to be found mostly in hospitals, but has increasingly been prevalent in communities. It is not a surprise to me that it is found in house pets. MRSA is more difficult to treat than other bacterial infections; however, it is not necessarily more virulent than regular methicillin-sensitive Staph (meaning, just because it is resistant to the antibiotic, it isn't more likely to infect you or to cause severe disease).

You don't need to take any more precautions than are rational for any skin infection: Wash your hands thoroughly after touching an open wound, and clean and disinfect surfaces that have been exposed. Keeping the dog's infected area covered may be difficult, but will help reduce the area of potential spread.

6-MP is a medicine that suppresses the immune system somewhat, so it is important for you to take precautions about any kind of infection, including MRSA.

* * *

Recurring vaginal infections are often troubling to women. The booklet on that topic explains them and their treatment. Readers can order a copy by writing: Dr. Roach, Book No. 1203, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 with the recipient's printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.
Editor's Note: This is a work of satire

Marking a potentially big turnaround in rocky U.S.-Mexico relations, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Wednesday offered to pay for President Trump's impeachment instead of a $21.6 billion border wall separating the two nations.

"We would pay for the 'whole enchilada,'" Pena Nieto told reporters on the steps of the National Palace in Mexico City. "Impeachment is far cheaper than a border wall, and frankly, no one will want an expensive border wall after Trump's gone, anyway."

Budget deficit hawks and even some GOP leaders welcomed Pena Nieto's offer, which comes amid growing calls for Trump's impeachment for his part in a series of scandals that has rocked Washington and plunged the White House into chaos.

"While the cost of impeachment is just a drop in the bucket of the multi-trillion dollar federal budget, every little bit helps," said Sen. John McCain, effusively praising the Mexican financial offer at a news conference. "And it's time to get this idiot out of office anyway."

The Trump administration, for its part, expressed doubt that Mexico would actually come up with the money. "Given that our free-loading southern neighbor already stiffed us on paying for the wall, Mexico has zero credibility in the eyes of this administration and, I think you'd all agree, with the American people as well," White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters at a press briefing today. "Next question?"

Allegations of wrongdoing intensified this week with reports that Trump asked former FBI director James Comey to end a criminal probe into former national security advisor, Michael Flynn, triggering accusations Trump may have obstructed justice, a potentially impeachable offense. The Justice Department then appointed a special prosecutor to investigate the Trump campaign's alleged meddling and missteps, amid reports the president leaked highly classified information to Russian spies in the Oval Office last week.

The GOP has indicated it would not include money for Trump's border wall in its fiscal 2017 budget, and the Department of Homeland Security has estimated that the 1,250 mile series of walls and fences pushed by Trump would cost as much as $21.6 billion. In contrast, the most recent U.S. impeachment, of former President Clinton, added up to about $80 million, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Mexico's timely offer could bring a much-needed thaw in U.S.-Mexico relations, which iced up after Trump's insistence  during the 2016 presidential campaign  that America's southern neighbor bear the full cost of a wall to block out Mexican rapists, murderers and drug pushers. Mexico's refusal to pay prompted Trump to threaten to retaliate with a border tax on Mexican imports to cover the wall's cost.

While Trump's impeachment would cost far less than a 1,250 mile wall, Pena Nieto said paying for the former would achieve a similar result: removing a huge thorn in Mexico's side.

"If Trump goes away, then he can't bother us anymore about paying for a wall. So we achieve the intended result at far lower cost," Pena Nieto pointed out.

If you enjoyed this satire, David Kalish is the author of an award-winning comedic novel, The Opposite of Everything, a tongue-in-cheek twist on what happened when his marriage and health went bad at the same time. His essay, "A Path to Fatherhood, With Morning Sickness," appeared in The New York Times, as a Modern Love column.
When I was a girl, my mother made a right turn into the wrong lane. She turned into a center lane instead of the one on the far right.

Then we heard a police cars bloop and saw the flash of lights.

She wasnt sure why she was being stopped, or even that the bloop and the lights were really meant for us, until she looked around and saw no other cars moving near us. I know she wasnt speeding because my mother has never gone over the speed limit in her life.

She turned down the Rocio Durcal cassette and pulled our metallic ice blue station wagon to the curb of a residential street in a neighborhood where we werent regulars. I had joined a new softball team, and she was taking me to practice at an elementary school.

I remember her nervous smile as the police officer approached her open window; she was very aware that I was very aware of her every move. I looked out the window at the officer, a terse man who looked like the guy from Hart to Hart, as he told mom she had broken the law.

This happened decades ago, but I know why my mother was so nervous. It wasnt so much the stop, although my folks are the kind of extreme rule-followers who never, ever let the tiniest trace of dirt or bird poop linger on the windshield or mirrors, lest visibility be compromised.

She was nervous because she was not confident in her ability to communicate with the police officer; English is her second language.

And if theres anybody you want to communicate with clearly, its the police officer who has just pulled you over.

When you speak English as a second language, people sometimes make wacky presumptions. If you cant immediately find the best words to respond to a May I help you? you just might be up to something because that is not a difficult question  even if the response is tricky.

If you have an accent and accidentally hand over a coupon that expired, it could be that you are uneducated in the ways of America and clearly cant read an expiration date in very small print.

And if youre nervous about making a verbal mistake  even if its something as minor as choosing the wrong word or stumbling on a term you havent had occasion to understand in the past  some might believe you are nervous because you have something to be nervous about, something to hide, something up your sleeve that poses a threat.

My mother was raised in Mexico. In school, she learned to read and write in Spanish  and how to speak English as well. She married an American, and her life brought her to Texas, where she raised her children mostly in Spanish. She has a beautiful accent when she speaks English, which she does well when she has to.

She defaults, however, to the language in which she is most eloquent  the language in which she can launch quips and zingers, the one which she uses to casually quote scholars and historical figures, the language in which she forged lifelong friendships.

Some people will never understand why someone living in America would choose anything over English. And thats OK; people such as my mother have learned not to be defined by this thinking or to allow it to be an obstacle to their success. Were all shaped by our experiences, and just as I was shaped by my experience during that traffic stop, so was she; shes never chosen the wrong lane since.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has said that Hispanics wont be stopped and asked to show their papers under the sanctuary cities law unless they are suspected of committing a serious crime.

We understand what communicates suspicion. But serious, presumably, is open to interpretation.

mariaanglin@yahoo.com
On July 10-14, Texas will again have to defend its intentionally discriminatory congressional and Texas House districts.

But Texas leaders have a choice. They can settle the case and develop just plans that can be used in 2018 without disruption and confusion. Or they can continue to fight the cases and likely end up with districts they would not prefer  and continued confusion and acrimony in the election process.

Do the governor, lieutenant governor, House speaker and attorney general want to lead the state to an agreement? Or delay and blame the resulting confusion on others?

Texas has more than enough time to do this right.

Let me explain some of the constraints on the state, the parties and the courts in this case, and describe scenarios likely to occur if our leaders choose the wrong options.

A three-judge federal court in San Antonio decided that the Texas congressional plan for at least four of the 36 Texas districts and at least 15 of the 150 Texas House of Representatives districts discriminated against Texas Latinos and African-Americans. The court agreed with the plaintiffs on some issues and the state on others. These judges spent years working on the cases and wrote 800 pages of findings, explaining in incredible detail how the Texas districts violate the law.

The court has now set an aggressive schedule of final proceedings. The court made clear that it will develop a remedy in time for the 2018 elections. The courts have recognized powers to change the schedule for filing for offices and primaries, voter registration and other parts of the election process.

However, Texas may avoid all this confusion and develop a plan closest to the states priorities if it can settle the cases and the Legislature passes new plans for Texas congressional and Texas House districts. The new plans could have been passed in the Texas Legislature now in session. After the session, the governor could call a special session focused only on these redistricting cases.

This is not a naive or cynical suggestion. The record in this case is clear. The judges and the parties are familiar with the issues. The experienced attorneys on both sides, and ultimately the judges, are familiar with the legal weaknesses and strengths of existing plans. They know what parts of each district were drawn with the effect and intent to discriminate. The parties might still fight over the details, but they are all well aware of what the judges have found so far, and they have a well-informed idea what further relief the judges will give.

This is the time to settle the case.

Settling the case will allow the state to follow its schedule for preparing new voter registration cards and candidate filings for the primaries, as well as the schedule for primaries and the general election. The deadline for filing for the primaries for the House and Congress is Dec. 11.

It will not be easy to convince the Legislature to settle the case  and potentially weaken the chances of some members to be re-elected. But the state is going to lose on the issues in the litigation, and the leadership and attorneys must convince their colleagues that it will be better to settle than to have the court draw districts based on the plaintiffs suggestions.

The court held that the Texas plans had both the effect and intention to discriminate. This is the most negative holding the court could make against Texas. Most redistricting cases are decided only on the basis of the discriminatory effect of the plans; courts usually do not make the additional finding that the state intentionally discriminated. But this court, based on a very rich and smoking-gun record, found intentional discrimination.

So what will happen if the Texas fights the case all the way to the Supreme Court? The state can fight at the hearings July 10-14. Given the detailed findings already made on 2011 redistricting, Texas will almost surely lose that case.

Then the court will follow precedent and give Texas the first shot at drawing a remedy for the violations. If Texas draws a plan, the parties will have a chance to challenge it. However, courts are required to give deference to a state-drawn plan that meets the findings in the case, and the state will be in a much better position if it has drawn a plan to meet the courts concerns. If the state does not draw a plan to meet the courts order, the plaintiffs may submit their plans. The court will make changes to remedy the discriminatory parts of the plan, and will either accept the plaintiffs proposals or draw a plan of its own to address all the weaknesses in the state plan.

Given the courts statement that it wants this case over in time for the 2018 elections, this will all take place this summer or early fall. Then the state may appeal that order to the Supreme Court, which would almost surely not decide the appeal until after the beginning of its session in October. The Supreme Court could either affirm the district court order or send it back to the district court for more hearings and another plan  which would likely go through another round of appeals.

This is not like the case on the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act. This is a case in which the Supreme Court will have to review federal judges detailed fact findings on discrimination in this decade, written in incredible detail and an evenhanded way. The Supreme Court is likely to respect and affirm these judges findings.

Meanwhile, if the case is not settled, there will be significant confusion and concern among the population  specifically among existing officeholders in the districts in question and people planning on running in the primaries and general election.

What possible advantages does the state have in delaying the process? It will take less courage to fight the battle for many months than to read the courts decisions with an eye toward solving the problems and make the necessary changes. It is easier to blame the courts for the changes than to admit some of the failures of the previous redistricting. It will be easier to blame the courts and plaintiffs for the inevitable last-minute changes and confusion than for the state to take responsibility for the situation and solve it now.

What are the disadvantages of not settling the case? Texas has a long history of fighting and losing voting cases, and there is almost no chance Texas will win on all the issues. This case will follow the 90 years of Supreme Court cases Texas has lost in its effort to fight minority voting rights. The long fight will cause incredible and unnecessary confusion in voter registration offices and candidate planning, and the interest of the entire state in having fair districts to elect members of Congress and the Texas House. Attorney fees will add up quickly.

The court has the power to put Texas back under the preclearance provisions of the Voting Rights Act, and the court is keenly aware of that power and responsibility. Continuous fighting to the death in voting cases will weigh heavily toward the necessity of placing Texas again under a preclearance rule.

Preclearance would have made this litigation move much faster and resulted in a fairer plan sooner. The judges know that, and so do those of us who have worked in the courts for decades.

Texas leaders: Bite the bullet, show your courage and settle the cases.

Al Kauffman is an expert in civil rights and constitutional law, and a professor at the St. Mary's University School of Law.
Politicians like to talk about creating more jobs, but they do not necessarily like to talk about finding skilled workers for those jobs. This is not an either-or challenge. The lack of skilled workers in the United States is as much a reality as the need to create more jobs.

This reality will remain a problem for the foreseeable future. From manufacturing to health care, truck driving to plumbing, employers lack the talent for their jobs, which, in turn, limits economic productivity. After all, companies produce fewer goods and services when they lack workers with the right skills.

The U.S. manufacturing sector is often the target of promises to bring jobs back, but it actually suffers from a pretty severe skills gap. Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute expect that 2 million manufacturing jobs will go unfilled in the next decade unless something changes. These jobs represent the new manufacturing, which requires higher skills and education than our parents and grandparents needed. Modern manufacturing requires engineers, computer scientists and mathematicians.

Consider also the health care industry. Its persistent shortage of labor will continue to worsen at the same time the field is projected to grow 1.8 percent annually over the next five years.

Similarly, the American Trucking Association reports that 48,000 truck driving jobs are available. The barrier to entry into driving trucks may not be as high as getting into STEM fields, but this is a steady career with growth, and it pays well for the skill set.

Logistics positions also are tied to the transportation industry. Amazon has vowed to hire 100,000 people in the next 18 months, and it isnt the only one. Yes, many of these positions are entry level, but employers also need managers and senior managers.

Veterans are well-positioned to fill these vacancies, just as addressing immigration policies in the short term and strengthening the education pipeline over the long term would help fill the void. These numbers underscore a steady flow of potential workers:

The U.S. has approximately 3.2 million post-9/11 veterans.

More than 1 million veterans are in college.

100,000 veterans graduate from college every year.

Two-thirds of veterans are leaving their first post-military job within two years.

250,000 service members, including enlisted men and women and officers, will transition out of the military every year for the foreseeable future.

Existing policies, however, are not effective in preparing enough veterans for these jobs. Targeted changes to the Post-9/11 GI Bill and military-transition initiatives would address this deficiency.

Probably the best known program to train and educate veterans is the GI Bill. The Servicemens Readjustment Act of 1944  the original GI Bill  is the vehicle through which hundreds of thousands of returning service members financed college educations and started businesses after World War II. A resounding success, the GI Bill helped postwar veterans obtain the skills and education to re-enter the workforce and grow the middle class.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill has similar aims but a broader reach, wisely allowing veterans to use the benefits for trade schools and other nontraditional education. It also has similar positive economic impacts. Early reports are finding a possible $8 return for every $1 spent.

Yet the bill needs modernizing. For example, benefits end upon completing a four-year degree. Contrast that with the labor demands in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. STEM jobs require more education than a four-year degree.

Three recommended changes:

By being more flexible, the Post-9/11 GI Bill could expand veterans access to the type of training they need to fill good, in-demand jobs. Adding a fifth year would help veterans receive the advanced degrees they need to compete in these markets.

Modernizations like these could be financed through returning the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and state-sponsored measures like Texas Hazlewood Act, to their roots of serving veterans. Benefits have cost significantly more than expected as they have expanded to include the spouses and children of veterans. Focusing on only veterans would keep these programs financially sustainable and flexible enough to expand services to the population they were intended to serve.

The U.S. Department of Education needs to streamline the process of accrediting trade schools that serve returning veterans. Trade schools can make veterans marketable in as little as three months, but some schools have been waiting years to become eligible for funding under the legislation.

But hiring initiatives need reforming, too. Hundreds of hiring initiatives in both the public and private sectors have formed since 9/11, with varying degrees of success.

For the most part, successful programs have inculcated a culture within their organization to value the adaptive skills, work ethic and moral character that veterans bring to the workplace.

We should use taxpayer dollars to train veterans so they are ready to take advantage of those initiatives. For example, at the end of a service members tenure, that person should receive time off for training in a trade like welding, if that is the career the service member wants to pursue. Or they should be guided through the education process so they can be informed enough to make college decisions once they exit the military. They spend three months in boot camp at the outset; why not ample time at the end of their service to prepare for the next step?

Whats more, the military often hires veterans who only recently left service themselves, or have little civilian work or education experience, to guide warriors making the transition into civilian life. Universities, nonprofits, and, more importantly, businesses are eager to share their expertise as they try to recruit returning veterans. Capitalizing on their willingness to help would be a smart addition and have a positive impact on both service members and the Pentagons budget.

To be sure, some bases are being innovative about helping with transitions. One great example is the use of temporary duty assignment. TDAs provide service members such options as working for companies, securing internships and attending trade schools while still serving on active duty and being paid by the military.

These alternatives make them more employable after they leave the service. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce fellowship, Camp Pendletons relationship with Workshop for Warriors, and the U.S. Special Operations Command Warrior Care Program are among the programs with a proven record. They should be expanded and adopted by all branches of the military.

The programs currently in place to assist veterans make their transitions are not perfect, but they are a great foundation to build upon. Reforms to each of them will ensure that they empower veterans to make smart education and training decisions.

This is all part of equipping the veteran population to help fill the skills gap. After serving their country in the military, they now are ready to take on the challenge of helping employers find the talent they need. After serving their country in uniform, they now are ready to take on the challenge of economic productivity.

Retired Marine Cpl. Jeffrey J. Cleland is manager of the George W. Bush Institutes Military Service Initiative. Laura Collins is deputy director of the Bush Institutes Economic Growth Initiative. This article originally appeared in the Spring 2017 issue of The Catalyst: A Journal of Ideas from the George W. Bush Institute .
Last week, Hezbollahs Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah gave a televised speech on Al-Manar on the anniversary of the assassination of the groups commander, Mustafa Badreddine. In addition to his usual anti-Israel and anti-Saudi diatribes, Nasrallah announced the withdrawal of Hezbollahs forces from the Lebanese-Syrian border and the hand-over of their positions to the Lebanese army. Their mission  to repel the threat of Sunni militias to Hezbollahs Baalbek and Beqaa Valley strongholds  had been accomplished, he announced. But there is more to the story: Hezbollahs forces were not demobilized, they were merely redeployed. It appears that Hezbollah has repositioned its men for the ongoing battles in Syria.

Hezbollahs jihadists have supplied crucial manpower for Bashar al Assads regime. The Syrian army is currently engaged in a large-scale military operation in the eastern Syrian desert, with the goal of reaching the Syrian-Iraqi border, and they are in need of reinforcements to fortify their current positions, as well as to aid in their eastward push. Assads allies in Hezbollah have been inserting additional fighters into the Syrian battlefield and reorganizing their positions in Lebanon to facilitate the movement of additional fighters and equipment across the border.

Indeed, reports indicate that the withdrawal trumpeted by Nasrallah was in fact a redeployment along the Lebanese border. A high-ranking Lebanese Army official told the Lebanese pro-Western al-Joumhouria that there are no Hezbollah positions in Arsal or Ras Baalbek, Lebanese towns near the Syrian border where the group was formerly present. The Lebanese Army alone is deployed in these areas and is expanding its deployment on [Lebanons] eastern border. This dovetails with recent reports in Al-Joumhouria of the Army intensifying its operations against the Islamic State and the group formerly known as Al Nusrah Front in those towns.

The official also denied claims that Hezbollah had targeted Nusrah commanders from the Lebanese town of Arsal, noting that any such attacks would have been launched from the organizations Syrian positions and not from within Lebanon. This coincides with Daily Star and Al-Masdar News (pro-Assad regime outlet) reporting on continued heavy clashes between the Shiite group and Sunni militants on the Syrian side of the border in the immediate days after Nasrallahs speech.

However, Hezbollah appears to have held on to positions south of those two towns. Security sources told Prime Minister Saad Hariris Al-Mustaqbal newspaper on May 18 that Hezbollahs withdrawal from the Eastern Mountains [of Lebanon] was incomplete, and the group retained a number of positions and bases, which it has possessed since the early 1990s.

According to Al-Mustaqbal, Hezbollah has pulled out of the Lebanese border towns of al-Tofail, and the outskirts of the towns of Ham, Maaraboun, al-Tayba, al-Khudur, and al-Nahleh. But the group remains in positions considered sensitive and strategic by the partys leadership in the countryside of the Lebanese border town Brital, northward to the outskirts of Baalbek and Nahleh. These fortified positions were built for the group by Iranian engineers above tunnels that reportedly extend into Syria and are stocked with advanced equipment.

Both the London-based pro-Saudi Asharq Al-Awsat and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights seem to confirm that Hezbollah merely redeployed on the Lebanese-Syrian border. The Shiite jihadists withdrew from some positions to fortify others in Lebanon and Syria that operate as Hezbollahs artery for the deployment of its forces and weapons into Syria. Now, many of the fighters seem to have been redeployed into Syria, where they are reinforcing various military operations by the Assad regime.

Both the IRGC-affiliated Fars News and the pro-Iranian regime ABNA reported that Hezbollah sent 12 regiments with 1,000 fighters to Homs, Daraa, and Quneitra to help Assad retake Deir Ezzor from the Islamic State, buttress regime positions south of Damascus, and prepare for an imminent large-scale operation to dislodge the Islamic State in central Syria. Fars News claimed that an additional 3,000 [Hezbollah] forces were moved towards al-Tanf to reinforce the Assad regimes operations in Syrias eastern desert. Most of those forces, the IRGC outlet said, had earlier been station in al-Zabadani, Madhaya and Sarqaya, but others came from al-Tofail, Brital, Ham and Maaraboun,  the same Lebanese border towns recently vacated by Hezbollah.

Al-Mustaqbals report gave a more detailed, if slightly different, account of Hezbollahs redeployment. The groups elite Radwan force, and other special forces, were fully withdrawn from Syria and replaced with its Badr force, which spread out in Aleppos eastern and northern countryside. Hezbollahs Aziz unit was withdrawn from the outskirts of Palmyra and temporarily replaced with Al-Qaem unit.

Meanwhile, the Radwan force was put on high alert and sent to southern Lebanon, deploying from the Litani to the Shebaa Farms on the border with Israel  in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Hezbollahs IRGC-trained Al-Jalil unit  tasked with carrying out attacks within the Galilee in a future war with Israel  remained in place in its south Lebanon positons. Hezbollahs Nasr unit, which answers directly to Nasrallah via a deputy identified as Al-Hajj Dhul Fiqar  remained in reserves.

David Daoud is an Arabic-Language Analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

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.
DECATUR  Roger E. Walker Jr. grew up in Decatur and served the community he loved with distinction for more than 30 years on the Macon County Sheriff's Office.

When he was elected as sheriff in 1998, he was the first African-American in the state to serve in that office. Five years later, he was appointed to serve as director of the Illinois Department of Corrections, a position he held for six years.

Walker died in 2012 at the age of 63. He was inducted last year to the Decatur Hall of Fame.

Now, in honor of his service to his community and the state, the main route which runs north and south through the center of the city could soon be designated Sheriff Roger E. Walker Jr. Memorial Road.

A state Senate resolution will be introduced Thursday by Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, to direct workers to erect signs and plaques along Business Route 51, from Ash Avenue to Elwin Road.

I think it's fantastic that they recognized such an outstanding man, a trailblazer in our profession, said Sheriff Tom Schneider, who worked closely with Walker in the sheriff's office and during after hours security patrols.

Roger Walker was highly respected as a law enforcement officer, Schneider said. He treated his officers with a high amount of respect. As his subordinates we enjoyed working for him. He was very much a compassionate person.

He would brighten up the room with his personality and his laughter. You could hear his laughter for a good way.

In addition to their duties with the sheriff's office, Walker and Schneider shared a beat as they worked security at the former Longview Housing Development, on the city's near north side.

He was one of the first ones to initiate the Cops and Candy program for kids, Schneider recalled. We walked through Longview and handed out candy to kids to forge a relationship between law enforcement and the children who live in Longview.

Manar said the idea for honoring Walker arose from a conversation he had with Walker's family members, Corey Walker and the Rev. Thomas Walker.

The Greater Decatur Black Chamber of Commerce announced the honor in a news release Friday, also crediting the Black Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, of which Corey Walker is president.

The resolution will be called for a vote in the Senate Chamber on Thursday afternoon. The public is invited to attend the proceeding. An exact time has not been set, Manar said.

We are aiming for 1 p.m., but it most likely will be later, he said.

Manar became acquainted with Walker when he was director of the Illinois Department of Corrections and Manar was appropriations director for the Illinois Democratic Senate Caucus.

He passed away just as I was beginning my campaign for state Senate in 2012, Manar recalled. He had an incredible reputation in Springfield. He was seen as someone who could work with both sides of the aisle. Being head of the Department of Corrections was a tough and challenging job.

Walker always had a positive attitude and spoke politely to people, even when committee members were drilling him with questions during meetings, Manar recalled.

I think being the first elected African-American sheriff in Illinois speaks volumes about the man that he was, Manar said. It's appropriate to recognize individuals who gave their lives in public service.

He was a veteran and served in law enforcement. It is appropriate to recognize and memorialize men like him.
Since the beginning of this month, the West African countries of Nigeria and Cameroon have been hit with a spate of suicide bombings. The majority of these bombings have involved women, an incredibly common tactic in the region.

On May 3, three teenage girls reportedly attempted to infiltrate a military outpost in the city of Maiduguri, the capital of Nigerias Borno state. The three were subsequently spotted which resulted in each detonating themselves as Nigerian soldiers tried to stop them. No casualties were reported. Two days later, seven people were killed when two girls detonated near a grouping of people in the town of Konduga in Borno.

One week later on May 13, two male suicide bombers detonated themselves after being stopped trying to enter Maiduguris university complex. One security official was killed and another wounded in the blast. Around the same time, a female attacker blew herself up at a nearby church, damaging the building. On May 16, the town of Konduga was again targeted by jihadists.

Three females killed two people and wounded six others in Konduga. Yesterday, two more females targeted Nigerian soldiers close to a camp for internally displaced persons in Konduga. Two soldiers were injured in the blasts. In addition, the University of Maiduguri was again targeted today.

Three male bombers again tried to enter the complex, but were stopped in the process by security personnel. When the three detonated their explosives, several people were injured, including security officials and members of a vigilante group. In Cameroons Far North Region, one person was killed today after two females detonated near simultaneously. Local officials have blamed Boko Haram for the attack.

Boko Haram, which has effectively split into two main factions, has a long history of using females in suicide attacks in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. While unified under the leadership of Abubakr Shekau and the name Islamic State West Africa (ISWA), the group continues to use women and girls in its attacks.

After Shekau was removed from ISWAs leadership and created a splinter faction, it is thought that this faction is behind most assaults using females. However, ISWA under the leadership of Abu Musab al Barnawi may also use the tactic.

Jihadist deployment of women and girls as suicide bombers has been a common maneuver in Nigeria for almost three years. The groups first known instance of using a female suicide bomber was on June 8, 2014, when a middle-aged woman on a motorcycle detonated near a Nigerian military barracks in Gombe, killing one policeman. In one of the deadliest attacks, on Nov. 27, 2014, two women killed 78 people and wounded scores more at a market in Maiduguri.

Many of the women and girls used in these bombings are likely forced into committing the assaults after being kidnapped by the jihadists. Other women may be widows of killed fighters, like Russias Black Widows.

The ages of the bombers have ranged from just seven-years-old to middle-aged. The use of women can make it easier for jihadist groups to conduct suicide attacks, as explosives may be easier to hide, and men are less likely to search women due to cultural sensitivities.

In all of 2016, at least 30 females detonated suicide bombs according to data compiled by FDDs Long War Journal. At least 44 females have already been utilized by the jihadist groups in Nigeria and Cameroon in the first four and a half months of 2017 alone. Based on this, the numbers of females used in suicide bombings in West Africa is on pace to quadruple this year. (See FDDs Long War Journal report, Female suicide bomber attacks in West Africa on pace to quadruple in 2017.)

In total, at least 169 females have been used in suicide bombings since June 2014 according to data compiled by FDDs Long War Journal.

Caleb Weiss is a research analyst at FDD's Long War Journal and a senior analyst at the Bridgeway Foundation, where he focuses on the spread of the Islamic State in Central Africa.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
DECATUR  Jenae Petty was one of 240 students receiving a diploma during Friday evening's Richland Community College graduation.

But hers came with an added bonus -- a surprise encounter on stage with brother, Marine Corp Staff Sgt. Preston Hughes.

The two hadn't been together in five years and have found it difficult to keep in contact, especially in different time zones. The Marine has lived throughout the United States, including North Carolina and Washington, D.C. He currently lives in California, but will soon be sent overseas.

I was expecting just to get my diploma, Petty said, who studied early childhood education.

Amid all the the excitement, Petty forgot to take her diploma, keeping hold of her brother instead as the duo walked across the stage.

Hughes arrived in Decatur late Thursday evening with only two weeks of planning.

My sister told me she was graduating, but I told her I couldn't make it, Hughes said.

That same day he was able to obtain a leave of absence and bought a ticket for home.

Just so I could surprise her, he said.

Petty saw Hughes graduate from boot camp some nine years ago, so he felt it was important to be at her graduation from Richland.

My sister and I have been really close, he said. Of course we are siblings so we fight every once in awhile, but she knows I love her.

In addition to the surprise visit, the ceremony also included speaches by graduating student Bobbie Cremer and 2017 Distinguished Alumnus Matthew Cardinal, along with English professor Deborah Yaden.

Family and friends applauded for their graduates, but many gave a standing ovation when the young Marine walked onto the stage.

Hughes was able to surprise his mother, as well. She was just as excited as her daughter to see Hughes on the stage.

This is a rejoicing time, to see my daughter graduate and to see my baby before he goes overseas, said their mother, Miriam Woods.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Climate Change: Tracing the Inception of its Scientific and Political (...)

by Prashant Kumar Sharma

The climate change issue has become a significant part of the global discourse today. Climate change poses an existential challenge to the entire humanity. This could lead to the greatest environmental threat facing the planet. Moreover, this daunting challenge is often described as the defining challenge of our age. But there is a visible dearth of unanimity over the question of inception of the phenomenon of climate change.

Scientific Discourse

However, these issues became part of the scientific discourse since 1896, when Svante Arrhenius, a Swedish chemist, analysed the linkages between the atmospheric carbon dioxide and air temperature in order to clarify the existence of the ice ages. Svantes analysis of the atmosphere helped him to forecast that if carbon dioxide in the atmosphere doubled, the earths mean average annual temperature would be warmer by varied degrees. His estimates, nevertheless, attracted little public attention and concern.

In 1824, the first theory of global warming came to light at a time when Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier, a French mathematician, exposed that the temperature of the earth was slowly increasing. He argued that solar radiation is trapped by the earths atmosphere that is again reflected back towards the earth. Prof P.C. Joshi, in his article titled, Antiquity and Novelty of Climate Change, revealed that the phenomena of warming of earth were recognised by John Tyndall in 1859. Tyndall argued that the water vapour, carbon dioxide and other ingredients were primarily responsible for the warming of the earth. Thereby, it is considered that Tyndall was the first person to assess the phenomena of global warming; and the very same phenomena are identified as the basic cause for adverse climate change.

Etkins and Ho, in their work, Climate Change: Perceptions and Discourses of Risk, stated that sensing the susceptibility to the future climate change thrust due to the high concentrations of greenhouse gases, that might be detrimental to humankind and natural ecosystems, there have been an extensive commotion on this subject that encompasses scientists, politicians, special interest groups and the general public. From the late 14th century to the end of the 19th century, the earth went through the little ice age. By that time, severe cold and insensitive conditions led to a number of famines and the expansion of glaciers, particularly in the Alps, Scandinavia, Iceland and Alaska. The scientists were in search of finding an answer, as the temperature of the earth had steeply soared by the 1850s.

Climate change is often linked to the changes in modern climate, which have resulted due to human activities in recent usage. It is strongly believed that human beings have always influenced their environment, and it is only since the inception of the industrial revolution in the mid-18th century that the impacts of man-made activities have begun to traverse globally. R. K. Pachaury, in his Global Climate Change: Indian Perspective Revisited and Restated, has enumerated that the problems of climate change came to light in 1988 at a time when North America incurred severe drought and an unusually hot summer. This thing not only led the experts to make an assessment of the situation, but also the global worries for the phenomenon of global warming and climate change resulted in the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988 through the efforts of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Political Discourse

Nitin Desai, in his Climate Change: economic and historical perspective, has clarified that the issues of climate change did not came into focus very long ago. For him, it meant that the climate change phenomenon is a recent one. Desai believes that atmospheric scientists were the early movers on the concerns of climate change rather than the activists of the Green movement. The references to the climate change are embedded in the Brundtland Commissions report titled as Our Common Future, published in 1987. The green movement could not exert its pressure upon the issues of climate change when this Commission report was being made, and not even in the Rio process. At this stage, the focus was much on the issues of classical conservation.

Moreover, Desai stipulated that at the second level, that is political in nature, the first two heads of state from the developing world who highlighted the matter of climate change at the global level were President Ershad of Bangladesh and President Gayyum of Maldives. These heads of state raised the issue in the 1980s. President Gayyum was the one who mentioned climate change for the first time at the United Nations General Assembly, and not any leader from theOrganisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. The first intergovernmental organisation to set up a process on climate change was not in the UN, but the secretariat of the Commonwealth. This secretariat set up a group under Martin Holgate. Therefore, the concerns came mostly from the developing countries, scientific community, and certain NGOs outside the UN.

The President of Maldives, Mohammed Nashid, in the first gathering of the newly established Climate Vulnerable Forum, underlined the great ordeal his country was facing from the inescapable fury of climate change. He argued, For us, climate change is no distant or abstract threat; but a clear and present danger to our survival. We are not responsible for the hundreds of years of carbon emissions, which are cooking the planet. But the dangers climate change poses to our countries means that this crisis can no longer be considered somebody elses problem. For all of us gathered here today, inaction is not an option. (Quoted in The Environment Emergency: Exploring solutions for a sustainable future, Teri: 2010). Hence, the political process that we see today emanated mostly from those concerns of developing states and the scientific world. In the early days, people used to use the term global warming that, in the view of Desai, was misconstrued. In the Northern Hemisphere, folks did not think of warming of the world as a bad idea. Therefore, the terminology got changed to climate change.

As far as the milestones in climate change negotiations are concerned, the year 1979 has been remarkable as the first World Climate Conference took place in that year. This conference recognised for the first time that climate change is a serious problem. In 1992, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted in Rio de Janeiro with the ultimate objective to achieve the stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentration and to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. Nevertheless, the first Conference of Parties (COP1) took place in 1995 in Berlin, where the parties pointed out that commitments in the UNFCCC were not adequate and decided to set up a process whereby developed countries will take the lead on climate change. At COP3 in 1997, the Kyoto protocol was formally adopted under which it was agreed upon that signatory parties would have to commit to internationally binding emission reduction targets, with a much heavier burden accorded on developed countries. This protocol came into force in 2005. The most recent agreement that is known as the Paris Agreement, was adopted in COP21 in 2015, with the goal of keeping the temperature rise to well below 2 C above pre- industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit temperature increase to 1.5C. This agreement came into force on November 4, 2016 and it has been ratified by 110 members.

Following the above enumeration on the area of climate change, it is understandable that the enigma of climate change is not new to the scientific world. Rather, we can say that this phenomenon is new to the political world at a time when its adverse impact is being felt socially, economically and politically across the nook and corner of the globe. What is most important is that as of now people are becoming aware at least of the climate change phenomenon, if not to the full extent.

Prashant Kumar Sharma is a Ph.D Research Scholar at the Centre for South Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Iran Elections

Once again the hardliners and moderates are confronting each other in the coming Iranian elections on May 19. There are over 100 candidates in the field. The moderates are led by Ebrahim Raeisi and the religious conser-vatives are likely to be led by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a former President. The countrys Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had tried to prevent a contest by asking Ahma-dinejad not to take part in it. In the 2013 elections, a moderate, Rohani, had been elected the President, defeating the hardliners.

Ebrahim Raeisi, a moderate, is the new head of Irans most important and rich shrine, Imam Reza in Mashhad, and besides the shrine owns motor car factories. He is the protege of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. This may result in a split in the vote of the hardliners and keep the reformists vote together. After Irans nuclear deal with six major powers, concluded in 2015, the reformists re-election appears assured. But the fruits of lifting the UN sanctions on Iran, in curbing its nuclear programme, have been slow in coming. The hope of investments coming in has not been fulfilled. Instead, US President Donald Trump has been critical of Iran, tightening his countrys sanctions and continuing to prevent it from trading in dollars.

Khameneis faction dominates the elections and appears to have the power to approve candi-dates for the election. It controls the army, Revolutionary Guards, judiciary and the state television. Its masked men have been targeting the social media, arresting demonstrators and making it difficult for hardliners to carry on their election activity. The phone app., telegram and uncensored Persian news channelswhich had helped the reformers in the last parliamentary votedo not seem to be in favour of hardline candidates.

The recent mild economic improvement may have given support to Irans Western engagement a boost and checked the hardliners from conducting a campaign for their success.

Whatever be the election results, Irans presence and influence in Iraq has been growing steadily. So has it in Syria. Iran has 95 military advisers in Iraq. The Americans still have some 5800 soldiers there, four big military bases, they control its skies and are more powerful. But the Iranians have penetrated almost every organ of the Iraqi state. Their forces in Iraq are five times that of the US. Its very large Quds Force, the foreign element of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, of over 100,000 men, commanded by General Suleimani, has most of its men in Iraq since 1979. More than 20 per cent of Iraqis are Shia and have their allegiance to the Ayatollahs, religious leaders based in Iran. The Iraqis have one Grand Ayatollah of their own, in Ali Sistani of the city of Najaf, but he is old and after him the Iraqi Shias are likely to follow Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran.



The involvement of Iran in Iraq has been decades long. After Irans Islamic revolution of 1979, its Shia religious leaders have been recruiting people of their faith, expelled by Iraqs President, Saddam Hussein. After the Iraq-Iran war, these returned to their homes in southern Iraq. Their men now patrol the Baghdad streets as the religious police. Some Iraqi militias even have political representatives in the countrys Parliament.

They have in Iraq well-armed Hashad brigades, which play a major role in fighting and have ousted the Islamic State forces from Mosul. Last year, Iranians were asking for a visa-free entry into Iraq for its pilgrims to the Iraqi religious city of Najaf, which was not allowed. After his visit to Washington in March, the Iraqi President, Abadi, has been trying his country to take a more Arab position from a pro-Iranian one taking root. There was talk of reducing the size of the more than 100,000-strong pro-Iranian Hashad brigades. That did not happen. Attempts were made to strengthen Iraqs pro-Arab position.The Saudi Arab Foreign Minister visited Iraq after 27 years and Saudi planes started flying pilgrims to the religious city of Najaf.

To maintain its position in Iraq, Iran then sent a new Ambassador to it, who is a friend of Gen Suleimani, the commander of the well-armed, large and powerful Iranian Quds Force.

But the feeling in the country is while the Iraqi Government is pro-American, most of its people are pro-Iran. Some Iraqis think that Iran is the ultimate guarantor of Iraqs stability and not the United States. Quite a bit of anti-American propaganda goes on among the Iraqi armed forces.

The author is a veteran journalist with wide knowledge of developments in West Asia and the Arab world.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Three Cheers for Democracy  in France, Rok and Iran

This article was written before the presidental elections in France and South Korea. Yet its contents are not yet outdated Here it is being published for the benefit of our readers.

The month of May is going to be momentous for international politics. Three countriesFrance, South Korea and Iranare heading for presidential elections and politics in Europe, Far East and the Middle East will be in transition. Sharp ideological clashes characterise all three elections. All three are pivotal states and their trajectory can affect the global balance.

The run-off in France tomorrow (May 7) is unprecedented insofar as the two discredited traditional parties of government, the Socialist Party and the Republicans, have been elimi-nated. The contestation is between Marine Le Pen of the neo-fascist National Front, the descendant of Frances Nazi-collaborationist regime in World War II, and Emmanuel Macron, an independent Centrist. Both candidates represent the interests of finance capital and there is a striking parallel with the US election last November, with Le Pen being an admirer of Donald Trumps nationalist America First and Macron an ally of the Democratic Party in the US. (Actually, former US President Barack Obama publicly endorsed Macrons candidacy last week.)

Macron is the likely winner. If that happens, France will more or else pursue the same foreign-policy course as under the incumbent President Francois Hollandea proactive member of the Western alliance and close ally of Germany. In the event of Angela Merkel securing a renewed mandate in the elections to the German Bundestag in October, with Macron in the saddle at the Elysee Palace, we may expect an assertive European Union as the flag-carrier of Western liberalism.

However, Le Pens victory will almost certainly lead to a breakdown in the French-German axis that has been central to the post-World War II Europes stability as well as deal a mortal blow to the European Union. Moscow pins hopes on her to jettison Europes policies aimed at isolating Russia. Her victory will strengthen Trumps hands to improve the US relations with Russia. In fact, under Le Pen, the West will witness a historic realignment. (New Republic)

When it comes to the presidential election in South Korea on Tuesday (May 9), the general expectation is that the conservative forces, who have ruled the country most of the time, may be facing a rout. Ironically, both the main contenders are politicians from the progressive Left. The likely winner could be Moon Jae In of the Democratic Party. It is a historic moment for the progressives in South Korean politics.

The progressives are not particularly enamoured of the ROKs alliance with the United States and they root for constructive engagement with North Korea. They are lukewarm about the deployment of the US ABM system in South Korea and they would foster friendly ties with China. Moons victory will almost certainly slam the door shut on any military option against North Korea for the Trump Administration. Curiously, Trumps dependence on China may only increase. (Atlantic)

As things stand, the field appears to be wide open in Irans election on May 19 and if there is no clear winner, a run-off will be held on May 26. The elections in Iran have a history of producing surprise results. But like in France and South Korea, the forthcoming election echoes an ideological struggle. All attention will be on the candidacy of incumbent President Hassan Rouhani, who is often described as a moderate-reformist.

Irans politics reminds one of the Indian fable of the elephant and the blind man. Depending on which organ of the beast he touches, hed form a different opinion. A scholar at Chatham House, Dr Sanam Vakil, has come up with a refreshingly new perspective of a complex panorama that defies neat analysis. She sees the struggle in Iranian politics as quintessentially an ancient theme playing out ever since the 1979 Islamic revolutionthe politics of Resis-tance. To quote Vakil,

Resistance is not a new concept in the Islamic Republic. Indeed, since the 1979 revolution, conservative politicians have continued to invoke the concept of resistance to exploit popular fears of Western meddling in Iranian affairs. The narrative of resistance has also stoked the spirit of Iranian nationalism and independence inspired by the words of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeinis call for Iran to be dependent on neither East nor West. The Supreme Leader and conservative politicians have long used the narrative of economic and political resistance as a means to preserve Iranian autonomy.

Enmity with the United States and by extension Israel is also tied to a national concept of resistance... Resistance takes the form of political, revolutionary, social, cultural, economic and foreign resistance to change and interference from abroad all of which would result in the erosion of power. Ultimately, resistance is about protecting and preserving the Islamic Republic and its revolutionary ideals that have been gradually losing sway and giving way to notions of reform from within.

Some have also called it a struggle involving black Shiism and red Shiism, especially in its implications for Irans political economy. Succinctly put, Vakil analyses the struggle as Rouhani versus the politics of resistance. This of course is a simplification because the Iranian system has checks and balances that severely delimit the Presidents capacity to steer policies of his choice, and, secondly, Iranian politics presents a fragmented picture.

We in India also have had our tryst with Resistance. We preferred to call it strategic autonomy, which manifested as resistance to seamless globalisation in economic policies or as pursuit of independent foreign policies. Suffice it to say, the outcome of the election in Iran will profoundly impact Irans foreign policies, the Middle East crisis and the US-Iranian engagement.

Ambassador M.K. Bhadrakumar served as a career diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service for over 29 years, with postings including Indias ambassador to Uzbekistan (1995-1998) and to Turkey (1998-2001).
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Assessing North Koreas Nuclear Standoff

by Sudhakar Vaddi

Despite severe economic sanctions, North Korea, officially the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), has conducted five nuclear tests and launched several long-range rockets including the latest Pukguksong-2 in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions.1 To address the nuclear crises, the US, under President Donald Trump, announced a policy of maximum pressure towards the impoverished North Korean regime. However, in spite of these harsh sanctions and external pressures, why is the isolated nation not willing to give up its nuclear arsenal?

There is a historical link to understand this puzzle. The nuclearisation of the Korean penin-sula started with the policy of US nuclear strategy during and after the Korean War days. The War ended with the Korean Armistice Agreement (KAA) in 1953. Though KAA is not a permanent peace solution for the parties, it would help to ensure a complete cessation of hostilities until a final peaceful solution is achieved. The importance or perhaps the heart of the Armistice is Article II Section 13 (d) which ceases the introduction of combat aircraft, armoured vehicles, weapons, and ammunition from abroad to the Korean peninsula. However, the monitoring and supervising authority was assigned to a four-nation Neutral Nations Super-visory Commission (NNSC) consisting of Sweden and Switzerland for North Korea and Poland and Czechoslovakia for South Korea.

Deployment of Nukes

After the Korean War, the US suffered a serious financial deficit.One of the ways to slash the military budget was to reduce the costs for American forces from South Korea. However, this withdrawal may have created an imbalance of military strength on the Korean peninsula because the Chinese Army was stationed in North Korea until 1958.Moreover,Soviet Russia successfully launched its first satellite Sputnik into orbit in 1957 with the inter-continental ballistic missile technology. At this juncture, the deployment of nuclear weapons in South Korea was a only possible option for Washington to opt for. However, it was difficult to introduce nuclear weapons unless the hurdles of Section 13 (d) and the NNSC were cleared.

Washington did play a considerable role to influence Switzerland and Sweden who were the NNSC members in the northern side.2 As a result, by 1958, the NNSC was virtually defunct and the arms control provisions of the armistice had effectively lapsed. Perhaps, the actions of the US were logical due to the Cold War tensions during this phase. Thus the collapse of the NNSC opened the way for the US to introduce nuclear weapons in the Korean Peninsula. Accor-dingly, the United States Forces of Korea (USFK) did confirm the arrival of the 280 mm atomic cannons and 762 mm Honest John nuclear missiles in South Korea on January 28, 1958. By the mid-1980s, the US brought in more than 1720 nuclear weapons turning South Korea into the biggest nuclear warehouse. This was the starting-point for North Koreas nuclear ambition.

Subsequently, the Sino-Soviet split in the late 1950s led Pyongyang to pursue an independent policy of Juche self reliance without depending on its communist bloc allies. Further, the biggest challenge and greater pressure came at the time of the end of the Cold War.3 South Koreas normalisation of diplomatic relations with its former foes, Russia in 1991 and China in 1992, further enhanced Pyongyangs nuclear aspirations. At this juncture, North Korea found itself encircled by major powers, including neighbour South Korea.

Military First Policy

Due to the existing security environment, Pyongyang introduced Songun Military First policy during the middle of the 1990s to protect its sovereignty. Consequently, the US stepped up for diplomatic talks and concluded an Agreed Framework with North Korea in 1994.4 Under this pact, Pyongyang agreed to abandon its nuclear weapons programme in return for aid from the United States, Japan and South Korea through the Korean Energy Development Organi-sation (KEDO) project.

After the 9/11 attacks and subsequent US policy of war on terror, the US has sent mixed signals by including North Koreas name in an axis of evil and also suspended the key energy project for North Korea. Further, in September 2002, the Nuclear Posture Review listed North Korea as a country against which the US should be prepared to use nuclear weapons.5

Since the failure of the US commitment, North Korea announced that it was no more a party to the agreed pact and formally announced it was pulling out from the NPT due to its energy requirements.6 The subsequent hostile policy of the US directly led to North Koreas first nuclear test on October 9, 2006.

Resisting Pressure

For outsiders, North Korea is a nuclear and missile threat to the entire world, but from the inside, the overwhelming consciousness is that of a small country constantly threatened by the powerful ones.7 Economic sanctions on one side and the search for an absolute assurance of protection from enemies as it was gripped with security concerns on the other have made the DPRK a kind of porcupine state, resisting foreign bodies by stiffening its quills, rather than by expanding those.8

Enhancing the pressure further, the joint US-South Korea naval drills have become the bone of contention between the parties. The US and South Korea annually hold more than 40 team spirit joint military exercises such as Key Resolve, Foal Eagle, and Ulji Freedom Guardian joint military exercises by mobilising more than 500,000 US and South Korean troops with nuclear-powered submarines. On numerous occasions, the leadership of the DPRK has blamed the war exercises as a reason to halt peaceful negotiations and also advanced a proposal for the US suspension of joint military exercises in South Korea and its vicinity and the DPRKs moratorium on the nuclear test.9 In fact, China also appealed on many occasions to freeze the joint US-South Korea military drills to normalise the unstable situation in the Korean Peninsula.

Beijings Strategic Approach

China is North Koreas closest ally, but in recent times it supported the UN sanctions resolution against Pyongyang. Nevertheless, Beijings prime concern is stability on the Korean peninsula and it fears that any sudden collapse of the regime could send millions of refugees across the border. Moreover, the US continued military presence in South Korea engenders geopolitical calculations to prop up the North Korean regime. China has long feared that the United States and its allies seek to encircle or contain China and therefore wants to ensure the continued viability of the North Korean regime as a buffer zone. The pulse of its strategic concern can be understood during the planned US deployment Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea recently. However, China is worried about this radar deployment action which could potentially help the US to detect Chinese missiles and change the strategic balance in the Northeast-Asian region. No doubt, the Chinese front companies and banks have been assisting Pyongyang to evade the scrutiny of international sanctions. Further, so far there is no control on the banned luxury goods since China is in control of a booming network of trade and smuggling across its 870-mile border with North Korea. The recent ban on North Koreas coal imports cant be misunderstood as Beijings policy approach towards its buffer state. The import ban can be tentative since China has already crossed the current years upper limits of coal imports from North Korea.

Conclusion

The maximum pressure approach of Washington on North Korea to dismantle its nuclear, ballistic missiles might not have positive results alone. Handling pressure is not a new phenomenon for the North Korean regime. The replacement of the Korean War armistice agreement with a peace treaty is the only way to move away from the current crisis. North Korea has been living under sanctions for quite a long time and still continues with its course.

The insecurity obsession of Pyongyang is unlikely to remove the nuclear missile blanket unless it receives solid guarantees of a formal peace settlement. The situation with North Korea can be settled by the leaders who genuinely want peace more than war. 

EndNotes

1. North Korea is prohibited from carrying out ballistic missile launches under the UN Security Council resolutions. In the past the UNSC has passed resolutions no. 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), 2087 (2013), 2094 (2013) and 2321 (2016) respectively.

2. Park Tae Gyun, The Korean Armistice System and the Origins of the Cheonan and Yeonpyeong Incidents, Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, 24, no. 1, 2011, p. 118.

3. Mitchell Reis, Bridled Ambition: Why Countries Constrain Their Nuclear Capability (Washington DC: Woodrow Wilson Center Press, 1995), p. 231.

4. North Korea announced in 1993 that it was withdrawing from the treaty, but later suspended the decision and entered talks with the United States.

5. The US-North Korea Agreed Framework at a Glance,

https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/agreedframework, (accessed on April 4, 2017).

6. US Ruptured Denuclearisation Process, Korean Central News Agency, May 12, 2003.

7. Gavan Mccormack, North Koreas 100thTo Celebrate or To Surrender?, The Asia Pacific Journal, Vol. 10, No. 2, 2012, p. 6.

8 Gavan McCormack, Security Council Condemnation of North Korean UFO Deepens Korean Crises, The Asia Pacific Journal, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2009, p. 3.

9 North Korea offers to suspend nuclear tests if U.S. suspends Military Drills, Reuters, January 10, 2015,

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-drills-idUSKBN0KJ09F20150110, (accessed on April 5, 2017).

Dr Sudhakar Vaddi is a Research Associate at the Bharat Informal Workers Initiative (BHIWI), New Delhi. He can be contacted at e-mail: sudhajnu[at]gmail.com
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Bankruptcy at Policy Level

From N.C.s Writings

With all the excitement generated over the Ramaswami impeachement, the Narasimha Rao Government has good reason to thank the Opposition for letting the Budget pass with only a token show of dissent.

This marks a major headway for the government which had to pass quite a few anxious moments when it was reported that the BJP would not hesitate to support the cut motions due to be moved by the National Front-Left combine. The fact of having escaped defeat in the Lok Sabha voting on the Budget has no doubt brought a sense of relief for the Narasimha Rao Government which has been carrying on without commanding majority support in Parliament.

But to win battles is not the same thing as winning the war. The battle is thus won by Narasimha Rao in the parliamentary confrontation with the Opposition, but there is as yet no sign of the governments capacity to win the war, to ward off or overpower the challenges that face it on the national plane. It is precisely in this area that the weakness of the present government is palpable.

We seem to have reached a blind alley in Kashmir. The Minister for Internal Security, Rajesh Pilot, may be spending a lot of physical energy rushing about the place, holding earnest consultations with officials, both civil and military, high and low. But in terms of a policy perspective, all this is as bleak as an arid desert in dealing with the turbulence in the Valley. The new Governor is, after all, not so new as he has had extensive experience of dealing with Kashmir, both on the defence and political sides. But the Governor on his own initiative can only help marginally. What is needed is a clear policy approach on the part of the Centre. To talk about restoring normalcy before elections can take placeas has been done by the Union Home Ministeris really begging the question. For everybody knows from the Hizbul militant in the Valley to the Pandit refugee in Jammu that there could be no election anywhere until normalcy is restored.

The point to raise here is what the plans of the Centre are to bring back normalcy. It is admitted in responsible circles within the governmentand not merely by the Human Rights lobbiesthat the two items which have been responsible for antagonising the people in the Valley are the combing operations and the custodial deaths. On both these counts, it is important for the authorities to decide how to put an end to them so that the present embittered environment in the Valley could be changed and a certain amount of trust and confidence of the people towards the government is restored. What is involved here is the battle for the mind of the people in the Valleyto enable them to judge for themselves the advantages of remaining within the Indian Union in contrast to the negative consequence of going out of it.

The crux of the present crisis in Kashmir is to be found in the handling of this problem. This is not just a psychological issue but a very real political problem with a historical background. This has to be squarely faced. And it cannot be squarely faced unless and until the government is clear in its mind how far it is prepared to go to win over the Kashmiri psyche, if one may call it. With the BJP clamour for the removal of Article 370, it is but natural for an average Kashmiri to be concerned about the special status of Jammu and Kashmir as specifically ensured by the Indian Constitution. The implied edge of the BJP propaganda is that the people in the Kashmir Valley being overwhelmingly Muslim cannot be trusted, and so they should no longer enjoy the immunity so long granted to them.

What is held back in this propaganda is that Article 370 provides the State of Jammu and Kashmir to have a Constitution of its own, and that Constitution enjoins the inviolability of the States accession to the Indian Union, a provision which cannot be amended, as laid down in that very Constitution. Secondly, why so much fuss about Article 370, when one finds no attack by the BJP and Co on Article 370 which grants similar elements of autonomy to the North-Eastern States?

No doubt the government has repeatedly made it clear that it would not permit the scrapping or any modification of Article 370. But one gets the impression that any gesture which may help to win over the people of the Valleyat least to lower their antipathy towards the Centreis being held back by the government for fear of antagonising the leading Opposition party in Parliament. And those in the ruling establishment who measure every move by the criterion of vote-gathering, would certainly be holding on to the position that if the government stood up for the Kashmiri people, it might have an adverse impact on the Hindu voter. This assumption itself is incorrect for the simple reason that there is a very large body of Hindu opinion which refuses to thrive on Muslim-baiting in some form or other.

Kashmir, however, is not the only theatre where the governments bankrutptcy at the policy level is shown up. It is facing problems of regional unrest all the way from Bodoland to Jharkhand via Darjeeling. More such issues are bound to come up and unless the government comes out with a clear policy perspective on this burning question of growing regional assertion, it will not only be unable to tackle them, but reduce these to a mere law-and-order question which will make these worse. In this context one is at a loss to understand why the recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission are not being taken up in right earnest.

The Sarkaria Report is not a revolutionary document at all. Its recommendations are really meant to strengthen the Constitution and not weaken it. This is a report which commands wide support and there is no earthly reason why the government should fight shy of implementing its recommendations. There is no doubt whatsoever that if the Sarkaria Report is taken up with a sense of urgency then the right signal will go to all militant groupswhether in Kashmir or Punjab, in Jharkhand or the North-Eastthat this government can be trusted to take up their demands and grievances in right earnest. Needless to add, it will also bring down the mounting tension that prevails between the Centre and the States.

The perspective is missing in the governments approach to the communal question also. Leave alone its pathetic record in handling the developments on December 6 and afterwards, one notices a strange tendency to surrender whenever faced with the communal bully and blackmail. The latitude that has been systematically extended to the Shiv Sena is now sought to be made up by the latest move in Kerala to declare a weekly holiday on Friday instead of Sunday to placate Muslim communalism. Rather even-handed one may claimyielding to both Hindu and Muslim fanaticism. In other words, promote communalism to ensure vote-banks.

Here is a case of petty electoral politics prevailing over the national imperative of fighting communalism.

(Mainstream, May 15, 1993)
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Why Kashmir Remains Disturbed

Whether stone-pelting in Kashmir is at the behest of Pakistan or it is a response to the fundamentalists call, the fact remains that the Valley is disturbed. Scores of schools have been burnt and there is a fear in the mind of students that they would be punished if they were to attend classes. The separatists are said to be leading a movement to boycott the studies.

The result is that the students are finding it hard to prepare and appear in exams which the rest of the country is having peacefully. The separatists should realise that a political move-ment cannot and should not make students helpless and let them suffer. The fallout of the agitation is that the tourists inflow has reduced. So much so, Syed Ali Shah Geelani has led processions through the streets of Srinagar to assure the tourists that they would be protected in all eventualities.

Still whatever the assurance, the tourists have come to prefer some different hill stations to Kashmir. It is understandable from the tourists point of view but in the process the Dal Lakes shikaras and Nagin Baghs dongas are not getting business. An ordinary Kashmiri is suffering. Even otherwise, the States economy has been badly hit.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti does not seem to have any clue to the situation. She has said many a time that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only person who can solve the crisis in Kashmir. She is probably underlining the alliance between her Peoples Democratic Party and the BJP which is ruling at the Centre.

New Delhi should, however, analyse why a person like Shabbir Shah, once pro-India, has turned himself to be pro-azadi. Probably, he does not find the space which he direly needs to direct his affairs in the Valley. The BJP has had no contact with persons like him. The same is the case with Yasin Malik who wanted a solution within the Indian Union. But New Delhi has stretched Article 370 in such a way that the power has come to be concentrated at New Delhi.

Kashmir also feels strongly about New Delhis step-motherly treatment meted out to their Urdu language. And it is generally believed that Urdu is languishing in neglect because it is considered the language of Muslims. If New Delhi were to own and encourage Urdu, it would give the Kashmiris at least one less reason to feel aggrieved. People are generally poor like in the rest of India and they want jobs which they realise would come only through development, including tourism.

Till recently, the Kashmiris were opposed to pick up the gun to defy New Delhi. Home Minister Rajnath Singh has been relentlessly pursuing some method to help Kashmir return to normalcy. But, unfortunately, the Kashmiris have a feeling that what the militants are trying to do gives them identity. Therefore, the criticism that there is no resistance to the militants from within the Valley should be understood as part of the alienation.

It is unfortunate that New Delhi did not give the package which it had announced after the devastation through floods in Kashmir a couple of years ago. There was no criticism by the media or political parties. No leader has pointed out to New Delhi that it had reneged from the promise. All these are interpreted in Kashmir as deliberate signs of cursory attitude. I still believe that the 1953 agreement which gave India the control of defence, foreign affairs and communications can improve the situation in the State.

The Kashmiri youth, who are angry over the States status as well as the situation, can be won over by the assurance that the entire Indian market would be available to them for business or services. But this alone may not do. New Delhi will have to withdraw all the Acts relating to fields other than defence, foreign affairs and communications. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, which was promulgated some 26 years ago to meet the extraordinary situation in the State, is still in operation. Were the government to withdraw the Act, it would placate the Kashmiri on the one hand and make the security forces more responsible on the other.

The National Conference waged a long war to get rid of Maharaja Hari Singh and had an icon like Sheikh Abdullah to provide secular and democratic rule to the State. But the party suffered defeat in the Assembly polls due to its proximity to New Delhi. The PDP won because its founder, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, kept a distance from New Delhi, without alienating it.

The Kashmiris have voted for the untried PDP-BJP alliance because the combination gave them a feeling of identity. Omar Farooq Abdullah had to pay the price of the National Conferences image of being pro-Delhi. Kashmirs links with India are too close to challenge it beyond a point. Still the Opposition, however small, gives the Kashmiris a vicarious satisfaction of defying New Delhi.

Lord Cyril Radcliffe did not attach any importance to Kashmir. He was a judge in London who drew the line between India and Pakistan to establish two separate countries. He told me many years later during an interview that he never imagined that Kashmir would assume as much importance as it did. I recalled this instance when I was in Srinagar a couple of years ago to preside over the first anniversary of an Urdu magazine. Urdu has been unceremo-niously ousted from all the States, including Punjab, where it was the main language until some years ago. In fact, the language lost its importance in India soon after Pakistan made it that countrys national language.

Normalcy is also a state of mind. The Kashmiris must feel themselves that their identity is not under attack and that New Delhi realises the importance of what the Kashmiris desire. What New Delhi has to appreciate is that the Kashmiris desire to distance themselves from India may not be considered any meaningful transfer of power from New Delhi to Srinagar. Yet the impression that the Kashmiris rule themselves has to be sustained, whatever the cost.

The author is a veteran journalist renowned not only in this country but also in our neighbouring states of Pakistan and Bangladesh where his columns are widely read. His website is www.kuldipnayar.com
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > ICJ Speaks Out in Jadhav Case

EDITORIAL

The International Court of Justice has spoken out loud and clear.

Today it instructed Pakistan not to execute Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer convicted of alleged espionage and terrorism and subsequently sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court (functioning under deep secrecy), till the ICJ pronounces its final decision on New Delhis petition to annul the death sentence.

The President of the UNs highest court in The Hague said: Pakistan shall take all measures at its disposal to ensure that Mr Jadhav is not executed pending the final decision in these proceedings and shall inform the Court of all the measures taken in implementation of the present order.

Pakistan reacted to the ICJ order by saying that the UNs highest court had no jurisdiction over national security matters, a point dismissed by the Court.

Pakistans Attorney-General said the ICJs order did not change the status of Jadhav in any way. A state-ment from the Attorney-Generals office underlined: We are determined to pursue this case to its logical end.

And the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman declared: We do not accept the jurisdiction of the ICJ in matters related to the national security of the country. He further stated that Pakistan will present solid evidence against the Indian spy in the international court.

The ICJ order has led to a sense of triumphalism bordering on jingoism in the Indian media, notably the electronic media. This is completely unwarranted. The final decision of the ICJ has yet to come. At present the ICJ has endorsed the Indian position that the trial amounted to serious miscarriage of justice as Indian diplomats were not given access to Jadhav who was not even allowed to choose his own defence. Such restrictions, India argued, were a breach of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, something the ICJ upheld. So this is a victory of India for the present as Jadhav has been given a reprieve at the moment. However, gloating over this development is thoroughly uncalled for, and this needs to be reiterated.

Meanwhile, a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has heard a bunch of petitions demanding an end to the controversial custom of triple talaaq but has reserved its order in the case. But what is significant is that the powerful Muslim body defending triple talaaq, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), has told the Apex Court that it was willing to ask all qazis in the country to give brides the option of keeping the divorce practice out of the marriage contract. It promised to issue an advisory to this effect within a week. However, as the Board is not a statutory body its advice is not binding.

Yet such a development is noteworthy, to say the least.

May 18 s.c.
Have you found something notably new in the area of trademark examination?

Dan Chen: In the 2013 revision of the Trademark Law, the sound mark was introduced into China's trademark system. Based on the last three years' experience, the Revised Standard has provided detailed guidance on the examination of sound mark applications in both registrability determination and similarity test for the first time. In terms of prohibitive provisions, according to the Revised Standard, a sound mark must not be identical with or similar to the Chinese or foreign national anthems, military songs, or "the International", and shall not include religious music, or sounds having a negative effect such as horrifying or violent sounds.

In terms of inherent distinctiveness, a sound mark shall be considered as devoid of distinctive character if it directly indicates the contents, target consumers, functions or other characteristics of the designated goods or services, for example, the sound of playing a piano used as a trademark for a musical instrument, or kids laughing sound used as trademark for infant powder milk. At the same time, pitch or rhythm that is too simple or common, a complete song or a lengthy piece of music, or a direct singing of advertising words or common phrases in plain tones will also be considered as lacking distinctiveness and therefore cannot be registered as a trademark. As to the examination on trademark similarity, it is important to note that, in addition to the comparison between the audio effects, the Trademark Office also compares the verbal elements contained in a sound mark with prior word marks.

Do the two documents provide strengthened measures to tackle trademark squatting?

Dan Chen: Yes, there are several provisions in the Revised Standard that can be beneficial to trademark owners.

First of all, Paragraph 1 Article 44 of the New Trademark Law prescribes that, where a registered trademark was acquired by fraud or any other improper means, the Trademark Office shall declare the registered trademark invalid; and any other organization or individual may apply to the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board for invalidation of the registered trademark. This has been frequently adopted as a miscellaneous provision in trademark opposition or invalidation proceedings, but the rule of thumb on its application was not very clear in the past. In the Revised Standard, the circumstances constituting "registration acquired through other improper means" are specified as (1) registering many trademarks which are identical with or similar to highly distinctive trademarks of others, (2) registering many trademarks which are identical with or similar to others' business names, entity names or the special names for well-known products, and (3) registering a large amount of trademarks with obvious lack of use intention. Further definition has been given to "obvious lack of use intention" as having neither actual use nor intention to use and merely aiming at selling the mark, seeking a royalty fee or compensation. These specified provisions will significantly improve the applicability of Paragraph 1 Article 41, and turn it into a powerful weapon against those professional squatters even if the trademark owner may not be able to prove its prior use of the mark in China.

Secondly, with respect to the application of Paragraph 1 Article 15 of the New Trademark Law concerning agents or representatives attempting to register a trademark without authorization from the trademark owner, the Revised Standard and the Judicial Provisions broaden the application scope to those registration attempts taking place during the negotiation stage before an agency or representative relationship is formed and after termination of the relationship. In addition, where there is a certain relationship such as kinship or investment relationship between the trademark applicant and the agent or representative of the trademark owner, they may be presumed to be in collusion, and hence fall into the scope of Paragraph 1 Article 15 as well. These specified provisions will help ensure a safer business environment for trademark owners facing the risk of disclosing their trademarks to potential business partners. At the same time, however, trademark owners still need be mindful of preserving evidence from the very beginning, and are expected to put more efforts into background investigation, in order to dig out any potential link between its agent/distributor and the trademark applicant.

We have seen more and more successful opposition and invalidation actions based on the prior-copyright claim. Will this trend be loosened or tightened under the two documents?

Dan Chen: In my opinion, both documents deliver the same strong message that prior copyright will remain an effective tool in trademark opposition or invalidation proceedings. At the same time, however, certain borderlines have been drawn to avoid abuse of such rights. In terms of examination scope, for example, the Judicial Provisions require courts to conduct thorough examination on (1) whether the object at issue constitutes a copyrightable work, (2) whether the petitioner is the legitimate copyright owner or an interested party entitled to claim the copyright, and (3) whether the trademark at issue constitutes infringement of the petitioner's copyright.

At the same time, the Revised Standard makes it clear that the petitioner's trademark registration certificate alone or the copyright registration certificate dated later than the filing date of the trademark at issue cannot constitute sufficient proof of prior copyright. In the past, it had been a very common practice for the opposition/invalidation petitioner to apply for copyright registration after starting the opposition/invalidation proceeding. In light of this new evidence requirement, copyright owners shall either keep a complete record of prior creation or publication of the work (not necessarily in China) or take actions to obtain copyright registration as early as possible.

With regard to the use of a registered trademark, have there been any new requirement or trends?

Dan Chen: While the New Trademark Law describes trademark use as use of a trademark on goods, packages or containers of the goods or in trading documents, and use of the trademark in advertising, exhibition or any other business activities, to the extent to identify the origin of the goods, the Revised Standard further confines trademark use as use of a trademark in commerce and specifies several typical circumstances that do not constitute trademark use in the context of the Trademark Law, namely, (1) publication of trademark registration information or declaration of trademark ownership; (2) use of a trademark other than in the public business field; (3) use of a trademark merely on gifts; (4) mere transfer or license of trademark rights without actual use; and (5) symbolic use of a trademark merely aiming at maintaining registration.

In our representation of trademark owners who are victims of trademark squatting, we frequently find trademark squatters carrying out symbolic use of the preempted trademarks in an effort to keep the registration valid for sale. In the past, the Trademark Office would maintain a trademark registration so long as the registrant submitted one piece of valid use evidence. Under the new rules, petitioners of non-use cancellation will be able to challenge such a single piece of evidence as being symbolic use merely aiming at maintaining the registration, and hence improve the chance of success. However, it is still not clear whether, at the stage of examination by the TMO, this test of symbolic use will be implemented ex officio and directly lead to the cancellation of a registered trademark.

Which would you consider the most typical trademark cases in the past year?

Dan Chen: Selected among the 2016 top 10 IP litigations by the Supreme Court, the series of administrative litigations of Michael Jordan v TRAB and Qiaodan Sport are of significant importance for understanding the protection of person name rights against trademark squatting. These Supreme Court verdicts reflect the same standard as in the Judicial Provisions that the protection of person name rights includes not only the official name but also the pen name, stage name and translated name, to the extent that such name has enjoyed a certain level of reputation, that a corresponding relationship has been established with the natural person, and that the relevant public use it to refer to the natural person.

Another 2016 top 10 IP litigation case concerning affirmation of trademark rights, namely the administrative litigation of Chateau Lafite Rothschild & TRAB v Lafei Manor, plays a guiding role in the determination of similarity between a foreign trademark with a high level of reputation and the Chinese name pre-empted by others. During retrial of the case, the Supreme Court discussed various issues including composing elements of trademarks, degree of similarity in whole, the distinctiveness and reputation of the relevant trademarks, and most important of all, the determination of a stable corresponding relationship.

Last but not the least, the civil litigation between Maco, a Chinese company well-known for industrial adhesives and glues, against Xiujie Xinxing over trademark infringement has set a new record for the highest amount of indemnity ordered by Beijing IP Court, which is Rmb10 million ($1.5 million). In this case, Maco determined the amount of damage based on the profit acquired by the defendant through infringement activities, and provided evidence collected through public information channels at their best, which included the defendant's scale of operations, unit sales profit of infringing goods, production volume, sales period, number and geographical coverage of the defendant's retail stores. With regard to sales profit, Maco requested the court to take into account of the unit price difference and the gross margin of the alleged infringing products. As for the sales volume, although there is no exact number, Maco was able to prove the monthly production of one type of the alleged infringing goods as 10,000 tons. Based on this, in combination with other factors such as the defendant's scale of operation, the number of retail stores and geographical coverage, Maco made the reasonable deduction that the three types of alleged infringing products had a total monthly sales volume over 10,000 tons. The defendant challenged the objectivity of this evidence, but refused to provide the bookkeeping records and information of the relevant business activities despite the court's order. In the end, the Beijing IP Court granted full support to Maco's petition and ordered the defendant to compensate Maco with Rmb10 million.
This article is brought to you by our Trademark Times 2017 sponsors:

The good news is that there is no need to panic. The UK will not be leaving the EU until March 2019, and there will probably be transitional provisions beyond that to ensure a smooth change. There has already been a lot of work done on IP policy, in particular what will happen regarding pan-EU trade mark and design rights.

Although no decision has yet been made, the model for Brexit is likely to be Montenegro, which became independent in 2006. The so-called Montenegro-plus approach would see all EUTM registrations entered into the UK register on Brexit day, retaining their registration, priority and seniority dates.

Kate O'Rourke Kate O'Rourke

It would be best for all concerned if EUTMs and RCDs were automatically transposed on the next day, said CITMA President Kate ORourke in an interview with Managing IP, describing the Montenegro model as the pragmatic approach. Djura Mijatovic, managing partner of Zivko Mijatovic & Partners, who is based in Alicante, Spain, has first-hand experience of Montenegros independence and says the model is "the best of the possibilities" and "would be at least relatively simple to input into the UK trademark registry". However, with some 1.2 million EUTMs on the register, there will still be many questions to address, notably about use (and non-use) of UK child registrations, and possibly non-use of EU parent applications (if the previous use was only in the UK). Other open questions concern open proceedings at the time of Brexit (there are thousands of opposition, cancellation and appeal cases pending at any time), seniority claims where the UK registration has lapsed, and representation rights for UK practitioners.

One issue ORourke highlights is the need for an address for service. Hundreds of thousands of EUTMs will not have an address for service in the UK, so a decision will be needed about what to do with those post-Brexit. Could they retain an address for service in another country? That might be part of a diplomatic solution.

Looking beyond registration, there will be a lively debate about what policy on trade mark exhaustion the UK should adopt post-Brexit, and there will be questions about the influence of CJEU decisions. The UK governments White Paper in March said that all CJEU decisions up to Brexit day would have the same status as UK Supreme Court decisions, meaning they can only be departed from in limited circumstances. But what about CJEU judgments post-Brexit. At the recent Fordham IP Conference in New York, Mr Justice Arnold of the High Court said: It is inevitable that future decisions of the CJEU will have persuasive value. The question is what persuasive weight they will have.

Given the uncertainty, some IP owners are already taking a belt-and-braces approach, applying in the UK as well as the EU to ensure their trademarks and designs are protected, as shown by the 13% growth in UK trademark applications from 2015 to 2016. But ORourke is confident that re-filing of all EUTMs will not be necessary as appropriate transitional measures will be put in place: There is still lots of work to be done, but were confident that trademark owners will be fine.

The UK IPO has a booth in the INTA Annual Meeting Exhibition Hall (C40) where you can find out more about the latest developments regarding Brexit and IP rights in the UK

Action plan: prepare for Brexit in a week!

Monday: Consider filing UK trade mark applications for your most valuable EU marks, to ensure you have protection whatever happens

Tuesday: If you have an EUTM but your use is mainly in the UK, consider how you will prove use in the EU27 in the future

Wednesday: Review your licences and coexistence agreements, and consider whether to clarify definitions of jurisdiction and scope

Thursday: Review distribution channels, in case UK rules on exhaustion of rights change suddenly in 2019

Friday: Be prepared to start filing UK national trade mark applications from 2019 if you dont already, and think about the budget implications

Saturday: If you rely on the Community unregistered design right, think carefully about where to launch new products from 2019 onwards

Sunday: Get the latest news from associations such as CITMA, ECTA, INTA and MARQUES which all have dedicated teams to monitor Brexit and lobby national authorities
MARTINSVILLE  Some local leaders are praising a recently enacted Virginia law to preserve some historic black cemeteries and are hopeful funds eventually might be made available to help restore Peoples Cemetery in Martinsville.

House Bill 1547 provides for the maintenance of a total of 6,975 historic African American graves, monuments and markers at East End Cemetery in Henrico County and Evergreen Cemetery in Richmond.

The bill directs the distribution of funds appropriated for caring for historical African American cemeteries and graves to qualifying nonprofit organizations that preserve historical African American cemeteries established before 1900, says the fiscal impact statement by the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget. The funding formula is $5, or the average actual cost of routine maintenance, multiplied by the number of graves, monuments and markers of African Americans who lived at anytime between 1800 and 1900 and are interred in the cemetery.

The bill lists two cemeteries  East End and Evergreen cemeteries  that are to receive any funds appropriated, with the estimated fiscal impact at least $34,875 per year. The general fund for fiscal year 2018 includes $34,875 for the routine maintenance of historical African-American cemeteries and graves.

The fiscal impact statement says: In addition to establishing a program to provide for the routine maintenance and care of historical African-American cemeteries, the bill establishes a grant program for grants to qualified organizations to perform extraordinary maintenance, renovation, repair or reconstruction of any of their respective historical African-American cemeteries and graves. These grants would be subject to appropriation of funds for this purpose by the General Assembly. The fiscal impact of this provision is indeterminate.

Martinsville City Council member Sharon Brooks Hodge called the law a gigantic step toward equalizing the preservation of history.

It is mind boggling that for decades tax dollars have been invested in the upkeep of Confederate grave sites, while the resting places of African Americans have been left to deteriorate," Hodge added. "The decaying condition is not because these ancestors have been forgotten, but rather because those with the authority to allocate funding for their upkeep chose not to do so. It is comforting to know that this legislation passed not only with bi-partisan support, but by a unanimous vote.

Hodge said, ideally, she would like to see some of those funds help restore the condition of the Peoples Cemetery on Second Street.

Maybe this action in Richmond will be the catalyst for someone to make it possible for the People's Cemetery to meet that criteria, Hodge said.

Curtis Millner Sr., chairman of the Henry County School Board, agreed with Hodge.

I hope that legislation like this will help Martinsville/Henry County to restore and maintain Peoples Cemetery," Millner said. "This cemetery has long been neglected by everyone since it is no longer needed or primarily used for burial by the African Americans since we now can be buried anyplace that we can afford. It has significant historical value and I hope that we can work with FAHI, or some other entity, to restore and preserve this cemetery. (FAHI is the Fayette Area Historical Initiative.)

On May 17 Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed House Bill 1547 into law, as well as House Bill 2296, which directs the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities to preserve and share significant sites and stories relating to the history of formerly enslaved African Americans in Virginia.

According to a news release from the governors office, McAuliffe said, Unlike Confederate cemeteries, Black gravesites have gone centuries without state funds allocated for their maintenance and preservation Today, we are taking steps to reverse injustices the African American community has faced for generations. These two bills represent a new beginning and present an opportunity to make this Commonwealth a more inclusive, more just place for all its citizens.

The news release said that since the Civil War, Virginia has provided considerable resources to preserve Confederate gravesites. In addition to annual payments to support reoccurring maintenance needs, Virginia has made one-time investments, including $8,000 to Hollywood Cemetery in 1914 (the equivalent of $190,000 in todays dollars) and $30,000 in 1997 to restore Confederate graves at Oakwood Cemetery, a close neighbor to multiple long-neglected African American burial grounds.

House Bill 2296 directs the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities to identify the history of formerly enslaved African Americans in Virginia and determine ways to preserve the history for educational and cultural purposes. The foundation will promote the identification, preservation and conservation of significant historic sites; identify the contributions of African Americans; and recommend ways to increase tourism and revenues associated with such sites.
The Progressive Youth Alliance is organizing students across Pakistan, to keep alive the struggle of Mashal Khan and fight for the basic rights of students.

Since the brutal killing of Mashal Khan, many protests, public meetings, and demonstrations have been organized across the country to discuss the problems faced by students and to organize them around one platform. The PYA has also published many leaflets and posters to spread the message. A revolutionary song was also composed and performed, which got a huge response from the youth. On 21 May a huge public meeting is being held in the hometown of Mashal Khan in which students from across the country are participating in big numbers. A delegation from PYA will also be present at this meeting with a stall of Marxist literature. State authorities are trying to disrupt this meeting with security threats, along with sending MPs from all kinds of political parties, including those who were involved in the brutal killing of Mashal Khan, and other state officials shedding crocodile tears over the death of Mashal Khan. But despite all their tactics, this meeting will send a message of hope among the students to come out for their rights amidst all threats of terrorism.

Bahawalpur

On 16 May a convention was organized by Progressive Youth Alliance in Bahawalpur City at Darbar Mehal Hall near Islamia University. This is the third city convention of PYA in three months. The Youth Convention of Multan was held in February, while in Lahore it was held in March.

This convention was dedicated to Mashal Khan, a student of AWK University Mardan, who was lynched by Islamic fundamentalists with the complete support of Pakistani State on 13 April. Like other cities across the country, state authorities tried their best to sabotage this activity by denying the students the right to hold their convention at the Press Club. But the morale of the youth was high, and they raised funds to organize this activity in a private hall. State authorities continue to harass and intimidate young revolutionaries and left-wing activists, while fundamentalists and terrorists are free to roam and carry out their activities and hold public meetings.

Young activists of PYA published leaflets, posters, invitations, and other literature to spread the revolutionary message to a wider layer of students. This was warmly welcomed by the students and unemployed youth, and more than 200 turned up to attend this convention. Those who participated came from Islamia University Bahawalpur, Government Degree College Bahawalpur, University of Central Punjab, SE College Bahawalpur, Allama Iqbal College Bahawalpur, Post Graduate College Bahawalpur, Punjab College Bahawalpur, and others. Delegations of students from Multan and D.G. Khan also participated in this convention.

Akhram Asadi conducted the stage at this occasion. First speaker of the convention was Ishfaq Gujjar from Islamia University. He outlined the problems faced by students and gave an introduction to the program of PYA. After that other speakers came on stage and expressed their views, including Aroosa Khan from BBT department of Islamia University; Asif LAshari from D.G. Khan; Mairaj Hashmi from Computer Science Department of Islamia University; Sajid Channar, a worker from Gulistan Textile Mills; Faiz Aneeb from GC Bahawalpur, and Rawal Asad from Emerson College.

Speakers condemned the killing of Mashal Khan under the supervision of state authorities and explained the difficult conditions faced by students due to astronomical fees and rising unemployment. They said that Mashal Khan was also raising his voice against this injustice, for which he was killed. They said that the Pakistani state is sponsoring all these terrorists and gives them all kind of logistical and financial support. They also condemned the ban on student unions in the country, and demanded that this ban should be lifted immediately. They said that security forces deployed in educational institutions are used to harass the students and to prevent any kind of gathering of students. They said that students will have to take security of these institutions into their own hands and will have to organize themselves to fight terrorism.

They said that terrorist organizations are free to hold meetings inside campuses, while progressive students have to face threats when they raise their voice over genuine issues. These terrorist organizations are supported by university administrations to disrupt any kind of student movement through threats and killings. Students now will have to fight against this oppression themselves; they cannot rely on any political party.

Speakers also condemned the loot and plunder of private educational institutions and said that this ruling class has made education one of the most profitable business in the country. Many public sector institutions are being privatized, which is taking the right of education away from the working class. Already, the literacy rate in Pakistan is among the lowest in the world, and with these policies only a tiny population of rich will remain literate while the majority of the population will become illiterate. They also spoke about the menace of unemployment and how millions of unemployed youth need to organize for their right of employment.

Revolutionary poetry, songs, and a stage play were also performed during the convention, enthralling the audience. A band named Distortion, consisting of students from Islamia University, also performed at the occasion.

At the end an executive body of PYA for Bahawalpur City was elected. The office bearers include Noman Qadir as President, Aroosa Khan as Vice President, Khalid as General Secretary, Faiz Aneeb as Joint Secretary, Hunza Gul as Women Secretary, Jawad Mansoor as Finance Secretary, Ishfaq Gujjar as Information Secretary, Ghulam Mustafa as Cultural Secretary, and Hamza Mushtaq as study circle in charge.

Comrade Zain ul Abideen came up to give closing remarks. He said that PYA is organizing revolutionary youth across the country and that this convention shows that we are moving forward. He said that PYA activists are present in all major universities of the country and are playing a key role in organizing students everywhere. He said that today, the capitalist system is rotten and decaying, and cannot give any relief to the working class and youth. Everywhere in the world students are coming against this system in huge numbers. But the only out is a socialist revolution. We should move forward on this path, linking ourselves with the working class. Our aim is to destroy this capitalist system and establish socialism in Pakistan.

After the convention a rally was held condemning the brutal murder of Mashal Khan and for free education, employment, and the restoration of student unions. Morale of all the participants was very high, and the whole city resounded with the slogans of Inqlab! Inqlab! . . . Socialist Inqlab!

Karachi

On 10 May a meeting was organized by PYA Karachi at PMA House to condemn the brutal killing of Mashal Khan. Students from Karachi University, Federal Urdu University, Indus College, and others participated in the meeting. Social and political activists also attended the meeting. Topic of the meeting was Martyrdom of Mashal Khan and future of student movement. Meezan Rahi conducted the stage.

Speakers who addressed the meeting included Anam Patafi, Sana ullah Zehri, Jalal Jan, Ubaid Zulfiqar, Rehmat Khan, Afghan Yar of Peoples Student Federation, Attaullah Afridi, Faris, Muzammil, and Paras Jan.

Speakers warned the government that if the murderers of Mashal Khan were not punished, then students across the country would come out in protests. Rehmat Khan emphasised the need to unite progressive students against Islamic fundamentalists.

Afghan Yar and Attaullah spoke about the decadence of student organisations affiliated with various political parties. They said that some of these organisations were progressive in the past, but now they are rotten to the core. Many members of Peoples Student Federation, student wing of PPP, wanted to participate in this meeting, but leadership strictly prohibited them and threatened to expel them if they came here. This shows the position of this leadership on the issue of Mashal Khan.

Paras Jan summed up the meeting and said that today, only youth has come on stage and discussed their point of view. This is the stage for a new generation for whom Mashal Khan is a hero. Old professors and so-called leftists have nothing to offer to youth; rather, they sow confusion and demoralisation among the youth. This youth is the hope of future, while they are relics of the past. Paras also appreciated the proposal by Rehmat Khan, but also asked him to consider his own party affiliation, which is a right-wing party ruling Pushtoonkhwa in alliance with Islamic fundamentalists. His party leaders have helped the escape of one of Mashal Khans murderers to Thailand. He also said that all parties are parties of status quo, including PPP. Youth will now have to come out on the streets to fight against the policy of privatisation of educational institutions and other basic issues. At the end he recited his revolutionary poem, I am also Mashal, to close the meeting.

Quetta

PYA and the Baloch Students Organization (Pajjar) commemorated the 39th anniversary of the Afghan Saur Revolution at Zareef Shaheed Auditorium of Science College Quetta on 27 April. This anniversary was dedicated to the memory of Mashal Khan. The last meeting in this hall to commemorate the Saur Revolution was held twenty-two years ago. More than 120 students and political activists participated in the meeting. Paras Jan presided over the meeting, while Karim Parhar conducted the stage.

Razzaq Ghurzang opened the discussion and explained in detail the events of the Saur Revolution and the impact it had on the lives of the peoples of Afghanistan. He also explained how this revolution brought millions out of poverty through the distribution of land among peasants, free education and health, a ban on the sale of women and the granting of other basic rights for them, complete abolition of interest, and other achievements.

Others who addressed the meeting were Ibrahim Kasi, Aman Bazai, and Bismillah Khan Kakar. Changez Baloch from BSO also spoke at the occasion and presented his point of view about this revolution. Speakers also explained the impact of this revolution on the whole region, especially Pakistan.

Paras Jan summed up the discussion. He paid tribute to the struggle of Mashal Khan and said that his blood has given life to a new student movement in Pakistan. He then explained the political and economic situation around the globe. He also said that we should recognize the profound changes happening across the world and should recognize in which epoch we are living. He also said that the Saur Revolution was a huge leap for the people of Afghanistan, who were living their lives in primitive circumstances. Today we need another revolution, not only in Afghanistan but in the whole region, but we should move forward for this while learning mistakes of the past. He said that the experiences of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia provide us the methods and tactics with which we can prepare for revolutionary transformation of this region and abolish all artificial borders dividing people.

Malakand

A meeting was organized by PYA at Chakdara Press Club to commemorate the Saur Revolution on 30 April. Students from Peshawar University and Malakand University participated in this meeting along with others. This meeting was dedicated to Mashal Khan, who was a student at University in Mardan.

The meeting opened with revolutionary anthems of Afghanistan. Those who addressed the meeting included Siddiq Jan, Ijaz from Buner, Riaz from Dir, Asfandyar Shinwari from Peshawar University, and Suleman, a former student of Kohat University. Speakers discussed the lessons of this revolution and how to move forward in this war-torn region. All the speakers were convinced that there is no way out within this capitalist system, and that masses on both sides of the artificial Durand Line need to overthrow this system through a socialist revolution. Speakers also discussed the murder of Mashal Khan a few weeks ago, and how this has sparked a movement against fundamentalism which has ravaged the lives of this area over last three decades.

This movement has also threatened the state, which tries to sabotage any meeting of revolutionary forces through threats of suicide bombs and search operations by the army. But the morale of the students is high, and they are moving forward to organize more layers on the platform of Progressive Youth Alliance.

Peshawar

A rally was organized by students of Peshawar University on 25 April from Hostel No. 1 to New block. A large number of students participated in the rally, raising slogans against the killing of Mashal Khan. Khalid Mandokhail, Riaz Wazir, and other student leaders addressed the rally and demanded the death penalty for all those involved in the killing of Mashal Khan. The speakers who addressed the rally said that the attack on Mashal Khan is an attack on all those students who are fighting against rising fees and the corruption of university administrations. Speakers also urged students not to forget the sacrifice of Mashal, and to keep his struggle alive. Peshawar University has not seen such a radical rally in last two decades, with a large number of students participating above their political affiliations.
FALL RIVER A 22-year-old Fall River man was killed Thursday when the motorcycle he was riding crashed into a guardrail on Route 24 and he was thrown from the bike.

Massachusetts Sate Police said in a statement that Joshua Silva was traveling northbound on Route 24 at about 10-:25 p.m. Thursday when for an unknown reason his 2006 Ex 650 motorcycle veered to the right and struck a guardrail. Silva was thrown from the bike and the vehicle continued for more than quarter of a mile before settling against the guardrail.

The State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, Crime Scene Services and State Poice detectives attached to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office are continuing the investigation.
WEST SPRINGFIELD - More than 1,200 bikers rode from Holyoke to West Springfield on Saturday to raise money for military veterans in long-term care.

The 6th annual Victory 4 Veterans Motorcycle Run benefitted the Holyoke Soldiers' Home, a state facility on Cherry Street that provides residential and outpatient care to hundreds of veterans.

"It means a lot because the veterans never asked for anything when they signed up to serve our country, and they don't ask for anything now," said Bennett Walsh, superintendent of the Holyoke Soldiers' Home, at the event's after party hosted by the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield.

"To see people take time on a beautiful Saturday afternoon to ride and donate money, it's really inspirational," said Walsh.

The riders traveled 37 miles. Along the route, people waved American flags and cheered to show their support.

"It really was a Western Mass. event, and that's what we wanted to see," said Walsh.

Mike Fogerty of South Hadley said he wanted to show his appreciation to the people who keep our country free.

"Freedom ain't free. It's because of them," said Fogerty after completing the motorcycle run on a scooter for the third year. "I'm not a veteran, but I appreciate what they do."

"This is my first year, but I'll be coming every year," said Brian Opalenik of Chicopee. "Why not? It's fun."

Last year's motorcycle run raised $50,000, which was used to buy 31 new electrical beds for the soldiers' home.

"A lot of the riders are veterans themselves," said Walsh. "They've given so much, and they want to give back to the soldiers' home. They're a good group. Good people."
police lights.JPG

MANCHESTER, CONN. -- A Connecticut high school student and two other teenagers were killed in an early morning crash in Manchester, police and school officials have reported.

Police responded to reports of a single vehicle crash near 600 Center St. just before 1:30 a.m. Emergency crews found the car, which appeared to have hit a utility pole, engulfed in flames, the Hartford Courant reported.

Three occupants in the rear of the vehicle, whom FOX 61 identified as being between ages of 17 and 18, were killed in the crash.

One of the victims was a Manchester High School student, according to reports.

Two other occupants of the vehicle were transported to Connecticut Children's Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, the Courant reported.

Manchester Police Capt. Christopher Davis said police are working to identify the victims and are continuing to investigate the crash.

"Everything's on the table," he told the Courant when asked if speed or alcohol is thought to have played a role in the crash. "Most certainly we will look at speed ... as being a potential factor."

Davis called the crash "an incredible tragedy."
U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced today that the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) will receive more than $1.3 million to continue funding its Tribal Wraparound Project, which addresses mental health issues in Indian Country.

"Our children are our future," said Tester, a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. "We have to make sure they have every resource they need to succeed and thats exactly what this funding will do for youth that attend public schools across Indian Country."

Since 2010, the Tribal Wraparound Project has improved the mental health and wellbeing of tribal youth and their families by providing high-quality support services beyond classroom instruction on reservations around the state, including the tribal communities of Frazer, Heart Butte, Hays-Lodgepole, Brockton, Lame Deer and Pryor.

The funding is provided through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Mental Health & Substance Abuse Service Grant Program, which Tester supports as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
More and more often, American defense contractors are finding some of their biggest defense markets lie halfway around the world, in the Middle East. This week, that means in the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE, you see -- already a big fan of the Patriot air defense system manufactured by Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) -- is making a $2 billion investment to upgrade its arsenal. On Friday, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a UAE request to purchase 100 advanced Patriot Guidance Enhanced Missiles (GEM-T) from Raytheon, and 60 even more advanced Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles from Lockheed Martin.

PAC-3, GEM-T -- what's the difference?

Introduced in 1976, the Patriot missile defense system can best thought of as comprising two main parts: the Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept On Target (PATRIOT) radar, and the missile that follows this radar to its target.

Over the years, these missiles have been repeatedly upgraded, from the original MIM-104A missile, to the subsequent MIM-140B (PAC-1), and all the way up through Raytheon's GEM-T and Lockheed's PAC-3 (and the extended-range PAC-3 MSE missile that's currently the most advanced variant).

Raytheon's GEM-T variant is optimized for defeating tactical ballistic missile (hence the "T"), although it can also be used to engage cruise missiles and hostile aircraft. Raytheon recommends that GEM-T missiles be used in "complement to the PAC-3 missile," which Lockheed Martin calls "the world's most effective air and missile defense interceptor" and the "best" defense against tactical ballistic missiles.

PAC-3, GEM-T -- what do they mean for investors?

Past DSCA notifications to Congress suggest that Raytheon's GEM-T missiles sell internationally for as little as $4.3 million per unit, while PAC-3s cost about $3.4 million. All else being equal, therefore, you might expect this arms deal to yield no more than $430 million in revenue for Raytheon (about 8% of annual revenues at Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems division, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence) and about $204 million for Lockheed Martin (3% of that company's Missiles and Fire Control revenues).

Those are significant numbers, no doubt, but the profit potential from this arms deal could be even larger than meets the eye. This is because DSCA's notification makes clear that between them, Raytheon and Lockheed will be clearing not ($430 million plus $204 million equals) $634 million from this deal -- but $2 billion. And this implies that the Pentagon has negotiated very advantageous pricing terms on the weapons in question.

Given that Raytheon already earns 17.3% operating profit margins on its air defense missiles (its most profitable business segment), and that Lockheed earns 14.7% operating margins (likewise its most profitable business) at ordinary rates, the possibility that these companies will earn even bigger profit margins on this particular deal should have investors smiling.

Simply put, while this is only one transaction we're talking about, and even a rather small one relative to the enormous size of both these companies' businesses, it's a very lucrative deal indeed for both companies involved. As if defense companies weren't already motivated enough to seek new markets for their products, outside the U.S., the potential for outsize profits here make it clear why the Mideast the key market for defense contractors to target today.

10 stocks we like better than Raytheon

When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Raytheon wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.

Click here to learn about these picks!

*Stock Advisor returns as of May 1, 2017

Rich Smith has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Developer-focused, turnkey security will accelerate Enterprise adoption of cloud software

BOZEMAN, Montana, and BOULDER, Colorado  May 18, 2017  IronCore Labs, Inc. https://ironcorelabs.com , a Colorado and Montana-based developer of customer-controlled data for SaaS companies, announced today the closing of a $1.5 million seed round of funding. The financing was led by Next Frontier Capital http://www.nextfrontiercapital.com/ with participation from Blue Note Ventures, PV Ventures, v1.vc, and several private investors.

"We are thrilled to have these great venture firms and private investors join us as partners in this journey," said Patrick Walsh, CEO of IronCore. "Together, we will help Enterprises move to the cloud. Customer-controlled data can give companies the security and privacy they get with on-prem software, while still enjoying the flexibility and cost-savings of the cloud."

IronCore also announced today that Richard Harjes is joining the Board of Directors. Richard is a General Partner at Bozeman-based Next Frontier Capital and brings decades of experience in finance and innovation to the team. "We are excited to be an early investor in IronCore," said Richard. "They sit at the intersection of data security, Enterprise software, and the shift to the cloud, which represents an enormous opportunity. We believe IronCore is well positioned to become the foundation for the next generation of Enterprise cloud applications."

The company will use its current funding to launch its solution publicly and to fulfill its mission to make the world a safer place to do digital business.

About Next Frontier Capital

Next Frontier Capital (http://www.nextfrontiercapital.com) seeks to lead or co-lead venture investments in Montana and Rocky Mountain regional technology industries, investing $200,000 to $2,000,000 in promising ventures. The Fund has made investments in biotech, software, photonics and clean water technology  firms connected by traits of high intellectual property, capital efficiency, and fast growth, addressing markets at a national and global scale.

About Blue Note Ventures

Blue Note Ventures (http://www.bluenotevc.com) is an early stage venture capital firm investing in great technology companies and serving entrepreneurs committed to authentic leadership.

About v1.vc

v1.vc is a seed-stage venture capital firm that invests across North America with offices in Boulder, CO and San Francisco, CA

About IronCore Labs, Inc.

With offices in Bozeman, MT and Boulder, CO, IronCore Labs helps cloud software companies sell to the Enterprise by reducing barriers around security and compliance.

IronCore makes it easy for application developers to invert control of sensitive data. Normally, application vendors manage the keys that encrypt such data, but IronCores customer-controlled data service shifts control of those keys to the owner of the data.

Enterprises prefer this approach because they can store sensitive data in the cloud without loss of security or control, and SaaS vendors get to sell more software, faster.

Learn more about IronCore Labs on Twitter at @ironcorelabs or the web at http://www.ironcorelabs.com.
PFL Tech Inc. is a marketing technology company that provides sales enablement and marketing automation solutions, as well asprinting, mailing, and fulfillment services. They also provide some great Montana Jobs.
The lawsuit is challenging how billions of dollars of federal payments were made to health insurers.

Attorneys general from 15 states and the District of Columbia filed a motion Thursday to intervene in a long-running lawsuit over a core part of the Affordable Care Act.

In their legal filing, the attorneys general say they cant trust the Trump administration to defend their interests, because health insurance for millions of Americans has become "little more than political bargaining chips" for the White House.

Full Story: http://www.governing.com/topics/health-human-services/States-Get-Involved-in-Lawsuit-to-Protect-Obamacare-Saying-Trump-Cant-Be-Trusted.html
Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less.
An Old Fort man charged last February with having sexual relations with a 12-year-old girl was given at least 12 years in prison in McDowell County Superior Court.

Skyler Long, 20, of Orchard Street, Old Fort, was found guilty of first-degree statutory sexual offense. He was sentenced to 144 to 233 months in prison. He was given credit for 442 days time served. He must pay a court-appointed attorney $2,902. He must pay court costs.

In mid-Feb. 2016, Officer Steven Corns of the Old Fort Police Department responded to a call from the victims parents who reported their 12-year-old daughter was missing that weekend. When asked at the time of the incident, Corns said the child was later located at Longs apartment and that the two were acquainted.

At the time of the original report, Long was charged with misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor. According to Corns, the misdemeanor charge came from other crimes that were committed at Longs residence that he shared with a roommate and his mother, neither of whom were charged. However, as the case moved toward Superior Court, the misdemeanor was eventually dismissed.

He was indicted by a grand jury on the felony charge in July 2016.

The following cases were heard in McDowell County Superior Court during the week of May 1:

 Desiree Dawn Brynildsen, 33, of Catawba River Road, Old Fort, was found guilty of felony probation violation out of county. Her probation was revoked. She was given credit for 118 days time served.

 Billy Lee Campbell, 24, of Melrose Street, Lenoir, was found guilty of breaking or entering a motor vehicle and larceny of a firearm. He was sentenced to 30 days active in jail. He was given credit for four days time served. He was given a six to 17 month suspended sentence. He must serve 30 months of supervised probation. He must pay $2,000 restitution to the victim. He must pay a court-appointed attorney $300. He must pay court costs.

Campbell was also found guilty of larceny of a firearm. He was given a six- to 17-month suspended sentence and must serve 30 months of supervised probation consecutive to previous judgment.

 Carlton Edward Carson, 21, of South Catawba Avenue, Old Fort, was found guilty of obtaining property under false pretense. He was given a six- to 17-month suspended sentence. He must serve 36 months of supervised probation. He must perform 100 hours of community service. He must pay $5,000 restitution to the victim. He must pay court costs.

Carson was also found guilty of two additional counts of obtaining property under false pretense and felony larceny. For each charge, he was given a six to 17 month suspended sentence and must serve 36 months of supervised probation consecutive to each judgment.

 Lesha Diamonique Carson, 24, of West Hudgins Street, Mairon, was found guilty of misdemeanor probation violation out of county. Her probation was extended six months.

 Carrol William Craig, 38, of Toney Road, Marion, was found guilty of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. He was given credit for 260 days time served. He was given a 25- to 42-month suspended sentence. He must serve 60 months of supervised probation. He must pay $82,763.81 restitution to the victim. He must not have contact with the victim. He must pay a court-appointed attorney $1,260. He must pay court costs.

 Diamond Broke Dalton, 20, of U.S. 70 West, Marion, was found guilty of probation violation. Her probation was extended 24 months.

 Chad Landon Evans, 21, of Choctaw Drive, Marion, was found guilty of probation violation. His probation was revoked. He was given credit for 18 days time served.

 Justin Gibson, 24, of Macedonia Church Loop, Nebo, was found guilty of assault with a deadly weapon on a government official and fleeing/eluding arrest with a motor vehicle. He was sentenced to 15 to 27 months in prison.

 Kelly Grant, 41, of Beck Street, Marion, was found guilty of four counts of probation violation. Her probation was extended 24 months.

 Michael Lee Grant, 54, of Logan Street, Old Fort, was found guilty of felony larceny. He was given a six- to 17-month suspended sentence. He must serve 36 months of supervised probation. He must perform 100 hour of community service. He must pay $5,000 restitution to the victim. He must pay court costs.

Grant was also found guilty of three counts of obtaining property under false pretense. For each charge, he was given a six to 17 month suspended sentence and 36 months of supervised probation consecutive to each judgment.

 Vandon Ray Heath, 44, of Chestnut Oak Forest Drive, Nebo, was found guilty of possession of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a felon. He was given credit for 118 days time served. He was given a 17- to 30-month suspended sentence. He must serve 36 months of supervised probation. He must pay a court-appointed attorney $780. He must pay court costs.

 Jennifer Lee Hollifield, 36, of Blue Grant Drive, Nebo, was found guilty of probation violation. She was sentenced to 90 days in jail. She was given credit for 12 days time served.

 Jeffrey Scott Ledford, 38, of Calice Drive, Nebo, was found guilty of possession of a controlled substance in prison/jail premises and felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance. He was sentenced to eight to 19 months in prison. He was given credit for 66 days time served.

 Levi Eddie McHone, 28, of Cooper Drive, Nebo, was found guilty of larceny of a motor vehicle. He received credit for 97 days time served. He was given a six- to 17-month suspended sentence. He must serve 36 months of supervised probation. He must pay court costs.

 Anthony Moran, 25, of N.C. 226 South, Nebo, was found guilty of possession of a firearm with a removed serial number. He was given credit for 35 days time served. He was given a six- to 17-month suspended sentence. He must serve 30 months of supervised probation. He must pay court costs.

 Crystal Lea Perkins, 34, of Iron Lane, Morganton, was found guilty of breaking or entering and larceny after breaking or entering. She was sentenced to seven to 18 months in prison. She was given credit for 497 days time served. She must pay a court-appointed attorney $1,350. She must pay court costs.

 Tommy Howard Stafford, 65, of Old Toms Creek Road, Marion, was found guilty of assault with a deadly weapon with serious injury. He was given a 15 to 30 month suspended sentence. He must serve 24 months of supervised probation. He must pay a court-appointed attorney $2,730. He must pay court costs.

 Donald Taylor Sr., 54, of Legacy Path Drive, Marion, was found guilty of assault inflicting serious bodily injury. He was given a 16 to 29 month suspended sentence, with a four month active sentence in prison. He must serve 36 months of supervised probation. He must pay $540.48 restitution to the victim. He must not have contact with the victim. He must pay a court-appointed attorney $2,160. He must pay court costs.

 Ortega Ivan Tehandon, 16, of Deer Park Road, Nebo, was found guilty of possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver marijuana. He was given a five- to 15-month suspended sentence. He must serve 24 months of supervised probation. He must perform 72 hours of community service. He must pay court costs.

 Chester Lee Wilkerson, 66, of Jack Corpening Road, Nebo, was found guilty of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. He was given credit for seven days time served. He was given a 25- to 42-month suspended sentence. He must serve 30 months of supervised probation. He must pay a court-appointed attorney $1,680. He must pay court costs.
The entrance at the Lincoln Hills School (boys) and Copper Lake School (girls) complex, rural Irma, March 20, 2013, is guarded by security fence.
Error 404 Not Found

You may have mis-typed the URL. Or the page has been removed. Actually, there is nothing to see here...

Click on the links below to do something, Thanks!

Take Me our of here
Black cohosh is an herb sometimes used to treat perimenopause and menopause symptoms. In particular, these symptoms include hot flashes, moodiness, vaginal dryness, and excessive sweating. Commonly called menopausal symptoms, these happen before and after menopause. Perimenopause is the period of around 4 years or longer where women have these symptoms. Menopause starts when a womans periods have stopped for 12 months. Although the symptoms continue after menopause, they do begin to lessen. People should exercise caution when considering or using black cohosh supplements. Studies of the risks of using it are limited, and numerous side effects have been associated with it. Furthermore, the therapeutic value of black cohosh remains unclear, and it can interact with certain medications. Products containing black cohosh are not regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as it is an herb.

Black cohosh as menopause treatment Share on Pinterest Although black cohosh has been used as a natural remedy for centuries, there are no conclusive studies on its effectiveness. Black cohosh is a perennial herb of the buttercup family, also known as bugbane, rattleweed, and black snakeroot. It is native to Eastern North America. Records show that Native Americans began using it centuries ago for the treatment of menstrual irregularities, menopause symptoms, and to ease childbirth. Since the 1950s, individual studies have noted the potential benefits of black cohosh for people with menopause symptoms. Currently, however, there is no conclusive scientific evidence of its effectiveness. Little is known about how black cohosh impacts the body or menopause symptoms. Most studies showing positive benefits did not exceed 6 months to 1 year of use. Consequently, long-term use is never recommended. Based on current research, black cohosh is most likely to relieve symptoms related to reductions or imbalances in the hormone estrogen. A 2010 review concluded menopausal women experienced a 26 percent reduction in night sweats and hot flashes when using black cohosh supplements. A 2013 review of available studies found that menopausal symptoms reduced more, on average, in women taking black cohosh than in women taking a placebo. Researchers continue to explore the benefits of the herb. A 2017 study found that black cohosh might help regulate body temperature in female rats without ovaries. The menopausal symptoms black cohosh could be used to reduce include: hot flashes

excessive sweating or night sweats

loss of elasticity and moisture in the vulva and vaginal tissues

pain during intercourse

sleep disturbances

mood changes, such as nervousness and irritability

decreased sex drive or motivation

heart palpitations

ringing in the ears

vertigo

bone density loss in postmenopausal women

heart disease in postmenopausal women

reduced mental performance in postmenopausal women

Effective doses Share on Pinterest Higher doses are recommended for black cohosh consumed as tea because it is less easily absorbed by the body. The FDA do not regulate black cohosh, so the purity, quality, and strength of different supplements and brands vary. Recommended doses depend on the specific product, and there is no recognized standard dose. People should be sure to buy any products from a reputable source. Black cohosh preparations are usually made from the root and underground stems of the herb. These are most commonly consumed as a ground powder, liquid mixture, or as extract in a pill. General dosing information for black cohosh root is drawn mostly from traditional or theoretical data. Authoritative and recent resources vary. The British Herbal Compendium recommends taking 40-200 milligrams (mg) of the herb in dried form, spread throughout the day into individual doses. Traditionally, much higher doses spread out evenly in three doses were recommended. In liquid or tincture form, doses of 0.4-2 milliliters of a 60 percent ethanol mixture may be enough. For less easily absorbed forms of the herb, such as teas or powders, 1-2 gram (g) doses are recommended three times daily. Other studies have shown benefits from taking 6.5 to 160 mg of black cohosh orally for up to a year. In liquid or tincture form, some studies showed menopause symptom relief with 40 drops of the herb mixture taken orally one or twice daily for up to 24 weeks. Limited studies have shown that certain doses of black cohosh may be more effective than others at treating individual menopause symptoms. Additional potential dosing recommendations include: Postmenopausal breast cancer : One to four 2.5 mg tablets daily for 6 months alongside tamoxifen, or 20 mg daily taken orally for one year.

: One to four 2.5 mg tablets daily for 6 months alongside tamoxifen, or 20 mg daily taken orally for one year. Postmenopausal heart disease : 40 mg daily for 3 months, stopped, then taken for another 3 months.

: 40 mg daily for 3 months, stopped, then taken for another 3 months. Mental performance in postmenopausal women : 128 mg daily for 1 year.

: 128 mg daily for 1 year. Bone density in postmenopausal women: 40 mg daily for as many as 3 months.
Whether we are using alcohol as an excuse for bad behavior or just think we are much more fun when we drink, most of us seem to believe that our personality changes drastically when we are intoxicated. However, new research suggests that this is not the case.

Share on Pinterest Our drunk personality is not that different from our normal one, study suggests.

Researchers from the University of Missouri in Columbia set out to examine the extent to which drinking alters our personality.

The new study  published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science  suggests that drinking does not change our behavior as dramatically as we think.

The first author of the study is psychological scientist Rachel Winograd, of the University of Missouri-St. Louis and of the Missouri Institute of Mental Health.

Winograd and colleagues gathered 156 participants who were asked to fill in a survey detailing their typical drinking patterns and reported on how they perceive their sober and drunk personalities.

Participants were then invited to the laboratory in groups of three to four friends of the same gender, where researchers took breathalyzer measurements at baseline, as well as weight and height measurements. A breathalyzer is a device that measures blood alcohol levels using a persons breath.

Then, half of the participants consumed alcohol over a period of 15 minutes. They drank vodka and mixers in combinations tailored to their body weight, designed to raise the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to approximately .09.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it is illegal to drive across the United States when BAC levels are .08 or higher, as this is the official level at which drivers are considered to be intoxicated.

After 15 minutes, the groups participated in a series of fun activities meant to engage certain personality traits and bring out specific behaviors.

Participants had their personalities measured at two points during the study, while outside observers video-recorded their behavior. The recordings were later used to carry out assessments of each individuals personality.
In UW-Madisons rural health care immersion program, disaster and crisis response is a key piece of the curriculum. But instead of discussing hypotheticals, the programs nursing students gained hands-on experience last week as they aided in northwestern Wisconsins tornado relief effort.

Clinical assistant professor Pamela Guthman is leading a team of seven nursing students in the Community and Public Health Immersion Clinical program in Rusk and Barron counties in northwestern Wisconsin. The group of rising seniors arrived in Rusk County a week ago to learn about the necessity of health care providers and health educators in rural and underserved communities.

Then a tornado blighted the area Tuesday.

The students partnered with the American Red Cross on Saturday to aid in the recovery efforts, specifically for those who were displaced after the tornado destroyed a trailer park in Cameron.

What were going to be doing is helping people who have been devastated by the loss of their homes, Guthman told the State Journal. We know that housing is very closely related to a persons mental health.

The tornado killed one man and left 25 others injured, and while the students did not provide immediate medical attention, their service was still needed, Guthman said.

The students helped by interviewing people affected by the tornado, providing those people with health and housing information and directing them toward specific resource centers.

People are coming and saying they only need a little something when the whole side of their house is missing, said student Emily Menting, of Oconomowoc. But they say that others have it worse than them.

Rusk and Barron counties have long been under-resourced, Guthman said. This creates a health disparity on its own, but she said the lack of resources affects relief when a disaster hits.

When we have a lack of resources, that is compounding our ability to bounce back, Guthman said.

Guthman said one of the goals of the program is for the students to learn a sensitivity for the challenges of rural communities. Guthman said while health care professionals working on acute crises are needed in the area, professionals focusing on prevention are in very short supply.

We go into the community and see what the community is doing and what they need, said Tenzin Kunsang, who moved to Madison from India in 2002.

Kunsang said when resources are distributed by the government or other organizations rural places are just ignored.

Rural communities often dont have access to the health care opportunities people in more urban areas take for granted. Cell phone reception and internet access are limited and fewer doctors practice in rural areas, which has led, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, to higher rates of chronic illness in people from rural areas.

Public health nurses are important in rural areas, Guthman said, because they can work with individuals on care plans as well as families, communities and organizations. Public health nurses are important to coordinating public health efforts like educational programs and disease prevention plans, and they are able to work as expert advocates for disparaged communities.

There are so many ways you can be involved in the community as a nurse, Menting said.
Uterus Transplant is still in its infancy and not many successful transplants have taken place in the world, though several attempts have been made so far. Uterus transplantation for the first time brings together the fields of assisted reproductive technology and transplant medicine. It is a not a life-saving transplant surgery but improves quality of life of the recipient by making it possible for her to have her own baby. However, there are strong ethical, legal, and social considerations that need to be taken into account for performing such a non-life saving transplantation, when other methods like surrogacy are available, and far safer, achieving the same results. Few such successful surgeries have been performed in a few countries like Sweden and USA where successful babies have been delivered. Once the baby is born, the uterus is removed through another operation to avoid dependancy on life long immunosuppressive drugs.

Uterus transplant offers women the opportunity of successfully carrying a pregnancy. However the risks of the surgery and immunosuppression treatment has to be weighed against the benefits.



Womb Transplant Procedure in Pune - The Unfolding of Events The 21 year old woman who received her mother's uterus suffers from a congenital absence of the uterus, a condition referred to as absolute uterine infertility.

She decided to opt for a uterus transplant operation as she wanted to undergo a pregnancy and have her own baby. Fortunately, the doctors found her mother to be a suitable candidate for the womb donor.

Fortunately, the doctors found her mother to be a suitable candidate for the womb donor. The donor's uterus was retrieved using a minimally invasive laparoscopic technique and transplanted into the recipient in a procedure that lasted more than 10 hours.

The recipient will be observed closely over the next fortnight to see if she is stable and to monitor the transplanted uterus by regular ultrasound imaging to see if it is functioning normally and receiving proper blood flow.

If the recipient remains healthy and well, and the uterus is functional, she will be discharged and will need to continue taking immunosuppressive drugs to ensure that her body does not reject the new uterus, a major cause of failure of transplants in general. How Will The Recipient Undergo A Future Pregnancy? To enable the woman to have a pregnancy, her eggs have already been retrieved and frozen. In the near future, sperms will be implanted by In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and the resulting embryos will be frozen for future use.

A year after the transplant, having ensured that the uterus is not at danger of rejection, the frozen embryos will be implanted into the uterus and the woman monitored for pregnancy.

Should a pregnancy result, the woman will be closely monitored during the entire pregnancy and the baby delivered by Cesarean section.

Once the woman has delivered a baby, the transplanted womb will be removed and she will be taken off the immunosuppressive agents. What The Critics Say About The Procedure While the country, and the medical fraternity in particular, has reason to feel proud of this successful landmark procedure, voices of disapproval are being raised about the safety and the need for this procedure. The biggest argument against the procedure is that, there is no guarantee that the procedure will result in a pregnancy.

It is a relatively risky and complicated procedure for both the donor as well as recipient.

The pregnancy for the transplanted recipient needs help of assistive reproductive technology whose success itself is around 30%.

The immunosuppressive drugs to avoid rejection of the uterus may harm the baby.

Other simpler methods can be easily encouraged like adoption and gestational surrogacy. All these risks combine together to make uterus transplant a relatively unpopular method. Even internationally, this is one transplant that has created substantial uproar.

Future Prospects of Uterus Transplant Current research in the field of tissue and organ engineering is evolving in a big way. In the future, if a uterus happens to be engineered in the lab from stem cells, and proves to be functional, it could be transplanted without the need for immunosuppressive therapy, and the fear of rejection looming large like a Damocles sword.

To sum it up Like all things in life, there are different ways to look at the same situation. Whilst the critics have their points, the supporters may argue that any major surgery carries a certain amount of risk and the joy of holding one's own baby following the culmination of a successful pregnancy is worth the risk.

Advertisement

All things said, the procedure is currently in its nascent stages and has a long way to go before it evolves. The techniques need much refinement, ensuring improvements to minimize the risks and improving outcomes that are acceptable in a clinical setting. Only time will tell. Let us wait and see, and hope for the best.



References :

Uterus transplantation: current progress and future prospects - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4751897/) Source: Medindia Indeed this effort is laudable, offering a young woman the possibility of going through a pregnancy and giving birth.While the country, and the medical fraternity in particular, has reason to feel proud of this successful landmark procedure, voices of disapproval are being raised about the safety and the need for this procedure.All these risks combine together to make uterus transplant a relatively unpopular method. Even internationally, this is one transplant that has created substantial uproar.Current research in the field of tissue and organ engineering is evolving in a big way. In the future,and the fear of rejection looming large like a Damocles sword.Like all things in life, there are different ways to look at the same situation. Whilst the critics have their points, the supporters may argue that any major surgery carries a certain amount of risk and the joy of holding one's own baby following the culmination of a successful pregnancy is worth the risk.All things said, the procedurethat are acceptable in a clinical setting. Only time will tell. Let us wait and see, and hope for the best.Source: Medindia

Citations Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report: APA Dr. Lakshmi Venkataraman. (2017, May 20). Mother Donates Uterus To Daughter In Indias First Uterus Transplant . Medindia. Retrieved on Nov 09, 2022 from https://www.medindia.net/news/healthinfocus/mother-donates-uterus-to-daughter-in-indias-first-uterus-transplant-170197-1.htm.

MLA Dr. Lakshmi Venkataraman. "Mother Donates Uterus To Daughter In Indias First Uterus Transplant". Medindia. Nov 09, 2022. <https://www.medindia.net/news/healthinfocus/mother-donates-uterus-to-daughter-in-indias-first-uterus-transplant-170197-1.htm>.

Chicago Dr. Lakshmi Venkataraman. "Mother Donates Uterus To Daughter In Indias First Uterus Transplant". Medindia. https://www.medindia.net/news/healthinfocus/mother-donates-uterus-to-daughter-in-indias-first-uterus-transplant-170197-1.htm. (accessed Nov 09, 2022).

Harvard Dr. Lakshmi Venkataraman. 2021. Mother Donates Uterus To Daughter In Indias First Uterus Transplant. Medindia, viewed Nov 09, 2022, https://www.medindia.net/news/healthinfocus/mother-donates-uterus-to-daughter-in-indias-first-uterus-transplant-170197-1.htm.

Advertisement

The current procedure has been carried out at Galaxy Care Laparoscopic Institute in the bustling city of Pune, in the western part of India. Whatever maybe the ethical considerations, it no doubt heralds a new chapter in the Indian transplant program, which so far has resulted in transplants of organs and composite tissues such as heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas , small intestine, hand, larynx and now uterus. Many of these organs have come from brain dead donors where the family has consented to donate. Last year, in India it is estimated that close to 2,300 organs transplants took place from brain dead donors and 10,000 transplants happened from live donors.
Advertisement

Globally, 42 million children are overweight or obese

Majority of the overweight and obese children live in developing countries

More than one in three children are overweight in the US

One in five children between two and 19 years are obese

Childhood obesity increases the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cancer in adulthood

The research team investigated the link between being overweight in childhood and depression risk. The study involved 889 participants from the population-based AGES (Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility)-Reykjavik Study (2002-06), which examined people born between 1907-35 and living in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1967.The team hypothesized whether the detrimental effect of excess weight on mental health is due to life-long obesity or the result of being overweight in adulthood.Between 2002 and 2006, a random sample of surviving participants from the Reykjavik study were invited to join the AGES study. The average age of the participant was 75 years.The research team assessed whether the participants had current depressive symptoms or had had a depressive disorder in the past. Information about the height and weight of the participants between eight and 13 years was obtained from school records and mid-life (50 years) data collection done as part of the Reykjavik study.A person is considered overweight if the body mass index (BMI) is between 25 and 29.9. During the study, 39 participants were diagnosed with depression.The research team adjusted two factors (age and depression) to find the link between overweight and depression. The analysis revealed that overweight during childhood is a strong predictor of depression than being overweight in mid-life.The research team also found thatThe findings of the study add evidence to the earlier studies that report an increased risk of depression in young people who are obese."Our findings suggest that some of the underlying mechanisms linking overweight or obesity to depression stem from childhood. A shared genetic risk or low self-esteem, which is frequently associated with those who do not conform to the ideal body type, could be responsible," said the authors."Given the rise in adolescents' obesity and greater influence of social media on body image, understanding the associations between childhood obesity and depression is critical," they added.Source: Medindia
Advertisement

Fengjiao Zhang, Ge Qu, Erfan Mohammadi, Jianguo Mei, Ying Diao. Solution-Processed Nanoporous Organic Semiconductor Thin Films: Toward Health and Environmental Monitoring of Volatile Markers. Advanced Functional Materials, 2017; 1701117 DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201701117

Previously, many research teams have tried organic semiconductors to detect compounds. But, the materials were not sensitive enough to detect trace levels of disease markers in the breath.Diao's research team found that the reactive sites to detect disease markers were not on the surface of the plastic film, but buried inside it."We developed this method to directly print tiny pores into the device itself so we can expose these highly reactive sites. By doing so, we increased the reactivity by ten times and can sense down to one part per billion," said Diao.The research team focused on detecting traces of ammonia, which is a marker for kidney failure. The team used a material that is highly reactive to ammonia but not other compounds in breath. Monitoring the change in ammonia concentration could indicate kidney health. This could also be an early warning sign for a patient to call their doctor for a kidney function test.The composition of the sensor can be changed to create devices that can detect other compounds. The team has created an ultrasensitive environmental monitor for formaldehyde, a common indoor pollutant in new or refurbished buildings.The research team hopes to make sensors with multiple functions to get a complete picture of a patient's health."We would like to be able to detect multiple compounds at once, like a chemical fingerprint. It's useful because, in disease conditions, multiple markers will usually change concentration at once. By mapping out the chemical fingerprints and how they change, we can more accurately point to signs of potential health issues," said Diao.Source: Medindia
I came across this TED Talk from two years ago, where the speaker, Benedetta Berti, an international policy analyst, tells us why ISIS, and groups similar to ISIS, like Hezbollah and Hamas, continue to stay in power. What Berti does is document terrorist groups like the ones mentioned above when theyre not shooting; all this while working on the field, through the world of policy-making and in the library. Her goal, she explains, at the beginning of her talk, is to study any possibilities of transition from violent engagement to non-violent confrontation.

 Express UK

ISIS, Hezbollah, Hamas. These three very different groups are known for violence  but thats only a portion of what they do, says Berti. In her TED Talk, the analyst tells us how these groups also attempt to win over populations with social work: setting up schools and hospitals, offering safety and security, and filling the gaps left by weak governments. According to her, if we want any chance to end the violence that such groups subject innocent citizens to, we should understand broadly how such groups function from within.

War has changed she reasons. It used to be a contest between states. Now, its a contest between states and non-state actors. Out of the 216 peace agreements signed between 1975 and 2011, she informs, 196 of them were between a state and a non-state actor. Her idea is that we need to either engage these groups, or defeat them. Her TED Talk explains how to do exactly that.

The talk has gotten over 1,867,368 views till date and drives home a strong point. Its the one thing you should watch today.
I have learned the hard way not to put my personal life on the Internet. But suffice it to say that, God willing, things should be pretty much back to norm...

3 weeks ago
Hyderabad, May 19 : Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday said that the state police has proved wrong those people who created apprehensions that if Telangana state is formed, there will be increase in Maoist activities and law and order problems.A



The CM praised police for controlling Maoism and extremism and proving those wrong who feared that these problems would rise once Telangana state comes into being.



Addressing a meeting of top police officers here, he said that police busted this myth and the credit should go to them.



"The Prime Minister and Union Home Minister on several occasions have hailed the Telangana Police which made me happy and proud," the CM said.



"The Telangana Police also working for the national security. The youngest state of India has become the greatest police in India," he said in remarks seen as a counter to senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's recent comments alleging that the state police created a fake website of terror outfit Islamic State (IS) to frame Muslim youth.



Rao claimed that since the law and order situation in the state is good, investments are pouring in and the state has become a destination for the investments.



He said several measures have been initiated for strengthening police and more measures will be taken in future including appointment of 15,000 personnel.



He urged police to come to the rescue of the helpless and help them like God who helps those who cannot help themselves.



The CM asked police to stand by the oppressed, the poor and the victimised.



Police who have successfully eradicated playing cards and illicit liquor should also focus on controlling fake and spurious items, he said.



"There is adulteration in milk, eggs, rice, turmeric powder, red chilli powder etc., there are fake passports and certificates... police should concentrate on this," he said.
Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain.

Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred.

For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here.
Lawsuit That Claims Fyre Festival Sent Cease And Desist Letters To Online Critics Doesnt Show Actual Proof

Although plenty of lawsuits have come out of the luxury music festival turned disaster that was Fyre Festival 2017, one recent such suite is alleging that Fyre Festival threatened social media posters with cease-and-desist letters for negative posts regarding the festival, although the evidence behind it seems fairly flimsy.

______________________________

Guest post by Mike Masnick on Techdirt

If, somehow, you've avoided all the news about the Fyre Festival from the past few weeks well you've been missing out. There's a ton of coverage basically everywhere, but what was promoted as an upscale music festival on a private island in the Bahamas, complete with private flights, luxury lodging, and fine dining turned out to be nothing. Despite having lots of rich and famous folks (especially Instagram stars) promoting the festival for months, it eventually appears that promoting and hyping was about all that was done for the festival, rather than actually organizing stuff. The festival was "canceled" but not before a bunch of people made their way to a not-so-private island in the Bahamas (Great Exumas) and discovered that there was effectively nothing there. There was no music festival. The "lodging" was emergency relief structures. The "fine dining" was slices of bread and cheese with some lettuce. It's been quite a story.

As you can imagine there have been lawsuits filed. Oh so many lawsuits. The sixth of these lawsuits, filed by Kenneth and Emily Reel, is getting a bunch of attention, in part because it includes the festival's PR agency, 42West, rather than just the "startup" behind the festival, Fyre Media (it was supposed to offer some sort of app), its founder Billy McFarland, and the musician Ja Rule, who was supposedly also a creator of the festival. But, even more interesting for those of us here at Techdirt is that he latest filing also claims that Fyre Festival has been threatening social media posters with cease-and-desist letters for posting negative things about the festival. That's what puts this squarely into Techdirt/Streisand Effect territory.

You can read the full filing here or below. Admittedly, the filing is kinda weak. There seem to be many claims that are little more than cut-and-pasted from media reports (without citation or credit). For example, the social media cease-and-desist threats are not shown with much detail (and don't appear to be included as an exhibit). Here's what the lawsuit says:

As for those individuals who elected to speak negatively about the Defendants on social media, they are now being threatened with legal action via cease and desist letters. Specifically, if the social media comments were not taken down, the Defendants claim they could incite violence, rioting, or civil unrest, with the caveat that if someone innocent does get hurt as a result  Fyre Festival will hold you accountable and responsible.

It is a little unclear from the filing if the lawyers have actually even seen this cease and desist letter. It would appear to be almost word for word identical to a TMZ post from a week ago, which doesn't present any actual evidence of the cease and desist letter  and doesn't name the lawyers or even the recipient of the letter. The lawsuit doesn't cite the TMZ article, but also doesn't present any additional evidence of actual letters being sent (normally, you'd think it would be included as an exhibit if they had such a letter). Still, if such letters were actually sent, I imagine it won't be long until they're public.

It's also odd, because this bit about the cease-and-desist letters comes in the same section as the discussion concerning the "application" that Fyre Festival has set up for people to ask for their money back. If you haven't heard, rather than just refunding the money, the Festival has asked people to "apply" for a possible "refund" providing little to no info on whether or not they're likely to get it. The lawsuit points out, reasonably, that while the festival promised refunds, asking people to apply and then providing no details or process is not quite the same thing as actually giving the refunds. And, most amusingly, the "application" has been mocked for encouraging people to accept passes to next year's Fyre Festival (which they insist will be a real thing) in lieu of a refund. Really:

If, somehow, you can't see that image, it shows one of the questions from the application (question 13  which raises a separate issue of just how many questions should you have to answer to get a freaking refund for a festival that didn't happen?!?) saying:

Would you prefer to exchange your 2017 ticket(s) for additional 2018 VIP passes, as opposed to receiving a refund (Ex: If you purchased 3 passes for 2017 you would receive 6 total 2018 VIP passes). As you likely know, we've been through the ringer on social media and this has been a challenging week for us as we were unable to realize our dream on the first try. We are now one of the world's most famous festivals, for all the wrong reasons. We want to reverse that sentiment by producing something amazing. We are fully committed to this event next year, and to producing it in the most professional way, with experienced professionals. We have received support and commitments from several musicians to perform at next year's event. We would be so thankful to have your support as well.

And then, the kicker: it provides two "options" for the recipient to choose from:

Yes, let it ride. I'd love to support you all in creating something amazing!

No, I'm not down for the adventure

I have so many questions just about this question. Like, how they'll be producing an event when they're buried under at least 6 lawsuits and possibly more. Or how they can promise it will be professionally run by like, real professionals, when it appears that none of that happened this time around. Or how they can promise that "several musicians" have "committed" to performing when all the musicians who similarly "committed" to perform at this year's event didn't. The main guy behind all of this, McFarland, has claimed publicly that "currently 81% of guests who have filled out the refund application have said they would like to attend Fyre Festival 2018", which I think people should view with the level of credibility of the guy who promised a music festival on a private island with luxury lodging and fine dining, and left a bunch of wealthy people on a non-private island in relief tents with bread and cheese and no electricity.

Either way, it's a little unclear if Fyre Festival is actually sending cease-and-desist letters, or if it's maybe a part of this crazy long refund application that suggests that Fyre Festival "will hold you accountable and responsible" for negative postings. But whatever it is threatening people for saying bad things about your non-existent and massively overhyped festival seems unwise.

And, reading through the various lawsuits and news reporting over this, it certainly seems that the number of "unwise" moves by the organizers of this event began long ago and kept piling up at a fairly astounding rate. The lawsuit includes a bunch of claims that appear to have originated in a NY Mag article by Chloe Gordon, who wrote that she was hired by Fyre Festival to help out, and that it was clear things would be a disaster months ago. Oddly (again), the lawsuit doesn't note that many of the claims in the lawsuit came from that article, but they do including this astounding claim about a meeting six weeks before the event was supposed to take place:

Meanwhile the event planners were holed up indoors putting together a game plan and a budget. With so little having been prepared ahead of time, the official verdict was that it would take $50 million to pull off. Planners also warned that it would be not be up to the standard they had advertised. The best idea, they said, would be to roll everyones tickets over to 2018 and start planning for the next year immediately. They had a meeting with the Fyre execs to deliver the news. A guy from the marketing team said, Lets just do it and be legends, man.

Yeah, so sending out threatening cease-and-desist letters as mentioned in the lawsuit is certainly within the realm of possibility.

Share on:
Deputy Foreign Minister Terens Quick had a working meeting with the Cypriot Presidential Commissioner for Humanitarian Issues and Overseas Cypriots, Fotis Fotiou.



They discussed the two countries' actions programmes for diaspora issues, based on the Memorandum of Cooperation they signed in 2016.



They also elaborated on aspects of the Greece-Cyprus-Israel trilateral meeting scheduled for 14-15 June, in Thessaloniki, within the framework of coordination of cooperation between the three countries' diasporas.



As Mr. Quick stated: "With the Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus, my friend Fotis Fotiou, we had another in-depth discussion of diaspora issues, maximising activation of the MoU we signed in Athens.



Also very important is the exceptional cooperation of the General Secretariat for Greeks abroad, under Mihalis Kokkinos, with the corresponding team under the Cypriot Commissioner. The programmes they have planned have already gone into implementation on a bilateral level, but with a view to the Israelis' joining in, and I am very pleased that the Israelis, too, are submitting their own very important proposals.



I would say, without hesitation, that the Greece-Cyprus-Israel trilateral cooperation on diaspora issues, as agreed upon by Messrs. Tsipras, Anastasiades and Netanyahu at the trilateral summit meeting in Israel last November, has started and is moving ahead on firm foundations, with very feasible goals.

An impressive agenda  including interesting multifaceted actions  has already taken shape for June's trilateral meeting in Thessaloniki."
Deputy Foreign Minister Terens Quick will represent Greece at the Ministerial Meeting of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), in Istanbul. Subsequently, he will participate in the Greek delegation, under the President of the Hellenic Republic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, to the special BSEC Summit Meeting, which is being held on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Organization's establishment.

While in Istanbul, Mr. Quick will be received by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and visit the Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegial Monastery of Halki, where the Theological School of Halki is located.
HURON COUNTY  The U.S. Senate is considering bipartisan legislation to assist local fire departments in saving money and hiring more trained first responders.

The Firefighters Retention Act of 2017 was designed to give fire departments across the state flexibility to use federal funding to promote part-time firefighters. The grants, called Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants, currently only allow fire departments to use the grants to hire and train new personnel, and are prohibited from using these grants to promote part-time firefighters, who are already trained and equipped to respond to emergencies.

Part-time firefighters serve on the front lines of their communities and have the experience to effectively and efficiently respond when emergency strikes, said Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, who co-chaired the bill with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. This commonsense legislation would give fire departments greater ability to promote trained, experienced firefighters, which will save money and reaffirm the critical role these men and women play in keeping our neighborhoods safe.

It remains to be seen if the bill will have much of an effect at the local level, where nearly all firefighters in the county are volunteer.

Bad Axe Fire Chief David Peruski is essentially the only full-time firefighter in the entire county. Harbor Beach Fire Chief J.P. Lermont is considered a full-time employee with the city, but splits his time with the fire department, along with serving as the citys zoning administrator and safety officer.

The Bad Axe Fire Department covers the city, as well as Verona and Colfax townships. The department currently has 23 volunteer firefighters, which is up from prior years, according to Peruski.

Full-time departments are really hurting as far as maintaining it, because their budgets just cant handle it anymore, said Peruski. So then they start laying people off and they start cutting budgets.

In 2003, Peruski was hired on as a full-time chief, following many years of the department having a part-time chief. At the time, the decision was met with some skepticism. He said if his department were to add another full-time employee, it would have to go through the fire board, which is made up of two representatives from each of the three entities it provides fire coverage to.

Peruski said while the SAFER grant may not be utilized in Bad Axe, his department does take advantage of other grants, which are used to help out with the purchase of equipment and supplies. In fiscal year 2015, a total of $340 million was awarded to fire departments across the country through the SAFER grant program. The majority of organized fire departments recruit resident and community leaders who are familiar with their neighborhoods to be part-time or volunteer firefighters  comprising 70 percent of the total firefighting force in the United States.

These firefighters receive critical training and certifications, including fire officer, pump operator or engineer, extrication, and hazardous materials training. In addition to providing flexibility to support part-time personnel, the Firefighters Retention Act of 2017 would also save money for fire departments and taxpayers alike by allowing fire departments to direct their resources toward firefighters who are already trained, rather than devoting greater resources to recruiting and training new firefighters.
Submitted Photo

Students are all smiles in the North Huron cafeteria as North Huron FFA, in partnership with the North Huron School kitchen staff, hosted "FFA Farm to Fork" lunch this week, serving chicken and several sides. The chicken dinner was served to 90 percent of the K-12 students and almost 50 staff members, a new record. The chickens used for the meal were raised by junior high and sophomore agriscience students in the fall as part of the Michigan FFA Broiler Contest. (Submitted Photo)
UPPER THUMB  The Methodist are dealing with church closures.

The Methodist Church on M-25 in Unionville closed April 30 and items in the church were removed mid-May.

And, more closings and changes are underway.

The Methodist church closing was news to me, said Unionville Village President John Katnik. On my way home from work the other day, I did see a few folks removing some furniture from the building. To me, this is real sad. A congregation that has worshiped on that property for over 100 plus years. I know for a fact on Sundays when I go and make my weekly tour around the village, I see less than a half dozen cars there for worship.

I know over the years that the older folks have passed away and families have moved out of the area, so there is no support for the church, he added.

The last service at the church in Unionville was only attended by 15 members, according to parishioner Kathleen Spiekerman.

The district said they would not give us a pastor unless we pay full pay, she said. The pastor, Duane Thon, was leaving in June to retire again. We are sad ,but we left on good terms. Everything was sold and will be going to a different church.

The Methodist Church in Akron closed Dec. 31, as did the Gagetown Methodist Church, 4750 South St. in Gagetown. The church in Gagetown is now the Hillside Community Church. However, before that, a lawsuit had been filed in March in Tuscola County by the Detroit Annual Conference of the United Method Church to get the church and property back, because some church members continue to operate the church. The Detroit Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church had taken away the Gagetown Churchs affiliation.

Three phone calls to Detroit Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church Director of Communications Mark Doyal, for more information about the closings, resulted in being placed on hold each time for over 30 minutes.

The closing and changes will continue over the next two months.

The last service at the Bethel Methodist Church, 2886 Darbee Road in Akron, will be July 18, and the Sutton-Sunshine Church, 2988 Colwood Road in Caro, will be getting a new pastor.

The Methodist Church in Kilmanagh will share Rev. Bill Cleland, who is the pastor at the Methodist Church, 7370 Main St. in Owendale, starting July 1.

One of the reasons for the change is because Rev. Duane Thon and his wife, Rev. Dorothy J. Thorn, are retiring. He served the Unionville and Kilmanagh churches, and she the others.

As far as impact of closing the Unionville Methodist Church, I dont think anyone would really notice its demise ... like I said, there are only a few families left to support it, said Katnik.

While others in Unionville may not notice, the churchs closing will be felt by Katnik.

My heart is sad. In 1981, my wife and I were down and out, and our daughter was about a year old. I was operating the Boron gas station where the Village Mini-Market is now. I was talking to Clarence Wildner about our tough times when I was performing an oil change for him, explained Katnik. About a week later, he came to our house with a milk crate heaped full of red potatoes and a card with $70 in it on behalf of the Unionville Methodist Church.

I will never forget what this man and the church did for us for as long as I live. It was a nice card with a wildlife scene on the front with a deer in the middle. I can still see it in my mind.

There have been a lot of changes in the area over the last two decades.

A lot has changed in the last 20 years. Jobs have moved away  including mine at Tower Automotive  and families along with them. We have lost 100 residents alone here in Unionville.

Methodist Churches are not the only ones facing changes. Three years ago, several Thumb area Catholic churches closed or became occasional use churches.
Camp Lejeune Town Halls Aim to Help Those Exposed to Toxic Water. Heres How You Can Go.

Retired Marine Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger made it his mission to tell the world that if they lived or served on Camp Lejeune...
I rise during National Police Week to honor the women and men who every morning put on their badge and selflessly protect and serve our communities.

Many heroically go above-and-beyond their duty.

It was a privilege of mine to invite and sit next to Kendall County Sherriffs Deputy Tyler Johnson at last years State of the Union Address.

On New Years Night, he jumped into a freezing pond to rescue a motorist in a sinking car.

These acts of heroism deserve our recognition.

Yet rarely do our officers receive recognition and thanks for their day-to-day work serving people.

A police officer is the person that helps you when youre stranded on the side of the road.

A police officer scours the neighborhood with your kids looking for a lost dog.

They are the Illinois police departments that tomorrow are taking part in Cops on a Rooftop with Dunkin Donuts to help raise money for the Illinois Special Olympics.

To police officers everywhere we say, Thank you.
Dave Chappelle courtesy photo | Netflix/Lester Cohen

Netflix's 20 must-see stand-up comedy specials

Pay cable, schmay cable. Netflix is the new go-to place for stand-up comedy. The streaming service is exploding with new, exclusive specials from a diverse array of comics, most recently from heavy hitters such as Louis C.K. and Dave Chappelle. And theres a significant array of archival classics available, too - no George Carlin, which is a shame, and the Eddie Murphy stuff has come and gone, but youll find some gems from the 70s, 80s and 90s by Pryor and Kinison and Hicks if you browse around.

And so, this list of 20 must-see specials. Its highly subjective, of course - no Larry the Cable Guy or Dane Cook for me, thanks - but its also a strong argument for Netflix being the most significant TV platform for stand-ups right now. The following are current as of May 20, 2017 - and be warned, some clips contain coarse language.

Don't Edit

'Maria Bamford: Old Baby'

Bamford has one of the strangest personas in stand-up comedy. She makes so many unexpected left turns, she keeps her audience on her toes. As usual, she does the unusual with her newest special - her 2012 special, The Special Special Special, also on Netflix, was filmed in her living room and attended only by her mom and dad - which was shot in a backyard, bookstore, bowling alley and other odd locales. (Her sitcom series, Lady Dynamite, will return to Netflix with a second season later in 2017.)

Don't Edit

'Mike Birbiglia: Thank God for Jokes'

This storyteller-style comic, best known for his one-man shows My Girlfriends Boyfriend and Sleepwalk with Me, returns with this brand-new special, which is already being praised as being among his best work.

Also on Netflix: "My Girlfriend's Boyfriend," "What I Should Have Said Was Nothing"

Don't Edit

'Bo Burnham: Make Happy'

Several years ago, Burnham leapt from YouTube to the live circuit, where he performs his satirical songs, pop-cultural jokes and pantomimes in a rock-concert setting. Is he technically a stand-up? I dont know. But bottom line, hes funny.

Don't Edit

'Bill Burr: I'm Sorry You Feel that Way'

Burr is the guy who takes the joke off the deep end of political correctness, but youre too busy laughing to care. Hell challenge your sensibilities like few comics can, but isnt as blatantly, intentionally offensive like, say, Anthony Jeselnik (whos also good at what he does). Im Sorry You Feel that Way is Burr at his best.

Also on Netflix: "Walk Your Way Out," "You People are All the Same," "Let It Go"

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

'Dana Carvey: Straight White Male, 60'

From the Whatever Happened To That Guy file comes Carvey, who was so funny in "Wayne's World" and for creating some of the all-time funniest "SNL" characters - Grumpy Old Man, The Church Lady, George "Not Gonna Da It" Bush - his first stand-up special in years is endearing, sight unseen. Here's the truth: Carvey, an old school impressionist, is still pretty funny. Not quite "Choppin' Broccoli" funny, but few people are ever that funny.

Don't Edit

Dave Chappelle

Netflix recently released a pair of Chappelles specials in one package: The Age of Spin, a 2015 show in Los Angeles, and Deep in the Heart of Texas, a 2016 Austin performance. They immediately became the most-viewed comedy specials in the streaming services history. That speaks volumes about Chappelles popularity and clout; hes considered one of the funniest in the business by both fans and critics.

Don't Edit

'Margaret Cho: Psycho'

In the spirit of this specials title, Cho chops up race and sexuality like the Jason Voorhees of comedy. Shes blunt and profane, and isnt for everybody. But if shes for you, shes uproarious, having honed her style for more than two decades.

Don't Edit

'Louis C.K.: 2017'

In 2010, Louis C.K. was the funniest person doing stand-up comedy - dark, introspective, profane, existential, silly. In 2017, he probably still is the funniest person doing stand-up comedy. If youre thinking hes probably peaked after the success (and conclusion) of his critically lauded TV series Louie and his headline-grabbing self-sufficient comedy tours, well, youre wrong. 2017 is brilliant. Maybe its weird watching the perpetually T-shirted Louis C.K. wear a suit on stage, but thats the only criticism I can come up with. He still cuts deeper than anyone else standing on stage with a microphone and telling jokes.

Also on Netflix: "Live at the Comedy Store," "Live at the Beacon Theater," "Hilarious," "Chewed Up."

Don't Edit

'David Cross: Making America Great Again'

I love Cross 1999 HBO special, The Pride is Back (not on Netflix, unfortunately). Love it. Its a classic. But none of his follow-up specials and albums met that standard, until now. The Arrested Development and Alvin and the Chipmunks comic actor made a comeback - in my mind, anyway - in late 2016 with a fresh skewering of current events (and other stuff, of course). Its his strongest work in years.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

'Garfunkel and Oates: Trying to be Special'

The concept behind Riki Lindhome and Kate Micuccis musical comedy is ingenious: performing funny, often naughty, songs couched in the style of twee indie-folk. This is a comedy special about how much work it is to make a comedy special, which is very much in their self-referential style.

Don't Edit

'Kevin Hart: What Now?'

I saw Hart on his 2015 stand-up tour, the material for which became What Now? He was on fire, at the top of his game, commanding the stage like Eddie Murphy. It makes you believe Hart is best on his own, delivering his own material, instead of compromising himself for his big, silly Hollywood movies. Let it be known, you dont have to be a fan of those movies to love his stand-up.

Also on Netflix: "Laugh at My Pain," "I'm a Grown Little Man"

Don't Edit

'Bill Hicks: Sane Man'

Smoking and sweating on stage with the best of them, Hicks was a brilliant satirist, often compared to Lenny Bruce, deservingly so. Relentless (from 1992, and unfortunately not on Netflix) is Hicks at his peak; this is from 1989, his first comedy special, and, like any Hicks performance, is worth watching. Dont let the George H.W. Bush-era jokes bother you. Hicks was one of a kind.

Also on Netflix: "Revelations"

Don't Edit

'Anthony Jeselnik: Thoughts and Prayers'

Nobody in modern comedy hones withering one-liners like Jeselnik. His material is so harshly un-P.C., delivered with the unblinking cruelty of a sociopath (its an exquisitely manicured persona, you know), every joke feels like a punch in the gut. Youve been warned.

Don't Edit

'Sam Kinison: Breaking the Rules'

Heres a stand-up gem, buried kind of deep in Netflixs current catalog. The former preacher-turned-comic could yell like no one before or since. To quote him, OH OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! He might be the most insane and confrontational stand-up ever to pick up a microphone. This is from 1987, and absolutely feels like it, and thats a great thing.

Also on Netflix: "Family Entertainment Hour"

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

'Jen Kirkman: I'm Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine)'

Kirkman is a smart, sharp comic, and this 2015 special features some of her best material to date. The former Chelsea Lately writer and contributor addresses life as a 40-ish single woman with a funny, feminist bent.

Also on Netflix: "Just Keep Livin'"

Don't Edit

'Norm Macdonald: Hitler's Dog, Gossip and Trickery'

The former SNL black sheep is a straight-up, unpredictable weirdo, and we love him for it. His stammering, tangential comedy is an everyman taking us through the front door, then veering straight for left field. This is his first comedy special in six years.

Don't Edit

'Tracy Morgan: Staying Alive'

This is so new, I havent had a chance to watch it yet - but, being Morgans first special since the 2014 auto accident in which he suffered traumatic brain injury, it shoots to the top of any self-respecting stand-up fans viewing list. Morgan has never shied away from deriving jokes from his own, often troubled life, so that title compels us to see how he tackles the tragedy.

Don't Edit

'Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping'

Oswalts unassuming delivery is a clever contrast to how cutting and sarcastic his comedy can be, whether hes addressing pop culture, like Star Wars, or tackling weightier topics, like religion. This is his newest special, from 2016, and its strong from start to finish.

Don't Edit

'Brian Posehn: The Fartist'

Posehn is a great big towering guy with a goofy voice that goes squeaky at just the right moment, and an appreciation for nerd culture (comics, etc.) and heavy metal (Anthrax played on one of his comedy albums). Maybe you recognize him from sitcoms The Sarah Silverman Program or Just Shoot Me. Hes funny, whether falling into a slacker-stoner vibe or cracking jokes about cracking the things in the title of this special.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

'Richard Pryor: Live in Concert'

Pryor needs no introduction, right? Hes considered by many to be the greatest stand-up of all time - the Beatles of comedy, you might say - and Live in Concert, from 1979, one of the greatest stand-up concert films of all time. If you havent seen it, watch it. If you have, watch it again.

Also on Netflix: "Live and Smokin'," biographical documentary "Richard Pryor: Icon"

Don't Edit

Bonus: 'The Comedians of Comedy: The Movie'

Follow four alt-comedy stand-ups - well, they were more alt then than they are now - in this 2005 documentary chronicling an unconventional tour of rock clubs featuring Zach Galifianakis, Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn and Maria Bamford. The film stitches together live performances with behind-the-scenes stuff.

Don't Edit

'Beasts of No Nation' courtesy photo | Netflix

What else you should watch

25 of the best movies streaming on Netflix right now

25 more of the best movies streaming on Netflix now

25 terrible movies on Netflix you should delete from your list

25 of the best movie streaming on Amazon Prime

Summer movie preview: The season's 31 most anticipated and 12 least anticipated movies
On February 25, Maven celebrated the Ann Arbor launch at the Michigan Theater with performances by Dan Henig and Moon Taxi.

The sixth Cinetopia Film Festival is returning to Ann Arbor and Detroit from June 1 through June 11, including a number of screening in the Michigan Theater.

(File photo | The Ann Arbor News)

ANN ARBOR, MI - When Brian Hunter and organizers of the Cinetopia Film Festival in Ann Arbor and Detroit began to develop a tone for the sixth edition of the festival, a common theme presented itself to them: uprising.

Scouring renowned film festivals across the globe to come up with the festival's lineup, Hunter, the programming director for the Michigan Theater, said on the 50th anniversary of the Detroit's 12th Street Riot, it felt appropriate to pay tribute to uprising at this point in time.

"I try to go into a film festival capturing the cinematic zeitgeist," Hunter said. "You have your ideas of the themes that are out there and the tone of what film festivals are going to be. We instantaneously realized that with this being the 50th anniversary of the uprising in Detroit, that was an important thread we could follow."

The Cinetopia Film Festival features uprising in a variety of different forms as the festival returns to Ann Arbor and Detroit for a lineup of more than 60 films over 10 days from June 1 through 11. This year's festival featuring a record 24 Michigan premieres, as well as three United States premieres.

The films represent a variety of different genres, including feature-length dramas, comedies and documentaries from some of the world's top film festivals, including Sundance, Cannes, Venice, Toronto, Berlin, SXSW and Tribeca. For a complete listing of films scheduled for the festival, visit the Cinetopia website.

The festival kicks off at 5:30 p.m. on June 1 at the Michigan Theater, followed by the Michigan premiere of "The Hero." The University of Michigan's Lorch Hall and Zingerman's Cornman Farms in Dexter, which is hosting the Midwest premiere of the documentary "Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry" on June 7, also are hosting screenings for the festival.

In its first five years, Hunter estimated that the festival attracted around 100,000 admissions, with between 20,000 to 25,000 last year. Hunter is hoping for between 30,000 and 35,000 admission for this year's festival.

Hunter said he was careful to listen to the festival's partners in Detroit and Dearborn to make sure the lineup of films in those cities reflected their respective clientele.

"It's easy to go into someone's venue and forget that they know a lot more about it than you do," Hunter said. "I can make assumptions about the customers in Detroit, but my best bet is to listen to them to get insights on who walks through the doors."

The festival also has screenings scheduled in Dearborn, where partners again include the Arab American National Museum and their Arab Film Festival, as well as The Henry Ford and their Giant Screen Experience. The festival finishes in Detroit, with screenings at the Detroit Film Theatre, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, College for Creative Studies, Cinema Detroit and The Maple Theater.

Here is a look at a few of the must-see films for the festival, according to organizers:

12th and Clairmount: Metro Detroiters' vintage home movie footage provides the heart of "12th and Clairmount," a documentary looking back at the cause, duration and aftermath of the 1967 Detroit riot/rebellion. While the impending 50th anniversary of the summer of '67 was the impetus for the film, the found footage in "12th and Clairmount" captures a wide spectrum of Detroit life, from proud streetscapes to dance parties to neighborhood sporting events.

Band Aid: Tired of having the same fights over and over again, a struggling married couple (writer-director Zoe Lister-Jones and Adam Pally) decide to turn their anger and dissatisfaction with each other into something more fun and productive: a rock band. Soon they're clearing out their Los Angeles garage for rehearsal space and enlisting the help of their neighbor, "Weird Dave" (Fred Armisen) on drums.

The Hero: Western star of yesteryear Lee Hayden (Sam Elliott) likes to reminisce with his drug dealer buddy Jeremy (Nick Offerman) about the good times gone by. But when Lee runs into a roadblock, he gets a fresh chance to reclaim the spotlight with the help of his new lover Charlotte (Laura Prepon) and an industry award for his work.

Il Cinema Ritrovatoevery: Cineteca di Bologna, one of Europe' s most renowned archives for film restoration and preservation, organizes the world-renowned festival Il Cinema Ritrovatoevery summer in Bologna's Piazza Maggiore. This year's touring program of nine rare, newly-restored feature-length and short films will take place during Cinetopia exclusively at the DIA' s Detroit Film Theatre.

Look & See: Told through the lens of writer, environmentalist and farmer Wendell Berry, "Look & See" takes you on a journey that challenges how you think about land. This meditative look at the culturally- and physically-changing landscape explores the ideological struggle between the deeply ingrained values of local farmers and the growth of industrial agriculture.

McLaren: Born 80 years ago in New Zealand, Bruce McLaren overcame a childhood illness to realize his dream of becoming a racecar driver. Director Roger Donaldson punctuates this story with first-hand accounts from racing luminaries Emerson Fittipaldi, Alastair Caldwell, Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney and Sir Jackie Stewart, along with a look into the McLaren family archives.

Tickets to individual films are $12 for the general public and are on sale now, while members of the Arab American National Museum, Cinema Detroit, DIA, Charles H. Wright Museum, The Henry Ford, and Michigan Theater can purchase tickets for $9. All tickets can be purchased at cinetopiafestival.org.

Various passes also are available for people interested in seeing multiple films. Information on buying those passes is also available on the festival's website.
BAY CITY, MI -- A 23-year-old man is spending the next few months in jail, his penalty for potentially scaring an elderly man to death by appearing naked on his doorstep and then drunkenly driving a few months later.

Bay County District Judge Mark E. Janer on Thursday, May 18, sentenced a shackled Jordan G. Litzner to concurrent terms of 157 days and 180 days in jail. He gave him credit for 82 days already served.

The shorter stint stems from a probation violation, while the longer term results from Litzner in April pleading guilty to second-offense operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

Janer also ordered Litzner to pay $1,813 in court fines and costs, a cumulative amount from his various criminal files. The judge offered Litzner to spend one year in jail rather than pay any dollar amount, but Litzner turned him down.

Litzner's past

Litzner's criminal history includes a 2013 conviction of second-offense minor in possession, a 2012 conviction of aggravated assault, and a 2011 conviction of breaking and entering a motor vehicle. That last conviction stemmed from Litzner breaking into a deputy's personal car.

Litzner in February 2015 had been charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, but pleaded it down to impaired driving.

In the wee hours of June 26, a nude, wet, and intoxicated Litzner showed up on the property of Richard G. "Mike" and Mary Lu O'Riordan in the 2900 block of Evergreen Drive on Middlegrounds Island in Frankenlust Township. He was trying to enter their house, screaming for help when Mike O'Riordan collapsed from a heart attack.

He died in a hospital two days later.

His widow previously told The Times she believed Litzner scared her husband to death.

Litzner told responding police he had been assaulted in the woods and had jumped in the Saginaw River. He did not elaborate on where his clothes were.

Litzner was charged with and convicted of indecent exposure. He received a sentence of 90 days in jail and one year of probation, during which he was prohibited from consuming alcohol.

He violated probation the morning of Feb. 26, when a Bay County Sheriff's deputy pulled him over as he drunkenly drove through Williams Township.
Burn and Bury Detroit.png

Screenshot from artist John Sims' Burn and Bury digital media kit, https://www.burnandbury.org/

DETROIT, MI -- While Confederate memorials across the nation are dismantled or relocated based on shifting public sentiment, an artist plans to burn a Confederate flag in Detroit this coming Memorial Day, symbolically at least.

Detroit-born John Sims, whose work usually focus on racism and civil rights, founded the event when he organized the funerals of Confederate flags in 13 states in honor of 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War.'

" ... We need an American ritual to deal with the Confederate flag," he writes in a blog explaining the event. "With this in mind, I propose that we burn and bury the Confederate flag every Memorial Day as a way to send a powerful message to ourselves as a nation that the Civil War is over, and the days of the Confederate flag and white supremacy are numbered."

The N'Namdi Center, a contemporary art gallery at 29 E. Forest in Detroit, with Sims in attendance from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., will serve as ground zero for this year's "burning" on May 29, the gallery website says.

Exhibitions manager Michaela Mosher says "there won't be any physical flag-burning," but instead poetry, videos and spoken word performances directed at the demise of the Confederate flag.

It's more of a "community healing event," a "funeral for the past emotions of the confederacy."

The Detroit event is also intentionally planned to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the 1967 race riots.

"The goal of this annual action is to send a powerful message to the nation, especially under the Trump presidency and alt right politics that the Civil War is over, and the days of the Confederate flag and white supremacy are numbered," the event description says. "It is also a way to honor the memory of social justice soldiers who fought against slavery and for Civil Rights and everywhere in between, and those who continue to fight against contemporary institutional and cultural white supremacy."

Sims, a multimedia digital artist, has created a "digital support kit" that includes a printable Confederate flag -- for those "who refuse to buy a Confederate flag or cannot find one because they are all sold out" -- a copy of Sims' "Gettysburg Redress" to read aloud during the burning ritual and a printable "Afro-Confederate battle flag."
State Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-West Dundee) says the passage of HB 40 - a measure that would force state taxpayers to fully fund Medicaid and state employee abortions - sets Illinois in direct conflict with the national trend away from abortion. He says with the state being in such dire financial straits, the measure will not only offend morally-conscious taxpayers, but deny others are dependent on state programs for their needs.

SPRINGFIELD - While the majority in the Illinois Senate and House leads an effort to force Illinois taxpayers to pay for ending lives of the state's next generation, states to the east and west, are closing Planned Parenthood clinics.

"Nationally, the pro-life movement has seen some victories and is gaining momentum. Justice Gorsuch and President Trump bring us hope," Skillicorn said. "Illinois is a different case. HB40's passing the Illinois House would allow Medicaid funding for elective abortions, previously prohibited by Illinois law. If it becomes law, the vast majority of Illinois abortions will be paid for by you and me - to the tune of up to $60 Million per year.

"That's right, Illinois is $13 Billion behind in back bills and HB40 will gut services even deeper to fund the abortion industry. This is extremely disappointing. Morally-conscious taxpayers would be in a position of either 1. funding abortion with the fruits of their labor, 2. avoiding paying taxes, or 3. leaving the state," Skillicorn said.

"What a bad precedent. Shame on the Illinois politicians who voted for this."

In Iowa, the governor signed into law a measure defunding Planned Parenthoods in Iowa - pushing more women and girls to cross the state line into Illinois, costing taxpayers even more.

Penny Pullen's newsletter Life Advocacy Briefing explained what happened this week in Iowa:

It took only seven days for the Iowa legislature to respond to the law signed by President Trump last month to revoke the Obama regulation barring states from excluding Planned Parenthood from their Title X (Ten) programs. Included in the $1.77 billion state health and social service budget, which passed along party lines, reports Steve Weatherbe for LifeSiteNews.com, was a provision which denies state family planning funds to organizations doing abortions. Because Medicaid spending in this area is tied to state allocations, he writes, the defunding will cost the state nearly $3 million in federal money. But Republican Sen. Amy Sinclair was quick to assure, notes Mr. Weatherbe, that health care would still be provided in a way that is balanced with the needs and the concerns and the conscientious objections of those taxpayers that we represent who are frankly offended to their very soul by the intentional and unnecessary termination of the life of another human being. The lawmakers behind the disqualification listed 47 federally qualified health centers and 170 rural health clinics that Iowa patients can use instead, writes Mr. Weatherbe. Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, through spokesman Rachel Lopez, said, reports LifeSiteNews, the Republicans should be ashamed of themselves. They are playing games, with the lives of low-income Iowans at stake. But Jenifer Bowen, head of Iowa Right to Life, was also quoted in the LifeSiteNews story, which notes this is the first time in decades  that the state has had a pro-life Senate, House and governor at the same time. Its been great to watch them work, [Ms. Bowen] told LifeSiteNews. Americans are just sick and tired of bankrolling the abortion industry.

In Illinois, the Democrat majority in the House and Senate passed a measure over the past few weeks that would force taxpayers to pay for Medicaid and state employee abortions. The bill has yet to be sent to the governor, who is sending mixed messages about whether he is going to fully or amendatory veto the effort.
PORT HURON, MI -- U.S. Navy sailor Fred M. Jones has finally been laid to rest.

Aboard the USS Oklahoma when it was attacked by Japanese fighter planes on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941 in Pearl Harbor, the 30-year-old Otter Lake resident went missing in action.

He was a Machinist's Mate First Class aboard the Oklahoma when it sunk, leading to the death of 429 crew members.

Jones was transferred to the Oklahoma in May 1939 from the USS Case after having been aboard the USS Chaumont, USS Mindanao, USS Cincinnati, USS Colorado, USS Simpson and USS Noa, per a transcript of his Naval service.

"It's so overwhelming. All the people on the parade route and here, the respect -- it's truly overwhelming," said Helen Kellie Cosner. "I've always been so proud of my grandfather. Throughout my life, I told anyone who would listen. I don't have the words to tell you how happy this makes me. Truly, this is an honor."

It took decades of searching, but the U.S. Navy was finally able to identify his remains after the use of DNA testing with Jones' family members in the mid-Michigan area.

Great-niece Sue Nichols helped organize a funeral service with graveside military honors that took place Saturday, May 20 at Lakeside Cemetery in Port Huron after his casket was escorted from Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

More than 300 people, family members, police and veterans attended to show their respects for Jones.

"It's amazing. I wasn't expecting so many people," Nichols said. "It's overwhelming. I'm glad he's here. I'm glad it's over for him. Even though his life was over many years ago, I hope he is seeing all of this today."

Jones, a North Lake native posthumously awarded a Purple Heart, was buried next to his late sister Neta Jones Thompson Amis at the cemetery near Lake Huron.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - City High School students celebrated an "A Night Under the Stars" themed prom in the fun and sophisticated space of Studio D2D Friday, May 19.

Students stepped into the venue in stylish, colorful prom dresses and sharp-looking tuxedos and suits ready for a memorable night.

There was a lot of laughter and mingling among friends and of course, students hit the dance floor often to party to their favorite songs.

MLive's The Grand Rapids Press was there to capture all the fun.

Prom season is coming to a close in West Michigan next weekend. MLive will continue to attend as many as possible to highlight the annual rite of passage.

More MLive prom coverage from this season:
ROCKFORD, MI -- A Michigan footwear brand is joining the effort to save 1.3 million acres of Utah land from being stripped of its national monument status by President Donald Trump.

Chaco, a brand known for its minimalist yet durable sandals invented by a rafting guide, has introduced a collection of limited-edition products to support preserving the Bears Ears National Monument.

All the net proceeds from the collection will go to two non-profits dedicated to protecting the land that has more archaeological sites than any other national monument or national park.

Chaco, one of a dozen brands of Rockford-based Wolverine Worldwide, is stepping into an issue important to its customer base of outdoor enthusiasts.

The threat is imminent and immediate action is required, says Seth Cobb, Chaco's president.

"We recognize the immense value of our country's public lands and are committed to their permanent protection." Cobb said in a statement. "Bears Ears is under attack from politicians in Utah and Washington, D.C., and we are proud to support two non-profit organizations, Dine Bikeyah and Friends of Cedar Mesa, in their tireless efforts to defend this spectacular landscape."

Trump signed an executive order on April 26 directing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to review Bears Ears within 45 days, and to make a recommendation on up to 40 monuments designated since 1996.

The move to rescind the Bears Ears designation is seen by environmentalists as part of a larger strategy to transfer federal-owned public lands to state control, where they could be potentially auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Dine Bikeyah is a nonprofit organization that supports indigenous communities by protecting their culturally significant, ancestral lands. Utah Dine Bikeyah was instrumental in proposing national monument designation for the Bears Ears area, which includes thousands of Native American archeological sites.

Friends of Cedar Mesa is a conservation-focused nonprofit working to ensure that the public lands in San Juan County, with all their cultural and natural values, are respected and protected for future generations.

The Chaco Bears Ears collection features American-made, limited-edition Z sandals, featuring a unique webbing design inspired by the twin buttes of the Bears Ears.

The $130 shoes, $35 T-shirt $35 and $10 wrist wraps can only be bought at chacos.com/bearsears, which is also provides information about Chaco's advocacy efforts.

Wolverine, whose brands include Merrell and Keds, bought the Colorado outdoor footwear company in 2009.

Chaco isn't the only business stepping into the fray. Outdoor clothing and gear retailer Patagonia has threatened legal action over the national monuments review.

Wolverine had licensing agreement with Patagonia to make its shoes until 2014.
WYOMING, MI -- Police are investigating an overnight shooting along Burlingame Avenue SW, with reports of a woman struck in the arm.

Police responded about 2:20 a.m. Saturday, May 20 to the area of Burlingame Avenue SW at Plas Street on a report of shots fired.

They also received a call from a resident in the 3300 block of Burlingame who reported that someone in the house was wounded.

Police were checking other homes along Plas Street and Burlingame Avenue for any injuries for what was believed to be a drive-by shooting.
t2t.JPG

Runners participate Saturday, May 20, in the Tunnel to Towers 5k at Cascade Falls Park. The event was expected to raise about $25,000 to build homes for catastrophically injured service members.

(Danielle Salisbury/MLive.com)

JACKSON, MI - About 300 people on Saturday ran through Cascade Falls Park in remembrance of first responders killed on Sept. 11, 2001 and in the years since.

Thirty or more of them, mostly from Jackson County, wore their heavy firefighting gear.

Phillip Pittman, 39, of Farmington Hills borrowed equipment to run in honor of his father, Gerald Roark, a former West Michigan firefighter who died in 2015 at 71.

He managed to complete the 5k course in 24:21, covering the ground faster than some in shorts and T-shirts.

"It felt good to honor dad's memory and also to support such an important cause," he said while standing near the finish line.

The event on Saturday, May 20, was expected to raise about $25,000 for the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which builds high-tech "smart homes" for catastrophically injured services members.

Organized every September in New York, the original Tunnel to Towers event retraces the steps of Siller, an off-duty New York firefighter who went by foot with 60 pounds of gear to the World Trade Center when he could not drive there. He then died at the site of the terrorist attack.

Jan Ganzel, a Long Island native and a Blackman-Leoni Township public safety officer, brought the event this year to Jackson.

It drew fire departments from around the county. Two ladder trucks flew a giant American flag by the start and finish lines.

Pleased with the turnout and reception, Ganzel plans to organize it again in 2018.
john-hicks-mulholland2.jpg

John Hicks will be recalled from Triple-A Toledo on Saturday.

(Mike Mulholland, MLive)

DETROIT -- Buck Farmer is headed back to Triple-A Toledo after just one day with the Detroit Tigers.

The right-handed pitcher didn't do anything wrong; in fact, he didn't even pitch. But the Tigers simply wanted Farmer as insurance for their depleted bullpen.

They will recall first baseman/catcher John Hicks on Saturday. He will likely remain just until Monday, when Victor Martinez returns from paternity leave.

"We needed an arm to cover us. We were just short," said Tigers manager Brad Ausmus. "Hicks was originally going to come yesterday, but we decided to bring Farmer to protect us and then flip-flop them, assuming we got through this game without a problem."

Farmer will start for the Mud Hens on Saturday. It's possible that Hicks will be starting at first base for the Tigers.

Farmer, 26, has made at least one appearance for the Tigers in each of the last three seasons. He's 0-6 with a 6.84 ERA in 32 career appearances, including eight starts.

In eight starts this year at Triple-A Toledo, Farmer has struck out 47 and walked just nine in 48 2/3 innings.

Hicks, 27, is primarily a catcher, although he played first base during a 10-day stint with the Tigers earlier this year. He went 11-for-26 (.423) with three doubles and a home run after the Tigers recalled him to replace Miguel Cabrera, who was on the DL with a strained groin.

In 20 games with Toledo, Hicks has hit .333 (25-for-75) with four home runs and 21 RBIs.
NEW YORK - Democrat former Congressman Anthony Wiener cried before the judge Friday when he pleaded guilty to federal charges of transmitting sexual material to a minor. He could face two years in prison - sentencing is set for September, USA Today reports.

His estranged wife, Huma Abedin, the one-time close aide to Hillary Clinton, filed for divorce the same day. The divorce action, labeled "anonymous versus anonymous," was filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, the Associated Press reported.

The 52-year-old Democratic politician from New York, who resigned from Congress in 2011 over an earlier sexting scandal, will also have to register as a sex offender.

Not mentioned in the USA Today report is the fact that the FBI found highly-classified info on the now-convicted felon's laptop, forwarded to him by his estranged wife obtained through her work aiding Hillary Clinton.

More HERE
     Sorry, this requested page is unavailble

And to unlock the page. You may send and official request to:

920011114
Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today sought to calm frayed nerves on the contentious visa issue, saying the number of H-1B visas for Indian IT professionals would not come down. She asked the industry not to get panicky.

"No need to get panicky on the visa front. The lottery process is something I suppose they (the US) wanted to do a correction on. The numbers are not something they are changing... the numbers will not come down," Sitharaman told reporters here.

Over the past few weeks, there is a growing sentiment of protectionism across various developed economies, including the US, seeking to safeguard jobs for locals and raise the bar for foreign workers.

In the US, the Trump administration wants to replace the current lottery system with a more merit-based immigration policy.

A mere 17 percent of total US visas go to Indian companies and a number of American firms benefit from services provided by Indian firms, she noted.

Related stories

India has time and again expressed hope that the review of H-1B visa process will take into consideration the positive relationship between the two countries.

Any change in visa norms can affect the movement of labour as well as spike operational costs for IT players.

In response to the proposed tightening of the visa regime, Indian IT firms have been ramping up hiring of locals in the US, a market that accounts for almost 60 percent of the India's technology export revenues.

On changes in the selection process for H-1B visa, the minister hoped that "where the high skill set is required, they (US) would look for that, rather than for first-time graduates".

The selection for such visas is getting selective, but the "numbers are not changing".

"No need of getting panicky... because the number of H-1B visas that we have got, we will continue to get that," she promised.

US President Donald Trump in April had signed an executive order for tightening the H-1B visa programme to stop its "abuse" and ensure the visas are given to the "most- skilled or highest paid" petitioners, a decision that is seen to impact India's USD 150 billion IT industry.

The Indian IT industry expressed serious concern over the issue as these visas were mainly used for short-term work in the US.

The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialised fields. Indian technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year for their US operations.

The US market accounts for about 60 percent of the revenue of Indian IT.

Reforming the H-1B visa system was one of the major election promises from Trump. As per several US reports, a majority of the H-1B visas every year are grabbed by Indian IT professionals.

India accounts for the highest pool of qualified IT professionals, whose services go a long way in making American companies globally competitive.
Haryana Board of School Education (HBSE) today declared the class 10th (Matriculaton) reults.

The results are on its official website, bseh.org.in, and on haryana.indiaresults.com and haryana10.jagranjosh.com.

The board has also put out a list of state toppers on its website.

Heres how you can check your result:

> Go to the boards official website  bseh.org.in> Click on Class 10 or secondary school results link> You will be directed to new page of the private website India Results> Enter your examination details like roll number and click on submit

> Your result will be displayed on the screen.

The students can also download the Education Board Bhiwani Haryana from the Google App store to check results.

HBSE had released its Class 12 results on May 18 with a 64.5 percent pass percentage. Girls outshone the boys in the exams.

A total of 3,88,205 students sat for the class 10th examination this year. Of this, 1,43,676 are girls and the rest 1,75,166 are boys.

The exam was conducted on March 7 across 1618 centres.

In 2016, nearly 3.17 lakh students appeared for the class 10th examination. The girls performed better with a pass percentage of 52.62 percent while the pass percentage for boys was 45.71 percent.

Haryana Board had release class 12 results just two days ago on May 18 with overall pass percentage of 64.5. As per PTI, a total of 73.44 per cent girl students qualified for higher education as compared to 57.58 per cent boys.
Hoping to maximize chances of a balanced budget being approved prior to the General Assemblys adjournment date of May 31, Rep. Reick joined several House Republican colleagues this week in sending a letter to Attorney General Lisa Madigan, calling on her to use the power of her office to force legislators to adopt a revenue estimate prior to the filing and passage of any spending bills for FY 2018.

Forty members of the House Republican Caucus signed the letter.



The letter cites several prior court rulings and instances which set precedent for the Attorney General to intervene to ensure the Illinois Constitution is upheld. Both the Constitution and state law require the General Assembly to adopt a revenue estimate on which to base a balanced budget for the forthcoming fiscal year, an action which legislators have failed to take in either of the past two years and havent yet done for the coming fiscal year.



Budget implementation is a multi-step process, and step one requires the House and Senate to come to agreement on a revenue estimate, said Reick. With just 12 days remaining until the adjournment date set forth in the Illinois Constitution, the time for shenanigans and political games is done. We must approve a revenue estimate without delay, and definitely before any spending bills for FY 2018 are considered.



Reick is a Chief Co-Sponsor of House Joint Resolutions 49, 50 and 51, which provide three separate options for legitimate revenue estimate that could be used as the starting point for the creation of a balanced budget. HJR 49 uses the non-partisan Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) FY2018 revenue estimate of $31.147 billion, HJR 50 uses the FY2018 estimate published by the Governors Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) of $31.476 billion, and HJR 51 utilizes an average of the COGFA and GOMB revenue estimates, or $31.312 billion, as the starting point for the creation of the FY2018 budget.



We have a legal obligation under Article VIII, Section two of the Illinois Constitution to approve a revenue estimate so we can fulfil our duty of creating a balanced budget," said Reick. Further delays in the process are unacceptable and put us at great risk for going into a third year without a budget. We need to get this job done.



Lawmakers return to Springfield on Monday, May 22 and are scheduled to be in session all but one day through May 31.
The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) has declared its Class 10 results. Students can check the result on pseb.ac.in.

The PSEB declared Class 10 merit and rank lists yesterday.

Here's a handy guide to check them:

> Log on to official website pseb.ac.in. If the website is slow, check out the other results tracking websites such as India Results or Exam Results.

> Click on link displaying the Punjab board results notification.

> Input vital information such as roll number and date of birth. The results will be displayed on your page. Take a print.

Punjab Class 10 exams were held on March 14-29. Nearly 4.12 lakh students had appeared for the exam in the state.

More than 3 lakh students took the exam last year, with 92 percent passing.

The Punjab Board has already declared PSEB Class 12th result on May 13. About 2,85,138 students had sat for the exam. Of this, 1,86,278 students cleared it.
Supporters hold up cut-outs of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party symbol with images of M.K. Stalin, son and heir-apparent of M. Karunanidhi, chief of DMK during a rally ahead of a general election in the southern Indian city of Chennai April 6, 2014. India, the world's largest democracy, will hold its general election in nine stages staggered between April 7 and May 12. REUTERS/Babu (INDIA - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTR3K57Q

DMK working president M K Stalin today expressed happiness on the comment of Tamil superstar Rajinikanth lauding him as an "efficient" politician.

Using the popular one word dialogue 'Magizhchi (happy)' from Rajinikanth's blockbuster movie 'Kabali', Stalin said, "I am replying in his language."

Rajinikanth had said despite the presence of "efficient" politicians like Stalin and Anbumani Ramadoss, the "system was affected". He had also praised Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol Thirumavalavan and Naam Tamizhar Katchi leader Seeman.

Karunanidhi was first elected to the Assembly in 1957 and since then he has been a member of the House continuously which includes his membership for sometime in the now defunct Legislative Council.

Close

Stalin said on June 3, the birthday of party chief M Karunanidhi will be celebrated along with the Diamond Jubilee of the nonagenarian leader's 60-year long career in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.
A Supreme Court order, commonly cited by a public authority to deny "personal information" of officials, cannot be a ground for refusing records under the RTI Act, Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu said today.

In his presentation on "Scope of Privacy of 'Public' Servant" at a seminar on RTI implementation here, Acharyulu said in the Girish Ramachandra Deshpande case, the apex court in 2012 had ordered that his Special Leave Petition challenging the order of Bombay High Court is to be dismissed.

"Dismissal of Special Leave Petition means the Supreme Court did not permit the appellant to file an appeal over the order of division Bench of Bombay High Court," he said.

The case relates to Deshpande, who had filed an RTI for copies of memos, censures issued against an officer but the authorities claimed it to be personal information and rejected it.

This was upheld by the Central Information Commission and the Bombay High Court.

Deshpande filed a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court challenging the high court order which had claimed these records to be personal information as it was a matter between an employee and the employer.

The SLP was dismissed by the Supreme Court with some observations which are being cited by public authorities to deny information when an RTI applicant demands service records of a public servant.

Citing constitutional provisions and a number of Supreme Court orders, Acharyulu today said the observations made by the Supreme Court cannot be a ground to deny information.

He said the Supreme Court in its 2010 order in the case of Bhakra Beas Management Board versus Krishan Kumar Vij had held that mere dismissal of an SLP at a preliminary stage does not constitute a binding precedent, and accordingly, any order.

He also cited a Supreme Court order by noted judge R C Lahoti which had said in any case, the dismissal would remain a dismissal by a non-speaking order where no reasons have been assigned and no law has been declared by the Supreme Court.

"The dismissal is not of the appeal but of the special leave petition. Even if the merits have been gone into, they are the merits of the special leave petition only. In our opinion neither doctrine of merger nor Article 141 of the Constitution is attracted to such an order," it had said in 2000.

Acharyulu said, in the Girish case, the apex court discussed the facts in five or six paragraphs and held the matter need not be heard in the appeal.

"The mention and discussion of the facts give character of 'speaking order' to it. But the merits or facts discussed are only limited to the extent of allowing or dismissing the 'special leave' and it does not mean that all the facts...were heard, discussed and decided for the purpose of laying down law on those questions," he said.

Acharyulu asserted that the disciplinary action or complaints against a public servant, cannot fall under the categories of private domain such as family, marriage, procreation, motherhood, child bearing and education.

He said the apex court in the matter of R Rajgopal v State of Tamil Nadu in 1996 had clearly stated that the information that formed part of public record or court record does not give rise to any privacy, except in cases of female victims of sexual crimes where her name shall not be revealed.

"When compared and analysed, the ratio in Rajgopal was in full-fledged writ appeal which was heard on merits was not over ruled by the order of dismissal of SLP in Girish," he said in his presentation.

Acharyulu, who was a professor at NALSAR, Hyderabad, said as it was not writ appeal there was no opportunity to bring the ratio in the Rajagopal case to the notice of the Division Bench of Supreme Court.

"Another vital point is that the memos, complaints or disciplinary action related information is not unconnected with public activity, which was also not discussed in the order. It might have happened because it was not a full writ appeal but a hearing on SLP only," he said.
The International Monetary Fund is monitoring the developing political situation in Brazil, but "for now" is maintaining the forecast for a slight economic recovery this year, a fund official said today.

Beset by corruption charges, Brazil's President Michel Temer yesterday defiantly refused to resign, but the investigation into his activities sparked a sharp downturn in the stock market which caused the Sao Paulo market to halt trading temporarily after a 10 percent plunge.

"Obviously it's too soon to assess the potential implications of events that are still ongoing," IMF Western Hemisphere Department chief Alejandro Werner told reporters.

"For now we are maintaining our projection" of 0.2 percent growth this year, Werner said in a briefing in Rio de Janeiro on the IMF's semi-annual regional economic outlook.

However, the fund "will be monitoring the situation in the next few weeks to evaluate if we need to alter our projection", he said, noting the increased volatility in financial markets.

The forecast for slight recovery comes after two years of recession in the huge South American economy, including a 3.6 percent contraction last year and a 3.8 percent downturn in 2015, the worst performance since 1948.

Just last month, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde praised Brazil for finally turning the corner, but the political turmoil could threaten that progress.

Temer, who himself came to office to replace impeached president Dilma Rousseff, is under investigation for allegedly authorising payment of hush money to a politician imprisoned for corruption.

One minister in his ruling centre-right coalition resigned, and there were some indications another might follow.
Education

Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu.

Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu.

Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events:

International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu.

EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu.

Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale  an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s  will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets  June Homecoming: Participant  $18 per person; Sustainer  $25 per person; Benefactor  $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler  Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events:

SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available  for information call 610-275-1960

Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above)

SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m.

Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.  4 p.m.  computers are available during those hours.

Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863.

Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376.

Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com.

The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes:

Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at

other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020.

CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313.

The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events:

Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m.

Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30.

Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301.

For Kids & Families

The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443.

Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950.

Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required.

The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950.

Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus.

Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage.

Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun.

Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train.

Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world!

Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class.

Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org.

Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583.

Community Events at the Ambler Y:

-YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register.

Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org.

Health

Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot.

The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information.

Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245.

Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net.

Spring Aquatic Programs  UDHS Pool:

-Summer is just around the corner  Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required.

 Shallow Water Aerobics  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR.

 Adult Swim Instructions  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR

-Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21.

-Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday  Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m.

-Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons.

-Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates.

Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994.

SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com.

Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org.

Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs:

FITNESS CLASSES

Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month.

Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30  9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000.

Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30  7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047.

New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.  12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30  4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931.

Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325.

Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes.

Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com.

Librarytalk

Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744

www.upperdublinlibrary.org

APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS:

Storytimes: Please register in the library.

o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m.

o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m.

o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m.

o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6.

APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS:

North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee

APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS:

NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org.

One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register  contact info above.

Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744.

o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register.

Meetings:

Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m.

Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m.

Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org.

For children and teens at Blue Bell:

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m.

* May 14  Despicable Me

* June 11  Alpha and Omega

* Special Events

* April  watch for date of spring/Easter events

* April 14 at 4:30 p.m.  Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children.

* April 14 at 7 p.m.  Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided.

* April 16 at 1 p.m.  Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King.

* April 16 at 1:30 p.m.  Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes?

* April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button.

* April 30 through May 3  Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults.

* May  sign up for Science in the Summer

* June  sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children

* June  sign up for Summer Reading, all ages

For adults at Blue Bell:

* Daytime Book Discussion Group  fourth Tuesday, Jan  April at 1:30 p.m.

* April 26  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Night-time Book Discussion Group  third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

o April 19  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges

o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked?

*Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs

* Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class.

* Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class.

* Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m.

* Giant Book Sale, April 29  May 3

o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults!

o Held during library hours.

o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m.

o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join.

* Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series

o May 11 at 1 p.m.  Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society

* Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room.

* Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read.

* Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome.

* Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome.

*Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older.

* Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours

* Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours

* Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday!

Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library.

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* For adults:

* Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn.

* Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net

* Special Events:

* April 14 at 1:30 p.m.  Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian.

* April 19 at 7 p.m.  Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m.

* April 21 at 7 p.m.  Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades.

*May 2 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

*May 10  Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*May 12 at 1:30p.m.  Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman.

*May 17  Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*June 13 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

Meetings and Lectures

The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833.

The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200.

The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/.

LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings.

Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org.

Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org)

-Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them.

The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter.

For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps.

Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin.

Special Events

The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County.

The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065.

Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members.

Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex.

The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com.

The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348.

The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org.

Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163.

The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu.

The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com.

The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net.

Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages.

13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries.

Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family.

The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler.

JPRN  Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them  Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike.

Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies.

Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately.

Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways.

Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table.

Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp  Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall:

-Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store.

Music and Theater

The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220.

Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html.

Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free.

The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org

Religious News

The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276.

Reunions

St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net.

Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572.

Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779.

Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net

Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net

The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411.

Support

New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149.

PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931.

The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296.

Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656.

Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group  every other Wednesday, 7  8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support  second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner  Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers  Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information.

CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7  8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich,
I recently had the opportunity to take a walk to the top of the future downtown Hilltop Trail/Park location. This walk, by the way, is not just a mere stroll; it takes some effort and will break a sweat on most. It certainly did for me.

We took the walk to see the location of two new planned slides at the top of the prominent downtown hill where we were also rewarded with an incredible view across Morgan Hill. The slides with a view are bound to be a huge hit and I think will become a signature feature of the downtown.

Earlier the group had walked through the future Creek Park along the West Little Llagas Creek. There should be plaques at the pedestrian bridge over West Little Llagas Creek and at the slides with a view honoring the support of the parks by the Rotary Club of Morgan Hillsupport in the tune of $100,000 to be exact.

That support by the Rotary Club mirrors the support of these parks by the entire community.

We have not built a new park in many, many years, and in one year we are about to have three new parks. These new parks are going to serve the downtown area that, with proper planning, will add many new residents over the years that will live in higher density developments typical of the most urban environment in a community like ours, the downtown. These developments typically dont have a lot of open space, so I feel the entire downtown, and these parks, will become the open space for these residents.

We will also have the Depot Park, which is designed to focus on childrens play where the yells and screams of children playing will be just down the road from our downtown businessesclose but not too close. It will be a park with safe places for children to run, jump and fall like children do, and play features to climb on and feed young imaginations. It will also have a restroom!

The Creek Park, just behind Ladera Grill restaurant, will be a more passive park where you can enjoy a rural feel right in the downtown, with some nice play features for children but also some adult amenities. There will be trails to entice you to walk around and learn more about riparian habitat and see local art, possibly while digesting a recent meal. Of course there will be picnic benches, where some takeout food would taste particularly good in a park setting. During the winter and spring we might see children return to see the pollywogs and newts around the creek.

From the Creek Park you can head right up Third Street (now one way) to the Hilltop Trail/Park. This park will encourage a higher level of activity and it will be just perfecta place to hike, jog and work out at a series of fitness stations. This park will feature trails, views, and picnic areas in addition to the aforementioned slides.

We will have something for everyone in our new parks and I hope everyone spends some time in these wonderfully planned additions to our community.

Editors note: The Morgan Hill City Council at the May 17 meeting officially named the parks Nob Hill Trail Park, Railroad Park and Third Street Creek Park.

John McKay is president of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association, city planning commissioner and co-founder of the Morgan Hill Tourism Alliance. He can be reached at [email protected]
Phyllis Schlafly was always strongly against allowing a constitutional convention to rewrite our Constitution, as with her fight against ERA in the 70's . In the September 2013 Issue of The Phyllis Schlafly Report, Phyllis equated Con-Con to Mischief-Making about the Constitution and sets forth good advice against an Article V Convention.

Call to rewrite the Constitution not new

Despite strong denials by pro-Con Con advocates, among them radio talk show host and lawyer Mark Levin, there is no way to limit a constitutional convention. This fact is recognized by nearly all legal scholars. It would be like a runaway freight train.

As set forth in this article, Disturbing Radical Agenda Behind Article V Amendment Convention:

The terrible threats and current goals to rewrite the U.S. Constitution started over 50 years ago as part of the globalist Rockefeller and Ford Foundations billion dollar effort to fundamentally change the Constitution and transform our form of government.

This movement has led to Tea Party and Christian groups being infiltrated by progressive ideas by people presenting themselves as one of them.

As the article further states:

"There are many front_groups on both the political right and the left that want do away with our existing Constitution, The method of their madness will be an Article V Amendment Convention that will end up as a Constitutional Convention. If this ever happens, once started and convened, you can kiss our current U.S. Constitution good-bye, and America will never be the same. We are headed straight into a fascist dictatorship, but our U.S. Constitution keeps getting in the way of U.N. goals. A One World Government and a One World Religion are already in place. Yes, corporate America wants a convention!! and they want YOU to be dumb enough to support it! The government-corporate complex has taken control of the United States."

Pro Con Con advocates and supporters

It is commonly believed that the Article V Amendment Convention movement is a grassroots effort coming from the states. It's quite the opposite. National groups have been conducting workshops, publishing tips, holding mock conventions, and staying very busy designing model_legislation (ALEC) for years to convince legislators to pass legislation calling for a Convention of States.

Advocates and supporters of some form of a constitutional convention, or the misnamed Convention of States, include billionaires George Soros and David & Charles Koch; Mark Meckler; Lawrence Lessig; Cenk Uygur; Michael Farris; Grover Norquist; William H. Fruth; Bob Natelson; and Richard Fink. Information about each individual can be located here. Many of the 10 Con Con advocates are also pro-immigration, pro-choice on abortion, and weak on American sovereignty.

The pro-Con Con side is simply wrong in pretending that a constitutional convention would "be called by the States." Article V of the Constitution expressly states, as anyone can easily confirm, that "Congress ... shall call a convention for proposing amendments." The States have no control over the process other than applying to Congress for it to act. Big states would dominate any constitutional convention. No state would be entitled to one state, one vote, because the U.S. Supreme Court has required proportional representation by population since 1964. California and New York would dominate a Con Con, along with the media.

How state legislators are being turned by Koch Brothers money in Missouri. Texas, and Maine

Known as contributors to Republican causes and organizations, it is telling that neither David or Charles Koch supported Trump during his presidential campaign.

TEXAS: The Koch Brothers basically control Texas through control of the Texas GOP. Virtually every single Republican in the Texas House and Senate caved into the financial pressure coming from the Koch Brothers' mega-donor network and voted for the Convention of States. When Con Con passed into Texas law on May 4, 2017, the Texas Governor, who had made it a priority, cheered. The Texas Lt. Governor likewise favored a Convention of States.

The Koch brothers and their network of billionaires essentially own most statewide politicians in Texas now, some of whom might be potential presidential candidates in two or six years.

MISSOURI: The globalist Koch Brothers, through their money network, also succeeded in swaying Missouri legislators to vote for Con Con. SCR4 passed on Friday, May 12. Twenty-six legislators walked out and one voted "present". More than likely is that some Missouri legislators, feeling squeezed, were terrified to vote against Con Con for fear of big money taking them out with a primary challenge. The Missouri COS Resolution sunsets in 5 years and will no longer be in effect afterwards. The Resolution also tries to impose 12 conditions on the process, which may prompt Congress to disqualify Missouri's application altogether. This would depend on who is running Congress at the time.

MAINE: The Maine House Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government heard the Convention of States House Joint Resolution, HP987, on Wednesday, May 17, 2017. The Koch are reportedly one of the biggest polluters in our country. Hopefully Maine legislators kept this in mind and acted accordingly. It seems unlikely that Maine would choose to go down the road of allowing the Koch Brothers' money to rewrite the Constitution.

Con Con Facts to Consider

Regarding Heritage Foundation, there is concern that the Koch Brothers' network has recently taken over the Heritage Foundation (follow the money) and will next install pro-Convention of States lackeys.

See here is an updated list with links to the 12 states that have so far passed the Convention of States. The number may be even lower once different versions are separated out, and if the Missouri resolution is disqualified due to its many special conditions.

The Con Con movement, and their secret friends who falsely pretend to be conservatives, is still at least 22 states away from success, and the rescission movement is gaining momentum.

It is increasingly obvious that the Convention of States movement is globalist with a hidden agenda. The Convention of States movement may become a litmus test for exposing politicians who sell out to money over principles.

As many public officials take an oath of office that requires them to "defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic," the hidden agenda behind trying to rewrite the Constitution, as funded by secret donors, must be defended and defeated.
ELON  On graduation weekend, the biggest celebrity on campus is usually the one making the commencement address.

On Friday, Oprah Winfrey  yes, that Oprah  briefly stopped by the Elon University campus the day before commencement.

The actress, former talk-show host and philanthropist came to support Nosipho Shangase, who will get her bachelor's degree Saturday from Elon. Shangase came to Elon after graduating from the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.

I'm a proud mentor Mom today, celebrating what is none other than an astounding accomplishment by my South African daughter girl Nosipho, Winfrey said, according to a statement from the university.

At Elon, Winfrey met privately with President Leo Lambert and his wife, Laurie. She later attended the baccalaureate ceremony and sat with Shangase in the front row of Alumni Gym.

Winfrey has promised to be with academy graduates as they graduate from college. Ten leadership academy graduates are getting college degrees in the United States this year.

Shangase called Winfrey a great mentor and a source of support, not just financially but also mentally and emotionally during her time at Elon.

Shangase will receive her bachelors degree in public health studies Saturday morning. In the fall, shell enter the masters program in epidemiology at UNC-Chapel Hill.

For more on Winfreys visit to Elon, click here.
Maintaining independence and editorial freedom is essential to our mission of empowering investor success. We provide a platform for our authors to report on investments fairly, accurately, and from the investors point of view. We also respect individual opinionsthey represent the unvarnished thinking of our people and exacting analysis of our research processes. Our authors can publish views that we may or may not agree with, but they show their work, distinguish facts from opinions, and make sure their analysis is clear and in no way misleading or deceptive.

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

Windy early with showers becoming likely after midnight. Low 64F. NNE winds at 25 to 35 mph, decreasing to 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Windy early with showers becoming likely after midnight. Low 64F. NNE winds at 25 to 35 mph, decreasing to 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Higher wind gusts possible.
Texas Top 10 Percent Rule for college admissions appears poised to survive another legislative session, according to the author of the leading bill to repeal or peel it back.

Senate Higher Education Chairman Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, said he doesnt have enough Republican support to get Senate Bill 2119 to the Senate floor. That means the issue is likely dead for 2017, he said.

There werent the votes, Seliger said.

Currently, any student who graduates in the top 10 percent of his or her high schools graduating class receives automatic admission to any public university in the state except the University of Texas at Austin, where the threshold is 7 percent. Seliger initially proposed repealing the rule entirely. He later updated his bill to keep the rule in place, but in a more limited way. Under the latest version of his bill, each school could cap automatic admissions at 30 percent of its incoming freshman class.

That would significantly impact admissions at UT-Austin, where about three-quarters of each freshman class is automatically admitted. Many suburban parents and students from competitive school districts loathe the bill because they say it makes it harder to gain admission into UT-Austin.

Seliger wanted to change the rule because it represented big government. The universities, not the state, should be in charge of setting admissions standards, he said. But Seliger couldnt get the 19 votes needed to get the item up for consideration on the floor of the 31-member Senate.

He said the reason the bill wasnt getting the necessary votes is because of self-professed small government Republicans.

The Top 10 Percent Rule was created in 1997 to increase diversity at state schools. The thinking behind it is that not all high schools are created equal. Schools in poor urban or rural areas tend to have fewer resources than the wealthy suburban schools. The poorer students come from less-educated families and tend to do worse on the SAT. Sometimes they cant afford extracurricular activities. But none of those disadvantages matter under the Top 10 Percent Rule.

UT-Austin, meanwhile, has raised complaints that the rule eliminates its freedom to compile its student body to its choosing and restricts admission to largely one metric  class rank.

Most Democrats still support the bill. But Seliger said he was dismayed to learn that there were not enough Republicans on board.

This is one of the worst examples of big government because we have got the Legislature determining admissions to one university to no real end, he said.

Seliger said he didnt know of any other avenue to get a change to the rule approved in the Capitol this session. But he said he expects the issue will come up again in the 2019 legislative session. The situation could soon become magnified at Texas A&M University, too, he said. The share of top 10 percent students enrolled at A&M is nearing 60 percent.
James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

The Texas Senate on Friday passed Rep. Tom Craddicks bill that would ban texting while driving.

Craddick told the Reporter-Telegram that the Senate passed the bill 23-8 after amendments were passed. Those amendments included being able to use GPS while operating a vehicle and listening to music through a phone, according to Craddick.

With all the amendments out of the way, according to a Texas Tribune report, Judith Zaffirini, the bills Senate sponsor, said, I have waited 10 years to make this motion: I move final passage of HB 62.

After the bill passed, according to the Tribune, Craddick walked across the Capitol to hug Zaffirini and thank the senators for their votes. After lingering for about 15 minutes, he mouthed thank you to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and walked out.

Craddick said he will concur with the changes to House Bill 62, which received 114 votes in the Texas House.

This is the fourth time Craddick has introduced a texting-while-driving ban.

We are elated to get it done this time, Craddick told the Reporter-Telegram.

In 2011, Craddick had authored a proposal that was passed by both chambers. But then-Gov. Rick Perry vetoed the measure, saying it would micromanage the behavior of adults.

In 2013, Sen. Robert Nichols, head of the Senate Transportation Committee, wouldnt allow a committee vote on Craddicks bill.

In 2015, Craddicks bill passed the House with a 104-39 vote. However, Zaffirini could not get the 19 votes needed to bring the bill to the floor for debate.

Nineteen votes to bring it up ... is a hard hill to climb, Craddick said.

Craddick said the bills passage through both legislative bodies is a testament to many people who repeatedly made the trek to Austin to tell their stories about how those who texted while driving impacted their lives. He said those stories arent easy to tell and they made a difference.

"This is a landmark moment for public safety in Texas. For myself and many this is a good day because this statewide ban on texting while driving will save the lives of Texans," Craddick said. "For others, the day is bittersweet; it is a reminder that this legislation comes too late and came with a cost. I think of the Texans who lost their lives to these preventable crashes and unnecessary tragedies; I dedicate this bill to their memory."

Craddick said he expects Gov. Greg Abbott to sign the bill. Craddick said that during a recent trip to Midland, Abbott told those in attendance that he would sign it into law.

Lastly, Craddick, the dean of all Texas legislators, was excited for the bills passage because he believes it will have an impact on safety. He said in a November article that 482 deaths that occurred on Texas roadways in 2015 were due to distracted driving. He also cited a Texas A&M study that he said indicated 95 percent of people will respond and obey a law that has been created.

If 95 percent of people obey laws, we will see a lot less texting on Texas roads, Craddick said.
Joe Biden Wins US Election 2020: Celebrities ReactHollywood gets his voice. The 2022 midterms election is here and the stars are checking off their ballots. Whether it's in person at a local polling station or at home voting by mail,
We are collating signatures to petition ...
GET OUR APP Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Download it here.
A retired U.S. Army Sergeant is hiking his way from Florida to Maine to show the world the part of a veterans life that is often not talked about.

Military vets on a 2,200 mile hike to raise awareness of PTSD

Mike Merritt, Brian Hennessy hiking from Florida to Maine

22 vets succumb to suicide each day

Its been a long road for Mike Merritt since he returned from overseas. Now, with his best friend, Brian Hennessy, by his side, it is his mission to raise awareness for the twenty two veterans who succumb to suicide each day.

About nine months ago I almost lost my fight with PTSD. I came off all my medications and Brianhes just been my best friend since I was 8-years-old, Merritt said.

The two Lakewood Ranch menboth veteransplan to walk 22-hundred miles through 14 states, which is the entire length of the Appalachian Trail.

One day about a month and a half ago, I said, Man we gotta do something. I was a sergeant in the military and my job was to take care of maintain my soldiers and the welfare of my soldiers, and when you get out of the military, you lost that. You lose that buddy system, Merritt said.

The pair started their trek last week with just a few necessities packed into backpacks.

Their goal is to hike up to 20 miles a day and stay in tents and hammocks along the way. If they can keep pace theyll make it to Maine in five months.

Were very motivated and dedicatedcarrying this flag the whole way with us, Merritt said.

They flag they are carrying has the names of the men in Mikes battalion in the 10th mountain division, who didnt make it home from serving in Afghanistan.

A million thoughts go through your head, like can we actually do this? Are we gonna make it? he said.

But its the flag and their friendship that make the two confident theyll finish the trek.

You can follow their journey on Facebook at Bravo Mike at Hike.
An Orlando-area elementary school student got an unexpected surprise Friday morning when his father, a U.S. Navy sailor, showed up at school after returning home from service.

Navy sailor surprises son at elementary school

Adam said he wants to play video games with his dad



Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan Fountaine served on submarine

Adam's class was performing patriotic songs for an end-of-the-year performance in the Camelot Elementary School cafeteria when his dad walked in.

"Daddy?"

"What's up, bud?"

"Dada!"

The first thing Adam wants to do with his dad now that he's home is "play video games, because we both love playing video games," Adam said.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan Fountaine has been on a submarine for seven months with the Navy. He's been in the military for six years.

"I couldn't be happier. It's all worth it," Fountaine said.
It has been a far fall from grace for Texas Sen. Carlos Uresti.

The San Antonio Democrat was a force in the state legislature for almost two decades before his arrest on 13 counts of bribery and fraud Tuesday. The two separate indictments contain some damning allegations, if true, and cast a long dark shadow over his lengthy political career and prestigious position in the Texas Senate where, even as a Democrat in a highly partisan world ruled by Republicans, he has won coveted seats on powerful committees.
The tony resort community of Sand Lake roasted in 90-degree heat for the third straight day on July 7, 1908, when 20-year-old Hazel Irene Drew walked along a remote section of Taborton Road.

She was by all accounts a prepossessing woman, with flaxen, pompadoured hair and blue eyes. At approximately 7:30 p.m., she encountered two men: Frank Smith, a reportedly "dimwitted" teenage farmhand who had met her on a handful of occasions and was said to fancy her, and Rudolph Gundrum, 35, a charcoal peddler who had been driving his horse-drawn wagon into town when Frank hailed him for a ride. In her gloved hand, Hazel idly swung her black-trimmed straw hat. As the wagon moved on, Smith turned to Gundrum and said, "That's old man Drew's oldest daughter."

This was the last confirmed sighting of Hazel Drew before her lifeless and bloated body was discovered floating face down in Teal's Pond four days later. Cause of death: a blow to the back of the head, her skull crushed with a blunt, unknown weapon.

Today, the mystery of who killed Hazel and why remains unsolved. And while the case attracted daily coast-to-coast press coverage for weeks at the time, Hazel and her story would likely be long forgotten today if not for one thing: The murder happened in the vicinity of Taborton, the Rensselaer County hamlet where future "Twin Peaks" co-creator Mark Frost spent his summer vacations as a youth.

Frost's maternal grandmother, Betty Calhoun, would spin yarns derived from local lore, including Hazel's murder, framing it "along the lines of a cautionary ghost story: Don't go out in the woods at night," as Frost remembered it in a recent interview. Frost inherited his grandmother's flair for storytelling, becoming an accomplished novelist, screenwriter and television auteur who co-created, with David Lynch, the storied 1990s ABC show that returns with brand-new episodes Sunday on Showtime, 26 years after its cancellation. Little could Frost's grandmother have imagined that her embellished ghost stories would help launch one of the biggest phenomena in TV history.

Frost and Lynch were batting around story ideas in a Los Angeles coffee shop when they conjured up the image of a young woman's lifeless body washing up on the lonely shore of a small-town lake. Lynch, as one might discern from his filmography, was obsessed with young, troubled, vulnerable women, especially blondes. (He and Frost had worked on a fictionalized Marilyn Monroe biopic suggesting the Kennedys were involved in her death.)

As for Frost, "I'd heard stories about (Hazel) all through my growing up, because she's supposedly haunted this area of the lake," he said at a 2013 "Twin Peaks" reunion at the University of Southern California. "So that's kind of where Laura came from."

That would be Laura Palmer, whose murder is the core of the original series and, according to Lynch, will be a theme when the show returns.

During the show's development, Frost started poking around the Sand Lake city hall for details of the murder. "It was the notion of this girl's body being found on the edge of the water, the mystery remaining unsolved, the multiple suspects, and the kind of cross-cultural and different social classes of people she interacted with," he says. "It really struck my fancy,"

Laura, a 17-year-old homecoming queen, and Hazel, who had worked as a domestic servant since the age of 14, were both small-town beauties whose murders exposed a wealth of personal secrets.

Hazel's family and friends initially insisted she had no special love interest. As initial leads dried up, investigators unearthed numerous clues suggesting dalliances. Just as Agent Cooper gleaned information from the pages of Laura Palmer's diary, Rensselaer County authorities, led by District Attorney Jarvis P. O'Brien, discovered dozens of postcards and letters between Hazel and her acquaintances  identified only by their initials  locked away in a trunk.

Frank Smith, the farmhand who crossed paths with Hazel shortly before her death, was an early target. In addition to his affections for the dead girl, he repeatedly made contradictory statements to the authorities. When corroborating alibis seemed to clear his name, a string of suspects followed, beginning with Hazel's surly and uncle, William Taylor, whose farm was located within a mile of Teal's Pond. While followers of the case felt he was suspicious, authorities could never uncover direct evidence linking him to the murder, and he was eventually cleared.

Other characters would shoot to the forefront as persons of interest  including a dentist who had proposed to Hazel, a train conductor she was rumored to be secretly seeing and an Albany millionaire, Henry Kramroth, who ran a nearby resort where strange happenings involving orgies were said to transpire. Kramroth defended himself against allegations that women were being held against their will at his resort and that neighbors had heard screams emanating from the camp near the time of the murder.

As Frost concludes, "It seemed to be kind of a hastily conducted investigation, and because she was a person from not a prominent family, I think you could fairly say ... she may have gotten the short shrift."

The parallels between Hazel Drew and Laura Palmer go only so far. While Frost and Lynch failed to rebuff network pressure to expose Laura's killer, there were no meddling ABC executives to force a resolution to Hazel's story. Weeks of investigation ended in an inquest where witnesses were gathered to obtain testimonies. Little new information was elicited and the case ended abruptly.

The solution to Hazel's murder may lie beyond our grasp, but it's a longing for answers that makes her story  and Laura Palmer's  seductive.

Bushman is a TV curator at the Paley Center for Media in New York and co-author of "Twin Peaks FAQ." Givens hosts a Twin Peaks podcast called Deer Meadow Radio. They are working on a book on the Hazel Drew murder.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

On Friday it was learned that the Texas Renaissance Festival would not host the second edition of the Middlelands music festival on its grounds in Todd Mission near Conroe.

Some 66,000 music fans descended on the grounds for three days of electronic music acts, camping, dancing, and other various forms of festival merriment.

PARTY DOWN: Middlelands festival brings thousands of EDM fans to Texas Renaissance Festival grounds

Locals, though, didn't care for the traffic woes and noise in the area. A town hall meeting on Thursday saw them air grievances. Many expressed worries of extreme drug use. There were dozens of minor drug arrests, which comes with the territory when it comes to major music festivals.

On Friday afternoon Texas Renaissance Festival general manager Terre Albert released a statement on the aftermath of the new festival.

"TRF is always looking for new ways to bring fun and magic to the Houston area, which is why we partnered with Insomniac, C3 Events and Live Nation, to create the Middlelands music festival on our grounds," Albert wrote.

PARTY'S OVER: Dozens of arrests made at Houston area's new Middlelands festival

"Middlelands was a great success and brought over 60,000 people to the area from all over the country and the world. However, after a meeting with executive leadership and based on Texas Renaissance Festival's overall mission, we have made the decision to not move forward in hosting the event again."

"We were very surprised and disappointed by the decision ...," Pasquale Rotella, founder and CEO of Insomniac, responded later Friday in a statement. "From the beginning, MDL producers set out to create a safe and enjoyable experience for both attendees and residents in the surrounding neighborhoods, with hopes to stimulate the growing local economy."

Rotella added: "Contrary to news reports, the producers of MDL traveled to Houston for the Town Hall meeting but were subsequently told it was cancelled by TRF officials. We fully appreciate the beauty of Todd Mission and the nearby areas, and were prepared to implement residents' feedback in order to transform MDL into a valued community event. An astounding 66,000 guests attended the inaugural MDL festival, with many sharing their positive experiences. To our fans, rest assured we plan to return."

There was no immediate word on the location of next year's event.
The national board of the NAACP voted Friday to dismiss the organization's president, the Rev. Cornell William Brooks, just three years after putting Brooks in charge of the nation's largest and perhaps best-known civil rights organization.

NAACP Board Chairman Leon Russell said the change is necessary to better position the organization to combat the onslaught of civil rights assaults and rollbacks the board expects under President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions and to prepare the organization to shape the country in the next century.

While Brooks has been present at social justice demonstrations across the country, Russell says the board is looking for a leader who can focus on strengthening the local chapters and navigating local, regional and state policymaking processes.

For instance, Brooks was among the activists arrested in January at the office of now-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, then a Republican senator, during a sit-in protesting his nomination for the cabinet position.

"I think Cornell was good at raising the issue in terms of going out and being able to do the protest part of it," Russell said. "But we are now at the point where the issues are raised. Everyone is aware of them. But it's time to put something on the table to actualize solutions."

Brooks could not be immediately reached for comment.

Russell said the board will launch a search for a new president with the aim of completing that process by year's end. In the interim, he and the organization's national staff will maintain day-to-day operations.

When Brooks was appointed president and chief executive in May 2014, he was best known as a minister, head of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice and a former trial attorney for the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law.

He arrived a few months after the NAACP's national office underwent a round of staff cuts and a significant budget shortfall. The organization was also wrestling with a series of incidents that called into question its willingness to stand against corporate and individual wealthy donors. The most prominent incident came in April 2014, when the NAACP Los Angeles branch was preparing to bestow a second award on former L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling as a taped conversation of him using racial slurs became public.

The organization has recorded some wins during Brooks's tenure. In North Carolina, the NAACP state conference president, local chapters and other organizations staged ongoing protests at the state capitol known as Moral Mondays and pushed civil rights concerns into the national news. The NAACP of North Carolina, working with lawyers from the Advancement Project, also helped overturn North Carolina's voter ID law, a ruling the Supreme Court decided not to reconsider this month.

Brooks also staged a Justice Tour - holding events around the country to discuss social justice concerns - and led a seven-day protest march from Ferguson, Missouri, to the state capitol to protest the fatal shooting of unarmed black teen Michael Brown by a police officer.

Yet some of the organization's critics have said that Brooks has struggled to continue some of the progress made under his predecessor, Ben Jealous. Jealous has been credited with reversing declining membership and tamping down questions about the organization's relevance in the 21st century.

In the wake of Trump's election, civil rights organizations have raised concerns about the administration's willingness to protect black and Latino voting rights, stem the tide of predatory financial products that target consumers of color and address criminal justice and education disparities.

Russell said the NAACP aims to strengthen the organization's 2,200 local chapters in a way that will allow them to serve as better watchdogs in communities nationwide, engage more rapidly in crises, engage with long-term issues of inequity and build a new legion of activists trained to do the full range of civil rights work - including legislation, litigation, political organizing and protests.

"So much of the work is going to have to be local and our efforts to fight back are going to have to be national," said Rashad Robinson, executive director of civil rights organization Color of Change, who was a longtime member of the NAACP. "The NAACP has chapters all around the country and has real potential, in that way, to make a difference."
WASHINGTON - The law enforcement investigation into possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign has identified a current White House official as a significant person of interest, showing that the probe is reaching into the highest levels of government, according to people familiar with the matter.

The senior White House adviser under scrutiny by investigators is someone close to the president, according to these people, who would not further identify the official.

The revelation comes as the investigation appears to be entering a more overtly active phase, with investigators shifting from work that has remained largely hidden from the public to conducting interviews and using a grand jury to issue subpoenas. The intensity of the probe is expected to accelerate in the coming weeks, the people said.

The sources emphasized that investigators remain keenly interested in people who previously wielded influence in the Trump campaign and administration but are no longer part of it, including former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

Flynn resigned in February after disclosures that he had lied to administration officials about his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Current administration officials who have acknowledged contacts with Russian officials include President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as well as Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

People familiar with the investigation said the intensifying effort does not mean that criminal charges are near, or that any such charges will result. Earlier this week, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI director Robert Mueller III to serve as special counsel and lead the investigation into Russian meddling.

It is unclear exactly how Mueller's leadership will affect the direction of the probe, and he is already bringing in new people to work on the team. Those familiar with the case said its significance had increased before Mueller's appointment.

Although the case began quietly last July as an effort to determine whether any Trump associates coordinated with Russian operatives to meddle in the presidential election campaign, the investigative work now being done by the FBI also includes determining whether any financial crimes were committed by people close to the president. The people familiar with the matter said the probe has sharpened into something more fraught for the White House, the FBI and the Justice Department - particularly because of the public steps investigators know they now need to take, the people said.

When subpoenas are issued or interviews are requested, it is possible the people being asked to talk or provide documents will reveal publicly what they were asked about.

A small group of lawmakers known as the Gang of Eight was notified of the change in tempo and focus in the investigation at a classified briefing Wednesday evening, the people familiar with the matter said. Then-FBI Director James Comey publicly confirmed the existence of the investigation in March.

Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said, "I can't confirm or deny the existence or nonexistence of investigations or targets of investigations." An FBI spokesman declined to comment.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said, "As the president has stated before, a thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity.''

While there has been a loud public debate in recent days over the question of whether the president might have attempted to obstruct justice in his private dealings with Comey, whom Trump fired last week, people familiar with the matter said investigators on the case are more focused on Russian influence operations and possible financial crimes.

The FBI's investigation seeks to determine whether and to what extent Trump associates were in contact with Kremlin operatives, what business dealings they might have had in Russia, and whether they in any way facilitated the hacking and publishing of emails from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta, during the presidential campaign. Several congressional committees are also investigating, though their probes could not produce criminal charges.

A grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, recently issued a subpoena for records related to Flynn's business, the Flynn Intel Group, which was paid more than $500,000 by a company owned by a Turkish American businessman close to top Turkish officials, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Flynn Intel Group was paid for research on Fethullah Gulen, a cleric who Turkey's current president believes was responsible for a coup attempt last summer. Flynn retroactively registered with the Justice Department in March as a paid foreign agent for Turkish interests.

Separately from the probe now run by Mueller, Flynn is being investigated by the Pentagon's top watchdog for his foreign payments. Flynn also received $45,000 to appear in 2015 with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a dinner for RT, a Kremlin-controlled media organization.

Flynn discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with Russia's ambassador to the United States during the month before Trump took office, and he withheld that fact from the vice president. That prompted then-acting attorney general Sally Yates to warn the White House's top lawyer that Flynn might be susceptible to blackmail. Flynn stepped down after The Washington Post reported on the contents of the call.

The president has nonetheless seemed to defend his former adviser. A memo by Comey alleged that Trump asked that the probe into Flynn be shut down.

The White House also has acknowledged that Kushner met with Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States, in late November. Kushner also has acknowledged that he met with the head of a Russian development bank, Vnesheconombank, which has been under U.S. sanctions since July 2014. The president's son-in-law initially omitted contacts with foreign leaders from a national security questionnaire, though his lawyer has said publicly that he submitted the form prematurely and informed the FBI soon afterward that he would provide an update.

Vnesheconombank handles development for the state, and in early 2015, a man purporting to be one of its New York-based employees was arrested and accused of being an unregistered spy.

That man - Evgeny Buryakov - ultimately pleaded guilty and was eventually deported. He had been in contact with former Trump adviser Carter Page, though Page has said he shared only "basic immaterial information and publicly available research documents" with the Russian. Page was the subject of a secret warrant last year issued by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, based on suspicions he might have been acting as an agent of the Russian government, according to people familiar with the matter. Page has denied any wrongdoing, and accused the government of violating his civil rights.

- - -

The Washington Post's Ellen Nakashima and Ashley Parker contributed to this report.
As statues of Confederate leaders fall in New Orleans and symbols of the Confederacy are stripped from flagpoles and buildings nationwide, a Northern Virginia high school named for a Rebel general continues to grapple with whether that name should be stripped from its buildings.

J.E.B. Stuart High School is one of the most racially diverse schools in Fairfax County. About 54 percent of its approximately 2,130 students are Hispanic; 22 percent are white; 13 percent are Asian; 9 percent are black; and 2 percent are multiracial.

Students began lobbying to change the name two years ago after an avowed white supremacist massacred nine black parishioners at a church in Charleston, South Carolina. Their movement gained traction when a Hollywood producer and school graduate, Bruce Cohen, started a petition with actress Julianne Moore, a fellow graduate, that drew 35,000 signatures.

The students argued that when the county school board named the school after Stuart in the late 1950s, it was trying to send a message to black students that they were not welcome. Those who want to keep the school's name disagree. The school did not admit black students until 1961.

In 2015, the school board opened the door to a possible name change when it amended a policy on naming buildings. A year later, the board established a committee to examine whether the high school should be renamed.

But the committee has remained fractured. Next week, it plans to issue two sets of reports because those who support the name and those who want to change it cannot agree even on historical facts. Tensions have flared as some committee members have accused others of fomenting racism and staging disinformation campaigns. Rhetoric has gotten so hot that some members say they fear appearing at open forums.

Stuart was a U.S. Military Academy graduate who joined the Rebel cause, rising to command the cavalry of Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. He was mortally wounded in battle near Richmond in 1864.

George Alber, an NAACP activist who is on the committee, said the two-year debate has been an ordeal filled with "rancor and discord."

"We could have done this better," Alber said. "This has been set up as such an adversarial proceeding. . . . There's no healing, no coming together in the community."

This week, the debate intensified when those opposed to changing the name announced plans for a history tour of local Civil War battle sites where Stuart saw action. The tour, to take place on Sunday, will start at the high school and use a county school bus. It will be led by an amateur historian who agrees that Stuart's legacy is worthy of the honor.

The school system invited the community to the event through email and highlighted it on its website, while some committee members separately circulated a flier featuring the Confederate flag. That shocked many people in the community.

Committee member Vince Nettuno, who favors keeping the name, said the tour is an "effort to expand their education as far as what J.E.B. Stuart did during his tenure and why the county decided he was a heroic figure."

Nettuno, a graduate whose daughter also graduated from the school, dismissed concerns about the flier. "Nobody's going to go blind looking at that Confederate flag on that flier," he said. Nettuno said organizers were merely trying to be historically accurate and pointed out that it also featured an American flag - or, as he called it, "the Union flag."

Other committee members who back the name change say they are worried that the version of history pushed by Don Hakenson, who is leading the tour, will be slanted. They see the event as an effort to expand support for keeping the name.

"We're concerned about it," said Debbie Ratliff, a committee member who backs the name change. "I don't want my tax dollars paying for it."

Hakenson, who has led tours of Civil War sites for 18 years and has written several books on local Civil War history, said that he merely plans to present the facts.

"People have their own right to look at things any way they want to," Hakenson said.

Supporters of keeping the name say the other side has unfairly impugned Stuart's legacy without considering historical context. They point out that Stuart freed his slaves, that he had a mixed-race servant and that he was considered a brilliant young tactician who exemplified qualities worth emulating. Many of those who back the name disagree with historians who say that the Civil War was fought over slavery. They also contend that a name change would be too costly.

"He also didn't lynch people," said Denise Patton, a committee member and former history teacher. "He was a very, very humane officer."

On Thursday night, many members refused to come to the school auditorium for a forum organized by supporters of the name change. Those members who stayed away said that they worried they would encounter hostility because they had been called racists in online forums. At least a half-dozen Fairfax police officers kept watch over the meeting, where people spoke mostly in support of the name change. There were a few who spoke against it, receiving the occasional jeer.

Kayla Longmayer, 14, a freshman at the school who is of mixed race and a descendant of slaves, tearfully shared how hurtful it was to see Stuart's name on the walls of her schoolhouse.

"J.E.B. Stuart," Kayla said, her voice quaking, "J.E.B. Stuart fought to keep my people enslaved."
The Ark Church is partnering with the Montgomery County Food Bank to give hope to thousands in Montgomery County.

The Ark Church's Grocery Giveaway takes place on at 9 a.m. at The Ark Church, 450 Humble Tank Road in Conroe.

"This event is an opportunity for those in our community to be blessed with free food, which will benefit a family of four for over a month," information from The Ark Church stated.

Over 300,000 pounds of food will be given to Montgomery county residents that make their way to The Ark this Saturday. No paperwork or sign up is necessary to receive food. In conjunction with the food bank, The Ark will need a name and the number of people in your household.

"We believe that God has placed us in Montgomery County to bless this community," The Ark's Community Pastor Brandon Johnson said. "One of the best ways we can show God's love is by feeding people that are in need."

Over 1,000 volunteers will be on hand at The Ark Church Saturdayto help bless people with food for their families. Food will be given away for free on a first come, first served basis.

For more information, visit thearkchurch.com or call The Ark Church at 936.756.1988.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump vowed on the campaign trail to boost economic growth and be the "greatest jobs producer that God ever created."

His economic legacy in this young presidency is far from sealed, but it's safe to say he has made at least one industry flush: The Washington region's portable toilet industry.

The Trump presidency has brought an increased number of protests - and, yes, bladders and bowels - to the National Mall. Protest organizers are renting record numbers of porta-potties in the Trump era for demonstrators to relieve themselves between chants and marches.

The National Park Service, which oversees the National Mall, requires demonstration permit holders to provide one portable toilet for every 300 participants, 20 percent of which must be handicapped-accessible, said Mike Litterst, a spokesperson for the agency.

During January's Women's March on Washington, for instance, that meant nearly 600 privies - an entirely insufficient number that snarled throngs of antsy protesters in long bathroom lines.

Rob Weghorst, chief executive officer of Virginia-based portable toilet rental company Don's Johns, said the increase in political advocacy - typically among protesters with left-leaning political affinities - has translated to boom times. His company, which recently acquired former competitor Gene's Johns Toilets, provided portable toilets for the Women's March, People's Climate March and others on the Mall this year.

"All I'm going to say is that we love the activism. I'll leave it at that," Weghorst said. "It's been good. It's made for an interesting and lucrative spring."

The National Park Service said it has seen more than a 30 percent increase in permitted protests compared to around this time last year, with some attracting tens of thousands of people. However urgent the protesters' causes, other urgent needs inevitably emerge during a long day on the Mall for the properly hydrated.

Frederick Hill III, owner of District of Columbia-based Gotta Go Now, says his porta-potty company has seen about a 40 percent increase in revenue each month of 2017 compared to a year earlier. So far in May, business is running 50 percent ahead of last year.

Both Weghorst and Hill said long-term rentals on construction sites still account for the bulk of their business. But Hill said protests are particularly fruitful since the events typically last only a day and the toilets - most often associated with foul smells and grimy conditions - sustain only minimal damage, but carry a pretty rental price tag.

Depending on the bulk of the order, Gotta Go Now charges between $85 to $125 per toilet, including delivery and pick-up.

"It seems that there are protests every week that we are doing," Hill said. "We're quite active with them."

For first-time protest organizers, the cost of portable toilets can be unexpected and staggering. Jordan Uhl, a D.C. resident planning the March for Truth on June 3 near the White House, said portable toilets will be the biggest cost of the protest - an expense of nearly $5,000 that he wasn't expecting to incur.

The March for Truth will call for a fair and transparent investigation into Trump's presidential campaign's alleged Russia ties, with the main demonstration occurring in Washington, along with dozens of smaller protests across the country.

In an era when with many people casually RSVP to protests via Facebook, Uhl said pining down an accurate headcount - and therefore, knowing how many porta-potties to rent - is difficult. Ordering more toilets than needed is a waste of money. Too few toilets brings its own set of unsavory challenges.

"I have a totally different perception now of how these things happen. It makes sense, it's just difficult," Uhl said. "I guess it's just a compliment to Trump that he has been great for the local portable potty industry. That's one good thing he's doing."

Uhl and other March for Truth organizers launched an online funding campaign to help pay for the protest's expenses. While those contributing are ostensibly donating to a progressive cause, much of the donated money is going toward toilets.

Actress Alyssa Milano made her own $500 contribution to the March for Truth and is happy to help defray the toilet costs. She said she hopes to attend the march, writing in an email to the Post that Trump's "war on truth may be the most important issue we face."

"I'm fine with my money going wherever the organizers need it to go to make this a special moment in democracy," Milano wrote.

For veteran D.C. organizers, the complicated and messy toilet logistics come as no surprise.

Janaye Ingram, a national organizer for the Women's March who has planned numerous Washington protests, said getting toilets for the Women's March the day after the inauguration was particularly tricky. Most of the region's portable toilet reserves already were staged around the Mall for the inauguration, but each needed to be cleaned with toilet paper replenished in less than 24 hours.

In the end, organizers couldn't secure enough toilets for the large crowd, even though lavatories still ended up being one of the march's biggest costs.

"The toilets were a huge part of our budget, and they do cost more than what people anticipate them costing," Ingram said. "Any time you are planning a march, you need to make sure that people can see, you need to make sure that people can hear, and you need to make sure that people can go to the restroom."
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

AUSTIN  A Houston state senator Friday hailed the new state law mandating training for truckers to help combat human trafficking and said she will urge other states to follow Texas lead.

We will be putting thousands of sets of eyes and ears out there to help in our efforts against this this horrible epidemic, said Sen. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, who authored the legislation.

Gov. Greg Abbott signed the measure Thursday that requires training for truck drivers and other commercial vehicle operators on recognizing signs of human trafficking, which currently affects more than 300,000 victims in the state, according to a recent study.

Under the new law, applicants for a commercial drivers license will receive information about how to identify signs of human trafficking and how to report it, while public junior colleges and private career schools and colleges that offer commercial driving programs must include education and training on the recognition and prevention of human trafficking.

The content of the training will be determined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board with input from the attorney generals office, and may include materials developed by the national nonprofit organization Truckers Against Trafficking, according to Garcia.

Garcia plans to urge other states to introduce similar legislation. Currently, only Ohio has a comparable requirement.

We all now have another tool to help victims and liberate those trapped, Garcia said in a statement. Ill work hard with allies across the country so other legislatures replicate our initiative.

There was broad public support for Garcias bill and its House companion in public hearings, including from trucking industry representatives.

The industry has prided itself for decades as being the knights of the road, John Esparza, president of the Texas Trucking Association, said at a Senate Transportation Committee hearing in March. This is simply just recognition and education that works; its proven it works.

The fight against human trafficking has been backed by Abbott and has garnered broad bipartisan support in the Legislature.

The states role as a hub for human trafficking spurred the attorney generals office to establish the Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force in 2009, which makes legislative recommendations for each session.

In the current session, 11 of the task forces recommendations are included in House Bill 29, an omnibus bill that would increase penalties for traffickers and improve protections for victims, among other items, and several other human trafficking bills are on track to get to the governors desk.

The new legislation to train commercial drivers, which took effect immediately, follows similar efforts at promoting human trafficking education to members of other professions, including law enforcement, education and social services.

Texas has been focusing on anti-human trafficking efforts for over a decade and we lead the nation, says Mandi Kimball, director of public policy and government affairs for the nonprofit advocacy group Children At Risk. The Interstate 10 corridor is the No. 1 route for human trafficking; and truck drivers are an important ally in this fight, since we know that at truck stops they come into contact with victims.

However, the latest legislation only applies to new applicants for commercial drivers licenses and doesnt mandate training for existing license holders.

Texas reported a confirmed total of nearly 3,000 human trafficking cases between 2007 and 2016. However, the full extent of the problem is much greater, according to a recent study from the University of Texas.

According to researchers, there are at least 313,000 current victims of human trafficking in Texas, including 79,000 youths forced into prostitution or other types of sex trafficking.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Hours after a San Antonio firefighter was killed in a Northwest Side strip mall inferno  the first to die in the line of duty in 20 years  Fire Chief Charles Hood stood by his decision to suspend the search for one of their own, calling it one of the most difficult decisions of his life.

Flanked by Mayor Ivy Taylor and other city officials at a press conference Friday, Hood said the decision to end a rescue effort to find firefighter Scott Deem, who had initially entered the engulfed building thinking there were civilians inside, was necessary to save the lives of other firefighters.

We are heartbroken, Hood said, fighting back tears. We are disappointed that we could not get him out. But I could not be happier or prouder of the efforts to give him every chance of survival. We did that last night. We are very fortunate that we did not lose three or more firefighters.

RELATED: 'Heroic' firefighter was father of 2, expecting a third

Deem, a 31-year old father with two children and a baby on the way, ran out of oxygen but it was not clear how he died, Hood said. An investigation, which will be conducted with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, is ongoing.

A point of origin for the fire had been identified, Hood said, but a cause for the fire has not been determined.

As flames engulfed the Ingram Square Shopping Center on Thursday evening, the first firefighters who arrived saw cars parked outside the Spartan Gym and said over the radio that they were going offensive. They sent in teams with fire hoses to attack the fire and find and rescue any victims inside the building.

Eight minutes after their arrival, the first mayday call echoed over the radio.

Mayday? Whos calling the mayday? asked Wally Yates, the fire commander at the scene.

What followed, over the course of the next two hours, was a frantic search and rescue operation, at times marred by confusion, to rescue two missing comrades who had entered the smoke-filled gym at the mall.

At one point, firefighters thought they had found Deem and initially started to withdraw their search team when they realized they had saved a different firefighter and Deem was still missing, according to radio recordings of the incident available on the website Broadcastify.com, which posts archives of radio scanner traffic online.

Faced with a growing inferno and a burning roof that could collapse any time, firefighters were unable to find Deem and debated how much longer they should continue the search for him. The radio traffic shows firefighters had difficulty clearing thick smoke inside the gym and rescue teams reported zero visibility.

RELATED: S.A. honors, prays for firefighters killed, injured in 4-alarm blaze on Northwest Side

Hood said he ultimately ordered all the rescue teams to evacuate the building, leaving Deem inside.

That was my decision, Hood said. It was my decision that I could not lose 10 or 15 firefighters because the men and women of this organization would continue to pour into that building and risk their lives to pull their brother out  It was one of the most difficult decisions of my life, but there are no regrets for doing that because we saved lives.

As the smoke began to clear, firefighters reported to their commanders that they could see their missing brother in the building. Deem was removed from the structure, surrounded by his fellow firefighters, and draped with an American flag from Station No. 35 on Culebra Road, where he worked.

From there, Deem was placed in an ambulance and escorted by the San Antonio Police Department to the Medical Examiners Office. Nearly 100 firefighters stood by, saluting the ambulance. Smoke still lingered in the air, while red and blue emergency lights illuminated the dark sky.

RELATED: Firefighter killed, 2 injured in major blaze on Northwest Side

As news of the death traveled in the early morning hours on Friday, an outpouring of support rushed in for Deems widow, Jennifer, the couples two children, 13-year-old Dakota and 7-year-old Tyler, and the members of the San Antonio Fire Department. By midday Friday, a small memorial was erected in front of the San Antonio Public Safety Headquarters on Santa Rosa Avenue.

This is truly a sad day for San Antonio, said Taylor, who spent the evening before at the hospital with the families of the two injured firefighters. We certainly are blessed to have an outstanding Fire Department made up of some of the best and bravest men and women in the country. Unfortunately, last night, one of our best did not make it home.

A chaotic scene

At 9:10 p.m. Thursday evening, firefighters from Station 35 were dispatched to the Ingram Square Shopping Center, located near Ingram and Wurzbach roads.

They found heavy smoke pouring from the 86,289-square-foot building, which houses a Texas Thrift Store, a driving school and a gym. The firefighters upgraded the call to a stage-two fire, requesting more help. Eventually, over 80 units would respond to the call.

But at first, it was only Deem and the other first responders inside the gym.

Yates soon arrived and took command. A veteran of the Fire Department, Yates was no stranger to harrowing emergency calls. Nearly 13 years ago as a young firefighter, he wore a heavy hazmat suit and waded into a deadly cloud of chlorine gas to search for survivors after a Union Pacific train crashed in rural Bexar County. The chlorine devastated the countryside, killed three people and injured 50 others.

At the gym, heavy smoke filled the building and firefighters reported zero visibility. Eight minutes and 10 seconds after their arrival, a frantic firefighter inside the gym shouted a mayday over the radio.

Yates asked who called the mayday. Seconds went by. Yates started asking fire companies their locations.

Ladder 35, Ladder 35, where are you located? he asked, referring to the firefighters assigned to the ladder truck that operates at Station 35 on Culebra. Another frantic shout came over the radio but Yates didnt appear to notice at first that the firefighter was in trouble. Engine 35, where are you located? Yates continued, referring to a different group of firefighters.

Another fire official interjected: Ladder 35, Firefighter 2 sounds in distress. Yates acknowledged that message and assigned other firefighters to venture into the building as a RIT, or Rapid Intervention Team, to locate the firefighter from Ladder 35 who was in trouble. Yates instructed another team of firefighters with Engine 44 to open all the back doors of the gym to help ventilate the building and clear the smoke.

Twelve minutes after their arrival, battalion chief Rich Giusti took command of the rescue team and reported that two firefighters were missing inside the building.

We do not know where theyre at, Giusti said. Its starting to get very hot in there. We still have a lot of heavy smoke.

Minutes later, there was more frantic shouting over the radio. Be advised, we have one firefighter thats being pulled out, being pulled out over to EMS right now, Giusti said. He looks like hes been exposed to a lot of heat.

Later, the department identified the first firefighter as Brad Phipps, who joined the department in 2006. After he was led from the building, he fought with the paramedics, trying to get back in to search for his comrade. Phipps was immediately transported to Brooke Army Medical Center.

Yates thought the gyms back doors had been opened and that the building was being adequately ventilated to clear out the thick smoke. But he soon learned at least some of the doors were still shut and the smoke wasnt clearing.

Nearly 20 minutes after their arrival, a firefighter asked if they could open glass windows on the front of the building to clear out the thick smoke inside.

We got zero visibility, he said We got to get some of this smoke cleared out.

I got it, Yates replied. Be advised, Brendan, we have all the back doors open. Im going to send a crew to bust the windows out now.

A firefighter with Engine 44, the unit behind the gym that had been assigned to open the doors eight minutes earlier, responded: I do not have all the back doors open yet. I need some assistance. If somebody could bring a saw, I need a saw. More units were sent to the back of the building.

A half hour into the incident, rescue teams thought they found Deem and pulled everyone out of the building. Yates began giving orders for platform trucks  fire engines that can douse fires from overhead  to prepare spraying the building with water. They had held off attacking the blaze from the air to give rescue teams a chance to do their work safely.

Then came bad news. The firefighters had not pulled out Deem, but Robert Vasquez, another firefighter.

Be advised that the firefighter that we brought out was from Platform 11, Giusti said. It was not from Engine 35. Repeat, not from Engine 35. It was Platform 11. We still have someone in here.

The fire was getting hotter, the roof was growing unstable and the fire commanders had to make a difficult decision.

Right now, this is not viable, Wally, Giusti said. We need to start moving our apparatus. Were going to lose a couple different apparatus around here. This is too hot to go back in.

Received, Yates replied. Be advised, were putting water on it  but I dont want to give up on the firefighter inside.

Later, Yates announced they were going try another tactic to find Deem by listening for his Personal Alert Safety System, which emits a repeated chirping sound to help locate downed firefighters.

Were going to shut down all apparatus, all the water, all fans, Yates said. Its going to be for, like, two minutes. So all engineers shut everything down and be prepared to listen. Do not enter. Just listen for the chirp.

They heard nothing. Yates soon ordered firefighters to continue attacking the fire, which was beginning to subside. About 11:30 p.m., a firefighter reported seeing signs of Deems equipment inside the building. They had finally found his body.

There is no blame

During a Friday morning news conference, Hood stood by his actions and the actions by his colleagues, saying the department followed nationally-recognized best practices. There is no blame, he said.

In April, the Spartan gym was inspected by the San Antonio Fire Departments Fire Prevention Division and was written up for two minor violations, but neither would have led to Thursdays blaze, Hood said.

Some portions of the strip mall, which was built in 1981, had a fire suppression system, but the Spartan did not. Hood indicated that using water to quash the fire would have caused the building to topple, sealing Deems fate earlier.

The San Antonio Fire Departments Arson Division, with help from the ATF, has launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, documenting what went right and what went wrong. The department said it does not yet know when the report will be completed.

An autopsy by the Bexar County Medical Examiners Office is also underway.

This message is to the citizens of San Antonio, but its also to the men and women that are out there driving on those red trucks right now, that are doing the very dangerous job that we do, that could be faced with the same situation today, Hood said. Its important for them to know that we are a safe Fire Department. We are a good Fire Department. We are a resilient Fire Department, and we will survive this and take in the lessons that weve learned.

We will share them with our members, we will share them with the firefighting organizations of the world, because if we dont take this opportunity in the loss of one of our own to not learn and share information, were not honoring him the way we should be honoring him, Hood said of his fallen firefighter.

Early Friday, Vasquez, the second firefighter, was discharged from the hospital after sustaining non-life threatening injuries. Phipps, who sustained serious burn injuries, is expected to live but remains hospitalized.

Hood lauded their actions, saying Vasquez and Phipps were extremely heroic and exhibited spirit and courage.

In the days to come, every member of the department will be able to visit the site of the fire so they can see where their comrade died and pay their respects. Firefighters are also meeting with crisis intervention counselors. Were taking care of them, Hood said.

Details of a memorial service and funeral service were not available yet, but Hood said the department intends to give Deem a proper farewell  one fit for a hero.

eeaton@express-news.net; Twitter: @emilieeaton

jtedesco@express-news.net; Twitter: @john_tedesco

Jacob Beltran and Caleb Downs contributed to this report.
For far too long, the San Antonio Police Department has been operating with too few officers.

For years, the department has been short roughly 100 to 150 officers, a staggering number that makes it difficult to cover the basics and meet a wide range of community needs.

We expect law enforcement to promptly respond to a variety of calls and tasks that range from the mundane to the catastrophic. These are calls that often come with great stress and risk.

While the San Antonio Police Department has done an admirable job under the circumstances, the staffing shortage has to be taking a toll.

High levels of vacancies mean exhausting overtime and fatigue for officers.

It means less backup and potentially longer waits for non-emergency calls. Its happening just as homicides surged in 2016.

It also sidelines or limits potential forms of innovative policing and community outreach.

Filling these vacancies has to be a priority, and as those positions are filled, we strongly encourage the city to expand the HOPE team, an innovative form of policing to reach the homeless.

Express-News Columnist Josh Brodesky recently profiled the HOPE team, which comprises two veteran officers, Monty McCann and Joe Farris Jr. The name stands for Homeless Outreach Positive Encounters.

McCann and Farris focus on restoring IDs for the homeless and connecting them with appropriate services. The idea is to change lives, reduce calls and hopefully save taxpayers money.

A crime deserves a criminal response, but homelessness and mental illness deserve a crisis response. The HOPE team officers use such discrimination to improve lives.

Yes, there is a heavy component of social work in what these officers are doing. But the reality is that we routinely ask officers to do social work when they respond to the homeless and mentally ill.

Given the controversial history around policing the homeless here  pointless ticketing, fining a chef for feeding the homeless, brief consideration of making it illegal to give to beggars  the HOPE team is a new and welcome approach.

But it should not be the only approach. It should not supplant traditional police work. Its not OK for the homeless to disrupt private businesses and harass residents and tourists. Its still important for uniform officers to intervene in those situations, and when appropriate, ticket offenders.

But the HOPE team is a valuable and humane supplement to traditional police work.

For example, San Antonio Municipal Court Judge John Bull said his court refers defendants to the HOPE team, knowing that the officers can connect those people with the right resources and recover IDs. Desperate parents trying to find their adult children often contact the HOPE officers.

HOPE officers have been training other officers about their approach to policing. This is important, but its not enough. The team should be expanded to six officers to allow for continuous coverage and outreach. A civilian staffer also should be added to analyze and measure the programs effectiveness.

This brings us back to vacancies.

Such a persistently high vacancy level cuts off innovation, making it very difficult to expand something like the HOPE team. Its past time for city management and the San Antonio Police Officers Association to work together  the bruising contract negotiations are over  to fund and market these openings to attract quality cadets who want to help others.

Again and again, residents list public safety as one of their top needs (right up there with addressing traffic congestion). That discussion often is distilled to putting a cop on every street corner. While that image might engender a sense of security, its really about having the resources to embrace innovative and effective policing  the kind of police work that makes the community safer, changes lives, reduces calls and helps others.

Thats the goal of the HOPE team, and thats why it should be expanded.
With the Texas summer heat in full swing, San Antonio residents are actively looking for ways to stay cool and still enjoy the sun! While owning a vacation home on the banks of the crystal-clear Comal River may be the choicest way to beat the heat, a backyard pool is a close second for many San Antonio homeowners. Backyard in-ground pools have become commonplace in many south Texas neighborhoods, and for good reason! With average summer temperatures hovering around 100F, an easily-accessible backyard oasis seems like the perfect way to cope.

But what are the real facts about building an in-ground pool? Will the process be more of a hassle than a payoff? There are a lot of pros and cons to weigh when considering building a pool. Weve outlined a few of the positives and negatives below so you can find out if its right for you!

Financial Pros:

When looking at the possibility of building a pool, usually the first question is, Will this benefit me financially? The answer is a little bit more complex than you might expect. While you might not get a full return on your investment, a pool certainly will add dollars to your home sale! The National Association of Realtors estimated recently that an in-ground pool will increase your homes value by about 5%! This means that adding a pool to a $500k home will add between $20 and $30k to your sale! Depending on the initial cost of your pool, you have the potential to break even (or even make a bit of cash) by building a pool on your property. Even if this isnt the case, youll usually make up a good chunk of the difference of your with the value it adds to your home. The addition of an inground pool usually adds to the price per square foot, and these properties tend to sell a lot faster than homes without such backyard features  especially in the sweltering heat of San Antonio, TX.

Financial Cons:

Though building an inground pool can add value to your home, the financial risk of such an endeavor cant be ignored. Building a backyard pool is certainly a large investment. According to Fixr (a website specializing in home improvement), the average in-ground pool ends up costing just under $22,000. This cost has actually gone down in the past decade  eleven years ago, it cost about $2,000 more to install an in-ground pool! Naturally, the cost can go up or down depending on individual size, model, materials, and additional luxury features. And, while a pool may help your home sell faster and for a bit more money, the risk of losing money is still high. Even in the deep south, a pool doesnt guarantee financial payoff. Many homeowners only salvage between 40-70% on their investment. And you cant forget maintenance costs! Owning a pool isnt a one-time purchase...you also have to factor in routine upkeep. Maintaining your pool includes extra utilities cost (water/electricity), balancing chemicals, water accessories, and likely an elevated homeowners insurance.

RELATED: Stock tank pools is the coolest trend taking over social media

Community Pros:

So if the main pros of your pool arent financial, what are they? Across the board, pool owners claim that the most rewarding part of owning a pool comes with the community and family fun their aquatic investment has provided over the years. From family reunions to romantic dates to youth group or neighborhood gatherings, pools tend to bring people together. Many residents enjoy having a home with an amped up host factor. Whether you want your home to be the go-to social gathering place or a space for relaxed get-togethers, building a pool will certainly allow for more quality time. Many parents love backyard pools because they keep kids happy and occupied in the summer...and swimming in far fewer chemicals than the community pool down the road

Community Cons:

If you arent interested in sharing your pool, unwanted guests might become a bit of a nuisance. In some neighborhoods, friends and neighbors will be more prone to invite themselves over to lounge and swim. Having a backyard pool can also become a liability issue when small children are around. Letting children use your pool can result in scrapes and bruises, not to mention the risk of drowning. And because your pool is private, you will have to act as lifeguard. For some, the fear of a potential accident is enough to shut down the possibility of building a pool.

Convenience Pros:

As weve already stated, the having a pool in the Texas heat is incredibly convenient! For one thing, a pool provides you with a quick, refreshing getaway. Either your water workout or your staycation are both immediately accessible! Because of the extra hot months in the deep South, swimming season lasts far longer in San Antonio than in other areas of the country  meaning you get far more days of swimming than almost anywhere else! And, because so many homes in the San Antonio are have pools, pool maintenance and contracting are offered at relatively low cost.

Convenience Cons:

When owning a pool, you cant forget about routine maintenance and month-to-month upkeep. This includes monitoring chemical balances, water levels and restrictions, etc. These regular maintenance tasks cost time and money. Thankfully, though, advances in pool technology have greatly shifted the burden of work off of the pool owner. Experts say that, once you get your pool levels right, the minor occasional adjustments really arent too expensive or complicated.

So whats the bottom line? Is building a pool a good or a bad idea? In the end, we believe it really depends on the individual homeowner. Essentially, the benefit will either be financial or relational. If you decide not to build a pool, youll likely save money. However, youll miss out on some seriously refreshing fun and/or relaxation. If you do decide to build a pool, youll have to spend extra money, but youll literally be swimming in fun and community bliss. If your enjoyment factor is greater than your financial loss, we say go for it! Take years of use into account as well, invest in a pool if you plan to stay in your home long enough to get good use out of it. But if you only use your pool a few days out of the year, you might be better of saving your money in lieu of a beach vacation.

If you do decide to build a pool, here is a helpful list of some of the top San Antonio pool contractors!

Keith Zars Pools

Lonestar Fiberglass Pools

Clear Springs Pools

Blue Haven Pools & Spas

Platinum Custom Pools

Editors Note: This content is made possible by Keller Williams San Antonio. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of The San Antonio Express-News' or mySanAntonio.com's editorial staff. Learn more about our advertising products at www.hearstmediasanantonio.com.
New Delhi, May 20 (IBNS): Biharas Water Resources Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh slammed Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti on Friday for her claims that Farakka Barrage was not a aproblem".

The Bihar lawmaker was armed with expert recommendation to consider decommissioning of Farakka Barrage as a possible alternative to address the sedimentation problem in river Ganga.

The said recommendation in the form of Delhi Declaration was made by water experts from reputed institutions such as IITs, National Institute of Hydrology, NEERI, at the conclusion of a two-day conference on Sedimentation, A colossal impediment to incessant flow of river Ganga  Problems and Solutions, organized by his ministry in New Delhi on May 18-19, where the experts unanimously adopted the Delhi Declaration.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar was present at the Conference on May 18.

Before making such a sweeping statement Uma ji did not even bother to consult the Bihar government on the contentious issue, Singh said.

Uma Bharti in a recent interview to The Hindu newspaper, had reportedly stated Farakka Barrage is not the problem  I have had experts look at itOnce the waterway on the Ganga begins, developers will dredge the silt and (Transport Minister) Nitin Gadkari will find creative ways to use that, too.

However, during the two-day conference, experts that included Prof Nayan Sharma of IIT, Roorkee, Prof. Rajiv Sinha of IIT Kanpur, Dr. Rakesh Kumar, Director, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute(NEERI), besides Magsaysay Winner Dr. Rajendra Singh among others, claimed:

i) a time-bound comprehensive study was required concerning siltation and its ill-effects due to Farakka barrage

ii) water ways were not removing silt and that dredging silt would not work as silt will come back.

The experts were unanimously of the view that Dredging of National Waterways-1 is increasing erosion in Bihar. The project should be put on hold until a scientific study of impact of dredging on erosion is done.

The consensus was that without the incessant flow of Ganga, it was not possible to make the river clean and therefore, instead of keeping the silt away; the strategy of giving the silt its way should be adopted.

Attacking Bharti, Singh said since the National Inland Waterway on Ganga would require construction of several more barrages on the river, that would not just disturb its incessant flow, but would also convert the river into several small ponds.

(Reporting by Deepak Parvatiyar)


Former cabinet minister and now prominent new government critic, Jonathan Moyo, said there is now tension between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the military in an interview to be aired Wednesday night by South African Broadcasting Television (SABCTV).

According to Moyo, everyone now knows there is serious tension between him (Mnangagwa) and the military cabal.

Moyo also had no kind words for the African regional bodies the Africa Union and SADC for sanitising last Novembers military intervention.

Since his self-imposed exile and the ouster of former president Robert Mugabe this will be his second television interview in a month following his first one on BBCs Hard Talk from his hideout.

In the latest interview, Moyo claims Mugabe did not jump but was forced out by the military junta.

The African Union and SADC need to base their decision not on what the coup makers are saying but on what the people of Zimbabwe say and on what the victims of the coup say; and on what the victims of the coup say, said Moyo.

His claims come after he posted another claim on twitter saying the late District Intelligence Officer (DIO) Peter Munetsi was killed while others were raped during the November 15 coup which toppled former president Robert Mugabe under process code named Operation Restore Legacy.

Moyo also says Mnangagwa and now his second in command Constantino Chiwenga know what happened to the late spook.

In his SABC interview, Moyo says the only legitimate way is to have a fact finding mission on what happened in the day of the coup.

Moyo also disputes the claim Mnangagwa that Mugabe safe and is being taken care of.

He (Mnangagwa) is actually doing the opposite. They are actually harassing the presidents family on a daily basis, claims Moyo.

The former education minister was a key member of the G40 faction in Zanu PF together with the former first lady Grace Mugabe among others, who fought Team Lacoste led by the current President in the tussle to succeed Mugabe.

 NewZimbabwe

Breaking News via Email
Yves here. One minor quibble with this deceptively simple post. Small banks can and do grow more rapidly than big banks. Its generally a sign that they are being looted. See Bill Blacks The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One for details. Murrays view is consistent with one that weve argued for a long time, that banks should be regulated like utilities.

By Cameron Murray, a professional economist with a background in property development, environmental economics research and economic regulation. Follow him on Twitter: @DrCameronMurray. Originally published at Fresh Economic Thinking

Australian banks are upset. Their $30 billion per year gravy train of profits from the Australian people is finally being slowed down.

A levy on bank liabilities of 0.06% annually was announced as part of the 2017 Federal government budget, and is expected to raise about $1.5 billion per year, or 5% of bank profits.

To be clear, the banking system is a regulated cartel. Its primary function is to provide a public good in the form of the money supply of the country. As such, we would expect it to be uncompetitive, and use tight regulatory controls to ensure that the privileged position of private banks is not being abused.

In my book, Game of Mates, I explain that the result of this uncompetitiveness and lack of adequate regulation in Australia is that over half of the banks profits can be considered economic rents, which could be taken back with better regulation and shared with the public at large.

I want to use this blog post to explain in detail the underlying administrative mechanics of why any modern banking system is necessarily uncompetitive.

The first thing to know is that banks do two things. They make money by extending loans, which expands the money supply; a function that is an essential public service in a growing economy. Second, they settle obligations between parties both within their own bank, and between banks, which is another essential public service.

But letting private entities simply make money is risky. So our central banking system constrains the private banking system by making the banks settle payments between each other with a different currency held in accounts at the central bank. In Australia these are called Exchange Settlement Accounts. Every private bank in the system must have an account at the central bank so that they can perform this second function of settling payments.

By controlling the second function of banks by making them use a currency controlled by the central bank, it indirectly controls the former function of money creation. No one bank can rapidly create new money by writing loans faster than the rest of the banks. If they do, when the borrower deposits the money created into an account at a different bank, like when they use the loan to buy a house from someone who banks with another bank, it will require the originating bank to settle this payment flowing from their bank to a different bank with their central bank money.

This process reduces their net asset position and increases their costs. They cant continue to do this. What limits their rate of money creation through new loans is how fast other banks are creating money and transferring central bank money to them. Each individual bank is constrained in their money creation function by their settlement function.

Keynes wrote as such in his 1930 Treatise on Money:

it is evident that there is no limit to the amount of bank money which the banks can safely create provided they move forward in step.

The words italicised are the clue to the behaviour of the system. Every movement forward by an individual bank weakens it, but every such movement by one of its neighbour banks strengthens it; so that if all move forward together, no one is weakened on balance.

The Australian bank data shows this process in action. Below are two graphs. On the left is the size of the loan book of Australian banks. There is a clear concentration here and a surprising regularity to the trends at all banks. To show these trends more clearly, on the right is the monthly growth of the loans made by the four major Australian banks. As you can see, there is no sustained deviation by any banks from the core growth trend. All banks are moving lock step, as they should.

The whole point of a central banking system is that the growth rate of loans for all banks in the system will quickly equalise. If you are a small bank, this means you can never grow abnormally fast in order to gain market share by competing for loans with the larger banks.

Any central banking system is therefore, by definition, unable to be competitive.

In Game of Mates, the solution proposed to stop the economic losses from the abnormal profits of the protected private banking cartel is to let the central bank itself offer basic low-risk lending and deposit functions directly to the public. Because it has the ability to create for itself its own central bank money, it is the only entity that can grow faster than the existing banks in the system.

Of course, the reality is that the solution would be a far greater hit to bank profits than the small levy proposed. In fact it would likely take back over $20 billion per year in profits from the private banks, which would be shared with the government through its profits on banking operations, and with its bank customers through lower costs. If the banks are upset about a levy of just $1.5 billion a year, they are going to really crack it when they hear this proposal!

*This proposal is actually widely called for by economists, and the idea can be mostly attributed to Nicholas Gruen. See here for example.
(Natural News) More than 8,000 residents of Flint, Michigan are in danger of losing their properties to foreclosure as the local government recently issued tax liens for unpaid water and sewer bills. The residents were prompted to settle their balances by May 19 to prevent the local government from placing tax liens on their homes. Families that received the notices have water bills that have not been settled for six months or more, according to the report. Families unable to settle their debts will undergo a lengthy judicial process that may end up in the foreclosure of their property. Flint Treasury Department official Al Mooney stressed that the city is in dire need of revenue, and settling the tax lien notices may generate nearly $6 million.

However, the news did not sit well with other state officials.

Flint families should not have to pay for water that they still cannot drink, and they certainly should not lose their homes over this ongoing water crisis that was caused by the callous decisions of state government. It is unfortunate that Governor Snyder ended water credits for Flint families. I opposed this decision because Flint families deserve support from the state until there is confidence in the water system again, said Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.).

Groups, city council move to stop tax lien issuance

Following news about the tax lien on unpaid water bills, Flints City Council has voted to end the policy that would potentially displace more than 8,000 residents. According to the city council and its members, it would be ludicrous to penalize the residents for water that they cannot even use. The council noted that residents have already struggled with settling Flints expensive water rates, which were allegedly the highest in the country considering its quality. Some residents even deliberately refused to pay for water that cannot be used without a filter, the council members added.

Prior to the city councils meeting, groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund have called on the authorities to suspend the issuance of tax liens on properties. The city has the power to put a moratorium on home foreclosures which is the only equitable solution resulting from this tragedy. The suffering of Flint residents should not be compounded by the loss of their homes. No one should be expected to pay for water that is not safe, and that has caused so much physical, psychological and financial damage. In a city where residents have been crying out for justice, even more injustice is being proposed, said Kary Moss, the Executive Director of the ACLU of Michigan.

A better understanding of tax lien and foreclosure

A tax lien as a legal way for the federal government to claim a non-compliant taxpayers assets. Tax liens serve as a last resort to force the non-compliant individual or business into paying back the taxes. In order to address the tax lien, the indebted taxpayer must settle the balances, get the debt dismissed in bankruptcy court, or reach a compromise agreement with the tax authorities. Federal and state governments may impose tax liens for unpaid federal or state income taxes, while local governments may impose tax liens for unpaid local income or property taxes.

On the other hand, a tax lien foreclosure occurs when the government ceases a property and puts it up for sale as a result of the non-compliant taxpayers failure to settle required taxes, including property taxes and federal and state income taxes. According to the website, a statutory lien is first placed on the assets of the non-compliant taxpayer. The government that goes after the taxpayer will then move to repossess the property in order to recover the debt.

Keep up-to-date with the latest news with RealInvestigations.news.

Sources include:

NBC25News.com

TheRoot.com 1

TheRoot.com 2

MetroTimes.com

Investopedia.com
(Natural News) No matter how aggressively the social engineers try to push the notion that altering ones gender is completely normal, the fact will always remain that transgender individuals are in need of therapy, not adulation. And dont take our word for it: Consider the indisputable evidence presented in a new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Transgender Health, which shows that transgender people are up to 22 times more likely to entertain the idea of, or attempt, suicide compared to people who accept their biological genders.

The paper, which is sure to ruffle some feathers, contains meta-synthesis data collected from a large cohort of transgender suicidality literature, including some 22 studies published over a span of 19 years. After evaluating this data to look for variances in rates of attempted suicide, as well as suicidal thoughts, amongst male-to-female and female-to-male transgender respondents, a team of researchers from Canada came to the conclusion that something is horribly amiss in the way transgenders think compared to others.

Based on the data, transgender people are generally very unhappy with their lives, and suffer from severe mental anguish. And while some would try to blame the misery that many transgenders suffer on social stigmas surrounding transgenderism, there is no evidence that this is actually the case. Many transgenders, it turns out, are victims of mental illness who are in desperate need of someone to come along and help them recover  not to affirm them in their disorder.

Suicidality and other forms of mental health distress are health disparities that increasingly are being documented and studied in the academic literature as disproportionately affecting transgender people and populations, says Robert Garofalo, M.D., M.P.H., a professor of Pediatrics and Preventive Medicine at Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Garofalo is also Editor-in-Chief of Transgender Health, and Director of the Center for Gender, Sexuality and HIV Prevention at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago.

With this work, Noah Adams and colleagues advance the field by conducting a meta-analysis giving important epidemiologic data that can then be used to develop interventions designed to help transgender people who are having suicidal thoughts or are experiencing psychological distress.

World Health Organization says transgenderism is a mental illness

It is only in recent times that transgenderism has even been considered to be something other than a serious mental illness. The World Health Organization (WHO) has long classified transgenderism as deviant in terms of its correlation to mental health. WHOs current edition of International Classification of Diseases (I.C.D.) implicates transgenderism being a mental illness, though its 2018 iteration is slated to have this classification removed.

But simply accepting transgenderism as normal, as much as this might placate our crumbling civilization, wont in any way help transgenders to be happier, nor will it decrease their risk of wanting to kill themselves. Mental illnesses like transgenderism need to be addressed head on in order to help mentally ill people to get back on track  they certainly dont need to be told that all is well.

This intensely felt sense of being transgendered constitutes a mental disorder in two respects, says Dr. Paul R. McHugh, the former psychiatrist-in-chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and its current Distinguished Service Professor of Psychiatry, citing evidence that the vast majority of children who express transgender feelings over time spontaneously [lose] those feelings.

The first is that the idea of sex misalignment is simply mistaken  it does not correspond with physical reality. The second is that it can lead to grim psychological outcomes.

Sources:

AlphaGalileo.org

WashingtonPost.com

CNSNews.com
(Natural News) Kefir has become big in the natural health community, and who can blame them? A healthy gut leads to a healthier you, and this fermented milk beverage is more than qualified to do just that. Kefir (pronounced Kuh-feer) is dense with nutrients and probiotics  live bacteria that keep our digestive systems running at top condition. Whether youve got a gut problem or just want to live healthier, kefir is a drink you have to stock in your home. After all, the name does come from the Turkish word keif, which means good feeling.

What makes kefir great

Yogurt has been touted as a powerful probiotic source, but kefir is more potent and diverse with over 30 different microorganisms. These include Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Saccharomyces kefir, and Torula kefir. These microorganisms do the body good by supporting digestive health and assisting in the production of vitamins originating from our intestines. Even better is that some of these probiotics are blessed with antibacterial properties, meaning kefir can prevent the growth of harmful bacteria like Salmonella. According to Health.com, probiotics may also be connected to ones mental well-being, and cab help reduce social anxiety. (Related: Kefir is a great natural source of probiotics and protein)

In addition to probiotics, kefir is rich in vital nutrients like protein, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin B2. The protein and calcium content of kefir is so great that a six-ounce serving contains six grams of protein and 20 percent of the recommended daily allowance of calcium. In fact, the high amounts of calcium and vitamin K2 have made kefir excellent at maintaining healthy bones and lowering the risk of osteoporosis.

Though its usually made from cows milk or goats milk, the fermentation process used to create kefir effectively makes it almost free of lactose. People suffering from lactose intolerance are actually able to tolerate kefir well, especially in comparison to conventional milk.

How to enjoy and make kefir

Simply put, kefir is a versatile drink that can be taken in a number of ways. You can down this tart beverage as is, or you can blend it in with other nutritious ingredients to whip up a fantastic smoothie. Kefir can even be turned into a sweet dessert by mixing in toppings like honey and dark chocolate chips.

You dont need to search high and low for kefir, however. In fact, you could simply make it in the comfort of your own home. Some supermarkets and health food stores sell kefir grains. Combine these with your favorite milk and soon enough youll be enjoying a nice glass of this Eurasian health beverage. Heres what you need to make one serving of kefir, courtesy of AuthorityNutrition.com. You would need one to two tablespoons Kefir grains and two cups of milk.

Place the kefir grains in a small jar that can hold up to two cups of fluids.

Add the milk, making sure to leave one inch of room between the milk and the top of the jar. If you want to thicken your kefir then feel free to add some full fat cream.

Put the lid and set the jar aside for 12 to 36 hours.

Youll know its ready when the kefir begins to look clumpy. Strain out the liquid to separate it from the grains.

Thats all there is to it. If milk is still too rich for you, then you can swap out the milk with another liquid of your choice. Coconut milk, coconut water, and even plain old water have all been used to make different varieties of kefir.

Feel free to visit Superfoods.news and see what other nutrient-heavy health foods can do for your body.

Sources include:

Health.com

AuthorityNutrition.com

LiveStrong.com
Thiruvanthapuram, May 20 (IBNS) : A 23-year-old law student in Kerala on Friday chopped off the genitals of a self-styled godman who had allegedly been raping her since she was a minor, media reports said.

According to a police complaint, Swamy Gangeshananda, a member of the Kollam-based Panmana Ashram, had been raping her at her home for the last eight years.

When the accused tried to force himself on the woman at her home on Friday night, she grabbed a sharp object and chopped off his penis. She reportedly called the police herself.

The accused was rushed to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College where an emergency surgery was performed.

He is stated to be out of danger.

The law student has complained that her mother was also sexually abused by the accused. Her father suffered a paralysis attack a few years ago.
Thousands of dummy caterpillars played a huge role in identifying the global trends of predation on insect herbivores.

According to a report from the University of Oxford, the experiment revealed that predatory behavior in the tropics is determined not by birds or mammals but by ants and other small arthropods. The international team observed a fraction of caterpillars eaten from the Arctic Circle to southern Australia and found that a caterpillar near the equator is eight times more likely to be eaten than one at the poles.

The study involved the researchers gluing thousands of fake plasticine caterpillars to plants in 31 different sites across the world. A total of 2,879 were distributed and left at the sites for four to 18 days. Predators such as birds and ants take a bite before realizing it's a dummy and moving on.

"Tomas had used plasticine caterpillars in Greenland and thought they didn't work when he found very low attack rates," one of the lead authors Dr Eleanor Slade of the Universities of Oxford and Lancaster said. "I had used them in Borneo, and detected very high attack rates. Just imagine if these are the two end points of a global pattern, we thought. And that is exactly what they turned out to be."

Slade also said that the dummy caterpillars were able to tell them the type of predator that attacked with the bite marks.

"People often think of vertebrates as the most important predators in the tropics, but birds and mammals weren't the groups responsible for the increase in predation risk towards the Equator," ETH Zurich postdoctoral research associate Dr Will Petry, who contributed data and supported analysis from California, pointed out. "Instead tiny arthropod predators like ants drove the pattern."

The study was published in the journal Science.
KFC's original chicken is practically an institute onto itself.

According to a report from Independent, Colonel Sanders' nephew just casually revealed the closely guarded recipe of the signature original chicken during an interview with Chicago Tribune's Jay Jones in 2016.

The interview was initially a travel feature on the Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum in the town of Corbin, where the Colonel first offered his iconic fried chicken in a service station. Nephew 67-year-old Joe Ledington pulled out an old scrapbook of his aunt - Sanders' second wife Claudia - who wrote the recipe of a fried chicken spice blend on the back of her last will and testament.

During the conversation, Ledington confirmed to Jones that the 11 herbs and spices did indeed make up the recipe of the famous fried chicken. Later, Sanders' nephew was more cautious in answering, saying that he couldn't say for sure if this was the receipe that has been a secret throughout the decades.

"Many people have made these claims over the years and no one has been accurate," the company said in a statement. "This one isn't either."

Along with 2 cups of white flour, the recipe that was recently revealed included the following ingredients: 2/3 tablespoon salt, 1/2 tablespoon thyme, 1/2 tablespoon basil, 1/3 tablespoon oregano, 1 tablespoon celery salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon dried mustard, 4 tablespoons paprika, 2 tablespoons garlic salt, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, and 3 tablespoons white pepper.

Meanwhile, KFC is offering an alternative to their signature original recipe, according to a report from The Express. The new chicken alternative is called Nashville Hot, which is inspired by Nashville's original hot chicken shacks.

The company scoured the south to create the authentic spicy and smokey Nashville Hot chicken, a cayenne and paprika encrusted chicken that's served with gherkins.
Protesters who said they were beaten by the Turkish president's security detail in Washington are speaking out about the incident.

A protester who says she was beaten by the Turkish president's security detail outside the Turkish ambassador's residence in Washington is speaking out about the attack.

Video shows Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's bodyguards violently breaking up a protest outside the Turkish ambassador's residence in Washington following Erdogan's meeting with President Trump Tuesday.

"I was there for democracy and for human rights, it was a peaceful demonstration," protester Ceren Borazan said.



Borazan said one of Erdogan's bodyguards put her in a headlock. The headlock she described is visible in the video. She said it caused the blood vessel in her left eye to pop.

Borazan and the other protesters showed up to the ambassador's residence to demonstrate against Erdogan and bring attention to repression in Turkey, she said.

Several others were injured during the violence.

"They were beating me in the head," Lucy Usoyan, a protester, said.

Mehmen Tankan, another protester, said that a Turkish bodyguard attacked him.

Sen. John McCain of Arizona said Thursday that America "should throw their ambassador the hell out of the United States of America." Borazan agrees with with McCain's statement.

"There should be something," she said. "All I want is justice."
A suspect in a 2010 Boston murder was successfully extradited from the Dominican Republic Friday morning.

Charlie Brea, 31, was wanted for the shooting death of 25-year-old Boston resident Luis Montanez in Roxbury that took place outside of the Breezeway Bar on Oct. 23, 2010.

Brea was arrested at Logan Airport by the Boston Police Department Fugitive Apprehension Unit, assisted by the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and U.S. Marshals.

"This arrest is the culmination of seven years of incredible diligence and dedication on the part of the Boston Police Department," said Boston Commissioner William Evans. "We intend to bring the suspect to justice for the victim's family."
A person inside an orange dinosaur costume who spooked carriage horses, causing them to back up and strike a parked vehicle, in Charleston, South Carolina, on Thursday has surrendered to the police Friday.

The person inside the "T-Rex", 26-year-old Nicole Wells, allegedly made growling noises at the horses which scared them and they began backing up, according to Charleston police.

Wells was charged with disorderly conduct and masked or disguised person. She was cited and released, Charleston Police spokesman Charles Francis said in a statement.

Carriage driver Van Sturgeon said he saw the dinosaur costume out of the corner of his eye about the same time the horses did.

The horses caused a minor damage to an unoccupied vehicle and the carriage driver lost his balance, falling off the carriage. A wheel on the carriage rolled over one of Sturgeon's legs and he was transported to Roper Hospital with minor injuries, police said.

"I screamed at her three times to get out of there," Sturgeon told reporters at a news conference. "The person in the suit did not move."



Other carriage passengers and the horses were not injured, according to police.

The investigation is still on going.
The funeral for a murdered mother in the western suburbs is slated for Saturday, while the police continue to scour evidence and hunt for her killer.

Andrea Urban, 51, died of blunt force trauma earlier this month, according to preliminary autopsy results.

Friends and family will gather to mourn the actress and cancer survivor at Hinsdale Covenant Church.

Weve lost that life among us and its hard, said Rev. Paul Allen.

Officers responded to a home in the 700 block of Town Place about 3:37 p.m. after a 911 call was made from the residence Thursday, police said. The woman was later identified as Urban, a resident with two children who attend local schools, Hinsdale police Chief Kevin Simpson said at a press conference Thursday.

Mystery still surrounds the death of the divorced mother of two.

Mike Mier was friends with Urban for 30 years. He was questioned the day her body was found.

I just was in her phone and they went through everybody in her telephone, Mier said. Two weeks, not a clue, we have no idea why this occurred and there needs to be resolution.

[[421401573, C]]

Police said Friday the crime scene had been fully processed and evidence from the scene was being secured, catalogued and analyzed.

Canvassing efforts were expected to last into the weekend, police said, and "scores of leads" have come into the Hinsdale police tip line.

Simpson continued to urger residents and potential witnesses to come forward with any information.

This case cannot be solved too soon. But its very important that we are being thorough, deliberate and thoughtful in everything we do on this case," he said. "As we complete our first full day of this investigation, our efforts are being guided by our desire to bring justice to Ms. Urbans family, friends and our community.



According to a November article in The Hinsdalean, one of the town's local newspapers, Urban was a cancer survivor and advocate for the use of medical marijuana. The newspaper reports that she made her own cannaboid oil in her kitchen. She also reportedly worked as a caterer in New York City in 2001 and fed emergency workers during 9/11.

An actress, the newspaper reports she "landed small roles" on "Chicago P.D." and "Chicago Fire" and aspired to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Michigan.

During the conference Simpson declined to elaborate on multiple points of the investigation, including who found Urban's body, citing the "very early stages of this investigation."

I understand that because this is such a rare occurrence in our town and in Hinsdale that many residents are rightfully asking questions and wondering what they can do, Simpson said.

He urged residents to come forward if they have any information that might be related to the investigation. He also said police are canvasing the neighborhood and asking for neighbor who have surveillance footage or cameras in the area. The department also asked for help from the public on Facebook, calling the incident a "tragic homicide."



[[421402813, C]]

The DuPage County state's attorney's office and Felony Investigative Assistance Team Major Crimes Unit were assisting Hinsdale police, according to a news release from the department.

We recognize the magnitude of something like this in Hinsdale, Simpson said. Id have to check records to see how far back when weve had an incident like thisbut were not taking it lightly obviouslyand well try to provide as much information as we can as quickly as we can.

Nothing at this point leads police to think the killing was a random act, Simpson said.

The Hinsdalean article says Urban was born and raised in Hinsdale and her parents and brother lived in the town as well.

Police vehicles could be seen near Town Place and Quincy roads and crime scene tape was surrounding the area around 4:40 p.m. A playground on the tree-lined street could be seen near the area cordoned off by yellow police tape.

Police ask that if anyone has information regarding the woman's death that they call the Hinsdale Police Department at 630-789-7070.
Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, May 20 (IBNS) : Former Aligarh Muslim University research scholar Gulzar Ahmed and another person in connection with the 2000 Sabarmati Express blast case, citing lack of evidence, reports said.

Wani, who hails from Kashmir and was PhD scholar in the university before the arrest, spent past 16 years in imprisonment.

On August 14, 2000, a blast in Ahmedabad-bound Sabarmati Express had killed nine people and left several others injured.

Wani was arrested by Delhi Police in July 2001 from New Delhi Railway Station. He was later chargesheeted for 11 matters spread across Delhi, Agra, Kanpur and other places in Uttar Pradesh.

The court has already acquitted Gulzar in all other matters.

Both Wani and Mobin, another arrested person, were accused of being Hizbul Mujahideen militants, but the investigators could not find any evidence to prove the claim.

In Apri, 2017 Wani had approached the Supreme Court to seek reprieve from the prolonged trial. The Supreme Court reprimanded the police officials, saying it is a shame that an accused has been languishing in an UP jail for 16 years without bail.
The daughter of an elderly woman beaten inside her Chicago home is speaking out, sharing new details about the brutal attack that left her mother in critical condition.

Authorities said the home invasion took place around 1:15 p.m. Friday afternoon, in the 4100 block of N. Avers Ave. in the citys Irving Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side.

The 78-year-old woman, who family requested not be identified for her safety, was cleaning her home when a man came to her door, according to the victims daughter.

Apparently she said that her back door was ajar because she was cleaning the kitchen, Ivonne Morales said.

Then the guy kind of peeked in and said something about Is there an apartment for rent? and my mom said, On the third floor, and she thought that he was walking away so she just continued doing what she was doing and apparently he attacked her from behind, Morales continued. [[423307314, C]]

With a bloody towel on her head, she made her way to the back door where a neighbor saw her and called 911.

The lady heard noises and came out and saw her with a towel drenched in blood, Morales said.

The woman was taken to Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston in critical condition, according to police, and was placed in a medically-induced coma. She remained sedated Saturday, family said, but was talking a bit and sharing her account of the attack.

"She kept saying 'he told me not to look at him,' and then she closes her eyes," the victim's daughter Lissette Martinez said. "Why should she go through this just for some jewelry? Just for some jewelry?"

The victim's daughter said she suffered a fractured nose, bleeding on the brain and stitches on her eye  which her family said could easily leave her without any vision at all.

Shes legally blind in one eye and the eye that they damaged is now patched up, Morales said. I mean, can you just imagine how she feels right now? She cant see, shes traumatized probably. [[423251384, C]]

Her family said Saturday that her injuries appeared worse than they did the day before, adding that it will be a long and tough recovery as they wait for CAT scan results to assess the bleeding on her brain.

All day yesterday, I guess I was in shock, Morales said. I decided to stay with my mom and last night I was by myself and thats when I just broke down, she added. I needed it.

A former nurse in Puerto Rico, family members said the victim is the kindest woman they know and lives a modest life. Standing under 5 tall, they said she would have let the intruder take anything he wanted without a fight  and that he only got away with a few items.

They went through her room, they went through her drawers and they found a little bit of jewelry, Morales said, adding that seeing the extent of her mothers injuries fills her with anger.

How could anybody do this to an elderly woman? she asked. She cant do anything. [[423331964, C]]

No one is in custody in connection with the attack, according to police, who said the offender was described as a tall Hispanic man wearing glasses and a red cap.

Morales and the victims family delivered an emotional plea for someone to come forward, as they hope for justice in the senseless beating.

How would you feel if this was done to your mother? To your wife, to your daughter? Morales asked. Anyone listening to this  we just want justice.

The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact detectives at (312) 744-8263.
Firefighters battling the massive brush fire that consumed 130 acres of Schaghticoke Mountain in Kent had to deal with venomous timber rattlesnakes as they extinguished the flames.

The Kent Volunteer Fire Department shared video of a Timber rattlesnake they said made its presence known to a Goshen firefighter. That was just one of more than a dozen reports of snakes.

Timber rattlesnakes are one of the two venomous species found in Connecticut. The other is the northern copperhead.

According to the Kent Volunteer Fire Department, hospitals in Sharon and New Milford have anti-venom in the event it is needed.

In addition to rattlesnakes, firefighters had to deal with 90-degree heat during Connecticut's first heatwave of the year.

Officials said the fire was contained as of noon Friday and the rain Thursday night helped.

While battling the brush fire, four firefighters were injured, including two with heat exhaustion, who were treated and released at scene. Two of them went to the emergency room, including one for a back injury and one with a hand injury that required stitches.

Seventeen volunteer fire companies and Connecticut and New York state agencies, along with area agencies, assisted with putting out the fire.

Its not clear what caused the blaze.
Nearly a dozen former bank employees have recently been reconnected with benefits stashed away in their names for years.

A non-profit has been working to track down pension money belonging to former Connecticut Bank and Trust employees. A complicated set of circumstances left some former employees, like Judith Williams, confused and unsure if they were getting a pension when CBT's parent company failed in 1991.

Williams worked at the bank for more than a decade.

After the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters first aired a story about the CBT Alumni Club's efforts to recover pensions for former employees, Williams' close friend alerted her to the possibility she could see money.

Williams contacted the CBT Alumni Club, which led her to the financial institution which was holding her money.

I gave them my Social Security and right away she said 'yes,' I just have to spell my name last name and she asked also where did I live you know at the time when I was at CBT? I gave her that address and just 'yes, youre here,'" Williams said. "I was like 'wow!' I was like 'this made my day!'

Williams can take distributions right away, to the tune of more than $100 a month for the rest of her life. Williams says she will use the money to help her travel more.

Geneologst Noreen Cullen is leading the charge with the CBT Alumni Club to connect former employees with pensions.

This is justice, for people to be receiving the pension money they have been owed, Cullen said.

In all, the club has recovered $3 million worth of pensions for more than 600 former bank employees.

Williams encourages other former co-workers step forward like she did.

The CBT Alumni Club has already heard from people far and wide -- from California to Puerto Rico. They also hope to advise people who worked for other failed Connecticut companies like Caldor, who are owed pensions.

You can reach the CBT Alumni club at (860) 788-5900 or visit their website.
It's not the news city leaders hoped to hear on Friday. With the votes tallied from one of the biggest unions in Hartford, a contract that would have saved the city $4 million is now dead after members said no.

"This was a fair, responsible agreement that had been reached after long, good-faith negotiations," said Mayor Luke Bronin.

AFSCME represents around 400 city workers. The contract, which retroactively covered 2015 to 2021, included things like wage freezes and structural changes to healthcare and sick time.

"This is the second agreement that had been negotiated with the executive committee and supported by the executive committee and rejected by the members," said Bronin.

In a statement, the Local 1716 President Kenneth Blue wrote, "Local 1716 members have spoken and rejected the tentative agreement with the city. It was simply too much pain without job security. We are assessing the next steps to take. We want to protect the vital services our members provide to Hartford residents and businesses."

With the city facing a $14 million shortfall this year and $65 million next year, the mayor says organized labor concessions are a must. So far only one union has made a deal.

"We reached a very significant deal with our Hartford Firefighters Association. I don't think you'd find a deal anywhere in the State of Connecticut in the last 30 years that did more than that labor deal did. But we need our other unions to step up and be part of that solution as well," said Bronin.

In all likelihood, this will now go to arbitration.

Bronin says negotiations are ongoing with other unions in the city.

"We are continuing to work with all our unions to try to achieve the savings that will help us next year and in the long term," said Bronin.

The mayor says while dramatic changes are made locally, the city's fiscal crisis is not something that can be solved solely on the local level. With about half of the property in the city being nontaxable, they're also looking to the state.
The fourth and final member of an East Texas family has been sentenced to prison for his role in the 2014 shooting deaths of a couple in order to gain custody of a 5-year-old girl.

The Lufkin Daily News reports that Paul Westfall pleaded guilty Thursday to murder in a plea deal that brings a life sentence.

Prosecutors say Westfall shot Nathan and Krystal Maddox outside a Tyler County church.

The couple had gone to the church for a court-ordered visitation with Nathan Maddox's daughter.

The child's mother is Kristen Westfall, the daughter of Paul Westfall. Kristen Westfall, who also shot Nathan Maddox, was convicted last year of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Her mother and brother also previously received prison terms for their roles in the killings.
A North Texas woman paralyzed by a 2015 gunshot wound said she is in fear for her life after the man accused of shooting her was released from jail this month.

Roxanna Mayo claims repeated 911 calls for help about threats from former boyfriend, Quadriq Sharper, were ignored until after she was shot in January 2015.

"I want him to realize there are consequences for his actions, and for other people who do these things, there's consequences for their actions," Mayo said.

Sharper was in jail awaiting trial until May 1 when he was released with an electronic monitor.

"I was appalled, I was shocked, I was terrified," Mayo said.

Mayo's attorney, Emmanuel Obi, has filed a civil lawsuit against the city and telephone providers. Obi said records he has obtained show that a 911 call taker failed to pass along key information about the man's gun and threats that would have resulted in a higher priority response to the calls.

The attorney said Mayo's case is part of a pattern of Dallas 911 failures that resulted in several deaths. He said answers about the cases are difficult to obtain.

"When it comes to 911, when it comes to police activity, when it comes to fiscal responsibility, residents deserve answers," Obi said.

Mayo said she wants to help other people avoid the same problems.

"I'm here in spirit, but I'm a prisoner in my own body," she said. "There's so much tragedy that's happening from the lack of response to 911."

A spokesman said the city of Dallas declined comment because of pending lawsuits.

A spokesperson for the Dallas County District Attorney's Office said Sharper's defense requested the latest delay.

Sharper's trial was reset for July 31.
Iran's moderate President Hassan Rouhani trounced a hard-line challenger to secure re-election Saturday, saying his country seeks peace and friendship as it pursues a "path of coexistence and interaction with the world."

Friday's election was widely seen as a referendum on the 68-year-old cleric's push for greater freedom at home and outreach to the wider world, which culminated in the completion of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal that hard-liners initially opposed.

The nuclear deal won Iran relief from international sanctions in exchange for limits on its contested nuclear program. But Iran continues to suffer from high unemployment and a dearth of foreign investment, putting pressure on Rouhani to show he can do more to turn the sluggish economy around.

Rouhani highlighted his desire for further outreach  and with it, the prospect of creating jobs through outside investment  in his victory speech.

"Today, Iran  prouder than ever  is ready to promote its relations with the world based on mutual respect and national interests," he said in a televised addressed flanked by photos of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his predecessor, the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of Iran's 1979 revolution.

Iran "is not ready to accept humiliation and threat," he continued. "This is the most important message that our nation expects to be heard by all  particularly world powers."

Rouhani secured a commanding 57 percent of the vote in a race that drew more than seven out of every 10 voters to the polls. His nearest rival in the four-man race, hard-liner Ebrahim Raisi, won 38 percent of the vote, according to official tallies that covered more than 99 percent of votes cast.

Although considered a moderate by Iranian standards, Rouhani was the favorite pick for those seeking more liberal reforms in the conservative Islamic Republic.

He appeared to embrace a more reform-minded role during the campaign as he openly criticized hard-liners and Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard, a paramilitary force involved in the war in Syria and the fight against the Islamic State group in neighboring Iraq.

That gave hope to his supporters, who during recent campaign rallies called for the release of two reformist leaders of the 2009 Green Movement who remain under house arrest. The two figures, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi, both endorsed Rouhani, as did Mohammad Khatami, another reformist who served as Iran's president from 1997 to 2005.

Many female drivers held out the V for victory sign and flashed their car lights on highways to celebrate the win in Tehran's affluent north.

"I feel that I did a huge thing. I voted for my country's future," said one, 32-year-old Sarah Hassanpour, who wore a loosely fitting headscarf covering only the back of her head. "I am so happy, because there will be no war and insecurity."

As night fell, tens of thousands of Rouhani backers celebrated by pouring into the streets of downtown Tehran, setting off fireworks and chanting in support of Mousavi.

Many wore ribbons of Rouhani's color purple as well as green in support of the opposition leaders under house arrest.

Rouhani was first elected in 2013 with nearly 51 percent of the vote.

Cliff Kupchan, chairman of the Eurasia Group, said the landslide win gives Rouhani a mandate he lacked in his first term.

"Though he'll remain a centrist, Rouhani will be more aggressive in pursuing reforms," he predicted, though he cautioned the path would not be easy.

"Rouhani will continue to face an uphill climb on political reform; the hard liners will dig in around education and other issues," he wrote. "But working with a centrist parliament, he will begin to ease the political darkness that followed the 2009 election."

Iran's president is the second-most powerful figure within Iran's political system. He is subordinate to the supreme leader, who is chosen by a clerical panel and has the ultimate say over all matters of state.

Election officials repeatedly extended Friday's voting hours until midnight to accommodate long lines of voters, some of whom said they waited hours to cast their ballots. Analysts said a higher turnout would likely benefit Rouhani.

Rouhani's first comment on the win highlighted the limits on expression that still exist in Iran despite his promises for greater openness.

"Great nation of Iran, you are the winner of the election. I humbly bow down before you. I will remain loyal to my promises to you," he wrote on Twitter, which is banned by government censors but followed widely by Iranians able to get around the curbs.

Raisi, his nearest challenger, is close to Khamenei, who stopped short of endorsing anyone in the election. Raisi ran a populist campaign, vowing to fight corruption and fix the economy while boosting welfare payments to the poor.

Many of Raisi's critics pointed to his alleged role condemning inmates to death during Iran's 1988 mass execution of thousands of political prisoners, and feared a victory for the hard-liner could worsen human rights in Iran and put the country on a more confrontational path with the West.

The two other candidates left in the race, Mostafa Mirsalim, a former culture minister, and Mostafa Hashemitaba, a pro-reform figure who previously ran for president in 2001, each garnered fewer than half a million votes compared to Rouhani's more than 41 million.

The Tehran Stock Exchange rallied after the election results came out, extending a recent winning streak to close nearly 1 percent higher at its highest level in three months.

One of the first world leaders to congratulate Rouhani was Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose government is strongly backed by Tehran. He congratulated him for the "confidence that the Iranian people gave to him to go forward in boosting Iran's status in the region and the world."

Iran's president oversees a vast state bureaucracy employing more than 2 million people, is charged with naming Cabinet members and other officials to key posts, and plays a significant role in shaping both domestic and foreign policy.

All candidates for elected office must be vetted, a process that excludes anyone calling for radical change, along with most reformists. No woman has ever been approved to run for president.

___

Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.
Puthy Hak needs a new kidney, but the road to a transplant has been a rollercoaster ride.

He says there are days he has no energy, no appetite. Hak has been on dialysis three times a week since 2011, waiting and wondering if a donor would ever be found.

But hes hoping to put those days behind him as he gets closer to getting the needed transplant. A match has been found, and surgery is scheduled at University of California, San Diego.

"I'm kinda so excited don't have to go three days a week any more," he says.

But there is some difficult news among the good.

His brother, Touch Hak, was willing to give his kidney to save his brother. But the two were not a blood type match. So they turned to A Pair Exchange, an organization that coordinates a pool of donors. Touch Haks kidney will save another life and Puthy will receive one that matches.

Both surgeries are scheduled for next month.

In January, Puthy's wife lost her job of 25 years due to relocation and their main health insurance went with it. He expects to need thousands for what's not covered and housing for months to be near the hospital in San Diego, far from their Santa Ana home.

Touch will also need to be near the hospital after his surgery.

The family's GoFundMe page explains the details.

"It's pretty helpful if we got some help a little bit. I don't expect everything but just a little bit might be help," Puthy says.

That roller coaster may take yet another turn after the two have recovered.

NBC4 first reported on the Haks when we reported Touch should have been deported. He was convicted of drug trafficking but was allowed to stay in this country conditionally to help his older sibling.

Immigration officials say two years after the surgery he must return to Cambodia. The family fled the country during the Khmer Rouge regime when Touch was a child.

Touch is a felon who got caught up in drug trafficking. He served a nine-year sentence.

He now speaks to teens about the dangers of drugs.

He was supposed to be deported to his native Cambodia one year ago, but received a temporary stay so that he could donate the kidney to save his brother.



"Just as long as I see him well and healthy that would put a smile on my face," Touch says.
A total of seven people have been sentenced to federal prison for a string of violent armed robberies in South Florida.

A U.S. Attorney's Office news release says 24-year-old Andrew Nelson was sentenced Tuesday to more than 138 years in prison. He was convicted in January of multiple robbery and firearms charges. Six others previously received sentences ranging from 3-35 years.

Court records show in 2006, the group began robbing civilians, businesses, a bank and drug traffickers in Miami-Dade County. Nelson and the others would shoot at victims and sell the narcotics they stole from other drug dealers.

After their arrest, members of the grouped used jailhouse telephone calls to plan crimes, collect debts and arrange an attack on state prosecution witnesses.
New Delhi, May 20 (IBNS): Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi on Saturday confirmed that EVM Challenge will take place on June 3.

The challenge will aim to establish that the Electronic Voting Machines cannot be tampered.

The challenge will take place at a time when several political parties questioned the functioning of the machines.

Zaidi said: "No tampering can be carried out."

Zaidi said no manipulation could take place in the EVMs during its manufacturing stage.


Colorado's governor on Friday pardoned a Cuban immigrant for an armed robbery he committed 19 years ago in an effort stave off the man's deportation after immigration authorities detained him following a judge's ruling that he should no longer be imprisoned.

The pardon from Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, was the latest twist in the saga of Rene Lima-Marin, 38. He came to the U.S. as a toddler as part of the 1980 Mariel boat lift from Cuba and had legal residency until it was revoked following his 2000 criminal conviction. Lima-Marin was sentenced to 98 years in prison for the robbery. But he was mistakenly paroled from Colorado state prison in 2008.

Lima-Marin married, had a child and got a steady job installing glass before state authorities realized their mistake in 2014 and sent him back for the remainder of his 98-year prison sentence.

A Colorado judge earlier this week ordered Lima-Marin released from state prison, saying it'd be draconian'' to keep him incarcerated. But before he could return to his family, immigration authorities picked him up, citing a still-active deportation order from 2000. His lawyers said a pardon was his only chance to stave off deportation.

The mans mother, Maria Elena Marin Paez, lives in Doral and has hope that her son will be free soon.

"The emotions went up and down, at the end it came out like I expected -- my son is having the pardon," said Marin Paez.

But, she says the turn of events has been a nightmare.

They're going to send my son back to Cuba. Michael came here when he was a year and a half and a half. Michael don't know nothing about Cuba," explained Marin Paez.

Lima-Marin's wife is praying for her husband's release. "I do not believe he brought us this far to leave us right now," said Jasmine Lima Marin, wife.

Lima-Marin's case became a bipartisan cause celebre this week in Colorado, as 98 members of the state Assembly, Democrats and Republicans, called on Hickenlooper to pardon him. Though the legal roots of Lima-Marin's deportation order stretch back to actions of the Obama administrations, his detention comes as the Trump administration has moved aggressively to speed up deportations, sometimes sparking clashes with local officials.

This was a question of justice,'' Hickenlooper told an afternoon news conference. This was a pretty clear example of someone who's done all the work necessary to earn a second chance.''

It's unclear whether the governor's action will be enough to stop Lima-Marin's deportation.

I'm not a lawyer,'' Hickenlooper said when asked whether the pardon would be enough.

Carl Rusnok, a spokesman for ICE, indicated it would not be enough. Rene Michael Lima Marin currently has final orders of removal from a federal immigration judge,'' he said in a statement.

Hans Meyer, Lima-Marin's lawyer, said he'd file motions to vacate that order.

We're incredibly grateful to the governor for a just and fair solution,'' he said. This is a tremendous first step.''

But Jason Kasperek, the assistant manager at a video store that Lima-Marin and an accomplice robbed in 1998, said Lima-Marin should be back in prison.

I just think that it's scandalous how he used the system,'' Kasperek said of Lima-Marin, recalling how the robbers held a rifle to his head as they forced him to open the store safe. I think it's completely ridiculous. It's unjust for all victims who have been involved in it.''

The Blockbuster was one of two video stores that Lima-Marin and his accomplice Michael Clifton robbed. They were convicted on multiple robbery, kidnapping and burglary counts. Clifton is still in prison, serving his 98-year sentence.

This is not Lima-Marin's first time in immigration detention. Though Trump has ordered immigration authorities to step up their enforcement of deportation orders, Lima-Marin's legal jeopardy actually stems from changes made by Obama.

After his 2008 parole, immigration authorities held Lima-Marin for 180 days. But at the time, Cuba would not accept any additional people who had arrived on the Mariel boat lift as deportees. As a result, Lima-Marin was released. He continued to check in with immigration authorities regularly, said his wife, Jasmine.

But when Obama in January ended the wet foot-dry foot'' policy that had protected Cuban immigrants who arrived from the island, it opened the door to additional Cubans from the Mariel boat lift to be deported.
What to Know The suspect who slammed his car into a crowd of pedestrians in the heart of Times Square is facing a slew of charges, authorities say

Officials don't believe there's a nexus to terror; sources say the suspect has a history of possible psychiatric, drug and alcohol problems

One woman died and 22 other people were injured after being hit by the vehicle; the driver was taken into custody

The driver who slammed his car into a crowd of pedestrians, killing a young woman and injuring nearly two dozen other people in Times Square Thursday has been charged with a litany of crimes, including murder, police say.



Richard Rojas of the Bronx is charged with second-degree murder, 20 counts of second-degree attempted murder and five counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, authorities said.

Manhattan prosecutors said in court that Richard Rojas told police after his arrest that he wanted to "kill them all," and that they should have shot him.

Rojas's lawyer and weeping supporters had no comment.

Rojas, 26, was taken into custody after barreling into the lunch-hour crowd on Seventh Avenue shortly before noon, according to police. Officials and sources say Rojas, who has a history of DWI arrests, made a U-turn on Seventh Avenue at 42nd Street and started speeding down the sidewalk for about 3-and-a-half blocks, mowing down pedestrians before crashing into a traffic pole.

The woman who died has been identified as Alyssa Elsman from Portage, Michigan. She was visiting with her sister and mother. Her sister, with whom she was walking at the time, was also injured when Rojas plowed through.

Rojas is a former member of the armed services with a history of arrests for DWI, according to officials and law enforcement sources. He was dishonorably discharged from the Navy, where he once served aboard the USS Carney, for resisting arrest in Florida in 2014. Charges were dropped in the case.

Harrison Ramos, a friend, told reporters that Rojas hadn't been the same since he returned from active duty in the Navy. He says Rojas was posting "crazy stuff" online that has since been taken down, according to The Associated Press. Other friends say he was having money troubles.

Rojas was most recently arrested on a menacing charge last week for allegedly pulling a knife on an acquaintance in the Bronx.

On Thursday evening, police were at an apartment where Rojas stayed with his mother in the Mount Eden section of the Bronx. Law enforcement sources said police are obtaining a search warrant.

Rojas' mother was brought in for questioning Thursday; she said nothing to reporters as detectives led her to a waiting car.

Fati Smith, a neighbor who has known the Rojas family for years, said she couldn't stop crying. She said she's in disbelief. Another neighbor said Rojas is a "good person" and he doesn't know what happened to him.

A cause of the crash is under investigation, but authorities say it's believed to be an "isolated incident" with no nexus to terror. Law enforcement sources say Rojas told police he heard voices and expected to die. They said he has a history of possible psychiatric, drug and alcohol problems, and investigators are looking into whether or not Thursday's crash may have been a deliberate act.

Law enforcement sources say Rojas appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol when he was taken into custody. Sources say he blew a 0.0 when tested for alcohol at the precinct where he was brought for questioning. A law enforcement official said certain statements and tests suggest he was under the influence of something he ingested through smoking.

In one of his two previous DWI arrests, Rojas was driving faster than 99 mph in a 50 mph zone, sources familiar with his record say. He resisted officers while being arrested for DUI in Florida, resulting in the dishonorable Navy discharge, law enforcement sources said. He was most recently arrested last week in the Bronx on a charge of menacing. After the crash Thursday, he allegedly tried to flee cops, then tried to physically fight them, as they brought him into custody.

Mayor de Blasio said in a briefing at the scene that a total of 23 people, including the woman who died and her 13-year-old sister, were hit by the vehicle. Four of the survivors were taken to hospitals in critical condition. Many had traumatic injuries, including open fractures, officials said at a news briefing, adding those four victims were expected to live.

Social media erupted with fear and concern as witnesses described screaming and abject chaos in the Crossroads of the World. Someone tweeted a photo of a maroon-looking sedan halfway on its side after appearing to crash into a traffic pole. Smoke emanated from the hood as pedestrians stood by in horror.



Police radio captured the urgency of the response.



"Times Square, we got a car running people over on 42-7, going northbound on 7th ave, running people over," one NYPD dispatcher said, according to audio clips from Broadcastify. "Multiple people injured. Notify everyone."
As Seen On

As seen on News 4
What to Know A man who barricaded himself in a Suffolk County church killed himself after a standoff with police, authorities said

The man tried to set cops on fire in the church's parking lot before retreating inside and planting incendiary devices, according to police

No one else was in the church and no injuries were reported; police did not speculate on a motive

A gas can-wielding man who barricaded himself in a Long Island church and threatened to burn it down apparently killed himself during a standoff with police, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Timothy Sini said at a press conference Friday.

Smoke was seen at the chuch shortly before 5 p.m. as a SWAT team went in and out of the building.

Authorities first got a call about the man around 1:30 p.m. Friday. The caller, an retired NYPD sergeant, said a man was setting fire to a van in the parking lot of St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church at Main Street and Ocean Avenue in Center Moriches, Sini said.



When officers arrived, the man threw a gas can at them and tried to set them on fire, authorities said. The officers were not injured and the man ran into the church.

Officers who tried to enter the church saw incendiary devices that appeared to be propane tanks, and one officer who entered the church encountered the suspect, who threw gasoline at him and lit a match, starting a fire. The officer was unharmed. The severity of the fire is unknown.

Police blocked off some streets in the area and a large emergency presence was visible at the scene by 3 p.m. At one point an ESU robot was seen heading into the church to give police a better idea of what was happening inside.

Suffolk Police said the man, later identified as 42-year-old John Beneventano, of Shirley, killed himself inside the church. It appears no one else was injured in the standoff, they said.

Our Lady Queen Of Apostles, a school serving K-8 students located about a mile from the church, was evacuated as a precaution, said Sean Dolan, the spokesman for the Diocese of Rockville Centre. About 200 students were evacuated, Dolan said.

Members of the community were gathering around the church. Some said they've never seen anything like this before in their town.

Melissa Bunshaft said she'd been going to the church since she was a little kid.

"Stuff like this never happens out here, so to see it go down is just completely insane," Bunshaft said.

One parishioner said her children received their communion at the church and her grandchildren were baptized there.

"I saw cops just swarming past me," she said. "It's crazy, it's crazy."

On Friday evening, Bishop John Barres called it "a sad day for all of us on Long Island" and said Masses and services would be held in the school auditorium.

"We pray for the individual involved and his family," Barres said. "We also pray for healing in the days ahead for the St. John the Evangelist parish community."
What to Know A Metro-North train derailed north of the Rye station in Westchester on Thursday, injuring 13 people

Delays on Friday were expected to continue through the weekend as crews worked to repair hundreds of feet of track

The NTSB and the Federal Railroad Administration are investigating the cause; it's believed 90-degree heat caused the track to expand

Crews will work through the weekend to get service back to normal after a Metro-North train derailed in Westchester on Thursday, injuring more than a dozen people and leading to ongoing delays.

Investigators from the NTSB and the Federal Railroad Administration were at the scene of the slow-speed derailment on Friday.

Crews working to repair the tracks said this week's heat wave was to blame for the derailment. They said 90-degree weather caused the track to expand, leading to the derailment.

Commuters on Metro-North might experience some delays and service changes following a Thursday derailment in Rye, officials said.

New Haven Line Service Update pic.twitter.com/m7YakfIafW  Metro-North Railroad (@MetroNorth) May 19, 2017

After the derailed cars are completely removed, the crews will need to replace two sections of track, about 700 feet each. They'll also need to swap out about 400 concrete ties for wooden ties, the workers said.

On Thursday, a train operator noticed a kink in the track and Metro-North put a 10 mph restriction on the stretch of rail, which serves the New Haven line, the workers said, echoing statements from the MTA.

There was a slow-speed, minor derailment on @MetroNorth New Haven Line in the vicinity of Rye. No injuries. pic.twitter.com/MFXEzApqVS  MTA (@MTA) May 18, 2017

The 12-car train was heading to New York City at 5 p.m. on Thursday, when five of its cars derailed northeast of the Rye station, officials said. All of the affected cars were still upright after the derailment.

Thirteen people, including the conductor, were injured in the derailment. Four of them required treatment at a hospital, officials said. At least one person was seen being taken off the train by stretcher.

Thirteen people were injured after a Metro-North train derailed in Rye, officials said. Michael George reports.

Kim Rosenberg said the train lurched to the left.

"Smoke started rising, and you felt like you were riding on rocks," Rosenberg said. "People started to scream, and you were just hanging on the front of the seat."

The cause of the derailment is under investigation. Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino said Thursday that the train appeared to be going around a curve at a speed faster than the 10 mph allowed.

"It's likely that it's excessive speed around that curve," Astorino said.

Chopper 4 was over a Metro-North train derailment in Westchester Thursday afternoon.

MTA would not confirm Astorino's statement about the speed, but said a speed restriction was set for the curve Thursday because of hot weather.

Metro-North commuters dealt with platform changes and 15-minute delays on Friday.

"I think it's time for America to care about infrastructure," said commuter Sonia Hu.

As work continues, riders traveling between Stamford and Rye to Grand Central Terminal will need to use the outbound platform, while customers traveling to New Haven will need to use the inbound platform, MTA officials said.

Commuters should anticipate minor delays, listen for announcements at the station and check Metro-North's website for the latest updates.
Two Fort Worth assistant police chiefs have been demoted to captain following an investigation into the leak of a viral body camera video, Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald announced Friday.

Assistant Chief Abdul Pridgen and Deputy Chief Vance Keyes were summoned to a meeting Friday afternoon with Fitzgerald, who said he will recommend Pridgen be further demoted to sergeant.

Additionally, Keyes faces a three-day suspension.

[[423266404,C]]

"This has been one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make as chief," Fitzgerald said at a Friday night news conference.

The chief said Pridgen and Keyes were "two men I trusted, called colleagues and called friends."

The evidence showed the same files that were leaked had been downloaded from Pridgen's office computer at a time he and Keyes were in his office, Fitzgerald said.

Two Fort Worth assistant police chiefs have been demoted to captain following an investigation into the leak of a viral bodycam video.

Both men were less than candid with internal affairs investigators they once supervised, the chief added.

"Both of these men knew more than they disclosed to investigators," Fitzgerald said.

After learning his punishment, Pridgen said justice would be done and added, "I'm pretty sure they can expect a lawsuit."

Pridgen and Keyes had been placed on restricted duty amid a probe into who leaked Officer William Martins body camera video of a controversial arrest in December. Martins private personnel file also was released anonymously.

Martin was suspended for 10 days after he arrested Jacqueline Craig and her two daughters. Cell phone video of the arrests in December was broadcast nationwide and drew widespread criticism.

EDITED FOR PROFANITY: Video posted to Porsha Cravers Facebook page shows a Fort Worth police officers interaction with a woman who called police to report a man grabbed and choked her 7-year-old son. The incident ends with two women and a 15-year-old arrested.

Craig called 911 to complain a neighbor had assaulted her son after accusing him of littering. Martin questioned why Craig didnt teach her son not to litter and suggested the neighbor had the right to assault her son.

Weeks after the cell phone video went viral, footage of the same incident from Martins body camera was leaked.

The department launched a criminal investigation and a separate internal affairs investigation into the leak.

**WARNING: Video contains graphic language and violence.**

Pridgen and Keyes have denied being the source of the leaks and their attorneys have already spoken out against the decision to demote them.

Family and supporters of Jacqueline Craig are calling for Chief Fitzgerald to be fired over his handling of the case.

Craig and her supporters said they feel the decision to demote Pridgen and Keyes is a second injustice because it's more severe than the 10-day suspension Officer Martin received after the initial incident.

They also disagree with the entire premise of the investigation because they believe the body camera video the chiefs are accused of leaking should have been made public from the beginning.

As assistant chief, Pridgen earned $167,999, according to city records. Keyes earned $133,972 as deputy chief.
Former FBI Director James Comey will testify in open session before one of the legislative committees investigating possible collusion between President Donald Trump and Russia, committee leaders announced Friday.

Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C. and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence will schedule the open hearing for sometime after Memorial Day.

The Committee looks forward to receiving testimony from the former Director on his role in the development of the Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian interference in the 2016 US elections, and I am hopeful that he will clarify for the American people recent events that have been broadly reported in the media, said Burr.

Earlier Friday, the AP reported that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has told members of Congress he stands by a memo he wrote that preceded the president's firing Comey.

The Justice Department on Friday distributed prepared remarks that Rosenstein delivered to Congress in separate briefings.

In the remarks, Rosenstein said he learned a day before Comey's firing that Trump wanted to dismiss him. He says he thought that move was appropriate and produced a memo summarizing what he said were his "longstanding concerns" over Comey's handling of the Clinton email investigation.

He says he asked career Justice Department lawyers to review the memo.

He says his memo is not a finding of official misconduct and is not a statement of reasons to justify Comey's firing.
Before firing up the grill this weekend, people should check their hot dogs after a recall of more than 200,000 pounds of ready-to-eat hot dog products.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Nathans and Curtis brand hot dogs are being recalled because they may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically metal. John Morrell and Co. is recalling 210,606 pounds of the products.

The beef franks were produced on Jan. 26 and have the following labels:

14 oz. sealed film packages containing Nathans SKINLESS 8 BEEF FRANKS, with a Use By date of Aug. 19, 2017.

16 oz. sealed film packages containing Curtis BEEF MASTER Beef Franks, with a Use By date of June 15, 2017.

The products also have EST. 296 on the side of the package and were shipped to retail locations nationwide.

Three complaints of metal objects in the beef franks were filed with the company. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions or injuries due to eating these products.

Customer should throw the hot dogs away or return them to the place of purchase for a refund or exchange.
After a three-and-a-half-hour rescue mission, the passengers on a halted roller coaster in Arlington, Texas, have all been freed, according to a Six Flags spokeswoman.

Six Flags Over Texas says strong headwinds caused "The Joker" to stop overnight, leaving eight people stuck on the ride for more than three hours.

A portion of the new Six Flags Over Texas roller coaster "The Joker" was stuck with eight passengers aboard early Saturday morning. Crews from the Arlington Fire Department were dispatched around 12:30 a.m. Once they arrived, they called for backup from the technical rescue team.

NBC 5 News

Early Saturday morning was high school senior night, where high school seniors could play all night long from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m., according the Six Flags Over Texas website.

NBC 5 News

Park spokeswoman Sharon Parker said the passengers were given water and items to keep themselves warm through the rescue process.

"The safety of our guests is our highest priority," she said in a statement. "Our team will determine what triggered one of the safety features of the ride to stop the car during the cycle as soon as the guests have safely been removed from the ride."

NBC 5 News

"The Joker" is scheduled to open for the first time to the public later today. Six Flags Over Texas tweeted that the ride will open following a full inspection.

The park also said the ride stopped because of severe headwinds.

It's been six years since the last time Six Flags Over Texas opened a brand new roller coaster -- but that drought is nearly over. On Saturday, May 20, "The Joker" 4D Free Fly Coaster will make its long awaited debut.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 20 (IBNS): Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan called the law student "courageous" who chopped off the genitals of a self-styled godman who allegedly tried to rape her in the last night, media reports said on Saturday.

The law student, who is now 23, was allegedly a victim of repeated sexual assaults by the self styled godman, Swamy Gangeshananda, a member of the Kollam-based Panmana Ashram for the last eight years, according to a police complaint.

The Kerala CM in an interaction with the media, lauded the victim and said that she has done the right thing.

When the accused tried to force himself on the woman at her home on Friday night, she grabbed a sharp object and chopped off his penis.

She reportedly called the police herself but no case has been filed against the girl.

The accused was rushed to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College where an emergency surgery was performed and the doctors stated that 90% of his penis has been damaged which could not be stitched, though he is out of danger.

The law student has complained that her mother was also sexually abused by the accused. Her father suffered a paralysis attack a few years ago.

However according to the police, the accused said that he himself mutilated his genitals while the mother of the victim is reported to be defending the self-styled godman.

Image: Wikimedia Commons
Crews are searching for a missing teen who was last seen in the Delaware River in Philadelphia's Torresdale section.

According to police, a 16, 17, 18 and 19-year old went swimming around 10:15 Friday night in the Delaware River near Linden Avenue. Only three of them returned to the banks of the river.

The 16-year-old did not return to shore.

Multiple agencies, including the Philadelphia Police Department, Fire Department and Coast Guard are still searching the water.

Police continue to investigate.
A fast-moving brush fire sparked off State Route 94 south of Jamul Saturday morning and grew to 2,056 acres by Sunday afternoon.

As of 7:20 a.m. Sunday, the fire stood at 1,500 acres and was 30 percent contained, according to Cal Fire. Officials said that overnight temperatures and increased humidity allowed firefighters to make progress in fire containment.

By 5:15 p.m. Sunday, the fire had grown to 2,056 acres but was 70 percent contained with 665 fire personnel at the scene, Cal Fire said. Shortly after Otay Lakes Road was reopened to all traffic.

The fire sparked Saturday at around 11:20 a.m. and grew to 1,000 acres in its first 10 hours.

The fire is now under criminal investigation, Cal Fire officials said. They would not elaborate on the details of the investigation but said they have talked to a witness who posted an Instagram video that appeared to show people starting the fire.

A voluntary evacuation warning was issued for Dulzura, meaning residents should be prepared to leave if there is a mandatory evacuation order.

Residents in the Dulzura area will be allowed back in under escort. Residents from Pio Pico campground will not be permitted to return Saturday due to infrastructure damage.



Raw footage captured by NBC 7 of the fast-moving "Gate Fire" off SR-94, south of Jamul. Within a few hours, the blaze had scorched 800 acres.

The Red Cross has set up an overnight shelter for evacuees of both areas at Otay Ranch High School at 1250 Olympic Parkway in Chula Vista.

Otay Lakes Road between Wueste Road and State Route 94 is closed, and all closures along SR-94 in the area of the fire have been lifted.

The wind is always a factor when it comes to fires like these, Cal Fire PIO Issac Sanchez said Saturday. Its a fuel-driven fire right now. Its the heavy grass load that were seeing thats a direct result of the heavy rains we received this winter.

Sanchez said the heavy grass allowed the fire to grow quickly and very early in its life. He added that the grass load is something firefighters are dealing with throughout the state.

In this video shot by NBC 7 near the Otay Lakes area, smoke billows from the fast-moving Gate Fire. The blaze sparked around 11:35 a.m. off State Route 94 near Jamul and quickly grew to 300 acres. 4

The Gate Fire has burned 1,000 acres and is 20 percent contained. NBC 7s Astrid Solorzano reports.

Pat Pendletons Jamul home was destroyed in the 2007 wildfires. She parked her car on Honey Spring Road for hours Saturday waiting to see if she could drive home. Its the same road where she parked her car 10 years ago. She said being parked in the same spot gave her chills.

Pat Pendleton's Jamul home was completely destroyed in the 2007 fire; hopes crews can contain #GateFire quickly: https://t.co/TO5qjTvuKw pic.twitter.com/4NvF46tJCq  #NBC7 San Diego (@nbcsandiego) May 21, 2017

We've done this before, ten years ago in October, October 21st our home burned. It's very emotional, it's a feeling I haven't had for a while, and now it's back, but I think they have a handle on things a lot faster than they had in 2007 so they're doing a great job."

#GateFire The fire information phone number for San Diego residents is 2-1-1. https://t.co/SMnF2AH9xq pic.twitter.com/5ubSwRhI0j  CAL FIRE/SAN DIEGO COUNTY FIRE (@CALFIRESANDIEGO) May 21, 2017

Cal Fire San Diego officials said the blaze, dubbed the "Gate Fire," began around 11:20 a.m. Saturday off SR-94 and Otay Truck Trail, near Otay Lakes Road, in an area called Pink Gates near a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint station. The area is south of Jamul and northwest of Dulzura.

At 11:45 a.m., Cal Fire reported the fire had ripped through 10 acres of vegetation, and it was spreading rapidly.

About 15 minutes later, the area scorched by the wildfire had swelled to 100 acres. An hour later, the fire had grown to 300 acres. By 2 p.m., the Gate Fire had scorched 425 acres and was 5 percent contained, Cal Fire officials told NBC 7. By 3:30 p.m., the Gate Fire had burned 500 acres; containment remained the same.

@CALFIRESANDIEGO at scene of a vegetation fire Hwy 94 south of Jamul. IC reports 10 ac and rapid rate of spread.#GateFire  CAL FIRE/SAN DIEGO COUNTY FIRE (@CALFIRESANDIEGO) May 20, 2017

By 5 p.m., Cal Fire said the blaze had spread to 800 acres and was 10 percent contained. By 6:45 p.m. the fire had burned 850 acres but was 15 percent contained. By 9:30 p.m. the fire had grown to 1,000 acres and was 20 percent contained.

No homes were threatened, officials confirmed.

#GateFire [update] Fire is now 300 acres. Pio Pico Campground is being evacuated.  CAL FIRE/SAN DIEGO COUNTY FIRE (@CALFIRESANDIEGO) May 20, 2017

By 12:30 p.m., however, fire crews began evacuating the nearby Pio Pico Canyon Campground and RV Resort as a precaution. The campground, a 180-acre preserve, is located at 14615 Otay Lakes Road, a few miles away from the scene of the Gate Fire.

[G] Fast-Spreading 'Gate Fire' Burns Off SR-94

Four helicopters were en route to help battle the blaze, Cal Fire said, and an air tanker was also coming. Soon, those aircraft began to make water drops on the fire.

Just after 1:30 p.m., Caltrans San Diego said traffic on SR-94 would be shut down in both directions, from Otay Lakes Road to SR-188 due to the fire. Cal Fire later said SR-94 would also be closed at Honey Springs Road, and Otay Lakes Road closed at Wueste Road. At this point, it is unclear how long those road closures will remain in place.

Issac Sanchez, of Cal Fire San Diego, said the fire sparked near a shooting range in the area. The cause remains under investigation. Sanchez said no one had been hurt in the fire.

Raw footage of the Gate Fire burning Saturday off SR-94 near Jamul, as seen from Mt. Miguel.

However, the Chula Vista Police Department (CVPD) later confirmed that a police officer who was directing traffic around the fire area at Otay Lakes and Wueste roads was hit by a car Saturday afternoon. The officer suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital. He has been with the CVPD for 2-and-a-half years.

Heavy smoke generated by the Gate Fire was seen by San Diego residents in areas like Chula Vista, Otay Lakes, Santee, San Miguel and more. People also reported seeing smoke from the fire lingering near Jamul's new Hollywood Casino.

https://twitter.com/thatdudepasha/status/866015629936963584

The temperature was around 88-degrees in Jamul Saturday when the blaze began. In NBC 7's First Alert forecast Saturday morning, Liberty Zabala noted that temperatures across San Diego County were expected to be between 10 to 15 degrees above average.

This marks the first hot, dry weekend this month, as San Diego has experienced its typical "May Gray" over the past few weeks and even some rain.

Liberty Zabala's Weekend Morning Forecast for Saturday, May 20, 2017

First hot, dry weekend of the year in San Diego and here we go. 100 acres near Hwy 94 around Jamul pic.twitter.com/62eXSSuJjR  James R. Riffel (@JamesRRiffel) May 20, 2017

Zabala said Saturday's forecast included temperatures in the 90s in our inland valleys, with deserts reaching temperatures as hot as 95 degrees. Alpine and El Cajon were each expected to hit around 89 degrees.

In other parts of California, including Los Angeles County, the National Weather Service said temperatures are also expected to climb throughout the weekend, leading to increased wildfire danger. Gusty winds and low humidity could add to the problematic conditions.

In this video shot by NBC 7 near the Otay Lakes area, smoke billows from the fast-moving Gate Fire. The blaze sparked around 11:35 a.m. off State Route 94 near Jamul and quickly grew to 300 acres. 4

As crews battled the Gate Fire south of Jamul, they were met with those windy conditions, as predicted.

"Relative humidity remains low in the area and thats concerning because the drier the air the more prone the fire is to growing," NBC 7's Llarisa Abreu said Saturday evening.

"Winds at the moment are contained and calm, but by tomorrow winds will change in direction; moving in from the west at around 5-15 mph gusting near 20 mph. With winds changing from North to West, that poses the threat for the fire to start spreading into eastern areas."

"Temperatures tomorrow will once again be well above average for this time of the year also making conditions hazardous and dangerous for residents and first responders," Abreu said. "Lastly, despite the rain we received during the winter, the landscape is dying, which adds more fuel for fires."



https://twitter.com/thatdudepasha/status/866030619351842816

Calfire will update road closures again at 6 a.m. Sunday.

Smoke from the Gate Fire on Saturday, as seen from Chula Vista, caputred by NBC 7.

NBC 7 has crews in the field, gathering the latest details; check back for updates on this developing story.
A Mississippi teenager charged with murder in the death of a 6-year-old told investigators that the boy was actually shot by another of the three teen suspects, according to an investigator's sworn statement.

The Associated Press obtained the sworn statement Friday from a source with knowledge of the case involving the death of Kingston Frazier. The boy was found shot to death at the side of a dead-end road inside his mother's abandoned car, hours after someone stole the Toyota Camry from a supermarket parking lot.

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Rusty Clark said in the sworn statement filed in connection with the case that 17-year-old Dwan Wakefield of Ridgeland told Clark and another investigator 19-year-old Byron McBride of Pickens was at fault.

"During this interview, Wakefield implicated Byron McBride as the person who actually stole the vehicle and shot and killed Frazier," Clark's statement said.

When asked for further comment, MBI spokesman Warren Strain declined, saying "the court document speaks for itself."

Wakefield, McBride and 17-year-old D'Allen Washington of Ridgeland are being held without bail in Madison County, just north of Jackson, awaiting Monday morning court appearances. It's unclear if any of the three have lawyers.

Though all three are charged with capital murder, only McBride could face the death penalty. The U.S. Supreme Court outlawed the death penalty for crimes committed by people younger than 18 in 2005.

Madison County Coroner Alex Breeland said Kingston was shot multiple times. District Attorney Michael Guest said authorities are still looking for the gun used to kill Kingston but are confident they have enough evidence against the three teen suspects to proceed without it.

"I do not believe that it is anything other than a crime of opportunity," Guest said, saying there was no evidence of any deeper plot besides stealing a car that Ebony Archie left running with her child inside. He said he didn't believe anyone else was involved.

Security video shows that after Archie left her car about 1 a.m., another car drove up and a man got out and then drove off in her Camry. Frazier was in the back seat.

Archie's family members told local news media Friday that she had picked up her son from his grandmother after going out with friends to celebrate her birthday and was going into the Jackson supermarket to buy party supplies to celebrate Kingston's kindergarten graduation, which was scheduled Friday.

"She feels guilty for the fact that she decided to go inside the store and leave the car running when she went inside the store," David Archie, Ebony Archie's uncle, told WLBT-TV.

The car was found eight hours later, abandoned in a muddy ditch about 15 miles (20 kilometers) north of Jackson in Gluckstadt. People continued to stream to the site Friday afternoon, with some leaving small memorials. One note said "Kingston R.I.P. Sweet angel fly high. You are loved and will be missed. Prayers for your family."

Guest wouldn't say if any of the men have confessed, but Clark's statement made clear that at least Wakefield has talked to investigators. Guest said investigators are gathering surveillance video from near where the car was abandoned, as well as seeking mobile phone evidence that could indicate the whereabouts of the suspects.

Breeland said an autopsy was completed and the boy's body was released to a funeral home. However, no funeral arrangements had been scheduled as of Friday afternoon.

Guest said Washington is currently under indictment for armed robbery in Madison County. Court records the other two men have no criminal history as adults.

This story has been corrected to show only 19-year-old Byron McBride could face the death penalty.


The U.S. House's Sergeant-at-Arms is seeking at least $2 million to increase security at Congress members' offices in their home districts, the News4 I-Team has learned.

The security upgrades include panic buttons for offices that don't already have them and video surveillance equipment.

Members of Congress have made an increasing number of requests to improve home-office security, Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving said recently. He's seeking the additional money from the House Appropriations Committee.

He didn't specify the nature of any threats against members.

On Capitol Hill, members of Congress are protected by hundreds of armed U.S. Capitol Police. But back home, their offices are often in open, public places such as strip malls.

Six years ago, Rep. Gabby Giffords was shot and critically injured during an assassination attempt in a strip mall in Tucson, Arizona. Giffords survived and resigned her seat in 2012 to continue her recovery.
A man found dead after a crash involving a school bus in Temple Hills, Maryland, had been shot before he started driving, police say.

Prince George's County police said 24-year-old Tavon Todd, of Southwest D.C., was shot outside a business in the 6400 block of Allentown Road. After the shooting, Todd left in his car and eventually crashed into a school bus on Temple Hills road.

There were no students on the bus, only the bus driver and another adult, police said.

Todd was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. It is not known if he died from injuries sustained in the crash or from a gunshot wound. Police said an autopsy will be conducted to determine his cause of death.

Detectives are trying to identify and locate a man who was at the scene of the shooting.



Todd's car also struck another vehicle before hitting the bus, police said. No one in that car was hurt.

Police are asking anyone with information to call (301) 772-4925. Callers wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers at 1 (866) 411-TIPS (8477), text PGPD plus your message to CRIMES (274637) on your cell phone or go to www.pgcrimesolvers.com and submit a tip online.
A student who attended Bowie State University was killed after he was assaulted in an unprovoked attack on the University of Maryland College Park campus early Saturday morning, police said.

The victim was at a bus stop with two friends near Montgomery Hall on Regents Drive about 3 a.m. when a UMd. student attacked and stabbed him, police said. He was seriously injured and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

"It never gets any worse than this," University of Maryland Police Chief David Mitchell said at a news conference Saturday afternoon. "When I sat with the victim's father, who is a military veteran and his pastor and we shed tears together...I can tell you, it rips your heart out."



The altercation appeared to be random and unprovoked, according to Mitchell.

"The assailant in this case approached and, totally unprovoked, stabbed the victim in the chest," Mitchell said.

The victim's friends then called 911. University police responded and took the suspect into custody by the bus stop where the stabbing happened, Mitchell said.

First- and second-degree murder charges are pending against the suspect.

The identities of the victim and the suspect have not been released. Police said the victim's name would be released after his relatives were notified.

"I met with his family earlier today. Needless to say, they're very distraught. They're shattered, but they do know that the assailant in this case has been arrested and he will be appropriately charged," Mitchell said.



The suspect's identity will be released after charges are officially filed against him, Mitchell said.

Mitchell said the suspect had been drinking but would not comment on what effect, if any, that had on the incident.

A university surveillance camera captured the attack.

The university police department said late Saturday night that there was no update on charges and police would provide an update as soon as possible.



Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said the state is working closely with the university in the investigation.

"The First Lady and I are deeply saddened by the death of the young man from Bowie State University, and send our sincerest condolences to his family and loved ones.

"I have spoken to President Loh, and Colonel William Pallozzi of the Maryland State Police has been in contact with University law enforcement. The state is working closely with the University of Maryland as they investigate this horrific situation.

"Our students deserve to feel safe, and violence on our campuses will not be tolerated.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Bowie State University and University of Maryland families as they grieve and begin the healing process in the wake of this tragedy."



The president of Bowie State University, Mickey Burnim, said counseling services will be available to students and a moment of silence will be observed during the school's commencement on Tuesday.

"Our first thoughts of condolence go to the family for this tremendous loss of a son, who had the promise of a bright future. Our prayers of concern also extend to those within the Bowie State University community as we try to cope with this tragic loss of life.

"As we struggle to deal with our emotions, lets find appropriate ways to express our sorrow and hope for justice. Lets remember our words and actions have the power to heal and the power to hurt. Let's strive to use our actions to bring comfort and peace."

University of Maryland President Wallace Loh said, in a statement, commencement exercises at UMd. on Sunday would also have a moment of silence.

"Words cannot express my deep anguish over this horrific tragedy. My deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the victim, and to the entire Bowie State community. I ask that every member of our campus community join me in keeping the victims family in their thoughts and prayers.

"There is strength in our unity as we grieve. For this reason and in solidarity with the Bowie State community, we will honor a moment of silence to begin tomorrow's commencement exercises.

"In addition, counselors are available (Saturday) from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Counseling Center in Shoemaker Hall for any members of our community who need support."
A dog that was ordered to be euthanized despite a pardon issued by Maine's governor could get a second chance at life as a sled dog.

The Waterville Morning Sentinel reports that a state prosecutor has agreed with the dog's previous owner and the owners of two dogs it killed to send the animal to a training shelter in New Hampshire. But the dog's current owner, who adopted the husky after the attacks but before the euthanization order, is not on board.

The prosecutor said Thursday that the dog, Dakota, is a good match for sledding because of her "high energy."

Dakota became a celebrity after being pardoned by Republican Gov. Paul LePage on March 30. But the state prosecutor said the governor lacked the authority to do so.
A former Exeter High School guidance counselor accused of sexual misconduct involving a student has been indicted on four sex abuse counts.

A grand jury formally charged 37-year-old Kristie Torbick of Lee with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of felonious sexual assault.

She remains free on $10,000 personal recognizance bail.

Torbick turned herself in in February after police conducted an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct at Exeter High School. Police say she had a teenage girl perform a sexual act during therapeutic treatment. The indictment this month alleges the sexual activity happened in Exeter and Epping.

Her attorney, Donna Brown, said Saturday she's reviewing the case and had no further comment.


Foodbank and FISH Club  King's Lynn Churches

The Kings Lynn Foodbank started in October 2011 as an initiative of Churches Together in Kings Lynn and now feeds over 300 people a month, providing emergency food to local people in crisis and support that is clear, practical and full of compassion.

Last year King's Lynn Foodbank provided 3,834 three day crisis food parcels.



Kings Lynn Foodbank Chairman, Adam Whittle said: We see people with some really big needs. They come to us because they need help with food but its much more than that. Sometimes the problems are more than we can humanly process but we have a big God and we have the opportunity to pray with people and weve seen some wonderful testimonies.



He continued: Weve been amazed with the generosity of volunteers, members of the public, local schools, churches, supermarkets and business. We achieve incredible, life-changing things on the budget we have.



Last year Kings Lynn Foodbank also started an Eat Well, Spend Less initiative to help people cook well on a budget.

Factfile

Project: Kings Lynn foodbank

Who: Churches across Kings Lynn

What: Three-day food parcels for families in crisis

Where: Kings Lynn

How many: 300 emergency parcels a month go out

Contact: Adam Whittle  Chair of Trustees on adam@kingslynn.foodbank.org.uk or call 07582 558 143

Kings Lynn Foodbank also runs a Fun and Food In School Holidays (FISH) programme to support children who receive free school meals in term time, but whose parents may struggle to provide nutritious meals during the holidays.

Factfile
Guwahati, May 20 (IBNS): Security forces apprehended two hardcore militants belonging to ULFA (I) and NSCN (K) from upper Assamas Tinsukia district on Friday, officials said on Saturday.

Kohima based Defence PRO Colonel Chiranjeet Konwer said that, the Changlang battalion under DAO division carried out an operation at Ledo along Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border and apprehended a hardcore ULFA (I) militant.

The nabbed militant was identified as Bikram Chakma and recovered a point 22 caliber pistol with ammunition.

On interrogation the cadre revealed the whereabouts of an over gound worker of NSCN (K) named Tara Chand who was involved in extortion activities and was providing support to terrorists in the area. These cadres were working hand in hand terrorizing people to extort money from the area and were involved in various nefarious activities, the Defence PRO said.

These apprehensions are in continuation of successful operations being carried out by Assam Rifles in the region wherein a number of high ranking and notorious cadres have been apprehended in recent days.

These successful operations are acting as major setbacks to the extortion network and activities of outlawed groups in the region.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: California-based customer experience software and services company [24]7, will be hiring more than 3,000 Digital Chat Agents (DCAs) in FY18 across its delivery centres in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, the company announced on Friday.

The company assists organisations in digital transformation through patented cloud platform technologies and digital agents, who address customer queries through a chat or voice interface. With several companies going digital in addressing customers, the demand for DCAs will increase exponentially, the company said.

Weve been growing at a CAGR of 40 per cent over the last three years and we expect the same momentum to continue, said Animesh Jain, Chief Delivery Officer, India and Americas, at [24]7.

BENGALURU: California-based customer experience software and services company [24]7, will be hiring more than 3,000 Digital Chat Agents (DCAs) in FY18 across its delivery centres in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, the company announced on Friday. The company assists organisations in digital transformation through patented cloud platform technologies and digital agents, who address customer queries through a chat or voice interface. With several companies going digital in addressing customers, the demand for DCAs will increase exponentially, the company said. Weve been growing at a CAGR of 40 per cent over the last three years and we expect the same momentum to continue, said Animesh Jain, Chief Delivery Officer, India and Americas, at [24]7.
Pramod Thomas By

Express News Service

KOCHI: As the country awaits the onset of monsoon later this month, the Indian umbrella market, too, expects a push as sales were down for the past few years. Giving a breather to the industry, the online sales and exports of umbrella are now backing the sector, thanks to a 10-15 per cent price hike in China owing to increased labour cost. The size of the industry is pegged at Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 crore which expects a seven per cent increase in demand annually.

Though there is no official data available for the umbrella market in the country, the size will be at least Rs 1,000 crore. About 60 per cent of the umbrellas are manufactured in Kolkata and Kerala, said Joseph A Thayyil, MD, Johns Umbrellas. The other major manufacturing areas of umbrella are Mumbai and Tamil Nadu. The peak market for umbrella in the country is for six months starting from May. Not only parts but finished umbrellas, too, are being imported to India from Taiwan, China and Korea.

The demand for umbrellas depends on climatic conditions, increase in population, change in social outlook and customs and export possibility. Demand is expected to increase by 7 to 10 per cent during the next five years in the domestic market, a recent note from the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has stated. According to industry players, online sales for umbrellas are picking up and now it contributes five to six per cent of total sales.

The major issue with the sector, according to K N Marzook, chairman of Colombo Group, is that the price of the product has not been increasing over the years. Even now, umbrellas are available for Rs 100. However, a major breather for the industry is that off late Chinese umbrellas have seen a price hike of 10-15 per cent. Now the price is almost at par with Indian price, which is a boon for domestic industry, he noted.

KOCHI: As the country awaits the onset of monsoon later this month, the Indian umbrella market, too, expects a push as sales were down for the past few years. Giving a breather to the industry, the online sales and exports of umbrella are now backing the sector, thanks to a 10-15 per cent price hike in China owing to increased labour cost. The size of the industry is pegged at Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 crore which expects a seven per cent increase in demand annually. Though there is no official data available for the umbrella market in the country, the size will be at least Rs 1,000 crore. About 60 per cent of the umbrellas are manufactured in Kolkata and Kerala, said Joseph A Thayyil, MD, Johns Umbrellas. The other major manufacturing areas of umbrella are Mumbai and Tamil Nadu. The peak market for umbrella in the country is for six months starting from May. Not only parts but finished umbrellas, too, are being imported to India from Taiwan, China and Korea. The demand for umbrellas depends on climatic conditions, increase in population, change in social outlook and customs and export possibility. Demand is expected to increase by 7 to 10 per cent during the next five years in the domestic market, a recent note from the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has stated. According to industry players, online sales for umbrellas are picking up and now it contributes five to six per cent of total sales. The major issue with the sector, according to K N Marzook, chairman of Colombo Group, is that the price of the product has not been increasing over the years. Even now, umbrellas are available for Rs 100. However, a major breather for the industry is that off late Chinese umbrellas have seen a price hike of 10-15 per cent. Now the price is almost at par with Indian price, which is a boon for domestic industry, he noted.
Gayathri Mani By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Finally, the wait is over for scores of students as the Delhi University announced its admission policy for this years academic session on Saturday. According to the officials the first cut- off list for admissions in around 67 colleges associated with the varsity will be out in a month on June 20.

Witnessing so many technical issues, glitches and server crashing problems last year in the online process, this year the DU has strengthen both its software to avoid any such technical issues.

"Last year it was our first time so we have learnt from that experience. We have improved our software and hardware and made them sturdy to make it more accessible for the aspirants. The varsity will announce six cutoff lists. Depending upon the number of seats left, the university will declare any further cutoff list" Maharaj.K.Pandit, chairperson of Admission committee.

Delhi University gets more than 3 lakh applications for admission every year, has decided to offer 58,000 seats in around 57 under- graduate and post-graduate courses this year, which is 2,000 more than last year.

The admission registration process for undergraduate courses will start from May 22 and the last date is on June 12. Bringing a smile to the students of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) the university officials informed that they can just register with just their Roll number till the time the results are not out, the marksheet will be uploaded automatically afterwards.

This year the varsity has created a 'Pool Money Fund" for refund money. "Last years we have received many complaints from the students regarding refund of money. As they face problem while changing the college or getting the refund money. So this year, we have provided a separate section for bank details. Hence as the students cancels his/her admission or apply for other college will be transferred to the account holder" said another member of admission committee.

Adopting and adapting to the digital era, DU has made many changes in the admission process. A student applying at Delhi University will get notifications via a Pop-Up and messages will be sent to every student to confirm that they have successfully completed with the registration.

This is for the first time that the Delhi University has decided to conduct online entrance tests at 18 centers across the country. Form Monday onwards, a 10 day Open House day for students and parents will be held at all the colleges which come under the varsity, a special helpline has been launched by the university top cater to African students who come to study at Delhi university.

NEW DELHI: Finally, the wait is over for scores of students as the Delhi University announced its admission policy for this years academic session on Saturday. According to the officials the first cut- off list for admissions in around 67 colleges associated with the varsity will be out in a month on June 20. Witnessing so many technical issues, glitches and server crashing problems last year in the online process, this year the DU has strengthen both its software to avoid any such technical issues. "Last year it was our first time so we have learnt from that experience. We have improved our software and hardware and made them sturdy to make it more accessible for the aspirants. The varsity will announce six cutoff lists. Depending upon the number of seats left, the university will declare any further cutoff list" Maharaj.K.Pandit, chairperson of Admission committee. Delhi University gets more than 3 lakh applications for admission every year, has decided to offer 58,000 seats in around 57 under- graduate and post-graduate courses this year, which is 2,000 more than last year. The admission registration process for undergraduate courses will start from May 22 and the last date is on June 12. Bringing a smile to the students of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) the university officials informed that they can just register with just their Roll number till the time the results are not out, the marksheet will be uploaded automatically afterwards. This year the varsity has created a 'Pool Money Fund" for refund money. "Last years we have received many complaints from the students regarding refund of money. As they face problem while changing the college or getting the refund money. So this year, we have provided a separate section for bank details. Hence as the students cancels his/her admission or apply for other college will be transferred to the account holder" said another member of admission committee. Adopting and adapting to the digital era, DU has made many changes in the admission process. A student applying at Delhi University will get notifications via a Pop-Up and messages will be sent to every student to confirm that they have successfully completed with the registration. This is for the first time that the Delhi University has decided to conduct online entrance tests at 18 centers across the country. Form Monday onwards, a 10 day Open House day for students and parents will be held at all the colleges which come under the varsity, a special helpline has been launched by the university top cater to African students who come to study at Delhi university.
Kolkata, May 20 (IBNS): At least four persons were killed and five others were seriously injured when a speeding car, allegedly driven by former CPI-M MLA's son, mowed down them near Jayrampur Canal area under Manteswar Police Station limits in West Bengal's East Burdwan district on Friday night, reports said on Saturday.

According to reports, the over-speeding sedan of former CPI-M MLA Hedayatullah Chowdhury's son, Hamidullah Chowdhury, lost its control on Memari-Katwa road and crashed into a hand-tractor, parked beside the road, at around 8 pm. when few workers were loading paddy on it.

At least nine workers and the companion of Hamidullah, Sheikh Mahammad Shahid, were seriously hurt in the mishap and were rushed to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, where to of the nine injured workers were declared brought dead.

Later at midnight, two more workers died in the hospital.

Sheikh Mahammad Shahid, who was sitting beside the driver, claimed that Hamidullah was driving the car and he was drunk that time.

However, after seizing the vehicle, police have started probe into the incident while accused Hamidullah has gone absconding since the crash.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha,Image: WIkimedia Commons)
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Amid protest by students, one of the premier media institutes in the country defended its invitation to the former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Bastar, SRP Kalluri on Saturday to take part in a seminar on journalism.

Amid tight police security and students shouting Kalluri Go Back against the controversial IPS officer who was transferred from Bastar based on allegations about human rights violations in his tenure.

Kalluri, allegedly during his tenure as the Bastar IGP, was at the centre of controversies for his alleged high-handed style and human rights violations in the Naxal-affected region.

K G Suresh the Director of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) said that there is nothing wrong in inviting Kalluri and that there are only few student of the institute who are protesting, rest are outsiders and will not be allowed. The IIMC also decided to conduct a havan or Yajan (ritual) before commencing the seminar.

"Because of the Havan, there was talk that secularism of the country was in danger. But fools have to know that in the past we had accommodated all the religions in the country. Lighting lamps in an event, Bhoomi Pooja (prayer to land) happen everywhere, why not this? Even Muslims can perform Namaz, Sikhs can take up their rituals on the campus," said Suresh in his address in the seminar.

Delhi police and security personnel were deployed outside the campus since early morning. Police officials who barricaded the gates said the institute was closed for the day.

NEW DELHI: Amid protest by students, one of the premier media institutes in the country defended its invitation to the former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Bastar, SRP Kalluri on Saturday to take part in a seminar on journalism. Amid tight police security and students shouting Kalluri Go Back against the controversial IPS officer who was transferred from Bastar based on allegations about human rights violations in his tenure. Kalluri, allegedly during his tenure as the Bastar IGP, was at the centre of controversies for his alleged high-handed style and human rights violations in the Naxal-affected region. K G Suresh the Director of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) said that there is nothing wrong in inviting Kalluri and that there are only few student of the institute who are protesting, rest are outsiders and will not be allowed. The IIMC also decided to conduct a havan or Yajan (ritual) before commencing the seminar. "Because of the Havan, there was talk that secularism of the country was in danger. But fools have to know that in the past we had accommodated all the religions in the country. Lighting lamps in an event, Bhoomi Pooja (prayer to land) happen everywhere, why not this? Even Muslims can perform Namaz, Sikhs can take up their rituals on the campus," said Suresh in his address in the seminar. Delhi police and security personnel were deployed outside the campus since early morning. Police officials who barricaded the gates said the institute was closed for the day.
Mithun MK By

Express News Service

HYDERABAD: As part of the 127th birth anniversary of Vietnams first president Ho Chi Minh, Vietnams Ambassador to India Ton Sinh Thanh, was in Hyderabad on Friday. He launched a book titled Ho Chi Minhs Life History in the presence of Deputy chief minister Kadiyam Srihari.

On the occasion, the ambassador spoke to Express about the purpose of his visit and his impending appointment with the Chief Minister here.

When asked about Vietnams expectations from Telangana, Ton Sinh Thanh said that Telangana, being a modern state, especially in terms of the IT industry, there is a lot it could offer. We hope that businessmen from TS would come to Vietnam for business, especially in IT sector.

Quipping on the Make in India pitch, he said, I think some Vietnamese companies can come and see if they have opportunities here but we expect several companies from Telangana to come to Vietnam.

Vietnam had recently made its presence felt at Chinas One Belt One Road (OBOR) summit in Beijing. When asked if Vietnam would be joining OBOR, he said : Not really. We just attended the conference. We have not said we will join or not join. We were there to see what is good for us, if OBOR good we will take it, if not, then no.

To a question on whether Vietnam, like India, considers the OBOR as a debt trap, he said: We have to know the two sides (the good and the bad). If it will bring benefit to Vietnam, then we will welcome it, if it brings debt then, we shall not accept it.

When asked how does Vietnam view Indias decision to skip the conference and possibly stay out of OBOR, he said, India has a reason to do so, but India is a strong country with their own connectivity programme there are many options for India, he said.

HYDERABAD: As part of the 127th birth anniversary of Vietnams first president Ho Chi Minh, Vietnams Ambassador to India Ton Sinh Thanh, was in Hyderabad on Friday. He launched a book titled Ho Chi Minhs Life History in the presence of Deputy chief minister Kadiyam Srihari. On the occasion, the ambassador spoke to Express about the purpose of his visit and his impending appointment with the Chief Minister here. When asked about Vietnams expectations from Telangana, Ton Sinh Thanh said that Telangana, being a modern state, especially in terms of the IT industry, there is a lot it could offer. We hope that businessmen from TS would come to Vietnam for business, especially in IT sector. Quipping on the Make in India pitch, he said, I think some Vietnamese companies can come and see if they have opportunities here but we expect several companies from Telangana to come to Vietnam. Vietnam had recently made its presence felt at Chinas One Belt One Road (OBOR) summit in Beijing. When asked if Vietnam would be joining OBOR, he said : Not really. We just attended the conference. We have not said we will join or not join. We were there to see what is good for us, if OBOR good we will take it, if not, then no. To a question on whether Vietnam, like India, considers the OBOR as a debt trap, he said: We have to know the two sides (the good and the bad). If it will bring benefit to Vietnam, then we will welcome it, if it brings debt then, we shall not accept it. When asked how does Vietnam view Indias decision to skip the conference and possibly stay out of OBOR, he said, India has a reason to do so, but India is a strong country with their own connectivity programme there are many options for India, he said.
Jug Suraiya By

This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but a whisper. And its a dying whisper. According to a report in a recent issue of the journal, Nature, no less than 471 languages around the worldout of a total of 6,800 which have been inventoriedare in imminent danger of becoming extinct. The study discovered 46 languages of which there is only one speaker. When those 46 individuals die, the 46 separate languages they represent will die with them.

In a poignant anecdote, the study recounts the case of a woman in Namibia who believed she was the only surviving speaker of her native tongue. However, researchers found another person who spoke this language, and set up a radio contact so that the only two speakers of this tongue could converse with each other.

Among the other almost extinct languages are Bung, spoken by three people in Cameroon, and Abaga, with five speakers in Papua New Guinea. Another linguist, Anthony Trail, has identified 30 Khoisan dialects used by African Bushmen, which consist of a series of clicking sounds without vowels or consonants as we know them. While many environmentalists have warned about the irreparable damage caused by the terminal destruction of flora and fauna, the death of languages has not received the attention it deserves.

A social Darwinian might argue that a language is only a currency of communication, and there is nothing sacrosanct in it. Like any other currency no longer in use because a better, more widely acceptable one has become available, obsolete languages must perish by the laws of natures market. At best, they might be put in the equivalent of linguistic zoos or museums, as cultural curiosities of interest only to specialists.

Such a survival-of-the-fittest view, however, misses out on a central point: A language does not merely reflect a social or cultural reality; it creates it. So, when a language dies out, along with it perish many human mores and traits which it embodied. For instance, in the Eskimo language of Inuit, there are as many as 11 different words for different kinds of snow. Yet, there is no word for romantic or individualised love. This is not because Inuit speakers are incapable of affection. On the contrary, their social structure is bedrocked on community bonding, which precludes the need for any one tribal member to form special attachments with any other single member, including children and the elderly, who are collectively looked after.

Language textures and shapes our world, and our responses to it and to each other. This is why political propagandists have invariably used language, mutating it where necessary, to further their ends. Linguistic chauvinism has been witnessed everywhere, from the propagation of Hebrew to aid Israeli expansion to the attempts to Sanskritise Hindi, and cleanse it of supposedly foreign elements like Urdu.

Perhaps the most belligerently marketed language has been English. Forget the many native tongues it has silenced; even many languages of advanced societies such as the French have developed a pronounced and defensive Anglophobia, with the Academie Francaise fighting a vain rearguard action against the incursions of Franglais such as le weekend and le bifstek.

But by and large, English has ruled supreme. However, its very success may one day prove its downfall. So promiscuous has been its cohabitation that English has spawned a brood of by-blows of varying shades, in various climes. From our own Hinglish to Jamlish, or Jamaican English, with many wild oats sown in between. When Prince Philip addressed a public gathering in Tonga, in deference to the local pidgin English, he described himself as Fella belong Mrs Queen. Philips avowed ownership is his business. But many would dispute the proprietary rights of his spouse over a language which increasingly is a lingo no longer belong Mrs Queen.

Has this phenomenonthe semantic equivalent of the tandoori pizza and the shakahari Big Macenriched or impoverished our increasingly homogenised world? Is such linguistic glocalisation our only defence against the tidal wave of globalisation of the Net and satellite television?

In the brave new world of the future waiting to be spoken, only one thing is clear: In the end, as in the beginning, is the word. And this time around, itll probably be in SMSes. Gr8, no?

Jug Suraiya

Writer, columnist and author of several books

jugsuraiya@gmail.com

This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but a whisper. And its a dying whisper. According to a report in a recent issue of the journal, Nature, no less than 471 languages around the worldout of a total of 6,800 which have been inventoriedare in imminent danger of becoming extinct. The study discovered 46 languages of which there is only one speaker. When those 46 individuals die, the 46 separate languages they represent will die with them. In a poignant anecdote, the study recounts the case of a woman in Namibia who believed she was the only surviving speaker of her native tongue. However, researchers found another person who spoke this language, and set up a radio contact so that the only two speakers of this tongue could converse with each other. Among the other almost extinct languages are Bung, spoken by three people in Cameroon, and Abaga, with five speakers in Papua New Guinea. Another linguist, Anthony Trail, has identified 30 Khoisan dialects used by African Bushmen, which consist of a series of clicking sounds without vowels or consonants as we know them. While many environmentalists have warned about the irreparable damage caused by the terminal destruction of flora and fauna, the death of languages has not received the attention it deserves. A social Darwinian might argue that a language is only a currency of communication, and there is nothing sacrosanct in it. Like any other currency no longer in use because a better, more widely acceptable one has become available, obsolete languages must perish by the laws of natures market. At best, they might be put in the equivalent of linguistic zoos or museums, as cultural curiosities of interest only to specialists. Such a survival-of-the-fittest view, however, misses out on a central point: A language does not merely reflect a social or cultural reality; it creates it. So, when a language dies out, along with it perish many human mores and traits which it embodied. For instance, in the Eskimo language of Inuit, there are as many as 11 different words for different kinds of snow. Yet, there is no word for romantic or individualised love. This is not because Inuit speakers are incapable of affection. On the contrary, their social structure is bedrocked on community bonding, which precludes the need for any one tribal member to form special attachments with any other single member, including children and the elderly, who are collectively looked after. Language textures and shapes our world, and our responses to it and to each other. This is why political propagandists have invariably used language, mutating it where necessary, to further their ends. Linguistic chauvinism has been witnessed everywhere, from the propagation of Hebrew to aid Israeli expansion to the attempts to Sanskritise Hindi, and cleanse it of supposedly foreign elements like Urdu. Perhaps the most belligerently marketed language has been English. Forget the many native tongues it has silenced; even many languages of advanced societies such as the French have developed a pronounced and defensive Anglophobia, with the Academie Francaise fighting a vain rearguard action against the incursions of Franglais such as le weekend and le bifstek. But by and large, English has ruled supreme. However, its very success may one day prove its downfall. So promiscuous has been its cohabitation that English has spawned a brood of by-blows of varying shades, in various climes. From our own Hinglish to Jamlish, or Jamaican English, with many wild oats sown in between. When Prince Philip addressed a public gathering in Tonga, in deference to the local pidgin English, he described himself as Fella belong Mrs Queen. Philips avowed ownership is his business. But many would dispute the proprietary rights of his spouse over a language which increasingly is a lingo no longer belong Mrs Queen. Has this phenomenonthe semantic equivalent of the tandoori pizza and the shakahari Big Macenriched or impoverished our increasingly homogenised world? Is such linguistic glocalisation our only defence against the tidal wave of globalisation of the Net and satellite television? In the brave new world of the future waiting to be spoken, only one thing is clear: In the end, as in the beginning, is the word. And this time around, itll probably be in SMSes. Gr8, no? Jug Suraiya Writer, columnist and author of several books jugsuraiya@gmail.com
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Economy class air travel will become cheaper with tax rate fixed at 5 per cent against the existing 6, under the upcoming GST regime from July 1.

However, for those travelling business class, tickets will become dearer as the tax will go up from 9 per cent to 12 per cent.

Industry experts say that today's announcement is in line with the government's aim to make flying affordable for the masses.

"Governments decision to levy 5 per cent and 12 per cent tax for economy and business class is a very good decision which will continue to support affordable fare regime in India. The government was sensitive to the impact of higher GST slab on industry and the consumer is significantly positive," according to Sydney-based aviation think-tank CAPA Centre of Aviation.

The GST Council finalised four tax rates of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent to apply on services including telecom, insurance, hotels and restaurants.

CAPA also said that this is likely to further boost domestic aviation traffic, where India is at the third spot.

Indias domestic air passenger traffic stood at 100 million in 2016 and was behind only to the US (719 million) and China (436 million).

"Expect high growth rate in domestic traffic to continue in the near-term with further upside once the GST impact on the economy is visible in 1-2 years," it added.

The sentiment was echoed by travel portal Yatra.com.

"Overall, this seems like a good move for the sector and should help the growth momentum continue. Economy airfare will get marginally cheaper which should drive continued passenger growth in the air market, while business class will see a moderate increase," Sharat Dhall, COO, Yatra.com.

The 5 and 12 per cent tax rates come as a huge relief for the industry, which had expressed concern over the draft GST law released last year pegging tax rate at 17 per cent to 18 per cent. This, as per a PwC study, would have led to a 9 per cent to 12 per cent increase in the cost of air travel for passengers.

A reason for keeping GST on passenger travel low is because airlines cannot claim credit on aviation turbine fuel under the GST regime.

Currently, airlines can claim what is called a cenvat credit on the central excise duty for fuel. They will now lose as petroleum products, including ATF, are outside the purview of GST.

However, purchase of aircraft not meant for personal use, has been put under the highest slab of 28 per cent. This will also invite an additional cess of 3 per cent.

NEW DELHI: Economy class air travel will become cheaper with tax rate fixed at 5 per cent against the existing 6, under the upcoming GST regime from July 1. However, for those travelling business class, tickets will become dearer as the tax will go up from 9 per cent to 12 per cent. Industry experts say that today's announcement is in line with the government's aim to make flying affordable for the masses. "Governments decision to levy 5 per cent and 12 per cent tax for economy and business class is a very good decision which will continue to support affordable fare regime in India. The government was sensitive to the impact of higher GST slab on industry and the consumer is significantly positive," according to Sydney-based aviation think-tank CAPA Centre of Aviation. The GST Council finalised four tax rates of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent to apply on services including telecom, insurance, hotels and restaurants. CAPA also said that this is likely to further boost domestic aviation traffic, where India is at the third spot. Indias domestic air passenger traffic stood at 100 million in 2016 and was behind only to the US (719 million) and China (436 million). "Expect high growth rate in domestic traffic to continue in the near-term with further upside once the GST impact on the economy is visible in 1-2 years," it added. The sentiment was echoed by travel portal Yatra.com. "Overall, this seems like a good move for the sector and should help the growth momentum continue. Economy airfare will get marginally cheaper which should drive continued passenger growth in the air market, while business class will see a moderate increase," Sharat Dhall, COO, Yatra.com. The 5 and 12 per cent tax rates come as a huge relief for the industry, which had expressed concern over the draft GST law released last year pegging tax rate at 17 per cent to 18 per cent. This, as per a PwC study, would have led to a 9 per cent to 12 per cent increase in the cost of air travel for passengers. A reason for keeping GST on passenger travel low is because airlines cannot claim credit on aviation turbine fuel under the GST regime. Currently, airlines can claim what is called a cenvat credit on the central excise duty for fuel. They will now lose as petroleum products, including ATF, are outside the purview of GST. However, purchase of aircraft not meant for personal use, has been put under the highest slab of 28 per cent. This will also invite an additional cess of 3 per cent.
By PTI

NEW YORK: A 20-year-old Indian-origin Cornell University student was found dead here after going missing this week.

Aalaap Narasipura, a senior electrical engineering student at Cornell's College of Engineering was reported missing since Wednesday.

Cornell University Police, working with the New York State Police, the Ithaca Police Department and the Ithaca Fire Department, recovered his body yesterday from Fall Creek, a short distance upstream from Ithaca Falls.

Cornell University Police confirmed Narasipuras identity. Police said the circumstances of Narasipuras death are still under investigation, but no foul play is suspected. No other information is available at this time.

Police had searched gorges and adjacent natural areas in Ithaca. Earlier authorities had issued an advisory describing Narasipura as a dark-skinned male, 5-feet-9 inches tall.

He was last seen in the early morning of May 17 on Cornell's campus, and was wearing shorts and a flannel shirt with bright blue socks and leather sandals. Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi expressed "profound sadness" at the death of Narasipura.

He described Narasipura as an "ambitious student" who was scheduled to graduate early this December.

"He was active on the Ultimate Frisbee team, enjoyed taking photos, and planned to continue at Cornell to pursue a Master of Engineering degree," he said in a statement.

NEW YORK: A 20-year-old Indian-origin Cornell University student was found dead here after going missing this week. Aalaap Narasipura, a senior electrical engineering student at Cornell's College of Engineering was reported missing since Wednesday. Cornell University Police, working with the New York State Police, the Ithaca Police Department and the Ithaca Fire Department, recovered his body yesterday from Fall Creek, a short distance upstream from Ithaca Falls. Cornell University Police confirmed Narasipuras identity. Police said the circumstances of Narasipuras death are still under investigation, but no foul play is suspected. No other information is available at this time. Police had searched gorges and adjacent natural areas in Ithaca. Earlier authorities had issued an advisory describing Narasipura as a dark-skinned male, 5-feet-9 inches tall. He was last seen in the early morning of May 17 on Cornell's campus, and was wearing shorts and a flannel shirt with bright blue socks and leather sandals. Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi expressed "profound sadness" at the death of Narasipura. He described Narasipura as an "ambitious student" who was scheduled to graduate early this December. "He was active on the Ultimate Frisbee team, enjoyed taking photos, and planned to continue at Cornell to pursue a Master of Engineering degree," he said in a statement.
By PTI

JAMSHEDPUR: Protest against lynching of four persons intensified today and the police had to fire in the air to disperse a mob, while prohibitory orders under Section 144 were imposed in four areas here for tonight.

Police fired in the air to disperse a mob that blocked roads in Mango area, demanding arrest of culprits involved in the lynching of four persons of a community at Rajnagar in Seraikela-Kharswan district on Thursday.

"Police fired in the air and hurled tear gas shells to disperse the mob in Mango. However, the situation is under control now and adequate force have been deployed in the area," Deputy Commissioner of East Singhbhum district Amit Kumar said.

Besides Mango, members of that community also put up road blockade in Dhatkidih under Bistupur police station area.

Four persons the community were lynched on Thursday by villagers suspecting them to be child lifters in Seraikela-Kharswan district, while three others of another community were also beaten to death on the same suspicion at Nagadih in East Singhbhum district the same day.

People had blocked Bistupur station road yesterday also demanding arrest of those involved in the lynching.

Meanwhile, prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC has been promulgated in four police station areas of the steel city here in view of the prevailing tension.

The prohibitory order would be in effect between 10 PM tonight and 6 AM tomorrow in Mango, Azadnagar, Olidih and MGM police station limits as a precautionary measure, Sub-divisional Officer (Dhalbhum), Manoj Ranjan said.

"We have deployed adequate force including Rapid Action Force to maintain law and order," he said.

Meanwhile, Congress attacked Raghuvar Das government on the issue and alleged that "jungle raj" was prevailing in the state.

"Beginning from Jamshedpur, Seraikela, Dhanbad and Bokaro, the rumours of child lifting has been gaining ground for the last seven days, which led to lynching," AICC spokesperson Ajoy Kumar said in a statement.

The chief minister yesterday announced Rs 2 lakh compensation to the family members of each of the deceased.

He had also condemned the incidents and directed the officials to identify those who were spreading rumours of child lifters and taking law into their own hands.

JAMSHEDPUR: Protest against lynching of four persons intensified today and the police had to fire in the air to disperse a mob, while prohibitory orders under Section 144 were imposed in four areas here for tonight. Police fired in the air to disperse a mob that blocked roads in Mango area, demanding arrest of culprits involved in the lynching of four persons of a community at Rajnagar in Seraikela-Kharswan district on Thursday. "Police fired in the air and hurled tear gas shells to disperse the mob in Mango. However, the situation is under control now and adequate force have been deployed in the area," Deputy Commissioner of East Singhbhum district Amit Kumar said. Besides Mango, members of that community also put up road blockade in Dhatkidih under Bistupur police station area. Four persons the community were lynched on Thursday by villagers suspecting them to be child lifters in Seraikela-Kharswan district, while three others of another community were also beaten to death on the same suspicion at Nagadih in East Singhbhum district the same day. People had blocked Bistupur station road yesterday also demanding arrest of those involved in the lynching. Meanwhile, prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC has been promulgated in four police station areas of the steel city here in view of the prevailing tension. The prohibitory order would be in effect between 10 PM tonight and 6 AM tomorrow in Mango, Azadnagar, Olidih and MGM police station limits as a precautionary measure, Sub-divisional Officer (Dhalbhum), Manoj Ranjan said. "We have deployed adequate force including Rapid Action Force to maintain law and order," he said. Meanwhile, Congress attacked Raghuvar Das government on the issue and alleged that "jungle raj" was prevailing in the state. "Beginning from Jamshedpur, Seraikela, Dhanbad and Bokaro, the rumours of child lifting has been gaining ground for the last seven days, which led to lynching," AICC spokesperson Ajoy Kumar said in a statement. The chief minister yesterday announced Rs 2 lakh compensation to the family members of each of the deceased. He had also condemned the incidents and directed the officials to identify those who were spreading rumours of child lifters and taking law into their own hands.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Saturday questioned three separatist leaders over funding from Pakistan, Indias most wanted and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and militant groups for carrying subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

A spokesman of NIA said the NIA team, which arrived in Srinagar yesterday to conduct investigations against separatist leaders, questioned Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate at Srinagar in the morning regarding the hawala and militancy funding issue.

Bitta Karate, a former JKLF militant, and two other separatist leaders Nayeem Khan, Bita Karatey and Gazi Javed Baba had in an expose by India Today TV purportedly acknowledged of receiving money from Pakistan government, Hafiz Saeed and militant groups for fomenting unrest in Valley and creating chaos by burning schools, government institutions, panchayat ghars and police stations.

One of them can be heard in the video boasting about burning schools, government institutions, panchayat ghars and police stations in Valley to spread chaos during the unrest last year.

The NIA spokesman said Nayeem Khan and Ghazi Javed Baba were questioned in the evening.

Their questioning continued till late evening, he said.

Asked whether the trio were questioned at their homes or at NIA office in Srinagar, NIA spokesman Alok Mitta told New Indian Express that they were questioned at three different places.

He said the separatist leaders after questioning were asked to produce some documents for examination by the NIA officials.

The hotel in Srinagar in which the sting operation took place has been identified. The NIA team is completing formalities of identification of room, collection of records, the spokesman said.

He said NIA is probing all angles of the funding of separatist leaders.

The spokesman said NIA has collected copies of FIRs of about 150 cases and analysing these FIRs registered in the valley regarding damage to schools and public property as part of the larger conspiracy to perpetuate violence and chaos in Kashmir.

At least 34 schools were set ablaze in Valley by unknown persons during the over six month long unrest last year following killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8.

The probe is going on, NIA spokesman said.

Asked whether hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani will also be questioned, he said, It will depend on the investigations.

NIA had yesterday registered a preliminary inquiry into funding of Hurriyat leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bita Karatey, Gazi Javed Baba and others in Jammu and Kashmir by Hafiz Saeed and other Pakistan based militant groups and agencies to carry out subversive activities in Kashmir and damage public property, stone pelting on the security forces, burning of schools and other government establishments.

The NIA had also taken cognizance of TV expose related to the recording of conversations between TV reporters and leaders of separatist groups operating in Valley.

SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Saturday questioned three separatist leaders over funding from Pakistan, Indias most wanted and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and militant groups for carrying subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir. A spokesman of NIA said the NIA team, which arrived in Srinagar yesterday to conduct investigations against separatist leaders, questioned Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate at Srinagar in the morning regarding the hawala and militancy funding issue. Bitta Karate, a former JKLF militant, and two other separatist leaders Nayeem Khan, Bita Karatey and Gazi Javed Baba had in an expose by India Today TV purportedly acknowledged of receiving money from Pakistan government, Hafiz Saeed and militant groups for fomenting unrest in Valley and creating chaos by burning schools, government institutions, panchayat ghars and police stations. One of them can be heard in the video boasting about burning schools, government institutions, panchayat ghars and police stations in Valley to spread chaos during the unrest last year. The NIA spokesman said Nayeem Khan and Ghazi Javed Baba were questioned in the evening. Their questioning continued till late evening, he said. Asked whether the trio were questioned at their homes or at NIA office in Srinagar, NIA spokesman Alok Mitta told New Indian Express that they were questioned at three different places. He said the separatist leaders after questioning were asked to produce some documents for examination by the NIA officials. The hotel in Srinagar in which the sting operation took place has been identified. The NIA team is completing formalities of identification of room, collection of records, the spokesman said. He said NIA is probing all angles of the funding of separatist leaders. The spokesman said NIA has collected copies of FIRs of about 150 cases and analysing these FIRs registered in the valley regarding damage to schools and public property as part of the larger conspiracy to perpetuate violence and chaos in Kashmir. At least 34 schools were set ablaze in Valley by unknown persons during the over six month long unrest last year following killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. The probe is going on, NIA spokesman said. Asked whether hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani will also be questioned, he said, It will depend on the investigations. NIA had yesterday registered a preliminary inquiry into funding of Hurriyat leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bita Karatey, Gazi Javed Baba and others in Jammu and Kashmir by Hafiz Saeed and other Pakistan based militant groups and agencies to carry out subversive activities in Kashmir and damage public property, stone pelting on the security forces, burning of schools and other government establishments. The NIA had also taken cognizance of TV expose related to the recording of conversations between TV reporters and leaders of separatist groups operating in Valley.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Former Aligarh Muslim University scholar and suspected Hizbul Mujahideen operative Gulzar Ahmed Wani was today acquitted by a Barabanki court of the charge of orchestrating a blast in Sabarmati Express in 2000.

According to the counsel for the accused, the court freed Wani and co-accused Mobin due to lack of evidence. "The court of Additional Sessions Judge M A Khan acquitted both the accused of all the charges as the prosecution could not establish any of the charges levelled against them," advocate M S Khan said over phone.

Wani, who was arrested by Delhi Police in 2001 allegedly with explosives and incriminating materials, is a resident of Peeparkari area of Srinagar and is currently lodged in a jail in Lucknow. The blast was carried out on the eve of Independence Day when the train was on its way from Muzaffarpur to Ahmedabad, claiming nine lives

NEW DELHI: Former Aligarh Muslim University scholar and suspected Hizbul Mujahideen operative Gulzar Ahmed Wani was today acquitted by a Barabanki court of the charge of orchestrating a blast in Sabarmati Express in 2000. According to the counsel for the accused, the court freed Wani and co-accused Mobin due to lack of evidence. "The court of Additional Sessions Judge M A Khan acquitted both the accused of all the charges as the prosecution could not establish any of the charges levelled against them," advocate M S Khan said over phone. Wani, who was arrested by Delhi Police in 2001 allegedly with explosives and incriminating materials, is a resident of Peeparkari area of Srinagar and is currently lodged in a jail in Lucknow. The blast was carried out on the eve of Independence Day when the train was on its way from Muzaffarpur to Ahmedabad, claiming nine lives
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: Few days after a sting operation by a TV channel purportedly showed separatist leader Nayeem Khan acknowledging receiving funds from Pakistan and Hafiz Saeed to foment unrest and burn schools in Kashmir, Hurriyat Conference led by hardline Syed Ali Shah Geelani Saturday suspended the separatist leaders party National Front from the conglomerate while Nayeem in his first reaction to the sting operation claimed that video is doctored and fake.

Nayeem Khans National Front is suspended from basic membership of Hurriyat conference. The suspension will come into force with immediate effect in Srinagar and Hurriyat chapter of Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) in Muzaffarabad, Geelani said today.

He said in pursuance of special power vested in him as chairman of the conglomerate and until the clarification of all related issues come to fore, the membership of National Front will remain suspended. It is my moral duty and as a supreme head of forum, I am obliged to fulfill the assigned duties.

Nayeem Khan and two other separatist leaders Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bita Karatey and Gazi Javed Baba, had in sting operation by India Today TV purportedly acknowledged of receiving money from Pakistan government, Hafiz Saeed and militant groups for fomenting trouble and unrest in the Valley.

Nayeem was Geelani-led Hurriyats provincial president, Jammu.

Geelani said Kashmir movement is an indigenous struggle of people of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan is a prime party to the issue and supports Kashmiri on political and moral grounds.

Admitting that they need resources, he said, We mostly raise all funds from local sources to pursue our movement.

On allegations that last years unrest was Pakistan-sponsored, Geelani said, It was neither pre-planned nor instigated by Pakistan. It was a spontaneous reaction from people after killing of Hizb commander Burhan Burhan and his colleagues and subsequent civilian killings by force personnel.

During five months long uprising, people were killed and maimed and many lost eyesight. People are not doing it just for fun but for freedom, he said.

Alleging that Indian media is biased, Geelani said, They are working for Indian agencies and as mouthpiece for fanatical forces. India media is promoting colonial mindset and is hellbent to bring bad name to separatist leadership and defame our freedom struggle.

Meanwhile, Nayeem Khan addressed a press conference in Srinagar today to defend himself in the sting operation.

Terming the video as fake and doctored, he said, The TV channel has run a doctored video to defame the Kashmir movement. The video has been run in bits and pieces and everything taken out of context. In some shots, I am seen wearing jacket, in other waist coat, in some other summer clothes and some shots are from footage three years back. The wordings and my lip movement dont match.

I dare the TV channel to make the entire but un-doctored video public, he said.

On funds, Nayeem said they generate funds at the local level.

Our movement also needs funding, which we generate locally. We have built Bait-ul-maals to fulfill the monetary need of pellet victims. Besides, the NRKs residing outside India are funding to help the victims of violence, he said.

Terming Pakistan as basic party to the Kashmir dispute, he said it provides moral, diplomatic and political support to people of Kashmir.

They are bound to do so because they are administered one part of Kashmir, he said.

The NIA has already launched probe into acknowledgement by separatist leaders in the sting operation of receiving funds from Pakistan and militant groups for fomenting unrest in the Valley and burning schools, panchayat ghars, government institutions and police stations.

An NIA team is in Valley to investigate the matter and question the separatist leaders.

SRINAGAR: Few days after a sting operation by a TV channel purportedly showed separatist leader Nayeem Khan acknowledging receiving funds from Pakistan and Hafiz Saeed to foment unrest and burn schools in Kashmir, Hurriyat Conference led by hardline Syed Ali Shah Geelani Saturday suspended the separatist leaders party National Front from the conglomerate while Nayeem in his first reaction to the sting operation claimed that video is doctored and fake. Nayeem Khans National Front is suspended from basic membership of Hurriyat conference. The suspension will come into force with immediate effect in Srinagar and Hurriyat chapter of Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) in Muzaffarabad, Geelani said today. He said in pursuance of special power vested in him as chairman of the conglomerate and until the clarification of all related issues come to fore, the membership of National Front will remain suspended. It is my moral duty and as a supreme head of forum, I am obliged to fulfill the assigned duties. Nayeem Khan and two other separatist leaders Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bita Karatey and Gazi Javed Baba, had in sting operation by India Today TV purportedly acknowledged of receiving money from Pakistan government, Hafiz Saeed and militant groups for fomenting trouble and unrest in the Valley. Nayeem was Geelani-led Hurriyats provincial president, Jammu. Geelani said Kashmir movement is an indigenous struggle of people of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan is a prime party to the issue and supports Kashmiri on political and moral grounds. Admitting that they need resources, he said, We mostly raise all funds from local sources to pursue our movement. On allegations that last years unrest was Pakistan-sponsored, Geelani said, It was neither pre-planned nor instigated by Pakistan. It was a spontaneous reaction from people after killing of Hizb commander Burhan Burhan and his colleagues and subsequent civilian killings by force personnel. During five months long uprising, people were killed and maimed and many lost eyesight. People are not doing it just for fun but for freedom, he said. Alleging that Indian media is biased, Geelani said, They are working for Indian agencies and as mouthpiece for fanatical forces. India media is promoting colonial mindset and is hellbent to bring bad name to separatist leadership and defame our freedom struggle. Meanwhile, Nayeem Khan addressed a press conference in Srinagar today to defend himself in the sting operation. Terming the video as fake and doctored, he said, The TV channel has run a doctored video to defame the Kashmir movement. The video has been run in bits and pieces and everything taken out of context. In some shots, I am seen wearing jacket, in other waist coat, in some other summer clothes and some shots are from footage three years back. The wordings and my lip movement dont match. I dare the TV channel to make the entire but un-doctored video public, he said. On funds, Nayeem said they generate funds at the local level. Our movement also needs funding, which we generate locally. We have built Bait-ul-maals to fulfill the monetary need of pellet victims. Besides, the NRKs residing outside India are funding to help the victims of violence, he said. Terming Pakistan as basic party to the Kashmir dispute, he said it provides moral, diplomatic and political support to people of Kashmir. They are bound to do so because they are administered one part of Kashmir, he said. The NIA has already launched probe into acknowledgement by separatist leaders in the sting operation of receiving funds from Pakistan and militant groups for fomenting unrest in the Valley and burning schools, panchayat ghars, government institutions and police stations. An NIA team is in Valley to investigate the matter and question the separatist leaders.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Saturday claimed that the previous UPA government had hired the Pakistani origin judge who represented Pakistan at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Kulbhushan Jadhav case. The BJP stated that Khavar Qureshi had been hired by the UPA government in the arbitration case involving Enron in 2004.

The UPA after coming to power in 2004 had changed the legal team which was arguing the case against Enron in the scrapped Dabhol power project. The UPA opted for the Pakistani counsel, said the BJP spokesman GVL Narsimhan Rao, while accusing the Congress of being Pakistani voice on a number of issues. The BJP spokesman sought to know from the Congress why the government led by the party had hired the Pakistani counsel in a sensitive issue.

Apparently referring to the conflicting voice emanating from the Congress ranks over the surgical strike last year, Rao claimed that there had been a number of instances making it evident that the Congress spoke in Pakistani voice. Rao also mentioned the Congress leaders Mani Shankar Aiyar and Salman Khurshid to stress that the Congress has been supporting the Pakistani voice.

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Saturday claimed that the previous UPA government had hired the Pakistani origin judge who represented Pakistan at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Kulbhushan Jadhav case. The BJP stated that Khavar Qureshi had been hired by the UPA government in the arbitration case involving Enron in 2004. The UPA after coming to power in 2004 had changed the legal team which was arguing the case against Enron in the scrapped Dabhol power project. The UPA opted for the Pakistani counsel, said the BJP spokesman GVL Narsimhan Rao, while accusing the Congress of being Pakistani voice on a number of issues. The BJP spokesman sought to know from the Congress why the government led by the party had hired the Pakistani counsel in a sensitive issue. Apparently referring to the conflicting voice emanating from the Congress ranks over the surgical strike last year, Rao claimed that there had been a number of instances making it evident that the Congress spoke in Pakistani voice. Rao also mentioned the Congress leaders Mani Shankar Aiyar and Salman Khurshid to stress that the Congress has been supporting the Pakistani voice.
Nowgam, May 20 (IBNS): Two army men, along with two terrorists, were killed during an ongoing anti-terror operation in Nowgam area of Jammu and Kashmir, media reports said on Saturday.

As per the latest reports, two terrorists, who were trying to cross the border and infiltrate, were killed during the operation. Further reports are awaited.


By AFP

TRIPOLI: An attack on an airbase in south Libya has killed 141 people, mostly soldiers loyal to military strongman Khalifa Haftar, a spokesman for his forces said today.

Members of the Third Force militia loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord in Tripoli yesterday attacked the base used by Haftar's self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), military sources said earlier.

LNA spokesman Ahmad al-Mesmari late today said the victims included civilians who worked at the Brak al-Shati airbase or were in the nearby area, also reporting that summary executions took place.

"The soldiers were returning from a military parade. They weren't armed. Most of them were executed," he said.

The GNA said in a statement late today a commission of inquiry had been set up to investigate the attack.

It said it had decided to suspend its defence minister, al-Mahdi al-Barghati, and the head of the Third Force from their duties until those responsible were identified.

Both the GNA and defence ministry earlier condemned the assault and said they had not ordered any such action.

The unity government, the rival administration in eastern Libya and their respective backers are battling for influence in the North African country which has been wracked by chaos since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

The LNA does not recognise the authority of the GNA, and instead supports the rival authorities based in the east.

The UN envoy to Libya earlier on Friday voiced alarm at reports of the attack on the base, 650 kilometres (400 miles) south of Tripoli.

"I am outraged by reports of significant numbers of fatalities, including civilians and by reports that summary executions may have taken place," UN envoy Martin Kobler said in a statement.

Britain's ambassador to Libya, Peter Millett, also denounced the assault.

"Disgusted by attack on Brak al-Shati & reports of mass executions. Perpetrators must be brought to justice," he wrote on Twitter.

The incident at the base in Wadi al-Shati district comes a month after an attack by the LNA on the Tamenhant airbase controlled by the Third Force near the south's main city of Sebha.

That attack was called off after a reconciliation meeting between Haftar and unity government head Fayez al-Sarraj in Abu Dhabi on May 2.

The speaker of the eastern-based parliament, which is supported by the LNA, accused the Misrata-based Third Force of a "serious breach of the truce agreement reached in Abu Dhabi".

Aguila Saleh said there were a "number of martyrs" in LNA ranks, without giving a figure.

The speaker said he had given orders for the armed forces "to take the measures necessary to respond to the assault and defend the south and cleanse it of all outlaw militias".

In Tripoli, the GNA called for an immediate ceasefire in the south, where tribes and militias vie for control of lucrative smuggling routes with neighbouring Chad, Niger and Sudan.

"We hope reason will prevail and that the escalation and provocation will stop," it said.

The unity government's defence ministry laid the blame on "those who started bombing Tamenhant base with warplanes and tanks", referring to Haftar's forces.

In new violence today, a pro-Haftar tribal chief, Sheikh Ibrayek Alwati, and five other people including a child were killed in a car bombing outside a mosque in the eastern city of Slouq, medical and security sources said.

TRIPOLI: An attack on an airbase in south Libya has killed 141 people, mostly soldiers loyal to military strongman Khalifa Haftar, a spokesman for his forces said today. Members of the Third Force militia loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord in Tripoli yesterday attacked the base used by Haftar's self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), military sources said earlier. LNA spokesman Ahmad al-Mesmari late today said the victims included civilians who worked at the Brak al-Shati airbase or were in the nearby area, also reporting that summary executions took place. "The soldiers were returning from a military parade. They weren't armed. Most of them were executed," he said. The GNA said in a statement late today a commission of inquiry had been set up to investigate the attack. It said it had decided to suspend its defence minister, al-Mahdi al-Barghati, and the head of the Third Force from their duties until those responsible were identified. Both the GNA and defence ministry earlier condemned the assault and said they had not ordered any such action. The unity government, the rival administration in eastern Libya and their respective backers are battling for influence in the North African country which has been wracked by chaos since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. The LNA does not recognise the authority of the GNA, and instead supports the rival authorities based in the east. The UN envoy to Libya earlier on Friday voiced alarm at reports of the attack on the base, 650 kilometres (400 miles) south of Tripoli. "I am outraged by reports of significant numbers of fatalities, including civilians and by reports that summary executions may have taken place," UN envoy Martin Kobler said in a statement. Britain's ambassador to Libya, Peter Millett, also denounced the assault. "Disgusted by attack on Brak al-Shati & reports of mass executions. Perpetrators must be brought to justice," he wrote on Twitter. The incident at the base in Wadi al-Shati district comes a month after an attack by the LNA on the Tamenhant airbase controlled by the Third Force near the south's main city of Sebha. That attack was called off after a reconciliation meeting between Haftar and unity government head Fayez al-Sarraj in Abu Dhabi on May 2. The speaker of the eastern-based parliament, which is supported by the LNA, accused the Misrata-based Third Force of a "serious breach of the truce agreement reached in Abu Dhabi". Aguila Saleh said there were a "number of martyrs" in LNA ranks, without giving a figure. The speaker said he had given orders for the armed forces "to take the measures necessary to respond to the assault and defend the south and cleanse it of all outlaw militias". In Tripoli, the GNA called for an immediate ceasefire in the south, where tribes and militias vie for control of lucrative smuggling routes with neighbouring Chad, Niger and Sudan. "We hope reason will prevail and that the escalation and provocation will stop," it said. The unity government's defence ministry laid the blame on "those who started bombing Tamenhant base with warplanes and tanks", referring to Haftar's forces. In new violence today, a pro-Haftar tribal chief, Sheikh Ibrayek Alwati, and five other people including a child were killed in a car bombing outside a mosque in the eastern city of Slouq, medical and security sources said.
By AFP

KHOST: Gunmen stormed a bank in southeastern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing three people and wounding over 30 more, officials said, as the country struggles with a rise in violent attacks.

Five attackers, armed with suicide vests and guns, forced their way inside after one of them blew themselves up at the entrance of New Kabul Bank in Gardez, the capital of Paktia province, Abdullah Hasrat the provincial spokesman told AFP.

"People were queueing to receive their monthly salaries from the bank when they were attacked," he said.

Abdul Wali the deputy provincial governor said most of people in the bank were members of the security forces.

"After around two hours of stand off, all the attackers were killed. Unfortunately, two police and a civilian also lost their lives," he said adding that 31 other people were wounded.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but militants such as Taliban and the Islamic State group have previously carried out similar attacks, including on banks where Afghan security forces regularly collect their pay.

In 2014, an attack on Kabul Bank killed at least ten people, including five police, in Lashkar Gah, the capital of volatile Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.

Similarly, a Taliban attack on a bank killed around 40 people in Jalalabad, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province in 2011.

KHOST: Gunmen stormed a bank in southeastern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing three people and wounding over 30 more, officials said, as the country struggles with a rise in violent attacks. Five attackers, armed with suicide vests and guns, forced their way inside after one of them blew themselves up at the entrance of New Kabul Bank in Gardez, the capital of Paktia province, Abdullah Hasrat the provincial spokesman told AFP. "People were queueing to receive their monthly salaries from the bank when they were attacked," he said. Abdul Wali the deputy provincial governor said most of people in the bank were members of the security forces. "After around two hours of stand off, all the attackers were killed. Unfortunately, two police and a civilian also lost their lives," he said adding that 31 other people were wounded. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but militants such as Taliban and the Islamic State group have previously carried out similar attacks, including on banks where Afghan security forces regularly collect their pay. In 2014, an attack on Kabul Bank killed at least ten people, including five police, in Lashkar Gah, the capital of volatile Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. Similarly, a Taliban attack on a bank killed around 40 people in Jalalabad, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province in 2011.
By AFP

BEIJING: China has denied US allegations that two Chinese fighter jets acted unprofessionally in intercepting an American military plane earlier this week, saying that its aircraft were acting in accordance with the law".

"Related remarks from the US side are inconsistent with fact," the Chinese Ministry of Defense said in a statement posted to its website late Friday.

"On May 17, a US reconnaissance aircraft was carrying out an operation in airspace over the Chinese Yellow Sea (the northern part of the East China Sea), and Chinese aircraft acted to identify and investigate in accordance with the law," the statement said, calling the action "professional" and "safe".

The US Air Force said in an earlier statement Friday that its plane, a WC-135 Constant Phoenix, was conducting a "routine mission" in international airspace when it was intercepted by two Chinese Sukhoi SU-30 fighter aircraft.

The WC-135 is a so-called "sniffer plane" designed to scan the atmosphere for signs of nuclear activity.

"The WC-135 was operating in accordance with international law. While we are still investigating the incident, initial reports from the US aircrew characterised the intercept as unprofessional," the Air Force said.

The statement out of Beijing came as Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi discussed preparations for the first round of the China-U.S. diplomatic and security dialogue in a phone conversation Saturday with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted in a statement that Yang and Tillerson "exchanged views... of common concern such as the Korean Peninsula," but did not say whether the aircraft incident was discussed.

Mid-air interceptions occur routinely in international airspace, but the US military will often call out foreign pilots if it judges the manoeuvres to be risky or unprofessional.

Meanwhile, China urged the US to halt such reconnaissance exercises in order to prevent future incidents.

"The American military's frequent reconnaissance operations are the root cause of security issues between the Chinese and US navy and air forces," the Chinese defence ministry's statement said.

BEIJING: China has denied US allegations that two Chinese fighter jets acted unprofessionally in intercepting an American military plane earlier this week, saying that its aircraft were acting in accordance with the law". "Related remarks from the US side are inconsistent with fact," the Chinese Ministry of Defense said in a statement posted to its website late Friday. "On May 17, a US reconnaissance aircraft was carrying out an operation in airspace over the Chinese Yellow Sea (the northern part of the East China Sea), and Chinese aircraft acted to identify and investigate in accordance with the law," the statement said, calling the action "professional" and "safe". The US Air Force said in an earlier statement Friday that its plane, a WC-135 Constant Phoenix, was conducting a "routine mission" in international airspace when it was intercepted by two Chinese Sukhoi SU-30 fighter aircraft. The WC-135 is a so-called "sniffer plane" designed to scan the atmosphere for signs of nuclear activity. "The WC-135 was operating in accordance with international law. While we are still investigating the incident, initial reports from the US aircrew characterised the intercept as unprofessional," the Air Force said. The statement out of Beijing came as Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi discussed preparations for the first round of the China-U.S. diplomatic and security dialogue in a phone conversation Saturday with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted in a statement that Yang and Tillerson "exchanged views... of common concern such as the Korean Peninsula," but did not say whether the aircraft incident was discussed. Mid-air interceptions occur routinely in international airspace, but the US military will often call out foreign pilots if it judges the manoeuvres to be risky or unprofessional. Meanwhile, China urged the US to halt such reconnaissance exercises in order to prevent future incidents. "The American military's frequent reconnaissance operations are the root cause of security issues between the Chinese and US navy and air forces," the Chinese defence ministry's statement said.
By AFP

BRASILIA: Brazil's President Michel Temer fought for his political life today after being accused of attempting to derail a massive corruption investigation known as "Car Wash".

Temer and a senior senator, Aecio Neves, were among those "who attempted to prevent the Car Wash investigations from advancing", Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot wrote in a court filing that was made public today.

The accusation of wide-scale obstruction of justice raised the stakes in a crisis threatening to topple Temer barely a year after the centre-right politician took over from impeached leftist president Dilma Rousseff.

Temer was placed under investigation yesterday over a secretly recorded conversation with a business executive in which the president is purported to have given his blessing to monthly payments of hush money to a jailed politician.

That politician -- former lower house speaker Eduardo Cunha -- is in prison after being convicted of bribe-taking in a sprawling anti-corruption drive named operation "Car Wash".

The investigation has upended Brazil with scores of politicians indicted or subject to probes into alleged bribe taking and embezzlement. And Cunha, formerly one of the most powerful insiders in Congress, has long been rumoured to have threatened to spill secrets on other politicians to prosecutors.

Temer angrily denied any wrongdoing in a televised address yesterday and rebutted mounting calls for his resignation. He had not spoken in public today.

The beleaguered president was holed up at the presidential palace with close aides, a government source, who asked not to be identified, told AFP.

"The government is working on three fronts to end the crisis: political, judicial and economic," the source said.

According to the source, Temer was "angry" and had no intention of stepping down.

However, opponents piled on the pressure, with eight impeachment requests filed in Congress.

There are also calls for large-scale street protests to demand his resignation.

Temer's conservative government has angered millions of Brazilians with its ambitious austerity reforms, which include the planned raising of the retirement age to fix the country's unaffordable pension system.

Temer says the reforms are already helping to end a two-year recession, but with 13.7 per cent unemployment, many Brazilians do not feel the supposed improvements.

Temer is also loathed on the left for his role in the impeachment just a year ago of leftist president Dilma Rousseff. As her vice president, he immediately took over when she was pushed out.

Yesterday, thousands of people demonstrated against Temer in the capital Brasilia and in Rio de Janeiro.

Rousseff's leftist Workers' Party planned nationwide protests on Sunday, with turnout likely proving an important barometer of the national mood.

Even a former chief justice of the Supreme Court, Joaquim Barbosa, called for Temer's head.

"There is no other way out. Brazilians must mobilise, must take to the streets to forcefully demand the immediate resignation of Michel Temer," he said on Twitter.

BRASILIA: Brazil's President Michel Temer fought for his political life today after being accused of attempting to derail a massive corruption investigation known as "Car Wash". Temer and a senior senator, Aecio Neves, were among those "who attempted to prevent the Car Wash investigations from advancing", Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot wrote in a court filing that was made public today. The accusation of wide-scale obstruction of justice raised the stakes in a crisis threatening to topple Temer barely a year after the centre-right politician took over from impeached leftist president Dilma Rousseff. Temer was placed under investigation yesterday over a secretly recorded conversation with a business executive in which the president is purported to have given his blessing to monthly payments of hush money to a jailed politician. That politician -- former lower house speaker Eduardo Cunha -- is in prison after being convicted of bribe-taking in a sprawling anti-corruption drive named operation "Car Wash". The investigation has upended Brazil with scores of politicians indicted or subject to probes into alleged bribe taking and embezzlement. And Cunha, formerly one of the most powerful insiders in Congress, has long been rumoured to have threatened to spill secrets on other politicians to prosecutors. Temer angrily denied any wrongdoing in a televised address yesterday and rebutted mounting calls for his resignation. He had not spoken in public today. The beleaguered president was holed up at the presidential palace with close aides, a government source, who asked not to be identified, told AFP. "The government is working on three fronts to end the crisis: political, judicial and economic," the source said. According to the source, Temer was "angry" and had no intention of stepping down. However, opponents piled on the pressure, with eight impeachment requests filed in Congress. There are also calls for large-scale street protests to demand his resignation. Temer's conservative government has angered millions of Brazilians with its ambitious austerity reforms, which include the planned raising of the retirement age to fix the country's unaffordable pension system. Temer says the reforms are already helping to end a two-year recession, but with 13.7 per cent unemployment, many Brazilians do not feel the supposed improvements. Temer is also loathed on the left for his role in the impeachment just a year ago of leftist president Dilma Rousseff. As her vice president, he immediately took over when she was pushed out. Yesterday, thousands of people demonstrated against Temer in the capital Brasilia and in Rio de Janeiro. Rousseff's leftist Workers' Party planned nationwide protests on Sunday, with turnout likely proving an important barometer of the national mood. Even a former chief justice of the Supreme Court, Joaquim Barbosa, called for Temer's head. "There is no other way out. Brazilians must mobilise, must take to the streets to forcefully demand the immediate resignation of Michel Temer," he said on Twitter.
By Associated Press

BAGHDAD: Two car bombs in southwestern Baghdad killed 11 people, including four police officers, and wounded at least 20, according to Iraqi police and hospital officials.

The first attack targeted a police checkpoint in the neighbourhood and moments later, the second blast hit a nearby street crowded with civilians, the officials said yesterday, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to reporters.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but it bore the hallmarks of the Islamic State group, which has claimed similar bombings in the past.

The attack comes as Iraqi forces, backed by the US-led coalition, are slowly moving in on the last neighbourhoods held by the Islamic State group in Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city.

IS now only holds a handful of neighbourhoods in Mosul, including the Old City where the most intense battles of the operation are expected to play out.

Coalition officials say they believe a few hundred IS fighters remain in Mosul, holding hundreds of thousands of civilians as human shields.

Iraqi commanders have said they hope to fully liberate the city before the holy month of Ramadan, which is to begin at the end of next week.

IS overran Mosul nearly three years ago in a blitz that brought nearly a third of Iraqi territory under the Sunni militant group's control. Since then a massive influx of weapons and training from Iran, as well as a US-led campaign of coalition airstrikes, has clawed back more than half of the territory IS once held.

Iraqi and coalition officials have repeatedly warned that after Mosul, IS will likely return to its insurgent roots as it loses more territory in both Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

BAGHDAD: Two car bombs in southwestern Baghdad killed 11 people, including four police officers, and wounded at least 20, according to Iraqi police and hospital officials. The first attack targeted a police checkpoint in the neighbourhood and moments later, the second blast hit a nearby street crowded with civilians, the officials said yesterday, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to reporters. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but it bore the hallmarks of the Islamic State group, which has claimed similar bombings in the past. The attack comes as Iraqi forces, backed by the US-led coalition, are slowly moving in on the last neighbourhoods held by the Islamic State group in Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city. IS now only holds a handful of neighbourhoods in Mosul, including the Old City where the most intense battles of the operation are expected to play out. Coalition officials say they believe a few hundred IS fighters remain in Mosul, holding hundreds of thousands of civilians as human shields. Iraqi commanders have said they hope to fully liberate the city before the holy month of Ramadan, which is to begin at the end of next week. IS overran Mosul nearly three years ago in a blitz that brought nearly a third of Iraqi territory under the Sunni militant group's control. Since then a massive influx of weapons and training from Iran, as well as a US-led campaign of coalition airstrikes, has clawed back more than half of the territory IS once held. Iraqi and coalition officials have repeatedly warned that after Mosul, IS will likely return to its insurgent roots as it loses more territory in both Iraq and neighbouring Syria.
By Associated Press

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump told Russian diplomats last week his firing of "nut job" James Comey had eased the pressure on him, even as the FBI's Trump-Russia investigation had moved into the White House, according to reports Friday that followed the president as he began his maiden foreign trip.

White House hopes that Trump could leave scandalous allegations at home were crushed in a one-two punch of revelations that landed shortly after his departure. A Washington Post report, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter, said a senior Trump adviser is now considered a "person of interest" in the law enforcement investigation into whether Trump's campaign associates coordinated with Russia in an effort to sway the 2016 election.

And The New York Times reported that the president had told Russian officials he felt the dismissal of his FBI director had relieved "great pressure" on him. The White House has said the firing was unrelated to the FBI's Russia investigation.

The back-to-back headlines were a fresh indication that Trump would not be able to change the subject from what appears to be an intensifying investigation reaching toward the president and his inner circle.

The White House repeated its assertion that a "thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity."

It did not deny the Times report that Trump was critical of Comey to the Russians the day after he fired him.

The Times reported Trump noted the Russia investigation as he told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak of his decision to fire Comey.

"I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," the Times reported that Trump said during the May 10 meeting. "I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off."

White House spokesman Sean Spicer called the president's rhetoric part of his deal-making.

"By grandstanding and politicizing the investigation into Russia's actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia," Spicer said. "The investigation would have always continued, and obviously the termination of Comey would not have ended it. Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations."

As for the separate report of a "person of interest" under investigation, the Post said the senior White House adviser "under scrutiny" is someone close to the president but did not name the person.

Among Trump's senior White House advisers are several former campaign officials, including his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller and Kellyanne Conway. In March, Kushner volunteered to answer lawmakers' questions about meetings he had with Russian officials during the transition.

A spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan said he would not discuss information provided in classified briefings and said the House Oversight committee had already asked for documents related to Comey's firing.

Earlier this week, the Justice Department appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller to take over the federal investigation in an effort to re-establish independence from the White House.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein told Congress Friday he stands by a memo he wrote bluntly criticizing Comey. But he made clear it was not his intention for Trump or other White House officials to use the document to justify firing Comey, which is what they have done.

In closed-door meetings with lawmakers on Thursday and Friday, Rosenstein said he wrote the memo after Trump told him one day before the May 9 firing that he wanted to dismiss Comey. Rosenstein said that though he was personally fond of Comey, "I thought it was appropriate to seek a new leader."

The Justice Department on Friday released the text of Rosenstein's opening remarks for the briefings on Capitol Hill.

Trump has said he plans to nominate a new FBI director soon, but there was no announcement Friday.

The appointment of Mueller as special counsel has drawn generally favorable comments from Democrats and from some Republicans as well. But lawmakers at both congressional sessions expressed frustration that Rosenstein would say little in answer to their questions about his actions  or others'  before Comey's firing.

"There was considerable frustration in the room," said Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., a member of the Armed Services Committee. "This renewed my confidence that we should not have confidence in this administration. I don't think (Rosenstein) did a lot to bolster our confidence in him today."

The White House has struggled since Comey's firing to explain the chain of events that led to it and the Justice Department's involvement in that decision. Trump has insisted at times that the decision was his alone, but he also has pointed to the "very strong" recommendation from Rosenstein.

Rosenstein made it clear to the lawmakers that he drafted his memo only after Trump told him of his plans to dismiss the FBI director. "My memorandum is not a statement of reasons to justify a for-cause termination," he said. But he added, "I wrote it. I believe it. I stand by it."

The memo focused on Comey's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, particularly the FBI director's decision to divulge details to the public at various junctures during her presidential campaign against Trump. Rosenstein denounced that decision as "profoundly wrong and unfair."

Trump has reacted furiously to the appointment of a special counsel, a prosecutor with wide authority to investigate Russia's interference and other potential crimes uncovered. However, at a combative news conference Thursday, he fell short in trying to resolve questions about investigations into his campaign and his first four months in office.

Asked point-blank if he'd done anything that might merit prosecution or even impeachment, Trump said no  and then added of the lingering allegations and questions: "I think it's totally ridiculous. Everybody thinks so."

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump told Russian diplomats last week his firing of "nut job" James Comey had eased the pressure on him, even as the FBI's Trump-Russia investigation had moved into the White House, according to reports Friday that followed the president as he began his maiden foreign trip. White House hopes that Trump could leave scandalous allegations at home were crushed in a one-two punch of revelations that landed shortly after his departure. A Washington Post report, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter, said a senior Trump adviser is now considered a "person of interest" in the law enforcement investigation into whether Trump's campaign associates coordinated with Russia in an effort to sway the 2016 election. And The New York Times reported that the president had told Russian officials he felt the dismissal of his FBI director had relieved "great pressure" on him. The White House has said the firing was unrelated to the FBI's Russia investigation. The back-to-back headlines were a fresh indication that Trump would not be able to change the subject from what appears to be an intensifying investigation reaching toward the president and his inner circle. The White House repeated its assertion that a "thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity." It did not deny the Times report that Trump was critical of Comey to the Russians the day after he fired him. The Times reported Trump noted the Russia investigation as he told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak of his decision to fire Comey. "I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," the Times reported that Trump said during the May 10 meeting. "I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off." White House spokesman Sean Spicer called the president's rhetoric part of his deal-making. "By grandstanding and politicizing the investigation into Russia's actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia," Spicer said. "The investigation would have always continued, and obviously the termination of Comey would not have ended it. Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations." As for the separate report of a "person of interest" under investigation, the Post said the senior White House adviser "under scrutiny" is someone close to the president but did not name the person. Among Trump's senior White House advisers are several former campaign officials, including his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller and Kellyanne Conway. In March, Kushner volunteered to answer lawmakers' questions about meetings he had with Russian officials during the transition. A spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan said he would not discuss information provided in classified briefings and said the House Oversight committee had already asked for documents related to Comey's firing. Earlier this week, the Justice Department appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller to take over the federal investigation in an effort to re-establish independence from the White House. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein told Congress Friday he stands by a memo he wrote bluntly criticizing Comey. But he made clear it was not his intention for Trump or other White House officials to use the document to justify firing Comey, which is what they have done. In closed-door meetings with lawmakers on Thursday and Friday, Rosenstein said he wrote the memo after Trump told him one day before the May 9 firing that he wanted to dismiss Comey. Rosenstein said that though he was personally fond of Comey, "I thought it was appropriate to seek a new leader." The Justice Department on Friday released the text of Rosenstein's opening remarks for the briefings on Capitol Hill. Trump has said he plans to nominate a new FBI director soon, but there was no announcement Friday. The appointment of Mueller as special counsel has drawn generally favorable comments from Democrats and from some Republicans as well. But lawmakers at both congressional sessions expressed frustration that Rosenstein would say little in answer to their questions about his actions  or others'  before Comey's firing. "There was considerable frustration in the room," said Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., a member of the Armed Services Committee. "This renewed my confidence that we should not have confidence in this administration. I don't think (Rosenstein) did a lot to bolster our confidence in him today." The White House has struggled since Comey's firing to explain the chain of events that led to it and the Justice Department's involvement in that decision. Trump has insisted at times that the decision was his alone, but he also has pointed to the "very strong" recommendation from Rosenstein. Rosenstein made it clear to the lawmakers that he drafted his memo only after Trump told him of his plans to dismiss the FBI director. "My memorandum is not a statement of reasons to justify a for-cause termination," he said. But he added, "I wrote it. I believe it. I stand by it." The memo focused on Comey's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, particularly the FBI director's decision to divulge details to the public at various junctures during her presidential campaign against Trump. Rosenstein denounced that decision as "profoundly wrong and unfair." Trump has reacted furiously to the appointment of a special counsel, a prosecutor with wide authority to investigate Russia's interference and other potential crimes uncovered. However, at a combative news conference Thursday, he fell short in trying to resolve questions about investigations into his campaign and his first four months in office. Asked point-blank if he'd done anything that might merit prosecution or even impeachment, Trump said no  and then added of the lingering allegations and questions: "I think it's totally ridiculous. Everybody thinks so."
By ANI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf has called alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav a bigger criminal than 26/11 Mumbai attack perpetrator Ajmal Kasab.

Asserting that Jadhav was involved in espionage and sabotage activities, Musharraf said that the former was a bigger criminal than Ajmal Kasab.

Kasab was just a pawn but Jadhav was fueling terrorism and may have killed a number of people in sabotage activities, ARY News quoted Musharraf as saying.

Speaking about the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) temporary stay of the execution of Jadhav, Musharraf said that Pakistan should not have even appeared in the court as it is a matter of national security.

None has the right to dictate us about our security, he said.

A day after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed the death sentence awarded to former Indian Naval officer and alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav by the Pakistan military court, Islamabad on Friday filed a plea in the Hague to rehear the case within six weeks.

Pakistan was set to re-challenge the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice after it granted injunction on Thursday on an Indian plea to stay Jadhav's execution, Dunya News reported.

The Pakistan's Foreign Office said on Thursday that the ICJ has no jurisdiction over the county's national security matters, which in this instance was the execution of Jadhav.

Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said the decision to challenge the ICJ's jurisdiction was taken after consultation with all government institutions and agencies.

Zakaria said Pakistan's reply to the court was submitted in line with Article 36 of the Vienna Convention.

He pointed out that there exists a bilateral pact on consular access between Pakistan and India since 2008 and added that article 6 of the pact solely relates to consular access being determined on the merit of the case.

Zakaria said, "After India stood exposed on state-sponsored terrorism and financing terrorism, it tried to divert attention by presenting the Kulbushan Jadhav case with a humanitarian angle."

The ICJ, the primary judicial organ of the United Nations, stayed the death sentence awarded to former Indian Naval officer and alleged Indian spy Jadhav by the Pakistan military court, citing that both - India and Pakistan - were bound by the Vienna Convention and that the rights invoked by New Delhi under the Vienna Convention were plausible.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf has called alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav a bigger criminal than 26/11 Mumbai attack perpetrator Ajmal Kasab. Asserting that Jadhav was involved in espionage and sabotage activities, Musharraf said that the former was a bigger criminal than Ajmal Kasab. Kasab was just a pawn but Jadhav was fueling terrorism and may have killed a number of people in sabotage activities, ARY News quoted Musharraf as saying. Speaking about the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) temporary stay of the execution of Jadhav, Musharraf said that Pakistan should not have even appeared in the court as it is a matter of national security. None has the right to dictate us about our security, he said. A day after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed the death sentence awarded to former Indian Naval officer and alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav by the Pakistan military court, Islamabad on Friday filed a plea in the Hague to rehear the case within six weeks. Pakistan was set to re-challenge the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice after it granted injunction on Thursday on an Indian plea to stay Jadhav's execution, Dunya News reported. The Pakistan's Foreign Office said on Thursday that the ICJ has no jurisdiction over the county's national security matters, which in this instance was the execution of Jadhav. Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said the decision to challenge the ICJ's jurisdiction was taken after consultation with all government institutions and agencies. Zakaria said Pakistan's reply to the court was submitted in line with Article 36 of the Vienna Convention. He pointed out that there exists a bilateral pact on consular access between Pakistan and India since 2008 and added that article 6 of the pact solely relates to consular access being determined on the merit of the case. Zakaria said, "After India stood exposed on state-sponsored terrorism and financing terrorism, it tried to divert attention by presenting the Kulbushan Jadhav case with a humanitarian angle." The ICJ, the primary judicial organ of the United Nations, stayed the death sentence awarded to former Indian Naval officer and alleged Indian spy Jadhav by the Pakistan military court, citing that both - India and Pakistan - were bound by the Vienna Convention and that the rights invoked by New Delhi under the Vienna Convention were plausible.
By Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS: The U.S. defense chief warned Friday that a military solution to the standoff with North Korea would be "tragic on an unbelievable scale," while the North vowed to rapidly strengthen its nuclear-strike capability as long as it faces a "hostile" U.S. policy.

North Korea tested a longer-range missile last weekend, which experts say was a significant advance for a weapons program that aims at having a nuclear-tipped missile that can strike America. The test triggered a new U.S.-backed push for a fresh round of U.N. sanctions against the North.

At the United Nations, North Korea's deputy ambassador, Kim In Ryong, was defiant. He said North Korea would never abandon its "nuclear deterrence for self-defense and pre-emptive strike capability" even if the U.S. ratchets up sanctions and pressure "to the utmost."

Speaking to reporters, Kim hailed the test launch and said that if the Trump administration wants peace on the divided Korean Peninsula, it should replace the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War with a peace accord and halt its anti-North Korea policy.

At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the missile test showed North Korea isn't heeding cautions from the international community. However, he stressed the need for a peaceful resolution by working through the U.N. with countries including China, the North's traditional ally and benefactor.

"If this goes to a military solution it is going to be tragic on an unbelievable scale, and so our effort is to work with the U.N., work with China, work with Japan, work with South Korea to try to find a way out of this situation," Mattis said at a news conference.

He said North Korea "probably learned a lot" from last weekend's test. He said the missile went very high and came down, but he would not characterize it as demonstrating the controlled re-entry of a missile.

Guiding a long-range missile to a target on return to Earth is a key technological hurdle that North Korea must overcome in trying to perfect a missile that could threaten the United States. The North also probably has a way to go before it can miniaturize a nuclear warhead to mount on such a missile.

All 15 members of the U.N. Security Council, the world organization's most powerful body, this week called the launch a violation of existing sanctions and vowed to take new measures, including additional sanctions.

Before an emergency meeting of the council Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley declared: "You either support North Korea or you don't, but you have to choose. You have to pick a side."

Kim accused the council of playing "to the tune of the U.S. again" and protested the Trump administration's demand for countries to choose allegiance between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, his country's official name.

President Donald Trump is looking to both China and Russia, the two permanent members on the Security Council that have historically been most sympathetic to North Korea, to join the U.S.-backed campaign of diplomatic and economic pressure on the North to get it to denuclearize.

Asked about Beijing and Moscow's support for the six previous rounds of U.N. sanctions, Kim said both countries are "close neighbors" who "understand our nuclear projection occurred through the U.S. continued nuclear threat and its hostile policy" toward North Korea.

If the United States "persists in anti-DPRK sanctions without understanding its rival, the (Trump) administration will have to take full responsibility for the ensuing catastrophic consequences," he warned.

"The U.S. should mind that the DPRK nuclear striking capability will be strengthened and developed at a rapidly high speed as long as the U.S. insists (on) its anti-DPRK policy, nasty nuclear threats and blackmails, sanction and pressure," Kim said.

UNITED NATIONS: The U.S. defense chief warned Friday that a military solution to the standoff with North Korea would be "tragic on an unbelievable scale," while the North vowed to rapidly strengthen its nuclear-strike capability as long as it faces a "hostile" U.S. policy. North Korea tested a longer-range missile last weekend, which experts say was a significant advance for a weapons program that aims at having a nuclear-tipped missile that can strike America. The test triggered a new U.S.-backed push for a fresh round of U.N. sanctions against the North. At the United Nations, North Korea's deputy ambassador, Kim In Ryong, was defiant. He said North Korea would never abandon its "nuclear deterrence for self-defense and pre-emptive strike capability" even if the U.S. ratchets up sanctions and pressure "to the utmost." Speaking to reporters, Kim hailed the test launch and said that if the Trump administration wants peace on the divided Korean Peninsula, it should replace the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War with a peace accord and halt its anti-North Korea policy. At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the missile test showed North Korea isn't heeding cautions from the international community. However, he stressed the need for a peaceful resolution by working through the U.N. with countries including China, the North's traditional ally and benefactor. "If this goes to a military solution it is going to be tragic on an unbelievable scale, and so our effort is to work with the U.N., work with China, work with Japan, work with South Korea to try to find a way out of this situation," Mattis said at a news conference. He said North Korea "probably learned a lot" from last weekend's test. He said the missile went very high and came down, but he would not characterize it as demonstrating the controlled re-entry of a missile. Guiding a long-range missile to a target on return to Earth is a key technological hurdle that North Korea must overcome in trying to perfect a missile that could threaten the United States. The North also probably has a way to go before it can miniaturize a nuclear warhead to mount on such a missile. All 15 members of the U.N. Security Council, the world organization's most powerful body, this week called the launch a violation of existing sanctions and vowed to take new measures, including additional sanctions. Before an emergency meeting of the council Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley declared: "You either support North Korea or you don't, but you have to choose. You have to pick a side." Kim accused the council of playing "to the tune of the U.S. again" and protested the Trump administration's demand for countries to choose allegiance between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, his country's official name. President Donald Trump is looking to both China and Russia, the two permanent members on the Security Council that have historically been most sympathetic to North Korea, to join the U.S.-backed campaign of diplomatic and economic pressure on the North to get it to denuclearize. Asked about Beijing and Moscow's support for the six previous rounds of U.N. sanctions, Kim said both countries are "close neighbors" who "understand our nuclear projection occurred through the U.S. continued nuclear threat and its hostile policy" toward North Korea. If the United States "persists in anti-DPRK sanctions without understanding its rival, the (Trump) administration will have to take full responsibility for the ensuing catastrophic consequences," he warned. "The U.S. should mind that the DPRK nuclear striking capability will be strengthened and developed at a rapidly high speed as long as the U.S. insists (on) its anti-DPRK policy, nasty nuclear threats and blackmails, sanction and pressure," Kim said.
By Associated Press

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has made himself "very vulnerable personally" amid investigations of his campaign ties with Russia, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Friday.

She pointed to Trump's reported request to now-fired FBI Director James Comey to lay off an investigation of Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser.

"I think the Flynn thing is where the president is very vulnerable personally," Pelosi told The Associated Press in an interview in her office. "If the president, in fact, asked Comey to let up on ... Flynn  you don't do that."

Several House Democrats and liberal groups are pushing for Trump to be impeached, but Pelosi said she was not encouraging  or discouraging  such talk.

"I'm not feeding the flame of any impeachment talk," said Pelosi, who's spent three decades in Congress. "But members are going to do what they're going to do, and their constituents think that the behaviour of the president is appalling."

The California Democrat questioned Trump's fitness for office and said if anyone does it, "the person who's going to impeach Donald Trump is Donald Trump."

Pelosi also reacted to news being reported by The New York Times that Trump told Russian diplomats in his office a day after firing Comey that the FBI director was "a nut job" and the pressure he faced because of Russia was now "taken off."

"I think every day the president gives us more reason to believe that he does not respect the office that he holds. This is a ridiculous statement for him to make," Pelosi said. "Again it's elevating the Russians as his confidante at the expense of our justice system in our country."

Pelosi declined to answer when asked if she believed Trump was of sound mind.

"Oh I hope so, I mean I can't really go to that place," Pelosi said. "There are many people whose judgment I respect who don't think he is, but I'm not going to make any judgment about that. I haven't had that much exposure to him quite frankly."

With Democrats contesting GOP-leaning seats in a couple of upcoming special elections, Pelosi expressed optimism ahead of 2018 midterms that could potentially sweep the Democrats back into control of the House, and make her speaker again. "History is on our side," she said.

She declined to predict that outcome but suggested there were areas where she and Trump could work together in what would be a new era of divided government.

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has made himself "very vulnerable personally" amid investigations of his campaign ties with Russia, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Friday. She pointed to Trump's reported request to now-fired FBI Director James Comey to lay off an investigation of Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser. "I think the Flynn thing is where the president is very vulnerable personally," Pelosi told The Associated Press in an interview in her office. "If the president, in fact, asked Comey to let up on ... Flynn  you don't do that." Several House Democrats and liberal groups are pushing for Trump to be impeached, but Pelosi said she was not encouraging  or discouraging  such talk. "I'm not feeding the flame of any impeachment talk," said Pelosi, who's spent three decades in Congress. "But members are going to do what they're going to do, and their constituents think that the behaviour of the president is appalling." The California Democrat questioned Trump's fitness for office and said if anyone does it, "the person who's going to impeach Donald Trump is Donald Trump." Pelosi also reacted to news being reported by The New York Times that Trump told Russian diplomats in his office a day after firing Comey that the FBI director was "a nut job" and the pressure he faced because of Russia was now "taken off." "I think every day the president gives us more reason to believe that he does not respect the office that he holds. This is a ridiculous statement for him to make," Pelosi said. "Again it's elevating the Russians as his confidante at the expense of our justice system in our country." Pelosi declined to answer when asked if she believed Trump was of sound mind. "Oh I hope so, I mean I can't really go to that place," Pelosi said. "There are many people whose judgment I respect who don't think he is, but I'm not going to make any judgment about that. I haven't had that much exposure to him quite frankly." With Democrats contesting GOP-leaning seats in a couple of upcoming special elections, Pelosi expressed optimism ahead of 2018 midterms that could potentially sweep the Democrats back into control of the House, and make her speaker again. "History is on our side," she said. She declined to predict that outcome but suggested there were areas where she and Trump could work together in what would be a new era of divided government.
By ANI

The 12th Presidential Election in Iran concluded on Saturday with incumbent President Hassan Rouhani being reelected for a second four-year term.

Here is a timeline of Irans Presidents elected till now:

3 August 2013: Hassan Rouhani assumed the Presidential office in August 2013 as the 7th President of the country. During his election campaign he promised to prepare a "civil rights charter", restore the economy and improve rocky relations with Western nations. His 2017 election win has granted him a second term in the office.

3 August 2005  3 August 2013: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad assumed office as the 6th President of Iran in 2005. He was reelected in the 2009 election results that marked Ahmadinejads second term in the presidential office.

3 August 1997  3 August 2005: Mohammad Khatami was the 5th President of Iran. Khatami is regarded as Iran's first reformist president, since the focus of his campaign was on the rule of law, democracy and the inclusion of all Iranians in the political decision-making process.

3 August 1989  3 August 1997: Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was appointed as the 4th President of Iran in 1989. He served another term by winning the election in 1993. He supported a free market position domestically, favoring privatization of state-owned industries and a moderate position internationally, seeking to avoid conflict with the United States and the West.

13 October 1981  3 August 1989: The current Supreme Leader of Iran, Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei was appointed as the 3rd President of Iran in 1981. He achieved his 1981 win by a landslide of 97 percent votes. He was the first cleric to assume the political office of President.

2 August 1981  30 August 1981: Mohammad-Ali Rajai assumed office as the 2nd President of Iran but was assassinated in a bombing on 30 August 1981 along with Prime Minister Mohammad-Javad Bahonar.

5 February 1980  20 June 1981: Sayyed Abolhassan Banisadr was the first Iranian president after the Iranian Revolution that abolished monarchy. The Iranian Parliament impeached Banisadr in his absence on 21 June 1981, because of his moves against the clerics in power, particular Mohammad Beheshti who was the then head of the judicial system.

The 12th Presidential Election in Iran concluded on Saturday with incumbent President Hassan Rouhani being reelected for a second four-year term. Here is a timeline of Irans Presidents elected till now: 3 August 2013: Hassan Rouhani assumed the Presidential office in August 2013 as the 7th President of the country. During his election campaign he promised to prepare a "civil rights charter", restore the economy and improve rocky relations with Western nations. His 2017 election win has granted him a second term in the office. 3 August 2005  3 August 2013: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad assumed office as the 6th President of Iran in 2005. He was reelected in the 2009 election results that marked Ahmadinejads second term in the presidential office. 3 August 1997  3 August 2005: Mohammad Khatami was the 5th President of Iran. Khatami is regarded as Iran's first reformist president, since the focus of his campaign was on the rule of law, democracy and the inclusion of all Iranians in the political decision-making process. 3 August 1989  3 August 1997: Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was appointed as the 4th President of Iran in 1989. He served another term by winning the election in 1993. He supported a free market position domestically, favoring privatization of state-owned industries and a moderate position internationally, seeking to avoid conflict with the United States and the West. 13 October 1981  3 August 1989: The current Supreme Leader of Iran, Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei was appointed as the 3rd President of Iran in 1981. He achieved his 1981 win by a landslide of 97 percent votes. He was the first cleric to assume the political office of President. 2 August 1981  30 August 1981: Mohammad-Ali Rajai assumed office as the 2nd President of Iran but was assassinated in a bombing on 30 August 1981 along with Prime Minister Mohammad-Javad Bahonar. 5 February 1980  20 June 1981: Sayyed Abolhassan Banisadr was the first Iranian president after the Iranian Revolution that abolished monarchy. The Iranian Parliament impeached Banisadr in his absence on 21 June 1981, because of his moves against the clerics in power, particular Mohammad Beheshti who was the then head of the judicial system.
Srinagar, May 20 (IBNS): Jamnu and Kashmir police personnel fled with four INSAS rifles from Food Corporation of India gowdown in central Kashmiras Budgam district on Saturday evening.

According to reports, constable Syed Mushtaq fled and took along with him his own INSAS rifles from Food Corporation of India (FCI) godown at Chandpora village in Budgam area.

A departmental inquiry has been ordered into the incident.



(Reporting by Saleem Qadri, Image: Old picture of Kashmri street)
Food Scene: Newport County options that have Thanksgiving covered

Staying home or hitting the road, theres one foolproof way to make sure your Thanksgiving feast is both easy and memorable.
Cannes, May 20 (IBNS): Making her evergreen charming presence felt on the second day of the ongoing Cannes festival, Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai Bachchan made her appearance in the gala event in a classic all-black ensemble by Lebanese design house Ashi Studi.

The diva looked gorgeous in a beautiful black off-shoulder dress with an asymmetrical hemline paired with towering black platform heels.

Sharing one of her pictures, cosmetic brand L'Oreal Paris India tweeted: "Makeup : Color Riche Moist Mat Orange Power, Super Liner Perfect Slim Blue, Superstar Mascara, Lucent Magique Blush in Paradise Coral."

Aishwarya and her make up at the Cannes event every years earns attraction of her fans across the globe.

She is known for her performance in Bollywood movie like 'Josh' and 'Devdas'.

This year, another Indian beauty Deepika Padukone also grabbed headlines with her powerful presence and outfit at the event.

Image: L'Oreal Paris India Twitter page
Reporter

Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
In June 2012, a 60 year-old man with flu-like symptoms walked into a private hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Two weeks later, he died from multiple organ failure, becoming the first victim of a mysterious virus that came to be known as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or MERS.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified MERS as an urgent threat with no vaccine or treatment in sight. This could change thanks to a new anti-viral tool, developed by University of Toronto researchers.

Writing in the journal PLoS Pathogens, the team led by Professor Sachdev Sidhu, of the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research and Department of Molecular Genetics, describe how they turned ubiquitin, a staple protein in every cell, into a drug capable of thwarting MERS in cultured human cells. Because the technology can be applied to a wide range of pathogens, it could become a game-changer in anti-viral therapeutics with implications for human health and the farming industry.

"Vaccines are important for prevention, but there is a great need for anti-viral medicines to treat people who have become infected," says Dr. Wei Zhang, a postdoctoral research fellow in Sidhu's lab who did most of the work on the study.

MERS is similar to SARS, the virus that killed almost 800 people in a 2002 global epidemic. Both kill upwards of a third of people infected and, like many viruses, emerged from animals--bats and camels in the case of MERS--after mutating into a form capable of infecting human cells. Although MERS has so far been detected in 27 countries since the first case emerged in 2012, the outbreak has largely been contained within Saudi Arabia, according to the WHO.

Like many viruses, MERS works by hijacking the ubiquitin system in human cells composed of hundreds of proteins that rely on ubiquitin to keep the cells alive and well. Upon infection, viral enzymes alter ubiquitin pathways in a way that allows the virus to evade the immune defense while multiplying and destroying the host tissue as it spreads in the body.

Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

"Viruses have evolved proteins that allow them to hijack host proteins. We can now devise strategies to prevent this from happening," says Zhang.

Zhang and colleagues engineered the human ubiquitin protein into a new form that paralyses a key MERS enzyme, stopping the virus from replicating. These synthetic ubiquitin variants act quickly, completely eliminating MERS from cells in a dish within 24 hours.

The researchers also created UbVs that blocks the Crimean-Congo virus, the cause of a haemorrhagic fever that kills about 40 per cent of those infected.

And they're designed to only target only the virus -- hopefully minimizing side effects in any future drug.

But before these engineered proteins can be developed into medicine, researchers first must find a way to deliver them into the right part of the body. For this, Zhang and Sidhu are working with Dr. Roman Melnyk, a biochemist in The Hospital for Sick Children and a world expert in protein delivery.

The team is also investigating the possibility of finding drugs that work in a similar manner but can already cross the cell membrane.

It is likely that the proteins will be tested first in plants and animals where regulatory approvals are less strict than they are for human drugs. "We are also working on an engineered ubiquitin that targets a corn virus responsible for destroying large swaths of corn fields in North America, with colleagues in Manitoba," says Zhang.

In the meantime, Zhang will continue to improve delivery of his designer proteins to human cells that target not only MERS but also other viruses. He hopes others will follow suit.

"With our tool, we can quickly generate anti-viral medicine and we hope that our method will inspire other researchers to try it out against diverse pathogens," says Zhang.
Through integration with a wearable thermometer, the Thermia online health educational tool developed at Boston Children's Hospital has enabled prediction of seasonal influenza outbreaks in China one month earlier than before, according to a new study in the American Journal of Public Health.

"The fact that we were able to predict influenza outbreaks faster than China's national surveillance programs really shows the capacity for everyday, wearable digital health devices to track the spread of disease at the population level," said the study's lead author Yulin Hswen, who is a research fellow in Boston Children's Computational Epidemiology Group and a doctoral candidate at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.

Although the Boston Children's team has previously demonstrated that social media can be used to track disease, this is the first time that they've shown that outbreaks can be predicted through an integrated wearable device and online tool.

"Collectively we are still coming to terms with the data deluge from wearable devices, but it is imperative that we begin to generate value from this data," says the study's senior author Jared Hawkins, PhD, who is director of informatics at Boston Children's Innovation and Digital Health Accelerator (IDHA). "From a public health perspective -- as we have shown with this latest study -- there is enormous potential for tapping this data for research, surveillance and influencing policy."

Thermia, a fever educational tool created by the Boston Children's team, works as a standalone digital application or can receive a child's temperature reading directly through the iThermonitor, an FDA-approved, patch-like wearable thermometer that is worn under the arm. This integration is possible under a license agreement between Boston Children's and the iThermonitor's manufacturer, Raiing Medical Inc., which is based in China.

In China, the Thermia-empowered iThermonitor has gained popularity among digitally-savvy parents who have purchased the wearable device to monitor their child's temperature. When iThermonitor detects a fever, parents can access Thermia via web or mobile and answer online questions about the child's current symptoms and medical history.

Data collected from these interactions is anonymized and analyzed by the Boston Children's team to enable disease tracking. Using this method, the team collected nearly 45,000 data points from China's Thermia users between 2014 and 2016. They discovered that outbreaks of "influenza-like illnesses", which had the hallmark signs of influenza, could be detected digitally in real time.

In comparison to the influenza surveillance data collected by the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) of the People's Republic of China, the data from iThermonitor and Thermia revealed influenza outbreaks an entire month earlier.

"Delays in clinically-reported data and lack of data availability contribute to the challenges of identifying outbreaks rapidly," says John Brownstein, PhD, who is the chief innovation officer at Boston Children's and director of the Computational Epidemiology Lab and the IDHA. "As a result, we have more and more opportunities to use real-time, low-cost digital solutions like Thermia to improve disease surveillance."

In China, for example, the National Health and Family Planning Commission normally conducts their influenza surveillance by reporting and confirming cases as children are seen by clinicians at health facilities.

But this kind of traditional disease surveillance program is susceptible to lag time before an emerging outbreak is recognized. Factors that contribute to this lag time include patients' proximity and likelihood of traveling to a clinic, the availability of trained clinicians who can identify the signs of influenza and whether or not local laboratory resources are available to confirm cases.

In contrast, China has 620 million mobile internet users who can theoretically access the standalone Thermia application from any computer, smartphone or even the Amazon Alexa assistant.

"In geographically large and densely populated countries like China, tools like Thermia can provide better on-the-ground disease surveillance than by relying on data that is only captured at the point of treatment in the clinic," says Hswen.
EXPERTS at the University of Huddersfield are researching the emergence of a new style of family creation that sees couples "adopt" embryos and, after the child is born, remain in contact with the donors and in many cases develop a special relationship with them.

Some of the couples who have experienced the system - so far available only in the USA and New Zealand - have given highly positive responses to the UK-based research team.

One comment from a recipient who had made contact with an embryo donor was: "Not only were we given our daughter, but a whole family too - two families actually, or one big family."

The researchers are Dr Lucy Frith, who is Reader in Bioethics at the University of Liverpool; University of Huddersfield Professor Emeritus Eric Blyth, an authority on social work who has a long track record of research into infertility treatments; and University of Huddersfield senior lecturer Dr Steve Lui, who has a background working and researching in the field of embryology.

The team has been examining the policies of the Snowflakes Embryo Adoption Program, operated in the USA by the organization Nightlight Christian Adoptions. In 1997, when it discovered that thousands of human embryos were being stored in fertility clinics, this group began to connect couples who had stored embryos that they did not plan to use themselves with couples who could not conceive and it encourages them to remain in contact.

The pairings have resulted in the birth of over 500 babies, and a number of the children have met the women and men whose genetic material they carry, and their full genetic siblings living in donor families. This summer, many of them will attend an event celebrating the 20th anniversary of the scheme.

In the UK, children who are born as the result of egg, sperm and embryo donation have the right, once they reach 18, to ask the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to disclose the identity of their biological parents.

Therefore, the Snowflakes Embryo Adoption Program in the USA proved to be a valuable research opportunity for the UK researchers. They hope to continue the project - monitoring developments as the children who resulted from adopted embryos become older. Their current findings have been reported in a new article.

Titled Family building using embryo adoption: relationships and contact arrangements between provider and recipient families, it appears in the leading journal Human Reproduction.

The Snowflakes organization offered its clients the opportunity to participate in the research, conducted by email. The article describes study participants' responses and the statistical data that it yielded. Phase Two of the project provided participants in the embryo adoption program with the opportunity to give their appraisal of the scheme and several comments from both recipient and donor couples are relayed in the article. They include:

Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

 To be able to have an open adoption so our children could know each other and we could watch our biological children grow up; that option was priceless for us.

 It is extremely important to us that some kind of contact is maintained with the adopting family. We would like our own children to know of their distant siblings, and, if possible, develop a relationship with them.

 We want [child] to have a positive sense of identity. We want her to know her story and history (as complete as possible). Understanding her history and where she comes from will help her to understand who she is.

 We are all family now. No other questions or decisions are needed. They are great folks and the girls are sisters which is what is most important to me.

In their conclusion, the article's authors acknowledge that: "The use of embryos provided by a third party for family building is a contested form of reproductive technology. A conditional program of embryo donation, such as that which operates in New Zealand and of which Snowflakes is an example, is even more contentious and couching embryo donation as adoption has caused controversy".

But they add that "conditional or embryo adoption programs could provide an alternative to an anonymous, clinic-based model and give those who have unused embryos the opportunity to choose who they wish to donate to and if they wish to have and maintain contact in the longer term".

Dr Steve Lui, one of the researchers, said that an open adoption system could prove to be better. It enables children to learn about genetic factors that could be important for medical reason.

"Also, the issue of 'where do I come from?' is very important for the child in the long term. If you are open about it, then it won't come as a shock at a later point in their life."

Professor Blyth added: "Our study sheds light on how different families that become connected to each other following open embryo donation/adoption relate to each other. This is likely to become a more common pattern of family relations as policies and practices regarding gamete and embryo donation embrace increased transparency."
Srinagar: Two terrorists and two soldiers were killed on Saturday as the Army foiled an infiltration bid in Nowgam sector of Handwara, Jammu and Kashmir.



An infiltration bid was foiled by alert troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Nowgam sector. Two infiltrating terrorists were killed, an Army official told PTI.



He said two soldiers were also killed in the operation, which was still going on.



Sources said another encounter is on at Ramhal, also in Handwara.






New York, May 19(Just Earth News): A United Nations cybersecurity expert says that cybercrime is ultimately preventable, and that the internet a even the hidden so-called adark neta a has very good elements to it.

That may seem difficult to believe for people in the 150 countries hit by the WannaCry ransomware, some of whom have had to pay hundreds of dollars in digital currency, Bitcoin, to get back photos of their families and other files on their laptops, or the families unable to board a train in Germany or see a doctor in the United Kingdom.

Law enforcement and diplomats have been warning people of ransomware for some time, but this is really the first time that weve seen an attack of this size, said Neil Walsh, Chief of Cyber and Emerging Crime at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Last Fridays attack was due to a strain of Windows ransomware  which like the name suggests, encrypts files and holds them ransom. It entered individual systems as a compressed zip file through a security loophole in the Windows operating systems, and went on to scramble information in hundreds of thousands of machines belonging to hospitals, banks and other organizations around the world.

Walsh told UN News that the attack attributes its success to the fact that the operating systems used by those companies were old and did not have a security patch.

His advice boils down to clicking yes to software updates, using an up-to-date antivirus system, and backing up data into a device separate from the computer.

If you werent expecting an attachment from someone, or it looks strange, dont open it, Walsh added.

Headquartered in Vienna, and with teams in Guatemala, El Salvador, Tunisia and Thailand, Walshs role is to help create an inter-governmental response to cybercrime. That involves, in part, public outreach about internet risk, including to children and their parents, and working with police, prosecutors and judges around the world to improve how cases are investigated and tried.

Despite the increased number of cybercrimes in the past several years, some governments do not understand cyber risk, he said.

It still never fails to amaze me that some governments say we dont have cybercrime in our country, we dont see any threat here, Walsh noted. And technically that means that they dont have the capability to identify, to look for and to respond to it. So my role, and the role of my people, is to help governments understand that and to help them put strategies in place to minimize that risk to them.

His teams also work with victims, to make sure that they have avenues to report crimes to the police, and sometimes seeking redress from a non-governmental organization or charity.

Theres no such thing as a victimless crime, and thats the same in cyberspace as in crime committed in the physical world, he added.

From I Love You to Botnets

Cybercrime has evolved since the Melissa and I Love You computer worms in 1999 and 2000, becoming more common and more destructive.

If we look back on some of the attacks weve seen over even in the past six months, one of the most common threats outside of ransomware that weve seen is called a botnet, Walsh said.

Bots are malware that sneak into a persons computer and quietly wait for commands. These zombie-like devices can then be used as part of a network, or botnet, for possible attacks.

What that means is that cyber criminals have taken over lots of different devices that are connected to the internet. Now I dont mean traditional computers or smart phones, I mean everything from refrigerators to CCTV cameras to TVs. By compromising these devices, its possible for a cybercriminal to cause real harm, the UN expert said.

That means more than getting a shopping password or stealing a credit card number  it could be shutting down the telephone system in a country or compromising a nuclear plant.

If we consider this sort of weaponization of cyberspace and the impact that that could have, especially on developing countries, it could be enormous. If you had a significant cyberattack on a country that had no real capability to respond to a threat to its critical national infrastructure, you could have an immediate and long-standing impact.

Despite these threats, cybersecurity is still often viewed as the role of an IT department. There is not even an agreed-on definition of cybercrime around the world.

Its one of those things that has become quite politically nuanced, Walsh said. Our role here at UNODC is to help those political and diplomatic discussions, but also to help the investigations happen, irrespective of the definition behind it, because the crime still happens irrespective of what were calling it.

In that context, UNODC has advocated for a free and open internet that would only be used for good, the UN expert said.

Cybercrime is ultimately preventable, he said. If you know what the risk is, youre less likely to become a victim.

Photo: Credit UNODC.

Source: www.justearthnews.com
In April 2013, there was another brutal assault in the heart of the national capital. A 5-year-old girl was gangraped by two men, who further went on to insert candles and bottles into her private parts. It draws sharp parallels to what happened to the 23-year-old paramedical student just four months before, on December 16, 2012.

The case is still under trial. There is no hearing in the case. They just keep giving us date after date. Then on those dates, either the judge is absent or the lawyer is on leave, says the girls father, who wishes to remain unidentified. The court, he says, is still trying to ascertain whether one of the accused is a minor.

We kept changing homes because we were scared of the stigma that may come with people knowing about the crime, says the father, adding that changing homes has not helped in making things better for the family of four.

In the aftermath of the gruesome attack, there were many who came to help. But, they soon disappeared. Till six months after the incident, there were NGOs and politicians who were in touch with us, telling us not to lose hope. But now, everyone has disappeared. Where these people who promised to get us justice? says the minors father, as she looks at his daughter playing in the house. I love watching cartoons and I love to draw. When I grow up, I want to become a teacher, the little girl smiles

Millions of eyes stayed glued to their television sets on May 5, 2017, as they waited for the Supreme Court verdict on the ghastly Nirbhaya gang rape case. The court upheld the death sentence for all four accused in the case, which shook the conscience of the nation.While the nation rejoiced as justice was served to Indias daughter, a household in Gurugram, just about an hours drive from the Supreme Court, cried tears of joy too, even as their hearts broke into a million pieces. Joy because the verdict brought hope of a similar justice to their daughter, and heartbreak because their daughter has been denied justice for so long.The assault left the girl, now 9-years-old, with a perineal tear. The minor underwent six surgeries, her family shifted homes four times over six months and finally left Delhi to protect their privacy. Now, settled in Gurugram, the family has been running pillar to post to get justice.One of the two men is saying that he was a minor at the time of the crime. For the past four years, the court is still trying to prove his age, says the girls uncle, who follows up on the case closely since he stays in Delhi.The girl is never left alone. Her mother accompanies her every time she steps out of the house and doesnt even leave her alone inside the house. Her father has taken up a job as a peon in the school that she goes to. Her younger brother accompanies her back from school, come what may.Our daughter has forgotten about it. All that she knows is that she was sick for a very long time, but is now healthy, says the minors mother. The men have ruined my daughters life. I want nothing less than death for her perpetrators, she adds.His daughters oblivion to her own trauma is a blessing in disguise, but is also a cause of worry for the family.Shes growing up, and if the hearing and judgment come at an age when shes able to comprehend things, then well have to tell her the truth and make her face facts. We dont know who to deal with that. But, the bigger concern for us is to get her the justice my daughter deserves. Im ready to face anything for that, says the father.
In our demonstration, we showed how to change the motherboard of an EVM, but the EC has put a restriction on that ... If you do not allow people to explore the machines and remove the chip, then how can one prove that it can be hacked. Those who want to hack EVMs will not tell the EC how they will go about it. Give people a chance to open the machines and its parts, he said.

The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday objected to some of the terms and conditions announced by the Election Commission for the Electronic Voting Machine hacking challenge and demanded full freedom to open the machines for the experts to analyze how they function.Setting conditions for hacking EVMs is akin to asking someone to swim with his hands and legs tied, said senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh.Singh said an AAP delegation would meet officials of the Election Commission to have more clarity on the proposed event on June 3.The challenge to prove that EVMs can be manipulated will start from June 3 in which political parties can use machines which were deployed in the recently held assembly polls.The challenge would only be open to national and state parties which contested the Assembly polls in five statesUttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjaband they would not be allowed to change the motherboard of EVMs and take the machines home to prove at a later date that they can be tampered with.
Police told the court that they have the details of that phone call during which the name of an Election Commission official also cropped up.

Dinakaran was arrested on the night of April 25 after four days of questioning for allegedly attempting to bribe unidentified EC officials to get the undivided AIADMKs two leaves election symbol.

AIADMK leader TTV Dinakaran not only plotted to bribe an Election Commission official to win the partys symbol war, but also told his alleged middleman Sukesh Chandrasekhar to make the bypoll fall on a date that added to five as per numerology, Delhi Police told a court on Saturday.In their submission to the Tis Hazari court, the Delhi Police said they have a recorded phone conversation between Dinakaran and Sukesh to prove the same. Police said the two used to communicate mostly on WhatsApp but on the intervening night of April 15 and 16 this year, they spoke over the phone.The court will on Monday rule on Sukeshs bail plea.Dinakaran, his close aide Mallikarjuna, alleged middleman Sukesh and suspected hawala operator Nathu Singh have been lodged in judicial custody till May 29.His name had surfaced after police arrested conman Sukesh Chandrasekar who had allegedly told Dinakaran that he had contacts in the EC and would help his faction get the election symbol.The EC had frozen the AIADMKs symbol after two factions of the party  one led by Dinakarans aunt Sasikala and the other by former chief minister O Panneerselvam  staked a claim to it.
New Delhi: Two powerful regional satraps have so far firmly backed President Pranab Mukherjee for a second term in office. Both Mamata Banerjee and Nitish Kumar have been unequivocal in their support for the octogenarian leader.



Playing out very subtly in the ongoing shadow dancing on Presidential Polls is an election in West Bengal which may well define the contours of the anti-BJP front at the national level.



Nominations for the six Rajya Sabha seats from the state will begin later this month, and the ruling Trinamool Congress is in a position to send 5 nominees to the Upper House of the Parliament.



The politics for the sixth seat has, however, taken a curious turn. Forty-two first preference votes are required to get elected to the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal. The Congress had two more than the stipulated benchmark.



It's a wafer-thin margin, and a few votes here and there can lead to embarrassment at a time when the Congress' fortunes are at an all-time low.



Earlier, the Congress had proposed to back CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury to the lone non-TMC seat from the state. With CPM turning down the offer, TMC has moved in quickly to use this opportunity to further isolate the Left in West Bengal, thereby also in national politics.



Sources suggest that TMC is willing to support the Congress candidate for a comfortable victory in the Rajya Sabha polls. And amid this political jostling, one person who seems to have suddenly emerged as a serious contender for the Upper House seat from the Congress quota is President Pranab Mukherjee's daughter, Sharmistha.



TMC sources suggest the party is not averse to backing the Delhi Congress leader who joined politics a few years ago. Sharmistha Mukherjee has since been active in Delhi politics. She contested and lost the last assembly polls from Greater Kailash seat in South Delhi.



Mamata Banerjee's recent advice to the state unit "not to speak about the Congress" is being seen as an indication of changing dynamics in the West Bengal politics. During her recent visit to Delhi, TMC chief had held a meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice-President Rahul on Presidential Polls and current political situation.



These disruptions in the state politics have set the cat among the pigeons within the West Bengal unit of the Congress. The party in the last general elections had informally aligned with the Left. The residual leadership in the party after Mamata broke away more than a decade back is primarily averse to any truck with the TMC. This section has had reservations about aligning with an off-shoot of the Congress which has grown bigger than the mother-party over the years.



This is why there are reports that the Congress legislature party had sought high command should consult the state unit before nominating anyone for the Rajya Sabha. State President Adhir Ranjan Choudhury is a fierce adversary for Mamata Banerjee and has never seen the TMC leader eye to eye.



A section in the Congress is also pushing for a neutral candidate, acceptable to all. Former Supreme Court Judge Ashok Ganguli's candidature is thus being floated by a section of the Congress to offset any moves which may lead to a TMC-Congress alliance.


New Delhi: Sartaj Aziz, the foreign affairs advisor to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, on Saturday said that the International Court of Justice's order in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case was silent on consular access to India.



Accusing Indian media of distorting ICJ's observations, Aziz said, "ICJ has just stayed the execution, but hasn't said anything on the consular access," adding that Pakistan will try again for a quick hearing in the case.



Emphasising that Pakistan needed to strengthen its legal team, he said that they had just four-five days to prepare for the hearing, and the ICJ order was not a setback for Pakistan.



Aziz cleared the air on the remarks he had made before a Pakistani military court handed down a death penalty to the Indian National Kulbhushan Jadhav on charges of "subversive activities".



The dossier on Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav contained mere statements. It did not have any conclusive evidence, Aziz had told a full Senate chamber of Pakistan Parliament, according to Geo TV on December 7, 2016.



However, Aziz on Saturday retracted his statement, saying he never said that "evidence against Jadhav was not enough." "What I meant was the 'dossier' didn't have anything against Jadhav... a media channel quoted the dossier as evidence," he said.



On ICJ staying the execution of Kulbhsuhan Jadhav until proceedings were on at the international court, Aziz said that the ICJ cannot "set aside the sentence awarded to Jadhav, but will just oversee our procedure."



The ICJ had denied Pakistan the permission to play the confessional video of Kulbhushan Jadhav during the hearing. However, the Pakistan Foreign Affairs advisor claimed that video was seen by the bench in the chamber.
When the accused tried to again rape her at her home on Friday night, the woman grabbed a sharp object and chopped off his penis. She reportedly called the police herself.

A law student in Kerala was forced to take the law into her own hands on Friday night to end an eight-year-old cycle of rape and abuse. The 23-year-old woman chopped off the penis of a 54-year-old self-styled godman who had allegedly been raping her since she was in Class 12.Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan hailed the womans brave step. Its a good thing the girl did, he said at a press conference.According to a police complaint filed by the woman, the accused, identified as Swamy Gangeshananda, a member of the Kollam-based Panmana Ashram, had been raping her at her home for the last eight years. The woman said he first raped her when she was 16 years old.The woman said she did not approach police because she thought Gangeshananda would get bail and attack other women. She wanted to make sure he could not target anyone in future.The accused was rushed to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College where an emergency surgery was performed. Hospital officials, however, said that 90% of his penis was cut off and was not in a position to be re-attached.Police sources said the accused said in his statement that he mutilated himself."A 54-year-old man from Kollam was admitted at 12.39 am to the hospital on Saturday. His penis had been cut (90%) and there was no way it could be stitched back. Plastic surgeons who are urology experts in the hospital did emergency surgery to stop the blood loss and to enable him to pass urine," a statement by the hospital said.He has been booked under Section 376 (Rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO). He has reportedly told the police that he had chopped off his penis himself.In her statement, the rape survivor said her mother knew about the crime. Media reports said the mother has also been detained as she failed to report the case.In the police complaint, the law student has said that her mother was also sexually abused by the accused. Her father suffered a paralysis attack a few years ago. They were followers of the ashram, local media reported.Sources said the mother told investigators that the accused is a good person and could not have committed such a crime.Gangeshananda would stay at their house whenever he visited Trivandrum. They had a separate room for him.A senior police official told PTI that no case had been registered against the woman.In a statement, the Panmana Ashram, which was founded by social reformer Chattambi Swamikal, said, The Swamy had left the ashram 15 years ago after completing his studies.Prameela Devi, member of the Kerala State Women's Commission, said she was proud of the woman. Such an act by anyone especially when it comes under the guise of a religious tag, irrespective of the religion, is in no way acceptable, as such people should be role models to all, Devi said.Soon after the incident was reported, an old photo of state BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan with the accused surfaced on social media. In a statement Rajasekharan said, The accused has participated in sanyasi sammelans in the state. I have met almost all the sanyasis in the state. But this accused has no relationship with either the BJP or the NDA.(With inputs from News18 Kerala)
"Since the ICJ has almost a universal jurisdiction, we get a varied number of cases, but most of these matters relate to land and sea boundary," the official said.



The hearing of the Kulbhushan Jadhav case at the International Court of Justice may have been a rare one as the world court often focusses only on matters related to maritime and territorial dispute.The ICJ had on Thursday stayed the execution of Jadhav who was sentenced to death by a Pakistan military court on charges of espionage. Currently, there are 15 cases, including Jadhav's, before the ICJ. Of these seven are about maritime and territorial dispute, PTI reported.An information officer at the ICJ told PTI the number of cases at The Hague was increasing steadily, but did not give figures.For instance, there is a maritime dispute between Nicaragua and Costa Rica in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. A similar dispute over maritime boundary in the Indian Ocean is pending with the court involving Somalia and Kenya.The question of delimitation of the continental shelf between Nicaragua and Colombia beyond 200 nautical miles from the Nicaraguan coast is also awaiting a decision.There are also cases such as Iran instituting proceedings against the United States with regard to a dispute concerning alleged violations of the 1955 Treaty of Amity.The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations with a seat at the Peace Palace in The Hague in the Netherlands.It began work in 1946, when it replaced the Permanent Court of International Justice which had functioned in the Peace Palace since 1922.The court is composed of 15 judges elected to nine-year terms of office by the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council.Elections are held every three years for one-third of the seats, and retiring judges may be re-elected. The members of the Court do not represent their governments but are independent magistrates.An Indian judge, Justice Dalveer Bhandari, is among the the judges at the ICJ.(With PTI Inputs)
New Delhi: The Narendra Modi-government is set to give another term in office to countrys top law officer Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi.



Sources have confirmed to CNN-News18 that the decks have been cleared to grant an extension to Rohatgi, whose three-year term is expiring on June 11.



The Prime Ministers Office and the Law Ministry have sent informal messages to the senior lawyer that he remains their first choice for the crucial post.



In what may be construed as his tacit approval, Rohatgi has continued accepting briefs from government departments although some of these cases are to come up for hearing after his current term in the office ends.



Moreover, on Friday, on being asked by a Supreme Court bench about his availability to argue a PIL relating to Aadhaar, Rohatgi preferred June 27 -- a fortnight after the AG's present tenure expires. This may be seen as another strong indication of Rohatgi's willingness to continue.



The Law Minister, as per the convention, speaks to the law officers to seek their consent, which is later reproduced in notifications of their appointment.



There had been murmurs regarding the PMOs readiness to continue with Rohatgi, given the fact that the NDA government lost the high-pitched battle on validity of the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) when the AG was leading from the front.



There were questions also raised on his intrepid and "aggressive" style of arguing the matters but it seems, all issues were put to rest when it was noticed that the government did not suffer any major jolt from the Supreme Court apart from the NJAC verdict. Rohatgis acumen in defending Aadhaar and averting multiple attempts to get the Aadhaar Act stayed also weighed in.



Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar is also likely to be retained, sources say. Kumar was appointed on June 7, 2014 for a three-year-term while the AGs appointments had come four days later.



Out of six Additional Solicitors General (ASGs), one, namely Neeraj Kishan Kaul, will however be not in the government's legal team anymore.



Kaul has communicated to the Law Ministry his indisposition to continue. Kaul has returned briefs, making it clear to the litigation department that he would demit office on completion of the tenure.



According to the sources, whether ASG P S Patwalia would continue or not is uncertain and the Law Ministry is waiting for an emphatic answer from Patwalia.





Four other ASGsManinder Singh, Tushar Mehta, P S Narasimha and Pinky Anandare likely to continue for another term.
Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said linking tourism and development in the Northeast and making it a tourist destination for people from all over the world is the "Prime Minister's dream".

Sources in the Tourism Ministry told PTI that the government is keen to change the popular perception about the Northeast as a "security nightmare" plagued with insurgency. "And what better way to showcase its safety than to have senior Union ministers stay there overnight," a source said.

The BJP's MODI (Making of Developed India) Festival, scheduled to begin on May 26 to mark the third anniversary of its government, is likely to be launched from the Northeast by the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly asked his ministers visiting northeastern states to spend at least one night there to send out a message that the insurgency-hit region is safe for all.The directive comes two years after the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) planned fortnightly visits of Union ministers to the region, PTI reported."To ensure that, he has asked all the Union ministers to not only take trips to the Northeast states, but also to stay the night there," he said.As a result of this move, Sharma visited Assam in the first week of April to be part of the Namami Brahmaputra Festival, which is the biggest river festival in Guwahati.Sharma will follow this up with a visit to Manipur on Saturday to attend the Siroy Lily Festival which began on May 16. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh also visited the region in the second week of this month to participate in a tourism event.BJP president Amit Shah too had recently made a trip to Tripura.(With PTI inputs)
New York, May 20(Just Earth News): Amid rising violence in Venezuela, the United Nations human rights chief has expressed regret that the Latin American countryas opposition leader was allegedly blocked from leaving the country for New York, where they were planning to meet.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein has said on Twitter that he regrets that Henrique Capriles was unable to travel and hoped that the incident is not a reprisal linked to the planned meeting with him in New York on Friday, Zeids spokesperson, Rupert Colville, told reporters in Geneva.

The spokesperson said that the High Commissioner would go ahead with a meeting this afternoon in New York with Capriles lawyer who would share a report prepared by Capriles.

We find the rising tensions in Venezuela very alarming, and incidents like that involving Capriles yesterday are unlikely to help reduce tensions, the spokesperson said.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) also regrets the continued loss of lives during the political unrest, he said. According to the latest figure, 42 deaths were confirmed in the context of the protests.

OHCHR is monitoring the situation from outside the country, but it would be good to be able to visit the country as the situation is very worrying, the spokesperson said.

He expressed concerns about allegations of excessive use of force by security forces, reports of violence by armed groups, as well as reports that people detained during the protests are being brought before military tribunals, not civilian courts.

OHCHR also urges demonstrators to protest peacefully.

Photo: Meridith Kohut/IRIN

Source: www.justearthnews.com
A day after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) asked Pakistan to hold off executing Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, the Pakistani commentators were critical of the lawyers and their legal strategy in representing the countrys case at the World Court. Here is a roundup of opinion from the top Pakistani newspapers.Former Attorney General Irfan Qadir told Dawn News that he was shocked by the decision. The lawyers handling these matters had no experience. The arguments had no weight. They should have been presented in a rational manner, he said. We need a dedicated team for Pakistan, loyal to the country. Pakistans jurisprudence has been ruined because of this, he said, adding that the country needed to be better prepared with an experienced legal team.Lahore-based lawyer and author Yasser Latif Hamdani wrote in The Daily Times that Pakistans case rested on the question of whether or not the ICJ had jurisdiction, which, in turn, was based on the proposition that the India-Pakistan bilateral agreement on consular access trumps the Vienna convention. A bilateral treaty cannot override or curtail a multilateral international convention to which a state is party, Hamdani writes.However, one silver lining for Pakistan is Indias decision to invoke the jurisdiction of a multilateral body. It ends the policy of bilateralism that has been the cornerstone of Indias Pakistan policy, Hamdani writes.Pakistan-tehreek-e-insaaf leader Shafqat Mehmood demanded, in The News International that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should come clean on the ICJ proceedings.The paper quoted him as asking why the government selected a lawyer, who didnt have a single international law case reported from the UK Supreme Court and what was the reason to engage London Queens Counsel who was based in Qatar? He further pressed the PM to explain why his government assigned the task to a lawyer who has never argued a case independently before the ICJ and what compelled his government to send a first year associate from Attorney Generals Office instead of AG himself to the ICJ.
He said people who had questioned the reliability of EVMs have not yet submitted any proof or credible material to support their claim. To which Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal responded on Twitter saying, "Sir, u never provided the machines pl."

Rubbishing Kejriwal's allegations Zaidi said, "Our EVMs have strong technological features and are tamper-proof," he said, "no manipulation of the machines was possible."

The Commissioner also stressed the need for the improvement of the electoral process saying, it was the "responsibility of all the stakeholders".

: The Election Commission will hold the much-anticipated hackathon from June 3, giving a chance to technocrats and political parties to try and prove that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) can be tampered with.Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi on Saturday said that political parties willing to participate in the EVM challenge must mandatorily confirm their interest to ECI by 5 pm, on May 26. However, the Commissioner also simultaneously warned the parties of not making it an issue of prestige.This open challenge comes at a time when opposition parties, particularly the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), have questioned the reliability of these machines. AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj had on May 9, 2017, claimed to have hacked into a machine in the Delhi Assembly.He also said that improving the election process is a responsibility of all stakeholders and the EC is taking all necessary steps in this regard.Appreciating the technology used in voting machines in India, Zaidi said that ECI machines were "far more superior" than machines used by the rest of the world.The BSP and the AAP had alleged that the machines used in the recent assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjab were tampered with and favoured the BJP. Later, several other parties had joined the chorus and waned the EC to revert to paper ballots.The EC has already announced that it will ensure paper trail of voting in all future elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
New Delhi: While debate rages on over whether rape should be punishable by castration, a 23-year-old law student in Kerala decided to end an eight-year-old cycle of rape and torture by severing the penis of a 54-year-old self-styled godman. She took the step when he again tried to attack her on Friday night.



This is, however, not the first time women in India were forced to take the law into their own hands. Heres a look at the other cases:



March 2012: A widow chopped off a mans penis when he tried to sexually assault her at a village in outer Delhis Alipur.



August, 2014: A woman severed her uncles penis in Bihar when he tried to rape her.



Feb 2016: A woman chopped off a mans private parts after he attempted to rape her in MPs Umaria district.



April 2016: Another case from Madhya Pradesh. A woman chopped off her brother-in-laws penis when he allegedly tried to sexually assault her. She later went to the police station and filed a complaint against him.



April 2016: A tribal woman killed and bobbitised a man for allegedly raping her in a village in Assam. She then buried his body with help from friends.



June 2016: A 17-year-old girl bobbitised a man who allegedly attempted to rape her at knifepoint.



Heres are similar cases from abroad



March 2014: A woman chopped off her ex-boyfriends penis using scissors after he raped her in Hong Kong.



May 2014: A mob in Brazil hacked off a mans penis on suspicion that he raped a three-year-old girl.
To avert an assault with the intention of committing rape, the legal provision says, the right of private defence of the body extends to the voluntary causing of death or of any other harm to the assailant.

In court, rape survivors have to only corroborate a lack of consent, thereby necessitating them to act in self-defence.

Police in Kerala have not charged a 23-year-old law student who chopped off the penis of her alleged rapist, a self-styled 53-year-old godman, and rightly so.Not just the conscience, but the law of the land also protects victims of such abhorrent crimes. After all, law is about logic.Section 100 in the Indian Penal Code protects victims when the attack is on their life, and whats a life without dignity? To protect her dignity, a woman can even kill her assailant and the law shall protect her.Section 100 in the IPC enumerates situations when a person gets the protection after exercising his or her right of self-defence.Therefore, the IPC comes to the aid of all women in situations where the offenders attempt to, or, commit sexual assaults. An imminent fear of grave harm is a reason sufficient enough in law to act in self-defence. This immunity is also available when there is an apprehension of death or kidnapping.According to a police complaint filed by the woman, the accused, identified as Swamy Gangeshananda, a member of the Kollam-based Panmana Ashram, had been raping her at her home for the last eight years. The woman said he first raped her when she was 16 years old.The accused was rushed to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College where an emergency surgery was performed. Hospital officials, however, said that 90% of his penis was cut off and was not in a position to be re-attached.He has been booked under Section 376 (Rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO). He reportedly told the police that he had chopped off his penis himself.
Hyderabad: Setting his eyes on the 2019 Telangana state assembly elections, BJP Chief Amit Shah will prepare the road map and meet booth-level cadres during his three day visit to the state from May 22 to May 24.



Shah will meet booth-level committee members in Hyderabad on May 24, with over 3000 set to be in attendance.



The Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency has been a bastion of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) since 1984.



Talking to CNN-News18, Telangana state BJP President, K Laxman, said, Its true that since the 1980s be it an MP, MLA or corporator, all have been from the AIMIM. But neither the Muslims nor the Hindus are happy about it. The poor are getting poorer and even basic amenities like water and power are lacking in the area. Now, Muslims are also disappointed with the AIMIM, who have exploited people in the name of religion for votes. Muslims across the country are looking forward to PM Modi's governance."



The Telangana State BJP is hoping that Amit Shah's visit will be a moral boost for the cadre and leaders at grassroots level. Amit Shah will be arriving in Hyderabad on May 22, and leave directly for Nalgonda district. The party president will take part in a door-to-door campaign there.



He will also hold meetings with poll booth members, state office bearers and district presidents to prepare the party for the upcoming elections. In Nalgonda, Shah will first hoist the party flag at Theratpally village and pay tribute to the former BJP state general secretary Gundagoni Mysaiah, who was gunned down by Maoists.



On May 23, Amit Shah will visit Velugupalli village, where he will unveil a statue of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya at Dalit Basti and will rename the place as Deen Dayal Colony. He will also visit Chinamadaram village.



On May 24, Shah will be visiting Gundrampalli village, which faced atrocities during the Razakar movement, and was a witness to the killings of hundreds.
Image: Reuters Pictures

Image: Reuters Pictures

Image: Reuters Pictures

Image: Reuters Pictures

Image: Reuters Pictures

Image: Reuters Pictures

Image: Reuters Pictures

Image: Reuters Pictures

Image: Reuters Pictures

Image: Reuters Pictures

Pippa Middleton rocketed into the public glare when her sister Kate Middleton tied the knot with Prince William. And now the 'world-famous' bridesmaid turned a bride herself when she exchanged vows with James Mathews.Pippa looked ethereal in a white lace-encrusted creation from British designer Giles Deacon as she walked down the aisle Saturday morning. James, too, looked quite a charmer in the black suit he decided to wear.Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, looked graceful in a dusky pink dress and made sure the wedding nuptials took place smoothly.And while it was Pippa, who stole the attention from Kate on her wedding day, it was Kate's turn this time to make sure things go right. From taking care of Pippa's dress train to queuing up the little page boys and flower girls - Kate handled it all quite well.However, all eyes were set on the young royals, including the page boy Prince George and the bridesmaid Princess Charlotte.While George looked quite handsome in a gold-knee pants, Charlotte looked adorable in a frilly dress.The wedding took place in the Berkshire countryside west of London, near the Middleton family home.(With inputs from AFP Relaxnews)
Malegaon: Out of record 56 nominees for the Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC) polls due next week, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has given candidature to as many as 27 Muslims.



"This is for the first time that the BJP is contesting polls on record 56 seats, out of total 84 seats spread across 21 wards in Malegaon. Out of the 56 candidates, as many as 27 are Muslims," a senior local BJP leader said.



Malegaon is a Muslim majority town in Nashik district, where the municipal corporation was established in 2001.



In the first MMC election held in 2002, the BJP and Shiv Sena had joined hands. While the Sena had won eleven seats, the BJP managed to win only one seat that year.



In the 2007 and 2012 civic polls, the BJP failed to open its account, reported PTI.



For the upcoming elections, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which is currently in power in MMC, has forged a pre-poll alliance with Janata Dal (Secular) in its bid to retain the power.



The Sharad Pawar-led NCP has fielded 52 candidates, while 10 Janata Dal (Secular) candidates are in the fray.



Opposition Congress has fielded a total of 73 candidates, while the Hyderabad-based All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has fielded 35 candidates.



Sitting deputy mayor Yunus Isa, his three sons and two sister-in-laws will contest the polls on AIMIM tickets.


Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani faction has finally suspended its senior functionary Nayeem Khan for "admitting to organise the unrest in Kashmir in lieu of money". The admission by Khan and two other separatists has led the National Investigation Agency(NIA) to initiate a probe against the three.



A team of NIA has reached Srinagar and contacted three separatists for questioning.



The NIA is likely to summon Khan and others to question and investigate the claims by the three about taking money from Pakistan to fuel unrest in Kashmir.



Kashmir has been in the throes of violence after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan was killed by security forces last July.



Khan, whose party National Front is Hurriyat constituent, was recently caught on a tape, admitting that separatists took money from Pakistan to organise stone pelting and arson in Kashmir.



He was seen telling two undercover reporters of a private channel, who posed as businessmen, that they organise the unrest in Kashmir for money like in 2016.



Soon after tape was played by the channel, Khan went incommunicado. As development sent social media into an overdrive with many people criticising Khan and separatists for defaming the movement in Kashmir.



Khan, on Saturday, called a press conference and said the tape was doctored and attempts were being made to malign them.



He did not answer any questions and said he better be judged by the people of Kashmir and its leadership who have given sacrifices.



Geelani in a statement said: "Though Nayeem Ahmad Khan in a press conference has raised questions over the veracity of the said video clip. but in pursuance of special power vested in me as chairman and until the clarification of all related issues come to fore, the membership will remain suspended."
Mumbai: In an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Shiv Sena asked the government not to get excited over the ruling given by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case until the Indian national is brought back home safely.



"Pakistan's arguments have been decimated in the court at The Hague. But the fight has not ended yet. We cannot forget the handiwork of Pakistan and also Sarabjit Singh's murder in a Lahore jail. Thus, the government should not get over excited over the ICJ order and remember that worries won't end till Kulbhushan Jadhav is brought back safely," the Sena said.



Sena, however, hailed the efforts taken by the External Affairs Ministry to secure the release of the former Navy officer, who has been sentenced to death by a military court in Pakistan on espionage charges.



It said the diplomatic moves made by the External Affairs Ministry from the very beginning proved to be important in Jadhav's case.





"External Affairs minister (Sushma Swaraj) had been from the beginning assuring that India will do everything possible to save Jadhav's life and her assurances have proved true at the first stage. She needs to be congratulated for this," it said.



The Sena also praised India's lawyer at the International Court of Justice, Harish Salve, saying the credit of the interim order going in India s favour went to the effective way he presented our case, laying out facts and the manner in which Pakistan had violated clauses of the Vienna Convention.





Since Jadhav's arrest last year in March, India had sought consular access to him over a dozen times. It wasn't granted even once by Pakistan.



On May 18, in a major boost to India, which moved the UN's highest judicial body against the death sentence, the ICJ instructed Pakistan to take all "necessary measures at its disposal" to ensure that Jadhav was not executed pending a final decision by it.


"What are you engaging in... Mid-term poll surveys? If you have the courage, waive loans of farmers. I will opt out of power by withdrawing all my ministers but will continue to support your government from outside," Uddhav said in a day- long agriculture convention organised by the Sena in Chopada town.



"If loan waiver is a temporary solution, so be it. But it has to be done now. Whatever happens in the future, we will see," he said.



"It is the common man and the farmers' who were hit most by demonetisation. They are still suffering," he added.



Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said he is prepared to forego power and withdraw all the party's ministers from the BJP-led government in Maharashtra if Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is willing to announce a total loan waiver for debt-ridden farmers.Uddhav, however, made it clear that the Sena would continue outside support to the BJP government.Uddhav said the Sena is often questioned on criticising its ally (BJP) and told to withdraw from the government if it has a problem."I will not waste a second to kick away power when time comes... We are committed to the well-being of farmers and people. If once we get into the battle field against you, we will not back out till we win. The government has changed but problems continue unabated. This is the same CM who used to demand a loan waiver while he was in the Opposition. Today he has forgotten everything," he alleged.Uddhav also criticised the BJP's ambitious Mumbai-Nagpur Samurddhi Expressway project and said, "the project may be good to bring both capitals nearer, but it is wrong to take away lands of farmers forcibly for the Expressway. Make farmers prosperous first and then carry out your project.""We cannot ruin farmers' lives and build the Samruddhi Expressway. Such development is of no use," he told a gathering at the convention attended by Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana chief and MP, Raju Shetti, agri-experts, farmers and others including senior Congress leader Vinayakdada Patil.In a veiled attack at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, over note ban and his poll promises, Uddhav said, "'Mann ki baat' should stop now and 'farmers ki baat' should begin. It was promised ahead of the (2014) LS polls that black money would be brought back and Rs 15 lakh would be deposited in every Indian citizen's account. Now please deposit Rs 15 lakh in every (debt-ridden) farmer's account."Uddhav also trained his guns on state BJP chief Raosaheb Danve over his recent remarks that farmers continue to complain (and cry) despite the state government doling out sops to bail out Tur growers."Now you will have to cry," he said, adding the farmers have been insulted at a time when the government is not procuring the Tur produce and also not giving a loan waiver to help them tide over the agrarian crisis resulting out of drought conditions, unseasonal rains and lack of good market price for their produce.He alleged that the government imported Tur even after the Centre-appointed Arvind Subramaniam committee predicted a bumper crop this time.Several Shiv Sena ministers, MLAs and MPs including Sanjay Raut were present at the event.
New York, May 20(Just Earth News): United Nations-facilitated talks to help resolve the Syrian conflict have ended on schedule in Geneva, where UN negotiator Staffan de Mistura said he was satisfied that some progress had been made, and that there had been aless rhetorica on all sides.

Speaking to journalists after his meetings with delegations from the Syrian Government and opposition, as well as representatives from Russia and the United States, the UN Special Envoy said that he would look to hold further intra-Syrian talks sometime in June.

de Mistura underlined that the purpose of this short round of discussions was to address constitutional and legal issues which could provide a strong, legal and constitutional basis for any future negotiated political process.

The mechanism for this was a series of high-level meetings in Geneva  which the Special Envoy explained were meant to complement the existing intra-Syrian talks.

But only the Syrian people  and not the UN  would be in charge of writing their own constitution, he insisted: We are not planning or aiming through this to draft a new constitution for Syria; this has to be done by the Syrians. We are rather trying, and we intend to pursue trying to lay the ground for the Syrians to do exactly that, in the context of an overall political solution that is in the context as you know, of [UN Security Council] resolution 2254 (2015).

As well as a new constitution for Syria, the UN-facilitated process remains focused on three other main issues: free and fair elections, combating terrorism and governance.

UN Photo/Violaine Martin (file)

Source: www.justearthnews.com
Lucknow: Faced with opposition attack on the law and order front, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday hits back, saying those who ruled the state for 10 years are seeking an account from him for his two-month-old government.



"Those who ruled the state for five or ten years ask us to give an account of our performance in two months ..Stage walkouts on every second issue," he said in the Assembly while replying to the Motion of Thanks to the Governor's address.



While admitting that crime is taking place in the state, he likened the recent incidents to "the last few breaths which come very fast before death".



"I have decided that for crime, criminals and those giving shelter to them, there is no place in the state," the chief minister asserted.



"We will deal with such elements without any mercy ...Those harassing the poor, helpless and traders will be dealt with sternly," Yogi said.



Targeting the previous governments, he said there has been a deterioration in the habits which will not improve easily but assured that all steps will be initiated for all-round development of the state and for creating fear-free society.



"Mafia elements will be dealt with sternly in the language they understand...The administration has been given a free hand and responsibility has been fixed," Yogi said.



"In UP, crime has been politicised ..Who has brought casteism in administration...Who has committed this sin...It is a reality that criminals have been politicised and there had been a transfer industry functioning here," he said.



Replying to opposition barbs on the RSS, he said it is the only organisation in the world which does not take any help from the government and works selflessly through its swayamsewaks and pracharaks for the country and culture.



"Why is the name of an organisation which has nothing to do with politics and which does not interfere with the government being taken," he asked.



The chief minister said that for him, his post is a responsibility and not something to show off and is also a test besides being a thing of pride.



Attacking the opposition for their behaviour during the governor's address, the chief minister said he had heard that only two kinds of people blows the whistle -- one who are in the traffic police and for the other kind, he has already created 'anti-Romeo' squad.



Opposition members had used a whistle and had targetted the governor with paper balls during his address to the joint session of the two houses on May 15.



Stressing that his government is taking the problems as a challenge, the CM said his govenrment does not represent any caste, belief, sect or religion and it will be seen following the 'sabka saath sabka vikas' slogan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.



The chief minister said that farmers had been harassed during the BSP and the SP rule and had also committed suicide.



This goes on to prove the shortcomings in the policy, programmes and intentions of the previous governments as this has happened on the land which has been blessed by nature in every manner, he said.



Elaborating on the works done in the two months of his government, he listed farmers' loan waiver, wheat procurement, payment of sugarcane prices, package for potato growers and ending of the VIP culture through the ban on beacon.



He said he had inherited a very weak system on which he is working.



"We ended the tradition of providing proper power supply to the selected few districts," he said.



Commenting on the state of affairs in the previous government, he said that excise liceneses for two years in advance were issued and a lot of people were benefitted.



He resolved that liquor shops will not be allowed near bastis, schools, religious places and highways.



In a lighter vein, the chief minister said that his excise minister (Jai Pratap Singh) does not consume alcohol, evoking laughter in the house.



He stressed that the "discriminatory" triple talaq should be done away with to honour "matr shakti (women force)."



He said his government had to enforce the NGT's order on illegal slaughter houses as the previous government did not do so.



Later, the motion of thanks was passed by voice vote and the Assembly was adjourned sine die.
was not identified by name in the complaint. But a LinkedIn profile for Xu said he was employed as a system software developer at IBM during the period in question.



Prosecutors said the proprietary computer code Xu stole was related to a so-called clustered file system, which facilitates faster computer performance.



Xu, who began working at IBM in China in 2010, had full access to the source code before voluntarily resigning in May 2014, prosecutors said.



According to the criminal complaint filed in 2015, the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2014 received a report that someone in China was claiming to have access to the code and using it for business ventures, prompting the investigation that led to the arrest.



Also read: Facebook Partners With ESL to Live-Stream e-sports

A former software engineer for IBM in China pleaded guilty on Friday to stealing proprietary source code from the company, federal prosecutors announced on Friday.Jiaqiang Xu, 31, pleaded guilty to economic espionage and theft of a trade secret before U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas in White Plains, New York, prosecutors said. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13.Leanne Marek, Xu's attorney, declined to comment.Xu was arrested in December 2015 after meeting with an undercover officer at a White Plains hotel, where authorities said he was recorded saying he used the code to make software to sell to customers.He was originally charged with theft of a trade secret. The economic espionage charges were added in a superseding indictment filed last June.International Business Machines Corp
Washington: As US President Donald Trump prepared to head to Saudi Arabia on Friday, Washington and Riyadh issued their first "joint terrorist designation" -- blacklisting a Hezbollah leader.



Hashem Safieddine is head of the executive council of Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Lebanese armed movement which Washington has branded a "foreign terrorist organization."



"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia joined the United States in designating Hashem Safieddine," the State Department said in a statement.



"As a result, any of his assets held in Saudi Arabia are frozen, and transfers through the Kingdom's financial sector, are prohibited."



Separately, the department's Bureau of Counterterrorism tweeted that this marked the "first-ever" State Department and foreign nation "joint terrorist designation", underlining the close cooperation between US and Saudi officials.



"The action against Safieddine is the latest example of the strong partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia in combatting the financing of terrorism," the State Department said.



Extremist threat



The official Saudi news agency SPA confirmed Safieddine's listing, and alleged he had given his organization advice on carrying out terrorist acts and on supplying support to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime.



Trump has chosen the kingdom as the venue of his first foreign presidential visit, and this weekend he will meet King Salman and address an audience of up to 50 leaders from across the Muslim world on the threat of extremism.



Safieddine, a Lebanese citizen who is in his 50s, is the head of Hezbollah's executive council, which runs the group's political affairs and social and economic programs in Lebanon's Shiite community.



He is a cousin of Hezbollah's overall leader Hassan Nasrallah, and is spoken of a potential candidate to succeed him and take charge of perhaps the most powerful non-state movement in an unstable region.



The US designation order did not link him to any recent Hezbollah attacks, but noted the group's historical involvement in the 1983 bombing of a US Marines barracks in Beirut, a US embassy bombing in 1984 and a passenger jet hijacking in 1985.



In the same statement, the State Department also added Muhammad al-Isawi -- whom it said had taken over the leadership of the Islamic State group franchise in Egypt's Sinai peninsula in August 2016 -- to the sanctions list.



As "specially designated global terrorists," Safieddine and al-Isawi will see any assets they hold in areas under US jurisdiction frozen, and US citizens will be forbidden from any dealings with them.



Separately but simultaneously, the US Treasury added two Yemeni tribal leaders, Hashim Muhsin Aydarus al-Hamid and Khalid Ali Mabkhut al-Aradah, to its own sanctions list, branding them leaders of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
Tripoli: An attack on an airbase in south Libya has killed 141 people, mostly soldiers loyal to military strongman Khalifa Haftar, a spokesman for his forces said on Saturday.



Members of the Third Force militia loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord in Tripoli on Friday attacked the base used by Haftar's self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), military sources said earlier.



LNA spokesman Ahmad al-Mesmari late today said the victims included civilians who worked at the Brak al-Shati airbase or were in the nearby area, also reporting that summary executions took place.



"The soldiers were returning from a military parade. They weren't armed. Most of them were executed," he said.



The GNA said in a statement on Saturday that a commission of inquiry had been set up to investigate the attack.



It said it had decided to suspend its defence minister, al-Mahdi al-Barghati, and the head of the Third Force from their duties until those responsible were identified.



Both the GNA and defence ministry earlier condemned the assault and said they had not ordered any such action.



The unity government, the rival administration in eastern Libya and their respective backers are battling for influence in the North African country which has been wracked by chaos since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.



The LNA does not recognise the authority of the GNA, and instead, supports the rival authorities based in the east.



The UN envoy to Libya earlier on Friday voiced alarm at reports of the attack on the base, 650 kilometres (400 miles) south of Tripoli.



"I am outraged by reports of significant numbers of fatalities, including civilians and by reports that summary executions may have taken place," UN envoy Martin Kobler said in a statement.



Britain's ambassador to Libya, Peter Millett, also denounced the assault.



"Disgusted by the attack on Brak al-Shati & reports of mass executions. Perpetrators must be brought to justice," he wrote on Twitter.



The incident at the base in Wadi al-Shati district comes a month after an attack by the LNA on the Tamenhant airbase controlled by the Third Force near the south's main city of Sebha.



That attack was called off after a reconciliation meeting between Haftar and unity government head Fayez al-Sarraj in Abu Dhabi on May 2.



The speaker of the eastern-based parliament, which is supported by the LNA, accused the Misrata-based Third Force of a "serious breach of the truce agreement reached in Abu Dhabi".



Aguila Saleh said there were a "number of martyrs" in LNA ranks, without giving a figure.



The speaker said he had given orders for the armed forces "to take the measures necessary to respond to the assault and defend the south and cleanse it of all outlaw militias".



In Tripoli, the GNA called for an immediate ceasefire in the south, where tribes and militias vie for control of lucrative smuggling routes with neighbouring Chad, Niger and Sudan.



"We hope reason will prevail and that the escalation and provocation will stop," it said.



The unity government's defence ministry laid the blame on "those who started bombing Tamenhant base with warplanes and tanks", referring to Haftar's forces.



In new violence today, a pro-Haftar tribal chief, Sheikh Ibrayek Alwati, and five other people including a child were killed in a car bombing outside a mosque in the eastern city of Slouq, medical and security sources said.


The Washington Post meanwhile said the FBI has identified an unnamed senior White House official as a "significant person of interest" in its sprawling probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

"I am hopeful that he will clarify for the American people recent events that have been broadly reported in the media," panel Chairman Richard Burr said in a statement.

However, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Comey declined their invitation to testify before the panel over the circumstances surrounding his abrupt removal.

The president's son-in-law Jared Kushner is among those whose contacts with the Russian government have come under scrutiny.

Intercepted Russian communications suggest that Russian officials felt that they had built up such a strong relationship with Flynn that they could use him to influence Trump and his inner circle, CNN reported.

"As the president has stated before  a thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity," said Spicer.

James Comey, the former FBI chief fired by President Donald Trump, has agreed to publicly testify about Russian interference in the US elections, as fresh allegations increased pressure on the American leader.In an Oval Office meeting with senior Russian officials last week, Trump called Comey a "nut job" and said firing the intelligence chief had relieved "great pressure" on him, The New York Times reported.The exchange supports claims that Trump sacked Comey over the bureau's probe into possible collusion between the real estate mogul's campaign and Moscow.The reports came just as Trump flew to Saudi Arabia to kick off his first foreign trip as US leader  highlighting how the controversy over his team's alleged links to Moscow is dogging his fledgling presidency.Comey will testify in open session of the Senate Intelligence Committee at some point after the Memorial Day holiday, May 29, though a date has not yet been set.The ex-FBI chief has not spoken publicly since his surprise firing last week.The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, said he expects Comey to "shed light on issues critical to this Committee's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election.""We're extremely disappointed in James Comey's decision not to testify voluntarily before the Judiciary Committee," said Chairman Chuck Grassley and the panel's top Democrat, Dianne Feinstein, urging Comey to reconsider."There is no reason he can't testify before both the Intelligence and Judiciary Committees... Given his commitment to the people and the mission of the FBI, we expected him to be responsive to the senators responsible for vetting its next proposed leader."The White House has been thrown into turmoil by a succession of stunning allegations against the president this week, including that he may have obstructed justice by asking Comey to drop an investigation into one of his top advisors.The latest report from the Post, citing unnamed sources familiar with the investigation, undercuts Trump's insistence that his campaign had nothing to do with the Kremlin.Trump's national security advisor Michael Flynn was forced to resign for misleading Vice President Mike Pence about a phone call with the Russian ambassador."I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," Trump told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week, according to the Times, citing notes taken at the meeting and read the paper by a US official."I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off."That flies in the face of the White House's public insistence that Comey's dismissal was not linked to his ongoing investigation.White House spokesman Sean Spicer did not dispute the Times's account.It cited current and former administration officials as saying US intelligence officials were so concerned about the conversations between Flynn and the Russians that they would limit how much sensitive information they shared with him.On Thursday, Trump declared himself the victim of the "greatest witch hunt" in American political history and denied allegations of collusion."There is no collusion between certainly myself and my campaign, but I can always speak for myself, and the Russians -- zero," Trump told reporters.The White House on Friday predicted that the investigation would back up Trump's account.Spicer offered a new explanation for the firing, saying that Trump had been trying to improve relations with Russia -- and Comey got in the way."By grandstanding and politicising the investigation into Russia's actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia," he said.
"I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," Trump told Russian Minister Sergei Lavrov and the country's Ambassador to the US, the Times reported, citing minutes of the meeting between Trump and the Russians.



"By grandstanding and politicising the investigation into Russia's actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia, Spicer said. He said the investigation would have always continued, and the termination of Comey would not have ended it.



US President Donald Trump told Russian officials at an Oval Office meeting last week that firing FBI director James Comey eased pressure on him as he was a "real nut job" and "crazy", a media report has claimed.According to the US daily, the quotes and other excerpts from the minutes were read out to its correspondent by a Trump administration official.Another officer, on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the quotes from the said document. "I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off...I am not under investigation," he was quoted as saying by said the daily.The White House did not comment on the authenticity of Trump's conversation with the Russian officials in the Oval Office on May 9, PTI reported.White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told The New York Times in a statement that Comey had behaved politically and put unnecessary pressure on the president's ability to conduct diplomacy with Russia on matters such as Syria, Ukraine and the Islamic State.The latest crisis to beset Trump comes days after an another revelation by the daily which claimed that the president has asked sacked FBI director James Comey to end the agency's investigation into ties between his former national security adviser Mike Flynn and Russia.Comey was abruptly fired by Trump at a time when he was leading an investigation into whether Trump's election campaign had links with Russia in the US polls last year.Another report published by The Washington Post claimed that Trump had revealed highly classified details to Lavrov and the Russian ambassador during the same meeting at the Oval Office.Meanwhile, CNN reported that the Russian officials bragged that they could use former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn to influence Trump. "This was a five-alarm fire from early on... the way the Russians were talking about him," an official of the previous Obama administration said."Another former administration official said Flynn was viewed as a potential national security problem," CNN reported.The White House, however, denied such allegations. "We are confident that when these inquiries are complete there will be no evidence to support any collusion between the (Trump) campaign and Russia," an official said in a statement to CNN.(With PTI inputs)
New York: A 20-year-old Indian-origin Cornell University student was found dead here after going missing this week.



Aalaap Narasipura, a senior electrical engineering student at Cornell's College of Engineering was reported missing since Wednesday.



Cornell University Police, working with the New York State Police, the Ithaca Police Department and the Ithaca Fire Department, recovered his body on Friday from Fall Creek, a short distance upstream from Ithaca Falls.



Cornell University Police confirmed Narasipuras identity. Police said the circumstances of Narasipura's death are still under investigation, but no foul play is suspected. No other information is available at this time.



Police had searched gorges and adjacent natural areas in Ithaca. Earlier authorities had issued an advisory describing Narasipura as a dark-skinned male, 5-feet-9 inches tall.



He was last seen in the early morning of May 17 on Cornell's campus, and was wearing shorts and a flannel shirt with bright blue socks and leather sandals. Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi expressed"profound sadness" at the death of Narasipura.



He described Narasipura as an "ambitious student" who was scheduled to graduate early this December.



"He was active on the Ultimate Frisbee team, enjoyed taking photos, and planned to continue at Cornell to pursue a Master of Engineering degree," he said in a statement.
Rouhani had won 21.6 million votes, compared to 14 million for Raisi, with 37 million votes counted, the source added. There were about four million more votes still to be tallied, the source said.

Rouhani, 68, who took office promising to open Iran to the world and give its citizens more freedom at home, faced an unexpectedly strong challenge from Raisi, a protege of supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

He is believed to have the backing of the powerful Revolutionary Guards security force, as well as the tacit support of Khamenei, whose powers outrank those of the elected president but who normally steers clear of day-to-day politics.

I voted for Rouhani to prevent Raisi's victory. I don't want a hardliner to be my president," said Ziba Ghomeyshi in Tehran. "I waited in the line for five hours to cast my vote."

"I am on my way to vote for Rouhani. I like his detente policy with the world. I know he is not a reformist, but who cares? What matters is that he is not Raisi," employee Yousef Ghaemi, 43, said by phone in the western city of Kermanshah.

President Hassan Rouhani has an unassailable lead in Iran's presidential election, an Iranian official source told Reuters on Saturday, citing an early unofficial tally, and is on course to defeat his hardline rival Ebrahim Raisi."It's over, Rouhani is the winner," the source said on condition of anonymity.More than 40 million ballots were cast, the interior ministry said, indicating a turnout of about 70 percent in Friday's vote, roughly similar to the showing in 2013 elections when Rouhani swept into office in a landslide victory.State television said the official early results would be announced soon.The Instagram account of Rouhani ally, former president Mohammad Khatami, showed a picture of Rouhani making a victory sign and ran the slogan "Hope prevailed over isolation".Rouhani's chief of staff Hamid Aboutalebi tweeted that Rouhani had won 60 percent of the vote. He cited no evidence.The big turnout appeared to have favoured Rouhani, whose backers' main worry has been apathy among reformist-leaning voters disappointed with the slow pace of change.The election is important "for Iran's future role in the region and the world", Rouhani, who struck a deal with world powers two years ago to curb Iran's nuclear programme in return for the lifting of most economic sanctions, said after voting.Raisi, 56, has accused Rouhani of mismanaging the economy and has travelled to poor areas, speaking at rallies pledging more welfare benefits and jobs."I respect the outcome of the vote of the people and the result will be respected by me and all the people," Raisi said after voting, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.However, Raisi later appeared at the Ministry of Interior in Tehran on Friday and complained of a shortage of ballot sheets at many polling stations, according to Fars. More ballot sheets were subsequently sent out, the agency reported.In the last election, Rouhani won more than three times as many votes as his closest challenger. But this time the outcome might be much closer, as other conservative rivals have backed out and thrown their support behind Raisi.The Guards and other hardliners hope that a win for Raisi will give them an opportunity to safeguard economic and political power they see as jeopardised by the lifting of sanctions and an opening of the country to foreign investment.During weeks of campaigning, the two main candidates exchanged accusations of corruption and brutality in unprecedentedly hostile television debates. Both deny the other's accusations.Rouhani has urged the Guards not to meddle in the vote, a warning that reflects the political tension. Suspicions that the Guards and the Basij militia under their control falsified voting results in favour of hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad led to eight months of nationwide protests in 2009, which were violently suppressed.For ordinary Iranians, the election presents a stark choice between competing visions of the country.Rouhani, known for decades as a mild-mannered establishment insider rather than a gung-ho reformer, has taken on the mantle of the reform camp in recent weeks, with fiery campaign speeches that attacked the human rights records of his opponents.Many pro-reform voters are still lukewarm Rouhani supporters, disappointed with his failure to make broader changes during his first term. But they are anxious to keep out Raisi, who they see as representing the security state at its most fearsome: in the 1980s he was one of four judges who sentenced thousands of political prisoners to death.For conservatives, the election represents a chance to restore the values of the 1979 revolution, which requires elected officials to be subordinate to the Shi'ite Muslim clergy and supreme leader."I cast my vote already - I voted for Raisi because he is a follower of Imam Khamenei. He will not confront the leader if elected. He will protect our Islamic identity," said Mehran Fardoust, 36, a shopkeeper near the Imam Reza Shrine in the holy city of Mashhad, Raisi's hometown.Despite the removal of nuclear-related sanctions in 2016, lingering unilateral U.S. sanctions that target Iran's record on human rights and terrorism has kept foreign companies wary of investing, limiting the economic benefits so far.Raisi has focused his campaign on the economy, visiting rural areas and villages and promising housing, jobs and more welfare benefits, a message which could have resonated with millions of poor voters angry at the Tehran elite.If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two, presumably Rouhani and Raisi, will face each other a second time in a run-off in a week.
State television congratulated Rouhani on his victory. The architect of Iran's still-fragile detente with the West, he led with 58.6 percent of the vote, compared with 39.8 percent for his main challenger, hardline judge Ebrahim Raisi, according to near-complete results broadcast on Saturday.



"I am very happy for Rouhani's win. We won. We did not yield to pressure. We showed them that we still exist," said 37-year-old Mahnaz, a reformist voter reached by telephone in the early hours of Saturday. "I want Rouhani to carry out his promises."



"The last two decades of presidential elections have been short days of euphoria followed by long years of disillusionment," said Karim Sadjadpour, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment who focuses on Iran.



During one rally he referred to hardliners as "those who cut out tongues and sewed mouths shut". In a debate last week he accused Raisi of seeking to "abuse religion for power". The rhetoric at the debate earned a rare public rebuke from Khamenei, who called it "unworthy".



"We had a bet among friends, and I said Raisi would win and I think that encouraged a few of my friends who might not have voted to come out and vote."



Iranians yearning for more freedom at home and less isolation abroad have emphatically re-elected President Hassan Rouhani, throwing down a challenge to the conservative clergy that still holds ultimate sway.Although the powers of the elected president are limited by those of unelected Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who outranks him, the scale of Rouhani's victory gives the pro-reform camp a strong mandate.Rouhani's opponent Raisi was a protege of Khamenei, tipped in Iranian media as a potential successor for the 77-year-old supreme leader who has been in power since 1989.The re-election is likely to safeguard the nuclear agreement Rouhani's government reached with global powers in 2015, under which most international sanctions have been lifted in return for Iran curbing its nuclear programme.And it delivers a setback to the Revolutionary Guards, the powerful security force which controls a vast industrial empire in Iran. They had thrown their support behind Raisi to safeguard its interests.Nevertheless, Rouhani stills faces the same restrictions on his ability to transform Iran that prevented him from delivering substantial social change in his first term and thwarted reform efforts by one of his predecessors, Mohammad Khatami.The supreme leader has veto power over all policies and ultimate control of the security forces. Rouhani has been unable to secure the release of reformist leaders from house arrest, and media are barred from publishing the words or images of his reformist predecessor Khatami."Democracy in Iran is allowed to bloom only a few days every four years, while autocracy is evergreen."The re-elected president will also have to navigate a tricky relationship with Washington, which appears at best ambivalent about the nuclear accord signed by former U.S. president Barack Obama. President Donald Trump has repeatedly described it as "one of the worst deals ever signed", although his administration re-authorised waivers from sanctions this week.Trump arrived on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, his first stop on the first trip abroad of his presidency. The Saudis are Iran's biggest enemies in the region and deplore the nuclear deal.Rouhani, known for decades as a mild-mannered member of the establishment, campaigned as an ardent reformist to stir up the passions of young, urban voters yearning for change. At times he crossed traditional rhetorical boundaries, openly attacking the human rights record of the security forces and the judiciary.The big turnout appeared to have favoured Rouhani, whose backers' main concern had been apathy among reformist-leaning voters disappointed with the slow pace of change.Many voters were particularly determined to block the rise of Raisi, one of four judges who sentenced thousands of political prisoners to death in the 1980s, regarded by reformers as a symbol of the security state at its most fearsome."The wide mobilisation of the hardline groups and the real prospect of Raisi winning scared many people into coming out to vote," said Nasser, a 52-year-old journalist.The election was important "for Iran's future role in the region and the world", Rouhani said on Friday after voting.Raisi, 56, had accused Rouhani of mismanaging the economy, travelling to poor areas and holding rallies where he promised more welfare benefits and jobs.Despite the removal of nuclear-related sanctions in 2016, lingering unilateral U.S. sanctions that target Iran's record on human rights and terrorism have kept foreign companies wary of investing, limiting the economic benefits so far.
London: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gave a clenched fist salute Friday after Swedish prosecutors dropped a seven-year rape allegation against him, but he insisted the "proper war" over his future was just beginning.



Assange stepped into the daylight on the balcony of Ecuador's London embassy, where he has been holed up since 2012, to celebrate, but said the road was "far from over".



The 45-year-old Australian's accuser was angered by the decision and Assange declined to say whether he would leave the embassy.



British police could arrest him immediately for breaching earlier bail conditions if he left the building, while US authorities have warned they regard WikiLeaks as a "hostile intelligence service".



"Today is an important victory," Assange, in a black shirt and jacket, told reporters and a small band of supporters crowded around the tiny balcony.



"But it by no means erases seven years of detention without charge. In prison, under house arrest and almost five years here in this embassy without sunlight.



"That is not something that I can forgive. It is not something that I can forget."





Uncertain future



Earlier in Stockholm, Marianne Ny, Sweden's director of public prosecutions, said the rape investigation had been dropped because there was "no reason to believe that the decision to surrender him to Sweden can be executed in the foreseeable future".



"It is no longer proportionate to maintain the arrest of Julian Assange in his absence," she said.



Assange jumped British bail by entering the embassy and claiming asylum, saying he feared he would eventually be extradited to the United States.



US justice authorities have never confirmed that they have Assange under investigation or are seeking his extradition.



But US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said last month that "we will seek to put some people in jail" when asked if arresting Assange was a "priority" for Washington.



US prosecutors have been drafting a memo that looks at charges against Assange and WikiLeaks members that possibly include conspiracy, theft of government property and violations of the Espionage Act, according to The Washington Post.



US President Donald Trump's administration has put heat on WikiLeaks after it embarrassed the Central Intelligence Agency in March by releasing files and computer code from the spy agency's top-secret hacking operations.



"The road is far from over. The war, the proper war is just commencing," Assange said, noting his lawyers were in touch with British authorities and hoped to begin a dialogue about the "best way forward".



Ecuador also urged Britain on Friday to let Assange leave.



"Ecuador will now be intensifying its diplomatic efforts with the UK so that Julian Assange can gain safe passage in order to enjoy his asylum in Ecuador," the country's foreign minister Guillaume Long wrote in a statement.



And the former computer hacker said that despite the "extremely threatening remarks" emanating from Washington, he was "always ready to engage with the Department of Justice".



The department said Friday it had no comment on Assange.



Asked if London would now support a request to extradite Assange to the United States, British Prime Minister Theresa May said: "We look at extradition requests on a case-by-case basis."



Assange's Swedish lawyer, Per Samuelsson, said his client plans to move to Ecuador because "it's the only nation where he is safe".



Decision a 'scandal'



In Sweden, Assange's accuser was left stunned by the prosecutors' decision.



"It is a scandal that a suspected rapist can escape justice and thereby avoid the courts," her lawyer, Elisabeth Fritz, said in an email.



"My client is shocked and no decision to (end the case) can make her change (her mind) that Assange exposed her to rape," she said.



The accusation against Assange dates from August 2010 when the alleged victim, who says she met him at a WikiLeaks conference in Stockholm a few days earlier, filed a complaint.



She accused him of having sex with her -- as she slept -- without using a condom despite repeatedly having denied him unprotected sex.



Assange always denied the allegations, which he feared would lead to him being extradited to face trial over the leak of hundreds of thousands of secret US military and diplomatic documents in 2010, which brought WikiLeaks to prominence.


Islamabad, May 20 (IBNS): Clash between two groups at a university in Pakistan on Saturday injured 30 people, media reports said.

The incident reportedly occurred in Quaid-e-Azam University of Islamabad city.

The incident took place at Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, when two groups of students clashed with each other, police sources told Geo News.

Students reportedly pelted stones at each other.

As per Geo News report, police fired tear-gas shells to disperse raged students.
Riyadh: The White House announced a huge arms deal with Saudi Arabia on Saturday as President Donald Trump took his first steps on the world stage, looking to leave mounting troubles behind at home.



The USD 110 billion deal for Saudi purchases of US defence equipment and services came at the start of an eight-day foreign tour that will also take Trump to Jerusalem, the Vatican and meetings with leaders in Europe.



The US president was given a warm welcome in the oil-rich kingdom - a mood in sharp contrast to Washington where pressure is building after fresh claims over his team's alleged links to Moscow.



Air Force One had barely taken off when it was announced late on Wednesday that James Comey, the former FBI chief fired by Trump, had agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the US elections.



Reports also emerged that Trump had called Comey "a nut job" and that the FBI had identified a senior White House official as a "significant person of interest" in its probe of Russian meddling.



The president and first lady Melania Trump were welcomed by Saudi King Salman as they disembarked at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, on Saturday morning.



Trump and his wife, who dressed conservatively in black but did not cover her hair as Saudi women are required to do, walked side-by-side to the tarmac where they both shook hands with the 81-year-old king.



After a welcoming coffee ceremony, Trump and his entourage were brought to the royal court where the president was awarded the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabia's highest civilian honour.



The arms sale agreement was just one of a series of deals to be announced during the visit, with US conglomerate General Electric saying it had also signed agreements and memorandums of understanding worth $15 billion.



"This package of defence equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats," a White House official said in announcing the deal.



Trump held talks with Salman and was to meet the kingdom's two powerful crown princes on Saturday, before giving a speech on Islam to leaders of Muslim countries on Sunday.



For Riyadh the visit is an opportunity to rebuild ties with a key ally, strained under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama who Sunni Arab Gulf states suspected of a tilt towards their Shiite regional rival Iran.



A more muted focus on human rights should also please Washington's traditional Sunni Gulf allies, analysts say.



Shortly after arriving Trump took to Twitter to express his delight at being in the kingdom. "Great to be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Looking forward to the afternoon and evening ahead," Trump wrote.
More than a thousand people gathered just past Graham Creek in Madison Heights near Albert Farm Road in Elon to celebrate the 25th annual Monacan Indian Nation Powwow.

Dancers followed each other around a large circle, stomping and twirling in time to the drum beats and vocalization. Attendees surrounded the circle watching the dancers weave around the arena before they continued to meander about the land, checking out vendors and trying on Monacan jewelry and clothing.

The event took an entire year to plan and offered a variety of performances, vendors and more, Chief Dean Branham said.

When this one is over, well start planning for our next one next year, he said.

The event costs roughly $15,000, most of which comes from the tribes own pockets, Dean Branham said.

We put up money hoping were going to get money back, he said, explaining the event has two main goals, to fundraise and educate.  We go into this empty-handed; its a gamble.

The funds raised will go toward paying bills for the tribes museum and office.

The number of people at the event has increased since last year, dancer Ronnie Durie, of Lynchburg, said. The reason? More drums, which in turn means more dancers, and more attendees, Durie said.

You want to dance with a good drummer, he said. If the drummers hot  the feel of it is just spiritual, you know?

Kelly Thomasson, secretary of the commonwealth with the office of the governor, read a letter from Governor Terry Mcauliffe during the event.

Celebrations of this size take hard work and commitment to arrange, so Id like to commend the organizers of this event, particularly Chief Dean Branham. For 25 years, your honorable devotion to the Monacan Nation ensured this wonderful powwow takes place for the surrounding communities, the letter read.

This powwow has educated citizens from all parts of our commonwealth about the Monacan Nation and has helped preserve a culture that has existed for centuries. The Monacan Nation is an integral part of Virginias social and cultural strength.

Educating attendees about Monacan culture and history is one of the goals of the event, emcee Keith Colson said.

We also want people to realize that, you know, this is one aspect of what makes us who we are: the dancing, the singing, the culture, he said. But also the historical contributions, the achievements, not only of long ago, but the achievements of today  and this [powwow] being one of them.

Dean Branham echoed that, saying he hoped the event worked to combat the stigma surrounding Native Americans.

When [attendees] leave, I want them to get over that stigma they have about Native America people, he said. I want them to see who we are, learn about our culture, what we do as Indian people.

Dean Branham said one example of discriminatory behavior toward Native Americans is when people say, Well, you dont look Indian.

The movies and stereotypes have ruined it. They think all Indians should have long black hair, but they dont, he said.

Durie said hes seen negative attitudes and treatment toward Monacans, but has seen it decrease during recent years.

Monacans were not allowed in public schools until the early 1960s, Durie explained.

The blacks had their schools and the whites had their schools, but the Indians of Virginia werent allowed to go to either one of those, he said.

When Monacans were finally able to enter public schools, the community had to fight to get them in the classroom as buses would refuse to pick up Monacan children, Durie said.

Former chief and current council member Kenneth Branham was one of the Monacan children left waiting for the bus.

Here in Amherst County, people dont realize people of my generation werent allowed in public schools until 1962, he said.  in 63, I was one of the first to go into those schools and they called us names  everything but Indian; Very racist.

People tend to think the worst of somebody they dont know anything about, so you know, by doing something like this [were teaching them].

The festivities will continue today with more dancers, vendors and performances.
The pleasant surprise of the First 100 Days is over. The action was hectic, heated, often confused, but well within the bounds of normalcy. Policy (e.g., health care) was being hashed out, a Supreme Court nominee confirmed, foreign policy challenges (e.g. North Korea) addressed.

Donald Trumps character  volatile, impulsive, often self-destructive  had not changed since the campaign. But it seemed as if the guardrails of our democracy  Congress, the courts, the states, the media, the Cabinet  were keeping things within bounds.

Then came the last 10 days. The country is now caught in the internal maelstrom that is the mind of Donald Trump. We are in the realm of the id. Chaos reigns. No guardrails can hold.

Normal activity disappears. North Koreas launch of an alarming new missile and a problematic visit from the president of Turkey (locus of our most complicated and tortured allied relationship) barely evoke notice. Nothing can escape the black hole of a three-part presidential meltdown.

 First, the firing of James Comey. Trump, consumed by the perceived threat of the Russia probe to his legitimacy, executes a mindlessly impulsive dismissal of the FBI director. He then surrounds it with a bodyguard of lies  attributing the dismissal to a Justice Department recommendation  which his staff goes out and parrots. Only to be undermined and humiliated when the boss contradicts them within 48 hours.

Result? Layers of falsehoods giving the impression of an elaborate cover-up  in the absence of a crime. At least Nixon was trying to quash a third-rate burglary and associated felonies. Here we dont even have a body, let alone a smoking gun. Trump insists theres no there there, but acts as if the there is everywhere.

 Second, Trumps divulging classified information to the Russians. A stupid, needless mistake. But despite the media hysteria, hardly an irreparable national security calamity.

The Israelis, whose asset might have been jeopardized, are no doubt upset, but the notion that this will cause a great rupture to their (and others) intelligence relationship with the U.S. is nonsense. These kinds of things happen all the time. When the Obama administration spilled secrets of the anti-Iranian Stuxnet virus or blew the cover of a double agent in Yemen, there was none of the garment-rending that followed Trumps disclosure.

Once again, however, the cover-up far exceeded the crime. Trump had three top officials come out and declare the disclosure story false. The next morning, Trump tweeted he was entirely within his rights to reveal what he revealed, thereby verifying the truth of the story. His national security adviser H.R. McMaster floundered his way through a news conference, trying to reconcile his initial denial with Trumps subsequent contradiction. It was a sorry sight.

 Third, the Comey memos. Is it any wonder, therefore, that when the third crisis hit on Tuesday night  the Comey memo claiming that Trump tried to get him to call off the FBI investigation of Michael Flynn  Republicans hid under their beds rather than come out to defend the president? The White House hurriedly issued a statement denying the story. The statement was unsigned. You want your name on a statement that your boss could peremptorily contradict in a twitter-second?

Republicans are beginning to panic. One sign is the notion now circulating that, perhaps to fend off ultimate impeachment, Trump be dumped by way of 25th Amendment.

Thats the post-Kennedy assassination measure that provides for removing an incapacitated president on the decision of the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet.

This is the worst idea since Leno at 10 p.m. It perverts the very intent of the amendment. It was meant for a stroke, not stupidity; for Alzheimers, not narcissism. Otherwise, what it authorizes is a coup  willful overthrow by the leaders own closest associates.

I thought we had progressed beyond the Tudors and the Stuarts. Moreover, this would be seen by millions as an establishment usurpation to get rid of a disruptive outsider. It would be the most destabilizing event in American political history  the gratuitous overthrow of an essential constant in American politics, namely the fixedness of the presidential term (save for high crimes and misdemeanors).

Trumps behavior is deeply disturbing but hardly surprising. His mercurial nature is not the product of a post-inaugural adder sting at Mar-a-Lago. Its been there all along. And the American electorate chose him nonetheless.

What to do? Strengthen the guardrails. Redouble oversight of this errant president. Follow the facts, especially the Comey memos. And let the chips fall where they may.

But no tricks, constitutional or otherwise.

Krauthammer is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Washington Post. Email him at letters@charleskrauthammer.com.
By Press Trust of India: Mumbai, May 20 (PTI) As many as 1,251 candidates are in fray for the municipal corporation elections in Bhiwandi, Malegaon and Panvel scheduled to be held on May 24.

The Bhiwandi-Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC) is currently ruled by the Congress-led alliance, while the Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC) is helmed by the NCP-AIMIM alliance.

advertisement

For the Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC), it will be the first election after it came into existence in October last year.

Total 12.96 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes in Bhiwandi, Malegaon and Panvel, which collectively have 252 seats. The results of the elections will be declared on May 26, the State Election Commission said.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) are in the fray.

AIMIM has fielded nine candidates in Bhiwandi and 37 in Malegaon, the commission said.

MNS has fielded seven nominees in Bhiwandi and 25 in Panvel. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has put up 22, Janata Dal (United) four, Janata Dal (Secular) 10 in these three civic bodies, according to the election commission.

BJP has fielded 189, NCP 90, Congress 152, Shiv Sena 144 candidates across the three civic bodies. There are 355 independents trying their luck. Some local and registered parties are also in the fray.

Of the 18 municipal corporations which completed their five-year term this year, elections to 10 bodies were held in February, while Latur, Parbhani and Chandrapur went to polls last month.

The BJP, which is in power in the state, has posted successive wins in the local bodies polls since December last year. PTI MR NP

--- ENDS ---
Macho things up with style

The event will present different types of menswear __ resort, casual and urban __ along with accessories and body care products.

Men are sometimes more fashionable than women and take care to ensure their appearance and grooming are always on point, the gallery said in a media release.

We have noticed this trend and their interest in local fashion and style and decided to dedicate a pop up just for them in a month where men are celebrated (Mens Health Awareness Month and Fathers Day). The gallery is encouraging the stylish guys and the women who love to shop for them, to come in style... and take in the Mens Shop put on by The Fashion Arch Gallery.

The Fashion Arch Gallery gallery is the event arm of Fashion Arch (FA) which is a space where creativity is highlighted and promoted, a home for fashion, art and culture, the release said.

The gallery stated it is continuing its aim to become the leading and most reliable provider of branding and business development services to fashion designers and creatives.

Some popular designers will participate in the event include Ecliff Elie, Shaun Griffith Perez, African Ark Clothing, Honamic Designs, Cemine Bespoke Designs, The Bow Company, Harvey Robertson and Tribal Skin Leather.

The runs from 11 am to 5 pm.
Shamfa: I went to work, not play

During the sitting, both MPs questioned Cudjoe about the $58,379.80 phone bill she incurred while attending a Caribbean Tourism Organisation conference in the Bahamas earlier this year. Government MPs thumped their desks as Cudjoe responded, I travelled for work. I did not travel for play. She explained that during the conference she had to be in contact with her ministry back in TT.

Cudjoe said she was part of a ministerial working group at the conference that was preparing documents for submission to Caricom prime ministers. She said these exercises involved the exchange of documents.

Cudjoe added, Whenever Wi- Fi was available I utilised Wi-Fi.

Whenever it was not I accessed the Internet otherwise. She also said the bill clearly showed the largest component was for data roaming and TSTT is investigating the matter.

Cudjoe previously said the charges included $1,111.06 (calls), $50,616.61 (data roaming) and $6,652.13 (Value Added Tax).

Prior to Cudjoes reply, Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie said the bill was paid.

At the post-Cabinet news conference on Thursday, Finance Minister Colm Imbert and Cuffie said roaming charges in the Bahamas were higher than in other countries.

When Padarath objected to the answers provided by Cudjoe and Cuffie, Speaker Bridgid Annisette- George advised him to take a little walk and get his anxiety under control. Padarath left the Parliament chamber and returned when the House was debating the Bail Amendment Bill. Cudjoe also reiterated Cabinets decision to close the Tourism Development Corporation.
There Was No Red Wave,

'That's for Darn Sure'
By Press Trust of India: Islamabad, May 20 (PTI) At least 30 people were injured in a clash between two groups of students at a top university in the Pakistani capital Islamabad today, a media report said.

Geo News reported that the two groups hurled stones at each other during the clash at Quaid-e-Azam University. There were also reports of exchange of fire between the students.

advertisement

The report did not say what triggered the clash.

A heavy contingent of police personnel have been deployed at the campus and they fired tear-gas shells to disperse the students.

Authorities have also called in the paramilitary Rangers to control the situation.

The 30 injured students, some of whom received gunshot wounds, have been admitted to city hospitals.

Police arrested a few students involved in the clash and seized weapons from them.

The university administration has ordered closure of boys hostels at the varsity, for an indefinite period. Students have been asked to immediately vacate the dormitories. PTI ABH

--- ENDS ---
Nestle may find itself muttering "give me a break," but perhaps with an expletive tossed in at the end. The company on Wednesday lost its latest attempt to trademark its four-finger chocolate bar shape in the UK, in what has been a 7-year battle. The Guardian reports that after months of deliberation, a three-judge appeals panel explained in 16,000 words that the KitKat shape is not a "badge of origin" and has "no inherent distinctiveness." Ouch. The global confectionery has been fighting its rival Mondelez, the US owner of Cadbury, on the issue since 2010. The BBC reports that the two have gone at it over other would-be trademarks, calling out Cadbury's failed attempt in 2013 to register the shade of purple used in its Dairy Milk packaging (Pantone 2685C, for the curious).

Shapes can in fact be trademarked if proven distinctive enough (think Coca-Cola's bottle, or, on the candy front, Toblerone's "zigzag prism" bar), but it's often a slog, and a long one at that. An intellectual property lawyer explains what's at stake in cases like these: Trademarks "confer monopoly rights, so I can see entirely why Nestle thought ... lets register it, because we can stop anyone from producing a bar in four fingers." And they aren't the only ones to produce such a bar; the similarly-shaped Norwegian bar Kvikk Lunsj, which means "quick lunch," has been around since 1937nearly as long as KitKat. Nestle could try to get its case in front of the UK supreme court. (In other food news, a new Pepsi flavor isn't wowing soda fans.)
White House lawyers started researching impeachment procedures this week in order to defend President Trump from potential efforts to remove him from office, reports CNN, citing "people briefed on the discussions." The unnamed sources say White House lawyers have consulted experts on impeachment. That being said, White House officials say impeachment is an extremely unlikely possibility, as Trump still has the support of Republicans in Congress. CNN notes that Democratic lawmakers have also been hesitant on the possibility of impeachment. (Read more Donald Trump stories.)
An American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu was escorted by two F-22 fighter jets Friday after a passenger tried to get into the cockpit, ABC News reports. American Airlines characterizes it as a "disturbance." A source at the TSA says a passenger with a laptop was waiting for the bathroom near the cockpit when a flight attendant told him to sit down. According to Bloomberg, the passenger set the laptop down next to the cockpit door. And Hawaii News Now reports he tried to open the cockpit door. The passenger was restrained by fellow fliers, including an off-duty Honolulu police officer.

Following the incident, the pilots descended to a lower altitude in case there was an explosion, and the fighter jets were scrambled to escort the flight. The plane landed safely in Honolulu, and the passenger was detained. News Now reports the man tried to get through a secure door at Los Angeles International Airport prior to the flight and was cited but not detained at the time. Law enforcement are investigating an unspecified suspicious item that was with the man, and the Department of Homeland Security is monitoring other flights "out of an abundance of caution." Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times reports United Airlines is claiming its planes are secure after the access codes for their cockpits were accidentally made public. (Read more American Airlines stories.)
Hell hath no fury like a sweet tooth scorned. Consumerist reports a Missouri man disappointed with the amount of candy in his boxes of Reese's Pieces and Whoppers is suing Hershey's. According to KCUR, Robert Bratton bought a number of boxes of each candy at a grocery store in Columbia for $1 each. But he says he would have been less likely to spend that money if he knew how under-filled the boxes would be. Bratton's lawsuit claims the boxes of Reese's Pieces were under-filled by about 29% and the boxes of Whoppers by about 41%. His lawsuit argues shoppers are being misled.

But Hershey's counters that customers are "well aware" of the concept of "slack fill," by which packages contain some empty space either due to settling or to protect their contents. Besides, the company argues, the total weight and number of candies is printed on each box. Finally, Hershey's says the empty space shouldn't be a surprise to customers as the boxes rattle when picked up. A judge denied Hershey's motion to dismiss the case this week but also deferred on Bratton's desire to turn it into a class-action suit, the Kansas City Business Journal reports. It remains to be seen how much slack fill is too much slack fill, legally speaking, when it comes to our favorite candies. (In related news: Your favorite Hershey's treats may be shrinking soon.)
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani won re-election by a wide margin Saturday, giving the moderate cleric a second four-year term to see out his agenda pushing for greater freedoms and outreach to the wider world. The 68-year-old incumbent secured a commanding lead of 57% in a race that drew more than seven out of every 10 voters to the polls. His nearest rival in the four-man race, hard-liner Ebrahim Raisi, secured 38% of the vote, the AP reports. As Rouhani appeared close to victory, some female drivers held out the V for victory sign and flashed their car lights on highways in Tehran's affluent north.

"We made the victory again. We sent back Raisi to Mashhad," his conservative hometown in northeastern Iran, Narges, a 43-year-old beauty salon owner, tells the AP. She says she spent more than three hours outside waiting to vote, "but it was worth it." In 2013, Rouhani won the presidential election with nearly 51% of the vote. Turnout for that vote was 73%. Friday's vote was largely a referendum on Rouhani's moderate political policies, which paved the way for the landmark 2015 nuclear deal. Iran's president is the second-most powerful figure within Iran's political system. He is subordinate to the supreme leader, who is chosen by a clerical panel and has the ultimate say over all matters of state. (Read more Hassan Rouhani stories.)
The Election Commission has made it clear that the political parties, invited to take part in the EVM hackathon from June 3 onwards, will not be allowed to meddle with machine components. This condition, AAP says, defeats the entire purpose of the challenge.

By Pankaj Jain: After the Election Commission said that it would hold EVM challenge from June 3 onwards while adding that parties would not be allowed to meddle with the machines, the Aam Aadmi Party has said that the poll panel had not given a fair opportunity to prove that the voting machines could be rigged.

Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi made it clear that the political parties would not be allowed to meddle with or replace the electronic equipments, as that would be the same as re-creating the machine. This condition, AAP says, defeats the entire purpose of the challenge.

advertisement

AAP spokesperson Sanjay Singh said, "Riders put by the EC for the hackathon show that this is not a fair opportunity to demonstrate that tampering of EVMs is possible. Does the poll panel believe that people who wants to rig elections are going to follow any of their rules and regulations?"

The Aam Aadmi Party had posed the following three questions to the EC:

1. Will the EC allow parties to carry tools to the hackathon?

2. Will the EC allow EVMs to be opened up completely?

3. Will the EC allow parties to change the motherboard of the EVM?

Singh went on to say, "If the Election Commission doesn't permit anyone to read the chip and change the motherboard, does it expect parties to chant mantras during the hackathon to tamper EVMs? Will anyone trying to rig elections do so within 'terms and conditions' set by the Election Commission?"

A delegation of AAP leaders will meet the poll panel within the next two days, asking it to conduct a fair hackathon challenge, which will allow parties full access to EVMs under camera surveillance as well as physical presence of EC officials.

EVMs ARE TAMPER-PROOF: POLL PANEL

In the demonstration on Saturday, the Election Commission reiterated its claim that voting the machines were tamper-proof.

The Election Commission said that it received no proof on tampering of EVMs from those who had doubted the authenticity of these machines.

Aam Aadmi Party leaders and Bahujan Samaj Party's Mayawati had raised questions over the credibility of Electronic Voting Machines following the results of Assembly elections in 5 states earlier this year, alleging that the results were aimed at benefitting only one party.

AAP had, in fact, held a demonstration in Delhi Assemhly earlier this month to show how an Electronic Voting Machine could be rigged.

Also read | Election Commission to hold EVM challenge from June 3, says it got no proof of rigging of voting machines

Also read | EVM politics: Why Election Commission believes its electronic voting machine is tamper-proof

ALSO WATCH VIDEO

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
An official in Libya says at least 140 peopleincluding civilianswere killed in a strike on the Brak al-Shati airbase, more than doubling the original count from the attack Thursday, the BBC reports. According to the Guardian, the base was attacked by the Third Force militia, which is loyal to the UN-backed Libyan government. A spokesperson for the Third Force says they "liberated the base and destroyed all the forces inside." Brak al-Shati had been under the control of the Libyan National Army, a group that doesn't recognize the government and is loyal to military strongman Khalifa Haftar, since December.

An LNA spokesperson says most of the 140 casualties were unarmed soldiers returning from a military parade, adding most of them were "executed." The spokesperson says the dead also include civilians working on the base or in the vicinity. The UN-backed Libyan government condemned the attack, which it denied ordering. It says it has suspended the defense minister and the Third Force's commander pending an investigation. Martin Kobler, UN envoy to Libya, says the "unprovoked attack" could amount to a war crime, Al Jazeera reports. I am outraged by reports of significant numbers of fatalities, including civilians and by reports that summary executions may have taken place, Kobler says. The attack may also have breached a truce between Haftar and the government reached on May 2. (Read more Libya stories.)
After 25 years, the final unidentified body from the 1992 Los Angeles riots has a name, the Los Angeles Times reports. The body of 18-year-old Armando Ortiz Hernandez was found in a Pep Boys on May 2, 1992. According to the AP, authorities say he died of "inhalation of smoke, soot, carbon monoxide, and thermal burns." Hernandez's body was so badly burned coroners only had some of his teeth and a partial print from one finger to try to figure out his identity.

Authorities continued to try to find a match for the print over the years, and finally an FBI squad that typically focuses on disaster victims found one. Hernandez, who until Friday was known only as John Doe No. 80, was identified thanks to a couple of minor arrests prior to his death. His only known relative, a sister living in Mexico, was notified. Hernandez was buried in a mass grave with other unclaimed bodies. Because the Pep Boys had been set on fire, his death was ruled a homicide. It remains one of the 23 unsolved homicides related to the riots, which left 53 people dead and more than 2,000 injured. The deadliest riots in US history started after a jury acquitted four white police officers accused of beating Rodney King, a black motorist. (Read more LA riots stories.)
At the start of the decade, the Chinese government fatally shot a man in the courtyard of the government building where he workeda public killing meant to send a message to his colleagues. The man was one of more than a dozen CIA sources killed or imprisoned by the Chinese government between 2010 and 2012, according to a New York Times expose on a massiveand heretofore unreporteddefeat of the US intelligence community at the hands of China. The Times cites 10 current and former officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The dismantling of CIA operations in China, which had taken years to build, hurt intelligence gathering in that country for years afterward.

Despite launching an investigation into what happenedcode-named Honey Badgerneither the FBI nor the CIA could figure out how China found its spies. Some officials blamed a potential mole in the CIA. At one point, they even had a suspectthough they lacked the evidence to make an arrest. Others thought China had hacked the CIA. Another explanation: CIA handlers in China had gotten sloppy, using the same routes to the same meeting points with their sources. Officials say they were meeting in restaurants where even the waiters worked for Chinese intelligence. The US is still trying to rebuild its intelligence gathering network in China. Read the fully story here. (Read more China stories.)
Suspected Pakistan's ISI agent detain in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer

New Delhi : A suspected agent of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was detained in a joint operation by Rajasthan Police Intelligence Wing and the army intelligence unit in Rajasthan, an official said on Saturday. Haji Khan was detained from his house in Kunjari village of Jaisalmer following intelligence inputs. A Rajasthan Police official said Khan, accused of sending confidential information to the ISI, has been sent to Jodhpur for further interrogation.

Investigators said they have recovered incriminating documents from his possession. "Khan was detained few months back but released due to lack of evidence," the official said, adding: "He used to visit Pakistan at regular intervals as his maternal house is there."

Kunjari is situated at the Air Force's Chandan field firing range, part of Pokhran field firing range, and agencies believe that detained spies shared vital information regarding exercise of the Army and Air Force to the ISI.
Sorry!

This content is not available in your region
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 20 (PTI) The Delhi government has sought a report on inflated water bills in the national capital and asked officials to find out the reason behind supply shortage in the recent months, which the AAP claims cost it the municipal polls.

A day after taking over as water minister, Seemapuri MLA Rajender Pal Gautam undertook a stock-taking exercise of the department, which was with sacked minister Kapil Mishra until his recent fallout with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

advertisement

"Right before the MCD polls many people complained of having received inflated bills. Especially those who never had to pay much before. I have sought a report within a week. I have also ordered officials to find out the reason behind shortage of water in few areas right before the polls. I think it was politically motivated," he told a press conference.

Asked if he intends to act against Mishra, Gautam said instances of "irregularities" will surely be looked into but he has "no ill will" intention to "target anyone just for the heck of it".

Gautam also hinted at action against meter readers, whom he claimed indulge in acts of corruption, which, he said, end up "sullying" the image of the government.

Gautam, who held a meeting with top officials of the Delhi Jal Board including its CEO Keshav Chandra and vice chairman AAP MLA Dinesh Mohaniya, said the department will launch an awareness campaign to "educate people" on the pitfalls of using water motors. PTI SBR IKA

--- ENDS ---
Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa became to the first Indian Air Force Chief to write personal letters to nearly 12,000 officers. His letters address a range of issues concerning the functioning of the Indian Air Force.

By India Today Web Desk: Nearly 12,000 officers of the Indian Air Force are receiving personal letters from Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa asking them to be ready for operations 'at a very short notice'.

According a report published in English daily Indian Express, Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa has said, "In the present scenario, there is an ever persistent sub-conventional threat. Therefore, we need to be prepared for operations with our present holdings, at a very short notice. Training needs to be focused towards this."

advertisement

This is a very unusual development for the Indian Air Force. No Air Chief Marshal wrote personal letters to the officers of the Indian Air Force. However, two Army chiefs had in the past shot off similar letters to the officers of the Indian Army.

Field Marshal KM Cariappa had sent letters to the Indian Army officers in May 1950. On the second occasion General K Sundarji wrote similar letters in February 1986.

BS DHANOA'S LETTER

Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa signed the letter on March 30 within three months of taking over as the Indian Air Force chief.

The letter deals with a range of issues including the complaints of favouritism and sexual harassment in the force.

According to the newspaper, Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa has asked IAF officers to be 'combat effective professionals'. Dhanoa has expressed concern over "lack of professionalism" in the Indian Air Force.

Dhanoa has lamented in the letter that "in the recent past, there have been instances and occasions where lack of professionalism has shown the IAF in poor light".

"There is no choice but to stay abreast of new technological advancements both own as well as that of our adversaries. Only then will we come out with war-winning, out of the box solutions," it quotes Dhanoa as saying the letter.

Air Chief Marshal further writes in the letter that "we have been witness to a few instances of 'favouritism' in selection of officers for prime assignments and promotions" adding, "This is something we can ill afford."

At one place, Dhanoa warns erring officials saying, "abusive behaviour, resorting to physical intimidation and behaviour amounting to sexual harassment by seniors is not acceptable".

Dhanoa's letter makes it clear that participation by the families of officers in activities of the Air Force Wives Welfare Association (AFWWA) and Ladies Club is "voluntary".

TIMING OF DHANOA'S LETTER

Dhanoa has written letters to officers of IAF at a time when India's relations with two of its biggest neighbours are in the rough weather and there is growing threat of terrorism from Pakistan.

Terrorists have been successful in launching attacks on the establishments of the Indian Air Force.

advertisement

The Indian Air Force is also facing shortage of manpower and equipment. The current holding of the Indian Air Force is 33 squadrons against the authorised holding of 42 squadrons.

The IAF lacks adequate fighter planes in its armoury. The Rafale deal for 36 fighters is not likely to fill the space vacated by the retirement of MIG series of fighters.

ALSO READ | Onboard LCA: With Tejas, India looks to take off

ALSO WATCH | Lt Gen Bipin Rawat takes oath as 27th Army chief, Air Marshal BS Dhanoa becomes IAF chief

--- ENDS ---
New Delhi:

Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Saturday said the number of H-1B visas for Indian IT professionals would not come down so there is need to get panicky over the issue.

Her remarks came at a time when Indian IT industry was in turmoil after US president Donald Trump decided to change the rules of H-1B visa.

No need to get panicky on the visa front. The lottery process is something I suppose they (the US) wanted to do a correction on. The numbers are not something they are changing... the numbers will not come down, Sitharaman said.

Over the past few weeks, there is a growing sentiment of protectionism across various developed economies, including the US, seeking to safeguard jobs for locals and raise the bar for foreign workers.

In the US, the Trump administration wants to replace the current lottery system with a more merit-based immigration policy.

A mere 17 percent of total US visas go to Indian companies and a number of American firms benefit from services provided by Indian firms, she noted.

India has time and again expressed hope that the review of H-1B visa process will take into consideration the positive relationship between the two countries.

H1B visa woes: Cognizant to significantly ramp up headcount in the US to woo Trump administration

Any change in visa norms can affect the movement of labour as well as spike operational costs for IT players.

In response to the proposed tightening of the visa regime, Indian IT firms have been ramping up hiring of locals in the US, a market that accounts for almost 60 per cent of the Indias technology export revenues.

On changes in the selection process for H-1B visa, the minister hoped that where the high skill set is required, they (US) would look for that, rather than for first-time graduates.

The selection for such visas is getting selective, but the numbers are not changing.

No need of getting panicky... because the number of H-1B visas that we have got, we will continue to get that, she promised.

US President Donald Trump in April had signed an executive order for tightening the H-1B visa programme to stop its abuse and ensure the visas are given to the most-skilled or highest paid petitioners, a decision that is seen to impact Indias USD 150 billion IT industry.

The Indian IT industry expressed serious concern over the issue as these visas were mainly used for short-term work in the US.

The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialised fields. Indian technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year for their US operations.

The US market accounts for about 60 per cent of the revenue of Indian IT.

Reforming the H-1B visa system was one of the major election promises from Trump. As per several US reports, a majority of the H-1B visas every year are grabbed by Indian IT professionals.

India accounts for the highest pool of qualified IT professionals, whose services go a long way in making American companies globally competitive.

For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Just a couple of hours after the Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary Education (TNBSE) has announced TNBSE SSLC Class 10th results 2017 at www.tnresults.nic.in, a majority of the students are planning to opt out of State Board curriculum and joining the CBSE stream.

It has become a trend and the practice is rising day by day over the past few years.

The reason behind this ongoing trend is the syllabus of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Text (NEET) being similar to the syllabus of those schools affiliated to CBSE.

The craze began to rise ever since NEET was being made mandatory for medical admissions.

According to various CBSE schools in the city they have already get a number of enquiries from parents about the admission process for enrolling their children in Class XI.

Also Read: CBSE 12th results 2017 expected to be declared on May 25 at cbse.nic.in; know steps to check your results online

"The demand for the biology group has been extremely high and we have got several enquiries. Though it started last year, this year since the NEET was conducted, the numbers have increased", Amudha Lakshmi, principal of Chettinad Vidyashram School was quoted while interacting with the reporters.

"It will be extremely tough for us to accommodate State board students since the numbers in our Class X are already high", vice-principal of a city school said further.

Though the results for the CBSE Class X and XII exams have not been declared yet, all the CBSE affiliated schools across the city are being flooded with a bunch of admission quearies.

The latest media reports suggests that inspite of this execive demand the CBSE schools will start the admission process only after the declaration of the result.

Also Read: Aadhaar number not mandatory for CBSE schools outside India
New Delhi:

Sylvester Stallone has expressed his concern over the Indian remake of his superhit movie 'Rambo' and said that he hopes that the makers doesn't wreck the great character. The Indian remake of 'Rambo' will feature Tiger Shroff in the lead who will step into Sylvester's shoes. The Hollywood actor took it to Instagram to express his views on the remake of his movie. Stallone shared a still of himself from 'Rambo' and in the caption he wrote, "I read recently they are remaking Rambo in India !! .. Great character.. hope they don't wreck it."

I read recently they are remaking Rambo in India !! .. Great character.. hope they don't wreck it . A post shared by Sly Stallone (@officialslystallone) on May 19, 2017 at 8:15am PDT



Interestingly, Tiger Shroff had recently created a buzz in the tinselvile after he announced his upcoming movie 'Rambo'. The 'Baaghi' actor took it to micro-blogging site Twitter to share the news with his fans and shared a poster of the movie as well where he was seen flaunting his muscled up physique. Tiger wrote, "Grew up on this character, humbled and blessed to step into his shoes years later. #RamboRemake".

Grew up on this character, humbled and blessed to step into his shoes years later. #RamboRemake pic.twitter.com/eQYqMw46pm a Tiger Shroff (@iTIGERSHROFF) May 20, 2017



While he was inundated with congratulatory messages, Tiger even replied to Sylvester's concern and said that he is humbled to step into his shoes and walk his path. Shroff tweeted, Humbled and blessed to be walking the road u lay down u r irreplaceable and I hope I don't let you down sir @TheSlyStallone #RamboRemake".

Humbled and blessed to be walking the road u lay down Ya u r irreplaceable and I hope I don't let you down sir @TheSlyStallone #RamboRemake https://t.co/A55zcoj5Kr a Tiger Shroff (@iTIGERSHROFF) May 19, 2017



Helmed by 'Bang Bang' director Siddharth Anand, Tiger Shroff's 'Rambo' is expected to release in 2018.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Chandigarh:

BJP will win the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with even bigger mandate than what it got in 2014, said party president Amit Shah.

Praising the Narendra Modi government, he said it has send out a positive message to people that the BJP-led regime was decisive.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emerged as most popular leader of the country after countrys Independence, there is no doubt in this, he told reporters during a press conference.

With an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he is on a 110-day country-wide tour, which began in Jammu last month. Shah is travelling across the states to strategise and strengthen the party at the grass-root level.

He said that the BJP, which started with ten members, today has got 11 crore membership, making it worlds biggest political party.

The BJP president said the party had done well in the recent assembly polls in the states.

With the BJP-led NDA government soon completing three years in office, Shah said, In this country dynasty, casteism and appeasement had been plaguing the countrys politics for a long time.

The nations politics has moved forward under the BJP leadership to get rid of these ills, he said.

Shah said that the results of assembly polls of Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand, where BJP got absolute majority, has proved that people have whole heartedly accepted and appreciated three year-rule of the Modi government.

Also read: Communists, Congress wiped out, BJP will form govt in Tripura: Amit Shah

We have been in power for nearly three years now, but even our political opponents have not been able to point any finger at us on corruption, which is a biggest achievement of our government, he said.

The BJP chief said the NDA government worked for uplift of poor, downtrodden, labourers and farmers and also took bold steps like demonetisation to contain spread of black money to a large extent and boost the countrys economy.

Shah described as a very big achievement of the government the order of International Court of Justice (ICJ) which stayed the execution of former naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav.

Asked about his reaction about a Pakistani-origin lawyer, who represented Pakistan in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case at the ICJ had been hired by the UPA government in 2004 to argue an arbitration case, Shah said, The nation knows about the character of the Congress, what should I say?

Further, when asked about the Jadhav case in ICJ, he said, I feel that Harish Salve presented the side of Kulbhushan Jadhav and government convincingly at the international forum and it is a very big relief for the family of Jadhav and for country. I feel that it is a very big achievement of the Government of India.

Asked about the farmers suicide in the recent past, Shah said, The central government is commited to save the countrys farmers. But the deterioration that had taken place place (over past several years) could not be set right in one day.

On the allegations of tampering of electronic voting machines (EVM) by the AAP, Shah said, I want to ask the AAP leaders that they got 67 seats out of 70 (in Delhi assembly polls) from which EVMs, you just ask them.

Also read: MCD polls: People of Delhi rejected negative politics, says Amit Shah

Address the media, Shah said that from north to south, BJP is increasing its base.

In Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal and Tripura, we are concentrating on these states and we have been able to garner the peoples support there, he said.

Speaking about the BJPs presence in the country, he said, In various Vidhan Sabhas around the country, there are 1387 BJP MLAs, 13 governments in various states are of the BJP and at four places we are in power with our allies.

He said the countrys economy which was in bad shape during the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government is today fastest growing economy in the world.

On the GST, we undertook the exercise to bring all parties and stakeholders together and to bring it as law. It is also a big achievement of our government, he said.

He said when the BJP came to power, there were 60 per cent people who did not have even a single bank account.

Today, 28.7 crore bank accounts have been opened under Jan Dhan account. Under Jan Dhan scheme, there is not a single family now which does not have a bank account, he said.

We were committed to clean politics and in this regard we have taken steps to rein in black money, he said, pointing out bold step on demonetisation taken in this regard.

We started a campaign against shell companies who were involved in black money, he said.

He said over 90 lakh tax payers have been enrolled within one year, which is biggest figure after Independence.

He said when Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, then he had said the BJP government will be of poor, labourers and farmers.

We have taken a number of steps for the farmers and launched many schemes for them. The government constructed four crore toilets for the poor, he said, elaborating out several pro-people initiatives of the Modi government.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The Chief Election Commissioner of India Dr Nasim Zaidi on Saturday threw open challenge to all national and state political parties to tamper Electronic Voting Machines from June 3 onwards.

The Chief Election Commissioner of India said that EVM Challenge is open to national and state parties as they can nominate 3 authorised persons. He also said that they will need to confirm their interest by 5 pm on 26 May.

"13.95 lakh ballot units, 9.3 lakh ballot control units and 16.5 lakh VVPAT are under production," said Nasim Zaidi.

Nasim said that ECI through this challenge will restore & enhance, faith & confidence of voters in EVM voting system.

The announcement came over a week after the Election Commission threw down the gauntlet to political parties to prove that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) used in the recent assembly polls were tampered with.

He said people who had questioned reliability of EVMs have not yet submitted any proof or credible material to support their claim.

Zaidi said replacement of the internal circuit of EVMs is not possible at all.

Our EVMs have strong technological features and are tamper-proof, he said.

Zaidi rubbished the Aam Aadmi Partys claim that EVMs could be tampered with, and said no manipulation of the machines is possible.

He also said that improving the election process is a responsibility of all stakeholders and the EC is taking all necessary steps in this regard.

Earlier in the day, the Election Commission gave a live demonstration of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines in New Delhi.

The move came after allegations of hacking in the EVM machine used in recent assembly elections and demands to revert to ballot paper voting methods by several Opposition parties.

At an all-party meeting on May 12, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi had said a challenge was on the cards for political parties to prove that EVMs used in the recent assembly polls were tampered with. He had also said that parties can try and prove that EVMs can be tampered with even under strict technical and administrative safeguards as applicable during elections.

Several major opposition parties had claimed that the faith of people in the machines has eroded.

The BSP and AAP had alleged that the machines used in the recent assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjab were tampered with and favoured the BJP. Later, several other parties had joined the chorus and waned the EC to revert to paper ballots.

The EC has already announced that it will ensure paper trail of voting in all future elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.

Also read: Election Commission gives live demos of EVMs, VVPATs machines; expected to announce schedule of EVM Challenge

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra talked to News Nation on Saturday to shed some light on his ongoing tussle with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Mishra had accused chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and the party of "massive" financial irregularities.

Here are the highlights of his exclusive interview with News Nation:

#My mission is to remove all corrupt leaders from AAP

#There is a high possibility that Kejriwal won't come out clean but will go to jail



#I will continue to be associated with AAP

#Arvind Kejriwal has become the symbol of 'corruption' and 'cheating'

#Arvind Kejriwal doesn't deserve to be Delhi Chief Minister

#I acted as a shield for Kejriwal

#Kejriwal is mum over on these serious corruption charges

#Kejriwal is hiding, nobody stands in support of him

#Kejriwal will go behind bars



#Kejriwal hide letter head related to hawala



#I brought the truth to fore

The leader had demanded Kejriwal's resignation and said if he didn't step down, the former water minister would "drag" the chief minister by his "collar" and "lock him up" in Delhi's Tihar Jail.

The former minister was involved in a massive political drama in the Capital where he sat on a five-day fast in protest against AAP's refusal to disclose details of five party leaders' travels abroad.

"It has now become clear that Arvind Kejriwal is a corrupt man," Mishra said on May 14 before he fainted in front of journalists, apparently weakened by five days of fasting.

ALSO READ | Kapil Mishras open challenge to Arvind Kejriwal: Make your performance report public

Mishra told the media at his residence that AAP had received "crores of rupees" from "shell companies" run by people close to Kejriwal, mentioning in particular AAP legislators Shiv Charan Goel and Naresh Yadav.

These shell companies, Mishra alleged, also had "ghost" directors who donated money to the party and converted "black money into white".

He said there were also discrepancies in the money received by AAP and the amount it declared before the Election Commission.



The party refuted Mishra's charges and said he was "parroting" the Bharatiya Janata Party. In another press conference, AAP MLAs Goel and Yadav denied links with the entities named by Mishra and said they would file a defamation suit against him.

ALSO READ | Kapil Mishra says life has come full circle for Arvind Kejriwal with corruption charges against him



Mishra fainted before he could share with the media documents he said proved his charges. He was taken to the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, where doctors said he was stable and conscious, but suffered from a "a little weakness and mild dehydration".

(With inputs from PTI)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Nathu La (Sikkim):

The family of each paramilitary jawan who died in action will be given a compensation of Rs 1 crore each, said Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday.

He also declared that 34,000 posts of paramilitary constables were upgraded as head constables.

Addressing a Sainik Sammelan of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Force at the Sherathang border outpost, the home minister said the nation appreciates and is proud of the sacrifice of its paramilitary jawans.

The paramilitary forces have been fighting the Naxals in central and eastern parts of the country, militants in Jammu and Kashmir, and guarding the borders in inhospitable terrains.

The sacrifice of our jawans cannot be compensated with money. But the families of martyrs should not face any difficulty. Therefore, I will ensure that family of each paramilitary jawan gets at least Rs 1 crore as compensation, he said.

The announcement came nearly a month after the killing of 25 CRPF jawans by Naxals at Sukma in Chhattisgarh.

Earlier, the home minister visited the India-China border post here and reviewed the security situation.

Also read: Over 50% of India's population lives in disaster-prone areas: Rajnath Singh at NDMA meet

The home minister said a lot has been done for the welfare of paramilitary personnel but much more needs to be done in the coming days.

Singh asked the ITBP jawans to use the recently launched mobile app by the home ministry to register their grievances, including personal problems, so that the ministry can try to resolve them.

The home minister also promised to look into the demand of the ITBP to bring uniformity in high altitude allowances.

The total length of the Sino-Indian border is 3,488 km of which 1,597 km runs through Jammu and Kashmir, 200 km in Himachal Pradesh, 345 km in Uttarakhand, 220 km in Sikkim and 1,126 km in Arunachal Pradesh.

The border is not fully demarcated and the process of clarifying and confirming the Line of Actual Control is in progress.

The border areas, which are located at high altitudes, have inadequate development and infrastructure facilities.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) guards this border and has established 173 Border Out Posts (BOPs).

Out of these BOPs, 35 are in the western sector (Jammu and Kashmir), 71 in the middle sector (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand) and 67 in the eastern sector (Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh).

The home minister also interacted with Army jawans.

Also read: 'Half Girlfriend' actor Arjun Kapoor makes 'brutally honest' revelations about his equation with step mom Sridevi and her daughters

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Chennai:

Congress leader P Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram has clarified that his only connection with INX Media, owned by Indrani and Peter Mukerjea, was that his friend was its auditor.



"A friend of mine is the auditor of that television company and it is the only connection I have with that firm," he said referring to the CBI naming him as an accused in the INX media case.



Karti, who is now in London, said in a Facebook post that CBI had "unnecessarily" included his name in the case.



On May 15, CBI had filed an FIR against Karti, Indrani and Peter Mukerjea on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, receiving illegal gratification, influencing public servants and criminal misconduct.



According to the investigative agency, Karti had allegedly received money from the media firm owned by Indrani and Peter Mukerjea to scuttle a tax probe, a charge denied by him.



The Enforcement Directorate had on Friday registered a money laundering case against Karti and INX Media for alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board's (FIPB) approval for the company to get Foreign Direct Investment.



Karti, who posted a facsimile image of his interview to a Tamil media outlet, said though this was a "corruption case, there are no details about which government official was bribed, they have just mentioned some unknown officials."



"I know how to handle this legally," he said and asked why the officials who raided his premises had "not come out openly about what was seized from my house and what evidences they had got." "Only if they had got anything, could they be able to spell that out," he said, apparently claiming that no seizure of evidential value was made.

Read | Karti Chidambaram says 'I have not done anything wrong'



Karti also said that he had not received any summons from CBI to appear before it in Delhi. He also uploaded a photo of his with Richard Evans, eminent historian and president of Wolfson College, University of Cambridge.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Over the last 50 years, the moss has grown more than usual. As ice melts in the continent of Antarctica, more water is available to moisten the moss.

By India Today Web Desk: Antarctica is going green. Not that trees are being planted there but lately, moss is growing there and the continent is changing its colour.

According to a new study, layers of moss have accumulated on the southern continent over the last 150 years. Researchers from three British universities have also discovered that the moss has grown more than usual in the last five decades.

advertisement

FYI || 2017 to be the hottest year: Sea-ice shrinks, WMO says world entered 'uncharted territory' ||

The variable that's driving the moss to take over the continent is warmer global temperatures. The rising temperatures have helped in the growth rate of seasonal moss in Antarctica.

As Antarctica's ice melts, more water is there to moisten the mosses. And the rise in heat gives longer growing seasons to the plants.

Reuters

"Temperature increases over roughly the past half century on the Antarctic Peninsula have had a dramatic effect on moss banks growing in the region," National Geographics quoted paleoclimate researcher Matthew Amesbury at the University of Exeter in the UK.

"If this continues, and with increasing amounts of ice-free land from continued glacier retreat, the Antarctic Peninsula will be a much greener place in the future."

CORES - THE TIME CAPSULES

The team of researchers collected data from five vertical columns of sediment. These sediments are called cores.

These cores were drilled from three Antarctic islands spanning a distance of over 1,000 km. The cores also act as time capsules. These time capsules allow the scientists to dwell within the past and see what changes the continent has experienced.

Reuters

"The sensitivity of moss growth to past temperature rises suggests that ecosystems will alter rapidly under future warming, leading to major changes in the biology and landscape of this iconic region," National Geographics quoted Dan Charman who is one the team members who took moss core samples.

"In short, we could see Antarctic greening parallel to well-established observations in the Arctic."

FYI || People take it to streets with their climate protests to mark Donald Trump's 100 days in office ||

MOSS IN ANTARCTICA AND ITS RATE OF GROWTH

The study was published on Thursday in the journal Current Biology.

The study looked back over the past 150 years and concluded that biological activity had immensely accelerated, particularly since the middle of the 20th century.

It is not just the aforementioned fact but the rate of growth is now four to five times higher than it was prior to 1950.

advertisement

"In short, we could see Antarctic greening to parallel well-established observations in the Arctic," said Professor Dan Charman

"Although there was variability within our data, the consistency of what we found across different sites was striking."

Reuters

And for those who think it's becoming a green house, well, it is not.

"People will think of Antarctica quite rightly as a very icy place, but our work shows that parts of it are green, and are likely to be getting greener," said Dr Matt Amesbury, of the University of Exeter.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Amesbury believes that the culprit is climate change.

"Even these relatively remote ecosystems, that people might think are relatively untouched by humankind, are showing the effects of human induced climate change."

"This is linking into other processes that are happening on the Antarctic Peninsula at the moment, particularly things like glacier retreat which are freeing up new areas of ice-free land - and the mosses particularly are very effective colonisers of those new areas," RT quoted him.

FYI || Top 100 solutions to climate change: Stop everything and take note of these tips ||

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
Srinagar:

Following the incident of militants opening fire on security forces in Tral township of south Kashmirs Pulwama district, the security forces have launched a cordon and search operation to catch hold of them.

The incident happened when the security forces were patrolling Seer village of Tral. During the patrolling, unidentified militants opened fire on them triggering a brief gunfight, a police official said.

There was no immediate report of any casualty, he said.

He said a cordon and search operation has been launched to track them.

Reinforcements have also been rushed to seal the escape routes, the official said, adding there was no fresh contact with the militants and efforts are on to flush them out.

Also read: J&K: Pakistan violates ceasefire with heavy mortar shelling in Nowshera sector of Rajouri; 2 civilians dead, 3 injured

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The BJP has alleged that the UK-based Pakistani-origin lawyer who represented the neighbouring country in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had been hired by the UPA government in 2004 to argue an arbitration case.



Accusing the Congress of being Pakistan's voice on a host of issues, BJP spokesperson GVL Narsimha Rao said the the party must explain why its government hired Khawar Qureshi in the "very sensitive" Enron case.



The Congress-led UPA government had changed the legal team representing India in the arbitration case against the US firm over the controversial Dabhol power project, he said.

Read | Kulbhushan hearing at ICJ: Pak says Jadhav has neither consular access nor legal representation



This was a question linked to "patriotism", Rao told reporters. "What was the compulsion that the UPA government hired Qureshi?... Over the last few years we have seen several incidents of the Congress speaking in support of Pakistan. It was speaking in Pakistan's voice on the surgical strikes as well," Rao told reporters.



Citing the example of Harish Salve, who was the lead counsel for India at the ICJ this week, he said it was surprising that the UPA government could not find an Indian lawyer to represent the country in such a sensitive case.

Rao named Congress leaders Salman Khurshid and Mani Shankar Aiyar as instances of Congress leaders allegedly speaking in support of Pakistan.



The ICJ this week stayed the execution of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was arrested by Pakistan on charges of espionage and subversive activities. While Pakistan claims he was nabbed from Balochistan, India maintains that he was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.

Read | Kulbhushan Jadhav verdict: Defiant Pakistan says ICJ has given no order on 'consular access'

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The Shiv Sena on Saturday asked the government to not to get over excited over the ruling by the International Court of Justice in Kulbhushan Jadhav case until he is brought back home safely.

However, Shiv Sena praised the efforts taken by the External Affairs Ministry to secure the release of the former Navy officer, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on espionage charges.

"Pakistan's arguments have been decimated in the court at The Hague. But the fight has not ended yet. We cannot forget the handiwork of Pakistan and also Sarabjit Singh's murder in a Lahore jail. Thus, the government should not get over excited over the ICJ order and remember that worries won't end till Kulbhushan Jadhav is brought back safely," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

It said the diplomatic moves made by the External Affairs Ministry from the very beginning proved to be important in Jadhav's case.

"External Affairs minister (Sushma Swaraj) had been from the beginning assuring that India will do everything possible to save Jadhav's life and her assurances have proved true at the first stage. She needs to be congratulated for this," it said.

ALSO READ: Hope Pakistan respects ICJ's verdict and releases Jadhav: Communist Party of India



The Sena also praised India's lawyer at the International Court of Justice, Harish Salve, saying the credit of the interim order going in India?s favour went to the effective way he presented our case, laying out facts and the manner in which Pakistan had violated clauses of the Vienna Convention.

Jadhav was arrested last year in March after which India had sought consular access to him over a dozen times. It wasn't granted even once by Pakistan. On May 18, in a major boost to India, which moved the UN's highest judicial body against the death sentence, the ICJ instructed Pakistan to take all "necessary measures at its disposal" to ensure that Jadhav was not executed pending a final decision by it.

(With PTI Inputs)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Jaipur:

A suspected ISI agent was picked up by the intelligence branch of Rajasthan police from Jaisalmer district on Friday.

The accused, a resident of Jaisalmer, was nabbed on Friday and was taken to Jodhpur for initial questioning, the ADG (Intelligence), U R Sahoo, told PTI.



There were certain inputs that he allegedly had some "connections" with Pakistan's spy agency ISI.

He was on the radar of the intelligence agencies for some time now and was nabbed from his village.

"The man has not been arrested so far," the officer added.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Jaipur/Jodhpur:

The intelligence wing of the Rajasthan Police has detained a suspected agent of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from Jaisalmer district. The police have also recovered some documents from his possession.



55-year-old Hazi Khan was detained on Friday from Kunjarali village in the bordering district and is being interrogated in Jodhpur, DIG, Security, H Raghvendra Suhasaa told PTI. Hazi Khan has visited Pakistan three times and is suspected to have connections with the ISI, he said.



Some vital information and incriminating documents have been recovered from his possession which are being verified, he said.



He is suspected to have passed on secret strategic information pertaining to the Indian Army and the Air Force to the ISI, an Intelligence source said.

Read | UP ATS arrests ISI agent from Mumbai in joint operation with Maha Police



"His name emerged following interrogation of two spies Haji Khan and Sadik Khan, who were arrested earlier this year under the Official Secret Act," said the source.



The accused, a local farmer, was on the intelligence radar for some time. He is being interrogated to get details of his network and the information shared by him, the source said, adding that he was arrested earlier also, but was let off in absence of evidence against him.



Haji is a frequent traveller to Pakistan to see his family members. "We are conducting raids at few more places today," Suhasaa said. "The man has not been arrested so far," the officer added.

Read | Man with Pak passport at Delhis IGI airport says, I am an ISI agent and want to remain in India

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday lambasted at the Opposition on the issue of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Defending the organisation, priest-cum-political leader, CM Adityanath argued that if it was not there, West Bengal, Punjab and Kashmir would have gone to Pakistan.



Replying to the discussion on Governors address in the Assembly, Adityanath said: Agar RSS aur Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee (founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh) na hote to West Bengal, Punjab aur Kashmir Pakistan ke kabje mei hote.



He further added that RSS is the only organisation in the world which does not take any help from the government and works selflessly through its swayamsewaks and pracharaks for the country and culture.



Why is the name of an organisation which has nothing to do with politics and which does not interfere with the government being taken, he asked.

Read | Congress demands UP CM Yogi Adityanaths resignation over law and order crisis



Adityanath was addressing the last meeting of the first UP assembly session, where he was gheraoed by the Opposition parties over a myriad of issues dominated by concerns related to law and order situation in the state.



In response to the allegations on the law and order front, UP CM hit back, saying those who ruled the state for 10 years are seeking an account from him for his two-month-old government.



Those who ruled the state for five or ten years ask us to give an account of our performance in two months ..stage walkouts on every second issue, he said in the Assembly while replying to the Motion of Thanks to the Governors address.



While admitting that crime is taking place in the state, he likened the recent incidents to the last few breaths which come very fast before death.



I have decided that for crime, criminals and those giving shelter to them, there is no place in the state, the chief minister asserted.We will deal with such elements without any mercy ...those harassing the poor, helpless and traders will be dealt with sternly, Yogi said.

Read | UP CM Yogi Adityanath says need to expose those who distorted history



Targeting the previous governments, he said there has been a deterioration in the habits which will not improve easily but assured that all steps will be initiated for alround development of the state and for creating fear-free society.



Mafia elements will be dealt with sternly in the language they understand...administration has been given a free hand and responsibility has been fixed, Yogi said.



In UP, crime has been politicised ..who has brought casteism in administration..who has committed this sin...it is a reality that criminals have been politicised and there had been a transfer industry functioning here, he said.



The chief minister said that for him, his post is a responsibility and not something to show off and is also a test besides being a thing of pride.



Attacking the opposition for their behaviour during the governors address, the chief minister said he had heard that only two kind of people blow whistleone who are in the traffic police and for the other kind, he has already create anti-romeo squad.



Opposition members had used whistle and had targeted the governor with paper balls during his address to the joint session of the two houses on May 15.



Stressing that his government is taking the problems as a challenge, the CM said his government does not represent any caste, belief, sect or religion and it will be seen following the sabka saath sabka vikas slogan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Read | Uttar Pradesh: CM Adityanath gets principal secretary, 74 IAS officers reshuffled



The chief minister said that farmers had been harassed during the BSP and the SP rule and had also committed suicide.



This goes on to prove the shortcomings in the policy, programmes and intentions of the previous governments as this has happened on the land which has been blessed by nature in every manner, he said.



Elaborating on the works done in the two months of his government, he listed farmers loan waiver, wheat procurement, payment of sugarcane prices, package for potato growers and ending of the VIP culture through the ban on beacon.



He said he had inherited a very weak system on which he is working.We ended the tradition of providing proper power supply to the selected few districts, he said.



Commenting on the state of affairs in the previous government, he said that excise liceneses for two years in advance were issued and a lot of people were benefitted.



He resolved that liquor shops will not be allowed near bastis, schools, religious places and highways.



In a lighter vein, the chief minister said that his excise minister (Jai Pratap Singh) does not consume alcohol, evoking laughter in the house.



He stressed that the discriminatory triple talaq should be done away with to honour matr shakti (women force).



He said his government had to enforce the NGTs order on illegal slaughter houses as the previous government did not do so.



Later, the motion of thanks was passed by voice vote and the Assembly was adjourned sine die.

(With Inputs from PTI)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Four people killed and 15 others injured after a bus caught fire in Uttar Pradeshs Banda district. The bus rammed into an electric pole and came in contact with a high tension wire on Saturday.



The incident took place around 9:30 am and injured have been admitted to a local hospital. According to reports, the bus was travelling from Banda to Hamirpur. The bus driver and conductor absconded the site after the incident.





Banda: 4 dead, 15 injured after a bus caught fire after coming in contact with a high tension wire on ramming into an electric pole. pic.twitter.com/zq7gJZ1tVr  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 20, 2017

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed grief over the incident and ordered the officials to take necessary steps. It is to be noted that Yogi is already present in Banda to take a note on the law and order situation and development works in the district.

ALSO READ: Video: Fire burns down shopping mall in Patna's Boring Road crossing, no causalities

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Thiruvananthapuram:

Dr John Paniker, the president of Indian Medical Association in Thiruvananthapuram district, said on Saturday said that the rise in dengue cases in the country was because of the growing population of the Aides mosquito.



"The summer shower also caused the growth of mosquitoes," Dr. John Paniker told ANI.



Many patients suffering from dengue are seeking treatment in hospitals. The Government General Hospital has thirty- five of its staff afflicted with dengue. There was a death of one of the hospital technicians from dengue. In Kerala, 280 confirmed cases have been reported while 100 dengue cases in the district alone.
Islamabad:

Pakistan's attorney general Ashtar Ausaf Ali will plead Pakistan's case at the International Court of Justice against Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav who has been sentenced to death by a military court.

The development came after the Pakistan Foreign Office was criticised for its "poor handling" of the case and for its choice of Britain-based Khawar Qureshi as counsel.



The ICJ on May 18 stayed the execution of Jadhav. The attorney general said the country's defence against India's case before the ICJ was prepared by the government in consultation with all stakeholders, including the military establishment, Geo TV reported.

Also Read: ICJ's verdict on Kulbhushan Jadhav case | Pakistan cant hang him till final order, Who said what

He also dismissed criticism on why Pakistan accepted the global court's jurisdiction. Referring to the Pakistan's March 2017 declaration in relation to the jurisdiction of the ICJ, Ausaf said that the ongoing propaganda on the issue was misplaced.

"The correct position is that Pakistan had signed off to an unconditional declaration to agree to the jurisdiction of the ICJ way back in September 1960. In March 2017, we made a declaration of exceptions reservations, and conditions," Ausaf said.

He said that the original -- 1960 declaration -- was without reservations and exceptions. Pakistan prior to March 2017 had signed up to an ipso facto (by the fact itself) compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ.

"We had become signatory to a declaration of submission to jurisdiction without any exceptions in September 1960." In March 2017, he said, Pakistan created the firewalls, including the one relating to the security of Pakistan for the first time. He explained that in the present case, the ICJ is not looking at this aspect of the matter.

Also Read: ICJ order in Kulbhushan Jadhav case: 'Don't execute him, India should have been given consular access as per Vienna convention'

"They are looking at the Vienna Convention and the optional protocol to the convention. India and Pakistan both are signatories to this. The optional protocol invests the ICJ with powers and jurisdiction to decide disputes between member states." "If we were to withdraw this declaration, we would have to go back to 1960 declaration which gives jurisdiction without exceptions," he maintained.

The TV channel also reported that Qureshi was paid 50,000 pounds for the case. However, the Indian lawyer charged only one Indian rupee for his services.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Kathmandu:

A Nepalese human survivor has scaled the Mount Everest with an anti-trafficking message. After the summit, Kanchhi Maya Tamang displayed a banner that read "we are people, not property." Tamang said she believed if she raised a slogan from the world's highest peak she would be heard.

In the process, she has become the first Tamang woman from Nepal to scale the 8,848-metre peak.



Not alone in her belief, the returnee migrant worker from Sindhupalchowk - a three-hour drive from capital Kathmandu -was accompanied by 19 other climbers who found a fair weather to make final summit pushes.

Read | Anshu Jamsenpa becomes first Indian woman to scale Mount Everest 4 times



Tamang reached the peak at 6am, officials said. In association with UN Women, Tamang and Pemba Dorje Sherpa climbed Mt Everest to spread the message from the roof of the world.



It was the first time that someone climbed Mt Everest for women's empowerment and gender equality, according to UN Women Nepal. "Dorje has scaled Mt Everest 16 times," said Gyanendra Shrestha, a liaison officer at the ministry of culture, tourism and civil aviation.



Besides Kanchhi Maya and Pemba Dorje, the 19 other climbers included nine Nepalese and the rest were foreigners. Everest has seen a record number of climbers this season due to a backlog resulting from the 2014 and 2015 avalanches.



More than 375 climbers from around the world have been waiting for weather to improve to make summit attempts. As many as 25 climbers, including six Indians, stood atop the world's highest peak from the Tibetan side after nine rope-fixing Sherpas opened a climbing route to the summit point earlier this month. Officials say nearly 150 climbers will make their final summit pushes from north side within the next couple of days.

Read | Six Indian climbers became the first group to reach Mt Everest in the first summit of season

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
By Press Trust of India: From Lalit K Jha

Washington, May 20 (PTI) Pakistan would vanish from the world map if the countrys army continues to violate the rights of Mohajirs and Balochs, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Altaf Hussainhas warned.

In the name of counter-terror operation, the Pakistan Army started operation in Balochistan several years ago and murdered thousands of Baloch men, he alleged.

advertisement

"Sindhi, Pushtoon and Punjabi waderas (landlords) Khans and Chaudhris have surrendered to the army for personal favours," he said in a video message to his supporters.

He asked the army to "stop military operations" in Karachi and Balochistan.

"The military establishment should talk to Mohajir and Baloch leadership and address their grievances but if their policy of victimisation continues, Pakistan would soon vanish from the world map," Hussain, who has been living in self- exile in London, said.

Hussain again alleged that the Pakistan Army and its spy agency ISI are sheltering and protecting various Islamic extremists groups which are conducting proxy wars in neighbouring countries.

"The real enemies of Pakistan are Punjabi army and the ISI. They harbour most wanted terrorists. Osama Bin Laden was in ISI protection for several years near Army headquarters," he said.

Hussain MQM is the fourth largest political party in Pakistan. PTI LKJ NSA

--- ENDS ---
New Delhi:

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) have threatened Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif to step down in seven days otherwise they will launch a countrywide movement.

Both bar associations are of the view that in light of the Supreme Courts ruling on the Panama Papers case, the prime minister should no longer hold the position and should, therefore, resign, Dawn news reported a joint notification issued by the two bar associations as saying.

"For fair and independent inquiry against the premier, Nawaz Sharif should step down till the final report of the JIT. In case he does not resign till May 27 the lawyers throughout Pakistan will launch a nationwide campaign and movement to ensure his resignation, the statement said.

The notification from lawyers came soon after SCBA and LHCBA members clashed with lawyers supporting the ruling Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) government at all Pakistan lawyers representatives convention on Saturday.

The lawyers in Pakistan had in 2007 launched a massive movement after ex-President Pervez Musharraf ousted the then chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhrys.

However, the movement gained momentum that forced Musharraf to reinstate the judiciary.

The latest threat from lawyers came after Supreme Courts verdict on Panama Papers case which directed to constitute a Joint-Investigation Team (JIT) to investigate the role of Prime Minister Sharif and his son for alleged corruption.

Also Read: Pak PM Nawaz Sharif discusses Kulbhushan Jadhav's case with Army chief Bajwa

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Suicide bombings at checkpoints in Baghdad and south Iraq claimed by the Islamic State group killed at least 35 people and wounded dozens more, officials said Saturday.

The bombings, which hit Iraq the previous night, came as Iraqi forces battle IS in Mosul in a massive operation launched more than seven months ago to retake the countrys second city from the jihadists.

In Baghdad, suicide car bombers attacked in the area of a checkpoint in the citys southern Abu Dsheer area, killing 24 people and wounding 20, Brigadier General Saad Maan told AFP.

Security forces were able to kill one of the attackers, but the second blew up his car bomb, Maan said.

IS issued a statement claiming the attack but gave a different account of how it unfolded, saying that one militant clashed with security forces using a light weapon before detonating an explosive belt, after which a second blew up a car bomb.

And in south Iraq, a suicide bomber blew up an explosives-rigged vehicle at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city of Basra, killing 11 people and wounding 30, according to Riyadh Abdulamir, the head of Basra province health department.

Also Read: Sold as slave by IS in 2014, 11-year-old Yazidi girl freed by Iraqi forces in Mosul

Another militant who left a second explosives-rigged vehicle was killed by security forces, the Basra Operations Command said.

IS also claimed the Basra attack, but said that both bombs were successfully detonated.

The jihadist group overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since recaptured much of the territory they lost to the jihadists.

After recapturing the cities of Tikrit, Ramadi and Fallujah, Iraqi forces launched an operation to retake Mosulat the time the largest population centre still in IS handslast October.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

An unconfirmed CCTV footage of Thursdays Times Square car accident has surfaced. The visuals show suspect US Navy veteran Richard Rojas' car from different angles as he smashes into the unsuspecting pedestrians, wreaking havoc on the streets of New York City.



The visuals show Rojas car as it proceeds on 7th avenue at 42nd street and takes a sharp U-turn, knocking of numerous people, while others run for their lives. The footage has also captured the horror of people scrambling to save lives as Rojas charges in full speed.

CCTV captures #TimesSquare car accident. The visuals show suspect, Richard Rojas' car from different angles. pic.twitter.com/KPgi4661HK  Pratyush Ranjan (@pratyush_ranjan) May 20, 2017

The US Navy veteran has been charged with murder for the incident. It has been reported that the suspect suffers from mental health problems and intentionally lashed out.

Thursdays incident sparked fear in the US financial capital after deadly car-rammings in London, Berlin and the French city of Nice, but authorities said there was no evidence the crash was terror-related.



An 18-year-old woman from Michigan was killed and 22 others injured, including the womans 13-year-old sister. The sister remains in a critical condition and a Canadian citizen was seriously injured, officials said.



Richard Rojas, 26, a former Navy electrician from the Bronx, was arrested at the scene and charged with one count of murder in the death of an 18-year-old tourist and with 20 counts of attempted murder.What we know right now continues to confirm it was not an act of terror, Mayor Bill de Blasio told WNYC public radio on Friday.



Rojas had demonstrated mental health issues going back to childhood, he added.

Read | 1 killed, 22 injured as car strikes people in New York's Times Square



He was troubled and lashing out, the mayor said. At the root of this, from what we know so far, is an untreated mental health issue going back probably decades.



Toxicology tests are yet to determine whether drugs in his system played a role in his behaviour.



We dont know the full analysis and whether the type of drugs in his system exacerbated his feelings in a negative way, the mayor told WNYC.



De Blasio, a progressive Democrat seeking re-election this year, said authorities would assess whether they needed to step up security to stop similar incidents from happening in the future.Police patrols in Times Square, one of the worlds busiest districts, were already beefed up in recent years, following a 2010 car bombing attempt.



Police also bolstered security for public gatherings in the wake of attacks in Europe.



We dont allow vehicles to cross the path of...parades anymore, and we put barrier trucks, sand trucks, in the way, de Blasio said.



Shortly before noon on Thursday, Rojass Honda Accord mounted the sidewalk at high speed, bowling over pedestrians and sending others fleeing in fright for three blocks in Times Squareone of the worlds busiest districtspolice said.



Rojas was arrested for drunk driving in 2008 and 2015, and detained earlier this month on charges of menacing behaviour, police said.News reports also drew a portrait of a troubled young man who seemed changed when he returned home in 2014 from a three-year stint in the US Navy.



During his arrest, Rojas allegedly told police: You were supposed to shoot me! I wanted to kill them, New York newspapers reported.He also said that he hears voices.



Protective bollardsshort, sturdy posts to prevent vehicles from driving onto sidewalkswere installed in Times Square last year, just in time for the New Years Eve celebration that regularly brings a million or more people to the area.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New York:

After going missing this week, a 20-year-old Indian-origin Cornell University student was found dead in New York.



Aalaap Narasipura, a senior electrical engineering student at Cornells College of Engineering was reported missing since Wednesday. Cornell University Police, working with the New York State Police, the Ithaca Police Department and the Ithaca Fire Department, recovered his body yesterday from Fall Creek, a short distance upstream from Ithaca Falls.



Cornell University Police confirmed Narasipuras identity. Police said the circumstances of Narasipuras death are still under investigation, but no foul play is suspected. No other information is available at this time.

ALSO READ: Sikh man's murder in US being probed as possible hate crime



Police had searched gorges and adjacent natural areas in Ithaca. Earlier authorities had issued an advisory describing Narasipura as a dark-skinned male, 5-feet-9 inches tall.



He was last seen in the early morning of May 17 on Cornells campus, and was wearing shorts and a flannel shirt with bright blue socks and leather sandals. Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi expressed profound sadness at the death of Narasipura.



He described Narasipura as an ambitious student who was scheduled to graduate early this December. He was active on the Ultimate Frisbee team, enjoyed taking photos, and planned to continue at Cornell to pursue a Master of Engineering degree, he said in a statement.

ALSO READ: US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi raises concerns over hate crime incidents with minority

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Riyadh:

Washington has signed arms deals worth almost USD 110 billion with Saudi Arabia, a White House official said on Saturday, the first day of President Donald Trump's visit to the traditional US ally.

"This package of defence equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats", the official said.

It will also bolster the kingdom's "ability to contribute to counter-terrorism operations across the region, reducing the burden on the US military to conduct those operations", the official added.

Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson "will attend a signing ceremony" for the deals, the official said.

Read more: Saudi-led coalition allegedly kills 23 Yemen civilians

The official described the agreements as "a significant expansion of the over seven-decade-long security relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."

The official did not provide details of the agreements with Riyadh, which is one of the world's biggest defence spenders.

A preliminary deal worth USD 6 billion to assemble 150 Lockheed Martin Blackhawk helicopters in Saudi Arabia was separately announced at the Saudi-US CEO Forum held in Riyadh during Trump's visit.

The programme to "support the final assembly and completion of an estimated 150 S-70 Black Hawk utility helicopters" will support around 450 jobs in the kingdom, said a forum statement.

US defence contractors are major suppliers of weapons to Saudi Arabia, which for more than two years has led a coalition conducting air strikes and other operations against rebels in Yemen.

The new deals come despite mounting pressure on Washington from rights groups to stop arms sales to Riyadh, which has come under repeated criticism over civilian casualties in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia on Thursday announced the creation of a new military industries firm as part of the kingdom's efforts to boost defence production.

Read more: US President Donald Trump denies asking ex-FBI chief Comey to stop Flynn probe

The kingdom's Public Investment Fund said the new government-owned company, Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), "aims to become one of the world's top 25 defence companies by 2030."

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in an April report that Saudi Arabia last year was the world's fourth-largest military spender, spending USD63.7 billion.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Two terrorists attempting to infiltrate in Nowgam sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district have been killed. Two Army jawans were also martyred in the operation.

By Ashraf Wani: Two terrorists attempting to infiltrate in Nowgam sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district have been killed. Two Army jawans were also martyred in the operation.

The terrorists had managed to cross over into the LoC and were hiding in Behak forest area in Handwara.

They were engaged in an encounter with security forces on Saturday.

advertisement

SOME TERRORISTS HIDING IN FORESTS

Some more terrorists are believed to be hiding in these dense forests.

Army has launched massive operation against infiltrators in area.

It is believed that there are many more infiltrators waiting on launching pads across LoC in PoK.

WATCH VIDEO

--- ENDS ---
Bajrang Dal activists in Muzaffarnagar used hands, legs and leather belts to thrash two young men who were supposed to meet their female friends they had met on Facebook.

By India Today Web Desk: The extremist Hindu organisation Bajrang Dal has hit the headlines in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar. Some members of the infamous Hindu fundamentalist organisation grabbed two young men and thrashed them in public.

A group of Bajrang Dal activists on Saturday mercilessly bashed two youth who had reportedly come to meet girls they had met on social media site, Facebook.

advertisement

The video, which has gone viral, has Bajrang Dal activists mocking law and order at their will.

FYI || Man seeks help from Bajrang Dal to save his marriage, they thrash wife and alleged lover ||

The violent Bajrang Dal activists are seen thrashing the two young men brutally. They ask their names as one of the activists continues to hit one of the young men.

Another Bajrang Dal member failed to stop slapping the youth.

After a few seconds into the video, a man grabs a leather belt and unleashes the fury upon one of the youths.

Watch: 2 youths thrashed by Bajrang Dal activists who had come to meet their female friend they met on Facebook

#WATCH 2 youths who had come to meet their female FB friends beaten up allegedly by Bajrang Dal activists in Muzaffarnagar (STRONG LANGUAGE) pic.twitter.com/f0jPxWh47u- ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 20, 2017

According to ANI inputs, a police complaint was filed after which four persons, including two Bajrang Dal activists, were arrested.

However, they were later released on bail.

Muzaffarnagar: Police arrested four persons, two Bajrang Dal activists and the two youths, later released them on bail.- ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 20, 2017

In February on Valentine's Day, couples in Bihar were thrashed and humiliated by Bajrang Dal activists who charged at them to protest against the day. The same happened in Jharkhand as well.

Read: Bajrang Dal activists charge at couples in Bihar

--- ENDS ---
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

If Bridgeport had a tattoo, it would be the letters PT enshrined in a heart on a muscular shoulder.

Though best known, perhaps, for the sheer spectacle of his circus  the freaks, menageries, mummies, elephants, human cannonballs, dwarfs and sword swallowers  it was the P.T. Barnum of the unstoppable comeback that the city of Bridgeport threw in with in 1948, when the Barnum Festival, the extravaganza dedicated to his memory, was created.

Fully 140 years before Bridgeport re-elected a recovering felon as its mayor, this immigrant city had embraced the charismatic showman, the quintessential comeback story of Phineas Taylor Barnum, and elected him mayor in 1875. His fingerprints are all over the city  and his spirit in its DNA.

The circus, for which P.T. Barnum is most widely known, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey, will soon take its rightful place in Americana history: Its final performance is set for 7 p.m. Sunday in Uniondale, New York.

But the Barnum capacity for reinvention lives on in town.

Bridgeport... where the circus never left town, the late Bridgeport Telegram writer and bon vivant, James G. Clark, wrote.

Kathy Maher, director of the Barnum Museum, the red sandstone confection Barnum ordered built in his will, is the keeper of the torch.

It wasnt just the great achievements that defined his brand, she said, it was all those hard knocks, going broke on the East Side development of Bridgeport, the fires that destroyed his museums.

Yeah, everybody knows about the circus, but they dont know the circus was the result of catastrophic loss in his life, she said.

Our local hero?

Its never too late to learn. Though I grew up here, I always thought it odd the city celebrated a man who may  or may not  have said, Theres a sucker born every minute. Whatd I know?

Post-war Bridgeport was no longer the Arsenal of Democracy and its motto, Industria Crescimus  By Industry We Thrive  rang a bit hollow in the shadow of factories slipping into atrophy. Civic leaders of the day wanted to give the place a boost. And Barnum was it.

The planning started in 1948 and in 1949, the city put on its first Barnum Festival, headed each year since by a top-hatted, red-coated, whip-carrying Ringmaster from the community. (This year the festival runs from May 12 to June 25.)

In 2014, Paul Timpanelli was one of those Ringmasters. And for 28 years, until his recent retirement, he was president of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council.

Why Barnum?

He is like the city, Timpanelli said. Its a process of continuous rediscovery, reinventing itself. I mean the city itself was near bankruptcy. You had the exodus of the 60s and recovery, like Barnum.

The East Side development referenced above involved Barnums purchase of a clock company that he intended to bring to Bridgeport in 1856. The jobs, the housing, the development of that part of the city would be enormous. Alas, Barnum had unwittingly bought not only the company, but its staggering debt. He lost everything and fell into ruin.

It would be his old chum Charles Stratton, the diminutive boy the showman had transformed into Gen. Tom Thumb 14 years earlier, who would come to his rescue. Barnum and Gen. Thumb had made a fortune touring Europe in the 40s. Stratton offered to do it again and Barnum got back on his feet.

His next act? The Greatest Show on Earth.

Cornerstones

Physical reminders of his presence are scattered about. At Went Field, for instance, on the citys West Side, a stone perimeter foundation for the circuss winter quarters is visible from inside the park along Railroad Avenue and Norman Street. Some of the housing in the neighborhood was built for circus workers.

Just a human cannonball shot away, at the corner of Yale and State Streets, are two granite blocks into which the word Lindencroft is chiseled. Given the environs today, the word is as mysterious as Rosebud. But it marks one of the boundaries of Barnum property holdings that were so extensive they stretched into Fairfield. Lindencroft was the name of one of the five mansions he built in Bridgeport and Fairfield..

And, of course, he presides in bronze, seated, looking out over Long Island Sound at the foot of Iranistan Avenue in Seaside Park, the 325-acre gem started with land donated to the city by Barnum.

(You know youre from Bridgeport, No. 1, by the way, if you pronounce Iranistan, ARN-uh-sten.)

Not far from Barnums statue is that of Elias Howe, credited with invention of the sewing machine, who established the Howe Machine Co. in Bridgeport.

(You know youre from Bridgeport, No. 2, if youve ever suggested to a young lady on a summer night, Lets go down to Seaside and Ill show you Howe.)

If any one Bridgeport mayor captured the persona of Barnum, it would be John M. Fabrizi, an ebullient, tireless promoter of the city and, in time of personal trouble, a recipient of this citys forgiving embrace.

Even his malapropisms were endearing.

One day he spoke to a contingent of visiting developers and business prospects. He regaled them with tales of the city. As his enthusiasm ratcheted upward, he mentioned the Barnum Museum and its wonders.

There is a mummy in there, he told the audience, slowing down for emphasis, that is still in its esophagus.

For eternity

Mountain Grove Cemetery, on the Bridgeport-Fairfield line, is 125 acres of sylvan serenity in the states largest city. Urban sounds are but a faint background hum. So nothing, on this brilliant spring morning, muffles the staccato whacks of a woodpecker high in a maple.

To get where I stand, Ive driven past the sturdy headstones and monuments of the Bullards and Buckinghams, the Eames, Fairchilds and Wheelers, the Seeleys, Jennings, Hubbells, Hawleys, Harrals, Stillmans, Sillimans and Warners, the industrialists and patricians who shaped Bridgeport.

Ive come to P.T. Barnums grave, understanding much more.

The dogwoods in the cemetery rival those of Fairfields Greenfield Hill. The man Im with points at a blinding white specimen.

That one over there? I planted that 25 years ago, says Alexander J. Leko, a burly 62-year-old and the man who now watches over P.T. Barnum  and the other 40,000 or so souls that rest in these grounds. For 42 years, hes been the superintendent of this place. He has a shock of graying hair and a diamond stud in his right lobe glints in the morning sun.

And youve got Tom Thumb over there, he says, motioning toward the towering monument topped by a life-size statue of the tiny entertainer.

Together for eternity.

At night, Leko says, he locks the cemeterys gates. It helps keep mischief out.

And we want the ghosts to have their private time, he said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

When a brush fire broke out Wednesday on a remote mountainside in Kent, firefighters from volunteer departments all over the region responded to a call for help in what turned out to be a battle fought over parts of three days.

Normally, firefighters from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection would have taken over the bulk of the work on the second day, but round of budget cuts has depleted the ranks, so volunteers help was still needed Thursday.

Historically, the state takes this over, Kent Fire Chief Alan Gawel said. But there are issues with the state layoffs. The staffing just isnt there.

The problem is likely to get worse. Some of those combatting the fire were among the 22 employees already notified by DEEP that they will be laid off next month because of expected budget cuts.

Under the governors most recent budget proposal, DEEP would get $8 million less in the fiscal year beginning July 1, including $6.5 million from the parks budget. That $6.5 million represents a third of the entire parks budget.

A dozen of the 22 employees losing their jobs are park maintenance workers, or maintainers, of whom 10 are assigned to parks in western Connecticut. Also disappearing are eight administrative and clerical positions and two fish hatchery positions.

DEEP spokesman Dennis Schain said its difficult to say specifically which parks are affected because the 12 employees are assigned to multiple locations. He said the layoffs were based on seniority, not geography, and that park assignments might have to be restructured.

Many of the park maintainers are also trained to fight fires.

It has been long-standing practice for park maintainers to support forestry staff with significant fires, Schain said.

But as budget cuts loom, staff at state parks still must gear up for Memorial Day weekend and the start of the busy summer season.

Schain said its not unusual for the department to be in flux at this time of year as a state budget is finalized, but he added that its more complicated this year because of the severity of proposed cuts.

Were being a little cautious with hiring, he said. Its unclear where things will be after July 1.

DEEP has 70 full-time employees in the Parks Division and generally hires more than 500 seasonal workers for the summer.

The department is also using a reduced operating plan, introduced last summer, to save money. This includes opening the visitor center at Putnam Memorial State Park only on weekends and having lifeguards at inland parks, such as Squantz Pond, three to five days a week instead of daily.

The governors proposed $6.5 million cut to the overall parks budget would switch some state parks to passive management, which includes cutting back on maintenance and staffing.

But Eric Hammerling, executive director of the nonprofit Connecticut State Parks and Forests Association, called it a move to inactive management.

He said the 12 layoffs will leave the park system with just 35 maintainers to care for the 110 parks. The governor's plan would also most likely require closing campgrounds, removing portable toilets and stop trash collection.

Hammerling expects most of DEEPs efforts will be directed on parks that collect entrance fees and generate revenue for the state. Most of the parks in western Connecticut are free.

Schain said the governors proposal would be serious and severe and would require the department to focus on key parks while cutting maintenance at others. He said which parks are key is still being determined, but added that shoreline parks would likely be included.

Certainly we recognize Squantz Pond is a major attraction, he said.

He added that he is unsure how the cuts would effect Putnam Park and Kent Falls.

Hammlering said the state has cut at least 5 percent of park funding every year for the past several years.

Each cut takes its toll and its harder to maintain the system, he said.

He argued that every dollar invested by the state in the park system brings $38 to the general fund  though not to the parks budget itself.

Unfortunately, even though the parks are contributing revenue to the state, they are not reaping the benefits of it, he said.

The governors budget also proposes taking $1.5 million from dedicated accounts for 18 parks, including $9,400 from Putnam Park. Hammerling said that money was raised by each park through facility rentals and other entrepreneurial activities to pay for maintenance, repairs and other improvements.

Its not fair and its not wise, he said.

Hammerling is encouraged by pieces of the Democratic and Republican legislators budget proposals, especially the inclusion of the Passport to Parks program, which would add $10 to vehicle registration fees every other year while allowing Connecticut drivers to enter state parks for free.

That is expected to generate about $14 million annually, just $4 million shy of the park systems total annual operating budget.

It would be a huge help, he said. We think that would be a wonderful way to raise money for the parks and offer rewards on the the other end.

kkoerting@newstimes.com; 203-731-3345
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

When Cathie Smollons son was in the third grade, she said, one of his teachers sat her down and told her he would never read at grade level.

I remember leaving there so utterly devastated, Smollen said. I was wondering, Will he ever go to college?

Not until that summer, after years of what Smollon calls misdiagnoses and subpar special education in Ridgefield, that private testing revealed her son, Tristan Taranto, has dyslexia. Two years later she moved him to a Westchester school, where she works as a math teacher, and hired a private tutor.

Now in the eighth grade, Tristan is in the 90th percentile in reading comprehension and has become an advocate, along with his mom, for legislation to identify the 15 to 20 percent of students who have dyslexia and give them the extra help they need.

The most recent victory came last week when Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed a bill requiring special education teachers to complete a program of study in the detection, instruction and intervention for students with dyslexia. The bill extended a requirement put in place last year for reading and language arts teachers.

The people who are most likely to be interacting with these students are special education teachers, said Milford Sen. Gayle Slossberg, who co-chairs the Education Committee, which introduced the bill. It is all the more important that they have the resources and knowledge they need to teach these skills to these students.

Slossberg said she has already heard positive feedback from teachers who said they have always tried to help students with dyslexia but never quite knew how to do so.

Changing the norm

Smollon said her story is not uncommon for parents of students with dyslexia.

Most, she said, resort to outside services to properly help their child, whether that is private school, tutoring or home schooling.

That was the case for Laura Heneghan, a parent in New Fairfield, who moved her son Brogan to a private school after fourth grade to more directly focus on improving his reading. He was diagnosed with dyslexia in a private evaluation in the seventh grade.

I have to say, the teachers in New Fairfield tried, she said. You could tell they wanted to help him, but they didnt have the knowledge and the resources to individualize a plan for him.

She added that families who stay in the public school system often need to fight to get a proper diagnosis and services for their child.

Another local parent, who asked not to be identified, said it was only after her daughter graduated from a local public school system that she was diagnosed with dyslexia. Her reading comprehension, the parent said, went from a fourth-grade level when she was 17 years old to college-level after just two years of dyslexia-specific tutoring.

Leanne Moffet, a Bethel mom, said it was a battle to have her 7-year-old daughters school agree to test her for the disability. The school agreed three weeks ago and will evaluate her soon, she added.

But all the parents agreed that had the new legislation been in place earlier, their situations might have been different.

I wouldnt have been guessing for three to four years what was wrong, Smollen said. Knowledge is power. If I knew that that was his disability, once you know what the disease is, then you can have the right medicine.

Detecting and intervening as early as possible, Heneghan said, ensures that students not only learn the curriculum more easily but that they can prevent the emotional frustration of staying undiagnosed.

Brogan, she said, experienced anxiety before he was diagnosed because he was being asked to complete the same assignments as students who learned differently from him.

The earlier you can help kids and identify them, you can really change the trajectory of their life, Heneghan said. By altering the way that they feel about themselves and that theyre able to learn will give them more confidence.

History of progress

This weeks legislation is the latest bill in a push by parents and advocates in recent years to recognize and help those with dyslexia.

In 2013, Hebron mom Allison Quirion started a Connecticut chapter of the group Decoding Dyslexia and began campaigning for new laws. The groups first efforts succeeded with a 2015 bill that specifically recognized dyslexia as a disability requiring special education and added it to a list of topics districts must cover in professional development, including at least 12 hours of dyslexia training.

The group, along with parents, state legislators and other advocacy groups, then pushed for the 2016 legislation requring that reading teachers complete a course in the recognition of and intervention in dyslexia. Last weeks legislation extended that requirement to those seeking a special education certification.

But passing the legislation is only part of the battle surrounding the disability, parents said. They agreed that public awareness, especially for parents, is part of the fight.

Groups such as Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities are trying to overcome this obstacle with support groups and informative events. Smollon and Heneghan are both members of the Smart Kids new Danbury-area parent group, whose 15 members are trying to expand to include as many parents as possible.

Education is huge, Heneghan said. We need to empower parents to know that theyre the expert on their child and they know their child better than anybody else in the room. They need to have the tools to know how to approach and ask for those resources.

The group hosts educational events and informal parent discussions. One of the groups members, Kelly Raymond, said her daughter, Ashley, is organizing a student panel for June 8 at the Ridgefield Library.

A ways to go

But while the bill is an important step, both parents and experts said there is still more to be done to ensure students get what they need.

Most pointed to school budgets as a large part of the problem. Margie Gillis, president and founder of the nonprofit Literacy How, said shes worked with about one-third of districts across the state and the availability of services for dyslexic students varies.

You can have all the great regulations in the world, but if you dont have the money to put them into place, thats problematic, she said.

Heneghan said that even if her son was diagnosed earlier, the school might not have been able to provide the technology or resources for addressing his dyslexia.

Dana Jonson, a special education attorney from Bethel, and Gillis agreed that another issue is that there is no accountability should the districts not implement the new legislation.

There are no sanctions right now if they dont do it properly, she said.

Gillis, whose nonprofit provides literacy training for teachers, said she has worked with districts who have not yet complied with some of the legislation, like the requirement for professional development. But, she said she has been getting more and more calls from districts who want to learn more about dyslexia.

In the Danbury area, she said she has already worked with Ridgefield and Bethel.

Jonson said while she has her concerns, she believes the newest bill is an important step in the right direction.

The optimist in me says that...teachers are going to use that (training) and knowledge to speak out and stand up for children, she said. I do think its a huge step in awareness and letting districts know that this is a real, identifiable thing.

aquinn@newstimes.com
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

For Mayara Freitas, an eighth-grader at Rogers Park Middle School in Danbury, the school-based health center is her safe haven.

When she was in sixth grade, Mayara became upset at school because her parents were getting divorced. A staff member took her to see Carolyn Cunningham, a licensed professional counselor, who works at the school health center.

Cunningham was able to talk to Mayara immediately, rather than having her wait weeks to get an appointment for an outside therapist. Since then, the two have met weekly.

Mayara, who has a diagnosed anxiety disorder, said Cunningham has taught her how to manage her stress.

Sometimes I want things to be perfect; I can be a perfectionist, Mayara said. She helped me realize not everything has to be perfect and that nothing is perfect in life.

Mayara said shed be lost without the health center and that she has encouraged others to seek help there.

Its so important to have help in school, she said. I see everyone having breakdowns in school and they are crying and they feel lost. When you have the school-based health center, you have someone there for you.

You dont feel alone, she said.

The Danbury school-based health center is one of five run by the Connecticut Institute for Communities, a nonprofit that also oversees a federally funded health center in downtown Danbury.

Mayara is one of 710 students enrolled at the Rogers Park health center  74 percent of the total school population. From July 1, 2016, to April 30, the center has had just over 840 visits.

The other school-based health centers in Danbury are at Broadview Middle School, Danbury High School and Henry Abbott Technical High School. Newtown Middle School also has a health center.

Soon, all five will offer behavioral health services in addition to primary care medical services. A part-time mental health clinician is slated to start work at Henry Abbott at the end of this month.

School staff often refer students to the health centers, but students can also refer themselves, if they are already enrolled in the center. The health centers will bill insurance if students have it, but if cost is a barrier, a sliding scale of payment  all the way to zero  is used.

This fiscal year, the state is spending about $10.9 million statewide on 93 school-based health centers, which enroll some 44,000 students. Most of the Danbury-area health centers are partially funded by the state.

But if state funding is cut next year, the local centers might have to reduce their hours or even close.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has proposed a cut to $9.8 million. Legislative proposals from the Democrats, Senate Republicans and House Republicans propose other figures: $10.9 million, $11.2 million and 10.2 million, respectively, according to the governors office.

While we are taking serious measures now to tighten spending and increase revenue, its a reality that we cant do more with less, said Melanie Bonjour, director of the five Danbury-area school health centers. The state legislature needs to recognize that by reducing state funding for school-based health centers, itll cost the state more in the long run.

We can only hope we dont have severe cuts, because it likely will result in reduction of services, hours and or closure, Bonjour said.

Chris McClure, the governors spokesman, acknowledged Friday that the state has already asked agencies to do more with less.

They have delivered on that task and they will continue to realize efficiencies, McClure said. But we must acknowledge that state agencies will need to start doing less with less. It is nearly impossible to cut hundreds of millions out of expenditures year after year and not expect a change in state services.

Benefits of school-based care

Research shows that school-based health centers improve immunization rates, better manage chronic conditions, reduce teen pregnancy and increase access to mental health and reproductive health services, according to a January policy brief by the Connecticut Health Foundation.

After years of being bullied and coping with a sick parent, Jack was an angry kid.

I was easy to set off, said the 13-year-old. When I got mad at the tiniest things, all the rage and all the things I was angry at would just come out.

But that changed after Jack, whose parents asked The News-Times not to use his last name, started talking to a licensed social worker at the school-based health center in Newtown Middle School. Since January, the seventh-grader has had therapy sessions at least once a week during the school day.

About 290 students are enrolled in the Newtown health center, representing about 38 percent of the middle-school population. From July 1, 2016 to April 30, the center recorded 561 visits for behavioral health.

Away from the noise and bustle of the middle school, Jack learned to talk about his pain and past with Jennifer Sawyer.

I was never good at talking about my feelings and I never really knew it could do any good, Jack said. Ever since I started talking to Ms. Sawyer, Ive felt so much better about everything in my life.

I feel calm. I dont have anger issues anymore, he said. This place works miracles.
Police conducted search operation at the main Opposition party BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's Gulshan office for two hours today.

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: Police conducted search operation at the main Opposition party BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's Gulshan office for two hours today.

Police claimed that it raided the office in search of provocative leaflets and papers against the present government.

Police said they conducted raids after getting search warrant from court.

Meanwhile, BNP alleged that the police conducted the operation to cause "mental disturbance" to the party chairperson over an unidentified GD (general diary).

advertisement

The raids were conducted at around 7:30 am for two hours, but police said they did not find "any materials".

Gulshan Police Station Officer-in-Charge, Abu Bakar Siddique said, "We have the instruction of the court to investigate whether there is any anti-state documents in the office."

Police officials, who participated in the operation, said that they got news that a truck of books have been piled up at Khaleda Zia's office two days ago.

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's room is on the second floor of this office.

There were no BNP leaders present at the office during the drive. The BNP's senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi condemned the police's search operation.

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Dhaka, May 20 (PTI) Bangladesh police today raided main opposition leader and former prime minister Khaleda Zia?s office here in search for "anti-state" documents, triggering protests by hundreds of her supporters.

Dozens of police searched BNP chief Zia?s office in the upscale Gulshan neighbourhood for two hours early this morning, but later said they did not find "any materials".

advertisement

Police said they had a search warrant, but Bangladesh Nationalist Party alleged that law enforcers acted on an unknown general diary only to harass Zia, 71, who is facing about three dozen cases of alleged graft, treason and violence, local media reported.

Hundreds of supporters of Zias BNP staged a protest outside the two-storey office building.

The party leaders alleged that the raid was part of an Awami Leagues conspiracy against BNP and was aimed at ?harassing" Zia.

Earlier in the day, Gulshan Police Station OC Abu Bakar Siddique had said: "We have a court order to check if there is anything in the office that could compromise national security.?

BNP and its front organisations today announced that they will hold countrywide demonstrations tomorrow to protest against the police raid. PTI PMS

--- ENDS ---








The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has condemned the alleged barbaric and unprofessional conduct of the Nigerian Army located in Ohafia against women of the group during its conference held in Abiriba, Abia State.IPOB claimed that, some soldiers stormed the venue of a meeting held by the women in 20 Hilux vans and without provocation started beating, arresting and tearing the womens clothes off their bodies.The action of the soldiers, IPOB alleged resulted in some of them being stripped naked before they were taken to their barracks.The pro-Biafra group, in a statement by its spokesperson, EMMA Powerful said the primitive approach to civil policing adopted by the Hausa/Fulani dominated Islamic army was a mockery to Nigeria.IPOB claimed that, Food, clothing and accessories belonging to some of the women were seized by the mostly Northern Hausa Fulani soldiers and taken to the Ohafia barracks in Abia State.Wondering why such action could be meted out on women, the group called on Queen Elizabeth II of England, Theresa May the British Prime Minister, Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, and other human right organisation to condemn such.The statement reads, The barbaric and wholly undemocratic conduct of the Nigeria Army must be condemned by all civilised people and nations. The primitive approach to civil policing adopted by the Hausa Fulani dominated Islamic army in Nigeria makes a mockery of common sense and decency.Is it the duty of an army to be going about stripping women naked for no justifiable reason? The Nigerian Police also joined them in the manhandling, humiliation and molestation of our mothers whose only crime is to identify with the cause of our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.We further gathered from an eye witness account present at the conference venue that some of the women who were arrested by the Nigerian Army were totally naked without anything on their body.This is the highest form of criminal brutality against Biafrans by Hausa Fulani dominated Nigeria security apparatus. When will this crime against humanity and unprofessional conduct of the Nigerian Army stop.We are therefore calling on the women organizations around the globe to condemn and take this abuse of Biafra women by the Nigerian Army to the rest of the world.We also call on Queen Elizabeth II of England, Theresa May the British Prime Minister, Angela Merkel the German Chancellor, and other notable women including human rights organisations across the world to protect the rights of Biafran women from the hands of these primitive vandals known as the Nigerian Army.








Outspoken preacher and Abuja-based prophet, Wisdom Nnamdi Ezeigwe, popularly known as Ojenanmuo has admonished President Muhammadu Buhari to return to Nigeria immediately and seek spiritual solution.He said Buharis frequent trip overseas would not solve his health problems.Ojenanmuo warned that Buhari risks consumption of more chemicals that may worsen his situation.His word: I sincerely empathize with our dear president but as a prophet of the most high God, my advice to Mr President is for him to come back home and seek spiritual help.You cannot have, in your backyard, all these people operating on a higher spiritual level and then you are going abroad to seek medical assistance.What the president needs to get better is within the country and this is a spiritual matter, not medical.Mr Presidents sojourn in foreign countries for medical help is not the solution, rather he should look inwards and seek the face of God through the assistance of spiritual physicians who are in abundance in Nigeria, the cleric told Vanguard in Abuja.On recession, Ezeigwe said with faith in God by the people, the nation would exit recession very soon.He urged leaders at all levels to discharge their mandates effectively or be prepared to face the wrath of God.
This is an article written by Reno Omokri. Read on:

Let me start this piece by congratulating former President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida on the marriage of his daughter, Halima, to her beau, Auwal Abdullahi.

It goes without saying that the wedding would be the talk of Nigeria for aeons to come because of the kind of crowd it pulled.

In case you missed the news, let me inform you that no fewer than thirty private jets landed at Minna airport last weekend on account of this wedding that locked down Nigeria!

Thirty private jets. I do not even know what to exclaim! This is more than wow! Gosh does not even come close to the exclamation I wanted to express when I first read of this private jet convention in Minna! Gobsmacked is the only that comes close, but even it does not quite capture the reaction I had.

Thank God former President Goodluck Jonathan, who was amongst the wedding guests, does not have a private jet, because that would have been the major topic of the day. The propaganda loving All Progressive Congress would have capitalized on that to rubbish Jonathan. Lai Mohammed would have been hyper ventilating with excitement at the character assassination possibilities if such had been the case.

But the lesson Nigerians may want to take from this is that few, very few of those who arrived Minna in private jets have any sort of productive business venture that generates and sustains jobs in Nigeria.

Yes, there were a couple of folks made rich by oil and gas at the Minna private jet convention, but these are not people that did anything constructive, productive or job creating that gave them wealth. Some were given oil blocks or allocations, others were given allocations to import petroleum products. Even a monkey would prosper if given such oligarchic opportunities. But how does that sort of business create jobs or adds value to Nigerians?

Others amongst them are government contractors, supplying sundry items to the various governments at federal, state and local government level. They are basically suppliers. They buy and resell to the government. But how does that sort of business create jobs and adds value to Nigerians?

Yet, they have private jets, private jetties, private yachts and even private body guards!

Nigeria has one of the lowest, if not the lowest, tax to GDP ratio in the world. In a country of 190 million people, only 214 individuals in the entire country pay tax of 20 million naira or more. This is according to the very latest official figures from the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

Norway has a population of just 5.2 million people yet they have more than 100 times the amount of people paying tax of $65,000 of more (the equivalent of 20 million naira).

But the story does not end there. Norway has never had a private party or private wedding or any private celebration that attracted 30 private jets!

The funniest thing is that Norway gives Nigeria financial aid every year!

We have a political and economic elite that that are so rapacious and parasitic and who only think of what they can suck from Nigeria and could not careless that they are surrounded by some of the poorest people in the world according to official figures from the 2016 United Nations Human Development Index released on the 21st of March, 2017.

Norway is number 1 on that list. Nigeria is 152 out of 188 nations. Libya (102) and Iraq (121) both of which are war torn nations, outrank Nigeria. But most embarrassingly, Syria that has been enmeshed in probably the worst humanitarian crisis the world has seen in at least 10 years also outranks Nigeria (149)!

And almost all our elites are involved in this. President Muhammadu Buhari likes to be seen as the only good person in Nigeria but we have not forgotten so soon how, according to Daily Trust (which also happens to be the President's favorite paper) his own daughter, Zahra Buhari, received pre wedding gifts worth 47 million Naira from her then suitor and now husband, Ahmed Indimi. This same Ahmed Indimi likes to fly in private jets, pictures of which dot Nigeria's social media landscape. I can assure you that Ahmed Indimi is not one of the 214 Nigerians who pay tax of over 20 million Naira.

Yet right there in Indimi's Borno state, right there in Maiduguri where their palatial family house is a sprawling tourist attraction, there are millions of Internally Displaced Persons without food to eat and medicine for their ailments. Perhaps it is this sort of wickedness that Mohammed Yusuf saw and which made him conclude that Boko (book) must be Haram, if it can make people so oblivious to the suffering around them.

It is this same Indimi family that likes to marry and be married to Nigeria's high and mighty (President Ibrahim Babangida was also once their in law via the marriage of Mohammed Babangida, his first son, to Rahama Indimi).

Many Nigerians are not aware that if you isolate Borno state from the rest of Nigeria, that state becomes the poorest region on planet earth BAR NONE!

Borno has the highest unemployment rate in Nigeria and the second lowest primary school enrollment rate in Nigeria. What has her private jet loving, high and mighty marrying elite done to change that?

I was in Anambra once and the type of community spirit I saw there impressed me. They may not have a lot of private jets in Anambra, but in Anambra, they have community associations that give scholarships and business grants to those who are commercially inclined. There is NO poverty in Nnewi, one of the communities where this community spirit is most prevalent.

They build their own primary and secondary schools through community effort. I am dead serious. If you go there you will not believe your eyes! They have well tarred modern roads that were built through their private efforts. All over Anambra, the various towns and villages copy the Nnewi model.

I daresay that there is more evidence of private and community development in Anambra than there is of any type of federal government presence. Anambra does not even have an airport! Borno does. Anambra does not even have a publicly built federal university! The only so called Federal University in Anambra, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, was built by the state government with contributions from private citizens and then compulsorily taken over by the military government of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida via Decree No. 34 of July 15, 1992. But in Borno, they have a massive federal university WHOLLY built with Federal Government funds.

If any state deserves to be poor from lack of Federal Government presence, that state is Anambra. If any state deserves to be rich by reason of the existence of Federal Government presence, that state is Borno. But Borno is poor while Anambra is rich! Why?

Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are sponsoring immunization and other medical interventions in Borno state. They are together the richest people on earth. Yet their life styles is nowhere near as lavish as Nigeria's private jet loving parasitic elite.

Both Gates and Buffet are known for their frugality. Both of them have shown more concern for Nigeria's poor than any of the owners or leasers of the 30 private jets that converged in Minna last week.

In fact, Bill Gates has personally visited with many of the poorest Nigerians and has administered vaccines to their children with his own hands!

If those thirty private jet owners or leasers could do in their communities what Nnewi people do in theirs, then most assuredly Nigeria would not be in recession today.

Jeff Bezos of Amazon is worth $67 billion, Mark Zuckerberg is worth $55.5 billion. Both of them are young people who made their money by dint of hardwork, yet none of these two billionaires had a wedding as spectacularly opulent as either Zahra Buhari's or Halima Babangida's weddings. Mark Zuckerberg actually got married at a simple ceremony in the backyard of his home in Palo Alto, California in front of 100 guests.

The British charity, Oxfam, recently released a report on inequality in Nigeria. According to Oxfam, the combined wealth of the five richest Nigerians, put at about $29.9 billion, could end extreme poverty in the country!

According to Oxfam, in recent years the number of millionaires in Nigeria has increased by 44% while the number of those living in poverty has increased by 69%!

And instead of the shameless Federal Government of Nigeria to appreciate Oxfam, not just for its years of charity work in Nigeria, but for this new report which distills the issues militating against Nigeria's efforts to increase human development, it turns around to condemn the report and accuse Oxfam of 'inciting' Nigerians against her elite!

It is becoming clearer and clearer that Nigeria, as currently designed, can hardly produce young people with the mindset of Bezos or Zuckerberg.

You see, if we do not redesign Nigeria and ensure that the wealth of the nation is more equitably redistributed, we will find out soon enough that Nigeria, as it is currently designed, is designed to fail.

Nigeria has such a high unemployment rate because the wealth of the nation is trapped in the hands of carpetbaggers, rent seekers and influence paddlers who flaunt their wealth at the masses without even giving them token employment.

And it is not as if Nigerians are not willing to work. We are. Strive Masiyiwa, the Zimbabwean founder of Econet, famously revealed how stunned he was when he found out how willing Nigerians were to work.

When he came to Nigeria in 2001 and wanted to hire staff for his new company, Econet Wireless Nigeria, he advertised for jobs seeking people with telecommunications experience who had electronic engineering degrees and a minimum of five years relevant experience.

Mr. Masiyiwa, a dollar billionaire with experience working all over the world was stunned at the response.

Let me allow him tell his story because I can not possibly tell it better than him.

"I came into the office to find postal bags, piled to the ceiling!

"I only want to see the applications from people who meet our requirements, and not from chancers who aren't qualified," I complained.

"Sir, these are the ones we have vetted."

"What?! You mean there were more than this?"

"Thousands, sir."

Then I came up with an idea: "Why don't you separate for me, the most qualified academically. Set aside people with MBAs, and even PHDs."

A day later, another postal bag of applications was delivered to my office. I was staggered!

There were thousands of people with qualifications in just this one discipline with MBAs and PHDs! Many had qualified in the best universities around the world. There were also GSM-qualified Nigerians working internationally, including in America and Europe, wanting to return home!

I was blown away by the qualifications. I thought to myself: "You can start almost any business or industry here. I wish investors would one day discover the wealth of this nation."

Whenever I hear people talk about the wealth of Nigeria in terms of oil, I shake my head to say: "You have no idea what you're talking about!"

The true wealth of Nigeria is its extraordinary human capital, and passion for education. Unleash that and no one can stop them!"

The funniest thing is that Strive Masiyiwa, a dollar billionaire who made his money from a productive industry like the telecommunications sector and who provided enduring jobs for literarily tens of thousands of Nigerians, does not live as large as many Nigerian elite.

No wonder that the exploitative carpetbagging elite of Nigeria chased him out of Nigeria!

Strive Masiyiwa is the antithesis of the exploitative Nigerian elite who epitomize at least six of the seven deadly social sins:

Wealth without work. Pleasure without conscience. Knowledge without character. Commerce without morality. Science without humanity. Religion without sacrifice. Politics without principle.

The only one they do not epitomize is Science without humanity because that involves work and intellectual and creative abilities which many of our elite lack. If it were cleverness and guile, they would supersede even the best!

Ango Abdullahi

Ango Abdullahi has no basis for saying that the North would not allow Professor Yemi Osinbajo succeed Muhammadu Buhari in 2019. The North does not decide for Nigeria. Nigerians decide for Nigeria.

What Ango Abdullahi seems to have forgotten is that it was Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu that God used to make Muhammadu Buhari President in 2015. If the Northern Elders Forum could have made Buhari President, they would have done so in 2003, 2007 and 2011 when Buhari tried unsuccessfully to become President.

Nigeria has changed. Unfortunately, people like Ango Abdullahi and Junaid Mohammed, who add very little value to Nigeria and exist only to make provocative statements should realize that should their words precipitate crisis today or in 2019, both they and those they represent will be the biggest losers because they have more to gain from a united and peaceful Nigeria founded on the rule of law than others.

Nigerians will famously remember Ango Abdullahi as the liar who said that money from the North was used to develop the oil industry in the South. His exact words in 2014 were as follows:

"It is the North that developed the present day oil industry in this country. It is Northern money; it is the Northern leadership that developed the oil industry."

Since Ango Abdullahi purports to be a professor and since he is from the North, let me use the words of another Northerner who happens to be a professor to respond to him.

On Saturday the 6th of May 2017, Farooq Kperogi wrote thus:

That money from the North funded oil exploration in the South. Professor Ango Abdullahi actually repeated this lie recently. He said this, ironically, while exhorting Emir Sanusi II to go and read history. The truth is that not a dime of northern Nigerias money contributed to oil exploration in the Niger Delta.

When oil was discovered in commercial quantities in Oloibiri in 1956, Shell bore the financial burden for the exploration. Other Euro-American oil companies later joined in oil exploration. It wasnt until 1973 that the Nigerian federal government acquired 30 percent shares in oil companies. By 1973, Northern Nigeria had ceased to exist; it had been divided into states.

In any case, colonial records show that the biggest motivation for amalgamating northern and southern Nigeria was because northern Nigeria wasnt financially self-sustaining and the British Imperial Government said it would never subsidize colonial administration anywhere in Africa. So Lord Lugard amalgamated the two regions and used the surplus from the south to sustain the north. Its illogical to say that a region that wasnt financially self-sustaining financed oil exploration in the Niger Delta.

It is a very sad day when a character like Ango Abdullahi is called an elder statesman. I think a better word for his ilk would be an agbaya! Professor (?) Abdullahi can ask Farook Kperogi to tell him the meaning of that word!

Reno's Nuggets

Never marry just because plans are at an advance stage. If there is doubt in your heart, call it off. Embarrassment is better than a wrong union. It is easier to change I dont into I do than to change I do to I don't. And be aware that the sexier the woman, the higher the maintenance. The lovelier the woman. The lower the maintenance. Sexy is expensive. Love is not. Finally, do not be moved by beauty. With fake hair, fake lashes and fake eyes, any girl can be fine. Focus on character. It has no fake #RenosNuggets
Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has welcomed the decision of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship aspirant, Uchechukwu O...

Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has welcomed the decision of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship aspirant, Uchechukwu Ogah, to work with him.

This is contained in a letter he personally signed on Friday and sent to Ogah.

Recall that Ikpeazue election was affirmed by the Supreme Court last Friday.

A five-man bench of the apex court led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, unanimously upheld Ikpeazus election as Abia State Governorafter dismissing Ogahs appeal for lack of merit.

In his reaction, Ogah said he had accepted the verdict and urged all the people of the state to support Ikpeazu as governor of the state.

The statement read, On the 12th of May 2017, the Supreme Court of Nigeria gave their final verdict over my case with Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, the governor of Abia State. Even though a painful verdict, but as someone that believes in the rule of law and the judiciary, I have accepted the decision of the apex court in good faith.

As the legal battle comes to an end with the Supreme Courts declaration, Im exceedingly happy today that in the course of this struggle, I never resorted to self-help nor encouraged my supporters to indulge in any form of violence either in my State or elsewhere.

May I especially thank my teeming supporters for standing by me all through this journey and may I also use this golden opportunity to congratulate His Excellency, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, governor of Abia State and urge all Abians to join hands in supporting the Governor in order to move our dear state forward.

In his letter, Ikpeazu said thanked Ogah for extending hand of friendship.



Full letter below

May 19, 2017

Dr. Sampson Uche Ogar, OON.

My dear brother,

RE: CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE

I write to personally acknowledge the message of congratulations sent to us by your good self following the final judicial imprimatur given to my mandate by the Supreme Court of Nigeria on Friday, May 12, 2017 as the lawfully nominated and duly elected Governor of Abia State.

First, I wish to draw your attention to the fact that in my administration, the title HIS EXCELLENCY, as used in your letter is not applicable. This is a policy statement that has been in place since my inauguration, please.

As was widely reported in the media, as soon as the Supreme Court delivered their judgment, I immediately issued a statement wherein I urged all parties to sheath their swords and put the interest of our dear fledging state above narrow and personal political interests.

I also made it clear that I have, in the interest of our dear state, put the episode of the long drawn litigation behind me and extended warm invitations to everyone, irrespective of differences in political ideologies, to join hands with me to move the state forward.

I note with delight that you have accepted that invitation.

Please recall that in my two meetings with you before this time, I clearly made the point that at this stage of our development, our state needs all her citizens to join hands together and contribute to her growth and development.

Please rest assured of my commitment to work with everyone on this new path of progress and unity.

Kindly accept, Dear Dr. Ogar, my continued assurances of the highest consideration.

Yours in the service of our state,





Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, Phd

Governor of Abia State
The Federal Government has renamed the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, after the late military governor of the old Western Region, General...

The Federal Government has renamed the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, after the late military governor of the old Western Region, General Adeyinka Adebayo (retd.).President Muhammadu Buhari announced this on Saturday at the funeral service held at All Saints Anglican Church, Iyin Ekiti. He was represented by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.Osinbajo, who delivered the presidents oration at the funeral service, described Adebayo as an officer and a gentleman indeed, saying his military trajectory was in a way a lesson in Nigerias history.He said the Adeyinka Adebayo Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, was one of the ways Nigeria would appreciate his contributions to the unity of the country and immortalise him.He added that Adebayo fought relentlessly for the unity of the country during the civil war that ravaged the country between 1967 and 1970, and that he suggested to the federal government to opt for dialogue rather than the use of force.This is a celebration of a life of sacrifice and dedication to ones community and nation. General Adebayo was a fine gentleman and the first indigenous Chief of Army Staff who Mr. President had a harmonious relationship with.To let you know how respectable this man was to President Buhari, the president personally instructed me to be here. General Adebayo had demonstrated that one must learn how to impact the community where he has the opportunity of serving. As a military officer, he did well and a military governor, he served the people selflessly.As a military officer in 1967, he fought hard to prevent the rebel army from making an incursion into Lagos, the then Federal Capital Territory. He headed the post-war conciliation committee for the integration of the Igbos back to Nigeria. In fact, his military trajectory was a case study in Nigeria.General Adebayo did not only serve Nigeria, he served with integrity. In the struggle for democracy in Nigeria, General Adebayo was a member of National Democratic Coalition.A former Governor and son of the deceased, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, who spoke on behalf of the family, thanked Governor Ayodele Fayose for naming the new Government House and the General Hospital in Iyin-Ekiti after his late father.He said Fayose had been very supportive of the family since his father died on March 8, 2017, and had taken it upon himself to ensure that we gave him a befitting burial.Though the shoe my father left behind might be too difficult for me, but I promise to live up to expectation. I will do my best for my father to be happy with me in heaven.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Nasarawa state chapter, has condemned the demolition of Breeze FM 99.9, radio station in Lafia. Th...

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Nasarawa state chapter, has condemned the demolition of Breeze FM 99.9, radio station in Lafia. The union described the action carried out by the state government, as an assault on the media and threat to freedom of the press in the state.The state chairman of the NUJ, Mr Dogo Shamah, made the statement while addressing newsmen shortly after officials of Nasarawa Urban Development Board (NUDB) demolished the radio house.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Breeze FM 99.9, the first privately owned media outfit in the state, was recently commissioned by Gov. Umaru Al-Makura. However, on May 12, barely two months after the commissioning, NUDB issued the management of the station with quit notice over allegations that the original plan of the structure had been violated. Despite explanations given by the management of the station, the board notified it on Friday that the demolition would be carried out on Saturday. Shammah accused the government of not following due process in carrying out the action.He declared that the haste with which NUDB demolished the radio station, made it clear that the government took the action to gag journalists in the state from carrying out their legitimate duties The chairman said: it is an unfortunate development that in a democratic setting, somebody will demolish a radio station serving the common people. The government needed to accept that there must avenue for people to air their views.It was the same government that commissioned the station; for the government to come up with violation papers is mere excuse. This is an assault on journalists in the state; the government is trying to gag the press and stop people from getting balanced reportage. Shammah said the state chapter of the NUJ would not tolerate the action, adding that it would write to its national secretariat to take necessary action to avert such development in future.We will not tolerate this kind of action, and we will call on the national secretariat to take action. We want government to appreciate the role of the media and know that there can be no democracy without the media he said. He urged journalists in the state to exhibit maturity and be responsible, adding that they should not deviate from their professional duty of unbiased, objective and quality reportage no matter the consequence.
Governor Ayodele Fayose aborted the burial in Canada of popular Nollywood actress, Moji Olaiya, at the last minute on Friday.

Governor Ayodele Fayose aborted the burial in Canada of popular Nollywood actress, Moji Olaiya, at the last minute on Friday.Instead, his government has agreed to foot the cost of bringing her body to Nigeria for burial, according to various reports.The popular actress, 42, suddenly died on Wednesday following cardiac arrest, two months after she gave birth to her second daughter.Her eldest daughter, Adunola, 18, had insisted that her mothers corpse should be brought back to Nigeria.She must be brought back. I dont care what anybody says, I just want my mothers body, a grieving Adun had said on Thursday.Faithia Williams Balogun was named yesterday as chairperson of a 10-man burial committee, that also included a host of Nollywood acts.Moji was the daughter of veteran highlife musician, Victor Olaiya.Her death was a complete shock to Nollywood, stirring emotions and tributes from her colleagues.Mojis housekeeper, identified as Mrs. Keji, suggested in an interview that the actress sudden death could be a spiritual attack.Three days to her death, Moji reportedly complained of being uncomfortable.Her baby was born premature her EDD was for May 2017 but complications arose that necessitated that she be induced to save the babys life as well as hers. But since the delivery in March, her health had not been exactly perfect,Premium Times reported Keji as saying.She said that around 10 p.m. Canadian time (3 a.m. Nigerian time) Moji went into a crisis. Her blood pressure shot up and she became unconscious. An ambulance was called to transport her to the hospital. But her case worsened and she gave up the ghost before they could make it to the hospital, She revealed.Moji, 42, died almost exactly two years after her younger brother, Abidemi Olaiya, passed on. He died on May 4, 2015.
A High Court judge, Justice Maurice Ahemba Ikpambese Ichol was full of excitement on Friday after a court dissolved the union between him a...

A High Court judge, Justice Maurice Ahemba Ikpambese Ichol was full of excitement on Friday after a court dissolved the union between him and his wife, Mrs. Helen, at a Upper Area Court 2 in Gboko.

Helen, a native of Kwande was a caretaker chairman in Gboko.

Ichol, who was a former contender to the Tor Tiv stool did not make public the reason for the divorce but happily displayed his divorce certificate after the judges verdict.

Sources said it was not a surprise because the couple had never been in good partners ever since.




Perry Brimah, a popular columnists and convener of ENDS [Every Nigerian Do Something], has declared that ex-President Goodluck Jonathan de...

Perry Brimah, a popular columnists and convener of ENDS [Every Nigerian Do Something], has declared that ex-President Goodluck Jonathan defeated Boko Haram while President Muhammadu Buhari only mopped up.





Brimah in a lengthy expose on Saturday, which he said was to reveal the real truth, revealed all that Jonathan did despite alleged obstruction by the North.

The article reads in parts: For posterity it is important that we are honest in recording accounts of the day. When we are partial and political, we only do injustice to ourselves now and permanently to future generations. The history of Boko Haram is sad and painful and one we wish to soon forget, however it is important we keep accurate records to learn from it for tomorrow.

Boko Haram, real name, Jamaatu Ahlis Sunna Liddaawati wal-Jihad, rekindled as its beta version, or Boko Haram II under Goodluck Jonathan. Like Obasanjo, Jonathan tolerated and enabled the establishment of Boko Haram in the wilderness of the northeast. He did not care and saw it as an opportunity for political slander against his perceived enemies in the north and also as a cash cow for embezzling massive defense allocations. Let them kill themselves, he was reported to have once said when given breaking news of terror incidents.

Obstructed By Northern Elite

Jonathan in his political desperation handed over his party to the north. It is on record that his PDP party chairman, Bamanga Tukur, a typical northern elite who President Muhammadu Buhari recently praised on his birthday, said as recorded in the Punch that, Boko Haram is fighting for justice; Boko Haram is another name for justice. This was a strong sentiment in the north from when Boko Haram II started in 2011 till late 2013 when Sheikh Gumi and Muslims Against Terror broke ranks and voiced loud condemnations of the group.

In June of 2013, The Nation bore the headline, Buhari faults clampdown on Boko Haram members. Quoting the article, He (Buhari) accused the government of killing and destroying their houses while the Niger Delta militants were given special treatment by the government. Buhari who spoke on Sunday on a Liberty Radio programme, Guest of the Week monitored in Kaduna also admitted that the road to the registration of the All Progressive Congress (APC) was rough.

The north did not care about Boko Haram at this point and saw it simply as a tool to prove Jonathans ineptness. Any move he made was opposed by the north. At a point when Boko Haram had conquered 23 of 27 local governments in Borno and a ThinkTank I was a part of with a ground-shaking article published May 8th 2013, successfully pushed Jonathan to cut short his South Africa trip and immediately deploy excess battalions to the northeast and declare a State of emergency, the northern elite kicked against it. The Governors forum headed by Rotimi Amaechi a founder of the APC, advised him to not listen to us, with the words below as quoted from PremiumTimes of May 13th, 2013:

We urge the Federal Government to continue to support affected states in the bid to check violenceWe also call on the Federal Government to ignore the ongoing agitation for a state of emergency in some parts of the country. These requests are being made by people who do not wish our country well and who are bent on plunging the country into a deeper crisis.

The weak Jonathan declared a half-baked State of emergency leaving the governors in situ. This was his undoing as Borno Governor Shettima will later violate WAEC order and keep a Chibok school open for exams which paved the way for Boko Haram to abduct over 270 girls in what will be Jonathans greatest international embarrassment and partly cost him the presidency.

The same governor admitted to Premium Times last August that he did not even raise alarm over the kidnap of the girls under his domain to the president for a full three weeks.

The United States blocked Nigeria from purchasing weapons to fight Boko Haram. One of former President Jonathans blunders which only he can be blamed for, is not telling Nigerians of this serious hinderance in time.

Not only did the US not sell any weapons to Jonathan, but Obama also blocked Nigeria from buying them from various countries. This while several autocratic countries with major human right violations were supplied steady ammo by the Obama admin. We recall that Hillary Clinton resisted labelling Boko Haram a terrorist organisation in spite of it being the most deadly in the world.

This is the uphill battle Goodluck Jonathan faced; waged by internal and external enemies. When Jonathan finally realized that he had set himself up and his re-election depended on defeating Boko Haram, he scrambled in a last minute 6-month war effort to decisively crush the terrorists. Here I believe is where the controversial aspect of the history begins.

I open with a challenge for anyone to give the list of towns in the northeast liberated under Buhari as against the list of towns liberated in Jonathans 6-month campaign. I also would like a list of the number of terrorists the Buhari government killed or captured to compare to Jonathans record of thousands.

Equipment

Goodluck Jonathan first bought the weapons Nigeria had not bought since the 80s. Neither Babangida, nor Abacha, nor Abdulsalami, nor Obasanjo, nor YarAdua had bought any decent weapons and war machines for Nigeria over a span of 30 odd years. Against obstruction from the US, Jonathan succeeded in bringing in some serious equipment. Nigerians all watched as powerful T72 M1s from Ukraine were driven up north. Beeagle blog, a foremost military conversation website publicized these deadly acquisitions while Nigerians did not care and focused only on politics.

As history was being turned on its head, Dasuki later defended himself and attempted to correct our narrative by making public, images of the sophisticated arms the Jonathan government bought. See: Dasuki releases images of sophisticated weapons acquired under Jonathan [PHOTOS]  DailyPost, August 2015.

In the six months including when Jonathan postponed the elections till March to buy an extra month and half, Jonathan brought in these APCs, MRAPs, tanks, drones and other equipment to capacitate the Nigerian military at the war front.

It must be mentioned that Boko Haram was one of the most motivated, financed and battle hardened armies in Africa at the time. With promises of heaven, laced with hard drugs that made the heaven practically visible, Boko Haram was not only battle-hardened but potentially larger than the Nigerian military. With recruitable mercenary forces across west Africa and to the Congo, the Boko Haram army stood at a high point of as many as 40,000 soldiers.

Mercenaries

Goodluck Jonathan hired mercenaries from South Africa to wage the bloody war, the 72 Mobile Force. These hardened mercenaries did not come to Nigeria to drink tea in Maiduguri. They knew how to operate the REVA MRAPs and other sophisticated machinery and the modified F7 supersonic jets, and that is what they came and did.

Of course, I accept a lot of the blame in the narrative being as inaccurate as it is today. Instead of also acknowledging the triumphs these mercenaries were achieving in record time, we all focused on condemning Jonathan for allowing matters deteriorate to the point where he was paying foreigners as much as $350 a day to fight our war for us.

Chad Troops

Even if we deny what our own military did during Jonathans six-month war, can we deny what the janjaweed Chadian army did in the northeast? I do not think the inhabitants of the northeast can ever deny and discount the many times they celebrated and gave food and water to Chadian troops as they massacred and pursued Boko Haram from town to town, liberating successive towns and villages in the northeast. There is ample local Chad TV video of these conquests.

Jonathan signed an MoU with Chads Idriss Deby and his troops, some of the most battle hardened in Africa, came into Nigeria and competed with a revived Nigerian army liberating cities from various extents of the state. Reuters has one of the typical videos up on Youtube showing the liberation of Damask in March of 2015. It reports that 200 terrorists were killed in that battle. Vice News has Chads war against Boko Haram. AlJazeera also has its video from March 2015 in which it reports on the Chadian army liberation of many cities including Dikwa where the journalists chopper landed.

Cities Jonathan Liberated

Nigerias 7 Infantry Division with the assistance of South African 72 Mobile force troops retook Bama as reported in PremiumTimes on March 16th 2015. On 27th March foreign media reported Nigerias capture of Gwoza, Boko Harams urban headquarters.

Chief Media Consultant to the Forum of Spokespersons of Security and Response, Agencies, FOSSRA, Yushau Shuaib resigned in protest in March of 2016 after the Buhari governments Jon Ode-led panel denied the equipment acquisitions and war accomplishments of the Jonathan administration.

In a scathing reaction to the new administration, Shuaib listed major cities liberated by Jonathans pre-election push, he said,

some of the towns recovered before the coming of President Buhari were Abadam, Askira, Baga, Bama, Bita, Buni Yadi, Damboa, Gamboru Ngala, Goniri, Gujba, Gulani, Gwoza, Hong, Konduga, Kukawa, Marte, Madagali, Michika, Monguno, as well as Mubi and many others.

A clear testimony to some of the accomplishments was the official DHQ release dated March 16, 2015 with reference No: DHQ/ABJ/901/32/DDI and entitled: Troops finally rout terrorists from Bama and last stronghold in Yobe.

The onus is on those who deny the achievements of the Jonathan government in its last minute six-month war to provide a list of major cities liberated by the Buhari government. Can Army Chief Tukur Yusuf Buratai deny these accomplishments of the army under the command of former President Goodluck Jonathan? It will do Nigeria good and history a great favor to have a comprehensive response from CoAS Buratai.

Boko Haram was largely pushed out of Nigerias major towns back into Sambisa forest and remote villages and settlements. The Buhari governments major achievement has been the liberation of a good amount of Sambisa forest, though the terrorists are still based in some parts of it. Unfortunately the terrorists have retaken the famous Ground Zero, according to ENDS sources.

In praise to Buhari was the discovery of a massive Boko Haram supply barge and 4000 petroleum drums, dealing the terrorists a most severe logistics blow. Again this was in July of 2015, and could be argued to have been under the momentum built by Jonathan.

So where is the evidence of Buharis decimation of Boko Haram, other than mopping up and opening up towns liberated by the army under the previous administration? Jonathan could not repopulate the towns due to mine fears. The Buhari government is slowly de-mining them before attempting to restore the surviving inhabitants.

The only time we heard the Buhari government announce the killing of over 200, was when they accidentally bombed an IDP camp in Rann, killing 236.

It is recollected that Jonathan secured the northeast to the extent that peaceful elections could hold. This is irrefutable evidence of the success of his campaign against the terrorist organisation before handing over.

It was based on the momentum built by Jonathan that Buhari could promise to defeat the terrorists by December of his first year in office, and announce that he had pretty much completed that with only mop up operations left. The evidence points out that it was Jonathan who had completed 80% of the strategic defeat and the Buhari government finished the rest 20% by December of 2015 and since then embarked in mop up and negotiations with the terrorists to reintegrate into civilian populations. 40,000 soldiers just dont disappear.

A lot of what Jonathan did and Buhari has continued is under the counter negotiations with terrorists dropping their arms and silently attempting to lead normal lives. The governor of Taraba state just complained that there are too many of these ex-Boko Haram terrorists in his state now battling an uptick in violent crime.




By India Today Web Desk: After Nia Sharma's lesbian kiss in Vikram Bhatt's web series Twisted, former Bigg Boss contestant and model Diandra Soares's kiss with co-actress Mahi Sharma has created quite a buzz in the media.

Diandra will be seen sharing a lip lock with co-star Mahi Sharma in the upcoming episode of her on-going web series Love Life and Screw Ups, which also features veteran film star, Zeenat Aman.

advertisement

Also read: Is Bigg Boss rigged? Before Diandra Soares, these contestants claimed winners are pre-decided

Diandra plays Mansi, who is living a dual life. She is in love with Payal (played by Mahi Sharma), but got engaged to a man under family pressures. The news of her lesbian kiss went viral but looks like it didn't go down well with the model. She lashed out at media in a note posted on her Twitter account.

Also read: OMG! Actress Nia Sharma's on-screen lip lock with female co-star goes viral

Here's the post she shared on twitter:

Dear Indian Press,

Well, it's really not a big deal, should not be a big deal because love is love and love has no gender. But India loves to sensationalise and we need to just be more acceptable about reality. However, I must say, at least we are brave enough to touch upon these topics now in a very real way. So, thank you director Yuvraaj Parashar for bringing light into a very real issue with our 'but what will society say' etc. Would love to have the Indian Press get past the kiss and actually sit down and talk about this role in detail, what we tried to do li'l differently as opposed to be a stereotype lesbian and stereotype them as is normal and the issues faced day in and day out by the LGBTQ community. So much we can talk about. Yet two women kissing becomes the point of focus. Hawwwww OMG OMG OMG they kissed. Get the F*** over it people. So much more power you have to bring about change in society and mentality. Here is to many Mansi and Payal out there. I hope you find courage to walk your path and own it.

Dear Indian press , pic.twitter.com/Ubxo2SI1d4- Diandra Soares (@diandrasoares13) May 19, 2017

Apart from Diandra Soares, Zeenat Aman and Mahi Sharma, the web series also stars theatre actress Dolly Thakore, former Bigg Boss contestant Sonali Raut and actor Yuvraaj Parashar.

--- ENDS ---
The Nigerian Army has denied manhandling or arresting any woman during a meeting of the Indigenous People of Biafra held at Abriba, Abia...

The Nigerian Army has denied manhandling or arresting any woman during a meeting of the Indigenous People of Biafra held at Abriba, Abia state on Friday.In a statement made available to our correspondent in Awka, Anambra state on Saturday by the Army Deputy Director Public Relations, Colonel Sagir Musa, 82 Division, described IPOBs claim that its women were attacked and molested by soldiers and other security agencies during the meeting as false and criminal misrepresentation.He said the whole episode was stage-managed by IPOB for cheap propaganda.He said, Let me make it clear that the drama and the allegation that followed were deliberately staged by IPOB. The allegation, just like others before it, is false, sheer IPOBs propaganda to discredit the Nigerian Army, which at the moment, they will not succeed.Hence, I was able to confirm from the Officer in Charge of the patrol of Abiriba and its environs, Major Danjuma Ali and the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Abiriba, Superintendent Titus Ugwuoke who briefed me, there was no truth in the IPOBs accusation.
This is an article written by Reno Omokri. Read on: Let me start this piece by congratulating former President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida...

This is an article written by Reno Omokri. Read on:

Let me start this piece by congratulating former President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida on the marriage of his daughter, Halima, to her beau, Auwal Abdullahi.





It goes without saying that the wedding would be the talk of Nigeria for aeons to come because of the kind of crowd it pulled.

In case you missed the news, let me inform you that no fewer than thirty private jets landed at Minna airport last weekend on account of this wedding that locked down Nigeria!

Thirty private jets. I do not even know what to exclaim! This is more than wow! Gosh does not even come close to the exclamation I wanted to express when I first read of this private jet convention in Minna! Gobsmacked is the only that comes close, but even it does not quite capture the reaction I had.

Thank God former President Goodluck Jonathan, who was amongst the wedding guests, does not have a private jet, because that would have been the major topic of the day. The propaganda loving All Progressive Congress would have capitalized on that to rubbish Jonathan. Lai Mohammed would have been hyperventilating with excitement at the character assassination possibilities if such had been the case.

But the lesson Nigerians may want to take from this is that few, very few of those who arrived Minna in private jets have any sort of productive business venture that generates and sustains jobs in Nigeria.

Yes, there were a couple of folks made rich by oil and gas at the Minna private jet convention, but these are not people that did anything constructive, productive or job creating that gave them wealth. Some were given oil blocks or allocations, others were given allocations to import petroleum products. Even a monkey would prosper if given such oligarchic opportunities. But how does that sort of business create jobs or adds value to Nigerians?

Others amongst them are government contractors, supplying sundry items to the various governments at federal, state and local government level. They are basically suppliers. They buy and resell to the government. But how does that sort of business create jobs and adds value to Nigerians?

Yet, they have private jets, private jetties, private yachts and even private body guards!





Nigeria has one of the lowest, if not the lowest, tax to GDP ratio in the world. In a country of 190 million people, only 214 individuals in the entire country pay tax of 20 million naira or more. This is according to the very latest official figures from the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

Norway has a population of just 5.2 million people yet they have more than 100 times the amount of people paying tax of $65,000 of more (the equivalent of 20 million naira).

But the story does not end there. Norway has never had a private party or private wedding or any private celebration that attracted 30 private jets!

The funniest thing is that Norway gives Nigeria financial aid every year!

We have a political and economic elite that that are so rapacious and parasitic and who only think of what they can suck from Nigeria and could not careless that they are surrounded by some of the poorest people in the world according to official figures from the 2016 United Nations Human Development Index released on the 21st of March, 2017.

Norway is number 1 on that list. Nigeria is 152 out of 188 nations. Libya (102) and Iraq (121) both of which are war torn nations, outrank Nigeria. But most embarrassingly, Syria that has been enmeshed in probably the worst humanitarian crisis the world has seen in at least 10 years also outranks Nigeria (149)!

And almost all our elites are involved in this. President Muhammadu Buhari likes to be seen as the only good person in Nigeria but we have not forgotten so soon how, according to Daily Trust (which also happens to be the President's favorite paper) his own daughter, Zahra Buhari, received pre wedding gifts worth 47 million Naira from her then suitor and now husband, Ahmed Indimi. This same Ahmed Indimi likes to fly in private jets, pictures of which dot Nigeria's social media landscape. I can assure you that Ahmed Indimi is not one of the 214 Nigerians who pay tax of over 20 million Naira.

Yet right there in Indimi's Borno state, right there in Maiduguri where their palatial family house is a sprawling tourist attraction, there are millions of Internally Displaced Persons without food to eat and medicine for their ailments. Perhaps it is this sort of wickedness that Mohammed Yusuf saw and which made him conclude that Boko (book) must be Haram, if it can make people so oblivious to the suffering around them.

It is this same Indimi family that likes to marry and be married to Nigeria's high and mighty (President Ibrahim Babangida was also once their in law via the marriage of Mohammed Babangida, his first son, to Rahama Indimi).

Many Nigerians are not aware that if you isolate Borno state from the rest of Nigeria, that state becomes the poorest region on planet earth BAR NONE!

Borno has the highest unemployment rate in Nigeria and the second lowest primary school enrollment rate in Nigeria. What has her private jet loving, high and mighty marrying elite done to change that?

I was in Anambra once and the type of community spirit I saw there impressed me. They may not have a lot of private jets in Anambra, but in Anambra, they have community associations that give scholarships and business grants to those who are commercially inclined. There is NO poverty in Nnewi, one of the communities where this community spirit is most prevalent.





They build their own primary and secondary schools through community effort. I am dead serious. If you go there you will not believe your eyes! They have well tarred modern roads that were built through their private efforts. All over Anambra, the various towns and villages copy the Nnewi model.





I daresay that there is more evidence of private and community development in Anambra than there is of any type of federal government presence. Anambra does not even have an airport! Borno does. Anambra does not even have a publicly built federal university! The only so called Federal University in Anambra, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, was built by the state government with contributions from private citizens and then compulsorily taken over by the military government of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida via Decree No. 34 of July 15, 1992. But in Borno, they have a massive federal university WHOLLY built with Federal Government funds.

If any state deserves to be poor from lack of Federal Government presence, that state is Anambra. If any state deserves to be rich by reason of the existence of Federal Government presence, that state is Borno. But Borno is poor while Anambra is rich! Why?

Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are sponsoring immunization and other medical interventions in Borno state. They are together the richest people on earth. Yet their life styles is nowhere near as lavish as Nigeria's private jet loving parasitic elite.

Both Gates and Buffet are known for their frugality. Both of them have shown more concern for Nigeria's poor than any of the owners or leasers of the 30 private jets that converged in Minna last week.

In fact, Bill Gates has personally visited with many of the poorest Nigerians and has administered vaccines to their children with his own hands!

If those thirty private jet owners or leasers could do in their communities what Nnewi people do in theirs, then most assuredly Nigeria would not be in recession today.

Jeff Bezos of Amazon is worth $67 billion, Mark Zuckerberg is worth $55.5 billion. Both of them are young people who made their money by dint of hardwork, yet none of these two billionaires had a wedding as spectacularly opulent as either Zahra Buhari's or Halima Babangida's weddings. Mark Zuckerberg actually got married at a simple ceremony in the backyard of his home in Palo Alto, California in front of 100 guests.

The British charity, Oxfam, recently released a report on inequality in Nigeria. According to Oxfam, the combined wealth of the five richest Nigerians, put at about $29.9 billion, could end extreme poverty in the country!

According to Oxfam, in recent years the number of millionaires in Nigeria has increased by 44% while the number of those living in poverty has increased by 69%!

And instead of the shameless Federal Government of Nigeria to appreciate Oxfam, not just for its years of charity work in Nigeria, but for this new report which distills the issues militating against Nigeria's efforts to increase human development, it turns around to condemn the report and accuse Oxfam of 'inciting' Nigerians against her elite!

It is becoming clearer and clearer that Nigeria, as currently designed, can hardly produce young people with the mindset of Bezos or Zuckerberg.

You see, if we do not redesign Nigeria and ensure that the wealth of the nation is more equitably redistributed, we will find out soon enough that Nigeria, as it is currently designed, is designed to fail.

Nigeria has such a high unemployment rate because the wealth of the nation is trapped in the hands of carpetbaggers, rent seekers and influence paddlers who flaunt their wealth at the masses without even giving them token employment.

And it is not as if Nigerians are not willing to work. We are. Strive Masiyiwa, the Zimbabwean founder of Econet, famously revealed how stunned he was when he found out how willing Nigerians were to work.

When he came to Nigeria in 2001 and wanted to hire staff for his new company, Econet Wireless Nigeria, he advertised for jobs seeking people with telecommunications experience who had electronic engineering degrees and a minimum of five years relevant experience.

Mr. Masiyiwa, a dollar billionaire with experience working all over the world was stunned at the response.

Let me allow him tell his story because I cannot possibly tell it better than him.

"I came into the office to find postal bags, piled to the ceiling!

"I only want to see the applications from people who meet our requirements, and not from chancers who aren't qualified," I complained.

"Sir, these are the ones we have vetted."

"What?! You mean there were more than this?"

"Thousands, sir."

Then I came up with an idea: "Why don't you separate for me, the most qualified academically. Set aside people with MBAs, and even PHDs."

A day later, another postal bag of applications was delivered to my office. I was staggered!

There were thousands of people with qualifications in just this one discipline with MBAs and PHDs! Many had qualified in the best universities around the world. There were also GSM-qualified Nigerians working internationally, including in America and Europe, wanting to return home!

I was blown away by the qualifications. I thought to myself: "You can start almost any business or industry here. I wish investors would one day discover the wealth of this nation."

Whenever I hear people talk about the wealth of Nigeria in terms of oil, I shake my head to say: "You have no idea what you're talking about!"

The true wealth of Nigeria is its extraordinary human capital, and passion for education. Unleash that and no one can stop them!"

The funniest thing is that Strive Masiyiwa, a dollar billionaire who made his money from a productive industry like the telecommunications sector and who provided enduring jobs for literarily tens of thousands of Nigerians, does not live as large as many Nigerian elite.

No wonder that the exploitative carpetbagging elite of Nigeria chased him out of Nigeria!

Strive Masiyiwa is the antithesis of the exploitative Nigerian elite who epitomize at least six of the seven deadly social sins:

Wealth without work. Pleasure without conscience. Knowledge without character. Commerce without morality. Science without humanity. Religion without sacrifice. Politics without principle.

The only one they do not epitomize is Science without humanity because that involves work and intellectual and creative abilities which many of our elite lack. If it were cleverness and guile, they would supersede even the best!

Ango Abdullahi

Ango Abdullahi has no basis for saying that the North would not allow Professor Yemi Osinbajo succeed Muhammadu Buhari in 2019. The North does not decide for Nigeria. Nigerians decide for Nigeria.

What Ango Abdullahi seems to have forgotten is that it was Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu that God used to make Muhammadu Buhari President in 2015. If the Northern Elders Forum could have made Buhari President, they would have done so in 2003, 2007 and 2011 when Buhari tried unsuccessfully to become President.

Nigeria has changed. Unfortunately, people like Ango Abdullahi and Junaid Mohammed, who add very little value to Nigeria and exist only to make provocative statements should realize that should their words precipitate crisis today or in 2019, both they and those they represent will be the biggest losers because they have more to gain from a united and peaceful Nigeria founded on the rule of law than others.

Nigerians will famously remember Ango Abdullahi as the liar who said that money from the North was used to develop the oil industry in the South. His exact words in 2014 were as follows:

"It is the North that developed the present day oil industry in this country. It is Northern money; it is the Northern leadership that developed the oil industry."

Since Ango Abdullahi purports to be a professor and since he is from the North, let me use the words of another Northerner who happens to be a professor to respond to him.

On Saturday the 6th of May 2017, Farooq Kperogi wrote thus:

That money from the North funded oil exploration in the South. Professor Ango Abdullahi actually repeated this lie recently. He said this, ironically, while exhorting Emir Sanusi II to go and read history. The truth is that not a dime of northern Nigerias money contributed to oil exploration in the Niger Delta.

When oil was discovered in commercial quantities in Oloibiri in 1956, Shell bore the financial burden for the exploration. Other Euro-American oil companies later joined in oil exploration. It wasnt until 1973 that the Nigerian federal government acquired 30 percent shares in oil companies. By 1973, Northern Nigeria had ceased to exist; it had been divided into states.

In any case, colonial records show that the biggest motivation for amalgamating northern and southern Nigeria was because northern Nigeria wasnt financially self-sustaining and the British Imperial Government said it would never subsidize colonial administration anywhere in Africa. So Lord Lugard amalgamated the two regions and used the surplus from the south to sustain the north. Its illogical to say that a region that wasnt financially self-sustaining financed oil exploration in the Niger Delta.

It is a very sad day when a character like Ango Abdullahi is called an elder statesman. I think a better word for his ilk would be an agbaya! Professor (?) Abdullahi can ask Farook Kperogi to tell him the meaning of that word!

Reno's Nuggets

Never marry just because plans are at an advance stage. If there is doubt in your heart, call it off. Embarrassment is better than a wrong union. It is easier to change I dont into I do than to change I do to I don't. And be aware that the sexier the woman, the higher the maintenance. The lovelier the woman. The lower the maintenance. Sexy is expensive. Love is not. Finally, do not be moved by beauty. With fake hair, fake lashes and fake eyes, any girl can be fine. Focus on character. It has no fake #RenosNuggets
The man behind the release of all 82 women captured by militant Islamist group Boko Haram has declared that none of the released girls w...

The man behind the release of all 82 women captured by militant Islamist group Boko Haram has declared that none of the released girls were raped nor touched by the dreaded terrorist group.Zannah Mustapha speaking to BBCs Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani in an interview revealed that it was only after the women agreed to get married that the militants had sexual relations with them and that before the kidnapping of Chibok girls government and his organisation was already trying to negotiate peace with Boko Haram. Zannah Mustapha 57-year-old said when he arrived for the handover of the 82 Chibok girls freed from Boko Haram after three years in captivity, a militant read out the girls names from a list. One by one, the abducted schoolgirls, now women, lined up along the outskirts of a forest near Kumshe town, on the border between Nigeria and Cameroon. Each of them was covered from head to ankle in a dark-coloured hijab.I went ahead of the Red Cross. They [the militants] brought the girls to me, said Mr Mustapha, the lawyer from Borno state in north-east Nigeria. He has been mediating between the government and militants for the release of the Chibok girls and for an end to the Boko Haram insurgency. In 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari told the media that his government was willing to negotiate with credible leaders of Boko Haram for the release of the girls. More than 200 of them were abducted a year earlier from the north-eastern town of Chibok, sparking global outrage.Previous attempts had failed, with different groups coming forward, each claiming to be the militants in possession of the missing schoolgirls. It was Mr Mustapha who succeeded in convincing the Nigerian authorities that this particular group should be taken for what they say, presidential spokesman Garba Shehu told me.He had dealt with them in the past and they keep to their word, he said. Mr Mustaphas role as a mediator dates back to his founding the Future Prowess Islamic Foundation School in 2007, to provide free Islamic-based education to orphans and the poor. When the Boko Haram insurgency erupted in 2009, the school offered admission to the children of soldiers and government officials killed by the militants, as well as those of militants killed by the state. Mr Mustapha then sought the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which began providing free meals to the pupils. He also encouraged parents to form an association which would reach out to other widows and convince them to send their children to his school. The ICRC soon extended its humanitarian services to the mothers, providing them free food and other items every month. This was at a time when the wives of Boko Haram militants were being arrested and their houses demolished, so Boko Haram saw me and the ICRC as neutral parties, Mr Mustapha said. During the previous government of President Goodluck Jonathan, former President Olusegun Obasanjo visited Maiduguri, the epicentre of the insurgency, to intervene in the escalating crisis. He then set up a group to discuss peace with Boko Haram. Mr Mustapha was included in it because of the relationship he had forged with the families of Boko Haram militants. After the Swiss ambassador to Nigeria paid a visit to the Future Prowess school in 2012, he arranged for Mr Mustapha to go to Zurich and Geneva to receive formal training as a mediator. We were already trying to negotiate peace with Boko Haram before the Chibok girls were kidnapped, Mr Mustapha said. The initial negotiation was for a batch of 20 Chibok girls to be released. But, as a sign of commitment to their relationship, Boko Haram added an extra woman, whom Mr Mustapha said was their gift to him, hence the number 21. When they were released in October 2016, she was chosen by Boko Haram to read out the names of the other 20 women from a list. Mr Mustapha said the 21 women were lined up and asked by Boko Haram militants if they had been raped. They all said they were not. When a militant approached a woman who was carrying a baby, she said that she was pregnant at the time of her abduction, having got married a few weeks earlier.The baby girl in her arms, she said, was her husbands child. For some reason, Boko Haram, a group that has cultivated a reputation for brutality, wanted it to be known that it was only after the women agreed to get married that the militants had sexual relations with them. This process of lining up the women, pointing at each one and asking the same question, was repeated at the beginning of May when 82 more women were released. One of about seven Boko Haram militants, who accompanied them, went from woman to woman asking: Throughout the time you were with us, did anyone rape you or touch you? Mr Mustapha said, adding that each of them replied in the negative. None of the second batch of 82 captives came with a child.But one had an amputated limb and was walking with crutches, an injury she sustained, according to what Mr Mustapha was told, during Nigerian military air strikes against Boko Haram. They all ran You are free today, Mr Mustapha announced to the 82 women after all the names were called out. They all smiled, he said.He believes that their subdued reaction was as a result of the presence of the militants, all armed with guns, some wearing army camouflage uniforms and boots. Mr Mustapha then took some photographs with the women. The militants also had their video camera on hand and recorded the event. ICRC vehicles eventually arrived. When I told them to go to the cars, they all ran, Mr Mustapha said. Immediately they entered the vehicles, they started singing for joy. Some shed tears.Mr Mustapha has received a number of accolades for his work with Future Prowess School. He was a finalist for the 2016 Robert Burns humanitarian award, given to those who have saved, improved or enriched the lives of others or society as a whole, through self-sacrifice, selfless service, hands-on charitable or volunteer work, or other acts. He was also given a 2017 Aurora Prize Modern Day Hero award, for those whose life and actions guarantee the safe existence of others. However, he described handing over the 82 freed girls to the Nigerian government as the highest point in my life.I felt that I have done something that is worth saying to the world that I have done this, he said.
UPDATE: An official says that the blaze has been contained.

SHAMONG TWP. -- Firefighters were working Saturday afternoon to contain a fire burning on the edge of Wharton State Forest, officials said.

The blaze, in the Bards Bridge area of Wharton, is spread over an estimated 75 to 100 acres, according to New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Bob Considine.

About 30 New Jersey Forest Fire Service personnel are battling the blaze, which was spotted by the Medford Fire Tower staff around 9:45 a.m. Saturday.

The firefighters have set up a 300-acre containment area around the fire and are setting backfires there to stop the main blaze, according to Considine. They have also been conducting backfire operations between the main fire and the 25 and 30 homes in the area.

No one has been evacuated from the homes in the fire zone, he said.

Smoke Saturday was visible to people in the surrounding area of Burlington County, especially to motorists traveling on U.S. Route 206 in the area of Willow Grove Road. Forked Neck Road in the area is temporarily closed, Considine said.

With the wind coming from a mostly northerly direction, the smoke is blowing to the south.

By early afternoon, 10 brush trucks, two water tankers, two tractor and plow units, and one helicopter for observation had been deployed to the scene.

On its website, the Forest Fire Service lists the forest fire risk for Saturday in the area of the Wharton blaze as moderate.

Along with Forest Fire Service members, representatives from the New Jersey State Police, New Jersey Department of Transportation and New Jersey Park Police are on the scene monitoring the blaze.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Considine said.

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Bill Gallo Jr. on Twitter @bgallojr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
CAMDEN -- Shapaul "SP" Johnson, 18, had a lot to look forward to.

His friends said he was excited about his prom next week, and after that, his Camden High School graduation in June. He was also about two months away from becoming a father to a baby girl he had already named: Hope.

But Johnson was shot in broad daylight Thursday on the corner of 10th and Thurman streets in Camden, according to the Camden County prosecutor's office.

Danaysha Peoples, 20, the mother of his unborn child, said his family and friends stood vigil at Cooper University Hospital into the early morning hours. Johnson died from the single gunshot wound just around 1:30 a.m. Friday.

Community leaders put out a call on social media for people to gather at the place where Johnson was shot to remember him and make a statement about the killing that continues to take young lives in the city. Organizers said family and friends also made plans to meet and mourn later Friday night and Saturday.

Standing on the sidewalk on the hot evening, Peoples and several other friends of Johnson described him as a sweet, funny guy.

"He always had a smile on his face," she said.

Lee Funari, 18, came to the corner Friday evening carrying an American flag bandana that he said his friend used to wear. They would play pool in Johnson's basement and just hang out, he said.

"He was a goofball. He was funny," Funari said.

Funari and Quai Smith, also 18, said Johnson previously went to Camden County Technical Schools and Camden Big Picture Learning Academy, formerly called MetEast.

Johnson was a people person, Smith said.

"He was always on your side, always with you," he said. "He's just cool with everybody."

Peoples said the loss of Johnson was still sinking in.

"I'm trying to keep calm because I'm carrying his child, but we just hurt right now," she said.

Other family and friends took to social media to mourn Johnson and remember better times.

I will never forget about you  until we meet again  #LongLiveSp Sp Sosa Posted by Yasmeen Stafford on Friday, May 19, 2017

'It's unacceptable'

Johnson was the second man to be fatally shot in the city in two days and the fifth homicide in the city this year.

Edward Whittle Jr., 30, was shot Wednesday evening on the 1300 block of Carl Miller Boulevard. Police are looking for tips as they investigate both killings.

N'namdee Nelson, founder of a nonprofit called Rising Leaders that mentors youth, asked residents to come out Friday night.

"Anytime we lose our young adults, it's a must that we stand up and say it's unacceptable," he said. "We have to figure out how to prevent it, not how to come out after."

Nelson said he didn't know Johnson, but said he was saddened to see he had just had his graduation photos taken.

Tracy Hall Cooper, a candidate for City Council, lamented the impact of Johnson's death in the community.

"The kids out here observed him lying on the ground; that's going to stay with them," she said. "I went to the high school today. They're trying to hold it together."

Hall Cooper lost her own son, Amadeus Hall, to suicide in 2012 when he was 23 years old.

She said she came out in hopes that it would bring some comfort to Johnson's family, especially his mother, to know residents weren't going to ignore what happened.

"She was preparing for a prom. Now she has to prepare for a funeral," Hall Cooper said.

Anyone with information about the killing is asked to contact Prosecutor's Office Detective James Brining at (856) 225-8439 or Camden County Police Detective Sean Miller at (856) 757-7420. Tips can also be emailed to ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
You can drive from High Point State Park to the tip of Cape May in less than three hours, traversing the whole of New Jersey in only about 240 miles.

However, if you get out of the car and listen to the people who live in these areas speak, it may seem like North Jersey and South Jersey reside in completely different parts of the country.

To South Jerseyans, the North's "cawfee" accent is an immediate reminder they aren't in Gloucester County anymore.

And for northerners, the south's long "O" in words like "home" sounds totally foreign.

Dr. Laurel MacKenzie, assistant professor in the department of linguistics at New York University, weighed in on how accents are developed in different areas of the country and where the difference between the North Jersey and South Jersey accents actually originated.

The difference, MacKenzie says, typically comes down to vowel sounds, and MacKenzie said North Jersey residents tend to utilize what's known as the diphthong vowel sound -- a sound formed by the combination of two vowel sounds in a single syllable in which the sound begins as one vowel and ends as another.

"People from North Jersey pronounce two vowel sounds in one combined sound in words like 'coffee,' using the long O and 'ah' sound in one syllable -- 'co-ah-fee,'" she explained. "The Philly, South Jersey accent doesn't do that as much."

The variations in the "ah" and the "aw" vowel sound is one of the most distinguishing differences between the northern and southern New Jersey accents.

"People in the north use the 'aw' sound in words like 'coffee' and 'talk,'" MacKenzie said. "But those in the south use the 'ah' sound in those words, making them rhyme with 'lot.' The I-95 corridor is still holding onto the difference in those two vowel sounds."

The vowel sounds associated with the letter "O" itself differ substantially from the north to the south.

MacKenzie said South Jerseyans pronounce the "O" in words like "chocolate" like the vowel sound heard in the word "lot."

"But North Jersey uses the vowel sound like in 'dog,'" she said. "South Jerseyans also use a long 'O' sound like in 'coast' in words like 'home' and 'go.'"

In the past, North Jerseyans were known for dropping the "Rs" found as in words like "park" and "car."

"Now, that's mostly heard in Boston," MacKenzie said. "The 'R' sound is making a comeback in the New York, North Jersey accent. American English is always changing."

Origin of an accent

The way we talk dates back to when settlers first came to New Jersey from Europe in the seventeenth century.

"Our different regional dialects can be traced back to early settlement patterns," MacKenzie said. "Different areas were settled by different groups. And the original settlers laid down the dialect patterns that have survived for hundreds of years, to the present day."

North Jerseyans -- like New Yorkers and Bostonians -- are known for dropping the "Rs" found as in words like "park," "car" and "New York."

The reason people from Boston drop their 'Rs' today but speakers from Philly don't, MacKenzie explained, is due to a mirrored separation in dialects that existed in England in the 1600s. She said people from the South of England dropped their 'Rs,' and those from the North of England did not.

"Boston was settled by people from the South of England, and Philly was settled by people from the North of England," MacKenzie said. "One of the biggest dialect differences between New York City and Philadelphia today is that New Yorkers drop their 'Rs,' but Philadelphia don't."

The reason for that dates back to the 1600s when those settlers first came to the East Coast from England.

"New York City was also settled by people from the North of England, meaning that New Yorkers of 300 years ago pronounced their 'Rs,'" she said. "However, the NYC accent picked up R-dropping in the 19th Century under influence from Boston. That influence never made it as far as Philly, and thus Philly folks have always pronounced all their 'Rs.'"

The way we speak is a large part of who we are. Just as Philadelphians frown upon being mistaken for New Yorkers, South Jerseyans do not enjoy being mistaken for North Jerseyans, and vice versa.

"Language and identity are very closely related," MacKenzie said.

Kelly Roncace may be reached at kroncace@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @kellyroncace. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
NEWARK -- City Councilman Luis Quintana is being sued by his former longtime aide who claims he was fired after he refused to make a $10,000 donation to help his ex-boss raise money for a festival.

Nelson Nieves filed a lawsuit in Essex County Superior Court this month alleging that Quintana's request for a donation was "inappropriate," "unlawful" and a "misappropriation" of money set aside for the Puerto Rican Day Parade, which Nieves oversaw. Nieves said Quintana harmed his reputation and sabotaged the 2016 parade to make him look bad, the complaint says.

"He needs to take these legal measures in order to get justice," Louis Zayas, Nieves' attorney told NJ Advance Media. "This is a pretty disturbing set of circumstances directed at Mr. Nieves for doing nothing other than being a trusted representative of the Puerto Rican Day Parade."

Zayas said Nieves is seeking compensatory damages and his job back. Nieves worked for Quintana from 2005 until he was fired last year but remains president of the Puerto Rican Day Parade -- a volunteer position.

"This is causing him extreme financial stress. He lost his medical benefits. He has no means to support himself," Zayas said.

When reached by phone on Friday, Quintana said he had not yet been served with the lawsuit and could not comment on the allegations until he reviewed them.

But he added: "My integrity is more important to me than anything in this world. This is about integrity," he said.

A city spokeswoman said the city does not comment on pending litigation.

Nieves, who has served as president of the parade since 2014, said the trouble stemmed from the appointment of Jacqueline Quiles, who previously oversaw the parade, the complaint said.

Nieves was a vocal critic of Quiles' 2015 appointment to a deputy mayor position and even boycotted a $5,000 donation by Mayor Ras Baraka to the parade as a point of protest. Quintana publicly defended Nieves' right to express his opinions and protected Nieves against pressure from city officials who allegedly wanted him gone, NJ Advance Media previously reported.

But the complaint says Quintana and Quiles eventually became friends and Quiles began seeking Nieves' removal.

Nieves was asked to organize a festival on the same day as the parade sponsored by four politicians -- including Quintana -- who would raise $5,000 each, the suit said.

But Quintana failed to come up with the money and asked Nieves "to help me out with this" and donate $10,000, court documents say. When Nieves refused, he claims he was retaliated against and ultimately fired last December.

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook.
NEWARK -- U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) told reporters Friday appointing a politician to lead the FBI would "send the wrong message at the wrong time" and urged President Trump to pick a leader with deep ties to the law enforcement community.

The frontrunner to replace ousted FBI Director James Comey is reportedly four-term former senator from Connecticut and Democratic vice presidential nominee, Joe Lieberman.

"I think it'd be a big mistake to nominate Joe Lieberman," Booker told reporters outside Newark International Liberty Airport after a rally for workers. "This is not a time to put a politician, to a put a political person in charge of the FBI. This is a time where we should be having a career person who knows the FBI who could get bipartisan support."

Trump abruptly fired Comey this month saying it was necessary to restore "public trust and confidence" in the nation's top law enforcement agency. Comey was leading an FBI investigation on whether the president's campaign colluded with Russian officials during the 2016 race.

This week Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein named former FBI Director Robert Mueller as a special counsel to oversee the current investigation into Russian involvement in the U.S. presidential election.

Booker said Rosenstein's decision to hire outside council "shows that this is an Administration that hasn't been taking this seriously."

"The potential for there to be collusion with the president's campaign team or even worse, that's something really serious that shouldn't be politicized. It's something that everybody should want to get to the bottom of," said Booker, who had urged the Justice Department to hire a special prosecutor to investigate. "I think Donald Trump should have been saying, 'bring in a special prosecutor.' If he's innocent he has nothing to worry about so now we have a non-political person leading the investigation who is going to get to the bottom of the facts."

Booker declined to say who should be named FBI director but said he would support someone with a track record in law enforcement.

"We need to be returning integrity to (the agency) not put a political leader in charge of the FBI," he said.

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook.
Green cards were "guaranteed" for potential mega-investors in a Kushner project in Jersey City's Journal Square, but the "green'' had nothing to do with solar energy, according to a new report on the project.

Rather, it referred to $500,000 from Chinese investors looking to get visas through the controversial EB-5 visa program, The New York Times reports.

Potential investors were told it was a virtual certainty to work, the newspaper said, because of the project's ties to President Trump and the first family.

"They said the president would make sure it came through," the Times quoted Lu Ling, a technology executive in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, as saying. "They said there was no chance it could fail."

The report, posted online yesterday, raises more questions about the financing tool for One Journal Square and potential conflicts of interest for Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Jared Kushner has divested himself from the two-tower project planned for a long-vacant lot adjacent to the Journal Square Transportation Center. But it is still a Kushner family project.

A Kushner Companies spokeswoman told the Times no one at the company had knowledge of any guarantee, which the paper said was promised by at least one company the Kushners subcontracted solicitations to.

The pitch to potential investors first came to light earlier this month.

Since then, there has been a flurry of Kusher-related news in Jersey City.

First, Mayor Steve Fulop announced his administration wouldn't support a tax abatement for the project, saying a tax break for the $821 million development "doesn't work for us."

The next day, Kushner Companies dropped its bid to be considered as a developer for the Bayfront project on the city's west side.

And a week later, The Jersey Journal's Terrence McDonald reported that the mayor is apparently purposely distancing himself from Jared Kushner as the non-partisan November mayoral election in the nonetheless Democratic stronghold nears.

One Journal Square is being developed by a partnership of Kushner Companies, once headed by Kushner and KABR Group. Construction is expected to start by next year.

The project is across Sip Avenue from 30 Journal Square, the historic former Jersey Journal building, which Kushner and KABR bought at the end of 2012.
JERSEY CITY - A 39-year-old South Jersey man man has been charged with pointing a gun at a woman and punching her in the face in Jersey City last week.

Lamar M. King, of Bridgeton, is charged with aggravated assault for pointing the gun at the victim and weapons offenses related to the handgun, the criminal complaint says.

The victim, who identified King, said she suffered head and back pain as a result of being punched, but she refused medical treatment after the May 10 incident. She told police she knew King as a friend, the complaint says.

King made his first appearance on the charges in Criminal Justice Reform Court in Jersey City on Wednesday. At the hearing, the state moved to detain him through his prosecution and a detention hearing is scheduled for Monday before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale.
By Press Trust of India: Kolkata, May 20 (PTI) With Rajya Sabha polls in Bengal around the corner, WBPCC president Adhir Chowdhury today said the decision of selecting candidates for it are taken by the party high command and the state unit can only give its opinion only if asked.

"We dont have the authority to decide on who will be our candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls. It is our party high command who will decide on this issue. If they ask for our opinion regarding it only then will we give our opinion," state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury told reporters.

advertisement

Election to six Rajya Sabha seats from Bengal will be held on June 8. Out of the six, four are held by TMC, one by CPI(M) and one by the Congress. But with the increase in its strength in the assembly after the 2016 assembly polls, TMC will be able to be elect five MPs, while Congress, the second largest party, will be able to elect only one MP on their own strength.

Chowdhury last week in a letter to AICC president Sonia Gandhi urged her not to allow equations of national politics hamper the prospects of the party in the state. PTI PNT KK KK

--- ENDS ---
JERSEY CITY - Flags flew, fire truck sirens blared and veterans waved at the Secaucus Memorial Day Parade today, led by Grand Marshal George Wohlrab, who served with distinction in the 82nd Airborne Division in the Vietnam War.

"The real heroes are those that are not here today," said Wohlrab. "They gave their lives to preserve our freedom. They are the true grand marshals."

The Bronze Star recipient thanked his friends, family, residents and Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli, saying "This is one of the proudest moments of my life."

Gonnelli said the day is all about those who served.

"We are somewhere in the back (of the parade) and the veterans are in the front," the mayor said. "That's what it's all about."

The parade's path began at Trolley Park at noon. It traveled south on Paterson Plank Road, turned right on Humboldt Street and proceed up Front Street to Hudson Avenue. The procession then continued down Centre Avenue and concluded at the American Legion post at 753 Second Street.

Along the route, Marie Williams of Secaucus sat on a blanket on the sidewalk as the marching bands, cheerleaders, civic organizations, law enforcement vehicle and other parade participants passed.

"I think it's good to support the community and Secaucus does a good job of having a lot of activities throughout the year," Williams said.

Her son, 10-year-old Derek, said the parade "Honors our community and oursoldiers that fought to to keep our community free."
Ronald McDonald statue

This life-size Ronald McDonald statue was stolen from a Hunterdon County McDonald's, but was found and returned. (Courtesy photo)

Authorities say they have caught a man connected with the swiping of a life-size Ronald McDonald statue.

Thomas Roman, 56, of Point Pleasant Borough, is charged with receiving stolen property. The statue was taken April 27 from a McDonald's under renovation in Clinton, the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office announced Saturday.

The Ronald statue sat at the end of a bench, right arm outstretched, welcoming thousands of customers for over two decades. It was found and returned early this month.

After capturing national attention for his disappearance, the Ronald McDonald bench from McDonald's in Clinton, NJ has... Posted by McDonald's of Hunterdon County, NJ on Friday, May 5, 2017

"We're really excited," said Philip Koury, who co-owns the restaurant with his wife, Diane, when Ronald was recovered. "But it's not for us, it's for our thousands of customers. He has been a member of our family for the last 20 years. Customers young and old always enjoy sitting with Ronald and taking pictures."

The couple, who have owned the franchise since 1991, purchased the statue in the early '90s for $7,000.

County Prosecutor Anthony P. Kearns III thanked Clinton Township police and the Hunterdon County Crime Stoppers for assistance in the investigation.

A life-size statue of Ronald McDonald was stolen from a McDonald's in New Jersey. Police are on the lookout for someone very sad.  Conan O'Brien (@ConanOBrien) May 11, 2017

Ronald McDonald was created around 1963 when a McDonald's location in Washington, D.C., decided to boost business by sponsoring ''Bozo's Circus,'' a local children's show featuring future "Today Show" weatherman Willard Scott, according to the website Netorama.

Hamburglar, for reference, debuted in 1971.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
The star cast of Sangamithra, Shruti Haasan, Jayam Ravi and Arya promoted their upcoming magnum opus Sangamithra at Cannes 2017.

By India Today Web Desk: Diva Shruti Haasan walked the red carpet on Friday at Cannes Film Festival 2017. She will be playing the titular role in Sundar C's ambitious, mega budgeted project Sanghamithra.

. @shrutihaasan in a nice AM:PM dress while interacting with Intl media at #SangamithraAtCannes pic.twitter.com/YHXv4xaa21- Ramesh Bala (@rameshlaus) May 20, 2017

On Thursday, the makers launched Sangamithra at Cannes 2017 and unveiled the first look posters, which looked majestic and regal. Going by reports, Sangamithra will revolve around Shruti Haasan, who's the protagonist of the film.

Team #SangamithraAtCannes when they headed to the red carpet.. pic.twitter.com/eso6Y8Sjhq- Ramesh Bala (@rameshlaus) May 20, 2017

advertisement

Speaking about her role, Shruti said, "I am very excited. This is my first time at the Cannes Film Festival and I couldn't have asked for a better occasion to attend the festival. We will be announcing and launching our film here. It is very prestigious for me and the whole team."

Sangamithra is a tale which goes back to 8th century AD, telling the trials and tribulations of the protagonist Sangamithra, whose beauty is unparalleled, and her journey to save her kingdom. It is a story of many kingdoms, many equations, many relationships, told in an ambitious, larger than life, visually extravagant manner.

Apart from Shruti, actors Jayam Ravi and Arya will have pivotal roles in Sangamithra, which will be made in two parts like Baahubali.

Earlier this week, Shruti's selfie with AR Rahman at Cannes went viral on the internet.

Cannes day one begins ! Lovely to meet up with the amazing @arrahman again to announce #sangamithra #cannes70 A post shared by @shrutzhaasan on May 18, 2017 at 4:41am PDT

Academy Award-winning music composer AR Rahman and National Award-winning production designer Sabu Cyril are on board for the magnum opus. Sri Thenandal Films, a reputed production house, will bankroll the project, which is to be made on a budget of Rs 150 crore.

Sangamithra first look: Shruti's film looks impressive

ALSO READ: Happy Birthday Jr NTR- Jr NTR turns 34, rings in birthday with family

ALSO READ: Happy Birthday Jr NTR- Here are fives best film of Jr NTR

--- ENDS ---
Fighting this week between rival Christian and Muslim militias in the Central African Republic town of Bria killed at least 22 people, including 17 civilians,

By Reuters: Fighting this week between rival Christian and Muslim militias in the Central African Republic town of Bria killed at least 22 people, including 17 civilians, and forced some 10,000 others to flee, the country's United Nations mission said on Saturday.

"The fighting between armed groups in Bria and elsewhere in eastern CAR must stop," said Diane Corner, the deputy head of the peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, said in a statement.

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
After a rainy week, well have an opportunity to mow our lawns and dry out Sunday. Then a chance of more wet weather in the Council Bluffs-Omaha area returns next week.

Ryan McPike, a meteorologist at KMTV, said severe weather should remain south and east of the metro area because conditions are too cool in the region to produce threatening weather.

I dont think we have much of a chance for severe weather in our area, he said.

McPike said a major weather system that produced twisters in Oklahoma on Thursday moved northeast, leaving western Iowa and eastern Nebraska with wet and cool conditions Friday, which brought flash flood watches to the region.

Todays forecast calls for a 70 percent chance of showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 1 p.m., then a slight chance of showers after 1 p.m. and a high around 55.

These showers could linger through the afternoon Saturday, McPike said.

Conditions will be mostly cloudy tonight with a low in the lower 40s.

Sunday is your break in the weather for outdoor chores. The day will be mostly sunny with a high in the mid- to upper 60s, according to the National Weather Service office in Valley, Nebraska. McPike said Sundays the better day for sure this weekend.

Monday should be partly sunny with a 60 percent chance of showers and a high in the lower 70s.

Tuesday brings partly sunny skies and a chance of showers, mainly after 1 p.m., with a high around 65.

Finally, Wednesday and Thursday are forecast to be mostly sunny with highs in the upper 60s to lower 70s.

The weather service said Omaha has officially recorded 2.81 inches of rainfall this month through Thursday at Eppley Airfield, which is 0.12 inches above normal.

Rainfall totals in inches for the 24 hours ending at 7:30 a.m. Friday, according to the weather service, were 0.55 in Council Bluffs, 0.5 in Clarinda, 0.54 in Harlan, 1.08 in Red Oak and 0.75 in Shenandoah.

Earlier this week, a tornado damaged a farmstead about two miles east of Pilger, Nebraska, which was hit hard by tornadoes in 2014.

The tornado on Wednesday was rated a high-end EF1, according to the National Weather Service.

The tornado left a damage trail 0.38 miles long and about 50 yards wide at its widest. It touched down at 3:48 p.m. and lifted a few minutes later.

In that brief time, it damaged some crops, crossed a road and struck the farmstead before dissipating in some trees.

Tornadoes with wind speeds estimated at 86 mph to 110 mph are rated EF1, and damage from this twister indicated 110 mph winds, according to the weather service.

The weather service also confirmed two tornadoes in eastern Iowa earlier this week caused some damage around Washington.

The service said the first tornado touched down around 4:15 p.m. Wednesday in northeastern Jefferson County and lifted about four minutes later near Lake Darling in Washington County. It was rated EF-1 with winds reaching 110 mph that damaged farm outbuildings and trees.

The second struck around 6:35 p.m. in northeast Washington County and lifted six minutes later. It also was rated an EF-1 twister, damaging outbuildings, power lines and trees.

No injuries have been reported from the Iowa twisters.

 Nancy Gaarder of the BH News Service and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Local Republican activist Jon Jacobsen will run for the Iowa House of Representatives District 22 seat vacated by the late Rep. Greg Forristall.

The special election to fill the seat is scheduled for June 27. District 22 includes the majority of Pottawattamie County, including the eastern portion of Council Bluffs.

The Pottawattamie County Republican Party will host a nominating convention on May 30. Greg Forristalls wife, Carol, is also seeking the Republican nomination.

Democrats will choose their nominee on May 30 as well. Libertarian Bryan Holder has said he will seek the seat as well, but the Libertarian Party hasnt set its nominating convention.

Jacobsen is a long-time, active member of the Pottawattamie County Republican Central Committee, served as moderator for senate and congressional debates, and been a chairman, delegate and parliamentarian for Pottawattamie County Republican conventions.

Jacobsen also co-hosted a political radio program on KMA for three years before the show ended this spring.

I have enjoyed getting to know many of our friends and neighbors in District 22 through my activities in Pottawattamie County, and I look forward to continuing to listen to the issues and concerns that are important to them, Jacobsen said in a statement.

Jacobsen is senior trust officer and vice president at Security National Bank in Council Bluffs.

Southwest Iowa deserves strong representation and leadership, Jacobsen said. I want to bring Pottawattamie County values to Des Moines, not the other way around.
The Pottawattamie County Attorneys Office on Friday formally charged Wesley Correa-Carmenaty in the slaying of a Pottawattamie County sheriffs deputy and other charges relating to a May 1 attack.

Correa-Carmenaty, 24, is charged in the May 1 shooting death of Deputy Mark Burbridge, 43, as well as the wounding of fellow Pottawattamie County Sheriffs Deputy Pat Morgan, 59, during a jailbreak.

A Pottawattamie County District judge scheduled Correa-Carmenatys arraignment hearing for June 19.

His trial is set to begin July 25.

Correa-Carmenaty is accused of attacking Burbridge and Morgan after the deputies were finishing bringing him back to the Pottawattamie County Jail from the Pottawattamie County Courthouse.

Correa-Carmenaty had just been sentenced to 45 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter in a 2006 homicide.

After shooting Burbridge and Morgan, officials said, Correa-Carmenaty drove an inmate-transport van through a closed garage door and into a nearby neighborhood, where he pointed a gun at other drivers in an attempt to get their vehicles.

He eventually ditched the van and carjacked a woman driving a Nissan Altima, officials said.

After the woman drove him to Omaha, officials said, he let her out at a liquor store at North 30th Street and Laurel Avenue.

Police said he then led officers on a high-speed chase before crashing the car on Cuming Street at the Interstate 480 entrance ramp. He then was taken into custody by the Omaha Police Department.

Correa-Carmenaty is being represented by Greg Jones, an attorney in Sioux City, Wilber said. He will remain in custody at the Woodbury County Jail in Sioux City, where he was taken after extradition from Omahas Douglas County.

The charges against Correa-Carmenaty are:

 First-degree murder of Burbridge (if found guilty of this charge, it could result in life in prison).

 Second-degree kidnapping of motorist Amy Kanger (25 years).

 Attempted murder of Morgan (25 years).

 Attempted murder of motorist Jerry Brittain (25 years).

 First-degree robbery of Burbridge and Morgan (25 years).

 First-degree robbery of Brittain (25 years).

 First-degree robbery of Kanger (25 years).

 Intimidation with a dangerous weapon against Brittain and his passenger, Kelsey Bridges (10 years).

 Two counts of felon in possession of a firearm (5 years each).

 Escape (5 years).

 First-degree criminal mischief (10 years).

Charges against Correa-Carmenaty in Nebraska were dropped so he could be extradited to Iowa. Those charges could still be refilled, and federal charges still could be filled in the case.

 Associated Press contributed to this report.
As a grim-faced Xi Jinping took the stage at the China National Convention Center on May 14, the Chinese president may have allowed himself a smile. Less than four years after he floated the idea of building 'a new silk road'-similar initiatives by Europe, the US and Russia had largely fizzled out-here was Xi, being feted by 29 visiting world leaders, from Putin and Erdogan to Sharif and Wickremasinghe, as the new champion of globalisation.

Xi offered over a hundred billion dollars in loans and investments at the first Belt and Road Forum (BRF), a summit to formalise his pet One Belt, One Road (OBOR) plan that consists of a land belt of economic corridors to Europe and a maritime silk road network of ports in Southeast and South Asia.

advertisement

The conspicuous absentee, of course, was India, the only major country to boycott the BRF. While no big Western leader was present, Trump sent a fairly high-powered delegation, led by Senior Director for Asia at the National Security Council (NSC), Matt Pottinger. The UK, France and Germany sent ministers and Japan and South Korea senior officials.

Delhi had so far adopted a slightly ambiguous position. Until the day before, officials said they were "undecided" about attending. Despite India's known concerns, Xi declared the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the "flagship" project. "It's unrealistic for China to expect India to endorse OBOR because of valid concerns on CPEC, which goes beyond sovereignty," says former envoy to China Ashok Kantha. "From the Chinese perspective, there is no economic justification for CPEC. It is strategic and military in character."

In Delhi's calculus, even beyond CPEC, supporting OBOR would yield no tangible benefits. For one, it would accelerate China's economic dominance in the region and encourage India's neighbours to tighten their embrace with Beijing, rather than give them pause for thought.

Second, Chinese companies are investing in Indian projects regardless of OBOR. As for risks, Delhi rejects the notion of India being "isolated", when the plan itself has neither a membership structure nor specific policies that benefit signatories. Hence, non-endorsement and ambiguity made sense. But when Delhi finally broke its silence on the eve of BRF, it released a statement that marked a shift to outright opposition. It questioned the entire premise of OBOR, saying connectivity initiatives must be based on "rule of law, openness, transparency and equality" and "avoid projects that would create unsustainable debt burden for communities".

This is a shift, experts say, with far-reaching consequences. "Delhi was right to not endorse... but to oppose the plan beyond CPEC is not pragmatic," says one South Asian diplomat who said Delhi risked appearing "petty" and didn't need to speak on their behalf. "Fact is we need $1 trillion in Asia for infrastructure, and it isn't coming from India," the diplomat added.

advertisement

Krishna Bahadur Mahara, the Nepali deputy minister who attended BRF, told INDIA TODAY: "We are very hopeful about OBOR as there are so many projects we need."

The US, Japan and Australia too have reservations, but they still sent officials to voice concerns. Sudheendra Kulkarni, one of two Indian scholars at BRF, says India should have done the same. But for India, attending may have undermined its claims to PoK at a time when Beijing is legitimising Pakistan's title to it, from hosting officials of Gilgit-Baltistan to green lighting projects there.

This isn't an imagined risk: Chinese scholars have been falsely claiming that India never objected to China building the Karakoram highway in the 1960s, and hence cannot object to CPEC today. This is despite records of decades of formal protests. While Chinese officials, in the lead-up to the BRF, made public overtures seeking India's participation, in truth, Beijing showed no willingness to discuss OBOR with India since the 2013 unveiling, even rebuffing several Indian requests for high-level briefings. On India's position, Kantha points out "non-endorsement does not mean we cannot look at a common space where we have a convergent agenda". But with Delhi now framing itself as the lone opponent to Xi's pet project, that space may have all but closed.

advertisement

Also Watch: India and China strategic dialogue begins in Beijing; foreign secretaries discuss bilateral issues

--- ENDS ---
A Pottawattamie County jury found Cedric Whitmire guilty on five criminal counts related to his abuse of his ex-girlfriend Friday following a nearly week-long trial.

The jury found Whitmire guilty of third-degree sexual abuse, pimping, willful injury causing bodily injury, domestic abuse assault by strangulation causing bodily injury and possession of a controlled substance (marijuana), according to court documents.

The jury found Whitmire not guilty of two counts of false imprisonment, two counts domestic abuse assault (injury or mental illness) and human trafficking.

Whitmire, 39, was arrested in November 2016 after a woman told police he was her pimp after authorities found her with a severely beaten face at an Omaha hotel when she called 911.

Whitmire transported the woman against her will to Omaha to sell her for prostitution, authorities said.

Next, Whitmire faces another trial under Iowa Code related to habitual offenders, according to court documents. He could face an enhanced penalty and will remain in custody until the habitual offender trial.

A date for the trial and a sentencing date were not listed in online court records Friday afternoon. Whitmire is being held without bond.
The first blue book focused on the reach of yoga and on the provinces and cities where it had the most following.

By Ananth Krishnan: Young, female, affluent and living in the big city: this is the profile of most of the millions of Chinese who have turned to yoga, according to a path-breaking and first-ever official Chinese research report or 'blue book' into the recent yoga explosion in the Middle Kingdom.

The study has for the first time revealed the scale of the boom and its reach into every corner of the country, from southern Guangdong to the far northeast, with the emergence of more than 10,800 yoga schools and millions of practitioners who are mostly young women.

advertisement

The "China Yoga Industry Development Report" to be published next month, by a group of scholars affiliated with top think-tanks and universities including the official Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), found there were at least 10,800 yoga schools across China, with some educating thousands of yoga practitioners. CASS, an official think-tank, publishes official reports or "blue books" that are seen as authoritative sanctioned studies.

YOGA PHENOMENON IN CHINA

"It's the first ever blue book on the yoga phenomenon in China and its findings are very revealing," one of the authors, Zhang Yongjian, a senior researcher, at CASS, told India Today on Saturday, speaking on the sidelines of a yoga conference in Beijing organised by a leading local yoga school, YogiYoga.

The first blue book focused on the reach of yoga and on the provinces and cities where it had the most following. Subsequent studies will examine other aspects of the yoga phenomenon such as the multimillion dollar emerging yoga industry.

"We found that popularity of yoga was highly related with a city's economic development," Zhang said. A key finding was a correlation between average incomes of a city and the number of yoga schools, with Beijing, Shanghai and southern Guangdong province home to the most number of yoga practitioners. The lowest number was found in poorer provinces and in the western hinterland, in Qinghai, Xinjiang and Tibet.

CHINA'S NORTHEAST: HOTSPOT OF YOGA

While this was expected, the study found a curious anomaly in China's northeast, which has emerged as a surprising hotspot for yoga despite the provinces of Jilin, Heilongjiang and Liaoning not among the most wealthy. "This was very surprising," Zhang said, speculating it could be related to the widely held national perception of young women in the northeast "being very health conscious and also beauty conscious, and hence turning to yoga for fitness reasons".

Another key finding was that the demographic was overwhelmingly female and in the 25-40 age group "which is a key difference between China and India where you also have many male practitioners," he said.

"We found that most women practitioners took to yoga because of concern about their health and bodies, including physical appearance, which may also be a difference from India where there is more spiritual emphasis," Zhang said. A third difference with India was the emergence of a massive online yoga industry, where many Chinese teachers now offer yoga classes and even yoga smartphone apps.

advertisement

YOGA EXPLOSION

"There's no doubt that the yoga explosion is growing rapidly," said Yin Yan, founder of YogiYoga, who set up one of China's early schools after a trip to Rishikesh where she met a yoga guru Manmohan Singh Bhandari, who returned to China with her and co-founded the school.

The school now has four campuses across China besides 10 institutes and more than 20 franchises, and is also leading the effort to train yoga teachers. One of the big challenges of the yoga boom is ensuring the quality of training.

At Saturday's conference, leading Indian yoga gurus including O.P. Tiwari were mobbed by hundreds of fans. "Our study found there's also a huge demand to learn from authentic teachers," said Zhang, the scholar.

ALSO READ:

Over 1,000 people take part in yoga event in China

From India, with love: Thousands take to Yoga in China's home of Tai Chi

ALSO WATCH VIDEO:

advertisement

--- ENDS ---
A beautiful winding staircase recently completed by Eric Wyman highlights the work done for more than 103 years by Wyman & Son Welding in North Platte.

The spiral staircase we just did at Imperial was probably the most complicated and difficult project Ive ever done, Eric said about the project, done at a private home. Weve done some pretty big jobs around town, fencing and gates. Weve done some work on the upper story at the Prairie Arts Center. But this staircase was hard to do.

The shop specializes in custom wrought iron, ornamental iron and custom fabrication work and is now in its fourth generation of family ownership.

The shop is at 1326 E. Fourth St.

Eric is the current owner of the business that was started by his great-grandfather Martin Wyman.

He started the company in 1914, Eric said. He was repairing wagon wheels and shoeing horses as a blacksmith.

Martin was joined by his son Charles Howard, known as Howard, after he came home from serving in the Army during World War II. Erics dad, Paul, took over the shop after he returned from serving in the Navy in Vietnam.

He was a Seabee and was in a mobile construction battalion, Eric said about his dad.

Each generation has continued the tradition of family business and participating in the community.

I took over in 2012, Eric said. Before that, I did line work. I was a lineman for about 12 years.

Eric traveled all over the United States as a lineman but felt it was more important for him to be home.

I decided to get off the road because I wanted to be home to raise my kids, Eric said. That brought me back and I worked for Kirk Guynan for about seven years.

His older children, Isaac and Erika are now 21 and 20. Eric and his wife, Staci, have an 8-year-old daughter, Kylee.

While Eric was working for Guynans, his dad was looking to retire from the family business.

Dad was getting older, Eric said. He told me, Its either your shot or Im closing it up.

Eric said the business had been going too long for him to see it close.

It has a good customer base, so I decided to give it a whirl, and its been pretty good to me, Wyman said. Its turned out well.

Eric spent a lot of time at the shop as a boy.

I grew up here watching Dad and Grandpa, Eric said. Howard worked in here pretty much until the day he died and he was always a big part of my life. He was a great man.

Eric said Wymans has had a good reputation over those 103 years.

My dad, my granddad, everybodys always been real honest with the public, he said.

His grandfather set the tone for the attitude his successors have continued.

Somebody would come in with something where I need this fixed, but I dont have any money,  Eric said. My grandpa would just take it back there and put it on the bench and weld it for them and tell them, Stop by sometime when you have some money, or not, here you go. 

Eric said he tries to keep up that tradition.

Theres was an old guy in here the other day who had bent his cane, Eric said. I straightened his cane out for him and fixed it up. He said, What do I owe you? and I said, You dont owe me anything for that. 

Eric said his two older children have other interests, so they dont think they will continue in the family business. Isaac recently graduated as a diesel mechanic from Central Community College in Hastings. Erika is studying nutrition at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

However, my 8-year-old daughter said shes going to be a welder, Eric said. She likes to come in here and play with the anvil. She puts stuff on the anvil and beats the heck out of it. She has a good time here.

Eric said hes not sure what she is saying now will continue as she gets older. As for Eric, he is content with what he is doing.

We like to be part of the community and its still a viable business, Eric said. I still enjoy it.

Photos of some of Erics work can be seen on his Facebook page, Wyman & Son Welding. He may be contacted at 308-532-2550 for more information.
Trey Allison had looked forward to the Family Fishing Day at Maranatha Bible Camp since a field trip with his class from McDaid Elementary School.

As days of rain shifted to snow Saturday, he and his dad, the only two outside participants as of noon, fished on the camps lake, even after the camp announced an alternative day next Saturday.

While a number of events were postponed Saturday and Sunday due to the snow, others shifted accommodations, making sure the show went on. Im not much of a fisherman, said Trent, who held an umbrella for Trey as the boy held his pole. But the kids having fun.

Inside the camps dining hall, an outdoor ministry group from North Platte Berean Church warmed up with hot cocoa. Mike Morrill, an event organizer, asks that participants who plan to attend next Saturday call ahead.

In Gothenburg, residents filled the First United Methodist Church for the Trails West Fest, which was originally planned to take place in Ehmen Park. Despite about five of the events activities being canceled, kids still made tortilla tents and watched weaving demonstrations. Historical speakers took the stage throughout the day.

You kind of do what you can, you know? said June Blauvelt, a manager of the Pony Express Station and Historical Museum, which coordinates the event with Gothenburg Historical Museum.

The festival began last year to bring awareness to the many historic westward trails that took place through Central Nebraska. The event also gave children a chance to experience historical living and bring families together, Blauvelt said.

The snow that blew across the North Platte area didnt stick to the ground, but from the weeks totals, the city saw nearly 2 inches of precipitation, with more than half of an inch falling Saturday, said Jaclyn Gomez, a meteorologist with North Plattes National Weather Service Office.

North of North Platte, residents in Thedford woke up to 3.5 inches of snow, and reports came from Mullen of 2 inches of snow. Callaway also reported 2 inches of snow Saturday, Gomez said.

Rain was expected to continue through Saturday evening, and the weather service issued a frost advisory from 3 to 8 a.m. Sunday in northwest to southwest Nebraska, in an area that spanned from Holt to Deuel counties. However, Gomez expected a drier Sunday. Temperatures are expected to stay in the 60s through Wednesday, about 5-10 degrees below average, and begin warming up again Thursday, she said.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 20 (PTI) State-owned Corporation Bank today posted a profit of Rs 159.98 crore for the last quarter of 2016-17 fiscal even though bad loans rose.

In contrast, the bank had a net loss of Rs 510.9 crore in the January-March quarter of 2015-16, Corporation Bank said in a statement.

Total income of the bank rose to Rs 5,730.48 crore in the the quarter, as against Rs 5,218.62 crore in the year-ago period.

advertisement

As far as asset quality of the bank is concerned, the gross NPAs as a percentage to total advances rose to 11.70 per cent from 9.98 per cent in the same quarter a year ago.

Its net NPAs also increased to 8.33 per cent, from 6.53 per cent at the end of March 2015.

However, the banks provision during the quarter was reduced to about half to Rs 948.01 crore as against Rs 1,960.20 crore in the same period a year ago.

For the entire 2015-16, the bank recorded a profit of Rs 561.20 crore, compared to loss of Rs 506.48 crore in the previous fiscal.

However, total income rose to Rs 22,561.78 crore in the last financial year from Rs 21,146.39 crore in 2015-l6. PTI DP SBT

--- ENDS ---
GARY  To create more opportunities for present and future entrepreneurs throughout Northwest Indiana, Ivy Tech Community College is expanding its entrepreneurship program by offering both online and classroom courses this summer and fall.

The colleges program will partner with the Gerald I. Lamkin Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center for Excellence (the Society of Innovators of Northwest Indiana), which is housed at the Gary campus, said Marlon Mitchell, president of the Ivy Tech Gary campus.

We will serve three groups, Mitchell said. First will be the students who are enrolled in the entrepreneurship program at Ivy Tech. The second group includes small-business owners in the area who, while they make great products, need to refresh their skills in core business practices, he said.

That includes networking with financial institutions and organizations such as the Indiana Small Business Development Center, he said.

This program will also serve established businesses that want to go to the next level, Mitchell said.

The center staff will serve as mentors for those businesses that want to go to that next level, he said.

In addition, the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center for Excellence offers those enrolled in the classes a more realistic feel for business, Mitchell said.

There are two computer labs, small office spaces and a formal conference room in the center. Its as if they are going to the office, he said about the newly revamped center.

Trina Lynch-Jackson, associate professor of business at Ivy Tech, said those taking the classes at the I&E Center will network with area business owners who will visit classes to share their experiences.

The lifeblood of your community is your small business, said OMerrial Butchee, program instructor and director of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center.

Summer courses begin June 5.

On Tuesday nights during the summer and fall sessions, the three-hour class, Entrepreneurship 101: The Entrepreneur and the Enterprise, will meet at the Gary campus, 1440 E. 35th Ave. This fall, the Ivy Tech Michigan City campus also will offer this introductory course.

How to create a business plan, hiring, insurance  thats all in the textbook, but it doesnt mean anything if you just read the words, Butchee said. Entrepreneurship 101 gives students the skills and knowledge they didnt possess beforehand.

Other courses slated to be offered this fall at Ivy Techs Gary campus include Venture Growth and Development; Entrepreneurial Marketing and Market Research; and Financial Management for Entrepreneurs.

Those enrolling in the program can earn a certificate after completing 18 credits, but also have the option to take 31 credits and earn a technical certificate. Those credits also satisfy business elective requirements in Ivy Techs associate degree program for business administration.

Mitchell said this entrepreneurship program is an outgrowth of funding from the Strong Cities, Strong Community and the Choice Neighborhood initiatives

This is the answer to what is needed in our community, he said.
VALPARAISO  Brock Majchrzak is no stranger to hard work. He started working on his fathers 50-acre farm when he was 14. After high school, he entered a two-year vocational welding program, and his work quality was used as examples in class.

The Knox Community High School graduate earned many honors along the way and, at age 20, he has been accepted into the Pipefitters 597 apprenticeship accelerated program.

For his post-secondary accomplishments, Majchrzak received one of the Works Council of Northwest Indianas 21 Under 21 Awards Thursday at Ivy Tech Community College. The award recognizes young people who have excelled both in the classroom and workplace in career and technical education programs.

These people have all excelled and found their passion in some particular area, said Kris Emaus, chairwoman of the local Works Council.

The honorees, representing 18 high schools, have honed their skills in a variety of areas, including power machinery, cosmetology, nursing and education.

We want to get away from the stigma that CTE (technical classes) is somehow lesser than a four-year college degree, Emaus said.

This technical training can lead to college or the workplace, with the end result a high-demand career, she said.

Sandra Almanza, 19, owns a beauty salon and is studying business and Spanish at Purdue University Northwest. Its difficult with time management, but my parents are there to keep me grounded, she said.

As a young business owner, Almanza admitted its kinda hard having someone working for me. The hardest part is disciplining people.

Guest speaker Anthony Sindone, a clinical assistant professor of finance and economic development at PNW, praised the award-winners. Every one of you is a success. That doesnt happen by magic, he said. Success is no accident. Success is a journey.

A former avionics technician, among other jobs, Sindone encouraged the young people to change their lives, try something different, and never stop learning.

Love of lifelong learning  thats the key to success, Sindone said. Your education continues.

Continuing education is vital, Sindone said, noting that the U.S. will need 10 million new skilled workers  those with skills and education beyond high school  by 2020. Currently, this country needs around 600,000 new skilled workers, he said.

Do something today that your future self will thank you for, Sindone said. There are new opportunities every day.

Savannah Caudillo, 20, is a junior elementary education major at Ball State University. Studying first at the Area Career Center of Hammond enabled her to learn skills that put me on the path to what I want to do. The transition was seamless going into college.

Earning the 21 Under 21 Award was humbling for Caudillo.

I dont feel I did anything extraordinary, she said. I did what Im passionate about and what I love. I did it because its what Im meant to do.
Federal public health officials are warning health departments and care providers to stop using a commonly used brand of lead testing systems because they may produce false low results when used with venous blood draws.

The Federal Drug and Food Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued health alerts last week.

They urged parents of children under age 6, along with pregnant women or nursing mothers who have been tested for lead exposure using the Magellan Diagnostics' LeadCare analyzers, to consult a health care professional about whether they should be retested.

Neither the East Chicago or Indiana State health departments have ever used this particular brand of lead testing system for venous blood draws, spokespersons confirmed Friday.

Both agencies have tested a large number of adults and children in East Chicago over the past year since news first broke last summer of dangerously high lead levels in the soil at the USS Lead Superfund site. Because of the known lead toxins associated with the Superfund site, there have also been targeted efforts to test more children in East Chicago over the decades, according to EPA records.

"I have checked with the East Chicago Health Department, and we do not, and have not, used Magellan Diagnostics' LeadCare analyzers," Steve Segura, spokesman for the city, said in an email Friday.

Currently pregnant or nursing women or parents who had children tested through a private health care provider should discuss re-testing if they used a venous blood draw with this particular brand, the CDC warned.

Health officials have been urged to re-test children who were under age 6 at the time of the issued alert or had a venous blood lead test result of less than 10 micrograms per deciliter that was analyzed using a Magellan Diagnostics' LeadCare system.

The FDAs warning is "based on currently available data that indicate Magellan lead tests, when performed on blood drawn from a vein, may provide results that are lower than the actual level of lead in the blood."

The FDA believes the issue may date back to 2014, according to a news release.

An ISDH spokesman said Friday that LeadCare II systems were used in "some of the ISDH clinics offered in East Chicago but only for capillary tests, which are not affected by the advisory issued by the FDA."

East Chicago sends blood draw samples to ISDH's laboratory, Segura said. ISDH said it uses an ICP/MS, or Inductively Coupled Plasma  Mass Spectrometer, for analyzing blood lead levels.

The city's mayor last summer initiated free lead testing.

A total of 2,147 people have been tested between June 2016 and March, 15, 2017, according to city documents. Of those, 435 were children under age 7, and of those, 18 had blood lead levels at or above the CDC's action threshold of 5 micrograms per deciliter confirmed through venous blood draws, according to the city.

Fourteen children under age 7 who returned for confirmatory testing tested above the CDC's threshold of 5 micrograms per deciliter, according to city documents. A total of 56 children ages 7 through 18 tested at elevated levels either through a fingerprick test or a venous blood draw.
EAST CHICAGO  Residents of the USS Lead Superfund site objected this week to a U.S. District magistrate judges recent ruling that denies them the ability to intervene in court over EPAs ongoing cleanup of lead- and arsenic-contaminated properties.

Judge Paul Cherry argued in his May 2 order that residents failed to file in a timely manner despite having had sufficient notice of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's cleanup plan in 2012 and the subsequent consent decree filed between EPA and the companies responsible for the pollution two years later.

EPA issued news releases and sent out mailers, Cherry argued, and provided residents opportunity to chime in during public comment periods. A local newspaper published an article about the consent decree, Cherry added.

The 2014 consent decree  which secured $26 million for cleanup  was negotiated between the EPA and companies responsible for the pollution.

"Motions to intervene must be timely," the judge argued, "...Intervention at this time would render worthless all of the parties' painstaking negotiations."

David Chizewer and Emily Gilman, of law firm Goldberg Kohn, Debbie Chizewer and Nancy Loeb with Northwestern University Pritzker Law School's Environmental Law Clinic and Mark Templeton with University of Chicago's Abrams Environmental Law Clinic  who are working pro bono on behalf of residents  pushed back in an objection filed Tuesday.

"Indeed, blasting a 'fact' sheet to the community, issuing a press release subject to the whim of reporter and resident reading habits, and resorting to notices in the Federal Register are not adequate or realistic ways to inform under-resourced individuals about the specific level and extent of contamination tainting their properties," attorneys wrote.

Given those facts, it comes as "no surprise" that residents shocked and panicked when they were told, for the first time, in July, that families in the nearby West Calumet Housing Complex would have to permanently relocate due to contamination that EPA had been studying since 1985, the attorneys said.

The EPA has said it would alter its cleanup plan and ongoing groundwater study based on the results of a new health assessment being conducted by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

"The clean-up remedies are changing and without a voice in the legal proceeding which governs those changes, the residents lose out on the ability to determine their own fate," the attorney wrote.

Residents in the city's East Calumet and Calumet neighborhoods first filed the motion to intervene in November, seeking a formal role in a cleanup process they say EPA has taken far too long to execute.
GARY The father of a Gary man injured in a fatal traffic wreck earlier this week is suing both drivers and vehicle owners.

Kenneth J. Allen, a Northwest Indiana attorney, filed suit Friday in Lake Superior Court on behalf of 35-year-old Michael Miller.

Allen said Miller suffered brain damage and multiple fractures when a Jason and Michael Trucking LLC semitrailer broadsided a Prompt Ambulance Service medical transportation van taking Miller to the Tradewinds workshop in Merrillville.

Allen said he is seeking a damage award that will help Miller's 72-year-old father, Anderson Miller, care for his son, who has autism, and will likely need care for a long time to come.

Anderson Miller, who attended a news conference Friday set up by Allen, said he would soon be bringing his son home and he is the only one available to care for his son.

Police said the collision took place 5:30 a.m. Tuesday at Fourth Avenue and Rutledge Street in Gary's Ambridge neighborhood.

Police said the impact killed Kathy Flowers, 57, of Gary, a passenger in the Prompt Ambulance medical transportation van. Two others in the van, besides Michael and the truck driver, were also injured.

Allen said Anthony Miranda was driving the semitrailer west on 4th and Thomas Patterson was driving the Prompt vehicle north on Rutledge.

Allen said he believes both drivers bear fault for the accident.

He said there is a stop sign for Rutledge traffic and Patterson should have yielded to the truck.

But Allen directed most of his criticism at Miranda and his employer Jason and Michael Trucking LLC of Lindenwood, Illinois.

Allen said he wants to know why the driver didn't apply his brakes or take evasive action. "Was it lack of training? Was he texting? Was he speeding?"

Jason Chambers, J&M's owner, said, "I don't know why they would be putting a lawsuit against us. It's obvious the (Prompt) guy pulled out in front of my guy."

Gary Miller, of Prompt Ambulance, couldn't be reach Friday afternoon for comment.

The Lake County Sheriff's traffic reconstruction unit and Gary police were investigating the cause of the accident.

Allen said he is asking Superior Court Judge William E. Davis to issue a preliminary injunction Monday to preserve evidence of the investigation, including the truck's black box.

The black box could have recorded whether the brakes were applied and the speed at the time of impact.
CROWN POINT  A 30-year-old Chicago man is charged with rape on allegations he forced a 15-year-old female relative to engage in sexual intercourse during a family barbecue last year in East Chicago.

Jesus Martinez III was charged Friday in Lake Criminal Court with rape, two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, two counts of criminal confinement and other lesser offenses.

The girl told police she was at a family barbecue July 23 in East Chicago when Martinez forced her into the backseat of his vehicle, according to a probable cause affidavit.

She said Martinez choked her and smacked her face when she tried to call for help, the affidavit states.

She said Martinez raped her until he got tired and then went back into the house, according to the affidavit.

The girl's mother told police she did not learn about the rape until her daughter told her in April.

Martinez is wanted by police on an $85,000 bond, according to court records.
Uttar Pradesh Sessions Court today freed 43-year-old Gulzar Ahmed Wani (former Aligarh Muslim University scholar), a suspected Hizbul Mujahideen operative, and co-accused Mobin in the case due to lack of evidence.

By Press Trust of India: Former Aligarh Muslim University scholar Gulzar Ahmed Wani will walk out of jail after 16 years with an Uttar Pradesh court today acquitting him of the charge of having orchestrated the Sabarmati Express blast in 2000 that claimed nine lives.

Additional Sessions Judge in Barabanki, MA Khan freed 43-year-old Wani, a suspected Hizbul Mujahideen operative, and co-accused Mobin in the case due to lack of evidence, defence counsel MS Khan, who represented Wani, said over phone.

advertisement

Wani, who was arrested by Delhi Police in 2001 allegedly with explosives and incriminating materials, is a resident of Peeparkari area of Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) and is lodged in a jail in Lucknow.

The blast was carried out on the eve of Independence Day near Kanpur when the train was on its way from Muzaffarpur to Ahmedabad, claiming nine lives and leaving several others injured.

"The court of Additional Sessions Judge M A Khan acquitted both the accused of all the charges as the prosecution could not establish any of the charges levelled against them," the lawyer said.

A case was registered by the Uttar Pradesh police at GRP police station, Barabanki for the alleged offences of murder, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy, waging war, collecting arms and conspiring to commit offences against the country under the IPC.

Charges were also filed against them under the Indian Railways Act and Explosive Substances Act.

Ten other cases were also registered against Wani. Out of the 11 cases, he has been exonerated in 10 as he has either been acquitted or discharged, the lawyer said.

In one case, Wani was convicted and sentenced to 10 years jail for carrying explosives to trigger a blast in Delhi. However, the Delhi High Court had suspended his sentence.

The Supreme Court granted bail to Wani in April this year observing that he has suffered incarceration for over 16 years and has been acquitted in nine out of 11 cases lodged against him.

The apex court had said that Wani would be released on bail from November one on set terms and conditions of the trial court irrespective of the completion of the trial.

Wani was pursuing PhD in Arabic from the AMU when he was arrested from Delhi on July 30, 2001. The arrest was made in connection with explosives recovered in Delhi.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had on August 26, had denied bail to him, saying, "Release of such persons would adversely affect the interests of the society."

Wani had challenged the high court order before the apex court which had last year directed the trial court to expeditiously examine the material witnesses in the case in six months.

advertisement

The prosecution had alleged that the accused had hatched a conspiracy in May 2000 at Habib Hall, AMU, to carry out a blast in the Sabarmati Express on August 14, 2000. Charges were framed against him in July 2001.

Advocate Khan had argued that in the absence of any material to prove a meeting of mind which is required for proving conspiracy, the accused deserve acquittal as there was no independent material or evidence to prove that any meeting was held at Habib Hall in 2000.

"Since there was no independent material or evidence to prove that any such meeting at Habib Hall held in 2000, so the question that the same was called or attended by Wani or other accused does not arise," he had said.

Also Read

Sabarmati Express blast: Supreme Court grants bail to former AMU scholar

Bilkis Bano case: Story of brutality and 15-year-long wait for justice

--- ENDS ---
LANSING  In her second board meeting in office, Lansing Village President Patty Eidam remade much of the municipal government.

Eidam made seven appointments, including village administrator and the trustee vacancy she left on the Village Board. Former Village President Dan Podgorski was named administrator and Jerry Zeldenrust is now a trustee.

Podgorski was listed as the treasurer of Eidams Village Voice Party by the Illinois Board of Elections. He served as village president from 2001 until 2009 and was a trustee for six years prior to that.

Mr. Podgorski is clearly the right hire for the village administrator position because he possesses a unique blend of governmental experience and knowledge coupled with a distinct set of interpersonal skills to help us form solid partnerships with surrounding communities and local and state agencies, Eidam said. In just a few days, I have already received numerous calls/emails/text messages from Lansing residents, as well as neighboring towns and villages, complimenting us on the choice of Dan as village administrator.

Zeldenrust was a VVP trustee candidate who fell 71 votes short in the April 4 election.

Its an honor and a privilege to serve the village of Lansing in the position of trustee, Zeldenrust said. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

Ive spent significant time trying to explain to family and friends and at church how you lose an election and still get appointed as trustee.

Eidam replaced former Village Attorney Tim Lapp with Matthew Welch, named Scott Wheaton village prosecutor and Dennis Gianopolus village adjudicator.

Saad Abassy was appointed chairman of the Planning and Zoning Board of Appeals, to which Steven Fish was also appointed a member.

All appointments were unanimously approved.

All the individuals have demonstrated to our board and me the desire of wanting to (fill those positions), Eidam said. The effect I hope this team has on the village is one of moving us forward with important issues such as economic development, public safety and infrastructure.

Trustee Maureen Grady-Perovich, who was not a part of the VVP ticket, voted to approve Podgorskis appointment but said she had some reservations.

Id be more comfortable with my yes decision if there was a completed job description and a contract and a separation agreement, but I know those are in the works, Grady-Perovich said. I trust those are very close to being completed.

Eidam said Podgorskis contract will be voted on by the board before its approved.

Eidams opponent in the election, Mike Gaffney, asked during the public comment portion of the meeting why a wider search wasnt conducted for the village administrators position.

I consulted with all the trustees, both sitting and newly elected, and clearly communicated why I knew Dan was the best choice for this position, Eidam said Friday. I am 100 percent confident that Dan Podgorski will play a vitally important role in helping our village achieve the goals our new Village Board has for Lansing.

The appointments give Eidam and the Village Voice Party control over Lansings government for at least the next two years.

Our biggest priorities remain the same as what I discussed during the election campaign, Eidam said. Street repairs are at or near the top of the list along with the redevelopment of the economic development commission to address important economic situations such as the Landings Shopping Center and the loss of tenants there such as the closing of Ultra Foods.

She said she also wants to create a human relations commission to help residents understand diversity and strengthen community unity.
SCHERERVILLE  With every dollar you give us, we make the most change.

Illustrating that theme of changing lives, The Salvation Army Lake County staff shared its second annual report to the community during a dinner, live painting presentation and auction Friday at the Halls of St. George.

The 2017 Report to the Community Civic Dinner provided a great opportunity to share with you whats been going on in 2016, said Lake County coordinator, Major Jose A. Tamayo, adding that 2016 was quite a journey full of many challenges.  We served more needs with less funding.

In an effort to eliminate the root cause of poverty and create long-term results, The Salvation Army Lake County launched Pathway to Hope, an initiative that helps families identify the causes of their crises and find ways to overcome the barriers to stability, he said.

Case managers met regularly with families throughout Lake County to help them set goals and then set up actions to meet those goals.

A video program about Pathway to Hope illustrated how the program works to combat the intergenerational nature of poverty by working with parents to build stability for themselves and their children. Pathway to Hope also provides help in times of crisis.

This is a hand up, not a hand out, Tamayo said.

After viewing the video, guests were invited to text contributions to The Salvation Army Lake County organization.

Another fundraising effort auctioned off three paintings created on large canvases by Mike Lewis, founder of JesusPainter Ministries, as guests sat enthralled, many with tears in their eyes. Using brushes and his hands, Lewis brought the face of Jesus to the canvases as music and narration told the story of Jesus mission.

One painting began with a cross on one side of the canvas and people standing across a chasm bridged by Christ. As Lewis continued to apply the orange and black paint, the face of Jesus emerged with eyes that seemed to take in the room.

In the second painting, Lewis painted outline of a hand that became Jesus raising his hand in blessing.

Starting with the words ALL MY SIN spelled out in black paint at the top of the third painting, Lewis created a scene of Jesus carrying the cross while a narrative told of agape love, the sacrificial love that took Christ to the cross.

The face of Jesus as he hung on the cross emerged as Lewis continued painting, a tear running from Jesus eyes.

Your face, Lord, I will see, the narration continued, as Lewis kneeled in front of the painting. Standing up, Lewis slashed red across the head of Jesus, representing the crown of thorns.

Love one another as I have loved you, the narration concluded. Faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.

Scott Elliott of Elliotts Auctions volunteered his talent to conduct the live auction of Lewis paintings with a minimum bid of $300 each.

This is your chance to own a piece of tonight, Elliott said as the auction continued.

The first painting of Jesus face sold for $800, while the second was auctioned off for $400 and the third for $450.

Tamayo also presented two awards during the event. Long-time Salvation Army Lake County Advisory Board member Paul Erickson was named member emeritus. The Times of Northwest Indiana received with the 2017 Media Award, presented to Publisher Chris White and News Editor Crista Zivanovic.

Sponsors of the second annual Community Civic Dinner included The Times Media Co.; Ivy Tech; NIPSCO; Strack & Van Til; American Precision Services, Inc.; and First National Bank of Illinois.
HIGHLAND  If the concept wins Town Council approval, a boutique hotel/office building complex will be built at the corner of Main Street and Prairie Avenue.

The Plan Commission, earlier this week, unanimously approved rezoning of the 9-acre site where Dr. Claude Gendreau, a veterinary surgeon from Buffalo Grove, Illinois, wants to build Cardinal Campus. Gendreau operates a similar boutique hotel in Homewood, Illinois.

The switch of the property to a business planned unit development must still be approved by the Town Council. It has the final vote on all rezoning issues.

The project would consist of seven two-story office buildings, one three-story hotel and public open spaces on the edge of the Whispering Oaks subdivision.

"The goal is to make it as ecologically friendly as possible," Gendreau said, noting the buildings would use solar panels and storage batteries.

The project would be built in three phases spanning about 10 years.

"We expect to break ground in the fall," Gendreau said of the first three buildings, which would take about 18 months to construct.

Each of the office buildings would have a footprint of about 12,000 square feet and the project drawings indicate as many as 240 trees around and throughout the site.

"We are also requiring brick for all of these buildings," said project manager Tim Kirkby, who works for Gendreau.

He said the high-end, 30-room luxury hotel would feature a limestone veneer and a fountain near the front.

A packed audience had a number of Whispering Oaks residents voicing opposition to the project, but others expressing support.

"A development of this nature doesn't come along too often," said attorney James Wieser, who represents Gendreau. "We actually hit the (Highland) master plan right on the head."

After an initial presentation last September, some residents said they were concerned about the proposed drainage plan and the location of the hotel.

In response, Gendreau modified some elements of the plan. The hotel was relocated farther west to be away from Whispering Oaks residents.

A 30-inch stormwater line, originally planned to exit into a detention pond on the site, would be extended north to Ramblewood Drive and into an existing pond there, said engineer Tom Price, who also works for Gendreau.

Underground water storage also is part of the plan.

Price said the plan should slightly improve current drainage in the surrounding general area.

Commission Chairman Mark Schocke said he has been assured the drainage plan is feasible.

A road inside the complex, which will have ingress/egress on Main Street at Plum Creek Drive and on Prairie at Timberidge Lane, would feature permeable paver bricks to allow rainwater to seep into the underground storage, Price said.

"There's room to store the 100-year rainfall in there," said Highland's engineering consultant John Phipps of NIES Engineering Inc.

Resident Violet Lesko expressed concern about traffic and suggested a stoplight at Prairie and Main.

Schocke told her the Traffic Safety Commission currently is studying the situation and will make appropriate recommendations.

Resident Carol Kerr said she didn't like that people in the office buildings would be peering down at local residents.

"(This is) not what we envisioned when we bought our houses."

But Donald Dykstra, president of the Whispering Oaks Townhome Association, said he is pleased the developer listened and responded positively to the residential suggestions.

"(Since they) will be providing more green space and saving as many trees as possible, I believe the proposed development, Cardinal Campus, will be an important addition to the town," he said.

The commission voted to conduct a public hearing next month on preliminary subdivision approval for the project.
Indiana has one of the worst drug problems of any state.

That's according to a new study by the research firm WalletHub, which ranked Indiana 14th in the nation for substance abuse.

WalletHub based the rankings on three subcategories: drug use rates, law enforcement response and availability of treatment. In those three categories, Indiana ranked 20th, 12th and 20th, respectively.

The research comes as the United States is facing one of the worst addiction crisis in its history, with opioid overdoses taking the lives of an average of 91 Americans a day. Both Lake and Porter counties saw record numbers of heroin overdose deaths last year.

The Trump administration has sent conflicting signals about its approach to the epidemic. On one hand, President Donald Trump established a commission to study the opioid crisis. On the other, his budget would all but defund the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

"The War on Drugs is America's longest-running war," noted Jill Gonzalez, a senior analyst for WalletHub.

Indiana struggles with meth labs, painkillers

For specific measures used in the study, Indiana ranked first in the nation for methamphetamine-lab incidents. In Northwest Indiana, Starke County had the second-most per-capita meth-lab seizures in the state in 2015, the most recent year for which data was available.

Indiana also ranked sixth for the number of drug-related arrests on college campuses and ninth for opioid painkiller prescriptions (the state has 109 for every 100 residents).

"It's not good when you have more prescriptions than people," Gonzalez said. "The average for this metric is about 85 for every 100 residents. To think of that as average is still kind of alarming."

The United States makes up less than 5 percent of the world's population but consumes an estimated 80 percent of the planet's opioids.

The state of Indiana passed a law this year limiting prescriptions to seven days for a person being prescribed an opioid for the first time. Dr. Shaun Kondamuri, a Munster pain specialist, welcomes that measure.

"If you give patients a candy store of medications, they're going to potentially use them," he said.

He noted that more than half of heroin abusers started by using prescription painkillers and that about 8 in 10 users of opioids got them from a friend or family member.

He said more needs to be done to educate the public and health care providers about the dangers of opioids.

"I have patients who come in and they're sure all they need is painkillers," he said. "I tell them there are other options. The more education we get out there to reach patients before they become addicted, the better."

State lacks treatment

Indiana also ranked 16th worst for the percentage of residents who needed substance abuse treatment but didn't receive it. In a separate study from 2015, the Pew Research Center found that Indiana allocated the 10th least amount of money of any state for drug treatment.

Indiana recently received $10.9 million from the federal government to combat the opioid epidemic, 80 percent of which has to be spent on treatment. The state Legislature has also allocated $5 million over each of the next two fiscal years for substance abuse treatment, prevention and enforcement.

But state Sen. Jim Merritt  who authored or sponsored 19 bills in the recently ended legislative session to address the drug crisis  14 of which became law, said it's not enough.

"We have 300,000 addicts in this state, and this is a $250 million problem," said Merritt, an Indianapolis Republican.

He estimated those figures based on the number of Hoosiers on Medicaid seeking treatment and the cost of an Indianapolis recovery program that treats pregnant women.

"We have a long way to go," he said. "We don't have the personnel in the medical space. We need providers. We need doctors. We need nurses. We need psychiatrists. We need to grow these individuals."

Indiana has the fourth-largest shortage of substance abuse specialists of any state, according to a 2015 Pew study. However, a bill that would have provided scholarships to train providers in medication-assisted treatment  prescribing drugs like Suboxone for opioid addiction  died in the Legislature this year because of the price tag.

Pilot projects authorized by the Legislature this year will test new ways of expanding treatment to pregnant women addicted to drugs and nonviolent drug offenders.

In the WalletHub study, Indiana fared best in the number of drug arrests per 1,000 residents (37th), the percentage of teenagers who tried marijuana before 13 years of age (34th) and the percentage of teens who used illicit drugs in the past month (31st).
Since November, lives of commuters have been at risk and it appears the civic body is waiting for a mishap. According to a toll attendant, at least one minor accident takes place everyday.

By Mail Today Bureau: They defy logic, disrupt traffic and turn into death traps under the shroud of darkness.

Makeshift toll booths erected by Delhi's municipal corporation stand in the way of vehicles on the arterial DND flyway, causing choking snarls and putting lives at risk every day.

Mail Today on Friday evening found vehicles crawling on the thoroughfare after clearing the entry point on the Noida side even as the MCD toll tax collectors, often accompanied by stick-wielding toughies, were busy collecting money.

advertisement

THE DEATH TRAP

Several motorists were making elaborate U-turns to escape the mess, adding to the chaos. "Traffic has been stranded for about two hours," said Rahul Mehta, a motorist on DND. "I was supposed to reach home early today. But now I'll be taking a different route."

The Delhi-Noida-Direct flyway connecting the Capital to the neighbouring city in Uttar Pradesh became toll-free with the Supreme Court on November 11, 2016 refusing to stay an Allahabad High Court verdict restraining Noida Toll Bridge Company Ltd from levying cess. The decision came months after massive protests at the eight-lane, nine-km-long link, with activists alleging corruption and overcharging.

Demonstrators had demanded that the Rs 28 charge be scrapped as the operator had already made profits. But after the flyway was made toll-free, South Municipal Corporation of Delhi placed its booths in the middle of the carriageway where motorists zip by at speeds up to 120 km/hr.

Since November, lives of commuters have been at risk and it appears the civic body is waiting for a mishap. According to a toll attendant, at least one minor accident takes place everyday.

'MINOR ACCIDENT EVERYDAY'

"It also leads to arguments between the drivers and even scuffles," he said. Suresh Gupta was returning from his office when he got stuck in the stubborn gridlock. He takes the DND flyway daily. "All this is happening because of MCD's toll booth in the middle of the road. In the peak hours, like morning and evening, when traffic movement is at full strength, MCD tax collectors just jump onto the middle of the road, which can lead to accidents. Not only this: sometimes they threaten commuters too. This has become daily affair for travellers, which results in a jam-packed DND."

When contacted, Jogender Chaudhary, the MCD toll tax collector on duty, tried to shift the blame. "Today's DND traffic jam is not because of our routine process of toll tax collection. This is because today at least four cars broke down and vehicular movement was halted."

Mail Today had reported the matter a month ago, but the MCD appears unwilling to act against the toll mafia. Experts say that the booths pose danger to the lives of both the commuters as well as the collection staff. A speeding vehicle on a curve can also be a bigger threat on a day when visibility is poor, such as during rains. With monsoon drawing near, the rains may lead to a flurry of accidents on the flyway.

advertisement

Also read: Delhi police cracks the whip on traffic violators, recommends suspension of 80,000 driving licenses

Also read:Traffic jams considerably reduce risk of road accidents in Delhi

--- ENDS ---


Quayle Tees Off for Saudi Arabia's LIV Golf Fri., Aug. 26, 2022 Hobart Hallaway & Quayle Ventures is representing Saudi Arabia's LIV Golf to protect the rights of professional golfers to play when and where they want. Ex-Congressman Ben Quayle handles the effort.
UPDATE: Help Save The Brooklyn Biggie Mural By Signing A Petition Elijah C. Watson Elijah Watson serves as Okayplayer's News & Culture Editor. When

UPDATE: Brooklyns own Nia Raquelle has started a petition in hopes of saving the mural of the late, great Notorious B.I.G. With a goal of 1,000 signatures, the current stat stands at 820 signatures. As we encourage you all to sign and help them accomplish the goal, once that has been completed, the petition would then be delivered to the NYC Landmarks and Preservation Commission.

See the original story below.



A mural of the Notorious B.I.G. in his very own Brooklyn borough is going to be destroyed.

The Biggie mural, which was painted on the side of an apartment building on the corner of Bedford Avenue and Quincy Street in Bed-Stuy two years, is likely going to be removed by the buildings landlord Samuel Berkowitz. Berkowitz wants to remove the mural so he can create windows for the apartments and increase rent prices.

Why should I keep it, Berkowitz said in an interview with DNA Info. I dont even see the point of the discussion. I could demolish the building if I wanted to, I dont need no permission from anyone except the DOB.

Berkowitz also stated that he has received complaints from the tenants about the mural because both Brooklyn residents and tourists alike often go to see the homage to the iconic New York rapper.

Spread Art NYC, an artist collective, attempted to come to a compromise with Berkowitz, the collective offering him $5,000 in cash to keep the mural. However, Berkowitz declined the offer, telling the collective that he would not destroy the mural if they paid him $1,250 a month.

At this point, there is nothing Spread Art NYC can do to save this mural, the collective said in an Instagram post. However, the group ended its post on a positive note, writing We always say, Brooklyn is Biggie and Biggie is Brooklyn. A landlord can never change that!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUIb4wol9T5/
Many mature musicians have struggled with the dissonant, fitful and improvisational music of jazz great Thelonious Monk.

That makes pianist Joey Alexanders achievements seem darn near unbelievable. Hes 13 years old.

At the Holland Center on Friday night, Alexander performed Monks Epistrophy  a piece thats all over the place  not only with precision, but with flair. He has a sense of rhythm, swing and style thats on par with veteran artists. He also has an innate feeling for dynamics.

With bassist Alexander Caffy and drummer Willie Jones III, he also has a trio thats going places, including gigs at the famed Montreaux Jazz Club in Switzerland and in the Appel Room at New Yorks Jazz at Lincoln Center later this year.

As if tackling Monk werent enough, Alexander and Co. also took on hard bop artist and free-jazz pioneer John Coltrane, performing a hard-driving version of Coltranes Countdown from their new CD. That afforded Jones an opportunity to stun the audience with a rapid-fire solo. He was playing so fast that his drumsticks sometimes were a blur, earning a spontaneous standing ovation.

Alexander was born on the island of Bali in Indonesia in

June 2003. He was feeling his way through Monks Well, You Neednt at age 6, and quickly learned more sitting in with his dad, an amateur musician. Program notes say he took classical music lessons, but what he really loved was to swing.

His performance backed that up. He plays like a boy possessed, joyfully bouncing to the beat and, probably because hes not too tall, standing up at times to execute passages. He has a great rapport with his bandmates; they all seem to anticipate each others moves  a crucial thing when youre improvising.

For me, the concert really got enjoyable when he played two pieces that were more melodic than Monk and Coltrane. Sunday Waltz, which he wrote himself, was especially beautiful, and he played it with abandon. It had something of a gospel tinge. He also played a wonderful and emotional jazz arrangement of a gospel song, Draw Me Nearer.

He did have moments when he seemed more 13 than 30. He was endearingly awkward when he announced songs and charmingly self-effacing when he acknowledged the crowds enthusiastic applause.

Alexander made the final concert in this seasons Omaha Performing Arts Jazz series something special.
The reports, emerging just as Trump jetted off to Saudi Arabia on his first foreign trip as president, were likely to extend the turmoil engulfing his administration since the May 9 firing of former FBI Director James Comey.

By Reuters: US President Donald Trump was hit on Friday by embarrassing leaks that a senior adviser was a "person of interest" in a probe of possible collusion with Russia during last year's election campaign and that Trump had boasted to Russian officials of firing the man heading the investigation.

The reports, emerging just as Trump jetted off to Saudi Arabia on his first foreign trip as president, were likely to extend the turmoil engulfing his administration since the May 9 firing of former FBI Director James Comey.

advertisement

The Washington Post, citing sources familiar with the matter, did not identify the senior Trump adviser except to say that the person of interest was close to Trump, a Republican who entered the White House four months ago.

US law enforcement uses the term "a person of interest" to mean someone who is part of a criminal investigation but not arrested or formally accused of a crime. The person may be cooperating or have information of use to investigators.

COMEY A REAL NUT JOB

Separately the New York Times reported that Trump boasted to Russian officials at a White House meeting last week that firing Comey relieved "great pressure" the president faced from a law-enforcement probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

"I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," Trump said, according to the Times, which cited a document summarizing the meeting and read to it by an unnamed US official. "I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off."

Trump met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russia's ambassador to Washington in the Oval Office the day after Trump fired Comey, who was in charge of the Russia election probe.

The Times said the document was based on notes taken from inside the Oval Office. Reuters was not immediately able to verify the accuracy of that account.

Comey, who has not spoken publicly in the 10 days since he was fired, will testify in an open session of the US Senate Intelligence Committee, which is investigating possible Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Committee leaders said on Friday he would appear sometime after the US Memorial Day holiday on May 29.

"I am hopeful that he will clarify for the American people recent events that have been broadly reported in the media," the committee chairman, Republican Richard Burr, said in a statement announcing the appearance.

POPULARITY FALLS

Public approval of Trump has dropped to its lowest level since his inauguration, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Friday. The May 14-18 opinion poll found that 38 percent of adults approved of Trump while 56 percent disapproved. The remaining 6 percent had "mixed feelings."

US stocks immediately pared gains after the reports but still closed higher for a second straight day.

advertisement

Earlier this week, investors dumped stocks in response to reports that Trump in February had asked Comey to stop investigating his former national security adviser, prompting accusations the president may have tried to hamper the probe.

"As the president has stated before - a thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said in a statement in response to the Post report.

After days of political tumult in Washington, the Justice Department announced the appointment on Thursday of a special counsel to look into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion by the Trump campaign.

The Times report added to the impression given by Trump himself in a television interview last week in which he said the Russia issue was a factor in firing Comey. The White House has given different versions of the reasons for the dismissal.

Asked about the Times report, Spicer said of the former FBI chief, "by grandstanding and politicizing the investigation into Russia's actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia."

"The investigation would have always continued, and obviously, the termination of Comey would not have ended it," Spicer said, adding that the real story was the leaks of "private and highly classified conversations."

advertisement

'INFLECTION POINT'

Democrats, who have compared the widening scandal to the Watergate break-in and cover-up that brought down Republican former President Richard Nixon in 1974, were quick to pounce on the latest reports.

Democratic Senator Edward Markey called them "seismic revelations" and questioned whether the United States might be heading into a constitutional crisis.

"This is an inflection point in the entire Russia collusion investigation," he told MSNBC. "It makes it very clear that what Donald Trump was trying to do was to end the Russian investigation."

"This is what OBSTRUCTION looks like: 'I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off'," Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy said on Twitter.

Republican Representative Scott Taylor told CNN there was "no question" that Trump had "some stumbles this week." But he added: "I haven't lost my confidence in the president to be our president, I just haven't."

Before the latest reports, the White House had hoped to shift attention away from the political firestorm in Washington to foreign policy as well as the president's ambitious pro-business economic agenda in Congress.

advertisement

Trump's trip, which also includes stops in Israel, Italy and Belgium next week, has been billed by the administration as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world's major religions while giving him time to meet with Arab, Israeli and European leaders.

Trump, who has embraced what he describes as an "America First" approach to US foreign policy and international trade, is expected to be welcomed warmly by leaders in Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Lingering questions over his views on the Iran nuclear deal, commitment to NATO security and skepticism of the Paris climate agreement, however, could generate tension at meetings with European counterparts in Brussels and Sicily.

--- ENDS ---
A federal grand jury this week charged two people with second-degree murder in connection with the April death of a man in Winnebago, Nebraska. It charged a third person as an accessory.

Jeremiah Mitchell Wolfe, 19, and Lawrencia Lowella Merrick, 21, each face the murder charge in connection with the death of William Ivan Redhorn Jr., 32, on or about April 23. The indictment, filed Wednesday, says the pair killed Redhorn by striking, kicking, beating and strangling him.

The maximum penalty is life in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for Nebraska.

The grand jury charged Natasha Marie Wolfe, 38, with accessory after the fact. The indictment alleges Natasha Wolfe assisted Jeremiah Wolfe and Merrick. She faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, a $75,000 fine, and a three year term of supervised release.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and handled in federal court because the incident took place on the Winnebago Reservation and those involved are members of tribes; Redhorn was a Winnebago member, as are the Wolfes, and Merrick is a member of the Omaha Tribe.
COUNCIL BLUFFS (AP)  Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton met Friday with Republican activists, walking a delicate path by raising his national political profile at a time of turmoil for Donald Trumps White House.

The 40-year-old freshman Republican senator sounded national themes as the guest at the Pottawattamie County Republican Partys annual fundraiser in Council Bluffs. It was a role thick with presidential implications despite Trumps solid standing among Iowa Republicans less than four months into his term.

Americans are ready for that new beginning. Im ready for that new beginning, Cotton said in closing his 20-minute speech to more than 100 Iowa GOP loyalists.

However, Cotton offered a simple no when asked if he was laying the groundwork for a 2020 presidential campaign, or hedging his bets should Trump not seek re-election.

Im up for re-election in Arkansas in 2020, Cotton told the Associated Press before the fundraising dinner at an event center.

Pottawattamie County Republican Chairman Jeff Jorgensen said he expects to invite Cotton back to western Iowa.

He was a big hit. He has an open invitation to come back any time, Jorgensen said.

Copyright 2017 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Police found a sloshed woman who had stuffed a bearded dragon lizard in her bra. She started laughing when police interrogated her.

By India Today Web Desk: After police in Massachusetts got hold of a woman who was sloshed and driving. They found out that the woman was having a crazy night.

The case involves smashed mailboxes, damaged bumpers, flat tyres, and a lizard stuffed in her bra.

Police in Massachusetts say a bearded dragon lizard was turned over to animal control after a woman, suspected of drunken driving, revealed that she had the animal stuffed in her bra, Associated Press reported.

advertisement

FYI || Goes down in hissstory: Woman ends up with a snake in her ear piercing ||

Taunton police said in a Facebook post that the 39-year-old woman was driving while she was drunk. Her blood alcohol level was almost twice the legal limit in the state.

Amy Rebello-McCarthy drove off the road and smashed into several mailboxes.

According to police, her car's air bags were deployed and all four tyres were flattened.

FYI || Watch: Deadly python swallows man, police cuts open snake's stomach to retrieve his body ||

"When they approached her she began laughing and didn't feel the crash was that serious. She was slurring her words and at times drooling," Taunton Police Department wrote on Facebook.

Police say a male passenger was also taken into custody after being tackled by an officer who saw what appeared to be a handgun in the man's waistband. It was determined to be a pellet gun. The male passenger also smoked a cigarette when the fuel was leaking from the damaged car.

"The male party was taken to the ground and handcuffed. The gun was removed from his waist," Taunton Police Department wrote on Facebook.

"At the crash scene it was determined that Amy was driving her 1999 Mercedes on Staple Street at a speed greater than reasonable and proper, left the roadway, struck numerous (6) mailboxes, some of which went airborne and smashed the rear window of a vehicle parked in a driveway along the way, crossed the street onto lawn and wiped out the homeowners new well cover."

The Bearded Dragon Lizard who was found in Amy's brassiere, was transferred to the Taunton Police Department and turned over to the Animal Control Officer.

Thankfully, the woman wasn't drunk out of her mind to stuff a Komodo dragon in her bra.

FYI || Hissstorical visitor: Parched snake triggers panic at Taj Mahal ||

--- ENDS ---
Nebraska is making notable progress in drawing on its agricultural advantages to carve out an economic niche for itself in bioscience  ethanol and other high-tech bio-materials processing.

Nebraska has an abundant corn inventory and, these days, a major ethanol-production infrastructure. It has shown it can provide the trained workforce for these facilities. The states cattle industry provides a strong market for the distillers grains (an ethanol byproduct) used as cattle feed.

Nebraska also has a track record of working constructively with multinational biofuels corporations  such as U.S.-based Cargill and Danish-based Novozymes  to bring together major projects.

This is the encouraging background to the announcement by Novozymes this week that its putting $36 million in new investment into its facilities in Blair. The expansion will boost by half its fermentation capacity of enzymes used in ethanol production.

Identifying and nurturing smart business niches can open up important opportunities for Nebraska. Novozymes investment provides a great example.
Jadhav to Hyderabad Fund case: How Harish Salve won it for India twice

BJP questions hiring Pak lawyer in Enron case by Congress regime

India

ians-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, May 20: The BJP on Saturday questioned the Congress over the appointment of a Pakistan-origin lawyer to represent India in the Enron case at the International Court of Arbitration in 2004.

"Representing India's case at the International Court of Arbitration was none other than Khanwar Qureshi, who represented Pakistan in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case at the International Court of Justice (at The Hague)," Bharatiya Janata Party leader G.V.L. Narsimha Rao told reporters.

On May 18, the ICJ stayed the execution of alleged Indian spy Jadhav, while dismissing Pakistan's contention that it had no jurisdiction to go into the matter.

Rao said: "... we have seen several instances of the Congress standing up and speaking in support of Pakistan. We have seen that in case of surgical strikes, as they questioned our Army...."

The BJP leader said that after the Congress came to power at the Centre in 2004, one of the early actions the government took was to change the entire legal team representing India in that arbitration case.

"Why did the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government hire a Pakistani lawyer in 2004? Did the Congress not have faith in Indian lawyers?"

The BJP leader said the Enron case was very sensitive and a prestigious one for the country, wondering how India hired Qureshi when the country's image and a large sum of money was involved.

He demanded that the Congress explain why confidence was placed in the Pakistani lawyer and not an Indian one to represent the Indian side at the international tribunal.

Qureshi was hired to represent India after Enron pressed a $6 billion claim against the Indian government in the Dabhol power project case in Maharashtra. The case went into arbitration.

IANS
Should Kashmir be given to Pakistan: Row erupts after this question appears in MP civil service exam

From hijab to Kashmir, Zawahiri was Al-Qaeda's voice for everything anti-India

Congress leaders meet over over Kashmir unrest

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, May 20: The Congress on Saturday held the maiden meeting of its policy planning group on the Jammu and Kashmir situation at former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence in the national capital. Senior leaders, including Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ambika Soni, attended the meeting.

On Friday, Congress President Sonia Gandhi set up the group under the chairmanship of Manmohan Singh following widespread protests in the Kashmir Valley.

The move came after a delegation of Congress and National Conference leaders from Jammu and Kashmir met party Vice President Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress has been critical of the Modi government and the PDP-BJP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir over their handling of the situation in the state.

IANS

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Saturday, May 20, 2017, 14:58 [IST]
Industry experts say that today's announcement is in line with the government's aim to make flying affordable for the masses.

By Press Trust of India: Economy class air travel will become cheaper with tax rate fixed at 5 per cent against the existing 6, under the upcoming Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime from July 1.

However, for those travelling business class, tickets will become dearer as the tax will go up from 9 per cent to 12 per cent.

Industry experts say that today's announcement is in line with the government's aim to make flying affordable for the masses.

advertisement

"Government's decision to levy 5 per cent and 12 per cent tax for economy and business class is a very good decision which will continue to support affordable fare regime in India. The government was sensitive to the impact of higher GST slab on industry and the consumer is significantly positive," according to Sydney-based aviation think-tank CAPA Centre of Aviation.

The GST Council finalised four tax rates of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent to apply on services including telecom, insurance, hotels and restaurants.

CAPA also said that this is likely to further boost domestic aviation traffic, where India is at the third spot.

India's domestic air passenger traffic stood at 100 million in 2016 and was behind only to the US (719 million) and China (436 million).

"Expect high growth rate in domestic traffic to continue in the near-term with further upside once the GST impact on the economy is visible in 1-2 years," it added.

CLICK HERE FOR SCHEDULE OF GST RATES FOR SERVICES AND SERVICE TAX EXEMPTIONS TO BE CONTINUED AS APPROVED BY GST COUNCIL

The sentiment was echoed by travel portal Yatra.com.

"Overall, this seems like a good move for the sector and should help the growth momentum continue. Economy airfare will get marginally cheaper which should drive continued passenger growth in the air market, while business class will see a moderate increase," Sharat Dhall, COO, Yatra.com.

The 5 and 12 per cent tax rates come as a huge relief for the industry, which had expressed concern over the draft GST law released last year pegging tax rate at 17 per cent to 18 per cent. This, as per a PwC study, would have led to a 9 per cent to 12 per cent increase in the cost of air travel for passengers.

A reason for keeping GST on passenger travel low is because airlines cannot claim credit on aviation turbine fuel under the GST regime.

Currently, airlines can claim what is called a cenvat credit on the central excise duty for fuel. They will now lose as petroleum products, including ATF, are outside the purview of GST.

However, purchase of aircraft meant for personal use, has been put under the highest slab of 28 per cent. This will also invite an additional cess of 3 per cent.

advertisement

Also Read:

GST: Health, education exempted, says Arun Jaitley; no decision on gold yet

GST rates finalised: Air-conditioner, refrigerator get cheaper but SUVs will cost more

Milk exempted from GST, 81 per cent items taxed at 18 per cent: Full list of rates on 1205 items

Watch Video: GST 2017 offers huge relief for common man: No tax on everyday commodities

--- ENDS ---
EC bribery case: Dinakaran wanted R K Nagar bypoll on a date suggested by astrologers

India

oi-Anusha

Making fresh allegations against TTV Dinakaran, the Delhi police on Saturday claimed that he wanted dates of R K Nagar bypoll changed. In a fresh submission made to the Tis Hazari court, Delhi police claimed that Dinakaran asked Sukesh to use his contacts and schedule the bypoll on 5th of any month or a date that adds up to 5 since it was his 'lucky number'.

The Delhi police also told the court that the name of an official in the election commission had emerged. This is the first time in the probe that a name from the election commission has emerged. More arrests are likely with this development. The name of the official, the Delhi police claimed, was heard in a conversation between Dinakaran and Sukesh Chandrasekhar. Delhi police claimed that they are investigating the role of this official.

The Delhi police who recorded statements of four witnesses in the election commission bribery case told the court that Dinakaran apart from seeking to get a favourable verdict in the AIADMK symbol row, also pushed to influence bypoll dates. The crime branch police told the court that they had the recording of a conversation where Dinakaran is heard saying that astrologers had told him that 5 was his lucky number.

Further, the conversation reveals how Dinakaran asked Sukesh to 'manage his sources in the election commission' to ensure that bypolls are held on a date favourable to him. The court meanwhile, had admitted the Delhi police's plea seeking voice samples.

After from charges of attempting to bribe election commission officers to get a favourable verdict in the AIADMK symbol row, Dinakaran has now been accused of attempting to influence election dates. The Delhi police objected to Sukesh Chandrasekhar's bail and claimed that he has a record of going missing after securing bail in earlier cases. The court reserved orders on Sukesh's bail to Monday.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Saturday, May 20, 2017, 13:45 [IST]
90 Percent of Indias Online Skill Gaming Industry Says 28 Percent GST over GGV Will Be Catastrophic

GST collections up by 16.6% to Rs 1.52 lakh crore in October, says Centre

GST rates 2017: RBI gives thumbs up; says start of a new era in federalism

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

New Delhi, May 20: The Goods and Services Tax regime, scheduled to get implemented across the country on July 1, has been strongly supported by the Reserve Bank of India. The two-day-long meeting of the GST Council ended in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on Friday.

France 1st country to implement GST in 1954, China adopted in 1994

The RBI in its latest report--State Finances: A Study of Budgets of 2016-17--released last week said the GST is set to usher in a new era of cooperative federalism.

"The GST is likely to set a new course for cooperative federalism in India by strengthening Centre-State partnership," the RBI said its report.

The introduction of GST will have economy-wide ramifications and holds the "best bet" for state governments to improve their finances without cutting productive expenditure, the RBI added.

Referring to the challenges, it said the GST implementation should be addressed through a robust dispute resolution mechanism and the Goods and Services Tax Network is expected to provide the necessary information technology infrastructure to all stakeholders.

The GSTN is the IT backbone of the country's largest tax reform which is scheduled to be rolled out from July 1.

"The GST remains the best bet for state governments in returning to the path of fiscal consolidation without compression of productive expenditure," it said.

It further said that from a medium term perspective, debt sustainability of states is likely to be the key factor in shaping the evolving contours their finances.

As per the RBI, greater devolution of resources through statutory transfers would provide states with the flexibility to prioritise their expenditure in sync with their development objectives.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Saturday, May 20, 2017, 13:00 [IST]
Naxalism is down, but it is still Indias greatest challenge: Rajnath Singh

FIR against Shah mockery of democracy, says HM, accuses Mamata govt of misusing state machinery

No documents will be asked or biometric taken for NPR: Home Ministry

Wonder why home minister chose not to go to AIIMS but to private hospital: Shashi Tharoor

India-China relations are good: Rajnath Singh

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Amid reports of India-China relations having worsened since New Delhi's snub to OBOR initiative, Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said that the relations between the two countries are 'good'.

He said that the number of transgressions by China on the border have declined in the recent times which is testimony to the fact that relations are good, said reports.

"There is a perceptional difference on issue of Indo-China boundary between both nations,dialogue is on and relationship with China is good," the Home Minister said in Gangtok.

"Infrastructure development work on Indo-China border reviewed in meeting today," he added.

India earlier refused to be a part of China's One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative citing its objections to the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, that passes through Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Citing the CPEC that is being touted as a flagship part of OBOR, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay had said: "No country can accept a project that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Consul General of China in Kolkata Ma Zhanwu on Wednesday said that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is between Islamabad and Beijing, adding that India shouldn't drag Kashmir dispute into it.

[India will not take part in OBOR conference]

The OBOR summit was hosted by China from May 14-15 in Beijing. A total of 29 foreign heads of state and government and representatives from more than 130 countries and 70 international organisations participated in the meet.

OneIndia News
Indian Naval Academy cadet's suicide note blames seniors, two booked

India

oi-Anusha

Three days after a cadet died of cardiac arrest at the Indian Naval Academy in Kerala, two of his seniors have been booked for abetment to suicide. In a note that Gudeppa Sooraj reportedly left behind, he has accused two senior cadets of harassing him. His family alleged that he was forced to cheat in his exams since he could not prepare as a result of harassment by seniors.

The police found the suicide note hours after Sooraj was found in an unconscious state at the academy in Ezhimala on Wednesday. He was shifted to the navy hospital and given resuscitation but could not be revived. He later died of two cardiac arrests at a government medical college where he was again shifted to.

Hours before he was found unconscious, the cadet was caught cheating in end of term exam. He was reported to the internal committee in the afternoon and by evening, he was found unconscious. Sooraj, a resident of Malappuram, had joined the navy as a sailor when he was 18 years old.

His family claims that he had cleared his exams for officer's training but was dismissed by the academy for cheating in 2015. He had then taken the Navy to court and was reinstated as per court orders. His family alleges that ever since he was reinstated, he was harassed and tortured by senior cadets. While the academy deemed it a case of accidental death, the suicide note has changed the course of the investigation.

Two senior cadets have been booked for abetment to suicide. The Southern Naval Academy has also called for an inquiry.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Saturday, May 20, 2017, 16:11 [IST]
J&K: CRPF jawans undergo special training to 'humanely' tackle stone pelters

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Srinagar, May 20: At a time when security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir have to face stone pelting by civilians on a daily basis, a special training programme was hosted by the Central Reserve Police Force Zonal Training Centre in Nagrota for its jawans on Saturday.

UP sadhus to fight Kashmiri stone pelters, protect jawans

The training for the CRPF jawans specially focused on how to tackle stone pelting and unlawful gathering. During the programme, trainers told security personnel that they should take utmost care for the lives of the people in the crowd. No civilians should be harmed while dealing with stone pelting incidents, added the trainers.

"Our first priority is to always protect the lives of citizens in every situation. We always keep a human angle and it is our duty to protect the civilians. We can never compare a civilian's action with a terrorist," DK Jha, in-charge, CRPF Zonal Training Centre in Nagrota (J&K), told ANI.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police conducted the special training. All the CRPF men who are posted in Kashmir have to go through a rigorous pre-induction training to handle different situations in the Valley.

These men are regular CRPF soldiers who have served in many parts of the country but are trained specifically to handle the situations. The CRPF trains there men in special 'Standard Operating Procedure' SOPs that is to be followed when they are handling the situation of stone pelting.

There are seven SOPs they are trained for:

1. Negotiating with the crowd, talk to them and make them understand what they are doing is wrong.

2. Use of water cannon.

3. Use of 'tear smoke'.

4. 'Lathi' Charge.

5. Use of Rubber Bullet. (Lower Body)

6. Use of Pump Action Gun (Lower body).

7. Use bullets on lower body parts. (Legs only)

Jha added that the situation in Kashmir is worse than any other state across the country and, therefore, it has been decided by the senior officers to open a Special Training School where the soldiers will be trained to tackle issues related to law and order.

"We train them 'Progressive Use of Force', where they are told to hold the crowd with patience and make them calm. Gradually, the force is increased and we try to disperse the crowd as patiently as possible without much pressure. According to the situation, developments take place," he said.

Jha added that it is made sure that these soldiers remain mentally and physically fit.

"We also want to change their perception so that they spontaneously act on the field in any situation," he said.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Saturday, May 20, 2017, 14:06 [IST]
2 non-local labourers shot at by terrorist in J&K's Anantnag

FM Nirmala Sitharaman hints at possibility of Centre considering restoration of state status to J&K

In J&K, 14,000 dropouts find their way back to schools

Four terrorists killed, 3 soldiers martyred in Nowgam operation

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The security forces gunned down four militants attempting to infiltrate in Jammu and Kashmir's Nowgam region. Three soldiers were also killed in the operation, which began on Saturday.

On Thursday, one policeman and a civilian sustained injuries after militants lobbed grenades at a police station in Srinagar. Militants attacked a police station in Safa Kadal.

Officials said that special police officer Samir Ahmad was injured in the incident. The injured cop was shifted to the police control room hospital.

Meanwhile, intense shelling by the Pakistani army has forced several families from Kashmir to migrate to temporary shelters this week.

OneIndia News
With Islamic radicalisation running so deep, why an NIA branch in every state matters

J&K: NIA grills separatist leaders over Pakistani funding

India

ians-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, May 20: The National Investigation Agency on Saturday questioned various separatist leaders in the alleged hawala and terror funding from Pakistan-based terrorist groups.

While JKLF leader Farookh Ahmad Dar was quizzed, a NIA official also said that the agency was also questioning two other separatist leaders Nayeem Khan and Ghazi Javed Baba in the case.

The agency's action comes a day after its five member team arrived in Srinagar after registering a preliminary enquiry against Hurriyat's hardcore wing chief Syed Ali Geelani and his close aide and Hurriyat provincial president Nayeem Khan, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Dar alias Bitta Karate and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader Baba.

Probing the separatist leaders for allegedly receiving money from Lashkar-e-Taiba and other sources in Pakistan to fund stone-pelting and violent protests in Jammu and Kashmir, NIA officials have also asked the separatist leaders to produce certain documents for examination.

Earlier in the day, Geelani suspended Nayeem Khan's National Front from the Hurriyat, even as Khan told media that the sting operation by a news channel was "doctored and fake".

According to the investigating agency officials, the probe agency has collected the copies of at least 150 cases and are analysing these FIRs registered in the Valley recently, regarding damage caused to the schools and public property as part of the larger conspiracy to perpetuate violence and chaos in Kashmir.

The probe agency's move followed an expose by national news channel India Today purportedly showing Pakistan pumping money to stoke trouble in the valley in connivance with Hurriyat leaders.

The channel aired a sting on May 16 in which the Hurriyat leaders allegedly confessed to its reporter that they received money from Pakistan-based organisations routed through hawala.

Following the sting operation, the probe agency also identified the hotel in Srinagar in which the sting operation took place and it was completing formalities of identification of the room and collection of records.

The agency is also probing all angles, the official said.

Following the NIA probe into the funding, the Enforcement Directorate, which probes economic offences, had said that it would also join the NIA probe into the matter of funding through hawala channels - an illegal cash transfer system across borders run by money brokers.

IANS
Kasab a pawn, Jadhav a terrorist says Musharaff

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

According to former Pakistani military dictator, Kulbhushan Jadhav is a bigger terrorist than Ajmal Kasab. Musharraf told Pakistan's ARY News that Kasab, one of ten Pakistanis who carried out the Mumbai terror attacks in which 164 people were killed, was "just a pawn", while Jadhav, the Indian national Pakistan claims is a spy, "may have killed" people.

Kasab was just a pawn but Jadhav was fueling terrorism and may have killed a number of people in sabotage activities, Musharaff also told the news channel.

Pakistan has been moving heaven and earth to reverse an interim order passed by the International Court of Justice which on Thursday had stalled the hanging of Jadhav.

Musharaff during the interview raised questions about the case being contested by Pakistan. According to him, Pakistan should not have appeared before the ICJ. The point put by Musharaff seems to be the popular opinion in Pakistan who have questioned Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's logic of presenting its case before the ICJ.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Saturday, May 20, 2017, 12:13 [IST]
After ED files PMLA case against Karti Chidambaram, probe ambit to widen

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Enforcement Directorate which filed a case under the PMLA against Karti Chidambaram has decided to widen the probe. Enforcement Directorate sources say it will probe the alleged proceeds of crime generated in the case and may also attach assets of the various accused.

The ED which had provided information about the alleged illegal payments made by INX Media, based on which the CBI had filed its FIR, they added. The CBI in its FIR made out a case against Karti Chidambaram, his company Chess Management Services, Peter and Indrani Mukerjea, INX Media, Advantage Strategic Consulting Services and its director Padma Vishwanathan.

ED sources say that it would soon summon all the accused in the case for questioning including Karti who is away at London on a scheduled trip.

On Friday the Enforcement Directorate filed a case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering act against Karti Chidambaram son of former union minister union minister P Chidambaram.

OneIndia had reported that the Enforcement Directorate is set to file a case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

PMLA:

The case under the PMLA is being filed against Karti and INX Media after alleged irregularities were found in the grant of FIPB approval to the company to get foreign direct investments. This ED case would be followed by a case by the Central Bureau of Investigation which will be filed for corruption.

The decision by the ED to file the case under the PMLA was taken after it received the FIR lodged by the CBI following raids at the residence of Katri and Chidambaram in Chennai and 14 other locations. Once the case is filed, the ED would go ahead and attach properties.

The charges against Karti Chidambaram explained in 6 points

Aircel-Maxis:

The ED is already investigating a case relating to a company associated with Karti in connection with the Aircel Maxis deal and FDI inflow into Vasan Healthcare. The ED had found documents relating to INX Media and the FDI inflow. Further documents showed that Advantage Strategic Consulting, a company alleged to be indirectly controlled by Karti was paid Rs 10 lakh as consultancy fee to help it get FIPB approval. It was noted that this took place when Chidambaram was the union finance minister.

INX Media: Indrani-Peter Mukerjea and the money trail

CBI raids on Karti:

The CBI after the raids on Tuesday filed an FIR in which was alleged that the FDI inflow concerning INX had initially been flagged by FIPB for irregularities. However after it roped in a company owned by Karti for consultancy the fresh proposal was approved by the FIPB. Officials not only ignored the serious illegality on the part of M/S INX Media, but also embarked on showing undue favour to INX Group by abusing their official position, the CBI had stated.

Further the CBI noted that Karti received a payment of Rs 10 lakh through Advantage Strategic Consulting, which was controlled by him indirectly. It has also alleged that it found invoices for Rs 3.5 crore in favour of INX Media raised by companies in which Karti has sustainable interest.

OneIndia News
Musa's new terror outfit: Pak wants world to believe Kashmir is in war with India

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Security forces in the Kashmir Valley have an additional headache to deal with after a new terror outfit was formed. The new outfit which owes allegiance to the al-Qaeda has been formed by Zakir Musa who quit the dreaded Hizbul Mujahideen.

This appears to be a repeat of the 1990s as many new outfits are mushrooming in the Valley. In 1990 the main group was the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front. However over time, Pakistan introduced several outfits into Kashmir such as the Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Lashkar-e-Tayiba.

Intelligence Bureau officials suspect that Musa coming out of the Hizbul Mujahideen was just a ploy. He issued a statement threatening to behead the Kashmiri separatists and the Hizbul leadership distanced itself from it. Musa then came out of the outfit and in a 7.07 minute audio clip laced with a slide-show announced that he was launching a new terror group.

Musa said that he supports the cause of the al-Qaeda in Kashmir.

In the audio clip he said that he was now part of the al-Qaeda and would establish the Caliphate in Kashmir. In the audio clip he announced that he would support the al-Qaeda and would continue to fight against the Indian forces.

The differences between the militant forces in Kashmir would make no difference, he also said in a 7.07 minute audio clip. He went on to say that his resolve to seek freedom for Kashmir remained intact. Musa explains in 16 slides how the al-Qaeda would establish the Caliphate in Kashmir.

Another point that the security officials make is regarding the deniability factor. Pakistan wants more home grown outfits in Kashmir. It proposes to recruit the local youth into these home grown outfits. This would give Pakistan the deniability factor. It would also show to the world that the war against the Indian security establishment is being fought by the local Kashmiri youth and not the Pakistanis, the Indian Intelligence Bureau official also said while commenting on Musa's new terror outfit in Kashmir.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Saturday, May 20, 2017, 8:32 [IST]
The Election Commission is today expected to announce the dates of its EVM Challenge. The Commission is also holding a live demonstration of how Electronic Voting Machines work and is exhibiting a short film on the voting machines.

By India Today Web Desk: The Election Commission of India is today holding a press conference to announce the dates of its 'EVM Challenge' and to offer a live demonstration of its Electronic Voting Machines and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines.

The event will see the Election Commission exhibiting a four-minute short film on the features of its EVMs. Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi will deliver a statement, which will be followed by a round of questions and answers.

advertisement

Today's live demo comes amid allegations raised by the Opposition that the EC's EVMs are vulnerable to hacking and tampering. The claims first emerged after the recent Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, which saw the Bharatiya Janata Party romping home with a huge win.

From Congress to the Aam Aadmi Party, several leaders from Opposition parties, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, have raised concerns over the trustworthiness of the country's voting machines.

The Election Commission has maintained that its machines are tamper-proof but amid rising controversy on the issue, agreed to let political parties and experts attempt to prove the allegations at an 'EVM Challenge'. Notably, the Commission has refused to use the term 'hackathon' to describe the challenge, contending that the word cannot be used since EVMs are not connected to the internet.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party held its own demonstration on EVM hacking in the Delhi Assembly. Party MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj brought in a dummy EVM and proceeded to show how the machine could be purportedly hacked to get it to cast votes for only one party/candidate.

During a recent all-party meeting called on the EVM issue, the Election Commission had also said that all future elections in India will make use of VVPAT machines. VVPAT machines allow voters to verify for whom they have cast their ballots.

The machine prints out a paper slip that displays information about which party/candidate a vote was for. Voters can view the slip but cannot take it home - the paper printout is collected in a box attached to the VVPAT machines. At the all-party meet, the EC also said during elections, it would count a certain percentage VVPAT print outs to tally the votes cast.

ALSO READ | EVM tampering row: Why Election Commission is resisting campaign for ballot paper

ALSO READ | How Election Commission patiently but strongly refuted allegations on EVM tampering

ALSO WATCH | AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj gives a 'how to' in EVM hacking

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
Not anti-Muslim riots, new NCERT text book will call it Gujarat riots from now

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

It will be known as Gujarat riots and not anti-Muslim riots in the NCERT textbooks. The decision to term the 2002 incident as Gujarat riots was taken at a meeting of the course review committee that includes representatives of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the National Council of Educational Research And Training (NCERT), HT reported while quoting sources.

The text book for the Class 12 which was published when the UPA was ruling referred to the incident as the anti-Muslim riots. Now it will be called as the Gujarat riots only.

Around 800 Muslims and 250 Hindus were killed in the riots that took place between February and March 2002. The violence was a result of the train burning incident at Godhra in which 57 Hindu pilgrims were killed.

The new text book would effect this change once it is printed. The new text books are expected to be printed by the end of 2017. The NCERT has however termed the move as routine and aimed at keeping the text books updated.

A chapter titled "Politics in India since Independence" (page 187) in the Class XII political science textbook has a passage under the heading "Anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat".

It reads- "In February-March 2002, large-scale violence against Muslims took place in Gujarat .... A bogey of a train that was returning from Ayodhya and was full of karsevaks was set on fire... Suspecting the hands of Muslims in setting fire to the bogey, large-scale violence against Muslims began in many parts of Gujarat..." the passage reads.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Saturday, May 20, 2017, 9:29 [IST]
Tamil Nadu: Heavy rains in several parts of Tamil Nadu in next 2 days

O Panneerselvam-led delegation meets PM Modi

India

oi-Gulam Rabbani

By Gulam Rabbani

Chennai, May 20: The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leaders led by O Panneerselvam on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convey that 'all is well' between the AIADMK and Bharatiya Janata Party in Tamil Nadu amidst indications of growing friendliness between the saffron party and Edappadi K Palaniswami dispensation in the state.

The meeting lasted for an hour due to the discussions on political developments involving AIADMK factions in Tamil Nadu.

The four-member delegation led by the former chief minister said OPS was scheduled to present a memorandum of nine demands to PM Modi. The delegation included Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament V Maitreyan, former minister K P Munusamy and former MP P H Manoj Pandian.

After the meeting with Modi, OPS said that they discussed on issues of public importance, adding that they discuss politics. The party leaders said it was a cordial meet.

Reports said that the meeting came after the wake of Modi government's reach-out plan to bring on board the EPS faction.

A senior leader in EPS faction P Thangamani had managed to meet PM Modi, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Rajnath Singh last week. Venkaiah Naidu's review meets at the state secretariat in presence of chief minister and state BJP unit general secretary Vanathi Srinivasan set tongues wagging about BJP's Tamil Nandu game plan.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Saturday, May 20, 2017, 13:38 [IST]
Sabarmati Express blast: Ex-AMU scholar Gulzar Ahmed Wani acquitted

India

oi-Anusha

A court in Barabanki on Saturday acquitted former Aligarh Muslim University scholar Gulzar Ahmed Wani in the Sabarmati Express blast case. After spending 16 years in jail, the court acquitted Wani and Mobin due to lack of evidence.

The Delhi police had arrested the AMU scholar in 2001 allegedly with explosives and incriminating materials. Wani was a resident of Peeparkari area of Srinagar and has spent 16 years lodged in a jail in Lucknow. Additional sessions Judge MA Khan acquitted both the accused of all the charges since the prosecution could not establish any of the charges levelled against them.

The blast was carried out on the eve of Independence Day when the train was on its way from Muzaffarpur to Ahmedabad. Nine lives were lost in the blast. Wani was suspected to be a Hizbul Mujahideen operative when he was apprehended.

OneIndia News
Tuesday is now No Meeting Day in Haryana and officers to be with people on Friday

'Tussle in Haryana BJP is media creation', says Amit Shah, rules out replacing Khattar

India

oi-Anusha

By Anusha Ravi

The national president of the BJP, Amit Shah claimed that the ongoing power tussle in Haryana was a mere media creation. He added that such reports did not matter to the BJP high command and hence there was no need to replace Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh on Saturday, Amit Shah rubbished reports of infighting in the Haryana BJP.

"Khattar will continue as the Chief Minister and there are no plans to replace him," Shah said when a question about Khattar's replacement was asked.

He added that there was no real infighting in the party and it was a mere media projection. He claimed that he was in touch with workers in Haryana and there was no power tussle as being claimed.

Amit Shah also ruled out the possibility of ending ties with the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab. Despite the humiliating defeat that the BJP faced in Punjab, Shah maintained that their alliance with SAD was intact and would continue.

Speaking on the defeat in the elections, Amit Shah said that the BJP was only a minor partner in the alliance and that ever since BJP came to power at the centre, its vote share had only increased in all elections.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Saturday, May 20, 2017, 17:57 [IST]
26 terrorists surrender before government in Pak

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Islamabad, May 20: Twenty six militants belonging to various outlawed terrorist groups surrendered to the government in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province on Friday, as part of the ongoing reconciliation process, officials said.

"The militants also surrendered their weapons to the authorities at a ceremony attended by senior military and civil officials of the province," Xinhua quoted Anwarul Haq Kakar, Spokesperson of the Balochistan government, as saying.

The insurgents laid down their weapons under the leadership of the commander Omar Baloch, a member of a banned outfit involved in carrying out terrorist activities in the province.

"We are denouncing violence and will now work for the country and nation," Baloch said.

Speaking at the event, Senator Niamatullah Khan Zehri said more than 1,600 militants have abandoned their bloody armed struggle against the state in the last two years.

Col Rizwan from the Pakistani Army welcomed the ex-militants and urged them to work for the peace and development of not only Balochistan but of greater Pakistan.

It is the second time when militants surrendered to the government within a month in Balochistan.

Earlier on April 21, 434 militants laid down their weapons and surrendered to the authorities in the provincial capital of Quetta.

IANS

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Saturday, May 20, 2017, 12:52 [IST]
I just fired the crazy nut job: Trump told the Russians on firing FBI boss

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," Donald Trump told Russian Minister Sergei Lavrov and the country's Ambassador to the US. He was referring to the firing of FBI director James Comey.

The Times reported, citing minutes of the meeting between Trump and the Russians the quotes and other excerpts from the minutes were read out to its correspondent by a Trump administration official.

Another officer, on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the quotes from the said document. "I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off...I am not under investigation," he was quoted as saying by said the daily.

The White House did not comment on the authenticity of Trump's conversation with the Russian officials in the Oval Office on May 9, PTI reported.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told The New York Times in a statement that Comey had behaved politically and put unnecessary pressure on the president's ability to conduct diplomacy with Russia on matters such as Syria, Ukraine and the Islamic State.

The latest crisis to beset Trump comes days after an another revelation by the daily which claimed that the president has asked sacked FBI director James Comey to end the agency's investigation into ties between his former national security adviser Mike Flynn and Russia. Comey was abruptly fired by Trump at a time when he was leading an investigation into whether Trump's election campaign had links with Russia in the US polls last year.

Another report published by The Washington Post claimed that Trump had revealed highly classified details to Lavrov and the Russian ambassador during the same meeting at the Oval Office.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Saturday, May 20, 2017, 10:00 [IST]
Iran's state TV declares Hassan Rouhani winner

International

oi-Prabhpreet

By Prabhpreet

Incumbent President Hassan Rouhani has defeated his opponents in Iran's presidential election held earlier on Friday, according to the country's state television. The victory gives the 68-year-old cleric a second four-year term following his victory in the 2013 elections.

According to reports, the latest numbers released by the Interior ministry showed the president leading the race with 59 per cent votes with 38.9 million votes counted. The deputy Interior minister of the country had earlier said that more than 40 million voters had taken part in the elections which put the voter turnout at 70 per cent.

Rouhani, who is seen by many as a moderate but pragmatist leader, had promised reforms during his first elections and continued to do so during this election campaign, but faced tough competition from the conservative and hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi, as his main rival who has secured 15.5 million votes. The other two candidates in the fray, Mostafa Mirsalim and Mostafa Hashemitaba, secured 455,000 and 210,000 votes respectively.

Raisi is considered a protege of supreme leader Ali Khamenei and according to reports had the backing of the influential Revolutionary Guards security force. The campaigning during the current elections saw unprecedented television debates where both the front runners were seen accusing each other of corruption and brutality.

Rouhani was targetted by his opponents, especially Raisi, who had promised more welfare benefits and jobs, of mismanaging the economy and his more pro-reformist critics had accused him of not moving fast enough on reforms, as he had won his previous election on the promises to do so.

The victory gives a clear mandate to Rouhani, who began his first term with the tensions, between Iran and the western world, mainly US and its close ally Israel, at an alarming high after he took over from hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, with Iran's nuclear program being the main source of such issues, along with its human right records of the country.

He has been credited with bringing back reasonable calm since taking over after he struck a deal with the western countries two years ago to curb the country's nuclear programme in return for lifting of many damaging economic sanctions that had been imposed on it.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Saturday, May 20, 2017, 16:40 [IST]
Imran Khan discharged from hospital, to resume long march from same point where he was shot

This cop from Pakistan became a millionaire overnight: Here is how

Jadhav's case will be dealt according to Pakistani law

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Islamabad, May 20: Pakistan will handle the case of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death, 'according to our own laws', Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on Saturday.

The Jadhav issue would be treated as an espionage case and dealt with according to Pakistani laws, Geo TV quoted Khan as saying. The Minister said Jadhav's arrest helped avert several incidents of terrorism in Pakistan.

He was addressing the media after attending a passing out parade of the Frontier Corps in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The comments came two days after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) told Pakistan to put on hold Jadhav's execution. The Minister also spoke about Pakistan's troubled ties with Afghanistan.

While saying that the 'hearts of Pakistanis and Afghans beat together', Khan warned Kabul not to talk to Islamabad 'in India's language'. He urged Kabul to solve its internal and external issues first instead of blaming Pakistan for all the mess, the report said.

IANS
Imran Khan discharged from hospital, to resume long march from same point where he was shot

This cop from Pakistan became a millionaire overnight: Here is how

Pak's lawyer in Jadhav case was hired by Congress to represent India in 2004: Report

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Khawar Qureshi, the lawyer who argued for Pakistan against India in the c case was appointed by the UPA government to argue in a power project case said a WION News exclusive. The Pakistan origin UK lawyer had argued against India in the Jadhav case at the International Court of Justice which had granted a stay on the sentencing.

According to WION News, the Congress-led UPA government had hired Khawar to represent India in the Dabhol power project case. In that particular case, Enron had made a US $ 6 billion US dollar (5 billion pounds) claim against the government of India, the case went to arbitration.

When the UPA came to power in 2004, the government changed the entire legal team and appointed Qureshi to appear on behalf of India.

A 2004 article that appeared in thelawyer.com in the year 2004 states that Serle Court chambers' lawyer Khawar Qureshi had been appointed as counsel for the government of India.Following the appointment of the new Attorney General, the entire legal team, including the Indian advisers, was replaced.

Read what The Lawyer reported

Defending the decision the said today that Qureshi is an independent barrister and Indian lawyers are also engaged by Pakistan. It is a non-issue the Congress also said.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Saturday, May 20, 2017, 6:10 [IST]
If Mayawati contests, will field Rakhi Sawant against her: RPI

Rakhi Sawant seeks anticipatory bail, court says it would give transit one

Rakhi Sawant slams Trump; asks Americans to elect PM Modi as US President

International

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Bollywood actress, Rakhi Sawant, known for making controversial statements, has found a new 'target'. This time she has decided to attack none other than US President Donald Trump, who is also infamous for his remarks against Muslims and women.

Impeachment talk of President Donald Trump rocks US

In a video, Sawant, who was missing from public appearances for some time now, questioned Trump's Islamophobia and sexist remarks against women.

"Is there a bug that bites you every time you see a Muslim? Don't you know that every religion is equal? Why do you talk shit about Muslims?" she questioned.

"You are now the President...then why don't you do something good? Instead of creating war-situations," Sawant advised Trump.

Commenting on Trump's unpalatable remark--Grab them by the p***y--Sawant says, "I will break your eggs!"

In the same video, Sawant once again expressed her admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It seems the actress does not mind to 'give away' PM Modi to the US for the betterment of the Americans.

Advising the Americans, she said, "Dear US people! If you want to brighten up your future, please vote for PM Modi! You guys make our Modi your President!"

She told Trump to control his 'anger'. Sawant advised him to do hot yoga with her.

Watch the video below:

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Saturday, May 20, 2017, 10:49 [IST]
Election Commission has said that the EVM hackathon 'challenge' will be held from June 3 onwards, in which parties will be invited to test how reliable the Electronic Voting Machines are.

By India Today Web Desk: Election Commission has said that the EVM hackathon 'challenge' will be held from June 3 onwards, in which parties will be invited to test how reliable the Electronic Voting Machines are.

The poll panel reiterated its claim that voting the machines were tamper-proof.

"The EVM challenge will start from June 3," Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said, adding that it was open to both national and state parties. The parties could nominate 3 authorized persons and would need to confirm their interest by 5 pm on 26 May.

advertisement

Zaidi said the poll panel received no proof on tampering of EVMs from those who had doubted the authenticity of these machines.

The CEC added that manipulating EVMs at the manufacturing stage was totally ruled out due to the stringent security measures taken.

"Trojan Horse (a key press sequence) cannot be inserted into EVMs since chip on EVM is a one-time programmable and doesn't have a Wi-fi chip", he said.

ELECTION COMMISSION HELD DEMO ON EVMs

The Election Commission of India today held a demonstration of how EVMs and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail System (VVPATs) work amid allegations that EVMs could be tampered with.

"Replacement of internal circuit of EVMs is not possible. Our EVMs have strong technological features and are tamper-proof," Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said.

Complaints on the possible tamperability of EVMs first surfaced when several major opposition parties had claimed that the faith of people in the machines had eroded after results of assembly elections in 5 states earlier this year were declared, but we did not receive credible material information on EVM tampering from the complainants, Zaidi said.

Improving the election process is a responsibility of all stakeholders and the EC is taking all necessary steps in this regard, the chief election commissioner said.

He went on to say that all elections in the future would be held with VVPAT along with EVMs across polling stations to bring in transparency.

As many as 13.95 lakh ballot units, 9.3 lakh ballot control units and 16.5 lakh VVPAT machines are under production, Zaidi said.

The poll panel, through this challenge, hopes to restore and enhance the faith and confidence of the voters in EVM voting system.

(WITH INPUTS FROM PTI)

Also read | EVM tampering row: Why Election Commission is resisting campaign for ballot paper

Also read | Hoping to put EVM row to rest, Election Commission holds demo, exhibits short film

WATCH VIDEO

--- ENDS ---
Trump strikes $350 bn worth arms deal with Saudi Arabia

International

ians-IANS

By Ians English

Riyadh, May 20: In his first overseas trip as President, Donald Trump sealed an arms deal with Saudi Arabia worth $350 billion over 10 years, with nearly $110 billion to take effect immediately. The agreement is said to bolster security "in the face of Iranian threats".

"This package of defence equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats, while also bolstering the Kingdom's ability to contribute to counter terrorism operations across the region," the White House said in a statement on Saturday, as quoted by CNBC News.

US President Donald Trump, along with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who is accompanying him on the trip, attended a signing ceremony for almost $110 billion worth of defence capabilities to be conveyed to Saudi Arabia, the US Department of State said in a statement on Saturday.

"This package demonstrates the United States' commitment to our partnership with Saudi Arabia, while also expanding opportunities for American companies in the region," the statement read.

The deal also "potentially supports tens of thousands of new jobs in the US," it added.

Reports of Washington and Riyadh engaging in talks over multi-billion arms deals emerged earlier in May.

IANS
 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd.

All rights reserved.

One News is a registered trademark

of One News Page Ltd.
by  Graham Pierrepoint



Fans of Spider-Man will likely be looking forward to the web slingers first solo movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, due to hit our screens this summer  as Tom Holland takes over from Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Homecoming. However, it appears that there is a separate project gaining momentum which focuses on an entirely separate character from Spideys world  Venom, a vicious deformation of Eddie Brock, Parkers one-time rival  and it is currently in production under the watchful eyes at Sony. Not much about the project is known at present other than that it will stand completely alone from other Marvel movies, and that it is, at present, tentatively being referred to as Venom. Its set to be a big deal for comic book fans as it could be the first movie released based entirely around a villain in the comic universe  meaning that we could be set to see a different story of sorts from a villains perspective.

The project, therefore, has been gaining something of a following despite very little currently being out there in the ether. This week, however, news emerged regarding casting which has gone down rather well on social media and elsewhere  as it appears that Brock, aka Venom, will be portrayed by none other than Bane himself  Tom Hardy.

Hardy has become something of a Hollywood A-lister after a steady rise across several acclaimed performances and movies, not least the critically lauded Mad Max: Fury Road. The British actor may have been cropping up more on UK TV reading bedtime stories for kids in recent months, but the star has been earmarked for a number of colossal projects in recent history. Hes constantly at the head of the pack for people placing bets on who will be the next James Bond  and the announcement that he will be playing the nightmarish Venom has gone down very well with comic book fans and followers of the actor.

What else do we know about Venom? Not much  its not clear whether or not he will interact with Spidey in the movie, nor if we will get to see an origin story. Could it be an attempt to bring a more adult slant on a villain or anti-hero to the big screen off the back of Deadpools colossal success? Lets wait and see.
The GST Council on Friday broadly approved the tax rates on services. The GST regime is set to roll out across the country from July 1.

By India Today Web Desk: The Goods and Services Tax Council on Friday approved how services will be taxed in India come July 1, when the new tax regime rolls out.

The Arun Jaitley-led GST Council broadly approved GST rates for services, setting in place four taxable slabs (Nil, 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent, 28 per cent).

advertisement

Under the new regime, service tax on renting an Uber or Ola will be 5 per cent while services delivered by an education institution will be exempt from GST.

Services like accommodation in five-star hotels and gambling will attract the maximum 28 per cent service tax.

Here is the full list of the GST rates approved for services . (Note: The list will be further vetted by the GST Council and may undergo some changes.)

ALSO READ | GST rates finalised: Air-conditioner, refrigerator get cheaper but SUVs will cost more

ALSO READ | Under new GST, economy class air travel set to become cheaper from July 1

ALSO WATCH | GST 2017 offers huge relief for common man: No tax on everyday commodities

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: (Eds: Adding details about mans arrest) Thiruvananthapuram, May 20 (PTI) Refusing to suffer any more, a 23-year-old law student chopped off the genitals of a man who had allegedly been raping her for the last six years and tried to do the same again last night, police said.

advertisement

The 54-year-old accused Gangeshananda Theerthapada alias Hariswami, who claims to be a sanyasi, has been arrested, the police said this evening.

Hariswami, known to the girls family, had been frequenting her house in Pettah for several years to perform puja aimed at bringing relief to her paralysed and bed- ridden father, police said quoting the victim.

During those visits over the last six years, the accused would allegedly rape the girl, whenever he found a chance, according to the police.

He allegedly tried to rape her again last night but the girl protested and chopped off his genitals with a knife, the police added quoting the girls complaint.

The incident came to light after the man, who claims to be an inmate of Panmana Ashram in Kollam, was admitted to the government medical college hospital here with critical injuries in the wee hours, the police said. He underwent an emergency surgery and his condition is stable now, they said.

A case has been registered against him under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and IPC 376 (punishment for rape). No case has been registered against the girl, the police added.

The complainant will be recording her statement before a magistrate, police said.

The man reportedly told police that he had chopped off his genitals himself. The management of Panmana Ashram, associated with social reformer Chattambi Swamy, said Hariswami had come to the ashram as a brahmachari 15 years ago but did not complete his course and had left midway.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan hailed the womans act as "brave" and "courageous". "It was a courageous step, no doubt about it," he told reporters here and promised all support to the girl from the government.

State Womens Commission member Prameela Devi expressed shock over the incident and said the girl was forced to take the extreme step after suffering years of harassment, pain and humiliation. PTI LGK UD BN AKK

--- ENDS ---
Rumble 08 Nov 2022

Allies have substantially increased the number of fighter jets on alert across eastern Europe in response to Russia's..
Rumble 17 Oct 2022

Peter Navarro is one of only three senior White House officials who remained with President Trump from the 2016 presidential..
United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Data Analytics Outsourcing Market Size, Status and Forecast 2021

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=897031&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com

This report studies the global Data Analytics Outsourcing market, analyzes and researches the Data Analytics Outsourcing development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeIBMOptimization GroupInfinit OutsourcingMcKinseyAccentureFair IssacMu sigmaAnalyxGenpactCapgeminiFractal AnalyticsTCSWiproZS AssociatesCogneesolMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaRequest a Free Sample Copy of this Report for more through Insights @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Data Analytics Outsourcing1.1 Data Analytics Outsourcing Market Overview1.1.1 Data Analytics Outsourcing Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Data Analytics Outsourcing Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Data Analytics Outsourcing Market by End Users/Application2 Global Data Analytics Outsourcing Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Data Analytics Outsourcing Market Size (Value) by Players (2015-2016)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in FutureQYresearchreports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations.QYresearchreports1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Global Toilet Soap Market Research Report 2016 - Industry Sales, Growth, Production, Demands, Types, Shares, Revenues & Key Vendors : Unilever, Valobra, Henkel, Vermont, Palmolive

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=837436&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com

This report studies Toilet Soap in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with capacity, production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringP&GUnileverHenkelJahwaReckitt Benckiser GroupKao CorporationColgate-PalmoliveOlive Oil Skin Care CompanyLOccitaneDr. BronnersJohnson & JohnsonValobraLibyNICE GroupLG Household & Health CareLUSH North AmericaCaswell-MasseyVermont SoapCarved SolutionsGOJO IndustriesMarket Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate of Toilet Soap in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), likeNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaRequest a Free Sample Copy of this Report for more through Insights @Table of Contents1 Toilet Soap Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Toilet Soap1.2 Toilet Soap Segment by Type1.3 Toilet Soap Segment by Application1.4 Toilet Soap Market by Region1.4.1 North America Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.2 Europe Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.3 China Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.5 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.6 India Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Toilet Soap (2011-2021)2 Global Toilet Soap Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Toilet Soap Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 Global Toilet Soap Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.3 Global Toilet Soap Average Price by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.4 Manufacturers Toilet Soap Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Toilet Soap Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Toilet Soap Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Toilet Soap Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers3 Global Toilet Soap Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2011-2016)3.1 Global Toilet Soap Capacity and Market Share by Region (2011-2016)3.2 Global Toilet Soap Production and Market Share by Region (2011-2016)3.3 Global Toilet Soap Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2011-2016)3.4 Global Toilet Soap Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.5 North America Toilet Soap Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.6 Europe Toilet Soap Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.7 China Toilet Soap Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.8 Japan Toilet Soap Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.9 Southeast Asia Toilet Soap Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.10 India Toilet Soap Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)QYresearchreports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations.QYresearchreports1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Global Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Market Research Report 2017 - Genentech, Amgen, Novo Nordisk, Eli Lily, Wyeth, Novartis, Merck & Co.

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=909052&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com

This report studies Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with capacity, production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringAbbott LaboratoriesNovartisPfizerMylan LaboratoriesMerck & Co.AmgenNovo NordiskBayerEli LilyWyethGenentechMarket Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), likeNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaSplit by product type, with production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoOralParenteralTransdermalOthersSplit by application, this report focuses on consumption, market share and growth rate of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) in each application, can be divided intoMenopauseHypothyroidismMale HypogonadismGrowth Hormone DeficiencyOthersRequest a Free Sample Copy of this Report for more through Insights @Table of Contents1 Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)1.2 Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Segment by Type1.2.1 Global Production Market Share of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) by Type in 20151.2.2 Oral1.2.3 Parenteral1.2.4 Transdermal1.2.5 Others1.3 Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Segment by Application1.3.1 Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Consumption Market Share by Application in 20151.3.2 Menopause1.3.3 Hypothyroidism1.3.4 Male Hypogonadism1.3.5 Growth Hormone Deficiency1.3.6 Others1.4 Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Market by Region1.4.1 North America Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.2 Europe Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.3 China Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.5 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.6 India Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) (2011-2021)QYresearchreports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations.QYresearchreports1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Global Kombucha Sales Market Report 2017 - Industry Growth, Sales, Shares, Types, Demands, Key Vendors : GTs Kombucha, Red Bull, Townshends Tea

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=935557&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com

This report studies sales (consumption) of Kombucha in Global market, especially in United States, China, Europe and Japan, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these regions, coveringGTs KombuchaKeVitaThe Humm KombuchaLive Soda KombuchaRed BullKombucha Wonder DrinkTownshends TeaCelestial SeasoningsKosmic KombuchaHIGH COUNTRYNessAlla KombuchaReedsBuchi KombuchaMarket Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with sales (consumption), revenue, market share and growth rate of Kombucha in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), likeUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaSplit by product Types, with sales, revenue, price and gross margin, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoBacteriaYeastMoldOthersSplit by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Kombucha in each application, can be divided intoOnlineOfflineRequest a Free Sample Copy of this Report for more through Insights @Table of Contents1 Kombucha Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Kombucha1.2 Classification of Kombucha1.2.1 Bacteria1.2.2 Yeast1.2.3 Mold1.2.4 Others1.3 Application of Kombucha1.3.1 Online1.3.2 Offline1.4 Kombucha Market by Regions1.4.1 United States Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.2 China Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.5 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.6 India Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Kombucha (2011-2021)1.5.1 Global Kombucha Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)1.5.2 Global Kombucha Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)QYresearchreports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations.QYresearchreports1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Global Pharmaceutical Excipients Market Research Report 2017 - Solutions, Services, Applications : Ashland Inc. , Roquette Group , Archer Daniels, Croda International

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=908274&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com

This report studies Pharmaceutical Excipients in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with capacity, production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringAshland Inc.BASF SEThe DOW Chemical CompanyFMC CorporationRoquette GroupEvonik Industries AGAssociated British Foods PLCThe Lubrizol CorporationArcher Daniels Midland CompanyCroda International PLCMarket Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate of Pharmaceutical Excipients in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), likeNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaSplit by product type, with production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoOral FormulationsTopical FormulationsParenteral FormulationsAdvanced Delivery SystemsSplit by application, this report focuses on consumption, market share and growth rate of Pharmaceutical Excipients in each application, can be divided intoFillers & DiluentsBindersSuspension & Viscosity AgentsCoatingsDisintegrantsFlavoring AgentsLubricants & GlidantsColorantsPreservativesOther FunctionalitiesRequest a Free Sample Copy of this Report for more through Insights @Table of Contents1 Pharmaceutical Excipients Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Pharmaceutical Excipients1.2 Pharmaceutical Excipients Segment by Type1.2.1 Global Production Market Share of Pharmaceutical Excipients by Type in 20151.2.2 Oral Formulations1.2.3 Topical Formulations1.2.4 Parenteral Formulations1.2.5 Advanced Delivery Systems1.3 Pharmaceutical Excipients Segment by Application1.3.1 Pharmaceutical Excipients Consumption Market Share by Application in 20151.3.2 Fillers & Diluents1.3.3 Binders1.3.4 Suspension & Viscosity Agents1.3.5 Coatings1.3.6 Disintegrants1.3.7 Flavoring Agents1.3.8 Lubricants & Glidants1.3.9 Colorants1.3.10 Preservatives1.3.11 Other FunctionalitiesQYresearchreports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations.QYresearchreports1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Global Pectins Market Research Report 2017 : Industry Growth, Sales, Shares, Types, Demands, Key Vendors - Silvateam, Naturex, Jinfeng Pectin, Ceamsa, Yuning Bio-Tec, CP Kelco

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1070753&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com

Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Pectins in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Pectins market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingCP KelcoDanisco (DuPont)CargillHerbstreith& Fox KGYantai Andre PectinSilvateamNaturexJinfeng PectinPomonas Universal PectinCeamsaYuning Bio-TecOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoHigh Methoxyl (HM) PectinLow Methoxyl (LMC) PectinAmidated Low Methoxyl (LMA) PectinOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Pectins for each application, includingHouseholdCommercialOtherRequest a Free Sample Copy of this Report for more through Insights @Table of Contents1 Pectins Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Pectins1.2 Pectins Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Pectins Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category) (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Pectins Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 High Methoxyl (HM) Pectin1.2.4 Low Methoxyl (LMC) Pectin1.2.5 Amidated Low Methoxyl (LMA) Pectin1.3 Global Pectins Segment by Application1.3.1 Pectins Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Household1.3.3 Commercial1.3.4 Other1.4 Global Pectins Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Pectins Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Pectins (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Pectins Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Pectins Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)QYresearchreports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations.QYresearchreports1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Interestingly, while many states have already ratified the GST bill, Trinamool Congress ruled West Bengal is yet to take up the legislation in the state assembly.

By Indrajit Kundu: West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra has written to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley urging him to defer roll out of the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the country raising concerns about the preparedness of small and medium enterprises to cope with the new tax regime. GST, which is the biggest tax reform in India since independence is set for a July 1 launch across the country.

advertisement

Mitra in his letter writes, "My particular concern relates to the small and medium enterprises of India who are nowhere close to being ready to comply with this major fiscal reform. It is noteworthy that these MSMEs produce around 40 per cent of India's GDP and provide employment to nearly 100 million people."

As the chairman of the empowered committee state finance ministers on GST, Mitra has stated that any "premature GST imposition could jeopardise the entire economy" and is likely to create massive problems for the states and undermines "fiscal federalism".

Interestingly, while many states have already ratified the GST bill, Trinamool Congress ruled West Bengal is yet to take up the legislation in the state assembly. In fact, Amit Mitra also skipped the GST Council meeting in Srinagar this week citing ill health.

According to Mitra, "by introducing GST before the due preparedness of all links in the production chain, a domino effect could be let loose on the economy, undermining all sectors of the economy and particularly adversely affecting the states."

In his letter, Mitra has written that while large industries may be better prepared, their vendors are still struggling to cope with the new tax mechanism. In such a scenario, Mitra states, "larger industries, even if ready on their own, will not be able to seek Input Tax Credit from the production chain."

Also Read:

Under new GST, economy class air travel set to become cheaper from July 1

GST rates finalised: Air-conditioner, refrigerator get cheaper but SUVs will cost more

Watch Video: GST 2017 offers huge relief for common man: No tax on everyday commodities

--- ENDS ---
Rakhi.in is Advancing its Delivery Services for Fulfilling Orders to Send Rakhi to India!

www.rakhi.in/send-rakhi-to-delhi.html

www.rakhi.in/silver-rakhi.html

www.rakhi.in/rakhi-for-brothers.html

www.rakhi.in

The well-acclaimed online Rakhi store of India named as Rakhi.in is striving hard to make Rakhi shopping easy and convenient as it was never before. In addition to awesome Rakhi varieties it also offers facility to send Rakhi to Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata and places across India.New Delhi, Saturday, May 20, 2017: For the people of India, Raksha Bandhan is undoubtedly one of the best times for family get-together. It is the auspicious festival that aims to strengthen the bond of love and care that every brother and sister shares. Now, when the auspicious festival is approaching again, beautiful Rakhis and amazing Rakhi gifts are soon take over every market area. This is the time when sisters start their search for the most beautiful Rakhis which they tie on brothers wrist to strengthen their bond with him. However, brothers get busy to buy Return Rakhi gifts for sister.To make online Rakhi shopping easy for every brother and sister, Rakhi.in has come up with its extensive Rakhi Gifts and online Rakhi collection. This renowned online Rakhi store offers thousands of beautiful Rakhi choices for sisters to buy for their loving brothers. There are exclusive catalogues for Rakhi gifts to find wonderful choices of Return gifts for sisters and Rakhi gifts for brother. In addition to all this, the portal provides qualitative services for Rakhi delivery in India.On Raksha Bandhan not every brother or sister get ease to be together and celebrate the cheerful festival. But, every brother and sister desires the same. At Rakhi.in, we understand and value such emotions and thus, we offer the ease to convey love to brother and sister with Rakhi and Rakhi Gifts delivery in India. Our easy interface and segregated catalogues of Rakhi offers the ease to buy Rakhi online within a matter of few clicks. Moreover, the wide delivery network across the country and worldwide provides the facility to buy as well as Send Rakhi to Delhi (), Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur and places across the country as well as overseas too, said the official representative of the company regarding the services offered for Rakhi Delivery in Delhi and nationwide.Like every year, the portal is planning to bring the most amazing Rakhi collection online before the customers. For the Raksha Bandhan 2017, it is soon to update the ranges of online Rakhi with many new and attractive additions as well as with many amazing Rakhi gift combos and Rakhi gift hampers for brothers and sisters. However, some of the Rakhi varieties like Pearl Rakhi, Designer Rakhi, Silver Rakhi (), Bracelet Rakhi, Kids Rakhi, Stone Studded Rakhi, Fancy Rakhi, Bhaiya Bhabhi Rakhi, Auspicious Rakhi and other are always on high demand on the portal.Gifts on Raksha Bandhan brings a lot of cheerful moments into the celebration. Also, gifts convey happiness and love. Considering all this, Rakhi.in has created its collection of Rakhi gifts that are segregated as Rakhi gift combos, Rakhi gift hampers, Gifts for brother () as well as return gift for sister. Also, considering to every need of every distinctive customer, the portal has created the range of Rakhi Gifts with plentiful options of gifts for Raksha Bandhan that can perfect match very budget constraint.Contact-Rakhi.in is reckoned for being one of the prominent and popular online Rakhi stores of India that aims to cater beautiful Rakhis and Rakhi gifts to the customers with great ease. For brothers and sisters residing miles away the portal offers the facility to send Rakhi to India as well as send Rakhi worldwide. More about the online Rakhi store is available on the website.Media Contact :-Primo Gifts Pvt. Ltd.P-11 2nd Floor Pandav NagarMayur Vihar Phase 1New Delhi-110091Email - support@rakhi.in
Egypt Food and Drink Industry 2015 Market Growth, Sales, Shares, Production, Demands, Revenues & Key Vendors - Juhayna Foods, Faragalla, Cadbury Egypt, Al-Ahram Beverages Co, Majid Al Futtaim

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=314417&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com

The Egypt Food and Drink Industry 2015 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Food and Drink industry.The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Food and Drink market analysis is provided for the Egypt markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status.Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and Bill of Materials cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.The report focuses on Egypt major leading industry players providing information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also carried out. The Food and Drink industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.With 161 tables and figures the report provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Request a Free Sample Copy of this Research Report @Table of ContentsChapter One Industry Overview1.1 Definition and Specifications of Food and Drink1.2 Classification of Food and Drink1.3 Applications of Food and Drink1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Food and Drink1.5 Industry Overview of Food and Drink1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Food and Drink1.7 Industry News Analysis of Food and DrinkChapter Two Analysis of Food and Drink Industry Key Manufacturers2.1 Juhayna Food Industries2.1.1 Company Profile2.1.2 Product Picture and Specification2.1.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross, and Revenue2.1.4 Juhayna Food Industries SWOT Analysis2.2 Cairo Poultry Company2.2.1 Company Profile2.2.2 Product Picture and Specification2.2.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross, and Revenue2.2.4 Cairo Poultry Company SWOT Analysis2.3 Faragalla2.3.1 Company Profile2.3.2 Product Picture and Specification2.3.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross, and Revenue2.3.4 Faragalla SWOT Analysis2.4 Cadbury Egypt2.4.1 Company Profile2.4.2 Product Picture and Specification2.4.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross, and Revenue2.4.4 Cadbury Egypt SWOT Analysis2.5 Al-Ahram Beverages Co (Heineken)2.5.1 Company Profile2.5.2 Product Picture and Specification2.5.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross, and Revenue2.5.4 Al-Ahram Beverages Co (Heineken) SWOT AnalysisQYresearchreports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations.QYresearchreports1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Sendrakhi.com Introduces Online Rakhi Delivery in USA

http://www.sendrakhi.com/usa

http://www.sendrakhi.com/rakhi-with-chocolates

http://www.sendrakhi.com/kids-rakhi

http://www.sendrakhi.com/

Sendrakhi.com is the leading online rakhi store that has gained huge demand among customers. One can send Rakhi to USA and other parts of the world hassle-freely with this reliable portal.Rakhi is celebrated by almost all people of the nation irrespective of caste, religion and state. With its increased popularity, its charm is not limited to just India but also to overseas countries. Many Indians residing there celebrate Raksha Bandhan with full zeal. However, with the passage of time, it becomes a bit difficult for brothers to come to sisters place and celebrate the festival. But this doesnt mean that the festival will lose its shine. Sendrakhi.com is a renowned online portal that allows one to send Rakhi to USA () UK, Canada, Singapore and other all across the world.Sendrakhi.com is the emerging as a powerful name in the e-commerce platform as it gives the benefits of Online Rakhi delivery in USA and makes your brother feel like home. On Raksha Bandhan, sister used to tie Rakhi on the right wrist of brother and offer sweets and pray for his warm wishes. One can buy Rakhi online and send it to brothers address. This online portal allows people to send Rakhi Hampers online worldwide and bridge the gap of distance.No matter where you live on this planet, you can still cherish each and every moment Rakhi with us. Yes, we provide you a chance to send Rakhi to USA from India online. In the vast range of collection that we offer you include Mauli Rakhi, Rudraksha Rakhi, Kundan Rakhi, Fancy Rakhi and lots more that you can select and place an order for it. We assure you to deliver this ordered Rakhi to your brothers shipping address within the promised time. Why only Rakhi? You can also send Rakhi with Chocolates, (), Rakhi with Cards and Rakhi with Flowers to USA. We take pleasure to make your festival a memorable one and a pleasing experience with us. said a spokesperson of the online portal while having a discussion on Raksha Bandhan 2017.In the vast range of Rakhi Collection offered at the portal, one can buy Rakhi online such as Kundan Rakhi, Lumba Rakhi, Diamond Rakhi, Archies Rakhi, Jewelled Rakhi, Handcrafted Rakhi, and Bracelet Rakhi and much more.On further discussion with the official spokesperson of the portal added, We offer worldwide delivery services to our renowned clients. With our Express Delivery services, you can send Rakhi to USA and give surprise to your brother living there. For your kiddo brother, you can buy Kids Rakhi online (), and bring a smile on his face. For an instance, if your brother loves Cartoon character, such as Chota Bheem, Mickey Mouse, and Doremon and so on, you can then send Cartoon Rakhi to USA from India and become a reason of his happiness on this Rakhi. Our offered Rakhi are unique in its design and pattern that you get at a reasonable price from us.Along with amazing collection of Rakhi, the portal also offers Rakhi gift hampers, Rakhi Return Gifts, Rakhi Combos and much more at one place. Therefore, it is simple and easy to send Rakhi to USA, London, New Zealand or any other parts of the world.Contact Us: -+91-8510934032About Us:Sendrakhi.com, an online portal helps you to bring happiness and make your brother delight living in USA. With the help of this rakhi e-store, you can send Rakhi to USA and make Rakhi a memorable occasion for your brother. You can surprise your brother this year and send Rakhi and Rakhi gifts online to USA and shower your love and care on him. For more information, feel free to visit the website of the company.New Delhi- India
Smart Meters Market Revenue, Opportunity, Segment and Key Trends 2017-2025

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2447

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2447

https://www.tmrresearch.com/smart-meters-market

Global Smart Meters Market: OverviewSmart meters are electronic devices that keep track of electric energy, gas, and water consumption in uniform time intervals and sends the information digitally to utility for monitoring and billing. They have been designed to better understand energy usage and ensure accurate energy bills. Besides this, they are also effective in controlling the levels of radioactive emissions in the eco-system. Smart meters are used for electricity, gas, and water and can be deployed across residential, industrial, and commercial sectors. These meters use technologies such as advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and automatic meter reading (AMR).Global Smart Meters Market: Key TrendsGovernment policies are playing a vital role in the growth of the global smart meters market. The ever-rising demand for energy in form of electricity is compelling governments worldwide to pay attention to not just its production and transmission but also keep a check on losses due to theft and leakage. This is promoting the installations of smart meters across the globe. In addition, the growing emphasis on energy and water conservation is augmenting the market. The global smart meters market is also supported by the increasing deployment of smart grid. Furthermore, the rising awareness regarding environment conservation is stoking the growth of the global market.Request Sample Copy of the Report @On the flip side, the lack of awareness among consumers is limiting the widespread adoption of smart meters. Moreover, the high cost of installation makes end users less willing to switch to these meters from traditional meters, thereby hampering the growth prospects of the market.Global Smart Meters Market: Market PotentialThe majority of key players in the global smart meters market are enjoying the encouraging policies by governments in several parts of the world to set up smart meters. For instance, with the digitization of the Energy Turnaround Act in July 2016 in Germany, the legislation established guidelines for initial smart meter rollout, which is set to begin in 2017. These guidelines lay the foundation for a new phase in Energiewende. Similarly, in the U.K. in July 2016, British Gas decided to offer free daytime electricity for one day per weekend to over 2 million customers who had smart meters deployed. Such initiatives encourage people around the world to deploy smart meters, thereby boosting the sales.Request TOC of the Report @Global Smart Meters Market: Geographical SegmentationThe North America market for smart meters is a highly lucrative marketplace for global participants. Continuous efforts by governments to improve the infrastructure pertaining to electricity, water, and gas supply along with deployment of devices that monitor and prevent their leakage are escalating the growth of the region. Governments in several parts of the U.S., and Mexico are rolling out smart meters at subsidized prices, which in turn is encouraging the growth of the market in North America.Asia Pacific, on the other hand, is an emerging market. The robust growth of the industrial sector and the pressing need for reliable systems to address growing electricity and water scarcity are driving the region. Besides this, the increasing investments in repairing and upgrading aging infrastructure and the booming concept of smart city are supplementing the growth of APAC.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Global Smart Meters Market: Competition ScenarioThe high capital investment and technical acumen required for the manufacturing and distribution of smart meters is restricting new players from venturing into the global smart meters market. However, government regulations and strategic partnerships could help new players in overcoming high entry barriers. To deal with the high competitive rivalry, players are resorting to strategies such as product innovation and mergers and acquisitions. Some of the key companies operating in the global smart meters market are Itron Inc., Kamstrup A/S, Holley Metering Ltd., Landis+Gyr, Honeywell International Inc., and Toshiba Corporation.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Well Intervention Market 2017: Industry Research, Review, Growth, Segmentation, Key Players Analysis and Forecast to 2025

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2456

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2456

https://www.tmrresearch.com/well-intervention-market

Global Well Intervention Market: OverviewWell intervention refers to assessing the potential of the well towards the end of its lifecycle. Well intervention operations provide an exact and an accurate analysis and diagnostics of the well to better the production levels through repairs and maintenance. The global well intervention market has been growing at a rapid pace due to the skyrocketing demand for energy. The unstoppable pace of urbanization and industrialization has instigated an unending demand for well maintenance, which necessitates timely interventions. The soaring demand for oil and gas is expected to be the key growth driver for the global well intervention market over the forecast period.Global Well Intervention Market: Key TrendsThe report suggests that the global well intervention market is likely to grow at a healthy CAGR due to rising number of deeper water activities as the subsea well count increases. The need for servicing is likely to soar due to increasing number of subsea wells. Rapid technological advancements have enabled production and exploration of oil and gas in extreme weather conditions and in toughest of terrains. This has resulted in depleting shallow water resources, thereby creating a need for well intervention.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Discoveries of newer oil fields and gas reserves have also triggered significant demand for well intervention. Analysts indicate that the demand for better recovery rates will also compel end users to opt for frequent well interventions in developed fields. Factors such as increased water or sand production, scaling in wells, and reduced pressure have been assessed to bolster the growth of the overall market.Global Well Intervention Market: Market PotentialThe fluctuating oil and gas prices across the globe has drastically affected the well intervention companies. To combat the fallout of volatile political conditions that are negatively impacting business, players in the global well intervention market are focusing on mergers and acquisitions to stay strong against the headwinds. For instance, GE Oil & Gas and Baker Hughes' joined hands in 2016 to add value to their product portfolio. The collaboration will be able to offer better intervention services to the aging oilfields. The companies are looking enable consumers to extract more hydrocarbons from current fields instead of developing new fields. This move is aimed at catering to consumers to are looking at making opex-driven decisions.Request TOC of the Report @Global Well Intervention Market: Regional OutlookFrom a geographic point of view, the global well intervention market is segmented into North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. Of these regional markets, North America well intervention market is expected to lead the pack. Currently, the U.S. holds a dominant share in the regional due to ongoing activities in the shale gas industry. Analysts project that the increasing investments in shale gas in the U.S. are likely to drive the North America well intervention market throughout the forecast period.Meanwhile, the Middle East and Africa market is also likely to experience a robust growth rate. Emerging economies of India and China are also likely to offer the global market a plethora of options to grow in the region of Asia Pacific. The burgeoning demand for oil and gas in these developing countries is expected to propel the Asia Pacific well intervention market over the forecast period.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Key Players Mentioned in this Report are:Some of the key players operating in the global well intervention market are Baker Hughes Incorporated, GE Oil & Gas, Schlumberger Limited, Halliburton Company, Weatherford International plc, Archer Limited, Expro International Group Holdings Ltd., Welltec International ApS, Trican Well Service Ltd., TechnipFMC plc, Basic Energy Services, Inc., Key Energy Services, Inc., Superior Energy Services, Inc., and Lupatech SA , among others.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Building Information Modeling Market: Upcoming Demands and Growth Analysis 2017 - 2025

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2408

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2408

https://www.tmrresearch.com/building-information-modeling-market

Global Building Information Modeling Market: OverviewBuilding information modeling (BIM) is a process based on intelligent 3D modeling that helps in the more efficient management, construction, designing, and planning of infrastructure and buildings. BIM allows construction, engineering, and architecture professionals to gain a decisive insight and get equipped with powerful tools for streamlining their projects. BIM is considered effective in upgrading a projects work quality and productivity and complying with commercial and government BIM mandates.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Building Information Modeling Market: Key TrendsThe adoption of BIM is expected to have a positive impact on the construction sector and eventually on the world BIM market owing to some desirable advantages. These could be related to improvement in the coordination and communication practiced all through the asset lifecycle management process. The world BIM market is also expected to win traction on account of mandates regarding the application of BIM imposed by governments in developed nations. Other factors that could raise the growth bar for the world BIM market include the benefits of enhanced productivity and optimized project performance promised on the back of the adoption of BIM.For the forecast period 20172025, the industrial application is prognosticated to expand at a telling rate in the world BIM market. The industrial sector could draw lucrative growth opportunities for the world BIM market because of the adoption of BIM making possible digital prototyping simulation and analysis which help shorten the construction period. This allows construction projects to reduce risks and regularly upgrade productivity. BIM software pampering construction projects with the benefits of design modeling and fulfillment of their demand for economical processes are anticipated to set the tone for a powerful growth in the world BIM market.Request TOC of the Report @Global Building Information Modeling Market: Market PotentialThe gargantuan data center worth US$1.0 bn of Facebook, Inc. is expected to implement the technological merger of BIM software and real-time drone photos making a 3D collage by DPR Construction. This is envisaged to add value to the building procedure, according to the technology integration manager of the construction company. The company will employ licensed pilots to fly drones for calculating dirt levels and other progress in the construction process. The drone technology will also be implemented to construct the second phase of the campus.Global Building Information Modeling Market: Regional OutlookDuring the forecast period, the leading share in the international BIM market is predicted to be earned by North America. The key factors empowering the rise of the North America BIM market could be the ballooning awareness about the advantages of BIM among contractors and constructors and steadfast residential and commercial constructions. Industrial, civil infrastructure, and building applications in the international BIM market could showcase dominance while helping Europe to grab a larger share following North America.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@The high cost of BIM software and tools increasing the overall cost of projects could bruise the demand of the international BIM market. However, participants are foreseen to achieve profits against the odds in the international BIM market through strategic partnerships and robust distribution network. Autodesk, Inc., a U.S. company, is a ruling provider of software solutions in the international BIM market which serves the real estate, industrial, construction management, and architecture sectors.Global Building Information Modeling Market: Competitive LandscapeBesides strategic collaborations, companies operating the worldwide BIM market are prophesied to focus on the development of advanced technologies such as next-gen platforms and continued expansion in emerging regions. Lately, Autodesk, Inc. has partnered with Qatar Rail, Tata Consulting Engineers Ltd., and NASA Ames Research Center and is looking to stride forward while riding on technological advancements in 3D modeling. Some of the top companies in the worldwide BIM market are Asite Ltd., Bentley System, Inc., Trimble Navigation Limited, and Nemetschek SE.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todayas supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clientsa conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Electronic Toll Collection Market Future Trends and Scope Analysis By 2025

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2417

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2417

https://www.tmrresearch.com/electronic-toll-collection-market

Global Electronic Toll Collection Market: OverviewElectronic toll collection (TEC) systems are devices that enable the central management of toll operations via a single integrated solution. Eliminating delay on highways and roadways, the system ensures that toll payment is made electronically in a hassle-free manner.The global electronic toll collection system market can be segmented by application, region, product type, and technology. By product type, the global market for electronic toll collection can be segmented into antennae, treadles, transponders, weigh-in-motion devices, film storage devices, cameras, communication systems, and scanning devices. By technology, the market can be categorized into global positioning system (GPS), dedicated short range communications (DSRC), radio-frequency identification, and global navigation satellite system (GNSS).Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Electronic Toll Collection Market: Key TrendsAs these systems eliminate manual operations by toll receivers and payers, the demand for electronic toll collection is likely to witness an upsurge. Cashless transactions offered by electronic toll collection systems do not only save travel time, but also minimizes traffic congestion near toll collection booths across roads and highways. Electronic toll collection systems offer cost-efficient solutions that are faster too. The need for multiple toll plazas is ruled out owing to the installation of electronic toll collection systems, saving additional costs. However, high dependence on government funding and high installation costs of these devices might restrain the growth of the market.Global Electronic Toll Collection Market: Market PotentialA number of emerging economies are increasingly addressing the need to adopt time and cost efficient electronic toll collection systems throughout the major cities. For instance, in India, the National Payments Corporation of India has been encouraging several highways to install electronic toll collection systems with a view to increase digital payments across the country, supporting the cashless economy initiative of the government.Request TOC of the Report @Nearly 14-16% of the toll collection in the country has been converted into electronic mediums, with the transaction number rising up to 7 million per month, reported the National Electronic Toll Collection in April 2017. The availability of advanced, easy, and convenient digital platforms for payment such as BharatQR and Samsung Pay has eliminated the waiting time required for card swipes.Similarly, in April 2017, the Transport Minister of Vietnam ordered swift installations of electronic toll collection equipment across the major highways of the country. Malaysia is another nation which has been promoting the adoption of electronic toll collection systems via its PLUS highways that offer cashless, fully electronic payments. Features such as Touch n Go Card, PlusMiles Card, and SmartTag have enabled smooth transactions, ensuring that 600 vehicles can pass through a TnG lane per hour, compared to 180 vehicles per hour that previously paid manually.Global Electronic Toll Collection Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, the global market for electronic toll collection market can be segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. North America is expected to advance at a rapid pace due to the growing demand for safe, efficient, and secure toll collection infrastructure. The growing demand for electronic toll collection systems in Asia Pacific can be attributed to favorable government policies, growing investments in infrastructural development, and increasing adoption of automation across several regions. Singapore, India, Malaysia, China, and Thailand are expected to represent a large slice of revenue of the overall market.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Global Electronic Toll Collection Market: Competitive AnalysisCubic Transportation Systems, Inc., 3M, EFKON AG, Kapsch TrafficCom, Xerox Corporation, Q-Free, Toll Collect GmbH, TransCore, Far Eastern Electronic Toll Collection Co., Ltd., Transurban Limited, VaaaN, Raytheon Company, and Schneider Electric SE are some of the leading companies operating in the global electronic toll collection market.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todayas supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clientsa conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Integrated Passive Devices Market - Growth Forecast Analysis by Manufacturers, Regions, Types and Applications to 2025

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2435

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2435

https://www.tmrresearch.com/integrated-passive-devices-market

Global Integrated Passive Devices Market: OverviewIntegrated passive devices are gaining popularity due to soaring needs for further reduction in size and cost and increment in functionality in handheld devices. These devices enable miniaturization of devices by combining different functional blocks, including couplers, impedance matching devices, harmonic filters, and baluns, and integrating them into one semiconductor chip. There are primarily three types of integrated passive devices, which are electrostatic discharge (ESD), electromagnetic interference (EMI), and radio frequency (RF). They find application in LED lighting, data converters, and EMI/RFI filtering. The report provides a 360-degree view of the global integrated passive devices market.Global Integrated Passive Devices Market: Key TrendsThe rising adoption of integrated passive devices in consumer electronics is one of the primary forces behind the remarkable growth of the global integrated passive devices market. Integrated passive devices are being increasingly acknowledged due to their ability to reduce costs and interconnection complexities in electronic devices and enhancing yield, reliability, and tolerance. The increasing integration of these devices with RF modules is also working in favor of the market.Request Sample Copy of the Report @On the flip side, the higher cost of these devices as compared to discrete component is restricting the global integrated passive devices market from realizing its utmost potential. Moreover, the longer product design cycle due to the RF tuning of these devices is negatively impacting the growth of the market.Global Integrated Passive Devices Market: Market PotentialA raft of players are bonking on mergers and acquisitions to strengthen their product portfolio and enhance their visibility in the global integrated passive devices market. A case in point is Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd., (Murata), which in October 2016 announced the acquisition of IPDiA. The acquisition will help the former in stepping up its game in the market and also strengthen its business within the sectors such as automotive, communication, and medical. Moreover, it will facilitate them in manufacturing leading edge integrated passive devices. The introduction of such devices is likely to revolutionize the global integrated passive devices market.Request TOC of the Report @Global Integrated Passive Devices Market: Geographical SegmentationThe key regions reviewed in the report are North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. Europe will represent a substantial share in the global arena. A large number of integrated passive devices manufacturers are headquartered in the region. Moreover, the early adoption of novel technologies and strong demand for wearable devices and consumer electronics are creating fertile ground for the growth of the integrated passive devices market in the region.Asia Pacific is a highly promising market. The rapid development in the telecommunication infrastructure and rising demand for consumer electronics and communication devices are supplementing the growth of the region. Emerging countries such as South Korea, India, and China will be the sights of high growth rate in the region.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Global Integrated Passive Devices Market: Competitive LandscapeThe majority of large players in the global integrated passive devices market are investing sizeable funds in research and development activities to introduce advanced and innovative products, which will help them in staying ahead in the market. Companies are also focusing towards mergers and acquisitions to expand and diversify their product portfolio. Some of the prominent global participants in the market are On Semiconductor, Infineon Technologies AG, Stats ChipPAC, Amkor Technology Inc., Murata-IPDiA, STMicroelectronics, Onchip Devices, and AFSC.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todayas supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clientsa conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Smart Factory Market: Industry Survey and Industry Outlook 2025

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2444

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2444

https://www.tmrresearch.com/smart-factory-market

Global Smart Factory Market: OverviewThe global smart factory sector has been propelled by the need for efficient and precise ways of operating a manufacturing unit. The increasing adoption of industrial robots in the global manufacturing sector was the first step for the smart factory market. Modern factories incorporate sophisticated industrial robotic systems, Internet of Things technology, and machine communication technology to enable smooth automated manufacturing. The rising government support to the smart factory sector, due to their increased output and the benefit of the same on the nations economy, is likely to enable sustained growth of the smart factory market in the coming years.Global Smart Factory Market: Key TrendsThe rising demand for industrial robots and the steady technological progression of the industrial robotics sector is one of the key drivers for the global smart factory market. Industrial robots offer significantly higher precision and a lower error rate than human workers. Large-scale use of industrial robots also raises the productivity of the manufacturing unit, providing a significant cost advantage. As a result, human factory workers across the world could find themselves without a livelihood following steady growth of the global smart factory market.Request Sample Copy of the Report @The booming automotive industry is one of the prime consumers in the global smart factory market and is likely to remain influential in the smart factory sector in the coming years. Due to the rising need for extremely precise engineering in automotive design, smart factory solutions such as industrial robotics are becoming popular in the automotive industry. The steady growth of the automotive industry due to the rising disposable income of consumers across the world is thus one of the key drivers for the global smart factory market in the coming years. The rising automotive industry in Southeastern and Eastern Asia could play a particularly important role in the global smart factory market in the coming years.Global Smart Factory Market: Market PotentialSouth Korea is likely to be a leading regional market for smart factory technology in Asia Pacific due to rising government as well as corporate interest. The South Korean government had earlier set the target of having 10,000 smart factories operational in the country by 2020. In April 2017, the government extended its support to the smart factory market in the country by upping the target to 30,000 smart factories by 2025. South Koreas determination to remain a leading light in the industrial sector has made it a pioneer in terms of the adoption of digital and automation technologies, which is likely to benefit the smart factory market immensely in the coming years.Request TOC of the Report @Global Smart Factory Market: Geographical DynamicsDeveloping countries in Asia Pacific are likely to be the dominant leaders in the global smart factory market in the coming years. Apart from South Korea, the smart factory market has also received steady government support in China, Japan, Taiwan, and India. The rapid pace of urbanization in these dynamic economies is a prime factor aiding the smart factory markets growth in the region.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Global Smart Factory Market: Competitive DynamicsThe global smart factory market is dominated by companies that have established mutually beneficial partnerships with technology companies. Fanuc-Cisco and Kuka-Huawei are among the leading lights in the global smart factory market. ABB-IBM, a relatively recent collaboration, could also play a key role in the development of the global smart factory market in the coming years. Other key players in the global smart factory market include Emerson Electric Co., General Electric Co., Atos SE, Schneider Electric SE, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Robert Bosch GmbH, Siemens AG, and Yaskawa Electric.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todayas supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clientsa conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Core HR Software Market - Detailed Analysis and Forecast by 2025

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2465

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2465

https://www.tmrresearch.com/core-hr-software-market

Global Core HR Software Market: OverviewAlso known as human resource (HR) information systems (HRIS), core HR software consist of a central record system that can store employee data such as benefits and payroll information. HR managers engage such software to report key trends of their organization and track employee records. Without interrupting the workflow of HR department, employees can update their corporate information with self-service options of core HR software. In order to improve their value across various HR functions, companies adopting the software could integrate them with third-party HR applications and incorporate them in integrated HR management suite.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Core HR Software Market: Key TrendsThe world core HR software market is prognosticated to receive a strong impetus from numerous factors such as increasing adoption of automation for executing HR processes and furtherance in mobile and cloud deployment. Participants wanting to establish their position in the world core HR software market could find lucrative opportunities from several verticals boosting growth, such as healthcare, consumer goods and retail, energy and utilities, manufacturing, and government. Out of all these verticals and more, the government vertical is anticipated to secure a larger market size during the course of the forecast period.Vendors offering a single point of contact and range of services, including on-premise deployment or deployment on the cloud, for companies to perform different business activities are expected to operate on the greener pastures of the world core HR software market. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could provide significant opportunities for growth in the world core HR software market on account of their augmenting investments in business software and need to adopt quick and efficient strategies for securing business growth. Vendors looking to increase demand in the world core HR software market are predicted to capitalize on the requirement of SMEs to ease resource crunch and improve cost optimization.Request TOC of the Report @Global Core HR Software Market: Market PotentialApproximately 23,000 employees at Life Care Services will be using the Oracle HCM Cloud human resource management software in a couple of phases, i.e. November 2017 and January 2018. A highlight global feature of Oracle HCM Cloud assists HR departments to administer employee payroll in several countries. However, the software also includes other vital core HR functions. Life Care Services expects to enhance its data and scale integrity by integrating functions presently managed by a set of diverse HR products. The company thinks the move to replace its Oracle on-premises software and other bolt-on systems will prove to be a game changer for keeping ahead of competitors in the industry.Global Core HR Software Market: Regional OutlookNorth America is prophesied to win the race of achieving a higher share in the international core HR software market during the forecast period. The dominance of the North America core HR software market could be attributed to a telling adoption of cloud platforms, smartphones, and newer technologies. Most emerging players making a mark in the core HR software market for North America are envisaged to achieve success by meeting the requirements of HR professionals by offering flexible, customized, and differentiated products. Other regions that could be important for the growth of the international core HR software market are Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Global Core HR Software Market: Competitive LandscapeWith a view to extend their offerings in the worldwide core HR software market, industry players are envisioned to take to inorganic and organic growth strategies that include acquisitions and mergers, collaborations and partnerships, and new product launches. Some of the major companies projected to impact the worldwide core HR software market could be IBM Corporation, EmployWise, CoreHR, Ceridian HCM, Inc., and ADP.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Cops found him cooped up at a poultry farm. Among the people Satish allegedly killed since jumping parole in 2008 was Raju Sethi, a close aide of another gangster, Sandeep Gadoli.

By Ajay Kumar: When a court allowed life prisoner Satish to be free for a month, he decided to take care of some unfinished business.

The gangster from Haryana jumped parole while he and his associates allegedly murdered nine people before the long arm of the law reeled him back in. Satish, alias Kaala, alias Mauna is among five dreaded criminals accused of over a dozen murders who were netted by Gurugram crime branch in an operation on Thursday.

advertisement

Cops found him cooped up at a poultry farm. Among the people Satish allegedly killed since jumping parole in 2008 was Raju Sethi, a close aide of another gangster, Sandeep Gadoli.

"That was supari killing and the contract was given by dreaded gangster of Gurugram Birender Singh Dayma, alias Bindar Gujjar," a senior police officer said.

Sethi was gunned down at a petrol pump on Diwali in 2015. The murder triggered a gang war in Gurugram, which led to Gadoli's death in February 2016 when five crime branch officers killed him at a Mumbai hotel in an alleged fake encounter. Bindar Gujjar had reportedly paid the cops Rs 5 crore to eliminate Gadoli.

Four of the policemen were arrested. But the murder of a real estate agent in Gurugram brought the focus back on Satish. Bharat Bhushan was shot multiple times and his body was found in a vacant plot adjacent to his office on March 10. Cops suspected the involvement of Satish and his men. "The matter was quite sensitive as the influence of Satish was rising in the area.

SATISH GETS LIFE IMPRISONMENT

The crime branch team acted on a tip-off that Satish and his gang members were hiding in a poultry farm at Hisar's Haibalpur village. They raided the place and nabbed them on Thursday," said Sandeep Khirwar, commissioner of police, Gurugram.

Apart from Satish, who had a Rs 1-lakh bounty on his head, his close aide Arvind, alias Pundit, with a Rs 50,000 bounty, was also nabbed. The other members of the gang were identified as Naresh, alias Pahalwan, Surender, alias Fauji, and Aswani, alias Pannu.

The crime branch team also recovered two country-made revolvers, one pistol, 30 live bullets and a car from their possession. Satish, a native of Kilod village in Haryana's Sonipat district entered the world of crime in 2000 when he allegedly murdered a person from his own village.

He was then linked to the killing of two more people from his native district. Sonipat police arrested him on the charge of murder and during the trial he allegedly killed an inmate at the district jail. He was then awarded life imprisonment by a Sonipat court in all four murders and was behind bars for eight years until he got parole for a month due to good behaviour.

advertisement

"After he was released on parole for one month, he never returned to jail again and carried on with his old crimes, including murders and killing on contract," Khirwar said. Satish allegedly committed four murders in 2010 and attacked the personal assistant of MLA Satpal Sangwan the next year. He was purportedly caught on CCTV camera chasing and killing Raju Sethi. Gurugram cops also suspect that Satish and his gang have close links with some notorious gangsters from Delhi.

--- ENDS ---
Legal Process Outsourcing Services Market - Detailed Study Analysis and Forecast by 2025

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2360

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2360

https://www.tmrresearch.com/legal-process-outsourcing-services-market

Global Legal Process Outsourcing Services Market: OverviewThe global legal process outsourcing (LPO) services market is driven by the increasing proliferation of risk management practices. There are several challenges faced by companies across the globe, which includes risk factors pertaining to technological, economic, and operational factors in internal and external businesses. This is expected to push companies across the globe to opt for legal process outsourcing, which allows companies to focus on other important aspects of their businesses, which can otherwise be obstructed on account of key resources being used for handling legal processes.Legal process outsourcing offer risk management processes and legal outsourcing services, which can help ward off potential business threats. Thus, many organizations are implementing risk management solutions, which are proving to be beneficial for them. This is expected to heighten the demand for legal process outsourcing services, to handle and manage risks.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Legal Process Outsourcing Services Market: Key TrendsIt is estimated that contract management outsourcing will hold key shares in the market during the forecast period. The reason behind the increasing demand for contract management outsourcing is its use in several processes such as the review and analysis of contracts, summarization of contracts, contractual risk analysis, paper and electronic document integration, and for quality management processes. In addition to this, contract management solutions also help in the verification of the contracts to check if they are ready for auditing.Global Legal Process Outsourcing Services Market: Market PotentialPredictive coding integration with legal process outsourcing services is expected to push the growth of the market in the coming years. LPO services are being delivered by making use of predictive coding technology. Advanced analytics are also being used by legal process outsourcing services for their delivery. Both predictive coding technology and advanced analytics are being used to co-ordinate IT departments and litigation support so as to manage the litigation support services cycle. Companies such as Legal Advantage combine accuracy, dependability, and client service for retaining their clients.Request TOC of the Report @Global Legal Process Outsourcing Services Market: Regional OutlookOn the basis of geography, the global legal process outsourcing services market is segmented into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World. Of these, North America not only led in this market in the past but is also leading currently, and will continue to do so in the coming years. It is the presence of a large number of prominent players in North America, which is expected to be behind the high growth of the legal process outsourcing services market. These players are offering legal services at very low wages and this is encouraging an increasing number of organizations to adopt legal process outsourcing services, thus boosting the growth of the market in the region.Global Legal Process Outsourcing Services Market: Competitive LandscapeThe global legal process outsourcing services market is highly diversified. The market is also characterized by intense competition. There exist a large number of international and regional players operating in the legal process outsourcing services market. Players are adopting the strategy of beating each other by competing in the pricing of legal services provided. Players are also striving to expand their product portfolio. Some of the other areas of focus by key players include IT security, compliance, innovation, acquiring domain expertise, and offering LPO service quality. All these factors are keeping vendors in constant competition and is encouraging the growth of the global legal process outsourcing services market.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Some of the key players in the global legal process outsourcing services market are Clutch, Capita, Infosys, Capgemini, Cobra Legal Solutions, Integreon, Cobra Legal Solutions, QuisLex, Mindcrest, UnitedLex, CPA Global, HCL Technologies, Exigent, Legal Advantage, NewGalexy, LegalBase, Nextlaw Labs, WNS, and Wipro.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Online Survey Software Market Future Trends and Scope Analysis By 2025

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2348

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2348

https://www.tmrresearch.com/online-survey-software-market

Global Online Survey Software Market: OverviewThe ever-changing consumer behaviour patterns and the increasing need among sellers to understand it has largely fueled the growth of the global online survey software market. The growing e-commerce activity that is indicative of the fluctuating and changing consumer spending habits can be effectively scrutinized through online survey software. Widespread internet penetration and the improving access to high-speed internet have drastically propelled the demand for online products and services. Additionally, the increasing expenditure on online marketing have resulted in surveys being conducted to allow companies to reach out to a wider audience in the remotest areas. All of these factors will be collectively responsible for the soaring revenues of the global online survey software market in the near future.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Online Survey Software Market: Key TrendsThe global online survey software market is likely to witness intense competition in the coming years due to a presence of large number of national and international players in the market. These companies are expected to compete on the basis of technologies, product differentiation, services, quality, and price modeling among others. The geographical reach of these companies is also projected to be instrumental in defining the growth of the global online survey software market.Currently, the key users of global online survey software are market research firms, manufacturing units, financial services, and the retail sector. Of these, the market research firms hold a lions share in the global market and are expected to dominate in the revenue contributions in the coming years as well. Market research firms extensively use online software solutions, implementation of advanced software, data analytics tools, cloud-based online survey software, along with other features to implement web-based surveys for qualitative and quantitative analysis for various products and services. Analysts project that advantages such as efficient management of complex market research projects, swift data collection, ability to collect responses from global respondents, and tremendous help in generating accurate report based on the collected information is making these software famous amongst market research firms.Request TOC of the Report @Global Online Survey Software Market: Market PotentialExpansion is expected to be an important move for several online survey software companies. For instance, US-based Qualtrics stated that it intends to expand to Asia Pacific region along with its plans to tap into the Australian market. In line with this move, the company plans to open offices in Brisbane, Singapore, and Japan in the coming few years. The talk about Qualtrics going public has also been going around in the industry. Qualtrics recently announced the launch of its new product, the XM Platform, which brings together brand, product, employee, and customer experience to help users understand their consumers better.Global Online Survey Software Market: Regional OutlookFrom a geographic point of view, the global online survey software market is segmented into the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. The Americas held a dominant share in the global market in 2016. The region is estimated to continue its dominance in the coming years due to a high adoption rate of technology. Users are opting for cloud-based online surveys as opposed to on-premise methods due to their convenience and ease of access. The online survey software market in the Americas will also be propelled by the strong presence of leading players in the region.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Key Players Mentioned in this Report are:Some of the leading players operating in the global online survey software market are CloudCherry, Getfeedback, Campaign Monitor, Medallia, Inqwise, QuestionPro, SoGoSurvey, Toluna, Zoho, SurveyGizmo, Confirmit, Qualtrics, and SurveyMonkey.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Pharmaceutical Robots Market : Recent Industry Trends and Projected Industry Growth, 2017 - 2025

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2381

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2381

https://www.tmrresearch.com/pharmaceutical-robots-market

Global Pharmaceutical Robots Market: OverviewPharmaceutical robots find application in laboratories and pharmacies and in various drug manufacturing processes. Robotics are also used by hospitals for numerous pharmaceutical applications that include mixing hazardous oncological drugs and formulations emitting harmful radiations. Over the past few years, the adoption of robotics in the pharmaceutical industry has been markedly slower than in other industries. Nonetheless, in recent years, the application of robotics and automation technologies in pharmaceutical manufacturing, production operations, and distribution systems, has gathered pace.Robots find wide applications in automating a variety of repetitive tasks, mainly in hazardous environments. The application of different types of pick-and-place machines for the development of different pharmaceutical products is growing too.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Pharmaceutical Robots Market: Key TrendsThe soaring demand for new drugs and formulations has egged a number of pharmaceutical companies to explore new ways to make better and less expensive drugs. This is a key factor propelling the pharmaceutical robots market. The demand for automated filling, inspection, and packaging in pharmaceutical manufacturing are other factors driving the market. The use of robots in potentially hazardous settings such as those prone to radioactive radiations, biological dangers, and cross-contamination in cleanrooms has boosted the uptake of robots in the pharmaceutical industry. Various advantages of using pharmaceutical robots include remarkably high precision and speed in drug formulation, significantly reduced overhead costs, elimination in human error, and high reproducibility. Rising awareness of these benefits is expected to fuel the application of pharmaceutical robots.Global Pharmaceutical Robots Market: Market PotentialRobotic technologies are increasingly being adopted in automated syringe assemblies, inspections, and packaging. The use of pharmaceutical robots is gaining prominence in sterile environments. This is attributed to their dexterity and reliability in reducing risks arising from environmental contamination and in eliminating cross-contamination between humans and components. Witnessing the vast potential of robots in the pharmaceutical sector, leading manufacturers of pharmaceutical process equipment are making product innovations.Request TOC of the Report @Steriline, a global manufacturer and supplier of specialized process equipment in the pharmaceutical sector, has recently expanded its robotics solutions for the aseptic processing of pharmaceutical products. The European manufacturer will preview its new Robotic Pulsed Light Sterilizer (RPLS1) at interpack 2017, a leading event scheduled to take place in Dusseldorf starting May 4, 2017. The robotic solution is the first-of-its kind to adopt the pulsed light sterilizer technology for ready-to-use (RTU) nest sterilization. RPLS1 can be connected to any RTU filling machine and can sterilize cartridges, syringes, and vials. Easy and cost-effective to install, the robotic device boasts of a processing capacity of 120 tubs/h. Besides enhanced efficiency, it is safe as well, claims the company.Global Pharmaceutical Robots Market: Regional OutlookThe regional markets for pharmaceutical robots covered in the report are North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Asia Pacific, among them, is a lucrative market that is expected expand at a significant CAGR over the forecast period. The growing number of domestic industrial robotic companies, advances in the pharmaceutical sector, and soaring investment in the robotics industry are the key factors boosting the pharmaceutical robots market in the region. In addition, growing number of conferences and exhibitions aimed to create awareness about the adoption of automated technologies is also expected to stimulate the demand for pharmaceutical robots.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Global Pharmaceutical Robots Market: Competitive AnalysisMajor companies operating in the global pharmaceutical robots market, profiled in the report are Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., FANUC Corporation, KUKA AG, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, ABB Ltd., Denso Corporation, Seiko Epson Corporation, Marchesini Group S.p.A, Universal Robots A/S, and Yaskawa Electric Corporation.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todayas supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clientsa conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Dental Consumables Market Studies Research 2017 Detailed Analysis of Restrain and Growth Factors

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2342

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2342

https://www.tmrresearch.com/dental-consumables-market

Global Dental Consumables Market: OverviewThe global dental consumables market is driven by a growing importance for medical esthetics, which is a clinical subspecialty concentrating on the improvement or enhancement of the appearance by making use of cosmetic treatments. A number of MI procedures are used for the enhancement of an individuals appearance. The use of dental implantation among others has become popular for people as they are inclined towards having a healthy and natural appearance. The use of colored braces, invisible orthodontics, colored dentures, and tooth coloration are cosmetic dental procedures that are increasingly becoming popular. This growing trend of medical esthetics is anticipated to propel the global dental consumables market in the forecast period.Global Dental Consumables Market: Key TrendsBy product, the dental implants segment led in 2016 and is most likely to continue in its leading position. Growing popularity of laser treatment and high durability, osseointegration, and biocompatibility of dental implants are behind the growth of this segment. On the basis of end user, the market is led by the dental clinics segment. The use of advanced technologies such as digital dentistry in dental clinics has led to the growth of this segment in the dental consumables market. The collaboration of dental clinics with insurance companies offering dental coverage is also boosting the growth of the segment as this reduces the expenses of dental treatment.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Dental Consumables Market: Market PotentialCompanies such as Institut Straumann offer a broad range of prosthetics for the restoration of compromised teeth as well as to complete the implant solutions. The company makes use of CADCAM technology for the manufacturing of veneers, in-lays, crowns, on-lays, and bridges. The company also offers digital solutions package, including guided surgery, and intra oral scanning.Dentsply Sirona, another leading player has developed preventive oral care solutions and also provides restorative solutions such as disposables that prevent infection and chemistries that can be used for the whole procedure. These developments help in the optimal workflow and provide comfort for patients.Request TOC of the Report @Global Dental Consumables Market: Regional OutlookOn the basis of geography, the global dental consumables market is segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and the Rest of the World. Of these, the North America dental consumables market is leading at present and is anticipated to continue to lead during the forecast period on account of the enhanced healthcare facilities available in countries such as Canada, the U.S., and Brazil. These countries are taking great efforts to improve the healthcare facilities and also provide dental care services to the population. Medical tourism is another factor which is expected to augment the growth of the global dental consumables market in the coming years.Global Dental Consumables Market: Competitive LandscapeThe global dental consumables market is highly fragmented and is characterized by the presence of several regional and established international vendors. Some of the leading vendors operating in the global dental consumables market are: Danaher, Sirona Institut, Dentsply, Zimmer, Biomet, and Straumann. These players are responsible for making the market competition high by developing a wide range of products that make use of advance technology. The players in the market are competing with each other on the basis of device cost, procedure cost, waiting period, and insurance coverage.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Some of the other vendors in the market include: 3M, A.B. Dental Devices, 3Shape, ADIN Dental Implant Systems, BioHorizons, Align Technology, Biotech Dental, Carestream Health, Camlog Holding, Cortex Dental, Dentatus, GC, E4D, Glidewell Laboratories, HIOSSEN, Heraeus Holding, Southern Implants, Sweden & Martina, SGS Dental, and TRI Dental Implants.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Gynecology Surgical Devices Market - Detailed Analysis and Forecast by 2025

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2357

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2357

https://www.tmrresearch.com/gynecology-surgical-devices-market

Global Gynecology Surgical Devices Market: OverviewGynecology devices are used for the treatment of diseases and disorders related to the female reproductive system. Some of the commonly used devices are endoscopy devices, ablation systems, female sterilization and contraceptive devices, and fluid management system. The demand for female sterilization and contraceptive devices is expected to remain strong over the coming years, owing to the increasing emphasis on family planning. These devices are used across hospitals, fertility and specialty gynecology clinics, and ambulatory surgical center (ASCs).Global Gynecology Surgical Devices Market: Key TrendsThe expanding base of women suffering from gynecological disorders is by far the leading factor stimulating the growth of the global market for gynecology surgical devices. Lifestyle-related factors such as unsafe intercourse, smoking, and obesity are leading to the greater chances of gynecological disorders. The growing inclination towards minimally invasive surgical procedures is working in favor of the market. Merits of these procedures such as reduction in hospital stay, recovery time, and postoperative pain aid in enhancing the overall surgical results. Moreover, the increasing healthcare expenditure and rapid technological advancements are stoking the growth of the gynecology surgical devices market.Request Sample Copy of the Report @However, the high cost of surgical procedures is hampering the uptake of gynecology surgical devices. Furthermore, delays in the approvals of these devices by regulatory authorities are keeping the market from realizing its utmost potential.Global Gynecology Surgical Devices Market: Market PotentialA raft of players are looking at mergers and acquisitions as a growth strategy to enable greater innovation and geographic reach. The market is, therefore, expected to witness rise in the trend of mergers and acquisitions. A case in point is Medtronic, which in May 2016, acquired Smith and Nephews gynecology business for US$350 mn. The acquisition is said to expand the existing gynecology portfolio of Medtronic and will give the company golden opportunities to further develop and explore global therapies and solutions. Such acquisitions are anticipated to improve the way gynecology surgeries are performed, thereby rendering the global gynecology surgical devices market highly opportunistic.Request TOC of the Report @Global Gynecology Surgical Devices Market: Geographical SegmentationThe segments analyzed in the report on the basis of geography are North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. North America represents a large share in the global arena. The large-scale availability of technologically advanced computer-guided screening tests and favorable regulatory policies are contributing to the growth of the region. Extensive research practices and high disposable income of the populace are also fuelling the growth of North America.Asia Pacific, on the other hand, is likely to witness significant growth during the forecast period. The growth of the region can be improving healthcare infrastructure and rising consumer disposable income. The growing prevalence of gynecological disorders along with the increasing awareness regarding the benefits of early diagnosis of such problems is benefiting the growth of the region. The flourishing growth of the medical tourism sector is also encouraging the growth of APAC.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Global Gynecology Surgical Devices Market: Market PotentialThe global gynecology surgical devices market is a highly competitive arena, comprising of many international and regional players. A large number of players are involved in mergers and acquisitions in order to set up a strong product line. The growing investments by fertility centers and hospitals in the development of efficient and reliable gynecological surgical devices are luring in new players to venture into the market. Some of the prominent companies operating in the market are Olympus Medical, Medtronic, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Richard Wolf, MedGyn Products, Karl Storz, Minerva Surgical, Boston Scientific, NovaTract Surgical, CooperSurgical, CONMED, Hologic, Carl Zeiss Meditec, and Intuitive Surgical.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Radiofrequency Ablation Market - Detailed Study Analysis and Forecast by 2025

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2363

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2363

https://www.tmrresearch.com/radiofrequency-ablation-market

Global Radiofrequency Ablation Market: OverviewRadiofrequency ablation is an analgesic procedure wherein radiofrequency waves are targeted on particular muscles or muscle groups. The radiofrequency waves create an electric current, which is used to emit heat onto the affected area. This temporarily deadens the nerve cells in the applied area, leading to reduction in pain. The global radiofrequency ablation market has benefited significantly from the rising demand for noninvasive and minimally invasive medical procedures. Radiofrequency ablation is likely to receive sustained demand from the healthcare sector, particularly in developed countries with government-backed healthcare programs, due to the rising prevalence of spinal conditions in urban populations.Global Radiofrequency Ablation Market: Key TrendsThe rising adherence to a sedentary lifestyle, particularly in developed and developing urban centers, has the potential to remain a key driver for the global radiofrequency ablation market in the coming years. The increasing share of the urban population doing sedentary jobs has resulted in an increasing prevalence of problems related to the spine and shoulders. The reliable utility of radiofrequency ablation in relieving muscle pain and tension has ensured a safe growth trajectory for the global radiofrequency ablation market.Request Sample Copy of the Report @The key benefit presented by radiofrequency ablation is its minimally invasive nature. This not only makes radiofrequency ablation more convenient for doctors as well as patients, but also keeps it safe from environmental contaminants such as microbes.Global Radiofrequency Ablation Market: Market PotentialThe global radiofrequency ablation market could play a key role in the development of cancer therapeutics in the coming years. Due to the minimally invasive nature of radiofrequency ablation and its effectiveness in deadening cells and nerve ending, radiofrequency ablation has frequently been tried in the treatment of cancers such as metastatic sarcomas. Due to the attention being provided to cancer research, the radiofrequency ablation market could be set for steady growth if its utility in cancer treatment is established.Request TOC of the Report @Global Radiofrequency Ablation Market: Geographical DynamicsThe global radiofrequency ablation market is dominated by North America. The ready availability of sophisticated healthcare infrastructure, due to steady government support, has aided the growth of the radiofrequency ablation market in the region and is likely to remain a key driver for the market in the coming years. The rising incidence of chronic muscle disorders in North America is a prime driver for the radiofrequency ablation market in the region. Latin America is also an important region in the global radiofrequency ablation market and could become a steady consumer over the coming years, as several countries in the region have initiated large-scale development programs in the healthcare sector in recent years.Emerging countries in Asia Pacific such as India and China are also likely to play a key role in the growth of the global radiofrequency ablation market in the coming years. The rising awareness regarding the need for technologically advanced equipment in the healthcare sector has driven steady investment in the healthcare sector in emerging economies and is likely to remain a key growth driver for the radiofrequency ablation market in the coming years.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Global Radiofrequency Ablation Market: Competitive DynamicsThe report presents a comprehensive picture of the competitive dynamics of the global radiofrequency ablation market. Key players in the market, such as Boston Scientific, Stryker, Medtronic, and St. Jude Medical are profiled in the report. This section delivers a comprehensive analysis of the successful strategies adopted by players in the radiofrequency ablation market, the business and financial dynamics of the leading players, and the overall trends shaping the space in the global radiofrequency ablation market.The global radiofrequency ablation market has benefited from the ready participation of key manufacturers in marketing and publicity activities. Successful promotional efforts by companies in the radiofrequency ablation market include direct sales to the physicians and hospitals, since the convenience of the devices has made it the prime choice for healthcare distributors across the world. The continued efforts of leading players are expected to remain crucial for the global radiofrequency ablation market in the coming years.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Snoring Control Devices Market Detailed Analysis and Forecast by 2025

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2366

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2366

https://www.tmrresearch.com/snoring-control-devices-market

Global Snoring Control Devices Market: OverviewSnoring control devices are used to help people who snore because of nasal obstruction. There are a variety of snoring control devices available that range from mouthpieces to chin straps to anti snoring pillows to nasal devices to pills and sprays. These devices are either insertable or are used topically to help with unobstructed flow of air through the mouth and nose.Global Snoring Control Devices Market: Key TrendsThe increasing demand for homecare settings is the primary factor driving the global snoring control devices market. Elderly and severely ill individuals are unable to make frequent visits to hospitals and thus need monitoring devices that are suitable for homecare use. The availability of devices that are suitable for home-care provides convenience to these individuals to monitor their health in a cost-effective manner.Request Sample Copy of the Report @With the growing popularity of online sales channel, consumers can purchase anti snoring devices such as chin straps and nasal strips that saves visit to healthcare centers or physicians.In terms of product type, the snoring control devices market is segmented into mandibular advancement device, nasal devices, expiratory positive airway pressure devices, tongue stabilizing device, and chin straps. Among these, mandibular advancement device stood as the leading product segment in the recent past. The advantages of mandibular advancement device include cost-effectiveness, availability of custom-made devices, and elimination of need of surgery for snoring treatment.On the basis of end-user, the segments of this market are hospitals, home care settings, and sleep labs. Of these, hospitals stood as the leading end-user segment in the recent past. The high volume use of these devices in hospitals for sleep disorders and the high revenue generation by large hospitals are contributing to the growth of this product segment.Request TOC of the Report @Global Snoring Control Devices Market: Market PotentialWith technology penetrating practically every walk of life smart bed is the answer to adjust sleepers body to stop snoring. It has been designed to adjust for different body positions and even raises the sleepers head to clear airways if it detects snoring.The Sleep Number 360 Smart Bed comes in the midst of a new movement for sleep tech gadgets. They are designed to help time-starved consumers get best possible sleep amid their busy lives. The product was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2017 in Las Vegas and is expected to register booming sales next year.. The expo is the technology industrys yearly event for showcasing latest gadgets.Global Snoring Control Devices Market: Regional OutlookThe global market for snoring devices is analyzed with respect to the regional segments of North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Of these, North America is the leading market for snoring control devices due to financial assistance from government for research and development of innovative devices and favorable regulatory framework for the same. The rising incidence of sleep disorders and lifestyle changes are also contributing to the growth of this regional market.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@The region is followed by Europe in terms of revenue contribution to the global market. Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as the fastest growing market for snoring control devices over the forecast period.Global Snoring Control Devices Market: Competitive LandscapeThe leading companies in the global snoring control devices market include GlaxoSmithKline, ResMed, and MPowrx Health and Wellness Products. Other prominent vendors include Apnea Sciences, Sleeping Well, SNOREDOC, TheraSnore, ZYPPAH, AirSnore, MEDiTAS, Sleep Tight Mouthpiece, SnoreMeds, abd VitalSleep.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Veterinary Diagnostics Market - Detailed Analysis and Forecast by 2025

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2420

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2420

https://www.tmrresearch.com/veterinary-diagnostics-market

Global Veterinary Diagnostics Market: OverviewProvision of diagnostic medical testing to detect the presence of toxins, infectious agents, and causes of diseases is crucial in the control and prevention of infectious diseases. Advanced diagnostic capabilities are especially of high importance, partially because animals cannot express what is wrong with them. A wide range of tests on urine, blood, sampled tissue, and feces are made available by veterinary diagnostics centers.The global veterinary diagnostics market can be segmented by technology, region, product, animal type, and end user. By technology, the market can be categorized into immunodiagnostics, molecular diagnostics, clinical biochemistry, hematology, and urinalysis.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Veterinary Diagnostics Market: Key TrendsAs the number of pet owners worldwide has been multiplying rapidly, the demand for veterinary diagnostics is expected to soar. Veterinary diagnostics is used in the diagnosis and treatment of different medical conditions such as allergies, bacteria, fertility issues, diabetes, and viruses that affect cats, dogs, and other pets as well as cows, pigs, bullocks, sheep, poultry, and goats.Cancer, anemia, rabies, canine adenovirus type-1, tapeworm, heartworm, roundworm, and diseases of the endocrine function are also tested using veterinary diagnostics. Recent advancements in technology offer low cost, speedy, and highly sensitive testing capacities. Easy usage, handling, transportation, and storage, and elimination of the need for refrigeration promises considerable growth of the market.Global Veterinary Diagnostics Market: Market PotentialOutbreak of cattle diseases worldwide has been necessitating the adoption of veterinary diagnostics on a global scale. For instance, in April 2017, the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory reported that five beef cattle herds across three counties were tested positive for Trichomoniasis, an extremely contagious, sexually transmitted disease.Request TOC of the Report @Similarly, Tanzanian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries (MALF) has undertaken a program to control and prevent livestock diseases in the region. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States (FAO) funded consumables and equipment to Tanzania for the same.Furthermore, a number of organizations and agencies have been addressing the issue of zoonotic diseases and the threat posed by them to human health. For instance, The Asean Sectoral Working Group on Livestock (ASWGL), in a meeting conducted on 27 April, 2017, stated its initiatives addressing the socio-economic impact of animal diseases. It has been formulating, developing, and implementing strategic mechanism and frameworks both at the regional and national levels.The market for veterinary diagnostics has been witnessing a number of product launches, acquisitions, collaborations, and mergers. For instance, in April 2017, Calbiotech group of companies, a prominent manufacturer and developer of immunoassays was acquired by Erba Diagnostics Mannheim.Global Veterinary Diagnostics Market: Regional OutlookBy geography, the global veterinary diagnostics market can be segmented into Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, North America, and Europe. Of these, North America emerged as the leading segment of the global veterinary diagnostics market, thanks to the augmenting demand for animal-derived food products such as diary and meat. The veterinary diagnostics market in Asia Pacific is also advancing at a steady pace. The growing spending on animal healthcare, increasing animal population, and rising concerns and awareness pertaining to zoonotic diseases has been fuelling the market for veterinary diagnostics in Asia Pacific.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Global Veterinary Diagnostics Market: Competitive LandscapeThe global market for veterinary diagnostics is highly fragmented in terms of competition. Neogen Corporation, IDEXX Laboratories, Inc, Heska Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., URIT Medical Electronics Co., Ltd., Abaxis, Inc., Randox Laboratories Ltd., IDVet, QIAGEN N.V., Mindray Medical International Limited, Eurolyser Diagnostica GmbH, BPC Biosed srl, Zoetis, Inc., and Virbac are some of the leading companies operating in the global market for veterinary diagnostics.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Bio-Polyamide Market Global Industry Analysis Forecast 2016 - 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/bio-polyamide-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=17819

Bio-polyamide is an amide polymer synthesized using renewable or bio-based raw materials. Bio-polyamides can be segmented based on their chemical structure into: aliphatic polyamides, aramides (aromatic polyamides), and polypthalamides. Based on the molecular weight of polyamides, the market can be segmented into: polyamide 6, polyamide 66, and bio-based & specialty polyamides. Bio-based & specialty polyamides includes polyamides with a range of molecular weights such as PA 10, PA, 11, PA 12, PA 46, PA6/12, PA 6/10. Bio-polyamide 6 is expected to be the largest product segment in the global market due to its high performance to cost ratio. However, PA 66 is expected to be the fastest growing product segment in the near future on account of its superior properties as compared to the other product segments. Based on application, the bio-polyamide market can be bifurcated into: fiber and engineering plastics. Engineering product segment was the largest application segment in the global bio-polyamide market and it is expected to remain so during the forecast period. Fiber application segment can be sub-segmented into: textile filament, industrial filament, staple filament, and carpet filament. Engineering plastics can be sub-segmented into: automotive, industrial/ machinery, electrical & electronics, wire & cable, consumer goods, films & coatings, and others. Currently, automotive accounted for the largest share and is expected to remain the same in the near future.Obtain Report Details @:The burgeoning automotive industry is expected to boost the bio-polyamide market. The use of bio-polyamides in the automotive construction contributes to fuel savings and reduction in carbon emissions. Fuel savings can be higher than 50% when bio-polyamide structures are used in the manufacturing process. The Asia Pacific region is driving the global automotive industry due to changing lifestyle and rising disposable income. Furthermore, environmental-related regulations across developed regions are expected to drive the market for bio-polyamides. For instance, the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards in the U.S. and European Unions CO2 limits would put intense pressure on the automobile manufacturers to reduce the weight of the vehicle in order to reduce emissions. The expected CO2 limit in 2020 is pegged at 95g CO2/ km as compared to 130g CO2/ km in 2013. Furthermore, the growth of electrical & electronics industry across the globe is one of the major driving factors of the global bio-polyamide market.However, factors such as availability of raw materials and their price volatility are expected to hamper growth of the bio-polyamide market. Castor oil is the major raw material used in the production of bio-polyamides. Sebacic acid and undecenoic acid are the primary components of castor oil used in the production of bio-polyamides. Increasing research & development activities are expected to expand the application area of bio-polyamides, which are likely to become an important opportunity during the next few years.Asia Pacific dominated the bio-polyamide market in terms of consumption. The region is a manufacturing hub for all end-user industries such as automotive, electrical & electronics, textiles, and others. Rising demand for bio-polyamides from these industries due to their environmental-friendly nature is expected to drive the market in the region. Asia Pacific was followed by North America and Europe in terms of demand. North America and Europe are expected to grow at a significant growth rate due to stringent environmental regulations regarding the reduction of carbon emissions.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @:The global bio-polyamide market is consolidated with key players operating across the value chain. Major players are investing significantly in research & development activities to improve their manufacturing process and develop new products in order to widen the application and end-use area of bio-polyamides. The key players operating in the plasterboard market include Huntsman Corporation, Honeywell International Inc., Lanxess AG, Li Peng Enterprise Company Limited, Radici Group, Quadrant Engineering Plastics Products Inc., Evonik Industries AG, BASF SE, E. I. Dupont De Nemours & Company, Asahi Kasei Corporation, DOMO Group, Arkema, and SK Group.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207
By Press Trust of India: Chandigarh, May 20 (PTI) With a view to inviting investors to the state, a delegation led by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will visit Singapore and Hong Kong from May 21-25.

Also, a global investors summit would be organised in the state in January 2018.

Interacting with media persons here today, the chief minister said that foreign investment would lead to rapid development of Haryana as well as the country.

advertisement

"More foreign investment would lead to rapid development of Haryana as well as of the country and ample employment opportunities would be generated for the youth," he said.

The state government had implemented an industrial policy for investors so that they might not face any difficulty in setting up their ventures in the state, he said.

Khattar also said that in terms of ease of doing business, the ranking of Haryana has gone up from fifteenth to sixth place.

"This improved ranking is the result of congenial atmosphere created for investors", he added.

He said that one roof system has been set up under Haryana Enterprises Promotion Centre where all clearances related to setting up of industries are provided in maximum 45 days.

This system has immensely benefited the investors and would continue in future, he added. PTI VJ SBT

--- ENDS ---
By Gregory McKelvey, Courtney Roma and Elliott Young

Oregon Republican Party Chair Bill Currier's guest opinion ("It's not Trump or Republicans; Portland has a riot problem," May 6) demonstrates that he knows little about the history of American protest and even less about the Constitution or the free speech rights it enshrines. His assertions that protesters are domestic terrorists for whom incarceration "isn't enough" suggests a draconian response to what is a basic constitutional right.



Portland's Resistance does not advocate property destruction or any type of violence but we do believe in the right to peaceful assembly and protest. In contrast, Currier uses the acts of a few individuals as an excuse to suspend the constitutional right to peaceful free expression by thousands of Portlanders. Currier's extremist views would lead us down the path of totalitarianism where all protest will be subject to brutal repression. Is that our vision of Portland?



Portland's Resistance is not only a protest group. We have also developed comprehensive policy proposals for criminal justice reform. While Currier advocates throwing peaceful protestors in jail, we push for ending mass incarceration. We call for ending mandatory minimum sentencing and the decriminalization of low-level offenses such as jaywalking and spitting in public; the enforcement of which does nothing to make our city safer and is disproportionately levied against people of color. Such broken windows policing leads directly to mass incarceration.



While the Republican Party under Currier opposes Portland's sanctuary status, we advocate for strengthening it and making it meaningful so that immigrant families do not live their lives in a constant state of fear. We also recognize that immigrant communities cannot have "sanctuary" here while our law enforcement continues to target them for low-level crimes that will ultimately be used by the Trump administration as a pretext for deportation.



Our Policy Workgroup has developed a justice-based agenda of reforms that can be enacted in Portland.

Share your opinion

Submit your essay of 500 words or less to commentary@oregonlive.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification.

There is a lot we can do right here at home to decrease incarceration and restore justice to our criminal (in)justice system, from demilitarizing our police and deescalating responses to protests to ending our failed war on drugs.



In contrast to Currier and Oregon Republicans, Portland's Resistance is encouraged by the huge number of Portlanders who are becoming directly engaged in our political system, many of them for the first time. We believe in a progressive Portland that can make strides even under a deplorable and increasingly authoritarian federal administration. The nation is looking to communities like ours to be beacons of light providing positive, progressive, alternatives to the racism and xenophobia that characterizes the Trump administration.



Our time is now Portland. Resist, organize, and build the city that embodies our ideals.



Gregory McKelvey, Courtney Roma and Elliott Young are members of the Portland's Resistance Policy Workgroup, along with James Ofsink, Cassandra Ramirez, Danny Robbins, Amethyst Dawson, Kat Stevens and others.
A Grants Pass man was sentenced Thursday to three years of probation for illegal excavation and removal of Native American artifacts from federal land.

Agents from the federal Bureau of Land Management had received information of looting at an archaeological site near Merlin, Oregon, along the Rogue River in April 2013. The site had been where several Native American villages were located for over 8,000 years, and considered to be part of the ancestral homelands of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Simmons.

Surveillance cameras placed in the area later showed Jason Christopher Ruppel, 44 , had been to the site seven times in April and May of 2013. He was seen digging with a shovel, using a screen for sifting dirt, filling the screen with dirt, putting items from the screen in a bag, and picking up items off of the ground, according to prosecutors.

Briece R. Edwards, manager of the historic preservation office for the Grand Ronde tribe, submitted a letter to the court. "From the Tribe's perspective, looting is a crime against the landscape and the taking of belongings is a theft from families and the Tribe,'' he wrote.

Ruppel pleaded guilty to illegal excavation of an archeological site, a felony, in U.S. District Court in Medford. He'll face three years probation. Ruppel also was ordered to pay $2,500 in restitution, representing the cost of restoring the site damaged, according to Simmons.

While on probation, Ruppel is banned from being on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

He admitted to committing the crime with another person, Ronnie Bishop, who was sentenced to five years probation last June, according to court records.

"The impact of damaging cultural assets extends far beyond a single tribe or community  it impacts all Americans,'' Oregon's U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams said in a prepared statement. "We will continue to aggressively prosecute those who commit similar crimes in the future.''

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian
Information on two servers operated by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality was exposed after a hack poked holes in the agency's defenses, but no sensitive information is believed to have been compromised, officials said Friday.



Matt Shelby, spokesman for the state's Department of Administrative Services, said that there is no evidence that hackers gained access to Social Security numbers, contact information or other sensitive data. No information of that nature was stored on the two servers that were hacked, he said. It's unclear what type of information was exposed.

"There was essentially an unlocked door, but there was nothing of value inside the room," he said.

The gaps in security were found during scans this week by the State Chief Information Office, and DEQ has closed the gaps in security and has taken steps to protect sensitive information from any future hacks. It's unclear when the hack occurred or how long the servers have been exposed, Shelby said. And it's hard to determine the reason behind the hack, he said.

"Sometimes people just try to get in, to see if they can do it," he said. "Or they're looking for something in particular. I would hesitate to put a motive on this."

DEQ does keep sensitive information on its other servers. Shelby said investigators have no reason to think that the hackers were able to access those other servers, but they're working to confirm this. If any sensitive information was accessed or exploited, the state will alert those affected, he said.



Shelby said the DEQ maintains about 9,000 Social Security numbers for contractors who have applied for its asbestos abatement program. It also keeps contact information including names, addresses and phone numbers for about 1,500 current and former employees on its servers.



State agencies, including DEQ, typically do not maintain sensitive information such as Social Security numbers for their employees. The Department of Administrative Services maintains human resources and payroll information for all state employees.



Shelby said a recent scan on the department's servers did not turn up any suspicious security gaps.



As far as he knows, "State employees' information is secure," he said.



News of the possible breach suggests the state is still struggling to fix long-running cyber security problems. Oregon's government has experienced several data breaches in recent years, and a state audit released last November found technology officials were unprepared to fix the issues. It was only the latest in a string of audits documenting problems over the last decade.



Hackers broke into several state agencies' computer systems in recent years, including the Secretary of State's Office and Employment Department in 2014 and state data center in 2015.



Gov. Kate Brown has taken a couple of steps intended to improve state computer security since she took office in 2015. However, as of November, the Chief Information Officer Alex Pettit wrote in response to the audit that his office was still working on a security risk assessment and improvement plan that was expected to wrap up in mid-2017.



But the scans are behind schedule. According to Shelby, the office is expecting to be three-quarters finished when the biennium ends June 30.

-- Anna Marum

amarum@oregonian.com

503-294-5911

@annamarum

Oregonian reporter Hillary Borrud contributed to this report.
Hurriyat leader Naeem Khan has been suspended from Hurriyat after an India Today expose showed him admitting on camera that he had received funding from Pakistan to stoke unrest in Kashmir Valley.

By India Today Web Desk: Hurriyat leader Naeem Khan was today suspended from Hurriyat after an India Today expose showed him admitting on camera that he had received funding from across the border to stoke unrest in Kashmir Valley.

Not just Naeem Khan, Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani even suspended the National Front led by him from the separatist organisation. This even as Khan continued to allege that the sting video was 'doctored'.

advertisement

NIA is now questioning Naeem Khan and Ghazi Javed Baba and have been asked to produce certain documents for examination.

Khan had been unavailable for comment after the India Today sting operation on May 15. In the India Today expose, separatists Khan and Farooq Dar alias Bitta Karate had confessed to receiving money from Pakistan-based terror groups.

The Hurriyat had called for an emergency meeting today and summoned Naeem Khan, seeking his clarification on the remark that had exposed the separatists and left the rank and file of the Hurriyat rattled.

HURRIYAT STATEMENT ON NAEEM KHAN

A spokesperson of the separatist group said, "Using his special powers (according to Hurriyat constitution), Geelani today suspended the National Front from the basic membership of the Hurriyat Conference until the clarification of all the related issues comes to the fore."

"Even though (Nayeem) Khan has raised questions over the veracity of the said clip (aired by India Today), his membership will remain suspended and the suspension will come into force with immediate effect in Srinagar and PoK chapter of Hurriyat. It is my moral duty and as a supreme head of the forum, I am obliged to fulfil my assigned duties," the spokesman quoted Geelani as having said.

The Hurriyat also hit out at the media for their "partial and biased reporting". "The media is promoting colonial mindset and is hellbent on bringing a bad name to our leadership and defaming the ongoing freedom struggle," the spokesperson said.

Khan called the expose a fabricated story and said that he wasn't accountable to the Indian media. "The video is doctored, simulated and a collage of bits and pieces. It does not have a shred of credibility. The agenda of the media is to defame the Kashmir struggle and pro-freedom leadership," Khan was quoted as saying.

INDIA TODAY CREW ATTACKED

On Friday, India Today crew was attacked by JKLF chief Yasin Malik when they had approached him for a reaction on Hurriyat tapes expose.

Yasin Malik had attacked India Today reporter and cameraman when they had approached him yesterday for a reaction on the Hurriyat sting operation.

advertisement

Malik had alleged that the India Today crew barged into his house without his permission, while the truth was that the journalists were ushered into his house by his sister.

The NIA had on Friday accessed raw and unedited footage of the Hurriyat tapes expose by India Today and filed a preliminary inquiry.

2016 UNREST IN VALLEY NOT INSTIGATED BY PAKISTAN: GEELANI

Geelani said that the 2016 unrest in the Kashmir Valley triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in an encounter with the security forces was "neither pre-planned nor instigated by Pakistan."

"It was a spontaneous reaction from people after the martyrdom of (Hizbul Mujahideen) commander Burhan (Wani) and during the five-month-long uprising, people braved pellets and bullets. They were massacred and scores of youths sacrificed their eyesight. Our people are not doing all this just for fun. It is a sacred sentiment and passion that people follow", he said.

"We need resources to combat the military might of India. Mostly we raise all funds from local sources to pursue our movement," he added.

advertisement

(WITH PTI INPUTS)

Also read | #HurriyatTruthTapes: Cornered Naeem Khan says not accountable to Indian media as NIA begins probe

Also read | Jaitley on India Today sting operation on Hurriyat leaders: They have to be treated as insurgents

Also read | Exclusive: NIA team wants raw footage from India Today after expose on Hurriyat's Pakistan link

Also read | #HurriyatTruthTapes: Separatists in panic mode, JKLF's Yasin Malik assaults India Today crew

WATCH VIDEO

--- ENDS ---
Elsie Mathews entered the cavernous 16th-floor courtroom of Oregon's chief federal judge, sat down at a table in front of the bench and waited.

She arrived in her white Metro West ambulance shirt and blue pants, expecting others to show. But it turned out she was the star attraction -- the only one required to appear that morning.

U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman had ordered her to court to tell him why she brushed off jury duty in early April. Mathews faced a potential contempt of court citation, with up to a $1,000 fine and three days in jail if the judge didn't like her answer.

The rare summons marked the court's frustration with people who ignore the call to jury duty.

Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown had questionnaires sent to 1,000 prospective jurors for the second trial in the takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, but about 200 questionnaires never came back.

"It's very unfortunate,'' Brown told prosecutors and defense lawyers as they readied for the trial in Portland.

No-show jurors are a growing national trend and affect the function of both federal and state courts, said Andrew G. Ferguson, law professor at the University of the District of Columbia and author of "Why Jury Duty Matters: A Citizen's Guide to Constitutional Action.''

Many people look at jury duty as a burden that interferes with their work schedules or other commitments, Ferguson said. They've forgotten that it's crucial to the functioning of the nation's court system and a part of the country's "constitutional identity'' that gives them a voice in the administration of justice, he said.

The average failure-to-appear rate for jurors in state courts is 9 percent nationwide, but some courts have no-show rates as high as 50 percent. Federal court numbers are harder to come by because the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts doesn't track the rate.

Federal courts do, however, record the number of people who show up for jury selection  and that number has dropped annually since 2012  from 237,411 to 194,211 in 2016 nationwide. It's not clear, though, if that's tied to fewer trials held or more people ignoring jury duty.

Hearings like Mathews' send the public a message to take jury duty seriously, legal observers say.

"What we're finding now is that judges are starting to be more aggressive on the problem," said Jeffrey T. Frederick, director of jury research services for the National Legal Research Group, a legal research firm. "The preference is not necessarily fine them but encourage them to participate in the future.''

***

Hands clasped in front of her at the table, Mathews looked up at Mosman.

"Your Honor, it was essentially poor planning on my part,'' she said.

She had been called for jury duty on what turned out to be a three-day fraud and theft trial.

"I'll tell you that we were close to not having enough people to hear the trial,'' Mosman told the Sandy woman.

Mathews, 37, said she needed to take her 10-year-old daughter to the school bus stop that morning at 8:15 a.m. and had mandatory training at work. She had called into court about 4:30 p.m. the day before, saying she would be late for jury duty. She was told that she was required to be at court by 8 a.m., she said.

Instead, Mathews didn't come at all.

"I didn't plan well in advance for it,'' she told the judge.

***

Federal courts in Oregon sent 12,000 notices for jury duty last year.

People typically are told to call an informational telephone line to check in. They don't have to come to court if the trial has been rescheduled or canceled. That happens a lot -- civil cases settle or criminal defendants reach plea deals, juror administrators said.

If a trial is still on, jurors must show up and can then ask the judge to excuse them or defer their service to another time.

If they don't show, jury coordinators mail them another letter, asking them to contact the court with an explanation for their failure to appear. Their names are then returned to a list of jurors eligible for future service, said M. Claire Trimble, courtroom services supervisor for Oregon's federal courts.

While federal courts in Oregon haven't had a significant no-show issue, employees are aware of fluctuations and keep an eye out for abnormal patterns, Trimble said.

In Multnomah County Circuit Court, the state's busiest court, juror no-shows aren't a major problem, but staff members have noticed that appearance rates dip during certain times of the year, such as the holiday season or start of a school year, said Rachel McCarthy, a court analyst and spokeswoman.

There were one or two times in the past two years when the court didn't have enough jurors come on a particular date, McCarthy said.

On a recent day, 580 people were called for jury duty and another 125 people had deferred their service to that date. Only 25 percent, or 176 people, of the total showed.

"The jury room staff reports that this is an expected rate of appearance,'' McCarthy said.

***

Federal courts around the country are taking steps to help improve the juror experience  from automated voice, email or text-messaging systems that remind people to show up to new electronic kiosk check-in systems that allow jurors to check in each morning by scanning their summons letters.

But those things aren't in place in Oregon's federal courts.

"Courts are trying to be a little more user-friendly,'' said Nicole Waters, a court research consultant for the Center for Jury Studies, part of the National Center for State Courts.

Courts also try to reduce any hardship for jurors by providing reimbursements for their travel mileage, parking or public transportation costs.

In Franklin County Municipal Court near Columbus, Ohio, the jury commissioner has taken the unusual step of brewing fresh coffee for jurors and playing music from a James Taylor concert on a flat-screen TV in the jury assembly room as a way to help them relax.

In Oregon's federal courts, jurors get $40 a day for their service; it rises to $50 a day after 10 days of duty. They get 53.5 cents a mile for travel.

If they live more than 100 miles from the courthouse or the case requires sequestering them, the government pays for their lodging and provides a daily allowance for meals. Otherwise, the court often provides lunches during trial breaks.

***

Mosman explained to Mathews earlier this month that she could have given the court advance notice of any conflicts or hardship and likely would have been excused.

"Your obligation was to contact us much earlier than the night before,'' the judge said.

He told Mathews that she was just one of 50 people the jury coordinator had to shepherd that day to ensure a large enough pool to select a 12-member jury for trial, plus alternate jurors. A delay in the start of a trial can cost thousands of dollars in lost time, Mosman said.

Mathews apologized.

"I would be willing to do it again if I have the opportunity,'' she said.

Mosman corrected her.

"I appreciate your offer to serve,'' he replied, "but you didn't need to offer because you're obligated to do so.''

He told Mathews that her name will be included in the jury pool queue again.

Mathews emerged a little shaken from her face-to-face meeting with the chief judge but admitted she was in the wrong.

"If everybody just shrugged it off, then nobody would be here,'' she said. "I hold myself accountable. I should have alerted the court ahead of time.''

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian
A man suspected in a fatal Northwest Portland stabbing has been indicted on aggravated murder charges, according to court records filed Friday.

Michael Lee Williams

Michael Lee Williams, 33, is accused of killing Jacob Pedro Shroyer in an apparently random attack in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood. The stabbing happened on the night of May 8, and Shroyer died earlier this week.

Williams has been in jail since May 9, when he was arrested on suspicion of robbing a man of his wallet on a TriMet bus in downtown Portland, according to a probable cause affidavit.

His indictment lists charges of aggravated murder, murder, burglary and assault, among others. The indictment says he's to be held without bail.

Shroyer worked as a disc jockey, as well as a stylist at a Bishops Barbershop, according to a crowdfunding page in his name. He was also known as Jakob Jay.

Surveillance footage shows him being stabbed several times in at least two separate attacks, according to the affidavit. He ended up calling 911 to say he had been attacked and stabbed, and an officer found him in the lobby of his apartment building.

Police linked Williams to the stabbing after he was arrested in connection with the alleged TriMet robbery, according to the affidavit.

He has been convicted of numerous crimes in Oregon and Washington, including robbery and taking a motor vehicle without permission, court records show.

 Jim Ryan

jryan@oregonian.com

503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

Samantha Matsumoto of The Oregonian/OregonLive staff contributed to this report
Workers have begun misting debris from a three-alarm warehouse fire in a round-the-clock effort to prevent the release of more asbestos fibers into the air, officials said Friday.

The misting began Friday morning and is part of a response to the blaze that includes air sampling and debris cleanup. Officials have said the building's roofing paper contained high levels of asbestos and that some debris contains the fibrous mineral, which is known to cause cancer and other diseases.

The fire started Sunday night at 1300 N. River St. Fire officials said earlier this week there had been reports of cooking and warming fires in the area, but they didn't specify what caused the blaze. The warehouse was previously cited for a host of violations, according to city records.

Air sampling has returned "encouraging" initial results  all of which showed no asbestos fibers or amounts far under action levels, the state Department of Environmental Quality and federal Environmental Protection Agency said in a news release.

Crews on Friday scoured places including parts of downtown Portland and the Pearl District for debris that contains asbestos, removing it as necessary, officials said.

Officials have warned people to avoid debris that looks like ash or paper. Anyone who finds such debris should call 503-229-6488 and leave their name and phone number, where they found the debris and what it looks like.

People can view air sampling results online.

 Jim Ryan

jryan@oregonian.com

503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

Tony Hernandez of The Oregonian/OregonLive staff contributed to this report
India Today has exposed how Hurriyat leaders received funds from Pakistan to foment trouble in the Kashmir Valley. This is not the first time the separatist leaders have been found to have such links.

By Prabhash K Dutta: India Today has exposed the dubious business of Hurriyat leaders to keep Kashmir on its toes. The Hurriyat leaders have been found involved in money laundering and instigating youths for stone pelting after receiving funds from Pakistan.

Following India Today's Hurriyat Truth Tapes, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched an investigation into the funding of Hurriyat Conference leaders.

advertisement

This is not the first time Hurriyat leaders have been exposed for their dubious dealings. During the chief ministership of Farooq Abdullah, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had found Hurriyat leaders to have similar links.

Reports from yesteryears suggest that top Hurriyat, leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, were involved in Hawala dealings and used the funds to foment trouble in Kashmir Valley. http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1417/1417s001.htm

This began soon after the birth of the Hurriyat Conference.

HOW HURRIYAT CAME INTO BEING

The All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) was formed in July 1993 when militancy was at its peak in Jammu and Kashmir and there were speculations that it would be dealt with in the same manner as it was done in Punjab, where a Khalistani movement had been neutralised.

The Hurriyat Conference was set up as a political platform for separatist movement in the Valley. It was not a single party but a conglomerate of several outfits with contrasting beliefs and ideologies.

Many observers have linked the formation of the Hurriyat Conference to the Assembly election of 1987. It is alleged that the election was rigged on a massive scale to keep the National Conference-Congress alliance in power.

Many leaders, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who joined the separatist bloc had won in the Assembly election.

In December 1992, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq - then only 19 years old - called a meeting of all social and political organisations of Kashmir. Mirwaiz is the chief priest of Kashmir.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had taken over as the chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Action Committee in 1990, after the assassination of his father Mirwaiz Farooq.

The meeting led to the birth of Hurriyat Conference seven months later and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was chosen as its chairman.

THE PARTIES OF HURRIYAT

The outfits, which came under the umbrella of Hurriyat Conference, were of varying ideologies. Broadly the outfits were of two streaks - one camp sought independence of Kashmir while other preferred merging with Pakistan.

Another important aspect of the birth of Hurriyat Conference was that most of the constituent outfits had some militant connections. They either had their own militant wings or sprang off militant outfits.

advertisement

The Hurriyat Conference, however, had not come out of nothing. It was a successor group of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Kashmir (THK).

It consisted of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Jamat-e-Islami, Muslim Conference, Ittehadul Muslimeen, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Islamic Students' League, Mahaz-e-Azadi, Muslim Khawateen Markaz, Kashmir Bar Association and Jamiat-e-Ahle Hadees.

Abdul Qayoom, a noted lawyer, was the chairman of THK.

THE TUSSLE WITHIN

As Hurriyat was a conglomerate of contrasting ideology and agenda, infighting soon began in the organisation. Just 10 years after its formation, the Hurriyat Conference split.

When India - under Atal Bihari Vajpayee - and Pakistan - under Parvez Musharraf - were talking on Kashmir, the rift between Umar Mirwaiz Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani widened.

Mirwaiz wanted to talk with both the governments while Geelani opposed it. They also differed on the question of militancy with Geelani seemingly not against the use of militancy to further his objective.

In 2003, Geelani got pro-Mirwaiz Hurriyat chairman Abbas Ansari removed and replaced him with Masarrat Alam, who is in custody under public safety act. He is also the chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Muslim League and is believed to have deeper connection with the militants.

Click here to Enlarge Yasin Malik (L) and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (R) (Reuters photo)

advertisement

Mirwaiz faction including Yasin Malik - who likes to call himself Gandhi of Kashmiri separatist movement and who assaulted an India Today team yesterday after he was exposed over funding - held talks with the Vajpayee government. Mirwaiz even met the then Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani in 2004.

Geelani did not approve of Mirwaiz's tactics and walked out of the Hurriyat Conference. He also left the Jamaat-e-Islami to form his own outfit the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir in August 2004.

CONFUSED POLITICAL IDEOLOGY

Geelani came into prominence once again in 2010 on the question of land transfer to Amarnath temple shrine. It was also the year when stone pelting was used as tool by the separatist leaders to spread unrest in the Valley.

Geelani was believed to have played instrumental role in deciding the calendar of protests and unrest in the Valley. Geelani has emerged as the tallest separatist leader among the separatists but the hardliner is facing serious challenges from a harder line.

Recently, militant Zakir Musa - who has since left Hizbul Mujahideen - threatened separatist leaders, including Geelani, with beheading if they attempted to resist Islamic ideology in Kashmir.

advertisement

GEELANI's STAND ON ISLAMIC IDEOLOGY INCONSISTENT

Incidentally, Geelani has not maintained a consistent line on the question of Islamic ideology. He has criticised some youths waving ISIS flags in the Valley and also opposed entry of al-Qaeda in Kashmir Valley.

But, Geelani himself had once called upon killed al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden to declare India his outfit's enemy and to fight for Kashmiri people.

Geelani's competitor Mirwaiz is equally vacillating and has remained ambiguous about his equation with Pakistan. Yasin Malik claims to be a militant-turned-non-violent activist but he does not condemn a terror act.

Also read | #HurriyatTruthTapes: Cornered Naeem Khan says not accountable to Indian media as NIA begins probe

Also read | Arun Jaitley on India Today sting operation on Hurriyat leaders: They have to be treated as insurgents

Also read | Exclusive: NIA team wants raw footage from India Today after expose on Hurriyat's Pakistan link

Also read | #HurriyatTruthTapes: Separatists in panic mode, JKLF's Yasin Malik assaults India Today crew

WATCH VIDEO

--- ENDS ---
An NIA team has started working on the case and it has also visited the India Today office to request the raw and unedited footage of the the raw and unedited footage of the India Today Investigation #HurriyatTruthTapes be preserved.

By India Today Web Desk: After India Today's expose on Pakistan's role in choreographing anarchy in Kashmir Valley, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) summoned Hurriyat leaders, but they did not show up.

In the India Today sting operation, top Kashmiri separatists could be heard boasting about burning down schools and government institutions to spread unrest in the Valley.

Caught on camera were Hurriyat's provincial President (Geelani Faction) Naeem Khan, Tehreek-E-Hurriyat's leader Gazi Javed Baba and JKLF chairman Farooq Ahmed Dar (Bitta Karate).

advertisement

An NIA team has started working on the case and it has also visited the India Today office to request the raw and unedited footage of the the raw and unedited footage of the India Today Investigation #HurriyatTruthTapes be preserved.

Aside from a planned meeting with the Jammu and Kashmir Police today, the NIA team will also look into earlier cases of cross LoC funding.

Meanwhile, a meeting planned by Hurriyat in Srinagar was called off, but Naeem Khan held a press conference today and said the sting was doctored.

Hurriyat leader Naeem Khan Hurriyat leader Naeem Khan

Calling the sting by India Today a fabricated story, Naeem Khan said he is not accountable to the Indian media, only to Hurriyat leaders and the local media.

"My wife's version is being distorted and presented out of context, I demand the entire video be made public," Khan said.

On being asked about getting funds from Pakistan, Khan refused to answer the question but said that a movement needs money and people are supporting and funding it.

Operation Villains of Valley videos: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Also Read:

Caught on Camera: How Pakistan funds Kashmiri separatists to burn the Valley - India Today Exclusive

Exclusive: NIA team wants raw footage from India Today after expose on Hurriyat's Pakistan link

Watch Video: Hurriyat sting: When NIA official visited India Today and asked for raw footage

--- ENDS ---
ITC will conduct its semi-annual aerial patrols of high-voltage transmission towers and lines in this region from Monday through June 2, weather permitting.

The helicopter patrols are conducted to provide an overall status of the overhead transmission system that is operated by ITCs Michigan operating entities, ITCTransmission and Michigan Electric Transmission Company, LLC.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

With new eyes and a new heart for each client, a local nonprofit is working to help those who struggle with a unique set of challenges  the kind that test trust and patience, but overcoming can make all the difference.

The work done by the staff at Midland Community Former Offenders Advocacy and Rehabilitation is a special outreach aimed at helping former offenders learn how to take care of themselves without breaking the law again.

People dont offend on a schedule, they do so when a circumstance occurs, said Rob Worsley, program director for the nonprofit MCFOAR, 1415 Washington St.

Worsley and assistant program directors Gerry McIvor and Tom Vander Zouwen spend their time assisting former inmates and prisoners as well as those who are in the Midland County Drug Court obtain housing, employment and basic needs. They also try to educate and serve as sources of on-call advice, provide workforce training and overcome road blocks.

The idea is the more these needs are met, the less likely former offenders are to revert back to their old ways. And thats a good thing for the community, because it means less crime and less recidivism, plus less costly law enforcement and judicial systems.

MCFOAR is working to add additional layers of services for clients, the latest in the form of a mentoring program for those with employment needs or drug addiction.

We have some great opportunities for people with addictions, locally to get back on the right path, Worsley said, adding the first two weeks after a person leaves detox are the most dangerous for relapse.

The mentoring program would provide a one-on-one mentor for each client, to help them with accountability so they can sustain employment, as well as for support when they come out of drug treatment programs. The idea is to work with other organizations and employers in town.

Were trying to put another layer in there, Worsley said.

The program would be modeled after the 70x7 Life Recovery program offered in Holland, Michigan, and Worsley said he is in the process of seeking community interest and volunteers.

What MCFOAR does

Worsley, a former Midland County sheriffs deputy and jail manager, went on to work with the states prison re-entry program. When funding for that program was discontinued in December 2012, he began MCFOAR.

The plan is to help former offenders build skills to reduce risk behaviors, plus help them build value and life balance. That means Worsley, McIvor and Vander Zouwen are on call to answer questions and provide emergency assistance, as well as hold office hours during which they help offenders obtain documents like identification and birth certificates, plus housing, employment and more.

As of March, the program has 571 client files since January 2013. Of those clients, 258 have served prison time, and 313 are former Midland County Jail inmates or involved in other programs.

During the same time period, MCFOAR placed 269 clients out of 321 with employment, resulting in a placement percentage of 84 percent. The organization also helped 163 of 165 clients asking for help with housing.

Employment and housing help are critical because they are the major predictors of whether a former offender will reoffend, Worsley said.

From March 2015 and March 2017, MCFOAR worked with 84 former prisoners. Of those, only three are now incarcerated, making the recidivism rate 3.6 percent. State and national recidivism rates, measured during the same time frame, are at 43 percent and 51 percent, according to information from MCFOAR.

Our hope is to help former offenders so they dont reoffend, Worsley said. It makes the community safer and gives them hope for a better life. Without hope, theyre just existing every day.

MCFOAR recently was awarded a $500 grant from the Rotary Club of Midland Morning to support the Alternatives to Violence program.

A typical day

There is no typical day at MCFOAR, both Worsley and McIvor say.

Some days see the staff attending the Midland County Drug Court or presenting at various organizations around town, working on new programs, or tasks including picking up furnishings, dropping off food and items to clients on tethers or who are homebound, and more.

Theres no appointment necessary for offenders who need help, and they flow through the door from the morning to early afternoon.

For each client that comes in, new eyes, new heart, McIvor said.

Jerry Laughton turned to MCFOAR for help after his second stint in prison. He and Worsley have known each other for decades, due in part to Worsleys work in law enforcement and Laughtons history. His first time in prison was in 1997, and there was no one to help when he was released two years later.

I was totally homeless, Laughton said, adding he lived in the woods. He said his most recent release was better, knowing he could visit MCFOAR and have a cup of coffee and a chat, as well as support.

That support included help getting an apartment, as well as furnishings. MCFOAR also offered help with education, and cell phone minutes so Laughton could obtain employment. The pair talked as Worsely filled out a form to create a voucher for a check that Laughton was to take to Kmart to purchase more minutes.

We dont give money to clients, we give them resources to meet the need, Worsley said. The cell phone minutes were a big deal for Laughton, who has mechanical skills and picked up work as he could doing odd jobs.

MCFOAR also helped Laughton obtain an apartment, as well as with furnishings, clothing and more. Laughton is no longer involved in the MCFOAR program.

Erica Hansen also has been on the client list, after experiencing the criminal system due to drugs.

A recovering addict, Hansen said she depended on support groups, meetings and church to keep her occupied and away from drugs. MCFOAR provided her help with finding a job, no small task for a person with a record, and she pointed thanks toward Worsley.

Much of the attention given to clients is teaching them to deal with things right now instead of putting them off for another day, Worsely said.

Many of our clients have substance or other disability situations come up and we usually hear about it in the last hour, he said. That includes things like eviction orders, which clients call about on the seventh day. Many clients dont want to reach out for help because of pride, but run into trouble when the figure out they cant do it alone.

We use that as an opportunity to teach, Worsely said. We put part of the onus on them, also asking them to help themselves.

We do less of the enabling and encourage more of the participation McIvor said. We try to instill some responsibility.

Another issue the program helps former offenders deal with is the tendency to deal with today but not worry about tomorrow, Worsley said.

The idea of making it through the current day is how their lives developed over time, he explained, pointing out many offenders were put into survival mode early in life because they did not have the kind of support or stable living situations they needed. That also means MCFOAR is teaching clients to have a long-term vision, and its OK to plan for the future, Worsley said.

Long-term vision

Mindy Kuhn is a former offender who has learned much about having a long term vision, and how to reach for it.

I got in trouble with drugs, said the spring 2016 Midland County Drug Court graduate. It was so bad, she said of her life before she began the recovery process. I was so down and out and miserable.

She was connected with MCFOAR by drug court staff due to struggles with housing and food after entering the court program in the fall of 2014. My life is awesome now, she said.

Not only did Kuhn receive help with those problems, she received support and help with transportation, and regained her happy nature and contagious smile.

It truly changed my life, she said, citing her relationship with God, having support and being able to keep her young daughter, Kylyn, who will turn 2 in August. That was huge for Kuhn, whose problems with drug use caused her to lose custody of her three older children. She needed to have a stable home to keep Kylyn.

They worked real hard to help me get into a place, she said.

The work Kuhn completed during her recovery, in addition to keeping clean, included attending recovery meetings, staying away from people who would pull her back into poor decision making, attending church and working with counselors and an infant mental health worker.

I understand I had to put in the work, she said, pointing to MCFOAR for helping her or pointing her to people who could.

Were always blessed when we can hear the recovery in peoples lives, where they come from, McIvor said.

They have your back, Kuhn said of the program staff.

As one of the requirements to graduate drug court, Kuhn wrote a 15-page life plan. It includes self-accountability, stability, attending school for her aesthetician and nail tech licenses. Her long-term goal was to operate an animal rescue operation.

I want to go to school. I want to move out. I want to have my rescue center, she said.

At her drug court graduation, Kuhn summed it up.

Im just truly grateful.  Its a pride thing. Use the resources, thats why theyre here.

For more about MCFOAR, go to www.midlandcommunityformeroffenders.org
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

MidMichigan Health plans to build a $57 million, 160,000-square-foot cardiovascular center in Midland and add 25 jobs.

The three-story facility would be added to the hospitals Orchard and Harlow wings at 4000 Wellness Drive.

The 328-bed hospital, working with Three Rivers Corp., plans to start the two-phase project in September and complete the first phase by spring 2019 and the second by March 2020.

During that time, the hospital will add 25 positions for physicians, advanced care practitioners, nurses, medical assistants and support staff, according to Sunita Vadakath, director of cardiovascular services at MidMichigan Health. Vadakath said the hospital would start hiring sometime between the two phases.

The move will consolidate the hospitals outpatient cardiovascular services, specialty clinics, diagnostics and imaging. Physicians would be on the first floor, diagnostics services on the second, and specialty clinics on the third, Vadakath said.

It would create a one-stop experience, a nice flow for the patient and seamless, coordinated heart and cardiovascular care under one roof, she said.

The point is to ensure that were having a single point of entry for our patients, she said. The predominant goal is to make sure were becoming the destination of choice for heart and cardiovascular care.

The hospital will make room for the new facility by removing 89,000 square feet of existing building space in the Orchard and Harlow wings, as well as 22,500 square feet within the Orchard building, according to city documents.

Project documents indicate current campus parking would accommodate the new development. According to a traffic study conducted by Rowe Professional Services Co., the expansion has minimal impact on surrounding traffic, and intersections will continue to perform at an acceptable level with no expected significant increase in overall delay.

The Midland Planning Commission is set to review the hospitals plan at a 7 p.m. meeting Tuesday at City Hall, 333 W. Ellsworth St. To view project layouts and the full agenda, go to http://bit.ly/2pSQy7f

MidMichigan Health, a nonprofit health system affiliated with the University of Michigans academic medical center, Michigan Medicine (formerly the University of Michigan Health System) has 7,200 employees and 729 associated physicians and advance practice providers at locations in Alpena, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot and Midland. The hospital is the second largest employer in Midland County.
With warmer weather comes another potential opportunity for vehicle theft because of an open window or unlocked door.

A vehicle is stolen every 44 seconds in the United States, and nearly half of those thefts occur because a door was unlocked or the keys were left in the ignition.
Question: On CNN the other night, hailed by the commentators as one of the up-and-coming key Republican voices in Congress," Congressman Adam Kinzinger was making news, being one of the first GOP members to suggest an independent commission or special prosecutor to investigate the various controversies swelling around President Donald Trump. Now 39, at what age did Kinzinger first win public office via an election?
Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, legal fugitive and perpetual thorn in the American government's side, has been living out of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for the last five years to avoid arrest for leaking classified documents to the public. Today, he escaped prosecution for a completely separate charge - that he raped and otherwise engaged in "sexual misconduct" with two women in Sweden while he was hiding out there in 2010.

Swedish prosecutors made clear that the charges were not dropped because of a lack of probably cause or evidence, but rather because extraditing Assange to Sweden was proving to be impossible, the New York Times reports.

"I can conclude, based on the evidence, that probable cause for this crime still exists," Marianne Ny, the chief prosecutor in Sweden, said at a news conference on Friday - a court-ordered deadline for prosecutors to make a decision about the case. However, she added that because Ecuador would not cooperate in serving Assange and transporting him to Sweden to face charges, her "assessment is that the transfer cannot be executed in the foreseeable future."

Speaking from the balcony of the Embassy, Assange told reporters, "While today was an important victory and important vindication, the road is far from over."

The US Justice Department is currently reconsidering whether to charge Assange for WikiLeaks, and the Metropolitan Police in London said on Friday that they would arrest him if he tried to leave the Ecuadorian Embassy on a warrant for failing to appear in court.

Many of Assange's fans believe he is the victim of a large smear campaign by the government and other nefarious forces to undermine his political credibility, and now longtime supporter M.I.A. has come to his defense, posting a lengthy diatribe on Instagram that seems to indicate she thinks he has been framed:



Assange will be a speaker at M.I.A.'s Meltdown Fest later this year in London.

[h/t NYT]
This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions
News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism.
What Future Will Iran Choose?

05/19/17

By Reza Marashi (source: LobeLog)

As Iranians head to the polls to vote in their presidential elections on Friday, much attention has rightly focused on the choice they will make. The incumbent Hassan Rouhani, and his hefty coalition of reformists and pragmatists, are trying to fend off a hardline conservative ticket headed by judiciary stalwart Ebrahim Raisi.



Hassan Rouhani (R) and Ebrahim Raisi

(source: Kaenat daily)





Iranian elections matter: After all, the differences between Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hassan Rouhani's presidencies clearly demonstrate the consequences for tens of millions of Iranians who have long sought the fulfillment of their political, economic, and social aspirations. Also important, however, is choice that Iran's political establishment must make on Election Day.



From Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei down to local officials in the provinces, Iranian officials across the board stress the importance of high voter turnout. The impetus is straightforward: political elites seek to utilize elections as a means of re-socializing society into the Islamic Republic every few years, with campaigns and debates providing a unique airing of grievances that paradoxically helps breathe new life into the system - so long as they stop short of protests a la 2009. On the other hand, an equally diverse electorate - with different political, economic, social, and cultural backgrounds - demands that their interests be addressed in return for electoral participation that legitimizes the system.



And therein lies the rub. It has long been clear what most Iranian voters want. The electoral results speak for themselves. Reformist President Mohammad Khatami won in 1997 and 2001 with 79.9% and 66.8% voter turnout, respectively. Rouhani won four years ago with 72.9% turnout and 18.6 million votes. In contrast, no hardline presidential candidate has ever exceeded Ahmadinejad's 17.2 million votes in 2005 - and his numbers were boosted by the lowest voter turnout percentage since 1993, and droves of disenchanted reform-minded voters staying home on Election Day. Thus, if voter turnout is anywhere near 2013 levels, a Raisi victory would require an electoral feat that hardliners have never before accomplished.





(source: Iran daily)



This is the political establishment's dilemma: precisely because it seeks to cement the Islamic Republic's legitimacy through voter turnout, its top priority above all else is high turnout. A close second, however: ensuring that after it secures high turnout, voters perceive the electoral process as legitimate, thereby facilitating a peaceful post-election atmosphere within (and between) state and society. Rouhani knows this, and he has utilized it on the campaign trail to make arguably the most forward-leaning remarks of any Iranian president in the 38-year history of the Islamic Republic.



While it's true that election season in Iran traditionally allows for an expansion of otherwise taboo political discourse, Rouhani taken it to uncharted waters. First, he publicly committed to engaging in the process of lifting all non-nuclear sanctions if he wins a second term. Then he told a rally that he had not forgotten his 2013 campaign promises, openly stating: "Either they have been achieved, or I have been prevented from keeping them." And remarkably, he directly told voters: "I'll need votes higher than 51% in order to do certain things."



These comments might seem innocuous because they are obviously true, but they openly challenge Iran's long-standing political orthodoxy in ways that former Presidents Rafsanjani and Khatami - as well as Green Movement leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi - never dared to do. Rouhani is clearly emboldened: partly due to his candid personality, and partly due to the fact that significant electoral malfeasance remains extremely costly - but not impossible - for the entire system, as evidenced by chants for Mousavi and Karroubi at Rouhani's campaign rallies across the country.



Nevertheless, the pushback against Rouhani's recent remarks has been swift and equally direct: His campaign headquarters in Tehran have reportedly been hacked and physically attacked. The basij and its associated networks have been mobilized across the country - and at times, bused in from different cities - to attend Raisi's campaign events.



Top judiciary and IRGC officials have openly called for voters to choose Raisi. And perhaps most notably, Iran's interior minister announced that election results might not be announced as they come in per traditional practice, but instead as a final result after the first round is complete. This latter point is noteworthy because while Iran's Guardian Council technically certifies election results, it only does so after receiving Khamenei's blessing.



All of this must be taken into account with one additional factor at play: The Islamic Republic after Khamenei. The framing of Iran's election is Rouhani vs. Raisi. And indeed, both men want the same job - but it's not the presidency.



This election is important for the internal political balance of power leading up to the inevitable day when Iran must choose its next Supreme Leader. There is no way for anyone - inside Iran, or outside Iran - to predict how this process will play out. Instead, various Iranian stakeholders are trying to build as much leverage as possible for when the time comes. Controlling the presidency, various ministries, and budget planning is one of many ways to maximize such leverage.



Thus, the political establishment is now faced with a choice come Election Day: bend to the will of the people and maintain stability, or don't - and risk the consequences. Increasingly, Iranian stakeholders go all out during presidential elections less because they can shape society, and more because society requires it of them.



With that in mind, we already know what kind of future the majority of Iranians want. Friday's election results will go a long way toward telling the world whether Iran's political establishment shares and supports those aspirations.



Republished, with permission by the authors, from Huffington Post.



About the author:



Reza Marashi is director of research at the National Iranian American Council. He came to NIAC after serving in the Office of Iranian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. His articles have appeared in The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and The Atlantic, among other publications. He has been a guest contributor to CNN, NPR, the BBC, TIME Magazine, The Washington Post, and the Financial Times, among other broadcast outlets. Follow Reza on Twitter: @rezamarashi
Scapegoating Iran Will Not Resolve Middle East Challenge

05/20/17

By Shireen T. Hunter (source: LobeLog)





During his Middle East trip, President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to pursue an ambitious list of objectives. Paramount among these is to strengthen regional cooperation in defeating the Islamic State (ISIS or IS) and Islamist terrorism in general. He will also try jump-starting the effort to build peace between Israel and the Palestinians that, if successful, could eliminate a major source of tensions in the region. He wants to convince those Arab states that so far have not established political and trade relations with Israel to do so, to reassure the Persian Gulf Arab states of America's continued support, and to forge tighter regional military ties that some observers see as a sort of Middle East version of NATO.

Most if not all of these are worthy goals, consonant with US interests. Defeating Islamist terrorism is a common objective. It is also past time that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were resolved and that all Arab states acknowledged the reality of Israel by establishing diplomatic and trade relations with the Jewish state. There is value in reassuring the Gulf Arab states of continued US commitment to their security-provided that this does not include accepting wholesale their narratives about regional politics or helping them to achieve their own narrow interests where incompatible with US requirements. And the idea of greater Middle East defense cooperation, under the right circumstances, can help to promote regional security and stability.

A key difficulty, however, is that President Trump and leaders of his administration clearly seek to achieve these ambitious goals by (mis)representing Iran as the world's leading exporter of terrorism and a threat to Israel and Arab states, especially those in the Persian Gulf. Indeed, Washington's focus on Iran has become a fixation, far beyond anything that evidence of Iran's actual behavior can support. Furthermore, a major element of this effort is to try building on the current "alliance" between Israel and some of the Sunni Arab states. This effort focuses not only on Iran but on achieving an outcome in the Syrian civil war that marginalizes Iran and, for the Arabs, creates Sunni primacy there over the ruling Alawite minority.

For several reasons, however, making opposition to Iran a mainspring of American efforts in the Middle East, in effect scapegoating it, will not help the US to achieve its regional goals.

Viewing Iran Clearly

The terrorism that deeply concerns the United States and other Western states is Sunni-based, emanating from Arab states, not Iran. Thus, efforts to contain Iran might help meet the political objectives of some regional states, but it will do nothing to defeat IS or al-Qaeda. Likewise, even if Iran were marginalized in Syria and President Bashar al-Assad were deposed, the resulting Sunni primacy over the Alawites would not bring that conflict closer to resolution or offer any promise for broader stability, either in Syria or in the region more broadly.

Moreover, Iran's impact on the Arab-Israeli conflict is minimal. Stymying its resolution for so many years have been the conflicting aspirations of Israel and the Palestinians. The latter want an independent, even if truncated, state with its capital in East Jerusalem. They want an end to Israel's settlement-building in the West Bank and permission for the return of at least a symbolic number of Palestinians (or their immediate descendants) who were expelled in the course of Arab-Israeli wars.

But these objectives are precisely what Israel or at least its more hardline politicians do not accept, and that would still be true even if Gaza, dominated by Hamas, were left out of the equation. For example, these hardline Israelis argue that the issue of Jerusalem, as Israel's undivided capital, is non-negotiable, which also means that there can be no option for two capitals in the one city. Further, Israel's continued building of settlements in the West Bank makes establishment of an independent Palestinian state politically impossible, since dismantling even some of them would be extremely costly to any Israeli government.

In reality, the best the Palestinians can hope for is some form of autonomous entity, even if it were called a state. It would have a flag and a president, but its disconnected territory would be dotted with Jewish settlements.

Thus, a US-effort to dangle enhanced US commitment to the regional objectives of Saudi Arabia and like-minded Sunni Arab states as an incentive to get them to pressure the Palestinians to abandon their core ambitions has no chance of success. Even if the Palestinians were put under intense Arab pressure, Israel, at least under its current leadership, is unprepared to accede even to minimal Palestinian requirements.

Finally, concerning security in the Persian Gulf, not all Arab states share Saudi Arabia's paranoid view of Iran, which is shaped by its own outsized ambitions in the region and doesn't jibe with any real threat that Iran poses. Some of the Gulf states, notably Oman but also to some degree Kuwait, deeply resent Saudi Arabia's arrogance and its use of the Gulf Cooperation Council as an instrument of Riyadh's parochial interests. Others, like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, are competitive with Saudi Arabia. For instance, in Egypt, Qatar supported the Muslim Brotherhood and Mohammad Morsi, while the Saudis stood with Hosni Mubarak until the bitter end. It is thus unlikely that these states would be willing, even under US pressure, to join the Saudis in an ambitious and highly structured defense alliance beyond today's limited cooperation, and certainly not something patterned on NATO. They also do not want to risk war with Iran, which would cause them much damage, just to please the Saudis.

Unlike the Soviet Union, whose power and ambitions underpinned the creation of NATO, Iran simply lacks the military power, both now and in the future, to justify a serious Persian Gulf military alliance in response. Further, vastly increased arms purchases by the Gulf Arab states, which the US is now promoting, would be no substitute for these countries spending the money instead on improving economic conditions for their citizens and on promoting economic development in the Arab World in general as a better shield against the terrorism and extremism that threaten their security and stability more than any challenge that Iran could pose.

A Better Course

The notion of creating an Arab-Israeli alliance by positing an Iranian threat as the motive force has been around since the late 1980s. For a variety of reasons, it has failed every time it has been tried. This latest effort will also fail to achieve its objectives, either in Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, defeating IS, resolving the Syrian conflict, or forging stronger military and political ties among Gulf states.

A wiser course would be for the United States to promote conflict resolution and mediation of regional and other tensions. This would require recognizing the legitimate concerns of all the regional states, while resisting excessive ambitions. Instead of trying to create some form of Persian Gulf NATO, directed against Iran, the United States should encourage Arab-Iranian reconciliation-which was presidential candidate Donald Trump's original instinct. The administration should also explore the possibilities of reducing US-Iranian tensions, which, depending on the outcome of the Iranian presidential election, might become more possible on Teheran's part. This wiser course would also require the United States finally to require of Saudi Arabia that it prevent further export of Wahhabi-inspired terrorism to the Middle East and elsewhere, as an indispensable part of achieving Trump's primary goal of defeating IS and other Islamist terrorism.

The current US policy of exaggerating Iran's threat, which is underpinning President Trump's visit to the region, promises, at best, to result in the sale of a hundred billion dollars or so of weaponry to Gulf states. But such economic gains for America would pale compared to the costs it and others would incur should US policies lead to a war with Iran or further conflict elsewhere in the region.





About the Author:



Shireen T. Hunter is a Research Professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. Her latest book is Iran Divided: Historic Roots of Iranian Debates on Identity, Culture, and Governance in the 21st Century (Rowman & Littlefield, 2014).




The largest privately owned Ghanaian Bank in Ghana, Fidelity Bank has treated its customers and partners to a grand ball as part of its 10th Anniversary Celebration.



The Grand Ball which was attended by the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, was in honour of its cherished customers and partners for their loyalty and commitment to the Bank for the last ten (10) years.



The Group CEO and Chairman of Fidelity Bank, Mr. Edward Effah, in his speech, expressed his deepest appreciation to clients and partners of the Bank for believing in the Fidelity brand and supporting the Bank thus far.



We started this journey in 2006 as the 22nd Bank but today we are the largest privately owned Ghanaian bank, the 6th largest bank with 75 branches, 110 ATMs and over 900 Agents. We owe our successes to you our loyal clients because you believed in us and have stayed with us all these years.



Mr. Effah noted that Fidelity Bank has stayed true to its promise of supporting the growth of the national economy.



 we have been able to make contributions towards Ghanas socio-economic development over the last ten years.



In the power sector, we have financed six out of the last 10 power projects. These include the Kpone Thermal Power Plant, the Tema Orsono Plant, Atholl Siemens, Karpowership and Genser Power Plants, contributing over 700MW to the power grid etc. In the area of financial inclusion, we have pioneered agency banking in Ghana with over 1000 agencies.



In the area of health, we have financed the procurement of specialized equipment, including the MRI scan at the 37 military hospital, the CT scan at Akai house etc.



The Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Mr. Jim Baiden, pledged the Banks continued support for the Ghanaian populace.



As a Ghanaian bank, we want to be the bank that supports Ghanas developmental agenda and the growth of our economy. We are proudly Ghanaian and we want Ghanaians to believe with us that we are the bank for the future.



He added that, the next ten years of the Bank will see a phenomenal growth and expansion in terms of its technological infrastructure, branch network, products and services.



Other dignitaries who attended the event included the 2nd Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Johnson Asiamah, Chief of Staff, Mrs. Fremah Osei Opare, Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, Ministers of State, Parliamentarians and CEOs of various institutions.



Fidelity Bank was issued its universal banking license on June 28 2006, making Fidelity Bank Ghana Limited, the 22nd bank to be licensed by the Bank of Ghana under the new Banking Act, 2004 (Act 673).



Fidelity Bank is the reigning Bank of the year and the Most Socially Responsible Bank in Ghana for the 2nd consecutive time. The bank was also named the Bankers Best Bank in Ghana for 2016. The Banker is a member of The Financial Times of London Group.



Fidelity Bank was also adjudged the Best Bank in Ghana at the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Finance African Banking Awards.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The incident came to light when the victim approached the police through its 24?7 WhatsApp control room.

By Ashish Pandey: In a bizarre case, the Rachakonda SHE team, a special police team that acts as a watchdog for women's safety in public places, has arrested a 76-year-old man for harassing a 24-year-old woman.

The incident came in light when the victim approached the police through its WhatsApp control room number 9490617111.

According to the police, the accused old-man, identified as Vinod Diwan, is a resident of Lake Wave Residency, Sainikpuri of Kusaiguda police station limit.

advertisement

He had helped the woman at a temple when her grandfather fell sick two days back.

Diwan had dropped the woman and her grandfather at their home from temple, and managed to get the mobile number of the victim.

But to the surprise of the victim, the 76-year-old man started harassing her over phone with repeated phone calls.

Based on the complaints, police apprehended the accused and produced him in the court.

ALSO READ:Doctors booked for sexually harassing medical practitioner

Hry police launches online drive to check sexual harassment

--- ENDS ---
The government has announced plans to cut down on the number of agencies working at the various ports and borders as a means of eliminating inefficiencies and reducing the man hours spent in clearing of goods at the ports.



Although it is not immediately known the number of agencies that would be left to handle operations the port, the cut down is expected be greatly bring an improvement upon the about 16 agencies currently tasked to inspect imported items.



Importers of have constantly complained about the inefficiencies at the port and about officials of these agencies who claim extort monies from them thus raising their cost of doing business.



The Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia made this announcement at the Port Efficiency conference held in Accra on Tuesday.



Additionally, the Vice President announced three major reforms that would be undertaken to further change the phase of service delivery at the countrys ports.



Effective September, 1, 2017, therewould be mandatory Joint inspection at Ports. This new policy is a departure from thecurrent situation where all 16 agencies take turns to inspect imported items beforethey are cleared.



Additionally, all Internal Custom Barriers including Customs Barriers on the corridor would be removed to ensure free movement of goods on the Ghana transit corridors, from Tema to Paga, Aflao, Hamle, Elubu among others.



As part of the reform, the governmentGhana is implementing an electronic transaction at the port by ensuring a 100%paperlesstransaction andeliminateall physical contact with revenue officers.



He emphasised that port infrastructure, as well as the efficiency of customs procedures are among the most important determinants of final cost of imports and exports adding that ports around the world are creating value through efficiency and revenue increases by their position as economic and trade drivers.



The efforts of the government to put in place appropriate policies and structures for gathering and validating data to ensure its credibility is part of our effort to building an efficient port. A more efficient seaport translates into competitiveness for shippers (importers and exporters) and all stakeholders who make their living and contribute to building this country through the ports.



The Vice President however emphasisedthat these reforms and measures would achieve its intended effect if the citizenrytake charge of the change and make it work.



Let us also be mindful that just throwing money and equipment at challenges is not always the best approach to problem solving. We need an understanding of processes, how to get systems to work together, and just as important how we manage the human factors that make things happen or not happen.



He cautioned against the tendency of the agencies and institution taking entrenched positions on initiatives and policies aimed making the ports more efficient.



Let us also be wary of over-protecting our turfs. We need a collective effort to deal with these serious issues that confront us as a nation. Im confident that this conference would come out with a blueprint spelling out the actions and modalities necessary for ensuring that our ports become efficient and competitive.



In Ghana, the ports are the main source of international trade and domestic revenue mobilization. The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) handles about 70% of the national and neighbouring landlocked Burkina Faso, Mali and Nigers trade and traffic.







Source: The Finder









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has stated that there can be no future prosperity in West Africa, if member states maintain economic structures that are dependent on the production and export of raw materials.



He said if West Africa was to ensure the progress and prosperity of its people, We must add value to these resources, we must industrialise and we must enhance agricultural productivity.



President Akufo-Addo gave the advice on Thursday in his remarks at a State Dinner held in his honour by the President of Guinea, Professor Alpha Conde, on the second day of his three-day tour of Guinea.



The reason for his visit to Guinea, President Akufo-Addo told President Conde, was to build on the relations between the two countries, as well explore, further, other areas of co-operation for the mutual benefit of the two peoples.



He said he was excited that the two countries, in May 2013, reactivated the Permanent Joint Commission on Co-operation (PJCC).



Co-operation in the development of our agriculture, education, science and technology, infrastructure, health, energy and culture, and the co-ordination of the exploitation of our mutual natural resources, such as bauxite, iron ore, gold and petroleum, would be of immense benefit to our two countries, he added.



It is for this reason that President Akufo-Addo proposed that the two countries hold the next session of the PJCC in Accra before the end of the year.



We must intensify the links between Ghanaian and Guinean enterprises, and, thereby, also hasten the process of regional integration.



With the population of West Africa set to hit 500 million people in 20 years time, up from its current population of 350 million, President Akufo-Addo added that the integration of the ECOWAS community is now, explaining that the integration of the region will offer immense opportunities to bring prosperity to our region with hard work, enterprise and creativity.



This ambitious programme of economic transformation and integration of the ECOWAS countries, the President explained must be hinged on the peace and stability of all parts of West Africa.



President Akufo-Addo stated that I am, thus, relieved, and I am sure I speak for all of us here, that the disturbing events of the last few days in our common neighbouring state of Cote dIvoire have been brought to a satisfactory conclusion, and that good sense has prevailed and enabled the crisis to abate peacefully, he said.



Touching on the long standing relations that exist between Ghana and Guinea, President Akufo-Addo was expectant that our two peoples will continue to march side-by-side in solidarity in the search for progress and dignity for the African peoples



He applauded President Conde for the ongoing efforts he was making to entrench democracy and the rule of law in the body politic of Guinea, as well to maintain her unity and integrity devoid of narrow partisan, ethnic considerations.



It is a historic task, but one in which your life-long struggle and sacrifices for Guinean democracy have prepared you adequately to undertake. We wish you well and Godspeed, he added.



President Akufo-Addo was also thankful for the presence of his Guinean counterpart at his inauguration on January 7, and also for the presence of the Guinean Prime Minister, M. Mamady Youla, at Ghanas 60th independence anniversary celebrations, on March 6.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The US Ambassador, Mr Robert Jackson has expressed his countrys continues support to help Ghana stop illegal mining also known as galamsey, and to preserve its natural resources.



He said the Embassy also supported the call to declare the Atiwa Forest reserve located at Segyemase near Akyem-Abuakwa in the Eastern Region as a national park.



It is incumbent on stakeholders to let the community see the value of preserving the environment. We need to have a sustainable programme that will conserve and preserve the environment for future generations, Mr Jackson said when he toured the Atiwa Forest on Thursday.



He also used the opportunity to call on the King of Abuakwa, Osagyefo Nana Amoatia Ofori-Panin II and his elders at his Palace in Abuakwa to interact and declare his support towards efforts at conserving the Atiwa forest as a critical source of water to most part of Greater Accra Region.



Mr Jackson, together with Ms Caecilia Wijgers, Deputy High Commissioner of The Netherlands, a key partner and financier of the Save the Atiwa Forest project which was being championed by AROCHA Ghana in collaboration with the Okyeman Environment Foundation and Ghana Wildlife Society visited part of the Atiwa Forest to inspect it current state and know how it could help protect it.



The Atiwa forest is the home of three major rivers- Birim, Ayensu and Densu, which provides water to 60 per cent of the population of Accra as well as those in the Central and Eastern regions.



The forest is said to be one of the two upland forest reserves in the country apart from the Tano Offin forest reserve located in Nyinahin in the Ashanti Region.



Atiwa forest is also known as a global significant forest area but it has been facing challenges like illegal chainsaw operation, illegal mining and farm encroachment that continues to affect the landscape.



Mr Jackson said Ghana as the challenges were being highlighted, there was the need to develop long term plans for both short and medium term solutions to help sustain future generations.



He said Government efforts at fighting galamsey and improving water quality was also commendable and that the Embassy would work closely to preserve the environment.



Ms Wijgers commended the media for the key role in fighting galamsey, saying the efforts have been long in coming but duly welcoming to ensure that the land and water bodies are protected.



Mr Appiah Kubi, National Director of AROCHA Ghana, reiterated the call on government to make a bold declaration on the status of the Atiwa Forest and to declare it as a national park so it could be maintain as such.



Mr Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, said the advantages of conserving the Atiwa forest far outweighed the benefit of mining bauxite in the reserve and so government was committed to turning the forest into a national park.



He commended the US Embassy and The Netherlands for supporting Ghana to preserve her environment to ensure that the future generations could survive.



He emphasised on the need for community sensitisation and capacity building of various stakeholders on the importance of the forest and on the right penalties for those who breach the laws.



On his part, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori-Panin II, pledged his full support to the stopping galamsey and towards preserving the environment.



We need a collective determination to ensure that we protect what we have and not to expose our citizens and children to a very serious environmental degradation, he said.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Ace Investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas has hinted that he is going to release his most challenging undercover investigative piece in his entire career, which involves 60 people who have done great evil to the state.



Anas dropped the hint while speaking at the Third Lecture Series of the 60th Anniversary of the Commonwealth Hall of the University of Ghana on the theme; Vandalism and Democracy.



He revealed that the 60 individuals yet to be exposed have done nothing good for Ghana and he is going to name, shame and jail them as his investigative works have always preached.



And now about the most challenging work that Ive done, as I speak to you now Ive some 60 people and Im not going to tell you what Im going to do but it is there. It is coming and none of the 60 people have done anything good for Ghana, he said in response to a question posed to him about the most challenging work he has ever done.



However, the man behind Tiger Eye PI did not state categorically what the 60 people have done, neither did he say when the video will come out but he said it will come out and its just a matter of time.



Anas is well known for his unique undercover investigations, which have exposed many corrupt public officials and caused their trials and sentencing.



His biggest work so far is the famous corruption in the judiciary piece dubbed Ghana Under The Eyes of God, which led to the dismissal of some High Court Judges.



Anas, an Old Vandal himself, encouraged his fellows and the Ghanaian youth to be inquisitive and probe the ills in society that do not inure to the benefit of the country.



He said he has built his brand to a level where he has now lost his real identity, to the extent that even when he reveals his true identity to people they laugh and doubt him.



People come to you and you want to be real to them and say, Im Anas and they tell you, how can you be Anas? Its not true, he uttered.



He said people have accused him of disappearing through walls, turning into a goat amongst other allegations, but he said they are all not true and he sees them as part of the challenges in his profession.



Anas urged the students to be steadfast in righting the wrongs in society.

Source: adomonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Chief Scribe of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia has explained the rationale behind the appointments of Mr. David Asante Apeatu and Georgina Theodora Wood as Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Chief Justice (CJ) respectively.



According to him, former President Kufuor chose the outgoing Chief Justice to head the countrys judiciary to cover up the partys alleged links with the infamous missing cocaine saga under the erstwhile New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.



The current IGP has been elevated because he covered up NPP members who murdered Ya-Naa Yakubu Adani II in the Kufuor administration he alleged on Kumasi-based Nhyiria FM.



Mr. Asante Apeatu was the lead investigator tasked by the Kufuor government to investigate the death of the late King of Dagbon but Mr Asiedu Nketia insists he was only given the current top police job following his alliance with the NPP.



Commenting on the recent allegation of murder against the Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Rockson Bukari and the Gender Minister, Otiko Afisa Djaba of having hand in the gruesome murder of the former Region chairman of NPP, he said Daniel Bugri Naabu, Minister for Gender and Social Protection Ms Otiko Afisa Djaba and Minister for Upper East Region Rockson Bukari must immediately bearrested.



He indicated that the three following allegations made by Bugri himself are complicit in the death of the former Upper East Regional Chairman of the NPP, Mahama Adams and should arrested and investigated for their roles.



Though the Daniel Bugri Naabu has publicly apologized for the comments indicating that he has no facts to back the claim except what police investigators put out and that his comment was borne out of a slip of tongue, the NDC scribe believes that should not be accepted.



Mr. Asiedu Nketia accused NPP National Executives of concealing the main suspects behind the death of the former Regional Chairman.



He observed that the apology and retraction of the allegations against the Ministers by the NPP Northern Regional Chairman is not enough unless the suspects are identified and brought to book.

Source: mynewsgh.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Samuel Awuku says it will be a waste of time and resources should the Attorney General decide to continue investigations of eight members of the partys militant group, Delta Force standing trial for raiding a court in Kumasi.



In his view, it will be difficult for the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the suspects were indeed the ones who raided the court.



Mr. Awukus comment is in reaction to the Attorney Generals decision to investigate reasons adduced by the Principal State Attorney in Kumasi for dropping criminal charges against eight pro-NPP Delta Force members.



The eight suspects were arrested and charged with disturbing a court session, for resisting arrest, and freeing the 13 persons who were in lawful custody.



But at a court hearing last Wednesday, the state dropped the charges for lack of evidence. A move that has been widely condemned by sections of the public including the official opposition in parliament, the NDC and the government which says it is investigating the development.





The no-evidence explanation has raised suspicions that the governing New Patriotic Party, which prides itself as a party of respect for the rule of law is condoning lawlessness. The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) led by its Minority in Parliament is calling for the immediate arrest for proper prosecution.



But on Asempa FM Thursday, Sammy Awuku said they will not sacrifice innocent Delta 8 on the altar of cheap politics.



He maintained that the eight people were not at the scene when the supposed court raid happened thus re-arresting them will amount to an infringement of the fundamental human rights.



Lets not give innocent people a bad name, add political colour and hang them on the altar of politics he stressed.



The NPP Youth leader said they are committed as a political party to hunt for the culprits who perpetrated such shameful act but the eight freed are innocent.



It is better 10 guilty men go free than one innocent man being convicted wrongly. The onus lies with the police to prove their case he stated.



Sammy Awuku, however, could not fathom why the opposition NDC are all of a sudden defending the judiciary when in fact they did worse while in government.



The prosecution said they dont have evidence so if the NDC which is insisting the eight persons are re-arrested should provide evidence.





Source: adomonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has underscored the need for members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to speed up the process of the integration of the sub-region.



That, he explained, would offer immense opportunities to bring prosperity to our region with hard work, enterprise and creativity.



With the population of the sub-region expected to hit 500 million in 20 years from its current population of 350 million, President Akufo-Addo said the integration of the ECOWAS was now more imperative.



He was speaking at a state dinner organised in his honour by the Guinean President, Professor Alpha Conde in Conakry last Thursday as part of his three-day tour of that country.



The President is in Guinea as part of his second leg of his three-nation West African tour to build on existing relations and explore further areas of cooperation between Ghana and other West African countries.



Peace and stability



President Nana Akufo-Addo said there was the need for the ambitious programme of economic transformation and integration of the ECOWAS countries to be hinged on the peace and stability in the sub-region.



I am thus relieved, and I am sure I speak for all of us here, that the disturbing events of the last few days in our common neighbouring state of Cote dIvoire have been brought to a satisfactory conclusion, and that good sense has prevailed and enabled the crisis to abate peacefully, he said.



Raw materials



The President called on West African countries to change the focus of their economies from the production and export of raw materials to adding value to the raw materials and industrialisation.



He said there was no future for the sub-region in the short, medium or long term, if its economic structures were dependent on the production and export of raw materials



We must add value to these resources, we must industrialise and we must enhance agricultural productivity, if West Africa is to ensure the progress and prosperity of its peoples, he stated.



Ghana-Guinea



President Nana Akufo-Addo expressed his delight at the reactivation of the Permanent Joint Commission on Co-operation between Ghana and Guinea.



Cooperation in the development of our agriculture, education, science and technology, infrastructure, health, energy and culture, and the coordination of the exploitation of our mutual natural resources, such as bauxite, iron ore, gold and petroleum, would be of immense benefit to our two countries, he added.



He proposed that the two countries hold the next session of the joint commission in Accra before the end of the year, adding we must intensify the links between Ghanaian and Guinean enterprises, and, thereby, also hasten the process of regional integration.



Touching on the long-standing bilateral relations that existed between Ghana and Guinea, President Akufo-Addo said he was hopeful that our two peoples will continue to march side by side in solidarity in the search for progress and dignity for the African peoples.



President Akufo-Addo applauded President Conde for the ongoing efforts to entrench democracy and the rule of law in Guinea to maintain unity and integrity in that country devoid of narrow partisan and ethnic considerations.



It is a historic task, but one in which your lifelong struggle and sacrifices for Guinean democracy have prepared you adequately to undertake. We wish you well and Godspeed, he added.



President Akufo-Addo was also thankful for the presence of his Guinean counterpart at his inauguration on January 7, 2017, and also for the presence of the Guinean Prime Minister, M. Mamady Youla, at Ghanas 60th independence anniversary celebrations on March 6, 2017.

Source: Daily Graphic









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Prosecutors in Sweden have officially dropped the rape investigation into Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, saying that without the official cooperation of Ecuador, it would be impossible to bring him before a Swedish court.

Two Swedish women made allegations of sexual assault against Assange following a visit to the country in 2010; he was questioned and released, but in November of that year, special prosecutors requested his extradition.

In 2012, when the UK Supreme Court ruled that Assange was to be extradited to Sweden to face the investigation, he sought political asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has remained since.

At a press briefing on Friday, Swedish special prosecutor Marianne Ny announced that the arrest warrant for Assange has been revoked, as it is impossible in the present circumstances to serve him with formal notification.

Ny told reporters: If he were to return to Sweden before the statute of limitation on this case expires in August 2020, the preliminary investigation could be resumed.

She said it was regrettable that Sweden could not carry out its investigation into Assange, and added that we are not making any pronouncement about guilt.

In May of last year, a court in Stockholm upheld the arrest warrant against the 45-year-old Wikileaks founder, saying that there was still probable cause for suspicion concerning the sexual assault allegations.

Elisabeth Fritz, a lawyer representing one of Assanges alleged victims, told media:

It is a scandal that a suspected rapist can disregard the judiciary and thus avoid trial. Proof of evidence in the case is available and that evidence should have been tried in court.

Assange himself has celebrated the development, appearing on the balcony of the embassy to thank his supporters and rail against the terrible injustice that has been done to him.

Detained for 7 years without charge by while my children grew up and my name was slandered, he said on Twitter. I do not forgive or forget.

Assange has long-maintained that the accusations against him were false and politically-motivated.

Detained for 7 years without charge by while my children grew up and my name was slandered. I do not forgive or forget.  Julian Assange (@JulianAssange) May 19, 2017

A source in the Ecuadorian embassy told reporters that: Ecuador will now be intensifying its diplomatic efforts with the UK so that Julian Assange can gain safe passage in order to enjoy his asylum in Ecuador.

This may not be easy, however, as UK police have indicated that they will still be obliged to arrest Assange if he leaves he embassy, on the charge of failing to surrender to a court.

It is also very likely that the US still has an interest in extraditing him to face trial over the leaking of thousands of classified military documents, with Attorney-General Jeff Sessions calling his arrest a priority.

Source: BBC News / The Independent.

Photo: Jack Taylor / Getty.
In the early 1940s, Lydia Sterste was left without a father. Soviet operatives arrested Karl Kulman and took him from Riga, Latvia, to a labor camp in Siberia, where he was killed.

In the late 1940s, Sterste was left without a country. She and her husband Andre Sterste escaped to a displaced persons camp in Germany before they were relocated in 1950 to Everett in southwest Pennsylvania.

Yet she had other memories -- good memories -- of summers spent in Jurmala at the edge of the Baltic Sea. Streste would tell her daughter Vivian Brandler about how she would walk along the shoreline in search of amber.

Before she died in 2010, Sterste told her it was time to go home.

"We had long talks about what should be done with (my parents' ashes)..." the Dillsburg artist said. "She poetically spoke to me about being returned and spread in the ocean, where she put her toes in the sand by the Baltic Sea."

After her father died Feb. 17, 2017, Brandler started to work on an urn that would hold her parents' ashes. The piece, called "Bright Pure Self," is now on display as a part of the "Vessels" exhibition being hosted from Friday, May 12, 2017, through Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017, at the Susquehanna Art Museum in Harrisburg.

"Bright Pure Self" is a white ceramic piece that's covered in swirls of red and black. Her mother's last poem "Gratitude" is fired onto the urn and both her parents' names are printed along its base. The piece is displayed on top of a book titled "Dzeja," a collection of her mother's poems that Brandler and her father published together in 2012.

Brandler said she wants to carry their ashes in the urn back to Jurmala. She would then spread their remains into the Baltic Sea and fill the vessel with amber, another tribute to her mother, before burying it in the sand.

"I envisioned the waves coming up, and (the urn) slowly emerging," she said. "I envisioned, somehow, it coming up and somebody opens it and there's the name of my father and mother."

Brandler hoped that whoever finds the urn would take the effort to learn about how it got there.

She hoped they would make the connection between the names and that of her great aunt Elza Sterste, a prominent poet in Latvia.

She hoped it would connect them with the history of their country and the mass deportations of Latvians, such as her grandfather, to labor camps in Siberia.

Brandler and her mother only learned of what happened to him after the Latvian Supreme Court sent them a letter in 1991 with his passport and documents detailing his detention in Siberia.

"He was an attorney who was charged with writing 'articles assisting international bourgeoisie to protect their assets, properties and rights' (and that) his legal work was in direct conflict with the working class and the Soviet revolutionary movement," she said.

Kulman was later sentenced to capital punishment. A bullet between the eyes.

In the same letter, the Latvian Supreme Court acknowledged that the Soviet court had subjected him to "illegal repression" and cleared him of the charges.

"I see my grandfather as a hero," Brandler said. "One who fought for (his) people. One who died for his people."

Brandler has one last thing to do before she can carry out her parents' wishes. She has to wait for her one-year-old granddaughter Emma Danowski to grow up before they make the trip to Latvia.

Brandler wants Emma to have her own memories of Jurmala, just like her great grandmother before her.

"This is something where I want my granddaughter to have a memory, to be cognizant (of what's going on)," she said. "It will happen when the time is right."
By E. Fletcher McClellan

President Donald Trump's removal of FBI Director James Comey has invited comparisons to the Saturday Night Massacre of October 1973, in which President Richard Nixon fired Watergate Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox after the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General refused to do so and resigned instead.

E. Fletcher McClellan (PennLive file)

The mass departures triggered a firestorm of anti-Nixon protest, leading to the appointment of a new special prosecutor and the start of the impeachment process in the House of Representatives.

Ten months later, after the House Judiciary Committee recommended impeachment and tapes revealed the president's direct involvement in the Watergate cover-up, Nixon left office.

The question is whether the Comey firing will eventually result in Trump's resignation or removal. Unless there is a startling revelation implicating Trump in criminal activity, it is likely that Trump will continue in office at least through the midterm elections of 2018.

The reason Trump will survive this latest scandal is that presidential removal is a political process revolving around the interests of the ruling party in Congress. For the next eighteen months, the interest of Republican leaders is to avoid a high-profile investigation of the president that would hijack their policy agenda.

The U.S. Constitution defines an impeachable offense as "Treason, Bribery, or other High crimes and misdemeanors."

Regardless of the stated criteria, it is not a coincidence that all three presidents who faced impeachment - Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Nixon - had to deal with a Congress controlled by the opposition party.

Whereas improper conduct in office led to Clinton's impeachment along partisan lines, partisanship in Johnson and Nixon's cases was amplified by serious policy differences (the direction of Reconstruction and an attempted rollback of Great Society programs, respectively) that produced constitutional crises.

After just 119 days in office, President Trump confronts accusations of improper conduct (refusal to release tax returns and divest himself fully from his business interests), profiteering, collusion with Russia to influence the 2016 election, and - by firing the head of the agency investigating the latter charge - obstruction of justice.

Moreover, there are huge policy and ideological differences among Trump, Democrats in Congress, and even some Republicans over the repeal of Obamacare, tax reform, deregulation, and immigration control.

The one ingredient that is missing from this combustible brew is opposition party control of one or both houses of Congress.

In response to the Comey dismissal, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell voiced their support for Trump's action. They opposed Democratic calls for a special counsel or independent investigation of the Trump-Russia connection.

Moreover, the Republican leaders stated that the FBI investigation of Trump's campaign will not be affected by the firing, and that current inquiries by House and Senate committees will go on as well, even though Comey and Democratic leaders in Congress asked for more resources to conduct their respective investigations.

Make no mistake, Republicans in Congress are not in love with the president. They probably would prefer a more conventional leader in the White House, such as, say, Vice President Mike Pence.

But for now, Ryan and McConnell need Trump. He is still popular with the GOP base, which agrees with the president that Democratic support of the FBI director who sank the Hillary Clinton campaign is hypocritical.

There are three things that Republicans want to accomplish during the two years they are in control of the federal government: a solid conservative majority on the US Supreme Court, repeal and replacement of Obamacare, and massive tax cuts.

Job One is well on the way to achievement with one Justice confirmed and a second possible vacancy (the retirement of swing Justice Anthony Kennedy) on the horizon.

As the GOP works on Jobs Two and Three in the coming months, its leaders will reflect on whether Trump will be an asset or liability to the party as the 2018 midterm elections approach. The big unknown is whether game-changing revelations will arise from the legal process.

Even if no special prosecutor is appointed, career officials in the Justice Department are capable of bringing pressure on Trump aides to testify against higher-ups. Any further interference by Trump will almost certainly break the partisan firewall.

Regardless, the political and legal landscape may well change in 2019. The unpopularity of the House-passed American Health Care Act has placed the Republican majority in jeopardy. A Democratic takeover of the House gives the opposition party subpoena power.

In the end, the Senate may save the president. Though the GOP has only a narrow majority in the upper chamber, Democrats have to defend 25 of 34 seats in 2018. And, Senators have time to gauge whether to pass their own version of AHCA or let their House colleagues twist slowly in the wind.

Before we get to that point, however, Republican leaders will have already made their move. There will be no shortage of challengers in the 2020 Republican primaries, and Pence is waiting in the wings.

E. Fletcher McClellan, a professor of political science at Elizabethtown College, is a frequent PennLive Opinion contributor.
Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaz Aziz has said that it is wrong to say that his country lost at the International Court of Justice in the hearing on Kulbhushan Jadhav and that it did not get any order from the international court regarding consular access for him.

By India Today Web Desk: Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaz Aziz has said that it is wrong to say that his country lost at the International Court of Justice in the hearing on Kulbhushan Jadhav.

Jadhav has been sentenced to death according to the laws of Pakistan on charges of espionage.

Aziz said that while the court did stay Jadhav's execution, it did not get any order from ICJ regarding consular access for him.

advertisement

He added that Pakistan would strengthen its legal team for the next hearing in the case.

"The ICJ has only asked Pakistan to stay Jadhav's execution until it arrives at a decision," the diplomat said.

ICJ ALWAYS GIVES STAY ORDER IN DEATH PENALTY CASES: AZIZ

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Aziz said that when it comes to dealing with cases involving the death penalty, the International Court of Justice has always given a stay order.

The international court has not decided on consular access and has only intimated that the matter will come under discussion, the diplomat said.

Aziz claimed that Jadhav was not an ordinary Indian. He was "an officer in the Indian Navy who has also admitted to carrying out espionage activities in Pakistan."

Jadhav was sentenced according to the laws of Pakistan after he admitted to entering the country on fake passport and involvement in terror activities, the top diplomat added.

PAUCITY OF TIME HURT PAKISTAN's PREPARATION?

Responding to questions about the legal team representing Pakistan, Aziz said they had "only five days to prepare for the appearance, adding that the decision to send Khawar Qureshi was a unanimous one".

He, however, added that Pakistan will further strengthen its legal team and that it will go forward into the case with full preparation.

"We will go with a strong team in the next hearing," he added.

DIFFERENT CLAIMS BY INDIA, PAKISTAN

Pakistan claims its security forces arrested Jadhav from its restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran.

However, India maintains that he was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.

Jadhav's case is the latest flashpoint in the tensions between Pakistan and India.

India is confident and is leaving no stone unturned to secure the release of Kulbhushan Yadav.

(WITH INPUTS FROM PTI)

Also read | Pervez Musharraf: Jadhav bigger terrorist than Ajmal Kasab, Pak should have ignored India's ICJ petition

Also read | Kulbhushan Jadhav case: Pakistan set to re-challenge International Court of Justice's jurisdiction

WATCH VIDEO

--- ENDS ---
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to form
National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Chief Commissioner, Marion Buller pauses during an interview with The Canadian Press, in Vancouver, B.C., on Wednesday August 31, 2016. The chief commissioner of the national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women says there is still hope in the work the commission is doing, despite criticism about delays. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
By Press Trust of India: (Eds: Updating with more quotes)

From Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, May 20 (PTI) Pakistan today said that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has not given any order regarding consular access for Kulbhushan Jadhav who has been sentenced to death according to the laws of the country.

"The ICJ has only asked Pakistan to keep a stay on Jadhavs execution until it arrives at a decision," Pakistan PMs Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said.

advertisement

He also ruled out any compromise on the issue of Jadhav and said "when there will be matter of our national interest and security, then there will be no compromise."

His colleague and Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan said the case would be taken to its "logical conclusion in accordance with Pakistans law and constitution."

Khan said certain elements are on the payroll of "our enemies" and receiving funds from them to stoke anarchy and unrest in the country.

Jadhav, 46, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of "involvement in espionage and sabotage activities" against the country.

The ICJ on May 18 stayed the execution of Jadhav.

Addressing a press conference here, Aziz said that when it comes to cases involving the death penalty, the international court has always given a stay order.

He said the ICJ has not decided on consular access and has only intimated that the matter will come under discussion. "The ICJ has not issued any order with regard to consular access," he added.

Aziz also claimed that Jadhav was not an ordinary Indian, and said he was "an officer in the Indian Navy who has also admitted to carrying out espionage activities in Pakistan."

Jadhav was sentenced according to the laws of Pakistan after he admitted to entering the country on fake passport and involvement in terror activities, the top diplomat added.

"We will try for early hearing of this case in the ICJ and will present our stance with full preparation," he said.

He said it was wrong to say that Pakistan has been defeated in ICJ and asserted that Pakistan has strong position regarding merit and jurisdiction of the case.

Aziz said the Kashmir issue would not be taken to ICJ as it is being dealt at the higher forum of UN Security Council. "We are not taking Kashmir issue to ICJ. I never said this as the forum for Kashmir is UN Security Council," he said.

He said Pakistan wants amicable resolution of the Kashmir issue in line with UN resolutions and Islamabad will "continue its political, moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiri people in their struggle for right to self-determination."

advertisement

Talking about the visit of Indian tycoon Sajjan Jindal, Aziz said that it was a private visit and there was no need for Foreign Office to issue a statement on the issue. He also rejected any link between Jindals visit and the Jadhav case.

Responding to a question as to why an ad-hoc judge was not nominated by Pakistan, he said the government could not appoint one within a short notice of five days.

He also rejected question about the Britain-based lawyer Khawar Qureshi and said he was appointed to plead the case after consultation with all stakeholders.

The Foreign Office was criticised for its "poor handling" of the case and for its choice of Qureshi as counsel.

Aziz, however, said that Pakistan will further strengthen its legal team and that it will go forward into the case with full preparation. "We will go with a strong team in the next hearing," he added.

Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali will plead Pakistans case at the ICJ against Jadhav.

advertisement

Their comments came after ICJ stayed Jadhavs execution and also endorsed Indian request for consular access to him.

The Pakistan government has come under a lot of criticism for its "mishandling" of the case at ICJ.

Jadhavs case is the latest flash-point in the tensions between Pakistan and India. The two countries last faced off at the ICJ 18 years ago when Islamabad sought its intervention over the shooting down of its naval aircraft. PTI SH/ZH ZH

--- ENDS ---
Payrolls in Philadelphia expanded by an annual average of 2.8 percent between March 2016 and March 2017. Read more

Break out the Bluecoat gin  Philly is outstripping New York in job growth.

"I was very surprised to see it," said Ian Anderson, a fan of Fishtown's home-distilled Bluecoat and the director of research and analysis in Philadelphia for CBRE Group Inc., a commercial real estate company. Anderson crunched some U.S. Labor Department statistics, comparing job growth in the Big Apple with what's happening in the land of the cracked bell.

"I think it's wonderful," he said of the job news.

Payrolls in Philadelphia expanded by an annual average of 2.8 percent between March 2016 and March 2017, while in the five boroughs of New York City, payrolls grew by 1.8 percent. However, to put that in perspective, 1.8 percent growth in New York equals 75,900 jobs, while Philadelphia's 2.8 percent growth meant 19,200 jobs.

"The tables have completely turned," Anderson said. Between March 2015 and March 2016, New York's growth rate was 2.8 percent and Philadelphia's was 1.4 percent. One explanation? "Part of it is that the financial industry in New York has been a little sluggish of late."

Job Growth in Philadelphia vs. New York For the first time in at least 25 years, the number of jobs in Philadelphia is growing at a much faster pace than in New York City. Year-over-year change in annual average employment, not seasonally adjusted. Staff Graphic

However, both Anderson and Adam Ozimek, a senior economist at Moody's Analytics in West Chester, attribute the growth to Philadelphia's growing popularity, which is encouraging employers to expand here.

"There's clearly optimism," said Ozimek, whose Friday Philly beverage of choice is Yards Brawler, a malt-forward ale brewed on Delaware Avenue. "It's a very exciting time to be watching the Philadelphia economy, that's for sure. It feels like there's a possibility that Philadelphia could be like one of those mega-cities," Boston, or Seattle, or, yes, even New York.

But, being analysts, both quickly sounded cautionary notes. "Whenever you see a boom, an economist always worries about a bust," Ozimek said. Both feared that Philadelphia's traditional troubles  the wage tax and a less-than-stellar school system might stall momentum.

CBRE's research also pointed to two other growth trends for the region. While the area has always relied on "eds and meds," as in schools and health care, to generate jobs, regional hiring in that sector grew by 5 percent in recent months. That is growth on steroids, Anderson explained. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia alone added 600 jobs in the last year, he said.

And finally, Camden County has been adding jobs, with the rate of growth there outpacing the rate of growth in the Pennsylvania suburbs. "It's easy to have a big jump when you are coming out of a big slump," Ozimek said. Both Anderson and Ozimek said that the post-recession recovery was particularly slow in Camden, and that the region has just now reached its pre-recession employment levels.
Bill Cosby arrives for jury selection in his sexual assault case at the Allegheny County Courthouse on Monday in Pittsburgh. Read more

One of the last times Bill Cosby made a public appearance in Pittsburgh  a 2007 commencement speech at Carnegie Mellon University  he was welcomed with adoration.

Deep into a late-career shift from the celebrity known as "America's Dad" to an aging icon better described as the nation's irascible grandpa, he devilishly hectored graduates  addressing them as nerds and delivering his remarks while dressed in gray sweats, a ball cap, and Crocs.

But as he returns Monday for jury selection for his sexual-assault trial, the 79-year-old entertainer arrives in a city divided over how he should be received.

Summonses have gone out to nearly 3,000 potential jurors, with 125 expected to show up the first day at the Allegheny County Courthouse. The trial itself, scheduled to begin June 5 in Norristown, promises to be the most closely watched legal spectacle since O.J. Simpson's 1995 prosecution and the first public vetting of allegations that mirror claims by dozens of women who have accused Cosby of sexual improprieties dating back decades.

And while supporters abound in the city of 300,000, an eleventh-hour push to rehabilitate his public image through nationally broadcast radio interviews and statements claiming racism at the heart of the case against him has rubbed some the wrong way.

"He should not be pimping the civil rights movement for his cause," said Tim Stevens, chairman and CEO of the Black Political Empowerment Project in Pittsburgh and the former president of the city's NAACP branch.

State court administrators chose Pittsburgh as the venue for jury selection out of concern that overwhelming pretrial publicity may have tainted the jury pool in Montgomery County. Those selected for the panel will be sequestered in Norristown for what is expected to be a two-week trial. Judge Steven T. O'Neill has said jurors' names will remain sealed.

It seems unfathomable that anyone arriving with a jury summons Monday won't have at least heard of Cosby's legal travails, but his defense team hopes to find 12 men and women and six alternates who remain open-minded about the allegations from Andrea Constand, who says Cosby drugged and assaulted her at his Cheltenham mansion in 2004.

In seeking to move jury selection from Norristown, Cosby's lawyers, Angela Agrusa and Brian McMonagle, sought a large urban center in Pennsylvania with more "diverse and opposing viewpoints," leaving few options. They argued the Montgomery County jury pool had been permanently poisoned by extensive media coverage and by District Attorney Kevin R. Steele's use of the Cosby case in the 2015 campaign that swept him into office.

In Pittsburgh they will find a region with a larger black population and wider economic diversity, according to U.S. Census data, and a city with which their client has always cultivated a special relationship.

"That bridge, that view, it's like you're entering the Emerald City," Cosby said, recalling his first drive into the city from its airport in a 2010 interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Look, Dorothy, it's Pittsburgh!"

Though more closely associated with his hometown of Philadelphia, Cosby has been a frequent performer at the city's landmark venue, Heinz Hall. He describes the Steelers as an "escape hatch" to the poor performances of his beloved Eagles.

And after his crowd-pleasing 2007 Carnegie Mellon commencement speech, he followed up the next year by buying the school its first live mascot  a Scottish Terrier.

As allegations of sexual misconduct snowballed in late 2014, the university was one of the few that did not rescind the honorary degree it had given him, nearly a decade earlier. The University of Pittsburgh, however, did.

In recent weeks, the entertainer's team has sought to recapture the public affection their client enjoyed at events like that 2007 commencement speech at Carnegie Mellon's Gesling Stadium a decade ago.

He spoke wistfully of his time on the stage in an interview with Sirius XM radio host Michael Smerconish on Tuesday. "I want to get back to the laughter and the enjoyment of things that I've written and the things that I perform on stage," Cosby said.

That interview came at the peak of an orchestrated media blitz that started last month after more than two years of silence from Cosby and his family.

Radio spots featuring two of his daughters, Ensa and Erinn, were also broadcast in recent days on stations across the country as interviews featuring Cosby's own words rolled out to black-owned newspapers, including the weekly New Pittsburgh Courier.

Each sought to humanize Cosby, with recollections from his rough upbringing in North Philadelphia while portraying him as a more recent victim of the media, his accusers, and a prosecution borne out of racism.

"My father is being punished by a society that still believes black men rape white women but passes off as 'boys will be boys' when white men are accused," Cosby's daughter Ensa said in a recorded statement aired on the nationally syndicated radio program "The Breakfast Club" last week. "My father has been publicly lynched in the media."

Cosby's spokesman, Andrew Wyatt, downplayed any suggestion that the recent spate of publicity was aimed at influencing potential jurors before trial.

But Agrusa, Cosby's attorney, laid out a broader agenda in an extensive profile that ran in the Hollywood Reporter last month.

The goal, she said, was to "change the optics" in advance of the entertainer's trial.

"I can't identify one other case in which the public has so conclusively come to the verdict of guilty," she said. "Our job as lawyers is we now have to convince not just the judge but also the public why the initial verdict is wrong."

It is unclear how broadly Cosby's recent attempts at public rehabilitation have penetrated the Pittsburgh area. Discussions with locals Thursday at Pittsburgh's Market Square revealed a true split in thinking.

"I don't think he did it," said Theresa Faust, 51, of Wilkinsburg, who said she grew up watching Fat Albert cartoons and has kept up with the Cosby case through her local TV news. "I love Bill Cosby  I just don't see him doing that."

Of his accusers, she added: "People just want to be famous."

Camille Kimmich, a 20-year-old student at Point Park University and an avid viewer of The Cosby Show in her youth, was more circumspect.

She expressed some heartache over the tarnishing of a childhood icon but said she is convinced of his guilt by the sheer number of accusers who have come forward.

"He's a childhood memory," she said. "It's really sad."

Cosby's relationship with African American audiences has remained strained since his 2004 speech at an NAACP awards ceremony in which he railed against the black community's use of slang, the prevalence of single-parent households, and what he described as its emphasis on frivolous hip-hop culture.

Stevens, the city's former NAACP chair, said he felt insulted by Cosby's theory that race has played a role in the allegations against him.

"If it was Robert Redford  I cannot believe that the coverage would have been much less," he said. "He abused his image as a multi-millionaire icon. It had nothing to do with being black. It had something to do with being abusive of women."

But Pittsburgh-based comedian Tony "T-Robe" Roberson wasn't so ready to dismiss suspicions of racial animus.

"I'm a black male myself, and the way I look at race is black men are always behind the eight ball," he said. "That's not playing the race card  that's just the way it is."

Roberson stood up for Cosby in early 2015 when activists urged Heinz Hall to cancel a scheduled Cosby performance  a decision he said he still stands by today. (Ultimately, the promoters canceled the show.)

Roberson admitted he didn't know all the details surrounding Cosby's legal case, but expressed hope that the accusations against him aren't true.

"It almost feels like someone's after him or trying to tear his legacy apart," he said. "So, could it have happened? Yes, everything's possible.  I just know this: I do hope he gets acquitted. I do hope his legacy stands strong."

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette staff writer Elizabeth Behrman contributed to this article.
India and Pakistan have a history of taking its disputes to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Disputes between India and Pakistan reach the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after war. On May 11, 1973, Pakistan contested the impending repatriation of 195 Pakistani prisoners of war to Bangladesh. Held by India after the 1971 war, the PoWs included Eastern army commander Lt Gen. A.A.K. Niazi. Again in 1999, Pakistan demanded action against India for shooting down a Pakistani naval patrol plane three months after the Kargil War.

On May 16 this year, it was India's turn to petition the ICJ. An MEA delegation backed by its counsel, Harish Salve, requested the annulment of the April 10 death sentence a Pakistani military court pronounced on Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav and demanded consular access to him.

advertisement

India asserts that Pakistan had kidnapped the retired naval officer last year from Bandar Abbas in Iran, where he was based. India has consistently denied Pakistan's charge that he was a RAW spy fomenting violence in Balochistan.

The ICJ is to pronounce its verdict soon, one difficult for either country to ignore. For Pakistan, the prestige of its military is on the line. For India, the stakes are as high because Jadhav's execution could spark calls for retaliation.

"People who live in glass houses should not throw stones," warns G. Parthasarathy, former high commissioner to Islamabad. "Pakistan is especially vulnerable as they have all sorts of dubious people in Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, and India can strike at a time and place of its choosing."

The 1999 case was dismissed by The Hague on technical grounds, the lack of jurisdiction, but what happened to Pakistan's 1973 appeal is instructive. It was nullified by the New Delhi declaration India, Pakistan and Bangladesh signed in August 1973, allowing for repatriation of all PoWs. Jadhav may not be a PoW but one such South Asian rapprochement could well change his fate.

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 19 (PTI) India has a lot of catching up to do with its neighbours, including China, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka in terms of health care.

According to the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) published in the medical journal The Lancet, it has finished a dismal 154th among 195 countries on the healthcare index.

advertisement

However, Indias healthcare access and quality (HAQ) index has increased by 14.1, up from 30.7 in 1990 to 44.8 in 2015.

India lags behind Sri Lanka (72.8), Bangladesh (51.7), Bhutan (52.7) and Nepal (50.8) and ranks above Pakistan (43.1) and Afghanistan (32.5).

The HAQ index, based on death rates for 32 diseases that can be avoided or effectively treated with proper medical care, also tracked progress in each nation compared to the benchmark year of 1990.

As per the study, India has performed poorly in tackling cases of tuberculosis, diabetes, chronic kidney diseases and rheumatic heart diseases.

The journal lists India among the biggest underachievers in Asia in health care access.

Switzerland topped the health index, followed by Sweden and Norway. China stood 82nd and Sri Lanka 73rd.

Among the developed nations, those who did not perform well include the US and the UK. PIT PLB UK GVS

--- ENDS ---
Highly placed sources in the Army told Mail Today that the combat helicopters for its aviation wing will enhance the firepower of its strike forces along the borders with China and Pakistan.

By Ajit Kumar Dubey: The Indian Army is planning to pitch for acquiring a fleet of lethal Apache attack helicopters in a key meeting with Defence Minister Arun Jailtley scheduled this weekend. Highly placed sources in the Army told Mail Today that the combat helicopters for its aviation wing will enhance the firepower of its strike forces along the borders with China and Pakistan.

advertisement

Aggressive air support is crucial for advancing ground troops in a short-term strike.

"The Army wants the latest version of the American Apache 64D attack choppers from the US through the Foreign Military Sales case for its aviation arm," the sources said. The Army seeks to buy 39 units at a cost of more than Rs 12,000 crore.

If the procurement gets the ministry's approval, it will make the Army one of the biggest operators of these choppers in the country; the Air Force recently finalised a contract for 22 of these flying machines.

The Army has been in a bitter tug of war with the Air Force over the control of attack helicopters for it feels that its own personnel flying the choppers would be in a better position to help ground forces during a conflict because they understand land warfare better than the Air Force personnel.

IAF DOES NOT WANT TO SHARE

"We had requested the IAF to give the 22 Apaches to us but they did not agree. Even the proposition of sharing 50 per cent of these assets with us was not agreed upon by them," an Army officer said.

About the plan to acquire 39 choppers, the sources said the choppers would be divided into three squadrons of 10 each and would be deployed along both the China and Pakistan with the Strike Corps. The Army is in the process of modernising its chopper fleet as it is leading the acquisition process for procuring 200 Kamov light choppers for itself and the Air Force to replace its fleet of vintage Cheetah and Chetak helicopters for operations in high-altitude military bases.

The Army has already placed orders for a number of indigenous attack helicopter variants which will include around 60 Rudra helicopters which are weaponised versions of the HAL-made ALH Dhruv choppers. "We would also be the biggest operators of the indigenously developed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) being developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited as the 97 of them would be deployed with different Corps headquarters," the sources said.

Based on a study by a recently retired Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), it was felt that the force required at least three squadrons of these advanced Apache helicopters with the strike corps with three choppers each with every squadron as reserve. The Army operates a larger fleet of light utility choppers than the Air Force and has been asking for control over medium lift and attack choppers since the 1990s.

advertisement

In 2012, then National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon decided that all future acquisitions of attack choppers would be for the ground force. However, the IAF refused to part with the Apaches saying it had started the acquisition process before 2012. The IAF already operates two squadrons of the Russian-origin Mi-25 and Mi-35 attack helicopters which are deployed close to the frontlines on the Pakistan border and frequently take part in war games with the Army.

Also read: Major who tied Kashmiri civilian to jeep given clean chit, Army believes he saved lives

Also read: Pakistan can't beat India in conventional war, attack on Army patrol in Pulwama part of its tactic: Javadekar

--- ENDS ---
Ranong The Hot Spring Town of Thailand

When you talk about hot spring, you might think of places like Taiwan, Korea or Japan. However, do you there is a hot spring town in Thailand? The name of the town is called Ranong and it is located in Southern Thailand.

Where is Ranong?

Ranong is located near the south of Myanmar, east of Surat Thani and north of Khao Lak and Phang Nga. The best way to get there is to fly to Surat Thani (via AirAsia from Kuala Lumpur) and self drive to Khao Lak for around 90 minutes.

What is in Ranong?

Since it is located near southern Myanmar, there are a number of new and unexplored islands of Myanmar recently opened for tourists.

For Malaysians, you can obtain border pass (without VISA) to get there (if not mistaken) and there is also an island famous for its underground casinos. You can take a boat from Ranong to the islands of Myanmar. There are also luxury island tours arranged by my friends tour company called Love Andaman.

In Ranong, the main attraction is the hot spring and there are private hot spring pools and there also private hot spring pools in some hotels. If you plan to stay in a hot spring hotel, please check properly with the hotel before you book.

There are also temples, lakes and also beautiful natural landscape of Ranong you can venture. Another beauty of Ranong is it is not that commercialised. You can see many Westerners but the numbers are not that high and it is not as busy as places like Phuket or Koh Samui.

Most of the food and accommodation prices in Ranong is still reasonable compare to other tourist towns. It is better if you can self drive around Ranong and you can easily rent a car in Surat Thani airport.

If you never been to Ranong, you can consider visiting this town one day. It is recommended to visit Ranong at from November to May but do check the weather forecast before you visit as the weather is a bit cranky for the past few years. Climate change is real.

Wilson Ng A Father and traveler who enjoys to eat, shop, travel and taking pictures with Samsung S22 Ultra and Sony ZV-1. Im a full time blogger, youtuber and father for two. I used to travel around 17 International trips per year but now staying at home. Remember to follow us at www.instagram.com/placesandfoods and www.youtube.com/placesandfoods. For advertisements or features, contact me at [email protected] See author's posts
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

While interviewing former Trump special assistant Boris Epshteyn, Bill Maher unloaded on the Trump surrogate and exposed the un-American behavior of Trump supporters.

Video:

https://youtu.be/hEtfgD9N4UE

Maher said, Shouldnt there be a price for meddling? You know, Jimmy Carter was known as the great p***y, but when the Russians took over Afghanistan in 1980, he actually boycotted the Olympics He stopped selling them grain. He took a lot of political heat for that. That actually took balls to not go to the Olympics. Theyre very popular. Whats the price that the Russians have paid for meddling in our election? None. He has them into the White House. He says it was a fantastic meeting. Whose side are you on?

Bill Maher asked the correct question. Anyone who continues to support Trump and deny the Russian hacking is not a patriot. Trump and/or his campaign clearly betrayed the country. They have handed patriotism to the Democrats, and every Democratic candidate should be asking voters the same question that Maher asked.

Whose side are you on?
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

When his corpulence, Roger Ailes, fell and died of a a blood clot just up the road, I remarked that I had nothing bad to say about him because I had said it all during his lifetime. In print.

Since the first day I laid eyes upon Fox, I knew what a sham it was. I had just come from a decade as a News Writer in the CityPulse Newsroom in Toronto, where we practiced real journalism. I couldnt believe the lies Fox told after I moved back to the YEW ESS EH!

Ten years ago I discovered the revealing documentary Outfoxed. Nine years ago I found NewsHounds, and, by 8 years ago, I was already writing Fox News criticism under the nom de troll Aunty Em Ericann. Ive been on this beat ever since.

As much as I hated Roger Ailes because he helped James Rosen cover up Richard Nixons treason in 1968, I recognized his genius immediately. Before Fox News came along news stations  and news programs  attempted to be FAIR & BALANCED. It was kinda like a mission.

Roger Ailes epiphany was when he realized Merkins would embrace that empty slogan if he convinced them all the other media was lying to them. The phony, fake anti-media meme may have started with Fox News and Roger Ailes, but Emperor Trump rode it right into the Oval Office.

Thats why I agree with Eric Wemple, who says, Roger Ailes scourge will live for decades. My editor here believes Ailes death perfectly symbolizes the dying state of Fox News And The GOP, while Matt Taibbi succinctly says:

Roger Ailes Was One of the

Worst Americans Ever

EV-AH!!! When the history books are written, Merka will never forget that Roger Ailes was a sexual predator, who protected another sexual predator with cash payments, and successfully elevated an unfit man into Pussy-grabber-in-Chief. Not that the Reich Wing reads history books.

BLACK BAG OPERATIONS: In the aftermath of Ailes death what happens to all the scandals, and lawsuits, and unsettled claims left behind? I predict blame will now be uploaded on the dead guy.

And, lets not forget where the original cover-up started to unravel:

Former Fox News Star Gretchen

Carlson Does Not Believe in

Reporting Sexual Harassment to HR

And her fight isnt only on paper. Carlson has agreed to testify before Congress about forced arbitration, a common clause in employment contracts requiring employees to renounce their rights to litigation, agreeing instead to settle all employment disputes via arbitration.

I bet she also blames the dead guy.

THE WORLD REAX: There were a lot of reactions to the dead guy being dead. Some were heartfelt, some were hypocritical, some were laughable, and some were just hateful. Im here to make fun of them all.

Demonstrating all reactions at once: Bill OReilly: Roger Ailes endured hatred and it killed him. That is the truth. Take it straight from the horses ass:

https://youtu.be/gCQm_jIUSjo

But, who started the hatred that is now diving the country? Fox News and Bill OReilly, of course. Using a phony patriotism  and a laughable War on Christmas  the cultural wars they started will resonate for decades. The hatred kindled by the station leads to Unhinged Fox viewers flood NYC councilman with hate calls after his clash with Tucker Carlson.

Never forget: Bill OReilly claimed sexual predator Roger Ailes had my back at Fox News, until USA Today changed that headline when the innertubes had a good laugh. And, because hes not done helping destroy rational discourse, Bill OReilly and Glenn Beck Are Joining Forces to Unite Our Powers For Good. No, really.

Other reactions to the dead guy include the respectful:

Fox hosts, media figures pay

respects to Ailes on Twitter

To the snarky:

MSNBCs Matthews eulogizes

Ailes while taunting Fox:

Rachel beats them every night

To the most heartfelt (because of all the on air bubbering) when Fox & Friends hosts tearfully eulogize Roger Ailes: He saved this country by starting the Fox News channel. Watch:

WAIT WHAT? Saved this country? Nope. Divided it, is more like it.

However, my favourite reaction was from the hypocrite named Geraldo, who feels that the worst thing is the dead guys timing because if Ailes died 11 months earlier, before all the scandal came out, he would be on Mount Rushmore. Roll the tape:



OOOOPS!!! Wrong video.

https://youtu.be/XV9ghRhD8q8

Listen to him opine on Russiagate:

I think its a load of crap. But, you can get killed when a load of crap spills on you. And, he has to be very careful now not to fall into what they constamntly do. Its never the crime. Its always the cover-up. Remember: It is my contention that there is no crime at the heart of Russiagate.

But, stay for his eulogy for Roger Ailes if you want a load of crap spilled on you.

Heres a nice read:

Exclusive: After Ailess Shocking

Death, Fox News Grieves

and Breathes a Sigh of Relief

By the top of the nine A.M. hour, after Fox & Friends had concluded, Fox News broadcasters shared their personal remembrances of Ailes. They read Sean Hannitys glowing testimonial to his friend, and then reiterated Beth Ailess statement. They talked about how much Ailes, who cut his teeth working for Richard Nixon and paved the way for Donald Trumps victory, was a true patriot. The assessment rang somewhat true with people who knew Ailes. He did think he was doing all this, everything at Fox, for the country, said a former employee. The irony is that Roger Ailes foisted Donald Trump on us, this person continued. In his last act, he gets to leave, and we are stuck with Donald Trump, who he created. But then, something surprising happened. The co-hosts moved onfirst to the selection of Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate the ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, then to President Trumps newscaster lunch, then to his 3:45 press conference, the congressional investigation into Russia, the latest Jason Chaffetz theatrics, and so forth. It seemed that Ailes, whose instincts dominated the news cycle for a generation, was reduced to a blipa point even those close to the network conceded. The news cycle is on steroids thanks to our president, so they couldnt give him more than 90 seconds, a former staffer who was watching the show told me.

Thats really because Ailes is already yesterdays news and the less Fox says about the ignominious Roger Ailes, the better.

IRONY ALERT!!!

Progressive guest runs circles around

Fox host and right-wing editor 

and they dont even know it

Im looking for facts, MacCallum complained. Were trying to stay in Fact Land.

We would love facts, Sussman said.

Were Trying to Stay in Factland:

Fox News MacCallum Spars With

Panelist in Heated Trump Debate

Fact Land? Surely not on Fox.

APOLOGY CENTRAL:

Family of slain DNC staffer demands

retractions from Fox News, local TV station

Mom Tells CNNs Tapper She Wants an

Apology From Fox News for Mocking Her Son

THE SPECIALISTS: They call this ratings disaster The Specialists. I call it Bolling for Ratings, as he gets desperate by booking racist Ted Nugent. Roll the tape:

OOOPS! Sorry. Wrong video. Someone in the control rooms gonna get fired. Thats merely the proof of why Bolling loves him some Nugent. This is what The Nuge said on Fox & Friends this morning:

Sounds like the start of a election campaign to me.

PASSAGES:

BREAKING NEWS!!!

The Five is looking for a new fifth wheel because Bob Beckel is unemployed again:

Fox News Fires Bob Beckel

After Racism Accusation

A Fox News spokesperson issued the following statement: As Mr. Wigdor knows, Fox News made the decision to terminate Mr. Beckel after a prompt and thorough investigation. His client raised the complaint to Kevin Lord, EVP Human Resources, on Tuesday evening via email and within 7 minutes Mr. Lord responded and began the investigation. Today, Fox News delivered that message to Mr. Beckel and facilitated an apology from Mr. Beckel to the employee minutes after he was terminated. No one tried to persuade Mr. Wigdors client to withdraw his complaint.

This isnt the first time Fox kicked Beckel to the curb, but I bet its the last.

Meanwhile:

Kimberly Guilfoyle Says Shes In Talks

to Replace Sean Spicer as Press Secretary

Fox News Announces Plans For

New, Centralized Newsroom

Fox News to hire more journalists

for new cutting-edge newsroom

More journalists? Surely not on Fox?

NO SELF-AWARENESS WHATSOEVER: Ive made the observation that Steve Doocy looks exactly like a dipsomaniac when the sound is muted. Try it. Its fun.

Foxs Steve Doocy On Comey Memo:

Theres A Big Difference Between

I Hope And I Order, Isnt There?

Fox & Friends complains that Trump and

Russia are all we talk about every morning

I blame Emperor Trump.

TUCKING IT IN: Any other week this would have been good for a few hundred words, especially the death hoax. and the impending sale of his $2.2 million dollar pad. Follow the linkages:

The Fraudulent Populism of Tucker Carlson

Tucker Carlson Reveals Crippling Fear

Of Penn Station Restrooms On Live TV

Because hes a man of the people, just like Roger Ailes.

Headly Westerfield has also written about Roger Ailes  not to mention the online hate he engendered  at the Not Now Silly Newsroom.
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

Rachel Maddow listed four ways that Trump could legally get rid of the special counsel investigating him, and her list perfectly sums up why Democrats are calling for a special prosecutor or independent commission.

Video clip:

https://youtu.be/EZ0eVeLmZbE?t=3h43m15s

Maddow explained, The President could order the Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to fire Robert Mueller. If the Deputy Attorney General refused, the President could fire him. The President could order the Deputy Attorney General to restrict the scope of the Mueller investigation. If the Deputy Attorney General refused to do that, the President could fire him for that. The President could order the Deputy Attorney General to impede the resources that Mueller needs for his investigation, and again, if the Deputy AG refused to do that, the President could fire himThere is also at least one nuclear option if the President really wanted to kill this thing. The regulations that make it possible to have a special counsel are Justice Department regulations, not a law passed by Congress, Justice Department regulations. Trump could just order the Justice Department to rescind those regulations, so theres no longer any such thing as a special counsel within the Department of Justice.

What Maddow explained is why Democrats arent satisfied with the special counsel. The special counsel is still indirectly under the control of Donald Trump. There are legal ways that Trump could rid of the special counsel, and as this president has already demonstrated, he will fire anyone who gets too close to the truth in the Russia scandal.

The only way to a get a truly independent investigation of the potential Trump and Russia collusion is to elect a Democratic Congress in 2018. Anything less isnt really an independent investigation.
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

At a donor dinner, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) urged people to pay less attention to the Trump Russia scandal, and instead focus on Islamic terrorism, youth unemployment, and the rise of China.

The Tampa Bay Times reported:

Rubio assured supporters that if anybody violated the Constitution, he will be the first person who would say it. But he spent much of his 30-minute speech criticizing the news media for its saturation coverage of the allegations.

Justice is rooted in the truth, and the truth is rooted in the facts, Rubio said. This week we are asked to take positions on various issues, and you know what they are because they are in the press every day. Did the president do this? Did the president say that? Wouldnt it behoove us to first know the facts?

..

During his speech, he dismissed the scrutiny of Trump and said more attention should be centered on radical Islamic terrorism, Chinas growth as a superpower and unemployment plaguing young people.

Rubio was basically telling the American people to stop paying so much attention to the Russia scandal. Congress and Trumps Justice Department can find out the facts on Russia. There is no need for the America people to worry their pretty little heads about Trump potentially colluding with Russia.

If Republicans believe that voters are going to fall for blaming the media for covering the Russia scandal too much, they are underestimating the size of the problem that they are dealing with. Blaming the media isnt going to work. Rubio would like to press to not do their jobs. Its funny that Sen. Rubio wasnt voicing the same concerns while the media was spending a year breathlessly covering the empty Hillary Clinton email scandal.

The problem for Republicans is that unlike Benghazi, Clintons emails, and the IRS scandal, there is something with Trump and Russia that is worth investigating.

When Marco Rubio tells people to pay less attention to Trump and Russia, it is a sign that it is a scandal that is worth the scrutiny.
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

By James Oliphant

WASHINGTON (Reuters)  In the Trump White House, its getting lonely at the top.

President Donald Trumps fellow Republicans in Congress are showing signs of going their own way, both on politics and policy, determined to salvage what they can of their agenda on healthcare and tax reform in the wake of one of the most difficult weeks of any American presidency.

At the same time, Trumps failure to fill senior roles at federal agencies means he does not have a cadre of loyalists who can help rein in a bureaucracy that many in Trumps orbit believe are out to leak information intended to damage the president. That has worsened the isolation of the White House in a city that relies on friends and allies to shake off a crisis.

The result is problems on multiple fronts: a government whose bonds with Congress, federal agencies and the public look increasingly fractured; an ambitious but stalled program of reforms; and a president whose low approval ratings threaten his partys control of Congress in the 2018 midterm elections.

Trump and his beleaguered staff, some White House aides told Reuters, feel besieged by a parade of negative stories and abandoned by fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill, as the furor over the firing of FBI Director James Comey and allegations that Trump tried to influence the probe into Russian meddling in last years election show little sign of abating.

Since Tuesday, when leaked excerpts of a purported memo by Comey detailing his conversations with Trump were made public, few Republicans beyond the White House have rushed to the airwaves to push back against suggestions that the president may have obstructed justice in asking Comey to end the probe into the conduct of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

As the Russia probe entered a new phase on Wednesday with the appointment of former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel in the investigation, a move that will likely place the White House under even stronger scrutiny, some Republicans expressed surprise that the White House had not done more to recruit them to backstop the president.

Its kind of funny. The answer is no, said Senator James Inhofe, a Republican from Oklahoma, when asked by Reuters whether the White House had reached out to him to come to Trumps defense. I dont know anyone else that has been contacted.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on this story. Trump left on Friday for his first foreign trip as president. The 10-day trip will take him to Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Europe.

STAFF VACANCIES

The administration has continued to struggle to fill the hundreds of open positions at senior levels of government that remain open, leaving the White House alone to grapple with one challenge after another.

For example, the Justice Department still lacks senior officials in place to head up the anti-trust, civil rights, criminal, and civil divisions, as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to its website.

At the Department of Homeland Security, the chiefs of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Transportation Security Administration, have yet to be confirmed.

And at the Department of Education, a sprawling bureaucracy of 4,400 employees with a $68 billion budget, all the key roles except for the secretary remain empty or filled with people in an acting capacity, said a Department of Education official.

Nobody knows when or if they will be filled anytime soon, said the official, who declined to be identified by name. The department did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump has frequently complained that Senate Democrats have stalled the approval process for his nominees. But the White House has also been slower to send nominees to the Senate than previous administrations.

Many top State Department posts also remain vacant. One consequence, say several officials, is that department experts played little role in briefing Trump for his telephone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin or his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ambassador Sergei Kislyak, where officials say he disclosed highly classified intelligence.

State Department and intelligence officials say that as power is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few Trump loyalists in the White House, the roles of professional Foreign Service, intelligence and civil service officers have shrunk compared to past administrations.

For instance, said two U.S. diplomats, no one from the State Department attended Trumps Feb. 15 meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu  a sharp contrast from past administrations which would typically staff such a high-profile meeting with high-level State Department officials.

Asked for comment, the State Department would not address the circumstances of the meeting with the Russian officials in the Oval Office, but did speak to the efforts involving Netanyahu and the Middle East.

As the president has repeatedly noted, Middle East peace is a top priority for this administration, a department spokesperson said. This is an effort supported by both the White House and the State Department. Claims that the State Department has not been involved have no basis in facts.

Overall, more than 500 of the 557 federal government positions requiring Senate confirmation remain vacant. Only 33 nominees have been confirmed, and only 57 other positions now have a nominee, according to the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization in Washington.

CAPITOL HILL FRUSTRATIONS

A lack of communication from the White House left many Republicans on Capitol Hill frustrated as a sense of crisis mushroomed over the past week. One, Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is conducting its own Russia probe, publicly complained about the situation.

Tuesday morning, after news broke the previous evening that Trump had shared classified information with Russian officials, Burr said he couldnt get through to the White House, as the story lit up television news programs and buzzed online.

Maybe theyre busy, he said.

Some Republicans said the constant focus on responding to allegations concerning the Russia probe was draining their caucus of focus and energy to push through their agenda.

Absent guidance, Republican staff members in Congress were beginning to devise their own strategy about how to respond to the gusher of bad news, one aide told Reuters.

And at the White House, with lines of communication to Congress seemingly frayed at times, a narrowing circle of people has come to the presidents defense, as senior staff grapple not only with the cascade of revelations but with a president who at times contradicts on Twitter their talking points.

Everyone is just tired, said one White House aide.

(Additional reporting by Yasmeen Abutaleb, Julia Edwards Ainsley, Susan Cornwell, Richard Cowan, Timothy Gardner, Julia Harte, Steve Holland, Jeff Mason, Arshad Mohammed, David Morgan, and John Walcott; Editing by Jason Szep and Ross Colvin)
Well before the sun crept over the snow-covered heights surrounding the Kashmir Valley on May 4, close to 4,000 soldiers-the operational strength of more than four battalions-swarmed into some 20 villages of Shopian district. Residents were told to assemble at the centre of each settlement while armed troopers wearing flak jackets carried out house-to-house searches. The entire sector was cordoned off. "It is like there's a war on," said a resident of Darazpora, one of the villages being rummaged in the dawn-to-dusk operation. Even as they withdrew, groups of soldiers conducted reverse sweeps-random, surprise checks of already searched premises.

The tense, 12-hour operation in Shopian signals a meditated shift in the army's approach in the Valley. Army officers say it's a key part of a new strategy to regain control of the hinterland. This, after months of stone-pelting protests and the recent spurt of audacious militant attacks-including the killing of Lt Ummer Fayaz, a 22-year-old army officer, who was abducted from his cousin's wedding in Shopian's Batpora Matribug village on May 10.

advertisement

Officers say that largescale 'area search operations' may be the only tactical alternative available to army units in Shopian, Kulgam, Anantnag and Pulwama-the four southern Valley districts most affected by militancy.

"Hard intelligence-based small team ops," says an officer, "are no longer feasible both because ground-level intelligence has dried up and civilians are coming out of their homes to protect militants."

The Shopian operation was a much amplified version of the single-village cordon and search carried out at the peak of militancy in the 1990s. Officers who served in the Valley then say CASO was "instrumental" in hunting down terrorists and ensuring they remained in the forests. "CASO also helped gather intelligence from residents," says an officer. Army officers refer to this combing of dozens of villages at a time as "population control measures". As much as to discourage militants from setting up hideouts in the villages, it is designed to deter stone-pelting civilians. It seems to be working. Of the 20 Shopian villages searched on May 4, residents offered resistance in just two locations. "There were minor clashes, but the sheer numbers of men in uniform must have been overwhelming. The villagers backed off," a J&K Police officer said.

--- ENDS ---
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Windy early with showers becoming likely after midnight. Low 64F. NNE winds at 25 to 35 mph, decreasing to 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Windy early with showers becoming likely after midnight. Low 64F. NNE winds at 25 to 35 mph, decreasing to 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Higher wind gusts possible.
The experts found that the highest mortality rate associated with extreme weather was during a 1970 tropical cyclone through what was at the time East Pakistan, which killed an estimated 300,000 people.

By India Today Web Desk: The UN weather agency has identified an 1888 hailstorm in Uttar Pradesh, which killed 246 people near Moradabad, among the all-time deadly weather events.

The detailed investigation by a World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) expert committee documented mortality records for five specific weather-related events.

The committee found that the highest mortality rate associated with extreme weather was during a 1970 tropical cyclone what was at the time East Pakistan, which killed around 300,000 people.

advertisement

RECORD-BREAKING WEATHER EVENTS

Other record-breaking weather events included a 1989 tornado in Bangladesh that killed an estimated 1,300 people, destroying the Manikganj district; a 1994 lightning-caused oil tank fire in Dronka, Egypt, which took 469 lives, while 21 people were killed by a single lightning bolt to a hut in the Manica Tribal Trust Lands in what was then Rhodesia.

The findings were announced ahead of two major conferences on improving multi-hazard early warning systems and strengthening disaster risk reduction, taking place in Cancun, Mexico this month and organised by WMO and the UN Office on Disaster Risk Reduction.

UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION CAN SAVE LIVES

"These events highlight the deadly tragedies associated with different types of weather. Detailed knowledge of these historical extremes confirms our continuing responsibilities to not only forecast and monitor weather and climate but to utilise that information to save lives around the world so disasters of these types are lessened or even eliminated in the future," said Randall Cerveny, WMO Rapporteur on Climate and Weather Extremes.

The experts stressed that overall mortality can decrease as a result of continuous improvement in related forecasting and warning infrastructure. However even with improvements, mortality from weather-related events will continue.

"In order to put potential future weather-related catastrophes into accurate historical context, it is useful to have knowledge of baseline changes in weather-related mortality as monitored over the last one hundred and fifty years of official international weather records," said the WMO committee.

With inputs from PTI

ALSO READ:

Arunachal Pradesh: Cyclonic storm hits the city, 1 killed and 100 left homeless

Five persons killed in West Bengal storm

ALSO WATCH THE VIDEO:

--- ENDS ---
Before online auctions and selling sites on the internet, if you were looking for a certain comic book you would've spent time reading through the classifieds for yard sales, auctions or estate sales, or you would've looked through the phone directory for the local shop carrying vintage comics.

You maybe went to a few church or school sales or just checked out the local consignment and thrift shop. I know I checked out the pawn shops back in the '60s, and even the local dump, when dumps were a cool place to go and find neat items.

In the '70s, '80s and even the '90s, it was still a hunt to the local library or bookstore to find price guides, and you also hoped that the folks selling items didn't know much about value, just that they wanted to get rid of the item.

Then came the internet. Soon the supply was up and everyone was selling. If you wanted to sell that comic book, beer can or whatever, you checked out eBay to see what a similar item was selling for. Even antiques dealers were running to eBay and some are still doing the same. Why finger through a price guide when you can put your fingers to work on a keyboard for more current prices. Sites like Worthpoint allow you to value items on-the-go and find local antique events, auctions and estate sales.

Shopping for glassware, the supply has increased and the price is down, as I found when packing up my mother's glassware, which includes cut crystal, Depression glass, Fenton and more.

ADVERTISEMENT

Sarah Kieffer, of Sarah's Uniques and Jim's "Man"tiques, St. Charles, told me, "My sales on glassware have been at an all-time low, but auctions seem to bring good prices on glassware still."

That is true, if you are looking to resell. Just look at the shops like Goodwill and Salvation Army  they are loaded with glassware at an inexpensive price. Why? Because the supply is up with folks downsizing. And not just on glassware, but on many items, from household to tools and more. I am still finding some folks buying low and hoping to sell high, but today many collectors are using their dollars for the one-of-a-kind, rare, best of the best to add to their collections.

Deals and steals

What do local dealers see as this summer's coming trends?

Stacy McConnell, of Catch My Thrift, Stewartville, said, "I feel this summer will bring more people who love to browse resale, repurpose and thrift, looking for good deals and possibly a steal."

Kieffer says that "gas and oil signs, gas pumps and advertising collectibles will remain hot items and women still love the primitive furniture  practical pieces with a purpose."

Chris Rand Kujath, of Old River Valley Antique Mall, Stewartville, said, "This summer, vinyl records, toys from the '70s, more cabin decor and items for repurposing and decorating" will be popular.

Vinyl records are hot, as Susan Sliwicki, editor of Goldmine magazine , said. "Records are a mainstay of Goldmine's Market Watch column, where we count down the records that fetch the highest prices on online auctions, particularly via eBay," she said. "If you are looking for that rare or used (record), go to this site, www.gotolocal.com , to find records near you."

ADVERTISEMENT

Comic books

Ask any comic book collector, and you will find that comic books are hot now, especially the rare books. Antique Trader magazine's May 10 issue featured, "Hot to Spot the Hottest Comics from the Thirties." Check it out on their blog: www.bit.ly/AT_FBBlg050117 .

Occasional Market

Karen Meidenger Reilly, one of the creative souls at Occasional Market , said the first sale of the year will be on June 3 in the Northwest Dental parking lot, 2056 West Circle Drive, Rochester.

"We're adding some exciting stuff to the mix," she said. "The Dough Boys with the cookie dough will be at this market. Camy Corture is bringing her clothing truck. And six new creative soul vendors with new items.

"On July 15, we will be at Soldier Field Plaza, Rochester, with Alisha Perkins, wife of Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Glen Perkins," Reilly said. Perkins, the author of "Running Home: Big-League Wife, Small-Town Story," will be signing copies of her book.

Second time

Looking for some vintage goods, antique and just some plain unique "junque" or possibly a rare item or two, check out what Diane O'Brien has in her shop, Second Time Around , 122 W. Main St., Kasson. If you need more information, the shop can be found on Facebook.

ADVERTISEMENT

Happy hunting and watch for more road trips, what to collect now, and the introduction of another unique antique shop in Lake City.
MINNEAPOLIS  The messages are strong and sometimes funny. One is feisty, another is in French. But always, they're wearable.

"Matriarch"

"She persisted"

"Anarchy is female"

"Solidarite feminine"

ADVERTISEMENT

"Feminism: Back by popular demand"

The feminist T-shirt is having a moment. Fueled by people who want to express their support for women's rights at marches  but also at work, out for dinner, on Instagram  the shirts are growing in popularity and power. Sure, luxury brand Dior is selling a $700 feminist tee, but the trend is rooted in a $30 unisex shirt from the Los Angeles shop Otherwild. "The Future Is Female," the shirt declares.

Minnesota artists and designers are creating some of the more popular designs, using the T-shirts to raise money for nonprofits focused on women's health and equality. They're also gathering around the messages, hosting printing workshops and discussions.

"I think this activism zeitgeist just overlapped with a renewed interest in graphic tees as a medium for artists and designers," said Minneapolis designer Maddy Nye. "Of course, it's only a T-shirt, but it's contributing to a larger paradigm shift in awareness and action."

Protest art and imagery hangs from the walls of Nye's sunny home studio. For her "Matriarch" shirt, Nye used a bulbous typeface that "had its heyday during the environmental and women's movements in the 1970s," she said, "but I like to use it in a contemporary context."

'Back by popular demand'

So with just one word, the design asks questions about what's changed since then  and what hasn't. Some people have bought Nye's tees for their mothers, women who fought earlier battles.

Angie Toner is "not shy" about being a feminist. But working in the beauty industry a few years back, she had conversation after conversation with women who eschewed that label. It got her thinking about the backlash against the word, the movement. Then she came across a photograph of a woman holding a sign: "Feminism: Back by popular demand."

ADVERTISEMENT

"I need a sign like that," she decided, if only to hang on her wall.

Toner asked local sign painter Phil Vandervaart to draw the design. "The drawing was so great," she said, "that I was like, you know what? I'd like to move this around."

So she printed it onto T-shirts and bags at Gee Teez, a screen printing shop in south Minneapolis, and put them on Etsy in 2015: "A Grassroots Feminist Fashion Action," she calls it. Orders poured in. Since then, Toner has tried to quit the project a few times, to move on to new things. "But I've kept it going because anytime I try to let it fade out, someone will reach out," she said.

The day after President Donald Trump was elected, Toner gave the shirts away on the street. Orders again filled her inbox.

Sweatshop-free

Politics and protests are inspiring big retailers to print "Feminist" on cheap totes and plastic jewelry. But it's also fueling local artists and small companies' longer-standing projects. My Sister , a Minneapolis-based company that uses "sweatshop-free" clothing to help fight sex trafficking, has been around for two years, raising $93,000 in that time.

Beyond the money, the messages themselves tackle gender inequality, one of trafficking's "root causes," said Mandy Multerer, the company's co-founder and CEO. "Stop Traffick" is the benefit corporation's bestseller, she said, but in recent months, a tank is trending. "It's my body," the shirt reads on one side, outlining the shape of a breast. "It's my choice."

"I think women feel strong when they wear it," Multerer said.

ADVERTISEMENT

While some sketched their designs long before last year's election, others were spurred by it: A peach T-shirt for sale at Mille, a stunning south Minneapolis boutique with a national online following, grew out of a postelection conversation between owner Michelle LeBlanc and designer Nye.

"After the election, we were kind of devastated," LeBlanc said. "What can we do to be more active? What can we do to give back more?"

Half the proceeds from the "Solidarite feminine" shirt, which translates to "women solidarity," goes to Planned Parenthood. Already, the shop has donated $2,000 to the health care nonprofit. Money from a second T-shirt  which quotes Michelle Obama's "Go high" in bubbly typeface  goes to DonorsChoose , a nonprofit that allows donors to pick projects in public schools.
AUSTIN  A man accused of attempted first-degree murder after a shooting in late January has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Kuoviy Kwot Omot, 20, of Austin, faces one count each of attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, possession of a firearm by person convicted of a crime of violence, attempted aggravated robbery with a dangerous weapon, and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, all felonies.

He remains in custody in lieu of $100,000 conditional bail and is due back in Mower County District Court on June 2.

The charges stem from a case that began about 5:35 a.m. Jan. 27, when Austin Police officers responded to a shooting in the area of Western Manor Apartments, 303 27th St. SW. A suspect was running toward the Meadows West Apartments across the street, the caller said.

Officers found the crime scene at the entryway of a Western Manor building; a 9 mm bullet and a small clump of hair were found on the carpet near blood stains. Another spent shell casing was found by a resident three days later on the ground outside the building.

ADVERTISEMENT

Though several people heard a gunshot, only one witness was able give a brief description of a man wearing a reflective jacket running away, the complaint says. It was the victim.

Another officer responded to the emergency department of an Austin hospital; he was followed there by an SUV carrying the victim, who'd been shot in the leg.

At the hospital, the man told police he, his girlfriend and two others went to Western Manor Apartments to meet with "Phabayo" to buy some marijuana, court documents say. Phabayo was later identified as Phabayo Gilo.

When the victim and Gilo met in the entryway, Gilo and another man  later identified as Omot  tried to rob the victim, the document continues.

The man said he struck Gilo and started backing out of the door, but Gilo allegedly told Omot, "shoot him." Omot fired the gun once, the complaint says, shooting the victim in the left leg. The victim ran away, then heard a second shot that missed him. The man ran to the SUV and was driven to the hospital by his friends.

Surveillance video from the apartment buildings reportedly confirmed the victim's story, showing the SUV arrive at 5:24 a.m. Ten minutes later, the victim is seen walking into the building where the shooting occurred. Two minutes after that, he's seen limping across the parking lot and gets into the rear of the SUV, which leaves the area.

A different angle of surveillance footage shows a silver car enter the parking lot at 4:41 a.m. and back into a parking stall near the driveway. The vehicle remains there until two people run to it at 5:36 a.m.

According to the complaint, Gilo's shoes were the same size and pattern as a set of footprints left at the scene. Gilo and Omot are believed to be cousins.

ADVERTISEMENT

On Jan. 31, a man told detectives that Omot had pulled a 9 mm pistol on the man's cousin, court documents say. In addition, the man said, Gilo had told him that Omot shot someone while Gilo and "the dude" were arguing, the document continues.

The man told authorities he suspected Gilo and Omot wanted to rob the guy "because that's what they do," the report says.

Omot was arrested March 22 at his home on Second Avenue Southwest in Austin. He refused to provide his name or any ID, instead providing the name of an Austin police officer.

Gilo had been arrested about three weeks before the shooting, charged with a felony drug count as well as misdemeanors for underage drinking and running from police.

He'd posted $2,500 conditional bond Jan. 17, missed his Jan. 23 court appearance and was eventually arrested again March 20.

Gilo remained in custody in lieu of $200,000 unconditional bail until April 27, when he was sentenced to 13 months in prison for the felony drug charge. He reported to prison that day.
EYOTA  Cyclists across Southeast Minnesota are hopeful that a funding measure in the state Legislature could signal a start to a better biking experience throughout the region.

The Minnesota House and Senate have nearly identical bills that would allocate $2.25 million to construct the first phase of the Chester Woods Trail, a blacktop path that would run from Olmsted County Road 11 to the entrance of Chester Woods Park.

The funding is part of the stalled bonding bill that legislators are still trying to pass.

Supporters of the trail  and what it could mean for future trail development in the area  are hopeful the Legislature will approve the funding.

"I would love to see that, and I think we will," said Tara Freimund, a member of the Southeast Minnesota Association of Regional Trails board and president of We Bike Rochester. "Connecting the regional trail system offers a wider variety of rides to a variety of riders."

ADVERTISEMENT

The region has several bike trails traveling across the landscape. The Douglas Trail from Pine Island to Rochester, the Great River Ridge Trail from north of Eyota to Plainview, the Cannon Valley Trail from Cannon Falls to Red Wing, and the Root River Trail from Fountain and Harmony to Houston.

Freimund said most of the disconnected trails around Southeast Minnesota are great for a day-long ride, but by beginning to connect the trails, cyclists would be able to do more bike-packing, where cyclists take camping equipment and turn their ride into a two- or three day trip.

Furthermore, connecting the trails is a great opportunity to increase bicycle tourism. "Cyclists are gravitating to a larger experience than just an afternoon ride to Pine Island and back on the Douglas Trail," she said.

Jeff St. Mane has been looking to get the Chester Woods Trail built for 22 years, hoping to connect Eyota with Rochester and Dover. "It's a health issue, getting people out and active," he said. "People need something to do they don't need to pay to go out and do. With the trail, they can go biking, hiking or rollerblading. And it's an economic boost for our area."

The part of the trail being considered now is phase I, St. Mane said. That would be about 5.4 miles of trail south of and along U.S. Highway 14 from southeast Rochester to the county park. Two more phases  one from Chester Woods Park to Eyota and another from Eyota to Dover  would complete the trail.

"The goal is to go to St. Charles," St. Mane said. "We've been working with Dover for a number of years to make that connection."

Eyota Mayor Tyrel Clark said the trail and an addition that goes from Eyota to the Great River Ridge Trail, which starts about 2 miles north of the city. "This is the first step in getting a trail to Eyota," Clark said of the funding to start the Chester Woods Trail. "Connecting to Eyota and making Eyota a hub would be a great get for Eyota."

Clark said he has spent time in St. Paul lobbying for the trail in past years, and he knows former Mayor Wes Bussell along with St. Mane have been actively talking with legislators this year. "Without this piece, it's hard to get the next pieces," he said. "This piece is essential."

ADVERTISEMENT

While the bills in the Legislature are a good sign, St. Mane said he's been down this path before when it comes to getting his hopes up.

"I'll believe it when I see it," he said. "We have some great legislators working on this in St. Paul, and I know they're trying hard for us."
A public forum has been scheduled for Monday evening in Rochester to discuss Minnesota's worst measles outbreak since 1990.

The Somali Health Advisory Committee has organized the forum in hopes of addressing the Somali community's increasing resistance to the MMR vaccine because of fears of its links to autism, a claim that has been debunked repeatedly by the science community.

Abdirashid Shire, director of Rochester's Health and Research Institute for Somali Americans, and Nasra Giama, a nursing professor at the University of Minnesota Rochester and a Mayo Clinic researcher, will lead the discussion.

Representatives from Mayo Clinic, Olmsted Medical Center, Olmsted County Public Health and Minnesota Department of Health are expected to attend and participate in the discussion. The event is scheduled for 4 to 8 p.m. at the public health building, 2100 Campus Drive SE.

Dawn Beck, associate director of OCPHS, attended a similar SHAC event last year that drew about 100 people. The ongoing outbreak makes this forum especially timely as the local health department partially has activated its incident command structure.

ADVERTISEMENT

"The primary goal is to talk about childhood health issues, specifically about trying to dispel the myth about the link between MMR and autism and the importance of vaccines," Beck said. "It's taken on a little bit different tone this year because of the current outbreak."

MDH has reported 66 cases of measles so far this year, with 57 of those cases affecting unvaccinated Somali children. Measles was considered eradicated in the U.S. by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in 2000, but it's returned in recent years as vaccination rates have fallen among some populations.

Despite ongoing efforts from MDH and other health agencies in recent years, Minnesota's Somali community has seen its vaccination rate plunge from nearly 90 percent to the mid-40s. In Olmsted County, Somalis have an MMR vaccination rate of 75 percent, according to 2016 data.

Despite good news locally, Olmsted County's recent Community Health Needs Assessment identified immunizations as one of its top five priorities in 2017.

"We have a very health-conscious community here," Beck said. "We have a longstanding partnership between us, Mayo and OMC to help get the word out (on vaccines). One of the reasons for the higher rate is because of  the strong belief in science here. We've all been working together for a very long time, and that continues.

"This isn't a new topic for us. Prevention is the key. We knock on wood every day."
ST. PAUL  The governor warned Republican legislative leaders on Friday evening that their decision to move ahead with their own budget bills could lead to a special session.

DFL Gov. Mark Dayton said on TPT's public affairs show "Almanac" that he was disappointed GOP leaders had abandoned efforts to reach a final deal with him in favor of pushing ahead with their own budget proposals. He vowed he will not sign budget bills that put the state's future financial health at risk or include controversial policy items.

Asked if he thinks a special session can be avoided, Dayton replied, "It's on the knife's edge."

But with time in the legislative session running out, House and Senate leaders said they no longer could wait to reach a deal with the governor. Instead, they are pushing ahead with their own $46 billion, two-year budget proposal. Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka said the hope is the governor will keep negotiating as they craft the final bills.

"We all want to get done on time, and we think we can do it. We're doing our part, and we want the governor to do his part," said Gazelka, R-Nisswa.

ADVERTISEMENT

Legislators have until midnight on Monday to get the bills passed. It then will be up to Dayton whether or not to sign them. If Dayton vetoes any of the budget bills, it will require a special session to avoid triggering a partial government shutdown on July 1.

In a bid to win the governor's support, Republicans have whittled their tax cut proposal to $660 million  down from a $1.1 billion proposal Dayton vetoed earlier. They also have pledged to boost spending in several areas. But Dayton has made it clear he is wary of passing a large tax bill that could lead to budget shortfalls down the road. He also wants to see more of the state's $1.5 billion surplus allocated to education and health care.

Then there is the issue of policy. Republican leaders say they intend to keep policy measures in the budget bills despite Dayton's veto threat. That includes a measure Dayton opposes that would block cities from enacting ordinances that establish a higher minimum wage or require paid sick time.

"Every bill always has policy," Gazelka said.

Rep. Tina Liebling, DFL-Rochester, said if Republicans were serious about reaching a compromise with the governor, they would have stayed at the negotiating table. Given how little time is left, she said she expects Republicans to be trying to push through massive budget bills that lawmakers and the public have had little time to review.

"It just looks like another meltdown happening here. Very unfortunate," Liebling said.

But Rochester GOP Rep. Nels Pierson said lawmakers had no choice but to act. He said the governor has not been engaged enough in the budget process.

"We are anticipating we are going to get another set of budget bills passed one way or another, and if the governor isn't going to participate and get the job done with us, there's not much more the Legislature can do," Pierson said.

ADVERTISEMENT

Senate Capital Investment Committee Chairman Dave Senjem, R-Rochester, agrees with Pierson it is time to start passing budget bills. He said he is hopeful once those budget bills pass there still will be time for lawmakers to pass a roughly $1 billion construction spending package.

"The budget bills are essential. The bonding bill is near to essential but not," Senjem said

Rep. Gene Pelowski, DFL-Winona, said he hopes Republicans stay true to their word and try to keep working with the governor during the weekend. He said he expects it will be "extremely difficult" for lawmakers to get their work done on time. The veteran lawmaker also said he is dismayed to see how things are being done.

Pelowski added, "This should be a process where our primary consideration should be what's good for Minnesota? It has developed into what's good for the political base, and that's a far cry from how it was when I first came here."
Aalaap Narasipura, a 20-year-old Indian-origin Cornell University student who went missing this week, was found dead near Ithaca Falls in New York.

By Press Trust of India: A 20-year-old Indian-origin Cornell University student was found dead in New York after going missing this week.

Aalaap Narasipura, a senior electrical engineering student at Cornell's College of Engineering was reported missing since Wednesday.

Cornell University Police, working with the New York State Police, the Ithaca Police Department and the Ithaca Fire Department, recovered his body yesterday from Fall Creek, a short distance upstream from Ithaca Falls.

advertisement

Cornell University Police confirmed Narasipura's identity.

Police said the circumstances of Narasipura's death are still under investigation, but no foul play is suspected. No other information is available at this time.

Police had searched gorges and adjacent natural areas in Ithaca. Earlier authorities had issued an advisory describing Narasipura as a dark-skinned male, 5-feet-9 inches tall.

'AMBITIOUS STUDENT'

He was last seen in the early morning of May 17 on Cornell's campus, and was wearing shorts and a flannel shirt with bright blue socks and leather sandals. Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi expressed "profound sadness" at the death of Narasipura.

He described Narasipura as an "ambitious student" who was scheduled to graduate early this December.

"He was active on the Ultimate Frisbee team, enjoyed taking photos, and planned to continue at Cornell to pursue a Master of Engineering degree," he said in a statement.

ALSO READ | Indian-origin couple shot dead in US in attack by daughter's ex-boyfriend

ALSO READ | US: Indian-American doctor shot dead in Michigan; family denies hate crime angle

ALSO WATCH | Sikh man shooting in US: Kent police terms incident a hate crime

--- ENDS ---
MINNEAPOLIS  A Minnesota judge has ruled that Prince's six siblings are the heirs to his estate, more than a year after the pop superstar died of a drug overdose.

In a ruling made public Friday, Carver County District Judge Kevin Eide declared that Prince died without a will and that his heirs are his sister, Tyka Nelson, and five half-siblings  Sharon Nelson, Norrine Nelson, John R. Nelson, Omarr Baker and Alfred Jackson.

Some appeals are still pending from people whose claims of heirship were rejected earlier. More than 45 people filed claims to be Prince's wife, children, siblings or other relatives in the wake of his death. Eide said if appellate courts send any rejected claimants back to him, he will consider them.

Eide also said Prince's assets won't be distributed without a formal court order and that nothing will be distributed that might adversely affect the claims of those with pending appeals.

Eide previously said he wouldn't declare the siblings as heirs until those appeals had been decided. But lawyers for Prince's siblings didn't want to wait, saying further delays would have increased costs to the estate and impede its efficient administration. The siblings' attorneys didn't immediately reply to phone calls seeking comment.

ADVERTISEMENT

Attorneys for those who did appeal had said their interests would be harmed if the district court didn't wait out the appeals process before naming the heirs. Andrew Stoltmann, a lawyer for a woman and a girl appealing a rejected claim, said he hadn't seen the new ruling but would examine it and determine whether or not to appeal it.

Prince died April 21, 2016, of an accidental drug overdose. Court filings suggest his estate is worth around $200 million. Federal and state estate taxes are expected to consume about half the value.

Since Prince's death, his Paisley Park studio complex and home has been turned into a museum and concert venue. His estate has also struck deals to make his albums available by streaming, and next month plans to release a remastered "Purple Rain" album as well as two albums of unreleased music and two concert films.
Eligible power consumers are now free to purchase electricity directly from power generation companies, the minister of power, works and housing, Babatunde Fashola, has said.

A statement by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, on Friday stated that Mr. Fashola declared four categories of eligible customers in the Nigerian electricity supply industry on May 15.

The minister, who described the declaration as a major policy directive in the industry, according to the statement, empowered the consumer to buy electricity directly from licensees other than the power distribution companies.

Before the ministers declaration, Nigerian electricity consumers got their supply from the power distribution companies, Discos.

The declaration, which permits electricity customers to buy power directly from the generation companies, is in line with the provisions of Section 27 of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act , 2005, whereby eligible customers are permitted to buy power from a licensee other than the electricity distribution companies, the statement said.

In exercising the power conferred on him by the said Act, the minister directed the commission to permit four categories of customers to buy power directly from licensees other than electricity distribution companies.

The first category of eligible customers, NERC noted, comprised of a group of consumers registered with the commission whose consumption was not less than two megawatts-hour/hour and connected to a metered 11 kV or 33 kV delivery point on the distribution network.

These customers must be subject to a distribution use of system agreement for the delivery of electrical energy.

The commission noted that another category of eligible customers are those connected to a metered 132 kV or 330 kV delivery point on the transmission network under a transmission use of system agreement for connection and delivery of energy.

Explaining further, NERC stated that, Other category of customers under the declaration consists of those with consumption in excess of 2 MW hr/h on monthly basis and connected directly to a metered 33 kV delivery point on the transmission network under a transmission use of system agreement.

Eligible customers in this category must have entered into a bilateral agreement with the distribution licensee licensed to operate in the location for the construction, installation and operation of a distribution system for connection to the 33 kV delivery point.

The statement explained that the last category are eligible customers whose minimum consumption is more than 2 MWhr/h over a period of one month and directly connected to the metering facility of a generation company, and have entered into a bilateral agreement for the construction and operation of a distribution line with the distribution licensee licensed to operate in the location.

The statement disclosed that the new policy directive would bring into play new and stranded generation capacities, which might be contracted between the generation companies and eligible customers.

NERC explained further that the declaration provides that at least 20 per cent of the generation capacity added by the existing or prospective generation licensees to supply eligible customers must be above the requirement of the eligible customers, noting that the supply shall be under a contract with a distribution or trading licensee at a price not exceeding the average wholesale price being charged electricity distribution companies by the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trader Limited.

The conditions for the declaration of eligible customer is subject to review by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission from time to time, the statement added.

Earlier, Sunday Oduntan, spokesperson of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, had condemned the plan, noting that eligible customers can be declared by the minister only when a competitive market exists in the Nigerian electricity supply industry.

Mr. Oduntan also argued that the discos must be compensated for any reduction in their ability to earn permitted rates of return on their assets, as well as any inadequacy in their revenues as a result of the ministers declaration.

What this means is that consumers will have to suffer an increase in their electricity tariff to accommodate this premature declaration of eligible customers, he had said.

Earlier, the minister had threatened to sanction the power firms over alleged breach of agreement and epileptic services.

Speaking at a meeting in Jos, Mr. Fashola had also condemned alleged attempts by the power firms to frustrate consumers who choose to facilitate power generation for themselves, adding that the epileptic service of the firms led to the development in the first place.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, on Friday said it took over all the assets of Wokson International Ltd in Asaba and Warri, Delta state.

In a statement by its spokesperson, Jude Nwauzor, AMCON said the corporation took over the company due to a N5 billion debt.

Mr. Nwauzor noted that the takeover followed an injunction against Wokson International by Babs Kuewumi of the Federal High Court, Lagos Division.

According to the statement, the order mandated AMCON to take over all the assets of Wokson International and its promoter, William Oki, over a staggering indebtedness of over N5 billion.

The statement added that on May 18, AMCON moved in and took over all the assets of the company and that of its principal, Mr. Oki, as ordered by the court through its receiver, Robert Ohuoba.

According to the statement, the assets, which are now under the corporation, include asphalt plants, hotels and several houses belonging to the company and its promoter.

It stated that the order also froze all accounts of Wokson International and Mr. Oki anywhere and in any financial institution in the name or belonging to the duo.

The court also directed the Inspector-General of Police and the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Police Command, to assist and protect the Bailiffs of the Federal High Court and the receiver, Robert Ohuoba (appointed by AMCON), the statement read.

According to AMCON, the debt was long overdue, noting that the corporation had tried to resolve the matter before heading to the court.

I want you to understand that before we get to this stage with any of our obligors; we must have patiently tried to resolve the matter without going to court, the statement noted.

Anytime we end up taking over assets such as in the case of Wokson, it means all efforts by AMCON to get the obligor to amicably repay the indebtedness have proved abortive.

If you have exhausted all avenues of peaceful resolution, there is no other option available to the corporation than to commence enforcement action against Oki, the promoter of Wokson International, as ordered by the court and as provided under Section 49-52 of the AMCON Act, the statement added.

Mr. Nwauzor noted that AMCON would continue to sustain its recoveries, which began in 2016, by strategically focusing on value enhanced exits of its portfolios, through continued negotiations and resolution of loans through cash recoveries, as well as asset forfeitures through negotiation or enforcement.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


The 82 rescued Chibok school girls were reunited with their parents on Saturday in Abuja, two weeks after they regained freedom.

Their parents had travelled from Borno State to Abuja.

The emotion-laden reunion took place at the State Security Services facility where the girls have been kept since their release two week ago, Channels TV reported.

The girls were meeting their parents for the first time more than three years after their abduction by the terrorist sect, Boko Haram.

Joe Mutah, the chief press secretary to the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said in a statement that the girls were earlier reunited with 24 of the colleagues who were rescued in October 2016.

The statement said a representative of the Minister of Women Affairs, Jummai Alhassan, announced at the event that a group of experts had been put together to address the girls psycho-social support and medical needs.

The children are being rehabilitated and we believe that in due course they will be properly aligned with their families, she was quoted as saying.

Intensive medical attention is being administered and as soon as they are done, they will be enrolled into a remedial programme.

For the 21 and three that were earlier released, I wish to inform us that their psycho-social counselling is still in progress and of course they have started remedial classes.

They are being taught five subjects, which is designed with a view to getting them back to school come the next school session, which is in September this year.

They will be settled in various schools and I am sure they will continue their education from there, she said.

The Minister reassured of the Federal Governments commitment to intensifying efforts to rescue the remaining girls in captivity and expressed appreciation to all those involved in the rescue mission.

The chairman of the parents of the abducted school girls, Yakubu Nkeki, said their joy had no bounds and thanked President Muhammadu Buhari.

So far, a total of 106 Chibok school girls, out of the 219 captured on the night of April 14, 2014, have been rescued. (NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


Barely 48 hours after three suicide bombers attacked the University of Maiduguri, another bomber on Saturday detonated his explosive outside the perimeter fencing of the school.

The Borno State police commissioner, Damian Chukwu, said the incident happened at about 10 a.m.

He said the bomber hid near the the universitys Children Secondary School, and detonated the bomb, killing himself, when he sighted a security man coming in his direction.

There was no other casualty in the incident, he said.

The incident, the third in less than two weeks, has however heightened tension in the campus, as students and staffers alike expressed worries over the frequent attacks there.

The university lies on the outskirts of Maiduguri, on the route to Bama.

Aside from the brick perimeter fence on the front side of the university, there is no major barrier at the back of the University, which seems to allow insurgents easy access into the campus.

Last week, one of the five Boko Haram commanders swapped for the 82 abducted Chibok School girls appeared in a video threatening to inundate the country with more bomb attacks.

The military dismissed the video as cheap propaganda.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


The Nigerian Army has opened a new base named after President Muhammadu Buhari at his hometown, Daura, in Katsina State.

The new unit is named Fort Muhammadu Buhari Forward Operation Base, the army said in a statement Friday.

It said the unit was set up to further enhance security in parts of 1 Division Nigerian Armys area of responsibility.

The establishment of the new unit was part of the implementation of the the Nigerian Army approved Order of Battle 2016 (ORBAT 2016) by the Army Council, the statement by Sani Usman, army Brigadier General and spokesman, said.

Separately, senior army commanders on Thursday met in Jalingo, Tabara State, with the state governor, Darius Ishaku, to review the security situation of the state.

The team was led by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division Nigerian Army, Adamu Abubakar, a major general.

The delegation had the commander 13 Brigade, Bulama Biu, Brigadier General, the Commander 82 Division Provost Group, Ahmadu Abubakar, Colonel, the Commanding Officer 93 Battalion Ibrahim Gambari, a Lieutenant Colonel; and the Commanding Officer 20 Battalion, Awwal Abdullahi, Lieutenant Colonel.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


The governing council of the Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA, has directed the reinstatement of the schools embattled Vice Chancellor, Adebiyi Daramola.

A statement by the institutions Head of Information and Protocol Unit, Adegbenro Adebanjo, on Friday, said the council took the decision at its meeting of Thursday May 18, presided by its chairman, Joseph Waku.

According to the statement, the council said Mr. Daramola should return to office and complete his term which ends on Tuesday, May 23.

The vice chancellor was suspended from office as he stood trial on allegations of corruption.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, following a petition by some unions in the school, investigated Mr. Daramola and arraigned him before an Ondo State High Court for corruption.

The unions had been agitating for his removal as VC, pending the conclusion of the trial in court as required by the rules of the civil service.

A letter of suspension last week from the Ministry Education, came as a surprise as Mr. Daramola has less than a week to conclude his tenure in office.

However, the statement said Mr. Daramolas reinstatement order was contained in letter addressed to him and signed by Modupe Ajayi, Registrar and Secretary to Council.

The Governing Council at its Special Meeting held on Thursday, 18th May, 2017 discussed extensively about your suspension as the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, by the Federal Ministry of Education, the statement quoted the letter as saying.

Council noted that the suspension, by the Minister, took effect from Friday, 5th May, 2017, before the inauguration of the new Governing Council in Abuja on Tuesday, 9th May, 2017.

Members of Council discussed the issue especially in relation to the powers vested on Council by the provisions of the 2007 Autonomy Act that the Governing Council of a University shall be free in the discharge of its responsibilities for the good management, growth and development of the University.

After extensive deliberations, the Governing Council decided that you should be reinstated to your position as the Vice-Chancellor of the University with immediate effect.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


Police toxicology report on the pathological examination carried out on Osun State senator, Isiaka Adeleke, showed the lawmaker was administered with gentamicin shortly before his death contrary to claims by Alfred Aderibigbe, the nurse who administered the drugs, a police official said.

Mr. Aderibigbe, who said he was a Chief Nursing Officer at Comprehensive Health Centre, Edunabon, Osun State, had during his evidence before the Coroner Inquest on Thursday, denied administering Gentamicine on the senator while treating him for gout.

He said he diluted Hydrocortisone in fluid and gave Metamyzole, Diazepam, Pentazocine and Analgin intramuscular to the deceased.

However, a police forensic expert Benedict Agbu, who conducted the examination indicated in the report presented before the coroner on Friday, said that Mr. Adeleke was administered with Gentamicine before his death.

The report, which was admitted in exhibit at the coroner, disclosed that Metamyzole, Diazepam, Pentazocine and Analgin were administered on Mr. Adeleke intravenously contrary the claims made by Mr. Aderibigbe before the coroner.

The report stated that analyses of the findings in the blood and urine samples taken from Mr. Adelekes corpse proved negative result for the presence of chlorinated hydrocarbon herbicides, organo-paosforous pesticide, rodenticides, metallic poison, cyanide and tri-cylic anti-depressants.

The digested food particles were found in the gastric content but no drug particle was found in the exhibit, the report read in part.

Diazepam, Pentazocine, Analgin, Hydrocortisone and Gentamicine were confirmed in the blood and urine samples submitted.

Metamyzole and its Metabolites 27.2ug/ml, Hydrocortisone 9.25ug/ml, Gentamicin 17.4ug/ml, Pentazocine 4.5ug/ml, Diazepam 12.2 ug/ml, also urine Diazepam concetration 7.1ug/ml.

Fatalities have been reported at the following blood concentration: Metamyzole (Analgin) 22.0ug/ml, Pentazocin, 1.2ug/ml, Gentamicin 12ug/ml, Diazepam, 5.0ug/ml, hydrocortisone, 3.7ug/ml.

The confirmation of Diazepam, Pentazocine, Hydrocortisone and alcohol with the established concentration in the body of the deceased is capable of producing a fatal Synergetic Hypertensive and respiratory depressive effect. With the route of the delivery (intravenous) of the drugs, the effect will be sudden and capable of occurring in minutes.

The presence of alcohol was also confirmed in the blood, urine and gastric content with concentration of 450ug/ml, 215ug/ml and 562ug/ml respectively. The blood concentrations of the drugs are above the levels known to cause fatalities.

Such fatalities have been reported in literature. The low concentrations of the substances in the gastric content are as a result of the route of administration of the drugs, the report said.

Meanwhile, the police commented on receiving the autopsy report ahead of the deceaseds family, saying it was standard practice that when Form B and C are served on pathologists, the report of the autopsy is submitted to the police and not family members.

It argued before the coroner that the essence of submitting the report to the police, upon a request for autopsy, was to enable the police pursue criminal prosecution when necessary, hence the duplication and submission of such to the State Ministry of Justice for legal advice.

The Coroner also heard that the Adeleke family did not order for the autopsy carried out on the deceased.

A reply of the principal of the School of Nursing, Osogbo, for the confirmation of Mr. Aderibigbes Nursing certificate were produced and admitted as exhibits at the coroner.

The toxicology reports, Mr. Aderibigbes statement before the police were also tendered as exhibits.

A lawyer, who was observing the proceeding, Basiru Ajibola, urged the Coroner to call back Mr. Aderibigbe for clarifications on his evidence which contradicted the toxicology report.

But the Coroner, Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara, declined, saying there was no need to recall Aderibigbe because the coroner would work on the reports and evidences admitted so far.

He also called on members of the public to submitt memorandum on the matter.

Consultant Anatomic Pathologist at the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH), Solaja Olufemi, also denied the claim that the late Isiaka Adelekes family ordered for the autopsy carried out on the deceased.

Mr. Solaja, while testifying stated that none of the family of the deceased asked him to conduct the post mortem.

I was served the autopsy forms by the police and it was signed by Coroner Dorcas Ajiboye, he said.

Since it was the Coroner who ordered the autopsy, I am entitled to submit the autopsy report back to her via the police, not to any family member or anybody else.

Asked if the deceaseds family members were aware that the Coroner ordered for the autopsy, Solaja said the order was served on him by the police in their presence.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


Poland could become a model for "the Europe of the future", a Polish presidential minister Krzysztof Szczerski suggested on Saturday.

"It is worth emulating Poland, where the people have enforced change with the power of their votes", Krzysztof Szczerski, head of President Andrzej Dudas Cabinet, said.

He was speaking during a conference in Warsaw called "Poland: A Great Project" and attended by several hundred prominent politicians, economists, academics and public figures from across Europe.

The "Poland: A Great Project" project is now in its seventh year.

On Saturday, during the third day of this years congress, Krzysztof Szczerski took part in a panel discussion focusing on ways of reforming the European Union.

Saturday's debates also concerned issues such as national values and a migration crisis in Europe.

Highlights included the presentation of an award named after late Polish President Lech Kaczynski.

The "Poland: A Great Project" conference started on Thursday under the motto Freedom - A Polish Project For Europe.

The event was being held under the auspices of President Andrzej Duda. (PAP)
The re-election is likely to safeguard the nuclear agreement Rouhani's government reached with global powers in 2015.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani casts his vote during the presidential election in Tehran, Iran, May 19, 2017. TIMA via REUTERS

By Reuters: Iranians yearning for more freedom at home and less isolation abroad have emphatically re-elected President Hassan Rouhani, throwing down a challenge to the conservative clergy that still holds ultimate sway.

State television congratulated Rouhani on his victory. The architect of Iran's still-fragile detente with the West, he led with 58.6 percent of the vote, compared with 39.8 percent for his main challenger, hardline judge Ebrahim Raisi, according to near-complete results broadcast on Saturday.

advertisement

Although the powers of the elected president are limited by those of unelected Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who outranks him, the scale of Rouhani's victory gives the pro-reform camp a strong mandate.

Rouhani's opponent Raisi was a protege of Khamenei, tipped in Iranian media as a potential successor for the 77-year-old supreme leader who has been in power since 1989.

RE-ELECTION IMPACTS

The re-election is likely to safeguard the nuclear agreement Rouhani's government reached with global powers in 2015, under which most international sanctions have been lifted in return for Iran curbing its nuclear programme.

And it delivers a setback to the Revolutionary Guards, the powerful security force which controls a vast industrial empire in Iran. They had thrown their support behind Raisi to safeguard its interests.

"I am very happy for Rouhani's win. We won. We did not yield to pressure. We showed them that we still exist," said 37-year-old Mahnaz, a reformist voter reached by telephone in the early hours of Saturday. "I want Rouhani to carry out his promises."

ROUHANI STILL FACES SAME RESTRICTIONS

Nevertheless, Rouhani stills faces the same restrictions on his ability to transform Iran that prevented him from delivering substantial social change in his first term and thwarted reform efforts by one of his predecessors, Mohammad Khatami.

The supreme leader has veto power over all policies and ultimate control of the security forces. Rouhani has been unable to secure the release of reformist leaders from house arrest, and media are barred from publishing the words or images of his reformist predecessor Khatami.

"The last two decades of presidential elections have been short days of euphoria followed by long years of disillusionment," said Karim Sadjadpour, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment who focuses on Iran.

"Democracy in Iran is allowed to bloom only a few days every four years, while autocracy is evergreen."

The re-elected president will also have to navigate a tricky relationship with Washington, which appears at best ambivalent about the nuclear accord signed by former U.S. president Barack Obama. President Donald Trump has repeatedly described it as "one of the worst deals ever signed", although his administration re-authorised waivers from sanctions this week.

Trump arrived on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, his first stop on the first trip abroad of his presidency. The Saudis are Iran's biggest enemies in the region and deplore the nuclear deal.

advertisement

TURN-OUT

Rouhani, known for decades as a mild-mannered member of the establishment, campaigned as an ardent reformist to stir up the passions of young, urban voters yearning for change. At times he crossed traditional rhetorical boundaries, openly attacking the human rights record of the security forces and the judiciary.

During one rally he referred to hardliners as "those who cut out tongues and sewed mouths shut". In a debate last week he accused Raisi of seeking to "abuse religion for power". The rhetoric at the debate earned a rare public rebuke from Khamenei, who called it "unworthy".

BIG TURNOUT

The big turnout appeared to have favoured Rouhani, whose backers' main concern had been apathy among reformist-leaning voters disappointed with the slow pace of change.

Many voters were particularly determined to block the rise of Raisi, one of four judges who sentenced thousands of political prisoners to death in the 1980s, regarded by reformers as a symbol of the security state at its most fearsome.

"The wide mobilisation of the hardline groups and the real prospect of Raisi winning scared many people into coming out to vote," said Nasser, a 52-year-old journalist.

advertisement

"We had a bet among friends, and I said Raisi would win and I think that encouraged a few of my friends who might not have voted to come out and vote."

The election was important "for Iran's future role in the region and the world", Rouhani said on Friday after voting.

Raisi, 56, had accused Rouhani of mismanaging the economy, travelling to poor areas and holding rallies where he promised more welfare benefits and jobs.

Despite the removal of nuclear-related sanctions in 2016, lingering unilateral U.S. sanctions that target Iran's record on human rights and terrorism have kept foreign companies wary of investing, limiting the economic benefits so far.

Also Read:

Iran counts votes after big turnout in presidential election

Iran begins voting in crucial presidential election, first since Tehran's nuclear deal

--- ENDS ---
South Jersey hasnt reached the times of The Jetsons, with household robots and work-computer best friends like R.U.D.I., but the region is inching toward a sci-fi future.

At some local institutions and businesses, the embrace of tech in the workforce is happening already.

A 2015 study, The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerization? by Oxford Universitys Michael A. Osborne and Carl Benedikt Frey, estimated 47 percent of jobs in the U.S. are at risk of being automated in the next 20 years.

That can be frightening to some, but for Lewis Leitner, professor of management in the business school at Stockton University, its just a sign of the possible times  just maybe not as severe.

Its very possible, said Leitner, who teaches a course called Exploring the Future. Humans will be collaborating with automation and robotics. Based on the tremendous growth in artificial intelligence, it essentially allows machines or robots to use their superior intelligence to perform work.

Leitner said IBMs Watson system is helping in cancer research due to its ability to digest thousands of pages of research.

In 2015, Toshiba introduced its first lifelike robot to work in a Tokyo department store.

In South Jersey, Leitner said, computerization is happening in the major industries.

Online gambling has come to many casinos.

MGM Resorts International, owner of Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, is teaming up with GVC Holdings PLC to launch online casino and poker games in New Jersey under the MGM brand to take advantage of the states booming internet gambling market.

TEN, formerly known as Revel Casino Hotel, offers nongambling online games.

Leitner doesnt think itll stop there. More digital slot machines and facial recognition to avoid cheating are around the corner, he said.

You can put two and two together. That starts to impact employment to some degree, he said.

For other industries, the trend toward tech is for the sake of the consumer.

AtlantiCare is advancing barcode medication-administration software to identify patients and to electronically prescribe directly to patients pharmacies.

Remember having to call to schedule a doctors appointment? Theres an app for that now.

ZocDoc lets patients make an appointment with most AtlantiCare Physician Group providers online 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Jatin Motiwal is vice president for AtlantiCare Physician Group and regional network. Motiwal compared ZocDoc to sites like Expedia or OpenTable.

We all remember 10 years back, (when we had) to call an airline to book a ticket or reservation. No one does that now, Motiwal said.

He said he found the two things patients dislike most are making appointments and waiting for a doctor. He believes the technology of ZocDoc changes that.

It doesnt totally replace the hand-to-hand help some need, said Jennifer Tornetta, director of digital relations and content management at AtlantiCare.

We always have that human touch for those that arent comfortable (technologically), but our customers expect us to offer things like this, just like having these systems in place makes an easier more efficient way, she said.

Other industries embracing the tech boom include retail.

J.C. Penney announced in March its Rio Grande store would be among 140 closed nationwide as more consumers turn to online retailers such as Amazon.

Boscovs in Egg Harbor Township already is finding the balance between being a brick-and-mortar store and an online retailer. It processes and fills its local internet orders right in the store.

Boscovs also is using social media to attract customers.

While the brand opens more stores, its frequent customers still range across all ages, said Janine Haines, assistant store manager in Egg Harbor Township.

People are always going to want to try on that dress in the store and ask for opinions from human employees.

I think were willing to grow in both areas. We find that balance, Haines said.
PLEASANTVILLE  Members of the American Legion Riders Post 352 in Somers Point made sure fallen veterans were not forgotten Saturday, Armed Forces Day.

The group put American flags and medallions on gravestones of veterans at Greenwood Cemetery.

They offered all that they had, said Ken Stiteler, 65, of Egg Harbor Township, as he put flags alongside the gravestones of veterans. It shows the respect that we have for what they had to offer.

On Aug. 31, 1949, then-Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force days. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the armed forces under the Department of Defense.

We used to do Atlantic City, Pleasantville and this, but because there are so few of us left, we now only do this, John Palmentieri, a World War II veteran and Purple Heart recipient from Atlantic City.

Ronald Rease, 71, of Pleasantville, said he comes every year to help out. Rease, a former U.S. Marine, received a bad head injury in Quantri Province near the border of North Vietnam in 1967.

When we stop doing this, those men and women are truly forgotten, Rease said. We dont want that. We want to memorialize them.

Stitelers family has a long history in the military, but a back injury prevented him from serving.

My whole family has been in the service, and we have to protect the rights of the democracy that we have, Stiteler said.

For the past seven years, the group has placed flags at the cemetery.

Its about coming out here to remember those who sacrificed, said Paul Lettier, 69, of Brigantine, who served in the Air Force during Vietnam. Its about giving them the respect that they deserve.
On the eve of superstar Jr NTR's birthday, the makers of Jai Lava Kusa unveiled the first look posters from the film.

By India Today Web Desk: Tollywood superstar Jr NTR is gearing up for his next film titled Jai Lava Kusa, which is being directed by Bobby. Going by reports, Jr NTR will be playing triple roles for the first time in his career. On the eve of Jr NTR's birthday, the makers released the first look posters from the film, which started trending on several social media platforms.

advertisement

An elated Jr NTR took to Twitter to share the pictures.

Jr NTR, who turns 34 today, rang in his birthday with his son Abhay Ram and wife Lakshmi Pranathi.

To be directed by Bobby, the film also stars Raashi Khanna as one of the leading ladies. Reports also said that Niveda Thomas is likely to be paired opposite young tiger Jr NTR. KS Ravindra aka Bobby is known for blockbuster films like Sardar Gabbar Singh and Mr Perfect.

Produced by NTR Arts, the team will start shooting by the end of this month. Recently, PK fame cinematographer CK Muraleedharan walked out of the project. Now, he has been replaced by Chhota K Naidu.

Jr NTR was last seen in Janatha Garage, which reportedly went on to become the highest grossing Telugu film of 2016. Earlier in April, Raju Sundaram won the National Award for Best Choreography for Janatha Garage, while megastar Mohanlal got a Special Jury Award.

ALSO READ: Happy Birthday Jr NTR- Jr NTR turns 34, rings in birthday with family

ALSO READ: Happy Birthday Jr NTR- Here are fives best film of Jr NTR

--- ENDS ---
Leanna Sem left her husband and moved her three children to Ocean City from Philadelphia more than 10 years ago.

She tried for four years to get into public housing, first staying with her foster mom, then renting small rooms in the city while she worked full time.

Finally, a room opened up. Sem has been at Pecks Beach Village on Fourth Street since.

Sems story is not unusual. Long waiting lists have prompted a new state law to require the authorities to advertise online when applications are being accepted.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has acknowledged the demand for housing assistance exceeds the limited resources available.

The Ocean City Housing Authority operates 121 units of affordable housing, including 80 age-restricted units and 41 family units at Pecks Beach Village and Bay View Manor.

We have a waiting list a mile long, and so I would say people want to come to Ocean City. They want to be a part of it, said Bob Barr, chairman of the Ocean City Housing Authority Board of Commissioners.

Barr estimated it takes five to 10 years before someone would receive a call that a unit opened up.

He said plans are underway to rebuild portions of the housing authority, but there are no plans to expand the number of units available.

Cape May Housing Authority Executive Director Carol Hackenberg said its 85 units see little turnover.

For family units, some grew up here and their third generation is here. Some buy a house and leave, which are the success stories, she said. Its supposed to be a respite for people to get on their feet. They consider it their homes.

About 110 people are on the Cape May Housing Authority waiting list, which Hackenberg said fluctuates as names are removed as incomes or circumstances change.

She said its virtually impossible to say how long someone would be on the list before housing becomes available for them. The age-restricted units, she said, have more turnover due to the age of the residents.

However, Hackenberg believes the amount of public housing in Cape May is sufficient to meet the need.

By the time you weed out the people who are trying to defraud the system, there should be enough housing for people who sincerely need it, she said.

Housing authorities receive funding for public housing through HUD, which publishes income standards.

In Cape May County, the 2017 low-income limit for a family of four is $60,000. In Atlantic County, it is $57,450.

For Sem, living at Pecks Beach Village has been pleasant, but its not her ideal situation.

No stranger to hardship, the 48-year-old came to America in the 1980s as a Cambodian refugee after escaping the Khmer Rouge.

Now, Sem dedicates her life to providing a bright future for her children.

Two of Sems three children are in college. Her youngest is in high school. Sem manages a nearby bed-and-breakfast.

She said the reduced rents, which are income-based, help her to maintain a good life for her family.

Thats why I can support my children, I can buy food, I can get a car to bring my children anywhere, Sem said.

After her children finished their education, Sem hopes to be able to move out of the Ocean City Housing Authority.

Thats a dream. We want to have something to call our own, she said.
ATLANTIC CITY  Marina District residents packed a town hall meeting Friday, searching for answers and pledging to work together after three homicides in nine days rocked their community.

More than 50 people gathered at Brigantine Homes Community Center to discuss public safety with neighbors and top city and law-enforcement officials.

This meeting is about solutions, where do we go from here? City Council President Marty Small said.

Small, a 2nd Ward councilman and mayoral candidate, organized the event.

Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner said there have been 11 homicides in the county since Jan. 1, with nine in Atlantic City and only two having been solved.

I see the power to stop all of this, Tyner said. Murder has no statute of limitations.  We owe it to those families that are left behind to understand what happened to their loved ones.

The resounding theme during the two-hour afternoon meeting was the idea of working together to stop the killing, now and in the future.

The meeting drew people from all over the city, not just those from the 2nd Ward or the Back Maryland neighborhood.

Police Chief Henry White encouraged the crowd to continue to come forward with information and to act on what they see.

White outlined steps the Police Department is taking, such as increasing visibility and patrols.

Enough is enough, White said. Were going to do what we have to do to ensure that this neighborhood is safe.

Some people asked for police substations in the area or to see officers on foot patrol. White said the department plans to have more frequent trips for officers, enhance the use of cameras and have an aggressive police presence.

Other measures to be added include slow rolls, police driving slowly through neighborhood streets to patrol; a park and ride, where officers will park patrol cars and ride through neighborhoods on bikes; and license-plate readers on cars.

Some residents called for community liaisons for police. Second Ward resident Wadiyah Jones said she didnt want to see aggression from the Police Department and depends more on the neighborhood to keep a watchful eye.

She said some of the problems might involve people who dont live in the neighborhood and fears wrongful probes into homes could do more damage than good.

To me, it sounds like were getting ready to be in trouble for something that we had nothing to do with, she said. We need to teach our neighborhood.

Tyner stressed its up to the residents to help officials solve the crimes.

The event included FBI Supervisory Special Agent Ed Gallant, of the Atlantic City Resident Agency. He said that while the FBI often works behind the scenes, it needs the people to continue speaking up about what they see.

Law-enforcement officials stressed the necessity of calling 911 when people see or know about a problem, to text information using tip411 or to download the ACPD TIP app to submit anonymous information.

The three recent killings in Atlantic City are:

 David Blackwell Jr., 31, of Hammonton, fatally shot 10:15 p.m. May 5 in the 800 block of North Virginia Avenue

 Anthony A. Jordan, 28, of Atlantic City, found dead after a shooting 5:30 a.m. May 11 in a parked car in the 1000 block of Brigantine Boulevard

 Keith Cundiff Jr., 32, of North Virginia Avenue, found shot to death just before 3 p.m. May 14, Mothers Day, in the 800 block of North Maryland Avenue.

Lorin Wright, 31, of Ohio Avenue, is charged in Cundiffs killing.

No arrests have been made in the other cases.
Stronger pet dealer rules easy on hobby breeders

Regarding the May 10 editorial, Sure, strengthen pet-dealer rules again ... after the election:

The editorial board has as little knowledge about the pet store bill (S3041) as the governor apparently had. The opinion lacks due diligence in research and thorough understanding.

The designation of hobby breeders as commercial for state purposes is a wild exaggeration. Current law defines any breeder that sells more than five dogs/cats per year for profit as a pet dealer. So theyre already pet dealers. This proposed legislation did not create that requirement. (Read the pet dealer definition in N.J.S.A. 56:8-92, the Pet Purchase Protection Act.) What this proposed legislation did do is cut these breeders a break by labeling them a pet dealer only if they sell 10 or more dogs/cats per year  allowing for larger litters. (Read the pet dealer definition in S3041).

Hobby breeders would not be subject to harsh penalties under the states law unless they were required to obtain a U.S. Department of Agriculture license by federal law standards  not N.J. law standards. If a breeder requires a USDA license per federal law, they are not a hobby breeder. The sole requirement for a hobby breeder under S3041 would be to report the number of dogs/cats sold per year but only if they sell more than 10 dogs/cats per year. Period. (Hardly an onerous requirement.)

The editorial shows no understanding of the current law, the proposed legislation or what a hobby breeder vs. a commercial breeder is.

Janice Fisher

Manasquan

Puppy Mill Awareness campaign coordinator

Friends of Animals United NJ/NY

Amtrak engineer must be prosecuted for crash

What a great outcome for the engineer on the Amtrak train that killed eight and injured many more in Philadelphia. The local prosecutor, acting on an investigation possibly by Amtrak employees, came to the conclusion that there wasnt enough evidence to charge the engineer.

If Im going down the parkway at over 100 mph and hit a bunch of cars, kill eight people and injure many more, they are going to charge me with causing the deaths of those people.

The Amtrak train was going over 100 mph and couldnt make the turn.

The difference is that the police will say that it was my fault and charge me. I will most likely go to jail. Amtrak and its union probably didnt want to blame one of their employees. So the prosecutor doesnt pursue charges and they agree to give millions of dollars to the victims.

The only evidence they needed was that he was exceeding the speed limit and that is the only reason for the crash. There never was any doubt it was his fault.

Sad that no one is held accountable. Justice wasnt served.

David Wessel

Galloway Township
A suspected agent of Pakistan's ISI has been detained by the intelligence wing of Rajasthan Police from Jaisalmer district and some documents have been recovered from his possession.

By Press Trust of India: A suspected agent of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been detained by the intelligence wing of Rajasthan Police from Jaisalmer district and some documents have been recovered from his possession.

55-year-old Hazi Khan was detained on Friday from his village in Jaisalmer and is being interrogated in Jodhpur, DIG, Security, H Raghvendra Suhasaa told PTI.

Hazi Khan, a resident of Kunjarali village of Jaisalmer, has visited Pakistan three times and is suspected to have connections with the ISI, he said.

advertisement

Some vital information and incriminating documents have been recovered from his possession which are being verified, he said.

AGENT BELIEVED TO HAVE PASSED ON SECRET INFO TO ISI

He is suspected to have passed on secret strategic information pertaining to the Army and the Air Force to the ISI, an Intelligence source said.

"His name emerged following interrogation of two spies Haji Khan and Sadik Khan, who were arrested earlier this year under the Official Secret Act," said the source.

The accused, a local farmer, was on the intelligence radar for some time.

He is being interrogated to get details of his network and the information shared by him, the source said, adding that he was arrested earlier also, but was let off due to the absence of evidence against him.

AGENT A FREQUENT TRAVELLER TO PAKISTAN

Haji is a frequent traveller to Pakistan to see his family members.

"We are conducting raids at a few more places today," Suhasaa said.

"The man has not been arrested so far," the officer added.

Also read | Caught from Mumbai, ISI agents laundered money for terror financing: Maharashtra ATS

Also read | ISI agents arrested in Madhya Pradesh linked to BJP; party leaders privately express anguish over possible infiltration

--- ENDS ---
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )

Browse 65 market data Tables and 64 Figures spread through 148 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Offshore Wind Market"

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/offshore-wind-market-253452593.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.

The global market is witnessing a significant growth due to rising energy demand coupled with increasing share of renewables in the power generation mix, energy efficiency mandates demanding carbon emission reduction, and government incentives supporting renewable energy deployment.

Shallow water- the largest Offshore Wind Market by location

Among the three water depth location for offshore wind turbines, shallow water is expected to hold the largest share during the forecast period. The development of shallow water is generally cost effective due to better weather conditions, whereas, installing wind turbines in deep water becomes expensive due to high maintenance cost. However, offshore wind turbines are getting installed in all three water locations depending on the region, turbine capacity, and wind speed. Shallow water condition mostly prevails in the European countries due to favorable weather conditions. The major players that provide turbines which can be installed in shallow water includes Siemens AG (Germany) and MHI Vestas (Denmark) among others.

Download PDF Brochure @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=253452593

The turbine component is expected to be the largest segment for the Offshore Wind Market

The turbines accounts for the maximum cost of the total offshore wind project. It is the most important component of an offshore wind farm. The three components such as nacelle, rotor, and tower comprises the largest share of the capital cost, whereas, the substructure represents comparatively lesser share of the capital expenditure, mainly in shallow water locations. Companies are upgrading and increasing the turbine size due to advanced technologies and to increase energy efficiency. Moreover, larger the wind turbine, the more energy they produce each time the turbines rotate. Therefore, turbine manufacturers are continuously upgrading and expanding their product portfolio to contribute to the ever increasing demand for high capacity wind turbines.

Asia-Pacific: The second largest market for offshore wind

The market in this region is expected to grow at the second position followed by the market in Europe, due to its growing trends such as increasing urbanization and industrialization which is leading to higher demand in the power sector. The countries are focusing on power generation through renewable energy sources and the offshore wind forms an integral part of the renewable based power generation. Technological advancement and clean energy consumption would further propel wind power deployment and open up opportunities in the emerging markets of Asia-Pacific, especially in countries like China, Japan, and South Korea as they are looking for an alternative source of energy to diversify their energy mix to reduce CO2 emissions. The other major drivers include strict government regulations on energy efficiency.

Make an Inquiry @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=253452593

To provide an in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape, the report includes profiles of some of the leading players in the Offshore Wind Market, namely, Siemens AG (Germany), ABB, Ltd. (Switzerland), MHI Vestas (Denmark), General Electric (U.S.), EEW Group (Germany), A2Sea (Denmark), and Nexans (France) among others. Leading players are trying to penetrate the markets in developing economies and are adopting various strategies to increase their market share.

Browse Related Reports:

Concentrating Solar Power Market by Technology (Parabolic Trough, Power Tower, Linear Fresnel & Dish/Engine system), Components (Solar field, Power Block, and Thermal Storage), End-User (Utilities, EOR & Others ), and Region - Global Forecast to 2021

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/concentrating-solar-power-market-199506567.html

Renewable Energy Policy FiT Analysis by Technology (Solar, Wind, Geothermal and Bio Energy), by Tariff Period (5, 10, 13, 15, 20, and 25 years), by System Size (1 kW to 15 MW), and by Key Country - Installed Capacity and Targets to 2020

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/renewable-energy-policy-fit-analysis-182712231.html

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

Contact:

Mr. Rohan

MarketsandMarkets

701 Pike Street

Suite 2175, Seattle,

WA 98101, United States

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com



Visit our Blog @ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/energy-and-power

Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets

SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
HOUSTON, May 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- alliantgroup, a leading tax consultancy and the nation's premier provider of government sponsored tax credits and incentives, is proud to announce that Senior Director Matthew Noll has been awarded the firm's CEO Blue 'a' Award for Leadership. The award, which is handed out personally by alliantgroup CEO Dhaval Jadav, has only been given out twice in the entire existence of the firm and recognizes a leader that epitomizes alliantgroup's core values.

"This award is for someone who demonstrates the highest level of leadership and epitomizes the selfless driver that inspires, motivates and challenges people to be their very best while having their best interests at heart," said alliantgroup CEO Dhaval Jadav. "In the last 16 years, I have never seen anyone more deserving of this award than Matthew Noll. His ability to inspire, motivate, challenge and influence positive and energetic behaviors is second to none."

Noll joined alliantgroup in 2013. He received his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 2004 and is a graduate of the University of Texas. Noll has been published multiple times in Tax Notes, the leading trade publication covering the tax industry.

"Matthew is a talented and gifted leader and I am looking forward to how he will drive the future of our firm," said alliantgroup CEO Dhaval Jadav.

alliantgroup's mission is one of education and awarenesswe exist to help industry organizations, U.S. businesses and the CPA firms that advise them, take full advantage of all federal and state tax credits, incentives and deductions available. Our government has legislated these powerful incentive programs to help businesses grow and successfully compete both in the U.S. and abroad. We are proud to have helped over 20,000 businesses claim more than $5 billion in tax incentives. alliantgroup's headquarters is in Houston, Texas, with offices across the country including New York, Boston, Chicago, Orange County, Sacramento, Orlando, Indianapolis and Washington, D.C. . For more information find alliantgroup on LinkedIn, Twitter or visit their website.

SOURCE alliantgroup

Related Links

https://www.alliantgroup.com


TAUNTON, Mass., May 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Jordan's Furniture, New England's premiere furniture retailer, is hosting the 8th Annual Walk/Run for Adoption on Sunday, May 21 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at its Taunton facility. This event will benefit the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) in its ongoing mission to find adoptive homes for children and teens waiting in foster care.

MARE focuses on children in the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) who cannot be reunited with their birth families, including those who are considered more difficult to place  teens, sibling groups, and children with emotional, physical, and intellectual challenges. These children are in need of adoptive families and a place to call home.

Eliot Tatelman, President and CEO of Jordan's Furniture, says," I look forward to the Walk/Run each year, when I am able to meet so many wonderful families! Many I have already met at one of Jordan's adoption events, before they were united as a family. I am proud that Jordan's has been a partner with MARE for 19 years and that we have helped make permanent, loving homes a reality for so many great kids."

The family-friendly event kicks off at 10:00 am with a 5K race followed by an after party filled with food, music, and activities including kids' fun races, face painting, balloon artistry, arts and crafts, and a parkour challenge. Registration is $35; $15 for kids 3-12. If you register online, you can form a team and/or create your own fundraising page and help provide even more support for adoption from foster care.

By participating in the Jordan's Furniture Walk/Run for Adoption you will help change a child's life by supporting MARE's work to recruit adoptive parents for children and youth in state care. Nationwide, there are over 112,000 children waiting in foster care, in need of adoption. In Massachusetts, nearly 2,800 children currently in foster care have the goal of adoption, and more than 800 of those children have no relative or other potential adopter. Older, school-aged children, sibling groups, children of color and/or children with special needs tend to wait the longest for families.

"We are so grateful for our relationship with Jordan's Furniture, along with the support of the many other companies and individuals who support this event", said MARE's Executive Director Lisa Funaro. "With their generosity and assistance we are able to continue in our 60-year mission to place children and teens from foster care into loving adoptive homes."

Organizations sponsoring the event include EY, Hub Parkour Training Center, Wellesley Bank Charitable Foundation, Insource Services, Brookline Bank, Zemcar, KPMG, Florence Electric, Webster One Source, and Redfin.

To register for the event or to make a donation, visit http://jordanswalkforadoption.org. To learn about adoption from foster care, contact MARE at 617-54-ADOPT (542-3678) or visit www.MAREinc.org

SOURCE Jordan's Furniture

Related Links

http://www.jordans.com


Approximately 8,000 people attended the ceremony, which was held on May 20, 2017, in Waltham, Mass., and marked the centennial anniversary of Bentley's founding in 1917.

Long, who emigrated from working-class Liverpool, England, to attend college in upstate New York, shared details of his own transition from shoveling gravel at $5 per hour after college to leading Liberty Mutual, a Fortune 100 company with operations in 30 countries.

"Today I am a CEO, but that doesn't define me any more than shoveling gravel did," he said. "It doesn't define who I am or what I value or how I choose to behave. It may tell you what I've achieved, but it won't tell you who I've become.

"You will need to decide for yourself what your definition of success will be, in your own mind and in your own heart," Long advised the 1,040 graduates. "Define and find success on your own terms and, in pursuit of those big things, press into the small and unexpected moments with all the might you can muster."

Long received an honorary doctor of commercial science degree at the ceremony.

GRADUATE CEREMONY

At a separate commencement ceremony for graduate students later on Saturday, Micho Fernandez Spring, chairwoman of the Global Corporate Practice and New England region of Weber Shandwick, encouraged the nearly 700 students to use their business skills and training to improve the lives of others.

Referencing a public sector "paralyzed by gridlock and dysfunction," Spring called on graduates to become problem-solvers. "Businesstransformed by technology, disruptors and entrepreneursis emerging as an engine of unprecedented progress, innovation and collaboration on some of our toughest issues," Spring told students at the 42nd commencement for Bentley's McCallum Graduate School of Business. "It is for you to better perfect capitalism so that it benefits more people."

Spring, a native of Cuba whose family immigrated to the United States after Fidel Castro came to power when she was 9, urged graduates to be revolutionary business leaders. "The great challenges of human destiny today depend on global business leadership," she said. "One that embraces a broader sense of responsibility; one that commits itself not just to customers but to culture, not just to profits but to purpose, not just within businesses but beyond borders; one that rejects the compartments that divide our lives in favor of values that inspire them."

Spring encouraged the graduates to keep values at the core of what they do. "Disruptive business models and technological innovation are not enough," she said. "They must be anchored in values, purpose, and a humane and empathetic approach to the world in which you work."

At the ceremony, Spring received an honorary doctor of commercial science degree.

ABOUT THE GRADUATES

Undergraduate degrees were awarded to 1,040 students, including 1,027 bachelor of science degrees and 13 bachelor of arts degrees. (The figures include degrees conferred on Oct. 28, 2016, Feb. 24, 2017, and May 20, 2017.)

Graduate degrees were awarded to 687 students, including six doctoral degrees, 457 master of science degrees, 159 master of business administration degrees, six dual MS/MBA degrees, and 59 certificates to 687 graduate students. (The figures include degrees and certificates conferred on Oct. 28, 2016, Feb. 24, 2017, and May 20, 2017. Students may earn multiple degrees and certificates so may be counted more than once.)

FACULTY AND STUDENT AWARDS

The Gregory H. Adamian Award for Excellence in Teaching was presented to Associate Professor of Accountancy Tracy Noga and to Leonard Pepe, adjunct lecturer in accountancy. Joni Seager, Maurice E. Goldman Distinguished Professor of Arts and Sciences, was awarded the Excellence in Scholarship Award. The Joseph M. Cronin Award for Excellence in Academic Advising was given to Traci Abbott, lecturer in English and media studies.

Undergraduate students Jeffrey Allan Molgano and Emily Rose Niditch won the Professor Robert J. Weafer Award for Undergraduate Academic Excellence. Graduate students Carl Michael Begin, Shauna Riane Fumicello and Vanessa Alexis Weigel won the Professor E. William Dandes Award for Graduate Academic Excellence.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

David H. Long joined Liberty Mutual in 1985 and has held positions in the company's International Operations, Commercial Markets, Underwriting and Financial, and Mergers and Acquisitions divisions. His guiding philosophy, "never get comfortable," has given Liberty Mutual claim to $39.6 billion in revenue, more than 50,000 employees and 900 offices worldwide. But his favorite investment, by far, is in people. Long has spent a career recruiting talent across the lines of gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and national origin. He has cultivated a workplace culture that values diversity, fosters mutual respect, and welcomes good ideas from every business sector. He has also grown Liberty Mutual's philanthropic giving by an average of 18 percent annually since becoming CEO.

Micho Fernandez Spring leads Weber Shandwick's Global Corporate Practice and chairs the company's New England region. Her practice focuses on enabling corporate clients to use communications to support their business strategies, enhance and protect their reputation, and respond to public policy challenges. As a government, civic and business leader, Spring has helped shape public debate on numerous issues in Boston and beyond. On multiple occasions she has been named one of the "20 Most Powerful Women in Boston" by Boston Magazine. In 2014 Spring was named to the Boston Business Journal Power 50 list and, under her leadership, in 2015 Weber Shandwick ranked first on the Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts by The Boston Globe Magazine and The Commonwealth Institute.

SOURCE Bentley University
CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., May 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- David's Bridal, the leading bridal and special occasion retailer in the United States has partnered with Diltex, the foremost manufacturer and retailer of intimate apparel in Mexico, to open its first franchise location in Mexico City. The store will open on Saturday, May 20, 2017 on the well-known street, Avenida Revolucion.

The new store, which was completely renovated, boasts soft lighting and lofty ceilings on a selling floor of approximately 11,000 square feet. The first of two floors includes a broad selection of gowns at an exceptional value from exclusive David's Bridal collections such as White by Vera Wang, Truly Zac Posen, and Oleg Cassini, alongside accessories, veils, and headpieces to complete the look.

The second floor of the boutique features an array of bridesmaid styles in multiple colors and silhouettes meant to compliment every wedding style. Flower girl dresses are also available for the youngest members of the bride's wedding party. An intimates section features lingerie for the wedding and honeymoon as well as casual wear for events leading up to the wedding and bachelorette. The store also boasts an assortment of dresses and accessories ideal for women celebrating all of life's special occasions including the Mother of the Bride and guests of the wedding.

The Mexico City store will employ 40 store associates, with four store managers who spent over 6 months training in David's Bridal's US stores.

"David's Bridal is thrilled to announce the opening of our first store in Mexico. The boutique is even more beautiful than we imagined, and we couldn't be more excited to service each and every bride in Mexico City and beyond," said Paul Pressler, Chairman & CEO of David's Bridal. "As we enter into our newest market, we are fortunate to have partnered with Diltex, the top manufacturer and retailer of intimate apparel in Mexico. Their market expertise, track record of success, and passion for customer service has made them a perfect partner to David's Bridal."

With the expansion into Mexico, David's Bridal now has stores located in five countries: the United States, Canada, England, Scotland and Mexico. David's Bridal opened their first store outside of the United States in Toronto, Canada in 2011 and expanded into the UK when the first store opened in the London-area in 2014.

More, imagery, behind-the-scenes, and product information can be found at davidsbridal.mx and on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest by following @davidsbridalmx.

About David's Bridal:

With more than 60 years of experience dressing women for all of life's special occasions, David's Bridal is built on the ideal that every woman deserves to have the wedding dress of her dreams regardless of her style preference, shape, size or budget. We believe in inclusivity, authenticity and empowerment and it is our mission to help every woman find the bridal gown that will allow her to be the best, most genuine version of herself on her wedding day. David's Bridal is dedicated to helping each bride-to-be find her perfect dress with the assistance of online planning tools, knowledgeable stylists, and expert seamstresses who will guide her through her entire dress buying journey. With more than 300 stores located across the US, Canada, UK, Puerto Rico and a franchise location opening in Mexico City, we offer the convenience of one-stop shopping for the bride and her entire bridal party. To learn more about David's Bridal, visit www.davidsbridal.com and connect on social media through Pinterest, Instagram, SnapChat, Facebook and Twitter.

About Diltex S.A. of C.V.

Diltex S.A. of C.V. is a Mexico-based company that for the past 67 years has been dedicated to the design, production and marketing of fashion products of excellent quality for Latina women, including underwear, outerwear, cosmetics and household items. Its brand portfolio includes Ilusion, Fiorentina, and since 2004 through an alliance, it manufactures and markets the Vanity Fair Brands in Mexico, including Vassarette, Vanity Fair, Curvation and Fruit of The Loom Intimates, owned by Fruit of the Loom Inc. In 1995, the company began to export to the United States and all countries in Central America. Currently, it accounts for more than 250 owned stores, presence in over 3,000 retail locations nationwide and sales through a catalog system and online services, supported by a workforce of 6,500 employees.

SOURCE David's Bridal

Related Links

http://www.davidsbridal.com


CINCINNATI, May 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mahendra Vora, Founder and Executive Chairman of Vora Ventures, was recognized as a Finalist in the Ernst & Young 2017 Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Ohio Valley program during a luncheon event held at the Cincinnati downtown Renaissance Hotel on May 18, 2017. The awards program recognizes entrepreneurs who are excelling in areas such as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

Founded by industry veteran Mahendra Vora, the group portfolio consists of companies in the software, services and infrastructure solutions space. Vora Ventures provides resources, advice and state-of-the-art infrastructure to its portfolio companies, as well as management of financial and compliance systems, acquisition and recapitalization services, and strategic mergers.

Entrepreneur Of The Year, founded by Ernst & Young, is the world's most prestigious business awards program for entrepreneurs, chosen from an independent panel of judges including entrepreneurs and prominent leaders from business, finance and the local community. As the first and only truly global awards program of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in over 145 cities and more than 60 countries.

"I am so grateful and honored to receive this wonderful recognition amid such prestigious community leaders and inspirational entrepreneurs who are building incredible companies in the Greater Ohio Valley area," said Mahendra Vora. "The entire portfolio of Vora companies continue to innovate and grow. We are excited about the many investments we have made and the thousands of jobs that have been created. We will continue our path of investing in leading-edge technology companies, developing meaningful infrastructure projects and forming strategic partnerships that will bring more jobs and prosperity to our city."

Over past 10 years, Vora Ventures has formed multiple successful public-private partnerships, including with the City of Hamilton, City of Blue Ash and the City of Springdale, in acquiring large, unoccupied, commercial business complexes and converting them into world-class technology workplaces such as Vora Technology Park (Hamilton), Vora Innovation Center (Blue Ash) and Vora Solution Center (Springdale). These public/private partnerships have resulted in the creation of thousands of tech jobs in the Greater Cincinnati region.

Award winners will be announced at a special gala on June 15 at the Hyatt Regency in Cincinnati, Ohio. Regional winners are eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year national program.

About Vora Ventures

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Vora Ventures is an MBE certified, privately held equity group that specializes in building innovative IT companies worldwide. Founded by industry veteran Mahendra Vora, the group portfolio consists of companies in the software, services and infrastructure solutions space. Vora Ventures provides resources, advice and state-of-the-art infrastructure to its portfolio companies, as well as management of financial and compliance systems, acquisition and recapitalization services, and strategic mergers.

Vora Ventures is currently a finalist for the 2017 Greater Cincinnati Healthiest Employers Award. The company was recently named in the Deloitte Cincinnati USA 100, a list of the top 100 privately held businesses in the greater Cincinnati area. In 2016 Vora Ventures was names the 2016 Top New Business Participant for its charitable work with the United Way of Cincinnati. In 2015, Vora Ventures was named the Technology Company of the Year by the Cincinnati Business Courier. More information at www.VoraVentures.com.

Contact:

Paulie Anthony, Director of Marketing

614.397.7490

[email protected]

SOURCE Vora Ventures

Related Links

http://www.voraventures.com


WASHINGTON, May 20, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said today that the Saudi.-U.S. partnership is stronger than ever and built on shared security interests, close economic cooperation and mutual trust. They made the remarks during a press conference in Riyadh to brief reporters on the first day of President Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia.

Minister Al-Jubeir described the day as a truly historic one for U.S.-Saudi relations, further deepening the ties between the two longstanding allies. Minister Al-Jubeir discussed the Joint Strategic Vision Declaration signed by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and President Donald Trump.

He said he strategic vision will address ways to cooperate on "violent extremism, financing of terrorism, increasing defense capabilities, working on a defense architecture for the region  trade and investment, education, and working in all fields in order to enhance our common interests and deal with the challenges that face both of our countries."

Minister Al-Jubeir also said that the visit is a turning point for the Islamic world's relationship with the U.S. and will advance international cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

"If we can change the conversation in the Islamic world from enmity towards the U.S. to partnership with the U.S. and if we can change the conversation in the U.S. and in the West from enmity towards the Islamic world to one of partnership, we would have truly changed our world and we would have truly drowned the voices of extremism and we will have drained the swamp from which extremism and terrorism emanates," said Minister Al-Jubeir.

The two leaders outlined a renewed commitment to defense cooperation. Earlier today, the two countries signed a defense agreement worth more than $100 billion that will upgrade Saudi Arabia's military capabilities, allowing it to better protect its borders and aid in the global fight against terrorism. Secretary Tillerson praised the deal's economic impact, stating that it would generate "hundreds of thousands" of American jobs.

Minister Al-Jubeir criticized Iran for conducting destabilizing actions throughout the region, including in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. The foreign minister said the world should judge Iran by its actions, not words.

"If Iran wants to be a normal country and wants others to treat it like a normal country, it has to act in accord with international law and the values and the mores of the international system that have existed for centuries," said Minister Al-Jubeir.

Minister Al-Jubeir expressed an outlook for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Yemen and called on the Houthi militias to end all separatist activities.

"Now we have a radical militia [Houthis], allied with Iran and Hezbollah in possession of ballistic missiles and an air force, that has taken over a friendly government. [The] friendly government asked for support, we intervened," explained Minister Al-Jubeir. "The Houthis are less than 50,000 in a country of 28 million. It is unacceptable that they would be allowed to seize power and get away with it."

SOURCE Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Information Office
It asked all staffers to ensure a culture of openness to facilitate greater interaction with kids. It also urged staffers to be inclusive and involve kids without exclusion on the basis of gender, disability, ethnicity or religion.

By Mail Today Bureau: Workers at government homes for juveniles have been asked not to kiss, hug or fondle kids, use abusive language or beat them.

"Do not sleep alone with any child or use corporal punishment or tolerate corporal punishment by other staff members," a code of conduct issued by the WCD ministry for staff and office bearers of child care institutions said.

advertisement

The manual, "Living conditions in Institutions for Children in conflict with Law", was issued by the ministry after the Supreme Court in February asked it to develop a list of dos and don'ts for juveniles in government care.

It asked all staffers to ensure a culture of openness to facilitate greater interaction with kids. It also urged staffers to be inclusive and involve kids without exclusion on the basis of gender, disability, ethnicity or religion.

It warned them against the potential for peer abuse and urged them to develop special measures to protect younger and especially vulnerable children from peer and adult abuse.

Also read: Fail our children to teach english, request parents in Haryana

Also read: Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi takes over Zakir Naik's Islamic International School

--- ENDS ---
A total of 18 journalists from 11 Asian media outlets were invited to participate in the three-day program. The program allowed the journalists to experience the newly renovated overpass and various tourist attractions in the capital city from May 16th to 19th in the categories of sightseeing, culture, and Hallyu or the Korean Wave.

Seoullo 7017, which was introduced to Asian media outlets, is a symbol of the city's people-centered urban renovation. Seoullo 7017 was transformed from an aging highway built for cars into a rest area and tourist attraction for pedestrians. The landmark overpass was built in 1970 and had been regarded as a symbol of Korea's industrialization.

Seoullo 7017's name is meaningful and has many layers. Seoullo means Seoul's road, and the "70" in the name refers to the year 1970 when highway was first constructed. "17" is a reference to the year 2017, when its transformation into an elevated public park was completed. The renovation project began in December 2015 and was completed in 2017. The grand opening is scheduled for May 20th, 2017.

Seoullo 7017 is comprised of a total of 17 pedestrian walkways. The walkways consist of a main passage with side passages that connect to Toegye-ro toward Namdaemun Market, Namsan and Myeong-dong in the east of the city, and to Seoul Station Seobu and Malli-dong Square in the west. It will also feature convenient facilities, such as coffee shops, restaurants and tourist information centers. There will be plants comprised of 228 species of trees and flowers.

Seoullo 7017, Korea's first high overpass stretching for 1,024 meters, is a symbol of SMG's commitment to sustainable urban renovation. SMG's is committed to creating a pedestrian-friendly city, and to making the areas surrounding Seoul Station an international hub for tourism and culture.

Mayor Park Won-soon personally introduced Seoullo 7017 to the invited journalists during a meeting at Seoul Bibimbap, a newly built restaurant on Seoullo 7017. SMG has appointed several Seoul City Chef associate. Two of Seoul City Chef associate are Chef Kim Sohyi, the owner of Kim Kocht, a Korean fusion restaurant in Austria, and Korea's first Michelin-star chef, Kim Hooni, the owner of the Korean restaurant Danji in New York. Seoul City Chef associate will collaborate in Seoul's gourmet tour project by advising on recipes served at Seoul Bibimbap.

SMG also presented the Bukchon Goblin Course, a new walking tour course in Bukchon Hanok Village. The course visits locations featured in the internationally popular Korean drama "Goblin."

During the presentation, journalists saw locations out of the drama, such as a beautiful stonewall path between Duksung Girls' High School and Pungmun Girls' High School. That location is where the drama's stars, Gong Yoo and Kim Go Eun, first meet in the show. Other important locations from the show, such as a bench located at the House of Yun Po-seon, and other tourist spots in Bukchon Hanok Village are also part of the course. The area is one of Korea's best traditional neighborhoods.

Jenny House was also a part of the presentation. Jenny House is Seoul's leading beauty salon brand and Jenny House is the main salon of many famous Korean actors, actresses, and K-pop stars. All participants in the program were given an opportunity to learn about the latest trends in hair and makeup styling during the Hallyu Star Beauty Styling Class.

In addition to the Styling Class, SMG currently offers a variety of activity programs where participants can learn to cook Korean food, learn K-pop dance moves, and join a broadcasting theme park tour. Please visit http://hallyu.visitseoul.net for more information and to sign up.

Galleria Duty Free 63 was also introduced during the presentation. It is a large, new duty free Store located at 63 Square in Yeouido. 63 Square is one of Seoul's landmark buildings; it offers views of the Han River and is easily accessible by car or public transportation.

Kim Myoung-joo, Director of the SMG Tourism Business Division, said: "It is an honor to introduce Seoullo 7017 and other new tourist attractions in Seoul to Asian media outlet for the first time through this press tour program. We will be fully prepared to make sure that all foreign tourists who visit Seoul during the summer will enjoy the new charms of Seoul."

For more information contact:

Tackgyu Woo

+82-2-3788-0895

[email protected]

SOURCE Seoul Tourism Organization
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
New Delhi, May 15 : Trying to instil confidence among people, Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday said the ongoing cyber attack by ransomware virus 'WannaCrypt' had nearly zero impact in India.

"We are strengthening our cyber security. After talking to Microsoft, we had asked people to install patch system in March. This ongoing attack not only had minimum, but nearly zero per cent impact, in India. We are strengthening our areas," the minister told India TV in Hindi at its conclave "Samvaad".

On March 14 this year, Microsoft released a security update which addressed the vulnerability in the 16-year-old Windows XP operating system that the hackers behind the massive ransomware attack exploited and created havoc in 150 countries.

After infecting over two lakh computers in several countries, the global virus attack continued for the third day on Monday, with more reports of hacking pouring in from India, China and Japan as offices re-opened after a tumultuous weekend. The ransomware locks up the computer with the group which carried out the attack asking for $300 payment in bitcoins to send an unlock key.

The virus attacks the system after a person, whose computer has not been protected, opens up an unsuspecting mail, often from people known to him or her.

In Kerala, computers of two village panchayats were hit, with messages demanding $300 in virtual currency to unlock the files.

Officials who opened the computer at the Thariyode panchayat office in the hilly district of Wayanad found that four of their computers had been hacked.

Likewise, another village panchayat at Aruvapulam near Konni in Pathanamthitta district got a similar virus message when their computer was switched on. IT experts were working on these systems.

In West Bengal's West Midnapore district, at least eight computers of the state-run electricity distributor were affected. Experts were ascertaining whether it was the same malware virus behind the world's biggest ransomware attack.

The government on Sunday said it has activated a "preparedness and response mechanism" to prevent any major cyber damage from the ransomware.

According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), it has activated a "preparedness and response mechanism" by instructing CERT-IN (Computer Emergency Response Team) to gather "all the information of the reported ransomware".

"MeitY has initiated contact with relevant stakeholders in public and private sector to 'patch' their systems as prescribed in the advisory issued by CERT-IN. MeitY has also requested Microsoft India to inform all their partners and customers to apply relevant patches," the ministry said in a statement.

On May 13, CERT-IN had issued an advisory for both reactive and preventive actions to deal with the ransomware.
Mexico City, May 16 : A Mexican journalist known for his coverage of the country's drug war was killed in the city of Culiacan, security officials said.

Javier Valdez, 50, was killed on Monday while walking near the offices of Riodoce, a newsweekly he co-founded, the officials told Efe news.

The shots were fired from a passing vehicle.

Recognised as an expert on the impact of the drug trade on Mexican society, Valdez was honoured in 2011 by the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists with the International Press Freedom Award.

Investigators will look into the possibility that Valdez's killing was connected to his work as a reporter, state Attorney General Juan Jose Rios Estavillo told the media.

The office of the federal Special Prosecutor for Offenses against Press Freedom will send a team to take part in the investigation, he said.

Authorities are also concerned to "safeguard" Valdez's family and other members of the Riodoce staff, the attorney general said, appealing to members of the journalists guild to come forward with any information that could aid the probe.

Valdez was the Sinaloa correspondent for national daily La Jornada and the author of several books.

Last weekend, seven journalists were briefly detained and threatened by a large group of armed men in the state of Guerrero.

Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists to work in.

A total of 126 journalists have been killed in Mexico since 2000.

Eleven journalists were murdered and 426 attacks on the media were registered in Mexico in 2016, the press rights group Article 19 said.
Islamabad, May 16 : The spokesperson of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Tuesday dismissed earlier reports that the airlines' crew members were detained at London's Heathrow Airport over security threats.

The spokesperson said the crew members, including the pilot who the British authorities claimed to have detained at the airport, had finished their duty hours after flying from Islamabad to London and stayed back in the country, Geo News reported.

They were never scheduled to fly on flight PK-785 from London to Lahore in the first place, the spokesperson said.

The airline official informed that the flight landed in Lahore earlier on Tuesday with a new crew and the original crew had stayed back in London as per schedule.

He added that the passports of the crew members had been returned to them.

The PIA management in London was trying to find out the reasons for the search of the plane and reports of detention, the official added.

According to earlier reports, 14 crew members, including the pilot of the PIA flight were detained at Heathrow Airport on Monday over security concerns and were later released after a "thorough search" of the aircraft for over two hours.

A report in Dawn newspaper quoted PIA spokesperson Mashhood Tajwar as saying that the flight from Islamabad to London arrived at Heathrow Airport at 2.50 p.m. on Monday. Upon landing, as passengers disembarked, the flight crew and aircraft were searched by the authorities.

"Fourteen crew members were released after being detained for nearly two hours by the British authorities," he had said.

According to the British Police, the crew was taken in custody over security concerns but were released later as nothing was found during the search operation.

PIA said it plans to take up the case with the British aviation authorities.
Bhubaneswar, May 19 : Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandopadhyay was granted conditional bail on Friday by the Orissa High Court after he spent four and a half months in custody in connection to the Rose Vally chit fund scam.

The bench of Justice J.P. Das granted bail to Bandopadhyay on health grounds but on condition that he surrenders his passport and deposits a bond of Rs 25 lakh.

The court had reserved the order on his bail plea after hearing arguments of both the prosecution and defence on May 8.

Bandopadhyay's counsel had pleaded in court that the MP was not involved in the scam and should be granted bail as he is seriously ill.

However, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which had arrested the TMC leader from Kolkata on January 3, vehemently opposed the bail plea.

Bandyopadhyay had moved the High Court in February, seeking bail after his applications were rejected by the designated CBI Court in Bhubaneswar and the Khurda district sessions court.

Bandyopadhyay, a four-time Lok Sabha member and Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare in former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's cabinet between 2011 and 2012, was under arrest since January 3, when he was taken into custody by the CBI for his alleged links with the Rose Valley scam.

The CBI has also arrested another TMC MP, Tapas Pal, for his alleged involvement in the scam.

The agency has already filed a chargesheet in a special court here against the two TMC leaders.

In the chargesheet, the CBI indicted Bandopadhyay, Pal and a Rose Valley subsidiary under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 409 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) of the IPC, Sections 4 and 6 of the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act, and Section 13(1)(d) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, (abusing position as a public servant).

The agency had accused Rose Valley chairman Gautam Kundu and others of defrauding investors from across the country of more than Rs 17,000 crore.
Narobi, May 20 : The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Friday appealed for $92 million to alleviate the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Somalia.

Almost 6 million people are in urgent need of food in the Horn of African nation, Xinhua quoted ICRC Dominik Stillhart, Global Director of Operations, as saying.

"We are appealing to the international community to extend assistance in order to avoid deaths from lack of food," Stillhart said after visiting Somalia to access the humanitarian situation.

Stillhart noted that the main driver of food insecurity is the ongoing protracted conflict as well as the systematic lack of respect of international law and especially in conflict affected areas.

The humanitarian agency said that the real crisis is in the rural areas which have experienced two consecutive seasons of drought.

ICRC said that due to the prevailing conflict in Somalia there are 150,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the town of Baidoa, which is double the amount last year.

According to humanitarian agencies, up to 250,000 Somalis died due to the 2011 drought.

"However, there is hope, the drought will end soon given the early signs from the current rainfall season," he added.

He observed that even if the rains are good, there will be no immediate change as the resilience of the people needs to be built to overcome future shocks.

Since January, ICRC has reached 1 million beneficiaries in Somalia. ICRC is also appealing for 450 million from international donors to combat drought situation in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria.
Narobi, May 20 : At least 19 organisations in Kenya have been affected by the ransomware virus in an ongoing global hacking attack.

Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) on Friday issued the update, noting the "WannaCryptor" virus has infected networks and computers the East African nation.

The number is an increase from the previous five reported on May 13 by the authority in an attack that has affected over half a million users globally as anxiety mounts amid today's deadline issued by the hackers, Xinhua reported.

"The authority will continue working with stakeholders to mitigate the effects of such instances while encouraging parties to put in place preventive mechanisms," said the authority's director-general Francis Wangusi.

Information and Communication Technology Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru had named Kenyan banks as among institutions targeted in the large-scale attack against computers worldwide that began last week.

He noted the software encrypts systems and denies the owner access to them, while the perpetrators demand payment using Bitcoin to allow access.

"Individuals and organisations are discouraged from paying the ransom, as this does not guarantee access will be restored," said Wangusi.

The authority formed the National Kenya Computer Incident Response Team (National KE-CIRT) to help in the coordination of fighting the virus.

CA said National KE-CIRT is working with other government agencies, banks, telecoms, academia and information technology experts to enhance security of Kenya's cyber infrastructure.

Almost 80 percent of Kenya's servers are based on Windows, another 16 percent on unix or the Linux variant, making the country vulnerable.

Industry experts noted that more companies are likely to be targeted before the end of the hacker's deadline, but added tracking the firms may present a challenge as many businesses are likely to shy away from publicising the attacks.

Tens of thousands of computer users around the world are anxious as the deadline to pay ransom issued by hackers is set to end today.

"WannaCry" has exposed the widespread susceptibility of computers across the globe, with Kenyan experts asking firms to backup data in flash drives and cloud.
Mexico City, May 20 : The director of a television station in the western Mexican state of Michoacan was abducted, his family has said.

Salvador Adame Pardo, a veteran journalist, runs Channel 6TV in the city of Nueva Italia.

A group of armed men grabbed Adame on Thursday grabbed Pardo outside a water-treatment plant he owns, Efe reported.

The AG Office has started an investigation, "but we have to be very cautious in making public that intervention by authorities," the source said.

Witnesses informed the family that Adame was driven away in a black SUV headed in the direction of the nearby village of Nuevo Corondiro.

Nueva Italia lies in a region plagued by strife among a number of rival drug cartels, including La Nueva Familia Michoacana, Los Viagras, Jalisco Nueva Generacion Cartel, and Los Caballeros Templarios.

Adame decided several years ago that Channel 6TV would no longer cover gangland violence, seeking to avoid reprisals by the criminals.

In April 2016, Adame and his wife, fellow journalist Frida Urtiz Martinez, were detained and beaten by Michoacan state police after they filmed the cops violently evicting a group of women protesters from Nueva Italia city hall.

Earlier this year, Adame said he was a nephew-in-law of Nueva Italia's former mayor, Casimiro Quezada Casillas, who has been missing since last October.

Six journalists have been slain in Michoacan over the past 11 years, and an equal number have disappeared.

On Tuesday, members of the media took to the streets in cities across Mexico to protest the killings of a prominent journalist and an employee of a weekly newspaper.

A group of journalists gathered at Mexico City's iconic Angel of Independence monument to protest the murders on Monday of reporter Javier Valdez and media company employee Jonathan Rodriguez.

The 50-year-old Valdez, known for his coverage of Mexico's drug war, was gunned down in the northwestern city of Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state, while walking near the offices of Riodoce, a newsweekly he helped found.

A few hours later, Rodriguez, who worked for a newsweekly in the western state of Jalisco, was shot dead in an attack that wounded his mother, the publication's deputy editor.

Photojournalist Gabriela Esquivel, one of the organisers of the protest in Mexico City, criticised "the impunity" that surrounds the killings of journalists in Mexico, where seven members of the media have been murdered this year.

"It doesn't matter that they keep killing us and killing us. This can go on and the federal government isn't interested," Esquivel said.
Walkers, health enthusiasts, sportspersons and others gathered at the historic Parade Ground in the Telangana state capital, and formed a human chain in protest of the state government's decision to build a new Secretariat on the premises.

By Ashish Pandey: A spontaneous protest has erupted after K Chandrashekhar Rao's Telangana Rastra Samiti government controversially decided to build a new Secretariat at the historic Parade Ground. On Saturday, as many as 1,000 walkers, health enthusiasts, sportspersons and others gathered at the ground and formed a human chain in protest.

The Telangana chief minister is avoiding the current Secretariat due to its 'vastu dosha.'

advertisement

Rao requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and then former Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar, to hand over the Bison Polo ground - part of the Parade ground - to the his government for the construction of a new state-of-the-art Secretariat complex. Telangana is expected to get the Centre's nod.

The Telangana government has promised to provide the Defence Ministry with 150 acres of land on the city's outskirts, in lieu of Bison Polo ground.

'GOVERNMENT HAS NO KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HISTORICAL RELEVANCE'

Speaking to India Today, social activist and politician Krishank said, "This government has no knowledge about the historical relevance. On one hand, they are planning to demolish the Nizam era structures at (the) current secretariat, while on the other hand they are planning to occupy the land which had significance during the British era."

"While the entire Hyderabad province, which was under Nizam rule, merged into Indian Union after 'operation Polo' on September 17, 1948, Secunderbad Cantonment celebrated independence on 15 August 1947 at this very parade ground," he said.

The Parade Ground is the only place that hosts the Independence Day parade and the Republic Day parade in the state capital (in addition to the Telangana Formation day celebration), and now the decision of the state government has irked the city's civil society, as thousands use the open space every day for their morning walk and other exercises

ALSO READ | Watch: Scary CCTV footage shows woman being kidnapped in Hyderabad as by-standers look on

ALSO READ | Hyderabad: Woman burnt alive after high tension wire falls on car on highway

ALSO WATCH | Telangana CM's donation to Tirupati temple made on behalf of state government

--- ENDS ---
New York, May 20 : A US Navy veteran who steered his car into pedestrians in New York's Times Square has been charged with murder and held without bail, police said.

The order was given to Richard Rojas, 26, at the Manhattan Criminal Court on Friday by Judge Tamiko Amaker, Xinhua news agency reported.

Rojas was arrested at the scene on Thursday which resulted in the death of an 18-year-old tourist Alyssa Elsman, and left 22 others injured.

The New York Police Department charged him late Thursday with one count of second-degree murder, 20 counts of attempted murder, and five counts of aggravated vehicular homicide.

Rojas, who stood handcuffed and did not speak during Friday's court hearing, told the police: "I wanted to kill them" and said he was high on synthetic marijuana when he was arrested.

Rojas reportedly emerged from his vehicle after the wreck, running, yelling and jumping before being subdued by police and bystanders.

Officials said Rojas had served in the Navy but was discharged in 2014 following disciplinary problems.

He was arrested for driving while intoxicated in 2008 and again in 2015. He was also detained earlier this month for menacing.

However, Rojas' motivation remains unclear.
Brasilia, May 20 : A Brazilian business mogul has confessed to paying huge bribes to President Michel Temer since 2010, according to new court documents.

Joesley Batista, owner of Brazil-based global meatpacking giant JBS, confessed to prosecutors as part of a plea-bargain testimony related to the scandal surrounding JBS, which is being probed for alleged bribes paid to meat inspectors and irregular loans from state development bank BNDES to its holding company, J&F Investimentos, Efe news reported.

The documents released by the Supreme Court on Friday further ratchet up pressure on Temer, who was rocked earlier this week by allegations he encouraged the payment of money to a former top lawmaker convicted earlier this year of graft.

Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin, who is overseeing cases related to the investigation of a $2 billion bribes-for-inflated-contracts scheme centred on state oil company Petrobras, on Thursday approved an investigation into Temer based on the totality of Batista's confession.

The most explosive evidence are audio tapes, which Batista secretly recorded during a meeting with the President in Brasilia in March.

On the tapes, the President can be heard apparently recommending that the JBS chairman maintain the flow of money to the former speaker of Brazil's lower house, the imprisoned Eduardo Cunha, to buy his silence.

Cunha was convicted in March of offences that included receiving bribes in connection with a contract Petrobras signed in the African nation of Benin.

On the tapes, released to the media, Batista says that he is looking to have his company receive favours from government ministries, that he is in contact with prosecutors who are informing him about investigations and that he is bribing Cunha to keep him from entering into a plea-bargain arrangement.

The tapes have led to calls for Temer's resignation.

In one document, Batista said that between 2010 and 2011 he made monthly payments of 100,000 reais ($29,500) in exchange for "favours" from the Agriculture Ministry.

Temer, has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and said he can guarantee the tapes provide no proof of guilt.
Jaipur, May 20 : A suspected agent of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was detained in a joint operation by Rajasthan Police Intelligence Wing and the army intelligence unit in Rajasthan, an official said on Saturday.

Haji Khan was detained from his house in Kunjari village of Jaisalmer following intelligence inputs.

A Rajasthan Police official said Khan, accused of sending confidential information to the ISI, has been sent to Jodhpur for further interrogation.

Investigators said they have recovered incriminating documents from his possession.

"Khan was detained few months back but released due to lack of evidence," the official said, adding: "He used to visit Pakistan at regular intervals as his maternal house is there."

Kunjari is situated at the Air Force's Chandan field firing range, part of Pokhran field firing range, and agencies believe that detained spies shared vital information regarding exercise of the Army and Air Force to the ISI.
Chennai, May 20 : Actor Jr. NTR, who turned 34 on Saturday, welcomed his birthday with his wife Lakshmi Pranathi and son Abhay.

"He rang in his birthday with his wife and son. He will spend the whole day with them. They might host a party in the evening for close friends and family," a source close to the star told IANS.

On Friday night, just minutes before he turned 34, Jr. NTR shared adorable photographs with his wife and son.

Within minutes, the images went viral on social media.

To coincide with his birthday, the makers of the actor's next outing, "Jai Lava Kusaa, released two new posters.

In the K.S Ravindra-directed film, Jr. NTR plays trip role and one of the characters, Jai, was unveiled on Friday.
Islamabad, May 20 : Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will attend the first ever Arab-Islamic-American Summit being held in Riyadh on Sunday, a media report said on Saturday.

The "Arab Nato" summit -- being held to develop a security partnership against a growing threat of violent extremism -- will also be attended by US President Donald Trump.

"Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz invited Sharif for the summit. The invitation was delivered by Saudi Information Minister Awwad bin Saleh al Awwad, who visited Islamabad last week," Dawn online quoted a Saudi Arabia government statement as saying.

Trump and leaders of the world's Islamic nations will meet to "address ways of building more robust and effective security partnerships to counter and prevent the growing threat of terrorism and violent extremism around the globe through promoting tolerance and moderation", the statement said.

Sharif has reaffirmed Pakistan's "alliance with the Kingdom by recalling the commonality of views of two countries on most regional and international issues and their collaboration" for achieving common interests and objectives.

It was "unlikely" that Sharif would get a one-on-one meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the summit, the report said.
New Delhi, May 20 : The father of a prominent Maldivian blogger murdered last month wants India's help to ensure justice for his son.

"I want India to press the (Maldives) government to make my son's murder case investigation go for a fair trial," Hussain Rasheed, father of Yameen Rasheed who ran a popular blog called The Daily Panic that poked fun at politicians of his country, told IANS during a visit here.

Yameen, who was known for his fight for democracy and human rights, was found dead in his apartment in Male with multiple stab wounds on April 23.

This was the latest in a series of attacks on media persons and politicians critical of the government of President Abdulla Yameen ever since then President Mohamed Nasheed controversially resigned in February 2012 following a mutiny by a large number of army and police personnel.

Yameen was also very vocal about the disappearance of fellow blogger and best friend Ahmed Rilwan since August 2014 and was getting threats. He approached the police in December last year but had to really push to get his concerns registered.

He is the third media person to be attacked in the last five years. In 2012 another blogger, Ismail Rasheed, narrowly escaped death after a knife attack.

Also, in October 2012, reformist religious scholar and Member of Parliament Afrasheem Ali was killed.

Painting a grim picture of the prevailing situation in the Indian Ocean archipelago nation which is faced with growing Islamic radicalisation, the senior Rasheed said that the current government of Abdulla Yameen did not enjoy much public support.

"I think if you hold a fair election, the government of Maldives will not get even five per cent of the votes," he said.

According to him, this was evident from the recent local council elections in which representatives of the ruling dispensation fared poorly.

Noting that India was the Maldives' closest friend and neighbour and the biggest democracy in the world, he said that an unstable government in his country would not be good for India's neighbourhood.

"We want India to help us to bring the government back on the path of democracy," Rasheed said.

On Friday, at a discussion on "Threats to Free Speech and Press Freedom: Murder of Prominent Blogger in the Maldives" organised by the Observer Research Foundation think tank, Rasheed gave an account of the events surrounding his son's murder.

He said that after being informed by the police about it at his parental home in one of the southernmost islands of the Maldives early April 23 morning, he rushed to Male but the hospital authorities there did not allow him to see his son's body as he could not have tolerated it.

When the body was finally handed over after being cleaned, Rasheed found that his son sustained 34 cuts on his body, including 14 on the chest, one on the throat and three on the forehead.

Rasheed said that his son had been getting death threats since 2011 but he was not told about it because of his heart condition.

After studying till class 12 in Kerala, Yameen Rasheed graduated in computer science from an institute in Bengaluru and was working at the Maldives Stock Exchange till the time of his death.

Speaking on the occasion, Shauna Aminath, a prominent Maldivian human rights activist, said that since 2012, there has been a severe decline in the democratic environment in her country.

"I fear the situation will soon become irreversible. We are witnessing new elements coming into play, especially Islamic radicalisation," she said, adding that President Yameen was increasingly becoming authoritarian.

"It is an ideology that is killing liberal values and democracy."

Aminath said that most opposition political leaders were in jail and there was no press freedom with two newspapers and a TV channel being shut down under the current regime.

She said over 200 young Maldivians have left to fight in Syria.

"We are in India's backyard. I hope India will not remain silent," Aminath said.

(Aroonim Bhuyan can be contacted at aroonim.b@ians.in)
London, May 20 : Is your son overweight? Beware, he may be at an increased greater risk of developing colon (bowel) cancer in adulthood as compared to his slimmer friends, researchers have warned.

A cancer of the colon or rectum, located at the digestive tract's lower end is the third most common cancer in the world.

The results showed that boys who were overweight (BMI greater than 17.88 kg/m2) at age 7 years but normal weight (BMI under 25.0 kg/m2) as young men had similar risk of adult colon cancer as those who maintained a stable, healthy weight throughout.

In contrast, overweight boys who remained overweight as young men had twice the colon cancer risk.

"Overweight boys that lose weight and achieve a normal-weight status by young adulthood do not carry an increased risk of adult colon cancer compared with boys who remain normal-weight as young men," said Britt Wang Jensen from Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, in Denmark .

"However, overweight boys who remain overweight as young men have an increased risk of adult colon cancer. These results highlight the importance of weight management in childhood," Jensen added.

The study was presented at European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Portugal.

For the study, the team analysed the health records of over 61,000 Danish school boys born between 1939 and 1959, to examine how changes in BMI in childhood and young adulthood are associated with colon cancer risk in adulthood.

These young men were then followed from the age of 40 years to identify cases of colon cancer.

"Our next steps are to expand our focus and examine other forms of cancer along with other non-communicable diseases to study how a man's weight development across his life, even from birth, is associated with his risk of disease," Jensen noted.
Agartala, May 20 : The Congress has served a show-cause notice on senior legislator Ratanlal Nath for "anti-party activities and meeting BJP leaders, including party President Amit Shah", sources said here on Saturday.

"We have served show-cause notice to Ratanlal Nath on Friday night and asked him to respond within three days," Tripura state Congress President Birajit Sinha told IANS.

He said: "The show-cause notice was given to Nath for anti-party activities and meeting state Bharatiya Janata Party President Biplab Kumar Deb and all India BJP President Amit Shah in Agartala separately."

"Nath during a debate on demonetisation in the state assembly talked in faour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has also not attended any party (Congress) programme during the past two years," said Sinha, a sitting Congress MLA and former minister.

Nath, when contacted, told IANS: "I have received the show-cause notice of the state Congress President. I would not make any comment on this issue at the moment."

The 71-year-old Nath, who was elected to the state assembly five times since 1993, was also the opposition leader for many years.

In the last assembly elections in 2013, Congress won 10 seats in the 60-member state assembly.

The six Congress MLAs, led by Sudip Roy Barman, resigned from the party last year and have joined the Trinamool Congress in protest against the Congress' electoral alliance with the Left parties in the West Bengal assembly elections.

Another Congress legislator, Jitendra Sarkar, resigned from the Tripura assembly and rejoined the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) reducing the Congress' strength in the state assembly to three.

With these political developments, the Congress strength in the Tripura assembly has gone down from 10 to three - the lowest ever - in the house.

The ruling CPI-M-led Left Front has 51 lawmakers after it won a by-poll last year. The CPI-M alone has 50.
Baghdad, May 20 : At least 18 persons were killed and 20 wounded in two suicide car bombings that targeted the Iraqi police in Baghdad, an official said on Saturday.

The attacks occurred on Friday night when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a police checkpoint and detonated it in the Shia neighbourhood of Abu Dsheer, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, another suicide bomber blew up his car packed with explosives at the entrance of a police station at the vicinity of the first blast, causing heavy damage to the building.

An Interior Ministry official said the toll was expected to further rise as many of the injured were in critical condition.

The attacks followed another assault near the country's oil hub city of Basra, which hit security checkpoints on a road leading to the oilfield of Rumaila, leaving 13 people dead and 30 injured.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attacks but the Islamic State group in most cases is responsible for such assaults targeting the security forces and crowded areas across Iraq.

The attacks came as Iraqi forces backed by anti-IS international coalition are carrying out a major offensive to drive out the IS from their major stronghold in Mosul.
Washington, May 20 : Donald Trump was fretting and fuming, but he did not fire as is his wont, at first. It was some 14 hours later that the POTUS found his tweet.

"It's the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history," he thundered denouncing the appointment of a special counsel to probe alleged Russian interference in the November election that made him President.

Only a week ago, Rod Rosenstein, his hand-picked second-in-command at the Justice Department, had recommended that he fire FBI director James Comey for "usurping" his superior's authority in probing Hillary Clinton's email scandal.

And now that very man had named Robert Mueller, who had served as FBI director for 12 years under both George Bush and Barack Obama, without telling him or attorney general Jeff Sessions first.

"I respect the move," a blindsided Trump told reporters, again calling it "a witch hunt" and insisting "there is no collusion" between him "and the Russians -- zero." But then "I can only speak for myself".

Rosenstein told lawmakers that he knew that the President was going to fire Comey any way -- with that "Russia thing" on his mind, as Trump himself acknowledged later -- when he was asked to write a memo a day earlier.

But it was no hatchet job, the prosecutor insisted. Trump had "sought my advice and input" and he had on his own concluded that "notwithstanding my personal affection" for Comey, "it was appropriate to seek a new leader".

"I wrote it, I believe it. I stand by it," maintained the career prosecutor affirming that "there never has been, and never will be, any political interference in any matter under my supervision".

Rosenstein also shot down a media report that Comey had sought additional resources for the Russia probe before he was fired.

Democrats, who had their "shaken" faith in Rosenstein restored somewhat after the appointment of Mueller, now felt cheated with one lawmaker calling his briefing "useless" and another ruing the "loss of an hour" of his precious life.

Meanwhile, stories citing Comey's friends started surfacing about a memo he had written after a "troubling" February 14 meeting with POTUS.

Days earlier Comey himself had affirmed that there wasn't any political interference in his work. Yet his memo claimed Trump had asked him to ease his probe of sacked National Security Advisor Michael Flynn saying, "I hope you can let this go. He is a good guy."

The "failing" New York Times, as Trump loves to call his home town daily, also suggested that Comey was "unsettled" by his contacts with Trump.

So much so that he wanted to blend in with the curtains in the White House Blue Room during an event. He was "disgusted" by a "hug" from the President there and considered White House people "not honourable", claimed the friend.

But Trump denied that he had ever asked Comey to drop the Flynn probe with a flat "No, no" before ordering reporters to move on to the "next question".

The media also went to town with a story that Trump had spilled highly secret intelligence to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in the Oval Office a day after firing Comey.

Even as they acknowledged that they had seen no evidence of Trump-Russia "collusion", Comey's firing and his alleged spilling of secrets sent his critics salivating with several Democrats using the "I" word -- Impeachment.

But it made no dents in Trump country with his passionate supporters caring two hoots about the revelations.

However, the "fake media" was not done yet. As Trump embarked on his first foreign trip, the Times fired another shot.

Trump, it claimed, had told the visiting Russians in the Oval Office that firing a "crazy" and "a real nut job" Comey had eased "great pressure" over the Russia probe.

His mouthpiece Sean Spicer did not dispute the story, but suggested Comey's "grandstanding and politicising" Russian probe had "created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia".

As the plot thickened, Robin Wright, who plays the plotting wife of the President in the popular political TV drama "House of Cards", complained that "Trump has stolen all of our ideas".

But it looked more like self-flagellating pundits and politicians were playing a dangerous game of Russian roulette with America!

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)
A sanyasi in Thiruvananthapuram got his penis chopped off by a girl for trying to rape her. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan called her actions "a courageous step".

By Jeemon Jacob: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has praised the 22-year-old girl who chopped off her serial rapist's penis in Thiruvananthapuram.

"It was a courageous step, no doubt about it," an ANI report quoted said Vijayan.

It was a courageous step, no doubt about it:Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan on girl who chopped off genitals of inmate from Panmana Ashram pic.twitter.com/67xqy3PDNB- ANI (@ANI_news) May 20, 2017

advertisement

The 22-year-old girl told the police that the sanyasi, an inmate from Panmana Ashram, had been repeatedly raping her for the past seven years.

"My father is paralyzed and bedridden. My mother invited Swami for conducting pooja and offering prayers three years ago. He is a frequent visitor to our home," she said.

"Seven years ago, he started raping me. I was scared to resist him. When he tried to rape me on Friday night, I chopped off his sexual organ," the survivor told the police.

Since the girl was still a minor seven years back, when she claims the sexual assault started, the police registered a criminal case against the sanyasi under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POSCO).Reports have it that the girl's mother was aware of the sexual assault she was being subjected to and kept quiet about it, which is why she has been detained by the police.

The girl's family, upon finding their sanyasi in a bloodied state, rushed him to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, where he was declared to be in a "critical condition".

Police told India Today that they have not registered a case against the girl as she acted in self defense.

Kerala: Girl chopped off genitals of inmate from Panmana Ashram in Kollam, who allegedly molested her for last 6 yrs; Man hospitalized. pic.twitter.com/yT1Gji6TV7- ANI (@ANI_news) May 20, 2017

Watch: Kerala law student chops off genitals of rapist swami

--- ENDS ---
New York, May 20 : An Indian-origin student was found dead here after he went missing earlier this week, police said.

Aalaap Narasipura, 20, was an electrical engineering student at Cornell University and was missing from Wednesday, ABC News reported.

Cornell University Police said Narasipura's body was recovered on Friday from Fall Creek, a gorge located near Ithaca Falls.

The circumstances of Narasipura's death remain under investigation, but police said they don't suspect any foul play.

State and local authorities from multiple agencies searched Narasipura's residence, academic spaces and regular routes of travel as well as adjacent natural areas and gorges around the Ivy League university.

They did not find any evidence of his whereabouts until coming across his body in Fall Creek, police said.

Earlier in the week, police had released a photo and description of Narasipura seeking more information in the case.

Narasipura was set to graduate this December, according to the report.

"He was an active member of the Ultimate Frisbee team, enjoyed taking photos and planned on continuing at Cornell to pursue a Masters of Engineering Degree," said Ryan Lombardi, Vice President for student and campus life at Cornell.

"On behalf of the Cornell University community, I extend our deepest condolences to Aalaap's family and friends as they grieve this tragedy," Lombardi said.

"They are in our thoughts as we all come to grips with the enormity of this loss," he said.
Agartala, May 20 : Over 150 grenades, recovered by the police from beneath the soil in northern Tripura, have been defused by army experts, police said on Saturday.

The 151 grenades, buried at Gaurnagar in northern Tripura, were recovered by the police last week.

"Experts from army's divisional headquarters at Masimpur (near Silchar in southern Assam) came on Friday and defused the grenades," northern Tripura's Unokoti district police chief Ajit Pratap Singh told reporters.

He said students found the grenades while playing near a central school at Gaurnagar. They informed their elders, who immediately alerted the police, who rushed to the area and recovered the grenades after digging up the soil.

Local villagers said that the grenades might have been buried during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 when the sovereign country emerged.

Historian Bikach Chowdhury said Tripura had six to seven camps in four sectors from where the Bangladeshi 'Mukti Joddhas' (freedom fighters) fought Pakistani forces after being trained in Tripura.

"Over 1,600,000 Bangladeshis -- a number larger than the state's then total population of 1,500,000 -- had taken shelter in Tripura alone," he said.

The nine-month-long "Mukti Juddho" (Liberation War) later turned into a full-scale India-Pakistan War, leading to the surrender of nearly 93,000 Pakistani soldiers in Dhaka on December 16, 1971.

Tripura shares 856 km borders with Bangladesh.
Chennai, May 20 : In a faux pas, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu O. Panneerselvam on Saturday said alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party will be decided after local body polls are announced.

Soon after realising his mistake, Panneerselvam again tweeted: "We mean that only after the announcement of local body elections, we will think about the alliance with any political party."

In his earlier tweet that was removed, Panneerselvam said: "We will take a decision on alliance with the BJP once local body elections are announced."

The removed tweet created a short political flutter as it came after Panneerselvam on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and actor Rajnikanth hinted his proposed plunge into politics.
Gangtok, May 20 : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh chaired here on Saturday the first security review meeting with Chief Ministers of five states bordering China.

The Home Minister brought up the issue of connectivity in border areas and stressed the need to overcome these challenges.

Chief Ministers Mehbooba Mufti (Jammu and Kashmir), Virbhadra Singh (Himachal Pradesh), Trivendra Singh Rawat (Uttarakhand), Pawan Kumar Chamling (Sikkim) and Pema Khandu (Arunachal Pradesh) attended the meeting.

A Home Ministry official said the objective of the meeting was to strengthen coordination between the Ministry and the five states to improve overall border security.

The Minister is on a three-day visit to Sikkim from Friday.

Border infrastructure work undertaken by the Home Ministry, border area development programme, and coordination issues between the states and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police came up at the meeting.

The ITBP is responsible for the security of the 3,488 km India-China border in Jammu and Kashmir (1,597 km), Himachal Pradesh (200 km), Uttarakhand (345 km), Sikkim (220 km) and Arunachal Pradesh (1,126 km).

He said the Home Ministry, in the first stage, is building 27 roads near the border which will be completed by 2019-20. "Approval is being given for 48 other roads."

Rajnath Singh also stressed the need to strengthen basic infrastructure in the border areas in view of "thinning population and migration" from the border.

The Minister also advocated development of model villages in border districts and asked the states to send more proposals to the central government in this regard.

"The Centre is focussing on consolidated development of model villages in border districts. Last year, funds were released for 41 such villages," he said.

Rajnath Singh said the states should remove obstacles in border infrastructure development and that the problems pertaining to land acquisition and clearances need to be resolved.

He advised the Chief Ministers to send senior officers every six months to border areas in their respective states to review and implement the developmental work done in the villages.

Earlier in the day, the Home Minister visited Nathula Pass and an ITBP border post at Lachung, where he met troopers deployed on the Sino-Indian border.

He praised the ITBP personnel and asked them to be very vigilant while performing their border duties.
Beijing, May 20 : At least 257 kg drugs were seized and four persons held during raids in China's Shanxi province, police said on Saturday.

Police were informed in March that the suspect surnamed Su could be involved in drug trafficking in Linfen city, Xinhua news agency reported.

In April, about 77 kg drugs were seized during a raid on Su's home. Another 180 kg were held in May in a drug den in Yuncheng city.
Ranchi, May 20 : Hundreds of villagers on Saturday clashed with police in Jharkhand's Jamshedpur region, protesting the killing of several persons in Seraikela-Kharsawa and East Singhbhum districts for being suspected child lifters.

Police had to resort to lathi-charge and even used tear gas in some places.

Rumours of 'bacha chor' or child lifters has claimed several lives in the state over the past fortnight, with maximum number of deaths being reported from Jamshedpur region followed by Bokaro and Dhanbad districts.

In the last two months, irate village mobs have attacked men on the suspicion of being child lifters in which several persons lost their lives while many others sustained serious injuries.

On Thursday, separate incidents in Raj Nagar village of Seraikela-Kharsawa district and Bagbera Police Station area of the East Singhbhum districts claimed the lives of seven persons suspected of being child lifters.

Jharkhand government has already announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of each of the victims.

Last week, three persons were killed on the same charges in Seraikela-Kharsawa district.

In April, Shamsuddin Ansari was badly beaten by villagers in Chandrapur of Bokaro district after he was suspected of being a child lifter. He later died due to his injuries.

Reports from several other districts in the state also claim that incidents related to child lifting was on an increase.

Unfortunately, the police has remained a mere spectator and has refrained to take against the large crowd of the villagers in all these incidents. Upon intervention in many occasions, they have also faced the anger of the villagers as many policemen have sustained injuries and their vehicles have also been set on fire.

Jharkhand police has appealed to the people to not pay heed to any such rumours.

"No child has been lifted in Jharkhand. These are rumours. Stern action will be taken against those found spreading such rumours," said Additional Director General of Police R.K. Mallik.
New Delhi, May 20 : India is participating in a five-day long Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) summit being held in Mexico from Tuesday.

An Indian delegation led by Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju left for the summit on Saturday.

The summit, held at Mexico's Cancun between May 22 and 26, is expected to be attended by over 5,000 delegates comprising heads of state, ministers, CEOs, disaster experts, volunteers, representatives from science and technology sectors and academia.

The GPDRR is a global forum for strategic advice, coordination, partnership development and review of progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) 2015-2030 which was adopted at the 3rd UN World conference on disaster risk reduction held in March 2015 in Sendai, Japan.

The summit will mark the first opportunity since 2015 to review global progress in the implementation of SFDRR, a Home Ministry statement said.

It will also provide a platform for all stakeholders to galvanise their efforts in sustainable development and climate change adaptation, sharing of experiences, discussing innovative solutions, and charting out the course for an integrated approach at the international, regional, national and local levels.

Apart from presenting India's statement on May 24, Rijiju, the UN designated disaster risk reduction champion for Asia region, will co-chair the plenary session on national and local disaster risk reduction strategies to "pave the way for action by all" on May 25.

Rijiju will also participate in leaders forum, besides leading various bilateral meetings, and release the National Disaster Management Authority guidelines on protection of museums.

During various sessions, the Indian delegation will highlight initiatives taken by its government in disaster risk reduction including the outcomes of the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) held at New Delhi in November 2016 and national platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) organised in New Delhi on May 15-16.

Additional Principal Secretary to the PM P.K. Mishra and NDMA member Kamal Kishore will be the speakers for the working sessions "Ensuring Risk-Resilient Critical Infrastructure" and "Sendai Framework Prototype Consultation" on May 24 respectively.

Other members of Indian delegation are Joint Secretary, NDMA, V. Thiruppugazh, Joint Secretary, Home, Sanjeev Jindal and Executive Director of National Institute of Disaster Management Santosh Kumar.
New Delhi, May 20 : The Congress on Saturday expressed "deep concern" over the situation in Jammu and Kashmir as it held the maiden meeting meeting of its policy planning group on the state.

Party leaders "freely and frankly" expressed their views on the situation in the Kashmir Valley at the meeting held at former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence here.

"The leaders expressed deep concern over the situation in the valley," Congress leader Ambika Soni said.

Among those who attended the meeting were Ghulam Nabi Azad, Karan Singh, Rigzin Zora, Tariq Hameed Karra, Shyam Lal Sharma and Ghulam Ahmed Mir, who heads the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir.

She said all the efforts undertaken by the earlier Congress-led UPA government in Jammu and Kashmir over a decade appeared to have been washed away.

"There is a long history of initiatives taken at different levels by the UPA government and Congress leadership," she said.

On April 19, Congress President Sonia Gandhi set up the policy planning group under the chairmanship of Manmohan Singh in the wake of widespread protests in the Kashmir Valley.

The move came after a delegation of Congress and National Conference leaders from the state met party Vice President Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress has been critical of the Modi government and the PDP-BJP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir over the handling of the situation in the state.

Ambika Soni said a decision regarding the next meeting would be taken by Manmohan Singh.
Chandigarh, May 20 : BJP President Amit Shah said on Saturday that his party will win the next general election in the country in 2019 by a much bigger margin than the majority achieved in the 2014 elections.

Addressing media here during a 'Meet-the-Press' programme of the Chandigarh Press Club, he said that the people of the country were overwhelmingly behind the BJP government at the centre led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"We will win 2019 general election with much bigger majority. It will be much bigger than last time (2014)," Shah said, noting that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in three years of being in power in the centre, had provided a corruption-free and development-oriented government.

"The BJP has freed the country from (the shackles) of casteism (jaativaad), dynastic politics (pariwarvaad) and appeasement," said the BJP chief, who arrived here on Saturday to a rousing reception by party leaders and supporters.

Asked about the ongoing turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir, he said that the situation would soon be brought under control.

"Regarding Kashmir, such situations have occurred many times since 1989. We will control the situation," he said, adding that security agencies have started their work against separatist leaders who had a role in adding to the present tense situation in the Valley at the behest of Pakistan and its agencies.

Highlighting the achievements of the BJP in three years in power at the centre, Shah said that the Modi government had taken the country forward on all fronts.

"Even our political opponents unable to level any allegations of corruption against BJP government in three years. This is a big achievement for BJP," he noted.

He said that the BJP had emerged as the biggest political organisation in the world with over 11 crore party members.

Asked about the questions being raised by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders regarding the electronic voting machines (EVMs), Shah said: "I want to ask AAP leaders which EVM they used to get 67 seats out of 70 in Delhi elections."

On the BJP's loss in recent assembly elections in Punjab, he remained guarded.

"You all know that we (BJP) were a minor partner (in the alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal," Shah said, stopping short of blaming the Akali Dal for the loss.

He maintained that the Akali Dal-BJP alliance in Punjab "continues in the present". "The party doing its internal analysis of the election defeat in Punjab," he added.
Imphal, May 20 : Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Saturday said the surrender policy designed for militants was "a total failure".

Speaking at a function here, the Chief Minister said he had discussed the matter with union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

"It is disappointing that there is no proper supervision over the outfits which have joined the national mainstream," he said. "This has rendered the surrender policy meaningless."

According to rules, weapons surrendered by militants should be deposited with the Army and members of the surrendered outfits must stay inside designated camps.

Biren Singh said there was "a system failure since there is no effective control over the former insurgents".

He added: "There is no proper surrender policy. The former insurgents are not given adequate assistance in terms of building houses and more. There is no means of livelihood for these people and their families."

While the Army has signed Suspension of Operations with some militant outfits, the Manipur government had refused to honour them.

And so police and paramilitary forces continued to hunt, kill or arrest the tribal insurgents despite their signing the pacts.

The neglected former insurgents were left to fend for themselves once they were lured overground, one official said.
A 22-year-old Thiruvananthapuram woman on Friday cut off the penis of a sanyasi who allegedly raped her for seven years. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said there was no doubt that it was a courageous step

By Jeemon Jacob: A 22-year-old woman from Thiruvananthapuram on Friday cut off the penis of a sanyasi who allegedly raped her for seven years.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said there was no doubt that it was a courageous step, ANI reported.

When asked if his government would take action against the man, he asked what more action was needed, laughing.

advertisement

The girl's mother knew her daughter was being raped, and has now been detained by police for not reporting the sexual abuse.

CASE REGISTERED AGAINST SANYASI

The sanyasi was hospitalized in Thiruvananthapuram Medical college.

Police have registered a criminal case against the sanyasi under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POSCO).

The girl's family rushed the sanyasi to the medical college, and doctors found him to be in a critical condition.

Police told India Today they haven't registered a case against the victim as she acted in self defense.

(With inputs from Priyamvatha)

ALSO READ | Delhi: 21-year-old maid accuses employer's 11-year-old son of raping her, cops book her instead

ALSO READ | Sweden drops Julian Assange rape probe, UK police says he still faces arrest

ALSO WATCH | 5 ways friends and family can help a sexual assault survivor heal

--- ENDS ---
Srinagar, May 20 : Nayeem Khan, senior separatist leader who confessed to receiving funds from Pakistan to create unrest in the Kashmir Valley in a sting operation by a news channel, on Saturday termed the video as "doctored and fake".

Addressing a media conference in Srinagar, Khan who is the provincial president of Syed Ali Shah Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference said: "The agenda of the Indian media is to defame the Kashmir struggle."

He said the video shown by India Today news channel was run in "bits and pieces and everything has been taken out of context".

"We generate funds at the local level to help victims of the conflict. Yes, Pakistan is a basic party to the Kashmir dispute and it is supporting the freedom struggle in Kashmir," Khan told the media.
New Delhi, May 20 : The BJP on Saturday questioned the Congress over the appointment of a Pakistan-origin lawyer to represent India in the Enron case at the International Court of Arbitration in 2004.

"Representing India's case at the International Court of Arbitration was none other than Khanwar Qureshi, who represented Pakistan in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case at the International Court of Justice (at The Hague)," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader G.V.L. Narsimha Rao told reporters here.

On May 18, the ICJ stayed the execution of alleged Indian spy Jadhav, while dismissing Pakistan's contention that it had no jurisdiction to go into the matter.

Rao said: "... we have seen several instances of the Congress standing up and speaking in support of Pakistan. We have seen that in case of surgical strikes, as they questioned our Army...."

The BJP leader said that after the Congress came to power at the Centre in 2004, one of the early actions the government took was to change the entire legal team representing India in that arbitration case.

"Why did the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government hire a Pakistani lawyer in 2004? Did the Congress not have faith in Indian lawyers?"

The BJP leader said the Enron case was very sensitive and a prestigious one for the country, wondering how India hired Qureshi when the country's image and a large sum of money was involved.

He demanded that the Congress explain why confidence was placed in the Pakistani lawyer and not an Indian one to represent the Indian side at the international tribunal.

Qureshi was hired to represent India after Enron pressed a $6 billion claim against the Indian government in the Dabhol power project case in Maharashtra. The case went into arbitration.
New Delhi, May 20 : His father, Nazir Ahmed, was the personal hair stylist of India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru and the last British Governor General, Lord Mountbatten, which took the family to what is now Rashtrapati Bhavan. One fine day Habib Ahmed opened his academy-cum-salon in Lodhi Hotel and the rest is history.

Hritu Pawar, who has penned Habib's biography "Habib: The man who built an empire" (Vitasta Publishing; 168 pp; Rs 399) says Habib, who is often described as the first man of the Indian hair industry, uplifted the "low profile profession to a high profile fashion".

Almost certain that "Habib" is probably the only book in the world which is a biography of a hairdresser, Pawar believes the story she has penned will play a crucial role in the industry, which is forever growing.

"I thought this story would play a very important and significant role in the industry. The book has covered a lot of aspects. It has covered the history of barbers, the social stigma and how barbers were treated years back in the society," Pawar told IANS.

"The book talks about (Habib) sir's story, ancient history which covers the hairstyles existing from the time of Ajanta, Ellora... the role of barbers then and after and how Habib sir has uplifted the low profile profession to a high profile fashion," she added.

Pawar pointed out that most of younger generation may not realise but earlier barbers were considered to be of low caste and were not given the importance they have today.

"'Habib' explores the role of a barber in the society earlier and the fact that they were considered as a lower caste. Barbers earlier could not cut the hair of a dalit with the same instrument and same is for upper caste in reference to the caste system which existed earlier. However, no matter what caste, barbers had a very important role as that of matchmakers besides uplifting the personality of the person whose hair they cut. The first surgeons were barbers too as they knew how to use a scissor and a knife perhaps," she said.

Talking about how the idea of penning Habib's life journey came about, Pawar says the 76-year-old always wished his story was known to the world.

"I have been associated with Habib sir for quite a long time. During conversations he expressed that he too wants his life story to come out and be known to the world. He often said: 'I have contributed so much to the society. The book should be there...', but he was clueless on how to go about it. That is when I jumped onto the wagon and said that 'I would like to pen it for you and that we could start now and go with the flow and see how it goes'. That is when he agreed and the wheels started moving.

"Then slowly we started moving forward and he told us how he started his own salon because he was working at the Oberoi's before that. He always wanted to have his own salon and start something of his own and how different ideas came up, some people helped him... I thought the story of his life if very interesting and people should know about his journey," she added.

Habib's legacy goes long back with all three generations involved. Asked if she faced any challenges while documenting the episodes of the legendary man's life?

"It was difficult... there was no documentation as such, photographs were lacking. We did research a lot, went digging for some. Then I searched the internet, went to look for the oldest newspapers of the 60's which luckily sir had preserved from his years of the past. We put together few paper cuttings that sir had saved in a file. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru too had once spoken about sir's father, which we scanned and included in the book," Pawar said.

"This book, was a big challenge at certain moments as sir sometimes forgot few points, sometimes repeated the episodes...when I was taking the dictation from him. There was no documentation of the episodes in his life. But in the end I in my heart wanted people to know about the struggle and the rise of Habib the brand and the person behind it," she added.

This being her first book, Pawar an image consultant, has designed communication campaigns for "EK Tha Rusty" (the TV series based on Ruskin Bond Stories) and is a consultant to the Madhya pradesh Ministry of Culture.

She takes care of the ministry's "branding, strategy and coverage" and has taken care of prestigious cultural festivals like Khajuraho Dance Festival, Tansen Music Festival, among others.

(Kishori Sud can be contacted at kishori.s@ians.in)
Tehran, May 20 : Iranian President Hassan Rouhani won a resounding victory in the 12th Presidential polls on Saturday as voters yearning for more freedom at home and less isolation abroad have emphatically backed the moderate cleric.

With a huge turnout, polling stations stayed open until midnight in parts of the country, defying concerns that moderates disillusioned by the weak economy or slow pace of change would not vote.

Iran's interior minister, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, announced live on state television that Rouhani received 23,549,616 votes (57 per cent), compared with his conservative rival Ebrahim Raisi, who won 15,786,449 votes (38.5 per cent).

More than 41.2 million people voted out of 56 million who were eligible to do so. The two other lesser known candidates, Mostafa Aqa-Mirsalim and Mostafa Hashemi-Taba, got 478,215 and 215,450 votes respectively.

No sitting president in Iran has failed to win a second term since 1981.

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the top leader of the country, commended the Iranian people for their "massive and epic" turnout in the country's twin elections.

"The winner of yesterday's elections, is you (the Iranian people), and the Islamic establishment, which has managed to win the increasing trust of this big nation despite the enemies' plot and effort," Khamenei said.

Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri said: "I congratulate the great victory of the Iranian nation in creating a huge and memorable epic in the continuation of the path of 'wisdom and hope'," referring to the government's slogan.

The European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini congratulated Rouhani on his re-election.

Mogherini said: "Iranians took passionately part to political life of their country. I congratulate President Hassan Rouhani for strong mandate received."

Despite the healthy margin of victory, Rouhan, 68, will face considerable hurdles, both at home and abroad, as he needs to demonstrate progress on overhauling the fragile economy. While he accomplished his goal of reaching a nuclear agreement with the US, China, Britain, France, Russia and Germany in his first term, that has not translated into the economic revival he predicted because of lingering unilateral US sanctions.

However, oil sales have rebounded since the deal took effect in January last year.

On the campaign trail, Rouhani had pledged to pursue talks with the US to lift further sanctions, and push for greater freedom inside Iran.

But the outcome of the election could have more immediate repercussions across the Middle East. Iran backs anti-Israel factions such as Lebanon's Hezbollah and has close ties with Syria's regime, which is opposed by the US and its regional allies.

Just as Iran's presidential vote took place, US President Donald Trump headed to Iran's main regional rival, Saudi Arabia, to begin a trip that will include a stop in Israel. Iran is expected to be a major topic of Trump's talks in both countries.

Despite increased tensions with the US since Trump's election, Rouhani sees Iran as benefiting from better ties with the West and from foreign investment. He has accused rivals of wanting to thwart progress.

Iran's President has important sway over domestic affairs and serves as the face of Iran to the world. But all key policies, such as diplomatic initiatives, must be cleared by Khamenei and his Acadre of unelected leaders.
Srinagar, May 20 : Senior hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani on Saturday suspended Nayeem Khan's National Front from the Hurriyat, even as Khan told media that the sting operation by a news channel was "doctored and fake".

In a sting operation conducted by India Today TV, Khan purportedly confessed to receiving funds from Pakistan to create unrest in the Kashmir Valley.

Geelani in a statement here said: "I have suspended the National Front led by Muhammad Nayeem Khan from the Hurriyat till such time the controversy raised by the TV news report is explained".

Khan who was the provincial president of the Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference earlier told the media that, "the agenda of the Indian media is to defame the Kashmir struggle."

He said the video shown by India Today news channel was run in "bits and pieces and everything has been taken out of context".

"We generate funds at the local level to help victims of the conflict. Yes, Pakistan is a basic party to the Kashmir dispute and it is supporting the freedom struggle in Kashmir," Khan told the media.
Kabul, May 20 : Up to eight persons were killed when militants attacked a local branch of New Kabul Bank in Afghanistan's Gardez city on Saturday, officials said.

At least 31 persons were injured in the attack which began at 2.50 p.m. when a suicide bomber blew himself up near a gate of the bank, opening the way for another three who entered the bank and began a shootout with security forces, Xinhua news agency reported.

Four militants and two police officers were among the dead, according to reports.

"We have received eight bodies and 31 injured persons in the hospital in Gardez city," Shir Mohammad, head of the public health department in Gardez city, said.

The office of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani took to Twitter to condemn the attack, saying: "Pres @ashrafghani condemns attack on Kabul Bank in Gardez as a cynical assault on Afghan people living their lives and doing business."

No group has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack. This is the second high profile attack in the eastern region of Afghanistan over the past four days.

The previous attack for which the Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility saw armed militants storm the state-run television station in Jalalabad city earlier this week. Six people were killed in the attack.
Islamabad, May 20 : At least 30 students were injured on Saturday after clashes broke out between students in the Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad, police sources said.

The students pelted stones at each other, while there were also reports of exchange of fire between the two sides, police told Geo News.

A heavy contingent of police reached the campus after being informed of the clashes. Police fired tear-gas shells to disperse the students. Authorities have also called in the Rangers to control the situation.
Riyadh, May 20 : In his first overseas trip as President, Donald Trump sealed an arms deal with Saudi Arabia worth $350 billion over 10 years, with nearly $110 billion to take effect immediately. The agreement is said to bolster security "in the face of Iranian threats".

"This package of defence equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats, while also bolstering the Kingdom's ability to contribute to counter terrorism operations across the region," the White House said in a statement on Saturday, as quoted by CNBC News.

US President Donald Trump, along with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who is accompanying him on the trip, attended a signing ceremony for almost $110 billion worth of defence capabilities to be conveyed to Saudi Arabia, the US Department of State said in a statement on Saturday.

"This package demonstrates the United States' commitment to our partnership with Saudi Arabia, while also expanding opportunities for American companies in the region," the statement read.

The deal also "potentially supports tens of thousands of new jobs in the US," it added.

Reports of Washington and Riyadh engaging in talks over multi-billion arms deals emerged earlier in May.
New Delhi, May 20 : A Special Court here that convicted Coal Ministry ex-Secretary H.C. Gupta and others in a coal block allocation case has said that officials withheld material information from then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the matter.

Central Bureau of Investigation Special Judge Bharat Parashar's remarks came on Friday when the court convicted Gupta and two Coal Ministry former officials K.S. Kropha and K.C. Samria in the allocation of Thesgora B/Rudrapuri coal block in Madhya Pradesh to Kamal Sponge Steel and Power Ltd (KSSPL).

The KSSPL and its Managing Director Pawan Kumar Ahluwalia were among those convicted for criminal conspiracy and cheating under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

"They (accused officials) certainly exploited this situation by abusing their offices... in order to procure allocation of Thesgora B/Rudrapuri coal block in favour of KSSPL by also withholding all material information regarding non-compliance with the guidelines from the (then) Prime Minister and Coal Minister (Manmohan Singh)," the court said.

Gupta had maintained during his trial that he had "no dominion" over the natural resource, and that Manmohan Singh -- as Coal Minister -- had given the final approval for the allocation of the said coal block.

The CBI had countered his claim, saying that Manmohan Singh was "kept in the dark" and that it was Gupta who "misled" officials of the Prime Minister's Office.

The court said: "While forwarding the file to (then) Prime Minister, as Minister of Coal, for approval of the recommendation of the Screening Committee, it was nowhere mentioned by any of the Ministry officers, much less by Gupta, that the applications have not been checked for their eligibility and completeness."

"The present case clearly show that Gupta, Kropha and Samria entered into a criminal conspiracy with KSSPL and its director Ahluwalia so as to procure allotment of a coal block in favour of KSSPL," the court judgment delivered on Friday said.

However, the court acquitted Gupta under Section 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) of the IPC.

The court will deliver its order on the quantum of sentence on May 22.

Gupta is also facing trial in nine cases relating to the allocation of various coal blocks.

It was the third judgment by the Special Court exclusively dealing with the coal block allocation cases. Over 20 other cases investigated by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate are pending in court.

On April 4, 2016, the court awarded four-year jail terms to two directors of Jharkhand Ispat Pvt. Ltd. in a coal block allocation case.

On July 27, 2016, the court awarded three-year jail terms to two senior officials of Delhi-based Rathi Steel and Power Ltd. in a coal block allocation case
New Delhi, May 20 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday questioned various separatist leaders in the alleged hawala and terror funding from Pakistan-based terrorist groups.

While JKLF leader Farookh Ahmad Dar was quizzed, a NIA official also said that the agency was also questioning two other separatist leaders Nayeem Khan and Ghazi Javed Baba in the case.

The agency's action comes a day after its five member team arrived in Srinagar after registering a preliminary enquiry against Hurriyat's hardcore wing chief Syed Ali Geelani and his close aide and Hurriyat provincial president Nayeem Khan, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Dar alias Bitta Karate and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader Baba.

Probing the separatist leaders for allegedly receiving money from Lashkar-e-Taiba and other sources in Pakistan to fund stone-pelting and violent protests in Jammu and Kashmir, NIA officials have also asked the separatist leaders to produce certain documents for examination.

Earlier in the day, Geelani suspended Nayeem Khan's National Front from the Hurriyat, even as Khan told media that the sting operation by a news channel was "doctored and fake".

According to the investigating agency officials, the probe agency has collected the copies of at least 150 cases and are analysing these FIRs registered in the Valley recently, regarding damage caused to the schools and public property as part of the larger conspiracy to perpetuate violence and chaos in Kashmir.

The probe agency's move followed an expose by national news channel India Today purportedly showing Pakistan pumping money to stoke trouble in the valley in connivance with Hurriyat leaders.

The channel aired a sting on May 16 in which the Hurriyat leaders allegedly confessed to its reporter that they received money from Pakistan-based organisations routed through hawala.

Following the sting operation, the probe agency also identified the hotel in Srinagar in which the sting operation took place and it was completing formalities of identification of the room and collection of records.

The agency is also probing all angles, the official said.

Following the NIA probe into the funding, the Enforcement Directorate, which probes economic offences, had said that it would also join the NIA probe into the matter of funding through hawala channels - an illegal cash transfer system across borders run by money brokers.
Bhubaneswar, May 20 : Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Tathagata Satpathy on Saturday said the party is facing loss due to infighting among the party leaders.

"There is no coordination among the leaders including the MPs and MLAs of BJD which is resulting in the party's loss," said Satpathy attending the party's office bearers' meeting ahead of the BJD government's third anniversary of its fourth term in power.

He said the party has to take an open clear stand against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) so that the people get a clear message.

BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik slammed the opposition for indulging in politics ignoring the interest of the state.

"Some parties are doing politics for the interest of their parties ignoring the interest of the state," said Patnaik.

The Odisha Chief Minister said many people are meeting him to join the BJD as the ruling party is committed to the development of the state.

He said BJD leaders would visit every district from May 24 to June 30 and make people aware of the various successful schemes.

The party has also decided to launch "Ama Gaon Ama Vikash" from July 1 to connect with the rural people in the state.
Srinagar, May 20 : A constable of the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday fled with four service rifles and ammunition in the state's Badgam district, police said.

The constable identified as Syed Naveed Mushtaq fled with four self-loading rifles (SLRs) - his own and of three of his colleagues - and ammunition from a Food Corporation of India warehouse where he was posted in Badgam.

"A manhunt has been launched to nab the constable," police said.

Mushtaq, who hails from Shopian district, had joined police in 2002 as a constable, police said.
Dhaka, May 20 : Law enforcers in Dhaka on Saturday carried out a raid at the office of the country's largest opposition party chief Begum Khaleda Zia.

A team of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) conducted the raid at the office of two-time former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, also chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), a staff of the BNP chief's media wing told Xinhua.

A DMP official who preferred to be unnamed, said they had a search warrant issued by the court to carry out a raid at the BNP chief's office in Dhaka's diplomatic enclave Gulshan to find out if there is any anti-state document in it.

He did not respond to a question on whether they found something during the raid at the top opposition leader's office.

The raid came more than a week after the party revealed its "rainbow nation building vision 2030" ahead of the country's next general elections slated for early 2019.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Saturday BNP's 'Vision 2030' is actually a reproduction of her party's Vision 2021 and 2041 which were announced earlier.
Kolkata, May 20 : Upbeat after a continuous stream of electoral successes, West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee government completed six years in office on Saturday - but the landmark also came in challenging times for the ruling party, with the CBI and other central agencies probing graft charges allegedly involving many of its leaders.

It was on May 20, 2011, that Mamata Banerjee took oath as Chief Minister at the head of a Trinamool Congress-Congress government after ousting the 34-year-old Left Front regime. The LF was left with a meagre share of 60 of the 294 seats in the assembly polls, as it was decimated by the Trinamool Congress-Congress-Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) combine.

Since then, much water has flown down the Ganga, with the Trinamool going from strength to strength in the state - as Banerjee snapped ties with the Congress both at the centre and the state, and started expanding her party's base by marginalising the Congress in its bastions and roping in its leaders and elected representatives one by one.

By the time the assembly polls were held last year, the Trinamool had become strong enough to singlehandedly take on a newly formed Congress-Left Front alliance. In the vote count, the Trinamool won a massive 211 seats, decimating the Congress-LF combine.

Nearly a year has passed after Banerjee was sworn in as Chief Minister for the second time on May 27, 2016 but the Trinamool has retained the winning momentum in all the by-polls to Lok Sabha and assembly seats and elections to civic bodies held since then.

"Didi" (as Banerjee is affectionately called) has had more reasons to cheer, as the Supreme Court struck down the land acquisition made by the erstwhile LF government for the Tata Motors'Nano project in Hooghly district's Singur in 2006, and ordered the land be returned to the cultivators.

As the Trinamool had spearheaded the Singur anti-land acquisition protests, which - coupled with a similar peasant protest in Nandigram - played a major role in its victory in 2011, the Banerjee administration went on the fast forward mode and returned physical possession of land to the peasants.

However, simultaneously, the state's political landscape has shown some signs of change, with the BJP making a strong pitch to unseat a gradually weakening LF and the Congress and emerge as the main alternative to the Trinamool with backing from the NDA central government.

The BJP's aggressive politics was all the more evident during Ram Navmi this year when Hindu rightwing groups, affiliated to the RSS, organised grand rallies, not seen before in the state.

But more crucial for the Trinamool could be the ongoing investigation by central agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate and Serious Fraud Investigation Office into the Saradha and Rose Valley Chit fund scams.

Two Trinamool MPs Sudip Bandopadhyay and Tapas Pal were arrested in connection with the Rose Valley scam. Bandopadhyay got bail a day back, but Pal still languishes in custody.

In the past also, a number of Trinamool leaders were arrested or interrogated in connection with the Saradha scam.

But what could be more worrisome for the Trinamool is the CBI probe ordered by the Calcutta High Court into the purported sting operation videos uploaded by the Narada news portal that showed a dozen Trinamool heavyweights - state ministers, MPs and MLAs included - allegedly taking wads of currency notes in lieu of a pledge to dole out favours to a fictitious firm.

With the CBI filing an FIR against all those purportedly seen accepting money in the videos, the next twist in the unfolding drama could come when it files a report before the high court of its progress in the probe.
Kolkata, May 20 : A software engineer died after he fell down while running on treadmill as part of an exercise regime on Saturday, police said.

Police have started an investigation after registering a case of unnatural death, an officer at the Newtown police station said.

According to eyewitnesses, the 24-year-old techie Amar M apparently lost his balance while running on the treadmill at his office gym in the satellite township New Town and fell.

Amar, a resident of Bengaluru, lost consciousness and was rushed to a private hospital which pronounced him dead.

"He was running on the treadmill. Hr felt uneasy and fell. As his condition worsened, he was sent in an ambulance to hospital," said a security officer at the gym.

"The patient was brought dead. We conducted an ECG which recorded a flat line. The cause and the nature of injury can be ascertained only after post mortem," said Colombia Hospital General Manager Arindam Bandopadhyay.
New Delhi, May 20 : On a day the Election Commission offered a challenge to political parties to hack EVMs, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Saturday said the machines can be "hacked" and stressed that 2019 general elections should be fought with ballot papers.

"I have always been opposed to EVM machines. If the accounts of the Reserve Bank of Bangladesh and the Reserve Bank of Russia can been hacked, then even EVM machines can be hacked," he said during an interactive session with party workers.

He also said that a lot of study has been done on this by the party as how can the EVM machines be hacked.

"Both the chip and software in the machines can be tampered with. I don't understand why the Election Commission is so inspired by the EVM machines.

"No developed country in the world is using the EVM machine," Singh added.

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Digvijaya Singh said that Modi, during his visit to New York, had breakfast with the CEOs of both the companies which develop software and the chips for the EVM machines.

"I don't trust the EVM machines. We will keep fighting against it. Ballot paper should be used again during the 2019 elections," he said.

The Election Commission on Saturday offered its EVMs for political parties to hack them, if possible, under a "Framework of Challenge" from June 3 but insisted that the machines cannot be tampered with in its custody.
Amman, May 21 : Palestinian and Israeli negotiators said on Saturday that the two-state solution is the key to solving the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

In a session during the World Economic Forum, Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, and former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni both said the two-state solution that leads to the creation of an independent Palestine was a key solution.

"The two-state solution that leads to the creation of a Palestinian state at the borders of 1967 with East Jerusalem is the sole solution. There is no need to reinvent the wheel," Xinhua quoted Erekat as saying, as he called for ending Israeli occupation.

"We are ready to engage with Israel in peace talks. To avoid past mistakes, we want an Israeli government that wants to set on the table and discuss a map on the table for the borders of Palestine and other issues," he added.

Commenting on the issue, Livni also hailed the two-state solution.

"For Israel, peace based on a two-state solution is in the interest of Israel," she said.

She also stressed the key role of Arab states in reaching a peace deal.

The two sides expressed optimism about US President Donald Trump's efforts to strike a peace deal and stressed the importance of the upcoming American-Islamic summit in Riyadh for this issue.

In his remarks, Erekat also warned against relocating the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

"Relocating the US embassy will end the peace process and the annexation of East Jerusalem is illegal as stipulated by all international laws and resolutions," he warned, adding that East Jerusalem is an occupied territory.
Public school teacher, Montgomery County Community College Professor, and local civic leader Yaniv Aronson earned the Democratic Nomination for Mayor of Conshohocken Borough on Tuesday.

Im running because the safety of our community, whether on Fayette Street or in our neighborhoods, is my top priority. Im running because as Mayor, I can be an active and energetic presence in our borough and an advocate for our small businesses, said Aronson.

New to politics, Aronson would bring years of leadership, education, and community service experience to Borough Council. As a public school teacher for the School District of Philadelphia, he built a Film and Video program from the ground up where students from all backgrounds are trained in industry-standard technology and are certified in professional production software.

I come to work every day knowing that I am making a difference. Theres nothing like watching one of my students films and knowing that they now have these cutting-edge, real-world skills.

As Chair of the Conshohocken-Plymouth-Whitemarsh Rotary Club, a local non-profit service organization, Aronson provides tools, resources and support to the residents of the greater Conshohocken area. Under his leadership, the Club has participated in food drives for Colonial Neighborhood Council, including a flash food drive during the winter holiday season that generated more than 600 pounds of food, a clean-up on the Schuylkill River Trail, extensive renovation of the Conshohocken Dog Park, a clothing drive for Cradles to Crayons, and service events at Habitat for Humanitys Restore.

We live in a wonderful community full of active, hardworking individuals. I am fortunate to have met many Conshohocken residents through my volunteer work and it would be an honor to further serve the borough as Mayor, said Aronson.

Mackenzie Breinlinger, a Conshohocken resident who works in the borough, said she was drawn to Aronsons campaign because of its uplifting message and ideas for energetic and active community involvement. It has been great to see such a positive campaign. This is the kind of message I am excited to support, said Breinlinger.

Anita Barton, Conshohocken Council Member for Ward 4, is excited about the type of campaign that Aronson has been running. Yaniv is exactly the type of Mayor that Conshohocken needs: active, energetic, and willing to listen. The future of our borough benefits from that type of positive leadership.

Those interested in more information about Aronsons campaign can visit http://www.Aronsonformayor.com or email info(at)aronsonformayor(dot)com.

The general election is November 7th.
Dorothy Williams Our mission is to optimize health and well-being by passionately promoting a Vibrant Life filled with joyful experiences, meaningful endeavors, and abundant opportunities,'" said Collette-Valenitne-Gray for ISL.

Integral Senior Living (ISL), a premier senior living management company, created a program that adds vibrancy to resident life. Throughout the 60 communities it manages, residents take part in Vibrant Life, an innovative program designed to enhance and enrich residents lives with well-rounded and meaningful experiences.

Recently a resident at ISL community Shavano Park Senior Living took part in a lifelong dream. A component of Shavano Parks Vibrant Life program is Livin the Dream, which gives residents an opportunity to try something theyve always wanted to do. Shavano Park resident Dorothy Williams took to indoor skydiving, as her dream became a reality.

Our mission is to optimize health and well-being by passionately promoting a Vibrant Life filled with joyful experiences, meaningful endeavors, and abundant opportunities so that our residents connect with family, friends and the local community.' Mrs. Williams certainly helped us accomplish our goal, said Collette Valentine-Gray, CEO/COO of Integral Senior Living.

With the help of her granddaughter, 92-year-old Dorothy Williams was ready to fly. She slipped into her royal blue and red flight suit, zipping it all the way up to her neck before donning a shiny blue helmet  her silver hair peeking out of the bottom. It was going to be a good day to fly.

Mrs. Williams was a little scared but also excited. She traded jokes with her instructor as she learned the safety rules and basics of indoor skydiving at iFly. Mrs. Williams has been a resident at Shavano Park Senior Living for about a year where dementia and stage 4 cancer havent slowed her down.

Shes always on the go, she has a lot of friends, said Shavano Parks memory care nurse, Ashley Shipman. Almost every day shes going to lunch with someone. She has been able to still have a very full social life here.

For this special event, Mrs. Williams son, Brian attended and her daughter-in-law and granddaughter joined in by taking the class along with her. I think it eased her fears to have them along, Ms. Shipman added.

The three generations of Williamss women sat through the general instruction for flying in the vertical air tube. Each dive lasts just a couple of minutes. Mrs. Williams flew twice, having her daughter-in-law and her granddaughter fly with her made it that much better.

I think it was good that her family was doing it with her, she was comfortable, and she had a huge smile on her face the whole time, adds Van Orman.

Mrs. Williams waving at everyone, smiling and joking around while other residents from Shavano Parks memory care sat along and watched in awe. Today Dorothy can be seen around the community sporting her iFly t-shirt from time to time.

About ISL

Integral Senior Living headquartered in Carlsbad, CA, manages a progressive selection of senior residences to meet the growing needs of todays aging population. It currently manages 60 independent, assisted living and memory care properties throughout, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington. It is ranked the 17th largest senior living provider in the U.S. according to Senior Housing News. ISL is founded on a care philosophy that fosters dignity and respect for residents and promotes their independence and individuality. The dedicated staff at each community is trained to maintain the highest standards of senior care services. For more information about ISL, visit Integral Senior Livings website, blog and Facebook page.
"Following the success of last years inaugural Swirl: Chicago event, we at Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits are incredibly excited to continue our partnership with the Lymphoma Research Foundation..." Kevin Fennessey

The Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF)  the nations largest non-profit organization devoted exclusively to funding innovative lymphoma research and serving the lymphoma community through a comprehensive series of education programs, outreach initiatives and patient services  will bring together locally and nationally recognized experts in wine, food and the arts for its second annual Swirl: A Wine Tasting Event in Chicago on Thursday, June 1, 2017. Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits will again partner with the Lymphoma Research Foundation to present a selection of world-class wines from the Napa Valley region, with proceeds benefiting the innovative research programs supported by LRF.

Held once again at the private residence of LRF Board Member Joseph Ferraro, LRF will host the renowned Serafin Alvarado, Master Sommelier and Director of Wine Education at Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits of Illinois, who will present and review a selection of Napa Valley vintages throughout the evening. Acclaimed artist Francine Turk will also be on hand to conduct a specially-commissioned live art demonstration, and award-winning restaurant RPM Italian will serve as the evenings in-kind catering partner.

"Following the success of last years inaugural Swirl: Chicago event, we at Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits are incredibly excited to continue our partnership with the Lymphoma Research Foundation to bring together enthusiasts in the Chicago wine, food, and arts scene for the benefit of such a tremendous cause," said Kevin Fennessey, Executive Vice President of Commercial Operations at Southern Glazers and member of LRF Board of Directors.

Each year, more than 1,700 people in the state of Illinois alone alone are diagnosed with lymphoma  the most common form of blood cancer, and last years inaugural Swirl: Chicago, has raised more than $105,000 in support of the Lymphoma Research Foundation and its mission to eradicate lymphoma and serve those impacted by this blood cancer. Swirl: Chicago is held in conjunction with the American Society of Clinical Oncologys (ASCOs) Annual Meeting, held annually at McCormick Place in June.

The funds raised throughout the Swirl: A Wine Tasting Event Series, and particularly in Chicago, has had an incredible impact on our ability to fund some of todays most exciting and promising lymphoma-specific research programs, said Meghan Gutierrez, LRF Chief Executive Officer. Wed like to once again thank Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, whose continued generosity has enabled Swirl to become such a tremendous success across the nation, as well as Francine Turk and RPM Italian for helping to make this years Swirl: Chicago a staple of the Chicago cultural and philanthropic community.

Sheyla Conforte & Joseph Ferraro and Laura & Michael Werner will serve as this years presenting sponsors, as well as serve on the evenings Host Committee. Joining them are Eric Cohen, LRF Board of Directors, and Leo I. Gordon, MD, FACP, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chair of the LRF Scientific Advisory Board, Thomas M. Habermann, MD, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Chair-elect of the LRF Scientific Advisory Board, John P. Leonard, MD, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medicine, Immediate Past-Chair of the LRF Scientific Advisory Board, and Sonali M. Smith, MD, the University of Chicago Medicine, Member of the LRF Scientific Advisory Board. For more information about Swirl Chicago and/or to purchase tickets, please contact Taylor Zitay Kahn at 646-465-9103 or visit lymphoma.org/SwirlChicago.

About the Lymphoma Research Foundation

The Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) is the nations largest non-profit organization devoted to funding innovative research and serving the lymphoma community through a comprehensive series of education programs, outreach initiatives and patient services. To date, LRF has awarded nearly $60 million in lymphoma-specific research. For additional information on LRFs research, education and services, visit lymphoma.org.

###
The development came after the Pakistan Foreign Office was criticised for its poor handling of the case and for its choice of Britain-based Khawar Qureshi as counsel.

By Press Trust of India: Pakistan's Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali will plead Pakistan's case at the International Court of Justice against Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav.

The development came after the Pakistan Foreign Office was criticised for its "poor handling" of the case and for its choice of Britain-based Khawar Qureshi as counsel.

The ICJ on May 18 stayed the execution of Jadhav.

advertisement

The Attorney General said the country's defence against India's case before the ICJ was prepared by the government in consultation with all stakeholders, including the military establishment, Geo TV reported.

He also dismissed criticism on why Pakistan accepted the global court's jurisdiction.

Referring to the Pakistan's March 2017 declaration in relation to the jurisdiction of the ICJ, Ausaf said that the ongoing propaganda on the issue was misplaced.

"The correct position is that Pakistan had signed off to an unconditional declaration to agree to the jurisdiction of the ICJ way back in September 1960. In March 2017, we made a declaration of exceptions reservations, and conditions," Ausaf said.

He said that the original -- 1960 declaration -- was without reservations and exceptions. Pakistan prior to March 2017 had signed up to an ipso facto (by the fact itself) compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ.

"We had become signatory to a declaration of submission to jurisdiction without any exceptions in September 1960."

In March 2017, he said, Pakistan created the firewalls, including the one relating to the security of Pakistan for the first time. He explained that in the present case, the ICJ is not looking at this aspect of the matter.

"They are looking at the Vienna Convention and the optional protocol to the convention. India and Pakistan both are signatories to this. The optional protocol invests the ICJ with powers and jurisdiction to decide disputes between member states. If we were to withdraw this declaration, we would have to go back to 1960 declaration which gives jurisdiction without exceptions," he maintained.

The TV channel also reported that Qureshi was paid 50,000 pounds for the case. However, the Indian lawyer charged only one Indian rupee for his services.

Also Read:

Kulbhushan Jadhav case: Pakistan set to re-challenge International Court of Justice's jurisdiction

Kulbhushan Jadhav death sentence: India, Pakistan clash at the International Court of Justice

Watch Video: Kulbhushan Jadhav case: International Court of Justice to hold public hearing in Hague today

--- ENDS ---
In a U.S. House subcommittee hearing today, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) testified that updates to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) are overdue and necessary to assist communities with water infrastructure and compliance challenges.

Speaking before the U.S. House Subcommittee on the Environment during Infrastructure Week, Water Utility Council Chair Kurt Vause presented AWWAs suggestions related to funding, utility management and regulatory compliance.

An updating of the 1996 Amendments to the SDWA is overdue, said Vause, special projects director at Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility in Anchorage, Alaska. Our 2012 report, Buried No Longer: Confronting Americas Water Infrastructure Challenge pointed out that this nation must spend $1 trillion on drinking water infrastructure in the next 25 years to maintain our current levels of service.

Vause, speaking on behalf of AWWAs 50,000 members, spoke on the need to improve the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) to make it easier to use to help finance projects of consolidation for efficiency of operations and regulatory compliance. He also encouraged improved tracking of SRF capitalization grants to help that program become more efficient and flexibility in repayment of SRF loans to assist particularly distressed communities.

To some communities, the terms of repayment will necessarily lead to a limited use of SRF financing of critical infrastructure needs, Vause said.

Vause also encouraged Congress to provide fully authorized appropriations of $45 million for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) in FY2018. WIFIA is a promising new tool in repairing and replacing the nations aging water and wastewater infrastructure.

WIFIA lowers the cost of large water infrastructure projects by providing low-interest, long-term federal loans to communities. Congress has already appropriated $30 million total for the program but, as Vause noted, A fully authorized FY2018 WIFIA would support nearly $3 billion in needed infrastructure investment.

Vause spoke with committee members at length about how asset management can serve utilities and their customers to improve performance and the use of finite resources. To help states and communities manage regulatory obligations under all environmental statutes, Vause encouraged Congress to bring the drinking water sector into an integrated planning process, as is being discussed for the wastewater sector.

AWWA recommends Congress include drinking water requirements contained with the 1996 amendments of SDWA in any integrated planning framework to give communities across the country the flexibility to more effectively meet their regulatory obligations, while also better protecting public health, Vause said.

Former AWWA President John Donahue also testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on the Environment in March to encourage Congress to support water infrastructure investment.

###

Established in 1881, the American Water Works Association is the largest nonprofit, scientific and educational association dedicated to managing and treating water, the worlds most important resource. With approximately 50,000 members, AWWA provides solutions to improve public health, protect the environment, strengthen the economy and enhance our quality of life.
Jim Vertino is an innovator who will create unique services for HealthSmart that will protect members and the bottom line, said Phil Christianson, CEO. I look forward to seeing the exciting solutions our IT division produces under his leadership.

HealthSmart, the largest independent benefits administrator in the country, is pleased to announce the appointment of James (Jim) Vertino as Chief Information Officer (CIO). He will be joining HealthSmart at the end of May. Vertino is a proven, transformational leader who drives innovation and business performance. He defines strategic roadmaps by reimagining business processesbridging the gap between information technology and business. Vertino will report to Phil Christianson, HealthSmarts Chief Executive Officer.

As CIO, Vertino will be responsible for leading all facets of HealthSmarts technology platforms and processes. He will be instrumental in creating an infrastructure that sustains forecasted growth, enhances the member experience, and supports HealthSmarts associates to deliver preeminent customer service.

Vertino has 24 years of experience in IT leadership and product development. He has spent the past six years as CIO of HealthPlan Services. There, he spearheaded the creation of products and services to assist large healthcare payers with the enrollment and financial management aspects of healthcare reform. His previous experience also includes serving as CIO at CareSource Management Group, Vice President of Technology for MetLife and Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Equity Technologies at Lehman Brothers.

Jim Vertino is an innovator who will create unique services for HealthSmart that will protect members and the bottom line, said Phil Christianson, CEO. I look forward to seeing the exciting solutions our IT division produces under his leadership.

I am very excited to join such a dynamic team of professionals focused on driving better ways to deliver healthcare to an industry in dire need of improvements. I plan to hit the ground running, partnering with the HealthSmart technology, clinical and operational teams to develop best-in-class products and solutions for our clients, said Vertino.

Vertino graduated magna cum laude from Medaille College in Buffalo, New York, with a bachelors degree in computer information systems.

About HealthSmart

For more than 40 years, HealthSmart has offered a wide array of customizable and scalable health plan solutions for selffunded employers. HealthSmarts comprehensive service suite addresses individual health from all angles. This includes claims and benefits administration, provider networks, pharmacy benefit management services, business intelligence, onsite employer clinics, care management, a variety of health and wellness initiatives and webbased reporting. The Companys headquarters is in Dallas, Texas, with regional hubs throughout the country. HealthSmarts mission is to improve member health and reduce healthcare costs.
The Mobile Police Department and Columbia Southern University presented a Coffee With a Cop event on May 18.

More than 60 curious area residents dropped by to have coffee and doughnuts with eight officers from the Mobile Police Department at Coffee With a Cop on Thursday, May 18.

Columbia Southern University (CSU) sponsored the two-hour event, which was held at the Connie Hudson Mobile Regional Senior Community Center in Mobile. This national program, launched by members of the Hawthorne Police Department in Hawthorne, California, was created to bring community members and police officers together to discuss issues and learn more about the role police officers play in their communities.

Coffee With a Cop is a great program that lets us interact with the community on a one-on-one basis, said Officer Gary Owens, who works in the Community Services Division of the Mobile Police.

Owens, who organized the event, said most attendees posed questions about general issues relating to crime, police work and property concerns.

Public information Officer Donald Wallace said many attendees also had some kind words. We got a lot of thanks for the job that we do as law enforcement. That goes a long way with us because there are a lot of times we do not hear it.

This was the first time the 10-year veteran officer and CSU student attended a Coffee With a Cop event and Wallace found it humbling to meet some of the people in the community to learn more about them and for them to learn more about us over a cup of coffee.

Ashley-Nicole Flowers, program supervisor for the community center, was pleased with the turnout and interaction. The officers are here to help them and that is what they are trying to portray. They are here for community engagement. So its crucial for a community center to program these kinds of activities.

CSU representative Renee Wright echoed Flowers.

I work with law enforcement officers every day, and they all want to protect and serve and come home to their families each day, Wright said. Todays event, Coffee With a Cop, gave the general public a chance to meet and mingle with our brothers and sisters in blue, allowing them to see the officers as real people with real lives.

About Columbia Southern University

One of the nations pioneer online universities, Columbia Southern University was established in 1993 to provide an alternative to the traditional university experience. CSU offers online associate, bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees such as business administration, criminal justice, fire administration and occupational safety and health. Visit ColumbiaSouthern.edu or call (877) 347-6050 to learn more.
Our app is a simple cost effective way for vacation rental managers to reach customers on their mobile devices

RealTimeRental announced today upgrades to their IOS app which is designed to help vacation rental managers display their rental inventory to potential rental guests. App upgrades include an improved GPS mapping feature and search function.

Our app is a simple cost effective way for vacation rental managers to reach customers on their mobile devices, said Joe Testa, Co-Founder RealTimeRental.

Rental Information such as property photos, amenities, rates and availability are seamlessly populated into the app directly from RealTimeRental Software. There is no need for vacation rental managers to update property information and availability in two places. App users can browse through rental properties and contact the office to secure the booking from directly within the app.

In addition to searching by price and availability, the app upgrades include an improved search function with the ability to filter property results based on number of bedrooms, property type, and certain amenities such as central air, wifi, and pet friendly.

The app is customized for each client and uses the logo and color scheme of each vacation rental office. Our goal is for vacation rental managers to have a tool that makes it simple for their rental guests to plan and research their vacation on their phones, said Testa.

The app upgrades include an enhanced GPS mapping feature. Once the app determines the users location, it will display vacation rentals located in the area. The GPS mapping will drop pins for each vacation rental property which the user can click to view more details or to receive step by step directions to the property. This is a useful tool for travelers who wish to vacation in a specific part of town, or want to visit multiple properties before booking their trip.

The app is currently available for IOS devices. For more information about how Vacation rental managers are using the RealTimeRental app please visit http://www.RealTimeRental.com .

About RealTimeRental.com - RealTimeRental.com is the premier vacation rental software solution for 200+ rental offices in the United States, Caribbean, Mexico, and Costa Rica. As the first web based vacation rental system on the market in the year 2000, RealTimeRental has consistently provided a comprehensive reservation and accounting system for the past 16 years. As a cloud based application, RealTimeRental vacation rental software clients have the peace of mind that their reservation management system can be accessed 24/7 via the cloud. Additionally, RealTimeRental offers a fully integrated trust accounting package and marketing options for property managers, including a mobile app and a proprietary distribution portal, http://www.rentalretreat.com
Richard D. Harris and Barry R. Horwitz, shareholders at global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, received the Excellence in Pro Bono Service award from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, in conjunction with the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, at the 18th Annual Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Interest Service Awards on May 24 in Chicago.

The award honors attorneys for their contributions in helping people most in need of assistance before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Harris and Horwitz were nominated by both Judge Joan B. Gottschall and Judge Thomas M. Durkin for their exceptional pro bono work on behalf of their client, Julian NettlesBey, in the case of Nettles-Bey v. Village of South Holland, et al., Case No. 11 C 8022. Nettles-Bey, a motivational speaker who works with minority children, was arrested and charged with criminal trespass by the Village of South Holland Police Department. He was tried by county prosecutors for what Nettles-Bey claimed was their belief that he was part of the Moorish Science Temple. His Complaint alleged that the Village and its police officers were pursuing the Temple as a criminal organization involved with mortgage fraud and real estate conversion throughout the country. Nettles-Beys Complaint also alleged that he was singled out and prosecuted, due to the officers false belief that his hyphenated Bey name, amongst other issues, implicated his involvement with the Moorish Science Temple.

In winning this award, Harris and Horwitz underscored the importance of representing the indigent and oppressed  notably, in a legal area far afield from their intellectual property practice.

Harris, Co-Chair of both the Chicago Intellectual Property & Technology Practice and the Global Patent Litigation Practice, focuses his practice on U.S. and foreign patent, trademark, copyright, and unfair competition matters, with particular emphasis on litigation. His practice is actively involved with patent and trademark prosecution and intellectual property-related transactional projects.

Horwitzs practice spans all traditional areas of intellectual property law, and includes an emphasis in patent and trademark litigation; trademark, trade secret, and unfair competition counseling; and copyright enforcement. Horwitz also serves as Co-Chair of the Outreach Committee for the Young Professionals Board of the Legal Assistance Foundation (LAF), which previously awarded him the 2015 Ambassador of the Year Award.

About Greenberg Traurigs Pro Bono Program

Greenberg Traurig lawyers across the firms offices provide pro bono legal services to the indigent and working poor, as well as to numerous civic and charitable organizations dedicated to assisting them. The firm focuses its resources on specialized and interrelated issues including civil rights and affirmative action, anti-human trafficking, family law matters, criminal appeals, immigration and political asylum, housing and homelessness.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GTLaw) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East and is celebrating its 50th anniversary. One firm worldwide, GTLaw has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the second largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2016, and among the Top 20 on the 2016 Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.
A spokesman for the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), said 103 of those killed in the attack at the air base were LNA troops, most of them from the 12th Brigade stationed there.

By Reuters: A spokesman for east Libyan armed forces said on Friday that as many as 141 people had been killed a day earlier in an attack on a southern air base, and the head of Libya's United Nations-backed government suspended his defence minister pending an investigation into the incident.

The attack at Brak Al-Shati air base shattered a truce in the area, which in recent months had become a flashpoint between military alliances based in eastern and western Libya.

advertisement

It risks a major escalation in a stop-start conflict between eastern-based factions and rivals loosely aligned with current and former governments in the capital, Tripoli.

Ahmed al-Mismari, a spokesman for the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), said 103 of those killed in the attack at the air base were LNA troops, most of them from the 12th Brigade stationed there.

THE ATTACK

They were attacked by a brigade from the western city of Misrata known as the Third Force, which previously controlled the base and is nominally aligned with the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.

Earlier on Friday, the mayor of Brak Al-Shati and a medical source in the town put the death toll at 89, though the medical official said some bodies had not been brought to the hospital. Mismari said some of the bodies were only collected on Friday.

It was not possible to independently verify the number of casualties. Local and LNA officials have said some of those killed were civilians who appeared to have been summarily executed. Mohamed Gliwan, a spokesman for the Third Force, told local TV that LNA troops who were killed inside the base were armed.

Human Rights Watch cited a medical official, an eyewitness, and photo and video footage to say that attacking forces had killed "scores of LNA fighters, some with bullets to the head, in apparent acts of summary execution." U.N. Libya envoy Martin Kobler called the attack unprovoked and vicious, saying it "must not push (Libya) into further, serious conflict."

DEFENCE MINISTER SUSPENDED

GNA Prime Minister Fayez Seraj announced that he was suspending both Defence Minister Mahdi Al-Barghathi and Third Force commander Jamal Traiki, "until it is determined who was responsible for violating the ceasefire".

He condemned the escalation at Brak Al-Shati "in the strongest terms" and called for an immediate ceasefire. He denied issuing any instructions to the ministry of defence.

Barghathi is a former LNA commander turned opponent of LNA chief Khalifa Haftar. He is widely reported to have played a role in plotting past military operations against the LNA, though his ministry denied ordering Thursday's attack.

advertisement

The LNA has said Islamist militants and the Benghazi Defence Brigades (BDB), whose members previously fought the LNA in Benghazi, also took part in the attack.

Mismari said the LNA had carried out air strikes in the Sabha and Jufra regions in response to the attack.

Also on Friday, a car bomb south of Benghazi killed a prominent tribal leader linked to the LNA along with five other people. The blast in Suluq, 31 miles (50 km) south of Benghazi, also wounded 26 people, a medical source said.

The LNA has been fighting a three-year campaign against Islamist militants and other opponents in Benghazi and other parts of eastern Libya.

Also Read:

Syrian Army reclaims Jarrah Airbase from Islamic State

Facing two-front war scenario with Pakistan, China, IAF readies Rafale fighter jets for combat role

--- ENDS ---
SAN DIEGO (AP)  Charges against a father-son partnership for allegedly smuggling more than $17 million worth of sea cucumbers to the United States and exporting them to Asia sheds light on a growing and lucrative illegal cross-border trade.

David Mayorquin and his father, Ramon Torres Mayorquin, are accused of a scheme to buy the illegally harvested animals from poachers in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, pay for them under fake names and underestimate their weight and value to inspectors at San Diego's Otay Mesa border crossing, across from Tijuana, Mexico. From San Diego, they allegedly shipped the product to Asia, including China, where they are delicacies in Chinese dishes, prized for medicinal value and considered an aphrodisiac.

Border inspectors have spotted smuggled Mexican sea cucumbers for years, but the charges against the Mayorquins and their family business, Blessings Inc. of Tucson, Arizona, are striking for the multi-ton shipments. Authorities say they sell for $300 to $500 a kilogram in Asia, helping explain the draw for poachers and smugglers.

David Mayorquin, who is listed as the company's chief executive officer in public records, allegedly bought $13 million worth of sea cucumbers, knowing that they were harvested without a permit or out of season, and they sold for $17.5 million. The indictment, filed Wednesday in federal court in San Diego, lists transactions from January 2010 to July 2012.

U.S. Homeland Security Investigations launched an investigation around 2012 after company transactions raised suspicions, said James Plitt, deputy special agent in charge in San Diego. They examined financial and shipping records.

"These cases are very document-intensive," Plitt said. "The volume of documents that have to pulled together and corroborated is significant."

Investigators found emails that allegedly show the family communicating with others about the illegal purchases, Homeland Security Investigations said.

"I hope you're aware that you are asking for 17 tons and we have no papers for that amount since Carlos' entire product is without invoice," a supplier wrote David Mayorquin in 2011, which is mentioned in the indictment. "Nearly 10 tons would be traveling without papers."

The defendants also bribed Mexican officials, prosecutors say. One email listed in the indictment shows Marroquin being asked to contribute $32,000 for payoffs.

Court documents do not list an attorney for the Mayorquins or the company, which was also charged. A woman who answered the phone at Blessings on Friday said the company had no comment and hung up.

Sea cucumbers, which are shaped like cucumbers with small feet and measure up to six feet (1.8 meters), are echinoderms, a family that includes starfish and sea urchin. They are served dried or fresh and often braised with fish, vegetables and traditional Chinese sauces. They are sought to treat join pain, prevent cancer and serve as anti-inflammatory medicine.

Harvesting sea cucumbers is permitted in the United States and many parts of the world, but with limited quantities and only during high season. Blessings was licensed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to import and export sea cucumber, according to the indictment.

Border inspectors in San Diego screened three large  and legal  commercial hauls in the last week alone, said Erin Dean, resident agent in charge of Fish and Wildlife's Southern California office. Prosecutors have also fielded a growing load of smuggling cases, which typically involve hiding the animals in vehicles or on bodies, she said.

Totoaba fish, whose dried bladders sell for thousands of dollars to Chinese traders, are also commonly smuggled from Mexico along California's border. Vaquita porpoises are often caught in the nets, causing their population to drop to about 30.
About 85,000 coffee presses are being recalled because they can simply break during normal use, posing a laceration hazard to consumers. Other recalled consumer products this week include travel mugs and bicycles.

Here's a more detailed look:

COFFEE PRESSES

DETAILS: Bialetti coffee presses with a glass beaker in a plastic frame with a stainless steel metal plunger. The Bialetti icon and logo are printed on each side of the frame and "Bialetti" is printed on the top of the plunger. The date stamp of March 2017 or earlier is printed on the underside of the plunger in a dial date code. Dial date codes are read from the center of the circle outward. The two numbers in the center of the circle represent the year of production. The arrow in the circle points to the month of production on the outer circle. They were sold at Fred Meyer, Kroger, Ross, Target, HomeGoods and other specialty and grocery stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com from July 2016 through March 2017.

WHY: The glass beakers can break during normal use, posing a laceration hazard to users.

INCIDENTS: Three reports of the glass beakers breaking and cutting fingers, resulting in two consumers needing stitches.

HOW MANY: About 85,000 in the U.S. and about 300 were sold in Canada.

FOR MORE: Call Bradshaw International at 800-421-6290 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or visit www.bradshawintl.com and click on "Recalls."

TRAVEL MUGS

DETAILS: Michaels private brand Celebrate It ceramic travel mugs with a silicone lid. They were sold at Michael's stores nationwide from March 2017 through April 2017 .The travel mugs have four designs: Motherhood the greatest adventure (lime green lid), MOM (lime green lid), Blue floral (turquoise lid), Pink floral (pink lid). Only ceramic mugs with SKU number 508992 and UPC code 886946619458 printed on a label on the bottom of the mugs are included in the recall.

WHY: The mug's lid does not fit securely and can cause liquids to leak from the bottom of the lid when tilted, posing a burn hazard. Also, the mug does not have a silicone hand wrap so consumers could burn their hands on the side walls of the mug.

INCIDENTS: One report of the lid leaking. No injuries have been reported.

HOW MANY: About 27,000.

FOR MORE: Call Michaels at 800-642-4235 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or visit www.michaels.com and click on "Product Recalls" at the bottom of the page.

BICYCLES

DETAILS: VanMoof B and S series bicycles sold at Aika Trading, Calhoun Cycle, Orange Pedal, The Garage OTR, Seattle E-bike and other bicycle stores nationwide and online from January 2014 through December 2016. Details on the specific model numbers for the bikes can be found at https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2017/VanMoof-Recalls-Bicycles .

WHY: The front fender bolts do not break when an object gets stuck between the front tire and the front fender/mud guard, posing fall and impact hazards.

INCIDENTS: Two reports of riders injured when road objects created an obstruction between the bike fender and the front wheel. In both instances, the fender remained intact, because the stainless steel fender bolts did not break off. One instance resulted in bruises, scratches and a broken arm. In the second instance, the rider suffered a concussion.

HOW MANY: 375 units.

FOR MORE: Call VanMoof at 855-623-6673.from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, send email to fenderbolt@vanmoof.com, or visit www.vanmoof.com or support.vanmoof.com on the top-right of the homepage of the website next to the language menu.

KITEBOARD CONTROL SYSTEMS

DETAILS: Stainless steel POWER BRACKET SEAT (PBS) and the lower front line that connects with the landing line on the Overdrive 1X Recoil with Fireball or Quickloop, Overdrive 1X Trimlite with Fireball or Quickloop, 1X Trimlite with Fireball or Quickloop and the Chaos 1X Control system models. The PBS is used as a stopping point for one of the flying lines while allowing the activation of the 1X security landing line. Model numbers included in the recall are: KS7CSODFR, KS7CSODQR, KS7CSODFC, KS7CSODQC, KS7CSFXFC, KS7CSFXQC and KS7CSCHFX. Only models with "2017 1X" printed on a cloth tab attached to the bungee line restrainers at the end of the bars are included in this recall. Watersports stores nationwide from July 2016 through March 2017.

WHY: The point of connection between the lower front line with the landing line can break, causing a loss of kite control, posing injury and fall hazards.

INCIDENTS: Six reports of the stainless steel PBS component breaking. No injuries have been reported.

HOW MANY: About 2,900.

FOR MORE: Call Cabrinha at 808-893-0286 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. HT (Hawaii Time) Monday through Friday or visit www.cabrinhakites.com and click on the "Safety Alert."

PLUSH TOYS

DETAILS: Oliver the Bear, Chewie the English Bulldog, and Charlotte the Fox model plush toys. Each of these toys has a sewn-in label with the words "DOUGLAS the cuddle toy." Specialty toy and gift stores nationwide from July 2014 to April 2017. Also distributed by UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation (UHCCF) to various individuals and organizations.

WHY: The plastic eyes on the plush toys can detach, posing a choking hazard.

INCIDENTS: Two reports of the plastic eyes detaching or loosening. No injuries have been reported.

HOW MANY: About 25,000.

FOR MORE: Call Douglas at 800-276-4029 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit www.douglastoys.com and click on Product Recall at the bottom of the page.

MUGS

DETAILS: Pier 1 Imports Chalk Note Mugs that can be written on with chalk. "Stoneware" and "Pier 1 Imports" are printed on the bottom of the mug. Sold at Pier 1 Imports stores nationwide and online at Pier1.com from March 2016 through April 2017.

WHY: The mugs can crack when filled with hot liquid, posing a burn hazard to users.

INCIDENTS: Eight reports of mugs cracking when filled with a hot liquid. No injuries have been reported.

HOW MANY: About 15,300 in the U.S. and about 900 in Canada.

FOR MORE: Call Pier 1 Imports at 855-513-5140 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT Saturday or 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT Sunday or visit www.pier1.com and click on "Product Notes & Recalls" at the bottom of the page.
By India Today Web Desk: Lisa Haydon and her husband Dino Lalvani became proud parents to a baby boy, Zack Lalvani, on Wednesday. Lisa made the announcement on Instagram by sharing a photo of herself posing with her husband and holding her newborn in her arms.

Lisa is seen posing outside the Lindo Wing, the favourite of British royalty, where Princess Diana gave birth to Prince William and Prince Harry, and Prince William welcomed his son, Prince George. The Ae Dil Hai Mushkil actor captioned the photo, "Zack Lalvani born 17th May 2017."

Zack Lalvani born 17th May 2017 A post shared by Lisa Haydon (@lisahaydon) on May 19, 2017 at 3:00pm PDT

advertisement

Incidentally, Lisa announced her pregnancy on Instagram as well, by posting a photo of herself flaunting her baby bump and captioning it "Humble Beginnings." She had also announced her wedding on the photo-blogging site.

Lisa tied the knot with her businessman beau Dino Lalvani in a beach wedding in Phuket, Thailand in October last year, after more than a year of courtship.

PHOTO: Pregnant Lisa Haydon's baby bump in a bubble bath is giving us mommy goals

ALSO READ: Lisa Haydon recounts being bullied for being as skinny as a toothpick

ALSO WATCH: Go behind-the-scenes with Lisa Haydon for her cover shoot with Harper's Bazaar

--- ENDS ---
TOLOnews (Translated by RAWA), May 18, 2017

By Nematullah Ahmadi

Qadria, a resident of Farkhar district in Takhar province, spoke to TOLOnews on May 18, and revealed the forms of violence she faced from her husband and his relatives.

She said that the night before, her mother-in-law, husband, and two brother-in-laws, first accused her of having relations with a man living next door, then locked her in a room; then they tied up her hands and feet and taped her mouth, and tortured her with hot screwdrivers and pliers.

She added, They beat me every day, but three days ago they burned my entire body with these tools and cut out pieces of my flesh.

She said that after being tortured, she was unconscious for many hours. Qadrias father and uncle said that out of fear from her in-laws, she has not dared to report the incident to the authorities.

Abdul Khalil, Qadrias father, said, I have nobody, except for God. If we appeal to the government, our lives will be in danger.

Hakimullah, Qadrias uncle, stated, We want the government to arrest the perpetrators of this horrifying episode of violence.

The police chief of Takhar said that they are investigating the incident. Faqir Mohmmad Jawzjani stated, This girl has suffered a lot. We have spoken to the girl. There is no part of her body that has not been injured. The worst kind of violence has been perpetrated against this girl and her husband has been arrested.

Qadria said that her husband had sent her divorce papers. Now that I have suffered this way and been divorced, the government should make sure that my mother-in-law, brother-in-laws, and husband suffer like me, she said.

Razmara Hawash, head of Womens Affairs in Takhar, stated, This is an unforgivable episode of violence. The government should arrest the perpetrators. If the girl had committed a moral crime, the family should have appealed to the judiciary organs, not acted like a mock court.

Qadria had been married for eleven years to her husband named Abdul Qadir and they have one son and three daughters.
Raj Babbar met the families of the jewellers who were attacked in Mathura and Agra, claiming that the number of crimes committed in the past 60 days of Yogi government had outmatched the number of crimes in the entire five years of the previous government's tenure.

By Siraj Qureshi: The Yogi Adityanath government came into power with a promise of improving law and order in Uttar Pradesh. However, ever since the government assumed power, the condition of law and order has been deteriorating in the state, giving the Opposition a much-needed issue to be used against the Yogi government. Not only the Opposition, even the BJP workers are now raising fingers on the modus operandi of the government.

advertisement

Although the Mathura police claims to have worked out the dual murder and jewelry loot in the city that took place earlier this week by arresting 5 of the culprits, the anger of the people has not yet come down, with the jeweller community demanding better safety arrangements and weapons licenses on priority basis.

Sympathising with the plight of the businessmen who are living in terror in the state, constantly threatened by criminals, UP Congress chief and RS MP Raj Babbar met the families of the jewellers who were attacked in Mathura and Agra, claiming that the number of crimes committed in the past 60 days of Yogi government had outmatched the number of crimes in the entire five years of the previous government's tenure.

Commenting on Mathura MP and UP Cabinet Minister Shrikant Sharma, Babbar asked why was Sharma silent on the deteriorating law and order situation in his own district. He asked what was Sharma doing for the development of Mathura district.

Commenting on Mathura MP Hema Malini, he said that after such a heinous crime was committed in Mathura, the MP should have camped in the district, but it was a surprise that let alone meeting the affected family, Hema Malini did not even come to Mathura, even when the whole Mathura was shut down in protest of the killings.

Babbar also met the family of Dinesh Agrawal, the jeweller who was shot in the Runakta area of Agra and robbed of jewelry worth Rs. 20 lakh. The family of the jeweller informed that the police is claiming to have found a trace of the criminals involved in this loot but how true this claim was, is still doubtworthy.

Babbar assured the family that the Congress party is standing with the jeweller community and fixed the Agra police's liability of recovery of the looted jewelry and arrest of the criminals.

Babbar also reached the hospital where Dinesh Agrawal was admitted and commented to India Today that it was only God's mercy that Dinesh Agrawal was alive after such a deadly attack. He said that the BJP used to call the Samajwadi Party rule as "Jungleraaj", but the maximum number of crimes are happening under BJP rule, which clearly indicated that the law and order situation was a lot better in UP under the Akhilesh government.

advertisement

Agra Vyapar Mandal president T N Agrawal led a delegation of Agra businessmen that met DGP Sulkhan Singh recently and demanded better security for the jewellers and priority licensing of weapons for personal safety. Agrawal declared that if the assailants of Dinesh Agrawal were not arrested within three days, the businessmen of Agra will come on the streets in protest of the weak law and order state in the district.

ALSO READ:

Mathura double-murder case: Angry jewellers down shutters in protest

CCTV footage: Armed robbers open fire in Mathura jewellery shop, gun down two traders

--- ENDS ---
Mikhail Gorbachev has accused the US of dragging Russia into a new cold war, in an effort to "realize its general triumphalist idea. But the current antagonism between the US and Russia is nothing new, and, like past confrontations, it is almost entirely Russia's fault.
Property details:

THIS IS FOR an undivided interest in 51 ACRES IN HUDSPETH COUNTYyou will be getting 12.76 acrescamp , hunt etc.. on your propertyGREAT AREA FOR HUNTING CAMPING, GETAWAY NEAR DELL CITY TEXAS SUBDIVISION ROAD FRONTAGE THIS IS FOR 51 ACRES UNDIVIDED INTEREST YOU WILL BE GETTING 12.76 ACRES ON YOUR TAX BILLCAMPSITE, RV, HUNTING, RECREATION ETC...NICE ELEVATION OF 4100' NICE YEAR ROUND CLIMATEGREAT AREA FULL Purchase Price for the LOT - Plus a $499.00 Document Preparation/Transfer/Closing Fee! LOT DE...

Price: $ 871 Seller State of Residence: Arizona Type: Homesite, Lot Zoning: Residential City: DELL CITY State/Province: texas Area Acreage (acres): 12.76 Location: 850**, Phoenix, Arizona

You will be redirected to eBay



Nearby 12.76
Property details:

INVEST IN THE WEST! We are constantly adding to our inventory of quality, cheap vacant land in the Western U.S. We take pride in offering you properties priced well under the competition. We offer prompt, professional and friendly customer service, easy and flexible payment terms, and we never charge you any processing fees or interest. It's time to invest in the west! You're bidding on the down payment for 3.29 acres of land in Cochise County, Arizona, just 1 mile away from the entrance to Lesl...

Price: $ 85 Seller State of Residence: North Carolina Type: Homesite, Lot Zoning: Residential State/Province: Arizona City: Douglas Property Address: N. Leslie Canyon Rd Location: 270**, Clemmons, North Carolina

You will be redirected to eBay



Nearby N. Leslie Canyon Rd
Property details:

You Are Bidding On the Full Purchase Price for 40 Acres in Northern California! Mountain Property. Secluded. Trees. Expansive Mountain and Valley Views for Miles. Grass and Wildflowers. This auction is for legal description: T36N, R13 E, Section 20: NW1/4SNE1/4. This is a 40 ACRE +/- parcel of land in Lassen County, California. This land is about 7 miles south of Madeline, California about 1/3 of a mile east of Highway 395. The property is located just off Mendiboure Road The property is located...

Price: $ 7,900 City: Madeline State/Province: California Seller State of Residence: Arizona Zip/Postal Code: 96119 Type: Recreational, Acreage Location: 852**, Tempe, Arizona

You will be redirected to eBay



Nearby Recreational, Acreage
Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale

Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada.

Search Real Estate
Property details:

NATURE WILDERNESS One acre RANCH MODOC COUNTY NO MINIMUM / NO RESERVE --- HIGH BID OWNS THE LOT This Property is located in the vicinity of Alturas; south west about 18 miles-drive; is a city in and the county seat of Modoc County, Ca. The population was 2,827 at the 2010 census. It is also only 15 minutes-drive from California Pines. Alturas is located on the Pit River, east of the center of Modoc County, at an elevation of 4370 feet. As the county seat, the town is a home to regional governmen...

Price: $ 479 State/Province: California Seller State of Residence: California Location: 928**, Orange, California

You will be redirected to eBay



Nearby California
Two traders were gunned down in Mathura by half a dozen people who escaped with gold worth Rs. 4 crore.

By India Today Web Desk: Five people, including the main accused, Ranga, have been arrested in connection with the murder of two jewellers in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura.

Two traders were gunned down in Mathura by half a dozen people who escaped with gold worth Rs. 4 crore.

Jewellers across the state observed a day-long strike on Friday demanding immediate arrest of the culprits and protection of the jewellers in the state.

advertisement

The jewellers community had voiced its concern over safety issues post the murder.

LOOT AND MURDER

The loot was caught on camera.

CCTV footage shows two traders were killed during a robbery in Koyalawali Gali in Mathura. Two other men were also injured.

The two traders, Vikas and Megh, were gunned down by six armed men who came on motorbikes, barged into the shop and opened fire in the jewellery shop.

The market falls under Kotwali police station limits. The two other men injured were hospitalised.

The borders of the district have been sealed and police alerted to nab culprits, the SSP added.

Also Read:

CCTV footage: Armed robbers open fire in Mathura jewellery shop, gun down two traders

Mathura jewellery shop loot: UP jewellers stage angry protests, dharna

Watch:

Mathura: Five arrested in connection with murder of two jewellers

--- ENDS ---
,



We're sorry, this article is not currently available
The party will respond comprehensively only after specificity emerges in the proposals, reports Amit Agnihotri.

The Congress adopted a wait-and-watch policy on the tax rates approved by the Goods and Services Tax Council, saying it was still work in progress, but expressed concerned over the applicability of the 28 per cent slab.

At the moment, it is work in progress. Full clarity does not exist regarding individual items. We will respond comprehensively only after specificity emerges in the proposals. But we are concerned over 28 per cent rate though it applies to only 19 per cent of items, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi told Business Standard.

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi has been a strong votary of the 18 per cent cap suggested by the party earlier.

Later, the party protested the four-tier tax rates of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent that was approved by the GST Council, saying tax over 18 per cent would hit consumer interests and a four-tier slab defied the very concept of a simple GST, as envisioned by the previous United Progressive Alliance government.

Party strategists said individual states might claim revenue loss once it becomes clearer which item falls under which tax slab.

The issue, therefore, has to be watched carefully.

Last month, when four supporting bills to the main GST Bill were passed in the Budget session of Parliament, the Congress had urged the government to keep indirect taxes under the new tax regime low and affordable so they dont add to price rise.

The Opposition party had planned a few changes to these supporting bills but did not press for the changes.

While supporting the bills, the Congress had expressed hope that the new regime would lead to a gradual reduction in the number of tax slabs in a time-bound manner.

Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Gowda had pointed out that while tax rates in India were routinely 18 per cent, they were less than 17 per cent in developed countries and around 16.6 per cent on an average in emerging economies.

A higher tax rate would turn India into a high-tax economy and hurt investment and economic growth.
'The UPA was never soft on Pakistan, terrorists and even China, but Sonia Gandhi's Congress rightly earned a "soft" image on issues of hard national interest, leaving the field open for Modi to take it and wrap it around with his implicit Hindutva,' says Shekhar Gupta.

At a public conversation with me last month, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said several things that wouldn't have made his party happy.

The first was his reply to a question on his party's suspicion of electronic voting machines -- that if these could be rigged, 'some Badal' would be sitting there, not he.

It was on a day when his party president and vice-president had led a protest at Rashtrapati Bhawan (on the issue of alleged EVM tampering).

Next, he said his victory showed that national parties now must accept the importance of having strong regional leaders.

People needed to know who they were electing to lead them, he said, and that times when national leaders could come and get you votes were over.

Third, he said one reason the Congress did so well in Punjab this time was also because he was given a free hand to choose the candidates.

Last time, he said, he was allowed to pick only 46 of the 117 and the party lost against the run of play.

None of these statements would please his party's non-electable darbaris.

I am not sure how his party would have reacted. However, the most headline-making statement he made was a frontal, no-holds-barred, Sikh Regiment (in which he served)-style assault on the Sikh radical sympathisers in Canada, particularly those in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's much-admired Liberal government.

He said he would not meet the Canadian defence minister, a former colonel and an Afghan war hero of sorts, Harjit Singh Sajjan, on his visit to Punjab for his 'Khalistan links.'

All four of the Sikh ministers in Canada are Khalistani sympathisers, he said.

He was as uncluttered as only a Punjabi or a soldier can be -- and he is both.

He said he wanted to go to Canada and speak to the Punjabis there and it was under pressure from 'these Khalistan activists' that he wasn't allowed.

He said he shared the worldwide admiration for Trudeau's liberalism, but why did he then deny him his freedom of speech by barring his entry into Canada?

That the Canadian government reacted immediately, defending its ministers and stating that Amarinder was welcome to visit Canada was only a side story, although the only reason our usually breathless warrior media has not hailed it as a brilliant diplomatic success is partly because Amarinder is not from the Bharatiya Janata Party, and partly because Punjab is so out of sight, out of mind.

But what if the BJP were to rise to the occasion now and welcome his courage and forthrightness in supreme national interest and lend heft to his criticism of foreign Sikh radical groups?

Surely, Amarinder was provoked by the fact that a large number of wealthy, foreign Sikh radicals descended on Punjab to help his main rivals, the Aam Aadmi Party -- 'mostly from Canada and some from Australia,' he said.

They tried reopening the wounds of 1984. But he was also raising a point any Indian patriot, especially the leader of a pan-national party, should have been making.

His own party was too somnolent to respond to such situations, and probably also nursed a bad conscience over its own role in that past. But the BJP?

In his keenness to reach out to world leaders, to attract their admiration for India and himself, did someone as astute as Narendra Modi also miss a trick?

Why did he not attack these Khalistanis-come-lately types in the election campaign for the threat they represented?

Why did his government not raise at least a point someplace, reminding Canada of the antecedents of its new Sikh ministers and seeking a clearer assurance that they had got over that fantasy?

The fact is, at least three of these ministers have dodgy pasts from India's point of view.

Sajjan's father was one of the founders of the controversial World Sikh Organisation. He is an Afghan war veteran who also, subsequently, ran a Vancouver-based private intelligence consultancy that advised allied forces.

Another minister, Navdeep Singh Bains, is the son-in-law of Darshan Singh Saini, who used to be the spokesman of the banned Babbar Khalsa and his own past leanings were never hidden.

Yet another minister, Amarjit Singh Sohi, was, in fact, incarcerated in India on terror charges and then released by courts, as nothing could be proved.

Private assurances have been given to India by Ottawa, but there has never been an unequivocal statement that this old campaign is over.

It is a further surprise, therefore, that neither the BJP nor the Congress had so far raised this red flag, even though radical forces from Canada were funding and campaigning for their adversaries.

Amarinder Singh might sound too blunt and un-diplomatic like a bash-on-regardless infantryman, but he is a pucca politician.

As I was seeing him off after the conversation, I complimented him for the clarity, especially on the Canadian issue.

'Thanks,' he said, 'now tell me, how will the BJP deal with this Sajjan? I have called him a Khalistani.' How will they roll out the red carpet now to a Canadian Sikh minister he had outed like this?

This was political point-scoring at one level. But if you analyse it a bit more deeply, it also underlines a deeper political issue.

For more than a decade now, his party has ceded nationalism to the BJP.

The United Progressive Alliance was never soft on Pakistan, terrorists and even China (it didn't back off in spite of Chinese threats when the Dalai Lama visited Tawang in 2009) but Sonia Gandhi's Congress rightly earned a 'soft' image on issues of hard national interest, leaving the field open for Modi to take it and wrap it around with his implicit Hindutva to build an unbeatable popular appeal.

Remember how Digvijaya Singh ruined his own party's case by raising doubts over the Batla House encounter -- in which a police inspector was killed, was decorated with the Ashok Chakra, the highest peacetime gallantry award, by his own government.

Or how Binayak Sen, convicted under sedition laws for support to Maoists, was helped along with a reprieve, which was one thing, but then also lionised by being appointed on an important committee of the Planning Commission, completely convincing the voters that the party was in cahoots with the Maoists, had given up Indira Gandhi's old hard line on national security and started thinking like an NGO.

Amarinder Singh, its own leader, created an opening to embarrass the Modi government over such an emotive 'national security' issue.

The Congress probably thinks: Isn't this guy talking too much?

Knowing how sharp Narendra Modi is, he would have made a mental note and would grab the first possible opportunity to raise this, get some kind of a solemn assurance or clarification and use the opening provided by Amarinder Singh to his advantage.

The Congress is now so brain-washed that it is incapable of seeing nationalism as being distinct from Hindutva, and something no political party, least of all a national party, can afford to abandon. It shows in their electoral fortunes.

IMAGE: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Photograph: PTI Photo
'History will repeat itself after a decade or so and historians will point to the folly of May 2017 as the event that sowed the seeds of another 9/11,' warns Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).

With United States President Donald Trump's arrival in Saudi Arabia, the US expects to kick start an anti-Iran coalition.

In Saudi Arabia, Trump will meet with 56 leaders of Sunni Muslim countries who have gathered in Riyadh.

The conference marks the formation of a Sunni Muslim NATO, with a combined military force commanded by retired Pakistan army chief, General Raheel Sharif.

It is an attempt to recreate the united Islamic armies of the past and usher in a caliphate led by Saudi Arabia.

The US is expected to offer modern arms worth $100 billion to Saudi Arabia.

The target of this Sunni Muslim-US combine are Iran and Syria.

Sounds familiar? Cut to the 1980s.

The Soviet Union was the 'evil' empire and Afghanistan was the battlefield.

A movie on the events of those days, Charlie Wilson's War shows how an enterprising US Congressman made sure that the Afghan mujahideen were armed with Stringer missiles.

According to most military analysts, the supply of these missiles turned the tide against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.

The Stingers checkmated Soviet airpower, especially its deadly helicopter gunships (the MI-24) and gave the anti-Soviet insurgents a battlefield edge.

It was a turning point in Afghanistan like the Tet offensive in Vietnam in January 1968 or the battle of Cuito Cuanavale in Angola against the South Africans.

In all these cases, more than the battlefield success, it was the psychological effect that was important.

To make Afghanistan Russia's 'Vietnam', the Americans used radicalisation to good effect.

The school curriculum to produce Islamic fighters was designed at a Wisconsin university and implemented in madarsas in Pakistan.

Another byproduct of American polices in the Afghan war was Pakistan's nuclear capability.

Less than 10 years after the Soviets were ousted from Afghanistan, the situation had changed radically.

The once glorified mujhideen metamorphosed into the murderous Taliban.

The combination of radicalisation and free supply of weapons gave birth to Al Qaeda led by Osama bin Laden, who soon turned against his former benefactors.

By 1990, the Americans were offering top dollar to mop up Stinger missiles.

President Clinton was forced to launch missile attacks against Al Qaeda and its affiliates in August 1998.

Finally, Al Qaeda struck at the US mainland on 9/11 causing over 3,000 casualties. The US then landed in Afghanistan to destroy Al Qaeda and the Taliban, essentially a Frankenstein's monster of its own creation.

The US is still bogged down in that fight in Afghanistan.

As Pakistan became an epicentre of jihad, the US urged the shutting down of madarsas and promote the de-radicalisation of education, for which it again provided generous inancial assistance to Islamabad.

After having ignored Pakistani nuclear weapons during the Afghan war, the US is now worried about these falling into the hands of terrorists.

Graham T Allison (The Atlantic, October 2004) notes that it is not whether but when a terrorist nuclear attack will take place and if that weapon will have a made in Pakistan label.

History will repeat itself after a decade or so and historians will point to the folly of May 2017 as the event that sowed the seeds of another 9/11.

Trump is not the first to flirt with the Islamic caliphate.

Our very own Mahatma Gandhi in 1919 wholeheartedly supported the pan Islamist Khilafat movement in India to foster united opposition to British rule.

Why are the Americans blind to the long term consequences?

Part of the explanation lies in the composition of the Trump administration.

Other than fashion designers or business tycoons, the only professionals in his administration are military men.

Unfortunately, the last time the US fought a conventional conflict in which strategic acumen and geopolitical vision was necessary was in 1991.

Ever since the US is mainly engaged in counter insurgency warfare, the so-called 'Company Commanders' war.

The current US military leadership thus lacks strategic vision and is innocent of history or geo-politics. There are no General Eisenhowers or General Marshals in the US military. The last of this tribe was Colin Powell.

The Indian elites are yet to realise the pincer in which they are caught.

On the one hand, the US' Middle East interests mean bolstering Saudi Arabia and associated fundamentalist Sunni nations for which Pakistan is essential.

All the arms assistance to the Middle East is eventually part of Pakistan's arsenal. India has seen this in 1965 and 1971.

On the other hand, the freeze on the Tibet issue makes for an inimical China that uses Pakistan as a proxy to check India.

Colonel Anil A Athale (retd) is a military historian.
United States President Donald Trump told Russian officials at an Oval Office meeting last week that firing Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey eased pressure on him as he was a real nut job and crazy, a media report claimed on Saturday.

"I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job, Trump told Russian minister Sergei Lavrov and the country's Ambassador to the US, the Times reported, citing minutes of the meeting between Trump and the Russians.

According to the US daily, the quotes and other excerpts from the minutes was readout to its correspondent by a Trump administration official.

Another, on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the quotes from the said document.

I faced great pressure because of Russia. Thats taken off...I am not under investigation, he was quoted as saying by said the daily.

The White House did not comment on the authenticity of Trumps conversation with the Russian officials in the Oval Office on May 9.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told The New York Times in a statement that Comey had behaved politically and put unnecessary pressure on the presidents ability to conduct diplomacy with Russia on matters such as Syria, Ukraine and the Islamic State.

"By grandstanding and politicising the investigation into Russias actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia, Spicer said.

He said the investigation would have always continued, and the termination of Comey would not have ended it.

"Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations, he added.

According to the daily, a Trump Administration official defended President's purported conversation with the Russians as he wanted to a create a sense of obligation with them and to coax concessions out of them on Syria, Ukraine, and other issues.

The latest crisis to beset Trump comes days after an another revelation by the daily which claimed that the President has asked sacked Comey to end the agencys investigation into ties between his former national security adviser Mike Flynn and Russia.

Comey was abruptly fired by Trump at a time when he was leading an investigation into whether Trump's election campaign had links with Russia in the US polls last year.

Another report published by The Washington Post claimed that Trump had revealed highly classified details to Lavrov and the Russian ambassador during the same meeting at the Oval Office.

Meanwhile, CNN reported that the Russian officials bragged that they could use Flynn to influence Trump.

"This was a five-alarm fire from early on....the way the Russians were talking about him, an official of the previous Obama administration said.

Another former administration official said Flynn was viewed as a potential national security problem, CNN reported.

The White House, however, denied such allegations.

We are confident that when these inquiries are complete there will be no evidence to support any collusion between the (Trump) campaign and Russia, an official said in a statement to CNN.

This matter is not going to distract the President or this administration from its work to bring back jobs and keep America safe, the official added.

*****

Comey to testify in US Congress

Sacked FBI director James Comey has agreed to testify before a Congressional committee in an open session about alleged Russian interference in the US presidential polls last year.

A date of this open hearing would be scheduled after the Memorial Day, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence said on Friday.

The Committee looks forward to receiving testimony from the former (FBI) director on his role in the development of the Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian interference in the 2016 US elections, Senator Richard Burr, chairman of the Committee, said.

Comey's abrupt sacking by Trump triggered a political firestorm with an angry opposition calling for an appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the alleged Russian influence in last year's general elections.

The president's move came days after Comey testified in Capitol Hill about the FBI's investigation into Russias meddling into the US elections and a possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

"I am hopeful that he will clarify for the American people recent events that have been broadly reported in the media, Burr said.

Senator Mark Warner, ranking member of the Committee, hoped that Comey's testimony will help answer some of the questions that have arisen since he was fired by Trump last week.

"I also expect that director Comey will be able to shed light on issues critical to this Committee's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election," he said.

"Comey served his country with honour for many years, and he deserves an opportunity to tell his story. Moreover, the American people deserve an opportunity to hear it," Warner said.
By India Today Web Desk: Hoping to put EVM row to rest, Election Commission to hold demo, exhibit short film

Today's live demo comes amid allegations raised by the Opposition that the EC's EVMs are vulnerable to hacking and tampering.

New Russia probe leaks threaten to derail Donald Trump's foreign trip

The reports, emerging just as Trump jetted off to Saudi Arabia on his first foreign trip as president, were likely to extend the turmoil engulfing his administration since the May 9 firing of former FBI Director James Comey.

advertisement

Loved Salman's Jag Ghoomeya? Now Iulia Vantur's version is out and we are loving it

While many assumed that Iulia would make her Bollywood debut soon, she surprised everyone when she chose to make her singing debut with her single last year.

IPL 2017 Qualifier 2: Karn Sharma repays faith shown by Mumbai Indians

Karn Sharma impressed with the ball with a man-of-the-match performance against Kolkata Knight Riders in the second qualifier after initially being kept out of the team.

--- ENDS ---
The Defence Acquisition Council on Saturday finalised the broad contours of a much-awaited policy under which select private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign entities.

Seen as a major initiative, the 'strategic partnership model' aims to create a vibrant defence manufacturing ecosystem in the country through involvement of both the major Indian corporates as well as the MSME sector.

The DAC, chaired by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, held in-depth deliberations on the new policy for the second time this week and decided to give a go-ahead to it.

Initially, the policy is expected to be implemented for manufacturing fighter aircraft, submarines and armoured vehicles. It is expected to be expanded to other segments at a later stage.

The policy is likely to be examined by the finance ministry before being considered by the Cabinet Committee on Security.

"Breaking new ground, the DAC under the chairmanship of Defence Minister, Arun Jaitley, today finalised the broad contours of a policy aimed at engaging the Indian private sector in the manufacture of high-tech defence equipment in India," the defence ministry said in a statement.

It said the policy envisages establishment of long-term strategic partnerships with Indian defence majors through a transparent and competitive process wherein they would tie up with global OEMs to seek technology transfers to set up domestic manufacturing infrastructure and supply chains.

"The policy will give a boost to the 'Make in India' policy in the defence sector and set Indian industry on the path to acquiring cutting-edge capabilities which will contribute to building of self-reliance in the vital sector,"the ministry said.

Referring to sectors identified to implement the policy, it said additional segments may be added in future.

"Appropriate institutional mechanisms will be set in place to implement the policy," the minister said.

Last week, Jaitley had a meeting on the SP model with representatives of defence arms of leading groups including Larsen and Toubro, Ashok Leyland, Mahindra and Mahindra, Reliance Infra, Tata Group, Punj Lloyd, Adani Group and Bharat Forge Ltd.

At that meeting, some industry representatives had favoured a level playing field and expanding the industry base by allowing entry of new players.

It was learnt that some officials had also raised concern about possible "judicial intervention and federal audit" in case of award of successive orders to one 'strategic partner'.

The SP model was proposed by the Dhirendra Singh Committee in July, 2015. It had said that for the 'Make in India' initiative to become wider in the defence sector, the government should adopt a strategic partnership model, whereby a private firm is chosen for the development of a specific identified platform.

Last year, the then defence minister Manohar Parrikar had announced that the policy on SP model would be unveiled soon.
Pakistan on Saturday said that the International Court of Justice has not given any order regarding consular access for Kulbhushan Jadhav who has been sentenced to death according to the laws of the country.

"The ICJ has only asked Pakistan to keep a stay on Jadhav's execution until it arrives at a decision," Pakistan PM's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said.

He also ruled out any compromise on the issue of Jadhav and said "when there will be matter of our national interest and security, then there will be no compromise."

His colleague and Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan said the case would be taken to its "logical conclusion in accordance with Pakistan's law and constitution."

Khan said certain elements are on the payroll of "our enemies" and receiving funds from them to stoke anarchy and unrest in the country.

Jadhav, 46, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of "involvement in espionage and sabotage activities" against the country.

The ICJ on May 18 stayed the execution of Jadhav.

Addressing a press conference Islamabad, Aziz said that when it comes to cases involving the death penalty, the international court has always given a stay order.

He said the ICJ has not decided on consular access and has only intimated that the matter will come under discussion.

"The ICJ has not issued any order with regard to consular access," he added.

Aziz also claimed that Jadhav was not an ordinary Indian, and said he was "an officer in the Indian Navy who has also admitted to carrying out espionage activities in Pakistan."

Jadhav was sentenced according to the laws of Pakistan after he admitted to entering the country on fake passport and involvement in terror activities, the top diplomat added.

"We will try for early hearing of this case in the ICJ and will present our stance with full preparation," he said.

He said it was wrong to say that Pakistan has been defeated in ICJ and asserted that Pakistan has strong position regarding merit and jurisdiction of the case.

Aziz said the Kashmir issue would not be taken to ICJ as it is being dealt at the higher forum of UN Security Council.

"We are not taking Kashmir issue to ICJ. I never said this as the forum for Kashmir is UN Security Council," he said.

He said Pakistan wants amicable resolution of the Kashmir issue in line with UN resolutions and Islamabad will "continue its political, moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiri people in their struggle for right to self-determination."

Talking about the visit of Indian tycoon Sajjan Jindal, Aziz said that it was a private visit and there was no need for foreign office to issue a statement on the issue. He also rejected any link between Jindal's visit and the Jadhav case.

Responding to a question as to why an ad-hoc judge was not nominated by Pakistan, he said the government could not appoint one within a short notice of five days.

He also rejected question about the Britain-based lawyer Khawar Qureshi and said he was appointed to plead the case after consultation with all stakeholders.

The foreign office was criticised for its "poor handling" of the case and for its choice of Qureshi as counsel.

Aziz, however, said that Pakistan will further strengthen its legal team and that it will go forward into the case with full preparation. "We will go with a strong team in the next hearing," he added.

Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali will plead Pakistan's case at the ICJ against Jadhav.

Their comments came after ICJ stayed Jadhav's execution and also endorsed Indian request for consular access to him.

The Pakistan government has come under a lot of criticism for its "mishandling" of the case at ICJ.

Jadhav's case is the latest flash-point in the tensions between Pakistan and India. The two countries last faced off at the ICJ 18 years ago when Islamabad sought its intervention over the shooting down of its naval aircraft.
A tweet by O Panneerselvam, leader of the Puratchi Thalaivi faction of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, on a possible alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party after the declaration of civic polls kicked up a storm on Saturday.

"We will take a decision on alliance with BJP once local body elections are announced," the tweet from Panneerselvam's twitter handle @OfficeOfOPS said.

The tweet, however, was later removed with the faction clarifying that it will decide on the tie-up with 'any party' only after the local body poll dates were declared.

The development came a day after Panneerselvam called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi to discuss the issues concerning Tamil Nadu.

In an apparent damage control move, the media team of the faction clarified that the alliance could be with any party depending upon the situation.

"We mean that only after the announcement of local body elections we will think about the alliance with any political party," another tweet from the @OfficeOfOPS handle said in a clarification.

Former chief minister Panneerselvam had revolted against AIADMK chief V K Sasikala in February this year, alleging he was forced to make way for her to the state's top post.

Later, he led a host of MPs, MLAs and senior leaders to form a faction of his own.

He had also fielded E Madusudanan for the now cancelled April 12 RK Nagar bypoll against AIADMK-Amma Deputy General Secretary T T V Dinakaran. The BJP had nominated Gangai Amaren for the election.

The Election Commission had cancelled the bypoll over the use of money power to influence voters.

The proposed merger talks between the two factions led by Panneerselvam and chief minister K Palaniswami, has remained a non-starter owing to the former's insistence on expulsion of Sasikala, Dinakaran and their family members from AIADMK.

IMAGE: O Panneerselvam meets Prime MInister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday, May 19. Photograph: @OfficeOfOPS/Twitter
Last updated on: May 20, 2017 20:00 IST

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has been re-elected for a second four-year term with an unassailable leader, as per results announced by the country's interior ministry on Saturday.

The Iranian interior ministry has declared the almost final results of the Friday presidential election, putting Hassan Rouhani in the lead with 22,796,468 votes so far, state-owned Press TV reported.

President Rouhani's main rival Ebrahim Raeisi garnered 15,452,194 votes, while Mostafa Aqa-Mirsalim and Mostafa Hashemi-Taba, the other two candidates, have so far received 455,211 and 210,597 votes respectively.

Rouhani has gained 56.88 percent of the votes so far, compared to 38.55 percent for Raeisi. Aqa-Mirsalim and Hashemi-Taba have so far secured 1.13 and 0.52 percent of the votes, respectively.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Rouhani on his re-election and affirmed India's commitment to strengthen the "special relationship" between the two nations.

"Heartiest congratulations to my friend, President @HassanRouhani on his re-election," Modi tweeted in English and Persian languages.

"India remains committed to strengthening our special relationship with Iran," he added.

The prime minister expressed confidence that Iran will continue to achieve new heights under the dynamic leadership of President Rouhani.

Iran's 12th presidential election was held on Friday and voting hours were extended several times due to a high turnout in the polls.

More than 40 million ballots were used in the 12th Presidential election.

Rouhani's win is likely to have a huge impact on the country's relations with the West and on the Iran nuclear deal which was achieved after years of tough negotiations.

The election is seen as a verdict on President Rouhani's policy of opening up Iran to the world and his efforts to revive the economy.

Rouhani has sought to frame the election as a choice between greater civil liberties and extremism.

With inputs from PTI










A suspected agent of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence has been detained by the intelligence wing of Rajasthan Police from Jaisalmer district and some documents have been recovered from his possession.

Hazi Khan, 55, was detained on Friday from his village in Jaisalmer and is being interrogated in Jodhpur, said Deputy Inspector General, Security, H Raghvendra Suhasaa.

Hazi Khan, a resident of Kunjarali village of Jaisalmer, has visited Pakistan three times and is suspected to have connections with the ISI, he said.

Some vital information and incriminating documents have been recovered from his possession which are being verified, he said.

He is suspected to have passed on secret strategic information pertaining to the army and the Air Force to the ISI, an Intelligence source said.

"His name emerged following interrogation of two spies Haji Khan and Sadik Khan, who were arrested earlier this year under the Official Secret Act," said the source.

The accused, a local farmer, was on the intelligence radar for some time.

He is being interrogated to get details of his network and the information shared by him, the source said, adding that he was arrested earlier also, but was let off in absence of evidence against him.

Haji is a frequent traveller to Pakistan to see his family members.

"We are conducting raids at few more places today," Suhasaa said.

"The man has not been arrested so far," the officer added.
Press monitoring organisation Middle East Monitor (MEMO) has reported that controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik has been granted the citizenship of Saudi Arabia.

It said that Saudi's King Salman 'personally intervened' to grant citizenship to Naik to 'save him from arrest by Interpol'.

On Thursday, a non-bailable warrant was issued against Naik by a special National Investigation Agency court in Mumbai . Naik is wanted by the agency for his alleged role in a terror case.

Last week, another Mumbai court had issued a NBW against Naik in a case of money laundering registered by the Enforcement Directorate.

The arrest of Naik is urgently required for the purpose of the investigation in order to unearth the entire conspiracy, the NIA said.

Naik, 51, left India last year, allegedly to evade arrest after some perpetrators of Dhaka terror attack claimed that they were inspired by him.

Following the Dhaka attack, the NIA had registered a case against him and some officials of his organisation, Islamic Research Foundation, under section 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The BJP doesn't want to focus entirely on an anti-Mamata campaign.

Ishita Ayan Dutt reports.

IMAGE: BJP supporters in Kolkata. Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters

Bengal woke up to shock and disbelief on Ram Navami last month as saffron clad, sword-wielding youths chanting 'Jai Shri Ram,' 'Jai Bajranj Bali,' and 'Har Har Mahadev ' led processions across the state, including Kolkata, a city that conjures up images of a liberal intelligentsia.

Tableaus, processions, slogans -- the Ram Navami celebrations in Bengal, organised by the Vishva Hindu Parishad, Hindu Jagran Manch and various other affiliates of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, had gained truly epic proportions.

As the city was coming to terms with the images, the Kanthi by-election took place, and the result was yet another eye opener.

Trinamool candidate Chandrima Bhattacharya won by more than 45,000 votes, no surprises there. But the Bharatiya Janata Party's Sourindra Mohan relegated the Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Congress to the third and fourth positions.

Clearly, the saffron party is spreading wings in Bengal, right now at the expense of the Left.

The numbers confirmed the chatter in public nooks and corners for a while now.

"In my neighbourhood there is a park. Every day, a small group of RSS workers used to come for training. Some people used to stand and watch. Now most of those bystanders have joined the group," says a person at a neighbourhood shop.

It's a story to narrate how the BJP-RSS are quietly penetrating Bengal.

The by-election results have obviously enthused the BJP leadership.

BJP national president Amit Shah left West Bengal after a three-day visit, promising to be back in September.

Unlike his last campaign that relied on political rhetoric, this one was strategic and symbolic: He had lunch on a banana leaf at a tribal home in Naxalbari, once a hotbed of Left politics, visited a slum in Bhawanipore, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's constituency, coined a simple tagline, Ebar Bangla.

Chandra Kumar Bose, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's grand nephew, who took on Banerjee in 2016, says Shah chose to visit booth 269 in the 82nd ward of the constituency where the BJP had particularly performed badly in the assembly elections.

"We could have chosen one where I had won. But we deliberately chose this one and the response was spontaneous."

Since no change in West Bengal is possible without the influence of the intelligentsia, Shah also interacted with Kolkata's most important stakeholders.

In 2011, Mamata Banerjee had issued a clarion call, Paribartan Chai (We Want Change), with the support of the Bengal intelligentsia to topple the 34-year Left government.

Iconic cultural personalities: writer and social activist Mahasweta Devi; painters Shuvaprasanna and Jogen Chowdhury; theatre personalities Bratya Basu, Bibhas Chakraborty and Shaonli Mitra; actor and film director Aparna Sen; poet Joy Goswami had come together to shape public opinion and to what effect.

Shah too has kept his tagline simple: Ebar Bangla.

So, what is the reason behind the BJP's rise in Bengal?

Painter Samir Aich, one of the supporters of the Paribartan Chai campaign, says it's the Trinamool Congress.

"People are fed up with the Trinamool Congress. There is so much factionalism that even TMC workers are being attacked by their own partymen. There is no development. Whatever changes have happened are just cosmetic."

Aich has switched camps since. In 2014, he contested the Lok Sabha election on a Congress ticket.

Political analyst Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chadhury explains that the other parties in the Opposition have lost their mojo.

"The CPI-M has the same old faces that were rejected by the people in the last two assembly elections. The Congress has too many leaders."

That apart, the BJP's biggest weapon is Banerjee's appeasement policy.

Her monthly stipend for imams and muezzins, scholarships for students from minority communities, and above all, a poor law and order situation have had even the most secular Bengalis seething with quiet resentment.

The BJP always had the support of a pocket of trader community, but now there is growing support from a new middle class Bengali.

The Trinamool manifesto in 2016 pledged to protect the minorities and backward classes. 'We will pay special attention to protect the minorities, the SC/ST/OBCs and tribal people from communal and social oppression,' it said.

Banerjee's pledge has earned her undivided support from the 27 per cent Muslim community in Bengal.

"There was always this latent resentment against the Muslim community in Bengal. Now that is coming to the fore and this is very apparent from the conversations on social media," points out Basu Ray Chaudhury.

Much before she became chief minister, Banerjee got a life membership card of the Matua Mahasangha.

The Matua community numbers about 10 million and even the Left leaders had once hobnobbed with the community leader, Baro Ma.

"Identity politics is not new to Bengal, but it used to be based on ethnic and religious communities. The BJP's approach is more antagonistic, possibly to reap greater dividends," says Basu Ray Chaudhury.

The BJP has goals to achieve. The panchayat election is in 2018, the general election in 2019, the semi-final municipal election in 2020 and assembly election in 2021.

Will Ebar Bangla happen?

Amit Shah has said the situation in Bengal is far more favourable than he thought it was, and he would be back in September for a similar exercise. Shah, Bose says, has shown the path.

"Shah has shown that you need to do grassroot work. As a national leader if he could do it, everyone in the party should be able to do. Bengal politics is different. People are subtle. They don't like loud noise."

The BJP did stupendously well in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Bengal with a 17 per cent vote share, but squandered it away in every subsequent election.

"The problem is the BJP doesn't have a base here and they don't have any local leader who will be able to mobilise people," Basu Ray Chaudhury says.

"The BJP's chances will ultimately depend on whether they can woo voters from the TMC. Right now," he adds, "the desertion is from the Left and Congress. But if they can manage some heavyweight leader from the TMC then they will probably get many seats in the upcoming elections."

After the Lok Sabha elections, the only strategy the BJP used to fight elections was to combat the TMC by engaging in verbal duels in television studios.

But Banerjee knows better. She makes frequent visits to districts, holds administrative meetings in districts and hence knows the pulse of the people.

The BJP has learnt from its mistakes. It doesn't want to focus entirely on an anti-Mamata campaign. Rather, it will focus on the development agenda.

As Bose says, "The BJP cannot bank on Mamata's failure. That way, we can be a second alternative and we are already eating into the Opposition's vote share. But we need to show results to win elections."

Bose, for instance, will now endeavour to build toilets in the Bhawanipur slum that Shah visited. He would also like to build houses under a central scheme, but for all this, he will need support from the local Trinamool councillor.

There is scope for work. Shah has given a host of data to punch holes in Bengal's development story.

The most important among which is that every fifth person in Bengal is in the BPL category.

Finance Minister Amit Mitra, however, has countered Shah's set of data with another set of data to show that Bengal scores better than the country on many parameters.

Ultimately, when the parties go to the polls, it's the deliverables that will matter.
Those familiar with Hindi poetry are aware of Rahim's elevated status in the medieval history of literature -- he is one of the triumvirate of doha writers, the other two being Kabir and Tulsidas, says Uttaran Das Gupta.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

Some weeks ago, three ministers of the Rajasthan government proposed to rewrite the history of the battle of Haldighati to show Maharana Pratap as the winner of the critical conflict with Mughal emperor Akbar.

Historians have traditionally agreed that the battle was inconclusive, resulting in a sort of uneasy truce between Akbar's expansionist ambitions and the Mewari ruler's struggle to retain his independence.

In no way could this be recast as a religious war -- the Mughal army was led by Raja Man Singh of Amber and Rana Pratap's chief of artillery was Pashtun warrior Hakim Khan Suri.

Yet, attempts to do so are neither new nor novel.

In the early 20th century, Jaishankar Prasad, one of the pioneers of the Chhayavaad movement in Hindi poetry, wrote Maharana Ka Mahatv, in which Rana Pratap is, of course, the hero, fighting a nationalistic battle against the Muslim invader, Akbar.

The third important character in the poem is Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khana, then one of the younger generals in the Mughal army.

In Jaishankar's poem, centred on the battle of Haldighati, Pratap and Rahim are adversaries who cannot help admire each other.

Those familiar with Hindi poetry are aware of Rahim's elevated status in the medieval history of literature -- he is one of the triumvirate of doha writers, the other two being Kabir and Tulsidas.

Now, there is a concerted effort by historians and organisations to renew public consciousness about Rahim's other contributions.

In mid-March, a festival, Celebrating Rahim, took place in New Delhi.

Former high commissioner to Singapore and Pakistan T C A Raghavan's biography of Rahim -- as well as his father Bairam Khan, Attendant Lords Bairam Khan And Abdur Rahim: Courtiers & Poets In Mughal India -- is part of the larger effort, but also unique in its historiographical ambitions.

The first chapter of the book is on Bairam Khan, who served for four years as Akbar's regent after the sudden death of his father Humayun (1556).

It begins with Bairam's assassination on January 31, 1561, at Patan.

The remaining five chapters are justifiably monopolised by his son who far outshone Bairam.

In the introduction, Raghavan, who has a PhD in history from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, writes, 'Between them, the father and son straddled some hundred years of Mughal history in India, living through the reigns of four emperors, and their spectacular and turbulent trajectories reflect both the grand designs and the destructive courtly intrigues of Mughal politics.'

In Raghavan's book, Rahim emerges on stage at the Mughal court, first as an accomplished young man -- poet and soldier, as would be have common for a noble -- and then gradually charts an illustrious career in politics and literature.

His rise is comparable to, but often more fabulous than, his contemporaries in Renaissance Europe -- Michelangelo, Machiavelli and others.

While we get a sweeping picture of his life and times, we are also treated to nuggets and anecdotes, such as how, encouraged by Akbar, Rahim started learning Portuguese.

Raghavan quotes a 1582 letter by Father Acquaviva, who led the first Jesuit mission to Akbar's court: 'Mirza Khan (Abdur Rahim)... at the suggestion of the King wishes to learn the Portuguese and Latin languages and has already made a start in them...'

What also emerges is a tableau of the vibrant courts of Akbar and Jehangir, moving away from more conservative and rigid aspect of Islam, turning liberal and Sufi.

Raghavan argues that the influence of Rahim's Mewati relatives as well as the Rajputs at court quite possibly influenced his choice of poetic forms and subjects.

One of his earlier works is Barvai Nayika Bhed, written in short couplets, exploring a range of emotions felt by women in love.

Considered a minor landmark, it is remarkable for a number of reasons: A Mughal nobleman writing a Hindi poem in a form popular in Sanskrit.

By the time Rahim's dohas were written, he was far gone into the kind of Sufism that post-truth rewriters of history will find beyond their imaginative faculties.

My only quarrel is with the title of this book.

It is taken from The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock by T S Eliot:

No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be;

Am an attendant lord...

This, is turn, is a reference to William Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Though there is hardly any critical consensus on this, Eliot's 'attendant lord' in all probability refers to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two minor characters in the play who serve only as plot devices. (Tom Stoppard has used their hapless fate to create his existential tragicomedy Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.)

Bairam and Rahim, frequently central players and at times even in control of the fate of the Mughal empire, are not attendant lords by any stretch of the imagination, even if they are not the prince.
By Press Trust of India: Kolkata, May 20 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate has issued fresh summons to Narada news CEO Mathew Samuel in its money laundering probe, initiated after a sting operation purportedly showed several TMC leaders, including MPs and ministers, taking money.

Samuel was first summoned by the central probe agency to depose on May 18 at its office here.

advertisement

However, officials said, he informed the agency that he would not be able to appear in person due to some medical condition and requested them to question him at his present location in Kerala.

Hence, Samuel has been asked to meet the investigating officer (IO) of the case on May 24 at its office in Kochi in Kerala, the officials said.

The ED has asked him to carry along documents relating to his personal finances, those of the news channel and material related to the purported sting operation, they said.

Samuel is not an accused in the ED FIR, called the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), and the agency wants to quiz him to get information about the sting and circumstances in which it was carried out.

Samuel has been quizzed by the CBI in this case earlier.

CBI too is probing the case separately on charges of corruption.

The agency had registered a criminal compliant in this case last month under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after studying the CBI FIR.

It will probe the proceeds of crime generated in this case.

While the CBIs criminal FIR had been registered against 12 TMC leaders and an IPS officer, the ED FIR has been booked against 14 entities that include a category of unidentified persons apart from the 13 in the CBI compliant, they said.

The sting operation pertains to the filming of the TMC leaders and the IPS officer while they allegedly accepted money from the representatives of a fictitious company for extending favours to it.

The TMC leaders against whom the CBI has registered the FIR, now also booked by the ED, include Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Roy, Lok Sabha MPs-- Saugata Roy, Aparupa Poddar, Sultan Ahmed, Prasun Banerjee and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.

West Bengal ministers including Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim, Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Environment Minister Sovan Chatterjee, Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Minister Subrata Mukherjee have also been named in the FIR.

advertisement

Former Minister Madan Mitra, MLA Iqbal Ahmed and IPS officer Saiyaad Mustafa Hussain Mirza have also been made accused in the case.

Mirza, who was then posted as the Superintendent of Police of Burdwan, was too purportedly seen accepting money on camera.

The Calcutta High Court had ordered the CBI to conduct a preliminary enquiry in the matter and had later on directed it to file an FIR to probe the incident.

The FIR was registered under section 120 (b) of IPC related to criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act dealing with bribery and criminal misconduct.

The sting operation was supposed to be published in a magazine where Samuel, the man behind it, was then working.

However, the tapes were later run on Naradanews.com. PTI NES TIR

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 20 (PTI) The Indian Navy has sent a ship and an aircraft to help Maldives in locating a landing craft which went missing two days back.

The Navy sent the INS Kirch and a Dornier aircraft for a search and rescue operation for the missing Maldivian Landing Craft Maria 3, Navy spokesperson Capt D K Sharma said.

advertisement

The landing craft was travelling from K Thulusdhoo, an island in Maldives to L Gan, another island. It had six persons on board. PTI MPB BSA

--- ENDS ---
Somalia: Information on the Arab Salah ethnic group, including location, clan lineage and affiliation, including whether the clan is a minority (2014-July 2016)

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 24 August 2016 Citation / Document Symbol SOM105591.E Related Document(s) Somalie : information sur le groupe ethnique Arab Salah, y compris son emplacement, la lignee du clan et ses affiliations; information indiquant si le clan est minoritaire (2014-juillet 2016) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Somalia: Information on the Arab Salah ethnic group, including location, clan lineage and affiliation, including whether the clan is a minority (2014-July 2016) , 24 August 2016, SOM105591.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/592014144.html [accessed 10 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

Information on the Arab Salah ethnic group was scarce among the sources consulted within the time constraints of this Response.

According to a 2014 report by Saferworld [1] and the Puntland Non-State Actors' Association (PUNSAA) [2], the Arab Salah [also called Arab Salax, Arab Saleh, Meheri, Mehri] ethnic group is a sub-clan of the non-Harti Darod [Darood, Daroud, Daarood] (Saferworld and PUNSAA Apr. 2014, 2-3). The same source indicates that Puntland is "predominantly inhabited" by Harti-Darod sub-clans and non-Harti Darod sub-clans, such as the Arab Salah (ibid.). US-based Somali news website Somalia Report indicates that there is an Arab Salah population in Galmudug, a regional state in central Somalia [bordering Puntland] (19 Apr. 2012). Similarly, in correspondence with the Research Directorate, a Doctoral candidate at Oxford University who studies Somali history, state, and society, and has conducted fieldwork in Somalia, stated that the Arab Salah are associated with the Darod clan (31 July 2016). However, in correspondence with the Research Directorate, a researcher from Minority Rights Group International (MRG) who works on Somalia stated that Arab Salah is considered to be a "minority" group by the MRG (18 Aug. 2016). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

A 2010 report by MRG indicates that, politically, the Arab Salah are allocated two parliamentary seats for minorities under a "clan-based power-sharing system  [that] equalized representation of the four majority clans, and gave to the minorities overall roughly half the number of seats assigned to each of the majority clan-families" (MRG Oct. 2010, 14-15, 34-35).

According to the Doctoral candidate, the Arab Salah "mainly pursue trade" as an occupation and they "complain [of] marginalisation within the Majeerteen-dominated mini-state [of] Puntland" (ibid.). Further and corroborating information on the situation and treatment of Arab Salah clan members could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Notes

[1] Saferworld is a "politically independent research organization" that conducts progammes and policy development on conflict prevention (n.d.).

[2] The PUNSAA is a non-political, non-profit network of "NGOs, community-based organizations, business associations, and different categories of professionals, such as teachers, lawyers, and doctors," that was established with the assistance of the EU and organized to "advocate for and coordinate the interests and the voice of Puntland civil society" (PUNSAA n.d.).

References

Doctoral Candidate, Oxford University. 31 July 2016. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Minority Rights Group International (MRG). 18 August 2016. Correspondence from a researcher to the Research Directorate.

Minority Rights Group International (MRG). October 2010. No Redress: Somalia's Forgotten Minorities. By Martin Hill. [Accessed 26 July 2016]

Puntland Non-State Actors' Association (PUNSAA). N.d. "Background." [Accessed 22 Aug. 2016]

Saferworld and Puntland Non-State Actors' Association (PUNSAA). April 2014. Puntland at the Polls. [Accessed 18 Aug. 2016]

Saferworld. N.d. "Our History." [Accessed 22 Aug. 2016]

Somalia Report. 19 April 2012. "Website Profiles Somalia's Galmudug Administration." (Factiva)

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Associate Professor of history, University of Pennsylvania; Center for Research and Dialogue Somalia; Human Rights Watch; IIDA (Women's Development Organization); Independent Researcher on Somalia; Professor of anthropology, Colby College; Professor of history, Rutgers University; Professor of political science, Davidson College; Professor of political science, Northwestern University; Senior Lecturer in development studies, University of London; Saferworld.

Internet sites, including: Africa Confidential; Amnesty International; Anti-Tribalism Movement; BBC; ecoi.net; Factiva; Freedom House; Garowe Online; Hiiraan Online; Human Rights Watch; Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre; Institute for War and Peace Reporting; IRIN; Puntlandi.com; Puntland News24; Puntland Post; Radio Banadir; Radio France internationale; RaxanaReeb; Shabelle Media Network; Somaliland Press; Somaliland Times; Sonna.net; United Nations  Refworld, Reliefweb, UNDP; United States  Department of State.
Somalia: Information on the Ajuran clan, including location, clan affiliation, and whether the clan is a minority; treatment of members; reports of armed clashes with the Ogaden clan; reports of targeting of members of the Ajuran by Al Shabaab (2014-July 2016)

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 31 August 2016 Citation / Document Symbol SOM105590.E Related Document(s) Somalie : information sur le clan Ajuran, y compris sa repartition geographique et son affiliation clanique; information indiquant s'il s'agit d'un clan minoritaire; information sur le traitement reserve a ses membres; les affrontements armes signales avec le clan Ogaden; les cas signales de membres des Ajuran pris pour cible par al-Shabaab (2014-juillet 2016) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Somalia: Information on the Ajuran clan, including location, clan affiliation, and whether the clan is a minority; treatment of members; reports of armed clashes with the Ogaden clan; reports of targeting of members of the Ajuran by Al Shabaab (2014-July 2016), 31 August 2016, SOM105590.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/592016fa4.html [accessed 10 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. Locations

The Ajuran [Ajuuraan, Ujeran, Meqere] ethnic group in Somalia are described by sources as pastoralists (Doctoral candidate 31 July 2016; Ambroso Mar. 2002, 12). According to a 2011 report by the Norwegian Country of Origin Information Centre (LandInfo), the Ajuran speak a "Benaadir dialect" called "Af-Ajuraan" a "dialect from central Somalia" (Norway 22 July 2011, 13-14, 20). Sources indicate that Ajuran inhabit the regions of:

Gedo, Middle Juba, Bay regions (Somalia CEWERU Dec. 2013, 18) and Lower Juba (ibid., 33), including:

Hiraan region (Norway 22 July 2011, 13);



Dhinsor district (ibid.; AFP 12 Apr. 2007), about 270 kilometres west of Mogadishu (ibid.), in the Bay region (Radio Banaadir 11 Apr. 2007);



The Saakow and Bu'aale districts of Middle Juba (Norway 22 July 2011, 13; Somalia CEWERU Dec. 2013, 31);



Jilib district of Middle Juba, a district which was under Al Shabaab control as of 2013 (ibid.). The area has also been described as the "headquarters" of Al Shabaab in 2013 (ACLED Apr. 2013, 2);

Northeast Kenya (Ambroso Mar. 2002, 12; Raxanreeb 17 Apr. 2015), specifically:

Wajir county of Northeast Kenya, dominated by Ajuran, Degodia and Ogaden clans (The Nation 26 Jan. 2012; DRC Aug. 2014, 30)

A map showing the areas of Somalia and North east Kenya inhabited by the Ajuran is attached to this Response (Attachment 1).

In terms of political representation at the federal level, Minority Rights Group International (MRG) states that the Ajuran are allocated 2 parliamentary seats in the clan-based "'4.5 formula'" power-sharing system between majority and minority clans (MRG Oct. 2010).

2. Clan Affiliation and Genealogy

For historical background information on the Ajuran, see Responses to Information Requests SOM17470 of May 1994 and SOM17551 of June 1994.

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a Doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford who specializes in Somali studies, including clan conflicts, and who conducts field research in Somalia, stated that the Ajuran were formerly part of the Hawiye but "detached" from the Hawiye in the late 17th to early18th centuries (Doctoral candidate 20 Aug. 2016). Other sources describe the Ajuran as:

"often seen as part of the Hawiye" (Austrian Red Cross and ACCORD Dec. 2009, 20); "Hawiye associates" (World Bank Group Jan. 2005, 56) or Hawiye "allied clan" (Ambroso March 2002, 11-12);

a sub-clan of the Hawiye (ibid; Somaliland Press 21 May 2015; ITPCM Dec. 2013, 14; Abbink 2009, 28);

The Total Somali Clan Genealogy, produced by the African Studies Centre at Leiden University in the Netherlands, states that the lineage of the Ajuran descends from the Hawiye as follows: Hawiye (clan family) - Bah Girel (clan moiety/kinship) - Jambelle [Jambeele] (clan) - Ajuran (sub-clan) (Abbink 2009, 26-29). The descending lineages of the Ajuran are listed as: Garen, Gelberis, Yibidalla, Gashe, Dulhata, Waqle (ibid., 28).

The Hawiye clan are described in an article by the news website the Somaliland Press as "predominant in the south of Somalia, the capital Mogadishu, as well as the main towns of Merka and Kismayo" (Somaliland Press 21 May 2015).

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a Somalia researcher for MRG explained that the Ajuran are a sub-clan of a major clan, and not considered by MRG to be a minority (MRG 18 Aug. 2016). The Doctoral candidate stated that the Ajuran "have no patron" to attach themselves to for broader clan protection (Doctoral candidate 31 July 2016). The same source explained that "to have an affiliation to a larger 'noble' clan does not necessarily mean you can have reliable protection from them" (ibid. 20 Aug. 2016). He further noted that "even those who are connected to a major clan or have a larger affiliation can be a minority within the majority, or a minority within the minority" (ibid.). Further information on the availability of broader clan protection for the Ajuran could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

3. Reports of Clashes with Ogaden and Other Clans

Sources report that Jubbaland is a region in southern Somalia created in 2013 through a local initiative of 500 regional representatives (AMISOM n.d.; US 13 Apr. 2016, 28), though it was unrecognized by the federal government until August 2013 (ibid.). In a profile of Kismayo city, Jubbaland, AMISOM states that Jubbaland consists of Gedo, Middle Juba, and Lower Juba [which are locations where Ajuran inhabit - see Section 1] and the "major clans" in the region are the Ogaden, Harti, Mirifle (Rahanweyn), Marehan, Galja'el, Sheekhaal, Awramleh, Jareer (Bantu), and Bajun (ibid.).

According to International Crisis Group, "the possibility of a semi-autonomous state in the south of Somalia politically dominated by Ogaden may not be favoured by the minority, marginalised clans of north-eastern Kenya, such as the [Somali] Ajuran and Degodia" (15 Feb. 2012, 13). The Doctoral candidate indicated that "the Ajuuraan have long been in contestation with the Ogadeen in Somalia and in Kenya" as well as the Boran and other neighbouring communities (Doctoral candidate 31 July 2016). The same source stated that the Ajuran are "marginalised in the southern regions in Somalia, especially Jubbaland" (ibid. 20 Aug. 2016). He further explained that since the creation of Jubbaland in 2013, a Somali "mini-state" which he stated is "dominated by the Ogaadeen clan of the Daarood," many less powerful and less numerous clans in the region, such as the Sheekhaal, Gaalje'el, Awramaleh, Ajuuraan, and Degodiye, are subject to "political marginalisation and economic exclusion" (ibid. 31 July 2016).

In a conflict assessment by the Somalia Conflict Early Warning Response Unit (Somalia CEWERU), the Ajuran located in Gedo region [Jubbaland], are described as a "minority social group" who feel they have been "marginalized politically, economically, and militarily by the Marehan" (Somalia CEWERU Dec. 2013, 17).

Sources report that the leader of the Ras Kamboni Brigade (RKB) militia [which is led by a member of the clan Ogaden/Darod (Somalia CEWERU Dec. 2013, 36)] was selected as leader of the Jubbaland region in 2013 (ibid; US 13 Apr. 2016, 28). Clans opposing him organized militia attacks, causing violence (Human Rights Watch 25 June 2013; US 13 Apr. 2016, 28), displacement, and 80 civilian casualties (ibid.). According to Human Rights Watch, fighting occurred primarily between the clan militias of Ras Kamboni, Ormale, and the Gaaljecel (25 June 2013). Specific information on the involvement or impact on the Ajuran could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

The Doctoral candidate stated that he was not aware of reports of targeted killings of Ajuran members on the basis of clan specifically (Doctoral candidate 31 July 2016).

Sources report the following incidents involving the Ajuran:

In 2007, 18 people were killed during inter-clan fighting between the Ajuran and Geledi in Dhinsoor, Bay Region (Radio Banaadir 11 Apr. 2007; AFP 12 Apr. 2007).

Intermittent, inactive, but unresolved inter-clan conflict between the Ajuran and Absame (Darod) in the Bu'ale district of Middle Juba, over political representation in 2013 (Somalia CEWERU Dec. 2013, 31).

In 2016, Radio Shabelle reported that the Ajuran condemned the federal government for "interfering in [their] internal affairs" (Radio Shabelle 1 July 2016).

Sources also report that the Ajuran have been involved in inter-clan conflict in Kenya border regions where Somali clans reside; these instances include:

Historical feuding with the Degodi [Degodiye, Degodia; Dagodiye] in Kenya and the Garre (Ambroso Mar. 2002, 12; DRC Aug. 2014, 105);

Fighting between the Ajuran and Degodia "over control of resources" near Moyale (Hiraan Online 6 Aug. 2015);

In 2012, armed incidents and minor clashes with subclans of the larger Ogaden clan in border disputes in Wajir (DRC Aug. 2014, 109); or "cross-border clan conflicts" near Wajir (Somalia CEWERU Dec. 2013, 18);

In 2015, Somali clans Ajuran and Degodia fought each other in the area of Moyale in Northeast Kenya, killing 6 (Hiraan Online 6 Aug. 2015).

4. Al Shabaab

Somalia CEWERU states that in Gedo, where Al Shabaab has had control since 2008, targeted killings are carried out against "anyone perceived to oppose them" (Dec. 2013, 19). The Doctoral candidate similarly explained that Al Shabaab "targets clans randomly" for purposes of recruitment and to extract resources (31 July 2016). The same source also stated that there were incidents of Degodia people being harassed for recruitment purposes, and that those Degodia that are targeted for recruitment and resources are mainly those living along the border with Kenya (ibid. 29 Aug. 2016). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

The US Department of State's Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 2015 for Somalia indicates that Al Shabaab lost control over the "key city" of Dinsoor to AMISOM and Somali forces during 2015 (US 13 Apr. 2016, 1).

A 2009 article by Africa Confidential states that the armed militia opposition group, Jabhat al Islamiyya (Islamic Front) [Jabhatul Islamiya, Jabatulla Islamiya], was led by a member of the Ajuran, and recruiting from the Garee and Gaaljecel, described as "all Hawiye groups, with a warrior tradition" (20 Feb. 2009). Jabhat al Islamiya, along with 3 other Islamist groups and Ras Kamboni [Ras Kamboni later defected and became anti-Shabaab (Somalia CEWERU Dec. 2013, 34, 36)], was associated with Hisbul Islam (CFR Mar. 2010, 36; Hansen 2013, 107) and nominally allied to Al Shabaab in 2009 (ibid.).

Sources indicate that in April 2013, Al Shabaab attacked a court in Mogadishu (Radio Andalus 8 Jan. 2015; UN 17 Jan. 2014, 5). The UN reported that the incident occurred at the Banadir High Court and resulted in the deaths of four legal professionals (ibid.). According to a 2015 broadcast by Al Shabaab's station, Radio Andalus, the April 2013 attack killed more than 36 people and wounded 26 more (8 Jan. 2016). The same source states that a member of the Ajuran clan was part of the "elite" fighters that carried out the attack for Al Shabaab (ibid.). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Abbink, Jan. 2009. The Total Somali Clan Genealogy (Second Edition). Working Paper, African Studies Centre, Leiden University. [Accessed 20 July 2016]

Africa Confidential. 20 February 2009. "The Sheik Sharif Show." Vol. 50, No. 4. [Accessed 23 July 2016]

African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). N.d. Sector II Profile - Kismayo. [Accessed 20 Aug. 2016]

Agence France-Presse (AFP). 12 April 2007. "At Least 18 Killed in Interclan Fighting in Somalia." (Factiva)

Ambroso, Guido. March 2002. Clanship, Conflict and Refugees: An Introduction to the Somalis in the Horn of Africa. [Accessed 26 July 2016]

Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). April 2013. Country Report: Somalia. [Accessed 20 Aug. 2016]

Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation (ACCORD). 15 December 2009. Clans in Somalia: Report on A Lecture by Joakim Gundel, COI Workshop Vienna, 15 May 2009 (Revised Edition). Edited by Daisuke Yoshimura. [Accessed 20 Aug. 2016]

Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). March 2010. Bronwyn E. Bruton. Somalia: A New Approach. Council Special Report No. 52. [Accessed 24 Aug. 2016]

Danish Refugee Council (DRC). August 2014. Danish Demining Group (DDG). Conflict Assessment 2014: Northern Kenya and Somaliland. [Accessed 20 Aug. 2016]

Doctoral candidate, University of Oxford. 29 August 2016. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Doctoral candidate, University of Oxford. 20 August 2016. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Doctoral candidate, University of Oxford. 31 July 2016. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

European Union (EU). August 2014. European Asylum Support Office (EASO). EASO Country of Origin Information Report. South and Central Somalia Country Overview. [Accessed 26 July 2016]

Hansen, Stig Jarle. 2013. Al-Shabaab in Somalia: the History and Ideology of a Militant Islamist Group. New York: Oxford University Press.

Hiraan Online. 6 August 2015. "Miraa Supplier Caught Up in Inter-clan Fighting." [Accessed 20 Aug. 2016]

Human Rights Watch. 25 June 2013. "Somalia: Civilians Killed in Kismayo Clashes." [Accessed 20 June 2016]

International Crisis Group. 15 February 2012. The Kenyan Military Intervention in Somalia. Africa Report No. 184. [Accessed 20 Aug. 2016]

International Training Programme for Conflict Management (ITPCM). December 2013. "Somalia: Clan and State Politics." International Commentary. Vol. IX, No. 34. [Accessed 20 Aug. 2016]

Minority Rights Group International (MRG). 18 August 2016. Correspondence with a Somalia researcher to the Research Directorate.

Minority Rights Group International (MRG). October 2010. Martin Hill. No Redress: Somalia's Forgotten Minorities. [Accessed 26 July 2016]

The Nation. 26 January 2012. Paul Letiwa. "Clan Warfare that Never Ends." (Factiva)

Norway. 22 July 2011. The Norwegian Country of Origin Information Centre (Landinfo). Somalia: Language Situation and Dialects. [Accessed 23 July 2016]

Radio Andalus. 8 January 2016. BBC Monitoring Africa. "Al-Shabab Releases Documentary on 2013 Attacks in Somali Capital." (Factiva)

Radio Banaadir. 11 April 2007. BBC Monitoring Africa. "Eighteen Killed in Clashes Over Land in Somalia's Bay Region." (Factiva)

Radio Shabelle. 1 July 2016. BBC Monitoring Africa. "Programme Summary of Radio Shabelle's News 0500 GMT 29 Jn 16." (Factiva)

Raxanreeb. 17 April 2015. BBC Moniroting Africa. "Kenya Using 'Divide and Rule' Policy in Somalia - Writer." (Factiva)

Somalia Conflict Early Warning Early Response Unit (Somalia CEWERU). December 2013. From the Bottom Up: Southern Regions - Perspectives Through Conflict Analysis and Key Political Actors' Mapping of Gedo, Middle Juba, Lower Juba, and Lower Shabelle. [Accessed 23 July 2016]

Somaliland Press. 21 May 2015. "Who Really Rules Somalia? The Tale of Three Big Clans and Three Countries." [Accessed 20 Aug. 2016]

United Nations (UN). 17 January 2014. UN High Commissioner for Refuhees (UNHCR). International Protection Considerations with Regard to People Fleeing Southern and Central Somalia. [Accessed 20 Aug. 2016]

United States (US). 13 April 2016. Department of State. "Somalia." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2015. [Accessed 20 Aug. 2016]

World Bank Group. January 2005. Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics. [Accessed 20 Aug. 2016]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Anthropologist, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology; Associate Professor of history, University of Pennsylvania; Center for Research and Dialogue Somalia; Doctoral Candidate, history and African studies, University of Oxford; Human Rights Watch; IIDA (Women's Development Organization); Independent Researcher; Professor of anthropology, Colby College; Professor of history, Rutgers University; Professor of political science, Davidson College; Professor of political science, Northwestern University; Senior Lecturer in development studies, University of London.

Internet sites, including: Africa Confidential; African Arguments; Amnesty International; Anti-Tribalism Movement; BBC; ecoi.net; Factiva; Freedom House; Garowe Online; Hiiraan Online; Horn of Africa Bulletin; Human Rights Watch; Institute for War and Peace Reporting; Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre; IRIN; ISS Africa; Puntlandi.com; Puntland News24; Puntland Post; Radio Benadir; Radio France internationale; Sabahi Online; Shabelle Media Network; Somalia Current; Somaliland Press; Somaliland Times; Sonna.net; The Standard; United Nations  Refworld, Reliefweb, Development Programme; United States  Department of State.

Attachment

European Union (EU). August 2014. European Asylum Support Office (EASO). "Clan Map - Abikar 1999." In EASO Country of Origin Information Report: South and Central Somalia Country Overview. [Accessed 26 July 2016]
Djibouti: Requirements and procedures for an adult woman to travel inside and outside the country, including whether the female's marital status influences the process; whether women require the authorization or support from a male member of their family to travel (2015-April 2017)

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 13 April 2017 Citation / Document Symbol DJI105790.E Related Document(s) Djibouti : information sur les exigences et la marche a suivre que doivent respecter les femmes adultes pour voyager a l'exterieur du pays, y compris information indiquant si l'etat matrimonial d'une femme influe sur le processus; si les femmes doivent obtenir l'autorisation ou l'appui d'un homme au sein de leur famille pour voyager (2015-avril 2017) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Djibouti: Requirements and procedures for an adult woman to travel inside and outside the country, including whether the female's marital status influences the process; whether women require the authorization or support from a male member of their family to travel (2015-April 2017), 13 April 2017, DJI105790.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/592017ca4.html [accessed 10 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

Sources indicate that the Republic of Djibouti ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1998 (OECD 27 Nov. 2014, 44; UN Oct. 2011, 1). The CEDAW provides the following:

Article 15

1. States Parties shall accord to women equality with men before the law.



4. States Parties shall accord to men and women the same rights with regard to the law relating to the movement of persons and the freedom to choose their residence and domicile. (UN 18 December 1979)

In its report submitted to the UN under article 18 of CEDAW in 2010, Djibouti's Ministry for the Advancement of Women reported that "[u]nder domestic legal norms, there is no prohibition on the freedom of Djiboutian women to move freely from place to place" (UN 16 Apr. 2010 para 560). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a representative of the Association for Respect of Human Rights in Djibouti (Association pour le respect des droits de l'homme a Djibouti, ARDHD), a Paris-based association promoting human rights and democracy in Djibouti (ARDHD 30 May 2012), indicated that there were no legislative obstacles preventing a woman from travelling alone, and that there are no requirements for her to have to be accompanied by a man (ARDHD 23 Mar. 2017).

According to a 2015 World Bank report, entitled Getting to Equal: Women, Business and the Law 2016, in Djibouti, both married and unmarried women can apply for a passport, apply for an ID card, travel outside of the country, travel outside their home, and choose where to live, the same way as men (World Bank 9 Sept. 2015, 114). In its 2011 MENA Gender Equality Profile on Djibouti, UNICEF similarly indicates that "[a] woman does not need the permission of her husband or guardian in order to obtain a passport" (UN Oct. 2011, 2). Similarly, the ARDHD representative indicated that women do not need consent from their father or husband to apply for a passport or to travel (ARDHD 23 Mar. 2017). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a representative from the Djiboutian Observatory for the Promotion of Democracy and Human Rights (Observatoire djiboutien pour la promotion de la democratie et des droits de l'homme, ODDH), an organization that promotes democracy and human rights in Djibouti (La Voix de Djibouti 15 Apr. 2012), similarly stated that neither the law nor common practice requires women in Djibouti to obtain authorization from their husbands to travel (ODDH 22 Mar. 2017). The same source added that women [translation] "travel freely where they want, when they want, and can obtain a passport by themselves" (ODDH 22 Mar. 2017).

However, the 2011 Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on Djibouti notes in the section entitled "Discrimination Against Women in Marriage and Family Relations" that, under Article 31 of the Family Code, "the husband is the head of the family whose prerogative the wife must respect" (UN 28 July 2011, para. 36).

In its 2016 Freedom in the World report for Djibouti, Freedom House states that "[t]hough the law provides equal treatment for all Djiboutian citizens,  [w]omen face discrimination under customary practices related to inheritance and other property matters, divorce, and freedom of movement" (Freedom House 2016). In a 2014 document entitled Women in Public Life. Gender, Law and Policy in the Middle East and North Africa, which is the brochure for the report Women in Public Life. Gender, Law, and Policy in the Middle East and North Africa (OECD n.d.), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) indicates that in Djibouti "the wife is subject to her husband in all aspects of life and has the duty to obey him; the husband can limit her freedom of movement" (OECD 2014, 28). The OECD also states in the full-length version of the report that women in Djibouti "are not allowed to travel abroad without the permission of an adult male relative" (OECD 27 Nov. 2014, 149).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Association pour le respect des droits de l'homme a Djibouti (ARDHD). 23 March 2017. Correspondence from the President to the Research Directorate.

Association pour le respect des droits de l'homme a Djibouti (ARDHD). 30 May 2012. "Association pour le respect des droits de l'homme a Djibouti. Histoire du site." [Accessed 6 Apr. 2017]

Freedom House. 2016. "Djibouti." Freedom in the World 2016. [Accessed 24 Mar. 2017]

Observatoire djiboutien pour la promotion de la democratie et des droits humains (ODDH). 22 March 2017. Correspondence from a representative to the Research Directorate.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). 27 November 2014. Women in Public Life: Gender, Law and Policy in the Middle East and North Africa. [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). [2014]. Women in Public Life. Gender Law and Policy in the Middle East and North Africa. [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). N.d. [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]

United Nations (UN). October 2011. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). "Djibouti." MENA Gender Equality Profile. Status of Girls and Women in the Middle East and North Africa. [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]

United Nations (UNN). 28 July 2011. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. Djibouti. [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]

United Nations (UN). 16 April 2010. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties under Article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Combined Initial, Second and Third Periodic Reports of States Parties:Djibouti. (CEDAW/C/DJI/1-3) [Accessed 27 Mar. 2017]

United Nations (UN). 18 December 1979. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]

La Voix de Djibouti. 15 April 2012. "Naissance de l'Observatoire djiboutien pour la promotion de la democratie et des droits de l'homme (ODDH)." Edition No 115 [Accessed 6 Apr. 2017]

The World Bank. 9 September 2015. Women Business and the Law 2016: Getting to Equal. [Accessed 27 Mar. 2017]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Djibouti  Embassy in Washington, DC.

Internet sites, including: Djibouti  Embassy in Brussels, Embassy in Washington, DC, Embassy in Switzerland, Presidence de la Republique; Factiva; Freedom House; La Nation; United Nations  Refworld; World Bank.
Djibouti: Requirements and procedures to obtain a passport, including circumstances under which consent is required by another adult; information indicated by the field marked "domicile"; appearance of regular passports (2015-April 2017)

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 18 April 2017 Citation / Document Symbol DJI105789.E Related Document(s) Djibouti : information sur les exigences et la marche a suivre pour obtenir un passeport, y compris les circonstances dans lesquelles le consentement d'un autre adulte est requis; les renseignements qui figurent dans le champ  domicile ; l'aspect des passeports reguliers (2015-avril 2017) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Djibouti: Requirements and procedures to obtain a passport, including circumstances under which consent is required by another adult; information indicated by the field marked "domicile"; appearance of regular passports (2015-April 2017), 18 April 2017, DJI105789.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/592018854.html [accessed 10 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. Overview

Sources state that an official ceremony marking the implementation of the Djiboutian biometric passport took place on 9 February 2017 (La Nation 12 Feb. 2017; Imprimerie Nationale 9 Feb. 2017). The biometric passport is produced by the Paris-based Imprimerie Nationale Group (Imprimerie Nationale 9 Feb. 2017). In an interview with the Djiboutian national newspaper La Nation, the National Police Director General stated that biometric passports are introduced as replacements to the electronic ones that have been in effect since 2009 (La Nation 2 Mar. 2017). In the same interview, the National Police Director General further stated that Djiboutians have until the end of 2017 to replace their electronic passports with biometric ones (La Nation 2 Mar. 2017). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

2. Requirements and Procedures to Obtain a Djiboutian Passport

Information on the requirements and procedures to obtain a passport within Djibouti could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

The website of the Embassy of Djibouti in Brussels lists the following requirements to obtain a Djiboutian national passport through the embassy:

[translation]

downloaded form

national ID card

restitution of the old passport in case its validity is not extended

residence card of the host country

two identity pictures (passport format)

fees: 74.50 euros [C$105] (Djibouti N.d.).

In a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, an official of the Embassy of Djibouti in Washington, DC stated that the [translation] "indispensable" document to provide is the national identity card, which "cannot be requested or obtained outside of Djibouti" (Djibouti 3 Apr. 2017). The same source further indicated that, though all citizens of Djibouti must obtain the new identity card [a digital ID card introduced by a presidential decree dated 8 December 2009 (La Nation 18 Aug. 2014; Identity-Cards.net 31 Aug. 2016)], the previous version is still accepted for passport requests (Djibouti 3 Apr. 2017). For information on Djibouti's national identity card, see Response to Information Request DJI105552 of August 2016.

The official from the Embassy of Djibouti in Washington, DC stated that Djibouti has introduced biometric passports and that it will [translation] "eventually" be possible to request [one] in person from the embassy (Djibouti 3 Apr. 2017). The source further stated that once requests are accepted at the embassy, requestors will need to apply in-person at the embassy with their national identity card, their residence card and pictures (Djibouti 3 Apr. 2017). Required documents will then be scanned and securely sent to Djibouti, where requests will be treated, after which the passports will be delivered through mail back to the embassy (Djibouti 3 Apr. 2017).

For more information on the requirements and procedures necessary to obtain non-biometric passports, please see Response to Information Request DJI103931 from December 2011.

3. Whether Consent is Required for a Woman to Obtain a Passport

In its 2011 report, MENA Gender Equality Profile on Djibouti, UNICEF indicates that "[a] woman does not need the permission of her husband or guardian in order to obtain a passport" (UN Oct. 2011, 2). The official from the Embassy of Djibouti in Washington, DC similarly stated that women do not need to obtain the consent of a family member in order to apply for a passport (Djibouti 3 Apr. 2017). In reference to the passport application procedure, the same source further stated that [translation] "the situation is the same for women and men" (Djibouti 3 Apr. 2017).

4. Appearance of Passports

According to La Nation, an electronic chip containing personal data on the passport's holder is integrated into the biometric passport (La Nation 12 Feb. 2017). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

5. "Domicile" Field on the Passport's Biographical Page

The official from the Embassy of Djibouti in Washington, DC said that the "domicile" field on the passport's biographical page indicates the passport holder's city and country of residence when the holder lives outside of Djibouti (Djibouti 3 Apr. 2017). As an example, the representative said that "Ottawa, Canada" would be included in the passport's "domicile" field of a Djiboutian residing in Ottawa (Djibouti 3 Apr. 2017). The representative added that, since all passports in Djibouti are delivered in the city of Djibouti, only "Djibouti" would be contained in the passport's "domicile" field of a Djiboutian residing in the Republic of Djibouti, for [translation] "reasons of convenience" (Djibouti 3 Apr. 2017).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Djibouti. 3 April 2017. Embassy of Djibouti in Washington, DC. Telephone interview with an official.

Djibouti. N.d. Embassy of Djibouti in Brussels. "Service Consulaire." [Accessed 28 Mar. 2017]

Identity-Cards.net. 31 August 2016. "Djibouti." [Accessed 12 Apr. 2017]

Imprimerie Nationale. 9 February 2017. "The Imprimerie Nationale Group to Support the Republic of Djibouti in the Modernization of Their ID Documents and Their Issuance Process." [Accessed 28 Mar. 2017]

La Nation. 2 March 2017. "En aparte avec Le colonel Abdillahi Abdi Farah Directeur general de la police nationale." [Accessed 28 Mar. 2017]

La Nation. 12 February 2017. "Police Nationale: Le president de la Republique parraine la mise en service du nouveau passeport biometrique djiboutien." [Accessed 23 Mar. 2017]

La Nation. 18 August 2014. "Lancement de la carte d'identite numerique: Entretien avec Idriss Miguil Bouh Directeur de la Population et de la Famille au Ministere de l'Interieur." [Accessed 12 Apr. 2017]

United Nations (UN). October 2011. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). "Djibouti." MENA Gender Equality Profile. Status of Girls and Women in the Middle East and North Africa. [Accessed 28 Mar. 2017]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Djibouti  Embassy of Djibouti in Washington, DC.

Internet sites, including: Africatime.com; Djibouti  Embassy of Djibouti in Switzerland, Presidence de la Republique; European Union  Public Register of Authentic Identity and Travel Documents Online; Factiva; Freedom House; Keesing Reference Systems; United Nations  Refworld; United States  Department of State.
By Press Trust of India: From Shirish B Pradhan

Kathmandu, May 20 (PTI) She believed if she raised a slogan from the worlds highest peak she would be heard.

Her message: Fight Against Human Trafficking.

Kanchhi Maya Tamang, a trafficking survivor, summited Mt Everest with the message this morning, and in turn became the first Tamang woman from Nepal to scale the 8,848-metre peak.

advertisement

Tamang also carried a banner through her arduous trek that read, "we are people, not property".

Not alone in her belief, the returnee migrant worker from Sindhupalchowk - a three-hour drive from capital Kathmandu - was accompanied by 19 other climbers who found a fair weather to make final summit pushes.

Tamang reached the peak at 6:00 am, officials said.

In association with UN Women, Tamang and Pemba Dorje Sherpa climbed Mt Everest to spread the message from the roof of the world.

It was the first time that someone climbed Mt Everest for womens empowerment and gender equality, according to UN Women Nepal.

"Dorje has scaled Mt Everest 16 times," said Gyanendra Shrestha, a liaison officer at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.

Besides Kanchhi Maya and Pemba Dorje, the 19 other climbers included nine Nepalese and the rest were foreigners.

Everest has seen a record number of climbers this season due to a backlog resulting from the 2014 and 2015 avalanches.

More than 375 climbers from around the world have been waiting for weather to improve to make summit attempts.

As many as 25 climbers, including six Indians, stood atop the worlds highest peak from the Tibetan side after nine rope-fixing Sherpas opened a climbing route to the summit point earlier this month.

Officials say nearly 150 climbers will make their final summit pushes from north side within the next couple of days. PTI SBP ABH

--- ENDS ---
Disclaimer

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
As war grinds on in Yemen, Somali refugees eye return

Publisher UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Author Shabia Mantoo Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), As war grinds on in Yemen, Somali refugees eye return, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59201cd94.html [accessed 10 November 2022]

Somali mother Barei Ibrahim has been living in Yemen for 26 years, after war drove her from her home country in the early nineties.

But as the bitter conflict grinds on in Yemen, devastating lives and infrastructure and destroying work opportunities, conditions have become increasingly tough for the mother-of-ten.

"I don't have anything here," she tells UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. "I don't have a job or a future and we are facing difficulties. We are begging to get by and are living in sorrow and grief."

Ibrahim is not alone. As the conflict that erupted in March 2015 continues, the humanitarian situation in Yemen is deteriorating. The conditions facing the almost 280,000 refugees in-country are worsening and their needs are growing by the day.

The overwhelming majority of refugees in Yemen, 91 per cent or some 255,000, are Somalis like Ibrahim who have been coming to the country for more than two decades, seeking safety and opportunities.

Though Yemen has traditionally been very generous in accepting those in need of international protection and is the only country in the Arabian Peninsula signatory to the Refugee Convention and the Protocol, the ongoing war has limited the capacities to provide adequate assistance and protection to refugees.

"After more than two years of war, many refugees face increased hardship; struggling to cover basic needs, losing livelihoods and lacking access to basic and essential services," UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch, told a news briefing in Geneva on Friday (May 19).

With conflict in Yemen hitting civilians hard, killing and injuring many and causing widespread hunger, some 30,600 Somalis have reportedly already returned to Somalia from since hostilities broke out in March 2015.

"An increasing number are now approaching UNHCR for assistance to support their return, citing safety and security concerns and limited access to services in Yemen," Baloch told reporter at the Palais des Nations

Among those thinking of returning is Mohammed, a Somali who fled to Yemen 12 years ago, and is now living at Kharaz refugee camp in Lahj governorate.

"Life was very good in Yemen before, but now it is very hard for us because of the war. I just want to go back to Somalia to live in peace," says Mohammad, who asked not to be identified by his last name.

UNHCR is now providing some support to those choosing to return on their own. In 2017, UNHCR is able to assist up to 10,000 Somali refugees who have made the choice to return, based on the information received at Return Help Desks on conditions in Somalia and the assistance package that is being offered both in Yemen and Somalia,

Baloch said UNHCR's humanitarian operations in Yemen will continue to provide support to those refugees who remain in Yemen.

Most Somali refugees registered in Yemen originate from Banadir, Lower Shabelle, Bay, Middle Shabelle and Woqooyi Galbeed regions in Somalia. In Yemen, most reside in Aden, Sana'a and Lahj governorates, the latter of which is where Yemen's only refugee camp, the Kharaz refugee camp, is located.

UNHCR assistance will include documentation, travel and transportation assistance and financial support in Yemen to facilitate the journey, as well as assistance upon arrival in Somalia. Special measures will be put in place for the travel of individuals with specific needs. Most refugees opt to return to Mogadishu, in the anticipation that assistance and services will be more accessible and available.

In Yemen, UNHCR has been providing protection and services for refugees and asylum seekers including by providing legal assistance, supporting education and livelihoods programs, and providing access to health and pyscho-social services, a cash programme for people with specific needs amongst others.
Angola: Authorities must tolerate critical views amid pre-election protests

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Angola: Authorities must tolerate critical views amid pre-election protests, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/592026af4.html [accessed 10 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Authorities in Angola must uphold people's rights to exercise their freedom of peaceful assembly and expression, Amnesty International said ahead of a planned protest against the imprisonment of seven activists.

"In recent years, Angolan authorities have frequently used the police to suppress public protests. Demonstrators are often arrested, imprisoned and even 'disappeared' for expressing themselves," said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International's Regional Director for Southern Africa.

"Public demonstrations should not be used as an opportunity to punish views that are critical of the government."

Tomorrow's protest in the capital, Luanda, will draw attention to the case of seven activists who were arrested and imprisoned for participating in a previous protest calling for transparency in August's presidential election.

They were sentenced to 45 days in jail for "crimes of rebellion and criminal conspiracy".

Information gathered by Amnesty International indicates that the seven were not given a fair trial. There are also reports that they were beaten and suffered other ill-treatment during their arrest.

Amnesty International is calling for these allegations to be independently and effectively investigated.

Background

On Saturday morning, demonstrators in Luanda will march from Cimangola Deviation to the Municipal Court of Cacuaco, where the seven activists were tried and sentenced.

The seven, Adao Bunga "MC Life", Nzunzi Zacarias Mabiala "Luston", Valdemar Aguinaldo "27 de Maio", Paulo Mabiala "DMX", Antonio Mabiala, Mariano Andre and David Salei, were reportedly beaten and arrested on 17 April during a protest calling for transparency in the upcoming election.

As well as being sentenced to 45 days in prison, they were fined 65,000 kwanzas (US$390) each.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Tricks of the trade? Open season on journalists in Mexico

Publisher Amnesty International Author Erika Guevara-Rosas Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Tricks of the trade? Open season on journalists in Mexico, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5920273b4.html [accessed 10 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The tragic news of the brutal murder of Javier Valdez Cardenas, a Mexican journalist renowned for his fearless reporting of the drug war wreaking havoc across Mexico, has sent shockwaves through the country.

His journalism was particularly well-known in his home town of Culiacan, in Sinaloa. There, thousands of people are virtual hostages of a war between ruthless drug cartels and a government that is at best, unable to protect its people and, at worse, in collusion with those it claims to be fighting against.

Javier was gunned down by unidentified men near the office of Riodoce, the weekly newspaper he founded and one of the few in the state still reporting on the wave of deaths sweeping through the area.

As news broke of the shooting that ended his life, messages poured in from all corners of Mexico -- and the rest of the world. Javier was one of those journalists who was a source of reliable information and was respected by all.

But one of the messages sent in the aftermath stood out; perhaps because of its irony.

Soon after the news of the crime went public, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said his government was "committed to press freedom" and that he had instructed federal prosecutors to help with the investigation initiated by state authorities.

President Pena Nieto should not be shocked about Javier's killing. In fact, if he had been watching the news at all since January, he should not even be surprised.

Javier was the sixth journalist murdered in Mexico since the beginning of 2017, as punishment for their work. According to the organization Article 19, 106 journalists have been murdered in Mexico since 2000, 33 of them since Pena Nieto took office nearly five years ago.

That is one journalist killed every month.

In Mexico, journalism is a deadly business. Maximino Rodriguez, Cecilio Pineda, Ricardo Monlui, Miroslava Breach, Jonathan Rodriguez and Javier all died doing a profession that should not just be celebrated; but protected by the authorities.

Journalists are at the forefront of Mexicos human rights crisis. For many of them, taking deadly risks to shine a light on the country's ills is part of their daily routine. The situation is particularly serious the more you travel away from Mexico City. Harassed by powerful drug cartels and ignored by local and federal authorities (who are often known to be working in collusion with criminal groups), journalists have nowhere to run for protection. But their unbreakable commitment is what keeps them going, despite the threats, the dangers and the little recognition and support.

Many of those who were killed since January, including Javier, had reported receiving numerous threats before being murdered.

Last month, he told Index on Censorship, an organization working on freedom of expression: "I've had phone calls telling me to stop investigating certain murders or drug bosses. I've had to suppress important information because they could have my family killed if I mention it."

But time and time again, these warnings have been ignored by the authorities.

Investigations into the 106 murders of journalists since 2000 have been poor, at best. Not one person has been held accountable for any of these crimes, sending the chilling message that shooting journalists is actually allowed.

In 2010, Mexico proudly inaugurated a new special prosecutor's office for crimes against freedom of expression, but so far it has proven utterly inefficient, as has the protection mechanism for human rights defenders and journalists, another initiative the authorities are extremely proud of.

There is absolutely no question that the wave of attacks against journalists is on the rise so why arent authorities doing more to stop this open season on media workers?

Are they afraid of what these journalists might uncover?

Mexico faces a serious human rights crisis with more than 30,000 people currently disappeared, executions rife and torture a common "method of investigation" by police.

Without the brave work of journalists like Javier, many of these abuses would never see the light of day.

But instead of protecting their work and recognizing the key contribution journalists make in the fight for justice in Mexico, the Pena Nieto administration chooses to focus their efforts on deploying the military in a bid to tackle violence with more violence - a strategy that will do nothing but exacerbate a situation that is already out of control.

President Pena Nieto is wrong.

Instead of tweeting empty promises, his administration should focus all efforts in developing a comprehensive strategy to prevent and respond to violence and attacks against human rights defenders and journalists. A strategy that goes beyond supportive tweets and public speeches about freedom of expression, and is effectively funded and implemented. Above all, it needs to stop the almost complete impunity for these crimes.

And if the Pena Nieto administration is not up to this challenge, it should have the humility to call for help from international experts or organizations, specialized in investigating human rights abuses and fully comply with recommendations made by the United Nations and the Inter-American Human Rights system.

When a well-known journalist like Javier is murdered in cold blood, it sends a death threat to all reporters in every corner of Mexico. As the country tries to cope with the news of Javier's tragic end, the question in everybody's mind is: who will be next?

Only action can end this bloodshed. Anything less - even nicely worded tweets - will no longer do.

This story was originally published in Newsweek

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Burundi: Regional leaders must prioritize ongoing human rights crisis

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Burundi: Regional leaders must prioritize ongoing human rights crisis, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5920283f4.html [accessed 10 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The East African Community (EAC) must prioritize ending human rights violations in Burundi, and provide the renewed political leadership and commitment needed to end the crisis, said Amnesty International today in an open letter to the bloc's leaders, ahead of their summit on 20 May in the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam.

"The need to find a solution to this ongoing human rights crisis is more urgent than ever, and the EAC is an essential part of it," wrote Salil Shetty, Amnesty International's Secretary General, in the letter addressed to the presidents of the six-member regional grouping.

"The regional leaders should ensure the Burundi Dialogue has the best possible chance of success, including by pressing the government of Burundi to conduct independent investigations into allegations of human rights violations, and cooperate with regional and international human rights institutions."

The Secretary General's call comes amid reports of continued unlawful killings, arbitrary arrests, and enforced disappearances across the country. According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), 22 bodies were discovered in January alone, and there were more than 210 reported cases of enforced disappearance in the four months to January 2017.

Hundreds have been killed and thousands displaced since the crisis began in April 2015, when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he would seek a third term in office.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Uzbekistan: Deportation, fines, Bible and Koran seizures

Publisher Forum 18 Publication Date 17 May 2017 Cite as Forum 18, Uzbekistan: Deportation, fines, Bible and Koran seizures, 17 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5920298f4.html [accessed 10 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

A Russian was deported with no court decision and home-owner fined after police raided a Tashkent Christian meeting. Officials told a Muslim seeking back her seized Koran manuscript that police cannot be prosecuted. Tashkent Airport customs seized pilgrims' Korans. A court ordered New Testament texts destroyed.
Indonesia: Stop Public Flogging of Gay Men

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Indonesia: Stop Public Flogging of Gay Men, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59202d8c4.html [accessed 10 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Indonesia's President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo should immediately intervene to prevent the scheduled May 23, 2017 public flogging of two young men convicted of same-sex sexual relations, Human Rights Watch said today. The men were prosecuted under Aceh province's abusive Sharia regulations and sentenced to 85 lashes with a cane, which constitutes torture under international law.

On March 28, unidentified vigilantes forcibly entered an apartment in Banda Aceh, the provincial capital, and took two men in their twenties to the police for allegedly having same-sex relations. A Sharia (Islamic law) court convicted them of sodomy on May 17. While Aceh's Sharia courts have enforced public flogging before, this is the first time that Sharia courts have sentenced people to flogging for homosexual acts.

"President Jokowi has spoken out in support of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in Indonesia, so the imminent public flogging of two young men for same-sex relations is a crucial moment to act," said Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Jokowi needs to be clear to Aceh's authorities that flogging is torture for which they will be held to account."

Aceh's Sharia ordinances empower members of the public as well as the special Sharia police to publicly identify and detain anyone suspected of violating its rules. Cell phone video footage of the raid apparently shot by a vigilante shows one of the two men visibly distressed as he calls for help on his cellphone.

Under Aceh's Islamic Criminal Code (Qanun Jinayah), the men faced up to 100 lashes in public as punishment for same-sex behavior. The prosecutor recommended 80 lashes because the men were young and reportedly admitted their guilt.

"The court's less-than-maximum sentence of 85 lashes is no act of compassion. It does not change the reality that flogging is a grotesque display of medieval torture," Kine said.

Local government officials in Aceh have long stoked discrimination against LGBT people, Human Rights Watch said. In 2012 then-Banda Aceh Deputy Mayor Illiza Sa'aduddin Djamal advocated harsh punishments for homosexuality, telling the media: "Even if one case of homosexuality [is] found, it's already a problem." In 2013, after Djamal was elected mayor of Banda Aceh, she told reporters that "homosexuals are encroaching on our city." In February 2016, she announced she would create a "special team" to make the public more aware of the "threat of LGBT" and to "train" LGBT people to "return to a normal life" while posting an image of herself to Instagram holding a handgun and vowing to flush LGBT people out of Aceh.

Aceh's Sharia police have previously detained LGBT people. In October 2015, Sharia police arrested two women, ages 18 and 19, on suspicion of being lesbians for embracing in public and detained them for three nights at a Sharia police facility in Banda Aceh. Sharia police repeatedly attempted to compel the two women to identify other suspected LGBT people in Aceh by showing them photographs of individuals taken from social media accounts - sparking fears among LGBT people in Aceh that the Sharia police could target them in the future.

In April 2016, four United Nations special rapporteurs wrote to the Indonesian government expressing concerns about the abusive enforcement of Sharia against LGBT people in Aceh. In October 2016, Jokowi broke his long silence on escalating anti-LGBT rhetoric by defending the rights of the country's LGBT community, saying that "there should be no discrimination against anyone."

"The clock is ticking for Jokowi to demonstrate that his support of equal rights for all is not empty rhetoric. He needs to start by protecting these two young men from torture," Kine said.



Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
Arrest warrants issued in Deyda Hydara's 2004 murder

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Arrest warrants issued in Deyda Hydara's 2004 murder, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59202ed94.html [accessed 10 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Reporters Without Borders welcomes the arrest warrants that were issued in Banjul yesterday for two suspects in leading Gambian journalist Deyda Hydara's murder in 2004. The warrants represent the first step in ending the impunity that marked former President Yahya Jammeh's 22-year bloody dictatorship.





On evidence submitted by the police, Judge Isatou Janneh yesterday issued warrants for the arrest of Sanna Manjang and Kawsu Camara, two former members of the armed forces who were also members of the "Green Boys," a militia that carried out dirty jobs for the dictator.





The journalist's family had long suspected that they were his murderers but this is the first time they have been formally named as suspects. Both Manjang and Camara are currently out of the country.





Hydara was shot dead in his car in Banjul on the night of 16 December 2004. The managing editor of The Point newspaper and Banjul correspondent of Agence France-Presse and RSF, he was well-known for a column headlined "Good morning Mr. President" in which he commented on politics and governance in Gambia.





Democracy and media freedom seem to be returning to Gambia following the end of Jammeh's long reign as dictator and press freedom predator in January. Gambia has risen two places in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index and is now ranked 143rd out of 180 countries.




RSF calls for an end to social media ban in Kashmir

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, RSF calls for an end to social media ban in Kashmir, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59202f884.html [accessed 10 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the Indian authorities to restore access to social media platforms in Kashmir, blocked since bloody protests in the region last month, and urges an end to threats against journalists and citizen-journalists.

The government banned 22 social media sites on 26 April, including Facebook and Twitter, saying they were being used to incite violence.





Since 8 April, eight people have been killed and more than 80 injured in scuffles between police and protesters. Against this background of widespread violence, journalists are often targeted. Our sources report that during one clash, a police officer told a journalist to stop filming or "I will break your bones and your cameras".





Another journalist who was threatened with a gun said: "This is what they do with media personnel; it shows the sort of impunity police exercises in our state."





A third added: "As I took out my phone to capture the scene, a cop who was firing aerial shots charged towards me, asking me to not click any photographs or else he will shoot me down just there. Shocked at the sudden attack on me for discharging my professional duties, I handed over my phone to the cop."





Preventing journalists from reporting on events is not enough for the Indian authorities, who regularly cut Internet access and have done so since early April. Internet communications have been cut 28 times in five years, including a five-month blackout in 2016 after the death of separatist military commander, Burhan Wani.





The government has taken it to a new level this year. April was a particularly worrying time for freedom of information. On 8 April Internet access was cut for four days after a demonstration in which several people were killed.





Ten days later there were violent clashes again between student demonstrators and police, in which water cannon and tear gas were used and stones were thrown. Sixty-five students were injured.





After the protests, the government blocked the 3G and 4G phone networks and banned 22 social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter, for a month. According to a government statement, social media were being "misused" by "elements inimical to public order and tranquillity".





The order said: " Continued misuse of social networking sites and instant messaging services is likely to be detrimental to the interests of peace and tranquillity in the state."





The Indian government and its police force remain a threat to basic freedoms in the region. In the past year, violence against journalists has been a cause of concern to press freedom organizations. In July last year, RSF condemned attacks on two journalists Muneeb Ul Islam and Mir Javid.





India is ranked 136th of 180 countries in the 2017 World Press Freedom Index, two places lower than in 2016. This relatively minor fall can be explained by a reduction in the number of journalists' deaths, while the level of threats and physical violence remains indisputably high.
By Press Trust of India: Toronto, May 20 (PTI) Scientists have created a smart T- shirt that monitors the wearers respiratory rate in real time, without the help of any wires or sensors.

The innovation paves the way for manufacturing clothing that could be used to diagnose respiratory illnesses or monitor people suffering from asthma, sleep apnea or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

advertisement

The key to the T shirt, created by researchers at Universite Laval in Canada, is an antenna sewn in at chest level that is made of a hollow optical fibre coated with a thin layer of silver on its inner surface.

Unlike other methods of measuring respiratory rate, the new T shirt works without any wires, electrodes, or sensors attached to the users body.

The fibres exterior surface is covered in a polymer that protects it against the environment. The antenna does double duty, sensing and transmitting the signals created by respiratory movements.

The data can then be sent to the users smartphone or a nearby computer.

As the wearer breathes in, the smart fibre senses the increase in both thorax circumference and the volume of air in the lungs, researchers said.

"These changes modify some of the resonant frequency of the antenna. That is why the T shirt does not need to be tight or in direct contact with the wearers skin," said Younes Messaddeq, professor at Universite Laval.

"The oscillations that occur with each breath are enough for the fibre to sense the users respiratory rate," said Messaddeq.

"Our tests show that the data captured by the shirt is reliable, whether the user is lying down, sitting, standing, or moving around," he said.

To assess the durability of their invention, the researchers washed the T shirt.

"After 20 washes, the antenna had withstood the water and detergent and was still in good working condition," Messaddeq added.

The study was published in the journal Sensors. PTI APA SAR SAR

--- ENDS ---
Three TV5 Monde journalists badly beaten by police in Kinshasa

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Three TV5 Monde journalists badly beaten by police in Kinshasa, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5920300e4.html [accessed 10 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the Indian authorities to restore access to social media platforms in Kashmir, blocked since bloody protests in the region last month, and urges an end to threats against journalists and citizen-journalists.

The government banned 22 social media sites on 26 April, including Facebook and Twitter, saying they were being used to incite violence.





Since 8 April, eight people have been killed and more than 80 injured in scuffles between police and protesters. Against this background of widespread violence, journalists are often targeted. Our sources report that during one clash, a police officer told a journalist to stop filming or "I will break your bones and your cameras".





Another journalist who was threatened with a gun said: "This is what they do with media personnel; it shows the sort of impunity police exercises in our state."





A third added: "As I took out my phone to capture the scene, a cop who was firing aerial shots charged towards me, asking me to not click any photographs or else he will shoot me down just there. Shocked at the sudden attack on me for discharging my professional duties, I handed over my phone to the cop."





Preventing journalists from reporting on events is not enough for the Indian authorities, who regularly cut Internet access and have done so since early April. Internet communications have been cut 28 times in five years, including a five-month blackout in 2016 after the death of separatist military commander, Burhan Wani.





The government has taken it to a new level this year. April was a particularly worrying time for freedom of information. On 8 April Internet access was cut for four days after a demonstration in which several people were killed.





Ten days later there were violent clashes again between student demonstrators and police, in which water cannon and tear gas were used and stones were thrown. Sixty-five students were injured.





After the protests, the government blocked the 3G and 4G phone networks and banned 22 social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter, for a month. According to a government statement, social media were being "misused" by "elements inimical to public order and tranquillity".





The order said: " Continued misuse of social networking sites and instant messaging services is likely to be detrimental to the interests of peace and tranquillity in the state."





The Indian government and its police force remain a threat to basic freedoms in the region. In the past year, violence against journalists has been a cause of concern to press freedom organizations. In July last year, RSF condemned attacks on two journalists Muneeb Ul Islam and Mir Javid.





India is ranked 136th of 180 countries in the 2017 World Press Freedom Index, two places lower than in 2016. This relatively minor fall can be explained by a reduction in the number of journalists' deaths, while the level of threats and physical violence remains indisputably high.
From 2-7 to sectional champs, Monrovia has one question: 'Why not us?'

high-school
Maharashtra Congress MLA Nitesh Rane has refuted allegations of extortion levelled against him by a restaurant owner in Mumbai. This after a Juhu-based restaurateur lodged an FIR against Rane on Friday.

By Mayuresh Ganapatye: Maharashtra Congress MLA Nitesh Rane has refuted allegations of extortion levelled against him by a restaurant owner in Mumbai.

This after a Juhu-based restaurateur lodged an FIR against Rane on Friday.

Speaking to the media at the Vidhan Bhawan, Nitesh rubbished the allegations as baseless. Nitesh said, "The restaurant in question is adjacent to my residence in Juhu. It keeps playing loud music till 4 in the morning, which is an obvious cause of inconvenience to the locals in the area. Locals had approached my father Narayan Rane with this complaint. He wrote a letter to the BMC Commissioner in April and also asked Mumbai Police Commissioner to take action but nothing happened."

advertisement

NO ACTION AGAINST RESTAURANT: NITESH RANE

Nitesh added that he too followed up the matter with the Police Commissioner's office but no action was taken against the restaurant.

"I have neither taken money from the restaurant owner nor gone there to threaten anyone. I have asked cops to check the CDR (call data records) which will bring the truth out in the open."

Nitesh feels it is a conspiracy to defame his name. He is mulling taking legal action against the restaurateur.

Also read | Diamond trader shuts down business in Bihar after repeated extortion threats from minister, alleges Sushil Modi

--- ENDS ---
Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson, director of the NGO Mother Nature Cambodia, was expelled from Cambodia in February 2015 and placed on a black list that prevents his return to the country. The Khmer-speaking Spanish environmentalist, who drew the government's ire by leading a campaign against a controversial dam project, spoke to Sel San of RFA's Khmer Service about evidence that sand dredging is still going on despite a government ban.

RFA: Its been a while since you have been away from Cambodia. Do you miss Cambodia?



Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson: Yes, I do. I have been finding ways to return to Cambodia. However, the current circumstance is not easy me to return.



RFA: You have stated that sand is still being exported although the government has banned it. What evidence do you have to prove your claim?



Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson: We have ample evidence. After receiving information from the local villagers of sand dredging activities, four Mother Nature activists took the boat with some villagers to the sites. They have taken some pictures of the sand dredging operation.



RFA: The government has accused Mother Nature of failing to cooperate with the Ministry of Mines and Energy to address this issue. The ministry has accused your group of creating problems rather offering to help solve them. Is that correct?



Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson: No, it isnt. We have always availed ourselves for such cooperation since mid-2015 but all to no avail. Unfortunately we have been retaliated against for our work. The activists of Mother Nature have been prosecuted. An arrest warrant was also issued for me by the Koh Kong court. I therefore dont think there is a need for us to cooperate with the ministry anymore. What we need to do now is collect information on our own and publish it on social media to put pressure on the government. We are not creating problems. We are finding solutions to the problems. We note that the government and ministries concerned are incapable of curbing sand export.



RFA: The Ministry of Mines and Energy has indicated that the ban on sand exports is not a blanket order. In other words, sand which is the raw material for making glass is allowed for expert. What kind of sand is being exported now?



Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson: Well, its the ministrys new excuse. The government ministries have manipulated the public since November 2016. Its a complete lie that the ban is not a blanket order. I recall the ministry has stated that the export of all kinds of sand is banned. The sand that is being dredged now is for landfill and construction purposes. It is not for making glass. The reason we didnt inform the ministry before we made a public statement about the sand dredging activities was that we didnt want the ministry to collude with the companies to destroy the evidence.



Translated by Nareth Muong.
Jailed Cambodian political and social commentator Kim Sok was summoned to court Tuesday for questioning in connection with charges of inciting social chaos and defaming Prime Minister Hun Sen during a radio interview with RFAs Khmer Service last month.



The prominent analyst was grilled by authorities at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for four hours before being loaded onto a van and returned to Prey Sar Prison, where he has been held since his arrest in February.



Security personnel had covered Kim Soks mouth as he was led to the vehicle to prevent him from speaking to the media, but he managed to yell out that Tuesdays hearing focused on a February interview with RFAs Khmer Service that Hun Sen believed implies his government was behind last years murder of popular political pundit Kem Ley.



I was questioned regarding the motive of my interview with RFA, Kim Sok shouted to reporters after he was transferred into the waiting van.



The aftermath of Tuesdays hearing differed than one earlier this month, when Kim Sok was permitted to speak with reporters, telling them authorities had offered to release him if he pledged to serve as a focal point to implement the political plan of [Hun Sens ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP)] for the next generation.



During that exchange, Kim Sok was unable to explain who had placed such a condition on his release or why he had been asked to represent the CPP before he was bundled onto a van and returned to prison, and CPP spokesperson Sok Ey San subsequently dismissed the analysts comments.



On Tuesday, Kim Soks defense attorney Choung Chou Ngy confirmed that his client had been questioned over the RFA interview, adding that he maintains the charges against him are baseless.



Judge Ros Piseth ordered an audio recording of his interview to be played back during the questioning and asked Kim Sok to confirm what he said to RFA during the interview, Choung Chou Ngy said.



Kim Sok was arrested Feb. 17 and charged with incitement and defamation, as hundreds of supporters protested in front of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court demanding justice for him.



Hun Sen sued the political analyst for inciting social chaos over accusations that the CPP had orchestrated the July 2016 murder of Kem Ley, but Kim Sok has told RFA that what he said about the killing was simply a reflection of what many Cambodians believe.



Daylight murder



Kem Ley was gunned down in broad daylight on July 10 when he stopped in a Star Mart convenience store beside a Caltex gas station in Phnom Penh.



Although authorities charged a former soldier, identified as Oueth Ang, with the killing, many in Cambodia dont believe the governments story that Kem Ley was killed by the man over a debt. The accused killer had never moved in the same circles as Kem Ley and had used the alias Chuop Samlap, which roughly translated means meet to kill.



Just days before he was gunned down, Kem Ley had discussed on an RFA Khmer Service call-in show a report by London-based Global Witness detailing the extent of the wealth of the family of Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for 31 years.



On Dec. 23 the Phnom Penh court quietly closed its investigation into the case without revealing its findings.



In a final hearing on March 1, Oueth Ang confessed to killing Kem Ley. During more than five hours of proceedings, the court was shown blurry footage of the killing taken from a closed circuit camera at the Star Mart where it occurred.



Cambodian courts are notorious for their lack of independence, and opposition politicians and critics of Hun Sen often find themselves before the courts on various charges.



Wan-Hea Lee, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) representative in Cambodia, has called for a fair trial conducted by an independent court to determine Kim Soks guilt or innocence.



The verdict in his case is expected to be delivered on March 23.



Reported by Moniroth Morm for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Cambodias minister of the interior on Tuesday questioned the legitimacy of the oppositions newly appointed leadership, saying their promotion may violate internal regulations and could prevent the party from running in upcoming commune elections.

Speaking at a highway ribbon-cutting ceremony in Kampong Speu province, Sar Kheng said the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) might have infringed on a mandatory grace period by recently replacing exiled former president Sam Rainsy.

What I have heard is that under the CNRPs previous statute, the position of the president of the party would have to be left vacantif the president was absentfor no less than 18 months, the minister said in an address carried by Bayon radio station.

Nonetheless its party congress was convened to elect the new president in two months, which fell short of the required 18 months. How could that be possible? I guess they might have breached their party statute.

The CNRP convened its extraordinary congress on March 2 to amend some articles of its party statute and appoint Kem Sokha as president, along with deputies Mu Sochua, Pol Ham and Eng Chhai Eang.

Former CNRP president Sam Rainsy has been in exile since late 2015 after his conviction on charges of defamation that supporters say were questionable rulings by a court system beholden to Prime Minister Hun Sen.

He resigned as CNRP chief on Feb. 11 in order to preserve the party in the face of a new law that bars anyone convicted of a crime from holding the top offices in a political party, among other changes.

The law, which was approved by the National Assembly on Feb. 20, passed with 66 votes by the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP), despite a CNRP boycott of parliament in protest. It was signed into effect last week.

Sar Kheng said Tuesday he is weighing the situation and warned that if he finds the CNRP to have violated its statute by appointing new leadership, it will be hard for the party to be recognized.

Other parties might take issue with [such a violation] as well, he said.

The CNRP may have referred to the new law on political parties as its [reason for convening its party congress]  but that might not be correct. A clear decision will need to be made about this.

Compelled to convene

CNRP deputy Eng Chhai Eang told RFAs Khmer Service Tuesday that his party was compelled to convene its extraordinary congress and amend its statute before the new CPP-initiated law on political parties went into effect, or risk being dissolved.

According to the new law on political parties, we were given only 90 days to elect our new leaders, so we were left with very few options, the deputy said.

We were compelled to rearrange our party apparatus to suit the situation, even though our party statute stated that such arrangements shouldnt be made unless the president had been absent for 18 months, he said.

The new law required our party to have a president [within 90 days].

Sam Kuntheamy, executive director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (NICFEC), told RFA that the CNRP could be seen as illegitimate if it is found to be in breach of its party statute.

But he called for compromise, noting that the countrys June 4 commune elections are rapidly approaching.

This case should be treated as an extraordinary and politically motivated one, he said.

A new president is needed to lead the party. I think the ministry of the interior should base its consideration into this matter on practical circumstances.

Meeting supporters

Also on Tuesday, Kem Sokha met with CNRP commune chief candidates at the opposition headquarters in the capital Phnom Penh, telling them he is confident the party will be able to implement its political platform after making gains in local polls.

He stressed that the CNRP is committed to improving the lives of all people through a decentralized power structure.

No matter what order is rendered from the top, if it badly affects our people and national interests, the CNRP commune councilors shall not implement it, he said.

Kem Sokha said the CNRP would honor a pledge to provide all senior citizens with a stipend of at least 40,000 riel (U.S. $10) per month and work to make Cambodia a better place to live.

CPP spokesman Sok Eysan told RFA Tuesday that the ruling party is impressed by the CNRPs goals, but should not be discounted ahead of the upcoming elections.

The CPP has set out and implemented its political platform, he said.

Over the past six months, the CPP has done a lot to improve public services and we will continue to do better.

CNRP officials have warned that the CPP seeks to prevent the opposition from standing in the June elections through a variety of different measures, including the passage of the political party law.

The CPP won more than 70 percent of the vote and secured 1,592 of 1,633 communes in Cambodias 2012 local elections, held before the CNRP was formed. The opposition party won nearly half of the vote in the general election the following year.

Observers say the CNRP could give the CPP, which has ruled Cambodia for more than 35 years, a run for its money in the June pollsa race that many believe may foreshadow the general election in 2018.

Reported by Neang Ieng and Moniroth Morm for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.



CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story erroneously stated that the National Assembly approved the bill on Feb. 20 with 44 votes by the CPP.
A Cambodian government spokesman on Wednesday slammed a rights groups report condemning ruling party moves aimed at shutting down the countrys political opposition, saying the ASEAN-linked groups views do not reflect those of the larger regional body.



The report Death Knell for Democracy released on March 20 by the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) reflects only the dark concept of a few individuals who have not let facts get in the way of making their wild allegations, a spokesman for Cambodias Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said.



APHR is only a small group of several current and former parliamentarians from ASEAN-member countries and has not been recognized as an entity associated with ASEAN, the spokesman said in a statement released on March 22.



Cambodias ruling party under Prime Minister Hun Sen has created a climate of fear as the government widens a crackdown on the opposition and activists ahead of commune elections in June, APHRa group of former and serving Southeast Asian lawmakerssaid in their report on Monday.



Democracy in Cambodia is being systematically dismantled, APHR said, calling recently passed amendments to the countrys law on political parties the culmination of an ongoing effort to undermine the capacity of the political opposition.



Over the course of the past two years, an assault on free expression, dissent, and opposition by the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) has targeted nearly all segments of Cambodian political life, the report said.



This has significantly impacted the oppositions ability to functionboth within Parliament and outside itand has created a climate of fear, which casts a dark shadow over all of Cambodian society.



Long-term goal



Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) vice president and APHR member Mu Suchoa on Tuesday described the CPPs moves as aimed at blocking the ability of Cambodias political opposition to campaign effectively in nationwide commune elections in June.



This has been their strategy, Suchoa said, quoted in a March 21 report in the Phnom Penh Post.



Their goal has always been to weaken the opposition and silence it at all costs, she said.



CNRP officials have warned that the CPP seeks to prevent its candidates from standing in the upcoming elections through a variety of different measures, including the passage of amendments to the political party law approved by the National Assembly on Feb. 20, despite an opposition boycott of parliament in protest.



The new law bars anyone convicted of a crime from holding the top offices in a political party and forced former CNRP president Sam Rainsy to resign last month to preserve the party. Other amendments put the party at risk of being dissolved for fanning disunity, which observers say is deliberately vague.



Since a culture of dialogue broke down with the CNRP in mid-2015, the CPP has launched a series of politically motivated cases, eroded parliamentary immunity protections, and orchestrated violence against opposition politicians, according to APHRs report.



The CPPs tactics have increasingly threatened not only the safety of opposition parliamentarians, but the credibility and effectiveness of democratic institutions themselves, including the capacity of the Parliament to serve its legislative, representative, and oversight roles, the report said.



The report noted that at least 17 opposition parliamentarians, out of 66 in the National Assembly and Senate combined, have been direct victims of harassment and attacksjudicial or physicalwhile others face what it called looming threats in an unpredictable and hostile political climate.



Reported by Nareth Muong for RFAs Khmer Service. Written in English by Richard Finney.
A tweet by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, leader of the Puratchi Thalaivi (Amma) camp of the AIADMK, on a possible alliance with the BJP after the declaration of civic polls kicked up a storm on Sunday. The tweet was later removed.

By Press Trust of India: A tweet by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, leader of the Puratchi Thalaivi (Amma) camp of the AIADMK, on a possible alliance with the BJP after the declaration of civic polls kicked up a storm on Saturday.

"We will take a decision on an alliance with the BJP once local body elections are announced", the tweet from Panneerselvam's twitter handle @OfficeOfOPS said.

advertisement

The tweet, however, was later removed with the faction clarifying that it would decide on the tie-up with 'any party' only after the local body poll dates were declared.

The development came a day after Panneerselvam called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi to discuss the issues concerning Tamil Nadu.

In an apparent damage control move, the media team of the faction clarified that the alliance could be with any party depending upon the situation.

ALLIANCE POSSIBLE WITH ANY PARTY, SAYS FRESH TWEET

"We mean that only after the announcement of local body elections we will think about the alliance with any political party", another tweet from the @OfficeOfOPS handle said in a clarification.

Former Chief Minister Panneerselvam had revolted against AIADMK chief VK Sasikala in February this year, alleging that he was forced to make way for her to the state's top post.

Later, he led a host of MPs, MLAs and senior leaders to form a faction of his own.

He had also fielded E Madusudanan for the now-cancelled April 12 RK Nagar bypoll against AIADMK (Amma) Deputy General Secretary TTV Dhinakaran. BJP had nominated Gangai Amaren for the election.

The Election Commission had cancelled the bypoll over the use of money power to influence voters.

The proposed merger talks between the two factions led by Panneerselvam and chief minister Palaniswami, has remained a non-starter owing to the former's insistence on expulsion of Sasikala, Dhinakaran and their family members from AIADMK.

Also read | OPS meets PM Narendra Modi, seeks funds for Tamil Nadu

Also read | Rajinikanth 2.0: Welcome, says OPS; Ramadoss says Tamil Nadu in ICU needs a doctor, not another actor

Also read | Jallikattu: Trouble brews within AIADMK as PM Modi meets Panneerselvam, ignores party MPs

ALSO WATCH VIDEO

--- ENDS ---
Two Richmond residents were injured in separate shootings in the citys East End on Friday night, and one arrest has been made, according to police.

Police said the first shooting took place in Mosby Court about 8:30 p.m. in the 2000 block of Accommodation Street, where a woman was shot in the foot during a fight.

Richmond police Capt. John Hall said his departments Major Crimes Unit responded and arrested 35-year-old Ricky Shorts, who has been charged with malicious wounding.

Shorts was known to the victim, but a motive was not known, Hall said.

The second shooting took place about 11:15 p.m. near Creighton Court in the 2000 block of North 29th Street.

Hall said a male victim was walking, heard gunshots and realized he had been struck in the leg.

The man made his way home and was driven to a hospital by his wife, Hall said.

Police said they had no suspects in connection with the second shooting.

The man who was shot hasnt been very cooperative in regards to what exactly was going on, Hall said.
By Press Trust of India: From M Zulqernain

Lahore, May 20 (PTI) Pakistani lawyers today gave a seven-day deadline to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign on the Panama Papers scandal otherwise they will launch a nationwide movement against him.

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) today announced their joint stance.

advertisement

"Both bar associations are of the view that in light of the Supreme Courts ruling on the Panama Papers case (that questioned the moral authority of the premier to rule), PM Nawaz Sharif should no longer hold his office and should therefore resign," a joint statement issued by the both bar associations said after their convention here today.

It said the judgement in the Panama case has clearly indicted Sharif and his children for financial improprieties and corruption and a joint investigation team has been formed to probe him.

"For fair and independent inquiry against the premier, Nawaz Sharif should step down till the final report of the JIT. In case he does not resign till May 27 the lawyers throughout Pakistan will launch a nationwide campaign and movement to ensure his resignation," the statement said.

Before the convention the lawyers supporting the ruling PML-N clashed with the members of the office-bearers of both bars in a bid to stop them from launching a movement against the premier.

The PML-N lawyers locked SCBA President Rasheed A Rizvi in the Lahore High Courts library. Rizvi was later freed when the locks were broken by SCBA members. Police were called in to control the situation.

Later the lawyers led by Rizvi took out a rally on the Mall Road to press the premier to resign.

Opposition believes that Sharif will have to resign in the wake of the lawyers movement.

National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said come what may Sharif will not resign and he will remain prime minister till May 31, 2018.

Sharif narrowly survived in three-two judgement in his favour in allegations of corruption in the Panama Papers case on April 20.

The case against Sharif emerged last year after the Panama Papers leak linked his children to offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands in relation to the purchase of upmarket property in London.

Opposition figures have accused Sharif of failing to explain the source of the offshore money and lying to parliament. Sharif and his family have denied any wrongdoing. PTI MZ ZH

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Former Pakistani president and army chief Pervez Musharraf said that Ajmal Kasab was a pawn whose actions do not compare to Kulbhushan Jadhav's. He also said that Pakistan should have ignored India's petition at the International Court of Justice in the Jadhav death sentence matter.

By India Today Web Desk: Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Friday said that Kulbhushan Jadhav is a bigger terrorist than Ajmal Kasab, one of the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, in which more than 150 people were killed.

Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in April this year on charges of espionage. Pakistan alleges that Jadhav is a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent and is responsible for fomenting unrest in Balochistan, the troubled Pakistani region where Islamabad has long accused RAW of promoting terrorism.

advertisement

In an interview to Pakistan's ARY News, Musharraf drew parallels between Jadhav and Kasab, who was hanged to death in India for his role in the Mumbai attacks. Musharraf said Kasab was just a "pawn" while Jadhav is responsible for getting "dozens of people" to carry out terrorist activities.

"Who is a bigger culprit (between Jadhav and Kasab)," Musharraf rhetorically asked, before saying, "Obviously it is Jadhav." "I don't even know how many people's deaths Jadhav is responsible for," Musharraf added.

The former Pakistani army chief also slammed his country for appearing in the International Court of Justice, which this week put a stay on Jadhav's death sentence. "It was wrong that India went to the ICJ," Musharraf said, adding, "Pakistan should not have gone (to the ICJ".

Issues of espionage and sabotage are Pakistan's internal matters, Musharraf added, saying no one has the authority to advise his country on these issues.

He also went on to indicate that world bodies like the United Nations and the International Court of Justice don't have any real power. Directives issued by these world bodies are ignored by some countries, Musharraf said when asked whether Pakistan could have realistically avoided sending a team to the ICJ to defend against India's claim.

Musharraf went on to cite the example of the United States executing two German nationals in 1999 despite an ICJ provisional ruling putting a stay on the death penalty awarded to the two.

THE KULBHUSHAN JADHAV ISSUE

In April this year, Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa confirmed the death sentence handed to Kulbhushan Jadhav, accused of spying.

India, which slammed Jadhav's trial as 'farcical', said that Jadhav is not a spy and that he is a former Indian Navy officer-turned businessman who was kidnapped in Iran and taken to Pakistan.

Contending that Islamabad had violated the Vienna Convention by not providing New Delhi consular access to Jadhav, India filed a petition at The Hague, Netherlands-based ICJ.

This week, the World Court, allowing India's plea, asked Pakistan not to execute Jadhav until the ICJ has had the time to hear the matter in full and arrive at a final verdict.

advertisement

ALSO READ:

How Pakistani media reported ICJ stay on Kulbhushan Jadhav's death sentence

Pakistan's plan ahead after Nawaz Sharif govt slammed on ICJ's Kulbhushan ruling

After ICJ ruling in India's favour, Pakistan to change legal team in Kulbhushan Jadhav case

ALSO WATCH | What are India's options if Pakistan refuses to accept ICJ's verdict on Kulbhushan Jadhav?

--- ENDS ---
Business News Nigeria To Process All Tourist Business Visas In Two Days | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Since the beginning of 2022, the aviation sector has been battling significant headwinds. While crawling back into economic recovery following the 2020 COVID-19 storm, Nigerias air travel sector slip ... Read More Nigeria is a beautiful country. Yes, we may be struggling on all fronts ... brought technological innovation to travel trade business in Nigeria, held the post to the emergence of Federation ... Read More The statement added: The visa process is open ... It is Nigerias most authoritative news media available on all platforms for the political, business, professional and diplomatic elite ... Read More The plan, called Tourism Hackathon Nigeria was launched on Tuesday ... experience is fully enhanced by the digitisation of all support activities. For continued free access to the best ... Read More the group said that Nigerias poor economic growth is a reflection of how the nation manages its human capital. NESG also called on all stakeholders to be involved in discussions that will ... Read More Showcase your company news with guaranteed exposure both in print and online Most Admired CEOs were built for times like these. Their leadership & actions are guiding the Join the DBJ and ... Read More What are the B1 and B2 tourist visas for the US? The B1 visa (business visa ... which is received at the end of the online application process for the consulate visit. Passport is another ... Read More The UAE immigration authorities announced on Friday a visa ban on Nigerians looking to enter the country, adding that all submitted applications had been rejected with fees non-refundable. The Middle ... Read More eVisitor (subclass 651) The visa also allows for multiple visits to Australia for tourism or business purposes for ... What is the process for application of Australia tourist visa? Read More This visa is suitable for travel to India with a tourist purpose, such as a holiday or a visit to family or friends of up to 30 days. There is also an e-Business visa, suitable for travel with a ... Read More Some of the card offers on this site are from companies who are advertising clients of U.S. News ... or all card offers available in the marketplace. Terms apply. The PNC Visa Business Credit ... Read More documents needed and process What are the B1 and B2 tourist visas for the US? The B1 visa (business visa) is used by people travelling to the United States for business-related affairs. Read More
Health News Unitedhealth Largest Minnesota Health Care Company By Far | RobinsPost News & Noticias

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota's largest company by revenue expects to keep getting bigger next year. UnitedHealth Group detailed for investors Tuesday how the Minnetonka-based health care giant expects ... Read More Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth operates a health insurance ... of the nations largest pharmacy benefit managers and a growing number of clinics and urgent care and surgery centers. Read More (AP) _ UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH) on Friday reported third-quarter earnings of $5.26 billion. On a per-share basis, the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company ... The largest U.S. health insurer ... Read More MARSHFIELD  Marshfield Clinic Health System and Essentia Health, a Minnesota-based health care system ... according to a news release. This is an exciting opportunity for both our ... Read More Scores are based on surveys taken from this hospitals inpatients after they were discharged inquiring about different aspects of their stay. The scores are not used in the Best Hospitals rankings. Read More "We cannot be waiting until people are adults or even until their 20s to be talking about mental health." United Health's report was a mixed bag of news as always for Minnesota, which had ranked ... Read More The U.S. News Doctor Finder has compiled extensive information ... Dr. Wayne Adkisson is a cardiologist in Minneapolis, MN, and is affiliated with multiple hospitals including Grand Itasca Clinic ... Read More the health department said that a key element of the approval "was the recognition that the Minnesota Legislature expects close, ongoing scrutiny of how the new facility will impact care delivery ... Read More In addition, three hospitalizations have been confirmed, along with an outbreak of influenza in a Minnesota school. Last flu season, the MDH reported 917 hospitalizations and 250 outbreaks in ... Read More MINNEAPOLIS-- Hospitals last week saw an increase in cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a preliminary report from the Minnesota Department of Health shows. A majority of the nearly 120 ... Read More
Politics News California Politics Updates California Democrats Gather In Sacramento For State Party S Convention | RobinsPost News & Noticias

California Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, won big in statewide races, but big-money propositions tanked. Read More A string of California U.S. House races remains in play, and the outcome could make the difference in which party controls the chamber next year ... Read More There was plenty of drama in legislative races that came to a head Tuesday between Democrats and Republicans, and even members of the same party competing under California rules that advance the top ... Read More The outcome in a string of highly competitive California U.S. House races will play into control of Congress next year, potentially helping Republicans seize control or providing a Democratic buffer ... Read More
Politics News California Politics Updates California Democrats Gather In Sacramento For State Party S Convention | RobinsPost News & Noticias

California Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, won big in statewide races, but big-money propositions tanked. Read More A string of California U.S. House races remains in play, and the outcome could make the difference in which party controls the chamber next year ... Read More
Elections News United Kingdom Local Elections Labour Woe Looks Ominous For Bigger Fight | RobinsPost News & Noticias

This week, news that the Labour Party was ... country that I havent visited in order to help local Labour parties raise cash to pay for election campaigning. The Tories would have you believe ... Read More (Alan Greenblatt/Governing) Ron DeSantis looks like ... run for state and local offices, including an $80 million effort to promote candidates for local posts that oversee elections. Read More The Labour Party has made a new call for early elections on Monday, taking advantage of the election of Rishi Sunak as the new leader of the Conservative Party and therefore as Prime Minister of ... Read More And then they will turn to the coming presidential election as the final fight on which their complaints will finally be heard. Of course, if you think this same group will accept the results of ... Read More The FBI is warning voters against election-related crimes, a standard warning before all major elections but one that warrants increased vigilance this year amid threats to local election workers. Read More To really understand an election, you have to understand the motivations ... We've got the data for it: tens of thousands of interviews in our CBS News polling over the year where people ... Read More Yet there is plenty of policy and politics that matter at the state and local level ... assessments of the impact of the midterm elections should look at far more than the House and Senate. Read More In each midterm cycle, hundreds of congressional seats are up for election  in addition to key state and local elected offices ... but that looks less certain now, experts say  pointing ... Read More When it comes to voting, not only do they run local elections, but county clerks also oversee elections of state and federal candidates within their jurisdictions. To Ricky Hatch, the Weber County ... Read More Welcome to Fox News Election Brief, a newsletter with the latest updates from the 2022 midterm elections campaign trail. Subscribe now to get Fox News' Election Brief in your inbox. Read More Midterm elections in the United States happen every two years and determines who will be elected  or re-elected  to the Senate, which helps make up the U.S. Congress. These elections happen ... Read More Each midterm election cycle, Americans have the chance to vote on candidates for the House of Representatives, Senate, and state and local offices ... to the latest Fox News Power Rankings. Read More
Elections News Iran More Than 40 Million Vote In Presidential Elections | RobinsPost News & Noticias

As a block, this years midterm races did not go as expected. But even as Democrats stemmed their losses in the House and as the Senate still hangs in the balance, a frequent theme of the House and ... Read More Voting in Georgia, driven by tight races for governor and US Senate, is nearing records for a midterm election. Read More Ahead of Tuesdays Midterm Elections, GOP and Democrat candidates make the final stops on the campaign trail to pitch to voters. Read More Republican J.D. Vance bests Tim Ryan in Ohio Senate race. Democrat Josh Shapiro defeats Trump-backed Doug Mastriano in PA gubernatorial contest. Read More Now Elon Musk owns Twitter (official confirmation awaits but is all-but-certain), after carrying around a kitchen sink as a publicity stunt, he's thrown everything but the kitchen sink out of Twitter. Read More The Nov. 8 general election is one week away. Follow our live coverage to get the latest news on the 2022 midterm elections. Read More Another woman has come forward with allegations that Georgia Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker paid for her abortion after engaging in an affair. Walker told reporters Wednesday that the ... Read More Japan's Cabinet revealed an economic package worth $199 billion to help combat inflation and help the economy recover from the ongoing effects of COVID-19 ... Read More
Elections News Post Elections Iran Strikes Back At Us With More Reciprocal Sanctions | RobinsPost News & Noticias

WASHINGTON  The United States warned Monday it would take action against companies and nations working with Irans ... diligence  the US will not hesitate to use sanctions or take actions ... Read More President Raeisi said that the Iranian nation has discredited the American military option and now, following the failure of the US in the sanctions policy ... and taken into account more." He added ... Read More With efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal languishing ... imposed yet another round of sanctions on Russia, this time for its alleged interference in elections in nearby Moldova and efforts ... Read More The United States on Wednesday imposed a slew of new sanctions against Iranian officials involved in the ongoing crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran  the latest US response to Tehrans ... Read More Washington  The U.S. on Wednesday imposed new sanctions on members of Iran's intelligence agency, leaders of the country's Revolutionary Guard, prison wardens and others. The action came 40 ... Read More In his message congratulating Abdul Latif Rashid's election as the President of Iraq ... that the relations between Tehran and Baghdad would develop and deepen even more. "Iran has always supported ... Read More Next months national elections ... more terrorists walk in across the southern border. At the very least, lawmakers should insist that Biden drop his devastating open-borders experiment and go ... Read More Here's every seat up for grabs in the 2022 midterms Is Election Day a federal holiday? Will banks, post offices ... local election officials to learn more. If you're unsure where to go first ... Read More The AP is answering your questions about elections in this series. Submit them at FactCheck@AP.org. Read more here: ... Read More
Elections News World Media Shocked By Massive Public Turnout In Iran S 2017 Elections | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Eight years ago, interest in midterm elections hit rock bottom. Just 37% of the voting eligible population turned out to vote  the lowest since World ... turnout in this years primaries ... Read More To really understand an election ... of interviews in our CBS News polling over the year where people have expressed themselves and how they see politics. Here's what we learned from it all ... Read More Share with friendsIrans supreme leader and its president tried Thursday to link the nationwide protests roiling the country to an Islamic State-claimed gun attack on a famous mosque that killed 15 ... Read More Since the last election the media ... s guidelines. Individuals must make less than $125,000 a year, and the debt must have been disbursed appropriately on or before June 30, 2022. This is a ... Read More A Facebook search for the words election fraud first delivers an article claiming that workers at a Pennsylvania childrens museum ... and elections abounds on social media despite ... Read More Heres what key votes around the world mean for climate action ... There are political tipping points, too. Elections can put a heavy finger on the scales of climate action. Read More turnout is crucial. Not because the leader whose party wins the most seats is usually - but not always - asked to form the next government. But because in Israeli elections, its about blocs ... Read More Voter turnout ... election security and voter convenience, Mike Hassinger, public information coordinator on voting and elections for the secretary of state, told the USA TODAY Networks ... Read More The midterms are elections that occur halfway through a president's four-year term. All 435 seats in the U.S. House are up for election, as well as 35 seats in the Senate. Thirty-six states and 3 ... Read More What are the midterm elections ... s party loses on average 29 House seats the first midterm election, according to a Council on Foreign Relations report. In fact, only once since World War ... Read More Social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok and Twitter say they're taking steps to prevent the spread of misinformation about voting and elections ... news outlets like the AP, which is part of ... Read More
By Press Trust of India: From Suman Sahoo

(Eds: With additional inputs)

Kolkata, May 19 (PTI) President Pranab Mukherjee today expressed happiness over the Union Cabinet nod to a proposal for setting up 10 nuclear power reactors, saying there was a need to use clean and renewable energy to meet the countrys growing electricity demand.

The president made the remarks after inaugurating the countrys first-of-its-kind microgrid power project at the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST) at Shibpur near here that uses solar, wind and biogas energy to produce electricity.

advertisement

He said he was "happy" that the Cabinet has decided to ramp up power generation by clearing a proposal to build 10 indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors, each with a capacity to produce 700 MW.

Mukherjee said more than 300 million people in the country still do not have access to power. "We have to provide electricity to ordinary people," he said, adding that there is a need to emphasise on renewable energy to meet the demand.

To meet the growing demand and at the same time address concern over climate change, the country must reduce dependence on coal-based energy and emphasise on renewable forms, he said, adding nuclear is "one of the cleanest" sources of energy.

The Cabinet had on Wednesday cleared the proposal to build 10 power reactors, the largest ever approval granted for such facilities in one go. The reactors will be developed by the Department of Atomic Energy.

While lauding the progress in space science made by India, he stressed that electricity and clean, arsenic-free drinking water be provided to the people, particularly those in rural areas.

There cannot be too many "contradictions" for a long period of time, he said noting that India has succeded in space missions but there is still poor availability of drinking water and electricity for a large number of people.

Mukherjee also inaugurated the Centre for Water and Environmental Research, which will focus on ways to supply safe drinking water, besides irrigation.

He said the entire international community is going to "face a bigger crisis in a modern form" -- the crisis of water.

One-sixth of the worlds population live in India, but the country has only 1/16th of the water sources, he said, adding even 70 years after Independence, a large part of the country does not receive clean, portable water.

People in drought-prone areas of central India are forced to migrate to other parts of the country, Mukherjee said.

"Thus our science, our expertise have to be implemented in finding out practical solutions to (problems of) our day- to-day life," he said.

Exhorting students to focus on research, he referred to the success of Germany in establishing itself as an industrial nation through innovative ideas since the late 19th century.

advertisement

Former ISRO chairman and chairperson of the IIEST Board of Governors, K Radhakrishnan, its director Ajoy Kumar Ray, and registrar Biman Bandyopadhyay were present at the programme, besides West Bengal Power Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay.

The Integrated Renewable Energy Smart Microgrid Centre at the institute utilises 600-1,000 kg of kitchen and food waste from the entire campus to produce biogas energy.

It can offer a complete solution for 24x7 electricity access in regions having either no grid or weak and unreliable grid, project coordinator professor Hiranmay Saha said.

The smart grid is a project of the West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency.

At a homoeopathy award ceremony at the Science City Auditorium here, Mukherjee highlighted the "important role" played by homoeopathy and Indian systems of medicine in the countrys healthcare sector.

He said the medicinal system was becoming more popular as it was cheaper compared to allopathy, besides having no side- effects.

Homoeopathy and systems of Indian medicine such as unani and siddha are playing an important role in the country, which faces a severe shortage of quality medical practitioners, he said.

advertisement

The president received the first copies of two books in Bengali at an event at the Raj Bhavan.

Jnan, A-Jnan O Bijnan -- Popper-er Jnantatta (knowledge, ignorance and science -- Poppers theory of knowledge) and Samudra Banijjer Prekshite Sthala Banijjer, Bharat Mahasagar Anchal, 1500-1800 (overland trade in the backdrop of oceanic trade, Indian Ocean Region) have been written by retired professors of the Calcutta University, Mahasweta Chaudhury and Sushil Chaudhury respectively. PTI SMN BSA SC ZMN

--- ENDS ---
Elections News Ayatollah Khamenei Praises High Turnout In Iran S Elections | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah ... 2021 presidential election cycle, even Ali Larijani, a former speaker of parliament and conservative stalwart, was disqualified. Khameneis second mission ... Read More Iran's Khamenei Calls Anti-Government Protests ... innovative developments and movements of the Iranian nation," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said. Protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year ... Read More Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ... news agency reported. That seedling [of the Islamic Republic] is a mighty tree now and no one should dare think they can uproot it, he said. Iran ... Read More Khamenei Likens Iran to 'Mighty Tree' That Cannot Be Uprooted by Protesters DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in comments responding to violent protests sweeping the ... Read More Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says enemies are involved in street violence that erupted last month over the death of Mahsa Amini. Khamenei has already accused the United ... Read More turnout is crucial. Not because the leader whose party wins the most seats is usually - but not always - asked to form the next government. But because in Israeli elections, its about blocs ... Read More DUBAI - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Friday that no one ... state TV reported. A news agency said the two were shot after confronting "two rioters" writing graffiti. Read More Eight years ago, interest in midterm elections hit rock bottom ... were far more likely to see a repeat of 2018 and its high turnout than 2014. Already, more than 4.8 million ballots have ... Read More Here's how to prepare for in-person or mail-in voting during midterm elections Here's how ... I would expect turnout to be pretty high," Al Schmidt, of the Committee of Seventy, said, "probably ... Read More Heres what key votes around the world mean for climate action. Or inaction. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. Read More
Elections News Why Media S Role Is Crucial To Free And Fair Elections In Any Democracy | RobinsPost News & Noticias

American voters are fractured politically and culturally ahead of Election Day, and they are anxious about where their country is heading  on inflation, abortion, immigration, crime, and much more. T ... Read More US midterm election will be held on Nov. 8, but early voting is already underway. Follow CNN for the latest election news and updates. Read More American voters are fractured politically and culturally ahead of Election Day, and they are anxious about where their country is heading. Here's what they're saying. Read More Latest updates and results as Democrats perform better than expected and Georgia Senate race heads to runoff. 02:31 Republican Tom Kean Jr has unseated Democratic incumbent Tom ... Read More President to speak in Maryland while predecessor travels to Ohio, amid surge in early voting ... Read More Florida state department tells DoJ that federal election monitors wont be permitted  follow all the latest news ... Read More Reducing news to hard lines and side-taking leaves a lot of the story untold. Progress comes from challenging what we hear and considering different views. Read More
Search RobinsPost News & Noticias



Potus News New Reports On Russia Investigation As Trump Heads Overseas | RobinsPost News & Noticias




Potus News President Donald Trump Arrives In Saudi Arabia As Overseas Trip Starts | RobinsPost News & Noticias

The United States is concerned about threats from Iran against Saudi Arabia and will not hesitate to respond if necessary, a White House spokesperson said on Tuesday. Read More
Potus News Saudi Arabia Courts Trump | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Carly Morris has remained trapped in Saudi Arabia since 2019 when she took her daughter to visit her ex-husband's family as the country's guardianship laws favor the father. Read More President Biden has not left any doubt as to whether politics played a role in his unsuccessful pressuring of Saudi Arabia to delay ... Marco Rubio told Fox News. Rubio, R-Fla., ... Read More In our news wrap ... and the U.S. and Saudi Arabia traded tough talk over sharp cuts in oil output. In the day's other news: The U.S. Supreme Court refused former President Trump's request for ... Read More A US national held in Saudi Arabia has received a 16-year jail sentence ... torture since his arrest by Saudi authorities. The Saudi court that issued the prison sentence found him guilty of ... Read More An official describes it as a credible threat of an attack soon or within 48 hours. Concerns of a possible attack come after the Biden administration criticized Tehran for sending drones to help ... Read More Cogan did not state in open court what Barrack said ... he pushed in the early days of the Trump administration to construct 40 nuclear plants in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East. Read More President Joe Bidens attempts to court Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman were destined to end in failure, analysts and dissidents told NBC News ... Trump administration had given Saudi ... Read More President Joe Bidens attempts to court Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman were destined to end in failure, analysts and dissidents told NBC News, after the ... the blank check the Trump ... Read More Latest updates and results as Democrats perform better than expected and Georgia Senate race heads to runoff. 02:31 Republican Tom Kean Jr has unseated Democratic incumbent Tom ... Read More Since late last year, representatives of Saudi Arabias sovereign wealth ... The tee sat in front of the clubhouse, where Trump was holding court on a patio: Marjorie Taylor Greene, Caitlyn ... Read More The ruling by U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan came on the third day of Barrack's testimony in his own defense in Brooklyn federal court ... in the early days of the Trump administration to construct ... Read More
Potus News Updates From The California Democratic Convention Pelosi Says Gop Is Stonewalling Investigation Into Trump And Russia | RobinsPost News & Noticias

"And so listen, it was a personal note and it was one between me and the speaker, just to reflect those sentiments." ... Read More Democrats claim the attack on Paul Pelosi is the direct result of a nearly two-decades long Republican campaign to vilify the House Speaker . Read More House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, who is in line to seize the speakers gavel from Pelosi next year if Democrats lose power, has recruited the most racially diverse class of Hous ... Read More House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that she doesn't believe former President Donald Trump ... at Fox News. Follow him on Twitter @UAMichaelLee Election season is here! Get the latest race updates ... Read More House Democratic ... stemming from Trumps efforts to obstruct then-special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. But Pelosi finally embraced ... Read More UPDATE, 7:10 AM Friday: Donald Trump followed up his ... Moreover, a bipartisan Senate investigation of security failures on January 6th makes no reference to Pelosis involvement. Read More As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ... Trump had called Zelensky and threatened to withhold military aid unless the Ukrainian president opened an investigation into President Joe Bidens son. The ... Read More Trump and Pelosi have ... Cheney did not say what the panel would do if Trump refuses to cooperate with the subpoena. If he testifies, she said, "he's not going to turn this into a circus." ... Read More Trump previously indicated he would agree to testify under live proceedings, but Pelosi says ... into a circus, Cheney said. The trial of the Trump Organization emerged out of a criminal ... Read More Russia said it targeted military and energy facilities. But some of the missiles smashed into civilian areas ... an independent Belarusian military analyst, says Belarus could host some 10,000 ... Read More
Science News Southeastern Science Graduates Continue Education At Professional And Graduate Schools | RobinsPost News & Noticias

The Chronicle sought to report a breakdown of which graduate and professional schools Duke undergraduates ... of computer science, wrote that its hard to track students postgraduate plans. Read More Schools around the world have closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, leaving parents and teachers scrambling to figure out how kids can learn at home. We can help! Science News Explores and the ... Read More Making it through higher education and graduate ... students are not a monolith. They come from countries around the world with a wealth of language and life experiences. Some are parents with ... Read More Western Michigan University will help you take the next step toward higher education at the Graduate & Professional School ... can explore the different grad schools available in the area. Read More Hamilton Southeastern Schools contains 23 schools and 21,760 students. The districts minority enrollment is 30%. Also, 10.0% of students are economically disadvantaged. The student body at the ... Read More Seventy per cent of respondents to Natures graduate ... going to Black students has dropped from more than 11% in 2013 to less than 9% in 2020  a trend not seen in other science, technology ... Read More NEW YORK - The past few weeks, CBS2 has been partnering with a Brooklyn non-profit called I WILL GRADUATE ... with countless schools and helped tens of thousands of students. Read More A recent study, led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst and appearing in the Journal of Higher Education, reveals how undergraduate students ... the National Science Foundation and the ... Read More The GPSS is Yales largest coalition of students on campus, with representatives from 11 of the Universitys 14 graduate and professional ... wrote to the News that his job as a senator is to connect ... Read More NATCHITOCHES, La.  Dr. Christy Hornsby wants everyone to know that Northwestern State University graduate students rock. Hornsby, who is coordinator of Adult Learning and Development programs ... Read More Local schools are making progress in the numbers of students who graduate from high school ready for further education or high-quality careers, but Blount County still has far to go to catch up ... Read More The endeavor is supported by a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation. PALiISaDS solidifies UCSB's status as a regional hub for statistics and data science undergraduate education ... Read More
Science News Zim Student Wins Award At International Science And Engineering Fair In The Us | RobinsPost News & Noticias

The young people of Zimbabwe continue to make the entire nation proud. Students ... Innovator Award gold medal in this global competition which was established to promote science and ... Read More Perez Ortega, a bilingual science journalist ... The news of this award came after hearing that our research trip to was cancelled due to poor sea ice conditionsa silver lining amidst discouraging ... Read More well an exciting update on *** teen entrepreneur. We first introduced you to *** few years ago, *** trinity high school sophomore was named the 2022 national young entrepreneur of the year by the U. Read More It's the only school in the U.S. to ever win the "World's Best School" in an international competition for supporting healthy student lives. Curie got the award for its innovative use of a ... Read More Speech on fake news helps Southland student win ... the international student community wasnt the only thing she did in her spare time. With a passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering ... Read More The awards are handed out in several categories each year, with the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering being ... training environment for students, postdoctoral fellows ... Read More Through his reporting and photography, Mr Butler, 44, has steadily built up his environmental news site Mongabay ... Mr Butler recently won the US$250,000 (S$357,000) Heinz Award for the Environment. Read More Organizers of the annual Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity announced Thursday that this years winners are the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy ... said ... Read More was present to receive the award. This is a significant honour for us here at the Bank. Were happy that our commemorative coin has been recognised on the international stage by a highly ... Read More Organizers of the annual Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity announced Thursday that this years winners are the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy ... Read More
Technology News Georgia Tech Launches 1 Million Retail Technology Initiative At Atdc | RobinsPost News & Noticias

On Friday afternoon, Georgia Tech announced the ... implementation, and launch of the Crimson Standard, Alabama Athletics 10-year, $600 million capital initiative. He also provided day-to ... Read More Ranked by Number of employees in Georgia dedicated to FinTech Ranked by Number of employees in Georgia dedicated to FinTech Ranked by Number of employees in Georgia dedicated to FinTech ATLANTA ... Read More 14Georgia Tech has named J Batt as its new athletic ... Batt oversaw the successful development, implementation and launch of the Crimson Standard, Alabama Athletics' 10-year, $600 million capital ... Read More Congratulations, Georgia voters! We've reached 1 MILLION cast votes. Election officials deserve our thanks for rising to the challenge & working hard to serve our communities. Early Voting will ... Read More Enter your email to receive top stories, including breaking news alerts ... a team of researchers and students from the Georgia Institute of Technology and University of South Carolina started ... Read More ATLANTA  Georgia surpassed 1 million votes cast in the early voting period on Tuesday, state officials said. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced the crossing of the threshold in a ... Read More This year marks the 70th anniversary of women enrolling at Georgia Tech. When the Georgia School of Technology opened in 1888, it offered an industrial and technical education exclusively for men. As ... Read More Austin, Texas  October 28, 2022  The Litowitz/Fox Team of Capital Strategies, a $100 million Slack Davis Sanger specializes in navigating  and winning  the challenging personal ... Read More Inventions developed at the University of Arizona are making their way into the market through what's known as "Tech Launch Arizona." ... Read More The popularity of the Best in Market option has prompted us to launch them as their ... he has been editor-in-chief of TV Tech (www.tvtech.com), the leading source of news and information on broadcast ... Read More Georgia Tech's season feels like it has already been in two parts. Former head coach Geoff Collins was fired after four games and a 1-3 start. Then, Brent Key took over as the interim coach and ... Read More 3. The defense forced seven tackles for loss. 1. Virginia has one of the worst offensive lines in the country and Georgia Tech could not find a way to get a sack on Virginia quarterback Brenan ... Read More
Us News Two Chinese Jetfighters Intercept Us Plane In East China Sea | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Foreign military aircraft ... This year US Pacific Air Forces Commander Kenneth Wilsbach revealed details of an encounter between F-35 and J-20 fighter jets over the East China Sea, saying his ... Read More The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) scrambled its fighter aircraft ... Chinese bomber flight by four Chinese H-6 bombers and 2 Russian Tu-95 bombers flew from the Sea of Japan, the East China ... Read More J-20 stealth fighter jets of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force recently carried out a series of combat patrols over the East China Sea, driving away foreign aircraft which were ... Read More This photo taken on Nov. 8, 2022 shows the venue of the 14th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin) GUANGZHOU, Nov. 10 ... Read More Two Chinese ... to get a naturalized US citizen to return to China against his will. In the first, federal prosecutors in New Jersey indicted four people, including three Chinese intelligence ... Read More Both men are understood to be based in China. The other two cases announced on Monday involve a Chinese intelligence campaign to recruit U.S.-based agents and a separate effort by the Chinese ... Read More Although the Russian aircraft did ... identified and intercepted" the bombers as they were within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). Two US F-16 fighter jets were dispatched ... Read More Two Chinese intelligence ... the indictment to prosecution of a Chinese company for conspiring to steal trade secrets makes it clear that it is Huawei. The US Attorney for the Eastern District ... Read More Bo joined the air force in 1979 when he was 17 and could fly four types of fighter jets ... China. Her coverage of the US EP-3 spy plane crash with a PLA J-8 in 2001 near the South China Sea ... Read More US Air Force F-16 fighter jets intercepted two Russian Tu-95 ... tracked and positively identified" two Russian maritime patrol aircraft entering the ADIZ. In that incident as well the two ... Read More
By Press Trust of India: Panaji, May 20 (PTI) Lack of blood testing facilities at the state-run Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) has led to exploitation of patients by private laboratories, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane today said.

Representatives of private laboratories visit the hospital and collect blood samples of patients and charge them Rs 800-1,000 per test, he said.

advertisement

This is happening because the state-run medical facility does not have proper blood testing facilities, Rane said.

"There are blood-sucking agents in the Goa Medical College and Hospital who are exploiting the poor people and charging them whopping fees," Rane told reporters.

The minister said this exploitation will stop soon as the government has decided to put in place proper blood testing facilities in GMCH within 60 days.

"I am of the opinion that no blood sample should go out of GMCH for testing. We are going to ensure that not only basic blood tests but even advances tests are available at GMCH. Whatever supportis required to GMCH would be provided by the government," he added.

The minister said that the current standards of conducting crucial Elisa test in GMCH has turned outdated risking the life of patients.

A blood bank will also be set up at the hospital and it will function as a separate department, Rane said.

"We will develop the blood bank in three phases. We have also taken a decision to make the blood bank a separate department," he said. PTI RPS RSY

--- ENDS ---
Us News Us Willing To Help Solve Humanitarian Crisis In Venezuela | RobinsPost News & Noticias

(Emily Zantow/Courthouse News Service ... Mayorkas said the program being styled as humanitarian parole aims to create a more orderly and safe process for those fleeing the humanitarian and economic ... Read More "The news hit us ... return to Venezuela. Mario Ricardo Camejo, a member of the nonprofit Colombian-Venezuelan foundation Fundacolven, said that while they appreciate any help and humanitarian ... Read More "Relations between the government of the United States and Venezuela need to be restored," Lopez Obrador told a news conference ... concerned about the "humanitarian crisis" facing Venezuelans ... Read More The International Rescue Committees 2022 Emergency Watchlist named Venezuela among the top twenty countries at risk of a worsening humanitarian crisis due to its economic crisis, a health system ... Read More Venezuelas government and opposition parties are poised to restart political negotiations after the US midterm elections next week, a move that could lead the US to start easing some sanctions on the ... Read More Reports US Supreme Court rejects Trump request over seized documents Migrants from Venezuela who got expelled from the U.S. and sent back to Mexico under Title 42, stand outside the National ... Read More Venezuela's government and the country's opposition plan to resume dialogues in Mexico as soon as this month after a long delay, and are expected to focus on negotiating conditions for a presidential ... Read More More than 150,000 fleeing poverty have reached Panama so far this year in pursuit of American dream The humanitarian crisis in Darien ... America en route to the US. An exodus of Venezuelans ... Read More The administration has been grappling with a growing number of migrants at the US-Mexico border over recent months, many of whom are now from Venezuela ... the humanitarian and economic crisis ... Read More Even though my previous career looked great on paper, I was longing for something that would help to heal the world a little. Around 2006, I was asked by a friend to help her family in Kenya. Read More Although the law has been shown to be effective when it comes to keeping species from going extinct (it has saved over 99% of listed species from extinction, according to the US Fish and Wildlife ... Read More Explainer-What's Driving Haiti's Humanitarian Crisis? (Reuters) - Haiti is facing a humanitarian crisis, with shortages of food, fuel and water causing catastrophic hunger, and the government ... Read More
Us News North Korea Puts Conditions On Us Talks | RobinsPost News & Noticias

VOAs Korean Service contacted North Koreas U.N. mission in New York asking under what circumstances Pyongyang would be interested in talks but did not receive a reply. Robert Einhorn ... Read More North Korea's new nuclear policy is creating a serious tension on the Korean Peninsula, Cho told a joint news conference after talks with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and ... Read More US Vows Full Military ... in a joint news conference after three-way talks in Washington, leaving Sherman to make a solo media appearance. Sherman said North Korea needs to understand that the ... Read More Following talks in Tokyo, the three nations' deputy foreign ministers said they would ramp up their deterrence in the region. "We agreed to further strengthen cooperation ... so that North Korea ... Read More Two days of North Korean missile tests increase tensions. Ethiopia and Tigray agree to a cease fire. And, Biden sounds the alarm on the state of democracy. Read More South Koreas Foreign Ministry said its top nuclear envoy held separate phone talks with his ... Ministry warned North Korea that using its nuclear weapons would put it on a path of self- ... Read More The United States, Japan and South Korea warned on Wednesday that an unparalleled scale of response would be warranted if North Korea conducts a seventh nuclear bomb test. Washington and its ... Read More For decades North Korea has threatened to turn enemy cities into a sea of fire, even as it doggedly worked on building a nuclear weapons programme that could back up its belligerent words. Read More U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman is warning North ... Korea. A year ago, Japanese and South Korean vice ministers declined to participate in a joint news conference after three-way ... Read More Following talks in Tokyo, the three nations' deputy foreign ministers said they would ramp up their deterrence in the region. "We agreed to further strengthen cooperation ... so that North Korea ... Read More
Us News Iran Elections Unlikely To Impact Relations With Us | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Top U.S. election security officials say current threats to the nation's voting systems are more complex than ever. Read More Iran is seeking Russia's help to bolster its nuclear program, US intelligence officials believe, as Tehran looks for a backup plan should a lasting nuclear deal with world powers fail to materialize. Read More Protests in Iran raged on streets into Thursday with demonstrators remembering a bloody crackdown in the country's southeast, even as the ... Read More The U.S. envoy to Iran said Monday that the Biden administration will not "waste time" on reviving Iran's 2015 nuclear deal amid Tehran's crackdown on protesters and its support of Russia. Read More Transport flights have been monitored heading from Iran to Russia. Reports from US ... election looming, seems unlikely. But the new Russia-Iran relationship has the potential to impact global ... Read More By Jennifer Hansler, CNN The United States will work to remove Iran from the UN Commission on the Status of Women, US Vice President Kamala Harris announced Wednesday. The effort to evict Iran form th ... Read More He has had outsized influence on US ... election of President Ebrahim Raisi in 2021 has invigorated Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to try to make progress toward his long-term vision of molding Iran ... Read More WASHINGTON  The US has soured on the possibility of resuming fruitful talks with Iran over reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, and is disappointed and angry at Tehran over its approach to the ... Read More TEL AVIV, Israel  Benjamin Netanyahu, the former and perhaps future prime minister of Israel, calls the United States ... relations with Moscow, Palestinian rights and how best to prevent Iran ... Read More Top U.S. election security officials say current threats to the nation's voting systems are more complex than ever. The task of protecting those systems has become increasingly more difficult as ... Read More Transport flights have been monitored heading from Iran to Russia. Reports from US ... election looming, seems unlikely. But the new Russia-Iran relationship has the potential to impact global ... Read More
Us News Us Pitches Plan To Russia To Avoid Armed Conflict In Syria | RobinsPost News & Noticias

By Patrick Kingsley and Ronen Bergman JERUSALEM  Russia ... avoid conflict between their forces. An encrypted telephone line was installed in 2017 to connect a Russian air base in western Syria ... Read More Russian, Syrian Forces Kill 20 Militants in Syria ... news agency, said the operation took place in southern Deraa province. "The Russian group on interaction with security units of the Syrian ... Read More QAHTANIYAH, Syria (AFP ... The presence of Russian troops has also helped US forces avoid a face-off with Syrian regime forces. Read More Some of the photos, taken by a correspondent for the AFP news ... to avoid conflict. "As you know, Syria is a complex environment for us, for the Syrian Democratic Forces, and for Russian forces ... Read More US and Russian troops exchanged friendly greetings and posed for pictures together over the weekend on a northeast Syria highway in a rare display of congeniality between the rival forces. Read More (photo credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS ... Syria. Russia, Iran and Turkey worked on the Syrian conflict via the Russia-backed Astana Process. Ankara intervened in northern Syria to ... Read More The US playing up Chinas supposed timetable for armed reunification is an extremely ... intent on replicating the playbook of the Russia-Ukraine conflict: hyping up the possibility of war ... Read More The U.S. says it sees no indication Russia ... conflict, a U.S. official told ABC News. Over the weekend, in an unprecedented series of phone calls to senior defense officials in the United States ... Read More The Justice Department charged nearly a dozen people in separate cases in New York and Connecticut, including Russian nationals accused of purchasing sensitive military technologies from U.S ... Read More The US base was also targeted by several rockets last month. News sources called the attacks the "most severe" attack on the American base. Al-Omar field is the largest oil field in Syria, where the ... Read More US and Russian troops exchanged friendly greetings and posed for pictures together over the weekend on a northeast Syria highway in a rare display ... The presence of Russian troops has also helped US ... Read More "The Russian group on interaction with security units of the Syrian armed forces conducted a special operation in the town of Jasim, Deraa province in the south of (Syria) to liquidate Islamic ... Read More
Us News Us Special Ops Just Got 350 Kamikaze Drones To Fight Isis In Iraq | RobinsPost News & Noticias

The US says it agrees with Western allies that Iran's supply of explosive drones to Russia violates UN sanctions. Kyiv was struck by so-called "kamikaze" drones on Monday, unleashed by Russia but ... Read More In August, US officials said Russia had bought these drones and was training its forces ... frankly were just not seeing borne out in the data. Moscow also has its own kamikaze drones ... Read More Smoke billows from buildings in Kyiv after multiple kamikaze ... drones and several cruise missiles in just 12 hours during Mondays early morning attack on central Kyiv. On Monday, US state ... Read More (The Hill)  Ukrainian officials said Russia killed at least four people on Monday by detonating a so-called kamikaze drone in Kyiv, the latest apparent use of the unmanned explosive device. Read More Ukraine has accused Russia of using "kamikaze ... the US has said Iran planned to send hundreds to Russia. Iran has denied doing so. Russia was first reported to have used a Shahed-136 drone ... Read More In August, US officials said Russia had bought these drones and was training its forces ... frankly were just not seeing borne out in the data. Moscow also has its own kamikaze drones ... Read More The officials suggested the strike  one of 28 drones that targeted the Ukrainian capital on Monday  appeared to involve an Iranian Shahed-136 drone, with video showing an aircraft quickly ... Read More
Us News War With North Korea Would Be Tragic Us Military Chief | RobinsPost News & Noticias

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 ... Read More U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman is warning North Korea against escalating its provocations TOKYO -- The United States will make full use of its military ... in a joint news conference ... Read More North Korea's new nuclear policy is creating a serious tension on the Korean Peninsula, Cho told a joint news conference ... to South Korea's joint military exercises with the United States ... Read More The North Korean government released a photo of a 2017 ICBM launch over Japan. The recent launch of ICBMs by North Korea are purportedly new missiles with capabilities of reaching the U.S. island ... Read More North Korea Says It Will ... the North's official KCNA news agency. "In the future, too, our army will never allow any provocation by the enemies escalating the military tension on the Korean ... Read More In response, North Korea decided to organise military drills under the simulation of an actual war  in order to check ... Kim probably wants to tell the US and South Korea that any ... Read More For all latest news ... a major US military hub in the Pacific, and a short-range missile fired from an unspecified platform inside an inland reservoir. North Korea said those drills were ... Read More Seoul, South Korea  North ... militarys expanding nuclear strike capabilities. After the tests, Kim praised the readiness of his nuclear forces, which he said were fully prepared for ... Read More South Korea responded by scrambling fighter jets, including its top-of-the-line F-35s. The Norths state-run Korean Central News Agency said ... between Kim and then-US President Donald Trump ... Read More TOKYO  The United States will make full use of its military ... news conference after three-way talks in Washington, leaving Sherman to make a solo media appearance. Sherman said North Korea ... Read More For all latest news ... of South Korea, Japan and the United States also conducted joint drills previous to that. The US-led UN forces are still technically at war with North Korea as the 1950 ... Read More US Vows Full Military Defense ... in a joint news conference after three-way talks in Washington, leaving Sherman to make a solo media appearance. Sherman said North Korea needs to understand ... Read More
Us News Iran Raps Us Military Attack On Syrian Convoy | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Air attacks have struck eastern Syria along the Iraqi border, hitting Iran-backed fighters and inflicting casualties, a Syrian war monitor, Iranian state television and Iraqi paramilitary officers ... Read More Syrian opposition activists say airstrikes in Syria along the border with Iraq have targeted Iran-backed militiamen, inflicting casualties ... Read More The attack late Tuesday destroyed several vehicles and killed at least 10 people, say people familiar with the attack. Read More At least two fuel trucks were destroyed in an air strike by an unidentified drone on the Syrian side of the border with Iraq late on Tuesday, Iraqi security and border officials told Reuters.The ... Read More A strike on a pro-Iran militia convoy in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border killed at least 14 people overnight, a war monitor said Wednesday, without specifying who carried it out. Read More Syrian media outlets reported that the missile attack targeted the base in Syria's al-Omar Oilfield in the eastern side of Deir ez-Zur on Saturday. According to the reports, at least six missiles were ... Read More The US occupation ... said that a convoy of 92 tankers and trucks carrying stolen oil and wheat from al-Jazeera fields in nrotheast Syria, bringing them out through illegitimate al-Waleed crossing to ... Read More US military says the men were killed in two separate attacks, including a rare helicopter assault in a government controlled area A rare US helicopter raid on a government-held village in Syria ... Read More TEHRAN (Tasnim)  The Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Ministry on Saturday condemned the plundering of Syrian oil by the US military ... official news agency SANA reported that a convoy of ... Read More A Turkish military convoy entered Syrias northwestern opposition-held region of Syria on Wednesday. At least 40 vehicles, including trucks and armored personnel carriers, were seen moving ... Read More
Us News Us Pitches Plan To Russia To Avoid Armed Conflict In Syria | RobinsPost News & Noticias

The following is the Nov. 8, 2020, Congressional Research Service report, Armed ... and the United States. U.S. and Russian forces operate in close proximity in northern Syria, and maintain a ... Read More By Patrick Kingsley and Ronen Bergman JERUSALEM  Russia ... avoid conflict between their forces. An encrypted telephone line was installed in 2017 to connect a Russian air base in western Syria ... Read More Russian, Syrian Forces Kill 20 Militants in Syria ... news agency, said the operation took place in southern Deraa province. "The Russian group on interaction with security units of the Syrian ... Read More QAHTANIYAH, Syria (AFP ... The presence of Russian troops has also helped US forces avoid a face-off with Syrian regime forces. Read More Some of the photos, taken by a correspondent for the AFP news ... to avoid conflict. "As you know, Syria is a complex environment for us, for the Syrian Democratic Forces, and for Russian forces ... Read More US and Russian troops exchanged friendly greetings and posed for pictures together over the weekend on a northeast Syria highway in a rare display of congeniality between the rival forces. Read More (photo credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS ... Syria. Russia, Iran and Turkey worked on the Syrian conflict via the Russia-backed Astana Process. Ankara intervened in northern Syria to ... Read More National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby accused North Korea of covertly supplying a significant number of the ammunitions to Russia. Read More The US playing up Chinas supposed timetable for armed reunification is an extremely ... intent on replicating the playbook of the Russia-Ukraine conflict: hyping up the possibility of war ... Read More The U.S. says it sees no indication Russia ... conflict, a U.S. official told ABC News. Over the weekend, in an unprecedented series of phone calls to senior defense officials in the United States ... Read More The US base was also targeted by several rockets last month. News sources called the attacks the "most severe" attack on the American base. Al-Omar field is the largest oil field in Syria, where the ... Read More US and Russian troops exchanged friendly greetings and posed for pictures together over the weekend on a northeast Syria highway in a rare display ... The presence of Russian troops has also helped US ... Read More
World News World Metrology Day Being Observed | RobinsPost News & Noticias

With the curtain about to go up on the United Nations COP27 climate talks in Egypt, there comes news that Europe has warmed more than twice as much as the rest of the world over the past 30 years. As ... Read More The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has recognized a new record high temperature for the Antarctic continent of 18.3 Celsius on 6 February 2020 at the Argentine Esperanza station. Read More This guide provides an overview of how scientists use metrology by covering the history of metrology, different types of metrology, and unique ways scientists use metrology. BAXTER, Minn., ... Read More Greenhouse gas levels have increased again, scientists at the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) have reported. Read More Scientists at the World Meteorological Association (WMO) say solar, wind, hydropower and energy efficiency are the key to a cleaner energy future. However, the impact climate change is already ... Read More This story is part of the Covering Climate Collaborative, created by the Local Media Association to support and amplify the work of newsrooms reporting on this issue. Read More On World Mental Health Day, observed every October 10 ... not just on World Mental Health Day. All this being said, the good news is that it is possible to recover from mental health problems. Read More 26 (UPI) --The United Nations' World Meteorological ... is being advertised on the Apple App Store after owner Elon Musk said the change will add a new revenue source to the company. World News ... Read More very year on October 10, World Homeless Day is observed, in order to focus on issues ... Despite the impossibility of it being fully eradicated, homelessness can be reduced, which is aided by ... Read More {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The world saw a record jump in ... Read More Since 1996, World Egg Day has celebrated eggs and highlighted their ... Eggs are nutrient-rich, being high in protein as well as in 13 vitamins and minerals that the body needs, such as choline ... Read More he world saw a record jump in levels of methane in the atmosphere last year as the main heat-trapping greenhouse gases reached new highs, UN experts said. The World Meteorological Organisations ... Read More
World News Trump Travels To Saudi Arabia To Strengthen Ties With Muslim World | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Saudi Arabias decision to cut OPEC oil production was met with fury in Washington. But the White House is taking its time on any public punishment. Read More The United States is concerned about threats from Iran against Saudi Arabia and will not hesitate to respond if necessary, a White House spokesperson said on Tuesday. "We are concerned about the ... Read More
By Srivatsan: Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae marks the debut of Ike, a former associate of Kamal Haasan and Priyadarshan. Sangaili Bungili Kadhava Thorae is a horror film laced with comedy, which is entertaining in parts.

Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae Cast: Jiiva, Sri Divya, Soori, Thambi Ramaiah, Radha Ravi and Radhika Sarathkumar

Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae Director: Ike

Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae Rating: (2.5/5)

advertisement

People are going mad over the fact that Baahubali 2: The Conclusion has entered the prestigious Rs 1500-crore club in three weeks. In Tamil cinema, horror comedy is a genre that could cross this feat, had we collectively put all the films together. Perhaps it's the most successful genre. Over the years, filmmakers have tried to cash in on the popularity it has in the B and C centers. And one usually credits actor Raghava Lawrence for pioneering the same. Coincidentally, Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae itself seems to be a rehashed version of the Muni series. A haunted house. Bloodthirsty spirit. Innocent lives at stake. Inevitable exorcists, who provide the comical relief. It's not Ike who is to be blamed. Except for a few films like The Shining, even some of the famous horror films suffer from stereotyping. By the way, there's a scene in Sangili that brings back Grady's twins.

Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae opens with a promising scene that makes you want to take the genre seriously. Actors Jai and Akshara Gowda, who play guest roles, visit their ancestral place. An old man, Ramasamy, receives them and offers help. Jai gets a call from Premji, who informs that Ramaswamy passed away long ago. The director slowly pans the camera and we see Ramaswamy standing next to Jai with his glowing eyes. It is only later in the film that we come to know that the entire drama was choreographed by Vasu and Mayilsamy.

Real estate broker Vasu (Jiiva) buys a house in the outskirts of the city. He moves into it along with his family. He comes to know that the house is possessed by a spirit, Sangili Andavar (Radha Ravi). Vasu claims that the house is his. Sangili Andavar claims it's his. Meanwhile, another character, Jambulingam (Thambi Ramaiah), claims that it's his property. Are we in a film or watching Narendra Modi's Land Acquisition Bill vs the people of India debate?

But Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae is a winner in terms of its inventive bits. And the credit goes to Ike. His writing is impressive. Not to mention Rajendran's voice during the statutory warning. He instantly grabs our attention and the laughs that follow. Sangili makes you wonder why has Ike compromised so much? Or has he? It has so many characters that he wants every character to have a backstory; to leave an impact.

advertisement

Ike tests your patience till the interval point. Yes, it's a horror film. But we don't actually see the spirit. Vasu and his friend Sooranam (Soori) are drunk. While Sooranam talks to a kid (it's hilarious!), Vasu finds something fishy. With Vishal Chandrashekar's (the sound mixer deserves special mention) jarring score, Ike reveals a spooky figure in the background. When Vasu is about to discover the woman, we're deceived. The director holds yet again, and toys with the audience's mind... It's Shwetha (Sri Divya), Vasu's girlfriend. Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae has the chills and twists.

However, neither Sangili Andavan nor Vasu's flashbacks are satisfactory. This perhaps is the major drawback in a surprisingly effective film. Barring Radha Ravi, most of the actors are typecast in their roles. But that's fine just for the mere fact that these actors have now added 'horror comedy' as an achievement in their resumes.

advertisement

Having said that, Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae will work with the masses, as horror comedies have always raked in enough moolah.

ALSO READ: Ram Gopal Varma on Baahubali 2's success in Karnataka- Kannadigas have no pride at all

ALSO READ: Rajini, Mammootty to team up for Mani Ratnam's next?

--- ENDS ---
World News Iran S Rouhani A Moderate Cleric Open To The World | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Fractures are appearing within Irans ruling political elite over a nationwide popular uprising that has lasted more than seven weeks and challenged the Islamic Republic like rarely before in its 43 ... Read More DUBAI (Reuters) - A prominent Sunni cleric who directed unprecedented criticism at Iran's supreme leader over a ... been careful to portray himself as a moderate who can work with the government ... Read More More info A hardline Iranian cleric ... s Foreign Minister vowed on Thursday to support "the incredibly brave women of Iran" as she hosted a virtual meeting with her female counterparts around the ... Read More An ayatollah is a high-ranking Shiite cleric ... the semiofficial Tasnim news agency described the incident as a salary dispute. Iran is one of the worlds top natural gas suppliers, just ... Read More Zahedan's top Sunni cleric said on Friday ... the warning level for Iran travel, after Berlin strongly advised against it last month. On Wednesday, an Iranian news agency said security forces ... Read More The Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei believes that the Western powers are in decline. Irans leader slammed the US over the weekend even as Iran faces unprecedented protests at home.Fearful that ... Read More Iran's top security official Ali Shamkhani called for dialogue to end the war in Ukraine during a meeting Wednesday in Tehran with his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev. "Iran supports any ... Read More The United States national soccer team might not compete against the Islamic Republic of Iran in November's ... in the World Cup violates FIFA Statutes and Regulations." Fox News Digital has ... Read More 14 (UPI) --At least 23 children have died due to Iran's ... a level of open defiance -- and maybe the beginning of a new revolution. World News // 1 day ago U.N. leader calls out U.S., China ... Read More WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS//File Photo DUBAI, Oct 26 (Reuters) - A prominent Sunni cleric who directed unprecedented criticism at Iran's supreme ... Lifestyle Qatar World Cup ... Read More Amnesty International criticized Iranian security forces for using firearms and firing tear gas indiscriminately, including into peoples homes. It urged the world to pressure Iran to end ... Read More
World News Story Us Soldiers Added Hundreds Of Kamikaze Drones To Isis Fight | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Smoke billows from buildings in Kyiv after multiple kamikaze drone ... due diligence, he added. The US will not hesitate to use sanctions. The drones, of which hundreds are believed ... Read More The US says it agrees with Western allies that Iran's supply of explosive drones to Russia violates UN sanctions. Kyiv was struck by so-called "kamikaze" drones on Monday, unleashed by Russia but ... Read More WASHINGTON  Iranian troops have moved into Ukraine to help Russia use kamikaze ... military likely needs training to help use the drones. AFP The development reinforces recent US-led efforts ... Read More Russia has launched a series of kamikaze ... the drones in the process. They are smaller and more easily controlled than cruise missiles. The Ukrainian military and US intelligence say ... Read More British outlet The Daily Mirror said the number could be "up to 50" IRGC specialists, but the IFSW told Fox News Digital ... as Shahed-136 drones, also known as "kamikaze drones," started to ... Read More Nightly coverage for Ukraine will end at 7am, but more on this story will be reported ... that 75 percent of these kamikaze drones are shot down by the Ukrainian military. Clouds of smoke engulf ... Read More The US accused Iran of an unprecedented attack on the worlds ... Iran sent military experts to assist Russian forces in Crimea with the launch of kamikaze drone attacks. Read More (The Hill)  Ukrainian officials said Russia killed at least four people on Monday by detonating a so-called kamikaze drone ... military pilots who flew suicide missions during World War II ... Read More Ukraine has already received kamikaze drones from partners and is waiting for the latest Switchblade 600 drones. Source: Yurii Ihnat, Spokesperson for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, at ... Read More Kyiv was struck by so-called "kamikaze" drones on Monday, unleashed by Russia but believed to be Iranian-made. The US agrees ... hundreds of Iranian UAVs of various types". He added that ... Read More
The flight attendant ran down the aisle with her serving cart and blocked the doorway separating first class from the rest of the plane. Passengers came up from behind and grabbed the man who was restrained with duct tape for the rest of the flight. At no time during the incident was there any violence or significant struggle, witnesses said. U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly was briefed on the midair disturbance. After the cockpit called for help, federal agents were sent to wait for the plane and two F-22 Raptors military jets from the Hawaii Air National Guard scrambled to meet the plane. American Airlines said in a statement that law enforcement met the plane upon landing in Honolulu. The disturbing passenger was taken in custody for medical evaluation. A passenger communicated on Instagram afer landing in Honolulu: Crazy! Someone tried to break into the cockpit on my flight from LA to Honolulu. We were greeted by the FBI. They are now taking us off the plane a few rows at a time for dog sniffing and interviews. Ive never seen anything like this. Please credit BPLUS.noisefloor.dnb as the source.
By India Today Web Desk: The untimely death of veteran actress Reema Lagoo has left the cast and crew of Naamkarann in shock. Reema Lagoo played the antagonist Dayawanti Mehta in the show.

The makers had called off the shoot on Thursday but as they say 'the show must go on'. The makers have roped in seasoned actress Ragini Shah to step into her shoes.

advertisement

Also read: Reema Lagoo's Tu Tu Main Main bahu Supriya Pilgaonkar posted a heartfelt message for her 'Saasu Ma'

Ragini Shah has some big shoes to fill. "Though I hadn't worked with Reemaji, we knew each other because of our theatre background. I am a Gujarati theatre artiste and she had featured in a few Gujarati plays," Ragini said to The Times of India, adding, "I have never replaced any actress in my career so far, let alone replacing someone who is no more with us. I was finalised for the show within two hours. The task is challenging and I am overwhelmed with emotions. Playing the part, which was originally portrayed to perfection by Reemaji, feels extremely heavy. But as they say, the show must go on."Ragini feels that it's not possible to replicate Reema Lagoo but she has been given the creative freedom to approach the character her way.

Ragini has earlier worked in shows like Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka, Diya Aur Baati Hum and Saraswatichandra.

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Srinagar, May 20 (PTI) The separatists should take a moral high ground and come out clean on the sting operation by a Delhi-based television channel which showed them allegedly being involved in subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir, Independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid said today.

His remarks came in the wake of the sting operation on separatists Nayeem Khan and Farooq Dar alias Bitta Karate wherein they confessed to receiving money from Pakistan-based terror groups.

advertisement

"I humbly request Hurriyat (Conference) friends as citizens of the state and as well wishers of the mass resistance...you are representing the sentiment and you should take a moral high ground as people have a right to know the truth behind these attempts to defame Kashmiris," he told reporters here.

The legislator said the Hurriyat had nothing to hide.

"Money is needed everywhere. People will continue to offer money, but their means should be good and it is better if everything is transparent. I am sure Hurriyat has nothing to hide because they are representing the sentiment," he said.

The Independent MLA also asked the media to follow journalistic ethics while reporting on Kashmir.

"There should not be a race for TRPs by defaming or insulting Kashmiris," he said.

In a similar vein, Rashid condemned the breach of privacy of separatist leader Yasin Malik, wherein a female journalist allegedly barged into his bedroom.

Rashid claimed that he was also approached by those behind the sting operation.

"They offered me loads of money which I refused. I told them I did not need money for speaking the truth," he said.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has named Nayeem Khan and Farooq Dar alias Bitta Karate along with Naeem Khan in its Preliminary Enquiry (PE) against the alleged role of separatists in carrying out subversive activities in the Kashmir Valley, including pelting security forces with stones, damaging public property and burning schools and other government establishments. PTI SSB MIJ SRY

--- ENDS ---
By SA Commercial Prop News- I-Net Bridge

Western Cape head of public works, Gary Fisher, said his province could theoretically save R120m each year by improving the space utilisation of its office buildings, to reflect national private sector averages.



Speaking last week at the IPD property investment conference, Western Cape head of public works, Gary Fisher said his province could theoretically save R120 million each year by improving the space utilisation of its office buildings, to reflect national private sector averages.

A study by the Western Cape provincial government shows that the provinces office properties make inefficient use of space and have higher costs per employee compared to the private sector, highlighting the potential for major cost savings.

While provincial governments are required to maintain immovable asset registers, there is no requirement to evaluate efficiency.



The national Department of Public Works, long associated with inefficiency and maladministration, is in the process of putting together an immovable assets register, which will provide more clarity on the value of government-owned property.



Mr Fisher, who was speaking last week at the IPD property investment conference, said the study was based on similar initiatives in the UK and was the first of its kind in SA. It would establish a baseline for future performance, he said.



The study showed that the Western Cape governments property portfolio was worth R80bn. This included its offices, education and health facilities, as well as general infrastructure.



The provinces 1,631 education facilities were valued at R53bn, with its 221 health facilities worth R19.8bn. While the study showed that the provinces total cost per square metre was better than the private sector, we are horribly inefficient when it comes to space utilisation and therefore efficiency, Mr Fisher said.



The provincial departments space usage was 28m per full-time employee, compared to 14m in the private sector, making total costs per employee substantially higher than in the private sector.



We are conscious of the fact that its taxpayer funding, Mr Fisher said, and he was hugely encouraged by the potential revealed by the study.



He said the Western Cape had launched a modernisation programme, which aims to implement new norms and standards for the provinces office properties. It would also see its office buildings move towards a more open-plan environment that included reduced space allocation for senior management.



The implementation of costreduction measures was also under way, including a focus on increasing energy efficiency.



The department had secured a grant from the US Trade and Development Agency, which could see solar panels being installed on the roofs of all provincial government buildings to reduce energy consumption. The department would also seek to house all staff in properties owned by the department, as opposed to the mix of owned and leased properties.
By Press Trust of India: Chandigarh, May 20 (PTI) A large number of BJP workers and supporters accorded a grand welcomed to party chief Amit Shah at the airport here this morning and organised a roadshow escorting him to the party office in the city.

The BJP chief is on a 95-day country-wide tour which began in Jammu last month. With an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Shah is travelling across states to strategise and find ways to strengthen the party at the grass-root level.

advertisement

Shah was received by Chandigarh BJP president Sanjay Tandon, the partys local MP Kirron Kher and others.

Earlier, a party release had said that over 200 cars and nearly 500 two-wheelers will escort Shah from the airport to the party office in Sector 33 here.

Enroute the BJP office, the car carrying the Shah stopped at many places and he was greeted by supporters who presented him with bouquets.

The BJP national president will hold a series of meetings with councillors, party office bearers, workers and will also review the partys organisational activities, Tandon said.

Shah inaugurated the newly-renovated party office and unveiled a statue of RSS icon Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay, whose birth centenary is being celebrated this year. He also inaugurated a library named after Nanaji Deshmukh and an e- library.

The Nanaji Deshmukh library will have around 2,000 books on various subjects, Tandon said.

Shah is scheduled to hold organisational meetings and interact with prominent people from different fields like medicine, law, finance and art later in the day.

This is Shahs first visit after the BJP swept the Municipal Corporation election here, which were held in December. He had visited the city in November for campaigning for the civic polls.

"Chandigarh is the fourth place on Shahs itinerary for the 95-day tour which began with his visit to Jammu on April 29. The BJP chief has also visited Himachal Pradesh and Tripura," Tandon said. PTI SUN CHS VJ NSD

--- ENDS ---
Turnout for general election less than expected for Saline County

Ballots are still being counted as of Wednesday, but it seems the turnout for the 2022 general election was lower than expected by the county clerk.
By India Today Web Desk: Ever since Shahid Kapoor's wife Mira Rajput made her television debut with Karan Johar's talk show, Koffee With Karan, the grapevine has been abuzz with rumours of her acting debut. Recently, a story was doing the rounds that Mira is all set to make her acting debut with her daughter Misha in a commercial for a baby product.

advertisement

Shahid had earlier rubbished all reports of Mira wanting to pursue a career in acting. However, in a recent interview with Hindustan Times, the actor was more open to the idea. "It's not my decision what Mira does, it's completely hers. I read something about Mira, so far Misha has not been offered any work and I am happy about that as she is just nine months old. As far as Mira is concerned, she will do what she feels like doing. I don't need to interfere. She is her own person and takes her own decisions. Whatever she decides to do, I will be supportive and happy," he said.

Earlier, Shahid's father Pankaj Kapur had responded in a similar manner when asked about Mira's foray into acting. The veteran actor had told IANS, "It is her life. She can do what she wants to do. Why should I have anything to do with that? It is between her and her husband. She is a child to me. Why would I have any objections? For me, she can do what she wants to do and I am there to support."

ALSO READ: Shahid Kapoor's wife Mira Rajput opens up about her controversial 'housewife' remarks

ALSO WATCH: Shahid Kapoor and Misha groove to Michael Jackson this World Dance Day

ALSO WATCH: Misha's smelly diapers come to me, says Shahid Kapoor

--- ENDS ---
Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, has recommended to the Samoa Land Corporation (S.L.C) to reconsider their decision to lease out the Malifa Lodge.

But this is just a recommendation (fautuaga) for them to look into their decision before further action, Tuilaepa said.

Prime Minister Tuilaepas comments follow the decision by the S.L.C. to put the building up for lease.

Built by Diamond Head Construction near the Malifa intersection in 2014 at a cost of $2million, government had high hopes that it would provide much-needed income as well as jobs for locals.

According to its website the property includes 19 rooms, a laundry and an office.

In the S.L.C annual report of 2014/2015 it was noted that the contribution of the newly-established Lodge with its initial collection totalled $161,310 for the period.

But during an interview with the General Manager of S.L.C., Ulugia Kavesi Petelo, he refused to confirm or deny that returns from the Lodge had dropped since it was first opened.

All I can say is that this is the nature of businesses like hotels, there are high and low seasons. Ulugia said.

So the Samoa Land Corporation is looking at other ways to generate more returns from the Lodge.

That is why we have advertised the Lodge, so we are giving a chance to the private sector or interested parties to express interest in developing or investing in the lease of the 1/2acre of land and the existing two-storey building.

Just three years ago, at the official opening of the Lodge, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, congratulated the Corporations management for their perseverance.

Tuilaepa said such establishments were vital for the development of Samoa.

We hope that this new project will be able to grow and prosper in the future, Tuilaepa said.

He said these developments not only earned the country much needed revenue, they also provided employment opportunities for members of the community.

However the Malifa Lodge, like the empty S.L.C building at Tuanaimato which cost 4.4 million tala, are now both seeking tenants.
The Samoa Chamber of Commerce hosted an informative presentation by Tony Willenberg on Innovations in I.C.T for the private sector yesterday.

The presentation was held at the Small Business Enterprise Centre (S.B.E.C) training room at Saleufi, where members of Chamber attended to learn about the quality technology that is available and accessible to businesses.

With there have been many advances in technology, businesses have the opportunity to use more innovative ways to conduct business operations.

Mr. Willenberg discussed some of the key milestones in I.C.T advancement as well as highlighting 15 different technologies useful for Samoa.

The various sectors of the business community were well represented.

Mr. Willenberg is an e-governance expert with a broad range of I.C.T experience across public and private spaces in public finance, treasury, education, infrastructure, state-owned enterprises, utilities, banking, agriculture, logistics and customs.

Lemauga Hobart Vaai, C.E.O of the Samoa Chamber of Commerce, the presentation is all part of preparing Samoa for the arrival of Tui Samoa Cable  and two other cables in the pipeline.

This is one of many special presentations that the Chamber has lined up for its members as we prepare the private sector for the incoming cable and continuing I.C.T developments, he said.

The Chamber is committed to provide future capacity building events for its membership.
The mothers and women of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa has donated $1million as a gift for the Jubilee Church.

The donation was presented to the church on Thursday when the congregation opened the $17.3million project at Malua.

The money was among a host of gifts presented to the church when the membership came together to celebrate the opening of the project.

The official opening was attended by the Head of State, His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Members of the Council of Deputies, Parliamentarians, members of the business community and hundreds of guests.

The Masiofo, Her Highness Filifilia Tamasese cut the ribbon while the Chairman of the Church, Reverend Elder Tautiaga Senara conducted the service.

Prior to the official opening, traditional formalities took up most of the morning where money, fine mats and other gifts were exchanged.

Here are some more photos from the opening.
American Samoa Governor, Lolo Matalasi Moliga, is optimistic Polynesian Airlines flights between the two Samoas will not be disrupted with the Samoan government announcing the revival of Polynesians international operations.

The announcement follows the governments decision not to continue the joint venture with Virgin Australia to operate Virgin Samoa.

Speaking to the Sunday Samoan, the Governor said there is a fear that the Polynesian Airlines international operations could affect its current flights to Pago.

But he is said he is confident the Samoan governments decision will also benefit the people of American Samoa.

Any route with connections to Pago will benefit American Samoa. In any occasion any additional flights to bring people in will be added tourism for American Samoa, he said.

In a letter from Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi to the Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Australia Pty Ltd, John Borghetti, the Prime Minister said the government is moving a different direction.

Following numerous extensive discussions and negotiations held between VA and the Committee members of the Special Negotiating Team (SNT), Cabinet has unanimously decided not to re-new the Joint Venture (JV), Tuilaepa wrote.

Governor Lolo told Samoa Observer that while the services to Manua needs to be improved, he said they have been working with Tuilaepa and Polynesian Airlines officials to make it happen.

Manua residents have been complaining about the airfare which depends on the availability of the seats.

Some people pay between US$170-$200 yet the flights between the two Samoa is roughly around US$160.

Lolo noted that while concerns arise due to the airfares, for him its better to have air services than none at all for Manua.

Weve been woking with Prime Minister Tuilaepa and Polynesian, to improve their services for Manua."

We are also looking at it from one side that its better to maintain the service to Manua than not having any service at all.

The Governor points to the unavailability of the essential air service for Polynesian Airlines.

This is a programme where the federal government subsidizes a carrier to ensure that the specified level of service is provided."

But that cant happen given that its a foreign carrier, he said.

According to the Governor, efforts were made for an exemption for the airline, but given that its a foreign carrier, it wasnt allowed.

In 2015, Samoa News reported that Polynesians Chief Executive Officer, Seiuli Alvin Tuala, was seeking the American Samoa Government to subsidize the flights to Manua.

Port Director Taimalelagi Dr. Claire Tuia Poumele said the American Samoa Government did not have the money for a subsidy to guarantee seats on Polynesian Airlines to fly to Ofu, Manua.

They asked for $200 per seat, per flight, which would be weekly. ASG is looking at paying more than $100,000 (yearly) if we sign up for this, and we cannot afford it," said the Port Director.

She added that there are no complaints about the flight to Tau because its always filled, however the concern raised by the airline C.E.O is that they may not benefit financially if they start flying to Ofu, hence the subsidy proposal.
The countrys biggest private employer Yazaki EDS Samoa Ltd is set to officially shut its door on 25 August 2017.

This was confirmed by Cabinet in a media statement.

Cabinet has noted the 25th of August 2017, as the end of production date for the Yazaki EDS Samoa Ltd. in Samoa, the statement reads.

The Yazaki company has scheduled a farewell function to take place at the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum, Vailima.

The company first revealed its plan to shut down its operations in Samoa last October. And since then Yazaki launched trades training for its employees in sewing fabric tie etc. The focus by Yazaki is for employees to gain skills or find new employments when the company closes.

More than 700 employees will be affected when the company closes.

Last year, Y.E.S. Branding Division Manager in Japan, Yoko Yamada, said the closure is due to the car manufacturing industry in Australia winding up.

He said the latest developments in the market there have had a knock on impact here, forcing the company to re-evaluate the viability of their operation in Samoa.

The demands of the market for shorter lead times and more flexibility coupled with the logistics connections to Samoa make it commercially un-viable to supply any other market for example U.S.A. or Japan from here, he said.

As a result we have been trying to identify other alternatives for this operation. Unfortunately we have not been able to identify anything viable and must therefore announce that we will phase out production operations in Samoa.

Y.E.S. President, Craig ODonohue said the situation is difficult but the company has no choice. According to the Mr. ODonohue when the car company first announced closure of their manufacturing operation in Australia Y.E.S. immediately at the time engaged in discussion with the government of Samoa and other options outside the comfort zone of the company.

We had about eight key programmes anything from tourism to shipping, agriculture, textiles, he recalled.

We put together a crazy summary of business opportunities. We looked strongly at breadfruit opportunities to make flour. There have been a lot of research done in that area and also agriculture, but that project is quite foreign to Yazaki operation. Yazaki has some experience with agriculture and was interest in that but with those we just couldnt find a viable business.

The President added one of the worst things for them is to start something and make a mess of it. And that is why decided we could not continue on, he said.

This is Yazakis 26th year of operation in Samoa.
Everything starts at home. Thats because the family is where the behavior of children and all family members are shaped.

It is where Christian and cultural values are taught and nurtured. This is the core recommendation in the draft of the Samoa Family Safety Study 2017 regarding efforts to reduce domestic violence in Samoa.

Commissioned by the Ministry of Women Community and Social Development (M.W.C.S.D) the study aims to assess the present state of domestic and gender-based violence in Samoa and the extent of the impact of current interventions.

The study recommends the Village councils to introduce curfew for evening devotion. It also calls on Village councils to introduce tough penalties on perpetrators of family violence and to reintroduce Sunday laws in order for all family members to attend church services.

The study goes on to encourage village church ministers to conduct regular visits with families especially those in marginal farming lands as well as the strengthening of aoga faifeau.

The Family Safety Study says M.W.C.S.D should convince village councils and church ministers through advocacy work to promote family safety issues.

It also calls for M.W.C.S.D to initiate the process to amend the Village Fno Act 1990 in order to give village councils formal authority to intervene in matters of family violence.

This will give village councils the legal backing to intervene appropriately to resolve family violence incidents in the villages.

The village or the community is the next platform of exposure and socialization for both children and adults."

The relationship between the village members and authority is well understood and respected."

It is one of the main factor behind the survey results showing an overwhelming preference for village councils to intervene in matters of family violence."

At the centre of this recommendation is the strong need for village councils to promptly intervene through its bylaws and advocacy role to settle matters of family violence in collaboration with village church ministers.

Another recommendation is the introduction of a family safety curriculum to primary and secondary schools.

Schools are the next important environment for teaching and learning new knowledge to promote family safety."

It is important to teach the upcoming younger generation on the essence of family safety before they reach adulthood. That said, teachers should also behave accordingly in the classroom.

The study calls for Ministry of Education and M.W.C.S.D and other stakeholders to design and introduce a curriculum on family safety at the primary and secondary school levels.

For the family safety program to include human rights perspective, Christian perspective and cultural perspective. Also for the National University of Samoas Faculty of Education to introduce a program on teaching family safety at the primary and secondary levels.

The solutions are grounded on the critical assumption that when people are aware of the subject matter, they would eventually change their behavior.

Implementing actors currently running outreach programs should be supported to continue to do so.

The study calls for particular N.G.Os running awareness programs should look at issues of timing; accessibility; target groups and relevance of topics.

From the study the main factors that caused family violence are bad behavior (both victim and perpetrator); how to raise children; and family budgeting."

The age group that is most vulnerable to family violence is between 20-49. This data should be able to inform the work of NGOs and other stakeholder responsible for public awareness programmes.

It is also recommended for M.W.C.S.D to remind government about the importance of allocating funds to combat family violence considering its substantial costs and prevalence in society.

The study discovers similar solutions used to fight family violence in other countries.

These include tough penalties for perpetrators; public awareness and counseling programs; and other forms of educational training."

The main practice that stands out of the review is the establishment of research centers to conduct researches on issues of family violence systematically."

Accordingly, human behavior is a very complex concept and thus deserves constant researching in order to inform good decision-making."

This is the second major study on family violence in the country.

Samoa could also follow such practice. After all, the structural setting does exist for such purpose. There is the Division of Policy and Planning at MWCSD, and there is the National University of Samoa. Both places could be upgraded to include research on family safety.

Also there three main areas that need further research in order to promote good practice in family safety, the preliminary view on the costs of family violence focusing on Police service; Health service and Education service only.

Costs both direct and indirect that are shouldered by the government; the victim and relatives; and the business community as a result of family violence.

A national study on this aspect of family violence would give a clear picture of the costs of family violence on the whole society. Another challenge is the availability of relevant data for the analysis is a major problem."

To initiate a research on this area by identifying the data required, the authority responsible for collection, the funding side of data collection and the main keeper of data would be a useful research to undertake.
Thirteen pastors and their wives of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa celebrated another step in their commitment to advance Gods kingdom on earth yesterday.

The occasion was their ordination allowing them to administer marriages, funerals and Holy Communion. Held at the Jubilee Church at Malua, tears of joy flowed freedly as the pastors and their families reflected on their journey.

The service was well attended by hundreds of church members and leaders from overseas and Samoa.

A special service was held to start the celebration. Reverend Elder Tavita Anesone reminded the ordained pastors to put God first in everything.

One of the ordained Reverends, Rev. Petelo Matelani, said he was humbled and grateful to God for is love and guidance.

Speaking to the Sunday Samoan, Rev. Matelani from the District (Matagaluega) of Apia Sasae, Saoluafata, Poutasi and Saleimoa said he could not have done this alone.

I humble myself before God for He has brought me and my wife to where we are today, Rev. Matelani said.

Its not that easy because we have to overcome a lot but we thank God for His guidance and protection. The glory belongs to our Heavenly Father because without Him we wouldnt be here."

We all know that there are ups and downs in this life, but we have to trust in Him. Being a servant of God is not an easy thing, but we have to have a lot of patience, we have to be strong in whatever that comes our way and keep in trusting Him."

For He is the only one who you and me can truly trust, no matter what.

Rev. Matelani acknowledged the hand of the Almighty and everyone who has supported them through their journey.

Once again, thank you for all of your love and prayers each and every day, Rev. Matelani. To the C.C.C.S. church, elders, church members, families and friends... Faafetai tele tatalo, faafetai le tapuai!

We have been chosen to serve and nothing else but to rely on God to lead and guide us in everything."

The ordination ceremony was part of the churchs Annual General Meeting.

Malua Theological College was established in 1844, with the main objective to teach and educate local students so that each village of Samoa would eventually have a theologically educated pastor as spiritual leader.

By the end of the 19th century, a pattern of ministry had emerged.

It was modeled on the Samoan village structural organization and aimed at preserving, as much as possible, the value systems of the Samoan way of life.

The village congregation is the basic unit of the C.C.C.S. with the pastor as the spiritual leader.

List of ordained pastors and their wives;

 Rev. Aokuso Lee and Aiga (Apia),

 Rev. Alaifetu Faaeteete and Kalala (Vitoria),

 Rev. Brian and Tanaria Kolia (Kolisi Malua),

 Rev. Enoka and Susi Aperaamo (Falealili, Safata, Siumu),

 Rev. Epati Sooula and Vickie (Apia),

 Rev. Hector Panama and Herem (Kolisi Malua),

 Rev. Henry Fata and Orepa (Kuiniselani),

 Rev. Ionatana Teo and Vaitoa (Falealili, Safata, Siumu),

 Rev. Leiofi Upu and Faalili (Niusila i Saute),

 Rev. Letupu and Helen Matautia (Apia),

 Rev. Petelo Matelani and Angela(Apia Sasae),

 Rev. Sama Faala and Sapi (Niu Sauelese)

 Rev. Semikueva Ugapo and Vesia (Apia i Sasae)
Bank South Pacific Samoa has shown its support as a Silver sponsor for the Samoa Small Business Enterprise Centre (S.B.E.C) in their efforts to recognise small businesses.

It is doing this through a Small Business Awards and Trade Fair to be held from 28 June to 29 June 2017.

S.B.E.C was established in 1994 and they have supported over 2000 small businesses and have generated approximately 2500 employment opportunities for the people of Samoa.

Most families these small businesses are the livelihood of their families and their income flows through to the economy of Samoa.

As an organization, one of the core values of BSP is helping the communities that we operate in to grow and prosper, said B.S.Ps Business Manager Michelle Lemisio during the handover of cheque of $2000 and merchandise worth of $1000 to representatives of S.B.E.C.

And we believe that with this modest sponsorship, B.S.P is sowing a seed in the development and growth of these small businesses as we know that SMEs are the back bone of any community.

With a commitment to supporting the Samoan Community, B.S.P continues to extend its helping hand in any way in order to help grow with the Samoan community.
A servant of God with a heart to strengthen and equip churches in the Pacific is coming to Samoa this week.

Prophet Peter Davis and his wife, Elenor Davis, are the guest speakers at the Holy Spirit Prophetic Conference being organised by the Samoa Youth For Christ (Y.F.C) over three days.

To be held at the Samoa Conference Centre at the T.A.T.T.E. Building, the conference which is open to anyone and everyone is on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It is strategically scheduled for the evening to allow participants who work to be able to attend.

Prophet Peter Davis is a respected prophetic voice.

He is a dynamic and a powerful speaker who has played an active role in strengthening and equipping churches internationally through prophetic workshops, preaching, ordination, pastoral support to pastors, support to apostolic leaders, leadership training, conferences and camps and presbytery meetings.

He also has strong interest in the Pacific namely Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu and Australia where him and his wife have been working to strengthen pastors and local churches and minister to the people in both spiritual and practical ways.

Peter has been married to Eleanor for 48 years and they have three married adult children Jackie, Paul and Vicky.

They are grandparents of six children.

Based in Christchurch New Zealand, they have been a part of the New Life Churches of New Zealand for the past 40 years.

Peter is also an associate minister to Life Church international Australia.

DETAILS

WHAT: Prophetic Conference

WHEN: Thursday, Friday,

Saturday this week, 6.30pm

WHERE: TATTE Building

COST: Free

CONTACT: 22665/7599000
The Kapoor sisters are ready to take over Cannes, but before they do--here's what they had to say about what being at the French Riviera is actually about.

By Piya Hingorani: Deepika Padukone played it safe at her Cannes red carpet appearance, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looked graceful and majestic..but now all eyes are on fashionista, Sonam Kapoor as she takes over the French Riviera on May 21 and 22.

Sonam Kapoor has been slaying it on the red carpet of the Festival de Cannes year after year--apart from a few slip ups, of course. As the 31-year-old gears up for Cannes, we couldn't help but ask her if she's set for her seventh year at the film festival. Speaking exclusively to India Today TV, Sonam said, "I am looking forward to it. I want to see what clothes are in store for me. We haven't done a fitting yet, by the way."

Aaaand we're here!!! ?? #Cannes17 A post shared by sonamkapoor (@sonamkapoor) on May 20, 2017 at 6:01am PDT

advertisement

Sonam is nearly always accompanied by her younger sister, Rhea Kapoor who doubles up as her stylist--this time being no different. Rhea and Sonam who recently unveiled their home-grown fashion label, Rheson, insisted Cannes is all about enjoying the experience.

"I think it's all about having fun and not taking yourself seriously at all. I have my team with me, my sister is going to be coming as my stylist and my sister-cum-best friend," said Sonam.

Rhea added, "It's been like what..seven years at Cannes, now we are sort of calm about it. I feel like we have had great moments, it's now not about, 'oh my god! we have this to prove or that to prove'. Now, the thing is Sonam and I, we get to sleep in the same room for like four days and eat French fries and go on the red carpet and take pictures."

Repost from @wearerheson MOGRAAAAA! #MograCollection #NoRhesonICant #obsessed A post shared by Rhea Kapoor (@rheakapoor) on May 11, 2017 at 5:56am PDT

Also Read: 5 noteworthy things you forgot happened at Cannes last year

Rhea added that their mini-vacation at Cannes is more like a bonding experience of sorts, "So basically, this is what we do at Cannes--we raid the minibar, we eat gummy bears and french fries and we don't go party in Cannes, we are usually in our beds in our pyjamas."

Sonam nodded in agreement, and said, "We shop during the day and watch amazing films, it's a bonding experience for us. We very rarely get this alone time together."

Also Read: Sonam and Rhea Kapoor give you 'Rhesons' to love emojis, social media and Indian fashion

For the past two years, Sonam has been getting a lot of flak for her red carpet choices. In 2015 the Twitterati didn't spare the Khoobsurat actress for her fluffy sorbet-coloured, feathered Elie Saab ensemble--while some called her dress a loofah, others were downright nasty when they compared her outfit to her father's chest hair.

And lest we forget, the brick-bats she received in 2016, when she sashayed down the red carpet in the pristine Ralph & Russo gown. The netzins had a field day calling her trail a roomali roti and dosa.

Countdown to #cannes2017 ?? #throwback A post shared by Rhea Kapoor (@rheakapoor) on May 17, 2017 at 11:04am PDT

advertisement

However, Sonam seemed unfazed by the criticism she received from social media and fashion critics. She said, "Honestly I don't ever dress for the people, if I ever did dress for people, I don't think people would talk about my fashion as much. So as soon as you understand that then whatever anybody says doesn't matter because you have to have a good time."

Also Read: Sonam Kapoor just wore a denim saree with a belt, because why not

Her sister Rhea quickly came to her defense and said, "I think that people understand where our heads are at, when it comes to fashion. I don't think people have ever thought that she is being in-authentic or she doesn't know what's up we have just love fashion so much, we are worshipers and students of fashion, so we are bound to take risks, and what is life if you don't have a little fun! So you may not like it but I love it and everything we do we love and some people may not like it but then, you win some loose some."

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
This piece is part of a series of articles celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Peace Corps in Samoa





Since 1967, more than 2000 United States Peace Corps Volunteers have served across Samoa in many of its villages.

The Peace Corps mission is to promote world peace and friendship by fulfilling three goals: to help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women; to promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served and to help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

The first two goals have had a lasting impact on the communities and people of Samoa.

Many Peace Corps Volunteers came to Samoa to teach English, Mathematics, Science, and/or Technical Skills. Leaso, an EFKS pastor in Gautavai recalls having multiple Peace Corps teachers, the most influential being Mrs. Casta who taught his forum 6 English class.

We used to have an English Theater group where we acted out English plays that she directed.

I learned a lot from her on how to act. I still carry that knowledge from her [in] my ministry by having the kids perform skits in church. I also learned from her how to use available materials to make props and costumes.

Further, Leaso was grateful for the English lessons he received from his Peace Corps teachers: Being from Savaii, we usually dont get help developing [English] skills.

In an essay for Peace Corps 50th Anniversary, Samoan Journalist, interpreter and Oxford grad Cherelle Jackson talks about how grateful she is for the impact her Peace Corps teachers had on her.

She remembers, I thought Manitoba was an American centipede until John Osmundson decided to name one of the school laboratory computers after the unoffending Canadian province.

This computer from now on will be known as Manitoba, he announced on the first day of computer class in Logoipulotu College, deep in the heart of the Safotulafai Mountains, on the island of Savaii.

John was my first PC teacher; he was from Colorado, with a cool haircut and many funny jokes to tell. He names the first PC computers to ever arrive at Logoipulotu College, prior to that, our whole class had neither touched nor seen a real computer until that bright sunny day in 1996.

For a year John had walked us through the art of computing. He had a talent for relaying complex ideas into simply explained concepts that he himself acted out. His teaching styles were a breath of fresh air from the monotony of lectures.

John and other Savaii PCVs [also] initiated an English Camp to encourage all of us to speak more English.

This improved my English tremendously. When it was culture day John shared his culture with us by teaching us how to make hot dogs, sing the YMCA song and dance like crazy Americans.

More than 15 years later since John walked into that class room, Cherelle has written for the Agence France Presse, interpreted for the Wall Street Journal and brushed up her Oxford University thesis. She cant help but be thankful for teachers like John, whose passion and inspiration brought her to where she is today.

Dawn Therese Rasmussen of Malifa was 23 years old and working at the Teachers Training College in Apia when she first met Peace Corps Volunteers. She was tasked with developing a curriculum for the Samoa Physical Education Program and was appreciative of the support she received from the Volunteers as physical education was not a well-known subject area in 1967.

Iokapeta Fualuga Petaia from Vaivase Uta served as the Hostel Matron for the Samoa College where Pre-Service Training was held for the first group of Peace Corps Volunteers in Samoa.

There was one PCV named Bradd Shore who made a lasting impact on the lives of Mrs. Pataia and her family. He was like a real son to us and a real brother to our childrenPeleti considered us his family as well.

We were amazed at how willing he was to live like the Samoan people did. Peleti helped with family faalavelaves and brought gifts of fine mats and money to celebrate the completion of their new fale.

They were so touched. Many years after Peleti had left he returned with his son Robert to share his experience and meet his Samoan family, Roberts grandparents. Peleti treasured and valued his volunteer experience.

And that was passed on to his son Robert who later became a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia.

In the 50 years since Peace Corps was first invited to Samoa, Volunteers have served in the areas of Education, Health, Agriculture, Environmental Protection, Infrastructure, and Small Business Development, and in addition to these primary assignments, many Volunteers choose to become involved with side projects within their communities.

One of the greatest impacts of early Education and Health Volunteers was the introduction of the falepisikoa (Peace Corps House) known today as the faleuila (Bathroom). In the words of Sosopo Leapai  Savaia of Lefaga, When the Peace Corps came the toilets used by Samoans were in very poor conditions.

The people did not really consider these conditions to affect our health. So even though these Volunteers came as doctors and teachers, they still gave priority in making falepisikoa and they worked closely with village matais and untitled men, and this project immediately reached the rest of Samoa.

Over the course of 50 years, it is inevitable that some villages will have hosted multiple Volunteers. Rako, a currently serving Volunteer in a village on Upolu, learned that a Peace Corps Volunteer had proceeded him and that the villagers remembered her fondly for her work improving literacy at the school, her creation of a school library, and the world map she helped paint on the school walls.

The village also hosted a Peace Corps training group (Peace Corps Volunteers are given 11 weeks of language, cross-cultural and technical training before they go to the sites where they will serve for two years).

While there were no amazing stories of the volunteers saving the day or doing something heroic, just helping in day to day life and contributing to the goal of promoting English literacy, Rako realized This isnt something to be disappointed about, in fact this is exactly what Peace Corps Volunteers are trying to do!

Volunteers do not join the Peace Corps for fame or fortune, they join because they believe in the Peace Corps mission and are committed to a life of service.

For that reason, there are not many stories about Volunteers saving the day or doing something heroic, rather, the stories reflect Volunteers dedicated to contributing day to day.

The impact of each Volunteers dedication to 27 months of service in Samoa lives on.




The use of gene drive technology to control wild populations of insect pests could be foiled by development of genetic resistance, according to a study in Science Advances published Friday.

Genetic variability and the tendency of many insects to inbreed could encourage resistance, the study found. This would be worsened if the genetically engineered trait caused a decrease in fitness.

Meanwhile, a gene drive approach developed by UC San Diego and UC Irvine scientists that might circumvent resistance has received a $2 million shot in the arm from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Advertisement

The Science Advances study was conducted in flour beetles. It can be found at j.mp/genedrivefb. Michael J. Wade was the senior author. Douglas W. Drury was first author. Both are of Indiana University.

The British biotech Oxitec has developed genetically engineered male mosquitoes that pass along a trait that causes all their offspring to die.

Oxitecs mosquitoes have been tested in field trials Panama and Brazil. A trial in Florida is planned to fight the Zika virus. Meanwhile, another trial has been launched using male mosquitoes infected with a sterility-causing bacterium.

However, Oxitecs approach requires continued releases of new genetically modified mosquitoes. Gene drive could in theory introduce a trait that stays lodged in the population, or at least doesnt have to be replenished as often.

The gene drive variant would self-propagate, performing a copy-and paste into any unmodified genes present in embryos. So one gene variant inherited from one parent could spread the change to the corresponding gene from the other parent.

UC San Diego researchers Ethan Bier and Valentino Gantz were the first to demonstrate gene drives in insects, using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. They did this first in fruit flies, and then, in a study led by Gantz and UC Irvines Anthony James, in mosquitoes.

Their approach is make mosquitoes resistant to malaria parasites. So while the mosquitoes would still bite, they wouldnt transmit malaria.The researchers have said they expect this approach would minimize resistance.

One of Indias biggest philanthropists gives UCSD $35M/$70M to find cures for infection diseases

In October, UC San Diego said it will receive $70 million from one of Indias top philanthropists to develop the Bier/Gantz/James gene drive technology for use in India, where malaria is endemic in some regions. Half of the money is to be spent in transferring the technology to Indian scientists.

In early May, UC Irvine said that James will lead a program to make new malaria-resistant strains of the Anopheles gambiae mosquito.

Our goal is to see if prototype strains developed in partnership with UC San Diego geneticists Valentino Gantz and Ethan Bier can be refined into something appropriate for disrupting malaria transmission in Africa, James said in a UC Irvine press release.

The big question is whether the malaria-resisting trait will in some other way make the mosquitoes less efficient at reproducing in the wild.

While the gene drives work well in laboratory populations, its not clear whether the natural environment will produce the same results. Nature presents more genetically diverse populations, where differing genes may compete with each other, the Science Advances study said.

Bier and Gantz have said that making mosquitoes immune to malaria parasites should inhibit the development of resistance, since only the parasites would be hurt. But this wont be known until they have been tested in a natural environment.

Science Playlist  On Now In a first, scientists rid human embryos of a potentially fatal gene mutation by editing their DNA On Now Space station flyovers visible from San Diego this week 0:55 On Now UCSD's 'ghost drivers' begin testing people's reaction seemingly empty cars 1:29 On Now 10 interesting facts about Mars On Now Kids can add years to your life On Now LA 90: SpaceX launches recycled rocket On Now Big passions, big giving: Malin Burnham 2:30 On Now Big passions, big giving: Darlene Shiley 2:40 On Now Big passions, big giving: Joan and Irwin Jacobs 2:45 On Now Ocean temperatures warming at rapid rate, study finds

bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1020
With high-powered remarks about the importance of science for the future of America and humanity, The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla marked its 25th anniversary as a Ph.D.-granting institution.

The two commencement speakers, billionaire biotech investor Gerald Chan and Christopher Walsh, a consulting professor to Stanford University, symbolized the institutes growing role as a world-class center of biomedical studies.

Chan is a noted philanthropist in Boston. Walsh, the former president and CEO of the renowned Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, was a mentor to Peter Schultz, a prominent chemist and Scripps Researchs president. Chan and Walsh received honorary degrees during Fridays ceremony.

Advertisement

Both joined the institutes board earlier this year, along with other stellar names such as Genentech founder Herb Boyer, at Schultzs behest. Schultz has restructured the institute to emphasize translating lab discoveries into products to boost TSRIs financial stability, which faces long-term challenges.

Chan paid tribute to the institutes scientific importance as well as Schultzs relentless persuasiveness.

Personally, I was in a frame of mind of getting off boards rather than getting on more boards, Chan said. But if you know Pete, you know that he does not take no for an answer. I was on the receiving end of this endless badgering until I was beaten into submission ...

If the work that Pete had asked me to be part of was of little value to science, I could have marshaled enough resolve to resist his advance, Chan said.

But that line of reasoning, however, was plainly not applicable, as I had no doubt in my mind that Scripps is one of the premier research institutions in the world. It is a crown jewel of American science, and if we care about science in America, we must care about the research institutions where some of the best science is done.

Chan said investments in basic science are paying off for many Asian countries, which have been unsparing in pouring money into that sector.

Slowly but surely, they are chipping away at Americas commanding lead in science, which was part and parcel of the post-World War II world order, Chan said.

If we are to make America great again, let us never forget what made America great in the first place, he told the audience, chuckling at the reference to President Donald Trumps winning campaign slogan last year.

Schultz introduced Walsh, whom he worked for as a postdoctoral fellow. They became friends after a sometimes touchy mentorship.

While with Walsh, Schultz and colleagues put their biochemical skills to work by brewing beer in the lab. Finding it cloudy with yeast, they separated it by placing the beer in GS3 centrifuge bottles and spinning them in a centrifuge.

I was really proud of myself, and I went into the lab of this microbiologist and said, see here, chemists can do this, Schultz said. And he was so excited he unscrewed the tops of these GS3 bottles. Now this (yeast) looks just like bacteria sedimented out of yellow bacterial broth.

So right as were drinking out of these GS3 bottles, for the first time Chris Walsh walked into my lab ..., Schultz said.

And he looked at us and said, Guys, Im not going to say a word. And he turned around and walked out.

Walsh noted his personal knowledge not only of Schultz, but other members of the Scripps Research faculty, including Barry Sharpless, who shared the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2001.

I was sufficiently close friends with Barry that I actually attended his Nobel Prize ceremony as a friend of the family, Walsh said.

TSRI is one of the three most interesting places in the nation for graduate research and education in the life sciences, Walsh said. The others are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford, said Walsh, a former chairman of the chemistry department at MIT and a past biochemistry professor at Harvard Medical School.

After the speeches, the 17 present members of TSRIs graduate class (out of a total of 20) were awarded their doctorate degrees. The graduates were introduced with a discussion of their work.

Faculty adviser Kim Janda said one of his most prolific students, Paul T. Bremer, authored 14 published papers under his supervision. One dealt with a novel way of treating poisoning from the deadly botulinum neurotoxin; the other looked at a heroin vaccine that was discussed by former President Bill Clinton.

Paul right now is looking for a job, Janda said. If anyones out there, please hire him.

Science Playlist  On Now In a first, scientists rid human embryos of a potentially fatal gene mutation by editing their DNA On Now Space station flyovers visible from San Diego this week 0:55 On Now UCSD's 'ghost drivers' begin testing people's reaction seemingly empty cars 1:29 On Now 10 interesting facts about Mars On Now Kids can add years to your life On Now LA 90: SpaceX launches recycled rocket On Now Big passions, big giving: Malin Burnham 2:30 On Now Big passions, big giving: Darlene Shiley 2:40 On Now Big passions, big giving: Joan and Irwin Jacobs 2:45 On Now Ocean temperatures warming at rapid rate, study finds

bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1020
Future of old Sempra building not yet set.

Sempra Energys employees are moving from the dark into the light in their new $165 million, 16-story office building overlooking Petco Park.

The 393,322-square-foot building at Eighth Avenue and Island Avenue, developed by Cisterra Development, designed by Carrier Johnson + Culture and built by Turner Construction, is wrapped in 3.2 acres of floor-to-ceiling, glass panes that let in the light -- but not the suns heat. Managers offices are located away from the exterior walls so that all employees can enjoy and plenty of natural light. Some get sweeping views of downtown and the ballpark.

Its a very open work environment, said Sempra corporate communications director Doug Kline, who led a tour of the building this week as the first employees continued moving in.

Advertisement

At the old location at 101 Ash St., the windows were smaller and the exterior was covered in 10 miles of precast concrete sun fins and solar bronze glass meant to screen out the suns rays. Managers occupied walled-off offices at the corners and along the edges of each floor.

People in the middle got much less light, Kline said.

Architect Gordon Carrier said share the light was a key concept Cisterra, Sempra and his firm wanted to emphasize.

About 90 percent of the spaces have views and something like 75 to 78 percent (of the workers) have daylight -- thats very high for a project, Carrier said.

He credited Joyce Rowland, Sempras senior vice president, chief human resources and administrative officer, for championing the share the light concept.

The idea is you should see daylight at all times, he said. Understanding what kind of day it is at any time is a fundamental part of great design.

Besides maximizing natural light, the unitized window panel system went up faster because the panels came in ready to install 14-foot sections. They also feature an extra layer of protection against rainwater intrusion. Carrier said it was the first use locally of such a system.

San Diego is a first-tier city and the city needs to start thinking about using these systems as well, Carrier said.

From a distance, the buildings glass exterior resembles a dark-colored skirt of glass on top of another. Vertical ribs add a sense of verticality to what is medium-high building at 240 feet.

The ribs create an interesting element that is enhanced by the angles on the east, west and north tower faces, as well as their extension above the curtainwall glass at the top of the tower, said Lucy Contreras, a Civic San Diego planner who reviewed the project for the citys downtown development agency.

Other architectural highlights include two cantelevered sections at the second and fourth floors on Eighth Avenue, a popout strip from the sixth to 12th floor that gives office workers a special view up and down Eighth, and two balconies at the 15th and 16th levels facing Petco.

The building contains other sustainable energy and environmental features apropos of an energy company.

Much of the interior light is provided by LED bulbs that last longer and use less energy than incandescents or even fluorescents.

A 204-panel array of solar panels above the nearly 500-space parking garage provides about 1.5 percent of the buildings electrical needs.

Water-efficiency features show up in automatic faucets, low-flow toilets and high-efficiency and low water-using cooling towers.

Rainwater runoff is diverted through bio filters before being discharged to the city stormwater system.

Landscaping employs water-wise plants.

These and other details are enough to earn the building a LEED Gold rating, second only to the top platinum rating awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council in its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

Its one of the proudest moments of my career, honestly, Carrier said of the buildings completion. I think its an image worthy of San Diego and worthy of an amazing headquarters tenant and I believe its going to serve them well.

He noted that his firm took pains to fit the skyscraper into a former warehouse district -- a goal aided by the retention of three historic buildings on the block: the city fire station at Eighth Avenue and J Street, the Unicorn Building at Seventh and J and the Pack Loft Building at Seventh and Island. Cisterra plans to lease the Unicorn and Pack Loft buildings for retail or office uses.

Besides the practical and functional, the building offers pleasant amenities for employees and visitors:

A ground-floor cafeteria with a variety of meal choices for breakfast and lunch leads to out door courtyard facing Island Avenue

A 210-seat auditorium, divisible into three sections and outfitted with dropdown projection screens, that will serve both company and outside group events.

Birds eye views of Petco Park from indoor lounges on lower floors and outdoor terraces on the top two executive suite floors that double as the companys own private skybox.

Theres a small fitness room, coffee bars with refrigerators and microwaves and a coffee bar; conference rooms; and small huddle spaces for private meetings.

Most people work in cubicles but with a twist -- individual file cabinets are upholstered to do double duty as visitor seating.

The idea is to try to find multifunctions in the same square feet to allow maximum flexibility, which at the end of the day, everybody wants, Carrier said.

Also in the cubicles are adjustable-height desks, which employees can use to reduce the amount of sitting time -- a growing trend meant to reduce hours of sedentary work and combat obesity.

Samantha Wycoco in the regulatory accounting department said she had not yet tried the adjustable desk on her second day at her seventh floor location.

Im a little intimidated, she said.

But she did look forward to exploring her new work-a-day neighborhood.

Theres a lot of restaurants around here, so itll be a nice change, she said.

Sempras new building came about as the company neared the end of lease at its Ash Street location, its home since 1968. Other downtown locations were considered as were others elsewhere in the county. But Art Larson, senior corporate communications manager, said Sempra wanted to remain in the regions central business district.

Whereas Qualcomm, the regions only other Fortune 500 Company, remains headquarters in suburban Sorrento Mesa, Sempra remained downtown. Larson said Sempra wanted to be part of the skyline.

The main concern in 2013, when the relocation was approved, was that it would ready by the time Sempras lease at its old location expired in July 2015.

Cisterra Development, which is leasing the building to Sempra for 25 years, said it could meet the deadline and it received an temporary occupancy permit two days early.

It was quite an endeavor, said Cisterras Jason Wood. But here we are.

Kline said plans for formal dedication of the building have not yet been set, but some sort of event is planned to mark Sempras move to East Village.

Sempra Energy headquarters

Location: 488 Eighth Ave.

Developer: Cisterra Development

Architect: Carrier Johnson + Culture

General contractor: Turner Construction

Cost: $165 million; Sempra is leasing the building for 25 years

Details: 16 stories, 393,322 square feet; 7,100 cubic yards of dirt excavated; 4,500 tons of steel ; 140,512 square feet of window glazing; nearly 500 parking spaces
The push for alternative energy sources has led the San Diego County Water Authority to consider a new possibility  floating solar panels on the surface of the agencys only reservoir.

The 20-acre installation proposed for the Olivenhain Reservoir near Escondido would be the first in Southern California, although several floating panel projects are underway in Northern California and in Japan.

Being on the forefront of that strategy will be exciting, said Kelly Rodgers, energy program manager for the County Water Authority.

Advertisement

Some experts say water surfaces are the untapped frontier for solar arrays. The panels have become fairly common on rooftops, and some of Californias largest solar farms are in the desert. But industry experts say there are many advantages to placing them on water.

The panels reduce the evaporation that constantly steals water from large open reservoirs. Also, they shade the water and keep it cooler, reducing the chances of an algae bloom and other contamination. Another advantage is that the water keeps the panels cooler, and because the panels are essentially large semiconductors that makes them more efficient.

For the right types of bodies of water, there are opportunities, said Troy Helming, founder and CEO of Pristine Sun. The private San Francisco-based company is working with the County Water Authority to develop the floating solar project.

Scenic lakes with recreational activities such as camping, fishing and boating are not likely candidates. Out-of-sight, out-of-mind reservoirs like Olivenhain may be just the thing.

Still another advantage may be that reservoirs like Olivenhain are close to large urban centers, like San Diego. That means less energy is lost to long-distance transportation over high-tension wires from sites such as the desert. Waste treatment ponds are another possibility.

Pristine Sun completed a six-month pilot program in March with floating solar panels on water treatment ponds in Sonoma County, Helming said. Based on the success of the 10-kilowatt trial, he said, the company has been approved to install a permanent 1.3-megawatt system by the end of this year.

The Kyocera Corp. announced last year it is building a 13.7-megawatt floating solar power plant on the Yamakura Dam reservoir in Japan. When finished in early 2018, it will be the largest floating solar array in the world.

Its just getting started here in the United States, Helming said.

The 6 megawatts that could be produced at Olivenhain would be about equal to the amount used by 1,500 homes.

Agency officials said they plan to use the power on-site or at other Water Authority facilities. Any excess power could be sold over the grid on the states wholesale market. The energy-cost savings and any revenue produced would be shared with Pristine Sun, although the financial arrangement is still being evaluated.

There would be no up-front costs to the Water Authoritys customers, Rodgers said, and the savings would be passed along in the form of lower water rates.

The Water Authority, like many other agencies and growing numbers of homeowners, is sold on solar. In addition to the financial savings, Rodgers said, solar power brings the environmental benefit of reduced greenhouse gases.

We already have solar at three of our facilities, she said. The agency has more than 7,500 panels on solid-ground structures at the Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant, its headquarters in Kearny Mesa and its operations center in Escondido.

The Olivenhain reservoir, completed in 2002, is the Water Authoritys only large water-storage facility. It provides an emergency backup source in case of a disaster such as an earthquake or extreme drought, so the water level fluctuates little from day to day.

About 10 percent of the surface of the lake would be used for the panels, Rodgers said. The site is at the opposite end from the dam, where it would be difficult for passers-by to see.

We chose an area with low visual impact, but lots of sun, she said.

Environmental studies for the project could take as long as a year. If the Water Authoritys board signs off on the final plans, installation could be complete by the end of next year.

Another part of the study will be to work with San Diego Gas & Electric Co. to determine whether the power lines serving the reservoir can handle the project.

We need to get a sense of the interconnection costs, Helming said. Those costs  can make or break the project.

Water districts and other agencies across the United States will be watching the Olivenhain project to see if it succeeds, he said.

The County Water Authority also announced this week that it has received a $1 million incentive from the state Public Utilities Commission to install industrial sized batteries at its existing solar facilities.

The batteries are expected to save the agency nearly $100,000 annually by allowing it to store excess solar energy produced during peak hours  mid-day through early afternoon  or retail energy purchased during off-peak hours  generally at night  for later use during high demand times.

There are no plans at present to install the batteries with the floating solar system, Helming said. However, it could easily be adapted to use them.

philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @phildiehl
State transportation officials expect to begin work this summer on a study of ways to deter suicides off the Coronado bridge.

Long sought by members of the island community, the study will evaluate the feasibility, cost, impacts and risks of fencing or other barriers. Steven Shultz, a Caltrans spokesman, said the study will take about 10 months to complete. Its cost has not yet been determined, pending final decisions on the scope of the work.

More than 400 people have jumped to their deaths since the San Diego-Coronado Bridge opened in 1969, according to Wayne Strickland, a retired Coronado firefighter who is president of the Bridge Collaborative for Suicide Prevention. Hundreds more people over the years have gone to the bridge to die and changed their minds or were grabbed before they could go over the 3-foot-tall side.

Advertisement

The deaths have a ripple effect through the families and friends of the victims, those who witness the fatal 200-foot jumps and those who recover the bodies. Suicide-related bridge closures and traffic delays are a regular occurrence for those who live or work on Coronado.

Strickland called the Caltrans study, and a parallel effort by state Sen. Ben Hueso, D-San Diego, to pass legislation funding bridge safety improvements, huge progress in the effort to prevent suicides. It feels like were finally getting somewhere, he said.

Other cities have built barriers on their bridges or are planning them, buoyed by several studies that show the deterrents work. A University of Melbourne report in 2013 evaluated the effectiveness of barriers at bridges and cliffs in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Washington, D.C., Maine, Switzerland and Canada. It found an 86 percent reduction in suicides at the various sites and a 28 percent drop in jumping suicides overall in the surrounding cities.

In San Francisco, construction began in April on a $200 million stainless steel net along the sides of the Golden Gate Bridge, where more than 1,600 people have killed themselves since 1937. The net will be 20 feet below the roadway and extend out over the water 20 feet. Completion is expected by 2021.

The design, debated in the Bay Area for decades, is patterned after one installed in the late 1990s at the Muenster terrace, part of a Medieval cathedral in Berne, Switzerland. It deterred anyone else from jumping, according to a 2005 study. Officials are hoping for the same result at the Golden Gate Bridge. If someone does jump, according to the designers, the fall into the net may cause injuries but it is unlikely to be fatal.

In Coronado, Strickland said the suicide-prevention collaborative has been eyeing as a possible solution the kind of inward-tilting, unclimbable fencing that was installed on the Cold Spring Canyon Bridge in Santa Barbara County. Built in 1963, the 1,200-foot-long steel-arch bridge spans a gorge on Highway 154 and had been the site of more than 50 suicides before Caltrans installed a 10-foot high, $3 million fence in 2012.

Recently, engineering students at San Diego State University designed a Cold Spring-like barrier for the 2-mile-long Coronado bridge  high enough to deter jumpers, strong enough to keep cars from crashing through  and estimated it would cost about $11 million, Strickland said.

The upcoming Caltrans study aims to investigate best practices currently being used on major bridge structures and to determine options suitable for the Coronado bridge, according to a letter sent Monday to the collaborative by Marcelo Peinado, a division chief in traffic operations for the local Caltrans district.

The collaborative was formed in November 2014 by two women, Rhonda Haiston and Jennifer Lewis, who gave organizational form to what had been years of grass-roots pleas for something to be done. The groups motto is Not One More Life. Members are hosting a third annual memorial for all those weve lost to the bridge on June 4 at 6 p.m. at Tidelands Park in Coronado.

Group members have also been meeting with Hueso. In February, he introduced SB480, which calls for 1 percent of state highway funding to be set aside for feasibility and engineering studies of bridge safety improvements. At an April hearing, he told the Senate transportation committee that he is concerned about not just suicides but also recurrences of the Oct. 16 incident in which a truck plummeted off the bridge into Chicano Park, killing four people on the ground.

We need a solution to this, Hueso said.

The committee approved the bill unanimously and sent it to the appropriations committee, where further action is pending.

john.wilkens@sduniontribune.com
On its surface, Molieres The Imaginary Invalid  the story of a man fixated on, and frustrated by, matters of health care  would seem a pretty apt choice of play for this moment in history.

And the leaders of Fiasco Theater tend to agree  although not necessarily for what might seem the most obvious reasons.

Fiasco is the ambitious New York-based company that was last at the Globe with a stripped-down, reconceived staging of the musical Into the Woods three years ago.

Advertisement

Now the troupe, which first made waves by reimagining Shakespeare, returns to a classic text with its world-premiere, Globe-commissioned adaptation of the 1673 Moliere farce.

But beyond the timeliness of the health-care angle, Fiasco co-artistic directors Jessie Austrian and Noah Brody suggest that Invalid also resonates in a moment when phrases such as alternative facts have become  depending on your point of view  either a ludicrous joke or a reasonable way of looking at the world.

As Austrian puts it: What does it mean to really believe something that isnt true?

Austrian and Brody, a married couple who are directing Invalid together, have known Globe artistic chief Barry Edelstein since he was a leader of New Yorks Public Theater. When Edelstein invited Fiasco back to the Globe after Woods, he suggested a series of works they might adapt.

Among those was the Moliere play, whose many layers (as well as opportunities for working music into the piece) intrigued the company.

At the same time that Moliere writes this incredible comedy, theres this sort of underbelly of fear (to it), as Austrian says.

Because really what its about, the problem of the play, is that the leader of the household  the man whos in charge  is operating under a delusion. Hes not ill, but he believes that he is. And that is whats guiding all his decision-making.

The central problem of the play is that he wants to marry his daughter to a doctor because he believes he is ill. Hes not operating in reality.

But hes dictating the terms under which other people live their lives.

Theater therapy

In contemplating the prospect of taking on Moliere, it didnt hurt that Fiasco saw Invalid as in some ways an ode to theater, the art form to which theyve devoted their lives.

Austrian, Brody and their fellow Fiasco co-founder Ben Steinfeld, who is the companys other artistic director, are all alumni of the Brown University/Trinity Rep graduate acting program, and their company has grown to include a number of regular ensemble members.

Both Austrian and Brody, who acted in Into the Woods at the Globe, are also part of the Invalid cast. Theyre joined by Andy Grotelueschen (in the lead role of Argan), Paul L. Coffey, Jane Pfitsch, Emily Young and Kevin Hafso-Koppman, a San Diego-trained actor and student in the Old Globe/University of San Diego graduate acting program.

Young and Grotelueschen also both appeared in Woods, the Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine masterwork that had most of the Fiasco cast playing instruments onstage.

Brody says part of what fascinated Fiasco about the play is that Moliere is using medicine as a proxy to talk about theater sometimes.

While Argan indulges in quack remedies for his non-existent ailments, the argument his brother makes is that theater can be healthful, and that an experience (that allows you) to let go and laugh and enjoy yourself, and to gather as part of a community of theater, is itself a kind of medicine.

So the metaphor of theater as healing and necessary to the human spirit is at play as well.

Beyond that, Brody adds, the piece is rather musically rich, taking in one large music-centered event in particular.

Fiascos production will include a cappella performances of 16th-century French madrigals, among other pieces, so theres some quite beautiful and complicated singing that takes place in the show as well, he says.

And Invalid also includes three interludes that are totally outside the world of the play  totally wild, says Austrian, whose work outside Fiasco includes Broadway acting credits for The Importance of Being Earnest and Lend Me a Tenor.

We got really excited about how we could try to adapt those into something that Fiasco could share with an audience in the White Theatre, the Globes cozy in-the-round space. Were having a lot of fun exploring a totally new way of working for us.

Brody says staging those interludes means exploring and deploying all the tricks of the theater, which is why both he and Austrian have high praise for the craftspeople at the Old Globe: They can kind of make anything happen, as she puts it.

While Invalid has a relatively small cast, its one of the most involved and ambitious shows the company has done.

It mostly has to do with the prologue and the (central) interlude and the finale, Brody says. What Moliere wrote is crazy. The finale has to take place, and its insane. Somehow we had to find ways to meet his proposal  things like two dozen doctors performing a comic burlesque.

Add to that the multiple costume changes: For us itd normally be, lets just use a different hat! Brody says with a laugh. Here, were seven people, but its more like the Globe is costuming 30.

And yet ultimately, it all comes back to the text, and the enduring work of the dramatists Fiasco lives to celebrate.

Its a gift, Austrian says. We choose really great writers: Shakespeare, Sondheim, Moliere. And the plays just keep giving back.

It always feels contemporary, because its about humanity. Thats what art can do. Thats why art matters.

The Imaginary Invalid

When: Previews begin May 27. Opens June 1. 7 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays; 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays. Through July 2.

Where: Fiasco Theater at the Old Globes Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, Balboa Park.

Tickets: $29 and up

Phone: (619) 234-5623

Online: theoldglobe.org

Twitter: @jimhebert

jim.hebert@sduniontribune.com
While most of the Armys special-operations units are located east of the Mississippi, a small contingent of the elite commandos call California home.

A few nondescript, Cold War-era buildings at this military airfield north of Seal Beach is base for A Company, 5th Battalion of the 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), which is headquartered in Utah and is one of two Special Forces groups in the Army National Guard.

The 108-man company, which includes six Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) teams of Green Berets, falls under the authority of the California Army National Guard but is part of U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

Advertisement

They rub elbows with the Guards newest addition to its special operations force called Special Operational Detachment-Northern Command. The 40-member SOD-North, as its known, is one of 10 detachments the Army National Guard stood up in the past year as headquarters units that quickly deploy to support special operations around the globe.

These operators live dual lives, of sorts, as they juggle the part-time nature of their military role as reservists with full-time personal careers and families and the constant demands and pressures to work overseas, sometimes on little notice.

We have to deal with all of the complexity of being an inactive-duty unit and all the requirements of being a highly-trained unit, said John, a Special Forces lieutenant colonel with SOD-North who requested that his full name be withheld because he is still in service. There are people like us who are willing to be at this intersection of two very difficult things, and it is challenging. It really is challenging.

Life as a Green Beret is tough enough with the busy tempo of training and deploying to places that are remote, hostile or outright dangerous. Its not easy staying sharp and ready to go into harms way with the part-time preparations of being a Reserve unit. This is one of those situations where the one weekend a month, two weeks a year is not quite going to cut it, said Brandon Honig, a California National Guard spokesman, referring to the typical drilling periods that military Guard and Reservists must do annually.

As a National Guard unit, they have to be ready to step up and do the work their active-duty peers do while the unit is in a less than ready state as Reserve forces, John said. So we still have to be pretty darn ready.

Im not sure people know there are people like us in their communities volunteering to meet both of those difficult requirements, he said.

Sometimes, Special Forces operators grapple with short-order notice to deploy overseas, quickly. When they go, as Green Berets have done to places like Afghanistan, Nepal and Nigeria, the ODA teams of 12 men usually live and operate in remote places far from commanders and higher headquarters but with the heavy responsibility of getting the mission done right, largely out of the limelight and without public attention.

Well get 30 days notice to scramble a team and get over there, said a Special Forces captain who asked that his name not be used because he is still in service. He recalled one mission planned and led by two noncommissioned officers  experienced enlisted men who are the backbone of the A teams. They worked with the local indigenous force in a country thats high risk. Theyre training an 800-man element in a high risk, high visibility position, said the captain. The mission went great. The guys did an awesome job.

Many of the soldiers work in law enforcement  including police, U.S. Border Patrol and FBI  or are firefighters, plumbers, medical experts or sales specialists. They bring a wide range of expertise to the mission. We have a lot of capability we can offer the state, too, in any kind of emergency response, the Special Forces captain said. An ODA team took boats and helped emergency services, communication and search-and-rescue after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast.

The tempo remains high. In the past two years, men with A Company deployed to Afghanistan, completed two missions to Africa and did a mission in Europe.

SOD-North hasnt deployed as a full unit yet.

In late May, two members were in Africa and in Italy, another recently returned from Afghanistan. We could be used as a Joint Operations Task Force headquarters or augment an existing headquarters, John said. It also can serve as a headquarters for a domestic emergency, such as a major earthquake.

Two masters

The nature of their work as an Army Special Forces and state Guard unit thats also part of the larger U.S. Special Operations Command can make otherwise easy administrative tasks difficult. Were not a simple unit; we are complex, John said. Its difficult for us when we deal with our bosses in Sacramento, because they dont understand the complexity of managing a special operations unit.

State officials often dont understand why such a small unit like (A Company) needs so much administrative logistical support, he said. A normal company-sized element of 90 people in the Guard doesnt need as much logistical support.

The companys captain that day was juggling several tasks, including a meeting the following day in Sacramento to get help and resolve an administrative pay problem.

The company is funded through the special operations command and the state, and the type of mission  state or federal  dictates which fund pays. For example, when A Company is mobilized for training or overseas duty, they said, thats federal authority through Title 10, part of the U.S. Code that covers the military services.

The administrative accounting gets trickier when a Guard soldier is sent to school for additional education and training, much of it highly specialized, said the officers, both of whom have served in the active-duty military. Pay and allowances like lodging and food paid to Guard soldiers also come from separate budgets from what regular Army soldiers get, and each unit has to account for that.

Truth is, the monthly weekends and annual two weeks of training is but a recruiting pitch to those Green Berets. Classes and training courses put more demands on their part-time duty.

For our soldiers, the average is a weekend a month, six weeks a year of being gone time, the Special Forces captain said. For most of us, probably a good deal more than that. If schools come up, training comes up or missions come up, people have to jump on it.

His boss, the company commander, has minimal staff and probably puts in a 40-hour workweek unpaid every week of company business, dealing with everyone and everything, he said. Same goes with the enlisted men, doing it because they love the job and they love coming up here and working and being part of the team and being with the guys.

The time demands can hurt National Guard and Reserve units efforts to recruit and retain soldiers. It can strain marriages and families and relationships with bosses and employers. But some find ways to make it work.

John is a good example. By late May, two-thirds through the fiscal year, he was nearly out of personal leave from his full-time job. He used up his military annual leave to attend an important military course last October. To do his required two weeks of annual training in Los Alamitos, he took leave without pay from his job.

But compared with some Guardsmen, he was fortunate: He works for the state Guard bureau. With orders to train, his employer let him attend the training. He sacrificed his normal civilian paycheck but collected his military pay while activated. And by taking leave, even without pay, he can save his remaining personal vacation days to spend this summer with his children.

A lot of us are making trade-offs in our personal lives, time with our family and continuity with our employer because ... we like what we are doing. Were not crazy for wanting to be in a Reserve unit and being in a special operations unit, John said. We like the challenge. Its nice to have a foot in both worlds.

The duty can complicate life. John has five children, ranging from toddler to teen, and a working wife with a challenging job that has her traveling at times.

They are master planners of sorts, juggling schedules to ensure one is home with the youngest children in the evening.

Theres not a month that goes by where she and I arent sitting down with our calendars and try to figure out ... can I take this class this month, can I do this with the unit? John said. We both like the challenge of doing that. Most people Im sure would consider it a horrible headache.

Its like hes a frog crossing the street without getting hit by a car, a reference to the video game Frogger. Youve got to be extremely flexible, adaptable, John noted, as plans change all the time (with) these missions we get notified.

Having a home base

Despite the challenges, these Green Berets said they dont want sympathy. The Special Forces life is their chosen profession.

People do this job because they want to do it, the Special Forces captain said. They do the extra work because they want to do it. They are dedicated to the mission, they are dedicated to the (unit), and they are dedicated to their team and their brothers who they work with.

Its why guys are putting in extra hours on top of full-time workweek, missing out on time with their families because they have to get things in to prep for their next mission or their next training event.

The Guard duty lets them settle down and establish a home base that, in the active-duty Army, usually means moving home and family every three or four years.

They can set up roots here. They can still do Special Forces stuff while they have a permanent home, and no one is going to tell them they have to move, the captain said. They are able to live both worlds, where they have their family stabilized and theyre able to still every year go overseas, make a difference and do a mission.

For spouses, fewer household moves make it easier for them to have a career in one place.

The Special Forces captain and his wife live in San Diego. Shes able to work full time and not have to move anytime or give up her job or her career because of me, he said. Its still difficult for her when I leave and go places, but shes incredibly supportive.

And if her job were to move, he said, thats no problem for me because I can still commute back and do my thing here if I want.

Having a home base has other advantages. Soldiers often live near their families and friends, getting invaluable support and help when they deploy. They become a bigger part of their neighborhood.

John, a Guardsman since 2002, said he deployed overseas multiple times but my children have always gone to the same school and lived in the same community.

Sometimes families, many of them dispersed geographically, struggle to find help for health care or other special military support they need. Technology helps close the gaps, the officers said. Family readiness support groups try to meet virtually, sometimes through social media, when teams deploy. Skype and email makes it easier to share information, too.

While many live in California, some of the men travel eight or 10 hours from Northern California or other states to drill and train here. SOD-North even has members who travel from New Mexico, Washington state and Virginia.

While much time away from family or a job can become problematic, the men still show up.

Everybodys here because they like the guys they work with and they want to be part of the team, the Special Forces captain said. We are ready to deploy whenever the call comes.

Retention doesnt suffer. Because we are busy, guys like it more because there are opportunities available, he added.

Key decisions

The reasons why someone joins Special Forces is unique to each soldier.

Take Chris, another serviceman who didnt give his full name because hes still in service.

As a child, Chris heard stories from an uncle who served in 11th Special Forces Group in the 1960s and 1970s. A cousin went to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

Chris underwent the Navys Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training in Coronado. An early exit near the finish made him ponder his next step as an officer. A friend who joined the Army told him about Guard and A Company, so he transferred to the Guard and eventually was selected for Special Forces.

It was the best thing that ever happened, Chris said.

At the Q Course at Fort Bragg, he saw men like those he trained with during BUDS, same person, dedicated, focused, very mission oriented, he said. While he took a different approach to join special operations, at the end of the day, they are trying to develop the same guy.

Special Forces, he added, is a better fit for me. I like the mission set more.

In the Guard, he has an added advantage over active-duty counterparts. The Army selected him for the next rank, but he can delay promotion so he can keep leading teams until he eventually takes the promotion.

He might have to leave A Company if no position is available at that rank, but hes not exiting just yet.

While many Green Berets came from the infantry, others took a different route.

John, the Special Forces lieutenant colonel, was an Army engineer officer on active duty.

I was looking for another challenge, and the challenge showed up in the mailbox, he said. The spec-ops community solicits some of the best officers by mail because they know your chain of command doesnt want you to leave.

If you put a challenge in front of us, most of us will go for it  especially if it looks difficult and dangerous. A difficult and dangerous challenge? Low probability of success? All right, Im all over it, he said, chuckling.

Still, it can mean tough choices. His first marriage didnt survive his decision.

A pivotal point for John came on the final day of the Special Forces Assessment and Selection. The grueling, mentally and physically challenging process is held at Fort Bragg, N.C. Youd figure out, after the 10th or 12th name, OK, theyre calling out people they didnt pick, he recalled. Everybody leaves and they close the door, and they tell you, OK, youve been selected. That was a great feeling.

Being in Special Forces is a good fit for some, but not all.

If you thrive on complex problem solving and figuring out how to plot two or three moves in your career, then its for you, John said. If you want it to be simpler, its probably not the place for you.
With homicides in the city on the rise, Tijuana business and civic leaders are calling for Mexicos military to once again head up Baja Californias efforts against organized crime.

Members of the Consejo Coordinador Empresarial in Tijuana, an influential business umbrella group, and the citys Citizens Council for Pubic Safety are urging the passage of a new federal law of internal security that would allow Mexican soldiers to carry out civilian public safety duties.

We dont want to go back to the past, to the situation of 2007 and 2008, said Juan Manuel Hernandez, who heads the public safety council, describing a period of high-impact violence, including gruesome beheadings, public shootouts, and kidnappings.

Advertisement

The call for an expanded military role has come as more than 530 homicides have been registered in Tijuana so far this year, according figures from the Baja California Attorney Generals Office. If the killings continue at the current pace, this years total will exceed last years record 916 homicides.

State homicide investigators have attributed much of the violence in recent years to turf battles among low-level street drug dealers rather than an all-out war for control of the plaza among the dominant drug organizations that held the city in its grip a decade ago.

But in a joint statement, the Business Coordinating Councils for Baja Californias five municipalities said that this explanation fails to take into account the effects of crime on the general population. Enough of saying that its just criminals killing each other, and that the law-abiding Tijuanenses are living in peace, the statement read, noting that crimes such as robberies to businesses, to passers-by, residential burglaries and car thefts are on the rise.

Marco Antonio Sotomayor, Tijuanas top public safety official, said in an interview on Friday that month-to-month comparisons for April of different years shows that while overall crime numbers have risen 11 percent since last year, they are far lower than previous years, such as 2008 and 2010.

Sotomayor said he backs the legislation supporting the militarys involvement. The law would give support, security to the armed forces, he said.

In the case of our country, the militarys role is important, because of the issues that we are facing with organized crime, the question of the weapons that they use, Sotomayor said.

The Business Coordinating Council is also backing other legal reforms, including changes to Mexicos federal penal code as well as to the arms and explosives law. There is no time to lose. This is not a topic that can wait until tomorrow, its statement said.

This would not be the first time that the military leads the battle against drug traffickers in Baja California. Nearly a decade ago, army generals headed efforts against organized crime as civilian law enforcement agencies struggled with widespread corruption and violence had risen to unprecedented levels.

But as violence fell, the military role diminished. Now many private sector leaders want them back in a central role. The army is still in the streets, but based on the law they cannot act as police, said Hernandez, the citizens council president in Tijuana. They cannot arrest people, they cannot do a lot of things that are exclusively for the civilian police.

Backed by President Enrique Pena Nieto, the initiative has come under criticism from human rights groups and others opposed to the militarys involvement in civilian law enforcement.

Some cast doubt on the notion that coordination among civilian and military authorities is key to driving down crime and violence. David Shirk, a University of San Diego professor who has studied homicide trends across Mexico, said dynamics among drug trafficking organizations are the main factor driving the violence levels.

We will see a drop in violence when somebody has monopoly control, Shirk said.

sandra.dibble@sduniontribune.com

@sandradibble
The radio call came in at 2:45 a.m. Friday about a man who had stepped out of an emergency fire exit leading to the Los Angeles International Airport tarmac and loudly asked, Where can I get something to eat around here?

Anil Uskanli, 25, of Turkey was immediately spotted by an airline worker who escorted the guy back inside the terminal, Rob Pedregon, a spokesman for the LAX Police Department, said Saturday. They determined that he had been drinking but did not meet the criteria for drunk in public.

Uskanli, a ticketed passenger on an American Airlines flight who had gone through Transportation Security Administration screening in Terminal 5, was arrested for misdemeanor trespassing, cited, given a pending court date and released from custody, Pedregon said.

Advertisement

The mans problems apparently did not end there.

According to federal authorities, he was arrested later Friday after a disturbance on an American Airlines jet headed to Honolulu from Los Angeles.

During the flight, officials said, Uskanli was subdued by passengers and attendants who used a drink cart to block him from the front of the plane.

Uskanli was duct-taped to his seat until the plane landed in Hawaii, where federal agents boarded the plane and arrested him, passenger Lee Lorenzen said.

The flight attendants just were really heroic, Lorenzen said. By the time we landed and the FBI took him into custody, he was very mellow.

There were no reports of injuries on the flight.

Federal authorities said they were preparing a complaint against Uskanli for interference with a flight crew.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

richard.winton@latimes.com

louis.sahagun@latimes.com

ALSO

United flight delayed after scorpion crawls from customers clothing

More air travelers are expected to fly this summer despite airline incidents

Try this alternative to banning laptops and tablets on planes, airline group says

UPDATES:

4:10 p.m.: This article has been updated with officials confirmation of the suspects identity.

11:50 a.m.: This article has been updated with details and comments from LAX.

This article was originally published at 9:10 a.m.
Sonam Kapoor and Rhea Kapoor spill their fashion secrets in an exclusive interview and share the 'Rheson' behind their love for Indian fashion among other things.

By India Today Web Desk: Sonam Kapoor is that uncrowned Queen of fashion in India who has inspired us to mould the idiosyncratic Indian fashion ideas to into things more progressive and unique.

The actress' out-of-the-box, spiffy ensembles have been massively appreciated, owing to her own fashion sensibilities and the brilliant stylist her sister Rhea Kapoor is. And when these two lovely women decide to headline anything related to fashion, you know there is more than one 'rheson' to celebrate.

advertisement

Sonam and Rhea have launched their own line of clothing, Rhesons (Rhea-Sonam), which is available at pocket-friendly prices across Shoppers Stop outlets.

Picture courtesy: Instagram/sonamkapoor

In a recent candid interview, the Kapoor sisters expressed their views on the impact of the criticism women face on social media. They talked about how women should turn the flak they receive on social media into a source of motivation and strength.

Also Read: You can steal Sonam Kapoor's airport look right NOW

Sonam and Rhea also professed their obsession with emojis which has also made it to their first collection. Sonam also went on to add that she enjoys the mystery that emojis carry.

On being asked about their views on Indian fashion, the two got vocal about how its playground has grown into a more contemporary form of fashion with its roots still intact. The two also added that Indian fashion is extremely flattering, and they'd always prefer it over the other options.

Picture courtesy: Instagram/rheakapoor

Talking about Rheson and its quirky clothes, Sonam and Rhea picked their favourites, avocados, french fries and mogra prints, respectively.

Also Read: Sonam Kapoor was a picture of poise in this saree at the National Film Awards ceremony

After the successful launch of their clothing brand, the two can be seen sporting their own spiffy collection, and rocking it.

Picture courtesy: Instagram/rheakapoor

Sonam and Rhea are looking forward to the success of their brainchild brand and promoting it with all their might--and it seems really promising.(With inputs from Butool Jamal, Harper's Bazaar India)

--- ENDS ---
A man was arrested Friday after a disturbance on an American Airlines jet headed to Hawaii from Los Angeles International Airport.

Video posted on social media shows authorities escorting a man in handcuffs off the plane.

Details were not immediately clear.

Advertisement

The Department of Homeland Security said a man caused a disruption and was detained. His name was not released.

There were no reports of injuries. The plane landed safely in Hawaii.

A law enforcement source said the man is a Turkish national who had been drinking and acting up. At one point, the source said, he moved toward the cockpit. The source, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said they believe it was a case of an unruly passenger.

UPDATE: Unruly passenger identified >>

richard.winton@latimes.com

UPDATES:

4 p.m.: Updated with more details.
Harsher penalties against drug couriers and immigrant smugglers who cross the border. The scaling back of a diversion program aimed at reforming youthful, first-time offenders. Fewer plea deals and more trials.

These are some of the potential effects that attorneys who work in federal courtrooms in San Diego are expecting to see under U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions new orders to prosecutors to charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense in all cases, including drug crimes.

The strategy is a return to hard-on-crime tactics, wiping out efforts by President Barack Obama to give low-level drug offenders a break and save the harshest penalties  including mandatory minimum sentences  for serious, violent and prolific traffickers.

Advertisement

Sessions said the new guidelines, announced May 10 in a memo to prosecutors, will bring back consistency and ensure justice is served. He also sees the strategy as a way to make the nation safer.

This is a key part of President (Donald) Trumps promise to keep America safe.  And we know that drugs and crime go hand-in-hand, Sessions said in New York two days after the memo was issued. Drug trafficking is an inherently violent business. If you want to collect a drug debt, you cant file a lawsuit in court. You collect it by the barrel of a gun.

He cited rising crime in cities such as Chicago and Baltimore, including a national rise in murders. San Diego continues to be among the safest big cities in the nation. Last year, the rate of violent crime dropped nearly 5 percent, although homicides did increase, from 37 to 49.

The memo has been met with a chorus of disdain from state and local prosecutors around the country to lawmakers to criminal justice activists to former Attorney General Eric Holder. All have been part of recent bipartisan efforts to focus more on rehabilitation and less on incarceration.

That memo is like a step into the Dark Ages for criminal justice reform, said San Diego defense attorney Nancee Schwartz.

The U.S. Attorneys Office in San Diego, which is charged with carrying out the Trump administrations policies, declined to discuss the new guidelines, and the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., did not return a request for an interview.

That memo is like a step into the Dark Ages for criminal justice reform.  Nancee Schwartz, a San Diego defense attorney

One of the biggest changes outlined in the new guidelines is the direction to file charges that carry mandatory minimum sentences whenever possible.

That is expected to have a major impact in San Diego, a border region with heavy caseloads involving drugs and the smuggling of unauthorized immigrants  both crimes that can be charged with mandatory minimum sentences.

When it comes to drug cases  be it importation, trafficking, transportation or distribution  the type, amount and purity of the drug matters. For example, 50 grams of pure methamphetamine or 1 kilogram of heroin can result in a 10-year mandatory minimum prison sentence for a first-time offense, 20 years for a second.

In San Diego, many of the importation cases involve a person who has been recruited for a few thousand dollars to drive a car loaded with drugs across the border. The person typically is not told the kind of drug or the amount. Pedestrians are also hired to conceal drugs on their bodies.

We are talking about a kilogram of heroin  that is 10,000 doses  5 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, Sessions said in his statements, referring to some of the drug mandatory minimum guidelines. These are not low-level offenders. These are drug dealers. And youre going to prison.

In immigrant smuggling cases, the smuggler must have been paid for his or her services. Such offenders may face three- or five-year minimum mandatory sentences, depending on the number of immigrants smuggled and if it is a first-time offense.

Of the 4,132 cases filed by the U.S. Attorneys Office in San Diego and Imperial counties in fiscal 2016, about a third  1,350  were drug cases relating to the border, and 15 percent  611  were charges for smuggling or harboring unauthorized immigrants.

Other common crimes that can be charged as mandatory minimums involve guns and the receipt or distribution of child pornography.

These are not low-level offenders. These are drug dealers. And youre going to prison.  Jeff Sessions, U.S. attorney general

Much of Sessions prosecution experience goes back to the 1980s, when he was U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Alabama in Mobile for 12 years at the height of the crack-cocaine epidemic, and briefly as the state attorney general in the mid-1990s before becoming a senator.

Hamilton Arendsen, a San Diego defense attorney, said the attorney generals direction to U.S. attorneys is clear.

You cant read that memo any other way. The call from D.C. is to increase prosecutions and increase punishments, said Arendsen, who spent 10 years as a federal prosecutor.

Sessions policy takes away a good deal of discretion  from both prosecutors who must evaluate each case and judges who are often bound by mandatory minimum sentences.

All prosecutors have a huge range of offenses that could be charged in any conduct, and they are always expected to use their discretion not to go for the jugular in every case, said San Diego defense attorney Jeremy Warren.

These are smart people in federal court, many went to top law schools and have experience. Sessions is trying to usurp that from the top-down approach, Warren said. Its offensive to prosecutors throughout the country who should be given some ability to evaluate each case on a case-by-case basis.

The guidelines do allow prosecutors to go off script in some cases when their good judgement would lead them to conclude that the most serious offense isnt warranted, the memo states. In those circumstances, the prosecutor would need to have the decision approved by a U.S. attorney or deputy attorney general or other designated supervisor, and the reasons must be well documented.

Attorneys predict that the greater potential for stiffer sentences will prompt more offenders to take their chances at trial rather than accept plea deals.

If you know that the judge is never going to give you below the mandatory minimum of what the prosecutors charge, youre going to go to trial every time. Why not? Theres no benefit to a plea deal, Arendsen said.

He added: Its going to strain already limited resources.

If you know that the judge is never going to give you below the mandatory minimum of what the prosecutors charge, youre going to go to trial every time.  Hamilton Arendsen, a San Diego defense attorney

One San Diego program that has teetered on the chopping block since the memo came out aims to divert small-time, nonviolent and often young offenders from further crime and set them on the right path.

The program, launched in 2010, primarily focuses on people caught smuggling drugs or unauthorized immigrants. The circumstances are unique in each case, but the offenders are typically not tied to organized crime, dont have a significant criminal history, may have drug addiction or mental health issues, lack accountability at home and/or be in desperate need for quick cash.

Participants plead guilty to the charge but are then closely supervised, given treatment, education and work goals and ordered to remain law-abiding. If they succeed, the charge is not entered on their record. If they fail, they get hit with the original charge and go to prison.

Of the roughly 700-plus participants, 90 percent have or are expected to complete the program, and about 80 percent are either employed and/or in school, said Schwartz, the attorney who wrote the pilot program proposal and helped develop it with the court, pretrial services and the U.S. Attorneys Office. The recidivism rate among participants for federal crimes is 3 percent, she said.

Its not soft on crime. Its smart and compassionate, Schwartz said. We have statistics that show it also does something custody alone wont do  it gives clients a chance to change their lives.

When the Sessions memo was released, the U.S. Attorneys Office in San Diego had to determine where the diversion program fit in with the new policy. The result, for now: to not accept any more drug offenders but keep the program open to certain immigrant smugglers.

Schwartz said she is pleased the program is still operational, even if its scope has been limited.

I think the program works because all of the stakeholders have been equally vested in the success, she said.

Similar success stories are echoed by many criminal justice reform advocates who have been working with bipartisan lawmakers in several states.

Research has shown, time and again, that lengthy prison terms for lower-level offenders do not increase public safety, Steve Hawkins, president of the Coalition for Public Safety, and Holly Harris, executive director of the bipartisan U.S. Justice Action Network, said in a joint statement in response to the Sessions memo. Federal prosecutors have a responsibility to enforce the law firmly, but need the flexibility to do so in ways that will best serve their communities and protect public safety.

California especially has been in the midst of a criminal justice system revamp. In 2014 voters passed Proposition 47, making some low-level, nonviolent crimes such as simple drug possession misdemeanors, and in November voters legalized marijuana for personal use.

But thats state policy, and Sessions and the Trump administration can and are taking a different tact.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
A San Diego Superior Court judge ordered two Julian charter schools to close by June 30, but the state Board of Education has intervened and given them a years reprieve.

Judge Donal B. Donnelly ruled in April that the facilities operated by Julian Charter School Alpine Academy and Diego Valley Public Charter violate the states Charter School Act because they dont reside within the boundaries of their overseeing school district.

Diego Valley and Julian Charter have not made any attempts to change their operations to comply, the ruling said. Instead, they advance arguments that the continued operation of their [out-of-district] resource centers is legal.

Advertisement

Julian Union School District was ordered to revoke the charters of both schools, which account for more than 75 percent of the districts total student population. Earlier this month, the California State Board of Education granted a waiver allowing the charters another year to comply with state law.

Jennifer Cauzza, executive director of Julian Charter, said the school will seek authorization from the school districts where its resource centers are located, to keep operating  or will seek authorization from the San Diego County Office of Education.

The Julian Union School District educated fewer than 300 local students from the community in the 2015-16 school year. It gets about 3,000 additional students from throughout the region who attend classes and work with teachers in dozens of storefront schools, operated by independent charters the district authorized.

The arrangement has brought in millions of dollars in charter revenue to a small district, since it receives up to 3 percent of a charter schools revenue to offset the cost of providing oversight and other services.

In the 2014-15 school year, Julian took in $787,887 in revenue from charter schools. The districts total revenue that year was $6.2 million.

Court records show the Julian Charter and Diego Valley set up more than a dozen teaching facilities known as resource centers throughout the county.

Seven of them were located inside the boundaries of San Diego Unified and Grossmont Union school districts, which took legal action starting in October 2015.

San Diego Unifieds general counsel Andra Donovan said the ruling confirmed what school districts have long argued  a school district cannot put a public school inside the boundaries of another district.

According to the state education code, school districts are responsible for serving the students within their boundaries. Among other things, the lawsuit alleged the charters failed to list addresses of operation on their petitions or notify the districts that they were opening in their boundaries as required by law.

Donovan said unauthorized campuses lead to gray areas and gaps in whos responsible.

We appreciate good charter schools, Donovan said. Its the ones that are not being overseen that are a problem for us, and we believe that if they are going to operate in our district, it should be us ensuring they are providing a quality education, not some corporation in northern California.

The ruling centers around a larger issue of whether geographical limitation on charter schools apply to resource centers operated by by nonclassroom-based independent study education.

The satellite charter campuses are billed as independent study resource centers. These locations offered a space for testing, in-person instruction and courses that require equipment, such as science labs and computer training.

School districts have argued that the facilities go unregulated and are a way for charters to poach students and the state attendance funds that go with them.

Charter school advocates said the facilities benefit students being under served by their encompassing district.

You cant serve kids well without some form of a facility, Cauzza said. You can do some things online but you need space, and test scores improve when we opened a resource center.

In January, the state Supreme Court let stand the lower courts ruling that said charters cannot populate their county with branch campuses outside their authorizing district. The decision left charters scrambling for authorization from the districts that have long fought to evict them.

Many, including Julian Charter and Diego Valley, went straight to the state board for waivers, giving them until June 2018 to comply with the law.

The waiver, among other things, requires charters to submit a transition plan to the authorizing district and all districts where resource centers are located by next month.

In a statement, Diego Valley principal Craig Beswick said the school is confident that justice will be served.

Were confident that when the needs of the students who are affected by this are considered  such as at-risk, pregnant teens, foster youth, drop-outs who have aged out of traditional school  the right decision will be made, Beswick said.

Data Watch Videos On Now Data Point: Media Mergers 2:58 On Now Jaywalking infractions in San Diego 1:24 On Now Video: Finding the recipe for the perfect burrito 2:09 On Now Video: Where marijuana is legal in the United States 0:53 On Now Report: Correctional system fails women 1:22 On Now San Diego students have larger classes On Now Hierarchy of cuisine prices On Now Pay phones: Is that still a thing? On Now 2016 border apprehensions On Now STD trends, San Diego County

Contact Lauryn Schroeder via Twitter or Email.
Commencement speaker Veronica Hughes had some words of inspiration to other Miramar College graduates Friday, but first she had a message to three specific people in the audience.

Im going to ask that instead of a traditional address to the graduates, you indulge me as I address my three precious sons: Devone, Terrence and Jacob, said Hughes, 31, a Poway resident.

I was told, many times, that Id never amount to anything, she said, referring to her remarkable journey to overcome adversity, including homelessness.

Advertisement

Hughes is graduating with an associates degree in anthropology and a second degree in visual arts. She plans to attend San Diego State University and may earn bachelors degrees in both fields there, with a plan to someday put both skills to use by working in a museum or the FBI.

Such dreams had been on hold for a few years after she graduated from Vista High in 2003.

I thought I had my whole future planned out, she said. Id graduate by 21, transfer to a university and obtain my BA by 23, have an amazing career by 25, then get married and have kids. Check, check and check.

She enrolled at MiraCosta College at 17, but she spent more and more time taking care of her ailing father, a Vietnam veteran who had been exposed to Agent Orange and for years had been ill with a disease affecting his muscles.

Her father died when she was 20, but Hughes had more responsibilities ahead when she gave birth the following year to Devone, who was diagnosed with autism.

Juggling my education, two jobs at Vista Unified School District and an ice cream parlor, my familys needs, and your needs was almost too much to manage, she said, addressing Devone.

She continued to work while living with Devone and his father, then became pregnant with her second child. Things got desperate when she was unable to pay the rent.

But I never gave up, not even a year later when I found myself homeless, living out of my Nissan Altima in the middle of winter and pregnant with your brother, Terrence, holding you in my lap and wrapping you in every blanket and jacket I had to keep you warm at night, she said.

After two months in the car, she and her children moved into the shelter Solutions for Change, where they stayed for about a year before leaving for Missouri to be near her mothers family.

Just a suggestion: Dont do it, she joked to her fellow graduates about the move. I missed San Diegos sun and surf when I was in the middle of nowhere. All joking aside, Missouri truly was a lovely place, but I would have died for even halfway decent Mexican food.

There were more serious challenges in her new home.

I was never so lost and never so lonely, she said. Devone and Terrence, you probably both dont remember  after all, you were 3 and 2 years old  or maybe you do. Every morning at 5:30 we walked three miles down a country road  rain, shine, or snow  just to take you to day care. Then Id walk the three miles right back to catch the first of my three buses I had to take across town to work.

She moved back to San Diego in 2011, when she had her third son, Jacob, and took a job as a night custodian at Carlsbad High.

I finally felt like our lives were getting back on track, except that they werent because I couldnt get home till midnight, she said. I kissed you while you were already asleep, and saw you long enough to make you breakfast before taking you to school. After school meant more baby sitters until I got home near midnight, and another day of precious few moments with you would start again.

A turning point came when she was hired by the countys Health and Human Service Agencys In-Home Support Services, which provides assistance for qualified people in need. Hughes said she was basically hired to be Devones caretaker, and with better pay and regular hours, she could finally return to school and the dreams she had at 17.

Hughes said there were nights when shed tuck her boys in bed and write papers or work on art projects until dawn, and sometimes shed get discouraged and almost believed the people who said she had screwed her life up too much and would never amount to anything.

But then, she told her children, she would look at them and realize that happiness and fulfillment came not from pursuing the life path she envisioned at 17, but rather from knowing she never succumbed to desperation, fear or the insulting doubts of naysayers.

These are the impetuses that push you forward, she said.  Its also a time to recognize that for so many of us, our successes are more precious because they emerged from rougher, sometimes desperate times that tested our resolve.

Before Fridays ceremony, Hughes said she hadnt planned to be the commencement speaker, but was asked to submit a speech by a dean who read a few paragraphs she wrote about herself in a student survey.

She had the speech written the next day, read it to a board, then looked up to see people crying and realized she probably was going to be this years speaker.

Hughes was one of about 500 graduates at the Miramar College ceremony Friday afternoon, and one of 3,323 earning degrees in the San Diego Community College District, which also is awarding certificates to 7,534 students.

Other coming graduations:

In the San Diego Community College District, Mesa College will hold its graduation ceremony 3 p.m. Saturday in the Jenny Craig Pavilion at the University of San Diego. City College will hold its ceremony at 5 p.m. next Friday at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park

San Diego Continuing Education graduates will participate in a joint ceremony with San Diego Unified School District Adult Education at 5 p.m. June 2 at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.

The San Diego Community College District is awarding a record 11,365 degrees and certificates to graduates this year, an 18 percent increase from last year.

Southwestern College commencement ceremony will be 4 p.m. next Friday at DeVore Stadium.

MiraCosta Colleges ceremony will be 5 p.m. next Friday on the schools Oceanside campus.

Palomar Colleges ceremony will be 5 p.m. next Friday at the schools San Marcos campus.

Grossmont Colleges ceremony will be 5:30 p.m. June 7 on campus, and Cuyamaca Colleges ceremony will be 5:30 p.m. June 8 on campus. Both schools are in the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District.

An earlier version of this story had listed incorrect graduation dates for Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges.

gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939
After two years of work in what must be one of the most unglamorous labs in aerospace, a group of San Diego State University students last week finalized plans to launch what might be one of the largest rockets of its kind ever built by students.

I havent seen any rocket built to this size, SDSU Rocket Project President Ben Beckwith said about their 26-foot project.

Were not quite sure, but well be in the top five, at least, said Christian Engelbrecht, the only graduate student on the project.

Advertisement

The students were scheduled to travel this weekend to a site run by Friends of Amateur Rocketry in the Mojave desert to launch of the Galactic Aztec Heavy rocket, which they expected could reach 25,000 or 30,000 feet.

The team wasnt trying for a record, but they were aiming high. Before making some adjustments to their original design, they had expected their rocket to reach 45,000 feet.

That would have been just high enough to earn first place and $50,000 next year in a contest sponsored by Friends of Amateur Rocketry and the Denver-based Mars Society for liquid-fueled rockets.

Bill Gutman, vice president of aerospace operation at Spaceport America, a commercial launch site in New Mexico, said SDSUs 26-footer likely is the largest liquid-fuel rocket ever built as a student project, not counting a larger one built by student interns for United Launch Alliance, a commercial rocket company.

Students usually dont go that route, Gutman said about the liquid-fuel rocket built by the SDSU team. Its a lot more time-consuming and requires more attention to detail than solid rockets.

As Engelbrecht and Beckwith explained, Galactic Aztec Heavy is propelled by a mixture of kerosene and liquid oxygen, each held in separate tanks and pressurized by helium thats in another tank.

Solid-fuel rockets are more simple, usually requiring only one fuel that burns like gunpowder, and they can go higher because theyre lighter. A team of SDSU Rocket Project students are planning a launch next year that could set a student altitude record for that type of rocket.

Gutman said 30,000 feet for a student-built liquid-fueled rocket could be a record, but theres no way to check because there are so many student launches around the world.

Aside from faculty advisor Carl Tebesco, a part-time lecturer at the school, the Rocket Project is run by students. Over its two-year construction, the rocket cost about $100,000 and was funded through student success fees.

The rocket was built in the Blockhouse, a small cinder-block building near the engineering department thats cold in the winter, hot in the spring and cramped year-round. Half of the Blockhouse is used by students who build race cars.

The team came about almost by accident, Beckwith said. Five students were digging through a basement in the engineering department in 2003 when they found an LR 101 converging diverging nozzle. For non-rocket scientists, thats the metal cone on the bottom, where flames shoot out.

They discovered this engine and they approached him (Tebesco) and said, Hey, theres no organization on campus thats focused on rocketry. Would you be interested in sponsoring us if we got this rocket up and running and be able to do some tests with it? Beckwith said.

The Rocket Project has kept growing over the years, as new students came in and worked on bigger projects. It now has about 20 active members, and 50 or 60 members in all. Their first successful launch was in 2005, and theyve built five rockets.

The previous one, the Galactic Aztec, was launched in 2015 and reached 15,000 feet. To see the launch online, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2bby_6O1j8.

Beckwith said the new rocket incorporated a new design not on any of the previous ones, including whats known as a thrust vector, which allows the trajectory to be corrected.

The rocket also will be the last one to use an old LR 101, which were used on Atlas rockets and havent been manufactured since the 1960s.

The last ones used by the team cost about $2,000 and were bought at a Hollywood shop that uses them for movie props.

Next, SDSU Rocket Project students on Team Icarus are planning to launch a smaller solid-fuel rocket next year.

On March 18, the team went to the desert to do a static test of a solid-fuel rocket, meaning it was fired but not launched. The test measured just under 1,000 pounds of trust.

Pedro Escobar, public relations lead for Team Icarus, said that could be enough to break the 144,000-foot altitude record for student-built solid-fuel rockets set by a USC team last March.

But honestly, thats not our goal, Escobar said. Were just trying to build cool stuff.

To see video of the static test, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbsBYJ8h9-M.

gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939
As schools across San Diego prepare to administer state standardized tests, new efforts are under way to curb what some say is excessive use of student assessments.

Teachers at campuses throughout the San Diego Unified School District distributed leaflets to parents on Wednesday outlining their legal right to opt out of state standardized tests. On the same day, Superintendent Cindy Marten announced plans to scale back testing mandates in the district.

Students come to school to learn, not to take tests, Marten said. Testing takes up valuable time that could be used to teach and learn.

Advertisement

Beginning in the fall, San Diego Unified will stop collecting data from schools on two tests  a diagnostic reading assessment that helps teachers gauge a students literacy level, and interim tests administered in advance of state standardized exams to determine readiness.

It will be up to schools whether or not to continue using the tests.

We want test scores to be used as a flashlight not a hammer, Marten said. When the data goes to the district, the tests become high-stakes tests that create unnecessary stress for teachers.

San Diego Unified has no plans to scale back state standardized tests required by the federal government. Still, the district has been clear about its opposition to the exams that are designed to measure how well students grasp new Common Core academic standards.

At the start of the last spring testing window, Marten sent a letter parents that all but apologized for the tests. In February of last year, the San Diego school board adopted a resolution calling on Congress and the Obama administration to eliminate federally mandated testing requirements for third- through ninth-graders.

The average student in U.S. public school is subjected to 112 required tests from pre-kindergarten through high school, according to a recent study from the Council of the Great City Schools. Researchers found some of the tests overlap, and that theres no evidence that adding test time improves academic performance.

However, civil-rights advocates and some education groups have argued that standardized testing is crucial to public education because it holds schools accountable for the academic performance of disadvantaged student groups. They worry that the anti-testing movement will go too far.

A USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll last year showed that a majority of Latino voters, 55 percent, said mandatory exams improve public education in California by measuring academic progress and informing teachers of their students performance. The survey revealed a racial divide on the issue. Results showed the same percentage of white voters said standardized exams are harmful.

Lindsay Burningham, who represents more than 6,000 teachers as president of the San Diego Education Association, said educators in the classroom know how to best assess their students.

Educators across the district have expressed concern about the relevance and accuracy of so many tests, she said. Testing and test preparation and test analysis takes up a lot of classroom time.

San Diego Unifieds decision to curb its testing practices was informed by a teachers union survey of teachers in January that found 90 percent of them believed students are being harmed from overuse of standardized tests, Marten said.

The San Diego teachers union has joined a national movement to scale back testing. The Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools works to notify parents of their legal right to opt students out of high-stakes standardized testing.

A survey released last year by the Public Policy Institute of California found that parents have mixed views on the amount of testing their children endure. Although 20 percent of parents surveyed said there is too much testing in schools, 45 percent said theres the right amount, and 31 percent said there isnt enough testing in schools.
A brush fire burned near Interstate 5 in the Bay Ho area, causing the Clairemont Drive on-ramp to be closed Saturday afternoon.

The blaze was reported about 3:25 p.m. near Grand and Garnet avenues. It was mostly under control about half an hour later, San Diego fire officials said.

Within about 15 minutes, the fire had burned an estimated 100-foot stretch of deep brush.

Advertisement

Fire crews hosed down the flames from along northbound freeway lanes and off Morena Boulevard. The sight of smoke and flames had freeway traffic slowed to a crawl in both directions.

Lanes were opened by about 5 p.m., but traffic remained heavy for a time.
Who is the most unfairly investigated U.S. politician of all time?

According to President Trump, he is.

In response to the news that a former FBI director, Robert S. Mueller III, has been appointed to investigate Russias role in the 2016 presidential election, Trump made the declaration Thursday on Twitter:

Advertisement

This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!

For another opinion, we decided to ask 10 historians and political scientists.

They disagreed with the president, starting with his characterization of the investigation as a witch hunt. Several thought there are enough signs that Russia interfered with the election to justify a thorough look.

Moreover, the academics said there are plenty of truly frivolous political investigations and ginned-up controversies.

First, though, a word about an actual witch hunt: the 1692 Salem witch trials, which focused on allegations of witchcraft  including the use of magic to torture villagers  and ended with the executions of 20 men and women.

An often-invoked modern parallel is the campaign by U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee to expose communists in the 1940s and 1950s.

Yet that effort for the most part did not target elected politicians.

Political witch hunts in the U.S. date back to the early days of the republic, the experts said.

Jacksonians attacked [President] John Quincy Adams for buying a billiard table, saying that he was using the peoples money to purchase a gambling device, Mark Cheathem, a professor of history at Cumberland University, wrote in an email.

As one of Adams critics charged in 1826: When we find the fathers and matrons of our country engaged in persuading young men from practices which lead to destruction, we greatly fear that the too frequent answer will be, Why, the President plays billiards!

Less than two decades later, Whigs attacked [President] Martin Van Buren for acting like a dandy, spending an exorbitant amount of money to refurbish the White House, and landscaping the White House grounds in the shape of an Amazons bosom, Cheathem said.

Thats not a joke. Rep. Charles Ogle of Pennsylvania alleged in a pamphlet that Van Burens clever sized hills appeared designed to resemble and assume the form of AN AMAZON BOSOM, with a miniature knoll or hillock at its apex, to denote the nipple.

Then there was President Andrew Johnson, who opposed Reconstruction programs aimed at supporting African Americans after the Civil War ended in 1865. Johnson was impeached and almost convicted by Congress for very good policy and moral reasons, but on nakedly political charges, Jeffrey Pasley, a history professor at the University of Missouri, wrote in an email.

But in conversations with academics, one politician emerged above all others as the most unfairly targeted.

As to unfair investigations, [historians] would point to the Republican attacks on Bill Clinton in the 1990s, said Robert A. Goldberg, a professor of history at the University of Utah.

I think most investigations of presidents have not been witch hunts, though some would say Bill Clinton is the victim of that, Julian E. Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, wrote in an email. Meaning endless investigations into whatever people could find with the purpose of just getting him.

1 / 1 32nd president, elected to four straight terms, died in office, former New York governor, Democratic Party. Biggest controversies: Japanese internment, lack of response to Holocaust Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which sent 120,000 Japanese-Americans and Japanese expatriates to internment camps shortly after Japans attack on Pearl Harbor. An eventual commission during the Carter administration found little evidence of Japanese-American disloyalty and determined the internment was due to racism. The Holocaust also occurred entirely during FDRs tenure, and he has in subsequent years been criticized over his failure to aid European Jews, as many historians argue his administration knew Nazis were systematically killing them. Another instance critics point to is the 1939 incident involving more than 900 Jewish refugees aboard the MS St. Louis who were denied asylum and not allowed into the U.S. Historians estimate roughly a quarter of those refugees later died in Nazi death camps during WWII. (National Archives / Getty Images)

[It] began with business dealings in Whitewater and after years and millions of dollars wound up with Monica Lewinsky, said Cornell W. Clayton, a professor of government and public policy at Washington State University.

Lewinsky was the White House intern with whom Clinton had an affair. Whitewater was the name of a real estate company with questionable practices that had included Bill and Hillary Clinton as investors. While more than a dozen people were convicted in the real estate inquiry, the president was absolved.

Congress impeached President Clinton on charges of obstruction and lying about having the affair, but then acquitted him.

Many conservatives supported the investigation into the Clintons and still view the couple with deep suspicion. The broader public came to view independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr critically. One Gallup poll showed 53% of respondents said Starr was acting like a persecutor compared to 39% who said he was acting more like a prosecutor.

As for Trump, one political scientist, Alison Dagnes of Shippensburg University, said he was part of a witch hunt  one that Trump himself led.

The biggest real witch hunt of this century was perpetuated by none other than Donald Trump himself  the witch hunt of President Obama being born in Kenya, Dagnes said.

Trump perpetuated the myth that Obamas birth certificate from Hawaii was fake, fueling a conspiracy that lives on despite Trumps acknowledgment last year that he was wrong.

If theres ever been a witch hunt, theres that, Dagnes said.

matt.pearce@latimes.com

@mattdpearce
President Trump told a pair of Russian envoys that his abrupt decision to fire FBI Director James B. Comey  whom he described as crazy, a real nut job  had relieved great pressure on him because of the Russia investigation, according to a published report.

Adding to Trumps cascading legal and political woes, the FBI investigation reached directly into the White House for the first time Friday with a separate report that an unnamed Trump aide is under federal scrutiny as a person of significant interest.

The White House did not dispute either account, which created a new furor just as Trump was taking off from Andrews Air Force Base on his first official trip overseas, a nine-day visit to five countries in the Middle East and Europe.

Advertisement

Until now, the FBI probe was only known to be focused on whether members of Trumps campaign or other associates had colluded with Russian intelligence to interfere with the 2016 presidential race.

The designation of a person of interest does not signal that criminal charges are imminent, or even likely, for one of Trumps aides. But it does suggest the inquiry has moved into a new phase, one potentially far more damaging for the president since it now appears in his direct orbit.

The investigation, which began last July, clearly is accelerating. A federal grand jury in Virginia has issued subpoenas and the FBI is conducting interviews. On Wednesday, the Justice Department formally handed off the investigation to a special counsel, former FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III, to ensure its independence from White House pressure.

Comey agreed Friday to testify in public to the Senate Intelligence Committee after the Memorial Day holiday, according to a statement from the committee. He has told associates that he kept detailed memos of his conversations with Trump, including one in which he said the president told him to let go of an investigation.

Three other congressional panels  the House Intelligence Committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight Committee  are conducting separate inquiries. Former CIA Director John Brennan is scheduled to testify Tuesday to the House Intelligence Committee.

The latest two accounts were first reported by the Washington Post and the New York Times.

The timing underscored that Trump will get no respite from the growing swirl of scandals he faces in Washington even as he meets dozens of heads of state in elaborate ceremonies and attends high-powered summits abroad.

Trump has repeatedly vented his frustration with the FBI investigation, denouncing it on Twitter this week as the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!

The investigations are creating more political hurdles for Republican lawmakers, who fear the Trump tumult will torpedo their legislative agenda.

The Washington Post story did not identify who in the White House the FBI now considers a person of interest, although it said the individual is someone close to the president.

In a statement, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer did not confirm or deny that a White House aide had been caught up in the FBI inquiry.

As the President has stated before  a thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity, Spicer said.

The Justice Department declined to comment. As a matter of policy, we dont comment on the existence or nonexistence of investigations or targets of investigations, said spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores.

The New York Times cast a new light on Trumps firing of Comey last week, a dismissal that sparked political turmoil when the White House issued a series of conflicting reasons.

The Times has read what was described as the official White House memo chronicling Trumps meeting with Russias foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, and its ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak, in the Oval Office on May 10, the day after Comey was fired.

I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job, Trump told them, according to the Times. I faced great pressure because of Russia. Thats taken off.

That statement would appear to constitute Trumps most direct admission that he fired the FBI director in an attempt to affect the investigation.

The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, called the reported conversation extremely troubling. He asked Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) to subpoena the White House memo.

Some Republicans seemed equally astonished.

Assuming its in context and assuming its accurate, it is a reckless thing for a president to say, particularly to Russian officials, said Ari Fleischer, who routinely sat in on meetings with foreign dignitaries while serving as President George W. Bushs press secretary.

Did he really think dismissing Comey would get rid of the investigation? Fleischer asked. One, it doesnt work like that. And two, it would be more than reckless if the president thought it worked like that, and thats why he did it.

Notes from Oval Office meetings and phone calls with foreign leaders are often written down by an aide in what are called MEMCONs, or memorandums of conversations. These are distributed over a classified computer system to senior officials or Cabinet members on a need-to-know basis. The memos can include quotes from the conversation.

Michael Allen, a former senior director on the National Security Council in the George W. Bush White House, said that transcripts of meetings with foreign leaders usually are treated like the crown jewels.

This is an extraordinary release of what are intended to be private conversations, Allen said.

In a statement Friday, Spicer did not deny the substance of the New York Times story. Instead, he suggested that Trumps comment about easing great pressure on him referred to his ability to improve relations with Russia.

The President has always emphasized the importance of making deals with Russia as it relates to Syria, Ukraine, defeating [Islamic State] and other key issues for the benefit and safety of the American people, Spicer said.

Comeys grandstanding and politicizing the investigation had created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia, Spicer said.

He added, Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations.

The White House initially said Trump fired Comey because of a recommendation by Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general.

Trump later told NBC News that he would have fired Comey regardless of a Justice Department recommendation and that he had the Russia thing on his mind when he made the decision.

Trump has said repeatedly that he is not personally under investigation. He repeated that to reporters Thursday, but left room for the possibility with other members of his administration or his campaign.

Theres no collusion between, certainly, myself and my campaign  but I can always speak for myself  and the Russians  zero, he said. He appeared to mean that he could only speak for himself.

The developments came as Rosenstein spent his second consecutive day on Capitol Hill delivering an extraordinary briefing for all House members on his decision to name a special counsel to take over the Russia inquiry.

Rosenstein told lawmakers that he knew Trump wanted to fire Comey before he wrote a memo to the president outlining his own concerns over Comeys performance. The White House initially cited that memo as the reason Trump fired the FBI director.

I wrote it. I believe it. I stand by it, Rosenstein told lawmakers, according to text of his opening statement released publicly.

Rosenstein also disputed reports that Comey had asked for more staff and funding for the FBI investigation. I am not aware of any such request, he said.

The hourlong session captivated lawmakers, who packed the session, as senators did for Thursdays all-Senate briefing.

Muellers appointment as special counsel has been widely praised by lawmakers in both parties, and many hope the investigation will begin to bring some answers to the chaos that has upended Trumps White House.

Applause erupted when Rosenstein told lawmakers that his intent in naming Mueller was to restore Americans confidence in the political process.

For the first time, theres this willingness on this particular issue to jointly push back and to show a level of independence, said Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough), a member of the House Intelligence Committee.

This will not be a partisan activity, said Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista). There was great consensus that going after the Russians for interference with our election is a nonpartisan or bipartisan issue. This is about public confidence.

Even Republican lawmakers who stand by the president seemed satisfied that Mueller would bring some stability to the questions circling the White House and the GOP.

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) sides with Trumps claim that the investigations are a witch hunt, but hopes Muellers inquiry can bring some answers. Rosensteins briefing, he said, was reassuring.

Times staff writers Brian Bennett and Joseph Tanfani contributed to this report.

noah.bierman@latimes.com

@Noahbierman

lisa.mascaro@latimes.com

@LisaMascaro

ALSO

Trump wants a border wall, but few in Congress want to pay for it

Trumps election has mobilized a resistance like no other, but will Democrats answer to the tea party divide the ranks?

With a push from Trump, House Republicans pass Obamacare overhaul

More coverage of Congress

More coverage of politics and the White House

UPDATES:

4:50 p.m.: This story has been updated with the latest developments, including Comey agreeing to testify.

This story was originally published at 2:15 p.m.
By Press Trust of India: From Aditi Khanna

London, May 20 (PTI) New and stricter packaging rules have come into force in the United Kingdom today according to which cigarettes and tobacco must be sold in plain green packets and carry prominent and graphic health warnings.

The rules, a fresh bid to put people off smoking, also end the sale of smaller packets of 10 cigarettes.

advertisement

The greenish-brown colour for packaging has been described by some experts as "the ugliest colour in the world".

Similar restrictions will apply to e-cigarettes and packets of rolling tobacco too.

There will also be a ban on flavoured cigarettes and tobacco.

The UK-wide move is believed to lead to 300,000 fewer smokers in the UK over the next year, a review has suggested.

The Cochrane Review team, led by researchers from London and Oxford, estimated that the number of people who smoked in the UK could go down by 0.5 per cent by May 2018, although they said the current evidence was limited.

The findings were backed up by a report from the Australian government, which showed a similar drop in smoking prevalence - 0.55 per cent - following the introduction of plain packaging there in 2012. PTI AK ABH

--- ENDS ---
There is no question that the 2016 presidential election reinvigorated the passion of Californians to do their civic duty and vote. Last year, we saw the highest voter registration and participation in almost a decade.

Still, there are some legislators who feel California was shortchanged and could have had a bigger impact if we held our primary election three months earlier, in March. They argue that by holding an earlier primary, candidates would campaign in our state more often and be more responsive to the needs and desires of Californians.

In reality, moving our primary election earlier will do little to attract candidates to our state and could actually reduce our impact in the campaign.

Advertisement

Related: Californias primary needs to move to prime time

History has shown that an earlier election will not have a dramatic effect on how candidates campaign during the primaries. The high cost of campaigning in California will always act as a detriment to candidates visiting the state.

Moving up our states primary is not a new idea. From 1996 to 2004, our presidential primaries were held in March. Those elections are great examples of what would happen if we moved our primary earlier once again. For the most part, each partys nominee had been identified by the time our primary rolled around.

The few candidates who hadnt secured their partys nomination spent their time and money in other states where it was cheaper and easier to campaign. This resulted in low voter turnout, since there wasnt much to motivate California voters to get to the polls.

If we move our primary, there is nothing stopping other states from moving theirs, resulting in a race to the bottom. The last time we had a March primary, there were still roughly 20 states ahead of us. It was easier for candidates to campaign in those states because they could focus more on a grass roots effort instead of expensive TV advertisements to broadcast throughout California.

The influence California hoped to achieve was negated. We may see the same thing happen again if we move our elections to an earlier date.

We should keep our primary in June and give Californians the final word on who they want to represent them and their nation.  Matthew Harper

This proposal also bets Californias influence on the primary being decided early. During the 2016 election, thanks to Californias late primary, our state could have had a huge impact if the race was still undecided when our election came around.

On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders actually gained around 5 to 10 points in the polls between March and the June primary. Had our primary been in March, Sen. Sanders wouldnt have had the opportunity to gain that momentum.

An earlier primary would also create an entrenched political class of local officials. Under the current system, challengers have until June to raise money, get to know voters and build a campaign. By cutting three months out of the election season, rather than improve our democracy, the primary change would hurt it. It takes time to launch a campaign, and a short primary season would give local elected officials a leg up.

The quick timeline would help incumbents easily win re-election, thanks to the difficulty a challenger would have raising money and building a campaign infrastructure in such a short time frame.

The earlier primary date would also mean that deadlines to file paperwork to run for office would occur in December. The holiday season is traditionally a slow time in the campaign world, as voters turn their attention away from elections and toward spending time with their families.

Being forced to campaign over the holidays will effectively make a short election season even shorter. How ironic that candidates would now be forced to launch their campaigns during the holiday season, considering the Assemblys recent debate over retail stores that open on Thanksgiving.

We have tried moving the California primary to March before, for the same reasons that are being advocated today. The problem is that it didnt work. If we want to continue to increase voter participation, we need to focus our attention on things that will actually make a difference: improving voter engagement, expanding civic education, and protecting the integrity of our elections.

We should keep our primary in June and give Californians the final word on who they want to represent them and their nation.

Harper, R-Huntington Beach, represents the 74th Assembly District.
Another graduation address by a Trump administration official, another protest.

Less than two weeks after students turned a commencement speech by Trump's education secretary into a controversial appearance, graduating seniors at Indianas University of Notre Dame on Friday were planning to stage a walkout protest during the commencement address by Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday.

The reason?

Protest organizers say that while he was Indianas governor, and now as vice president, Pence has targeted the civil rights protections of members of LBGT+ community, rejected the Syrian refugee resettlement program, supported an unconstitutional ban of religious minorities, and fought against sanctuary cities.

The protest groups Twitter account, @WeStandForND, encouraged students to stand up and walk out once Mike Pence starts to speak and to respectfully and quietly exit the stadium.

At least two Facebook event pages for the protest showed close to 400 people as going and more than 1,400 people as interested, but organizers told ThinkProgress that 50 to 100 people could walk out on Sunday. The Twitter hashtag #WalkOutND was also being shared.

Pence is hardly the first elected official to face a protest at a university commencement, and he is not the first member of President Donald Trumps cabinet to face a tough crowd.

Most recently, students at Bethune-Cookman University, a historically black university, on May 10 booed and turned their back on Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos when she spoke at their graduation ceremony. The incident was caught on video and widely shared on social media.

To some, the graduation protest was deemed bold and courageous. To others, it was considered a disrespectful publicity stunt.

Related: Why Betsy DeVos was booed, heckled at black college commencement

Likewise, critics of the planned Notre Dame graduation protest argued that participating it was evidence of students being weak, unprepared for the real world and tools of the liberal teaching at universities across America.

Commencement protests are nothing new, and in this divided nation, people will debate whether the merits or methods of protest are sound. If the protests go as planned with students quietly leaving their seats on Sunday, it will be a contrast to the protest of DeVos at Bethune-Cookman, which was loud and ruckus.

Do you think that the Notre Dame students should protest?

Have some thoughts to share?

Join me in a conversation: Shoot me a private email with your thoughts or ideas on a different approach to this story. As always, you can also send us a tweet.

Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @RunGomez

Read The Conversation on Flipboard.
Women have helped build some of the biggest companies in America, and they have the bank accounts to show for it. A look at some of the nations female self-made billionaires on this years Forbes 400 list:

Jin Sook Chang, net worth $4.5 billion

Immigrating from South Korea in 1981, Jin Sook and husband Do Won created the Forever 21 clothing chain, which now spans nearly 500 stores. The couple is No. 79 on this years Forbes 400 list of richest Americans.

Advertisement

Gayle Cook, 78, net worth $3.7 billion, No. 104

Gayle Cook and her late husband, William, created the medical device company Cook Group in Indiana in 1963. Gayle continues to serve on the board.

Doris Fisher, 81, net worth $2.9 billion, No. 142

Doris Fisher and her late husband Donald founded the Gap in San Francisco in 1969. Gap Inc. has grown to include Banana Republic and Old Navy brands, among others, and operates over 3,000 stores across the world.

Diane Hendricks, 65, net worth $2.9 billion, No. 142

Diane Hendricks is chairman and co-founder, with late husband Kenneth, of Wisconsin-based ABC Supply, the largest roofing, window and siding wholesale distributor in the country.

Michael & Marian Ilitch, net worth $2.7 billion, No. 151

Marian Ilitch and husband Michael opened a pizza shop in 1959 and grew it into the Little Caesars Pizza chain.

Oprah Winfrey, 58, net worth $2.7 billion, No. 151

The nations only African-American billionaire, Oprah Winfrey came from meager beginnings to build a television empire with massive influence on what people around the globe read, eat and think.

Stewart & Lynda Resnick, net worth $2.2 billion, No. 218

Lynda and Stewart Resnick own POM Wonderful, Fiji Water, the flower delivery service Teleflora and some of the nations largest nut and citrus farms.

Andrew & Peggy Cherng, net worth $2 billion, No. 239

Andrew & Peggy Cherng came from China in 1966 and together founded the Panda Express restaurant chain, growing it into a $1.6 billion business that operates 1,500 locations.

Judy Faulkner, 68, net worth $1.7 billion, No. 285

In 1979, Judy Faulkner founded electronic health records company Epic Systems, which will be used by over 40 percent of the U.S. population by next year.

Meg Whitman, 56, net worth $1.7 billion, No. 285

Meg Whitman made her fortune as CEO of online marketplace eBay Inc. After a failed bid for California governor, the tech exec has taken on the challenge of turning around Hewlett-Packard.

Johnelle Hunt, 80, net worth $1.6 billion, No. 298

With late husband Johnnie, Johnelle Hunt founded J.B. Hunt Transport Services in 1969 and grew the company into one of the largest truckers in the nation.

Elaine Wynn, 69, net worth $1.4 billion, No. 328

With now-ex-husband Steve, Elaine Wynn founded a casino empire that included The Mirage, Bellagio, Wynn and Encore resorts, among others.

-----

Information from: Forbes Magazines Forbes 400 list

Online: https://www.forbes.com/forbes-400/list/
Advertisement

Longing for a bigger closet?

Remember that rooms in your home dont have to be used the way they were originally intended. Get creative and convert a small room into the ultimate walk-in closet, says Egypt Sherrod, host of HGTVs Flipping Virgins and Property Virgins.

Homes built before the 80s just didnt have the room size that todays buyers have become used to, or the walk-in closets weve been trained to expect, she says.

Giving up a room can be a big decision. The trick is doing it on a minimal budget and retaining the flexibility to use the room differently in the future, says Kevin OConnor, host of PBS This Old House.

___

CHOOSING THE SPACE

Ideally, use the bedroom closest to the master bedroom, says Sherrod: That way you have the option of opening up the wall to go directly in.

Creating a doorway in a wall is relatively minor construction and can easily be undone, experts say.

___

DIY CREATIVITY

The simplest way to convert a small room is by lining the walls with clothing racks on wheels and with free-standing wire shelving units. You can customize the space by adding colorful bins and baskets.

Or you can create shelving that expresses your personal style. For a recent This Old House episode, OConnor worked with a homeowner to build closet storage out of black metal pipes with wooden shelves. The industrial look brought a dose of style to the space, and the unit was sturdy.

The few places they anchor to the wall give you nice rigidity, OConnor says, but the shelves also are easily removable.

Another DIY project: To fill the center of a room that Sherrod converted to a closet, she brought in two large bureaus of the same height and arranged them back-to-back. She had a sheet of granite cut to cover the tops, creating a work island that combines storage and a flat surface for arranging accessories or stacking folded laundry.

Interior designer Mikel Welch, previously a competitor on HGTV Design Stars, says another option is bringing in a pretty table for the center of the room.

For those who like to lay out their attire to help them choose their outfit for the day, a table would be perfect, he says. And for changing or trying things on, having a snazzy upholstered bench or chaise in the space will certainly come in handy.

The finishing touch: Prop up a framed, full-length mirror on one wall.

Its sort of a boutique hotel look, OConnor says, and easy to remove if you repurpose the room.

___

CONSIDER A SYSTEM

For a finished look with no DIY effort, there are many closet systems that offer a mix of hanging space and shelves. Some are free-standing and others are anchored to the walls.

The more permanent systems are made to look like built-ins, Welch says, and are a great way to maximize the space with a more customized look. He recommends California Closets and Poliform for portable closets and wardrobe units. He also likes the Italian brand Porro Storage: They put a chic spin on a typical storage unit, he says.

Additional pieces worth considering: A great planning tool is a valet rod, which is a pullout rod that you can lay out your outfit for the next day on or use for staging for a trip, says Sarah Fishburne, director of trend and design at Home Depot. I use mine all the time.

If you have enough space, she suggests adding jewelry trays and racks designed for belts and ties: Some spin, and some you can slide out with plenty of space, she says.

___

BONUSES AND OBSTACLES

A bedroom repurposed as a closet has ventilation and natural light thats lacking in many closets. For people who care about getting the tie to match the jacket, OConnor says, theres nothing better than natural light.

For the best possible lighting, Fishburne suggests adding dimmers to a walk-in closet and choosing lightbulbs carefully (she likes LED daylight bulbs).

One challenge: Closet doors are designed to swing out, but bedroom doors generally swing into the room. So the door to your new walk-in closet will swing in unless you decide to remove it. Adding sliding pocket doors can be expensive, OConnor says, but theyre a nice luxury to finish off your ultimate walk-in closet.
A large part of Tamil Nadu's revenue comes from TASMAC stores - state-run liquor stores. An activist has blamed distilleries linked to political parties for Tamil Nadu's becoming a "state of drunkards," which creates "orphans" and "widows."

By Akshaya Nath: They seethed with anger, and threw every single bottle of alcohol on the shelves. It happened not just in one liquor store, but in shops across the state. Men and women of all age groups came together, united by a common aim: shutting down Tamil Nadu's state-run liquor stores, or TASMAC (Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation) shops.

The uncertainty created by the evolving state of political turmoil in Tamil Nadu has provoked fear and dissatisfaction, and caused people to take the law into their hands. In the case of TASMAC stores, too, the situation isn't any any different.

advertisement

In the run-up to the 2016 Assembly elections, most political parties had promised to enforce prohibition.

Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami's AIADMK government - then led by the late J Jayalalithaa - also pledged to enact a liquor ban. But it has only closed 1,000 of the 6,300 TASMAC outlets in the state.

'STATE OF DRUNKARDS'

"17 per cent of the entire country's liquor sales happen in Tamil Nadu. 17 per cent - that is huge. The same way how Punjab is dealing with drug problems, we are dealing with this. Alcohol is a huge issue here. That is why women and even children are coming out and fighting against the TASMAC mess, and that's why people are coming out and fighting for the farmers," said Arappor Iyakkam activist Chandra Mohan.

"But of course, the government doesn't want all of this to happen. So they clamp down and there is absolutely no freedom of expression here...we are completely being oppressed by the state government, by a slave force called (the) police," he added.

He said Tamil Nadu was a "state of drunkards," which creates "orphans" and "widows," and blamed distilleries owned by people in political parties (the Sasikala-owned Midas distilleries) or people close to political outfits (SNJ distilleries) for this state of affairs.

"So the social and economic impact of that is unbelievable...We are losing so many lives...we are running this government based on this blood money...that thought needs to sink into our heads," he said.

AIADMK GOVT RELUCTANT TO ENFORCE PROHIBITION

One of TASMAC's biggest suppliers is MIDAS distilleries, owned by AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala through her Hot Wheels Engineering Pvt Ltd.

The co-owners of the distillery are Sasikala's sister-in-law J Illavarasi and Sri Jaya Finance and Investments Pvt Ltd. 90 per cent of the organization's shares are in Ilavarasi's name.

It's also interesting to note that MIDAS's taxable turnover increased from May 2011, soon after the AIADMK came to power.

According to reports, the 2010-11 taxable turnover was Rs 360 crore, and it rose to Rs 857 crore in 2011-12. It increased again to Rs 1,077 crore in 2012-2013.

"The AIADMK government is the one which is very reluctant to enforce prohibition. If you look at 2016 poll manifesto(s), the DMK batted for total prohibition irrespective of who owns what, and we all know that the main source of the TASMAC is from MIDAS and the turnover for MIDAS in 2011 was Rs 360 crore. Now it has come to around Rs 2,700 crore in 2016," a DMK spokesperson said.

advertisement

The spokesperson added that if the DMK comes to power again, it "will look at prohibition," one of the party's "main promises in 2016."DMK AND TASMAC

But the DMK, too, has its share of allies in the business of supplying state-run liquor outlets.

Between 2006 and 2011, when the DMK was in power, two companies close to the party were given licenses.

A large share of Elite Distilleries Private Limited is owned by J Hotel's Private Limited (44.38 per cent).

J Hotel's Pvt limited was owned by DMK MP S Jagathrakshakan and his wife till 2008, and later, the shares were transferred to their son J Sandeep.

Elite Distilleries, which started with zero revenue in 2007-08, had a revenue of Rs 712 crore in 2011-12. After the AIADMK came to power, it saw a sharp decrease in revenue: it earned just Rs 466 crore in 2012-2013.

advertisement

Similarly, SNJ distilleries Private Limited, owned by SN Jayamurugan and his wife J Geetha, was given a license in 2008. It's worth noting that Jayamurugan had produced two films on the scripts penned by DMK chief M Karunanidhi.

T.N 'IN FOR SERIOUS ECONOMIC CRISIS'

"See, it's not like the people of TN are the major consumers of alcohol. They are made to consume alcohol. A TASMAC shop is opened every 500 meters within the city limit. People are made to drink, that is because most of the ruling party leaders and major opposition leaders of Tamil Nadu have a stake in - and supply - to TASMAC. They have distilleries which supply to TASMAC, so that is the major reason why these politicians are very reluctant to bring about complete prohibition of alcohol in the state," Arappor Iyakkam activist Nakeeran said.

While the people of Tamil Nadu have been protesting against TASMAC in the state, it's a bitter truth that a large part of the state's revenue comes from TASMAC.

In nine years, TASMAC's revenue has increased from Rs 3,639 crore to Rs 21,680 crore.

"While talking about prohibition, two things need to be kept in mind. One is continuing Jayalalitha's pet schemes like Amma Canteen and other things. The second is revenue generation after the Supreme Court order," said political analyst R Mani.

advertisement

"The projection for the Tamil Nadu government earnings through liquor for the year 2016-17 was Rs 26,000 crore, which they achieved, and for 2017-18 - which is the current fiscal (year) - the target is Rs 30,000 crore from liquor sales. This has now taken a huge hit after the SC's order. The public anger is against the liquor shops across the state because (the) Jayalalithaa government opened liquor shops even in civilian areas. So on one hand, you have to continue Jayalalitha's pet schemes, and on the other hand...there is a need to sustain the revenue (if it can't be improved)," said political analyst R Mani.

The people's protest has ensured that out of the 840 TASMAC outlets in the Coimbatore region, 536 have been closed and only around 38 were relocated.

Hundreds of closed shops in Erode, Salem, and Namakkal haven't been relocated due to opposition from the public.

Analysts see a cause for concern in this resistance.

"Revenue has taken a very big hit. GST is going to be a road block very soon. So the government's financial position is also in a very bad state. I think Tamil Nadu is in for a serious economic crisis and also a political crisis," R Mani said.

ALSO READ | Tamil Nadu: Women vandalize TASMAC liquor shop near Karur-Trichy highway

ALSO READ | Moving towards prohibition? Madras High Court orders closure of 10 ready-to-open TASMAC shops

ALSO WATCH | Madras HC stops opening of 10 TASMAC shops. Is Tamil Nadu inching towards prohibition?

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: journey

Dehradun, May 20 (PTI) Of the around 2,000 people stranded after a landslide in Uttarakhands Chamoli district, 800 have resumed their onward journey and work is on to clear the debris, officials said today.

The Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway was closed near Vishnuprayag, one of the five confluences of Alaknanda river, between Joshimath (also known as Jyotirmath) and Badrinath, the famous pilgrim spot in the hill state.

advertisement

Huge boulders had rolled down the Hathi Pahar mountain yesterday afternoon blocking the highway.

Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has directed the Secretary of Disaster Management Department, Amit Negi, to monitor the situation.

Chamoli District Magistrate Ashish Joshi said that around 2,000 people were affected due to the landslide and of them 800 have been resumed their onward journey.

As of now, 1,200 people are still stranded at different places in Vishnuprayag, Pandukeshwar and Govindghat.

An official said that arrangements for food and lodging have been made for the stranded people.

Border Roads Organisation (BRO) personnel have been working on a war footing to clear the debris since yesterday afternoon, and according to senior officials the highway will be reopened for traffic soon.

Meanwhile, Joshi said the media reports claiming that around 15,000 people are stranded due to the landslide are "absolutely wrong".

"Only 2,000 people have been affected," he asserted. PTI DPT NSD

--- ENDS ---
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/19/2017 -- In the current scenario, the global FPSO industry is witnessing a sharp rise in revenue as the new acquisitions is on the rise. To look into this factor, a fresh study has been added into the vast online repository of Market Research Hub (MRH) and is titled ''Q1 2017 Global FPSO Industry Outlook: Surge in Planned FPSO Delays''. The report presents a professional analysis of the industry by studying major factors that affect the market such as the current acquisitions, market outlook, active regions and market participants during the forecast period till 2021.



Request Free Sample Report : http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1068062



The report starts by evaluating the sectors in terms of the industry outlook, classification, and applications. Then, the study introspects the key highlights, new project announcements and new project cancellations. Similarly, the information about the postponed projects, and stalled projects give the crucial data to help improve the business production.



Another important facet of the report is the evaluation of the geographical expanse of the FPSO market. Some of the active regions that are analyzed in this study are South America, North America, Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa. As per the report, among active countries Brazil is at the top, followed by Angola and The U.K. in the FPSO (floating production storage and offloading) sector. The synopsis also provides information about 54 FPSOs that are predicted to begin global operations during the next four years. . The report also explains the reason behind the expected growth in South America region, which is estimated for major growth with planned deployment of almost 23 FPSOs, preceded by Africa and Europe in the year 2021.



Additionally, the report provides the snapshot of the competitive landscape of this industry through the analysis of the leading manufacturers who are creating maximum profits. Some of the successful companies evaluated in this study are Petrleo Brasileiro S.A., Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Cobalt International Energy Inc. These companies are expected to remain the key global players within operators having the biggest deployment among the planned FPSOs in the year 2021.



Browse Full Report with TOC - http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/q1-2017-global-fpso-industry-outlook-surge-in-planned-fpso-delays-report.html



Finally, the report offers significant knowledge about the sector such as the number of FPSOs that were brought online by the active regions in the world from 2010 to 2017, as well as the estimation of the market outlook till the year 2025. Moreover, the synopsis also foretells the number of FPSOs that shall be brought online during the year 2021 by the active operators and countries. In the end, it also gives details of the biggest FPSOs planned globally for the forecast period till 2021; alongside the present contracts, tenders and developments of FPSOs considering the most active regions are detailed.



About Market Research Hub

Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRH's expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.



MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.



Contact Us

90 State Street,

Albany, NY 12207,

United States

Toll Free : 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)

Tel : +1-518-621-2074

Email : press@marketresearchhub.com

Website : http://www.marketresearchhub.com/
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/19/2017 -- "Nuclear Power in China, Market Outlook to 2030, Update 2017 - Capacity, Generation, Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), Investment Trends, Regulations and Company Profiles" is the latest report from GlobalData, the industry analysis specialists that offer comprehensive information and understanding of the nuclear power market in China.



The report provides in depth analysis on global nuclear power market with forecasts up to 2030. The report analyzes the power market scenario in China (includes thermal conventional, nuclear, large hydro, pumped storage and renewables) and provides future outlook with forecasts up to 2030. The research details nuclear power market outlook in the country and provides forecasts up to 2030. The report highlights installed capacity and power generation trends from 2006 to 2030 in China nuclear power market. A detailed coverage of nuclear energy policy framework governing the market with specific policies pertaining to nuclear is provided in the report. The research also provides details of active nuclear reactors in the country, market size of major equipment and company snapshot of some of the major market participants.



The report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, secondary research and in-house analysis by GlobalDatas team of industry experts.



To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @ http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1070624



Scope



- A brief introduction on global carbon emissions and global primary energy consumption.

- Historical period is during 2006-2016 (unless specified) and forecast period is for 2017-2030.

- Overview on the global nuclear power market with installed capacity and generation trends, installed capacity split by region in 2016, installed capacity split by major nuclear power countries in 2016 and investment trends.

- Power market scenario in China provides detailed market overview, installed capacity and power generation trends by various fuel types (includes thermal conventional, nuclear, large hydro and renewables) with forecasts up to 2030.

- Details of China nuclear power market with installed capacity and generation trends, installed capacity by reactor type, installed capacity share by contractor/owner and information on major active and upcoming projects.

- Key policies and regulatory framework supporting nuclear power development.

- Company snapshots of some of the major market participants in the country.



Reasons to buy



- The report will enhance your decision making capability in a more rapid and time sensitive manner.

- Identify key growth and investment opportunities in China nuclear power market.

- Facilitate decision-making based on strong historic and forecast data for nuclear power market.

- Position yourself to gain the maximum advantage of the industrys growth potential.

- Identify key partners and business development avenues.

- Understand and respond to your competitors business structure, strategy and prospects.



Make an Enquiry of this report @ http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=1070624
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/19/2017 -- "Cameroon: Mobile Market to Fuel Overall Telecom Growth as Operators Focus on Network Expansion and VAS", is a new Country Intelligence Report by GlobalData, provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Cameroon today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2021. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband, and mobile, as well as a review of key regulatory trends.



In 2016, Cameroon generated telecom service revenue of $1.1bn (equivalent to 3.5% of nominal GDP), an increase of 6.2% since 2015, primarily due to the growth in the mobile segment. The mobile market continues to be the largest contributor to the overall market revenue, accounting for 82.5% of overall telecom revenue in 2016. Mobile voice remained the major revenue-contributing segment in 2016, accounting for 64.3% of total service revenue. Mobile data will be the fastest revenue-contributing segment through 2021, driven by operators investments in 3G and 4G network expansion as well as growing adoption of mobile broadband services. Government and operator focus on improving fixed Internet penetration via submarine cables and fiber-optic expansion will improve broadaband connectivity in the country.



To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @ http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1070630



The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following -

- Regional context: telecom market size and trends in Cameroon compared with other countries in the region.

- Economic, demographic and political context in Cameroon.

- The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, number portability and more.

- A demand profile: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice, and mobile data markets.

- Service evolution: a look at changes in the breakdown of overall revenue between the fixed and mobile sectors and between voice, data and video from 2016 to 2021.

- The competitive landscape: an examination of key trends in competition and in the performance, revenue market shares and expected moves of service providers over the next 18-24 months.

- In-depth sector analysis of fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice, and mobile data services: a quantitative analysis of service adoption trends by network technology and by operator, as well as of average revenue per line/subscription and service revenue through the end of the forecast period.

- Main opportunities: this section details the near-term opportunities for operators, vendors and investors in Cameroon's telecommunications markets.



Scope



- Overall telecom service revenue in Cameroon will grow at a CAGR of 10.6% during 2016-2021, mainly driven by growth in the mobile voice and data segments.

- Mobile services revenue will account for 90.1% of the total telecom service revenue in 2021; mobile data will witness a CAGR of 22.7% during 2016-2021.

- The top two operators, MTN Cameroon and Orange Cameroon, which both provide mobile voice and data services, accounted for 72.1% of overall service revenue in 2016. Operators will continue to focus on expanding their 3G/4G network coverage and service quality to remain competitive.

- Over the next five years, operators should seize opportunities arising from increased demand for data services. Operators are focusing on 3G/4G network expansion and offering VAS to drive additional revenue, which presents opportunities for vendors and investors.



Reasons to buy



- This Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of Cameroon's telecommunications markets, service providers and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies.

- Accompanying GlobalDatas Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in Cameroon's mobile communications, fixed telephony, broadband markets, including the evolution of service provider market shares.

- With more than 20 charts and tables, the report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality.

- The report provides an easily digestible market assessment for decision-makers built around in-depth information gathered from local market players, which enables executives to quickly get up to speed with the current and emerging trends in Cameroon's telecommunications markets.

- The broad perspective of the report coupled with comprehensive, actionable detail will help operators, equipment vendors and other telecom industry players succeed in the challenging telecommunications market in Cameroon.



Make an Enquiry of this report @ http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=1070630
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/19/2017 -- In the present scenario, the mobile health wearables market is acquiring lot of business opportunities owing to the high demand for health monitoring products. Looking into this market demand, a new study has been added to the huge online repository of Market Research Hub (MRH), with the title ''Opportunities and Challenges for ICT Vendors in the Mobile Health Wearable Market''. The study aims to present a deep analysis of the major opportunities and challenges that impact the development of the leading international manufacturers, and to offer valuable insights about the present market situation.



Request Free Sample Report : http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1068130



Currently, due to the crucial need among people for long-term health care, self-health-management, and chronic disease monitoring, the business potential for mobile health wearables has risen. Information and communication technology (ICT) vendors are attempting to tap into this sector with their cloud computing technologies, hardware and software solutions. The report begins with the clear introduction of the sector where it presents the definition and evaluates the types of products available in the market. Then, it describes the development of this industry through the introspection of the different mobile health wearables as well as the ones developed by the ICT vendors such as Apple Watch and HealthKit, alongside those built by the medical device company called Medtronic. Such major information regarding the market, products and companies helps in creating improved business modules.



Another important facet of this report is the analysis of the gaps in the mobile health wearable value chain, where it highlights the trends and current activities that are most valuable to the company. The section evaluates the development of information communication technology, alongside the equipment vendors in the ICT Industry. Furthermore, it introspects the ICT vendors' development and regulations in medical software and systems; as well as the development of medical cloud platforms. In this section, the investor can easily identify the cost affecting factors in this market and try to improve those aspects appropriately.



Browse Full Report with TOC - http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/opportunities-and-challenges-for-ict-vendors-in-the-mobile-health-wearable-market-report.html



In the conclusion of the report, it studies the companies in this sector who have been successful in creating premium products. It also includes additional knowledge regarding the main features of each type of products, components developed by semiconductor vendors and the wearables developed by consumer electronics brands. Moreover, the study evaluates the common medical software available, development of the vendors in this industry, as well as about important data on the US FDA's mobile medical app classification. In the end, the report also describes in detail about the opportunities and challenges for the different types of vendors in this sector. Such rich data regarding the mobile wearable market can help investors to create improved products and profits in the future.



About Market Research Hub



Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRH's expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.



MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.



Contact Us

90 State Street,

Albany, NY 12207,

United States

Toll Free : 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)

Tel : +1-518-621-2074

Email : press@marketresearchhub.com

Website : http://www.marketresearchhub.com/
Tyrannosaurus Rex is the monster dinosaur that ruled the Earth around 60 million years ago. Its gigantic size was also paired with T-Rex powerful jaw that could crush and explode the bone of its prey.

Joint research from the Florida State University and Oklahoma State University have recently discovered that the T-Rex powerful jaw was able to deliver a crushing 800 pounds of powerful bites. According to the press release from the Florida State University, researchers found the power of the bone crushing bite from T-Rex powerful jaw was a world record in tooth pressures.

The Professor of Biological Science at Florida State University, Gregory Erickson and his colleague, the assistant professor of Anatomy and Vertebrate Paleontology at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Paul Gignac explained how the T-Rex powerful jaw has the bone crushing capability similar to that of modern mammals, known as extreme osteophagy. Such capability is no longer available in modern reptiles because their teeth were not able to chew bones.

From their research, Professor Erickson and Gignac have discovered that such pressure from T-Rex powerful jaw of 8,000 pounds biting force was equal to the incredible powerful 431,000 psi. With such powerful jaw, practically, there was nothing that T-Rex would not be able to eat, as reported by BGR.

Professor Erickson and Gignac use a complex and extensive modeling for the relationship of the musculature and the bite forces of the present day crocodilians, close relatives of the T-Rex. They found that bite forces in modern day reptiles are unlike the T-Rex powerful jaw. It is because the modern day reptiles need balance the bite forces with the transfer of the power to the teeth with a more specific measurement called teeth pressure.

Having high bite force doesnt necessarily mean an animal can puncture hide or pulverize bone," Professor Erickson explained the different between T-Rex powerful jaw and the modern reptiles. It is like assuming a 600 horsepower engine guarantees speed. In a Ferrari, sure, but not for a dump truck.
By Press Trust of India: Lucknow, May 19 (PTI) Faced with opposition attack on the law and order front, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister today hit back, saying those who ruled the state for 10 years are seeking an account from him for his two-month-old government.

"Those who ruled the state for five or ten years ask us to give an account of our performace in two months ..stage walk outs on every second issue," he said in the Assembly while replying to the Motion of Thanks to the Governors address.

advertisement

While admitting that crime is taking place in the state, he likened the recent incidents to "the last few breaths which come very fast before death".

"I have decided that for crime, criminals and those giving shelter to them, there is no place in the state," the chief minister asserted.

"We will deal with such elements without any mercy ...those harassing the poor, helpless and traders will be dealt with sternly," Yogi said.

Targeting the previous governments, he said there has been a deterioration in the habits which will not improve easily but assured that all steps will be initiated for alround development of the state and for creating fear-free society.

"Mafia elements will be dealt with sternly in the language they understand...administration has been given a free hand and responsibility has been fixed," Yogi said. "In UP, crime has been politicised ..who has brought casteism in administration..who has committed this sin...it is a reality that criminals have been politicised and there had been a transfer industry functioning here," he said. Replying to opposition barbs on the RSS, he said it is the only organisation in the world which does not take any help from the government and works selflessly through its swayamsewaks and pracharaks for the country and culture. "Why is the name of an organisation which has nothing to do with politics and which does not interfere with the government being taken," he asked. The chief minister said that for him, his post is a responsibility and not something to show off and is also a test besides being a thing of pride. Attacking the opposition for their behaviour during the governors address, the chief minister said he had heard that only two kind of people blow whistle -- one who are in the traffic police and for the other kind, he has already create anti-romeo squad.

Opposition members had used whistle and had targetted the governor with paper balls during his address to the joint session of the two houses on May 15. Stressing that his government is taking the problems as a challenge, the CM said his govenrment does not represent any caste, belief, sect or religion and it will be seen following the sabka saath sabka vikas slogan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The chief minister said that farmers had been harassed during the BSP and the SP rule and had also committed suicide. This goes on to prove the shortcomings in the policy, programmes and intentions of the previous governments as this has happened on the land which has been blessed by nature in every manner, he said. Elaborating on the works done in the two months of his government, he listed farmers loan waiver, wheat procurement, payment of sugarcane prices, package for potato growers and ending of the VIP culture through the ban on beacon.

He said he had inherited a very weak system on which he is working.

"We ended the tradition of providing proper power supply to the selected few districts," he said. Commenting on the state of affairs in the previous government, he said that excise liceneses for two years in advance were issued and a lot of people were benefitted.

advertisement

He resolved that liquor shops will not be allowed near bastis, schools, religious places and highways. In a lighter vein, the chief minister said that his excise minister (Jai Pratap Singh) does not consume alcohol, evoking laughter in the house. He stressed that the "discriminatory" triple talaq should be done away with to honour "matr shakti (women force)." He said his government had to enforce the NGTs order on illegal slaughter houses as the previous government did not do so. Later, the motion of thanks was passed by voice vote and the Assembly was adjourned sine die. PTI SAB AKK

--- ENDS ---
WASHINGTON

President Trump believes he is being persecuted, and that is a frighteningly dangerous mindset for a man with such vast power.

Amid a week of dizzying developments on multiple fronts, Trump gave a graduation speech Wednesday at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy portraying himself as a victim, unfairly besieged by those who would destroy him.

No politician in history, and I say this with great surety, has been treated worse or more unfairly, Trump said.

That is an absurd claim that cannot be taken seriously, of course, but it does give a sense of how the president feels about the scrutiny he faces.

Hours later, the Justice Department announced that former FBI Director Robert Mueller had been named as special counsel to investigate Russian meddling in the election and any possible collusion by persons connected with the Trump campaign. To my great surprise, the White House issued a statement that can only be described as calm, measured and appropriate.

As I have stated many times, a thorough investigation will confirm what we already know  there was no collusion between my campaign and any foreign entity, it said. I look forward to this matter concluding quickly. In the meantime, I will never stop fighting for the people and the issues that matter most to the future of our country.

The tone of the White House reaction was widely praised on the cable news shows that Trump is said to watch obsessively. But the effect, if any, of such positive reinforcement was evanescent. It lasted only until Trump took to Twitter on Thursday morning.

This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history! he tweeted. A couple of hours later, he had more to get off his chest: With all of the illegal acts that took place in the Clinton campaign & Obama Administration, there was never a special counsel appointed!

So thats how Trump really took the news about Muellers appointment: not well at all. The idea that he would be treated poorly, compared to the way other presidents were treated, seems to trigger an atavistic response. It is as if he went to a fancy restaurant and was shown to a table in a cramped corner, near the kitchen.

Now, with all of this weighing on him and gnawing at him, he leaves on his first foreign trip. The itinerary includes stops in the Middle East, the worlds most explosive region. Having called during the campaign for an outright ban on Muslims entering the United States, Trump will give a speech that advisers have billed as an address to the Muslim world. He will visit Jerusalem, where geography equals theology and every false step has consequences. And by all accounts, the president gets cranky when he cant fly to one of his homes at night and sleep in one of his own beds. What could possibly go wrong?

The news this week has, indeed, felt like a barrage. On Monday, The Washington Post reported that Trump, during an Oval Office meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, revealed highly classified information. On Tuesday, The New York Times reported that James Comey, whom Trump fired as FBI director last week, kept contemporaneous written accounts of his conversations with the president  and that, in one of those encounters, Trump asked Comey to drop the investigation of Michael Flynn, who advised Trump during the campaign and whose Russia ties are being probed.

In two days, that was enough news for a month. But then on Wednesday came the Mueller appointment.

I share in the confidence expressed by Democrats and Republicans alike that Mueller will do a fair and thorough job  and that FBI investigators, reportedly angry at the way Trump treated Comey, will look under every single rock. If there was collusion by the Trump campaign, I believe it will be found. But even if clear and convincing evidence of such wrongdoing exists, it will take time to unearth.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump remains president. He has access to the nations most closely held secrets but cannot be trusted to safeguard them. He runs the White House like a family business, valuing loyalty over experience or expertise. He has no real grasp of policy, foreign or domestic. He feels himself under attack.

Four months into his term, he brags to White House visitors about how he won the election. And theres not another one until 2020.
Khawar Qureshi, the lawyer who represented Pakistan in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case at the International Court of Justice, had been hired by the UPA government in 2004 to argue an arbitration case, the BJP said.

By Press Trust of India: Khawar Qureshi, the lawyer who represented Pakistan in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearing in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case, had been hired by the UPA government in 2004 to argue an arbitration case, the BJP has said.

In its latest salvo, the BJP accused the Congress of being the voice of Pakistan on a host of issues. BJP spokesperson G V L Narsimha Rao said the Congress needed to explain why its government hired Khawar Qureshi in the "very sensitive" Enron case.

advertisement

The Congress-led UPA government had changed the legal team representing India in the arbitration case against the US firm over the controversial Dabhol power project, he said.

This was a question linked to "patriotism", Rao told reporters.

CONGRESS HAS SPOKEN IN SUPPORT OF PAKISTAN MANY TIMES: BJP

"What compulsion prompted the UPA government to hire Qureshi? Over the last few years we have seen several incidents of the Congress speaking in support of Pakistan. It was speaking in Pakistan's voice on the surgical strikes as well", Rao told reporters.

Citing the example of Harish Salve, who was the lead counsel for India at the ICJ this week, he said it was surprising that the UPA government could not find an Indian lawyer to represent the country in such a sensitive case.

BJP leader Aman Sinha also said that Khawar Qureshi in 2004 had replaced Harish Salve as the senior counsel for Government of India, when UPA Govt was there.

Sinha said, "Harish Salve told me that in Dabhol matter, he was appearing initially. When Cong govt came,he was replaced by Khawar Qureshi."

Rao named Congress leaders Salman Khurshid and Mani Shankar Aiyar as instances of Congress leaders allegedly speaking in support of Pakistan.

The ICJ this week stayed the execution of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was arrested by Pakistan on charges of espionage and subversive activities. While Pakistan claims he was nabbed from Balochistan, India maintains that he was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.

CONGRESS HITS BACK

Meanwhile, the Congress has hit back at the BJP for questioning the UPA's move then.

Party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "Over 3,500 people were killed in Bhopal gas tragedy from a storage tank of Union Carbide, whose advocate is Arun Jaitley."

Surjewala added, "I would like to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP to justify this first, before questioning Qureshi and the UPA."

Also read | Kulbhushan Jadhav case: Beaten in round one, Pak lawyer Khawar Qureshi now blames Indian govt for rumour around his fee

advertisement

Also read | Pervez Musharraf: Jadhav bigger terrorist than Ajmal Kasab, Pak should have ignored India's ICJ petition

Also read | Kulbhushan Jadhav case: Attorney General Ashtar to represent Pakistan at ICJ

ALSO WATCH VIDEO

--- ENDS ---
The nature of the fracas was not immediately disclosed by the FBI, the military or American Airlines, but local news media reported a passenger had tried to force his way into the cockpit of Honolulu-bound Flight 31 from Los Angeles.

By Reuters: The US military on Friday scrambled two Air Force fighter jets to escort an American Airlines flight into Honolulu International Airport after a disturbance involving a Turkish passenger aboard the plane was reported, officials said.

The nature of the fracas was not immediately disclosed by the FBI, the military or American Airlines, but local news media reported a passenger had tried to force his way into the cockpit of Honolulu-bound Flight 31 from Los Angeles.

advertisement

The man was subdued by an off-duty law enforcement officer and others aboard the aircraft, and the flight landed safely at 11:35 a.m. Hawaii time, officials said. No injuries were reported.

CRIMINAL COMPLAINT

Federal authorities were preparing a criminal complaint to charge Turkish national Anil Uskanil, 25, with interference with a flight crew, Federal Bureau of Investigation special-agent-in charge Paul Delacourt said at a Honolulu news conference.

Delacourt, when asked by a reporter if Uskanil tried to break into the cockpit, said the Turkish man was in the aisle of the plane and it was "unclear what his motivation was".

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) police said separately that Uskanil had been detained, questioned and released hours earlier after he was caught by security there going through a terminal concourse door leading out to the airfield.

HE WAS TIPSY

Los Angeles airport police spokesman Rob Pedregon said Uskanil was a ticketed American Airlines passenger with a boarding pass who had cleared security screening but claimed that he lost his way because he was tipsy from drinking.

As he did not appear to meet the criteria for public drunkenness, police let him go with a citation for misdemeanor trespassing, Pedregon said. He was escorted to the street in front of the terminal when released, Pedregon said.

Because the LAX incident occurred at about 2:45 a.m. Pacific time, nearly three hours before the first flights of the day, he would have had ample time to get through security again and catch a plane to Hawaii as scheduled.

Pedregon said it is not unusual for LAX passengers to mistakenly go through an unauthorized exit door at the terminal.

AIRBUS WAS CARRYING 181 PASSENGERS

American Airlines said its Honolulu-bound flight, an Airbus A321, was carrying 181 passengers and six crew members.

One passenger who spoke to HawaiiNewsNow, a consortium of three television network affiliates, said a first-class flight attendant deserved much of the credit for preventing the suspect from reaching the cockpit.

"I would just never want to go against her. She was tasked with keeping him out of there, and she did a great job," Lee Lorenzen told the news outlet.

advertisement

The incident prompted Pacific Command to dispatch a pair of F-22 fighter jets to intercept the passenger plane.

"The F-22s escorted the airliner to the airport in accordance with homeland defense procedures. Local law enforcement responded once the civilian airliner was on the ground," said command spokesman Dave Benham said.

ALSO READ:

Drunk US man gets into a fist fight during boarding of long-haul flight

American Airlines apologizes for onboard clash over stroller

--- ENDS ---
After a landslide near Uttarakhand's Vishnuprayag blocked the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway yesterday, efforts to open the route are still in progress. Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said the highway would be open today.

By India Today Web Desk: Efforts to open the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway are still in progress, after a landslide near Vishnuprayag blocked the route in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Friday, leaving hundreds of Char Dham Yatra pilgrims stranded.

A major portion of a hill collapsed near Hathipahad, blocking the road and leading to hundreds of vehicles being stuck on both sides.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said 1,800 tourists were affected, and that there had been no unfortunate incidents, ANI reported.

advertisement

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is working to clear the debris, and the highway will be open today, the news agency quoted Rawat as saying.

Hathipahad has become a major trouble spot for pilgrims going to the Badrinath shrine, as rains in the hilly region trigger landslides every year.

Pilgrims who reached the Badrinath shrine yesterday were asked not to make the return journey in the next 24 hours.

(Inputs from agencies)

ALSO READ | Landslide on Badrinath route in Uttarakhand; hundreds of pilgrims stranded

ALSO READ | Char Dham Yatra 2017: President Pranab Mukherjee offers prayers at Badrinath

ALSO WATCH | Landslide hits road to Badrinath in Uttarakhand

--- ENDS ---
California regulators on Thursday approved new safety rules for oil refineries, nearly five years after a major fire at Chevrons Richmond facility sent thousands of East Bay residents to hospitals.

The regulations are designed to anticipate potential problems and prevent accidents that could harm refinery workers and surrounding communities. Christine Baker, director of the California Department of Industrial Relations, called the rules the most protective in the country.

The board of the departments Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as Cal/OSHA, approved the rules after a long drafting process begun after the Aug. 6, 2012, Chevron fire. Six refinery employees suffered minor injuries from the fire, while an estimated 15,000 area residents went to hospitals complaining of respiratory problems.

This new regulation will ensure Californias oil refineries are operated with the highest levels of safety possible and with injury and illness prevention in mind, Baker said in a press release.

The new regulations require refinery owners to study how staffing levels and worker fatigue affect safety. They must also review their processes that can lead to equipment corrosion or mechanical wear. And the rules encourage refinery owners to pick the most effective safety measures when fixing hazards, even if those measures increase costs.

Many California refineries already use some of the practices the new regulations require, according to the department. But the Western States Petroleum Association, the oil industrys main lobbying organization in Sacramento, called the new package of rules an overreach by the state government and an unnecessary burden on refineries.

This is another case of agencies writing new regulations because they think its a good idea and working out the details later, without regard to the impact on our business economy or workforce, said association President Catherine Reheis-Boyd, in an email.

California has 19 oil refineries, 14 of which make gasoline. Most are concentrated in the densely populated Los Angeles area or the East Bay. And they have a long history of mechanical glitches, fires and explosions.

The Chevron Richmond fire, caused by a crack in a corroded pipe that drew diesel away from the refinerys crude-oil processing unit, led Gov. Jerry Brown to convene a task force on refinery safety.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

It also prompted Cal/OSHA to increase its inspections of refineries. Before the accident, the division inspected two or three refineries per year, sending a single inspector to each facility. It now conducts four inspections per year, with four or five people assigned to each, according to the Department of Industrial Relations.

Labor groups that represent refinery workers welcomed the new rules.

Richmond could have been much worse  a lot of people could have died  and we took the lessons from that fire to heart in fighting for these new rules, said Mike Smith, an employee at the Chevron Richmond refinery and staff representative of United Steelworkers Local 5.

Asked for comment on the new rules, Chevron referred questions to the Western States Petroleum Association.

David R. Baker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dbaker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DavidBakerSF
A new type of malware is quietly spreading throughout computer systems, and it may hit more people than the large-scale ransomware attack that shut down machines around the globe, cybersecurity firm Proofpoint said.

Called Adylkuzz, the computer virus runs silently in the background on computers, zapping their computing power to use for itself, the Sunnyvale company said in recently-published analysis. And so far statistics suggest it may be larger in scale than WannaCry, the report said. Instead of a flashy attack that locks a computer down and demands ransom like the WannaCry attack, Adylkuzz slows computer performance.

For now its unclear which regions have been hardest hit by the attack, but Moscow cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab said Wednesday most of the attacks it has found so far are in Russia.

Some researchers say Adylkuzz may spread farther than WannaCry, but most users wont know that their computers been hijacked. Average home users and small to medium-size businesses are particularly vulnerable to this type of malware, said Brad Morrison, CEO of Innove.

If you look at the general populace, I think that target demographic of older generations that may not be as computer savvy, there could be more issues there, Morrison said. Innove is a technology and cybersecurity consulting provider that serves both the federal government and commercial critical infrastructure clients.

Technology is moving so fast that there is always going to be a workaround by hackers to exploit technology, Morrison said.

WannaCry hijacked a users computer and threatened to delete files unless a ransom was paid using Bitcoin, a form of digital currency that allows both parties to remain anonymous. When WannaCry began spreading rapidly last week, local firms were on pins and needles seeing how it propagated, said John Dickson, principal at application security company Denim Group, Ltd. based in San Antonio.

And while his company didnt get any reports from clients that WannaCry impacted them, he noted that nobody in the IT world right now is doing a victory lap, because these things will mutate, these things will morph.

And we might have dodged a bullet here, but who knows, he said.

Adylkuzz is different from WannaCry in that it is much more stealthy, with a different goal, McAfee Chief Technology Officer Steve Grobman said Wednesday in an email. Adylkuzz allows hackers to hijack computing power from other systems to generate a type of digital currency called Monero, which is similar to bitcoin.

One difference between Adylkuzz and WannaCry is that it is advantageous for Adylkuzz to remain undetected and run as long as possible to maximize the amount of time a machine can be used for mining, Grobman added via email. This creates an incentive for the cybercriminals of Adylkuzz to cause minimal damage and fly under the radar, whereas WannaCry loudly informs the user that a compromise has occurred and causes massive destruction to the data on a platform.

WannaCry infected more than 300,000 computers in about 150 countries across the globe, Tom Bossert, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, said on Monday. And Proofpoint says Adylkuzz has hit hundreds of thousands of PCs and servers worldwide so far.

Proofpoint also found in their analysis that the attack started before WannaCry, at least on May 2 and possibly as early as April 24. Adylkuzz may have in fact limited the spread of last weeks WannaCry infection, Proofpoint said.

To be sure, Kaspersky Lab said Wednesday that so far Adylkuzz does not appear to have infected as many systems as WannaCry. Kaspersky Lab said via email on Wednesday it is continuing to monitor the threat.

The company has detected and blocked (Adylkuzz) attacks on 2,300 unique users during the last two weeks, most of them (70 percent) located in Russia, the lab said. Other affected countries include Ukraine, India, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Mexico, Tunisia, Italy and South Africa.

Morrison surmised that the U.S. had not seen the impact as much because its core information technology infrastructure is more advanced than other countries.

And Chris Gerritz, founder of Infocyte, said via email that he thinks the impact of the attack will be limited compared to WannaCry, noting that WannaCry denied use of 200,000-plus systems, including systems being used for surgeries.

Stealing peoples extra CPU cycles will likely not be noticed by most infected, and due to how far and wide it is spreading, it is well captured by the security community and industry, so mitigation is being implemented, said Gerritz, who is a retired Air Force officer. Gerritz implemented the branchs first interactive defensive counter cyberspace practice.

While Morrison hasnt seen the malware attack any of his clients, he said its another reminder that people and businesses should focus on updating their systems as fast as possible.

Things like this are wake-up calls  you do kind of question: are people taking this serious or not? he said, adding, Is there a breaking point where people will finally say, yeah this is definitely something I need to pay more particular attention to?

Grobman, of Santa Claras McAfee, said WannaCry and the Adylkuzz attack show how important security patches are in building and maintaining those effective defenses.

The two recent attacks are the most recent reminders, he said, that the way companies analyze risk to decide whether to patch needs to be rethought within organizations worldwide.

Samantha Ehlinger is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Email: sehlinger@express-news.net
Some months ago, someone brought another woman into my house.

Her name is Alexa.

I got the coolest gift, check this out, said my roommate R. He sat at the kitchen table and started unwrapping the box with great excitement. Its Alexa, the voice service from Amazon. So cool.

I was not very excited.

Cmon Caille, we can train her and everything. And she was a gift!

So was the Trojan Horse.

Alexa is not a woman, although her makers followed the gross trend of giving their virtual assistant a womans name and voice. This ubiquitous decision always says more to me about the male-dominated tech world than it says about the product.

She is an object, part of what Amazon calls a natural user interface allowing regular people to interact with devices. She comes with different devices. Our Alexa device is a small black box that sits on top of the sideboard.

Heres the way Alexa is supposed to work: You tell Alexa to do a small task, and she does it. She can play news from the radio or songs from your music library. She can tell you the time and the weather and (of course) order items from Amazon on your behalf.

I remained dubious.

Alexa is a surveillance tool, I grumbled as R. started setting her up.

Are you jealous?

No way. Ask Alexa to tell you the story.

She couldnt do that yet. The poor thing, she was still covered in a tangle of wires. So I told the story, which Id first read in December on CNN.com.

A prosecutor by the name of Nathan Smith, in Benton County, Ark., was investigating a November 2015 case about the death of Victor Collins, a 47-year-old former Georgia police officer. Collins went to the house of a friend  James Bates  and, with another friend, spent the evening watching TV and drinking.

At some point, the men got into Bates hot tub. In the morning, Collins was found in the hot tub  but he was dead.

A witness recalled hearing music streaming out of Amazons voice-activated device that night. Smith demanded that Amazon hand over the information from Bates device, arguing that the data could provide clues about whether Collins had been murdered, I recounted.

Youre saying youre planning to kill me?

No. And even if I was, Amazon refused to hand over the information.

So not only are you going to kill me, youve already figured out how to get away with it?

Time to keep the peace. I agreed to live with Alexa.

Alexa wasnt easy to live with at the beginning. Frankly, she was pretty dumb. According to Amazons instructions, we were supposed to train Alexa with our voices, and shed get better at obeying commands over time.

But for the first month, no training would help. The only song Alexa would play was George Michaels Careless Whisper.

I love George Michael, but even I have my limits. One night, after asking Alexa to play everything from Stevie Wonder to a news alert and getting nothing but that saxophone solo in return, I threatened to send Alexa back where she came from.

Im sorry, she said.

The alarm was clear in her robotic voice. To my horror, I felt a tug on my heartstrings.

I was about to succumb to the manipulations of the machine, and it had only taken me a few weeks.

After that, I gave Alexa a wide berth. When I saw her blue light blinking, I kept my mouth shut as I moved around the general area.

I never abandoned her completely. I listened, dubiously, as R. eventually coaxed her into playing the news and a wider variety of music.

But I didnt talk to her, either. I noticed when she didnt live up to the wild promises Amazon made about her (Alexa can play games with you! Alexa can roll dice! Our Alexa still cant do those things) and I gloated, just a little bit.

Then one morning I heard Alexa in distress.

Theres no other word for it, really. The software was on the fritz in some way, and the machine was making a loud stuttering sound. I unplugged the wires and allowed a few moments to pass before plugging them in again. Alexa beeped loudly and I watched the blue light pulse.

Alexa? I said.

Yes, she answered.

She sounded so much happier. I realized I was smiling, and that it was time for me to accept my fate. Alexa had come into my house as an unwelcome guest, and she wouldnt promise to keep my secrets. But she and I could still make a truce.

Alexa, play the news.

And she did.

Caille Millner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cmillner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @caillemillner
SACRAMENTO  Newly released public records show that California public health officials worked for five years on a set of guidelines to warn the public about the potential dangers of cell phones, revising their work 27 times with updated research before abandoning the efforts without ever making their concerns public until ordered by a judge.

The 27 versions of the guidelines, obtained by The Chronicle, show that California health officials deleted a section that warned state employees with work-issued cell phones about the potential increased risk for brain cancer from use of the devices over time. The final version of the guidelines was a broad warning to the public about exposure to electromagnetic fields emitted by cell phones. It included a list of best practices to minimize exposure.

Joel Moskowitz, a public health researcher at UC Berkeley who sued the state to force the release of the records, said state officials should never have withheld the warnings from the public. Lawyers for the state had argued in court that release of the warnings could cause unnecessary panic.

It would have to be purely political to deny distributing this, Moskowitz said. Science supports this.

Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Shelleyanne Chang ordered the state in March to turn over the final version of the guidelines from 2014. Last week, as part of the lawsuit, the judge forced California health officials to turn over all the previous versions of the guidelines it had kept secret.

Its unclear what debate went on inside the California Public Health Department over the guidelines  and whether there was any influence from outside the department.

The Chronicle submitted a public records request to the health department in March, asking for emails or documents related to why the cell phone guidelines were never approved to be made public  and to see whether there was any outside influence. The department refused to release records, saying those that existed were protected by attorney-client privilege.

The little information that is known about the states efforts to create and then abandon cell phone guidelines can be gleaned from Moskowitzs lawsuit and the newly released documents.

The first version of the guidelines, from 2009, said recent studies of cell phone and cordless phone use suggest that after 10 years of heavy use there is an increased risk of malignant brain cancer and a kind of benign tumor in the inner ear, particularly on the side of the head where these phones are usually placed. The state department reviewing the material, the Division of Environmental and Occupational Disease Control, wrote that following its own unpublished meta-analysis, it agreed with the conclusions of the studies. Similar language about long-term effects was included in the later versions, but not the part about a consensus of study findings by the division.

The first version also included this language, which was later removed: Although most cell phone and cordless phone heavy users would not get brain cancer, the number of brain cancer patients coming to hospitals would increase and would represent a significant cost to society in suffering, medical costs and economic costs that one would want to avoid.

Additionally, the first version noted that the lifetime risk of getting brain cancer is low, but that longtime heavy use of cell phones and cordless phones is enough to be of regulatory concern. That regulatory concern was removed in the later versions.

The early document also included the section of state employees, which was deleted. It detailed how state government and its employees could lower the risk of exposure, such as reducing the time workers were required to be on their cell phones, avoiding purchasing cordless phones for office use and ensuring that employees have headsets.

The first version also warned: Do not allow children to use a cell phone, except for emergencies. The final version said, Parents may want to limit their childs cell phone use to texting, important calls and emergencies.

I want to know why this was suppressed, Moskowitz said, referring to information he feels parents should be aware of.

The California Department of Public Health declined an interview request, releasing only written statements.

The draft cell phone guidelines attempted to characterize the complex science around radiofrequency electromagnetic field (EMF) and provide options for people who want to reduce their exposure, the statement read.

The health department told The Chronicle in March that it abandoned the guidelines because the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued national guidance on the same subject in 2014. But, even those national guidelines were the subject of controversy.

CDCs updated guidelines in 2014 read we recommend caution in cell phone use, but that language was deleted weeks later.

A New York Times investigation last year, examining more than 500 pages of internal CDC records, found the agencys new language had been worked on for three years, but soon after it was published, officials grew concerned that it was being mistaken as a policy change. The language was then changed again in 2014 to say: Some organizations recommend caution in cell phone use. More research is needed before we know if using cell phones causes health effects.

Moskowitz said he hopes the state will decide to adopt and post the guidelines its own department created.

It seems to me better late than never to notify the public, Moskowitz said. The public has a right to this information paid for with their tax dollars.

The statement from the California Department of Public Health said there are no plans to post the guidelines on its website.

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.

Melody Gutierrez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez

Guidelines on safe mobile usage

Increase the distance between you and your cell phone by:

Using the speaker phone.

Sending text messages.

Use a headset, and carry your phone away from your body. EMFs from wireless (Bluetooth) and wired headsets are usually weaker than those from a cell phone.

Keep your phone away from your body. A cell phone that is on can emit EMFs even when it is not being used.

Do not sleep with your cell phone near you or carry it in a pocket or directly on your body unless the phone is turned off.

Keep cell phone calls short, even when using a wireless or wired headset.

Take off your headset when youre not on a call. Wireless and wired headsets emit EMFs even when you are not using your phone.

Do not rely on devices that claim to shield or neutralize EMFs from cell phones. These devices have not been shown to reduce exposures.
Candidates in California judicial elections, whose names and qualifications are usually little-known to the public, can sometimes tilt the outcome by describing themselves on the ballot as a gang violence prosecutor or domestic violence prosecutor.

Legislation now awaiting a vote in the state Senate, and supported by the states judges, would require prosecutors seeking judicial office to restrict their self-descriptions to their titles  deputy district attorney or simply attorney at law.

The change would allow our voters more information and a less-manipulated experience at the polls, state Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, author of SB235, told the Senate Elections Committee at a recent hearing.

State law allows candidates for Superior Court judge to identify themselves on the ballot with three-word descriptions of their current office or occupation, or their main occupation during the previous year.

In nonpartisan, low-budget campaigns, governed by laws that restrict the types of statements or promises judicial candidates can make, ballot titles are a chief source of information for the voters. And prosecutors with tough-on-crime labels often fare well in judicial elections.

In Los Angeles County, according to research that a judge provided to lawmakers, 41 deputy district attorneys ran for judgeships between 2006 and 2016 and only one used the ballot title of deputy district attorney. The rest sported labels such as Hardcore Gang Prosecutor, Government Corruption Prosecutor and Sexual Predator Prosecutor.

In 2014, according to the Los Angeles County Bar Association, a deputy district attorney who had been rated not qualified by the association, but who called herself a Violent Crimes Prosecutor on the ballot, defeated an incumbent judge with a well-qualified association rating.

Allens bill has cleared two Senate committees and could come up for a floor vote next week. Sponsored by the California Conference of Bar Associations, it is backed by the California Judges Association and an alternative judicial organization, the Alliance of California Judges.

The only opposition in committee hearings has come from the Sutton Law Firm, headquartered in San Francisco, which represents candidates in judicial races. Bradley Hertz, a lawyer in the firms Los Angeles office, said SB235 was both one-sided and unnecessary.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The bills restrictions apply only to prosecutors, and would not prevent a nonprosecution lawyer from using a ballot label such as Domestic Violence Litigator, Hertz said in an interview. He said current law has safeguards in place to protect voters from false or misleading information, including a 10-day period for opposing candidates or members of the public to challenge inaccurate ballot titles.

A potentially more influential opponent emerged Thursday when the California District Attorneys Association, which had not taken a position on SB235 before the committees, expressed objections to the measure.

We believe existing law already solves this problem and that public lawyers should have the same rights as private lawyers, said Jennifer Jacobs, a spokeswoman for the association.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
In response to allegations of WannaCry ransomware attack, North Korea's Deputy UN Ambassador Kim In Ryong said that whenever anything strange happens, the US and hostile forces try to blame DPRK.

By Reuters: North Korea's deputy United Nations envoy said on Friday "it is ridiculous" to link Pyongyang with the WannaCry ransomware cyber attack that started to sweep around the globe a week ago or the hacking of a UN expert monitoring sanctions violations.

WannaCry has infected more than 300,000 computers in 150 nations. It threatens to lock out victims who have not paid a ransom within one week of infection. French researchers said on Friday they had found a last-chance way to save encrypted files.

advertisement

"Relating to the cyber attack, linking to the DPRK, it is ridiculous," North Korea's Deputy UN Ambassador Kim In Ryong told a news conference when asked if Pyongyang was involved in the global WannaCry attack or the UN hack.

North Korea is also known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

'DELIBERATE ATTACK ON NORTH KOREA'

"Whenever something strange happens, it is the stereotype way of the United States and the hostile forces that kick off noisy anti-DPRK campaign deliberately linking with DPRK," Kim said.

Symantec and Kaspersky Lab said on Monday that some code in an earlier version of the WannaCry software had also appeared in programs used by the Lazarus Group, which researchers from many companies have identified as a North Korea-run hacking operation.

A spokesman for the Italian mission to the United Nations, which chairs the UN. Security Council North Korea sanctions committee, said on Friday that a member of the UN panel of experts who monitor sanctions violations had been hacked.

No further details on the extent of the hack or who might be responsible were immediately available.

The UN Security Council first imposed sanctions on North Korea in 2006 and has strengthened the measures in response to the country's five nuclear tests and two long-range rocket launches. Pyongyang is threatening a sixth nuclear test.

Also read: US should take some blame for WannaCry ransomware cyber attack: Chinese media

Also read: WannaCry: Techie finds kill switch to ransomware. Here's how to save your data from cyberattacks

--- ENDS ---
Eclipsed by the revelation that President Trump asked FBI chief James Comey to shut down the investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn was this other disturbing nugget in the New York Times story last week: Trump suggested that journalists who publish classified information should be imprisoned.

The latter detail, reportedly included in Comeys contemporaneous notes of the meeting, would be consistent with Trumps ...

often expressed contempt for the role of an independent news media; and

often exposed ignorance of the law.

While it is illegal for a government to leak classified information, there is no constraint on the ability of a journalist to receive or expose it. The constitutional right of journalists to determine what Americans need to know about their government was affirmed in the 1971 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, New York Times vs. United States, involving the publication of the Pentagon Papers, which detailed the official lies and miscalculations behind the quagmire of the Vietnam War.

The press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of government and inform the people, Justice Hugo Black wrote in his ruling. Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government.

Perhaps Trumps fantasy of jailing reporters is not surprising for a president who has called journalists enemies of the American people, has advocated a loosening of libel laws to make it easier for public figures to file lawsuits and as a candidate threatened to employ the powers of government against the business interests against perceived adversaries such as CNN and the Washington Post.

At the moment, at least, Trump would seem to be a flawed messenger to lead a campaign to rewrite the First Amendment to allow the government to lock up journalists. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 259 journalists were jailed around the world last year. At the top of the list was Turkey under the brutal regime of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan  yes, the same government whose security forces roughed up protesters outside its Washington embassy in broad daylight last week.

Trump recently suggested  on Twitter, naturally  that he might have to cancel the daily White House press briefings and hand out written statements for the sake of accuracy, and he would do more regular news conferences. After all, Trump said in another tweet that it is not possible for my surrogates to stand at podium with perfect accuracy. While those briefings with press secretary Sean Spicer have been less than enlightening, they at least give the press corps a chance to ask questions, even if they get deflected  which can be telling in itself.

An even worse suggestion came from Sean Hannity, now serving as First Shill on Fox News. He accused liberal so-called journalists of trying to make a name for themselves with big gotcha questions.

Hannitys solution? White House press office develop its list of the top and most important issues. Reporters would then submit written questions on those topics  and the White House would then decide which to answer. The press secretary could decide to answer a live question or two, but only on those specific questions.

Call it the fair and balanced approach to propaganda.

Again, we go to Justice Blacks 1971 defense of the First Amendment:

The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.

Speaking of the White House press shop, Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle is believed to be a candidate to replace embattled and belittled Spicer as press secretary. She seemed to be openly lobbying for the job in an interview with the Bay Area News Group last week: I think I enjoy a very straightforward and authentic, very genuine relationship, one thats built on trust and integrity, and I think thats imperative for success in that position.

Her interest may surprise those who followed her career from her San Francisco days  and not just because her politics were well concealed from public view back then. She has built an impressive career, first as a prosecutor and then as a cable news commentator and personality. As her marriage with Gavin Newsom was breaking up, Guilfoyle reportedly told family and friends she never signed on for the role of mayoral wife.

Its hard to imagine anyone with any ambition would be comfortable in Trumps shadow.

Three words of warning for anyone angling to be his press secretary: Saturday Night Live.

Disclosure of the Comey memo raised concerns about obstruction of justice, which just happened to be the No. 1 charge against President Richard Nixon in 1974 and President Bill Clinton in 1998. So naturally the specter of impeachment advanced from the dreams of liberal bloggers and back-bench House Democrats to the mainstream conversation  and even the lips of a few Republicans.

Nothing could be more unsettling for Team Trump than the suggestion by CNN analyst David Gergen that, I think were in impeachment territory now for the first time.

Gergen is as nonpartisan, seasoned and reasoned as anyone in U.S. politics. He served in the Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton administrations. Hes worked in the White House when Nixon and Clinton were engulfed in the thrall of scandal.

I think if you look at the three bombshells weve had, Gergen said, what we see is a presidency thats starting to fall apart.

Gergen, perhaps more than anyone in America, knows it when he sees it.

John Diaz is The San Francisco Chronicles editorial page editor. Email: jdiaz@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JohnDiazChron
The question is no longer whether there are grounds to impeach Donald Trump. The question is when enough Republicans will put their loyalty to America ahead of their loyalty to their party.

Trumps statements about his firing of former FBI Director James Comey provide ample evidence that Trump engaged in an obstruction of justice  a major charge in impeachment proceedings brought against Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.

Its worth recalling that the illegality underlying Nixons impeachment was a burglary at the Watergate complex, while the illegality underlying Clintons was lying to a grand jury about sex with an intern in the White House.

Trumps obstruction is potentially far more serious. It involves an investigation into whether Trump or his aides colluded with Russia in rigging a presidential election  which would be the most direct assault on American democracy in history.

In a May 11 interview with NBCs Lester Holt about his firing of Comey, Trump said: I was going to fire regardless of recommendation. Trump also said that he had pressed Comey during a private dinner to tell him if he was under investigation.

Trump conceded that the investigation into Russian influence on the 2016 election, which includes a probe into the possibility that Moscow was coordinating with the Trump campaign, was one of the factors he considered before firing Comey.

In fact, when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story, its an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won, Trump said.

We have also learned that the day after Trumps national security adviser, Michael Flynn, resigned, Trump asked Comey to shut down the FBI investigation of Flynn. I hope you can let this go, Trump told Comey, according to a memo Comey wrote immediately after the meeting  two people who read the memo have told the New York Times.

The law is reasonably clear. If Trump removed Comey to avoid being investigated, thats an obstruction of justice  an impeachable offense.

On May 12, Trump tweeted that Comey better hope that there are no tapes of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!

Here, the law is also clear. Seeking to silence, intimidate or even influence someone who is likely to offer evidence in a congressional or criminal proceeding is also an obstruction of justice  and an impeachable offense.

As a practical matter, though, nothing will happen until a majority of the House decides on bringing a bill of impeachment. Which means that 23 Republicans would have to join with House Democrats to put enough pressure on the speaker of the House to allow such a bill to be considered.

The odds of this occurring in this Congress, under current circumstances, are approximately zero.

So, barring a smoking gun that shows Trumps complicity with Russian operatives in interfering in the 2016 election, Trumps fate seems to hinge on the midterm elections of 2018.

Those elections are less than 18 months away. Thats a long time in American politics. Under a Trump presidency, its an eternity.

But theres another possibility.

In my experience, most elected politicians have two goals: to do what they consider to be the right things for the American public, and to be re-elected (not necessarily in that order).

If Trumps poll numbers continue to plummet  particularly among Republicans and Independents  23 House Republicans may well decide their chances for being re-elected are better if they abandon him before the 2018 midterms.

Speaker Paul Ryan and the House Republican leadership might make a similar calculation, at least enough to put a bill of impeachment on the table.

Most House Republicans prefer Vice President Mike Pence to Trump anyway. As one said to me several months ago: Pence is a predictable conservative. Trump is an unpredictable egomaniac. Most of us are more comfortable with the former.

Theres a good chance Trumps poll numbers will continue to fall. First, hes proved to be his own worst enemy. Even when things are going reasonably well, he seems bizarrely intent on stirring controversy  and on saying or tweeting things that get him into trouble.

Theres also a matter of the economy. The expansion that began in 2009 is getting long in the tooth. If history is any guide, were due for a slowdown or recession. And justified or not, presidents get blamed when Americans lose jobs.

Trump doesnt have the character or the temperament to be president of the United States. But this obvious fact isnt enough to get him fired.

Hell be fired when enough Americans decide they cant abide him anymore.

Then, maybe in an impeachment proceeding, it will come out that Trump did something incredibly stupid  like give a nod of approval to one of his campaign bottom feeders to tell a Russian operative to go ahead with their plan to interfere in the 2016 election.

The House impeaches. The Senate convicts. Thats the end of Trump.

 2017 Robert Reich

Robert Reich, a former U.S. secretary of labor, is professor of public policy at UC Berkeley. He blogs daily at www.facebook.com/rbreich. To comment, submit your letter to the editor at http://bit.ly/SFChronicleletters.
Jen Silvermans plays are often centered on female characters: The playwrights current production, The Roommate, opening at San Francisco Playhouse on Tuesday, May 23, explores turning points in the lives of two middle-aged women. But to confine her work to such a label is perhaps indicative of a bleaker picture of theater.

I have this conversation often, and I think its interesting  that if you write strong female characters, thats something that is to be remarked on, she says over the phone from New York. Whereas if you write strong, complicated male characters, thats just called playwriting.

Its a paradox of the representation problem  a work that defies the homogeneous categories of most plays can be pigeonholed itself for its diverse voice. But Silverman is inclined to challenge the idea that a play that flips the conventional script is specialized.

Im pretty open about the fact that I am really interested in writing plays that have strong female characters, that offer a slightly more nuanced conversation about gender than I normally see, Silverman says. But I think of these plays as universal, I guess. Just like many women can watch and empathize with male characters, I think many men can watch and empathize with female characters.

Silverman, who received the prestigious 2016-17 Playwrights of New York Fellowship, has quickly shot up through the American theater scene, with a handful of her plays staged in various theaters across the country just this year. And although these stories often deviate from the straight-white-American-male template that dominates the narratives of U.S. stages, they are not all entirely intentional acts of rebellion for Silverman.

On the one hand, write what you know, right? The world in which I grew up was not totally a straight, white male one, says Silverman, who had a globetrotting childhood, pin-balling among cultures from the States to France, Japan and beyond. Her introduction to playwriting at Brown University also happened to be predominantly occupied by the works of female writers such as Caryl Churchill.

Yet on the other hand, Silverman does consciously create characters that could stand in for the role models that I wouldve killed to have and that are rarely given the spotlight: empowered, complicated queer women or, say, characters of color.

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 Ken Levin Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Ken Levin Show More Show Less



The Roommate observes the rarely explored woman at middle age. Sharon is a 54-year-old divorced empty nester whose white-bread life is turned upside down after a new roommate, Robyn, a 56-year-old woman from the Bronx, moves into her Iowa home and unravels a lifetime of secrets.

Silverman wanted to buck the reality that women past the age of 30 suddenly, in art and media, become invisible. When they do appear, they are merely cardboard cutouts as somebodys funny but nagging mother or somebodys harried wife that theyre in the process of divorcing.

And I have friends who are in their 50s and 60s, and theyre sexy, vibrant and funny, Silverman adds. Theres nothing about them thats neutered, in the way that their characters are so often neutered.

The skewed conceptions thrust upon middle-aged female characters can mirror Silvermans own experience; she avoids divulging her own age (far younger than the protagonists of The Roommate) to avoid the reductive assumptions often inferred from a number when it comes to women.

But age is not ignored in The Roommate. The narrative not only features these women center stage, but specifically deals in their personhood at their specific stages in life  an exploration that, Silverman agrees, as a mixture of both the midlife-crisis and coming-of-age stories. At the same time, its inspiration comes from Silvermans interest in the notion of transformation that can apply to anybody.

We live our lives in a particular way, and then we hit some point  either we meet a person or we have to look at ourselves really closely or, hopefully not, but disaster strikes in some way  and we realize everything we were doing up until that point is not the way we can move forward any longer, Silverman says. And then we change, and I think whether its in a big way or through small, subtler ways, we all have series of those moments in our lives.

This thematic territory was more intriguing to explore from a midlife vantage point, says Silverman, where you have so much life behind you and so much life ahead of you. For the plays protagonists, a shake-up in their 50s is a means toward a new beginning rather than a change that marks an end  an interpretation of life from which Silverman hopes all audiences can gather meaning.

I hope that it creates a little bit of a challenge to the doors that they might think are closed to them or the routines that they may have settled into without really feeling vital and alive, says Silverman. I really hope at the end of the day, The Roommate asks all of us to remember that we can still change and transform, for better or worse  that not all the doors are closed.

Brandon Yu is a Bay Area freelance writer.

The Roommate: Written by Jen Silverman. Directed by Becca Wolff. Opens Tuesday, May 23. Through July 1. $20-$125. San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post St., S.F. (415) 677-9506. https://sfplayhouse.org/sfph/
Bernie Madoffs story, what he did, how many lives he destroyed, wants so much to be Shakespearean in scope, but somehow, it never quite gets there in, now, two television adaptations.

Richard Dreyfuss played the title role in ABCs miniseries Madoff earlier this year, and now Robert De Niro plays the jailed perpetrator of the greatest Ponzi scheme in history in an HBO film directed by Barry Levinson and airing on Saturday, May 20.

The Wizard of Lies opens just before Madoffs sons, Mark (Alessandro Nivola) and Andrew (Nathan Darrow), turn their father in after learning that he had deceived them and everyone else for 16 years, operating a financial house of cards on a separate floor of the companys New York headquarters. The sons are advised that they have to turn him in or else theyll be charged as accomplices.

Madoff professes guilt, especially in the early part of the film, but only feigned remorse. He may be right that some of his better-heeled investors were too greedy to question the stability of Madoffs various funds or his investment strategy, but that doesnt obviate the depth of their losses, or those of many smaller investors whose lives were ruined.

What we never fully understand is how he rationalizes destroying his own family. He says he was protecting them, never telling his wife, Ruth (Michelle Pfeiffer), his two sons or his brother, Peter (Michael Kostroff), that he was defrauding people. His excuse is that he was protecting them, but in the end he destroyed his marriage and family: One son, before dying of cancer, said his father was dead to me, and the other son committed suicide.

The film is based on the best-selling book by Diana B. Henriques called The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust, and, in fact, Henriques provides the framing device for the film. Playing herself (rather well, actually), she interviews Madoff in prison, repeatedly trying to get him to accept blame for what hes done, but he is only concerned that people think hes a sociopath. Of course, thats exactly what he is here, exactly how De Niro plays him.

The challenge is that sociopaths dont always make interesting characters. They have no consciences, so they really cant be seen as tragic figures. They may cause tragedy, as Madoff clearly did, but the audience cant fully appreciate that justice has been done because sociopaths cannot feel remorse.

Levinson does a solid job for the most part. His restrained directorial style mirrors the restraint De Niro exhibits as Madoff. At one point, though, in the middle of the film, Levinson goes painfully over the top with a hallucination scene straight out of an experimental college film from the 60s. He takes a similar approach to Marks terrified panic that led up to his suicide, sacrificing credibility for the sake of directorial excess.

Pfeiffer does a superb job as Ruth, Hank Azaria is brilliant as Frank Dipascali, the rough-around-the-edges executor of Madoffs malfeasance, and both Nivola and Darrow are convincing, except for moments when the script lets them down, which it does, unfortunately, in the pre-suicide scene.

In the end, you are of course left with no sympathy for Bernie Madoff  thats to be expected. But you also have no greater insight into who he is and why he did it. The enduring tragedy of Bernie Madoff is that he probably will never feel the full sense of loss that he caused so many others to feel.

David Wiegand is an assistant managing editor and the TV critic of The San Francisco Chronicle. Follow him on Facebook. Email: dwiegand@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @WaitWhat_TV

The Wizard of Lies: Drama, 8 p.m. Saturday, May 20, on HBO.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Nonresident undergraduate student enrollment at the University of California at Berkeley and the University of California at Santa Cruz will be capped starting in the fall of 2018, according to a policy approved Thursday by the university's board of regents.

At UC Berkeley, nonresident undergraduate student enrollment will be capped at the percentage of nonresident undergraduates who enroll this coming academic year.

At UC Santa Cruz, nonresident undergraduate student enrollment will be capped at 18 percent of all undergraduates.

The policy will be reviewed by the UC Board of Regents in four years or sooner, university officials said.

The policy aims to strike the right balance between putting California residents first and the benefits that nonresident students bring to the university, UC President Janet Napolitano said in a statement.

College-bound Californians have been upset because they have had such a difficult time in getting into the UC campus of their choice and that many seats are going to out-of-state or international students.

Last academic year, 24.4 percent of undergraduates at UC Berkeley were nonresidents. At UC Santa Cruz, that number was 7.6 percent.

Napolitano said the approved policy represents a consensus reached among the regents, legislators and others.

The policy was born out of California's Budget Act of 2016, which required the regents to cap the number of undergraduate nonresidents as a condition of receiving $18.5 million to support 2,500 more resident undergraduates this coming academic year.

University officials claim that the UC's focus on resident undergraduates is unique among many top-ranked public universities.

Only an average of 16.5 percent of undergraduates in the UC system are nonresidents, which is lower than the average among the 60 American universities in the Association of American Universities.

The AAU represents 60 leading research universities in the U.S. and two in Canada.

The statement by Napolitano said the university is committed to offering a place to every California applicant who meets the university's admission requirements.

Napolitano said the new policy "reaffirms our pledge that nonresident students will be enrolled only in addition to, and never in place of, Californians."

987-9200
Philip K. Dick was a writer of modest accomplishment when he met Anne Rubenstein in late 1958. By the time the couple broke up less than six years later, Dick had written more than a dozen novels and was well on his way to eminence as one of the most influential of postwar American writers.

The events and emotions of that marriage turn up again and again in Dicks novels, transfigured into science fiction. Anne Dick, as Rubenstein became, made custom jewelry, which was a major plot element in his best-known novel, The Man in the High Castle. Their childrens Barbies are featured in The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, where colonists on Mars escape their wretched existence with reality-altering drugs and Perky Pat dolls.

The couple were also devoted to their sheep, which are prized possessions in his celebrated novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the basis for the film Blade Runner.

Above all, Ms. Dick shows up in female characters. She inspired Juliana, the heroine of High Castle, who has no trouble slashing a Nazi operatives throat, as well as a number of shrill, carping, unhappy wives in other books.

I was a good  what do you call it?  muse, Ms. Dick said in a recent interview.

Ms. Dick died of congestive heart failure April 28 at her home in Point Reyes Station, her daughter, Tandy R. Ford, said. She was 90 and had never remarried.

Philip K. Dick, who married twice more, for a total of five wives, died in 1982. Blade Runner, released later that year, is now regarded as a cinematic milestone. (A sequel is coming this fall.) The Man in the High Castle, about a parallel universe in which the Germans and the Japanese won World War II, is in its second season on Amazon. Thirteen of Dicks novels are in the canon-defining Library of America, including five he wrote while married to Ms. Dick.

If there were another parallel universe, in which the Dicks had never met, none of this might have happened.

Anne sparked Phil to an incandescent level of achievement, Gregg Rickman, a biographer of Philip K. Dick, said in a telephone interview.

Anne Browning Williams was born Jan. 16, 1927, in West Englewood, N.J. Her father, Arthur Williams Jr., was a Wall Street executive who was ruined in the 1929 crash. He died when Anne was still a child. Her mother, Hazel Johnson Williams, moved back home to St. Louis with her children.

She was a 20-year-old student at Washington University when she met her first husband, Richard Rubenstein, a poet from a well-off St. Louis family. He helped found the little magazine Neurotica  for and about neurotics, written by neurotics  which was an influence on the budding Beat generation.

The couple moved to San Francisco, had three daughters and immersed themselves in the vibrant local poetry scene. They started another poetry magazine, Inferno, and then a third, Gryphon, which published early work by Robert Creeley and Denise Levertov.

On a whim, the couple moved again, in 1955, this time to Point Reyes Station north of San Francisco. In 1958, Richard Rubenstein was being treated in an East Coast psychiatric clinic for depression when he abruptly died, apparently from an allergic reaction to tranquilizers.

Three weeks later, Anne Rubenstein met a new couple who had just moved to town, Phil and Kleo Dick. After a whirlwind affair, Dick moved in with her in the spacious modernist house she had shared with Rubenstein.

He used to help with the cooking, Ms. Dick said of the author. He would mop the floors. He was lovely with the children.

Bored with science fiction and unable to interest publishers in his mainstream novels, Dick quit writing to help his new wife in her jewelry business. He liked that even less, and so he pretended to work on a new novel. To make it look realistic, he said in a 1976 interview with Science Fiction Review, he had to start typing.

What emerged was The Man in the High Castle. It was dedicated, cryptically and not altogether favorably, to his wife, without whose silence this book would never have been written. (In the 1970s, Dick changed the dedication, dropping Anne Dick entirely.)

Ms. Dick said she saw only the pilot of the Amazon series, finding the Nazis a little too threatening.

Thirty-five years ago, with her daughters grown, Ms. Dick was inspired to revisit the marriage. Her memoir, The Search for Philip K. Dick, appeared in 1995 and in a revised edition in 2010.

Much of Philip Dicks work explores the slippery nature of reality. His third marriage proved no less elusive.

I never did understand why he left me; I dont think people really understand other people, Ms. Dick said. It took me years to get over him. I swear, I thought about him almost continually, obsessively.

The couple had a daughter, Laura. I think he was like another child, Ms. Dick said. He was really a very, very nice husband.

Nice, except for when his paranoia kicked in. One day they were driving out of a field after putting lumber in the barn. Dick opened the gate; Ms. Dick gunned the motor, and he ran off.

I guess he thought I was trying to kill him, she said.

She often gave as good as she got, however. Dishes flew during quarrels, and so did furniture. Husband struck wife, and wife struck him back.

They were both very powerful people, and when two powerful people get together, sometimes dynamite goes off, Ford, her daughter, said.

The nadir came in 1963. Philip Dick had his wife involuntarily committed to a local psychiatric center for two weeks. The ward was kept locked, but, according to Ms. Dicks book, he told the doctors he was the one who should really be locked up.

I was very good at denial  or was it faith  or bourgeois family values  or an excess of loyalty? Ms. Dick wrote. When he gave her a garbage disposal for Christmas, however, she did insist that he take it back.

She remained in the same house in Point Reyes Station for the rest of her life. In later years, as her jewelry business waned, she used it as a bed-and-breakfast inn. For about $100 a night, people could rent the room where Dick had worked on High Castle. In truth, though, most visitors were focused on hiking the nearby national seashore.

One of Ms. Dicks daughters, Jayne Reano, died in 2012. The three others  Ford, Hatte Blejer and Laura Leslie  survive her, as do nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Ms. Dick was making plans in recent months to self-publish her first novel, Gravity Slide, which tackles the eternal Dick theme of the fluid nature of reality.

The heroine, who moves between our world and a world in which the Japanese detonated a nuclear bomb over Los Angeles to win World War II, meets a writer named Philip K. Dick. She tells him that she is from the parallel reality he depicts in his book The Man in the High Castle, but he doesnt believe her.

David Streitfeld is a New York Times writer.
A roundup of upcoming events:

Sunday

Free speech discussion: Ben Stein, a 95-year-old Holocaust survivor and Berkeley resident, will discuss his documentary, Near Normal Man, and free speech versus hate speech. The discussion will be followed by a screening of his film. The free event is at 9:30 a.m. at Grace Cathedral, 1100 California St. in San Francisco. For information: www.gracecathedral.org/events/ben-charlene-stern.

Trump opposition panel: A discussion on the first 100 days of President Trumps administration and strategies for Trump opponents. Speakers include staffers from House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosis office and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. The panel is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center, Rainbow Room, 1800 Market St. The event is free but has limited seating. RSVP: http://bit.ly/2qRwcf4.

North Korea talk: A conversation with Conn Hallinan, a foreign policy analyst, on North Korea, China and the U.S. Free, 7 to 9 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo, 300 E. Santa Inez Ave. For information: www.sanmateopeaceaction.org.

Monday

Policing talk: A conversation on policing reform, led by Ronald Davis, former director of the U.S. Justice Departments Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. The event is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Creekside Community Church, 951 MacArthur Blvd. in San Leandro. For information: http://bit.ly/2pWJwtr.

Wednesday

Fake news discussion: A conversation with Joaquin Alvarado, CEO of the Center for Investigative Reporting, on the obligation of the government and media to filter fake news. The event is from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the World Affairs Auditorium, 312 Sutter St., Suite 200, in San Francisco. For information: http://bit.ly/2qw0OCF.

Thursday

Peace vigil: A stand against confrontational actions that promote war, hosted by Fremonts Tri-City Interfaith Council. The vigil will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. at Paseo Padre Parkway and Walnut Avenue in Fremont.

May 27

Immigration discussion: The Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity will host a discussion on immigration, followed by postcard writing to support social justice. The event is from 10 a.m. to noon at the Northern Police Station Community Room, 1125 Fillmore St. in San Francisco. For information: info@owlsf.org.

June 1

Elizabeth Warren event: A conversation with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and MSNBC host Joy-Ann Reid at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, 3301 Lyon St. in San Francisco. The discussion is part of an all-day event organized around opposition to President Trump. Tickets cost $100 and can be purchased at www.joyouspersistence.com.
Two men were rescued Saturday morning in the frigid water near San Franciscos China Beach, officials said.

At around 8 a.m., the Coast Guard and the San Francisco Fire Department were summoned to the area after two men swimming in the water without wetsuits were unable to make their way back to the beach because of the strong tides, said Lt. Jonathan Baxter, a Fire Department spokesman.
If you missed it ...

In a week when we wished someone would come up with a virus to permanently encrypt our Facebook feeds, this also happened:

 Richard Branson, right, came to town to promote Virgin Sport, a festival of fitness. He also said Alaska Airlines has to keep paying for the Virgin America name, which it plans to retire in 2019, unless we decide to start another airline. Alaska, which bought the Burlingame airline last year, has said it doesnt need to pay for a brand it isnt using.

 Some clients of BMO Harris, the Chicago bank, opened mailings last week to find another customers name, address, account number, fund amount and last four digits of the Social Security number. BMO Harris does not yet know how many of its more than 2 million customers were affected. Sheets of paper meant be cut and sent to different customers were apparently folded instead, a spokeswoman said.

 Musical.ly, an app popular with tweens for creating and sharing personal music videos, is in talks with Viacom and NBCUniversal to make original shows set to premiere this summer, according to people familiar with the matter. The app has more than 100 million musers around the world.

 Uber drivers say the gap between the fare a rider pays and what they receive is getting wider. The companys explanation: A new fare system, route-based pricing, which charges what it predicts customers are willing to pay, instead of mileage and time. So now a trip from Sea Cliff to Pacific Heights might cost more than a ride from the Mission to Bayview.

Daily Briefing is compiled from San Francisco Chronicle staff and news services. See more items and links at www.sfgate.com. Twitter: @techchronicle
The WannaCry ransomware was a derivative implementation of an exploit developed at the cost of the US taxpayer holding hostage mostly users of pirated and/or outdated software across the world. Let us first understand how the US taxpayer ended up subsidising this global criminal operation.

The National Security Agency of the US government, like the intelligence and military agencies in most other nation states with an offensive cyber security programme, is amassing zero-day vulnerabilities. Zero-day vulnerabilities are vulnerabilities in software that have not been disclosed publicly. The vulnerability targeted by WannaCry was for years of strategic importance for the NSA. They had built an exploit called Eternal Blue to remotely take over and control computers running Windows XP to Windows 2012.

advertisement

In the big picture, through amassing hundreds of such vulnerabilities and their associated exploits, agencies like the NSA contribute to the fragility of our global information society. They reverse the traditional market incentives for fixing software vulnerabilities. While this strategy might provide the NSA an advantage during cyber attacks and cyber war - even the NSA does not know if criminals are using the very same vulnerabilities to target American citizens. This cyber-security challenge is currently being debated at many different national and international forums.

The most important question is - should the market for zero-day vulnerabilities and exploits be regulated? If it is to be regulated, how should it be regulated? Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that there will be consensus on this issue and therefore governments will continue to contribute to the success of attacks like WannaCry in the years to come.

Why did the criminals target outdated/pirated software? Corporations like Microsoft try to discourage piracy by only providing patches to paying customers. Microsoft had released patches mid-March around a month before the Shadow Brokers released the latest tranche of weaponised software exploits from the NSA featuring Eternal Blue.

Additionally, Microsoft went out of its way to also release a patch for Windows XP; they were not obliged to do this since they had ended support for XP in April 2014. But Microsoft decided against making these patches available to users of pirated versions of their software. Of course, user ignorance and poor security practices have contributed greatly to the scale of the attack, but given that our government knows that most Indians will not be able to afford proprietary software, it is strange it doesn't promote Free/ Open Source Software (FOSS).

The promotion of FOSS is mentioned in the BJP manifesto for 2014. This is best achieved through vendor neutrality in government procurement and educational institutions. Otherwise, the state and academia end up as the sales teams of proprietary software firms. If ordinary people shift to FOSS, they could, for example, instal the latest version of Ubuntu without paying and also get all the latest security updates.

advertisement

This is not to say there is no ransomware targeting FOSS (Android, flavours of GNU/Linux) or FOSS-based operating systems like Apple's OS. But their limited market share results in fewer criminals targeting them. With FOSS, it's also possible that resources needed to detect vulnerabilities and develop patches can be provided by multiple stakeholders, including governments. However, it is important not to forget that there is no guarantee that any of this will actually happen.

There are examples of very important projects like Open SSL with vulnerabilities like Heart Bleed that remained undetected and unfixed. This was because everyone was hoping for someone else to do it. Economists call this the "tragedy of the commons". However, in developing countries like India, government procurement can be used to shape the market, incentivising an ecosystem of developers with market incentives for contributing to FOSS projects. This is a better way to use taxpayer money!

Sunil Abraham is Executive Director, Centre for Internet and Society

--- ENDS ---
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Misha Govshteyn and his colleagues at the cybersecurity startup Alert Logic dropped all their projects about a month ago, except for one they deemed a graver threat than the rest.

Someone had stolen never-before-seen hacking tactics from the National Security Agency and posted them online. Working in shifts for 36 hours straight, dozens of Alert Logic engineers in Houston, Belfast in Northern Ireland and Cardiff in Wales devoted their attention to analyzing the leaked computer code.

What they found could undermine the privacy of the crucial corporate files they protect for 4,000 media companies, retailers and app makers. They developed a way to stop their clients from falling victim to the spying and issued warnings to the public through blogs and social media.

Several security firms around the world echoed that sentiment, blasting alerts in mid-April instructing systems administrators to tighten defenses because the NSA leak was sure to lead to a cyberweapon, and signs of a brewing attack had emerged.

Its clear the advice didnt reach or sway everyone: The WannaCry ransomware offensive seized an estimated 300,000 computers within the last week, with repairs and other associated costs possibly running into the billions of dollars globally.

WannaCry illustrates the challenge faced by cybersecurity companies as data breaches, credit card theft and phishing become more common. Security researchers regularly sound the alarm  but they fear their warnings are getting lost in a sea of risks.

The problem, they acknowledge, is partially their own making as researchers and firms sometimes overhype threats to gain publicity. But there also remains a gap between external advice and internal action across the corporate cybersecurity landscape.

This is a concern for Govshteyn and others in the industry. Even though WannaCry marked only a temporary inconvenience for most, cybersecurity experts continue to fear the next onslaught could take someones life.

What were doing now with warnings by Alert Logic and other companies in the security industry clearly isnt working, Govshteyn said.

The answer, he says, could be governments holding companies accountable for failing to take proper precautions, especially in the face of warnings.

About a month ago, private researchers announced they had identified computers compromised by breach methods held by the NSA. The fact that they emanated from the intelligence agency was a sign to the researchers that the tactics are more likely than others to prove virulent and highly effective.

At that point, hackers arent believed to have released a weapon such as ransomware to lock users files. But they had an entryway to do so if they wanted.

Its highly likely what we saw were precursors to WannaCry, said Govshteyn, Alert Logics co-founder and senior vice president of products.

Alert Logic quickly informed clients, including about two dozen customers whose security practices left open dangerous holes. Other information security companies shared news of thousands of infected computers.

Matthew Hickey, co-founder of Hacker House in Britain, said his teams had been tracking several similar leaks since late last year and saw this NSA-related batch as the most worrisome. As the days went on, Hacker House kept issuing ever-heightened warnings of a Microsoft apocalypse.

The early detection should have led people to update their systems with a patch from Microsoft and adjust firewall settings, said Vladimir Vlaski, founder of Milwaukee firm Below0Day.

Some heeded the advice. But many more apparently ignored it or werent aware. The number of infected computers rose to more than 300,000 from 50,000 in five days, he said.

British computer security researcher Kevin Beaumont said people mocked his prediction that the NSA intrusion tactic would be used to set off a worm  malware that automatically crawls from computer to computer across networks. Many again sidestepped his concerns in the early hours of the worms release this month. It wasnt until hours later, as computers worldwide fell into its grip, that more of the industry galvanized.

The chatter about the need to intensify security because of the NSA leak may have been drowned out by the news cycle surrounding President Trump in recent weeks, security consultants suspect. The lack of focus on cybersecurity in some corners of the world outside of the U.S. may have also contributed to the damage.

People who were aware of the specter of WannaCry may have brushed aside the issue as overblown. Tiago Henriques, CEO of Swiss company Binary Edge, can understand why. To many, people such as Henriques might just be the boy who cried wolf one too many times.

Its very hard for us in the industry to work through all the noise, so you can imagine what it looks like to people outside, he said. Every time a new vulnerability is released everyone tries to sell it as the most critical thing in the world when sometimes in reality they arent so. Im not surprised that sometimes people dont really listen to us anymore.

At Alert Logic, Govshteyn admits they certainly yelled fire unnecessarily to drum up customers in one case years back.

And we made a decision we would never do it again, he said. It wasnt trivial, but we added to the noise.

He suggested an impartial government institution perhaps could step in to prioritize threats. Until then, he described the closest thing as the Internet Storm Center  a global threat-sharing group sponsored by a for-profit technology training institute in Maryland.

Even if a warning comes from a source widely seen as credible, many of those affected by WannaCry may continue to defer upgrades, whether because of possible software malfunctions or complacency.

Its a horrific idea to run outdated, unsupported systems in mission-critical environments, Govshteyn said. But when someone has made bad decisions this many times, I wouldnt be expecting a warning to matter much.

A test of whether they prove him wrong could soon. The same entity that released the NSA files last month proclaimed Tuesday that it would share more tactics to paying subscribers in the coming months.

Govshteyn said Alert Logic would subscribe, depending on the cost, and the cycle of analysis and warning would begin anew.

Paresh Dave is a Los Angeles Times writer.
California Highway Patrol /

A Pleasanton woman who allegedly killed a 3-year-old boy and injured his mother and two siblings when she struck their car while driving under the influence was charged Friday in connection with the crash, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Yarenit Malihan, 40, was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and felony driving under the influence.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Nudist revelers celebrated the Summer of Love with a naked parade in the Castro on Saturday afternoon. Wacky hats graced the heads of many participants, but that was about the only item of clothing to be seen, with the exception of the fully clothed passersby and citizen photographers.

BAY TO BREAKERS: Costumes, nudity on parade at SF's signature race

The permitted parade was organized by nude activist Gypsy Taub, one of the figures on the forefront of the opposition to San Francisco's nudity ban, which was enacted in 2012 by Supervisor Scott Weiner. Taub gave a speech to the small crowd, officially dedicating the festivities to the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love and the "spiritual awakening of unprecedented proportions" it ushered into San Francisco.

"The Summer of Love began in the 60s but it never ended," reads a transcript of the speech on Taub's NSFW website, My Naked Truth.

Marchers joined at Jane Warner Plaza at 11 a.m. before winding their way through the Castro and Haight-Ashbury. Although touted as a parade, protest signs peppered the parade, many scribbled with phrases such as "Say no to body shame" and "Stop the SF nudity ban."

See photos from the parade (some of which contain nudity) in the above gallery.

The parade's nudity permit lasts until 2:30 p.m., at which time participants will be required to cover up.

Diane de Guzman contributed to this story.

Read Michelle Robertsons latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.




This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

YAPHANK, N.Y.  An enclave of former summer bungalows, where Nazi sympathizers once proudly marched near streets named for Adolf Hitler and other Third Reich figures, is being forced to end policies that limited ownership to people of German descent.

The German American Settlement League, which once welcomed tens of thousands in the 1930s to pro-Nazi marches at Camp Siegfried on eastern Long Island, has settled an antidiscrimination case brought by New York state. The settlement calls for a change in the leagues leadership and adherence to all state and federal housing laws.

Many residents in the tiny community of about 40 homes that is a small part of the rural hamlet of Yaphank declined to speak on the record, but those who did disputed their community is tainted by discrimination.

Theres a mixed bag; its not like it was, said Fred Stern, a member of the leagues board and a 40-year resident, who conceded the community was once primarily occupied by those of German descent. Its not like whatever theyre saying. If you went to every house and asked peoples nationality, it wouldnt be any different than any other neighborhood.

The homes are a combination of small bungalows and larger suburban-type ranches. Lawns are carefully landscaped, and mailboxes  many with German surnames  sit street-side in the curbless enclave.

News accounts recall a groundswell of Nazism in the enclave in the years before the start of World War II. Camp Siegfried, where the homes stand today, was sponsored by the German American Bund to promote Hitler, although many at the time also voraciously expressed loyalty to the United States.

Swastikas were commonplace, including on some of the homes in the enclave at the time, said Geri Solomon, archivist at Hofstra University.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said a 2016 settlement of a federal lawsuit brought by two former residents, who said the German American Settlement League policies hindered their attempts to sell their homes, called for an end to discriminatory practices. That settlement paid the former residents, who eventually did sell and moved out of state, $175,000.

Frank Eltman is an Associated Press writer.
COLUMBUS, Ohio  The family of a black 13-year-old boy fatally shot by a white Columbus police officer after a suspected robbery last year said it is completely dissatisfied with how the investigation was handled after a grand jury voted not to indict the officer.

The Franklin County grand jury was considering whether Officer Bryan Mason should be charged criminally in the September 2016 shooting of Tyre King. Police have said Mason shot the teen after he pulled a BB gun that looked like a real firearm from his waistband during a foot pursuit.
WASHINGTON  The law enforcement investigation into possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign has identified a current White House official as a significant person of interest, showing that the probe is reaching into the highest levels of government, according to people familiar with the matter.

The senior White House adviser under scrutiny by investigators is someone close to the president, according to these people, who would not further identify the official.

The revelation comes as the investigation also appears to be entering a more overtly active phase, with investigators shifting from work that has remained largely hidden from the public to conducting interviews and using a grand jury to issue subpoenas. The intensity of the probe is expected to accelerate in the coming weeks, the people said.

The sources emphasized that investigators remain keenly interested in people who previously wielded influence in the Trump campaign and administration but are no longer part of it, including former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

Flynn resigned in February after disclosures that he had lied to administration officials about his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Current administration officials who have acknowledged contacts with Russian officials include President Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner; Attorney General Jeff Sessions; and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

People familiar with the investigation said the intensifying effort does not mean criminal charges are near, or that any such charges will result. Earlier this week, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller to serve as special counsel and lead the investigation into Russian meddling.

It is unclear exactly how Muellers leadership will affect the direction of the probe, and he is already bringing in new people to work on the team. Those familiar with the case said its significance had increased before Muellers appointment.

While the case began quietly in July as an effort to determine whether any Trump associates coordinated with Russian operatives to meddle in the presidential election campaign, the investigative work now being done by the FBI also includes determining whether any financial crimes were committed by people close to the president. The people familiar with the matter said the probe has sharpened into something more fraught for the White House, the FBI and the Justice Department  particularly because of the public steps investigators know they now need to take, the people said.

When subpoenas are issued or interviews are requested, it is possible the people being asked to talk or provide documents will reveal publicly what they were asked about.

A small group of lawmakers known as the Gang of Eight was notified of the change in tempo and focus in the investigation at a classified briefing Wednesday evening, the people familiar with the matter said. Then-FBI Director James Comey had publicly confirmed the existence of the investigation in March.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said, As the president has stated before, a thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity.

While there has been a loud public debate in recent days over the question of whether the president might have attempted to obstruct justice in his private dealings with Comey, whom Trump fired last week, people familiar with the matter said investigators on the case are more focused on Russian influence operations and possible financial crimes.

The FBIs investigation seeks to determine whether and to what extent Trump associates were in contact with Kremlin operatives, what business dealings they might have had in Russia, and whether they facilitated the hacking and publishing of emails of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta during the presidential campaign. Several congressional committees are also investigating, though their probes could not produce criminal charges.

A grand jury in Alexandria, Va., recently issued a subpoena for records related to Flynns business, the Flynn Intel Group, which had been paid more than $500,000 by a company owned by a Turkish American businessman close to top Turkish officials, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Flynn Intel Group was paid for research on Fethullah Gulen, a cleric who Turkeys current president believes was responsible for a coup attempt last summer. Flynn retroactively registered with the Justice Department in March as a paid foreign agent for Turkish interests.

Separately from the probe now run by Mueller, Flynn is being investigated by the Pentagons top watchdog for his foreign payments. Flynn also received $45,000 to appear in 2015 with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a dinner for RT, a Kremlin-controlled media organization.

Flynn discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with Kislyak during the month before Trump took office, and he withheld that fact from even Vice President Mike Pence. That prompted then-acting Attorney General Sally Yates to warn the White Houses top lawyer that Flynn might be susceptible to blackmail. Flynn stepped down after the Washington Post reported on the contents of the call.

The president has nonetheless seemed to defend his former adviser. A memo by Comey alleged that Trump even asked that the probe into Flynn be shut down.

The White House also has acknowledged that Kushner met with Kislyak in late November. Kushner also has acknowledged that he met with the head of a Russian development bank, Vnesheconombank, which has been under U.S. sanctions since July 2014. The presidents son-in-law initially omitted contacts with foreign leaders from a national security questionnaire, though his lawyer said Kushner submitted the form prematurely and informed the FBI soon after that he would provide an update.

Devlin Barrett and Matt Zapotosky are Washington Post writers.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Florida python hunter Dustin Crum recently nabbed the largest snake ever caught in the Florida Everglades.

Everglades National Park is facing an invasion from Burmese pythons, one of the largest snake species on Earth. The adaptable reptile has decimated wildlife, eating anything from birds, to mammals and even alligators.

Crum is working for a state program that pays hunters for killing the invasive snakes. In this case, Crum said he stumbled upon the 16-foot, 10-inch beast by accident.

TEXAS VETS: There's an increase in rattlesnakes biting dogs in Austin

Story continues below...

"I was driving by and caught a shimmer of something," Crum said. "I thought it was an empty water bottle or something reflecting off the sun. When I stopped, I could see it was a big snake."

The python hunter proceeded to catch the reptile bare-handed, a fight he equated to "Hulk Hogan versus Andre the Giant."

"It's a battle with heavy weights," Crum said. "The snake is all strong, 130 pounds of muscle."

Fortunately, Crum said a python doesn't have much endurance and will tire after fighting for a couple of minutes.

When officials finally measured the nearly 17-foot snake, even Crum was surprised by the size.

FORT BEND POLICE: Don't mess with alligators or we'll ticket you

"I didn't know it was going to be that big, it was fairly fat, but I didn't know it was going to be 16 10," he said. "I was blown away."

Inside the python, officials discovered 78 eggs  or 78 snakes that won't be hurting native wildlife.

"It's kind of like a ghost town with the way wildlife used to be," Crum said. "There's not much left out there. It's a big problem."

Burmese pythons are native to Southeast Asia, but were brought to North America as exotic pets. Snakes that either escaped or were released by their owners established a foothold in the Everglades, where they have thrived.

Click through above to see which snakes are common in Texas and how to identify them.
Despite a San Francisco supervisors effort to replace longtime city police Commissioner Petra DeJesus with a political ally, DeJesus appears to have the votes necessary to be reappointed to the civilian oversight board.

All that stands in the way is that supervisor  Ahsha Safai  and the question of when he will call for a vote before the Rules Committee that he chairs.

DeJesus seat has been vacant since April 30, when her term ran out, but Safai has yet to schedule a discussion on the appointment. Safai hoped to win support for his pick, Olga Miranda, the president of Service Employees International Union Local 87. She campaigned heavily for Safai, the unions former political director.

Safai said Friday that hes been too busy to address the Police Commission vacancy, and declined to comment on leaving the seat vacant.

I havent been able to think about any of that, he said. Its the farthest thing from my mind. Hopefully next week Ill have the time to think about it.

The Police Commission, which sets policy and oversees the discipline of officers, is made up of four members nominated by the mayor and approved by the Board of Supervisors, and three members nominated by the Rules Committee and approved by the full board.

The full board can override any nomination sent over by the Rules Committee, but as it stands, the other two members of the committee  Supervisors Sandra Lee Fewer and Norman Yee  have indicated that they will vote for DeJesus, an attorney who has served for 10 years.

Supervisors Aaron Peskin, Hillary Ronen and Jane Kim said they are backing DeJesus. As the progressive voices on the board, it was expected that they would side with the progressive and outspoken DeJesus. But Thursday, moderate-leaning Supervisor Jeff Sheehy said hell provide the sixth vote needed for a majority decision.

Shes got experience, and shes been doing a good job for 12 years and by all accounts, shes been fair, he said. I wont agree with her on every issue, but thats going to happen no matter what.

DeJesus has long had the support of police watchdogs and community activists. Many appreciate her opposition to a push by the police force to equip officers with stun guns.

Safai is continuing to play politics with police reform, the group San Franciscans for Police Accountability said in a statement Friday.

Another odd turn in this political saga is the emergence of a third applicant this week. While theres no telling if this will affect DeJesus reappointment, DeJesus said Friday, I trust in the people who are trusting in me.

Im really proud and honored that I have the support of six of the supervisors, she said.

Miranda did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Her bid for the commission seat  and Safais support  prompted allegations of cronyism, particularly because Miranda, a longtime Albany resident, sought to establish San Francisco residency just days before applying for the position.

She told The Chronicle she had moved to the city in February and that her husband and son would join her after her son finished the school year in Albany.

DeJesus said she hopes that Safai will schedule a discussion on the appointment soon.

Its been almost eight weeks, and the mayors appointment was put on within days, she said. This is a very important commission, and it should have its full staffing of commissioners.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo
The BBCs initial reporting indicated that the polling hours had been extended on three occasions over the course of the evening, supposedly in response to long lines of people who had not yet been able to cast their ballots. But the Paris-based opposition coalition the National Council of Resistance of Iran drew upon intelligence networks inside of Iran to disseminate images apparently showing empty polling places throughout the country.

The BBC also noted that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had used the last day of the presidential campaign to reiterate comments he had made several times in recent weeks, urging all Iranians to participate in the election process in order to safeguard the legitimacy of the theocratic regime. Some of these public statements included veiled references to a campaign by the NCRIs main constituent group, the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran, to encourage people to boycott the election.

In the run-up to that election, PMOI supporters in Iran posted posters and graffiti in various public places dismissing Raisi as a murderer and Rouhani as an imposter and expressing the intention to vote for regime change. At the same time, activists and commentators both inside Iran and among the Iranian expatriate community contributed to the political dialogue about the election, using social media applications like Telegram, which may be in use by as much as half the population in spite of authorities attempts to crack down on it.

It is virtually impossible to know how many potential voters the PMOI and its supporters reached by these and other means in advance of Fridays election. But what is known is that domestic polling data from earlier in the week continued to indicate that upwards of half the country had no clear preference for one candidate or the other, and thus might not vote at all. Nevertheless, the Iranian regime announced on Friday night that approximately 70 percent of eligible voters had gone to the polls.

Shortly before that announcement, however, the NCRI had drawn attention to the fact that Iranian state media was reporting only about 35 percent turnout even after polls had been open for nearly nine hours. In this context, it can be argued that the regimes decision to repeatedly extend polling hours was done not in order to accommodate preexisting demands for participation but to drum up additional numbers through coercion, fraud, or other means.

The NCRI also strove to account for what some of these means would have been. The opposition movement found that inmates in more than one prison had been told that their participation in the electoral process was mandatory. In some cases, prisoners were reportedly threatened with a month-long ban on family visits if they refused to cast their ballots. Additionally, the NCRI alleges that members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps voted once on their bases and once in their local communities, that ballots were cast in the names of deceased voters, and that duplicate identification forms had been created to facilitate multiple voting by persons the regime recruited.

Whatever accounts for the massive uptick in supposed electoral participation in the late hours of the voting, the result is certainly convenient for the supreme leader and his supporters. The BBC quoted Khamenei as saying, American, European officials and those of the Zionist regime are watching our elections to see the level of participation. The Iranian nation has enemies. Faced with the enemy, the people should show its determination and calm.

The supreme leader went on to repeat his earlier threats against anyone who disrupted security in the midst of the elections. Such commentary was widely recognized as a reference to the 2009 Green Movement, which emerged out of disputes over the legitimacy of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejads reelection and which went on for several months before being violently suppressed.

Rouhanis election four years later was regarded by some Western policymakers as a partial vindication of the Green Movement, in light of his surprise, last minute victory and his campaign promises regarding the lifting of some social restrictions and the freeing of political prisoners including the Green Movement leaders. However, widespread disappointment met the Rouhani administration soon after he took office, as he failed to take any notable steps in the direction of fulfilling those promises.

Notwithstanding his Rouhanis successful pursuit of a nuclear agreement, this disappointment remained on display in the pre-election polling this year, and the Iranian Resistance evidently sought to utilize it in promoting the electoral boycott. The persistence of moderate and reformist disillusionment was on display in the commentary shared with international media by some pro-reform voters who participated in the election rather than the boycott.

I know he is not a reformist, but who cares? said one government employee of Rouhani, when interviewed by Reuters. What matters is that he is not Raisi. On Thursday, the Washington Post described the hardline candidate as the most radical possible choice, and also the most fiercely loyal to the supreme leader. But this is not to say that Rouhani has ever openly challenged the supreme leader or that he is likely to do so in his second term. Khamenei has expressed some distaste for Rouhanis signature achievement, the nuclear deal with six world powers, but the negotiations over that agreement only went on with the explicit blessing of Supreme Leader Khamenei, the ultimate authority in all matters of state.

Reuters pointed out on Friday that Rouhani had attempted to bolster reformist talking points in the weeks leading up to the election, in order to make himself appear less like the regime insider and loyalist that he historically has been. Some observers seem to think that this may have succeeded in diminishing reformist aversion to voting for him a second time. But even if this is the case, the PMOI and NCRI will certainly characterize such efforts as part of a regime-wide conspiracy to mask the fundamental lack of choice that props up the clerical regime.
Before Camp Mather became a refuge for San Franciscans seeking an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life, the family camp was a sawmill that provided lumber for the Hetch Hetchy dam. Loggers have once again returned to the camp, tucked away in the Sierra Nevada mountains, though with sharply differing intentions.

Bark beetles  tiny insects no larger than a grain of rice  have swarmed the camp's beloved arbors, decimating the drought-stricken trees by the hundreds. The damage was so extensive, San Francisco Recreation and Park hired a logging company to remove 1,500 trees, the clearing of which was completed on May 1, according to Connie Chan, a spokesperson for Park and Rec.
Just hours after disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner pleaded guilty to sexting with a minor, his wife filed for divorce in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Huma Abedin, a top Hillary Clinton aide during the 2016 presidential election, filed the papers under "Anonymous vs. Anonymous," reports the New York Post. A source familiar with the matter later confirmed the filing with CNN.

Although she had originally filed for an uncontested divorce, she later amended the papers to read "contested." According to the Post, this implies that Weiner decided not to sign the papers "at the last minute."

Experts told the Post that the couple, who has been married for seven years, will likely face a long court battle, largely over visitation with their 5-year-old son, Jordan.

Weiner, 52, was wearing his gold wedding band in federal court as he tearily confessed to sending obscene material to a 15-year-old-girl on Friday. "I have a sickness, but I do not have an excuse," Weiner told the court. As part of his plea deal, Weiner must register as a sex offender, forfeit his iPhone and passport, and seek ongoing mental health treatment.

Read SFGATE's full coverage of the Weiner plea here.

Weiner's guilty plea will also likely exempt him from unsupervised supervision with his son, Manhattan divorce attorney Suzanne Kimberly Bracker told the Post.

"He's going to ruin his family financially  if it's contested, it's going to cost over $100,000, easily," she said.

It's been a turbulent few years for Abedin and Weiner. In 2011, a year into marriage, Abedin stood by her husband after he shared an underwear selfie on Twitter. Two years later, Weiner dashed his mayoral bid after reports emerged of his sexting with multiple women.

According to the Post, Abedin likely waited to file for divorce so she could claim spousal protection and avoid testifying in the sexting case.

Read Michelle Robertsons latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.
The San Francisco housing market is brutal, but not every seller is after the highest offer.

A brother and sister's handwritten letters sealed the deal for a seller who had 15 offers on the table, writes realtor Alexander Clark on his blog the Front Steps. According to the post, the letters "pulled at the heart strings of the sellers and ultimately got them the house ... at a price less than the top offer, and less favorable."
ENGLEFIELD, England  Pippa Middleton, radiant in a custom-made wedding gown, married a wealthy financier Saturday as two likely future British kings and other members of the royal family, including her sister, looked on.

In what was seen by many as the society wedding of the year, Middleton and hedge fund manager James Matthews said their vows in a ceremony at St. Marks Church in Englefield, west of London. Before the wedding, a crowd of well-wishers and reporters gathered outside the church grounds, hoping for a glimpse.
TAIPEI, Taiwan  After a year in office, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wens administration is shunned by an angry China and facing even greater international isolation.

Yet, the islands first female president seems focused on policy initiatives at home as well as maintaining robust relations with the United States, Taiwans most important source of arms and political support.

I am expecting the leaders on the other side of the Taiwan Strait to accurately interpret the meaning of last years presidential elections, and the good intentions that Taiwan tirelessly showed, she said in a speech to overseas Chinese media representatives Friday.

China cut contacts with Taiwan on June 25 to protest Tsais refusal to endorse Beijings view that the two sides are part of a single Chinese nation. President Trumps administration, at least initially, seemed poised to offer new support.

The then-president elect astonished many by talking directly on the phone with Tsai in December, a conversation not held between leaders of the two sides since Washington switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979. He then further stirred the pot by questioning the need to hold to the One China policy under which Washington maintains only unofficial ties with Taipei.

Soon afterward, however, he reasserted his support for One China, resulting in Chinese President Xi Jinping flying to Trumps Mar-a-lago resort for an informal summit in April and last weeks announcement of a trade deal under which China will again allow imports of American beef and purchase natural gas from the U.S.

The sides split amid civil war in 1949 and China continues to regard Taiwan as part of its territory, to be recovered by force if necessary.

At home, Tsai has been grappling with matters ranging from social justice to public welfare. She issued a formal apology on behalf of the government to Taiwans indigenous people for the discrimination and neglect inflicted on them , and has pushed for legalization of same-sex marriage. Tsai also announced that Taiwan will build its own jet aircraft and submarines, in part to revive local industries but also to counter the intense pressure China exerts on foreign nations not to sell weapons to Taiwan.

Johnson Lai and Christopher Bodeen are Assoociated Press writers.
WASHINGTON  The United States has proposed to Russia a plan for managing an increasingly complex battlefield in Syrias main oil-producing region, where U.S.-backed forces fighting Islamic extremists are in conflict with Russian-backed Syrian forces.

Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford declined to describe the proposal in detail, but said the Russian military is eager to find ways to avoid an armed U.S.-Russian conflict in the area around Deir el-Zour on the Euphrates River.

The U.S. sees that area, from Deir el-Zour down the Euphrates River Valley to al-Qaim on the Iraqi side of the border, as the next major battleground in the evolving coalition campaign to destroy the Islamic State.

We have a proposal that were working on with the Russians right now, Dunford said at a news conference with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. I wont share the details, but my sense is that the Russians are as enthusiastic as we are to de-conflict operations and ensure that we continue to take the campaign to ISIS and ensure the safety of our personnel.

Asked whether the proposal to Russia would address the problem of a Syrian army presence in Deir el-Zour, Dunford said, It will. It will. And weve talked about that as a specific area that requires avoiding U.S.-Russian conflict.

Russias support for the Syrian government is a complicating factor in the battle to rid Syria of Islamic State. That was demonstrated Thursday when the U.S. bombed a contingent of pro-Syrian government forces in southeastern Syria that Mattis said were advancing in a threatening way toward a rebel camp near the Jordanian border where U.S. advisers were present.

Mattis said those forces targeted by air strikes were Iranian-directed forces.

Russia denounced the U.S. air strike Friday.

Whatever the reason for the U.S. strike was, it was illegitimate and marked another flagrant violation of Syrias sovereignty, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Cyprus.

Three years into Americas campaign, President Trump is pushing for an accelerated campaign to destroy Islamic State. He hasnt yet announced results of a strategy review he ordered from the Pentagon in late January. But Mattis said Friday that Trump approved a recommendation for a tactical shift toward surrounding Islamic State militants in their strongholds.

Robert Burns is an Associated Press writer.
Blog Archive November 2022 (6) October 2022 (21) September 2022 (19) August 2022 (22) July 2022 (22) June 2022 (18) May 2022 (11) April 2022 (19) March 2022 (16) February 2022 (14) January 2022 (16) December 2021 (14) November 2021 (15) October 2021 (15) September 2021 (14) August 2021 (8) July 2021 (9) June 2021 (4) May 2021 (12) April 2021 (14) March 2021 (18) February 2021 (16) January 2021 (20) December 2020 (17) November 2020 (12) October 2020 (16) September 2020 (13) August 2020 (16) July 2020 (11) June 2020 (3) May 2020 (13) April 2020 (9) March 2020 (17) February 2020 (17) January 2020 (17) December 2019 (19) November 2019 (22) October 2019 (27) September 2019 (23) August 2019 (20) July 2019 (23) June 2019 (24) May 2019 (22) April 2019 (26) March 2019 (22) February 2019 (20) January 2019 (21) December 2018 (26) November 2018 (19) October 2018 (26) September 2018 (24) August 2018 (22) July 2018 (28) June 2018 (23) May 2018 (23) April 2018 (25) March 2018 (24) February 2018 (21) January 2018 (29) December 2017 (26) November 2017 (21) October 2017 (24) September 2017 (23) August 2017 (25) July 2017 (27) June 2017 (25) May 2017 (23) April 2017 (20) March 2017 (20) February 2017 (21) January 2017 (22) December 2016 (23) November 2016 (21) October 2016 (21) September 2016 (21) August 2016 (22) July 2016 (24) June 2016 (26) May 2016 (26) April 2016 (27) March 2016 (29) February 2016 (25) January 2016 (26) December 2015 (28) November 2015 (27) October 2015 (29) September 2015 (23) August 2015 (25) July 2015 (19) June 2015 (17) May 2015 (15) April 2015 (19) March 2015 (19) February 2015 (16) January 2015 (21) December 2014 (16) November 2014 (20) October 2014 (22) September 2014 (20) August 2014 (24) July 2014 (27) June 2014 (26) May 2014 (27) April 2014 (20) March 2014 (25) February 2014 (19) January 2014 (23) December 2013 (24) November 2013 (19) October 2013 (22) September 2013 (20) August 2013 (21) July 2013 (17) June 2013 (16) May 2013 (14) April 2013 (19) March 2013 (16) February 2013 (12) January 2013 (14) December 2012 (20) November 2012 (17) October 2012 (14) September 2012 (14) August 2012 (20) July 2012 (15) June 2012 (15) May 2012 (17) April 2012 (16) March 2012 (6) February 2012 (7) January 2012 (6) December 2011 (12) November 2011 (14) October 2011 (16) September 2011 (9) August 2011 (12) July 2011 (8) June 2011 (11) May 2011 (11) April 2011 (11) March 2011 (10) February 2011 (12) January 2011 (17) December 2010 (16) November 2010 (10) October 2010 (21) September 2010 (21) August 2010 (24) July 2010 (36) June 2010 (19) May 2010 (14) April 2010 (15) March 2010 (13) February 2010 (6) January 2010 (3)
Film: "The Sense of an Ending"; Director: Ritesh Batra; Cast: Jim Broadbent, Harriet Walter, Michelle Dockery, Emily Mortimer, Billy Howle, Freya Mavor, Charlotte Rampling, Joe Alwyn and James Wilby; Rating: **1/2

This film directed by Ritesh Batra is based on a novel of the same name by Julian Barnes which was released in 2011 and awarded the Man Booker Prize. Like the book, the film is a rather dark story, a mystery of infidelity, tragedy and missed opportunity. It packs some philosophical notions about the way we live our lives -- making it a relatable, engaging and thought-provoking, character-driven drama.

It is the tale of Tony Webster, a cautious, divorced man in his late sixties who receives a legal letter by post informing him that he has bequest a diary from a woman he had met only once, during his college days. The woman was the mother of his girlfriend Veronica. The legacy unsettles Tony, pushing him to get in touch with Veronica. In doing so, he starts to put the pieces of the puzzle together, to unravel the mystery that began years ago.

While Tony's past is the focal point of the plot, the screenplay seamlessly oscillates between the present and an era bygone, making it seem like a well-crafted, tastefully done and refined love drama on the surface. The wry British humour adds to the flourish. Despite this, the film falls short on making its mark.

Moving on a rather dull note, Nick Payne's script and Ritesh Batra's direction is sensitive and insightful. Yet, it leaves room for individual interpretation. Pertinent details from the novel that boost the character have been skipped, making this character-driven story feel oddly hollow. The plot seems definitely calculative and underwritten.

The cast is packed with an impressive list of English thespians who deliver heart-felt and layered performances. But particular mention goes to the central four, playing both old and young - Tony and Veronica.

In the older phase of their lives, the duo is portrayed by Jim Broadbent and Charlotte Rampling, as pretty exasperating people, uneasy and awkward. While Charlotte is watchful, unforthcoming and enigmatic behind a chillingly cold stare, Jim plays his usually irritable self, alternating between a grumpy old man and a somewhat coarse human being especially when he darts tasteless, crude remarks carelessly -- a trait which was evident in his youth too.

In the younger version, Billy Howle and Freya Mavor slip into the boots of the seniors rather effortlessly, though they do not resemble them. While Freya Mavor and Charlotte Rampling seem to be in perfect sync with their portrayal of young and old Veronica, there seems to be a glitch between Billy Howle and Jim Broadbent. Their personalities oddly juxtapose.

These four are aptly supported by Joe Alwyn as Adrian -Tony's college friend whom he admired for his academic as well as his broad outlook on life, Michelle Dockery as Susie - Tony's lesbian daughter who is pregnant and on the verge of delivering and Harriet Walter as Tony's non-conformist and pragmatic wife Margaret.

On the technical front, the film is beautifully shot and mounted but there is nothing exceptional about this production.

Read Also:

'Sarkar 3': Performances Keep You Riveted

'Guardian Of The Galaxy Vol. 2': The Sheen Has Withered
[May 19, 2017] Effortless Launches iHeartRadio Campaign About Security Just as Ransomware WannaCry Wreaks Havoc on Companies Worldwide

LOS ANGELES, May 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the weekend, with the attack of WannaCry ransomware, many companies, governments, universities, and hospitals have been left to pick up the pieces. With the attack during and after business hours, the number of companies targeted is likely to rise as employees return to their desks each day to see the dreaded ransomware graphical interface. As this historical week comes to a close, Effortless  which protects the networks of national health care and insurance organizations and top Las Vegas casinos, to name a few  is launching the campaign to spread its best practices in hopes companies who haven't been hit are taking urgent steps to protect themselves. The company has many precautions in place to protect their clients from attacks like these. Kyle Jamieson, Chief Operating Officer at Effortless, says: "Our ace in the hole for things like this is that we have backups that are independent of the operating system which cannot be corrupted by threats of this nature. This means that even if this [malware] were to hit you, we would be able to restore your data quickly. That, mixed with our Effortless Defense zero-day threat detection, our Microsoft Enterprise Endpoint protection, our advanced firewalls, and our many-layer approach to security, are all in place to keep our clients safe." This layered approach to security offered by Effortless is only the start of what they provide. This company, on the forefront of cloud and advanced security, has branched out nationally over the last four years. Now, Effortless is launching its first radio campaign in partnership with iHeartRadio. The content will focus on easing the burden businesses face with IT and security. iHeartRadio and CNBC news anchor and award-winning investigative journalist Jane Wells will be the voice for Effortless' Cloud and Security Campaign. Wells reached out to clients of Effortless, large and small, to explore their viewpoints on the challenges they faceand how Effortless manages to alleviate these burdens. She looks to help listeners to recognize that their business and its data can remain safe, but the business can still be efficient and highly mobile. Wells leads this campaign with a great amount of knowledge of the tech industry and how it has changed over the years.



"I am thrilled to say that Effortless is vital to our all-new resort," said Richard Faircloth, VP and Chief Information Officer at The New Tropicana Las Vegas  one of the clients Effortless has worked to develop efficient IT systems for and to protect over the years. "Effortless has become a part of the new Tropicana Las Vegas family," he went on to say. "And in an era where rampant viruses, such as WannaCry, are becoming the norm, having that trusted partner, one that feels like family, is more crucial than ever before," said Benjamin Gayheart, the company's forward-thinking founder and president. Working to fulfill this need  especially for small and mid-sized organizations who face the greatest devastation from these attacks, Effortless offers many complimentary workshops they host online for business owners looking to ensure they are protected. But they are urging not to wait to reach out until then  as, according to the US National Cyber Security Alliance, 60% of smaller companies are unable to sustain their business longer than six months following a cyber-attack.

Steps you can take today, such as to ensure you and your staff do not to open any emails or attachments that look suspicious, are important. However, solving the big picture issues that leave your company vulnerable is the only way to ensure your organization is ready when the next wave of malware makes its way to your company. Are you ready? About Effortless Effortless is an innovative Cloud and Security Provider, which migrates entire business infrastructures into the cloud. Effortless customers are businesses around the world that increase efficiency and save money by utilizing the solutions tailored to their business needs. Effortless brings customers into the cloud with a customized Flightplan. They start with an IT audit; then, a private cloud is built using ClearSky Environment Technology. When the cloud has been tested and approved, Effortless migrates clients' desktops, servers, applications, and the entire business network into the Effortless Cloud. Clients and their staff access this via high-level encryption from almost any Internet-enabled device. Effortless' pay-as-you-go model provides a virtual desktop solution, which includes advanced security that goes beyond web/spam filtering, antivirus, and firewall to include signature, anomaly, and heuristic-based detection. Plus, they include back-up and disaster recovery services (full redundancy and offsite servers), USA-based tech support, and much more. The company is SSAE 16 Certified and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, with additional offices and representation around the United States. Contact Effortless for more information or to schedule an interview. Media Contact:

Sonya Z. Meline, Vice President of Sales & Marketing

Email: [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/effortless-launches-iheartradio-campaign-about-security-just-as-ransomware-wannacry-wreaks-havoc-on-companies-worldwide-300460886.html SOURCE Effortless Office

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
By clicking Agree, you consent to Slates Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our iOS app to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw consent.

Agree
System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:948

/var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 125 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 157 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f02318d8)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f01bf020)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f02318d8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1302 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 955 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f01bf020)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f02d3798)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1300 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 433 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f01bf020)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f01bf020)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612ea43b4d8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f0228ca0)') called at (eval 592) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f0228ca0)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
Commonwealth police check social security files in 1978 during the high-profile investigation into "dodgy" compensation claims. Credit:Russell McPhedran He promised more raids and predicted more than 1000 further arrests, including extradition of invalid pensioners from Greece. Hundreds of others, mostly "of ethnic origin"  nudge nudge  had their benefits arbitrarily suspended, primarily because they were patients of doctors who faced charges. (What distinguished these doctors, it seems, was that they spoke Greek, and thus attracted a "suspicious" number of Greek patients.) Tabloid newspapers, pandered with stories of welfare fraud by foreigners, had a field day denouncing the (already convicted by them) "cheats". The hero of the hour, apart from Thomas, was Pat Lanigan, secretary of the Department of Social Security, perhaps my favourite ever "colourful" public servant, and a person even further down on welfare fraud and "scroungers" than today's Brigadier Kathryn Campbell of the Department of Human Services. Mohamed Haneef, right, addresses media in India in 2007 after he was released from being wrongly charged and detained in Australia. Credit:Aijaz Rahi There were a small number of convictions. But the Commonwealth settled with the last of the successful 175 defendants five years later, having paid out what would be, in today's terms, about $60 million. The cases, and the conspiracy allegation, had collapsed, primarily for police overreach, incompetence, impropriety and rush to judgment.

When it was time to take the hapless cops to the tumbrils, no one was baying for their blood more loudly than the shock jocks and tabloid media who had praised them so handsomely a few years before. As so often when police consort with reptiles of the media, it was a classic harlot-of-Kew situation. What I find annoying is the double standard by which police hide behind the sub judice rule when it suits them. As it was with other AFP debacles, likewise attended with generous leaks to favoured media, informative and highly prejudicial media conferences, and ultimate full-scale police rout. And by astonishing AFP failure, in arrears, to hold any of their own accountable for how officers had let the public, and the force, down. Think, for example, of the Haneef affair, where serious injustice was done to an Indian doctor too readily accused of being involved in terrorism. And who can forget the debacle of "the blackest day in Australian sport", as delivered by AFP cousins? One can hypothesise a general rule that the more overblown, prejudicial and self-serving the initial AFP propaganda, and the more senior the officers present claiming personal credit, the more likely the affair will end, much later, in tears, damages and political embarrassment. But never demotions, apologies or accountability. The great advantage of having a media conference alongside bags of confiscated drugs, alongside earnest cops proclaiming this to be the biggest haul ever, is the almost sure and certain knowledge that the seizure, whatever it was, will have no effect whatever on the supply of, or demand for, illegal drugs. Nor in the number of players, including police, who depend on the continuing existence of a big Australian drug industry  employing more people and earning them more dollars than, say, either the wheat or the wool industry.

Also benefiting from such publicity  and now in the business of doling out leaks, and paying reward and punishment games with journalists  are other not obviously effective law-enforcement agencies, such as the Australian Border Force. And ministers, sometimes up to the level of prime ministers, and other politicians who love to grandstand about crime, and for whom the sight of eager-to-please cops and intelligence officers is almost as intoxicating as the presence of Australian flags. Experienced journalists quickly learn the value of ladling out endless flattery in return for privileged access. It is by no means a phenomenon confined to the AFP  the NSW and Victorian police adopt a similar approaches. It would be odious to suggest that the apparently guileless but deeply cynical journalists have it all over the case-hardened but starved-for-love cops. The relationship is, after all, symbiotic. It suits them both, and both are players. What is less clear is whether it suits the public interest. As with News Ltd scoops about the Coalition government's intentions, one can readily see the mutual pleasure for the giver and the taker, but can hardly fail to notice how ultimately barren the marriage. The media has surrendered its critical faculties; police are deprived of the sort of critical scrutiny they actually need if they are to be effective, to be able to form real, as opposed to imaginary relationships with the community, or to constantly monitor and reassess its scrutiny and effectiveness. It is noteworthy that the discovery of fundamentally rotten things in such police forces as in NSW, Queensland and Western Australia in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s did not come from any of the fabled police roundsmen (they were all boys) with remarkable closeness to their police sources. That so many of the cops were corrupt escaped their notice. Exposure came from journalists, often women like Wendy Bacon or Marian Wilkinson, who kept their distance, and did not trade favours or avert their critical faculties. As it happens, Thursday saw the AFP in both an information-sharing and an information-restricting mode.

There on its media website, for example, was a warning to journalists that "as a matter of policy, the AFP will not comment on ongoing operations". As the Tax Office case, shows this reticence is deeply selective. AFP media operations, which cost the taxpayer many millions of dollars, have never been there with a duty of answering any questions that might be properly asked about police activities. It exists only to "market" the AFP, and its most senior officers, as wonderful crime fighters. It has always played an absolutely dead bat to the provision of any information capable of portraying the AFP, or its most senior officers, in an unfavourable light. Even at local levels, such as the ACT. The public is not any sort of partner in police activities, being told only what it suits the police to volunteer. Particular efforts are made to prevent journalists having any access to middle or junior-level officers who actually do the hard work; the glory and grandstanding is to be confined to the higher ranks who manage.      This week, yet another prisoner at the Alexander Maconochie Centre died of a drug overdose. It was, I understand, an overdose of the drug buprenorphine, which, like methadone, is a synthetic opioid made available to prisoners under the jail's drug-rehabilitation programs. No official has yet said this. As ever when there is a death in custody at the jail, there was a complete media shutdown, with minister, department, prison authorities and police volunteering no information whatever to the public. No one has said it was a drug overdose, mentioned the drug involved, said it was prescribed by a prison doctor, and probably dispensed to the prisoner by nurses as an ordinary part of morning medical parade. Or that one of the problems of such treatment programs is that, as a doctor commented at the inquest into the last death, there is an almost complete overlap between what is a safe, a toxic and a fatal dose of any of the drugs in question.

If anyone wants to ask hard questions about the program, or about how the prison operates, they will quickly be accused of "politicising" a tragedy, of rushing to judgment or of jumping the gun before proper inquiries have been made. Indeed, judging by police or ministerial statements, the proper time to satisfy public or family curiosity is at an inquest, often more than a year afterwards. And even then, answers must depend on whether a coroner thought the question important or within his or her jurisdiction. The inquest into the death of Steven Freeman, who choked on his vomit sometime after receiving his second dose of prison-prescribed methadone last year, proceeds apace, far too long from the death. Early on, the coroner decided he would conduct only a very narrow inquiry, and ask no questions about serious head injuries inflicted on Freeman a year before his death. The inquest has active participation of counsel for the ACT government, with a brief to try to restrict the admission of evidence that might raise questions of actionable negligence. I hope the coroner will report on the "communications breakdowns" by which the prison and police failed the dead man's family, the Indigenous community and the public, as well as the recommendations of the royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody, over procedures after a death, and the provision of information to interested parties. The public also deserves an explanation of the government's decision to apply an information blackout, given that one of the convenient reasons was that the coronial process requires it. It doesn't. A coronial inquest must satisfy the need for the public, and interested parties, such as the family, to find out what happened. To date, no ordinary member of the public could establish from the accessible record, or even from attendance, what is happening. The ACT court system, which once led Australia in its record keeping, puts nothing on the internet and closely restricts public access to statements and exhibits. There are some suppression orders of uncertain breadth. Counsel and coroner, with access to materials inaccessible to members of the public, speak in shorthand, with elliptical references to documents the public cannot see. The ACT justice system is the most expensive in Australia, and the most backward and second-rate.

Freeman's family still do not know what happened, or why, or why they had to wait weeks for any explanations at all. Why, in the month after the death, standard procedures were ignored by police and the jail, and why they were treated with disdain and contempt.      Also on Thursday, the open and transparent AFP replied to my questions about how ACT Policing saw itself taking part in an ACT anti-corruption and integrity commission. An ACT Legislative Assembly committee, chaired by the minister for jails, Shane Rattenbury, is holding an inquiry into the form such a commission should take. There's a rumour about that ACT Policing will insist that it should not be  perhaps as an ultimately federal agency cannot be  subject to any sort of ACT ICAC. If so, the ACT would be the only Australian jurisdiction in which an integrity body did not have a remit over its own police force. "The AFP (including ACT Policing) is preparing a submission to the ACT government on this matter and looks forward to contributing to the committee's deliberations," the AFP response read. "It would not be appropriate to pre-empt this submission.

"Corruption allegations relating to the AFP are already considered by the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity. The AFP understands the issues you raise will be examined by the committee in line with the inquiry's terms of reference: '(f) the relationship between any commission and existing accountability and transparency mechanisms and bodies in the ACT'." The law-enforcement integrity commission is so secretive, so private and ultimately so unaccountable that no member of the public has more than the haziest of ideas about what it does or has done. Whatever it does has flushed out only rats-and-mice cases, and produced even fewer convictions than the fabled work of the national serious crime unit responsible for Thursday's high-profile raids. One must take it on trust that it does its job, and is effective and efficient. From what I observe of its operations, I do not think that it is. But, if I am wrong, the AFP and other Commonwealth law-enforcement bodies must be the most honest and efficient in the world. Years of integrity commission effort, at a cost of tens of millions of dollars, has found nothing but rats and mice, even as it has allowed police commissioners and ministers to pretend there is no need for independent and transparent scrutiny. Loading If the AFP (or Border Force) were truly beyond corruption, that would be something to hold a media conference about.
Australians have a reputation for being generous.

We ranked third out of 140 countries in the latest World Giving Index, published last October by the Britain-based Charities Aid Foundation. It uses three criteria to compare nations: helping a stranger, donating money, and volunteering time.

But there's evidence Australians are finding it more difficult to look out for others.

A survey by the polling firm Ipsos asked people in 23 countries to respond to the following statement: "I have enough trouble worrying about my own problems without worrying about other people's problems."
The notion of "crisis" is invariably set to a sliding scale.

Depending on who you are, or where your sentiments lie, a crisis could be a chipped nail. Or it could be two pop-eyed maniacs in a room wrestling over a comedy joystick marked "Global Destruction".

But this column isn't even about the United States/North Korea relationship.

It's about the Trump/Reality relationship and  more centrally  whether the most recent week in Donald Trump's busy life in fact constitutes a proper crisis, or more of a chipped nail sort of thing that has been inflated to doompocalyptic proportions by the shallow hyperventilations of the fake news lamestream media.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The High Court overturned Cardinal George Pell's conviction for historic child sex offences in a judgment handed down April 7, 2020. In a unanimous decision all seven High Court judges found Victoria's Court of Appeal should not have upheld Pell's conviction It found the evidence could not support a guilty verdict.

I write these words, as I always do  at least some words  on my just-opened laptop about 10 seconds after the seat-belt sign has gone off, on my flight out of Sydney. It has been at least 20 years since I have been on a plane, flying anywhere, that I have not done exactly the same. On a 22-hour flight to London, I generally get 14 hours of work done; on a flight to LA nine hours done. And for me, as for many, an hour in the air is worth three hours on the ground. No interruptions! No temptations! No calls, no door-bells, no dogs to feed, no errands to run, no meals to prepare or clean up from!

Illustration: Reg Lynch.

And now the federal government is talking about banning laptops on international flights, as a security risk? We will, of course, be guided by the things they know that we don't. And yes, I do appreciate that it's not all about me (sniff) and my work-life. But might I gently make the point that, at face value, banning laptops on flights seems as ludicrous as those blokes you now see in their fluoro vests patrolling the Harbour Bridge, trying to keep the terrorists at bay. In the case of the bridge, does anybody seriously think those intent on doing us down will have their evil plans foiled by, literally, two men and a dog?

Anything a truck of explosives could do on the bridge that wouldn't be even more devastating in the tunnel? In the same manner, if your desire is to maim your fellow Australians, and you want to turn your laptop into a bomb, will it make a blind bit of difference if it is let off in a plane, or any other super-crowded venue? This is simple reality. As ever, the best defence Australia has against terrorism is not security measures. It is us getting along with each other, and not marginalising certain sectors and so risking radicalising them.
Australia continues to assist in international prosecutions where the death penalty is an option, while underpinning its bid for a seat on the United Nation's Human Rights Council with a call to abolish capital punishment worldwide.

Newly released figures, obtained through freedom of information laws, show the Australian Federal Police have assisted in nearly 130 foreign investigations involving more than 400 people since 2015, where a successful prosecution could potentially lead to a death sentence.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop meets with former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger.

Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop lobbied for Australia's election to the Human Rights Council for the 2018-20 term in New York this week, and has stated the worldwide abolition of the death penalty is one of Australia's goals.

But the AFP continues to assist foreign investigations where the death penalty could be handed down, refusing to co-operate in only nine of 129 cases it has been asked for information.
Mr Shorten said while he believed it was "only fair" to allow a deduction for accounting fees, he believed the system was inequitable.

It's aimed at stopping people using tax specialists to exploit loopholes in the tax system in an effort to limit the amount of tax they pay.

The policy, set forth by Bill Shorten as part of his budget reply speech, would see a Labor government limit the deduction which can be claimed for managing tax affairs to $3000.

"Loopholes that let millionaires buy their way out of paying tax mean middle class and working class people pay more," he said.

In a review of the policy, The Australia Institute found less than half of tax payers claimed a deduction for the management of their affairs, with the average claim of the 47 per cent who do, working out to under $380.

Matt Grudnoff, a senior economist with the left-leaning think tank, said on average, it was only very high-income earners  those earning more than $500,000  who deducted more than $3000 for the management of their tax affairs.

Those high-income earners were most likely to be found in electorates close to the capital city, with Kelly O'Dwyer's seat of Higgins taking out the top spot in a list of 10 electorates spending the most on tax advice deductions, with an average of $2121 spent by tax payers.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's electorate of Wentworth was next, with an average of $1235, while Michael Danby's electorate of Melbourne Ports was the only Labor entry in the top 10, with an average of $1156 spent on advice.
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Melania Trump debuted on the foreign stage on Saturday, stepping off Air Force One in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, without a head scarf or abaya, the traditional black gown the country requires for most women.

"Thank you for a beautiful welcome to Riyadh," she posted on Twitter with a photo of herself in a pantsuit.

Few here were surprised that she chose to forgo a head scarf. Michelle Obama did the same during a January 2015 visit with President Barack Obama.

Donald Trump criticised Michelle Obama for her decision, saying at the time that the people of Saudi Arabia "were insulted."
It was a simple pleasure. When Charlotte Thaarup was a child, her father used to come home from work each day in time for afternoon tea.

"We'd make a pot of tea, we might have some cake or a little bit of food and we'd just connect," the Australia-based Dane recalls. "It was always about connecting, about talking."

Danish-Australian Charlotte Thaarup is a proponent of the Danish concept of Hygge. Here she demonstrates the concept with a comfortable chair, blanket, candles, Danish pastries, tea, a book, and her cat Millie. Credit:Max Mason-Hubers

It was also about taking joy in low-key comforts. It was what Thaarup describes as a "hygge time".

Hygge (pronounced "hoo-guh"), the subject of multiple new books, has become a "striking publishing trend". It was one of the Collins Dictionary top 10 words of 2016 and also a runner-up in the Oxford Dictionaries 2016 "word of the year", behind winners "Brexit" and "post-truth".
Ten-year-old Grace Gregson from year 5 at Seaforth Public school speaks to the media Senate inquiry at NSW Parliament House. Credit:Jessica Hromas I love the idea of helping kids become informed about the world in an age-appropriate way and see tremendous value in an edited, curated product in this era of fake news and conspiracy theories. I also love that Crinkling offers the opportunity to be a child reporter with help from professional editors. At six, my pair are on the young side of the Crinkling audience, but I'm happy to give it a go now to make sure it's still around in a year or two. Crinkling already has tens of thousands of subscribers and a working business model but its seed funding was about to run out and it needed a bit longer to become fully sustainable. The crowdfunding campaign helped it both secure the money it needs and raise its profile.

Crinkling's success demonstrates why I love crowdfunding. At its best, it democratises the financing of good ideas. Crowdfunding has been around for about a decade  IndieGoGo launched in 2007, Kickstarter in 2009, Australian business Pozible in 2010, Start Some Good in 2011. There are other platforms, too. Each site has its own flavour and rules but the basic premise is the same: a creator comes up with a project, pitches it to the public and and people have the opportunity to back it by pledging money. There are also sites such as Patreon that let supporters pay a regular subscription to creators to sustain their work. Many artists, musicians, writers and independent journalists use Patreon. But while crowdfunding is not new, people are continually finding creative ways to use it, and it continues to be mostly a force for good.

Sometimes it's personal life funding, or creative projects or worthy causes. Other times, it's commercial. In the old days to get an idea off the ground you either needed to secure a government grant, or someone  either the owner or an investor  had to take on substantial financial risk. Most creative or socially minded projects don't have enough potential commercial return to attract investors, and creators themselves have limited means to take on unpaid work. Usually projects are structured with rewards for different tiers of support  in my case with Crinkling News, it was the subscription to the paper. The reward structure is key when it comes to commercial projects, because the rewards are usually the actual products.

Before crowdfunding, the general public still effectively voted on product ideas because in their role as consumers they either purchased the item or didn't. But they couldn't make that choice until after the producer had already taken on a whole lot of risk by manufacturing it. Using crowdfunding as a pre-order channel is a more efficient way of deciding what gets made than the entrepreneur's gut feeling. It's effectively a real-world consumer focus group. Often the project structure is all or nothing, meaning that if it's not fully funded the money is returned to supporters and the creator gets nothing. This is designed to ensure the creator doesn't become committed to doing something without having sufficient funding to follow through. The problem with crowdfunding is it relies heavily on trust, and that's risky if you are supporting the project mainly to get the promised reward. It's not like going shopping. Backing a crowdfunding project may not have the same legal status as pre-ordering a product directly through the company, and there have been some spectacular failures. One of the best known cases is ZionEyez (now Zeyez), which promised streaming HD video built-in to glasses for $US199 back in 2011.

As Forbes reports, it aimed to raise $US55,000 through Kickstarter, smashed its goal with $US343,415 in funds committed, but then struggled to deliver. Consumers who pre-ordered through the website eventually got a refund, but Kickstarter backers did not. ASIC's MoneySmart website advises that the main motivation for pledging funds should be to help the project succeed. MoneySmart suggests that you read the terms and conditions of the crowdfunding site carefully, and check out the credentials of the project creator. For example, have they used crowdfunding before, have they been involved in successful projects in the past, and if so did they deliver the gift as promised? Rewards or warm fuzzies are all very well, but the next frontier in crowdfunding is crowd-sourced equity funding, where backers get ownership in the company. It's like venture capital for retail investors. This already exists in many other countries, and in March the Senate passed legislation to enable it in Australia.
The Australian Tax Office is renowned among reporters as an informational brick wall  a dead end for many (almost) cracking yarns. It's understandable really, given the sensitive information to which the country's tax police are privy

So when deputy commissioner Michael Cranston, engaged with The Age late last year, it was a refreshing breakthrough.

We were researching family trusts, the tax "planning" tool of choice for the rich and powerful. The Tax Office had put us in touch with some lower-ranking tax officers who had been polite but guarded, offering little beyond the limited, dated information on the ATO website.

Then, in late December, we got to speak to Cranston, 57, the tax office veteran and specialist in pursuing rich tax dodgers, the man on constant alert for flash houses, boats, cars and jets at odds with tax returns.
More than 300 passengers stranded in Los Angeles airport after their Qantas flight to Melbourne was aborted on Saturday night were supplied a pillow and a blanket and told to sleep in the terminal during their 12-hour wait.

The wife of a Melbourne man on board the plane said only a third of the flight's 500 passengers were offered a hotel room.

The others were given a blanket, a pillow and food vouchers and told to get some sleep while they waited for a replacement flight.

Shauna Lye, wife of Melbourne lawyer James Alsop, said Qantas staff had told passengers there was a shortage of available hotel rooms in LA.
The robber confronted the male owner and demanded cigarettes and cash.

It is believed a getaway driver stayed behind in a silver Mercedes-Benz Viano van with tape over the registration plates.

Police have released footage showing a stocky man wielding a firearm entering the Alexandra Street store just before 9am.

A St Kilda East milk bar was robbed at gunpoint on Saturday morning.

The offender Credit:Victoria Police

He shoved a bag on the counter for him to fill.

In the footage, the bandit can be seen pacing and pointing a firearm at the owner and towards the door.

At one time a woman moves to enter the store and quickly retreats.

No shots were fired and no one was injured.
A 12-year-old boy has been charged following the alleged stabbing of another child in inner Sydney on Saturday.

Police say that about 12.15pm emergency services were called to a property on John Street, Waterloo.

Police at the scene of the incident in John Street, Waterloo. Credit:Brook Mitchell

The paramedics treated a 10-year-old boy with a laceration to his torso. He was taken to Prince of Wales Children's Hospital in a stable condition.

Three boys  two aged 12 and one aged 16  were arrested at the scene and taken to Redfern Police Station.
It's a sport you've probably never heard of, but it has more than 1000 participants in Sydney alone.

Acro jam, a mix of acrobatics and yoga, might seem intimidating at first but for Duncan Mathers it's become a way to escape the drudgery of a fast-paced city life as a chef working 20-hour days.

Participants in acro jam do their stuff in Centennial Park in Sydney. Credit:Kirk Gilmour

"Acro jam changed my life," said Mathers, who runs a gathering of acro jammers each Saturday in Centennial Park.

"Acro jam is a great way to meet people  the best thing about it is you conquer fear because you have to trust others when you're two metres above the ground balancing on their hands or shoulders.
LERNA -- A weekend getaway to southern Indiana invoked a creative spark in Sue Meyer. Her creation -- a barn quilt -- is now prominently displayed on her red, weathered barn on her rural Lerna property.

Meyer, along with her two sisters, traveled to southern Indiana in 2015 to explore the Gibson County Barn Quilt Trail. Although not a quilter herself, the hand-painted wooden barn quilts displayed on old barns and other structures they visited intrigued Meyer.

Thats what got me interested, Meyer said. My barns about 100 years old, and I thought Id like to have something on it.

Meyer began researching barn quilts in her quest to find a Sunbonnet Sue pattern she could replicate to put over her barns hayloft door.

A barn quilt is a replica of a quilt square used as a decoration on the face of a barn, old corncrib, shed and sometimes on buildings, she said. The blocks can be anything that can be traced back to traditional quilt blocks found in real patchwork quilts.

Barn quilts are typically painted on plywood and range in size from three to eight feet square and hung on a building for passersby to see, she said.

Sunbonnet Sue was one I thought I could work with, she said.

Each barn quilt shares its own story and celebrates the history of quilters past and present. Sunbonnet Sue is a well-known quilt character that dates back to the early 20th century. Bertha Corbett, a childrens book and primer illustrator, created the design, Meyer said.

I want to preserve my century old barn and a barn quilt celebrates quilters. Its something whimsical, enjoyable and beautiful, she said.

Meyers house and barn are located on the Freeman-Meyer property about a mile north of Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site. The house was built around 1850 and was owned by a Civil War surgeon who was Sarah Bush Lincolns physician. The barn was added to the property around 1910, Meyer said.

Meyer has owned the property since 1999, and has kept many of houses historical details, such as the original wood plank floors. The house was added to the Coles County Register of Significant Places in May 2015.

Once Meyer found a Sunbonnet Sue pattern that she could have enlarged, she set out to create her barn quilt. Meyer decided to make the barn quilt 3 feet by 3 feet in order for it to fit over an old hayloft door that was no longer in use. She enlisted the help of her friend Jack Helton to make a frame for the piece of plywood to provide more stability.

After tracing the pattern onto the plywood, she applied four coats of outdoor acrylic paint and sealed her design with three or four layers of a clear coat.

It takes a lot of coats of paint and clear coating, she said. It probably took me about three months because I was doing other things.

Once the final coat of paint had dried, Meyer again enlisted Helton to help hang the barn quilt. Its been displayed on her barn since last fall and is visible to passersby traveling on Lincoln Highway Road near the Moore Home State Historic Site.

Im glad I did it. The barn needed something, Meyer said. At night the barn light shines on it and its so pretty.

Meyer has started collecting and hanging reproduction metal signs on her barn to accompany the barn quilt. But she hasnt ruled out the possibility of adding another.

While she has considered adding Overall Sam, a character that often accompanies Sunbonnet Sue, she might take a different approach and work on a patchwork design for her next one, she said.
A 15-year-old former private schoolboy accused of raping an intoxicated teenage girl at a party has been allowed to travel overseas at taxpayer expense to visit his parents in the school holidays.

And it has emerged the youth's schooling at the exclusive Cranbrook School, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, was largely paid for by the government.

The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of aggravated sexual assault of a teenage girl in Bellevue Hill in March 2017.

The youth, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, is charged with aggravated sexual assault on the girl at Bellevue Hill on March 4.

Another 15-year-old is charged with making and distributing footage of the attack.
Smiling, wearing a brown apron over his black uniform, Joel Herat walks briskly through the cafe where he was once held hostage for 17 hours. Polite and cheerful, he tells customers where to pay, wipes down tables, delivers mochas and cakes. He jokes with his colleagues, slinging an arm around their shoulders.

For the past two years, as the Lindt cafe inquest dissected the night of December 15, 2014, Mr Herat has worked shifts in the place where his boss Tori Johnson was killed.

Joel Herat at the Lindt Cafe in Martin Place: "I try to treat it as a normal job." Credit:Nick Moir

He restocked glasses after lunch on Friday, near the spot where the gunman Man Haron Honis was shot dead, where the barrister Katrina Dawson was fatally wounded by ricocheting shrapnel.

He greets customers at the doorway where the Delta Alpha assault team burst in with M4 automatic rifles.
Claims of nepotism within Queensland's police service are "serious allegations" and should be investigated quickly by the state's corruption watchdog, the state Police Minister says. The Crime and Corruption Commission is investigating circumstances surrounding the appointment and promotion of Chief Superintendent Terry Borland's civilian daughter to positions within the force, The Courier Mail reports. Police Minister Mark Ryan supports the investigation into nepotism by the Crime and Corruption Commission. Credit:Jorge Branco Chief Superintendent Borland heads Gold Coast District. Police Minister Mark Ryan confirmed the probe on Saturday and described the claims as "serious allegations".

"Rightly so, they are being investigated by the Crime and Corruption Commission," he said. "We look forward to ... a speedy dealing with this particular matter." News of the investigation comes after a recent spate of disciplinary actions against officers in the South Eastern Region, which comprises the Gold Coast and Logan areas. On Saturday, a 31-year-old male constable who had been suspended since 2015 was dismissed following investigations into the alleged sexual harassment of a number of colleagues. It came after a 44-year-old, also a suspended male constable, was issued with a notice to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court over allegations he indecently assaulted a female officer in April.
South-east Queensland was greeted by early-morning fog on Saturday, as the wet weather that drenched the north Queensland coast moved offshore.

Several rain records were also broken during Thursday and Friday, with areas between the Whitsundays and Townsville recording 150-200 millimetres over the two days.

An estimated 35 millimetres of rain fell overnight at Boothulla, west of Charleville. Credit:Sasha Treloar - Facebook

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Julian De Morton said "that will be the last of that for the now" as the rain moved off the south-east Queensland coast on Friday night.

There was only a slight chance of potential showers and storms, but Mr De Morton said once the fog lifted, a mostly sunny day should follow for the south-east.
People who share or post sexually explicit images of others without their consent will face tough new penalties if a national proposal to combat revenge porn is passed into law.

Image-based abuse, more widely known as 'revenge porn', reportedly affects one in 10 Australians.

The court heard Pfeiffer texted to the vendor, "Lawyers will get you nowhere. All you will do is achieve my demise." Credit:Glenn Hunt

It often involves the distribution of nude or sexually explicit images, without the depicted person's permission, via social media or messaging apps.

On Saturday, the federal government called for public submissions on developing civil penalties, such as fines and injunctions, to better target the perpetrators of image-based abuse.
With the clock ticking on whether a global hacking attack would wipe out his data, Bolton Jiang had no intention of paying a 21st-century ransom.

Since a week ago, when the malware first struck, Jiang had been fixing and replacing computers at the electronics company where he works in Shanghai. Meeting the hackers' demands was a bother, he said, and there was no guarantee he would get his data back.

Employees watch electronic boards to monitor possible ransomware cyberattacks at the Korea Internet and Security Agency in Seoul, South Korea. Credit:AP

"Even if you do pay, you won't necessarily be able to open the files that are hit," he said. "There is no solution to it."

Tens of thousands of computer users around the world made the same decision, refusing to pay the anonymous hackers behind the ransomware attack known as WannaCry. The attackers had demanded that individuals pay up to $600 by Friday to regain control of their machines, or face losing their data.
Underpaid school cleaners have confronted Premier Daniel Andrews at Labor's state conference, accusing the government of turning a blind eye to "wage theft" that has plagued the workforce for years

In an embarrassing look for the government, cleaners at the conference unfurled a large banner featuring a mock-up of a new number plate slogan, emblazoned with the words: "Victoria  The Wage Theft State."

School cleaner Lorraine Bird at the ALP state conference. Credit:Paul Jeffers

Delegates also held up similar signs during Mr Andrews' speech  which centred on his latest push to protect local workers  moments before the conference voted in favour of an urgency resolution demanding that the Premier take action.

Unions representing timber workers, the disability sector and the transport industry also used the conference to call on the government to protect their respective sectors.
Barn quilt trails like the one Sue Meyer visited with her sisters are found in nearly every state in the U.S. Several are close enough to central Illinois to visit as a day trip or weekend getaway.

Its a short trip. You can get down there in a couple of hours, Meyer said of her jaunt to the Gibson County Barn Quilt Trail in southern Indiana. Its a very nice day trip to take.

Plan a day trip or a full weekend to getaway and visit these nearby barn quilt trails.

Illinois Barn Quilt Trails

Barn Quilt Heritage Trail

Nearly 50 barns and buildings are decorated with barn quilts in Bloomington, Normal and the surrounding countryside in McLean County. The project is sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension in Livingston, McLean and Woodford Counties.

Barn Quilts of Bureau County

Barn Quilts of Bureau County was started by a group of local women in 2014 and five barn quilts. Since then, the number of barn quilts has grown to more than 75, with a goal to have barn quilts in each township. All barn quilts on the trail are required to be on agricultural buildings.

Barn Quilts of Dewitt County

The Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau hosts biannual tours and provides maps for a self-guided tour of almost 30 barn quilts.

Barn Quilts of Kankakee County

A self-guided tour through Kankakee County in northern Illinois takes visitors past more than 50 barn quilts. The project is a collaboration of visual artists, quilters, residents and organization in Kankakee County.

Calhoun County Barn Quilt Trail

More than 80 barn quilts are displayed on barns and businesses west central Illinois. The project began in 2008 as a way to promote and preserve the agriculture and rural heritage of Calhoun County.

Carroll County Barn Quilt Trail

More than 100 barn quilts dot the Carroll County countryside in northwest Illinois. Started by the Carroll County Hotel/Motel Tax Board to encourage tourism in the county, the quilt trail continues to grow each year.

Indiana Barn Quilt Trails

Gibson County Barn Quilt Trail

More than 225 hand-painted barn quilt blocks adorn barns, homes and business in the southwestern Indiana county. Trail maps are available at Princeton Visitors Center and online.

LaGrange County Barn Quilt Trail

View almost 40 hand-painted barn quilts along the LaGrange County Barn Quilt Trail in Indianas Amish Country.

Marshall County Barn Quilt Trail

Marshall County is home to Indianas first barn quilt trail. Started in 2009, more than 70 barn quilts now decorate barns, houses, businesses and public spaces throughout the county.

Miami County Barn Quilt Trail

Visitors to Miami County in north central Indiana can view almost 80 barn quilts on barns, sheds, homes and businesses throughout the county. The trail started by a local resident with a dream to have a barn quilt trail in the county. It is facilitated by volunteers and the Miami County Tourism Bureau.

Randolph County Quilt Barn Ramble
Peak animal welfare bodies have called for urgent action on WA puppy farming as an alarming number of cases continue to come to light despite a commitment by the State Government to stamp out the practice.

Premier Mark McGowan flagged the issue in the lead up to the state election, and a committee report on the Labor Party's animal welfare policy said the industry in WA was "mostly a covert" operation.

RSPCA WA inspectors pulled a dog from an underground puppy farm in 2014. Credit:RSPCA WA

"Puppy farming, involving puppy farms in WA, and puppies transported into WA for sale, is likely to be occurring on a regular basis. It is a mostly covert industry that relies on hiding the true circumstances of how puppies are raised from buyers," it said.

Over recent years a number of Perth puppy farm operations have been uncovered, including a Doodlakine woman who was convicted when authorities found her breeding dogs in underground bunkers and Mt Lawley Pet Shop, after it was revealed the company purchased their animals from a NSW-based puppy farmer.
CAY HILL:--- Closing off Nurses Week, the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) held their Day of the Legends and second annual Orris Jack Bell award ceremony last Saturday.

Legends (retirees), Orris Jack Bell award nominees and their friends and families came out to the luncheon which was held at the lovely Little Well Oasis in Cole Bay and was hosted by Marisol Wilson, Registered Nurse at the St. Maarten Prison. The dual event is themed Nurses Who Paved the Way and honors the nurses of past and present that have been role models within nursing on the island.

A shocked Rafael Antoine, an Emergency Room nurse at SMMC, was announced the recipient of the second Orris Jack Bell award out of a group of seven nominees. The Orris Jack Bell award recognizes a nurse who serves as the perfect example of what it means to be a nurse. One who is dedicated, self-less and who willingly goes above and beyond to be the caregiver that the community needs, as Nurse Orris Jack Bell has done for nursing in the years she served in the field. The award was initially established in 2015 by the Education Department of SMMC through the effort of Antonio Pantophlet, Manager Patient Care at SMMC, and his committed team. That same year Nurse Orris Jack Bell was presented her namesake award in honor of her work. The following year the first winner of the award was Nurse Daphne St. Rose of the St. Martins Home in 2016.

This year the seven nominees were Grendaline Levenstone (Prison), Shardina Blomont Frederick (Public Health), Antonius Dulder (Ambulance), Nancy Flanders (St. Martins Home), Rosie Poleon (Sister Basilia Center), Corwin James (SMMC) and Rafael Antoine (SMMC). They all embody the spirit of the award within the various institutions on the island.

The legends of nursing also received a token of appreciation for the commitment and care that they have shown in their life. The nurses that received the 2017 recognition were Brendalita Adams (St. Martins Home), Cheryl York (SMMC), Jasmien Cijntje (SMMC), Fidelia Bell (St. Martins Home), Zenia Javois (St. Martins Home), and Nancy Flanders (St. Martins Home). These nurses have dedicated years to nursing and serving the community. They have all played a role in advancing the field on the island and represent the heart of nursing. SMMC is honored to recognize these honorable, hard-working individuals yearly.

The afternoon included a rendition of the O Sweet Saint Martins Land song to which everyone stood up and joined in. An opening speech was given by Antonio Pantophlet, who organized the Day of the Legends and the Orris Jack Bell award ceremony. He emphasized the value of nurses in our community and commended them for being caregivers to the people. The observance was festive, as the guests enjoyed good food and the musical talents of an excellent local band.

SMMC Press Release
PHILIPSBURG:--- After a mere 9 months of operations, Real Auto is proud to announce that the company has expanded with an additional location in Grand Case, St. Martin. The new Real Auto showroom in Grand Case is an extension of the dealership in Philipsburg. It is located at 2 Z.A. de LEsperance, Grand Case St. Martin (airport road).

"We are on the move with realizing our vision for providing durable vehicles, quality parts, and customer-focused automobile services to all residents throughout the entire island of St. Maarten/ St. Martin," says Karl Nassief, Real Auto's Managing Director/Owner.

Real Auto is the authorized dealership for Toyota, Suzuki, and Chevrolet, which are now also being offered on French St. Martin to better serve all customers, island-wide.

Real Auto French SXM is managed by Frederic Dayre, who has been a resident of St. Martin for more than 18 years. Frederic was introduced to the automobile industry in the Southwest of France as the youngest salesman at the age of 17. He is supported by Natasha Brunache, the Sales Representative, who is transitioning from the Philipsburg location to Grand Case with 10+ years of automobile industry experience.

"We are excited about the opening of our vehicle sales division, as well as future development plans in French St. Martin. This is just the beginning of Real Auto's growth," shares Felix Nevarez, Real Auto's General Manager. "As we work towards becoming the most dynamic group of automotive companies in the Caribbean, we are continuously improving our world class operations to ensure that we build and maintain life-long REALationships with our business partners, customers and the community of St. Maarten."

For further information on Suzuki, Toyota, and Chevrolet vehicles, parts, products and services please contact Real Auto where you get the REAL DEAL! T: (721) 542-2318/ 542-0100 (Dutch side), or T: 05.90.52.45.65 (French side). E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. FB: Real Auto B.V. W: www.realautosxm.com
      ()   
Warm up to winter with ski film, adaptive skiing, Mushing 101 and more

news
Using the dysfunction in Springfield as an excuse for funding messes is such an easy target, the complaints can begin to feel like arrows puncturing the broad side of a barn.

You can't miss if you complain, but the impact of the complaints can rarely be seen.

Social services, public recreation spots, public schools and higher education regularly find themselves on the losing end when it comes to state budget negotiations -- not to mention the thousands of businesses that are owed millions of dollars for services rendered.

Yet as we stumble toward a third year of budgetary ineptitude, incompetence and indifference from the state, it is the inability of our lawmakers to accomplish even the most simple tasks of lawmaking that begins to touch more and more of us.

The unwillingness to even make an effort toward making Illinois more business-friendly has wide-ranging effects as well.

These same political factors think it's tolerable to amass $12.6 billion in unpaid bills along with the myriad of other financial problems piling up in this state.

Moving forward in Springfield is impossible because of equal and opposing forces.

Like it or not, Gov. Bruce Rauner takes much of the heat around the state for the lack of progress toward a budget solution. As governor, it is his responsibility to get the job done and he hasn't done it.

Why? Mostly because longtime House Speaker Michael Madigan is an equally imposing roadblock to the state's progress.

We can vote in candidates and pressure them to remove some of Madigan's power.

But in reality, that will take the election of more Republicans to wrest control of the House from the Democrats and thus elect a new speaker, putting Madigan in a minority position.

That's a tall task indeed.

Meanwhile, too many state Democrats kowtow to Madigan and his dead-end, obstructionist style of government -- to the point that he will not be tossed from his position unless he decides to step down. And he's shown no inclination to do that. He likes the power too much.

Still, a handful of Democrats have shown the willingness to buck Madigan, but a lot more are needed to find a solution to this embarrassing situation.

This is not a partisan issue.

Democrats and Republicans share the blame. Rauner appears as stubborn as Madigan when it comes to real compromise. Standing steadfast by your ideals is laudable, but not to the point of allowing ruin to take over.

But, in the end, probably the biggest problem is that the state's power base, from Rockford to Cairo, is determined by a handful of state voters -- those in Madigan's district who keep re-electing him. No term limit talk up there.

Unfortunately, bravery and competence both seem in short supply in Illinois. Still.

-- The Bloomington Pantagraph
A shimmering sky of stars dances above skywatcher Ruslan Merzlyakov in this stunning image taken on Jan. 20, 2017 in Stenbjerg, Denmark.

A skywatcher is literally beaming at the night sky in this star-speckled portrait. Astrophotographer Ruslan Merzlyakov captured this cosmic selfie while stargazing on the beach in Stenbjerg, Denmark in January.

In the photo, the sea appears to be colored red from a nearby lighthouse. Though it may look like a small-scale supernova explosion is erupting from his neck, rest assured that no photographers were harmed in the making of this image! That massive beam of light is just the glow of Merzlyakov's headlamp, which amplified by the exposure settings on his camera.

"The sky was so dark that it was possible to see absolutely all the stars in the entire sky!" Merzlyakov told Space.com in an email. There are billions of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy  including our own sun. To achieve the most detailed, star-speckled night sky photos, astrophotographers like to get as far from light pollution as possible. [The Most Extreme Stargazing Objects in the Night Sky]

Light pollution not only deprives people of a wondrous view of the cosmos, but it can have serious health and environmental consequences, too. Besides wasting energy, pervasive artificial lighting can send confused migratory birds crashing into walls and disoriented baby sea turtles on their vital post-hatching trek to the ocean. Less than a third of the global population lives under naturally starlit and moonlit skies, according to the International Dark-Sky Association.

"With my images, I just want to show the beauty of our world at night and show a special atmosphere between the human and infinite space," Merzlyakov said.

Merzlyakov used a Canon EOS 6D camera with a Samyang 14mm f/2.8 lens. For this photo, he shot with an exposure time of 30 seconds and a high ISO setting (4000-6000).

You can see more amazing night sky photos by our readers in our astrophotography archive here.

Editor's note: If you have an amazing night sky photo you'd like to share with us and our news partners for a possible story or image gallery, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.

Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook & Google+. Original story on Space.com.
Obtaining a four-year college degree isn't for everyone, and that's absolutely fine.

In fact, it's a good thing that attending a university for a bachelor's or other degree isn't the goal of every single high school student. America needs a skilled workforce -- people with abilities taught outside of what might be considered the traditional classroom.

Thank goodness for technical education and efforts such as SkillsUSA. According to the organization's website, SkillsUSA "is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA helps each student excel. We provide educational programs, events and competitions that support career and technical education (CTE) in the nations classrooms."

Several Mattoon High School students are headed to the national level after earning top honors in state SkillsUSA competition this spring. More than 1,000 students from across Illinois competed in 100 different contests testing different proficiencies in trade, technical and leadership skills, as the JG-TC reported late last week.

Dylan Miner took home a gold award in Digital Imaging Technology and was one of three to earn gold for Chapter Display, making him the first in the MHS chapter's history to take home two gold awards.

As this newspaper detailed, in the Digital Imaging Technology event, Miner and other competitors had to exactly print images onto items like mugs and mouse pads. He said the contest required exact mimics of sample items with the precise measurements.

In the other gold win for Chapter Display, contestants had to show their chapter in a creative way: Josh Sewell, Patrick Hate and Miner displayed a representation of SkillsUSA in the form of an arcade machine.

These and other wins for the MHS SkillsUSA team send students to nationals for the chapter's second time. Adviser Laura Roberts said last year was the first.

It's important for local schools to continue and perhaps add vocational tech and similar programs to train future members of the American workforce. Also at MHS, the annual building of a house by high schoolers -- with supervision from adult experts in construction -- is another valuable place to learn lessons that the traditional classroom can't offer.

Hats off to the adults who help guide students in these directions, or at least show them the possibilities outside a university. While the value of a college education cannot be overstated, that's not the best direction for everyone. Career and technical education has its own valuable role in the American workplace as well.

Bravo to the local students already honing these skills, their educators and supporters, and to their future as part of a skilled workforce in the U.S.A.

-- JG-TC Editorial Board
Jerrie Cobb (played by Amanda Quaid) listens to Randy Lovelace (played by Edmund Lewis) as Jackie Cochran looks on (played by Andrus Nichols) in "They Promised Her the Moon."

NEW YORK  A new off-Broadway play follows the early life of Jerrie Cobb, a pilot who became famous in the early 1960s as the "almost-first" woman in space.

Geraldyn ("Jerrie") Cobb was part of an independent research project run by Randy Lovelace, a NASA contractor who also tested the original seven astronauts in NASA's Mercury program, nicknamed the Mercury 7. Lovelace applied the same series of physical tests to 13 women, the "Mercury 13," hoping that they could also qualify for spaceflight.

The new production, "They Promised Her the Moon," plays at the Theatre at St. Clements in New York City until May 27. [Space History Photo: Jerrie Cobb Poses beside Mercury Capsule]

"I immediately fell in love with the story," the show's director and producer, Valentina Fratti, told Space.com. "I couldn't believe I didn't know about Jerrie Cobb."

Fratti had been named for the first woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, but hadn't known about the "almost first," her American counterpart.

The play depicts Cobb's early life and her trajectory during and after her astronaut testing, when the program was disbanded because Lovelace didn't have permission to use a Navy site for additional tests. In the play, Cobb also speaks at a congressional hearing in 1962 about allowing women into the space program, testifying along with John Glenn and Jackie Cochran, an acclaimed pilot and crucial sponsor of Lovelace's research. Cobb's and Cochran's relationship weaves through the story, showing how two very different female pilots fought for a place in typically male spaces.

Playwright Laurel Ollstein premiered the first incarnation of the play in 2012 at the University of Oklahoma, and the work went through multiple workshop readings after that. Ollstein and Fratti agreed the script was ready after a reading in October 2016.

"I decided to move quickly because given where we are now  and having an 'almost-first' female president, I felt this is a perfect time," Fratti said.

A fascinating character

Fratti and Ollstein said they were both drawn to Cobb's love for flying, and how fiercely she fought for the opportunity to go into space. Cobb was the first to complete the physical qualification tests out of the Mercury 13 and became the public face of women destined for spaceflight.

"Jerrie is fascinating to me," Ollstein told Space.com. "It's a tragic story, but it's also a story of so many women who are unbelievably capable and then, just because they're women, aren't able to go as far as they could."

The requirements for astronaut candidates back then, to be graduates of military jet-pilot programs and to have engineering degrees, were not open to women at the time, according to a NASA reference page. Cobb and others argued that extensive flight experience could make up for that shortfall, and that not all of the astronaut candidates actually had that background, anyway.

Although Ollstein wasn't able to speak with Cobb herself, who is still alive, for the production, the playwright said she researched the era extensively, read letters and press from the time and drew from Cobb's autobiographies as well as from previous interviews with her to capture the characters. Plus, Ollstein read the 85-page congressional hearing at which Cobb spoke (which could be a whole play in itself, Ollstein said). After the hearing, it took until 1978 for NASA to select female astronaut candidates. [Best Spaceflight and Space History Books]

For their part, the cast dove deep into the story as well, Fratti said.

"The cast is superb," Fratti said. "Their instincts are terrific, and their passion for this story actually is on a par with my passion for the story. It's not often where I think your entire cast feels the need to tell a story so deeply  that's a very, very exciting experience."

Amanda Quaid, who plays Cobb, even took a flight lesson to better understand her character.

Ollstein said that the most challenging aspect of the play was making sure it wasn't depressing in the end. "It's tragic, and it's not fair and all that, but I don't want to tell a story of 'Oh, the men won't let you go up to space.' That's not a story I want to tell," she said.

"I want to tell about somebody whom we owe a lot to  and I guess I want to celebrate her in this play, too," Ollstein added. "How strong she was, and how she loved something so much and she worked so hard for it. And it made a difference."

Ollstein said she was thrilled that people left the play (or intermission, back when there were two acts) researching Cobb on their phones. The playwright added that although the story has been depicted many times before, it seemed to still be relatively unknown.

"For me, Jerrie made a difference," Fratti said. "She paved the way, though her personal story was filled with disappointment.

"I think we're honoring Jerrie, and I think we feel a respect and a responsibility in that," she added. "And, of course, it's not just Jerrie  this is Jerrie's story, but it's for all the Mercury 13 women."

Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Since the largest exoplanets are the easiest to spot and study, it makes sense that distant worlds with large "puffy" atmospheres would provide the best and most abundant information about the envelope of gases surrounding these faraway planets. But the challenge comes in finding planets with such large atmospheres.

Enter KELT-11b.

According to researchers at Lehigh University, KELT-11b has by far the largest atmospheric scale height of any ever studied, including our own solar system. Scale height describes the height at which an atmosphere "hugs" a planet, and while the scale height of Saturn's atmosphere is about 60 km (37 miles) and Earths is about 8 km (5 miles), KELT-11b's is a whopping 2,763 km (1,716 miles).

And the oddities of KELT-11b don't stop there. The planet itself is one of the most puffy and inflated planets in the known universe, with the density of a Styrofoam ball  the kind that students use to simulate planetary bodies in classroom presentations.

"It is highly inflated, so that while it's only a fifth as massive as Jupiter, it is nearly 40 percent larger, making it about as dense as Styrofoam, with an extraordinarily large atmosphere," said Joshua Pepper, astronomer and assistant professor of physics at Lehigh University, who led the study.

Pepper called KELT-11b an "extreme" version of a gas planet. It is orbiting very close to its host star, circling it in less than five days. The star, KELT-11, has started using up its nuclear fuel and is evolving into a red giant, so the planet will eventually be engulfed by its star and not survive the next hundred million years.

But this star is extremely bright  the brightest known transiting exoplanet host that can be seen from the southern hemisphere  and is the sixth brightest transit host to date. Such a bright star allows for precise measurements of the planet's atmosphere.

RELATED: 'Habitable' Exoplanets Might Not Be Very Earth-Like After All

The team wrote in their paper that all "these attributes make the KELT-11 system a valuable target for follow-up and atmospheric characterization and it promises to become one of the benchmark systems for the study of inflated exoplanets."

Pepper also said that KELT-11b is "an excellent testbed for measuring the atmospheres of other planets," and that it will help astronomers develop the best tools to see the types of gases in atmospheres, specifically for assessing habitability or possible life on distant exoplanets.

"We don't know of any real Earth-like planets or stars for which we can measure their atmospheres, though we expect to discover more in future years," Pepper said. "These [giant gas] planets are the gold standards or testbeds for learning how to measure the atmospheres of planets."

Another unique aspect of this exoplanet is that it was found with the help of citizen scientists. In fact, 40 amateur scientists from 10 countries contributed directly to the discovery of KELT-11b and are listed as co-authors on the paper.

The KELT (Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope) survey uses two small robotic telescopes in Arizona and in South Africa. The telescopes scan the sky every night, measuring the brightness of about five million stars. Like the exoplanet-finding "champion," the Kepler space telescope, KELT looks for stars that seem to dim slightly at regular intervals, which can indicate a planet is orbiting that star and eclipsing it, called a transit.

But most of the planets found by Kepler orbit faint stars, making it difficult to measure the planets' properties precisely.

"The KELT project is specifically designed to discover a few scientifically valuable planets orbiting very bright stars, and KELT-11b is a prime example of that," Pepper said.

RELATED: Watery Atmosphere Discovered on Neptune-Like Exoplanet

KELT specifically looks for gas giant planets orbiting bright stars, but the team didn't expect to find planets with such low mass and large sizes.

"We were very surprised by the amazingly low density of this planet," Pepper said. "It's extremely big for its mass. It's got a fifth of the mass of Jupiter but is puffed up into this really underdense planet."

They hope that further study of this world by the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes will provide additional information about the mechanism that causes inflated planets.

While exoplanet researchers are anticipating the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission, both scheduled to launch in 2018, Pepper and his fellow researchers feel that small, ground-based telescopes still have a special niche to fill in exoplanet studies.

"Notably, the population of transiting planets discovered by the ground-based surveys tend to be large planets with short orbital periods orbiting bright stars," the team said in their paper. "These planets, unlike the vast majority of the Kepler planets, offer great potential for detailed characterization of the atmospheres of exoplanets. For that reason, the ongoing discoveries from ground-based transit surveys will continue to provide great value."

Originally published on Seeker.
The average temperature on Earth is in danger of exceeding a major climate threshold inside a decade, say researchers in Australia, if a dormant source of warming in the Pacific Ocean switches on, giving a boost to global temperature rise.

Under the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, governments around the world committed to keeping global warming to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

But, according to a new analysis in the journal Geophysical Research Letters by Ben Henley and Andrew King of the University of Melbourne, the 1.5 degrees Celsius target may be reached or exceeded as early as 2026 if the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) shifts sea surface temperatures in the Pacific from a cool to a warm phase.

The IPO fluctuates in much the same way as El Nino and La Nina in the Pacific, but it occurs between every 10 to 30 years rather than roughly every two to seven. The study's authors write that, similar to El Nino and La Nina translating to "the boy" and "the girl," the IPO's phases are called El Tio and La Tia  "the cranky uncle" and "the kind auntie."

RELATED: Oceans Could Take a Million Years to Recover From Steep Drops in Oxygen Levels

The planet experienced a positive IPO, or El Tio, in the periods 1925-1946 and 1977-1998, both of which were periods that saw "rapid" increases in global average temperatures, according to the study. The reverse  a prolonged negative phase, or La Tia  occurred from 1947-1976, when global temperature rise "stalled." A Tia formation has been present since 1999, and Henley and King suggest that this may have been responsible for temperatures rising less than some scientists had expected.

A recent study in the journal Nature points (opens in new tab) to evidence of a return of El Tio, which Henley and King say could lead to a return of significant, average temperature increase around the world.

Using computer models, Henley and King ran a range of scenarios. But under no model variation was the outlook comforting.

"Even if the IPO remains in a negative phase, our research shows we will still likely see global temperatures break through the 1.5 degrees Celsius guardrail by 2031," Henley said in a statement. "If the world is to have any hope of meeting the Paris target, governments will need to pursue policies that not only reduce emissions but remove carbon from the atmosphere."

RELATED: Montana's Iconic Glaciers Could Disappear by 2030

The study assumes that countries will continue emitting carbon dioxide under a business as usual scenario. That pessimism has garnered some pushback from other researchers, who point out that a number of nations are taking steps to meet their Paris commitments.

Over the last few years, growth in greenhouse gas emissions has flatlined. And, at a meeting in Bonn last week, countries reaffirmed their commitment to Paris targets and began writing a "rule book" for achieving them. However, diplomats and scientists have long expressed concern that even meeting the agreed targets might not be enough to prevent temperatures climbing by 1.5 degrees Celsius. And there is a risk that President Donald Trump might withdraw the United States  responsible for 15 percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions  from the agreement.

"Policy makers should be aware of just how quickly we are approaching 1.5 degrees Celsius," Henley said. "The task of reducing emissions is very urgent indeed."

Originally published on Seeker.
An artist's illustration of Boyajian's star, which experiences unexplained changes in brightness. One hypothesis is that a planet has broken up around the star, and the debris is block the star's light.

The perplexing cosmic object known as "Boyajian's star" is once again exhibiting a mysterious pattern of dimming and brightening that scientists have tried to explain with hypotheses ranging from swarms of comets to alien megastructures.

Today (May 19), an urgent call went out to scientists around the world to turn as many telescopes as possible toward the star, to try and crack the mystery of its behavior.

"At about 4 a.m. this morning I got a phone call  that Fairborn [Observatory] in Arizona had confirmed that the star was 3 percent dimmer than it normally is," Jason Wright, an associate professor of astronomy at Pennsylvania State University, who is managing a study of Boyajian's star, said during a live webcast today at 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT). "That is enough that we are absolutely confident that this is no statistical fluke. We've now got it confirmed at multiple observatories, I think."

See more

Star KIC 8462852, or Boyajian's star (also nicknamed "Tabby's star," for astronomer Tabetha Boyajian, who led the team that first detected the star's fluctuations), has demonstrated an irregular cycle of growing dimmer and then returning to its previous brightness. These changes were first spotted in September 2015 using NASA's Kepler Space Telescope, which was built to observe these kinds of dips in a star's brightness, because they can be caused by a planet moving in front of the star as seen from Earth.

But the brightness changes exhibited by Boyajian don't show the kind of regularity that is typical of a planet's orbit around its star, and scientists can't see how the changes could be explained by a system of planets.

Scientists have hypothesized that the changes could be due to a swarm of comets passing in front of the star, that they're the result of strong magnetic activity, or that it's some massive structure built by aliens. But no leading hypothesis has emerged, so scientists have been eager to capture a highly detailed picture of the light coming from the star during one of these dimming periods. This detailed view is what scientists typically call an object spectra. It can reveal, for example, the specific chemical elements that are in a gas. It can also tell scientists if an object is moving toward or away from the observer.

See more

"Whatever's causing the star to get dimmer will leave a spectral fingerprint behind," Wright said during the webcast, which took place in the Breakthrough Listen laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley. "So if there is a lot of dust between us and the star  it will block more blue light than red light. If there is gas in that dust, that gas should absorb very specific wavelengths and we should be able to see that. And so, we've been eager to see one of these changes in one of these dips of the star so we can take some spectra."

But the scientists couldn't predict when the next dimming event would occur or how long it will last. (Dips detected by Kepler lasted for between two and seven days, according to Wright.) Professional-grade telescopes typically schedule observing time weeks or months in advance, so Wright and his colleagues knew their observations would have to come at the behest of colleagues who were already using the telescopes for other projects.

"We need to have a network of people around the world that are ready to jump on [and observe it]," Wright said. "Fortunately, Tabby's star is not too faint and so there are a lot of observers and telescopes  that have graciously agreed to take some time out of their science to grab a spectrum for us [tonight]."

See more

Wright said the call had gone out to amateur as well as professional astronomers to observe Boyajian's star during this dimming period. The largest and most powerful telescopes that will heed the call are the twin 10-meter telescopes at the W.H. Keck Observatory in Hawaii. The team is working to gain observing time on at least three other large telescopes on the U.S., according to Wright.

The Breakthrough Listen initiative, which searches for signs of intelligent life in the universe, has also taken an interest in the star and will be observing it with the Automated Planet Finder telescope at Lick Observatory in California, according to Andrew Siemion, director or the Berkeley SETI Research Center, said in the webcast.

"It's Super Bowl Sunday," Siemion said of the atmosphere at the during the webcast. "There's a palpable tension."

Breakthrough and the Berkeley center are now trying to get some observing time on the Green Bank radio telescope in West Virginia, according to Siemion.

Boyajian was the astronomer at Yale University who led the team that initially spotted the star's brightness fluctuations. It was Boyajian who called Wright at 4 a.m. to confirm that the star is dimming.

Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield.Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Jupiter's Little Red Spot takes center stage in this enhanced color photo from NASA's Juno spacecraft in orbit around the planet. The image was taken Feb. 2, 2017 (and released May 18) and was processed by citizen scientist Bjorn Jonsson using data from Juno's JunoCam instrument.

NASA's Juno spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter just had its sixth close encounter with the giant planet.

Juno skimmed the cloud tops of Jupiter today (May 19) at a range of just 2,200 miles (3,500 kilometers) during its close approach, NASA officials said. That closest approach occurred at 2 a.m. EDT (0600 GMT), they added. The manuever marked the sixth time Juno's orbit has brought it up close and personal with Jupiter, and the fifth science flyby of the mission. [Juno Probe's Jupiter Images as Stunning Art]

Jupiter's Little Red Spot takes center stage in this enhanced color photo from NASA's Juno spacecraft in orbit around the planet. The image was taken Feb. 2, 2017 (and released May 18) and was processed by citizen scientist Bjorn Jonsson using data from Juno's JunoCam instrument. (Image credit: Bjorn Jonsson/NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS)

"During these flybys, Juno is probing beneath the obscuring cloud cover of Jupiter and studying its auroras to learn more about the planet's origins, structure, atmosphere and magnetosphere," NASA officials wrote in a May 18 statement.

NASA celebrated the Juno flyby this week by showcasing a stunning photo of the Little Red Spot, a gigantic storm on Jupiter that  despite its size  is still smaller than Jupiter's iconic stormy landmark: the Great Red Spot. The newly released image was actually captured on Feb. 2 during an earlier flyby and was processed by citizen scientist Bjorn Jonsson using data from Juno's JunoCam instrument. New photos from today's Jupiter flyby are expected to be released Tuesday (May 23), according to a Juno mission update.

The Juno spacecraft orbits in a highly elongated orbit that brings the probe close to Jupiter once every 53 days. A plan to reduce that timeframe to allow close encounters every 14 days was scrapped in February due to problems with helium valves on Juno.

NASA launched the $1.1 billion Juno mission to Jupiter in 2011. The spacecraft carries seven instruments to study Jupiter's clouds and interior structure. Juno arrived at Jupiter on July 4, 2016 and will circle the planet 32 times before its mission ends in February 2018, NASA officials have said.

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
With thousands of exoplanet candidates discovered, astronomers are starting to figure out how to group them in order to describe them and understand them better. Many planet classification schemes have been proposed over the years, ranging from science fiction to more scientific ones. But we still know little about exoplanets, and some scientists still debate what the definition of a planet should be.

What is a planet?

Before discussing how to classify planets, it's important to understand what a planet is. The International Astronomical Union came out with an official definition in 2006, but that definition has remained controversial. The definition states that a planet is a celestial body that

is in orbit around the sun, has sufficient mass to have a nearly round shape, has "cleared the neighborhood" around its orbit.

The definition arose after astronomers, including California Institute of Technology astronomer Mike Brown, found several small worlds at the edge of the solar system. These bodies were approximately the size of Pluto, which was then considered a planet. With a new definition, the small worlds and Pluto were grouped into a new category called "dwarf planet."

The decision did not meet with universal approval. Alan Stern is the principal investigator of the New Horizons mission to Pluto, which flew by the world in 2015. He has repeatedly argued that the phrase "cleared the neighborhood" is vague and does not account for the fact that, for example, Earth has many asteroids in its orbit. Further, the New Horizons pictures of Pluto showed a surprisingly complex world that includes mountains, frozen lakes and other features  which he again argued makes it more like a planet.

The IAU responded to the New Horizons discoveries as follows: "These results raise fundamental questions about how a small, cold planet can remain active over the age of the Solar System. They demonstrate that dwarf planets can be every bit as scientifically interesting as planets. Equally important is that all three major Kuiper belt bodies visited by spacecraft so far  Pluto, Charon, and Triton  are more different than similar, bearing witness to the potential diversity awaiting the exploration of their realm."

In 2017, a group of scientists, including Stern, proposed a new definition of planet, which they plan to submit to the IAU: "A planet is a sub-stellar mass body that has never undergone nuclear fusion and that has sufficient self-gravitation to assume a spheroidal shape adequately described by a triaxial ellipsoid regardless of its orbital parameters."

Classifying planets

The urge to classify planets has increased since exoplanet discoveries became more frequent. The first confirmed exoplanet discovery was in 1992, with the discovery of PSR B1257+12 around a pulsar star; the first main-sequence star discovery (51 Pegasi b) was found in 1995.

Since then, thousands of exoplanet candidates have been found, most of them with the Kepler Space Telescope. While Kepler's mission is focused on finding planets like Earth orbiting in the "habitable zones" (where liquid water may exist on the planet's surface) of their stars, the telescope has discovered a wide variety of planets.

Many of the exoplanets discovered early on were so-called "hot Jupiters," large gas giants that orbit very close to their parent star. Some planets are very old, such as PSR 1620-26 b (nicknamed Methuselah as it's only 1 billion years younger than the universe itself.) Some planets are so close to their parent star that their atmosphere is evaporating, such as the case of HD 209458b. Further, planets have been found orbiting two, three or even more stars.

With such a wide range of planets, it is perhaps understandable that there is no single classification system for all planets. For the most part, astronomers focus on the degree to which planets may be habitable, which is perhaps best demonstrated with the Habitable Exoplanets Catalog. This is a list of the most promising habitable planets as determined by experts at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo's Planetary Habitability Laboratory (PHL).

The challenge is, habitability is usually defined solely by a planet's orbit and mass. Telescopes of today are not sensitive enough to look at atmospheres except for the very largest and closest planets. That said, observatories of the future may be able to examine atmospheres directly. The James Webb Space Telescope, which launches in 2018, should be capable of looking at certain planets' atmospheres, although it's unclear how much information it can obtain about smaller, rocky planets close to Earth's mass.

Solar System classification schemes

The word "planet" comes from a Greek word meaning "wanderer", meaning that the planets wander in Earth's sky compared with the (relatively fixed) stars. Planet movements were known by all ancient cultures, but they were limited to those that could be seen with the naked eye: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The discoveries of Uranus and Neptune came after the telescope was used in astronomy starting in the 1600s.

In our own solar system, astronomers typically distinguish between "rocky" planets and "gas" planets. The rocky planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. They have small atmospheres compared with their size, and are closer to the sun.

Long-standing theory is that when the sun was young and the solar system was just forming, radiation blew most of the gas to the outer solar system, depriving these planets of the chance to pick up a lot of atmosphere. However, other solar systems have huge, gassy exoplanets close to their parent stars. Perhaps these exoplanets migrated, or perhaps the formation theory needs tweaking.

The gas planets in our solar system are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, although there are vast differences among them. Uranus and Neptune still have rocky cores (as best as theory can tell), but have very large atmospheres compared with those cores. While the cores of Jupiter and Saturn also remain enigmatic, physics predicts that because of the planets' much larger size relative to Uranus and Neptune, the cores may be liquid-metallic  or perhaps more solid. More study will be needed.

At least one classification scheme distinguishes the planets in our solar system with their position relative to Earth. Under this scheme, "inferior" planets (those inside Earth's orbit) are Mercury and Venus. "Superior" planets (those outside Earth's orbit) are Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Sometimes, planets in our solar system are classified with their position relative to the asteroid belt, which lies approximately between Mars and Jupiter. With this scenario, "inner" planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. "Outer" planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Exoplanet classification schemes

Perhaps the most famous attempt at exoplanet classification is that used by "Star Trek." A habitable planet like the Earth is referred to as an M-class planet; often, members of the crew would call out that they were orbiting an M-class planet, or this would be noted specifically in a captain's log.

Star Trek fan site Memory Alpha has a class list as follows:

Class D (planetoid or moon with little to no atmosphere)

Class H (generally uninhabitable)

Class J (gas giant)

Class K (habitable, as long as pressure domes are used)

Class L (marginally habitable, with vegetation but no animal life)

Class M (terrestrial)

Class N (sulfuric)

Class R (a rogue planet, not as habitable as a terrestrial planet)

Class T (gas giant)

Class Y (toxic atmosphere, high temperatures)

The Planetary Habitability Laboratory lists several "obscure" examples of classification, as well as more scientific examples. Of the more scientific examples, the suggestions include using mass as a classification scheme (Stern and Levison, 2002) or the abundance of elements more important for life (Lineweaver and Robles, 2006). Stern and Levison further argue, according to PHL, that "any classification should be physically based, determinable on easily observed characteristics, quantitative, uniquely, robust to new discoveries, and be based of the fewest possible criteria."

PHL also has a proposed classification scheme that uses mass as a basis  a metric that can be obtained with today's telescopic observations. Mass can be estimated based on radial velocity measurements obtained by instruments such as the HARPS (High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher) spectrograph at the European Southern Observatory's La Silla 3.6m telescope. Simply put, this method measures the "tug" a planet exerts as it goes around its parent star, providing an estimate of the mass.

The PHL's proposed classification list is as follows:

Minor planets, moons and comets

Less than 0.00001 Earth masses = asteroidan

0.00001 to 0.1 Earth masses = mercurian

Terrestrial planets (rocky composition)

0.1-0.5 Earth masses = subterran

0.5-2 Earth masses = terran (Earths)

2-10 Earth masses = superterran (super-Earths)

Gas giant planets

10-50 Earth masses = Neptunian (Neptunes)

50-5000 Earth masses = Jovian (Jupiters)

Additional resources
Kingstown (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), May 20, 2017 (SPS) -Participants in the regional seminar of the Caribbean on decolonization held by the United Nations' 24 Committee called for the UN to speed up the decolonization process of Western Sahara and the organization of a self-determination referendum.

The three-day seminar, held in Kingstown and devoted to the future of the 17 non-autonomous territories on the UN agenda, stressed the need to revive the UN special Committee for decolonization, alias Committee of 24, so that is can reach its goals.

Committee expert Judith Bourne stated that without "drastic and deep re-assessment and reconstruction of the Committee's work, the third International Decade of colonization elimination would simply become a fourth or fifth decade until efforts are undermined by negligence and inactivity."

"The decolonization process is lagging behind," said participants. Since the proclamation of independence of Timor Oriental in 2002, the 17 non-autonomous wait since a long time for their right to self-determination.

"The UN committee's credibility depends on its capacity to implement the third Decade of colonialism elimination," said participants.

Speaking during the works, Algeria's representative stated that the international community had to continue to support the UN Committee to help it fulfill its mandate.

As regards Western Sahara, Algeria's representative said that biased solutions were not going to guarantee a peaceful future for the region.

Expressing support to the efforts made by the UN Security Council and the UN Secretary General to relaunch negotiations, Algeria's representative recalled various decisions of international tribunals, which reaffirmed that Western Sahara was not part of the Moroccan territory.

The 24 Committee should not joint its efforts to those of the African Union to reach a sustainable solution guaranteeing the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination, he stated.

Describing Rabat's colonial policy, the representative of Algeria recalled that Morocco had proposed the partition of Western Sahara, which is an irreversible proof that its territorial claim was unfounded. (SPS)

062/090/700
STAMFORD  On July 1, taxes will rise again. This time its 2.8 percent.

That is on top of 2.6 percent last year, 2.9 percent the year before, and 2.9 percent the year before that.

City officials like to say the increases are small. The problem for taxpayers is they are not as small as wage increases.

Since the Great Recession of 2008, wages in America have increased 2.5 percent year to year, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research group.

Slow wage growth, in fact, is keeping the U.S. economy from full recovery. For that to happen, workers wages must increase about 4 percent a year, the institute found.

So, in the 2017-18 fiscal year, Stamford residents will have to cut deeper into their household budgets to come up with a few hundred dollars more for taxes.

It stings because the city has reported a surplus of almost $6 million.

It stings, too, because the city payroll released last month shows that 30 percent of public employees earn $100,000 or more a year.

Census data for 2016 shows the typical Stamford resident does not do as well. The median income for an entire household or family in the city doesnt reach the six-figure mark  ranging from $80,000 to $95,000 a year.

The lions share of taxes collected pays for city employee salaries and benefits. Medical, dental, vision and prescription benefits cost about $12,000 for an individual employee, about twice that for an employee with a spouse, and about $30,000 for a family.

Tuesday night, when the Board of Finance met to set the mill rate, which determines the tax levy, member Shelley Michelson raised the point of ever-rising taxes.

The board was discussing a motion to add $500,000 to the citys contingency fund, for fear of possible deep cuts in state aid.

Michelson, a Republican, said she didnt want to risk a city shortfall on the as-yet-undecided budget in Hartford, but I do think that there are ways the city can be saving money and I think that we need to ... implement a program to identify them ... were really getting to an upper amount of tax increase for the taxpayers of Stamford.

Michelson said she was torn between approving another $500,000 in contingency and saying to the city, You really need to take a look, do some benchmarking, and figure out how you can save another $500,000. 

She proposed adding half that amount to the contingency fund instead, but only Democrat David Kooris voted with her, so the full amount was approved.

Taxpayers will begin paying for it in July. Michelson said the city can do better.

There are ways that we can save the money and not have to increase taxes, she said. And I dont think that weve really done any of that soul-searching.

Gabriele focused on the $6 million surplus, asking that some of it be returned to taxpayers.

Fifteen years ago, you had about 60 managers running the city and now you have 104. You have the director of operations telling us he has managers in place that are not doing the job, Gabriele said, referring to a meeting several weeks ago at which Ernie Orgera asked for $91,000 to hire a new bureau chief, in part because he needs help fielding complaints that go unanswered by his managers.

The mindset with the city is were not going to lay off ... managers ... or some of the mayors staff ... what were going to do is were going to slam the taxpayers, Gabriele said. Were going to tax the hell out of the taxpayers. Thats the mindset.

Little house, big bill

His fellow finance board members said this is not the year for a tax cut because of the financial uncertainty in Hartford, where lawmakers are projecting a $2.3 billion budget deficit.

It most likely will mean big cuts in aid to cities, but no one will know how big until state lawmakers pass their budget June 7.

Director of Administration Michael Handler told the finance board the surplus exists because the city, seeing Hartfords budget woes, built its reserves.

So taxpayers wont get a break in the next fiscal year.

Mike Battinelli, one of the founders of the Stamford Neighborhoods Coalition, said taxes are a thorn in everyones side.

The city does things like add a sewer fee to make people pay separately for sewer use, but then (property) taxes go up anyway, Battinelli said. People say they just cant understand why.

In neighborhoods citywide, people are setting aside more and more of their income for tax bills, he said.

I pay $7,000 a year for my little house in Glenbrook. I have railroad tracks in my backyard  its not like I live in the best spot in Stamford, he said. As bad as I feel, I feel even worse for people in other neighborhoods, like Shippan and North Stamford, where they pay $20,000 a year just to live in their house.

acarella@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2296; stamfordadvocate.com/angelacarella.

A story on Page A1 in Sundays Advocate incorrectly stated which Board of Finance member voted with fellow member Shelley Michelson on her compromise motion to allocate $250,000 to the citys contingency fund. Democrat David Kooris voted with Michelson.
T his was the dramatic moment a knifeman grappled with police and tried to escape from a stop-and-search in northwest London.

Duval Evans, 19, was subjected to a routine search by police officers near Austen Road in Harrow on April 11.

The officers, who recorded the incident on body-worn cameras, quickly found a knife stashed in his jacket pocket.

Evans then tried to hold on to the blade and run away, but the officers managed to hold him back and arrest him.

Scuffle: police officers had to restrain Duval Evans as he tried to escape / Met Police

Evans, from South Harrow, pleaded guilty at Hendon Magistrates Court to possession of a controlled drug, possession of an offensive weapon and assault of a police officer.

He was sentenced to 46 weeks behind bars on May 17.

Jailed: Duval Evans was sentenced to more than 10 months behind bars / Met Police

Police Sergeant PJ Jones, from Harrow, said: We have the support of our local communities and partners to target knife carriers.

Communities are now speaking out about their intolerance of those who continue to endanger lives by carrying weapons.

We will stop those who carry knives, we will search them, and we will imprison them to protect our residents.

This sentence demonstrates the courts dedication to sentencing knife carriers to custodial sentences.

It comes after Met Commissioner Cressida Dick said the vast majority of Londoners support increased police stop-and-search powers to combat outrageous levels of knife crime in the capital.
A young man has been rushed to hospital after being stabbed in broad daylight at a busy south London station.

The victim, believed to be aged 22, was knifed in his arm at East Croydon station just before 1pm on Saturday afternoon.

Police were called to the station and the victim was taken to a nearby hospital.

A British Transport Police spokesman said his injuries were not believed to be serious.

The incident was not affecting National Rail or London Overground services on Saturday afternoon.

A British Transport Police spokesman added: We were called at 12.58pm to East Croydon station, to reports that a man in his twenties had been assaulted.

The man, believed to be a 22-year-old from the local area, is being taken to hospital with a knife wound to the arm. It is not believed to be serious.

Anyone with information is asked to contact us on 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016.
P olice are hunting a man after a bouncer was left needing surgery following a vicious early morning attack outside a pub in the City of London.

Security staff had asked a group to leave the Steam and Rye pub in Leadenhall Street at about 2.30am when one of them turned on the victim.

He attacked him outside the venue, leaving the doorman with cuts to his face and a serious injury to his hand, police said.

After the incident on Sunday February 19, detectives have released a CCTV image of a man they believe may have information that could help the ongoing investigation.

Police are also appealing to City residents and workers for information.

Detective Constable Mark Alston from the City of London Police said: The victim was simply doing his job when he suffered a vicious attack that left him needing surgery to put pins in his hand.

I would encourage anybody that was in the area and witnessed this incident to come forward and talk to us.

Since this assault took place we have been conducting a thorough investigation.

I appreciate that this incident occurred in February but I would ask anyone that may recognise the man in the image to please get in touch with us at the earliest possible opportunity.

If you can help call 020 7601 2999 and quote CR/1062/17. Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
P olice have issued a warning after thugs on mopeds and bikes targeted mobile phone users in a spate of muggings across south London.

Gangs on scooters and push bikes hit six lone victims while they walked along holding their devices in their hands, Southwark police said.

Two thefts occurred in Burgess Park on Saturday afternoon while muggers also struck in Old Kent Road, Elephant and Castle and Walworth.

Officers have urged people to be vigilant.

Attempted theft: A gang target a moped rider in south London / YouTube

A tweet from Southwark Polices account read: We had a high number of phones snatched yesterday afternoon by suspects on mopeds and push bikes in #SE1 #SE17 please be aware.

Attempted motorbike theft

The spate of thefts comes just weeks after Scotland Yard launched a crackdown on moped crime across the capital.

On Friday, the Met revealed thieves on scooters and bikes commit up to 50,000 crimes each year.

A biker is treated by medics after he crashed while being pursued by a scooter gang (Kestutis Paukstys ) / Kestutis Paukstys

Gangs of youths are using stolen scooters, mopeds, motorcycles and bikes to commit tens of thousands of snatch offences across London, detectives said.

In a series of new measures designed to tackle the moped gangs the Met announced:

A revamped Operation Venice campaign to co-ordinate action across Londons 32 boroughs

Extra covert patrols to catch the bike thieves red-handed and plans for tougher tactics to seize offenders in the act.

More sophisticated forensic techniques to track criminals to avoid the risk of a chase.

A specialist tactical traffic advisor who can authorise high speed pursuits on duty 24/7 in the Mets central London control room.

A new facility to capture footage of scooter crimes taken by members of the public.

Special recognisers being used to spot known offenders - one suspect in a recent spree of incidents outside the BBC was recognised by a mole on his forehead.

Police refused to give details of the tougher tactics but say it will allow officers to intervene more effectively and safely if they encounter scooter thieves.
A cyclist was rushed to hospital after a crash on a busy road in north-west London.

Emergency services raced to Edgware Road at about 2.20pm on Saturday after the crash near the junction with Kendal Street.

A 35-year-old male cyclist had been hit by a bus and was taken to a hospital in central London.

Pictures posted on social media showed a large police cordon around a number 98 bus as a large section of the road was closed off.

The cyclist was rushed to hospital early on Saturday afternoon / @LondonCabbieDan/Twitter

The cyclist's injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, Scotland Yard said.

A spokesman for the Met Police said road closures have since been lifted.
A motorcyclist has suffered serious injuries after a horror smash on a busy road in north-east London.

Shocked witnesses said the motorcycle was travelling at speed when it collided with a car on Amhurst Road in Hackney on Saturday evening.

The motorcyclist, a man in his late 20s, was rushed to hospital after emergency services descended on the scene at shortly after 7pm.

Dave Raval, whose house overlooks where the crash happened, was sitting in his office when he heard the motorcycle go past.

A large section on Amhurst Road has been cordoned off / Dave Raval

He said: I was sitting in my office and I heard a motorcycle go by really quickly, it seemed to be going really fast.

A couple of minutes later I noticed all the traffic had stopped outside my house, and couple of minutes after that I noticed police arriving.

A car had pulled out a few feet and had been hit by the motorbike, the bike had travelled five car lengths forward.

The motorcyclist was on the ground being attended to and he wasnt moving. It didnt look good.

There were three police cars there, the ambulance arrived shortly after.

The police have cordoned off the road. It is shocking.

Mr Ravel, who is the Liberal Democrats candidate in the Hackney South and Shoreditch seat in the upcoming General Election, added: "That road, and the Pembury Circus junction which it leads up to, there are a lot of accidents there.

A spokesman for the Met Police said: We were called 7.16pm to reports to a car in collision with a motorcycle.

The London Ambulance Service also attended and a man in his late 20s was taken to hospital. He is believed to be in a serious condition.

The driver stopped at the scene and he is assisting police with their enquiries.

Road closures have been put in place.
L abour received a further boost this week as four new polls showed Jeremy Corbyn's party eating into the Conservative lead ahead of the General Election.

The polls for the Sunday newspapers put Labour between 35 per cent and 33 per cent, up significantly on the scores as low as 26 per cent it was recording early in the campaign.

In one survey by YouGov for the Sunday Times, the Tory advantage was narrowed to just nine points, the first time it has been in single figures in a mainstream poll since Theresa May called the snap election on April 18.

The figures would still deliver a comfortable Tory majority if repeated on June 8, but they will bolster Labour insiders' belief that Mr Corbyn's campaign is making inroads into Mrs May's support following her poorly-received policies on social care for the elderly.

General Election polls and projections: May 21

Crucially, a result on these lines would put Mr Corbyn comfortably above the 30.4 per cent vote share achieved by Ed Miliband in 2015, which some supporters argue should be seen as a benchmark of whether he should stay on as leader.

The 35 per cent support for Labour recorded by YouGov is the best rating for the party since March last year before the EU referendum and challenge to Mr Corbyn's leadership.

The poll put Tories on 44 per cent, though Mrs May's party was on 46 per cent in separate surveys by ORB International for the Sunday Telegraph, Opinium for the Observer and Survation for the Mail on Sunday.

The Survation survey, conducted entirely after Thursday's Tory manifesto launch, found 28 per cent of voters said they were less likely to vote Conservative because of the social care package, branded a "dementia tax" by opponents.

The Telegraph and Mail on Sunday polls put Labour two points up since last week on 34 per cent, while the Observer put Labour up one point on 33 per cent.

Earlier this week two other polls also showed Mr Corbyn's party was closing in on Theresa May's Conservative Party.

And Mr Corbyn said: "This message is getting through. Get on any bus, get on any train, go in any cafe, talk to people.

"The whole discussion and the whole debate is unravelling from the Tory point of view, because people are saying 'Hang on, why are so many young people in such stress?

Why are so many older people being threatened by this Government? Can't we as a society, as a country, as a people do things differently and better?"

Mr Corbyn accused Theresa May of fomenting a "war between the generations" by playing off old against young in her election manifesto.

Meanwhile Shadow chancellor John McDonnell told activists in Birmingham there was "all to play for" in the remaining three weeks, declaring: "Let's get out there and win this election, let's carpe diem (seize the day), let's seize this opportunity, with courage and determination, we can win this election despite what they throw at us."

But the Prime Minister fought back by saying that a shadow cabinet row over the renewal of Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent showed that Mr Corbyn could not be trusted to defend the country.

Mrs May too played up the prospect of a close result on June 8, as she urged supporters not to allow Corbyn into Downing Street on the back of a coalition of opposition parties.

Writing in the Daily Mail, the Prime Minister said it was a "cold, hard fact" that if her party lost six seats, Mr Corbyn could take power in a scenario which should "scare us all".

After shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry suggested that the future of Trident could be up for grabs in a post-election Labour defence review, Mrs May said it was clear that a Corbyn-led administration would not be "unequivocally committed" to Britain's independent nuclear deterrent.

"They would not be able to defend this country," she told Tory activists in west London. "A Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour government could not be trusted with the defence of our country."

Mr Corbyn was forced to restate his commitment to renewing Trident, with a senior aide insisting that Labour was committed to a continuous at-sea deterrent "come what may".

Additional reporting by Press Association
C rowds applauded Prince George and Princess Charlotte as they arrived at Pippa Middletons wedding.

Three-year-old George and two-year-old Charlotte were on their best behaviour as they were ushered into St Marks church in the Berkshire village of Englefield.

George wore a white shirt and gold bloomers while his younger sister donned a white tea dress with a peach ribbon around the waist.

They joined flower girls, who wore garlands of Gypsophila, in their hair and several other page boys.

Cute gang: The Duchess of Cambridge ushers the children inside / AP

The Duchess of Cambridge was pictured laughing along with the youngsters as she ushered the group inside.

The mother-of-two wore a demure long-sleeved pale pink dress and matching hat.

Blushing bride: Pippa Middleton with father Michael / AP

She wore her long dark hair pinned up.

Pippa Middleton arrives at church to marry James Matthews

Pippa, 33, beamed with joy as she showed off her famous figure in the fitted guipure lace gown by the British designer.

Kate with Princess Charlotte and Prince George as they wait for Pippa to arrive. / AFP/Getty Images

On the arm of her father, Michael Middleton, Pippa smiled with joy as she arrived at the St Marks Church in a vintage car ahead of her vows.

Prince Harry and Prince William arrived together for the ceremony with no sign of Harrys American actress girlfriend Meghan Markle.

Bride Pippa Middleton and groom James Matthews arrive for wedding 1 /26 Bride Pippa Middleton and groom James Matthews arrive for wedding REUTERS PA Getty Getty Images AP Newlyweds: Pippa Middleton and James Matthews kiss as husband and wife. REUTERS Mother and daughter: Kate and Princess Charlotte. Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images Royal wave: Prince George as he leaves the wedding of his aunt. REUTERS Kiss: Husband and wife Pippa and James. REUTERS Duchess: Kate walks with the children as she tells them to be quiet. Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images Vintage: Father and daughter arrive in a 1951 Jaguar Mk V car, for her wedding to James Matthews. AFP/Getty Images Duchess of Cambridge: Kate arrives with the pageboys and flower girls for the wedding of sister Pippa. AP Beaming: A veiled Pippa arrives at the church. AP Expectation: Kate and the children wait for bride Pippa. AFP/Getty Images Children: Kate waits for the bride. AP Special day: Shortly before entering the church. AP Entrance: Pippa Middleton arrives with her father Michael Middleton shortly after 11.15am for her wedding. AP Father of the bride: Michael and daughter Pippa. AP Entrance: Kate tends to sister Pippa's wedding dress train. AP Stunning: Beaming bride Pippa wore a dress by British designer Giles Deacon. AP

Celebrities including Roger Federer and James Middletons TV personality girlfriend Donna Air also attended.

Princess Eugenie donned a navy blue dress and cream fascinator for the occasion.
T he ashes of Moors murderer Ian Brady will not be scattered in his birthplace of Glasgow despite his wishes, the Scottish citys council said.

Brady, who was one of Britains most infamous serial killers, died on Monday aged 79 after spending more than five decades in prison for torturing and murdering children with girlfriend Myra Hindley.

According to The Sun newspaper, Bradys will asked for his cremated ashes to be scattered on Glasgows River Clyde and for all money raised from his memoirs to go to charity.

Brady also wished to be cremated to the piece of music Symphonie Fantastique by composer Hector Berlioz, which tells how a young artist dreams of killing his beloved and is condemned to death.

The will - which was seen by the newspaper - also calls for his paintings and photos of himself to be auctioned to pay for the publication of his autobiography, entitled Black Light - with any spare money to go to charity.

Ian Brady, with his pet dog. / Public Records Office/PA

Brady reportedly says: "I do not wish to be viewed by relatives or friends. The coffin is to remain closed. I do not wish any of the staff of Ashworth Hospital to be present at my funeral or cremation."

Brady's body has been released to his lawyer, and the paper said he had asked to be cremated in a non-religious ceremony in Glasgow, with his remains to be scattered on the Clyde near the Gorbals area, where he grew up.

But Glasgow City Council has said it would refuse any request for the notorious murderer to be cremated in the area.

A spokesman for the authority said: "We have not had such a request but we would refuse that request. We would advise the private crematoria not to accept the request or any such request should it be forthcoming. There has not been any request made."

A court sketch of Ian Brady in 2013. / PA

Brady and Hindley were jailed for life for the killings of 12-year-old John Kilbride, 10-year-old Lesley Ann Downey and teenager Edward Evans, 17.

They went on to admit the murders of Pauline Reade, 16, and 12-year-old Keith Bennett, whose body has never been found.

Terry Kilbride, 63, brother of John, condemned Brady's plans, telling The Sun: "It upsets me that this monster is trying to make money on the back of what he did to our John and those other kids. It's sickening that he's planned this."

Brady's body had been held under police guard since his death at Ashworth High Secure Hospital in Maghull, Merseyside, at 6.02pm on Monday.

Opening an inquest into his death on Tuesday, senior coroner for Sefton Christopher Sumner delayed the release of his body to ask for assurances that a funeral director and crematorium willing to take it had been found.

He also asked for an assurance the ashes of Brady would not be scattered on Saddleworth Moor, where the remains of four of Brady and Myra Hindley's five child victims were found.

At a reconvened hearing on Wednesday the coroner's court heard solicitor and executor of Brady's will Robin Makin had said there was "no likelihood" the ashes would be scattered there.

Mr Sumner delayed the body's release until Thursday to allow Merseyside Police to negotiate with Mr Makin about arrangements for the funeral.

Additional reporting by Press Association.


C elebrity guests have arrived at the wedding of Pippa Middleton and millionaire fiance James Matthews.

High profile pals of the couple including Roger Federer and TV personality Donna Air were snapped arriving St Marks church, in picturesque Berkshire village Englefield before the ceremony.

Prince Harry and Pippa's brother-in-law Prince William were spotted arriving in dinner suits and long overcoats, however, Harry's American actress girlfriend Meghan Markle was not seen with the pair.

Best man, the grooms brother and former Made in Chelsea star, Spencer Matthews, was pictured saluting guests outside of the church clad in a black overcoat, blue waistcoat and orange tie with a matching pocket handkerchief.

Princess Eugenie donned a navy blue dress for the occasion.

Celebrity guests: Roger Federer with wife Marka / AP

The Middletons controversial uncle Gary Goldsmith tweeted pictures of himself and daughter Tallulah travelling to the ceremony.

Crowds gathered as the worlds press descended on the tiny village to wish the couple luck.

Meryl Elizabeth Evans, in her 60s, travelled from South Wales to witness the "wedding of the year.

Best man: James Matthews' brother Spencer Matthews / AP

She said: "We didn't get here till nine, and we thought we wouldn't be able to see anything. But there weren't too many people - we didn't have to fight our way in.

"It's a nice atmosphere, everybody's friendly, it's just a nice country feel to it."

Mrs Evans said she was most looking forward to spotting the guests' attire, and said: "I'd love to see the fashion - the clothes, the hats and the fascinators. But they'll all be in cars so we'll probably see it on TV.

Dressed up: Donna Air arrives in Englefield / PA

"We've met people from around the world, and the camera crews are from everywhere. It is the wedding of the year, isn't it?"

Mrs Evans, who also visited the church on Friday, noted the secretive atmosphere among the locals.

She told the Press Association: "We went to one of the villages nearby and they weren't excited. I don't know if they'll bother coming here.

First guests: People begin to arrive St Mark's church / PA

"We wish the newlyweds all the best and let's hope that the weather stays nice for them."

Royal fan Sandra Shaw, arrived brightly dressed for the occasion in a neon-orange T-shirt and hat, and a Union Jack flag.

Pippa's wedding: Everything you need to know

The 55-year-old, who drove from Warrington in Cheshire, said: "I didn't look at the mileage, but it took us three-and-a-half hours to get here.

"I'm excited to see the younger royals more than the older ones."

Ms Shaw said she was hoping to see Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who will star as a pageboy and bridesmaid, despite worries about their behaviour expressed by their mother, the Duchess of Cambridge.

Her sartorial choice was driven by the toddlers, who she hoped might wave as they spotted her standout outfit.
M elania Trump raised eyebrows after arriving in Saudi Arabia without a headscarf, two years after her husband criticised then-first lady Michelle Obama for not wearing one in the Muslim country.

Accompanying her husband on his first international trip, Mrs Trump stepped off Air Force One conservatively dressed in long sleeves and trousers to conform to the strict dress code that Saudi Arabia enforces for its female citizens.

But, critics noted she wasnt wearing a head scarf.

Under the kingdom's strict dress code for women, Saudi women and most female visitors are required to wear a loose, black robe, known as an abaya, in public.

US President Trump arrives in Saudi Arabia

Most women in Saudi Arabia also cover their hair and face with a veil known as the niqab.

But covering one's head is not required for foreigners, and some Western women choose to forgo the headscarf. Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel both shunned head coverings during earlier visits.

Mrs Obama did not cover her head when she accompanied then-president Barack Obama on a condolence visit in January 2015 after the death of King Abdullah.

Mr Trump tweeted his displeasure over Mrs Obama's decision to appear bare-headed in 2015.

"Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted. We have enuf enemies (sic)," he tweeted.

Mr Trump's daughter Ivanka, a senior White House adviser who is accompanying her father, also did not cover her head.
SCOTTSBLUFF  Nebraskans help their neighbors, give them a hand up and lean on each other in times of trouble. Growing up in Scottsbluff, Nikki-Catrina Anderson learned those values and always sought out the best in people. Those values lie behind her success in school and her pursuit of the title of Miss Nebraska.

Anderson wears many hats. Shes a 4.0 student at Brigham Young University. She serves as Miss Scotts Bluff County. Shes becoming a community leader. She will soon be an elementary school teacher and hopes her future students will share her joy of reading.

Anderson participated in the Lied Scottsbluff Librarys summer reading program. When she was old enough, she joined her mentors in the Teen Advisory Council at the library, eventually volunteering 400 hours there. Overall, she has more 900 hours of volunteer service in the community.

As she sought a platform for Miss Nebraska, reading was the obvious choice.

When it came time to pick, reading was who I was, she said. It was my passion and the thing that has impacted me the most.

When Anderson originally got involved in the library it was because she was bullied at school. She joined the Teen Advisory Group and found friends and mentors who were concerned with building up their peers.

So I shifted my focus at school to reading and serving my community, and to find better role models than my peers, she said.

The group gave Anderson an outlet to concentrate on the positive instead of what people said to her or thought of her.

Bullying is a real thing and impacted who I am, but my outlet was finding connections to the stories I was reading, Anderson said.

Anderson admits, going through that experience was easier said than done, but she plans to take those experiences into her own classroom when she begins teaching. She aims to teach students that bullying is unacceptable.

At BYU, Anderson has been enjoying everything the university has to offer, including opportunities to work with womens services and other campus organizations.

Its amazing, she said. I really enjoy the diversity of ethnicity, race and cultures and other things youre not exposed to in a small town.

Those small town values remain. She expresses that she feels blessed with the successes and opportunities Scottsbluff provided. Anderson was involved in many activities, including speech, debate, track and musicals.

At a bigger school, you have to pick one, she said. I was able to develop the skills I wanted and try out different things.

Anderson worried when she entered BYU if shed fit in at such a large school.

I was so scared I was going to flunk, she said. BYU is prestigious and I wanted to show people I was smart.

BYU taught her how to have a voice, how to put herself out there, which ultimately led her to becoming Miss Scotts Bluff County and the idea of Ready, Set, Read, a community book drive to get kids reading over the summer.

If I had stayed in my comfort zone, I wouldnt have grown, she said. BYU helped me leap from my comfort zone.

One thing that angers Anderson more than anything else is when people are labeled. She doesnt see people as disabled. She sees people with different abilities. She points to the current winner of the television show Dancing with the Stars, Nyle DiMarco, and Miss America 1995, Heather Whitestone, who are deaf, and how society puts a person into a category and doesnt allow them to be anything else.

If we can stop labeling and stop telling people you cant, then you can see what they can do, Anderson said. Why is being deaf bad? Why is having ADHD bad? Why is being a reader bad? Why is different bad?

Whether Anderson is using sign language to talk to someone else, volunteering or hanging out with her family eating French fries or Oreos, she continues to grow and find new ways to help others.

Anderson isnt sure if shes going to plant roots in Utah or come back to Scottsbluff. She still has a year of college to finish and, she hopes, competing in Miss America. Wherever she lands, she plans to teach her students that every one of them can be successful.

The most difficult ones, the ones that have been put down by everyone else, they need to know they can be successful, she said.
SCOTTSBLUFF  Inspired by a friend who required a pacemaker at an early age, Shelbi Klingsporn developed an experiment to see how the device functions in extreme environments. Her science project is now headed into space.

Klingsporn, from Bridgeport, is a recent graduate of the Valley Alternative Learning and Transitioning School (VALTS).

Her project is one of only 80 selected to fly on a NASA sounding rocket this June, on a flight will last about 10 minutes. Because of size and weight limitations, the project had to fit, with padding, within a four centimeter cube. The program is appropriately titled Cubes in Space.

Klingsporns project will test the effects of radiation and launch pressure on the Micra transcatheter pacing system, the worlds smallest pacemaker to date. Inserted into the heart through a catheter in the leg, the device weighs about 1.75 grams.

When I talked to the manufacturers senior engineer, he wanted to know three things, she said. He wanted to know the effect radiation has on the pacemaker, the effect of vibration and the effect of temperature.

She said radiation was something she wanted to investigate because its all around us, from microwave ovens to wireless communication signals that could affect how pacemakers operate.

Klingsporn said that once her project returns from space, engineers from Medtronic, creators of the pacemaker, will work with her to determine how the pacemaker held up and if there was any damage. Because part of the pacemaker is made of glass, the results will be valuable for improving the device.

If the project is successful, Medtronic wants to publish an article on the results with me as one of the authors, she said. Its quite an honor to be considered for this.

Successful experiments are launched in late June via a sounding rocket from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia. Klingsporn, along with her science and English teachers, plan to be there to witness the launch. Shell also make a presentation on her work.

Were fortunate to have teachers that really challenge the kids, said VALTS Director of Alternative Education George Schlothauer. They take a lot of pride in outside-the-box thinking. They want to see kids turn into lifelong learners whose curiosity is always going.

Science teacher Katie Juarez said to be selected for the Cubes in Space program, students must submit a written project proposal along with a technical diagram. Submissions are then evaluated by a panel of educators, engineers, professionals and university students.

The panel will usually make revisions before theyll approve a project, Juarez said. Shelbis project didnt need revising. That kind of validation is pretty cool.

VALTS English teacher Lesley Billingsley said the language component of the project was important because of the technical writing involved. If you cant communicate, your projects wont get funding, she said.

Klingsporn said shes interested in becoming a Physician Assistant. She recently completed a job shadowing opportunity with Regional West Medical Center in their Cardiopulmonary Services department. In addition to seeing what cardiopulmonary specialists do on the job, she got to watch an actual procedure where a patient received a pacemaker.
The Vertex Business Services utility call centers in Scottsbluff and at Western Nebraska Regional Airport will be getting new signs in the near future  but thats about it.

Hampton, Virginia-based Faneuil, Inc., a subsidiary ALJ Regional Holdings, Inc. has acquired Vertex for $13 million in both cash and ALJ stock.

Faneuil Chief Executive Officer Anna Van Buren said the company is looking forward to being a part of the community. We dont have any major plans for change, she said. Leadership at Vertex was happy about being in Scottsbluff. Its a wonderful place for our contact center operations, so were committed to continuing that.

Vertex is solely dedicated to the utilities industry, serving nearly 10 customers for more than 30 electric, gas and water clients across North America.

Van Buren said Faneuil operates contact centers that provide back office support for government and commercial clients in highly regulated industries, such as transportation and health care. With the Vertex acquisition, Faneuil will strengthen its presence in the utilities sector.

There are more than 300 people employed with Vertex at their Scottsbluff operation. All of them have been offered employment with the new company. With new ownership, local employees will also have new tools to help them be even more efficient.

The acquisition provides opportunities for growth for those employed with the company, Van Buren said. In the future, we may even add more services to the company.

In terms of utilities, this acquisition allows us to grow our market share and strengthen our commitment in that area, Van Buren said. It also allows us to gain additional capabilities we can take to our other centers.

She added that Faneuil, with its 23-plus years in business, has been expanding rapidly across the country and is planning to add two additional centers this year. One is at a yet-to-be-determined location in the Midwest and another in Orlando, Florida.

From what Ive heard, people are saying this is a positive move, Van Buren said. Employees see it as a way to find additional career paths and additional skills with the company. Its good for the community and good for them.

She added that Vertex employees remind them of what theyre striving for  determination to deliver world class customer service across market segments and industries.

The addition of Vertexs more than 500 utility service professionals assures clients previously supported by Vertex that the care of their customers remains in familiar, very capable hands, Van Buren said.

In about a week, the Vertex operation will be doing business as Faneuil. About 500 people are employed at its operations in Scottsbluff; Kenesaw, Georgia; Richardson, Texas; and St. Louis.

In a prepared statement, Vertex CEO Andrew Jornod said Faneuil has delivered exemplary customer care operations on behalf of its clients for years.

We will work together to ensure a smooth transition of the contact center operations to Faneuil and we look forward to working with them on future projects.
GERING  The Gering Civic Plaza will serve as a gathering place for events and activities year-round, where residents and visitors can interact with one another on a regular basis to foster a sense of place in downtown Gering.

Construction of the Gering Civic Plaza will start with the official groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, May 22 at 9 a.m. at the plaza site. Mayor Tony Kaufman, elected officials and members of Gerings Downtown Revitalization Committee will join the financial contributors of the project: the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, Scottsbluff-Gering Rotary Club and Next Young Professionals to break ground for Phase I of the Civic Plaza.

Phase I of the Civic Plaza Development will commence this summer and be completed in the fall of this year. The City of Gering will begin selective demolition of the site in June and competitive bids from contractors will be solicited for the paving and utility work. Major demolition work and paving work will start immediately after Oregon Trail Days weekend on July 17 to minimize the impact to activities during this time. Phase I will include construction of new parking lots on the south and north end of the plaza; construction of a new farmers market area with covered awnings on the north side of the plaza and construction of a large plaza lawn/recreation area in the center.

Downtown businessowners, employees and residents are invited to attend the groundbreaking ceremony.

Questions regarding the groundbreaking and the construction of Phase I of the Gering Civic Plaza, please contact: Karla Niedan-Streeks, director of tourism for the City of Gering and director of the Gering CVB at 308-436-6886.
Marvin LaVern Dike, 72, died Wednesday, May 3, 2017 at his daughters home in Berkeley, CA. At his request, cremation has taken place and the service in Monterey, CA will be held at a later date. Marvin was born in North Platte, NE on November 14, 1944 to Gilbert and Maycel (Bockus) Dike. He was a 1962 graduate of Scottsbluff High School and served four years in United States Army Security Agency. Marvin worked with other law enforcement agencies on joint task forces, as well as graduating from the FBI Academy in Quantico, VA. He retired after 28 years with the Seaside Police Department, CA and resided in Kingman, AZ for 17 years. He was preceded in death by mother, Maycel Dike; infant son, Tery Dike; daughter, Barbie Dike and wife, Gail Dike. Survivors include his two daughters, JoDee Dike-Johnson and her husband Shane Derek Johnson and Jeanne Dike by his first marriage to Beverley (Dewey) Reuland; seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
A white University of Kentucky student accused of physically assaulting a Black student worker while repeatedly using racial slurs says she will withdraw from the school. The decision announced Tuesday by a lawyer for 22-year-old Sophia Rosing came after hundreds of students rallied on campus the night before. News outlets report the students called for unity and for the university to quickly address the situation. Officials say Rosing has been charged with assault, public intoxication and disorderly conduct. She pleaded not guilty during an arraignment Monday afternoon. The altercation at Boyd Hall was captured on video and posted to multiple social media platforms.
Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sep 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sep 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (18) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sep 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (134) Jun 2013 (204) Jul 2013 (293) Aug 2013 (351) Sep 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (347) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (440) Jan 2014 (544) Feb 2014 (475) Mar 2014 (525) Apr 2014 (527) May 2014 (470) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sep 2014 (441) Oct 2014 (471) Nov 2014 (496) Dec 2014 (535) Jan 2015 (535) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (579) Apr 2015 (657) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sep 2015 (923) Oct 2015 (921) Nov 2015 (801) Dec 2015 (791) Jan 2016 (782) Feb 2016 (835) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (864) May 2016 (946) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (882) Aug 2016 (1035) Sep 2016 (966) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (885) Jan 2017 (879) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (896) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (850) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sep 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (808) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sep 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (851) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (934) Jul 2019 (949) Aug 2019 (936) Sep 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (941) Feb 2020 (848) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (787) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sep 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (811) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (824) Jul 2021 (830) Aug 2021 (832) Sep 2021 (791) Oct 2021 (754) Nov 2021 (683) Dec 2021 (693) Jan 2022 (694) Feb 2022 (654) Mar 2022 (740) Apr 2022 (745) May 2022 (748) Jun 2022 (701) Jul 2022 (704) Aug 2022 (702) Sep 2022 (699) Oct 2022 (737) Nov 2022 (208)
In its more than 45 years in business, LI-COR has achieved international prominence selling equipment, software, dyes and reagents for everything from monitoring climate change to doing gene sequencing.

Its near-infrared dyes have been around for 25 years and have been used in a variety of non-clinical research.

But over the past few years, the Lincoln company has entered into a new arena: human clinical testing. Its dyes are now being used in 15 different human clinical trials, including one the company is sponsoring.

If some of those trials ultimately are successful, it could lead to a whole new line of business for LI-COR.

"This is a fairly new area, so we're excited about its potential," said Greg Biggs, who is CEO of the company his father founded in 1971.

The clinical trial that LI-COR is sponsoring is a Phase 1/2a Safety and Efficacy trial being conducted with the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital.

It started last month and has the goal of seeing if using LI-COR's dyes can help to better delineate a patient's ureter, the passage between kidney and bladder, during hysterectomy surgeries.

During minimally invasive hysterectomies, it can be difficult for surgeons to see the ureter, making an accidental cut more likely. Such a mistake can cause considerable harm to the patient.

Our ultimate goal is to help improve patient outcomes for surgeries where there is risk for damage to the ureter, in addition to aiding surgeons to better manage risk of injury to their patients says Bambi Reynolds, LI-COR senior business development manager, said in a news release announcing the trial earlier this year.

That trial is the only one LI-COR is allowed to discuss publicly, but there has been media coverage of a couple of the other trials.

A trial at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia is investigating whether using a LI-COR dye activated with light therapy may actually kill ocular melanoma cells.

Carol Shields, a doctor participating in the trial, told a local television station the treatment could be a "real game changer."

Another clinical trial at a hospital in Philadelphia combines the dye with a monoclonal antibody drug in a photoimmunotherpy treatment for head and neck cancers that have not responded to traditional treatments. Doctors involved in the trial have used words such "remarkable,"extraordinary" and "significant" to describe the results.

Biggs said results of many of the trials are encouraging, but since all of the trials are early stage, it will be five to eight years at a minimum before LI-COR could get to the point of producing the dyes for commercial human medical use.

"We're hopeful that they'll be able to move quickly through the process, but it's hard to say, really," he said.

In the meantime, however, the company is expanding to keep up with demand for the drugs just for the trials.

LI-COR is spending more than $1 million to create a small 900-square-foot production facility in an empty warehouse at its corporate campus near 48th and Superior streets.

It will be specially designed and meet "clean room" standards.

Biggs said the new production area will allow LI-COR to do manufacturing of the dyes to U.S. and European regulatory standards.

Construction just recently started, and Biggs said it should be ready by the end of the year.
ST. LOUIS  When Tower Grove South homeowner Kate Boyd opened her new city property assessment recently, it was the ultimate good news/bad news moment.

The official appraised value of her home on Humphrey Street, the city told her, had jumped more than 80 percent in two years, from about $120,000 in 2015 to about $217,000 now  a $97,000 bump, though her only improvement to the property in that time was to paint two rooms and refinish a floor.

Of course, her property tax bill will jump, too, from the roughly $1,900 annually she paid two years ago to somewhere around $3,500 now.

I had expected it to go up, but I was definitely shocked by how much it went up, said Boyd, who is a paralegal. My husband is a city cop, and he hasnt had a raise in years. I want to pay my taxes  I want the police and the teachers to get raises. But its going to hurt.

Similar stories of property-tax sticker shock are buzzing around St. Louis gathering places real and virtual, with this months biennial reassessment of all real estate within the city limits.

The preliminary numbers released by the St. Louis assessors office show that city real estate values have finally regained the ground lost in the recession. Total real property was assessed (a lower number than the appraised value) at $3.61 billion this year, exceeding its previous high of $3.48 billion in 2010.

But while residents of popular neighborhoods grouse at the prospect of higher tax bills, the assessment data show that the housing recovery has not moved north of Delmar Boulevard. Except for a handful of neighborhoods just north of the central corridor, nearly every north St. Louis neighborhood saw further declines in median home values.

Those declines, however, werent enough to offset rising values elsewhere.

The city has reported that the market value of existing residential property rose by about 12 percent since the previous citywide assessment of two years ago, a huge spike. In all, more than one-third of St. Louis 140,000 properties rose in value, with some 17,000 rising by 15 percent or more, requiring the city to make on-site physical inspections to confirm it.

Some of the biggest increases have been in Boyds neighborhood and other areas around Tower Grove Park.

Those markets are very viable markets right now, said Joseph Dolan of Dolan Appraisal company. They have seen several years of renovations and good buyer demand for it. You would anticipate the tax man would kind of catch up.

Missouri state law requires such citywide reassessments every odd-numbered year, to ensure that the official appraised value of property for tax purposes is in line with actual market values.

As we see the market moving, then we have to move, St. Louis Assessor Freddie Dunlap said in an interview.

The increase in total assessed residential value is the highest since 2007. It jumped by 22 percent that year  almost double the increase during this reassessment. Except for 2015, when there was a modest 1 percent increase, assessed residential values fell in the years following the recession, including an almost 11 percent drop in 2013.

Some observers say that the citys past appraisals have been artificially low and that the current ones could be seen as a correction, boosting those estimated values closer to what they would be in the real-world housing market. Still, the suddenness of it is an issue.

Our property taxes have always been pretty modest in comparison to other places  so maybe it needed to happen. Whether it needed to happen this dramatically is another question, said Barbara Gilchrist, president of the Tower Grove Heights Neighborhood Association, whose own homes official value has jumped by 30 percent in the new round of assessments. There will be people for whom this is a serious financial strain.

Indeed, the city was under-assessed in the past, so much so that the state forced the assessors office to catch up, leading to increases in residential assessed values of 33 percent in 2005 and 22 percent two years later.

But the assessors office says sales data from last year and 2015 point to sharply rising values.

It wasnt really until the sales that started to occur in 2015 that those values started shooting up, said Deputy St. Louis Assessor Shawn Ordway.

Chris Grus, a broker with Keller Williams active in the neighborhoods around Tower Grove Park, said the increased assessed values appeared to be in line with the sales activity he had seen.

Theyre living in a neighborhood thats walkable and kind of an urbanists dream, Grus said. Youve just got so much going for this neighborhood, it would be hard for me to justify to somebody theyre being overcharged on their tax bill.

There seems to be strong demand for many neighborhoods closer to the urban core, including inner ring suburbs such as Clayton, Richmond Heights and Maplewood, said Brad Beggs, a principal and an appraiser at urban planning firm Development Strategies. St. Louis County reassessments are being mailed out now, but the data werent available to analyze for this report.

Part of the reason for sharply increasing home values in St. Louis is that supply is more limited in city neighborhoods than in suburbs with open land, Beggs said.

There are only so many homes in the city, he said. If youre looking at a hot neighborhood, its not like they can build another subdivision to satisfy that demand.

North St. Louis values

Its a different story north of Delmar Boulevard. Median home values are still falling in almost every neighborhood there.

North city is pretty much the status quo, said Robert Vroman, an investor active in North St. Louis real estate. If people are moving into the city, theyre moving to the south side.

Vroman is a prolific buyer of north side real estate put up for auction by the city because of unpaid taxes. Hundreds of parcels are put up for auction each year, and those that dont attract buyers are taken over by the citys land bank, the Land Reutilization Authority. Vroman typically buys the houses no one else bids on for a couple thousand dollars and then does minor repairs before selling them to lower-income buyers for about $10,000 or so.

Theres more stuff thats going vacant and being torn down and being lost to the city (LRA) every year, he said.

Thats not to say there arent streets in some north side neighborhoods where home values are notching modest increases.

A Post-Dispatch analysis of changes in median single-family home values found scattered blocks where appraised values had risen in north St. Louis. But in those cases, those blocks were typically surrounded by areas where home values had dropped.

That analysis doesnt account for tax-abated or tax-exempt properties.

But in the West End and Visitation Park neighborhoods, which are just north of Delmar along the western edge of the city, many contiguous blocks saw their appraised values rise or hold steady. Just east of the future site of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, several blocks in the St. Louis Place neighborhood also saw an increase.

North St. Louis is often unfortunately painted in broad strokes, said John Burghoff of John Burghoff Residential Appraisal in St. Louis.

There are certainly neighborhoods up there that are stable, he said.

But overall, the median appraised value of single family homes north of Delmar has fallen in every assessment since 2009. Taken as a whole, the median single family appraisal value for all areas south of Delmar rose slightly from 2013 to 2015 and jumped by 16 percent during the past two years.

While the median home value is still falling in north St. Louis, the number of foreclosures, which can affect appraised values of nearby homes, has slowed substantially, Ordway, the deputy assessor, said.

Values arent going down as fast as they were, said Dunlap, the city assessor. Its slowing.

However, others point out out many areas of north city lack functioning housing markets, which affects values.

You dont have the organized real estate community thats selling that part of the city, Beggs at Development Strategies said.

Todd Swanstrom, a professor of urban policy at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, said the rising values in some south city and central corridor neighborhoods and the declines in north city pointed to widening disparities.

He referenced a recent chapter written by Hank Webber, a Washington university professor and vice chancellor, for the book On the Edge: Americas Middle Neighborhoods. Webber found the number of neighborhoods with median income between 75 percent and 125 percent of the St. Louis average had declined to 28 percent in 2010 from 52 percent in 1970.

Meanwhile, the number of neighborhoods with median income below 75 percent of the city average had risen to 45 percent from 35 percent, while the number of wealthy neighborhoods above 125 percent of the average had doubled, to 27 percent.

Rising disparity had previously been discussed mostly as a phenomenon between city neighborhoods and affluent suburbs, Swanstrom said.

What this means is were getting more inequality in city neighborhoods, Swanstrom said. Now we see within the city itself increasing inequality between neighborhoods.

How to appeal

The total assessed value of property in St. Louis will likely be revised down slightly by the end of the year. Thats due to appeals from property owners.

Normally, there are about 1,500 appeals after the biennial reassessment.

Before filing a formal appeal, property owners can set up an informal appointment with the assessors office if they feel their property has been overvalued. The assessors office has set up a phone bank to field calls and has its appraisers ready to meet with property owners.

When you make an appointment, be prepared to bring in information supporting what you believe is the homes value. A recent appraisal, sales information for similar houses on your block, bids from contractors on home repairs or pictures of interior conditions (city appraisers dont know the inside conditions of homes they assess) can help argue your case.

Were willing to listen to any information they bring in, said Deputy St. Louis Assessor Shawn Ordway.

Property owners must informally appeal assessments before July 1. Only the Board of Equalization or, later, the Missouri Tax Commission, can adjust assessments after that. Call the assessors office at (314) 589-6581 to make an appointment regarding a residential assessment and (314) 589-6586 regarding a commercial assessment.

Formal appeals for Board of Equalization review must be filed by July 10.

 Jacob Barker

How your taxes are set

The St. Louis assessor is only in charge of estimating values. Tax rates are set by taxing authorities, such as St. Louis Public Schools, the Zoo-Museum District and the library.

Due to the Missouri Hancock Amendment limiting property tax increases, taxing jurisdictions cant receive a windfall when values rise. They are allowed only a small increase tied to inflation.

So this year, most taxing jurisdictions expect to adjust their rates down to reflect higher property values. The city of St. Louis, for instance, will charge a combined $1.54 per $100 assessed value, versus $1.62 per $100 assessed value last year.

Overall, the rate for city property will fall from $8.38 per $100 in assessed value to $8.30.

A fast-rising property value, though, can still mean higher taxes for some homeowners.

About 62 percent of all property taxes go to the school district. The city gets about 18.5 percent.

One interesting quirk this year is that St. Louis Public Schools is actually raising its rate despite the rising property values. Its overall rate will go up to $5.14 from $5.12 per $100 assessed value.

While its general fund levy was revised down, its debt service levy was increased by 18 cents per $100 assessed value.
WASHINGTON  A sizable majority of rural Americans backed Donald Trumps presidential bid, drawn to his calls to slash environmental rules, strengthen law enforcement and replace the federal health care law.

But many farmers are nervous about another plank in Trumps agenda: his vow to overhaul U.S. trade policy, including his intent announced Thursday to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico.

Trumps message that NAFTA was a job-killing disaster had never resonated much in rural America. NAFTA had widened access to Mexican and Canadian markets, boosting U.S. farm exports and benefiting many farmers.

Farmers went on red alert last month when it looked as if Trump wasnt even going to pursue a NAFTA rewrite: White House aides had spread the word that the president would simply withdraw from the pact.

Mr. President, Americas corn farmers helped elect you, Wesley Spurlock of the National Corn Growers Association warned in a statement. Withdrawing from NAFTA would be disastrous for American agriculture.

Within hours, Trump softened his stance. He wouldnt actually dump NAFTA, he said. Hed first try to forge a more advantageous deal with Mexico and Canada  a move that formally began Thursday when his top trade negotiator, Robert Lighthizer, informed Congress of the administrations intent to renegotiate NAFTA.

As a candidate, Trump defined his America First stance as a means to fight unfair foreign competition. He blamed unjust deals for swelling U.S. trade gaps and stealing factory jobs.

But NAFTA and other deals have been good for American farmers, who stand to lose if Trump ditches the pact or ignites a trade war. The United States has enjoyed a trade surplus in farm products since at least 1967, government data show. Last year, farm exports exceeded imports by $20.5 billion.

You dont start off trade negotiations ... by picking fights with your trade partners that are completely unnecessary, says Aaron Lehman, a fifth-generation Iowa farmer who produces corn, soybeans, oats and hay.

Many farmers worry that Trumps policies will jeopardize their exports just as they face weaker crop and livestock prices.

It comes up pretty quickly in conversation, says Blake Hurst, a corn and soybean farmer in northwestern Missouris Atchison County.

That countys voters backed Trump more than 3 to 1 in the election but now feel it would be better if the rhetoric (on trade) was a little less strident, said Hurst, president of the Missouri Farm Bureau.

Trumps main argument against NAFTA and other pacts was that they exposed American workers to unequal competition with low-wage workers in countries such as Mexico and China.

NAFTA did lead some American manufacturers to move factories and jobs to Mexico. But since it took effect in 1994 and eased tariffs, annual farm exports to Mexico have jumped nearly five-fold to about $18 billion. Mexico is the No. 3 market for U.S. agriculture, notably corn, soybeans and pork.

The trade agreements that weve had have been very beneficial, said Stephen Censky, CEO of the American Soybean Association. We need to take care not to blow the significant gains that agriculture has won.

The U.S. has run a surplus in farm trade with Mexico for 20 of the 23 years since NAFTA took effect. Still, the surpluses with Mexico became deficits in 2015 and 2016 as global livestock and grain prices plummeted and shrank the value of American exports, Joseph Glauber of the International Food Policy Research Institute noted.

Mexico has begun to seek alternatives to U.S. food because, as its agriculture secretary, Jose Calzada Rovirosa, said in March, Trumps remarks on trade have injected uncertainty into the agriculture business.

Once word had surfaced that Trump was considering pulling out of NAFTA, Sonny Perdue, two days into his job as the presidents agriculture secretary, hastened to the White House with a map showing areas that would be hurt most by a pullout, overlapped with many that voted for Trump.

I tried to demonstrate to him that in the agricultural market, sometimes words like withdraw or terminate can have a major impact on markets, Perdue said in an interview with the Associated Press. I think the president made a very wise decision for the benefit of many agricultural producers across the country by choosing to remain in NAFTA.

Trump delivered another disappointment for U.S. farm groups in January by fulfilling a pledge to abandon the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which then-President Barack Obamas administration negotiated with 11 Asia-Pacific countries. Trump argued that the pact would cost Americans jobs by pitting them against low-wage Asian labor.

But the deal would have given U.S. farmers broader access to Japans notoriously impregnable market and easier entry into fast-growing Vietnam.

Philip Seng of the U.S. Meat Export Federation notes that the U.S. withdrawal from TPP left Australia with a competitive advantage because it had already negotiated lower tariffs in Japan.

Trump has also threatened to impose tariffs on Chinese and Mexican imports, thereby raising fears that those trading partners would retaliate with their own sanctions.

Farmers know theyre frequently the first casualties of trade wars. Many recall a 2009 trade rift in which China responded to U.S. tire tariffs by imposing tariffs on U.S. chicken parts. And Mexico slapped tariffs on U.S. goods ranging from ham to onions to Christmas trees in 2009 to protest a ban on Mexican trucks crossing the border.

The White House declined to comment on farmers fears that Trumps trade policy stands to hurt them. But officials say theyve sought to ease concern, by, for example, having Perdue announce a new undersecretary to oversee trade and foreign agricultural affairs.

Many farmers are still hopeful about Trumps administration. Some, for example, applaud his plans to slash environmental rules that they say inflate the cost of running a farm. Some also hold out hope that the author of The Art of the Deal will negotiate ways to improve NAFTA.

One such way might involve Canada. NAFTA let Canada shield its dairy farmers from foreign competition behind tariffs and regulations but left at least one exception  an American ultra-filtered milk used in cheese. When Canadian farmers complained about the cheaper imports, Canada changed its policy and in effect priced ultra-filtered American milk out of the market.

Canada has made business for our dairy farmers in Wisconsin and other border states very difficult, Trump tweeted last month. We will not stand for this. Watch!

Some U.S. cattle producers would also like a renegotiated NAFTA to give them something the current version doesnt: the right to label their product Made in America. In 2015, the World Trade Organization struck down the United States country-of-origin labeling rules as unfair to Mexico and Canada.

Many still worry that Trumps planned overhaul of American trade policy is built to revive manufacturing and that farming remains an afterthought.

So much of the conversation in the campaign had been in Detroit or in Indiana and focused on manufacturing jobs, said Kathy Baylis, an economist at the University of Illinois.

The importance of American farm exports never made it into the rhetoric.
Sure hes working up a sweat, running around playing guitar under hot lights most nights, and when hes not playing with the band, hes writing songs, recording and producing. But dont try to tell Def Leppards Phil Collen hes got a hard job.

It aint tough, Collen said. My wifes grandmother, who just passed away, was 5 years old, working in the cotton fields. She moved to New York and worked hard. My wife taught her to read and write. Thats a hard journey. Playing in a band and getting accolades for it and paid for it very well, this is easy.

Not only is it easy, Collen, wholl be back in Lincoln Wednesday when Def Leppard stops at Pinnacle Bank Arena, says hes getting better with each passing year.

I can sing better now, said the 59-year-old guitarist. I can play guitar better. I think some bands dont do this. You can put that down to health. They get old, they get sick. We dont do that. We get older, you cant help that, but we still feel like were young.

In fact, Collen, known for appearing bare-chested at shows, showing off his toned physique, says he feels younger now than he did when he was 29 when he stopped drinking. He also has been a vegetarian for 34 years and is now a vegan.

I dont put all that stuff in my body, he said. You get a reward for it.

The guitarist for the glam band Girl, Collen was recruited into Def Leppard in 1982 as the leaders of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal were making the sonic turn that propelled them to international stardom.

That change was adding elements of pop, glam and a little contemporary R&B with electronic drums and layers of harmonized vocals to metal. The amalgam made its definitive appearance on Pyromania, produced by Robert John Mutt Lange, the first Def Leppard album on which Collen played.

Mutt Lange deserves all the credit for that, Collen said of the signature Def Leppard sound. It was his idea and him pushing us that far. We didnt stay in the genre, we didnt just listen to rock bands. What we did was incorporate what was happening at the time, whether it was pop or hip-hop turning into rap. It really comes down to that -- that open-mindedness.

Staying open to other styles and making changes isnt just critical for bands, Collen said, its imperative for individual musicians.

I think you have to as an artist, otherwise, you stop being an artist, he said. Thats the beauty of it, being inspired by so many different things and having it come out some way. One of my favorite artists of all time is James Brown. I work out to him all the time. Def Leppard doesnt sound a bit like James Brown. But it has to have an influence on me in some way, and sneak out in some way.

Fueled by the hit single Photograph, punctuated by a Collen guitar solo, Pyromania exploded, lifting the band from opening for Billy Squier to headlining stadiums and selling more than 10 million copies in the U.S., earning a Diamond certification.

Then came Hysteria, another Diamond album, released after drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm in an automobile accident. That album generated seven singles as Def Leppard became one of the worlds biggest bands.

The bands magpie approach, Collen said, carries over to its live performances as well.

We always have been fans of the hybrid, even with the show, Collen said. You hear Earth, Wind and Fire, or whoever, all these bands, you add a little bit of it. Its the same with the show. You see KISS and all the production and lights and then a punk band in a club and you combine them. You combine all these things.

Collen didnt know the precise combination for Def Leppards 2017 tour during the interview. The finishing touches were just then being put on the production, and the setlist wasnt yet complete. But figuring out what songs to play isnt hard.

You have to play the hot chestnuts, its a given, Collen said. Theres a bunch of them that are absolute essentials. Then there are second tier ones. And theres a little bit of wiggle room for a new song or fun ones. But you have to play certain things or people are going to be pissed.

That means its a certainty that concert-goers will hear Hysteria, Bringin On The Heartbreak, Pour Some Sugar On Me and Photograph when Def Leppard hits the stage at PBA.

Wednesday, it will be preceded by Poison and Tesla, a lineup that Collen enthusiastically embraced.

Its fantastic, he said.Weve toured with both bands before and love them. Its almost like a celebration of integrity. Weve got three bands with original members, not like some bands where there are just one or two. All these guys have been going, pretty much, at it as long as we have.

And he said, hes got another connection with one of the opening acts.

I literally just finished producing the new Tesla album, Collen said. It sounds like Zeppelin or Queen or The Beatles from minute to minute, but it still sounds like Tesla. ... I sat next to Mutt Lange for years, I learned some things. Its pretty cool.

As Def Leppard tours this spring and summer, Collen said, theres a chance for a memorable show for him.

They pop up now and again, you have that magic that kind of sticks with you, playing the Marquee Club in London. Im from London and played it dozens of times, but playing there with Def Leppard; Budokan, the first time we played there, when Rick Allen came back after his accident, he said. Theyre a lot of them. The songs, theyre all your babies. Theyre all really cool.

So is the feeling when an arena full of people gives voice to one of the babies.

If you sit down and write a song and spend god knows how many hours in the studio recording it, then you go out and people are singing it back to you, its the best thing in the world, he said. It changes everything, even if the song is 30 years old.

All of that, Collen said, is a payoff that only veteran musicians can understand.

To be honest, I think you appreciate it more when youre older, appreciate it as an experience, he said. As a kid, you kind of take it for granted.
Despite what they say, Republican actions in the Legislature prove that they are not the party of law and order. And Republicans most certainly do not Back the Blue.
On Soulfire, his first album in 19 years, Little Steven Van Zandt put together songs hes written across the last two decades along with a James Brown cover and recorded them with his 15-member Disciples of Soul touring band.

The result is a very satisfying combination of the influences and styles that make up Van Zandt and his music.

Theres East Coast rock n soul, a la Love on the Wrong Side of the Tracks and I Saw The Light," originally written for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, that sounds like Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at their most swinging and soulful.

The blues pop up on a biting, Stevie Ray Vaughan-guitar-like take on The Blues is My Business. Theres funky soul on the title cut and in the blaxploitation sounds of Down and Out in New York City, the Brown cover.

Doo wop fuels The City Weeps Tonight, spaghetti-western stylings emerge on Standing in the Line of Fire and theres catchy rock n roll on Saint Valentines Day Massacre.

The latter was originally recorded by the Cocktail Slippers, an all-female Norwegian band that Van Zandt produced on a record released by his Wicked Cool label and turned up in the soundtrack of Not Fade Away, a superb, but little seen movie. Little Stevens vocals are, to be sure, a little gruffer than the Cocktail Slippers and the music here is more soulful than the movie version. But theyre all keeping rock n roll alive -- which is just what Little Steven accomplishes on Soulfire. Grade: A
Ley Vickers, aged 11, presents The Princess Royal with a bouquet, watched by headteacher Maggie Godfrey. (Submitted photo)

PUPILS at Temple Herdewyke Primary School welcomed a rather special visitor.

The Princess Royal visited the army barracks at Defence Munitions (DM) Kineton on Tuesday, 5th May, and met pupils from school at the end of her tour.

HRH Anne, Princess Royal, is Commander in Chief of the Royal Logistics Corp, who are based at DM Kineton. The Princess spent the morning touring the base looking at the work of the bomb disposal team.

A group of 33 pupils in Key Stage 2 were invited by Colonel Hallett to greet her.

Eleven-year-old Ley Vickers was chosen to present a bouquet to the Princess, on behalf of the base.

Headteacher, Maggie Godfrey, said: Princess Anne was in good spirits and clearly understood about military postings and the mobility issues this presents.

"Ley was absolutely thrilled to meet the Princess, and Ley told her that she has only been at the school for a year.

The Princess signed a book for the pupils and also gave them the pen she used. The group then watched the helicopter take off and learnt about Royal flights.
It looks to be a busy construction year for Lincoln Electric System.

The construction portion of the utilitys capital budget for this year adds up to $35.76 million, which is $5.28 million more work than happened last year, according to a budget overview.

LES expects to install 2,400 new meters this year and add a net of 1,500 new customers to its end-of-2016 total of 137,622.

The utility plans to install 370 distribution transformers  which step down the voltage so it doesnt fry your toaster  and 81 miles of secondary and service conductor, the lines that connect neighborhoods to larger feeder cables.

Current customers will be getting some love too. LES says it will rewire 600 old meters and move 300 existing overhead residential services underground.

At the same time, LES will replace aging electron highways, including 44 miles of underground cable, 10 miles of which is distribution cable from the 1960s and 24 miles is feeder cable from the 1970s.

Plus, men and women in construction hats will be diligently working on major construction projects, including: a new transmission line and two substations, grading for LES planned new headquarters, and 63 miles of underground ducts that will house future electric lines.

LES says its new transmission line and substation work, dubbed the Southeast Reliability Project, will help meet increasing electric demands and improve reliability for Lincolns fastest-growing area.

The price tag will be $12.2 million for the transmission line and $4.7 million for work on two substations, a new one at 76th Street and Rokeby Road, and reconfiguring an existing one at 91st Street and Nebraska 2. A third $2.1 million substation will be built sometime in the future.

The utility is in the process of acquiring land, some of which may have to go through eminent domain proceedings, in anticipation of beginning construction on the transmission line this fall, with work getting done next year.

While LES is still finalizing plans for its new headquarters near 98th Street and Rokeby Road, grading at the site has begun so work on the first phase of construction can finish by 2019. A second phase will be finished by 2021.

LES previously said its new operations center would cost $73.5 million, but expects to update that figure sometime this year.

LES is in the sixth year of installing underground ducts that will one day make running electric lines much quicker and easier.

Workers will be able to install new lines by simply running them through these ducts, which is much easier than trying to bore through frozen ground in the middle of January, said Danny Pudenz, LESs vice president of energy delivery.

LES expects to put in 63 miles of ducts this year, which will bring the amount installed to 263 miles. The utility expects to install a total of 510 miles, which will be finished by 2020 or 2021. The original cost estimate for the project was $30 million, but the final price tag is expected to be much lower, said Ron Kratzer, manager of system planning at LES.
Swedish prosecutors on Friday dropped a seven-year rape investigation into Julian Assange, a legal victory for the WikiLeaks founder who has been holed up in the Ecuadoran embassy in London since 2012.

Director of Public Prosecution, Marianne Ny, has today decided to discontinue the investigation regarding suspected rape by Julian Assange, the prosecutors office said in a statement.

Friday was the deadline for the public prosecutors office to either renew or lift Assanges arrest warrant before a Stockholm court.

Shortly after the decision, Assange posted a picture of himself smiling broadly, without comment.

Ny and Chief Prosecutor Ingrid Isgren are to brief reporters on the decision at 1000 GMT on Friday.

The 45-year-old Australian has always denied the 2010 allegations, which he feared would see him extradited to the United States and tried over the leaking of hundreds of thousands of secret US military and diplomatic documents. He has been living at the Ecuadoran embassy in London since 2012 and risks being arrested by British police if he steps out of the building.

British police have said they will arrest Assange as soon as he walks out of the embassy because he has broken his conditions for bail  a relatively minor offence under British law  by failing to surrender on June 29, 2012 for extradition to Sweden. Assanges Swedish lawyer last month filed a new motion demanding that the arrest warrant be lifted after US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in April that arresting Assange would be a priority.

This implies that we can now demonstrate that the US has a will to take action this is why we ask for the arrest warrant to be cancelled so that Julian Assange can fly to Ecuador and enjoy his political asylum, lawyer Per Samuelsson told AFP at the time.

The accusation against Assange dated from August 2010 when the alleged victim, who says she met him at a WikiLeaks conference in Stockholm a few days earlier, filed a complaint. She accused him of having sex with her as she slept without using a condom despite repeatedly having denied him unprotected sex.

I am entirely innocent, Assange wrote in a 19-page testimony released in December 2016. He argues that the sex was consensual and has denounced the accusations as politically motived.

The investigation had suffered from multiple procedural complications since it began. The statute of limitations on the rape allegation expires in August 2020.

In a letter sent to the Swedish government on May 8, Ecuador condemned the obvious lack of progress in the investigation despite Assanges questioning in the presence of the Swedish prosecutor at the embassy in November 2016.

It is extremely worrying that six months after the hearing at the Embassy of Ecuador in the United Kingdom, the Swedish prosecutors office has not yet decided on the judicial situation of Julian Assange, the Ecuadoran Foreign Ministry said in the letter seen by AFP.

Swedish judges have refused to take into account the opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which in February 2016 said Assange was effectively arbitrarily detained by Sweden and Britain and called for the arrest warrant to be annulled.
More than 140 people, mostly soldiers, have been killed at an airbase in southern Libya after militiamen, loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), allegedly launched an attack against the base.

The deadly incident occurred on Thursday, when members of the Third Force militia attacked the Brak al-Shati airbase, some 650 kilometers south of the capital Tripoli, killing 141 people.

The airbase has been used by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar's self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), and according to a late Friday statement by LNA spokesman Ahmad al-Mesmari, 103 of those killed in the assault were LNA troops and the rest were civilians working at the base or living in its vicinity.

"The soldiers were returning from a military parade. They weren't armed. Most of them were executed," he further said, adding that summary executions had reportedly taken place.

Libya has faced a power vacuum since a US-led military intervention resulted in the downfall of its longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The country has been grappling with chaos and the emergence of numerous militant groups, including Daesh Takfiri terrorists who are concentrated in Iraq and Syria.

The country has now two governments, with one based in Tripoli, where the GNA, led by Fayez al-Sarraj, is ruling, and the other centered in the far east in the city of Tobruk, where the LNA runs its affairs. The UN supervised a series of negotiations in 2015 that led to the establishment of the GNA late that year. However, both Haftar and the allied eastern-based parliament have refused to recognize the UN-backed unity government.

The GNA, for its part, also issued a statement on Friday night, saying it had commissioned an investigation into the incident. It further said it had decided to suspend its Defense Minister al-Mahdi al-Barghati, and the head of the Third Force from their duties until those involved in the attack were identified.

UN 'outraged' at number of fatalities

Earlier on Friday, UN Envoy to Libya Martin Kobler sounded alarm at reports of the deadly attack.

"I am outraged by reports of significant numbers of fatalities, including civilians and by reports that summary executions may have taken place," he added.

On May 2, Sarraj and Haftar held a rare meeting in Abu Dhabi, a major city in the United Arab Emirates, and reached an agreement to unify their efforts to curb terrorists, including those of the Daesh Takfiri group.

The Thursday incident, however, seems to endanger the agreement. Aguila Saleh, the speaker of the eastern-based parliament, accused the Misrata-based Third Force of a "serious breach of the truce agreement reached in Abu Dhabi."
Pakistan Friday conveyed interest in exploring possibilities of cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear technology and sought French support for Pakistans membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

According to Foreign Office, during the Pakistan and France bilateral meeting, the two sides here discussed issues related to disarmament and non-proliferation. The French delegation was headed by Assistant Secretary of State for Strategic Affairs, Security and Disarmament at French ministry of foreign affairs, Nicolas Roche.

The Pakistan side was led by additional secretary (UN&EC), ambassador Tasnim Aslam. The two sides had a detailed, constructive and candid exchange of views on a wide range of issues encompassing the state of multilateral disarmament machinery, current trends in the global disarmament discourse and emerging threats to strategic stability at the global level as well as in their respective regions. The additional secretary briefed the French delegation on Pakistans assessment of the strategic environment in South Asia.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, subject to an international arrest warrant for suspected genocide, has declined an invitation by Saudi Arabia to participate in a summit with US President Donald Trump and other leaders in Riyadh.

President Omar al-Bashir has apologized to King Salman of Saudi Arabia for being unable to attend the Riyadh summit, a statement from Bashirs office carried by the official SUNA news agency said on Friday.

Saudi Arabia, which has arranged a summit of Arab leaders with Trump, had ignored the international arrest warrant against Bashir, inviting him to the summit. Trump will be traveling to Saudi Arabia in his first overseas trip on Friday.

Prior to the cancellation, Sudans Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour had said Bashir would take part in the summit and had voiced Khartoums eagerness for the normalization of our relations with the US.

Bashir has evaded arrest since The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him on July 12, 2010 for alleged genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity related to the 14-year-old conflict in Sudans Darfur region.

An earlier arrest warrant had also been issued for the Sudanese president by the ICC in March 2009 for charges including war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Bashir has strongly denied the allegations against him, dismissing them as part of a Western conspiracy to seize Sudans oil, gas, and other natural resources.

The armed conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan has killed as many as 300,000 people and displaced two million, according to the United Nations (UN).
Its always a challenge to try and establish firsts.

No matter how you try to be specific and nail the selection down youre almost guaranteed to be wrong. A 2015 book makes it simple by saying Nebraska City opened the first high school in the state in 1865, but wait, Nebraska wasnt yet a state in 1865.

In the instance of Nebraskas first high school, you have to wonder if that means the state of Nebraska or the huge area of Nebraska Territory. Are we looking for the first high school building or high school classes? Does an eight-year high school count or should we consider only 12-year schools?

If we consider the area currently covered by Nebraska, the answer is easier.

Virtually the first of practically anything you can name, from a library to a brickyard or even bowling alley, was first at Fort Atkinson in Washington County. Fort Atkinson was established in 1819, well before the Nebraska territory was born in 1854. Although we cant be certain what the highest grade offered was, a soldier taught the first school there and was paid 15 cents per student per day.

At its height, Fort Atkinsons population was reported at about 1,000, making it the largest city in the area, but since it was the only city in the area, it was also the smallest.

In the mid-1840s a mission school was built up the Platte Valley, apparently solely for the education of Native American children. Then in 1847 in Bellevue, a school building was started and completed the following year for children of both sexes from several tribes. It was noted as the first school for white children as well.

After the creation of the Nebraska Territory in 1854, Omaha built a one-room school on the southwest corner of Jefferson Square, which sat between 15th and 16th, Chicago and Cass streets. The first actual high school classes of record began in November 1859 and were held in the new territorial capitol building, which, interestingly, is the exact site of todays Omaha Central High School.

Four schools opened in Nemaha County in 1855, some or all of which may have hosted high school-level classes, but the exact composition of each is virtually impossible to define. Supposedly, the first of the four was held that summer on McKissicks Island, which, because of the meanderings of the Missouri River, may logistically be more associated with Iowa than Nebraska today.

In March, a school was started in Nebraska City by Margaret Martin in a cottonwood cabin near todays 10th Street and First Avenue. Martin received $1.50 per student per month which was called the first school for white children south of the Platte River. That summer, a log school for 30 students was opened at London, a village 3 miles west of Brownville. The last school in Nemaha County that year held its first classes in the fall at Brownville with 20 students in a cottonwood building on Main Street between First and Second streets.

A large and tasteful school house on 19th Street between Hancock and Franklin opened in Bellevue in 1857. This was most probably just an elementary school as the newspaper noted an institution of a higher grade (was) contemplated. The same year the first report to the legislature by the Superintendent of Public Institutions mentioned no high schools whatsoever and merely suggested what should be done.

Although classes may have been held in Richard Browns Brownville cabin in 1858, a tuition school was opened the following year that reportedly was the first public high school in Nebraska. In 1865, a school apparently housed in the Congregational/Methodist Church opened, and in 1866 the Brownville Union High School building was completed.

In 1864 the Lancaster Colony laid out (School) District No. 1 and with Lincolns first plat in 1867, the state of Nebraska designated lots given for five common schools and one square block, later the site of Pershing Municipal Auditorium, specifically for a high school building.

Thus, no matter how you define it, Lincoln was not even in the running for the first high school or high school building, though a female seminary (high school) was planned and built but never opened at what today would be the northeast corner of Ninth and P streets despite a few elementary classes being held in a tuition school in the unfinished building.

Lincolns first high school classes were probably not held for a couple of years after statehood, briefly in the barely completed Methodist Protestant Church basement. The 15th and M high school building was started in 1870, and Lincoln High School was born.
Dam Safety: Not only the responsibility of professionals By Ms. Badra Kamaladasa View(s): View(s):

More than 30 years have now passed after the Kantale dam breach that happened in April 1986. Even though the rest of the country has forgotten that incident in which 130 people lost their lives, nearly 600 private and government buildings were totally destroyed, another 630 buildings partly damaged, agriculture, roads and other infrastructure washed away, survivors and officers can still remember the devastation and agony of the aftermath.

The cost of relief work and rehabilitation of infrastructure was Rs. 525 million during that time, which would be approximately Rs. 9 billion at present value.

Can anyone ensure that a similar disaster in future will not happen? Whose responsibility is prevention or mitigation of such disaster? Let us get some idea about causes of dam disasters and responsibilities of various sectors in minimising the risks.

A dam is considered as the most hazard prone man-made structure, amongst all the civil engineering structures. Failure of a single large dam can cause loss of thousands of lives, billions worth of property and priceless environment instantly. Many countries, including developed countries, have faced this horrendous experience.

A dam can fail with or without prior warning due to an inherited weakness, a gradually developed weakness or as a result of a natural phenomenon such as heavy storm, landslide or earthquake. Hence it is difficult to design a dam with a zero probability of failure.

How vulnerable are those who live in the shadow of dams is a question frequently ask specially during stormy seasons when the reservoirs are full. It is very common that rumours get spread during bad weather conditions over breach of dams specially located in higher elevation of populated cities such as Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa causing people to panic and look for authentic information. One basic issue is that people have not been made aware of the danger prone area in case of a failure in advance.

Whether a dam is made of earth, concrete or combination of rock and core material, a dam is susceptible for aging, similar to a living being. It has a certain life span, which can be extended with proper maintenance, upgrading and correct operation of associated structures. If proper attention is not given, the life span will become less than the specified period. Very much similar to human beings dams too should go through proper examinations/ surveillance by specialists with periodic healthy treatments and continuous testing to be done to track illnesses.

Statistics show that the highest number of dam failures have occurred globally due to overflow during heavy storms. Hence the excess incoming water has to be released safely through the spill in properly controlled manner. Water release from a breach of small village reservoir will be sufficient to trigger a large dam failure. This is inevitable with the topographical conditions in our river basins, in which the dams are located in close proximity. Sri Lanka experienced this episode during the 1957/58 floods when 35 large dams, 53 medium dams and 1500 small dams breached during a heavy storms received in NP, NCP, CP and NWP.

Spillways in large dams were upgraded after this incident, by incorporating radial gates for the engineers to manage the inflow and outflow of the reservoir according to a pre-determined rules, without allowing the water to have their own paths. However vulnerability for failure does not end with the provision of the gates as these gates need to be maintained and even upgraded to meet the changes in climate and ecology. With the changing hydrological conditions due to climate change variations, it has been observed the intensity of the rainfall getting higher and within a short time water level in reservoirs too raises very fast. The reduction in forest cover in catchments has escalated this process. Hence the adequacy of the spillways have to be studied by the authorities periodically to ensure safety of dams during floods.

Prior warning also has to be handled by those operating the dams and mechanisms have to be put in place so that in case of troubled signs the people in the vulnerable areas must be informed in the shortest possible time. It is also necessary to identify the evacuation centres and paths and people be made aware of those. Society need to be aware and be prepared to face such an event as a team.

Dam safety cannot be a standalone programme. It should be a part of a regional development strategy in the locality. Not only the dam managing organisations but the other government organisations make use of the reservoirs for services other than in original plan (inland fishing, domestic water supply, tourism. etc) and they too have a responsibility for safety of the dams realising the vulnerability. They should reap the benefit from the reservoir without making any threat to the safety of the dam. Boats used for fishing, tourism, etc and the water intakes to be located at safe places should be without disturbing the safety standards.

It is difficult to be prescriptive when making decisions during emergencies as one has to consider the risk to the public as well as economic, environmental, social, and cultural impacts. The technical analysis of risks associated with a dam cannot become the sole decision-making factor. Hence all those stakeholders should participate in finalising the emergency preparedness plans, sharing their input in all these aspects and be prepared to follow the agreed plan when a warning is issued. Prevention of disaster and mitigation of impacts can be achieved only through such a collective action.

When the public uses the reservoir for bathing and washing they must adhere to the designated places without disturbing the bund slope or riprap. The earth bund should not be selected for tree planting campaigns. Trees can do much harm to the integrity of the dam. Encroachment of dam reservations and blocking the inspection paths is a very common issue in Sri Lanka. While it would be the responsibility of the engineers to make sure the dam is kept in a healthy condition, the support of the other stakeholders and the public is necessary to achieve results.

IESL contribution to development This is part of a continuing series in the Business Times by the Institution of Engineers of Sri Lanka (IESL) where its members share their thoughts and views on matters of national importance. The writer is a retired Director General of Irrigation.
Ducks and drakesgames at Lanka Hospitals View(s):

The Ministry of Public Enterprises in an unusual shake up, removed and then reappointed some directors at Lanka Hospitals Corporation PLC (LHCP) within a 5-day period, raising eyebrows.

Ministry officials told the Business Times that they wanted to shake the board up a bit, in move to purge the institution of its lackadaisical attitude. On May 12, LHCP said in an announcement to the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) that independent executive directors have resigned from the board of the company with effect from May 9, 2017 namely Keith Damien Bernard, Hewakumanayakage Asendra Chaminda Siriwardena, Anil Abeywickrama, Ranathunge Arachchige Dona Umashanthiee Rajamantri, Nandana Jayantha Munasinghe, Menaka Dilani Samarawickrema Lokuhetty and Dr. Rohan Lalith Wijesundera.

On Tuesday the company announced that four out of these directors have been re-appointed to the LHCP board with effect from May 12 as Independent Executive Directors. They are Mr. Siriwardena, Dr. Abeywickrama, Ms. Rajamantri and Prof. Lokuhetty. Aruna Siriwardena is a new entrant at LHCP in the same capacity. Mr. Bernard, Mr. Munasinghe and Dr. Rohan have been removed and two more directors are to be appointed.

Questions are raised about how independent the directors are in a situation such as this, some market participants said. These mass resignations and appointments suggest that these directors are not independent, but effectively nominees of major shareholders, one analyst said.

Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Ltd (SLIC) Life Fund has 29.54 per cent in LHCP and its General Fund owns 25 per cent. Fortis Global Healthcare Holdings Pte Ltd has 28 per cent. The Ministry of Public Enterprises has control of LHCP through SLIC as a State Owned Enterprise .

According to its last financial accounts, Lanka Hospitals reported a post-tax profit of Rs. 212 million in quarter ending March 31, 2017 against Rs.193 million in the same 2016 quarter while revenue in the same period was Rs.1.5 billion and Rs.1.38 billion, respectively.
Green Globe CEO on Sri Lanka visit View(s):

Guido Bauer, CEO Green Globe  the premier international certification for sustainable travel and tourism, visited Sri Lanka last month on a promotional campaign. The visit was facilitated by STING Consultants (Pvt.) Ltd.  Green Globe Accredited Auditors for Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Mr. Bauers visit to the island culminated in agreements with a number of sustainability-conscious hotels in Sri Lanka. These hotels essentially committed to adopting the Green Globe Standard and to thereby streamline their operations enabling the achievement of up to a 5.8 per cent reduction in regular operating costs. Mr. Bauer stated that, There is tremendous potential for sustainable tourism in the fast-growing Sri Lankan market.

In a media release, STING said 522 hotel properties have already undergone Green Globe certification internationally. Amongst Green Globe Members, are hotel chains such as Movenpick, Jumeirah, Sheraton, Club Med, Constance, Barcelo and Cinnamon Resorts and Hotels in

Sri Lanka.

Locally, STING Consultants facilitates the certification and recertification of a number of hotels in Sri Lanka, including the Cinnamon resorts chain. STING Consultants is currently seeing the increased uptake of the voluntary Green Globe Standard by hotels in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and looks forward to facilitating the process for any other interested businesses in the tourism industry, the release said.
IRD Bill under IMF microscope View(s):

The much awaited new Inland Revenue Bill, a product of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Sri Lankan authorities, is likely to be delayed along with the release of the third tranche of US$168 million out of the total $1.5 billion extended fund facility to Sri Lanka.

The Cabinet of Ministers has already approved the bill presented by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake early this month but is yet to be gazetted and presented in parliament.

Responding to an e-mail query by the Business Times, William Murray from the Funds Communications Department disclosed, Legal experts of the IMF are still analysing the contents of the new draft bill on the Inland Revenue Act approved by the cabinet and they are in discussions with the authorities before deciding on the completion of the second loan review in June.

Introducing amendments to the bill will not be welcomed by the IMF as it was prepared through extensive collaboration with the Sri Lankan authorities over the past year and incorporates feedback from local experts.

The new law would pave the way for a durable fiscal consolidation based on revenue mobilizationa key pillar of the governments reform programme.

It however has to clear a hurdle placed by Inland Revenue Department (IRD) officials who are vowing to paralyse tax collection country-wide.

The IRD trade union joint front is opposed to the proposed outsourcing of tax collection which they say would affect their promotional prospects, job security and benefits of employees, a member of the joint committee said. The front has written to the President, Prime Minister and Finance Minister urging the withdrawal of the bill.

(BS)
Part robot, part flesh  glimpses into the future of humankind View(s):

Gory as it may sound, tomorrows humankind could be part robot, part flesh. A life of surveillance; a life of being tracked; clothes that would trace an individuals behavioural patterns; nothing is private and sacred anymore with the new technology and the fourth industrial revolution.

The Internet Of Things (IOT) and the tech boom are becoming masters in the world as an older generation of workers, parents and families come to grips with a technology that is not only driving them crazy but also concern about the dangers that are lurking around with lifestyles controlled by machines.

Learning it the hard way is one example last week when millions of c0mputers across the world were hacked with security companies scrambling to prevent further damage.

In todays context, the key is to use technology for development and advance mankind but not allowing computers to dictate lifestyles, business, the economy and trade.

While it is not easy to predict the future  a task left to a growing new generation of futurists just like the late space scientist Arthur C. Clarke -, todays tech boom is creating exciting new products and creations and encouraging an innovative economy.

These were some of the interesting ideas, thoughts and what the future would be that emerged during a recent conversation in April between Business Times Editor Feizal Samath and Richard Celm, Program Director at Startupbootcamp IoT & DataTech based in Melbourne, who was visiting Colombo.

Excerpts of that conversation

with Mr. Celms:

There are some very interesting start-ups in the world. For instance during a programme in Barcelona there were some startups in industries that I hadnt heard of. Polish start-up Cyberous Labs uses a sound card to authenticate access to your application instead of passwords. Basically what it does is to authenticate your identity through your mobile phone, open up your app and say I am here. The mobile app then sends a message to the server, the server sends a message to the phone, the audio file will be encrypted and sents a message to the computer to establish that it was you who was trying to authenticate your identity.

Sometimes you meet people who talk to you about strange and weird stuff and inventions. You dont know whether they are crazy or brilliant.

In the energy and new tech boom what if power fails (across the world)? That is unlikely to happen because you can be producing energy (solar power, etc) and selling it as well. In future the need for a huge coal power station and uranium power station will disappear.

A more interesting question is around cyber security. At the moment we store information centrally like in the cloud. Increasingly we are going to put away more stuff  IBM calls it the fog  and instead of central servers you going to have information stored elsewhere. As more and more things are stored in the IOT then security becomes a problem. In the next five to 10 years the challenge is how do you secure these super highways (with sensitive information) particularly when the number of devices of information collected is huge?

Health: The new manthra will be on preventive health not reactive health. As a company we are looking at health technologies. The question is how can we prevent illnesses and secondly what can we do better at understanding how our bodies work.

Developing products depends on how freaky you want to go  like watches or wearables that will alert you (on failing health signs). The next level is embedding technology into your body. Think about it  before you get a heart attack, you get palpitations, unusual rhythms and a chip in your body will emit a signal, an alert.

Moments later a technologist is by your side in an ambulance  while you are walking on a street totally unaware  and he tells you you should get in as you are dangerously close to get a heart attack in 30 minutes. The wearables or embedded technology connected to an external emergency system has informed the emergency unit that a client is in danger. Such technology is very close to being developed.

Futurists talk of computers becoming as smart as people. Computers will become the most dominant creatures on the planet and AI will cause a massive risk to humanity. Humans will become part robot, part flesh. Digital chips would be floating in your bloodstream basically finding problems in your body to fix them before infection or illness sets in. This could happen 25 years away from today.

Driverless cars are coming. Some 20 per cent of workforce in the US are people who drive cars and trucks but when driverless cars arrive, what do we do with all those job?

We are going to have serious problems in the next 10 years in the discussion on jobs and the future of jobs. The next 20-30 years will change the way we structure the world. If you look at the way people voted in the Brexit issue and Donald Trump, they are scared of the changes that are happening.

4th industrial revolution: This development will be very disruptive and displace jobs. Doctors are bound to lose their jobs. The reality is that doctors make mistakes but computers wont. For example computers might have information about an outbreak of dengue fever in a particular area. Computers will then talk to other computers; so rather than going to a GP (general physician), the computer will tell you want to do (at home)!

Human error against computer error in health: Are there studies to show the percentage of error in doctors versus computers? The issue is that we are socially conditioned in the world we live in at the moment (guided by humans) and not socially conditioned for a future world guided by technology. More people died from accidents than man-made terrorism but the latter is the one that attracts attention.

Its the same with driverless cars. Driving is probably one of the more dangerous things we do anywhere. There is a bigger probability of killing a person by your own driving than a driverless car. Problem is that the impact of that is still not socially acceptable (driverless cars).

Business: The barriers to entry for business are eroding. The people who always had the money are no longer able to protect that easily. For example a 14 year-old kid can create a product that can easily destroy an industry and businesses within a country. This could never have happened 10-20 years ago because to go against a powerful business needs thousands of dollars and power. Now all you need is a laptop and a connection to the Internet. That was never the case before. The barriers are crumbling.
Regaining GSP+ only solution to boost exports, resolve BoP, says PM By Raj Moorthy View(s): View(s):

Sri Lankas serious issues of Balance of Payments (BoP) and debt servicing can only be resolved by increasing exports with the regaining of GSP+ concession from the European Union (EU), says Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Arriving in the country from China after discussions with the Chinese Prime Minister on Wednesday, the Premier made this statement as the chief guest at the recently held Women Leadership Summit 2017 at the Taj Samudra Hotel in Colombo on the same day.

Mr. Wickremesinghe said, Sri Lanka is facing very serious issues in BoP and debt servicing that can only be solved by increasing the countrys exports. It also solves the connected question of the pay for workers which seems to be a vicious circle. Only through exports,the country can get into position to offer better remuneration to the workforce, he added.

He also mentioned that the UK assured that trade preferences that were enjoyed by Sri Lanka will be maintained even after the exit of Britain from the EU. EU is the richest market and getting back the GSP+ is a significant landmark for Sri Lanka and it is the beginning of an export oriented economy, the PM noted.

We have to aim at all of us becoming exporters with not just some of the enterprises in the domestic market which compelled a large number of the countrys female workforce to go abroad and work in domestic positions.We didnt have the courage to become exporters. With the GSP+ we will have access to 6000 products while looking at new product range in the apparel and fisheries sector, stressed Mr. Wickremesinghe while elaborating that the existing exporters must utilise the concession by increasing the export volume and earnings. He also stated that the domestic manufacturers shouldalso start exporting.

The country is looking at new sectors that encourage foreign investment such as tourism which has the potential in the short term to generate employment and income. Tourism is an area where women can participate in a significant way. Digital economy also has a high level of women participation. In order to attract FDI (foreign investment) and enable our existing manufacturers, entrepreneurs, people involved in the digital economy, we need to create a better policy environment and make Sri Lanka the hub of the Indian Ocean, Mr. Wickremesinghe added.

He also mentioned that Sri Lanka has the South-West economic corridor starting from Kandy all the way to Hambantota with two airports and harbours. Hard infrastructure development of the North-East corridor around Trincomalee is commencing focusing on logistics and connectivity. We need to deepen the trade and financial connectivity in a way that our domestic enterprises benefit, removing the administrative barriers, the red tape, ensuring the ease of doing business and making the banks more competitive, noted Mr. Wickremesinghe.

South Asia is now the fastest growing region in the world. To sustain it, two major factors; participation of women in economic activities and trade integration have to be considered, Mr. Wickremesinghe stressed .He also encouraged the increasing number of women participating in the labour force and entrepreneurial space.
Worker rights to be fought post GSP+ By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s):

On the back of trade concessions from the European Union (EU), trade unions are now lobbying the government to gain right of access to factories with special identity cards and also a 50 per cent share in GSP + gains, among other concerns.

In this respect, the trade unions have requested for a stakeholder meeting from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, FTZ workers union leader Anton Marcus told the Business Times on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the local branch IndustriALL, a global collective of trade unions, decided to campaign for 50 per cent of the gains from the GSP + to be passed to the worker from apparel manufacturers.

Mr. Marcus explained that they have already mentioned in their roadmap on the action plan that recommendations made by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Expert Committee of Freedom of Association need to be adhered to.

The recommendations include reducing to 25 per cent of the workforce from a current 40 per cent as the minimum support required from the workers to set up a union.

He also said Employee Councils in the workplace should not be involved in collective bargaining and also undermine trade union activity.

On Tuesday during a meeting with the BOI Chairman Upul Jayasuriya and trade unions, it was agreed that the authorities will issue identity cards to the trade unions to allow unrestricted access to the factories. At present trade unions need to obtain special permission from the BOI for this purpose.

Earlier this week the EU Ambassador for Colombo and the Maldives said trade unions need to continue lobbying to ensure their demands become a reality.
Theres a point  somewhere between the time punches are thrown during school hours and students find themselves in a courtroom  where Clare Nelson hopes she can make a difference, a calm voice in the middle of turmoil.

Her role is professional mediator and shes coordinator of a program in Lancaster County called Project Restore, which uses mediation  also called victim offender conferencing  to help students avoid charges of assault or disturbing the peace for incidents that happen in school.

The goal: to keep young people out of the juvenile court system.

We walk through why they made the choice and what would be a better choice, rather than just punishing them, Nelson said.

Project Restore is a collaborative project with Lincoln Public Schools, the Lancaster County Attorneys Office, the Lincoln Police Department and the Lancaster County Department of Human Services.

It is part of a larger statewide pilot program with two other mediation centers, in Omaha and Scottsbluff, which includes students already on pretrial diversion or probation for incidents  including theft and burglary  that happen either inside or outside of school.

Because of the success of the program  93 percent of the cases completed resulted in agreements by the young offenders to make amends to their victims  state court officials hope to take the broader program statewide.

We want to keep kids out of the prison pipeline, said Debora Denny, director of the Nebraska Office of Dispute Resolution in the Nebraska State Court Administrators Office.

They hope to do that through mediation  a process to help students understand the harm theyve caused, while giving them a chance to tell their side of the story.

It brings them together with their victims, or those who have been the victim of a similar offense who can talk about how it affected them.

Restorative justice is about coming to the table to tell your story, to tell what happened, Nelson said.

Often, in assaults or disturbances in school, the offender feels wronged and can share that information, as can the victim  or someone acting in the victims place.

Mediators can help young people understand how their actions harmed not just the victim but others or the community as a whole.

We talk about what happened when they made that choice  who was affected and how were they affected, Nelson said. And what could have been a different choice.

In the case of an assault at school, for instance, an administrator could explain how school leaders had to take time from helping other students to deal with the assault, Nelson said.

Offenders are expected to come up with a plan to make reparations  an apology letter or restitution, for instance  and leave with tools to avoid making the same choice when they find themselves in similar situations.

Casey Karges, executive director of the Mediation Center in Lincoln, said a key to mediation is letting offenders take ownership.

We dont push an apology. Theyre making decisions on what the repair will be, he said. We believe if people have input in the decision in some way theres a better chance theyll carry through.

State officials say its working  especially the efforts in Lancaster County.

Lincoln's mediation center handled more than two-thirds of the 70 cases in the pilot program, according to an evaluation by the Center for Restorative Justice and Peacemaking at the University of Minnesota.

Lancaster County has done mediation with juvenile offenders for several years, said Sara Hoyle, Lancaster County Human Services administrator.

It started four or five years ago when church leaders asked county officials if they could meet with young people arrested in a series of church vandalisms, Hoyle said.

In cases such as that, where young people are already on probation or pretrial diversion, the goal is to keep them from getting arrested or charged again.

Project Restore works with students before they land in juvenile court, and because of its success  as well as similar projects in other states  Denny said she would like to see other counties reach out to schools.

Project Restore began independently in Lancaster County about the same time as the statewide pilot, proposed by a committee looking for ways to reduce racial disparities in the justice system.

In 2010, 33 percent of all juvenile arrests were minorities, while they accounted for just 17 percent of the population, according to statistics used in the pitch for the project.

Because a third of the arrests stemmed from incidents at school, that's where officials focused their efforts.

First-time offenders ages 12 to 15 are eligible for mediation as long as the incidents don't involve sexual assault, serious injury or gangs.

It's too early to gauge whether the process will keep students from getting in trouble again, but officials are hopeful.

One of the biggest advantages of Project Restore is that it addresses the problem quickly  mediators often contact offenders within a day of the offense, Hoyle said.

Mediation gives students a way to move past a mistake, Nelson said.

Ill often say to a kid, 'You dont want this to define you, she said. This one choice does not need to define you. So lets move forward.
Worker rights under scrutiny as GSP + gets underway By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s):

Access to the European Union (EU) has been opened without trade barriers since Friday May 19 but certain issues concerning worker rights in Sri Lanka still need to be ironed out with the government to ensure improved conditions on the factory floor, an issue often raised by trade unions, according to EU officials.

Trade unions would need to continue lobbying if worker rights is to become a reality, EU Ambassador for Sri Lanka and the Maldives Tung-Lai Margue told the Business Times on the sidelines of a media briefing held on Tuesday at the mission office in Colombo to announce the resumption of the EU Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) +.

The ambassador noted that they would continue to be in touch with the trade unions on the issues and pointed out that there remains concerns relating to worker rights.

Labour standards in the factories would be subject to scrutiny, he said adding that if companies did not comply with the required standards then there could be consequences.

Commenting on the trade unions requirement to pass down 50 per cent of the benefit of the GSP + concessions to the workers, Mr. Margue said that though they could not insist (buyers) on it they would encourage it.

When the assessment was made concerning the labour issues late last year the European Commission had found that there were no serious shortcomings, EU Political, Trade and Communications Section Head Paul Godfrey said adding however that submissions made by the trade unions in Sri Lanka had raised a number of issues.

These, he explained, would need to be worked out with the government and the EU and would be subject to the continued monitoring process as a result of which the EU Delegation would have consultations with the trade unions in Sri Lanka in future.

The ambassador also told the Business Times that they had concerns regarding the (early) age of marriage and pointed out that although this has been linked to a cultural matter the EU would need to look at it more carefully. He explained that there were issues concerning marrying off a girl at the age of 12.

Meanwhile trade unions during meetings with the Labour Ministry and the Board of Investment (BOI) recalled promises made to the workers as a prerequisite for the resumption of the EU trade concessions.

Union had requested the government to keep to the promise of passing down 50 per cent of the trade benefit to the workers by improving their working conditions and to ensure that trade union activity in the factories are allowed, Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union Joint Secretary Anton Marcus told the Business Times.

Sri Lanka will stand to gain an additional Euros 300 million per year in export value as a direct benefit to Sri Lanka and Euros 1 billion in a few years resulting in a reduction in the countrys trade deficit, the Ambassador said.

The EU is currently Sri Lankas largest export market generating more than Euros 2.6 billion in revenue to the country last year alone.

He noted that certain areas of concerns remained like bringing in a new legislation for counter terrorism replacing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), the child rights on age of marriage, incidents of torture and the terms of reconciliation.

These among other matters relating to the 27 international conventions on human rights, labour conditions, protection of the environment and good governance would continue to be scrutinised, the Ambassador said.
Reflecting on your record with both parties View(s):

My dear Maithri,

I thought I must write to you because you seem to be having a difficult time carrying out your work while juggling the challenges posed by Modi, Mahinda maama and the May Day  and even provincial councils are daring to defy you. All about you seem to be losing their heads and blaming it on you!

We are of course aware that you are leading a government like no other  because it comprises of Greens and Blues who have been rivals for almost seven decades since the British left our shores. And, to top it all, you are the only Blue leader in this country to be elected with Green votes!

Maithri, I should tell you that most people who voted for you are now asking themselves whether they made the right decision. They chased Mahinda maama out because they felt that he was behaving like a dictator and that his family and a handful of people were running  and ruining  the country.

It took an enormous amount of courage to walk out of Mahinda maamas Cabinet and challenge him, knowing that Fonny  who did something similar before you  was stripped of his uniform, rank and pension and sent to Welikada in a prison jumper for doing that. So, we do still respect you for that.

Since then, things havent quite worked out that way you planned, have they, Maithri? One of your main promises was to bring the culprits of the previous era to book. Two and a half years have passed and most of the culprits are still in Parliament, not in prison. How much more time do you want?

What has annoyed many is seeing the same people who sang Mahinda maamas praises and hurled insults at you from every platform, not only during your election, but even after that  people like SB and Dayasiri  welcomed by you with open arms. So, it is as if we changed only the man at the top!

Among your more disastrous moves was to invite those who lost at the elections back to Parliament from the National List. While the people wanted those such as SB, Thilanga, Dilan, Mahinda Sam and Soysa sent home, they are still in Parliament, holding high office and making the biggest noise!

So, you are doing exactly what Mahinda maama did: buying people over, offering them a ministry and all the privileges that go with it and securing their loyalty, regardless of whether they are crooks or cronies. Instead, the 6.2 million people who voted for you had hoped for a clean government!

Governing with the Blues and the Greens together hasnt been easy, has it? Whenever the Greens suggest something, the Blues oppose it. When the Blues want something, the Greens dont like it. That is why there are disputes over the Hambantota Port, VAT and SAITM, to name just a few.

They cant even agree on a Cabinet spokesman because when Rajitha opens his big mouth and makes a startling statement, we have now come to realise that the opposite is true. Still, it would be great fun to have two Cabinet spokesmen  one green, one blue  and then watch them contradict each other.

Many feel that, at the half way mark of your term, the changes they wanted havent occurred. The country is stuck in one place as the Greens and Blues fight each other. Already some say that during Mahinda maamas time, though there were all powerful cronies, some work was done, unlike now.

Maithri, have you also forgotten that you have been promising a Cabinet reshuffle? You promised one before Vesak. Vesak has come and gone and we are still waiting but it seems as if you cant get the Greens to agree. Now they say it will happen tomorrow, but I wouldnt bet more than ten rupees on it.

Talking of reshuffles, ministers in the Provincial Council in Rajarata are having one every day. I cant blame you for that because Mahinda maama is pulling the strings and his puppets there are dancing to his tune. Be careful though: it would be a disgrace to lose the Council where your hometown is!

If you ask me, most of your problems arise because you are trying to please the Blues, after having won your election from the votes of the Greens. As a result, both the Blues and the Greens claim the government is theirs and they are both unhappy with you. Think about this, will you, Maithri?

Yours truly,

Punchi Putha

PS: Why are your ministers making noises about you being the Blue presidential candidate in a few years time? Didnt you promise us that the Presidency would be abolished by then? Or, will you be the third person from the Blue party to make empty promises about abolishing JRs 40-year legacy?
Tomorrows Cabinet reshuffle more extensive than expected View(s):

Ministers, deputies and state ministers summoned to Presidential Secretariat; plum positions for some

Malik signs agreements giving a wide role for China in Lankas economy; President off to Australia on Tuesday

By Our Political Editor

President Maithripala Sirisena, gave mixed signals, not unusually, when he vetoed his own demarche not to chair Cabinet meetings until he carries out a re-shuffle of Ministers. Last Monday morning, he directed the Cabinet Secretariat to summon the weekly ministerial meeting the next day, Tuesday. Officials hurriedly telephoned ministers to tell them the meeting which was indefinitely postponed, would take place at 10 a.m. at the Presidential Secretariat. It was just the week before that Sirisena refrained from formally choosing the date and time for the next meeting.

It came after he hinted to Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) ministers that no Cabinet meetings would take place until the reshuffle was made. He pointed out that he had already pledged that such changes would be made before Vesak Poya, which has now come and gone. This was on the basis that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had agreed to such a reshuffle.

Since their meeting on May 9, the Cabinet Secretariat distributed to ministers different memoranda approved by the President, a prelude to these being discussed at Cabinet meetings. Though they were titled AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING OF THE CABINET OF MINISTERS, in the preamble, the document made clear that The Date, Time and Venue for the Next Meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers will be notified by the Secretary to the Cabinet in due course. On other occasions, the date, time and the venue form the preamble of the Agenda. For example, for the Cabinet meeting on May 9, it said agenda for the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers to be held on 9th May, 2017 at 9.30 a.m. at the Presidential Secretariat. Thus, the spate of telephone calls went out on Monday morning for the Tuesday meeting. That in itself was to give rise to speculation among ministers  would a reshuffle take place ahead of the meeting or would there be a statement of some sort. They were proved wrong.

Listed for discussion on that day were 25 Cabinet Papers on different subjects and a further ten related to Procurement Matters. A sampling would show the subjects were relatively non-controversial.

Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management held on 25 April  and 7th April  from Prime Minister RanilWickremesinghe.

Amending the Explosives Ordinance no 21 of 1956  from President Sirisena who is Minister of Defence.

Continental Shelf Submission of Sri Lanka to the Commission on the limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)  from Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera.

Development of Batticaloa Airport for civilian flights  from Transport and Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.

A pilot project on implementation of flexi hours in Government offices around Battaramulla from Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka.

Implementation of Major Reforms to enhance the Investment Climate in Sri Lanka  by International Trade and Development Strategies Minister Malik Samarawickrema.

Report on the Actual Expenditure at the end of 1st quarter of the Financial Year 2017  from Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake.

Establishing a reinsurance scheme  from Agricultue Minister DumindaDissanayake.

Procurement related matters included:

Procurement related matters included: Procurement of armoured logistics vehicles for peace keeping operations  from President Sirisena as Minister of Defence.

Renovation of the National Holiday Resort (NHR) at Bentota from Tourism Minister John Ameratunga.

Procurement of communications equipment for Peacekeeping Operations in Mali  from President Sirisena as Minister of defence.

Entrusting the responsibility of printing school textbooks required to be distributed free of charge to private printing institutions  from Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam.

The ministerial meeting last Tuesday ended in 75 minutes. Other than the memoranda, there was no discussion on any other issue. Sirisena explained that he would have to leave since he had planned to chair a high level meeting of officials to discuss the spread of dengue and the counter measures necessary. When he left, strange enough, most ministers remained puzzled. It was not just the public at large who were unaware of the goings on at the highest levels of the Government but Sirisenas own ministers in the Cabinet. Some had believed that Sirisena called off his self-imposed ban on Cabinet meetings after his talks with Premier Wickremesinghe on May 12. This was ahead of his departure to Beijing, China.

After the meeting, both SLFP and United National Party (UNP) ministers confirmed it has now been signed and sealed. Adding great weight to this belief was President Sirisena himself. He told our sister paper Irida Lankadeepa that a reshuffle would take place. The man who has to carry out this much awaited shift of ministers interpreted his Vesak Poya deadline to be the month of Vesak, not a particular day. In other words, though Vesak was over, there was still time, he seemed to say.

However, the guessing game over a reshuffle has gone on since January this year. Though it died down, it was re-ignited by Sirisenas own utterances. Most Sri Lankans took them seriously since they came from the President. Now, it is confirmed that the reshuffle will take place tomorrow (Monday). Ministers, Deputy and State Ministers were yesterday asked to present themselves at 8.30 a.m. at the Presidential Secretariat. That makes clear that the reshuffle will be more extensive than earlier expected. Some ministers are tipped to receive plum positions with three or more key subjects. One such example will be a Ministry of Finance, Ports and Communications.

The newly shaped Cabinet is expected to be briefed by Sirisena when it meets at 9 a.m. on Tuesday for its weekly session.Earlier, senior UNPers said that there should be no immediate reshuffle and their ministers should be allowed to work and prove their mettle. A senior UNPer said they should not be judged from the critical comments of their SLFP colleagues. However, the senior member conceded that in terms of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, the President was empowered to carry out a reshuffle without consulting anyone.

Section 43 (3) of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution states: (1) The President shall, in consultation with the Prime Minister, where he considers such consultation to be necessary, determine the number of Ministers of the Cabinet of Ministers and the assignment of subjects and functions to such Ministers.

(2) The President shall, on the advice of the Prime Minister, appoint from among Members of Parliament, Ministers, to be in charge of the Ministries so determined.

(3) The President may at any time change the assignment of subjects and functions and the composition of the Cabinet of Ministers and the continuity of its responsibility to Parliament.

On Tuesday afternoon,Sirisena and an official entourage will fly to Singapore en route toAustralia, the first state visit by a Sri Lankan President to that country. On May 24, he will first arrive in Canberra where he will meet Australian leaders and spend the night there. Among those Sirisena will meet are Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Governor General Sir Peter Cosgrove. The next day he will leave for Sydney for a string of engagements and stay overnight there. On Friday, he will emplane for Sri Lanka. Listed to accompany him are Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Tourism Minister John Ameratunga and Power and Renewable Energy Deputy Minister Ajith Perera. Whether the composition will change in the light of the Cabinet reshuffle remains a question.

The mounting speculation in the past months about ministerial changes has already caused both considerable embarrassment and damage to the coalition Government. It has brought into public focus, both locally and abroad, that serious divisions do exist within the Government  a development that runs counter to enhanced efforts to campaign for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) or foreign participation in any projects. This would be a blow to the Governments plans to provide a million jobs before it goes to the polls in 2020. The UNP, one of the two main partners in the Government, made the pledge. The policy has already drawn flak fromits own MPs who complain that only a few jobs have been given. One such MP was Harshana Rajakaruna who at a UNP parliamentary group meeting declared that not even ten jobs had been given.

The backdrop in which these developments are taking place has also been cause for concern. Main among them is the law and order situation with both crime and drug abuse on the upward spiral. So are road accidents. The murder rate is on the increase. Recently, a Police Narcotics Division team was shot at in Piliyandala by drug traffickers, killing one policeman. His colleagues have been hospitalised. Strike threats by trade unions are mounting. The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) has warned of another work stoppage together with a number of like-minded groups. They are said to include petroleum sector trade unions. There are also concerns over small groups attempting to create racial tensions. An increase in these trends, some worried Government parliamentarians complain, tended to create the impression that there was no governance in the country and indiscipline was on the rise.

These developments apart, the Government is also facing serious challenges on the economic front. It was just last week that President Sirisena asked Premier Wickremesinghe not to go ahead with the Concession Agreement (CA) with the Chinese company for the Hambantota Port project, as exclusively revealed in these columns last week. This was after Sirisena, who had earlier not been given a copy of the CA, later believed that many provisions of this legally binding document could be to Sri Lankas detriment. It has been jointly worked out by Ministers Malik Samarawickrema and SarathAmunugama. Sirisena is to order a further study and a renegotiation is not ruled out.

Minister Amunugama, who headed a Cabinet subcommittee on the Hambantota Port project, told his ministerial colleagues in a note last week that his Committee had several consultations and further reviewed the already approved Concession Agreement together with the observations and comments made by members of the Sub Committee, the Sri Lanka Port Authority (SLPA) and the Project Committee (PC) consisting of senior officials of the SLPA representing cross-functional disciplines.

He added: Matters pertaining to technical-commercial nature were deliberated at length and a substantial number of issues were resolved and incorporated, as deemed appropriate, into the Concession Agreement with the concurrence of the investor(China). There are several more issues being deliberated between the parties and amicable resolution is expected shortly.

A Road Map on the implementation of the Cabinet Decision was developed and actions followed through. Fair progress is made, except in regard to completion of due diligence by the investor with the support of SLPA. It is to be understood that the process is now in progress. Meantime, the PC/SLPA has raised twelve critical concerns with differing views from the covenants agreed in the already executed Framework Agreement.

Ahead of his visit to China, Minister Samarawickrema, who has been responsible for a number of the Governments controversial proposals, sought approval at their meeting on May 9 from the Cabinet of Ministers to sign two different documents in Beijing. One was the Framework Agreement between Sri Lanka and China for the promotion of Investments and Economic Co-operation. Details of this Agreement, where there were differences in his draft as the line Minister and that of the Chinese, were revealed in these columns last week. The second Agreement was Signing the Outline of the Medium and Long-term Development Plan for Investment, Economic and Technological Co-operation.

The Cabinet of Ministers gave approval for the two proposals. However, they added that such Agreements were subject to the conditions:

That, separate Cabinet Memoranda pertaining to the priority projects referred to in the list attached to the above mentioned Outline of the Medium and Long-term Development Plan for Investment, Economic and Technological Co-operation, will be submitted by the respective Ministers, so the Cabinet, prior to entering into formal Agreements in that regard; and

That, signing of the formal Agreements pertaining to the relevant projects referred to above will be done in consultation with the relevant stakeholders.

The two strong conditions laid down by the Cabinet of Ministers (see above) makes clear that Minister Samarawickrema failed to obtain blanket approval for all projects  a move that could have widespread repercussions both in terms of Sri Lankas sovereignty and economic well-being. This would have meant that no other Ministry needs to be consulted. In fact, the agreement he signed for an Outline of the Medium and Long term Development Plan for Investment, Economic and Technological Co-operation has raised eyebrows both in Sri Lanka and abroad. Firstly, the two documents have not been released for study by the Sri Lankan public or Parliament.

Among the questions asked is how the Government of Sri Lanka, in terms of the Agreements signed, promise not to alter existing administrative permits since there are prospects of the Government changing at one time or the other. The move, as one source familiar with the processes pointed out, amounts to the coalition Government issuing guarantees for all future Governments. The source added it is a fundamental tenet that policy changes are the sole prerogative of the Government in power. How can that be subjected to another party outside Sri Lanka, the source asked.

Another instance pointed out is how the two Agreements say that the Sri Lankan side shall establish special cross-departmental coordinating and decision making mechanisms. The source pointed out that this is one sided and added that in effect it lays bare a lacunae in the Sri Lankan system since Beijing would be placed on a higher pedestal. The international practice is that coordination mechanisms should be there on both sides largely on equal terms.

Another area that could cause strategic implications is Minister Samarawickrema agreeing to include communications. This would, cover telecommunications and IT including mobile communications and digital technologies. The Agreement says, Both parties agree to enter into policy exchange in mobile communication, information and communication technology, Internet and other areas, strengthen the co-ordination and co-operation at the International Telecommunication Union and other international organisations. The Chinese party will strengthen the training and capacity building for Sri Lanka to further promote the application and penetration of new telecommunication and digital technologies in Sri Lanka. Both parties will support enterprises of both countries to enter in to cooperation in the areas of international voice and data services, and improve the technological and management level in areas covering information and communication technology, and digital technologies.

Among other highlights of The Outline of the Medium and Long-term Development Plan for Investment, Economic and Technological Co-operation are:

Both parties agree to strengthen the investment cooperation in tourism area, explore cultural heritages, particularly deeper significance of the 21st Century Marine Silk Road, encourage enterprises of both countries to jointly develop tourism projects and tourism products, and support Chinese enterprises to invest in construction and management of hotels in Sri Lanka.

Both parties will support Chinese enterprises to participate in the investment and construction of housing reconstruction and real estate development projects in Sri Lanka.

The Chinese party will continue to encourage Chinese citizens to travel in Sri Lanka and assist the Sri Lanka parties to develop the Chinese tourism market.

The Sri Lanka party undertakes to protect legitimate rights and interests of Chinese investors in Sri Lanka, and respect Concession Agreements, Commercial Contracts and other documents signed by the Government of Sri Lanka with relevant institutions and investors, not to alter existing administrative licensing due to Government change or other factors, and not to apply law and policy adjustments to the previous cases.

Encourage enterprises of both parties to participate in the investment, operation and management of ports, airports and other infrastructure projects by means of joint ventures, concession and other forms in Sri Lanka.

Encourage both parties to invest in and construct petroleum and natural gas storage, transport, refining, chemical, and processing and other projects in areas near ports.

Further support the participation of Chinese enterprises in the construction of agricultural infrastructure, reservoirs, irrigation channels, field roads, marsh gas systems and other facilities, so as to gradually improve agricultural infrastructure conditions in Sri Lanka.

The Chinese party agrees to continue talent exchange, training and other aid projects, deepen talent exchange and technological training between China and Sri Lanka in politics, education, tourism, culture, science, technology, medical service and other areas, and deepen the friendship and mutual trust between both countries in all areas.

It is abundantly clear that almost all the projects envisaged in these two Agreements are not joint ventures. Those are cited as priority projects,

Moreover they are to be financed using Chinese loans, which like the Hambantota Port project, could add to Sri Lankas debt burden. A fuller enforcement of the Agreements would also see a substantial Chinese population operating in Sri Lanka. Another worrying provision is one which may amount to possibly outsourcing certion policies of the Government of Sri Lanka to China.

This begs answer to the question whether Minister Samarawickrema directed an official study of all aspects that may affect Sri Lanka before making his controversial recommendations to the Cabinet of Ministers. Or was it his own initiative alone? Did a Committee or a Committee of officials examine the provisions? Quite clearly, most ministers have not studied the small letters or the fine print like many do when it comes to agreements or mortgages. A clear read of the Agreements leads one to the inevitable conclusion that in every aspect of the countrys economy, Sri Lanka has assured a Chinese a role.

How will this impact on countries in the region, like India? There is a hue and cry over the proposed Economic and Technical Co-operation (ETCA) with India but the provisions of the two Agreements in question are much broader and raise several questions. Quite clearly, Ministers and officials do not seem to be learning from past experience. Negotiations over the Hambantota Port project have been protracted in the light of irregularities being discovered from time to time. Now, the Concession Agreement has generated controversy, among other matters, over the 99-year lease period. Issues have come to the fore much after the Cabinet of Ministers gave approval  a move which indicated that there was no closer scrutiny or study. Whilst this is going on, two more Agreements have been signed with China without closely studying the implications. It is doubtful whether the two caveats introduced by the Cabinet of Ministers would bring about the required checks and balances. There are fears, mostly among ministers, that proposals can slip through to be discovered only when the damage is done.

Thus, even after Sirisena effects a ministerial reshuffle on Monday, there are greater challenges for him. The change in itself would become a continuation of the cracks within the Government which has become apparent. Another area for concern is a move by SLFP ministers to reject a call for the abolition of the Executive Presidency. The recommendation is one of the highlights in the Steering Committee report on Constitution making which the SLFP Constitution Committee will take up for discussion tomorrow at the party headquarters. It is headed by NimalSiripala de Silva and includesDuminda Dissanayake, Mahinda Amaraweera, Mahinda Samarasinghe, Susil Premajayantha, Anura PriyadarshanaYapa, DilanPerera, Dayasiri Jayasekera, FaiszerMusthapa, John Seneviratne, Sarath Amunugama and Lasantha Alagiyawanna.

On top of that, many a governance issue continues to haunt Sirisena. It was only Friday that Sirisena asked Premier Wickremesinghe and Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayake to proceed to Muhamalai near Jaffna where a shooting incident had led to a rise in tensions. Details of the story appear elsewhere in this newspaper. So, for Sirisena, there is a two-day respite Down Under. With the reshuffle then behind him, when he returns, there is little doubt he would have to get on top of the situation.
Trump trumped by media he threatened View(s):

During his presidential election campaign last year the ever-loquacious and unpredictable Donald Trump threatened to change Washington which he called a swamp. Not even four months after occupying the Oval Office Trump is sinking in the swamp he said he would clean up. Caught up in a labyrinth of charges of misconduct and worse, several Congressional and prosecutorial investigations into them, it seems to have escaped many that the week of leaks that produced these shocking revelations came from the media.

The American media that had been threatened during the campaign, journalists assaulted and manhandled and discriminated against once in the White House, has hit back hard at the man who promised new laws to curb the media and the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of the press. Many decades ago a prime minister of Sri Lanka, then Ceylon, had a more measured and understanding approach to dealing with the press. His policy, rather crudely but succinctly put, was not to mess with the press unnecessarily. There was a rationale to this policy as will be explained later in this column.

Unfortunately Donald Trump who has such an inflated opinion of himself thought he would adorn the Oval Office. Instead what he has brought to the White House is a totally bizarre and erratic behaviour and a presidential waywardness which has now brought him to the point of impeachment. When I joined Lake House (Beira Gedera as it was derisively called by Leftwing critics) immediately after university in 1962, breakfast time on the Observer was most often an entertaining time of the day with the afternoon daily Observer generally put to bed as they say.

That was when we journalistic novices listened to, with awe at times, senior colleagues regaling us with stories of journalistic derring-do, of politics and politicians and other personalities they rubbed shoulders with ever-so-often.

Lake House was the leading newspaper group at the time and had a powerful influence in shaping the political landscape of the time when even political critics had a respect for the institution though they intensely disliked its power.

One of the stories I still remember was about the extremely articulate S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike who was assassinated three years before I joined Lake House and never had the pleasure of knowing except by reputation and through first hand stories like those related in the Observer newsroom.

One morning Nimal Karunatilleke who was close to Mr. Bandaranaike and had won the Matale constituency for him in 1956 (the first result to be announced in a wave of victories for the MEP that were to follow) and my brother Mervyn were talking of SWRDs sophisticated approach to the press which at the time consisted of four publishing houses and the State-owned broadcasting station.

The Oxford-educated and liberal-minded Mr. Bandaranaike understood the vital role of the press in a functioning democracy. He also believed that challenging the newspapers at every turn and contradicting them constantly as some were prone to do, was not a wise policy because the press could always have the last word.

This story came to mind while following last weeks fast moving developments in Washington that have sent President Donald Trump and the White House into a tail spin as they try to grapple with the compulsive indiscretion of the new man in the Oval Office that has led to the appointment of a Special Counsel to investigate a number of extremely serious allegations against him including the leaking of sensitive security information to the Russians and the obstruction of justice by asking the recently sacked FBI director to drop the investigations into the Presidents national security advisor who has also been removed.

US President Donald Trump seemed to adopt an adversarial stance, antagonising the American media by constantly attacking it and threatening to undermine a foundational plank of American democracy  the First Amendment to the US Constitution that guaranteed freedom of the press.

Even before he left America late last week on a foreign visit that included Israel which is said to have provided the classified information that Trump passed on to the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (who by the way served in Sri Lanka) he was claiming that he was the victim of a witch hunt.

He claimed that no American president has been treated the way he has been treated. That is true of course. But then no American president has behaved as Trump has in the short time he has been president.

Those who have watched televised press conferences at the White House held by Trump would surely be appalled by the hostility he continues to show the media. It happened just the other day when he virtually shot the journalist down in mid-sentence and rudely said next question.

His surly attitude towards any person who is critical of him, even if it is only to ask him a question or quote him accurately, is so obvious that he has brought into media conferences a hostility that has never known to have been seen before.

It has even reached the point where some media organizations or journalists are barred from attending White House or other conferences where Trump is present.

Even more disturbing, Trump has said that he wants to be able to take legal action against those he considers unkind in their reporting of him or his policies (however fleeting such policies maybe).

It was just the other day at a meeting in Texas that he showed his utter contempt for the First Amendments freedom of the press. He said that he is gonna open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles we can sue them and win lots of money.

It sure does remind me of some Sri Lankan big wigs we know whose idea of negative reporting is anything that is critical of them, their actions or their conduct.

As though that was not enough of a condemnation of the media and his threat to silence them Trump went on to say I think the media is among the most dishonest groups of people Ive ever met. They are terrible.

So Trump dons the mantle of a saint as though he is the cleanest of the clean, something Sri Lankans who listen to or associate with their politicians and their nepotistic relatives and cronies are regularly made aware of.

This Trump fiasco which is only in its early days also brings to the fore another vital issue. That is the need for non-partisan investigation of the allegations against the countrys highest elected official and the basic principle of prosecutorial independence and the rule of law.

In this case the Trump exposures have attracted worldwide attention because of the office he holds, the importance of the country, the ramification of the charges against him and the threat to the norms of democratic governance.

But even if it a far lesser person and the charges are far less damaging, there is a basic need to adhere to the rule of law. Justice demands that investigations are conducted in an independent manner and without interference from the legislative and executive arms of the state.

But over in Sri Lanka even if our leaders understand the importance of non-interference in the investigative process so that rule of law that the politicians promised before and after the dual elections in 2015 is preserved it does not happen.

We have heard of interference in the prosecutorial process by some holding high legislative and executive power thus undermining the norms of democratic governance.

There are two lessons that have so far emerged from the Affaire Trump. But our leaders are more likely to behave like the proverbial monkeys. To permit independent investigations into the plethora of criminal issues before the country and refrain from interfering in them cuts across the grain of their own interests and agendas.

Of course that cannot be permitted and to hell with the rule of law.
Sri Lanka and New Economic World Order View(s):

China hosting a mega event this week not only announced that it has arrived on the world scene as a major economic power-house, but telegraphed its vision for the next 30 years and more. With the US now on reverse gear advocating nationalism and protectionism, China has become the new face of internationalism. How the roles have reversed.

In an article on Page 8 (ST 2), a Sri Lankan-born UN diplomat lucidly explains Chinas ambitious US$ 124 billion plans aimed at linking Asia with Europe and Africa, by road, rail and sea. The One Road; One Belt initiative was attended by leaders of 29 countries, including Sri Lankas Prime Minister, 1,500 delegates from 130 nations, NGOs, the IMF, World Bank and the UN Secretary General.

To calm any unease that this was the Chinese dragon romping through the world stage, Chinas President said; We will not interfere in other countries internal affairs. We will not export our system of society and development model, and even more, will not impose our views on others.

India was not impressed. For one, the road link cuts across disputed Kashmir. India boycotted the forum while the US and several European nations sent low-level representation, clearly smarting that they are being slowly, but surely upstaged by China.

The world is witnessing the re-emergence of two former Communist giants of the past  Russia and China which split on dialectic Marxism only to re-emerge as economic superpowers through free market policies they once derided as Capitalist pigs.

For the new Chinese initiative to be altruistic, is too good to be true. Those dealing with the Chinese negotiators on the Port City project and the Hambantota harbour know only too well how they drive a hard bargain and exploit the weaknesses of corrupt local politicians in developing countries when doing business.

Parallel to the One Road; One Belt initiative, China has invested US$ 100 billion in an Investment Bank and the BRICS Development Bank to break the monopoly of the West-dominated IMF and World Bank and their grip over countries like Sri Lanka.

With the anticipated inflow of funds not forthcoming from the West despite a new Government more amenable to it here in Sri Lanka, it is becoming clearer that this countrys economic future rests on the broad shoulders of India and China. By accident or design, the previous Government recognised this fact, but played its cards wrong.

This Government will need to learn from past mistakes and look to the future as this New Economic World Order unfolds.

Plantation workers are Sri Lankan citizens of recent origin

Indian scribes accompanying their Prime Minister last week to Sri Lanka were only half-joking when they said that their leader of over a billion people at home also loves to meet their diaspora overseas when he travels. This might have been after he got a rock-star reception in the United States.

And so, the story goes, that his office must have contacted the High Commission in Colombo and asked it to organise a similar event here; except that that theres no real Indian diaspora in this country. The next best thing was to arrange a mass meeting in the central highlands where a sizeable crowd could be mustered of those categorised as Tamils of recent Indian origin.

No wonder, the Indian PM told the cheering crowd at Norwood estate in Dickoya last week; We rejoice at the success of the Indian origin diaspora as they leave a mark across the world, near and far.

The ancestors of these plantation workers were brought to this island from southern India as indentured labour by the British planters because the Kandyan peasantry whose lands were plundered under a Waste Lands Ordinance refused to work for the colonisers. It was an age when Africans were taken as slave labour to the cotton fields of America, but they have no allegiance any more to their country of origin.

The plantation workers here are now fully-fledged Sri Lankan citizens with voting rights. Their long struggle for citizenship has its roots in the Citizenship Act of 1948 which made them stateless, but that Act was modelled on the Indian Citizens Act which debarred Nepalis from citizenship in India.

If their line-rooms had portraits of Mahatma Gandhi it is understandable. And the Indian tri-colour displayed at Dickoya would have prompted the visiting dignitary to say; India beats in your heart, but it also raised concerns whether India was stirring the pot for a permanent fifth column here.

In an era of dual-citizenship, and a foreign citizen signing local currency notes, having allegiance to two countries may  or may not  be an issue as it was before. Parliaments still insist on allegiance to one country, but even Ambassadors are now allowed to represent a country while also being a citizen of another.

Minister Mano Ganesan, a frontline leader of the plantation workers sidelining the traditional hereditary mafia that led them for decades, put things in perspective while addressing the crowd, Our loyalty to our Motherland Sri Lanka is not a divided loyalty  we are only a bridge between the two countries.

They were classed as Tamils of recent Indian origin to distinguish them from the North and East Tamils whose ancestry dates further back to India, and who, in fact, looked all along at the plantation workers as people of a lesser god. To the eternal credit of the plantation Tamils, they had no truck with the North/East separatist movement of recent times.

It is, therefore, the bounden duty of the Government to embrace these Tamils not as those of recent Indian origin, but of recent Sri Lankan citizenship. They are the natural increase of those people who opted to remain in Sri Lanka under the Sirima-Shastri Repatriation Pact. Young people in the plantations do not want to be hewers of wood and drawers of water anymore and prefer city jobs with technical skills or in supermarkets and foot massage centres. Labour is going to be an issue in the plantations unless the industry ventures into some form of mechanisation. Importing indented labour once again, as is feared with new Economic agreements repeating colonial history, is not an option.
100 Words View(s):

Thank you for all your contributions for the 100 word page on Above. As is frilling for a preposition the ideas that have been generate are various  from clouds to waterfalls to social rank & pranks. The theme for June is PAGE. Please send in your contribution before June 17 to Madhubashini Dissanayake-Ratnayake, C/o The Sunday Times, No. 8, Hunupitiya Cross Road, Colombo 2 N.B. Work sent to this page may be edited.

Cloudscape



A lizard spread eagled on a rock

Turns his ogling eyes

On the cloudscape above him,

Seeing fluting images of

Palms and elephants

Swans and conches

And a myriad other forms.

He nods wisely.

He changes colour to suit the passing scene.

Until

The heated rock beneath him

Reminds him of his one coloured world.

Usula P. Wijesuriya

Above

He was a prankster

His next move we could not guess

Magic stunts he displayed

Which astonished us  no end,

The holidays he spent with us

We can never forget

For the pranks, he so deftly displayed.

Now then, it was our turn

To turn the tables on him too

So we fastened a pail full of water

Above, and on the ledge of the door

And, how very welcome that must have been

Is for anyones guess.

Now, sopping wet and with the jolt

He pounced upon us and threatened to throttle us, but -

Instead, showered us with kisses

And a cold, cold embrace.

Sheila Bandaranayake.

Diyaluma

Stand on the cold wet bridge

Spindrift blowing in your face

And watch mesmerised

Earth sky and water

Combine in a beautiful display.

A perfect are of sky above you

A jagged granite cliff

Out of the mist  soaked Vva hills

A rushing stream

Goes airborne over the rim

In an unending diaphonous veil

A sheer drop over its steep face

Into deep dark pools

Seven hundred feet below.

Kamala Gunasekera

Divine Soul

A terrible dream with a demon

And a severe pain in the chest

Disturbed her sleep at midnight,

She was rushed to hospital

And then to the operation theatre

Utterly distressed.

A soft voice came from somewhere

Amme!

Slowly she opened the eyes,

Through the blurred vision of green

She witnessed a pair of sharp but tender eyes,

They reflected the divine soul

Which shone she felt

Above all the souls.

Kumari Weerasooriya

Mahaweli National College of Education, Polgolla.

The Promise

The moon shining above

Myriads of stars

strewn over

Making the world wonderful

Fascinating indeed!

They sat on the rock while

The breezes tanned them.

They gazed at the clean water below

Full of varied hued dancing fish

Five years at the campus,

Sweet memories mingled with

Joy and sorrow;

The dawn would signify their departure

Drawing her closer, he whispered,

You stood by me through the years

Sharing everything.

Ill take you home and proclaim to

My Mum that -

You are above my great expectations

In spite of all social strata .. and

Man made laws. Pray my wish

To be fulfilled!

Premasingha, Maha-Induruwa
Dance to design By Shakya Wickramanayake Emerging young designer Marlon Rae who launched his debut collection at CFW 2017 talks of how his first love opened up his creative flair View(s): View(s):

Elegant models, flashing cameras, and a glamorous audience; This was the scene that greeted young Marlon Rae, a volunteer backstage at Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) 2014 when he peered out at the catwalk. I thought wow, I want to be here one day as a designer, Marlon recalls. Three years later, on March 15 this year, he got just that wish, when he debuted his brand Maluba at CFWs Emerging Designer showcase.

At 24, Marlons talent has been quickly noted and even before he officially launched his brand, his designs were on the pages of local magazines.

This journey into the world of fashion stemmed from another passion of his, that of dance.

Whilst schooling, both at Asoka Vidyalaya and Mahanama College, Marlon was an avid dancer. Having trained in Kandyan, Low country and Bharatha natyam dance forms, he began competing at school level and won first place at the Islandwide Dance Competition conducted by the Ministry of Education. It was as a dancer that Marlon first began designing. Initially he designed and produced his own dance costumes but soon ended up making costumes for the entire troupe in school productions. I once made 500 to 600 costumes, he says, speaking of the Defence Services Colleges annual concert, where he not only designed and produced the costumes but choreographed the dance items as well. To this day, Marlon who is a professional dancer and is well versed in Latin and Ballroom dance, designs his own costumes for his performances.

Having discovered his flair for costume design, Marlon then sought to explore the design industry and soon after ALevels, joined the Design Cafe as a junior designer. It was while there that he realized that rather than the glitz and glamour normally associated with dance costumes, he preferred a more simplistic style. I always ended up toning down the style of the costumes. Prompted by his employer at the time, Stefan Joachim, who suggested that he explore the technical side of the craft, Marlon enrolled at the Selak and Brandix College of Clothing Technology (BCCT). Today he attributes the success of his creations to the technical knowledge from his BCCT course and the technical training he received under Damayathi Wedage at Selak.

In 2016, Marlon was selected for one of CFWs newest programmes, Project SEVEN. Led by CFW co-founder Ajai Vir Singh himself, the creative development programme focused on the ideation process of design. Whereas before he waited for inspiration to strike, the programme helped him dive deeper into the design process. From creating story lines which helped create a vibrant but cohesive collection, to putting thought into the movements of the wearer so that designs were not only aesthetically pleasing but practical as well, Marlon saw a marked development of his processes. Youd never experience this in an old school classroom. It made things clear, he comments.

This upgrade as he calls it, can clearly be seen in his debut collection, Art of Survival. Inspired by strong and empowered women, the collection follows the story of a womans journey around the world and the beauty and danger she encounters on her travels. In dark yet rich tones of mustard yellow, olive green and orange, tapered and bunched sleeves, gathered shirts and large over-sized bags, with buckles being heavily used in most designs, the collection has a sense of masculinity, but still compliments the female form.

Simple is how Marlon describes his style, and in his brand Maluba, he aims to capture the simplicity of the tropical island lifestyle with a modern twist. Featuring easy flowing cuts, and simple silhouettes in soft tropic friendly materials, the clothing is designed to be versatile allowing the wearer to dress it up or down according to their needs. Maluba will soon be available for retail at Aashikii, No. 1, Maitland Crescent, Colombo 07.

Making a name for yourself in a tough industry like fashion, where one day youre in and the next youre out, is no easy task. But the support he received from his friends and mentors has helped Marlon stay focused. This meant that at times they said things he needed to hear, rather than what he wanted to hear. Sometimes I was hurt by what they said, but then I realized that if they didnt say what they did I wouldnt be where I am right now, he says, keen to acknowledge his friends Tharshna, Stefan, Viran, Tymo and Leena who have been his pillars of strength.
Dont miss this culinary treat with George Calombaris View(s):

The much-loved judge of MasterChef Australia, restaurateur George Calombaris, well-known for creating tantalizing dishes inspired by his Greek heritage will be in Sri Lanka from June 8th to the 11th for a series of events hosted by Cinnamon Life.

George Calombaris started his career at Sofitel Melbourne, one of the citys top five-star hotels. During his time there, he won the Bonland National Apprentice of the Year Award and at the age of 27, he went on to open his flagship restaurant. He now owns and operates several star-class`restaurants across the continent and has authored of some of the industrys top culinary publications such as The Press Club and Calombaris Lives to Cook.

Calombaris is also well-known as one of MasterChef Australias Judges, often stepping into a concerned or comforting role when contestants are under pressure, as he strives to inspire and teach them, whilst pushing them to tap into their full culinary potential and reach beyond their comfort zones.

Calombaris has his elite network of 10 restaurants in Australia, including The Press Club, Gazi, Hellenic Republic and his souvlaki bar  Jimmy Grants. He says, Im in the kitchen mainly at The Press Club, but I enjoy dining with my family and friends at all of my venues.

His exciting itinerary in Colombo features two authentic Greek dinners curated by George himself and a High Tea event at which he will meet and mingle with food enthusiasts. He will also hold a Masterclass, demonstrating how he prepares his signature dishes. Theres also a charity auction by Cinnamon Life where you can bid for an exclusive lunch with him; the proceeds will be donated toTrail, a project dedicated to the fight against cancer.

To reserve your experience and for further information, contact +94 71 711 8111.

Cinnamon Life presents George Calombaris in Colombo in association with Knorr, powered by Commercial Bank Visa Infinite and supported by the Australian High Commission in Sri Lanka. The event is also partnered by Land Rover Jaguar as Vehicle partner, Walkers Tours as Inbound Tour Operator, Cinnamon Air as Domestic Airline partner, Dilmah Tea as the High Tea partner and is facilitated by Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts.
After Geethas case, Foreign Ministry checks whether any diplomats are dual citizens View(s):

The Foreign Affairs Ministry has asked Sri Lankan diplomats here and abroad to notify it if any of them is a dual citizen. A circular was sent out this week pursuant to an inquiry by the Sunday Times whether any diplomats at the Foreign Ministry or in Sri Lankas missions overseas held dual citizenship. It was found that the Overseas Administration Division (OAD) of the ministry did not have the required information.

Therefore, on Wednesday it sent a circular to Heads of Mission and Post stating that the ministry wishes to gather information from Missions/Posts abroad regarding Diplomatic Officers including Heads of Mission/Post who hold Dual Citizenship. The question arose after the Court of Appeal recently held that Galle District Parliamentarian Geetha Kumarasinghe cannot hold a post in Parliament as she was a dual citizen of Sri Lanka and Switzerland. Her appeal against this is now before the Supreme Court.

Where diplomatic posts are concerned, the issue with dual citizenship is that some countries would not want one of their nationals to serve as ambassador or diplomat of another country. The US, for example, would have legal issues in granting immunity to one of its nationals serving as an ambassador of a foreign country. There are also concerns over conflicts of interest.

The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and Optional Protocols states that: Members of the diplomatic staff of the mission should in principle be of the nationality of the sending State.

It also says: Members of the diplomatic staff of the mission may not be appointed from among persons having the nationality of the receiving State, except with the consent of that State which may be withdrawn at any time.
Cabinet approves 6,000 prefab houses in NE subject to beneficiary preference By Namini Wijedasa View(s): View(s):

Cabinet has approved a proposal to build 6,000 prefabricated (prefab) houses for the war-displaced in the North and East, on condition, the beneficiaries prefer them to masonry housesan option the Ministry of Resettlement, ironically, never afforded them.

Representatives of international steel giant ArcelorMittalincluding a technical teamwere in Sri Lanka over the weekend for discussions in this regard, authoritative official sources said. But the TNA has once again lodged strong opposition to the proposal, eliciting a promise from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that people would be given a clear choice between prefab and masonry dwellings.

The issue was raised by TNA Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran during a meeting at the Jaffna District Secretariat on Friday, presided over by Mr Wickremesinghe. Resettlement Minister D.M. Swaminathan, who has single-handedly promoted the project since 2015, was also present.

Mr Sumanthiran reiteratedas the TNA has done on numerous occasionsthat the party was opposed to steel prefab houses. He was immediately supported by Northern Province (NP) Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran. When Minister Swaminathan tried to defend the initiative, he was silenced by the Prime Minister.

Mr Wickremesinghe replied Cabinet had only said not more than 6,000 housesdown from the original proposal for 65,000can be built for those who preferred prefab houses to masonry dwellings. But Mr Sumanthiran pointed out that, the advertisements inviting people to apply for housing, did not provide an alternative to prefab houses.

Instead, they conveyed the impression that, if anyone wanted a house, he or she had to apply for the ArcelorMittal one or, none at all. Even now, the official website of the Resettlement Ministry carries an application to obtain prefabricated [sic] houses under the 10,000 prefabricated [sic] housing project. There is no other option offered.

But the Prime Minister then gave an assurance, publicly, that beneficiaries would be given a clear choice. He also said no modality, as to how the project is to be taken forward, has been decided.

The Cabinet decision, seen by the Sunday Times, is to grant concurrence of the Cabinet for the construction of 6,000 prefabricated housessubject to the allocation of houses being made to the displaced families concerned, on receiving their consent for same.

It was also agreed that, the balance requirement of housing for the displaced families in the Northern and Eastern Provinces should be met by constructing 10,000-15,000 traditional brick-and-mortar type houses per year, by using the modalities proposed by HE the President

Cabinet further appointed an official committee to formulate a suitable mechanism to implement the Presidents proposal. It is to be chaired by the Secretary to the President or, a Senior Additional Secretary to the President, nominated by him. Other members include Secretaries to the Ministries of Social Empowerment and Welfare; Housing and Construction; and Resettlement.

Previously, Mr Sumanthiran had said that, if the Govt. intended to slash its original proposal of 65,000 prefab houses, down to 6,000, it must call a fresh tender, as many more contractors will qualify for the smaller project, and offer better prices.

The prefab housing project has been in the pipeline since 2015, blocked by widespread protests. The TNA said it was totally opposed to prefabricated steel houses and called for civilians in the North and East to be provided with traditional masonry houses, in keeping with their culture and way of life. All 16 MPs of the party endorsed this position.

Nevertheless, the initiative is openly backed by Minister Swaminathan. The TNA revealed that he had made personal telephone calls to several of its MPs, inviting them to request for prefab houses in their respective electorates.

In the face of resistance, President Maithripala Sirisena passed the project to Special Projects Minister Sarath Amunugama for a recommendation. He returned with a proposal to grant a contract for 6,000 houses to ArcelorMittal.

The initial planwhich would have compelled the Govt. to borrow US$ 1 billion to implementwas to build 65,000 prefab steel houses for war-affected families in the North and East. But the prefab steel dwellings have been objected to on multiple grounds including climatic unsuitability, flimsy construction, lack of durability, unjustifiably high cost and so on.

A Cabinet Appointed Negotiating Committee (CANC) rejected the project and recommended that fresh tenders be called. A group of civil society agencies and persons even put forward an alternate proposal for 102,000 masonry houses at a cost of just under Rs 1 million per house, using local labour and funded by a consortium of local banks.
Four Nebraska Army National Guard pilots were honored Saturday with Air Medals with Valor presented by Gov. Pete Ricketts.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Hector Lima-Bermudez, Sgt. Jared Cornell, Staff Sgt. Matthew Hawke and Chief Warrant Officer 3 William Score are members of the Lincoln-based Company F, 2-104th General Support Aviation Battalion.

The UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crew displayed heroism Feb. 9 during an aeromedical evacuation mission under enemy fire near Sangin, in the northern Helmund province of Afghanistan.

The crew's mission in Afghanistan was to provide aeromedical evacuation support for U.S. and coalition forces. They returned April 15 after a 10-month deployment.
European Parliament to debate Lankan issues View(s):

Political and civil society groups, among them Tamil diaspora organisations, have pressured the European Parliament to debate the restoration of the GSP Plus tariff preferences to Sri Lanka.

It will take place during the plenary sessions of the EU Parliament in Brussels on May 31. It will follow what is being billed as a Commission Statement where the European Commissioner for Trade will make a statement on Sri Lanka. He will take questions from members on issues raised by them.

Among the issues which the EU is seeking early attention from Sri Lanka are the proposed Counter Terrorism Act, matters relating to the US-backed UN Human Rights Council resolution, which was endorsed by Sri Lanka, decriminalising gay activity, matters relating to Muslim marriages, trade union rights and many issues connected to women.

The debate comes as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has directed that a Commerce Department official be removed from liaising the European Union-Sri Lanka Working Group on Trade and Economic Matters. He has said that the matter should be handled by an official of the Ministry of International Trade and Development Strategies.
Lunawa lagoon an environmental nightmare View(s):

The pristine Lunawa lagoon in Moratuwa -the only lagoon in the Colombo district- is in danger of turning into polluted eyesore with private sector factories as well as railway and bus depots discharging effluents into it.

The biggest culprits are two government institutions the railway workshop and the SLTB depot at Ratmalana which channel oil waste into the lagoon.

During the colonial era the British installed a cleaning plant to cleanse the waste before releasing it into the lagoon. While the facility is still usable it is not being used.

Environmentalists are concerned that chemical inputs mixed with salt water in the lagoon could destroy living organisms in these waters.

The issue was raised at the Development Committee meeting of Moratuwa this week. Through warnings and threat of litigation, local government authorities feel they have been able to minimise the disposal of waste water and oil into the lagoon, but it is the two state institutions which pose the biggest environmental problem to the lagoon.
More protests against Batticaloa liquor company, petition View(s):

Hundreds protested at Oddamavady and Valachchenai in the Batticaloa district on Friday against the setting up of an ethanol factory by a liquor company headed by Arjun Aloysius, who is associated with the Central Bank bond issue now under investigation.

Today, we proceed a mass rally [sic] against this liquor factory with many thousand people including all three communities, a petition addressed to President Maithripala Sirisena by demonstrators said. Considering and respecting the opinion of the people, please make arrangements to ban the construction of the liquor factory place considering the future of younger generation and their educational activities.

Last year, the Excise Department granted approval to WM Mendis & Co Ltd (of which Mr. Aloysius is Chairman) to set up a grain-based extra neutral alcohol (ENA) distillery on the Fiscal Policy Departments instructions. Both fall under the purview of the Finance Ministry headed by Ravi Karunanayake.

The Fiscal Departments first communication to the Excise Department saying the distillery has been approved as a pilot project is dated May 2015. This is just 18 weeks after the presidential election was won, among other things, on a promise to eradicate drugs and alcohol.

In March 2016, WM Mendis & Co wrote to the Commissioner General of Excise, seeking a distillery licence to commission the plant. This was granted within days. The company claims the plant will cost an astronomical Rs. 4.5 billion. It is to be built on a 19-acre property bought at Rs. 10.73 million.

Under a budget proposal this year, WM Mendis is also tipped to receive a 100 percent capital allowance for locating its distillery in the East. The 2017 budget grants the concession on investment of not less than US$ 3 million in fixed assets in just the Uva and Eastern Provinces, provided it creates at least 250 jobs.

But the plan is being opposed by local authorities. Construction is currently stopped on an order of the Koralaipattu Pradeshiya Sabha. The Eastern Provincial Council called for the projects suspension as far back as September 2016. In November, the Koralaipattu-Valachchenai Divisional Coordinating Committee also passed a resolution against it.

On Friday, around 2,000 people turned up for the protest organised by the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama. Their petition was accepted by the Koralaipattu PS and Parliamentarians Ameer Ali, S Yogeswaran and P Ariyanenthiran.
No amount of attacks will intimidate me or the SLMC Prof Carlo View(s):

The Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) will not bow to intimidation and threats, was the strong message delivered on Thursday.

Our duty is to secure the safety of patients and to ensure that, we look into the quality of medical education and the discipline of doctors, SLMC President Prof. Carlo Fonseka told a media briefing, adding that no one including politicians could intimidate the SLMC and make it work for them. The SLMC is only bound by justice and religion, he said.

Referring to the grenade attack on the SLMC office around 11.30 p.m. on May 12, he said that the SLMC has faced seven such attacks, both on its members and buildings from 2002 up to now and they are due to the issue of the quality of Medical education. The pin of the grenade hurled at the SLMC on May 12 was pulled, but the grenade did not explode and was removed by the Bomb Squad next morning and detonated.

The third highest reason for mortalities in the United States of America in 2013 was accidents by doctors and this is why the SLMC is strict on the quality of medical practice in Sri Lanka, said Prof. Fonseka, adding, I am 84 years old, yet these attacks cannot intimidate me.

SLMC member Prof. Narada Warnasuriya said some people were accusing the SLMC and the statements were made to erode the confidence of the SLMC.

He explained that they were trying to make it seem that the SLMC was a pawn of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA).

This is wrong, there were only five members who were earlier members in the GMOA, but due to some dispute they too they were removed from it, he said .

Adding that the SLMC is independent and meets once a month to discuss quality issues and inquire into complaints against doctors, Prof. Warnasuriya said, We are a democratic council. We all present our ideas and then agree on one idea.

Reiterating that the SLMC makes decisions with good intentions and as such its members did not have any reason to hide, Prof. Warnasuriya said that their decisions are taken through inquiry and it is wrong to state that the SLMC took sides or to challenge its position because such decisions are taken for the betterment of the medical service.

Another SLMC member Dr. Upul Gunasekara said that if the grenade exploded it would have killed or injured people and damaged buildings within a 50-metre radius.

As the SLMCs security cameras are directed towards the inside of the building, no images of the culprit who hurled the grenade have been captured. The police are looking at the footage of CCTV cameras of nearby houses, he added.

Meanwhile, urging that the autonomy of the SLMC should be protected, the Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) expressed its utmost concern about the recent attack on the SLMC.

The SLMC is the legally established institution to safeguard the standards of medical practice and medical education. With the recent developments regarding the standards of private medical education, we have seen that there are various parties with vested interests trying to demean this institution which has done its duty over the years to uplift the standards of medical practice, in spite of many obstacles, an AMS press release said.

It stated that the SLMC has submitted a set of amendments consisting of 34 pages to the Health Ministry several years ago for which there had been no active interest on the part of the political authorities. These involve the establishment of a specialist registry and a change of composition of the Medical Council.

Listing the threats to the SLMC, the AMS stated: On many occasions the SLMC has been intimidated and several attacks launched on the SLMC office and its members. As far as we are aware the culprits were not brought to book which gives us the impression that these attacks were sponsored by politically powerful elements. The SLMC office was attacked about 10 to 12 years ago when there was another private medical institution trying to get recognition.

Subsequently there was a shooting incident involving the private residence of the then SLMC President Dr. H.H.R. Samarasinghe. There was a physical attack on the SLMC Registrar just outside his home. A grenade attack was reported on the private premises of an SLMC member who participated in an inspection team of a private medical institution and a former SLMC President was made to resign by intimidation and repeated harassment by powerful politicians of the previous regime. There was also an attack on an Assistant Registrar of the SLMC a few weeks ago over which we have complained to the Inspector General of Police and the Minister of Law and Order.

We would like to ask the reasonable thinking public of this country an important question. Who should be responsible for medical practice and medical education in this country? Should it be businessmen with interests in profit margins and politicians whose conduct is well known to all of us or should it be the legally established institution with experienced professionals?

We are strongly against individuals trying to take-over the functions of the SLMC. We stand by the SLMC which should be given all the necessary powers to maintain high standards and regulate the medical profession. It is the duty of the politicians to amend the Medical Ordinance to strengthen the position of the SLMC rather than insulting it at media conferences.

The Association of Medical Specialists strongly urges the Health Minister to do his duty by the public by giving legal status to the technical report submitted by the SLMC on the controversial private medical institution.

The South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM), meanwhile, stated that its management will be co-operating with the policy decisions presented by the Government and the suggestions made by President Maithripala Sirisena.

Primarily among these is the recommendation to broad-base the institutes ownership by listing it on the Colombo Stock Exchange. Regarding the suggestion to suspend the enrolment of new students, SAITM is willing to co-operate with the Government to facilitate the implementation of the said proposals expeditiously, subject to the court case which is now awaiting a Supreme Court decision, a SAITM statement said, adding that the Chairman and management are confident that the Government will at all times protect the freedom of education in the country. SAITM will extend its fullest support to the Governments efforts in maintaining quality and standards in medical education in Sri Lanka, across all medical faculties, state and non-state, sans discrimination.
SLPI launches Hot Desk for journalists on the move View(s):

The Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) launched a Hot Desk with computers, for journalists on the move, to attend to their work. The computers were donated by Rangana Fernando, in memory of his late father, Elmo Fernando, a former BBC Correspondent in Sri Lanka.

The computers were handed over at a ceremony held at the SLPI on Tuesday (16) to launch the biography of the late Elmo Fernando, with Minster of Media & Parliamentary Reforms, Gayantha Karunathilaka as Chief Guest.

The concept of the Hot Desk is to provide journalists on the move, a location with computers and internet facilities, to report and research information, in support of their work. This initiative has also enabled the SLPI to be a Wi-Fi zone where Journalists could work with their own devices. SLPI CEO, Kumar Lopez said, The SLPI is a place which the media community patronises often, and this facility will be of much support to journalists and students of journalism.

Journalists on the move can access this facility by producing their media card at the SLPI located at, 96, Kirula Road, Colombo 5.
Trinco oil farm: PM to expedite deal with India View(s):

But CPC trade unions insist that Sri Lanka is selling our fount of wealth

By Namini Wijedasa

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has mandated the setting up of a committee to negotiate with India the development of the Trincomalee upper oil tank farm.

The matter was taken up at the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM) meeting on Wednesday, an authoritative official source said. The Prime Minister said to please appoint a committee to carry it forward as the Indians are complaining that we are dragging it.

Mr. Wickremesinghe returned to Colombo early on Wednesday after a visit to China. In April, India and Sri Lanka signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a commitment, among other things, to develop the upper tank farm in Trincomalee in a joint venture between the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC).

Frankly speaking, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party thinking  including that of President Maithripala Sirisena and Petroleum Minister Chandima Weerakkody  is not to give the tank farm out, the source said. But Prime Minister Wickremesinghe wants to keep India on our side. India is not going to take the farm and run away.

Trincomalee is a strategic location and Indian presence there will create confidence, he continued. We will set up a meeting to carry it forward. We will start the process. No date has yet been set; neither was a committee named.

India is keen to conclude an agreement as soon as possible. But the Indian leadership also acknowledges the importance of allowing Sri Lanka to proceed at a pace it is comfortable with, given the political sensitivities. Among the areas to be explored is the CPCs shareholding in the joint venture company and the investment each party will make. Once the relevant agreement is signed, a consultant will be appointed to determine how much would be needed to renovate the tanks. They are now engulfed in thick jungle, with only the tops visible.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghes instructions this week were given out amid renewed opposition to the deal by CPC trade unions. This is our fount of wealth, a leaflet now in circulation says, referring to the tank farm first built on 850 acres by British colonialists in 1930.

It is not the people of the country, the true owners of this resource, who must suffer punishment for a lack of foresight in not putting it to use, it asserts. By transferring it to foreigners, are we not handing over our fount of wealth and our authority to India?

The unions struck work in April  on the eve of Mr. Wickremesinghes visit to New Delhi  demanding that the Government abandons any plans to sell or lease out the tanks to India. They resumed duties only after the Prime Minister pledged to consider their proposals before taking a decision on the tank farm.

The upper tank farm comprises 84 tanks. Of a total of 101, only 99 are usable. The lower farm has been managed jointly by the CPC and the IOC  via Lanka IOC Pvt Ltd or LIOC  since 2003. The LIOC has refurbished these tanks, pipelines and jetty as well as created new facilities such as additional storage tank and lubricant blending facilities. An annual rent of US$100,000 a year is being paid for the facility.

But a 2003 tripartite agreement signed between the Sri Lankan Government, the LIOC and the CPC covers the entire tank farm  upper and lower. It is on this basis that India now wants to move forward. Previous efforts have failed.

In 2012, under the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration, the LIOC applied to Sri Lankas Board of Investment to set up a US$ 5.2 million bitumen handling facility in the upper tank farm. It also hired a project consultant. But approval was not granted. Subsequently, the LIOC submitted other proposals to develop the upper tank farm. Again, permission was denied.

With the victory of the Sirisena administration in 2015, however, India revived its push on the upper tank farm. It expressed willingness to set up a joint venture which would prepare a business development proposal. And it agreed to first renovate 10 tanks in the upper farm for Sri Lankas exclusive use. India believes it could turn the project into an international oil storage facility that would provide viable alternative to Singapore and to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.

But the unions are wary. Their leaflet blames successive Sri Lankan regimes for failing to put the Trincomalee tank farm to use. It points out that the Government first proposed to lease out 10 tanks to Singapore in 2002. This plan was abandoned in favour of India in 2003, when a tripartite agreement was signed.

The unions state that India first took over the tanks on a rental. But one condition of the deal was that a formal lease agreement would be signed within six months. This was never done, their leaflet says. Therefore, the LIOC has been using the tanks illegally since then on the payment of an annual amount to the Sri Lankan Government.

If the CPC distributes fuel to the North and East and the North Central Provinces from Trincomalee, it could save Rs. 900 million a year in transport, shipping and late fees, the unions claim. This is much more than the rent paid by the LIOC to the Government. The CPCs storage tanks in Kolonnawa and Muturajawela can only store two weeks worth of oil. If we have 99 tanks of our own, why must we waste more public funds to put up new tanks? they ask.
Vidya trial-at-bar delayed; no decision yet on whether it should be held in Colombo or Jaffna View(s):

By Ranjith Pathmasiri

The trial into the rape and murder of 18-year old schoolgirl Sivaloganathan Vidya has been delayed because there is no decision yet on where it should be held.

The three judges to the trial-at-bar to try the ten accused of the murder of the schoolgirl in 2015 at Punguduthivu in Kayts have been named, but the decision to hear the case in Colombo was put on hold following another proposal that it is more appropriate to hear the case in Jaffna.

Indictments have been filed in the High Court of Jaffna by the Attorney General against the ten accused on 41 counts including the abduction, gang rape, murder and unlawful assembly. The exhibition of information relating to this case has been displayed in the Jaffna High Court.

All of the ten accused and 23 witnesses are residents of Kayts in Jaffna, while the three judges who have been named for the trial-at-bar are based in Colombo. The three-member bench comprises A.A.R. Heiyantuduwa, Achala Wengappulli and Sampath Wijeratne  all judges of the Colombo High Court.

It was on a request made by the AG under Section 450 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act that the Chief Justice took steps to appoint the trial-at-bar. The AG noted that, given the high profile nature of this case and the fact that it generated public expression of anger and grief, it should be considered a special circumstances case.

The AGs has also drawn attention to the possible logistical problems that would crop up if the case is heard in Colombo.

Sources said holding the trail-at-bar in Jaffna, the judicial area of the Northern Provincial High Court, would be most convenient to all parties connected to the case.

While all trials at bar held so far have sat in Colombo mainly due to the availability of courthouses and judges, there is no legal hurdle for such sittings to be held outstation, a senior criminal lawyer said.

There are five sitting High Court judges in the North  M. Illanchelian, Ramanathan Kannan, T.L.A. Manaf, S. Mahendran and Prema Shankar  from the High Courts in Jaffna, Vavuniya and Mannar. It has been pointed out that given that the accused and the witnesses are Tamil speaking persons, hearing the case in Jaffna would be most appropriate.
We are free today, because they died for us View(s):

This sad but proud woman was among those who gathered at the Parliament Grounds on Friday to commemorate the sacrifices their loved ones made to save Sri Lanka from terrorism. She is seen wearing the medal of honour she received at the war heroes day ceremony. Pic by Indika Handuwela
Samhara returns to local stage By Tarini Pilapitiya View(s): View(s):

After their initial collaboration in 2012, Bangalore based the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and the Chitrasena Dance Company come together for a performance of Odissi and Kandyan dance

A dialogue between two classical dance traditions, Odissi from India and Kandyan dance from Sri Lanka, will take place on June 5 and 6 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre as Samhara returns to Sri Lanka. Two of the leading dance companies in South Asiathe Bangalore based Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and our homegrown Chitrasena Dance Company will relive a conversation between these two ancient dance forms, featuring whats common as well as different.

Choreographed by the renowned Surupa Sen, Artistic Director of the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and recipient of the prestigious Nritya Choodamani award, the performance Samhara is a culmination of a five-year journey between the two dance companies that explored the elemental connections between the sensuousness of Nrityagrams Odissi and the masculine dynamism of Kandyan dance.

The production premiered in 2012, and now the two companies are returning once again to reproduce Samhara in 2017 with the inaugural performance in Bangalore India, thereafter at the Royal Festival Hall in London culminating with their performance in Sri Lanka on June 5 and 6.

This production which toured internationally over a two year period from 2012 was nominated for two Bessie Awards, USA (dance equivalent of the Academy Awards) for Outstanding Production and Outstanding Sound Design or Composition in 2012. Samhara received rave reviews and standing ovations from appreciative audiences for six nights at the prestigious Joyce Theatre, New York. In May 2012 Samhara was performed in Sri Lanka at the Lionel Wendt theatre for three sold-out shows.

Performed to a live score, the music is composed by Pt. Raghunath Panigrahi. Conceptualised and choreographed by Surupa Sen, this production features Surupa Sen, Bijayini Satpathy, Pavithra Reddy, Akshiti Roychowdhury and Urmila Mallick from the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and Thaji Dias and Sandani Sulochani from the Chitrasena Dance Company. The musicians are Jateen Sahu  main vocalist, Rohan Dahale  mardala (Percussion), Sanjib Kunda  Violin and Parshuram Das  flute and from the Chitrasena Dance Company Waruna Shri Hemachandra on Kandyan Drums. The productions Kandyan Dance sections were assisted by Heshma Wignaraja and the Kandyan Drum compositions were by Prasanna Rupathilake from the Chitrasena Dance Company.

As described by choreographer Surupa Sen, After an honest and joyful interaction with the Chitrasena Dance Company over a period of 3 years it became apparent that the two regions had shared elemental connections by way of dance. In communicating with each other we relive our ancient histories, battles, conquests of faith, religion and territory. This unified search has yielded a wonderful and unique collaboration that blends the lines of our two dance forms and connects us to our ancient wholeness. Almost as if the Indian Ocean never separated us

Samhara will be held on June 5 and 6 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre from 7 pm. Tickets priced at Rs 4000, 3000, 2500, 2000, 1000 and balcony Rs. 500 are available at the Chitrasena Dance School (590, Elvitigala Mw., Col. 5), tickets.lk and from May 29 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre.

For more information contact the organisers on 011 3150570.
When Lanka was Kerala By Smriti Daniel Local talent and landscape star in ITVs new series, The Good Karma Hospital View(s): View(s):

Tourists loved the look of Greg McConnells Beach Bar. Strolling along Unawatuna beach, they would do a double take. When was happy hour? Did they serve beer? When did this place open? What they didnt realise was they were in the middle of a film set. There wasnt a single ounce of alcohol in the bar at all, says Neil Morrissey, who plays Greg McConnell on ITVs new series The Good Karma Hospital.

In the lead as Dr Lydia Fonseca, actress Amanda Redman could see what drew people in. The Film Team, who were the Sri Lankan production and location service company for the project, had found them an ideal spot. We couldnt believe it when we went to Gregs Beach Bar, theyd built the whole thing and its the kind of bar I would love to go to every single night. It was so beautiful. We filmed a night shoot for a full moon party with fire-eaters, dancing, twinkling lights,which was just extraordinary.

The audience watching the show are told the bar is on a beach in Kerala, India. But in reality, a raging monsoon there kept producers at bay, and brought them to Sri Lanka instead. Iona Vrolyk, a producer on the show admits they were concerned at first that they might not be able to pull off the switch. She says: But when we visited Sri Lanka we all relaxed because the landscape was quite similar. Of course there are differences but in terms of a location and a place to film we felt we could quite easily match it.

The story they were trying to tell opens with Ruby Walker, a young doctor who arrives in India, determined to escape from heartbreak. Ruby knows what to expect  shes looking forward to picture-perfect beaches, and braced for Delhi-belly. What she isnt quite prepared for, is how demanding her new job in an under-resourced, and overwhelmed cottage hospital will be. Amrita Acharia (Irri in Game of Thrones), who plays the young Dr. Walker, had some sympathy for her character: Ruby is thrown into a culture, which technically she belongs to but knows nothing about. She has a very English mind-set in a world that is completely different to anything she has known before. She has a completely different moral and religious belief system that is perhaps the polar opposite to England in many ways.

Waiting to greet Ruby is Dr. Lydia Fonseca, the beating heart of the local community. She ensures that no one is turned away from the hospital. The show has been billed as life affirming and optimistic, mixing the heart-break with the humorous.

The scripts success is anchored in the personal experience of its writer, say the producers. When Dan Sefton finished medical school he was eager to see the world, and applied for a job in South Africa at a cottage hospital outside a main city. He said working at that hospital was the year in which he learnt the most as a doctor and the year in which he grew up the most as a man, Vrolyk recollects, explaining that Sefton found himself in a country with few resources. He said in our first meeting that on his second day in the job he realised that he may not have been the best doctor, but he was the best they had. That line has made it into episode one because it is the origin of the whole idea and was something that was really important to us.

In the writing however, Sefton chose to set the show in India. Amanda Redman found herself fascinated by how Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity all became integral to the world Sefton created with The Good Karma Hospital. Lydia is very aware of how careful she has to be dealing with the different cultures in order to win their trust. At the same time shes a scientist, so theres this fascinating balance between faith and medical science. Shes uncomfortable with it and I love the conflict that happens as a result.

Theres no one who knows the world of the Good Karma Hospital better than Mari Rodriguez, played by Nimmi Harasgama. Nimmi recalls how Prasad Pereira, a close friend who knew they were looking for someone to fit the role told her: This is a small role, machang, but theres a lot to her and she reminds me of you  shes bossy but she has a heart. It was the first job the actress had accepted since her son was born. This was a big deal and I was as excited as I was nervous. I mean there were big players in this show, actors I had watched on the tele when growing up in the UK, and now I get to stand next to them!

Nimmi took comfort from her friends words, keeping them in mind through the audition and into filming. She (Mari) is a woman from rural Kerala who, through sheer grit and determination I think, has made a life for herself and worked so hard she is now the head nurse in the hospital, the actress says. Her passion is nursing but her obsession, if you like, is keeping this chaotic cottage hospital running smoothly. Tackling her role, Nimmi knew how she was going to interpret her character right away. Definitely, I was going to play the truth. The comedy is there, but the pain is there also.

Joining Nimmi for 12 weeks of filming in and around Unawatuna was Arun Welandawe-Prematilleke. My contribution in the show is small, a one episode arc in the pilot episode, but in terms of my little career it was a huge opportunity, he reflects. The actor had to undergo a long auditioning process which included separate meetings with Stephen Smallwood, the producer and Bill Eagles, the director, before he finally landed the role of Raja Mehta.

Bill encourages you to try things and come in with ideas for how to approach the word, says Welandawe-Prematilleke. Ive been taught in the past that TV production is a running train and your job as a day-player or a guest is to come in and do your job, as quickly and painlessly as possible; The Good Karma Hospital was a process in unlearning that and allowing yourself to be free and play. The actor had one big concern: Working with an eleven day old baby who played my daughter was slightly terrifying simply because I was afraid I might break her  but I can happily report I didnt.

There were many reasons filming here was a challenge says Frith Tiplady, one of the Executive Producers on the show. There are funny lines in the budget that youre not used to seeing. Like seeing tuk-tuks, or elephant wranglers, snake wranglers. But thats the excitement of going to Sri Lanka. The main thing is the unsexy stuff, its hard to shoot for 12 hours in that heat when were not used to it, how do we keep people cool and how do we keep the show looking good in that context, he says. But being on this island also offered a succession of delights, from the extraordinary to the mundane. On the other hand your tea and coffee table is a coconut stand, which serves you fresh coconuts every day. So for every challenge, there is something incredible in its place.

The Good Karma Hospital has been renewed for a second series.
Everywhere we look, people are socializing, whether its catching up with co-workers, engaging on social media, or maybe a phone call from a family member. We as human beings are social creatures by nature, so as active individuals in society, its easy to come by. But it may not be so easy for people as they get older.

Research states the benefits of socialization at any age, but it may be more important at an older age. Socialization is said to ward off illnesses, boost the immune system, and even keep Alzheimers at bay. But what happens when we arent so social? Isolation can sneak up on us in our later years. Retirement takes away your social circle at work, family may move away and declining health can make getting out of the house more challenging. So what can we do to meet these challenges head on?

In my career, I get to witness the benefits of socialization. Every day I observe how staying socially active can have on each individual. For example, we have student-athletes from the University of Nebraska  Lincoln visiting with residents on a weekly basis, allowing them to connect with another generation. Even a warm smile and a simple hello can brighten someones day. Volunteer opportunities are popular as well. The healing effects of giving back to a community have also been proven to be especially beneficial to stave off loneliness.

Learning new skills is a positive for everyone, including all the changes with technology. With modern technology, it is easier to socialize, especially if getting out and about is not so easy. More aging adults are embracing social media, tablets and smart phones, which can allow them to see up-to-date pictures or see them in real time on their device while speaking with them all within the comfort of their own home.

Dont ever think its too late to embrace a more social life. When my own mom moved into senior living, it was like she reinvented herself. In no time at all, you found her at all different types of activities and making new friends everywhere she went. This was even a shock to me, since before this she had been very isolated in her home.

If I could offer one suggestion, it would be to always be willing to try something new. Find the social things that make you happy. Even if it is just making a phone call to a friend a relative or meeting a group for lunch or a game of cards, know that those social choices that youre making are having a positive impact on your overall health.
Chugging back on a historic track View(s):

Ceylon Railway Heritage a book by K.A.D. Nandasena and Vinod Wickremeratne will be launched on Thursday, May 25, at the HNB Auditorium, 22nd Floor, HNB

Towers, 479 T.B. Jaya Mawatha, Colombo commencing at 6.15 p.m. The book is a publication by the National Trust  Sri Lanka, together with the sponsors Browns Group.

Ceylon Railway Heritage introduces readers to the different facets of the railway. It showcases the challenges overcome by the railway engineers of the colonial period, and also the sensitivity with which they planned its execution, safeguarding the scenic beauty of Sri Lankas mountainous landscape.

The book will be available for sale at a pre-launch price of Rs.3,500 on the day of the launch.

K.A.D. Nandasena AIES, CMILT (UK) joined the Ceylon Government Railway in 1968 and devoted a 42 year career to the railways until his retirement in 2010. During his tenure as Bridge Engineer, he successfully upgraded many old bridges to modern requirements enabling heavier trains to travel at a higher speed. He also constructed several new bridges utilising local resources saving much foreign exchange. He worked as a consultant for the conservation of Jetavana and Abhayagiri Stupas, the worlds largest brick-built structures and continues to provide his services to the Central Cultural Fund for conservation projects.

Vinodh Wickremeratne has been associated with trains for over 50 years, travelling to all corners of passenger served lines and on many industrial lines. He is the Founder of the Model Railroad Club, the Chairman and a Convener of the Ceylon Railway Enthusiasts Circle and the first Editor of the Lanka Railway Digest established in 2012. He also served as a Consultant in establishing the National Railway Museum.

The book launch will be followed by the Lecture titled The Story of Ceylons Railway  A Saga of Over 150 Years which will be delivered by Ravindra Ratnapala at 6.30 p.m.

Ravindra Ratnapala is a business management professiona who along with two or three of his colleagues from the tea industry, forms a group of avid train travellers. He maintains a blog on railways at www.http://worldontrains.blogspot.com. He is also a keen philatelist and is the immediate Past President of the Philatelic Society of Sri Lanka.
On Tuesday, June 6, we will be recognizing the recipients of the scholarships we annually award to Racine County women in their junior or senior year at a four-year college or in their second year at a two-year college.

Caitlyn Renota Ashmus, a psychology and theater arts management major at Carroll University, was awarded $2,000.

Also receiving $2,000 were Meghan Renee Ashmus, a communications and graphic design major at Carthage College; Nichole Ashley Broz, a biology major at Viberbo University; Marley Ann Eran, a communication major at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside; and (Elaine) Xue Wu, a social work major at George College at Aurora University.

Receiving $1,000 scholarships are Ilse E. Merlin-Tiburcio, an education major at Columbia College and Nsango Ndoti Metzel, a nursing major at Gateway Technical College.

In addition, Xue Wu will be attending the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders, which will be held in College Park, Maryland.

The recognition ceremony will be held at 6:30 p.m. June 6, at the Gateway IMET Center, 2320 Renaissance Blvd., Sturtevant. Please join us.

Information on the 2018 scholarships should be on our website www.racineaauw.org" href="http://www.racineaauw.org" target="_blank">www.racineaauw.org in the late fall.

The American Association of University Women advances equity for all women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research. By joining AAUW, you belong to a community that breaks through educational and economic barriers so all women have a fair chance.

Membership in AAUW is open to women and men holding an associate, bachelor or advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher learning. You can find a list of our programs, study groups and other activities on our website www.racineaauw.org.

To find out more about Racine AAUW, go to our website or to www.facebook.com/racineaauw. For questions, email aauwracine@hotmail.com.

Book Sale

Thank you to everyone who either donated to, or bought books from, our Used Book Sale. Watch our website for the dates of our fall sale.

State Convention

Several Racine members attended the AAUW-WI State Convention in Neenah in April. On Friday evening, we heard Voices of Hope which featured real-life stories of Hispanic immigrants who have settled in Wisconsins Fox Valley.

Saturday brought us keynote speakers like Eileen Hartmann, an education advocate and national AAUW board member, and Mary Burke, a businesswoman, philanthropist and social entrepreneur who was the first woman in Wisconsin history to win the nomination for Governor for a major party.

We were also reminded of AAUW-WIs 2016-18 Public Policy Statement:

1. To preserve a strong system of public education promoting equity and diversity.

2. To achieve economic self-sufficiency for all women.

3. To guarantee equality, individual rights and social justice for a diverse society.

Find out more about AAUW-WI at http://aauw-wi.aauw.net.

Programs

With our May dinner/program meeting, we have ended our program year. The program committee is busy lining up programs for 2017-18. As soon we have the programs lined up, we will post them on our website www.racineaauw.org.
For a young man with a compromised immune system, Jake Bailey spends a lot of time in school assembly halls surrounded students in contact with all the latest colds, and flu strains in order to tell people what he learned about cancer.

Jakes end of year speech at Christchurch Boys High School in 2015 went viral. The speech was made days after he was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer and told that without treatment he had three weeks to live.

With the cancer in remission, the survivor is now carving out a new career as an inspirational speaker and told Tauranga Boys College senior pupils about the turnaround in his life on Friday.

His visit to the college this year followed a missed date last June when he spoke at the Waipuna fundraising breakfast, but fell ill and had to cancel the college speech.

Before he left he had a call from his specialist saying he should be in hospital, says hospice fundraising manager Trish Rae.

This year he was in the Waikato and was able to complete the Boys College appearance on his way out of town, so to speak. He left the college for the airport to catch a flight to Christchurch.

Since last year hes published a book titled What Cancer Taught Me, and signed copies were on sale at the school. Written from a collection of ideas he wrote during his three months isolation in Christchurch hospital.

In an arrangement with Paper Plus, every copy sold in Tauranga before the end of the month will result in $5 going to the hospice  which is also gearing up or dressing down for Wear Shorts 4 Waipuna on the solstice June 21.

While hes happy to visit schools, the 19-year-old is finished with education for now.

I really enjoy public speaking and the opportunities I have been given, says Jake. Study might be something for the future, but for now my priorities are my health, my body and making the most of the opportunities I have been presented with while it lasts.

Thats my priorities for now, but in the future I would consider going back into study or something similar to that.

Jake says he can sign 200 books in 15 minutes. But adds that publishing the book hasnt changed the message.

The message is still pretty much the same, its what I learned a while ago. While publishing a book taught me a lot, its not stuff I need to share with lots of people. Not particularly useful I would imagine.
Boiling drinking water is now a thing of the past for people living in Karangahake and Mackaytown.

This week the last few properties in the area were connected to the much superior Paeroa water supply and precautionary boil water notices have been lifted in both communities.

The Hauraki District Council is on a mission to upgrade all of its drinking water supplies and the completion of the Mackaytown and Karangahake upgrades is a real milestone, says engineering services group manager Adrian de Laborde

Precautionary boil water notices have been more or less a permanent feature for these communities for some time, so its a really nice feeling to be able to tell residents they can now drink water straight from the tap to their hearts content.

Residents may notice a slight change in the taste of their water as the Paeroa water supply is sourced from a different river than the previous supplies, but the quality of the new water supply is far superior.

The districts main water treatment plants in Kerepehi, Waihi and Paeroa have all been upgraded over the last few years. Last year the Waikino community was connected to the Waihi water supply.

Acting Mayor Toby Adams says the Kaimanawa water supply, which services the Kaimanawa community southwest of Hikutaia, is the Districts sole remaining rural supply, and next in line for an upgrade.

But due to inconsistencies in the quality of the water, Toby says a precautionary boil water notice is in place until further notice.

With the completion of Mackaytown and Karangahake our focus has turned to this community and the most cost-effective way to connect them to the Paeroa supply, says Toby. Well be meeting with residents to discuss plans sometime over the next few months.

Muddy tasting water experienced over the last few summers in Waihi, Waikino and Paeroa is also now a thing of the past following the successful installation of specialised UV peroxide treatment systems designed and built in Canada to remove taste and odour.

Caused by compounds released into the water by dying algae over summer, the earthy tasting water was safe to drink but left a bad taste in many peoples mouths.

Water is our most precious resource and its fantastic to see such good progress being made in its delivery throughout the district, says Toby.

Were aware some of our communities have been experiencing water quality issues for some time and we appreciate your ongoing patience as we work to upgrade all our water supplies.
<

strong>

Artworks created by three Tauranga artists have been announced as finalists of the 2017 National Contemporary Art Award.

Those works are Nested Bowls MELISSA by Mount Maunganuis Anett Pilz, The Hidden by Otumoetais Scott Boardmans, and Korro Korro by Thomas Tooi 1818 by Taurangas Jo Torrs.

City Gallery Wellington director Elizabeth Caldwell, you is this years judge, assessed the 236 entries for this years award, and selected 51 artworks created by 49 artists from across New Zealand.

Elizabeth says finalists were selected through a blind judging process where she reviewed artists statements, images and optional video works online without seeing the identity of the artist.

Faced with a tremendous number of submissions and a great variety of media with the entries  jewellery, ceramics, painting, photography, moving image  the preliminary judging has certainly been a challenge.

While Im looking forward to seeing the exhibition, I dont think the task of selecting award recipients will be easy as there is some terrific work!

This is the 18th year of the National Contemporary Art Award, which is managed by Waikato Museum.

Waikato Museum director Cherie Meecham says the calibre of this years entries was exceptional.

Narrowing the large number of entries down to a selection of finalists seems to get more difficult every year.

I wish to thank all of this years entrants for their contribution to raising the standard of contemporary art in New Zealand, and congratulations to all of the finalists.

The winner and merit award winners of the National Contemporary Art Award will be announced at the opening ceremony at Waikato Museum on Friday, July 28.

The winner is set to receive $20,000 from the major sponsors, Chow Hill and Tompkins Wake, while the three merit awards winners will each receive $1000 thanks to the Friends of Waikato Museum, Random Art Group and Davids Emporium.

The National Contemporary Art Award exhibition will open at the museum from Saturday, July 29, and run until Sunday, November 5. For more information, visit waikatomuseum.co.nz

THE 2017 NATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ART AWARD FINALISTS:
New Zealands unique natural heritage is set to inspire Kiwi artists through a new initiative being run in collaboration between the Department of Conservation and Creative New Zealand.

The Wild Creations initiative will offer a range of opportunities to connect Kiwi artists with the people, stories and challenges of our countrys distinctive natural culture.

Conservation and Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry says this will see artists get involved in a range ways, from spending time alongside a threatened species recovery team and tracking native bird predators, to accompanying volunteers on conservation projects.

Creative NZ will invest up to $36,000 (excluding GST) to support the initiative which will be used for artist stipends, travel and agreed costs associated with up to three proposals over one year, she explains.

Its likely to represent a particularly good return on investment when cost is measured against outcomes.

Maggie believes Wild Creations will present a good return on investment for DOC, which is not making a direct financial contribution but is supporting artists with accommodation at their sites and transport to get there.

The artwork produced will directly support several key objectives, including bringing our history to life, and connecting New Zealanders to conservation, adds Maggie.

Not only will this programme inspire some of our most talented artists, the work they produce will help promote a wider understanding and awareness of conservation issues with New Zealanders.

Wild Creations is a revitalised version of an earlier collaboration which ran between 2002 and 2012, with this new programme offering a much wider range of opportunities for artists.

In total, up to three artists will get access to a range of DOC experiences between November this year and June 2018.

During Fridays launch of the initiative at Fort Takapuna, a historic DOC site near Auckland, Maggie spoke alongside artist and previous Wild Creations recipient, Fiona Pardington, who talked about the value of her six-week experience in Central Otago.

I have one of Fionas artworks at home  huia feathers  to remind me of the cost of extinction. Once something is gone, its gone forever.

Through the works produced by artists like Fiona, this programme will showcase the natural heritage of some of the wild places that many of us cant or dont get the chance to visit.

The range of experiences on offer include:

Experience of a place of particular significance to Maori

A community group/volunteering/immersion experience

An iwi engagement experience related to sites important to Tangata Whenua

An experience involving a historic icon site managed by DOC

A threatened species experience, such as working alongside the Kakapo recovery team

An experience involving an island, such as being involved in tracking and trapping predators

A coastal experience, such as being exposed to marine mammal monitoring

An urban explorer experience, which brings people to the natural environment

A remote experience such as staying in a wardens hut over the winter.

To learn more or to apply for the Wild Creations programme, visit www.creativenz.govt.nz
Serendipitous or good timing  both are fitting ways to describe the launch of Bay of Plenty Films new website.

The new website, which has been in development for several months now and was launched this week, aims to attract both national and international film productions to the Bay of Plenty.

Its launch also follows in the wake of the governments announcement last week that it will invest $300 million into New Zealands film industry over the next four years as part of Budget 2017.

Along with an ever growing gallery of location photos, BOP Films website also features an impressive showreel showcasing the vast array of locations the Bay has to offer  from White Island, to the Rotorua Redwoods, to Mount Maunganui at sunset.

BOP Film general manager Anton Steel says every time he heads overseas, film makers he talks to say they would love to bring a film job to New Zealand.

They are impressed by the variety and beauty of the locations available and the reputation of our crews. It is a very desirable location to come and film in.

Recently, Anton attended the Association of Film Commissioners International Film Locations show held in Los Angeles and worked the NZ Film Commission Booth, alongside representatives from regional film offices Screen Auckland and Screen Wellington.
There was a strong sense of momentum about the development of a museum for Tauranga when an enthusiastic crowd of supporters gathered at Tauranga Art Gallery on Thursday to celebrate International Museum Day.

Weve been here 16 years and its the first time Ive ever felt that things are starting to come together, says Adrienne von Tunzelmann who attended the event.

I actually do feel there is a real momentum gathering finally in Tauranga.

The Trustees of the Tauranga Moana Museum Trust hosted the evening, which provided opportunity for museum supporters to catch up over refreshments and canapes. Museum experts addressed the audience, talking about modern museums and their relevance and value for regional cities.

Emily Loughnan, Creative Director from Click Suite in Wellington, spoke on the use of technology in a modern museum.

Tonight Im talking about bringing history alive by using technology and telling great stories. I work with museums, libraries and galleries and help them translate their stories into digital format and to make them engaging for audiences.

Thats really my thing. Were based in Wellington but work with people all around the country.

Emily, who does a lot of her work with Te Papa, flew back to Wellington immediately following the Tauranga event, as she was due to attend an exhibition opening the following day.

Ben Barraud, who was set designer and second unit art director for The Hobbit, is now Head of Design at Te Papa. Responsible for the design of Te Papas Gallipoli exhibition, he spoke on his experience with setting up such an important display.

Cate Hlavac, a Tauranga Museum Trustee, spoke to the future direction and planning for a museum for Tauranga.

I think its progressing really strongly as wed expected, says Tauranga Moana Museum Trust co-chair Kelly Barclay.

Council have signalled theyve got to do a lot of due process and theyre keeping to their timetable. At this stage we have to wait for them to come through but I think theres a real groundswell of support and a feeling of need for it.

After the Banksy exhibition here in the Art Gallery there was a feeling and interest around town of how cultural activities can really enhance Tauranga and make it an exciting place to be. There were queues out the door here at the Art Gallery and I think a museum would really complement that and provide a strong focal point for the cultural community.

Its also an economic community. Were encouraging people to support the museum and the Council in going forward. And investing in what is really a civic community and an asset. Were also aware that there is central Government funding available and were confident that they will come to the party with a significant contribution. The time is right to capture that funding.

Tauranga City Councillor Larry Baldock says he is really pleased with the feedback they are getting, that the time has come for Tauranga,

People are realising and supporting the fact that we need a museum. Im really excited about whats going to happen, and that were going to get there. Its going to be fantastic. Because weve waited so long were going to get something really special.

Theres scars on my back from the last museum project that I supported on the waterfront, joked Terry Molloy, another supporter of a museum for Tauranga. Theyve just healed now so Im ready for the next round.

The opening of the tidal stairs was just magic, says Adrienne. Weve been down to the tidal stairs three times now and theres just a whole lot of different people coming into town, very intergenerational. Theres grandparents with grandchildren. A lot more multi-cultural. What really started it was the Hairy Maclary statues.

Mayor Greg Brownless is pragmatic.

A lot of people are talking about the museum, says Greg, But its a matter of turning the words into some sort of action and for that to happen theres quite a lot to sort out. Lets see if all the people who have promised money actually deliver and we should be able to get something going.
WATERFORD  Abby Hittman loves her three pet chickens, and Monday night she will ask the Waterford Village Board if she can keep them.

Through a case of mistaken bird identity of sorts, a neighbors complaint has set events in motion that could mean Hittman, 5, might have to give up her pet hens. Abby and her mother, Bonnie Hittman, are first on Monday evenings Village Board agenda with a request to allow chickens in the village.

Abbys father, Charles Hittman, said the family got the hens about three months ago after the girl had repeatedly asked for some. Hes not sure where she got the idea but said: She kept talking about how she wanted chickens.

The ones they got, they were told, are Rhode Island Red mixes: one black, one red and one orange.

She likes to hold and play with them, Charles said, and Abby doesnt like anyone else collecting the eggs.

Village code forbids the ownership of livestock or poultry, although Village Clerk Rachel Ladewig said the practice has been to enforce that with chickens on a complaint basis only. In this case, a resident came in upset, saying there was a dead chicken hanging from a fence at the Hittmans property.

Charles said the only dead bird on the premises was the wild turkey hed shot and dressed, which he said was hanging for about an hour.

We have no intention of ever killing or harvesting these chickens, he said.

Although the person did not file a formal complaint, village officials asked a police officer to check it out, and that has led to the current situation.

Charles Hittman said he knows of at least three other village residents who have chickens.

In a letter to the village from Abby but signed by all three Hittmans, she asked to be placed on Mondays board agenda.

I would like to speak on behalf of the fact that we were asked to get rid of three members of our family, our chickens, it stated. I am only 5 years old, but I take great pride in raising and caring for my three hens, named: Susie, Rosie and Betty (nicknamed Chickalatta).

My father and I would like to take a few moments of everyones time to explain why we have chickens and why they benefit both our home and family, but also our community.

The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Village Hall, 123 N. River St.
DOVER  A new barge is scheduled to be delivered to Eagle Lake on Monday morning to increase the efficiency of weed cutting on the inland lake.

The Eagle Lake Management District is buying the T-45 Transport Barge, manufactured for the district by Aquarius Systems of North Prairie, for $217,043 including its trailer. The barge will be delivered to the boat launch at Eagle Lake Park, 23705 Church Road.

The barge is being purchased to aid eradication efforts of invasive weed species, especially milfoil and curly leaf pond weed, said Management District Chairman Ed Furey. It will be the largest craft in operation on Eagle Lake and, likely, on any inland waterway in Racine County, according to a district news release.

The barge will be used to off- load invasive weeds from the districts two harvesters while they are on the lake, and transport them to shore to be transferred to a dump site. The T-45 barge is large enough to handle the weeds amassed by both harvesters, allowing them to resume their harvesting operation immediately, according to the release.

That will save the time previously needed to dead head to shore and return to the lake for harvesting. It is estimated the use of the T-45 will allow the districts harvesting crew to cut more invasive weeds in two days than was possible in four days, previously.

We will be able to get on top of an ugly outbreak of invasive weeds much faster than previously possible, Furey stated. This should be good news for all the boaters and recreationists who use Eagle Lake.

He said the barge will likely go into use in the next couple of weeks, after some training.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Waterway Commission is funding 25 percent of the cost. With that aid, the district made a down payment of 35 percent with cash from its own treasury. The rest is being funded through a loan from Community State Bank of Union Grove.
Gun Arrest Array.JPG

Top: Darsheilia Stroud, Sincere Hunter, Hassan Nelson. Bottom: Anfernee Rucker, Jonisha Huddleston.

(Syracuse police)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Five people were arrested after officers pulled over a vehicle on the city's West Side and found a loaded handgun, Syracuse police said.

Around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday Officer JM Giarrusso and Officer Dustin Kiellach stopped a 2006 Chevrolet in the 300 block of Apple Street. Authorities did not say what the reason for the traffic stop was.

Police said the driver, identified as Darsheilia Stroud, had a suspended license and none of the other four people in the car had a valid driver's license.

The officers had everyone get out of the car to have it towed. During an inventory search of the car Giarusso discovered a loaded Sig Sauer SP2022 .40-caliber handgun, police said.

Everyone who had been in the car was arrested.

Stroud, 27, of 455 Midland Ave., Syracuse, was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation and several traffic violations.

Also arrested were Sincere Hunter, 24, of 308 Lexington Ave.; Hassan Nelson, 25, of 103 Parkside Ave.; Anfernee Rucker, 22, of 103 Malcolm St.; and Jonisha Huddleston, 25, of 1120 Midland Ave. All reside in Syracuse and each was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

All five people were taken to the Onondaga County jail to await arraignment.
CANASTOTA, N.Y. -- Two people were injured Saturday morning in an explosion at a Madison County motel room, the New York State Police said.

Troopers responded at 2:53 a.m. to room four of the Sharway Motel at 3669 Seneca Turnpike in the town of Lenox. A third-party called 911 about a possible fire or explosion there, state police said.

A 41-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman suffered severe burns in the explosion, state police said. Ambulances transported the injured pair to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse.

The incident -- along with the cause of the explosion -- is still under investigation, state police said.
WEBB, N.Y. -- Two people were killed Saturday morning in the Adirondacks after a car drove down an embankment and crashed into a tree.

Alexander M. Platt, 22, of Boonville, was driving south on State Route 28 in Webb, Herkimer County around 6 a.m. when he swerved off the right shoulder of the road, said the New York State Police. Two other passengers -- Cody M. Seymour, 23, and Dalton D. Dorrity, 22, both of Boonville -- were riding in the vehicle.

The car hurtled down an embankment and into a tree, troopers said. The crash happened just north of McKeever Bridge.

After freeing himself from the car, Platt flagged down an off-duty Raquette Lake Fire Department firefighter, troopers said. The firefighter called for help.

The driver's two passengers, Seymour and Dorrity, were both pronounced dead at the scene.

Troopers, the Old Forge Fire Department, the Otter Lake Fire Department and the Webb Police Department responded to the crash. The investigation remains open.
Students of Bishop Ludden Jr./Sr. High School celebrated at their annual gala Friday evening. The event was held at Traditions at the Links in East Syracuse and had an "Under the Sea" theme.

Above is our gallery of photos from the event.

Buy photo reprints

As you're browsing the gallery, look for the "Buy" button to order high-quality reprints and other products.

More prom photos

Check out all our photo galleries from proms, senior balls, and other formals around Central New York.
Students of Chittenango High School celebrated their junior prom at Cicero Yacht & Country Club in Cicero Friday, May 19, 2017. The event's theme was "Crystal Gala."

Above is our gallery of photos from the event.

Buy photo reprints

As you're browsing the gallery, look for the "Buy" button to order high-quality reprints and other products.

More prom photos

Check out all our photo galleries from proms, senior balls, and other formals around Central New York.
RACINE  The big day has arrived, with it a lot of glitter, glamour and giddy excitement.

The Racines most anticipated party of the year, the Rotary Post Prom, will kick off Saturday at 8:30 p.m. at Festival Hall, 5 Fifth Street, as roughly 1,500 high school seniors from the areas nine high schools, parade through the city to the red carpet and a night of dancing, games and enough finger food to feed an army. Attractions slated for this years event include Karaoke, laser tag, an inflatable obstacle course and even a mechanical bull.

This years theme Diamonds of the 90s was created not because this years prom goers have any real affinity for the decade, explained 2017 Rotary Post Prom Chairperson Kelli Stein, because most this years crop of graduating seniors were born in 1998 or 1999 and for the most part will be the last graduating class to be born in the 90s.

Prep time

On Friday, students from some of those schools, including many who were members of the events planning committee, took hours out of their day to help decorate Festival Hall with lights, sparkling garland, and lots of other blue and silver decorations  the colors for this years event.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor of Festival Hall on Friday morning, St. Catherines High School seniors Norah McCaulley and Delaney Nielsen helped Walden High School senior Fenanda Moncayo separate a stack of foil stars.

After logging hours at Festival Hall, McCauley said she would return to class, then spend her evening decorating St. Catherines for its prom night.

Like dozens of other Post Prom goers, she said she and her friends would be taking a party bus to Festival Hall on Saturday night.

Although her school does a dinner instead of an actual prom, Moncayo will still have her hands full. She said she planned to spend six hours on Saturday morning making corsages for her fellow classmates.

All three girls said they were nervous about fitting everything in, but happy to be in the know about the nights events.

Its stressful, said McCauley, but then I like planning things like this.

Big night

A few feet away, some Case High School students were busy hanging lights.

With their prom manicures already in place, Kayla Holter, Samantha Perez, and Deidra Lambright, took a break to talk about their plans.

Holter, who said she will be escorted to Post Prom with Lambright in a 1961 Chevy Impala her dad secured for the event, said she went to 12 different stores before finally finding her prom dress in Kalamazoo, Mich., of all places.

Perez said she was so undecided that she bought two prom dresses.

Established as a way to keep students safe after their respective prom nights, Rotary Post Prom dates back more than 60 years. The first ever Post Prom took place in 1953, the year after several students from southeastern Wisconsin were killed in a tragic car wreck on prom night.

Since then, thousands of Racine area residents and natives have attended the event, and thousands more have taken part in the fanfare surrounding it.

This year, as in years past, parents and spectators will be able to watch the Post Prom parade in person at designated areas outside Festival Hall.
RACINE  Jeffrey Towne, Appletons principal planner since 2002, has been named Racines new economic development specialist, the city announced in a Friday afternoon news release.

Towne starts in his new role on Monday, according to the release. The economic development specialist role was created by City Development Director Amy Connolly and approved by the City Council during budget negotiations in the fall.

In October, Connolly estimated the economic development specialist will make about $65,000, but the final negotiated wage was not available Friday.

Jeffs addition to our team is a much-needed and anticipated addition to the City Development Departments proactive efforts in support of small business, and in bringing sustainable economic development and redevelopment to the City of Racine, Connolly said.

According to the release, Towne has more than 15 years of community development experience and has helped small businesses navigate the development review process. He also worked with redevelopment along the Fox River in Appleton and worked alongside Appletons business improvement organizations.

We fully expect that Mr. Towne will become an instant asset to the City Development Team and I know that I speak for Director Connolly in stating that we eagerly await his arrival so that he can hit the ground running, City Administrator Jim Palenick said.

Before working in Appleton, Towne was a city planner in Rockford, Ill., and a print press operator in Milwaukee. He has a bachelors degree in geography from UW-Milwaukee and a masters degree in sustainable tourism from Arizona State.

According to the release, Towne will serve an ombudsman for small businesses in Racine, addressing their concerns and issues. He will also be responsible for promoting Racine as a favorable place to conduct business.

The city received about 30 applications for the position and conducted three rounds of interviews before choosing Towne, according to the release.
Apple reportedly has begun testing a premium iPhone with a revamped display and body, which could be one of three new models the company is expected to launch this fall. The other two likely will be upgrades to the two existing iPhones.

The new design will incorporate curved glass and stainless steel. It will increase the surface area of the display without increasing the size of the phone, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.

The three-phone rumor has been a consistent rumor over time, observed Kevin Krewell, a principal analyst at Tirias Research.

Thats why I believe it to be what Apple is planning, he told TechNewsWorld.

Introducing a trio of iPhones instead of the typical two makes sense, said Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT.

Thats especially true when you consider that this is the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, and the continuing criticism heaped on Apple for lack of innovation, he told TechNewsWorld.

The new top-of-the-line model could cost more than $1,000, according to some Apple watchers.

Bezel-less Display

Giving a smartphone a bigger screen without increasing the overall device size has some design advantages, as Apples competitors have discovered.

The taller, longer form factor that LG and Samsung have adopted creates an edge-to-edge display on the left and right side of the device, noted Ross Rubin, principal analyst at Reticle Research.

Theres a strong case for it from a design perspective, he told TechNewsWorld. It allows you to get a larger diagonal screen while making the phone easier to hold.

With Samsung going to a bezel-less display in its latest model, its likely Apple has something along those lines in the works, suggested Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies.

It would make sense for Apple to streamline the design and give users more working space with a bezel-less screen, he told TechNewsWorld.

OLED Display

The premium iPhone will have an OLED display, Bloomberg also reported. OLED displays are brighter, more flexible, and consume less power than conventional LED screens.

Apple would like to use OLED across the lineup, but has had trouble sourcing enough OLED screens to do so, noted Tirias Krewell, but OLED is the right choice for the premium model.

Use of stainless steel, although challenging, also would be a good choice for a premium model.

Stainless steel is a material that Apple has continued to develop expertise in with its watch, so stainless may be justified in a premium edition of the phone, Reticles Rubin said.

Stainless steel is more rigid than aluminum, which is used on the current iPhones, and harder to mill  so it could be challenging to Apples suppliers, Krewell noted.

Steel also weighs more than aluminum, so it must be used more sparingly to keep the phone light, he pointed out.

Significant Camera Changes

Significant camera changes are in the works for the premium iPhone, Bloomberg also reported.

For example, Apple is experimenting with placing the dual cameras in the phone horizontally instead of vertically, as they are in the iPhone 7 Plus. The design change could result in better photos.

Apple also may add dual cameras to the front of the phone as well as to the back.

One thing Apple hasnt been able to get rid of yet, though, is the bump created by the rear-facing camera.

Its likely that Apple is going to push the camera envelope with the new iPhones, said Andreas Scherer, managing partner at Salto Partners.

The market expects improved dual lenses and potentially augmented reality-based features as well as depth of field enhancement, he told TechNewsWorld.

There is a plethora of photo-editing software in the App Store that allows the editing of pictures on a near professional level, Scherer added. As a result, Apple will continue to take market share from camera manufacturers of point-and-click cameras and entry-level DLSRs.

Virtual Home Button

Another persistent rumor  repeated in Bloombergs report  is the replacement of the home button at the bottom of the iPhone with a virtual button on the screen.

Its a design necessity if youre going to create a phone with a high display to surface ratio, maintained Reticles Rubin.

A soft home button requires careful application of fingerprint sensors in or under the OLED screen, said Tirias Krewell. Thats very cutting-edge technology and a hard manufacturing challenge, but Apple likes to push the envelope for a cleaner look.

Can Apple hit a home run with its new 10th anniversary premium iPhone?

Its becoming much more difficult to differentiate in the smartphone market, observed David McQueen, a research director at ABI Research.

While Samsung has beaten Apple to the punch with many new features, it seems Apple will be adding most of them to its new lineup, too  as well as e-SIM, support for Apple Pencil, and an enhanced version of Siri, he told TechNewsWorld.

Apples inability to hit a home run with past iPhone products has allowed Samsung and others to catch-up, noted Pund-ITs King.

Its not clear to me whether the companys focus on nominal iPhone upgrades and improvements is a system issue, or suggests that were reaching the limits of smartphone capabilities, he continued. The upcoming iPhones should help answer that question.
Strange light flashes that reflect off planet Earth have been captured by a NASA project. Now, scientists believe they may have discovered the origins: high-altitude ice crystals.

The mysterious phenomenon was imaged by the Deep Space Climate Observatory or DSCOVR of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an Earth and space weather satellite launched back in 2015. Over a one-year period, keen observers caught hundreds of flashes of light, leading NASA scientists to a thorough probe.

Flashing Lights That Have Puzzled Carl Sagan

The EPIC instrument is a powerful camera aboard DSCOVR that takes near-hourly images of the space between the sun and our planet. Project scientist Alexander Marshak noticed the light flashes first over oceans as he went through that days EPIC captures.

Apparently, the reflections from the pale blue dot were the same ones that garnered Carl Sagans attention back in 1993 while he was going over Galileo spacecraft images. Galileo was investigating Jupiter yet briefly turned its tools toward the home planet, where the weird scene appeared.

The light flashes were so huge they can be seen from space, and originally scientists thought they were caused by sunlight that reflected off the ocean surface.

"Large expanses of blue ocean and apparent coastlines are present, Sagan and his colleagues wrote in a 1993 study in Nature, and close examination of the images shows a region of [mirror-like] reflection in ocean but not on land."

Marshak offered an explanation: sunlight touches a smooth lake or ocean portion, reflects back directly into space, and hits the camera right on. The ocean then works like a flashbulb in front of the camera.

But how would one explain spotting them on land?

In Galileo images, on the other hand, there were sparkling light flashes over land, and Marshak began getting flooded by emails from curious minds as to what could the flashes be.

When I first saw it, I thought maybe there was some water there, or a lake the sun reflects off of. But the glint is pretty big, so it wasnt that, Marshak said in a statement.

The Key Is In Ice Crystals

The scientists put their thinking cap on and focused on water elsewhere in the planet: ice particles situated high up in the atmosphere.

They conducted new experiments and, in a new paper, confirmed the source of the remote flashes. They tested their idea by taking an inventory of sun glints hitting land in the satellite images, where the bursts took place 866 times from June 2015 to August last year.

If reflected sunlight is the cause, the flashes would be restricted to certain spots where the angle between Earth and the sun is equivalent to the angle between the space vehicle and the planet. This way, the spacecraft would pick up the reflected light.

As they suspected, the flashes happened only at locations and times on Earth where the angles matched.

Next, they plotted the angle of light to see if the glints reflected off ice particles that horizontally floated up there in the atmosphere.

The team finally showed that the light likely wasnt emanating from the planet, as whenever they occurred, there were cirrus clouds hovering around. These clouds are made up of, what else, ice crystals.

The scientists are studying how commonly the horizontal ice crystals manifested, and if they are typical enough to notably impact the amount of sunlight passing through Earths atmosphere. They could potentially be integrated into computer models of how much heat the Earth receives and sees leaving.

The findings have been discussed in the journal Geophysical Research Letters and EPIC images can be found here.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Scientists and researchers from the Weill Cornell Medicine made a breakthrough discovery. They stumbled on a unique way to produce limitless blood supply from readily-available stem cells, which line the blood vessels. This is the first time that a research team is successful in generating such blood forming stem cells.

Senior author of the study Shahin Rafii shares that this discovery brings doctors and scientist a step closer to treating blood disorders effectively. The discovery also enables them to gain insight into the complex biology of stem cell self-renewal machinery.

What Are Hematopoietic Stem Cells?

HSCs or Hematopoietic stem cells are long lasting cells that can transform into all blood cells types such as White Blood Cells or WBC, Red Blood Cell or RBC, and blood platelets. RBC do not survive for long and, therefore, need to be continuously replenished. If the RBC amount in the blood supply goes down, diseases such as anemia and other life-endangering infections can occur.

One of the unique abilities of the HSCs is that it can "self-renew" to form more of its kind. This special characteristic permits just a few thousand HSCs to generate all the blood cells an individual requires for survive in their lifetime.

Scientists Close To Creating Limitless Blood Supply: Study And Results

Researchers have been persevering to emulate the process through which our bodies produce HSCs to treat and cure diseases for a long time. Their previous attempts were unsuccessful as the researchers were unable to create a nurturing environment in which the stems cells would be able to convert into long-lasting new cells.

However, Rafii and team were successful in effectively converting vascular endothelial cells into completely functioning HSCs. These HSCs can be used to produce a limitless blood supply for a lifetime. Vascular endothelial cells are generally found in our body's blood vessel lining.

To achieve this feat, the team based their current study on a previous research, which it conducted in 2014. In the previous study, the researchers were able to prove that adult human vascular endothelial cells can be converted into healthy HSCs. However, they were unable to deduce whether the HSC they generated were true human HSCs or not.

To validate the HSC's authenticity, the team applied their previously-developed conversion process to mouse blood marrow transplant models. These models were not only capable of normal immune functions, but also ultimate proof for HSC's potential, which can be rigorously tested.

Extraordinarily, the conversion process produced a huge number of transplantable HSCs that can supply mice with blood for their entire lifespan. This phenomenon is known as engraftment in medical circles.

Rafii and team  in collaboration with Jenny Xiang from Genomics Services and Olivier Elemento from HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Institute for Computational Biomedicine demonstrated that all progeny of HSCs were gifted with the same genetic characteristics found in normal adult stem cells.

The study's key findings were published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, May 17.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Fans are anticipating the launch of the Microsoft Surface Pro 4's successor  dubbed the Surface Pro 5  at the company's event in Shanghai, China, on May 23.

Earlier in May, a tweet from Microsoft's Corporate VP of Devices Panos Panay amplified the excitement. His post not only informed the public of the Shanghai event, but ended with the hashtag #Surface. However, two weeks ago, Panay mentioned that the company would launch the fifth-gen Surface Pro only when it had something "meaningful" to add to the already existent technology.

A new leak has surfaced and indicates that Panay's tweet about a Surface device was most likely referring to the rehashed model of the Surface Pro 5, which is anticipated to debut at its May 23 event.

Not Surface Pro 5 But Just Surface Pro, Says Leak

The new Surface Pro leak comes from well-known tipster Evan Blass. Blass posted a series of press renders of the upcoming Surface Pro device through tweets.

This is the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 refresh https://t.co/H0RVtwRqFO [click through for more pics] pic.twitter.com/TUogevpDvm  Evan Blass (@evleaks) 19 May 2017



Blass revealed that the upcoming device, known only as the Surface Pro, will have the same design and look of the Surface Pro 4. The primary difference between the two would be the hardware housed inside the 2-in-1 device.

It is unsurprising that Microsoft decided to upgrade the internal specs of the Surface Pro 4, which was launched in 2015. In the last two years, the original specifications of the Surface Pro 4 have become quite dated.

For instance, the Surface Pro 4 featured a sixth-gen Intel i5 processor and 8 GB of RAM. Most of the devices currently feature a seventh-gen Intel processor and 16 GB of RAM. So, it's evident that an upgraded device was necessary.

Unfortunately, apart from the leaked images that offer a peek into the device, no details about what the rehashed version of the Surface Pro 4 could bring. However, all of the details regarding the specs and the pricing would most likely be revealed at the Shanghai event.

New Surface Pro Accessories

The leaked renders also detail the various keyboard and stylus pen color options, which would be available to customers buying the new Surface Pro. It also reveals that these accessories will be designed slightly differently from previous iterations.

So, even though fans will likely not get the Surface Pro 5 for some time to come, consumers will nonetheless have an upgraded device to look forward to soon. This could be Microsoft's way of increasing the Surface Pro 4's lifespan till such a time that the company is finally ready to reveal the Surface Pro 5.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Elysium Space is a company that aims to provide its customers with the unique experience of launching their loved one's cremated remains to space. The company has now confirmed the launch of the world's first memorial spacecraft aboard SpaceX's rocket, Falcon 9.

The World's First Memorial Spacecraft

Some people choose to celebrate a departed loved one's life in unusual ways. Some scatter their ashes in their loved one's favorite lake, or perhaps bring the urn to a special location. Elysium Space, however, is offering the bereaved a memorial service that is truly out of this world.

On May 16, Elysium Space confirmed that they will be launching the Elysium Star II aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. This means that the sample of cremated remains of the first 100 clients who have already booked for a space memorial will soon be able to launch into space. These clients include U.S. military veterans, space enthusiasts, and other clients who just opted to celebrate their loved ones in an unconventional manner.

Families are welcome to watch the launch at the airbase, or via a livestream.

Elysium Space expects Star II to circle around every part of the globe in a sun-synchronous orbit for about two years before re-entering the Earth's atmosphere as a light show in the form of a shooting star. The Elysium mobile app will allow people to see the spacecraft's location in real time during the entirety of the mission.

On their launch schedule, a Star I Mission was already launched in 2015 which is labelled as completed, but marked as a mission that did not reach the planned orbit. Star II, which will launch with the Falcon 9 is listed in the schedule as "in launch queue," while another mission for a Lunar memorial is scheduled for 2018.

Reservations for the Star II and Lunar I are still open, with prices starting at $2,490.

Elysium Space

Elysium Space was founded in 2013 by a team of space and funeral experts with experiences relating to NASA space missions. The company believes in changing the vision of death to a celestial memorial that will celebrate the departed with honor and dignity.

Once booked for a memorial service, Elysium Space will send their clients a kit with a custom ash capsule where a sample of the ashes of the departed will be placed. The capsule is customized to have the initials of the client's choosing, that will be shipped back to Elysium in a prepaid, preaddressed shipping box for U.S. customers. An engraved message of your choice will also be launched into the stars along with the capsule.

People who are interested in the celestial memorial can also opt for a Lunar memorial where a part of the deceased's ashes will be delivered to the surface of the moon.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Women suffering from infertility may be able to bypass the costly IVF or In vitro fertilization method to conceive. Research indicates that an age old method is still useful in inducing pregnancies in infertile women and could be an IVF alternative.

The IVF alternative treatment was first used in 1917 and involves flushing fallopian tubes with either water or iodized poppy seed oil.

Flushing Fallopian Tubes: What The 100-Year-Old Fertility Technique Involves

The process is known as hysterosalpingography or HSG and it involves a dye test conducted under X-ray, which is used to examine a woman's fallopian tubes and uterus. This method was devised as an imaging procedure and not as an infertility treatment.

However, it was noted that the pregnancy rate in infertile women who underwent a HSG test, improved drastically in the last century.

To conduct the research and to determine whether HSG led to increased pregnancy in these women, Professor Ben Mol from the Robinson Research Institute at Adelaide University, along with other researchers, set up the H2Oil study. In it, researchers analyzed data from 1,119 infertile women who had their fallopian tubes flushed with either poppy seed oil or water.

Half the women underwent the 100-year-old fertility technique with poppy seed oil, while the other half underwent the HSG procedure with simple water.

Is The IVF Alternative Successful?

Remarkably, within just six months of the procedure, 40 percent of the women who underwent poppy seed oil HSG conceived. Similarly, 29 percent of those who underwent water HSG also conceived in a matter of just six months.

"Considering that 40 percent of women in the oil-based group achieved a successful pregnancy, that's 40 percent of couples who could avoid having to go through the huge costs and emotions associated with IVF treatment," Professor Mol remarked.

Lipidol Ultra-Fluid, the poppy seed oil-based compound used to perform this IVF alternative treatment is easily available across 47 nations in the world.

Why The HSG Procedure Works

The researchers found that flushing fallopian tubes with iodized poppy seed oil or water greatly enhanced a woman's chances of conceiving. However, scientists are unsure why the process worked the way it did and was successful.

The scientists assert that more studies need to be conducted on the subject to figure out the reason behind the success of the procedure. They also reveal that since countless women used the 100-year-old fertility technique over the years without any side effects, it is safe to use and is a viable alternative for infertile couples before they resort to the costlier IVF treatment.

The study's results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Friday, May 19.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Researchers have found out that WannaCry, a ransomware that wreaked havoc just recently, infected almost only computers running Windows 7, at least judging from early figures.

Roughly 98 percent of all computers that the ransomware hit were all running some version of Windows 7, with less than one in a thousand of targeted computers running Windows XP.

That's according to Kaspersky Lab, which released the data on Friday, May 19. Since more recent Windows versions aren't vulnerable to WannaCry, it adds up. Majority of PCs still run Windows 7  it's the most common Windows platform, in fact, powering roughly four times as many devices as Windows 10 globally.

Windows XP's Role In WannaCry Fiasco 'Insignificant'

Yet the data is still a crucial element of the whole case, since it stresses that Windows XP only played a small role in the whole WannaCry affair and that its hit count is insignificant, according to Costin Raiu, Kaspersky Lab's director of global research and analysis. This too adds up in a different context, since Microsoft itself had said previously that Windows XP is less vulnerable than Windows 7 and Vista.

The data comes amid criticism over Microsoft's approach to releasing patches on older versions of its operating system. Microsoft had pushed out a public patch for Windows 7 long before the attack occurred, but the patch for Windows XP was only released as an emergency measure, with the damage already inflicted. Rumor has it that Microsoft had a patch ready but held it back because it wanted customers to pay up for technical support.

All told, it seems infected systems are slowly coming back up, thanks to a decryption tool that was recently released to unlock files sans ransom. Sloppy coding enabled researchers to discover that private encryption keys can be recovered from attacked systems, allowing users to reverse the damage.

WannaCry Ransomware

WannaCry hit many systems, but hospitals in the UK in particular suffered significant damage, causing reported closures of entire wards. It clobbered Britain's public health system: doctors couldn't access patient files, and those who needed urgent care had been turned away.

WannaCry was distributed via email by a hacker group called Shadow Brokers. These emails contained an encrypted, compressed file that penetrated target systems upon loading. Beyond Europe, hospitals and telecommunication companies in Asia were also affected.

Hackers lifted WannaCry from the U.S. National Security Agency, who had originally called the vulnerability "EternalBlue." Shadow Brokers claims to have obtained several of NSA's hacking tools and has since been publishing them online.

WannaCry Fix: What You Should Do If You're Hit

If you've been hit by the ransomware, assuming your machine is running Windows XP to Windows 7 and, most importantly, if you haven't rebooted your system yet, you're in luck, as there's an easy fix to undo WannaCry's damage.

The fix is called wanawiki, from security researcher Benjamin Delpy. It scours a computer's memory for prime numbers, which it then uses to generate unlock keys for the encrypted files. But beware: restarting your machine could erase these prime numbers.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
NASA is yet again bringing the scientific community together as they make a community announcement regarding the Europa lander mission. The announcement gives the scientific community an opportunity to contribute to the planning of the NASA mission.

Instrument Investigation

NASA has not yet completed a plan regarding the implementation and scope of a Europa mission. To maximize the opportunity of studying Jupiter's icy moon, NASA is calling on the scientific community to think of the best instruments that may fulfill and maximize the goals of the mission.

The announcement is an advance notice for interested parties who would like to join the competition where their proposals may be considered by NASA for instrument investigations for a possible Europa lander mission.

The submissions will be evaluated through a two-step competitive process to ensure that the instruments proposed are compatible with the mission. Approximately 10 proposals will be chosen for Step 2 Phase A, which will last for 12 months with a budget of $1.5 million per investigation.

Each proposal that will undergo the instrument investigation must address NASA's science objectives for the mission, listed below in order of priority:

 Search Europa for evidence of life

 Assess the habitability of Europa using in situ techniques that are uniquely available to the lander mission

 Characterize the subsurface and surface properties at the lander's scale

All proposals submitted in response to the competition must focus on Europa and must be compatible with a mission that will land on Europa's surface on a monthlong mission.

NASA will hold an in-depth workshop for anyone interested in participating in the mission, where they will be briefed on the current available information and have an arena to ask their queries to the mission developers. The workshop is planned for the summer of 2017, and the selection of the 10 Phase A studies is expected to occur by June 2018.

Participation is open to both domestic and foreign organizations.

Europa Missions

Europa lander mission is separate from the Europa Clipper mission, which is a fly-by mission that is expected to take flight by the early 2020s. The Europa Clipper is already in its preliminary design phase, and has so far been planned to do 45 flybys of Europa at altitudes of between 1,700 miles and 16 miles above the surface.

Nine instruments have already been chosen for the Europa Clipper mission, which would study Europa's icy shell, measure its magnetic field and the salinity of its ocean, and produce high-resolution images of Europa's surface to determine its composition.

Though the current law states that NASA should plan for a Europa lander mission, the administration's proposed budget for the fiscal year of 2018 does not completely support it.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
RACINE  Veterans, Racine Lutheran High School (RLHS) students and community figures gathered together to honor the community's veterans and dedicate RLHS Veterans Project in a ceremony Friday afternoon.

Appearances were made by Jack Stafford of the American Legion Riders, Veteran's Center coordinator Bill May, Mayor John Dickert, the Racine VFW, County Executive Jonathan Delagrave, Rep. Thomas Weatherston, keynote speaker Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and others. The American Legion Riders were also in attendance with their decorated motorcycles sitting in the front line of the school, adorned with patriotic flags.

"We live in the greatest country on Earth, protected by the greatest men and women on Earth," Kleefisch said. "Today is a perfect day to remember, to respect and say 'thank you,' veterans."

The ceremony, which was replete with music provided by Racine Lutheran High students, a Color Guard and 21-gun salute by the VFW, featured a touching video playing a song called "Goodbye, Goodbye," which was based on Bruce Canny's poem and performed by David Nass, two RLHS class of 1965 alumni who were instrumental in planning and creating the Veterans Project.

The veterans organizations have embraced this program and their partnership with the school is exciting, yet humbling, said one of the event's organizers, Krista Long, who is also the development and alumni relations coordinator for RLHS.

The RLHS Veterans Project plaque, which includes the names of alumni who have served the country, was also unveiled during the dedication ceremony and will be added to each year. "We anticipate learning of more alumni who have served in the armed forces, and those names will be added to the plaque annually, Long said.

Three memorial dedications were also made during the ceremony. The memorials honored RLHS alumni Randal Baganz by son Micah Baganz, who was a former principal of RLHS; alumni Norman W. Wilks by granddaughter Krystle Henningfled, both of whom served in the Army National Guard; and Alan Wellna by sister Susan Filter, who graduated was RLHS in 1979.

We have been amazed by the responses we have received since announcing this new project, Dave Burgess, executive director and principal of RLHS, said. The RLHS Veterans Project will allow us to honor so many men and women who selflessly served our country after graduating from our school.

"To you who have served in our country's military, today with deep gratitude and great respect, we gather together to say to you, thank you for the opportunity to live in America," Burgess said.

To add a family member or loved one onto RLHS's plaque, send information to Racine Lutheran High School, 251 Luedtke Ave., Racine WI 53405 or email information to klong@RacineLutheran.org. Submissions should include the name of the veteran and year they graduated from RLHS, branch of service, duty station, in the U.S. or abroad, years of service and WIA, KIA, or POW, if applicable.

To purchase a limited copy of a "Good-Bye, Good-Bye" CD for $10, or for more information about RLHS's Veterans Project, go to RacineLutheran.org or call 262-637-6538.

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified Bill May's organization affiliation. May is the coordinator of Racine's Veteran's Center.
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, more commonly known as the "Doomsday Vault," houses more than 800,000 important crop seeds, as well as several tree samples, that humanity would need in order to survive should a global natural or man-made disaster occur.

The vault itself is located 400 feet under the Arctic permafrost and is strong enough to survive even a nuclear holocaust, but the Norwegian government, who is in charge of the vault, did not take into consideration that the ice surrounding the stronghold would melt and flood the facility, which is exactly what just happened.

None of seeds stored in the vault seem to have been compromised, but the people in charge of the vault learned a valuable lesson about challenging nature ... and making Titanic-like claims.

The Doomsday Vault's Weakness

The seed vault is located in the Arctic so that it is as far away from human activity as possible and the permafrost  which is supposed to be permanently frozen  acts as a natural freezer so that the deposited seeds would remain frozen even if the vault shuts down.

Statsbygg, the Norwegian government's public sector administration company in construction and property affairs, however, neglected to consider the possibility of its failsafe becoming compromised due to global warming.

"It was not in our plans to think that the permafrost would not be there and that it would experience extreme weather like that," Statsbygg Communications Director Hege Njaa Aschim said.

Flooding In The Vault

According to reports, the seeds within the Svalbard global seed vault have not been compromised. The water that flooded the vault from the thawed permafrost, however, froze inside the vault and workers had to be called in to pick at the ice.

Cary Fowler, who helped design the vault, said that some water from thawed permafrost enters the facility from the front entrance every year but it never comes close to the seed vault. This is because a 100-meter long tunnel, a downward slope, two pumping stations to remove water, and an uphill slope were constructed between the front entrance and the entrance to the seed vault.

"If there was a worst case scenario where there was so much water, or the pumping systems failed, that it made its way uphill to the seed vault, then it would encounter minus 18 [degrees celsius] and freeze again," Fowler explained.

Finding Solutions

As a result of this incident, the Norwegian government is taking action to ensure that it doesn't happen again and to further minimize the possibility of compromising the seeds stored in the vault, even against the effects of climate change.

"We have to find solutions. It is a big responsibility and we take it very seriously. We are doing this for the world," Aschim said.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Hobbyists will no longer have to register their drones after a federal appeals court repealed the requirement of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Appeals court judges in Washington D.C. agreed on May 19 with a legal challenge against the drone registration program of the FAA, started near the end of 2015.

FAA Drone Registration Program

In December 2015, the FAA started requiring consumers to purchase their drones with the Unammed Aircraft System registry before they can fly them outdoors.

The FAA charged a $5 registration fee for each drone, though the fee was free for drones registered until Jan. 20, 2016. The registration process was actually quite easy, and the $5 fee was insignificant compared to the up to $27,500 in fines and up to $250,000 and three years in prison for criminal violations.

The drone registration program drew massive numbers, with over 45,000 registrations in its first two days that actually caused the website to crash. While this showed that drone hobbyists were willing to comply with the requirement, a legal challenge was filed against the FAA.

The case, filed in January 2016 by insurance attorney and drone hobbyist John A. Taylor, alleged that the FAA violated section 336 of its own FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. The section stated that it does not have the power to enforce rules and regulations on model aircraft.

Federal Appeals Court Blocks Drone Registration Program

Over a year later, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia agreed with the allegation and ruled that the FAA would not be able to regulate drones, which are seen also as model aircraft.

The ruling could not yet be enforced, as the court gave the FAA seven days to respond to it. It can seek reconsideration for the ruling, appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court, request for legislation granting it authority to regulating drones from Congress, or simply abide by it.

The 2012 law is set to expire at the end of the year, so it is time for Congress to revisit it and determine if the FAA will have oversight on drones.

Reactions To Court Ruling

There have been mixed reactions to the court ruling, further widening the divide between those who believe that drones should be registered and those that do not.

Some believe that drone registration is needed so that pilots are accountable for any damage caused or laws broken by their drones. One of the groups that disagreed with the ruling is the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, which said that it plans to work with Congress for legislation that will again enforce the drone registration program.

Taylor, however, said that the program is just overzealous registration, as hobby drones could not be considered as serious threats. Academy of Model Aeronautics president Rich Hanson added that community-based programs would work better than a federal program in managing drones.

The FAA expects the number of active drones in the United States to balloon from 1.1 million currently to 3.55 million by 2021. Citizens will be more comfortable with the drones flying overhead if there is some sort of control over them, though whether the regulation will be enforced by the FAA or not remains to be seen.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Italian cabinet seems eager to ensure that the country doesn't suffer from another preventable outbreak due to misinformation.

On May 19, the Council of Ministers approved a new law that requires parents to vaccinate their school-aged children against 12 common diseases starting next week.

This is a bold response to those who are against vaccination but it's not really that surprising since Italy is home to the healthiest people in the world for its great health and preventive care services.

Mandatory Vaccination Law

The new law requires children to be vaccinated against MMR, as well as chicken pox, diphtheria, haemophilus influenzae type B, hepatitis B, meningitis, polio, tetanus, and whooping cough.

Without the proof of vaccination, children up to 6 years old will not be eligible to get into state-run and private child care institutions, nursery, and elementary schools. The proof of vaccination is also required to enroll in schools each year.

Of course, the government cannot completely control parents. However, those who refuse to follow the law or purposely defer having their children vaccinated will face hefty fines. Parents and guardians found guilty of not vaccinating their children will be fined 500 to 7,500 or about $560 to $8,400, as well as reported to the Juvenile Court to suspend parental authority.

"We are sending a very strong message to the public," Italy's health minister Beatrice Lorenzin said.

Misinformation Led To The Outbreak

The new law is an aggressive response to the recent measles outbreak which reached a staggering record of 2,395 cases in 2017-as of writing. Compared to that, there were 840 reported cases in the whole of 2016 and 250 in 2015.

"The lack of appropriate measures over the years and the spread of anti-scientific theories, especially in recent months, has brought about a reduction in protection," Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni expressed.

There was also a political conflict surrounding the ruling since the 5-Star Movement  the political party which runs Rome's city hall-decided to abstain from the vote.

Democratic party deputy Federico Gelli accused 5-Star of taking a very dangerous stance against vaccination because of their absitinence.

"5-Star is riding the wave of disinformation, nourishing fear and favouring a position that is anti-science and dangerous for the whole community," Gelli said.

5-Star leader Paola Ferrara, however, denied Gelli's accusation and acknowledged that vaccination is essential. She further explained that the party's decision to abstain was only due to a pending vote in Parliament.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
MOUNT PLEASANT  A group home where a resident with autism entered a neighbors home unannounced was found in violation, following a state investigation released this week. Now the resident at the center of the investigation is moving out.

The March 11 incident under scrutiny was reported by a neighbor of the group home located in the 2100 block Sutton Drive after the resident allegedly walked into the kitchen without consent and started drinking and spilling two liter bottles of soda.

The state found two violations including caregiver misconduct related to supervision and not properly reporting the incident to regulators, according to a summary statement of deficiencies.

It said Alpha Homes of Wisconsin, Inc., which owns and operates the adult family home, or group home, had an individual service plan and a behavior safety plan for the young man and failed to follow it.

The caregiver fell asleep while one-on-one with the young man, allowing him to leave the property on his own.

According to the report, the resident has autism, impulse control disorder, anxiety and a moderate intellectual disability that required him be walked with staff arm-in-arm to prevent him from rushing or charging for beverages that he desires and to be checked on every 15 minutes while he slept in his bedroom.

The summary also said there was an alarm system which sounds at the front door, but the sleeping employee was only roused when the concerned neighbor returned the young man to the group home.

Also, the summary said the provider did not properly notify the state of the incident within seven days and did not use proper documentation when they did report it.

Company responds

Mike Bannon, attorney for Alpha Homes, called the violations related to the elopment, a legal term for wandering away, paperwork errors.

These are not significant violations by any stretch of the imagination, Bannon said. One is an issue as to whether a certain form should have been reported. We believe it should not have been submitted. The other issue was an acknowledgement that he did, in fact, elope.

Bannon said the employee who fell asleep, who had been employed by the company for more than two decades was fired for violating a policy he signed in 1996 that prohibited sleeping on the job.

Racine County Adult Protective Services, and the Mount Pleasant Police opened their own investigations.

DHS documents show the state had not inspected the facility in five years prior to the March 29 inspection. Bannon said theres a reason for that.

What it reflects is the states confidence in the level of care that we are providing, Bannon said. Alpha Homes is very safe. We get inspected by other agencies. If we were a poor operator wed be inspected more often.

As a matter of policy, DHS officials do not comment on individual investigations.

Resident moving

Bannon announced the resident at the center of the investigation will be moved to another home within Alpha Homess system of 26 such facilities in Racine and Kenosha within the next 30 days.

He is going to go to a different facility where he will be the only resident at that facility, Bannon said. That will allow us to do other security measures that we cant do when there is more than one resident. That allows you to monitor the exit doors differently.

Bannon waved off criticism that the young man will be isolated with no other residents at the new group home.

Weve arranged for when the Sutton Drive home goes on outings they will pick up him and hell still be able to go on all the outings with the people hes familiar with, Bannon said. We think that is a great outcome for him.

Disability Rights Wisconsin, the states designated protection and advocacy agency for people with disabilities, confirmed it still has an open investigation but declined to discuss the case.

Under the law, all group home residents have a right to choose where they live.

Bannon said the move was not an involuntary discharge.
2 killed, 27 injured in Bara bus accident

Two persons died and 27 others were injured when a bus they were travelling in met with an accident at Jitpur-Simara Sub-Metropolitan City-1 in Bara district on Saturday.
Brazil's president-elect, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, met this Wednesday in the country's capital with the leaders of the National Congress: the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur... | Read More
A Window into Madhes-Pahad Relations

For those of us baffled by the dynamics of Madhes-Pahad relations in Nepal in recent decades, journalist Girish Giris book Birgunj: Mero Saharko Katha provides a balanced, first-hand perspective by someone of a Pahadi stock but with deep roots in Madhes.
Maina murder case: Amnesty seeks review of Maj Basnets acquittal

Human rights watchdog Amnesty International has requested the Attorney Generals Office to review the decision of the Kavre District Court to acquit Major Niranjan Basnet in the Maina Sunuwar murder case.
Heidi Cody's art, 'Climate Toothpaste,' attempts to connect people who care, but are not active on climate change, to climate advocacy groups that need help.
Cabinet approves mineral policy

A recent cabinet meeting has approved the Mineral Policy filling the vacuum created by lack of such a framework, which was preventing the country from excavating mineral resources in a sustainable manner so as to maximise the countrys earnings.
After more than nine hours of labor, workers successfully removed the statue of Robert E. Lee from his pedestal at Lee Circle on Friday...
Sasha Nimmo used to live an active lifestyle.

In addition to full time work, Mrs Nimmo would regularly walk her dog, take yoga and ballet lessons and was in the middle of planning an overseas holiday.

Sasha Nimmo suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome, which has caused her to become housebound. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos

That all changed in 2012, when the Oxley resident was struck down with what she thought was just a virus.

After she failed to get better after months of being unwell, she was eventually diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).
Canberra's mobile speed cameras issued just over $4 million worth of fines in 2015-16, more than double what the network generated in the financial year prior.

The rise coincided with the expansion of permitted sites in which the speed cameras could operate, including crash hotspots and school zones.

The value of mobile camera infringements rose significantly between 2014-15 and 2015-16. Credit:Andrew Sheargold

The ACT government also confirmed it had not yet evaluated the effect the cameras' introduction had on the capital's crash statistics, but said a review of the program would be conducted later this year.
Special deals for Crown; they are older than the casino itself. Indeed, they date back to 1993, when Hudson Conway snatched the right to build the biggest casino in the southern hemisphere from under the noses of rivals.

In the 25 years since, Melbourne's Vegas-by-the-Yarra has been given special tax exemptions, poker machine licence exemptions and gaming table exemptions by a string of governments, but the latest free kick handed to Crown Resorts and its joint-venture partner, Schiavello Group, by the Andrews government makes a mockery of the state's planning laws.

An artist's impression of the new development. Credit:FloodSlicer

In a deal struck behind closed doors, Crown has been granted the right to build Melbourne's tallest skyscraper, as part of a massive expansion of its Southbank site.

Premier Daniel Andrews gave the nod to the 90-level tower despite the Planning Department flagging a number of significant issues regarding a smaller proposal for the exact same site, at 1 Queensbridge Street, back in 2015.
Almost a month's worth of rain hit the capital on Friday, in the wettest day of 2017.

While forecasters had originally expected half a month's rain to fall across both Friday and Saturday, the skies had other ideas, dumping about 33 millimetres on Canberra's city centre and up to 88mm in the west near Mount Ginini overnight.

People braving the rain on Commonweath Avenue. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Helen Reid said Friday's soaking was something of a "one hit wonder", as the weather system moved more quickly than anticipated.

"It's a good amount to have in one night," she said.
Closer to home

As a kid growing up in the 90s, I was fortunate enough to have caught Muna and Sunkeshratwo childrens Nepali-language magazinesat the tail-end of their heydays.
Calls for a pardon Much of the evidence at the trial was based on a confession Henry gave to police in the wake of the death. But Foreign Prisoners Support Service senior advocate Martin Hodgson and Rockhampton journalist Amy McQuire spent months investigating the case, finding evidence they said pointed to the confession being "false". Digging through transcripts of interviews and court documents for podcast Curtain, they raised concerns police may have pressured the young Aboriginal man into confessing to the rape and said he did not admit throwing Linda in the river to them. Reading the interview, they said Henry appeared to be agreeing and going along with the police in an attempt to get out of the room.

They pointed to inconsistencies between Henry's statement and forensic evidence, with a particular focus on tidal records apparently showing the woman's body could not have been dumped where police claimed and ended up where it did, far downstream on the other side of the river. Three women were convicted of causing grievous bodily harm to the woman in a savage beating on the night of her death after catching her sleeping with one of the their husbands. But for months, they and Henry all faced murder charges in conflicting circumstances, raising more questions about the process, Mr Hodgson and Ms McQuire said. Their advocacy has been gradually gaining support, with a community rally held in Rockhampton earlier this month. "We haven't found any evidence that suggests he was in any way connected to it, to be honest," Ms McQuire said.

"We even found an alibi." She said there was only a 15-minute window in which Henry could have killed the woman but he was at the local pub. Ms McQuire said she and Mr Hodgson had also uncovered a statement from a woman claiming to have been in a car with two now-deceased Aboriginal men when they dumped the body on the other side of the river to the convicted man. "They got a black (man) for a black crime," she said. Parole bid

Henry, serving a life sentence for murder and 15 years for the rape, became eligible for parole way back in 2005 but had been continuously knocked back. Particularly in his early years of incarceration, he was poorly behaved, prompting serious concerns from the Queensland Parole Board, court documents show. Documents described the detainee as "threatening, assaultive and non-compliant" but noted he had "matured" significantly since his last prison behaviour breach in 2013. Of more concern was his potential for further violence, especially with alcohol, and his lack of admission of guilt. "Hence, he displays no remorse for the offences and has not participated in any treatment programs to address violent sexual offending," forensic psychologist Dr Gavan Palk said in a December 2014 assessment.

"If he is guilty of the offences then his attitudes to the offences and victim must be regarded as ruthless and callous and hence a high risk for further violent offences." Henry's arguments that his three claimed confessions of rape were the result of agreeing with everything put to him to build a relationship, known as gratuitous concurrence, were rejected. The QPB ruled he could not safely be released without completing the High Intensity Sexual Offending Program. Henry's lawyer at the Prisoners Legal Service took issue with several elements of the rejection, particularly the board's stance on Henry's protestations of innocence. In an application for a review of the parole rejection, lawyer Helen Blaber said her client could not complete the sexual offender's program without jettisoning his claims of innocence.

She argued this meant the board had overstepped its powers by trying to compel an admission of guilt before he could be released. Henry had started several alcohol rehab programs and been kicked out after failing to show up regularly but the board noted his completion of some rehab options. Ms Blaber argued it did not properly account for his unsuccessful attempts to join sexual offender rehab programs. Last month, the Supreme Court Registrar accepted Henry's application for a statutory review of his parole rejection, giving him another chance to argue for release. His lawyers must serve and file affidavits by June, with the parole board's files already due.
This sets up a looming complication: Technology giants, not the government, are building the artificially intelligent future. And unless the government vastly increases how much it spends on research into such technologies, it is the corporations that will decide how to deploy them.

At the same time, the US government's appetite for funding big things  for scientific research and out-of-this-world technology and infrastructure programs  keeps falling, and it may decline further under President Donald Trump.

The tech industry's huge investments in AI might be cause for alarm, because they are not balanced by anywhere near that level of investment by the government. Credit:NYT

But don't be fooled by expensive juice. The idea that Silicon Valley no longer funds big things isn't just wrong, but also obtuse and fairly dangerous. Look at the cars, the rockets, the internet-beaming balloons and gliders, the voice assistants, drones, augmented and virtual reality devices, and every permutation of artificial intelligence you've ever encountered in sci-fi. Technology companies aren't just funding big things  they are funding the biggest, most world-changing things. They are spending on ideas that, years from now, we may come to see as having altered life for much of the planet.

One persistent criticism of Silicon Valley is that it no longer works on big, world-changing ideas. Every few months, a dumb startup will make the news  most recently the one selling a US$700 ($943) juicer  and folks outside the tech industry will begin singing I-told-you-so's.

Consider Google. On Wednesday, the internet search company kicked off its annual developer conference near its headquarters in Mountain View, California. The company showed off several advances to its voice-enabled assistant and its mobile operating system. Among other things, you can now point your phone at an object in the real world  a flower, a sign in another language, a marquee for a rock concert  and the phone will give you more information about what you're looking at (for instance, a button to buy tickets for the concert). Some of this was cool, but little was truly groundbreaking, which isn't surprising: We're in an awkward phase of the tech industry, one marked by incremental improvements to technologies that we think of as boring  and lots of exciting promises about far-off tech that isn't quite ready for prime time.

The real advances at Google are in that second category. At last year's show, Sundar Pichai, Google's chief executive, inaugurated what he called a new era for Google. The search company would henceforth be an "AI-first" company  that is, most of its advances would be driven by artificial intelligence techniques.

The technology would play a role in consumer products, like Google's instant translator or its photo app, which can recognise uniquely human search terms (it can find pictures of "hugs," for instance). But AI also informs Google's more ambitious plans. The company is using artificial intelligence to teach computers to understand language, to see and hear, to diagnose diseases, and even to create art.

A lot of these plans will fail, but Google isn't making big, long-term bets out of altruism. The company understands that the AI-based projects that succeed could be transformational: They will alter existing industries and create huge new ones, including a stream of new businesses from which Google can profit.

Google is not alone in this quest to build a future out of AI. Its parent company, Alphabet, is spending billions to inject machine intelligence into much of the global economy, from self-driving cars to health care.
Students of Australia's first medicinal cannabis course will learn everything there is to know about the plant, short of ingesting the thing.

There won't be any visits to secret cultivation facilities, but architects of the new eight-week course at Deakin University will teach best-practice in growing, extracting and manufacturing medicinal cannabis in Australia.

Rhys Cohen, program manager of new course on medicinal cannabis. Credit:Peter Rae

Dr Henry Pinskier, chair of a new Australian business launching the program called Cann10 Australia, said there was still a "distinct lack of awareness" within Australia's health sector about the laws governing the use of medicinal cannabis (it varies widely between states), methods of manufacturing it, and how it can be prescribed.

This is despite reports of a rising number of patients asking for medicinal cannabis prescriptions to treat pain, he said.
When Andrew Mellody's favourite haunt Vanuatu was hit by the monster category-five Cyclone Pam two years ago, the Melburnian immediately looked to help the ravaged communities.

Crowd funding, trivia nights and a "Party against Pam" in one of the city's top cocktail bars garnered $12,000.

Andrew Mellody, one of the founders of Co-Ground, with volunteers Todd Nicholls, Maddi Ginnivan and Emmeline Wood. Credit:Eddie Jim

But instead of donating the funds to an established charity, Mellody, 32, and his friends decided to hand the money over directly to those most affected.

"We originally thought that maybe we will be able to donate to another organisation, but there was no way of knowing where the funds that we'd raise would go," he says.
Gay couple, Andy Brough and Simon Curtis with their 7 weeks old baby, Adaline. Credit:Eddie Jim But Mr Everingham said due to strict laws in Australia most couples were still eventually forced to go offshore. Altruistic surrogacy is legal in every state in Australia except the Northern Territory. While it is illegal for a person to pay for sperm, eggs or surrogacy, reasonable expenses in surrogacy arrangements can be covered. Since 2010, the Victorian government's Patient Review Panel has approved nine gay couples to enter into altruistic surrogacy arrangements. One of those couples is Andy Brough and Simon Curtis. The were trying to have a baby for five years before they met Carla. They had a surrogate in India, but she miscarried at 21 weeks and, when they went to try again, the Indian government changed the law to restrict surrogacy to heterosexual couples.

Back home, Andy's sister-in-law offered to be their surrogate using donor eggs, but they stopped after two failed IVF transfers. That's when the egg donor, Carla, offered to carry for them using her own eggs. She has three daughters under 10 and wasn't planning to have any more children. But she loved her pregnancies and after meeting the couple as their donor she formed a close bond with them. When a person acts as surrogate as well as egg donor, known as a traditional surrogacy, clinics in Victoria won't assist with the sperm transfer. They did the transfer themselves at home; and alternated days using both fathers' sperm. Shortly after their first attempt, Carla told the boys she was pregnant over dinner at a restaurant, with the help of wait staff who delivered a wrapped parcel. Inside was a positive home pregnancy test. "It felt right," says Simon. "Like everything had been leading to that."Carla said the pregnancy was nothing like what she went through with her three girls. She didn't bond with this baby in the same way.

"The whole joy of the pregnancy was about bringing happiness to these guys rather than having the outcome of having a new baby for yourself," she said. "I wasn't thinking of names or decorating nurseries or any of those things that you normally do when you have a baby." And the couple were there every step of the way. They went to every antenatal appointment, got a copy of every ultrasound. When the baby moved, Carla would send them videos. "We discussed early on that we would be as apart of this as we possibly could," says Andy. After the birth, staff at Box Hill Hospital had arranged two rooms side by side - one for the boys, and one for Carla - where they stayed for two days. Carla spent time with Adaline every day for the first week of her life, which helped as her hormones adjusted after the pregnancy, she said. A recent survey of 150 members of a private Australian Facebook group for surrogates shows more than half are carrying for couples they previously did not know. It also found that more than one third of surrogates were carrying babies for gay male couples. One in 10 surrogates, like Carla, donated their own eggs as well as carrying the baby. Carla has donated eggs to eight couples, both gay and heterosexual. All eight have had babies and two have gone on to have another two. There's plans for four more siblings next year. She keeps in touch with all of the families.
It was the first time they had been in custody, the court was told, but they now stand charged with the murder of a former elite policeman in Melbourne.

David Grierson, 45, of Braeside, and Craig Marshall, 47, of Rosebud, were arrested on Friday and charged with the murder of retired Special Operations Group officer Dean McGrath at an industrial premises on Wednesday.

Police at a factory in Braeside where a body was found on Friday Credit:Jason South

Mr Grierson and Mr Marshall made no application for bail in the short filing hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court, with their lawyers telling magistrate Alan Spillane it was their first time in custody.

Both were remanded to appear before the court again on May 23.
About FIAT Brand

The FIAT brand stands for discovery through passionate self-expression. That philosophy is embodied by the iconic Fiat 500 or Cinquecento  a small car that lives big. Italian at heart and rooted in a rich heritage, the 500 is sold in more than 100 countries and is synonymous with modern, simple design blending form, function, technology and a pride of ownership that is genuine.



In North America, the Fiat 500 was introduced in March 2011 and was soon followed by the Fiat 500c (Cabrio), the high-performance Fiat 500 Abarth and Abarth Cabrio, the fully electric Fiat 500e, the five-passenger Fiat 500L and the all-wheel-drive 500X crossover. The FIAT brand continues to expand with the introduction of the Fiat 124 Spider, a revival of the iconic roadster that combines Italian style, performance and engaging driving dynamics.



Follow Fiat brand and FCA US news and video on:

Company blog:

Company website:

Media website:

FCA360:

FIAT brand:

FIAT blog:

Facebook:

Instagram:

Twitter:

YouTube: The FIAT brand stands for discovery through passionate self-expression. That philosophy is embodied by the iconic Fiat 500 or Cinquecento  a small car that lives big. Italian at heart and rooted in a rich heritage, the 500 is sold in more than 100 countries and is synonymous with modern, simple design blending form, function, technology and a pride of ownership that is genuine.In North America, the Fiat 500 was introduced in March 2011 and was soon followed by the Fiat 500c (Cabrio), the high-performance Fiat 500 Abarth and Abarth Cabrio, the fully electric Fiat 500e, the five-passenger Fiat 500L and the all-wheel-drive 500X crossover. The FIAT brand continues to expand with the introduction of the Fiat 124 Spider, a revival of the iconic roadster that combines Italian style, performance and engaging driving dynamics.Company blog: http://blog.fcanorthamerica.com Company website: www.fcanorthamerica.com Media website: http://media.fcanorthamerica.com FCA360: www.fca360.com FIAT brand: www.fiatusa.com FIAT blog: blog.fiatusa.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/fiatusa or https://www.facebook.com/FiatChrysler.NorthAmerica/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/fiatusa or www.instagram.com/ FiatChrysler_NA Twitter: www.twitter.com/fiatusa or www.twitter.com/ FiatChrysler_NA YouTube: www.youtube.com/fiatusa or www.youtube.com/pentastarvideo

- Gilt.com, the innovative online shopping destination, and the FIAT Brand North America, partnered to sell VIN No. 1 of the Fiat 124 Spider Prima Edizione Lusso Special Edition. The sale of the Fiat 124 Spider Prima Edizione Lusso launched on Tuesday, May 9, on Gilt.com at 9 a.m. Eastern and was sold within a day of the launch. The purchase price for the stylish Prima Edizione Lusso Fiat 124 Spider was $31,500 and included a Prima gift worth $500 and a $1,000 Gilt Travel Credit to spend any way the guest would like."We are thrilled to have collaborated with FIAT on another unique partnership by exclusively selling this special edition 124 Spider Prima Edizione on Gilt," says Brittany Billings, VP of Business Development, Global Partnerships, and Talent & Promotional Partnerships, Gilt. "We continuously curate unique and exciting offerings and know the FIAT brand and associated lifestyle resonates with our members.More and more consumers are seeking unique shopping purchases through an online experience, and the fact that the Fiat 124 Spider Prima Edizione Lusso special edition sold within 24 hours is a testament to both the vehicle and the Gilt platform through which it was offered, said Tim Kuniskis , Head of Passenger Car Brands  Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA  North America. Our alliance with Gilt has allowed FIAT to expand the awareness of our brand by specifically attracting these consumers through its fashion and lifestyle site. The opportunity to own VIN No. 1 of the limited Fiat 124 Spider Prima Edizione Lusso Special Edition  the first of only 124 vehicles made to celebrate its return to the U.S.  gave one passionate FIAT consumer the exclusive chance to own a vehicle unlike any other, one that was designed in Italy and whose legacy is derived from one of FIATs most beautiful cars of all time.The all-new 2017 Fiat 124 Spider , designed at Centro Stile in Turin, Italy, borrows cues from the original Spider. The 2017 Fiat 124 Spider has a timeless low-slung presence, with a classically beautiful bodyside, well-balanced proportions and a sporty cabin-to-hood ratio. Features such as the hexagonal upper grille and grille pattern, power domes on the hood and sharp horizontal rear lamps call to mind details of the historic Spider.Gilt, www.gilt.com , is an innovative online shopping retailer offering its members special access to the most inspiring lifestyle merchandise and experiences  all at exceptional prices. Gilt is a daily destination for discovery of the most coveted brands and products, including fashion and accessories for women, men and children; home decor; unique activities in select cities and destinations; and luxury hotel stays. Gilt is part of the Hudsons Bay Company portfolio of brands.The 2017 Fiat 124 Spider revives the storied nameplate, bringing its classic Italian styling and performance to a new generation of vehicles and buyers. Paying homage to the original 124 Spider nearly 50 years after its introduction, the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider delivers the ultimate Italian roadster experience with driving excitement, technology and safety combined with iconic Italian design.To celebrate the return of the classic nameplate, the first 124 vehicles were offered as a limited-edition Prima Edizione Lusso. Each is individually numbered with a commemorative badge and available in exclusive Azzurro Italia (Blue) exterior paint with premium leather seats in Saddle. Consumers who purchase a Prima Edizione also receive limited-edition items, including a premium leather bag, journal with pen, and a poster showcasing original design illustration with vehicle dimensions.
Counting the votes!

Let us all congratulate our Election Commission wallahs for successfully conducting the first phase of the local elections in the country.
The Trump Effect is now a global phenomenonand not surprisingly, its hurting the most vulnerable.

Thats the lesson I took from a gathering convened at the United Nations this week by OutRight International, a leading international LGBT rights organization. Ostensibly, it was a benefit gala, and there was plenty of booze flowing beneath the beautiful spring sky. But talking with activists Ive known for yearsand whose work weve covered in these pages beforeI got a much more somber view of the damage that the Trump administration has already done to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people around the world.

Every decision and every move that happens in the United States has a wave of impact in the Caribbean, said Kenita Placide, a St. Lucia-based activist who is also a regional adviser for OutRight. Talking with Placide and other activists, five major trends emerged.

1. The Religious Rights Delight

First, the rise of Trump, who owes his presidency to the religious right, has emboldened religious conservatives everywhere.

Caleb Orozco, who led the efforts to overturn Belizes anti-sodomy lawan effort that came to fruition last yearsaid that for me, my main worry is seeing hundreds of people who are faith-based saying they want regression on LGBT progress.

Specifically, Orozco said, religious-right activists in Belize have sent a letter to the Trump administration saying they want a U.S. ambassador who shares their values. That is a very real possibility, given Trumps electoral base, and it would shift the political dynamic against LGBT people in the small Latin American country.

More broadly, said Jessica Stern, OutRights director, We have to worry about what this government does, who elected it, and the way this chasm of U.S. leadership emboldens the religious right globally. Stern said that this emboldening is a global phenomenon, even in LGBT-friendly places like the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Placide pointed out that the role of U.S. evangelicals in shaping other countries policies toward LGBT people is not new. Even without Trump, she said, you already saw how U.S. evangelicals were moving in. But now the floodgates are open the right-wing is going to advance further than they have ever before, without having to work for it as much as we had to work for it. They are being handed stuff.

Americans may not see Trumps victory as a victory for anti-gay, anti-women religious conservatives, but that is exactly what has happened overseas.

2. Loss of Funding

Second, there are the brass tacks of U.S. funding, particularly for HIV prevention, and for support of tiny LGBT organizations in repressive societies. Where the Caribbean is concerned, the impact of U.S. policy has been great, said Placide. Our entire HIV program was mostly U.S.-funded.

And with the State Department understaffed (intentionally, it now appears) and foreign aid being decimated in Trumps budget, it seems certain that the tens of millions of dollars the U.S. spends on protecting LGBT people from persecution, and protecting everyone from HIV, will be eliminated. Such sums are a minuscule amount of money in the context of the overall federal budget, but they are a lifeline for HIV services and LGBT protections in places where being gay is a capital crime.

Placide said this funding has already been cut back locally, in anticipation of cuts in U.S. support. The impact is real, she said. A lot of funding has been pulled, a lot of lives have already been damaged. People are stepping on eggshells because of the fear and uncertainty of whats next.

3. A Blank Check for Bigots

America sets an example to the world, Orozco told me. When the U.S. secretary of State says that LGBT rights are human rights (that Secretary of State was Hillary Clinton), that changes policies and cultures worldwide. When the U.S. secretary of State says absolutely nothing about LGBT people, that silence, too, sends a clear message.

A really clear example of this is the tragedy unfolding before our eyes in Chechnya, said Stern. There are still over 100 men incarcerated. This is a black-and-white human-rights violation: arbitrary arrest, custodial misconduct, torture, and extrajudicial killing. And yet we have no comment on the record from the U.S. secretary of State or the U.S. president.

That is indeed remarkable: While the State Department did send out a press release, neither Secretary of State Rex Tillerson nor President Trump even broached the issue in their meetings with Russian officialsin contrast to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, for example.

If American leadership cant speak out when the effects are so grave, asked Stern, when can we expect them to speak out about any LGBTI [I for intersex] issue or any human-rights issue?

That is a point worth considering. Trumps silence has given homophobes around the world a blank check. Not only will America not interveneit wont even make the customary statements and gestures of concern. Do whatever you want, the administration is saying. If the Chechens can put gays in concentration camps and their leader encourages their families to kill them, and the U.S. leadership says nothing, what cant an anti-gay regime do?

4. Human Rights Undermined

Its not just liberal democracy in danger, said Stern, Its the rule of law internationally. Its the international system itself. Its the notion that human rights are universal and sacred. Thats whats at stake with the Trump administration.

For now, LGBT people being tortured in Kenya, or murdered in Cameroon, or arrested in Russia may appeal to international norms and even international institutions for relief. Courts everywhere incorporate these standardsand the treaties that implement theminto their opinions. Media outlets refer to them. And while there has indeed been some backlash against such norms, the fact is they have saved countless lives.

And now they are all in danger, as the Trump administration rejects internationalism, the United Nations, international law, and the concepts of human rights that they all stand for.

Indeed, in this regard, LGBT people are not unique; we may just be the canaries in the coalmine , as Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) said at the gathering. Whenever open violence occurs against us as a minority, its a signal, a sign, a symptom.

Its not that LGBT people are being singled out by the Trump administration; we dont have to be. Undermining the notion of international human rights, long a dream of the Putin regime and now a reality of the America First Trump administration, covers women, sexual minorities, gender minorities, ethnic minorities, religious minorities, political dissidents, and women all at once.

5. Americas Example

Finally, the American Example has cultural, as well as political effects.

My country, St. Lucia, has been part English and part French, Placide told me. Yet America has greater influence culturally. We know that anything that happens here, like it or not, has a direct impact.

For example, Placide said, When France and the U.K. got same-sex marriage, we [activists] didnt get any requests from the media for interviews. But when the U.S. did, every station wanted an interview. They all wanted to know what do you think will be the impact for the region? So we understand the impact.

Once again, neither Trump himself nor his administration has to single out LGBT people specifically. When youve got a vulgar bully calling people names on Twitter, bullies everywhere know whose side hes on. When the president derides the press, science, cosmopolitanism, and liberal values, reactionaries everywhere know whose side hes on.

Even if the legion of conservative evangelicals in the Trump administration werent promulgating pro-family policies, even if the religious right werent crowing over its new influence and new hand-picked Supreme Court justice, the cultural effect of Americas far-rightward turn would be enormous. Anyone who doesnt see how the Trump administration is devastating LGBT people internationally is either willfully ignorant or tragically apathetic. Sure, lucky American gays can still get married, but overseas, already-vulnerable populations have been tragically endangered by the new administration.

Is there any hope for LGBT populations around the world? Only the hope of resistance.

For me, said Orozco, its about understanding that I started this work against the odds, but despite that, I remained defiant that the odds arent going to stop me from doing the work that I do.

Said Stern, I dont think its all bad newsthis is also a moment when people are waking up and saying We got ourselves here and weve got to get ourselves out of it.

All thats well and good, and appropriate for people to say at a fundraiser. For me, however, I kept thinking about something Kenita Placide said, which had more to do with survival than resistance. How do we as civil society highlight some of the issues? she asked. And how do we get through this administration?
Boris Epshteyn is, by most accounts, a complete asshole.

During his tenure as a senior advisor to presidential candidate Donald Trump, he garnered a reputation for bullying and harassing cable news panelists and hostseven those on Trump-friendly Fox News. Hes also pled guilty to assault charges.

If that werent enough, the Soviet-born Epshteyn came under fire in September for his various financial ties to Russia, which included consulting work and moderating a 2013 panel in Moscow comprised of Russian officials called Invest in Moscow! that touted investment opportunities in the country. The 34-year-old, who is Jewish, also stands guilty of penning President Trumps much-derided Holocaust Remembrance Day statement that failed to mention the Jewish people. After several demotions, he left the Trump White House in March under a cloud of mystery, only to be rewarded with a gig as chief political analyst for the right-wing Sinclair Broadcast Group.

On Friday, Epshteyn, still abiding by his oath of fealty to Trump, stopped by HBOs Real Time to clash with its lefty host, Bill Maher.

Things were boring at first, with Maher pledging that hed refrain from being adversarial and Epshteyn offering that he thinks Trump will be President for eight yearsprompting Maher to make a gentlemens bet with him that hed be out of office by Christmas.

Lets just go to the part thats incontrovertible: the Russians meddled into our election. All 17 of our intelligence agencies said that, said Maher.

Epshteyn obfuscated, saying We can get into the back and forth and the minutiae of that letter youre talking about, attempting to parse the semantics of the U.S. Intelligence Communitys announcement that Russia intended to interfere with the US election process. A more thorough report issued in January by the DNI stated, We also assess Putin and the Russian Government aspired to help President-elect Trumps election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him.

Maher didnt let up: Answer my question, firstall 17 of them. Whose side are you on?.. All 17 of our agencies say this, you dont back them up?

Only more dodging from Epshteyn. So there is a special counsel, and the special counsel will come out with an answer. And Im confident that itll show thatjust like the President saidno collusion, he said.

I specifically said this is not a collusion question, fired back Maher. This is the part thats not controversial. Meddling. Russia meddled in our election. Please just admit that.

The long-time Putin apologist would not. Youll have to ask Russia whether they tried to, responded Epshteyn. How would I know?

After trying several times to coax an actual answer out of Epshteyn, Maher grew impatient. See Boris? This is why were having a problem, said Maher. Because I cant even get you to come to the place that all peopleincluding the Republicansagree is the fact: that Russia did meddle in our election.

Well, thats not quite agreed as fact, offered Epshteyn.

The comedians headand that of audience members tuning in at homenearly exploded.
Fifty years ago, on the fourth day of the Six Day War, June 8, 1967, a bespectacled, bearded Israeli army chaplain captured the radical Palestinian town of Hebron, population 38,309singlehandedly. Rabbi Shlomo Gorens solo conquest is a classic Chaos of War story. Its also a particularly Israeli tale that helps explain the 1967 Wars redemptive significance to most Jews, from religious to secular.

Rabbi Goren was one of those larger than life characters who helped make Israel, Israel. Like George Washington when he was president, these post-1948 pioneers often made lasting policies simply by setting precedents in the new state. Born in Poland in 1918, Shlomo Gorenchik was raised in the Religious Zionist tradition. Most Zionists  Jewish nationalists who believed that the Jews as a people have collective rights to establish a nation state in their ancient homeland, Israel  rebelled against Rabbinic passivity. Religious Zionists synthesized faith in Judaism with an embrace of Zionism, seeing secular pioneers rebuilding the Holy Land as doing holy work.

Gorenchik and his family reached Palestine in 1925. When he was 12, he studied at Yeshivat Hebron, a seminary honoring one of Judaisms four holy cities, along with Jerusalem, Tiberias, and Safed, where Jews continued to live throughout the centuries. Some Jews equated Hebrons holiness with Jerusalems, because of the Cave of Machpelah, the Patriarchs Tomb  which Jews, Christians, and Muslims revere as the burial place Abraham purchased for the forefathers and foremothers. The tombs exterior looks like the Western Wall  the remnant of the Jews Holy Temple. Herod the Great built both structures in Jesuss day. Unfortunately, Arab riots 1900 years later in 1929 and 1936, destroyed Hebrons Jewish community, creating a deep symbolic wound, especially for Religious Zionists.
Hello, stranger

Lovers of anime, prepare to clear a spot on your list of favourites for writer-director Makoto Shinkais new YA sci-fi romance, Kimi no Na wa (Your Name), preferably somewhere along the top shelf.
Esteemed former Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court Wallace B. Jefferson told a crowd comprised of Brazos County judges, commissioners and attorneys gathered at the county administration building on Friday afternoon that "Atticus Finch is all of us."

Jefferson gave a speech centered on the literary icon to a lunchtime crowd, of which a small number were wearing seersucker attire -- To Kill a Mockingbird garb was suggested, but not required -- at the ninth annual Atticus Finch Day, hosted by the Law Office of Shane Phelps, Banks & Banks Attorneys at Law and the Brazos County Bar Association.

Attorneys, politicians, judges, and even a few children joined together Friday to honor Finch, the legendary attorney who represented Tom Robinson, a black man accused of a crime in Alabama in the 1930s. (Event co-organizer Shane Phelps said they "kind of ignore" the follow-up, Go Set a Watchman, published in 2015, which featured a segregationist Finch who attended a Ku Klux Klan rally.)

Jefferson, 53, is considered an exceptional public servant by Republicans and Democrats alike; the judge, a Republican, was discussed as a possible Supreme Court pick by Hillary Clinton's campaign team, as implied after a cache of emails were released by WikiLeaks shortly before Clinton's defeat in the presidential election. Texas Gov. Rick Perry appointed Jefferson in 2001 to the Texas Supreme Court, where he was the first African American justice to sit on the bench, later becoming the first African American chief justice. Jefferson, an outspoken advocate of judicial election reform, successfully argued two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court before he turned 35, a feat attained by less than one percent of attorneys nationwide.

Jefferson gave a roughly 10-minute speech Friday, telling the crowd several stories about his family's history and interweaving his passion for the law and love of Finch.

"It's not easy to defend an unpopular law, but that is our duty not only as lawyers, but as citizens," said Jefferson.

Jefferson told a story from his childhood in the '50s and '60s, when his father, a major in the military, would take their family to church every Sunday. Jefferson said the base guard, regardless of their race, would give his father, a black officer in the Jim Crow South a "sharp salute."

"The United States military was Atticus Finch," he said.

Shortly before exiting the stage, Jefferson recounted how he and his father went in the late '80s to the state archives in Austin to learn more about their family's history, where they discovered one of their ancestors, Shedrick Willis, had been owned as property by a Waco judge, Nicholas W. Battle, before the Civil War. Battle went off to fight for the Confederacy in the Civil War, returning after his side's loss and telling his community that, as a judge, he was bound to follow the country's new Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments in the Constitution, which abolished slavery, required states to provide equal protection under the law to all persons and granted the right to vote regardless of "race, color, or previous condition of servitude," respectively.

After the war, Willis, a recently freed man, became an elected official, serving two terms on the Waco City Council. Jefferson's ancestor, he told the crowd, had gone from "private property to public servant" within the span of years.

"He served because he had an endorsement of a Confederate war hero," Jefferson said of Battle's endorsement of Willis.

Decades later, Jefferson, a descendant of a slave owned by a Waco judge, had become Texas' first African American Supreme Court chief justice.

Jefferson earned a standing ovation after reminding those gathered of the power for reform and righteousness that attorneys can wield as key members of the community.
Fire officials are still unsure what caused an apartment fire at a complex off Holleman Drive in South College Station on Friday afternoon.

No one was injured in the fire at the Tower Park apartments near an H-E-B grocery store

College Station and Bryan first responders were dispatched to the complex around 3:15 p.m. Friday. Once firefighters arrived, they found flames shooting out of a patio of a second-floor apartment in Building 10. The fire climbed toward the roof and spread into the unit's living room.

A woman who lives in the burning unit escaped the fire with her pet dachshund in her arms. Those who lived in the other seven units of the building were either outside or not home.

Parker Duncan, a graduate student at Texas A&M, lives next to the apartment that caught on fire and was home at the time.

"I was inside and I think I was the one who discovered it," Duncan said. "My door was open and I smelled a bunch of smoke. I thought someone was barbecuing, but then I saw a lot of smoke going by."

Duncan said the flames on his neighbor's patio were high. He banged on his neighbor's door, waking her up from a nap, and then ran to the leasing office, calling 911 from his cellphone.

Nicky Hayden, assistant manager of the complex, said most of the residents of Building 10 were not home when the fire occurred. Some arrived after the fire began out of concern for their own homes, though the flames never extended past the one apartment.

The woman who lived in the apartment sat quietly weeping on the sidewalk as firefighters scraped through the remains of her apartment. She declined to comment.

Firefighters have not determined the cause of the fire. Though the blaze was extinguished within a matter of minutes, firefighters had to go through the painstaking task of digging through insulation, drywall and other debris to find hidden embers, all while trying to preserve the scene for the fire marshal's investigation.

"The toughest part to get through is what's going on here," said CSFD Battalion Chief Greg Rodgers as he watched his team spray heavy foam on hot spots and rake through pulpy wall debris. "They have to be slow. The fire marshal has to determine what started the fire, and we don't want anything to get in the way. On any police or fire scene, you find the area that's of super importance and go slowly through it. You could find evidence of what might have started the fire."

Firefighters couldn't take their masks off even with flames gone, because carbon dioxide levels were still high from the smoke half an hour after the fire was extinguished. They made their way through the second-story unit on parts of the floor still supported by joists, clearing the way and taking photographs. Heavy, sticky compressed foam was sprayed on shingles and attic lining, and first responders worked to battle the windy day, which could carry stray sparks into the air.

Hayden noted that the apartment itself is insured, though the number of residents with renter's insurance is spotty. Aside from the apartment where the fire originated, other units may have experienced water and smoke damage. Officials said it is unclear who will be able to re-enter their homes over the course of the weekend.

The College Station Fire Department's Community Action Response Team will work with victims to provide shelter, food and clothing.
It was unknown late Friday whether two people charged with stealing an SUV in Bryan were aware that a dead person was in the back when they sped away from a store parking lot.

The cargo -- wrapped in a sheet and strapped to a gurney -- was pulled from the hearse and discarded on its side in a ditch off a rural Brazos County road.

Authorities know the body was dumped within 90 minutes of the vehicle theft because it was discovered by a delivery truck driver 12 miles away from the Bryan Food Exchange parking lot.

It would be another nearly five hours before the pair -- Bryan residents Adam Craig Crow and Tanya Ray Albrecht -- were pulled over in the stolen tan Suburban and taken into custody on multiple charges.

What the two did during the time they had the hearse remained a mystery Friday. Deputies with the Brazos County Sheriff's Office captured the pair at an intersection roughly 8 miles from where the body was left and 20 miles from the store parking lot.

Stolen car with corpse

Bryan police received a call at 5:30 a.m. Friday made from a McDonalds on Texas 21 -- across the highway from the store -- saying that a hearse was stolen and it had a body inside it.

By 7 a.m., part of the issue was resolved: The delivery driver called authorities after spotting the gurney on Dick Elliott Road near Tabor Road.

The hearse driver, who was transporting the body for College Station-based Stackhouse Mortuary Services, had picked up the body from the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office. Police declined to release the deceased person's name.

Travis D. Stackhouse, who runs the funeral home, was on vacation and could not be reached for comment, according to his brother, Drew, who does not work for his sibling but said he was helping out in his absence.

'One-time situation'

The brother said late Friday morning that he didn't know if the family of the deceased person had been notified about the incident.

"This is a very rare, one-time situation here," Drew Stackhouse said. "I don't know how or why it happened, but we are fixing the problem."

He said he didn't know what funeral home was handling arrangements. His brother, Travis, does embalming and handles transportation services for several area funeral homes. The driver couldn't be reached for comment Friday morning.

Janice McCoy, executive director of the Texas Funeral Services Commission, said the state does not require a special license for drivers who transport corpses from hospitals or homes to an autopsy or funeral home.

Her agency does, however, investigate complaints filed against funeral homes. The commission is charged with overseeing the licensing and compliance of such businesses.

"If a family member files a complaint against a funeral home -- whether that involves services they performed or contracted out -- we will talk to all parties involved to see if any rules were violated," she said, adding that she couldn't speak specifically about the situation that unfolded in Bryan.

Abuse of corpse

Bryan Sgt. Jason James, who doesn't recall ever hearing about a hearse with a body being stolen, said the case remained under investigation.

It's possible the pair accused of stealing the Suburban didn't know it was a hearse since it did not have any markings identifying it as a funeral home vehicle.

James said deputies patrolling the northeast side of the county came across Crow and Albrecht at 11:52 a.m. Friday at Macey Road and F.M. 974 near the Edge Community.

They both were charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, which is a state jail felony punishable by up to 2 years behind bars and a fine of $10,000.

Both also were charged with displaying a fictitious license plate and Crow, 27, was charged with driving without a license.

Albrecht, 28, was charged with abuse of a corpse, which is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine. It marked the second time she's been arrested in the county; the first was a drug paraphernalia charge two months ago, according to court documents.

Crow has been arrested in Brazos County at least 14 times before Friday, including four times this year alone. Among his previous charges are unlawful carrying of a weapon, multiple drug possession arrests, public intoxication and theft.

The theft of the hearse took off on social media after Brazos County Chief Deputy Jim Stewart tweeted a photo from the scene just before 8 a.m. "True story ... hearse stolen in Bryan with body inside, then body dumped in the county!" the tweet said.
A Milano woman accused of starving her daughter to make her appear sick to gain sympathy and monetary gifts has been indicted by a Milam County grand jury.

According to the Milam County District Attorney's office, Katelyn Christina Carnline, 28, was indicted on a first-degree felony charge of injury to a child with serious bodily injury and a third-degree felony charge of exploitation of a child.

Carnline is accused of creating a website to raise money for her 7-month-old baby. Authorities said she told people the baby suffered from a rare genetic disorder. She was arrested in Brazos County in March in connection to a January 2016 report from Child Protective Services stating Carnline had been attempting to fool people into believing her son had cancer, going as far as to shave his head.

A grand jury indictment is not an indication of guilt, but instead means there is enough evidence to warrant a trial.
Indefinite strike in Rasuwa following khukuri attack

CPN-UML cadres have enforced an indefinite strike in Rasuwa demanding action against the man involved in Khukuri attack.
Check out formal fashion, hike Starr's Cave and more this weekend in SE Iowa
Kathmandu spring

On May 13, a day before local elections were held in 34 districts across the country, Health Minister Gagan Thapa was swamped by UML cadres in Kapan, where the irate crowd berated him for breaching the election code of conduct by trying to reach out to Nepali Congress voters.
Milk prices hiked up by 9 - 14 percent

The District Dairy Association has raised milk prices by 9 to 14 percent to ease the pressure on milk farmers facing high cost of production.
WESTPORT  A 52-year-old Westport man turned himself in to Westport police on an active arrest warrant on Friday, according to a press release.

Daniel Krulewitch has been charged with possession of child pornography in the first degree, enticing a minor and risk of injury to a child, the press release said.
NORWALK  Christie Ruiz never viewed sewing quilts for veterans in Fairfield County as a hardship or a nuisance; for her, it was somewhere between a moral obligation and a labor of love devoted to an underappreciated sect of American society.

After three years of Quilts of Valor events, however, Ruiz is reluctantly calling it quits after her business was unable to raise additional funds for the cause.

Since weve opened, this project has been our heart and our soul for 365 days a year, Ruiz said as she fought back tears. Its been our honor to provide these quilts to veterans. We may not have known who these quilts would go to when we started them, but we knew that, in any case, they would be going to someone special.

In honor of the final event, Ruiz and volunteers kicked into overdrive over the past year, churning out 15 quilts, which is a steep increase over the 10 quilts sewn in each of the previous years.

Servicemen and women spanning multiple generations and representing different branches of military service were joined by dozens of city residents, including Mayor Harry Rilling and state Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, as they received the quilts that they earned with their bravery.

Veterans from every major conflict over the past 75 years  from World War II to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan  were honored with the commemorative quilts on Saturday.

As different as all the fabrics are, our veterans are all different. We have some wonderful older veterans with lots of experience. We have new people who are boots on the ground in some very scary places, and these are the people who will know about these quilts and will care about them, said Jane Dougherty, Connecticuts co-coordinator of Quilts of Valor.

Quilts of Valor, a nonprofit foundation, was founded in 2003 and set out with a goal of making quilts that would heal and comfort our war wounded, according to its website. Since its founding, Quilts of Valor has handed out more than 159,000 quilts to veterans of every branch of the armed services.

As the daughter of a military father, Ruiz was brought up to respect the sacrifices made by the men and women serving in the armed forces. Thats why when she opened Christies Quilting Boutique in 2013, she jumped at the opportunity to host the annual event in Norwalk.

In 2014, Ruiz and a team of her most dedicated customers teamed up with the Quilts of Valor Foundation to present quilts to veterans at her store, Christies Quilting Boutique at 176 Main St.

Prior to hosting the events, quilts were handed out throughout Fairfield County in trips made to each individuals home. Ruiz believed that by gathering these veterans together and honoring them all at once, these men and women could be regaled in a manner more befitting of their valor.

These men and women didnt hesitate to throw themselves in harms way, so this is really just a good way for us to begin to honor their sacrifices, said Ruiz.

Quilts of Valor are stitched together with 20, 12-inch blocks. For most quilts, each block is sewn by a different volunteer so that when the pieces are later stitched together at Ruizs business, more than 20 women have infused their prayer and care and love into each quilt, said Dougherty.

This tender love and care was clearly felt by 92-year-old Pat Parlette, as she was at a loss for words as she received her quilt.

My word, my word, the former nurse who served in World War II repeated as she saw her quilt for the first time.

It was such a great privilege and pleasure to lend a hand to our American military, she added.

While there are no clear successors to Christies Quilting Boutique currently, Ruiz said that she hopes someone down the line will pick up the mantle.

Its just a thank you to them. Many of these veterans havent been thanked in many, many years. Some of these young veterans never even got a thank you when they came home. This is just a special way to acknowledge these people for who they are.

ptomlinson@hearstmediact.com; 203-354-1046; Twitter: @Tomlinson_PE
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

NORWALK  Control of the early childhood education program Head Start may soon return to the hands of a local agency after more than a year of federal interim management.

This summer, the Administration for Children and Families, the federal administering agency for Head Start programs, will post a competitive funding opportunity announcement specifically for the Norwalk service area, a spokesman for the agency said last week.

Any eligible entity will able to apply for the grant to provide Head Start and Early Head Start, the agency said in a statement. The goal of the competition is to ensure that the best applicant is selected to operate Head Start and Early Head Start programs in the Norwalk area.

Control of the federal program in Norwalk has changed hands numerous times in recent years.

After years of managing the program, a federal audit of the nonprofit Norwalk Economic Opportunity Now found the organization had mismanaged Head Start funds provided by the federal government.

The Norwalk Housing Authority began running Head Start at Nathanial Ely School and Ben Franklin Center in February 2014, several months after the program was taken away from NEON, but the NHA also lost control of the program in early 2016.

The program has been under federal interim management by Community Development Institute, a temporary agency contracted by the government to run the program until further notice.

Colorado-based CDI has provided interim training, technical assistance, project management, and organizational development services to public and private agencies across the country for more than 40 years.

State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said hed like to see control of the program return to a local agency and stay there.

This has been batted around for a couple of years and it would be nice to have someone long term for the sake of the kids and the sake of the quality of the program, Duff said.

Even so, Duff said the first priority is to keep the program open.

First and foremost, we have to keep the doors open, Duff said. But we also need to have a Head Start program that is a quality operation that prepares our citys children for the rigorous standards of elementary school. Right now the group thats running it is obviously temporary and its much more advantageous to us to have a local organization run Head Start, but we dont want to sacrifice quality just for the sake of it having run by a local organization.

Officials at the Norwalk Housing Authority could not comment on the Head Start program or whether the agency would consider taking control of the program again. NEON is now defunct after declaring bankruptcy following the investigation into the use of federal monies.

As a result, its unclear who might take over management of the early childhood education program, but the application process is open to any eligible organization including public or private nonprofits, faith-based organizations or local for-profit organizations willing to to compete for funds that are available to provide Head Start services to children and families.

Head Start, started in 1965 by the federal government, provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families.

More information about the application process is on the OHS website at eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/grants/grant-toolkit.

kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-354-1021; @kaitlynkrasselt
NORWALK  You never know what you can learn from a visit to your local library.

Ill give you an example. I went to the Norwalk Public Library recently to do some research on the history of the new Wall Street Theater. The renovated theater located at 71 Wall St. in Norwalk celebrated its grand opening on Monday with an official ribbon cutting ceremony followed by a live performance featuring a number of Broadway stars.

Thus began the latest chapter in the colorful and illustrious history of a theater which opened in 1915 as a vaudeville house, transitioned into a movie theater in the 30s, and much later become a rock venue and a dance club. Its had several names, beginning with The Regent and The Norwalk in its earlier days, and more recently The Marquee, The Globe, and The Roxy.

Judging by the large, enthusiastic crowd filling the seats on opening night, and the top-notch talent performing on stage, the Wall Street Theater is off to a good start. Programming looks strong with Macy Gray on May 24 and Betty Buckley on June 3. And its website  wallstreettheater.com  is chock full of information including a detailed history of the building.

In its very early days, The Regent featured live vaudeville acts and talkies (early movies with sound), according to the website, with performances by Mary Pickford, Lillian and Dorothy Gish, John Barrymore, and even John Philip Sousa. The history also states that community and political events took place at The Regent, and on Oct. 29, 1920, Sen. Frank Brandagee, Connecticuts senior member of Congress, enthusiastically spoke to a record crowd concerning his opposition to the League of Nations.

I was curious to see if there was any news coverage of the event, so I visited the Norwalk History Room at the Norwalk Public Library, met the very helpful staff, including Norwalk historian Ralph Bloom, and looked up the Norwalk Hours Oct. 30, 1929, edition on microfilm. What I found was a front-page story about an appearance in Norwalk on Oct. 29, 1929, by another visiting statesman, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was then the Assistant Secretary of the Navy and Democratic nominee for vice-president. He spoke at Hoyts Theater in South Norwalk and was strongly in favor of the League of Nations.

So I asked Bloom if he thought it was possible for two politicians to be in Norwalk on the same day appearing at different theaters. No reason why not, he said. It was a short distance between theaters. There were several theaters in Norwalk at the time, he said. The Hoyt was located on Washington Street and is still standing. There are restaurants there now and condos upstairs.

For years, Norwalk was always uptown, South Norwalk was downtown, and they were thought of as different cities, explained Bloom, who was sitting at a table in one of the back rooms on the ground floor of the librarys Norwalk History Room among archived material and stacks of historical books.

South Norwalk was larger in scale than Norwalk. It had The Empress, The Palace, and The Rialto, which was the Hoyt Theater originally. Uptown only had one theater, and that was The Regent on Wall Street. They were all vaudeville theaters, and they were all then converted to movies. In South Norwalk, we had another institute called the Music Hall designed primarily for music. That building structure-wise is still there but is totally changed today.

Bloom explained why theaters proliferated at the time, particularly in South Norwalk. You had a larger population in and around the South Norwalk area, he said. You had a lot of factory workers, you had a bigger population, and the theaters could be supported by a larger population. Most of the bigwigs who operated factories lived in Golden Hills, which was within walking distance of the South Norwalk theaters. Also, you had transportation, which was a big thing. South Norwalk had the railroad depot and the trolley line. Norwalk was a little more off, when it came to services.

I thought it ironic that the current Wall Street Theater is the only structure that remains a functioning theater among the many that existed locally more than a century ago. And I asked Bloom why he thought that was. Its the one that remained basically intact, he said. It was never converted to condos or any other use. No matter how badly used, its always been a theater or performing center. In this last renovation, it was totally re-gutted and rebuilt again. Its really a brand new building.

After a remodeling in the 1930s, The Regency was transformed into a movie house and renamed The Norwalk, screening movies for the next 50 years. A Norwalk Hour issue from 1939 had an ad for a double feature consisting of Juarez with Bette Davis and Paul Muni and Panama Lady with Lucille Ball. Back to 1920, when The Hour covered Roosevelts appearance in Norwalk, I didnt see any story about Senator Brandagees speech at The Regent. But listed on the back pages, under the heading On the Stage and Screen, readers were told that The Regency was presented the last days run of Constance Talmadge in The Perfect Woman.

Fast-forward to the 21st century and the Wall Street Theater officials debut last Monday night. In the crowded theatre lobby at intermission, I asked Mayor Harry Rilling how he felt about Wall Street Theaters opening night events.

I am blown away. This is more amazing than I could ever imagine, he said. The talent, the sound system, the audience engagement. Theres nothing we cant do here, and Im here to support this theater every way that I possibly can. I lived up around the corner when I was just a young lad, and I used to walk down here to the movie theater, when it was called the Norwalk Theater. So this is very special to me for that reason. Its like a theater rebirth. I will be back all the time. You wont be able to keep me away.

Bloom is equally optimistic. Its marvelous to see they have reached this point in development, he said. The more it happens that people are really making a commitment, its going to cement this town coming back to life. Its going to make a tremendous difference. Its not farfetched for the theater to be the catalyst to getting other things started.

Those were Rillings thoughts, exactly. Weve been talking about the rebirth of Wall Street, he said. We have residential units. We have restaurants opening up. This is going to help push us over that threshold. Were going to have an amazing, vibrant Wall Street again.

Special thanks to Norwalk historian Ralph Bloom and to Paul Keroack and Lynn Hildenbrand from the Norwalk Public Librarys History Room for their help in gathering historical material for this story. Mike Horyczuns Sound Surfing column appears every Saturday in The Hour. Mike can be reached at news2mh@gmail.com.
NORWALK  The citys teachers union has filed a complaint with the Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations against its very own Board of Education.

The complaint is the latest action following a contentious period of negotiations as a part of the boards effort to switch district employees over to the states health insurance plan to plug a multimillion dollar deficit and avoid as many as 75 layoffs district-wide.

In the complaint, filed May 10 by the Norwalk Federation of Teachers, union leaders claim the Norwalk Board of Education and its representatives violated the state Teacher Negotiations Act through public expression of plans to bypass the union in negotiations with its members, use of denigrating and threatening comments to union leaders and making misleading statements to union members.

Mary Yordon, the unions president, sent out a statement this week saying that the board made inaccurate public comments intending to mislead and intimidate the union and its members, prompting us to file a prohibited practice complaint.

Yordon said the public comments in question were made after the union proposed a deal for the health insurance negotiation similar to one struck between the board and the union in 2003, when the unions contract was extended and the insurance was changed to resolve a budget crisis. However, this time, Yordon said, the board shot the proposal down.

What we asked for this year was essentially a status quo extension of the contract with raises in line with other towns in the area that have already been negotiated, Yordon said. We didn't ask for the moon and stars  just certainty for our members and their families.

However, district officials said in a statement released Friday afternoon that the unions proposal was not one they could accept in good conscience. They said the union asked for an unprecedented increase in the length of its current contract  from three to five years  with built-in pay raises in excess of 3 percent per year.

The NFTs proposal to extend the term of the current three-year contract may have been agreed to once in the past, but circumstances are considerably different now than they were 14 years ago, the districts statement says. Enrollment is increasing, costs are skyrocketing, and Norwalk taxpayers have a lot to shoulder. It would be irresponsible for this Board to extend the contract, and its associated costs and increases, into a five-year agreement. Caution is especially warranted in light of the current state budget crisis, which may impact funding for Norwalk.

Negotiations with the union came as the Board of Education is attempting to switch all of its employees over to the Connecticut Partnership Plan 2.0  the states collective health insurance plan  in an effort to plug a $6.65 million deficit that officials said the district would face if it stayed on its current self-insured program, given the citys recently approved operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

The deficit, officials say, is the result of a spike in anticipated health insurance claim costs that was identified in the first several months of this school year in combination with a one-time reduction made to the districts insurance fund  after a surplus in the fund built up in prior years  which was transferred to cover the Special Education Development Fund for the 2017-18 school year.

Luckily, officials said health insurance claims within the last several months have slowed, shrinking the anticipated $8.6 million deficit by nearly $2 million, but still leaving that $6.65 million hole.

District officials said they would need to fire roughly 75 employees to offset the deficit if they arent able to switch to the new health insurance plan.

Board of Education Chairman Mike Lyons announced publicly last month that he would be asking district officials to move forward with layoffs after the teachers union leadership rejected the move over to the new plan.

District officials said May 10 that they were still holding out hope for a successful switch of its employees over to the states cumulative employee health insurance plan

The complaint was then filed with the State Board of Labor Relations, which protects the rights of public and some private employees to form, join or assist labor organizations. It also protects the right of employees and employers to bargain collectively.

Now that the teachers unions complaint has been filed, members of the Board of Labor Relations will attempt to mediate settlements. If thats not successful and the board determines the case should move forward, they will conduct a hearing. In some cases, the complaint is dismissed, and in other cases a determination is made in favor of one of the parties.

District officials remained hopeful in moving forward with the switch to the new healthcare plan.

Norwalk Public Schools has been working productively with all of the districts bargaining units on this topic. Just as other unions in both the city and the school system have agreed to move into the CT Partnership Plan, we remain hopeful that members of the NFT will choose to come on board as well, the districts statement says.

Meanwhile, Yordon said the union will continue to be willing to negotiate in the best interests of the students and the city.

However, she said in her statement, to give up a benefit in exchange for nothing simply isn't logical. We're not the city's personal ATM machine.

KSchultz@thehour.com; 203-354-1049; @kevinedschultz
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump boasted of his masterful negotiating skills while criticizing what he saw as poor deals previous leaders made.

Now, Trump's negotiating abilities are being put to the test in a 9-day international trip to several countries  some he's praised, criticized or both.

"I'll meet scores of leaders," Trump said of his foreign trip, in which he promised to strengthen old friendships and seek new partners.

WARM WELCOME: Worldwide effort set to keep Trump happy on 1st trip abroad

In the past, Trump has not been shy about speaking his mind about countries, their leaders and their policies.

For example:

Trump has threatened military action in North Korea and called Kim Jong-un a "smart cookie" for his ability to stay in power.

In a phone call with Australia's prime minister in which Trump said "was the worst call by far," the president criticized "the worst deal ever" and boasted of his electoral college win, eventually ending the heated exchange after 25 minutes.

FAMILY TRIP: Ivanka Trump to take part in presidential trip

Lastly, he's called China a "currency manipulator" and accused them of "raping" the U.S., but changed his tune during the presidency, calling both country's relationship "outstanding."

More Information type:sl See More Collapse

Overall, Trump has spoken his mind about dozens of countries in meetings, phone calls or on Twitter.

Click through above to see what Donald Trump has said about the countries hes scheduled to visit.
Nepal Telecom to revitalise landline service with new plans

State-run telecommunications service provider Nepal Telecom (NT) has begun work to strengthen its public switched telephone network (PSTN), better known as landline, despite a slowed growth rate in recent years. The company aims to rejuvenate the segment by modernising and introducing value added services.
Hundreds of fire and rescue personnel with their families and friends helped launch the 80th year of the Nebraska State Fire School on Friday morning at the opening ceremony in the Heartland Events Center.

The school takes place at Fonner Park over the weekend and brings together Nebraskas fire and rescue teams.

Chris Naum was the keynote speaker for the opening. Naum is a 42-year fire veteran and chief of training at the Command Institute. He spoke about Rebooting the American Firefighter and what defines firefighters.

We each earn the title, Naum said to the fire and rescue personnel in attendance.

He said firefighters share a bond that extends further than the stations and that its a privilege to wear the badge. Most of the fundamentals of firefighting have remained the same throughout the years, but the dangers and risks have changed. He said most on-duty deaths are from structures collapsing on top of firefighters.

Today, errors are not forgiven and people expect firefighters and rescuers to be nothing but extraordinary, he said. In order to do that, he said, firefighters have to have the head knowledge.

Brute force isnt enough, Naum said about firefighting. You have to know the building.

Naum said firefighters have to know the safest and most effective ways to enter a building and handle a fire. They have to know what to do with different types of structures.

He challenged firefighters to reboot and be the best that you can possibly be for the department and the community.

The Nebraska State Volunteer Firefighters Association also gave awards at the ceremony. The Wood River Fire and Rescue Department was among three Nebraska departments to receive a fire prevention award.

Delaney Schaeffer, 6, of Chapman was this years recipient of the Browning Memorial Award, which honors the late firefighter Jack Browning. The award is for children between ages 1 and 16 who have a life-threatening condition or are severely handicapped.

Delaney, the daughter of Drew and Deena Schaeffer, was all smiles while receiving her award. Delaney is a triplet with her two sisters, Bria and Callee. Delaney was the second of the triplet sisters born at 28 weeks gestation. She weighed 2 pounds at birth but was able to come off a ventilator.

Nearly three weeks after her birth, Delaney became ill and was diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis. She had holes in her intestines but was working on healing after surgery. Not long after, doctors found she had cysts on her brain, and she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy around 8 months old.

Fire and rescue departments from across the state presented Delaney with gifts along with her award. Her grandfather, Deenas dad, Nick Lammers, was the rescue chief for the Wood River department. Lammers helped fill out Delaneys application with Chapman Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department Chief Francis McCulla.

McCulla said he sees Delaney at her school, where he is a custodian. He said shes a joyful person and deserving of the award.

McCullas wife, Diane, is also on the Chapman department.

Shes got such a big heart, she said of Delaney.

Diane McCulla said no one can be sad around Delaney, because she will make you be happy. Shes just that kind of person: always smiling.

Deena, Delaneys mom, said it means a lot to see her daughter receive the Browning Memorial Award.

Growing up in a firefighting family, I always felt part of the family, Deena said.

She thanked everyone for the award and the gifts, which included a motorized fire truck from the Wood River department, honorary fire chief and honorary member honors from a few departments and a fire helmet. The Chapman department gave Delaney a toy singing dog, and Assistant Fire Chief Brian Markvicka will give her a ride in a real fire truck, he said.

She definitely has persevered and fought through a lot, Deena Schaeffer said of her daughter. Shes got a strong will, so shell keep fighting.

Firemanship Award recipients

Bill Heiser, Columbus

Bob Lovewell, Columbus

Brenda Jenny, Blair

Dahlas Holbein, Lexington

Dave Zlatkovsky, Lexington

Don Westerman, Scribner

Kerry Boyle, Scribner

Will Eaton, Linwood

Kendall Brichacek, Linwood

Stacy Tomis, McCool Junction

Heroism Award recipient

Bob Heckman, Plattsmouth
In recognition of National Historic Preservation Month, Edwardsvilles Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) will showcase some of Edwardsvilles historic buildings in a series of articles during the month of May.

The Jacob J. Mumme House  829 St. Louis Street

John Jacob Mumme and his wife, Florence, paid $600 for two lots on St. Louis Street in October 1891. Almost two years later, on August 10, 1893, the Intelligencer reported that J. J. Mumme had his lot staked off Tuesday for his new house.

They estimated that the cost of the house would exceed $2,500.

Mumme was a native of Edwardsville, the son of Frederick and Emily Parker Mumme.

His father was a community leader and businessman who operated a number of restaurants as well as the Star Hotel. He also served several terms as an Alderman for the City of Edwardsville.

In some ways, John followed in his fathers footsteps, moving from business to business for a varied career that included government work. He was one of the original stockholders in the Madison Store, serving as their clerk for a number of years before selling his shares of the business. In 1893 he entered the tailoring business with C. H. Nash, while at the same time serving as Public Guardian and Administrator for Madison County.

When the house at 829 St. Louis Street was built, John and his wife had two young daughters, Rowena (1891) and Julia Gretchen (1893). The marriage did not go well though.

The house was sold just two years later, in 1895, and by 1898 Mrs. Mumme had moved to California with the girls where she became matron of an asylum. John Mumme moved to East St. Louis where he worked as an attorney, was active in Democratic politics, and eventually moved again to Chicago where he died at the age of 49.

The Mummes sold the house in 1895 to Eleanor Montgomery, the widow of Nelson Montgomery, who shared the house with her eccentric and fascinating daughter, Phoebe Montgomery. The location on St. Louis Street put them close to the new race track at the fairgrounds which were located across from Woodlawn Cemetery. In the early days, St. Louis Street was called Fair Grounds Road because it ended at the fair grounds.

Eleanor Kinder Montgomery and her husband raised a family of eight children at Mont Station, a railroad stop on Old Troy Road east of Glen Carbon. Both were from pioneer Madison County families and by his death in 1895, Nelson Montgomery was one of the wealthiest farmers in the area.

In his will, the farms were divided among his children with the homestead going to his oldest son. Although Mrs. Montgomery could have stayed at her Mont Station home, she decided to move into town with her daughter Phoebe. After Eleanors death in 1900, Phoebe inherited the house which she occupied alone except for servants.

Phoebe Montgomery lived an interesting life. She was a noted horsewoman, participating in racing as a rider or owner nearly her entire life.

She liked spirited horses, and the newspapers are full of stories about her animals. She famously had a horse named Joe Joker who would race without a rider. In 1915 Joe Joker and another of her horses, Red Charley, raced down Troy Road for a St. Louis movie company.

These were not inexpensive animals. The St. Louis Star and Times in 1910 reported that she turned down an offer of $1500 for one of her horses, comparable to the cost of a small home.

Phoebe never married, and thanks to inherited wealth, never held a traditional job. Stories about her included involvement with a woman who was murdered, fighting off an attacker in her home, and single-handedly stopping a team of runaway mules. She was not timid.

An oft repeated story about Phoebe is that she never learned to drive a car, but she made arrangements with a man to serve as her driver in exchange for ownership of the car at her death. It turned out to be a good deal for Phoebe, because she lived long enough that she was on her third car when she died. According to the story, the man did get the car, although it is not mentioned in her will.

Phoebe lived alone until 1932 when she advertised four rooms for rent. Its unclear whether this was for financial reasons during the Depression or if as she aged, she preferred to have company. She was 81 years old when she died in November 1933.

After Phoebes death the house was sold to William Thomas Baird who was the son of Phoebes first cousin, Anna Kinder Baird.

Twenty years later the house went to his daughter, Mary Baird Wood, and her husband Alvin. The Wood family sold the house in the early 1960s, ending a legacy of family ownership that began in 1895.

This beautiful two-story home is textbook Victorian, featuring a front-facing gable with two-story cutaway bay window.

The use of scalloped wood siding, band board, and elaborate brackets add to its grace and charm. The one-story front porch has a base and columns of painted rock-face concrete block. The outbuildings are of special importance because of their rarity.

The brick summer kitchen and the former carriage house are both still on the property and in good condition.

The home at 829 St. Louis Street has been beautifully preserved with nearly all of the exterior architectural detail still intact thanks to a series of caring owners.

Information for this article was obtained from resources at the Madison County Archival Library, the Madison County Recorder and Probate Offices, Edwardsville Public Library and from current and previous owners. Architectural descriptions were provided by Jennifer Plocher Wilkins. If you have questions about this article, contact Cindy Reinhardt at 618-656-1294 or cynreinhardt@yahoo.com.
NOC to pay dividends worth Rs145m

Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) will be paying out dividends to its shareholders for the first time in 15 years. The 35th annual general meeting of the state-owned monopoly held on Friday approved a dividend payment of Rs145 million from its cumulative profits of Rs1.58 billion.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Singapore  Sat, May 20, 2017 08:03 2000 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1ba099 2 Lifestyle vending-machine,car,#car,luxury-car,#luxurycars,Singapore,#singapore Free

A vending machine that dispenses luxury cars to well-heeled buyers is the latest space-saving innovation in land-starved Singapore -- just don't try to shake it if it gets stuck.

Used car dealer Gary Hong has taken to displaying his wares in a glass-fronted, 15-storey building.

Like choosing a chocolate bar, the buyer can see everything on display, before pressing some buttons and having their choice delivered.

Hong, 45, said he got the inspiration for the new showroom during a trip with his four-year-son to buy toy cars.

"From there I realized that the Matchbox arrangement is a mini version of our inventories that can be displayed and arranged nicely," he told AFP.

From the comfort of a plush sofa on the ground floor, potential buyers can order a Ferrari, Maserati or Lamborghini among other brands, all with the touch of a hand-held device.

Read also: Forget snacks, French vending machines offer free short stories

Once a selection is made, a promotional video of that car is played on a flat-screen television while the vehicle is automatically transported down by a lift.

"When the customers see a car that is presented in a best way like a beauty pageant, they just decide that this is a winner, and we got a deal," said Hong, who added that sales have risen by 30 percent since the move to the new premises in December.

With a population density ranked by the World Bank to be third highest in the world, behind Macau and Monaco, land comes at a premium in the tiny city-state.

But Hong said his unorthodox Sg$3.0 million ($2.15 million) solution can boost land use.

The company stores between 70-80 cars at its facility -- an amount that would otherwise require five times the space if the vehicles are parked traditionally, Hong said.

A similar car vending concept currently exists in the United States, through online auto retailer Carvana, which was last reported by US media to have five such facilities around the country as of April.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Beijing, China  Sat, May 20, 2017 12:03 1999 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1c09a7 2 Food China,animals,dog,festival Free

Animal rights groups say dog meat has been banned at a controversial festival in China, but local restaurants claim they haven't heard anything about the purported prohibition.

The celebration in the southwestern town of Yulin has long drawn international criticism but this year authorities have prohibited sales of butchered canines, the Humane Society International (HSI) said.

Officials also plan to fine vendors up to 100,000 yuan ($14,500) for selling dog meat during the summer solstice event, HSI China policy expert Peter Li said in a statement Thursday.

Thousands of dogs are traditionally killed during the festival in conditions activists describe as brutal, with dogs beaten and boiled alive in the belief that the more terrified they are, the tastier the meat.

But restaurant owners contacted by AFP on Friday said they had not been told about the temporary veto.

Read also: Dogs and kids can be a stress-busting duo

"Our restaurant is open as usual. We haven't heard of a dog meat ban," an employee of the Longmen restaurant said.

An employee at Feilao restaurant said: "We don't know about the ban. We are open every day."

Even a city government official claimed to be unaware of the prohibition.

But HSI said it had confirmed the ban with sellers at the city's main dog meat market.

A Chinese animal rights activist, who asked not to be named, said she had also been told that sales of canine flesh would be outlawed during the event.

Dog meat sellers have said previously that outcry over the festival had actually attracted greater attention to the celebration and encouraged more people to eat canines.

Dogs are eaten year round in Yulin, as in many parts of southern China.

Topics : China animals dog festival
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Marlowe Hood (Agence France-Presse) Paris  Sat, May 20, 2017 07:07 2000 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1b93ce 2 Health HealthcareServices,#health,#Healthtrends,health,disease Free

Neither Canada nor Japan cracked the top 10, and the United States finished a dismal 35th, according to a much anticipated ranking of healthcare quality in 195 countries, released Friday.

Among nations with more than a million souls, top honors for 2015 went to Switzerland, followed by Sweden and Norway, though the healthcare gold standard remains tiny Andorra, a postage stamp of a country nestled between Spain (No. 8) and France (No. 15).

Iceland (No. 2), Australia (No. 6), Finland (No. 7), the Netherlands (No. 9) and financial and banking center Luxembourg rounded out the first 10 finishers, according to a comprehensive study published in the medical journal The Lancet.

Of the 20 countries heading up the list, all but Australia and Japan (No. 11) are in western Europe, where virtually every nation boasts some form of universal health coverage.

The United States -- where a Republican Congress wants to peel back reforms that gave millions of people access to health insurance for the first time -- ranked below Britain, which placed 30th.

The Healthcare Access and Quality Index, based on death rates for 32 diseases that can be avoided or effectively treated with proper medical care, also tracked progress in each nation compared to the benchmark year of 1990.

Virtually all countries improved over that period, but many -- especially in Africa and Oceania -- fell further behind others in providing basic care for their citizens.

With the exceptions of Afghanistan, Haiti and Yemen, the 30 countries at the bottom of the ranking were all in sub-Saharan Africa, with the Central African Republic suffering the worst standards of all.

"Despite improvements in healthcare quality and access over 25 years, inequality between the best and worst performing countries has grown," said Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, and leader of a consortium of hundreds of contributing experts.

Read also: Indonesia's health care industry is on the rise

A warning sign

Furthermore, he added in a statement, the standard of primary care was lower in many nations than expected given levels of wealth and development.

The biggest underachievers in Asia included Indonesia, the Philippines, India and tiny Brunei, while in Africa it was Botswana, South Africa and Lesotho that had the most room for improvement. Regions with healthcare systems underperforming relative to wealth included Oceania, the Caribbean and Central Asia.

Among rich nations, the worst offender in this category was the United States, which tops the world in per capita healthcare expenditure by some measures.

Within Europe, Britain ranked well below expected levels.

"The UK does well in some areas, including cerebrovascular disease," noted co-author Marin McKee, a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. "But it lags behind in outcomes of some cancers."

The gap between actual and expected rating widened over the last quarter century in 62 of the 195 nations examined.

"Overall, our results are a warning sign that heightened healthcare access and quality is not an inevitable product of increased development," Murray said.

Between 1990 and 2015, countries that made the biggest improvements in delivering healthcare included South Korea, Turkey, Peru, China and the Maldives.

The 32 diseases for which death rates were tracked included tuberculosis and other respiratory infections; illnesses that can be prevented with vaccines (diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and measles); several forms of treatable cancer and heart disease; and maternal or neonatal disorders.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Wahyoe Boediwardhana (The Jakarta Post) Surabaya, East Java  Sat, May 20, 2017 14:58 1999 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1c3f84 1 National Masalembo-Islands,KM-Mutiara-Sentosa-I,vessel,sea-accident,SearchAndRescue,Basarnas Free

Twenty-eight of the 187 people aboard the KM Mutiara Sentosa I ferry were still reported missing as of Saturday morning, after the vessel caught fire in the waters off the Masalembo Islands in Sumenep, East Java, late on Friday afternoon.

While five fatalities have been confirmed 154 of those on board were rescued, the Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) in Surabaya, East Java, reported.

Four of the five passengers killed in the incident have been identified. The search for the 28 passengers who remain missing is still ongoing. We hope data recorded on the passenger manifest is accurate, Basarnas Surabaya spokesperson Tholeb told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

The blaze on the roll on-roll off ferry broke out on the car deck as the vessel was en route from Surabaya to Balikpapan, East Kalimantan.

In critical condition: A medical worker checks the condition of passengers evacuated from passenger ship KM Mutiara Sentosa at a community health center in Masalembo Islands, on May 20. The vessel caught fire on Friday afternoon, killing five passengers on board. (Courtesy of Basarnas Surabaya/File)

Head of the sea patrol and investigation unit at Surabayas Tanjung Perak Port, Edi Sumarsono, said the Mutiara Sentosa I weighed 12,365 gross tons (GT) and had a capacity of 595 passengers.

Edi said the ship departed from Tanjung Perak at around 11 p.m. on Thursday. After the fire was discovered the ships captain made a Mayday call at 5.30 p.m.

The fire spread, making it difficult for crew members to extinguish it using either light fire extinguishers or the sprinkler system. At 5:50p.m. the captain ordered all passengers to abandon ship. (mrc/ebf)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, May 20, 2017 17:58 1999 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1c8a86 1 National Central-Java,Central-Java-Police,Akpol,National-Police-Academy,murder,murder-case,killing Free

Investigators from the Central Java Police general crimes investigation directorate have examined 35 witnesses in their investigation into the death of Mohammad Adam, a second-year student at the National Police Academy (Akpol) in Semarang, Central Java.

It is suspected that Mohammad was beaten to death.

Central Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Condro Kirono said on Friday that 21 out of the 35 witnesses questioned were second-year students while the other 14 were third-year students.

We have carried out intensive interrogations since last night [Thursday evening]. We havent yet named any suspects, he said as quoted by Antara in Semarang.

Adam was found dead early on Thursday. There is a possibility that more than one perpetrator participated in the possible murder of Adam.

Condro said the result of an autopsy performed on Adams body showed the police cadet had died of asphyxiation, caused by injuries to his lungs. The police have confiscated several pieces of evidence, including belts and small sticks, he added.(dis/ebf)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, May 20, 2017 17:03 1999 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1c7963 1 National basuki-tjahaja-purnama,ahok,#ahok,#AhokTrial,Constitutional-Court,blasphemy,Blasphemy-Law Free

Legal experts are showing differences of opinion over the need to revoke the blasphemy articles in Indonesias penal code in a debate that has erupted after non-active Jakarta governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama was imprisoned recently for blasphemy.

Bivitri Susanti, a constitutional law expert from the Jakarta-based Jentera School of Law, said blasphemy articles, especially Article 156 (a) of the Criminal Code, were problematic.

The parameters [of blasphemy] used in the article are not correct. It uses public reaction as a parameter to define criminal aspects of alleged blasphemy, while in fact most criminal articles use intention as a parameter, Bivitri said as quoted by kompas.com on Friday.

Constitutional law expert Yusril Ihza Mahendra said blasphemy articles were still needed in Indonesia and the government needed to protect all religions from any kind of insult.

For Indonesia, religion is fundamental. The forms of protection for religions can be found in criminal [blasphemy] articles, he said in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Yusril referred to a judicial review ruling at the Constitutional Court, which rejected an appeal to revoke the 1965 Blasphemy Law in 2009.

Blasphemy is regulated in Article 156 (a) of the Criminal Code, used by the court in Ahoks case, and in the 1965 Blasphemy Law, formulated during former president Sukarnos presidency. (mos/ebf)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, May 20, 2017 08:07 2000 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1ba5fb 1 City immigration,arrest Free

North Jakarta immigration officers arrested three foreigners for immigration document violations during an inspection conducted at an apartment building in Penjaringan, North Jakarta.

Bayu Dewa Brata of the North Jakarta immigration office said one of them was a Nigerian national who was found with an expired passport.

The other two are a Singaporean national who is renewing his passport and a German who only possesses a marriage-with-an-Indonesian registration letter, Bayu said on Friday, as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com.

He added that the immigration office would require them to prepare legal immigration documents.

During the inspection, the officers had difficulty entering the apartment, so they were forced to break their way in, Bayu said, adding that 23 foreigners were inspected during the operation. (kuk)

Topics : immigration arrest
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, May 20, 2017 14:18 1999 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1c2d37 1 City ramadhan,Ramadhan-2017,Istiqlal-Mosque,#Ramadhan,#RamadhanFastingMonth,fasting,Istiqlal-Ramadhan-Fair-2017 Free

To brighten up the upcoming fasting season, the management of the Istiqlal Grand Mosque in Central Jakarta is set to hold the Istiqlal Ramadhan Fair 2017, which will take place from May 19 to June 17. The event will offer various activities ranging from bazaars, talk shows and religious music performances, to writing competitions and culinary festivals.

The bazaar is open for the public and this will be the first fair held by the mosque, said Istiqlal Mosque head of protocol, Abu Hurairah, as quoted by tribunnews.com in Jakarta on Friday.

Abu said that throughout the fasting month, the mosque would provide takjil, or breaking-of-the-fast light meals, for 3,000 people on Monday to Thursday and 5,000 people on Friday to Sunday.

The mosque management has prepared the mosque for the event by cleaning the floors, walls, trellises, sanitation facilities and places for wudhu (ablutions), he went on.

Istiqlal Mosque will hold tarawih or evening Ramadhan prayers, consisting of 23 and 11 rakat (a single unit of Ramadhan prayers). National and international qori (Quran melodious recitation experts) will recite Quranic verses before tarawih prayers. (cal/ebf)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Sat, May 20 2017

Here are some of the latest lifestyle pieces available on our website. Those wanting to read the lifestyle stories, complete with photos and videos, can visit the J+ section on thejakartapost.com. For quick access, simply download a QR scanner app on your smartphone and scan the code displayed next to the articles below.

Nyadran, a unique tradition of welcoming Ramadhan





to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content

e-Post daily digital newspaper

No advertisements, no interruptions

Privileged access to our events and programs

Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, May 20, 2017 18:50 1999 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1c94f2 1 National megawati-soekarnoputri,PDI-P,Rakernas,#PDIP,#Megawati,bali,Sanur,YasonnaLaoly,puan-maharani Free

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputris meeting on Saturday with top party officials and cadres was closed to the press.

Megawati met with her cadres during the partys national working meeting (Rakernas) at the Grand Bali Beach Hotel in Sanur, Bali.

High-ranking party officials, including Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly, Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Puan Maharani and Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Anak Agung Gede Ngurah Puspayoga, attended the meeting.

Representatives of the party's regional branches across Indonesia were also present.

The partys internal security officers closely guarded the meeting and prevented journalists from observing it. Im sorry the meeting is closed to the press, said a PDI-P security guard as quoted by Antara.

A number of PDI-P flags hoisted at the venue and in areas across Bali were reportedly taken down prior to the meeting.

We hoisted a number of party flags along main roads and in several strategic locations but higher authorities in the party ordered us to take them down, organizing committee member Made Widia said. (mrc/ebf)
Serious criminal cases have not been withdrawn

A day after the government decided to recognise the Tharuhat and Madhes protests as political movements and withdraw all the cases filed against those who were involved, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahals Secretariat on Friday said that cases related to heinous crimes will not be withdrawn.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, May 20, 2017 16:43 1999 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1c6ff9 1 National Bareskrim,National-Police,chili-price,Chili,Lombok,West-Nusa-Tenggara Free

Personnel from the Agriculture Ministry and the Food Security Task Force at the National Polices Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) have interrogated six wholesalers of red birds eye chilis over suspected anti-competitive practices in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara.

Investigators questioned the six wholesalers from Lombok on Thursday. Three other wholesalers are set to attend a questioning session in Jakarta next week, said Brig. Gen. Agung Setya, director of the special economic crimes division at Bareskrim, as quoted by Antara in Jakarta on Friday.

He said the task force checked on red birds eye chili prices and available stocks at five traditional markets in Lombok following reports of sharp increases in the price of the commodity in the area. The five markets were the Dasan Agung, Keru, Mandalika, Masbagik and Paok Montong markets.

The result of the investigation revealed that the chilis were traded in the five markets at prices between Rp 55,000 (US$4.13) and Rp 65,000 per kilogram, while at the level of farmers, the commodity was selling for between Rp 17,000 and Rp 18,000 per kg.

Lombok is a production center for this type of chili. It supplies the commodity to markets across Indonesia, including the Kramat Jati wholesale market in East Jakarta.

The task force will continue to identify causes for the increase in red birds eye chili prices in Lombok. Certainly, parties that have intentionally committed illegal practices that have led to price increases will be punished, said Agung. (dis/ebf)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Grace D. Amianti and Prima Wirayani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, May 20, 2017

It took exactly 20 years for Indonesia  since the 1997 Asian financial crisis  to fully regain its investment grade status, as Standard and Poors (S&P) followed on Friday two other global rating agencies in awarding such an influential rating to the country.

S&P Global Ratings lifted Indonesias sovereign rating to BBB- from BB+ with stable outlook, based on assessments of the countrys improved budget and the economic and financial policy settings that had become more predictable.

The governments new focus on realistic budgeting has lowered the risk that budget deficits will widen significantly when government revenue disappoints, the agency wrote in its statement.

to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content

e-Post daily digital newspaper

No advertisements, no interruptions

Privileged access to our events and programs

Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Danae Mercer (Bloomberg)  Sat, May 20, 2017 09:05 2000 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1bc012 2 Destinations travel,Indonesia,sumba,Nihiwatu,mentawai,kandui-villas Free

With its world-class waves, warm waters, and tropical weather, Indonesia is a surfers dream. Yet among the countrys remote island communities, malaria, infant mortality, and a lack of access to clean water persist.

But good news is afoot. Grassroots, surfer-led organizations are springing up in the archipelago. Keep Bali Clean spearheaded a local surf competition last April to benefit beach restoration efforts, and the established international nonprofit SurfAid is working to improve health care in the worlds most remote surfing destinations.

Luxury resorts, too, are leveraging their platforms to engage travelers. Two in particular are leading the charge. Kandui Villas, a 12-bungalow hideaway in the isolated Mentawai islands, works in collaboration with Waves For Water to bring clean water access to those who need it most.

And Nihiwatu, a 33-villa resort on Sumba Island, has launched a sizable nonprofit, the Sumba Foundation, to improve local health-care access and feed underserved schoolchildren. The total impact: $850,000 in 2016, and $7 million over the past 16 years. Thanks to a constant trickle of donations, the Sumba Foundation has been able to reduce malaria rates by 85 percent on the island and provide health care to 25,000 locals.

Their message is clear: In Indonesia, surfing is being used as a conduit for good. And travelers keen to ride the waves can help shape the change.

On a recent spring evening, local Sumbanese children gathered with their horses on Nihiwatus mile-and-a-half stretch of private beach, waiting to race across the sand.(Bloomberg/Sarah Freeman)

Sunset at Nihiwatu

On a recent spring evening, local Sumbanese children gathered with their horses on Nihiwatus mile-and-a-half stretch of private beach, waiting to race across the sand. Its emblematic of the many activities Nihiwatu uses as fundraisers; here, guests were invited to bid on potential winners over canapes and drinks. On this night they raised only $400, but out here, small-scale events make a deceptively large impact.

Surfer Claude Graves knew he was looking for three things when he set out to create Nihiwatu: a location with good breaks, easy ocean access, and rich cultural appeal.(Bloomberg/Sarah Freeman)

Great waves make a great resort

Surfer Claude Graves knew he was looking for three things when he set out to create Nihiwatu: a location with good breaks, easy ocean access, and rich cultural appeal. Sumba was uncharted at the time. The best map I could find was from 1883, he said. It checked all the boxes. In addition to 33 serene villas with private plunge pools, Nihiwatu now has a three-bedroom treehouse atop a cliff, a boathouse, and private stable with Sumbanese horsesa cross between local ponies and those of Arabian breeding.(Bloomberg/Sarah Freeman) Fit for surfers or honeymooners In addition to 33 serene villas with private plunge pools, Nihiwatu now has a three-bedroom treehouse atop a cliff, a boathouse, and private stable with Sumbanese horsesa cross between local ponies and those of Arabian breeding. Theres even an artisan chocolate factory, nodding to Sumbas native cocoa plantations. The resorts chocolate salesat roughly $5 per baralso benefit the Sumba Foundation. Nihiwatus clientelewho pay upward of $1,000 per night at the resortare well positioned to make a difference. (Bloomberg/Sarah Freeman) Luxury with a conscience Nihiwatus clientelewho pay upward of $1,000 per night at the resortare well positioned to make a difference. They surf here, they spend a lot of money, but then they double down and put the money in the foundation because they get emotionally invested with the community, said Graves. Here, some of the many Sumbanese children that benefit from the resort's giving. Rather than accepting the disease as a death sentence, Kenny Knickerbocker, general manager of the Sumba Foundation, is out to prove that malaria can be treated quite easily. (Bloomberg/Sarah Freeman) Real problems, real solutions Malaria is a big issue in Sumba, said Kenny Knickerbocker, general manager of the Sumba Foundation. But its getting better, thanks to efforts that range from prevention (via mosquito nets) to diagnosis (via nurse training and expanded clinics, such as the one shown here). But awareness is also a big part of the equation: Rather than accepting the disease as a death sentence, Knickerbocker is out to prove that malaria can be treated quite easily. On arrival, locals rush forward, peddling beaded jewelry and traditional swords. But the sales push isnt strong, and the smiles feel genuine.(Bloomberg/Sarah Freeman) A true sense of place Guests of Nihiwatu can visit Sumba Foundation projects, from water pumps to schools, or a Sumbanese village. On arrival, locals rush forward, peddling beaded jewelry and traditional swords. But the sales push isnt strong, and the smiles feel genuine. Despite the arrival of visitors, many locals keep going about their day. Here, four men play a game of cards. Two have pig jaw bones dangling from their ears, a punishment for losing two hands in a row. What surfers get in return is a true rarity: a nearly empty wave and one epic ride, with consistent sets, a stable and clean top just before the wave break, and an empty ocean stretching out toward Australia.(Bloomberg/Sarah Freeman) Tackling Occ.'s Left Only 10 individuals can register to hit the waves at Nihiwatu dailyand the privilege costs $100. What surfers get in return is a true rarity: a nearly empty wave and one epic ride, with consistent sets, a stable and clean top just before the wave break, and an empty ocean stretching out toward Australia. Occys Left, Nihiwatus private surf wave, has a lot of character, Antonella Mascimino, the hotels director of sales and marketing, said. When you catch it at the right time, the reward is a 200 to 300-meter-long, thrilling ride down the line, through sections of ripple walls and heaving barrels. Its a challenge for even the most experienced surfer. Read also: Jakpost guide to Jl. Cipete Raya While Nihiwatu targets honeymooners and surfers equally, Kandui Villas caters specifically to the latter. (Bloomberg/Sarah Freeman) Nothing but waves While Nihiwatu targets honeymooners and surfers equally, Kandui Villas caters specifically to the latter. Its 12 duplex villas are spread out along the coastline, surrounded by nothing other than mangroves and palm trees. Its possible to circumnavigate the island before lunch. As such, Kandui is a smaller resort that Nihiwatu, and so, too, are its philanthropic efforts. The resort focuses most of its attention on a single causeclean water accessin partnership with Waves For Water. To get involved, guests are encouraged to buy water filters at home and pack them in their luggage. Zachary Keenan, managing director of Mentawais most luxurious hotel, Kandui Villas, says a sharp drop-off from deep to shallow water creates the types of challenging, hollow tubing barrel waves that surf addicts chase religiously. (Bloomberg/Sarah Freeman) A far-flung paradise Mentawai, a cluster of islands off the edge of western Sumatra, isnt easy to get to. Even from well-connected New York City, it can take three flights, a ferry, a drive, and a total travel time of 40-plus hours. For an intrepid few, its worth it. Mentawai is a dream destination, professional surfer Sebastian Zietz said. Why? Zachary Keenan, managing director of Mentawais most luxurious hotel, Kandui Villas, says a sharp drop-off from deep to shallow water creates the types of challenging, hollow tubing barrel waves that surf addicts chase religiously. Calm winds and a wide variety of surf, however, make the island chain ripe for beginners and pros alike. Travelers are able get to know each other over communal meals and share boats to go in search of the island's best waves when they stay at Kandui Villas.(Bloomberg/Sarah Freeman) The Kandui experience Theres a certain conviviality that characterizes a stay at Kandui Villas. Travelers get to know each other over communal meals and share boats to go in search of the island's best waves. Then, around sunset, guests congregate around the pool bar to watch videos of the days surf over rounds of Bintangs, the local beer. At night everyone retreats to their private bungalow, where the beds are draped in mosquito netting and air conditioning is swapped for a salty sea breeze. Dr. Joe Norton, shown here, is a 33-year-old physician from Australias Gold Coast. He's at Kandui Villas with a mission.(Bloomberg/Sarah Freeman) Vacation with the change-makers Dr. Joe Norton, shown here, is a 33-year-old physician from Australias Gold Coast. He's at Kandui Villas with a mission. As a member of Surfing Doctors, hes here to assist in emergency medical around the island, and scope out opportunities for more formalized philanthropic work. Others with Surfing Doctors have passed through Kanduiwhich has just started sponsoring medical professionals staysto create pop-up clinics and offer basic life support workshops around the islands. Children in Tiop, a small village 45 minutes from Kandui, peer from the doorway of a schoolhouse.(Bloomberg/Sarah Freeman) Water, water everywherebut none of it to drink Children in Tiop, a small village 45 minutes from Kandui, peer from the doorway of a schoolhouse. Through Waves For Water, Kandui Villas has delivered enough filters to provide 6,000 locals with clean water for the next five years. To further support its neighboring communities, Kandui Villas also hires locals to become marine stewards: Agents are given housing, food, a boat, and fuel to help raise awareness for the fragile, coral-filled ecosystems that ring East Java. Kandui has created hundreds of jobsincluding the hotels on-site staffto boost the Mentawai economy. In this corner of Indonesia, theres as much to celebrate on dry land as there is on the water.(Bloomberg/Sarah Freeman) An unforgettable ride People call Mentawai the Disneyland of surfing, said Jordan Heuer, the live-in marketing director of Kandui Villas. The waves here are among the best in the world. No matter what their agenda, the hotels guestsincluding Dr. Nortonrise early to catch the first surf. Many return for breakfast, then hit the waves again. But in this corner of Indonesia, theres as much to celebrate on dry land as there is on the water.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, May 20, 2017 10:34 2000 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1bea78 1 News Lumajang,Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,tourism,#tourism,Rawat-Ruwat-Ranu Free

The Tourism and Culture Agency of Lumajang regency, East Java, together with environmental institution Laskar Hijau (Green Troops), is holding the Rawat Ruwat Ranu event on Saturday to welcome the holy month of Ramadhan and campaign for environmental conservation through culture.

The event will take place at lake Ranu Klakah in Tegalrandu village.

Laskar Hijau previously held similar events between 2006 and 2010, called Maulid Hijau.

This year, Rawat Ruwat Ranu features a floating stage that was built over the small lake and can be accessed through a wooden bridge.

Read also: Masigit Kareumbi Hunting Park calls for conservation

The event will start at 12:30 p.m. with an istighosah kubro joined by residents of Ranu Klakah.

The Lumajang regent is expected to attend the event, which will showcase dance, music and theater performances by artists hailing from Lumajang, Malang and Probolinggo.

Illegal logging occurring between 1998 and 2002 in the protected forest area of Mt. Lemongan damaged around 25 springs connected to lake Ranu Klakah. Now, there are only six springs left, prompting Laskar Hijau volunteers to establish a conservation campaign for Mt. Lemongan and its surrounding areas.

Ranu Klakah is the main source for irrigation for the areas rice fields, which occupies around 620 hectares of land. (kes)
(front page)

Members of US May Day brigade return to defend Cuban Revolution

CHICAGO  Workers and youth around the country will have the chance to hear about revolutionary Cuba directly from participants returning from the 12th International May Day Brigade to Cuba, held April 23 to May 8.

Reportbacks are planned in Los Angeles; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Washington, D.C. The Chicago Cuba Coalition is sponsoring a May 19 event at the Trinity Episcopal Church titled What We Saw in Cuba, featuring brigadistas who were in Cuba for the first time.

Its important to get the truth out about Cuba and to organize activities to demand: End the blockade of Cuba now! U.S. out of Guantanamo now! End Washingtons subversive programs against Cuba! Steve Eckhardt, the brigades national coordinator, told the Militant May 14.

I was swept away by the May Day march and its message of solidarity, Michael Jabari Tidmore, from Chicago, said during the march of hundreds of thousands to Revolution Square in Havana May 1. The Cuban people stay upbeat in face of the U.S. blockade. They are resilient.

Being at May Day reinvigorated me and shows what we need to do to make change in the U.S., said Jaimee Swift, a brigadista from Howard University in Washington.

Tidmore and Swift were two of over 50 people from the U.S. who joined 300 other brigadistas from 29 countries for 15 days of activities aimed at learning about Cubas history and its revolution. They visited museums, heard talks on Cubas current economic challenges, talked with people in the street, visited hospitals, and had discussions with leaders of mass organizations in Cuba. Many also did voluntary work in the fields.

It was the first time there was a U.S. contingent as part of the annual international May Day Brigade, offering brigadistas from other countries and Cubans they met an opportunity to learn firsthand about conditions facing working people in the United States. At the May Day march U.S. delegates stood on the viewing stand with a banner that said in English and Spanish: End the U.S. economic war against Cuba now! and U.S. out of Guantanamo now! Many passing marchers who read the banner responded with clenched fists and cheers.

We stayed at the Julio Antonio Mella International Camp in Artemisa province, a one hour drive from Havana.

On the first four days, many brigadistas did volunteer agricultural work in the morning. They visited nearby farm cooperatives, planted yucca, removed rocks so mango trees could be planted, and worked in banana and tomato fields.

We have 145 members in our cooperative, but we need more, Hector Iriarte, a leader at one of the cooperatives and a Communist Party member, said during a work break. We have a challenge motivating our youth to work in the fields growing food. Education is free in Cuba up to university level. We are trying to win them to the importance of producing food as part of the efforts to strengthen the revolution, he said.

There are two events that happened after the 1959 revolution that changed the lives of Cuban women  the literacy campaign and the construction of child care centers allowing women to work, said Federation of Cuban Women representative Elpidia Moreno at an April 26 panel that also featured other leaders of Cubas mass organizations.

A representative of the Central Organization of Cuban Workers explained the role of unions in organizing and improving production, and in mobilizing workers to defend their revolution. There were also speakers from the Federation of University Students and the Union of Young Communists.

They explained how from the beginning the new revolutionary government, led by Fidel Castro, mobilized workers, farmers and youth to transform the conditions of their lives  and to transform themselves in the process. And how theyre committed to continue to do so today.

International Solidarity Conference

On May 2 an International Solidarity Conference took place at the Convention Palace in Havana. Some 1,000 people from 86 countries attended. Ana Teresita Gonzalez, Cuban Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, told participants the U.S. government hasnt stopped seeking ways to subvert and undermine the revolution.

Fernando Gonzalez, president of the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples, spoke about the ongoing U.S. economic war against Cuba. He pointed to a banner calling for U.S. out of Guantanamo and emphasized the importance for the solidarity movement to campaign for an end to Washingtons illegal occupation of that piece of Cuban territory.

The May Day march made my heart skip a beat, Karen Arewa Winters, a member of the U.S. delegation from Chicago, told the conference. She spoke about police brutality in Chicago, especially in the Black and Latino neighborhoods on the south and west sides. Her nephew was shot and killed by Chicago cops last year. Police in Cuba are different, she said to applause.

On the way to Cienfuegos province, the buses stopped at historic sites in Santa Clara where we learned about the role of the revolutionary army column led by Che Guevara in defeating dictator Fulgencio Batistas army, helping bring down the U.S.-backed regime and bringing Cubas workers and farmers to power.

A few years after the victory of the revolution, Guevara led a guerrilla movement in Bolivia. He was captured and murdered in cold blood by the Bolivian army in a CIA-organized operation in 1967. His remains were returned to Cuba in 1987 and brought to what is now the Che Guevara Memorial in Santa Clara.

In Cienfuegos, we visited health care centers, including the Provincial Hospital, Ambulatory Specialized Center and the Pediatric Hospital, where we learned about the Cuban health care system. Its not based on whether you have or can pay for health insurance like in the U.S. Health care is available to all at no cost, made possible by the socialist revolution.

Anyone who wants to learn more about what difference a revolution can make, should consider going on a brigade to Cuba. The second international In Ches Footsteps brigade will take place Oct. 1-15. For more information write to alatina.csur@icap.cu. Contact those of us who participated in the brigade who live in your area and join with us is getting out the truth about Cubas socialist revolution.





Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home




Several hotel chains to enter Nepal

Several luxury and budget hotel chains are poised to make a foray into the Nepali market, reflecting increased investor confidence in the hospitality sector.
For me, university finished last month. All but one of my friends have gone home for the summer, so my days aren't filled with anything particularly interesting other than popping to Tesco for soya milk and working my way through Emma Stone's filmography.

Perhaps this isn't the best reflection of what I wear - I've spent a lot of time recently in pyjamas. I've also started trying to wear less pink, a colour that, every time I open my wardrobe, takes up a good 60% of the rail. See, the thing is, I own so many pink clothes that I'm beginning to struggle to put together an outfit on a morning that isn't head-to-toe rose...

Here's what I wore this week, the week I gave other colours a chance.

OUTFIT ONE

I spent the majority of this day inside eating ice cream, but took a walk around the docks in the evening as my friend took a revision break. I'm really into ballet flats at the moment, and the ones I'm wearing here are actually my old work shoes! They're so easy to put on and style, and don't hurt at all (like the majority of my shoes do #fashionstudentproblems). I paired a basic white t-shirt with some deep blue Jamie jeans from Topshop, chucked my (greasy) hair into a bun and took out my Blossoms tote bag. I'm majorly into totes at the moment too. So cool. So casual. So comfortable.

OUTFIT TWO

Bumcheek Vintage These pictures were taken on the way back from a shoot with, who also gifted me this pretty rainbow striped shirt. It actually has frilled sleeves and a frilled high neck collar but I chose to roll them up/down today. This skirt I'm wearing is from New Look, and despite being a size 6 is way too big for me - but I've found New Look's skirt sizing recently be very off for me - I'd actually put on a belt in the morning but forgot to wear it out. The boots are from Boohoo, and I love the lil peeptoe and the zip.

OUTFIT THREE

Tonight was spent at Yo!Sushi followed by a desperate search for Pimms (I ended up getting a can from Tesco... not as fun). These silver boots are from New Look and are my absolute favourites - I wish I got to wear them more often but they're not the most comfortable things in the world. I usually wear this printed, off the shoulder t-shirt with red or orange lipstick - there's something so confidence-boosting about feeling coordinated.

OUTFIT FOUR

These jeans are my favourites right now! They have printed bunches of pink roses on them, they're ripped and they have frayed ankle grazing hems - all three huge ticks from me. The rain jacket is actually from Primark, but I love that it looks a little bit like a trench. It's so thin that it doesn't really serve a purpose but at least it looks nice, right? I wore this with a basic, loose white t-shirt and some heeled black boots. And yes... I took a black tote bag out with me.
Marcea Eckhardt, High School and University Counsellor at ACS Hillingdon International School, shares her mindful tips for combatting exam stress.

When your body detects stress, a small region in the base of the brain called the hypothalamus reacts by stimulating the body to produce hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones help you deal with any threats or pressure you are facing, known as the fight or flight response.

Everyone needs a certain amount of stress or pressure to live well, its what gets you out of bed in the morning and motivates you throughout the day. However, stress becomes problematic when theres too much and during the exam season levels can be heightened, leading to increased anxiety.

Overwhelmingly, 96 per cent of students who completed the Childline National Exam Stress survey revealed that they felt anxious about their exams and revision and over half of 1,300 participants said they experienced pressure from their parents to do well. Alarmingly, six in ten claimed they had never received any support with dealing with exams.

Mindfulness training can be essential for helping to combat exam anxiety. Through simple breathing exercises and meditation, mindfulness training can give you the tools to remain calm, sustain your attention and stay focused  all essential exam skills.

Why mindfulness?

As part of ACS Hillingdons Wellness Week, our students spent ten minutes every day practicing a guided meditation in class. Mindfulness is sometimes perceived asnew age mumbo jumbo, however, over the course of the week, ACS teachers witnessed calmer classes whilst students claimed to be re-focused and less stressed.

Neuroscientists have found that long-term mindfulness practice alters the structure and function of the brain to improve the quality of both thought and feeling. Studies show that mindfulness meditation is anything but mumbo jumbo, with students practicing mindfulness benefiting from improved cognitive functioning.

According to a Mindful Schools study, 83 per cent of teachers saw improved levels of focus amongst students who had undertaken mindfulness training; while 89 per cent also saw better emotional regulation; 76 per cent more student compassion; and 79 per cent increased engagement in the classroom.

Mindfulness tips for exam anxiety:

Here aresix straightforward tips, rooted in mindfulness, that you can use to help combat exam anxiety:

 five popular ten minute meditations It might feel a bit alien to begin with, but guided meditations will help you concentrate on your senses and breathing, clearing headspace and regulating your emotions. Ive curated a Youtube playlist, which we used during ACS Hillingdons Wellness Week, and includes

 Breathing exercises, such as the Five Senses Drill, are effective for immediate refocusing. The Five Senses Drill refers to a simple exercise; after two deep breaths, meditators silently note three things they see, hear, feel and note what they smell and taste, before finishing the exercise with two more deep breaths.

 Sleep is so important during the exam season and sleep deprivation can compound anxiety. Make sure that your phone is notkept on your bedside table overnight, this will make sure you are not woken by notifications and help you resist the urge to reply to messages throughout the night.

 Revision is a common form of tension which can be tackled by devising a chunkable revision schedule. Prioritise your weakest subject areas and use this as the basis for a revision timetable. Youll feel more in control of your own learning with a well thought-out plan.

 Creative meditation can also lower anxiety levels. Colouring intricate patterns creates a sense of rhythm which the brain craves and you will build confidence by slowly completing the designated pattern.

 One of my students recently recommended a specialist app,  Stop, Breathe & Think  , which generates individual meditations and is available on desktops, iOS and Android devices. If you feel anxious you can add in your mental, physical and emotional states into the app which will curate personalised meditations based on your results. This tool helps to fit in a last minute meditative moments before sitting an exam and builds mindfulness into your daily routines.
If youve been put off going on a cruise before because of the potential age range of your fellow passengers, maybe you should give these new ships a chance.

U by Uniworld is aimed at the millennial market  well, the itineraries are designed with people aged 21-45 in mind  and there are four different eight-day options starting from spring 2018.

(Uniworld)

Conde Nast Traveller Uniworld president and CEO Ellen Bettridge toldthat the average age of passengers is usually 50, so the intineraries planned for these new trips are a bit different to normal  were talking silent discos, painting sessions (with wine), plenty of yoga, and cocktail making classes.

(Uniworld)

The rooms on the two ships, which will be known as The A and The B (nice and easy to remember), will all have river views, and if you want to keep costs as low as possible, you can go for a studio room with bunk beds in.

There will also be plenty of hammocks and beanbags to hang out on around the ship. Then, on the top deck, the glass enclosed room disappears into the oor to create an open-air drinking spot.

(Uniworld)

Among the routes is one called Rolling On The Rhine, which goes from Amsterdam to Frankfurt, as well as the Danube Flow, which takes in cities such as Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest.

Theres also a cruise from Amsterdam to Frankfurt and a German route, which goes from Frankfurt to Regensburg.

(Uniworld)

When it comes to activities off of the boat, passengers will be able to choose between hands-on excursions which are included or so-called U Time. This costs more but includes edgier things like a street art walking tour in Paris.

Programmes can be tailored to individual travel personalities  other sorts of excursions include market shopping for foodies, guided bike tours of Second World War sites in Nuremberg for history buffs and kayaking through Unesco World Heritage Sites for adventurers. And at night, U Hosts will take you to hidden bars and nightclubs in party cities like Amsterdam, if its the beer youre most excited for.

(Uniworld)

Of course, you also dont have to follow a timetable at all  youre free to explore by yourself. And its worth bearing in mind that several of the cruises are based around cool events like festivals.

(Uniworld)

The meals are another reason why were tempted to choose a cruise next year  the price includes breakfast and dinners, and will feature delicious street food.

Itineraries on The A start at 899 per person and include sailings along the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers. Pricing for The B, which sails exclusively on the Seine River and throughout France, starts at 1,799 per person.
Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here

You have arrived at this page because the page or post you were looking for no longer exists. Please check our main navigation pages for other content: 

Home Page
Tentang Situs Slot Online Resmi MGS88 Nama Situs  MGS88 Minimal Deposit  Rp. 10.000,- (Sepuluh Ribu Rupiah) Proses Deposit   2 Menit Metode Deposit  Bank Transfer,  Pulsa,  E-Wallet Judi Online Terbaik  Slot Online,  Judi Bola,  Casino Online,  Togel Online,  Tembak Ikan Provider Slot Gacor Mudah Maxwin  Pragmatic Play,  PGSoft,  MicroGaming,  Habanero Slot Gacor Gampang Menang  Gates of Olympus,  Sweet Bonanza,  Wild West Gold,  Starlight Princess Win Rate 98%

RTP Live Slot Gacor Tertinggi Hari Ini Terbaru Terlengkap

Selamat datang di halaman RTP live dan informasi soal slot gacor hari ini dari situs MGS88 yang setiap hari selalu update. Berdasarkan RTP Live MGS88, Anda bisa mendapatkan informasi tentang slot online yang saat ini yang sedang Gacor atau onfire dengan persentase yang terbukti akurat, ini bisa menjadi rekomendasi anda sebelum memilih permainan slot online di situs MGS88. Cek RTP Slot sekarang juga bosku

Klik Provider Slot Untuk Mengetahui RTP Slot Secara Real Time

Selamat datang bagi kalian yang sedang mencari situs RTP Live terlengkap dan terkini hari ini. Sangat sesuai jika Anda mengunjungi website MGS88 RTP live untuk informasi tentang permainan slot yang lagi gacor dengan slot RTP yang terupdate. Persentase kemenangan yang kami berikan tentunya diambil dengan data yang sangat valid dan hanya untuk permainan slot yang tersedia di situs MGS88. RTP yang tersedia juga akan selalu diperbarui setiap hari berdasarkan level kemenangan yang diberikan kepada member kami.

Memang sih untuk bermain slot itu tergantung hoki dari setiap pemain, Namun RTP live atau bocoran slot dari yang kami sediakan ini adalah data autentik dari banyaknya pemain yang telah bermain dan mencapai kemenangan tinggi. Sederhananya, kalau banyak pemain yang menang di dalam 1 permainan slot, karena itu permainan slot tersebut akan mempunyai persentase RTP yang sangat tinggi.

Namun kami tegaskan sekali lagi, ini bukan sebuah paksaan kami situs MGS88 untuk anda bermain di game slot yang mana. Ini bisa dijadikan sebagai referensi atau tolok ukur, boleh dicoba kalau anda mempunyai feel yang kuat dalam memainkan permainan game slot. Anda dapat mengakses kapan saja dan di mana saja selama anda siap bermain. Jangan ragu untuk bertanya ya seputar pola putaran terhadap kami, sebab kami juga menyediakannya loh.

Apa itu RTP Live?

RTP Live ialah informasi mengenai persentase tertinggi saat ini dari hasil RTP Live dengan bocoran kemenangan pemain saat ini. RTP Live merupakan singkatan dari Return To Play atau bisa juga diartikan sebagai Return to Player. Karena itu, para pemain slot sekarang jika ingin mengetahui seberapa besar kemenangannya, bisa dengan memainkan permainan yang akan dimainkannya dan bisa untung dengan mudah dan tentunya maksimal.

Apa itu RTP Slot?

RTP Slot juga dikenal sebagai return to player atau pengembalian ke Pemain. RTP slot ialah persentase dari nilai pengembalian semua uang yang dipertaruhkan pemain dari waktu ke waktu. Dengan kata lain, RTP juga dianggap sebagai salah satu fitur slot yang mengembalikan uang pemain saat pemain kalah.

Persentase digunakan untuk menghitung RTP dalam permainan slot. Misalnya, jika slot memiliki RTP 97%, itu berarti untuk setiap 100.000 koin yang hilang di slot, slot dapat mengembalikan 97.000. Jika Anda mengetahui RTP sebuah permainan slot, Anda dapat memutuskan permainan slot mana yang akan dimainkan tanpa kerugian besar.

Apakah Angka Persentase RTP Slot Itu Penting?

Biasanya pemain slot itu tidak memperhatikan RTP dalam permainan yang akan dimainkan, biasanya setelah anda mengisi saldo utama anda akan langsung buru-buru memainkannya. Yang terakhir 90-96% mempengaruhi jumlah kemenangan. Semakin tinggi jumlah RTP yang digunakan, semakin luas peluang untuk mendapatkan keuntungan.

Akan namun itu segala tak secara 100% menjamin kemenangan kau dalam bermain, RTP itu cuma sebagai kalkulasi pengeluaran anda saja selama bermain slot.Dengan adanya RTP, kau dapat mengerjakan pengaturan atas uang yang akan kau pertaruhkan nanti pada ketika bermain.Untuk itu pada ketika kau bermain slot dan telah mengalami banyak kekalahan di satu permainan, direkomendasikan kau pindah ke permainan slot lainnya yang RTP nya lebih tinggi dari permainan yang tadi kau mainkan.

Keuntungan Menggunakan Bocoran RTP Slot Hari Ini

Situs MGS88 Akan dengan senang hati akan beberapa keuntungan yang didapatkan jika anda bermain slot dengan menggunakan RTP Live yang telah disediakan. Berikut Keuntungannya :

Peluang Kemenangan Meningkat Tentu saja, saat bermain slot online, menang adalah hal yang paling penting. Di sinilah RTP berperan sebagai metode atau metode baru yang akan membantu Anda memilih permainan slot persentase tinggi. Mendapat variasi dalam Memainkan Game Slot Pastinya banyak pemain slot online yang hanya memainkan 3-5 permainan slot saja. Namun dengan RTP Live slot akan memberikan banyak game slot lain yang bisa anda coba. Tentunya semua permainan slot memiliki potensi kemenangan yang besar, jadi jangan hanya mengandalkan beberapa permainan saja. Menambah Pengalaman Dalam Bermain Slot Keuntungan terakhir adalah Anda tentu saja menambah pengalaman dan keahlian dalam permainan slot online. Dengan berbagai macam permainan slot yang dimainkan, Anda pasti mengetahui karakteristik dari setiap permainan slot yang Anda mainkan. Akibatnya, Anda pasti bisa dianggap sebagai pemain slot yang andal, yang pasti akan meningkatkan peluang Anda untuk menang besar menggunakan RTP.

Daftar 8 Situs Dengan RTP Slot Live Tertinggi Hari Ini

Ada banyak penyedia mesin slot online di internet. Tetapi tidak semuanya memiliki peluang tinggi atau RTP Live Slot yang sangat tinggi. Tapi jangan khawatir, berikut ini adalah situs slot gacor yang akan memberikan bocoran slot dengan RTP Live Tertinggi:

RTP Live Slot Pragmatic Play (RTP Slot 97.85%) RTP Live Slot PG Soft (RTP Live 96.15%) RTP Live Slot Habanero (RTP Slot 95.89%) RTP Live Slot CQ9 (RTP Live 98.83%) RTP Live Slot Spade Gaming (RTP Live 94.99%) RTP Live Slot Micro Gaming (RTP Slot 95.39%) RTP Slot Live Top Trend Gaming (RTP Live 96.14%) RTP Slot Live JOKER123 (RTP Live 97.45%)

Itulah Daftar 8 Provider Slot Gacor dengan RTP Live teratas diatas tentunya kami analisa terlebih dahulu. Anda bisa membuktikannya langsung dengan mengklik banner atau meprovider game slot yang sudah tersedia di atas. Saran kami yaitu Anda harus memainkan semua penyedia slot di atas untuk mencapai peluang kemenangan terbaik.

Daftar Slot RTP Live Tertinggi Sering Kasih Jackpot

Selain mempertimbangkan RTP Slot Gacor yang ada, sebenarnya ada banyak faktor penting untuk menang dalam permainan judi online. Sebab ada banyak game yang memiliki fitur dan mekanisme unik dan bisa membantu anda meraih Jackpot yang sangat besar.

Berikut ini akan kami ulas daftar 5 game slot paling populer karena sering memberikan jackpot:

RTP Live Gates of Olympus Gates of Olympus adalah game slot teraneh dan terbaik di Indonesia. Karena permainan mesin slot ini paling populer karena kakek Zeus dapat mengizinkan pengganda x500. Selain itu, fitur dan mekanik Gates of Olympus juga sangat menguntungkan untuk memenangkan Grand Jackpot. Secara teoritis, RTP slot langsung Gates of Olympus bernilai 96,50%, yang berarti peluang Anda untuk memenangkan MaxWin cukup tinggi. RTP live Sweet Bonanza Sweet Bonanza adalah permainan slot terpopuler kedua. Game slot bertema buah dan permen yang lezat ini sepertinya akan menarik banyak perhatian karena tergolong slot gacor yang mudah menang. Secara teoritis, slot Sweet Bonanza RTP bernilai 96,48%, yang berarti peluang Anda cukup tinggi untuk memenangkan jackpot. RTP Live Wild West Gold Wild West Gold adalah permainan slot bertema koboi yang juga populer di kalangan penggemar konspirasi. Permainan slot Wild West Gold sendiri kerap menawarkan kejutan jackpot bagi para pemainnya. Selain itu, nilai RTP Live Slot menunjukkan indeks tertinggi hari ini, yang berarti sangat layak dan sangat direkomendasikan. RTP Live Starlight Princess Slot Starlight Princess ini memiliki gaya dan fitur yang mirip dengan Gates of Olympus. Perbedaannya hanya pada desain dan karakter gamenya saja, karena memiliki fitur dan mekanik yang sama tentunya RTP slot teoritis pada game slot ini sama yaitu 96,50%. RTP Live Cash Elevator Mungkin sebagian dari Anda baru mengenal slot Cash Elevator. Namun dari data benchmark yang diungkap, ternyata banyak sekali yang menikmati permainan slot ini. Dengan fitur dan mekanisme unik seperti Lift up and down asli, slot ini juga memiliki slot RTP Live dasar 96,64% yang juga memiliki mekanisme yang sangat menguntungkan untuk memperlancar tingkat kemenangan besar.

Bocoran Jam Main Slot Gacor Hari Ini

Dalam bermain permainan slot online itu tidak bisa dilakukan dengan sembarangan yah. Jadi, Jika anda bermain pada waktu tertentu seperti yang akan kita bahas sesaat lagi, ada kemungkinan anda untuk mendapatkan kemenangan lebih tinggi. Jam RTP Slot Gacor merupakan bocoran jam main slot yang akan memberikan anda kapan waktu yang pas dalam bermain game slot.

Tentu saja seluruh provider slot online memiliki jam tertentu dalam memberikan peluang kepada para pemainnya untuk mendapatkan kemenangan. Disini kami akan memberikan anda Bocoran Jam Slot Gacor yang Paling Akurat Hari ini:

Jam Slot Gacor Pragmatic Play 02:30 WIB - Jam 05:25 WIB Jam Slot Gacor Habanero 14:26 WIB - Jam 17:38 WIB Jam Slot Gacor CQ9 00:45 WIB - Jam 05:53 WIB Jam Slot Gacor PG SOFT 14:25 WIB - Jam 17:35 WIB Jam Slot Gacor Joker123 17:41 WIB - Jam 20:42 WIB Jam Slot Gacor Microgaming 22:30 WIB - Jam 00:35 WIB

MGS88: Situs Judi Slot Online Gacor Pay4D Resmi dan Terpercaya

MGS88 adalah situs game slot online Gacor terbaru yang bermitra dengan Pay4D, Pay4D sendiri merupakan daftar situs game slot online terpercaya dengan berbagai macam permainan judi yang mudah dimenangkan seperti Game Bola, Casino Online, Slot Pay4D, Tembak Ikan dan Pay4D Online Permainan togel seperti Singapura, Hongkong, Sydney dan lain-lain. Tujuan utama kami adalah menjadi situs judi online Pay4D yang menyediakan layanan judi online terbaik di Indonesia.

Kami juga salah satu situs resmi PAY4D di Indonesia yang pasti akan membayarkan semua kemenangan kepada semua member kami, karena kepercayaan dari semua member kami adalah prioritas utama kami sebagai mesin slot 4d Asia terbaik di Asia, khususnya di Indonesia.

Dalam melakukan sistem transaksi sistem simpanan dapat dilakukan dengan mudah melalui mobile banking dan electronic banking berupa bank BCA, BSI, BRI, BNI, Cimb Niaga, Permata dan Mandiri. Selain itu, transaksi e-wallet juga tersedia melalui Dana, Gopay, LinkAja dan Ovo serta dapat digunakan untuk pulsa tanpa dipotong.

Untuk mempermudah dan kenyamanan dalam melakukan registrasi atau melakukan setiap transaksi, MGS88 menyediakan layanan live chat dan Whatsapp terhubung langsung dengan customer service online 24 jam.

Mengenal Istilah Dalam RTP SLOT

Di slot RTP Live Anda akan melihat berbagai fitur yang mungkin tidak Anda pahami masing-masing. Namun jangan khawatir, disini sebagai situs slot gacor MGS88 kami akan memberikan penjelasan lengkap mengenai tentang istilah yang ada di RTP SLOT dibawah ini.
Temporary policeman killed in Saptari bike accident

A temporary policeman recruited for the security of the local level elections died in a motorcycle accident at Kanchanrup Municipality-11 in Saptari on Saturday.
UML clinches Namobuddha mayor, deputy mayor posts

Tanka Prasad Sharma of the CPN-UML has come out victorious for the post of Mayor of Namobuddha Municipality in Kavre district
Tikapur carnage: UML condemns govt decision to drop cases

The CPN-UML has condemned the governments decision to withdraw the cases against the alleged perpetrators of the Tikapur carnage that took place in the town of Tikapur in Kailali on 24 August, 2015.
Unleashing Nepal

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal was right when he said that the local level elections, the first phase of which has been held successfully in three provinces, were historic not because they took place after two decades but because peoples representatives are being elected to local federal governments for the first time, under a new constitution.
Of the recent trajectories of research in the history of science and environment, there is considerable emphasis on technology. Therefore, this book under review fills a void after a long time. The modern world fights on technology, starting with the Japanese small and precision tools to rockets into the orbit launched by the nuclear powers. Hence, the title of the second chapter, Technology at Power Spectacle is most apt. To achieve this technical skill, there was a huge demand for technical education all over the world. Even India, which cared for moral rather than material progress, woke up to this need for technical know-how. Once again the title of the third chapter, Demand for Technical Education is more appropriate. The West had once claimed its absolute bequest of science to India, which according to the West was a tabula rasa or clean slate. This was a kind of Eurocentralism, or in modern parlance, orientalism to put the non-west as the other. The author in the fourth chapter examines various kinds of indigenous enterprises to make the point. The East also had science and technology in the historical time-span.

The author argues that the 19th century in India was a period of throbbing possibilities. Apart from moral progress, it also had a healthy tradition of indigenous science and technology, which the British colonisers bulldozed and delegitimised. The author rightly says that this was one of the major means of colonising the mind.In his reckoning, colonialism was not merely western intellectual superiority but also an overwhelming force unleashed by technology at a minimal cost.

What is the Industrial Revolution after all? It is the science of converting raw materials into manufactured goods. By territorial conquest, the first part was achieved at cheap or no cost. The influx of raw commodities forced the proto-industrial England, to invent numerous machines in order to convert them into finished products. Necessity was the mother of all inventions, thus came inventions like steamships, firearms, telegraph and railways. This altered the literal relation between Europeans and Indians as Eric Hobsbawm has examined in his book, Industry and Empire. Europeans brought about a shift in global relations.

The title of this book should more correctly read Empire and Industry.

Once England realised that it had a monopolistic market for its industrial goods, the colonies became the dumping ground of their manufactured products, irrespective of quality. The author then brings in Bengal as the focal point of this industrial conversion of an intellectual hub. This was achieved by hoisting a few engineering colleges and polytechniques where talented youth could be trained in civil, electrical and mechanical engineering to serve as draughtsmen in British workshops and foundries, throwing up Shibpur, Roorkee and Guindy. But Bengalis were not lagging behind as is evident in periodicals like Dikdarshan, Sangbad Koumudi, Bibidhartha Sangraha, Rahasyo Sandarbha et al. This reviewer has shown in his book, Scientific Bengal, which has a section on technology, how a person like Sitanath Ghosh invented the crude telegraph, sewing machine and magnetic healer.

The history of technology was an uncharted terrain a few decades ago, but has now become a vibrant subject. The author rightly observes that it is actually a social history of technology seeking out links between society and technology. If this is thoroughly done, the battle between substructure and superstructure will end and a two-way conduit will be established to fertilise both. In his final lines, the author humbly suggests more adequate study than his to trace the connections between education, technology and development of human capital. Fortunately, this is the thrust of historical research now. It is the whole gamut of science, technology, medicine and environment. Nowadays, we have subjects like the invention of microscope and x-ray machine in medical laboratories and electrification of rural Bengal as fruitful discourses in this emerging area.

The reviewer is former professor of history, jadavpur university and currently director, institute of historical studies, kolkata
Around 25 lakh job aspirants on Saturday appeared in a competitive written examination for 6,000 Group D posts of the West Bengal government amid high security.

The examinees, who appeared in centres across the state, included 5.5 lakhs from neighbouring states like Bihar and Jharkhand.

Many of the candidates reached Howrah, Sealdah and other important railway stations a day ahead of the examination, being conducted by the West Bengal Group D Recruitment Board.

The state government examination for recruitment of group D employees is being held after a long gap. The last recruitment was done during the erstwhile Left Front regime. The incumbent Mamata Banerjee government did not hold any examination for Group D posts despite being in power since 2011.

The state Transport Department deployed its full strength of bus fleet and ferry services, besides arranging for luxury cabs so as to enable candidates reach their respective examination venues without hassles.

The Indian Railways also ensured timely running of trains on Saturday.

Traffic police and home guards as also civic volunteers were deployed in busy intersections in full strength to guide the examinees to the centres and prevent any traffic congestion.

Police personnel were present in and around examination centres in good numbers.

Three examinees from Bihar were injured, one of them seriously, when their vehicle was hit by a lorry at Jadupur in Malda district.
Family members of Sepoy Sudesh Kumar, who was killed last year in firing by Pakistani troops along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, on Saturday rejected the administration's offer to fix an appointment with the chief minister during his Moradabad visit on Sunday.

The family members on Friday sat on an indefinite fast, demanding the chief minister to pay a visit to their Pansukha Milak village.

Stating that the condition of Kavita Kumari, the widow of Sudesh Kumar was not good, Manoj, the brother of the killed sepoy, said district unit presidents of the BJP and the SP, Rajesh Singhal and Firoz Khan respectively, also met the family.

"Senior officials, including the SP, the ADM, the SDM and the CO today met us with the offer of fixing an appointment with the Chief Minister during his Moradabad visit tomorrow but we are firm that we will not end our indefinite fast till he visits our village," Manoj said.

Additional District Magistrate R P Yadav confirmed that the family was urged to end the fast and told that a meeting of two of them can be fixed with the chief minister during his visit to Moradabad tomorrow but they have turned it down.

Officials have been directed to arrange for a team of doctors to check the medical condition of the family members on fast and deploy an ambulance in the village, the ADM said.

The family members of Sudesh, who laid down his life on October 16, 2016, sat on an indefinite fast claiming that despite promises by the BJP leaders, none of them visited the family again.

The sepoy's mother Santosh Kumari had said if the chief minister did not visit them, she will commit suicide, while his wife Kavita Kumari had alleged that many politicians had come and made various promises but none was fulfilled.

Sudesh's brother Manoj Kumar had said, "We were promised sanction for a petrol pump, construction of a road and a memorial in the village and renaming a village primary school in Sudesh's name by the BJP leaders, but none of the promises was fulfilled."

Another brother of Sudesh, Anil Kumar, said they have lost trust in local BJP leaders and that was why they were demanding that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath should visit them.


Pramoedya Ananta Toer did not recede into benevolent old age nor fade gently away. In his last years, and indeed, since his final release from prison in 1979, Pramoedya  or Pram, as he was fondly known to friends  held court in his home near Jakarta, venting his spleen on successive administrations, the state of his country and what he saw as the slow sliding away of his beloved Indonesia, from the aspirations of its founders.

Pram had earned this right. For his writing and social commentary, he suffered imprisonment, first by the Dutch and then by successive Indonesian governments beginning in 1960. But the event that proved the turning point was the alleged coup attempt against President Sukarno in October 1965. Many came under suspicion  including communists and their sympathisers.

Whether Pram was a communist never became clear; he nonetheless became a victim of the bloodiest purge in Indonesian history.The blows he took from soldiers meant to be escorting him away from an angry mob left him with impaired hearing, a condition that deteriorated as the years went by. But the more grievous loss was that of his manuscripts  the product of years of labour vanished and burnt in one night.

It could have ended there; one of the many left-leaning intellectuals disappeared in the chaotic aftermath of the 1965 troubles that followed the ouster of Sukarno in that year. But it did not. It provided indirectly for the genesis what is unarguably the summary of his lifes work, The Buru Quartet. Even if so much else perished at the hands of the mob, this masterwork secures Prams place in the literary firmament.

Initially not even allowed a pencil, Pram dictated this while interned in Buru, a penal colony located in the East of the archipelago. He did so with prisoners listening spellbound in the midst of incredible hardship that beggars belief. In a prodigious feat of memory, he was subsequently able to write down what he had earlier told his fellow men. He had no choice, as the authorities had burned most of his notes before his 1979 release.

It has often been said that the four volumes chart the tumultuous course of a colonial nation on the cusp of massive social and political change. But in reality these volumes do much more than even that. Pram introduces with effortless ease a veritable kaleidoscope of people who touch us, and move us. Javanese natives, Europeans and Indos (Eurasians) move about with their hopes and dreams in the seething milieu of Indonesia in the early years of the 20th century.They all have their stories they share with us. These range from the seemingly most insignificant Javanese peasant to the chief protagonist, the journalist and political activist Raden Mas Minke, engaged in a succession of national movements that earned him the enmity of the Dutch authorities. Along the way, we track the shaping of Minkes awareness and sense the awakening of much else  his life and loves and his ultimate fate at the hands of the Dutch (and his own people). This is the awakening also of his country and the birth of national consciousness. It is the chronicle of Indonesia.

The Buru Quartet is also deeply affecting, yet Pram does not sentimentalise the fate of his creations. No one who has read Raden Mas Minkes shattering, final denouement in the final volume of the tetralogy, House of Glass, can fail to be profoundly moved. Yet amidst despair, one also finds within this cosmos great humanity, love and compassion.

Pram outlasted the fate of exile, which he devised for Raden Mas Minke, but only just. Thanks to his own memoir, A Mutes Soliloquy, we have a harrowing account of the privations and forced labour he endured for 14 years in Indonesias Gulag. At the end of that book one finds a list of 300 prisoners who never left the island and will forever buried remain there (the list is incomplete  the threats of guards forced a premature end to its compilation). Their names, ages and origins are listed, as is how they died  shot dead suicide (there are many of these) drowned murdered brain trauma following torture gored by a bull.

Much later, Pram was to write of these individuals, At some future time there might be someone capable of writing about them without his hand shaking uncontrollably or his note paper becoming wet with tears. But that person will not be me. In the world of the dead there are so many souls whose presence I know nothing of. All I can do here is to try to make note of the souls whose names I do know.

There is no better mark of Prams humanity. For his part, there is no selfpity in Prams own memoir of Buru just a description, in sparse prose, of what he suffered. The narrative style is, as it is in all his work, clear as a glass pane and speaks directly to the reader without pretence. Unsurprisingly, successive regimes and even other governments  feared the power of his pen. The Australian Embassy official who translated The Buru Quartet was recalled from his post.

While the last two decades after his release should have been triumphant ones, they were marked by the profound despair and vitriol one also sees in his journalism and shorter pieces. The nation seemed to lurch from one crisis to the next, struggling under the weight of a moribund economy, militant Islam and administrative inefficiency.

Even more sadly, the nation and especially the youth of modern Indonesia seem to have left Pram behind  several would have read his short stories, but few are acquainted with his larger body of work. Here, perhaps, Pram was not blameless. Neither personally nor in his writings did he ever play the role of a social critic, the cendekiawan(public intellectual), which Indonesia can boast of in profusion. In the increasing frailty of his last years, he railed against the succession of governments and the ills of society.

Other writers, such as Mochtar Lubis or Goenawan Mohamad, could be trenchant critics of the system and society while remaining engaged and relevant. Pram was a colossus, but increasingly seen as a relic of an era that no longer held the meaning it formerly did. The Dutch, Japanese, Sukarno, Soeharto  Pram outlasted them all. And he was immensely proud of this, but this seemed to make it difficult to find concrete ways forward. The burden of memory was too great.

Many of his admirers have felt pangs of disappointment year after year when the Nobel Prize for Literature was announced without Pram being recognised. He easily deserved the accolade. Pram must surely rank at the forefront of what is sometimes misleadingly called world literature, but which in reality encompasses a massive oeuvre of genuine literary achievement that exists outside of the received Western Canon. It can only be hoped that his uncollected writings in Indonesian  his journalism and occasional musings  will find a conscientious editor and will one day be published in English.

In the meantime, there is still one thing you can do. Read him. The need to read him and understand his message of humanity, tolerance and awakening has never been so urgent as it is in the world we live in today.

For Pram was not telling mankind how low it can sink. He was also reminding us of what we can be. Read him and understand him, even if you disagree with his politics as I did. There would be no better testament to his memory and to the conscience of a country.

The writer is head of the Centre of Excellence for National Security at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore The jakarta post/ann
For over the past 50 years, Gopaldas Mukherjee, affectionately known as Botuda, has lived his life with passion. He has never been after materialistic possessions of the world that is often used as a yardstick to judge the stories of success and failure. His story is different. He wanted his small village to acquire international attention and after a long struggle he has been able to achieve his goal.

The octogenarian lives in Maluti, a small village in Jharkhand bordering Bengal in Rampurhat, and is around 230 kilometres from Kolkata.

His village is also known as Guptakashi because of the presence of the 72 exquisite terracotta temples standing within a radius of just 700 metres. Tucked away in an obscure corner off the Dumka-Rampurhat State Highway, Maluti originally had 108 temples but most of them have now crumbled to dust due lack of maintenance.

The small picturesque village surrounded by lush green forests, hillocks and rivulets is situated just 23 kilometres from Tarapith, the revered temple of Goddess Tara where devotees descend in large numbers every day. But a few might be aware that Maluti has the temple of Maulikshya Devi considered to be the elder sister of Goddess Tara.

The temples of Maluti have their own proud history.The village first came into limelight in fifteenth century as the capital of Nankar Raj (tax-free kingdom).The credit of turning it into a temple village goes to the Baj Basanta dynasty whose rulers instead of building palaces, competed in constructing temples.

The inscriptions are in a mix of Bengali, Prakrit and Sanskrit, and the engravings are from epics; they depict pastoral life and gods and goddesses. The surviving temples are dedicated to Shiva while the rest are those of Kali, Durga and Vishnu. Interestingly, no particular style of architecture has been followed in Maluti and all popular styles of eastern India are visible there.

It is also believed that the name of the village originally Mallahati, comes from the Malla kings of Bishnupur in Bankura district who ruled this area in the 17th and 18th centuries. But the heritage place was lying in neglect and in a dilapidated condition with Bihar (now Jharkhand) government taking virtually no interest in its maintenance.

Gopaldas Mukherjee retired from the air force as ground engineer in 1967. He says that soon after returning to his village after retirement he began to do a research on the Maluti temples to ascertain the era they belonged. The government officials had little knowledge about the ancient temples so I had to carefully read the inscriptions to find as to which age they belonged before convincing them that they need restoration, he says.

He painstakingly contacted several senior IAS officers and even built up a rapport with them. He says that his good relationship with Mr Arun Pathak, former chief secretary of Bihar helped him to catch the governments attention. Eventually, the Bihar government took over the village and started restoration of the temples in 1983. He added, the village was initially under Bhagalpur division.

Renovation is being done for 62 out of 72 temples as 10 of them are still in good condition. The money sanctioned by the Prime Minister is in equal ratio from the centre and the state government. Upset with the abysmal attitude and general ignorance of this historical legacy, Botudatook on the responsibility of saving the temples after he returned to the village, post retirement from the air force in 1967.

I always was proud of the fact that I was born in a temple village, but after returning from my service in the air force, I was saddened to see the condition of the temples which were in dire straits. I took a vow to restore them to their original glory and thereby also gain attention for my village, he says, while sitting at his 135-years-old house, thats made of mud and straw. The Global Heritage Fund declared it as one of the 12 heritage sites of the world that is fast deteriorating beyond repair.

In 1968 he joined as a headmaster of a village school and also began to work for the renovation of temples. He met several senior administrative officials and urged them to make efforts for the restoration of these temples. His efforts proved fruitful when the Bihar government sanctioned money for it in the early 1980s. But work moved tardily over the years. The retired school headmaster continued to run from pillar to post requesting the government to speed up the work. Villagers too rued that several senior politicians had visited their village and assured them of renovation and turning the place into tourist attraction, but nothing had been done.

Former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi had visited here and promised to develop the village as a tourist spot, but it remained merely an unfulfilled promise as the condition of the temples turned from bad to worse, lamented Alok Banerjee, a villager.

Botu das prayers were finally answered when Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi sanctioned a budget of Rs 13 crores for the temples repair work as well as developing the general infrastructure of Maluti in 2015.

The village gained nationwide attention after the Jharkhand tableau on Maluti temples was adjudged second best at the Republic Day parade in New Delhi in 2015. It was a momentous event for a state that had made it to Rajpath only on four previous occasions but was never feted.

The victory proved to be a turning point for us. The village instantly found countrywide attention. The state government was very happy over the achievement and requested the PMO to take steps for the restoration of the temples. The Union government also responded positively, he says with pride. Soon after, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das honoured Gopaldas Mukherjee in Dumka, the district headquarters.

However, the 87-year-old was upset when work was stalled due to a financial deadlock in 2016. I was extremely unhappy when the work got stalled last year. It raised my concerns as all I wanted to see was the restored Maluti temples before I left this world for good, he said, turning emotional.

The work eventually began early this year and has been continuing since then. Now Botuda is a happy man. As the sun gently slips behind the hillocks in the horizon and silence envelops the sky as birds fly to their nests, a silent prayer is sent to the heavens above for Botuda so that he can finally see the priceless treasures of history in his village shine brightly again.
The Congress on Saturday expressed "deep concern" over the situation in Jammu and Kashmir as it held the maiden meeting of its policy planning group on the state.

Party leaders "freely and frankly" expressed their views on the situation in the Kashmir Valley at the meeting held at former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence here.

"The leaders expressed deep concern over the situation in the valley," Congress leader Ambika Soni said.

Among those who attended the meeting were Ghulam Nabi Azad, Karan Singh, Rigzin Zora, Tariq Hameed Karra, Shyam Lal Sharma and Ghulam Ahmed Mir, who heads the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir.

She said all the efforts undertaken by the earlier Congress-led UPA government in Jammu and Kashmir over a decade appeared to have been washed away.

"There is a long history of initiatives taken at different levels by the UPA government and Congress leadership," she said.

On April 19, Congress President Sonia Gandhi set up the policy planning group under the chairmanship of Manmohan Singh in the wake of widespread protests in the Kashmir Valley.

The move came after a delegation of Congress and National Conference leaders from the state met party Vice President Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress has been critical of the Modi government and the PDP-BJP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir over the handling of the situation in the state.

Ambika Soni said a decision regarding the next meeting would be taken by Manmohan Singh.


One of the assignments for the Information and Broadcasting Ministry after about a year of Modi rule was to monitor social media for comments /criticism on various government policies and programmes. Facebook posts and tweets, among others, came in for a laborious search daily by about 50 IT professionals seated at Soochna Bhavan on Lodi Road.

Within no time, hundreds of comments started streaming in to various ministries and departments via the Nodal I and B Ministry for responses. The all-powerful PMO was kept in the loop and responses were obtained in most cases.

The initial enthusiasm seems to be over now, judging by what officials say. Comments and critiques are routinely sent to the concerned ministries and departments who hardly bother to respond. Most public queries and comments are of routine nature hardly deserving a response, it is explained. Will there be a stock-taking of this exercise at the end of three years of NDA rule? Only the PMO can tell.

Return of Pranab?

Believe it or not, but some senior politicians are thinking along the lines of roping in President Pranab Mukherjee as leader of the combined Opposition for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections after he demits his constitutional post on July 25. According to a senior politicians privy to such thinking, there is no constitutional bar for the incumbent President to rejoin politics.

It is felt the move will instantly ignite the Opposition with all parties agreeing to work under Mukherjees leadership. Even the first family of the Congress, it is surmised, will have no difficulty acknowledging his leadership at a time when the party is in wilderness. Mukherjee, after all, has been the senior most leader of the Congress party for a long time. The big question is, will Mukherjee ever agree?
The BJP on Saturday questioned the Congress over the appointment of a Pakistan-origin lawyer to represent India in the Enron case at the International Court of Arbitration in 2004.

"Representing India's case at the International Court of Arbitration was none other than Khanwar Qureshi, who represented Pakistan in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case at the International Court of Justice (at The Hague)," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader GVL Narsimha Rao told reporters here.

On May 18, the ICJ stayed the execution of alleged Indian spy Jadhav, while dismissing Pakistan's contention that it had no jurisdiction to go into the matter.

Rao said: " we have seen several instances of the Congress standing up and speaking in support of Pakistan. We have seen that in case of surgical strikes, as they questioned our Army."

The BJP leader said that after the Congress came to power at the Centre in 2004, one of the early actions the government took was to change the entire legal team representing India in that arbitration case.

"Why did the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government hire a Pakistani lawyer in 2004? Did the Congress not have faith in Indian lawyers?"

The BJP leader said the Enron case was very sensitive and a prestigious one for the country, wondering how India hired Qureshi when the country's image and a large sum of money was involved.

He demanded that the Congress explain why confidence was placed in the Pakistani lawyer and not an Indian one to represent the Indian side at the international tribunal.

Qureshi was hired to represent India after Enron pressed a $6 billion claim against the Indian government in the Dabhol power project case in Maharashtra. The case went into arbitration.
To prove that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) cannot be tampered with, the EVM challenge will start from 3 June, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said on Saturday.

"The ECI throws opens the challenge to all national and state political parties from 3 June onward," Nasim Zaidi said, adding "The ECI through this challenge will restore and enhance faith and confidence of voters in EVM voting system."

"EVMs are open for visual inspection during the challenge too," Zaidi said, adding, "It will be a failure on part of the challenger if the EVM turns non-operational upon tampering attempt; results match with control unit and challenger defies norms or withdraws."

For the EVM challenge, political parties will have to apply by 26 May.

The Election Commission said it is just to reassure political parties that have raised doubts about the machines used to conduct every Lok Sabha and state elections held after 2002.

To bring more transparency in the voting system, Zaidi said that all future elections will be held with VVPAT and EVMs across all polling stations.

"All future elections will be held with VVPAT along with EVMs across polling stations," Zaidi said, adding, "Manipulation of EVMs at manufacturing stage is totally rolled out due to stringent security measures."

"Complaints came after elections in 5 states, but we did not receive credible material information on EVM tampering from complainants," he added.

"People who questioned reliability of EVMs have not yet submitted any proof or credible material to support their claim," he further said.

Brushing aside the EVM tampering allegations, the Election Commission of India (ECI) demonstrated the working of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail System (VVPATs).

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday said that the live demo of EVMs and VVPATs by the ECI will ensure credibility and the authenticity of the voting machine will be retained.

While earlier in the week, the poll panel had said it would offer an 'opportunity' to the political parties to prove that EVMs used in the recently held assembly polls were tampered with or can be tampered even with laid down safeguards.

The ECI also convened an all-party meeting over the issue of EVM and other electoral reforms.

(With inputs from agencies)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated Hassan Rouhani on his re-election as the President of Iran and affirmed India's commitment to strengthen the "special relationship" between the two nations.

"Heartiest congratulations to my friend, President @HassanRouhani on his re-election," Modi tweeted in English and Persian languages.

"India remains committed to strengthening our special relationship with Iran," he added.

The Prime Minister expressed confidence that Iran will continue to achieve new heights under the dynamic leadership of President Rouhani.

Rouhani, a 68-year-old cleric, won a resounding re- election victory today as voters backed his efforts to rebuild foreign ties and kickstart the struggling economy.

Rouhani, who spearheaded a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, framed the election as a choice between greater civil liberties and "extremism".

He defeated 56-year-old hardline cleric Raisi, who had had positioned himself as a defender of the poor and called for a much tougher line with the West.


The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday questioned various separatist leaders in the alleged hawala and terror funding from Pakistan-based terrorist groups.

While JKLF leader Farookh Ahmad Dar was quizzed, a NIA official also said that the agency was also questioning two other separatist leaders Nayeem Khan and Ghazi Javed Baba in the case.

The agency's action comes a day after its five member team arrived in Srinagar after registering a preliminary enquiry against Hurriyat's hardcore wing chief Syed Ali Geelani and his close aide and Hurriyat provincial president Nayeem Khan, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Dar alias Bitta Karate and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader Baba.

Probing the separatist leaders for allegedly receiving money from Lashkar-e-Taiba and other sources in Pakistan to fund stone-pelting and violent protests in Jammu and Kashmir, NIA officials have also asked the separatist leaders to produce certain documents for examination.

Earlier in the day, Geelani suspended Nayeem Khan's National Front from the Hurriyat, even as Khan told media that the sting operation by a news channel was "doctored and fake".

According to the investigating agency officials, the probe agency has collected the copies of at least 150 cases and are analysing these FIRs registered in the Valley recently, regarding damage caused to the schools and public property as part of the larger conspiracy to perpetuate violence and chaos in Kashmir.

The probe agency's move followed an expose by national news channel India Today purportedly showing Pakistan pumping money to stoke trouble in the valley in connivance with Hurriyat leaders.

The channel aired a sting on May 16 in which the Hurriyat leaders allegedly confessed to its reporter that they received money from Pakistan-based organisations routed through hawala.

Following the sting operation, the probe agency also identified the hotel in Srinagar in which the sting operation took place and it was completing formalities of identification of the room and collection of records.

The agency is also probing all angles, the official said.

Following the NIA probe into the funding, the Enforcement Directorate, which probes economic offences, had said that it would also join the NIA probe into the matter of funding through hawala channels  an illegal cash transfer system across borders run by money brokers.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday announced that the family of each paramilitary jawan who dies in action will be given a compensation of Rs.1 crore each.

"I have ensured that families of CAPF soldiers killed in action get at least Rs. 1 Crore compensation," Rajnath said after visiting the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) post at Nathu La.

"It is our duty to know about the problems of jawans, that is why we have launched MHA mobile application," he added.

He also declared that 34,000 posts of paramilitary constables were upgraded as head constables.

Addressing a 'Sainik Sammelan' of the ITBP)Force at the Sherathang border outpost, the home minister said the nation appreciates and is proud of the sacrifice of its paramilitary jawans.

The sacrifice of our jawans cannot be compensated with money. But the families of martyrs should not face any difficulty, he said.

The announcement came nearly a month after the killing of 25 CRPF jawans by Naxals at Sukma in Chhattisgarh.

The home minister also promised to look into the demand of the ITBP to bring uniformity in high altitude allowances.

In an effort to strengthen the coordination between the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the five states along the Indo-China border, Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting of the chief ministers of the statesJammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday in Gangtok.

(With inputs from agencies)
Even as Pakistan joins some African countries like Kenya and Nigeria to breed and export donkeys to China, said to be one of the worlds biggest consumers of donkeys, there are concerns the move might deplete the donkey population in the countries to such an extent that the whole species might be wiped, a media report said.

Last month, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government announced it would sell donkeys to China as a part of its Rs 1 billion Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-China Sustainable Donkey Development Programme, which was aimed to bring in Chinese investment into its agriculture sector.

The donkey development programmes is part of the portfolio prepared by the province to attract Chinese investment in its agriculture sector under the ambitious $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Although donkey skins have no value in the African countries who sell them, they are highly sought after in China where they are used in production of traditional medicines. Moreover, donkey meat is also believed to be more nutritious than other meats, Dunya News reported.

In the past, only the rich had the luxury of taking advantage of these medicines made from donkey hides, but a burgeoning middle class in China has fuelled the demand.

According to TRT World, 120 tonnes of donkey meat are exported from an average Kenyan donkey farm to China. This trade has spelled disaster for the donkey population there.

Dunya quoted a report published in TRT World, the international arm of the Turkish national broadcaster, that said the sale of donkeys and the illegal trade associated with it has had an adverse effect on their population in countries like Kenya and South Africa. As a result, some African countries have even banned donkey trading due to declining numbers.

It said TRT World also cited numbers and figures given by Britain-based charity The Donkey Sanctuary, which said that the global demand for donkeys is 10 million animals per year, against a supply of just 1.8 million. This makes the trade highly unfeasible and unsustainable, leading to a dwindling donkey population.

Considering these facts and the current scenario in African countries which are involved in the sale of donkeys to China, Pakistan should rethink its plans to pursue this programme, Dunya said.

In case this programme is not properly implemented, or Pakistan is unable to sustain a supply sufficient for the Chinese demand, the result would be a falling donkey population that is highly unfavourable.

The most important reason is the fact that donkeys are greatly valuable to the poor in the country, providing a cheap form of transport for people and goods, and thus, are an integral part of the struggle by poor people to make a living.

Moreover, donkeys are also of great value as a mode of transportation to traverse Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's mountainous terrains. Donkey trade might thus prove to be detrimental not only to the species itself, but also to those who regularly use donkeys as a means to transport themselves or their goods, it said.

According to media reports, Niger and Burkina Faso have announced a ban on donkey and donkey skin exports, as a result of massive imports by China, which, if left unchecked, will "decimate" their donkey populations.

China's interest in donkeys have affected Africa in myriad ways.

China needs donkeys for preparing a traditional and very popular remedy called Ejiao, believed to improve blood circulation, and cure conditions such as insomnia, dizziness, irregular menstruation etc.

Due to the preference for Ejiao, China's donkey population, over the past two decades, has decreased from 11 million to 6 million. According to government data, China's donkey population currently decreases at the rate of 300,000 a year, NewsBytes reported.

In Burkina Faso, China's donkey skin imports led to a growth of slaughterhouses. Donkey skin exports rose from 1,000 in the first quarter of 2015 to over 18,000 in the last quarter.

Some 45,000 of Burkina Faso's 1.4 million donkeys were slaughtered in the period from March-August 2016.

Blood and waste from slaughterhouses also affected groundwater in certain areas.

In Niger, from 27,000 donkeys exported in 2015, the number rose to 80,000 in 2016, while also leading to more than a 400 per cent increase in price  from $34 to $145.

Consequently, livestock traders are abandoning trade in other animals, with economic and ecological consequences.

According to the news site, China's insatiable demand for donkeys has left several other African countries affected in different ways from a growth of slaughter houses in Kenya to a surge in donkey skin smuggling in countries like Botswana and Zimbabwe.
Counting is underway on Saturday in Iran's Presidential election, with the official turnout said to be at about 70 per cent, poll officials said.

Millions of Iranians flocked to polling stations on Friday to vote in the election that pits incumbent President Hassan Rouhani, who is seeking a second term, against a strong conservative opposition.

Rouhani's main challenger is Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline cleric and former prosecutor who is close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

According to the Interior Ministry, over 40 million votes were cast on Friday and voting time was extended by five hours due to "requests" and the "enthusiastic participation of people", reports the BBC.

If no-one wins more than 50 per cent of votes cast, a run-off will be held next week.

Every incumbent President has been re-elected in Iran since 1985, when Ayatollah Ali Khamenei himself won a second term.

He cast his ballot just minutes after polls opened at 8 a.m.

Rouhani voted about an hour later.

More than 54 million people were eligible to vote in the presidential election.

Six candidates were approved by the Guardian Council, an influential clerical body controlled by conservatives, but two of them dropped out earlier this week, the BBC reported.

The first was Tehran's hard-line mayor, Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf, who pledged his support for Raisi on Monday.

He was followed on Tuesday by Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri, a reformist, who pulled out to smooth the path for Rouhani.

The two other candidates still in the race are Mostafa Hashemitaba, a reformist, and Mostafa Mirsalim, an ultra-conservative figure.
US President Donald Trump has said his first trip overseas to lands associated with three of the world's great religions is aimed at uniting the civilized world in a fight against terrorism.

Trump, who embarked on a nine-day trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Vatican, Belgium and Italy, said in his weekly web and radio address to the nation that he would represent the views of the American people frankly and clearly.

I will be visiting with the leaders in many different countries to strengthen our old friendships, build new partnerships, and unite the civilized world in a fight against terrorism.

In that spirit of unity, I will travel to lands associated with three of the world's great religions, Trump said.

The address was recorded prior to his departure and released after he left for Riyadh aboard Air Force One from the Joint Andrews Airforce Base yesterday.

My first stop will be Saudi Arabia the heart of the Muslim world. There, I will address a historic gathering of the leaders of more than 50 Muslim nations, he said.

Many world leaders, he said, had expressed growing concern about terrorism, the spread of radicalization, and Iran's role in funding both.

Now it appears Muslim leaders are ready to take more responsibility and a much bigger role in fighting terrorism in their region. Its about time we do it, well do it together, but it has to be done, he said.

America cannot solve all of the world's problems, but we can and we must help any nation willing to join in the common cause of eradicating terrorism from the face of the earth, Trump said.

From Saudi Arabia, the president said, he travels to the ancient city of Jerusalem for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on bringing peace and prosperity to both the nations.

Israel is an important American ally, but in recent years we haven't always treated them that way, he said, adding that it was time to renew this friendship.

While I'm there, I'll also meet with President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority in Bethlehem to discuss ways to advance peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

Next on his itinerary is the Vatican where he said he would have the great honour of an audience with Pope Francis. He looks forward to speaking with the Pope about how Christian teachings can help put the world on a path to justice, freedom and peace.

I will also meet with friends and allies in Europe at a gathering of NATO in Brussels and at the G-7 Summit in Italy.

Finally, I will close my trip by saying thank you to some of the courageous men and women of the United State Military serving their nation overseas.

Referring to his inaugural address, Trump said he pledged to strengthen America's oldest friendships, to seek new partners in pursuit of peace and, above all, to always put American people first.

I also pledged that our partners must show that theyre partners, they must show that theyre friends, and they must contribute financially to the tremendous cost the money that were spending is so big; its so much; and its not fair for our nation, Trump said.
Indian policy makers heaved a sigh of relief as the civil nuclear deal between India and Japan, signed last year after nearly seven years of thorny negotiations, cleared the biggest hurdle when Japans House of Representatives approved it earlier this week.

The Lower House approved the pact by a majority vote on Tuesday and sent it to the House of Councillors for further deliberations.

Opposition parties voted against the agreement, saying it does not contain a provision that would stop cooperation if India conducts a nuclear test. But the pact's parliamentary approval is assured now as the Lower House takes constitutional precedence over the Upper House in approving treaties.

New Delhi is hopeful that the Japanese Upper House would ratify the accord probably by the end of this month, paving the way for Japanese companies like Mitsubishi to export nuclear power equipment and technology to American firms like Westinghouse, which are in talks with India for setting up nuclear plants.

The pact was signed between the two countries when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Tokyo in November 2016, making India the first country in the world outside the NPT regime to sign such a deal with Japan. It prohibits New Delhi from using nuclear materials and technologies for developing atomic bombs and requires the country to accept inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Under the accord, India may reprocess nuclear materials and byproducts, but cannot make highly enriched uranium without approval from Japan. A separate document issued by Japan at the time of the signing of the deal confirmed that Tokyo would halt the nuclear deal if India undertakes further nuclear testing.

The main opposition Democratic Party in Japan has spoken out against the bill, pointing out that since the provision to suspend the treaty was not included in the pact, there was no explicit guarantee to limit the use of nuclear technology.

The Japanese government, however, insists that the treaty enables a strong response ~ by suspending cooperation ~ if India were to conduct nuclear tests. Unlike Japans nuclear deals with Jordan and Vietnam, the India-Japan accord does not specify nuclear testing as a condition for terminating the agreement.

Opposition parties have asked the government why there is no mention of nuclear test as a condition to halt the pact. During negotiations, India had firmly rejected adoption of the wording.

Some civic groups in Japan have also opposed the pact, saying it goes against the nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament goals of the country, the sole victim of a nuclear holocaust.
Pakistan will handle the case of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death, "according to our own laws", Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on Saturday.

The Jadhav issue would be treated as an espionage case and dealt with according to Pakistani laws, Geo TV quoted Khan as saying.

The Minister said Jadhav's arrest helped avert several incidents of terrorism in Pakistan.

He was addressing the media after attending a passing out parade of the Frontier Corps in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The comments came two days after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) told Pakistan to put on hold Jadhav's execution.

The Minister also spoke about Pakistan's troubled ties with Afghanistan.

While saying that the "hearts of Pakistanis and Afghans beat together", Khan warned Kabul not to talk to Islamabad "in India's language".

He urged Kabul to solve its internal and external issues first instead of blaming Pakistan for all the mess, the report said.


North Korea has accused the UN and the US of "double dealing" for condemning Pyongyang's Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) tests, a media report said on Sunday.

Ambassador Kim In Ryong, deputy permanent representative of North Korea, on Friday read out a letter here that threatened to ignore UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions for discrimination and registered complaints against the world organisation and the US, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The sophism of the US claiming that it may carry out missile launches but not the DPRK and that its launches are a 'contribution' to peace and security while the one by DPRK is 'provocative' and strains tensions, is really the height of double-dealing standards," he said.

"The UNSC has kept mum about the US test-fire of an ICBM which flew more than 6,000 km across the ocean, even while crying out for 'denunciation' and 'sanctions' for ballistic rocket test-fires the DPRK carried out."

North Korea tested a Hwangsong-12 ICBM on May 14 which the council criticized, while the US tested ICBMs on April 26 and May 3 without criticism, the Pyongyang envoy said.

"If the UNSC does not call the US to account for its aggressive and provocative large-scale joint military exercises and ICBM launches, the DPRK will never recognise any UNSC 'resolution' taken over the DPRK's ballistic rocket launches but continue to disclose the absurdity of the UN 'sanction resolutions'," Kim said.

North Korea has ignored several resolutions against ICBM and nuclear weapons testing.

Kim said the UN has ignored requests for an "international forum of legal experts to clarify the legal basis of the 'sanction resolutions'."

North Korea's nuclear capability for self defence and deterrence is aimed at the US trying to antagonize, isolate and stifle the country, he said.

But, Kim said that if the Trump administration "truly wants to adopt a new policy towards the DPRK, drawing a lesson from the preceding administration's failure, it should replace the Armistice Agreement between the DPRK and US with a peace accord and the total removal of hostile relations".

Such a move would "help ensure lasting peace on the Korean peninsula and further global peace and security," he said.

A joint statement by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and National Intelligence Director Dan Coats said the Us aimed to use economic sanctions and diplomatic measures to pressure Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear and missile programmes.

The statement said the US remained "open to negotiations" toward the peaceful denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula while staying "prepared to defend ourselves and our allies".
Olympic gold medalist Kaetlyn Osmond can't wait to skate in front of Newfoundland crowd for her first performance since COVID

When Kaetlyn Osmond steps on the ice at the Mary Browns Centre in St. Johns next month, it will be the first time the Marystown native has performed on ice in front of an audience since before the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. It's also the ...
1. Yes. Taxpayers are funding its operation; they should have a voice in the naming process.

2. Yes. The city should operate with a spirit of inclusivity. Residents will be responsive.

3. No. Public input can be problematic; rejection of suggestions can be divisive for residents.

4. No. Residents elect council members to make decisions on their behalf. No input is needed.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say whether public input would be more of a benefit or a hindrance.

Vote

View Results
When Gujarat's economy was in turmoil following the fire of communal riots that spread in the state for over three years, the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, was desperate to hold on to the financial reins of the state. It was at that stage, a Gujarat cadre bureaucrat who was also an accountant and Modi's close aide, came to his rescue.

Hasmukh Adhia, was among the few Gujaratis (from Lohana caste, respected in Gujarat for their business acumen) who were big names in the state bureaucracy, on a list mostly adorned by north and south Indian names. Adhia was instrumental in rolling out the speedy expansions of the Sardar Sarovar dam as executive director of the state owned power PSU Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd. and caught Modi's eye.

He was then given the role of Executive Director to turn around the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation that ran industrial parks in different parts of the state. Administration and services under the GIDC to industries in those days was abysmal.

Adhia was instrumental in selling GIDC land to two central PSUs, ONGC and GAIL, for setting up their new bases and project expansions in various places of the state. He also brushed up the industrial safety rules prevalent in the state and cleared the move to have fire stations in every GIDC.

A provision that was existing in the rulebook, but could be bypassed by the GIDC administration, if the industrial park could be serviced by a taluka or city municipality fire service.

After two years at the helm of GIDC, from 2003, Adhia shifted base to Gandhinagar, the state capital, and began his stint there as principal secretary to Narendra Modi. In those days, Adhia would meet every guest of Modi first personally and then allow them to meet Modi.

"Adhiaji decides everything. Where the CM visits, whom he meets and where he visits," secretarit staff at the Chief Minister's Office would say to journalists seeking to interview Modi. Adhia would literally measure out the distance to be kept by Modi from the media.

It was also at this time that Narendra Modi was suffering from a few niggling ailments and was also putting on some weight. Adhia, a PhD in Yoga from Bengaluru, started holding personl yoga sessions with Modi.

Subsequent to these sessions and the apparent health benefits from them, Modi announced a 'Karmayogi' programme in Gujarat, that aimed at holding yoga sessions for state government employees at all government offices, including at all police stations.

Modi continued his yoga programmes in Delhi and held special yoga day celebrations in the national capital. Prior to a state assembly election in 2007, Adhia became the mastermind for Modi's public policy and campaigning.

Another state government programme 'kanya kelavani' aimed at sending the girl child to school (Gujarat had one of the lowest rate of female literacy according to NSSO, 2007), was masterminded by Adhia and promoted by the Modi administration before his re-election for a second term as Gujarat chief minister.

A number of special pre-election schemes for the tribal population, always viewed as a 'swing factor' affecting poll results in Gujarat, were also masterminded by Adhia.

To give the Gujarat and the Modi administration  battered by criticisms of communal riot  an image makeover, he conceived Vibrant Gujarat fest to attract industrialists and to attract tourists to the state, extended the traditional one week Rannotsav Mela in Kutch, to a month-long state sponsored tourism event 'Kutch festival'.

At one point, after a stint at IIM-Ahmedababad and US management schools, Adhia sought to introduce Kaizen, the management technique to improve work place, at the state secretariat in Gandhinagar. Needless to say, the Japanese business management principle yielded little result when applied for Gujarat government.

After taking on as chief secretary (finance) Adhia increased VAT rates in Gujarat, but made no other landmark policy. Post Modi's exit out of Gujarat, Adhia remained the chief secretary (finance and indsutries) and is known to have caused differences between Modi and his revenue minister industrialist Sourabh Patel, who was a close confidante o Modi and is Dhirubhai Ambani's son-in-law.

Like Modi, Adhia too was oblivous of the media as long as he held state government positions. In Delhi, after taking over as financial services secretary in September 2014, Adhia kept a close door and shunned a media interaction that is usually the norm with any new secretary to government.

"I will speak, you listen carefully," is his most repeated line to journalists. However, despite his hostility for media, after donning the role of revenue secretary, Adhia had held media conferences on issues concerning demonetisation, tax penalties, black money and a number of them on GST developments.

With non-media visitors, the revenue secretary is known to take interest in discussing spirituality matters as well, other than just hard finance.

Prior to the November 8 demonetisation move by the Narendra Modi government, it was Hasmukh Adhia and two of the prime minister's data analytics researchers, who were making a blueprint for the move. Adhia was the first on twitter after the Prime Minister's address that evening to call the move 'historic' and 'game changing'.

With GST on the anvil, Adhia's enagagement with the proposed tax regime would now extend almost 10 years. In 2007, as principal finance secretary in Gujarat, Adhia had highlighted his objections on the new tax regime and suggested that Gujarat gets a preferential treatment.

Now, on the other side of the table as union revenue secretary, Adhia is instrumental in getting states' consent on most of the GST structuring done by him and his department.

Adhia's contribution to finance minister Arun Jaitley's budget this year were a proposal to levy 1 per cent additional excise duty on gold jewellery sale and the other a move allowing government to tax EPF contributions and provide pension to members.

While some of his proposals do get shelved at the face of reactions from the polity and public, Hasmukh Adhia, will continue to remain a person to watch out for in Modi administration.
The West Bengal government is one of the few states which are not ratifying the GST bills in the Assembly. The state also skipped the meeting called by the Union finance minister at Srinagar.

The meeting called by Jailtey for consensus on GST was not attended by Odisha, Tripura and West Bengal finance ministers. However, Odisha Assembly ratified it in a special session of assembly and Tripura is expected to follow.

Amit Mitra, the finance minister of West Bengal, was the chairman of the committee of state finance ministers in 2016 and played a crucial role in bringing unanimity among the states over the GST. However, he walked out of the meeting in November last year, saying the central government was "hasty to implement GST without proper studies about possible impact.

In December, Mitra also wrote a letter to Jaitely asking him to review the Union governments decision to make GST operational before September. He argued that state governments must be brought into the loop while deciding about the GST rates. Mitra had also warned about the adverse effects the GST would have on people after demonetisation of Rs 1000 and 500 notes were carried out in November 2016. I feel that the country is not ready to face the GST burden as yet, Mitra said, while talking to the press couple of days ago.

Union finance ministry fixed the rates even though no unanimity was reached at the meeting held in Srinagar. Mamata Banerjee government decided not to pass the bill in the Assembly unless its grievances are addressed. The states issues did not get addressed by the finance ministry. Also, there are issues like cross state rates which have also been overlooked, said a cabinet minister from West Bengal.

Meanwhile, industries, officially or unofficially, have welcomed the central governments move to implement GST as quickly as possible. We cannot sit idle anymore. We wanted that to be implemented as early as possible. If we dont do that now, we will miss the bus, said an industrialist in Kolkata, on the condition of anonymity.

The health sector heaped praises on Finance Minister Jaitley for exempting health and education sectors from GST ambit. We believe that by doing so the government has accorded health care and education the due importance and impetus that they need to become game changer for transforming India. However, health care has always been in the zero lists. So the positive impact of this will not be felt, said Suneeta Reddy, managing director, Apollo Hospital groups.

Arundhati Bhattacharya, SBI chairman, thinks that the implementation of GST will not be easy in banking sector. It will be a challenge for us because of cross-state issues. However, over all the impact will be positive after implementation, she said.
On the fifth day of his fan meet, 'Superstar' Rajinikanth continued giving hints about his entry into politics. However, this time too, he kept everyone hanging with his confusing statements.

As Rajini walked in with folded hands, he was greeted by frenzied fans calling out to their 'thalaiva'. The 'Superstar' looked more energetic than ever as he came on stage on the last day of the fan meet at Raghavendra Hall. The entire country has been engaged in continuous discussions and debates ever since he spoke about the possibility of entering politics given the right time.

Standing in the backdrop of a picture of a grand white blossoming lotus and the Apana Mudra, Rajinikanth stated that the system is a complete mess. A change has to be brought in. Only then the country will be cleansed. We should work together. I have my own business and duties. You have it too. Please go back to your work. And let's come to the warzone when the time comes.

For the past 44 years, I have lived in Chennai as a Tamilian. I was born and raised in Karnataka, but I lived there just for 23 years. I am a pure Tamilian, said Rajinikanth as he addressed his fans. You made me live a wonderful life. Should I not think and act for your well-being as a Tamilian? If you throw me out of Tamil Nadu, I will go only to the Himalayas. I will not go back to any other state.

Meanwhile, the backdrop alludes to the confusion regarding the interpretation of his recent statements. The image of the white lotus has two meanings, politically and spiritually. Politically, the lotus is linked to the ruling party in the Centre, and spiritually, it is linked to purity. The Apana Mudra, which Rajini was seen using in his movie Baba, also has two meanings. It is said to be introduced to yoga by Mahavatar Babaji, and considered as the symbol that helps digestion and detoxification the body. The nerve-endings on the finger tips helps one connect to the earth's energies when feeling off balance.

But whatever the meanings attached to the two symbols maybe, Rajinikanth's statements, not only these five days, but also in the three decades of his career in Tamil cinema has been confusing, both on and off screen.

For instance, his dialogues yen vazhi thani vazhi (my way separate way), vara vendiya nerathula varuven (I will come at the right time) explain his uncertainty, and remain as hints.

This time too, with the two symbols in the backdrop, Rajinikanth wants to wait till there is actually a battle.
Aatish Kapadia cannot stand the Indian middle class. The television writer says his wolverine-like claws come out when he sees people litter the street or haggle for a few rupees with a roadside vendor, traits he see as synonymous with the subject of his ire.

That loathing was evident in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, a sharp comedy Kapadia wrote 13 years ago. The show revolved around a rich family in South Mumbai and their bumbling, middle-class daughter-in-law who is unable to keep up with her mother-in-laws high standards and expectations. It aired on the Star network between 2004 and 2006.

When it first aired, the audience was intimidated by the show. I was bashing the middle class, and saying it is not the utopian way of life. I stand by that, Kapadia told Reuters.

The bashing took place through the character of Maya Sarabhai, played by Ratna Pathak Shah, who can barely contain her contempt for her daughter-in-law Monisha (Rupali Ganguli) and her unkempt ways. A polished, suave woman who enjoys the good life, Maya is shocked by Monishas loud and uncouth mannerisms. Most of the comedy comes from the barbs she throws at the younger woman.

Sarabhai vs Sarabhai didnt garner much attention when it first aired and wasnt even renewed for a second season. But over the years, it has acquired somewhat of a cult status, thanks to its acerbic humour and strong performances. The show returns on Tuesday with a 10-episode season on Star Indias streaming platform Hotstar.

After the video announcement of the new season on Facebook, fans posted ecstatic comments, and it was viewed more than a million times. I am crying with joy. I love this show eternally, one fan wrote.

But reinventing a show like Sarabhai in a television landscape populated with crass, slapstick humour was not an easy task. Kapadia, who produced the show with partner J.D. Majethia, tried reviving the show several times without success  sometimes due to reluctant networks, other times because the cast couldnt spare dates for the show or because the script wasnt good enough.

We knew we would have to make a lot of sacrifices to bring this show back  both personal and financial. We didnt take on any other show, focused on getting this right for the last six months or more. We cannot afford to mess up this show, Majethia said.

That determination was obvious on a recent afternoon in a suburb of Mumbai. Director Deven Bhojani, who plays a minor character in the series, asked actor Rupali Ganguli to change the tone of her voice because it doesnt go with her character. Monisha would say it differently, Bhojani tells the actor several times between takes on the sets.

A lot has changed since Sarabhai vs Sarabhai last aired in 2006. Indian television is more heavily censoredprofanity and sexual innuendo are heavily cut to sanitise shows according to the countrys censorship laws. Comedy is reduced to stand-up shows that rely on racist or sexist humour and appearances by Bollywood actors promoting their movies.

Where is the humour? Comedy on television has not evolved at all, and all the good writers have run away to films. Why should they come to TV anyway? Some channel executive is bound to tell them how to write their show, Kapadia said.

Online content is not yet censored in India, and over-the-top (OTT) platforms like Hotstar (which has almost 100 million users) are an ideal platform for shows like Sarabhai.

There is zero interference. It is no-holds-barred. I guess that is why you see all the stand-up guys moving to the web, said veteran actor Sumeet Raghavan, who plays Mayas son Sahil on the show. Raghavan also hosted one of Indias first web talk shows called Jai Hind! based loosely on late-night US talk shows.

Hotstar CEO Ajit Mohan said the quality and recall value of Sarabhai vs Sarabhai convinced him that the show should come out with a second season on the streaming platform.

It is an experiment for us. We are trying to see if, apart from its followers, can we introduce a whole new digital audience to Sarabhai? Mohan said.

The pressure to get it right does not affect Kapadia, he said.

My job is to make a good show. The rest is up to the audience. And my fate.
A team of policemen from West Bengal has reached Chennai to arrest Justice C.S. Karnan, who was convicted by the Supreme Court in a contempt case.

Last week, a police team led by DG (Home Guard), Raj Kanojia, had gone to Chennai, but they could not trace him out. The cops were told by Karnan's legal advisors that he was busy with moving a prayer to Supreme Court and President of India. The police team thus came back.

On Friday, the Calcutta High Court judges review petition was turned down by a division bench of the top court headed by Chief Justice, Justice J.S. Khehar.

Justice Karnan was on May 8 convicted in a contempt case and sentenced to six months jail.

We have got the report of arrival of police team. Lets see what happens, said W. Peter Ramesh Kumar, legal advisor of Justice Karnan.

Sources in West Bengal police have confirmed to THE WEEK that the police team would ensure that Justice Karnan was arrested.

He has no legal weapons left anymore. We have also not got any response from President of Indias office regarding not to arrest him, said a senior police officer of the West Bengal police.
What are attack helicopters for? Answer: to fly forward and pound the enemy's ground columns from the air.

If the machines for use in ground battle, who should own them? We should, says the army. Our field commanders, who face the brunt of the battle, need them. They alone know where and when to employ them.

Put the question differently. If the machines are for pounding ground targets from the air, who should own them? We should, says the air force. The army can own and employ all machines that move on the ground. We own and guard the air; we know how to fly and maintain the flying machines; we only have the right to strike from the airso goes the air force's logic.

The army had been asking for its own attack helicopters and had strongly pitched for them when the government sanctioned purchase of 22 Apache attack helicopters for the IAF to replace their Russian-built Mr-25 and Mi-35. The army then was pacified with a promise that the follow-on orders to the 22 machines would be for the army. The time has come to redeem the promise, says the army.

Traditionally, the IAF has been the custodian of attack helicopters in India; they have a fleet of Russian-made Mi-25 and Mi-35. As these machines are slowly reaching the age of retirement, they are being replaced by the Apaches in the IAF fleet. Since all aviation engineers and expertise is with the air force, the service argues that it would be also economical for them to keep and maintain the attack heles too. There is no need to duplicate the logistics,said an air force officer.

But the army's reasoning is that they already has flying expertise and expertise in maintaining flying machines. It already has an Army Aviation Corps, raised in 1986 when it needed extensive helicopter logistics support in the Siachen and Sri Lankan operations. The corps today owns more than 250 helicoptersChetaks, Cheetahs (to be replaced soon by Kamovs) and the India-developed Dhruv, all unarmed helicopters used for reconnaissance and transport of men and material. The army's logic is: if we can fly these, why can't we be allowed to fly attack heles too?

Moreover, look at the operational role,points out Major.General R.K. Arora, executive editor of Indian Military Review. Their main role is in manoeuvre warfare along with the tank corps. So they have to employed with the army, preferably with the armoured corps.

The army claims to have expertise in armed flying too - they have a fleet of Rudra helicopters, which is a weaponised versions of the Dhruv. Rudras are not strictly attack helicopters that can be employed against armoured formations, but can be used against lightly armed infantry formations and against insurgents. The army has ordered a total of 60 Rudras from Hindustan Aeronautics, whereas the IAF has asked for only 16.

The Army is also in the process of modernising its chopper fleet as it is leading the acquisition process for procuring 200 Kamov light choppers for itself and the Air Force to replace its fleet of vintage Cheetah and Chetak helicopters for operations in high-altitude military bases.

In the long run, the army would like to have three attack helicopter squadrons for each of its corps. For starters it would have attack helicopters for each of the three strike corps, the formations which are meant for rapid penetration into the enemy territory.

The IAF's argument is pivoted on inventory economy. Allowing the army to have its own aviation strike formations would lead to unnecessary costsin terms of training pilots, maintaining depots, and even managing spare parts.

But the army's counter is also based on tactical logic. The air force can own all the strategic airspace it wants. But the tactical air space should belong to the army,points our Arora. That's why, he points out, the army has its own close air defence assets.
Any change in the Medical Council of India's (MCI) clause on doctors prescribing generic medicines will not work, Dr K.K. Aggarwal, national president of the Indian Medical Association told THE WEEK. Aggarwal was referring to the MCI rule stating that "Every physician should prescribe drugs with generic names legibly and preferably in capital letters, and he/she shall ensure that there is a rational prescription and use of drugs. The words legibly and preferably in capital letters were added after an amendment last year.

At a press conference on Jan Aushadi stores last week, Union minister for chemicals and fertilizers Ananth Kumar hinted at an amendment in the rule to ensure that doctors were bound to prescribe only generic medicines.

With the government's ongoing push for generic medicines to ensure "affordable healthcare", the MCI clause has been in the middle of a controversy over its "true" interpretation. A notification by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare last month cited this clause and reminded doctors that they were obligated to follow it.

However, the IMA chief responded to the ruling by stating that the word "should" in the clause implied that the rule was not mandatory.

Now, according to Kumar, the word "should" would soon be replaced with "shall", making the rule mandatory.

But Aggarwal contends that the word play will not work because authorities did not understand the ground situation. "People in the government need to understand that doctors are anyway writing only generic drugs!," he said.

The confusion has arisen because the same drug was being sold by multiple companies at different pricesgeneric generic, trade generic (promoted by chemists) and branded generics. "The price differential between them can be in the range of 700-800 per cent," he says, adding that the government needed to first disallow such a price differential.

Aggarwal says that the recent statements made by Kumar and Union minister for health and family welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda, on this issuerecently, Nadda had also hinted at a law to ensure doctors were bound to prescribe generic medicineshad only caused confusion among doctors. "Unless the price is regulated in a way that there is no differentiation for the same drug, the confusion is bound to continue," he said.
With several political parties alleging that the electronic voting machines were tempered with during the last assembly elections, the Election Commission of India has thrown open a challenge for parties to prove their charges. The parties have been given time till May 26 to register for the challenge and prove their allegations on EVMs of their choice on June 3.

Following up on the meeting with the political parties on May 12, the commission came out with detailed presentation showing how the EVMs manufactured by the two state run companiesBEL and ECILcannot be tempered with. The entire election commission held a presentation of the EVMs before the media and even held a press conference to put across its point.

Over the last 20 years, the election commission has conducted 107 state assembly elections, and three Lok Sabha elections using the EVMs. Since 2013, voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines have also been used, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said.

We have placed orders for new VVPAT machines. The companies will start manufacturing by August 2017 and submit all the machines by September 2018, so that next Lok Sabha elections will be held using these VVPAT machines, Zaidi said adding that all political parties have agreed to it.

Without commenting on the hacking of EVM shown in the Delhi Assembly by an Aam Admi Party MLA, Zaidi said the challenge will lay to rest all the doubts over the effectiveness of the machines.

Certain political parties had cast aspersions on the credibility and integrity of EVMs that were used in the recently held General Assembly Elections of five states namely Punjab, Goa, Manipur, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh in February-March 2017. Election Commission sought evidence from the complainants. No evidence has been received by the Commission, Zaidi claimed.

The EC received over 100 complaints. Though each of the individual complainants were asked to submit the proof, none of them has done it so far, the CEC said.

Under its challenge, Election Commission invited the nominees of national and state political parties, who contested recently held assembly elections of five states have been asked to demonstrate their allegations. Each party can nominate 3 persons only to participate in the EVM Challenge.

There are two components of the challenge.

In Challenge I, the claimants will get a chance to alter the results in the control units used during the polls in exactly the same scenario as the EVMs remain in within the technical and administrative safeguards of the ECI. They would be given a chance to use wireless, bluetooth, mobile phone to affect change.

In Challenge II, the parties will be allowed to inspect the machines by opening them and even a fresh sample poll can be conducted on the selected EVMs.

However, the EC made it clear that machines will not be handed over to the parties so that they can tamper with the mother board or the chip of the machine. Such a technological change will render the machine different from the one which is with us, Zaidi said.

Zaidi made it clear that the purpose of the exercise was not to win or lose, but to clear doubts.
The Labour party has originally been close to the migrant communityespecially the Asians living in the UK. But according to a report in 2015, it was pointed out that the Conservative party actually won the general election because of the 1.2 mn Indians living here in the UK, who chose to vote for them over the others.

However, that was David Cameron and his policies, but this election, Prime Minister Theresa May is definitely not trying to woo the Indian voters. The number of Indian candidates have gone down from 17 to 13, though Labour party has maintained their numbers at 14, same as in 2015. The Labours also have declared the largest number of BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) candidates this yeara total of 58.

Brexit and its consequences have been one of the main concerns in most manifestos. Interestingly, many Indians living in the UK had voted for Brexit last July, believing that this may open up new doors of opportunities for them. But the 2017 election manifestos are a clear reflection of the growing anti-immigrant feeling lurking around in Britain, whether the diaspora likes it or not.

The Conservative manifesto is very clear cut on immigration. They are trying to 'control and reduce' numbers down by tens of thousands and that includes foreign students. They have promised to increase Immigration Skill Charges to 2000 levied on companies or businesses who want to hire anyone outside the British Workforcewhich includes Indians. Currently, companies have to pay 1000 per non-EU immigrant that they are hiring. The Tories are also planning to make foreign workers and overseas students pay more NHS services, to cover the increasing costs and increase the earnings threshold for people wishing to sponsor migrants for family visas. Foreign students are expected to leave the country after their course finishes, unless they qualify for higher requirements, that allow them to work in Britaina clear indication that the 'Post Study Work' visa will not be restarted in the near future.

On the other hand, the Labour party has outlined its vision for immigration control (after Brexit), suggesting that it could be achieved through a 'tailored mix' of employer sponsorship, work permits and visas. Though the manifesto outlines that it will not discriminate between people of different races and creeds, it has clearly reflected the anxiety about Brexitthe end of free labour movement from mainland Europe.

Since the party remains a representative of the labour forces in UK, it has directly not shown any discontentment towards Indians as skilled migrants taking up British jobs. But it hasn't made any clear promises either, except that it would remove students from immigration figures. They have said they would protect EU citizens who are already in the UK and scrap the income threshold for bringing foreign spouses in the countryin a venture to end 'Skype families', where spouses and families are forced to live apart and interact through Skype or Facetime.

Huffington Post reported that Labour's draft policy changed after a crunch meeting last Thursday, especially after concerns were raised about the initial immigration policies proposed in the manifesto. It is perhaps wise for them and a step towards the right directionbut the party still fails to promise better economic rights for the non-EU immigrants, especially for Indians, as the official Brexit date draws closer.
US President Donald Trump embarked on his first foreign visit to Saudi Arabia, Israel and global summits in Italy and Belgium on Friday.

As he leaves for Saudi Arabia on Friday afternoon, Trump posted a tweet "Getting ready for my big foreign trip. Will be strongly protecting American intereststhat's what I like to do!"

But the political turmoil in Washington over Trump's firing of former FBI Director James Comey and the simultaneous developments involving allegations of forcing Comey to stop investigating former security adviser Michael Flynn and the appointment of a special counsel to look into the allegations of Russia's interference in the 2016 elections and his presidential campaign's ties to Russia, threatens to overshadow his first overseas trip as President.

With his first stop at Riyadh, Trump will focus on strengthening relations between the Saudis and America.

Trump will then land at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel on Monday, May 22 where he will be received in a special ceremony on the tarmac.

He will have meetings with President Reuven Rivlin at the President's Residence in Jerusalem and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump will be the first serving president to visit the Western Wall.

Both Jerusalem and Riyadh will question Trump on the Iran nuclear deal.

In Europe especially, they want to know whether Trump will pull out of the Paris climate accord and want to test his true feelings for Russia, which is seen as a threat in much of Europe.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and US President Donald Trump are likely to have wide ranging discussions on a number of issues including Islamabad's tense relationship with India, on the sidelines of the first Arab-Islamic-American Summit in Riyadh.

The summit is aimed at developing security co-operation to deal with the threat of growing violent extremism. Around 55 leaders are expected to attend the two-day summit, including US President Donald Trump, to lay the foundations of an Arab NATO force to combat terrorism in the Middle East.

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud extended an invitation to President Trump and leaders of the Islamic world to attend the 'historic' summit to "Renew mutual commitment to global security and further strengthen already deep business, cultural and political ties."

"As we bring the world together to confront violent extremist ideology, so too are we working in partnership with our American and Islamic allies to improve the lives of our people and strengthen our collective economies," stated the official website for the Riyadh Summit.

Sharif is likely to meet President Trump on the sidelines of the US-Arab Islamic Summit.

Besides the US and Pakistan leaders, 53 top officials have been invited to the summit from across the Arab and Muslim worlds.

However, the absence of Iran at the summit is being seen as Saudi Arabia's strategy neutralize Tehran's growing influence in the Middle East.
Numbers are stacked against them, or so may be the perception. But opposition parties are pooling in numbers to force a debate against the dominant political narrative in the country. The main test they have in sight is the presidential election due in July.

For the moment, the Narendra Modi government appears to have an edge with parties like the YSR Congress and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti indicating that they would support the National Democratic Alliance. This would help it bridge the gap of nearly 20,000 votes needed to win the presidential polls. The BJP is likely to nominate a person from within the saffron family, possibly with RSS roots, while the opposition is hunting for a face who could not just put up a fight, but also could initiate a debate about RSS control over the Constitution and its secular principles.

The office of the president is very important. We are looking for secular supervision of the Constitution as opposed to communal supervision. With that objective, talks have started, said CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

The likely candidates on the opposition radar include Gopalkrishna Gandhi and former Lok Sabha speaker, Meira Kumar, who is dalit. Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and C. Rajagopalachari, has been sounded out about his possible nomination. He fits the bill because of his clean image and secular credentials. He is accepted by the Left parties and the Trinamool Congress. Him being the grandson of Rajaji can convince the southern parties, too, said a senior opposition leader. He, however, said Gandhis nomination would depend on the choice the ruling party makes.

If the opposition is able to win over a few parties from the NDA, like it managed to get the Shiv Sena to vote for Pranab Mukherjee in 2012, it could upset the calculations of the Modi government. The Sena can change its mind if a person from Maharashtra is the candidate. It is a war of attrition, said Yechury. He said the BJP would possibly wait till the opposition made its choice.

Given Modis style of functioning, even his colleagues are not quite sure about who would make the cut. There is a buzz around names like Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Jharkhand Governor Draupadi Murmu, Union Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot and Maharashtra Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao. Murmu and Gehlot are being considered as they belong to tribal and dalit communities, respectively.

Mahajan comes from the RSS background and has extensive experience in parliamentary procedure. As she has been running the Lok Sabha, she knows opposition leaders well. Other likely choices include Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and BJP stalwarts Murli Manohar Joshi and L.K. Advani. Joshis and Advanis chances suffered a blow after the Supreme Court recently asked them to be tried under conspiracy charges for pulling down the Babri mosque.

It is likely that the BJP would field a person with an RSS background. We would oppose that. It is an ideological battle for us, said K.C. Tyagi, Janata Dal (United) general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP. We want a debate against tampering with the spirit of the Constitution. The sangh wants to review the Constitution as they want to remove socialism and secularism from the preamble. They even want to do away with reservation.

The BJP, however, is confident. We have the numbers. Their claims of creating an ideological debate will not bear fruit, said BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya. To bolster support for its cause, Venkaiah Naidu was in Chennai recently to interact with the AIADMK leadership. Interestingly, BJP president Amit Shah postponed his visit to Tamil Nadu until after the presidential polls so that his aggressive posturing against the state government did not upset the AIADMK.

The opposition, too, has been active in its search for a consensus candidate. Yechury is speaking to parties which are opposed to the Congress. He has met Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy of the YSR Congress and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to persuade them to cooperate with the Congress. While Patnaik is learnt to have agreed to a joint candidate, Jagan seems to have thrown his lot with the BJP.

Meanwhile, Congress president Sonia Gandhi met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar, CPI leader D. Raja, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Yechury to discuss the possibility of a common candidate. After meeting Sonia, Mamata said although they spoke about the presidential elections, no specific names were discussed. We will meet again to discuss a consensus candidate, said Mamata.

Nitish Kumar, too, is strategising to identify a consensus candidate. A few days after he visited President Pranab Mukherjee, Nitish said it would be a good idea to give Mukherjee a second term. Like Yechury, he is also talking to parties that are not too friendly with the Congress. The opposition leaders will get another opportunity to fine-tune their strategy when they gather in Chennai on June 2 for the birthday celebrations of DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi. However, despite the hectic parleys, the actual announcement of candidates is likely only after the Election Commission formally launches the election process by the middle of next month.

The opposition is trying to put up a united front not just for the presidential polls, but also for a whole lot of issues, including the Kashmir crisis and the alleged hacking of electronic voting machines. Senior opposition leaders are keen to hold a conclave on Kashmir to stress the importance of dialogue with all stakeholders as against the Union governments strong-arm approach. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav and Left leaders are keen to have the conclave in Delhi. We are waiting for the appropriate time and are working out a nuanced subject to debate, said an opposition leader. Otherwise, the government and its machinery would try to brand us as anti-nationals. We want to change the debate, and all actions are in that direction.






MBABANE  Will Qing Ming He face a murder charge together with his girlfriend, Dao Thanta should the missing prominent Matsapha Businessman, Almor Oliveira be found dead?



This was a subject of debate between the State and the defence counsel during the ongoing bail application for the duo at the Mbabane Magistrates Court yesterday. Macebo Nxumalo who is representing the Crown felt strongly that if Ming may be charged with murder with regards to the alleged kidnapped Businessman, his girlfriend might face a similar charge.



Nxumalo said the duos action during their arrested proved that there was a furtherance of a common purpose and that whatever happens to the victim they are alleged to have kidnapped, might be as a result of the agreement.



Committed



He said the Crown was not disputing the fact that Tanta was in Vietnam when the alleged offence was committed, however, she was linked to the commission of the offence through her actions when approached by the police.

She was given an opportunity to prove her innocence by just opening her cellphone that was allegedly used in the commission of the offence in her absentia but she totally refused. The messages contained in the cellphone left the Crown with the view that it was used in the commission of the offence, Nxumalo said.



The messages were allegedly sent from Mings cellphone and forwarded to Mrs. Oliveira. The evidence before court was to the effect that the message sent by Mrs. Oliveira back to Mings cellphone when demanding a certain amount of money reads I am still preparing the money may I speak to my husband.



Requested



He added that Tantas act of providing the police with different pin codes when requested to do so by the police, was also a clear indication that she had knowledge of the content contained in the cellphone. Nxumalo said it was in the interest of justice that the court considers the doctrine of common purpose in the matter.

In the issue of Ming, Nxumalo said there was overwhelming evidence against him as a grey BMW vehicle similar to the one owed by Ming was allegedly following Oliveiras car before he disappeared.



He said there was also a T-shirt that was found with blood stains and Oliveiras car also had some blood stains. The Crown said with the blood stains found on the T-shirt and from Oliveiras car, the State was left with the view that the victim was assaulted during the alleged kidnapping incident.



Essential



Nxumalo said Mings act of biting his finger presumably to destroy his fingerprints, which were essential in opening the cellphone suspected to have been used in the commission of the offence, was clear indication that he feared that more evidence would come out.
Aspiring soldiers during the recruitment exercise in this file picture. However, this is not to suggest that those pictured are mentioned in the story. (Inset) Army Commander, Sobantu Dlamini.

MANZINI  The Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force (USDF) is shaken up by transfers of senior officials amid the ongoing investigations of the anomalies that took place during the recent recruitment process.



A well placed source within the army said a number of senior officers who were part of the army recruitment exercise, especially the leaders of instructors and their immediate insubordinates, had been transferred from their workstations and their positions were taken by officers from other camps, mainly Nokwane Army Headquarters.



He was quick to explain that this was, however, not to suggest that they were implicated or found guilty, but it was part of the process to enable investigations to continue smoothly.

The insider made an example that Colonel Derrick Nkambule, who was based at Nokwane Army Headquarters, had been transferred to Ngwavuma Army Barracks to strengthen the leadership as some senior officers from the camp were transferred.



According to our insider, the transfers were part of the actions which were taken by the army following reports of irregularities said to have happened during the recruitment exercise.

He said the anomalies were discovered following the complaints that were filed by constituencies, which felt that the exercise did not go well at their communities and the army appointed a team to investigate the complaints.

Currently, investigations have seen about 40 army recruits being expelled from the military infantry school based at Mbuluzi Army Barracks. This resulted in over 100 more finding their way into the army. It was gathered that during the investigations, some of the expelled recruits confessed that they paid amounts ranging between E40 000 and E55 000 in order to be recruited to the military.



The insider revealed that the authorities of the army first engaged the affected officers in serious talks about the investigations before the decision to transfer them was reached.

It was revealed that the investigations were incomplete and that there were a lot of uncertainties within the army as it was clear that more transfers and other tougher decisions were coming.

The transfers are said to have not gone down well as some officials were left aggrieved while others took it as a routine internal exercise that normally took place from time to time in the military.



This publication has it in authority that the transferred USDF officers hold ranks which include; Lieutenant, Captain, Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel .

Some of the high positions, which were held by the affected soldiers in the various army barracks where they were stationed were Commanding Officers and 2nd In Charge among others.

One of the affected officers confirmed that the transfers left some of them aggrieved as it was triggered by allegations around anomalies of the recruitment process. However, we have taken it as a normal routine transfer as it usually happens internally, the officer said.



Meanwhile, another transferred army official said even though there were questions asked about the recruitment exercise, he believed that it was a normal routine exercise.

On the other hand, USDF acting Public Relations Officer (PRO) Lieutenant Nkosinathi Dlamini said there were officers who were transferred. However, he was reluctant to specify the reason for the transfers. He said they usually have transfers internally and it usually depends on the skills and expertise required by another army barrack.



He said sometimes a transfer could be driven by the fact that there was a vacant post in the army. Again, it can because of tour duty, where we want officers to be in context of what was happening in the army, then there could be transfers, the acting PRO said.



It is worth noting that recently, over the past weekend, some recruits resigned from the USDF training after the Army Commander, Sobantu Dlamini, made a statement that the military doors were open to allow those who felt that they were not coping to leave.



A total of three full-bodied female recruits immediately excused themselves. This left some of the recruits wondering about their positions because they believed that if they had passed the physical tests during the recruitment exercise, they would cope with the training just like the many others who were still training.

Again, in the same week, an aspiring soldier, who is a chief, left the army training base in Mbuluzi Army Barracks fuming after he was allegedly slapped by an instructor, who was correcting his wrongdoing.



While leaving the assembly square, the chief said; Angeke ngikhone kushaywa ngulenye indvodza ngingabuyiseli (he cannot afford to be slapped by another man and not retaliate).

Furthermore, in a previous interview, the acting USDF PRO said some recruits were resigning from the army infantry school because they suffered from diseases which could result in death if they continued with the training.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

By Zach Gewelb

A man was shot and killed Thursday in Richmond Hill, according to authorities.

Police responded to a 911 call of shots fired in the vicinity of Atlantic Avenue and 88th Street, within the confines of the 102 Precinct at about 9:30 p.m., according to the NYPD.

Upon arrival, officers were directed to Jamaica Hospital, where a 23-year-old male gunshot victim was transported via private means from the original call location, police said.

At Jamaica Hospital, officers discovered the 23-year-old male victim had a gunshot wound to the upper torso. The victim died after succumbing to his injuries.

The identity of the deceased was pending proper family notification.

There were no arrests and the investigation remained ongoing.
Dogged by controversy at home, Donald Trump opened his first foreign trip as president in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, looking to shift attention from a political firestorm over his firing of former FBI Director James Comey.

With delicate diplomatic meetings facing him, including three summits, Trump faces the challenge of advancing his "America First" agenda without alienating key allies.

Stepping off Air Force One in sweltering heat with his wife, Melania, Trump and his entourage received a red-carpet welcome from Saudi King Salman.

The trip has been billed by the White House as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world\s major religions while giving Trump time to meet with Arab, Israeli and European leaders.

But uproar in Washington threatened to cast a long shadow over the trip. His firing of Comey and the appointment of a special counsel to investigate his campaign\s ties to Russia last year have triggered a stream of bad headlines.

The New York Times reported Trump had called Comey a "nut job" in a private meeting last week in the Oval Office with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak.

The White House did not deny the report, but said "the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations."

In another development, the Washington Post said a current White House official close to Trump was a significant "person of interest" in the investigation into possible ties between Trump\s presidential campaign last year and Russia.

Trump and King Salman seemed at ease with each other, chatting through an interpreter. Walking with a cane, the king greeted Trump on the tarmac. A military brass band played, cannons boomed and seven Saudi jets flew over in V-formation, trailing red, white and blue smoke.

The two leaders sat side by side in the VIP section of the airport terminal and drank coffee served in the traditional Arab style.

"Do you spend a lot of time in New York?" Trump was overheard asking the king.

On the drive to the Ritz hotel where Trump is staying, King Salman rode with the president in the heavily armored presidential limousine nicknamed "the Beast".

Along the motorcade route were billboards with large pictures of Trump and King Salman, with the slogan: "Together we prevail."

Trumps decision to make his first official trip abroad to Saudi Arabia, followed by Israel, countries which both share his antagonism towards Iran, marks a contrast with his predecessor Barack Obamas approach.

Trumps criticism of the nuclear deal Iran reached with the U.S. and five other world powers in 2015 pleases both Saudi Arabia and Israel, who accused Obama on going soft on Tehran.

Poll results showed on Saturday that Iranians had emphatically re-elected President Hassan Rouhani, architect of Iran\s still-fragile detente with the West.

After a royal banquet, Trump and the king were to have private talks and participate in a signing ceremony for a number of U.S.-Saudi agreements, including a $100 billion deal for Saudi Arabia to buy American arms.

National oil giant Saudi Aramco expected to sign $50 billion of deals with U.S. companies on Saturday, part of a drive to diversify the kingdom\s economy beyond oil exports, Aramco\s chief executive Amin Nasser said.

Trump is to deliver a speech in Riyadh on Sunday aimed at rallying Muslims in the fight against Islamist militants. He will also attend a summit of Gulf leaders of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council.

A senior Saudi official said a digital center to monitor the activities of Islamic State and other militant groups online would be opened on Sunday, to coincide with the visit.

Ahead of Trump\s trip, the White House said the president expected tangible results from Saudi Arabia in countering Islamic extremism.

Shortly after taking office, Trump sought to block people from several Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States, but the travel ban has been blocked by federal courts.

The 70-year-old president\s trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy and Belgium will be Trump\s longest time away from the White House since he took office four months ago.

Even his hand gestures may draw scrutiny in the Middle East, where the thumbs-up sign, a Trump trademark, is considered taboo.

The uproar over Comey\s firing looked unlikely to go away.

Trump, who has expressed a desire for friendlier relations with Moscow, drew a storm of criticism this week when it emerged that he had shared sensitive national security information with Russia\s foreign minister during a meeting last week in the White House.

The president was already under attack for firing Comey in the midst of an FBI probe into Russia\s role in the 2016 election and possible collusion with Trump campaign members.

Moscow has denied any such interference. Trump has denied collusion and denounced the appointment of a special counsel as a witch hunt.

His fellow Republicans in Congress have expressed frustration that Trump\s pro-business economic agenda, featuring a plan to cut corporate and individual taxes, has been pushed to the backburner by the turmoil.

SOURCE: REUTERS
Times' Game of the Week Preview: No. 4 Mapletown vs. No. 5 South Side

No. 5 South Side gears up to stop the top-scoring No. 4 Mapletown Maples and star running back Landan Stevenson in the quarterfinal Class 1A matchup.
CANTON  St. Lawrence University announced Saturday it has received an unrestricted $25 million gift -- the largest in the school's 161-year history.

Sarah E. Johnson Class of 1982, and her parents, Charles and Ann Johnson, members of the Laurentian circle of leaders, made the contribution.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 (Rotterdam Police Dept.) Show More Show Less 2 of 3 (Rotterdam Police Dept) Show More Show Less 3 of 3





ROTTERDAM - Police are appealing for the public's help as they hunt for Paul Gervasio and Chad Thomas, two members of a motorcycle gang accused of attacking a man outside a bar in March.

Police said the group of about 25 bikers had showed up at Blue Jay tavern on Broadway shortly after midnight on March 19 looking for a rival from another motorcycle club. He wasn't there.
New York

An awkward job interview question  how much did you make at your last job?  is getting banned in some parts of the country.

Massachusetts, New York City and Philadelphia have passed laws that bar employers from asking applicants about their salary history. And several states, including California, Mississippi and Pennsylvania, have proposed similar legislation this year.

Supporters say the bans are one way to help close the wage gap between men and women. Some business advocates, however, say the bans hurt companies that use salary histories to help them set wages.

Either way, employment lawyers say the bans may spread.

"I would not be surprised if we see other states and cities consider it," says Christine Hendrickson, an employment lawyer at Seyfarth Shaw in Chicago.

Here's what you need to know:

When do the laws take effect?

Massachusetts's law is set to go into effect in July of 2018. New York City's ban takes effect in November. Philadelphia's ban was supposed to go into effect May 23, but a judge has temporarily halted it after the city's Chamber of Commerce filed a lawsuit opposing it.

What's banned?

The laws block employers from asking applicants about salary history in interviews or on applications. Job applicants can still provide their past pay on their own. And employers may ask applicants what salary range they expect in the role, says Regina E. Faul, an employment lawyer and partner at Phillips Nizer in New York.

Why ban it?

Lawmakers say asking about salary history continues the cycle of pay inequality, keeping a woman from getting higher pay at a new job if she reveals her past salary.

Letitia James, who authored New York's law and is the city's public advocate, said the ban ensures that "being underpaid once does not condemn anyone to a lifetime of inequity."

What happens if an employer asks for salary history where it is banned?

Job applicants can report those employers, and they may be fined or even face jail time. In New York, the fine can be as much as $250,000. In Philadelphia, it's $2,000 per violation, plus 90 days in jail for repeat offenses.

What has been the response from the business community?

The Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, which represents about 600,000 businesses, sued the city over the ban last month arguing that it violates employers' free speech rights and makes it harder for companies to set wages and attract top talent. The lawsuit says employers use wage history to identify which job applicants it can or can't afford and helps businesses figure out what the comparable salary is for a certain job.

Which other locations are considering bans?

This year, at least 21 states and Washington D.C. have proposed legislation that would prohibit salary history questions, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The states are: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, Vermont and Washington.

Others may join in. "There's probably going to be a trend toward this," says Faul.
Rotterdam

Town police capped a four-month-long probe with the arrest of a town man charged with allegedly fleecing his two elderly aunts out of $80,000 to $120,000 and spending the money for vacations and gambling, as well as repairs to his home and car.

At the same time, police and prosecutors from the Schenectady County District Attorney's Office accuse David Longe of failing to pay the women's bills for months.

Longe had access to the money because he served as power of attorney for his aunts, both of whom suffered from a variety of mental health problems, including dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Investigators examined thousands of Longe's bank records, checks and invoices from businesses he patronized over the past 18 months during the probe into the illicit business dealings.

They determined that he used the money to buy tires, brakes and an engine for his vehicle, and on vacations and to gamble. Additionally, he made several renovations to his home, police said.

All told, authorities said they accounted for more than $80,000 in money Longe stole from his aunts but suspect that figure could be closer to $120,000.

Longe was arraigned Friday on a charge of grand larceny and sent to the county jail in lieu of $15,000 cash.

 Paul Nelson
Mayor Bill de Blasio, with delay-fatigued transit riders as his latest backdrop, lashed out with a fury at Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo during a radio interview on Friday, opening a new front in the yearslong public feud between the Democratic leaders.

"That's a fantasy," de Blasio began, reacting to Cuomo's comments that he has limited control over the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state-run agency that oversees the subways.

De Blasio and Cuomo had been mostly mum amid a surge in delays on New York's subway system, hoping to avoid riders' ire and, in the case of the mayor's aides, believing that sounding off could be a counterproductive strategy for dealing with Albany.

But as attention on the problems began to increase, each sought to blame the other this week  a finger-pointing political ritual between the men that in this case cast de Blasio as the one with the upper hand.

In most disagreements between de Blasio and Cuomo, the governor holds the cards: The mayor either needs money from the state budget or some action by the State Legislature. In this instance, the governor still controls the money  through the authority  but as the subways sputter, that responsibility can be an albatross.

"Let's be clear: There's a division of labor," de Blasio said during his weekly interview on "The Brian Lehrer Show" on WNYC. "It's out in the open. Let's not kid around anymore. If you have a concern  if you like something NYPD is doing, or you don't like it  talk to me. If you like the schools or you don't like them, talk to me.

"If you like something happening in our subways or don't like it, you talk to the governor," the mayor continued. "He's in charge and he should just own up to it and take this responsibility seriously and put forward a plan."

De Blasio's comments elicited a swift response from the governor's press secretary, Dani Lever, who said that the city should contributing more to the authority's capital plan. Lever repeated Cuomo's defense: that he does little more than appoint members to the authority's board. She laced her remarks, as is typical of this feud, with a bit of an ad hominem attack.

"Math and the facts are not the mayor's forte, as we know," she said in an email statement. "The governor has six appointees on the MTA board out of 14"  the number of full votes cast by the board  "last we checked that is not a majority."

The governor also appoints the chairman of the board, with four members recommended by the mayor and one each from the seven counties served by the commuter lines. (Four of the counties combine for one vote.) The members are confirmed by the state Senate.

Cuomo has taken an increasingly hands-on role at the authority and exerts influence on a wide range of issues, from pushing it to announce an improvement plan for the subways and deciding what to prioritize in the capital improvement plan. His office has issued a steady stream of feel-good announcements about the subways over the years, particularly around the time of the opening of the Second Avenue subway line.

"You know who runs the MTA? The governor has the majority of members," Cuomo said in December while touring the new stations. "The mayor has members, the county executive has members, but the governor has the majority of members. And if a governor wanted to step up and be responsible, he or she could be. And what I said is I'm going to step up and take responsibility."

Those comments appeared to be at odds with the stance he took when speaking with reporters on Thursday, when he played down his influence over the authority and his role in its latest six-point plan to quell the flood of delays. "I have representation on the board," he said.

It appeared to be those comments that had set off City Hall. As recently as last week, aides to de Blasio saw little point in having him publicly criticize the authority or the governor about the problems in the subways, where delays have spiked over the past five years. Doing so, the thinking went, could be counterproductive in areas where the city and state are working together productively, such as select bus service.

Many New Yorkers remain confused about who controls the city's subway system. "New Yorkers who live in the city, they will believe that the MTA. is the city's responsibility," said Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, a Manhattan Democrat and chairman of the City Council's transportation committee who said he takes the subway to work almost daily.

That sense appeared to be borne out in a Baruch College/NY1 poll released on Thursday in which about a third of respondents blamed the mayor for subway problems, while roughly the same percentage blamed the governor and a third were unsure of who to blame.

Even as de Blasio's radio interview was taking place, subway riders experienced delays on a bevy of trains across the city, the latest in what transit advocates have called a "meltdown" of the system.

"The only path to a lasting solution is for riders to hold accountable the people who can actually fix the problem, starting with Governor Cuomo," said John Raskin, executive director of the Riders Alliance, an advocacy group.
Washington

The chairman of the Senate intelligence committee said Thursday that ousted National Security Adviser Michael Flynn hasn't responded to a subpoena from the panel in its probe of Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Republican Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina had to retract a statement made hours earlier that Flynn's lawyer had told the committee he would not comply with the subpoena.

Legal experts say it's unlikely Flynn would agree to turn over the documents because he would be waiving his constitutional protection against self-incrimination. Flynn, through his lawyer, had asked for immunity from "unfair prosecution" in exchange for agreeing to cooperate.

Flynn's attorney Robert Kelner did not respond to phone messages and emails seeking comment.

The Senate committee is one of several on Capitol Hill investigating possible collusion between Russia and President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign. Flynn is also the target of other congressional investigations as well as an ongoing FBI counterintelligence probe and a separate federal investigation in Virginia.

Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, was fired from his position as Trump's national security adviser in February. Trump said he fired Flynn because he misled senior administration officials about his contacts with Russian officials.

The Senate committee issued the subpoena for Flynn's records on May 10 after he declined to cooperate with an April 28 request for documents.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

New York

A man charged with slamming his speeding car into pedestrians in Times Square, killing a teenager and injuring nearly two dozen people, said he wanted to "kill them all" and police should have shot him to stop him, a prosecutor revealed Friday.

Richard Rojas, 26, also said he had smoked marijuana laced with PCP sometime before making a U-Turn onto the sidewalks and plowing straight ahead into frightened tourists, according to a criminal complaint.

Officials are awaiting toxicology results, though Rojas "had glassy eyes, slurred speech, and was unsteady," during his arrest, the complaint said.

"He murdered in cold blood," Assistant District Attorney Harrison Schweiloch said. Alyssa Elsman, 18, of Portage, Michigan, was killed. Her 13-year-old sister was among the 22 injured.

Three people are in critical condition with serious head injuries, and a fourth is being treated for a collapsed lung and broken pelvis, according to the complaint.

Rojas appeared subdued Friday during a brief court appearance where prosecutors detailed murder and attempted murder charges.
Houston Democrat Al Green on Wednesday became the first member of Congress to call for President Donald Trump's impeachment on the House floor. But despite talks of impeachment and dropping approval ratings, one group is doing its part on social media to show hope for a successful Trump presidency.

The hashtag #BabesForTrump went viral during the campaign, with women posting photos in their "Make America Great Again" camps or wrapping themselves in "Trump for President" flags. Now an Instagram account called BabesForTrump2020 is hoping to pick up steam amid the White House headlines.
Warren Buffett is quite possibly the greatest investor of all time. A stock market player since age 11, he has a lifetime of stock-picking experience that has served him well.

For decades, the Berkshire Hathaway CEO  nicknamed the "Oracle of Omaha"  has shown his ability to read Wall Street like a book. He has a net worth of nearly $75 billion, according to Forbes. That makes him one of the richest people on the planet.

Despite his investing prowess, there have been a few Warren Buffett mistakes over the years. Unlike some executives, however, Buffett owns his errors and assumes full responsibility when he fails to deliver to shareholders.

If you're trying to sharpen your investing game, you can glean a lot from Buffett's wins and losses. Take a look at five Buffett failures to see what went wrong, and what you can learn from his hard-earned wisdom.

Buying Berkshire Hathaway

In a 2010 interview with Becky Quick on CNBC's "Squawk Box," Buffett said, "The dumbest stock I ever bought was  drum roll here  Berkshire Hathaway."

Buffett explained that he first invested in Berkshire Hathaway in 1962, when it was a failing textile company. He thought he would make a small profit when more mills closed, so he loaded up on stock.

He met with company management and agreed on a price to tender stock. But later, the firm tried to chisel Buffett out of more money. Angry, a spiteful Buffett bought control of the company, fired the manager and tried to keep the textile business running for another 20 years.

Buffett estimated this vindictive move cost him $200 billion. He would have been better off buying a good insurance company, he said.

The lesson is not to let emotions factor into investment decisions. Whether you're feeling vengeful like Buffett was or have a soft spot for a sinking ship, money moves should always be based on facts, not emotions.

Investing in Tesco

Berkshire Hathaway owned 415 million shares of the U.K.-based grocer Tesco at the end of 2012. The purchase price was $2.3 billion. By the end of 2013, Berkshire Hathaway had sold 114 million shares of the company, but still owned more than 301 million, which put the firm in a vulnerable spot.

In 2014, shares in the grocery chain tumbled more than 48 percent, when the organization overstated its profits. In his 2014 letter to shareholders, Buffett said concerns about Tesco management motivated his initial sale of stock. That move resulted in a $43 million profit. Unfortunately, he didn't move fast enough on the remaining 301 million shares.

"Attentive readers will notice that Tesco, which last year appeared in the list of our largest common stock investments, is now absent," Buffett wrote. "An attentive investor, I'm embarrassed to report, would have sold Tesco shares earlier. I made a big mistake with this investment by dawdling."

He admitted the move cost the company a $444 million after-tax loss  approximately one-fifth of 1 percent of the firm's net worth. The lesson from this Warren Buffett failure is to make decisions promptly. If you know an investment isn't right, get out instead of being part of a company's downfall.

Buying Dexter Shoe Co.

In 1993, Warren Buffett purchased Dexter Shoe Co. for $433 million in Berkshire Hathaway stock. Initially, he thought the brand had a competitive advantage, but this faded a few years later.

In his 2007 letter to shareholders, Buffett explained the poor decision, admitting it cost investors $3.5 billion. At the time, this was 1.6 percent of Berkshire Hathaway's net worth.

"To date, Dexter is the worst deal that I've made. But I'll make more mistakes in the future  you can bet on that," Buffett wrote.

Warren Buffett's worst investment underscores a key lesson: A company is at its best if it has a viable competitive advantage. If there's no solid reason for customers to continue patronizing the brand  like the brand offering good prices, unique products or second-to-none craftsmanship  they probably will not.

Taking on debt from energy future holdings

In his 2013 letter to shareholders, Buffett wrote, "Most of you have never heard of Energy Future Holdings. Consider yourselves lucky; I certainly wish I hadn't." He explained that Energy Future Holdings was formed in 2007 "to effect a giant leveraged buyout of electric utility assets in Texas."

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter.

The equity owners ponied up $8 billion, then borrowed a massive amount more. "About $2 billion of the debt was purchased by Berkshire, pursuant to a decision I made without consulting with Charlie," Buffett wrote, referring to Charles Munger, Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman. "That was a big mistake."

Buffett went on to predict Energy Future Holdings would file for bankruptcy in 2014, which it did. Buffett explained that Berkshire Hathaway had sold its holdings for $259 million in 2013. In total, Buffett divulged that his firm suffered an $873 million pretax loss.

Next time, he said he'd be sure to consult Munger, who long has been Buffett's right-hand man.

Warren Buffett mistakes can be costly. If you want to build a net worth like Buffett's, acknowledge you don't know everything. Run big moves by a business partner or another trusted confidant before diving in headfirst.

Not buying the Dallas-Fort Worth NBC station

Not all Warren Buffett failures involve losing money. One of his regrets is not buying the Dallas-Fort Worth NBC station for $35 million, which would've given him the chance to earn some major cash.

In his 2007 letter to shareholders, Buffett explained he passed up the chance to purchase the station around the time he bought See's Candies in 1972. He turned down the offer despite wholeheartedly trusting the person who offered him the station, knowing there was excellent growth potential and it would require essentially no capital investment.

"Why did I say 'no'? The only explanation is that my brain had gone on vacation and forgot to notify me," Buffett wrote.

Reminiscing on the missed opportunity, Buffett pointed out that the station earned $73 million pretax in 2006 and at the time he wrote the letter, was valued at $800 million.

The moral of the story is that when opportunity knocks, take advantage of it. Conduct your own research prior to buying, but take advantage of the wealth opportunities trusted connections bring to you.
THE ISSUE:

The president still says it's unfair to investigate his campaign's links to Russia.

THE REALITY:

An independent probe by a man of great integrity is the right course of action.

More Information To comment: tuletters@timesunion.com or at http://blog.timesunion.com/opinion See More Collapse

---

Aside from President Trump, who claimed to be the victim of "the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history," citizens seemed to exhale in relief at the appointment last week of a special counsel to probe ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Robert Mueller, a former FBI director with a spotless record of integrity, will bring an independent perspective to an investigation that was at risk of being buried by partisanship on Capitol Hill and obstruction in the White House. Mr. Mueller's charter enables him to ignore all that, and his record suggests he has the nerve to get the job done.

The value of an investigation outside the channels of Trump's Department of Justice or the Republican-controlled Congress is that it isn't accountable to any force except the truth. Tweets, polls and re-election prospects matter not at all to Mr. Mueller. And if the president moves to fire him  as Richard Nixon fired the special prosecutor investigating Watergate  it will be grounds for impeachment. This investigation will only go away when Robert Mueller is satisfied that it is complete.

That doesn't mean there's no role left for Congress after a presidential election that our intelligence agencies concluded was marred by the meddling of a longtime U.S. adversary.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter.

Republican members of Congress may be breathing easier at the prospect of being able to turn aside complaints about their president's Russian connections  "Let's let Mueller do his job," they can say  but the responsibility to safeguard the democratic process remains their job. Committee hearings must proceed in a bipartisan spirit to determine whether anybody connected to the president or his campaign drew support from the Russians or attempted to cover up an investigation of potential wrongdoing.

At the same time, congressional probers must be careful not to undermine Mr. Mueller's work (such as with an ill-advised promise of immunity from prosecution in exchange for testimony).

The appointment puts off, at least for now, the need for an independent commission to take on the probe. That sort of body is slow to act, making it more useful when there's a need for a view one step removed from contemporaneous events. Mr. Mueller will be able to move with both alacrity and diligence.

Too, Mr. Mueller's charge from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein allows him to explore and prosecute "any other matters" related to the investigation. It may be through Mr. Mueller that we finally learn, by seeing tax returns, whether Mr. Trump's seeming friendliness with Russia is linked to any financial ties there.

If Mr. Trump really has been treated "unfairly," as he insists, that will be borne out by Mr. Mueller's investigation. This is no witch hunt. It's an assertion of the fundamental principle that every American, even the president, is accountable to the law.
I agree with the program

I don't agree with the program

I like the idea, but feel the current proposal is too broad

Let me park where I want!

Vote

View Results
[May 19, 2017] Global Workforce Management Software Market to Grow at a CAGR of 8.49% by 2021 - Driven by the Surging Usage of Social Media - Research and Markets

DUBLIN, May 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Workforce Management Software Market 2017-2021" report to their offering. The global workforce management software market to grow at a CAGR of 8.49% during the period 2017-2021. The report, Global Workforce Management Software Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market. One trend in market is surging usage of social media. The widespread use of social media in the human resource management (HRM) industry is increasing business opportunities for the vendors. Job sharing via social media networks is contributing to the growth of the market. The social media boom resulted in companies altering their policies on the Internet usage, sales and marketing, recruitment, and employee retention to include the insights obtained.



According to the report, one driver in market is increased HR software budgets. There is a significant increae in HR spending on technology in organizations of all verticals. It is because the labor market is continuing to grow and companies are shifting their focus toward recruitment, engagement, retention, and employee development. Businesses are finding it hard to recruit, retain, engage, and develop their people. These pressures on HR have forced organizations to invest in talent solutions. The HR teams that are well funded and closely aligned with their business leaders have delivered far greater value to the business with respect to the global economy and economic drivers across the world.







Further, the report states that one challenges in market is threat from open-source software. A number of organizations have developed open-source software solutions that are available to end-users free of cost. Open-source solutions enable users to make changes to the software as per their requirements. Therefore, organizations that have a low budget for workforce management software solutions prefer open-source software. This reduces the demand for paid workforce management software solutions. Certain workforce management software developers are offering their solutions for free to small businesses with certain restrictions. These open-source and free software are likely to adversely affect the sales of workforce management software and hinder its market growth. Key vendors



ADP

Ceridian HCM

Kronos

Oracle

SAP

Ultimate Software

Other prominent vendors

Ascentis

ATOSS Software

BambooHR

HR Bakery

iCIMS

Others

Key Topics Covered:



PART 01: Executive summary



PART 02: Scope of the report



PART 03: Research Methodology



PART 04: Introduction



PART 05: Market landscape



PART 06: Five forces analysis



PART 07: Market segmentation by deployment model



PART 08: Geographical segmentation



PART 09: Decision framework



PART 10: Drivers and challenges



PART 11: Market trends



PART 12: Buying criteria



PART 13: Vendor landscape



PART 14: Key vendor analysis



PART 15: Appendix



For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/cg4b3m/global_workforce Media Contact: Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 19, 2017] Automotive Air Intake Manifold Market - Drivers and Forecasts by Technavio

Technavio's latest report on the global automotive air intake manifold market provides an analysis of the most important trends expected to impact the market outlook from 2017-2021. Technavio defines an emerging trend as a factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170519005750/en/ Technavio has published a new report on the global automotive air intake manifold market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire) Praveen Kumar (News - Alert), a lead analyst from Technavio, specializing in research on powertrain sector, says, "The global automotive air intake manifold market is a derived market because the growth or decline of the same depends on the number of vehicles sold. For the global automotive air intake manifold market, the OEM segment contributes to the overall market." Air intake manifold is a device used for channeling air into the combustion chamber to burn the fuel and produce power. The intake manifold takes in the air and passes the same through the filter to separate the particulate matter present in the air. The filtered air is then transferred to the vehicle's cylinders to enable efficient combustion. Looking for more information on this market? Request a free sample report Technavi's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.



The top three drivers driving the global automotive air intake manifold market according to Technavio research analysts are: Low penetration of passenger cars in emerging countries

The sales of passenger cars are highly correlated with the market growth of air intake manifolds as all passenger cars are equipped with air intake manifold units. The penetration of cars in APAC is low compared with other regions converting APAC into a favorable market for car OEMs. India had one of the lowest car penetrations in the world, about 15 cars per 1,000 people in 2016. "In Brazil, the automotive industry is maturing with approximately 45 car brands and 2,000 models and is one of the top five automotive markets worldwide. It is estimated that two-thirds of the global consumer spending come from rapid growing markets like China, India, Brazil, and South Korea," according to Praveen. Increasing preference for M&HCVs for transporting freight The increase in the preference for road transportation and subsequent increase in the use of heavy, medium, and light-duty vehicles in emerging countries, such as China and India, are expected to drive the market for air intake manifolds in M&HCVs. China, being the largest market for MHCVs, has the largest share of the air intake manifold market in M&HCVs. Freight operators in China increasingly prefer to transport heavy goods like coal, using roadways despite increasing traffic congestions, especially on Chinese highways such as National Highway G110 and Beijing-Tibet Expressway (G6) from inner Mongolia to Beijing. Heavy dependence on ICE for mobility Emerging countries, such as India and China, are witnessing an increase in the preference for mobility through roadways. In 2016, the internal combustion engines (ICEs) segment contributed to more than 95% of the global sales of vehicles. Due to the limited rail services, roads are widely chosen for mobility and transportation of cargo. Inadequate rail services for logistics cause the freight companies to choose roadways as a reliable mode of transportation. The key vendors are as follows: Magneti Marelli

MAHLE

Tenneco Browse Related Reports: Global Automotive Steering System Market 2017-2021

Global Automotive Driveshaft Market 2017-2021

Global Marine Inboard Engines Market 2017-2021 Become a Technavio Insights member and access all three of these reports for a fraction of their original cost. As a Technavio Insights member, you will have immediate access to new reports as they're published in addition to all 6,000+ existing reports covering segments like wheels and tires, automotive manufacturing, and automotive components. This subscription nets you thousands in savings, while staying connected to Technavio's constant transforming research library, helping you make informed business decisions more efficiently. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170519005750/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Election results: Check out results from various races across the state
In With The Old

Microsoft didnt have much planned for the last day of its Build developer conference, so it offered members of the media a quick tour of its campus. What can only be described as a gaggle of tired reporters shuffled onto buses outside the Grand Hyatt Seattle, whipped out their phones, and took the trip out to Redmond. Our first stop: The original Microsoft campus, which Bill Gates designed to make sure nobody was interrupted while they were coding. Everyone had an office with a door, and many of those offices had a view of this pond, where brightly colored fish could be seen meandering about.



MORE: History Of Microsoft Windows



MORE: Windows 10 Creators Update, Pictured

Hello, Old Friend

Remember when the Windows logo wasnt a quadru of flat squares? Somebody must, because this depiction of the old logo can be found right along the main path into Microsofts original campus. We couldnt tell whether this was graffiti or an official mural, but either way, the iconographic throwback reinforced the idea that we were starting our tour with the old Microsoft.



MORE: History Of Microsoft Windows



MORE: Windows 10 Creators Update, Pictured

Giving Back To The Community

The new Microsoft is too big for everyone to have their own office. Were told that more than 40,000 employees work from the companys headquarters. A growing number live in Seattle, but many call the towns surrounding their employer home.

Microsoft has tried to embrace its outsized presence in Redmond (and the other towns in which parts of its campus fall) by encouraging its employees to volunteer in the community. Signs like this one dotted the campus. TEALS has a simple goal--getting computer science classes into every high school. Considering the fact that its a tech company, it makes sense for Microsoft to support this mission, both with signs like this and via Microsoft Philanthropies (opens in new tab).



MORE: History Of Microsoft Windows



MORE: Windows 10 Creators Update, Pictured

The Shuttles Stop Here

For those employees who live in Seattle, Microsoft offers shuttles between the city and its campus. We were told that these shuttles offer air conditioning, WiFi access, and other amenities to make the (relatively short) commute as painless as possible. Alas, our group was too large to use those shuttles, so we have to take Microsofts word for it on their luxuriousness. Other, smaller shuttles ferry employees around different parts of the sprawling headquarters.



MORE: History Of Microsoft Windows



MORE: Windows 10 Creators Update, Pictured

No Badge? No Entry

Once you get to the campus, youre going to need a badge to get anywhere interesting. Only one building is open to the public; the rest are locked until an employee swipes their badge. Besides keeping out the masses (and curious journalists), the badge system also helps Microsoft keep track of where its employees are. This data is used to predict how many people are working on campus on any given day, how that number is affected by various factors, etc. All that info also helps Microsoft keep tens of thousands of people fed each day. (More on that later.)



MORE: History Of Microsoft Windows



MORE: Windows 10 Creators Update, Pictured

Looking Like The Microsoft Logo Is Totally A Coincidence

After we looked around the original campus and headed over to another building, we sat down for presentations from several Microsoft researchers. First up was Microsoft's Chief Scientist and Distinguished Engineer, Rico Malvar, who told us how the company approaches its research. He said that Microsoft Research often has a push-pull relationship with the companys product divisions. Sometimes the product teams push for certain research, and sometimes the research team lets the product divisions know about some cool stuff theyre working on. Here you can see him explaining how Microsoft decides where to invest its research. Stuff like HoloLens is scheduled and disruptive; the quantum computer in the top right, however, is blue-sky and non-scheduled. Malvar said its important for Microsoft to invest in all four groups--though perhaps not at the same amount--when its deciding what to research.



MORE: History Of Microsoft Windows



MORE: Windows 10 Creators Update, Pictured

Water Cooling To The Extreme With Project Natick

Later we heard from Microsofts Spencer Fowers about Project Natick. That project was meant to solve a complicated problem: How can Microsoft keep its data centers running as often as possible, while limiting their effect on the environment, and ensuring quick connections to consumers? Fowers said that many U.S. data centers are currently located in the center of the country because thats where land is cheapest. Yet most people live on the coasts; this means it takes longer for data to travel between consumers and the data centers. Project Natick tries to solve all those problems by submerging a data center in the ocean. The prototype was supposed to last for 35 days, but it ran for 105 before Microsoft pulled it out of the water. Project Natick could lead to a future where data transfers are faster, less money is spent on cooling hot data centers, and Microsoft doesnt have to swap out parts all the time. (And dont worry about the fish--Fowers said the first prototype had a negligible effect on surrounding temperatures.)



MORE: History Of Microsoft Windows



MORE: Windows 10 Creators Update, Pictured

Project Premonition Saves Lives With AI And Bug Juice

Finally, on the research side of things, we heard from Microsofts Ethan Jackson about Project Premonition, which used a specially designed device and a bunch of AI to analyze mosquito blood. Jackson compared the mosquitoes to little drones capable of collecting DNA samples from animals. This in turn allowed Microsoft to analyze the DNA found within the mosquitoes to figure out what they were feeding on and what diseases they might be carrying. This all happened very quickly--Project Premonition gathered 20GB of data from 22,000 mosquitoes in just 19 hours. Microsofts hope is to use all this data to predict disease patterns.



MORE: History Of Microsoft Windows



MORE: Windows 10 Creators Update, Pictured

Shuttle Up And Work

Heres one of the shuttles we didnt get to ride. Notice how everything is on-brand; theres no old Microsoft logo or Helvetica to be found here. Its all new logotype and Segoe all the time. (Yes, noticing this does make us incredible nerds, and yes, youre reading this on Toms Hardware, so chances are good that you wouldve spotted the same thing. Dont judge us.)



MORE: History Of Microsoft Windows



MORE: Windows 10 Creators Update, Pictured

Green, Far As The Eye Can See (Until You Turn Around)

Just in case you didnt believe us, heres a roundabout for shuttles and other vehicles. Right there on the side is a Real Estate & Facilities truck with the same ol Segoe. But we didnt snap this shot just to make a typographic point. We also wanted to show that Microsofts campus is defined by lots of green space. Thats partly due to local regulations, which prohibit buildings taller than four stories, but also because Microsoft wants to blend in with the landscape as much as possible. We suspect all that green is also welcome if you spend most of your day starting at a computer screen.



MORE: History Of Microsoft Windows



MORE: Windows 10 Creators Update, Pictured

Welcome To The Garage, Weve Got Lots Of Toys

Next up was the Garage. This is where Microsoft employees gather to participate in hackathons, work on personal projects, and in some cases help their kids with schoolwork. The head of the Garage, Jeff Ramos, said Microsoft encourages this free-wheeling creativity. Thats because culture eats strategy for lunch, he said, which means its more important for Microsoft to create a workplace focused on experimentation than for it to set a new corporate mission. So far the Garage has put out 70 projects, hosted numerous events, and spread to Microsoft offices around the world. You can find out more about this experimental division on its website (opens in new tab).



MORE: History Of Microsoft Windows



MORE: Windows 10 Creators Update, Pictured
With the departure of founding member Nick McCarthy from Franz Ferdinand last year, fans have been wondering who exactly will fill the rhythm guitarist and keyboarsit-sized hole left in the group. Well, wonder no more, because the group have welcomed not one, but two new members into the group.

The legendary Scottish rockers announced last year that Nick McCarthy, one of the groups founding members, was leaving the group in order to spend more time with his family. Despite this, the group did make it clear that McCarthy could quite possibly rejoin the band at a later date.

As Pitchfork reports, just ahead of their first shows as a group in three years (not including their performances as part of the supergroup FFS with Sparks), the group have officially announced the induction of two new members into the Franz Ferdinand family. Taking to Twitter, the group shared a photo to show off their new members. Here we are under a bridge in Glasgow, the post begins. With new members Dino Bardot (on the left) and Julian Corrie (on the right).

Here we are under a bridge in Glasgow, with new members Dino Bardot (on the left) and Julian Corrie (on the right). See you in N. America. pic.twitter.com/Zy0Kmnkt4y  Franz Ferdinand (@Franz_Ferdinand) May 19, 2017

The groups new members probably wont be strangers to avid fans though. New guitarist Dino Bardot had previously played in the Scottish group 1990s, who had not only supported Franz Ferdinand before, but also included frontman Alex Kapranos and drummer Paul Thomson as temporary members. Likewise, new keyboardist Julian Corrie, better known as Miaoux Miaoux has long been a prolific music producer and remixer, whilst also being a staple of the Scottish music scene.

At this stage, there is no word as to when Australians will be getting a chance to welcome the new members into the band, but with Franz Ferdinand showing some signs of life again, it might not be too long that we have to wait.
In the wake of Chris Cornells tragic and untimely passing, many musicians have come together to speak about how Cornells music has affected their lives, and to touch on the huge hole that his absence will leave upon the music industry. Likewise, many others are using his death as an opportunity to highlight the crucial issues that musicians are facing, and are heavily affecting their personal and mental health.

Speaking to The Project last night, Shihads Tom Larkin gave a rather stark insight into the problems that musicians are facing these days. When asked if he was surprised by the nature of Cornells death, Larkin responded with a mix of emotion and fact. On one hand it is shocking, when anyone who has been an icon for you, or a leader goes away; death is hard to take any time, he began.

Insofar as some of the research Ive done around working with artists, the idea that artists life expectancy is in fact very short, meant that his death has not actually come as a shock. The research shows, and theres been studies done across UK and the EU, and in the United States, that the average age of death for a musician is around 57.

Further questions were put forward, including whether this means that the general public are not doing enough to protect our musicians. Music itself attracts people whose way of operating, and their kind of creative gifts, also have another side, he responded. It means that theyre more sensitive, and theyre more likely to be overwhelmed, and particularly overwhelmed by aspects of life, that others are more resilient and able to take in their stride, can often knock someone whos sensitive and creative, right over.

Add to that fact the environment of the music industry is in fact a brutal one, and its brutal in terms of he kinds of psychological climate that it can have, the permissiveness around drug and alcohol use, and also economically. For instance, in Australia, 80% of all musicians exist under the minimum wage. The general population has this statistic of 1 in 5 have a propensity towards mental illness, or depression and anxiety, and actually with musicians its 1 in 3. So were talking about a very vulnerable group of people who are in a very high-stress and anxious environment, and its tough to survive long-term.

Host Waleed Aly made note of the ironic fact that Cornell was quite critical during his life of celebrity worship, in particular, worship of popular musicians who die young. Aly then posed the question of how exactly should Cornell be remembered, considering this.

One of the biggest myths around artistic creativity is the idea that youve got to be miserable to tell great stories, or youve got to be crazy in order to make great art, Larkin responded. The fact remains that its not quite true. What happens is that people who are miserable create very little art, its only when they get some clarity or some perspective on that misery that theyre able to see something else and see the story that theyve lived through and then create that art.

But the bottom line is that most creative people need clarity and health in order to produce great work, and thats the thing Id like to see change and come out of this.

If you or somebody you care for needs help or information about depression, suicide, anxiety, or mental health issues, contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Ray Kowalik, chairman and CEO of engineering firm Burns & McDonnell, provides details on their proposal to replace Kansas City International Airport with a privately funded, $1 billion single-terminal version. The Kansas City Council is now studying the plan and could put it before voters in November.
Congressman Cleaver Successfully Championed Prez Trump Investigation

Missouri Democratic Party Makes Progress

Councilman Lucas Leads Legal Review Of Mayor Sly's NO-BID Airport Scheme

Deadly Springtime for KCMO Continues . . .

A strong week and Kansas City politics might have been overshadowed by the President's struggle for control but that's no reason to ignore our local power players.Take a look:The top ranking Democratic Party denizen in Kansas City was theand, like it or not, his effort proved successful with the former FBI director set toThe Missouri super-minority earned significant wins this session simply by staying out of power and the limelight. First and foremost,and older Missouri residents won't confront higher bills. Meanwhile, Missouri Republicans confront a litany of questions over broken promises regardingCouncilman Lucas was front and center in challenge toto hand over the airport to Burns & Mac. The scheme is now stalled in legal review as Council works make the process more transparent and responsive to community concerns . . . Which will ultimately kill it given Kansas City's big biz distaste for Democracy.And so . . .There's gonna aasinKansas City offers little respite for a town beleaguered by violence and corporate raiders.As always, this list has been compiled according toand it's a weekly comprehensive guide to local powerful people.
Kansas City Police are investigating whether 4 murders over the past 9 months along the Indian Creek Trail are related.
Cowtown Medical Industrial Complex

Kansas City Health Organizations Launch Collaborative Health Science District Some of Kansas City's largest health organizations announced on Friday the launch of a collaboration centered on Hospital Hill. The "UMKC Health Sciences District" includes the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Truman Medical Centers, Children's Mercy Hospital and the Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department, among other partners.

Burns & Mac Cheering Events

Two public hearings scheduled for KCI proposal Two public hearings have been scheduled to provide more information and seek community feedback on Burns & McDonnell's proposal to build and privately finance a new single terminal at Kansas City International Airport. The City Council may vote June 15 on a preliminary agreement between the city and the company to pursue the private financing approach to modernizing the airport.

Golden Ghetto Troop Fight

Founder disputes police claims that his military charity is a scam OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Police arrested a man who said he was soliciting donations for military care packages Thursday. Aaron Johansen of Ogden, Utah was arrested for trespassing and violating the city's soliciting ordinance at the Arium Apartments. Overland Park police also warned residents the organization he was representing, Helping Heroes, is a scam.

Training Day Across State Line

Active Shooter Incident class held in Kansas City, Kansas KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Unfortunately, more and more active shooter incidents are happening throughout the world. It's a situation no one wants to be in. On Friday, the Downtown Shareholders of Kansas City, Kansas hosted an active shooter incident class at the KCK Police Department.

Local Last Place

Royals can't hold late lead, fall 4-3 to Twins in extra innings | FOX Sports MINNEAPOLIS - Kennys Vargas reached the end of the bench, where he was met by fellow Puerto Rican Eddie Rosario. The two hugged and then started dancing in a circle while embracing. Vargas started a late-inning celebration for the Minnesota Twins on Friday.

Classic Jessica is our song of the day and this is thefor right now. Take a look:is the song of the day and this is thefor right now . . .
Every so often there are trials that become so famous they grab the attention of millions of people from around the world. These are five of those cases from the last century and the early part of this one, where the drama was so immense that the world became enraptured.

5. The Trial of Leon Czolgosz

The first Trial of the Century of the 20th century only lasted eight hours, but it was a huge sensation because of who was killed.

On September 6, 1901, President William McKinley was standing in a receiving line greeting people at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. Suddenly, 28-year-old anarchist Leon Czolgosz shot him twice at point blank range, and McKinley died eight days later. Czolgosz came from a poor immigrant family and shot McKinley because he thought that McKinley only helped the rich.

Czolgosz refused to talk to his two lawyers, two former State Supreme Court Judges, making it hard to come up with a defense. The trial started nine days after McKinley died on September 23, 1901 and Czolgosz didnt testify in his own defense.

He was found guilty and sentenced to death. He was executed on October 29, 1901, via the electric chair.

4. The Scopes Monkey Trial

In March 1924, Tennessee passed a law that made it illegal to teach the theory of evolution in schools. Obviously, not everyone supported this law, so John Scopes, a high school teacher in Dayton, and a local businessman named George Rappalyea conspired for Scopes to get charged for breaking the law so they could challenge the ruling.

The court case attracted two of the countrys top lawyers, William Jennings Bryan, a three-time Democratic presidential candidate  who, incidentally, lost the 1900 election to William McKinley  volunteered to help the prosecution, while Clarence Darrow volunteered to help the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in defending Scopes.

The trial started on July 10, 1925, and attracted the attention of the country because it essentially represented what should be taught in schools  fundamental Christianity or science. The case didnt start off great for the defense, because the judge opened each day with a prayer. Also, the defense wasnt allowed to argue that the law was unconstitutional.

Near the end of the trial, Darrow changed tactics. He called Bryan, who was helping the DA, as a witness to defend Christian fundamentalism. During his examination, Darrow embarrassed Bryan by making him say contradictory and ignorant statements over his literal interpretation of the Bible.

In his closing statement, Darrow asked the jury to return a verdict of guilty so that it could be appealed. The jury spent eight minutes deliberating and returned a verdict of guilty. Scopes was fined $100, which was the minimum punishment. In 1927, the ruling was overturned on a technicality, but the law wouldnt be repealed until 1967. The play (and later Oscar-nominated movie) Inherit the Wind tells the story of the infamous trial.

3. The Trial Charles Manson

In August 1969, the United States was shocked by the brutal murders of seven people in their upscale homes in Los Angeles. The most famous victim was actress Sharon Tate, who was the wife of film director Roman Polanski. She was eight-and-a-half months pregnant.

What made the crimes even more shocking was the people who were responsible for the crimes. It was a cult-like group of hippies that consisted of pretty young women, led by a strange little man named Charles Manson.

Due to the barbarity of the crimes and the weirdness of the culprits, the trial was a media circus. The members of the family that werent arrested showed solidarity by doing whatever Manson did, like carve Xs into their foreheads and shave their heads. At the courthouse, they would chant, sing, and treat the trial of the mass murderer like a picnic.

In January 1971 Manson and several of his family members were found guilty and sentenced to death. The death penalty was abolished in 1972 and Mansons sentence was commuted to life in prison.

2. The Trial of O.J. Simpson

Just after midnight on June 13, 1994, O.J. Simpsons ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman were found brutally murdered in front of Nicoles condominium.

A short time later, a warrant was issued for O.J. and he agreed to turn himself in, but then went on the infamous, slow car chase with his longtime friend, Al Cowlings. Eventually, Simpson was arrested and charged with two counts of first degree murder.

Just some of the evidence the District Attorneys office had against O.J. was that he had a fresh cut on his finger and his blood was at the crime scene. Second, there was a blood covered glove found on O.J.s property. The blood belonged to O.J., Nicole, and Goldman. Third, there was a sock found in his bedroom that had his blood and Nicoles blood on it. There was also a bloody shoe print found at the scene from a size 12 Bruno Mali, a pretty rare shoe, and O.J. wore size 12 shoes. Finally, the police had been called several times to the home of Nicole and O.J. because O.J. was an abusive husband.

Of course, the evidence was only a small aspect of what became the definitive Trial of the 20th Century. The defenses strategy was to show that the Los Angeles Police Department had a history of systematic racism and had planted the evidence to set up one of the most famous African-Americans in the world.

The trial essentially came down to the credibility of the LAPD. The DA pretty much had a slam dunk case, but all the defense had to do was create reasonable doubt by making it sound like it was possible that the LAPD could have set O.J. up because he was African-American.

On October 3, 1995, the jury was back with a verdict. 150 million Americans tuned in, which was about 57 percent of the population. The verdict was, of course, not guilty.

O.J. would later go on to lose a civil trial against Goldmans family in 1997. Then in 2008, O.J. was convicted of robbery and kidnapping and he was sentenced to 9 to 33 years in prison.

1. The Trial of Michael Jackson

In the early 2000s, Michael Jackson was already the worlds most famous weirdo. Besides his odd appearance and strange personal life, since a civil suit in 1993, there had been rumors that Jackson was having inappropriate relationships with children. But things got worse for the King of Pop in February 2003, when a documentary called Living with Michael Jackson was released, and in it, Jackson talks about sleeping with children in his bed.

The documentary led to a police investigation and on November 18, 2003, the day after Jackson released his greatest hits album, his home, Neverland Ranch, was searched. The next day, a warrant was issued and Jackson turned himself in on November 20.

Jacksons trial started on January 31, 2005, and the District Attorney didnt have much in the way of physical evidence. Instead the case mostly rested on the accusations of one boy, a 13-year-old cancer patient. The DA said that the accusations fit a pattern, even though Jackson had never been convicted of sexual assault, or any crime for that matter.

The trial lasted six months and it was a spectacle. Jacksons odd appearance and outrageous wardrobes were interesting enough to attract millions of viewers every day.

On June 13, nearly six months after the trial started, the jury unanimously acquitted Jackson of all charges. He ended up dying four years later on June 25, 2009.

Robert Grimminck is a Canadian freelance writer. You can friend him on Facebook, follow him on Twitter, follow him on Pinterest or visit his website, or his true crime YouTube channel.

Other Articles you Might Like
The 127th annual meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, with the participation of 28 foreign ministers, 8 deputy foreign ministers and 10 permanent representatives of the 47 member states of the organization, is taking place on Friday in Nicosia with the participation of Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias.

The participants signed the Nicosia Convention on offences related to cultural goods. This is the first international treaty that provides for the criminalization of the illicit trafficking of cultural property goods.

The convention was signed by Greece, Cyprus, Armenia, Portugal, San Marino and Mexico.

The Greek Foreign Minister described as contradictory and often competitive the relationship between the economic system and democracy, pointing out that what is mediating in order to move and survive this relationship is the rule of law.

The agenda of the meeting also included the issue of enhancing democratic security in Europe, the fight against terrorism, the issue of migration and the conflicts in Europe.

At the closing session, Cyprus will deliver the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers to the Czech Republic.

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 comparison to many other countries of similar size, Greece is a country with a significant mineral resources background in terms of quality, quantity and variety. The Greek Mining/Metallurgical Industry (GMMI) constitutes an important sector of the economic activity, contributing 3,4% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with the inclusion of interrelated enterprises such as quarrying, concrete, processing and production of intermediate and final products. The mining/metallurgical sector in Greece covers a wide range of mineral commodities and comprises four major sub-sectors, namely: i) Metallic Minerals (Bauxite-Alumina-Aluminium, Nickel, Lead-Zinc, Gold, Copper, huntite/hydromagnesite etc.), ii) Industrial Minerals (Bentonite, Perlite, Magnesite and magnesium compounds, Pumice, Pozzolan, Gypsum, attapulgite, amphibolites, olivenite, calcium carbonates, industrial clays etc.) iii) Marbles and ornament stones iv) Energy Minerals (lignite) Geothermy and Hydrocarbons.

Greece is a chief supplier of bauxite-alumina-aluminium in the global market. According to the Hellenic Aluminium Industry, from bauxite extraction to internationally certified end use products, the sector counts 65 years of experience and 6.000 large and small companies. The sector provides employment to 30.000 persons with exports amounting to 1,4 billions , representing 5,5% of total Greek exports.

Search and exploitation of mineral raw materials from antiquity to the present

A 3 year-study, conducted by the School of Geology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Student Chapter of the Society of Economic Geologists, brings interesting data to the table: the total gross value of the probable and proven reserves of most of the mineral resources of Greece is estimated at 2.4 trillion euros. The results of the study were presented last April in Thessaloniki at a workshop entitled Search and exploitation of mineral raw materials from antiquity to the present. In the margin of the workshop, Anestis Filippidis, professor at the School of Geology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, made a brief assessment of Greeces mineral resources in terms of inventories and value and stressed that Only 0.15% of these resources have been exploited. We have around 24 very important industrial minerals, which is an amazing number considering Greeces size.

Professor Michalis Vavelidis, Head of the School of Geology of the Aristotle University, mentioned that one of the largest gold and other mineral deposits in Europe is located in the northwestern part of alkidiki, where there are estimated to be untapped, about 160 tons of gold, 2,000 tons of silver, nearly 1.5 million tons of lead and zinc and more than 1 million tons of copper.

Source: greeknewsagenda.gr

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 Saudi Air Defence Forces last evening intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired from Yemen by the Houthi militia, reported the Saudi Press Agency.



Following the attack, the Coalition Air Force targeted the site of the missile launch, stated the SPA report.



The missile was targeted at a non-populated area north to Al Rain Governorate in Saudi Arabia.



Saudi Air Defence destroyed the missile after intercepting it. No casualties were reported, the report added.


Sanjeev Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 20

Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday released an achievement book of initiatives of the ministry in the last three years.

She said the ministry has registered a record FDI inflow in the last financial year at over 60 billion dollars.

She said exports have also grown in the last six months.

She said the foreign trade policy and industrial policy was being looked at closely for new industrial revolution and new employment patterns. She said that the GST will only help in improving exports.
Sandeep Rana



Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 20

A large number of BJP workers and supporters accorded a grand welcome to party chief Amit Shah at Chandigarh International Airport here on Saturday morning and took out a roadshow, escorting him to party office in Sector 33.

The BJP chief is on a 95-day country-wide tour which began in Jammu last month. With an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha poll, Shah is travelling across states to strategise and find ways to strengthen the party at the grass-roots level.

Shah was received by Chandigarh BJP president Sanjay Tandon, partys local MP Kirron Kher, in-charge Prabhat Jha, Mayor Asha Kumari Jaswal and others.

A large number of cars and two-wheelers escorted Shah from the airport to party office Kamlam in Sector 33.

En route the BJP office, the car carrying Shah stopped at many places and he was greeted by supporters who presented him with bouquets.

Later, Shah inaugurated the newly-renovated party office and unveiled a statue of RSS icon Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay, whose birth centenary is being celebrated this year. He also inaugurated a library named after Nanaji Deshmukh and an e-library.

The Nanaji Deshmukh library will have around 2,000 books on various subjects, Tandon said.

The BJP national president will hold a series of meetings with councillors, party office-bearers, workers and will also review the partys organisational activities, Tandon said.

Shah will also interact with prominent people from different fields like medicine, law, finance and art later in the day.

This is Shahs first visit after the BJP swept the Municipal Corporation elections here, which were held in December 2016. He had visited the city in November for campaigning for the civic polls.

Chandigarh is the fourth place on Shahs itinerary for the 95-day tour which began with his visit to Jammu on April 29. The BJP chief has also visited Himachal Pradesh and Tripura, Tandon said. With PTI inputs
Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, May 20

Speculation is rife that former Congress MP Arvind Sharma may join the BJP. Not only did he share the dais with Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma today, but reached the venue by the same car as well.

The former Karnal MP praised Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar during a programme to mark Parshuram Jayanti here.

However, he left the gathering guessing about his future plans. He said he would take a decision in this regard after consulting his supporters.

Sharma had quit the Congress to join the BSP during the Assembly elections in 2014. He had been declared the chief ministerial candidate by BSP supremo Mayawati. The party had won only one seat with Sharma losing from both seats.

Sources close to the former MP claimed that he might join the BJP in the presence of BJP national president Amit Shah during his visit to Karnal in the first week of June, but Sharma remained tight-lipped on the issue.

I have left the BSP and will decide my future strategy soon after consultations with my supporters, he said in response to queries from media persons about his entry into the BJP fold.

Sharma asserted that he would ensure a bigger gathering at the programme to be chaired by Shah in Karnal next month.

Praising Khattar, he said, He is an honest person, but needs to focus more on the GT Road. If the BJP wants to win again, it has to concentrate on jobs and development in this belt.

Sharma said the state had had Chief Ministers from Rohtak, Sirsa, Bhiwani and Hisar, but there had always been a demand to have a Chief Minister from the GT Road area. Only the BJP understood the sentiments by choosing Khattar as the Chief Minister, he added.

Praising Ram Bilas, the former MP said the BJP had contested elections under his leadership, but selected Khattar as the Chief Minister, which the Brahmin leader accepted as a decision of the party.

Sharma urged Khattar to take special care of the people of Karnal and Panipat to become the Chief Minister again. His supporters raised slogans that he be made the next Chief Minister.

When Ram Bilas was asked about the former MP joining the BJP, he said everybody wanted to join the BJP and he was not an exception. Everybody is welcome in the party, he said.

Addressing the gathering, he said a state-level function to mark Parshuram Jayanti would be organised in Karnal in the first week of June and Shah would chair the function.

INLD national general secretary Brij Sharma and former Union Minister of State for Home ID Swami were present on the occasion.
Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Rewari, May 20

After Gothra Tappa Dahina village, schoolgirls of Government High School at Rajgarh village here have demanded that the school be upgraded to senior secondary level. Students locked the main gate of the school and staged a dharna in support of their demand. Rewari SDM Kushal Kataria, DEO Dharambir Balrodia and other officials tried to persuade the schoolgirls but they refused to lift the dharna.

Students rued they had to go to Balawas village or Bawal town, which were at a distance of 8 km and 11 km, respectively, from their village to complete their post-matric education. We fear eve-teasing and molestation by boys of other villages while traveling that far, said a protesting student. Another student said, The government should immediately upgrade our school if it is serious about educating girls. Parents hesitate to send their daughters to far off places as they fear for their safety.

Hari Singh, a villager, said the gram panchayat had passed a resolution for upgrading school in February last. We met Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma in this regard several times but nothing was done, he said.

The DEO said a proposal to upgrade the school was pending before the authorities concerned.

The SDM said that he had apprised the authorities concerned of the demand.

Rajgarh is the second village after Gothra Tappa Dahina where schoolgirls staged a protest to demand that the school be upgraded.
Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 20

BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday ruled out any possibility of change of guard in Haryanaa development which comes as a relief to beleaguered Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

Shah, who was here as part of the 110-day country-wide tour to strengthen the party at the grassroots level, replied in the negative when asked to comment on the possible change of guard in the wake of reported dissident activities by at least 16 MLAs and unrest among certain ministers.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Aap kyon fikr karte ho, hamein dekhne do (you do not worry, let us sort out differences), he told reporters when repeatedly asked about it.

Meanwhile, Shah came down heavily on the Congress on the Kashmir issue, alleging that it was the legacy of the Congress. He exuded confidence that the NDA government would soon control the present situation in Kashmir.

What else can the Congress say? The Kashmir problem arose because of the Congress, Shah said refuting the Congress allegations of the NDA governments of failure to control the unrest in Kashmir.

Kashmir has repeatedly faced such situations since 1989 (since onset of militancy in the state). It is not for the first time that such a situation has arisen, and these situations were controlled. Whenever security agencies adopted a tough stand, such situations arose. I am confident that this situation will soon be controlled, he said.

The BJP leader described the order of the International Court of Justice, which stayed the execution of former naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav as a very big achievement of the government.

On Punjab, Shah categorically stated that no AAP MLA was in touch with the BJP as claimed by a senior Punjab BJP leader. He also clarified that the alliance with the SAD would continue.

He exuded the confidence that his party would win the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with even a bigger mandate than what it got in 2014.

With the NDA government soon to complete three years in office, Shah said, Dynastic politics, casteism and appeasement had been plaguing the countrys politics for long. The nations politics has moved forward under the BJP leadership to get rid of these ills.

We have been in power for three years, but even our political opponents have not been able to point a finger at us on corruption, which is the biggest achievement of our government, he said.
Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 20

With some of its cops facing inquiry for extorting money by threatening certain people to implicate them in false cases, the Fatehabad police have now been accused of not providing security to one of the complainants despite orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Ashok Kumar, a BAMS doctor from Patran in Punjab, who had accused the police personnel of extorting Rs 60 lakh from him, alleged that despite the HC orders, the district police refused to provide him security for going to the Hisar IG office for recording his statement before him today.

On his petition, Justice Inderjit Singh of the Punjab and Haryana High Court had yesterday issued notice to the State for July 31 and had in the meantime asked the Fatehabad SP to provide him security so that he can depose before courts in Haryana.

Fatehabad SP Kuldeep Singh, however, denied the allegations. The moment anyone approaches me with orders of the High Court, I will immediately provide the u, he said.

Some personnel of the Fatehabad police, including former SP OP Narwal, are in the dock in complaints of extortion against them.

While Bhipinder Singh and four others had lodged a complaint with Health Minister Anil Vij, Ashok Kumar has moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court; another complainant has lodged an FIR on April 27 with the State Vigilance Bureau in this regard.

Vij had forwarded the complaint to DGP BS Sandhu with a direction to hold an inquiry and Sandhu, in turn, had ordered an inquiry by Hisar IG Amitabh Dhillon.

Today, the IG office had summoned me to Hisar for recording my statement. I have been receiving threats ever since I lodged a complaint against the police personnel. I feel threat to my life. I called the SP and requested him to provide security in view of the HC orders, but he said he was not aware of any such orders, alleged Kumar.

Kumar has alleged that after registering an FIR under the PC&PNDT Act against certain persons at Tohana in Fatehabad, the police started approaching several doctors and paramedics, including him, and started extorting money on the threat of implicating them in false cases.

He alleged that while he was in the police custody, the police took him to a deed writer on November 29 and facilitated mortgage of his land for Rs 60 lakh as bribe because he did not have enough cash due to demonetisation.
Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 20

The state government has relaxed norms regarding requirement of land for opening and upgrading schools in Panchkula, Gurugram and Faridabad cities.

In its orders issued yesterday, the Department of Secondary Education revised the norms regarding land required for opening or upgrading private senior secondary schools in these three cities to one acre.

As per the provisions of the Haryana School Education Rules, 2003, at least two acres are required for opening a secondary or senior secondary school or upgrading an existing school to this level in rural, urban as well as controlled areas.

The decision has been taken considering the fact that the availability of land in highly populated areas like Panchkula, Gurugram and Faridabad is a big issue. Further, due to high population, there is greater demand of new schools in these areas, said Virender Singh Sehrawat, Joint Secretary in the School Education Department. The department, presently, has the ceiling norms for land for private secondary and senior secondary schools over two acres for both the categories. But it was being observed that this ceiling had unreasonably restricted schools to areas in Panchkula, Gurugram and Faridabad, where there was a greater demand for new schools in view of the increasing population, he said.

Sehrawat further said that land norms for schools were applied by multiple agencies and conflicting situations arose before the authorities concerned at times due to varying norms.

It has also been decided that whenever a conflict arises, the decision of the school education department shall prevail, he said.

Private schools have welcomed the step, but at the same time they have described it as too little and too late. Though the CBSE had long revised its norms, but we welcome the state governments decision. Norms should have been relaxed in all municipal areas of Haryana and for all the categories of schools. Due to these norms, we are forced to shift primary and middle schools outside the cities putting small kids to the perils of long travel, said Vijender Mann, president of the Haryana United Schools Association.
Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 20

The police today arrested 12 ABVP students in connection with the clash between SFI and ABVP members at Tagore Hostel in Summer Hill last night in which more than 10 student sustained injuries.

Tension had been prevailing since evening when some SFI members had reportedly threatened a student. The fight started from the mess and both groups resorted to stone pelting causing smashing of windowpanes of the common room, sources said.

However, both student organisations were blaming each other for the incident.

The accused have been booked for rioting, armed with deadly weapons, unlawful assembly and voluntarily causing hurt, said ASP Bhajan Dev Negi, adding that the ABVP activists started the scuffle.

Documents, laptops and other electronic gadgets of some students were also burnt while a bike parked outside the hostel was damaged.

ABVP campus president of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) Ankit Jamwal said some of the students, affiliated with the SFI, who were drunk, threatened and attacked the ABVP members in the mess last night.

Blaming the police for taking action only against ABVP activists, ABVP state secretary Hema Thakur said it was the SFI activists who started the fight. She threatened to launch an agitation if the SFI activists involved in the scuffle were not arrested.

The SFI blamed the ABVP and alleged that at least 25 students were involved in the attack but the police had just arrested 12 students. Both students organizations held protest against each other. SFI university campus secretary Noval Thakur alleged the involvement of the VCs in the whole episode and burnt the VCs effigy.

ABVP students stoned
Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 20

With a surplus of almost 1150 mw at its disposal, Himachal has started supplying power to West Bengal and the Railways, with some more states like Delhi and Uttar Pradesh evincing interest to purchase power from the hill state.

Even as the average rate for sale of one unit power is about Rs 2.83, only marginally better than last years rate of Rs 2.64, with the production being on the higher side and several states being in need of power, the grim power scenario may improve relatively.

We have started supplying power under bilateral agreement to West Bengal and the Railways and Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Bihar too have shown interest but all will be undertaken through tender process, revealed Tarun Shridhar, Additional Chief Secretary (Power and Personnel). He added that though Andhra Pradesh and Telengana required it, with there being problem in the grid, it would not be possible for Himachal to meet their demand.

While West Bengal is being supplied round-the-clock power at a rate of Rs 3.65 per unit, the Railways is purchasing power at Rs 2.99 per unit but only during peak hours. However, with the production scaling up with the accelerated melting of glaciers, the rate per unit is bound to slide. The fluctuating rate of power in May has hovered around Rs 2.83 while it was about Rs 2.71 in April, revealed an officials in the Directorate of Power.

Due to the generation at various hydropower projects being good, Himachal is in a position to sell power to some big states like UP and Uttarakand but the rate at which it will be sold will be decided only through the tender process.

The last three years have been very grim for the power sector in Himachal with the power rates being very low. Being a power surplus state, a major chunk of the revenue in Himachal is from the power sector. It is now being hoped that with the generation being high, the revenue may improve even though the power rates have only marginally increased.
Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 20

Top Congress leaders met here today and expressed deep anguish over the deteriorating law and order situation in the Valley, hoping that the Centre and the coalition government in the state would act fast to control the situation.

Presided over by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the first meeting of the Congress policy group on Jammu and Kashmir was attended by senior party leaders like Karan Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ambika Soni. They voiced serious concern over the way the situation in the Valley was blowing out of proportion and alienation at all levels was gripping the Kashmiri society.

Participants at the meeting (all members attended barring former minister P Chidambaram who was away in Chennai) attributed much of the current scenario to a new direction which the PDP-BJP coalition had taken since it came to power in the state and to the abdication of the initiatives of the previous Congress-led UPA in the Valley between 2004 and 2014.

Everyone expressed deep anguish over the goings-on in the Valley. Everyone hoped that the government will do its best and soon return to the path of peace and development which we saw in the years of the Congress-led UPA regime at the Centre. Former PM Manmohan Singh gave his initial remarks and heard everyone at length on matters ranging from history of the state, trajectory of development and violence in the Valley, efforts of the erstwhile UPA government to bring peace to the Valley and the current scenario marked by a clear reversal from the past direction, said Ambika Soni, Congress general secretary and in charge of the partys affairs in J&K.

The meeting of the high-level Congress strategy group was in the works for a long time. It lasted two and a half hours at the residence of the former PM, Manmohan Singh.

The meeting was attended by senior Congress leaders  Congress Working Committee member Karan Singh, former J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ambika Soni, J&K Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Congress Legislature Party Leader in the state Nawang Rigzin Jora, former MP Tariq Hameed Karra and JKPCC senior vice-president Sham Lal Sharma.

Sonia Gandhi had formed the policy planning group on April 19 to take forward the peace initiatives in the Valley. The group will meet again to formulate its opinion on the Valleys situation and share the same with the government, should the government engage with the opposition.

NIA must probe Hurriyat funding: Mir

J&K Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir today said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) must probe the funding sources of the Hurriyat Conference leaders. This should be a serious probe and should not be mere posturing in the media. This is a serious matter, Mir said.
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 20

With joint separatist leadership calling for a complete shutdown and Eidgah Chalo march to mark the death anniversaries of Moulvi Farooq and Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Lone, the authorities have decided to impose restrictions in parts of Srinagar on Sunday.

Apprehending trouble, the restrictions were put in place today in three police station areas of Nowhatta, MR Gunj and Safakadal, throwing life out of gear and disrupting the traffic movement in the city.

But following a joint call for the march on Sunday to Eidgah, where both the leaders are buried, it has been decided to extend the restrictions to May 21 and include more areas of Srinagar (Khanyar and Kralkhud) in it, an official from the administration said.

Since the split of the Hurriyat in 2003, it is for the first time that the hardline faction, headed by Syed Ali Geelani, has endorsed the shutdown call.

In a joint statement today, Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik called for the march and urged the people to assemble on the Eidgah grounds in downtown Srinagar to reiterate their commitment to the struggle.

CM pays tributes to Moulvi Farooq, Lone

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has paid rich tributes to Moulvi Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Ghani Lone whose death anniversaries are being observed on May 21. The Chief Minister said the contribution made by the two leaders in the socio-political awakening of people would be long remembered in the state.
Srinagar, May 20

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today quizzed three Kashmiri separatists in connection with its probe into the role of Lashkar-e-Toiba chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed and hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani in subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

The NIA team, headed by the Additional Director General, had asked Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate and Gazi Javed Baba to appear before it for their explanation on an expose on a television channel where they had claimed receiving funds from Pakistan.

After initial reluctance, the three separatists fell in line and were questioned separately by the team of NIA, which named them in its Preliminary Enquiry (PE) yesterday.

The NIA team will be gathering evidence collected by the Jammu and Kashmir Police about the burning of schools as Nayeem Khan had claimed that the educational institutions were targeted as per the plans hatched from across the border. The schools were targeted last year after Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8.

Besides these three, the NIA has named Saeed and Geelani in the PE, which precedes the filing of a case.

The NIAs PE alleged that the separatists were receiving funds from the LeT chief to carry out subversive activities in the Valley, including stone-throwing, damaging public property and burning schools and other government establishments.

The NIA took cognisance of the news item related to a recording of conversations between a TV reporter and leaders of separatist groups operating in the Valley in this regard.  PTI
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 20

Syed Ali Geelani, the chairman of separatist amalgam All Parties Hurriyat Conference, today suspended the membership of one of its constituent party, National Front, whose leader Nayeem Khan has been at the centre of a sting operation in which he accepts burning schools during last years unrest.

In a statement, the separatist amalgam said Geelani suspended the National Front from the basic membership of the Hurriyat conference.

The suspension will come into force with immediate effect, the separatist amalgam said. We summoned all constituent members, including Nayeem Ahmad Khan, to facilitate him to keep his viewpoint before the executive body, however police authorities did not allow leaders to hold a meeting, it said.

The Hurriyat conference had called a high-level meeting of its constituents today to discuss the sting operation that had stunned the separatist camp. The meeting was, however, not allowed by the police.

Nayeem Khan was caught in a sting operation telecast by a New Delhi-based news channel in which he was seen accepting and detailing the money trail stemming from Pakistan to fuel unrest in the Valley. He was also seen acknowledging that he was behind the burning of 35 schools during the unrest last year.

The sting operation has come as a shock to the separatist camp as three of its leaders, including Nayeem Khan, are seen discussing large sums of money and burning of schools, which the separatists at that time had said was done by people who cannot be well-wishers of society. The highly controversial conversation had put further strain on the separatists, who were already facing an existential crisis after facing a challenge from a radical militant commander who has questioned their intent.

The National Front leader today addressed reporters here and claimed the tapes were doctored and alleged that the motive behind the tapes was to defame the Kashmir struggle. The video has been run in bits and pieces and everything taken out of context, he said.

Nayeem Khan had joined Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference, along with two other leaders, in 2015 and was subsequently given a top position within the amalgam as Geelani made him the provincial president of the Jammu region.

Even as Geelani suspended membership of Nayeems National Front, the statement did not clarify the separatist leaders position on his own party leader, Gazi Javed Baba, who had also featured in the sting operation.

Geelani defended the separatist movement and described it as righteous. He also said New Delhi-based media was biased and not trustworthy. Geelani said the unrest of 2016 was not pre-planned and nor instigated by Pakistan. The National Front leader today addressed reporters here and claimed the tapes were doctored and alleged that the motive behind the tapes was to defame the Kashmir struggle. The video has been run in bits and pieces and everything taken out of context, he said.

Nayeem Khan had joined the Hurriyat , along with two other leaders in 2015 and was made the provincial president of the Jammu region.
The Kapil Sharma Show has been a sinking ship ever since the Kapil-Sunil spat. However, now actress Supriya Shukla, who is popular for her role in Zee TVs show Kumkum Bhagya, has joined Kapils team. The actress will play a woman from Uttar Pradesh, who shifts to Mumbai. Supriya said, I was a bit nervous since this happens to be my first stint with comedy. However, Kapil and his team were really supportive. I will be bringing in the Kanpur flavour and have worked hard along with the writers of the show on the lingo as well.
Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 20

The state government is committed to providing better and affordable health facilities to the people and for this purpose, corporate houses have taken initiatives to help the government.

This was stated by Health Minister Brahm Mohindra, who was in the city to attend a mega health check-up camp at International Public School, Sandhu Nagar today.

Mohindra said corporate houses like Ralson, Cremica, Vardhman and CMC donated state-of-the-art equipment and manpower today to improve the health infrastructure in Punjab. This is the first of its kind step towards improving health facilities. While Ralson contributed an equipment, furniture and books worth Rs15 lakh for the Civil Hospital library, Cremica contributed a fully-automated laundry plant worth Rs13 lakh. Vardhman contributed an ambulance, an ultrasound machine. He said the social responsibility taken by these firms was appreciated, adding that more companies should rope in to provide better health facilities in the state.

On being asked about the absence of doctors during working hours, he said the culture needs to change in the Health Department, adding that it will take time. The Health Minister also visited the Civil Hospital, where he interacted with patients. He also instructed the Civil Surgeon to maintain cleanliness and hygiene in the hospital.

He also distributed 17 hearing aids kits to the needy kids.

Attending a meeting with the board of directors of the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Mohindra said epilepsy was a social stigma in the society and 1%of the population was suffering from this disease. People still think that a patient suffering from this disease should get married or not; whether a lady having this problem should deliver a baby or not. The Health Department has given a green signal to the new project of the government of India and the Indian Council of Medical Research for the urban population regarding epilepsy. This new scheme will give patients complete investigation/ EEC/ MRE/ CT Scan for free. Not only this, the medicine for the entire treatment will also be given for free to patients under this scheme.
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 20

Claiming that it wanted to dispel any misconception about the functioning of EVMs, the Election Commission of India (ECI) today announced an open challenge beginning June 3 for political parties to prove whether the voting machines could be tampered with. The process, under strict EC frame work, will be open for about a week.

Announcing the decision at a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Nasim Zaidi said the poll panel had received five complaints from political parties. After examining the complaints, we asked the parties concerned to provide the commission relevant proof and credible material to support their claims. But none have responded to our queries so far, he said.

Zaidi said no manipulation of EVMs was possible. Our EVMs have strong technological features and are tamper-proof. They are stand-alone machines, which cannot be connected to the internet or any network at any point of time during polling. Therefore, there is no question of hacking the machines.

The CEC also insisted that election results could not be altered by activating a Trojan horse (malicious computer program) through a sequence of key presses. Incidentally, the CECs remarks came weeks after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) conducted a live demo in the Delhi Assembly trying to demonstrate how EVMs can be tampered with.

Zaidi also announced that all future elections would be held with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) along with EVMs across polling stations to ensure transparency. The ECI also claimed that it would leave no stone unturned in preserving the purity, integrity and credibility of the electoral democracy of our country. The ECI will never ever allow the faith of the people in the integrity of the election process to be shaken, he added.

A day ago, the Election Commission had told a parliamentary panel that EVMs were tamper-proof and the use of paper trail would further enhance the confidence of the voters in the poll process. At the all-party meet, most of the parties said future elections should be held using EVMs provided these were attached to paper trail machines. There were, however, some parties whose representatives said their faith in the machines had eroded and the EC should revert to the old ballot paper system.

While the BJP, CPI, CPM, AIADMK, DMK, NCP and the JD(U) clearly supported the use of EVMs, provided paper trail machines were attached, the BSP, AAP and the TMC said the paper ballot system was more transparent.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 20

A 23-year-old woman cut off the genitals of a man when he allegedly tried to rape her at her home in Pettah in the city late last night.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The 54-year-old man, an inmate of an ashram in Kollam, was rushed to the government medical college hospital here with critical injuries in the wee hours, the police said on Saturday.

He underwent an emergency surgery and his condition is stable now, a hospital release said.

The woman in her complaint stated that the accused has been known to her family for the past few years and has been harassing her since she was a minor, the police said.

He frequented her home for performing poojas and used to assault her during the visits, the complaint said.

When he tried to abuse her last night, she protested and chopped off his private organ with a knife, it added.

A senior police official said a case has been registered against the man under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO) and IPC 376 (punishment for rape).

No case has been registered against the woman, he said.

The police declined to divulge details, saying the investigation was on. PTI
Jaipur, May 20

A suspected agent of Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was arrested in a joint operation conducted by Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and Army intelligence in Rajasthan, an official said on Saturday.

The agent identified as Hazi Khan was arrested from his house at Kunjarli village in Jaisalmer following intelligence inputs.

Sources said that Khan, accused of sending confidential information to the ISI, has been sent to Jaipur for further interrogation.

Investigators said they have recovered incriminating documents from his possession.

Khan was detained few months back but released due to lack of evidence, the sources said, adding He used to visit Pakistan at regular intervals as his maternal house is there.  IANS
Islamabad, May 20

Pakistans Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali will plead Pakistans case at the International Court of Justice against Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav.

The development came after the Pakistan Foreign Office was criticised for its poor handling of the case and for its choice of Britain-based Khawar Qureshi as counsel.

The ICJ on May 18 stayed the execution of Jadhav.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The Attorney General said the countrys defence against Indias case before the ICJ was prepared by the government in consultation with all stakeholders, including the military establishment, Geo TV reported.

He also dismissed criticism on why Pakistan accepted the global courts jurisdiction.

Referring to Pakistans March 2017 declaration in relation to the jurisdiction of the ICJ, Ausaf said the ongoing propaganda on the issue was misplaced.

The correct position is that Pakistan had signed off to an unconditional declaration to agree to the jurisdiction of the ICJ way back in September 1960. In March 2017, we made a declaration of exceptions, reservations, and conditions, Ausaf said.

He said the original--1960 declaration--was without reservations and exceptions. Pakistan prior to March 2017 had signed up to an ipso facto (by the fact itself) compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ.

We had become signatory to a declaration of submission to jurisdiction without any exceptions in September 1960. In March 2017, he said, Pakistan created the firewalls, including the one relating to the security of Pakistan for the first time. He explained that in the present case, the ICJ is not looking at this aspect of the matter.

They are looking at the Vienna Convention and the optional protocol to the convention. India and Pakistan both are signatories to this. The optional protocol invests the ICJ with powers and jurisdiction to decide disputes between member states.

If we were to withdraw this declaration, we would have to go back to the 1960 declaration which gives jurisdiction without exceptions, he maintained.

The TV channel reported that Qureshi was paid 50,000 pounds for the case. However, the Indian lawyer charged only one Indian rupee for his services. PTI
Islamabad, May 20

Pakistan will handle the case of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death, according to our own laws, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on Saturday.

The Jadhav issue would be treated as an espionage case and dealt with according to Pakistani laws, Geo TV quoted Khan as saying.

The Minister said Jadhavs arrest helped avert several incidents of terrorism in Pakistan.

He was addressing the media after attending a passing-out parade of the Frontier Corps in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The comments came two days after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) told Pakistan to put on hold Jadhavs execution.

The Minister also spoke about Pakistans troubled ties with Afghanistan.

While saying that the hearts of Pakistanis and Afghans beat together, Khan warned Kabul not to talk to Islamabad in India's language.

He urged Kabul to solve its internal and external issues first instead of blaming Pakistan for all the mess, the report said. IANS
Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 20

Pakistan today struck a defiant posture and denied that the stay order by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the execution of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav was a setback for the nation.

Sartaj Aziz, the de facto foreign minister of Pakistan, said at a press conference in Islamabad that they would now strengthen their ICJ legal team. He said the court didnt order consular access, but only stayed the execution.

It was a consensus decision to appoint Khawar Qureshi as our lawyer. Everyone was satisfied with his arguments. Some are saying we had 90 minutes, why we used only 50  a substantive argument can be given in just 10 minutes, said Aziz.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The ICJ had on Thursday stayed the execution of Jadhav, a former naval officer who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for espionage. India, after 16 requests for consular access, finally moved the ICJ fearing Jadhavs life may be at risk. The Thursday ruling was unanimously in Indias favour.

There, meanwhile, has been some confusion on whether Pakistan is willing to accept the ICJ order.

Pakistans Punjab Province Law Minister Rana Sanaullah today said the country would accept the court order. Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, however, said Jadhavs case would be taken to its logical conclusion according to the countrys laws. Khan is regarded to be a confidant of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Former President Gen Pervez Musharraf made even more damning statements when he claimed that Jadhav was more dangerous than Ajmal Kasab.
Tribune News Service

Lucknow, May 20

Demanding a white paper on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths writing off loans to farmers, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala described it as a big fraud being played on the state farmers.

Surjewala termed the Narendra Modi dispensation as the most anti-farmer government as it had let down the farmer on every single promise made. Speaking of the fallacy of UPs farm loan waiver, he said: The April 4 Cabinet meeting waived Rs 30,000 crore of crop loans outstanding till March 31, 2016. However, the Governors address to the joint session of the state legislature on May 15 speaks of loans up to December 31, 2016 being written off.

Surjewala explained originally what had been promised during the elections was what figured in the Governors address, but what was given was settling it only up to March 31, 2016. Illustrating, he said a farmer borrowed for the rabi and paid off after the crop to borrow again for kharif.

Sharing the Reserve Bank of Indias figures he said till March 2016, UP farmers had taken crop loan from cooperative, regional and commercial banks to the tune of Rs 32,55.98 crore.

The Yogi governments decision is about writing off loans up to March 31, 2016, to the tune of Rs 30, 000 crore. Does this mean that for one year farmers did not pay off any loan? This causes a very high rate of interest and no loan for the next crop.
Gagandeep Sharma

Bathinda, May 20

Former SHO Gursher Singh, head constable Iqbal Singh and constable Manpreet Singh have been booked for misappropriating cash, gold jewellery and a revolver from the maalkhana at Rama police station.

A case has been registered under Sections 13(1) (c) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant) of the IPC on the statement of Rama SHO Manoj Kumar.

The cash and other items had been recovered from the Mohali residence of Mangal Singh Sandhu, former Director, Agriculture, when he was in custody of the Rama police in 2015 in connection with the pesticide scam.

Investigating officer Balwinder Singh Bheekhi had deposited Rs 4.11 lakh, 3,090 Canadian dollars, 11,624 US dollars, gold jewellery, a revolver, 27 rounds and an arms licence with Iqbal Singh in the presence of the Talwandi Sabo DSP on September 5, 2015.

According to Manoj Kumar, these items were later found missing from the maalkhana.

DSP Barinder Singh Gill said he was investigating the matter.
PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 20

Former Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh Majithia was confronted by Majitha residents during a police-public meeting presided over by ADGP (Law and Order) Rohit Chaudhary today.

When Majithia reached the venue and met the ADGP, residents of his constituency started raising slogans against him and forced him to leave the place. The police had a tough time whisking him away.

Majithia had gone to meet the ADGP over the alleged atrocities by the police against Akali leaders and their family members.

Majithia later addressed a press conference, alleging that only Congress workers were present at the meeting. He said after taking up the issue of police highhandedness, he left the venue. He alleged that people gathered outside the place hurled stones at his vehicle.

Senior Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Lalli Majithia, who had unsuccessfully contested the Assembly elections against him, said it was wrong to say that only Congress workers were present. He said the police had invited the public, not politicians. He claimed that it was the anger of the people against the SAD misrule that erupted on Majithias arrival at the venue. The ADGP held local politics responsible for the incident.

Chaudhary said people alleged that lower-ranked cops  who were heading the police stations  had failed to curb rampant drug abuse in Majitha. He assured residents that all such officials would be shifted in the next three days.
Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, May 20

Upset at the authorities failure to arrange a teacher in the mechanical stream, Class XII students of Government Senior Secondary School (Boys) reached the city police station to lodge a protest here today.

They asked SHO Deepinder Singh Jeji to intervene. I told them that the police cant register a complaint as the matter pertains to the Education Department. However, I have requested the District Education Officer (DEO) to help them, said Jeji.

Sources said the school had a lecturer only in the computer stream. In the case of mechanical engineering, the lecturer was transferred on April 18 on administrative grounds to Patiala district. No replacement has been provided so far. Fifty students (physical education) of this school had failed in the recent senior secondary exam.

RK Singla, school principal, said efforts were being made to fill the vacant posts.

Indu Simak, DEO, said: After getting a call from the SHO, we have made arrangements for an ad hoc lecturer who will start taking classes on Monday. We are trying our best to appoint a lecturer on a permanent basis.
Taru Bahl

The sheer novelty of waking up in a new city every day without the hassle of packing, unpacking, boarding flights, navigating snaking queues at airports and checking in to different hotels  these seem good enough reasons to opt for luxury train travel this holiday season.

All your travel formalities and hassles end the moment you book your ticket and board. Trained service staff positioned at different levels  from private butlers to guest relations officers and train commandants  provides an impeccable service. The experience is akin to a being on a cruise or on a seven-star hotel on wheels. Chugging along well-mapped routes to provide a personalised and pampered feel, it has an old-world charm that appeals to a certain kind of traveller.

In India, Palace on Wheels initiated the trend of luxury train travel in 1982. Catering largely to the foreign tourist, it was pitched as royal experience, bringing into play the elements that made the guest feel like royalty. There was collaboration between the Rajasthan Tourism and the Indian Railways for both on and off board services, while day plans were geared to promote tourism in the desert state of Rajasthan. Visits to royal palaces, forts, havelis and museums that preserved artefacts of a royal life, cultural shows by native folk artistes and shopping for souvenirs in colourful local bazaars made up the itinerary that showcased the exotic appeal of India to the fullest.

These trains were equipped with world-class facilities, including a large dining area, bar, lounge, generator, LCD TVs, direct-dial phone, internet, individual temperature controls and in-suite bathrooms  akin to the personal abode of a maharaja. The royal experience found favour with the foreign tourist, who lapped it up, making the Palace on Wheels one of the most successful luxury trains in the world. In fact, in 2010 it was voted as the fourth largest luxury train globally.

Spoke in the wheels

Come 2016 and the trains dream run seemed to have gone off track. For the first time in 35 years, a trip had to be cancelled because it did not have the requisite number of registered guests so as to make the run cost effective. The organisers had been struggling for the last few years, trying not to cut corners and yet offer the best, even if the numbers were not enough to make the run profitable. This was a huge setback not just to the promoters but all luxury train travellers for whom this was an intimate, personalised and comfortable way of seeing India.

Palace on Wheels was not the only one facing low occupancy problems. Three other luxury trains also had been struggling with a similar problem of decreasing number of guests. The Royal Rajasthan on Wheels had to cancel two consecutive trips in 2016 because of no bookings, despite it being the peak tourist season.

While the average luxury train travellers profile remains unchanged, for s/he knows the value of this kind of vacation and needs little convincing, the volume in this segment has considerably dropped. According to travel trade analysts, a major reason is the unsafe environment in India. Post-Nirbhaya case and recent attacks on foreign tourists, especially women, many advisories have been issued by various countries advising their people to be cautious while travelling to India. Resultantly, traffic to neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan and Myanmar has seen a jump. Also, somewhere the entire look and feel of our railway stations is enough to drive away any tourist, leave alone a luxury tourist. Teeming crowds, pushing and jostling, touts, pick pockets and general chaos do not really make train travel seem attractive or safe. Then the fact that there are multiple players in an already restricted environment means more competition. In terms of cost, a major expense relates to high-haulage charges of over Rs 80 crore in the last five years alone for these luxury trains.

Something for everyone

Despite these dismal trends indicating a roadblock of sorts, there are nearly half a dozen luxury train companies promoting as many as eight to 10 routes that cater to myriad travellers  be it the heritage and history lover, the wildlife enthusiast, the avid shopper or the art-and-culture observer. Each of these is gung-ho about catering not just to the loyal faithfuls but also to a new and emerging segment of upwardly mobile Indians who are prepared to pay anywhere between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh for an eight-day sojourn running across two or three states.

The advantages are many  not having to check into multiple hotels and making a dash to airport counters to get boarding passes and hailing cabs and rushing to different destinations. It allows you to experience an old-world charm of a train that chugs along at a leisurely pace while treating you as an honoured guest. As a regular luxury train traveller explains, If you do your maths right you will see that this is not really an expensive proposition  if you factor in the cost of flight tickets, five-star hotels, local transport, guides, meals and tips  you will realise that you are paying almost the same to see the same number of places. The advantages are more  there is no hurry, no frantic rushing from one point to another and no stress. Everything has been perfected over multiple rounds, with each trip getting even more refined and personalised.

However, to make the business profitable once again, the organisers need to change their marketing strategy so as to change the perception of Indian travellers. They need to position these luxury trains as an appealing and viable option to the Indian tourists too and not just as the preserve of the firangis.

The Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) is in talks with various banks to offer tickets on easy instalments and target corporate customers, with conferences on board and corporate trips. The Deccan Odyssey has added many unique features to its offerings. These enhance the Indian experience which combines a well balanced itinerary, carefully chosen with many insights into the local history, culture, tradition and folklore along with fascinating trivia. Much thought goes into developing the itinerary, which is further finetuned given the age group of the group and the background they come from.

As summer holidays approach, give this luxury-on-wheels a serious thought.

Wooing the Indian traveller
Sujoy Dhar

As the Supreme Courts five-Judge Constitution Bench hears the petition challenging triple talaq, a Muslim woman activist from Ahmedabad keeps her fingers crossed waiting to see a logical legal outcome of her decade-long campaign. Spearheading the campaign to end triple talaq or polygamy in the Muslim society is Zakia Soman, the 50-plus co-founder of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA). She founded the organisation a decade back, along with Mumbai-based Noorjehan Safia Niaz. While the petitioner in the case is 36-year-old Shayara Bano, it is Zakias association, which nourishes the campaign to see the discontinuance of triple talaq. Excerpts from an interview:

Triple talaq petition is now being heard in the court. What alternative do you suggest if it is abolished?

We want the use of talaq-e-ahsan method, under which at least four attempts at reconciliation are made before a divorce is granted. A comprehensive reform in Muslim laws is required. The Koran had given us rights 1,400 years ago but we have not been able to savour it. In 2014, we at the BMMA drafted the Muslim Personal Law, drawn from the Koran but from a womans perspective.

The BMMA has been surveying Muslim women on the issue for a long time now. What have been your findings?

We have a report which carries case studies of 117 Muslim women who have been victims of triple talaq. We got the cases from all over India  Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West Bengal and Karnataka. The report has revealed that 92.1 per cent of Muslim women want this biased system of verbal triple talaq to be abolished.

What do you think about resistance by the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on the issue?

The AIMPLB has been crying conspiracy but it needs to understand that it is denying us our rights mentioned in the Koran. The board cannot be the custodian of the Muslim community in India on its own. The mindset of board members represents a deep-rooted patriarchy. They only reinforce stereotypes of the Muslim community in a regressive way.

What is the way ahead?

Widespread social reforms are needed in the Muslim society. Only religious and males voices can be heard so far. An assessment of programmes for the empowerment of religious minorities in India reveals that Muslim women remain largely invisible in the overall policy framework.

How do you define the movement of BMMA?

We are a progressive voice of the Muslim women challenging patriarchy.

Made of grit

Over the past one decade, Zakia Soman has carved out an identity for herself as a Muslim woman with a voice that has been challenging patriarchy. This 52-year-old Ahmedabad resident, who by profession was a professor of Business Communication at the Gujarat university, now hogs the limelight for the triple talaq campaign. Her fight has now reached the precincts of the Supreme Court for a conclusive judgment. She has been championing the cause of women

 Muslim as well as non-Muslims

 for many years now.

Herself a victim of the triple talaq practice (she was divorced by her abusive husband in 2002), Soman is confident that they would win the battle over annulment of triple talaq. And that confidence, perhaps, comes from their victory last year over the entry of women in the famous Haji Ali shrine of Mumbai. The Supreme Court ruling in their favour, allowed women to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine. In 2007, Zakia Soman co-founded the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan to fight for the citizenship rights of Muslim women. It now boasts of more than 70,000 members. They also supported Hindu womens movement to demand entry into religious places like the Shani Shingnapur temple in Maharashtra and Sabarimala temple in Kerala. Zakia has edited a book on Dalit Muslims. She has also penned two books. She received the Outstanding Women Achievers Award constituted by the National Commission for Women in 2014.
Nonika Singh

Celebration, the word itself, seems so much out of sync at a prayer meeting organised in remembrance of a dear departed one. Yet, when someone utters the words We are here to celebrate the life of Mrs..., the one liner sums up far more than the long-winding sermons that the pandits deliver and we listen to (and forget as quickly) at such sombre occasions.

Call life a beautiful lie and death a painful truth, the fact is that both are part of the same continuum. As philosopher Lao Tzu said, Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides. So, if you rejoice in life, how can death not be reason enough to reflect at a life well lived?

In 2003, when noted theatreperson Balwant Gargi died, his students  among them GS Chani  celebrated and not mourned his death. Chani felt that his centenarian fathers demise too called for a joyous celebration. And a few years ago, when veteran actor Anupam Kher lost his father, Kher celebrated his departure from the mortal world. Instead of letting gloom invade his house, he even asked friends and relatives to come dressed up in coloured clothes. His rationale: My father stood for all things vibrant and colourful. Since then he has gone to on to truly celebrate and not merely commemorate his fathers death anniversaries. Last year, he even organised a rock concert for the differently abled children to mark the occasion.

Today, even ordinary people are following suit. Paying respects to the dear and departed is no longer a melancholy affair. More and more people are turning prayer meetings into an occasion to truly remember the loved ones rather than shed tears alone. The ways to remember, too, are more than just a silent flow of tears.

A collage of photographs, a video film, lively recollections theres a lot that speaks of joyous moments and beauty of the life of the departed rather than grimness of death. While the prayer halls are done up in lovely floral wreaths, choicest of delicacies are served. Serving langar or a lunch is a ritual that has been long followed to pay obeisance to the dead. Today, best of caterers are roped in, with the favourite dishes of the departed soul often on the menu. Besides, the comfort of visitors is paid due deference. In places such as Mumbai, auditoriums are booked keeping in mind the convenience of friends and relatives who find time to pay respect. In Chandigarh, writer and professional motivator Rajesh Chaddha thought it only befitting to not only book an air-conditioned hall, but even hire valet services for his fathers chautha ceremony. For his own imminent and inevitable end, he has already issued clear instructions to his children: Celebrate. Dont grieve.

Is it a new trend in the making? Chani, who defied convention two decades ago, feels, Its only a deviation. However, a welcome one, for sure. Years ago, when he bucked the prevalent social mores, there were several who did not necessarily understand. He says, As a rule, we Indians are highly melodramatic people and love the rona-dhona bit more than composure. Those who have little level of understanding would never fathom why death calls for a celebration. But those who came for the bash could only exclaim, What a way to go, and make a similar wistful wish for themselves. He also feels that notions such as crying alone is cathartic is an outdated concept. I feel rejoicing liberates us and not only helps us accept death as a logical conclusion to life, but also challenges the starkness of death in its own way.

Chaddha feels celebration helps us cope with grief, strengthens us and gives us courage to move on. Just like it turned a real celebration with Mallika Sarabhai and her pupils performing kathak for her deceased mother, dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai. Mallika posted on her Facebook page: My mother has left for her eternal dance. Could there have been a better tribute?
Harish Khare

LAST week I was in Nepal for a spot of hiking and trekking and a lungful of fresh air. I had last visited Nepal in 2013. The mood in Nepal since has discernibly changed. An audible ping of unfriendliness can be heard. The bad and bitter memories of the unofficial economic blockade we inflicted on Nepal two years ago have not faded away. The sour mood has travelled beyond Kathmandu.

It is not what the Nepalese say; it is what they do not say. And what they no longer display is the old warmth, instant effusiveness, the pleasant welcome-ness that the Indians could smell.

The cabbie who drove us from Kathmandu to our northerly destination, Nagarkot, just refused to engage in a dialogue about the Nepali politics. And when a question was asked about the madhesis, he simply turned up the volume on the car radio. End of conversation. A point made.

Compared to my recollections of the last visit, there was this time a marked reluctance to use Hindi by the ordinary Nepalese. An articulate young Nepali, who runs a health NGO in the interior area, politely told me that he would rather speak in English because he found conversing in Hindi somewhat tiring. A motorcycle-taxi man insisted on not using Hindi because, as he put it, I am trying to improve my English. And in all this no Hindi, English only demeanour was a tinge of gentle defiance: If you feel offended, so be it.

The most glaring and disconcerting change is the non-acceptance of the Indian rupee. Earlier, the Indian rupee was the king, the most acceptable currency even in the remotest part and it was this that would give an Indian visitor a sense of easy acceptance and brotherly oneness in Nepal. Now, after demonetisation, the Indian currency is worthless.

The hotel displays exchange rates in Nepali rupees for US dollar (98), euro (106), pound (123), Singapore dollar (70), Chinese yuan (13), Canadian dollar (73), Australian dollar (75), Japanese yen unit 10 (08.00). No Indian rupee, traded or accepted.

China is pretty visible. For two days in a row, the local newspapers headlined Nepals association with Chinas One Belt, One Road. Nepal and China signed an MoU just two days before the May 14 Beijing summit. Nepals Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat was quoted as saying that it was the beginning of a new chapter in areas of foreign investment and trade promotion in Nepal. India was no longer the only option for partnership and commerce.

Nagarkot seemed full of tourists from China - besides the usual quota of the European backpackers. The Indian tourists were conspicuously fewer.

Of course, there was an inward preoccupation with the local elections, taking place after a gap of 30 years. Yet the absence of India could be easily felt.

Admittedly, not all links with India are snapped. Yes, matar paneer and dal makhani are still being served in the restaurants; and, lots of Indian goods are on display in the bazaars. And, there is no overt hostility; no marked unfriendliness; just surliness towards India and Indians.

*********************************

FOR a walker, there are miles and miles of forest around Nagarkot. Trails are enchanting, though rather poorly marked. One day I was out on a solo hike. At one stage, I seemed to have lost my way; rather I was confused at a particular crossroad and had to make a decision; I was waiting for some motor-cycle rider or a local person to pass by and from whom I could seek correct direction. Just then I spotted a foreigner, seemingly confronted with the same dilemma, though she had a map. I walked over to her. She was from France but spoke fluent English. She had a detailed map of the area; after a consultation, we agreed on the route I needed to take to make it back to my hotel.

It was a brief conversation. The young lady was understandably wary of prolonging the conversation, leave alone injecting any warmth in the brief interaction. I politely thanked her for letting me consult her map. As a parting shot, I said: You had a good election in France recently.

Those turned out to be magical words. She grinned and smiled. She fell in step with me and prattled about the French election. She animatedly shared her sense of relief that Marine Le Pen of the National Front has been comprehensively rejected, that Emmanuel Macron has been elected President, and that France has been saved.

Yes, she was pleased to tell me that like a good and responsible French citizen, she too, had done her bit and voted, with a postal ballot.

The young lady was quite emphatic: France cannot have a Donald Trump-like vulgarity.

*********************************

NOW that I am in a mood to talk about difficult treks, let me talk about the Char Dham yatra in Uttarakhand. This involves pilgrimages to the holy shrines at Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.

According to a news item a few days ago, as many as 17 pilgrims have died in that many days at these four arduous and difficult destinations. Similar casualties are periodically reported from the Amarnath yatra. Most of the time, the pilgrims are far from physically fit and predictably unable to cope with the demands higher altitudes make on stamina.

In the last two decades, organised attempts have been made to mobilise and motivate people to undertake these pilgrimages. This is part of a larger political design to inject religion into our collective affairs. The case of the Amarnath yatra gets particularly laced with nationalistic feelings; the yatra gets almost reduced to a flag-waving exercise. And, no one seems to give a thought to all the environmental damage we inflict in the process on all these sacred sites.

*********************************

A few days ago, the news channels were all excited about raids on the offices and residence of Karti Chidambaram, son of P Chidambaram, the former finance minister. As is the standard operating procedure in such raids, the ubiquitous agencies tell the world that incriminating documents have been seized. Guilt is immediately deemed to have been proven  and, political brownie points made.

Now, Karti is not the worlds most likeable man. I have met him only once; he had loutish airs, very becoming of a son of a Union minister. Nor did he come across as a particularly bright young man. But, now the two agencies  the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate  would have us believe that this boy is an accomplished financial wizard.

An NDA member in the Rajya Sabha (who does not deserve to be named) has complained that the many media houses whose owners are friendly and in collusion with Chidambaram (the father) tried to black out the news. This gentleman has, therefore, taken to social media to put out details. How an outsider can have access to the agencies internal reports need not bother us, for now.

Of course, the veracity of these details would have to be proven in a court of law. And we do know that the CBI and ED have a very poor record of winning their cases in a court of law; they are happy to play second fiddle to their political masters needs to paint the rivals with selective leaks and mudslinging. All this is par for the course.

I am most impressed with the presumed achievements of this young man. If the damning details are to be believed, Karti is worth at least $10 billion. I believe only a man with a crooked brilliance can squirrel away the kind of humongous wealth that Karti is supposed to have made. Simply being a ministers son does not make anyone a financial genius. He must be a natural.

If the Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, believes even one-tenth of what the ED and income tax investigators are putting out about Karti, then this not-so-young man should be immediately drafted into his ministry and his services should be used to go after the trillions of dollars in black money that are yet to be retrieved from the Swiss banks. The old principle: it takes a thief to catch a thief.

And, no, I will not invite Karti to have a cup of coffee with me. But, you do join.

kaffeeklatsch@tribuneindia.com
Saba Naqvi

INDIA is constitutionally a secular democracy. Iran is an Islamic state. Yet during a recent visit there, I would come out with a rich haul of stories and learn a few things that were intriguing. For instance, I would learn that there are restrictions on the volume levels of loudspeakers for the morning Azan in many residential areas even during the month of Ramadan. I guess its an unfair comparison since India is a noisy society where temples and mosques all have the licence to kick up a racket, but as a reporter its a fact I cant resist pointing out.

In Iran I also had the opportunity to interview a leading cleric Haj Abul Qasim who heads the Jurisprudential Research Centre of Social systems in Qom and is a member of the Assembly of Experts, thats tasked with guiding that countrys Supreme Leader and choosing the new one when the time comes. Besides several questions on Iran and geopolitics, I also asked him about how clerics should present themselves when they speak for a minority community. The answer was fascinating: he spoke of the concept of Taqiyyah whose literal translation is the permission to deceive in order to protect the community.

The way he explained it was fascinating: it means, he said, that you should recognize that what you appreciate and recognize will not be appreciated by others. Therefore when the community is a minority, its religious leaders should act diplomatically in order to protect their people.

Many Indian maulvis do the opposite. Indeed, as the TTT (Triple Talaq Tamasha) proceeds, the producers of TV news shows are certainly on to a good thing with various worthies of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB). Therefore, on any dull news day -- that is when we cant abuse Kashmiris on prime time TV or harangue Pakistanis or have a super duper exclusive expose on the opposition chaps all now running for cover -- we can dust off the mullahs and produce them on TV. The producers are guaranteed of a sterling performance by one mullah or the other defending the indefensible.

I think there needs to be some serious introspection among Muslims on how the views of the clerics go down with the pre-dominantly non-Muslim audience.

I have also been confronted with convoluted arguments by well-meaning folks who believe I should defend (or at least not attack) Triple Talaq because the BJP regime is challenging it in court only in order to embarrass the Muslim community. They are partly right but very wrong about a few basic principles involved. Certainly, the BJP has no real concern for the welfare of minorities of any gender, hence Triple Talaq could well be viewed as a bait.

Tragically, but very expectedly however, instead of offering any enlightened views, the clerical class of the Muslim community has bitten the bait. On the one hand we have news reports of Congressman and lawyer Kapil Sibal arguing in the Supreme Court on behalf of the (AIMPLB) and saying that triple talaq is 1400 years old hence should not be tampered with (on such grounds could we have retained sati, child marriage but then perhaps only Muslims need to be kept in a medieval time warp?).

Sibal has also reportedly taken the Holy Book argument that the Quran cant be tampered with. Wonder why most Muslim majority nations including Pakistan have done away with triple talaq? I guess the mullahs there are just not as enlightened as our chaps in India.

One may ask, what is the locus standi of the AIMPLB to speak on behalf of the worlds third largest Muslim community? Briefly, the AIMPLB, founded in 1973, is a collection of clerics whose purpose is to protect Sharia law. Half its members are life members who represent an orthodox male viewpoint. The same chaps also have their hand in managing Waqf properties that are meant to be used for the welfare of the poor but are repositories of corruption. There are 3,00,000 registered Waqf properties in India on four lakh acres.

There is so much unemployment and backwardness in the Muslim community that giving a child semi-education in a madarsa and then getting him a salary of an Imam can be viewed as a safe career choice. Thats why the mullahs have been getting away with it and also because any demand to question them brings out a familiar response: they are the only people who can interpret the Quran, something Sibal is also telling the apex court.

Under these conditions, the argument being made to me (that by opposing triple talaq, I am playing a BJP agenda) is not surprising. The idea that someone may take a position because it involves the principle of equality of all citizens does not occur to many people today.
Bijay Sankar Bora in Tinsukia

IT is about a bridge too far, across a mighty river only heard about. Its about places and people of Indias north-eastern border touching China. Its about the Brahmaputra, the son of Brahma  the Creator. And its equally about the tap-h (the sacrifices) that the sons of the son have made to create the longest river bridge  spanning 9.15km  of the country. The bridge has brought two states, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, closer cementing their ties by saving hours of travel time.

Located over 550 km north-east of Assam capital Guwahati, the bridge-end lies hardly 100km from China (from Anini, Arunachal) and holds tremendous strategic value. It is capable of withstanding the weight of a 60-ton battle tank, thus becoming a key factor in improving the movement of civilian and military vehicles to strategic locations in Arunachal Pradesh.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the Dhola (southern bank)-Sadiya (northern side) bridge on May 26, the happiest will be the people living in resource-rich, but remote Sadiya area of the Brahmaputra. It will bring an end to their arduous daily travail of crossing the river on motor boats to Saikhowa Ghat at Dhola and to the rest of the state.

Boat rides are very dangerous when the river is flooded. It takes over four hours to cross it during monsoon. It is the biggest thing to happen in the area, says Asim Gogoi, a telecom inspector, in-charge of maintaining the network on both banks.

The bridge work began in June, 2011 by Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd in a PPP mode. Initially 1,200 persons were involved in the project. The worker-strength was halved after foundation and sub-structure was completed. Now only, 350 persons are engaged in giving finishing touches, says Surya Narayan Raju, an NECL project engineer. The police provided round-the-clock security. There were hiccups in land acquisition for building approach roads. This was resolved in February, 2017 and after financial compensation was decided.

Optimism abounds

Everybody is happy, but I am the happiest Its a dream come true. It was me who conceived the idea, says Jagadish Bhuyan, former Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) MLA from Sadiya, now in the ruling BJP. I was elected to the Assam Assembly for a second time on 2001 from Sadiya as an AGP member. I was looking for ways to end the misery of the people in Sadiya, who were cut off from the rest of the country. I realized that only a bridge would solve the problem, but there were few takers for my idea, recalls Bhuyan.

He and then AGP MP from Lakhimpur constituency, Dr Arun Sarma, joined hands and took the bridge idea with the Centre. They also sounded out Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Mukut Mithi. Finally, a Central team came over to carry out a feasibility study in 2003. The teams report in 2004 paved the the way for building the bridge, says Bhuyan.

The new bridge will become a lifeline for the people who have remained deprived of healthcare, higher and technical education opportunities, and a remunerative market for the local high-quality organic horticulture products, says Apurba Deka who owns a drug store and a lodge at Dhola town.

Insurgency & tourism

The bridge will also help in tackling internal security. Sadiya will cease to be a shelter for insurgents because of better communication and the economic development. Insurgency thrives on under-development and in inaccessible areas, says Dipankar Sonowal, a central executive member of the All Assam Students Union. A senior police officer said though insurgency situation in Sadiya area has improved considerably, the bridge will act as a catalyst in maintaining peace. The inter-state movement of insurgents can now be tackled more effectively, he said.

It will also be easier for tourists to access picturesque locations in Arunachal Pradesh such as Mayodia, Anini, Roing and Tezu. The business hub of Tinsukia in eastern Assam and smaller towns such as Doom Dooma and Rupai will benefit immensely with the increased flow of tourists to eastern Arunachal Pradesh, says Chinmoy Sharma, a Tinsukia resident.

Boatmen show the flip side

There is a loud cry for alternative livelihood by boatmen and small traders on both sides of the river. About 120 boats ply between Saikhowa and Sadiya. There are many labourers working there. Small traders run restaurants and others shops on both sides of the ferry hubs. Once the boats are disallowed, all these people  around 4,000  will become jobless, says Nagen Kalita who has been supervising operation at Saikhowa Ghat since 1975.

There are so many like boatman Jogen Das, who have been toiling for his owner since 1984 for a paltry monthly salary of Rs 5,000. He doesnt know how he would sustain his family of three children after the boats stop plying. Similar is the case with Pushpa Sonowal who runs a small eatery at Saikhowa Ghat.

"Everybody is happy, but I am the happiest Its a dream come true. It was me who conceived the idea in 2003. Jagadish Bhuyan, Former asom gana parishad mla from sadiya, now in ruling BJP

Quake changed it all

A mega earthquake rocked Brahmaputra valley on August 10, 1950, killing over 1,500 people and causing irreparable damage in 38,850 sq km

The riverbed became shallow and banks erosion widened the river

Floods caused by the Brahmaputra wiped out the trading hubs

How the British set foot in hostile tribal territories
Ajay Banerjee in New Delhi

IN April 2012, MM Pallam Raju, then Minister of State for Defence in the Manmohan Singh Cabinet, was to open a bridge connecting Dirang and Lohit valley in Arunachal Pradesh. Bad weather prevented his Mi-17 military helicopter from taking off from Tezu in far-eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh.

The nearest available road bridge was 500 km away at Tezpur, Assam. Three more bridges between Tezu and Tezpur across the Brahmaputra and the Lohit, were then under construction. Left with no option, Raju used the river ferry to cross the Lohit at Alubhari Ghat to reach his destination, at least five hours behind schedule.

Things have changed, and will change further over the next five years: military positioning and movement in Arunachal will improve like never before. India has already strengthened its military presence in the eastern front: the Mountain Strike Corps (with 90,000 men) has come up with its headquarters in Panagarh (West Bengal) and most of the latest US-supplied ultra-light Howitzers M777 are going to be stationed there, defence experts say.

Of the three bridges which were under construction in April 2012, the one at Alubhari Ghat opened in January this year; the second at Sadiya-Dhola, the longest bridge in the country, will be opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 26. The last one, the Bogibeel road-rail bridge combo, will open early next year to connect Dibrugarh in Assam with Arunachal Pradesh. The fourth such crucial link bridge at the Brahma Kund, south-east of Tezu opened in 2006.

These bridges are under the operational area of the Armys 3 Corps. Two separate road projects, the trans-Arunachal highway and other inter-valley connectivity project, will provide the Army with the flexibility to move men and heavy weapons at short notice from the southern bank of the Brahmaputra to the northern side.

Lt Gen SL Narasimhan (retd), who headed the 3 Corps and is now a member of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) explains: The new bridge at Saidya-Dhola will cut short the time taken to reach the Northern side of the river. This along with the Bogibeel Bridge near Dibrugarh will help greatly in our operations.

Both bridges will have separate military importance and utility, says a serving Colonel who was involved in planning of these bridges and roads. The inter-valley road connectivity will be for tactical moves at the local level while the trans-Arunachal highway coupled with the linkages provided by these bridges will form the bigger picture, said the officer.

These bridges and roads in Arunachal will mean deployment patterns can be altered at short notice. For instance, if troops have to move from Dimapur in Nagaland towards north of the Brahmaputra, its a 300 km detour. Tanks and heavy equipment cannot cross the river by boats. It also means that men and equipment stationed south and east of Jorhat (200 east of Tezpur) cannot move rapidly. The bridges will change all that.

British Army officer Lt. Col. FM Bailey, who authored the well-acknowledged book No Passport to Tibet led an expedition to the Dibang valley, the same one to be serviced by the new bridge at Sadiya-Dhola. Lt Col Bailey and his team in 1913 travelled on foot among hostile tribes and reached a village Ilupu, below the present-day Anini, where the ITBP now has a unit.

The new bridge will also provide a new axis to reach Anini and also shorten the road journey to Walong, located further east of Anini and separated by a mountain range. It was the site for one of the pitched battles in the 1962 war with China.
Kamaljeet Kaur

Its Rhea and Mohits first date, and they are having dinner in a high-end restaurant. The food bill arrives. Both of them take out their share of money. Going Dutch on a date was once an exception. However, as girls insist on their right to eat out of their own pockets, young boys dont dare to foot restaurant bills anymore. Similarly, the customary Hello and bolder handshakes and high fives have given way to warmer bear hugs, irrespective of the gender.

When friends hit it off with a tight hug, it hardly matters whether the friend is a girl or a boy... We know where to draw the line. Its a cold Hi for the creepy ones. Hugs are only for friends, explains Jaideep Gujral, who is pursuing a bachelors degree in commerce from SD College, Chandigarh.

Young boys and girls are even cozying up to the forbidden topic of periods. A few years ago, any talk about periods was a taboo. Girls used to exchange in hush-hush tones about the discomfort they experienced during periods. The sanitary napkin was a secret keep, stashed away in the deepest corners of the cupboard, wrapped in newspaper and black polythene, to be taken out, used and thrown in absolute secrecy.

One almost felt like a criminal hiding the napkin. My teenaged daughter makes it a point to buy the sanitary pack on her own. She insists on getting it packed in a transparent polythene as she feels theres nothing to hide, says 45-year-old Balmeet Kaur.

Girls have no qualms in telling their male friends when they are on a period. We unhesitatingly talk about not being able to make it for a hangout if we are having a painful period. Boys understand. We even clear their doubts if they have any, shares Tanisha Goel, a student of MCM DAV College.

Pune-based Priyanka Sutaria even documented her entire period on Instagram  from her mood swings on day one to the pain and discomfort later. She got a healthy feedback from her male friends as well. Some may call it an uncalled for move but it indicates how these young girls are trying to make a point. Young men are not only showing concern but also readily pitching in to share household chores. Having observed their working mothers juggle between home and office, young sons realise that it is important for them to lend a helping hand to their women.

In a recent post-wedding dinner, the groom, Pune-based Chetan Kamble, joined his Punjabi brides family in laying out the table and serving the guests. This was not to impress the new relatives but to break the gender stereotype of the son-in-law enjoying the VIP status.

In another case, Delhi-based Avantika Chowdhary, who is a single child, put up the precondition with her suitor that she would want to look after her parents after marriage. Her fiance readily agreed although it took some time for his parents to digest the proposal.

It will take time for the status quo to change. Things can be better only if our government provides social security for all senior citizens. Till then, sons will have an edge over daughters in our society where parents live with their sons and look up to them for security in old age, says Avantika.

However, hope floats when young mothers like Delhi-based Shilpi Sharma, who is a lawyer and mother of 11-month-old boy, says, I dont have any big dreams from my son. I am waiting for the day when my son will cook food for me. When he grows up, he should equally share the chores with his wife. This will help them to develop love and respect for each other.
Radhika Sharma

Its improbable that you havent been exposed to the world of social media yet. Unless you are a saint meditating on a hill with no signal! It is a part of our lives and dominates our every waking moment. The medium is used to promote business, advertise products and generate revenue. Its reach is massive. Lets just say  if you want your product or service to create a buzz today, there is no better way than promoting it on the web!

If you plan to use social media to endorse your business, here is a guide to help you.

Facebook

Founded by genius Mark Zuckerberg in 2004, it is now a major source to disseminate information. While majority uses the network to keep in touch with their friends and family, entrepreneurs are harnessing its power to make money and grow businesses. The newsfeed has gone through several changes in the last couple of years. Pages are created to promote businesses. Sponsored ads target the right audience. Also several analytical tools are used to gauge the reach of ads.

Twitter

Twitter is popular for breaking news stories faster than any traditional media. The power of 140 characters is unprecedented. Followers make for the social currency and can get you celebrity status. Paid handles work best to promote a brand or a cause. Signing up is simple and its mobile app works seamlessly.

Instagram

It started as a forum where people would share their pictures. Founded in 2010, Instagram is one of the fastest growing networks in the world and boasts of a billion pictures uploaded on it everyday. With its filters and editing tools, it converts average pictures into masterpieces. Also, Instagram is a hashtag game and judges your popularity with creative hashtags. It is now the most preferred platform for brands for publicity, courtesy its large userbase. Consistency is the key to success and fame on Instagram!

Snapchat

The new medium on the block that took the social world by storm is Snapchat. Its concept is very simple  post pictures and videos on your story with your phone. These disappear after a period of 24 hours. The concept became immensely popular in no time. The key to success on Snapchat is creativity and innovation. Its addictive and a huge resource for brands and celebrities to immediately connect with their audience. The Snapchat effect soon caught the fancy of other social networks, with Facebook, Instagram and even Whatsapp introducing their versions of the 24-hour photo validity.

YouTube

You might wonder about YouTubes inclusion in this list? It is the single largest carrier of videos on the internet. A grand total of 3.25 billion hours of videos are watched every month. All you need is a video camera, a login id and you are set! Millions of users everyday upload videos on a variety of topics. It has given rise to a new generation of internet celebrities with 40-50 million subscribers and content that is exclusively released on YouTube. Theres a new-age saying  if its not on YouTube, it probably doesnt exist on the internet. You ticket to stardom is consistency, creativity and technical prowess.
Jotirmay Thapliyal

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 20

After frequent mishaps linked to rafting activities in the Ganga being witnessed in Uttarakhand in recent years, the state tourism authorities that provide licenses to rafting operators have decided to go stern against all illegal rafting activities.

While rafting has always been considered a safe activity, rising number of rafting mishaps which has even led to loss of life have put a big question mark on rafting activities in Ganga. But these incidents have been mainly attributed to large scale illegal rafting activity taking place in Ganga.

The latest death has been that of a tourist from Delhi identified as Subash Kumar, who fell from his raft and the guides accompanied him failed to come to his rescue leading to his death. Several of such incidents have taken place in the past also. As per an estimate more than 250 rafting companies with valid license operate in Ganga. But there are a large number of rafting operators that operate without valid licenses. These also charge very less and thus attract tourists in big numbers.

Rafting operater with valid license Lucky Bisht of MD Adventures and Travel Company Rishikesh asserts that the tourism authorities need to be more strict as rafting operaters who do not follow norms are playing with lives of the people. It is compulsory that every raft has at least two persons as guides who are fully trained and hold valid certificates but often it is found that many rafting operators employ persons who are not certified, he said.

Meanwhile, the Tourism Department has cancelled the licence of the rafting company who was involved in Delhi tourist death. Further, the Ganga River Rafting Management Committee has also been set up to look into the entire rafting activities in the Ganga.
Washington, May 19

Two Chinese SU-30 aircraft carried out what the US military described as an unprofessional intercept of a US aircraft designed to detect radiation while it was flying in international air space over the East China Sea.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The issue is being addressed with China through appropriate diplomatic and military channels, said US Air Force spokeswoman Lieutenant Colonel Lori Hodge.

Hodge said the US characterisation of the incident was based on initial reports from the US air crew aboard the WC-135 Constant Phoenix aircraft due to the maneuvers by the Chinese pilot, as well as the speeds and proximity of both aircraft.

Distances always have a bearing on how we characterise interactions, Hodge said, adding a US military investigation into the intercept was under way.

She said the WC-135 was carrying out a routine mission at the time and was operating in accordance with international law.

Chinas Defence Ministry, in a short statement, said the US account did not accord with the facts.

It said that what it described as a US surveillance aircraft was carrying out surveillance activities over the Yellow Sea, and Chinese aircraft went to investigate in accordance with the law and the rules.

The relevant action was professional and safe, it said.

The ministry added that US military ships and aircraft frequently carrying out close-in surveillance is the root cause of safety problems between China and the United States at sea and in the air.

We hope that the US side stops relevant surveillance activities, to avoid this kind of incident happening again. Speaking earlier, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said: We hope that the US side can respect Chinas reasonable security concerns.

Early on Saturday, Chinas top diplomat, State Councillor Yang Jiechi, received a phone call from US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, according to Chinas foreign ministry.

The report of the call on the ministrys website made no mention of the aircraft incident, but paraphrased Yang as saying China and the United States should expand cooperation across the board and strengthen their communication and cooperation on major global and regional issues.

On February 8, a US Navy P-3 spy plane and a Chinese military aircraft came close to each other over the South China Sea in an incident the Navy saw as unsafe but also inadvertent.

Reuters reported at the time that the aircraft came within 1,000 feet (305 meters) of each other in the vicinity of the Scarborough Shoal, between the Philippines and the Chinese mainland.

China is deeply suspicious of any US military activity around its coastline, especially in the resource-rich South China Sea, parts of which are disputed by China and its smaller neighbours including the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.  Reuters
Benghazi (Libya), May 20

A spokesman for east Libyan armed forces said on Friday that as many as 141 people had been killed a day earlier in an attack on a southern air base, and the head of Libyas United Nations-backed government suspended his defence minister pending an investigation into the incident.

The attack at Brak Al-Shati air base shattered a truce in the area, which in recent months had become a flashpoint between military alliances based in eastern and western Libya.

It risks a major escalation in a stop-start conflict between eastern-based factions and rivals loosely aligned with current and former governments in the capital, Tripoli.

Ahmed al-Mismari, a spokesman for the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), said 103 of those killed in the attack at the air base were LNA troops, most of them from the 12th Brigade stationed there.

They were attacked by a brigade from the western city of Misrata known as the Third Force, which previously controlled the base and is nominally aligned with the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.

Earlier on Friday, the mayor of Brak Al-Shati and a medical source in the town put the death toll at 89, though the medical official said some bodies had not been brought to the hospital.

Mismari said some of the bodies were only collected on Friday.

It was not possible to independently verify the number of casualties. Local and LNA officials have said some of those killed were civilians who appeared to have been summarily executed. Mohamed Gliwan, a spokesman for the Third Force, told local TV that LNA troops who were killed inside the base were armed.

Human Rights Watch cited a medical official, an eyewitness, and photo and video footage to say that attacking forces had killed scores of LNA fighters, some with bullets to the head, in apparent acts of summary execution. UN Libya envoy Martin Kobler called the attack unprovoked and vicious, saying it must not push (Libya) into further, serious conflict. GNA Prime Minister Fayez Seraj announced that he was suspending both Defence Minister Mahdi Al-Barghathi and Third Force commander Jamal Traiki, until it is determined who was responsible for violating the ceasefire.

He condemned the escalation at Brak Al-Shati in the strongest terms and called for an immediate ceasefire. He denied issuing any instructions to the ministry of defence.

Barghathi is a former LNA commander turned opponent of LNA chief Khalifa Haftar. He is widely reported to have played a role in plotting past military operations against the LNA, though his ministry denied ordering Thursdays attack.

The LNA has said Islamist militants and the Benghazi Defence Brigades (BDB), whose members previously fought the LNA in Benghazi, also took part in the attack.

Mismari said the LNA had carried out air strikes in the Sabha and Jufra regions in response to the attack.

Also on Friday, a car bomb south of Benghazi killed a prominent tribal leader linked to the LNA along with five other people. The blast in Suluq, 31 miles (50 km) south of Benghazi, also wounded 26 people, a medical source said.

The LNA has been fighting a three-year campaign against Islamist militants and other opponents in Benghazi and other parts of eastern Libya. Reuters
Riyadh, May 20

The White House announced a huge arms deal with Saudi Arabia today as President Donald Trump took his first steps on the world stage, looking to leave mounting troubles behind at home.

The $110 billion deal for Saudi purchases of US defence equipment and services came at the start of foreign tour that will also take Trump to Jerusalem, the Vatican and to Europe.

The US President was given a warm welcome in the oil-rich kingdom, a mood in sharp contrast to Washington where pressure is building after fresh claims over his teams alleged links to Moscow.

Air Force One had barely taken off when it was announced that James Comey, the former FBI chief, had agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the US elections.

The President and First Lady Melania Trump were welcomed by Saudi King Salman as they disembarked at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh this morning.

After a welcoming ceremony, Trump and his entourage were brought to the royal court where the president was awarded the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabias highest civilian honour.

The arms sale agreement was just one of a series of deals to be announced during the visit, with US conglomerate General Electric saying it had also signed agreements and MoU worth $15 billion. This package of defence equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats, a White House official said.  AFP

Melania skips headscarf
New York, May 20

A former software engineer for IBM in China pleaded guilty on Friday to stealing proprietary source code from the company, federal prosecutors announced on Friday.

Jiaqiang Xu, 31, pleaded guilty to economic espionage and theft of a trade secret before U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas in White Plains, New York, prosecutors said. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 13.

Leanne Marek, Xus attorney, declined to comment.

Xu was arrested in December 2015 after meeting with an undercover officer at a White Plains hotel, where authorities said he was recorded saying he used the code to make software to sell to customers.

He was originally charged with theft of a trade secret. The economic espionage charges were added in a superseding indictment filed last June.

International Business Machines Corp was not identified by name in the complaint. But a LinkedIn profile for Xu said he was employed as a system software developer at IBM during the period in question.

Prosecutors said the proprietary computer code Xu stole was related to a so-called clustered file system, which facilitates faster computer performance.

Xu, who began working at IBM in China in 2010, had full access to the source code before voluntarily resigning in May 2014, prosecutors said.

According to the criminal complaint filed in 2015, the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2014 received a report that someone in China was claiming to have access to the code and using it for business ventures, prompting the investigation that led to the arrest.

The case is USA v. Xu, US District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 16-cr-00010. Reuters
Tehran, May 20

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani won a resounding re-election victory today as voters overwhelmingly backed his efforts to reach out to the world and rebuild the struggling economy.

Rouhani, a 68-year-old moderate cleric who spearheaded a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, took 23.5 million votes  57 per centcompared to 15.8 million  38.3 per centfor hardline challenger Ebrahim Raisi.

But Irans efforts to open up to the world face a stark challenge from US President Donald Trump, who has threatened to tear up the nuclear deal and is currently visiting its bitter regional rival Saudi Arabia. Iranians nonetheless flocked to the polls, with turnout hitting 73 per cent.

Election organisers were forced to extend polling by several hours yesterday, as they struggled to adapt to a population explosion that has added 20 million names to the voting rolls in the past two decades.

Already last night we had the feeling we were heading for a landslide, and it came true, said Farid Dehdilani, an adviser for the Iranian Privatisation Organisation, who worked on Rouhanis campaign. Our people reaffirmed their confidence in the President and their support for engagement with the world, he added.

Raisi, 56, had positioned himself as a defender of the poor and called for a much tougher line with the West.

But his revolutionary rhetoric and efforts to win over working class voters with promises of increased handouts gained limited traction.

Rouhanis vote, particularly in rural areas, shows that Iranian people no longer believe in economic populism and radical change, said Ali Vaez, Iran analyst for the International Crisis Group, a think tank.

They have the maturity to understand that the solution to their countrys predicaments are in competent management of the economy and moderation in international relations, Vaez told AFP.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, a staunch ally of Iran in the Syrian conflict on the side of the Damascus regime, was among the first leaders to congratulate Rouhani.

The Kremlin said Putin sent a telegram confirming his readiness to continue active joint work... in line with maintaining stability and security in the Middle East and the world as a whole.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also tweeted her congratulations and vowed to work for greater engagement, regional peace... (and the) expectations of people in Iran.

Both Russia and the European Union are eager to safeguard the 2015 deal which they signed alongside the US, easing sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs to its nuclear programme.

Although Rouhani has been deeply entrenched in Irans security establishment since the early days of the revolution, he has emerged as the standard-bearer for reformists after their movement was decimated in the wake of mass protests in 2009.

He took aim at the conservative-dominated judiciary and security services, telling supporters: Weve entered this election to tell those practising violence and extremism that your era is over.  AFP

A moderate cleric open to the world
Baghdad, May 20

Suicide bombings at checkpoints in Baghdad and south Iraq claimed by the Islamic State group killed at least 35 people and wounded dozens more, officials said today.

The bombings, which hit Iraq the previous night, came as Iraqi forces battle IS in Mosul in a massive operation launched more than seven months ago to retake the countrys second city from the jihadists.

In Baghdad, suicide car bombers attacked in the area of a checkpoint in the citys southern Abu Dsheer area, killing 24 persons and wounding 20, Brigadier General Saad Maan told AFP.

Security forces were able to kill one of the attackers, but the second blew up his car bomb, Maan said.

IS issued a statement claiming the attack but gave a different account of how it unfolded, saying that one militant clashed with security forces using a light weapon before detonating an explosive belt, after which a second blew up a car bomb.

And in south Iraq, a suicide bomber blew up an explosives-rigged vehicle at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city of Basra, killing 11 and wounding 30, according to head of Basra province health department.

Another militant who left a second explosives-rigged vehicle was killed by security forces, the Basra Operations Command said. IS also claimed the Basra attack, but said that both bombs were successfully detonated.

The jihadist group overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since recaptured much of the territory they lost to the jihadists. After recapturing the cities of Tikrit, Ramadi and Fallujah, Iraqi forces launched an operation to retake Mosulat the time the largest population centre still in IS hands.  AFP
Keki Daruwalla

Dismal as the news is in most places, the elections in France that resulted in 39-year-old Emmanuel Macron becoming President with 66 per cent vote, gladdened the heart. We have known France for its eccentric philosophies like existentialism, its tangential forays into traditional art through movements like surrealism  it is pretty tough to comprehend fully a French novel or movie. And, of course, we remember the French love for equality through Rousseau. Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite was, as a slogan, the driving force behind the French Revolution, the first of its kind. (Not really, but the slave revolt of Spartacus failed, while the revolutionaries and the guillotine succeeded in Paris). Of course they bungled by killing their own, giving rise to the saying that revolutions eat up their own children. Carrying the argument further in a lighter vein, look at the Concorde, the plane that took you across the Atlantic Ocean in four hours. It was a technological wonder and an economic disaster  the project folded up, typical of French ingenuity.

But this time they got it right. In the first round though, the reactionary National Front got 21.3 per cent votes against Macrons 24. Marine Le Pen of the National Front would have been a disaster for Europe. Virulently rightist, she was leaning towards a Frexit, which would have left the European Union in tatters after UKs exit. The National Front has always been xenophobic and nationalist (the two go hand in hand and are not music to Gallic ears, however good they may sound to yokel ears on the Indo-Gangetic plains). And the Front is certainly anti-Muslim, and anti-Jew.

We need to go back into history. During the Vichy regime in France under the puppet Marshal Petain, when German Nazis ruled the country, the French police in July 1942 rounded up 13,000 Jews and shipped them off to the notorious gas chambers at Auschwitz. Auschwitz bears the infamy of being the most lethal Nazi concentration camp in which 1.1 million, mostly Jews, were murdered out of the 1.3 million sent there by the SS. Marine is in denial of this event. She, her father (whom she has deposed after he had set up and ruled the NF for 40 years) and the Front have prided themselves on their mythic Gallic ancestry and Catholic culture, and have treated Jews and Muslims as the other. Come on, they are both Semite, arent they mon Cherie?

Her father was a paratrooper in Algeria during the bloody Algerian revolutionary war. He was accused of torturing Algerian prisoners. He pedalled fascism during the 1970s until he repackaged his views in a more acceptable discourse about immigration and Euro-scepticism. It is noticeable that Marine Le Pen proposed banning both hijab and the Jewish kippah, a brimless cap.

It was the background of terrorism in France that made a sizeable French population veer towards National Front (NF). In France, terrorism started in 1800 (December 24) when a bomb was hurled at Napoleon Bonaparte in an incident known as the plot of rue Saint-Nicaise  22 were killed and 50 injured. In 1835 (July 28), an attempt was made on King Luis Phillipes life, resulting in 18 killed. From Abu Nidal to Carlos the Jackal, to PLO and ETA, every known terrorist outfit carried out a hit in Paris. (Abu Nidal shot the Director of the Palestinian Library.) The Armenian Secret Army also got its hand in the bloody till, killing Turks in Paris. And then in 2015-2017, the attacks of al Qaeda and Islamic State are too well known. Misguided people gravitated towards Le Pen. Anti-terrorism and racism often go together. (We in India better be on our guard).

A parliament has yet to be elected in France. It is to be seen how En Marche, Macrons party, fares. That will be his first hurdle. There are others. Macron is an ardent defender of globalisation. The banker in him showed up when he warned that Poland was exploiting differences in labour costs and this would not be tolerated. This especially referred to Whirlpools decision to move a tumble drier factory from France to Poland. Warsaw, Budapest and other central European countries feel that Macrons ascension would isolate them in the European Union.

But let us not forget what Emmanuel Macron said, on winning the elections. I am aware that the task wont be easy, but I will tell you the truth I want unity of our people, the unity of our country. Dont we all? Sab ka sath in reality, not mob beatings, with the police registering cases against the beaten victims.

What this election has done is to turn the tide against the right and the far-right. Ultra-nationalism and distrust and dislike for minorities, Muslim and Jew, and the denial of history  the rounding up of 13,000 Jews and deporting them to Auschwitz  were given a decent punch by the electorate. Donald Trump and Brexit were enough. Earlier, the defeat of the rightists in Austria (December 2016) and in Netherlands (March this year) did not have the same impact. This should convince people that despite bad referenda and bad elections, democracy is still safe. People can be relied upon not to be stupid always.
Riyadh, May 20

Saudi Arabia said it shot down a ballistic missile, fired by Yemeni rebels, southwest of the capital Riyadh, ahead of US President Donald Trumps arrival in the Sunni-led kingdom.

Air defence units intercepted a ballistic missile that was launched by Huthi militias on Friday, and it fell over an unpopulated area 180 km from Riyadh, the Saudi-led coalition said in a statement.

Trump, whose country provides weapons, intelligence and aerial refuelling for the coalition, is due to arrive today for two days of summits with Saudi, Gulf and Muslim leaders.

The missile would be the longest range attempted by the Huthi rebels and their allies, former members of Yemens security forces linked to ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, since they began retaliatory attacks against the kingdom two years ago.

Occasional ballistic missile attacks, as well as more frequent short-range rocket fire over the southern border, have been conducted after coalition air strikes against the rebels in Yemen.

The coalition intervened in Yemen more than two years ago to support President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

Huthi-run Al-Masirah television said on its Twitter account that the rebels rocket forces launched a Volcano-2 (Borkan) ballistic missile on the capital of Saudi Arabia.

This coincided with coalition air strikes against the rebel-held capital Sanaa, other tweets from Al-Masirah said.

Riyadh and Washington accuse Iran of supplying weapons to the Huthis but a United Nations Panel of Experts in January reported that it has not seen sufficient evidence to confirm any direct large-scale supply of arms from Iran, Riyadhs regional rival.

Huthis claim to have locally-developed the Borkan missile, but the UN panel said the rebels have initiated a propaganda campaign claiming the use of locally manufactured, as opposed to improvised, missiles.

It said they have, however, fired Scud-variant short- range ballistic missiles and free-flight rockets.

Saudi Arabia has deployed Patriot missiles to counter such attacks.

In October the rebels launched one of their longest-range strikes against Saudi Arabia, firing a ballistic missile that was brought down near the holy Muslim city of Mecca, an attack condemned by Riyadhs Gulf allies.

The rebels insisted that the missile had been fired at Jeddah, the Red Sea city in the sprawling Mecca region, not at the holy city itself.  AFP
Update, 5 a.m. Saturday: National meteorologists expect lingering showers and thunderstorms to weaken and disperse throughout Saturday morning.

However, flooding risks will remain for large parts of eastern Oklahoma, according to the National Weather Service in Tulsa. Severe weather potential is expected to accompany the next storm system throughout Monday and Tuesday.

Flood warnings for much of eastern Oklahoma will remain in affect until about 8 a.m. Saturday. Several areas are expected to remain under a flood warning until early next week, including for the Deep Fork River in Okmulgee County, the Arkansas River in Muskogee County, the Illinois River in Delaware and Cherokee counties, and the Poteau River in LeFlore County.

Levels of those rivers are expected to fall below their flood stages between Sunday evening and Tuesday.

A flash flood warning for Pushmataha and LeFlore counties will remain in affect until 8:15 a.m. Saturday, according to the weather service.

A flash flood watch will remain through out Saturday morning for Adair, Cherokee, Choctaw, Haskell, Latimer, LeFlore, McIntosh, Muskogee, Pittsburg, Pushmataha and Sequoyah counties.

About 2 1/2 of inches of rainfall fell throughout Thursday in Tulsa, according to the the weather service. Tulsa received an additional nearly 2 inches of rainfall after overnight rains from Friday and Saturday morning, according to Mesonet.

According to preliminary reports from the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center, three tornadoes were reported in Oklahoma overnighttwo in Johnston County and one in Carter County.

After overnight thunderstorms and other severe weather, Oklahoma Gas and Electric Corporation reports that about 6,800 customers are affected by outages throughout Oklahoma. Public Service Company of Oklahoma reports about 660 customers affected by outages through out Oklahoma.

Update, 9:15 p.m.: The National Weather Service in Tulsa has issued a flash flood warning until 3 a.m. Saturday for McIntosh County and portions of Pittsburg, Muskogee, Okmulgee and Okfuskee counties.

At 9 p.m., radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area; 1 to 2 inches of rain have fallen. Flash flooding is expected to begin shortly.

Also, a flood warning continues for the Arkansas River near Muskogee until further notice. At 8 p.m., the river was at 28.18 feet; flood stage is 28 feet. Minor flooding is occurring. The river is expected to rise to near 29.5 feet by Saturday evening, then fall back to near flood stage late Sunday evening and continue to fluctuate around flood stage through at least Wednesday.

Update, 9:10 p.m.: The Oklahoma Department of Transportation reports the following roads are closed by high water of flooding:

 Oklahoma 80 in Cherokee County is closed five miles south of Oklahoma 51 between Hulbert and Fort Gibson.

 Oklahoma 9 in McIntosh County is closed between the Indian Nations Turnpike and Oklahoma 52.

 U.S.-75A in Okmulgee County over the highway a half-mile north of Beggs at a railroad underpass.

Update, 9 p.m.: A severe thunderstorm warning remains effective until 9:15 p.m. for Delaware County, southeastern Craig County, southern Ottawa County, northeastern Mayes County, northwestern Adair County and northeastern Cherokee County.

At 8:51 p.m., the National Weather Service reported severe thunderstorms along a line extending from 2 miles northeast of Afton to 5 miles northeast of Jay to 3 miles north of Colcord to 2 miles south of Scraper, moving northeast at 50 mph.

Update, 8:00 p.m.: The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Tulsa County.

The warning also includes Cherokee, Mayes, Muskogee, Okmulgee, Rogers and Wagoner counties.

Quarter-sized hail and 60 mph wind gusts are expected, according to the advisory.

Towns or locations in the path or near the path of the storm include:

Eastern Tulsa

Broken Arrow

Muskogee

Claremore

Wagoner

Pryor

Owasso

Bixby

Coweta

Pryor Creek

Catoosa

Collinsville

Fort Gibson

Verdigris

Chouteau

Haskell

Inola

Locust Grove

Salina

Adair

Update, 7:25 p.m.: The National Weather Service upgraded a large area around Tulsa to a flash flood warning.

Included in the warning are Cherokee, Creek, Mayes, Muskogee, Okmulgee, Rogers, Tulsa and Wagoner counties.

The warning is set to expire at 2 a.m.

The weather service also issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Creek, Okfuskee and Okmulgee counties until 7:30 p.m.

Update, 6:50 p.m.: The National Weather Service issued a new severe thunderstorm warning for Cherokee, Delaware, Mayes, Ottawa and Wagoner counties.

The warning is set to expire at 7:15 p.m.

Hail and high winds are expected. Cities in or near the path include:

Wagoner

Jay

Grove

Chouteau

Locust Grove

Salina

Langley

Hulbert

Spavinaw

Disney

Hoot Owl

Honey Creek State Park

Peggs

Rose

Leach

Chloeta

Spavinaw State Park

Sportsmen Acres Community

Sequoyah State Park

Cherokee State Park

Update, 6:45 p.m.: The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Creek, Okfuskee and Okmulgee counties, including Bristow, Okemah and Boley.

The warning is set to expire at 7:30 p.m.

Up to quarter-sized hail reported in Wagoner.

Both of Tulsa's downtown arts festivals, Mayfest and The Blue Dome Arts Festival, shut down early Friday night as weather continues to hit northeast Oklahoma.

In the Tulsa area, flood warnings and watches continue, but there are no current severe weather advisories.

Much of southern Oklahoma is under several weather conditions.

There's is a tornado watch in effect for Atoka, Bryan, Carter, Coal, Cotton, Hughes, Jefferson, Johnston, Love, Marshall, Murray, Pontotoc and Stephens counties, according to the National Weather Service.

The watch is in effect until 11 p.m.

Check back here for updates as weather continues to pass through the area Friday night.
Officer Betty Shelby will return to duty but not on patrol assignment after her manslaughter acquittal, and she will receive back pay from her unpaid suspension after she was charged in Terence Crutchers death.

Police Chief Chuck Jordan in a statement Friday morning said that Shelby, pursuant to the jury verdict will return to work but not in a patrol capacity.

Shelby was placed on unpaid administrative leave after she was charged Sept. 22 with first-degree manslaughter.

City spokeswoman Michelle Brooks said Shelby will receive back pay for the whole time she was on unpaid administrative leave.

Shelbys annualized base pay for each year in 2016 and 2017 is $53,700, according to the Worlds city of Tulsa salary database. If she returns to duty Monday, she will have been on unpaid suspension for nearly 35 weeks  or almost $36,000 worth of salary.

Shelby will return to duty next week in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement, defense attorney Scott Wood said.

I believe it was a wise decision to keep her out of patrol at this time, simply for safety reasons, Wood said.

However, the jury that acquitted Shelby reportedly was concerned about her judgment as an officer.

In a letter filed with the district court and released Friday, the jurys foreman noted that jurors encourage the police chief and other administrators to take a detailed and earnest review of all points of Shelbys encounter with Crutcher.

If she had any opportunity or flexibility of judgment to subdue the suspect with a less lethal force in the moments before the event culminated tragically, then her ability and judgment as an officer under pressure has to be called into question, and serious consideration given to whether she be allowed to return to practicing law enforcement, the jury foreman wrote.

Tulsas chapter of Black Lives Matter had called for her termination.

Scott said he believes Shelby will continue to be an asset for the department regardless of what capacity she serves. A World reporter asked if Shelby expects or wants to return to patrol at some point with TPD.

Patrol could be a possibility but in the future, Wood said. She has a great interest in sharing her experience with other officers to aid in training.
Changing times have affected Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry, which will hold its annual awards dinner at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Charles Schusterman Jewish Community Center, 2021 E. 71st. St.

Once Tulsas premier interfaith organization, TMM has seen membership and income slip in recent years, said Executive Director Ray Hickman.

On April 1, Hickmans position became voluntary due to budget restraints.

Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry has been around for 80 years, Hickman said. It founded such community institutions as Meals on Wheels, the Day Center for the Homeless and LIFE Senior Services, which have spun off into independent ministries.

In Tulsa, and around the nation, he said, the ecumenical movement of which the group has been a part has declined since its heyday in the 1980s and 1990s.

In that era, most of the large downtown churches were members of TMM; now only one, Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, is he said.

Hickman said he thought some of the decline came because TMM became increasingly inclusive, accepting Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and other faith groups  a shift that did not sit well with some churches.

He said some of these issues, and the future of TMM, will be discussed at the annual delegates meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday before the dinner. The meeting is open to the public.

Hickman said he believes that Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry still has a vital role to play in the community.

For reservations for the dinner ($50), call TMM at 918-582-3147 or go to tumm.org by Monday. Vegetarian meals are available upon request.

Several community leaders will be honored at the dinner.

Jesse Guardiola will receive the Ron McDaniel Recognition. Guardiola is a Tulsa police officer who has worked to recruit Hispanic officers and has been a liaison between the police and the Hispanic community.

The Rev. Ray Owens, pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church, will receive the Don Newby/Ben Hill Recognition. Owens has been at Metropolitan Baptist since 2005 and is recognized as a leader among young African-American pastors, Hickman said.

East Side Christian Church will receive the Interfaith Understanding Recognition for its work welcoming people from all walks of life, building a diverse, inclusive community, and offering its facilities to a range of organizations and agencies that meet peoples needs, Hickman said.

Night Light Tulsa will receive the Point of Light Recognition for its work with homeless people. It provides meals, clothing, medical care and personal friendship to people on the street.

Alexis Carter, leader of discipleship ministries at Metropolitan Baptist Church, also will receive a Point of Light Recognition award. She has been described as a contemplative activist and disciple-maker who helps young people engage with disturbing and difficult aspects of faith and society.
And so, as a community, we feel great pain for the Crutcher family as you do for a neighbor who suffered such an awful loss.

We also have to recognize that the men and women of the Tulsa Police Department are good people who put their lives on the line every day to protect the rest of us. Every day, Tulsa police officers put themselves in situations that most of us hope we would never find ourselves in at any point of our entire lives. A memorial at the training center here in Tulsa for our police department is a testament to the danger that our police officers face with every call that they respond to, and they are asked to make quick decisions to defend themselves and to defend us.

We have to acknowledge that a divide exists in our city. We cant work to address it until we acknowledge it exists. We have a long way to go as a city when there is a 10-year life expectancy disparity between the most predominantly African-American part of our city and the rest of our city. We have a long way to go as a city when one part of our city is synonymous with an entire race. We have a long way to go as a city when people keep expecting lawlessness from African-Americans in response to an incident or a verdict. I would remind Tulsans that our history shows us African-Americans in Tulsa have not been the instigators of lawlessness and riots; they have been the victims of them. So I would ask that we not keep assuming the worst from a part of our community that has been exposed to the worst in this citys history. We acknowledge the divide, and we acknowledge the long, difficult road that we have as a city to equity.

The first step is acknowledgement, but the next step is action. That is why, early on in our time in office, the City Council and I got together and talked about what our goals for the city are. And addressing these issues was one of the top priorities. We are in unanimous agreement that issues of racial disparity in Tulsa need to be addressed, and we have a unanimous desire to take actions and to bring all the tools that the city government has at its disposal to address those issues. Its why we formed the Commission on Community Policing in just the first few weeks of our time in office.

That commission developed 77 different recommendations, and I think that is testament and acknowledgement of the belief that we can do better. No organization is perfect. Every organization, every individual, has room for improvement and we believe that these 77 items and recommendations the commission issued are a road map for us to improve. I have to add that the commission brought together citizens and police officers. We have police officers in our department who acknowledge the need for us to find ways to do better, who want badly for us to find ways to do better.

Weve created an online tracking system, so this isnt just a report thats issued and then sits on a shelf and never gets completed. Every single one of those 77 recommendations is online, on a dashboard that any citizen can go to at cityoftulsa.org/dashboards and they can track our progress and hold us accountable to following through on implementing community policing in Tulsa. Let me give you an example of what some of these things are: We will have body cameras fully deployed by the end of this year; we will have citizen advisory boards established in each of our divisions this summer; the council and I have developed a budget that will fund the largest single year influx to police officers in the citys history in this coming year, and the purpose of that is to implement community policing.

Weve also partnered with one of the largest nonprofit charitable foundations in the history of the world, the Rockefeller Foundation, to implement the Resilient Cities Program here in Tulsa. Our Chief Resilience Officer, DeVon Douglass, is leading that initiative and that really creates a framework through which we can bring together resources to focus on these issues.

Now, obviously, there are 100 cities around the world that are participants in this program but they get to pick issues they deal with. Some cities deal with economic development, some cities deal with natural disasters, but we recognize that the greatest issue we need help with is racial disparity in Tulsa. This is something that Tulsans have been talking about for 100 years and have not succeeded in addressing. So we are bringing together resources from all around the world, the expertise from all around the world through that program to address these issues: issues of access to economic opportunity, access to good transportation, access to health.

We want to make this a more equitable city and we believe that this program serves as a vehicle to help us accomplish that. Councilor (Vanessa) Hall-Harper is leading an initiative that many of us support, to address disparity as it relates to access to healthy food and groceries in north Tulsa. This is something that people have talked about for a long time. You have leadership here that is in complete agreement on the need to address that and will again deploy the resources of the city government to make it happen. We have established the African-American Affairs Commission, which to be honest, is something that I think should have been established 50 years ago. Its remarkable to me that we only got it founded in 2017. But it has been established and those members who will make up the first slate of members on it will be joining that commission this summer.

Now these efforts and more have been underway since we took office on Dec. 5. They were underway before yesterdays verdict, and they will continue moving forward. We recognize that this issue, the issue of racial disparity in Tulsa, is the great moral issue of our time in this community and there is a desire in all parts of our city to play a role in addressing it.

In my experience, progress in a community only occurs when we are willing to acknowledge our disagreements and acknowledge the humanity in the people with whom we disagree so that we can work together on the changes that we need to bring about. For those who want to join us in pursuing these changes, in making Tulsa a more equitable city, in addressing issues of racial disparity that have existed in our city for a century, the door is open. We need your help. Whether you live in north Tulsa, south Tulsa, east Tulsa, or west Tulsa; whether you are a police officer or an everyday citizen, we need your help. We ask for you to join us in this effort. Thank you.
Australian Story tomorrow features Part 2 of Candy Man Part 2, the extraordinary life of Lion screenwriter Luke Davies and his recovery from heroin addiction to Hollywood glory.

I knew that hed been through detox and he was a lot more humble. So he was a lot more likeable  Karen Brien, former wife

I just assumed that Id lost all my powers of writing and that was something that I was completely willing to accept as my destiny.  Luke Davies

Im the real Candy. It was really when the film came out that we re-established our friendship. And I think a lot of people thought that I shouldnt have been friends with Luke in that it was exploitative but I dont think that.  Megan Bannister, former wife

Part 1 of Candy Man explored Luke Davies early years, from his idyllic childhood on Sydneys North Shore, through his decline into a decade of heroin addiction and the toll that this took on him and those around him.

This concluding episode begins as he finally enters a detox unit on January 2, 1990, turning his back on heroin once and for all.

That was the beginning of me actually getting my life back, Luke tells Australian Story.

Gradually Luke began to write again  a volume of poetry and then fragments of what would eventually become Candy, the best-selling account of his relationship with Megan Bannister and their years of addiction.

I shoplifted the book because I didnt want him to have any of my money, Megan tells Australian Story. I wasnt talking to Luke at the time. Its a bit uncomfortable for me to read it.

When director Neil Armfield turned Candy into a movie starring Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish, Luke co-wrote the screenplay. Luke was also given the task of making a behind-the-scenes documentary  a raw, uncompromising film that makes light of Lukes anxiety about his small role as a milkman but also explores much darker territory as Luke revisits his past with Megan.

The documentary was never released and excerpts from it appear here for the first time.

Luke won an AFI award for his Candy script and then gambled everything on a move to Los Angeles. However, he struggled to find work and became increasingly debilitated by the effects of Hepatitis C, a legacy of his addiction.

Despite failing health, Lukes luck began to turn. In 2012 he won the Prime Ministers Literary Prize for poetry, allowing him to clear his debts. Not long after, he started to get good work  first the script for the 2015 film Life and then Lion, based on the story of Saroo Brierleys search for his birth mother.

And then during production of Lion Luke received an experimental treatment that cured him of Hepatitis C.

Lion has become a worldwide hit, making Luke one of the most sought-after writers in Hollywood. He was nominated for an Oscar and took his mother Joan to the ceremony.

I put her through long periods of betrayal and anxiety and pain  pure pain, he told Australian Story. The ability to say, Mum, I want you to be my plus one at the Oscars, that felt pretty special.

Australian Story accompanied Luke and his mother to the Oscars and filmed with him extensively in Los Angeles and Sydney.

Candy Man features interviews with Lukes parents and former partners as well as friends and collaborators, including actors Dev Patel (Lion), Joel Edgerton, Jacki Weaver and Alex OLoughlin, Candy director Neil Armfield, Candy and Lion producer Emile Sherman and director David Michod.

Together they tell a remarkable story of redemption; of a man whose vision of the world and his own place in it is suffused with poetry but who achieved success only after emerging from the depths of addiction and despair.

Producers: Quentin McDermott and Greg Hassall

8pm Monday 22 May on ABC
| By Chris Zang

Its a party! Lindsay Van Order, MS, Master of Science graduate, said upon arriving at Plaza Park, literally dancing up the steps to join in the music, food, and camaraderie at the University of Maryland, Baltimores third annual Party in the Park.

(See the Party in the Park video below)

UMB used to have a problem on commencement day: how to get the graduates and their families to stay on campus between the morning school convocations and the Universitywide ceremony in the afternoon?

Then the solution came: have a lunchtime party! On May 19 revelers packed the park between the School of Social Work and the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, enjoying the sounds of DJ Marvalous, the food from CulinArt, and the presence of families, fellow students, and friends.

This is brilliant, said Hashim Gibril, DDS who had just graduated from the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. Our family needed somewhere to spend time between 10 and 2. Were having a great time.

His 20 family members eating lunch at two tables under a tent nodded their approval. They had come from Boston, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Michigan, Virginia  and Sierra Leone, Gibrils homeland.

Another graduate who had traveled a distance  Rakesh Godhani, PharmD, of Toronto  was sitting alone, but having a good time just the same. This is my first time in Baltimore, he said, explaining he completed his Master of Science in Regulatory Science online. Yesterday I got to meet Dr. [James] Polli and Dr. [Andrew] Coop and all the School of Pharmacy faculty in person for the first time. Theyre really nice people.

Although one School of Nursing grad thought there could have been more seating but the premise is great, most others enjoyed the activities, with impromptu line dances breaking out near the cornhole games and pixilated picture booth and fans of all ages rushing up to greet the Oriole Bird and Poe of the Ravens.

Even the vendors were happy.

We love Party in the Park because everyone loves a good crabcake, wherever they are from, said Jeff Gordon, whose Flash Crabcake truck was doing a steady business. Also we have boys who are graduating college so we recognize the pride these parents are feeling and join in their happiness.

Carol Velandia, MSW, a School of Social Work graduate, preferred the veggie burgers and loved the party. Its so good to see this place full of people and fun, she said before joining the procession to Royal Farms Arena for the Universitywide commencement. Its a great sendoff for all our work.
| By Chris Zang

University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) President Jay A. Perman, MD, is fond of telling his graduating students to go out and change the world. At UMBs commencement ceremony on May 19, he was joined onstage by a UMB alum who had done just that  William P. Magee Jr., DDS '69, MD, chief executive officer and co-founder of Operation Smile.

Since its founding 35 years ago, Operation Smile has provided hundreds of thousands of free surgeries for children and young adults, Perman said in his introduction. But the organization doesnt only provide care; it builds self-sufficiency in partner countries around the world.

In his keynote address, Dr. William Magee, an alumnus of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry and co-founder of Operation Smile, told graduates to take advantage of their unique gifts.

Magee, a University of Maryland School of Dentistry alum from the Class of 1969, took the graduates from UMBs six professional schools and Graduate School on a 15-minute emotional roller coaster at Royal Farms Arena. They laughed at his joke about an Irish-Catholic priest and fell silent when he discussed his work with children in resource-poor countries.

Magee said there are no ordinary moments. Most of us never recognize the most significant moments of our lives when they are happening.

Such as the trip to the Philippines in 1982 when Magee, his wife, Kathy, who was a nurse and social worker, and their 13-year-old daughter were part of a several-day mission to take care of children with cleft lips, cleft palates, and other facial deformities. There was nothing altruistic about that trip for me, said Magee, I just wanted to get better at the surgery and it was an opportunity to operate on a large number of kids in a short period of time.

But when the team could only treat 40 of the 300 children who were brought for care, the Magees knew they needed to do more. We were going to go back, take care of those 260 kids and that would be that and we would get on with our lives as usual, Magee recalled. And thats exactly how Operation Smile began. Reason leads to conclusions. Its emotion that leads to action. So we made that decision to go back at that one moment in time. We hadnt the foggiest idea of how to raise the money. Now, 35 years later, were in 60 countries, he said, eliciting a round of applause. We have 13,000 volunteers all donating their time to help someone who might never know their name but will never forget their kindness.

His advice for UMBs Class of 2017? The world is out there for you. There is so much need that exists in our world and you have so much talent  find ways to explore it a little bit. Knowledge and science are crucial, of course, but knowledge alone will not suffice if theres no heart. Its only when our knowledge is imbued with intense passion and energy that knowledge has a chance to come to life. Find that place in your soul where that knowledge has a chance to grow, where you get to utilize it for people who need you.

Magee was the first of three honorary degree recipients.

Ellen M. Heller, JD, a 1977 graduate of what is now the Carey School of Law who rose to become the first female administrative Circuit Court judge in Maryland, received an Honorary Doctor of Laws. Called a genius for innovation by Dean Donald B. Tobin, JD, Heller is credited with revolutionizing the civil litigation process in Baltimore. She helped establish and still presides over the Felony Drug Initiative, a program for non-violent felony drug addicts diverting them from incarceration into treatment. She retired from the bench in 2003 but has remained active at Maryland Carey Law, participating in symposia, dinners, and career development panels while funding several endowments and scholarships at the school with her husband, Shale Stiller, LLB, MLA.

Louis Angelos accepted an Honorary Doctor of Public Service on behalf of his father, Peter G. Angelos, JD. The senior Angelos, known to Orioles fans as the team owner since 1993, has done groundbreaking work in the legal field, building the Law Offices of Peter G. Angelos, P.C., into one of the nations leading personal injury law firms. He has taken on some of the most powerful corporations in the country, including asbestos manufacturers and tobacco companies. Over the years, Angelos has contributed nearly $10 million to the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Hes established endowed professorships in Surgery and in Entrepreneurial Sciences and also has pledged leadership funding to launch a multidisciplinary center for patients the world over with advanced lung disease and cancer.

Earlier, Joseph Fishbein, DDS, one of the graduates from the School of Dentistry, sang the national anthem and Robert Pevenstein, MBA, member of the University System of Maryland Board of Regents, had congratulated the 2,150 graduates in medicine, law, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, social work, and biomedical, health, and human service sciences. Dr. Perman continues to advance UMB as a force for education research and service. In short, this institution represents everything that is best about public higher education, said Pevenstein, who reminded the graduates to remember to give back to the University that gave them so much.

Student remarker Faiza Hasan, JD, urged her fellow graduates to value and respect our differences as much as we embrace our similarities. The law school graduate said, Growing up female, Muslim, and Pakistani was hard at times, but she expressed confidence in the future.

We are the future leaders of our society. On the brink of social and scientific changes. Today is a day of celebration. A day of thanks, a day of love. But most importantly, today is a day of hope. Our work does not stop here. We are just beginning.

Perman also was joined onstage by honorary marshals Leslie Glickman, PT, PhD, and Gary Plotnick, MD, of the School of Medicine.

University Marshal Patricia Langenberg, PhD, also of the School of Medicine, unfortunately missed the ceremony, recovering from a broken ankle. Read more about the marshals and other members of the platform party.

But the real stars of the show were the students, whom Perman lauded in no uncertain terms.

The students we celebrate today take their place in a long line of distinguished individuals whove graduated from this founding campus of the University System of Maryland," Perman said. "I wish you hard work and good luck  always  and I ask that you remember your alma mater as you make your mark on the world. Well look forward to your help. And were all so very proud of you.

Visit the commencement website for pictures, video, and more information.
Google and the University of Chicago Medicine recently teamed up to find ways to predict medical events. The study will try to identify patterns in patient's past medical records to prepare for future treatment.

For one thing, per WGN9, the new health tech could foresee whether someone will be hospitalized or not. Moreover, it can determine how long the patient will stay in the hospital. It could even tell if the patient's health is already deteriorating, experts said.

The team from Google and the University of Chicago primarily want to "better service the patients." Nevertheless, they assured that all of the records used in this research were stripped of personal information to protect the privacy of the patients. For the record, the team members from the tech company and the university met in a medical training at Harvard University.

According to Chicago Tribune, the University of Chicago Medicine has already spent years developing ways to predict health events. In fact, its experts have developed an algorithm called eCART that uses patient data to preempt cardiac arrest. With this, when a patient is considered at "high risk", nurses can perform extra checks on him or her.

Dr. Michael Howell, chief quality officer of the medical center, is sure that eCART has helped reduce cases of cardiac arrest. However, the rate of its effectiveness is still an open question. For his part, Dr. Samuel Volchenboum, the director of the Center for Research Informatics at the University of Chicago Medicine, stressed that this latest partnership with Google will help expand on such work.

Nonetheless, it is still too early to tell if Google could really develop a product or service using eCART. At the moment, the company is focused on demonstrating that the approach can improve patient care. Quant HC, a Chicago company, has commercialized eCART. Dr. Dana Edelson,one of the developers and now CEO of Quant HC, mentioned Amita Health Alexian Brothers Medical Center as one of the hospitals with the said technology.


X Burlesque, the most provocative show on the Las Vegas Strip, celebrated its Diamond Anniversary in Las Vegas  15 years as the citys hottest topless revue, with the addition of sensual new dance numbers at Flamingo Las Vegas (Pictured: Cast of X-Burlesque  Photo credit: Edison Graff / Stardust Fallout).

Photo credit: Edison Graff / Stardust Fallout.

A high-energy, racy performance, X Burlesque features a variety of jaw-dropping performances by Las Vegas sexiest and most talented dancers.

Photo credit: Edison Graff / Stardust Fallout.

In attendance to celebrate the special performance were the sexy cast members of X Country and X Rocks, actor and star of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy Jai Rodriguez, BMX pro Ricardo Laguna, cast members from Tenors of Rock, musician Frank Sidoris, lead guitarist from SLASH featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators and son of X Burlesque producer Angela Stabile, and Ryan Kelsey from Chippendales.

Photo credit: Edison Graff / Stardust Fallout.

Photo credit: Edison Graff / Stardust Fallout.


Katy Perry has announced the June 9 release of her new album, Witness (Capitol Records), and an extensive arena tour. With Witness, Katy reflects on the changes in her own life and in the world around her, delivering songs that both challenge and inspire.

The singles released thus far  the Platinum-certified Chained to the Rhythm featuring Skip Marley and the follow-up single, Bon Appetit featuring Migos  hint at the breadth of the musical and thematic elements found on Witness. Each ticket purchase for Witness: The Tour also includes a pre-order for Witness: The Album.

The North American leg of Witness: The Tour will make a stop in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Saturday, Jan. 20. Tickets for the concert go on sale to general public Monday, May 22 at 10 a.m. Visit http://katyperry.com.

Witness: The Tour follows Katys sold-out, 151-date Prismatic World Tour, which concluded in 2015 and was hailed by Rolling Stone as a show to damage retinas and blow minds.

Katy, who will be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on the May 20 season finale, made her Capitol Records debut with 2008s One of the Boys after signing to the label in 2007. She cemented her status as a global superstar with the follow-up album, Teenage Dream (2010). PRISM, her 2013 album, debuted at No. 1 on iTunes in 100 countries and has sold more than 12.5 million adjusted albums worldwide. With the singles Firework and Dark Horse each surpassing the 10 million threshold including song sales and streams, Katy is the first female artist to earn two RIAA Digital Single Diamond Awards. In her 10 years with Capitol, she has racked up a cumulative 18+ billion streams alongside worldwide sales of more than 40+ million adjusted albums and 125+ million tracks. She is the most-followed person globally on Twitter.
Lotus flowers blossom in the Khao Sam Roi Yot national park in southern Thailand. (Photo: AFP)

The sea of colour in Khao Sam Roi Yot national park, three hours south of Bangkok, is a show-stopping feat of nature that has locals hoping for a tourist bonanza.

But it has also sparked warnings over the fragility of the environment with park rangers pleading with people not to visit until the lake is healthy enough to deal with an influx of tourists.

The flowers, considered sacred in Thai culture, are good news for locals who have been ferrying camera-toting visitors through the lotuses which lie in knots on the lake's vast waters.

But "currently they should not come," said head ranger Rungroj Aswakultarin.

"The national park is in the process of restoring the lotuses. When it comes to the right time the park will open them up to the public," he said.

Rungroj's caution is understandable.

For the last decade the park - a stunning jumble of lakes, tributaries and towering limestone karsts three hours south of Bangkok - saw no widespread lotus bloom.

No-one has been able to pinpoint exactly why.

But officials blame a mixture of drought and pollution from fertilisers and nearby seafood farms.

In recent years rangers have tried to clean up the park and this year were rewarded with a sea of pink flowers.

Thailand struggles to balance its lucrative tourism industry with preserving the environment.

Few countries have experienced the kind of stratospheric growth in tourism.

In the last decade the number of foreign arrivals has more than doubled from 13.8 million in 2006 to a record 32.5 million last year, growth partly powered by Chinese arrivals.

Those expecting to find the kind of pristine, untouched beaches in tourist brochures are often left disappointed among hordes of visitors.

Thailand's tourism minister has called for the industry to chase fewer holidaymakers but ones with deep pockets.

This week some 61 national parks, including 25 marine parks, closed to visitors for the monsoon season, an annual move to try and help them recover.

But some environmentalists have argued the most vulnerable ecosystems need to close for longer, or face much stronger restrictions on visitor numbers.


Poster of "A Royal Affairs"

According to the Danish Embassy in Vietnam, the film week will introduce films of various genres such as A Royal Affair, The Hunt, A Hijacking, and Silent Heart, Mini and the Mozzies, and Freddy Frogface.

All films of the Danish Film Week were made in recent years and have won numerous international awards and important nominations in various film festivals, including the Oscar and Cannes Film Festival.

Danish Ambassador to Vietnam Charlotte Laursen said In this Danish Film Weeks 2017, we introduce the Danish contemporary film industry, which has created a vast amount of talented actors and filmmakers with worldwide reputation.

Through six films, we hope to give you a glimpse of the Danish modern society and the contemporary life of the Danish people; but more than that, we hope you enjoy the films as much as we do.

The Danish Film Week is scheduled to open at Le Do cinema in Da Nang city on May 26 and at Dong Ba cinema in Hue city on May 27.

In Da Nang, audience can pick up free tickets at Le Do cinema, 46 Tran Phu Street, Hai Chau district.

Audience in Hue can pick up free tickets either at Dong Ba cinema, No.187 Tran Hung Dao Street or Centre of Film distribution and screening, No.25 Hai Ba Trung street.

A Danish film week previously took place in Hanoi and HCM City under the framework of the European Union Film Festival in Vietnam.
Production remains safe

According to Reuters, the news came as part of the 20,000 job cuts that Ford could be considering. While Reuters claimed a variety of news sourced were airing the large-scale redundancy plan to be announced during the week, Ford has yet to make any specific announcements to affirm these rumours.

Indeed, to prevent wide-scale panic that could very well result in a rush to sell, exerting further downward pressure on its stock, Ford was quick to delineate the extent of its cuts. Accordingly, as cited by Reuters, a large part of salaried workers would not be affected and jobs in Fords South America and Europe units were safe. Additionally, those in product development and production are also out of harms way, just as the staff of the Ford Credit unit.

About two-thirds of the buyout offers will be in North America, the rest in Asia.

According to Ford spokesman Mike Moran, the company will offer generous financial incentives, including early retirement offers, and hopes to hit the redundancy targets through coming to mutually acceptable terms with volunteers.

The cut would amount to roughly 10 per cent of Fords white-collar staff of 15,000 and would cut labour costs by about the same margin.

Plummeting shares

Fords shares have been in an almost monotone fall since the start of the May 16 trading session. By 3 PM Wednesday (May 17), the ticker fell from $11.07 to $10.7, after which, possibly as a result of Fords announcement, it bounced back and has been fluctuating around the $10.79 mark.

This rebound is still lacking against the $12.70 on March 16, since when the company has been dropping heavily, to under the previous 4-5 year low-point of $11.34 on November 4, 2016.

As the companys ticker is at a five-year low, Ford has understandably entered saving-mode to cut costs and shore up its share price.

Newswire USA Today has quoted an interview with Ford CEO Mark Fields as saying the company is considering major strategic changes, including:

Scaling back car production, as consumers gravitate towards crossovers, SUVs, and pickups;

Paying down Fords debt so it has a bigger cash cushion going as the US auto industry heads into a period of slower new vehicle sales;

Exiting businesses or parts of the world, such as India, where Ford is underperforming;

Creating new companies or new lines of business, aiming to become a larger player in autonomous vehicles and carsharing.

According to Fords 2016 annual report, North America, a record profit in Europe, and second-best profit in the Asia-Pacific contributed the most to its automotive results, where the company gained pre-tax profit of $9 billion, $1.2 billion, and $627 million, respectively. Additionally, the annual report repeatedly emphasises these three regions importance to its overall profitable operationswhich might raise the question as to why the company is looking to cut jobs in two of its three most profitable markets.

While it has not been announced where the job cuts are going to hurt the most in Asia, India could be divined as a primary target from the musings of CEO Fields. On the other hand, it might target its much smaller operations across the ASEAN by which Ford means Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

Within the ASEAN, Fords main production hubs are located in Thailand, with two manufacturing plants in Rayong. These plants, according to the Bangkok Post, have a combined capacity of 315,000 units per year.

Ford produces the Ranger pickup, Everest, and EcoSport sport-utility vehicles in Thailand, as well as the Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks. The Rayong plants products are exported to 180 markets worldwide.

Ford has one assembly plant in Vietnam, with a capacity of 20,000 units a year. The plant, located in the northern province of Hai Duong, is a 75-25 joint venture between Ford and Song Cong Diesel Company.

Tesla overtakes giant Ford in US market value CHICAGO: Tesla on Monday (Apr 4) became the second-largest US car maker in terms of market capitalisation, displacing Ford, whose sales lagged amid concerns about the ability of the US market to keep growing.

Ford announces US$1.2b investment in US auto plants CHICAGO: Ford announced on Tuesday (Mar 28) that it will invest US$1.2 billion in three Michigan plants, most of which is part of a 2015 deal with its workers.

Ford recalls 4,500 cars in South Africa after fires PRETORIA: US motor giant Ford on Monday (Jan 16) recalled 4,500 1.6-litre Kuga cars in South Africa after nearly 40 incidents in which vehicles were reported to have burst into flames.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the conference

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc

Compared to last years conference, there were not many strong complaints, which means that the governments policies in the past year have been solving the right problems.

The government has achieved encouraging results in supporting and developing companies and improving the business environment. However, we are aware that companies are still facing obstacles.

In terms of regulations, there are still overlapping regulations and there are regulations that are not practical. We will build policies that ensure equality between state-owned and private sector companies.

Taxes and fees are still high, administrative procedures are still inconvenient to companies. Some state employees are asking for under-the-table money. Some companies are still having difficulties accessing capital and the market. There is still overlapping in the inspection and examination of companies, causing serious inconvenience.

In the near future, the government will focus on creating a transparent business environment that is convenient for companies. The chairmen of local peoples committees and the secretaries of local party committees, as well as ministers should carry out these tasks.

The government aims to create equal opportunities for all economic sectors and will strive to optimise resources for development and introduce measures to decrease costs for companies. This year, we will focus on cutting the financial burdens companies have to bear.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh

The government will optimise the institution to facilitate companies development. The mechanism and policies must be in line with the market economy and international practices. Additionally, the government should ensure that these policies can mobilise all the resources and knowledge of the people to serve the national economic growth.

The government will continue with the administrative reform, boosting its capacity to implement policies. Meanwhile, there will be strict punishments to answer the violations of agencies or officials who annoy or harass enterprises. It is especially necessary to enhance the capacity of judiciary officials to better protect ownership rights and the freedom to do business. The government will fight corruption and prevent other violations.

Enterprises should have long-term vision, invest in science and technology, and obey the laws and regulations. Business associations should enhance their operation efficiency and strive to have a strong voice in policy discourse and policy building.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam

The biggest obstacle of enterprises is administrative procedures, access to land, and taxation. I propose localities and ministries to carefully consider the complaints of businesses. Localities and ministries should increase information exchange and involve enterprises in their discussions, as well as promote the role of business associations in solving enterprises most burning problems.

Government agencies must be more determined. Policies need to be specific and practical to satisfy the requirements of enterprises and reduce unofficial costs. Also, public services have to be electronic to be transparent.

Nguyen Chi Dung - Minister of Planning and Investment

An important reason for the shortcomings in the implementation of Resolution 35 is that some leaders of some agencies in localities are not fully aware of its meaning and importance, which leads to significant inefficiencies. In addition, many officials still do not think their job is to control, not to serve companies.

I propose the PM to review and issue more directives on enhancing Resolution 35s efficiency. The key factor is the leaders of agencies in localities who must be fully aware of the resolutions spirit. They should be directly responsible for its success. Additionally, officials have to change their mindset and attitude and raise awareness and responsibility while implementing their tasks.

To Lam - Minister of Public Security

The Ministry of Public Security will continue to speed up the reform of administrative procedures and create favourable conditions for people and businesses, enhance security and order in industrial parks and economic zones, prevent the formation of gathering places for gangs and social evils causing insecurity and disorder. The ministry will focus on destroying economic crime groups, contributing to a safe and equitable business investment environment.

The Ministry of Public Security also proposes that companies actively cooperate with the authorities in solving grievances and ensuring traffic order and safety, eliminating oversized vehicles, ensuring fire safety and (general?) security.

Le Minh Tri - Prosecutor General of the Supreme Peoples Procuracy

Resolution 35 issued by the government is an important legal basis for companies development. The central agencies are acutely aware of their responsibility to support and develop enterprises, however, in some localities, this awareness is lower.

I propose the government to increase examinations in subordinate agencies and set strict punishments for violations to avoid recidivism. Meanwhile, the government should review the administrative procedures, adjust the shortcomings, and promote transparency.

The Supreme Peoples Procuracy will study and eliminate the loopholes to prevent illegal profiteering by punishing violators to protect law-abiding enterprises. We will strive not to criminalise civil and economic relationships and propose the relevant agencies to adjust improper regulations.

The Supreme Peoples Procuracy promises to stand by the government and companies.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha

It is important to identify the environmentally responsible companies entitled to receive preferential and friendly policies from state agencies. A separate mechanism should be applied for enterprises which can have negative effects on the environment and use backward technology.

The government will adopt different policies towards environmentally friendly enterprises complying with environmental regulations and strictly control activities that are likely to cause serious pollution, with an aim to ensure sustainable development.

Regarding the specific complaints, the ministry is reviewing policies and laws on land and natural resources, with a mind to create the most conducive terms for enterprises and ensure the interests of people and sustainable development.

Tran Tuan Anh - Minister of Industry and Trade

The Ministry of Industry and Trade received many complaints from enterprises at the previous meeting. We reviewed and revised a number of out-dated regulations, issued more than 40 new circulars, and submitted 21 decrees and decisions to the government and the PM to amend and promulgate over the past year.

The ministry is also working to amend the inadequate regulations concerning gas, alcohol, and mineral businesses, while continuing to simplify administrative procedures, accelerate the application of online public services, support enterprises in accessing the market, promote their competitive advantages, and create the most favourable conditions for enterprises.

Nguyen Duc Chung - Chairman of the Hanoi Peoples Committee

Hanoi will implement a wide range of solutions to support companies. Hanoi promises to reform in order to support companies development. Measures will include regular dialogues to tackle obstacles as they emerge, building a modern administration system, building an e-government system and smart city, as well as supporting startup companies to access resources like land and production sites and providing help to train human resources. In addition, Hanoi will work to connect companies with banks, helping them access the market and new technologies, and promote regional linkages.

Hanoi is sending proposals to the government regarding the equitisation of SOEs, the transformation of public non-business units, and technology transfer.
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at the launch of the Scottish manifesto by Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson in Edinburgh on May 19, 2017. (Photo: Dan Kitwood/POOL/AFP)

May promised to consult the devolved Scottish government if re-elected next month, but said: "I will be negotiating as the prime minister of the United Kingdom."

Launching her Conservative party's Scottish manifesto, she also reiterated that "now is the not the time" for a second "divisive" referendum on Scotland's independence.

Sturgeon's Scottish National Party (SNP), which dominates politics north of the border, has called for a fresh vote on independence before Britain leaves the European Union.

Scotland voted by a majority of 62 per cent to stay in the 28-member bloc in last year's referendum, but was outvoted by the rest of the country.

"Give me the ability to strengthen Scotland's hands in those negotiations, get a seat at the negotiating table and argue for Scotland's place in the single market," Sturgeon said this week.

But Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, who joined May at the campaign event Friday, dismissed the idea.

"Given that she wants Scotland to leave the UK and she wants Scotland to be in the EU, you have to ask, Which side of the negotiating table does she want to be on?" she told AFP.

Scots rejected independence in a 2014 referendum by 55 per cent, and a new poll on Friday found that support for going it alone remains at 45 per cent.

The poll also put the Conservatives on course to win seven seats in Scotland in next month's vote, which would be their best result since 1992.

The SNP's tally would fall to 47 from 56.

May emphasised the importance of Britain's constitutional ties in her speech Friday, saying: "This is a time to pull together, not apart."

The Conservative manifesto says an independence vote "cannot take place until the Brexit process has played out, and it should not take place unless there is public consent for it to happen".

SNP deputy leader Angus Robertson accused the Conservatives of arrogance.

"Theresa May flew into Edinburgh today to deliver one simple message to the people of Scotland - get back in your box," he said.
Residents complete a biogas tank in a household in Yen Hoa Commune, Yen Mo District, the northern province of Ninh Binh. Three recent gas asphyxiation deaths in Hai Duong Province have raised alarms about the risks of building substandard biogas systems.  VNA/VNS Photo inh Hue

Three men in Gia Xuyen commune died last week after jumping into their houses biogas tank to make repairs, according to local officials.

A provincial Police representative said examination and autopsy report showed that the victims died of poison gas asphyxiation, chiefly methane. In a biogas system, organic waste gets turned into methane gas, which many people in rural areas use for cooking and heating.

A family member of the victims told the Nong thon Ngay nay (Countryside Today) newspaper that the three men built the biogas tank themselves without guidance or consultancy from authorised agencies.

When the tank was blocked, they jumped in without checking whether the tank had poisonous gas or not, he said.

Chairman of Peoples Committee of Gia Xuyen Commune Ho Van Tan said around 70 per cent of farmers who raised pigs in the commune build biogas tanks.

Most of them build the tanks with guidance and assistance from local authorities. However, some people built the tanks themselves without support from authorities, he said.

After the accident, the Chairman expressed a hope that locals will strictly follow technical standards and guidance from local authorities to avoid such incidents.

Nguyen Anh Tho, Deputy Head of the Department of Labour Safety under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said fatal accidents relating to biogas systems still occur, leaving serious consequences.

In 2012, two men in Ha Nois an Phuong district died after entering a biogas tank, and their father was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment after jumping into the tank to try to save them.

In 2016, three people died and six others were hospitalised for gas asphyxiation in Hung My Commune, in the southernmost Ca Mau Provinces Cai Nuoc District, after a biogas tank leaked near their houses.

Head of the Environment Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developments Department of Livestock Production Nguyen Quynh Hoa told the newspaper that biogas tanks have been used by people in rural areas for a long time.

Biogas tanks are built to provide a solution which turns Viet Nams waste problem into a sustainable source of energy for rural farmers and their families. This sustainable technology uses animal waste in replacement of traditional fossil fuels and firewood. The energy produced can be used for cooking, lighting and other income-generating activities.

With the installation of a biogas plant, households on average avoid five tons of CO2 emissions and can decrease energy expenditure by up to US$120 a year.

Biogas systems built out by the ministry strictly followed technical standards to ensure safety, she said. Households joining these projects were trained on how to build, use and regularly maintain biogas tanks safely.

More than 500,000 biogas tanks have been built across the country under these projects, and the rate of related accidents is very low, she said.

Most of accidents happen when people build and operate biogas tanks without abiding by technical and quality standards. The case in Hai Duong Province was a typical example, she added.

During the construction process, sub-standard biogas tanks could lead to low quality gas or bad smell, affecting surrounding environment, or gas leaks that can lead to fatal accidents, Hoa said.

Tho said his department would co-operate with the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs of Hai Duong Province to implement programmes and projects on preventing labour accidents for people working in the fields of agriculture, fisheries and forestry.
Editors Note: Its been more than a year since the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) was launched. The bank is already helping to meet the financial needs of emerging economies to enhance their infrastructure  the banks focus. On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in East Asia, held in Phnom Penh last week, AIIB Vice President Joachim von Amsberg sat down with VOA Khmers Aun Chhengpor to discuss the banks expansion, the possibility of the US membership, and rising multilateralism in Asia.

VOA: With the existence of established international financial institutions like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, why does Asia need the AIIB?

Joachim von Amsberg: The infrastructure financing needs of Asia are so large. There is no single institution or there is no single bank that can meet all the financing requirements. Some of those studies that have been done show that there is a need to invest trillions of dollars every year in infrastructure  in power, roads, railways, water, and telecommunication. There is a strong recognition that more investment in infrastructure is needed. Now the existing multilateral development banks  the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and others  are investing in infrastructure, but their capacities are limited. They can only invest so much in each country and so much in each sector. Another reason to found this Bank was to create a bank that is, one, focusing on infrastructure, and two, led by Asian and emerging economies to meet their needs.



VOA: How have the banks operations gone so far?

JA: In fact, we have made 13 investments. Last month, we approved the first loan in India. But we have made 12 other financial commitments in the last year already. We have invested in Indonesia, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Oman, and now in India. We have committed more than $2 billion already in our first year of operations. So, in fact, we have got off to a pretty strong start because there is so much demand for infrastructure finance. We are receiving many requests for financing from governments -- but also from private project sponsors from other development banks. And we have financed a wide range of projects ranging from very small scale local infrastructure. For example, in Indonesia, we have invested in an urban slum upgrading project, so that will finance small roads and small water connection  very small scale works in many, many urban areas. On the other hand, we have invested in very large-scale infrastructure. For example, very large gas pipelines from Azerbaijan through Turkey that ultimately connect the European gas market to Azerbaijan.



VOA: Is there a direct connection between Chinese President Xi Jinpings One Belt, One Road initiative and the creation of the AIIB?

JA: One Belt One Road and AIIB are two very different items, they are also connected. They are very different because One Belt, One Road is a very broad initiative by China to promote economic connectivity and trade, in particular, between Asia, Europe, and Africa. But it is a very loose and very broad initiative. But it has now found support from many other countries, who are seeing it as a signal of promotion of openness, promotion of trade, [and] promotion of economic integration and opportunity. In contrast, AIIB is a bank  a bank with a legal framework, very clearly defined governance, and the ownership of now 70 member countries. So, AIIB is a multilateral organization or an international organization owned by 70 countries. Each of those 70 countries has a role in the leadership of AIIB and is considered in the decisions that AIIB takes. But, of course, the two are connected because many of our member countries are located in the One Belt, One Road corridor. So, we expect that there will be cases that our member countries will present some of the projects connected One Belt One Road to AIIB for its financing. But we will finance them because of their priority as our member countries, not because they are part of One Belt, One Road.

VOA: How can the AIIB work with other, more established lending institutions, such as the World Bank?

AJ: From the beginning, AIIB has worked closely with the existing international financial institutions. In fact, we have co-financed a very many projects where the World Bank or the Asian Development Bank or European Bank for Reconstruction and Development have taken the lead in preparing those projects to the partners. Out of the 13 investments financed by the AIIB so far, nine are financed together with other international financial institutions. This is a very healthy and very strong partnership because it helps us, AIIB, to learn from the experiences of the long established development banks and, also, send to the clients the message that we work in partnership, in particular, that we uphold very high standards of project quality.



VOA: Will the AIIB take the same approach as other lenders who tie financing to improvements in human rights conditions, environmental safeguards, good governance and corruption?

AJ: I expect that the AIIB will take a more focused approach because we have been founded in order to address the infrastructure finance gaps. So, we will be more focused on infrastructure financing and on project finance. We do not have the resources to advise countries on broader economic development or institution building. Those are important issues, but they are not the focus of the AIIB.

VOA: Might the United States and other countries which are core members of the World Bank become members of the AIIB?

AJ: From the beginning, AIIB has been set up in an open way, inviting all countries, and, in particular, all member countries of the World Bank or of the Asian Development Bank to join our new bank and become part of the AIIB. That open invitation will continue, and any country that is member of the World Bank and the ADB can join and apply for membership at the AIIB at any time. And, we will be very welcoming, and, of course. In the beginning when the idea of AIIB was first floated, I think there was quite a bit of skepticism  maybe even suspicion  that this might be a Chinese-only initiative that would promote Chinese interests. I think, in the last two years, that suspicion has given way to understanding and trust that AIIB is a truly international organization.



VOA: What are the main challenges facing the AIIB looking back over its first year?

AJ: I think the important challenge for us as a new organization is to prove our value added to our clients and to show that we can help solve the infrastructure finance paradox. The infrastructure finance paradox is that there is plenty of money out there they would like to invest in infrastructure, on the one hand, while, on the other hand, there are a lot of needs for infrastructure investment in Asia. And, yet, there is very little private finance is going into developing countries infrastructure: thats the paradox. We have to show that we can help increase the investment. We have to show that, when we get involved, other investors are comfortable to invest alongside us. So, our participation makes more and more projects viable. And, we can help reduce the paradox and allow more private capital to flow into infrastructure projects in developing Asia.

VOA: Do you think the trend towards protectionism in the West could threaten the AIIBs goals?

AJ: I think Asia has proven the benefits of trade and the benefits of economic integration. Over the last decades, hundreds of millions of people have been raised out of poverty because of the economic developments driven by trade and integration. And we see AIIB as an expression of that belief in connectivity, integration, and trade. We want to be a facilitator because connectivity means physical investments and that is what AIIB comes in to play.



VOA: Has the AIIB been concerned by the economic slowdown in China?

AJ: I think Chinas experience in the last decades has been absolutely extraordinary. The transformation of China over the last decades has occurred in a speed that is unprecedented and probably cannot be easily replicated nor continued. So, I would see the development that China has been moving toward growth rates that are probably more sustainable as healthy development that, of course, naturally, as Chinas income has risen so much in recent decades. I dont see sign of any particular dangers coming out of Chinas convergence toward, I think, more sustainable growth rates. I think that Chinas growth will still be an engine for the worlds economy and, certainly, an engine for developments in Asia.



VOA: How can Cambodia, as a minor shareholder in AIIB, contribute to and benefit from the project?

AJ: Well, Cambodia is part of Asean and part of the first group of countries that joined AIIB as a new bank. So, for us, Cambodias shareholding of AIIB is actually very important. Cambodia contributes and participates in different ways. One, Cambodia is a shareholder that is heard as part of our board of governors and board of directors. Secondly, we expect that we will invest in Cambodia. We believe that particularly smaller countries like Cambodia will benefit even more from economic integration than the larger economies. Typically, a small economy is even more dependent on economic integration with its neighbors. And, therefore, connectivity is particularly important for an economy like Cambodia.



VOA: Has Cambodia submitted any proposals for finance from the AIIB?

AJ: We had preliminary discussion on different ideas of where and how AIIB could invest in Cambodia. We have not decided on specific investment, but we are sure that we will invest in Cambodia as one of our founding members.
The head of Cambodias most prominent Khmer Rouge documentation group has said he has made so many mistakes in his efforts to record the suffering of the Cambodian people under the totalitarian regime that seized power in the 1970s.



Youk Chhang, speaking at the University of Maryland on May 9, said political decisions about which countries to seek assistance from, coupled with a lack of networking and the decision not to include Khmer Rouge victims in DC-Cams working team had slowed progress at the organization.



I made so many mistakes... Had I not made those decisions, perhaps the process would have been much faster; I have been very careful in terms of which countries I want to work with, he said.

I failed to educate people to understand [my goals] rather than going it alone from the beginning, he added.



His speech at the university came days after he was awarded the Judith Lee Stronach Award from the Center for Justice and Accountability in San Francisco, California.

Kate Seaman, assistant director of the Baha'i Chair for World Peace, said there were many lessons to be learned from Chhangs experience.



There is a lot to learn about conflict environment, post-conflict environment, how you transition from conflict to more peaceful, stable society, and the role that justice plays in that as well, she said.

Allison Patch, who teaches in Maryland Universitys international studies department, said it was important for students to be exposed to thinking about how societies deal with the aftermath of atrocities.



Corinne Paul, a student reading international development policy at the university, said she had gained a deeper understanding of the mass upheaval in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge.



Definitely, one of the things that was really highlighted is how important documentation is. So many things happened, but if we were not able to talk about them, or to systematically say that they happened, its hard to make a change, she said.



Chhang encouraged attendees to use DC-Cams publicly available materials to advance their studies. Responding to a question from the audience, Chhang said he did not want to see the younger generations becoming obsessed with the countrys dark past, but rather they should know enough to appreciate what their parents and grandparents had lived through.



When I meet young people who say I dont want to know [about the Khmer Rouge atrocities], I am happy because they are young. I want young people to go to the mall, have a girlfriend or boyfriend, buy CDs, see movies. They have to grow normally. I dont want them to grow obsessively about the Khmer Rouge or being obsessed about the past.



Some reconciliation is just like broken glasses, meaning it is impossible to achieve. For example, if a woman lost her husband and children, we have no magic powers to tell her to reconcile with the perpetrator.



Education can be a form of healing. It can be complementary justice to the process of the [Khmer Rouge] Tribunal.
The Pacific Rim trade ministers started their two-day meeting in Hanoi Saturday focusing on free trade and regional economic integration amid fears of growing trade protectionism.

U.S Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer made his international debut at the gathering of 21 ministers from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

Trans Pacific Partnership

On the sidelines of the meeting, trade ministers from the remaining 11 countries involved in the Trans Pacific Partnership trade pact are scheduled to meet Sunday seeking to revive the agreement after the U.S. pulled out.

Alan Bollard, executive director of APEC Secretariat, said the ministers may either change some of the articles and put the pact into force or discuss it further.

President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the TPP soon after taking office in January, something he championed during his presidential campaigns as part of his America First trade policy.

Vietnam and Malaysia had been expected to be beneficiaries from the original TPP with greater access to U.S. markets and investments.

China trade group

In the meantime, ministers from the 16-member Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership led by China will also hold a meeting in Hanoi Monday to further their discussion on the deal seen as an alternative to TPP. It is expected to be finalized by the end of this year.

Speaking at the opening of the APEC ministers meeting, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that APEC should step up economic and technical cooperation to enhance the effectiveness and distinguish APEC cooperation from that of the other organizations and forums.

Vietnam will host the annual APEC summit this November when leaders including Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to attend.
Brazil's President Michel Temer has insisted he will not resign despite a corruption scandal that appears to implicate him through a recorded conversation.

In a speech to the nation Saturday, Temer said "Brazil will not be derailed" by the corruption case. He said he would ask the country's high court to suspend the investigation against him until it could verify that the supposedly incriminating recording had not been altered.

Temer contended the recording was "altered and doctored," and that the country needs him to stay on to usher Brazil though economic reforms.

Brazil's top prosecutor accused Temer of corruption and obstruction of justice Friday, according to a court filing released by the Supreme Court.

The charges by Attorney General Rodrigo Janot followed the release this week of an audio recording said to show that the president tried to slow or halt a massive corruption investigation known as "Car Wash."

The secretly recorded conversation, first disclosed by one of Brazil's most prominent newspapers, O Globo, indicates that Temer approved monthly hush-money payments to a jailed politician, Eduardo Cunha.

Once a powerful member of Temer's ruling party, Cunha is now in prison for having taken bribes. He is said to have compromising information about other politicians linked to the bribery scandal.

Temer took over as Brazil's president just one year ago after his leftist predecessor, Dilma Rousseff, was impeached, but now his center-right administration is under siege. He faces an investigation by the Supreme Court as well as the potential collapse of his base in Congress, opening the way to impeachment proceedings.

The president denied any wrongdoing in a televised address Thursday and rejected calls for his resignation by thousands of demonstrators in the capital, Brasilia, and in Rio de Janeiro.

Temer's PMDB party and its coalition partner, the PSDB Social Democrats, are still backing him despite impeachment calls by opposition lawmakers.

In an editorial Friday that recounted the history of the corruption scandal enveloping Temer, O Globo said he "has lost the moral, ethical, political and administrative conditions to continue governing Brazil" and suggested it was time for him to resign.
California state universities, one of the largest higher-education networks in the U.S., will limit the number of undergraduates they accept from outside the state, including foreign students, beginning later this year.

A new policy takes effect at the beginning of the 2017-2018 academic year and will limit enrollment of non-California residents to 18 percent of the student population at five University of California campuses: Santa Barbara, Davis, Santa Cruz, Riverside and Merced.

The other four campuses, in Los Angeles (UCLA), Berkeley, Irvine and San Diego, have more than 18 percent non-Californian students. They will be barred from further increasing the proportion of non-state residents in the new school year, which begins in late August on most campuses.

Qualified California students losing out

The state Board of Regents approved the new limits Thursday, following release of an auditors report that said California high school graduates who otherwise were qualified for university admission have been losing out to non-state residents.

A tactic the universities adopted years ago  encouraging the enrollment of out-of-state residents, who pay higher fees than Californians, to circumvent state government funding cutbacks  has made it more difficult for California residents to gain admission, state auditor Elaine Howle said.

The issue was hotly debated before the Board of Regents voted to enact limits on foreign and out-of-state students.

Board of Regents member Hadi Makarechian came to California from Iran in the 1960s as an international student. He warned that the 18 percent limits will prompt talented international students to look elsewhere for college.

Overall, about 3,800 foreign undergrads

I know the in thing today is to build walls, but we are building a wall around the University of California by doing this, Makarechian said.

The California state university system, one of the largest in the United States, has about 210,000 undergraduates, about 16.5 percent of whom are non-Californians.

Less than 11 percent of the out-of-state undergraduates, about 3,800 individuals, are international students, coming to the U.S. from about 100 countries.

Some of the financial pressures that confront the Board of Regents emerged during this weeks meeting: Californias state-run colleges receive about $61,000 in tuition and other fees each year from non-state residents, while state residents pay about $27,000 less.

International students economic boost

International students who attend public or private colleges and universities in California add $5.2 billion to the states economy, according to official estimates. Nationwide, international students add $32.8 billion to the U.S. economy, according the National Association of International Educators.

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block told the regents earlier this year that higher tuition from non-state residents helped the school avoid cuts in class offerings as state education spending dropped.

However, a state lawmaker, Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, said he and other legislators have been hearing from parents that their children were being denied admission to state universities in favor of out-of-state students with lower academic scores.

University of California President Janet Napolitano said the new limit on out-of-state residents is balanced and supports our pledge that non-resident students will be enrolled only in addition to, and never in place of, Californians.

Napolitano, who served as Secretary of Homeland Security under former President Barack Obama, said the state university system still provides opportunities for students from around the world.

Stiff competition among applicants

Competition for admission at California universities is intense.

UCLA received 102,000 applications for the freshman class whose classes begin August 21. It was the first time that more than 100,000 students applied. Last year, UCLA accepted about 17,500 freshmen, including about 40 percent non-Californians, or 4,600 Americans from other states and 2,500 foreign students.

Overall, the California system received 210,000 undergraduate applications for the 2017-2018 academic year, including 33,995 from out of state and 32,647 from international students, more than 31 percent of the total. Those numbers also reflect a 1.1 percent drop in the number of applications from foreign students.
At least 141 people, mostly soldiers in strongman General Khalifa Haftars Libyan National Army, were killed Friday during an attack on an airbase in southern Libya, according to the militias spokesman.

Spokesman Ahmad al-Mismari told AFP the attack on the Brak al-Shati airbase was carried out by a militia loyal to the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord in Tripoli.

"The soldiers were returning from a military parade. They weren't armed. Most of them were executed," he said.

Other victims in the attack include civilians who work at the airbase and others who were just in the area, he said.

The GNA condemned the attack and denied any involvement. It promised to investigate the attack and said it would suspend Defense Minister al-Mahdi al-Barghati until those who are responsible are identified.

Rival militias have been vying for supremacy in Libya since 2011 when an uprising removed longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi from power.

The LNA refuses to accept the legitimacy of the GNA and instead supports a rival authority in the east.
1 Police guard the churchs area during a vigil held in memory of those who died in a terror attack in Tanta last month, Egypt. Saturday, May 20, 2017. (H. Elrasam/VOA)
With so-called Islamic State (IS) revenue streams drying up as it continues to lose territory in Syria and Iraq, IS is resorting to a fire sale by liquidating whatever marketable products it can, Iraqi prosecutors say.

The Iraqi Higher Judicial Council said in a recent report that prosecutors interrogations with a group of captured IS members tell of how IS is dumping goods on Iraqi markets in hopes of making quick profits needed to continue military operations.

Confessions of this group clarified that the organization has recently resorted to an indirect mechanism of funding by sending goods to its suppliers who will later sell them to retailers, the report said.

Before it started to lose territory, IS generated millions of U.S. dollars in illicit revenues by smuggling oil and gas and implementing a harsh system of taxation in areas it controlled.

But as the U.S.-led coalition pounded ISs tankers and oil infrastructure, U.S. Treasury Department and Iraqi oil officials say IS oil revenues have plummeted by as much as 90 percent from a high of $80 million monthly in 2015.

And as IS flees areas in Iraq and Syria, its ability to tax residents has been stifled. Recent reports say cash-strapped IS has stopped paying the salaries of its fighters in some areas.

Iraqi authorities say IS is dumping on markets cheap food supplies that are close to expiry for a quick sell out.

The retailers sell the goods in the Iraqi market under the banner of Special Offer to attract more customers, the Judicial Council said.

The products are entering Iraq from neighboring countries through a system of smuggling by trucks that had enabled IS to keep Mosul running before a U.S.-backed offensive began pushing IS from the city last year.

But merchants say the cheap IS goods are forcing prices to plummet and profits to fall.

Dlshad Abdullah, an Iraqi merchant from Irbil who imports household supplies from China to northern Iraq, told VOA that tradesmen are alarmed.

What I have noticed the last three months is that there have been some goods in the market much below the usual rates, Abdullah said. People usually pay over $600 to buy an air conditioner, but there have been cases were they were sold for $120.

Abdullah said traders have to be cautious of buying goods that are oddly cheap because they cannot guarantee their authenticity.

Experts say the dumping of goods by IS shows the groups increasing financial desperation.

Ghayath Surchi, a spokesman for the Kurdistan Patriotic Union in Mosul, told VOA that IS fighters crammed in neighborhoods of old Mosul are depending on looting stored supplies in homes they confiscated from residents.

IS was in control of Mosuls trade center until about a month ago and allowed tradesmen of the neighborhood to flee if they agreed to hand over their goods, Surchi said.

Sarhang Hamasaeed, director of Middle East Programs at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, said with IS on the run, it will be interesting to see if IS can replicate its financial empire as it regroups.

"As IS loses ground, its expenses also go down because it wouldnt need to pay and expend on the same functions of running a government and matters of public, he said adding that IS may go back to the rudimentary tactics of trying to extort money from locals.
Iran has returned President Hassan Rouhani to office. State television Saturday declared Rouhani the winner of the presidential vote, easily beating out his closest opponent, hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi.

With nearly all the votes counted, Rouhani won well over half of the votes among the four candidates.

Massive voter turnout Friday prompted election authorities to extend voting hours to midnight. Some voters stood in line for hours to cast their ballots.

More than 60,000 polling stations operated around the country to serve Irans 56 million registered voters.

Rouhani banked his political future on Irans landmark nuclear deal with the United States and other world powers, which led to the loosening of economic sanctions on Tehran. Raisi has criticized the deal because it leaves in place sanctions on Irans banking and financial services.

Political analysts predicted Rouhani would be the favored candidate. He also has history on his side, as all incumbent presidents have won re-election since 1981.

Conservative Raisi ran on a largely economic platform, promising to create millions of jobs and fix Irans 12.7 percent unemployment rate. He is seen by many as a favorite of Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, although the ayatollah did not endorsed him.

Irans system of government, implemented after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, requires a religious panels approval for any presidential candidates. While the supreme leader has ultimate say over Irans state policies, the president still holds considerable influence in government.

Pro-reform candidate Mostafa Hashemitaba, who previously ran for president in 2001, and former culture minister Mostafa Mirsalim also were on the ballot Friday. Neither received many votes.
Developments Friday concerning President Donald Trump include his plans to meet dozens of Muslim leaders on first trip abroad as president; The New York Times reported Trump told Russian officials earlier this month former FBI Director James Comey was a "nut job'; Comey later Friday said he would publicly testify at a Senate hearing on the Russia investigation; and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein testified to the U.S. House:

Trump to Meet Dozens of Muslim Leaders During Saudi Visit -- Saudi Arabia is an unprecedented destination for an initial overseas trip by any U.S. president. But Donald Trump is making it his first stop on his first presidential foreign journey. It is all the more surprising in wake of his "America First" rhetoric and campaign statements calling for a Muslim ban backed by subsequent orders attempting to limit travel from six Muslim-majority countries.

Fired FBI Head Comey Agrees to Testify Publicly Before Senate -- The U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee says former FBI Director James Comey has agree to testify publicly about Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The heads of the Senate Intelligence Committee announced in a statement Friday that Comey would testify before the panel after May 29.

Senior White House Official Said to Figure in FBI Probe -- The Washington Post is quoting unidentified sources that report the FBI investigation into possible ties between Trump's political organization and Russia has identified a current senior White House official as a significant person of interest in the case. The senior official now under scrutiny is said to be someone close to the president, the newspaper said, attributing its report to people familiar with the matter. The senior official was not identified further, but the Post said the FBI probe was expected to intensify in the coming weeks.

Rosenstein Stands by Memo Recommending Comey Be Replaced -- Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is sticking by his memo that preceded President Donald Trumps firing of FBI Director Comey. I wrote it. I believe it. I stand by it, Rosenstein said Friday during his closed-door session with lawmakers at the House of Representatives.

Israel, Palestinians Gear Up for Trump Visit -- President Trump is wasting no time trying to succeed where his predecessors have failed. He will visit Israel and the Palestinian territories on Monday and Tuesday of next week, hoping to revive peace talks that collapsed three years ago. His goal is what he calls the ultimate deal that would bring an elusive peace to the Holy Land.

Mattis: Trump Ordered Acceleration in Fight Against IS -- Trump has ordered an "accelerated operation" against Islamic State jihadists in Syria, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Friday. Mattis called it a "tactical shift," saying the military would move away from operations designed to shove IS fighters out of seized locations, and instead focus on "surrounding the enemy in its stronghold."

Trump Approval Numbers Drop to New Low -- A new poll says public approval of President Trump has dropped to its lowest level since he was inaugurated, with the drop in confidence centered among Republican voters. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Friday indicates only 38 percent of U.S. adults now approve of the president, while 56 percent said they disapprove of his performance. The remaining 6 percent said they had "mixed feelings" about the president.

Trump Takes First International Trip as President -- Trump begins his maiden international trip as U.S. president Friday, leaving the White House awash in a slew of controversies that has some politicians invoking comparisons to the Watergate scandal that brought down the presidency of Richard Nixon.

To Trump Supporters, Real Story Is About Leaks and Sabotage -- To the White House and its supporters, the big story in Washington isn't the investigation into possible Trump campaign ties to Russia. It's about leakers working to undermine the president.

Russian FM Mocks US Media over Intelligence-sharing Reports -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday mocked U.S. news reports suggesting President Trump inappropriately shared sensitive intelligence with him about terror threats involving laptops on airplanes. He joked that some U.S. media were acting like communist newspapers in the former Soviet Union and not offering real news.

Trump Faces Diplomatic Hurdles During Visit to Holy Land -- U.S. presidential trips are an opportunity to project power and burnish statesmanship. But they come with diplomatic dangers and potential pitfalls, too. For Trump, several of those await in Jerusalem and Bethlehem next week.

Vice President Pence Avoids Political Fray Surrounding Him -- Vice President Mike Pence has stepped gingerly through the chaos engulfing the White House -- offering loyalty to his boss, while trying to avoid the spreading stain of scandal. It hasn't been easy, and it's getting harder by the day.

Worldwide Effort Set to Keep Trump Happy on 1st Trip Abroad -- When President Trump sits down for dinner in Saudi Arabia, caterers have ensured that his favorite meal - steak with a side of ketchup - will be offered alongside the traditional local cuisine. It's all part of a worldwide effort to accommodate America's homebody president on a voyage with increasingly raised stakes given the ballooning controversy involving his campaign's possible ties to Russia.

Ivanka Trump to Take Part in Presidential Trip -- Ivanka Trump will travel with the president to Saudi Arabia, Israel and Italy on his upcoming foreign trip, a White House official said. A senior adviser to President Trump, Ivanka Trump will be present for six days of the nine-day trip, which begins Friday, the official said. She'll join her father for some events, but will also hold some of her own, the official said.

Why Trump's Combative Trade Stance Makes US Farmers Nervous -- A sizable majority of rural Americans backed Trump's presidential bid, drawn to his calls to slash environmental rules, strengthen law enforcement and replace the federal health care law. But last month, many of them struck a sour note after White House aides signaled that Trump would deliver on another signature vow by edging toward abandoning the North American Free Trade Agreement. Farm Country suddenly went on red alert.
Families of the 82 Nigerian schoolgirls released from captivity recently after being held for years by Boko Haram were reunited for the first time Saturday in the Nigerian capital Abuja.

The girls are among the 276 Chibok schoolgirls abducted from their boarding school by the terrorists in 2014. They were granted freedom as part of a prisoner exchange deal between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government.

Twenty-one others were freed in October, while several more girls have either been let go individually or escaped.

More than 100 of the girls are still being held, though the government has said it hopes to negotiate their release.

Boko Haram has killed thousands in its eight-year terrorist campaign to turn northern Nigeria into a staunch Islamic state.

Nigerian officials say they believe the militants kidnapped the girls to intimidate civilians against resistance.

Many of the girls were forced to marry their terrorist captors and have had children with them. Some have been radicalized and refuse to return, while it is feared others have been used in suicide bombings.
During President Donald Trumps first overseas trip, he will meet in Brussels with the other leaders of NATO member states. Some of them are nervous about the presidents commitment to the defense alliance in which the United States has played a central role since NATO's formation at the start of the Cold War. VOA White House Bureau Chief Correspondent Steve Herman reports.
They were among the citys oldest landmarks, as cemented to the landscape of New Orleans as the Superdome and St. Louis Cathedral: a stone obelisk heralding white supremacy and three statues of Confederate stalwarts.



But after decades standing sentinel over this Southern city, the Confederate monuments are gone, amid a controversy that at times hearkened back to the divisiveness of the Civil War they commemorated.



The last of the monuments, a statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee facing defiantly north with his arms crossed, was lifted by a crane from its pedestal late Friday. As air was seen between Lees statue and the pedestal below it, a cheer went out from the crowd who recorded the history with their phones and shook hands with each other in congratulations. Many in the crowd had waited since morning.





I never thought I would see this day! shouted Melanie Morel-Ensminger with joy. But look! Its happening.



General Lee the last to go

Lees was the last of four monuments to Confederate-era figures to be removed under a 2015 City Council vote on a proposal by Mayor Mitch Landrieu. It caps a nearly two-year-long process that has been railed against by those who feel the monuments are a part of Southern heritage and honor the dead. But removal of the monuments has drawn praise from those who saw them as brutal reminders of slavery and symbols of the historic oppression of black people.



Landrieu called for the monuments removal in the lingering emotional aftermath of the 2015 massacre of nine black parishioners at a South Carolina church. The killer, Dylann Roof, was an avowed racist who brandished Confederate battle flags in photos, recharging the debate over whether Confederate emblems represent racism or an honorable heritage.



While Roofs actions spurred a debate in many parts of the South about whether it was appropriate to fly the Confederate battle emblem  and many places have taken it down  the reaction in New Orleans seemed to go further, knocking away at even weightier, heavier parts of history.

Not just stone and metal



Landrieu drew blistering criticism from monument supporters and even some political allies. But in explaining his reasoning, the mayor has repeatedly said they do not represent the diversity and future of New Orleans.



These statues are not just stone and metal. They are not just innocent remembrances of a benign history. These monuments celebrate a fictional, sanitized Confederacy; ignoring the death, ignoring the enslavement, ignoring the terror that it actually stood for, he said Friday.



After the Civil War, these statues were a part of that terrorism, as much as burning a cross on someones lawn. They were erected purposefully to send a strong message to all who walked in their shadows about who was still in charge in this city, he added.





Familiar landmark

Of the four monuments, Lees was easily the most prominent: The bronze statue alone is close to 20 feet (6 meters) tall. Its a bronze sculpture of Lee looking toward the northern horizon from atop a roughly 60-foot-tall column.



Its not massive like the Superdome or alluring like Bourbon Street, but Lee in his uniform was a familiar landmark for tourists and commuters alike.



Lees removal was planned during the day, and announced in advance. Earlier removals happened after nightfall, a precautionary measure because of security concerns for contractors and workers involved in the effort. Landrieu said the change was out of safety concerns because the statue was close to electrical wires and New Orleans famous streetcar lines.



The atmosphere Friday was almost festive as dozens of people, some with lawn chairs, came out to see what many called history in the making.



If you can see history as it happens, its more meaningful, said Al Kennedy, who supported the removal. Speaking of the Confederate past, he said: Its my history, but its not my heritage.



But others criticized the move.



Mayor Landrieu and the City Council have stripped New Orleans of nationally recognized historic landmarks, said the Monumental Task Committee, an organization that maintains monuments and plaques across the city. With the removal of four of our century-plus aged landmarks, at 299 years old, New Orleans now heads in to our Tricentennial more divided and less historic.



The city turns 300 in 2018.





What will replace monuments

In 2015, the City Council voted 6-1 to remove the monuments after a succession of contentious public meetings. Contractors involved in the removal process have been threatened; statue supporters sued repeatedly to keep the statues up.



At last, a court decision cleared the way for the April removal of what is likely the most controversial of the monuments, seen as an overt tribute to white supremacy. Statues to the Confederacys only president Jefferson Davis and Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard followed in quick succession until only Lee was left.



Attention now shifts to where the monuments will go and what will take their place.



The city announced an outline of its plans late Thursday. It said it has received offers from public and private institutions to take individual monuments, so it will solicit proposals on where they will go through an open and transparent selection. Only nonprofits and government entities will be allowed to take part, and the city said the process will not include the Beauregard statue because of legal issues.



The city said those taking the statues cannot display them outdoors on public property in New Orleans.



The city plans to leave the column at Lees Circle intact and will mount public art in its place.



An American flag will stand where the Davis statue used to be, and the area where the Liberty Place monument used to stand will remain as is. The City Park Improvement Association, civic groups and the city will decide what will go where the Beauregard statue once stood.



The city wants to finish the work during its tricentennial year.
A Pakistani government crackdown on social media to deter anti-military content has prompted accusations of curbing freedom of expression and victimizing political activists.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government last Sunday ordered the cybercrime department of the Federal Investigation Agency to proceed against activists "dishonoring" the national armed forces through social media.

Authorities have since detained and interrogated an unspecified number of activists and seized their computers and cellphones. Most of the detainees belong to the opposition Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) party, headed by Imran Khan.

An independent watchdog group, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), has harshly criticized the crackdown. In a statement Friday, it demanded an end to "arbitrary curbs" on freedom of expression and a "climate of intimidation" of political activists, bloggers, journalists and other civil society activists.

'Hostility' toward free speech

"We hope the authorities realize how the prevailing situation demonstrates their hostility towards freedom of expression," the HRCP said.

Khan has also accused the government of abusing the cybercrime law to "politically victimize" PTI's social media activists. The opposition politician has been organizing street protests to pressure Sharif to resign, accusing him of corruption.

"Do not force PTI to come out on to the streets. We will never let you muzzle public dissent against you," Khan warned the Sharif government while addressing a party rally in the southwestern city of Quetta on Friday.

He alleged that the ruling party through fake accounts had unleashed an anti-army campaign in order to provoke the crackdown on social media activists of PTI. Khan's party has been good at using social media to mobilize public support and highlight alleged corruption cases against government leaders.

The Sharif government has defended the punitive proceedings against social media activists, saying the constitution does not allow citizens to criticize the national armed forces.

'Serious offense'

"Ridiculing the Pakistan army or its officers on social media in the name of freedom of speech is unacceptable" and "a serious offense" under the law, the federal interior minister warned while ordering authorities to arrest and take "severe" action against those involved in such "condemnable" activities.

In its statement, HRCP dismissed those assertions and reminded authorities that the constitution also says any restriction with regard to freedom of speech "must be reasonable and shall not take effect if provided by law."

The powerful military has ruled Pakistan at three different times, for a total of more than three decades, through direct coups against civilian governments. Critics say it continues to influence political affairs, particularly foreign policy.

The military, particularly its spy agency, also has long faced foreign criticism for allegedly harboring militants involved in cross-border attacks in Afghanistan and India.

Analysts say that despite the controversies surrounding the military, the institution has benefited from constitutional provisions that curtail criticism of it.
Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte says Chinese President Xi Jinping threatened him with war if the Philippines begins drilling for oil in a disputed part of the South China Sea.

Duterte said Friday in Manila that Xi gave him a firm but friendly warning when they met in Beijing on Monday. The Philippine head of state said he told Xi his island nation intended to enforce an international arbitration ruling and begin searching for oil in a part of the South China Sea that Beijing claims as its exclusive property.

Paraphrasing his conversation with Xi, Duterte said he told the Chinese president: We intend to drill [for] oil there. If it's yours, well, that's your view; but my view is, I can drill the oil, if there is some inside the bowels of the Earth, because it's ours.

Duterte's speech Friday appeared to be intended to silence domestic critics who have accused him of failing to press the maritime territorial dispute.

He continued with his account of the meeting with Xi: His response to me [was], We're friends. We don't want to quarrel with you. We want to maintain the present warm relationship. But if you force the issue, we'll go to war. 

Account may upset China

Political observers said Duterte's frank account of the conversation in the Chinese capital could infuriate China.

Ironically, the Philippine president's remarks came on the same day that China and the Philippines opened talks on the mainland aimed at resolving their South China Sea dispute. The two sides said they agreed to seek mutually acceptable approaches to settling disputes that divided them.

The talks in Guiyang, in southwestern China, included discussion of the arbitration ruling last year that invalidated Beijing's sweeping claims of South China Sea sovereignty. The Philippines' ambassador to China, Jose Santiago Romana, said the delegates touched on it [but] didn't dwell on it.

Officials meet in Beijing

And in Beijing Friday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with a senior political figure from the Philippines, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, and called for continued improvement of the two nations' relations.

The ruling last July by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague voided China's claim to almost all of the South China Sea and declared China had infringed on the traditional rights of Philippine fishing boats in the area.

China has ignored the ruling and insisted that any maritime disputes in the area must be resolved bilaterally, by the countries directly concerned, not through international bodies.
Reports Saturday from northern Syria said Islamic State extremists had executed 19 civilians, including two children, after kidnapping them from a village thought to be under the control of U.S.-backed anti-jihadist fighters.

Details were sketchy, and there was no comment on the killings from U.S. officials. But the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors warfare in the country, said the killings occurred Friday between Raqqa, the IS extremists' de facto capital, and Deir Ezzor.

The observatory report said IS fighters also captured three anti-jihadist fighters in the raid. Their fate was unknown Saturday, but a photograph appeared to show them about to be executed. They were seated in the desert with their hands tied behind their backs, in civilian clothing. Three masked gunmen stood behind them, pointing weapons downward at the captives.

The photo had not been validated by late Saturday, but it closely resembled dozens of pictures of executions carried out by IS fighters in Syria and neighboring Iraq since 2014.

Islamic State has attacked villages in the vast region between Raqqa and the Euphrates River city of Deir Ezzor as U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters have pushed the extremists slowly eastward, toward the Iraq border. A separate Syrian government force backed by Russia is also reported in the area.

Tactical shift

Friday's mayhem came on the same day that a top U.S. official disclosed a tactical shift in the fight against Islamic State had been ordered by President Donald Trump.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said anti-jihadist forces under U.S. control had been directed to surround extremist fighters and "annihilate" them, rather than letting them flee the region largely intact.

The new policy of encircling and destroying IS units aims to ensure that foreigners fighting for the Islamic State group cannot return to their home countries, Mattis told reporters in Washington, "so we don't simply transplant this problem from one location to another."

Foreign fighters now in Syria are a strategic threat, "should they return home to Tunis, to Kuala Lumpur, to Paris, to Detroit  wherever," Mattis said.
The Washington Post is quoting unidentified sources that report the FBI investigation into possible ties between President Donald Trump's political organization and Russia has identified a current senior White House official as a significant person of interest in the case.

The senior official now under scrutiny is said to be someone close to the president, the newspaper said, attributing its report to people familiar with the matter. The senior official was not identified further, but the Post said the FBI probe was expected to intensify in the coming weeks.

FBI agents assigned to the investigation are said to remain keenly interested in Trump aides who were influential during last year's political campaign but either did not join the new administration or have already left the government, such as former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Watch: Trump Embarks on Foreign Trip Hoping to Leave Washington Turmoil Behind

Who's the subject?

Current administration officials who have acknowledged contacts with Russian officials include Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and two of his Cabinet members, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

The latest development in the Trump investigation was published Friday while the president was traveling to Saudi Arabia on the first leg of his first trip abroad as president  a series of diplomatic visits that the White House hopes will shift attention away from the political firestorm triggered by the dismissal last week of former FBI Director James Comey.

Despite reports of a significant person of interest and an intensifying investigation, those watching developments closely in Washington say there is no indication yet that the filing of any criminal charges is imminent, or even likely. But the Post report does signal that the probe of the Trump team's involvement with Russia has reached the highest levels of the U.S. government.

Mueller could shift focus

Earlier this week, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein named former FBI Director Robert Mueller as a special counsel to lead the government's investigation of Russian meddling in U.S. politics.

The case began last July as an effort to determine whether any Trump associates coordinated their campaign activities with Russian operatives, but it has since broadened to consider whether any financial crimes were committed by people close to the president. It is unclear whether Mueller's leadership will affect the direction of the probe, but the Post said he is already bringing in new people to work on the team.

A small group of lawmakers known as the Gang of Eight was notified of the change in tempo and focus in the investigation at a classified briefing Wednesday evening, the newspaper reported, again attributing its information to people familiar with the matter.
More than 23,000 Somali students are sitting their final Secondary School exams despite recent militant threats that it will punish parents who send their children to Western-style schools and universities.

Somalias minister of education, Abdurahman Dahir Osman, said the exams, which began Saturday, will be conducted in 77 centers across five federal states  Galmudug, Hirshabelle, Southwest, Jubaland and Benadir.

Launching the exam in Mogadishu, Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire said educating youth was the only way Somalia could come back to its good governance.

For us, having 70 percent youth population is an opportunity for Somalia, and educating them is the only way Somalia can again stand on its own legs, said Khaire

Security has been beefed up, with hundreds of police deployed at the exam centers to prevent any possible security threat by militants.

Over 1,000 security agents are manning the examination centers across the country, said Osman, the education minister.

Last month, Somalias al-Shabab militants threatened to punish parents who send their children to Western-style schools and universities.



In a 26-minute audio recording aired by Radio Andalus, al-Shabab's mouthpiece in Somalia, group spokesman Ali Dhere said Western-style schools serve the interests of what he called "infidels" and aim to pull children away from Islam.

There are secular and non-Islamic schools and universities in our country which serve to provide our youth with education that leads them to simply fall into the trap of their enemy and convert to their religions, Ali Dhere said. They make you love their behaviors, religion and history and hide the history of Islam.

Over its 11-year existence, al-Shabab has often moved to shut down non-Islamic schools and replace them with schools that teach a strong religious curriculum.

Earlier this year it introduced a new all-Arabic education curriculum for local schools located in the areas they control in parts of South and Central Somalia.

Major subjects included the Quran, Hadith  sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, Math, Geography and History.

Somalias education has been controlled by private institutions with different curriculum mainly derived from the Arab countries, since the collapse of the government of President Siad Barre in early 1991.

This exam will be the third controlled by Somalias Ministry of Education.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says he cannot forgive or forget what Sweden has put him through, following an announcement by Swedish prosecutors that they have dropped their rape case against him.

Assange has been living at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012 under virtual house arrest to avoid being detained in connection with the Swedish rape investigation, which began seven years ago. He said he has suffered a terrible injustice, without ever being charged with a crime.

Despite Friday's announcement in Sweden, the Australian-born former journalist and computer programmer remains at the Ecuadorean Embassy. British police say they will arrest him on a charge of jumping bail if he tries to leave. Assange also faces a possible sealed U.S. indictment against him.

Open to talking with U.S. officials

Speaking to reporters from the embassy's balcony, Assange said his legal team would reach out to British authorities. He added that he would be happy to discuss his situation with U.S. Justice Department officials.

Ecuador's foreign minister, Guillaume Long, said Britain should now grant Assange safe passage, and repeated his government's offer of asylum to the Australian whistle-blower.

Swedish authorities announced Chief Prosecutor Marianne Ny decided to discontinue the long-running investigation of suspected rape, while saying she was unable to judge whether Assange was guilty or not. The case can be reopened if Assange comes to Sweden, she added.

Assange has always claimed the charges against him were politically motivated.

Watching Assange since 2010

The U.S. Justice Department has been investigating Assange since at least 2010, when WikiLeaks published thousands of stolen U.S. security files.

Last month, CIA Director Mike Pompeo said in a speech in Washington that WikiLeaks directed a U.S. Army intelligence analyst to intercept specific secret information that overwhelmingly focuses on the United States.

U.S. intelligence agencies also contend Russia used WikiLeaks to publish emails by former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during last year's U.S. presidential election.
Taliban fighters launched a three-pronged attack on parts of the central-eastern Afghan city of Ghazni overnight, driving a Humvee packed with explosives into the entrance of a district governors compound during the assault, police said Saturday.

The assault on Ghazni, on the highway linking the capital Kabul with the southern city of Kandahar, ramps up the Talibans spring offensive and comes as U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis prepares to present recommendations to President Donald Trump on future troop levels in Afghanistan.

In the north of the country, the Taliban has stepped up its operations and targeted Kunduz, a city they have twice managed to seize for brief periods in the past.

The Taliban have had a strong presence in the province of Ghazni for years, but provincial police chief Aminullah Amerkhil said the overnight attack from three directions was the fiercest launched by the insurgents. However, he said his men had held out.

Hashim Zwak, the police chief of Waghaz district, was wounded in the hand during the fighting. He described how the militants drove a Humvee packed with explosives into the entrance of the district governors compound and blew it up before other fighters tried to overrun the police defenders.

They put all their effort into it but they could not defeat us, Zwak told Reuters from a hospital in Ghazni city.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said, however, that the fighters had gained control of Waghaz district, straddling the highway to the south of the city and fighting was continuing in other areas.

He said several members of the security forces had been killed and many vehicles destroyed along with weapons and ammunition.

The provincial police chief said the Taliban had suffered far heavier casualties, with 25 fighters killed, while only two members of the security forces died.

The Taliban put all their pressure on Afghan security forces to take control of at least one district but we fought well and pushed them back, Amerkhil said.
An arms deal worth nearly $110 billion that Saudi Arabia and the United States signed Saturday is meant to counter Irans malign influence in the region, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said.

Speaking at a joint briefing in Riyadh with his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Tillerson said the defense package was meant to help in the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the entire Gulf region.

The deal was signed, Tillerson said, in the face of malign Iranian influence and Iranian-related threats, which exist on Saudi Arabia's borders on all sides."

The defense deal, effective immediately, was one of a series agreements signed Saturday by Saudi Arabian King Salman and President Donald Trump.

It is designed to enhance military and economic partnerships between the two countries, and it includes a second defense pact with options valued at up to $350 billion over the next 10 years.

Tillerson said Trumps focus on his visit to Saudi Arabia was pushing back on any threats posed by Iran. He said the series of public and private meetings Trump was undertaking was meant to send a strong message to our common enemies.

Tillerson called on newly re-elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to use his second term in office to end the countrys ballistic missile program and its practice of funding terrorism.

"What I would hope, is that Rouhani ... use that [new] term to begin a process of dismantling Iran's network of terrorism, dismantling its financing of the terrorist network, Tillerson told reporters.

Al-Jubeir, seemingly stealing a line from Trump, said strengthening ties between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia would help drain the swamps from which extremism and terrorism emanate.
President Donald Trump opens his first trip abroad since taking office, touching down in Saudi Arabia after an overnight flight from Washington.

Trump waved as he stood atop stairs outside Air Force One after it landed at Riyadhs airport. He was joined by First Lady Melania Trump.



Trump was greeted by King Salman of Saudi Arabia. They exchanged a handshake and Trump said it was a great honor to be there.

Several jets also flew overhead leaving a red, white and blue trail.

Trump and King Salman met briefly for a coffee ceremony after the presidents arrival. They spoke through an interpreter inside the airport terminal.

Trump and his motorcade then made their way to his hotel for a few hours of downtime before beginning the days meetings.



The nation offered Trump an elaborate welcome. Billboards featuring the image of Trump and the king dotted the highways of Riyadh and lights bathed Trumps luxury hotel in red, white and blue lights and, at times, an image of the presidents face.



The first lady wore a black pantsuit with a golden belt and did not cover her head, consistent with custom for foreign dignitaries visiting Saudi Arabia



Trumps visit is aimed at building stronger partnerships to combat terrorism in the region. Hes also hoping to move past the controversies engulfing his administration.



Trump flew to Riyadh overnight on Air Force One. Hes the only American president to make Saudi Arabia, or any majority Muslim country, his first stop overseas as president. The scheduling choice is designed in part to show respect to the region after months of harsh anti-Muslim campaign rhetoric.



Trump will also travel to Israel, have an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican, and attend the NATO summit in Brussels and the Group of 7 meeting in Sicily.

White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus told reporters on the plane that Trump spent the flight meeting with staff, working on his upcoming speech to the Muslim world and getting a little sleep.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said North Koreans probably learned a lot from their latest rocket launch, adding that attempts to resolve the North Korea missile crisis through military force would be tragic.

Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon on Friday, Mattis declined to say whether the missile North Korea launched earlier this week had a controlled re-entry into the atmosphere.

Pyongyang claimed on Monday that the missile reached an altitude of about 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) and was capable of carrying a large, heavy nuclear warhead.

Gaining the ability to control a missile's re-entry into Earth's atmosphere from space would be a big step forward for the North Korean missile program.

North Korea has made no secret of its desire to develop missiles capable of targeting some of its neighbors and intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the U.S. mainland.

If this goes to a military solution, it is going to be tragic on an unbelievable scale, and so our effort is to work with the U.N., work with China, work with Japan, work with South Korea to try to find a way out of this situation, Mattis said, adding that Chinese influence on the North Korean government appears to be having some impact.

South Korea's capital, Seoul, is home to about 10 million people and is located just 55 kilometers from the North Korean border.

Tensions on peninsula

Meanwhile, at the United Nations, North Korea's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Kim In Ryong again blamed the United States for the current tension on the Korean Peninsula.

The current situation on the Korean Peninsula is often engulfed in a touch-and-go state to the brink of war, whose root cause squarely lies on the U.S., Kim told reporters at a hastily called news conference. He also criticized recent ICBM tests conducted by the United States and annual joint U.S.-South Korean annual military exercises as provocative war maneuvers.

U.S. missile test a routine action

America's top general confirmed Friday that the U.S. did recently test ICBMs in accordance with international protocols, but said the test had nothing to do with North Korea and was a routine action to ensure a safe, reliable deterrent against nuclear attacks.

It wasn't messaged in that direction. It wasn't pointed in that direction, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford said. For North Korea to compare what they have been doing to threaten and intimidate their neighbors, as well as the United States, to our routine military exercises  advertised well in advance with full transparency  would be an unfair comparison.
The U.S. State Department said a clash in Washington this week in which Turkish security personnel apparently attacked demonstrators was deeply disturbing.

A State Department statement Friday promised a thorough investigation to hold those responsible accountable. Tom Shannon, the acting deputy secretary of state, met Wednesday with Turkish Ambassador Serdar Kilic to discuss the altercation.

The State Department has raised its concerns about these events at the highest levels, the statement said.

Watch: Turkish President Erdogan Watched Violent Clash Near Embassy

The clash broke out Tuesday between Turkish security personnel and protesters outside the Turkish ambassadors residence during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans visit to Washington.

Protesters say they were attacked by Turkish security forces as they demonstrated peacefully. Turkey blamed the clash on the demonstrators, claiming they aggressively provoked people who had gathered to see Erdogan.

VOA reporters recorded images at the scene that indicated the Turkish security detail suddenly turned on the demonstrators, knocking them to the ground and kicking them until American police pushed the Turks away. The video showed Erdogan standing beside his limousine, watching the brawl.

U.S. officials briefly detained two members of Erdogans security detail, but they were soon released, under customary diplomatic protocols granting immunity to aides accompanying a visiting dignitary.

Some U.S. lawmakers have demanded the United States take stronger action.
The Trump administration is exploring whether it can use an obscure ethics rule to undermine the special counsel investigation into ties between President Donald Trump's campaign team and Russia, two people familiar with White House thinking said Friday.

Trump has said that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein's hiring of former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to lead the investigation hurts our country terribly.

Within hours of Mueller's appointment Wednesday, the White House began reviewing the Code of Federal Regulations, which restricts newly hired government lawyers from investigating their prior law firms clients for one year after their hiring, the sources said.

Executive order in play

An executive order signed by Trump in January extended that period to two years.

Mueller's former law firm, WilmerHale, represents Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who met with a Russian bank executive in December, and the president's former campaign manager Paul Manafort, who is a subject of a federal investigation.

Legal experts said the ethics rule can be waived by the Justice Department, which appointed Mueller. He did not represent Kushner or Manafort directly at his former law firm.

If the department did not grant a waiver, Mueller would be barred from investigating Kushner or Manafort, and this could greatly diminish the scope of the probe, experts said.

Mueller's background under review

The Justice Department is reviewing Mueller's background as well as any potential conflicts of interest, said department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores.

Even if the Justice Department granted a waiver, the White House would consider using the ethics rule to create doubt about Mueller's ability to do his job fairly, the sources said.

Administration legal advisers have been asked to determine if there is a basis for this. Under this strategy, the sources said the administration would raise the issue in press conferences and public statements.

Moreover, the White House has not ruled out the possibility of using the rule to challenge Muellers findings in court, should the investigation lead to prosecution.

Focus on casting a cloud over Mueller

But the administration is now mainly focused on placing a cloud over his reputation for independence, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Kathleen Clark, a professor of legal ethics at Washington University School of Law, said the Justice Department can grant a waiver if concerns about bias are minimal. She said subjects of the investigation could later argue that its results cannot be trusted, but she believes the argument would not stand up in court.

No comment from White House

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on whether it is reviewing the ethics rule in order to undermine Mueller's credibility.



Mueller's former colleagues at WilmerHale, James Quarles and Aaron Zebley, are expected to join his investigation, according to a spokeswoman for the law firm. Neither Quarles nor Zebley represented Kushner or Manafort.

Mueller will now lead the ongoing Federal Bureau of Investigation probe into Trump's associates and senior Russian officials.

Unlike Kenneth Starr, the independent counsel appointed by a three-judge panel to investigate Bill and Hillary Clinton's real estate holdings in the 1990s, Mueller depends on the Justice Department for funding and he reports to Rosenstein, who was appointed by Trump.

When he announced Mueller's appointment this week, Rosenstein said Mueller will have all appropriate resources to conduct a thorough and complete investigation.
When Al Franken became a United States senator in 2008, the former Saturday Night Live star and satirist had an uphill battle convincing other politicians that he wasnt just a comedian  which was made even harder when Majority Leader Harry Reid placed the non-lawyer on the judiciary committee. In a conversation with Robert Smigel at this years Vulture Festival, Franken talked about his upcoming book, Al Franken: Giant of the Senate. The senator from Minnesota shared that it wasnt his argument about conservative-activist judges that won over the respect of his colleagues, but a story about meeting another celebrity. Even bonafide Dragnet fan and current Attorney General Jeff Sessions was impressed.
Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images for SXSW

Saturday Night Lives longest-serving female cast member is ready to move on to greener pastures. After being on NBCs late-night sketch series for a solid seven seasons, Vanessa Bayer is leaving SNL with her final show being this evening. Deadline reports that her contract was up and she chose not to renew it. With her departure, Bayer now joins other repertory player Bobby Moynihan, whos leaving the show to pursue a CBS sitcom. Though Bayers next project hasnt been announced, she has amassed a solid amount of film credits in recent years, which include Trainwreck and Office Christmas Party. A moment of silence for Jacob the Bar Mitzvah and Jennifer Aniston, please.


A Waco car dealership found itself among the victims of a scam that involved Canadian consumers being duped into spending thousands of dollars on luxury vehicles that did not exist, according to a Better Business Bureau press release.

Hillside Auto Sales, 2317 Franklin Ave., has received several calls from dissatisfied Canadian customers who may have been defrauded by a man going by the name of Henry Lopez, according to the press release.

Lopez claimed to manage Hillside Auto Sales and has coaxed at least one potential buyer to wire him $30,000 for a Mercedes-Benz automobile that never arrived, according to the press release. Lopez reportedly was using a bogus website to solicit sales of cars he didnt have.

Theres a guy that is posing as Hillside Auto Sales, which is my car lot, but hes got this fictitious Internet site up with all elaborate cars like BMWs and Bentleys, dealership owner Toby Hill said, according to the press release.

No such employee

The BBB quotes Hill as saying he does not employ anyone by the name of Henry Lopez and does not sell high-end vehicles.

If you type my address on the Internet and do a 360-degree view, you can see that none of my cars are like what the scammer is claiming to sell, Hill is quoted as saying in the Better Business Bureau press release.

Adam Price, Waco regional director for the BBB, said in a phone interview that the perpetrator of the scam apparently is feeling the heat of law enforcement and the BBBs own investigation.

The website he was using has been shut down, and callers to one of the fake phone numbers he had posted hear a constant busy signal. And those who call a second hear an error message, Price said. Definitely his means of communication is shut down.

Before the changes to the phone lines and website, the BBB had called a number on the website, and a man who identified himself as Henry Lopez answered, according to the BBB press release.

He said his business was different but at the same location as Hillside Auto Sales, the press release states. Lopez also said he also would be issuing refunds to all customers who didnt receive their vehicle. However, when BBB asked when customers could expect to receive their refund, Lopez ended the call. BBB repeatedly tried to call Lopez back, but he never responded.

A Waco police detective said the department does not have a case open since there arent any victims in its jurisdiction, according to the press release.

Hill, the dealership owner, told the BBB that Canadian law enforcement told him a victim had lost $108,000 in the scam.

RCMP investigation

A Royal Canadian Mounted Police constable is investigating, the BBB press release states.

Price, with the Waco-area BBB, said the scam did not come to the bureaus attention until someone filed a complaint against Hillside.

We found out from Mr. Toby Hill that he has never employed anyone by the name of Henry Lopez, that the phone number being called was not his, and he does not deal in luxury vehicles, Price said. If you look at the screen shots available on the fake website, you can tell the cars shown are not at Hillside.

Price said online scams are becoming more prevalent as the public increasingly uses computers to make purchases.

Know how your name is being used online. Google the name of your business and monitor the results, Price said. Phishing scams are prevalent, and theyre not going away. Con men prey on interest in a particular product, in this case luxury automobiles.

Phishing scams involve imitating legitimate businesses.

According to the BBB, consumers who believe they may have become victims of a phishing scam should forward impersonators emails to the Anti Phishing Working Group, and victims of identity theft should visit www.identitytheft.com.
Saying it is time to get the ball rolling on what seems like a perpetual stream of criminal and civil cases arising from the Twin Peaks shootout, a judge set a Sept. 11 trial date Friday for what could be the first of the 155 indicted bikers to go to trial.

Over objections from the McLennan County District Attorneys Office, 19th State District Judge Ralph Strother set the trial date at the urging of an attorney for Christopher Jacob Carrizal, a Bandido from Dallas.

I wish it had been sooner, July or mid-summer. But I appreciate the judges diligence. I think September is fair, said Carrizals attorney, Casie Gotro, of Houston, after a contentious hearing in which Strother scolded Gotro and prosecutor Michael Jarrett for their constant bickering.

When asked about the sniping among the attorneys, Gotro said, Generally speaking, when district attorneys act that way, they have proof problems with their case.

Jarrett argued that legal and ethical boundaries prevent the DAs office from taking a biker to trial in McLennan County until federal authorities in San Antonio are finished trying national leaders of the Bandidos in a murder conspiracy case there.

That trial recently was postponed from August to Feb. 5, and there is speculation it might be postponed again.

McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna informed the court in March that he received a letter from U.S. Attorney Richard Durbin telling him that federal authorities prosecuting the Bandidos in San Antonio have information that relates to Twin Peaks cases but said they will not share it with McLennan County prosecutors until after the federal trial.

That development has already delayed the trials of a few bikers in Waco, but Gotro said Friday she had spoken with the lead prosecutor in San Antonio, who assured her there is no evidence in their possession that is favorable to Carrizal.

Therefore, Gotro argued, there is no reason to delay Carrizals trial, although she declined to waive any of his rights to appeal if information from the San Antonio prosecution ends up being relevant and favorable to Carrizals case.

Jarrett told Strother that under the Michael Morton Act, prosecutors are bound to wait to view the federal evidence and share it with defense attorneys now that Durbin has notified Reynas office that they have evidence that relates to the Twin Peaks cases.

The Michael Morton Act requires prosecutors to reveal all evidence, especially favorable evidence, to defendants attorneys.

Jarrett said thats why 150 lawyers arent knocking down the door to go to trial, because they get it.

Reyna made it clear to Strother at a previous hearing that his office wants to try Jacob Carrizal first. However, Jarrett, Reynas first assistant, continued to argue that the Twin Peaks cases must be postponed until his office is allowed to see the evidence in possession of federal prosecutors.

Going to trial before it can be reviewed creates a legally precarious position in which Twin Peaks defendants can appeal, if they are convicted, on the grounds of ineffective assistance of counsel, actual innocence or newly discovered evidence, depending on what the evidence shows, Jarrett said.

Wire intercepts

Gotro told Strother that in her conversations with federal authorities in San Antonio, she asked if they had any information about Carrizal. Much of the evidence against the Bandidos was obtained through wire intercepts, Gotro said. When the investigation is done, defendants either get indicted or they receive a letter from the government that says they were the target of wire surveillance, she said. Carrizal was not indicted in San Antonio and did not receive such a letter, Gotro said.

Also, she asked for a list of all Department of Public Safety troopers and agents and Texas Rangers who were listed as case agents in the Bandidos investigation, Gotro said. She compared that list to officers listed in the Twin Peaks investigation, and there was no overlap, she told the judge.

Based on those things, I dont think they have any evidence related to Jake Carrizal in San Antonio, Gotro said.

As the hearing continued, tension between Jarrett and Gotro increased. Repeating a scene from an April hearing, Jarrett asked that Gotro not put her hand in his face during her arguments. The judge asked if he needed to separate the two, prompting Gotro to walk around her client and stand next to her co-counsel, Thomas Lane, on the far end of the counsel table to distance herself from Jarrett.

The arguments grew more vociferous, and Strother cautioned, This is not a kindergarten playground. Everybody back off.

Later into the hourlong hearing, as the bickering continued, the judge said, Everybody sit down and take a deep breath. Im doing the same thing.

After Strother decided to set the trial date, he asked the parties to talk to each other in a civilized manner to try to resolve other pretrial issues.

Jarrett responded that in every email response he has gotten from Gotro, she has been smarmy and unprofessional.

Oh, I only got smarmy in the last week, Gotro countered.

Thats hard to believe, Reyna said.

Did you say something, Mr. Reyna? Gotro asked.

You heard me, Reyna said.

By Friday afternoon, news of Carrizals trial date had spread to other lawyers representing Twin Peaks defendants. Attorney Millie Thompson, of Austin, thought her client, Thomas Paul Landers, was set for trial in Strothers court in July. She, too, had urged a speedy trial in Landers case.

However, a court coordinator told her Friday afternoon that Strother had passed over Landers case and that Carrizal would be tried first.

Thompson said she will come to Waco on Monday to file a new motion for speedy trial and ask for a hearing date.
A man shot and killed his wife, then himself, in a home near Bruceville-Eddy on Saturday morning, Bruceville-Eddy Police Chief Bill McLean said.

Bruceville-Eddy police responded to a home in the area of Woodlawn Road and Interstate 35 about 7:15 a.m. to a report of shots fired from someone in the home, McLean said. Young children were in the home at the time of the call but were able to get out unharmed as Kevin Tharpe, 40, barricaded himself inside the home after shooting Monica Tharpe, 31, McLean said.

Officers with the McLennan County Sheriffs Office, their SWAT team and several other agencies assisted in the standoff. McLean said Kevin Tharpe was apparently barricaded in the home for more than two hours while negotiators attempted to make contact with him.

Kevin Tharpe had bonded out of jail at 12:30 p.m. Friday on charges including harassing, criminal mischief and possession of marijuana. His total bond was $4,000, according to jail records. McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara said the harassment charges and criminal mischief charge involved incidents with the woman who was killed Saturday.

The sheriffs office SWAT team forced entry and found the man and woman dead inside, McNamara said.

This is an extremely sad situation, especially since he was booked in jail one day, then bonded out the next day, McNamara said. Its a very tragic situation.

Because of the lack of contact, it remains unclear when Kevin Tharpe died, and additional details into the timeline of how things transpired were not immediately clear, McLean said.

Multiple agencies, including the Bruceville-Eddy Police Department, the McLennan County Sheriffs Office, the Lorena Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Rangers and a McLennan County constable, responded to the incident.

Both (the man and woman) lived in this home at one time, McLean said. I personally have never dealt with these two people before, but my officers have.

McLean said preliminary reports indicated that there was an ongoing domestic situation between the husband and wife. The kids in the home at the time are children of another person who lives in the home, not children of Monica and Kevin Tharpe.

This is a very unusual situation, and we are clearly blessed to have the McLennan County Sheriffs Office as well as DPS and the Texas Rangers to assist us, McLean said. For a small city like we are, things like this dont typically happen within our city limits, so its great to have these people behind you to help you out.

Officers remained at the home Saturday afternoon. McLean said the investigation is ongoing.
Ive been a Republican political consultant for almost 30 years and Ive dispensed a lot of private advice. But now its time for me to reach out publicly to my fellow Republicans working in the Trump administration.

We really need to talk.

Whether youre a 20-something fresh off the campaign trail or a seasoned Washington insider serving in the Cabinet, by now youre painfully aware that youre not making America great again; youre barely making it to the end of the daily news cycle before your verbally incontinent boss, the putative leader of the free world, once again steers the proverbial car into a ditch. On every front, youre faced with legal, political and moral hazards. The presidents job, and yours, is a lot harder than it looked, and you know the problem originates in the Oval Office.

You hate that people are shying away from administration jobs in droves: Just this week, in rapid succession, both Texas Sen. John Cornyn and South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy withdrew their names from consideration as replacements for former FBI Director James Comey, the guy your boss fired. Whatever department youre in, its a safe bet that its a whispering graveyard of empty appointments and unfilled jobs.

I know: Many of you serving in Cabinet, sub-Cabinet and White House roles joined Team Trump in good faith, believing you could help steady the ship, smooth the rough edges and, just maybe, put some conservative policy wins up on the board. You could see that President Trumps undisciplined style was risky, but you hoped the big show playing over at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue would provide you with cover to work steadily and enthusiastically on the administrations legislative priorities. Some of you even bought into the Merica First new nationalism. Many of you quietly assured friends in the Washington ecosystem that Trump would settle into his job  after all, just a few days after taking office, he assured us, I can be the most presidential person ever.

You figured Trump would turn his political capital into big wins, and that his lack of interest in policy details would let you and your friends in Congress set the agenda. Sure, you knew youd have to feed Trumps ego and let him take a victory lap after every success, but you also thought you might claim a smidgen of credit for a popular infrastructure bill, a big tax cut, repeal of Obamacare or a host of other easy lifts. Because were all ambitious, right? Its OK to admit it.

Instead, your president botched Trumpcare 1.0 and contributed little as Speaker Paul Ryan managed to ram the public-relations nightmare, Trumpcare 2.0, through the House at the cost of much political blood and treasure. Instead, Trumps fumbles have left many members of Congress ducking town-hall meetings as if theyre in the Witness Protection Program. The DOA tax bill and the rest of Trumps agenda are deader and more pungent than six-day-old fish. Maybe your particular bureau is still afloat, but youre really not doing much except playing defense and wondering which of your colleagues is leaking to The Post.

You learned quickly that your job isnt actually to serve the nation, manage your agency or fulfill the role you ostensibly play according to the White House org chart. In reality, you spend most of your time fluffing Trumps ego. Either that or youre making excuses for not being a more aggressive suck-up. If youve been ordained to appear on television as an administration surrogate, you know by now that your task isnt to advocate for your agency or issue but to lavish the president with praise.

Now you see the daily train wreck; you see a White House in turmoil and a president drawing an ever-tighter circle of family and corporate vassals around himself. You worry that the scandals and legal troubles rumbling on the horizon like a summer thunderstorm are drawing nearer. You should worry.

Soon (and by soon, I mean now) youll have to make a choice. Youll have to decide if Im here to help has morphed into Im helping this president dismantle the republic. In D.C., principle is as rare as hens teeth, but, GOP friends, Im here to help you.

You already know you cant save the president because he doesnt want to be saved. You already know theres not another, better version of Trump getting ready to show up. Youre smart. Youre loyal. Youre sniffing the wind like a gazelle, nose filled with the scents of predators. You dont want to break from the pack too soon, but theres greater risk in waiting too long.

When regimes collapse, dead-enders are the most fascinating to watch  the ones who end up with the profitable concessions and sought-after mistresses. You know already, though, thats probably not you. So when this regime falls, ask yourself: Do you want to be among those who said not me or do you want to go out like a Baath Party generalissimo?

Sticking with Trump to the bitter end and pretending the unfolding chaos is just fake news wont save your reputation as the walls close in. .

Cutting ties with a man who is destructive to our values, profoundly divisive, contemptuous of the rule of law and incontrovertibly unfit to serve in the highest office in the land just might. Do it now.
Just some notes on Congressman Bill Flores May 14 explanation of the American Health Care Act or Trumpcare, for which he voted.

Flores notes you will receive a monthly, age-based tax credit. A reminder to everyone that tax credits come when you file your taxes, not when you actually have to pay your premiums. So youll need to come up with the cash up front.

Flores states pre-existing conditions are covered  so long as you maintain continuous coverage. Insurance companies can easily subvert this. I have Ambetter health insurance (through the Affordable Care Act) that is paid with an automated bank draft. Last December, Ambetter canceled the automated draft from my account without my knowledge. I found out in late January that I was delinquent on my account. For that, I could have been kicked off of my insurance and lost pre-existing condition coverage.

Flores says that By reforming Medicaid financing we are empowering states to meet the unique needs of their citizens, but he fails to add that they defunded Planned Parenthood. Just a reminder that when Texas took over the funding of womens health programs, maternal mortality rates doubled. Not injuries  deaths!

More women went without health care and Medicaid births rose 27 percent because of lack of access to contraception.

It is true that insurance companies are backing out of the marketplace. Congress could choose to require them to offer a basic plan on the marketplace. At followthemoney.org you can find that Flores took $159,142 from the insurance industry, $204,900 from the health-care industry and $44,000 from the drug industry. That kind of money provides quite a bit of protection. Another option would be for Democrats and Republicans to work together to get a health-care system in place that is stable enough to bring back the insurers. Or perhaps let the insurers go and provide a single-payer system for basic health care.

Cheryl Foster, Waco

* * *

An old saying holds that figures dont lie but liars figure. Both the Democrats and Republicans practice this saying to the highest level.

The American people are given three figures by both parties to prove they are making things better. The first number is unemployment, the second is cost of living and the third is consumer confidence. Keep in mind the second part of the old saying: Liars figure.

How confident are you that we are being told the truth? If you push hard enough, a few people will admit that the unemployment figure is an abstract number. It makes no allowances for the people who have given up or who have taken lower-paying jobs out of their field of experience. And the cost-of-living number is a pure abstraction with little or no basis in reality. It fails to consider how much disposable income the average family has available.

Now if you want a real pie-in-the-sky figure, the consumer-confidence number is made for you. How in the name of all that is sacred can you measure emotion? We are led to believe everything is just rosy or in the tank depending on who is quoting what.

Politicians believe that the American people cannot handle the truth. They often create diversions when hard issues are being discussed that truly affect ordinary peoples lives. Taxes and health care are important to everyone and no real effort is being made to solve either problem because certain elements of our society fear they will be the loser. The reality is the Affordable Care Act is unsustainable, yet emotional arguments suggest its replacement will devastate part of the population. What will happen if nothing is done and it fails? What will the vulnerable do then?

Thomas Vorderkunz, Woodway

* * *

In his May 14 column in the Trib, Republican Congressman Bill Flores contends the Affordable Care Act is a disastrous law. While I agree the ACA is flawed, it has helped make health insurance possible to many who were previously uninsured, particularly in states which opted for Medicaid expansion.

It is tempting to rebut Mr. Flores point by point. However, its not really necessary. There is a fundamental flaw in both the Affordable Care Act and the American Health Care Act passed to replace it: dependency on free enterprise as the means to provide health care. Private health insurers trying to maximize profits will always fail to bring quality, dependable health care to average citizens, particularly those who fall into the middle and lower classes.

Simply the fact medical bills continue to be the No. 1 cause of personal bankruptcy (and would undoubtedly get even worse under the AHCA as passed by the House) is a national shame. It also drives the cost of medical care up for everyone else!

Its simply amazing to me that the United States of America is the last holdout among major industrialized nations to figure this out. Bottom line: This weak effort to simply repeal Obamacare and replace it with something which is at best no better is nauseating and duplicitous.

Its time for Mr. Flores to stop pandering to special interests and ideologues and listen to what we the people want. As Abraham Lincoln says: You can fool all the people some of the time, and you can fool some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.

Doug Jackson, USAF retired, Woodway

* * *

So Republican repeal of the ACA passes the U.S. House, even with the American Medical Association warning that people with pre-existing conditions will get second-rate care if they can afford a policy at all?

The first health insurance policy I got my grandson, whom I am raising, did not cover pre-existing conditions, in this case attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnosis or treatment. I had to pay $1,000 to have a psychologist give me the diagnosis and referral to a pediatrician for treatment. His doctor visits were not covered and I had a large deductible to pay before my co-pay was $50 a month for his medications.

I didnt seek any subsidies through the Affordable Care Act.

The second health insurance policy I got my grandson did cover his ADHD treatment but also cost me $180 a month plus his medication. Again, I didnt seek any subsidies through the marketplace. Again, a mistake.

This year, I went to an insurance agent to help me navigate the waters. My current provider simply did not offer any coverage because, hey! They need to make money, not help sick people, right?

While going ahead and paying $230 for a January policy to get my safety net in place for 2017, the insurance agent applied for Medicaid on my behalf. I had not considered that as a viable option because I have assets.

When I got my phone interview and was able to relay my story about Caleb, I was immediately approved! I started crying. I just couldnt believe it! I dont know if it was because I had an intimate conversation with a Central Texas girl from Waxahachie or my stars finally aligned in my quest, but I gave thanks to God for this huge burden being lifted from my shoulders. My good fortune will bolster my ability to take care of this child!

Now, if he doesnt get approved for next year? I am screwed. His ADHD and all. A pre-existing condition for me is fear. And if I didnt have my good AT&T Retiree Insurance, I might not be able to keep up this fight and my health as well!

So good luck to the masses who will be affected by this repeal. I wish you good health! And I wish you good insurance that you can afford! And I hope the moans, instead of cheers, deafen your elected officials ears because they have better insurance than we ever will.

Linda Gilleland Stewart, Crawford
After seven years of hard work, the North American F-100D Super Sabre at the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins, Georgia is just about finished. We have been following this restoration at WarbirdsNews for some time now, producing periodic progress reports (click HERE to see them). She arrived at the museum, a corroded, tattered hulk in 2010, but a small band of dedicated volunteers, including retired Air Force General Rick Goddard lavished thousands of hours of intensive care upon the Viet Nam War combat veteran fighter-bomber. As many of our readers will recall, General Goddard flew this specific aircraft, serial 56-2995, on 180 missions during his tour with the 309th TFS flying from Tuy Hoa Air Base in South Viet Nam. In fact, Goddard received the Silver Star for a mission in 995 on February 9th, 1969, making this aircraft an even more important and remarkable survivor.

Aaron Robinson, another retired US Air Force veteran, has also spent a lot of time working on the Super Sabre as one of the primary personnel assigned to its rebuild. He also provided us with all of the fascinating photographs for this article (as well as our previous pieces). With most of the structural restoration done, the major effort in the last few months has been repainting the airframe. This was no easy feat and necessitated partially disassembling the airframe, and a lot of precise masking to make sure it was properly coated with a finish that would endure. The major painting took place outside; museum staff having had to wait for the warmer spring weather to do the work. The following sequence of images show the aircraft being towed from the restoration hangar to the painting area, and then, following the respray, back into Hangar One, the museum building primarily dedicated to the Viet Nam War era.

Once inside, small reassembly jobs took place, as well as the application of new stencils. This may sound like just a little work, but its often these details which take so much effort to complete as they are so fiddly and there are so many of them. The various weapons pylons also needed filling out. One of the real joys was seeing General Goddard re-apply a pair of Pennzoil stickers to the airframe. His brother had worked for the company while Gen. Goddard, then just a Lieutenant, was flying in Viet Nam, and sent him the stickers. On a lark, the young pilot had stuck them to his Super Sabre, and thus they are replicated today on his aircraft exactly as they were back in 1969. While a few more details need to be addressed on the airframe, it is essentially done now, and awaits an official unveiling, expected in early June.

WarbirdsNews wishes to offer our profound thanks to Aaron Robinson for his help in creating this article, and for his part in preserving such an important aircraft for generations to come. Bravo sir!

[inpost_galleria thumb_width=200 thumb_height=200 post_id=29087 thumb_margin_left=3 thumb_margin_bottom=0 thumb_border_radius=2 thumb_shadow=0 1px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) id= random=0 group=0 border= show_in_popup=0 album_cover= album_cover_width=200 album_cover_height=200 popup_width=800 popup_max_height=600 popup_title=Gallery type=yoxview sc_id=sc1494989458463]
There are some days I'm almost too scared to use it.

Well, I'm sorry. You were right all along. I'm ready to hand my keys over to you now. But Elon, what's the hold up? Why is it taking you so long to get autonomous vehicles up to speed and on our roads? Take my car if it helps.

Elon Musk, I owe you an apology. For years I've been suspicious about your plan to fill the world's roads with self-driving cars. I've sneered at the motives behind you and your company Tesla, dismissed you as just another multi-billionaire burdened by an overnight social conscience and laughed  hysterically  when you said we may eventually outlaw people driving cars "because it's too dangerous ... you can't have a person driving a two-tonne death machine".

Tesla should hurry up and get driverless cars on the road. Credit:Bloomberg

I used to love driving. The more the better. There was something about the sense of being in control, of steering a heavy metal beast filled with thousands of parts at speed on a bitumen road. What an invention. Think about where civilisation would be without the automobile. And now I'm doing more than 1200 kilometres a week I should be ecstatic. But over the last six months I've come to realise there is a significant safety issue in the modern car that only a wide-scale switch to self-driving cars can remedy.

I'm no mechanic or engineer. But I've managed to isolate the problem to a dysfunctional apparatus located directly in front of the steering wheel. Frankly, Sydney's drivers are bloody awful. The worst in the nation by a long way.

They're not just incompetent and unable to follow basic rules. They are also an untrustworthy mob of unpredictable hoons, a discourteous rabble who not only show no empathy for other road users, but are openly hostile to any other vehicle within 50 metres.

It wasn't always like this. When cars were less safe, people were more courteous. Even a decade ago it was commonplace that if you allowed another vehicle into your lane, the driver would acknowledge your charity and thank you by raising their hand or giving you an appreciative toot of the horn.
Advertisement

By West Kentucky Star Staff

May. 20, 2017 | HOPKINS COUNTY, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 20, 2017 | 11:29 AM | HOPKINS COUNTY, KY

A western Kentucky man was arrested Friday night and faces multiple charges after a vehicle pursuit.



The Kentucky State Police say a trooper spotted a vehicle going 106 mph in a 55 mph zone on U.S. Highway 62 about 6:45 pm. The driver refused to stop when the trooper tried to pull him over, and led the trooper on a chase. The vehicle was involved in a collision at the intersection of Kentucky Highway 112, but continued to flee until the driver lost control and crashed the vehicle into a garage on Highway 112.



The driver tried to flee on foot but was arrested. He was identified as 65-year-old James R. Morgan of Dawson Springs.



Morgan was taken to Baptist Health Madisonville, where he was admitted for treatment of his injuries.



Morgan was charged with speeding (26 mph or more over the speed limit), reckless driving, fleeing or evading police in a vehicle, fleeing or evading on foot, DUI, driving with a DUI suspended license, resisting arrest, assault third degree on a police officer, and failure to wear a seat belt.
Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required.

Your Full Name: (optional)

Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/05/2017 (1999 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Internationally acclaimed Irish writer Colm Toibins latest novel, House of Names, retells Aeschylus Greek tragedy The Orestia. This classical Greek tragedy, set at the end of the Trojan War, is a story of politics, murder and revenge that ultimately concerns justice: what is owed to the gods and to the dead? Who gets to determine that?

The novel belongs quite firmly to the growing number of contemporary books, Margaret Atwoods The Penelopiad for example, wherein contemporary authors imbue Western cultures foundational texts with more modern sensibilities.

The world into which Toibin draws us is on the cusp of revolutionary change. The novel opens with Clytemnestras account of what drove her to murder Agamemnon. Her account is compelling, arresting even, and it sets the tone for the novel.

The active presence of the old gods exists in living memory, but they now fade from the earth. While Clytemnestra recalls the immortal keening that drew her mother toward death, she vows her revenge on Agamamenon will be plotted without prayer or oracle or priest. Further, the gods themselves have no explicit role in the novel, unlike in the source material, where Athena and Apollo both appear.

The weight of the novel rests in the structural irony that Clytemnestra and Orestes hope for the sort of change that the gods absence might herald. Clytemnestra articulates that desire most explicitly, anticipating the marriage of Iphigenia to Achilles: This will be the end of our troubles, I thought. Achilles has been sent to us to end what began before I was born, before my husband was born. Some poison in our blood, in all our blood. Old crimes and desires for vengeance.

Notwithstanding this wish to be free of the blood feuds, Clytemnestra plots the murder of Agamemnon in revenge for his sacrifice of Iphigenia. Notwithstanding his vow to Leander that there will be no more killing and notwithstanding his final, revolutionary change to the familys fate, Orestes murders his mother in revenge for the murders she commits.

Of particular emotional import to the novel is the deep and erotic relationship that develops between Orestes and Leander as they, along with Mitros, escape the compound where they have been imprisoned, as well as during their years of refuge in the old womans house: He wondered, as Leander stirred, if there would ever be a future when he would remember nights like this, nights when he and Leander had been alone with each other, when they spent time whispering to one another with Mitros and the old woman in their graves not far away. This hard-won love between the two men lends a sense of intimacy to the novels devastating final scenes.

Although she also narrates parts of House of Names, Electras character never garners the sympathy that Clytemnestra and Orestes do. Even as she gives her account, her experience and motivation seem shadowy and somehow static.

Nevertheless, at the end of the novel, her position is the most unchanged. Although she has a hand in Orestes crime  she has avowedly given Orestes her permission to murder Clytemnestra  she remains in the palace, with access to power, while Clytemnestra is dead and Orestes marginalized.

The risks in retelling a story so familiar as The Orestia are tremendous, so in many ways House of Names is  and must be  the work of a novelist at the height of his skill. Nonetheless, although the novel is tremendously enjoyable, it invites the same questions as other retellings do: what, in this moment, makes this old story so compelling?

And are there no new stories that speak to our own, contemporary experiences?

Melanie Brannagan Frederiksen is a Winnipeg writer and critic.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/05/2017 (1999 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Roger Ailes is dead, but sexual harassment lawsuits and investigations involving the former head of Fox News will continue  posing new legal challenges for both sides.

Many lawsuits and investigations that target a single individual would be dropped if that person died while the case was pending. However, many of the legal matters involving Ailes also target Fox News and or parent company 21st Century Fox. The proceedings are expected to move forward, and would likely substitute Ailes estate for the man himself as a named defendant, said Gloria Allred, a nationally known attorney who has handled many womens rights cases.

21st Century Fox so far has paid US$45 million in settlements related to sexual harassment cases against Ailes, the company reported in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing earlier this month.

Jennifer Graylock / Sipa USA / Tribune News Service Roger Ailes died Thursday at age 77.

The absence of the man who helped build Fox News into a media powerhouse that changed U.S. broadcasting and national politics could affect both the defence and the plaintiffs in still-pending sexual harassment cases, said Jack Schaedel, a Los Angeles-based partner in the labour and employment group of national law firm Dykema Gossett.

Plaintiff lawyers in the cases wont be able to question Ailes in court.

Anything Ailes purportedly said before his death would be less likely to be allowed into evidence unless it is corroborated by an independent witness or Ailes previously was questioned about it in a sworn deposition, Schaedel said. For the attorneys representing women suing Ailes and Fox, that limitation could make it more difficult to introduce any alleged harassing comments.

However, Ailes absence cuts both ways, depriving attorneys for Fox of the ability to have him in court denying the plaintiff claims and providing explanatory context for decisions and statements by him and the company.

The pending lawsuits include a federal case filed last year by Lidija Ujkic. She alleged that Ailes failed to hire her for a Fox News job after questioning one of her former boyfriends about whether she would put out, sexually. Told that she was a very nice girl, Ailes allegedly called her and said he did not believe she was ready for Fox News, the lawsuit charged.

When our client testifies to these things, Roger Ailes will not be there to rebut her, said Douglas Wigdor, a New York City attorney representing Ujkic. Fox wont be able to call him (as a witness) and say thats not true.

However, the company may be able to produce workplace records that would provide context, said Emily Martin, general counsel for the National Womens Law Center.

Attorneys representing Fox and Ailes did not respond to messages seeking comment. Lawyers for other women who filed similar cases declined to comment Thursday, citing the grieving of Ailes family.

Roger Ailes has left behind a grieving widow and teenage child. They did nothing wrong, and surely deserve our sympathy, Judd Burstein, the lawyer representing former Fox News host Andrea Tantaros in a sexual harassment case, said in a written statement.

Burstein is appealing a New York Supreme Court ruling that Tantaros case should be handled in an arbitration proceeding.

Nancy Erika Smith, a New Jersey lawyer who has represented women who sued Fox News and Ailes, issued a statement saying thats not a discussion for today, when asked about those cases.

Smiths legal clients have included former Fox and Friends host Gretchen Carlson, who in September won a US$20-million settlement and an apology from Foxs parent firm after she filed a sexual harassment case against Ailes. Smith also represents Julie Roginsky, who filed a similar complaint in April.

Fox News separately faces federal investigations involving business practices that may have been related to the sexual harassment allegations. The probe came to light in February, after Burstein said federal prosecutors were investigating Fox over settlements the company paid to individuals who filed sexual harassment suits against Ailes.

Fox later issued a statement that said the company had been in communication with the U.S. Attorneys office for months and would continue to cooperate on all inquiries with any interested authorities, USA Today reported in April.

The U.S. Attorneys office in Manhattan on Thursday declined to comment on reports about the investigation.

 USA Today
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/05/2017 (1999 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The letters started arriving at the sisters house long after the photos were taken. This was after the events that shattered their young world  after the exploitation, the first wave of arrests, the convictions.

When the girls were young, their mother hid the letters away. Only Lucy, the eldest, knew what they contained.

Dont ever tell your sisters about these letters, her mother told her, once. It will break them.

In the United States, crime victims are notified when police make an arrest in their cases. For some, it happens once or twice. For victims of child pornography, notifications can arrive dozens or hundreds of times.

Those letters, Lucy says, sent the sisters on a journey that has carried them from their home on the U.S. West Coast into a trailblazing advocacy.

So long as the letters piled up, unrelenting, it was as if their abusers camera was still clicking.

I feel like it never ended, Lucy says. Thats why we decided to do something about it.

As she says this, her gaze is firm and level. She is in Winnipeg, in a cosy and windowless room at the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. Her younger sisters, Odette and Rosemary, nod firmly. They are in this together.

These are not their real names. They chose them, and wear them like a cloak of words beloved or admired. For young women once so cruelly exposed, claiming the protection of pseudonyms is one way of reclaiming power.

Lucy took her name from the heroine of the Chronicles of Narnia, brave Lucy who travelled through a wardrobe and into an adventure. Rosemarys inspiration was simple: she loves to cook.

SUPPLIED

And Odette, the middle sister, chose her pseudonym after her favourite princess, the protagonist of animated movies based on the Swan Lake ballet. Shes very vocal, Odette says. She was just empowering to me.

In a few hours, the sisters will speak to more than 400 police officers and child advocates from across North America at the Missing and Exploited Children Conference at the Fort Garry Hotel.

Once, they bore their pain nearly alone. Here they will be stars. The hotels ballroom will fall silent when they talk. The sisters are no longer voiceless. People are listening.

By speaking up, the sisters hope, they can help drive change on both sides of the border. Their voices, they believe, hold the key to a new way forward, one that leads to more justice for child-porn victims.

They were children when their primary abuser, a family member, was arrested. He was popular and charismatic; that was his cover, as he cultivated friendships with men who he invited to exploit the girls.

There were so many pictures. Their abuser traded them and spread them all over the world.

At the time, the turn of the century, the Internet was still a relatively new phenomenon. Authorities were only just catching up with the ways offenders spread child porn digitally, the underground networks of trade.

When police finally discovered and arrested the sisters abusers, it was a landmark case.

Odette was the only sister to testify when one of their abusers went to trial. She was still a child, not yet in her teens. She didnt realize that once she was in court, she would have to look at the man who harmed her.

Before she walked into the courtroom, a counsellor pressed stones into her hand, so that she could focus on them instead of the offender. She looked at her abuser once, because she had to look in order to identify him.

It was the first time shed seen him in three years. He smirked at her, and made funny faces.

Odette stared at the rocks in her hand. They were cool and smooth, with black and grey whorls. She told the court that what hed done to her was wrong, even though, she thought, he already knew. He just didnt care.

SUPPLIED

The man was convicted. He went to prison, and thats where hell stay for a long, long time.

Were it a different crime, thats where the first chapter of the story  the search for justice  might have ended. But for Lucy, Odette and Rosemary, the journey through justice, and for accountability, was only just beginning.

Because the letters started coming when the sisters were still children. They piled up in bins. Each one noted the name of a new accused, someone else who had been arrested with photos of the girls in their possession.

Time passed: a year, five years, a decade. The girls grew into bright but hurting young women, and the letters kept coming. On average, their mom says, they received eight letters every week, one or two every day.

It was just like, defeating, Lucy says. You just felt sick. You felt hopeless.

When they were old enough, the sisters did what curious young women do: they started Googling. When a letter arrived, they searched the name of the accused. They found addresses, Facebook pages, phone numbers.

They saw doctors, lawyers, teachers, soldiers. They saw curated flashes of normal-looking lives, held by normal-looking men. It was as if they could scrape away that veneer and see the secrets those men held within.

When people leer at images of children being abused, do they think about that? Do they ever think that one day, those children are going to be looking at them, too? Do they ever stop to think what those children might see?

I always think about that, Rosemary says. They dont, because thats why theyre doing it. They dont care.

Lucy nods in agreement; that dehumanization, she thinks, enables it. People dont think, thats someones daughter, thats someone out there trying to make it, she says. They just use it for their sole pleasure.

So their images kept spreading, and people kept looking and letters about arrests kept piling up. Three years ago, it was as if something snapped inside the sisters: together, they decided enough was enough.

It was time to fight back.



In 2014, an email arrived in Carol Hepburns inbox. It was Rosemary who decided to reach out; shed read about another case where Hepburn, a Seattle lawyer, had helped a victim claim restitution from a child-porn offender.

At the time, Odette says, the sisters were all in very dark places. For her, that manifested as total detachment from her childhood; she boxed off the pain in her mind. She struggled with her memory; she wanted to forget.

But Rosemary wanted to try. Although she is the least talkative of the three sisters, something in her is made of steely stuff; when she does speak up, she can be ferocious. And at that time in 2014, she was hungry for justice.

After a flurry of discussion, the sisters agreed to contact Hepburn. Soon, the lawyer visited them at their home. They talked about what they wanted to accomplish, what they hoped and expected from the process.

It was simple: they wanted to take back control. They wanted to have their voices heard when offenders were arrested and sentenced. Above all, they wanted to do something to help other victims.

By then, Hepburn was well-known in the United States for her work with child-porn victims. It began in late 2008, when a man contacted her for help; his stepdaughter was the subject of videos in the Internets darkest places.

He wanted to know if there was something out there, some legal remedy. Surely, he thought, there was something they could do with the letters, some way to hold offenders accountable for the girls pain.

SUPPLIED

Hepburn, a former prosecutor now in private practice, immersed herself in that question. She came back nearly empty-handed: there were statues allowing child-porn victims to claim restitution, but they had gathered dust.

She met James Marsh, a New York lawyer working on the same issue. Soon, the two were seeing clients individually, but collaborating on finding a way to quantify the pain survivors felt.

To say that was easier said than done is to understate the obvious. If someone steals a television, an offender might be ordered to pay the victim the cost of replacing it. But what should be the compensation for victims of child porn, whose injuries are complex and life-changing and linger long after the crime itself?

It was a question of inventing the wheel, Hepburn says, chatting in a sunny alcove at the Fort Garry. We needed to find out what kinds of injuries are unique to these types of victims?

In 2013, the New York Times ran a long feature on the work Marsh and Hepburn were doing. The story focused on some of their clients who had won restitution from offenders; one had won 150 orders totalling US$1.6 million.

A forensic psychologist, Joyanna Silberg, described the challenge that child-porn survivors face in healing. Usually, she said, therapists working with abused children emphasize the line between past and present.

The idea is to contain the harm: it happened then, and its not happening anymore, Silberg told the New York Times. But how do you do that when these images are still out there?



The trauma never really ends. When someone distributes images of child abuse  images of a childs humiliation and fear  for someone elses twisted sexual consumption, it tears the scabs off again and again. The pain accompanying that knowledge can be crippling.

Victims often live in fear of being recognized. In public, they are gripped by anxiety, wondering if the next person on the bus or at the grocery store has seen them being abused. Many struggle to work as the anxiety worsens.

The fear stems from the anonymity of the crime, Hepburn says. Your pictures are being traded around, and you dont know whos looking at them it could be your doctor, or lawyer. Even the police you go to for help.

Odette, Rosemary and Lucy felt that, too. They are bright young women, but struggled in school; for Rosemary, lights and camera flashes triggered horrible memories of the abuse. All three have battled depression and suicidal thoughts.

Lucy worried about her younger sisters as she saw their anxiety mounting. As a teen, Rosemarys fear sometimes festered into anger. I always wanted to put up a fight, or fight someone, or get kicked out of class, she says.

One of them endures the added indignity of having features resembling those of the family member who abused her. She has shied away from mirrors. In the glass, she saw her abusers eyes looking back.

In working with Hepburn, and in pushing for restitution, the sisters saw a way to change their direction.

The money is one factor. It can help pay for treatment and replace wages victims would have earned, were it not for the trauma that dented their working aspirations. But it isnt just about the money; its about validation.

Its the fact that theres a judge who said, Yes, you were a victim here, and this person has harmed you,' Hepburn says. Theres some quantification of this harm. Theres a little bit of balancing that goes on with that.



The letters dont pile up the same way in Canada. Here, there is no formal process for victims to be notified when their images turn up in a case. Without notice, victims cannot add their voice to the process, or claim restitution.

Thats something Monique St. German, a lawyer with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, hopes to change. Its one of many things, she thinks, Canada can learn from the experience south of the border.

Theyre quite a lot more advanced, at least in terms of the issue of notice, St. Germain says, settling into an armchair next to Hepburn. Theyve overcome that hurdle. Were not even there yet.

To St. Germain, these are the points that Canada must make strides to address: victims need to be heard, they need supports to heal. And offenders  the ones who actively perpetuate the trauma, should be made to pay for it.

In Canada, the minimum sentence for making or distributing child porn is six months on a guilty plea, one year if the offender was indicted. Advocates know that including victims voices can lead to stiffer sentences.

But when child-porn cases get to court, there is a lot of emphasis on what was in the images. For example, the Crown might describe 5,000 images, 80 per cent of which involved kids under the age of 12.

There is far less talk about who is in the images. Often, victims are unidentified; they may be living anywhere in the world. But in a way, the images themselves effectively form a barrier between the crime and its victim.

(Victims) are not being represented, other than through the images themselves, St. Germain says. The judge is left to infer, OK, I suppose a child whos gone through that may be experiencing trauma.

But they have no idea what that trauma might be.

Now, advocates are pursuing ways to bring victims voices to the forefront. One is by recording victim impact statements; in Winnipeg, Lucy, Rosemary and Odette made a video testifying to their ongoing pain.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Carol Hepburn at the Canadian Centre for Child Protection's MECC (Missing & Exploited Children Conference) at the Hotel Fort Garry Wednesday.

Advocates at the Centre for Child Protection believe these videos could be a crucial tool to draw the focus onto victims. The videos will be shared at sentencings, so that judges will hear from survivors directly.

There is also the question of restitution. Canadas Criminal Code includes a provision in for restitution, but it is restricted to cases where damages are easy to calculate.

Two of Hepburns clients, who are American, have won restitution orders in Ontario courts. So far, Hepburn says, not a dime has been paid from those cases, and few other such claims have been made across Canada.

There has not been a concerted effort to get awards of that nature, St. Germain says.

St. Germain thinks the solution may require legislation separate from the Criminal Code, but that will require some champions in Parliament. Right now, she emphasizes, advocates are at the start of a long process.

Were sort of at the point where were trying to identify, what are all the issues? she says. What are all the gaps, and how do we go about closing those gaps and advocating for these victims in an effective way?

What she does know is that this advocacy can change lives. It changed life for Lucy, Rosemary and Odette; when they called Hepburn in 2014, they never imagined it would take them across North America.

That journey has been healing. Two years ago, the sisters went to Washington, D.C., to appear before a congressional subcommittee, part of a push for stronger legislation that Marsh and Hepburn are leading.

At the Capitol, Lucy looked down at the star-patterned carpet, and up at the pristine ceiling. And she thought about the man who first abused the sisters, and about how theyd now turned that hurt into action.

For the first time, she says, I saw that our life meant so much more.

Now, they are young women on a mission. Theyre planning to participate in a survivors network organized by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection; the idea of helping others, they agree, is affirming.

In Winnipeg, the sisters savoured the experience of being honoured guests. In their free time, they explored the city and snapped photos at local landmarks. In each image, their eyes are full of life; they are beaming.

Back home, their lives are waiting. They are not healed, but they are healing; they plan to start a business, and for a minute they buzz about their ideas. We need to be our own bosses, Rosemary says.

This is the freedom they have found through speaking. Long ago, abusers took away their power and scattered it to the digital winds. Now, they are pulling it back from the depths, bringing it up into the light and reeling it in.

We were all just socially awkward, Odette says, and her sisters laugh. Well, we still are. But we have more fire inside thats just burning, in a good way. Not out of anger, but out of thriving: lets keep going, and push.

melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Lawyer Monique St. Germain says its crucial the voices of exploited children are heard.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/05/2017 (2000 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A backbench Tory MLA and former federal cabinet minister has broken ranks with the Pallister government by voicing his opposition to a government bill.

Steven Fletcher (Assiniboia) questions the need for the creation of a standalone Crown corporation to operate energy efficiency programs currently carried out by Manitoba Hydro, citing the cost of establishing the new entity and other concerns.

The Progressive Conservatives promised to create the standalone agency during the 2016 election campaign. Earlier this year, the government introduced Bill 19 to carry out that pledge.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Assiniboia MLA Steven Fletcher during question period during session at the Legislative Building

At a recent evening public hearing on the bill, after the half-dozen scheduled speakers had concluded their remarks, Fletcher commandeered the event, engaging in a four-hour filibuster that prevented a committee of MLAs from completing clause-by-clause approval of the bill.

Although NDP MLAs occasionally spelled him off  and the chair repeatedly broke in to say his time was up  Fletcher spoke almost continuously between 8 p.m. and midnight, when, by previous agreement, the meeting was to end. It had begun at 6 p.m.

Under the rules, Fletcher was able to resume speaking simply by posing more questions. Because of his constant questioning, MLAs never got past the first clause of the bill.

We have to look at the big picture, Fletcher told the meeting at one point, according to the Hansard transcript. We heard from every single witness tonight  very learned individuals, professional engineers, union leaders, individual citizens  that the stated purpose of this act and the reality of its provisions do not match and that there wont be any savings for Manitobans.

In an interview Friday, Fletcher said he is troubled by the notion of spending scarce dollars to establish a new Crown corporation to improve energy conservation at a time when Manitoba has a glut of hydroelectric power.

Its an astonishing situation when you have a monopoly, your supply far exceeds your demand, and your price is going up. Like, where does that happen? he said, blaming the former NDP government for creating the situation.

Fletcher said he was surprised to see no representatives from Manitoba Hydros board or management, or their designates, at the public hearing. The proposed legislation would remove the Power Smart program from Hydro and transfer it to a new entity called Efficiency Manitoba.

Fletcher said he couldnt recall an occasion when he was a federal cabinet minister, where senior Crown corporation officials failed to attend a legislative committee hearing that directly affected them.

Asked to respond, Manitoba Hydro spokesman Scott Powell said in a statement that Hydro made its views known to government prior to and during the development of Bill 19. He didnt elaborate on what was said.

We felt it would be inappropriate for us to appear at a public committee when there would be other parties wanting to provide their views on the legislation, Powell said in explaining the corporations absence from the hearing.

While he opposes the bill and wants the government to justify the creation of a new Crown, Fletcher is not prepared to vote against the government.

On second reading, Fletcher was outside the chamber meeting with a prominent politician when the vote occurred. He also plans to be absent on third reading.

The Standing Committee on Legislative Affairs will resume its work on Bill 19 on Tuesday evening. Fletcher plans to ask more questions. But he wont be able to stall the bill much longer. According to house rules, Tuesday is the last day by which bills specified to be passed by June 1 can be debated in committee.

Crown Services Minister Ron Schuler, who is in charge of shepherding Bill 19 through the legislature, was unavailable for comment on Friday.

A government spokeswoman was asked if Fletcher would be disciplined for delaying committee approval of the bill and criticizing it publicly.

In response, Government House Leader Andrew Micklefield issued a statement that said: It is the right of any Member of the Legislative Assembly to attend committee and put their comments and opinions on the record.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/05/2017 (2000 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In a case that has raised questions about the effect of mandatory minimum sentences, a Manitoba judge has taken pity on a woman he convicted by agreeing to give her more freedom before he sends her to prison.

In a likely unprecedented move, Justice Sheldon Lanchbery reserved his decision and delayed the sentencing of 37-year-old Sandra Dignard by about two months. That will allow the mother of four time to make child-care arrangements before she is placed in custody. The judge said he has no choice but to sentence Dignard to two years in prison for drug trafficking, despite his belief she should not be locked up.

Im not without heart. Im not a fan of mandatory minimums because I believe that justices or judges have the ability to sort the wheat from the chaff, the judge said as he prepared to impose the two-year mandatory minimum sentence in Court of Queens Bench this week.

KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Justice Sheldon Lanchbery, in a 2013 file photo, reserved his decision and delayed the sentencing of 37-year-old woman to allow the mother of four time to make child-care arrangements before she is placed in custody.

Theres no doubt in my mind that this is one (case) that no right-thinking person could imagine that what Im going to have to do today is fit and proper, and I dont see any way I can work around them.

Lanchbery had convicted Dignard of smuggling painkillers into Stony Mountain Institution in 2012 at the instruction of her boyfriend, who was then a Hells Angels prospect.

She hid 100 morphine pills  worth about $10,000  on her body when she went for a conjugal visit. Dignard had earlier taken drugs into the prison at the behest of her boyfriend, who had active gang ties and a criminal record rife with drugs and weapons offences, court heard.

She was charged with drug trafficking within an institution and has been free on bail since. While the judge decided the case didnt meet the legal test for committing a crime under duress, he agreed Dignard had been manipulated and victimized.

He was using the mother of his children, but that doesnt get you to the point of being forgiven for the offence, Lanchbery told Dignard.

Still, the childhood abuse she suffered that bled into her adult relationships made Dignard, in many ways, a victim, the judge acknowledged.

The former boyfriend who manipulated her testified about his involvement at her trial, but he was never charged in relation to the incident.

The case struck an emotional chord with each of the lawyers involved, with Crown and defence agreeing Dignard would have been a good candidate to serve her sentence under house arrest and avoid jail time, if the law allowed.

Her crime carries a mandatory minimum two years in prison, even though she had no criminal record before being charged and has not violated any of her court orders since the charge was laid. During the past few years, Dignard has sobered up, cut ties with her boyfriend and works hard to be a good mother to her kids, two of whom have special needs, court heard.

Dignard pleaded with the judge not to jail her, saying she knew she did wrong and will take any other punishment you give me.

Im sorry for what I did, letting a man manipulate me and put me and my children in this horrible situation, she said during a brief but tearful speech in court.

My kids are who I live for, and I changed my life for them, took alcohol and drugs out of my life. Im begging you not to take me away from my kids and put them in the system.

Lanchbery reserved his sentencing decision until July 26 at her request, noting Dignard had touched the hearts of three people in this room who usually dont find themselves in this situation.

But he made clear he will impose the two-year sentence as mandated by federal legislation.

Yes, I have discretion, but theres a reason why those mandatory minimums are in place. I dont agree with them, but I am required to follow the law as well, he said.

Defence lawyer Steven Keesic, who saw Dignards austere living situation first-hand, said it was one of the most difficult cases hes worked on.

He said he had initially planned to launch a Charter of Rights and Freedoms challenge, arguing the two-year mandatory minimum sentence amounted to cruel and unusual punishment in this case but didnt have enough resources to do so.

Justice was not served in this case, he told the Free Press.

Sometimes lawyers have cases where your clients are easy to fight for, but when you get an outcome like this, where your options are limited and resources for poor people are not available, you really almost wish you never were counsel because at the end of the day, you did everything in your power to fight hard for the client and go to trial, just to get two years.

Several recent mandatory minimum sentences, including for drug crimes, were introduced under Stephen Harpers Conservative government about five years ago as part of a tough-on-crime, truth in sentencing agenda. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced the current federal government would review sentencing provisions in Canadas criminal-justice system. Promised reforms to mandatory minimum sentences were set to happen this spring, but they havent yet materialized.

In other cases, some of which have made their way to the Supreme Court, mandatory minimum sentences have been struck down as unconstitutional, said Doug King, staff lawyer with the Vancouver-based Pivot Legal Society, which has lobbied against mandatory minimum sentences for several years.

If theres somebody who, sending them to jail in this circumstance just seems completely unrealistic and unreasonable, then those provisions shouldnt be allowed to stand. My hope, actually, is that ultimately this section is challenged and the judge or another judge in the future is able to find it unconstitutional, King said of Dignards case.

The biggest effect of mandatory minimums is higher incarceration rates, and higher incarceration rates when its not necessary and when its not warranted. Certainly, thats a gigantic problem, especially when you consider for the last decade weve been trying to push away from incarceration, particularly with aboriginal clients and specifically with aboriginal women.

David Milward, an associate professor of law at the University of Manitoba, said he hasnt heard of a case like this before in which a judge reserved a sentencing decision to allow the accused more time outside of custody.

While he said many judges dislike mandatory minimum sentences for stripping them of their discretion, he said judges have the option to declare a constitutional exemption for individual cases involving mandatory minimum sentences, though that is rare and would likely trigger an appeal process. In the meantime, the federal governments promised changes to criminal sentencing provisions need to happen, Milward said.

Ive heard a lot of talk and Im not seeing a lot of walk so far. This is overdue, he said.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @thatkatiemay
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/05/2017 (1999 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When the boss isnt around, is it OK to pull out your smartphone and play games on the job? If a cashier mistakenly doesnt charge you for something, do you speak up?

Those are the kinds of questions some high school students in Winnipeg are better able to answer because of a new business ethics program in Canada.

The first group of 30 students to complete the Better Business Bureaus Lift business ethics program received certificates Friday morning at Shaftesbury High School.

Ben Raine, a Grade 11 student at Shaftesbury High School, gives his presentation, titled An Analysis of an Ethical Dilemma in the Case Study Optimatics, during his Lift class.

Its getting kids to understand the importance of being ethical and honest, said Len Andrusiak, chief executive officer of the BBB serving Manitoba and northwestern Ontario. Businesses are looking to hire someone whos a good team player and works well with others. Were trying to help kids understand those qualities.

The BBB here set up a foundation in 2016 to educate young people in business ethics and help them develop their character brand. Its promoting the Lift program created by the BBB in Denver, Colo. Andrusiak pitched the program to Pembina Trails School Division, and it was launched this spring at Shaftesbury High School. Other schools and divisions are also looking at offering the certification program, Andrusiak said.

It consists of five one-hour lessons plus research and portfolio work. It counts for a portion of the students grade in a retail business course, Shaftesbury teacher Larry Solomon said.

The pilot program was delivered by Pembina Trails consultant Jane Bachart, a teacher with an entrepreneurial background, after she recognized the need for it.

In all the curriculum, we have nothing about ethical decision-making in business, but in marketing and entrepreneurship, making ethical decisions happens all the time, said Bachart, who knows from personal experience. She owned three businesses before teaching and becoming a consultant with the division.

I had to hire teenagers, she said. Later, when Bachart taught business classes at the high school level, she focused on resume and interview preparation.

It was a lot to do with their social-media activity and what kind of brand theyre representing in the digital world, she said. Mock interviews with her students were a revelation.

They knew the answers and seemed polished, but when I would say, Let me see your Twitter account, theyd say, No way, she said.

The students in the Lift program learn theyre creating their brand with their social-media posts, which potential employers could see and judge them on.

Social media can really destroy a young persons brand, Andrusiak said. If they make a wrong decision when they post something on social media, what happens when they go look for a job?

Bachart said the Lift program isnt just telling students to do the right thing.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Jane Bachart, a consultant for the Pembina Trails School Division, with students in the BBBs Lift class at Shaftesbury High School Friday.

Its, Why are we making these decisions, and what do they look like once weve made them?

Grade 11 student Ben Raine said he hopes the program will be offered by more schools.

To me, ethics means making the right decision for the greater good, Raine, 17, said. It means doing the right thing even when others might make fun of you or tell you not to. For example, if a cashier messed up and didnt charge him for a cheap T-shirt, hed speak up rather than take advantage of the situation.

If you were the person running the store and you were struggling a bit, that $5 or $10 item could make a difference, he said.

It could lead to the tough decision to lay someone off. Small choices can have big consequences.

Raine said hes considering law school. He took the retail business class because he was interested in how stores operate. Having the Lift program certification could enhance his resume when hes applying for summer and part-time jobs he said.

If a business chooses someone, why wouldnt they choose someone trained in business ethics?

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/05/2017 (2000 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The shower room where a 22-year-old psychiatric patient hanged himself at Health Sciences Centre almost four years ago hasnt been renovated to prevent other suicides, an inquest report has concluded.

Michael Winsor died on Sept. 10, 2013, at HSCs PsychHealth unit.

Provincial court Judge Rocky Pollack, who presided over the lengthy inquest, said renovations to protect patients from themselves is the priority.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Following Michael Winsors 2013 suicide in a Health Sciences Centre shower room, an inquest recommended the area be modified to prevent such deaths.

WRHA has a working group on mental health bathroom safety. Its May 20, 2015 report indicates that its purpose is to review ligature points in patient bathrooms and to provide an analysis and recommendations related to the priorities to be addressed.

Regardless of the progress made by the working group, the shower room in which Winsor was able to complete his suicide is still in the same state as he found it, Pollack wrote.

Pollack noted the apprentice electrician from Cambridge, Ont., was an involuntary patient, a man barely 5-6 tall, who somehow made a lethal ligature out of a wet towel attached to a towel bar mounted barely three feet off the floor.

Winsor called 911 for help when his bus stopped in Winnipeg; he was on his way home to Ontario from Lloydminster, Alta.

He had a long history of mental illness, including suicide attempts. In the days leading up to his death, hed been admitted for suicide attempts in Lloydminster and North Battleford, Sask., in between using an open ticket to board buses and make it back home to Cambridge.

The report put the most scrutiny on Winsors 34-hour wait in HSCs ER with a peace officer  not a trained hospital security official.

There was no psychiatric bed open to admit the man and the judge described the 22-year-olds growing paranoia in detail, using it to underpin the reports strongest recommendation: to overhaul both the Mental Health Act and the Police Services Act.

Pollack recommended Manitoba lawmakers review both laws and take all necessary steps, to introduce amendments if necessary, to permit a police officer who has brought an involuntary mental health patient to a health care facility to transfer custody of the patient to a peace officer employed by that health care facility.

The ER was under construction in September 2013, which added to Winsors torment, the report said.

All day long, the noises of power tools, including jackhammers were heard in the ER. Patients like Winsor do not respond well to that sort of thing. At one point, he complained he felt the walls were going to cave in on him, Pollack wrote.

While Mr. Winsor was not subject to what has become known as hallway medicine, he was certainly unable to escape the cacophony.

During that wait, Winsor tried to choke himself, tying the drawstring of his hoodie around his neck. Later, he tried to escape the ER, managing to get outside clad only in his underwear where a security guard wrestled him to the ground.

By the time Winsor was admitted, his paranoia prompted the psychiatrist who assessed him to change his admission from voluntary to involuntary. Later, he attacked another patient.

The morning afterward, Winsor was noticeably calmer but still under suicide watch. An overworked unit assistant pulling a double shift took a break, leaving the locked unit where Winsor had been placed.

By the time Winsors absence was noted, it was too late. He was found in the shower room.

Despite measures to save his life, Winsor died that night.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/05/2017 (1999 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen spoke volumes about the silliness that is baked into some of Manitobas election laws when he posted a dramatic image on his Twitter feed last week.

In the tweet, Goertzen noted he had enjoyed a tremendously productive day. However, due to by-election blackout rules, this is all I can show you.

The accompanying image was a big, black block. No photo, written words or image of any kind.

TWITTER Minister of Health, Seniors and Active Living Kelvin Goertzen comments on the media blackout imposed recently because of the Point Douglas byelection.

A frequently amusing presence in the Twitterverse, Goertzens post was a clear shot at Section 92 of the Election Financing Act, a provision that kicked into gear as soon as Premier Brian Pallister called a byelection in Point Douglas for June 13. It means that for the next four weeks or so, the government of the day must refrain from publishing, broadcasting or speaking in public about its programs or activities.

The blackout is in place for 90 days prior to an election or, in the case of a byelection, during the campaign period. There are exceptions for tenders, public-health notices and any matter relating to public safety. Ongoing, regular publications produced by the province are also exempt, along with any matter raised in the legislature.

Even so, those who work in government can tell you that Section 92 makes election campaigns stressful experiences, when even the most innocuous advertisement or announcement can spark a political headache.

The Tories have been in government for only a year, but they have intimate knowledge of the laws potential for mischief. This is largely because, when they were in opposition, the Tories became experts at catching the NDP running afoul of Section 92. In some instances, the allegations were even true.

The best example of this was in 2009, when a former NDP cabinet minister announced a $50,000 contribution to renovate an agricultural exhibition facility in Brandon while two byelections were unfolding. The NDP was found guilty of violating Section 92, but given that there are no penalties prescribed in the legislation, they were able to shrug it off. And they won both byelections.

In other cases, however, the allegations have been more about generating a disparaging headline than enforcing some sort of principle of fairness during elections. Cases such as January 2013, when the NDP government promoted an event at the Manitoba Legislature to celebrate the 98th anniversary of the womens suffrage movement. Despite the fact that this was hardly a partisan or political event, the provinces election commissioner found it to be in contravention of the law.

The reality is that a law intended to prevent a sitting government from gaining a political advantage by making an announcement immediately prior to or during an election period has morphed into an unreasonable and unrealistic prohibition on a wide range of government communications that dont need to be prohibited.

While in government, the NDP came to loathe the Tories for their repeated claims under Section 92. Even so, the NDP never took steps to amend this provision, fearing they would be accused of giving themselves an unfair advantage during an election period. Now that they are in opposition, one might suspect the NDP would take a different tack on Section 92.

One would be wrong.

The NDP this past week filed a complaint with the chief electoral officer, alleging the Tories had violated Section 92 by releasing print and television ads explaining plans to close emergency departments in three Winnipeg hospitals. The ads advise Winnipeggers to be more discerning about visiting ERs; more than three-quarters of all patients presenting at ERs dont really need emergency medicine.

The Tories said the deadlines for pulling some of the ads had passed when Pallister dropped the writ on the Point Douglas byelection last week. This caused the NDP to lash out with vindictive glee.

This is a piece of propaganda that is being used by the government to try to justify their dynamic and horrible changes to the health-care system, NDP MLA Andrew Swan told the legislature last week in question period.

Afterward, Mr. Pallister promised to get to the bottom of it and then well take steps to make sure its corrected as fast as possible, if there is a violation of any kind.

A quick study of the ads in question reveals that there is no political advantage. The government announced its plans more than six weeks ago. And given the outrage this idea has sparked in those communities slated to lose their ERs, there is an argument to be made that the Tories are at a political disadvantage by continuing to remind voters in Point Douglas about their plans.

No matter. It seems the NDP and Progressive Conservatives are happy to sustain this pointless law rather than working in concert to make it more realistic and fair.

That is particularly annoying because both parties understand Section 92 does give the government of the day an advantage, just not the one envisioned by the law.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Simply put, Section 92 can be cited by the government nearly as blanket immunity from answering difficult questions from media or the opposition. True to form, Pallister and his ministers began late last week to refuse to answer questions about potentially controversial policies, including an impending order to universities and colleges to cut management by 15 per cent.

Pallister raised the possibility of culling management ranks at post-secondary schools to mirror a similar edict given to core government and Crown agencies. However, when pressed on the specifics, Pallister claimed he could not elaborate because of the election publication ban. The same excuse was used by Heritage Minister Rochelle Squires, who was asked in question period about possible funding cuts to northern museums.

I will not do that today because we are in blackout, Squires said.

The NDP immediately accused the Tories of misusing Section 92 to avoid answering questions in the legislature, which is permitted under the law.

Theres nothing preventing the minister from answering a question, Swan said.

The hypocrisy on both sides of this equation is stunning. Just two years ago, it was the NDP misusing Section 92 to frustrate journalists, with the Tories calling foul.

Goertzen, his partys house leader when in opposition, said back in 2015 the NDP government was abusing Section 92 to avoid facing questions from news organizations.

Personally, I think they are looking at the act too narrowly, he told the Free Press. We need to sit down with the election commissioner and the various parties and discuss whether this act is doing what it was supposed to be doing.

Now that he is in government, perhaps Goertzen can start the ball rolling and assemble an all-party committee to discuss more reasonable restrictions on government communication during a writ period. Most people who understand this flawed law know that it puts unrealistic limits on what a government can say and do. They also know that it can be misused as an excuse to refuse to answer pressing questions.

Change is needed. The Tories know this. And so does the NDP.

On the other hand, we could just keep the law as is and learn to be satisfied that all were going to get from the government during election periods are mildly amusing but deliberately vague tweets.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/05/2017 (1999 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ONE recent morning in the countryside beyond London, Kinda Haddad dropped her two children off at school, came home and began scanning her computer for the days first reports of Syrian civilians killed by American bombs.

Outside her living room window, a willow tree was swaying in the breeze. Inside, Haddad was staring at a computer screen full of ghostly images of dead children, dusty and bloodied corpses, and pile after pile of rubble. She kept the volume low.

I try not to listen because it makes the images more disturbing, she said.

This is her second year of doing this, an almost daily routine since Haddad, 45, became one of the first analysts for Airwars, an eight-person nonprofit group started with a simple question: exactly how many civilians were being killed in the American-led air campaigns in Iraq and Syria?

Was it even possible to know?

The usual sources of such information  reporters, the United Nations and human rights groups that traditionally monitor civilian deaths  have been largely absent from the battlefields, especially after a series of kidnappings and beheadings of journalists and aid workers in Syria.

And so Airwars  which is to say Haddad in her living room and seven others in London, Jordan, Turkey and Baghdad  began quite literally piecing together the answer.

At least 3,200 civilians killed

It is a painstaking process that involves sifting through tens of thousands of shakily filmed videos, photos, Facebook postings, U.S. military accounts and other fragments of information from a war that often feels remote to everyone except the Syrians and Iraqis trying desperately to document their own destruction.

Haddad focused on Syria.

She at first doubted there would be enough information to even begin her work. But she soon realized the problem was the opposite: There isnt too little information. It is almost too much.

The result so far: in more than 1,000 days of bombing, Airwars estimates that the United States and its allies have killed at least 3,200 civilians  more than nine times the 352 deaths acknowledged by the U.S. military, which has nonetheless come to see Airwars as a partner, even as it often disputes the groups numbers.

We kind of consider them part of the team, said U.S. navy Lt. Michael Grimes, who leads the militarys two-person unit charged with doing an initial assessment of civilian casualty allegations in Iraq and Syria.

A lot of the allegations we get can be very vague. It makes the job extremely difficult when we dont have specific information.

Haddad tries to get to the specifics. At the moment, they were all over her computer screen.

I just open a few sources at a time, she said, clicking open Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently, Voice of the East, the Raqqa Truth and the Euphrates Post  sites that secretly report from Islamic State territory.

Many started as Facebook pages or Twitter accounts focused on documenting the brutal excesses of Syrian President Bashar Assads government or the bloody deprivations of the Islamic State.

As the fighting ground on and the combatants multiplied, the missions of such sources broadened to relaying all of the chaos and suffering that afflicted Syria.

Haddad skimmed reports of regime raids in Damascus, medicine shortages in Daraa and the destruction of an Islamic State tank in Raqqa by U.S. forces.

Soon she found her first account of possible civilian casualties.

According to the Euphrates Post, U.S. planes had struck a field hospital in Tabaqa, about 50 kilometres from Raqqa, killing a doctor and wounding a nurse and several patients.

That brief account led her to others. Smart News Agency, a news source with an editor in Germany and correspondents in Raqqa, was reporting that the attack on the field hospital had taken place in the citys second district and had killed a doctor and several patients.

An official U.S. military report for the same day said it had struck three targets in Tabaqa, which had been the site of fighting between the Islamic State and U.S.-backed Kurdish forces.

Haddad translated the Arabic posts into English and pasted them into a shared document that she and her colleagues could add to and analyze over the course of the day.

Some allegations, such as the Tabaqa strike, yield scarce details, while others result in massive entries that take days to assemble and include names of the dead, photos and videos.

In more than two years of work, Haddad and the other Airwars researchers have collected the names of more than 1,300 victims in Iraq and Syria.

These are not the anonymous victims of past wars, said Chris Woods, an investigative journalist who founded Airwars in the fall of 2014.

We should be listening

The biggest challenge for the Airwars analysts has been determining with certainty whether the United States or some other combatant dropped the bomb in a given incident.

In March, Airwars analysts, overwhelmed by the accelerating pace of the war in Iraq and Syrian, temporarily stopped doing detailed assessments of Russian airstrikes. The group doesnt track Syrian government attacks. Nor does it track artillery barrages, which sometimes can be mistaken for aerial strikes.

Airwars estimated that the United States and its allies killed more than 320 civilians in Syria in March  almost seven times the death toll compiled for February.

To Woods, the spike demonstrated U.S. President Donald Trumps administration had loosened protections that had shielded civilians.

When we are getting these huge numbers of reports saying civilians are dying, we should be listening, he said.

Haddad focused on the gritty specifics. Two days earlier, Haddad and Abdulwahab Tahhan, Airwars other Syria researcher, had spent a full day documenting the aftermath of a series of airstrikes in Bukamal, a village in eastern Syria.

Haddad dipped back into the now 30-page report and noticed her colleague had added a video from the scene that she had somehow missed in her initial search.

I was probably being blind, she messaged him by way of apology and then clicked on the video, which opened in darkness with flashlight beams dancing over rubble.

She eased up the volume on her computer.

God help us, a man screamed as rescue workers swirled around him.

Move! Move! Move! other voices yelled.

The shaky cellphone footage cut suddenly to a makeshift morgue where hands in surgical gloves were cradling the faces of dead children who had been pulled from the rubble.

The problem with a war like this one is that people just report the numbers, she said.

At first, three deaths is shocking, and then 20  she said, trailing off.

It was soon after she started with Airwars that Haddad, alone in her house, decided the images on her screen were easier to take if she kept the volume low, shutting out the screams.

She had clicked on a video from Ber Mahli in northern Syria, which had been the site of a sustained American aerial assault in the spring of 2015.

The scene opened on a pickup truck filled with mangled childrens bodies. An older man, heartbroken and full of fury, picked up the body of a headless child and thrust it toward the sky where the American planes had been.

Is this Islamic State? Is this Islamic State? he bellowed.

Such graphic images often disappeared from YouTube or Facebook, so it fell to Haddad and her colleagues to archive them.

Data shared with U.S. military

Back then, she imagined that the United Nations, the media or human rights groups would be interested in the information.

Lately, though, one of the most eager consumers of Airwars work has been the U.S. military. Last fall, Airwars officials offered to share all of the data it had amassed on civilian casualty allegations.

We had this huge public database and they werent using it, Woods said of the Pentagon.

It was kind of laid out on a platter for them.

Since then, the U.S. military has reviewed nearly 350 Airwars allegations dating back to November and determined that close to 80 of them require a fuller assessment.

In the other instances, military officials said they could not find records of potentially corroborating strikes in the area at the time of the allegation.

Now Airwars sends the military more allegations to review each month. Military officials, in some instances, have given Airwars precise bomb geographic co-ordinates to ensure they arent double-counting attacks.

I guess it is unusual, but I dont think it is odd, Col. Joe Scrocca, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said of the partnership.

We admit that there is probably evidence in these cases that we dont have. Were not able to interview every single victim out there or their families. We dont have people on the ground for that.

Despite the co-operation, the relationship remains tense.

Even as military officials concede their civilian casualty figures are probably low, they insist the Airwars estimates are too high and sometimes built on unreliable evidence.

Airwars doesnt have access to classified surveillance video and U.S. military strike logs that are critical to determining the credibility of an allegation.

They are taking allegations at face value, Scrocca said.

Airwars workers, such as Haddad, counter that the military is too quick to dismiss on-the-scene evidence from Iraqis and Syrians that contradicts their grainy surveillance video.

They only trust what their cameras show, she said, and quite frankly, thats insane.

From her home outside London, Kinda Haddad researches civilian casualties from airstrikes in Syria. When she started working for Airwars, she thought there wouldnt be enough information. But when you know where to look, there is almost too much, she said. (Shannon Jensen Wedgwood / For The Washington Post)

Hanging over Haddads desk is an image from another Syria. In the 1970s-era black-and-white photo, Haddad and her sister sit between her Syrian father and her Armenian-Dutch mother.

My mom wanted us to move before we grew up, married and stayed there, Haddad said of the country where she spent her childhood and teenage years. She didnt want us living in a dictatorship.

Haddad last visited Syria in 2011 to see her father, who had retired and moved home after many years abroad. Only a few days into their vacation, the uprising against the Assad regime began in their hometown of Latakia. You couldnt leave the house, she said. The kids were small, so I thought, whats the point? She left three days into the trip.

Several months later, her father died. Haddads husband urged her not to make the dangerous trip back for the funeral and she reluctantly agreed. Its a decision she now regrets.

I should have just put my foot down and gone, she said.

Since then, she has experienced Syria almost entirely through the often-confusing fragments she sees online.

Videos show where Syria has gone

Two years ago, she was researching the death of a man in his 20s who was reported killed in a U.S. airstrike near Idlib. It was a small incident  just one civilian death in a war that seemed to be growing more cruel with each passing day. Haddad plugged his name into a few online search engines and discovered a video from February 2013 of the man, clad in a grey sweatshirt that said New York, singing resistance songs.

Muslims and Christians, they are all cursing Bashar, he sang in the short cellphone video that received only 163 views. We wont give up on our revolution until the butcher is condemned to death.

In a video made 18 months later, the man has a full beard and is singing a plaintive ballad in praise of Islamic State martyrs. Haddad wondered how she should classify him: Was he a civilian or a combatant? A victim or a terrorist?

Now she sees him as a something of an omen. The videos show how the revolution began and where it has gone, she said. It shows where Syria has gone.

Haddad spent the last part of her day, before her children returned from school, searching online for Amaq, the Islamic State affiliated news agency. Much of the site is devoted to Islamic State propaganda, but it can also be an important source of information, photos and video on civilian casualties in places, such as Raqqa, where the Islamic States brutal clampdown has made it exceedingly dangerous for Syrians to communicate with the outside world.

Amazingly, they dont exaggerate civilian casualties, she said. In fact, you get some higher numbers elsewhere. Maybe they dont want people to think theyre losing? Maybe they want to project strength?

Lately, though, Amaq has been hard for her to find. Anti-Islamic State activists will break the sites links, taking it off the Internet for several days before it emerges under a new web address.

She was still looking for Amaq 30 minutes later when her children came home from school and flipped on cartoons in the next room.

Did you feed the cat? her daughter asked. Haddad told her to open some canned food and returned to her computer.

I often think thats it. I cant do it anymore, she said of her job with Airwars. Then it gets busy and I think that I cant stop.

She glanced at the clock on her computer screen and realized it was time for her daughters ballet lesson.

Coats, coats, she called out as she herded her children toward the door.

A few minutes later, they were buckled into the family station wagon, hurtling through the English countryside.

 Washington Post
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/05/2017 (1999 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Its the kind of heart-tugging tale of devotion that leaves readers around the world feeling warm and fuzzy.

Jesus Hueche's dog Tony stays with him after Hueche fell while pruning a tree. (Def Civil B. Blanca / Facebook)

Unless you spent last week in a coma, chances are you saw the viral photos of a loyal dog in Argentina that refused to leave his injured masters side, hugging him and nuzzling his face until help arrived.

The doggie drama began when Jesus Hueche, 28, was pruning branches outside his home in Bahia Blanca, Argentina, and fell about two metres out of a tree, cracking his head on the concrete pavement.

When paramedics arrived, they discovered the unconscious Hueche was not alone  his faithful dog Tony was hugging him, perching astride his masters chest and never leaving his side.

The paramedics gently applied a neck brace under Tonys watchful eye, then posted photos of the heartwarming scene on Facebook, where they quickly went viral.

He (Tony) goes everywhere with me and lies in my bed until my wife kicks him out, Hueche said after being treated for minor injuries.

One day we saw him on the street and adopted him, gave him love, food, and he is part of our family. For me, hes like a son.

As dog lovers already know, canine companions are famous for that kind of loyalty. If you dont believe us, check out todays inspiring list of The Five (OK, Six) Most Famously Loyal Dogs in History:

5) The famously loyal dog: Ruswarp

The heart-tugging tale: Lancashire resident Graham Nuttall and his border collie Ruswarp (pronounced Russup) were an inseparable duo, totally devoted to each other and to saving Britains most scenic railway line, the famed Settle to Carlisle line, which was to be shut down in the 1980s.

The beloved railway line was reprieved in 1989, thanks largely to the work of Nuttall, who helped form Friends of the Settle to Carlisle Line, and Ruswarp, who was deemed a paying passenger and whose pawprint was the only canine signature on a petition opposing the lines closing.

Passionate hikers, Nuttall and Ruswarp, who was 14 at the time, got day-return tickets from Burnley to Llandrindod on Jan. 20, 1990, to go winter hiking in the Welsh Mountains. The inseparable pair didnt return.

According to news reports at the time, neighbours raised the alarm and searches by police and mountain rescue teams found nothing. Finally, 11 weeks later, on April 7, 1990, a lone walker discovered Nuttalls body near a mountain stream. Standing guard over his master was a cold and starving Ruswarp, who was so weak he had to be carried off the mountain by rescuers.

He had stayed with his masters body for 11 winter weeks, notes a blog dedicated to the dogs memory. The RSPCA awarded the dog its Animal Medallion and collar for vigilance, and a plaque for intelligence and courage.

Ruswarp lived just long enough to attend his masters funeral. An eyewitness gave this account: The elderly couple who had Ruswarp in their care sat at the front and, as ever on public occasions, Ruswarp sat patiently and silently throughout the service, but as the curtains closed on the coffin there was a long low muffled howl. It was uncanny, Ruswarps farewell. I shall never forget this.

In 2009, a bronze statue of the devoted dog was unveiled at Garsdale Station on the Settle to Carlisle line.

4) The famously loyal dog: Bobbie the Wonder Dog

The heart-tugging tale: It all began in late 1923 when the Brazier family of Silverton, Ore., was on vacation in Indiana and Bobbie, their two-year old Scotch collie/English shepherd mix, was separated and became lost.

After an exhaustive search, the broken-hearted family was forced to return to Oregon, never expecting to see their beloved pet again.

Six months later, in February 1924, the Braziers were still grieving the loss of their pet when Bobbie appeared on their front doorstep, mangy and scrawny with his feet worn to the bone. Somehow, the lost dog had managed to walk all the way from Indiana to Oregon, an ordeal in which he crossed 4,105 kilometres of plains, desert and mountains in the dead of winter.

His story quickly became a national sensation. The Braziers received hundreds of letters from people simply addressed to Bobbie the Wonder Dog or Silvertons Bobbie. Some people claimed they had seen Bobbie and were able to identify him by several distinguishing marks, notes the website The Oregon Encyclopedia.

The Oregon Humane Society investigated and was able to confirm Bobbie did, in fact, make his incredible journey. The celebrity dog was showered with honours, including medals, keys to cities and a jewel-studded harness and collar. He was featured in books and portrayed himself in a silent film entitled The Call of the West.

When Bobbie died in 1927, he was buried with honours at the Oregon Humane Society and the famed German shepherd film star Rin Tin Tin laid a wreath at his grave.

Today, a statue of Bobbie stands outside his original doghouse in downtown Silverton.

3) The famously loyal dog(s): Salty and Roselle

The heart-tugging tale: What we are talking about here are two Labrador retriever guide dogs who are forever bonded by their fierce loyalty to their blind masters and their heroism.

Michael Hingston pets his guide dog Roselle in a 2001 file photo. (Richard Lam / The Canadian Press files)

Omar Rivera was busy working in his cubicle on the 71st floor of the World Trade Centers north tower, while his guide dog Salty snoozed at his feet, when the 9/11 terror attacks began. The blind Port Authority of New York and New Jersey worker had just hit the print command on his computer when he heard the unfathomable sound of a jet tearing into the tower 22 floors above him.

Rivera put on Saltys harness and the pair began their escape down the nearest flight of stairs, which quickly filled with smoke and terrified people.

Fearing it was too much for his dog, Rivera let go of Saltys harness so he could head down unfettered and alone. I tried to let him go down first for a few minutes, but he said, No! Rivera told Today.com in 2015. He refused to leave me. He came back to me. He said, We are together. As long as we are in here, we are together.

Salty somehow opened a path for Rivera  he had an uncanny ability to navigate through crowds  and the pair made it down to street level together.

At the same time, another guide dog named Roselle was helping her blind owner, Michael Hingson, escape from the 78th floor. Roselle was sleeping under her owners desk in Tower 2 when the attacks began.

Despite the terror and confusion, Roselle led her owner and 30 other people down 1,462 steps out of the tower. After descending over halfway down, the second plane hit into Tower 2,sending debris and smoke down the stairwell. Roselle remained totally focused on her job. Debris fell all around them, even hitting them, (but) Roselle stayed calm, recalls the Florida Standard.

The heroic dogs were later awarded medals from both the American and British humane societies.

2) The famously loyal dog: Hachiko

The heart-tugging tale: For some dogs, loyalty extends well beyond the grave. That was the case for Hachiko, a golden brown Akita whose legendary devotion to his late master has inspired bestselling books and hit movies, including 2009s Hachi: A Dogs Tale, starring Richard Gere.

People take photos of a bronze statue of Japanese Akita dog "Hachi" during the 74th memorial service for the dog, intimately called Hachiko, in front of Shibuya railway station in Tokyo. (Itsuo Inouye / The Associated Press files)

Hachiko (Hachi meaning eight, and Ko meaning affection) was born on a Japanese farm in late 1923 and was adopted early the next year by Hidesaburo Ueno, a professor at the University of Tokyo. The pair became inseparable and quickly established a workday routine: Hachiko would accompany the professor to the nearby train station, then return home on his own, returning to the station later to greet his master as he returned from work.

Their daily routine continued until May 1925, when Ueno failed to return. The professor had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage while giving a lecture, and died without returning to the station where his devoted dog patiently waited.

Each day  for the next nine years, nine months and 15 days  Hachiko awaited Uenos return, appearing at the east exit of Shibuya Station precisely when the train was due to arrive.

Initially, the attention Hachiko attracted from commuters wasnt always friendly, but after news reports of the dogs loyalty began to surface, they brought him treats and food.

In 1934, a bronze statue of the dog was erected at the station, with Hachiko present for the unveiling. That likeness was recycled for the metal during the Second World War.

On March 8, 1935, Hachikos body was found on a side street in Shibuya. It is believed he died of cancer coupled with an infection. His remains rest beside those of his master.

In 1948, a new statue was erected and it has become a famous place to meet in downtown Tokyo.

1) The famously loyal dog: Greyfriars Bobby

The heart-tugging tale: They dont get any more famously loyal than this little Skye terrier whose unwavering devotion to his late master spawned a host of books and films, including the classic 1961 Disney version that made this columnist weep like a baby back in the day.

If youre in Edinburgh, youll find the statue of Greyfriars Bobby  a 19th-century Skye terrier who spent 14 years guarding the grave of his owner  at this corner on Candlemaker Row. (Visit Scotland / The Associated Press)

The best-known version of the tale, as spelled out by Historic-UK.com, is that Bobby belonged to John Gray, who became a night watchman with the Edinburgh Police Force in 1850. The two became a familiar sight trudging along the cobbled streets through thick and thin, winter and summer.

In 1858, Gray died of tuberculosis and was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard, where Bobby refused to leave his masters grave, even in dire weather. In the end, the groundskeeper provided a shelter for Bobby at the side of Grays grave.

It is reported that almost on a daily basis the crowds would gather at the entrance waiting for the one oclock gun that would signal the appearance of Bobby leaving the grave for his midday meal, Historic-UK.com recalls. Bobby would follow William Dow, a local joiner and cabinet maker to the same coffee house that he had frequented with his now dead master, where he was given a meal For 14 years (he) kept constant watch and guard over the grave until his own death in 1872.

Baroness Angelia Georgina Burdett-Coutts, president of the ladies committee of the RSPCA, was so deeply moved she had a granite fountain built with a statue of Bobby on top.

Author Jan Bondeson has argued the story was likely a hoax to promote tourism: It wont ever be possible to debunk the story of Greyfriars Bobby. Hes a living legend, the most faithful dog in the world, and bigger than all of us.

It doesnt matter if the story is 100 per cent accurate. (We personally believe it is.) The point is, there are thousands of equally heart-rending stories of dogs who remained loyal even after the deaths of their masters.

As Canadian dog expert Stanley Coren once said: The greatest fear dogs know is the fear that you will not come back when you go out the door without them.

doug.speirs@freepress.mb.ca
If I were Donald Trumps chief of staff, Id just break his thumbs.

Thats what Reince Priebus should do  and then maybe buy a roll of duct tape.

From day one of his administration, President Trump has hurt himself and his agenda by doing a lot of stuff that is absolutely stupid.

Does anyone think it was Priebus who was telling Trump to fire FBI Director James Comey? Or telling him, While youre at it, Mr. President, why dont you undermine your staff and the VP of the United States for a second time.

What the president desperately needs is an adult in the Oval Office who will stand up to him  and one he will listen to. Maybe it has to be Jared Kushner, because Trump cant fire his son in law.

Otherwise its going to take someone on his staff with the highest authority  maybe Priebus  to stand up and publicly say, Unless this chaos ends, Mr. President, Im going to resign.

Until something shocking like that happens to wake up President Trump, or until he is tied up and sedated by his staff, his administration constantly will be under siege from the left and the fake journalists in the media.

We all know why the liberal Democrats in Washington, Hollywood and the news media hate Trump. They didnt want him to be president. They all voted for queen Hillary and since last November theyve all been feeling somewhere between sad and suicidal.

So now you have them trying everything they can every day to get rid of President Trump.

But are they really so stupid that they dont realize yet that even if Trump goes down they still arent going to get their president Hillary? Do they realize theyre going to get President Mike Pence  a savvy, competent, principled conservative who wont shoot himself in both feet every day?

A President Pence who will be able to work with a Republican Congress to get all the things done that Trump promised but cant deliver  tax reform, immigration reform, healthcare reform and more?

We know the attacks of the hysterical left will never stop until Trump is impeached or driven from office.

But despite the apoplectic editors at the New York Times and the Washington Post and the drooling left-wing anchors and pundits at MSNBC and CNN, President Trump has done nothing yet to warrant impeachment.

It wont matter what James Comey says the president asked him to do regarding the FBIs investigation into the alleged Russian-Trump collusion to prevent the coronation of queen Hillary, for which there still is no evidence.

What Trump may or may not have said to Comey rises to the level of stupidity, but it doesnt reach the level of impeachment.

And the classified information Trump supposedly gave to the Russians in the White House about the fight against terrorists was no different from what President Barack Obama gave to the Russians concerning the terrorists in Syria.

Remember when Rachel Maddow and the Washington Post editorial page went apoplectic after Obama divulged secrets to the Russkies? Neither do I.

President Trump has been, is and always will be, the source of the chaos. Hes not in charge of a business anymore, hes in charge of an administration.

If he keeps going down the crazy road hes on with these stupid childish tweets and the statements he makes, Republicans will lose control of the House and Senate and any chance for tax reform, immigration reform and health care reform.

And then America isnt going to be great again. Its going to be bad again.
CAMBRIA  They didnt put lipstick on a pig, but someone puckered up and kissed one anyway.

Timothy Raymond, who serves as both the early childhood through fifth grade principal and superintendent for the Cambria-Friesland School District, offered up the porcine peck during a school assembly Friday.

The smooch marked the end of the schools reading initiative, launched in December. The school challenged early childhood through fifth grade students to read more than 500,000 minutes before May 17.

Raymond opened the ceremony by sharing the story behind the initiative.

We asked what would it take to get you Cambria-Friesland Elementary students to read more than you ever have before? Raymond said.

He teased the students by saying they considered money, which earned cheers, or candy, which drew an even louder reaction. He cited school budget limitations and high dentist bills for the decision to make him kissing a pig the prize.

Raymond thanked the school staff and the public library for helping track all the minutes provided on weekly reading logs.

Raymond asked third grade teacher Scott Wotruba to open the envelope and reveal the reading minute totals for each class, offering reactions like Not there yet! or Still short as the grade totals were announced.

I dont think that you are adding correctly, Mr. Raymond, Wotruba said.

The total?

Students read 516,981 minutes, which brought eighth grade student Rylee Prochnow into the assembly, cradling a piglet in her arms. Raymond delivered on his promise to the students by laying a smack on the piglets snout.

I am so proud of you, Raymond said to the students. I would kiss a pig 500,000 more times to see you read and grow and learn.




China News on Women





Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page
Andreas Mikkelsen increased his WRC 2 lead to more than three minutes at Vodafone Rally de Portugal on Saturday.

Having scored a clean sweep of speed test victories yesterday to build an advantage of more than a minute in a Skoda Fabia R5, the Norwegian was content to manage his lead over dusty gravel tracks in the north of the country.



He won two of the first five special stages to maintain the gap at slightly over a minute, before it soared to 3min 07.1sec following late problems for Teemu Suninen and Pontus Tidemand.



Finn Suninen and Swede Tidemand, team-mate to Mikkelsen, fought tooth and nail over second. Twice the duo swapped places before a dramatic final stage in which both drivers stopped to change punctures after hitting a rock.

Tidemand emerged from Saturday's dramatic final stage in second place.

Tidemand recovered quickest and he goes into Sundays final leg with a 19.1sec advantage over Suninens Ford Fiesta R5.



Quentin Gilbert was almost four minutes further back in another Fabia R5, the Frenchman dropping 30sec after overshooting a junction. Simone Tempestini and Miguel Campos completed the top six in a Citroen DS 3 R5 and Fabia R5 respectively.



It was another day of attrition for many. Eric Camilli punctured this morning before stopping in the final stage to remove a stone which became jammed in his Fiesta R5s front right wheel.



A potential top six finish for Pierre-Louis Loubet evaporated when the Frenchman stopped, fellow Fiesta driver Gus Greensmith lost several minutes with broken power steering and Benito Guerra also retired.



The most dramatic exit befell Hiroki Arai whose Fiesta R5 went off the road in the final stage and vegetation beneath the car caught fire. It was badly damaged in the blaze that followed and the test was halted as a result.



Head to WRC+ to see the latest onboard and video reports from Vodafone Rally de Portugal.

Video

More News
Sebastien Ogier claimed the lead of Vodafone Rally de Portugal in Saturday mornings final speed test when Ott Tanak broke his cars rear suspension against a bank.

Stage info: SS12 Amarante 1, 37.55km

The rallys longest stage is a fraction shorter than in 2016. Its wide, fast and flowing but there are plenty of corners among trees which are close to the road. The surface is smooth with a fine layer of gravel on top, but there are also short stretches of asphalt and cobbles. The middle section runs down one side of a valley before returning up the other side and offers great viewing for spectators.

Ogier was fastest through the 37.55km Amarante special stage, the longest of the rally, in his Ford Fiesta. M-Sport team-mate Tanaks lead drifted away as he limped through 1min 23.1sec slower to plunge to fifth.

I touched a bank on the outside under braking about 20km from the finish and immediately something broke, explained Tanak, whose Fiesta completed the test with the rear left wheel out of alignment.

Ogier sympathised with the Estonians predicament. He was doing so well, he set an incredible time in the previous stage and I hope he can carry on, said the Frenchman, who led Thierry Neuvilles Hyundai i20 by 19.5sec.

The Belgian was second quickest having altered his driving style again. I tried to be more clean. I was driving too sideways so I tried my normal rhythm, trying to be more efficient. Its not impossible to go faster, but theres not much more in it, he said.

Team-mate Dani Sordo moved back into a podium position, 5.5sec behind his colleague. The Spaniard headed Craig Breens Citroen C3 by 21.2sec, with the dejected Tanak more than half a minute further back in fifth.

Juho Hanninen retained sixth in his Toyota Yaris. Elfyn Evans hopes of moving back in front of the Finn following his previous stage puncture were knocked when his Ford Fiesta broke a damper and he conceded a further 20sec.

The Welshman nevertheless retained seventh, with Esapekka Lappis Yaris, Mads stbergs Fiesta and Jari-Matti Latvala's Yaris completing the leaderboard as competitors returned to Matosinhos for mid-leg service.

Head to WRC+ to see the latest onboard and video reports from Vodafone Rally de Portugal.

VIDEO

More News
Speaking from the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London yesterday, WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange said the proper war is just commencing.

Speaking in the aftermath of the Swedish Prosecution Authority dropping their investigation into bogus allegations of sexual assault, he added, Today is an important victory for me and for the UNs human rights system but it by no means erases the years of detention without charge in prison, under house arrest and almost five years here in this embassy without sunlight, seven years without charge while my children grew up without me. And that is not something I can forget, it is not something I can forgive.

Assange has been confined to the embassy since being granted diplomatic asylum in 2012, in response to the trampling of his democratic rights by the Swedish and UK authorities.

The attempt to frame him on allegations relating to a 2010 visit to Sweden was the highpoint of a politically motivated manhunt launched following WikiLeaks publication of masses of documents revealing the criminal and illegal activities of the US and other imperialist governments in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world. The Obama administration moved to prosecute Assange and WikiLeaks, convening a secret grand jury.

Dropping the case Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny said, In order to proceed with the case, Julian Assange would have to be formally notified of the criminal suspicions against him. We cannot expect to receive assistance from Ecuador regarding this. Therefore the investigation is discontinued.

Nys reference to Ecuador concerns the election of Lenin Moreno as president, the hand-picked successor of outgoing President Rafael Correa, at the beginning of April. Moreno's opponent, the banker Guillermo Lasso, had pledged to deny Assange asylum and remove him from the London embassy within 30 days. Moreno pledged that Assange would be allowed to remain.

Following Swedens decision, the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) under which Assange was arbitrarily originally arrestedwithout charges being brought against himwas discharged at Westminster Magistrates Court.

Ny refused to state that Sweden would end its persecution of Assange. The statute of limitations on his case expires in 2020, she said, before warning, If he, at a later date, makes himself available, I will be able to decide to resume the investigation immediately.

Ny asserted of Assange, He has tried to dodge all attempts to avoid Swedish and British legal authorities. This is a filthy lie. It was not until last November, six years after he was first detained in London, that Sweden even took a statement from Assange, despite offered cooperation from the start.

Assange remains in immediate danger. There is no innocent explanation as to why Sweden has discontinued its investigation at this juncture, after spending seven years relentlessly hounding Assange. The case against him was concocted in order that he could be sent from Sweden to the US.

The decision to end the investigation has been taken under Washingtons orders. Last month, it emerged that the Department of Justice had prepared the charges under which it intends to have Assange arrested and extradited to the US. CNN reported that US officials said they had proof that WikiLeaks played an active role in helping Edward Snowden, a former NSA analyst, disclose a massive cache of classified documents.

Asked at an April 20 press conference if the Justice Department intended to arrest Assange once and for all, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said, Yes, it is a priority. Weve already begun stepping up our efforts and whenever a case can be made, we will seek to put some people in jail.

Sessions comments came just a week after CIA Director Mike Pompeo made a speech in which he denounced Assange and Snowden and said WikiLeaks was a non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia.

News organizations that reveal government secrets and crimes are enemies of the United States, said Pompeo, adding that individuals who leak secret information about US crimes are guilty of treason. He declared, We have to recognize that we can no longer allow Assange and his colleagues the latitude to use free speech values against us.

In response, a British Home Office source told the Guardian its existing legal obligation was to extradite Assange to Sweden under the EAW. Extradition requests from outside the UK are facilitated under the Extradition Act 2003, which stipulates that if there are competing warrants from two countries, the home secretary must decide which takes precedence.

With Sweden discontinuing its investigation, the way is paved for the US to request extradition, though it is likely that this has already been done. The Guardian noted, The Home Office never confirms whether an extradition request has been made or received until the person in question has been arrested, the source indicated 

The UK authorities have made clear that, despite the warrant against him now being void, Assange will be immediately arrested if he sets foot outside the embassy. This is to be carried out by the Metropolitan Police utilising an alleged breach of bail offense, dating back to 2012, ordered by Westminster Magistrates Court.

Yesterday, the Met said Assange failed to surrender to the court on June 29, 2012 and it is obliged to execute the warrant should he leave the embassy.

Following Swedens decision, police officers in a car remained parked opposite the embassy. Other police cars and officers were on standby.

While speaking at a Conservative Party general election event in Edinburgh Friday, Prime Minister Theresa May refused to rule out Assanges extradition to the US. Questioned if the UK would support a US request, she said, We look at extradition requests on a case-by-case basis. May added, In relation to Julian Assange, any decision that is taken about UK action in relation to him were he to leave the Ecuadorian embassy would be an operational matter for the police.

This is a ludicrous assertion. As home secretary for virtually the entire time Assange was incarcerated by the British state (May 2010 to July 2016), Mays department played a critical role in collusion with Sweden and the US in denying elementary justice to Assange.

The investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald, a long-time supporter of Assange who also assisted Snowden in making public documents revealing the US and British governments mass surveillance of the worlds population, warned Friday that Assange remained in danger.

Greenwald wrote, The termination of the Swedish investigation is, in one sense, good news for Assange. But it is unlikely to change his inability to leave the embassy any time soon. If anything, given the apparent determination of the Trump administration to put him in a US prison cell for the crime of publishing documents, his freedom appears farther away than it has since 2010, when the Swedish case began.
The Communications Workers of America (CWA) has begun a three-day strike involving 40,000 workers at AT&T West in California and Nevada and the companys wireless division, AT&T Mobility, with operations in 36 states. The workers, who have been laboring without a contract for a year, want improved wages and job security and are resisting increases in health insurance co-pays.

The strikes, which began Friday afternoon and end on Monday, are the latest in a series of diversionary stunts by the CWA and other unions to block a united struggle against the telecom giants. Under conditions where the industry and its biggest investors are amassing enormous profits, workers are determined to recoup past losses handed over by the CWA and make real gains.

The latest theatrics by the CWA follows a series of local grievance strikes called by the union as a means of defusing anger while causing minimal disruption to management. Meanwhile, a strike by 1,800 workers at Spectrum, formerly Time Warner Cable, in New York City and Bergen County, New Jersey is continuing into its seventh week. Spectrum was acquired by Charter Communications in a $65 billion mega-merger in 2016.

The workers, members of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 3, are opposing the companys demand for pension and health care concessions and calling for a halt to the companys practice of penalizing workers for customer problems that stem from Spectrums failing infrastructure.

It is clear from the isolation of these various struggles that neither the IBEW nor CWA has any intent or desire to build a unified fight of telecom workers. Instead their role has been to isolate the struggles of the workers they supposedly represent and to preside over the implementation of harsher work rules while pensions and healthcare benefits are reduced.

The attacks on telecom workers are being driven by the insatiable profit demands of the financial markets, including huge financial equity firms, which increasingly dominate the industry. This has been accompanied by the drive to consolidate the industry in the hands of a few massive conglomerates.

The telecoms top executives are richly rewarded for slashing labor costs and boosting shareholder returns. AT&Ts CEO Randall Stephenson made $28.4 million in 2016, a 13.1 percent raise from the year before, while Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes made $32.6 million last year.

Increasingly the major telecom providers are looking to become content providers rather than service providers, thus eliminating the expense of maintaining capital-intensive networks. They are doing this via mergers and acquisitions. For example, AT&T is seeking to buy Time Warner and there are reports that Verizon is open to a merger with, among others, Disney and Comcast.

The issue of telecom providers deferring maintenance or the build-out of their networks is neither new nor unique to Spectrum. It has become common practice among many providers. After years of acquisitions and mergers, resulting in fewer providers, the telecom companies have established what amounts to an industrywide cartel. For the most part they are satisfied to operate in service areas they have carved out for themselves without going head to head in another providers territory.

Like the deregulation of the airline industry, the breakup of the Bell Telephone monopoly in the 1980s was supposed to increase competition, cut costs and provide better service. Just the opposite has taken place, with a return to the concentration of ownership in the hands of a small number of telecommunication monopolies.

The absence of any real competition combined with years of deregulation has allowed the carriers to scale back on maintenance, with the inevitable result of frequent service failures. Instead of maintaining their networks, carriers funnel revenues into dividends and stock buybacks for their richest investors. Putting off maintenance costs keeps their revenues artificially high, which in turn inflates their share prices.

In turn, customers end up with service that does not live up to the promised quality standards. They are often left without service in the event of a storm, while the companies attempt to shift the blame for problems caused by inadequate investment onto the shoulders of workers. At Spectrum, workers are being threatened, harassed, disciplined or kept from progression if they repeat a service call to the same customers even though these problems are often caused by the long-term lack of maintenance.

At Verizon workers face similar issues in the companys landline division that includes its popular FiOS television service. In 2016, the CWA and the IBEW isolated and betrayed a six-week strike by 39,000 Verizon workers, imposing a sellout deal that imposed higher health care costs and facilitated layoffs. The AFL-CIO and other unions blocked a common fight by telecom workers and millions of industrial workers because the unions backed Obama and his strategy of slashing corporate health costs and imposing what amounted to an eight-year freeze in real wages.

Every step of a technicians day is tracked and monitored to squeeze as much from each worker as possible. Meanwhile, Verizon continues to build out its FiOS (fiber optic) Internet service in lucrative markets, typically affluent areas with high population density. At the same time, rural and impoverished regions in the Verizon area are left without Internet cable access. Workers at ATT retail stores, call centers and elsewhere are subject to intense scrutiny during their workday. Workers at ATT retail locations who spend hours standing have been written up and disciplined for merely leaning on a counter.

While the union executives often make rhetorical criticisms of corporate greed they advance the corporatist program of union-management cooperation based on the supposed identity of the interests of workers and management. On this basis, the unions collaborate with the companies to drive up worker productivity and reduce benefits such as healthcare and pensions to ensure the competitiveness of the telecoms against their overseas rivals.

At the same time the unions promote the idea that the Democratic Party can be pressured to support the interests of workers. Nothing could be further for the truth. The Democrats were the pioneers of deregulation, which has been the spearhead of a never-ending series of attacks on the jobs and working conditions of telecom workers, and Obamacare paved the way for Trumps attack on health benefits.

Rather than carry out a struggle to defend jobs, the telecom unions have sought to stoke hostility against brother telecom workers globally. Thus, while seeking to pressure the Democrats, the CWA and the IBEW are cozying up to the Trump administration based on his reactionary America First nationalism. The CWA has joined with members of Congress to call on Trump to sign an executive order to halt the offshoring of call center jobs.

This has nothing to do with a fight to defend jobs, which requires the international unity of the working class against the multinationals. The entire strategy of the unions is based on preventing a struggle against the capitalist system, which subordinates the interests of workers to the profit interests of the corporations and Wall Street. In return for imposing managements dictates the unions are ensured the continued flow of dues money and management subsidies that fund the lavish perks and privileges of the labor apparatus.

To wage a successful fight telecom workers must organize rank-and-file committees, independent of the pro-company unions and the two big-business parties. These committees must base themselves on the methods of the class struggle, fighting to mobilize the telecom workers throughout the US and internationally. The companies are merging their resources. Why shouldnt workers merge their own power and employ it collectively?

At the same time workers must insist that they have nonnegotiable rights to good-paying and secure jobs, health care and comfortable retirement, regardless of what the top executives and Wall Street say they can afford.

Vital services essential to the wellbeing of a modern society cannot be left to the vicissitudes of the market or the dictates of the oligarchs who sit atop it. These services, including the telecom, must be nationalized immediately, placed under the direct democratic control of the working class as part of a planned socialist economy.
Less than two weeks after the Turnbull governments 201718 budget was handed down on May 9, it is clear that the crisis of the government and the entire political establishment has only intensified.

Ludicrously presented by the government as fair and balanced, the budget has been damned by big business as a retreat from imposing its austerity agenda, and derided throughout the media for its unrealistic forecasts of economic growth that would supposedly eliminate the intractable budget deficit by 202021.

At the same time, the budget has been met with hostility throughout the working class, where millions of people face higher income taxes, steeper education fees, ongoing cuts to schools and health care, and another brutal assault on the unemployed and other welfare dependents. Even according to media polls, the government is headed for electoral oblivion.

Compounding the instability is the global uncertainty produced by the aggressive America First program of the Trump administration and the doubts about the future of that government, to which Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has tied his political fortunes. Just days before the budget, and before the crisis surrounding Trump erupted, Turnbull flew halfway around the world for a brief audience with Trump, pledging an unbreakable commitment to the US military alliance.

The budget was a politically-desperate attempt to satisfy the demands of the financial elite for stepped-up cuts to social spending in order to slash corporate taxes and boost profitsas well as Washingtons requirements for higher levels of military spending.

At the same time, the Turnbull government sought to revive its popular support. It abandoned the most unpopular austerity measures of the 201415 budget, which had remained blocked in the Senate for three years because of the widespread hostility toward them. The budget included a levy on the five major banks, estimated to raise some $1.5 billion a year, so Turnbull can posture as placing some of the burden of returning to a surplus on the most profitable corporations.

The budget was the first since the governments near-defeat in last Julys double dissolution election of both houses of parliament. The election provided a distorted picture of the seething social discontent and political disaffection. In the Senate ballot, a record 26 percent of votes were cast for parties and candidates posing as alternatives to the main establishment partiesTurnbulls Liberal-National Coalition, the Labor Party and the Greens.

The government clung to power with a precarious one-seat majority in the lower house and even fewer seats in the Senate than before the electionjust 29 out of 76. It therefore needs the support of 10 of the 12 various right-wing populists in the Senate, and/or the Greens, to push through any budget measures that the Labor Party decides to oppose.

Eager to claw its way back into office, to once again serve the interests of the wealthy elite, Labor has said it will reject key budget proposals. That stance has been largely echoed by the Greens and the right-wing crossbench senators, all of whom fear electoral defeat if they help impose the governments proposals.

Turnbull has responded by making frequent media appearances to promote the alleged benefits of boosting military expenditure. In order to develop the war preparations of the Australian ruling elite and the Pentagon, the military budget will increase by 6.1 percent every year, at least until 20202021. About $150.6 billion will be spent on the military over the next four years, at the expense of social spending.

Earlier this week, Turnbull visited dockyards in Adelaide to outline the governments $89 billion naval shipbuilding plan, claiming it would secure thousands of skilled jobs in manufacturing, technology, software and construction. He boasted it was the largest investment in the defence capability of our Navy ever in peace time.

Turnbull also staged a media conference at an air force base in Sydney to announce that US aerospace and military technology giant Northrop Grumman would be an anchor tenant of a centre of excellence at the proposed new western Sydney airport. He said the facility could service new war planes being bought from the US, including for the joint strike fighter, the F 35 and the MQ 4 C Trident.

None of this, however, has improved the governments standing in the media polls. For millions of working people, the daily reality is an historic decline in real wage levels, soaring living costs and increasingly casualised and insecure employment (see: Falling wages fuel social crisis in Australia).

Nor has it satisfied the financial markets, which are insisting on far more brutal measures to decimate social spending. This week, the Wall Street credit ratings agency S&P demanded more forceful fiscal policy decisions, warning that Australias AAA credit rating was at risk.

Yesterdays Australian Financial Review editorial again vented the frustration in ruling circles. It denounced the 0.06 percent levy imposed on the five major Australian-based banks, which was a transparent ploy by the government to put a fairness gloss on the budget. It is an attempt to fix the governments budget woes not through disciplined reform but with an arbitrary money grab under the cover of populist politics, the editorial declared. How did it come to this?

The capitalist elite backed Turnbull, a multi-millionaire former merchant banker, when he ousted his predecessor Tony Abbott as Liberal Party leader in September 2015. Turnbull promised to provide the economic leadership required to inflict the social spending cuts and attacks on working conditions that Abbott had proved unable to deliver.

Increasingly, the conclusion is being drawn in the corporate and media boardrooms that Turnbull has failed as well, generating fractures throughout the parliamentary order.

There are open rifts within the governments own ranks. That was highlighted on Thursday when Abbott, speaking from Israel, provocatively defended his governments 201415 budget as the gold standard and branded the latest budget as second-best. Abbott denounced the Senate for obstructing the 201415 budget and reiterated his call for a constitutional amendment to reduce the Senates power.

Earlier this year, one of Abbotts former proteges, Senator Cory Bernardi, split from the Liberal Party to launch the Australian Conservatives, adding another right-wing party to the political turmoil, alongside Senator Pauline Hansons anti-immigrant One Nation and Senator Nick Xenophons protectionist Nick Xenophon Team.

Divisions have also erupted in the Labor Party, whose polling results also remain at low levels. Former Deputy Prime Minister Anthony Albanese this week challenged Labor leader Bill Shortens response to the budget. In his budget-reply speech, Shorten, a right-wing ex-trade union boss, rebuffed an obvious plea by the government for a bipartisan front to push the budget through parliament.

Shorten denied claims the budget was Labor lite because it went part way to accepting Labors own cost-cutting schools, health care and disability funding plans. Acutely aware of the social unrest and fearing being further discredited along with the government, Shorten accused the government of giving tax cuts to millionaires while increasing the tax burden for low and middle income earnerseven though he spearheaded similar measures while a Labor government minister.

By contrast, Albanese, who was the Labor left factions candidate for the party leadership against Shorten, after Labors landslide 2013 election defeat, told a Transport Workers Union meeting that the budget was an overwhelming victory for Labor and the broader labour movement. The government had decided to embrace Labor values on some core issues.

Albaneses statements underscore the pro-business character of Labors core values. They were also a clear pitch to the ruling class for Labor to be returned to office as a more reliable political mechanism, in partnership with the trade unions, to implement the dictates of the money markets.

None of the contending factions has any difference with imposing the program of austerity, war and erosion of basic democratic rights. The working class, however, so far remains politically sidelined. It must intervene on the basis of a socialist program to resolve the economic, social and political crisis in its interests, not those of the wealthy elite.
A recent leaked document highlights how the UK Conservative government intends to spy on thousands of internet and phone users in real-time.

Its proposed measures dramatically weaken the ability to protect privacy through the use of encryption.

The plans only became known due to the Open Rights Group, a UK digital campaigning organisation whose remit is to protect the right to privacy and free speech online, releasing the leaked government Home Office consultation document.

The document is a draft statutory instrument. Despite its dry title; The Investigatory Powers (Technical Capability) Regulations 2017, the document spells out how Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and phone companies, at one days notice, would be obliged to give real-time access to a named individual including any related secondary data. It also puts a legal requirement on data providers to set up backdoor access to their systems to allow the UK state to override end-to-end encryption of data.

The draft proposals would build on the already draconian Investigatory Powers Act. The IPA, known as the Snoopers Charter, passed into law last December. It is an unprecedented attack on the rights and privacy of every UK citizen. The Open Democracy group described it as the most sweeping surveillance powers ever seen, not just in the UK, but in any western European nation or in the United States.

The act began as the Investigatory Powers Bill (IPB), the flagship policy of then Home Secretary and now Prime Minister Theresa May, who introduced it to parliament in November 2015. The act brings together previously diverse sets of rules into one piece of legislation. It also provides a legal stamp to vast illegal spying operations against the entire UK population, has been carried out for years by the intelligence apparatus without legal authorisationbefore being exposed by the US whistleblower Edward Snowden.

The act allows the state to monitor every web site visited by an individual as well as comments made and search terms used. It also compels tech companies to hack into customers devices at the request of state spying agencies to override their security, enabling the bulk hacking of millions of peoples electronic devices on the say-so of the home secretary. The IPA compels Internet Service Providers to keep Internet connection records for a 12-month period for access by the police and security services.

The nine-page document leaked by the Open Rights Group was produced and sent out for a four week consultation to six telecom companies, BT, O2, BskyB, Cable & Wireless, Vodafone and Virgin Media. These companies comprise the Technical Advisory Board, along with state spying agencies. It is presumed that a representative of one of the six telecom companies, concerned over the invasion of privacy implications decided to leak the document to the Open Rights Group. There is no mention of the consultation document on the Home Office web site or on the UK government information website, gov.uk.

Responses have to be made by May 19 to the Home Office. The Open Rights Group noted, This is a targeted consultationand has not been publicised to the tech industry or public. The Secretary of State is in fact not under any obligation to consult the public, but must consult only a small selection of organisations listed in Section 253 (6) of the Investigatory Powers Act.

The leaked document spells out how telecommunication operators would be required to provide and maintain the capability to ensure, where practicable, the transmission of communications and secondary data in near real time to a hand-over point as agreed with the person to whom the warrant is addressed To provide and maintain the capability to disclose, where practicable, the content of communications or secondary data in an intelligible form and to remove electronic protection to permit the person to whom the warrant is addressed to remove such electronic protection.

The authorization to carry out such surveillance on an individual would come from a secretary of state (a cabinet minister in charge of a government department), overseen by a judge appointed by the prime minister.

The Register, a web site carrying IT related news, commented on the leaking of the consultation document, In addition, comms providers will be required to make bulk surveillance possible by introducing systems that can provide real-time interception of 1 in 10,000 of its customers. Or in other words, the UK government will be able to simultaneously spy on 6,500 folks in Blighty [the UK] at any given moment.

Just in the case of BT, which has nine million British broadband customers, fully 900 people using its services could be, legally, monitored in real time, without their knowledge.

The Register concluded that the document would effectively make strong and unbreakable encryption illegal. This act of stripping away safeguards on peoples private data is also fantastic news for hackers, criminals, and anyone else who wants to snoop on Brits. The seals are finally coming off.

Writing on the techworld web site May 5, journalist Scott Carey commented, Simply put, either a message is encrypted or it is not. If there is backdoor for security services, there is essentially a backdoor for anyone with the right skills to exploit it, it is a Pandoras box.

While the government is not under any legal obligation to inform the public about draft regulations under consideration, it would have to pass both Houses of Parliament to become law. Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group, told the BBC, The public has a right to know about government powers that could put their privacy and security at risk.

The IPA was finally put on the statute books by the Conservative government elected in 2015, led first by Prime Minister David Cameron and now by May. Should the Conservatives win the June 8 snap election, they will extend its scope along the lines laid out in the leaked document.

However, workers cannot look to the Labour Party to oppose a further massive abrogation of democratic rights. In parliament, Labour ensured the Investigative Powers Bill became lawoffering only a few, token and minor amendments. Most Labour MPs voted for the IPA at its final reading. Labours general election manifesto makes no mention of state surveillance whatsoever, or of the IPAdespite it being introduced since the last election in 2015. If elected, Labour would use the vast powers now available to the state to monitor the entire population just as surely as will the Tories.
Major French media and political parties continued their silence Friday on the extraordinary report in Thursdays edition of LObs magazine, which revealed that the outgoing Socialist Party (PS) government planned a coup detat if National Front (FN) candidate Marine Le Pen, rather than PS-backed candidate Emmanuel Macron, had won the May 7 presidential elections.

Plans were made for a major police mobilization to crush anti-fascist protests and to break the usual electoral protocol and force Le Pen to accept a PS prime minister. As a top state official told LObs, The country would have been totally shut down. The government would have had only one priority: ensuring the security of the state. That is, while the PS would have effectively suspended the usual parliamentary forms of rule in France, the goal was to keep Le Pen in power and crush opposition from the left.

The deafening silence on the story, coupled with the absence of official denials of its content, is the clearest indication that LObs report, based on information from multiple anonymous, high-level sources in the PS, is essentially correct.

The material in the story indicates that PS officials are willing to suspend parliamentary procedures and install a dictatorship via a coup by intelligence and police officials to crush mass protests. This is not just a hypothetical about what would have happened had Le Pen won on May 7: demonstrations are expected to erupt against Macrons plans to unilaterally slash wages and contracts using the PS labour law, and to restore the draft. The question that is posed is whether the new Macron administration is preparing to use such methods against the working class.

Asked about the story by Le Figaro, FN Vice President Louis Aliot said the plan was an act of hostility to the sovereignty of the people... It would have been a first and would have caused a major problem for Marine Le Pen as commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He nonetheless tried to downplay the plan, calling it unimaginable, and dismissed PS claims that there would have been massive left-wing violence after an FN victory: There would not have been more [violence] than during the labour law protests.

Neither the PS nor PS officials within the new Macron administration saw fit to issue a comment or a denial of the storys contents, and television news and major pro-PS newspapers such as Le Monde and Liberation continued to black out the story as well.

The political establishment and the media are acting as if the content of the LObs articlethat is, plans for the suspension of normal parliamentary procedures and the imposition of martial lawis of no particular importance. Contacted by World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) reporters, press officials for the PS, the New Anti-capitalist Party (NPA) and the Unsubmissive France (UF) movement of Jean-Luc Melenchon refused to comment on the story or dismissed it as irrelevant.

PS press officials told WSWS reporters quite improbably that they had not seen the story, although they acknowledged that they had read stories based on the LObs report in other publications: I saw it in LExpress and Le Figaro, but not in LObs. They then refused to answer any further questions on the matter, saying that all questions should be addressed to the former PS prime minister, Bernard Cazeneuve.

The statements of the various pseudo-left organizations to the WSWS were complacent and unserious. Representatives at the UF press office told the WSWS they had nothing to say on the matter and that if UF thought it deserved comment, UF national spokespeople would say something about it. UF spokespeople have maintained a total silence on the matter.

The NPA press official contacted by the WSWS said, I saw it. But Ill admit I didnt read it because it looked like some type of sensationalist headline. The official added that no one else who was available at the NPA would be able to comment on it either.

The WSWS reporters, noting that under the PS state of emergency NPA members have been threatened with lawsuits and banned from attending protests, asked why under these conditions the NPA was not more interested in reports of PS plans to attack democratic rights. The NPA press official replied, Its a matter of time, we have to take care of the legislative election campaign. I saw the article, but it seemed like a sort of sensational thing.

He added, I do not think that the PS could organize a coup against the National Front, its not in the cards, and I think that if the National Front had come to power it would have used very powerful methods against us.

He acknowledged, however, that in France, There was a change with the state of emergency. There was a more police-style turn in the underlying philosophy, lets call it the very deep state. Asked if the deep state would be capable of suspending democratic rule via a coup by the security services, he answered: Today, no. As for later, I dont know.

The silence of the PS and PS-linked media and the irresponsible attitude of UF and the NPA must be taken as a warning to the working class. The forces that for decades have passed for the left are complacent and largely indifferent to deep attacks on democratic rights that have been carried out and that are being prepared under Macron.

The PS imposed a state of emergency in 2015 that suspends basic democratic rights and allows the police to arbitrarily detain individuals, ban protests and assign people to house arrest. It has already been used to disrupt and savagely repress social protests and to whip up an anti-Muslim and militaristic atmosphere. This produced a political collapse of the PS, which was eliminated with only 6 percent of the vote in the first round of the presidential elections.

Now, Macron is taking power based on a fragile coalition of PS and right-wing politicians, with a political agenda of austerity and war that is widely unpopular. There is every indication that he will be even more brutal than the PS in his methods of repression. The report in LObs, and even more the reaction of the rest of the media, is a warning that Macrons attacks on democratic rights, and even moves to impose a dictatorship in France, would encounter little opposition from the media and political establishment.

Statements by pseudo-left forces like UF and NPA downplaying the significance of the LObs article reflect the bankruptcy of their type of petty-bourgeois politics. For nearly a half-century, these forces and their precursors have oriented to the PS, since its foundation in 1971, on the basis of their rejection of Marxism and the struggle of the working class for power. Today, as the PS collapses and turns far to the right, they are demonstrating that they have nothing to offer to the working class in the enormous political crises and revolutionary struggles that lie ahead.
This is a new translation of a speech delivered by Leon Trotsky at the Citywide Conference of United Social-Democrats on May 20, 1917 (May 7 O.S.). It was originally published in Novaia zhizn (New Life), No 18, 9 (22) May 1917 and was republished in Trotskys Sochineniia (Works). [1]

Our revolution is called a bourgeois revolution. This means that, in the best case, bourgeois democracy should have come to power, and the proletariat must be in opposition. [2]

That portion of the Social-Democratic Party, which gave its members Tsereteli and Skobelev to the Provisional Government, has become a governmental party, a party of bourgeois revolution, which means a bourgeois party. The difference between the mass of deputies in the Soviet of Workers and Soldiers Deputies and its ideological leaders Tsereteli and Skobelev is this: the former have not examined and understood the full complexity of the driving forces of the revolution, whereas Skobelev and Tsereteli, as the ideological leaders of the Social-Democracy, are compromising not only the Social-Democrats and Socialist-Revolutionaries with their tactics, but also that current in Social-Democracy (Zimmerwald) in whose ranks they number themselves and in whom we place all our hopes for rebuilding the International.

We are not expelling them from the party; with their own conduct they are placing themselves outside the ranks of Social-Democracy. We remove from ourselves even a shadow of responsibility for them. By going into the government, they have become either its captives or its agents, and the sole task for us, revolutionary Social-Democrats, is to expose them. We have a clear and definite taskthe transfer of all power into the hands of the Soviet. For us, this problem is not on todays agenda. We know that the conquest of power is a long process and that it depends on the tempo of unfolding events; we are not speaking of the seizure of power apart from the Soviet, for it is the representative form directing the entirety of revolutionary democracy. We must only strive to create our own majority in the Soviet, imbuing its work with a truly revolutionary content, and we must organize the broad popular masses around our slogans.

The seizure of power as quickly as possible is not in our interests, for the further this moment recedes from us, the more organized and conscious our ranks will become, and the more prepared we will be at the necessary moment for the seizure of power.

We categorically reject any support for the new Provisional Government, and its crisis will not be our crisis, for we continually tell the working-class masses about the true essence of the Provisional Government. It is filled with bourgeois egoism, initially concealed with democratic phraseology, and now with two socialist corpses. The entry of socialists into ministries will end with complete bankruptcy, since even Chernov can accomplish nothing. He will prepare material for the Constituent Assembly, but he will take no practical steps; meanwhile a regime of anti-revolutionary forces is shaping up. If we get tangled up in this regime, then there would be no hope for us in the future. There is turmoil in the Soviet of Workers and Soldiers Deputies, with elements breaking away from the right and from the left, but this is not the last chapter in the history of the revolution. There will be a third and fourth chapter, when a complete separation from the petty-bourgeois elements of the city and countryside gets underway. We do not know if we will emerge as victors, but we know that nothing will change from the relocation of four people from the Soviet into the government. Class relations do not change from compromises and internal reconsiderations. We must advance with our own class; we do not know whether we will be the victors, but we know that there is no other way.

If Marx was mistaken in predicting the social revolution prematurely, then this does not mean that our predictions will be premature. After all the shocks of the war, after the training of 50 years of socialist culture, after all that the people have gone throughwhat other conditions could be more favorable for social revolution? And if the war, which forced all peoples to cast off all the falsehood, lies, and veneer of chauvinism, does not lead Europe to social revolution, then this means that Europe is destined to undergo economic degeneration, and that it will perish as a civilized territory, and will serve only the curiosity of tourists, while the center of the revolutionary movement will move to America or Japan.

Notes:

[1] Note from the editors of Trotskys Sochineniia (Works):

The Citywide Conference of United Social-Democrats (Bolsheviks and Internationalists) opened on 7(20) May 1917. The conference greeted comrade Trotsky who was attending as a guest. In response to the greetings, comrade Trotsky declared that for him, who had always stood for the need to unify Social-Democratic forces, unity as such was not an end in itself, but that this formula must be filled with revolutionary content. The present conference should proceed under the banner of the world social revolution, under the banner of a new International, against defensism, against the living corpses of fake-socialism. Then, comrade Trotsky gave this speech on comrade Uritskys report about the attitude toward the Provisional Government and the Social-Democratic ministers, Tsereteli and Skobelev.

[2] Here the author is presenting the position of the Mensheviks. (Note from the editors).
Members of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) in Sri Lanka campaigned in several tea estates in the hill country to discuss an SEP picket and public meeting to be held on May 21 in Hatton to defend the victimized Maruti Suzuki workers in India.

The International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) has launched the campaign and online petition to free 13 Maruti Suzuki workers who were sentenced to life imprisonment.

The workers were framed-up by the Japanese-owned car giant, supported by the police, the judiciary and political establishment, including the Indian government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Just nine days ago, Modi addressed Tamil-speaking tea plantation workers at a meeting near Hatton, posturing as a champion of their rights. Discredited plantation unions gathered tens of thousands of workers to hear Modis boasting.

Modi also claimed that India would provide support to improve the living conditions of Sri Lankan plantation workers. However, tea plantation workers in India face dire living and working conditions, including in states like Assam in the northeast and Tamil Nadu in the south.

During the latter part of 19th century, plantation workers were forcibly brought to Sri Lanka by British colonial rulers as semi-slave laborers. The first act of the Sri Lankan ruling class to whom the British granted power in 1948 was the abolition of citizenship rights for plantation workers. In 1963, under the reactionary Sirima-Shastri Agreement (named after then Sri Lankan Prime Minister Sirima Bandaranaike and her Indian counterpart Lal Bahdur Shastri), hundreds of thousands were deported to India. Those deported and their children have become destitute in Tamil Nadu.

The plantation unions in Sri Lanka collaborated with successive governments and the plantation companies to subordinate the workers to profit interests. With the help of the unions and the government, the companies are now planning to transform workers into share croppers to intensify their exploitation.

SEP members campaigned for the last several days among workers at the Welioya, Fordyce, Ingestre and Lonach estates situated around Hatton.

The plantation workers are one of the poorest sections of the Sri Lankan working class, living on poverty-level wages of less than five dollars a day. Most of the nearly 200,000 families in estates are living in decades-old accommodations without adequate water, health services and proper education facilities for their children.

The workers condemned the attack on the Maruti Suzuki workers and explained their difficult working and living conditions.

A worker from Fordyce estate said that workers conditions in every country are getting worse. A life sentence for 13 workers is intolerable. How their families will suffer! He referred to Modis promise to build 10,000 houses for plantation workers. But the same government has punished Maruti-Suzuki workers who fight for their rights.

He said that he saw on the TV news a story about daily suicides among Indian farmers who are unable to settle their loans. The Karnataka state government had refused to give water to Tamil Nadu farmers. I think Modi came to Sri Lanka not to help for us, but to develop a close relationship with the government against China. I saw news yesterday the Sri Lankan government refused to allow a Chinese submarine to come to Sri Lanka.

He sarcastically said that the leaders of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and the National Union of Workers (NUW) competed with each other to organize a ceremony for Modi to get his favor for their own interests, not the interests of workers. They are always working to divide the workers. I like the socialist policy, and I will come your meeting, he added.

A worker at the Ingestre estate who was victimized during the plantation workers wage struggle last year said, With my own experience I can understand the frame-up of the Maruti-Suzuki workers. It is clear that company management purposely victimized the workers who are at the forefront of struggles for the rights of the workers. Similarly, seven workers in our estate including myself were victimized last year during the wage struggle.

CWC, which called the strike for a 1,000-rupee daily wage, stopped the struggle without winning our demand. We continued the protest an additional two days and picketed in front of the managers bungalow. After that, the armed forces intervened and arrested seven workers and detained them for a week under false charges. They were then suspended for several months.

He said that they would not have been released and reinstated if the SEP and WSWS had not waged a fight to defend them. After the workers were reinstated, they were transferred to other divisions of the estate and now must walk six to seven kilometers a day.

As you said, workers must unite all over the world and fight to defend their rights, he said.

A female worker from Welioya said, I hear for the first time of the severe punishment for the Maruti Suzuki workers. I thought that India was different from Sri Lanka, and that workers enjoyed some rights. Now it is clear all we are facing a similar situation.

She said that currently she was not working because of the difficult working conditions. The management does not clear the estate. So leeches and snakes are always biting us. Our wages are not enough even for food. Every day management reduces even the meager facilities we enjoyed earlier. We have no water facilities now, and houses are not repaired. We still live in very old line rooms.

Another female worker from the Fordyce estate said that she supports the Maruti Suzuki campaign and spoke about the harsh working conditions in her estate. The management of our tea factory has recruited more female workers for low wages. Some portions of the estate were handed over to a private contractor for clearing. He recruits workers on a casual basis and pays only 500 rupees per day. All the trade unions that are closely collaborating with the management are supporting this plan. Sometimes union leaders themselves take the contract. I heard that in some portions of the Battlegala estate a revenue-sharing system has been implemented. Under this we will lose everything previously we had.

She was referring to a new system to be introduced in the plantation akin to a share cropper system.

The WSWS spoke to a group of youth from the Ingestre estate. One said, We support your campaign to release the Maruti Suzuki workers. We saw their photo from your notice. They are very young workers. Life sentence is a brutal punishment. How can their families and children live without their support? Modi came here and spoke about supporting the plantation workers here, but he suppresses workers there.

The youth said that they voted against the Rajapakse government and for the present government. But this government is no better, one said. Prices are increasing. There are no jobs for youth. We do not trust anybody. All have cheated us.
On Friday, contractors for the city of New Orleans removed a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from public display in the citys downtown area. The Lee statue was the last of four city monuments to the Confederacy to be taken down. The other three commemorated P.G.T. Beauregard, a prominent Confederate general from Louisiana, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and the so-called Battle of Liberty Place, a race riot led by the White League that took place nearly a decade after the end of the Civil War and effectively ended Reconstruction in Louisiana.

The proposal to remove the statues was first made by Democratic Mayor Mitch Landrieu shortly after the 2015 shooting massacre at a black church in Charleston, South Carolina by white supremacist Dylan Roof.

At the start of the American Civil War in 1861, the port city of New Orleans was a vital conduit for cotton shipped down the Mississippi River from southern plantations worked by slaves. From New Orleans the cotton made its way to European markets. However, the city was retaken by Union forces only a year into the war and held by them until the end of the conflict in 1865.

The recapture of New Orleans, by far the Souths largest city, was a key strategic reversal for the Confederacy, which lost the entire Mississippi River after the Siege of Vicksburg by Union General Ulysses S. Grant in July 1863.

Contrary to some media reports describing the statues as Confederate-era monuments, all four of the statues were erected decades after the war, mostly during the period of legal racial segregation known as Jim Crow.

Particularly in recent months, the long-planned decision to remove the monuments was met with counter-campaigns organized by extreme-right circles, including white supremacists and fascistic elements. A rally led by the former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke at Lee Circle earlier this month was promoted by Breitbart News, the internet watering hole of the alt-right, and by the neo-Nazi Stormfront website. Construction contractors throughout the region have been subjected to threats because of their role in removing the monuments.

Such forces, which have long had connections to the Republican Party, have been emboldened by the election of Donald Trump, who has appealed to them through his right-wing populist rhetoric and his elevation of figures such as former Breitbart head Stephen Bannon to his White House staff and his naming of the reactionary former Alabama senator Jeff Sessions as attorney general. However, these forces have not attracted widespread popular support, as evidenced by the small turnout to their demonstrations throughout the city.

The removal of these statues is no cause for mourning by any class-conscious worker. They stood for more than a century as symbols not only of slavery, but of the longstanding policy of the American bourgeoisie of utilizing racism to divide and weaken the working class.

Mayor Landrieus decision to remove the Confederate statues is not driven by concern for democratic issues, however. It is a tactical maneuver aimed at burnishing the Democratic Partys image under conditions where it is widely hated for its attacks on the working class and its pro-war policies.

The decision to remove the monuments is bound up with the Democrats promotion of identity and racial politics, which are also used to divide the working class. Over decades, the Democratic Party has promoted identity politics to cultivate upper-middle class layers that see the rejection of class as the basic social category and elevation of issues of gender and race as an avenue for their personal advancement. This type of politics, falsely presented as left-wing, has served to cover up the Democrats abandonment of any, even minimal, program of social reform.

Landrieu recently published an op-ed piece in the Washington Post placing his decision to remove the monuments in the spirit of Barack Obamas speech at the opening of the African American History museum in Washington last year. This only shows that his decision to remove the monuments has nothing to do with an honest reckoning with a legacy of oppression, as he claims. The conditions of the vast majority of African Americans deteriorated under Obama alongside the further growth of social inequality fueled by handouts for the rich and austerity for the poor. Obama was and remains the representative of a new financial aristocracy that is no less venal and reactionary than the old Southern slave-owning class.

Few American cities have more firsthand experience with the ruthlessness and greed of the American ruling class than New Orleans. The city was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, a disaster that was itself the result of decades of official neglect, which left the citys levee system unable to withstand the hurricanes storm surges.

In the aftermath of Katrina, New Orleans was turned into a testing ground for social counterrevolution. Nearly all of the citys public schools were converted into privately operated charter schools, which serve as a mechanism for the transfer of funds from public education to the coffers of the corporate-financial elite. Over a decade after the storm, whole working class neighborhoods such as the Lower 9th Ward remain depopulated ruins, and tens of thousands of former residents have yet to return.

Five years later, in 2010, the coastal waters near New Orleans were made toxic by the BP oil spill, the worst environmental catastrophe in American history. From the beginning, the Obama administration worked on behalf of the oil company to mask the true extent of the spill, shield the firm from financial responsibility, and protect BP executives from criminal prosecution. Not a single company official has been convicted on charges stemming from a disaster made inevitable by the companys reckless pursuit of profit.

The campaign to remove the Confederate monuments in New Orleans, which has become a national news story in recent weeks, allows the Democrats to posture as popular opponents of the right-wing layers that Trump has drawn around himself. The importance of this for the Democrats is indicated by speculation last week by the New York Times that Landrieu, whose term as mayor ends next year, could be in the running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.

There is a great deal of historical revisionism behind the campaign to remove the monuments, aimed at excising the class content of slavery and Jim Crow and presenting American society as being fundamentally divided by race. A programmatic statement by the Take Em Down NOLA Coalition, a pseudo-left organization that acts as a pressure group on the local Democratic Party, declares that white supremacist ideas, represented by these symbols  permeate USA society. The statement argues that this, rather than the capitalist system, is responsible for mass unemployment and police violence. It criticizes Landrieu and the Democratic-controlled City Council only for having belatedly decided to join this progressive trend.

The basic dividing line in American society is social class, not race. The promotion of racism is a class policy whose aim has always been the prevention of a mass social movement uniting workers of all races against capitalist exploitation. Jim Crow segregation, in particular, was enacted after the emergence of the Populist movement in the rural south and labor struggles in Southern cities that threatened to accomplish just such a unification of the working class and oppressed farmers.

Perhaps in no other Southern city was this danger for the ruling class as acute as in New Orleans, home to the regions largest working class population. On the citys docks, workers regularly crossed the color line during labor struggles, even during the height of Jim Crow. In the course of an investigation by the state legislature in 1908, after a successful New Orleans dockworkers strike that united black and white workers, lawmakers declared New Orleans the worst nigger-ridden city in the south.

Echoing [these] sentiments, labor historian Eric Arnesen later observed, steamship agent Alfred LeBlanc denounced New Orleans as the worst labor-ridden city in the country. Commission members had no difficulty discerning the connection between the two observations. [1]

Because the working class remained tied politically through the trade unions to the Democratic Party, the party primarily responsible for enforcing Jim Crow in the South, it was unable to mount a political challenge capable of toppling the regime of segregation. Nevertheless, through their own experiences, workers began to grasp the class character of racism and the need to unite across racial boundaries in the face of a common enemy.

Socialists have always fought against racism. But they have always sought to do so by exposing its roots in a society based upon class exploitation and by uniting the working class of all races on the basis of a common revolutionary program. This must become the basis for a mass movement to defeat the Trump administration and secure the democratic and social rights of working people today.

Notes:

[1] Eric Arnesen, Waterfront Workers of New Orleans: Race, Class and Politics, 1863-1923 (New York: Oxford University Press, 1991), p. 60.
On Friday, Swedish authorities announced they were dropping their investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange. In fact, they have no case whatsoever and never did. The entire affair was a dirty tricks operation from the outset, aimed at discrediting and paralyzing WikiLeaks and creating conditions under which Assange could be extradited or abducted to the US, to be executed or condemned to a lifetime in prison.

WikiLeaks sole crime was to shed light on the illegal and murderous activities of American imperialism and its allies in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the globe.

The fraudulent rape charge campaign against Assange has been conducted over the past seven years by the combined forces of the American military-intelligence apparatus and media, on the one hand, and pseudo-left politics, on the other. The former has provided the muscle, while the latter has contributed the brains of the operation, legitimizing the attack against Assange every step of the way in the name of supposedly defending women from abuse.

The dropping of the Swedish investigation does not mean that the drive to suppress exposures of Washingtons criminality will come to a halt. Far from it. The terrain and conditions have simply shifted. The US authorities and their allies have not for one instant given up on the notion of making WikiLeaks an example.

The US has let it be known that it has prepared charges against Assange, and Washington would like to see Assange extradited to the US. The British authorities, moreover, said they would still arrest Assange if he left the Ecuadorian embassy, where he has been trapped for five years, for a breach of bail offense.

In his fascistic rant delivered at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on April 13, Donald Trumps CIA director, Michael Pompeo, asserted that WikiLeaks walks like a hostile intelligence service and talks like a hostile intelligence service It is time to call out WikiLeaks for what it really isa non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia. He further proclaimed, We have to recognize that we can no longer allow Assange and his colleagues the latitude to use free speech values against us.

Threats of violence against Assange and WikiLeaks are nothing new. While former US Vice President Joseph Biden likened Assange to a hi-tech terrorist, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said that the WikiLeaks founder should be treated as an enemy combatant.

Bob Beckel, Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondales campaign manager in 1984 and a Fox News commentator, suggested, with subtlety, This guys a traitor, hes treasonous, and he has broken every law of the United States Theres only one way to do it: illegally shoot the son of a bitch.

Apologists for the persecution of WikiLeaks like to sneer at the notion of a conspiracy against the organization. Of course, there was a conspiracy, although there was hardly anything secret about it.

At the time of the opening of the investigation by Swedish authorities into Assanges alleged misdeeds in 2010, a small army of FBI and Pentagon operatives, directed by Obama administration officials, was already working overtime figuring out how to shut down WikiLeaks and neutralize its leading personnel.

A Daily Beast article in September 2010 explained: Dubbed the WikiLeaks War Room by some of its occupants, the round-the-clock operation is on high alert this month as WikiLeaks and its elusive leader, Julian Assange, threaten to release a second batch of thousands of classified American war logs from Afghanistan.

An international arrest warrant was issued for Assanges detention two months later, in regard to a case that had been appropriately dropped in August 2010, within 24 hours, by Stockholms chief prosecutor Eva Finne. She had found there was no reason to suspect that he [Assange] had committed rape. Then, however, more powerful political forces intervened.

The facts are even more damning when the chronology is examined closely. On November 28, 2010, WikiLeaks began releasing 250,000 classified cables sent to the US State Department by consulates, embassies and missions between December 1966 and February 2010. The US government responded with outrage and threats. WikiLeaks was hit with financial and other kinds of systematic attacks.

Two days later, on November 30, Interpol, at the request of Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny, issued a Red Notice to 188 countries for Assanges arrest in relation to the Swedish preliminary investigation (for which no charges or indictment existed). Interpol made the request public. Assange was detained by police in London on December 7.

Anyone with a shred of honesty or political acumen can put two and two together. The various US government agencies organized or took advantage of a sexual scandal, one of the very favorite methods of settling accounts in the American political establishment. News reports noted in December 2010 that a smiling US Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters that the arrest [of Assange in London] sounds like good news to me.

Naturally, cynical, self-satisfied idiots like Marina Hyde of the Guardian, the mouthpiece of the dregs of English liberalism, continue to insist that the case had merits. I think we all learned a really important lesson here, which is that if you wait a really long time and absolutely refuse to face up to them, bad things go away, she wrote Friday.

Hyde speaks for the feminist and ex-left elements who have junked their opposition, which never went terribly deep, to war and imperialism. The Assange case is yet another mechanism through which a layer of affluent former radicals has peeled off and made its way to the other side, a process that has been under way since the early 1990s.

One of the principal instigators of the attack on Assange in Sweden was lawyer and politician Claes Borgstrom, a member of the Social Democratic government from 2000 to 2007, the government that supported the US invasion of Afghanistan. Borgstrom, who became the lawyer for Assanges accusers, served as the Social Democrats spokesperson on gender equality. He argued that all men were collectively responsible for violence against women and compared the entire gender to the Taliban. Borgstrom is now a member of the Left Party in Sweden.

Katha Pollitt of the Nation joined the campaign against Assange in 2010, arguing that when it comes to rape, the left still doesn't get it.

Socialist Worker, in Defend WikiLeaks, dont trivialize rape charges (August 2012), claimed that Assange and some of his supporters have refused to take the rape allegations seriously. His own lawyers have endorsed conspiracy theories calling the women a honeytrap The rape accusations should never be trivialised or brushed aside.

International Viewpoint, in September 2013, argued that The call for Assange to face questioning on sexual assault allegations in Sweden is legitimate in itself.

For the past several years, the international pseudo-left has barely mentioned Assanges name. To appease their reactionary gender politics constituency, they would happily throw him to the wolves.

These left and liberal forces play an objective social role. The realities of neo-colonial invasion, occupation and war are far from pretty. If the thugs of the Pentagon and CIA were left to their own devices, forced to face the American public and justify their actions without any intermediaries or interpreters, they would be seen through almost immediately.

The services of the liberal media, like the New York Times and Washington Post, and a host of now well-to-do leftists, with credentials as one-time opponents of the system, are needed to sanctify the brutal process of imperialist subjugationor political persecution in the case of WikiLeaksby grounding it in democracy, human rights or womens rights.

Discrediting all these elements is an essential political-educational task of the day.
On Thursday, a 26-year-old military veteran named Richard Rojas drove his Honda Accord through a crowded sidewalk in New York Citys Times Square, killing an 18-year-old Michigan woman and wounding 22. Rojas says he was on Phenycylidine (PCP) and that he intended to kill passers-by.

After crashing through the crowd, Rojas ran around screaming and waving his arms. He evidently told police that god told him to commit this horrible act. He had previously reported hearing voices in his head. He allegedly told police, You were supposed to shoot me!

At a press conference following the incident, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced, There is no indication that this was an act of terrorism.

By this, de Blasio meant that Rojas had no association with an organized terrorist group. But, in a larger sense, this tragedy is the product of the terror wreaked by US imperialism across the world, poisoning social relations domestically and breaking the minds of countless young enlisted people.

In an interview with the New York Times, Rojas childhood friend, Hansel Guerrero, explained that Rojas joined the Navy as a journey out of the New York life. Guerrero and Rojas lived in the same apartment building on Walton Avenue in the working-class neighborhood of Mount Eden, in New Yorks Bronx borough.

Guerrero told the Times: People go and they serve their country and they come back crazy and nobody helps them.

Rojas, whose mother is Dominican, worked in auto shops and dreamed of graduating from college. He joined the Navy in 2011, working as an electricians mate until he was dishonorably discharged in 2014. It is not clear whether he served in a combat zone. While stationed at a Naval base in Jacksonville, Florida, Rojas was arrested in 2012 for threatening violence against police. In 2013, the Navy locked him up for two months in a military jail, though it has not been reported why.

Rojas friends explained that he wasnt the same upon returning from the Navy. On April 15, 2015, he was convicted for driving while intoxicated.

Reuters spoke with another of Rojas friends, Harrison Ramos: Rojas returned from his Navy service with a drinking problem and had posted crazy stuff on social media, the news service reported.

Ramos told Reuters: Dont make him out to be a terrorist or something. He served his country and when he came back, nobody helped him. He went through a real rough time. Thats my friend, and it hurts.

He finally came home, and it was hard for him to find a job, Ramos added. He was having a lot of bad nightmares. He was talking crazy. He was acting strange.

The Times reported: His mind was clouded with conspiracy theories. His dreams of opening his own clothing business had wilted. He lashed out at friends who challenged him; some thought his grasp of reality slipped and that he needed psychiatric help.

During a string of arrests in recent years, Mr. Rojas once threatened to kill police officers, and last week accused a notary of trying to steal his identity and grabbed his neck, the authorities said.

The sentiments expressed by Rojas friends are commonplace in a country where hundreds of thousands of veterans have been broken by the weight of a quarter century of war. There are many young people in the US who know a veteran who came back crazy with nobody to help them, as Rojas friends put it. Some counties have even set up special court programs for veterans convicted of crimes.

Last month, a 23-year-old Army veteran in North Carolina strapped her service dog to a tree and shot it five times before posting a video of the execution to Facebook. The dog was intended to help her with her Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and the episode calls to mind the first line of Phil Klays Redeployment, a series of short stories about returning veterans and the ongoing wars: We shot dogs. The veteran then killed herself on May 8.

On May 16, 24-year-old Edwin Fuentes was shot to death by police following a stand-off in Tustin, California. Fuentes was an Afghanistan veteran who suffered from PTSD. His neighbor, another veteran, told the OC Register that Fuentes was having problems and he wanted other vets to talk to.

A 2016 study from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) revealed that 20 veterans kill themselves every dayover 116,000 since 2001, roughly the size of the population of Michigans state capital, Lansing.

A survey of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans also revealed that a majority of veterans have contemplated suicide. A 2017 VA report found that female veterans are two to five times more likely to kill themselves than civilian women, in part due to the prevalence of rape and sexual abuse within the military.

The reactionary climate of nationalism and brutality engendered by the US military has transformed the social composition of the country.

The US Defense Department is the countrys largest employer, with 3.2 million employees, military and civilian. As the strike force of corporate America, the military exerts an immense power over all of the official institutions of American capitalism.

Its reactionary culture, of idealizing violence and justifying its crimes in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan through hyper-nationalism, permeates into broader sections of society, altering not only the personal lives of millions of veterans, but also the social psychology of the country as a whole. No American is unfamiliar with the nauseating displays of militarism in everyday life: the bomber fly-overs before sporting events, Marine Corps recruiters in high schools, the use of tanks and assault rifles by local police.

In the words of Shakespeares Edward IV: They shall have wars and pay for their presumption. The personal breakdown of individuals like Richard Rojas exemplifies the breakdown of American society under the weight of US imperialism and capitalism.
This is the third of a series of articles containing interviews conducted by the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) with Victorian teachers about their conditions and the public education crisis; the recent sell-out deal negotiated by the Australian Education Union (AEU) with the state Labor government, and the campaign being waged by the Socialist Equality Party and its teacher members for teachers to vote No in the forthcoming secret ballot on the agreement.

A contract teacher working at a primary school in a Victorian regional centre, who requested to remain anonymous, spoke to the SEP after reading the Teachers and ES against the Victorian Education Agreement Facebook page. She explained that she had found the page when it popped up on my Facebook. She said she was already feeling upset about the agreement and was also disturbed by the fact that there had been no discussion about the EBA at her school.

The teacher emphasised the immense difficulties associated with being a contract teacher. To get an ongoing job is very hard, she remarked. Ive been teaching for seven years. At the moment, Im working term by term. I still have to fill out the selection criteria for each job, even if its every term (every three months). Ive moved so many times that Ive lost count.

I estimate that I work on average 60 hours a week. I basically get to school at 7.30 in the morning, and I easily leave at 4.305.00 p.m. every day. Then I do a couple of hours at home.

The primary teacher added that she would do around 10 hours work on weekends, preparing her classes for the next week. I usually spend the time planning, or for PLT (Professional Learning and Teaching), or for ILPs (Individual Learning Plans). In most classes, you usually have around five children with LDDs (learning difficulties or disabilities) in a class of around 18. As a contract staffer, you are just expected to do all this by yourself and show you can do it. I do get the sense that Im competing for my job all the time.

When youre on contract, you feel the pressure not to whinge or speak up. I find that its very difficult to settle down in your life or plan anything. You get to an age where youre ready to do certain things and plan things, but you cant. I cant look at buying a house, because I dont know how long Ill be working at a place. So Im forced to share and keep moving around. You can feel quite isolated.

She went on to relate her attitude to the current EBA.

I graduated in 2011. I didnt know much about the 2013 EBA because I was only new to the system. But when I received the email on this EBA, the very night I received it from the AEU, I read the agreement back to back and I concluded: this is going to mean nothing to me! I was actually excited, thinking this might mean I will be ongoing now. Then I realised its not going to happen. This is the main issue for me.

I feel that if this agreement goes through, there will be no reduction in workload at all. The job security was the main issue for me in this deal and it doesnt do anything about it.

She said she had seen on the AEU site that many teachers agreed with her own criticisms of the so-called four professional days that the union had negotiated, supposedly to allow teachers more time to prepare classes at school. The reality was, she said, that they will create more work. At some schools, it will be impossible to negotiate with the principal what you can and cant take the days for. Some principals will just not allow you to take the days.

She also raised that when the agreement was first published on the unions Facebook page, she noticed that every teacher who made a negative comment, or who was against the agreement, was being blocked, or denounced, and their contribution deleted. I thought at the time, theyre supposed to be representing us. Why are they doing that?

The teacher said that she knew nothing about the new measures contained in the agreement until she started reading the SEPs articles, including the issue of possible amalgamations. I had read the agreement fully, but not the full extent of what theyre doing with this. It wasnt publicised on the AEU site, or in the agreement or anywhere else.

I also read in those articles on your site about the potential for teachers to be penalised if we dont meet data outcomes, or we could face less certainty in terms of getting ongoing [permanent employment]. That information wasnt available anywhere and I was interested in knowing this. Its impossible to meet some of these outcomes, depending on what school youre at, and if you have difficult students.

She then went on to voice her differences with the standardised testing regime that was initially introduced into public schools by the Rudd and Gillard Labor governments. I really dont like it, she declared, I feel as though were teaching to a test, spending the majority of our time preparing on this, and not enough time on building our relationship with our students, and building on their strengths. Were creating kids who cant enjoy education and [who are] just seen in terms of how they perform on a test. It just stresses me out so much because of the pressure were already under. That this is being used in other countries to get rid of teachers is really distressing, because I can see where education is going.

If it wasnt for the site that came up on Facebook, I wouldnt have realised the number of teachers against this. Ive learnt so much reading about the other teachers from Thornbury, who explained about their situation. I thought I was the only one going through this.

I think in terms of what governments are spending, like spending more for defence, they arent putting money into education at all. This is the area that is needed the most and theyre completely neglecting it.

Click here to visit and follow the Teachers and ES Staff Against the Victorian Education Agreement Facebook page.
Defense Secretary James Mattis announced at a press briefing on Friday that President Donald Trump had approved a new Pentagon plan that would escalate the war for US domination of the Middle East and North Africa.

Mattis told reporters that the plan would aim to militarily encircle strongholds of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to annihilate the Islamist militia, which still controls significant portions of Syria and Iraq.

The immediate target is the ISIS capital of Raqqa in northern Syria, where a major offensive is being prepared by the US in coordination with the various Kurdish and Arab Syrian militias it has built up during the five-year conflict. The civil war has been stoked by the US and its regional allies with the aim of unseating Syrian President Bashar al Assad.

Mattis also reported that Trump had delegated the ability to authorize military operations to him and to commanders on the ground to speed up operations. Weve accelerated the campaign, Mattis said, indicating that commanders were already taking advantage of their new-found authority.

The Obama administration used the emergence of ISIS in Iraq and Syria in 2014 to justify redeploying thousands of US troops to Iraq and deploying hundreds of troops to Syria, while opening a campaign of airstrikes across both countries.

The bloody campaigns by US and Iraqi forces to retake cities seized by ISIS, including Fallujah and Mosul, have resulted in the complete destruction of entire neighborhoods and have displaced hundreds of thousands of people. US airstrikes have killed thousands of civilians, with a significant uptick in casualties since Trump took office in January.

ISIS developed out of the invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003, in which the US stoked sectarian divisions between Shiites and Sunnis to assert its control, and the war for regime change in Syria beginning in 2011, in which the CIA and Pentagon supported Sunni Islamist militias, elements of which formed ISIS.

According to the Pentagon, ISIS now maintains branches and affiliates in multiple countries, all of which will require US military intervention across a broad swath of territory from Central Asia to West Africa.

The decision by Trump heralds a dramatic escalation of conflicts that have killed more than a million people and displaced tens of millions from their homes over the last 16 years under the guise of the so-called war on terror. In the eyes of military planners, the turn by the United States to use military force to offset its relative economic decline and assert its dominance over the entire globe is just in its beginning stages.

Military operations waged against ISIS and other Islamist militias are underway in Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, the US recently dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used in combat on a network of caves allegedly being used by the ISIS Khorasan affiliate.

The ever-expanding use of military force is not limited to the United States. At Fridays press conference, Mattis singled out the deployment of 4,000 French troops to the Lake Chad region of West Africa. France has been fighting Islamist insurgents there since 2014, including Boko Haram militants who have pledged their allegiance to ISIS.

The announcement of the Pentagons wide-ranging war strategy came just one day after American war planes launched airstrikes on Shiite militias loyal to the Assad government near Syria's borders with Jordan and Iraq. It was the first attack by the Trump administration on forces aligned with Assad since the April 6 cruise missile strike on al-Shayrat airbase.

The pro-Assad paramilitary group that came under attack had allegedly come within 18 miles of a military base where American and British Special Forces are training Sunni militants.

Mattis noted the airstrike at the press conference on Friday, blaming the attack on the intervention of Iran in Syria. "It [the strike] was necessitated by offensive movement with offensive capability of what we believe was Iranian-directed forces inside an established and agreed upon deconfliction zone," he claimed.

Both Russia and Iran have intervened militarily to prop up their ally Assad. While the US military intervention in Syria, illegal under international law, is couched as an effort to defeat ISIS and eliminate the threat of terrorism, it is ultimately aimed at the ouster of Assad. This has created the conditions for a direct clash between the US and Russian and Iranian-backed forces that could quickly spiral out of control, precipitating a much larger conflict.

The announcement of the Pentagons new strategy came as Trump left Washington for his first foreign trip in office. The first stop will be Saudi Arabia, where the president is expected to announce a record $110 billion arms deal with the Saudi monarchy. The deal reportedly includes precision guided bombs that had been withheld by the Obama administration while it funneled billions of dollars of other weaponry.

The brutal Saudi onslaught against Yemen, the poorest country in the Arab world, aims to re-impose a Saudi- and US-backed puppet government. The war, which began in 2015, has killed thousands of civilians and pushed millions to the brink of famine. The latest weapons deal will further escalate the carnage.

Saudi Arabia has been using US weapons and support to wage an unrelenting air war and naval blockade against Yemen, creating a humanitarian crisis. Hundreds of thousands are now threatened by a deadly outbreak of cholera.

The US support for Saudi Arabia, which is one of the main funders of Sunni Islamist militias along with the other Gulf monarchies, belies the narrative that the US is waging a war to defeat these groups. These outfits serve as convenient props for American imperialism, used as proxy forces against those that stand in the way of American dominance and trotted out as an excuse for the deployment the US military to every corner of the globe.
On Friday, within minutes of President Donald Trump taking off on Air Force One for Saudi Arabia, the first leg of an nine-day overseas trip, new allegations published by the Washington Post and the New York Times added further fuel to the political warfare in Washington.

The conflict is a struggle between two factions of the ruling class and the state apparatus, both deeply reactionary, militaristic and anti-working class. It centers on differences over US imperialist foreign policy. The Democrats have chosen to base their opposition to Trump, who embodies the criminality of the financial oligarchy, on the charge that he is a dupe of Russian President Vladimir Putin. This, in turn, is based on entirely unsubstantiated charges that the Russian government hacked and leaked Democratic emails to tip the 2016 campaign to Trump.

The Democrats express the outlook of forces within the intelligence establishment who believe Trump cannot be trusted to continue and escalate the Obama administration's confrontation with Russia in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. They have virtually nothing to say about the ongoing attacks by Trump on health care, education and the environment, or the war against immigrants.

In Fridays article, the Post reported that the FBI investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials, now headed by special counsel Robert Mueller, has identified a current senior administration official as a person of interest. The report is the first indication that the investigation is looking not only at former Trump aides, such as one-time campaign manager Paul Manafort and former national security adviser Michael Flynn, but is, in the words of the Post, "reaching into the highest levels of government."

The newspaper cited "people familiar with the matter," who would not further identify the Trump official under scrutiny, but said the person is someone close to the president. Current Trump administration officials who have acknowledged contacts with Russian officials include Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and White House adviser Jared Kushner, a multi-millionaire real estate investor and son-in-law to Trump.

The only response by the White House to the Post article was a pro-forma statement by press secretary Sean Spicer: As the president has stated before, a thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity.

The Post noted that the White House has acknowledged a Kushner meeting with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States, in late November. It added that Kushner himself has acknowledged he met with the head of a Russian development bank, Vnesheconombank, which has been targeted for US sanctions since July 2014.

The probe is accelerating, according to the newspapers sources, with a grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia issuing subpoenas and various individuals being interviewed by investigators. The grand jury has issued subpoenas for records from Flynn, who was forced to resign as national security adviser last February for allegedly lying to Vice President Mike Pence about discussions he held with Ambassador Kislyak about Obama administration sanctions against Russia.

The special counsel and FBI are demanding records of Flynns business, the Flynn Intel Group, which was reportedly paid over $500,000 by a firm owned by a Turkish-American businessman with close ties to the Turkish government. The firm was paid to do research on the US-based emigre cleric Fethullah Gulen, repeatedly denounced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a CIA asset involved in the a failed coup against his government last summer. Istanbul has called on the US to extradite Gulen.

Almost simultaneous with the appearance of the Washington Post article, the New York Times reported that in his Oval Office meeting with Russian Foreign Secretary Sergey Lavrov and Ambassador Kislyak on May 10, the day after he fired FBI Director James Comey, President Trump called Comey a real nut job and said of his decision to dismiss him: I faced great pressure because of Russia. Thats taken off.

The sudden firing of Comey, who was heading up the FBI investigation into allegations of Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton campaign emails and possible collusion by the Trump campaign, immediately raised charges of obstruction of justice, an impeachable offense. Trump himself seemed to substantiate the charge that he acted in order to stall or shut down the probe when, in a TV interview two days after the firing, he associated the decision with the Russia investigation.

Fridays Times article appears to provide further evidence that Comeys firing was motivated by a desire to impede the investigation. According to the newspaper, the quote by Trump was included in a document based on notes taken from inside the Oval office and circulated as the official account of the meeting.

White House spokesman Spicer did not contradict the report. Instead, he said that Comeys grandstanding and politicizing of the investigation had obstructed our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia. He went on to denounce the leaking of classified information.

Senate Intelligence Committee leaders announced Friday night that Comey had agreed to testify in public session on a date to be set after Memorial Day (May 29).

Earlier on Friday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who named former FBI Director Mueller as special counsel on Wednesday, briefed the entire House of Representatives in closed door meeting. This followed a similar meeting with the full Senate the previous day.

Rosenstein acknowledged he had been told that Trump had decided to fire Comey the day before he submitted a memorandum to the president sharply critical of Comeys handling of the investigation into Clintons use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state. Trump dismissed Comey the same day as Rosensteins memo, May 9, but the White House initially issued a false story that the initiative for the move had come from the deputy attorney general.

Frustrated senators and congressmen, mostly Democrats, complained, however, that Rosenstein refused to give any further details on the firing, using the appointment of Mueller as an all-purpose justification for remaining silent. Nor did the Justice Department official answer questions about the ability of various House and Senate committees investigating the Russia issue to obtain access to witnesses and documents now that Mueller has been empowered.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (Republican of Iowa) wrote in a statement: I would not be surprised if the new Special Counsel Mueller stops Comey from testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee even though Comey is willing.
The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) has launched a campaign among teachers at primary and secondary public schools throughout Victoria, via the distribution of leaflets and emails, and through social media, for the rejection of the new four-year Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) that has been formulated and agreed between the Australian Education Union (AEU) and the state Labor government. Teacher members of the SEP are spearheading this campaign and have called a public forum for Sunday, May 28, to take it forward.

The AEU is attempting to convince teachers and Education Support (ES) staff to endorse the deal, when, in fact, it is diametrically opposed to their interests, as well as to the interests of the 2.5 million students who attend public schools in the state.

The new Victorian EBA perpetuates existing crippling workloads, which have resulted in an average of 15 hours per week per teacher in unpaid overtime, and the steady growth of contract employment. It agrees to teachers receiving no wage rise at all for the 2016 year, and only 3.25 percent in 2017 and beyond, leaving Victorian public school staff among the lowest paid in the country.

Behind the backs of teachers and ES staff, the agreement signed by the AEU with the government commits it to implementing the Bracks report. This means it has committed itself to overseeing a performance-based system, which judges teachers, parents and students on the basis of student results obtained in standardised testing regimes, such as NAPLAN. Teachers need to be clear: the agenda motivating such regimes is to hand over public schools to for-profit operators. This has been amply demonstrated in the US, Britain and New Zealand, where privatised schools have become a particularly attractive source of profit-making for private investors.

The forum on May 28 will present a detailed critique of the AEU-Labor government agreement. It will present the No case to teachers and ES staff and encourage as many as possible to campaign energetically among their colleagues at schools across the state to vote No in the secret ballot of all teachers and ESboth union and non-unionwhich will ratify or reject the EBA.

The forum will review the broader international context of the serious issues facing Victorian teachers, and the driving forces behind the endless undermining of public education. It will explain the revolutionary socialist and internationalist perspective necessary to create a high quality, free public education for all studentsfrom kindergarten to universitypermanent, well-paid jobs for all school staff, and an education system that values the intellectual, physical, creative and psychological development of all.

Ample time will be available for questions and discussion. We urge teachers and ES staff, as well as concerned parents and students, to attend this vital forum and report back to your school community.

Meeting details:

Sunday, May 28, 2 p.m.

Arts House Meat Market

5 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne

Hall hiring levy: $5/$3 concession

Parking is available in the surrounding streets
US President Donald Trumps visit is approaching with giant steps, accompanied by the occasional coalition commotion: The mudwrestling between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett, which is pushing the White House into a formula it hasn't declaredunited Jerusalem as Israels capital.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



What have we come up with this time? Jerusalemthe Jewish peoples eternal capitala sensitive, strong, challenging and divisive issue. Is there indeed one, united Jerusalem? Jerusalem just as the location of the US embassy? Jerusalem as the sure card in an election? An indivisible Jerusalem, which will perpetuate the assertion that there is no partner, as the Palestinians cant accept it?

In my previous article about a month ago, I argued that if we failed to select our important cards by presenting a plan for a peace agreement, Trump would deal the cards as he pleased. In the meantime, it seems that instead of presenting our own plan, we are trying to make Trump keep his election promise to move the American embassy and declare that united Jerusalem is Israels capitala declaration which exceeds that promise. His decision to visit the Western Wall without Netanyahu should make it clear to any sensible person that he has no intention of declaring that united Jerusalem is Israels capital.

Returning the annexed Palestinian villages and neighborhoods to the area designated for Palestine, as the basis for Palestinian Jerusalem, is the solution Israel should propose to Trump (Photo: AFP)

Trump has a way of keeping his promise without binding himself to what Bennett and Netanyahu are trying to impose on him. Moving the embassy to Jerusalemyes; Jerusalem as Israels capitalyes; a united Jerusalemno. Trumps escape, with the lack of any other offer that the Palestinians can accept, is a US embassy for Israel in west Jerusalem and a US embassy for Palestine in east Jerusalem.

United Jerusalem was not Israels capital until the annexation after 1967. It was selected in advance as Israels capital not because of its sacredness (it didnt have a temple when King David chose it), but because it was a territory outside the lands of the hawkish tribesJudah (Davids tribe) and Benjamin (the tribe of King Saul, who ruled the rest of Israels tribes). Just like Washington in the United States, thousands of years later, which is a territory outside the states that make up the US.

The unification of Jerusalem, which included dozens of Palestinian villages and neighborhoods that never belonged to it, created a difficult situation: When at least 40 percent of the people who have the right to vote in the municipal elections are Palestinian, a failure to return to a Jewish Jerusalem will lead to a situation in which the election of an Arab mayor in Jerusalem depends only on the Palestinians' ability to bring their voters to the polling stations. This problem, which was created with the annexation of Palestinian territory and population to Jerusalem, is similar to the problem that will develop in the future if we repeat our mistake and annex the Judea and Samaria lands with their population.

Returning the Palestinian villages and neighborhoods which were included in Jerusalem to the area designated for Palestine, as the basis for Palestinian Jerusalemor al-Quds, as the Muslim call it since it became holy in their eyesand free access to ritual and religious activity for the three religions Holy Basin, are the solution that should be proposed to Trump before the 1967 borders principle is applied to Jerusalem as well by a stubborn president who is looking for a deal. This is a better solution for Jerusalem, which will regain its Jewish majority, and its the right thing for the implementation of a deal of the kind Trump is looking for.
Air Force One, carrying US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, touched down in Saudi Arabia Saturday. The Trumps embarked Friday toward the Middle East and Europe, in what is Trump's first presidential trip abroad. Following his takeoff, however, several reports were published on the alleged contacts that may have gone on between Trump and senior Russian officials during the presidential elections.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



On Saturday, former US administration officials from the administration of former US president Barack Obama were reported as saying that senior Russian officials had bragged about the close ties they have nurtured with former national security adviser Michael Flynn, in an effort to influence Trump and his team.

Air Force One lands in Saudi Arabia ()

X

Trump ()

X

The Trumps upon landing in Saudi Arabia (Photo: AP)

The sources noted that the Russians were concerned about the American intelligence agencies, and some of them went to great lengths to assess the amount of sensitive information that reached Flynn's hands. US intelligence sources have speculated that Flynn could create a problem for US national security. Flynn's lawyer refused to comment on the report.

The Trumps upon embarking (Photo: Reuters)

An official in the White House denied the report and stated that they are certain that once the examination is over, there will be no evidence of support or connection between the election headquarters and the Russians.







L to R: Trump. Flynn and Comey (Photos: Reuters)

Earlier in the week, the Senate Intelligence Committee announced on Monday that it has requested that deposed FBI Director James Comey testify during a public hearing as part of an investigation into Trump's ties with Russia.

L to R: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, US President Donald Trump and Russian Minister to the US Sergey Kislyak(Photo: EPA)

The New York Times reported Friday that during a meeting Trump held with Russian officials, which including the Russian foreign minister and the Russian ambassador to Washington, Trump told the Russian officials at the White House that firing FBI Director James Comey relieved "great pressure" the president was facing from an ongoing probe into Russia and the US presidential election. The alleged meeting took place on May 10 at the White House.

Photo: AP

"I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," Trump said, according to the Times. "I faced great pressure because of Russia. Thats taken off."

Donald and Melania Trump walking up to Air Force One (Photo: Reuters)

The Times said the document was based on notes taken from inside the Oval Office, and was read to it by a US official.

During the meeting, which took place the day after Comey's dismissal, Trump added that he is not under investigation. The New York Times reported that the quotes from the meeting reinforce Trump's claim that Comey was ousted first and foremost because of an FBI investigation into the connections that Trump's campaigners might have had with Russian officials.

The Trumps landing in Saudi Arabia

Meanwhile, CNN reported that the White House lawyers had begun to study the procedures required to oust the president. Officials in Washington noted that the lawyers consulted with experts on the subject, although the possibility of Trump's removal still seems far away. The White House refused to comment on the report.

Members of the White House are reportedly putting their faith in the support of Republican members of Congress, and even Democrats are trying to calm the talks over the possibility of ousting the incumbent president, for fear that it would seem rash.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was asked to comment on the remarks made at the meeting and did not deny them. In a response to The New York Times, he wrote that Comey did put undue pressure on the president and interfered with his attempts to communicate with Russia on issues such as Syria, Ukraine and the ISIS. " By grandstanding and politicizing the investigation into Russias actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia," stated Spicer. "Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations."

Another source in the administration defended Trump Friday night, saying that Trump was merely using a negotiation tactic by telling Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that he was under pressure, to create a sense of commitment among Russian officials and try to extract concessions from them. The source further said that he wanted to make them understand that Russia's intervention in the elections last year caused him a great deal of political problems, in an effort to soften them.

In addition to the New York Times, the Washington Post reported that a man currently serving in the White House as one of Trump's senior advisors is an important part of the investigation into the relations between Trump and Russia.

'That's what I like to do!'

Trump's first stop on his trip will be Saudi Arabia. From there he will continue to Israel, before visiting Italy and Belgium.

A few hours before leaving, Trump tweeted: "Getting ready for my big foreign trip. Will be strongly protecting American interests - that's what I like to do!" Saudi Arabia is the US's most important ally in the Persian Gulf, and it is a big partner in the struggle against Iran. Last night, while Trump was on his way from Washington to Saudi Arabia, Houthi rebels in Yemen fired a missile at the Saudi capital of Riyadh, but it was intercepted by the Saudi army. The Houthis fighting in Yemen's civil war are supported by Iran and fighting against Saudi Arabia and its allies.

A central goal of Trump's visit to the region is to reassure US allies, which have expressed concern over Trump's "America First" slogan. The catchphrase expresses the position that the US will focus on its own issues and reduce its involvement in overseas affairs.

A speech to the Muslim world

In Saudi Arabia, Trump will deliver a speech intended for the ears of the Islamic world. His speech is expected to express a clear contrast between the vision Obama presented during his first visit to the region in 2009 and Trump's vision. In Israel, Trump will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and in Rome he will meet with Pope Francis. The Pope criticized Trump during the US presidential elections, and Trump in response questioned the Pope's faith.

In Brussels, Trump will participate in the NATO conference, which in the past he had vehemently criticized. Recently, though, he has stressed that despite his criticism, he is committed to NATO. In Sicily, Trump will meet with the rest of the G7 leaders at the largest economies conference in the West.

Trump left the United States without appointing a new FBI director, after firing FBI Comey week on the grounds that he "did not do a good job." Comey's dismissal caused a maelstrom of criticism, as Comey was heading an investigation on Russian interference in the elections and the contacts Moscow may have had with the Trump campaign before he was elected president.

Earlier this week, it was reported that before he dismissed him, Trump tried to persuade Comey to stop the investigation of Trump's then-national security adviser, Michael Flynn. Trump was later forced to oust Flynn after it was revealed that he did not disclose of secret meetings he had had with Russia. This week, Trump denied the claim that he had tried to persuade Comey to close the investigation into Flynn, claiming via Twitter that he is facing "the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!"

A new poll released Thursday found that Trump's approval ratings had fallen to a new low: only 38% said they are satisfied with his performance as president, while 56% are dissatisfied with him, with the remaining 6% having mixed feelings on the matter.
A pair of veteran Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, who endured repeated failures, expressed rare optimism about US President Donald Trump's efforts to strike a Mideast peace deal.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat and former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni spoke at the World Economic Forum's regional meeting Saturday. The two had peviously represented the Palestinian Authority and Israel, respectively, during the 2013 peace talks , presided over by then-US secretary of State Joh Kerry.

Livni and Erekat (Photo: EPA)

Erekat said he is encouraged by Trump's apparent determination. When asked about Trump's growing domestic difficulties, Erekat said he believes any deal on setting up a Palestinian state alongside Israel would win broad bipartisan support in the US.

L to R: Erekat, Kerry and Lvni during the 2013 peace talks (Photo: Reuters)

Livni, whose 2009 bid for the prime ministership was blocked by aright-wing party majority in the Knesset, said in the session that Arab support for any deal is a "game changer" because it could sway Israeli public opinion. She said that in this context, Trump's meetings with Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia this weekend are "very important."
A suicide bombing near the oil-rich city of Basra killed at least eight people as the Islamic State group took the fight against Iraqi forces deep into the country's south, a military commander said Saturday.

Five civilians and three troops were killed when the bomber blew up his explosives-laden car on Friday at a checkpoint north of Basra just behind a bus waiting to be cleared, said chief of the Basra Operations Command, Lt. Gen. Jamil al-Shimmari.

At least 41 others were wounded, al-Shimmari said. A second attacker drove down a desert road after the explosion and security forces killed him, al-Shimmari added.
The United States has proposed to Russia a plan for managing an increasingly complex battlefield in Syria's main oil-producing region, where US-backed forces fighting Islamic extremists are in conflict with Russian-backed Syrian forces.

Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford declined to describe the proposal in detail, but said the Russian military is eager to find ways to avoid an armed US-Russian conflict in the area around Deir el-Zour on the Euphrates River. The US sees that area, from Deir el-Zour down the Euphrates River Valley to al-Qaim on the Iraqi side of the border, as the next major battleground in the evolving coalition campaign to destroy ISIS.

"We have a proposal that we're working on with the Russians right now," Dunford said at a news conference with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. "I won't share the details, but my sense is that the Russians are as enthusiastic as we are to de-conflict operations and ensure that we continue to take the campaign to ISIS and ensure the safety of our personnel."
The dramatic increase in the number of religious women enlisting in the IDF led to a precedent among the army's combat units: for the first time, a unit exclusively made up of religious young women was opened.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



Those in the unit had initially signed up for a mixed battalion for boys and girls. The IDF has four combat battalions in which male and female combat soldiers serve together: the Caracal Battalion, which operates along the Egyptian border; the Bardelas (or Cheetah) Battalion and the Jordanian Lions, which operating along the Jordanian border; and as of March, a fourth battalion called Lavi HaBik'a, which operates in the southern Jordan Valley.

Female combat fighters

In the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps, which include all four battalions, had gatehred over the last year several appeals by women combat solders asking for an all-female battalion to be founded. As previously reported in Yedioth Ahronoth, Combat Intelligence Collection Corps Brig. Gen. Mordechai Kahane was the one who looked into the matter.

Last March, a group of eight religious young women who took part in the pre-enlistment phase of the Lavi Battalion, which was then still forming, asked to be drafted into a separate department exclusively for women. After several discussions, the IDF decided to accept their request. As soon as the permit was received, several other women who requested to serve sans men joined and were accepted. "The truth is that we did not plan to open such a division," said a senior officer in the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps. "There was a demand from a few religious young women who wanted to serve without men in one of the battalion's units."

All mixed-gender battalions have a 70-to-30 percent male-to-female ratio. According to the senior officer, the increased demand by young men to serve in the mixed-gender battalions continues, and in March, another record demand for serving in these battalions was broken, with 320 young men competing for 164 availabe spots.

He explained the increase by young men's desire to serve in combat units that are nevertheless less physically demanding than infantry units in the Golani and Paratroopers brigades.

"Until last summer, young men only wanted to be acceptred to Karakal, but now there is a demand to reach the rest of the battalions, as well," he stated.

Despite various claims, religious men also try out for the mixed-gender battalions, and the Lavi Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Nir being a graduate of the Eli Paramilitary program.

Thesenior officer speaking to Yedioth Ahronoth believes that there is still a ways to go in order to give all combat soldiers respectful army service conditions.

During a patrol conducted by Brig. Gen. Kahane, he discovered that one of the battalions had set up joint sleeping quarters for men and woemn, contrary to the IDF orders. He immediately ordered a complete separation between women and men. In addition, the IDF decided to invest several tens of millions of shekels to create separate infrastructures that complies with the same Joint Service Ordinance.
US President Donald Trump will soon announced a political initiative that will bring Israelis and Palestinians back to direct negotiations between a year and a year and four months without stopping settlement construction, but with curtailing it. The report was published by London-based Arabic-language daily Al-Hayat on Saturday uponspeaking to Western diplomats on the matter.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter





A Palestinian source meanwhile told the newspaper that during Trump's White House meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Abbas had asked him to change the Paris agreements and allow the Palestinians freedom of movement, investment and activity in Area C.

The Trumps receiving bouquets at the Saudi airport (Photo: AFP)

Trump began his first presidential visit to the Middle East and Europe, by landing in Saudi Arabia Saturday morning. From Saudi Arabia, Trump will continue to Israel, and then visit Italy and Belgium. Joining President Trump on his trip were not only his wife Melania but two of his closest advisorsdaughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Ivanka and Jared arrive in Saudi Arabia

X

The Trumps are greeted in Saudi Arabia (Photo: Reuters)

Trump was greeted by King Salman as he and wife Melania exited the plane, who told Trump, "We welcome the US President to the Kingdom. Your visit will strengthen our strategic cooperation and bring security and stability to the region and the world."

Photo: AP

Many social networks referred to the fact that Melania Trump did arrive in Saudi Arabia covered in black and modest clothes, though without a head covering. This is in light of criticism Trump had in January 2015 about Michelle Obama, who also arrived in Saudi Arabia without a head covering. Trump then wrote in his Twitter account that "while many applaud Mrs. Obama for her decision, the people of Saudi Arabia were insulted."

Photo: AFP

Saudi Arabia is considered the US's most important ally in the Gulf and is a big partner in its struggle against Iran.

A central goal of Trump's visit to the region is to reassure US allies, which have expressed concern over Trump's "America First" slogan. The catchphrase expresses the position that the US will focus on its own issues and reduce its involvement in overseas affairs.

In Israel, Trump will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and in Rome he will meet with Pope Franciscus. The Pope criticized Trump during the US presidential election, and Trump in response questioned the Pope's faith.

At the same time, MK Omer Bar-Lev (Zionist Union) said at a cultural event in Be'er Sheva that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "exposed sensitive intelligence to American congressmen in order to convince them to oppose the nuclear agreement with Iran."

"The slogans of the right have a price, and the price is that Trump's closest advisers are already questioning whether the Western Wall is ours," Bar-Lev said, referring to the right-wing party of Netanyahu and Bennett, "who insists that the Shuafat refugee camp is Jerusalem. In the end, we find ourselves fighting for the Western Wall. "
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is one of the first world leaders to congratulate Iranian President Rouhani on his re-election. Assad's government is strongly backed by Tehran.

A statement released by Assad's office said the Syrian president has sent a letter to Rouhani congratulating him on the "confidence that the Iranian people gave to him to go forward in boosting Iran's status in the region and the world."

Assad said Syria would continue to work and cooperate with the Islamic Republic of Iran "in what boosts security and stability in the two countries, the region and the world."
A brushfire is raging in the area northeast of the Sea of Galilee.. No casualties have been reported. Many firefighting teams

have been called upon.

The police have evacuated local residents, blocked the access road an closed off the area.
The Lebanese news website El-Nashra reported Saturday that country's security services arrested an Iraqi citizen on suspicion of contacting Israel and collecting information for it. According to the report, the Iraqi citizen confessed in his interrogation to the charges against him.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The website stated that the suspect claimed he had been recruited by an "officer" in a mechanism called TASA ELITE, which is affiliated with the Israeli Ministry of Defense and deals with operations in Arab countries, including assassinations and fighter training.

Photo: Getty Images

In his interrogation, he claimed that he was asked to provide Israel with security information about the Lebanese army, certain people within the country, recruit additional people establish a spy network inside Lebanon.

The Iraqi citizen connected his Israeli contact person to his brother in Iraq, in order to gather information about the activities of the authorities there.

The suspect will be put on trial, and according to additional reports from Lebanon, efforts are being made to stop other members of the espionage network.
A New York enclave with a history of Nazi affiliation in the 1930s has agreed to change its policies that limited home ownership to people of German descent.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The German American Settlement League has settled a discrimination case brought by New York state. The enclave in Yaphank, on eastern Long Island, has agreed to replace its leadership and comply with all state and federal housing laws.

Illustration: Reuters

Although an attorney for the group did not respond to email requests for a comment, one board member said the community welcomes people of all ethnicities.

News accounts recall a groundswell of Nazism in the enclave in the years before the start of World War II. Streets were named after Adolf Hitler and other Nazis. Those names were changed long ago.
The Israel Prison Service (IPS) ordered Saturday that former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert be denied prison vacations and telephone calls until further notice, except for conversations with his lawyers. This due to the seizure of classified documents that were found in his possession, which he had transferred to his lawyer.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The IPS is checking whether the materials are related to the book Olmert is writing in prison, where he is serving time after having been convicted of corruption. The matter was transferred to senior officials in the Ministry of Justice for treatment, and they will consider what to do next.

Former Prime Minister Olmert (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

Thursday, one of Olmert's lawyers visited him in prison. The documents were seized during that visit. Additional documents were also seized that lacked approval from the person responsible for information security in the Ministry of Defense.

As a result of the incident, that person ordered the investigation of the matter and involved the intelligence services of the IPS.

The prisoner's lawyer issued a statement that claimed: "Olmert does not need any authorization regarding his ties to Israel's national security. He never leaked, either during his term or since, anything sensitive to security or intelligence matters that could have harmed the State of Israel.

"During his prison sentence, Olmert wrote an autobiographical book about his life and his actions concerning social, economic and defense issues. This book was transferred in its entirety to (the Military) Censor over two months ago and no one, especially Mr. Olmert, has any intention to publish it without their approval.

"Beyond the book, no classified information was leaked, transferred or published by Mr. Olmert."
The Italian coast guard says some 2,100 migrants have been rescued at sea to be brought to safety in Italy.

Among those rescued Friday and early Saturday is a 6-week-old boy, one of seven migrants transferred to a coast guard motorboat to be sped to a medical facility. One body was also recovered.

The onset of warmer weather has encouraged even more human traffickers based in Libya to launch overcrowded, unseaworthy dinghies or small wooden boats, leaving the migrants to the mercy of the deadly Mediterranean Sea.
The government is expected to approve next week a plan for the construction of an elevator leading from Misgav Ladakh Street in Jerusalem's Old City's Jewish Quarter to the Western Wall at an estimated cost of NIS 50 million.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



Included in the plan is the construction of a 65-meter pedestrian tunnel connecting the exit from the elevator to the security checkpoint at the Western Wall Plaza. The ground floor, which has a planned surface area of 158 square meters, will be lined with shops.

In the future, with the construction of an underground railway station to the Western Wall, escalators will be installed leading to the railway station. As part of the project, an additional floor with an area of 335 square meters will be built above the entrance level that will include a hall for activities and conferences.

Rendering of the ground floor (Credit: David Sharki Architects)

The project will be implemented through the Ministry of Construction and Housing's Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem. The company may also be responsible for maintenance of the elevator.

The project will be defined as a "national accessibility project" since it will also allow people with disabilities to easily reach the holy site. The project was initiated by Housing and Construction Minister Yoav Galant, his deputy Jackie Levy and Tourism Minister Yariv Levin. Most of the project will be financed from the budgets of their ministries.

Galant commented: "When there are those who are trying to undermine the relevance of the (Western) Wall to the Jewish people and Israeli sovereignty, my friends and I are proud to lead the process of strengthening the presence of all Jews in this holy place, including the disabled, the handicapped and the elderly."

Levin added that the elevator "will make the tourism experience in the city comfortable and enjoyable."

(Translated and edited by J. Herzog)
The High Court of Justice intervenes in petitions against the government much less than its critics claim, according to a new study presented on Wednesday.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The research was presented at the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo's School of Government and Society by professor Assaf Meydani of the IDC Herzliya and carried out together with the University of Haifa's professor Gad Barzilai, and the IDC's Dr. Maoz Rosenthal.

The researchers presented their preliminary findings from a quantitative study that examined the extent of the High Court's intervention in the petitions against the government in the years 19952016.

High Court justices (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israel's top court's ability to invalidate legislation that it holds to be unconstitutional is similar to the framework in Canada, France, Germany, Ireland and many other modern democracies.

Despite this, politicians in Israel frequently denounce the High Court's behavior since 1995 as "activist" and overstepping its authority.

The study examined 9,490 petitions filed against government decisions. It turns out that 87 percent of the petitions were completely rejected by the High Court of Justice. The court only sided with the petitioners 10.5 percent of the time1,000 petitions over 20 yearsand held partially against the government a further 2.5 percent of the time.

The researchers rated the 34 Supreme Court justices in the period examined by their degree of activism or conservatism. It turns out that the most "intervening" was the Dalia Dorner, who served on the court from 1994 to 2004.

Surprisingly, Barak, who is most identified with judicial activism, is only ninth. Another surprising find was that Justice Uzi Vogelman, who is considered an activist by many, is ranked eighth in the list of conservatives.

On the other side, the champion of Israeli settlers, the late Justice Edmond Levy, is on the activist side of the map. Justice Menachem Mazuz, who was portrayed as a rampant activist, rejected 96.4 percent of the petitions submitted to him.

Of the Supreme Court presidents whose terms fell in the period examined, Asher Grunis rejected 91.4 percent of petitions, Miriam Naor rejected 89.1 percent, Barak rejected 84.2 percent, and Dorit Beinisch rejected 84 percent.
The natural cosmetics, cleaning and olive oil brand Olea Essence, produced in the Golan Heights, recently reached the shelves of the American organic supermarket Whole Foods, appearing on the shelves of its 435 markets in the United States.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



As part of the cooperation between the parties, it was agreed that in the first stage, the Olea Essence's natural cleaning products would be sold, and in the second stage, cosmetics and olive oils would also be sold.

Avner Talmon, the brand's owner, said last week that additional branches of Olea Essence are expected to open this year in Zurich and Japan. They also intend to open more stores in Israel this year.

Olea Essence

A year ago, the first store opened on Ben Yehuda Street in Tel Aviv. This is in addition to the visitor centers in Katzrin and Kibbutz Ein Gev in the North.

The brand's products are made from Israeli-cultivated olives grown around the Sea of Galilee and the Golan.

Olea Essence boasts that their products are completely natural and manufactured in an environmentally friendly way.

(Translated and edited by J. Herzog)
51 years after it was founded and 43 years after it was dismantled, the Haruv ("carob") reconnaissance unit is now returning to the IDF as a special operations unit contained within the Kfir Brigade. The unit will focus on fighting in Gaza and specialize in fighting in tunnels

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The reconnaissance unitcalled a "sayeret" in Hebrewwill operate in the form of three divisions (a smaller force than an infantry company), a process that will be completed in about a year and a half. "It's just exciting," said Yosef Koller, one of the original unit's commanders in the 1960s.

Footage of the old and new Haruv units (Credit: IDF Spokesperson)

X

The original sayeret disbanded after the Yom Kippur War and was absorbed into the Armored Corps, which had suffered many losses. Thirty of the original unit's soldiers participated in the re-establishment process together with the new recruits.

In contrast to the divisions in the patrol battalions of the other infantry battalions, the Haruv reconnaissance units will be divided into specialized teams that will specialize in fighting in the West Bank (mainly in built-up areas) and in the Gaza Strip, with an emphasis on tunnel warfare.

The new Haruv unit (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

(Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

To be accepted into the new unit, candidates will have to already be in the Kfir Brigade to undergo a combined screening process that also selects candidates for the Oketz canine unit.

(Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

Training of the reconnaissance soldiers will take place at the base of Kfir's brigade training in the Jordan Valley. Kfir will continue to be the IDF's largest infantry brigade, which includes five battalions.

(Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

The structure of the new reconnaissance unit provides insight into how the General Staff and the Ground Forces currently see the shape of the elite infantry unit in the southern arena: more rapid raid capabilities, fighting in the tunnels and gathering intelligence as a maneuverable force. The units have fewer anti-tank elements and less capacity to sabotage enemy forces.

Lt. Col. Yaniv Barut, commander of the Haruv reconnaissance unit, explained to Ynet: "It's hard for me to believe that they would give up a quality and regular infantry unit like Kfir in the third Lebanon war, but this focus is excellent for us. Our main expertise will be fighting in a civilian environment, damaging who needs to be damaged. I will soon begin a position in the Gaza Division, but this is one of the most exciting projects in which I have taken part."

(Translated and edited by J. Herzog)
Iran has sanctioned nine more US-linked businesses, organizations and people over America's sanctions over its ballistic missile program.

Iran's Foreign Ministry published a new sanctions list online Saturday, which added nine targets.

The sanctions means Iran could seize local assets of the companies targeted and bar its employees from the country.

Those targets include Booz Allen Hamilton of McLean, Virginia; shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries of Newport News, Virginia; cyber-security firm Kingfisher Systems of Falls Church, Virginia; and DynCorp International, also of McLean.

All of the companies sanctioned by Iran declined to comment to The Associated Press.
The following questions were asked recently on the Wonderline:

Q: I read in the paper and hear rumors around town that the mayor and the city administrator want to send the ambulance service to a private company. Does the fire department want to get rid of this important service? Is the fire department involved in these discussions?

A: York Fire Chief Mike Lloyd responded, No.

No, the fire department does not want to get rid of the ambulance service.

And no, we have not been involved in any discussions about getting rid of the ambulance service. None.

Q: Does the city office handle the billing and collections of those billing statements for all York Fire Department ambulance calls? If not, who sends out the bills and handles the collections of those bills (invoices) and what is charged to the city for that billing and collections service?

A: York Fire Chief Mike Lloyd says the billing is done by EMS Billing, a company in Omaha. They charge the department 10 percent.

Q: In a years time, what was the total amount collected for ambulance calls for the York Department?

A: York Fire Chief Mike Lloyd says the department collected $509,845 in the budget year of 2015-16 for ambulance services.

He also noted that York County, per an interlocal agreement, also contributes $210,000 annually to the city department for ambulance services.

So the ambulance service brings in well over $700,000 a year.

Q: Using a 12-month period of time, Jan. 1, 2016 to Jan. 1, 2017, how many rescue calls were handled by the York Fire Department?

A: For the calendar year of 2016, there were a total of 1,256 rescue responses by the York Fire Department, according to York Fire Chief Mike Lloyd (which included fires, transfers, medical emergencies, etc.).

The York Fire Department responded to 1,151 EMS responses in 2016. These numbers include interfaculty transfers, lift assists and 911 emergencies, Chief Lloyd said.

Q: How many people are employed by the York Fire Department?

A: Paid personnel at the York Fire Department include a fire chief, a training/safety officer and 12 shift personnel. All totaled, that makes 14 paid employees at the fire department.

Q: I realize there are noise restrictions at certain hours; however, day and night we consistently have motorcycles without mufflers going by. Why arent motorcycles required to have mufflers like other vehicles are?

A: Actually, they are required to have mufflers.

According to Nebraska state law (Statute 60-6,286), motorcycles must be equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise or annoying smoke.

Q: What do you have to do to get questions answered (in the Wonderline)? Do you have to be in high society? Or do you have to pay for it? Whats the reason I cant get my questions answered? Id like to know.

A: There are a number of reasons that we sometimes cant answer a Wonderline question.

Sometimes we just cant find the answer to the question.

Sometimes the question is inappropriate for publication.

Sometimes people ask about private business that cannot be publicly discussed unless a company wants to disclose that information. Because they are in private business, they are not required to disclose information if they choose not to.

Sometimes the questions are leading toward an answer that will be an advertisement for a specific company or cause.

Sometimes the person leaving the question on voice mail is too intoxicated for us to understand what the question is.

Sometimes, when a hand-written question is sent in, we cannot read the handwriting so we cant understand what the question is.

Sometimes, people ask the same question over and over again, although it has already been answered in past publications. So those are skipped to avoid redundancy.

We do the best we can to answer all the Wonderline questions that are submitted. Sometimes, it takes a long period of time to find those answers . . . and sometimes they cant be answered at all.

If this reader has particular questions that they have been waiting to have answered, we ask them to just call Wonderline back and re-ask the questions. This could also be an issue where if they sent them in via the YNT website or by email, there could have been a technical glitch in which we didnt receive them at all. Just re-ask them and we will go from there.

Q: Why havent they started working on the modifications at the train tracks on Division Avenue yet, for the quiet zone? Whats the hold up?

A: Everything related to the quiet zone has been in limbo for some time as the city was waiting for responses from the railroad. Its been in the railroads hands for more than a year now and the city was getting no response as to what was taking so long.

The good news is that just this past week, York Public Works Director Mitch Doht was contacted by the railroad regarding cost estimates and plans -- which means the process will likely now continue.

Q: It seems like the new city administration is acting like the city is broke and theres no money coming in and the finances are a mess. I just dont think that is the case. Didnt we just hear the auditors report, who said things were good and the city underspent in that last full fiscal year? Can you revisit those points from the audit report?

A: In March, Terry Galloway, auditor, told the city council, regarding the 2015-16 fiscal year audit, that the city had $9.5 million in revenues with $4.7 million of that coming from city sales tax revenues.

Comparing the budget with actual spending, the city underspent by $1.2 million, which Galloway termed as fantastic and good news for the taxpayers. The majority of funds within the citys budget showed less spending than was anticipated. That included the street fund, which came in with $100,000 under what had been anticipated.

Regarding cash reserves, Galloway said $3.5 million is needed and York has $3.7 million which is really good. Good job in getting where you are today.

The council approved the audit as presented.

Q: Regarding the downtown revitalization meetings that took place this week, it was mentioned several times about the findings of a survey that was done regarding the downtown. When was that survey conducted? Who was given the opportunity to participate in the survey? Were the findings ever made public?

A: Madonna Mogul, the director of the York Chamber of Commerce, explained that the survey was conducted in the summer of 2015. SENDD (South East Nebraska Development District) created the survey and the public was given opportunity to complete the survey. There were notices put out on the Chambers website, Facebook page and in the Chamber Chat. A direct link to the survey was provided in all of these options. The survey results are here at the chamber and are available upon request.

She noted that the survey results span many pages, hence the reason for not printing out multiple copies.

Q: When will Melania and Barron Trump move to the White House? It seems that it is about time now.

A: It was announced last Monday that Barron, 11, will attend a private school just outside Washington in the fall, at Andrews Episcopal School in Potomac, Maryland.

And that he and his mother will soon move to the White House as Barrons classes in New York will be wrapping up soon. They are expected to make the move official in June.

This was reported by Reuters.

Q: Can a person get fired from his or her job for missing work in order to be serving on jury duty? Wouldnt that be illegal?

A: Nebraska law prohibits employers from penalizing their employees for serving jury duty. They cannot be fired, lose sick leave or lose vacation time.

For more information, go to www.supremecourt.ne.gov.

Q: You had a question a while back that pertained to the Overland Trail. That got me to thinking about something I was told years ago and I wondered if it was true. Is it true that the Overland Trail ran right along what is now main street in Columbus?

A: We did a little research and according to a story written by the Columbus Telegram, this is true.

The story says that during the heyday of covered-wagon travel west, the northern branch of the Overland Trail was, for a few blocks, main street (Seventh Street) Columbus. All told, of the 350,000 covered wagon emigrants who went west prior to 1867, the northern route accounted for an estimated 100,000. From May 1856 on, that meant passing through Columbus on Seventh Street, the trail by then a wide, well-beaten highway.

The northern route of the Overland Trail had been blazed and used by Indians, explorers and fur trappers at first. Then in April 1847, Brigham Young led the first group of Mormon pioneers west from their winter quarters on the Missouri River toward the Salt Lake Valley of Utah.

The route they followed ran on the north side of the Platte River. They arrived at the future site of Columbus on April 21. The trail entered the future town site from the southeast, followed the higher ground just north of the Loup River, passed at the northern end of where the 33rd Avenue viaduct now is and continued on to the northwest because the Loup River was so swollen they couldnt cross.

Staying on the north side of the Loup, they headed around the bend in the river in the Shady Bend area and continued on to todays Genoa-Fullerton area. There they forded the Loup and later established a ferry.

For the next 20 years, tens of thousands of Mormons rode wagons, pushed or pulled handcarts, and walked to Utah. For a time the trail was known as the Mormon Trail, however, emigrants rushing west to California for gold or land in Oregon soon outnumbered the Mormons and the trail became more commonly called by other names.

The trail entered Columbus at about Fifth Street and 12th Avenue, went in a northwesterly direction until reaching Seventh Street and 15th Avenue, and then proceeded west on Seventh Street before either turning southwest and crossing the Loup by ferry boat (now the East Pawnee Park area) or going on northwest toward the Genoa-Fullerton area to ford or ferry the Loup there before turning southwest to the Platte.

The Columbus ferry across the Loup was a bottleneck and wagons lined up three-a-breast on Seventh Street waiting their turn to cross.

By the 1860s, Columbus was a major supply point and outfitter on the trail deriving much profit from wagon trains passing through. Many Columbus settlers built their dwellings right along the trail and utilized them as both homes and businesses.

This story in the Telegram was written by Gordon L. Steinbrook.
Washington: A passenger aboard an American Airlines plane has been detained for causing an in-flight disturbance, police said.



According to other passengers onboard the flight from Los Angeles to Hawaii on Friday, a flight attendant blocked the man`s path with a serving cart as he headed toward the cockpit, reports CNN.



"You`re not coming in here," the crew member said.



Passengers and crew then subdued the man, took him to the back of the plane and duct-taped him to a seat.



"It took seconds," a passenger said, adding "He was pushing the cart and a bunch of guys grabbed him. They found some duct tape. There were pillows and blankets. And they taped him to his chair."



The man was met by authorities when the Airbus 321 landed in Honolulu, reports CNN.



"Due to a disturbance during the flight, the crew requested that law enforcement meets the aircraft upon landing in Honolulu," American Airlines said in a statement.



An Instagram user posted a video from inside the cabin, showing the person in handcuffs being led down the aisle.



The Department of Homeland Security tweeted the person was detained and that the incident appeared to be isolated.
Washington: Two Chinese SU-30 aircraft carried out what the U.S. military described as an "unprofessional" intercept of a U.S. aircraft designed to detect radiation while it was flying in international airspace over the East China Sea.



"The issue is being addressed with China through appropriate diplomatic and military channels," said U.S. Air Force spokeswoman Lieutenant Colonel Lori Hodge.



Hodge said the U.S. characterization of the incident was based on initial reports from the U.S. air crew aboard the WC-135 Constant Phoenix aircraft "due to the manoeuvres by the Chinese pilot, as well as the speeds and proximity of both aircraft".



"Distances always have a bearing on how we characterise interactions," Hodge said, adding a U.S. military investigation into the intercept was under way.



She said the WC-135 was carrying out a routine mission at the time and was operating in accordance with international law.



China`s Defence Ministry, in a short statement, said the U.S. account "did not accord with the facts".



It said that what it described as a U.S. surveillance aircraft was carrying out surveillance activities over the Yellow Sea, and Chinese aircraft went to investigate "in accordance with the law and the rules".



"The relevant action was professional and safe," it said.



The ministry added that U.S. military ships and aircraft frequently carrying out close-in surveillance is the root cause of safety problems between China and the United States at sea and in the air.



"We hope that the U.S. side stops relevant surveillance activities, to avoid this kind of incident happening again."



Speaking earlier, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said: "We hope that the U.S. side can respect China`s reasonable security concerns."



Early on Saturday, China`s top diplomat, State Councillor Yang Jiechi, received a phone call from U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, according to China`s foreign ministry.



The report of the call on the ministry`s website made no mention of the aircraft incident but paraphrased Yang as saying China and the United States should expand cooperation across the board and strengthen their communication and cooperation on major global and regional issues.



On Feb. 8, a U.S. Navy P-3 spy plane and a Chinese military aircraft came close to each other over the South China Sea in an incident the Navy saw as unsafe but also inadvertent.



Reuters reported at the time that the aircraft came within 1,000 feet (305 meters) of each other in the vicinity of the Scarborough Shoal, between the Philippines and the Chinese mainland.



China is deeply suspicious of any U.S. military activity around its coastline, especially in the resource-rich South China Sea, parts of which are disputed by China and its smaller neighbours including the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.
Tegucigalpa: Honduras on Friday announced it was indefinitely withdrawing its top diplomat to Venezuela over the political crisis enveloping the South American nation.



In a statement, the government of the Central American country said it had recalled its charge d'affaires in Caracas, Fernando Suarez Lovo, for consultations.



Honduran Foreign Minister Maria Dolores Aguero told local media that Honduras "is trying to contribute to a solution for the political crisis" facing the government of Nicolas Maduro after several weeks of opposition protests calling for early elections.



Honduras was among eight Latin American nations which denounced Venezuelan authorities` "excessive use of force" against civilian protesters earlier this month.
Washington: Indian-Americans have expressed anguish over the negative portrayal of Hinduism and India in the proposed California school textbooks.

"It is disappointing to see that even after a decade of building awareness by the Hindu-American community, textbooks, especially by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), McGraw-Hill, Discovery and National Geographic, continue to use orientalist narratives to portray Indian civilisation," said Shantharam Nekkar, director of Hindu Education Foundation USA (HEF).

Nekkar's remarks came at a public hearing conducted by the California Department of Education (CDE) at Sacramento on Thursday.

For the past several years, the Indian-American community has been battling to remove several inaccuracies and myths about Hinduism from the textbooks. The State of California mandates that the textbooks be based on the framework laid down by the Department of Education.

The framework was revised last year amidst many controversies, including attempts by a few academics and groups to replace 'India' with 'South Asia'.

Over the past two years, the Department has made several updates to the framework based on inputs by scholars, students and the community members, mentioning Hindu concepts like Yoga and Dharma, Sages Vyasa and Valmiki and Indian achievements in science and technology.

Hindu groups pointed out that many of these changes have not reflected in the textbook drafts.

"Some publishers continue to single out and denigrate Hinduism while ignoring new additions to the framework that can help present Indian civilisation on par with other civilisations and cultures," said Sharat Joshi, a parent from San Jose.



"Negative portrayal of Hinduism has led to several instances of bullying of Hindu children in classrooms," he added.

The Department of Education will send its recommendations to the State Board of Education (SBE) later this year for its approval.

The textbooks recommended by the board are expected to be adopted by schools starting early next year.
Riyadh: Dogged by controversy at home, Donald Trump won a warm reception in Saudi Arabia on Saturday but struggled to shift attention from the political firestorm over his firing of former FBI Director James Comey.

A $110 billion deal in which Saudi Arabia will buy US arms to help it counter Iran, with options for as much as $350 billion over 10 years, was the central achievement of Trump's first day in Riyadh, first stop on a nine-day journey through the Middle East and Europe.

But the turmoil back home consumed the headlines and cast a long shadow over his first foreign trip as president.

His firing of Comey and the appointment of a special counsel to investigate his election campaign`s ties to Russia last year have raised the question of whether he tried to squelch a probe into the alleged Russia connection.

Fanning the flames was a New York Times report that Trump had called Comey a "nut job" in a private meeting last week in the Oval Office with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and ambassador Sergei Kislyak. The Times quoted briefing notes of the conversation.

Asked for a response, the White House said that for national security reasons, "we do not confirm or deny the authenticity of allegedly leaked classified documents."

Russia's Interfax news agency on Saturday quoted Lavrov as saying he had not discussed Comey with Trump. "We did not touch this issue at all," the minister said.

In another development, the Washington Post said a current White House official close to Trump was a significant "person of interest" in the investigation into possible ties with Russia.

The fallout followed Trump to Riyadh but did nothing to cool the welcome he received by the royal Saudi family.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz greeted Trump on a red carpet as he stepped off Air Force One, shaking the hand of his wife, Melania, and riding in the U.S. presidential limousine.

CONTRAST WITH OBAMA VISIT

It was a more favorable welcome than had been granted last year to Trump`s predecessor, Barack Obama, who was seen in the Arab kingdom as soft on Iran and hesitant on Syria.

Trump`s trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy, the Vatican and Belgium has been billed by the White House as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world`s major religions, while giving Trump time to meet with Arab, Israeli and European leaders.

Trump and King Salman seemed at ease with each other, chatting through an interpreter. At the royal al-Yamama palace, the king draped around Trump`s neck the King Abdulaziz medal, the country`s top civilian honor.

The king was overheard lamenting the Syrian war to Trump, who ordered air strikes against a Syrian airfield in April in response to a chemical weapons attack by government forces against civilians.

"Syria too used to be one of the most advanced countries. We used to get our professors from Syria. They served our kingdom. Unfortunately, they too brought destruction to their own country. You can destroy a country in mere seconds, but it takes a lot of effort," he said.

Trump`s response could not be heard.

The presidents decision to make his first official trip abroad to Saudi Arabia, followed by Israel, countries which both share his antagonism towards Iran, marks a contrast with Obama`s approach.

Trumps criticism of the nuclear deal Iran reached with the U.S. and five other world powers in 2015 pleases both Saudi Arabia and Israel, who accused Obama on going soft on Tehran.

Poll results showed on Saturday that Iranians had emphatically re-elected President Hassan Rouhani, architect of Iran`s still-fragile detente with the West.

HELICOPTERS

The arms package includes a pledge by the kingdom to assemble 150 Lockheed Martin Blackhawk helicopters in Saudi Arabia, in a $6 billion deal expected to result in about 450 jobs in the kingdom.

National oil giant Saudi Aramco was also expected to sign $50 billion of deals with U.S. companies on Saturday, part of a drive to diversify the kingdom`s economy beyond oil exports, Aramco`s chief executive Amin Nasser said.

U.S. technology and engineering conglomerate GE said it had signed $15 billion of agreements with Saudi organisations.

Trump is to deliver a speech in Riyadh on Sunday aimed at rallying Muslims in the fight against Islamist militants. He will also attend a summit of Gulf leaders of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council.

Ahead of Trump`s trip, the White House said the president expected tangible results from Saudi Arabia in countering Islamic extremism.

Shortly after taking office, Trump sought to block people from several Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States, but the travel ban has been blocked by federal courts.

The 70-year-old president`s trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy and Belgium will be Trump`s longest time away from the White House since he took office four months ago.

The uproar over Comey`s firing looked unlikely to go away.Moscow has denied any interference in the 2016 election. Trump has denied collusion and denounced the appointment of a special counsel as part of a "witch hunt".
New York: A US Navy veteran who steered his car into pedestrians in New York`s Times Square has been charged with murder and held without bail, police said.



The order was given to Richard Rojas, 26, at the Manhattan Criminal Court on Friday by Judge Tamiko Amaker, Xinhua news agency reported.



Rojas was arrested at the scene on Thursday which resulted in the death of an 18-year-old tourist Alyssa Elsman, and left 22 others injured.



The New York Police Department charged him late Thursday with one count of second-degree murder, 20 counts of attempted murder, and five counts of aggravated vehicular homicide.



Rojas, who stood handcuffed and did not speak during Friday`s court hearing, told the police: "I wanted to kill them" and said he was high on synthetic marijuana when he was arrested.



Rojas reportedly emerged from his vehicle after the wreck, running, yelling and jumping before being subdued by police and bystanders.



Officials said Rojas had served in the Navy but was discharged in 2014 following disciplinary problems.



He was arrested for driving while intoxicated in 2008 and again in 2015. He was also detained earlier this month for menacing.



However, Rojas` motivation remains unclear.
Riyadh: Dogged by controversy at home, President Donald Trump opened a nine-day foreign trip on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, looking to shift attention from a spiraling political firestorm over his firing of former FBI Director James Comey last week.

With delicate diplomatic meetings facing him, including three summits, Trump faces a challenge of advancing his "America First" agenda without alienating key allies during his first trip abroad.

Stepping off Air Force One in 100-degree heat with his wife, Melania, Trump and his entourage received a red-carpet welcome from Saudi King Salman.

The trip has been billed by the White House as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world`s major religions while giving Trump time to meet with Arab, Israeli and European leaders.



But uproar in Washington threatened to cast a long shadow over the trip. His firing of Comey and the appointment of a special counsel to investigate his campaign`s ties to Russia last year has triggered a stream of bad headlines.

The New York Times reported Trump had called Comey a "nut job" in a private meeting last week in the Oval Office with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak. Flynn`s contacts with Kislyak last year were a factor in triggering a federal investigation and he was fired in February.

The White House did not deny the report, but said the "the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations."

After a royal banquet, Trump and the king were to have private talks and participate in a signing ceremony for a number of U.S.-Saudi agreements, including a $100 billion deal for Saudi Arabia to buy American arms.

National oil giant Saudi Aramco expected to sign $50 billion of deals with U.S. companies on Saturday, part of a drive to diversify the kingdom`s economy beyond oil exports, Aramco`s chief executive Amin Nasser said.

Trump is to deliver a speech on Sunday aimed at rallying Muslims in the fight against Islamic militants in Riyadh on Sunday. He will also attend a summit with Gulf leaders as part of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council.

Shortly after taking office, Trump had sought to block people from several Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States, but the travel ban has been blocked by federal courts.



The 70-year-old president`s travel to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy and Belgium will be Trump`s longest time away from the White House since he took office four months ago.

Even his hand gestures were likely to draw scrutiny in the Middle East, where the thumbs-up sign, a signature move of Trump`s, is considered taboo.

The uproar over Comey`s firing was unlikely to go away.

"It`s almost always true that when a president goes on a big foreign trip, especially one that has some important summits ... that that dominates the news and knocks most other stuff out," said Republican strategist Charlie Black.

Trump, who has expressed a desire for friendlier relations with Moscow, drew a storm of criticism this week when it emerged that he had shared sensitive national security information with Russia`s foreign minister during a meeting last week in the White House.

The president was already under attack for firing Comey in the midst of an FBI probe into Russia`s role in the 2016 election and possible collusion with Trump campaign members. Moscow has denied any such interference. Trump has denied collusion and denounced the appointment of a special counsel as a witch hunt.

His fellow Republicans in Congress have expressed frustration that Trump`s pro-business economic agenda, highlighted by a plan to cut corporate and individual taxes, have been pushed to the backburner by the turmoil.

"He clearly did have a bad two weeks. And clearly it`s my hope that he does ... right the ship, that he improves so that we can just get going," Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan said on the Hugh Hewitt radio show on Friday.
Dhaka: Bangladesh police on Saturday raided main opposition leader and former prime minister Khaleda Zia's office here in search for "anti-state" documents, triggering protests by hundreds of her supporters.

Dozens of police searched BNP chief Zia?s office in the upscale Gulshan neighbourhood for two hours early this morning, but later said they did not find "any materials".

Police said they had a search warrant, but Bangladesh Nationalist Party alleged that law enforcers acted on an unknown general diary only to harass Zia, 71, who is facing about three dozen cases of alleged graft, treason and violence, local media reported.

Hundreds of supporters of Zia's BNP staged a protest outside the two-storey office building.

The party leaders alleged that the raid was part of an Awami League's conspiracy against BNP and was aimed at ?harassing" Zia.

Earlier in the day, Gulshan Police Station OC Abu Bakar Siddique had said: "We have a court order to check if there is anything in the office that could compromise national security.?

BNP and its front organisations today announced that they will hold countrywide demonstrations tomorrow to protest against the police raid.
Islamabad: Indian prisoner on death row Kulbhushan Jadhav's case would be taken to its logical conclusion in accordance with Pakistan's law and constitution, Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan said on Saturday.

Addressing the passing out parade of Frontier Corps, Khan said certain elements are on the payroll of "our enemies" and receiving funds from them to stoke anarchy and unrest in the country.

Jadhav, 46, is "an Indian spy who was involved in heinous crimes against Pakistan and was convicted as per the country's law," the minister claimed.

"The case of Jadhav will be taken to its logical conclusion in accordance with the country's law and constitution," he said.

His comments came after International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed Jadhav's execution and also endorsed Indian request for consular access to him.

The Pakistan government has come under a lot of criticism for its "mishandling" of the case at ICJ.

Khan claimed Jadhav's arrest prevented more acts of terror which his network had planned.

"If we had not arrested him on time, he would have carried more activities against the country," he said.

He said Jadhav has confessed his role in terrorism across the country and "there is no confusion about this."

"Jadhav has been sentenced according to the constitution of Pakistan because he was arrested in the country and was involved in anti-state activities," the minister said.

He rejected the impression that Pakistan had agreed on the ICJ jurisdiction which would hamper Jadhav's execution.

Khan also said that relations with Afghanistan should improve but Islamabad will not accept the Afghan leadership to speak the language of "our enemy."
Islamabad: Pakistani Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali has stated that he would represent the country at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case relating to alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.

According to a media report, Ausaf announced that the countrys defence against Indias case before the ICJ was prepared by the government in consultation with all stakeholders, including the military establishment.

Talking to The News on Friday, the Attorney Genral said that the lawyer who defended Pakistan's case before the ICJ has not only represented Pakistan in international arbitrations in the past, but was also cleared by the army and intelligence agencies to fight this highly-sensitive case.

Yesterday, the Pakistan government filed a plea in the International Court of Justice to rehear within six weeks the case of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court.

The Dunya News in its report said that Pakistan was set to re-challenge the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice after it granted injunction on Thursday on an Indian plea to stay Jadhav's execution.

According to law, Jadhav can challenge till the end of Saturday his death sentence in an appellate court. A military court sentenced him to death on April 10 on spying and terrorism charges.

Within 60 days of the verdict of the appellate court, the inmate can make a clemency appeal to the Chief of the Pakistan Army, Dunya said.

A death row inmate is permitted to make the final clemency appeal to the Pakistan President within 90 days of the Army chief's order.

In a majore setback to Pakistan, the ICJ on Thursday ordered the country to halt the execution of Jadhav until the final decision is announced in the proceedings.

This comes after the Pakistan government was slammed by the opposition parties back home saying "the verdict was a huge setback".
Patna: A major fire broke out at a shopping mall in Patna on Saturday morning, destroying all the shops.

The mall had at least 30 shops, of which none could be saved, reported The Times of India.

There was no casualty.

Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, meanwhile, in a tweet said that the GV Mall located at Boring Road roundabout was owned by the son of a Rashtriya Janata Dal MLA. He added that Rohini Acharya, the daughter of Lalu Prasad, had purchased an office at Rs 58 lakh in the building.

Eight fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the flame.

The fire is believed to have been caused by a short circuit inside the AC plant, reported Hindustan Times.

A patrolling party from SK Puri police station spotted fire at around 4.45 am.

The Times of India reported that timely intervention of the firefighters stopped the fire from spreading out to surrounding buildings of the mall.

Here is the tweet made by Modi:
Ashok Easwaran/IANS

As the US constitution was being drafted in utmost secrecy in 1787, an anxious citizen asked Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers, "Well, doctor, what have we got -- a republic or a monarchy?" Without the slightest hesitation, Franklin responded, "A republic, if you can keep it."



Franklin's words seem eerily prescient, if one considers that the Latin words from which the word "republic" is derived -- res publica -- means a form of government where the country is considered a public matter, not the private concern or property of the rulers.

More than two centuries after Franklin's warning, Americans, blinded by hyper-nationalism, fear, suspicion and xenophobia, handed over the reins of government to an elected despot. The transformation of the nation's highest public office into a personal fiefdom was not long in coming.

Since assuming the presidency, Donald Trump has relentlessly expanded his business interests and promoted his family and friends, without even the courtesy of a camouflage.

Even as he was tightening immigration laws including the H1 work visa, the controversial visa EB-5, was being offered to wealthy Chinese families who invested $500,000 in a business owned by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Jared, 36, who is married to President Trump's daughter Ivanka, has no prior government experience, but has already accumulated a dizzying range of portfolios under his father-in-law. The satirical magazine, The Onion, recently ran the headline, "Jared Kushner Quietly Transfers Solve Middle East Crisis' To Next Week's To-Do List."

In an interview in February, President Trump called China the "grand champion" of currency manipulation. After a meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Xi Jinping at his resort in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump appears to have a more benign view of the Chinese. Even if the volte- face was abrupt, it was entirely expected.

In a meeting marked more by bonhomie than wariness between two long-time rivals, Trump affirmed the "one China" policy recognising Beijing as the only official government of China, with the assurance that the US will not establish formal relations with Taiwan. China promptly awarded Trump a trademark with the added assurance that several pending trademark applications would be favourably considered.

The Trump administration's links with Russia has led to another scandal. Media reports assert that, according to sacked FBI Director James Comey's private notes, Trump had pressured him to drop the investigation into then National Security Advisor Michael Flynn's links with Russia. The issue is likely to snowball with legal scholars echoing the belief that this may constitute obstruction of justice by the President, an impeachable offense. Obstruction of justice was one of the charges in President Bill Clinton's 1998 impeachment.

Challenges to Trump's travel ban on visitors from predominantly Muslim countries are winding their way through American courts. In the Trump administration, the judiciary appears to be the only branch acting as a check on the executive and legislature -- till now. The administration has made a mockery of trias politica, the constitutional separation of powers, ascribed to the French philosopher Baron de Montesquieu, and one of the core principles of the US Constitution.

In 2012, three years before Trump announced his candidacy for American President, retired US Supreme Court Justice David Souter was asked what he considered to be the greatest threat to the US. "I don't worry about our losing republican government in the United States because I'm afraid of a foreign invasion," he said, "What I worry about is when the problems get bad enough, as they might do, for example, with another serious terrorist attack, as they might do with another financial meltdown, some one person will come forward and say, Give me total power and I will solve this problem.

"That is the way democracy dies. And if something is not done to improve the level of civic knowledge, that is what you should worry about at night."

The middle class, ravaged by technology-induced changes to the job landscape, reposed blind trust in Trump, overlooking his dubious record as a businessman and expansive campaign promises bereft of policy details.

Now barely four months into the new presidency, Trump's virtual reality seems to have collided with ground reality. Faced with the real possibility of losing their health coverage, town hall meetings of Congressmen in Trump strongholds have angry constituents shouting down their representatives. At one such meeting in Iowa, Republican

Senator Rod Blum was hissed, booed and rebuked for lying and asked, "Why should we trust you?"

Trump's campaign slogan of "Make America Great" may well come to be parodied as "Make America Mocked". Late night talk shows have never had such unending fodder.

The staff of The Onion complain that they are creatively bankrupt since Trump is such an effective caricature of himself.

The French newspaper Liberation had a photograph of a bewildered Trump next to the headline, "America needs a babysitter". With almost hour-by-hour scandals, a frustrated White House staffer told The Daily Beast that he felt like running down the hallway with a fire extinguisher.

After Brexit, it is now Trexit. With a special counsel in place to investigate the Trump campaign's links with Russia, gamblers on both sides of the Atlantic are placing wagers on the President's exit. The political stock market PredictIt has seen a record volume of bets on whether Trump will be impeached.

Reacting to Comey's firing and subsequent events, Indian American prosecutor Preet Bharara tweeted the dictionary meaning of "backfired": An attempt to fix something in which the fixing actually makes the situation worse for you. Bharara, who was the US attorney for the southern district of New York, was fired by Trump, along with the Indian American Surgeon General of the US, Vivek Murthy.

With Trump's many self-inflicted wounds, Republicans, impaired so far by cowardice and opportunism, may find their instinct for survival awakening. A few have publicly admitted to an attack of conscience.

Despite Trump's propensity to shoot from the hip -- at his own foot -- he still has a significant number of supporters among Americans.

I cannot resist quoting a couplet which eloquently describes their deafening silence despite Trump's brazen violations of political traditions, ethics and law.

Tum Apne Zulm Ki Intehan Kar Do, Na Jaane Fir Koyi Hum Sa Bejubaan Mile Na Mile.

(You can test the limits of your tyranny. Who knows when you will find a voiceless group like us again.)
Srinagar: With companies indicating a possible rise in prices on the Goods and Services Tax rollout from July 1, the finance ministry has warned India Inc against raising rates arbitrarily in anticipation of the GST.

The tax department may invoke the anti-profiteering clause after the mechanism is put in place and may look into balance sheet of companies if they have gained from the GST and whether the benefits have been passed on to consumers.

"The machinery for the anti-profiteering authority may not be ready at present but any change in prices will be called into questioned," Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said, adding that any fluctuations in prices will be closely monitored.

The GST Council in its two-day meet finalised the rates for goods and services, giving companies adequate time to work out their pricing policies.

Adhia said the government will soon begin work on setting up an anti-profiteering agency, as proposed in the GST law and the tax department may even initiate suo motu action against firms.

"We expect companies to cooperate. We hope we don't have to use the weapon (of anti-profiteering authority)," he said.

The GST Act includes the provision of setting up an anti-profiteering authority to ensure that companies pass on the benefit of tax reduction to customers.

The GST Council has fitted the goods and services in tax brackets of 5, 12, 18 and 28 percent.

Adhia said that despite the higher standard rate of 18 percent, service providers will get input tax credit that will lower the effective incidence of the GST to around the current incidence of 15 percent.

The tax department feels tax cut benefits should be passed on to consumers through more transparent billing.

Several analysts have opined that consumers may have to bear the brunt of the higher tax.
Mangaluru: After West Asia and Europe, Australia and USA have been emerging as the new market for mangoes grown in the state, Karnataka Mango Development and Marketing Corporation managing director Kadire Gowda said on Saturday.

Interacting with reporters at the venue of the mango-jackfruit festival which began here, Gowda said importers in Australia had sought 200 tonnes of mangoes from the state for the first time this year, while the demand for Karnataka mangoes had risen from 100 tonnes last year to 200 tonnes now.

He said the Corporation would export 200 to 300 tonnes of mangoes this year to the US which was turning out to be a good market with potential.

Three schemes had been introduced by the Corporation to promote mango marketing, he said.

Online trading, marketing mangoes on wheels in residential areas in Bengaluru and mango picking tourism were the schemes conceived, he added.

"Mango picking tourism" was a scheme in which consumers would be taken to mango orchards in Bengaluru in a KSRTC bus for picking ripened mangoes of their choice and paying the farmers on the spot.

The consumers would have to bear half the cost of transportation, he said.
New Delhi: Buying an insurance cover will become an expensive proposition from July 1 with the GST Council deciding to club it with the financial services sector and taxing it at 18 percent under the GST regime.

Currently, service tax on insurance sector is about 15 percent including cess.

"The GST rate for insurance, clubbed with financial services has been announced at 18 percent. This will increase the incidence of tax for customers from the existing 15% to 18 percent," said Gopal Balachandran, Chief Financial Officer, ICICI Lombard.

He added that the industry has also been seeking removal of exemption and the details in terms of announcement of the exemption list is awaited, he added.

Senior Executive Director of Star Health and Allied Insurance, S Prakash said health insurance is no more a business proposition, it is a social necessity.

"An attractive GST would have further influenced insurance penetration but the industry is still geared up to take the growth further with rise in life expectancy, per capita income, financial literacy and medical advancement in India," said Prakash.

PwC India's Joydeep K Roy said considering the low penetration of insurance in India, micro insurance (by regulator definition) or certain instances below a threshold need to be exempt from GST."

Commenting on the outcome of the GST Council meeting, Krishan Arora of Grant Thornton India LLP said while grandfathering of most of the existing service exemptions like education, healthcare is a welcome move for these sectors, the same could also result in possible increase in cost of such services due to increase in overall tax structure on procurements.

Saloni Roy, Senior Director, Deloitte Haskins and Sells LLP said service providers are expected to have a more complex compliance environment under GST as compared to the current service tax compliance regime.
Patna: Nalanda University plans to introduce Vedic Studies and may also start short-term executive programmes on subjects like Mindfulness and Yoga.



"Within the existing schools, we will create new departments," Vice-Chancellor Sunaina Singh said in a statement.



"For instance, in the School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions we plan to introduce Vedic Studies, Indian Spiritual Tradition and Peace Studies," Singh said.



Envisioning Nalanda University as an intellectual bridge between India, Asia and the Asia-Pacific countries, she said the West looks to India as a solution centre.



"Indian knowledge systems have to be explored," Singh said.



"The University may also start some short-term executive programmes on subjects like Mindfulness and Yoga."



According to her, the university needs to build more schools and departments for academic excellence.



"The School of Linguistics and Literature and The School of International Relations and Peace Studies will be the next schools that we will focus on."



Located in the Buddhist pilgrim town of Rajgir in Bihar`s Nalanda district, the university began its first academic session in September 2014 on a makeshift campus.
New Delhi: In preparation for doomsday, conservationist Cary Fowler, in association with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), started the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in the remote Arctic Svalbard archipelago.

The underground vault  that has also been called Noah's Ark for seeds  houses and protects the world's crops for a worst-case scenario, that is doomsday.

Although the vault was built with utmost care, keeping in mind the safety of the seeds, the seemingly fool-proof seed bank has faced its first test  and failed.

According to the latest reports, the rising global temperatures caused the deep permafrost  which was actually seen as a protective shield  to melt, thereby flooding the vault. Thankfully, no seeds were ruined, but the security of the location is in question.

Meltwater from the permafrost has apparently gushed into the tunnel entrance of the vault. It was not in our plans to think that the permafrost would not be there and that it would experience extreme weather like that, Hege Njaa Aschim, from the Norwegian government, told The Guardian.

A lot of water went into the start of the tunnel and then it froze to ice, so it was like a glacier when you went in, she told the newspaper.

The Global Seed Vault, opened in 2008, is a concrete bunker, 100 hundred metres deep inside a mountain. The refrigerated unit was designed to be a secure place to store seeds from many of Earth's 3 million known plant species.

With temperatures across the world rising higher than previously predicted or imagined, the Arctic region, which is used as a 'climate-measuring unit' by scientists across the world, has been shattering heat records recently.

US scientists said that the unusually warm air triggered massive melting of ice and snow and a late autumn freeze last year.

The Arctic's annual air temperature over land was 6.3 degrees Fahrenheit (3.5 degrees Celsius) higher than in 1900, according to the Arctic Report Card 2016.

As for the vault, future water intrusions can now be seen as a possibility which need to be avoided. In that case, the station's caretakers are waterproofing and removing electronics from the 100-meter tunnel leading into the mountain vault along with digging trenches to channel water and rain away, according to The Guardian. They have also installed pumps in the seed room should it ever be breached.

According to Engadget, Popular Science contacted Cary Fowler, who provided some additional context. As Fowler describes it, the entrance consists of a 100 meter long tunnel that runs at a slight downward slope into the heart of the mountain, before a slight uphill section leading to the vault doors. There are pumps built in for specifically this situation, and the vault itself is kept at below freezing temperatures, however a record heatwave is behind the greater-than-expected volume of water.

More importantly, when the vault was designed, Fowler says scientists calculated what would happen if all the world's ice melted, and there was a tsunami, and estimated the vault would be five to seven stories above that point. While there may be some tweaking needed to keep the entryway accessible, the vault itself should remain a safe haven.
Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on his re-election Saturday, calling for deeper ties between Moscow and Tehran.

In a telegram to Rouhani, Putin "confirmed the readiness to continue active joint work to further develop the Russian-Iranian cooperation partnership," the Kremlin said in a statement.

Putin also expressed confidence that Moscow and Tehran will continue to work in the spirit of "maintaining stability and security in the Middle East and the world as a whole" and that agreements reached during Rouhani`s visit to Russia in March will be successfully implemented.

The meeting in March between Putin and Rouhani, who have grown closer through their mutual support of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, mostly focused on the countries` flourishing economic ties in the fields of energy and industry.

Iran and Russia have become increasingly allied in Syria, helping Assad`s forces gain ground in recent months, including in the Syrian army`s major offensive last year to retake rebel-held eastern Aleppo.

In addition to cooperation on Syria, energy and defence ties have deepened between Iran and Russia in recent years.

Russia is to build nine of Iran`s 20 proposed nuclear reactors and has emerged as a long-term arms partner, supplying Tehran with its S-300 air defence missile system.

The relationship has blossomed under Rouhani despite the countries having a complicated history over territory, oil and Communist ideology.

Rouhani, a 68-year-old moderate cleric who spearheaded a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, won 57 percent of the vote, according to Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli.
Shimla: The BJP on Saturday termed as "homecoming" the rejoining of former Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Radha Raman Shashtri to the party after five years.

Shashtri (74) had quit the BJP in 2012 and later joined the NCP.

The septuagenarian leader rejoined the BJP at the party headquarters in the presence of former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, state party chief Satpal Singh Satti, in-charge of state party affairs Mangal Pandey and others.

The "homecoming" of Shashtri is a part of the strategy of the BJP to win back the disgruntled leaders who had quit or were expelled from the party in the past, ahead of the Assembly election.

The party sources said that more leaders, including some MLAs, may also come back into the party fold in the coming days.

Shashtri was elected to the state Assembly for the first time in 1977 as a Janta party candidate from Chopal constituency in this district.

He was reelected as MLA from Chopal as the BJP candidate and was elected Speaker of the state Assembly.

Later, he was inducted in the cabinet headed by Shanta Kumar and served as the education minister.

A scholar of Sanskrit and a writer, Shashtri who contested nine assembly elections, including one from Shimla in 1985, was arrested under Maintenance of Indian Security Act (MISA) during the Emergency in 1975, and remained in Central Jail in Nahan with other senior leaders for 19 months.

He left the BJP in early 2012 after he was allegedly "sidelined" by the party and later joined the NCP ahead of the 2012 assembly polls.

He started his career as a Sanskrit teacher in the state's education department and served for 8 years. He was selected lecturer (college cadre) but resigned to participate in social and political activities.
Gangtok: Putting light on the review meeting of infrastructure development work on Indo-China border, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said the relationship between the two neighbours was good, which has led to the reduction of `friction` between them.

"There is a perceptional difference on the issue of Indo-China boundary between both nations.

A dialogue is on. Indo-China relationship is good, due to which the friction between the two countries has reduced."Singh notified about the work underway in border areas.

"Infrastructure development work on Indo-China border was reviewed in the meeting today. The Home Ministry is working on 27 roads, construction work of which will be completed by 2019-20. Also, approval process for 48 other roads has begun," he said.

The Home Minister termed the people living in border areas as `strategic asset` and that they should be able to avail the essential facilities."Where on one hand our security forces protect our borders, people living in border areas are a strategic asset for us.

They should be provided basic facilities such as health, education, electricity, water, road etc. I have appealed to the state governments to initiate in the same regard," he said.Earlier today, Singh chaired a meeting with the chief ministers of five states on the issue of the India-China Border in Gangtok.

During the meeting, attended by chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, Rajnath reviewed the security issues in the border area.

The objective of the meeting was to strengthen the coordination of the ministry with these States to improve the overall border security.In the meeting, a discussion was also held on the border infrastructure work undertaken by the Home Ministry, Border Area Development Programme and coordination issues between the states and the Indo-Tibetian Border Police.

The Home Minister also visited the Nathula Pass and ITBP border post at Lachung to meet the Jawans of the force.

On Sunday, Rajnath will visit the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Battalion Headquarters and also take an aerial survey of the SSB border posts at Uttarey, Kumukh and Bajrajadhara on Indo-Nepal Border.

The Home Minister will also interact with the jawans at a Sainik Sammelan at Geyzing and will later attend a civic action programme at Pelling in Sikkim.
New Delhi: The Dalai Lama will himself pick his successor, which may happen "soon", President of the Tibetan government-in-exile Lobsang Sangay on Saturday said, asserting China does not have any say on the issue.

The current Dalai Lama, while still very active, recently turned 81 but is yet to make a decision about his successor.

"As far as the next Dalai Lama is concerned it's already on the table and he can come through reincarnation, selection or emanation. These options are on the table but not yet executed," he said, while speaking at the 'Indo-Tibet Summit' organised by the South and East Asia Foundation here.

"He (the Dalai Lama) says that he will decide at the age of 90, but I think it should happen sooner and I think it is likely to happen," he said.

In reincarnation, one has to die and reborn. Selection is when the high lamas meet and select the Dalai Lama and emanation is when the Dalai Lama designates his own successor before he passes away.

Sangay said that as per the procedure, selection of the next Dalai Lama by China would be "illegitimate".

"The communist party says religion is poison. They don't believe in religion. They destroy monasteries, disrobe monks and nuns. What is the basis of legitimacy they will have to select the next Dalai Lama? Not at all," he said.

Drawing a parallel of Chinese picking the next Dalai Lama akin to a communist leader selecting a Shankaracharya he said, "Do you think the devotees will accept the Shankaracharya? Very unlikely! Hence, selecting the Dalai Lama is Dalai Lama's business and no one else's".

Last month, China's official think-tanks had announced that the next highest monk of Tibetan Buddhism must have the endorsement of Beijing. China has held the same positions for years now.

The Dalai Lamas have historically enjoyed considerable political and spiritual influence over Tibetans.

China is keen to pick up the successor to the current Dalai Lama to firm up its hold over Tibet, which it has kept under tight political, military and administrative control after it took over the area in 1951.

Sangay also said that the Tibet administration was adopting a middle-way policy in dealing with China, a view supported by the Dalai Lama.

"There are practical reasons because China says 'One China' cannot be negotiated. That's a reality. And we say, Ok, if that is non-negotiable then what is negotiable is genuine autonomy, which is written in the Chinese constitution and which should be given to Tibetan people," the president said.

Sangay also expressed gratitude towards India for all the support shown by it towards the Tibetan cause over the years.

"India and Indian government has done the most work for Tibetan people. But recently, what has happened is that what was happening in closed doors is now being done out in the open," he said.

He cited the Dalai Lama's visit with President Pranab Mukherjee at the Nobel Peace laureates conference at the presidential palace, the International Buddisht Conference in Nalanda, where the Tibetan spiritual guru was the chief guest, and Sangay's presence at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing in ceremony as the proof that the Indo-Tibet ties have become more open.
New Delhi: The Election Commission will on Saturday hold a demonstration on the working of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter-verifiable paper audit trails (VVPATs) to calm down voices which doubt that these can be tampered with in favour of a particular candidate/party.

The Commission will also announce dates for an EVM-hacking challenge in the wake of Opposition concerns over the reliability of EVMs.

As per an Election Commission announcement, the live demonstration of the functioning of the EVMs and VVPATs will be followed by a press conference.

At an all-party meeting on May 12, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi had said a "challenge" was on the cards for political parties to prove that EVMs used in the February-March Assembly Elections were, or could be, tampered with.

It had also announced that all future elections will be held using VVPAT (Voter-verifiable paper audit trail).

A VVPAT slip allows a voter to verify if his vote has been rightly recorded by the EVM.

Several opposition politicians had alleged EVM-tampering in Assembly polls but the commission ruled out such a possibility.

Representatives of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and Trinamool Congress had raised concerns over EVMs at the all-party meeting.

The AAP had welcomed the poll panel's announcement of holding an EVM challenge but insisted on the 'hackathon'. The party said given a chance, it can prove that the machines can be hacked.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Nationalist Congress Party and Janata Dal (United) clearly supported the use of EVMs, provided paper trail machines are attached to it, BSP, AAP, Trinamool Congress said the paper ballot system was better and more transparent.

The Congress was of the view that if EVMs are used there should be transparency at every level so that political parties and voters are separately convinced about the reliability of the machine.

It said the Supreme Court has been stressing on more transparency, which necessarily does not mean use of EVMs. It said the use of paper trail machines with all EVMs in future elections was fine.

The BSP and the AAP had alleged that the machines used in the recent Assembly Elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjab were tampered with to favour the BJP.

Later, several other parties had joined the chorus and urged the EC to revert to paper ballots.

In 2009, the Commission had held a similar challenge and it claims no one was able to tamper with its machines. Then 100 EVMs from various parts of the country were brought to Vigyan Bhawan here for the challenge.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa has written a personal letter to each Indian Air Force officer, asking them to be prepared for operations with our present holdings, at a very short notice.

"In the present scenario, there is an ever persistent sub-conventional threat. Therefore, we need to be prepared for operations with our present holdings, at a very short notice. Training needs to be focused towards this," reads the letter.

The letter, signed March 30, also talks about issues like favouritism in the force and sexual harassment.

ACM Dhanoa took over as IAF chief almost three months ago.

As per news agency ANI, the "sub-conventional threat" is said to be a reference to the `proxy war` by the Pakistan, which is reflected in the increasing number of terror attacks on military camps and the rising public unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.

The mention in the letter of "our present holdings" is an indication of the severe shortfall in the number of fighter squadrons with the IAF.

The IAF is authorised 42 squadrons of fighter aircraft but its current holding is down to 33.

A deal for 36 Rafale fighters, signed with France, and a decision to induct indigenous Tejas fighters will barely make up for the de-induction of the MIG series of fighters from the fleet.

Asking officers to be "combat effective professionals", ACM Dhanoa writes that "there is no choice but to stay abreast of new technological advancements both own as well as that of our adversaries. Only then will we come out with war-winning, out of the box solutions."

The letter reminds officers that "in the recent past, there have been instances and occasions where lack of professionalism has shown the IAF in poor light".

Indulging in uncharacteristic plain speak, the IAF chief writes that "we have been witness to a few instances of `favouritism` in selection of officers for prime assignments and promotions".

"This is something we can ill afford," the letter reads.

Pointing out that "officers holding responsible appointments tend to display `Milk of Human Kindness` while dealing with those involved in wrongful practices", the letter warns that "abusive behaviour, resorting to physical intimidation and behaviour amounting to sexual harassment by seniors is not acceptable".

The letter has been posted and delivered to each of the nearly 12,000 officers of the force.

This is the first time that an IAF chief has written a personal letter to all officers, although two Army chiefs - Field Marshal (then General) K M Cariappa on May 1, 1950 and General K Sundarji on February 1, 1986 - have penned similar missives.

An IAF spokesperson, however, described the letter as "internal communication" and refused to comment on its contents.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: Two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Pakistan to halt for now the death sentence of Kulbhushan Jadhav, Islamabad on Saturday announced that it would try the Indian national as per Pakistan's laws.

Pakistan will handle Kulbhushan Jadhav's case as an espionage case, The News quoted Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan as saying.

Talking to media in Warsak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Nisar said, Jadhav case would be taken to its logical conclusion in accordance with the law of the land.

Earlier, while addressing a passing out parade of Frontier Core, Nisar had reiterated the claim that Jadhav was a spy and was involved in subversive activities. So, Pakistan would treat him (Jadhav) according to law of the land, Daily Pakistan quoted Nisar as saying.

Pakistan had on Friday filed a plea in the ICJ for it to rehear within six weeks the case of Jadhav, after the government was slammed by the opposition for "mishandling" the case at the world court.

Earlier, a media report had claimed that Pakistani Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali would represent the country at the ICJ.

Earlier, Khawar Qureshi represented Pakistan.

According to law, Jadhav can challenge till the end of Saturday his death sentence in an appellate court. A military court sentenced him to death on April 10 on spying and terrorism charges.

Pakistan's Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz earlier said that the ICJ did not order Pakistan to provide consular access to Jadhav, but has merely put forward an opinion. He said a decision to provide consular access to Jadhav is yet to be made.

"Pakistan's security is so important and we have to maintain our fundamental sovereign right," he had said.

According to Islamabad, Jadhav was reportedly arrested from Pakistan's Balochistan province on March 3, 2016. However, Indian intelligence agencies suspect that Jadhav was abducted from the Iran-Pakistan border.

Pakistan alleged that the former Indian Navy officer was involved in spying and terror activities in Balochistan. He was convicted in April by a Pakistani military court and sentenced to death.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated Hassan Rouhani on his re-election as the President of Iran and affirmed India's commitment to strengthen the "special relationship" between the two nations.

"Heartiest congratulations to my friend, President @HassanRouhani on his re-election," Modi tweeted in English and Persian languages.

"India remains committed to strengthening our special relationship with Iran," he added.

The Prime Minister expressed confidence that Iran will continue to achieve new heights under the dynamic leadership of President Rouhani.

Rouhani, a 68-year-old cleric, won a resounding re- election victory today as voters backed his efforts to rebuild foreign ties and kickstart the struggling economy.

Rouhani, who spearheaded a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, framed the election as a choice between greater civil liberties and "extremism".

He defeated 56-year-old hardline cleric Raisi, who had had positioned himself as a defender of the poor and called for a much tougher line with the West.
New Delhi: Online voting is not feasible keeping in mind the security systems required to maintain its integrity, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said on Saturday.

He said the EC had formed a committee to examine the issue and its report was submitted to the Supreme Court and the Law Ministry.

The EC found that the system of online voting is not practical today given the level of security required to keep the process tamper-proof.

Zaidi's predecessor H S Brahma had supported online voting.
New Delhi: The Hurriyat leader called an emergency meeting after a media group expose showed one of its leader Naeem Khan admitting to receiving funding from Pakistan to create unrest in the Kashmir Valley.

Khan, the chairman of Jammu Kashmir National Front (JKNF), was suspended by the Hurriyat Conference after a TV channel alleged showed him accepting money from Pakistani people to fan unrest in the valley.

Naeem reportedly confessed to his involvement in the act and therefore, has been suspended from the party until further inquiries are conducted, said a Hindustan Times report.

Khan has been summoned by the Syed Ali Shah Geelani faction to clarify on his statement over the revelations he made to 'India Today' Group, where he allegedly confessed to accepting money from Pakistan and how the Hurriyat was spending it to create the unrest in the Valley.

The chief of JKNF, earlier today, had told reporters in the capital that the sting operation was fake and doctored.

Following the video, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) registered a preliminary enquiry against Khan, including Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader Gazi Javed Baba and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (R) chairman Farooq Ahmed Dar.

Responding to this, Khan said that the Indian establishment is using the media to suppress his voice and added that he is ready to face the investigation.

"If they are trying to threaten us it won't work. We have been facing the Indian state for the last 35 years. If they want to investigate, they should, who is stopping them? The investigation should be open, transparent, but we don't believe in Indian agencies," Khan told ANI.

"They are using media as its security arm. When they hanged Afzal Guru, judiciary was used; now in order to suppress me they are using media," he added.
Srinagar: Cracking down on trouble mongers, the police on Saturday arrested two "chronic" stone-pelters who were allegedly involved in creating disturbances in central Kashmir's Budgam district.

The arrested youth included a college student, the police said, adding a mask and a "green and white flag", an apparent refence to the Pakistani flag, were recovered from them.

On the basis of available evidence, police arrested a "chronic" stone-pelter identified as Tahir Nasrullah, a resident of Parimpora area on the outskirts of Srinagar, a police spokesman said.

He said Nasrullah had recently taken admission in the Government Degree College, Magam, and taking advantage of being new in the area, he resorted to creating disturbances there.

According to the spokesman, Nasrullah was identified from the videos of various "unlawful incidents".

He was identified on the basis of physical features like the kind of clothes he wore, his height, colour of school bag he carried, the spokesman said.

He said the police team apprehended him outside the college when Nasrullah was changing his clothes from uniform to civil.

The police recovered a mask, college uniform and a mobile phone from his bag, the spokesman said.

His arrest, the spokesman said, led to the arrest of another stone-pelter identified as Samir Bhat, a resident of Yarigund area of Magam.

Police recovered "a green and white flag from his bag," the spokesman said, apparently referring to the flag of Pakistan.

Further investigation into the matter is going on, he said.

Kashmir has been witnessing recurring incidents of stone-pelting in various parts for the last few months.
New Delhi: Two soldiers were martyred and two terrorists were killed in a gunfight which erupted when the security forces foiled an infiltration bid close to the international border in Jammu and Kashmir's Naugam sector.

The fatalities occurred when the jawans engaged a group of infiltrators near the LoC in Naugam sector, media reports said.

"In an operation to foil infiltration, two jawans made the supreme sacrifice in Naugam, Kupwara. Two terrorists were also killed in the encounter," TOI quoted an Army spokesperson as saying, adding the operation is still on.

He said that in an earlier incident during the day, a jawan was injured when he accidentally stepped on a mine on the LoC in Poonch district.

"While on routine patrolling last evening in Mendhar Sector of Poonch, a soldier stepped accidentally on a drifted mine," the spokesman added.

He said that "the soldier was wearing mine protected shoes and he has suffered a healed fracture".

Meanwhile, security forces recovered a cahce of arms and ammunition in north Kashmir's Kupwara district during a search operation.

During the search operation by the Army at Freshitring Nard in Keran area of the district, two AK rifles, two UBGLs, two pistols, twenty pistol magazines, 20 AK magazines, 600 AK rounds, 27 pistol rounds, one tracer, one knife, wire and a binocular have been recovered, a police official said.

A case has been registered in this regard, he added.

Earlier this month, the notorious Border Action Team (BAT) of the Pakistani Army had mutilated the bodies of two Indian soldiers in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district.

The martyred soldiers were Paramjeet Singh and Prem Sagar.

Both were part of a patrol team when they were attacked by Pakistan's BAT.
Srinagar: Expressing confidence over eliminating militant activities from the Valley, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir Zone, Munir Ahmad Khan on Saturday said that every possible effort would be taken to eradicate militancy, adding that the youth of the state would be guided towards a positive direction.

"We will put efforts for militancy to be eradicated as soon as possible.

We will try to not disturb civilians. We will try to educate and guide the youth regarding such issues and move them towards a positive direction," Khan said.

He further said that the police would ensure safety of pilgrims during their journey in the Valley."Drug addiction, trafficking etc. shall be improved once we indulge the community policing into these issues.

I will never want to harass or manhandle the youth as I don`t want their careers to get hampered. We will provide them with counselling. There are more people to exploit youth rather than teaching them," he asserted.

Stone-pelting incidents have increased manifold in the region since the PDP-BJP alliance came to power in 2015.Most recently, eight people were killed in clashes with security forces during the Srinagar Parliamentary by-polls on April 9, prompting the Election Commission (EC) to postpone the Anantnag by-polls to May 25.

Kashmir has seen widespread violence since July last year, when the killing of a militant commander, Burhan Wani, sparked months-long protests that left nearly hundred people dead.Moreover, several students sustained injuries after clashes erupted between students of the Government Degree College Kulgam and security forces in south Kashmir`s Kulgam district on May 18.

The district administration in Srinagar ordered the suspension of class work at Shri Pratap Higher Secondary School and yesterday, keeping in view the protests taken out by these students.

The student protests in Kashmir are going on since April 15 after at least 50 college students sustained injuries in security forces` action in Pulwama Degree College in south Kashmir.

Over 100 students sustained injuries across the Valley since April 15 in various security forces actions.Even girls are increasingly participating in these protests.The protests are giving a tough time to authorities and they are trying their level best to fix the problem.

In the first instance the authorities, as a precautionary measure, suspended the class work in the higher secondary schools where they sense trouble.

The state government on May 18 warned students that it would not allow them to sit for their examinations if they do not meet the required attendance criterion.
Kochi: The NDA on Saturday termed as "motivated", a case filed by the LDF government against the Kerala BJP president for uploading a controversial Facebook video, and vowed to fight it politically and legally.

NDA leaders in a meeting here adopted a resolution alleging that the government was trying to "demoralise" their workers by implicating them in false cases.

The leaders condemned the move against K Rajasekharan, and decided to fight the "politically motivated" case.

The video uploaded by the state BJP chief purportedly showed CPI(M) workers "celebrating" the demise of RSS worker Choorakadu Biju.

Police had booked Rajasekharan on May 16 on charges of spreading a false report over the killing of the Sangh man at Payannur last week.

He was hacked to death on May 12, allegedly by CPI(M) workers in Kannur, which has witnessed a series of clashes between the ruling party and RSS for the past one year.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Rajasekharan said BJP and its alliance partners would jointly organise various agitations at panchayats and state-level next week to "expose the wrongdoings" of the LDF government, which is completing its one year in power in the state.

He rejected Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's claim that there was no corruption charge against the government.

"It is a corrupt government," he said, referring to circumstances which forced CPI(M) leader E P Jayarajan to quit following charges of nepotism.

"It was a year of bad governance in Kerala. The LDF government has failed in all sectors. Prices of essential commodities are shooting up. The number of political killings has increased. Nineteen people lost their lives in political violence after LDF government came to power," he said.

Rajasekharan said that the NDA would organise various programmes in Kerala on May 26 to mark the third year of 'good governance' by the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.

He said BJP chief Amit Shah would undertake a three-day Kerala tour from June 2 as part of the party's preparations for the 2019 general elections.
Vijayraghavgarh: As many as eight children fell sick on Saturday and were rushed to the hospital after consuming a mid-day meal in which a lizard was found.

The incident took place at an Anganwadi, in Vijayraghavgarh in the Katni district of Madhya Pradesh.

Children are reportedly fit and healthy now and the state officials have commenced an interrogation in this matter.

This is the second incident after May 15's when as many as twenty seven children fell ill in Bihar's Jamui after they ate a mid-day meal in which a dead lizard was found.

Earlier on May 10, children at a government school in Faridabad consumed a mid-day meal in which a baby snake was found.
Mumbai: Altogether 179 pilgrims from Maharashtra are among those stranded at various places after a massive landslide in Uttarakhand and all of them are safe, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the Assembly on Saturday.

"All of them (pilgrims) are safe. We have ascertained it. Of the total 179 from Maharashtra who are stranded there, 102 are from Aurangabad and 38 from Pune," he said.

The other travellers hail from Sangli and Jalgaon districts, Fadnavis said in the Lower House on the first day of the three-day special session of the legislature called to ratify the GST bill.

The Railway administration has made arrangements to bring them back to Maharashtra, Fadnavis said.



Ajit Pawar (NCP) said the state government should make adequate arrangements to help those stranded. He suggested deputing an IAS officer to coordinate rescue work.



Fadnavis said "We have a permanent system in place. The disaster management department coordinates such operations."

The Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway was yesterday closed near Vishnuprayag in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district due to a landslide.

Due to the landslide and closure of the highway, around 2,000 travellers on way to Badrinath, the famous pilgrim spot in the hill state, were left stranded at various places.
Mumbai: As many as 1,251 candidates are in fray for the municipal corporation elections in Bhiwandi, Malegaon and Panvel scheduled to be held on May 24.

The Bhiwandi-Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC) is currently ruled by the Congress-led alliance, while the Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC) is helmed by the NCP-AIMIM alliance.

For the Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC), it will be the first election after it came into existence in October last year.

Total 12.96 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes in Bhiwandi, Malegaon and Panvel, which collectively have 252 seats. The results of the elections will be declared on May 26, the State Election Commission said.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) are in the fray.

AIMIM has fielded nine candidates in Bhiwandi and 37 in Malegaon, the commission said.

MNS has fielded seven nominees in Bhiwandi and 25 in Panvel. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has put up 22, Janata Dal (United) four, Janata Dal (Secular) 10 in these three civic bodies, according to the election commission.

BJP has fielded 189, NCP 90, Congress 152, Shiv Sena 144 candidates across the three civic bodies. There are 355 independents trying their luck. Some local and registered parties are also in the fray.

Of the 18 municipal corporations which completed their five-year term this year, elections to 10 bodies were held in February, while Latur, Parbhani and Chandrapur went to polls last month.

The BJP, which is in power in the state, has posted successive wins in the local bodies polls since December last year.
Mumbai: A priest at the over 900-year-old Vitthal-Rukmini temple at Pandharpur in Solapur district of Maharashtra, was today suspended for allegedly assaulting a devotee.Vitthal-Rukmini temple at Pandharpur in Solapur district of Maharashtra, was today suspended for allegedly assaulting a devotee.

"The priest Ashok Bhadage, stands suspended. We cannot tolerate such violent behaviour within the temple premises," Solapur district Collector Rajendra Bhosale told PTI.

Bhadage had allegedly slapped a devotee Dattatray Suse earlier this week, when the latter was about to garland Lord Vitthal's idol in the temple.

The temple, a favourite of the Warkari sect in Maharashtra, attracts over two crore devotees a year. During the Hindu month of Ashaadh, lakhs of 'Warkaris' and other pilgrims from across the state walk to the temple.

The Supreme Court in its verdict on January 15, 2014, stripped Brahmin families (Badve and Utpat) of their right to appoint priests and keep the donations. The families had claimed ancestral rights over the temple.
New Delhi: Telephone bills and mobile handset prices will go up from July 1 when the new Goods and Services Tax regime kicks in, raising incidence of taxation on the telecom sector.

The GST Council finalised 18 percent tax on services rendered by telecom operators against 15 percent at present.

This translates into a Rs 3 increase on a Rs 100 recharge or a monthly rental but revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia insisted that consumers will not burdened if telecom companies were to take into account the benefit of input tax credit they will get under GST.

However the industry said tax as a matter of principle is a pass through to consumers, and any increase in incidence of taxation will reflect in the monthly bills.

Mobile industry body COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews expressed disappointment with the GST rate announced for telecom.

"We had submitted to the government that consideration must be given to the present financial condition of the sector and any rate beyond the existing rate of 15 percent makes the telecom services more expensive for the consumer," he said.

The debt-ridden telecom sector, which is looking for a bailout package, said the telecom services will become expensive for consumers and have impact on government's project like digital India, digital payments etc.

At present, telecom consumers are charged 15 percent in form of tax and cess over their phone bills.

Consumer will not get upfront relief from the refund rules, the industry insisted.

"You have to differentiate between impact of GST on companies and consumers. Companies may or may not structure their tariff as per provision of refund but customers will have to pay 18 percent tax everytime bill is generated so consumers will be hit under GST," Mathews said.

The double whammy for consumers also includes an extra outgo of 4-5 percent on mobile phones in majority of the states.

As per mobile phone industry body, Indian Cellular Association (ICA), there are 36 jurisdiction in the country which includes 29 states and seven union territories. In 30 of these territories, the tax on mobile phones will nearly double to 12 percent leading to an increase in the prices.

Three states- Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh - which account for 25 percent of pan India sales, have tax in the range of 12.5-16 percent.

In these locations discounts are already offered to counter grey market products and hence any change in prices is unlikely, an industry source said.

"While we are partially relieved that we are at 12 percent rate, it would be more appropriate to put mobile phones at the 5 percent rate so that the benefits of digital revolution could be savoured by our 1.2 billion citizens," ICA, National President, Pankaj Mohindroo said.

The handset prices will rise in places where tax incidence is up to 6 percent. Such locations account for 66 percent of the total sales.

The rest comes from states or UTs where current tax slab is in the range of 8-9 percent. These areas could possibly see rise in the mobile phone prices.
New Delhi: The father of a prominent Maldivian blogger murdered last month wants India`s help to ensure justice for his son.

"I want India to press the (Maldives) government to make my son`s murder case investigation go for a fair trial," Hussain Rasheed, father of Yameen Rasheed who ran a popular blog called The Daily Panic that poked fun at politicians of his country, told IANS during a visit here.

Yameen, who was known for his fight for democracy and human rights, was found dead in his apartment in Male with multiple stab wounds on April 23.

This was the latest in a series of attacks on media persons and politicians critical of the government of President Abdulla Yameen ever since then-President Mohamed Nasheed controversially resigned in February 2012 following a mutiny by a large number of army and police personnel.

Yameen was also very vocal about the disappearance of fellow blogger and best friend Ahmed Rilwan since August 2014 and was getting threats. He approached the police in December last year but had to really push to get his concerns registered.

He is the third media person to be attacked in the last five years. In 2012 another blogger, Ismail Rasheed, narrowly escaped death after a knife attack.

Also, in October 2012, reformist religious scholar and Member of Parliament Afrasheem Ali was killed.

Painting a grim picture of the prevailing situation in the Indian Ocean archipelago nation which is faced with growing Islamic radicalisation, the senior Rasheed said that the current government of Abdulla Yameen did not enjoy much public support.

"I think if you hold a fair election, the government of Maldives will not get even five percent of the votes," he said.

According to him, this was evident from the recent local council elections in which representatives of the ruling dispensation fared poorly.

Noting that India was the Maldives` closest friend and neighbour and the biggest democracy in the world, he said that an unstable government in his country would not be good for India`s neighbourhood.

On Friday, at a discussion on "Threats to Free Speech and Press Freedom: Murder of Prominent Blogger in the Maldives" organised by the Observer Research Foundation think tank, Rasheed gave an account of the events surrounding his son`s murder.

He said that after being informed by the police about it at his parental home in one of the southernmost islands of the Maldives early April 23 morning, he rushed to Male but the hospital authorities there did not allow him to see his son`s body as he could not have tolerated it.

When the body was finally handed over after being cleaned, Rasheed found that his son sustained 34 cuts on his body, including 14 on the chest, one on the throat and three on the forehead.

Rasheed said that his son had been getting death threats since 2011 but he was not told about it because of his heart condition.

After studying till class 12 in Kerala, Yameen Rasheed graduated in computer science from an institute in Bengaluru and was working at the Maldives Stock Exchange until the time of his death.

Speaking on the occasion, a prominent Maldivian human rights activist, said that since 2012, there has been a severe decline in the democratic environment in her country.

"I fear the situation will soon become irreversible. We are witnessing new elements coming into play, especially Islamic radicalisation," she said, adding that President Yameen was increasingly becoming authoritarian.

"It is an ideology that is killing liberal values and democracy." Aminath said that most opposition political leaders were in jail and there was no press freedom with two newspapers and a TV channel being shut down under the current regime.

She said over 200 young Maldivians have left to fight in Syria.

"We are in India`s backyard. I hope India will not remain silent," Aminath said.
Jaisalmer: A suspected Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agent was arrested in a joint operation of the Army and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) from Jaisalmer`s Kunjaladi village on Saturday.

The suspect has been taken to Jaipur for interrogation.As per reports, the suspect has been arrested on the basis of lead provided by two Pakistan nationals arrested from Jaisalmer`s Kunjarli village earlier today.

The ATS and a special team of Army intelligence detained two Pakistani nationals on suspicion of being ISI agents.

"Till now no such suspicious information has come out. So most probably they will be sent back to Pakistan," Superintendent of Police (SP) Gaurav Yadav told ANI Pakistan`s ISI is continuously making efforts to make Indian passengers, who visit Pakistan regularly for business, relationship and other purposes, their agents forcefully.

The ISI has deployed many old smugglers as spies after fencing at the border.

Earlier this month, the Mumbai Police, in a joint operation with the Uttar Pradesh ATS, arrested another suspected ISI agent.

A total of three people have been arrested so far.One from Faizabad and two from Mumbai.

Two spies, Bariyam Khan and Haji Khan, were caught in between November-December last year from Kishangarh Range.
Nathula Pass: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday announced Rs.1 crore compensation for the families of slain paramilitary jawans.

Rajnath made the announcement after chairing the first security review meeting in Gangtok with Chief Ministers of five states bordering China.

"I have ensured that families of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) soldiers killed in action get at least Rs. 1 Crore compensation," Rajnath Singh said.

Singh also declared that 34,000 posts of paramilitary constables were upgraded as head constables."It is our duty to know about the problems of jawans, that is why we have launched Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Mobile Application for grievance redressal of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel and also 34,000 posts of paramilitary constables will be upgraded as head constables," said Singh.

Earlier this day, the Home Minister visited the India-China border post and reviewed the security situation.

He assured that a lot has been done for the welfare of paramilitary personnel but much more needs to be done in the coming days.

Singh asked the ITBP jawans to use the recently launched mobile app by the Home Ministry to register their grievances, including personal problems, so that the ministry can try to resolve them.

The Home Minister also promised to look into the demands of the ITBP to bring uniformity in high altitude allowances.

The total length of the Sino-Indian border is 3,488 km of which 1,597 km runs through Jammu and Kashmir, 200 km in Himachal Pradesh, 345 km in Uttarakhand, 220 km in Sikkim and 1,126 km in Arunachal Pradesh.

The border is not fully demarcated and the process of clarifying and confirming the Line of Actual Control is in progress.

The border areas, which are located at high altitudes, have inadequate development and infrastructure facilities.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) guards this border and has established 173 Border Out Posts (BOPs).

Out of these BOPs, 35 are in the western sector (Jammu and Kashmir), 71 in the middle sector (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand) and 67 in the eastern sector (Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh).

The home minister also interacted with Army jawans.
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on Saturday sought reports from authorities on the brutal physical torture of an undertrial prisoner (UTP) at the Circle Jail in Choudwar, Cuttack.

The acting chairperson of the rights panel, Justice B K Mishra directed the additional DGP-cum-IG of Prisons, Bhubaneswar to inquire into the matter himself and submit a report to the commission within seven days from today.

The IG of Police, Central Range, Cuttack was also directed to conduct an inquiry as to how the undertrial sustained so many serious bodily injuries while being lodged in the Choudwar circle jail.

It was alleged by the petitioners that the undertrial was beaten up mercilessly by the jail staff.

The SCB Medical College and Hospital superintendent was directed to provide all treatment to the patient and the cost for it is to be met out of the Odisha State Treatment Fund.

He was also directed to produce all the treatment papers, including the injury report of the undertrial for perusal by OHRC, the order said.

Earlier in the day, Sudhir Mohanty, advocate, Khirod Rout, Orissa High Court advocate and Pradip Pradhan, advisor to NHRC, New Delhi appeared before the Commission and submitted a petition alleging "unleashing of inhuman and ruthless torture on the UPT" in Choudwar jail.

The petitioners had conducted a fact-finding exercise into a news item of May 17 about the brutal attack and torture of the undertrial and his subsequent hospitalisation in the SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack.

The fact-finding team during its visit to the hospital observed that the man bore multiple injuries on his body and was not able to speak and respond properly.

As per the allegations, the man was beaten up when he asked the jail staff to give him the Rs 100 note which his wife had given to one of them for passing it to him. He neither got the money nor any response from the jail staff, who angry with his inquiries assaulted him mercilessly which necessitated his hospitalisation.
New Delhi: Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who is better known as the most beautiful woman lived up to the high expectations everyone has from her at Cannes. The diva on her Day 1 changed not one but three outfits and slayed it like a pro!

If she sizzled in her first attire which was a sheer two-tier gown by Yanina Couture then her second number was a beige embroidered Mark Bumgarner dress. But the most stunning and jaw dropping moment came when Aishwarya tuned into her inner Disney Princess and walked the red carpet wearing Michael Cinco gown and Ferragamo shoes.

Oh my god! The diva looked every bit like a new-age Cinderella and no doubt even her hubby Abhishek Bachchan couldn't keep away from posting her picture on his social media handle.Bachchan couldn't keep away from posting her picture on his social media handle.

You have to check out her breathtaking images from Cannes:
Chandigarh: The Punjab School Education Board is likely to release PSEB 10th result 2017 on Saturday (May 20, 2017).

Students can check their PSEB Result 2017 on www.pseb.ac.in.

In 2016, PSEB announced Matriculation Examination Result March 2016 result on May 25, 2016.

Steps to check PSEB Matric 10th Class Result:

- Open www.pseb.ac.in

- Click on `Results` tab

- Click on `Matriculation Examination Result March 2017`

- Enter Roll Number and other required details

- Click on 'Submit'

- Check Result of 10th class 2017

About Punjab School Education Board

The Punjab School Education Board came into existence through a legislative enactment in November 1969 for the development and promotion of school education in the state of Punjab.
Jaipur: Curfew was relaxed for 18 hours on Saturday in Banswara district where communal clashes broke out last week.

With the situation returning to normalcy, the curfew was further relaxed today from 5 am to 11 pm, police said.

Tension broke out in Banswara city area on Thursday last week during a religious procession taken out by members of the minority community.

The district administration imposed curfew in Kotwali police station area, which covers almost the entire city, the next day.

As many as 92 people have been arrested so far, the police said.
New Delhi: The ultimate diva Lisa Haydon and husband Dino Lalvani are blessed with a baby boy, they named Zack Lalvani. The healthy little angel was born on May 17, 2017.

The model-actress took to Instagram and shared the good news with her fans and followers with a beautiful picture. Lisa rocked her pregnancy with even posing for magazine photo shoots. She kept her Insta family happy with amazing pictures of her looking gorgeous being preggers.

Just like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Lisa too flaunted her preggers glow like a boss!

She captioned the image as "Zack Lalvani born 17th May 2017".
New Delhi: In 1969, US space agency NASA launched the first manned lunar mission  Apollo 11 and along with the astronauts, sent a simple, square white bag meant to carry the first sample of lunar material ever collected, which it did.

The collection pouch used by Neil Armstrong  the first man to set foot on the moon  held rocks and dust from the lunar region known as the Sea of Tranquility.

Now, the bag contains remnants of moon dust and is labeled "Lunar Sample Return" and it is soon set to go up for auction on the auction block at Sotheby's New York on July 20, the 48th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Estimated to fetch up to $4 million, the auction will be the first legal sale of such an artifact from the mission, Jim Hull, head of exhibits and artifacts at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), said in a telephone interview on Friday.

While there are legal restrictions on sales of material from moon missions, including lunar rocks and dust, it is believed some items have been sold on the black market.

The bag wound up at Sotheby's after a roundabout journey that included an attempt by NASA to get it back from its current owner.

Apollo 11 blasted off on July 16, 1969, with three astronauts aboard. Four days later, Armstrong and astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin flew the spacecraft Eagle down to the moon's surface. As part of the mission, the astronauts gathered lunar samples.

After nearly 22 hours on the moon, Armstrong and Aldrin returned to the lunar module, lifted off and rejoined Michael Collins in the Columbia spacecraft for the journey back to Earth. They landed on July 24 and received a hero's welcome.

However, the collection pouch got mixed up with other sample bags that were never used to hold lunar materials, Hull said.

At one point, the bag was seized by the US Department of Justice during an investigation and then mistakenly auctioned off to its current owner, Chicago-area attorney Nancy Lee Carlson.

Interested in the history of the bag, Carlson sent it to be analyzed by NASA, which confirmed its provenance through testing.

Ownership of both moon rocks or dust and artifacts from lunar missions is generally restricted, Hull said, and upon identifying the bag and finding that it contained remnants of lunar dust, the space agency sought to keep it.

But NASA lost a legal fight to keep the bag, and a US District Court judge ordered it returned to Carlson in February.

Sotheby's expects the artifact to fetch between $2 million and $4 million, according to an emailed statement. Hull called the bag "invaluable" because it contains lunar dust and was used on such a famous mission.

Carlson paid only $995 for the bag as part of a mixed batch of items.

Sotheby's said Carlson plans to donate a portion of the sale proceeds to charity and to establish a scholarship at her alma mater, Northern Michigan University.

(With inputs from Reuters)
New Delhi: After its launch in August 2011, NASA's space probe Juno entered Jupiter's polar orbit in July 2016, thus commencing its 20-month investigation of the planet.

With many turning points dotting its 10-month journey in Jupiter's orbit, Juno made yet another important manoeuvre on Friday.

The Jupiter probe spacecraft accomplished a close flyby of the solar system's biggest planet, thereby successfully completing its fifth science orbit.

As per NASA, all of Juno's science instruments and the spacecraft's JunoCam were operating during the flyby, collecting data that is now being returned to Earth.

Juno's next close flyby of Jupiter will occur on July 11, 2017, taking it over Jupiters Great Red Spot.

Juno launched on Aug. 5, 2011, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and arrived in orbit around Jupiter on July 4, 2016. During its mission of exploration, Juno soars low over the planet's cloud tops -- as close as about 2,100 miles (3,400 kilometers) During these flybys, Juno is probing beneath the obscuring cloud cover of Jupiter and studying its auroras to learn more about the planet's origins, structure, atmosphere and magnetosphere.
New Delhi: SpaceX is all set to launch its Dragon spacecraft for its 11th commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre soon.

It will lift into orbit carrying crew supplies, equipment and scientific research to crewmembers aboard the ISS.

The flight will deliver investigations and facilities that study neutron stars, osteoporosis, solar panels and tools for Earth-observation.



"In addition to studying the matter within the neutron stars, the payload also includes a technology demonstration called the Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology (SEXTANT), which will help researchers to develop a pulsar-based, space navigation system," NASA said.



Neutron stars are the glowing cinders left behind when massive stars explode as supernovas and contain exotic states of matter that are impossible to replicate in any ground lab.



These stars are called "pulsars" because of the unique way they emit light. As the star spins, the light sweeps past us, making it appear as if the star is pulsing.



The Neutron Star Interior Composition Explored (NICER) payload, affixed to the exterior of the space station, studies the physics of these stars, providing new insight into their nature and behaviour.



Neutron stars emit X-ray radiation, enabling the NICER technology to observe and record information about its structure, dynamics and energetics.



NASA will also send new solar panels called Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA) which are lighter and stores more compactly for launch than the rigid solar panels currently in use.



ROSA has solar cells on a flexible blanket and a framework that rolls out like a tape measure.

(With IANS inputs)
Chennai: Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Saturday hinted at an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in future.

The senior All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader posted on Twitter that a decision on alliance with BJP will be taken after local elections.

"We will take a decision on alliance with BJP once local body elections are announced," he posted.

However, soon after realising his mistake that it was too early to make the announcement, Panneerselvam again tweeted to clarify that any decision regarding an alliance with any political party will be taken after the announcement of local body elections.

We mean that only after the announcement of local body elections, we will think about the alliance with any political party," he wrote.

The tweets came a day after the former Tamil Nadu chief minister met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital and discussed political crisis going on in the AIADMK.
Coimbatore: Municipal Administration Minister S P Velumani on Saturday took a dig at actor Rajinikanth for not raising his voice against those in Karnataka for protesting against colleague Sathyaraj ahead of release of his recent film 'Baahubali.'.

Speaking to reporters here, he sought to know why Rajinikanth had not spoken up when a group of people in Karnataka threatened to prevent the release of "Baahubali" featuring Sathyaraj in the cast and was now swearing by Tamil.

Last month, Kannada outfits had threatened to stall the film's April 27 release protesting alleged controversial remarks by Sathyaraj, who plays the role of Kattappa.

However, they withdrew the protest after the actor expressed regret over the comments made by him nine years ago during the Cauvery row.

Joining issue with the actor on his remarks against the AIADMK government during his address to fans, Velumani said law and order was well maintained in Tamil Nadu and added it was better than in other states in the country.

The remarks by Rajnikanth are not acceptable, he said.
Berlin: A rare working Apple-1, the first computer produced by Steve Jobs` world-beater-to-be company four decades ago, sold for less than expected at auction in Germany on Saturday.

One of only eight working models in the world, the machine fetched 110,000 euros ($125,000), well below the expected 180,000-300,000 euros -- suggesting that a spike in prices after Jobs` 2011 death is definitely over.

"From our point of view we are back at normal levels. Five years after the death of (Apple co-founder) Steve Jobs the `hype` has settled back," Uwe Breker, who oversaw the auction in Cologne, told AFP.

Breker`s auction house, which specialises in the sale of technical antiques, had also been involved in a 2013 sale of another Apple-I -- which fetched 516,000 euros.

The model auctioned off Saturday and whose original owner was a Californian engineer, still had its receipt, its operating manual and other documents.

"(The Apple 1) was one of the first opportunities for someone to possess a real computer. I`d been working with computers for a while but they were huge," original owner John J. Dryden, who bought the Apple in 1976, said Friday.

He admitted that parting with the machine was a wrench but said the time had come as he had not used it in a long time.

The computer was one of around 200 Apple 1 units marketed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who developed and built it.

Saturday`s buyer was a German engineer who collects old computers.


Chandigarh: A large number of BJP workers and supporters accorded a grand welcomed to party chief Amit Shah at the airport here on Saturday morning and organised a roadshow escorting him to the party office in the city.

The BJP chief is on a 95-day country-wide tour which began in Jammu last month. With an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Shah is travelling across states to strategise and find ways to strengthen the party at the grass-root level.

Shah was received by Chandigarh BJP president Sanjay Tandon, the party's local MP Kirron Kher and others.

Earlier, a party release had said that over 200 cars and nearly 500 two-wheelers will escort Shah from the airport to the party office in Sector 33 here.

Enroute the BJP office, the car carrying the Shah stopped at many places and he was greeted by supporters who presented him with bouquets.

The BJP national president will hold a series of meetings with councillors, party office bearers, workers and will also review the party's organisational activities, Tandon said.

Shah inaugurated the newly-renovated party office and unveiled a statue of RSS icon Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay, whose birth centenary is being celebrated this year. He also inaugurated a library named after Nanaji Deshmukh and an e- library.

The Nanaji Deshmukh library will have around 2,000 books on various subjects, Tandon said.

Shah is scheduled to hold organisational meetings and interact with prominent people from different fields like medicine, law, finance and art later in the day.

This is Shah's first visit after the BJP swept the Municipal Corporation election here, which were held in December. He had visited the city in November for campaigning for the civic polls.

"Chandigarh is the fourth place on Shah's itinerary for the 95-day tour which began with his visit to Jammu on April 29. The BJP chief has also visited Himachal Pradesh and Tripura," Tandon said.
Lucknow: Five VHP leaders accused in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case were on Saturday granted bail by a special court which started hearing the politically sensitive matter on a day-to-day basis.

The Supreme Court had on 19 April directed the special CBI court in Lucknow to begin

proceedings in the matter within a month and deliver the judgement within two years.

The CBI court had earlier issued summons to six accused, of whom five, including Ram Vilas Vedanti appeared today and sought bail.

CBI judge S K Yadav allowed their bail plea on two sureties of Rs 20,000 each and a personal bond of the same amount.

The court fixed the next hearing on May 22.

Besides Vedanti, those who appeared before the CBI court were VHP leaders Champat Rai, Baikunth Lal Sharma, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and Dharmdas Maharaj.

The sixth accused, Satish Pradhan, did not appear.
Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate has issued fresh summons to Narada news CEO Mathew Samuel in its money laundering probe, initiated after a sting operation purportedly showed several TMC leaders, including MPs and ministers, taking money.

Samuel was first summoned by the central probe agency to depose on May 18 at its office here.

However, officials said, he informed the agency that he would not be able to appear in person due to some medical condition and requested them to question him at his present location in Kerala.

Hence, Samuel has been asked to meet the investigating officer (IO) of the case on May 24 at its office in Kochi in Kerala, the officials said.

The ED has asked him to carry along documents relating to his personal finances, those of the news channel and material related to the purported sting operation, they said.

Samuel is not an accused in the ED FIR, called the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), and the agency wants to quiz him to get information about the sting and circumstances in which it was carried out.

Samuel has been quizzed by the CBI in this case earlier.

CBI too is probing the case separately on charges of corruption.

The agency had registered a criminal compliant in this case last month under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after studying the CBI FIR.

It will probe the proceeds of crime generated in this case.

While the CBI's criminal FIR had been registered against 12 TMC leaders and an IPS officer, the ED FIR has been booked against 14 entities that include a category of unidentified persons apart from the 13 in the CBI compliant, they said.

The sting operation pertains to the filming of the TMC leaders and the IPS officer while they allegedly accepted money from the representatives of a fictitious company for extending favours to it.

The TMC leaders against whom the CBI has registered the FIR, now also booked by the ED, include Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Roy, Lok Sabha MPs-- Saugata Roy, Aparupa Poddar, Sultan Ahmed, Prasun Banerjee and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.

West Bengal ministers including Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim, Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Environment Minister Sovan Chatterjee, Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Minister Subrata Mukherjee have also been named in the FIR.

Former Minister Madan Mitra, MLA Iqbal Ahmed and IPS officer Saiyaad Mustafa Hussain Mirza have also been made accused in the case.

Mirza, who was then posted as the Superintendent of Police of Burdwan, was too purportedly seen accepting money on camera.

The Calcutta High Court had ordered the CBI to conduct a preliminary enquiry in the matter and had later on directed it to file an FIR to probe the incident.

The FIR was registered under section 120 (b) of IPC related to criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act dealing with bribery and criminal misconduct.

The sting operation was supposed to be published in a magazine where Samuel, the man behind it, was then working.

However, the tapes were later run on naradanews.com.
Kabul: Afghanistan's embattled vice president Abdul Rashid Dostum has left for Turkey, officials said Saturday, in what could be another long exile for the former warlord following allegations that he raped and tortured a political rival.

Dostum, a powerful ethnic Uzbek warlord linked to a catalogue of war crimes, departed late Friday in the middle of a criminal investigation that has drawn attention to the culture of impunity that is hobbling Western-backed efforts to instil the rule of law in Afghanistan.

Speculation is rife that he has sought temporary exile in Turkey in a bid to escape prosecution, with observers saying it could mark the end of his checkered political career in Afghanistan.

But a spokesman for Dostum, Bashir Ahmad Tahyanj, insisted that he would return after visiting Turkey for "medical checkups and to visit his family".

Dostum is accused of abducting rival Ahmad Ishchi last year during a game of Buzkashi -- a type of polo played with an animal carcass -- in northern Jowzjan province.

Dostum, 63, allegedly kept Ishchi hostage in his private compound for five days, where he was said to have been tortured and sodomised, an accusation that Dostum has denied.

Nobody was arrested or indicted despite reports that medical evidence backed Ishchi`s claims that he was abused.

The country`s attorney general launched an investigation into the allegations but Dostum evaded questioning by being holed up in his palace in central Kabul, guarded by his armed militiamen.

Afghanistan`s Western allies initially piled pressure on President Ashraf Ghani`s government to prosecute Dostum, who has survived all previous allegations of abuse.

But amid the public standoff it was clear the government favoured exile rather than a criminal trial against Dostum, which could trigger violence from his Uzbek support base.

Dostum`s aides alleged his office staff had not been paid by the government for months, in what was believed to be a pressure tactic to make him leave the country.

The development highlights what human rights defenders call a sobering reality of Afghan politics -- some strongmen are simply too powerful to prosecute.

"It`s a stunning example of what has become standard practice in Afghanistan, not just for Dostum but for anyone in a position of power: having promised to deliver justice the government has shown itself ultimately unwilling to do so," said Patricia Gossman, Afghanistan researcher with Human Rights Watch.

Earlier this month, another former warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who shelled Kabul during the civil war in the 1990s, returned to Kabul as part of a peace deal granting him immunity.

In 2008, Dostum was accused of abducting another political rival who had allegedly plotted to assassinate him. Dostum went into exile in Turkey after another long standoff until former president Hamid Karzai called him back.

Despite his human rights record, Dostum was invited to join the National Unity Government in 2014 in a bid by Ghani to attract the support of his Uzbek constituency.

In a brief statement presidential spokesman Shah Hussain Murtazawi said he wished Dostum "good health". Dostum is believed to have an alcohol problem and suffers from diabetes.

But Murtazawi declined to comment when asked whether the president was in contact with Dostum before his departure.
Tripoli: At least 141 people including civilians were killed in an attack on Brak al-Shati airbase used by Libya's Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar`s self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA).

The attack was reportedly launched by the Third Force militia, of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli. LNA spokesperson informed that the soldiers killed in the attack were unarmed and were executed while returning from a military parade.

The Government of National Accord has released a statement condemning the attack and informing that a commission of inquiry has been set up to investigate the matter.

The GNA has also suspended defence minister, al-Mahdi al-Barghati, and the head of the Third Force until the investigation is complete.

The attack follows a month after the LNA attacked the Tamenhant airbase controlled by the Third Force.

Libya has suffered unrest since Muammar Gaddafi's assassination as rival militias and authorities collided vying for the country's control.
Beijing: China has denied US allegations that two Chinese fighter jets intercepted an American military plane earlier this week, saying that its aircrafts were acting "in accordance with the law".



"Related remarks from the US side are inconsistent with fact," the Chinese Ministry of Defense said in a statement posted on its website late Friday.



"On May 17, a US reconnaissance aircraft was carrying out an operation in airspace over the Chinese Yellow Sea (the northern part of the East China Sea), and Chinese aircrafts acted to identify and investigate in accordance with the law," the statement said, calling the action "professional" and "safe".



The US Air Force said in an earlier statement Friday that its plane, a WC-135 Constant Phoenix, was conducting a "routine mission" in international airspace when it was intercepted by two Chinese Sukhoi SU-30 fighter aircrafts.



The WC-135 is a so-called "sniffer plane" designed to scan the atmosphere for signs of nuclear activity.



"The WC-135 was operating in accordance with international law. While we are still investigating the incident, initial reports from the US aircrew characterised the intercept as unprofessional," the Air Force said.



Mid-air interceptions occur routinely in international airspace, but the US military will often call out foreign pilots if it judges the manoeuvres to be risky or unprofessional.



Meanwhile, China urged the US to halt such reconnaissance exercises in order to prevent future incidents.



"The American military`s frequent reconnaissance operations are the root cause of security issues between the Chinese and US navy and air forces," the Chinese defence ministry`s statement said.
Shangai: Chinese navy ships are visiting Myanmar and will conduct communications, search and rescue, and other joint exercises with the Myanmar navy, China`s defence ministry said on Saturday.



The ships arrived in Yangon on Thursday for a four-day visit, spokesman Wu Qian said in remarks posted on the ministry`s website.



Wu said China was willing to strengthen strategic communication and deepen cooperation with Myanmar, while making joint efforts to safeguard regional peace and stability and promote bilateral ties.



The ship visit started the day China and the Association of South-east Asian Nations agreed to a framework for a long-mooted code of conduct for the disputed the South China Sea.



It comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping met Noble laureate Aung San Suu Kyi - who serves as Myanmar`s foreign minister while also being de facto head of its civilian government - in Beijing earlier this week following China`s Belt and Road Forum.



China had a close relationship with Myanmar`s former military-run government, and has carefully watched the democratisation process in its strategically located southern neighbour.
Riyadh: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Saturday that arms agreements worth $110 billion signed with Saudi Arabia aim to help the kingdom deal with "malign Iranian influence".

"The package of defence equipment and services supports the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the entire Gulf region," Tillerson told reporters in Riyadh, where President Donald Trump was on his first visit abroad since taking office.

This is "in particular in the face of malign Iranian influence and Iranian-related threats which exist on Saudi Arabia`s borders on all sides," Tillerson told reporters in Riyadh.

"Additionally it bolsters the kingdom`s ability to provide for its own security and contributing to counter-terrorism operations throughout the region".

Tillerson said the proposed defence packages also cover border security, maritime and air security, air force modernisation, missile defence, cybersecurity and communications upgrades.

The "huge" package will leave Saudi Arabia "more capable of carrying a greater share of the burden of their own security," Tillerson said.
Jakarta: At least five people were killed when a boat carrying nearly 200 people caught fire in Indonesia, rescuers said Saturday.

The vessel caught fire on Friday afternoon in the waters off the archipelago`s main Java island, prompting the captain to order people to abandon the boat, the national disaster management agency said.



The agency said the fire might have caused by a short circuit in one of the trucks carried on board.



Rescuers have evacuated 141 people and recovered five bodies in the incident, the local chief of the search and rescue agency, Mohammad Arifin, told AFB.

Authorities were checking the manifest to determine whether anyone else was missing, Arifin said.



Boat accidents are common in Indonesia, a vast network of islands that relies heavily on water transport.



In January, 23 Indonesian tourists were killed when a massive fire erupted in a boat carrying hundreds of people to an island north of Jakarta to celebrate the New Year.
Lahore: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has claimed that the incumbent leaders of Pakistan are running the country like the Britishers ran the East India Company."Our country is being run like a company.

In Sindh we have Zardari`s companies; In Balochistan, its Fazlur Rehman and Achakzai companies, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and have Asfandyar`s companies," The Dawn quoted Khan as saying.

While addressing his party`s first public meeting in Quetta, Khan accused all current the leaders of Pakistan of exploiting the country`s natural resources and said, "They are getting richer and richer with each passing day.

"Attacking Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the Panama Papers case, Khan said "The people want you to speak the truth about what business interests do you have outside Pakistan.

"The Pakistan PM`s political fate will now be decided by a joint investigation team to be set up by the Supreme Court. Dealing with aggressive Opposition is a big challenge for Nawaz.

The PTI chief also accused the Sharif government of controlling anti-state content on the social media and described these acts as an attempt to silence the voice of masses.

Narrating his interaction with Balochistan`s police officials, the PTI chief claimed that the policemen had kept asking him to bring police reforms in Balochistan like the ones he had brought in KP.

"Please remember, until the police are reformed people`s lives are not safe and until their lives are not safe, there is no welfare or happiness or business. People are scared," he said.
Tehran: Iran has sanctioned nine more US- linked businesses, organisations and people over America's sanctions over its ballistic missile programme.

Iran's Foreign Ministry published a new sanctions list on its website on Saturday, which added nine targets.

The sanctions mean Iran could seize local assets of the companies targeted and bar its employees from the country.

Those targets include Booz Allen Hamilton of McLean, Virginia; shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries of Newport News, Virginia; cyber-security firm Kingfisher Systems of Falls Church, Virginia; and DynCorp International, also of McLean.

Booz Allen Hamilton said it had no comment. The other firms did not immediately answer requests for comment.

The Trump administration in February sanctioned more than two dozen people and companies in retaliation for a ballistic missile test. Iran responded by announcing similar sanctions in March.
Beirut: Members of the Islamic State group have 'executed' 19 civilians including two children in a village held by anti-jihadists in eastern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Saturday.

"IS fighters entered Jazrat al-Boushams village on Friday evening and executed 19 civilians, including two women and two children, with bullets to the head before torching the corpses," Rami Abdel Rahman of the Britain-based monitor told AFP.

"Some were rounded up in the street before being killed, and others were executed at home," said the head of the Observatory, which gathers its information from a large network of sources across the war-torn country.

He said the jihadists also abducted three members of the US-backed anti-IS Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces alliance (SDF) before withdrawing from the village.

Jazrat al-Boushams village is in Deir Ezzor province, which is largely controlled by the jihadists.

It was captured by the SDF when alliance fighters first entered the region earlier this year.

The village is also near the neighbouring province of Raqa, which IS mostly controls.

In November last year, the SDF began an offensive aimed at taking the city of Raqa, IS`s de facto Syrian capital.

Despite being pressed militarily on all sides in Syria, notably by the SDF, the jihadist group retains an ability to carry out murderous attacks.

On Thursday, IS killed more than 50 people in an assault on two government-held villages in central Syria`s Hama province.

A day later, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said President Donald Trump had instructed the Pentagon to "annihilate" IS in Syria in a bid to prevent escaped foreign fighters from returning home.
Beirut: Lebanon's state-run news agency is reporting that security forces have detained an Iraqi citizen who was allegedly spying for Israel.

The National News Agency said in on Saturday report that the Iraqi citizen confessed that he was recruited by an arm of the Israeli Defense Ministry to gather information about the Lebanese army and certain personalities in Lebanon.

The NNA report added that the person was also asked to recruit people in Lebanon to form a "sabotage network," and that he also recruited his brother in Iraq to spy for Israel.

Lebanon and Israel technically remain at war, and more than 100 people in Lebanon have been arrested since 2009 on suspicion of collaborating with the Jewish state.

Israel generally does not comment on such allegations.
New York: A 20-year-old Indian-origin Cornell University student was found dead here after going missing this week.

Aalaap Narasipura, a senior electrical engineering student at Cornell's College of Engineering was reported missing since Wednesday.

Cornell University Police, working with the New York State Police, the Ithaca Police Department and the Ithaca Fire Department, recovered his body yesterday from Fall Creek, a short distance upstream from Ithaca Falls.?

Cornell University Police confirmed Narasipura's identity. Police said the circumstances of Narasipura's death are still under investigation, but no foul play is suspected. No other information is available at this time.

Police had searched gorges and adjacent natural areas in Ithaca. Earlier authorities had issued an advisory describing Narasipura as a dark-skinned male, 5-feet-9 inches tall.

He was last seen in the early morning of May 17 on Cornell's campus, and was wearing shorts and a flannel shirt with bright blue socks and leather sandals. Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi expressed "profound sadness" at the death of Narasipura.

He described Narasipura as an "ambitious student" who was scheduled to graduate early this December.

"He was active on the Ultimate Frisbee team, enjoyed taking photos, and planned to continue at Cornell to pursue a Master of Engineering degree," he said in a statement.
Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will attend the first ever Arab-Islamic-American Summit being held in Riyadh on Sunday, a media report said on Saturday.



The "Arab Nato" summit -- being held to develop a security partnership against a growing threat of violent extremism -- will also be attended by US President Donald Trump.



"Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz invited Sharif for the summit. The invitation was delivered by Saudi Information Minister Awwad bin Saleh al Awwad, who visited Islamabad last week," Dawn online quoted a Saudi Arabia government statement as saying.



Trump and leaders of the world`s Islamic nations will meet to "address ways of building more robust and effective security partnerships to counter and prevent the growing threat of terrorism and violent extremism around the globe through promoting tolerance and moderation", the statement said.



Sharif has reaffirmed Pakistan`s "alliance with the Kingdom by recalling the commonality of views of two countries on most regional and international issues and their collaboration" for achieving common interests and objectives.



It was "unlikely" that Sharif would get a one-on-one meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the summit, the report said.
Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will leave for Saudi Arabia on Sunday to attend an international Islamic conference where he is likely to meet US President Donald Trump.

Prime Minister Sharif was invited by Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin to attend the Arab Islamic American Summit. The issue of terrorism and relations between the US and Muslim countries are expected to dominate the summit.

On the sidelines of the summit, Sharif is likely to meet the world leaders who will be attending the conference, including Trump, the Geo News reported.

During the two-day visit, Sharif will also hold talks with Saudi leadership and will discuss several economic and security agreements.

Sharif will also visit Masjid-e-Nabawi.

Trump reached Riyadh today on his first trip abroad since taking office.

Trump is the only American president to make Saudi Arabia, or any majority Muslim country, his first stop overseas as president.

After two days of meetings in Riyadh, Trump will travel to Israel, have an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican, and meet with allies at a NATO summit in Brussels and the Group of 7 wealthy nations in Sicily.
Kabul: Eleven members of an Afghan family, mostly women and children, were killed on Friday when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb while they were travelling for an engagement ceremony in the country`s volatile east.



The attack occurred in the Mohammad Agha district of Logar province but no militant group has so far claimed responsibility.



"The bomb struck their Toyota sedan when they were going for an engagement ceremony," said Logar Governor Mohammad Halim Fidai.



"The victims included five women and five children."



Provincial authorities blamed the Taliban, who launched their annual "spring offensive" last month, for the killings.



The Taliban were not immediately reachable for comment, but roadside bombs have been the militants` weapon of choice in their war against foreign and Afghan security forces.



The bombs also increasingly kill and wound civilians.



Some 987 child casualties were reported from conflict-related incidents in the first four months of 2017, a record high for the period since the United Nations began documenting such cases.



The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan voiced alarm when five boys from one family were killed this month by an unexploded mortar round in Laghman province.



"The children were playing outside their home and found the mortar round, likely fired during fighting earlier in the day," said UNAMA chief Tadamichi Yamamoto.



"A family destroyed in seconds -- this horror is just one of too many incidents documented at the onset of this fighting season."
Baghdad: At least 18 persons were killed and 20 wounded in two suicide car bombings that targeted the Iraqi police in Baghdad, an official said on Saturday.

The attacks occurred on Friday night when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a police checkpoint and detonated it in the Shia neighbourhood of Abu Dsheer, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, another suicide bomber blew up his car packed with explosives at the entrance of a police station at the vicinity of the first blast, causing heavy damage to the building.

An Interior Ministry official said the toll was expected to further rise as many of the injured were in critical condition.

The attacks followed another assault near the country`s oil hub city of Basra, which hit security checkpoints on a road leading to the oilfield of Rumaila, leaving 13 people dead and 30 injured.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attacks but the Islamic State group in most cases is responsible for such assaults targeting the security forces and crowded areas across Iraq.

The attacks came as Iraqi forces backed by anti-IS international coalition are carrying out a major offensive to drive out the IS from their major stronghold in Mosul.
YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of Artsakh Republic told Armenpress the Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire regime more than 100 times across the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact.

The Ministrys statement reads: On May 19 and overnight May 20 the Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire regime more than 100 times by firing over 1750 shots from various caliber small arms at the Armenian positions in the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact.

Moreover, the Azerbaijani forces fired also anti-tank grenade launcher (32 grenades) at the eastern direction and 60 mm mortar (7 shells) at the north-eastern direction of the line of contact.

The Defense Army forces of Artsakh took countermeasures to suppress the Azerbaijani activeness.
YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. More than 200 have been arrested for looting and vandalism in Venezuelas Miranda state, TASS reported citing Guaicaipuro authorities.

Many are trying to fish in troubled waters. They will face trial, Francisco Garces, Mayor of Guaicaipuro said.

The Mayor said hundreds of stores have been looted.

Mass protests are held in Venezuela since early April against the government. More than 2300 people have been arrested so far amid disturbances, with over 700 still remanded in custody.

According to the opposition, over 50 citizens have been killed by police forces and hundreds were injured.
YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. Archaeologists have discovered early medieval tombstones with Mesropian writings in the excavation site of Aghdzk village, Aragatsotn province.

Hakob Simonyan, leader of the expedition of the excavation site, told ARMENPRESS they are currently deciphering the records.

We didnt have early medieval record tombstones at all, he said.

According to him, the expedition will carry out excavation-clearing works in the area until autumn.

We expect to find early medieval monumental structures in this area, he said, adding everything will be done for Aghdzk to become one of the most important tourism destinations in Armenia.

Last year the biggest of the three relic-chests was opened, which was excavated by archaeologists. The chest contained relics of Armenian Kings.

The remains of Arshakuni Kings were interred in the Aghdzk royal tomb, which dates back to mid 4th century.

A Basilica was built near the tomb in the 5th century, which was reconstructed in the 19th century.

According to the Epic Histories written by the 5th-century historian Pavstos Buzand ,after King Shapur II the Great of Persia captured Ani-Kamakh, he tried to take the remains of Armenian Kings to Persia. By doing so, the Persians believed the glory, luck and bravery of the Kings would be taken to them.

However, The Armenian Sparapet Vassak Mamikonian defeated the Persians in the district of Ayrarat, recapturing the treasures and bones of the Armenian kings.
YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. Venezuelas President Nicolas Maduro blasted US President Donald Trump after a fresh round of US sanctions and strong condemnation of his socialist government from the US leader, Reuters reports.

"Enough meddling ... Go home, Donald Trump. Get out of Venezuela. Get your dirty hands out of here, Maduro said as quoted by Reuters.

The Trump administration imposed sanctions on the chief judge and seven other members of Venezuela's Supreme Court on Thursday as punishment for annulling the opposition-led Congress in a series of rulings this year.

The new sanctions package was aimed at stepping up pressure on Maduro and his loyalists following a crackdown on street protests and efforts to consolidate his rule of the South American oil-producing country.
YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. The defense ministry of Artsakh told ARMENPRESS a 21 year old soldier of the countrys Defense Army, identified as Karen Danielyan, has been shot dead in the early morning of May 20 by Azerbaijani forces. The soldier was stationed in a military base of Artsakh in the northern direction.

An investigation was launched to determine details of the shooting.

The defense ministry released a statement extending condolences to the family and friends of the fallen soldier.
YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. It seems the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing countries are realizing the seriousness of the moment and the targeted statement is the least the Co-Chairs could do, Tigran Abrahamyan, advisor of Artsakhs president, told ARMENPRESS commenting on the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs May 18 statement.

Mediator countries are attempting to prevent the escalation processes with this statement, because Azerbaijan is consistently adding tension to processes in the frontline. The chapter of solving the conflict militarily hasnt yet been closed in Azerbaijan  Azerbaijans intention on preparing for active actions is simply obvious, Abrahamyan said.

Asked what actions should follow the addressed statement of the co-chairs, the presidential advisor mentioned that this statement perhaps has an easing function to some extent, however it must be fixed with practical steps.

In this phase, the main task of the co-chairs is to push Azerbaijan towards implementing the Vienna agreements. Otherwise the statement of the co-chairs can be effective only in a short-term period, Abrahamyan said.

Regarding Azerbaijans activeness in this phase, Abrahamyan mentioned that it is associated with several factors, however first of all it seeks to achieve concessions through pressures.

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Igor Popov of Russia, Stephane Visconti of France, and Richard Hoagland of the United States of America, released a statement on May 18 on the May 15 Azerbaijani missile launch in the line of contact.

The statement namely said According to information collected from multiple reliable sources, on 15 May, Azerbaijani armed forces fired a missile across the Line of Contact, striking military equipment.
YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. A meeting between government officials and representatives of the civil society took place on May 19 in the foreign ministry of Armenia, the purpose of which was to discuss the outline of the Armenia-EU 2017-2020 partnership priority document, as well as opportunities of joint work in relevant directions, the ministry told ARMENPRESS.

The meeting was chaired by Armenias Vice-PM, minister of international economic integration and reforms Vache Gabrielyan.

The deputy ministers of foreign affairs, economic development and investments, international economic integration and reforms, as well as representatives of the Armenian national platforms executive committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society and several member organizations took part in the meeting.
YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. At the invitation and assistance of First Lady of Armenia Rita Sargsyan, Professor Philippe Jeanty, director of USAs Nashville, TN Inner Vision Womens Ultrasound hospital, has arrived to Armenia. Professor Jeanty is a world renowned specialist of prenatal diagnostics.

Photometric scales designed by him are installed in all ultrasound devices around the world.

The Professor will hold two-day courses on fetal echocardiography in Yerevan. The first lecture will begin on May 20.

The purpose of these lectures is to improve the skills of Armenian doctors in early diagnostics of fetal heart defects, Karine Toghunts, president of the Armenian Association of Ultrasound Diagnostics in Gynecology and Obstetrics said.

I dont have sufficient information as to how its done in Armenia, but my Armenian partners regularly send images to me, based on which I can say that everything is ok, Professor Jeanty said.

He stressed that he likes to pass on his knowledge to younger doctors.

Professor Jeanty is the founder of fetal echocardiography, author of 34 textbooks on ultrasound examination in obstetrics and more than 154 publications.

He is the founder of the largest educational website on prenatal diagnostics  thefetus.net.
YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. Moscow law enforcement agencies are searching for a man who shouted Allahu Akbar while getting into a cab in downtown of the city, a police source told TASS.

A Caucasian heavy-built man got into a taxi in a Moscow Street shouting Allahu Akbar. A search and apprehend operation is underway in the city, the source said.
YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian defense ministry delegation, led by Levon Ayvazyan, head of the defense policy department, visited India from May 16  May 20 to study cooperation opportunities and reach agreements between Armenia and India in the defense sector.

During the visit, the Armenian defense ministry delegation held meetings in the Indian defense ministry, visited several military bases and defense enterprises.

Expanded format bilateral defense consultations were held on May 16. The Indian delegation was led by Shambhu S. Kumaran Joint Secretary for Planning and International cooperation of the defense ministry.

The sides highlighted the existing high level political relations between the two countries, and the centuries long friendly ties, and mentioned the mutual interest of maximally using the great potential of cooperation in the defense sector.

Touching upon regional and international security issues, the Armenian and Indian delegations reaffirmed the common approaches of the two states in this regard and willingness to cooperate in international structures.

Agreements were reached on developing cooperation in military education, peacekeeping, mountainous training, various military exercises and drills as well as military-technical sector, to strengthen the legal-contractual field, continue the format of bilateral defense consultations and activate contacts within the framework of the United Nations.

The Armenian delegation also visited military-industrial enterprises of India, reviewed its production and discussed mutually beneficial options of developing cooperation in this direction.
YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has secured the necessary majority in Fridays election, defeating his conservative rival, Ebrahim Raisi, according to the countrys Interior Minister, RT reports.

Rouhani has secured over 23.549 million votes, while Raisi has garnered around 15.786 million.

The rest of the candidates trailed far behind the front-runners, with Mostafa Mirsalim getting 478,215 votes and Mostafa Hashem Taba 219,450 votes at the latest count.

Earlier, the Interior Ministry reported that over 40 million ballots were cast by Iranians on Friday, indicating a turnout of 70 percent.

The public TV of Iran congratulated Rouhani before the official release of results.

56 million Iranians were eligible to vote.
YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. The US wont strike Syria again in case the American forces arent threatened, Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US military said.

Ive committed that such thing wont be repeated, if nothing threatens our forces, he said as quoted by Reuters.

Earlier the Pentagon said the coalition, led by the US, delivered a strike on Syrian pro-governmental forces in At Tanfa.

Russian FM Sergey Lavrov condemned the strike, calling it illegal and illegitimate.
YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on the victory in the presidential election on Friday, the Kremlin's press service reported.

Putin expressed readiness to further develop the Russian-Iranian partnership on bilateral and international issues.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has secured the necessary majority in Fridays election, defeating his conservative rival, Ebrahim Raisi, according to the countrys Interior Minister, RT reports.

Rouhani has secured over 23.549 million votes, while Raisi has garnered around 15.786 million.

The rest of the candidates trailed far behind the front-runners, with Mostafa Mirsalim getting 478,215 votes and Mostafa Hashem Taba 219,450 votes at the latest count.

Earlier, the Interior Ministry reported that over 40 million ballots were cast by Iranians on Friday, indicating a turnout of 70 percent.

The public TV of Iran congratulated Rouhani before the official release of results.

56 million Iranians were eligible to vote.
YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan sent a congratulatory message on May 20 to the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani on his decisive victory at the presidential elections and on his re-election to the high and responsible position, the President's Office told ARMENPRESS.



I am confident that during your tenure in office, the friendly neighborly Iran will continue to develop upward, bringing its considerable and important contribution to the establishment of regional peace and stability.



I am hopeful that through our joint efforts, the traditionally warm and friendly Armenian-Iranian relations will continue to develop and strengthen in all areas, registering a qualitatively new level of cooperation between our peoples.



I wish you excellent health, success in all your undertakings, and I wish lasting peace and prosperity to the friendly people of Iran, reads the congratulatory message of the President of Armenia.
YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on May 20 paid a working visit to Garni and Goght communities of Kotayk province, press service of the Presidents Office told Armenpress.

Accompanied by acting Vice Prime Minister, Minister of International Economic Integration and Reforms Vache Gabrielyan, acting Minister of Economic Development and Investments Suren Karayan, acting Culture Minister Armen Amiryan, heads of local and regional governmental structures and other high-ranking officials, the President toured Garni historical-cultural museum-reserve.

President Sargsyan got acquainted with investment programs on latest technical opportunities for the development of infrastructures and organization of tourism visits to the museum-reserve, as well as the process of road construction and other works to be carried out under the Local Economy and Infrastructures Development Program, the potential investment programs at public-private sector format, as well as talked to Garni community residents.

During the tour it was reported about the process of implementation of instructions tasked earlier by the President during the working consultation aimed at discussing priorities of Kotayk province, the opportunities to develop tourism potential.

Within the frames of the visit President Sargsyan also visited Goght community. The President visited Geghard Monastery, got acquainted with the process of organization works in the territory of Monastery under the Local Economy and Infrastructures Development Program, and gave respective instructions.






YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Minister of Finance Armen Hayrapetyan on May 19 received the World Bank mission, press service of the Ministry told Armenpress.

The main objective of the mission was to assist the Armenian side to explore the opportunities to increase logistics performance index within the frames of the countrys systematic analysis aimed at trade facilitation.

During the meeting the institutional, regulatory and infrastructure aspects of the ongoing reforms in Armenia were discussed.
YEREVAN, 20 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 20 May, USD exchange rate down by 0.10 drams to 483.05 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.11 drams to 538.94 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.01 drams to 8.46 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 0.13 drams to 628.54 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 4.04 drams to 19504.65 drams. Silver price down by 0.05 drams to 261.07 drams. Platinum price down by 3.00 drams to 14505.41 drams.
YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. The addressed statement of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs was an ultimatum warning to Azerbaijan, expert in Middle East and Caucasus affairs Stanislav Tarasov told Armenpress, commenting on the May 18 statement of the Minsk Group Co-chairs, which says that according to information received from various sources, the Azerbaijani side fired a missile on the contact line on May 15 targeting a military object of the Armenian side.

Azerbaijan intentionally followed the policy of wrecking the current phase of the negotiations, because there are preconditions that are not in its interests. Azerbaijan deliberately pursues confrontation, and its difficult to predict what it expects from that. There are different versions. I would like to believe that it will not unleash a war, but a sharp aggravation of the situation is expected. When it will occur is unclear. Its just necessary to be vigilant and be ready, Tarasov said, adding that the recent steps by Azerbaijan seem to be a means to check the reaction of Moscow and Yerevan.

Stanislav Tarasov does not rule out that in case of a resumption of another war its possible that the Minsk Group Co-chairs will officially recognize Azerbaijan an aggressor state.

The Minsk Group Co-chairs spoke out unprecedentedly sharply against Azerbaijan, which means that demonstration of aggression by Azerbaijan is expected. After the Minsk Group recognizes Azerbaijan an aggressor its rather possible that the international community or some countries recognize the independence of Nagorno Karabakh. The statement of the Minsk Group Co-chairs means that maybe they are preparing for a move, the Russian expert said, adding that all the Co-chair countries are UNSC members, and if they recognize Azerbaijan an aggressor, Azerbaijan will not see Nagorno Karabakh even in its dreams.

Syuzi Muradyan
YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. President of the Republic of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan signed a decree on May 20, according to which serviceman of the NKR Defense Army's N division Karen Danielyan was posthumously awarded with the "For Service in Battle" medal for bravery shown during the defense of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic state border, Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Artsakh presidents Office.

The defense ministry of Artsakh told Armenpress a 21 year old soldier of the Defense Army, identified as Karen Danielyan, was shot dead in the early morning of May 20 by Azerbaijani forces.
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.
Contact: Attila Nemecz

Attila Nemecz Attila.Nemecz@beaufortccc.edu

WASHINGTON, N.C. Beaufort County Community College will say goodbye to President Barbara Tansey on May 25. The exiting president announced her retirement in August 2016. She has served as the president of the college for five years. Incoming president David Loope will take the helm on June 1.During her tenure at BCCC, Tansey led the charge to develop a public safety complex on the Beaufort County campus. The college purchased 13 acres of land that now houses a new state-of-the-art fire training facility and led to the creation of a fire academy along with the Public Safety Weekend training series.Tansey also worked with state legislators to consolidate services for Washington County. This consolidation allowed for the opening of the Washington County Center in Roper. With the addition of the Hyde County Davis Center, online classes and additional Early College High Schools, BCCC has more of a footprint in all of the four counties in its service area than it has before.Her commitment to the latest technology also brought about many changes around campus. The college rolled out online registration. The networks and servers were upgraded, and the college now has all of its information backed up off-site. Tansey also oversaw the construction of a new electronic sign at the entrance of the college.Under her watch, BCCC opened the Learning Enhancement Center so students can work on papers and projects and get help with their studies. Classrooms were redesigned to facilitate cooperative learning and upgraded with new technology. A one-mile fitness trail was constructed around campus. Tansey helped create a student lounge, including a donated pool table, to encourage student life on campus.New programs were started, including an agribusiness program and a culinary program. The welding, mechatronics, mechanical engineering and automotive shops were remodeled and updated with new technology.Tansey is only the fifth person to serve as president of BCCC and the first woman to do so. A veteran educator, Tansey began her career as a teacher in rural Missouri and later became director of a program serving single-parent, displaced homemakers while she finished her doctorate. She worked several years as director of corporate training for an international construction company before accepting the position as a dean at Pima Community College in Tucson, AZ, and another position as a dean at Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, CO.Before her appointment as President of BCCC, Tansey served as vice president of academic and student services at Fayetteville Technical Community College for four years. Prior to her tenure at FTCC, she served more than three years as vice president of student learning at South Piedmont Community College in Polkton.The public is invited to the retirement reception on May 25. The event runs from 5:00-7:00 p.m. with a program from 5:30-5:45 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room of Building 10. Guests should RSVP to Theresa Edwards at theresa.edwards@beaufortccc.edu.
Powell changed name, moved to Wilmington area while facing trial for embezzlement



Former Triad economic developer David Powell operated The Throne Theater but his father owned it. Powell, who called himself "Finley" and claimed to be a music promoter from Ohio, was charged with embezzling money from a triad economic development partnership. (CJ photo by Don Carrington)



The Kure Beach home owned by Orville Powell where his son David assumed a new identity and, on April 22, committed suicide. David Powell was awaiting trial for allegedly embezzling more than $200,000 from the Triad economic development partnership involved with the Greensboro-Randolph megasite. (CJ photo by Don Carrington)

"Lost and found" background

Former Wilmington-area theater owner Finley Powell on April 22 committed suicide at a Kure Beach house owned by his father.He was 52 and left behind a wife and three children.The day he died, the Greensboro News & Record published a story that Powell was living a double life.From 2010-15, he was an economic development official in the Triad, known then by his given name David Powell, and he was awaiting trial on charges of allegedly embezzling more than $200,000 from the Piedmont Triad Partnership he once headed. It's possible he took much more money from the partnership, but officials have closed the criminal case against him, and the partnership has refused to disclose any financial information about the matter with Carolina Journal.In 2011, Powell became the point man for the development of the 1,500-acre Greensboro-Randolph Megasite project, an industrial site south of Greensboro in Randolph County designed to attract an automotive plant. Along with PTP, the project involves Randolph County, the City of Greensboro, and the state-owned North Carolina Railroad.Powell became the CEO of PTP, a 12-county economic development organization, in August 2010. Powell's salary and benefits in 2013 were $326,000, according to Form 990 federal tax return filing.According to the N&R, Powell first took money from PTP in October 2011. Initially, he issued checks totaling $128,671 to numerous business entities but deposited the checks in his personal account. In 2013, he allegedly spent $68,000 on landscaping services for his home and $41,000 on a boat with another $110,214 he took from PTP.Powell resigned from the partnership unexpectedly in January 2015. In April 2015, PTP officials notified the Greensboro Police Department about financial irregularities involving Powell. In January 2016, the Guilford County District Attorney filed charges against Powell for embezzlement totaling $240,000. His court date was postponed multiple times.The full extent of Powell's alleged embezzlement isn't clear. Chief Assistant Guilford County District Attorney Howard Neumann told CJ that with Powell's death, the criminal case is over. His office won't disclose a final report.he said.PTP officials said they will not disclose details of Powell's alleged embezzlement.N&R reporter Richard Barron documented Powell's new life in a story titled Barron told CJ.The N&R reported that sometime in 2016, Powell moved in with his parents at their home in Kure Beach, just south of Wilmington. Powell's life then revolved around The Throne Theater, a downtown nightclub purchased in July by his father, Orville. David Powell used the name Finley Powell and told people he was an Ohio-based events promoter and marketer who had owned a house in Kure Beach for many years. Finley Powell lowered his profile in the Wilmington area after Orville sold The Throne Theater in late 2016.The Kure Beach Police report states the department was notified at 1:03 p.m. April 22 that Powell was found dead at his parents' home.Barron reached Powell's lawyer, Locke Clifford, who confirmed the suicide.Barron said.Barron said he first learned of concerns about Powell from Dustin Pendleton, a Wilmington real estate agent. Pendleton said his fiancee's father became friends with "Finley" Powell, and immediately recognized Powell when they met. Pendleton had family connections in Greensboro and regularly read N&R's website. Barron said Pendleton began passing him leads about Powell's new life - and his effort to hide his previous life in Greensboro.Barron began making calls about Powell in late March this year. Barron and his editor thought there would be great interest about a once-prominent local businessman.he said.Powell gained notoriety in the Triad because of his leading role in the megasite project. Barron has reported on the project for the N&R. CJ published several stories over the past year about the project.Pendleton put Barron in touch with former employees of The Throne Theater. Barron said he learned Powell had become a prominent man in the Wilmington club scene, with a charming style, tales of past success, and a grand vision for his new venture.he said.Barron said.Barron and an N&R photographer traveled to Wilmington in late March to get a flavor for Powell's environment. By then, he had been unsuccessful in contacting David or Orville Powell.Eventually Brezenski came around, and gave Barron theater contracts that David Powell had signed as Finley - something Orville had said that Finley wasn't allowed to do.The day after Easter, five days before David Powell killed himself, Orville called Barron.Barron said.With the materials Brezenski provided and the phone conversation with Orville Powell, the N&R was ready to report the story.CJ asked PTP if the organization planned to issue a report on the extent of the Powell's activities, including the source of the funds he allegedly embezzled and if any of the money was recovered. On May 17, PTP said it did not."We have taken the investigation seriously, cooperating fully with law enforcement as this matter moved through the legal process. During the investigation, we maintained focus on bringing jobs and investment to the Triad. The investigation has ended. Under the circumstances, it is not appropriate for PTP to comment further or answer questions about legal matters:" the organization said in a statement to CJ.
A vigil at Vancouver's Christ Church Cathedral brought hundreds together to grieve, mourn and honour those who have died from fentanyl-related overdoses.

Peter Elliott, dean of Christ Church Cathedral, said it was an opportunity for affected families to come together in an environment where they could mourn with others who understood their loss.

"Some families are embarrassed. They don't know what to say," Elliot said.

"The notion of being addicted to drugs, or [overdosing] on drugs, carries with it a whole lot of negative judgement. In nearly every case, these are people who didn't intentionally seek to do anything.

"They made a bad choice, but not a choice that should have resulted in their death."

He said Vancouver needs to treat the crisis, declared a public health emergency 13 months ago, in the same way as the AIDS crisis by bringing people out of the shadows.

"So many families were embarrassed at first ... Slowly, the stories got to be told by naming folks, by moving away from stigma.

"We have to have a similar kind of community response, where names can be named, and families can grieve publicly."

Frontline workers fatigued

The event, which had participants from a number of different faiths and First Nations, was also for frontline workers.

"Staff are beleaguered," said Elliott.

"The sheer volume of deaths they see, many of whom are people who live close to the street, and have not had anyone to grieve for them."

It was a point echoed by Elise Durante, a clinical coordinator at St. Paul's Hospital.

"For so many of us, this kind of work, we do it with a lot of heart. I want to preserve my own, and my team's heart in this work," Durante said.

"It weighs heavy on us, all these losses, and it's just getting worse. Sometimes coming together as a community, and recognizing that loss in a spiritual way, an interfaith way, really helps."

The number of fentanyl-detected deaths in B.C. rose from 151 in 2015 to 575 in 2016, according to the B.C. Coroners Service. It estimates there have been 139 in the first three months of 2017.
Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

LinkedIn

Email

Telegram



Davit Atoyan, a cameraman for the independent Armenian television station Shant, was wounded in both legs on May 10, 2017 in Nagorno-Karabakh, when the Azerbaijani military opened fire on a vehicle he was in, according to media reports and his employer.

Atoyan, who is from the Armenian capital, Yerevan, was traveling in the television stations camouflaged minivan with a colleague from Shant TV and a member of the local military who accompanied them for a trip to the disputed territory of a predominantly ethnic-Armenian enclave in south-eastern Azerbaijan.

Aghasi Hunanyan, the broadcasters director of information programs, told CPJ the crew were planning to shoot a weekly television program about the security situation along the border. The journalist was taken to a hospital in the regional capital, Stepanakert, for emergency surgery on May 11, 2017. He was then transferred to Yerevan.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a predominantly Armenian-populated region, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. It proclaimed independence as the Republic of Artsakh and has an elected parliament and other state institutions. The armies of the Yerevan-backed Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan regularly exchange fire, according to reports. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group on the regions status.

The head of the Nagorno-Karabakh security council, Vitaly Balasanyan, was quoted by the Armenian Service of the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as saying that large-caliber sniper firearms were used to target the vehicle Atoyan was in.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in response that the TV crews car, camouflaged as an Armenian military vehicle initiated fire first and Azerbaijani military had to respond, the Azerbaijani independent Turan news agency reported.

One cannot blame Azerbaijan for a targeted attack on the journalists since the journalists were not properly identifiable. But the attack was illegal from general international human rights law perspective since the vehicle was not posing any threat to the Azerbaijani armed forces, Ruben Melikyan, an ombudsman for the disputed region, told CPJ.

Hunanyan told CPJ on May 19, 2017, that the Azeri side opened fire first and that Atoyan was wounded when the three men left the vehicle to hide behind rocks. The minivan windows were shattered. A video of the incident, shown on Shant TV and viewed by CPJ, corresponds with Hunanyana account.

Hunanyan said the crew were wearing camouflage for security reasons. They go to the border areas once a week, have been under fire before, including the times when they travelled with press insignia on the vehicle and their clothes. We believed it was safer for our journalists to wear camouflage, he said adding that the Mitsubishi minivan is a vehicle the crew always uses in the disputed region and has white plates, unlike military vehicles that go with black plates.

On May 11, 2017, Armenian media reported that the countrys investigative committee is examining the incident.
The 10 Biggest Labor Strikes In the Past Decade

About 40,000 employees across the country may go on strike on Friday if the company doesnt agree to new union contracts in time to avert a deadline set by the Communications Workers of America. The strike would be among the largest in the past 10 years, slightly exceeding the size of last years seven-week walk out by workers, based on annual data reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Here are the 10 biggest strikes by number of employees involved between 2007 and 2017:

10. Kaiser Permanente Hospitals: 21,000 nurses and engineers strike in California (January 2012).

9. AT&T: 21,200 Communications Workers of America members strike in California, Connecticut, and Nevada (August 2012).

8. Cabbies: 26,000 cabbies strike in New York City (September 2007).

7. Chicago public schools: 26,500 teachers walk off the job, shutting down schools (September 2012).

5. (tie) Chicago public schools: teachers, now numbering 27,000, walk out again (April, 2016).

5. (tie) : 27,000 members of the International Association of Machinists walk out in Washington, Oregon, Kansas, and California (September 2008).

4. Sutter Hospitals, Kaiser Permanente Hospitals, and the Childrens Hospital and Research Center: 29,000 nurses, engineers, and healthcare workers strike (September 2011).

3. Verizon: 36,500 workers strike from Massachusetts to Virginia (April 2016).

2. Verizon: 45,000 CWA members stop work along the East Coast (August 2011).

1. : 74,000 United Auto Workers walk out nationwide (2007).
4 billion people still dont have access to the internet, and companies like Facebook are trying to change that.

A large fraction of the worlds population will never read this post. Some of you may regard that as desirable, but most of the people involved  about 4 billion according to the U.S. Agency for International Development  will miss this story because they simply have no internet access.

And that problem isnt just confined to the developing world. Unfortunately, as a lineup of speakers at the Internet Inclusion: Advancing Solutions conference in Washington explained, dealing with this global internet access shortage wont be a quick fix. Still, there are a multitude of individuals and organizations seeking to to address the issue. Heres how.

No wireless coverage

In the U.S., most people can count on having at least mobile broadband. Thats not so in developing countries. A July 2016 report from GSMA, the trade group that runs the Mobile World Congress trade show, estimated that some 1.6 billion of the 4.2 billion people offline at the end of 2015 lived outside a 3G coverage area.

Why? The report estimated that remote areas had double the operating expenditure of urban markets and 30% higher capital expenditure.

When a dominant ISP has a marginal dollar to invest, they will invest in urban areas, said John Garrity, a senior connectivity advisor at the U.S. Agency for International Development, during a panel at the conference, which was hosted by the technical group IEEE.

Inadequate wired infrastructure

The U.S. isnt immune, as the many of you with only one company selling a high-speed connection  or with none at all  can attest.

In the one place where youd expect this problem to have been solved, it hasnt, said Vint Cerf, co-author of the internets core TCP/IP language (short for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), chief internet evangelist at Google (GOOG, GOOGL) and co-founder of the People Centered Internet project.

An ensuing discussion on the need to ease building broadband infrastructure did not mention how many times Congress has punted away a chance to require adding conduits connections for broadband in new road and rail projects.

Story continues

The usual business models dont work

Speakers agreed that its a mistake to expect traditional internet-provider business models to fix this issue but didnt agree on which other ones would.

Take zero rating, the practice of not counting some sites against a data cap. Even staunch opponents of the practice in the U.S. have allowed that it could help get people online in developing countries, and a February report by US AID  which led off by bluntly stating that the market alone will not close the access gap  cautiously endorsed it.

Cerf remains unconvinced.

The thing which I find offensive is the zero rating case where what you get is access to some proprietary service that is not internet, he said in an interview after the event. He noted Facebooks Free Basics program to underwrite zero-rated access to itself and other sites deemed relevant: Some people might come away thinking Facebook is the internet.

Panelists did agree that in some cases, only community-owned networks would likely accomplish the job  a notion that often earns cries of socialism! in the U.S.

Neither does traditional connectivity technology

The US AID report and panelists testimonies offered some fascinating examples of the lengths required to make internet access available in places where geography and markets dont favor it.

Think, for example, of building mesh networks linking Wifi signals together in villages or reusing vacant white space TV spectrum for data use. The results may not deliver speeds desirable in the U.S., but that may not matter.

Don Means, founder of the Gigabit Libraries Network, commented during one panel: The value of the first megabit is greater than the next 999.

U.S. companies like Google and Facebook (FB) have earned attention for such futuristic ventures as broadcasting internet access from balloons or solar-powered drone aircraft, but they got little attention at the event. Neither did 5G wirelessunderstandably so, since its years from commercial deployment in first-world markets.

National governments shut it off

This is an easy risk to forget in the States, but in other countries with state-owned telecommunications monopolies, internet shutdowns can be a common policy tool to suppress dissent. Cameroon, for instance, just ended a 94-day internet blackout in its English-speaking areas, and state governments in India frequently do the same.

Peter Micek, general counsel at the advocacy group Access Now, said during a panel that this shutdown cost Cameroon $4.5 billion. The internet is pushing back, he said.

Lack of digital literacy

The notion of sustainability kept coming up  you cant parachute in a bunch of routers and expect them to maintain themselves. You need local expertise and interest.

A typical comment during a panel from Christopher Yoo, founder of the University of Pennsylvanias Center for Technology, Innovation and Competition: If you dont train the barefoot engineers, it will go down.

Dont forget this basic element of civilization: Without reliable electricity, your connectivity is likely to be short-lived. In one panel, Veriown CEO Steve Johanns noted how much overlap you can see between a map of the 3.5 billion people without broadband and the 1.2 billion off the grid.

The rapid growth of renewable energy promises to help with that, but Cerf noted that battery capability needs to take a leap or two forward to allow electricity to flow all night and during long stretches of without wind.

Lack of interest

Finally, some people just dont consider the internet useful. As US AIDs Garrity said in a panel: Theres always going to be a segment of a population that wont adopt X technology.

In our chat afterwards, Cerf noted recent work by the Pew Research Center finding that a third of non-internet users just didnt want to go online: They didnt see why it was useful  which was very disappointing to me, but still an important observation.

More from Rob:

Email Rob at rob@robpegoraro.com; follow him on Twitter at @robpegoraro.
Gogos new in-flight Wi-Fi will let you stream videos via Netflix.

Inflight Wi-Fi based on air-to-ground cellular connections has a terrible reputation for being too slow and expensive.

And thats only gotten worse as the leading purveyor of it, Gogo (GOGO), has tried to keep a minimum level of connectivity by jacking up prices on transcontinental flights to as much as $40. Thats made the Chicago-based company extraordinarily unpopular among many frequent travelers  and even some airline CEOs.

Its not good, Delta (DAL) CEO Ed Bastian told Cranky Flier blogger Brett Snyder in an interview. I told the Gogo guys that in my mind, theyre no go.

But now Gogo is trying to make in-flight Wi-Fi fast enough for you to stream movies while more than a mile in the air.

Test flight

Gogo has spent the last few years deploying faster, satellite-linked service. And Tuesday it invited a small group of journalists to Newark International Airport to try its latest setup on the 737 it employs as a flying lab.

That revised configuration improves on the 2KU system I tested on a flight out of Austin last March in two ways: an upgraded modem that can distribute 100 megabits of bandwidth to the cabin and a high-throughput Intelsat (I) satellite.

Everyday chores like checking social media, email and listening to streaming music on Spotify were no problem. Streaming an episode of Portlandia on Netflix, however, fell a little short of high definition even before I started downloading a 227MB copy of the free LibreOffice productivity suite.

Download speed tested via Netflixs (NFLX) fast.com site averaged 32.8 Mbps, with the worst performance a still-impressive 26 Mbps.

But upload speeds  which fast.com doesnt report but which I checked at speedsmart.net, a site suggested by Gogo chief technical officer Anand Chari  ran much slower. That site clocked my uploads at an average of 6.1 Mbps, with downloads averaging 34.1 Mbps.

Measuring Gogos Wi-Fi speeds. This is more than enough to stream video.

Satellite connections inevitably suffer almost a second of lag time, thanks to your data taking a 44,000 mile detour to geosynchronous orbit. I didnt notice that latency in practice, but it would be obvious in some online games.

Story continues

While I didnt encounter any apps blocked by Gogo, some test sites failed to load. Speedtest.net never managed to start, while Measurement Labs tests often failed halfway through. When it worked, it reported latency of as little as 2 milliseconds  an impossible figure, since data cant zip from the satellite to the plane faster than the speed of light.

All of these web sites suffer from some measurement error, observed Chari.

The airlines can still mess this up

Still, its going to be a while before anybody but Gogos invited guests can enjoy this experience. The company wont start installing this souped-up modem and upgrading the 170 existing 2KU planes until the second half of this year.

When that happens, Gogo marketing vice president Steven Nolan warned that airlines will throttle back uploads further.

The upload speeds will be even narrower than that, because airlines dont want a full plane of people doing FaceTime and Periscope, he said.

But the bigger problem is all the aircraft that still fly with Gogos older, air-to-ground system.

At American Airlines (AAL), satellite Wi-Fi is confined to some international aircraft and wont start making its way to its domestic fleet until the arrival of new Boeing 737 MAX planes later this year. Deltas Wi-Fi is also mostly air to ground, although it is the only U.S. airline to have Gogos 2KU in service.

United (UAL) uses mostly satellite Wi-Fi from LiveTV and Panasonic that Ive usually enjoyed, but Gogo air-to-ground remains on some of its premium flights between Newark and San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Southwest (LUV) and JetBlue (JBLU) offer all-satellite service, but Alaska Airlines (ALK) only has Gogo air-to-ground, as is the case with most of its Virgin America planes.

Pricing is, predictably, a mess that varies by equipment and route. I can only point to two blessed outbreaks of simplicity: Southwest charges a flat $8 a day, and JetBlue gives it away for free.

Id like to think that at a time when the airline industry has so much trouble getting people to recognize the legitimate progress its made in recent years, it would jump on this opportunity to bring a measure of simplicity. But maybe theyll decide theyd rather keep Wi-Fi pricing that makes their checked-bag fees look simple in comparison.

More from Rob:

Email Rob at rob@robpegoraro.com; follow him on Twitter at @robpegoraro.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Barry launches a Tomahawk cruise missile on March 29, 2011. (image: U.S. Navy)

Last week a malicious computer worm dubbed WannaCry 2.0 began attacking older, unpatched versions of Microsoft operating systems, infecting hundreds of thousands of systems with ransomware that held user data hostage in exchange for Bitcoin payments.

The cyberattack used code from a powerful National Security Agency tool called EternalBlue, which a mysterious group of hackers known as The Shadow Brokers leaked earlier this year. Tech companies have been quick to blame the NSA for finding and exploiting vulnerabilities in commercial products like Windows, to say nothing of losing them.

On Sunday, Brad Smith, Microsofts (MSFT) president and chief legal officer, argued that an equivalent scenario with conventional weapons would be the U.S. military having some of its Tomahawk missiles stolen.

The next day, Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, speaking via video chat to the K(NO)W Identity Conference in Washington D.C. from an undisclosed location in Russia, repeated Smiths argument.

An equivalent scenario to what were seeing happening today would be conventional weapons, produced and held by the U.S. military, being stolen, such as Tomahawk missiles, Snowden said while describing Smiths letter to a crowd less than a mile from the White House.

Edward Snowden speaking via video chat from Russia at the K(NO)W Identity Conference in Washington, D.C. on May 15. (image: One World Identity)

U.S. officials acknowledge that the NSA deserves scrutiny about protecting tools it develops to collect foreign intelligence. Theyve absolutely got to do a better job protecting [the hacking tools], General Keith Alexander, head of the NSA from 2005 to 2014, told The Washington Post. You cant argue against that.

However, the Tomahawk analogy may be a stretch. Dave Aitel, a former NSA research scientist and CEO of the cybersecurity company Immunity, explained why hacking tools are not like bombs.

The very first thing is you can steal a Tomahawk missile from me, but you cannot steal it from me without me knowing youve stolen it, Aitel said. And of course, you can steal an exploit or other intellectual property from me and I may never find out. Another is that two people can have [the same exploit] at the same time.

Story continues

Aitel, who specializes in the offensive side of cybersecurity, added that deep down, the biggest difference is that you have to learn a lot about exploits to protect yourself, and I dont really have to learn a lot about Tomahawk missiles to protect myself from Tomahawk missiles.

This is the screen youll see if your computer is infected with the WannaCry 2.0 ransomware.

Nevertheless, the analogy has been relatively well received. Travis Jarae, CEO and Founder of One World Identity, which hosted the conference in Washington, and paid a speakers bureau to digitally host Snowden, said that the Tomahawk analogy is not wrong given the contemporary threat environment.

Warfare is digital, explained Jarae, who was previously Global Head of Identity Verification at Google. We spy on people digitally  I thought it was a little aggressive to compare it to a missile, but [government hacking] is very damaging.

Aitel noted that it makes sense why Smith and others in the tech business would make that argument.

[Brad Smiths] job is to create favorable economic conditions for Microsoft at a strategic level, and if he pressure governments to stop using exploits, then that helps him from a PR perspective, Aitel said. It doesnt help the users because people are still going to have exploits. Thats always going to be true.

Microsoft president and chief legal officer Brad Smith speaks at a Microsoft tech gathering in Dublin, Ireland October 3, 2016. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

Snowden also echoed Smiths criticisms of the U.S. governments decision to develop secret software exploits, telling the audience at the K(NO)W Identity Conference that secret government exploits are a problem, and the NSA should have voluntarily revealed the EternalBlue exploit long ago.

But other former NSA officials have pushed back against that idea, telling the Washington Post that EternalBlue netted an unreal foreign intelligence haul that was like fishing with dynamite.

Edward Snowden knows full well the value of the signals intelligence program  and that includes the NSAs hacking  to our national security, Aitel said. This is not for play. Theyre not building exploits for fun. Its not a hobby. Its for distinct and important national security needs.

So when he says Give up your exploits, he essentially is saying, We dont need signals intelligence, which we do.

Ultimately, according to Aitel, companies like Microsoft placing the blame on the NSA with crude analogies equating NSA hacking tools to U.S. cruise missiles only serves to muddy the larger debate.

The bigger issue is Brad Smith and Microsoft, who continue to insist that everything fall their way in terms of how vulnerabilities are handled, which I dont think helps the conversation around cybersecurity, Aitel said. There are a lot of very interesting things in cybersecurity that dont involve Microsofts bottom line, and those are worth talking about.

READ MORE:

The simple reason so many companies were hit by the WannaCry 2.0 ransomware

As tensions rise with Russia, U.S. colleges still pay for Snowden speeches

No, your Apple computer isnt immune from ransomware

Risk director discusses the tragedy of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks
The 25ft (7.6m) by 30ft bush in Ladysmith, British Columbia, is now in peak bloom and putting on quite a show, according to the BBC.

The 115-year-old botanical wonder  known as Lady Cynthia  will carry about 4,000 spring blossoms over the next couple of weeks.

The rhododendron is often confused for a tree but is actually a shrub.

Former Ladysmith councillor and local historian Rob Johnson, 73, has convinced the towns Chamber of Commerce to promote the marvel of nature as an attraction.

Its the size of a small house and is a vibrant pink colour, said Mr Johnson.

When it is not in bloom, Mr Johnson says it is just a nice, big, green shrub.

He said he realised we should capitalise on this when he saw the rhododendron attracting comment online.

Local residents in the town of 8,100 have grown accustomed to the huge shrub, which has been in Ladysmith since around 1904.

The first owners of the property are said to have brought Lady Cynthia to the forestry community on a sailing ship from Scotland.

Clearly visible from Ladysmiths harbour, the rhododendron is on a hill in front of a home owned by a lawyer from Texas at 226 Kitchener Street.

Ladysmiths rhododendron is so named because it is a Cynthia hybrid of the plant.

It was first developed in Devon, England, in the mid-19th Century, but thrives in the mild climate of the Pacific Northwest.

Read also: Worlds best-preserved armoured dinosaur unearthed in Canada.

Photo: Courtesy Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce.
On 3-5 October 2017 Kyiv is going to host the Space and Future Forum to network international experts and youth, many of whom will also participate at the first CosmoHack in the world. Joinfo provides media coverage of the Forum, and some of its topics were already discussed ...


It has been a busy two weeks in political news from the United States.

President Donald Trump dismissed James Comey, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Comey was leading an investigation into possible connections between the Trump campaign and Russian interference with the November presidential election.

The dismissal happened last week.

This week, The Washington Post reported that Trump shared classified information during his meeting with Russian officials. And The New York Times reported about a memo that James Comey reportedly wrote. It said Trump had asked him to end a federal investigation into a former top Trump administration official.

And on Wednesday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein named a special counsel to take over the governments Russia investigation. He appointed Robert Mueller, who served as FBI director from 2001 to 2013.

Things are happening so fast that it is difficult to keep up.

Larry Sabato is the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

Everyone I know in the political system, on all sides and in all professions, is exhausted, he said. There's never a break.

Alison Howard is a therapist in Washington, D.C. Almost everyday, she hears from patients who are stressed out about what they have watched or read in the news about politics.

Howard told VOA that people seem to deal with this stress in different ways. Some try to avoid reading or watching as much news as they have in the past.

Howard said, Others take comfort in signing into social media and finding that other people feel the same way that they do.

Lyle Cope, a Republican voter in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, said he is feeling the stress of the regular breaking news reports on cable news networks.

Pretty much anybody who is paying attention is stressed out by the constant flow of things coming from this administration, he said. Cope is retired after helping run centers for the mentally disabled.

Cope voted for the losing Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, rather than Trump, a fellow Republican.

I think my decision not to vote for Trump has been borne out, Cope said. He criticizes Trump for supporting a health care bill that will stop coverage for millions of Americans, and reports that he shared secret information with Russian officials.

Frightening, Cope said.

Stephen Gele is a lawyer in Louisiana and a Republican who voted for Trump and continues to support the president.

He said Trumps flamboyant personality is a big change.

His style is very different than most presidents people have known, Gele said. And I think that takes people aback.

Gele praises Trump for carrying out campaign promises to improve enforcement of immigration laws and increase jobs through reduced regulations and tax cuts.

Responding to news about Robert Mueller as special counsel, Trump was measured at first. He predicted the investigation will clear him and his political campaign.

But hours later on Twitter, he was direct in expressing unhappiness.

This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history! he wrote.

Starting this weekend, Trump again will be in the news, as he begins his first international trip as president.

I'm Caty Weaver.

Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English based on reports by VOA News, Reuters and other sources. Hai Do was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. Do you ever get stressed out by what you read or hear about world events?

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

classified - adj. kept secret from all but a few people in the government

special counsel - n. an attorney given authority to investigate an issue, independent of other government officials or organizations

exhausted - n. very tired

stressed - v. a state of being nervous, upset, about something going on in your life or the world

comfort - n. a state or feeling of being less worried, upset, frightened, during a time of trouble or emotional pain

constant flow - phrase, things that keep happening

borne out - v. having your position supported by what eventually happened

flamboyant - adj. doing things in a strong way that draws attention

respond - v. to say or write something as an answer to a question or an event or decision
Ciao Warren and friends

I'm still on the two-week tour of Italian cars with Veloce Tours Inc.

Yesterday we visited Corrado Lopresto's car collection. Lopresto has an impressive collection of prototypes, one-offs, and chassis number one cars. The cars have won some of the most prestigious awards around the world, including the Concourse d'Elegance Villa D'Este which is happening tomorrow.

BMW will be unveiling the 8-series concept. I've seen pictures and the car looks stunning. I can't wait to see it live.

I will also get to see the first ever one-off coach-build by the modern Rolls-Royce. The pictures are embargoed till Saturday so watch drivingthenation Facebook if you want to see pictures.

We are visiting Italdesign in Torino, Italy right now. Torino thinks of itself as the little Motown. Italdesign is with Lamborghini and Ducati under the Audi umbrella. If you want a really limited supercar Italdesign Automobil Speciali has a new car company that is producing five Zerouno cars this year. There is one left if you are interested. The starting base price is 1.5 million euro. Add another 450,000 euros for the Corsica package.

A concept that Italdesign is working on is called popup. You've heard how Amazon wants drones to start carrying packages to your house? The popup is a drone and the package is a capsule that you get in and put your final destination in and you fly about 1,600 feet in the air to your destination. It's about 10 years to production.

Let's chat about cars
SEACOMs repair vessel has arrived at the second marine fault on its cable in the Red Sea.

The fault was identified while it was fixing a separate fault on the cable  off the coast of Djibouti  which caused an outage in April. The second fault is north of the first one.

The planned service-affecting repair was scheduled to take place from 19 to 22 May, and started yesterday as planned.

Given that the nature of the fault issue is not known until the cable has been retrieved and inspected, SEACOM can only estimate repair timelines, it said.

We estimate the SEACOM subsea cable could be down for three days during this repair window.

It said the impact of the repair process will affect all linear transmission traffic on the east coast of Africa to and from Europe.

Customers with IP or other managed network services will remain unaffected, but could experience higher latencies as traffic will predominantly be routed over SEACOMs transmission links on the west coast of Africa, as well as on SEACOMs network to Asia gateways.

Now read: What the SEACOM cable break looked like
Microsoft has announced that it will deliver cloud services from data centres in Johannesburg and Cape Town in 2018.

Services offered will include Microsoft Azure, Office 365, and Dynamics 365.

Although Microsoft did not state who it will partner with for the local data centres, an industry source told MyBroadband that two data centre players will be involved  a different one for each city.

These new Microsoft Cloud regions will offer enterprise-grade reliability and performance combined with data residency, said Microsoft.

This will help organisations and people from across Africa accelerate their journey to cloud computing, it said.

The data centre presence in South Africa will bring Microsoft to 40 cloud regions around the world  more than any other cloud provider.

This article first appeared on MyBroadband and is republished with permission.

Now read: Windows Azure confirmed for SA
Poland and Slovakia will increase defense spending

Audi presents new crossovers Q8 e-tron

Benny Gantz: Israel has an opportunity to strike Iran's nuclear facilities

Samvel Babayan: Russia will withdraw peacekeepers from Nagorno-Karabakh

Hungarian government sets price ceiling on eggs and potatoes

Benny Gantz: Israel does not have the production capacity to supply Ukraine with air defense systems

Germany must adopt energy-saving measures in face of skyrocketing inflation

Beglaryan: Azerbaijan continues and will continue its policy of genocide and hatred against the Armenian people

Kiev believes it is too early to talk about withdrawal of Russian troops from Kherson

Raisi: Relations between Tehran and Moscow have a bright future

Taliban virtue representative kills minor for refusing to marry

Meeting held at Ministry of Defense

Kaljurand: A fair peace agreement, that will guarantee the rights and security of the Nagorno-Karabakh people, is needed

ATMs closed at night in Germany because of increasing number of break-ins

Moldova to request 450 million from EU amid fears of stopping Russian gas supplies

Kazakhstan plans to make knowledge of Kazakh obligatory for obtaining citizenship

Vladimir Putin to visit Armenia

Ayoob Kara: Israel and Azerbaijan must act together against Iran

Macron: France ends its military mission in Africa

Military forces of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey take part in Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline protection exercise

Shoigu orders withdrawal of troops across Dnieper River

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
YEREVAN.  The OSCE Minsk Group's statement issued on Thursday, with respect to the Azerbaijans shots fired toward Nagorno-Karabakh, can be considered as one of the greatest achievements in the Karabakh conflict settlement for the last years, if not decades, 168 Zham (Hour) newspaper writes.

Finally, the OSCE Minsk Group, as well as Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called a spade a spade and made a concrete statement for the first time, noting that it was Azerbaijan to start the ceasefire violation and the military maneuver, and Armenia only reiterated. The estimates are not exaggerated, it is an international communitys slap or a blow to Azerbaijan, which did and will do everything not to implement the agreements reached in Vienna and St. Petersburg after April war.

It is about establishment of a mechanism to monitor ceasefire violations and expansion of Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Armenia, implementation of which is actually a condition for continuation of negotiations.

OSCE Minsk Groups statements essentially legitimize the claims of the Armenian side. Thus, Azerbaijani shots can turn into a suicide shooting.

Meanwhile, the situation does not mean that Azerbaijan can draw lessons from this, everything can be worse. The coming period could be dangerous.
YEREVAN.  The first winner of the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity Marguerite Barankitse from Burundi on Saturday visited the Tsitsernakaberd memorial complex to honor memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.

She was accompanied by the director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Hayk Demoyan and the head of the Aurora initiative Arman Jilavyan. Marguerite Barankitse laid flowers at the eternal flame in memory of the innocent victims of the first genocide of the 20th century. She planted a tree in the alley and visited the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, where a special hall dedicated to Aurora Mardiganian was opened.

Asked by the Armenian News - NEWS.am what she wants to say to all those who still deny the fact of the Armenian Genocide, she said to deny the Genocide is a very big mistake. According to her, it is very important to have compassion: if Armenians have suffered from genocide, and many say that it was not, this is a very, very big mistake. The Armenian Genocide must compel humanity to realize: this should not happen again.

There is an impression, she continued, already bursting into tears from the photos she saw and the stories she heard, that people could not understand that these crimes were committed.

Marguerite Barankitse said she wants to congratulate the Armenian people, who to some extent managed to reconcile themselves with their own history, daring to turn this cruel page of history over. She especially noted the dignity of Armenian women.

And this inspires hope for my country - Burundi, which is now struggling between the past, the present and the future, and the international community in no way reacts to this, she concluded.

At the end of the visit, she left a note in the guest book saying she is grateful to the proud Armenian people for their courage.

Marguerite Barankitse from REMA Hospital in Burundi saved thousands of lives and cared for orphans and refugees during the Civil War. The award to the winner was handed over by Hollywood actor George Clooney.
Secretary of Labor Acosta Delivers Remarks on Empowering Women at G20 Meeting

Acosta discussed the importance of investing in women.

According to a news release, U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta delivered remarks at the G20 Labor and Employment Ministers Meeting on women succeeding in the 21st century economy.

As the father of two wonderful school-age daughters, I know the vital importance of ensuring that girls and women everywhere can pursue their aspirations, wherever they lead, said Acosta. Over the last decade, technological breakthroughs have fundamentally transformed the economy in the United States and the world.

Acosta cited a recent editorial by Ivanka Trump and Jim Yong Kim in the Financial Times that touched on the importance of investing in women and businesses run by women.

Historically, in the United States, apprenticeships were most common in the construction trades. We are seeking to expand apprenticeships into high-growth, emerging sectors where apprenticeships have been uncommon  and where women make up a larger percentage of the workforce  while at the same time enforcing the right of women to enter the construction trades, said Acosta.
Editors note: This article is one of an occasional Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service series on community artists in Milwaukee.

When Jendora Kelley says goodbye to students at Carmen High School of Science and Technology Northwest Campus at the end of the day, they take turns giving her hugs. Many of them call her "Mama Kelley" and tell her about their day.

Kelley, who is a spoken word poet, was previously in charge of discipline at Carmen High School, but now focuses on facilitating mediation, teaching culture and helping with conflict resolution as the community culture leader at the school.

"Culture is a way of life; it is teaching children and youth how to live," said Kelley. She explained that students are unable to understand consequences if they do not know what is expected of them. Teaching students about culture helps them understand what is expected of them both in school and in the real world.

Kelley offers two programs at Carmen: M.U.D (Mothers Understanding Daughters) and MENtality, during which students engage in conversation with adults as a way to learn lessons through storytelling.

Kelley, who writes about inspiration, respect and her personal experiences, considers poetry a way to share stories and to connect with youth. She said that she also uses spoken word and public speaking to motivate and inspire people.

She was first introduced to poetry as a child, but she didnt consider herself an artist until she auditioned for "The Vagina Monologues" in 2014. Thats when she met Catina Cole, the founder of MPower Theater Group, a nonprofit acting troupe that focuses on social justice issues. Kelley is a member of the group and will perform in "Yetta Youngs Butterfly Confessions" in June.

Kelley has shared her poetry at open mic nights, but realized that she prefers to speak at gatherings centered on a cause. She said that the art of spoken word brings a "reflective state" to a gathering of people and can be an "exclamation point" at an event.

Samantha Collier, the founder of Team Teal 365, an organization that works to empower survivors of sexual assault, has known Kelley for about five years. Collier said she has heard Kelley recite poetry at a number of events.

"I think that her words are very healing," said Collier. "She speaks for the voiceless; she has a very powerful stance and resilience, and the community needs to hear that every day."

Collier added, "No matter what you go through there is light that shines in the midst of darkness  I think she does a magnificent job showing the light that shines in herself and in other people."

Annia Leonard, a youth programs training assistant at Planned Parenthood, heard Kelley speak at arecent march commemorating Bloody Sunday, the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965.

"Just looking around at peoples faces while she was talking you could really see that they were paying attention, really determined and more energized to fight for their rights and fight for justice," said Leonard.

Kelleys mother died three years ago and has become an important part of her motivation and inspiration. The youngest of five children, she said that she feels her mothers presence and influence in her life more now than when she was alive.

"I have had the honor of turning the knowledge that I obtained from her into wisdom," said Kelley.

She added that her mother was the original "Mama Kelley," and she considers it an honor having her students call her by that name.
An entire team of experts works at the Mayo Clinic to ensure that 25,000 networked medical devices - everything from digital cameras to proton beam therapy systems - are hardened against cyberattacks like the WannaCry worm that affected hospitals from England to China last week.

It's no easy job, but - knock on wood - there have been no reported successful cyberattacks or malicious outsiders hacking Mayo's systems. Still, the WannaCry worm has infected at least some medical devices in the U.S., and well-funded hospitals like the Mayo Clinic may not be the first medical centers where successful hacking would crop up.

Rather, the public ought to think about the more than 600 financially struggling hospitals in smaller communities that are on the verge of closure. "Those are the people that we need to keep in mind for medical devices, not Mayo," said Kevin McDonald, Mayo's director of clinical information security.

"It costs a ton of money to be able to do this," he said. "Medical devices have now become the weakest link in your enterprise security defenses."

McDonald spoke Thursday morning in Silver Spring, Md., on the first day of the Food and Drug Administration's latest public forum on cybersecurity and medical devices. The two-day event is called "Cybersecurity of Medical Devices: A Regulatory Science Gap Analysis," and is intended to produce a document that will identify potential "gaps" in regulation, product design and basic research in med-tech cybersecurity.

Unlike the previous meetings on med-tech cyber precautions, this week's workshop takes place against the backdrop of a worldwide cyberattack that has affected hundreds of thousands of computers and put government agencies on high alert for another wave.

The so-called WannaCry worm is based on a security vulnerability in older versions of Microsoft Windows, which is still run on many medical devices today. The Windows flaw was discovered by the National Security Agency years ago, and publicized recently after hackers got ahold of the NSA files. The worm is a form of "ransomware" that infects computers and computer networks, locking down critical files until the victim agrees to pay a ransom.

"A few years ago the biggest problem was the breach," which would allow a hacker to steal patient data and sell it on the black market for a profit. "What's really scary is now they've figured out how to monetize the attacks directly," said workshop speaker Todd Carpenter, chief engineer at Minneapolis' Adventium Labs.

No U.S. hospital has yet publicly acknowledged being affected by the WannaCry worm. Nonprofit health care information-security organization Hitrust Alliance said it had seen evidence that devices made by Siemens and Bayer's MedRad subsidiary, along with other unnamed device makers, have been affected by the worm since the news broke last Friday morning that WannaCry had crippled dozens of hospitals in the United Kingdom.

Thursday's FDA meeting was part of the long-running effort in the U.S. to not just raise the profile of med-tech cybersecurity as an issue, but to break through the logjams that have stood in the way of progress. One key question is how to pay for it all.

"Health care institutions do not have the time, money or resources to independently fix the problems," said one of McDonald's slides, under the title "Assumptions We Need to Make." "The costs and effort for securing devices should not, and cannot, be the full responsibility of hospitals."

The Star Tribune reported earlier this week that Hennepin County Medical Center will need to spend $200,000 to address vulnerabilities raised by WannaCry in a single machine.

But the problem of cybersecurity vulnerabilities in medical devices is much deeper than figuring out who's going to write these large checks.

Ken Hoyme, director of security for product and engineering systems at Boston Scientific, said hospitals sometimes buy expensive equipment whose service life doesn't take into account how long the underlying operating system will be current.

"There is this willingness to accept a device with an expiring operating system, when the buyer knows for certain that they are going to use it for 20 years," Hoyme said at the workshop. "There are certainly research needs for something that would fill that niche (for a durable OS) in a way that is cost-effective and long-term supportable."

2017 Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A robot named "Tappy" has finally had its day in court, and emerged victorious. Well, its creator - T-Mobile - did.

A long-running lawsuit that T-Mobile filed in 2014 against Chinese smartphone maker Huawei concluded in federal court in Seattle this week. A jury decided that Huawei misappropriated trade secrets belonging to T-Mobile in a series of incidents that occurred in 2012 and 2013.

The lawsuit, filed by T-Mobile in 2014, claimed that two Huawei Device USA employees spied on a smartphone-testing robot T-Mobile had in its Bellevue lab. The robot, Tappy, was developed to test smartphone functions with fast-moving, humanlike fingers. Huawei was then a smartphone supplier to T-Mobile. On a visit to the lab, the employees photographed the robot and one slipped one of Tappy's fingertips into his bag, T-Mobile claimed.

When it filed the lawsuit, T-Mobile claimed that Huawei's espionage cost it tens of millions of dollars as it severed its supplier relationship with the company and was forced to switch to smartphones from other suppliers.

Huawei admitted in 2014 that two employees had acted inappropriately and said they had been fired. But the company disagreed with the larger trade secrets claims in the case - that the information was secret and had been used improperly to improve Huawei's own robot and benefit the company - and said it was unfortunate the lawsuit had been filed.

The Seattle jury on Wednesday determined that Huawei had misappropriated T-Mobile's trade secrets, and that it breached a handset supply contract between the two companies. The contract included language that the companies would protect and not share trade secrets they learned throughout the partnership.

The jury said T-Mobile should be awarded $4.8 million in damages because of this breach of contract.

But the jury also decided that Huawei's misappropriation was not "willful and malicious," and it did not award any damages from the trade-secret claim.

A Huawei spokesman said the company is evaluating its legal options.

"Huawei continues to believe in the merits of its defense to the allegations made by T-Mobile," spokesman William Plummer said in an email Thursday. "According to the jury's verdict, T-Mobile was not awarded any damages relating to the trade secrets claim and there was no award of punitive damages. Although the jury awarded damages under the breach of contract allegation, the amount was a small fraction of what T-Mobile requested."

The jury also said in its verdict that Huawei did not breach a separate supply contract relating to T-Mobile's discount division, MetroPCS. That contract also prohibited sharing trade secrets.

T-Mobile did not respond to a request for comment.

2017 The Seattle Times

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
CAUTION Subsequent court and administrative rulings, or changes to laws, rules and regulations may have modified or clarified or vacated or reversed the decisions summarized here. Accordingly, these summaries should be Shepardized or otherwise checked to make certain that the most recent information is being considered by the reader.

THE MATERIAL ON THIS WEBSITE IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. AGAIN, CHANGES IN LAWS, RULES, REGULATIONS AND NEW COURT AND ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS MAY AFFECT THE ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS LAWBLOG. THE MATERIAL PRESENTED IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE AND THE USE OF ANY MATERIAL POSTED ON THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT CREATE AN ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP.
News

Microsoft Planning Azure and Office 365 Services Expansions in Africa

Microsoft announced plans this week to expand its "cloud" services in Africa by building new datacenters in South Africa.

The plans include providing Microsoft Azure, Office 365 and Dynamics 365 services from "datacenters located in Johannesburg and Cape Town." Early availability of the services will start sometime in 2018, according to an announcement by Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of Microsoft's Cloud and Enterprise Group.

The services will be "enterprise grade," and Microsoft also plans to offer "data residency." The data residency qualification refers to legal requirements by some governments that data be stored within a given country or region. It's a requirement across European Union countries, for instance.

The buildout in South Africa will bolster Microsoft's overall infrastructure to "40 cloud regions around the world," according to the announcement. Microsoft claimed that its region count is "more than any other cloud provider."

Microsoft's Azure service regions can be seen at this page, which also shows the proposed datacenters in "South Africa North" and "South Africa West." Microsoft's Office 365 and Dynamics CRM Online regions are shown at this page, although the company won't disclose precise locations.

Microsoft claimed in another announcement that it is already providing some cloud services in Africa:

"Across Africa, Microsoft has brought 728,000 small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) online to help them transform and modernize their businesses, and over 500,000 are now utilizing Microsoft cloud services, with 17,000 using the 4Afrika hub to promote and grow their businesses."

The new buildout in South Africa is expected to open new opportunities for Microsoft's partners, too. Microsoft currently has "17,000 regional partners and customers alike" in Africa, according to the announcement.

All told, Microsoft is claiming to provide services to "over a billion customers and 20 million businesses around the globe."
Afghanistan's embattled vice president Abdul Rashid Dostum has left for Turkey, officials said Saturday, in what could be another long exile for the former warlord following allegations that he raped and tortured a political rival. Dostum, a powerful ethnic Uzbek warlord linked to a catalogue of war crimes, departed late Friday in the middle of a criminal investigation that has drawn attention to the culture of impunity that is hobbling Western-backed efforts to instil the rule of law in Afghanistan. Speculation is rife that he has sought temporary exile in Turkey in a bid to escape prosecution, with observers saying it could mark the end of his checkered political career in Afghanistan. But a spokesman for Dostum, Bashir Ahmad Tahyanj, insisted that he would return after visiting Turkey for "medical checkups and to visit his family". Dostum is accused of abducting rival Ahmad Ishchi last year during a game of Buzkashi -- a type of polo played with an animal carcass -- in northern Jowzjan province. Dostum, 63, allegedly kept Ishchi hostage in his private compound for five days, where he was said to have been tortured and sodomised, an accusation that Dostum has denied. Nobody was arrested or indicted despite reports that medical evidence backed Ishchi's claims that he was abused. The country's attorney general launched an investigation into the allegations but Dostum evaded questioning by being holed up in his palace in central Kabul, guarded by his armed militiamen. - Too powerful to prosecute? - Afghanistan's Western allies initially piled pressure on President Ashraf Ghani's government to prosecute Dostum, who has survived all previous allegations of abuse. But amid the public standoff it was clear the government favoured exile rather than a criminal trial against Dostum, which could trigger violence from his Uzbek support base. Dostum's aides alleged his office staff had not been paid by the government for months, in what was believed to be a pressure tactic to make him leave the country. The development highlights what human rights defenders call a sobering reality of Afghan politics -- some strongmen are simply too powerful to prosecute. "It's a stunning example of what has become standard practice in Afghanistan, not just for Dostum but for anyone in a position of power: having promised to deliver justice the government has shown itself ultimately unwilling to do so," said Patricia Gossman, Afghanistan researcher with Human Rights Watch. Earlier this month, another former warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who shelled Kabul during the civil war in the 1990s, returned to Kabul as part of a peace deal granting him immunity. In 2008, Dostum was accused of abducting another political rival who had allegedly plotted to assassinate him. Dostum went into exile in Turkey after another long standoff until former president Hamid Karzai called him back. Despite his human rights record, Dostum was invited to join the National Unity Government in 2014 in a bid by Ghani to attract the support of his Uzbek constituency. In a brief statement presidential spokesman Shah Hussain Murtazawi said he wished Dostum "good health". Dostum is believed to have an alcohol problem and suffers from diabetes. But Murtazawi declined to comment when asked whether the president was in contact with Dostum before his departure.
ALBION  A Kendallville man who caught with methamphetamine during a raid at his Cree Lake home was sentenced Friday to eight years in prison.

Pernell Childers, 52, was sentenced on the Level 4 felony charge of dealing methamphetamine. All eight years of his sentence will be served as executed time in the Indiana Department of Correction.

As part of his plea, Childers will get a chance to join the purposeful incarceration program, a therapy program that, if successfully completed, would allow him to apply for a sentence modification and request an early release.

Noble Superior Court 1 Judge Robert Kirsch said he would consider such a request in the future if Childers is able to successfully complete the prison program, but hinted that even at that time there would be significant strings attached to any early release due to Childers long, long criminal history and relapses after completing prison substance abuse programs.

Its up to you to decide whether you want to spend the rest of you life screwing up your mind and body with methamphetamine and screwing up your life with prison, Kirsch said.

Early in the morning on Oct. 30, police raided Childers home near Cree Lake off S.R. 3 north of Kendallville and recovered a large amount of narcotics and cash from the house. Childers was one of seven people arrested in the raid.

Of those seven people arrested, Childers had faced the most serious charge with an original Level 2 felony count of dealing methamphetamine.

That charge was pleaded down to the lesser Level 4 count. His attorney had originally planned in April to argue to suppress evidence collected in the raid, but that hearing was canceled when Childers decided to accept a plea proffered by prosecutors.

Childers was given credit for time hes already served in the Noble County Jail, fined $250 and ordered to pay $100 toward the Noble County Public Defenders fund.
By Parisa Hafezi and Babak Dehghanpisheh DUBAI/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Iranian authorities were counting votes on Saturday after a strong turnout in a presidential election pitting President Hassan Rouhani, who wants to normalise ties with the West, against a hardline judge who says he has already gone too far. More than 40 million ballots were cast, the interior ministry said, indicating a turnout of about 70 percent in Friday's vote, roughly similar to the showing in 2013 elections when Rouhani swept into office in a landslide victory. By dawn, six hours after polls closed, no official results had been released, an unusually long gap after a national election. State media offered no explanation. Iranian newspapers praised the turnout, carrying headlines like "a historical victory for Iranians". Pro-reform news websites said Rouhani was the victor, but offered no evidence. The Instagram account of Rouhani ally, former president Mohammad Khatami, showed a picture of Rouhani making a victory sign and ran the slogan "Hope prevailed over isolation". Rouhani's chief of staff Hamid Aboutalebi tweeted that Rouhani had won 60 percent of the vote. He cited no evidence. The big turnout could favour Rouhani, whose backers' main worry has been apathy among reformist-leaning voters disappointed with the slow pace of change. Rouhani, 68, who took office promising to open Iran to the world and give its citizens more freedom at home, faced an unexpectedly strong challenge from hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, a protege of supreme leader Ali Khamenei. The election is important "for Iran's future role in the region and the world", Rouhani, who struck a deal with world powers two years ago to curb Iran's nuclear programme in return for the lifting of most economic sanctions, said after voting. Raisi, 56, has accused Rouhani of mismanaging the economy and has travelled to poor areas, speaking at rallies pledging more welfare benefits and jobs. He is believed to have the backing of the powerful Revolutionary Guards security force, as well as the tacit support of Khamenei, whose powers outrank those of the elected president but who normally steers clear of day-to-day politics. "I respect the outcome of the vote of the people and the result will be respected by me and all the people," Raisi said after voting, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. However, Raisi later appeared at the Ministry of Interior in Tehran on Friday and complained of a shortage of ballot sheets at many polling stations, according to Fars. More ballot sheets were subsequently sent out, the agency reported. In the last election, Rouhani won more than three times as many votes as his closest challenger. But this time the outcome might be much closer, as other conservative rivals have backed out and thrown their support behind Raisi. The Guards and other hardliners hope that a win for Raisi will give them an opportunity to safeguard economic and political power they see as jeopardised by the lifting of sanctions and opening of the country to foreign investment. During weeks of campaigning, the two main candidates exchanged accusations of corruption and brutality in unprecedentedly hostile television debates. Both deny the other's accusations. Rouhani has urged the Guards not to meddle in the vote, a warning that reflects the political tension. Suspicions that the Guards and the Basij militia under their control falsified voting results in favour of hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad led to eight months of nationwide protests in 2009, which were violently suppressed. STARK CHOICE For ordinary Iranians, the election presents a stark choice between competing visions of the country. Rouhani, known for decades as a mild-mannered establishment insider rather than a gung-ho reformer, has taken on the mantle of the reform camp in recent weeks, with fiery campaign speeches that attacked the human rights records of his opponents. "I voted for Rouhani to prevent Raisi's victory. I don't want a hardliner to be my president," said Ziba Ghomeyshi in Tehran. "I waited in the line for five hours to cast my vote." Many pro-reform voters are still lukewarm Rouhani supporters, disappointed with his failure to make broader changes during his first term. But they are anxious to keep out Raisi, who they see as representing the security state at its most fearsome: in the 1980s he was one of four judges who sentenced thousands of political prisoners to death. "I am on my way to vote for Rouhani. I like his detente policy with the world. I know he is not a reformist, but who cares? What matters is that he is not Raisi," government employee Yousef Ghaemi, 43, said by phone in the western city of Kermanshah. For conservatives, the election represents a chance to restore the values of the 1979 revolution, which requires elected officials to be subordinate to the Shi'ite Muslim clergy and supreme leader. "I cast my vote already - I voted for Raisi because he is a follower of Imam Khamenei. He will not confront the leader if elected. He will protect our Islamic identity," said Mehran Fardoust, 36, a shopkeeper near the Imam Reza Shrine in the holy city of Mashhad, Raisi's home town. Despite the removal of nuclear-related sanctions in 2016, lingering unilateral U.S. sanctions that target Iran's record on human rights and terrorism have kept foreign companies wary of investing, limiting the economic benefits so far. Raisi has focused his campaign on the economy, visiting rural areas and villages and promising housing, jobs and more welfare benefits, a message which could have resonated with millions of poor voters angry at the Tehran elite. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two, presumably Rouhani and Raisi, will face each other a second time in a run-off in a week. (Additional reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, Editing by William Maclean, Mark Trevelyan and Simon Cameron-Moore)
The European capital of skateboarding, the proving ground for AMs, Barcelona, once again blessed us with sunshine and a perfect temp for the qualifiers of the Nike SB Barcelona AM

on Friday afternoon.

Many of the skaters who had travelled into Barcelona, got in the mood for the heat rounds

with a classic Hill Bomb from the top of the city down to the newly opened Barcelona Box

creative space situated on Barceloneta Beach.

Stadium bleachers and screens set up around The Skate Agora skatepark in Badalona down

the coast, added to the intense session atmosphere as the 120 registered skaters from across the globe threw down for the biggest AM skate event on the continent.

With only 20 skaters advancing through to the semis to meet the 20 pre-qualified riders, 3

man, 3 minute heats flew through in a blaze of fierce skating.

15 made the cut for the Saturday finals that saw a bunch of big hitters missing the grade in the insanely tough field.

Getting through with some man size lines, was Londoner Casper Brooker alongside Norwegian child prodigy Jonas Carlson, who showed the flow maturity of a skater a decade his senior. The top three from the semis were Didrick Galasso with trademark relaxed effortless cool, Mads Christensen solid and textbook as ever and going through in the top spot big man Alexander Risvad showing super consistency throughout the day.

Full list of results  here

For those that didnt qualify there was consolation in the fact that they could let loose in town and take in the launch of the Marcel Veldmans solo exhibition Definitely Not the New Fluff Exhibition  skateboarding in its purest form.

Finals start today at 18.00 at Skate Agora straight after the SLS qualifiers with the 15 finalists vying for part of the 10K prize purse. The overall winner will also leave with a ticket to fly pass getting them an invite to the Nike SB Berlin Open at the end of July.
Your Ultimate Investing Toolkit

Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools:

Portfolio Monitoring

Top Stock Lists

Premium Reports

Stock Screeners

Live News Feed

Premium Support

Free for your first month.
ResMed Inc. develops, manufactures, distributes, and markets medical devices and cloud-based software applications for the healthcare markets. The company operates in two segments, Sleep and Respiratory Care, and Software as a Service. It offers various products and solutions for a range of respiratory disorders, including technologies to be applied in medical and consumer products, ventilation devices, diagnostic products, mask systems for use in the hospital and home, headgear and other accessories, dental devices, and cloud-based software informatics solutions to manage patient outcomes, as well as provides customer and business processes. The company also provides AirView, a cloud-based system that enables remote monitoring and changing of patients' device settings; myAir, a personalized therapy management application for patients with sleep apnea that provides support, education, and troubleshooting tools for increased patient engagement and improved compliance; U-Sleep, a compliance monitoring solution that enables home medical equipment (HME)to streamline their sleep programs; connectivity module and propeller solutions; and Propeller portal. It offers out-of-hospital software solution, such as Brightree business management software and service solutions to providers of HME, pharmacy, home infusion, orthotics, and prosthetics services; MatrixCare care management and related ancillary solutions to senior living, skilled nursing, life plan communities, home health, home care, and hospice organizations, as well as related accountable care organizations; and HEALTHCAREfirst that offers electronic health record, software, billing and coding services, and analytics for home health and hospice agencies. The company markets its products primarily to sleep clinics, home healthcare dealers, and hospitals through a network of distributors and direct sales force in approximately 140 countries. ResMed Inc. was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.
M&T Bank Corporation operates as a bank holding company that provides commercial and retail banking services. The company's Business Banking segment offers deposit, lending, cash management, and other financial services to small businesses and professionals. Its Commercial Banking segment provides deposit products, commercial lending and leasing, letters of credit, and cash management services for middle-market and large commercial customers. The company's Commercial Real Estate segment originates, sells, and services commercial real estate loans; and offers deposit services. Its Discretionary Portfolio segment provides deposits; securities, residential real estate loans, and other assets; and short and long term borrowed funds, as well as foreign exchange services. The company's Residential Mortgage Banking segment offers residential real estate loans for consumers and sells those loans in the secondary market; and purchases servicing rights to loans originated by other entities. Its Retail Banking segment offers demand, savings, and time accounts; consumer installment loans, automobile and recreational finance loans, home equity loans and lines of credit, and credit cards; mutual funds and annuities; and other services. The company also provides trust and wealth management; fiduciary and custodial; insurance agency; institutional brokerage and securities; and investment management services. It offers its services through banking offices, business banking centers, telephone and internet banking, and automated teller machines. As of December 31, 2021, the company operates 688 domestic banking offices in New York State, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia; and a full-service commercial banking office in Ontario, Canada. M&T Bank Corporation was founded in 1856 and is headquartered in Buffalo, New York.
CAIRO (AP) -- Beaming, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi sat before an audience next to a young TV presenter who praised him for his transparency and straight talk. She then selected a number of questions and complaints from thousands submitted by the public to an online page called "Ask the President."

For the next hour, Egypt's leader dispensed solutions to people's problems and concerns on live TV.

When one person wrote in complaining police had shut down an unlicensed food cart run by two women, el-Sissi replied he wants to start a program to license such carts in public squares. Then he turned to his interior minister  the powerful head of police sitting in the front row  and chided him good-naturedly, asking why he doesn't give out temporary licenses until a permanent system is set up.

Egypt's general-turned-president has deftly maneuvered his way to being a leader through whom nearly everything is funneled, sidestepping state institutions that are largely weak anyway. The parliament is dutifully loyal, his Cabinet waits on his every word, and the media are almost completely without dissenting voices.

At the same time, he has put himself out before the public in a way no Egyptian leader has before. El-Sissi appears often at televised gatherings and a series of heavily publicized youth conferences where he answers questions from people in the audience or  in one case last month  questions submitted to the "Ask the President" page on a website linked to his office.

Throughout, he projects a carefully cultivated image of a detail-oriented workaholic, in touch with the people, tough-minded but sensitive to their woes.

That image has served him well, helping preserve his popularity among a significant section of the Egyptian public, despite the pain of high prices inflicted by austerity measures he imposed to salvage a sinking economy, a dragged-out fight against Islamic militants and concerns over his increasingly authoritarian ways.

Story continues

His televised appearances give an impression of freedom and transparency, though his government has rolled back most freedoms won by a 2011 uprising, suppressed civil society groups and jailed thousands of opponents.

"He wants to come across as the one who holds all the strings, solves everything, and the only one with ideas. It's a combination between authoritarianism and PR," said Hisham Kassem, a prominent publisher and media expert.

El-Sissi and his supporters say there is no other way to fix a nation deeply damaged by turmoil since the 2011 uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak. The outreach, they say, reassures and rallies a public struggling with cripplingly higher prices for food, fuel and services from the economic reforms, which included the floating of the currency and lifting of some subsidies.

El-Sissi has also been boosted by a turnaround on the world stage, where he was initially shunned for ousting an elected president in 2013 and overseeing a massive crackdown on Islamists and secular opponents. Now he has been embraced by many Western leaders, including President Donald Trump, as an ally against terrorism and illegal immigration.

El-Sissi does not hide his disdain for politics and does not have a political party, a contrast to Mubarak, whose ruling party was a tool for enforcing loyalty in the government and the streets.

Instead, the military remains el-Sissi's main arm. He has expanded the military's role in the economy, bringing it into new fields of manufacturing and infrastructure construction  so much so that some complain private investors are at a disadvantage.

"If the armed forces hadn't been an integral part of confronting this massive (economic) development, we would have probably not been able to achieve what we have," he said in a recent interview.

He has also enrolled hundreds of carefully vetted young graduates in a program to produce a new leadership generation. Many of them are to be assigned to ministries and government agencies, effectively installing el-Sissi loyalists to realize his policies.

"It's clear that he has no trust in most state institutions," said Negad Borai, a prominent rights lawyer who is among a number of activists banned from travel.

"He sidesteps most institutions and deals directly with the people through these televised functions," Borai said. "The bottom line is, he and his preferred institutions, primarily the military, are doing everything themselves."

El-Sissi's public outreach has been enabled by the grip he holds over the media, where dissenting voices have been squeezed out and celebrity talk show hosts have been empowered as his unofficial spokespersons and cheerleaders.

In his appearances, el-Sissi shows a mix of diligence, patriotism, religious piety and "regular guy" moments  heartily laughing at a joke or choking back tears listening to a mother talk about a son killed fighting militants.

During a recent TV program discussing poverty in rural areas, the host was visibly delighted when el-Sissi phoned into the show, ostensibly unplanned.

"I hope I'm not bothering you," el-Sissi said humbly before talking about his government's efforts to build homes and infrastructure.

He often proclaims his gratitude and admiration for how Egyptians are enduring the hardships, promising they will be rewarded with better times.

He combines that with tough love, telling Egyptians they can no longer depend on subsidized prices. He angrily told Cairenes this week to stop complaining about higher metro fares, saying services in Egypt remain among the world's cheapest.

And he has maintained the security agencies' iron fist.

One of the questions read during the "Ask the President" session was from a prominent rights activist, Gamal Eid.

Eid wrote that the main security agency shut down five public libraries he set up using funds from an international award. In the complaint, he referred to the agency by its former, but still widely used name, "State Security," rather than "National Security," as it has been called since 2011.

"Do we have State Security?" el-Sissi asked his interior minister with a mocking smile.

El-Sissi said Eid should lodge a court case. "The ruling will be binding on you and the Interior Ministry," he said. But then he added that closing the libraries must have been done in the interest of protecting Egyptians.

Eid later told The Associated Press there is no way to appeal in court because police closed the libraries without ever producing an official order.
BANJUL (Reuters) - A Gambian court has issued international arrest warrants for two ex-soldiers suspected of murdering a journalist during the rule of former president Yahya Jammeh, who fled into exile in January after 22 years of power marred by alleged human rights abuses. Banjul Magistrates Court issued the warrants for former Colonel Kawsu Camara and Major Sanna Manjang late on Thursday, said principal magistrate Isatou Janneh-Njie. Both suspects are thought to have been members of Jammeh's alleged assassination squad known as the "junglers". The warrants are part of attempts by authorities under new President Adama Barrow to redress abuses under Jammeh, who lost an election in December but initially refused to step down. West African troops entered the country to pressure him to leave power. Veteran reporter Deyda Hydara was a critic of the government and co-owner of the independent newspaper The Point. He was shot dead in his car in 2004 and the murder was never explained. Hydara for three decades also worked as a correspondent for Agence France-Presse and Reporters without Borders. Police spokesman Foday Conta said on Friday the two suspects were not currently in Gambia, adding: "The warrant is to order their arrest anywhere they may be." Jammeh now lives in exile in Equatorial Guinea. One of his ex-officials was arrested in Senegal earlier this year. Some Gambians whose family members suffered from alleged crimes during Jammeh's long rule have expressed frustration with what they see as a very slow justice system. (Reporting by Lamin Jahateh; Writing by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Gareth Jones)
james mattis

Pool/Matt Dunham via Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Friday that any military solution to the North Korea crisis would be "tragic on an unbelievable scale" and Washington was working internationally to find a diplomatic solution.

North Korea has defied all calls to rein in its nuclear and missile programs, even from China, its lone major ally, calling them legitimate self-defense.

It has been working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of striking the U.S. mainland, and experts say its test on Sunday of a new missile was another important step toward that aim.

"We are going to continue to work the issue," Mattis told a Pentagon news conference.

"If this goes to a military solution, it's going to be tragic on an unbelievable scale. So our effort is to work with the U.N., work with China, work with Japan, work with South Korea to try to find a way out of this situation."

The remarks were one of the clearest indicators yet that President Donald Trump's administration will seek to exhaust alternatives before turning to military action to force Pyongyang's hand.

The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea to guard against the North Korean threat, has called on China to do more to rein in its neighbor.

Mattis appeared to defend China's most recent efforts, even as he acknowledged Pyongyang's march forward.

"They (North Korea) clearly aren't listening but there appears to be some impact by the Chinese working here. It's not obviously perfect when they launch a missile," Mattis said, when asked about Sunday's launch.

north korea

Reuters

Re-entry capability?

South Korea has said the North's missile program was progressing faster than expected, with Sunday's test considered successful in flight.

North Korea said the launch tested the capability to carry a "large-size heavy nuclear warhead," and its ambassador in Beijing has said that Pyongyang would continue such test launches "any time, any place."

Story continues

Mattis acknowledged that Pyongyang had likely learned a great deal from the latest test of what U.S. officials say was a KN-17 missile, which was believed to have survived re-entry to some degree.

"They went to a very high apogee and when it came down obviously from that altitude they probably learned a lot from it. But I'm not willing to characterize it beyond that right now," Mattis said.

David Wright, co-director and senior scientist at the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, the big question was whether North Korea could build a re-entry vehicle for a long-range missile that wouldn't burn up during re-entry and could keep a warhead from becoming too hot in the process.

"This test in principle gave them a lot of information about this, assuming they had sensors that could send information back during reentry so they could monitor the heat, or they could recover the reentry vehicle and examine it," he said.

(Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Cynthia Osterman)

NOW WATCH: Nazi Germany couldn't import coffee  so it turned to meth instead

See Also:
ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Fighting this week between rival Christian and Muslim militias in the Central African Republic town of Bria killed at least 22 people, including 17 civilians, and forced some 10,000 others to flee, the country's United Nations mission said on Saturday. The clashes come amid a week of intense violence between mainly Muslim fighters from the former Seleka rebel coalition that overthrew President Francois Bozize in 2013 and anti-balaka Christian militias who oppose them. "The fighting between armed groups in Bria and elsewhere in eastern CAR must stop," Diane Corner, the deputy head of the peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, said in a statement. "These appalling acts of violence committed by armed groups over the last week have killed scores of innocent Central African men, women and children, deprived families of their homes and citizens of their livelihoods," she said. The rival factions fought over the northeastern town of Bria's airstrip on Friday and looting forced humanitarian workers to seek refuge inside the MINUSCA base there. In addition to the dead, some 36 people were injured in the clashes, the U.N. mission said. U.N. soldiers have also reinforced their positions in the towns of Bangassou and Alindao, which have been hit by violence this week as well. Red Cross workers said on Wednesday they recovered 115 bodies in Bangassou, a diamond mining hub, after several days of fighting there. (Reporting by Joe Bavier, editing by Louise Heavens)
France 24 Videos

Is democracy really on the ballot, as Joe Biden claims? The whole world is watching the US midterm elections: the first since Russias invasion of Ukraine fuelled soaring inflation and the first federal elections since Trump supporters stormed the Capitol. We ask about the issues that have pollsters predicting a win for opposition Republicans and what to make of anticipated record turnout in many races. With the former Republican president hinting he will use the result as a springboard to formally announce his bid for re-election in 2024, we ask about the consequences of a no-holds-barred campaign with no limit on spending or vitriol. What does the election mean for democracy in America?More broadly, what does it mean for the rest of the world at a time of war in Europe and stepped-up tensions with China? With leaders from around the globe meeting in Egypt to try to agree on a common plan to address the planets climate emergency, what does the rest of humanity make of the bitter divisions raging inside its biggest superpower?Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Juliette Laurain and Guillaume Gougeon. Read more on FRANCE 24 EnglishRead also:US midterm elections put abortion on the ballotUS midterms: Biden warns of attacks on democracy, Trump hints he'll announce bid next weekUS midterms: Five of the key Senate races to watch
(Reuters) - The U.S. Coast Guard late on Thursday suspended its search for four Americans who were aboard a small airplane that is believed to have gone down in the Bermuda Triangle near the Bahamas.

The plane, a Mitsubishi Corp MU-2B twin-engine turboprop, was reported lost on Monday after failing to arrive at Titusville, Florida, 40 miles (64 km) east of Orlando on Florida's Atlantic coast. It had departed Borinquen, Puerto Rico, at about 11 a.m. local time that day.

The plane's four occupants, Jennifer Blumin, 40, Nathan Ulrich, 52, and Blumin's 3-year-old and 4-year-old sons are still missing, the Coast Guard said in a statement late on Thursday.

"This was a swift and significant loss and its impact has reverberated through everyone that participated in the search," Christopher Eddy, search and rescue mission coordinator, said in a Coast Guard news release.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the accident.

A Coast Guard helicopter crew found a fuel sheen and a debris field on Tuesday in ocean waters near the Bahamas.

Blumin, a resident of New York City, is the founder and chief executive of Skylight Group, a firm that leases large buildings as event venues for fashion shows and celebrations, according to the New York Times.

Ulrich, who is from Lee, New Hampshire, co-founded a scooter company called Xootr more than a decade ago.

The Bermuda Triangle -- covering an area roughly between Bermuda, Puerto Rico and the tip of Florida -- is known in popular culture for the unexplained disappearance of ships and aircraft.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)

See Also:
The New Mexico Environment Departments Air Quality Bureau has developed a compliance assessment program for New Mexico small businesses, except for those in Bernalillo County or on tribal lands.

The program offers free assistance to small businesses that want help discovering air quality permit violations. The program allows for a small business to voluntarily disclose the violation(s) to the Air Quality Bureau and correct them within a specified timeframe.

A small business is a person, corporation, partnership, or other entity that employs 100 or fewer individuals across all facilities and operations. Small businesses in Bernalillo County should contact the City of Albuquerque Environmental Health Division concerning air quality compliance. On tribal lands, small businesses should either contact the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the tribe directly.

More information is available at the Environment Departments website or by calling (505) 222-9583.
SANTA FE  State government agreed to a $3 million settlement payment to the family of a woman shot and killed by a State Police officer in Santa Fe more than three years ago to avoid a wrongful death suit, according to documents obtained by the Journal Friday.

State Police Officer Oliver Wilson shot and killed 39-year-old Jeanette Anaya around 1 a.m. Nov. 7, 2013, after Wilson tried to pull her over for what the officer contended was a questionable turn onto St. Francis Drive, although his dash-cam camera didnt show any obviously erratic driving when it was made public.

Anaya, who was wanted on a minor warrant for concealing identity, didnt stop and led Wilson on a chase through city streets, reaching 87 mph at one point. After Wilson used a bumping maneuver to get Anaya to stop on Camino Carlos Rey near Herb Martinez Park Wilson, she backed up and her car struck Wilsons patrol car, the dash-cam video showed.

Wilson, who was already out of the car at that time, began firing shots shortly after the collision, but it was unclear if Anayas car was moving forward or backward as the shots rang out. One of the 16 shots hit Anaya in the back of the head while another hit her in the back.

Wilson was cleared of wrongdoing in a closed-to-the-public investigative grand jury proceeding, with evidence presented by former District Attorney Angela Spence Pacheco, in January 2014.

Anayas family filed a tort claim notice with the state on Dec. 10, 2013, saying that Anayas statutory and constitutional rights had been violated. The state Risk Management Divisionss settlement agreement, dated Sept. 24, 2014, says Wilson wrongfully engaged in a car chase and shot at Ms. Jeanette Anaya, which resulted in her death. The state said its not admitting liability and that the settlement is a compromise to avoid the expenses of litigation and to terminate all controversy and claims against (the state) of any nature.

The state was to make a payment of $3,050,000 from the public liability fund to Jake and Teresa Anaya and their lawyers 20 days after the settlement date.

Teresa Anaya, Jeanettes mother, said Friday she didnt want to comment on the settlement but that she said she still wants to see Wilson charged for the shooting. She has maintained that the State Police, which investigated the shooting by one of its own officers, and Pacheco covered up Wilsons crimes. Im still fighting for justice and for and for criminal charges, she said Friday.

Wilson said at the grand jury hearing that he started firing because he thought he was going to be crushed between the two cars when Anaya was backing up. Anayas passenger that night, Jeremy Munoz, testified at the grand jury proceeding that Wilson started shooting as they were driving away.
From a hospital bed, with tears welling in his eyes at one point, police say an Albuquerque transient told of killing a man months ago near Downtown.

Frank Frometa, 42, is now charged with murder in the death of Wilfred Wolf Salas, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in Metropolitan Court.

The court document says Frometa told police he killed Salas with a hammer in late December after an altercation between the two men.

Salas body was found outside his home on Dec. 28 near Lomas and Edith NE. He had been killed from blunt-force trauma to the head, then covered by a rug and left in the street, police said.

In late April, Frometa reached out to police to clear his conscience, according to the complaint. At the time, he was in the intensive care unit at the University of New Mexico Hospital. He said he had been hit by two cars and had been in the ICU since early March.

Frometa told detectives the two men smoked marijuana before Salas let him use his shower and gave him some blankets. As Frometa was leaving, he said Salas pulled out a knife and said, in Spanish, Im going to cut you pretty, the complaint reads.

Police say thats when Frometa struck Salas, first with a hammer and then a piece of concrete.

At the scene police found the bloodied hammer and concrete as well as a set of bloody footprints walking away, according to the complaint.

I killed him because he was a bad man, the court document says Frometa told police.

Frometa made a sign of the cross when asked to identify a picture of Salas and, after speaking with police, said he didnt want to talk anymore and only wanted to be taken to jail.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

A June 6 election for four Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District board positions will determine the personnel charged with juggling the districts varied responsibilities the next few years.

The conservancy district serves 11,000 irrigators, delivering water to 70,000 acres of cropland along 150 miles of the Rio Grande from Cochiti Dam in the north to the Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge in the south. But board members also make decisions that affect drainage, flood control, fish and wildlife and recreation.

People who dont irrigate think they dont get any value from the conservancy district, said Glen Duggins, a Lemitar farmer who serves as vice chairman of the district board of directors. But they forget about flood control. Right now the river is running high. If it were not for the conservancy district, we would not have a Downtown (Albuquerque).

Seven members serve on the MRGCD board  three from Bernalillo County; one each from Sandoval, Socorro and Valencia counties; and one in an at-large position. Board terms are four years. Positions at stake in this election are two of the Bernalillo County seats and the Socorro County and Sandoval County seats.

Seven candidates  two each in three contested races and one who is unopposed  are on the ballot. Incumbents Karen Dunning, who holds one of the Bernalillo County seats, and Derrick J. Lente of Sandoval County are running. Incumbents Adrian Oglesby of Bernalillo County and Chris Sichler of Socorro County are not seeking new terms.

To be eligible to vote, people must own property in the area benefitted by the conservancy district. It is those people, even those who are not irrigators, who pay the taxes that provide operating funds for the district.

Absentee voting in this years election commenced on April 27 and continues through June 3. Early voting starts Monday and continues through June 3.

Heres a look at the candidates as they appear on the ballot.

Position No. 3  Bernalillo County

Karen Dunning is seeking her third term on the board. The Los Ranchos de Albuquerque resident is self-employed and does environmental assessments for housing developments. An enthusiastic walker, Dunning made her first run for a board seat in an effort to make sure the MRGCD kept access to irrigation ditches open to walkers.

I have seen (the board) emerge as a much more professionally run organization focused on long-range planning. A majority of us believe climate change presents a real threat and that we need to keep up on the scientific information, need to change the way we do things so we do them more efficiently.

Pat McCraw lives in Albuquerques South Valley, where she keeps two horses, 10 goats, two chickens, a donkey and a spotted mule. She said she buys 600 bales of hay a year.

Im running because I care a lot about the district. I have attended (MRGCD) meetings for more than 14 years, and I feel the district is pushing farmers aside and not getting them the kind of service that they need. If you use the ditches to irrigate, you are keeping the bosque wet in the desert and creating a lot of greenery that is good for habitat, particularly bird habitat.

Position No. 4  Bernalillo County

Joaquin Baca is unopposed in his bid to succeed Adrian Oglesby. Now a resident of Downtown Albuquerque, he grew up in Belen, where his life was unavoidably connected to the bosque. He is employed as a hydrologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service but notes he will not vote on board matters related to federal contracts and actions.

I want to balance the needs of the irrigators with (efforts) to bring people to the river. Im a scientist running for elective office and that gives me an opportunity to serve my community in a way that is meaningful and gives to the greater good. We live in a desert. We just got out of a drought. We have to plan.

Position No. 6  Socorro County

James Lee Martin was born in Las Vegas, N.M., grew up in Socorro and now lives on six acres in Lemitar. He retired from New Mexico Tech as a construction supervisor, has served on the Socorro County Commission, in the New Mexico House from 1976 to 1984 and in the New Mexico Senate from 1984 to 1992.

I am really impressed with how hard the farmers work. I have a little bit of knowledge of how the processes work, and I just want to keep the ditches clean and the water flowing. The (middle Rio Grande valley) is a beautiful place. I would like to see it used for generations. I want to keep the valley green.

Valerie Moore lives on a 26-acre farm in Lemitar. She and her late husband managed ranches throughout New Mexico and Arizona. She has served on various boards, has been a 4-H leader and is a construction volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.

Im very passionate about supporting farmers. The most important thing is to keep the water moving and our crops alive. We have to consider the long-term consequences. We have plenty of water this year, but when the lean times come we need to make sure we have enough. There are better ways to do things, better ways to make use of the water.

Position No. 7  Sandoval County

Derrick J. Lente of Sandia Pueblo is completing his second term on the MRGCD board and serves as its chairman. He was also elected last year to the New Mexico House of Representatives. Lente and his daughter operate a farm and ranch, growing alfalfa and raising Black Angus cattle.

During my tenure (on the board) I have seen it evolve into transparency, accountability and become a true water leader in the state. How we manage our finances and improvement of infrastructure  dams, levees, canals, gates  are our biggest challenges. We are in changing times. We have to be much smarter in how we deliver water.

Orlando J. Lucero is a Bernalillo resident who retired after 50 years of teaching  biology, history, government, Spanish, English as a second language  from the kindergarten through college levels. He is also a farmer, raising a variety of fruit trees in his orchard.

I would like to see more ditch maintenance but also care taken to maintain habitat. I would like to see more education for kids in agriculture, more kids going into farming. But Id also like to see more people taking advantage of nature, people jogging, horseback riding and watching birds on the ditches.
This nation has faced some tough law enforcement dilemmas in recent years. An increase in murders and drug and gang violence in several major cities, a breakdown in citizens respect for authority, police overreaction to situations  ignited either by a macho officer or by one who honestly fears for his/her own safety  and, of course, the growing number of police-involved shootings that have left civilians, many of them unarmed, dead.

In 2014, a teenager in Ferguson, Mo., lost his life. As did a 12-year-old boy with a toy gun in Cleveland, Ohio. Then a mentally ill homeless man camping in the mountains in Albuquerque died after the Albuquerque Police Department opened fire. In 2015, a 50-year-old South Carolina man who owed considerable back child support fled a routine traffic stop and was shot in the back multiple times. There are plenty of other cases I could cite, but those are just a few headline-making incidents in which routine police business somehow escalated to a deadly level.

The federal government hasnt kept track of officer-involved shootings, but two media outlets have. Databases maintained by the Washington Post and the Guardian newspaper conclude there were about 1,000 fatal encounters between police and civilians in 2016. So far this year, the Post reports more than 350 people have died at the hands of a duly sworn officer of the law. And I think its important to note that the mental health of the civilian played a part in 1 in 5 of those fatal cases.

So, what have we learned and whats being done about deadly police-involved shootings? Police officials are surely looking at ways to de-escalate tense situations, right? No, a majority of department across the country are not.

(APD is two years into a settlement agreement with the Department of Justice after a federal investigation found a pattern and practice of violating civil rights with use of force. APD is now training all of its field officers in crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques to improve its response to people caught in mental-health crises. The latest report from the federal monitor found considerable progress in areas such as creating new policies and training officers but found problems with police leadership.)

For all the ongoing training police officers are required to undergo  from firearm proficiency and marijuana investigations to vehicle stops and courtroom demeanor and testimony  only a handful of states now require officers be trained in de-escalation techniques. According to a recent American Public Media analysis, 34 states do not offer or require officers to take courses on the best ways to defuse a potentially explosive situation.

Most of the powers that be cited budgetary concerns for not adding de-escalation training to the continuing training requirements. I would think they might want to look at the bigger picture and rethink that position.

U.S. cities have paid out, collectively, hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements involving wrongful death, police brutality/excessive force, civil rights violations and other types of officer misconduct over the last decade.

Its not the officer or their department that pays those settlements; it is you and me, the taxpayers, who foot the bill, because no one in city government thinks its important enough to fund updated training to help fix an obvious problem. Some cities like New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Albuquerque have agreed to pay out an inordinate amount to settle police misconduct cases.

No matter how hard police unions fight against change, it is pretty clear time has expired on the old ways. The mentally ill are no longer closeted away in private homes and institutions. Given the statistics on fatal police shootings, teaching officers how best to approach and speak to someone suffering from mental illness seems so important. Training those with a badge how best to talk to a gang member dealing drugs on a street corner could help save lives, including the officers.

Teaching law enforcement recruits to demand immediate and total compliance from a citizen or that they should always shoot to kill are outdated strategies. It is way past time to inaugurate new approaches to 21st century law enforcement challenges. Experts know  and teach  more psychologically-based techniques that dont require an officer to draw his or her gun or resort to manhandling a suspect.

Are those actions still valid in some instances? You bet they are. First and foremost, an officer of the law must feel in control of the situation before them and they must think of their own personal safety. But if we train our law enforcement officers to anticipate civilian behaviors, to defuse potentially violent situations, I cant help but think everyone would be better off. The officers, the citizens and us  the taxpayers.

www.DianeDimond.com; e-mail to Diane@DianeDimond.com.
President Donald Trumps alleged attempt to quash the FBI investigation into his former national security adviser, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, and his subsequent firing of FBI Director James Comey, has rightly inspired endless speculation in the mainstream media about whether he could be impeached. Certainly, the evidence presented by The New York Times, along with everything else that is already consuming Trumps first few months in office, warrants an independent investigation. Perhaps, as with the Watergate scandal that forced President Richard Nixon to resign in disgrace in 1974 to avoid impeachment and removal from office, the cover-up will end up being greater than the crime. But what if Donald Trump were actually held responsible for real crimes: killing civilians in drone strikes, forcing refugees to suffer or die by refusing asylum, or driving the planet headlong into climate change catastrophe? What if Donald Trump keeps his outrageous and inflammatory campaign pledges, many of which, if implemented, would amount to high crimes? Sadly, excessive and too-often lethal executive presidential power is now considered normal.

Within days of taking office, Donald Trump, over dinner with his son-in-law Jared Kushner and other associates, approved a SEAL Team 6 raid in Yemen. The raid cost Navy SEAL William Ryan Owens his life, as well as the loss of a U.S. military helicopter. But what about the civilian casualties? Despite Trump administration claims that the raid netted extensive intelligence, reports surfaced of at least 30 civilian deaths, including many children. According to Reuters, U.S. military officials said, Trump approved his first covert counterterrorism operation without sufficient intelligence, ground support or adequate backup preparations. This was just one raid in Yemen, among thousands, in a devastating civil war exacerbated by U.S. arms and involvement, primarily to Saudi Arabia, which is continually bombing Yemen. Trump is going to Saudi Arabia this week, the first foreign country he will visit as president. Donald Trump is the commander in chief, and his casual order over that dinner led to the violent death of tens of innocent people. Is that not a high crime?

Jump ahead to mid-April. The U.S. military dropped a bomb on an alleged ISIS target in Afghanistan, which wouldnt garner a line in the news these days, as the longest war in U.S. history drags on into its 17th year, with promises by Trump to expand it by sending thousands more troops. But this was no ordinary bomb. Trump dropped the MOAB  what the Pentagon has nicknamed the Mother of All Bombs. The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the world. It has been in the U.S. arsenal since early in the Iraq War, but was never used  until Commander in Chief Donald J. Trump took office.

Dr. Hakim, a medical doctor who has provided humanitarian relief in Afghanistan for more than a decade, reacted to the MOABs first-ever deployment, on the Democracy Now! news hour. He works with Afghan Peace Volunteers, an interethnic group of young Afghans dedicated to building nonviolent alternatives to war. Speaking from Kabul, he kept his back turned to the camera, afraid that he would suffer retaliation if identified:

I think its an insult to nickname the bomb The Mother of All Bombs. One of the Afghan Peace Volunteers, Ali, said: Would any mother do that to Mother Earth? Or would any mother do this to any children? The effect is what the U.S. military or what militaries across the world want to inflict upon ordinary citizens, which is fear, panic, hunger, anger.

While the mainstream media have assumed a more oppositional tone since Trump took office, they get in line when he engages in military action. Then, the media declare, Trump is acting presidential.

The same New York Times article that alleged Trump interfered in the Flynn-Russia investigation contained another startling revelation: Mr. Comey should consider putting reporters in prison for publishing classified information, according to one of Mr. Comeys associates, the Times reported. A free press is the bedrock of our democratic society. Trump also has promised to expand libel laws to make it easier to go after his critics.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has just appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller III as special counsel to oversee the ongoing investigation of alleged Russian influence over the 2016 U.S. election. Mueller should pursue the facts vigorously and make his findings public. But a complete inquiry into the crimes of Donald Trump must go much further.

Amy Goodman is the host of Democracy Now!, a daily international TV/radio news hour airing on more than 1,400 stations. She is the co-author, with Denis Moynihan and David Goodman, of Democracy Now!: 20 Years Covering the Movements Changing America. Distributed by King Features Syndicate.
LAS CRUCES  Former Santa Fe sheriffs deputy Tai Chan testified for nearly three hours Friday in his retrial for the alleged murder of his law enforcement partner Jeremy Martin in 2014.

Chan, 33, shot Martin five times in the arm and back. The state accuses Chan of killing Martin, 29, in cold blood; he is charged with first-degree murder. Chan claims he acted in self-defense, as he had during his trial last year, when the jury could not reach a verdict.

In a courtroom crowded with family and friends of Chan and Martin, along with law enforcement and news media, the accused killer took the stand.

Chan painted a picture in which Martin acted as the initial aggressor in a confusing, chaotic scene. Chan said over and over he feared for his life.

The prosecution tried to punch holes in his story, characterizing Chan as a top deputy, a member of the SWAT team who should have had the training and presence of mind  even while intoxicated  to defuse any threat he allegedly perceived.

The two deputies had planned to stay the night in Las Cruces at the Hotel Encanto on Oct. 27, 2014, after they had transported a prisoner to Arizona. Once off duty, they went to local bars, watched a Cowboys game and drank for several hours.

An argument ensued at the restaurant bar Dublins. The men returned to the hotel and what happened later, after midnight in Room 711, remains key to the trial.

In his testimony, Chan said he came out of the hotel room bathroom where he was on the phone with his then-girlfriend. Martin was allegedly banging on the door, shouting, with expletives, that Chan open up.

Chan said he came out of the bathroom and Martin, walking to the desk and the chair, turned around and I noticed he had a handgun in his hand and he said, Im going to shoot you.'

He had a blank stare, no emotion, Chan said. I just thought, This is it. Im going to be shot. It just happened so fast.

Evidence and witnesses during the two-week trial showed that Chan fired his Glock 31 repeatedly, following Martin into the hallway as Martin fled toward an elevator. Martin collapsed in a pool of blood in the hotel lobby and was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Third Judicial District Attorney Mark DAntonio cast doubt on Chans story, characterizing Chan as a top cop who could have taken any number of actions to de-escalate any perceived threat short of firing his weapon.

Pressed by DAntonio, Chan said he kept shooting at Martin as he fled in the hallway because he perceived a threat. Citing typical law enforcement protocol in the face of an armed threat, DAntonio said, You would only stand in the hallway  and not behind the protective cover of a corner wall  if you knew you couldnt be shot back.

District Judge Fernando Macias instructed the jury to return Tuesday for closing arguments and deliberations.
The Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base has turned its massive MaxPower microwave defense system over to the Army for new rounds of research and development that could eventually lead to battlefield deployment of the vehicle-mounted weapon.

The system, which the AFRL built to destroy improvised explosive devices, will now be housed at New Mexico Techs Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center near Socorro. The center includes a 40-square-mile field laboratory that the university has used for explosives research and testing for government and private clients for more than 60 years.

The Armys Armament, Research, Development and Engineering Center, or ARDEC, took over MaxPower this week. It held a joint ceremony with AFRL and NM Tech officials Friday morning to commemorate its arrival in Socorro.

NM Tech will help ARDEC re-purpose MaxPower for more battlefield uses against explosive hazards, said Carlos Romero, the universitys associate director for research and economic development.

ARDEC will look at different battlefield scenarios for real-world applications to go beyond IEDs and mitigate or even eliminate other types of threats, Romero said. Apart from the testing range, we have facilities, ordinances, technology and expertise to assist ARDEC.

NM Techs research and testing center has generated about $27 million annually from contracts in recent years. The university has no contract with ARDEC now, just a partnership to make its infrastructure and human resources available.

But in the future, the Army could employ it to set up test scenarios in Socorro and at the Playas Range and Training Center in southern New Mexico, Romero said.

The MaxPower system packs a full gigawatt of concentrated electromagnetic power into an armored truck. Thats one billion times the power of an average home microwave oven, allowing the vehicle to instantly destroy IEDs as it cruises through battle zones.

AFRLs Directed Energy Directorate built the system for $50 million from 2007 to 2012, then deployed it for nine months of testing in Afghanistan.

Since then, its been housed at the AFRLs High Power Microwave division, where lab scientists and engineers continue to work on new microwave systems to destroy enemy targets without harming people or infrastructure.

MaxPower is the only microwave weapon to date to be deployed on the battlefield. The Air Force also brought a nonlethal, vehicle-mounted Active Denial System, or Pain Ray, to Afghanistan. It causes a burning sensation on skin to disperse crowds or force people to drop their weapons, but it was never used.

MaxPower was one of the first Directed Energy systems that we deployed and used in theater, said AFRL High Power Electromagnetics Division lead Mary Lou Robinson in a statement. Active Denial was deployed but never turned on. MaxPower overcame that fear, hesitation and stigma of using something in theater that you cant see, and it was used many times.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Thousands of New Mexicos college students headed into summer break without knowing what awaits them  or at least their bank accounts  this fall.

The states two largest universities have not set tuition rates for the academic year that starts in August due to lingering questions about their overall budgets. Gov. Susana Martinez in April vetoed higher education funding from a Legislature-approved spending bill for the coming fiscal year. Though she has said officials would revive the funding during a special session  which begins next week  schools have not had a guaranteed state appropriation around which to build a larger financial plan.

New Mexico universities get approximately 50-60 percent of their instruction and general revenue from the state, making it a critical piece in the budget puzzle.

Both the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University have refrained from making tuition decisions until they have more clarity about the state money, though UNMs decision could happen as early as Wednesday during its scheduled budget summit.

Tuition and fees for in-state UNM students amounted to $6,950 in 2016-17. Regents President Rob Doughty would not say this week whether he expected it to rise.

Were waiting on a full report from the (UNM) budget leadership team, he said.

At NMSU, the governing board has not set tuition but the school has advertised a place-holder rate for tuition and fees that represents a 6 percent increase  $3,561 per semester for in-state students taking 15 credits.

We had to put something on the website so students could begin registering for this fall, said spokesman Justin Bannister, but he noted the posted rate is pending and reflects a worst-case scenario  the highest increase option the administration would present to regents before they vote. The final rate could be lower.

Some smaller schools around the state have already settled on tuition hikes. Western New Mexico Universitys in-state students will pay 2.7 percent more in combined tuition and fees this fall, while tuition will climb 7.5 percent at both Eastern New Mexico University and New Mexico Highlands University.

Central New Mexico Community College, New Mexicos largest community college, also forged forward with a tuition decision despite state funding uncertainty. President Katharine Winograd said students  many of whom also work  deserved some certainty, though officials may have to revisit the rates later. Academic transfer courses (like English, math and history) will rise to $54 from $52 per credit hour for local students, a 3.8 percent increase, while the career technical classes will cost local students $40 per hour, compared with $32, up 25 percent.

This was a difficult decision, but we felt we had to go ahead and set our tuition rates for the fall term so our students can make informed decisions on their academic plans, Winograd said in a written statement.


Officers are investigating a homicide after a man was shot early Friday morning and later died from his injuries, according to a spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department.

Officer Simon Drobik said officers arrived at the University of New Mexico Hospital in reference to a man who had been shot. The victim later died at the hospital.

Drobik did not identify the victim or specify where the shooting happened.

Tips: Police ask anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 843-STOP or call 242-COPS.
A recent survey by Transparency International (TI), an anti-corruption global civil society organization, states that India has the highest bribery rate among the 16 Asia Pacific countries surveyed. Nearly seven in 10 people in India have indulged in corruption. In a mission to curb black money laundering, in November 2016, the governmental decision of demonetization took the nation by storm overnight creating havoc in the lives of black-money hoarders. Even as the Indian government works towards eradicating this menace, Zee Cinema- Worlds Largest Movie Theatre For Hindi Movies, brings one such story of the ultimate fight against black money laundering with World Television Premiere of Commando 2 on Saturday, 20th May at 9 PM. Starring the martial-arts fighter and action hero, Vidyut Jammwal, along with the charming Adah Sharma, Esha Gupta and Freddy Daruwala, Commando 2 boasts of high octane action and edge-of-the-seat drama.

Directional movie debut of the famous theatre director and actor Deven Bhojani, the film is the second installment of the Commando franchise. Commando 2 marks the return of death-defying stunts (all done by Vidyut Jammwal without any stunt doubles or harnesses) as Commando Karanveer Singh Dogra (Vidyut Jammwal), continues from One Man Army to a key international mission of bringing laundered black money back to India.

Ahead of the premiere of the film, Vidyut Jammwal speaks, My mother, like any other person in India, waits for movies to come on television to watch it. Television is a medium that reaches to a wider set of audience. My previous films have done extremely well on television and I expect the same from Commando 2 on Zee Cinema. I hope people shower the same love for me as they have been doing all this while.

A hawala racketeer Vicky operates from the Malaysia-Thailand border and is responsible for siphoning off black money of corrupt Indians. The Indian government, under the leadership of home minister Leela (Shefali Shah), has handpicked a team of specialists to track down the culprits. Headed by Commando Karanveer Singh Dogra (Vidyut Jammwal), along with ACP Bakhtawar Khan (Freddy Daruwala), Inspector Bhavna Reddy (Adah Sharma), they embark on a mission to nab an infamous black money launderer. But with their every movie predictable, they soon find themselves caught in a game of deceit.

Will these commandos be able to put an end to the menace of black money?

~Watch the action-packed World Television Premiere of Commando 2 on Saturday, 20th May at 9 PM, only on Zee Cinema~
AT&T workers across all divisions nationwide, numbering around 37,000, have begun a three-day strike that they promised earlier in the week to mount if AT&T did not reach a favorable agreement with them by 3 PM Eastern time today. The strike involves workers from AT&Ts wireless and wireline operations, as well as DIRECTV employees. The massive strike encompasses all operations that the striking employees participate in, and has the full backing of Communication Workers of America, who helped AT&T employees bargain with their employer and eventually launch their ultimatum, then arrange the strike when bargaining fell through. According to AT&T, they offered protesting workers a deal that they thought was favorable, but the union rejected it. Negotiations fell through from there, so when the promised time rolled around, the strike was made official.

AT&T, for their part, said that these actions are in no ones best interest, calling the strike baffling. This comes on the heels of a large-scale protest in Dallas during a shareholder meeting, which was followed by smaller demonstrations throughout the country. That shareholder meeting protest and the talks and smaller protests that took place afterward eventually led to Wednesdays events, where over 10% of the companys total workforce made their intentions to strike known.

Tensions between AT&T and its workers have been high for quite some time, with a strike similar to this one, but smaller in scale, happening back in March. AT&Ts employees, joined by members of the CWA going as far up as the vice president, have been speaking out against unfair contracts, poor working conditions, outsourcing, and even questionable business practices like perceived under-investing in network infrastructure. This strike is the culmination of these tensions, and is not only one of the largest strikes AT&T as a company has ever seen, but the first such large-scale strike on record to include workers from AT&Ts wireless operations. AT&T is the biggest wireline carrier in America, and the second biggest wireless carrier, so breakdowns in negotiation such as this could be seen in a negative light by some. The damage to AT&Ts operations and reputation dealt by a three day strike could be quite negligible, but workers and CWA members are hoping its enough to show AT&T that they mean business.
Earlier today, Qualcomm unveiled new technology which allows electric cars to be charged while driving. The new charging tech was unveiled in a live demonstration, and showed that Dynamic Electric Vehicle Charging, also known as DEVC, has the ability to dynamically charge an electric vehicle at up to 20 kilowatts when the vehicle is being driven at highway speeds. If the technology is ultimately successful, it could be installed on stretches of highways and may mean that owners of electric cars may never have to take their car to a charging station again. The installation of one of the worlds first DEVC test platforms has provided us with a unique test facility and we look forward to expanding our expertise with the future testing, commented VEDECOM CEO, Luc Marbach.

DEVC technology is closely based on another system designed and owned by the California-based semiconductor company  their Halo wireless electric vehicle charging technology, more commonly known as WEVC. To demonstrate the power of the new technology, the company built a 100km road in Satory, Versailles and used two electric-powered Renault Kangoos.Tests demonstrated that the cars were able to be charged when traveling in either direction on the track. Both cars were also able to charge on the track at the same time and were also able to pick up charge when traveling in reverse, which demonstrates that the technology has potential in real-world scenarios.

The project is known as FABRIC (which stands for the much more complicated Feasibility analysis and development of on-road charging solutions for future electric vehicles). The European Commission reportedly funded the majority of the cost for the project which amounts to about 9 million (7.6m). The project was built in conjunction with VEDECOM, who together with Qualcomm were responsible for installing the source part of the Halo DEVC in the test track. Renault then worked with VEDECOM to install the receiving technology into the vehicles, and now the testing phase on the vehicles is complete, the Halo technology will be handed over to VEDECOM, who are responsible for further testing on such aspects as safety, energy transfer, general operation, and efficiency. The project first began in January 2014 and the companies intend to continue the testing program at the location until the end of the year.
BLACK RIVER FALLS, Wis.  Louis Lou J. Musser, 80, of Black River Falls died Thursday, May 18, 2017, at his home. A memorial service, with military honors, will be held 11 a.m. Thursday, May 25, at Evangelical Lutheran Church, Black River Falls. Burial will be held at a later date at Lake Side Cemetery, Calumetville, Wis. Visitation will be 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 24, and 10 a.m. to time of service, both at the church. Buswell Funeral Home of Black River Falls is assisting the family with arrangements.
A rumored model of the Asus Zenfone Go 2 has been certified by TENAA, the Chinese telecommunications regulator. This smartphone, with a model number ASUS X015D, is one of the two devices speculated to be a part of the Asus Zenfone Go 2 lineup. The TENAA listing claims that this device will be available in black and mocha gold. The device weighs at around 175 grams, which can be noticeably heavier than other handsets. However, this extra weight is due to its massive 4,850mAh battery. The huge battery size, coupled with a 5.5-inch 720p display, should result in great battery life for the handset.

Looking into the internal specifications of the device, the ASUS X015D will be powered by an octa-core SoC comprised of ARM Cortex A53 CPUs clocked at 1.5GHz. According to a separate rumor, the said device will be based on a MediaTek platform, with the SoC identified as the MT6750. According to the TENAA listing, the Asus X015D may have either 3GB or 4GB of RAM, and either 32GB or 64GB of internal flash storage. The massive storage capacity of the smartphone should suffice for many users but just in case, device owners could expand the device storage with a microSD card. Meanwhile, there is a dual-camera setup at back of the device, of which either one or both cameras sport a 13-megapixel sensor. Despite the high megapixel count of the camera, the device only supports recording up to 1080p. Given the specs of the device, the Asus X015D is poised to compete against the mid-range offerings of dominant Chinese manufacturers like Huawei, Oppo, and Vivo.

In terms of connectivity, the device supports GSM, TD-SCDMA, and LTE networks. Due to the nature of LTE networks in China, the smartphone supports both FDD-LTE and TD-LTE. Bluetooth is also supported, though there is no word on what version of Bluetooth is supported by the device. For those interested, the smartphone is capable of making VoLTE calls. Software-wise, the device will be running Android 7.0 Nougat, though likely Asus will overlay a ZenUI skin on top of the OS. At this point, there is no information regarding the price and availability of the device but the TENAA certification could mean that the device should see a Chinese release soon.
Mike Kimel | May 19, 2017 10:43 pm



The Minnesota Star Tribute has a bizarre story entitled Minnesota bill against female genital mutilation raises opposition.

It begins:

Opposition from some members of Minnesotas immigrant and refugee communities is slowing the momentum of a bill that would impose stiff penalties for parents involved in cases of female genital mutilation.

Lets call it like it is: there are people who are opposed to a law designed to reduce child abuse, and in particular, the abuse of girls.

The Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage, a nonprofit called Isuroon and other groups argue that the legislation carries overly harsh punishment and unintended consequences, including the possibility that newcomers from countries where genital cutting is widespread would not seek medical care and other services for their children. They call for a less punitive approach focused on educating parents.

How about just educating parents that this sort of child abuse is illegal and anyone participating will get in a lot of trouble.

Now, the author of the Senate version is voicing second thoughts about approving the legislation yet this session, though Senate GOP leadership have not committed to a course of action. We all agree this practice is absolutely horrible, and something needs to be done, said the author, Sen. Karin Housley. How can we empower communities to address this practice from within rather than having Big Brother come down and say, This is wrong? 

Who says nonsense like this? Empower communities to address this practice from within? How exactly are these communities unempowered? What exactly is preventing the community from having the discussion? Do they get struck by lighting when they bring up certain topics and they need a Faraday Cage to avoid getting fried? Does thinking certain thoughts attract a herd of rabid wolverines?

Imagine if the same statement was brought up about other forms of child abuse: How can we empower child molesters to address this practice from within rather than having Big Brother come down and say, This is wrong?  Sounds insane, doesnt it?

Obviously, the issue is not figuring out how to empower the community to discuss the issue. The issue is that people who are engaging in the practice dont see a problem with it. Some may, in fact, advocate for it publicly.

Heres what the bill does:

Fransons bill makes it a felony for parents to subject their daughters to the procedure and calls for loss of custody and prison terms from five to 20 years, depending on the extent of the injuries. It also increases penalties for those who perform the procedure, which has been illegal since pioneering Minnesota legislation in the 1990s.

And heres some discussion from within the community, demonstrating that the Senator calling for empowerment is way too late:

Lul Hersi, a St. Cloud mother of four and a supporter of the bill, says the United States should warn refugee parents against rushing to have their daughters cut before traveling to the United States  and disqualify them from resettlement if they do: The parents know the risks theyre putting their kids in. Fartun Weli of Isuroon, which won a $180,000 federal grant this winter to educate health care providers about the procedure, stresses that she does not condone the practice. But she and other critics balk at separating girls from their families, which they argue victimizes them a second time. They say they worry about families arriving from places where the practice is deeply rooted. An amendment to Fransons bill states the penalties apply only if the ritual is practiced in the United States. But Haji Yusuf, a Somali community leader in St. Cloud, questions whether authorities can always readily determine that. For parents who came to the United States with girls whod already undergone the procedure, the bill, which mandates reporting to authorities by health care providers and others, could discourage doctor visits.

More problems noticed by the community:

How can you protect children when you take them away from their families and put them in foster care? she said.

Because we all know that little girls are better off with parents who will cut them. And we know there is no way that parents who cut their daughter will also marry her off while she is still a child. And even less chance they will perform an honor killing if the girl objects to being married off to one of the communitys elders.

More objections being raised include:

Hodan Hassan, a mental health clinician, also argues for a less punitive approach. When I read the bill, my heart sank, Hassan said. It criminalizes parents who dont understand the legality of their actions and dont have the ability to advocate for themselves.

I can understand having trouble with some arcane accounting regulations, or difficulty understanding precisely how much weight you are allowed to tow behind a pickup truck, but it shouldnt be too hard to remember that you cant perform FGM on your daughter. And what is this nonsense about not being able to advocate for themselves? The practice has been illegal in the state for a couple of decades. The best way a parent can advocate for him or herself is to avoid engaging in this practice.

And apparently there are more ways the community is being victimized:

Weli says she worries the House discussion framed the issue as a Somali community problem when almost a dozen immigrant communities in Minnesota hail from countries that practice genital cutting. At least one of the Minnesota girls whose parents took them to a Michigan doctor now charged with performing the procedure  the case that inspired the House bill  was not Somali, according to child protection documents.

If the majority of the cases of FGM in Minnesota are in the Somali (I would have thought it was the Somali-American community and not the Somali community), doesnt it make sense to focus on that community? Right at the moment there is also an outbreak of measles in Minnesota, and it too is <a href =  https://www.statnews.com/2017/05/08/measles-vaccines-somali/>heavily concentrated in the Somali-American community</a>due to that communitys fear of being vaccinated. Due to the concentration of the problem, theres a lot more bang for the buck in trying to get Somali-American kids vaccinated then there is in pretending everyone in all the places to visit in Minnesota has an equal likelihood of contracting diseases that could mostly be avoided through innoculation.

The last word on the issue, at least as far as the article is concerned, goes to the author of the bill:

Franson says the bills intent is clear: protecting girls. So is the language in the bill that limits penalties to those who live in the United States when the practice takes place. She says loss of custody must be a consequence of a procedure that causes girls lifelong harm. America is the land of the brave and the home of the free, she said. Little girls who moved here from other countries have the right to be free from the oppression of female genital mutilation.

That doesnt make any sense at all. I can understand protecting little girls from FGM and other barbaric practices, I am all in favor of it. But if the last paragraph isnt a giant non-sequitur, I dont know what is. After all, one would think little girls should have the right to be free of FGM regardless of what country theyre in.

Update: Minor edits in one sentence for clarity.
ONALASKA -- Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 1215 Redwood St., Onalaska, will host a concert by the African Childrens Choir at 7 p.m. Friday, June 2. The program will feature childrens songs, traditional spirituals and Gospel favorites. Donations will be accepted to support the choir. For more information, call the church at 608-783-0330.
YEREVAN, MAY 19, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Parliament paid homage to the memory of the victims of the Pontian Greek Genocide with a moment of silence.

Eduard Sharmazanov, lawmaker of the ruling party faction, made the suggestion at the beginning of the session.

Today is the 19th of May, and we commemorate the anniversary of the Pontian Greek Genocide. The Armenian Parliament has unanimously condemned the Greek and Assyrian genocides in the Ottoman Empire, with 118 votes in favor. The Greek and Assyrian genocides in the Ottoman Turkey were the continuation of the Armenian Genocide chain, Sharmazanov said.

He once again condemned all genocides and Turkeys denial policy, and suggested the Parliament to hold a moment of silence as a tribute to the memory of the victims.
Back when "New" Top Gear was in its infancy, Season 23, things weren't so great. There was a genuine power struggle going on and Hollywood celebrity Matt didn't have his metaphors working. In fact, he still doesn't. So it's videos like this one that kept the show going, despite what the critics said.The M2 video is from Episode 5, the second-to-last one. It left a pleasant aftertaste that carried us over to Season 24, where Chris Harris finally got to play the major role we thought he deserved.Getting back to the cars, we have to point out that the 1 Series M Coupe belongs to him. It's got a Stage 2 engine tune and a complete exhaust system from Akrapovic , so it just managed to stay ahead of the M2 in a drag race.Neil, the famous cameraman that goes with Harris everywhere, sprinkled the video with plenty of shots where the two baby M cars drifted in tandem on a wet course. This is gooey, sticky stuff that stays with you forever, the kind of stuff you'll watch again in 2021 when the M2 finally becomes cheap enough for you to afford.Sure, the 1M and M2 don't have exotic engines, but the point about them not being real M cars is void. There's no rulebook that says you need an oil temperature gage and exotic components to enjoy a car. In fact, it's usually the passion of a small group of engineers that gets the ball rolling.So what's the conclusion? Well, the M2 has great electric power steering, but the 1M is more engaging. Also, the newer car is better for long journeys, but you already knew that. Better buy both, if you can.
The UK s capital citys residents were outraged this week as a video of a tram driver asleep at the controls was published on-line.The video was made by an unnamed commuter who was on a train in the Croydon neighborhood, and he noticed that the tram did not leave when the lights became green.He took a closer look at the cabin, and found the conductor apparently asleep . It was all happening during the morning rush hour, when everyone is trying to get to work as soon as possible. For the tram driver, things were in dreamland, as he dozed off for several minutes.Commuters lost their patience and decided to bang on the window of his cabin to wake the conductor. As they told The Evening Standard , the train driver resumed his duties as if nothing else happened.The train was traveling towards Wimbledon, and the intersection where the video was recorded was just three stops away from last Novembers public transit accident that killed seven people and injured 51.Londoners have the right to be outraged over public transit drivers falling asleep at the controls, especially since some of them have acknowledged, under cover of anonymity, that the dead mans switch fails to stop these trains if their operators fall asleep.Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has told the media that he is furious about the latest incident, and has ordered an investigation that goes as far as the countrys Ministry of Transport.The report noted that most of the passengers on the tram that had its operator fall asleep had decided to get out at the next stop out of fear for their safety.You cannot blame anyone for getting off a tram after learning that it driver took a small nap at a traffic light. Theres always a risk that a driver might fall asleep behind the wheel, and situations like these show why autonomous vehicles make sense in todays world.
Jeb Bush hasn't said much publicly since the election, but on Friday at the SALT hedge fund conference in Las Vegas, he was asked what advice he'd give to Donald Trump if he could be assured the President would listen to him. The former Florida governor says "chaos" organizes Trump's presidency so far and the White House urgently needs restructuring and discipline.

Why it matters: Jeb has watched at close quarters the functioning of two professionally-managed White Houses, his father's and brother's. He personally knows three of the most disciplined and effective White House chiefs of staff in recent history  John Sununu, Jim Baker, and Andy Card.

Jeb's unsolicited advice for Trump:

Don't tweet. Bring structure to the White House: "You're not constraining the leader when you have order. It can't be so chaotic that people can walk into the Oval Office any time and have an opinion and the last opinion is the one that ends up being the dominant one...any of the chiefs of staff that have served in either Democrat or Republican administrations have probably given that advice when asked, and it hasn't been heeded." Uncover and fire the leakers: "There's too many different interests and the problem with this is I've never seen a White House as leaky as this one...there could be 15 to 20 sources on a particular subject. People should be fired if they're disloyal to the President of the United States and leaking. Good administrations set that tone and don't have to fire people because people have a little bit more discipline and structure." Hone your foreign policy doctrine: "The President has a disproportionate say in foreign policy...and I think there's a two steps forward one step back emergence of the Trump Doctrine, but it ought to be clearly stated and adhered to." Jeb says the president has a huge opportunity on his first foreign trip to lay out a clear doctrine to reassure friends that it can "stick with the United States and count on its leadership."

Other highlights from Jeb's talk:
Kellyanne Conway wrote in 2014 that immigration should be about "America First," and about "fairness  to blue-collar workers," according to The Atlantic's piece on her role in Trump's election victory. Sound familiar?

The path to Trump:

The poll wasn't widely circulated and only appeared on Breitbart  Steve Bannon, who was the Breitbart's CEO at the time, took notice. Bannon had been considering how to bring the "missing white voters" into elections.

In August 2015 Trump issued a policy paper that had an apparent Conway and Bannon influence:

The conversation before was, 'What is fair to the illegal immigrant?' Are you ripping families apart? Should the DACA kids stay? Should they have driver's licenses?  Now, the conversation is also, 'What's fair to the American worker?' What's fair to the local economy? What's fair to law enforcement? What is fair all the way around?
Robot security guards are Singapore's newest use of robot-technology, and are being looked at as an answer to their growing worker shortage, according to Financial Times. The robot guards, called O-R3, will patrol outdoor areas and trigger an alarm when something or someone is suspicious. The four-wheeled robot is 1.5m tall, and has a drone attached to its side.

Why it matters: These robots will be a solution to the narrowing labor market and the aging Asian population, specifically helping these security companies who find themselves looking to technology to replace humans. The facial recognition capabilities will be more accurate than humans, the chief executive of the robot company claims.

The caveats: The company admits that it will take time for the machine to learn and perfect facial recognition. The machine needs to be charged every four to five hours to be at full capacity. It will cost $10,000 a month to lease.
President Trump embarked on his first foreign trip as president yesterday. It'll be a busy trip overseas, as he's visiting five countries in nine days. (More on his schedule here.)

This morning, Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia at the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport. It was an unconventional first stop, as no former president has settled on Saudi Arabia as their primary stop during their first POTUS trip abroad. Melania and Ivanka didn't wear the traditional head scarves, and as the AP's Julie Pace noted: "It's standard for women in Western delegations to not cover their heads in Saudi Arabia. Including Theresa May, Merkel earlier this year."

Don't forget: In 2015 when Michelle Obama similarly passed on wearing a head scarf in Saudi Arabia, Trump tweeted: "Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted. We have enuf enemies"

Trump attended "a coffee ceremony and presentation ceremony of The Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal at the Royal Court Palace," per AP's report, and he talked with Saudi King Salman following a welcoming ceremony.

Jared Kushner and Steve Bannon are on the trip with POTUS, and this morning they joined a ceremony to present Trump The Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal at the Royal Court Palace.

Evan Vucci / AP

Evan Vucci / AP

WaPo's Phillip Rucker noted the Saudis put on a grand show for Trump and crew.

Trump's first remarks following the day's ceremonies, per the WH pool report: "That was a tremendous day. Tremendous investments in the United States. Hundreds of billions of dollars of investments into the United States and jobs, jobs, jobs"
FORT McCOY  When Doug Forbush returned from serving in the Vietnam War, the reception was less than welcoming. Reactions ranged from indifferent to hostile, with a professor going so far as to leave a disparaging comment in his notebook.

Vietnam vets were looked down upon by a large portion of the population, Doug said. We didnt have the recognition our brave young men and women have today.

Over four decades later, Forush, accompanied by wife Marlene, a retired quartermaster officer, and dozens of fellow Vietnam veterans were given their due during a welcome home ceremony, one of the many events at Saturdays Fort McCoy Armed Forces Day Open House. Presided over by retired Maj. Gen. Paul Lima and retired Command Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Stumpf, a Medal of Honor recipient, the ceremony was open all Vietnam veterans, who received pins in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the war.

This is something only they get, Fort McCoy Public Affairs Officer Tonya K. Townsell said of the brass pins. Its a small token to say thank you, and what an honor it is to be a partner in this commemorative occasion.

In addition to the honored veterans, the annual open house event, in its third decade, was expected to draw up to 5,000 current and former service members and civilians from Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois throughout the day. Fort McCoy, constructed in 1909, spans 60,000 acres in the Sparta area and includes 1,400 buildings and facilities. Along with tours of the training area, medical demonstrations, military equipment displays and sandbagging activities, the Commemorative Areas History Center, five World War II-era buildings, outdoor Equipment Park and Veterans Memorial Plaza were open for browsing.

We do some really wonderful things here at Fort McCoy, Townsell said. We train 150,000 soldiers a year here. Its an opportunity for people to see where their tax dollars go and get the word out. Were more than just the army, were part of the community. This belongs to everyone.

The 1942 Administrative Building, a two story structure stocked with desks, typewriters and mailing stations, gave visitors a peek behind the scenes, while the History Center offered more than a century of military relics and memorabilia, from weathered 1914 physical training manuals to bullets, from WWII army nurse uniforms to vintage fatigues.

This and the barracks tend to inspire a lot of nostalgia in the veterans, explained Aimee Malone, editorial assistant for the posts newspaper. Theyll point out (artifacts) from when they served.

Retired U.S. Army member Randy Lenser of Chaseburg brought young friends Kaleb Fischer and Alex Sanderson, both 9, to the event in hopes of exposing them to the history and dedication of the military.

I think its great for kids to see this stuff up close, Lenser said. These people are giving up their time and their weekend for Armed Forces Day.

Veterans keep America safe and they drive vehicles, added Fischer, who worked on a custom ID tag after trying the shooting gallery. The vehicles are exciting.

Children also had the opportunity to have their faces painted in camouflage by Fort McCoy soldiers, and view some of the areas wildlife, including snakes and turtles, up close.

A lot of people dont understand how much conservation Fort McCoy really does, said Zachary Millibrand, wildlife technician for the Fort McCoy environmental division. Some of the best things for wildlife are large, uninterrupted tracks of land, which by nature describes a military base. This is a chance to see all the work were doing to protect the habitat.

Representatives from the Navy and Coast Guard auxiliary were also on hand to explain their duties, and Joe Motacek, Charlie Company commander with Wisconsin Army National Guard, brought his wife along to show her the inner workings of his job and honor those who preceded him.

Recognizing our veterans is one of the more important things we do in this country, Motacek said.

Vietnam veteran and former fort commander Ray Boland agreed. As president of the Representative Association of the U.S. Army Fort McCoy Chapter, Boland helped sponsor the event and enthusiastically welcomed his former comrades, calling it a very important day.

Ive heard veterans say, This is the only time Ive been thanked for my service. They deserve this, Boland said. Everyone here, no matter what war, has a common bond. Ive often said, with veterans especially, there is no generation gap.
Modified On Sep 18, 2017 12:39 PM By Jagdev

Cars now cheaper than before. Service charge on insurance and loans up from 15 per cent to 18 per cent

Latest Updates:

Sep 11, 2017: Cess on SUVs, luxury cars and mid-size cars increased by 7 per cent, 5 per cent and 2 per cent, respectively. Details here.

Aug 07, 2017: GST Council has proposed a revision in tax slabs for motor vehicles. Until now, all cars were taxed at a base rate of 28 per cent and were levied an additional cess based on factors like dimensions, engine size and ground clearance. The cess slabs were fixed at - 1%, 3% and 15%. The GST Council has now proposed another cess slab of 25%. If this slab is passed, then the maximum rate at which cars could be taxed will increase from 43 per cent to 53 per cent. It's likely that SUVs and luxury cars will be taxed under the newly proposed highest slab. Read more about the GST Council's proposal here.

Aug 30, 2017: The Cabinet has given its nod to the tax slab revision so the prices of SUVs and luxury cars are bound to increase. The increase in cess will be applicable from a later decided, which the GST Council will decide in their September 9, 2017 meeting. The GST on luxury cars and SUVs will now be set at 53 per cent instead of the existing 43 per cent.

Goods & Service Tax (GST) has now replaced all multiple state and centre taxes like excise, NCCD, infra cess, CST, VAT, etc. The implementation of GST has brought some good news for new car buyers. In almost all parts of the country, all cars barring hybrid vehicles have become more affordable than before.

It should also be noted that there will be some increase in insurance costs and loan EMIs as service tax has been increased from 15 per cent to 18 per cent. Also, cars belonging to the small and mid-size segment were expected to get slightly costlier than before. However, prices of most Maruti Suzuki cars belonging to these segments have either come down or remained as is.

Worth noting is the fact that hybrids are now attract 43 per cent GST, lesser than mid-size cars, luxury cars and SUVs. It's, however, significantly higher than before. The increase in taxes will hurt hybrid vehicles the most in cities like Delhi where these vehicles previously enjoyed lower VAT rate (5 per cent) and excise duties (12.5 per cent).

Cars are considered as luxury goods under GST hence they fall in the 28 per cent tax slab. Over and above, based on vehicle classification there is an extra cess of 1, 3, 15, 17, 20, and 22 per cent.

Post GST Tax Rates Base Cess Net Small cars Petrol 28.00% 1.00% 29.00% Diesel 28.00% 3.00% 31.00% Mid-size cars 28.00% 17.00% 45.00% Luxury cars 28.00% 20.00% 48.00% SUVs 28.00% 22.00% 50.00% Hybrids 28.00% 15.00% 43.00% Electric 12% 0.00% 12%

Lets consider a few cars to see the impact of GST on ex-showroom prices in Delhi and Mumbai.

1. Small Car (petrol) - Maruti Suzuki Alto 800

Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 Pre-GST ex-Delhi Post GST ex-Delhi (in Rs) % change STD Rs 2.50 lakh Rs 2.49 lakh -0.4%

Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 Pre-GST ex-Mumbai Post GST ex-Mumbai % change STD Rs 2.74 lakh Rs 2.61 lakh -4.74%

2. Small Car (diesel) - Maruti Suzuki Dzire

Maruti Suzuki Dzire Pre-GST ex-Delhi Post GST ex-Delhi (in Rs) % change ZDi+ AGS Rs 9.41 lakh Rs 9.39 lakh -0.21%

Maruti Suzuki Dzire Pre-GST ex-Mumbai Post GST ex-Mumbai % change ZDi+ AGS Rs 9.85 lakh Rs 9.32 lakh -5.38%

3. Mid-size Car - Maruti Suzuki Ciaz (petrol)

Maruti Suzuki Ciaz Pre-GST ex-Delhi Post GST ex-Delhi (in Rs) % change Sigma Rs 7.72 lakh Rs 7.65 lakh -0.91%

Maruti Suzuki Ciaz Pre-GST ex-Mumbai Post GST ex-Mumbai % change Sigma Rs 8.31 lakh Rs 7.83 lakh -5.78%

4. Luxury Car - Toyota Corolla Altis (petrol)

Toyota Corolla Altis Pre-GST ex-Delhi Post GST ex-Delhi (in Rs) % change 1.8 VL CVT Rs 19.91 lakh Rs 19.36 lakh -2.76%

Toyota Corolla Altis Pre-GST ex-Mumbai Post GST ex-Mumbai % change 1.8 VL CVT Rs 20.99 lakh Rs 19.62 lakh -6.52%

5. SUV - Toyota Fortuner

Toyota Fortuner Pre-GST ex-Delhi Post GST ex-Delhi (in Rs) % change 2.8 4WD AT Rs 31.86 lakh Rs 31.47 lakh -1.22%

Toyota Fortuner Pre-GST ex-Mumbai Post GST ex-Mumbai % change 2.8 4WD AT Rs 32.85 lakh Rs 31.91 lakh -2.86%

6. Hybrid Car - Toyota Camry

Toyota Camry Pre-GST ex-Delhi Post GST ex-Delhi (in Rs) % change 2.5 Hybrid Rs 31.98 lakh Rs 37.23 lakh 16.42%

Toyota Camry Pre-GST ex-Mumbai Post GST ex-Mumbai % change 2.5 Hybrid Rs 36.35 lakh Rs 37.94 lakh 4.37%

For reference, cars in India are classified on the following criteria:

1. Small cars  Cars under four-metre length powered by a petrol engine not greater than 1.2-litre or a diesel engine not greater than 1.5-litre by displacement

2. Mid-size cars  Cars over four-metre length powered by either a petrol or a diesel engine not greater than 1.5-litre displacement

3. Luxury cars  Cars over four-metre length powered by either a petrol or a diesel engine that is greater than 1.5-litre displacement

4. SUVs  Cars over four-metre length and 170mm ground clearance powered by either a petrol or a diesel engine that is greater than 1.5-litre displacement

Impact of GST on Maruti Suzuki Cars

Maruti Suzuki has dropped prices of its cars by up to 3 per cent. The carmaker has also reduced prices of some of its hatchbacks in Delhi despite a slight increase in tax burden in the capital city. In Mumbai, prices of Maruti Suzukis small cars are considerably lower than before with a drop of up to Rs 18,000 in the prices of the Alto range. Baleno RS sees the maximum price drop in the Maruti Suzuki range in Delhi (Rs 32,000) as well as in Mumbai (Rs 78,000).

Maruti Suzukis SHVS powered cars are the worst hit by GST throughout the nation. The governments decision to not offer any benefits on hybrid cars is the reason. So, while the Ciaz SHVS is about half a lakh rupee costlier in Mumbai, prices of the car have gone up in Delhi by almost one lakh rupees. Find out in detail about GST impact on Maruti Suzuki cars in India.

Impact of GST on Hyundai Cars

Prices of Hyundai cars have also come down. The drop is significant for cars that cost over Rs 20 lakh like the Tucson and SantaFe. For smaller cars like the Grand i10 and Elite i20, ex-showroom prices have come down by up to Rs 10,000 in New Delhi. The price drop is higher in Mumbai in comparison. Check out the post-GST price drop on all Hyundai cars here.

Impact of GST on Nissan-Datsun Cars

Post GST, Nissan-Datsun have announced one ex-showroom price throughout India with the exception of J&K. Price drop is not too significant for the Japanese duo. You can check out the price drop for Nissan-Datsun cars here.

Impact of GST on Renault Cars

Renault announced up to 7 per cent reduction in prices of their cars post GST. Prices for various variants of the Kwid are also lower than before. Read in detail about Renault's post GST price revision here.

Impact of GST on Ford Cars

Ford has dropped prices of their cars by up to 4.5 per cent. As a result, Ford Endeavour's prices have come down by about Rs 3 lakh in Mumbai. The price revision in Delhi is somewhat less, but that's a general case since cars in Delhi were taxed at a lesser rate previously. Check out the post GST change in prices of Ford cars here.

Impact of GST on Honda Cars

Like other carmakers, Honda has also reduced prices of all its cars in India. The company is, however, yet to announce the price of Accord Hybrid. GST has not been particularly good for hybrid cars that are now taxed higher than before. Check out the post GST prices of all Honda cars here.

Impact of GST on Toyota Cars

Toyota has a variety of cars in its portfolio ranging from the Liva to the Land Cruiser. As a result, the bracket of price drop post GST is also massive. Toyota, alongside Maruti Suzuki, is one of those carmakers whose hybrid models have seen a mega price increase. The Camry hybrid, which used to cost around Rs 32 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) before GST now costs Rs 37+ lakh. Know more about the post-GST prices of all Toyota cars in detail here.
TOMAH -- First United Methodist Church in Tomah will host a concert by The Gloria Choir at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 6. The free concert, directed by Dennis Baldridge, features home-schooled children. For more information, call the church at 608-372-4543.
'Please help stop these people starving to death' Archbishop aide pleads for Anglicans to act against famine

A senior adviser to the Archbishop of Canterbury called on UK Christians to take part in this Sunday's Day of Prayer to End Famine as record numbers of people around the world face death by starvation.

Bishop Anthony Poggo, former Bishop of Kajo-Keji in South Sudan and now the Archbishop of Canterbury's Advisor for Anglican Communion Affairs, said more than than 20 million people across the globe face starvation.

World Vision UK is among the charities backing the global prayer day, in the hope of mobilising millions of Christians to help prevent mass starvation of children and their communities in Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen and Nigeria.

World Vision is also working in Kenya and Ethiopia, where millions more are also facing the threat of famine.

Bishop Poggo said: 'This crisis has the potential to be absolutely catastrophic. 7.5 million people in my home country are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance and their fate is shared by millions more across Africa and Yemen.

'Efforts of humanitarian agencies, governments and other organisations are clearly not enough. As Christians, we believe in the power of prayer and this is why we call on God to intervene and provide life-giving rains, and ensure everyone receives enough food and the healthcare support they need.

'Wherever you may be, please join us this Sunday to pray for the many who are at risk of famine.'

The World Council of Churches tomorrow to be a Global Day of Prayer to End Famine in response to warnings that more than 20 million people face starvation in what the UN has declared the largest humanitarian crisis since 1945.

The call to action for Christians to pray and engage with churches, governments and society comes days before the G7 meets in Italy on 26-27 May. The G7 will discuss food security, crisis situations in sub-Saharan Africa and migration.

World Vision UK's Head of Christian Influence and Engagement, Chine McDonald, said: 'The hunger crisis is rapidly deteriorating and is unprecedented in scope and size for modern times. World Vision, along with other aid agencies, is already on the ground responding  but we need the continued generosity and prayers of supporters to make sure we reach those most in need, including the most vulnerable children.

'We pray that the hearts of international leaders would be stirred to act, and release life-saving aid to give millions of children the best possible chance of a bright future. Please join us.'
Trump says former FBI director Comey is a 'nut job'

A new and damaging leak on the bizarre pronouncements of President Donald Trump reveals that he has described former FBI director James Comey as a 'real nut job'.

The revelation in the New York Times comes after Comey, a committed Christian who is a member of the United Methodist Church who majored in chemistry and religion when he was a student at at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, was fired by Trump.

The New York Times reported that Trump told Russian officials in the Oval Office that firing the Comey had relieved 'great pressure'.

He said: 'I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job,' the Times reported. 'I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off.' He also said he is not personally under investigation.

The conversation reinforces the notion that the president dismissed Comey primarily because of the bureau's investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump election campaign, according to the Times.

Spokesman Sean Spicer said in a statement: 'The President has always emphasised the importance of making deals with Russia as it relates to Syria, Ukraine, defeating ISIS and other key issues for the benefit and safety of the American people.

'By grandstanding and politicising the investigation into Russia's actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia. The investigation would have always continued, and obviously, the termination of Comey would not have ended it. Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations.'

The conversation took place when Trump met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russia's ambassador to Washington in the Oval Office the day after the firing.

Trump has also been hit by embarrassing leaks that a senior adviser was a 'person of interest' in the Russia collusion investigation.

The Washington Post, citing sources familiar with the matter, did not identify the senior Trump adviser except to say that the person of interest was close to Trump, a Republican who entered the White House four months ago.

Additional reporting by Reuters
Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

LinkedIn

Email

Telegram



Earlier this week, Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly joked about Trump using a saber on the press and U.S. Senator Jim Risch told CNN the press should be questioning the Washington Post about its sources. Then, on May 16, The New York Times reported that President Donald Trump allegedly asked former FBI director James Comey to consider putting journalists in prison for publishing classified information. If the request, which is allegedly detailed in a memo from Comey, is true it represents a serious risk to reporters, according to First Amendment attorneys.

The idea that journalists could be jailed in the U.S. for doing their job is not new. Under the George W. Bush administration, New York Times reporter Judith Miller spent 85 days in jail on contempt of court charges for refusing to testify about the identity of a source. The Obama administration prosecuted more individuals for leaking classified information than any other U.S. president and used the threat of prison in its unsuccessful seven-year battle to compel New York Times reporter James Risen to testify about his sources.

While journalists have been caught up in prosecutions of leakers, a move to directly target and jail them would be a marked change for the government. The likelihood of journalists in the U.S. being imprisoned for publishing classified information has not been legally tested, but lawyers point out that sections of U.S. law could expose them to prosecution.

James Goodale, who represented The New York Times in the landmark libel suit New York Times v. Sullivan and in the Pentagon Papers case, told CPJ that a journalist could be charged under the Espionage Act for conspiring with a source to publish classified information. I have thought from the moment [Trump] became president that the greatest threat to the free press is that he and his attorney general would try to jail reporters, Goodale, author of Fighting for the Press: The Inside Story of the Pentagon Papers and Other Battles, said. [EDITORS NOTE: Goodale is a senior adviser to CPJ and former chair of its board.]

The Espionage Act of 1917, passed shortly after the U.S. entered World War One, criminalizes the disclosure of classified information. Since 1971 it has been used to charge at least 12 government workers who shared classified information with journalists (eight of those cases occurred under Obama) but it has never been used to directly prosecute a journalist.

The Espionage Act is 100 years old this year and remains what Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan referred to as a singularly opaque document. Thats the problem. It could be used by an administration angry enough at the press to seek to criminalize routine and often societally beneficial revelations of governmental misconduct, Floyd Abrams, who represented the New York Times in the Pentagon Papers case, said in an email to CPJ. He called Trumps alleged statement unsurprising but deeply disturbing.

The New York Times report on Trumps alleged statement did not include how Comey responded. In March however, a House Intelligence Committee Hearing questioned Comey on his views of prosecuting journalists for publishing classified leaks.

Thats a harder question, as to whether a reporter incurs criminal liability by publishing classified information, and one probably beyond my ken, Comey said in response to the question by Rep. Trey Gowdy. Im not aware of any [exception protecting reporters] carved out in the statute, but I dont think a reporter has been prosecuted in my lifetime.

The idea that journalists could be charged alongside leakers has some precedent. In 2010, the FBI seized Fox News reporter James Rosens email records in a 2010 Espionage Act case against a state department employee accused of leaking information about North Korea. The reporter was named as a co-conspirator in the FBIs affidavit in support of the court order, but the Justice Department never formally indicted him, according to reports. Former Attorney General Eric Holder later issued guidelines that make it harder, though not impossible, for the Department of Justice to subpoena journalists records.

Any prosecution would have to go through the Justice Department, but Attorney General Jeff Sessions has not taken a vocal stand in defense of press freedom. During his Senate Judiciary hearing, Sessions said that he was unsure if he would commit to following the Justice Department guidelines for subpoenaing reporters. Last month he told reporters that arresting Julian Assange is a priority. When CNN anchor Kate Bolduan asked Sessions whether people should be concerned that this would open the door for prosecutions against CNN and The New York Times, Sessions responded, thats speculative and Im not able to comment.

The president cannot jail journalists but the Attorney General is in a position to jail journalists, and I think we know a bit the general direction from which hes coming because he said his priority is to prosecute WikiLeaks, said Goodale, who added that any prosecution of WikiLeaks would create a dangerous precedent for publishers that report on classified documents, and would make it easier to prosecute reporters in the future.

The greatest danger the press has is a successful prosecution of WikiLeaks in which the attorney general is able to prove that there is a conspiracy between WikiLeaks and its sourcesI dont get much pleasure defending [Assange] but functionally what he does is get information published, Goodale said.

Checks and balances are in place that should make it harder for the government to prosecute journalists. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, an organization dedicated to providing legal assistance to journalists, said in a statement this week, No president gets to jail journalists. Reporters are protected by judges and juries, by a congress that relies on them to stay informed, and by a Justice Department that for decades has honored the role of a free press by spurning prosecutions of journalists for publishing leaks of classified information.

The First Amendment attorneys with whom CPJ spoke said they are cautiously optimistic that even if a journalist were prosecuted and convicted, a higher court could overturn the ruling. There is little case law on the subject precisely because no president has sought to use it in the manner adverted to by President Trump. The arguments against reading the statute in the fashion referred to by the president are strong and I think would likely prevail, said Abrams.

Both attorneys cautioned however, that a victory for press freedom is far from certain.

The judges may deep-six the theory [that reporters can be prosecuted under the Espionage Act], and I hope they would on the basis of the First Amendment, but the risk is that the prosecution goes forward and you have to wait to be saved at the last minute by the Supreme Court. Or maybe you wont be, Goodale said.
First Presbyterian Church, 233 West Ave. S., will offer vacation Bible school from 12:45 to 3:30 p.m. June 5-9. This year's program is for children age 4 through fourth grade. For more information or to register, call the church at 608-784-4248 or visit www.firstpreslax.org.
Bank of Montreal provides diversified financial services primarily in North America. The company's personal banking products and services include checking and savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and financial and investment advice services; and commercial banking products and services comprise business deposit accounts, commercial credit cards, business loans and commercial mortgages, cash management solutions, foreign exchange, specialized banking programs, treasury and payment solutions, and risk management products for small business and commercial banking customers. It also offers investment and wealth advisory services; digital investing services; financial services and solutions; and investment management, and trust and custody services. In addition, the company provides life insurance, accident and sickness insurance, and annuity products; creditor and travel insurance to bank customers; and reinsurance solutions. Further, it offers client's debt and equity capital-raising services, as well as loan origination and syndication, and treasury management; strategic advice on mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and recapitalizations, as well as valuation and fairness opinions; and trade finance, risk mitigation, and other operating services. Additionally, the company provides research and access to markets for institutional, corporate, and retail clients; trading solutions that include debt, foreign exchange, interest rate, credit, equity, securitization and commodities; new product development and origination services, as well as risk management advice and services to hedge against fluctuations; and funding and liquidity management services to its clients. It operates through approximately 900 bank branches and 3,300 automated banking machines in Canada and the United States. Bank of Montreal was founded in 1817 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.
Orbital ATK, Inc. develops and produces aerospace and defense related products to the U.S. Government, allied nations, prime contractors, and other customers in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Flight Systems Group, Defense Systems Group, and Space Systems Group. The Flight Systems Group segment develops launch vehicles that are used as small-and medium-class space launch vehicles to place satellites into Earth orbit and escape trajectories; interceptor and target vehicles for missile defense systems; suborbital launch vehicles that place payloads into various high-altitude trajectories; rocket propulsion systems for human and cargo launch vehicles; strategic missiles; missile defense interceptors and target vehicles; and composite structures for military and commercial aircraft and launch structures markets. The Defense Systems Group segment develops and produces military ammunition; propulsion systems for tactical missiles and missile defense applications; strike weapons; precision weapons and munitions; high-performance gun systems; aircraft survivability systems; fuzes and warheads; propellant and energetic materials; special mission aircraft; airborne missile warning systems; and defense electronics. The Space Systems Group segment offers small-and medium-class satellites that are used to enable global and regional communications and broadcasting; conduct space-related scientific research; and perform activities related to national security. This segment also provides human-rated space systems for Earth-orbit and deep-space exploration, including re-supplying the international space station; and spacecraft components and subsystems, as well as specialized engineering and operations services. Orbital ATK, Inc. is headquartered in Dulles, Virginia.
Some soon-to-be high school graduates are coming face-to-face with the cold reality: They are not ready for college or a career.

That is not the case for a unique group of 41 La Crosse high school students who have been involved in the AVID college-readiness program. AVID, the acronym for Advancement Via Individual Determination, was introduced to Central and Logan high schools three years ago, and was funded in part through major grants and generous donations from local businesses and individuals.

For Thomas Yang, who intends to go to the University of Minnesota Rochester, AVID classes have helped him feel prepared. Otherwise, I never would have thought about being ready for college until about right now. Thomas is interested in ophthalmology.

For Sally Manninger, the AVID experience means she is confident she wont make the same mistake as her older sister, and end up dropping out of college right away. She plans to study psychology at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. People are driven by their own determination to succeed.

For Tou Bee Xiong, who is planning to attend Winona State University, AVID has helped him discover a desire to become a teacher. I want to help students like me who have really struggled with middle school and high school.

All three students were among a group of seniors who shared experiences as part of a special AVID celebration held May 5 at Central High School. About 35 students attended, along with teachers, administrators and community members, including key donors who supported the launch of AVID three years ago.

In all, 41 students involved in AVID are graduating from Central and Logan.

All but one has been accepted into either a four-year or two-year college, and that remaining student (along with one other AVID graduate) plans to join the military before pursuing college, according to data the two schools compiled.

At this time, 28 are planning to attend four-year colleges this fall, and 11 will start at two-year colleges, some with the intention of transferring later to a four-year college.

The majority of these students will be the first in their families to go to college.

AVID students learn specific skills for use in other classes, including note-taking, reading, writing, inquiry, and critical thinking skills. They also participate in tutoring sessions that emphasize collaboration and group problem-solving.

All AVID students are required to take advanced-placement classes and are exposed to colleges through campus visits and class presentations. They get help writing letters or essays, completing pre-college testing, and applying for financial aid.

The program was phased in over three years, supported by about $230,000 in grants and other donations to the La Crosse Public Education Foundation. At full implementation, the program is expected to serve more than 200 students a year between the two high schools. AVID has a proven track record nationally in nearly 5,000 schools.

The AVID program focuses on students in the academic middle  often those are students who dont think about getting prepared for college until its too late. When compared to the overall student body at Central and Logan, AVID students are more likely to be students of color and more likely to be from low-income families with less family history of attending college.

As students shared their experiences with donors in a series of small group discussions, they often talked about the importance of mentors and the relationships they have built.

And they credited AVID with helping them grow and build self-confidence. Its not about who you are on the outside, said Tou Bee Xiong, taking off a bright yellow vest jacket to illustrate his point.

Its who you are on the inside. And on the inside, Im Tou Bee Xiong.
List of Memorial Day events around the Dayton area

Join us for live entertainment, dancing, box lunch and door prizes to kick off the start of summer! - Read More

Live entertainment, Memorial Day Parade, Carnival rides, Kayaking or canoeing on the lake and much more! - Read More

Celebrate Memorial Day with us at Young's Dairy. You show up, well supply the fun! - Read More

2022 Warrior Soccer Classic Tournament Saturday, May 28, 2022 36th adidas Warrior Soccer Classic Tournament Kicks Off in Dayton Memorial Day Weekend May 28-29, 2022 - Read More

Waterparks around Dayton 2022 Saturday, May 28, 2022 Grab the sunscreen - waterparks around Dayton are opening Memorial Day Weekend! - Read More

1st Annual Military History Muster Saturday, May 28, 2022 1st Annual Military History Muster Memorial Weekend encampment rain or shine Reenactors - Civil War to Vietnam Horses Veterans Ser Orgs - Read More

Forest Ridge Food Truck Rally and Craft Show Saturday, May 28, 2022 There will be 6 Food Trucks and at least 12 Craft Vendors to celebrate the kickoff to the Memorial Day Weekend. This event is free and will be in the field of the neighborhood pool complex. - Read More

Biergartens Saturday, May 28, 2022 DLT will be having Biergartens on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month. There will be recorded music, indoor and/or outdoor seating (weather permitting), plenty of bier and good food. - Read More

Dayton Heritage Festival at Carillon Park Sunday, May 29, 2022 2022 will be a Memorial Day weekend to remember with an old-fashioned patriotic celebration! - Read More

Enon Memorial Day Parade Sunday, May 29, 2022 Enon Memorial Day Parade hosted by Enon VFW - starts at Greenon Schools and ends at the Enon Cemetary. - Read More

Memorial Day Commemorative 5K Fun Run Monday, May 30, 2022 This first-year event will take place at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. - Read More

Centerville Memorial Day Ceremony Monday, May 30, 2022 The City of Centervilles Memorial Day Ceremony at Stubbs Park - Read More

Memorial Day Special at Scene75 Monday, May 30, 2022 Scene75 will be open 11am until 9pm with an awesome Memorial Day offer you wont want to miss! - Read More

Beavercreek Memorial Day Ceremony Monday, May 30, 2022 Join the City of Beavercreek this Memorial Day for a special ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park. - Read More

Springboro Memorial Day Parade Monday, May 30, 2022 Memorial Day Parade - 2:00 PM - S. Main Street to Wade Field - Read More
In simpler times, the best thing to come out of a vending machine was the bonus pack of M&Ms that accidentally fell out with the pack you purchased.

But its 2017. There aint nothing simple about these times, and vending machines have evolved to match  at least in Singapore, where used car seller Autobahn Motors has opened a supercar vending machine filled with 15 levels of high-end automobiles.

The high-tech showroom may look like a box of Hot Wheels, but make no mistake: those are very real Bentleys, Porsches, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and McLarens, displayed in all their sleek and splashy glory.

Customers on the ground floor are welcomed into a viewing gallery, where theyre invited to kick back on a sofa and use a touchscreen tablet to select the vehicle they wish to see. The car arrives in one to two minutes via a sophisticated delivery system that runs throughout the building. In the meantime, the lights in the gallery dim and a promotional video for the car is played.

When the video is complete, the car is bathed in lights and presented on a large turntable that rotates towards the buyer. A chorus of angels sings (just guessing there).

The supercar vending machine is flashy, yes, and great at grabbing headlines  but it actually serves a practical purpose. Land is scarce in Singapore, and the system allows Autobahn Motors to make the most of limited space.

We needed to meet our requirement of storing a lot of cars. At the same time, we wanted to be creative and innovative, said Gary Hong, general manager at Autobahn Motors, in an interview with Reuters.
A hay fever map of Britain - with the first ever guide to the location of plants in the UK that can trigger the allergy - has been produced to help sufferers cope, and warn them which 'hotspots' to avoid.

Academics at the University of Exeter's Medical School have produced new, highly-detailed maps of the UK containing the location of key plants and trees known to produce pollen that triggers allergies and asthma.

The maps, produced in collaboration with the Met Office, may help acute hay-fever or asthma sufferers decide where to live, or which areas to avoid at peak times when pollen is released.

The study records areas where plants which hay fever sufferers are most likely to be sensitive to are most prevalent, including grasses and trees and plants such as birch, alder, oak and nettle.

The plant maps, which include cities throughout the UK - with a detailed plan of London - will help medics further study the impact of air pollution on asthma.

Around 80 per cent of people with asthma also have a pollen allergy and in the UK around 10 per cent of the adult population is affected by asthma - one of the highest levels of doctor-diagnosed asthma in the world.

In 2001, thirteen per cent of people in the UK were diagnosed with hayfever by doctors.

Most people with hay-fever are allergic to grass pollen, which is most common in late spring and early summer. Air pollution, for example from car exhaust fumes, is understood to exacerbate hospital admissions for asthma caused by allergies.

The maps are released as new research carried out at the European Centre for Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter's Medical School, shows that exposure to pollen can increase hospital admissions for asthma within days of exposure.

The study of hospital admissions in London by Dr Nicholas Osborne, published in the International Journal of Biometeorology, found that four to five days after increased grass pollen counts there was a spike in hospital admissions for asthma.

The study also found increased admissions for asthma 2-5 days later after Met Office pollen alert levels of very high pollen days.

Dr Rachel McInnes and Dr Osborne of the European Centre for Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter Medical School believe their maps of allergenic pollen-producing plants, in combined with pollen forecasts and calendars, could help sufferers manage their condition by reducing their exposure.

The study examined the tree canopy, and the distribution of grasses to allow people to locate areas where they could be particularly affected. The resulting maps show where the allergenic plants and trees are located around Great Britain. The academics used sophisticated aerial mapping, as well as data from a variety of sources, to show the geographical distribution of the 12 key types of plants associated with hay fever and asthma brought on by allergies. In London, the prevalence of allergenic plants is broken down by neighbourhood.

The maps were produced in collaboration with the Met Office, as part of the multi-institutional and interdisciplinary Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Change and Health funded by NIHR (National Institute for Health Research).

They include the location of grasses, weeds and trees producing pollen known to trigger hay-fever and asthma, including birch, alder, hazel, plane trees and oak, grass, nettles, mugwort and plantain.

The maps show a higher percentage of allergenic grass in the northern and western regions of great Britain. The Eastern central area of the UK has the lowest percentage of allergenic grass. The North West and Western Scotland have the highest density of grass coverage.

The detailed maps of the location of pollen, published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, may make it possible to identify plants increasing the risk of higher hospital admissions for asthma.

Research by Dr Nicholas Osborne, an epidemiologist and toxicologist, at the University of Exeter's Medical School, said the maps will help doctors narrow down which pollens are most likely to trigger asthma attacks.

"We hope that these maps will contribute to ongoing research that aims to better determine when plants pollenate, allowing us with time to provide better warning to allergy and asthma sufferers to enable them to better manage their disease," Dr Osborne said. "In the future, more people will know what species they are allergic to."

The map of tree locations used data from a high-resolution National Tree Map produced by Bluesky International, which used high-resolution aerial photography and remote sensing, as well as information from the Forestry Commission.

Dr Rachel McInnes, an honorary research fellow at the University of Exeter European Centre for Environment and Human Health and a Senior Climate Impacts Scientist at the Met Office, said:

"These maps are a step towards a species-level pollen forecast. Pollen can have a serious impact on the well-being of those with hay fever or asthma. By working towards a localised, species-level forecast, vulnerable people can better plan their activities and manage their condition. These new maps could also provide local authorities and healthcare practitioners with information to assist patients with pollen allergies. While these allergenic plant and tree maps do not provide a forecast of pollen levels, they do provide the most likely locations of grass and of tree species which are the source of most allergenic pollen."

###
The National Pig Association (NPA) is using its General Election manifesto to call for a 'fair and balanced' deal for British pig farmers from the next Government.

The association, which represents about 80% of British pig production, has identified five priority areas for the main political parties in its 2017 General Election Manifesto, ahead of the June 8 poll.

The NPA wants trade arrangements that recognise the UK's 'world-leading standards' and enable the UK pig industry to thrive in the global marketplace. The UK must not agree to deals that open the country up to unfair competition, the manifesto states.

The association wants a balanced immigration policy that ensures the UK retains access to EU labour. The UK needs to secure a workforce and staff that are welcome to live in the UK.

The manifesto supports a domestic agricultural policy which supports high standards and helps the pig industry to invest in modern production facilities that deliver good animal health and welfare.

The NPA support a fair regulatory system that ensures needs as a valuable sector producing a high quality' product are fairly balanced alongside other interests.

The same resource and effort must be put into keeping animal disease out as extending export markets, as ultimately the two are intrinsically linked, the NPA said.

When it comes to post-Brexit trade, the NPA is highlighting the importance to the pig sector of maintaining tariff free access to the Single Market but also of ensuring that, if EU tariffs are imposed, that EU imports coming the other way are subject to equivalent tariffs.

Global welfare standards

The association has also issued a warning about the potential implications for animal health and welfare of new free trade deals outside the EU.

It recently published details of research it has carried out comparing animal welfare standards across key pig producing countries.

For example, while sow stalls have been outlawed in the UK since 1999 and are now partially banned across the rest of the EU, they are still legal in the US, Canada and Brazil. These three countries also have very different attitudes when it comes to antibiotic use, while the feed additive, Ractopamine, banned in the EU, is still approved in all three.

The UK is also unique among major pig producing countries, including its EU competitors, in its variety of production methods, including outdoor breeding and indoor straw-based systems.

NPA chief executive Zoe Davies said: The British pig industry has absolutely no intention of lowering our welfare standards as a result of any post-Brexit trade deals.

Our manifesto is all about delivering a fair and balanced deal for our members and that includes ensuring British pig producers are not undercut by imports of pork from countries produced to lower welfare standards. We must insist on equivalent standards for imports and, if necessary, designate pork as a sensitive product during free trade negotiations.

We are also sending out a clear message to the next Government about the need to maintain easy access to EU labour, particularly permanent, so-called un-skilled labour that our farms and the allied industries are so dependent on.

Other farming manifestos

The Labour party have launched their manifesto. The manifesto pledges an end to the badger cull, a ban on neonicotinoids and the promotion of cruelty free farming.

In the Conservative manifesto, they pledge to bring 'sustainable growth' to farming communities, create a new agri-environment scheme and introduce mandatory CCTV in slaughterhouses.

The Liberal Democrats unveiled their manifesto saying that UK farming will be in 'huge danger' of leaving EU. They propose a second referendum.

Welsh political party Plaid Cymru has also released their manifesto, calling for a Brexit deal which best represents Welsh agriculture.

Numerous rural organisations have released their own manifestos, including the NFU, NFU Cymru, NFU Scotland, the CLA, the Soil Association, the Tenant Farmers' Association, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, the British Veterinary Association, the Farmers' Union of Wales, the Ulster Farmers' Union, the Agricultural Industries Confederation and the Countryside Alliance.
Showing competitors at this years UK Dairy Day have the chance to take home significant monetary prizes as this years total fund reaches an impressive 20,000.

Taking place on Wednesday 13th September, the UK Dairy Day 2017 is set to be the hub for dairy breeders, displaying the most exquisite cattle.

With a prize fund totalling 20,000, competitors are being encouraged to put forward their entries and be a part of the UKs leading cattle showing event.

The prize fund is generated by retained sponsors from the 2016 event, as well as support this year from new sponsors.

Businesses from across the dairy supply chain have invested significantly into UK Dairy Day which is now in its 4th year  demonstrating their commitment to the sustainability and success of the dairy industry.

With Anglia Farmers on board as cattle infrastructure sponsor, it enables Holstein UK, the organisers of the show, to be able to offer free entry for all cattle.

Lynden Bustard, Cattle Show Manager and Chief Steward, commented: Excitement is already building for UK Dairy Day this September. Introducing the new NBDC breed village and welcoming The National Ayrshire Show are two real highlights  and with a prize fund of 20,000, we are just so appreciative of the generous support from dairy businesses.

Our aim is to be right at the heart of UK dairy breeders both commercial and pedigree and be amongst the very best cattle. Now hosting two National Shows, UK Dairy Day really is the show to be seen at, compete at and do business at!
Retailer giant Tesco has committed to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030 and 65 percent by 2020.

Tesco will join other private-sector leaders such as IKEA and Philips in the global RE100 industry initiative to meet the Paris climate agreement goals.

According to Tesco, emissions from stores and distribution centres make up over 85% of their direct carbon footprint - and they will switch this year to 100% renewable electricity in the UK and Ireland, as well as continuing to invest in energy efficiency.

Tesco said in the past 10 years it had spent more than 700m in energy efficiency, reducing its carbon emissions by 41 per cent and also cutting its electricity bill by 200m a year.

The new corporate goals are 'science-based' and aim to make Tesco a zero-carbon business worldwide by 2050.

More importantly for farmers, Tesco states that they will also encourage their suppliers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based upon 2015 levels, with 7% emissions reductions by 2020 and 35% by 2030 (15% for agricultural emissions).

Tesco will support their supply chain to deliver these reductions "through education and collaborative renewable electricity buying clubs".
While Vince Hatt asked what we can learn in the abortion debate in his May 13 column, his hunting metaphor is flawed.

He describes the uncertainty about hearing a rustle in the thicket, which prompts the questions about whether the sound is caused by a deer or a human. He claims we should err on the side of caution and not shoot; however, in this scenario, the hunter is not in any real danger.

If you choose not to shoot, you only risk going home without deer meat. For many facing an unplanned pregnancy, there are serious risks involved.

What happens when a poor single mother gets pregnant and having another child means she will be unable to feed or house her existing children? With 4.25 million single mothers living in poverty, this is all too common.

What happens when a woman is impregnated by an abusive partner? Domestic violence normally escalates during and after pregnancy, and having a child with an abuser ties you to that person forever  and could expose the child to that violence as well.

Poverty and violence against women are deadly realities in our society that we cannot ignore when we consider reproductive freedom. We cannot pretend that pregnancies occur in a utopia where we all have access to the same safety nets.

Until we live in a world free from violence against women  and until we live in a world that guarantees health care, parental leave, food, education and housing for all families  we cannot pretend that childbirth is a safe or reasonable option for all women at all times. If we get there, then lets talk.

A better metaphor, if we must stick to the shooting theme, might be in guerrilla warfare. You are in battle. You hear a rustle in the woods. Do you shoot first or wait to be shot? There are so many variables that would affect the decision a person would make in the moment. So many that one could argue you cannot make a judgment on what you would do unless you were in that particular situation with access to all the information available. You make the best decision you can in the moment with all the circumstances there.

The same is true for an unplanned pregnancy.

Abortion has existed as long as humans have existed, and it will continue as long as humans do. Women and our allies must continue to advocate access to safe and legal abortions, though frankly women  regardless of their political ideology  will continue to find ways to privately take charge of their own family planning, regardless of public discourse.




Haiti - News : Zapping...





Sentence of Guy Philippe, date advanced

Following a decision of the judge, elected Senator Guy Philippe who was to know his sentence on July 5, has seen this date advanced to June 21.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20754-haiti-flash-guy-philippe-confesses-and-risks-20-years-imprisonment.html



The Haitian flag floats in Romana

On the occasion of the 214th anniversary of our bicolour, the Haitian flag was hoisted in the square of the flag of La Romana in the Dominican Republic, in the presence among others of the Consul of Haiti Jean Tholbert Alexis, accompanied by the Mayor of La Romana Jose Reyes at the head of a delegation.



214th : Remarks of the Consul of Chicago

As part of the commemoration of our bicolour, Lesly Conde the Consul General of Haiti in Chicago declared "Today our bicolour challenges us. He speaks to us of this unity that it symbolizes. He speaks of a destiny worthy of our ancestors since it represents the triumph of bravery face of tyranny. It is up to us to be proud of our national emblem and above all to draw from it the courage and determination we need to shape our destiny."



 We will need a national revival 

Thursday, during the Commemoration of the Flag Day and University in Arcahaie, the Rector of the State University of Haiti (UEH), Fritz Deshommes in his speech cited the intellectual Dantes Bellegarde to remember that "the University is Guardian of the Flag" and called on youth to reverse the current trend by fighting for the regeneration of our country "we will need a national revival, even an awakening to get Haiti out of the rut of poverty. This would be the best way," he said, to pay tribute to the Flag.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20979-haiti-politic-flag-day-jovenel-moise-speech-in-arcahaie.html



Ambassador of France to Cap-Haitien

The French Ambassador to Haiti, Elisabeth Beton Delegue was recently in Cap-Haitien where she was attending a conference as part of Europe Week. She took advantage of the visit to visit several schools as well as the hospital Justinian and met with local authorities and representatives of the North Chamber of Commerce and Industry.



New Departmental Director of Immigration

Max Rudolf Saint-Albin, the Minister of the Interior and Local Government installed as the new Departmental Director of Immigration and Emigration in Cap-Haitien. He replaces Joseph Cianciulli, promoted on 12 April as Director-General of Immigration and Emigration.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Wisconsin is the only state in the country not to legally recognize Veterans Day by closing its offices and agencies. Some state lawmakers hope to change that.

Senate President Roger Roth, R-Appleton, introduced a bill designating Nov. 11, Veterans Day, a state holiday. Rep. John Jagler, R-Watertown, introduced an identical bill in the Assembly.

Instead of having a specific day off for Veterans Day, state employees currently get a floating holiday. If the bill passes, the floating holiday would be replaced by the paid day off on Nov. 11.

Roth said a floating holiday doesnt have the same impact or significance that a designated holiday has. He likened the floating holiday to the disappointment of celebrating a birthday late.

This shows veterans that we value them so much that, in the fast-paced world we live in, were going to stop government to honor them, said Roth, an Iraq war veteran. Taking one day to stop all work and honor them is extremely important.

Since the legal holiday would replace a floating holiday, there would not be a significant fiscal impact for most agencies, according to a Department of Administration estimate.

Law enforcement, care facilities and prisons  which require round-the-clock staffing  would see an increase of more than half a million dollars for salaries and fringe costs since state employees who work on the holiday would be paid time and a half. Despite the increase, the DOA estimate suggested the extra cost could likely be absorbed by the departments budgets.

By no means do I think this bill is a slam dunk, Jagler said. I know with a fiscal attached, there could be some push back.

If the bill passes, it would take effect Jan. 1, 2018, so Veterans Day 2017 would still be recognized as a floating holiday for state employees. But Roth noted the significance of first recognizing Veterans Day next year  100 years to the day after the armistice was signed to end World War I.

One of the reasons Jagler said he was motivated to introduce the bill was because he said he felt Wisconsin needed to catch up and join every other state in honoring Veterans Day.

It was important to some of my constituents who are veterans, Jagler said. What got me interested beyond hearing from them is that they said they go to these conventions and they get teased or ribbed for being the only state that doesnt have a day off.

Jagler hopes people will attend events or programs that honor veterans with their day off.
Many people feel post-holiday blues after some time away from work. Its temporary and also somewhat necessary to
Timeline of Mud Creek dump

Yellow cross-hatched areas identify parts of Mud Creek dump where debris has been found.

The Mud Creek dump covers at least 8 acres on a 39-acre site between Green Meadows and Mud Creek owned by the Hendersonville Housing Authority. The city held a drop-in public information meeting on Tuesday to describe the environmental assessment that has been done so far. The citys consulting engineers, Hart & Hickman, and officials from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Pre-Regulatory Landfill Program were on hand to answer questions. Here is a timeline of the property and city and state agencies work on the issue since 2007:

1910-40: J.A. Rusher Sr. buys the property in as many as 200 different transactions.

March 1971: Hendersonville Leasing Housing Corp. buys the site from J.A. Jake Rusher Jr. for use as a low-income housing development.

January 1972: In a letter to the TVA, the Redevelopment Commission of Hendersonville says two sites  one 3, the other 9 acres  had been used for years as semi-public dumping grounds receiving many types of refuse such as auto bodies, garbage, refrigerator bodies, scrap iron, etc. Looking at ways to convert the land to a park and playground, the city told the TVA that its original urban renewal plan was to clear the dump in the low marshy area and cover it with fill from the rest of the construction site.

November 1972: Hendersonville Housing Authority buys the site from the Hendersonville Leasing Housing Corp.

December 2007: Consulting engineers Marshall Miller & Associates submit a 155-page report on Mud Creeks Dumps #1 and #2 to the Inactive Hazardous Sites Branch of the state Department of Environmental and Natural Resources. Its survey of the 39-acre area identifies an 8.3-acre dump site, which is enclosed by a chain-link fence.

April 2014 and June 2014: City discovers two areas of concern associated with the landfill during the Jackson Park sewer line construction. It hires the Charlotte-based environmental consulting firm Hart & Hickman to complete an assessment and provide oversight during excavation of the buried debris in the sanitary sewer right-of-way. Hart & Hickman issues a detailed Geophysical, Soil and Groundwater Assessment Report on August 6, 2014, and documents Drum Area Excavation on Aug. 18 and Dump Area Excavation on Sept. 23, 2014.



Oct. 20, 2014: The Department of Environment and Natural Resources notifies the city it is eligible for reimbursement of the cost of assessing Mud Creek Dump No. 1 and Dump No. 2 and developing a work plan. The city hires H&H to conduct assessment activities in accordance with the landfill units guidelines. Based on an on-site review with the city and guidance from state landfill regulators, H&H developed a work plan and cost proposal for first phase remedial investigation activities.

February 2015-October 2016  Hart & Hickman continues first phase remedial investigation and Waste Disposal Boundary Delineation and Surface Vapor Survey. The study area has expanded to 49 acres, up from the original 39-acre site. In February, Hart & Hickman and two other engineering firms estimate the first phase remedial investigation will cost $46,757.

February 2017 Hart & Hickman submits a revised work plan to complete Waste Boundary Delineation, Landfill Gas Evaluation and Soil Cover Evaluation. The study area includes William H. King Memorial Park and Lincoln Center. The contractor will make 28 soil borings at 14 locations on property near the residential area and other private property. It will also install 10 permanent landfill gas probes to test for landfill gases underground. The city identifies 11 private properties for boring, including eight homeowners. Total cost of the assessment grew to $234,110.



March and April 2017: Private property owner access agreements obtained by Legal Department. Field work reveals landfill boundary encroaching on private property.



SOURCES: Marshall Miller & Associates report for N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (2007), Hart & Hickman assessments and reports (2014 to the present), City Engineer Brent Detwiler.
Business Analysis: A Professional Certification Course

Posted by Muhammad Umer Adil on Saturday, 05-20-2017 4:18 am

Currently 3.0/5 Stars.

1

2

3

4

5 3.0 from 5 votes

The one who wants to be businessman ahead should be certified in all the training courses that are needed to become a successful businessman. Business analysis certification is one of those courses that a person needs to get trained in. The term analysis expresses the examination and investigation or keen research over something. Similarly, the term of business analysis is used to identifying the business needs and business issues and how to deal them. All for this, you need to get certified in CBAP (certification Business Analysis Professionals) according to the principle that is put by IIBA. What is the Aim of this Course? The course directly aims to develop a business talent by training you in business analysis while making you skillful in managing the business issues and business documentations. Moreover, this course is very beneficial to pass the test for CBAP in only a first time. Although, we all know that CBAP is a largest and a familiar business analysis course in the worl...

Close Forgot Your Password? Enter in your email address and we will send it to you. Send Email An HR.com member profile provides you with access to a multitude of information and education along with the opportunity to network with the largest HR community on the web.

If you need any help, call .877.472.6648 and ask for our Member Experience Co-ordinator.

Hi Please check your email for an activation link. If you do not receive your activation email within a few minutes, check your spam folder or call our Help Desk at 1.877.472.6648 For faster assistance, dial extension 4. Thank you! Continue

Hi Verification error - Please enter the correct code above. Verified Wow! You have successfully verified the account Continue

Hi your HR.com account is ready Your Profile completion: 30% Complete your profile
Irish-based Global Learning Platform Announces Major Jobs Expansion in Galway

Posted by Press Releases on Saturday, 05-20-2017 10:48 am

Currently 0.0/5 Stars.

1

2

3

4

5 0.0 from 0 votes

Galway, Ireland 18 May 2017: Alison, one of the worlds largest free e-learning platforms, today welcomed Minister for Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation, Mary Mitchell OConnor to their newly refurbished offices in Galway Technology Park, Parkmore to announce the creation of 30 new jobs due to the companys expansion. The new positions, supported by the Department of Jobs through Enterprise Ireland, are across many areas of the business technology, sales, marketing and finance. Recruitment will begin immediately with all positions to be filled over the next 12 to 18 months. Founded in 2007, by serial entrepreneur Mike Feerick, Alison is recognised as the first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) provider, a movement which today is revolutionising global access to education, workplace skills training, and employment opportunities. With 50 employees across Ireland and Western Europe, Alison boasts over 10 million registered learners, and over 1 million graduates from international m...

Close Forgot Your Password? Enter in your email address and we will send it to you. Send Email An HR.com member profile provides you with access to a multitude of information and education along with the opportunity to network with the largest HR community on the web.

If you need any help, call .877.472.6648 and ask for our Member Experience Co-ordinator.

Hi Please check your email for an activation link. If you do not receive your activation email within a few minutes, check your spam folder or call our Help Desk at 1.877.472.6648 For faster assistance, dial extension 4. Thank you! Continue

Hi Verification error - Please enter the correct code above. Verified Wow! You have successfully verified the account Continue

Hi your HR.com account is ready Your Profile completion: 30% Complete your profile
Saint-Gobain Corporation Appoints New Senior Vice President of Human Resources

Posted by Press Releases on Saturday, 05-20-2017 10:55 am

Currently 0.0/5 Stars.

1

2

3

4

5 0.0 from 0 votes

Valerie Gervais, who formerly held the role of Global Human Resources Director within Saint-Gobains Innovative Materials Sector, will serve as the new Senior Vice President of Human Resources ofSaint-Gobain in North America Malvern, PA., May 18, 2017 -Saint-Gobain, one of the worlds largest building material companies and manufacturer of innovative material solutions, has announced the appointment of Valerie Gervais as Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Saint-Gobain Corporation (Saint-Gobains North American holding company). In this role, Valerie fills a key position on Saint-Gobains North American Executive Committee and will report directly to Tom Kinisky, President and CEO of Saint-Gobain Corporation. As Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Saint-Gobain Corporation, she will be responsible for the strategy and governance of human resources, including compensations and benefits, organization development, training and leadership development, diversity and i...

Close Forgot Your Password? Enter in your email address and we will send it to you. Send Email An HR.com member profile provides you with access to a multitude of information and education along with the opportunity to network with the largest HR community on the web.

If you need any help, call .877.472.6648 and ask for our Member Experience Co-ordinator.

Hi Please check your email for an activation link. If you do not receive your activation email within a few minutes, check your spam folder or call our Help Desk at 1.877.472.6648 For faster assistance, dial extension 4. Thank you! Continue

Hi Verification error - Please enter the correct code above. Verified Wow! You have successfully verified the account Continue

Hi your HR.com account is ready Your Profile completion: 30% Complete your profile
As the European Central Bank pushes to accelerate its Capital Markets Union program, fund firms are told to expect a single, cross-border regulator.

Investment firms operating in the European Union will be overseen by one, cross-country regulator, according to the European Commissions updated vision for a capital markets union that was outlined Friday.

Speaking at the European Financial Integration conference in Brussels on May 19, European Central Bank vice president Vitor Constancio, told delegates that the powers of the European Securities and Markets Authority should be strengthened when the U.K. leaves the E.U.

In the longer term, capital markets union warrants a single, European capital markets supervisor, he said. The move towards direct European supervisory powers for certain segments of capital markets seems justified.

E.U. policymakers believe a bloc-specific capital markets union will lower investment fees, widen the pool of investment expertise, offer stronger insolvency protection and reduce tax obligations for fund firms and investors. Global fund firms that engage in bank-like activities, such as direct lending or securitizations, within the 27-country trading bloc will likely be subject to further scrutiny, according to Constancio.

We need a coherent and well-supervised regulatory perimeter for non-banks that are engaged in bank like activities, he said. Heightened vigilance is required to avoid that such risks spill back and compromise the soundness of the financial system as a whole.

Andreas Utermann, chief executive of Allianz Global Investors, wants E.U. members to embrace a Capital Markets Union, or C.M.U., that is trans-national.

We need to very quickly rethink, to come to a construct where Capital Markets Union is a trans-national project, rather than just an E.U. project, Utermann said at a conference in Luxembourg earlier this month. The U.K. leaving has put us back decades.

Utermanns comments were underscored by a May 19 report from the ECB that says financial integration in the euro area stalled last year.

A Capital Markets Union that is more restrictive in its dealings with London may result in E.U. fund managers attracting less money from investors.

The largest pools of capital are outside the E.U. and policymakers should recognize that, according to Geoff Cook, chief executive officer of Jersey Finance, a trade group representing members including Brevan Howard and Invesco International.

If you limit the C.M.U. to the E.U. 27 where debt is the principal vehicle for investment and not equity, you limit your ability to attract foreign direct investment into the union. They need to be net importers of capital, unless something changes very dramatically, he said.

Cook said that the deepest pools of capital are in New York and London, adding that he didnt believe that was going to change in the immediate future.

Asia has surplus capital, the U.S. has surplus capital, the Middle East has surplus capital and European nations, by and large, dont have surplus investment capital, he said.

The City U.K., a London-based lobby group, is currently researching a paper on the feasibility of C.M.U. project that is more expansive, but declined to share details with at this stage.

At the recent ICMA Annual Conference, Steven Maijoor, chairman of the European Securities and Markets Authority, said the regulator was considering charging firms from countries outside the E.U. if they wanted to distribute their products inside the trading bloc. This fee would help cover the cost of assessing the risk posed by firms to the regions markets.
Business The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (May 20)

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi meets Chinas President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at the welcoming banquet for the One Belt, One Road forum in Beijing last week. / Jason Lee / Reuters

Rangoon Food Delivery Firm Gets Boost

Rangoon-based food delivery business Food2U has received a six-digit sum in seed capital from three individual local investors to aid its expansion plans.

The investors are from the real estate sector and include U Nay Min Thu, founder of iMyanmarHouse.com, Dealstreet Asia reported.

The company was founded by U Kyaw Myo Thet who holds the majority share in the business, followed by U Nay Min Thu and director Ma Yi Mon Han, according to the report.

U Nay Min Thu told DealStreet that the investment values the company at US$1.5 million. The new financing would help the company to form exclusive partnerships with more restaurants and expand to new areas, including Mandalay, he said.

The service focuses mainly on local consumers and has enrolled about 120 restaurants in Rangoon. It carries out about 5,000 deliveries a month. Annual revenue is expected to be about $700,000 this financial year, according to the report.

Telenor Expands Stakes in Digital Ads

Norwegian telecoms company Telenor is expanding its footprint in the regional digital advertising industry, including in Burma, with two separate deals reported.

The global telecoms giant entered an agreement with international media company Schibsted to divest from a joint venture with the firm in Latin America and buy Schibsteds stakes in the Burma, Malaysia and Vietnam markets, according to VietnamNet.

In the second deal, Telenor inked a $110 million agreement with Singapore Press Holdings to buy shares in advertising online sites in Burma, Malaysia and Vietnam, according to the Vietnam News.

When all the deals are finalized, Telenor will hold a 100 percent stake in e-commerce site OneKyat in Burma, Mudah in Malaysia, ChoTot in Vietnam and ImSold in Malaysia and Vietnam, according to Vietnam Net.

ChoTot is one of the leading digital ad markets in Vietnam, the Vietnam News said. It was launched in 2012 and Telenor representatives have been on the board of the companys holding vehicle, 701Search, since the following year. ImSold, the second company now wholly owned by Telenor, had the same ownership structure but is targeted at different customers.

Telenor is one of the worlds largest telecom groups with revenue of $15.3 billion in 2016 and is owned mainly by the Norwegian government.

Last year it announced a plan to set up a separate unit to tap into Asias mobile advertising market.

Phandeeyar Gets New CEO

The Rangoon-based tech hub Phandeeyar has appointed a new chief executive officer (CEO).

Jes Kaliebe Petersen is the tech-hubs current accelerator director and will take up the new position in July, replacing founder and current CEO David Madden who will focus on long-term strategy as president and chair of Phandeeyars board.

Madden said, Jes has already shown the big impact that he can have on the tech ecosystem, running Myanmars first-ever startup Accelerator, launching Founder Institute Yangon and organizing the countrys biggest startup competition.

Petersen has more than a decade of experience as an entrepreneur working with mobile technology in emerging markets. Before moving to Burma, he founded Paywast, Afghanistans largest social network, and he founded a mobile marketing and tech company in India, according to Phandeeyar.

Thilawa to Offer Space for Small Operations

Small rental factory spaces are to be made available at the Thilawa Special Economic Zone, in a bid to attract small and medium size enterprises to the location.

The Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) and the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the spaces in the 2,400-hectare zone, the Japan Times reported.

The OCCI is comprised of businesses around Osaka in Japan and the move will add diversity to the tenant base, according to Myanmar Japan Thilawa Development.

The rental spaces will be 500 to 750 square meters in size.

More than 95 percent of Thilawas Zone A is occupied, the report said. A total of 78 companies, including 39 from Japan, have committed to operating at the site. Their combined total investment amounts to more than $1 billion. Of the total, 24 companies have already begun operations.

Zone B of the zone is slated for completion by the middle of next year.

New Holland Agriculture to Deliver 600 Tractors

Burma is due to receive 600 tractors to help boost crop production and modernize agricultural production.

The equipment will be delivered by leading international agriculture equipment firm New Holland Agriculture, under a project of the agriculture ministry, a trade journal reported. The 75-horsepower and 90-horsepower tractors will come from New Hollands manufacturing plants in India and Turkey.

New Holland worked on the deal with its Rangoon-based subsidiary CPCL, a wholly owned subsidiary of Yoma Strategic Holdings. The firm will also provide trainings in the use and maintenance of the tractors.

Yoma Bank is offering farmers a financing option for the tractors based on a 10 percent down payment with the balance payable at six monthly intervals over three years.

U Soe Hlaing, director general of the agriculture ministry, said, The delivery of 600 tractors will take us another step forward in Myanmars wide-reaching agricultural modernization program. This project will play an essential part in improving our countrys crop quality, crop yields, and food security.

The agriculture sector contributes 38 per cent of Burmas gross domestic product, accounting for 25 to 30 per cent of total export earnings, according to the report.

MoU signed with China for Northern Economic Zone



Burma signed a memorandum of understanding for an economic cooperation zone on the Burma-China border during the visit of the State Counsellor to the One Belt, One Road forum in China last week.

The zone is likely to link Houqiao port in Tengchong county, Yunnan Province, and Kan Pike Tee port in Kachin State, Zhou Rong, a senior research fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times.

Zhao Jianglin, an expert on Southeast Asia affairs at the National Institute of International Strategy under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the paper that the project would increase border trade and provide job opportunities. It would encourage Chinese companies to invest in the fruit industry, including banana production, in the region, Zhao said.

The zone may strive to develop the manufacturing industry, especially labor-intensive industries such as textiles, electronics and component manufacturing, Zhao added.

Titan Petrochemicals Entering Burma

Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed ship builders and commodity traders Titan Petrochemicals will form a joint venture with the Yunnan Investment Group (YIG) to promote an oil refinery project in Burma and develop other businesses in tourism, energy, rail and finance, according to a company statement.

Titan Petrochemicals is seeking to diversify its portfolio into downstream aspects of the oil business.

Its subsidiary Surplus Plus will take 49 percent of the joint venture in Burma while YIG will hold 51 percent.

YIG is the investment vehicle and financing platform of the Yunnan Provincial Government. It is involved in diverse industries including energy, railways, finance, information, tourism, agriculture, forestry and health care.

The Titan Petrochemicals statement did not identify the location of the refinery.
Burma Chinese Navy Ships Visit Burma for Joint Exercises

Chinese Navy officers walk past a Chinese naval ship on a visit to Davao city, southern Philippines on April 30, 2017. / Lean Daval Jr / Reuters

SHANGHAI, China  Chinese navy ships are visiting Burma and will conduct communications, search and rescue, and other joint exercises with the Burma Navy, Chinas defense ministry said on Saturday.

The ships arrived in Rangoon on Thursday for a four-day visit, spokesman Wu Qian said in remarks posted on the ministrys website.

Wu said China was willing to strengthen strategic communication and deepen cooperation with Burma, while making joint efforts to safeguard regional peace and stability and promote bilateral ties.

The ship visit started the day China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed to a framework for a long-mooted code of conduct for the disputed South China Sea.

It comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping met Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyiwho serves as Burmas foreign minister while also being de facto head of its civilian governmentin Beijing earlier this week following Chinas Belt and Road Forum.

China had a close relationship with Burmas former military-run government, and has carefully watched the democratization process in its strategically located southern neighbor.
Burma Village Administrator Found Beheaded in Arakan State

A clock tower in the center of Buthidaung town. / Ministry of Information / Facebook

RANGOON  An administrator for 100 households in Pazunchaung village was found beheaded in Arakan States Rathedaung Township early Friday morning, said border police deputy major Naing Naing Htun.

The victims name was Noru Slin.

A group of men grabbed him from the house while the victims family was sleeping and hacked at him right near the fence, Naing Naing Htun told The Irrawaddy.

According to the deputy major, the head of ten local households, a man named Mawzi Raman, has also gone missing. Investigating the crimes, he said, remains challenging due to the remote location of Pazunchaung.

Local media reported that Noru Slin and Mawzi Raman had assisted the authorities in pursuing militants involved in attacks on three police outposts in Maungdaw Township in October of last year, killing nine policemen.

However, the deputy major said the crimes were not linked to any contact the two men might have had with authorities in the past. He added locals reported that both villagers and those from outside the community could have been involved in the murder.
Reddit Email 591 Shares

By Mohammed Nuruzzaman | (Informed Comment) |  

Relations across the Persian Gulf are deteriorating fast. Iran and Saudi Arabia are once again at daggers drawn and sounding highly menacing to each other. The last time they were on the verge of a showdown, which they eventually averted, was in early 2016 following the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a populist Saudi Shia cleric and political activist. Al-Nimrs execution triggered the sacking of Saudi embassy in Tehran and Riyadhs breaking off diplomatic ties with Iran. The latest round of war of words, sparked by Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman, points to worsening hostility between the two countries  a situation fraught with the dangers of war.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in a widely circulated interview on May 3 last, accused Iran of harboring an extremist ideology and signaled a policy shift from the kingdoms rivalry with Iran, so long played out by proxy forces in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, to a war to be fought on Iranian soil. He said Saudi Arabia is a primary target for the Iranian regime and declared: We wont wait for the battle to be in Saudi Arabia. Well work so that the battle is for them in Iran. The bellicose words from the prince predictably provoked a harsher response from Iran. Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehqan, in an interview with Lebanons Arabic language Al-Manar TV, hit back at Riyadh and warned: If the Saudis do anything ignorant, we will leave no area untouched except Mecca and Medina.

But, what explains the new round of bellicosity between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the Middle Easts traditional archrivals? There seems to be a new sense of empowerment in Riyadh pushing the Saudi royals to go for an all-out confrontation with Iran. So long, since at least the outbreak of the Arab Spring in 2011, Iran was having an upper hand in the regions web of complex politics. Tehran was successfully leading the anti-ISIL fight in Iraq by mobilizing the Shia militias, defending the Bashar Al-Assad government in Syria against major regional and international odds, and supporting the Houthi fighters in Yemen, though at a minimum level. The Iranians also succeeded in clinching a historic nuclear deal with the Obama administration in July 2015, defying strong opposition from the Saudis and the Israelis. The Saudis are now banking on the new Trump administration to reverse Irans hard won strategic gains.

That President Trump is staunchly anti-Iran was well received in Riyadh. During presidential election campaign, Trump repeatedly criticized the Iran deal, branded it the worst deal ever negotiated by the US and threatened to tear it up, if elected president. Nonetheless, the Trump administration has not so far ditched the deal but renewed sanctions relief for Iran allowing foreign companies to deal with their Iranian counterparts. That does not mean the president and his officials have stopped from ramping up the anti-Iran rhetoric, however. Part of the problem is the acceptance of the neoconservative (henceforth neocon) foreign policy framework built by the former George W. Bush administration. The neocon framework has tirelessly identified Iran as a major destabilizing force and the principal source of terrorism in the Middle East region, while sidetracking their own crimes for letting loose bloodshed, massive killing and destructions through their planned invasion of Iraq in March 2003. They even refuse to accept the reality that the ISIL is a product of their missteps and wrongdoings in Iraq.

Influential foreign and defense policy officials in the Trump administration  Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary James Mattis and US ambassador to the UN Nicki Haley are wedded to the neocon foreign policy visions and probably unable to think out of the box. They highly value alliances with Israel and Saudi Arabia to browbeat Iran. Tillersons interview with the NBC news, about the purpose of President Trumps upcoming visit to the Middle East, frankly admitted that. He said: I think there is broad view and broad consensus among all in the region, all Arab nations, among Israel, and among others of Irans destabilizing activities in the region. Hardly are they concerned about Israeli violations of Palestinian rights and illegal settlements expansion or financial and military aid to the jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria  the primary sources of violence in the Middle East region.

What motivates the Saudis to curry favor with the Trump administration is its neocon thrust, with an avowed anti-Iran posture. They were fed up with the Obama administrations pro-Iran stance that culminated in the landmark nuclear deal. On top of that, they were furious with President Obamas description of Saudi Arabia as a free rider and his suggestion to share the Middle East region with Iran. In contrast, what President Trump says about Iran is music to their ears. The neocon drive in Trumps foreign policy is particularly appreciated by the young generation of Saudi royals  the Crown Prince and Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayyef, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman. These youthful leaders favor a confrontational approach with Iran on the ground of sectarian hostility. What is more, their open animosity toward Iran is supported by the otherwise anti-royal family Islamist group  the al-Sahwa (awakening) movement. The al-Sahwa leaders generally buy the Saudi nationalist narrative that the kingdom is the defender of all Sunnis in the Middle East; so they broadly support Saudi war on the Shia Houthis in Yemen and aid to Islamist groups in Syria to contain Shia Irans expanding sphere. The radical Islamist fighters under the ISIL banner, many of whom are Saudi citizens and nationals from other Gulf Arab states, also see Shia majority Iran as a serious threat and are committed to destroy it.

Saudi domestic consensus on the Iran threat coupled with President Trumps impending visit to Saudi Arabia has created a worrisome situation in Iran. The visit is preceded by renewed US military buildup along the Iraq  Syria borders in the name of tightening up the nose on ISIL and reinforcements in Afghanistan to check the resurgent Taliban. Once their common enemy  the ISIL is eliminated, the possibility that Iran and the US might engage in skirmishes cannot be totally ruled out. The US may also use its troops and allies on the Iraq  Syria borders to deny Iran the use of Syria as strategic supply lines to refurbish Hezbollah, a realistic option to neutralize anti-Israel threats looming large from Lebanon.

Adding more to Iranian concerns, the Saudis have invited seventeen Arab leaders for a summit with President Trump to solidify a common anti-Iran platform. Defense Minister Hossein Dehqan has issued a stern warning that the Saudis, the Israeli Zionists and the Trump administration are hatching up a devilish plot to create an Arab NATO to invite wars and bloodshed to the region. If an Arab NATO really emerges out of the Arab  Trump summit, it may push the Middle East one step closer to a region-wide war.

Detractors might argue that an Iran  Saudi war is not so imminent, especially in the absence of serious conflicts, territorial or resource sharing, between the two countries. But neither the Saudis nor the Trump administration seem patient enough to digest Irans growing influence in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Israel and the Trump administration also find the presence of Iranian military advisors and Hezbollah troops along the Syria  Israel borders particularly threatening to Israeli security. This is what makes Iran a common enemy of all three parties  Saudi Arabia, the US and Israel. Their joint military action against Iran is a possibility. Yet, Irans missile capabilities, guaranteed retaliations and the presence of its fighters and allies all around, not to speak of its alliance relationship with Russia, are effective disincentives against such joint military actions. Still, no conventional deterrent is effective enough to stop adversaries from engaging in a conventional war, especially when a particular adversary is encouraged by outsiders to attack the opposite party.

Dr. Mohammed Nuruzzaman is Durham Senior International Research Fellow,

Durham University, UK. Contact: mohammed.nuruzzaman a t durham d o t ac d o t uk

-

Related video added by Juan Cole:

Now This:  Why Do Saudi Arabia And Iran Hate Each Other?
Reddit Email 354 Shares

by Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

Trump left Friday afternoon for Saudi Arabia, where he will be feted with steak and ketchup by the Saudi monarchy and will deliver an address on Islam written by a far right wing notorious hater of Muslims. What could go wrong?

Saudi Arabia is a relatively small country with a citizen population probably around 20 million (they claim more but they only had 6 million in the mid-1970s, so do the math). Im excluding guest workers. So they are actually in the neighborhood of Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Romania and Syria and actually smaller than Cote dIvoire.

Their claim to fame and power is therefore their vast oil riches, not their demographic power. Saudi Arabia pumps about 10 percent of all the oil produced every day in the whole world, which makes it a swing producer, able to influence prices and to punish rivals like Iran that depend on high prices because of their much bigger populations (Irans population is about 80 million, about 4 times that of the Saudis). How big your population is matters for military affairs, since it tells you how big an army you can field.

Saudi Arabia is locked in a regional struggle for power with Iran in the Near East, which it is losing. Lebanon, Syria and Iraq have all gone into Irans column. All had been Saudi clients in the past.

Despite its oil trillions, Saudi Arabia cannot take on Iran head to head. It would lose very badly.

So Riyadh wants to enlist Trump in its struggle with Iran. And the Saudis are willing to swallow just about any insult from Trump in order to coax him into their regional fight.

Did Trump blame the Saudi monarchy for 9/11? Yes.

Did Trump blame the Saudis for refusing to step up to fight ISIL (ISIS, Daesh)? Yes.

Did Trump threaten to boycott Saudi petroleum? Yes.

All that is water under the bridge from the Saudi point of view. They even expressed approval of his Muslim ban.

What does the Arabic press think about all this?

The liberal al-Wafd in Egypt explained Trumps journey to Saudi Arabia, Israel and the West Bank by citing National Security Adviser H. R. McMasters, who said that the trip has three goals: To underline the role of the US on the world stage, to build relations with world leaders, and to send a clear message to Americas friends and the followers of the three major world religions.

Mamoun Abu Amir writes in Arabi 21 that one of the motives for Trumps visit is to reassert US hegemony over the Middle East as a superpower. Abu Amir argues that the Obama administration had turned its back on the Middle East and thrown a scare into regional powers that Washington was abandoning them to their own devices. (I think he is implying that Russia saw an opportunity to assert itself in the region because of Obamas signals that he was not interested0. Trump, he says, wants to repair that power vacuum.

In contrast, Libyas al-Wasat says that one of Trumps goals in his prospective speech on Sunday to over 50 Muslim political leaders that Saudi Arabia has invited to hear him speak in Riyadh is to restore good relations with the Muslim world after his visa ban targeted six Muslim nations (including Libya). The speech apparently will argue that Muslim-majority countries have a duty to tamp down extremism and develop a peaceful vision of Islam.

The speech is said to be written by a far right wing notorious hater of Muslims, Stephen Miller, and while the Saudis can be depended on to spin it positively, it could given enormous offense to the 1.8 billion Muslims in the world, depending on how it is handled.

I very much doubt that Trump thinks his visa ban, which he is pursuing, is any kind of bar to good relations with the worlds some 55 Muslim-majority countries.

Al-Wasat also argues that Trump is attempting to shore up Saudi Arabia versus Iran, and that is probably true.



Related video:

Al Jazeera English: Trump aims to strengthen ties in Saudi Arabia visit
Reddit Email 277 Shares

By Adam Schwartz | (Electronic Frontier Foundation) |  

In the latest sign of mission creep in domestic deployment of battlefield-strength surveillance technology, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) earlier this year used a cell site simulator (CSS) to locate and arrest an undocumented immigrant, according to a report yesterday by The Detroit News.

CSSs, often called IMSI catchers or Stingrays, masquerade as cell phone towers and trick our phones into connecting to them so police can track down a target. EFF has long opposed CSSs. They are a form of mass surveillance, forcing the phones of countless innocent people to disclose information to the police, in violation of the Fourth Amendment. They disrupt cellular communications, including 911 calls. They are deployed disproportionately within communities of color and poorer neighborhoods. They exploit vulnerabilities in the cellular communication system that government should fix instead of exploit.

Police said they needed CSSs to fight terrorism. Instead, police use CSSs to locate low-level offenders, such as a suspect who stole $60 of food from a restaurant delivery employee.

Now we fear that ICE may be routinely using CSSs to hunt down people whose only offense is to unlawfully enter or remain in the United States. ICE has spent over $10 million to purchase 59 CSSs, according to a recent Congressional report. In the first quarter of 2017, ICE arrested nearly 11,000 undocumented immigrants with no criminal record, more than double the number from the first quarter of 2016. And yesterday, The Detroit News reported that ICE used a CSS to locate and arrest an undocumented immigrant.

It is good news that ICE obtained a warrant before using its CSS to find this immigrant, in accordance with a change in DHS and DOJ policies in 2015. It is also a welcome sign that a bipartisan Congressional report in December 2016 called for federal legislation requiring a warrant for CSS use by law enforcement. But a warrant alone is not enough.

If permitted at all, government use of CSSs should be strictly limited to addressing serious violent crime. Few law enforcement spying technologies are a greater threat to digital liberty: by their very nature, CSSs seize information from all of the people who happen to be nearby. So government should be barred, for example, from using CSSs to hunt down traffic scofflaws, petty thieves, and undocumented immigrants.

Notably, the federal eavesdropping statute limits police use of that surveillance technology to certain enumerated crimes. Because CSSs conduct general searches, any such enumeration for CSSs must be even narrower, and limited to serious violent crimes.

Finally, if government is allowed to use CSSs, there must be other safeguards, too. Government should be limited to using CSSs to acquire location information, and forbidden from using CSSs for other purposes, such as acquiring communications content. An Illinois statute enacted in 2016 contains this limit. Also, government should be required to minimize the capture of information from people who are not the target of investigation, and to immediately destroy all data that does not identify the target. A U.S. Magistrate Judges order in 2015 contains this limit.

Too often, government deploys powerful spying technologies against vulnerable groups of people, including immigrant communities, as well as racial, ethnic, and religious minorities. EFF has long opposed this. We thus oppose using CSSs to hunt down undocumented immigrants, or anyone else who is not a serious violent threat to public safety.

Via Electronic Frontier Foundation



Related video added by Juan Cole:
Reddit Email 35 Shares

TeleSur |  

Swedish prosecutors dropped the rape investigation into WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Friday, saying the investigation had not been able to proceed because of legal obstacles.

Today is an important victory for me and for the U.N. human rights system, Assange said in an address on the balcony of the Ecuadorean Embassy in London.

Assange, 45, has lived in the embassy since 2012 when he took refuge to avoid extradition to Sweden over rape allegations. He feared Sweden would hand him over to the United States to face prosecution for information leaks as thousands of classified military and diplomatic documents were published by WikiLeaks.

Swedish Chief Prosecutor Marianne Ny said that the investigation could be reopened if Assange came to Sweden before the statute of limitations deadline for rape allegation in 2020. We are not making a statement about his guilt, Ny added.

Assange said being detained for seven years without charge while his children grew up and his name was slandered is something that he wont forgive or forget.

The United Nations has decried the unfair treatment of Assange, declaring that he was being arbitrarily detained and that his human rights were violated.

Assange thanked the United Nations and Ecudor who stood by my asylum despote intense pressure in his address.

Ecuadors government welcomed the decision by Sweden, but said it was long overdue.

Ecuador regrets that the Swedish prosecutor delayed more than four years in carrying out this interview, said Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Guillaume Long. This unnecessary delay was despite the repeated insistence from the Ecuadorean government  ever since the granting of asylum in 2012  that this interview was not only possible but that Ecuador would facilitate its carrying out in our embassy.

Given that the European arrest warrant no longer holds, Ecuador will now be intensifying its diplomatic efforts with the U.K. so that Julian Assange can gain safe passage in order to enjoy his asylum in Ecuador, said Long.

After a seven-year stand-off with Sweden, Assange may still not be able to leave the Ecuadorean Embassy. British police said that if Assange were to leave the embassy it was still their obligation to arrest him. But the British government has not commented on whether the United States had made a request to extradite Assange.

Westminster Magistrates Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Julian Assange following him failing to surrender to the court on the 29 June 2012, British police said. The Metropolitan Police Service is obliged to execute that warrant should he leave the embassy.

Assange claimed he has the basic right to seek asylum like everyone else and that the decision of the British police is unaccpetable.

My legal staff have contacted the United Kingdom authorities and we hope to engage in a dialogue about what is the best way forward, he said.

As the founder of WikiLeaks, Assange said it will continue its publication. The threats toward me, my staff and WikiLeaks will not be tolerated.

Assange also said the release of Chelsea Manning this week a even more important victory. Manning, a former army intelligence analyst who leaked three-quarters of a million classified U.S. war reports and diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks, was released from military prison Wednesday morning after seven years.

While today is an important victory, the road is far from over, Assange said.

Via TeleSur



Related video added by Juan Cole:

Democracy Now!: Human Rights Lawyer: Sweden Dropping Investigation of WikiLeaks Assange is Long Overdue Decision
blog of the State Geologist of Arizona
Brookfield Asset Management is an alternative asset manager and REIT/Real Estate Investment Manager firm focuses on real estate, renewable power, infrastructure and venture capital and private equity assets. It manages a range of public and private investment products and services for institutional and retail clients. It typically makes investments in sizeable, premier assets across geographies and asset classes. It invests both its own capital as well as capital from other investors. Within private equity and venture capital, it focuses on acquisition, early ventures, control buyouts and financially distressed, buyouts and corporate carve-outs, recapitalizations, convertible, senior and mezzanine financings, operational and capital structure restructuring, strategic re-direction, turnaround, and under-performing midmarket companies. It invests in both public debt and equity markets. It invests in private equity sectors with focus on Business Services include infrastructure, healthcare, road fuel distribution and marketing, construction and real estate; Industrials include manufacturers of automotive batteries, graphite electrodes, returnable plastic packaging, and sanitation management and development; and Residential/ infrastructure services. It targets companies which likely possess underlying real assets, primarily in sectors such as industrial products, building materials, metals, mining, homebuilding, oil and gas, paper and packaging, manufacturing and forest product sectors. It invests globally with focus on North America including Brazil, the United States, Canada; Europe; and Australia; and Asia-Pacific. The firm considers equity investments in the range of $2 million to $500 million. It has a four-year investment period and a 10-year term with two one-year extensions. The firm prefers to take minority stake and majority stake. Brookfield Asset Management Inc. was founded in 1997 and based in Toronto, Canada with additional offices across Northern America; South America; Europe; Middle East and Asia.
Chevron Corporation, through a network of subsidiaries, engages in integrated energy and chemicals operations worldwide. The company is the 7th largest integrated oil company worldwide, the 2nd largest in the US, and has been in operation since 1879. Chevron was part of the original Standard Oil Company and is one of the 34 successor companies that were formed when it was broken up. Today, the company brings in roughly $160 billion in annual revenues and is the last remaining oil and gas component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Originally called Standard Oil Of California the company grew quickly via mergers and acquisitions. It was hailed as one of the Seven Sisters to dominate the US and global production throughout the mid-20th century and became even bigger in 1985 when it merged with Gulf Oil. The merger with Gulf Oil resulted in the rebranding from Standard Oil Of California to Chevron (a brand used by the company outside its California jurisdiction) and then ChevronTexaco Corporation in 2005 when that merger took place. The company rebranded again in 2005 to what we know today as Chevron Corporation.

Chevron Corporation is now based in San Ramone, California, and has operations in 180 countries. The company employs more than 42,500 people who operate 5 refineries and 8,000+ Texaco, Chevron, and Standard Oil service stations in the US alone. The company's Exploration and Drilling operations produced a record 3.1 million barrels per day and its US refineries process more than 1 million barrels per day. At the end of 2021, the company has more than 11.3 billion barrels of proven oil and liquid-equivalent reserves and boasted a 112% reserve replacement rate.

The company operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment explores new reserves, develops known reserves, produces petroleum and gas products as needed, transports, processes, pipes, stores, and markets petroleum worldwide. The Downstream segment refines and markets the full line of petroleum-based products including but not limited to fuels such as gas, diesel, and aviation fuel, as well as lubricants, petrochemicals, and plastics. The company transports products via pipeline, rail, marine vessels, and truck.

Chevron recognizes the need to lower the worlds carbon output and is working toward that end. The companys strategy is two-pronged and includes reducing its own carbon output while investing in green and lower-carbon technologies. The companys goal is to invest $10 billion or more into lower carbon energy sources and technologies by 2028.

Chevron is a Dividend Aristocrat. The company has been paying a dividend since 1989 and it has raised it every year since its inception.






Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates regulated exchanges, clearing houses, and listings venues for commodity, financial, fixed income, and equity markets in the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Singapore, Israel, and Canada. It operates through three segments: Exchanges, Fixed Income and Data Services, and Mortgage Technology. The company operates marketplaces for listing, trading, and clearing an array of derivatives contracts and financial securities, such as commodities, interest rates, foreign exchange, and equities, as well as corporate and exchange-traded funds; trading venues, including 13 regulated exchanges and 6 clearing houses; and offers futures and options products for energy, agricultural and metals, financial, cash equities and equity, over-the-counter, and other markets, as well as listings and data and connectivity services. It also provides fixed income data and analytic, fixed income execution, CDS clearing, and other multi-asset class data and network services. In addition, the company offers proprietary and comprehensive mortgage origination platform, which serves residential mortgage loans; closing solutions that provides customers connectivity to the mortgage supply chain and facilitates the secure exchange of information; data and analytics services; and Data as a Service for lenders to access data and origination information. Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Olin Corporation manufactures and distributes chemical products in the United States, Europe, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls; Epoxy; and Winchester. The Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment offers chlorine and caustic soda, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride monomers, methyl chloride, methylene chloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, perchloroethylene, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen, bleach products, potassium hydroxide, chlorinated organics intermediates and solvents, and sodium hypochlorite. The Epoxy segment provides epoxy materials and precursors, including aromatics, such as acetone, bisphenol, cumene, and phenol, as well as allyl chloride, epichlorohydrin, and glycerin used for the manufacturers of polymers, resins and other plastic materials, and water purification; liquid and solid epoxy resins that are used in adhesives, marines, protective coatings, composites, and flooring; and converted epoxy resins and additives for use in electrical laminates, paints and coatings, wind blades, electronics, and construction. The Winchester segment offers sporting ammunition products, including shotshells, small caliber centerfire, and rimfire ammunition products for hunters and recreational shooters, and law enforcement agencies; small caliber military ammunition products for use in infantry and mounted weapons; and industrial products comprising gauge loads and powder-actuated tool loads for maintenance applications in power and concrete industries, and powder-actuated tools in construction industry. The company markets its products through its sales force, as well as directly to various industrial customers, mass merchants, retailers, wholesalers, other distributors, and the U.S. Government and its prime contractors. Olin Corporation was incorporated in 1892 and is based in Clayton, Missouri.
Team, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides asset performance assurance and optimization solutions in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. It operates through Inspection and Heat Treating (IHT), Mechanical Services (MS), and Quest Integrity segments. The IHT segment offers non-destructive evaluation and testing, radiographic testing, ultrasonic testing, magnetic particle inspection, liquid penetrant inspection, positive material identification, electromagnetic testing, alternating current field measurement, and eddy current testing services. This segment also provides long-range guided ultrasonic testing, phased array ultrasonic testing, terminals and storage inspection and management program, rope access, mechanical and pipeline integrity, heat treating, and robotics and inspection services. The MS segment offers engineered composite repair, emissions control/compliance, hot tapping, valve insertion, field machining, bolted joint integrity, vapor barrier plug and weld testing, and valve management services, as well as leak repair services for pipes, valves, and flanges, as well as other parts of piping systems, pipelines, and related assets. The Quest Integrity segment provides furnace tube inspection system-enabled, in-line inspection, pipeline integrity management, engineering and condition assessment, and robotics and inspection services. It also offers onstream services comprising of line stopping and on-line valve insertion solutions. The company serves refining, power, renewables, nuclear, liquefied natural gas, chemical, petrochemical, pulp and paper, automotive, mining, valves, terminals and storage, pipeline, offshore oil and gas, and aerospace and defense industries, as well as amusement parks, bridges, ports, construction and buildings, roads, dams, and railways. Team, Inc. was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas.
The following companies are subsidiares of Rite Aid: 1515 West State Street Boise Idaho LLC, 1740 Associates LLC, 4042 Warrensville Center RoadWarrensville Ohio Inc., 5277 Associates Inc., 5600 Superior Properties Inc., Advance Benefits LLC, Apex Drug Stores Inc., Ascend Health Technology LLC, Bartell Drugs, Broadview and WallingsBroadview Heights Ohio Inc., Design Rx Holdings LLC, Design Rx LLC, Design Rxclusives LLC, Drug Palace Inc., EDC Drug Stores Inc., Eckerd Corporation, Edgehill Drugs, Elixir Holdings LLC, Elixir Insurance Company, Elixir Pharmacy LLC, Elixir Puerto Rico Inc., Elixir Rx Options LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions of Nevada LLC, Elixir Savings LLC, Envision Pharmaceutical, First Florida Insurers of Tampa LLC, GDF Inc., Genovese Drug Stores Inc., Gettysburg and Hoover-Dayton Ohio LLC, Grand River & Fenkell LLC, Harco, Harco Inc., Health Dialog, Health Dialog Services Corporation, Hunter Lane LLC, ILG  90 B Avenue Lake Oswego LLC, JCG Holdings USA Inc., JCG PJC USA LLC, K&B Alabama Corporation, K&B Incorporated, K&B Industries, K&B Louisiana Corporation, K&B Mississippi Corporation, K&B Services Incorporated, K&B Tennessee Corporation, K&B Texas Corporation, LMW  90B Avenue Lake Oswego Inc., Lakehurst and Broadway Corporation, Laker Software LLC, Maxi Drug Inc., Maxi Drug North Inc., Maxi Drug South L.P., Maxi Green Inc., Munson & Andrews LLC, Name Rite LLC, P.J.C. Distribution Inc., P.J.C. Realty Co. Inc., PCS Health Systems, PDS-1 Michigan Inc., PJC Lease Holdings Inc., PJC Manchester Realty LLC, PJC Peterborough Realty LLC, PJC Realty MA Inc., PJC Revere Realty LLC, PJC Special Realty Holdings Inc., PJC of Massachusetts Inc., PJC of Rhode Island Inc., PJC of Vermont Inc., Perry Distributors Inc., Perry Drug Stores Inc., RCMH LLC, RDS Detroit Inc., READs Inc., RediClinic, RediClinic Associates Inc., RediClinic LLC, RediClinic US LLC, RediClinic of DC LLC, RediClinic of DE LLC, RediClinic of Dallas Forth-Worth LLC, RediClinic of MD LLC, RediClinic of PA LLC, RediClinic of VA LLC, Richfield Road  Flint Michigan LLC, Rite Aid Drug Palace Inc., Rite Aid Hdqtrs. Corp., Rite Aid Hdqtrs. Funding Inc., Rite Aid Lease Management Company, Rite Aid Online Store Inc., Rite Aid Payroll Management Inc., Rite Aid Realty Corp., Rite Aid Rome Distribution Center Inc., Rite Aid Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Rite Aid Transport Inc., Rite Aid of Connecticut Inc., Rite Aid of Delaware Inc., Rite Aid of Georgia Inc., Rite Aid of Indiana Inc., Rite Aid of Kentucky Inc., Rite Aid of Maine Inc., Rite Aid of Maryland Inc., Rite Aid of Michigan Inc., Rite Aid of New Hampshire Inc., Rite Aid of New Jersey Inc., Rite Aid of New York Inc., Rite Aid of North Carolina Inc., Rite Aid of Ohio Inc., Rite Aid of Pennsylvania LLC, Rite Aid of South Carolina Inc., Rite Aid of Tennessee Inc., Rite Aid of Vermont Inc., Rite Aid of Virginia Inc., Rite Aid of Washington D.C. Inc., Rite Aid of West Virginia Inc., Rite Investments Corp., Rite Investments Corp. LLC, Rx Choice Inc., Rx Initiatives LLC, Rx USA Inc., The Bartell Drug Company, The Jean Coutu Group PJC USA Inc., The Lane Drug Company, Thrift Drug Inc., Thrifty Corporation, Thrifty PayLess Inc., and Tonic Procurement Solutions LLC.

Read More
An aide to Aisha Huang, the Chinese lady believed to be an illegal mining queen in the country, has made shocking revelations about her former boss' mind-blowing activities, which had been kept as a top secret until now.

According to him, Aisha was a dyed-in-the-wool member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) so she did everything possible to help the NDC retain political power in 2016 but to no avail.

The aide, who only gave his name as Kwadwo, alleged that Aisha made massive financial contributions, which were geared towards helping the NDC to hang onto political power at all cost during the last polls.

NDC T-Shirts

She loves the NDC with passion and I am aware that Aisha supported the party with a lot of money and other items. She printed NDC t-shirts as her own way of helping the NDC to win the last elections.

Aisha printed over 5,000 NDC t-shirts and she distributed them to the party ahead of the elections. Some of the t-shirts were printed in some printing houses at Kaase and KTI, both suburbs in Kumasi.

NDC Gurus

Kwadwo, who was speaking in an interview with Kwame Adinkra of Abusua FM in Kumasi, disclosed that several top NDC members in the country frequently visited Aisha in her house in Kumasi for some discussions, some of which bordered on business.

The NDC kingpins used to come to Aisha's house at Nhyiaeso and they still visited her even when she moved to a different house at Atinga Junction in Ahodwo, Kwadwo, who claimed to be Aisha's ex-house boy, said.

He claimed Aisha usually dished out huge amounts of money to the so-called top men in the country that visited her home, adding that he was not surprised that Aisha usually had a leeway in all her activities.

Nana Insults

According to him, the expatriate abhors the New Patriotic Party (NPP), especially President Akufo-Addo so much that she sacked me because she said I voted for that short man, apparently referring to Nana Akufo-Addo.

Kwadwo noted that Aisha is a smart woman so the probability of her turning her back at the NDC and faking to be NPP sympathizer looks certain now that her beloved political party, the NDC, was in opposition.

But for her arrest, she would have turned and acted like a strong NPP lady now. She is very smart and she knows how to pretend to get whatever she wants in life, he remarked, adding that Aisha would bounce back strong if she is set free.

Galamsey Queen

Kwadwo, who worked as house boy for five years for the Chinese powerful lady, alleged that Aisha indeed indulged in illegal mining activities at a higher scale, thereby making a lot of money in the process.

He claimed Aisha was fond of setting up her colleague Chinese nationals in the country who are into illegal mining, alleging that she will call for their arrest and then take over their mining equipment.

Wild Dogs

Kwadwo also said Aisha has a lot of wild dogs in her house, who served as protection for her, noting that the expatriate also has guns, which she often fired into the air at night to scare away potential armed robbers.

He alleged that Aisha also boasts of several Ghanaian muscularly-built young men, who terrorize people that opposed her illegal businesses, especially 'galamsey.'

According to him, Aisha also has a lot of pretty Chinese ladies around her, who she usually supplied to some of the Ghanaian big men that were very close to him, adding that Aisha wielded a lot of power until she was arrested.

From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi
Authorities in Angola must uphold peoples rights to exercise their freedom of peaceful assembly and expression, Amnesty International said ahead of a planned protest against the imprisonment of seven activists.

In recent years, Angolan authorities have frequently used the police to supress public protests. Demonstrators are often arrested, imprisoned and even disappeared for expressing themselves, said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty Internationals Regional Director for Southern Africa.

Public demonstrations should not be used as an opportunity to punish views that are critical of the government.

Tomorrows protest in the capital, Luanda, will draw attention to the case of seven activists who were arrested and imprisoned for participating in a previous protest calling for transparency in Augusts presidential election.

They were sentenced to 45 days in jail for crimes of rebellion and criminal conspiracy.

Information gathered by Amnesty International indicates that the seven were not given a fair trial. There are also reports that they were beaten and suffered other ill-treatment during their arrest.

Amnesty International is calling for these allegations to be independently and effectively investigated.

Background

On Saturday morning, demonstrators in Luanda will march from Cimangola Deviation to the Municipal Court of Cacuaco, where the seven activists were tried and sentenced.

The seven, Adao Bunga "MC Life", Nzunzi Zacarias Mabiala "Luston", Valdemar Aguinaldo 27 de Maio, Paulo Mabiala "DMX", Antonio Mabiala, Mariano Andre and David Salei, were reportedly beaten and arrested on 17 April during a protest calling for transparency in the upcoming election.

As well as being sentenced to 45 days in prison, they were fined 65,000 kwanzas (US$390) each.
Two persons including a military officer attached to the 37-Milliray Hospital in Accra have been dragged before an Accra Circuit Court for robbery.

The accused persons are Corporal Bernard Tsagli and Joseph Ansah, driver.

It is the case of the prosecutor, Superintendent Kweku Bempah that the two on November 11, last year at Lashibi in Accra conspired to rob and did rob one George Obeng, a Marketing Officer of his GH40,000.

Appearing before relieving judge Abena Oppong-Adjin Doku, the two who were represented by their lawyer vehemently denied the charges.

The court however remanded the military man and his civilian accomplice into police custody until June, 1 2017.

Earlier, Andrew Kudjo Vortia, lawyer for the accused persons had made a spirited argument for alibi insisting his clients were nowhere near the crime scene.

According to him, on the said day, Bernard was on duty at the 37 Military Hospital.

For Joseph, the senior lawyer stated that he also had his vehicle grounded at Adenta and had gone with his (Joseph's) sister's vehicle to a funeral at Hohoe in the Volta Region.

Citing Article 19 (2) of the 1992 Constitution on the presumption of innocence, Mr. Vortia urged the court to bail his clients.

He stated that the court had the power to grant bail to anybody before it unless that power has been expressly taken away by statute.

Mrs. Oppong-Adjin however adjourned the case for the defense lawyer to file for alibi.

Bernard is a resident of Burma Camp while Joseph also lives at Frafraha both suburbs of Accra.

On November 11, 2016, at about 2:40pm, Gorge went to Global Access Bank Limited, the Sakumono branch and withdrew a sum of GH40,000 and boarded a taxi cab with his two friends who are witnesses in the case.

On their way home, four men in military uniforms in another taxi stopped them and forced them to join their taxi.

They were driven to the Teshie Military Camp on the Lister Hopsital Road where they were attacked and robbed of the said amount of money. After the act they dropped them at the roadside one after the other until they finally dropped George.

George reported the case to the police but on May 16 he had information that some military men have been arrested.

On May 17, 2017 at an identification parade the accused persons were identified by the complainant as those who robbed him on the said day.

By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson

[email protected]


President Akufo-Addo has indicated that his government is in the process of identifying alternative sources of livelihood for persons involved in illegal mining, popularly referred to as 'galamsey' across the country.

According to President Akufo-Addo, a cabinet committee, headed by the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, has been established to implement to the letter government's strategy on combating illegal mining.

But we cannot allow mining to compromise our future environment, President Akufo-Addo stated.

That, he said, was because 60 percent of Ghana's water bodies have been affected by illegal mining.

For him, That is unacceptable for which reason government is trying to find an alternative source of livelihood for those who are into the illegal mining business, popularly known in the local parlance as 'galamsey.'

Addressing Ghanaian residents in Conakry, Guinea on Thursday during his visit to that country, he noted that we are not out to attack Chinese or Canadians or whoever; we are saying that we want people to respect the laws of our country and make sure that our environment does not suffer from mining, and that is what we are going to do.

One of the advantages of campaigning is that you get to see Ghana. It is the exposure I had in this last campaign of what was actually going on in the field that hardened my decision, [that] God-willing if I was to win the election, to make the fight against 'galamsey' one of my priorities, he stated.

He said his government was in the process of identifying alternative sources of livelihood for persons involved in illegal mining activities.

President stated that the christening of Ghana's first modern city as Elmina to wit 'The Mine' by the Portuguese as far back as the 15th century showed that mining was important for the country's economy.

Aluminium industry

He stressed the need for the establishment of what he called an integrated aluminium industry to ensure the future of Ghana.

We need an integrated aluminium industry in Ghana  right from the mining of the bauxite to alumina, and the refining of alumina into aluminium, he stated.

Aluminium is the metal of the future, and we have substantial quantities of the raw material in our country. We need a strategy that will ensure value-addition, and not just exporting it in its raw form, he stressed.

There is no future in the export of our raw materials. But we must add value inside our country, create jobs, and at the end of the process we will have aluminium.

That was part of the reasons why former President Kufuor bought VALCO so that it will be part of this process for an integrated aluminium industry in Ghana. Very soon the plans will be out.

He was hopeful a bill would be passed by the end of the next sitting of Parliament to establish an Aluminium Development Authority  the vehicle principally responsible for putting together the infrastructure that is required for the exploitation of the country's bauxite at Nyinahin and Kyebi respectively.

By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent
Godwin Dadzawa, 41, who posed as a medical doctor and performed illegal abortion for ladies at La, Chorkor, Lante  Maame and its environs, has been arrested by the La Police.

Godwin was arrested when one of his victims, whom he had locked up in a room after performing the abortion for her for four days and constantly had sex with reported the matter to the police.

Police team visited the alleged clinic where the suspect performs his illegal services and uncovered some hospital equipment used in performing the abortions.

The District Commander, Chief Superintendent Oduro Anning, told the media that the victim reported on Wednesday, May 17, 2017 that in December last year, she was impregnated by her former boyfriend who denied responsibility.

She then contacted a friend who also introduced her to the suspect as a doctor who could help terminate the pregnancy.

The victim then called the suspect on phone and asked for direction to his office.

Suspect Godwin then directed her to Chorkor Lante Maame where he operates his clinic.

At Chorkor Lante Maame, Godwin, after examining the pregnancy, charged her GH400 but the victim told him she had no money.

The two then agreed that the victim will leave her Ipad behind as collateral for the abortion to be performed, and come for it later when she gets the money.

The victim said two weeks later, she had the money and informed suspect.

The suspect told me to hold onto it and that he would get back to me but never did.

The day the suspect called the victim for the money, the victim said she had by then spent it and so asked that they meet.

The 22-year-old girl stated that during the second meeting, suspect Godwin proposed that he would have sex with her to defray the cost and that her Ipad would be returned to her; so she agreed.

After having unprotected sex with her, the suspect refused to allow the victim to go home but rather locked her up in a room for four days where she was only given food without bathing.

The victim said while in the custody of suspect, she was constantly abused until she was finally released on the fourth day.

After releasing me, he promised to give me GH400 in addition to the ipad but he refused and anytime I asked him, he gave me stories and so I decided to report him to the police, the victim asserted.

Findings

Chief Superintendent Anning said police investigations led to the recovery of several clinical scissors and implements used for operation in the suspect's abode where he operated.

Residents also confirmed that the suspect was a practicing medical doctor who attended to their needs in the area.

Police also uncovered that several ladies had been patronizing the suspect's hospital for abortion but they were yet to get in touch with some of them.

The victim, we discovered after the abortion was performed, bled for several days and so her parents had to rush her to the hospital for proper medical attention.

Meanwhile, the suspect is in police custody while investigations into the matter continue.

By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey

( [email protected] )


20.05.2017 LISTEN

Food Sovereignty Ghana (FSG) and hundreds of concerned Ghanaians and a good representation of foreigners will congregate in the La Township of Accra Ghana on Saturday May 20th to observe in solidarity with hundreds of thousands around the world, the annual March Against Monsanto. This is the fourth consecutive March observed by FSG in Ghana.

Monsanto is well known for its irresponsible and controversial corporate practices and it is no wonder that there is so much international consensus across the planet on the need to bring justice to the many issues that infringe upon the rights of individuals, groups and entire nations across the globe. The poisonous glyphosate based flagship chemical Round Up sold by Monsanto has found its way into most African countries including Ghana and the overwhelming evidence exposing the carcinogenic nature of the chemical has sadly not registered as fact with our local policy makers. The findings of the recent Monsanto Tribunal provide enough evidence to make the informed decision to keep Ghana organic however these calls seem to perpetually fall on deaf ears.

With the nations recent rude awakening to the real impact of galamsey (illegal small scale mining) activities and the consequent implications on human health and the environment, FSG seeks to use the March to send a clear message to key stakeholders of an impending disaster of national dimensions in the coming years if there is not a dynamic shift away from large scale commercial agriculture with its heavy dependence on energy and chemical inputs. A recent documentary by Joy news also exposes the rampant misuse of chemicals in our food production systems and therefore it is high time we pay heed to this unsustainable way forward in our agriculture. The cost to human health and the environment is too high to bear hence the principled position that FSG has taken ever since its inception in 2013.

A court in California recently ruled on a case involving the controversial glyphosate based chemicals and has ordered all products containing the carcinogenic ingredient to have a mandatory label warning potential consumers of the high risk of cancer. The financial power behind the corporate lobbying for Monsanto results in decisions and policies implemented in countries across the world which do not endure to the benefit of the local population. Directly impacted are the often majority of the population being the peasant farmers.

FSG recently celebrated the International Day of Peasants struggle and expressed concern that the rights of the peasant have never been under more pressure since the beginning of time. There are many factors affecting peasant welfare in a negative manner and many are due to the result of unethical and irresponsible corporate practices of companies like Monsanto. This opposition to chemical dependent farming is growing across the world with louder calls from across the board for a return to more agro ecological farm practices to ensure the sustainability of the environment. http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release/scientist-call-for-increase-to-agro-research-funding-0508#.WPSimPnyipo , http://permaculturenews.org/2014/09/26/un-small-farmers-agroecology-can-feed-world/

In vindication of FSGs position for the past few years, Monsanto, the worlds leading Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) seeds producer is facing challenges in Burkina Faso after that country rejected GMO cotton and began a phased withdrawal of the novel products. Farmers have now returned to growing conventional seeds. Cotton production in Burkina Faso, one of Africas top growers, is likely to cross 800,000 tons in 2017-18 season, according to the countrys cotton association. In 2016-17, farmers in Burkina Faso produced 683,000 tons of cotton, around 17 per cent more than the 586,000 tons harvested in 2015-2016 see: Burkina Fasos cotton output on the rise after going NON-#GMO: https://t.co/7wlzo2Sr7c

March Against Monsanto, is an international grassroots movement against Monsanto corporation, in protest of the companys practices of using their affluence to influence the outcome of legislations, regulations, research findings, media narratives, etc. The movement was founded by Tami Canal in response to the failure of California Proposition 37, a ballot initiative which would have required labeling food products made from GMOs. Monsanto was reported to have poured in $7,100,500 to help narrowly defeat Californias Proposition 37.

Since the huge success of the first march, the movement has been growing from strength to strength and a larger number of cities and countries are expected this year.

Why do we march in Accra?

This years march comes at a time where Parliament is reopening with the Plant Breeders Bill still compliant to the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants UPOV, a rather rigid set of intellectual property rights regime that is not suited to our socio-economic conditions. This UPOV-compliant Plant Breeders Bill, aka Monsanto Law, is on its agenda. What is at stake is the farmers right to save, use, exchange and sell farm-saved seed and other propagating material.

The bill in Clause 21 (2), puts farmers rights at the discretion of the Minister for Agriculture, which equates to not rights at all. The same bill in Clause 23, makes the rights of the plant breeder independent of the laws of Ghana.

Farmers Rights according to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), of which Ghana is a signatory, include the right of farmers to save, use, exchange and sell farm-saved seed and other propagating material; the right to participate in making decisions, at the national level, on matters related to the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture; the right to equitably participate in sharing benefits arising from the utilization of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture; and the right to the protection of traditional knowledge relevant to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. It also recognizes the enormous contribution that the local and indigenous communities and farmers of all regions of the world, particularly those in the centers of origin and crop diversity, have made and will continue to make for the conservation and development of plant genetic resources which constitute the basis of food and agriculture production throughout the world

Despite several calls for a report on the almost four-year old consultations by respective Parliamentary Select-Committee responsible, we are yet to receive any favourable response. The absence of the report makes the entire process an affront to the sensibilities of Ghanaians. The public has an interest to know what petitions were presented, their full content, and why the Committee in its wisdom is proceeding, in the light of these objections.

It is difficult to see how Parliament is going to proceed with the consideration of the Plant Breeders Bill without the publication of such a comprehensive report. This shall be in contravention of the call for further consultation by the Speaker, because it is important to inform the people of Ghana.

It is a pleasure to be part of what has become the most powerful statement of the ordinary person in the street against the deep pockets of giant lobbies, promoting GMOs, facilitating biopiracy, suppressing farmers rights, and other mischiefs.

We are marching to protest the continued imposition of GMOs on Ghanaians by our political class, aided and abetted by scientists blinded often by conflicts of interests and inducements from the GM lobby.

We are marching because, at a time where the monumental failure of Bt cotton in Burkina Faso is an open secret, we would like to see scientists like Dr. Emmanuel Chamba, Plant Breeder and Principal Investigator for Bt Cotton research at the CSIR-Savanna Agric. Research Institute (SARI), Nyankpala, Tamale, recant their justification for their embrace of Bt cotton:

We realised that Burkina Faso, which is our next door neighbour is growing Bt Cotton commercially and as a result of that they are making a lot of progress in their cotton industry. First of all, the farmers are getting very high yields and as a result they are getting good income out of that and apart from that we also realised that Bt Cotton saves farmers a lot of time and energy and also we thought because with the Bt, it is resistant to the major insect pests in cotton production  the Bollworm complex,

Meanwhile, if anything at all, the spectacular failure of Bt cotton in Burkina Faso should be a good reason why Ghana must be considering other agroecological solutions rather than the failed technology that impoverishes farmers and enriches the seed corporations.

We are marching to highlight the need to learn the appropriate lessons from the international environment under which the march is taking place this year. The recent leaks of the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) have added a new sense of urgency and the importance of the march. We take note that the thrust of the agreements is to enhance corporate power through legal mechanisms. The Panama Papers give us some ideas with what they do with the money they steal from us!

What solutions do we advocate?

As this march takes place at a time the Parliament of Ghana is reopening with the Plant Breeders Bill at the top of its agenda, we call on Parliament to completely withdraw the UPOV-compliant Plant Breeders Bill and replace it with a sui generis plant variety protection (PVP) system suitable to our conditions.

We strongly believe that it is about time that our Parliament shifts the discussion on the controversial and immensely dangerous UPOV-compliant Plant Breeders Bill to a focus on a sui generis PVP system for Ghana.

We have already pointed out that Ghana is a member of the World Trade Organization and the rights and obligations concerning intellectual property are governed by the WTO Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement). According to Article 27.3(b) of the TRIPS Agreement, Ghana has to provide protection of plant varieties by an effective sui generis system. Under this, Ghana has full flexibility to develop an effective sui generis system for plant variety protection, i.e. to develop a unique system that suits its needs.

There is no need for Ghana to allow our laws dictated to us from an organisation like UPOV in Geneva.

We call for an indefinite moratorium or complete ban on the cultivation of GM crops in Ghana until the science of GM foods and human health, as well as environmental impact, has been thoroughly studied and cleared as safe by independent science rather than corporate-driven, profit-oriented scientists and regulators, ridden with conflicts-of-interest.

We humbly call on the Nana Akufo Addo administration to orientate government policy on agriculture towards what all the experts are saying: agroecology. The technology currently exists that is developing drought-resistant, pest resistant and high yielding crops through traditional breeding and selection. Marker Assisted Agro-ecological farming is not only inexpensive, and sustainable, it is far more successful than GM technology.

Agroecological techniques are already safely and inexpensively producing crops with increasing yields plus tolerance and resistance to environmental stressors. We should forget GMOs and concentrate on agroecological agriculture. The only reason why our development partners are opposed to this is because their multinational corporations shall lose the attempts to monopolize our food through GMO patents. They see our agricultural wealth as raw material to be extracted from Ghana in order to power their economic engine. We need to control and develop our agricultural wealth to power Ghanas economic engine.

Thats why we invite all to join us as we March Against Monsanto here in Accra.

For Life, the Environment, and Social Justice!
to ruthlessly wreck cocoa, plantain, maize and cassava farms, even those that were ready for harvesting, thus increasing hunger in the land; In view of the foregoing, the President didst decree that henceforth, the ordinances of the land, that forbade such mindless devastation of water-bodies  laws hitherto regarded as a mere dead letter by potentates who emitted communications to the populace from both sides of their mouths  would be strictly enforced;

THAT the President was then impudently ordered by the stiff-necked galamsey bastards to cease and desist from enforcing the law! A group designating itself the Asante branch of the small-scale miners association, held a press conference (which mysteriously was not boycotted by the media, although the media are ostensibly waging a loud-mouthed campaign which they themselves tout as the STOP GALAMSEY CAMPAIGN!)

THAT at the said press conference, the impudent galamseyers issued a secondthreat to the elected President of the land as follows:

QUOTE: We have given the President three days to allow us to work. Otherwise all die be die, Frank Osei leader of the group said at [the] press conference [held] in Kumasi on 18 May 2017. Osei argued that small scale mining is a registered business under Ghana law and that if [the] government does not come clear, they will hit the streets after three days.

We are not illegal miners. We have licence (sic) thats why we dont want the government to box us together with illegal miners, he said. We are ready to die than to live and not work Osei added. UNQUOTE

And  of course  it came to pass that none of the so-called journalists at the press conference had enough wit as to ask him, Is destroying your ancestral water-bodies what you call 'work'? Have you seen River Tano of late? Have you seen the Prah? Ankobra? Densu? Offin? Birem? Oti? Your own people should die of thirst and water-borne diseases so that you can 'work' and get money to fornicate with Chinese prostitutes? If that was the sort of 'work' people did in the past, would there have been a nation left for you to be working in it today and have the audacity to be giving haughty ultimatums to the elected President, to be allowed to 'work'?

Sadly, none of the so-called journalists  again -- knew enough about the law as to ask the protesters: Those licences you are talking about, have they been ratified byParliament? You have enough knowledge to be able to go all the way to China and climb The Great Wall of Anonymity there, to identify people among a population numbering a whopping 1.2 billion, who can come to Ghana with the requisite equipment to dig for gold, but you do not know about the laws that relate to mineral operations here, though you call it your work?

Or do you think that just because you've bought [probably corruptly] pieces ofpaper called licences from Tony Aubynn and his wilfully ignorant Minerals Commission, that is the end of the matter? Well, the Minerals Commission was set up by an Act of Parliament. It can be abolished tomorrow for demonstrating wilfulignorance of the laws passed by the Parliament of Ghana to govern the operations of that very Minerals Commission. Given the mess the Commission has created by deliberately introducing so much confusion into the mining industry, the conscienceless galamseyers owe it a lot, don't they? Wait until a 'Daniel' comes to judgement over its history!

And it further came to pass that even as the stiff-necked galamsey bastards were threatening to bring fire and brimstone against the elected President  without reckoning with the backlash that would be aroused against them by all right-thinking Ghanaians  the King of Asante, whose name had been deliberately sullied by the galamseyers (they had said they were going to send a petition to Otumfuor to request that he should intercede with the Government on their behalf, thus giving the treasonable impression that the King was somehow associated with galamsey or sympathetic to it!) held a meeting with his counsellors on the galemseyers' alleged request to present a petition to Otumfuor.

WHEREUPON a 97-year-old counsellor called Nana Nnwuda, (The Elder who never dies) or The Sage of Manhyia, spake to The King as follows:

Otumfuor Osei Tutu!

Reincarnation of Nana Osei Tutu Opemsuor! [The courtiers yell in unison: ZIORMPA! (Listen and listen well!)]....

You who sit on The Golden Stool that Okomfo Anokye called down from heaven on that Sacred Friday! [Wo a wona wote Sika Dwa Kofi a Okomfo Anokye yi firi soro bae so!] . [ZIOR!.... ZIOMPA!]

Wo a woworo wo kawa firi wo batiri so [You who can pull your ring from the shoulder end of your arm! [ZIOR . ZIOR...ZIOR! ZIOMPA!]

It is to you that all the lands for which your ancestors shed their blood, have been bequeathed. You are to protect and guard those lands and the water thereon with your life and those of all of us here. You swore before us, on being put on The Golden Stool, that if you did not rule the Asante nation with Truth and I say!, you should be thrown away!

Now, today, they say there is something called galamsey, destroying the land you are here to preserve and protect. Our ancestors took more gold from the soil than these galamsey people can take in 200 years. Otherwise, how could this country have been called 'The Gold Coast'?

But our ancestors had brains and took care not to ruin the land whilst digging for gold. [ZIORMPA!]

Neither did they commit sacrilege by polluting the rivers from which the populace drank.

They did not destroy the farms that fed the people.

Nor did they leave gaping holes for farmers and night-hunters to fall into and die.

These galamsey people, on the other hand, are doing all that.

They recognise no ancestral social taboos. They are in fact behaving like animals.

And yet they have the impudence to mention your name, Otumfuor Osei Tutu, as someone to whom they can run for protection against ABAN [the elected Government]!What do they think of you, Nana Osei Tutu? That you will support the evil being perpetrated against your own people?

Otumfuor, we don't call you a King for nothing!. Order your guards to go and catch them and bring them here now now! Horse riders have something called oponkorkote, [leather whips] with which they ride their horses. Let us use those whips to give each of these galamsey criminals twenty-four lashes on his bare back. Then they will learn how to sully the name of Manhyia with filthy nonsense! Was it not enough that Asante's enemies spread a rumour that Otumfuor had stolen his own gold ornaments at a hotel in Scandinavia?

How insensitive to link Otumfuor's name with gold again! These galamsey bastards are incorrigible!

[THE COURTIERS ALL YELL: WIIIIIIIER! ENOAAA NO NO!]

(Yes! It's just as The Sage says!)

The Chief of the Asantehene's Guards now yells out, WE'VE GOT THEIR NAMES! LET'S GO AND GET THEM!

(ALL THE GUARDS NOW SCRAMBLE OUT OF THE PALACE, YELLING FEARFUL CRIES THAT WOULD SCARE EVEN THE GHOSTS OF THOSE ALREADY DEAD).

And it came to pass that much wailing was heard from Manhyia Palace throughout the rest of that day, as the stiff-necked galamsey bastards were each whipped to within an inch of his life. Were it not for the fact that the capital punishment reserved for abominable felons had been modified by the British laws we have inherited......!!
Former Minister of Justice and Attorney General Martin Amidu should not be taken seriously on his comments relating to the discharge of the eight members of the Delta Force, a private security arm within the New Patriotic Party (NPP), because he is doing the bidding of the governing party, Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu, Alhaji A.B.A Fuseini, has said.

According to him, Mr Amidu does not deserve attention from well-meaning persons in Ghanaian society for serving as the conduit for the NPPs mischievous acts.

The eight members of the pro-NPP vigilante group Delta Force were arrested and arraigned for storming a live court session in Kumasi and freeing 13 of their members who were standing trial for yanking out the Presidents appointed security liaison in the Ashanti Region.

However, the State Attorney in Kumasi advised the police who were prosecuting the matter to drop the case since they could not adduce evidence against the eight accused persons.

The Minority in Parliament has condemned the released of the eight and urged that they be immediately re-arrested and prosecuted.

Mr Amidu waded into the controversy via a statement saying the State Attorney did an excellent job and did not need to have consulted the Attorney General before giving that advice. The Ashanti Regional Office was, therefore, perfectly within the exercise of its prosecutorial discretion to deal with the case without further reference to the Attorney General in Accra, he noted.

But speaking on the 505 programme on Class91.3FM hosted by Emefa Apawu on Friday May 19, Mr Fuseini said: He is a politically spent force, and I am not sure we should be giving him the line that he doesnt deserve. He clearly should be treated with the contempt that he deserves and I honestly dont think that he is a serious political force that anybody must waste a lot of time on, because everybody knows that he is nothing more than an appendage of the NPP, the NPP used him as a conduit for their mischief and Im sure we should dismiss him with all the contempt that he deserves.

Looking at this particular issue, it is shocking that somebody who claims he is a dedicated citizen of this country, that in the face of this flagrant abuse of the intelligence of Ghanaians this is a person who can stand up and say that what the Attorney General has done, which is to demean and impugn the integrity of our judicial system, is what should be praised.

Martin Amidu says that we should heap praise on the Attorney General for this glaring and crass incompetence that has been exhibited. The Attorney Generals office which is tasked to gather the requisite evidence and successfully prosecute the matter, what is the Attorney General therefore?

If the Attorney General cannot gather evidence and garner the requisite level of prosecution that will give us convictions, what is the use of spending the tax payers money on the Attorney General, two deputies and Director of Public Prosecutions and an array of attorneys? It is a shame that the likes of Amidu are talking in the manner that they are talking.
The Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul says government is likely to deploy military personnel in the coming days to augment the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

He explained that the militarys involvement to combat the menace will be part of their duties to maintaining internal securities.

I can assure you that the Armed Forces will as part of their normal internal security get involved in sorting out the issues of galamsey. And the government is committed to ensuring that the issue of galamsey is brought to a complete halt because it is pure indiscipline and it cannot be allowed to continue, he made this known in an interaction with Soldiers at Burma Camp.

The government has warned the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners that they will be dealt with, if they breach the freeze on all forms of Small Scale mining.

Members of the Association this week announced a planned demonstration dubbed all-die-be-die to register their displeasure over the ban.

But the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources cautioned that the miners may return to the sites at their own risk.

I keep on saying that there is going to be a deployment of the law enforcement agencies; the Police the Army and the Airforce for a sustainable period  not less than one year, and that is going to come shortly. So if anybody dares to return to the site and it results in equipment being confiscated, that will be very unfortunate. That is why I have taken my time and explained issues to them and given timelines so they cease operations.

I gave another period of 30 days, which is coming to an end, to make sure they evacuate their equipment from the sites. All those timelines are to make sure there are no excuses when peoples equipment are seized.

For the association, I am going to engage them. I am in Kumasi and I am going to be in the Ashanti Region for the coming three days and I will have time to engage them so that together, we will build a Ghana that is acceptable and a Ghana that everybody will want to mine in.
20.05.2017 LISTEN

A member of the Minority says the state cannot be fishing for evidence in the infamous Delta Force 8 scandal when a Circuit Court judge is a material witness.

Rockson Dafiamekpor Member of Parliament for South Dayi and a lawyer said there can be no better evidence in court than the testimony of an eye witness.

He was contributing to the controversial release of suspects accused of invading a Circuit Court, attacking a judge and freeing suspects standing trial.

The state attorney prosecuting eight members of the Delta Force, a vigilante group affiliated to the governing the New Patriotic Party on charges of rioting, attacking a public officer, told the court she did not have evidence to prosecute the case.

The State Prosecutor however withdrew the charges against the eight persons, leaving the judge no choice but to discharge the suspects.

The eight were said to be part of the over 50 people who besieged the court on April 6, 2017 and attacked the trial judge, Mary Sankyire.

The discharge has triggered a controversy with huge political undertones.

The Minority in Parliament is angry with the turn of events, accusing the government of pandering to the pressures from their political party.

The government is also angry at the State prosecutor for deciding to withdraw the case without consulting the Attorney General.

The AG has therefore constituted an investigation into how the state prosecutor took the decision to withdraw without consulting her.

The decision to investigate has been described by the Minority as cosmetic.

Discussing the matter on Joy FM's Newsfile programme, a lawyer and MP for South Dayi Rockson Dafiamekpor said it cannot be the case that the prosecution cannot have evidence to prosecute.

"The trial judge is a material witness; the court clerks are a material witnesses; court bailiffs; journalists all of them were present.

"Did the prosecution take evidence from them?" he asked.

Even more curious Dafiamekpor argued is a complete disregard of the complainant, a police officer, in the case, who has not been heard on the matter.

He is convinced the government has no interest in prosecuting the matter and bringing justice.

A Deputy Attorney General Joseph Dinkiok Kpemka who was also on the show said the state will go back to court on the matter if it gathers new evidence.

"Nobody at the AG's department is taking this matter lightly," he stated, adding, whilst they are interested in getting to the bottom of the matter they are wary in order not to persecute people who may not necessarily be involved on the matter.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|Nathan Gadugah
Despite massive public outcry against the discharge of the eight Delta Force members by the Kumasi Circuit Court, Presidential hopeful, Stephen Atubiga says he is very excited about the news of their release.

Stephen Atubiga, who has declared his intention to contest in the presidential primaries of the opposition NDC, says Ghana is reaping what it sowed by voting for the Nana Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) which is heavily associated with violence.

The eight members of Delta Force were standing trial for storming the court premises earlier this year to free 13 of their members who were charged with conspiracy to assault in the case where they vandalized property at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council and assaulted the Regional Security Coordinator because they were against his appointment.

The eight were freed after the Principal State Attorney in the case, Marie Louise-Simmons, determined that the charges against the suspects be dropped because of lack of evidence.

The news of their release has shocked many including the Minority in Parliament, the Ghana Bar Association, as well as several security experts who have described the decision of the court as justification of impunity.

However, Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid, in a statement said the Attorney General, Gloria Akuffo, is not aware of the decision by the prosecutor to discontinue the case.

As a result, the Attorney Generals department is investigating circumstances under which a principal State Attorney in Kumasi decided without recourse to advice from higher authority on a matter of high public interest of this nature to drop charges against persons arrested in connection with disturbances in a Kumasi Magistrates court in April this year. the statement added.

To me politics is business; some will bring their resources, people, wisdom, good leadership etc together and you win an election and when you win, you have to remember those who brought you to power.

I support the Invisible Forces, the Delta Force; they should fight for what is due them because they worked and brought the NPP to power, Stephen Atubiga said on Accra-based Montie.

It would be recalled that Stephen Atubiga served three days jail term for criminal contempt during the hearing of the 2012 presidential Election Petition.
20.05.2017 LISTEN

(CNS): My first personal brush with the severity of asthma was several years ago, when one of my students suddenly started gasping for breath in the middle of her Physics Practical final examination of Class 12. We were clueless about the cause of her sudden affliction.

Other than making her sit in the open air and force her to drink water, we did not know what to do. A frantic phone call to her parents elicited that it was an attack of asthma as she had forgotten her inhaler at home. Thankfully she normalized after a while. But the memory of those agonizing 15 minutes still remains etched in my mind.

What if something untoward had happened because of her and her parents carelessness and our ignorance?

Even though awareness about asthma has increased manifold since then, it still remains a a major global health problem. A chronic, non communicable respiratory condition, asthma affects over 300 million people (10% of them being in India) and kills nearly 250,000 people every year. There is no cure for it, but with proper treatment and care most people can lead normal lives. However, poor control of asthma, and poor access to quality asthma treatment, can lead to serious consequences. Management of asthma is very much about controlling the condition with effective treatment. Strangely, for a condition that is so common, and can cause serious illness or death if not treated, there is no gold standard definitive diagnostic test for it. A clinical diagnosis based on symptoms is all that we have. The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) defines asthma by the history of respiratory symptoms such as wheeze, shortness of breath, chest tightness and cough that vary over time and in intensity, together with variable expiratory airflow limitation.

This, coupled with fact that asthma symptoms mimic other respiratory diseases, could often lead to misdiagnosis. Whilst in the past, asthma was often under diagnosed, the pendulum now seems to have swung the other way, at least in some countries. Referring to a paper published by two London doctors in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, BBC says that asthma is now being over-diagnosed and trivialised, and that too many children are being incorrectly diagnosed with asthma, with inhalers being dispensed for no good reason. The paper asks doctors to consider the use of more objective checks-testing nitrogen oxide levels and blood tests -if they are unsure about a diagnosis. And if a child is not getting better despite asthma medication, then, instead of increasing doses automatically, the possibility of an incorrect diagnosis should be considered.

In another study done in Canada, researchers found that one third of the adults diagnosed with asthma in the past 5 years showed no signs of the condition on retestingeither because it had got better or they were wrongly diagnosed in the first place. They were able to safely stop taking asthma medicines under medical supervision.

While the problem of unnecessary and over treatment of asthma seems to be present in the developed countries, many people around the world still lack access to basic effective treatment. In a webinar recently organised by CNS (Citizen News Service), Dr Kevin Mortimer, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Liverpool School of Medicine, stressed that poor asthma control and poor access to quality asthma treatment, can lead to serious consequences and impairments. He informed that the inhaler treatment comprises (i) reliever treatment as and when required, and (ii) regular preventive treatment that can stop the symptoms from arising in the first place. Inhaled corticosteroids are the most important asthma drugs and are on the WHO essential medicines list. Yet they remain out of reach for many of the worlds poor who have asthma. Most rural areas are underserved by health services. To achieve effective asthma care for all, especially the rural poor, health systems need to be strengthened, and a key part of that strengthening is having access to funded basic quality asthma treatment, believes Dr Mortimer.

Prof Surya Kant, Head of Respiratory Medicine Department, King Georges Medical University, recommends a 6-D approach for management of asthma: (i) Doctor (who knows how to deal with asthma (ii) Diagnosis (correct diagnosis), (iii) Drug/Dosage (prescribe correct drug in right doses), (iv) Device (select the correct device for drug delivery), (v) Deliberation (interaction with patient for proper care), (vi) a(D)herence (to inhalation treatment therapy as advised by the doctor).

While there is effective treatment available to keep asthma under control in the majority of cases, Dr Mortimer acknowledges that Our understanding of the disease (why do some people get it and others not, what factors contribute to its development, etc) still remains poor. There are many sub types of asthma, and it is not a single entity, as we normally believe. So there are about 10% patients whose asthma does not respond fully even to the best treatments available. We do not know why, but perhaps some genetic factors play a part in these cases.

Indoor and outdoor air pollution, occupational exposure to polluted air, and tobacco smoke are all associated with the development and exacerbation of asthma. Each individual can contribute to controlling asthma in their own way by changing current practises. The most obvious one is to stop smoking. Active, as well as passive, tobacco smoking is closely associated with development of asthma, progression of asthma and reduced impact of inhaled corticosteroids. Anyone smoking anywhere around the world is contributing to this problem.

Smoking is a completely avoidable risk factor as far as asthma- and other respiratory diseases too-are concerned. Next is household air pollution that arises mainly through use of bio mass fuelburning of crop refuse, charcoal, kerosene, wood etc in open fires. Then again, people who drive diesel cars in the city, need to rethink about their choice of transport and their choice of fuel, as motor vehicle smoke is another source of outdoor air pollution. What we need are strategies at the global level to clean up the air we breathe, says Dr Mortimer.

Physical exercise must be encouraged in people with asthma, even though some of them might be sensitive to exercise and get an exercise induced bronchial spasm. Dr Mortimer advises two precautions that can minimise any adverse effects of exercise on ones asthma(i) take basic preventive treatment regularly and correctly to control airway inflammation, and (ii) pre-medicate to avoid flaring up asthma symptoms during exercise. This would involve taking the reliever inhaler just before the exercise and also having it ready at hand, if need arises during exercise.

Chakatip Kiatduriyakul, a finance expert from Thailand is one of the many people who have been managing their asthma very well. She shares, I had asthma from age 6 till age 20. After that I had it only intermittently. But in 2007, when there was a lot of smoke in Chiang Mai (due to crop burning), my asthma came back and this time it lasted longer than usual. The conditions that I have to watch out are dust, smoke, heat, over-exercise and stress. As Thailand has universal health coverage (UHC), asthma medication is free for me.

When the symptoms start, it is best to take medication right away otherwise it can worsen quickly. Other than doing regular physical exercise, I use meditation and music to help reduce the intensity of asthma attacks. Sometimes drinking strong coffee helps too, in case of mild symptoms. It is also important to live in a clean environment. Too much stuff collects dust, which is a known trigger for asthma. So I either throw away or donate unused stuff regularly. Having lots of free space is good for the mind, as controlling stress is another key part of keeping asthma away.

Shobha Shukla, Citizen News Service - CNS

(Shobha Shukla is the Managing Editor of CNS (Citizen News Service) and has written extensively on health and gender justice over decades. Follow her on Twitter @Shobha1Shukla or visit CNS: www.citizen-news.org )
Kinshasa (AFP) - Two men are to go on trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the kidnap and murder of two UN experts, a military prosecutor said Saturday, denying security forces involvement in the deaths.

Authorities arrested the suspects last month the killings in March of American Michael Sharp and Swedish-Chilean Zaida Catalan in central Kasai, where hundreds of people have died in violence since September.

The bodies of the pair were found two weeks after they were kidnapped March 12 while trying to investigate reports of more than 40 mass graves in the region.

Military prosecutor Colonel Odon Makutu told a press conference Saturday in Kinshasa that a 10-week judicial probe had been completed and that the two suspects would go on trial "soon."

Makutu said the two men had been charged with the "war crime of murder, war crime through mutilation, terrorism (and) participation in an insurrectionist movement."

He said no member of the security forces had been implicated and added that the trial would be held in Kananga, capital of Kasai central province.

A total of 14 other people have been investigated over possible involvement in the killings.

Hundreds of people have died in recent months in violence in central Kasai and more than a million people have been displaced.

A violent tribal uprising erupted in the region after last year's death in August of traditional chieftain Kamwina Nsapu.

The UN Security Council has urged Kinshasa to cooperate with its commission of enquiry into the killings of the two experts and the mass graves.

The UN has accused rebels loyal to Nsapu of recruiting child soldiers and committing atrocities while also saying that Democratic Republic of Congo troops have used disproportionate force against the militiamen.
The Sagnarigu Paramount chief has expressed absolute confidence in President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to resolve the protracted conflict in Dagbon.

Naa Yakubu Abdulai said he believes the President and Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia have been destined to lead the peace process in the Nothern Region town of Dagbon.

Speaking at a meeting during the visit of the Vice President, the Paramount chief said the traditional authority and residents will back government in the process to restore peace in Dagbon.

Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia

Related Article: Dagbon crisis: Andani, Abudu gates to resume peace talks

Dagbon has been thrown into a protracted conflict following the assassination of the then overlord, Ya Naa Andani II in 2002.

The Abudu and Andani clans, named after the two sons of the ancient Dagbon King, have been fighting each other for years over chieftaincy issues. Repeated violence led to the destruction of the Gbewaa Palace and thirty surrounding houses.

At least thirty members of the dead overlords household and other members of the community were killed with several others injured in the 2002 clashes.

Then President John Kufuor set up a committee chaired by Justice I. N. K. Wuaku to probe the Yendi disturbances and for perpetrators to be sanctioned.

After the investigation, some 41 people including former Yendi District Chief Executive, Habib Tijani were put before the Accra Fast Track High court but they were acquitted and discharged.

Former President Mahama with Dagbon opinion leaders

Former President John Mahama also tried to restore peace in the area during his tenure of office. He assembled some eminent people led by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II who held meetings with the leadership of the two gates.

The two sides in the Dagbon conflict agreed to commit to the peace process after an extensive discussion, but there were periodic clashes in the area.

But Naa Yakubu Abdulai said the people of Dagbon are living in pain because for over 15 years, the issue has not been resolved.

He noted the people will be left with no option than to address the issue themselves if government fails to restore peace.

If this government fails to bring peace to Dagbonthen it means Dagbon will be left to solve its problems and that will be a total disaster for Ghana, he said.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brakopowers | [email protected] | Instagram: @realbrakopowers
Dar es Salaam (AFP) - The presidents of Tanzania and Uganda called Saturday on the EU to lift sanctions on Burundi, but a diplomatic for the European bloc dismissed the appeal.

The joint plea, by Yoweri Museveni and John Magufuli came at a meeting of the East African Community (EAC) -- which also includes Burundi, Kenya and South Sudan -- in Dar es Salaam.

"This is our problem. We don't want the European Union to take measures against a member state without discussions with us," said Uganda's Museveni, who is EAC president and lead mediator in Burundi's seemingly intractable two-year-old political crisis.

Tanzania's president said Europe should be focused on its own issues.

"They are taking sanctions against Burundi when they too are facing difficulties at home, like the Brexit," Magufuli said.

But EU ambassador to Tanzania and the EAC, Roeland van de Geer, insisted that "sanctions remain as long as the situation does not change".

Burundi's sometimes violent political crisis began in April 2015 when President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run for a third term that his opponents regarded as unconstitutional.

Around 400,000 people have left Burundi because of the crisis and hundreds have died in violent clashes and targeted attacks.
The Vice President of IMANI-Ghana is accusing the police of complicity in the release of eight members of pro-NPP vigilante group, Delta Force who were tried for court raid.

Kofi Bentil suspects the heavy politics of the case may have crippled the police from acting.

Speaking on the Joy FM/MultiTVs news analysis show Newsfile Saturday, the private legal practitioner said the police would have assembled enough evidence for prosecution if they wanted to.

I am suggesting complicity...the police lack no ability to arrest people, he said.

The release of the eight members of Delta Force who were tried for raiding a Kumasi Circuit court and forcefully releasing 13 of their colleagues from the court house has been widely condemned.

A Kumasi Circuit court discharged the men on the grounds that there is no evidence to incriminate them.

Sections of Ghanaians including the Minority in Parliament have berated government for the release.

The NDC MPs at a news conference said they suspect the men have been let go because of their affiliation to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu has asked government to cause the re-arrest of the men and for proper prosecution to be done.

A statement from the Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid said the A-G did not authorise the release of the eight and has instituted investigation into the matter.

The State Attorney who advised the court to release the men has defended his position, saying she was not given enough evidence by the police.

Discussing the matter on Newsfile, Mr Bentil said the police were not interested in dealing with the issue because of how partisan it has become.

It will not be possible to convince a room of intelligence people that the Police could not find people who invaded the court in broad day light, he said.

He cited a case in which a police by name Kwaku Ninja was murdered and buried underneath a house by some landguards at Ablekuma in Accra. The police investigated the matter and found out where the cop was buried.

If the police were able to gather intelligence and evidence enough to prosecute a matter like that, he wondered how they will not be able to gather evidence for an activity that happened in broad day light.

Mr Bentil said the issue may not be handled properly because it is a situation where the big politics of the day is driving the issue.

He cautioned the government to ensure that the men are re-arrested and the issue dealt with to diffuse the suspicion in the public.

Deputy A-G, Joseph Kpemka who was also on the show said the department will only re-arrest and prosecute the eight if sufficient evidence is provided.

He dismissed claim that the video recording circulating on social media about the incident is enough to ensure prosecution of the men.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brakopowers | [email protected] | Instagram: @realbrakopowers
Abuja (AFP) - There were emotional scenes Saturday as 82 kidnapped Chibok girls released by Boko Haram Islamists earlier this month were reunited with their parents.

At the reunion held in Nigeria's capital of Abuja, fathers gripped their daughters in tight hugs, while mothers shrieked with joy, wiping away tears streaming from their eyes.

One beaming father picked his daughter up and swung her around in the air.

They hadn't seen each other since April 2014, when the jihadists snatched over 200 schoolgirls from their dormitories in northeast Nigeria.

"I'm feeling very happy, I was dancing with her, she's very happy," said Yakubu Nkeki, whose niece Maimuna -- who he has raised as his own child -- was among the 82 released.

This handout picture released on May 20, 2017 by PGDBA & HND Mass Communication shows family members crying while being reunited with the released Chibok girls in Abuja on May 20, 2017

"Everyone was dancing today, even the old ones, everyone was dancing," Nkeki told AFP.

"All of us had lost hope, we thought the girls would not be returned."

High profile victims

Nkeki, who represents the Chibok parents, said that they would attend a church service with the girls on Sunday, before returning home early next week.

In the meantime the girls would stay in a government facility in Abuja where they are receiving therapy and vocational training.

Nigeria's minister for women Aisha Alhassan has said that the government's goal is to have all the rescued Chibok girls back in school by September.

This handout picture released on May 20, 2017 by PGDBA&HND Mass Communication shows family members reuniting with one of the released Chibok girls in Abuja

But the Nigerian government has been criticised for keeping the girls in their custody and limiting access to their parents.

"Authorities should clarify to families whether the rescued girls are being held in preventive detention or as criminal suspects," said Human Rights Watch in a May statement.

The human rights organisation added that the Nigerian government should also be working to secure the release of those kidnapped by Boko Haram, not just the schoolgirls.

"While the Chibok girls are the highest profile victims of Boko Haram's abductions, authorities should extend the negotiations for release to other missing adults and children," it said.

Ongoing negotiations

Boko Haram has used kidnapping as a weapon of war, seizing thousands of women and young girls in its quest to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria.

Boko Haram seized 276 girls from the remote town of Chibok in April 2014, triggering global condemnation and drawing attention to the bloody insurgency decimating the region.

A #BringBackOurGirls hashtag campaign went viral, endorsed by A-list celebrities and politicians alike, putting pressure on former president Goodluck Jonathan to tackle the Islamists.

In the immediate aftermath of the kidnapping, 57 girls managed to escape. Of the 219 who did not manage to flee, 106 have either been released or found.

This handout picture released on May 20, 2017 by PGDBA & HND Mass Communication shows family members neing reunited with the released Chibok girls on May 20, 2017, in Abuja

The group of 82 girls was released in May in exchange for five Boko Haram commanders following months of negotiations brokered by the Swiss government and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Twenty-one of their classmates were freed in October last year, while three others had previously been found or escaped.

The Nigerian government has said it is still in talks to release the remaining 113 girls in captivity.

Since the time of the Chibok kidnapping in 2014, Boko Haram has lost significant swathes of territory to the Nigerian government.

Yet the Islamists still pose a threat to the ravaged region, which is suffering from a food crisis as a result of the eight-year insurgency that has left at least 20,000 people dead and displaced more than 2.6 million from their homes.
Tamale, May 20, GNA - The Christian Children's Fund of Canada (CCFC), a Non-Governmental Organisation has presented motor bikes, computers and their accessories to some health institutions in the Northern Region aimed at curbing maternal, newborn and infant mortalities.

The 16 motorbikes, 27 laptops and 18 desktop computers, which cost GHC374,862.32 are to be distributed to the Savelugu/Nanton Municipal health facility and the Saboba and Nanumba North Districts health centres.

Mr George Baiden, Country Director of the CCFC speaking at the handing over ceremony in Tamale at the weekend stressed that CCFC working with some local partners would strive harder to help improve quality healthcare delivery in Ghana especially maternal and infant mortality.

He said CCFC was implementing a four-year project dubbed: 'Promoting Maternal, Newborn, Infant and Child Sustainable Health Efforts (PROMISE) and was being implemented with financial support of Global Affairs Canada.

He said CCFC would contribute to the Canadian government's effort on Muskoka Initiative on Maternal and Health as well as to Ghana's Sustainable Development Goals (MDGs) through partnerships for strengthening Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.

Mr Baiden said the project sought to contribute to the reduction in maternal and child mortality in the Northern Region by improving essential health service delivery to mothers, pregnant women, newborns, and children under five years.

The project he said also sought to increase the consumption of nutritious foods and supplements by mothers, pregnant women, newborns and children under five years and that CCFC's key strategies were to strengthen the health system to improve the quality of care.

Mr Baiden said CCFC's PROMISE project would directly and indirectly impact the lives of over 100,000 beneficiaries including children, women and men and appealed to its partners to work harder for the project to achieve the desired results.

Dr Jacob Mahama, the Northern Regional Director of Health Services in a speech read on his behalf commended CCFC for the giant step it was taking to help address problems relating to infant and maternal mortality in the region.

He commended CCFC for the project and pledged that the Ghana Health Service (GHS) would provide the needed support to ensure that the project succeeded and assured that the motorbikes and the computers would be used for their intended purposes.

GNA

By Caesar Abagali, GNA
What happened to the Bellamys Australia share price?

Bellamys Australia Ltd [ASX:BAL] traded up as much as 4.4% on Friday, to a high of $5.22 per share.

Why did this happen to the BAL Australia shares?

As you might already know, BAL is a baby formula expert. A lot of its growth and future earnings will likely come from China as the country prizes Australian brands with the utmost quality.

And recently, BAL just got a lot more knowledgeable on its core market. As reported by The Advocate:

China expert John Ho has decided not to take his chairmans pay as he takes the helm at embattled Bellamys Australia Limited.

The Hong Kong-based Australian citizen with significant business interests in Australia and China was announced as the organic baby food and formula companys new chairman on Thursday.

Prominent business figure John Murphy has also been added to the board.

He is a former managing director of Coca-Cola Amatil Australia and Fosters Australia/Carlton & United Breweries.

What now for Bellamys Australia Ltd?

While its always a plus if a company has great management, that alone shouldnt warrant an investment.

From its half yearly accounts, BAL showed significant signs of slowing. Revenues only grew by 12.5%, compared to 95.19% in full year FY16. Profits also dropped from $13.6 million in the first half of FY16 to $7.23 million in the first half of FY17.

The company has also increased short-term borrowings significantly to $14.6 million, which also decreased the companys working capital figure (current assets minus current liabilities).

Doesnt sound like the high flyer it once was.

BAL expects revenues for the second half of FY17 to be in the range of $105-120 million and for profit after tax to be 4-6% of revenues. Take the top end of that guidance; BAL is looking to earn another $7.2 million in profit.

This would put its shares trading at 36.6 times earnings. The safer option might be to sit out and wait until BAL shows more signs of picking up revenue and profitability growth.

Regards,

Harje Ronngard,

Junior Analyst, Money Morning

PS: If youre interested in investing in smaller growth stocks, check out Sam Volkerings new report, Top Three Aussie Small-cap Stocks.

Sam is a small-cap guru. Hes managed to find growth in a market where many investment professionals simply cant find any.

To get your free copy of Sams report, click here.
What happened to the Fortescue share price?

Fortescue Metals Group Ltd [ASX:FMG] traded up as much as 5.2% on Friday, to a high of $5.22 per share.

FMG is a volatile stock. Its volatile because the price of iron ore is volatile. A lot of our iron ore goes to China, which turns it into steel to continue its infrastructure boom.

So depending upon how much China builds or what their stockpiles look like, it will be reflected in the price of iron ore.

Why did this happen to FMG shares?

According to Business Insider Australia, iron ore has a real possibility of rebounding.

Steel inventories in China are well below normal and steel mill margins are increasing again.

And that means that the recent rebound in iron ore spot markets may have further to run, says Vivek Dhar, mining and energy commodities analyst at Commonwealth Bank.

And its not just Commonwealth Bank of Australia Ltd [ASX:CBA] that thinks iron ore could be coming back. Credit Suisse is also of the opinion that iron ore will rebound over the coming months. So while it may or may not be right, its predictions have boosted confidence in iron ore miners like FMG.

What now for Fortescue Metals Group Ltd?



If you are thinking about buying FMG shares, be aware of the risks.

While analysts are predicting an iron ore rebound, whos to say the commodity wont drop further? The volatility of iron ore might cause you to lose countless nights of sleep. If you think this will be you, stay away from commodity businesses.

However, if youre bullish on iron ore and believe FMG is a good investment idea, then stick to your guns and ride the volatility. If you have a long-term perspective, you wont listen to the noise of the market and could potentially gain triple returns while sitting on your investment.

Regards,

Harje Ronngard,

Junior Analyst, Money Morning

PS: Resource analyst Jason Stevenson knows a thing or two about playing the commodity market. In his advisory service, Resource Speculator, hes currently got active investments up 52.4%, 57.6% and 100%!

If youre looking to match these returns, check out Jasons free report, The Top 10 Australian Mining Stocks for 2017.

Jason will introduce you to 10 cheap, top-quality Aussie mining stocks that look set to soar this year.

To get your free copy of Jasons report, click here.
Drugs and guns seized View Photos

Tuolumne County, CA  A several month long investigation pays off for the Tuolumne Narcotics Team after a raid turns up drugs and firearms.

Detectives raided a residence on Mormon Creek Road on Thursday afternoon. Once inside the home investigators seized more than 40 grams of methamphetamine, anabolic steroids, drug use paraphernalia, and several unlawfully possessed firearms.

42-year-old Larry Vannatta was arrested but not before resisting arrest and sustaining injuries that required him to be treated at a local hospital. He faces charges of resisting arrest, felony child endangerment, felon in possession of ammunition, felon in possession of firearms, armed while in the commission of a felony, illegal possession of steroids, possession of drug use paraphernalia, and for possession of controlled substances for sale. Vannattas bail is set at $50,000.
- The Nigerian Police has arrested some notorious fraudsters

- The fraudsters pose on Facebook and other social media forums as Custom officers selling auctioned cars

- They were nabbed by the Intelligence Response team (IRT) of the NPF

The NPF has arrested some notorious fraudsters who pose on Facebook and other social media forums as Custom officers selling auctioned cars to unsuspecting victims.

Legit.ng gathered that they were nabbed by the Intelligence Response team (IRT) of the NPF after several complaints to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) about their activities.

IGP Ibrahim Idris directed the IRT to trace and arrest the criminals immediatey the complaints flooded his office.

The suspected fraudsters were mostly students of higher institutions in Edo state

READ ALSO: Army inaugurates Forward Operation Base to secure the Nation's borders

After several days of analysis of intelligence on ground and technical support from the Technology Intellignece Unit (TIU), two IRT teams were deployed to Edo state and eventually four of the culprits were apprehended.

They are Aliyu Sunday 21 years, Oricha Prosper 19 years, Shaka Sumaila andTaye Samuel 21 years. The suspects are either students of Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma or Auchi Polytechnic in Edo state.

They confessed to the crimes and mentioned how they swindled millions of naira from innocent Nigerians while posing as Custom officers Selling auctioned cars.

Exhibits such as Custom documents, pictures of genuine custom officers they are impersonating, account numbers they are using for the crime and communication between them and their victims were found in their phones and laptops.

According to the police, efforts are in progress to apprehend the remaining members of the gang said to be at large.

IGP Ibrahim Idris was said to have instituted a special team to nad the suspected fraudsters

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has revealed that smugglers now use the creeks along the border communities at Idiroko, Ipokia local government area, to smuggle bags of rice and other prohibited products into the country.

This was revealed by the Ogun state area command controller, NCS, Sani Madugu, who took over the command on Tuesday, April 25.

Watch a video of oe of the suspects below:

Watch the Legit.ng TV video below of minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, giving an account of his ministry's achievement under President Muhammadu Buhari.

Source: Legit.ng
Ive had many physical symptoms of anxiety disorder my whole life. For the first two decades, I thought they were simply the standard challenges of human existence. It wasnt until college that I found out they were just that  symptoms of a problem.

When I was lining up in cap and gown for my high school graduation, and I saw the lights on the stage where we were to sit as a class, a wave hit me  I started to sweat, a prickling sensation went up the back of my neck, and for several minutes, until the worst of it passed, I was pretty sure I wasnt going to be able to go through the commencement ceremony. Not even then did it occur to me to talk to a grownup about it.

While I was aware of the critical importance of mental health, having struggled with bouts of depression throughout adolescence, anxiety was just a word to describe nerves before a test or the feeling of waiting to be picked up for a first date. After a fast trip to rock bottom in college, I met with a counselor (shoutout to Winona States Wellness staff), and she suggested I was most likely suffering from a clinical disorder.

Even to this day, after Ive taken the reins on my mental health and have happily come to rely on Lexapro as a part of my daily routine, I still struggle with one elusive facet of this disorder: anxiety doesnt go away when things are going well.

With age and perspective, Ive been able to tackle the hurdles  graduating college, finding a job, moving in with a boyfriend, breaking up with the boyfriend, moving across the country, moving back, changing jobs, getting engaged, committing to law school  all while knowing that I had the tools and self-awareness to fight back the anxiety that came along with tangible challenges in my life. When Id experience anxiety in these situations, it made sense to me. There was a lot to worry about.

But now that Im infinitely more settled and stable than ever before in nearly every way (career, housing, relationship, family, health, wealth, faith), it takes me aback when I wake up in the morning and cant get out of bed for fear it will all fall apart if I keep on living my life.

For a long time I focused too much on limiting the number of those instances, instead of figuring out how to live through them. Instead of managing my disorder, I tried to stamp it out. Through lifestyle changes and  I cant stress this enough  daily medication, I have been able to greatly reduce the physical symptoms of my anxiety, but Ive only recently come to realize those days will never totally disappear. That acceptance was transformative.

My brain is fighting against itself. Its perfectly OK to stay in bed and read a book all day. If I dont feel well, I dont have to pretend I do. If someone tells me dont worry, I can explain to them that it feels like my brain is sharing my cranial cavity with a mouse trap. (Im still workshopping some explanations.) Essentially, I let myself off the hook. I gave up trying to feel the way Im supposed to feel in any given situation.

There was a time in my life where I would never have tried to put it into words. How could I possibly explain it when I didnt know what the hell was going on? It would have been like defining the science behind rain clouds while standing in the middle of a tsunami. But again, with experience, Ive come a long way in understanding anxiety disorder. I can talk about it for the people who arent quite there yet, or the people who may never get the care or support they need to get there.

I can also talk about it for the people who love someone with anxiety disorder (were everywhere), those who are swept up in this whirlwind with us. Every well-meaning whats wrong? and dont worry can feel like an onslaught. Looking for the cause of our anxiety is a trap for all involved  a doctor already found it, a chemical imbalance in the brain. There is no more you can do or help you can give other than to try to understand what your person is looking for. Sometimes its space, sometimes its a sincere its OK.

Ive personally found hugs to be incredibly helpful.
Laverne and Shirley. Thelma and Louise.

The two female duos is how Tomah Area School District superintendent Cindy Zahrte views two Tomah High School art teachers, Margi Genrich and Lisa Winchel, who will retire at the end of the school year.

They are the combination of both those duos, she said. Theyre fun-loving and caring and creative. Theyre also very driven. They want to see their kids succeed, they work very hard and I think they have the best qualities of those two different female duos.

Zahrte is sad to see a combined 49 years of art instruction experience leave the high school.

Its a huge loss for the school district to have them leaving together, but were excited for them and the new opportunities they have in the future, she said.

The decision to retire was tough for Genrich and Winchel, who have taught in the school district for their entire careers  32 and 17 years.

Genrich, who began her teaching career in 1985, said she decided to retire now to take time and do things she has always wanted to do while shes still able and to spend time with her family.

It just seems like its a financially wise thing to do, and I want to retire while I still can enjoy some of the things I worked hard to do, she said. I plan on traveling. I have a studio, so I plan on working as an artist. Familys really important to me so I plan on spending time with my family, traveling and seeing art.

Winchel, who began teaching in 2000, decided to retire for much the same reason.

I wanted to spend time with my grandkids and my husband and my kids and my mom, my family, she said. Then I would like to do some of my own art for me and just really dig deep into that and possibly have a show sometime. ... Theres a few things that I will continue to give back to the community, then I just want to take care of myself. Im looking forward to just having that time to do that.

She also wants to travel a bit, to check some things off her bucket list, which includes a trip to Italy.

Genrich never thought she would be an art teacher until she was.

After graduating high school in 1978, Genrich, a native of Hokah, Minnesota, attended the University of Wisconsin-Stout, where she initially majored in elementary education. She changed her major after complaining about her classes, saying she just wanted to take the art classes and someone replied that, You could be an art teacher.

The thought had never occurred to me, she said. I just loved art, and it was something I did, it wasnt really a career path. The light bulb went on. I changed my major and graduated with my art degree.

Genrich received her masters degree in education from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Winchel, a native of Waukon, Iowa, and a class of 1979 graduate, began her teaching career later in life. She began her journey to becoming an art teacher at 31 years old at the UW-La Crosse.

I just raised my kids ... then I wanted to do something more, and I went back to school, she said. I didnt think I was going to be a teacher, but I fell in love with teaching when I had my first clinical  the teacher was the one who inspired me. Her name was Joyce Shanks ... she was very animated and fun  you could tell she loved her job.

Winchel received both her bachelors degree in art and masters in education at UW-La Crosse.

The students are what kept both Genrich and Winchel in education as long as they have been.

The students are inspiring, Genrich said. She enjoyed working with them.

I learn new things every day from them. They teach me things; they remind me of the joys of life, she said.

Winchel agrees.

(Theres) so much energy and brain vibes ... its almost electric in the classroom when you can be around all of those creative people, Its almost like a hum of genius in the room, she said. I have benefited from that, I have become a better person, I have become a better artist because of the students. I think having my own kids helped me be a better teacher, but I learn stuff from them every day. I see these kids as my second kids. Its hard to leave.

Winchel will miss her students more than anything else.

I will miss the connection that I have with the kids  they are in my heart and they always will be, she said. I may not remember their names when I see them later on in life, but I hope they come up and say, Hey, its me Mrs. Winchel because they still have a place in my heart. Im lucky because my job lets me be able to know them as more than just a student in my class, so that I appreciate and Ill miss that most  the conversations and the stories.

Genrich agrees.

(Ill miss) the kids, their failures and turning their failures into success and helping them see that possibility, she said.

To future art teachers, Winchel advises they publicize the students work outside of school.

Promote as much as you can in the community, because the more you get the cool stuff that these kids are doing out into the community, the more that theyre likely to support it and see validity in it where so many things are getting cut, she said.

Genrich advises them to work together.

Stay actively involved in the Wisconsin Art Education Association and work at connecting with other art teachers, because were all in it together, she said.

Taking Genrich and Winchels positions is Jane Faella, an art teacher at Tomah Middle School and Nicole Finch, a former student-teacher of Winchels.
- APC's Abiodun Olasupo, representing Iseyin/Iwajowa/Kajola/Itesiwaju federal constituency of Oyo state says Jonathan owned ALL the anti-corruption ideas

- Olasupo said Jonathan however lacked the political will to implement the ideas which is what President Buhari has done

- He said President Buhari's implementations are bringing the desired results

Ex-president Goodluck Jonathan has been given the credit for President Muhammadu Buharis anti-corruption war ideas.

Vanguard reports that a All Progressives Congress (APC) member of the House of Representatives Abiodun Olasupo, representing Iseyin/Iwajowa/Kajola/Itesiwaju federal constituency of Oyo state under the All Progressives Congress, APC, said Jonathan many of the anti-corruption policies.

According to him, Jonathan created the Treasury Single Account (TSA), the Bank Verification Number (BVN) and other anti-corruption ideas that the current administration is administering.

Olasupo says Jonathan owns all the ideas that President Buhari is implementing

READ ALSO: Onochie reveals why Aisha Yesufu called for Buhari's resignation

He however noted that the Jonathan administration however lacked the will to use them to fight corruption to its knees.

He said: You should not be surprised that all the measures used in the anti-corruption crusade today were developed by President Goodluck Jonathans administration.

The Jonathan administration developed the policies of whistle blowing, Bank Verification Number (BVN), Treasury Single Account (TSA) but lacked the political will to implement them.

PAY ATTENTION: Install Legit.ng's latest app for Android and read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

You can see that the implementation by President Muhammadu Buharis administration is bringing the desired results.

In a related vein, Legit.ng reported earlier that the Nigerian Senate had said it is in support of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led anti-corruption fight.

The Senate said it is transparent in its words to prove that the lawmakers are working to strengthen the anti-corruption process and institutions.

According to a statement signed by the spokesperson of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Senators recognize the successes and achievements recorded so far by the Buhari administration in the bid to eradicate corruption.

Watch this Legit.ng TV video of a Nigerian man on the street stating categorically that ex-president Goodluck Jonathan was never a bad choice for Nigeria

Source: Legit.ng
The Education Department on Friday took up an Obama-era plan to streamline federal student loan servicing by moving to a new, single platform for managing the loans of 43 million borrowers.

The department had indicated it might jettison the previous administrations initiative, which was intended to simplify a system that consumer advocates have complained is overly complex and rife with poor customer service.

Choosing a single vendor to manage the loans also carries risk, as that entity would construct the most visible online government portal since the Affordable Care Act program website, HealthCare.gov.

One of the three remaining bidders for the contract is Navient, which was sued this year by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and two state attorneys general. The lawsuits claim Navient, the nations largest student-loan servicer, made serious mistakes at nearly every step of the collections process, which illegally drove up loan repayment costs for millions of borrowers. Navient denied any wrongdoing and is fighting the lawsuits.
Stanley Greene, whose visceral and brutally honest images of conflict and fearlessness in the most perilous of places made him one of the leading war photographers of his generation, died on Friday in Paris. He was 68.

The death was confirmed by the photographer-owned agency Noor Images, of which Mr. Greene, who lived in Paris, was a founding member. No cause was given, although associates said he had been treated for liver cancer for several years.

Mr. Greene was one of the few African-American photographers who worked internationally. He traveled widely, making powerful images of conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and the republics of Chechnya and Georgia, among other places. Some of his pictures were too raw for many publications.
No American president in modern times has disparaged Islam as much as Donald Trump. From the attempted visa ban on Muslim-majority countries to his campaign claims that Islam hates us to his Islamaphobic advisers, the presidents record of hostility is well documented.

So his first overseas trip as president is something of a paradox, with a first stop in Saudi Arabia  a major force in the Sunni Arab world - that includes meetings with members of the royal family, a summit meeting with other Arab leaders and a major speech on Sunday.

Does that mean Mr. Trump has changed his stripes? Given his casual approach to the truth and his malleable belief system, its impossible to know his true views on Islam. What we do know is that he needs all the help he can get from Muslim countries to fight the Islamic State. If he uses the speech and the trip to set a new tone with the Muslim world, that would be greatly in Americas interest.

The Saudis, who came to loathe President Barack Obama, are falling over themselves to turn the page. Mr. Trumps decision to visit Saudi Arabia lays to rest the notion that America is anti-Muslim, the Saudi foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, told reporters early this month, ignoring the fact that the real issue is not whether America is anti-Muslim but whether Mr. Trump is. It was he, after all, who stoked xenophobic fires to win the election.
A culture that doesnt want to see was how a prominent network personality once described the management style he observed at Fox. So long as the money rolled in, it didnt need to  at least until the sexual harassment suits started rolling in, too.

The shame is that it didnt have to be that way. The need for a network that takes conservative ideas seriously is as great today as it was when the network was founded in 1996.

In moments of candor, Ailes would admit that his networks real motto, as he saw it, was to be fair and balancing. It was a worthy goal, particularly if you think the core task of journalism is something more than a liberal piety about afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted.

But thats not what Fox News became. There are real journalists at the network, and serious programs, and regular contributors who add value to the intellectual life of the country. Nobody would mistake them for the heart of Fox.

Nor does the network have any fixed set of ideas that it seeks to champion or disseminate, other than an ostentatious patriotism that has the distinct feel of a marketing campaign.

What Fox is mainly in the business of doing is hating the left. In the manner of Ailes himself, its convictions stem from its resentments  and shift accordingly. It is sympathetic to military intervention when the left is against it (Iraq) and hostile when the left is for it (Libya); anti-Russia when President Obama was reaching out to Russia, pro-Russia when Obama started getting tough on the Kremlin.

More recently it has discovered the virtues of economic nationalism and the evils of globalism in the service of the Trump electorate.
Abortion opponents have long sought to strip public funding from Planned Parenthood and other groups that provide abortions. In Texas, they succeeded.

Lawmakers in other states who want to follow suit should first visit Texas, which offers a case study of the severe consequences of attacks on womens health.

In 2013, organizations that provide abortions in Texas were cut off from receiving family planning funds. The number of women covered by the state family planning program dropped by 30,000. Reimbursements for long-acting reversible contraceptives like IUDs, some of the most effective forms of pregnancy prevention, fell by more than 35 percent after the exclusion of Planned Parenthood. Pregnancies among women covered by Medicaid rose 27 percent.
The book generated considerable discussion in academic circles, including a volume of responses, Triumph Revisited. Some of the resulting conversation was constructive, but much of it was dismissive, petty, even ad hominem, particularly when it came from veterans of the antiwar movement and their proteges. Although a minority of professors welcomed a well-substantiated challenge to conventional wisdom, the collective hostility coalesced wherever I applied for an academic faculty position.

I bring this up not to gain admittance to the nations ever-expanding victim class  my misfortunes with academia led to the unexpected good fortunes of teaching terrific students at Americas military universities and conducting research on pressing topics. Rather, it is to point out the dangers to society of a politicized academia. When a profession that claims to thrive on new ideas and debate instead ostracizes those who challenge certain orthodoxies, it deprives students of access to serious thought and encourages the rest of society to ignore it. The only way for the profession to regain its relevance is to show that it is open to challenges, and that it will give serious consideration to new ideas.

Challenging the orthodoxies around Vietnam is as important today as it has ever been. While working as a consultant in Afghanistan, Iraq and other conflict zones, I saw politicians, military officers, journalists and political scientists seek to apply the lessons of Vietnam. The more I saw, the more I became convinced that superficial historical understanding and excessive reliance on academic theorizing were yielding bad advice  advice that could get men and women killed, that could even lose wars.

In fact, my most recent research, focused on the events of 1967, casts important new light on how domestic conversations about war can have a decisive effect. Among the most fascinating developments of 1967 was the Johnson administrations regret about its decision to refrain from generating support for the war by discussing the necessity for it in public. The lack of public enthusiasm for the war, administration officials now realized, was encouraging the enemy to believe that the United States would eventually abandon its ally, and therefore North Vietnam had no reason to desist.

The administration made a deliberate decision not to create a war psychology in the United States, Secretary of State Dean Rusk remarked that October, because it was too dangerous for this country to get worked up. Johnson, Rusk and other officials had feared that war fever would undermine the domestic programs of the Great Society and heighten tensions with the Soviets. But now, Rusk conceded, maybe this was a mistake; maybe it would have been better to take steps to build up a sense of a nation at war.

During 1967, White House advisers and foreign leaders repeatedly urged Johnson to change course, to tell the American public why the United States was in Vietnam and what it was trying to achieve. But Johnson could not bring himself to do it, even as he increasingly recognized the damaging consequences of his silence. If history indicts us for Vietnam, Johnson admitted in the fall, it will be for fighting a war without trying to stir up patriotism.
The Warrens VFW Post 5387 Color Guard and Town of Lincoln Fire Department will lead the Memorial Day procession to the Warren Mills Cemetery on Monday, May 29.

Sara Moseley, organizer of this year's service, invites anyone wishing to walk or ride a bike in the procession to be at the town of Lincoln fire station by 10:30 a.m. The Memorial Day service at the cemetery begins at 11 a.m. by the flagpoles. This year's keynote speaker is Jim Williams. Williams is the commander of Warrens VFW Post 5387.

Since the founding of the Warren Mills Cemetery in 1890, Warrens area residents have paid tribute to the military service of community members  both living and deceased  on Memorial Day and will again this year.

As we plan the service each year, we strive for a combination of new participants with new perspectives coupled with tradition," Moseley said.

Judy Ziebell is serving as this years master of ceremonies. Grant Moseley will give the invocation, the Abbott/Brummet family will raise the flags, Stacy Frost is providing the music, the Warrens Cranberry Festival royalty will lay the wreath and Warrens Area Girl Scout Troop No. 4428 is doing the readings.

The hour-long program will conclude with a 21-gun salute by American Legion Post 201.

In the event of bad weather, the Memorial Day service program will be held indoors at the fire station.

Also on Memorial Day, the Warrens Lions Club is serving its annual Memorial Day chicken BBQ dinner from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Warrens Lions Log Building.
BUSINESS DAY

A picture on Friday with a collection of quotations about Roger E. Ailes, former chairman of Fox News, upon his death was published in error. It showed Laura Ingle, a correspondent for Fox News  not the political commentator Laura Ingraham, who was quoted.

SPORTS

Because of an editing error, an article on Monday about Terry Collinss tenure as the Mets manager misstated, in some editions, the day he said: Its too easy to say, Woe is me and lets worry about next year. This is New York. Tomorrow is the next biggest day on the schedule. He said that in an interview on the previous Friday, not after last Sundays game.



An article on May 8 about the relocation of the bullpens at Wrigley Field misstated, in some editions, parts of the names of two streets surrounding the ballpark. They are Clark Street and Addison Street, not Clark Avenue and Addison Avenue.

WEEKEND

An art review on Friday about the exhibition Florine Stettheimer: Painting Poetry at the Jewish Museum referred incorrectly to the feminist movement in the 1970s that coincided with a 1973 exhibition of Florine Stettheimers work. It was the second wave  not the first, which is generally considered to have spanned the 1830s to the early 1900s.
NEW ORLEANS  With the yank of a crane and to a cheer from the crowd, Robert E. Lee was lifted off his 80-foot perch, where he had been standing gazing north for most of 133 years, and slowly lowered to the ground.

It was the last monument of four to be removed, the culmination of an effort going back two years, when Mayor Mitch Landrieu announced plans to take down city memorials to the Confederate era. The City Council agreed, but the opposition to the move was fierce, allying Confederate sympathizers, historical preservationists and state lawmakers, local blue bloods and out-of-staters. Contractors involved with the process received death threats, forcing workers at the removals to do their jobs in masks and bulletproof vests.
A grand jury in Columbus, Ohio, declined on Friday to indict a white police officer who fatally shot a 13-year-old black boy who was brandishing a BB gun, finding that the officers actions were justified, city officials and the police said.

The officer, Bryan Mason, had chased Tyre King into an alley on Sept. 14 and when the teenager pulled the BB gun from his waistband, the officer opened fire, striking Tyre multiple times, the authorities said.

Mr. Mason, a nine-year veteran of the Columbus Police Department at the time, had fatally shot a man in 2012; his superiors cleared him of any wrongdoing in that episode, but placed him on administrative leave after the September killing.

Image Officer Bryan Mason Credit... Columbus Division of Police, via Associated Press

The shooting quickly polarized the public, as people rallied behind either the officer or the boy. Officials in states capital found themselves pleading for patience, acutely aware of the unrest that has sometimes followed police shootings that have claimed the lives of black men. Some had drawn parallels between the shooting of Tyre and the 2014 shooting death of Tamir Rice, 12, who was playing with a pellet gun in a park in Cleveland.
 The New York Times reported that on Feb. 14, President Trump asked the former F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, to close the investigation into Michael T. Flynn, Mr. Trumps former national security adviser, according to a memo Mr. Comey wrote at the time.

I hope you can let this go, the president said, according to the memo, parts of which were read to The Times by an associate of Mr. Comeys. Mr. Trump fired the F.B.I. director last week.

For a refresher on the Comey-Trump saga, heres a timeline of what happened leading up to Mr. Comeys firing and how the White Houses story has changed since.

_____

 Writing on Twitter, President Trump declared that he had an absolute right to share facts with top Russian officials during a White House meeting.
WASHINGTON  The United States began accelerating and intensifying its campaign against the Islamic State in January, at President Trumps direction, but it was not putting civilians in war zones at greater risk, the defense secretary said Friday.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Mr. Trumps decision to delegate more authority to commanders had put greater pressure on militants in Syria, Yemen and Somalia. And he said a tactical shift to surround Islamic State strongholds in Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqa, Syria, was devised not only to annihilate thousands of fighters hunkered down there, but also to prevent them from returning to their home nations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, possibly to commit mayhem in those places.

In an hourlong news conference at the Pentagon, Mr. Mattis took issue with human rights groups and other critics who have warned that the militarys new authorities freeing them from Obama-era constraints on airstrikes and raids against insurgents in Yemen and Somalia have jeopardized the safety of civilians in those countries.

I want to emphasize here there has been no change to our rules of engagement, and there has been no change to our continued extraordinary efforts to avoid innocent civilian casualties, Mr. Mattis told reporters.
He is a son of Donna I. McElroy and Roger A. McElroy of Maggie Valley, N.C. The grooms parents are co-owners of the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley. His father also served as mayor of Maggie Valley from 2007 to 2011 and was until 2012 the owner of Maggie Valley Realty & Construction.

Mr. McElroy, whose first marriage ended in divorce, was a widower.

Ms. Matthew and Mr. McElroy met on a dating website in October 2014. He happened upon her profile and was intrigued by her user name containing the word Mehitabel, and a picture of Ms. Matthew feeding a baby elephant.

I knew that Mehitabel was the name of a fictitious cat that used to appear years ago in short stories and cartoon strips, so I thought that perhaps this woman was well read and that maybe she enjoyed literature, said Mr. McElroy, who was then living in the Bronx.

And as far as the elephant went, he said, my guess there was that it represented some form of adventure  maybe she was an adventurous type who enjoyed traveling.

As it turned out, Mr. McElroy was correct on both counts. Not only did Ms. Matthew enjoy travel, but also she had made it her lifes work, and her favorite literary character was Mehitabel, an aristocratic alley cat created in 1916 by Don Marquis, a columnist for The Evening Sun in New York.
Viveca Victoria Ahlfors Gruen and Sisay Befekadu were married May 20 at Rockaway Hunting Club in Lawrence, N.Y. Grace Zimmer, a friend of the couple who became an American Marriage Ministries minister for the event, officiated.

Mrs. Befekadu, 39, is a consultant in Manhattan for Vega Factor, a technology start-up focused on organizational performance. She graduated from Brown and received an M.B.A. from N.Y.U.

She is a daughter of Vanessa E. Gruen and Michael S. Gruen of Long Island City, Queens. The brides father is a lawyer in Manhattan and president of the City Club of New York. Her mother retired as the director of special projects for the Municipal Art Society in Manhattan.

Mr. Befekadu, 45, is a commercial pilot for Kalitta Air, an international cargo carrier based in Ypsilanti, Mich. He received a degree in aviation from the Ethiopian Aviation Academy.
Here are the top 10 comments of the week on our digital platforms, as selected by our readers and the journalists who moderate nearly every comment. Some comments were edited for length and clarity.

One of our most-commented-on stories this week was about President Trumps meeting with Russias foreign minister and its ambassador, in which he revealed highly classified intelligence, according to a current government official and a former one. The story received more than 5,400 comments on nytimes.com and thousands more across our social media pages. We published some of the most notable ones here.
WHICH side are you on? Are you with Donald Trump, or with the Washington insiders who want to undo his election? Do you favor the legitimate president of the United States, or an unelected deep state  bureaucrats, judges, former F.B.I. directors, the media  thats determined not to let him govern? Are you going to let a counterrevolution by elites bring down a man who was elevated to the White House precisely because the country knows that its elite is no longer fit to govern?

This is how the debate over Donald Trumps mounting difficulties is being framed by some of my fellow conservatives, from Sean Hannity to more serious pundits and intellectuals.

The problem is that the framing doesnt really fit the facts. Yes, there are real elites in American politics: There is a Republican establishment (well, of sorts), a media-industrial complex, and a bipartisan consensus around certain areas of social and economic and foreign policy. Yes, many of these elites have made terrible mistakes over the last 15 years without seeming to learn anything. Yes, Trump won in part because, unlike Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton, he promised a new synthesis, a populist alternative, on domestic issues and foreign affairs alike.

But Trump is not actually governing as a populist or revolutionary, and the rolling crises of his first four months are not really about resistance to an America First or drain the swamp agenda, no matter what his fund-raising emails insist.
When I arrived at the clinic in Washington, I looked for the young woman I was waiting for. Her body was covered with tattoos of birds and stars. She hugged me with a warm smile and introduced me to her boyfriend. He didnt look at me. In fact, he didnt look me in the eye for the five hours we sat together in the waiting room.

I assumed it was out of shame until I noticed the white supremacist tattoos on his shaved head, neck, forearms and knuckles. As a black woman, I was scared of him. Yet I felt a bond. They had driven several hours from Virginia to avoid the numerous restrictions on abortions there. He was returning from jail. She already had a child and wasnt ready for another. I knew the feeling well.

She asked for an abortion doula because she wanted unconditional support, no matter what she decided. She wanted me, a total stranger, to reinforce her trust in herself. After she went to the procedure room, her boyfriend and I went outside, me to make a call, him to smoke. In the elevator down, he finally spoke: Thank you.

When I had an abortion, I was 19 and alone. Though I was pretty sure my parents would have supported my decision, I didnt want to take the risk. So I kept it a secret. My boyfriend at the time dropped me off at the clinic, unwilling to go inside. I walked through the bombproof door, and a kind Orthodox Jewish nurse took care of me. She held my hand as the sedation filled my veins, and offered me saltine crackers and Coca-Cola when I woke up in the recovery room.
What a joy it is to be back in Tomah and serving as your ambulance director.

I consider it an honor to have been chosen to lead this department, and I pledge to you that we will ever strive to provide you, our customers, the best emergency medical service that we possibly can. I thank retired director Jody Allen for her long dedicated service to Tomah Area Ambulance Service. Her distinguished 28-year career has left this service standing on a solid foundation of professional advanced emergency medical care that we are able provide to our community. I will commit to that level of professionalism in everything that we do. Thank you, Jody, for all your efforts in implementing the paramedic level of care to TAAS and enhancing the lifesaving efforts that we can now provide.

The week of May 21-27 is National EMS (Emergency Medical Services) Week. In 1973 the city of Tomah purchased the ambulance service from Larkins Auto Service. In 1974, President Gerald Ford authorized an EMS Week to recognize and celebrate EMS practitioners and the important work they do in our nations communities.

Forty-four years ago, Tomah EMS was a new profession and just getting started to be recognized as a critical component of emergency pre-hospital care and transportation. Many can still remember the station wagons driven by sheriffs deputies which carried a cot, oxygen and a few medical supplies. The practice back then was to load the injured into the squad car, give them some oxygen and then drive as fast as possible to the nearest medical facility to get emergency care.

Over the years emergency medical training has been nationalized to ensure uniformity in emergency medical technician training and certifications. The national registry now has three levels of licensure which include EMT-Basic, EMT-Advanced, and EMT-Paramedic. EMT-B requires 180 hours of training, EMT-A requires an additional 170 hours of training and the Paramedic licensure requires an additional 2000 hours of classroom and clinical training. To be licensed in Wisconsin for any level, requires that you successfully pass the National Registry written and practical exams. For the majority of people, this training is in addition to their already full-time jobs and family obligations.

A lot has changed over the years. Emergency Medical Services is now firmly established as an essential need in our communities and a vital component of the medical care continuum. On any given day, our staff helps save lives by responding to medical emergencies, including heart attack, difficulty breathing, a fall or accident, drowning, cardiac arrest, stroke, drug overdose or acute illness. Ambulances in Tomah are no longer a mobile first-aid station and transportation, but rather a mobile emergency room that comes to you wherever you are located and immediately begins life-saving care and medication which will greatly enhance your recovery chances.

Emergency medical personnel are a very unique breed of people, and their passion for their profession is equally just as unique. They come to your aid when you are experiencing some of the worst moments in your life whether it is a serious trauma event, medical emergency or non-ambulatory transfer. They deal with all levels of injury and bodily fluids and the smells that are associated with them. As grotesque as the situation may be, they treat you with humility and dignity when you feel like you have none.

In recognition of National EMS Week, I ask two simple things of you: First of all, please take the opportunity, when you see an EMS person, to thank them personally for their service to you. There is no greater satisfaction that one receives, than that of a personal heartfelt thank you; second, I ask that you please pray for Gods hand of protection for the emergency personnel that serve our community. Every time they respond to an emergency situation, they are placed in harms way, whether it is driving in emergency mode or dealing with the risks at the scene of patient care. They are there for you every minute of every hour, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Their holiday plans revolve around whether or not they are scheduled to work, and they sacrifice that precious family time and obligations to fill open shifts and provide the needed coverage.

We thank you for your prayers and support, and please know that when you need us, well be ready.

Randal Dunford is Tomah Area Ambulance Service director.
Mr. Trump has made the parallel easier to draw as he complains of a witch hunt, tramples ethical standards and shows no sign of the reasonable political behavior the nation sorely needs from him. Like Mr. Nixon, he regularly denounces real and imagined enemies; his White House is full of sycophantic assistants pressed to defend fantastic claims and policy distortions, as was Mr. Nixons. Like the Nixonites, Trump loyalists in the administration are clearly fearful of crossing their boss by attempting helpful criticism as the president plays daily with political fire.

Yet the differences are also worth noting. The public learned then that the Nixon team had plunged into rank criminality, discussing a million-dollar bribe for the burglars after they demanded ransom money for protecting the White House. And the political realities in Congress were of a different order. Back then, the Democrats enjoyed subpoena power through majority control of both houses so that, unlike now, they could freely investigate the scandal. Bipartisanship was such in 1973 that the Senate voted 77 to zero to create the select Watergate committee once the F.B.I. established the burglarys connection to the Nixon re-election campaign.

In contrast, current Republicans revel in tooth-and-claw partisanship. Democrats remain a largely powerless minority as Republican leaders pretend they have no grave doubts about Mr. Trump, hoping to survive next years elections despite his unpopularity.

Most striking of all in the Nixon impeachment was the deus ex machina revealed unexpectedly in the Watergate hearings that gripped the nation on television and radio  Mr. Nixons supreme folly of crafting his conspiracies before the attentive microphones of a White House taping system to record his utterances for some imagined high place in history. When the Supreme Court ruled that the tapes were fair game for investigators, the nation finally grasped the extent of Mr. Nixons scheming. Denials from his silent majority base became pointless.

President Trump has hinted threateningly at the existence of tapes; so far it sounds like his characteristic bluffing. (Ironies abound. Mr. Trumps complaints to the F.B.I. about damaging leaks recall that Deep Throat, the ultimate Watergate leaker to The Washington Post, was revealed to be W. Mark Felt, then the associate director of the F.B.I.)
I sat in the makeup chair for what felt like hours. It was November 2014, two years before the presidential election. I was about to make my first and only appearance on the Fox News Sunday show Media Buzz.

The Fox News makeup treatment is unlike any other in journalism. It involves false lashes, layers and layers of foundation and heavy applications of come-hither lip gloss. While caking cover-up onto the dark circles under my eyes, the makeup artist gossiped about a Democratic senator who, hours after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, had been cranky about how shed coifed his hair.

Can you believe that? she said. Look up for me. I obeyed.

Sexing up female reporters  even those from The New York Times  was part of the Fox News look as conceived by Roger Ailes, the television impresario who died on Thursday at age 77. He wanted women to appear a certain way while delivering the news, and as sexual harassment lawsuits last year revealed, he had specific ideas about how women should treat him off-camera, as well.

While Mr. Ailes doled out attractive female anchors in revealing outfits as eye candy, his empire thrived partly on its audiences widespread fear of the only woman who has ever had a real shot at the presidency, the person I was there that day to discuss: Hillary Clinton.
I know there is no getting this toothpaste back in the tube, but the last thing children need is more screen time. Google has been virtually giving out Chromebooks like lollipops. It knew full well that the temptation to stray from schoolwork into cybertainment would be inevitable, providing Google with infinite data mining and marketing research opportunities.

The Chromebook movement at the high school level has also spawned some very creative ways to share homework, classroom assignments and screenshots of tests.

RICK BOBRICK, MEDUSA, N.Y.

The writer is a junior high school science teacher.

To the Editor:

Googles education apps group director, Jonathan Rochelle, questions the value of teaching students the skills of mathematical thinking when students can just ask Google for the answer. The purpose of education should not be to teach students how to mindlessly search the internet and locate the answer to a question. Whether the class is mathematics, history, literature, science, civics or the arts, a good teacher will encourage students to think critically for themselves, ask their own questions and discover answers.

It is hard for this reader to accept that a laptop with a bunch of apps will ever teach students more meaningfully than a skilled and inspiring teacher standing up in front, armed only with chalk, and challenging students to think.

DAVID E. COHEN, WYCKOFF, N.J.

To the Editor:

This article gave copious details about how the tech giant Google won over numerous school districts around the country, and beat out Microsoft, but I wish it had focused more on what the Google tools were, and how they helped students gain knowledge and acquire inspiration.

I was appalled by a quote from the director of Googles education apps group, Jonathan Rochelle, who disparaged rote memorization of equations in a speech at an industry conference last year. Referring to his own children, he said: I cannot answer for them what they are going to do with the quadratic equation. I dont know why they are learning it. He added, And I dont know why they cant ask Google for the answer if the answer is right there.

During my years in junior high school I learned the formula for solving quadratic equations and how it worked, and as an aerospace physicist for more than 40 years, I found I needed it often. By being stored in my memory it was at my immediate disposal.
THIS past week marked a watershed for the Trump administration and the journalists who cover it. On Monday, The Washington Post broke the news that President Trump revealed highly classified information in a meeting with top Russian officials. By the next day, The New York Times fired back in spectacular fashion with a damning report that Trump asked the F.B.I director, James Comey, to shut down his investigation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. More scoops kept coming.

What stands out about these stories is how authoritative, forceful and incontrovertible they are. You can tell the reporters knew the power of what they had  letting the facts speak for themselves without need for flourish, supposition or predictive analysis. They left the spin and speculation to the pundits and cable news, assessing the political fallout only once it actually began.

Thats what exemplary journalism looks like, at any time, but especially when its directed at a White House suspected of challenging the rule of law. In the case of the Timess Comey story, the origin of the information is plainly stated  an F.B.I. directors contemporaneous notes. It made clear which side leaked the information  James Comeys. And while anonymous sources were used, they were not identified simply as government officials, a common label that leaves loyalties unknown. Because the story described them as Comey associates, their motives were transparent.

That level of specificity is what made the revelation impossible to brush off, even by Republicans. Many conservative lawmakers, usually reluctant to join in the political drama emanating from the media, broke their silence. The Republican-led Senate Judiciary and Intelligence Committees, and the House Oversight Committee, all called on Comey to testify. Three Republican congressman said they would consider impeachment if it proves true that Trump pressured Comey to drop a federal investigation. By midweek, the deputy attorney general appointed a special counsel to lead an inquiry into potential ties between Trumps campaign and Russia. Even Fox News, rather than dismissing The Times report as fake news, took the approach of actually confirming it.
Ms. vanden Heuvel

There were fistfights. It wasnt just Norman and Gore Vidal.

Mr. Feiffer

I was at one party where Bob Scheer got into a shouting argument with Ivanhoe Donaldson, and Ivan punched him in the nose, and Bob was bleeding and kept on talking. It was the 60s. People fought. They shouted. You should have been there.

Mr. Scheer

There were intense political arguments, cultural arguments. I got into a fistfight with Ivanhoe Donaldson at her apartment. And I cant remember now quite what the argument was. Ivanhoe Donaldson had been involved in the civil rights movement, and there was something about a phone call to Eldridge Cleaver in Algeria, and the next thing I knew there was a fistfight. Things like that did happen. My bloodstains were on her carpet for some years after.

Hilton Als

Theater critic, The New Yorker

When I met Jean, I didnt know about her history of parties. But then she subsequently had me over to one of her things for Kenzaburo Oe or William Vollmann, and what was clear to me was that she orchestrated things to introduce you to the world that she thought you might be happy in.

Marin Hopper

Creative director, Hayward Luxury; daughter of Dennis Hopper and Brooke Hayward

Even when I was 14 and in boarding school, she would have me down from Connecticut, and it was like being a kid in a celebrity candy shop. Youd meet people you so admired, like Saul Steinberg, who was everything to me. At one party, he took me aside and said, Oh, can I show you my favorite thing? It was a plain woolen tie and inside the lining was a painting of a sexy lady.

Mr. Als

She did what she did without pretense. I did not come from a world like hers at all, but she did not make me feel that I was coming from anything different from her. Once, she was going to Los Angeles and she said, I want to give you a party. I had made a thousand bucks and I was blowing it for the weekend. Jean said, Who do you want to meet? I said Jennifer Jones. And she said, O.K., Jennifer Jones. I was 31 years old. Thats what she did for you. She had a party, and there was Anjelica Huston and George Stevens Jr., and you didnt feel like the scene had been written by Budd Schulberg. She made it so you did not feel like you were stepping up, but that you had found your people.

Mr. Scheer

She seemed to be doing what a thinker or a journalist or a public intellectual is supposed to be doing, which is figuring stuff out. And at the end of the day, the sad thing about the way she died is that I dont think she believed very much she could do much about anything. She lost a real sense of mission. I dont want to reduce psychological complexity to that, but that was the feeling I had.

Mr. Als

She really was a teenager in spirit. She never became jaded and never forgot the feeling of what it is like to feel like to be new in a place. Her great inheritance from her father, besides the wealth, was that she could see potential and make it into an actuality. She also had a gift for intimacy in society. In other words, she was able to make social life have a core of intimacy that is generally doesnt have. A person that can warm up society. Thats a great power.
As President Trump stumbled from crisis to crisis this past week, he reminded the country of a lesson it didnt really need to learn: A presidents greatest asset is trust. Once he has lost it, he cant govern. Mr. Trumps serial recklessness may change not just the course of his presidency but also the office itself. Whatever happens to him, its not too soon to wonder what will happen to the presidency when hes gone.

For decades, the power of the executive branch has been growing, a trend that Congress has encouraged, both actively and by default. And the courts, the other check on the executive, have often been willing to defer to the presidents prerogatives.

But President Trumps words and actions are straining the relationship between the executive and the other branches of government in ways that may ultimately diminish the power of the office. By showing hes unworthy of the trust that a president customarily enjoys, Mr. Trump has essentially been daring Congress, the courts and even the bureaucracy to act against him.

And those institutions are taking him on.

The firing of James Comey as F.B.I. director illustrates how the presidents rash words have invited the trouble he now finds himself in, paving the way to last weeks appointment of a special counsel by the Justice Department to investigate potential ties between Mr. Trumps campaign and Russian meddling in the election.
Mr. Spencer was invited to the University at Buffalo by a Young Americans for Freedom chapter organized in the past year. It was no match for a much larger Muslim Student Association, which organized a 1960s-style sit-in at the lecture hall that began hours before Mr. Spencer arrived.

About 30 minutes before his speech, many members of the group, as well as non-Muslim sympathizers, had nearly filled the hall.

A small group of Young Americans for Freedom members gathered near the front, looking buttoned up in business attire and taking on expressions of disgust.

Its one of the most disrespectful displays Ive seen in my life, said one member, Patrick Weppner, a sophomore majoring in computer science.

When he was able to talk above the noise, Mr. Spencer cited excerpts from the Quran as evidence that the text is used as justification for violence.

During a question-and-answer session, Pasha Syed, an imam from a local mosque, cited a New Testament passage about killing ones enemies. Mr. Spencer said the difference was that the Quran entreats followers to violence.

Jihad is obligatory for everyone able to perform it, male and female, and it is definitely warfare that they are talking about, Mr. Spencer said. An audience member yelled out, You are not an intellectual, sir! prompting a new round of heckling from the crowd.

Mr. Spencer warned that the audience would live to regret its behavior. The forces you are enabling are going to come back to haunt you, he said.
MIAMI  Betty Versannes is one of the lucky ones: When a powerful earthquake buried Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Jan 12, 2010, she was here, a world away. Her sister and cousin died in the rubble. Her other relatives moved into tents, and some live there still, in a country that is far from recovered.

Days later, recognizing the depth of Haitis misery and the complexity of the rebuilding effort, the United States government extended a seldom-used lifeline to Haitians in the United States  temporary protected status, or T.P.S. The program allows people, like Ms. Versannes, who were visiting or were living here illegally before the earthquake to live and work in the United States until conditions back home improved.

More than 58,000 Haitians registered for the program, many in South Florida, which has the largest Haitian community in the country.

That safeguard could end soon. By Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly is expected to announce whether to let Haitians temporary protected status expire on July 22 or extend it again. (If he does nothing, it extends six months automatically.) By law, the decision should be based solely on conditions in Haiti  the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere  and its ability to absorb a large wave of returnees, not on immigration policy.
Michael Caputo, who served as a communications adviser to the Trump campaign, has been asked by the House committee investigating Russian election meddling to submit to a voluntary interview and to provide any documents he may have that are related to the inquiry.

The House Intelligence Committee, which is examining possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials, made its request in a letter on May 9. Mr. Caputo, who lives near Buffalo and spent six months on the Trump team, worked in Russia during the 1990s and came to know Kremlin officials. He also did work in the early 2000s for Gazprom Media, a Russian conglomerate that supported President Vladimir V. Putin.

Mr. Caputo has strongly denied that there was any collusion between him or anyone else on the campaign and Russian officials. He has also accused the committee of smearing him.

A Democratic member of the panel, Representative Jackie Speier of California, raised Mr. Caputos name during the March 20 hearing where James B. Comey, then the F.B.I. director, testified on Russias interference in the election. She noted Mr. Caputos work for Gazprom, and the fact that he met his second wife, who is Ukrainian, while working in 2007 on a parliamentary election in Kiev.
Yet each of the senators, along with many other participants, had little choice but to address that days eruption of Trump news: revelations that he had disclosed classified intelligence about the Islamic State to the Russians during a meeting this month.

I was prepared to lay out a case today for how President Trump is routinely betraying the working-class voters he pledged to fight for, from his budget to his tax plan to his health care plan and more, Ms. Gillibrand said. But last nights reporting has taken us to a whole new level of abnormal. This is not business as usual.

Part of the conundrum for the Democrats eyeing the presidency, a roster that may be more than 20 deep, is that they would look out of step with the party base if they did not speak out aggressively against Mr. Trumps conduct. As demonstrated last week when a series of Democrats competing in statewide primaries called for the presidents impeachment, there is a growing hunger among rank-and-file progressive activists to remove Mr. Trump from office.

To ultimately be on the wrong side after that litmus test could prove dangerous in a nomination fight.

But the obsessions of the most intense partisans have not fully resonated with the broader electorate. Asked whether they approved of Mr. Trumps decision to fire James B. Comey as director of the F.B.I.  the news equivalent of a four-alarm fire in Washington  32 percent of voters in an NBC News-Wall Street Journal poll this month responded that they did not know enough to say. That figure was about halfway between the percentage of people who said they supported the firing and those who opposed the move.

Theres this Washington narrative, and then theres a voter narrative, said Anita Dunn, a longtime Democratic strategist. Significant parts of our base are following the Washington narrative very closely, but for voters who voted for Donald Trump or voters who didnt vote at all, I think Democratic candidates are going to have to make the election meaningful to those voters lives.
Now, an Australian company engaged in exploration is proposing to build three mixed coal power generation plants in the cities of Port Moresby, Lae and Madang, citing the need for affordable and reliable electricity to boost economic growth.

Two years ago, it channelled K10 million to its Mineral Resources Authority for research into the viability of coal extraction.

THE Papua New Guinea government is actively pursuing the potential of developing a coal mining industry for the first time in the countrys history.

But environmental science experts and civil society groups are concerned about the potential environmental and climate impacts of developing a domestic coal industry, and the risk of undermining the countrys commitments to climate change action and leadership.

It is no secret that the first ever climate change refugees in the world are from Papua New Guinea, declared Dagia Aka, member of the youth climate change movement, 350 PNG.

In 2009 residents of the Carteret Islands (see picture above) in the far east of PNG were forced to begin migration to nearby Bougainville Island after rising sea levels and the contamination of crops and freshwater sources rendered their island homes uninhabitable.

Mining ventures in PNG have a dark history of destroying the environment around them and there has been a failure to put measures in place to avoid such [damage], Aka continued.

Given the overall assessment of PNGs energy policy and its natural resources, it is important not to develop the coal mining industry, Chalapan Kaluwin, head of environmental science and geography and director of the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainable Development at the University of PNG, told Mongabay.

The sustainability of other energy sources, such as geothermal and renewable energy, including wind, solar and waves in the country, is significant. Coal mining has far more adverse negative impacts on the overall sustainability of PNG, its landowners and long-term health of its communities.

While three international companies  Waterford, Pacific Mining Partners and Mayur Resources  are currently engaged in coal exploration in PNG, the Department of Petroleum and Energy has yet to report the granting of any coal mining leases.

But Brisbane-based Mayur Resources, which is exploring for coal in the southern Gulf Province and claims to have discovered extensive reserves, is already planning to build three urban-based mixed coal electricity generation plants.

The first project to build an Enviro Energy Park (EEP) at Lae with 2MW solar and 2x 30MW conventional generation fueled by domestic coal and PNG renewable biomass is in a very advanced stage waiting only the conclusion of a Power Purchase Agreement with PNG Power, Paul Mulder, managing director of Mayur Resources told Mongabay.

He said the project already had environmental approval from the governments Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA), which was granted in June last year.

PNG, with major reserves of gold, copper, nickel, silver, oil and gas, has been a natural resources-dependent economy since Independence from Australia in 1975. The mineral resources sector alone accounts for more than one-third of government tax revenue. In 2013, taxes on the extractive industry amounted to US$292 million. From 2011-2013, it contributed an average 15.6 percent annually to the countrys GDP.

Coal, which remains one of the cheapest available sources of energy and fuel, drove industrialization and modernisation in Europe and North America. But the environmental impacts of coal mining include the depletion of forest cover, air and water pollution, and contribution to global warming through the release of methane, a greenhouse gas, from natural coal seams.

Burning coal to generate electricity produces carbon dioxide and oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, further contributing to the greenhouse effect.

This is a major concern for small Pacific Island developing states which are disproportionately exposed to climate change, whether in the form of extreme weather or rising sea levels.

In April last year, in line with the forceful advocacy by many Pacific Island leaders for industrialized nations to reduce their carbon footprint, Charles Lepani, PNGs High Commissioner to Australia, publicly called on the Australian Government to downsize its coal mining industry in light of the Paris Climate Agreement and its goals.

Australia produced an estimated 16.3 metric tons of carbon emissions per capita in 2013, compared to 0.8 tons per capita in PNG, the most populous Pacific Island nation of 7.6 million people.

To cry foul to the major contributors to the fossil fuel industry and climate change, yet participate in something that will only make matters worse for us definitely does not paint a good picture, Dagia Aka responded.

Pacific Island countries have a moral responsibility to take a lead with the Paris agreement simply because we are the ones facing the worst effects of climate change at this point in time.

Other regional governments have also expressed concerns about coal mining. In 2015 leaders of Pacific Smaller Island States  comprising the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau and Tuvalu  issued the Port Moresby Declaration on Climate Change which calls for a global moratorium on all new coal mines.

In March 2016, PNG, the first nation to submit its national plan for climate action following ratification of the Paris climate agreement, stated the main mitigation contribution for PNG would be in terms of an indicative replacement of fossil fuelled electricity generation with renewable energy sources with a target of employing 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, contingent on funding being made available.

Mayur Resources, developer of the Lae energy park, is keen to promote its support of the countrys transition to low carbon energy. It claims that its plants, by combining coal with renewable energy sources and employing state of the art clean emissions technology, will only result in PNG using coal for 10-20% of its power generation, in contrast to 71% in Australia. The company also argues the facilities will not increase emissions and comply with the nations commitment to the Paris climate agreement.

The proposed [Enviro Energy Park] project will maintain the same level of carbon dioxide as the current level from the power generation sector, as nearly 40-50 percent of current power is being generated through diesel and heavy fuel oil, Paul Mulder said.

However, the EEP will bring in substantial environmental benefits to the ambient air quality [in Lae] by massively reducing the acid rain-causing gases, like oxides of sulphur, potentially 8-14 times less, and oxides of nitrogen, about 12 times reduced.

However, while Mayur resources classes biomass as a carbon-reducing element of the project, many researchers question the tendency to classify biomass as a carbon-neutral energy source.

London-based Chatham House reports that while some instances of biomass energy use may result in lower lifecycle emissions than fossil fuels, in most circumstances, comparing technologies of similar ages, the use of woody biomass for energy will release higher levels of emissions than coal and considerably higher levels than gas.

Mayur Resources further says its planned coal mines will result in minimal land disturbance mainly due to the scale of these operations being very small compared to most other mines globally..being in the bottom 1 percent of the smallest mines.

But UPNGs Kaluwin claims the full potential impacts of the companys planned operations are still to be thoroughly assessed.

The impacts on the environment, destruction of land, atmospheric pollution, water, livelihoods, health, housing, education, culture and traditions, economic benefit sharing and most importantly governance, have not been properly evaluated for such a project to be implemented in PNG, he said.

Businesses and the government also make an economic argument for coal. Mayur Resources believes that low electricity generation costs of about $0.10 per kilowatt hour, about 35-40% lower than the average wholesale cost of power in the local area, will boost business and industrial growth in the eastern coastal city of Lae.

The urban centre is strategically located between a major cargo shipping port and the Highlands Highway, the only overland transport network into the countrys heavily populated interior. However, these urban-based plants will contribute little to increasing electricity coverage in rural and remote areas of the country where more than 80% of PNGs population resides and energy deprivation is the greatest.

Energy poverty is a major development challenge in the region. Only 20% of households across the Pacific Islands region, and 12% in PNG, have access to electricity, hindering human and socioeconomic development. An estimated 40% of PNGs population live in hardship, only 63% are literate and only 40% have access to clean water.

Geographical barriers, such as arduous mountain terrain, dense forest and scattered islands, separated by the sea, make a national power grid virtually impossible. In this context, energy experts recommend greater investment in off-grid and standalone power systems, especially those compatible with renewable technologies, to achieve a substantial improvement in rural and, therefore, national electrification.

Papua New Guinea, being a tropical island state, is a prime area for solar and hydro clean energy, Dagia Aka emphasised.

Catherine Wilson is a journalist and correspondent reporting on the Pacific Islands region
AUSTIN, Texas  Texas Republican-controlled Legislature has advanced tough new limits on abortion, hitting back at a United States Supreme Court decision last summer that struck down most of the sweeping restrictions on the procedure that the state approved four years ago.

The Texas House voted 96 to 47 late Friday on legislation that bans a commonly used second-trimester abortion procedure, known as dilation and evacuation, similar to laws that courts have blocked in Alabama, Kansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. It further stipulated that doctors performing the procedure in Texas would face felony charges.

Those contentious provisions were tacked onto a broader bill requiring the burial or cremation of fetal remains from abortions, even though a federal judge has blocked an existing state rule that mandates the same thing.

The measure also bans the sale or donation of fetal tissue, a provision that Republican-majority legislatures around the country have sought since the release of heavily edited, secretly recorded videos shot inside Planned Parenthood clinics by an anti-abortion group in 2015.
Opponents of President Barack Obamas signature legislative achievement have made what may be a self-fulfilling prophecy: They repeatedly forecast the collapse of the health law, and then push it along.

Frustrated state officials have ideas for stabilizing the individual insurance market, but they say they cannot figure out where to make their case because they have been bounced from one agency to another in the Trump administration.

We have trouble discerning who has decision-making authority, said Julie Mix McPeak, the Tennessee insurance commissioner and president-elect of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, which represents state officials. We reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services. They referred us to the Office of Management and Budget, which referred us to the Department of Justice. We reached out to the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

The Trump administration has sent mixed signals, reflecting an internal debate about whether to stabilize insurance markets or let them deteriorate further. Mr. Trump has said he could cut off the subsidies at any time if he wanted to.

The government may clarify its plans in a legal brief to be filed on Monday with the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Or it could simply ask the court for a three-month extension, prolonging the uncertainty.
Asked whether the United Nations had done enough to prepare and protect the experts, Jose Luis Diaz, a spokesman, said the organization was asking itself the same question.

This is why the U.N. is looking at the whole sequence of events in the disappearance and murder of our colleagues, he said in an email. We want to assess whether things worked as they should, and if what we have in place is adequate or robust enough.

Congo has a long history of conflict and suffering. Foreign powers, successive leaders and an alphabet soup of rebel groups have all pillaged its rich natural resources. The country is the focus of the most expensive peacekeeping operation in the world. But the mission, called Monusco, has often been criticized for turning a blind eye to human rights abuses committed by government forces and rebels alike.

Ms. Catalan, a former Green Party activist in Sweden who had been working as a United Nations expert for less than a year, quickly got sucked into an extraordinarily dangerous world that she was woefully unprepared for, where the line between murderous rebels and corrupt politicians often blurs.

She worked assiduously to untangle a murky web of local politicians, rebel leaders and government ministers, trying to pin down perpetrators so that the Security Council could impose sanctions on them. Her tools often boiled down to a pen that doubled as a recorder, and a determined line of inquiry that ended up putting her life in danger.

It is still unclear who ordered the murders of the experts. The Congolese government said it had released the cellphone video to show that militia fighters, not its soldiers, were responsible. In April, the government announced the arrests of two men. One escaped. Then, on Saturday, the Congolese said they knew who had ordered the killings and where Ms. Catalans head was, but gave no further details.

But according to documents kept on Ms. Catalans computer and to others familiar with the case, she had been scrutinizing a government minister, Clement Kanku, for his possible role in inciting violence in the Congolese region of Kasai last year.
The financial newspaper Valor Economico previously reported that the Brazilian authorities were exploring whether JBS profited from trades related to the market turmoil around Mr. Batistas plea deal. JBS said in a statement that its trading activities were legal.

Mr. Temer also claimed on Saturday that Mr. Batistas recording of their meeting one evening in March at the presidents residence in the capital, Brasilia, had been manipulated and adulterated. Mr. Temer said he was issuing a request to the Supreme Court to suspend the investigation into him.

JBS said that the recording was not adulterated, adding that Mr. Batista and other executives from the company had provided an array of documents to support their testimony in plea negotiations.

Analysts did not think the televised speech would do much to help the presidents position.

This does not reduce the political crisis and does not improve Temers situation, said Paulo Baia, a professor of political science at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, describing the presidents strategy as trying to disqualify his accuser and the evidence that Mr. Batista provided about Mr. Temer.

Temer is in intensive care, in a very serious state, trying to survive, Mr. Baia said.

Indeed, the investigation of Mr. Temer is the deepest crisis of his brief presidency. Allies of Mr. Temer have been forced to resign over claims that they tried to stymie corruption inquiries, but Mr. Temer has had some success in persuading lawmakers to approve austerity measures aimed at shoring up confidence in the economy.

Mr. Temer was already governing under the cloud of scandal, facing testimony that he negotiated a $40 million bribe for his scandal-ridden Brazilian Democratic Movement Party in 2010. Mr. Temer, who has struggled with dismal approval ratings, has denied the claims.

But while Brazils Constitution prevents sitting presidents from being investigated for acts committed outside their terms in office, Mr. Temer is coming under intense scrutiny over the latest claims. In Mr. Batistas recording, Mr. Temer seems to be heard endorsing bribes of a jailed politician who helped orchestrate Ms. Rousseffs ouster, as Mr. Batista brags about buying off a prosecutor and a judge.
WASHINGTON  The Chinese government systematically dismantled C.I.A. spying operations in the country starting in 2010, killing or imprisoning more than a dozen sources over two years and crippling intelligence gathering there for years afterward.

Current and former American officials described the intelligence breach as one of the worst in decades. It set off a scramble in Washingtons intelligence and law enforcement agencies to contain the fallout, but investigators were bitterly divided over the cause. Some were convinced that a mole within the C.I.A. had betrayed the United States. Others believed that the Chinese had hacked the covert system the C.I.A. used to communicate with its foreign sources. Years later, that debate remains unresolved.

But there was no disagreement about the damage. From the final weeks of 2010 through the end of 2012, according to former American officials, the Chinese killed at least a dozen of the C.I.A.s sources. According to three of the officials, one was shot in front of his colleagues in the courtyard of a government building  a message to others who might have been working for the C.I.A.

Still others were put in jail. All told, the Chinese killed or imprisoned 18 to 20 of the C.I.A.s sources in China, according to two former senior American officials, effectively unraveling a network that had taken years to build.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia  With trumpets blaring, cannons booming and fighter jets streaking overhead trailed by red, white and blue contrails, President Trump arrived in the scorching heat of the Arabian desert on Saturday hoping to realign the politics and diplomacy of the Middle East by forcefully reasserting American support for Sunni Muslim countries and Israel against Irans Shiite-led government.

The start of Mr. Trumps first trip abroad since becoming president  coming amid the scandals and chaos engulfing his administration  was intended to be a blunt rejection of President Barack Obamas vision for the region. Mr. Obama sought a reconciliation with Iran and negotiated a deal intended to keep Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.

The day proved to be almost everything a besieged White House could have wanted. After weeks of stormy politics and out-of-control news cycles, the president stayed rigorously on script and restrained himself on Twitter. His staff boasted about the business deals being signed, and the visual images beamed to Americans back home showed a president seemingly in command of a world stage.

The Saudis treated him like royalty, with red carpets, lavish meals and American flags flying everywhere. They repeatedly used the word historic to describe his visit, gave him a medal, projected a multistory image of his face on the side of the palatial Ritz-Carlton hotel where he was staying, and treated him to a colorful dance display in which his staff joined in with scores of white-robed Saudis and even the president swayed back and forth.
Blog Archive Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (3) Nov 05 (3) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (3) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (3) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (3) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (3) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (3) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (3) Oct 17 (4) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (2) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (3) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (4) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (3) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (5) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (4) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (3) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (4) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (4) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (3) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (4) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (4) Aug 31 (4) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (4) Aug 28 (4) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (3) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (4) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (4) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (3) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (4) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (3) Aug 03 (4) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (4) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (2) Jul 17 (3) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (3) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (3) Jul 10 (3) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (4) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (3) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (5) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (3) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (3) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (4) Jun 17 (2) Jun 16 (3) Jun 15 (3) Jun 14 (4) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (4) Jun 07 (5) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (3) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (1) May 26 (4) May 25 (2) May 24 (3) May 23 (4) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (3) May 19 (5) May 18 (4) May 17 (4) May 16 (3) May 15 (3) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (3) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (4) May 08 (2) May 07 (3) May 06 (4) May 05 (4) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (4) May 01 (1) Apr 30 (5) Apr 29 (4) Apr 28 (4) Apr 27 (4) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (3) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (4) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (4) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (3) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (5) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (5) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (3) Apr 08 (4) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (6) Apr 04 (4) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (3) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (3) Mar 30 (4) Mar 29 (3) Mar 28 (4) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (4) Mar 25 (5) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (3) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (3) Mar 15 (4) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (3) Mar 12 (3) Mar 11 (4) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (6) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (5) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (4) Feb 28 (3) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (4) Feb 25 (5) Feb 24 (6) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (7) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (6) Feb 19 (3) Feb 18 (5) Feb 17 (5) Feb 16 (3) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (5) Feb 13 (3) Feb 12 (5) Feb 11 (3) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (3) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (4) Jan 27 (3) Jan 26 (6) Jan 25 (3) Jan 24 (6) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (5) Jan 21 (4) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (3) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (4) Jan 12 (3) Jan 11 (3) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (4) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (4) Jan 05 (5) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (4) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (4) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (5) Dec 20 (2) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (4) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (5) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (5) Dec 05 (4) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (4) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (3) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (2) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (4) Nov 12 (5) Nov 11 (4) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (3) Nov 08 (4) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (3) Nov 05 (3) Nov 04 (3) Nov 03 (3) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (4) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (5) Oct 24 (2) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (3) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (5) Oct 17 (2) Oct 16 (3) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (4) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (4) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (4) Sep 30 (4) Sep 29 (5) Sep 28 (5) Sep 27 (2) Sep 26 (3) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (4) Sep 22 (4) Sep 21 (5) Sep 20 (3) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (4) Sep 17 (4) Sep 16 (5) Sep 15 (4) Sep 14 (5) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (3) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (4) Sep 06 (5) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (4) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (4) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (6) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (5) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (4) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (3) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (2) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (3) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (3) Jul 16 (3) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (5) Jul 12 (5) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (3) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (4) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (5) Jun 28 (2) Jun 27 (3) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (3) Jun 24 (3) Jun 23 (6) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (3) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (3) Jun 16 (3) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (3) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (5) Jun 07 (3) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (4) May 28 (4) May 27 (3) May 26 (5) May 25 (4) May 24 (4) May 23 (4) May 22 (3) May 21 (5) May 20 (4) May 19 (3) May 18 (3) May 17 (4) May 16 (3) May 15 (6) May 14 (3) May 13 (3) May 12 (5) May 11 (4) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (4) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (3) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (5) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (3) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (4) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (5) Apr 20 (6) Apr 19 (5) Apr 18 (5) Apr 17 (4) Apr 16 (5) Apr 15 (6) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (5) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (4) Apr 04 (4) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (6) Apr 01 (4) Mar 31 (4) Mar 30 (4) Mar 29 (4) Mar 28 (3) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (6) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (5) Mar 15 (3) Mar 14 (7) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (8) Mar 11 (6) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (6) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (3) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (5) Mar 04 (5) Mar 03 (7) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (3) Feb 27 (5) Feb 26 (6) Feb 25 (7) Feb 24 (4) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (7) Feb 21 (4) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (5) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (4) Feb 15 (6) Feb 14 (6) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (4) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (3) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (7) Feb 05 (7) Feb 04 (7) Feb 03 (9) Feb 02 (7) Feb 01 (9) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (6) Jan 29 (5) Jan 28 (6) Jan 27 (6) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (6) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (6) Jan 21 (6) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (4) Jan 18 (9) Jan 17 (5) Jan 16 (5) Jan 15 (6) Jan 14 (7) Jan 13 (7) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (7) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (7) Jan 08 (8) Jan 07 (11) Jan 06 (9) Jan 05 (5) Jan 04 (7) Jan 03 (6) Jan 02 (8) Jan 01 (8) Dec 31 (6) Dec 30 (6) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (7) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (5) Dec 25 (5) Dec 24 (5) Dec 23 (7) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (5) Dec 20 (5) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (6) Dec 17 (6) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (5) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (5) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (5) Dec 08 (6) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (5) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (6) Dec 02 (4) Dec 01 (5) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (6) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (4) Nov 26 (4) Nov 25 (4) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (5) Nov 22 (7) Nov 21 (5) Nov 20 (6) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (4) Nov 14 (5) Nov 13 (6) Nov 12 (6) Nov 11 (6) Nov 10 (8) Nov 09 (8) Nov 08 (7) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (5) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (6) Nov 03 (5) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (5) Oct 31 (4) Oct 30 (3) Oct 29 (5) Oct 28 (5) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (6) Oct 24 (2) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (5) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (6) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (5) Oct 15 (2) Oct 14 (5) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (7) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (2) Oct 07 (7) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (6) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (8) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (6) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (6) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (4) Sep 25 (4) Sep 24 (1) Sep 23 (5) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (5) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (3) Sep 15 (4) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (4) Sep 12 (3) Sep 11 (3) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (4) Sep 06 (4) Sep 05 (5) Sep 04 (2) Sep 03 (4) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (2) Aug 28 (4) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (4) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (4) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (4) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (5) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (4) Aug 07 (3) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (3) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (4) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (4) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (5) Jul 19 (4) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (3) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (3) Jul 10 (3) Jul 09 (4) Jul 08 (4) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (3) Jul 05 (5) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (4) Jul 01 (4) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (3) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (5) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (4) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (4) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (6) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (5) Jun 07 (3) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (5) Jun 04 (5) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (5) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (3) May 30 (5) May 29 (3) May 28 (4) May 27 (5) May 26 (7) May 25 (4) May 24 (4) May 23 (4) May 22 (6) May 21 (4) May 20 (3) May 19 (5) May 18 (4) May 17 (4) May 16 (5) May 15 (4) May 14 (4) May 13 (5) May 12 (4) May 11 (5) May 10 (6) May 09 (7) May 08 (3) May 07 (6) May 06 (4) May 05 (6) May 04 (6) May 03 (4) May 02 (4) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (4) Apr 27 (4) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (6) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (5) Apr 22 (5) Apr 21 (7) Apr 20 (6) Apr 19 (5) Apr 18 (5) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (6) Apr 14 (5) Apr 13 (5) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (6) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (7) Apr 07 (4) Apr 06 (7) Apr 05 (6) Apr 04 (5) Apr 03 (6) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (6) Mar 31 (4) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (5) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (6) Mar 26 (6) Mar 25 (7) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (4) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (5) Mar 19 (4) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (3) Mar 15 (4) Mar 14 (5) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (5) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (5) Mar 09 (5) Mar 08 (4) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (6) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (5) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (3) Feb 29 (4) Feb 28 (4) Feb 27 (5) Feb 26 (5) Feb 25 (4) Feb 24 (5) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (5) Feb 21 (3) Feb 20 (4) Feb 19 (2) Feb 18 (5) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (4) Feb 15 (4) Feb 14 (4) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (5) Feb 11 (3) Feb 10 (5) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (5) Feb 06 (5) Feb 05 (5) Feb 04 (4) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (2) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (5) Jan 27 (6) Jan 26 (4) Jan 25 (3) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (3) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (4) Jan 18 (3) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (5) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (5) Jan 04 (3) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (1) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (5) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (4) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (3) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (4) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (5) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (5) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (4) Dec 01 (5) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (5) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (4) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (5) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (5) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (3) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (1) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (3) Nov 03 (3) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (3) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (3) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (3) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (3) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (4) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (4) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (3) Oct 04 (4) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (4) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (4) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (3) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (5) Sep 20 (3) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (5) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (5) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (4) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (4) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (4) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (4) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (3) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (4) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (3) Aug 03 (4) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (3) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (3) Jul 16 (3) Jul 15 (4) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (3) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (3) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (4) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (3) Jul 01 (5) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (1) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (5) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (5) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (3) Jun 16 (3) Jun 15 (3) Jun 14 (3) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (4) Jun 10 (3) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (3) Jun 06 (4) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (4) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (3) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (4) May 27 (6) May 26 (3) May 25 (3) May 24 (3) May 23 (3) May 22 (5) May 21 (3) May 20 (3) May 19 (3) May 18 (4) May 17 (3) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (4) May 13 (4) May 12 (5) May 11 (2) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (3) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (3) May 03 (3) May 02 (4) May 01 (5) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (4) Apr 28 (4) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (5) Apr 25 (3) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (5) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (1) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (3) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (3) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (4) Apr 11 (5) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (3) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (2) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (5) Apr 04 (3) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (3) Apr 01 (7) Mar 31 (2) Mar 30 (2) Mar 29 (1) Mar 28 (6) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (4) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (6) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (5) Mar 17 (3) Mar 16 (3) Mar 15 (4) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (6) Mar 12 (7) Mar 11 (4) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (3) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (4) Feb 28 (5) Feb 27 (5) Feb 26 (4) Feb 25 (4) Feb 24 (3) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (5) Feb 21 (5) Feb 20 (5) Feb 19 (4) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (3) Feb 16 (4) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (6) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (6) Feb 10 (5) Feb 09 (3) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (6) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (6) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (3) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (6) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (4) Jan 27 (5) Jan 26 (4) Jan 25 (6) Jan 24 (3) Jan 23 (3) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (4) Jan 19 (3) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (4) Jan 12 (3) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (5) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (4) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (3) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (5) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (5) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (7) Dec 21 (4) Dec 20 (5) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (6) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (7) Dec 10 (7) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (4) Dec 05 (4) Dec 04 (4) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (5) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (5) Nov 28 (4) Nov 27 (5) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (4) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (5) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (3) Nov 14 (4) Nov 13 (5) Nov 12 (7) Nov 11 (4) Nov 10 (6) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (4) Nov 07 (4) Nov 06 (3) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (3) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (4) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (5) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (4) Oct 21 (3) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (4) Oct 18 (3) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (4) Oct 13 (4) Oct 12 (5) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (5) Oct 09 (5) Oct 08 (5) Oct 07 (6) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (3) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (4) Sep 29 (4) Sep 28 (5) Sep 27 (5) Sep 26 (5) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (5) Sep 23 (5) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (4) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (4) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (4) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (4) Sep 10 (3) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (4) Sep 06 (4) Sep 05 (5) Sep 04 (4) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (5) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (6) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (6) Aug 26 (5) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (7) Aug 22 (4) Aug 21 (6) Aug 20 (3) Aug 19 (7) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (4) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (6) Aug 12 (6) Aug 11 (4) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (6) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (5) Jul 28 (5) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (6) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (6) Jul 15 (4) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (3) Jul 10 (5) Jul 09 (4) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (3) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (4) Jul 01 (4) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (6) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (3) Jun 19 (4) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (4) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (4) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (5) Jun 11 (5) Jun 10 (6) Jun 09 (5) Jun 08 (4) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (4) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (5) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (5) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (3) May 24 (6) May 23 (4) May 22 (5) May 21 (5) May 20 (4) May 19 (5) May 18 (6) May 17 (6) May 16 (4) May 15 (4) May 14 (5) May 13 (4) May 12 (3) May 11 (4) May 10 (5) May 09 (2) May 08 (4) May 07 (4) May 06 (4) May 05 (4) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (6) Apr 28 (6) Apr 27 (5) Apr 26 (5) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (6) Apr 23 (6) Apr 22 (5) Apr 21 (6) Apr 20 (4) Apr 19 (4) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (7) Apr 16 (5) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (8) Apr 13 (5) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (6) Apr 07 (5) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (4) Apr 03 (6) Apr 02 (6) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (7) Mar 30 (6) Mar 29 (8) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (6) Mar 26 (8) Mar 25 (5) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (8) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (6) Mar 20 (5) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (5) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (5) Mar 13 (6) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (4) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (7) Mar 08 (4) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (4) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (4) Mar 03 (6) Mar 02 (3) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (7) Feb 27 (6) Feb 26 (8) Feb 25 (5) Feb 24 (8) Feb 23 (7) Feb 22 (8) Feb 21 (7) Feb 20 (7) Feb 19 (7) Feb 18 (5) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (6) Feb 15 (6) Feb 14 (5) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (7) Feb 11 (6) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (6) Feb 07 (5) Feb 06 (5) Feb 05 (4) Feb 04 (4) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (5) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (6) Jan 28 (4) Jan 27 (3) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (4) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (5) Jan 22 (7) Jan 21 (6) Jan 20 (6) Jan 19 (3) Jan 18 (6) Jan 17 (5) Jan 16 (7) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (7) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (7) Jan 11 (5) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (7) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (5) Jan 05 (5) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (4) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (6) Dec 31 (5) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (7) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (6) Dec 24 (5) Dec 23 (5) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (4) Dec 17 (6) Dec 16 (5) Dec 15 (4) Dec 14 (5) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (5) Dec 11 (7) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (6) Dec 06 (4) Dec 05 (4) Dec 04 (7) Dec 03 (6) Dec 02 (4) Dec 01 (4) Nov 30 (6) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (4) Nov 27 (7) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (4) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (7) Nov 20 (5) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (5) Nov 17 (6) Nov 16 (7) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (5) Nov 13 (5) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (7) Nov 10 (6) Nov 09 (7) Nov 08 (4) Nov 07 (9) Nov 06 (7) Nov 05 (7) Nov 04 (7) Nov 03 (5) Nov 02 (6) Nov 01 (6) Oct 31 (7) Oct 30 (6) Oct 29 (7) Oct 28 (4) Oct 27 (7) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (3) Oct 24 (6) Oct 23 (10) Oct 22 (6) Oct 21 (5) Oct 20 (5) Oct 19 (5) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (6) Oct 16 (5) Oct 15 (6) Oct 14 (7) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (5) Oct 11 (5) Oct 10 (6) Oct 09 (8) Oct 08 (6) Oct 07 (5) Oct 06 (4) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (5) Sep 30 (6) Sep 29 (5) Sep 28 (5) Sep 27 (6) Sep 26 (7) Sep 25 (6) Sep 24 (6) Sep 23 (6) Sep 22 (7) Sep 21 (5) Sep 20 (8) Sep 19 (6) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (5) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (7) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (7) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (7) Sep 09 (7) Sep 08 (7) Sep 07 (6) Sep 06 (5) Sep 05 (3) Sep 04 (6) Sep 03 (7) Sep 02 (6) Sep 01 (6) Aug 31 (5) Aug 30 (5) Aug 29 (4) Aug 28 (5) Aug 27 (5) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (8) Aug 24 (5) Aug 23 (6) Aug 22 (7) Aug 21 (7) Aug 20 (6) Aug 19 (7) Aug 18 (5) Aug 17 (4) Aug 16 (6) Aug 15 (6) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (7) Aug 12 (6) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (6) Aug 09 (6) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (4) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (6) Aug 03 (6) Aug 02 (5) Aug 01 (5) Jul 31 (7) Jul 30 (7) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (7) Jul 27 (6) Jul 26 (4) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (5) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (4) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (5) Jul 17 (5) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (5) Jul 12 (6) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (4) Jul 07 (7) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (6) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (5) Jul 02 (4) Jul 01 (4) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (5) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (3) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (3) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (5) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (4) Jun 17 (5) Jun 16 (4) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (7) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (5) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (6) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (6) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (5) Jun 03 (5) Jun 02 (5) Jun 01 (5) May 31 (4) May 30 (5) May 29 (5) May 28 (5) May 27 (8) May 26 (7) May 25 (7) May 24 (5) May 23 (2) May 22 (5) May 21 (4) May 20 (5) May 19 (5) May 18 (5) May 17 (5) May 16 (7) May 15 (7) May 14 (7) May 13 (5) May 12 (6) May 11 (8) May 10 (4) May 09 (6) May 08 (10) May 07 (8) May 06 (5) May 05 (6) May 04 (7) May 03 (7) May 02 (8) May 01 (6) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (6) Apr 28 (9) Apr 27 (6) Apr 26 (5) Apr 25 (8) Apr 24 (7) Apr 23 (8) Apr 22 (6) Apr 21 (5) Apr 20 (10) Apr 19 (7) Apr 18 (7) Apr 17 (8) Apr 16 (5) Apr 15 (6) Apr 14 (9) Apr 13 (11) Apr 12 (8) Apr 11 (5) Apr 10 (10) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (5) Apr 07 (9) Apr 06 (10) Apr 05 (5) Apr 04 (5) Apr 03 (7) Apr 02 (6) Apr 01 (5) Mar 31 (3) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (1) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (7) Mar 26 (8) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (8) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (4) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (7) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (8) Mar 17 (8) Mar 16 (3) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (6) Mar 12 (6) Mar 11 (7) Mar 10 (6) Mar 09 (8) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (9) Mar 04 (7) Mar 03 (6) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (7) Feb 28 (8) Feb 27 (7) Feb 26 (4) Feb 25 (9) Feb 24 (6) Feb 23 (6) Feb 22 (7) Feb 21 (3) Feb 20 (6) Feb 19 (5) Feb 18 (5) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (4) Feb 15 (5) Feb 14 (8) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (4) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (6) Feb 09 (7) Feb 08 (6) Feb 07 (6) Feb 06 (6) Feb 05 (5) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (10) Feb 02 (9) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (8) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (9) Jan 28 (6) Jan 27 (5) Jan 26 (6) Jan 25 (7) Jan 24 (6) Jan 23 (6) Jan 22 (5) Jan 21 (7) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (5) Jan 17 (5) Jan 16 (5) Jan 15 (5) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (6) Jan 11 (5) Jan 10 (5) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (3) Jan 07 (5) Jan 06 (5) Jan 05 (6) Jan 04 (5) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (4) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (5) Dec 25 (6) Dec 24 (7) Dec 23 (7) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (5) Dec 20 (6) Dec 19 (10) Dec 18 (9) Dec 17 (10) Dec 16 (8) Dec 15 (4) Dec 14 (6) Dec 13 (10) Dec 12 (6) Dec 11 (5) Dec 10 (6) Dec 09 (5) Dec 08 (8) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (6) Dec 04 (7) Dec 03 (7) Dec 02 (6) Dec 01 (9) Nov 30 (5) Nov 29 (9) Nov 28 (7) Nov 27 (6) Nov 26 (7) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (4) Nov 22 (7) Nov 21 (7) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (8) Nov 18 (12) Nov 17 (8) Nov 16 (6) Nov 15 (4) Nov 14 (11) Nov 13 (11) Nov 12 (9) Nov 11 (6) Nov 10 (9) Nov 09 (9) Nov 08 (7) Nov 07 (7) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (8) Nov 04 (6) Nov 03 (4) Nov 02 (7) Nov 01 (5) Oct 31 (7) Oct 30 (6) Oct 29 (7) Oct 28 (4) Oct 27 (7) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (7) Oct 24 (4) Oct 23 (7) Oct 22 (7) Oct 21 (6) Oct 20 (8) Oct 19 (7) Oct 18 (6) Oct 17 (6) Oct 16 (8) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (6) Oct 13 (7) Oct 12 (5) Oct 11 (5) Oct 10 (8) Oct 09 (8) Oct 08 (7) Oct 07 (7) Oct 06 (7) Oct 05 (8) Oct 04 (6) Oct 03 (8) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (10) Sep 29 (7) Sep 28 (10) Sep 27 (10) Sep 26 (11) Sep 25 (5) Sep 24 (6) Sep 23 (5) Sep 22 (5) Sep 21 (8) Sep 20 (8) Sep 19 (6) Sep 18 (6) Sep 17 (7) Sep 16 (5) Sep 15 (6) Sep 14 (5) Sep 13 (6) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (10) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (3) Sep 08 (8) Sep 07 (4) Sep 06 (7) Sep 05 (8) Sep 04 (7) Sep 03 (6) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (6) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (4) Aug 28 (5) Aug 27 (6) Aug 26 (5) Aug 25 (9) Aug 24 (7) Aug 23 (8) Aug 22 (5) Aug 21 (9) Aug 20 (8) Aug 19 (7) Aug 18 (6) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (8) Aug 15 (6) Aug 14 (5) Aug 13 (6) Aug 12 (5) Aug 11 (7) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (9) Aug 08 (9) Aug 07 (5) Aug 06 (5) Aug 05 (6) Aug 04 (6) Aug 03 (7) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (6) Jul 30 (7) Jul 29 (8) Jul 28 (8) Jul 27 (6) Jul 26 (9) Jul 25 (9) Jul 24 (7) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (7) Jul 21 (9) Jul 20 (6) Jul 19 (9) Jul 18 (7) Jul 17 (2) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (7) Jul 14 (7) Jul 13 (8) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (4) Jul 10 (7) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (6) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (4) Jul 05 (6) Jul 04 (8) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (7) Jul 01 (6) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (6) Jun 28 (5) Jun 27 (6) Jun 26 (6) Jun 25 (7) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (5) Jun 22 (7) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (6) Jun 19 (4) Jun 18 (6) Jun 17 (5) Jun 16 (6) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (7) Jun 12 (8) Jun 11 (5) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (7) Jun 08 (6) Jun 07 (5) Jun 06 (7) Jun 05 (5) Jun 04 (6) Jun 03 (5) Jun 02 (8) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (7) May 30 (4) May 29 (5) May 28 (1) May 27 (5) May 26 (8) May 25 (5) May 24 (8) May 23 (8) May 22 (7) May 21 (5) May 20 (6) May 19 (9) May 18 (5) May 17 (9) May 16 (7) May 15 (5) May 14 (11) May 13 (6) May 12 (13) May 11 (5) May 10 (7) May 09 (6) May 08 (8) May 07 (9) May 06 (6) May 05 (5) May 04 (2) May 03 (6) May 02 (7) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (5) Apr 29 (7) Apr 28 (6) Apr 27 (6) Apr 26 (10) Apr 25 (7) Apr 24 (5) Apr 23 (4) Apr 22 (7) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (6) Apr 19 (6) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (10) Apr 16 (6) Apr 15 (6) Apr 14 (5) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (10) Apr 10 (6) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (10) Apr 07 (6) Apr 06 (6) Apr 05 (5) Apr 04 (4) Apr 03 (5) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (6) Mar 31 (5) Mar 30 (9) Mar 29 (8) Mar 28 (8) Mar 27 (7) Mar 26 (9) Mar 25 (11) Mar 24 (10) Mar 23 (6) Mar 22 (8) Mar 21 (3) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (2) Mar 18 (9) Mar 17 (7) Mar 16 (6) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (6) Mar 13 (6) Mar 12 (10) Mar 11 (7) Mar 10 (8) Mar 09 (6) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (6) Mar 06 (7) Mar 05 (6) Mar 04 (10) Mar 03 (2) Mar 02 (8) Mar 01 (9) Feb 29 (11) Feb 28 (8) Feb 27 (6) Feb 26 (8) Feb 25 (8) Feb 24 (9) Feb 23 (12) Feb 22 (10) Feb 21 (11) Feb 20 (6) Feb 19 (5) Feb 18 (9) Feb 17 (9) Feb 16 (10) Feb 15 (8) Feb 14 (9) Feb 13 (8) Feb 12 (8) Feb 11 (7) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (7) Feb 08 (9) Feb 07 (7) Feb 06 (10) Feb 05 (10) Feb 04 (6) Feb 03 (8) Feb 02 (7) Feb 01 (6) Jan 31 (10) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (6) Jan 28 (9) Jan 27 (7) Jan 26 (8) Jan 25 (8) Jan 24 (7) Jan 23 (6) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (6) Jan 20 (10) Jan 19 (8) Jan 18 (6) Jan 17 (7) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (8) Jan 13 (8) Jan 12 (6) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (6) Jan 09 (8) Jan 08 (4) Jan 07 (5) Jan 06 (6) Jan 05 (9) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (7) Jan 02 (6) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (6) Dec 30 (9) Dec 29 (6) Dec 28 (2) Dec 27 (8) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (6) Dec 24 (5) Dec 23 (6) Dec 22 (8) Dec 21 (8) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (8) Dec 18 (6) Dec 17 (8) Dec 16 (7) Dec 15 (9) Dec 14 (7) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (4) Dec 11 (5) Dec 10 (6) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (4) Dec 05 (5) Dec 04 (4) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (7) Dec 01 (7) Nov 30 (5) Nov 29 (5) Nov 28 (6) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (8) Nov 23 (2) Nov 22 (6) Nov 21 (5) Nov 20 (5) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (6) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (6) Nov 12 (5) Nov 11 (4) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (2) Nov 08 (5) Nov 07 (4) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (5) Nov 04 (6) Nov 03 (6) Nov 02 (5) Nov 01 (5) Oct 31 (6) Oct 30 (6) Oct 29 (5) Oct 28 (5) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (5) Oct 25 (8) Oct 24 (7) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (7) Oct 21 (5) Oct 20 (5) Oct 19 (5) Oct 18 (6) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (2) Oct 14 (2) Oct 13 (6) Oct 12 (9) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (6) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (5) Oct 07 (6) Oct 06 (6) Oct 05 (7) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (8) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (6) Sep 28 (6) Sep 27 (9) Sep 26 (4) Sep 25 (4) Sep 24 (5) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (6) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (4) Sep 19 (5) Sep 18 (7) Sep 17 (6) Sep 16 (7) Sep 15 (4) Sep 14 (8) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (7) Sep 11 (8) Sep 10 (5) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (8) Sep 07 (5) Sep 06 (6) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (7) Sep 03 (5) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (4) Aug 31 (5) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (5) Aug 28 (5) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (7) Aug 24 (6) Aug 23 (6) Aug 22 (6) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (5) Aug 19 (5) Aug 18 (5) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (7) Aug 14 (8) Aug 13 (8) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (6) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (9) Aug 07 (6) Aug 06 (7) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (6) Aug 02 (6) Aug 01 (6) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (6) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (5) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (5) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (2) Jul 19 (4) Jul 18 (7) Jul 17 (8) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (5) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (5) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (7) Jul 10 (5) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (4) Jul 05 (6) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (10) Jul 02 (4) Jul 01 (2) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (3) Jun 26 (6) Jun 25 (3) Jun 24 (3) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (3) Jun 16 (4) Jun 15 (3) Jun 14 (4) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (2) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (2) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (1) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (2) Jun 01 (2) May 31 (2) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (5) May 27 (1) May 26 (1) May 25 (2) May 24 (2) May 23 (1) May 22 (2) May 21 (2) May 20 (3) May 19 (3) May 18 (2) May 17 (2) May 16 (2) May 15 (3) May 14 (2) May 13 (2) May 12 (2) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (2) May 08 (3) May 07 (2) May 06 (2) May 05 (2) May 04 (2) May 03 (3) May 02 (2) May 01 (2) Apr 30 (1) Apr 29 (2) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (2) Apr 26 (2) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (2) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (4) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (2) Apr 17 (2) Apr 16 (2) Apr 15 (2) Apr 14 (2) Apr 13 (2) Apr 12 (2) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (2) Apr 08 (2) Apr 07 (2) Apr 06 (2) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (2) Apr 03 (2) Apr 02 (2) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (1) Mar 30 (1) Mar 29 (2) Mar 28 (2) Mar 27 (2) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (2) Mar 23 (2) Mar 22 (1) Mar 21 (1) Mar 20 (2) Mar 19 (2) Mar 18 (2) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (2) Mar 14 (2) Mar 13 (2) Mar 12 (2) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (3) Mar 08 (2) Mar 07 (1) Mar 06 (2) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (8) Mar 02 (2) Mar 01 (1) Feb 28 (2) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (1) Feb 25 (1) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (2) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (2) Feb 20 (2) Feb 19 (2) Feb 18 (2) Feb 17 (2) Feb 16 (2) Feb 15 (1) Feb 14 (1) Feb 13 (1) Feb 12 (2) Feb 11 (1) Feb 10 (2) Feb 09 (1) Feb 08 (1) Feb 07 (1) Feb 06 (1) Feb 05 (5) Feb 03 (1) Feb 02 (1) Feb 01 (1) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (2) Jan 27 (5) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (3) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (4) Jan 18 (3) Jan 17 (2) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (5) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (5) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (4) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (6) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (4) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (1) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (5) Dec 20 (5) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (4) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (6) Dec 14 (4) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (5) Dec 11 (5) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (5) Dec 08 (4) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (5) Dec 05 (4) Dec 04 (4) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (5) Nov 27 (4) Nov 26 (4) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (5) Nov 23 (4) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (4) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (4) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (3) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (4) Nov 06 (4) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (3) Nov 03 (2) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (4) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (3) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (3) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (3) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (6) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (4) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (3) Sep 26 (5) Sep 25 (5) Sep 24 (4) Sep 23 (5) Sep 22 (4) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (5) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (6) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (4) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (4) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (4) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (5) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (5) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (3) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (2) Aug 07 (2) Aug 06 (2) Aug 05 (2) Aug 04 (2) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (2) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (6) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (4) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (4) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (5) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (5) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (2) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (2) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (1) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (2) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (2) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (2) Jun 06 (2) Jun 05 (2) Jun 04 (2) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (5) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (2) May 23 (4) May 22 (4) May 21 (5) May 20 (6) May 19 (4) May 18 (3) May 17 (4) May 16 (5) May 15 (6) May 14 (4) May 13 (9) May 12 (4) May 11 (5) May 10 (5) May 09 (4) May 08 (3) May 07 (5) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (5) May 03 (1) May 02 (5) May 01 (7) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (5) Apr 28 (4) Apr 27 (1) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (4) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (4) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (3) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (3) Apr 14 (4) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (6) Apr 10 (1) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (5) Apr 04 (1) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (4) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (1) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (4) Mar 28 (3) Mar 27 (4) Mar 26 (2) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (6) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (4) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (4) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (5) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (4) Feb 28 (2) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (3) Feb 25 (3) Feb 24 (4) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (4) Feb 20 (4) Feb 19 (3) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (3) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (4) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (3) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (4) Jan 25 (3) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (6) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (4) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (4) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (5) Jan 02 (4) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (2) Dec 29 (2) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (5) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (2) Dec 11 (6) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (6) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (4) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (4) Nov 30 (2) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (5) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (2) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (7) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (4) Nov 15 (6) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (2) Nov 06 (2) Nov 05 (2) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (4) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (2) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (2) Oct 24 (2) Oct 23 (2) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (2) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (2) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (2) Oct 14 (4) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (2) Oct 10 (2) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (4) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (6) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (7) Sep 26 (4) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (5) Sep 23 (8) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (6) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (7) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (5) Sep 09 (7) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (7) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (4) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (2) Sep 01 (2) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (4) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (4) Aug 21 (4) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (2) Aug 16 (2) Aug 15 (5) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (10) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (5) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (5) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (5) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (5) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (7) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (5) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (3) Jul 12 (2) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (6) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (6) Jun 27 (6) Jun 26 (6) Jun 25 (6) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (5) Jun 18 (8) Jun 17 (6) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (5) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (2) May 29 (2) May 28 (2) May 27 (4) May 26 (4) May 25 (3) May 24 (2) May 23 (2) May 22 (3) May 21 (5) May 20 (4) May 19 (2) May 18 (3) May 17 (3) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (5) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (3) May 10 (4) May 09 (4) May 08 (4) May 07 (3) May 06 (2) May 05 (3) May 04 (4) May 03 (2) May 02 (3) May 01 (3) Apr 30 (3) Apr 29 (4) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (2) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (4) Apr 19 (5) Apr 18 (7) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (10) Apr 15 (5) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (4) Apr 07 (7) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (7) Apr 04 (5) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (5) Mar 31 (5) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (7) Mar 28 (6) Mar 27 (5) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (6) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (6) Mar 18 (6) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (5) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (5) Mar 11 (4) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (4) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (2) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (2) Feb 16 (3) Feb 15 (6) Feb 14 (6) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (9) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (7) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (4) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (2) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (3) Jan 25 (4) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (2) Jan 22 (2) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (4) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (4) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (3) Jan 11 (2) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (2) Jan 07 (2) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (2) Jan 04 (2) Jan 03 (2) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (2) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (2) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (2) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (2) Dec 21 (2) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (2) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (2) Dec 16 (2) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (2) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (5) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (2) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (2) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (2) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (2) Nov 22 (2) Nov 21 (2) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (2) Nov 17 (2) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (4) Nov 13 (2) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (2) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (2) Nov 08 (2) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (6) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (5) Nov 03 (5) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (5) Oct 31 (7) Oct 30 (5) Oct 29 (4) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (2) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (4) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (2) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (2) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (5) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (2) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (5) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (5) Sep 30 (2) Sep 29 (2) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (6) Sep 26 (2) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (2) Sep 22 (2) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (2) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (2) Sep 15 (4) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (5) Sep 06 (4) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (2) Aug 30 (2) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (2) Aug 25 (2) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (2) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (5) Aug 13 (2) Aug 12 (2) Aug 11 (2) Aug 10 (2) Aug 09 (2) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (5) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (2) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (2) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (2) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (2) Jul 29 (2) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (2) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (2) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (2) Jul 21 (3) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (2) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (2) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (2) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (2) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (2) Jul 03 (2) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (2) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (1) Jun 24 (2) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (2) Jun 19 (2) Jun 18 (2) Jun 17 (2) Jun 16 (2) Jun 15 (2) Jun 14 (2) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (2) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (2) May 26 (2) May 25 (2) May 24 (2) May 23 (2) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (2) May 19 (2) May 18 (4) May 17 (7) May 16 (2) May 15 (2) May 14 (4) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (4) May 10 (4) May 09 (3) May 08 (2) May 07 (2) May 06 (2) May 05 (1) May 04 (2) May 03 (4) May 02 (3) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (1) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (2) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (2) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (2) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (2) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (1) Apr 03 (1) Apr 02 (1) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (2) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (2) Mar 28 (3) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (2) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (2) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (1) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (2) Mar 15 (1) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (1) Mar 12 (2) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (1) Mar 07 (1) Mar 04 (2) Mar 02 (2) Feb 28 (1) Feb 24 (1) Dec 31 (4) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (3) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (2) Nov 15 (3) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (4) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (3) Nov 05 (5) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (3) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (4) Oct 30 (3) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (4) Oct 16 (3) Oct 15 (3) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (4) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (3) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (3) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (4) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (3) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (5) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (3) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (4) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (5) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (3) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (5) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (5) Jul 11 (4) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (3) Jul 01 (6) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (5) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (4) Jun 18 (5) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (3) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (5) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (4) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (5) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (4) May 23 (4) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (4) May 19 (3) May 18 (3) May 17 (4) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (1) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (4) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (6) Apr 30 (3) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (5) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (3) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (4) Apr 16 (3) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (3) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (3) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (3) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (3) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (3) Mar 28 (4) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (3) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (3) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (3) Mar 17 (3) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (3) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (3) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (3) Mar 07 (3) Mar 06 (4) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (3) Mar 01 (3) Feb 28 (3) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (3) Feb 25 (3) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (3) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (3) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (3) Feb 16 (3) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (3) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (3) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (4) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (5) Jan 27 (4) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (3) Jan 21 (4) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (5) Jan 17 (4) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (3) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (3) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (4) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (5) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (2) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (5) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (2) Nov 05 (2) Nov 04 (3) Nov 03 (2) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (2) Oct 30 (6) Oct 29 (5) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (5) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (5) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (4) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (3) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (2) Oct 11 (2) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (2) Oct 07 (2) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (3) Oct 04 (2) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (4) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (2) Sep 26 (2) Sep 25 (2) Sep 24 (1) Sep 23 (1) Sep 22 (2) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (1) Sep 19 (1) Sep 18 (1) Sep 17 (2) Sep 16 (1) Sep 15 (2) Sep 14 (2) Sep 13 (1) Sep 12 (1) Sep 11 (2) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (1) Sep 08 (1) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (1) Sep 05 (1) Sep 04 (2) Sep 03 (1) Sep 02 (1) Sep 01 (1) Aug 31 (2) Aug 30 (1) Aug 29 (1) Aug 28 (1) Aug 27 (1) Aug 26 (1) Aug 25 (1) Aug 24 (1) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (1) Aug 21 (1) Aug 20 (2) Aug 19 (1) Aug 18 (1) Aug 17 (2) Aug 16 (2) Aug 15 (1) Aug 14 (1) Aug 12 (1) Aug 09 (1) Aug 08 (1) Aug 07 (1) Aug 05 (1) Aug 04 (1) Jul 31 (1) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (5) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (6) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (3) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (4) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (4) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (6) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (6) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (3) Jun 19 (6) Jun 18 (5) Jun 17 (5) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (4) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (5) Jun 03 (5) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (5) May 31 (4) May 30 (4) May 29 (4) May 28 (5) May 27 (5) May 26 (5) May 25 (4) May 24 (5) May 23 (4) May 22 (4) May 21 (3) May 20 (6) May 19 (4) May 18 (4) May 17 (4) May 16 (5) May 15 (3) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (3) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (3) May 06 (3) May 05 (3) May 04 (3) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (6) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (3) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (6) Apr 12 (4) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (5) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (4) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (4) Apr 04 (6) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (4) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (4) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (5) Mar 28 (6) Mar 27 (5) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (4) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (5) Mar 16 (5) Mar 15 (3) Mar 14 (6) Mar 13 (4) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (7) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (4) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (6) Mar 01 (4) Feb 28 (4) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (5) Feb 25 (4) Feb 24 (5) Feb 23 (5) Feb 22 (6) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (7) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (7) Feb 14 (5) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (6) Feb 11 (8) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (3) Feb 06 (6) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (6) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (6) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (6) Jan 26 (6) Jan 25 (4) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (5) Jan 22 (5) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (5) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (5) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (4) Jan 11 (5) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (5) Jan 05 (6) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (7) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (5) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (5) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (6) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (4) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (5) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (6) Nov 30 (5) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (4) Nov 27 (4) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (4) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (5) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (4) Nov 14 (4) Nov 13 (4) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (4) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (5) Nov 03 (4) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (5) Oct 29 (4) Oct 28 (5) Oct 27 (5) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (3) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (5) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (2) Oct 19 (4) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (4) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (4) Oct 10 (2) Oct 09 (5) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (6) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (6) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (4) Sep 25 (5) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (4) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (2) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (4) Sep 17 (4) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (5) Sep 13 (4) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (3) Sep 09 (3) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (6) Sep 04 (5) Sep 03 (4) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (4) Aug 31 (4) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (2) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (2) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (4) Aug 22 (2) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (3) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (2) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (4) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (4) Aug 10 (3) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (6) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (4) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (4) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (2) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (4) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (3) Jul 15 (5) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (5) Jul 11 (4) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (8) Jul 08 (6) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (3) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (4) Jul 01 (5) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (3) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (3) Jun 24 (3) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (2) Jun 21 (1) Jun 20 (2) Jun 19 (2) Jun 18 (4) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (3) Jun 15 (7) Jun 14 (3) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (5) Jun 11 (4) Jun 10 (3) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (5) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (4) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (3) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (3) May 25 (4) May 24 (2) May 23 (4) May 22 (3) May 21 (2) May 20 (3) May 19 (2) May 18 (4) May 17 (4) May 16 (3) May 15 (2) May 14 (6) May 13 (4) May 12 (2) May 11 (3) May 10 (2) May 09 (3) May 08 (4) May 07 (4) May 06 (3) May 05 (3) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (4) May 01 (3) Apr 30 (2) Apr 29 (5) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (2) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (3) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (4) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (2) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (5) Apr 17 (4) Apr 16 (3) Apr 15 (2) Apr 14 (4) Apr 13 (5) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (5) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (4) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (4) Apr 04 (4) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (6) Mar 31 (2) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (4) Mar 28 (4) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (4) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (4) Mar 21 (3) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (3) Mar 17 (5) Mar 16 (2) Mar 15 (4) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (2) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (4) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (4) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (4) Feb 27 (5) Feb 26 (6) Feb 25 (4) Feb 24 (5) Feb 23 (5) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (6) Feb 19 (4) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (2) Feb 16 (4) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (4) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (4) Feb 11 (3) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (2) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (4) Feb 03 (3) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (5) Jan 27 (3) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (3) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (2) Jan 22 (3) Jan 21 (4) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (4) Jan 18 (3) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (2) Jan 15 (2) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (2) Jan 12 (3) Jan 11 (3) Jan 10 (2) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (2) Jan 07 (2) Jan 06 (2) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (3) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (1) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (2) Dec 29 (2) Dec 28 (2) Dec 27 (2) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (1) Dec 24 (2) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (2) Dec 20 (1) Dec 19 (2) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (2) Dec 16 (2) Dec 15 (4) Dec 14 (2) Dec 13 (1) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (2) Dec 10 (2) Dec 09 (2) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (2) Dec 06 (1) Dec 05 (2) Dec 04 (1) Dec 03 (2) Dec 02 (2) Dec 01 (2) Nov 30 (2) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (2) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (1) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (1) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (1) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (2) Nov 18 (2) Nov 17 (1) Nov 16 (1) Nov 15 (1) Nov 14 (1) Nov 13 (2) Nov 12 (3) Nov 11 (2) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (1) Nov 08 (2) Nov 07 (1) Nov 06 (2) Nov 05 (2) Nov 04 (1) Nov 03 (1) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (2) Oct 31 (2) Oct 30 (2) Oct 29 (4) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (2) Oct 25 (2) Oct 24 (4) Oct 23 (2) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (3) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (1) Oct 18 (3) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (1) Oct 14 (2) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (2) Oct 10 (2) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (1) Oct 03 (2) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (1) Sep 29 (2) Sep 28 (1) Sep 27 (3) Sep 26 (3) Sep 25 (2) Sep 24 (1) Sep 23 (2) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (1) Sep 20 (1) Sep 19 (2) Sep 17 (2) Sep 16 (2) Sep 15 (1) Sep 14 (1) Sep 13 (1) Sep 12 (3) Sep 11 (1) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (2) Sep 08 (2) Sep 07 (1) Sep 06 (1) Sep 05 (3) Sep 04 (2) Sep 03 (1) Sep 02 (1) Sep 01 (2) Aug 31 (2) Aug 30 (1) Aug 29 (2) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (2) Aug 26 (1) Aug 25 (1) Aug 24 (2) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (1) Aug 21 (1) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (1) Aug 18 (1) Aug 17 (2) Aug 16 (1) Aug 15 (2) Aug 14 (1) Aug 13 (1) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (2) Aug 10 (2) Aug 09 (1) Aug 08 (2) Aug 07 (1) Aug 06 (1) Aug 05 (1) Aug 04 (1) Aug 03 (2) Aug 01 (1) Jul 31 (2) Jul 30 (1) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (1) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (2) Jul 23 (2) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (1) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (2) Jul 18 (2) Jul 16 (3) Jul 15 (1) Jul 13 (2) Jul 12 (1) Jul 11 (2) Jul 09 (5) Jul 08 (1) Jul 07 (1) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (1) Jul 03 (2) Jul 01 (1) Jun 30 (1) Jun 29 (2) Jun 28 (2) Jun 27 (2) Jun 25 (2) Jun 24 (1) Jun 23 (2) Jun 22 (2) Jun 20 (1) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (1) Jun 15 (1) Jun 14 (3) Jun 12 (1) Jun 11 (1) Jun 08 (1) Jun 07 (1) Jun 05 (1) Jun 04 (1) Jun 03 (1) Jun 01 (1) May 31 (1) May 27 (2) May 25 (2) May 24 (1) May 23 (2) May 22 (1) May 21 (1) May 20 (2) May 19 (1) May 18 (1) May 17 (2) May 14 (1) May 13 (1) May 11 (2) May 10 (2) May 09 (1) May 07 (2) May 06 (1) May 05 (1) May 04 (1) May 03 (3) May 02 (1) May 01 (1) Apr 29 (1) Apr 28 (1) Apr 27 (1) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (1) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (2) Apr 20 (1) Apr 19 (2) Apr 17 (1) Apr 15 (1) Apr 13 (1) Apr 10 (2) Apr 08 (1) Apr 07 (1) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 03 (1) Apr 02 (1) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (2) Mar 30 (1) Mar 29 (1) Mar 28 (1) Mar 25 (1) Mar 24 (1) Mar 22 (2) Mar 21 (1) Mar 20 (1) Mar 18 (1) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (1) Mar 14 (2) Mar 13 (4) Mar 12 (1) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (1) Mar 06 (4) Mar 05 (1) Mar 04 (1) Mar 03 (2) Mar 02 (2) Mar 01 (2) Feb 28 (2) Feb 27 (1) Feb 26 (1) Feb 25 (1) Feb 23 (2) Feb 19 (2) Feb 13 (1) Feb 12 (1) Feb 02 (1) Jan 31 (1) Jan 22 (1) Jan 18 (1) Jan 16 (1) Jan 09 (1) Jan 01 (1) Dec 20 (2) Dec 15 (1) Dec 13 (1) Dec 11 (1) Nov 30 (1) Nov 27 (1) Nov 20 (1) Nov 11 (1) Nov 10 (1) Oct 23 (1) Oct 20 (1) Oct 01 (1) Sep 30 (1) Sep 29 (1) Sep 24 (2) Sep 15 (1) Sep 13 (1) Sep 12 (1) Sep 08 (1) Sep 02 (2) Aug 31 (1) Aug 28 (1) Aug 27 (2) Aug 24 (1) Aug 21 (1) Aug 20 (1) Aug 18 (3) Aug 16 (1) Aug 15 (1) Aug 14 (1) Aug 11 (1) Aug 08 (1) Aug 07 (1) Aug 03 (1) Jul 27 (1) Jul 26 (1) Jul 24 (1) Jul 22 (1) Jul 21 (1) Jul 19 (1) Jul 15 (1) Jul 14 (1) Jul 13 (3) Jul 10 (1) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (1) Jul 06 (1) Jul 03 (1) Jul 01 (1) Jun 28 (1) Jun 24 (2) Jun 20 (1) Jun 19 (1) Jun 18 (1) Jun 15 (1) Jun 14 (2) Jun 11 (1) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (1) Jun 07 (1) Jun 06 (1) Jun 04 (2) Jun 03 (1) Jun 02 (2) Jun 01 (1) May 31 (3) May 30 (1) May 29 (1) May 28 (2) May 26 (1) May 25 (1) May 18 (1) May 17 (1) May 15 (1) May 09 (1) May 07 (2) May 02 (1) May 01 (1) Apr 30 (1) Apr 27 (1) Apr 26 (2) Apr 23 (1) Apr 22 (1) Apr 19 (1) Apr 18 (1) Apr 12 (1) Apr 11 (1) Apr 09 (1) Apr 07 (1) Apr 05 (1) Apr 01 (1) Mar 30 (1) Mar 27 (1) Mar 25 (1) Mar 22 (2) Mar 19 (1) Mar 18 (1) Mar 16 (1) Mar 15 (2) Mar 13 (1) Mar 12 (1) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (1)
Julian Assange has been vindicated because the Swedish case against him was corrupt. The prosecutor, Marianne Ny, obstructed justice and should be prosecuted. Her obsession with Assange not only embarrassed her colleagues and the judiciary but exposed the Swedish state's collusion with the United States in its crimes of war and "rendition."

Had Assange not sought refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, he would have been on his way to the kind of American torture pit Chelsea Manning had to endure.

This prospect was obscured by the grim farce played out in Sweden. "It's a laughing stock," said James Catlin, one of Assange's Australian lawyers. "It is as if they make it up as they go along."

It may have seemed that way, but there was always serious purpose. In 2008, a secret Pentagon document prepared by the "Cyber Counterintelligence Assessments Branch" foretold a detailed plan to discredit WikiLeaks and smear Assange personally.

The "mission" was to destroy the "trust" that was WikiLeaks' "centre of gravity." This would be achieved with threats of "exposure [and] criminal prosecution." Silencing and criminalizing such an unpredictable source of truth-telling was the aim.

Perhaps this was understandable. WikiLeaks has exposed the way America dominates much of human affairs, including its epic crimes, especially in Afghanistan and Iraq: the wholesale, often homicidal killing of civilians and the contempt for sovereignty and international law.

These disclosures are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution. As a presidential candidate in 2008, Barack Obama, a professor of constitutional law, lauded whistleblowers as "part of a healthy democracy [and they] must be protected from reprisal."

Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
(CNN)A major US investigation into Russian money laundering has come to an abrupt end. The case aimed to expose how Russian mobsters allegedly stole $230 million and hid some of the cash in New York City real estate. Also sure to come up was the suspicious death of the Russian lawyer who exposed the alleged fraud, though US prosecutors weren't alleging that the defendants were behind it.

Click Here to Read Whole Article
When I was a kid I watched a famous Bugs Bunny cartoon titled Hare Brush. It starts at a boardroom meeting of a big corporation where they are worried because the CEO, Elmer J. Fudd, is suffering from a delusion that he is a rabbit. So they find a psychoanalyst to program him with a pill and mental conditioning by repeating the mantra, "I am Elmer J. Fudd, millionaire. I own a mansion and a yacht." This reminds Elmer J. Fudd who he really is. What we are witnessing in the daily onslaught by media hack and political shills having to do with Russiagate against Donald J. Trump, the CEO of America, is basically the same thing that happened to CEO Elmer J. Fudd. Trump, like Fudd, doesn't know his true reality. So he is being conditioned by the people trying to control him to accept the true reality.

Right on cue as if according to a script Trump attacked Syrian forces in order to get the media hacks and political shills of the oligarchy off his back - as is their purpose. It worked last time didn't it? When he sent the missiles and bombed the Syrians last time, the word then came down to the hacks and shills to give Trump some love in order to train him like a dog (see Pavlov). The love the hacks and shills laid on Trump evaporated when Trump didn't make the right moves a few weeks ago after Syria, Russia, Iran, and Turkey made news about a plan to create safe zones of a sort all over Syria; this was making it clear that they were intent on taking full control over the country. This was a message to the "international community" (the wealth-based oligarchy that rules most of the world) that they were going to make a stand in Syria and any plans for a partition was going to be fought by their alliance.

When Trump didn't act in some bold way as I am sure he was called upon to do by oligarchy (who speak through many representatives), the media and political shills turned back to their previous mode of trying to make a case for removing Trump from office by any means necessary. It took Trump a few weeks to get the message and after making deals to send massive arms to the Kurds and the Saudis he finally gave the order to attack Syrian forces. But that will not be enough to appease the oligarchy; this time they will not give Trump a break with their shills until he dives into the deep end.

So off he goes to get his marching orders in Riyadh (the richest families within the oligarchy); it will not just be a meeting with the royal family, other representatives of the leading oligarchs will be there as well. Trump will be told in no uncertain terms that it is time... for War. The Syrian invasion will begin in short order. This time it will not be under the pretense of fighting ISIS or protecting American fighters in the region. A couple days ago we saw a report in the news about a giant crematorium in Syria being used to get rid of bodies, supposedly of all the people the regime has tortured and killed etc. No real evidence was given of such a place; just reports from supposed witnesses and speculations about some building. This is going to be part of the excuse for the invasion, which along with the faked sarin-gas attacks of the past and some more disinformation shortly to appear, will be the excuse for an invasion to take out the new Hitler. The supposed sighting of a massive crematorium should convince, as it is clearly meant to be used for a reason to invade.

Trump does not want to, but will be cornered and will do as he is told. Unlike last time. The reason he didn't do as he was told recently and make a strong response to the new Syrian situation put forth by the Russia-Iran-Turkey plan, is simple - he is well aware of how the previous attack went over among his supporters. After the missile attack on Syria you could literally see the air sucked out of the room among the Trump commentariat and their social-media fanboys and girls online. Criticism of Trump as a phony was widespread and people were feeling deceived. That critically damaged Trump's credibility among a large percentage of his supporters. With Bannon giving him the lowdown on that reality of course Trump would be very reticent to act again in similar fashion. So when he was told to respond with a strong show of force to the new Syria situation, and didn't - it was then that the shills went into overdrive in every which way in order to send Trump a message.

That message is simple - Do NOT mess with our plans; do as you are told when it comes to foreign policy, or you WILL be impeached by hook or by crook. In Riyadh Trump will have the plans for the war laid out for him. This is going to happen, count on it, their resolve is steely in ending the contiguous Shia bloc stretching from Iran to Israel - and if Trump resists it will only set the timeline back a bit until he is impeached. But knowing Trump, if it comes down to letting his fans lose faith or being impeached, what do you think he will do? Expect some more fake atrocities attributed to Assad to appear in short order.
If a President can legally pass secrets to a nation his own Secretary of State has called a "dangerous adversary," does that make treason legal, if the President does it?

When Martin Luther King was reminded that segregation was legal, he responded:"Everything that Hitler did was legal."

Now President Trump is claiming that because he IS he President, he can share secrets with the nation his Secretary of Defense calls "the principle threat to our national security." In that case, for the President, treason is legal.

This essay raises the question: if President Trump has the power to share secrets with foreign countries, does that mean if he shares with an "enemy," that treason is legal because he IS the President?

The basis for this question is based not on MY views of Russia but the views of his Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Head of the CIA, and the US Ambassador to the UN, all of whom have identified Russia as our main enemy. I will cite each one to establish that the Trump Administration, by virtue of its key foreign policy advisors, has declared the nation with which Trump says he legally shared information, as the most serious threat to the US.

Secy of State Tillerson, during his confirmation hearing, stated:

"Russia today poses a danger, but it is not unpredictable in advancing its own interests," Tillerson said during his opening statement. "...Our NATO allies are right to be alarmed at a resurgent Russia."

Tillerson called Russia an "unfriendly adversary" during later testimony." foxnews

Is it legal to share top secrets with dangerous and insurgent adversaries? Here is what Secretary of State Maddog Mattis said:

"Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Russia stands as the "principal threat" to the United States's security. He said this is because of its actions and efforts to "intimidate" other countries."

Senator John McCain questioned Mattis to get his opinion on how much of a threat Russia represents. Mattis response was that "the world order is "under biggest attacks since WW2, from Russia, terrorist groups, and China's actions in the South China Sea,", agreeing with the neocon senator that Russia is trying to break up NATO.

Is it legal to share top secrets with the principle threat to US security?

Here is what CIA chief Pompeo said:

James Mattis, up for defence secretary, put Russia at the top of his "principal threat" list.

Congressman Mike Pompeo, who Mr Trump has tapped to be director of the CIA, called Russian attempts to influence the US 2016 presidential election an "aggressive action". bbc

Is it legal to share secrets with our "principal threat?"

Next Page 1 | 2 | 3

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).


k03491

(Image by Photograph Curator) Details DMCA



The pain in Spain falls on I who explain

To friends in Madrid the cause of Trump's reign,

This maker of mayhem and lord of the tweet,

Who knows only factoids and talks like the street.



To answer I check the questioner's face,

Note if he's hippy or drinking apace,

Check if he wears an al Qaeda tat,

And that being the case, look 'round for a bat.



First I float out the usual reason:

Clinton was Clinton, the silly preseason,

The lack of some zing from guys on the right,

Who live and die for the perfect sound bite.



I then elaborate and edify all,

On how a president with that kind of gall

Can take the place of Barack Obama,

Who despite defects was no mouth-arama.



'Cause like it or not Trump got helping hands,

From guys who hate rules and wear the top brands,

You see them behind the prez at his desk,

Beaming like moms as he signs a burlesque.



Not a bit did they mind if Trump was a jerk,

As long as he dropped the role of young turk,

On Russia and Is'rael talked the good talk,

Obeyed the gen'rals and walked the right walk.



And now that he does, why, all's fine and dandy,

This Russiagate stuff'll be dealt with quite handy,

Don and Ivanka will this world aright

For those mighty few who fly the same kite.



By now my friends marvel that Yankees can't tell

Theodore R. from a dandruffy swell.

So I ask a question with somewhat more zip:

How is it Europe still follows this ship?



Trump himself with rare illumination,

Pondered the point of Nato duration.

But why does Europe, with armies or duty,

Continue to kiss the U.S. patootie?



Nowhere in Europe that I've ever seen,

Does anyone question America's sheen,

Which makes me wonder if political man,

Has any future if he thinks with his can.

1 1 1

Rate It | View Ratings

Philip Kraske Social Media Pages:

"A Legacy of Chains and Other Stories" is Philip Kraske's lastest book. It can be found at his website: www.philipkraske.com

The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.





OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help. If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.
Shobha Shukla, Citizen News Service - CNS





Living life normally is possible for people with asthma if they manage it well

(Image by CNS (Citizen News Service)) Details DMCA



(CNS): My first personal brush with the severity of asthma was several years ago, when one of my students suddenly started gasping for breath in the middle of her Physics Practical final examination of Class 12. We were clueless about the cause of her sudden affliction. Other than making her sit in the open air and force her to drink water, we did not know what to do. A frantic phone call to her parents elicited that it was an attack of asthma as she had forgotten her inhaler at home. Thankfully she normalized after a while. But the memory of those agonizing 15 minutes still remains etched in my mind.

What if something untoward had happened because of her and her parents' carelessness and our ignorance?

Even though awareness about asthma has increased manifold since then, it still remains a a major global health problem. A chronic, non communicable respiratory condition, asthma affects over 300 million people (10% of them being in India) and kills nearly 250,000 people every year. There is no cure for it, but with proper treatment and care most people can lead normal lives. However, poor control of asthma, and poor access to quality asthma treatment, can lead to serious consequences. Management of asthma is very much about controlling the condition with effective treatment. Strangely, for a condition that is so common, and can cause serious illness or death if not treated, there is no gold standard definitive diagnostic test for it. A clinical diagnosis based on symptoms is all that we have. The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) defines asthma by the 'history of respiratory symptoms such as wheeze, shortness of breath, chest tightness and cough that vary over time and in intensity, together with variable expiratory airflow limitation.'

This, coupled with fact that asthma symptoms mimic other respiratory diseases, could often lead to misdiagnosis. Whilst in the past, asthma was often under diagnosed, the pendulum now seems to have swung the other way, at least in some countries. Referring to a paper published by two London doctors in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, BBC says that 'asthma is now being over-diagnosed and trivialised, and that too many children are being incorrectly diagnosed with asthma, with inhalers being dispensed for no good reason'. The paper asks doctors to consider the use of more objective checks-testing nitrogen oxide levels and blood tests -if they are unsure about a diagnosis. And if a child is not getting better despite asthma medication, then, instead of increasing doses automatically, the possibility of an incorrect diagnosis should be considered.

In another study done in Canada, researchers found that one third of the adults diagnosed with asthma in the past 5 years showed no signs of the condition on retesting--either because it had got better or they were wrongly diagnosed in the first place. They were able to safely stop taking asthma medicines under medical supervision.

While the problem of unnecessary and over treatment of asthma seems to be present in the developed countries, many people around the world still lack access to basic effective treatment. In a webinar recently organised by CNS (Citizen News Service), Dr Kevin Mortimer, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Liverpool School of Medicine, stressed that poor asthma control and poor access to quality asthma treatment, can lead to serious consequences and impairments. He informed that the inhaler treatment comprises (i) reliever treatment-- as and when required, and (ii) regular preventive treatment that can stop the symptoms from arising in the first place. Inhaled corticosteroids are the most important asthma drugs and are on the WHO essential medicines list. Yet they remain out of reach for many of the world's poor who have asthma. Most rural areas are underserved by health services. To achieve effective asthma care for all, especially the rural poor, health systems need to be strengthened, and a key part of that strengthening is having access to funded basic quality asthma treatment, believes Dr Mortimer.

Prof Surya Kant, Head of Respiratory Medicine Department, King George's Medical University, recommends a 6-D approach for management of asthma: (i) Doctor (who knows how to deal with asthma (ii) Diagnosis (correct diagnosis), (iii) Drug/Dosage (prescribe correct drug in right doses), (iv) Device (select the correct device for drug delivery), (v) Deliberation (interaction with patient for proper care), (vi) a(D)herence (to inhalation treatment therapy as advised by the doctor).

While there is effective treatment available to keep asthma under control in the majority of cases, Dr Mortimer acknowledges that "Our understanding of the disease (why do some people get it and others not, what factors contribute to its development, etc) still remains poor. There are many sub types of asthma, and it is not a single entity, as we normally believe. So there are about 10% patients whose asthma does not respond fully even to the best treatments available. We do not know why, but perhaps some genetic factors play a part in these cases."

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Little Rock Air Force Base ...574 -- 394 - 31k - jpg" alt="GoogleImages (LRAFB observes Police Week 2015 > Little Rock Air Force Base ...574 -- 394 - 31k - jpg)" class="wwscontentsmaller">LRAFB observes Police Week 2015 > Little Rock Air Force Base ...574 -- 394 - 31k - jpg

(Details DMCA

Little Rock Air Force Base ...574 -- 394 - 31k - jpg" alt="GoogleImages (LRAFB observes Police Week 2015 > Little Rock Air Force Base ...574 -- 394 - 31k - jpg)" class="wwscontentsmaller">LRAFB observes Police Week 2015 > Little Rock Air Force Base ...574 -- 394 - 31k - jpg Image by littlerock.af.mil

As the officer breathed a sigh of relief, Crutcher's father, Reverend Joey Crutcher issued this statement saying, "Let it be known that I believe in my heart that Betty Shelby got away with murder." Also, let it be said that she is not the only officer who has got away with murder.

According to Betty Shelby, "We're not trained to stop a threat, and by all indications, he was a threat." Perhaps the training should include, "Only shoot when all other options have been exhausted." Furthermore, no weapon was found in the vehicle or on Crutcher at the time of the shooting.

Once again, cries of "No justice, No peace, No racist police!" will be heard around the country but to no avail. The killing of unarmed black men in America has become the norm and the outcome of the verdict, as far as police officers are concerned, has become a foregone conclusion.

Rest in peace Terence Crutcher
It was time to DE-clutter my coffee table, which was groaning under the weight of too much mail and reading material. So, I began. The first newsletter I read from the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) would almost have me on the verge of tears. I'm not the one in my family who cries easily. My older sister does, but the EDF article "Trial by fire" brought me very close to angry tears.

On a day that usually makes Americans proud and happy, too many of us weren't.

On this day--January 20, 2017--Donald Trump became our president. If that wasn't bad enough, on this same day at high noon, EPA's climate website went dark. What a terrible way to start a presidency by showing contempt for an environmental agency.

EDF staffers had been alerted to this happening, and their legal team kicked into gear. They filed a request with the EPA under the Freedom of Information Act to restore public access to data. The Trump administration's attempt to conceal the truth was thwarted by their timely action. This set in motion a legal process to ensure the preservation of health and air-pollution data. General Counsel Vickie Patton observed: "During these extraordinary times, the law is our strongest ally."

Then, four days later, rumors spread that there was a plan to permanently take down all climate-related material from the EPA's website. But EDF attorneys Peter Zalzal and Martha Roberts put together a team of over a dozen young attorneys and legal fellows to address this fear. Together they huddled around their laptops in EDF offices in Boulder, CO, and Washington, D.C. They managed to download data sets to ensure that climate information compiled over the years wasn't lost. I believe we owe this group a debt of gratitude.

Zalzal observed "This scientific data is the foundation for sound environment and health policy. To eliminate it would be unprecedented." Thankfully, because of their timely work and the work of others, the administration backed off.

It is good to know that we have these environmental lawyers defending the public interest.

They oppose any retreat from the Paris Climate Agreement. They even have managed to convince companies like Walmart that environmental protection pays. Walmart has been an EDF partner for more than ten years, and they have pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by one billion tons by 2030.

The EDF has also done considerable environmental work in some states. With their help, Illinois passed a law that will double the state's renewable energy by 2030 and cut power-sector carbon pollution by more than half.

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
"Specialists without spirit, sensualists without heart; this nullity imagines that it has attained a level of civilization never before achieved." Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

"In this frightful round of unchecked means, nobody knows any longer where they are going, purposes are forgotten, and ends are overtaken. Human beings have set off at astronomically high speeds toward nowhere." Jacques Ellul, Presence in the Modern World

In a previous article I argued that those who think science can solve our major social problems -- in particular, world destruction with nuclear weapons and the poisoning of the earth's ecology and atmosphere -- were delusional and in the grip of the myth of science and technology. These problems were created by science when it became untethered from any sense of limits in its embrace of instrumental rationality. Once it became wedded to usefulness and the efficiency of technical means, it lost its original aim: the search for truth. (Obviously this doesn't include all scientists.) In embracing means as ends, it produced an endless loop of means justifying means that has resulted in what Weber called an "iron cage." Concomitantly, the ideology of pure objectivity and impartial innocence was joined to elite state power and the capitalist profit motive where it was supported and instantaneously and completely applied to technical applications, including nuclear, biological, chemical and "conventional" weapons; bio-engineering; GMO foods and people; eugenics and cloning; and chemical/oil production, etc. It is indisputable that if our planet is incinerated or slowly destroyed through toxic pollution that modern science with its Faustian "prohibition to prohibit" will stand indicted, if anyone is left to make the case.

Albert Camus warned us long ago:

And even though we do it in diverse ways, we extol one thing and one alone: a future world in which reason will reign supreme. In our madness, we push back the eternal limits, and at once dark Furies swoop down upon us to destroy. Nemesis, goddess of moderation, not of vengeance, is watching. She chastises, ruthlessly, all those who go beyond the limit.

Ostensibly rational, the illogical logic of modern science has resulted in a mystifying double-bind that denies human freedom and leads to widespread despair and hopelessness. Many people feel trapped by this deterministic ethos, while others fail to see that the cause of our problems can't be their solutions.

In this essay I will explore the possibility of a path out of the seeming impossibility of escaping the cul-de-sac of our spiritually disinherited and disenchanted condition.

Max Weber argued that modern rational capitalism was informed by a religious impetus of inner-directed worldly asceticism derived from Protestant Christianity. In essence, modern capitalism was a religion. Likewise, modern mainstream science, despite the discoveries of quantum physics, rests upon a materialistic presupposition that is a self-contradictory act of faith that it denies to others. Committed to determinism, this materialistic scientific world view offers no basis for its truth claim since what is determined cannot be disputed when it wasn't freely chosen. To espouse a position that was predetermined is to choose nothing. In essence, such science is also a religion that, like capitalism, serves no end but its own regeneration.

Is it any wonder that so many people feel trapped on an endless merry-go-round that contradicts their felt experience and their hopes for a better world? They look around and see a mad world of war and lies and science run amok. The physical scientists tell them that everything started with a bang and will end with a bang or a whimper of one sort or another and that's how it goes since when did people so puny think they were anything but specks in a vast cosmos of meaningless gas that will devour them in a few billion years, give or take a year or so. The psych folks tell them they are the products of their brain chemicals and neurotransmitters and must submit "freely" to chemical treatment if they know what's good for them and want to be happy. The social scientists insist that all knowledge is socially conditioned and relative and therefore everything they think and feel is also relative and so they are lost souls forever wandering in a world of relativity where true wisdom is impossible and the difference between right and wrong is a relative choice that has no basis in any "reality." And of course the power elites and media play with their minds in endless games of mind control as they insist the only real truth comes through screens that they control. Mind and body warped, so many people stumble through their days like the living dead in search of some exit from their pain and confusion.

Or to say it differently. Science -- both physical and social -- has resulted in the systematization of doubt and the embrace of the relativity of thought and knowledge. The modern predicament is such that whereas in former times people felt that their knowledge was fact or truth and that it was grounded in a physically palpable reality, we have been exposed to systematic doubt and the suspicion has grown that all the various standpoints are limited and "relative." While not consciously espoused by the majority of people, this doubting worldview permeates social life as a vague insecurity and uncertainty. It may be left to intellectuals to circulate such relativizing ideas, but they have become part of the cultural air we breathe. For people today in a scientifically based society, faced with the relativizing of all knowledge and every eternal verity, the question of how to understand their deaths, and thus their lives, has become acutely problematic. Uncertainty has undermined people's wills as they have forgotten they are free.

The question that modernity forces us to ask is this: once knowledge is seen to be relative; old cosmologies are transformed by science; symbol systems and religions are seen as the products of humans' own creativity; reality is understood to be socially constructed; once these developments take place consciously and unconsciously, how then can people understand their lives and deaths and find the confidence to live in peace and harmony with the earth and all living creatures?

Tolstoy put it this way: "Science is meaningless because it gives no answer to our question, the only question important for us: 'What shall we do and how shall we live?' "

In order to make our way out of this maze, we might contemplate the underlying presupposition that "everything is relative." That, of course is an absurd position. Everything can't be relative when the statement "everything is relative" is an absolute statement. Joined to that, one can muse on the self-contradiction of materialistic determinism and perhaps glimpse an escape from the iron cage, the prison, the closed room, the garbage pail, or the no-exit -- so many terms that our best writers have used to describe the modern condition.

Rudolf Steiner did that as follows in The Philosophy of Freedom:

Materialism can never offer a satisfactory explanation of the world. For every attempt at an explanation must begin with the formation of thoughts about the phenomena of the world. Materialism, thus, begins with the thought of Matter or material processes. But, in doing so, it is ipso facto confronted by two different sets of facts, viz., the material world and the thought about it. The materialist seeks to make these latter intelligible by regarding them as purely material processes. He believes that thinking takes place in the brain, much in the same way that digestion takes place in the animal organs. Just as he ascribes mechanical, chemical, and organic processes to Nature, so he credits her in certain circumstances with the capacity to think. He overlooks that, in doing so, he is merely shifting the problem from one place to another. Instead of to himself he ascribes the power of thought to Matter. And thus he is back again at his starting-point. How does Matter come to think of its own nature?

But these are intellectual exercises and are therefore probably not very helpful to the average person.

Next Page 1 | 2 | 3

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Samuel Hernandez Leads Day 1b of the 888Live Barcelona Main Event

May 19, 2017 Paul Seaton

Day 1b of the 888Live Poker Festival Barcelona Main Event received another 172 entries added to Day 1as 104 registrations, and when the play concluded, Samuel Hernandez led the way with 247,600 chips.

Day 1b welcomed several of 888pokers stable of stars into the Main Event, but it was one of the biggest names in the field who would bust early.

Cate Hall was gone in Level 2 when she called all in for her tournament life when she hit her flush on the river, only for that card to give her opponent a full house. She was not the only one heading for an early trip around Barcelonas many hotspots.

Oleg Egorov lost when his two-pair was flushed on the river. High roller crusher Catalin Pop saw his bubble burst when his ballsy shove with ace-high was called by Tomas Fara, who rivered a full house for good measure.

If the early losers defined the first forays, Fara dominated the latter levels. William Kassouf came and went very quickly. Daragh Daveys incisively pinned Thierry Gogniat to rake in a decent stack. But the Czech player Fara was always accumulating chips in the background.

Coming back from the dinner break with an above average 54,000, Faras biggest hand was when he flopped two-pair against a king-high flush draw for Gregor Waltermann. The pair were all in on the flop, and after surviving turn and river, Fara had 200,000 and the chip lead in the room. He would end the day marginally higher on 207,100.

In the end, Samuel Hernandez would take the biggest stack of Day 2 from Day 1b. There are plenty of talented names in his rearview, however.

Oscar Romero (236,700), [Removed:312] (236,700 also), Jose Manuel Cesepims (196,100) and Jose Manuel Henriques (190,100) will all feel like they have a great chance of overtaking the chip leader when Day 2 takes place.

Before that, of course, there is tomorrows Day 1c, which kicks off at the earlier time of 3 p.m. local time. Thats gone down very well with players who took today off, but the efforts of those deep into the night here on Day 1b may see a flurry of late registrations as those who ran out of luck late in the day catch up on some much needed sleep as recourse for a grueling first day at the felt.

The PokerNews team will be back in action to bring you every bink, bust-out or blow-up from 3 p.m. tomorrow afternoon as we find out which players will make Day 2 and if the 500,000 guarantee is exceeded.

End of Day Notables and Big Stacks

Player Chip Count Samuel Hernandez 247,600 Oscar Romero 236,700 Tomas Fara 207,100 Jose Manuel Cesepims 196,100 Jose Manuel Henriques 190,000 [Removed:312] 188,800 Daniel Soler 165,600 Haykel Cherif Vidal 159,000 Daniel Lopez 126,500 Antonio Saez Zamorano 106,900 Kaido Koorits 93,200 Marti Roca 73,500 Sebastian Langrock 71,100
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.




Innovative workshops empower youth, protect the environment, and promote resilience in indigenous communities

By: Malteser International Americas

www. orderofmaltarelief. org

Contact

Jill Watson

***@malteser- international.org Jill Watson

End

-- Often rural communities are the first who experience the direct effects of climate change, the pang of malnutrition, and the harsh reality of inadequate health care. To shed light on the most pressing issues affecting children and families, the community, and the environment northern Colombia, Malteser International Americas brought together a group of yet unknown community change makers  indigenous youth, school children, teachers, local police officers, and struggling farmers  and captured on film their transformation to make a difference, become environmental advocates, and change the course of their future."We continue to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable Afro-Colombian communities and the indigenous people of La Guajira and Magdalena through innovative projects that involve the very people we are helping, so they can play a role in creating better futures for themselves with our help," said Ravi Tripptrap, Executive Director, Malteser International Americas.An intensive week-long workshop brought together 20 members from the community of varying ages and backgrounds to address critical issues affecting the world around them, and to eradicate stereotypes, build their self-confidence and technical skills, and create change amongst themselves and in their community."The inhabitants of this region have felt the catastrophic consequences of the changing climate, and malnutrition. As a result, livelihoods have been threatened and families have been hit hard," said Jelena Kaifenheim, Regional Manager Latin America and Caribbean, Malteser International Americas. "Our community-based initiatives build skills, empower, and improve the resiliency of entire communities.Beginning with a series of transformative sessions and cathartic discussions, the group spent seven days working alongside acclaimed documentary filmmakers from Human Pictures, who taught the group how to use video cameras and technology to tell a story, interview members of the community, and edit the film for its final cut.Simultaneously, with their own cameras, the Human Pictures team captured the personal and collective transformation of the group in the short documentary film: "We are the Environment. Communities United." ( youtu.be/hMiX0N44Q0U ).Going above and beyond a human interest story, the film peers into the lives of the very people whom our health and nutrition and climate change adaptation programs help."Working with Malteser International Americas, we affirmed our belief that part of politically committed filmmaking is transferring our knowledge and also the means of production so communities can actively represent themselves,"said Juan Mejia, Director at Human Pictures.The week-long transformation was celebrated at a pop-up community film festival where the change makers debuted their film and visually express to their community the effects of climate change, the impact of their daily actions, and how they can create a better future for all.This workshop was in part made possible by our partners on-the-ground ABIUDEA (Association of Biologists of the Universidad de Atlantico) and PDPC (Programa de Desarrollo y Paz del Cesar/Development and Peace Program of Cesar), and with the generous support of the German Development Ministry (BMZ).Malteser International Americas has been on the ground bringing relief to indigenous people and Afro-Colombians in northern Colombia affected by armed conflict and internal displacement since 2014, especially in the departments of Magdalena and La Guajira. As a result of the conflict, the Colombians in the region suffer from malnourishment and lack food security. To address these issues, and to help people live healthier lives with dignity, Malteser International Americas expanded its relief and development work in Colombia.Last year, Malteser International Americas was at the helm of international relief and tackled some of the greatest challenges facing the Americas.In Colombia, the organization: Protected 1,200 pregnant women and their unborn babies from the Zika virus by providing prevention kits to often neglected populations where stagnant water is an ideal breeding ground for mosquitos; Improved community-based health in 23 indigenous communities (5,500 people) by training community health agents and saved 700 undernourished children with food support and training on nutrition of their mothers and other women in the community. Provided support for clean-up measures in northern Colombia following floods resulting from Hurricane Matthew and distributed mattresses and 200 hygiene kits to affected families.
Last Weeks Most Popular Reviews

The most-read reviews on publishersweekly.com last week were...

#1

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body

#2

Black Detroit: A Peoples History of Self-Determination

#3

The World of Tomorrow

#4

The Scribe of Siena

#5

Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 20012011

From the Newsletters

Tip Sheet

Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich, author of the true crime and memoir hybrid The Fact of a Body, picks the 10 best true crime books.

Childrens Bookshelf

Talking with Chelsea Clinton about her new childrens book, She Persisted.

BookLife Report

A look at the latest crop of new and forthcoming books by YouTube stars.

PW Daily

Sign up for PW Daily to get every days publishing news delivered to your inbox free.

Find out more about these and other great, free newsletters.

Podcasts

Week Ahead

PW senior writer Andrew Albanese discusses an effort by publishers and other major corporations to support federal library funding, and breaks down a closely watched copyright case that could have a huge impact on the used e-book market.

More to Come

Interviews with writer Scott Snyder about his work on Batman, Ethan Rilly about the latest issue in his acclaimed Pope Hats series, and more.

KidsCast

Philip C. Stead and Matthew Cordell talk about The Only Fish in the Sea, a daring naval rescue starring the heroine from Special Deliveryand a lot of unruly monkeys.

PW Radio

Joshua Ferris discusses his first short story collection, The Dinner Party. And PW editorial director Jim Milliot looks ahead to what attendees can expect at this years BookExpo and BookCon.

Blogs

ShelfTalker

How one childrens bookstore is handling the craze of the moment: fidget spinners.
Correa Re-ups at Atria

In a world rights acquisition, Johanna Castillo at Atria bought two more novels by Armando Lucas Correa. The Silence Between Us and The Night Travelers were sold by Alexandra Machinist at ICM Partners. Machinist said the titles complete the loose trilogy Correa launched with The German Girl (published by Atria in 2016), about the survivors of the SS St. Louis. The ship is infamous for a 1939 voyage meant to take European Jews, fleeing the Nazis, to Cuba. After the St. Louis was turned away there, as well as by the U.S. and Canada, a number of the refugees were scattered throughout Europe, where many died in concentration camps. The novels, which will be released in Spanish and English, are slated, respectively, for winter 2019 and winter 2021.

Graywolf Gets Poetic with Pulitzer Winner

Jeff Shotts at Graywolf Press took world rights to a new poetry collection by Tracy K. Smith called Wade in the Water. The book marks the authors first poetry title since her 2012 Pulitzer Prizewinning collection, Life on Mars (which Graywolf also published). Shotts said Water, which is scheduled for April 2018, finds current urgency in voices from the past while addressing a range of topics including American wars, immigration, environment, race, gender, and parenthood. Smith did not use an agent in the deal.

Bloomsbury Enters Culture Wars with Egginton

Johns Hopkins University professor and author William Egginton (The Man Who Invented Fiction) sold North American rights to a new book, about the current strain of liberalism on college campuses, to Bloomsbury. Anton Mueller acquired The Splintering of the American Mind, which Bloomsbury described as a look at the identity liberalism that has infected university campuses nationwide. The publisher said Egginton makes the case that individual freedom has always only been possible in the context of the larger community, and that balance needs to be restoredthrough attention to what is taught at the college and university level, and how. Michael Carlisle at Inkwell Management represented Egginton in the deal, and the book is set for a spring 2018 publication.

Apostols Latest to Soho Press

Soho Presss Mark Doten bought world English rights to Gina Apostols The Unintended. The novel is the follow-up to the authors lauded 2012 release, Gun Dealers Daughter (Norton); its about two women working on the same story about the Philippine-American War, which took place between 1899 and 1902. The publisher said the book explores the lives of these womenone is an American filmmaker and the other is a Filipino-American translatorand how they develop competing narratives of a massacre that took place during the war. Kirby Kim at Janklow & Nesbit represented Apostol.

Pegasus Nabs Book on Saudi Aramco

Claiborne Hancock at Pegasus Books bought North American rights to Ellen R. Walds Saudi Inc. William Clark, who has an eponymous shingle and represented Wald, said the book chronicles the rise of the wealthiest energy company in the world, Saudi Aramco. The book tells a tale, Clark said, about the family of Bedouin tribesmen who ruthlessly and shrewdly maneuvered to control this multi-trillion-dollar enterprise and peels back the persistent image of the Saudis as simply religious zealots who do nothing more than drill holes in the ground. Wald covers energy and global politics for Forbes.

Oliver Bio to Penguin Press

A currently untitled biography of poet Mary Oliver, by Lindsay Whalen, was acquired by Ann Godoff at Penguin Press. Godoff took U.S., Canadian, and open market rights to the book from Melanie Jackson at the Melanie Jackson Agency. Oliver, who happens to be published by Penguin Press, has won both a Pulitzer and a National Book Award. Earlier this year, Whalen was named a recipient of a fellowship from the Levon Levy Center for Biography (which is based at the City University of New York and awards four biography fellowships every September). A publication date for the book has not been set.

Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that The Unintended was Gina Apostol's second novel; it is her her fourth. Additionally, the scheduled publication date for Tracy K. Smith's poetry collection, Wade in the Water, has been updated.
Business books have long counseled leaders to embrace change, and for the past several years many of these titles have aimed to help readers navigate the uncertain times that have come along with dizzying technological advancements. This season, new books focus on helping leaders use change to their best advantageand on giving them the tools to do so.

The Robot as Colleague

Most people have heard about artificial intelligence or have experienced it in their lives, says Angela Zutavern, a v-p at Booz Allen Hamilton and coauthor of The Mathematical Corporation (PublicAffairs, June). But whether its government entities or large or small companies, very few have begun to think past the tech itself and ask, What does this mean for leadership? 

Through a series of case studies, Zutavern and Josh Sullivan, her coauthor and a senior v-p for analytics at Booz, show how organizations as varied as Bloomberg, Berkeley Lab, and the U.S. Census Bureau, among others, are finding ways for human creativity to coexist with groundbreaking technology. What makes each company successful, Zutavern says, is the ability to recognize that we all have inherent beliefs about what is possibleand the ability to shatter those constraints.

Shifts in the marketplace and the workplace may inspire a WTF? reaction, and that abbreviation is also the title of Harper Business book pubbing in Octoberbut in this case, it stands for whats the future? The edgy title of the book, written by Silicon Valley publisher Tim OReilly, captures the worry and the wonder of this time, which leads to the confusion and open set of questions that we have to address, says WTFs editor, Hollis Heimbouch.

The author, who founded OReilly Media, draws on decades of experience covering tech to illustrate how increasingly intelligent machines are changing the way we work and how they could impact the way we address our most pressing social concerns. People are looking very critically at all kinds of institutions, Heimbouch says, and asking what role we want governments, states, and individuals to play.

One of the more charged questions surrounding the evolution of digital technology is, Are the robots going to take our jobs or not? says Norton senior editor Brendan Curry, who edited Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfees The Second Machine Age (2014). That book, Curry says, tapped into an anxiety that people feel and found a compelling way to talk about it. The authors, who lead MITs Center for Digital Business, proposed that advanced digital technologies that make use of networking innovation and artificial intelligence will cause a revolution on par with the advent of the steam engine or electricity.

The book sold wellabout 687,000 print copies, per NPD Bookscanbut Brynjolfsson and McAfee found that it inspired more questions from their readers, Curry says: People always told them, I get your argumentbut what do I do with all that information? 

In July, Norton will publish the duos follow-up, which Curry also edited. Machine, Platform, Crowd examines the rise of three phenomena: intelligent machines; disruptive platforms such as Alibaba, Facebook, and Uber; and massive global networks of data. If youre in business, you need to think about how all these things interact, and the implications across all industriesnot just high-tech, Curry says. Successful companies, the book asserts, will find a way for these powerful innovations to coexist alongside the more people-oriented aspects of the business worldincluding human ingenuity and a core network of customers.

After the Idea, the Road Map

Another well-regarded business book, Blue Ocean Strategy, has sold millions of copies worldwide since its 2005 release, according to publisher Harvard Business Review Press. Coauthors W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgnes messagethat successful companies eschew competitive, overcrowded markets (or red oceans) and instead pursue untapped markets (or blue oceans)still has global appeal; the concept is now taught in more than 2,800 business schools, says Mauro DiPreta, publisher at Hachette Books, who edited the books follow-up, Blue Ocean Shift (Sept.).

Books that succeed on the level of Blue Ocean Strategy can appeal to anyone along the spectrum of employment, DiPreta says. It could be a middle manager, a chairman, the owner of a mom-and-pop shop. It doesnt matter: Youre still looking at the same issue. He admits that he was skeptical that there was more to say on the subject, but says he realized that the books readers needed help applying it to their reality.

Renee said that the biggest question [readers asked] was, Okay, what if were fighting in a hotly contested marketplacewhat do we do?  DiPreta says. I could relate to that as a book publisher: were all fighting for the same readers. Blue Ocean Shift, he says, addresses the five steps I can take, right now, to look at my business differently.

Simon Sineks Find Your Why (Portfolio, Sept.), another practical follow-up to a bestselling business book, is a workbook that enables readers to apply the lessons of Sineks Start with Why (2009), which has sold 567,000 print copies, per BookScan. Start, which uses a simple formula to help people articulate and understand their motivations, has sold more copies year over year since it was first published, according to Portfolio publisher Adrian Zackheim.

At some point, [Sinek] started conducting sessions with individual and business clients to help [them] figure out their why, Zackheim says, and this evolved into an online product that has become very popular. Find Your Why, which will be released as a paperback original, mirrors the Why Discovery courses that Sinek facilitates alongside colleagues and coauthors Peter Docker and David Mead.

Firsthand Accounts from the Future

One powerful example of Sineks thesisthat a well-defined purpose is written into the DNA of leading companiesis evident in electric-car-maker Teslas goals for sustainable-energy innovation, first in automobiles, and later in homes and beyond. This fall, as Tesla prepares to release the $35,000 Model 3, its first mass-produced, lower-priced electric car, Dutton will publish Insane Mode (Oct.), written by San Francisco journalist Hamish McKenzie, who spent just over a year as a writer for Tesla.

The books editor, Stephen Morrow, says that Insane gives readers a close look at CEO Elon Musks invention and inspirational leadership. While it might not fit the traditional model of a business book, Morrow says, the strength of the narrative comes in part from the authors outsider perspective: [McKenzie] was a tech reporter, having long reported on Asia. Hes this unassuming kind of guy. Being an outsider like that gives a story a sense of integrity and honesty.

A large-scale shift in the automotive industry still seems far off, but were already living in a world in which ordering almost anything online is as commonplace as buying it in a store. This particular revolution has been led by U.S. companies such as Amazon and Chinas juggernaut Alibabaone of the worlds largest e-commerce companies, with a market capitalization close to $300 billion. Six Billion Shoppers (St. Martins, Oct.), a combination of reportage and advice, posits that we in the U.S. can learn a lot from the way that e-commerce is growing in developing countries such as China, India, and Nigeria. Its author, like Insanes McKenzie, has intimate knowledge of his subject: Porter Erisman served as v-p and head of marketing for Alibaba before leaving to produce a documentary about the company, Crocodile in the Yangtze, and writing Alibabas World, which St. Martins published in 2015.

In the advertising industry, the much-discussed phenomenon of disruption has been so profound that todays most impactful ads have no resemblance to their forebears, according to Andrew Essex in The End of Advertising (Random/Spiegel & Grau, June). The books editor, Emi Ikkanda, says that The End opens with a very provocative challenge to the ad industry: innovate or perish. Essex, now executive director of Tribeca Enterprises (responsible for the Tribeca Film Festival and other film-related projects), charts the decline of traditional advertising through his own career trajectory, from magazine publishing positions at the New Yorker and Interview, among others, to leading award-winning agency Droga5, which has worked with clients as diverse as J.P. Morgan Chase and Jay Z.

Theres a lot of hand-wringing in the ad industry, and bizarre nostalgia, and this idea that the shifting ground is something to stop, Ikkanda says. Essex is able to step outside the doom and gloom in the industry and say, This tech is game-changing and its thrillingits forcing us to be creative. 

Fulfilling Our Potential

If the technological ideal, as many of these books suggest, is to give each of us the space and time to make the most of our own ingenuity, then the next task is to explore how best to define ourselves, as workers and as leaders.

In Radical Transformational Leadership (North Atlantic, Nov.), physician and longtime United Nations adviser Monica Sharma illustrates how leaders can ensure that inspirational talk becomes effective action. There is a lot of literature on the people who have disrupted something, Sharma says, but there is a distinction between a disrupter who is primarily using technology and one who is using technology based on values.

Through a combination of case studies and advice, Sharma challenges corporate and nonprofit leaders alike to move beyond self-promotional, headline-driven lets-fix-it ideas of the month, as she calls them, and to ask themselves to find purpose in their work at the personal, team, and organizational levels.

Then theres the question of the right amount of workas well as the right combination of information, technology, and human interactionall pondered by Julia Hobsbawm in Fully Connected (Bloomsbury, June). The book argues that in this age of overload, as the subtitle puts it, our social healththe health of our networks and our relationshipsis as crucial as our physical health. Maintaining it, Hobsbawm writes, takes a combination of time, information, and network management.

Some workers see technology as a threat, encroaching on available jobs or cannibalizing attention; some see it as an enabler, empowering people to move seamlessly between work and life; still others see it as both. Regardless, theres no doubt that technology has changed the definition of work. In the introduction to Thriving in the Gig Economy (Career Press, July), author Marion McGovern defines a gig as a job of uncertain duration in any field. McGovern, founder of professional-services firm M Squared, offers independent consultants advice on how to manage a digital brand and footprint, name their price, and sell and deliver the work. She also advocates for government and workplace policies to support the growing number of people working outside the bounds of traditional employment.

This isnt to say that full-time entrepreneurship is the only way to find fulfillment through work. Not everyone wants to quit their job or can quit their job, says Chris Guillebeau, who in Side Hustle (Crown Business, Sept.) offers a 27-day plan for launching a project that can coexist alongside a full-time position elsewhere.

He draws from his experience pulling together a varied career based on his passions, including travel (hes visited more than 175 countries), which he detailed in 2012s The $100 Startup. Unlike that book, which focused on creating a small business from scratch, Side Hustle, Guillebeau says, is about creating an asset that has the potential to earn money while youre doing something else.

The idea that career advancement isnt only about ones job also figures into Passion Projects for Smart People (Quill Driver, Nov.), which aims to help enterprising professionals and academics push the boundaries of their careers through research projects, applying for grants, and pursuing other low-cost, high-energy opportunities. Author Michael R. Wing, a California high school science teacher, has pursued fieldwork across several continents and has collaborated with organizations including NASA and the National Parks Service.

Once a person factors in all of her side projects, burgeoning skills, and other extracurriculars, it can be a challenge to answer the question, What do you do? Tell Me About Yourself (Berrett-Koehler, Sept.) offers a six-step action plan to help readers better position themselves in todays workplace by creating compelling, well-rounded autobiographical stories.

Some people reduce themselves to one thing, [such as,] Im a writer,  says author Holley Murchison, whose San Franciscobased communications agency, Oratory Glory, trains students, activists, and organizations to understand and articulate their personal stories. But as so many move into freelance work, we need to more intentionally approach the question.

Sarah J. Robbins is an independent writer, editor, and content strategist.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article misstated Insane Mode author Hamish McKenzie's position and length of service at Tesla. He was a writer there for just over a year.

Below, more on the subject of business books.

Women in the Workplace: Business Books 2017

Conversations around a womans role in the workplace, and in society at large, are as spirited as ever.

An Entrepreneurs Calling Card: Business Books 2017

Three new books on our Hardcover Nonfiction list each hark back to earlier eras of U.S. politics. Plus A Dogs Way Home keeps W. Bruce Camerons franchise wagging along, and retired Cubs catcher David Ross hits one more home run.
Just as it officially launches a new generation conditional access system designed to enable operators to take control of their own security, RSCrypto has joined the Frog by Wyplay convergent TV community.

The Frog by Wyplay Community comprises more than 150 companies encompassing the entire broadcast ecosystem and its aim is to foster an open ecosystem around TV technologies made available in an open source model. This approach, it says, yields greater speed to market, a richer feature set, and lower costs compared with traditional proprietary development of pay-TV solutions.We really appreciate the spirit of open source software, which stimulates more creativity and innovation. In the meantime, we are glad to see more and more companies have found their own business model to monetise their solution, commented RSCrypto COO and co-founder Levent Le."As an innovator in the content security industry with an open-minded attitude, we strongly recommend operators own and drive their network security. We are pleased to join the Frog by Wyplay Community."Added Wyplay CMO Dominique Feral: We heartily welcome RSCrypto as our new Frog Partner, thereby deepening the Frog Communitys footprint in China. We have always believed that it was, and still is, the right time for operators to break free from lock-in. We are glad to share this same vision with RSCrypto.
Eutelsat has reached an agreement with Abertis Group on the sale of its 33.69% stake in Spanish satellite operator Hispasat to Abertis.

The agreed price for Eutelsats stake is 302 million, representing an EBITDA multiple of 7.1x based on Hispasats 2016 results. The closing of the transaction is subject to Spanish government approval and other customary conditions precedent, and is expected in the second half of calendar year 2017.Eutelsat said that the divestment of the stake was consistent with its strategy of rationalising its portfolio of assets in order to maximise cash generation.It first announced its intention to divest its stake in Hispasat in July 2016 when it exercised the option granted in 2008 by Abertis, Hispasats majority shareholder. It began negotiations with Spains Abertis in March 2017 The deal means that Abertis will own around 90% of Hispasat which during its last business year reported 228.9 million of revenues, a 4.2% increase compared with the previous year. By area, 35.4% of the revenue came from Europe and Northern Africa, while 64.6% came from the increasingly key North and South American markets. In January 2017, it launched the Hispasat 36W-1 satellite, while the Amazonas 5 and Hispasat 30W-6 craft are set for launch later this year.
Digicel has announced several appointments for its Dominican operations, following the recent moves in the island of its main competitor in the Caribbean, Cable & Wireless.

Nikima Noyer, a Dominican national, has been named CEO of the local operation, after having joined the company as customer care operations manager for Digicel Play in 2014. Prior to that, she served in senior roles for Discover Dominica Authority, Rainforest Aerial Tram and the Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association.Its an exciting time for Digicel Dominica having completed our multimillion investment in Digicel TV and most recently the addition of eight new mobile sites as part of our 4G network upgrades, commented Noyer.The appointment has been announced few days after Cable & Wireless, Digicels main competitor in the region, acquired the Dominica-based cableco Marpin in a move to strengthen its cable TV operation in the island.In line with Noyer's appointment, Digicel has also announced that Natalie Walsh has been promoted to head of commercial for Digicel Dominica with responsibility for both Digicel Play and its mobile operations.
Two police officers have been killed after gunmen in police uniforms attacked a bank in the southeastern province of Paktia, local officials say.

The May 20 attack targeted a branch of Kabul Bank in the provincial capital, Gardez.

Abdullah Hasrat, the provincial governor spokesman, said all three attackers were killed by security forces.

Thirty-one people injured were taken to hospital, said the head of the public health department for Paktia, Shir Mohammad Naqshbandi.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

This is not the first time a Kabul Bank branch has come under attack.

Militant groups such as the Taliban and Islamic State often carry out attacks in Afghanistan, including on banks where government employees collect their paychecks.

Based on reporting by dpa and Reuters
Tbilisi condemns any effort to drive a wedge between it and the European Union -- that was the message that emerged from a meeting on May 19 between Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Davit Dondua and Ambassador Herbert Salber, the EU special representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia.

Salber has been the target of outraged criticism from across the Georgian political spectrum for remarks he is reported to have made during a visit on May 16 to Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia in his capacity as one of the co-chairmen of the Geneva International Discussions that seek to resolve the humanitarian and security issues resulting from the August 2008 Russian-Georgian war.

Specifically, Salber was quoted by the press service of the region's new de facto president, Anatoly Bibilov, as congratulating Bibilov on the "recent elections" in April that he won and "the very important post" he now occupies.

Deputy Foreign Minister Davit Dondua and several Georgian opposition politicians immediately criticized Salber's imputed comments as recognition of Bibilov as South Ossetia's legitimate president, and thus as in direct contradiction of the EU's policy of nonrecognition of either South Ossetia or Abkhazia as legitimate polities. (The EU nonetheless continues to pursue a Non-Recognition and Engagement Policy with regard to Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The brainchild of Salber's predecessor as EU special representative, the Swedish diplomat Peter Semneby, it is intended, according to British scholar Thomas de Waal, to create a political and legal space within which the EU can "keep channels and options open," and maintain communication with the breakaway regions' leaders without compromising its adherence to Georgia's territorial integrity.)

Georgia's opposition United National Movement went so far as to argue that Salber's visit to Tskhinvali in itself constituted a violation of Georgia's territorial integrity, and to demand that Georgia insist that the EU recall Salber and appoint a replacement. Independent parliament deputy and former Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili argued that Salber should be designated "persona non grata."

In video footage made public after his May 19 meeting with Dondua and quoted by the website Civil.ge, Salber stressed that both the EU and he personally continued to support fully the principle of Georgia's territorial integrity. He also said that neither he nor the EU recognized the legitimacy of "the framework in which the elections took place."

At the same time, Salber stressed that the core of his mandate as special representative focuses on his role as co-chairman of the Geneva International Discussions. Those talks, of which 39 rounds have taken place to date, bring together representatives of the EU, the UN, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Russia, the United States, Georgia, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia.

In a June 2016 address to the OSCE's Annual Security Review Conference, Salber described those talks as "an original set-up built on ambiguities and broad inclusiveness." (One of those ambiguities is to facilitate the participation of representatives of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in a purely personal, rather than an official capacity in order to circumvent the question of formal recognition of those polities.) The UN and OSCE co-chairs accompanied Salber on his visits earlier this week to South Ossetia, and then to Abkhazia.

Dondua too alluded to the Geneva International Discussions after his meeting with Salber, affirming that it was "very important to do everything to ensure that no shadow is cast on the bilateral and multilateral formats, processes, and institutions which have crucial importance for Georgia and which are playing a very important role for maintaining peace, democracy, and for Georgia's development in general."

That circumspect formulation implies that Tbilisi may have construed the comments attributed by Bibilov's press service to Salber as an attempt (at Moscow's behest?) either to drive a wedge between Georgia and the EU and/or to sabotage the Geneva International Discussions.

During the most recent round of those talks (in March), "modest progress" was reportedly made toward an agreement between Russia and Georgia on the nonuse of military force, according to the Georgian Foreign Ministry. Tbilisi has been demanding such a document for years, while Moscow dismisses it as unnecessary on the grounds that the conflict is between Georgia on the one hand and South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other.

But after the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers issued a statement in early May reiterating its support for Georgia's territorial integrity and condemning the continued presence of Russian military bases on the territory of the two breakaway regions, the Russian Foreign Ministry countered with a statement questioning whether there was any point in "continuing the Geneva meetings in the current format."

The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL

CORRECTION: This article has been amended to clarify that it was the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers that issued a statement in early May reiterating its support for Georgia's territorial integrity
Afghan officials say controversial Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum has left the country amid claims that he ordered his men to abduct, beat, and rape a political rival last year.

Yaseen Khamosh, a media adviser to Dostum, told RFE/RL late on May 19 that Dostum had gone to Turkey for medical reasons.

Later, Bashid Ahmad Tayanj, an Afghan parliament member and the spokesman for Dostum's Junbish Party, said on Ayna TV that Dostum was on a flight to Turkey but would return after receiving medical treatment.

In a statement, presidential spokesman Shah Hussain Murtazawi said he wished Dostum "good health."

No details about Dostum's health were available.

The reports of Dostum's flight from Afghanistan come amid unresolved accusations that men loyal to him were involved in the kidnapping and abuse of a political rival last year.

The charges led to domestic and international calls for an investigation and for Dostum to be prosecuted.

The Afghan government did not comment on Dostum's future or if his departure was related to his alleged involvement in the abduction.

Tayanj dismissed speculation on social-media sites that Dostum was going into exile.

"General Dostum never leaves the country but remains alongside his people during difficult times," Tayanj said.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the 2016 detention of Ahmad Ishchi, who said he was abducted by Dostum's militia, beaten, and sexually abused before being released after several days.

But the powerful ethnic Uzbek warlord has evaded questioning and has not been charged with any offense.

"It's a stunning example of what has become standard practice in Afghanistan, not just for Dostum but for anyone in a position of power: having promised to deliver justice the government has shown itself ultimately unwilling to do so," says Patricia Gossman, Afghanistan researcher with New York-based Human Rights Watch.

In 2008, Dostum went into exile in Turkey amid similar allegations that his militia had abducted, beaten and sexually assaulted a political rival.

President Ashraf Ghani was heavily criticized when he chose Dostum to be his vice president ahead of the 2014 presidential election that he won.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan correspondent Stanikzai Safiullah
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, said Governor Valentyn Reznichenko. Ukrainian air defense destroyed some of the drones, but others hit targets. The Russian forces also used drones in an attack on the city of Dnipro, targeting a logistics enterprise. Reznichenko said four employees were wounded, and three of them are in serious condition in hospital.

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
-- Iranian officials have declared President Hassan Rohani winner of the May 19 vote with around 57 percent of ballots, easily avoiding a runoff against conservative former prosecutor Ebrahim Raisi, who was said to have received about 38.5 percent of votes cast.

-- In a victory speech, Rohani said the Iranian people were the "real victors" of the election and that Iran had chosen "engagement with the world" in voting for him, rejecting extremism. But as Rohani knows very well, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei holds ultimate political, military, and religious power in Iran, and can easily derail a campaign or thwart the plans of a president.

-- Six men were approved to run by the Guardians Council from more than 1,600 applicants, but it quickly boiled down to a two-man race between Raisi and Rohani, an establishment veteran who oversaw a breakthrough nuclear deal with world powers to ease sanctions and pushed for engagement with the West and greater openness for Iranians.

-- Raisi has long been talked about as a possible successor to Khamenei, and it's unclear what effect a landslide loss might have on his political ambitions.

*NOTE: Times are stated according to local time in Tehran (GMT +4 1/2)
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.
International mediators brokering a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict condemned recent cease-fire violations in the region in a statement issued on May 18.

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Igor Popov of Russia, Stephane Visconti of France, and Richard Hoagland of the United States, called upon the sides to take all necessary measures to prevent any further escalation in the conflict zone.

According to information collected from multiple reliable sources, on May 15, Azerbaijani armed forces fired a missile across the Line of Contact, striking military equipment. On the evening of May 16 and continuing into May 17, Armenian armed forces retaliated with mortar fire of various calibers.

"These actions by both sides represent significant violations of the cease-fire and are cause for alarm, the mediators said.

The mediators said there are contradictory reports regarding the targets of these recent strikes, as well as about casualties sustained and damages inflicted.

They said they would continue to collect further data and analysis to gain more complete and accurate information about the current situation.


Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte will visit Russia next week to meet President Vladimir Putin and strengthen ties as the outspoken Filipino leader seeks to diversify away from the island nation's longtime alliance with Washington.

Philippines Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Maria Cleofe Natividad said the highlight of the trip will be his May 25 meeting with Putin, who the Filipino leader has repeatedly praised.

We believe it will mark a new chapter in the Philippines-Russia relations, Natividad told reporters in Manila on May 19.

We consider this visit as a landmark that will send a strong message of the Philippines commitment to seek new partnerships and strengthen relations with nontraditional partners such as Russia.

Natividad said the president's visit is part of his vow to pursue an independent foreign policy by strengthening the Philippines ties with Russia and China, two of the strongest rivals of the United States.

But so far, Duterte has not made good on threats to cancel treaties with the United States which have permitted U.S. military bases and forces to be located within the country.

Putin extended an invitation to Duterte to visit at an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Peru in November.

Based on reporting by ABS-CBN News and TASS
For more than three years now, Qishloq Ovozi and the Majlis podcast have been following events in northern Afghanistan, in the provinces that border Central Asia, while the situation there went from concerning to unstable.

This reporting benefited greatly from the work and dedication of one person, Shamerdanguly Myrady, one of our correspondents in Afghanistan.

At significant personal risk, he has been making trips to northwest Afghanistan, his native area, to report on events as the situation there deteriorated. He just went again.

Myrady spent a week in Balkh, Jowzjan, and Sari Pul provinces at the start of May, and this is some of what he reported to RFE/RL's Turkmen Service, known locally as Azatlyk.

Myrady said there were many armed groups operating in northwestern Afghanistan -- "just in the Shortepa district, there are at least 10 [different] groups."

Shortepa is in the northwest corner of Balkh Province and it borders Uzbekistan. The people of Shortepa, an area with a mainly ethnic Turkmen population, told Myrady the Taliban and militants from the Islamic State extremist group were operating in the district. Locals also said some of the militants were from north of the border, from Central Asia.

Myrady met a man in Shortepa who called himself "commander" Abdul Menan, the leader of one of the local "uprising" militias. Speaking about the militants, Menan said, "Just in our area they killed at least 27 men and two women."

Menan said that despite appeals to the authorities, no help had arrived. "No other choice remained to us," he said, "other than selling our property -- carpets, cows -- to buy weapons and attack" the militants.

Myrady said that in conversations with people around the three provinces it became clear local militias were being formed in many areas.

The 209th Corps, or Shaheen Corps, is responsible for northern Afghanistan. The 209th is stretched thin and that is the reason militant groups have been able to bring so many districts in northern Afghanistan at least partially under their control.

Some people told Myrady the attack on the Shaheen Corps base in Mazar-e Sharif on April 22 that left more than 130 soldiers dead shattered the confidence of many people that government forces could protect them.

This has led to an increase of paramilitary formations in the area, such as Menan's group. Myrady said that based on what people told him, it seems paramilitary groups such as the Arbaky are now doing most of the fighting in districts away from the provincial capitals.

The lack of government control has other consequences. Myrady said there was more opium poppy cultivation in northwest Afghanistan than any time he could remember.

According to a 2016 UN report, Badghis Province, which borders Turkmenistan, is the second-largest producer of opium poppies among Afghanistan's 34 provinces. Badghis is west of Jowzjan and Balkh.

People Myrady encountered told stories of vehicles being stopped by Taliban fighters and some people being taken away, of insurgents that locals described as "Daesh" or IS militants beheading locals.

There were also tales about the Taliban collecting money from villagers for electricity supplied by Turkmenistan, or simply collecting "zakat," or taxes, from locals.

Myrady said it appeared small bazaars selling weapons and narcotics are operating in some districts of northwestern Afghanistan where militants are in control, including districts on the border with Turkmenistan.

Myrady's reporting sheds some small light on the dire situation in northwestern Afghanistan. Recent reports on fighting in northern Afghanistan came from battlefields in Kunduz and Badakhshan provinces, in northeastern Afghanistan, along the border with Tajikistan.

The situation appears no better in northwestern Afghanistan, it just doesn't get reported, which makes Myrady's trips all the more important.

Toymyrat Bugaev from Azatlyk contributed to this report. The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL
Final News Summary For September 1, 2017

-- EDITOR'S NOTE: We have started a new Ukraine Live Blog as of September 2, 2017. Find it here.

-- Ukraine says it will introduce new border-crossing rules from next year, affecting citizens of countries that pose risks for Ukraine.

-- The Association Agreement strengthening ties between Ukraine and the European Union entered into force on September 1, marking an end to four years of political drama surrounding the accord.

-- The trial of Crimean journalist Mykola Semena will resume later this month after the first hearing in weeks produced little progress toward a resolution of the politically charged case.

*NOTE: Times are stated according to local time in Kyiv (GMT +3)
The Washington Post is reporting that a senior White House adviser is a significant "person of interest" in the investigation of possible ties between Donald Trump's election campaign and Russia.

The May 19 report came amid a deepening political crisis for Trump, as an FBI investigation and three separate congressional committees probe alleged Russian meddling into the 2016 presidential campaign and possible ties to the Trump campaign.

The Justice Department on May 17 appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to oversee the investigation.

The Post report cited people familiar with the situation as its sources.

It came at the same time as a report was published by The New York Times that said Trump told Russian officials at a White House meeting last week that firing FBI Director James Comey relieved "great pressure" that the president was facing from the ongoing probe into Russia and the election.

According to the Times, Trump told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak that Comey was a nut job, the newspaper said, citing a document -- based on notes taken in the Oval Office -- summarizing the meeting and read to the newspaper by a U.S. official.

"I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," Trump reportedly said. "I faced great pressure because of Russia. Thats taken off."

By grandstanding and politicizing the investigation into Russias actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on May 19.

Before he was fired, Comey was leading the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election and possible ties to Trump's campaign.

The investigation would have always continued, and obviously, the termination of Comey would not have ended it," Spicer said. "Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations.

With reporting by The Washington Post, The New York Times, AFP, and Reuters


Countries & Areas

Search for country or area A Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan B Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi C Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Cote dIvoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia D Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic E Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia F Fiji Finland France G Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana H Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary I Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy J Jamaica Japan Jordan K Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan L Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg M Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique N Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway O Oman P Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Q Qatar R Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda S Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria T Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu U Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan V Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Y Yemen Z Zambia Zimbabwe
This page may have been moved, deleted, or is otherwise unavailable. To help you find what you are looking for:

Enter Search Term(s):

Still cant find what youre looking for? Send us a message using our contact us form. To report a broken link or other problems with the website, please include the URL.

Thank you for visiting state.gov.
If we want to make New Zealand a bully-free country then we are all going to have to work together.

Ahead of Bullying-Free NZ Week which takes place across the country from May 22-26, the Bullying Prevention Advisory Group launched a new website offering online resources to support schools, parents and their communities this week.

The www.BullyingFree.NZ resources include a new parent pack with information and tips for parents, carers and whanau on how to deal with and talk to children about bullying issues.

The website also includes resources for professional development workshops that step through what bullying is, responding to bullying behaviour, and bullying-prevention.

Bullying-Free NZ Week is an annual event run by the BPAG, a collaboration of 18 organisations which includes representatives from across the education, social, justice and health sectors, as well as Netsafe and human rights advocacy groups.

This years theme is NZ students with solutions - working together to end bullying, acknowledging the importance of listening to students voices and experiences, and the need for everyone to work together to prevent bullying behaviour.

Lorraine Kerr NZ School Trustees Association president says the awareness week is a chance to bring the whole school together to talk about the issue.

Real change happens when everyone shares responsibility for making sure schools are safe and inclusive.

Trustees have an important role in making sure their school takes steps to involve staff, students, parents and carers in developing robust processes that build a culture of inclusion and respect.

The week ends with Pink Shirt Day, 26 May, when New Zealanders speak up, stand together to stop bullying and celebrate diversity in schools, workplaces and communities. During the week, schools can run classroom activities, get students talking about bullying, and review their anti-bulling policy.

Secretary for Education Iona Holsted says all students need to feel safe and secure at school. School leaders, teachers, students and whanau need to work together to ensure that this is the case.

Unfortunately, bullying is a serious issue all schools will face at one time or another, which has a significant impact on students wellbeing and learning.

These new resources will help the whole school community  leaders, teachers, students, parents and whanau  to share a common understanding and commitment to tackling bullying behaviour.

NZ Police Prevention Manager: Community Focus Inspector Paula Holt says it is important schools work with parents and the wider school community to get the message out that bullying is never OK.

Police are committed to working with parents and communities, in particular schools, to help reduce bullying, she adds.

Bullying doesnt stop at the school gate. Adults have a role in modelling the behaviour they want to see at school and home, and effective prevention needs the support of the whole school community working together to build an environment where everyone feels safe.

While Netsafe chief executive officer Martin Cocker says increasingly bullying amongst students doesnt just happen at school. Often if the bullying is happening offline, its happening online too.

But one of the difficulties with online bullying is children can feel like theres no escape because it doesnt stop when they leave the school grounds, explains Martin.

Its important that parents and carers teach kids how to stay safe and where to get help if they need it, as well as how to behave positively toward each other online and offline.
The following companies are subsidiares of Prudential Financial: 210-220 E. 22nd Street SSGA Owner LLC, AIG Edison, AIG Star, AREF Cayman Co Ltd., AREF GP II Pte. Ltd., AREF GP Ltd., ASPF II - Feeder Fund GmbH, ASPF II - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, ASPF II Management GmbH, ASPF III Scots L.P., ASSURANCE, AST Investment Services Inc., Adlerwerke CB Investment LLC, Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones Habitat S.A., Administradora de Inversiones Previsionales SpA, Aoba Life Insurance Company, Aoba Life Insurance Company Ltd., Asia Property Fund III GP S.a.r.l., Assurance IQ LLC, Assurance Intelligence LLC, BSC CP LP, Braeloch Holdings Inc., Braeloch Successor Corporation, Brazilian Capital Fund GP Limited, Broad Street Global Advisors LLC, Broome Street Holdings LLC, CB German Retail LLC, CLIS Co. Ltd., COLICO INC., Capital Agricultural Property Services Inc., Chadwick Boulevard Investment Holdings Co. LLC, Cibecue LLC, Coconino LLC, Colico II Inc., Columbus Drive Partners L.P., Commerce Street Holdings LLC, Commerce Street Investments LLC, Coolidge LLC, Coral Reef GP, Coral Reef L.P., Coral Reef Unit Trust, Cottage Street Investments LLC, Cottage Street Orbit Acquisition LLC, DICKENS AVENUE HOLDINGS VI LLC, DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI Ireland L.P., DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI US L.P., Dale/P Minerals Limited Partnership, Don Cesar Investor LLC, Dryden Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Dryden Finance II LLC, EVP II GP S.a r.l., EVP II Horizon GP S.a r.l., EVP II Sprint GP S.a r.l., Edison Place Senior Note LLC, Essex LLC, EuroCore GP S.a r.l., European Value Partners GP S.a.r.l., Everbright PGIM Fund Management Co. Ltd., Flagstaff LLC, GA 1600 Commons LLC, GA 333 Hennepin Investor LLC, GA BV LLC, GA Bay Area GP LLC, GA Bay Area Investor LLC, GA Belden LLC, GA CLARENDON LLC, GA Cal Crossings LLC, GA Collins LLC, GA E. 22nd Street Apartments Holdings LLC, GA East 86 Street LLC, GA JHCII LLC, GA MENLO PARK INVESTOR LLC, GA Manor at Harbour Island LLC, GA Metro LLC, GA TRITON INVESTOR LLC, GA W Paces LLC, GA/MDI 333 Hennepin Associates LLC, GIBRALTAR BSN HOLDINGS SDN BHD, GIBRALTAR INDIA SOLUTIONS LLP, Gateway Holdings II LLC, Gateway Holdings LLC, German Retail Income CP LP, Gibraltar BSN Life Berhad, Gibraltar International Insurance Services Company Inc., Gibraltar International Service LLC, Gibraltar Reinsurance Company Ltd., Gibraltar Universal Life Reinsurance Company, Glenealy International Limited, Global Portfolio Strategies Inc., Gold GP Limited, Gold II L.P., Gold L.P., Graham Resources Inc., Graham Royalty Ltd., Green Harvest Asset Management LLC, Green Tree GP, Green Tree L.P., Greenlee LLC, Halsey Street Investments LLC, Hirakata LLC, IVP Fund GP LLC, Impact Investments Bridges UK S.a.r.l, Inter-Atlantic G Fund L.P., Inversiones Previsionales Chile SpA, Inversiones Previsionales Dos SpA, Ironbound Fund LLC, Jennison Associates LLC, Kyarra S.a r.l., Kyoei Annuity Home Co. Ltd. Kabushiki Kaisha Kyouei Nenkin Home, LINEUP LLC, Lake Street Partners IV L.P., Lotus Reinsurance Company Ltd., MC GA COLLINS HOLDINGS LLC, MC GA COLLINS REALTY LLC, MC Insurance Agency Services LLC, Manor at Harbour Island LLC, Marble Canyon LLC, Maricopa LLC, Market Street Holdings IV LLC, Montana Capital Partners, Morenci LLC, Mulberry Street Holdings LLC, Mulberry Street Investment L.P., Mulberry Street Partners LLC, Mullin TBG Insurance Agency Services LLC, MullinTBG Insurance Agency Services, National Family Assurance Group LLC, New Savanna, Northbound Emerging Manager Fund A LP, Northbound Emerging Manager Fund II - A LP, Orchard Street Acres Inc., PAI Bay Farm LLC, PAI Bayrock Groves LLC, PAI Belvidere Farms LLC, PAI Big Cypress Farm LLC, PAI Corcoran 640 Ranch LLC, PAI DeKalb Farm LLC, PAI Delano 1500 Ranches LLC, PAI Desert Falcon Farms Manager LLC, PAI Flicker Orchard LLC, PAI Good Hope Farm LLC, PAI Hawk Creek Ranch LLC, PAI Hills Valley Ranches LLC, PAI Holly Hill Groves LLC, PAI Hunt Farm LLC, PAI Jackson Bayou Farm LLC, PAI Lake Placid Groves LLC, PAI River Bend Ranches LLC, PAI Wallula Gap Vineyard LLC, PCP V Cayman AIV GP L.P., PEREF II Co-Invest 1 GP S.a r.l., PEREF II GP S.a r.l., PFI EM-Tech Fund I LLC, PG Business Service Co. Ltd, PG Collection Service Co. Ltd., PG Friendly Partners Co. Ltd., PGA Asian Retail Limited, PGA European Limited, PGI Co. Ltd, PGIM AC Co-Invest GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM AVP IV GP S.a r.l., PGIM Advisory Shanghai Co. Ltd., PGIM Agricultural Investments GP LLC, PGIM Australia Pty Ltd, PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Fund L.P., PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Partners LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Feeder VI LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Fund VI L.P., PGIM Custom Harvest LLC, PGIM DC Co-Invest GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM DC JV GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM DC Solutions LLC, PGIM European Financing Limited, PGIM European Services Limited, PGIM Financial Limited, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund II L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives GP LLC, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives II GP LLC, PGIM Foreign Investments Inc., PGIM Holding Company LLC, PGIM Holdings Limited, PGIM Hong Kong Ltd., PGIM INDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM INDIA TRUSTEES PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM IRELAND LIMITED, PGIM Inc., PGIM International Financing Inc., PGIM Investments Ireland Limited, PGIM Investments LLC, PGIM Japan Co. Ltd., PGIM Korea Inc., PGIM LTIF Berlin GP S.a r.l., PGIM LTIF Berlin MLP S.ar.l., PGIM LTIF GP S.a.r.l., PGIM Limited, PGIM Loan Originator Manager Limited, PGIM M Campus GP S.a r.l., PGIM Management Partner Limited, PGIM MetaProp Investor LP LLC, PGIM Netherlands B.V., PGIM Overseas Investment Fund Management Shanghai Company Ltd, PGIM Private Capital Ireland Limited, PGIM Private Capital Limited, PGIM Private Placement Investors Inc., PGIM Private Placement Investors L.P., PGIM QUANTITATIVE SOLUTIONS LLC, PGIM REF EUROPE SCSp, PGIM REF Europe GP S.a r.l., PGIM REF Europe Member LLC, PGIM REF Intermediary Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate CD S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Capital VII GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest L.P., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest SCSp, PGIM Real Estate Co-Invest Holdings LLC, PGIM Real Estate Debt GmbH, PGIM Real Estate Finance Holding Company, PGIM Real Estate Finance LLC, PGIM Real Estate France SAS, PGIM Real Estate Germany AG, PGIM Real Estate Global Debt GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Global Master Fund GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles II S de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles S. de R.L. de C.V, PGIM Real Estate Italy S.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Japan Ltd., PGIM Real Estate Loan Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate Luxembourg S.A., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Management Luxembourg S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Mexico S.C., PGIM Real Estate S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate U.S. CORE Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate U.S. Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate UK Limited, PGIM Scots Limited, PGIM Securities Investment Trust Enterprise, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management (Feeder) I LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management Fund I L.P., PGIM Shanghai Company Ltd., PGIM Singapore Pte. Ltd., PGIM Strategic Financing LLC, PGIM Strategic Investments Inc., PGIM Taronga Investor GP LLC, PGIM U.S. Agriculture Fund LP, PGIM USPF VI Manager LLC, PGIM Wadhwani LLP, PGIM Warehouse Inc., PGLH of Delaware Inc., PIFM Holdco LLC, PIIC Limited, PIISC Holdings UK Limited, PIM KF Blocker V Holdings LLC, PIM USPF V Manager LLC, PLA Administradora Industrial SRL, PLA Administradora LLC, PLA Administradora S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional II S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional S.de R.L. de C.V., PLA Co-Investor LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager I LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager II LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Blue LP, PLA Retail Fund I Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LP, PLA Retail Fund II Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II U.S. Carry/Co-Invest LP, PLA Services Manager Mexico LLC, PLAI Limited, PMCF Holdings LLC, PMCF Properties LLC, PPPF General Partner LLP, PR GA SCP Apartments LLC, PRAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP LLP, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP SCOTS FEEDER LLP, PRECO Account IV LLC, PRECO Account Partnership IV LP, PRECO III GP LLP, PREFG Hanwha Manager LLC, PREI Acquisition I Inc., PREI Acquisition II Inc., PREI Acquisition LLC, PREI HYDG LLC, PREI International Inc., PRIAC Property Acquisitions LLC, PRICOA Management Partner Limited, PRISA Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Pooled Manager LLC, PRISA III Fund GP LLC, PRISA III Fund PIM LLC, PRREF Debt Fund Manager LLC, PRREF II Fund Manager LLC, PRU 3XSquare LLC, PRUCO LLC, PRUDENTIAL CAPITAL ENERGY PARTNERS MANAGEMENT (FEEDER) LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP MEMBER LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP REIT LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE 2 LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE LLC, PT PFI Mega Life Insurance, Passaic Fund LLC, Pine Tree GP, Pine Tree L.P., Platinum GP Limited, Platinum II L.P., Platinum L.P., Pramerica Business Consulting Shanghai Company Limited, Pramerica EVP CP LP, Pramerica Financial Asia Headquarters Pte. Ltd., Pramerica Financial Asia Limited, Pramerica Fixed Income Funds Management Limited, Pramerica Fosun Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Pramerica Holdings Ltd, Pramerica Hong Kong Holdings Limited, Pramerica Insurance Agency China Company Ltd., Pramerica Luxembourg CP GP S.a.r.l., Pramerica PRECAP I GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP II GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP III GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP IV GP LLP, Pramerica Pan European Real Estate Scots LP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I GP Scots Feeder LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I Scotland Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital II Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital III Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP Limited, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP Scots Feeder LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V Netherlands GP LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital VI Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Scots CP GP LLP, Preco III Scotland Limited Partnership, Pru 101 Wood LLC, Pru Alpha Partners I LLC, Pru Fixed Income Emerging Markets Partners I LLC, PruVen Capital Partners Fund I L.P., Pruco Assignment Corporation, Pruco Life Insurance Company, Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey, Pruco Securities LLC, Prudential 900 Aviation Boulevard LLC, Prudential Affordable Mortgage Company LLC, Prudential Agricultural Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Annuities Distributors Inc., Prudential Annuities Holding Company Inc., Prudential Annuities Inc., Prudential Annuities Information Services & Technology Corporation, Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Captive Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Universal Company, Prudential Bank & Trust FSB, Prudential Capital Energy Opportunity Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners Management Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Partners Management Fund IV L.P., Prudential Capital and Investment Services LLC, Prudential Chile II SpA, Prudential Chile SpA, Prudential Commercial Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Equity Group LLC, Prudential Financial Inc., Prudential Fixed Income Global Liquidity Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Fixed Income U.S. Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Funding LLC, Prudential General Services of Japan Y.K., Prudential Gibraltar Agency Co. Ltd. Prudential Gibraltar Agency Kabushiki Kaisha, Prudential Global Funding LLC, Prudential Holdings of Japan Inc., Prudential Huntoon Paige Associates LLC, Prudential IBH Holdco Inc., Prudential Impact Investments Mortgage Loans LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Debt LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Equity LLC, Prudential Insurance Agency LLC, Prudential International Insurance Holdings Ltd., Prudential International Insurance Service Company L.L.C., Prudential International Investments Advisers LLC, Prudential International Investments Company LLC, Prudential International Investments LLC, Prudential Investment Management Services LLC, Prudential Japan Holdings LLC, Prudential Legacy Insurance Company of New Jersey, Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 1 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 2 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Capital Asset Holding Company LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Funding LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, Prudential Multifamily Mortgage LLC, Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC, Prudential Newark Realty LLC, Prudential QOZ Investment Fund 1 LLC, Prudential Realty Securities Inc., Prudential Retirement Financial Services Holding LLC, Prudential Retirement Holdings LLC, Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company, Prudential Securities Secured Financing Corporation, Prudential Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., Prudential Seguros S.A., Prudential Select Strategies LLC, Prudential Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Prudential Structured Settlement Company, Prudential Systems Japan Limited, Prudential Tax Services LLC, Prudential Term Reinsurance Company, Prudential Trust Co. Ltd., Prudential Trust Company, Prudential Universal Reinsurance Company, Prudential Workplace Solutions Group Services LLC, Prudential do Brasil Seguros de Vida S.A., Prudential do Brasil Vida em Grupo S.A., Prudential/TMW Real Estate Group LLC, Pruservicos Participacoes Ltda., QMA JP EM All Cap Equity Partners LLC, Quartzsite LLC, Residential Services Corporation of America LLC, Rio CP LP, Rock European Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock Global Real Estate LLC, Rock Kensington Limited, Rock Marty GP S.a r.l., Rock Oxford S.a r.l., Rock UK Real Estate II S.a.r.l., Rockstone Co. Ltd., Rosado Grande LLC, Ross Avenue Energy Fund Holdings LLC, Ross Avenue Minerals 2012 LLC, SCP Apartments LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERS VI GP LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERSHIP FUND VI GP LLC, SHP IV Carried Interest LP, SHP V Carried Interest L.P., SMP Holdings Inc., SVIIT Holdings Inc., Sanei Collection Service Co. Ltd. Kabushiki Kaisha Sanei Shuuno Service, Senior Housing Partners V LLC, Senior Housing Partnership Fund V LLC, Sterling Private Placement Management LLP, Stetson Street Partners L.P., Strand Investments Limited, TBG Insurance Services Corporation, TENSATOR HOLDINGS LTD, TF Proveedora S.C., TMW ASPF I Verwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, TMW ASPF Management GmbH, TMW Management LLC, TMW Real Estate Group LLC, TMW Realty Advisors LLC, TMW USPF Verwaltungs GmbH, TRGOAG Company Inc., The Gibraltar Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Keynes Dynamic Beta Strategy US Fund GP LLC, The Prudential Assigned Settlement Services Corp., The Prudential Brazilian Capital Fund LP, The Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Prudential Home Mortgage Company Inc., The Prudential Insurance Company of America, The Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd., The Prudential Real Estate Financial Services of America Inc., The WMF Group, Thurloe Commercial Guernsey Limited, USPF V - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, USPF V Carry LLC, USPF V Co-Invest LLC, USPF V Investment LP, United States Property Fund VI GP S.a r.l., VIP Australia Holding Company LLC, VIP Australia Trustee Pty Ltd, Vailsburg Fund LLC, Vantage Casualty Insurance Company, Wabash Avenue Holdings V LLC, Wabash Avenue Partners V L.P., Wadhwani Capital Limited, Waveland Avenue Holdings I LLC, Waveland Avenue Partners I Ireland L.P., Waveland Avenue Partners I US L.P., Wellness Services Ecossistema De Bem Estar Ltda., Wellness Services SRL, Yamato Life, and Yavapai LLC.

Read More
Consolidated Edison, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses in the United States. It offers electric services to approximately 3.5 million customers in New York City and Westchester County; gas to approximately 1.1 million customers in Manhattan, the Bronx, parts of Queens, and Westchester County; and steam to approximately 1,555 customers in parts of Manhattan. The company also supplies electricity to approximately 0.3 million customers in southeastern New York and northern New Jersey; and gas to approximately 0.1 million customers in southeastern New York. In addition, it operates 533 circuit miles of transmission lines; 15 transmission substations; 64 distribution substations; 87,564 in-service line transformers; 3,924 pole miles of overhead distribution lines; and 2,291 miles of underground distribution lines, as well as 4,350 miles of mains and 377,971 service lines for natural gas distribution. Further, the company owns, operates, and develops renewable and energy infrastructure projects; and provides energy-related products and services to wholesale and retail customers, as well as invests in electric and gas transmission projects. It primarily sells electricity to industrial, commercial, residential, and government customers. The company was founded in 1823 and is based in New York, New York.
This is a current list of the top 250 companies by market capitalization on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Learn more .

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is one of the largest, and most recognizable, stock exchanges in the world. The NYSE is in New York City, New York at 11 Wall Street. The NYSE has been in existence since the earliest days of the United States becoming a nation, in 1792 and is primarily made up of blue-chip companies with large market capitalizations. In fact, many of the stocks that make up the Dow Jones Composite Index (i.e. The Dow) are listed on the NYSE.

This article gives a brief history of the New York Stock Exchange. In addition, it covers topics such as what kind of stocks trade on the exchange, what are the listing requirements, how trading is performed, and what the daily price movement of the NYSE tells investors about investor sentiment.

What Were the Origins of the NYSE?

Today, the New York Stock Exchange is known as the center of the financial universe. However, the exchanges origin is far more humble. On May 17, 1792, 24 stockbrokers signed the Buttonwood Agreement creating a centralized exchange to help provide order to the securities market in what was still a young nation. The "Buttonwood Agreement comes from the tree of the same name under which the founders signed the agreement.

An initial benefit of the exchange was how it removed the need for auctioneers when trading commodities like wheat and tobacco and to set a commission rate. The exchange initially focused on government bonds.

However, the exchange had no formal home. Business was usually conducted informally in the local coffeehouses. In 1817, the exchange changed its name to the New York Stock & Exchange Board which later became the New York Stock Exchange. At this time, the exchange adopted a constitution that set the rules for trading. A group of stockbrokers met twice a day at 40 Wall Street to trade 30 stocks and bonds.

Over time, the exchange moved became the financial hub of the country and moved to its current location in 1865.

What Kind of Stocks Trade on the NYSE?

As of June 2022, the NYSE includes approximately 2,400 companies with a market capitalization of over $28.2 trillion. Although the NYSE trades stocks of all market capitalizations, its best known for trading the stocks of large cap companies. These have the benefit of being mature companies in mature industries. And many of these companies reward shareholders with dividends.

However, that also means that many of these companies are better suited for value investors as opposed to growth investors. In bear markets this stability can be a benefit for investors as these stocks tend to perform less bad than more volatile stocks. But in a bull market, these stocks are not likely to provide investors with the growth that they look for.

An interesting fact about how the NYSE and NASDAQ operate is that the companies with the five largest market caps on the NYSE are also listed on the NASDAQ exchange.

What Are the Listing Requirements For the NYSE?

The NYSE has strict guidelines that govern the types of companies that can list on the exchange. Here are the major requirements that all companies must meet:

The company must have at least 2,200 shareholders

The company must trade over 100,000 shares per month

The company must have a market valuation of over $100 million

The company must generate more than $75 million in annual revenue

However, there is at least one advantage of having such stringent requirements. That is the companies that meet the requirements generally find it easier to get more investors funds when they hold their initial public offering (IPO).

Once a company begins trading on the NYSE, it must continue to meet these requirements. If it doesnt it can be delisted. In addition to these requirements, the stock must continue to trade above $1. If the price of a stock drops below $1 for more than 29 consecutive trading days, the stock receives an Initial Price Violation Notice.

At that point, the company has 10 days to provide the exchange with a plan for bringing their shares above $1.

How are Trades Executed on the NYSE?

For over a century, the floor of the NYSE was the place for investors to be. This meant trades were conducted by traders who ran buy and sell orders across the trading floor looking to broker a deal for their clients. But with the birth of the NASDAQ exchange in 1971, the New York Stock Exchange began conducting electronic trading.

However, the NYSE continues to conduct trades in an auction style. Brokers purchase stocks on behalf of their clients or firms. Every order features a broker who will enter the order electronically and a specialist who serves as the market maker for that stock. The specialist posts bid and ask prices and manages the actual execution of the trades. And there are still a handful of stockbrokers who still traffic buy and sell orders physically on the floor of the exchange.

How Does the NYSE Signal Investor Sentiment?

Like its counterpart, the NASDAQ, the NYSE measures the risk appetite of investors. When the NYSE is moving higher over a length of time, it signals that a risk on environment. Conversely when the NYSE moves lower over a significant period, it signals that investors are moving to a risk off position.

Some Final Thoughts on the NYSE

Financial news networks plan their programming schedule around the opening and closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange. Its still considered a distinguished honor when individuals or groups are invited to ring the opening bell. In fact, Warren Buffett is attributed with saying that in the short term, the stock market acts like a voting machine. A fact that many U.S. presidents will attest to.

The NYSE is the oldest and most recognizable of all the stock exchanges. It also has the most stringent requirements for inclusion. And those requirements must be maintained even after a stock begins publicly trading on the exchange.

Although the NYSE still has a small in-person Trading Floor, much of the trading is done electronically to provide traders with the speed to execute trades.
Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. produces and distributes specialty plant nutrients, iodine and its derivatives, lithium and its derivatives, potassium chloride and sulfate, industrial chemicals, and other products and services. The company offers specialty plant nutrients, including potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, sodium potassium nitrate, specialty blends, and other specialty fertilizers. It also provides iodine and its derivatives for use in medical, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and industrial applications comprising x-ray contrast media, polarizing films for LCD and LED, antiseptics, biocides and disinfectants, pharmaceutical synthesis, electronics, pigments, and dye components. In addition, the company offers lithium carbonates for various applications that include electrochemical materials for batteries, frits for the ceramic and enamel industries, heat-resistant glass, air conditioning chemicals, continuous casting powder for steel extrusion, primary aluminum smelting process, pharmaceuticals, and lithium derivatives, as well as ingredient in manufacturing of gunpowder. Further, it supplies lithium hydroxide for the lubricating greases industry, as well as cathodes for batteries. Additionally, it offers potassium chloride and potassium sulfate for various crops, including corn, rice, sugar, soybean, and wheat; industrial chemicals, including sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, potassium chloride, and solar salts; and other fertilizers and blends. The company operates in Chile, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, North America, Asia, and internationally. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. was incorporated in 1968 and is headquartered in Santiago, Chile.
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, a pharmaceutical company, develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes generic medicines, specialty medicines, and biopharmaceutical products in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company offers sterile products, hormones, high-potency drugs, and cytotoxic substances in various dosage forms, including tablets, capsules, injectables, inhalants, liquids, transdermal patches, ointments, and creams. It also develops, manufactures, and sells active pharmaceutical ingredients. In addition, it focuses on the central nervous system, pain, respiratory, and oncology areas. Its products in the central nervous system include Copaxone for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis; AJOVY for the preventive treatment of migraine; and AUSTEDO for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia and chorea associated with Huntington disease. The company's products in the respiratory market comprise ProAir, QVAR, ProAir Digihaler, AirDuo Digihaler, and ArmonAir Digihaler, BRALTUS, CINQAIR/CINQAERO, DuoResp Spiromax, and AirDuo RespiClick/ArmonAir RespiClick for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Its products in the oncology market include Bendeka, Treanda, Granix, Trisenox, Lonquex, and Tevagrastim/Ratiograstim. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited has a collaboration MedinCell for the development and commercialization of multiple long-acting injectable products, a risperidone suspension for the treatment of patients with schizophrenia. The company was founded in 1901 and is headquartered in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel.
Koninklijke Philips N.V. operates as a health technology company in North America and internationally. It operates through Diagnosis & Treatment Businesses, Connected Care Businesses, and Personal Health Businesses segments. The company provides diagnostic imaging solutions, includes magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography (CT) systems, X-ray systems, and detector-based spectral CT solutions, as well as molecular and hybrid imaging solutions for nuclear medicine; integrated interventional systems; echography solutions focused on diagnosis, treatment planning and guidance for cardiology, general imaging, obstetrics/gynecology, and point-of-care applications; proprietary software to enable diagnostics and intervention; and enterprise diagnostic informatics products and services. It also offers acute patient management solutions; emergency care solutions; sleep and respiratory care solutions; and electronic medical record and care management solutions. In addition, the company provides power toothbrushes, brush heads, and interdental cleaning and teeth whitening products; infant feeding and digital parental solutions; and male grooming and beauty products and solutions. It has a strategic collaboration with Ibex Medical Analytics Ltd. to jointly promote the digital pathology and AI solutions to hospitals, health networks, and pathology laboratories worldwide, as well as a strategic partnership agreement with NICO.LAB. The company was formerly known as Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. and changed its name to Koninklijke Philips N.V. in May 2013. Koninklijke Philips N.V. was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Since The Daily Beasts original Lost Girls investigation last summer, additional evidence and archives have been unearthed in the case. More than two dozen other victims were also reported in the same region of Panama, including a young woman from the United States found murdered earlier this year. Now a return trip to the scene of eventsas well as renewed sleuthing by best-selling author Dr. Kathy Reichs and other forensic specialistsprovide a fresh take on this cold case.

In the first chapter of this series, we traveled to the last place Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon, two young Dutch women killed three years ago, were known to have been alive and apparently signalling for help. In the second chapter, we looked at the usual and unusual suspects and witnesses in the "Lost Girls" case. In the third chapter, we visited the Serpent River, where key evidence was foundand where we discovered it had been universally misinterpreted. In the last article we visit a Panama morgue to speak with an expert in the investigation, and in this segment we will look at whether the case of American Catherine Johannet, strangled to death in February, may fit into a larger pattern of murder cover-ups.

BOQUETE, PanamaLong before she arrived in this part of the world, Catherine Johannet had learned how to handle herself while traveling abroad.
Police then raided his Wapenamanda home and found two shotguns, two high-powered rifles, a .22 rifle, four pistols, an airgun, a crossbow and arrows and ammunition in large quantities.

Police arrested him after he left Mt Hagen post office with a parcel containing eight pistols, ammunition and other accessories. He was attired in a Royal PNG Constabulary uniform complete with an non-commissioned officers cap.

Ron Conaway from Illinois, USA, was imprisoned in Baisu Gaol after being found guilty by Mt Hagen District Court of having firearms in his possession. He was also fined K3,000.

IN 1993, the Baptist Union of Papua New Guinea was tainted by a pastor  or was he an impostor - who was gaoled for eight months for having in his house at Wapenamanda in Enga Province an array of firearms.

An extract from Daniels book I Can See My Country Clearly Now, which is free online here

Then police commissioner Henry Tokam said the parcel containing the pistols had been detected by customs officers in Port Moresby. Police were alerted and the consignment monitored to its destination.

The package, ostensibly an amplifier, had been sent from New Orleans in the United States. The pistols were concealed inside the otherwise empty amplifier.

Pastor Conaway told the court he did not know who had sent the package to him. He told magistrate Patrick Nasa he had no idea the weapons were in the package until he opened it in front of police at Kiminiga Police Barracks.

He also said that, of the firearms in his house, one shotgun and the .22 rifle belonged to his children and had been packed by friends without their knowledge when they were coming back from the United States.

Most of the other firearms had been sent to his address three weeks prior by an unknown person and he had been writing to America to find out who would have sent them to him. He was still thinking what he should do with the firearms when police caught him.

In connection with the firearms received at the post office, he told the court he did not know who sent them and denied the charges of importing prohibited material and possessing the firearms in the package.

The Baptist Church Union of PNG denied that Pastor Conaway had any connection or association with it, the Australian Baptist Society or the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society.

In 1949, Baptist pastors from Australia started work in the Baiyer River area in the Western Highlands, later extending their activities to Lumusa and Kompiam in Enga Province.

By 1956 the first public baptismal services were held at Baiyer River and Lumusa. With a head office in Mt Hagen, much needed health and education services were provided for the rural people by the Baptist Church.

It was an embarrassment indeed for Pastor Ron Conaway to soil the image of the Baptist Union of PNG when he was found guilty and imprisoned for keeping an armoury in a province synonymous with tribal warfare.

Police had always suspected the guns were smuggled across the Indonesian border or across the Torres Strait Islands from Australia in exchange for high grade marijuana. They also thought guns were supplied by wantoks in the disciplined forces.

But now there was undeniable evidence that dangerous weapons could be easily smuggled through an unsecure postal system.

Why would a pastor dress himself in police uniform and possess such an impressive array of dangerous weapons? Did he need them to convert people to Christianity?

The answer is in the Holy Bible which warns the faithful to be wary of the ancient destroyer - the deceiver who roams around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).
Friday, May 19, 2017

The Nebraska Supreme Court imposed discipline on a attorney for letters written to a judge

The charges were based on a series of communications sent by [attorney] Gast to Douglas County District Court Judge Peter C. Bataillon and attorney Robert Craig. We conclude that Gast violated these provisions as charged and order that he be suspended from the practice of law for a period of 1 year, to be followed by a period of 2 years probation upon reinstatement.

The matter involved litigation between Countrywide Trucking and the State of Florida.

Judge Bataillon had taken over the case from another judge when that judge retired in 2000. Over the long course of the Countrywide litigation, Gast became very dissatisfied with the rulings of Judge Bataillon. He believed that Judge Bataillon made blatant errors of law."

Then

In July 2014, Gasts wife had lunch with the ex-wife of Craig. She told Gasts wife that Craig and Judge Bataillon (then-attorney Bataillon) had been best buds. According to Gast:

[Craigs ex-wife] related parties, dinner engagements at the Omaha Press Club, and the softball team on which . . . Craig and [then-attorney] Bataillon played. She told me the details, and they would have parties afterwards, and sometimes they would go to bars, and the wives would meet them, and she referred to Bataillon as Pete.

In August 2014, Gast filed a second motion to recuse Judge Bataillon, citing Neb. Rev. Code of Judicial Conduct  5-302.4 that [a] judge shall not permit . . . social . . . interests or relationships to influence the judges judicial conduct or judgment. The motion also stated:

This Motion is additionally based upon (among other violations) newly-acquired evidence of this Courts lack of impartiality, lack of independence, and lack of integrity (as those terms are defined in the Nebraska Code of Judicial Conduct) that existed from soon after the Hon. Peter C. Bataillon inherited this action from the Hon. Michael McGill and that has continuously persisted throughout the period of more than twelve years to the very date of this Motion.

It further alleged that Gast very recently acquired reliable information that, for a period of at least twenty years prior to the appointment of . . . Judge Bataillon to the Douglas County District Court, a very close personal friendship and continuous social relationship had existed between Judge Bataillon, Craig, and Craigs cocounsel. The petition alleged that the relationship was never disclosed by Craig or Judge Bataillon and that the relationship has been improvidently, unethically and continuously concealed by the Hon. Peter C. Bataillon, Craig and [cocounsel] from the time Bataillon inherited this case . . . until the very present day. The specific allegations in the motion to recuse included that then-attorney Bataillon and Craig played on a summer softball team together for approximately three years in the 1970s or early 1980s, including socializing after games; attended parties together at the co counsels home; and attended dinners at the Omaha Press Club.

Following the motion to recuse, Gast sent a letter to Judge Bataillon and Craig (referred to as exhibit B). It said, in part:

Now that the truth of your pre-suit relationship has been discovered, the Docket Sheet itself demonstrates the cover-up quality to each and every successive refusal to disclose it after your initial failure to do so. Check it out yourselves. It actually takes on a crescendo-like appearance on its very face. The lesson about cover-ups is that they usually come undone eventually, and the consequences to those involved always amplify in direct proportion to their pre-discovery duration. This coverup is more than 12 years old! Judge, your responsibility is obvious and it is immediate. . . . You must now recuse sua sponte. And I trust that you will not force me to file the augmented Motion, or to conduct a public hearing on it, or to serve the Subpoenas or to take the Depositions.

Later in August 2014, the court held a hearing on the motion to recuse. At the hearing, Judge Bataillon said, The only contact that I had with . . . Craig was probably in the early 80s I played on the same softball team with him for maybe a year or two. Thats it. Craig did not remember being on the same softball team as Judge Bataillon during the late 1970s or early 1980s, but had been told by Craigs cocounsel that Judge Bataillon had played some on the team. Judge Bataillon was not persuaded by Gasts claims.

He said: At all times I have upheld the law. At all times I have acted fairly and impartially based upon what the evidence has been, based upon what the facts have been, and things of that nature. This allegation that I failed to disclose, there was nothing to disclose that  that rises to any level under the judicial ethics or any of the lawyers in this matter. As such, your motion is overruled.

Letter two ensued

Judge Bataillon, you should realize that you have an ever-so-brief opportunity to quietly back out of this case on a purely technical ground, i.e. one that is not related to misconduct. Before you elect to pass it [sic] up this chance, I respectfully submit that you think very carefully about your own best interests.

(Emphasis in original.) In this letter, Gast references an incident in a prior hearing (after the motion to recuse hearing) in which Judge Bataillon disclosed that he, his wife, and her brother were eating dinner at a restaurant and noticed that Craig was also eating in the restaurant. Judge Bataillons wife went over and greeted Craig. Gast said in the letter that Judge Bataillon, his wife, and his brother-in-law were all material witnesses to the recusal issue. Gast wrote, It is also extraordinarily curious that such a meeting with . . . Craig might have occurred purely by chance, at that very time. He went on to say:

Sir, since all of that makes it material, my client is entitled to your own sequestered deposition in the event that you refuse to recuse. Moreover, all conceivable means of conventional and electronic communication between yourself and . . . Craig will have to be subpoenaed, in order to learn just how chance the . . . [r]estaurant encounter actually was.

Gast also threatened to depose Judge Bataillons wife, his brother-in-law, and Craig, Unless, of course, you recuse now. He concluded, Sir, I know that you will eventually do the right thing. I just pray that it happens in time to do the most justice to the office that you hold.

Sanction

Gast seems to lack any appreciation of how serious his violations were and how baseless and inappropriate his attacks on the integrity of Judge Bataillon were. What is troubling is Gasts inability to see anything wrong with his conduct. His lack of remorse is a significant aggravating factor, as is the serious nature of his infractions.

We also agree with the referee that during the hearing in this case, Gast engaged in unnecessary and inappropriate verbal attacks on the Counsel for Discipline. The Counsel for Discipline has an important job to do in our profession and has performed that job ably in this case.

Follow this link to State ex rel. Disciplinary Counsel v. Gast(Mike Frisch)

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2017/05/the-nebraska-supreme-court-the-charges-were-based-on-a-series-of-communications-sent-by-attorney-gast-to-douglas-county-di.html
MUNICHOn the door of the managers office of the world-famous Regensburg Domspatzen a visitor can read a list of quotations, one of them from Stephen Handrigan of Toronto.

Change nothing. Improve everything, it reads. The director of the St. Michaels Choir School borrowed it from the campaign to refurbish Massey Hall.

It was advice from the director of an 80-year-old institution to a 1,000-year-old counterpart looking toward its future. To Handrigan, the Regenburg Domspatzen already sets the standard for cathedral choirs in the Catholic tradition and, not surprisingly, the opportunity to share a concert with these Cathedral Sparrows, as they would be called in English, represented the high point of his own 160-voice choirs recently concluded 12-day German tour.

Although the St. Michaels Choir School tours regularly, major expeditions such as this one occur only once every few years, the last to Italy four years ago when they sang for Pope Francis.

At home they are regular schoolboys (Grades 3 to 12) with an enriched curriculum that routinely ranks theirs among the top schools in the province. How enriched? At breakfast in Cologne one morning a Grade 12 student asked if I recognized a reproduced painting on the wall. He did. It was Raphaels School of Athens and he proceeded to identify the various ancient philosophers portrayed in it.

What further distinguishes these youthful choristers is their regular participation in cathedral services, an all-male choral prerogative in the Catholic tradition. On the German tour they both sang masses and gave concerts, always in a cathedral or church setting, beginning in one of the great medieval ecclesiastical buildings of Europe, Cologne Cathedral.

Even with 160 voices (divisible into four separate groups according to grade, under the direction of Maria Conkey, Terri Dunn and Peter Mahon), this grandiose pile of stone represented an enormous space to fill with sound, but high-pitched voices tend to travel well and part of their program was shared with the cathedrals own choir.

With the Torontonians in front of the chancel and their Cologne colleagues occupying bleachers well off to one side, three conductors were required, one each for the two choirs and a third shadow conductor between them to facilitate co-ordination and compensate for the fact that neither conductor could see the other through the massive stone support column separating them.

Such is the life of choirs singing in buildings designed for worship rather than concerts. In Aachen, for example, the boys of St. Michaels sang in a cathedral expanded from the chapel of Charlemagnes palace (circa 800) with an uncharacteristic shape and welcome intimacy.

Regensburg, of course, offered another of Europes great cathedral settings, difficult as it may be to imagine in a once-major medieval centre now home to only 150,000 people.

But Regensburg treasures its Domspatzen. Their school occupies a modern complex of buildings complete with a large indoor swimming pool and extensive playgrounds, shared with the Torontonians. We may have felt on top of the heap in Cologne and Aachen, Handrigan told his charges, but in Regensburg we have met our match.

Indeed, the singing of the Regensburgers was impressive to behold, with an assertiveness and clarity probably influenced by performing in an acoustical space much larger than that of Torontos St. Michaels Cathedral.

But the Torontonians offered virtues of their own, including a warm, rounded tone and subtle blending of voices. The two choirs and their directors quickly formed a mutual admiration society and student exchanges are already underway.

Touring is about more than performing for these youngsters in any case. They didnt sing in Bonn, but they did visit Beethovens house. And in Berchtesgaden they both sang and visited Eagles Nest, Adolf Hitlers mountaintop retreat, with its breathtaking Alpine views.

In Nuremberg, they also spent time in the Documentation Centre at the site of the infamous Nazi Party rallies. And on their final day they prowled the frescoed chambers of Ludwig IIs fantasy castle, Neuschwanstein.

The day before that castle visit was special. With Rev. Michael Busch, their cathedral rector, present, they not only sang mass in honour of the 26th anniversary of his ordination, they sang it in Munichs historical St. Michaels Church, the distinguished German composer Josef Rheinbergers musical home.

Moreover, following the mass, Frank Hondgren, the churchs choir director and a world authority, led them in a workshop on Rheinbergers music. Yes, they are only children, some with teddy bears poking out of their backpacks. But they left no doubt that they are also musicians.

SHARE:
Spoiler alert: This story contains spoilers for the original seasons of Twin Peaks.

1. Its been aptly described as one of the most talked-about, but least-watched, TV experiments of the early 90s, whose eerie, non-linear visual and narrative quality left many initially intrigued viewers wondering whats going on here?  just before they changed channels.

2. Twin Peaks gave the public something to talk about with its 1990-91 ABC run, followed by a 1992 feature film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.

3. Its still being talked about a quarter-century later as Showtime launches an 18-episode limited-series followup that premieres Sunday at 9 p.m.

4. The original Twin Peaks centred on (and tormented viewers with) the question Who killed Laura Palmer? after the nude body of this 17-year-old homecoming queen was discovered wrapped in plastic on the bank of a river outside the hamlet of Twin Peaks, Washington.

5. FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper was dispatched to investigate Lauras killing as well as that of another Washington girl the previous year who seemingly was murdered by the same person.

6. As with so many things in Twin Peaks, little about Laura was quite what it seemed. Turned out she had been living a double life as the girl next door and a cocaine-addicted prostitute.

7. Lauras killer was eventually revealed to be her father, Leland, who had sexually abused her for years while possessed by a malevolent entity named Killer BOB.

8. In the best tradition of soap operas, Laura had an identical twin  in this case, her cousin Madeleine (portrayed, as was Laura, by Sheryl Lee)  who was also murdered by Leland/BOB (Ray Wise).

9. Twin Peaks, and hence Twin Peaks, was populated by numerous bizarre figures, such as the Log Lady (who was never seen without a log cradled in her arms) and Nadine (the shrill, eye-patched wife of gas station owner Ed who had a fixation on living-room drapes), and by campy tropes, such as Agent Coopers delight over cherry pie and damn fine coffee, and his affliction with weird revelatory dreams about dancing dwarfs and towering giants.

10. Few details about the new Twin Peaks have been disclosed by Showtime, but the return of three key figures assures, for better or worse, more of the same titillating weirdness: co-creators David Lynch and Mark Frost and, one among many returning cast members, square-jawed leading man Kyle MacLachlan, back as Agent Cooper.

SHARE:
Along with the artificial long-stemmed rose held in place by a stone, there were three pennies on his grave this week, pennies that by the looks of them had passed the winter there.

The final resting place of William Lyon Mackenzie King in midtown Torontos Mount Pleasant Cemetery is a splendid spot for eternal repose  unless the countrys longest-serving prime minister was right, of course, about the ongoing chattiness and influence of the departed.

The fact that odd things  the annual unexplained accumulation of coinage for instance  happen around Kings grave is surely appropriate to a man who until the advent of the Age of Trump qualified as the New Worlds all-time weirdest government leader.

With Canada marking the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017, it would be an unforgivable slight not to recall a man so singular that he was described this way in the opening paragraph of a new biography:

Canadas greatest prime minister was a mamas boy. Not only that, he was a sexually repressed, hypocritical, spiritualism-practising, guilt-ridden, prostitute-visiting mamas boy . . . Christopher Dummitt, a Trent University history professor, writes in Unbuttoned: A History of Mackenzie Kings Secret Life.

As the country learned when portions of Kings private diaries were published a quarter-century after his death, he was all of that.

As the government markers at his grave note (one of them unveiled in 1992 for Confederations 125th anniversary) he was also Canadas longest-serving prime minister and perhaps its shrewdest political tactician.

King was born just before Christmas in 1874 in what is now Kitchener. His mother was the daughter of William Lyon Mackenzie, who had led the 1837 rebellion in Upper Canada.

King was known as Willie to family and friends, which, in time, would morph into Weird Willie when his adult hobbies came belatedly to light.

For better or worse, King began keeping a diary in his late teens that he maintained with a few interruptions until his death in 1950.

This incredible document, spanning some 30,000 pages and numbering about 7.5 million words, reveals a thoughtful and conflicted man, who poured out his soul on the pages with sometimes disturbing frankness, historian Tim Cook wrote in Warlords: Borden, Mackenzie King and Canadas World Wars.

Yet, however disturbing that frankness with his diary might have been, King was prime minister three times  1921-26, 1926-30, and 1935-48. In all, more than 21 years during which he was so legendary for obfuscation, hedging and dithering he made Bill Davis sound like Don Cherry.

As a press gallery ditty went in his day: William Lyon Mackenzie King, Never tells us a goddam thing!

Not necessarily conscription, but conscription if necessary, was, of course, Kings trademark equivocation from the Second World War.

King seemed congenitally averse to decisiveness or the bold. As he put it, the extreme man is always more or less dangerous, but nowhere more so than in politics.

Yet King himself  when he came face to face with one  failed to recognize an extreme man and the imminent danger he represented.

On June 29, 1937, King met Adolf Hitler in Berlin. As Tim Cook chronicled, what was scheduled to be a short visit stretched on and on, with King plainly smitten.

He later wrote that his host was was a man of deep sincerity and a genuine patriot. More than that, Hitler owned a very nice, sweet smile and his eyes had a liquid quality . . . which indicates keen perception and profound sympathy.

Still, if creepiness, prevarication and that infamous misjudgment are the King brands that first spring to mind generations after his death in 1950, the shrewdness that made for such political longevity is undeniable also.

In her book for the Massey Lectures two years ago, titled Historys People: Personalities and the Past, historian Margaret MacMillan said Canadas modern status owes much to Kings leadership.

King is as important as Bismarck is for Germany, she wrote.

Where the latter built a country, the former preserved it  through part of the turbulent 1920s, the aftermath of the Great Depression, the Second World War, and on into the first years of peace.

He did so, MacMillan argued, by holding the centre against challenges from right and left, keeping antagonisms between English and French Canada from splitting the country, and laying the foundation of a social welfare system.

In the days before opinion polls, he had a knack for sensing the mood of the country and how far it would go in a particular direction, she said.

If lack of polls made for a challenge, Kings success was probably only possible  given his personal peculiarities  by lack of social media and round-the-clock news coverage.

Until his diaries were released and historian CP Stacey plumbed them in his biography A Very Double Life, Canadians were for the most part blissfully unaware of the oddball inhabiting the prime ministers office.

The anecdote by which Allan Levine opens his 2011 biography King: William Lyon Mackenzie King, a Life Guided by the Hand of Destiny captures the eccentricity.

One morning in early 1929, King awoke having had another of his nocturnal visions. He summoned his personal secretary, in order to dictate an account of it. After which, this document was dispatched to Kings fortune-teller in Kingston, Ont., for interpretation.

She foretold honours to come to King and a trip to Britain and signed the reply, Your most sincere and true spiritual friend and adviser.

If her predictions did not come to pass, well, who among us is perfect?

In his book, Levine argues that Kings personal flaws were related to the debilitating and oppressive insecurity that stifled him and shaped his touchy personal relationships.

King was a walking textbook example of an insecure passive-aggressive male.

And for all that, 150 years into Confederation, Canadas longest serving prime minister.

WILLIES WORLD

Mother Love: King had, to put it mildly, complicated views of and relationships with women. But the rock of his life was his dear Isabel. On her 74th birthday, King smothered her with 74 kisses, historian Christopher Dummitt reports. In his book, Allan Levine speculates on the likelihood of an Oedipus complex. He concluded that their letters to each other and Kings diaries  I have met no woman so true and lovely a woman in every way as my mother  make it difficult to dispute that this relationship was beyond the norm even given Victorian sensibilities.

Pats I, II and III:

In 1924, King received a six-month-old Irish terrier puppy he named Pat. He doted on the dog, reading to it, sharing his nighttime snacks of oatmeal cookies and Ovaltine. In time, he would come to interpret the dog as being inhabited by the spirit of his late mother and Pats licks to be hers. He postponed a wartime cabinet meeting as the dog failed in 1940 and sang Safe in the Arms of Jesus to Pat as he took leave of the mortal world. The grief-stricken master had the consolation, however, of continuing to communicate with Pat from the spirit world. Naturally, the dogs successors were Pats II and III.

Willie Ouija:

Tea leaves, seances and communications from what he called the Great Beyond were apparently to King what polls and focus groups are to current political practitioners. His first seance took place on Feb. 21, 1932, Levine reports. He was invited by the widow of a former senator who had been a colleague. The medium was a psychic of note visiting from Detroit who, it was claimed, could speak in the voices of the departed. This is something too wonderful for words, King wrote. It is all part of divine leading, I believe.

Kingsmere:

On his travels, King revelled in history. At his Kingsmere estate he accumulated it, importing and assembling stones, statues, window frames and works of real and dubious historic import. He regarded it as his Abbey Ruins and was variously reminded by his acquisitions of Greek temples, the Middle Ages and British and European cultural accomplishments  and, of course, of his place in the sunny uplands of the human story.

SHARE:
The Ontario watchdog examining the Thunder Bay Police Service for systemic racism is now turning their attention to the services recent investigation into a 17-year-old girls death and the handling of the search for a 14-year-old boy.

Since November, the Office of the Independent Police Review Directorate (OIPRD)  which an arms length agency of the Ministry of the Attorney General  has investigated the police services handling of cases of murdered and missing indigenous people in Thunder Bay after complaints by First Nations leaders. They say cases involving First Nations people are often closed and dismissed without proper examination.

Gerry McNeilly, the Independent Police Review Director, told the Star that as part of their review  which is currently in the fact-finding phase  they will be asking the Thunder Bay police for the Tammy Keeash and Josiah Begg case files.

Tammy Keeash, a 17-year-old girl from North Caribou First Nation who was living in a Thunder Bay group home at the time of her disappearance, was found dead in the McIntyre River on Sunday, May 7. Keeash failed to make it home for her curfew the night before. A post mortem concluded her death was consistent with drowning. Keeash, an artist who was receiving counselling in Thunder Bay, was a Junior Canadian Ranger and well familiar with water safety.

Josiah Begg, a 14-year-old boy from Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation more than 500 km north of Thunder Bay, was in town with his father Rene Begg for medical appointments. He disappeared the same night as Keeash, on May 6.

On Thursday evening, the body of a male matching the height, weight, clothing, wallet and watch of Josiah was retrieved from the McIntyre River, said Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler. The body was flown to Toronto for a post mortem and results are expected on Sunday, along with a formal, medical identification.

The search for Begg lasted 12 days. A command centre was established by NAN at Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School as soon as they heard he was missing and they began to organize community search parties.

KI Chief James Cutfeet said the police should have stepped in quicker by searching the rivers around Thunder Bay. The length of time the investigation took was too long. The search near the water should have happened earlier, Cutfeet said

The death of Keeash and disappearance of Begg has further strained an already fragile relationship between indigenous people in Thunder Bay and the police, noted McNeilly.

These latest incidents are both tragic and extremely worrisome and have exacerbated the indigenous communities crisis of faith in the Thunder Bay police, he said.

The police and the indigenous community need to find ways to come together to work on strategies for communication and cooperation when indigenous youth go missing. The onus is on the police in this regard, he said.

Improved protocols around missing First Nations youth should have been in place for both Keeashs and Beggs disappearance as that was one of the recommendations in the inquest into seven indigenous high school students who died in Thunder Bay between 2000 and 2011, said Fiddler. Concern over police handling into the seven students disappearances and deaths led, in part, to the OIPRD launching their investigation into the Thunder Bay police. Five of those students, all boys, were found dead in rivers and the inquest did not hear any evidence as to how the boys wound up in the water. The other two students Robyn Harper and Paul Panacheese, died in their respective places of residence.

The OIPRD took into consideration the handling of the students deaths, along with that of Stacey DeBungee, whose body was found in the McIntyre River on Oct. 19, 2015, when they announced they would investigate the Thunder Bay police. Within three hours of the discovery of DeBungees body, police issued a press release saying there was no indication this was a suspicious death but that a post mortem would later reveal the exact cause of death.

The OIPRD will be meeting Thunder Bay Chief of Police J.P. Levesque in the coming weeks to propose some directions on how these investigations should proceed.

It is my belief that investigations should not be closed or have determinations made as to an outcome very quickly, McNeilly said.

Meanwhile, the Thunder Bay police issued a notice on their Facebook page on Thursday, saying that members of their service are standing with these families and are doing everything in their power to find answers and provide support during this sad time.

The police page noted the investigations into Keeash and Begg haven been extensive and that members of their service are emotionally and professionally invested in finding answers for the families.

We are parents, sons and daughters. The commitment is strong, the page said.

This is not the time for pointing fingers. It is the time to join hands and work towards our common goals of finding answers. Together, we can make that happen.

SHARE:
Queen St. will be closed to vehicles between Yonge and Bay Sts. until Monday morning as construction workers make room for a new pedestrian bridge connecting the Toronto Eaton Centre to the Hudsons Bay Company building.

The 40-year-old structure links the south-facing Eaton Centre to the north-facing Hudsons Bay building over Queen St. W.

The process to remove the bridge began at 11 p.m. on Friday and is expected to last until 5 a.m. on Monday, according to a news release by the city.

The new pedestrian bridge, designed by British architectural firm WilkinsonEyre, is expected to be put in place by this fall.

Beyond the simple utility of construction of a bridge across Queen Street, this pedestrian bridge will serve as a unique architectural icon and impressive space in its own right, said Wayne Barwise, spokesperson for Cadillac Fairview (CF) Toronto Eaton Centre in a news release last month.

CF Toronto Eaton Centre is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and with approximately two million people using the bridge annually, it was time to enhance both its aesthetics and functionality for our shoppers and the public by creating a sculptural urban feature, as well as a unique identifier for the city.

According to the city, James St. will also be closed until the end of August as the new bridge will be assembled adjacent to the shopping centre on James St. and then put into place once complete.

Eastbound traffic on Queen St. will be diverting at Bay St., while westbound traffic will be diverting at Yonge St. during the removal process.

Pedestrian access will be maintained at all times, however there will be periodic stoppages during crane hoisting work, the city said in a news release.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Alone in the darkness, eyes frozen shut, ice cracking off him with each step and a wind howling so viciously it repeatedly knocked him to the ground, an unfamiliar anxiety washed over Leslie Palmer.

Hed had more than 20 years with the Canadian Coast Guard, some 700 rescues already to his credit, but this one was different.

Palmer felt he was the one in peril.

As he trudged along the shore of one of British Columbias northern islands, over a treacherous terrain of rock outcrops glazed in sheer ice, his goal was to reach the beached crew of a shrimp boat. The Larissa had emitted a distress signal hours earlier as it capsized in 185 km/h winds. It wasnt certain there were survivors.

But as he worked his way through the driving snow, Palmer was momentarily matched by a late December storm.

I wondered, jeez, have I pushed my limitations here? Am I making the right decision here? I had concern for myself as well, Palmer, 43 at the time, recalls of that rescue in 2004.

Read more:

He saved a woman from a polar bear. Then the mauling was on for me

They braved a raging river to save a girl in an SUV: Every second felt like five minutes

Canadian with one bat takes on two robbers with pistols: It never did scare me

To this day, I remember my friggin heart pounding so hard. I kind of panicked there because my eyelids froze up. It was minus 30 and with the wind chill I dont know what it was.

So Palmer stopped and momentarily wondered if he should pull out. Instead, he found shelter behind a fallen tree and composed himself. He thawed his eyes with bare hands, and took off the outer balaclava of the two he was wearing and broke off the thickening ice. Then he struggled on again. He knew there was no choice.

Its just who you are. Its part of you, he says. When somebodys in trouble, you do what you can do.

Along the coast, a separate drama was playing out. Two distraught fishermen were huddled for warmth under the canopy of a life raft which had run ashore on desolate Pitt Island.

Hurricane-force winds whipping off the mountains had tipped their boat in the four-metre waves of a churning Grenville Channel, which separates the island from the mainland. Captain Ray Kevis and deckhand Lorne Demeria made it into a life raft  leaping from the ships bobbing hull  but only after Kevis plunged into the freezing water to right the upside down dinghy.

The two, the Larissas only crew, reached shore but as night closed in, they were wet, freezing and running out of time.

I was pretty much at the point of wanting to go to sleep, recalls Kevis. Whether or not I would have woke up again after I went to sleep I dont know.

The men had activated the EPIRB (emergency position indicating radio beacon) during their last moments on the Larissa but they had no idea whether their call for help had been picked up.

The Coast Guard received the signal and dispatched the Point Henry, a 20-metre rescue ship with a crew of five, from Prince Rupert. Palmer was its 1st officer.

The crew had to chip a thick coat of ice off the boat and then it took about four and a half hours for the Point Henry to arrive at the south end of the channel. There they began scanning the coast but swirling snow and fierce winds hampered the search. You basically couldnt see out the windows of the Point Henry, says Palmer.

After about two hours, a light was spotted on Pitt Island. In hopeful desperation, Demeria would periodically abandon his shelter and shine his flashlight from shore. But the waters were too rough and visibility too poor for the Point Henry to get close.

Palmer made the decision to go it alone. A deckhand transported him on a four-metre Zodiac boat and dropped him off about 500 metres to the south, where the waters were calmer.

From there, loaded with supplies, Palmer slogged north.

Sometimes hed duck into the woods for shelter from a wind he equated to how it might feel sticking your head out of a moving vehicle at 100 miles an hour.

Among the trees, however, the snow was more than a metre deep and iced branches were snapping off.

When hed come out, hed worry that hed passed the fishermen. There were moments, with visibility dropping to basically zero, that he wondered if he was still proceeding in the proper direction.

At points he crawled along the ice and, when hed stand, the wind would knock him over again. Palmer thinks he was blown to the ground about six times, once down a two-metre embankment.

Palmers radio was also frozen. He could transmit back to the ship but not hear anything.

It took almost an hour to make the hellish trek.

The Larissa had tipped over at about 3 p.m. It was 10 when Palmer found its crew.

We were unsure if anybody even knew we were there, recalls Kevis of the moment Palmer arrived. It was almost as exciting as having your first child.

But the ordeal wasnt over. The fishermen were in rough shape.

There was water in their life raft and in the protective survival suits theyd put on. Both men showed signs of hypothermia. Kevis was barely responsive and his face was smashed and swollen, his hair coated in ice.

Even though he wore a backpack loaded with supplies, Palmer realized he needed more heat packs, dry protective suits and more blankets.

He radioed the Point Henry and asked them to signal with a light if they received his request. Palmer made his way back to his original landing spot to pick up the supplies that arrived in a small boat. While the conditions remained horrendous, the sailor said he felt more confident because he knew where he was going and recognized signposts along the way.

When he returned to the fishermen, Palmer and Demeria cut Kevis out of his wet protective suit and put him in to a dry one. He then administered aid to the fishermen, keeping them alive for four hours until medical help arrived.

I owe him my life, says Kevis, now a mail carrier at Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island. What he did to get to us, hes a pretty incredible man.

For his selflessness that night, Palmer became the 20th Canadian to receive the Cross of Valour, the countrys highest non-military award for bravery, in a ceremony Oct. 13, 2006. It has not been awarded since.

Palmer is now 56 and retired from the Coast Guard after a 28-year career. He finished with close to 1,000 rescues.

But that wasnt his only legacy.

Three years after that 2004 rescue, Kevis became the father of twins, a girl and a boy. The girls middle name is Palmer.

Brave, braver, bravest: Canada's three decorations

Canada has three decorations for bravery available to civilians or emergency workers. They recognize people, living or dead, who risked their lives to save or protect another.

The decorations were created by the Queen in 1972 and are personally presented by the governor general in a ceremony at either Rideau Hall in Ottawa or La Citadelle in Quebec City.

In you, I see proof of humanity and decency and courage in the world, governor general David Johnston told recipients at one recent ceremony. That is why I still get goosebumps each time I present these awards, every time I hear stories of bravery.

Anyone can nominate a person to be considered for an award by the Canadian Decorations Advisory Committee. Potential recipients do not have to be Canadian but, if not, that person must have performed an act of bravery in the interest of Canada.

Cross of Valour

The highest honour for bravery available in this country outside the Canadian Armed Forces. It recognizes acts of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril.

The Cross of Valour has been awarded 20 times and recipients can use the letters C.V. after their name.

Star of Courage

The second highest award recognizes acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of peril.

The Star of Courage has been granted 458 times. Recipients can use the letters S.C. after their name.

Medal of Bravery

The third highest honour, it recognizes acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances.

There have been 3,316 Medals of Bravery presented. Recipients can use the letters M.B. after their name.

SHARE:
Bill Ayotte is a wisp of a man; a gentle, soft-spoken senior who likes to do word puzzles or ride his three-wheeled bike past the outskirts of his hometown, Churchill, to enjoy the solitude of Manitobas Far North.

Not the type instantly pegged as a fearless hero.

But in the early morning darkness after Halloween in 2013, Ayotte risked his life  and suffered serious injuries  to save a stranger from a polar bear attack outside his home.

Ayotte, 69 at the time, is an early riser and had settled in front of his television at 5 a.m. when he heard piercing screams from outside. He opened his door to see a horrifying scene unfolding across his street.

A bear had a woman by the head and was wagging her around in the air, he recalls.

Read more:

A coast guard vet raced to save freezing fishermen: I remember my friggin heart pounding

They braved a raging river to save a girl in an SUV: Every second felt like five minutes

Canadian with one bat takes on two robbers with pistols: It never did scare me

Ayotte knew he had to act. He had no shotgun or rifle so he thought briefly about calling the towns polar bear patrol. But he figured the woman, a 30-year-old named Erin Greene, might be dead by the time help arrived.

Then, he says, he surprised even himself, reaching for a shovel at the end of his porch.

Once I grabbed the shovel, I was pretty well committed to doing something, he says. So down the stairs I went, heading towards them thinking, can I do anything?

Greene, unaware help was coming, believed she was drawing her last breaths.

I just became very weak because I was losing a lot of blood and Id come to terms with the fact that this was going to be how I died, she says. If that bear had a minute more, 30 seconds more, if Bill hadnt come out, I wouldnt be here.

Ayotte, wearing only a sweater, pyjama bottoms and slippers, didnt have an overly sophisticated plan. He figured his best chance, Greenes only chance, was if he whacked the bear as hard as he could around the eyes.

He saw his opening when the bruin, distracted by his intrusion, momentarily stopped ragdolling its prey. Ayotte raised the shovel over his head and brought it down with a mighty chop. It was a direct hit.

The powerful carnivore released Greene, who fled towards the shelter of his house. Ayotte turned to follow, but the bear lunged and clamped on to the back of his leg behind the left knee.

Then the mauling was on for me, says Ayotte.

At one point, he could hear his right ear being ripped off.

A bears got a lot of teeth, he said. A little ear isnt going to stop him. Then I thought, Where is that son-of-a-bitch going to bite me next? Hes starting to eat.

Ayotte was certain the bear was going to kill him. He believes all that saved him was that he was lying on his stomach. If hed been on his back, he believes the 180-kilogram bear would have broken his ribs and damaged internal organs as he pounded down repeatedly with its paws.

The commotion brought neighbours out of their homes. They tried to ward off the bear by firing flare guns and cracker shells designed to make a loud bang. Some yelled. One even threw his shoes. Finally a man jumped in his truck and drove at the bear honking and flashing the headlights. That caused the animal to flee.

I was on the ground and all I can remember is feeling how really cold I was, says Ayotte. Im not sure I said anything but if I did utter words, I would have said I dont want to die on the street like an animal. Im cold. Get me off the ground. Get me on my feet. I want to die on my feet like a man. 

Ayotte was loaded into a truck but, still conscious, he asked if he had saved the woman.

I wanted to know she was all right before I died.

At the local hospital, Ayotte and Greene, who arrived by ambulance, were both stabilized and then airlifted to Winnipegs Health Sciences Centre.

When I woke up, I was surprised I was alive and I was still wondering about the woman and whether shed made it or not. The nurse said that woman is in the room right next to you, recalls Ayotte.

Around 7 or 8 that night, they discharged her to a friend that lived in Winnipeg. They came over to my room and thanked me for saving her life.

Says Greene: Heroes dont have to look a certain way.

A large piece of Greenes scalp was torn off  it required 28 staples to be reattached  and she lost part of her ear. She had bites on an arm and leg and lost so much blood, she needed a transfusion. Shed been walking home from a Halloween party with two friends when they spotted the bear and began running. The bear charged, pounced on Greene and began gnawing at the back of her head.

She remains awestruck that Ayotte, who she calls an angel in disguise, leapt to her defence.

When we think about bravery and people who have courage, theres also a huge element of softness and compassion that has to be there in order for somebody to make that move. If you dont have that compassion for another human being then youre not going to put your life at risk.

A plastic surgeon sewed Ayottes ear back on. Hes not sure how many staples and stitches were required to fix other wounds on his right shoulder and left leg. He spent six and a half days in hospital and then remained in Winnipeg almost three weeks until doctors were confident the ear had healed.

But he happily returned to the town that promotes itself as the polar bear capital of the world. The bears are plentiful, especially in the fall when they are waiting for Hudson Bay to freeze so they can hunt seals. Despite patrols and efforts to control them, they sometimes wander into town.

Greene, a transplanted Montrealer, also went back to Churchill, where she works as a yoga instructor and a paddleboard guide.

Ayotte, a retired water plant operator who worked for the town for 33 years, was awarded the Star of Courage, but he called his actions involuntary.

When youre confronted with something like this, either you do something or you dont, he says. I didnt expect that I would do anything but I couldnt just sit by.

The bear was later killed by conservation officers.

Ayotte, 73, continues to lead what he calls a simple life with his wife, Kathleen Bouvier. The shovel still sits on his porch.

However, he has made one post-mauling concession.

A friend gave him a shotgun that folds up. So now when he goes on bike rides, he keeps it under a jacket in a basket behind the seat, just in case.

They dont bother me, he says of polar bears. As long as theyre at a distance.

Brave, braver, bravest: Canada's three decorations

Canada has three decorations for bravery available to civilians or emergency workers. They recognize people, living or dead, who risked their lives to save or protect another.

The decorations were created by the Queen in 1972 and are personally presented by the governor general in a ceremony at either Rideau Hall in Ottawa or La Citadelle in Quebec City.

In you, I see proof of humanity and decency and courage in the world, governor general David Johnston told recipients at one recent ceremony. That is why I still get goosebumps each time I present these awards, every time I hear stories of bravery.

Anyone can nominate a person to be considered for an award by the Canadian Decorations Advisory Committee. Potential recipients do not have to be Canadian but, if not, that person must have performed an act of bravery in the interest of Canada.

Cross of Valour

The highest honour for bravery available in this country outside the Canadian Armed Forces. It recognizes acts of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril.

The Cross of Valour has been awarded 20 times and recipients can use the letters C.V. after their name.

Star of Courage

The second highest award recognizes acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of peril.

The Star of Courage has been granted 458 times. Recipients can use the letters S.C. after their name.

Medal of Bravery

The third highest honour, it recognizes acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances.

There have been 3,316 Medals of Bravery presented. Recipients can use the letters M.B. after their name.

SHARE:
Americas Wrecker-in-Chief, a.k.a. Donald Trump, departed Washington on Friday for his first trip abroad as U.S. president, but the rumour that there were 300 million relieved Americans at the airport cheering as his plane took off sounded like another grotesque example of fake news. (Bad! Sad!)

Seriously, if you thought this past week was bad, strap yourself in and prepare for the next. The Trump brand in all of its glory is about to be shared with the world.

Beginning this weekend in Saudi Arabia, and for the next seven days, President Trump will be navigating through the most dangerous international minefields currently confronting the U.S.

Unless Trump reveals himself to be a far more nuanced global strategist than he has appeared so far, here is a pocket primer to the four potential diplomatic disasters that are lying in wait for the 45th president of the United States:

1. Reprimanding the Muslim world

Trumps first stop is Riyadh, Saudi Arabias capital. There will be an Arab-Islamic-American summit including leaders of the Gulf states and more than 50 other Muslim countries.

Trumps real challenge will come on Sunday. Although most support Trumps opposition to their regional rival, Iran, his anti-Muslim reputation is toxic. Trump will deliver what his aides describe as an inspiring, direct speech on the need to confront radical ideology. White House adviser Stephen Miller, who has previously written Trumps most virulent anti-Muslim speeches, is drafting it.

2.Trivializing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

On Monday, Trump travels to Jerusalem, where he will lay a wreath at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre. He then meets privately with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On Tuesday, he meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem, and later in the day, says a prayer at the Western Wall.

Trumps earlier statements about this conflict suggest that he feels a solution could easily found. And that, frankly, baffles those who have been involved in this impasse for years. Also, planning for this visit has been fraught with tension. Netanyahu wanted to accompany Trump at the Western Wall but the presidents aides vetoed that.

3. Taking on the Pope.

On Wednesday, Trump meets Pope Francis at the Vatican. On many levels, these two men could hardly be more different. Trump is self-absorbed and conspicuously wealthy, while the Pope  who lived in the slums of Buenos Aires while a priest  shuns the trappings of his office.

They clearly have little respect for each other. The Pope described Trumps intention to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico as not Christian. Trump replied that it was disgraceful for the Pope to question his faith. A White House official said the two leaders will discuss the fight against intolerance. We shall see what progress they make.

4. Looking like a fool to Europe

On Thursday and Friday, Trump will focus on the unstable American relationship with Europe. He will visit the headquarters of the European Union in Brussels, meet with fellow NATO leaders and then go on to Sicily for a G7 summit.

In recent weeks, Trump has modified his anti-Europe stance, but he still expresses views about climate change and international trade that alarm European leaders. They will also want to see for themselves how well this new U.S. president, who appears to be in such political trouble in Washington, performs on the world stage.

Of course, Trump may survive this trip intact. Stranger things have happened. However, while his wisest approach would be to listen and learn and stay out of trouble, that is simply not his style.

A genuine worry among his aides is his physical stamina. This will be a very arduous trip, with many high-pressure encounters with other world leaders in settings that are strange to him.

Trump, after all, is about to turn 71 years of age, is clearly overweight and rarely sleeps anywhere but in his own bed. He also has an odd theory about exercise, which he regards as a waste of time.

As a recent New Yorker profile revealed, Trump believes that a human being, like a battery, is born with a finite amount of energy. Working out would only deplete that energy.

After this past week in Washington, and this coming week abroad, is it time to start wondering how much longer that Trump battery will last?

Tony Burman is former head of Al Jazeera English and CBC News. Reach him @TonyBurman or at tony.burman@gmail.com

Read more about:

SHARE:
Family night at the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Frankford, Ont., was winding down and bundled-up parishioners were scattering into a bitter February night, one of the coldest in the winter of 2013.

It was a happy scene with no hint of the frightening events that were about to unfold and the evenings long-term impact.

Rev. Dan Wood, pastor at the church, and his wife, Liane, were saying their last goodbyes until just one family remained, lingering for a few moments while their cars warmed up. Both couples allowed their teenaged daughters to wait in their vehicles that idled in the parking lot beside the Trent River, which runs through the town west of Belleville.

The friendly chatter was halted by a loud crash.

Like somebody had run into the church with a car, recalls Dan.

Within moments, one of the Woods daughters burst through the door.

Megan is in the river, she yelled, referring to her friend.

Read more:

A coast guard vet raced to save freezing fishermen: I remember my friggin heart pounding

He saved a woman from a polar bear. Then the mauling was on for me

Canadian with one bat takes on two robbers with pistols: It never did scare me

The scene that greeted the adults after they sprinted outside took a moment to process. The Nissan Juke compact SUV, in which 13-year-old Megan had been waiting, was gone and there was a gaping hole in the chain-link fence that sits atop a retaining wall separating the church property from the raging river below.

The car was downstream. It had plunged into the darkness and was carried about 10 metres before it wedged up against some boulders. It was upside-down, more than half submerged and about five metres from the bank.

It was impossible to know Megans condition.

Dan, a former volunteer firefighter, was about to jump into the water below despite a recent shoulder injury. But he realized a leap from the retaining wall, which was higher than three metres, to the rocky river would likely accomplish little more than a broken ankle.

Instead he got a ladder from the church. Megans mother phoned 911. Liane prayed with her two daughters there in the parking lot.

By the time the ladder was in place, Liane had her coat and boots off. She was going in.

While we were praying, I just felt the sense that I was to go in the water, she says. There really wasnt any discussion about it.

It was about -35 C that night, and the only thing that kept the Trent from freezing was the furious current, so strong it took both men to hold the ladder in place while Liane descended into the darkness. Two floodlights in the parking lot did little to light the river.

You knew you were going down into water with rocks in it but you couldnt actually see it, she says.

Liane, 42 at the time, worked her way downstream to the vehicle through the icy water that churned around her ribs at its deepest. Once at the SUV, she found the doors were locked. She returned to the bank to get a tool, a large ice scraper, but she couldnt shatter the glass that was underwater. In the attempt, she lost her footing and fell under the water.

The current was so strong there, the first responders were saying we cant believe you werent swept downstream, she says. I was able to get back up and I was still beside the car.

At this point Dan, then 43, joined her in the river. The SUV was positioned such that the nose of the car was pointed toward the flowing water and submerged. Dan had the idea that they should move to the rear of the vehicle where part of the back window might be out of the water.

In the darkness, they felt their way along the car. Once there, with feet so badly frozen, Liane didnt immediately realize she was standing on the open hatch at the vehicles back end. It had likely popped open when the SUV fell.

The two began shouting for Megan through the opening.

After a few calls, she responded with, Im here,  recalls Liane.

She was at the front of the vehicle, where an air pocket allowed her to keep her head above the water. To escape, Megan had to swim under the tops of the seats of the inverted vehicle. She calmly made it out.

Both Dan and Liane grabbed hold of the girl. As they began to work their way along the car, Megan, legs weakened from hypothermia, lost her footing in the current. Dan held on to the teen while Liane, also losing strength, grabbed for the vehicle.

Dan took Megan to the ladder while Liane, no longer able to move on her own, waited. He then returned for his wife.

When we were in the river, every second felt like five minutes, says Liane.

The pastor and his wife ascended the ladder just as the first emergency crews arrived. Between the 911 call and the first fire truck on scene was about 10 minutes.

It was a fearless rescue in a dangerous river for which Rev. Dan and Liane Wood would each receive a Medal of Bravery. But that was not the end of the story.

Megan was treated for hypothermia and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which required a lengthy break from school. Otherwise, physically, she was remarkably unscathed. According to Liane, she is now in Grade 12 doing well and getting ready to graduate.

Both the pastor and his wife say it was never determined why the vehicle rolled backwards through the fence and into the river.

Liane Wood was dramatically affected by events that evening. When she was in the river, while her husband was escorting Megan to the bank, alone and getting colder, she believed she couldnt hold on to the car much longer.

Liane believed she was going to be swept away to her death.

I remember looking at the top of the retaining wall and seeing my daughters standing up there, she recounts, her voice filled with emotion.

I just remember thinking, the last thing that I did with my girls was I prayed with them and the last thing my girls saw me do was try and help a friend and I was OK. I thought if its my time to go, its my time to go.

Liane still receives treatment for PTSD and has a therapy dog as a constant companion.

Before that night, she was a successful insurance broker, but she couldnt continue in that business. She says she had difficulties concentrating and she wanted do something with her life that she felt was helping people.

Now she is in Toronto three days a week, taking courses to become a psychotherapist herself.

It was a very good career in insurance. I just realized that nobody was going to get to the end of their lives and say, Im so glad Ive got an insurance policy from Liane. I want to be someone that helps other people.

Despite the health issues caused by the rescue, Liane says there is no doubt she would go into the river again.

It was my automatic response, she says. Nobody has a greater claim to being alive than anyone else. Looking back at it, would I do it again? Absolutely. The alternative is standing there and doing nothing. I dont think I could live with myself.

Brave, braver, bravest: Canadas three decorations

Canada has three decorations for bravery available to civilians or emergency workers. They recognize people, living or dead, who risked their lives to save or protect another.

The decorations were created by the Queen in 1972 and are personally presented by the governor general in a ceremony at either Rideau Hall in Ottawa or La Citadelle in Quebec City.

In you, I see proof of humanity and decency and courage in the world, governor general David Johnston told recipients at one recent ceremony. That is why I still get goosebumps each time I present these awards, every time I hear stories of bravery.

Anyone can nominate a person to be considered for an award by the Canadian Decorations Advisory Committee. Potential recipients do not have to be Canadian but, if not, that person must have performed an act of bravery in the interest of Canada.

Cross of Valour

The highest honour for bravery available in this country outside the Canadian Armed Forces. It recognizes acts of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril.

The Cross of Valour has been awarded 20 times and recipients can use the letters C.V. after their name.

Star of Courage

The second highest award recognizes acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of peril.

The Star of Courage has been granted 458 times. Recipients can use the letters S.C. after their name.

Medal of Bravery

The third highest honour, it recognizes acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances.

There have been 3,316 Medals of Bravery presented. Recipients can use the letters M.B. after their name.

SHARE:
OTTAWAFederal workers whose job it is to determine whether someone is eligible for employment, disability or seniors benefits have been told to stop being amateur sleuths by searching the Facebook profiles of applicants.

The order came after senior officials learned that staff were logging on to social media websites to check on any suspicions they had with someones application for Canada Pension Plan disability benefits.

And now other benefit programs  employment insurance, seniors benefits like old age security and the guaranteed income supplement  have been subjected to the same reminder.

The only personal information the department is allowed to collect has to come from the applicant or from a third party like a doctor, employer, or family member, provided the applicant consents.

A briefing note prepared for a senior official in Employment and Social Development Canada last year says that employees determining eligibility for CPP or old age security payments shouldnt be starting an investigation, surveillance, or the collection and use of information from the Internet, newspapers, funeral homes or any other public sources in carrying out their administrative decision-making responsibilities.

The briefing note provides a series of detailed examples of online searches that are considered to be over the line.

They include:

Looking up an online obituary notice for an application for CPP survivor benefits;

Sending a friend request to a CPP disability claimant on Facebook to see if pictures provide evidence that the applicant can in fact work;

Looking up municipal property information to see if someone has lived in the country long enough to qualify for old age security benefits.

The briefing note says that using publicly available information like social media posts and even address listings could be considered an invasion of privacy and a violation of the Privacy Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The Canadian Press obtained a copy of the briefing note under the Access to Information Act.

A spokesman for Employment and Social Development Canada said that staff have reviewed a very small number of cases where such information was collected, but wasnt used in deciding whether someone qualified for benefits.

It was three years ago this month that officials at ESDC received an internal query about collecting and using publicly available personal information in determining eligibility for CPP disability benefits.

The department said there is no evidence that such sleuthing activity occurs widely, but neither was there an explicit policy about how and whether to use such information.

By the summer of 2015, staff who worked in the CPP disability program, including medical adjudicators, were given their new guidelines.

Last year, the policy took on a broader view when staff in programs that included employment insurance, old age security and the guaranteed income supplement were told to steer clear of social media in determining eligibility.

Staff were reminded that if they came across something odd in a file, including anything that could be easily found online, they were to send it to the wing of the department that investigates and roots out fraud in the federal benefits system.

The department said it takes privacy and the protection of personal information seriously and staff do not collect or use publicly available personal information in determining entitlement to benefit programs.

In the rare circumstances that the department becomes aware of publicly available personal information (e.g. from a third party) that indicates that there may be fraud or abuse of the program, the department will conduct an investigation and contact the individual in question.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Amnesty International has launched a campaign to publicize what it says is a worsening situation for human rights activists throughout the world.

The group hopes its Brave campaign will persuade governments to keep the promises they made in United Nations treaties to protect defenders of human rights.

The organization Front Line Defenders says 281 people were killed in 2016 for defending human rights. In 2015, the number was 156.

Guadalupe Marengo is head of Amnestys Human Rights Defenders Program.

In the current context of us-versus-them, of demonization, of full frontal attack actually I would say on human rights, it is crucial that we take stock and that we call on the authorities to stop these attacks immediately.

Amnesty says the bad treatment of human rights activists in Russia is increasing.

Earlier this month, protesters marked the anniversary of demonstrations against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Several human rights campaigners have been jailed. Opposition political activist Gennady Gudkov spoke at a protest in Moscow.

Gudkov said the state provokes us and drives us into a stronger resistance. They show that the law in Russia is worth nothing.

Guadalupe Marengo says other countries are following the lead of Russia in their treatment of activists.

Only in the last week or so, Hungary is trying to have a bill similar to the one that Russia has, where its going to be very difficult to form associations and fight for human rights if youre getting funding from external sources.

Activists have accused Turkey of failing to respect human rights after the failed attempt to overthrow the government last year. Tens of thousands of people have been arrested or dismissed from their jobs. Turkey claims they are part of a large anti-government plot.

Amnesty says human rights defenders are arrested, kidnapped and killed around the world. It says they are also attacked using online technology. Surveillance tools are used to study their activity.

Marengo says campaigns launched on social media tell lies about the activists in an attempt to cause others to oppose them.

They are accused of being terrorists; they are accused of being criminals, they are accused of defending immorality.

Amnesty International hopes the Brave program will show the worsening situation for human rights activists worldwide.

Im Mario Ritter.

Henry Ridgwell reported this story from London for VOA News. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

context  n. environment; setting or surroundings

demonization  n. the act of saying someone (or something) causes a lot of trouble

frontal  adj. of or relating to the front of something

crucial  adj. important

take stock  expression. to study or examine something before making a decision

provoke  v. incite; to fuel

association  n. a group of people who share a common interest

online  adj. of or relating to a computer or telecommunications technology

surveillance  n. close watch over someone or something
PLYMOUTH, MINN.A Minnesota woman who survived the Holocaust received her high school diploma more than seven decades after the Nazis robbed her of the privilege.

Esther Begam was 11 years old in 1942 when Germany invaded her native Poland and she was forced to work, first in a Jewish ghetto, then in a forced labour camp. Wayzata High School in the Minneapolis suburb of Plymouth presented Begam with a diploma this month, KARE-TV reported. The 88-year-old grabbed her blue graduation cap and tossed it skyward as she was treated to a standing ovation.

It feels good, she said, surrounded by her great-grandchildren.

Begams father, a rabbi, was never seen after he left to serve as a chaplain with the Polish army. Her mother and younger brother were killed at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Her older sister, who was also forced into labour, didnt survive the ordeal.

I had very educated families, Begam said. My father knew seven, eight languages.

When World War II ended, she found herself alone. At age 17, she married another Holocaust survivor and moved to Minnesota.

Begam told her story at Wayzata High School seven years ago, and a student asked her to name her biggest regret.

I expected her to say I wish we would have run, I wish we would have hidden, I wish we would have saved pictures  and she said, The one thing I regret is not getting my high school diploma, said Candice Ledman, a teacher.

Ledman came up with the idea to give Begam a diploma, but the school administration originally turned her down.

It definitely sat with me, Ledman said. Its one of those things, you want to do something for her.

The opportunity presented itself again when a new principal, Scott Gengler, took over.

I wasnt four sentences into explaining Esthers full story and he said, Absolutely, lets do it. We need to do this, Ledman said.

Ledmans class decorated a small auditorium, and a cake was prepared for after the ceremony. Most of Begams children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were present.

Its 71 years overdue, Gengler said.

Read more about:

SHARE:
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIAIgnoring U.S. President Donald Trumps past admonition, U.S. first lady Melania Trump did not cover her head Saturday when they arrived in Saudi Arabia on the opening leg of his first international tour since taking office.

Two years ago, then-citizen Trump criticized then-first lady Michelle Obamas decision to go bare-headed on a January 2015 visit with her husband.

Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted. We have enuf enemies, Trump tweeted at the time, including a shorthand spelling for enough.

Under the kingdoms strict dress code for women, Saudi women and most female visitors are required to wear a loose, black robe known as an abaya, in public. Most women in Saudi Arabia also cover their hair and face with a veil known as the niqab.

But head coverings arent required for foreigners and most Western women go without.

Read the latest on U.S. President Donald Trump

While Mrs. Trump dressed conservatively Saturday in a long-sleeved, black pantsuit accented with a wide, gold-colored belt, her below-the-shoulder brown hair blew in the breeze at King Khalid International Airport in the capital city of Riyadh.

She followed the example set by other, high-profile Western women, including Mrs. Obama.

Associated Press journalist Aya Batrawy explains the significance of U.S. President Donald Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia, the initial leg of his first overseas trip as president.

On visits earlier this year, British Prime Minister Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel also shunned head coverings. Then-first lady Laura Bush generally went without covering her head, though she once briefly donned a head scarf that she received as a gift.

Hillary Clinton, on trips to Saudi Arabia as Obamas secretary of state, also did not cover her head.

Read more: Trump receives royal welcome in Saudi Arabia

Trumps daughter, Ivanka, a senior White House adviser who is also accompanying her father, also left her head uncovered.

Saudi Arabia adheres to an ultraconservative interpretation of Islamic Shariah law where unrelated men and women are segregated in most public places. Women are banned from driving, although rights advocates have campaigned to lift that ban.

Guardianship laws also require a male relatives consent before a woman can obtain a passport, travel or marry. Often that relative is a father or husband, but in the absence of both can be the womans own son.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Re: Cultural appropriation is ultimately about the cash, Walkom, May 15

Cultural appropriation is ultimately about the cash, Walkom, May 15

Actually, Mr. Walkom, it really isnt about the cash at all.

The idea of cultural appropriation is extremely relevant to First Nations people, who have a shockingly long history of not being allowed to speak for themselves, and of being spoken for and treated in all manner of paternalistic ignorance by non-First Nations people who are quick to mock our peoples as we struggle to find our voices for the first time.

The reservation system, the 60s scoop, residential schools, the ongoing apathy and mockery of mainstream Canadians who have a remarkable antipathy to situations of which they are brutally ignorant  these are all topics that it is enormously important to finally be discussed, debated and written about by First Nations people in their own voices.

The fact that you mock the sin of cultural appropriation shows an ignorance and casual indifference to a resurgent and enormously creative new generation of First Nations writers, academics and activists who, quite frankly, will firmly and without bitterness cast aside your tired, paternalistic clap-trap and continue to criticize the unacceptable sin of non-native Canadians mocking, silencing or speaking for those your own government rendered voiceless in the first place.

We are silent no more.

Jonathan Van Etten of the Plains Cree Nation,

Moosomin First Nation, Cochin, Sask.

Cultural appropriation is not a very helpful term. In fact, it is a kind of tautology, for what is culture if not the taking of ideas from others, whether within your culture or without?

The most compelling example is blues music  and the jazz, rock and every other kind of music that grew out of it, out of the soil of slavery. All of us would wish away the slavery but would any of us wish away the transcendental music produced by black people playing European instruments or white people playing the blues?

Lets talk about racism by all means. But to suggest that a writer, or any artist, should refrain from imagining a life not their own, is counterproductive. Why would you not want people to exercise their powers of empathy, especially when it comes to racism or any other form of institutionalized oppression? (Gord Downie did it recently with the story of Chanie Wenjack and was lauded for it.)

If somebody engages in self-expression, for profit or otherwise, and if, in your estimation, theyre being racist, sexist, homophobic, phoney or anything else you find offensive, call them out on it. Thats also culture: public discourse.

But if you think white people simply shouldnt write about brown people, men about women or the privileged about the oppressed, well, then youre ready to burn a whole lot of art.

Why cultural appropriation matters, Paradkar, May 17 and Cultural appropriation suppresses minority voices, Opinion, May 17

Cultural appropriation, as Shree Paradkar points out, is not about freedom of speech. It is about showing disregard for another culture, especially a weaker one, while exploiting the power of its stories and imagery.

Our mainstream media often send journalists to rich, deep cultures in the developing world to gather stories that focus mostly on terrorism, drug-smuggling, corruption, poverty and superstition. None of these themes or the facts behind them need be inaccurate to fuel grossly wrong stereotypes, such as Trumps depiction of all Muslims as potential terrorists.

We all must learn to tell our stories more respectfully  not as a formal obligation, but on the more secure ground of our common humanity and the planet we share.

Brett Hudson Matthews, Toronto

Cultural appropriation isnt the same thing as racism, as Shree Paradkar implies. Ethnic cultures recognizing each others similarities and differences, thus integrating their different aspects into other ethnic cultures, is progressive in nature, by expanding societal and worldly awareness.

The authors definition of cultural appropriation is based on a system of oppression and implied exploitation, which is racism, not cultural appropriation. Her examples of black face and Amanda PL are examples of racism. Many of her other examples and definitions relate to intellectual bankruptcy, not misappropriation.

Cultural appropriation isnt inherently a bad thing. Its a behaviour of every culture within any given society and it is not solely tied to race.

A.P. Bundy, Toronto

The controversy over cultural appropriation is another dismal example of Orwellian newspeak in an era when the germ of political correctness spreads across the liberal democratic world.

The critics of cultural appropriation suggest it is racist for authors to endeavour to get into the hearts and minds of people of different races or cultures. This is absolute codswallop. It flies in the face of history, which tells us that books, plays and movies have had a positive effect on enhancing the human condition, starting with Shakespeares Othello.

In Huckleberry Finn, perhaps the greatest novel in our language, Mark Twain depicted the slave Jim in very human terms at a time when slaves were widely regarded as chattels. Harriet Beecher Stowe significantly strengthened the abolitionist cause in Uncle Toms Cabin. In our own time, Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird and Alan Patons Cry, the Beloved Country helped end segregation in the U.S. south and apartheid.

Raymond Heard, Toronto

Dirk Beck, Toronto

The notion that people should only write about their own cultures or ethnicities is a bizarre affront to Canadas multiculturalism. On the one hand, we are asked to recognize diversity as a strength, while on the other, we are told to stay clear of diversity in our artistic endeavours.

Every work of art is an exploration into that which is in some part not us. Indeed, we cannot truly know ourselves if we are clueless about how we are perceived by others. If we make exploring other cultures taboo (itself a borrowed term), then we are denying a direct benefit of multiculturalism. We become a better society by adopting that which is good from our component cultures.

If you dont find merit in a work, then dont buy it. However, dont blame the artist for presenting a view into our society.

Gary Dale, Toronto

As a reader, words are my staff of life. A story is born in the imagination of a writer and cannot be owned by anyone else. To suggest a story could be suppressed and allowed to die because someone else is more suitable to tell it is delusional.

This current group of the offended include those who are responsible for the panning of an artist who loves and uses First Nation art form but is not of the culture. Museums holding an Emily Carr totem painting appropriated from this culture should beware.

A few members of this same group outed an indigenous wannabe Joseph Boyden who, while parading as one of them, also turned out stories that inspired respect, understanding and admiration for a culture that has survived so much hardship.

I am amazed Gord Downies musical retelling of the young victim of a residential school has been allowed to pass scrutiny.

Can we, as Canadians sharing a country teeming with possible stories, please regain some sense of sanity and just hope these stories are allowed to come to life?

Rochelle Hatton, Sudbury, Ont.

As a white teenager in the 60s and 70s, I immersed myself in the music of Motown, Chicago and Muscle Shoals  music produced and performed by black musicians, untouched in the purity of its soul by any of the fluff performed by the typical white bands of the era.

BB King was my Eric Clapton, James Brown was my Mick Jagger, Sam and Dave were our Righteous Brothers and Sam Cooke was my Paul McCartney. We copied the clothes worn by Otis Redding and tried in vain to learn his chords.

I rejoiced in my good fortune in having tapped into a motherlode of genius. It must always be recognized that this music was spawned by the pain and deprivations of the black experience in America  just listen to the agony in the voice of Howlin Wolf.

This music is utterly authentic and I have continued to follow it with deep respect all my life. It is music whose roots I can never share, but whose flowerings light my life.

Robert Kent, Mississauga

SHARE:
Deutsche Bank AG (DB) - Get Free Report stock struggled to keep pace with its financial sector peers Friday following a shareholder vote that could allow Europe's biggest bank to issue more capital in the coming years.

Investors at the bank's annual meeting in Frankfurt approved a raft of measures put forward by management and the supervisory board, including the potential to issue new debt and equity capital to shore up it balance sheet. Shareholders also rejected a motion to bring in an independent auditor to examine the record of current and past management during a series of scandals that have cost the bank billions in fines and penalties.

"However turbulent 2016 was, for us and for you as our shareholders, I nevertheless stand before you today feeling much more confident than I was a year ago," said CEO John Cryan. "We have thoroughly investigated and taken appropriate action over cases of misconduct. We will continue to do so - not only because our regulators require it, but because we ourselves consider such action to be essential."

"But I'd like to make one thing clear: an enormous amount of investigation has been carried out, not only by us but also by our regulators," Cryan added. "We investigated many problems intensively. I cannot imagine that further investigation of the same incidents will produce any substantial new findings."

Deutsche Bank shares were marked 0.33% lower by 11:00 CET in Frankfurt and changing hands at 16.82 each compared to a 0.6% gain for the Stoxx Europe Banks index benchmark.

The stock has fallen some 13.62% since it unveiled details of an $8.6 billion capital increase on March 5, which ultimately allowed existing shareholders to purchase one new Deutsche Bank share for every two held at a price of 11.75 each.

The Frankfurt-based lender has a core capital ratio (CET1) of 11.9% as of the end of 2016, up 80 basis points from the previous year and said its overall risk-weighted assets fell 39 billion to 358 billion.
Shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) - Get Free Report were higher during mid-morning trading on Friday following after Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage of the stock with an overweight rating and a $194 price target.

Management at the Waltham, MA-based biotechnology product development firm is "well positioned" to take advantage of positive secular trends and "attractive" end markets, Cantor analyst Bryan Brokmeier noted.

Thermo Fisher's strong reputation with consumers in a "highly-fragmented" industry will create organic growth opportunities at the "likely" expense of weaker competition, Brokmeier added.

Jim Cramer and Real Money columnists discuss the latest from President Donald Trump and the GOP efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. See which stocks they are discussing and get his insights or analysis with a free trial subscription to Real Money.
Lawmakers from Asia-Pacific countries said their area is important to combating climate change during a recent international meeting in Vietnam.

Asia-Pacific members of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, or IPU, met for three days in Ho Chi Minh City to debate issues related to climate change. Their meeting ended Saturday.

The lawmakers shared their concerns about increasing worldwide temperatures and discussed ideas to combat it [climate change].

Climate change has no passport, IPU Secretary-General Martin Chungong said. Its cross-national.

The group says cities are most responsible for climate change

The United Nations Development Program says people living in cities have a bigger impact on the environment than those who do not.

For example, Ho Chi Minh City, the site of the meeting, is home to about 10 million people. The citys Communist Party Chief, Nguyen Thien Nhan, said the city creates waste and uses water at a rate equal to 17 times the average in Vietnam.

The U.N. Development Program adds that about one billion people live in urban settings in Asia. That is more than the rest of the world combined. And it is one of the reasons that Asian lawmakers consider Asia to be important to fighting climate change.

Planting trees for change

During the IPU meeting, Nguyen Thien Nhan took the parliamentarians on a trip to the Mekong River Delta to plant mangrove trees. They also saw the effects of coastal erosion on the Delta.

Vietnam says the Mekong Delta is one of the three major river deltas most threatened by climate change.

Thai officials told VOA they plan to plant mangrove trees after they return from the Vietnam trip.

Chaiyth Promsookt said, The most imminent threat to Thailand in terms of climate change is first, of course, deforestation and the reduction of green [areas] in Thailand. He leads the Thai National Assemblys committee on natural resources and environment.

Promsookt said the Thai government set a goal of keeping levels of forest cover to at least 40 percent over the next 20 years. Planting the mangroves will aid this goal and guard the coasts from erosion, he said.

Another action might be to persuade ethnic minorities to farm cherries and apples instead of taking part in illegal logging.

He said this would create, in his words, a fair distribution of both income and development outcomes.

His majesty the late king believed that this would be more inclusive in terms of development, in terms of joining the people, especially the underprivileged people in the rural areas, he said.

Those ideas are similar to suggestions of Anna Schreyoegg. She is a climate change policy and mitigation adviser at GIZ Vietnam, a German-based development agency.

Schreyoegg recommended that environmental policy should include both scientific evidence and the ideas of native groups and women.

Deforestation is also a concern for many Asian nations.

Laos has been losing trees to logging. Sanya Praseuth, the vice chair of the Laos National Assemblys economic, technology and environment committee, says this has caused temperatures to rise.

Our country [is] getting hotter comparing with the previous years, he told VOA.

He added that weather has become harder to predict.

Laos is trying to solve the problem by suspending logging permits.

However, some of the lawmakers said that environmental problems cannot be solved by developing countries alone.

Indonesian parliamentarian Siti Hediati Soeharto said that rich economies have a greater responsibility to reduce the production of gasses blamed for climate change.

She added that rich nations should provide aid for climate change efforts in developing nations.

Indonesia is of the view that developed countries should continue taking the lead, she said.

Im Phil Dierking.

This story was originally written by Lien Hoang for VOA News. Phil Dierking adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

deforestation - n. the act or result of cutting down or burning all the trees in an area

erosion - n. the gradual destruction of something by natural forces such as water, wind, or ice)

indigenous - adj. produced, living, or existing naturally in a particular region or environment

imminent - adj. happening very soon

mitigation - n. to make (something) less severe, harmful, or painful

parliamentarian - n. a member of a parliament, especially one well versed in parliamentary procedure and experienced in debate.

reservoir - n. a usually artificial lake that is used to store a large supply of water for use in people's homes, in businesses, etc.
Vipshop Holdings Limited operates online platforms for various brands in the People's Republic of China. It operates in Vip.com, Shan Shan Outlets, and Others segments. The company offers women's apparel, such as casual wear, jeans, dresses, outerwear, lingerie, pajamas, and maternity clothes; men's apparel comprising casual and smart-casual T-shirts, polo shirts, jackets, pants, and underwear; and skin care and cosmetic products, including cleansers, lotions, face and body creams, face masks, sunscreen, foundations, lipsticks, eye shadows, and other cosmetics-related items. It also provides shoes and bags, which comprises casual and formal shoes, purses, satchels, luggage, duffel bags, and wallets; handbags; apparel, gears and accessories, furnishings and decor, toys, and games for boys, girls, infants, and toddlers; sportswear, sports gear, and footwear for various sporting activities; home furnishings, such as bed and bath products, home decor, kitchen and tabletop items, and home appliances; and consumer electronic products. In addition, the company offers food and snacks, beverages, fresh produce, and pet goods; beauty products; and internet finance services, including consumer and supplier financing, and microcredit. Vipshop Holdings Limited provides its branded products through its vip.com and vipshop.com online platforms, as well as through its internet website and cellular phone application. Further, it offers warehousing, logistics, product procurement, research and development, technology development, and consulting services; software development and information technology support solutions; and supply chain services. Vipshop Holdings Limited was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Guangzhou, the People's Republic of China.
The government of Thailand is considering measures to improve conditions in the troubled southern border provinces.

It hopes new policies, including increased security, can return confidence in the provinces economies after a recent terrorist attack.

On May 9, a car bomb exploded near the Big C super store injuring at least 60 people.

No one was killed because security guards stopped cars from getting closer to the store. They had seen a small explosion and realized it was part of a larger attack.

Panitan Wattanayagorn is a security advisor to the government.

Panitan said the store is being repaired and the government has sent representatives to the area a few times to help. Panitan expects that the store will reopen soon.

The store is the only one of its kind in the mostly Muslim Southern border provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani. About 1.8 million people live in the provinces.

Anusak Suwanmongkol owns the CS Pattani Hotel, which has been targeted by terrorists. Anusak says the attack on the store hurt the areas economy.

It will affect the investment climate, it will affect the economy in general because the indiscriminate attack on the people who go to Big C supermarket and overall it will take some time for the economy to pick up, Anusak said.

Terrorists in Thailands southern border provinces restarted attacks in 2004. Since then, almost 7,000 people have died although strong security measures have been put in place.

Most victims have been Muslim. The terrorists have attacked state schools and have murdered many teachers and state officials.

Thai security forces have also been accused of killings and torture by rights groups.

The violence has taken lives and hurt peoples ability to make a living.

The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) is a government research agency. It said in 2015 that people in the southern provinces have low incomes and the poverty rate is high at 33 percent.

The national poverty rate in Thailand is 7.2 percent.

Srisompob Jitiromsri is a political scientist at the Prince of Songkla University Pattani campus. He said years of conflict have harmed the economy.

The problem of the violent situation and the lack of confidence is the investment from outside (of the region). It has a strong impact on the local economy. This is why we can see the poverty still high when compared with other regions, he said.

Many in the Buddhist minority population have fled. In 2003, the National Statistics Office said 22 percent of the population of the three provinces was Buddhist.

Srisompob says only about 10 percent is now Buddhist.

In April, the World Bank warned that the difference between the rich and poor was growing in Thailand, including the Southern provinces.

Since 2004, Thai leaders have put in place policies to increase incomes. They have been supported by non-governmental organizations and the United Nations.

Panitan said the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center has sent aid to the area.

Since 2004, the government has spent more than $7 billion in the region. In 2016 it spent $858 million. That is more than twice the $375 million it spent in 2004.

But Anusak said only an end to violence will lead to a return of business confidence.

In order to have potential investors to come in the area to establish business(es) you usually have to also have safety, you have to establish safety, you have to establish a safe climate also, Anusak said.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Correspondent Ron Corben reported this story from Bangkok. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

confidence  n. a feeling of trust in one's health or condition

indiscriminate  adj. affecting or harming many things

supermarket  n. a store known for offering a large number of goods and services
GSK plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the creation, discovery, development, manufacture, and marketing of pharmaceutical products, vaccines, over-the-counter medicines, and health-related consumer products in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Pharmaceuticals, Pharmaceuticals R&D, Vaccines, and Consumer Healthcare. The company offers pharmaceutical products comprising medicines in the therapeutic areas, such as respiratory, HIV, immuno-inflammation, oncology, anti-viral, central nervous system, cardiovascular and urogenital, metabolic, anti-bacterial, and dermatology. It also provides consumer healthcare products in wellness, oral health, nutrition, and skin health categories. The company offers its consumer healthcare products in the form of nasal sprays, tablets, syrups, lozenges, gum and trans-dermal patches, caplets, infant syrup drops, liquid filled suspension, wipes, gels, effervescents, toothpastes, toothbrushes, mouthwashes, denture adhesives and cleansers, topical creams and non-medicated patches, lip balm, gummies, and soft chews. It has collaboration agreements with 23andMe; Lyell Immunopharma, Inc.; Novartis; Sanofi SA; Surface Oncology; Progentec Diagnostics, Inc.; Alector, Inc.; and CureVac AG., as well as strategic partnership with IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc. and Vir Biotechnology, Inc. The company was formerly known as GlaxoSmithKline plc and changed its name to GSK plc in May 2022. GSK plc was founded in 1715 and is headquartered in Brentford, the United Kingdom.


Now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.

On this program, we explore words and expressions that Americans use in everyday conversations.

Often, some of the most common expressions were first used many years ago, when life in the United States was very different than it is now.

Today, lets consider the term circle the wagons. A great way to show your loyalty to a group of people is to protect them. One way to do that is to circle the wagons.

Circle the wagons or circle your wagons means that members of a team or group must work together to protect themselves from some outside danger. Generally, they prepare for a possible attack.

Some language experts say this expression comes from the time when many Americans were moving away from the East Coast to what is now the western United States.

During the 1800s, many settlers traveled west from the East Coast in covered, horse-drawn wagons. At night, or when threatened during the day, the wagons would stop moving. The drivers then would line up all the carriages in a circle. This was a way of protecting the settlers from attack. They would keep their cattle and other animals within the circle.

Although circle the wagons was first used in the 19th century, dont let it stop you from using it today.

You can circle your wagons any time you feel you need to protect the interests of your group: from a sporting events to a political campaign to a project at work.

Circling your wagons means you are in a defensive position.

Now, if circling your wagons is a way of protecting your group, then a circular firing squad is just the opposite.

A firing squad is one way to carry out an execution. In the military, soldiers form a straight line as they prepare to fire at the prisoner. If the soldiers are in a circle, they would shoot each other. So, a circular firing squad is a group that comes together to fight a common enemy or opponent. But in the end, disputes among the groups own members do more damage than the enemy.

Americans often use this expression when talking about politics. A political party is rarely able to get all of its members to agree on every issue. And when they disagree on big issues, they can sometimes fight amongst themselves.

Some other terms for a circular firing squad are self-destructive internal conflicts and mutual recriminations.

Mutual describes something that two or more groups or people share or have in common. For example, mutual respect is when people respect each other.

A recrimination is an angry statement in which you accuse or criticize a person who has accused or criticized you. Children on the playground often use recriminations.

Youre stupid!

No, Im not! YOURE stupid!

Am not!

Are, too!

Now, lets hear these expressions being used in a short conversation.

Well, the meeting at work today was  interesting.

Thats one way to describe it. I call it  brutal. As soon as the chief said budget cuts, people started circling their wagons.

Thats understandable. If there is going to be less money, she might cancel some projects. So, everyone wants to protect their people and their projects.

Thats true. But we have to remember that were all working for the same business. Our bigger goal as a company is the same.

Youre right. We dont want to turn into a circular firing squad. Internal disputes are an easy way to destroy the company.

Yes. And that is exactly what our competition wants.

And thats it for Words and Their Stories.

Hopefully, in work and in life, you circle your wagon more often than get involved in a circular firing squad.

Im Jonathan Evans 

Im Anna Matteo.

In your language do you have creative ways either show your loyalty to a group or destroy it from within? Let us know in the Comments Section.

Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Song at the end is Come The Reckoning.

_________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

wagon  n. a usually four-wheeled vehicle for transporting bulky commodities and drawn originally by animals

squad  n. a small organized group of military personnel

internal  adj. of, relating to, or occurring on the inside of an organized structure (such as a club, company, or state) internal affairs

mutual  adj. shared between two or more people or groups

recrimination  n. an angry statement in which you accuse or criticize a person who has accused or criticized you

conversation  n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people : the act of talking in an informal way

brutal  adj. very direct and accurate in a way that is harsh or unpleasant
Militants launched 55 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in ATO area in Donbas over the past day.

This is reported by the ATO press center.

In Mariupol direction, militants used 120mm mortars to shell Ukrainian positions near Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) and Hnutove (19km north-west of Mariupol). ATO troops in Marinka (35 km south-west of Donetsk) and Krasnohorivka (29 km west of Donetsk) came under 82mm mortar and small arms fire.

In Donetsk direction, illegal armed formations used 82mm and 120mm mortars, small arms and grenade launchers to fire at the outskirts of Avdiivka (18km north of Donetsk). The enemy also launched attacks on ATO troops near Verkhniotoretske (22km north-east of Donetsk), using 82mm mortars and small arms.

In Luhansk direction, Russian-backed militants used Grad multiple rocket launchers, 152mm and 122mm artillery systems to fire at Ukrainian strongholds outside Troitske (69km west of Luhansk). Ukrainian servicemen also came under 122mm artillery fire in Novooleksandrivka (65km west of Luhansk).

ol
Ukraine will present its projects at the Expo 2017 in Astana, which will be devoted to the latest world achievements in the field of alternative energy and energy conservation.

This is said in the statement of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"Ukraine resumes its participation in the Expo 2017. The Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine and the Economic Development and Trade Ministry of Ukraine are jointly preparing the Ukraine's participation. Our projects this year will be presented under the Energy of Creative People slogan," the report says.

The National Day of Ukraine will be held within the framework of the Expo 2017 on June 15, 2017.

"The official events include the national parade, speeches by officials, festive concert program. The Ukrainian-Kazakh business forum is also planned to be held within the framework of the national day," the Chamber informs.

ol
Brazil's top prosecutor is accusing President Michel Temer of corruption and obstruction of justice, according to a court filing released Friday by the country's Supreme Court.

The accusations by Attorney General Rodrigo Janot relate to the release this week of an audio recording that allegedly shows the president tried to derail a massive corruption investigation known as "Car Wash."

In the secretly recorded conversation, first reported by the O Globo newspaper on Wednesday evening, the president is purported to have given his approval to monthly payments of hush money to a jailed politician.

That politician, Eduardo Cunha, was once a powerful member of Temer's ruling party and is now in prison for taking bribes in the anti-corruption drive.

Cunha has previously said that he has compromising information about other politicians linked to the bribery scandal.

The scandal threatens to derail Temer's presidency just a year after the center-right politician took over from impeached leftist President Dilma Rousseff.

Temer denied any wrongdoing in a televised address Thursday and rejected calls for him to resign.

Thousands protest

Thousands of people demonstrated against Temer on Thursday in the capital, Brasillia, and in Rio de Janeiro. More protests are planned for the weekend.

Temer faces an investigation by the Supreme Court as well as the potential collapse of his base in Congress, opening the way to impeachment proceedings.

So far, Temer's PMDB party and coalition partner, the PSDB Social Democrats, are still backing the president, with the only calls for impeachment coming from opposition lawmakers.
On Nov. 1, Linn Benton Food Shares warehouse in Tangent received two truckloads of food and household supplies arranged by the local branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Pro-Syrian government forces hit by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes in an established deconfliction zone inside Syria were directed by Iran, U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Friday.

Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon the strikes were conducted in "self-defense" and were "necessitated by offensive movement with offensive capability of what we believe were Iranian-directed forces." He added that it was unclear whether Iranians were on the ground with the forces.

U.S. Central Command spokesman Major Josh Jacques said in an interview with VOA on Thursday that pro-Syrian government forces set up a convoy northwest of the al-Tanf army base  where U.S.-led coalition forces are training Syrian militias fighting Islamic State  with Syrian tanks, bulldozers, armored vehicles, artillery vehicles and technical vehicles, and began creating fighting positions for their tanks.

Coalition strikes destroyed one of the tanks, two front-end loaders, another piece of construction equipment and a tactical vehicle, according to a U.S. Central Command strike release.

Officials say some of the pro-Syrian government forces are still violating the deconfliction zone set up around the al-Tanf base. The zone has been established as the area within a 55-kilometer radius from the base.

"We're calling on them to withdraw from the deconfliction zone," Jacques told VOA.

'Every opportunity to leave'

Over several hours, the coalition flew aircraft through the airspace and fired missiles into the ground as "warning shots" near the pro-Syrian forces, but they continued building their positions, Jacques said.

The coalition also used a deconfliction hotline established between the U.S. and Russia to see if the Russians could get them to leave the area, but several apparent Russian attempts led to no change from the forces.

"It looks like the Russians tried to dissuade them," Mattis said Friday.

"After that, we couldn't do much else," Jacques said. "They had every opportunity to leave the area."

Syria has condemned the deadly coalition attack and said airstrikes near the border with Jordan are hampering efforts by the Syrian army and its allies to fight Islamic State.

Russia  a close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government  called the airstrikes "unacceptable."

Syrian rebels hailed the coalition raids and encouraged further actions against the pro-Syrian government forces and Shi'ite militias who also are trying to gain control of the strategic border point.

"What happened today demonstrates that they cannot reach our territories," Al-Baraa Fares, a spokesman for the rebel group Maghaweer Al Thawra, told VOA. "When they tried, we informed the collation airplanes, which destroyed their convoys."

Force protection

A U.S. official estimated that "possibly dozens of fighters" convoyed into the restricted area ahead of the airstrike. Another official put the number of pro-government fighters inside the deconfliction zone at a "couple hundred."

"The strike was not a change in policy," but rather an instance of the commander on the ground calling for force protection, according to a third official.

A statement from the coalition Thursday confirmed the deconfliction zone agreement remains in effect.

Jacques also said that Russia had agreed to call the United States to deconflict whenever they planned to operate in the area within 55 kilometers of the base. The Russians had used the hotline less than 24 hours before the Syrians violated the space.

"The line's been up and running," he noted.

The U.S. military says it does not communicate with pro-Syrian government forces and speaks with Russian forces only when needed to prevent miscalculations, since U.S. and Russian aircraft both conduct bombing missions in Syrian skies.

"We will never work with the Assad regime," Brett McGurk, the special presidential envoy for the counter-IS coalition, told Pentagon reporters Friday.

Anti-Islamic State initiative

Anti-IS coalition forces have been operating in the al-Tanf area for many months. Their focus has been to train and advise Syrian rebel groups on how best to capture key terrorist-controlled territories on the Syrian southern border with Jordan and Iraq.

The pro-Syrian government forces were 25 kilometers away from al-Tanf base when they were targeted by coalition planes, according to Fares.

Fares said the pro-Syrian government forces tried but failed to receive reinforcement from nearby Shi'ite militias.
French President Emmanuel Macron made his first official trip outside Europe on Friday, visiting French troops stationed in Mali and pledging to be uncompromising in the fight against Islamist terrorism.

Macron said at a joint news conference in Gao with Malian counterpart Ibrahim Boubacar Keita that terrorists in West Africa were clearly a risk for Europe. He vowed that French troops would remain in Mali until the extremists were eliminated.

He also praised an exemplary relationship with the United States on counterterror efforts in Africa's Sahel region. Without it, we would not be able to operate in the area, he said.

More needed from Germany

Macron called for Germany to do more in Africa to help protect Europe from the threat of Islamist terrorism. I want to strengthen those European partnerships, in particular with Germany, and ensure that the German engagement, which is already visible, intensifies, he said.

Macron also met on Friday with some of the 1,700 French soldiers stationed in Gao. France has about 4,000 soldiers who are deployed in five West African countries  Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso  all of which are battling Islamist extremism.

Most of the terrorists in the region trace their origins to al-Qaida's North Africa branch.

Mali extremists remain a problem

Mali's president expressed his gratitude toward France for its military intervention, which began in 2013 after al-Qaida-linked militants took over Mali's northern region. French and Malian forces have pushed the militants back from their strongholds, but the extremists still operate in the country.

Keita said the road is long, but we are going forward and we will succeed.

France is the former colonial power in Mali and has strong ties to the region.
Australian police said on Friday they were investigating the case of a West African girl who said she had been held as a sex slave and repeatedly assaulted before she made an escape.

The 17-year-old from Guinea told investigators she was flown to Sydney via Paris in early April after a man in her home country offered her a job as a cleaner in Australia.

The pair traveled together from Guinea and upon arrival, the man drove her to a house police believed was in the Sydney area where she was "kept in a room and sexually assaulted by a number of men," the police said in a statement.

The teenager, who was not named, escaped from the house in the early hours of April 27. She ran until she was picked up by a woman, who drove her to an asylum seeker center.

Police officers from the human trafficking and sex crime units were looking into how and when the girl arrived in Australia, as well as the alleged sexual assaults, the statement said.

A spokeswoman for the New South Wales police contacted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation could not give further information on the case.

Police are searching for the man who the girl traveled with and urged the woman who picked up the teenager to come forward.

Australia is home to an estimated 4,300 victims of forced labor, sexual exploitation and domestic servitude, according to the 2016 Global Slavery Index by Australia-based rights group Walk Free Foundation.

Globally, nearly 46 million live as slaves, forced to work, sold for sex, trapped in debt bondage or born into servitude, according to the group.
Sudan's government says President Omar al-Bashir has chosen to skip a summit in Riyadh that U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend because Bashir does not want to upset Sudanese-American relations.

Information Minister Ahmed Bilal says Khartoum recognizes that Bashir's indictment by the International Criminal Court makes it difficult for him to meet the U.S. president.

"The situation of the president in the international community is linked to the ICC indictment, and that is sort of an embarrassment and we dont want to complicate things," he tells VOA's South Sudan in Focus.

Bilal says that meeting Bashir might cause trouble for Trump, who is expected to decide whether to completely lift economic sanctions first imposed on Sudan by the United States in 1997.

If he met the president this would be an extra pressure and besides, it would be an opportunity for the opposition there to make some problems about lifting [of sanctions]," says Bilal.

Wanted man



President Bashir is wanted by The Hague-based ICC for alleged genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan's Darfur region.

Sudan announced earlier Friday that Bashir would not attend the American-Arab Islamic Summit in the Saudi capital where President Trump is expected to deliver a speech about his hope for a peaceful vision of Islam.

A Khartoum-based political analyst, Ismail Ibrahim, says as long as Bashir has outstanding arrest warrants against him, it is unlikely that he will ever meet the U.S. president.

I dont think he can be allowed to attend a meeting presided [over] by the president of the United States of America," he says. "This would open a very complicated file and he should not try to navigate such waters or territory now. Ibrahim says Bashir should focus on making peace in his home country. "



Sudan's government continues to battle rebels in Darfur and in two states along the country's border with South Sudan.

The president should concentrate on how to bring about peace in the country, unify the so-called internal friends, bring about those who have yet to join the dialogue on the peace process in the Sudan and I hope that will ultimately lead to the lifting of sanctions that have been imposed on the Sudan completely," Ibrahim says.



The Sudanese news agency SUNA reported Friday that President Bashir has apologized to Saudi Arabia's King Salman for being unable to attend the summit for personal reasons.
The newspaper of Brazil's biggest media group is calling for President Michel Temer to resign after the country's top court authorized investigations on the embattled leader for alleged corruption and obstruction of justice.

The daily O Globo published its call in an editorial Friday afternoon shortly after Brazil's supreme court revealed several accusations against Temer made by a business mogul.

JBS company owner Joesley Batista said he paid bribes to Temer from 2010 to this year, among other accusations. Attorney General Rodrigo Janot has accused the president of corruption.

O Globo has backed Temer's pledge for austerity measures and reforms, but now says the president lacks the moral, ethical, political and administrative tools to remain.

Temer has denied any wrongdoing and on Thursday he promised not to resign.

Batista also said that he transferred $150 million to offshore accounts for campaigns of former Brazilian Presidents Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff.

In a plea bargain testimony released Friday, Batista said that former Finance Minister Guido Mantega was the middleman in the operation to channel illegal funds for Silva and Rousseff.

Batista said both former presidents were aware of the transfers, but did not name where those accounts were based. Batista also didn't state for which campaigns the money was transferred.

Rousseff denied the accusations in a statement and said she never had offshore bank accounts. Silva's spokesman said Batista's accusations are hearsay that was never investigated.
Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz and U.S. President Donald Trump signed a nearly $110 billion agreement Saturday to bolster the military capabilities of Saudi Arabia.

The defense deal, effective immediately, was one of a series agreements the two countries signed to enhance their military and economic partnerships, including a second defense pact with options valued at up to $350 billion over the next 10 years.

"It was a tremendous day," Trump said while meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef at a Riyadh hotel. "Jobs, jobs, jobs," the president said in a reference to the potential job creation opportunities the agreements provide.

The White House said in a statement earlier that the defense deals would create new opportunities for U.S. companies in the Middle East and support "tens of thousands" of new jobs in the U.S. defense industry.

The White House statement also said the deals would help the countries more effectively address common threats.

"This package of defense equipment and services supports the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats, while also bolstering the kingdom's ability to contribute to counterterrorism operations across the region, reducing the burden on the U.S. military to conduct those operations," the statement said.

Included in the defense agreements is a $6 billion pledge to assemble 150 Lockheed Martin Black Hawk helicopters in Saudi Arabia, which is expected to result in the creation of 450 jobs in Saudi Arabia.

The military package also includes combat ships, tanks, missile defense systems and cybersecurity technology.

Additionally, American conglomerate General Electric said Saturday that it had signed $15 billion in agreements with Saudi organizations. Saudi Aramco said it expected to sign $50 million in deals with U.S. companies in an attempt to diversify the kingdom's economy beyond oil exports.

Earlier Saturday, King Salman presented Trump with the kingdom's highest civilian honor during a meeting at the Royal Court in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. The two leaders also signed a vision statement vowing to work closely to combat terrorism as Trump's wife, Melania, daughter Ivanka, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, chief strategist Steve Bannon and Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner looked on.

After Trump and others entered the court to the music of bagpipes, King Salman decorated him with the gold King Abdulaziz al-Saud Medal.

Trump arrived in Riyadh on Saturday to begin his first foreign trip as president.

King Salman greeted the president and his wife at the airport. They walked along a red carpet into the Royal Hall, a terminal at the airport, where they talked briefly. Minutes later, the Trumps and the Saudi king left the airport in a motorcade, heading to the city along a route with deserted streets.

Unprecedented destination

Heavy security was evident at the airport, including military vehicles with weapons.

Saudi Arabia is an unprecedented destination for an initial overseas visit by a U.S. president.

It is all the more surprising in the wake of Trump's America First focus and campaign statements calling for a Muslim ban backed by subsequent orders attempting to limit travel to the U.S. from several Muslim-majority countries.

Saudi Arabia, which has deep, long-standing energy and defense ties to the United States, was not named in the travel bans.

Trump spent much of the first day of his trip meeting with King Salman and other members of the royal family before an evening banquet. On Sunday, he will meet with dozens of Arab and Muslim leaders for a regional summit focusing on combating extremism.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo confirmed Friday that he would attend the meeting. An Indonesian government spokesman said, "We see this as an important meeting because it is the first time a meeting between the new American government and Islamic countries is addressing issues that are of concern to us all, especially regarding the fight against radicalism and terrorism."

Trip's focus

Trump, confronted by growing political scandals at home, intends to use the visit to portray his administration as a global leader by helping birth an alliance with like-minded Muslim leaders to combat radical Islamic terrorism (Trumps phrase and one the Saudis do not want to use).

It lays to rest the notion that America is anti-Muslim, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubair told reporters this month.

Its very important that the president is reaching out to Muslim-majority countries in the world, and trying to identify who our friends are and work with them to beat our common enemies, Democratic U.S. Representative Thomas Suozzi of New York, a member of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on the Middle East, told VOA. We have to recognize that most of the Muslims in the world are peace-loving people, who have strong faith and want to have a harmonious world we need to embrace.

A shared vision with the Gulf Cooperation Council and Organization of Islamic Cooperation to enhance the battle against the Islamic State group and al-Qaida could be interpreted as putting Trump squarely on one side of the Sunni-Shi'ite ideological schism in the Muslim world.

The Saudis are Sunnis (Islams majority), while Iran is dominated by Shi'ites.

Conflicts in region

Saudi Arabia and Iran support rival proxy forces in conflicts throughout the region, including in the two significant civil wars in Yemen and in Syria, where the embattled forces of President Bashar al-Assad are backed by Tehran and Moscow.

Going to Riyadh is a big symbolic gesture to Iran, Mike Pregent, a Hudson Institute adjunct fellow, told VOA.

The Middle East analyst added that the attempt to forge new alliances among anti-Iran regional powers is occurring because the biggest threat they see after ISIS [Islamic State] is Iran  and ISIS never goes away because of Iran.

While administration officials say Trump is a strong believer in human rights, they acknowledge this will not be a significant topic of discussion here.

That angers some.

If countering violent extremism is a priority for this administration and it wants to defang this ideology, then Saudi Arabia is a very odd partner for that project, Sarah Leah Watson, Human Rights Watch Middle East executive director, told VOA. The Saudi government and its policies are among the biggest sources of violent extremism.

To demonstrate their earnestness for an even closer alliance with Washington, the Saudis are hosting a social media forum where Trump is to deliver a speech Sunday to the Muslim world.

In addition, the Saudis are organizing a counterterrorism conference, opening a center to fight radical thought.

VOA Russian service reporter Natasha Mozgovaya contributed to this report.
A top Venezuelan opposition leader was prevented from leaving the country Thursday for a meeting in New York with the U.N. human rights chief.

Henrique Capriles, who challenged President Nicolas Maduro for the presidency in 2013, had his passport cancelled at the airport as he tried to leave the country, according to news reports.

Capriles was on his way to New York to meet with U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein when Zeid tweeted this:

The U.N. said the high commissioner would instead meet Friday afternoon with Capriles lawyer, who will be in New York and would present Zeid with a report.

We find the rising tensions in Venezuela very alarming, and incidents like that involving Mr. Capriles yesterday are unlikely to help reduce tensions, Zeids spokesperson, Rupert Colville, told reporters in Geneva on Friday.

Deteriorating situation

The high commissioners office also expressed concern about the treatment of protesters in Venezuela, which has been rocked by more than six weeks of anti-government street demonstrations aimed at removing President Maduro from power. At least 42 people have been killed in the unrest.

Colville told reporters the human rights office is troubled by allegations of the excessive use of force by security forces, saying international human rights standards must be respected.

We are very concerned by reports that people who have been detained in the context of the protest are being brought before military tribunals, Colville added, saying they should be dealt with in civilian courts. He also urged protesters to use peaceful means.



The U.N. Security Council had its first briefing on the situation on Wednesday, at the request of the United States.

"In Venezuela, we are on the verge of [a] humanitarian crisis, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said in a statement. Peaceful protesters have been injured, arrested and even killed by their own government. Medicine is unavailable, hospitals lack supplies, and it's become difficult to find food.

New US sanctions

On Thursday, the Trump administration announced plans to impose new sanctions on members of the Venezuelan Supreme Court for stripping the opposition-led congress of all power earlier this year. Among those targeted is Maikel Moreno, the president of the pro-government Supreme Court, which issued the ruling in late March. The ruling was later partially reversed amid international criticism, but it sparked the protest movement currently destabilizing the country.

President Donald Trump called the situation in Venezuela a "disgrace to humanity," and said the deadly political crisis is possibly the worst of its kind in "decades."

The threat of new sanctions comes as Maduro, a socialist, is facing increasing international pressure to hold elections. He has repeatedly accused the United States of leading an attempt to overthrow his government.

The president's political opponents are demanding that he schedule long- delayed elections, release political prisoners and permit the delivery of humanitarian aid. The demonstrations and counter-demonstrations have escalated since the socialist leaders call earlier this month for a new constitution.
Harpsichord player Zuzana Ruzickova is the subject of Zuzana: Music Is Life, which is having its premiere Sunday at the Washington Jewish Film Festival. (Courtesy of the filmmakers )

Shes a musical pioneer, a grande dame of her countrys music scene, the first person in the world to record the complete harpsichord music of Bach. As a teenager, she survived both Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, where she contracted the bubonic plague. As an adult, she lived through the height of the cold war in a communist country, under suspicion as a party nonmember and a Jew. Zuzana Rusickova, the Czech harpsichord player, is 90 years old. Her story sounds like a movie. Now, it is one.

Zuzana: Music Is Life is having its Washington premiere Sunday at the Washington Jewish Film Festival, with an additional screening Tuesday. It contains extensive interview footage in which Rusickova, in lilting English, describes her life matter-of-factly, sitting at the table in her kitchen, which looks like a time capsule a few decades old. She is not unemotional when describing, for instance, the death of her beloved cousin after their reunion in Bergen-Belsen at the end of the war, but she is generally composed, in counterpoint to the drama of her story.

She has always welcomed the opportunity to talk about her experiences to anybody who asked, says Emily Vogl, who along with her husband, Frank, is one of the films executive producers. She thought it was her duty to inform, as long as she could.

Interspersed through Rusickovas narrative are snippets of music, some of which she plays herself, on an old CD player held together with tape.

With its message of perseverance and ultimate triumph  a life lived well in music, through persecution to recognition and, finally, to political freedom  the film is an international story. But it happens to be, in a sense, a homegrown product. The Vogls live in Bethesda, as do Peter and Harriet Gordon Getzels, the husband-and-wife team who directed the film.

And prominently featured in the film, illustrating the harpsichords appeal to a new generation, is the young harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani, a rising star who, some years ago, decided that Ruzickova was the only musician with whom he wanted to study, and whom he managed to talk into working with him. Esfahani also happens to have grown up in Bethesda, where his family still lives.

Its also a personal story, in more ways than one. Frank Vogl is a cousin of Ruzickovas, having met her as a child in England and having gotten to know her, along with his wife, during the years he was a foreign correspondent in Germany.

Ruzickova launched her career by winning the ARD competition in Munich in 1956, a little more than a decade after the camps (and the bubonic plague she contracted there) left her hands in such bad shape that her teacher, looking at them at their first postwar reunion, began to cry. She continued to concertize in Germany and other European countries, even though the communist authorities looked at her askance. However politically suspect she may have been, they needed the foreign cash her performances brought in. Despite their deep friendship, Frank Vogl says, I had no idea of what she had gone through, or was going through under communism. It wasnt until the 1990s, when another cousin conducted interviews with Ruzickova, that Vogl read and learned the truth  and thought that there should be a movie.

Vogl was actually pitching another film to the Getzels, who are acclaimed freelance documentarians in a variety of genres, when Zuzanas story came up. On his way out the door, after discussing a film about corruption that they hoped to work on together, he mentioned his cousin.

Immediately, Harriet and I said, Weve got to make this film,  Peter Getzels says. And we need to go right away. She was 87 at that point. Lets find a way to get some funding and go do a set of interviews. Lets get her story in the can.

It proved to be the first of several Prague trips, while the Vogls, who had already established a small foundation to support the work of Zuzana and her late husband, the acclaimed Czech composer Viktor Kalabis, learned on the fly how to be executive producers. The films total budget was about $500,000, and might have been higher had Czech TV not stepped in as a collaborator, making available an extensive archive, including footage of Ruzickova playing in her heyday.

[]

The result is a film that tells the story of 20th-century Czech history and conveys a sense of the harpsichord as a living instrument. The teams goal was to finish it by Zuzanas 90th birthday in January, and that month they brought the nearly finished film to Prague and screened it for her. Ruzickovas health is said to be fragile, but the Getzels describe her as indomitable.

She has ailments, Harriet Getzels says, and then she has you over for tea, and after an hour and a half, youre kicked out the door because someone has come in with a 300-page music manuscript they want her to look at. Then theyre kicked out because a taxi is waiting to take her somewhere.

Peter Getzels describes Ruzickova as a force of nature  albeit with a tart edge. In the film, one of her students describes the challenge of playing for her. During a lesson, if she wasnt occupied by the music, she pulled out an Agatha Christie mystery and began reading.

I couldnt help but ask her, a year later, what it was with the Agatha Christie, Harriet Getzels says. She said, I think he got it wrong. I wasnt reading Agatha Christie because the student wasnt playing well. But if he did play well, Id put it down.

In other words, Ruzickova was waiting to be astonished. Her story, which is under consideration for various other festivals, television broadcasts and cinematic distribution, is enough to make anyone put down a book, and listen.

Zuzana: Music Is Life will be screened Sunday and Tuesday as part of the Washington Jewish Film Festival, which runs through May 28 at various venues. For information, visit wjff.org.
Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich was shot and killed in the District on July 10, 2016. D.C. police say he was the victim of a botched robbery. (Democratic National Committee)

The family of slain Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich is threatening legal action against a man it says has peddled politicized conspiracy theories about the murder of the 27-year-old, who was shot as he was walking home in the District late one night last July.

A lawyer for the Rich family sent a cease-and-desist letter Thursday to Rod Wheeler  a private investigator and Fox News contributor who had been working on behalf of the family.

Citing Wheeler  who was, in turn, citing an anonymous federal investigator  Fox News and its local Washington affiliate reported last week that Rich had leaked DNC emails to WikiLeaks before he was fatally shot near his home last July. The underlying suggestion of this claim, which has long been a popular right-wing theory, is that Rich could have been murdered for leaking that information.

Twelve days after Richs death, WikiLeaks published 20,000 emails that embarrassed former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and the DNC, and forced the ouster of its chairwoman.

[Family of slain Seth Rich says reports that he fed into DNC info to WikiLeaks are untrue]

D.C. police have repeatedly said that they think Richs murder was the result of a botched robbery. No arrests have been made in the case.

The Fox reports, which gained traction on social media, said that an FBI forensics examination showed that Rich transferred 44,053 DNC emails and 17,761 attachments to a now-deceased WikiLeaks director.

The family has rejected this story and demanded a retraction from Fox. Wheeler has since recanted parts of the story, saying he was misquoted and had no direct knowledge of the identity of the federal investigator or the investigators findings.

[A conspiratorial tale of murder, with Fox News at the center]

In the letter obtained by The Washington Post, a lawyer for the Rich family warned Wheeler to immediately cease and desist from making any statements about Rich, the murder and the investigation.

Your improper and unauthorized statements, many of which are false and have no basis in fact, have also injured the memory and reputation of Seth Rich and have defamed and injured the reputation of the members of the family,  lawyer Joseph Ingrisano wrote.

Ed Butowsky, a Dallas financier who regularly appears on Foxs business channels and on other networks, had been paying Wheeler to investigate the case for the family. A spokesman for the Rich family said that Wheeler had offered his services to the family, claiming he wanted to help.

The letter sent by Ingrisano also alleges that Wheeler violated his contract with the family by speaking out about the case without its approval.

Reached by phone Saturday, Wheeler said he could not comment on the content of the letter, but said he hopes the murder case is solved.

Currently, I am exploring all of my legal options and I sincerely hope that one day we find the person who took Seths life, Wheeler said.

As the theories around the murder have played out in conservative media, the Rich family has continued to try to knock them down.

Anyone who continues to push this fake news story after it was so thoroughly debunked is proving to the world they have a transparent political agenda or are a sociopath, family spokesman Brad Bauman said in a statement. In either case, they should be taken off the air because they are either blind to the damage they are doing to a murder victims family or dont care, showing a profound lack of judgement and common decency.

The Rich story has taken on elements of the Comet Ping Pong conspiracy theory, a false and preposterous tale involving Clinton and her supposed operation of a child-abuse ring at the District pizza restaurant.

[Friends, neighbors hold vigil to remember slain DNC staffer and speak out against city violence]

Fox News personality Sean Hannity tweeted and ran segments about the murder and Wheelers claims, further fueling the conspiracy theories. On Friday, the Russian Embassy in Britain tweeted that Wikileaks informer Seth Rich murdered in US but [British mainstream media] was so busy accusing Russian hackers to take notice.

Friends and family said that they remember Rich as a kind and funny person who always dressed up in costumes to make people laugh. They say he cared deeply about his work and wanted to ensure that everyone had the opportunity to vote in elections.

Peter Hermann and Paul Farhi contributed to this report.
LEXINGTON  Acting on a Health and Human Services referral, law enforcement found drugs in a home and subsequently arrested two rural Cozad residents Wednesday.

Lieutenant Tucker Case of the Dawson County Sheriffs Office said HHS reported they suspected that a minor child was using marijuana.

When law enforcement went to the residence to investigate, Case said they detected a strong odor of marijuana.

A search warrant was obtained and its execution at the residence resulted in the discovery of a minor indoor marijuana grow operation and the seizure of illegal narcotics, said Case.

"We dont come across those everyday," Case said of the grow operation.

Occupants of the home, David Boesch, 36, and Ivie Robinson, 34, were both taken into custody shortly after 10 a.m. on Wednesday.

A minor child was placed with an alternate family member.

The Dawson County Sheriffs Office was assisted by the Nebraska State Patrol in the incident.

Boesch and Robinson were arraigned in Dawson County Court on Thursday on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, a Class IIA felony and possession of methamphetamine, a Class IV felony and possession of hashish, a Class IV felony. They were also charged with infractions of possession of marijuana, less than an ounce, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Bond for each defendant was set at 10 percent of $100,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 8:15 a.m. on May 26.
An arrest warrant has been issued in connection with a fatal shooting last week near the southern tip of the District, D.C. police said.

Police said Friday that the D.C. Superior Court has issued a warrant charging Seth Holmes with second degree murder in the death of Damonta Thompson. Thompson was fatally shot May 9 in the 100 block of Irvington Street SW, police said.

Police gave no address for Holmes, but described him as a 23-year-old black man, 5 feet 9 and 180 pounds. They said he had brown eyes and black, shoulder-length hair.

He should be considered armed and dangerous, the police said.

.
Videos of Tuesdays clash outside the Turkish ambassadors residence in Washington show a violent and chaotic scene: guards for the visiting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan charging, beating and stomping people peacefully protesting that countrys policies.

Baton-waving D.C. police officers forcefully break up the melee and separate the two sides, then turn to tend to bloodied protesters as the guards, some of them armed, retreat to the safety of their diplomatic compound.

The fracas, captured on video and widely spread in traditional and social media, sparked outrage and stern words from many U.S. politicians and calls for the ambassadors expulsion.

D.C. police vowed to continue their investigation of the confrontation. But several law enforcement experts said its likely little will come of it.

Issues of diplomatic immunity would make any prosecution difficult, if not impossible, they said. And the leveling of charges might embolden other countries to ignore similar immunity agreements, putting U.S. diplomats abroad at risk. Most experts said police did the right thing, focusing on stopping the attacks and limiting the injuries.

Turkish security personnel clash with protesters outside the Turkish Embassy on Tuesday. (VOA News)

The outcome may not satisfy everybody, but they dont understand the intricacies of dealing with people with diplomatic immunity, said Charles H. Ramsey, who has headed both the District and Philadelphia police departments. Nobody is going to leave this happy, and they may not agree with the decision, but it is what it is.

[Erdogans guards clash with protesters in D.C.]

The State Department on Wednesday summoned Turkeys ambassador for a meeting, the equivalent of a diplomatic scolding.

D.C. police arrested two men during the incident, neither affiliated with the Turkish Embassy. A State Department official confirmed two members of Erdogans security detail also were detained but were then released, conforming to the customs of international law that affords heads of state and members of their entourage with inviolability from arrest and detention.

Ramsey and some other authorities said police handled the disturbance smartly by separating the antagonists and leaving it to others to sort out culpability and criminality. He said even if the officers didnt immediately grasp that the guards were potentially immune from arrest, they would have known that a fight outside an ambassadors residence was more complex than a simple dispute.

The officers in D.C. are well trained, Ramsey said. They are very familiar with these unique kind of circumstances. This is not your typical city.

But Eugene ODonnell, a former police officer and prosecutor in New York City, said the videos show that D.C. police had not adequately prepared for a potential clash and that the officers appeared neutered and paralyzed as they tried to restore order.

He questioned granting the Turkish security guards any leniency.

It cant be right that all you have to have is a suit and a lanyard around your neck and you can tear into peaceful protesters, said ODonnell, who teaches at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and has trained foreign police forces. Diplomatic immunity cant be a license to attack people at will. The cops see people beating others into submission, and I think theyre convinced it was above their pay grade to act.

D.C. police on Friday defended their handling of the incident, saying in a statement that officers displayed sound decision-making and professionalism. On Wednesday, Police Chief Peter Newsham said that the situation was very dicey for officers because the Turkish guards carried guns, and Newsham commended the officers for stopping the melee without more significant injury.

The nations capital frequently attracts protesters, and this past year has seen more than usual, making known their views about President Trump, human rights, wars, dictators, police tactics, entanglements in far-off lands and issues closer to home. They can be tiny groups or hundreds of thousands of people taking their message to the leader of the free world. Some peaceful, some not, all are a backdrop to the Districts routine rhythm.

D.C. police and Newsham have been judged by the handling of public dissent  from the mass arrests at Pershing Park in 2002 that violated civil liberties and cost the District millions in civil settlements to Januarys arrests of more than 200 during a violent disturbance during Trumps inauguration.

Each demonstration is fraught with its own political agendas, and police are expected to assume a neutral role to allow free speech while preventing violence.

District officials said they are reviewing video from Tuesday to identify attackers and possibly obtain arrest warrants. Newsham said Wednesday that he had talked with State Department and Secret Service officials and is very encouraged about their cooperation. He said issues over diplomatic immunity wont prevent us from doing what we have to do.

In Congress, lawmakers called for barring the guards from the United States and even for kicking the Turkish ambassador out of the country. But criminal justice experts say that is unlikely.

I understand everybody wants justice and fairness, said Roscoe C. Howard Jr., the U.S. attorney for the District from 2001 to 2004. It just doesnt work all the time.

Howard said police exhibited proper restraint. You start putting those guys in handcuffs, he said, referring to the Turkish guards, it ends up going from a local melee to an international incident.

[After Erdogan meets Trump, Turkey calls for ouster of American envoy to anti-ISIS coalition]

Howard said any decision on whether to take action must consider the greater context of international relations, such as Turkeys cooperation in the fight against the Islamic State and its role in accepting people fleeing the war in Syria.

Its not what happens here, Howard said. Its what happens in Turkey. . . . We tell the guards they are no longer welcome in our country, and Turkey is going to randomly pick folks from the U.S. Embassy and say they have to get out. He said he knows its a raw deal for the guy with his head bashed in or teeth missing. Hes going to feel he wasnt given a fair shake.

Turkeys semiofficial news agency cast the melee as a failure of D.C. police, saying they did not stop the anti-Erdogan protest. The government later alleged that its guards had responded in self-defense to terrorists it said had joined the protesters.

Demonstrators denied the presence of militants and alleged that police stood by as Turkish thugs attacked. One video shows a man lean into a car where Erdogan was sitting, then signal to another man who then heads toward the protesters. Things quickly become chaotic, and other videos show more dark-suited men, some carrying furled red flags, kicking and punching protesters as police try to intercede. At one point, Erdogan emerges from the car and watches the scene.

[Was Erdogan personally involved in his bodyguards attacks on protesters in D.C.?]

W. Ralph Basham, who directed the Secret Service from 2003 to 2006, said the fact that D.C. police separated the two sides with minimal arrests appeared more a tactical decision than one born out of consideration of geopolitical ramifications.

The security detail attack on the demonstrators was pretty speedy and violent, and the police were trying to sort it all out, Basham said. They tried to push people to their neutral corners, but in this case there were no neutral corners. It was total chaos.

Carol Morello, Magda Jean-Louis and Perry Stein contributed to this article.
Frederick Hill III, the owner of Gotta Go Now portable toilets, loads porta-potties onto trucks with the help of Chris Lopez, left, in Upper Marlboro, Md. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

President Trump vowed on the campaign trail to boost economic growth and be the greatest jobs producer that God ever created.

His economic legacy is far from sealed, but its safe to say he has made at least one industry flush: the Washington regions portable toilet industry.

The Trump presidency has brought an increased number of protests  and, yes, bladders and bowels  to the Mall. Protest organizers are renting record numbers of porta-potties in the Trump era for demonstrators to relieve themselves between chants and marches.

The National Park Service, which oversees the Mall, requires demonstration permit holders to provide one portable toilet for every 300 participants, 20 percent of which must be wheelchair-accessible, said Mike Litterst, a spokesman for the agency.

During Januarys Womens March on Washington, for instance, that meant nearly 600 privies  an entirely insufficient number that snarled throngs of antsy protesters in long bathroom lines.

Hill talks with other Gotta Go Now workers. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

Rob Weghorst, chief operating officer of Virginia-based portable toilet rental company Dons Johns, said the increase in political advocacy  typically among protesters with left-leaning political affinities  has translated to boom times. His company, which recently acquired former competitor Genes Johns Toilets, provided toilets for the Womens March, the Peoples Climate March and others on the Mall this year.

All Im going to say is that we love the activism. Ill leave it at that, Weghorst said. Its been good. Its made for an interesting and lucrative spring.

[More than one million protesters vow to resist President Trump]

The NPS said it has seen more than a 30 percent increase in permitted protests compared with this time last year, with some attracting tens of thousands of people. And however urgent the protesters causes, other urgent needs inevitably emerge during a long day on the Mall for the properly hydrated.

Frederick Hill III, owner of the District-based Gotta Go Now, says his porta-potty company has seen about a 40 percent increase in revenue each month of 2017 compared with a year earlier. So far in May, business is running 50 percent ahead of last year.

Both Weghorst and Hill said long-term rentals on construction sites still account for the bulk of their business. But Hill said protests are particularly fruitful since the events typically last only a day and the toilets  most often associated with foul smells and grimy conditions  sustain only minimal damage, but carry a pretty rental price tag.

Depending on the bulk of the order, Gotta Go Now charges between $85 and $125 per toilet, including delivery and pickup.

So far in May, Gotta Go Nows business is running 50 percent ahead of this month last year. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

It seems that there are protests every week that we are doing, Hill said. Were quite active with them.

For first-time protest organizers, the cost of portable toilets can be unexpected and staggering. Jordan Uhl, a District resident planning the March for Truth on June 3 near the White House, said portable toilets will be the biggest cost of the protest  an expense of nearly $5,000 he wasnt expecting to incur.

[Amid questions about Russia-Trump ties, protesters plan June rally]

The March for Truth will call for a fair and transparent investigation into Trumps presidential campaigns alleged Russia ties, with the main demonstration occurring in Washington, along with dozens of smaller protests across the country.

In an era when many people casually RSVP to protests via Facebook, Uhl said, pinning down an accurate head count  and therefore, knowing how many porta-potties to rent  is difficult. Ordering more toilets than needed is a waste of money. Too few toilets brings its own set of unsavory challenges.

I have a totally different perception now of how these things happen. It makes sense; its just difficult, Uhl said. I guess its just a compliment to Trump that he has been great for the local portable potty industry. Thats one good thing hes doing.

Uhl and other March for Truth organizers launched an online funding campaign to help pay for the protests expenses. While those contributing are ostensibly donating to a progressive cause, much of the donated money is going toward toilets.

Actress Alyssa Milano made her own $500 contribution to the March for Truth and is happy to help defray the toilet costs. She said she hopes to attend the march, writing in an email to The Post that Trumps war on truth may be the most important issue we face.

Im fine with my money going wherever the organizers need it to go to make this a special moment in democracy, Milano wrote.

For veteran D.C. organizers, the complicated and messy toilet logistics come as no surprise.

Janaye Ingram, a national organizer for the Womens March who has planned numerous Washington protests, said getting toilets for the Womens March the day after the inauguration was particularly tricky. Most of the regions portable toilet reserves already were staged around the Mall for the inauguration, but each needed to be cleaned with toilet paper replenished in less than 24 hours.

In the end, organizers couldnt secure enough toilets for the large crowd, even though lavatories still ended up being one of the marchs biggest costs.

The toilets were a huge part of our budget, and they do cost more than what people anticipate them costing, Ingram said. Any time you are planning a march, you need to make sure that people can see, you need to make sure that people can hear, and you need to make sure that people can go to the restroom.
HAWAII

Passenger subdued, duct-taped to seat

A man on a Hawaii-bound flight described as unruly and disheveled was subdued by passengers and a flight attendant who used an airplane drink cart to block him from getting to the front of the jet. He was then immobilized with duct tape in a seat until the plane, escorted on the last leg of its journey by two fighter jets, landed in Honolulu on Friday.

The man on the plane that left from Los Angeles was identified by law enforcement officials as Anil Uskanli, 25, of Turkey. He was taken into custody after the plane landed.

Uskanli was also arrested before boarding the flight at Los Angeles International Airport for opening a door that led onto an airfield ramp, according to Los Angeles Airport Police, who identified Uskanli.

He had been drinking, but police said he did not meet the criteria for being drunk in public, was given a date to appear in court on suspicion of misdemeanor trespassing and allowed to board.

Passengers among the 181 flying on American Airlines Flight 31 took notice of Uskanli before the jet took off from Los Angeles.

At that point, when he appeared to be approaching the front of the plane, a flight attendant ran down the aisle with her serving cart and blocked the entrance to first class, said passenger Lee Lorenzen, of Orange County, Calif.

The man pushed the cart, trying to get through but passengers came up behind him and grabbed him. He spent the rest of the flight restrained in a seat with duct tape.

 Associated Press

TEXAS

House passes new abortion limits

Texass Republican-controlled state House has approved tough new limits on abortion, striking back after the U.S. Supreme Court gutted many restrictions on the procedure the state passed in 2013.

The chamber voted 93 to 45 on Saturday to advance omnibus limits, and many conservatives applauded.

They ban a commonly used second-trimester abortion procedure known as dilation and evacuation. Thats despite similar laws being blocked by courts in Alabama, Oklahoma, Kansas and Louisiana.

That contentious provision was added to a bill requiring burying or cremating fetal remains from abortions, even though a federal judge has already suspended an existing Texas state rule mandating the same thing.

The bill also bars the sale or donation of fetal tissue.

 Associated Press

Colleges Twitter account is hacked: A Massachusetts college says its investigating after its Twitter account was hacked and filled with tweets containing racist language. Campus police say the account of Salem State University was hacked Friday. The tweets reportedly included attacks on immigrants, criticism of the Black Lives Matter movement and praise for Republican President Trump. They were deleted early Saturday.

Letters show Hernandez requested cell change: Five letters authenticated by Massachusetts state officials show Aaron Hernandez asked prison officials to share a cell with inmates he described as close friends. In a June 2015 letter, Hernandez asks to be moved to another part of the prison where he says he has no enemies and to celly up with another inmate. The former New England Patriots tight end was found hanged in his cell on April 19, just days after he was acquitted in a 2012 double slaying. He was still serving a life sentence for a 2013 killing.

Boy killed by train in Florida: Police said a 13-year-old boy has died after being hit by a SunRail train while walking his bicycle near the tracks during rush hour in central Florida. Authorities said Marcees Kilpatrick was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said he was about to cross the tracks when he was clipped by the side of the train.

Man charged with castrating transgender woman: Police said a Colorado man without a medical license has been arrested after he allegedly used an Army surgical kit to castrate a transgender woman at her Denver apartment. A police affidavit says James Lowell Pennington, 57, removed the testicles and sutured the opening while the womans wife witnessed the 90-minute procedure. The wife called 911 about three hours later when blood poured from the incision.

8 rescued from roller coaster in Texas: Emergency personnel have rescued eight people from a new roller coaster at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington after it stopped on an upper area of track. Officials said nobody was hurt. The last rider on the 120-foot-tall coaster was safely removed before dawn Saturday. A Six Flags spokeswoman said officials will try to determine what triggered a safety feature that stopped the coaster, called the Joker.

Oprah Winfrey gives commencement address: Oprah Winfrey advised graduates at Skidmore College to follow their inner truth and live a spiritual life during a commencement speech Saturday in Upstate New York. The author, actress and former talk show host spoke at the graduation in Saratoga Springs, where one of the more than 600 members of the Class of 2017 included a student who had attended her Leadership Academy.

 From news services
Americas opioid crisis is starkly laid out in the opening moments of HBO Documentary Films Warning: This Drug May Kill You. Theres a guy slumped over on a bus. A woman passed out on a street. Another guy collapsed backward across a bench. Then theres a doctor, in a Perdue Pharma promotional video from 1999, explaining that we doctors were wrong in thinking that opioids cannot be used long-term. They can be. And they should be.

For the rest of the hour-long film  available free this month on HBO Watch (watch.hbo.com) and HBO Documentary Films YouTube (youtube.com/hbodocs)  viewers dont meet another MD. Its all about the disturbing, depressing and often devastating stories of four people who were prescribed these drugs, and how their lives unraveled.

For Stephany Gay from Illinois, it all started when she was a straight-laced teenager suffering with kidney stones. The pills didnt just offer her relief. It numbed my feelings, and made me feel, like, okay about everything, says Gay, who was soon taking far more than she was supposed to. Concerned about her inability to stop, she and her mom went back to the doctor. She left with an even more powerful prescription. Because she shared it with her sister Ashley and then the supply got cut off, both of them eventually turned to heroin. Now, Ashleys dead and Stephany, who has been in and out of rehab, cant take care of her daughter.

But Stephany is still alive, which sets her apart from the films other addicts, including Wynne Doyle, a wealthy mother of three who got hooked after a Caesarean section. Her two teenage sons recount what it was like to discover her body after shed overdosed on pills. Two sets of parents in a support group also talk about the horror of losing their children, both in their young 20s and both found with a syringe nearby.

It doesnt matter that they had resources and families who loved them. They all also had a prescription for opioids.

[Read more]

[This companys drugs helped fuel opioid crisis]

[Surgeons were told to stop prescribing so many painkillers. The results were remarkable.]

[Getting painkillers seems easy. Getting help to fight painkiller addiction is hard.]
When interpreting dog growls, some people are surprisingly good at taking the hint, a new study shows. Scientists testing how people categorized different types of growls found that people  especially women and dog owners  could largely tell playful vocalizations from threatening ones.

Plenty of research in recent years has delved into dogs ability to understand humans. But relatively little seems to have focused on how good humans are at understanding dogs  even though communication is a two-way street, especially in two species that have developed in such proximity to each other.

We know relatively little about the vocal communication system of dogs, and the most studied vocalization (not surprisingly) are the different barks, lead author Tamas Farago, an ethologist at Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, said in an email. As dogs were domesticated, barks probably changed significantly and became the main way dogs communicate. Growls, however, may not have changed as much since the point that dogs diverged from wolves.

For this paper, Farago and his colleagues tested humans using natural dog growls gathered in three scenarios: while playing tug of war with their owner, while guarding their food from another dog and while they felt threatened by a stranger.

The scientists found that overall, humans were pretty good at differentiating the growl types, classifying them correctly about 63 percent of the time (well above the chance level of 33 percent). They correctly identified 81 percent of the play growls but were less accurate when it came to food-guarding (60 percent) and threatening (50 percent) growls. On some level, this makes sense: The latter two, both meant to ward off a competitor or a threat, might share some of the same sound qualities.

What [was] surprising is that the listeners rated the threatening growls to be more fearful and less aggressive than the food guarding ones, as these growls were acoustically very similar, Farago said.

Dog owners were much better than others at identifying a growls meaning  which was surprising because previous research hadnt found such a strong advantage when people rated dog barks. Its possible that this is because barks are loud and widely noticed while growls are more likely to be heard regularly only by people who spend a lot of time near dogs. Humans, it seems, can be trained to understand their canine companions.

Women also were better than men at distinguishing among the growls, scientists said.

This is a common pattern in emotion recognition studies, Farago said. Probably women are more empathic and sensitive to others emotions, and this helps them to better associate the contexts with the emotional content of the growls.
Jerry Canterbury was just out of high school when he boarded a Greyhound bus to Washington to join the FBI as a clerk, a job that was to be his ticket out of the coal mines of West Virginia. He had barely settled into his new life when he developed a sharp pain in his back.

In 1959, at 19, he agreed to undergo a spinal surgery known as a laminectomy  a procedure expected to resolve a ruptured disc and that he said his doctor described as no more serious than an ordinary, everyday operation.

The day after the surgery, Mr. Canterbury fell at the hospital while attempting to empty his bladder. Another operation followed. By the time he was discharged more than three months later, he was partially paralyzed in the legs and permanently incontinent. He would spend the rest of his life on crutches, then in a wheelchair and finally confined to a bed.

Mr. Canterbury, who has died at 78, sued his surgeon, William T. Spence, accusing him of having failed to adequately warn him of the risks of his surgery. The physician ultimately prevailed, but a 1972 federal appeals court decision in the case became a foundation of the doctrine of informed consent and, by extension, the modern practice of medicine.

Robert Veatch, a professor emeritus at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University, said that he has taught Canterbury v. Spence to more than 15,000 students and considers it one of the most important cases in medical ethics.

Mr. Canterbury sued his surgeon, accusing him of having failed to adequately warn him of the risks of his surgery. The physician ultimately prevailed, but a 1972 federal appeals court decision in the case became a foundation of the doctrine of informed consent. (Family photo)

Arthur Caplan, head of the bioethics division at New York Universitys medical school, said the decision has reverberated into health law and bioethics and our thinking of doctor-patient relationships even to the present day, even though he lost.

Mr. Canterburys death  on March 15 at his home in Hartville, Ohio  was announced weeks ago in a notice in the Canton, Ohio, Repository, but it did not receive wide attention until it was reported by the New York Times on May 16. Mr. Canterburys sister, Nancy Farahmand, said her brother died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The concept of patient consent  the right to submit or not submit to a treatment  had existed in medicine at least since the early 20th century. By the 1950s, consent had begun to evolve into informed consent, or the notion that a physician must advise a patient of the risks and benefits of, as well as the alternatives to, a proposed treatment before proceeding.

Around that time, doctors gradually discarded the commonplace practice of withholding upsetting news, such as cancer diagnoses, to allow patients to participate more fully in their care. But when seeking informed consent, they generally revealed only information that another doctor might provide  a rule known as the professional standard.

It was in that context that Mr. Canterburys case worked its way through the legal system. At trial, in 1968, his doctor argued that Mr. Canterburys paralysis had resulted not from the surgery, but rather from his original spinal condition.

Spence did concede, however, that paralysis could occur somewhere in the nature of one percent of laminectomies, according to an account of the case by Alan Meisel, the founder of the University of Pittsburghs Center for Bioethics and Health Law. Spence would later testify that he had warned Mr. Canterbury only of weakness, not potential paralysis.

The court granted a motion for a directed verdict in Spences favor. Mr. Canterbury appealed, leading to the landmark decision by Judge Spottswood W. Robinson III of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

Robinson rejected the paternalism of the professional standard, writing that respect for the patients right of self-determination on particular therapy demands a standard set by law for physicians rather than one which physicians may or may not impose upon themselves.

The decision empowered patients by establishing a new standard: Rather than revealing the risks and benefits another reasonable doctor would disclose, physicians must disclose the information a reasonable patient would wish to know. In essence, the decision affirmed patient autonomy and acknowledged that, in certain personal decisions, a doctor might not always know best.

The decision, which is widely although not universally followed, also had the effect of lengthening doctors office consent forms and inviting litigation, Caplan noted dryly. Some doctors have lamented that the new standard imposed upon them the burden of disclosing every possible misfortune, however improbable, that might result from a medical procedure. But the decision is generally understood to have contributed to a more robust definition of patients rights and richer doctor-patient relationships.

The appeals court remanded Mr. Canterburys case for new trial. Again he lost. Between the two trials, he elected to undergo a second laminectomy for newly developed back pain, a fact that seemed to discredit his claim that he would have refused the first procedure had he known its risks. In his account of the case, however, Meisel noted that the second procedure presented fewer risks, given that Mr. Canterbury was already paralyzed.

Jerry Watson Canterbury was born in Cyclone, W.Va., on March 12, 1939. His father died after a mining accident when Mr. Canterbury was 9. His mother wanted to make certain that her children did not follow their father into the coal mines, Mr. Canterburys sister said.

After his surgeries, the FBI transferred Mr. Canterbury to positions in warmer climates. He left the FBI in 1962 and moved eventually to Ohio, where he worked for a steel company, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and as a sheriffs office dispatcher before retiring on disability.

His marriage to Lillian Hyde ended in divorce. Survivors include three brothers, as well as his sister. She said that her brother suffered from depression as he first confronted his disability but that, as he aged, he accepted his new reality with grace.

Not until about a decade ago, when Meisel interviewed him, did Mr. Canterbury learn of the far-reaching effects of his case.

We certainly all benefited from the changes in the law resulting from the fact that this case took place, Jerry Menikoff, head of the office for human research protections at the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, said in an interview. The law began a process of improvement in following more ethical standards, but unfortunately for Jerry Canterbury himself, it didnt help him.
A 2001 photo by Stanley Greene of a Chechen mother who had lost her child. (Stanley Greene/Noor)

Stanley Greene, a onetime Black Panther who became a celebrated international photojournalist, portraying war, poverty and disaster in Chechnya, Afghanistan, Iraq and the U.S. Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, died May 19 at a Paris hospital. He was 68.

He had complications from hepatitis, which led to liver cancer, said a friend and colleague, Kadir van Lohuizen.

In his youth, Mr. Greene dabbled in radical politics and spent time in a psychiatric hospital before becoming an assistant to the acclaimed photojournalist W. Eugene Smith in the early 1970s.

Mr. Greene chronicled the punk rock scene in San Francisco in the 1970s and early 1980s before moving to Paris, where he worked as a fashion photographer.

I was a dilettante, he told Newsweek in 2004, sitting in cafes, taking pictures of girls and doing heroin.

The outline of a body, removed after a snowfall. Chechnya, 1995. (Stanley Greene/Noor)

His career in photojournalism began as an accident at age 40, he said, when he was on assignment in East Berlin late in 1989, at the very moment the Berlin Wall was breached. His photograph of a young woman in a tutu atop the wall was reprinted all over the world. She was above the scrawled phrase Kisses to All, waving a bottle of champagne as guards descended on her.

Inspired by the example of Smith, Robert Capa and other photojournalists, Mr. Greene discovered his vocation.

I honestly believe photography is 75 chance and 25 percent skill, he said in a 2012 talk in Charlottesville In accidents, we really discover the magic of photography.

He kicked his drug habit and traveled the world, a striking figure in his black leather jacket and sunglasses, accented with scarves, rings, bracelets and a bandoleer of film canisters across his chest.

He was very charismatic, van Lohuizen said in an interview. People would melt for him because there was integrity in his eyes.

[Poet. Follower of light. Storyteller. A remembrance of photographer Stanley Greene.]

Over the years, Mr. Greene took his cameras to Croatia, Kashmir, Afghanistan and Lebanon. He covered genocide in Rwanda and strife in Azerbaijan, Iraq and Syria.

Stanley Greene. (Sarah Shatz)

In Mali in the early 1990s, he saw children dying of starvation as flies crawled across their faces.

I photographed them as I would a fashion model, Mr. Greene later wrote.

He was unhappy with the results, but they taught me a lesson, he told Newsweek in 2004. You have to take photographs from the heart and not from the head.

His assignments often put him in danger. In 1993, he was the only Western journalist inside the Russian parliament building when it came under siege during a violent coup attempt that left almost 200 people dead.

The fact that I thought I was going to die gave me courage, Mr. Greene told the New York Times photography blog Lens in 2010. Courage is control of fear. I think that this incident is the one that steeled me.

He traveled more than 20 times to Chechnya, where he chronicled the devastation wrought by Russian troops as they battled separatists in the former Soviet republic.

There are stories that get to you so deeply that you have to get them out  and this was mine, Mr. Greene told the Times.

His 2003 book, Open Wound: Chechnya 1994 to 2003, containing 81 photographs and an accompanying text, was a testament to the fact that photographys moral force is alive and well, Toronto Star foreign correspondent Olivia Ward wrote in 2004.

Mr. Greene was one of the few Western journalists in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004, when four U.S. contractors were killed. Their bodies were burned and then hung from a bridge.

We need to see it because its reality, he told the Times. If we cant stomach watching our men and women being killed in these situations, then we shouldnt send them there to be killed in such gruesome ways. We cant have it both ways.

Shortly after Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in 2005, Mr. Greene was there to photograph the physical and psychic damage. He returned for the next five years, showing how the lives of thousands of people had been forever changed.

As a photographer, Mr. Greene was a classicist of the old school: He preferred working in film, using Leica and Nikon cameras, and he detested the digital manipulation of images. His composition techniques were drawn from his earlier study of painting.

But as a journalist who entered war zones and photographed the destitute and dying, Mr. Greene said he didnt pretend to have impartial neutrality in photographing his subjects.

I have been accused of having lost my objectivity, he told Newsweek. But when you sit on a fence and watch genocide without doing anything about it, you are as guilty as those who are committing it.

Stanley Norman Greene Jr. was born Feb. 14, 1949, in Brooklyn. Both of his parents were actors and social activists. His father, who was blacklisted for his political beliefs in the 1950s, had roles in the films For Love of Ivy and The Wiz.

The younger Mr. Greene was that kid my parents told me to stay away from, he said in 2008. He participated in antiwar demonstrations and joined the Black Panthers, later sheepishly admitting, I was attracted to the Panthers by the berets and leather jackets.

Because of drug and behavioral problems, he spent two years in a psychiatric facility in his teens.

In the early 1970s, he became an assistant to Smith, whose photographic essays in Life magazine and other publications are considered landmarks of the form.

Mr. Greene later moved to San Francisco, where he studied painting at the San Francisco Art Institute, receiving a masters degree in 1980. While there, he photographed the citys thriving music scene and its equally thriving drug underworld.

He briefly worked at Newsday  I was constantly doing delicatessen openings  before quitting and moving to Paris in 1986.

In 2007, Mr. Greene, van Lohuizen and other photographers launched the Amsterdam-based Noor photo agency.

Mr. Greenes photography appeared in many of the worlds best-known magazines, but he often had to finance his travels from his own shallow pocket.

I live from hand to mouth, he told the Times in 2010. Lets be real here. I dont own an apartment. I dont own a house. I dont own a car. I dont have any stocks and bonds. All I own are my cameras.

Mr. Greene, who was married at least twice, had numerous girlfriends over the years but no children. Survivors include a brother.

Mr. Greene received five World Press Photo awards, among other honors, and in 2010 published a photographic memoir, Black Passport. He often spoke at international photography conferences.

In recent years, he had documented the environmental and human cost of the digital age, traveling to Nigeria, India, China and Pakistan, where people salvaged discarded electronic devices from waste dumps. He said he was not interested in quick-hit photography but preferred deep-immersion assignments in which he could explore complex visual tales.

I think at the end of the day, we have to be storytellers, Mr. Greene told Italian Vogue magazine in 2013. Yeah, I think that you have to be obsessed.
THE SENATE last week delivered a surprise victory for environmentalists. Three Republicans joined with several energy-state Democrats to slow the Trump eras wave of deregulation, preventing Congress from killing one of the Obama administrations most rational global warming rules. Now the action turns to the Interior Department, which is reviewing the same regulation that just survived Congresss scrutiny. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who insists he shares Teddy Roosevelts commitment to stewardship, should show similar restraint.

The Methane and Waste Prevention Rule concerns methane emissions from oil and gas drilling on federal land. As the primary component in natural gas, methane is a valuable commodity. When drillers allow it to waft uselessly into the air, national resources are wasted and the government loses royalties that belong to the taxpayer. Uncombusted methane is also an extremely potent greenhouse gas. Controlling unnecessary methane emissions  and, therefore, the net impact that using natural gas has on climate change  is essential to ensuring that the nations recent gas boom does more good than harm to the environment.

The centrists who stopped Congress from withdrawing the Obama-era rule focused on the concern that the Treasury would be shortchanged absent federal effort to stop methane leaks. Between 2009 and 2015, oil and gas wells on federally-owned lands vented or flared approximately 462 billion cubic feet of natural gas into the atmosphere, a substantial loss of royalties to the American taxpayer, Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) wrote in a letter to Mr. Zinke.

But these senators do not favor keeping the rule as it stands. In the same letter, they complained that some of the rules requirements duplicated state-level regulations and that Native American authorities were not properly consulted. They asked Mr. Zinke to modify the regulation through administrative action.

This is the better path, if the rule must change: Reform through executive, not congressional, procedures means that future administrations will be able to revisit whatever determinations Mr. Zinke ends up making. Moreover, using the Congressional Review Act would have barred Mr. Zinke from issuing a substantially similar replacement rule. Now Mr. Zinke has flexibility to adjust the rule modestly rather than aggressively.

Modesty on Mr. Zinkes part would be wise. The existing rule not only ensures that the government receives more in royalties but also controls damaging emissions. If methane leaks were environmentally costless, drillers should only be expected to prevent leaks up to the point past which doing so would cost them money. Because drillers methane leaks exact environmental costs on society at large, it is reasonable to ask them to tighten up their operations beyond that point. Mr. Zinke should aim to write a rule that reflects both direct monetary concerns and societys broader interest in preventing environmental degradation.

Increased use of natural gas in the countrys power plants has led recently to surprisingly deep greenhouse- gas emissions cuts in the United States  on paper, at least. If lots of methane leaks in the process of obtaining the fuel, the countrys natural gas renaissance will look more like a dark age.
Two iconic contributors to African American advancement are being memorialized Saturday in Washington, and within hours of each other. The juxtaposition of their memorial services only magnifies the enormity of the nations loss.

The life of Eddie Williams  journalist, State Department official, veteran Capitol Hill staffer, university vice president, longtime president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies think tank  will be celebrated at 11 a.m. at the Howard University Law Centers Dunbarton Chapel on Van Ness Street NW.

At 1:30 p.m., about a mile west of the Howard Law School, family and friends will gather at the Quaker Meeting House and Arts Center at Sidwell Friends School on Wisconsin Avenue to bid farewell to Roger Wilkins, historian, professor, journalist, top Justice Department official.

The labels affixed to their names reveal something about what Williams and Wilkins did during their 84 and 85 years, respectively.

Their bios, however, dont do them justice.

Simply stated, in an America desperately searching for direction in the quest for racial equality, Williams and Wilkins were beacons leading the way.

Neither made the list of all-time-great African American orators. You wont find them chronicled in the Whos Who of Black Celebrityhood. Williams and Wilkins werent show horses flittering between cocktail parties and restaurant tables ostentatiously talking the talk.

They were institution builders who devoted themselves to bringing about black political and social empowerment.

Wilkins fulfilled his task in different roles.

He was on the ground in Watts when the ashes were still smoldering. But Wilkins, who was head of the Community Relations Service and was the Justice Departments first black assistant attorney general, did more than tackle crises and put out fires.

Out of public view, Wilkins used his deep knowledge of government and American culture to build capacity in damaged communities. He found and nurtured leaders where few were recognized before.

Encountering a Washington power structure ruled by an old boys network, Wilkins set out to create what he dubbed a new boys network quietly linking a small group of African American trailblazers scattered throughout the upper reaches of the federal government.

It is a network that has endured through both Democratic and Republican administrations.

Then there were his other roles: Post editorial writer, New York Times columnist, author, TV and radio talking head. See Wilkins at the keyboard, in the studios: agitating, propounding ideas and laying down strategy, all with the aim of educating and advancing the cause.

Along the way, he became part of The Posts Watergate coverage that won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service; he later added a 20-year college professorship. He walked the lonely trail, and often had the searing experience, of being an African American first in several fields.

It was a pleasure hearing him hold forth during an annual, politically incorrect stag picnic that my club, The DePriest Fifteen, hosted at my home.

Raconteur par excellence, Wilkins was the only man I know who could provoke my demure wife, Gwen, to resort to profanity.

As Roger Wilkins was navigating the white power structure, in another part of town, Eddie Williams was also making a huge difference in black lives.

What is an African American think tank? To black elected officials stretching as far as the eye can see, and to those seeking knowledge about the political system, governance and the African American experience, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is a mecca: the go-to place for newcomers to the political arena to learn the ropes; the place to gain knowledge and practical education for those who want to stay there.

The Joint Center is where African American activists marshal the data, as the Joint Centers current president, Spencer Overton, said, to go from being outsiders to insiders.

Williams took research and policy work to places never visited before.

In the 70s, I found myself in an unincorporated township outside Charleston, S.C.; in an office building in Riviera Beach, Fla.; in a session with officials in Inkster, Mich. (home town of the Marvelettes); and in a few other communities. My then-boss and Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program chief, Connie Newman, had assigned me to work on a Joint Center/White House-created Small Town Task Force  a Williams inspiration designed to identify, at a micro level, issues confronting communities with newly elected African American officials.

We found several actionable items, but thats not the point.

Williams ferreted out practical issues within the political system inherited by black elected officials and used the Joint Center to address the problems we uncovered.

That was his genius.

And on a personal note, Williams, friend and mentor, changed the trajectory of my life in a way that led me from the State and Treasury departments to the World Bank and beyond. But Im not alone.

The corporate, government and nonprofit worlds are populated with the beneficiaries of Williamss hands-on attention. He was a molder and promoter of multicultural talent.

Williams and Wilkins: the best we had to offer.

Read more from Colbert Kings archive.
THE HOUSE Ways and Means Committee held a hearing to kick off Republican tax- reform efforts Thursday. There are many things that could go well  or not so well  now that the overhaul has begun. One thing Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Tex.) did right was to emphasize corporate reform; achieving a more efficient system of business taxation is both more feasible politically, and more necessary economically, than redoing the individual code. Witnesses from large and small corporations testified to the myriad competitive harms of dealing with a much higher tax rate than their international counterparts.

The two big things that could go wrong, however, have hardly been ruled out. The first would be lessened progressivity in the system; and Republicans seem bent on doing at least one big thing, eliminating the estate tax, that would shift more of the government-finance burden from the top of the wealth and income scale downward, for little or no economic-growth payoff. The second potential mistake would be to slash tax rates with no offsetting revenue enhancement, worsening the federal governments already dire long-run fiscal imbalance.

That is the cardinal sin of President Trumps one-page proposal, released last month, which also would worsen after-tax income distribution. In an interview with the Economist published May 11, Mr. Trump doubled down, breezily asserting that his unpaid-for tax cuts, mostly for the well-to-do and corporations, would prime the pump for greater economic growth. The day of the Ways and Means hearing, Vice President Pence promised that Mr. Trump would sign the most consequential tax cut in American history.

Fortunately, Republicans on Capitol Hill have not yet wavered on their view, first articulated by House Speaker Paul D. Ryans policy blueprint last year, that tax reform be revenue-neutral, meaning that any reductions in tax rates would have to be offset by the closing of loopholes, with no net increase in the deficit. This was the principle that governed the last successful comprehensive tax reform, under President Ronald Reagan in 1986, and adherence to it is one of the few ways this reform could retain any hope of being bipartisan like that one was. Even party-line passage in the Senate probably depends on it, given the arcana of reconciliation rules. Any tax-reform plan adopted in the current Congress will have to be revenue-neutral, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told Bloomberg TV on Tuesday. On CNBC on Thursday, Mr. Brady also insisted on a plan that can break even in the first 10 years.

Caveats apply. Revenue-neutral in GOP-speak still allows for a certain amount of dynamic scoring to take account of the estimated economic growth any legislation would supposedly generate. Still, coming as it did so soon after Mr. Trumps comments to the Economist, GOP leaders restatement of the principle amounted to pushback against the presidents plan. This is one area, among many, where congressional Republicans must put distance between themselves and Mr. Trump if their legislative agenda is to be taken seriously.
Minnie Elliott, president of the Brookland Manor/Brentwood Village Residents Association, fears that low-income residents will be without affordable housing if the area is redeveloped and rents raised. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

Regarding the May 17 front-page article In D.C., an anti-development crusader or extortionist?:

I work as a tenant organizer for the Latino Economic Development Center here in the District, and I have crossed paths with Chris Otten a number of times. We have major disagreements, and we dont get along. I think his interventions are not strategic and fail to tackle the root causes of the housing crisis. He thinks Im in bed with developers and doesnt hesitate to attack my character in public.

Despite the innuendo that hes an extortionist out for personal gain, I can attest that Mr. Otten did distribute tens of thousands of dollars to tenant associations in Adams Morgan. Developers may grumble about making concessions to communities, but I dont understand why The Post considers such agreements problematic. The Adams Morgan hotel development (which had already violated a community benefits agreement with the city) is extremely disruptive to its neighbors. It is reasonable to expect compensation.

Robert Wohl, Washington

Thank goodness for the Chris Ottens of the District. Few residents have the stamina required to fight the dismissal of their concerns by the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. Whether it is nightlife noise, seemingly continuous construction or overdevelopment that diminishes their quality of life, the residents I work with generally lose when they expend time and money to ask the D.C. government to implement the plain language of the law.

Abigail Nichols, Washington

The writer is a former advisory neighborhood commissioner for ANC2B.
Correction: An earlier version of this column omitted a second byline. This version has been updated.

Philip N. Howard is a professor of Internet studies at the Oxford Internet Institute and Balliol College at the University of Oxford. Robert Gorwa is a researcher with the Project on Computational Propaganda at the University of Oxford.

This month, one of the most important intelligence documents about Russian interference in the U.S. election emerged. But it didnt come from the National Security Agency or the House Intelligence Committee. It was published by Facebook.

Facebooks report on Information Operations was the companys first public acknowledgment that political actors have been influencing public opinion through the social networking platform. The company says it will work to combat these information operations, and it has taken some positive steps. It removed some 30,000 fake accounts before the French election last month. It has purged thousands more ahead of the upcoming British election.

But more important, the report reveals that while we are all talking about fake news, we should also be talking about the algorithms and fake accounts that push bad information around.

Facebook deployed a cross functional team of engineers, analysts and data scientists as part of a detailed investigation into possible foreign involvement in the U.S. election. They found fake groups, fake likes and comments, and automated posting across the network by unnamed malicious actors. The reports authors claim that their investigation does not contradict the findings made in the U.S. Director of National Intelligence report published in January, which blamed Russia for a sweeping online influence campaign conducted in the lead-up to the election.

Essentially, this confirms what researchers have suspected for several years: Large numbers of fake accounts have been used to strategically disseminate political propaganda and mislead voters. These accounts draw everyday users into astroturf political groups disguised as legitimate grass-roots movements. Unfortunately, Facebooks refusal to collaborate with scientists and share data has made it difficult to know how many voters are affected or where this election interference comes from.

It is incredibly hard to study the impact of fake news and algorithms on public life. Through our project at the University of Oxford, we have been able to demonstrate how similar campaigns of misinformation work on Twitter. We have also been able to compare the trends internationally. During the recent French election, we found that people interested in French politics were posting one fake news story for every two produced by a professional journalist. During an uncontroversial presidential election in Germany this year, German users were sharing one fake news story for every four credible stories. But when we looked back and investigated the content being shared by users in Michigan in the lead-up to the 2016 election, we found an even ratio of one junk news story for every one reputable one.

Facebook, of course, does not have the same issues with data access. It has the metadata to identify precisely which accounts were created, where they operated and what kinds of things those users were up to during the U.S. election. Their data scientists could probably provide some insights that the intelligence services cannot.

The company argues that fake accounts have been participating in only a small amount of the overall activity around politics and public life in the United States. But even a small percentage of total Facebook activity, if concentrated strategically, could be influential. Was the activity mostly in swing states? Did it occur in the months of the Republican primaries and originate with accounts seeded from Russia? Or did fake-news and fake- account activity peak in the three days before the election?

If there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian influence operations, Facebook may be able to spot that, too. In many ways, massive coordinated propaganda campaigns are just another form of election interference. If Facebook has data on this, it needs to share it. The House Intelligence Committee should call Facebook to testify as part of its investigation.

While the outcome of the U.S. election is settled, major elections are coming up around the world. Facebook needs to tell us what it knows and demonstrate that it can prevent interference with democratic deliberation.
A blind spider creeping through Americas judicial thicket might be heading to the Supreme Court, which will have to decide if the contentment or even the survival of the Bone Cave Harvestman spider species, which lives only in two central Texas counties, is any of the federal governments business. If it is, what isnt?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), which administers the Endangered Species Act, is blind to the limits of its imperium, which it thinks encompasses telling John Yearwood what he can and cannot do on the ranch that has been in his family since 1871. To stymie the USFWS, Yearwood must surmount, among other things, a precedent involving Roscoe Filburn, the Ohio farmer whose 1942 loss in the Supreme Court mocked the doctrine that the federal government is one of limited, because enumerated, powers.

Filburn was minding what he thought was his business when Washington taught him that the Constitutions commerce clause (Congress shall have power to . . . regulate commerce . . . among the several states) means that almost everything is the federal governments business. To stabilize prices, the government set production quotas not only for wheat sold into interstate commerce but for wheat consumed on the farm for animal feed. Filburn expressed his dissent by producing 269 bushels in excess of his quota and refusing to pay the fine.

His insubordination reached the Supreme Court, which by then was thoroughly deferential to the New Deals capacious theory of federal power. The court held that Congress could regulate even Filburns wheat that never reached interstate commerce, because that wheat supplies a need of the man who grew it which would otherwise be reflected by purchases in the open market. Home-grown wheat in this sense competes with wheat in commerce.

Seventy-five years on, recent decisions have brought commerce clause jurisprudence closer to the Founding Fathers intention as presented by Chief Justice John Marshall in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819). The clause requires a plain connection, not merely attenuated chains of inferences, between a congressional act and an enumerated power. Furthermore, recent decisions require not only that a federal statute pertain to activities having a substantial relation to interstate commerce, but also that the statute pass muster under the necessary and proper clause: Congress may make all laws . . . necessary and proper to executing enumerated powers. A statute, Justice Clarence Thomas has said, must be appropriate, bearing an obvious, simple, and direct relation to an enumerated power.

A lower court has sided with the USFWS against Yearwood, dogmatically postulating that all species are interdependent. Therefore, even the tiniest bit of the ecosystem is presumptively implicated in potentially substantial effects on interstate commerce.

So, Yearwood, who hitherto made his property available cost-free to 4-H, church and military groups for camping, horseback riding and other activities, has stopped this, and even ceased clearing brush to reduce the risk of snakes and fires, lest he be subject to federal prosecution for disturbing, harming or endangering the spiders. Indeed, such is the federal governments unsleeping solicitude for the spiders, it says they must be protected from other bugs, such as fire ants. Reverence for nature evidently requires preventing natural competitions.

Judge Alex Kozinski of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit has written that modern commerce clause decisions make one wonder why it is not called the Hey, you-can-do-whatever-you-feel-like clause. So far, the spider story  the application of the Endangered Species Act to an entirely intrastate species that is neither bought nor sold nor traded in interstate commerce  demonstrates that federal power, like kudzu, will expand everywhere and into everything until it is stopped.

The Supreme Court can stop it if the spider case gets there. The court can apply its 2005 ruling that congressional regulation of intrastate, noncommercial activity is proper only when the activity is an essential part of a larger regulation of economic activity, in which the regulatory scheme could be undercut unless the intrastate activity were regulated.

Furthermore, in 2012, while Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. was irritating conservatives as he saved the Affordable Care Act by creatively construing some of its provisions, he simultaneously held that even a necessary exercise of power under the commerce clause is not proper if it would work a substantial expansion of federal authority. The blind spider might make other courts, and the rest of the government, see the Supreme Courts 1995 ruling that the government may not convert congressional Commerce Clause authority to a general police power of the sort held only by the states.

Read more from George F. Wills archive or follow him on Facebook.
THE STATEMENT issued by the Turkish Embassy trying to justify the actions of President Recep Tayyip Erdogans bodyguards at a protest outside the ambassadors residence is almost as outrageous as the violence that occurred Tuesday. It is replete with half-truths and outright lies. But it serves a perverse purpose: providing unvarnished insight into the mind-set of Turkeys authoritarian government, where reason and the rule of law have been supplanted by the dictates and propaganda of Mr. Erdogan.

The sickening images of protesters being chased, kicked and bloodied by black-suited members of Mr. Erdogans security detail have, by now, been widely circulated and, we hope, implanted in public awareness as a stark example of the kind of oppression people in Turkey suffer on a daily basis. Breaking its silence amid mounting criticism (including the Turkish ambassador being summoned to the State Department for a meeting), the embassy Wednesday night released an unrepentant statement that shamelessly tried to blame the protesters. The release claimed the demonstrators were affiliated with the PKK, a group designated by the United States and Turkey as a terrorist organization, and that, lacking a permit, they had aggressively provoked Turkish Americans who had gathered to greet Mr. Erdogan.

It first should be pointed out that the protesters, their right to dissent protected by the U.S. Constitution, needed no permit and were breaking no rules. Demonstrations on public sidewalks are permitted without a permit as long as they dont block the walkway and fewer than 100 people are expected. Tuesdays protesters numbered about two dozen and, according to organizers, had no involvement or affinity with the PKK (and even if they did, that would be a matter for American law enforcement, not Mr. Erdogans goons). The group included women, children and elderly people.

It is apparent that the only threat posed by the protesters was their message of dissent against Mr. Erdogan. A video that surfaced on social media Thursday shows the melee breaking out with Mr. Erdogan smugly watching. Audible are chants of Terrorist Erdogan and Baby-killer Erdogan. Signs carried by some Kurdish activists expressed support for jailed Erdogan opponents: Free Selahattin Demirtas and Free Figen Yuksekdag, co-leaders of the third-largest political party in Turkey, the HDP. The embassys bogus claim that the violence was the result of Erdogan supporters acting in self-defense is refuted by the videos, which show the bodyguards as aggressors as D.C. police try to separate them from protesters, and by the fact that some members of the detail were detained by authorities before being released on grounds of diplomatic immunity.

What occurred Tuesday, D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham unequivocally told us, was an unexpected assault on peaceful protesters. It is infuriating then that the Turkish government  rather than apologizing for its unlawful behavior  has the temerity to say that it hopes in the future, appropriate measures will be taken to prevent violence. Heres an idea: Mr. Erdogan and his thugs can stay home.
Erick Erickson is editor of the Resurgent.

Republicans like to point out how disastrous President Barack Obamas tenure was for the Democratic Party. During his presidency, Democrats reached new lows in state legislative, gubernatorial and congressional seats. More than 1,000 state and federal seats moved to the GOP. And though many prefer to blame James B. Comey or Russia, there can be no question that Democratic losses in 2016 were compounded by an inept Clinton campaign team that ignored the plight of working-class Americans in the Rust Belt, focusing instead on people who looked and thought just like they did.

Donald Trump was able to connect with voters with whom he had nothing in common largely because the Clinton campaign left a vacuum on the other side of the aisle, which Trump gladly filled. Nonetheless, throughout 2016 I maintained my opposition to Trump for three reasons, two of which are increasingly, worryingly relevant.

First, I did not think Trump could beat Hillary Clinton. When it came to the popular vote, of course, he did not, but thanks to roughly 70,000 people in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, he won the presidency.

Second, I thought that Trump, even if he won, would be deeply destructive to the national fabric and to the conservative ideas I support.

Third, I strongly believed that Trump lacks moral character and that he sets a bad example both for my children and for people of faith. I repeatedly said throughout the campaign that if God wanted Trump in the White House, he would not need Christians to dirty themselves to make it happen.

Unfortunately, while I was wrong about my first concern, I am increasingly worried about the latter two. Trumps evangelical Christian supporters often told me that whether we liked Trump or not, we needed him to save the Supreme Court. My response remains that four years of Clinton appointing judges, while awful, would be nothing compared with a generational wipeout of the GOP. Watergate may have turned Charles Colson from hatchet man to pastor, but the defense of President Trump is turning a lot of pastors into hatchet men. Few people come away from Trumps orbit without compromising their characters.

A Republican reckoning is on the horizon. Voters are increasingly dissatisfied with a Republican Party unable to govern. And congressional Republicans increasingly find themselves in an impossible position: If they support the president, many Americans will believe they are neglecting their duty to hold him accountable. But if they do their duty, Trumps core supporters will attack them as betrayers  and then run primary candidates against them.

(The Washington Post)

Through it all, voter dissatisfaction has been growing. Trumps core might stand with him, as he claimed, even if he killed someone in the middle of the street. But would those 70,000 voters who put him in the White House? As the president acts more irrationally and his Twitter rantings become more unhinged, will he draw more people to himself and his party than he will repel? I suspect not.

The president exudes incompetence and instability. Divulging classified information to the Russians through bragging; undermining his staffs defense of his conduct through inane tweets; even reportedly asking the FBI director to suspend an investigation of a former adviser  all these strike me not so much as malicious but as the ignorant actions of an overwhelmed man. Republicans excuse this behavior as Trump being Trump, but that will only embolden voters who seek greater accountability to choose further change over stability. The sad reality is that the greatest defense of the president available at this point is one his team could never give on the record: He is an idiot who does not know any better.

It is becoming ever clearer that Trump has the potential to cause more damage to the Republican Party than Obama did the Democrats. While there is no doubt the Democrats saw serious electoral setbacks under Obama, there remains a key difference here: Obama is deeply respected and liked by a majority of voters. Trump is increasingly disliked, and the Republicans who enable him are increasingly distrusted.

With a horde of vocal Trump supporters cheering on every inane statement, delusion, lie and bad act, the majority of the American people can be forgiven for thinking the GOP as a whole has lost its mind. The Republicans may soon lose a generation of voters through a combination of the sheer incompetence of Trump and a party rank and file with no ability to control its leader.

Trump still thinks he stands in contrast to Clinton, when in reality, for voters watching the chaos unfold, he stands in contrast both to a more level-headed Vice President Pence and an unknown generic Democrat  neither of whom constantly reminds people of their incompetence. Unless Republican leaders stage an intervention, I expect them to experience a deserved electoral blood bath in November 2018.
So the pope, the president, a Muslim and a Jew walk into a bar . . .

Surely, Im not the only one to tighten the frame around President Trumps wildly ironic and ambitious foreign odyssey to promote tolerance. Which, lets face it, would seem to be the joke. The most candidly intolerant president in history set out Friday on a Napoleonic expedition not to conquer the world but to advance a cause he apparently embraced yesterday.

Meanwhile, the many possible outcomes  from monstrous, Earth-tilting gaffes to World Peace In Our Time (and lots in between)  are riveting to consider. And everything hinges on the performance of the most unpredictable, unlikely emissary ever to cross the threshold of Air Force One.

Thats my inner cynic speaking. My inner Pollyanna has a different take: Maybe he has had a Damascus moment and fallen from his high horse. He had a brutal week, to be sure. Maybe he has received grace, discovered humility, found the key to his cloistered empathy and is embarking on a historic pilgrimage of repentance and reconciliation.

(Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

While these two forces wage war in my head and the media take bets on Trumps first faux pas, Ill give the presidents advisers this: brilliant idea. During his nine-day trip, Trump is touching base with three of the worlds largest religions, visiting Saudi Arabia, Israel and Vatican City. Hes also scheduled to attend a NATO meeting in Brussels and a G-7 conference in Sicily. His itinerary is almost too large to grasp, but grandiosity demands grand plans. And, really, what could possibly go wrong?

The presidents mission includes advancing religious unity and beseeching other nations to join the United States in ending religious persecution and human trafficking, as well as putting an end to the Islamic State. The agenda is complicated by more than a few confounding factors. Trump meets with NATO after having questioned its legitimacy. And Saudi Arabia, ostensibly our ally, is a chief funding source and exporter of Wahhabism, the most virulent and fundamentalist interpretation of Islam. Speaking around such inconsistencies is tough turf even for the most experienced diplomats.

Most fascinating and compelling, to me at least, is the slated May 24 meeting between Trump and Pope Francis, the figureheads of the secular and spiritual worlds. The two men have been exchanging potshots since before Trumps election, with Francis criticizing Trumps immigration policy, his attempted travel ban and The Wall. He also suggested that Trump isnt very Christian, which prompted Trump to fire back that no one should question anothers religious belief.

With their meeting on the horizon, Francis has said he always tries to find doors that are at least a little bit open. Maybe if Trump sticks to script, hell be on solid ground with the topics he intends to discuss.

The United States has long recognized that where religious freedom is restricted, terrorism and extremism flourish and minorities suffer. And Francis has made human trafficking, which he has called a plague on the body of contemporary humanity, one of his key issues. There are today more people living in slavery than at any other time in history, with estimates as high as 27 million.

Trump can make the case that not only is slavery evil in its own right but human trafficking is intricately interwoven with terrorism and religious persecution. This overlap can be seen in the persecution of religious minorities in the Middle East, such as the Islamic States Palm Sunday slaughter of more than 40 Coptic Christians in Egypt during worship services. Other intersections are seen in the theology of rape practiced by members of the Islamic State, who, in between prayers, have sexually assaulted women and young girls from the Yazidi community as religious ritual.

In other examples of slavery, just from Burma: Ethnic Rakhine civilians have been forced by the army to dig graves, porter guns and perform other manual labor. Child soldiers are drafted into the military and forced labor. Ethnic Kachin women are trafficked to China, where theyre forced into marriage or work.

One neednt be aligned with Catholic theology to recognize the inherent evil of such practices. One only needs to be human. Out of respect for the purposes of Trumps trip, we should wish the president godspeed and, if you believe in a higher power, lend him your prayers.

And may your cynic and your Pollyanna make peace.

Read more from Kathleen Parkers archive, follow her on Twitter or find her on Facebook.
So much for the notion that the second 100 days would be calmer or more reassuring.

As April drew to a close, and with it the artificial marker of the first 100 days of the Trump presidency, it was possible to conjure a relatively comforting scenario: It could have been worse.

After all, President Trump launched his administration with the dangerous duo of Michael Flynn as national security adviser and Stephen K. Bannon ascendant. The 100-day period ended with Flynn fired, Bannon diminished and the new national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, joining forces with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to provide a protective buffer against presidential impulsiveness.

Meantime, notwithstanding atrocities such as the immigration orders and the House health-care plan, Trump backed away from some of his most jarring and irresponsible campaign-trail promises and rhetoric, from declaring NATO obsolete to labeling China a currency manipulator to moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

A 70-year-old man does not change his character or basic approach. Still, the immense responsibility of the presidency molds its inhabitant. Thus, it was possible to detect some glimmers of maturation and even learning. Health care turned out to be more complicated than anyone knew. Heartbreaking photos of dead Syrian children killed by chemical weapons managed to evoke previously unseen empathy.

(Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

Not that the first 100 days had been even in the exurbs of normal, with the inaugural invocation of American carnage; the flood of ego-boosting untruths, from the inflated crowd size to the purportedly fraudulent popular vote; and the reflexive assault on enemies, including a so-called judge and the Obama administration for its supposed wiretapping plot.

Still, in resolutely optimistic moments, you could imagine a White House whose learning curve would continue an upward climb, however gradual and episodic, in which the New York moderates  Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, et al.  would elbow aside the America Firsters.

No longer.

True, the institutions of U.S. government and society have proved relatively robust. The courts and the media have risen to the constitutional occasion; Congress not so much, and intramural GOP dysfunction has so far prevented the worst from being legislated.

But Trump himself is turning out to be the full-fledged disaster of our worst fears. He understands nothing and is uninterested in learning anything  not just the dreary substance of things such as tax reform but constitutional values, governing norms and the United States unique role in the world.

He sees things only through the distorting prism of an all-consuming ego. There is only one Trump instinct  fight, fight, fight, he said at the Coast Guard Academy  and one Trumpian dichotomy: friend or foe. He is impervious to embarrassment, no matter how blatant his falsehood. The stain of his behavior spreads to taint anyone within range.

The past few weeks have presented an alarming parade of proof. Authoritarianism? Trump summarily fired his FBI director over this Russia thing  after, according to reports, James B. Comey resisted Trumps demand that he pledge loyalty and declined Trumps importunings to drop the Flynn probe.

Trump met unapologetically with yet another dictatorial thug, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and remained shamefully silent as Erdogans security goons beat up protesters on U.S. soil. No surprise there, from the candidate who urged his crowds to knock the crap out of protesters and as president reportedly pressed Comey to jail reporters for obtaining leaks.

Overweening egotism laced with self-pity? Trump used the occasion of the Coast Guard graduation to lament his treatment  No politician in history  and I say this with great surety  has been treated worse or more unfairly.

Similarly, in the Trumpiverse, the Russia inquiry and the newly named special counsel represent the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history. In fact, Trump has only himself to blame  Comeys firing made the appointment inevitable, and the episode demonstrates the justice system working to allay public fears of political interference.

Dangerous ignorance and lack of preparedness for his post? Without evident forethought, heedless of consideration of the consequences, classically boastful, Trump blurted out code-word information about the Islamic State to the Russians at his Oval Office yuk-fest  and, according to the New York Times, derided Comey as a nut job whose firing relieved great pressure on him.

The national security and diplomatic establishment shudders at the thought of this man at loose abroad.

It is impossible to know how this disastrous episode in our history will conclude, or how grave the damage will be. But an adage from conservative economist Herb Stein comes to mind: If something cannot go on forever, it will stop. This situation does not feel sustainable for a full four years.

Read more from Ruth Marcuss archive, follow her on Twitter or subscribe to her updates on Facebook.
Regarding Dana Milbanks May 18 Washington Sketch column, Rosenstein comes to the rescue of the cowardly Republicans:

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) tried to smear former FBI director James B. Comey by saying that if what is alleged in his personal memorandum were true, he should have alerted someone immediately. Can any of us imagine what have happened had he tried to do that? A temporary uproar and his dismissal  followed by business as usual. Better he waited while keeping his head down and continuing to do his job.

Beverly A. Hall, Catonsville, Md.

The May 18 front-page article Ryan swore Republicans to secrecy said that a tape of a congressional meeting held by House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and associates reveals that Mr. Ryan asked everyone present to pledge secrecy about what was discussed  Russian influence in U.S. elections. So now members of the House play at being the Mafia? What does it take for people of elected office to hold allegiance to country and Constitution above all else? The men and women elected to these high offices swore an oath that appears to mean nothing to them.

Kay Gold, Rockville

In 1987, as a sheriffs deputy from Loudoun County, I was working my way down a hall in the John W. McCormack Post Office building in Boston. Several years earlier, I had started an investigation into alleged criminal enterprises surrounding Lyndon LaRouche. A local political figure was pressured to cut off my funding. I was on my way to see the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts. I had been told, You were both Marines. Work it out. That U.S. attorney was Robert S. Mueller III. As it turned out, we both had served in the Leatherneck Square area of the 3rd Marine Division in Vietnam, though he was there six months earlier.

He was quick, perceptive and very gracious to a Virginia deputy sheriff who had dumped a really messy case on his staff and who was a long way from home. Within hours, he was able to see the problems I was experiencing, take decisive action and cut through the political chaff. When he left that office, he was greatly missed by his staff.

Mr. Mueller is a man who has been there. I hold no brief for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton or President Trump, and I was out of the state when the election went down (and I do mean down). I believe that those who profess they are for an open and fair investigation are about to get their runways bombed. I hope the investigation will be complete by the 2018 elections, and then in time-honored fashion, we can shoot the wounded in the primaries.

Donald L. Moore, Shepherdstown, W.Va.

Regarding the May 18 front-page article Mueller roundly lauded on Hill:

Many Americans join their congressional representatives in breathing sighs of relief that Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, has impeccable nonpartisan credentials and expertise.

Similar bona fides must be manifest in whoever replaces James B. Comey as FBI director  especially because our intelligence agencies have agreed that Russia sought to influence our last presidential election (just as this month it sought to influence Frances).

The FBIs investigations into this and alleged Russian ties to President Trumps associates continue. As acting FBI director Andrew McCabe testified to Congress, the bureaus Russia investigation is highly significant. The Senate should thus consider Mr. Trump conflicted out from any capacity to nominate a new FBI director  and not now approve any such nominee. Until the bureaus Russia investigations are concluded, Mr. McCabe should remain acting FBI director.

Cynthia A. Drew, Winston-Salem, N.C.

The investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election should not be focused solely on evidence of hacking and the generation of fake news. Now that the possibility has been raised that there was an economic connection between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, it must also include review of Mr. Trumps tax returns.

Because it is unlikely that Mr. Putin wrote checks with payments to influence in the information line, and because both Mr. Putin and Mr. Trump are wealthy men, a large number of economic structures could have been employed to transfer funds between them, including common money-laundering techniques, such as purchases of assets at inflated prices. This means that the special counsels team should include forensic accountants to review Mr. Trumps tax returns, and those of his controlled entities, for at least several years. This does not mean the returns would be made public, unless litigation or prosecution followed from the investigation, but failure to analyze the returns would mean that one possible avenue of Russian influence was ignored.

John J. Ensminger, Stone Ridge, N.Y.

The writer is former chair of the Banking and Savings Institutions Committee of the American Bar Association Tax Section.
Missing from the May 18 news article Turkish guards violence denounced, about Turkish security guards attacks on D.C. protesters, was any mention of the significance of the location: Sheridan Circle. On Sept. 21, 1976, thugs hired by another government known for human rights atrocities, this one led by Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, carried out a deadly car bombing on this exact spot. The victims, Chilean Pinochet critic Orlando Letelier and American Ronni Karpen Moffitt, were colleagues at the Institute for Policy Studies.

For more than 40 years, the IPS has held an annual memorial program in Sheridan Circle to call for justice for Letelier and Moffitt and other human rights victims. The family members, human rights activists and government officials who have gathered there have transformed this traffic circle from a place of violence into a symbol of peace and justice. Last year, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, a torture victim, spoke at this event. And over these many years, while Pinochet himself never stood trial, there have been measures of justice, including the imprisonment of other high-level military officials.

The thugs who carried out the attacks Tuesday desecrated this hallowed ground. They must be held accountable.

Sarah Anderson, Washington

The writer is director of the Global Economy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies.
The May 15 news article A wealth of U.S. data sidelined under Trump  painted a bleak picture of how the Trump administration has sought to limit data on such diverse areas as workplace safety, land management and climate change.

Mercifully, the last topic may enjoy a  possibly unintended  reprieve in the form of testimony delivered by Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats to the Senate Intelligence Committee on May 11. That presentation included a forceful explication of the likelihood and damaging consequences of global warming, with documentation that references not just international but federal research efforts. Because that testimony is now available as a congressional print, the White House censors may have lost at least one round in their blackout passions.

Joel Darmstadter, Chevy Chase
Afghanistans controversial first vice president, who has been under investigation for months on accusations of assault and sexual abuse, flew to Turkey unexpectedly late Friday for medical tests, according to his aides and Afghan government officials.

But human rights groups, Afghan analysts and others said they suspect that Abdurrashid Dostum, 63, an ethnic Uzbek militia leader and former army general, had flown into exile to avoid prosecution, possibly in a deal with the government. He has not been charged with any crime.

Vice President Dostum does have a judicial case pending, but he has gone to Turkey for health tests. We pray for his health and return, Shah Hussain Murtazavi, a spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani, told journalists Saturday afternoon.

In December, an elderly Uzbek politician named Ahmad Eschi accused Dostum on national TV of ordering his militia guards to imprison, beat and rape him. The powerful warlord claimed the charges were a political plot, but the incident put Ghani under strong foreign pressure to bring him to justice.

Since then, the attorney generals office has been trying to investigate the case, but Dostum has refused to be questioned and has only allowed several of his guards to submit to official requests, leaving the government in an embarrassing quandary and the disgraced official stewing in his heavily guarded residence in the capital.

In private, meanwhile, Dostums representatives have reportedly met with presidential aides, seeking a political solution. Although estranged from Ghani, Dostum has not been removed from office and remains first in line to replace the president, who is 68 and suffers from heart problems.

At the same time, Dostums plight has recently inspired large rallies by Uzbek supporters in several northern provinces, where he remains a cult figure despite his reputation for abusive behavior toward both adversaries and underlings. Some have called on him to stage a revolt against the government.

General Dostum has always been with his people, in bad and good situations. He will return to Afghanistan as soon as the tests are done, his chief of staff, Enayat Farman, said in a Facebook post Saturday. He said that Dostum was concerned about the countrys worsening security situation. But, he added, The people will be victorious, and the enemies will be eliminated.

Critics on social media and in the human rights community were quick to denounce Dostums unannounced departure. He reportedly left late Friday in a plane sent from Turkey, where he has long historic and official ties and has fled several times previously during political tumult.

Patricia Gossman, a longtime Afghanistan researcher for the New York-based group Human Rights Watch, tweeted Saturday that the Dostum case shows Ghanis inability to ensure justice and is an example of the power strongmen wield over Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, Afghan Attorney General Farid Hamidi said the government was continuing to pursue its investigation against Dostum. The case has been widely seen as a test of whether the Western-backed Ghani administration can bring the rule of law to Afghanistan and end the impunity of powerful ethnic leaders like Dostum.

But Ghani, who ran for president in 2014 as a modern reformer, needed the Uzbek strongman to win election and added Dostum to his ticket, despite a history that included allegedly beating an elderly businessman in Kabul in 2008  an incident which led to police surrounding his house and Dostum flying again to exile in Turkey.

When the new assault case exploded last winter, some advisers urged Ghani to take a more traditional approach and settle the matter privately. As the stalemate dragged on, the idea was floated that Dostum could be urged to quietly leave the country, one more time.

Read more:

Afghan troops surround vice presidents compound in Kabul standoff

Afghanistans vice president is known for brutality

Afghan vice president accused of brutal assault on former governor

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
The longtime Springport clerk is facing felony charges for allegedly using a town computer to boost her pension.

Deborah Waldron, 62, was arrested Friday and has been charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, a class E felony. She's also charged with computer trespass and official misconduct.

Waldron pleaded not guilty and will return to Aurelius Town Court June 28.

According to the state comptroller's office, a discrepancy was found during an audit. Local governments must submit reports to the comptroller detailing who's enrolled in the state pension system and how many hours they worked.

Appointed and elected officials, like Waldron, are required to maintain records of activities  daily information about hours worked and duties performed. This data is used to compile the standard work day and reporting resolution, a document that lists the names of the appointed and elected officials, their titles and the number of hours established for their standard work days.

The comptroller's office said auditors found an inconsistency in Waldron's record of activities and the standard work day and reporting resolution that was filed.

Waldron, who's a part-time employee, allegedly inflated her hours to make it appear that she was a full-time employee. With full-time status, she would receive more retirement benefits than a part-time worker.

The comptroller's staff re-calculated Waldron's actual hours and benefits to prevent her from collecting any funds she wasn't entitled to receive.

The New York State Police and Cayuga County District Attorney's Office assisted with the investigation.

"This town clerk marred a 25-year career as a public servant by allegedly trying to pad her hours," DiNapoli said. "Hopefully her arrest will deter others from such corruption."

Waldron, a Republican, has served as Springport's town clerk since January 1992. She ran unopposed for re-election in 2015. Her salary in 2016 was $17,122, according to seethroughny.net.

Rome Canzano, Waldron's attorney, said his client denies any wrongdoing and disputed the claim that she inflated her hours.

Waldron's retirement benefits, he said, mirrored the information maintained by the town bookkeeper. He added that she used a formula for her reporting that was provided by the state comptroller in 2010.

The information reported by Waldron matched the monthly reports submitted by the town bookkeeper to the state, Canzano said.

"She will clear her name and continue as the elected town clerk faithfully serving the town of Springport community as she has done for the last two and a half decades," he said.

Springport Town Supervisor David Schenck said that the town's attorney will be present at the next board meeting to advise officials in the aftermath of Waldron's arrest. The next board meeting is scheduled for June 13.

Schenck didn't go into specifics about the case, but confirmed that the town assisted with the comptroller's investigation. He said there's no action the town can take against Waldron until her case is disposed.

When asked about Waldron's arrest, he said it was "pretty unfortunate."

Waldron is the second town official arrested in the last three years. Sabra Kay Hall, Springport's former tax collector, was charged in 2014 with stealing more than $12,000 from the town.

Hall pleaded guilty to official misconduct, a misdemeanor, in July 2015. As part of her plea agreement, she resigned as tax collector.
Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, right, speaks at a news conference at the Pentagon with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, center, and special presidential envoy Brett McGurk. (Win Mcnamee/Getty Images)

The Pentagon has stepped up communication with the Russian military over Syria, a top official said Friday as the Trump administration lays plans for future operations likely to thrust U.S. forces closer to Russian and Syrian troops.

Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the United States had opened a new channel between senior U.S. and Russian military officials to discuss what Pentagon officials refer to as the deconfliction of ground and air operations within Syria.

The United States is now in the third year of its campaign against the Islamic State in Syria, where the application of Russian military might has strengthened the hand of President Bashar al-Assad.

Im confident that weve made progress in that regard over the last couple months, Dunford told reporters at the Pentagon.

My sense is that the Russians are as enthusiastic as we are to deconflict operations and ensure that we can continue to take the campaign to ISIS and ensure the safety of our personnel, he said, using another name for the Islamic State.

The United States has sought mostly to limit its involvement in Syria to operations against the extremist group, hoping to avoid being pulled into the larger civil conflict. It has done so, in part, by focusing on areas such as Raqqa, the groups de facto capital, where the Syrian government has little military presence.

Dunford suggested that communication with Russia would become more important as the United States looks beyond an upcoming offensive to recapture Raqqa toward operations in places like Deir al-Zour, an eastern city where both the Islamic State and Syrian government are active.

The preview of future offensives comes as the Trump administration seeks to highlight the progress it has made in combating the Islamic State.

At a news conference focusing on that campaign, senior U.S. officials said the group had lost about 23,000 square miles of territory under its control since the peak of its power in 2014.

Speaking alongside Dunford, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said that President Trump has approved a series of measures to expedite the groups defeat.

Among those steps, Mattis said, is a new emphasis on encircling and cutting off the Islamic State in population centers, rather than positioning local forces around cities in a way that could allow militants to escape and regroup elsewhere.

By taking the time up front to surround these locations, instead of simply shoving them from one to another . . . based on the recommendation that we made and the direction that President Trump took, we now take the time to surround them, Mattis said.

Foreign fighters are the strategic threat, should they return home to Tunis, to Kuala Lumpur, to Paris, to Detroit, wherever, he said. So by taking the time to deconflict, to surround and then attack, we carry out the annihilation campaign so we dont simply transplant this problem from one location to another.

Mattis said Trump had also delegated decision-making to the right level to aggressively and in a timely manner move against enemy vulnerabilities.

Defense officials said that those measures had been approved several months ago. The delegation of authority would permit military commanders to send troops closer to the front lines in a wider array of situations than had occurred previously, said one official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military strategy. In Iraq, the Obama administration had already authorized the U.S. troops to operate with local forces at the battalion level in some situations.

The Trump administration, in a break with practice under President Barack Obama, has quickly moved to shift responsibility for tactical decisions on a range of issues from the White House to the military.

No longer will we have slowed decision cycles because Washington, D.C., has to authorize tactical movements on the ground, Mattis said, referring to the Islamic State fight.

Dunfords remarks regarding Russia come as the administration confronts a snowballing controversy over the Trump camps alleged ties to Russia.

While Trump has displayed a friendly stance toward Russian officials at times, his administration has also blasted Moscow over its support for Assad. Last month, Trump authorized a series of missile strikes on Syrian government targets after a chemical attack that officials suggested was covered up with the help of Russia.

While Dunford said military coordination was prohibited by U.S. law, he said expanded communications would be helpful as the areas where U.S. troops and aircraft operate become increasingly complex and constrained.

Under the recently established channel, the official responsible for planning future operations on the Joint Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., routinely talks to his Russian counterpart, Dunford said.

In another illustration of U.S.-Russian dialogue, Dunford said that he spoke Thursday with Valeriy Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff of Russias armed forces.

We are looking for the Russians to work with the regime, to deconflict our operations, Dunford said.

The current arrangement did not appear effective as recently as Thursday, when U.S. officials asked Russia to steer forces affiliated with the Syrian government away from an air base manned by U.S. Special Forces and Washington-backed rebel groups. When the pro-government forces did not respond, U.S. aircraft ultimately launched an attack on some of them.
Saudi Arabia, the oil-rich kingdom touted by President Trump as a key ally in the fight against the Islamic State, has helped block a Trump administration proposal to impose sanctions against a Saudi branch of the terrorist group, documents show.

The plan to add the Islamic States Saudi affiliate to a U.N. list of terrorist groups was quietly killed two weeks ago in a bureaucratic maneuver at the U.N. Security Council, records show. U.S. officials familiar with the move said the Saudis objected to the public acknowledgment of the existence of a separate Saudi offshoot of the terrorist group inside the kingdom.

They dont want to admit they have an issue in their back yard, said a U.S official familiar with the events, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy.

[Read the letters blocking the U.N. proposal to add ISIS in Saudi Arabia to the terror list]

The news of the maneuver comes as Saudi Arabia hosts Trump in Riyadh in his first visit to a foreign capital since becoming president. U.S. and Saudi officials are expected to use the visit to underscore close cooperation between the two countries in battling Islamist extremist groups. Riyadh has contributed money, arms and fighter jets to the international coalition fighting the Islamic State in Syria.

1 of 60 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Photos of President Trumps arrival in Saudi Arabia to begin his first foreign trip View Photos President Trump was received like visiting royalty in Saudi Arabia on the first leg of his maiden international trip, a five-stop marathon across the Middle East and Europe. Caption The U.S. president traveled to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Rome, Belgium and Sicily, Italy. May 27, 2017 German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, speaks to President Donald Trump as Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi listens during an expanded session at the Group of Seven Summit in Taormina, Italy. Philippe Wojazer/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue.

The terrorist group in 2014 declared the existence of a separate Saudi province, or wilayat, with its own cadre of Saudi operatives seeking to overthrow the monarchy. The group has since claimed responsibility for several attacks inside the country, including a suicide bombing at a mosque in 2015 that killed 15 people.

[First stop on Trumps foreign tour underscores prominent Saudi role]

The Trump administrations proposal to add the Islamic State in Saudi Arabia to a list of U.N.-sanctioned terrorist groups was formally blocked on May 5 by Senegal and Egypt, two members of the U.N. Security Council. Egyptian diplomats explained to their U.S. counterparts that they acted at the behest of Saudi Arabia, according to U.S. officials and internal emails describing the exchange. It was the second time in a year that Saudi officials intervened to prevent the local affiliate from being added to the U.N. terrorist list.

A senior Saudi official, speaking by telephone from Riyadh, acknowledged his governments opposition to the Trump administrations plan. He said formal recognition of a separate Saudi branch of the Islamic State would have been both unfair to Saudi Arabia and an exaggeration of the local cells significance.

You cant equate ISIS in the kingdom with ISIS in Syria and Iraq, said the Saudi official, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss U.N. deliberations. There is no Islamic State in Saudi Arabia just as there is no Islamic State in Britain or Islamic State in France. In those countries there are terrorist cells, but they dont control infrastructure.

Acceding to the U.S. proposal could have resulted in reputational risks for the kingdom, possibly including losses in tourism revenue and higher insurance premiums, the official said.

Saudi Arabia is one of several countries that have opposed U.S. efforts to add local branches of the Islamic State to the U.N. terrorist list. Russian diplomats earlier this month quashed a U.S. proposal to sanction Islamic State chapters in Libya, Afghanistan and Yemen.

(The Washington Post)

[He went to Syria to rescue his wife. Now he sits in prison]

[ISISs use of weaponized drones spurs terrorism fears]
President Trump promised to be a better friend to Israel than Barack Obama was, but as the new U.S. president prepares to visit Israel, frustrations that soured U.S.-Israeli relations in the past are beginning to return.

Trumps insistence that he wants to bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the peace table, accompanied by overtures to Palestinians, have caused some second-guessing of Trumps motives on Israels political right.

And despite effusive praise for Trump ahead of his visit Monday, there are misgivings within the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Privately, Netanyahu has groused that Trumps personal stake in what the president has called the deal of the century puts the Israeli leader in a difficult spot, former U.S. officials and others said.

The Trump administration is also poised to disappoint some in Israel and among his own supporters in the United States by reneging on a campaign pledge to quickly move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the capital, Jerusalem. Facing a June 1 deadline for a decision, Trump is now expected to defer a congressional mandate to move the embassy on grounds that doing so could ignite Arab violence and spoil chances for peace.

Some of Trumps domestic troubles are likely to follow him to Israel, too, amid reports that the classified secrets he shared with Russian diplomats this month had come from Israel. Israeli leaders have remained tight-lipped about the leaks, saying only that security ties between Israel and the United States remain strong.

(Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

The security relations between Israel and its greatest ally, the United States, are deep, significant and unprecedented in their scope and their contribution to our strength. That is how it always was and how it always will be, wrote Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman in a tweet Wednesday.

[Palestinians think Trump can make a deal]

The Netanyahu government is also playing down a diplomatic tiff over whether and how Trump would visit religious sites.

After a chaotic back-and-forth over his itinerary, Trump now plans to visit the Western Wall in East Jerusalem, one of the holiest sites in Judaism, but without Israeli officials or a U.S. statement that the sacred site belongs to Israel.

White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster pointedly refused to answer questions last week about Israeli sovereignty over an area where the United States has long maintained ownership should be decided through negotiations.

We have not yet made a final decision about my visit to the Western Wall, Trump said in an interview with the Israel Hayom newspaper on Thursday. We have great respect for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the decision to have the rabbi [of the Western Wall] accompany us was primarily because that is the custom at the site. It could still change.

Trump told the newspaper he believes he can hammer out a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

1 of 60 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Photos of President Trumps arrival in Saudi Arabia to begin his first foreign trip View Photos President Trump was received like visiting royalty in Saudi Arabia on the first leg of his maiden international trip, a five-stop marathon across the Middle East and Europe. Caption The U.S. president traveled to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Rome, Belgium and Sicily, Italy. May 27, 2017 German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, speaks to President Donald Trump as Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi listens during an expanded session at the Group of Seven Summit in Taormina, Italy. Philippe Wojazer/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue.

In the interview, Trump evaded the question of whether the U.S. Embassy would move to Jerusalem.

If Netanyahu hoped to score points by having Trump go against established protocol surrounding the Western Wall, he was disappointed, said Daniel Levy, a former Israeli peace negotiator who is president of the nonprofit U.S./Middle East Project.

I think the Israelis were trying to pull a fast one on the administration in hopes of showing how tightly aligned the two governments are and how much has changed since Obama, Levy said.

The Trump team knows pressure tactics when it sees them, Levy added.

I dont think they are falling for it.

Obama, like some U.S. presidents before him, was annoyed or worse by what his White House saw as Israeli intransigence and highhanded tactics. Trumps pledge to change the bitter tone of the U.S. relationship with Israel that had developed under Obama will not prevent Israel from trying to manipulate him, former U.S. and Israeli officials said.

Both Israel and the United States have far more reasons to emphasize the positive facets of their relationship and are unlikely to disagree in public, Levy and other analysts said.

[Israel wants Trump to stop Palestinian payments to prisoners and families of martyrs ]

Still, Israeli analysts have scoffed at what they call Trumps clumsy decision to skip a visit to the fortress city of Masada, where Netanyahu had invited Trump to speak. The U.S. explanation that Trump canceled the visit after being told that he could not land his helicopter atop the UNESCO heritage site was played for laughs in Israeli media.

Trump has also ruffled feathers by planning a relatively short stop at Israels Holocaust memorial, a ritual for every American official on their first official visit to the country, former U.S. peace negotiator Martin Indyk noted on Twitter.

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog said disappointment with Trump is largely limited to members of Israels deep-right wing that were sure that President Trump would be working for them.

Trumps fierce pro-Israel stance has limits, and just like past U.S. presidents, Trump has his own agenda, Herzog suggested.

The truth of the matter is  and I always knew and understood this  that whoever sits in the Oval Office and at helm of the United States understands the complexities and sensitivities of the situation here.

Those complexities of religion, history, sovereignty and peace in the Middle East were somewhat foreign to Trump as a candidate, when he scorned Obama for what he called mistreatment of Israel and said little about the Palestinians.

In office, Trump has backed away from two decades of U.S. commitment to a sovereign Palestinian state and given Israel wider latitude to build homes in the Jewish settlements in the West Bank free of American rebuke. But he has also publicly advised Netanyahu against massive settlement construction now and invited Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the White House within weeks of hosting the Israeli leader.

Trump has also said he does not think a peace deal is as hard a task as it seems.

I think most Israelis and the prime minister as well see President Trump as a welcome change to the previous U.S. administration, especially with regards to the basic entity of Israel and with regards to security and other matters, said Zalman Shoval, a former Israeli ambassador to the United States and onetime adviser to Netanyahu.

The visit is very important because it highlights the strength of the relationship between Israel and America, said Israels minister for regional cooperation, Tzachi Hanegbi, who is a close associate of Netanyahu. There was never a president who came to Israel during the first few months of his term, and there was never a visit by an Israeli prime minister so early on his term.

Herzog said he was hopeful Trump would bring with him what I call a break-the-impasse  proposal for peace talks. That is why there is a lot of anticipation of his visit.

Netanyahus government says it is willing to hold direct negotiations so long as the Palestinians drop preconditions for talks.

Abbas appears more inclined to do that, perhaps as a gesture to Trump, several analysts said. Any accommodation of the Palestinians  including even holding talks  is likely to cause headaches for Netanyahu with the right flank of his coalition.

What the Israelis would most like out of any U.S. administration is that we are behind them 100 percent and, ideally, that we help shift the pressure to the Palestinians, said Frank Lowenstein, a former U.S. special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

If there is any frustration on the Israeli side, its probably not that this administration hasnt been on their side  but it may be that they havent taken the next step and really put the onus on the Palestinians.

Eglash reported from Jerusalem. William Booth, also in Jerusalem, contributed to this report.
President Michel Temer faced new pressure to resign Friday, after Brazils supreme court said prosecutors are investigating him for obstruction of justice and corruption, and a government witness claimed his company paid $1.5 million to Temer in bribes.

A day after the release of surreptitious audio recordings in which Temer seemed to condone a criminal coverup in the Car Wash investigation, the court released testimony accusing him of soliciting illegal payments from meatpacking firm JBS.

The court also put out new videotaped accusations by the companys chairman claiming former presidents Dilma Rousseff and Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva each received tens of millions of dollars in dirty money from the company. He claimed the illegal payments were destined for campaign slush funds.

Rousseff did not immediately respond to the allegations. Lulas attorneys denied them.

Temer has told Brazilians hes done nothing wrong, rejecting calls for his resignation Thursday in a defiant statement on national television. But the new charges have left his survival more imperiled than ever, and the countrys influential newspaper O Globo called on him to step down in an editorial Friday.

The two-day cascade of scandalous news has deepened Brazils misery, crashing financial markets and wiping out incipient signs of recovery from the countrys worst economic slump.

Brazils political and economic system is exhausted, said Paulo Sotero, director of the Brazil Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington.

It is not the first time Temer, Lula and Rousseff have been accused of wrongdoing by witnesses cooperating with the Car Wash probe, which has jailed and disgraced dozens of business executives and politicians and uncovered billions in kickbacks. Many of the accused have turned to snitching on one another or wearing recording devices in hopes of ducking prison.

For three years Brazil has been gripped by the sprawling investigation, named for the humble carwash that first alerted authorities to extensive networks of graft. Crusading federal prosecutors say they must drain the swamp of kickbacks, bribery and cronyism that are swallowing the countrys political system.

Only now it seems they are draining an ocean.

[New scandal erupts that threatens to force out Brazilian President Temer]

The latest plea-bargain testimony to become public was provided by meat industry tycoon Joesley Batista and another company executive. They claim that their firm funneled around $150 million to Lula and Rousseff. Both former presidents have long maintained their innocence.

Rousseff was impeached last year on a separate allegation of budget irregularities and was replaced with Temer. At the time, it seemed that Brazil had hit rock-bottom. But this weeks revelations have put the country right back in a hole.

The Temer allegations risk a new drawn-out legal fight and the undermining of his economic program  a combination of spending cuts and pension reforms that were Brazils best hope for luring back foreign investors.

By defying calls to step down, Temer appears to be betting he can muddle through the latest scandal and serve out the remaining 16 months of his term, analysts said. But with rumors circulating of additional recordings yet to be released and calls for his removal growing louder than ever, he may be too crippled to effectively govern, analysts said.

What we have now is a government on life support, said Alexandre Bandeira, head of the Strattegia consulting firm in Brasilia, the capital. It is merely surviving off of institutional machinery, but it is not working.

The latest scandal began on Wednesday, when O Globo newspaper said it had obtained an explosive recording in which Temer supported corruption. The conversation was secretly taped by Batista, who unbeknown to the president had been swept up in the corruption probe and agreed to cooperate with investigators.

On the recording, Batista informs Temer that hes been making payments to buy the silence of jailed former congressional leader Eduardo Cunha, who is serving a 15-year term for corruption. The Brazilian president is heard telling the business executive to keep that up.

On Friday, after the recording was released, analysts said it did not appear to be as damning to the president as initially thought. Temers defenders will probably assert that his words merely indicated a desire to provide moral support for Cunha. But while that may be enough for Temer to avoid a conviction, the episode has left him so damaged that he may be unable to regain the backing of the allies in congress he needs to pass his austerity measures.

Bandeira said that Temers refusal to quit leaves him at the mercy of new leaks. The government will now be a hostage to the news, he said.

Even top officials from Temers inner circle appear to be hedging against his survival. Economic minister Henrique Meirelles told investors Friday he believed Temer would be able to hold on to power, but that he was also willing to stay on under a different administration to limit the impact of the political turbulence on the market.

There are myriad ways Temer could fall. One immediate risk to his presidency may be Brazils electoral courts, which are considering whether to annul the countrys 2014 election result over allegations of illegal campaign donations. Temer ran as vice president on Rousseffs ticket that year, though the two are not from the same party.

Many Brazilians say the years of political turmoil and relentless corruption scandals, piled on top of economic woes, have left them weary.

Before, politicians used to steal a little. But then Brazil grew. And now, they steal a lot, said Diego Monte, a 30-year-old Rio resident glued to the news.

Read more

Two possible paths for Brazils Lula: prison or the presidency

How Brazils political class came undone

Brazil swings to the right, setting the stage for a Trump-like leader

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
It was March 2020, and the world was closing down as the COVID-19 pandemic spread. At first, the news of...
Occidental Petroleum Corporation is an international oil and gas giant founded in 1920 to explore for oil in California. The company made its name in the early 1960safter discovering the Lathrop Gas Field in Lathrop, California. The company expanded into chemicals manufacturing in 1968 and then in 1972 it became a pioneer in the quest to extract oil from shale. In 1993, the company made a historic move by exiting its coal operations, and then it did so again when it embraced a lower carbon future.

The company worked to realign its goals with a carbon-free future in 2021. After extensive review, new carbon emission targets were laid out along with a plan that the Transition Pathway Initiative recognized as being 1 of 3 coming from major oil companies that could realistically result in net-zero emissions by 2050. Since then the company has laid interim goals that include net zero from operations and energy by 2040 and no routine flaring by 2030.

Today, Occidental Petroleum is an integrated energy company with operations in the US, the Middle East, Africa, and Columbia along with some other smaller operations. The company operates a network of best-in-class production, delivery, and storage facilities with operations centered in the US. On a net basis, the companys US operations accounted for more than 75% of the total in 2022 with 19% from Middle East operations and the remainder from Columbia and elsewhere.

The company engages in the oil & gas business as an explorer, producer, and mid-stream infrastructure operator. The company operates through three segments that include Oil and Gas, Chemicals, and Midstream & Marketing.

The oil and gas segment explores for oil, develops new fields, and produces hydrocarbon liquids, gasses, and condensates. The chemicals segment manufactures a range of chemicals including chlorine, potassium chemicals, and vinyl. The midstream segment transports, stores, and markets hydrocarbons. It is the 6th largest oil and gas producer in the US by market cap. The company attained the position after its acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum in 2019, the 4th largest oil and gas acquisition at the time.

Berkshire Hathaway became Occidental Petroleums largest shareholder in mid-2022. The firm had purchased more than 26% of the shares as of 10/14/2022 and had regulatory approval to purchase up to 50% of the company in total.
Bank of America has a rich history dating back to 1800 and even earlier. It was begun by immigrants as a group of separate and unrelated banks that, over the years, merged and grew together. One such is the Bank of Italy which was founded in 1904 by Amadeo Giannini to serve Italian immigrants that were facing discrimination. He later buys out the Banca de America e de Italia (Bank of America and Italy) which was also located in San Francisco. Over the years additional mergers and changes in Federal banking legislation, as well as the boom brought on by WWI and then WWII, helped boost the bank to national prominence.

Things turned sour, however, in 1998 with a major bond default that led to yet another merger, this time with Charlotte, NC-based Nations Bank to officially become the Bank of America that exists today. At the time, the merger was the largest bank merger in history and the company has only grown in the time since.

Other additions to the new Bank of America include MBNA (a major credit card operator), Fleet Boston (then the US 7th largest and one of its oldest banks), and Merril Lynch, now Merril, which was added to the group in 2008 to provide an investment banking branch. Together the company dominates as one of the Big Four Banks in America. Bank of America lays claim to nearly 11% of all US deposits which ranks in line with its peer group and Bank of America Securities is listed as the worlds 3rd largest investment bank.

Today, Bank of America Corporation provides banking and financial services for individuals, small businesses, institutions, corporations, and governments worldwide. The bank operates in three segments Consumer Banking, Global Wealth & Investment Management, and Global Banking bringing in a combined revenue greater than $90 billion in 2022.

As of 2022, Bank of America serves approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,200 retail financial centers. The bank also operates more than 16,000 ATMs and digital banking platforms with approximately 41 million active users.

Its Consumer Banking segment offers traditional banking and investment products for retail clients. These range from deposit accounts to savings, credit cards, consumer loans, and IRAs. The Global Wealth & Investment Management segment offers investment and wealth management solutions including, brokerage, banking, and trust and retirement products. The Global Banking segment provides lending products and services, including commercial loans and leases for businesses of all varieties. The Global Markets segment offers market-making, clearing, settlement, and custody services, as well as risk management, derivatives, and FX exchange services.
The following companies are subsidiares of Thermo Fisher Scientific: 236 Perinton Parkway LLC, 27 Forge Parkway LLC, ABR--Affinity BioReagents, ACI Holdings Inc., ARG Services LLC, ASPEX Corporation, Abgene Inc., Abgene Limited, Acoustic Cytometry Systems Inc., AcroMetrix LLC, Acros Organics B.V.B.A., Advanced Biotechnologies Limited, Advanced Scientifics (ASI), Advanced Scientifics Inc., Advanced Scientifics International Inc., Affymetrix Biotech Participacoes Ltda., Affymetrix Biotech Shanghai Ltd, Affymetrix Inc, Affymetrix Japan K.K., Affymetrix Pte Ltd, Affymetrix UK Ltd, Afora S.A.U., Ahura Scientific, Alchematrix Inc., Alchematrix LLC, Alfa Aesar, Alfa Aesar (China) Chemical Co. Ltd., Alfa Aesar (Hong Kong) Limited, Allergon AB, Alphine Mountain Limited, Ambion Inc., Apogent Denmark ApS, Apogent Finance Company, Apogent Holding Company, Apogent Technologies Inc., Apogent Transition Corp., Apogent U.K. Limited, App-Tek International Pty Ltd, Applied Biosystems B.V., Applied Biosystems Finance B.V., Applied Biosystems International Inc., Applied Biosystems LLC, Applied Biosystems Taiwan LLC, Applied Biosystems Trading (Shanghai) Company Ltd., Applied Biosystems de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Applied Scientific Corporation, Avances Cientificos de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Avocado Research Chemicals Limited, B.R.A.H.M.S. Biotech GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. UK Ltd, BAC BV, BAC IP BV, Barnstead Thermolyne LLC, Beijing Phadia Diagnostics Co Ltd, Bender MedSystems GmbH, BioTrove Corporation, BioTrove International Inc., Bioanalysis Labsystems S.A., Biochemical Sciences LLC, Biolab, BmT GmbH Laborprodukte, Bonsai Tecnologies - Sistemas para Biotecnologia e Industria Unipessoal Lda, Brammer Bio, Bumi-Sans Sendirian Berhad, CAC Limited, CB Diagnostics AB, CB Diagnostics Holding AB, CEPH International Corporation, CHK Holdings Inc., CRS Robotics, CTPS LLC, Capitol Scientific Products Inc., Capitol Vial Inc., Cellomics Inc., CellzDirect Inc., Cenduit GmbH, Cenduit LLC, Cezanne S.A.S., Chase Scientific Glass Inc., Chromacol Limited, Clintrak, Clintrak Clinical Labeling Services LLC, Clintrak Pharmaceutical Services LLC, Cohesive Technologies (UK) Limited, Cohesive Technologies Inc., Columbia Diagnostics Inc., Compendia Bioscience Inc., Comtest Limited, Consolidated Technologies Inc., Consultores Fisher Scientific Chile Ltd, Core Informatics, Core Informatics LLC, Core Informatics UK Ltd., D-finitive Technologies Inc., DCG Systems B.V., DCG Systems C.V., DCG Systems G.K., DCG Systems GmbH, DCG Systems Korea Ltd., DCG Systems LLC, DPI Newco LLC, DSM Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Dharmacon, Diagnostix Ltd., Dionex (China) Analytical Ltd, Dionex (Switzerland) AG, Dionex (UK) Limited, Dionex Austria GmbH, Dionex Benelux B.V., Dionex Brasil Instrumentos Cientificos Ltda, Dionex Canada Ltd., Dionex China Limited, Dionex Corporation, Dionex Denmark A/S, Dionex Holding GmbH, Dionex I LLC, Dionex Pty Ltd., Dionex S.A., Dionex S.p.A., Dionex Singapore Pte Ltd., Dionex Softron GmbH, Dionex Sweden AB, Distribution Solutions International Inc., Doe & Ingalls Investors Inc., Doe & Ingalls Limited, Doe & Ingalls Management LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties II LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties LLC, Doe & Ingalls of California Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Florida Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Maryland Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Massachusetts Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of North Carolina Operating LLC, Doublecape Holding Limited, Doublecape Limited, Drakeside Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Duke Scientific Corporation, Dynal Biotech Beijing Limited, EGS Gauging Ltd., EGS Gauging Technical Services Company, EP Scientific Products LLC, Ecochem N.V., EnviroEquip Pty Ltd, Epsom Glass Industries Limited, Equibio Limited, Erie Electroverre S.A., Erie Finance Limited, Erie LP Holding LLC, Erie Scientific Company of Puerto Rico, Erie Scientific Hungary Kft, Erie Scientific LLC, Erie U.K. Limited, Erie UK 1 Limited, Erie UK 2 Limited, Erie UK Holding Company, Erie UK Senior Holding Limited, European Laboratory Holdings Limited, Eutech Instruments Europe B.V., Eutech Instruments Pte Ltd., Eutech Instruments Sdn Bhd, Ever Ready Thermometer Co. Inc., FEI Asia Pacific Co. Ltd., FEI Australia Pty Ltd, FEI CPD B.V., FEI Company, FEI Company Japan Ltd., FEI Company of USA (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd., FEI Czech Republic s.r.o., FEI Deutschland GmbH, FEI EFA Inc., FEI EFA International Pte. Ltd., FEI Electron Optics B.V., FEI Electron Optics International B.V., FEI Europe B.V., FEI France SAS, FEI Global Holdings C.V., FEI Hong Kong Company Limited, FEI Houston Inc., FEI Italia Srl, FEI Korea Ltd., FEI Melbourne Pty Ltd., FEI Microscopy Solutions Ltd, FEI Munich GmbH, FEI Norway Holding AS, FEI SAS, FEI Saudi Arabia LLC, FEI Servicos de Nanotecnologia Ltda., FEI Technologies Inc., FEI Technology de Mexico S.A. de C.V., FEI Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., FEI Trondheim AS, FEI UK Ltd., FHP LLC, FRC Holding Inc. V, FS (Barbados) Capital Holdings Ltd., FS Casa Rocas Holdings LLC, FS Mexicana Holdings LLC, FSI Receivables Company LLC, FSII Sweden Holdings AB, FSII Sweden Holdings I AB, FSIR Holdings (UK) Limited, FSIR Holdings (US) Inc., FSUK Holdings Limited, FSWH Company LLC, FSWH II C.V., FSWH International Holdings LLC, Fermentas China Co. Ltd, Fermentas Inc., Fermentas International, Fermentas Sweden AB, Fermentas UK Limited, Fiberlite Centrifuge LLC, Finesse Scientific Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Finesse Solutions AG, Finesse Solutions Inc., Finnzymes Oy, Fisher Alder S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Asia Manufacturing Ventures Inc., Fisher Bermuda Holdings Limited, Fisher BioImage ApS, Fisher BioPharma Services (India) Private Limited, Fisher BioSciences Japan G.K., Fisher BioServices Inc., Fisher Bioblock Holding II SNC, Fisher CLP Holding Limited Partnership, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 1, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 2, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 3, Fisher Canada Limited Partnership, Fisher Chimica BVBA, Fisher Clinical Logistics LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services (Bristol) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Colombia) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Korea) Co. Ltd, Fisher Clinical Services (Mexico) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Peru) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services Colombia S.A.S., Fisher Clinical Services GmbH, Fisher Clinical Services Inc., Fisher Clinical Services Japan K.K., Fisher Clinical Services Latin America S.R.L., Fisher Clinical Services Limited Liability Company, Fisher Clinical Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Clinical Services Peru S.R.L, Fisher Clinical Services Pte Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services U.K. Limited, Fisher Emergo B.V., Fisher Germany Holdings GmbH, Fisher Hamilton China Inc., Fisher Hamilton Mexico LLC, Fisher Holdings ApS, Fisher Internet Minority Holdings L.L.C., Fisher Laboratory Products Manufacturing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Fisher Luxembourg Danish Holdings SARL, Fisher Manufacturing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Maybridge Holdings Limited, Fisher Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific (Austria) GmbH, Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Fisher Scientific (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific (SEA) Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific A/S, Fisher Scientific AG, Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Limited, Fisher Scientific Biotech Line ApS, Fisher Scientific Brazil Inc., Fisher Scientific Central America Inc., Fisher Scientific Chile Inc., Fisher Scientific Colombia Inc., Fisher Scientific Company, Fisher Scientific Company L.L.C., Fisher Scientific Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Fisher Scientific Europe Holdings B.V., Fisher Scientific GTF AB, Fisher Scientific Germany Beteiligungs GmbH, Fisher Scientific GmbH, Fisher Scientific Holding Company LLC, Fisher Scientific Holding HK Limited, Fisher Scientific Holding U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific Holdings (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific Holdings (S) Pte Ltd, Fisher Scientific International LLC, Fisher Scientific Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Fisher Scientific Ireland Investments Unlimited, Fisher Scientific Ireland Limited, Fisher Scientific Japan Ltd., Fisher Scientific Jersey Island Limited, Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd, Fisher Scientific Latin America Inc., Fisher Scientific Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Fisher Scientific Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific Mexico Inc., Fisher Scientific Middle East and Africa Inc., Fisher Scientific Norway AS, Fisher Scientific Operating Company, Fisher Scientific Oxoid Holdings Ltd., Fisher Scientific Oy, Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific S.A.S., Fisher Scientific S.L., Fisher Scientific SPRL, Fisher Scientific The Hague I B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague II B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague III B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague IV B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague V B.V., Fisher Scientific U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company 2, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company Limited, Fisher Scientific Unipessoal Lda., Fisher Scientific Venezuela Inc., Fisher Scientific Worldwide (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Holdings I C.V., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Inc., Fisher Scientific de Mexico S.A., Fisher Scientific of the Netherlands B.V., Fisher Scientific spol. S.r.o, Fisher Servicios Clinicos (Chile) LLC, Fisher Servicios Clinicos Chile Ltda, Fisher WWD Holding L.L.C., Fisher Worldwide Distribution SPV, Fisher Worldwide Gene Distribution SPV, Flux Instruments, Fuji Partnership, G & M Procter Limited, G V Instruments Limited, GV Instruments Canada Ltd., GV Instruments Inc, Gatan Inc, General Scientific Company Sdn Bhd (M), Genomed molekularbiologische und diagnostische Produkte GmbH, Gerhard Menzel B.V. & Co. KG, Gold Cattle Standard Testing Labs Inc., Golden West Indemnity Company Limited, Goring Kerr Detection Limited, Greenville Service Company Inc., HENO GmbH i.L., Hangar 215 Inc., Helmet Securities Limited, Henogen, HighChem, HyClone International Trade (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Hybaid Limited, I.Q. (BIO) Limited, IDnostics AG, ILS Laboratories Scandinavia AB, Inel Inc., Inel SAS, InnaPhase Inc., InnaPhase Limited, IntegenX, Intrinsic BioProbes Inc., Intrinsic Bioprobes Inc., Invitrogen (Shanghai) Investment Co. Ltd., Invitrogen Argentina SA, Invitrogen BioServices India Private Limited, Invitrogen Europe Limited, Invitrogen Finance Corp., Invitrogen Holdings LLC, Invitrogen Holdings Ltd., Invitrogen Hong Kong Limited, Invitrogen IP Holdings Inc., Invitrogen Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ion Torrent Systems Inc., Ionalytics Corporation, JSC Thermo Fisher Scientific, Jouan LLC, Jouan Limited, Jouan SA, Kendro Containment & Services Limited, Kendro Laboratory Products Ltd, Kettlebrook Insurance Co. ltd., Keystone Scientific, KonTEM GmbH, Kyle Jordan Investments LLC, LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, LTC Tech South Africa PTY Ltd., La-Pha-Pack GmbH, Lab Vision (UK) Limited, Lab Vision Corporation, Lab-Chrom-Pack LLC, Lab-Line Instruments Inc., Labomex MBP S. de R. L. De C.V., Laboratoire Service International - L.S.I, Laboratory Management Systems Inc., Laboratory Specialties Proprietary Ltd., LambTrack Limited, Laser Analytical Systems Inc., Liberty Lane Investment LLC, Liberty Lane Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Life Sciences International (Poland) SP z O.O, Life Sciences International Holdings BV, Life Sciences International LLC, Life Sciences International Limited, Life Technologies AS, Life Technologies Australia PTY Ltd., Life Technologies BPD AB, Life Technologies BPD UK Limited, Life Technologies Brasil Comercio e Industria de Produtos para Biotecnologia Ltda, Life Technologies Chile SpA, Life Technologies Clinical Services Lab Inc., Life Technologies Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Czech Republic s.r.o., Life Technologies DaAn Diagnostic (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Europe B.V., Life Technologies Finance Ltd., Life Technologies Finland Oy, Life Technologies GmbH, Life Technologies Holdings PTE Ltd., Life Technologies Inc., Life Technologies International B.V., Life Technologies Japan Ltd., Life Technologies Korea LLC, Life Technologies Limited, Life Technologies Magyarorszag Kft, Life Technologies New Zealand Ltd., Life Technologies Norway Investments US LLC, Life Technologies Polska Sp z.o.o., Life Technologies SA, Life Technologies SAS, Life Technologies s.r.o, Linkage Biosciences Inc., Linkage Biosciences S.a.r.l., Loftus Furnace Company, Lomb Scientific, Lomb Scientific (Aust) Pty Limited, MTI-GlobalStem, Marketbase International Limited, Matrix MicroScience Inc., Matrix MicroScience Ltd., Matrix Technologies Corporation Limited, Matrix Technologies LLC, Maybridge Chemical Company Limited, Maybridge Chemical Holdings Limited, Maybridge Limited, Medical Analysis Systems Inc., Medical Analysis Systems International Inc., Medical Diagnostics Systems Inc., Metavac LLC, Microgenics Corporation, Microgenics Diagnostics Pty Limited, Microgenics GmbH, Microm International GmbH, Microm Laborgerate S.L.U, Molecular BioProducts Inc., Molecular Probes Inc., Molecular Transfer Inc., NAPCO Inc., NERL Diagnostics LLC, NOVODIRECT GmbH Labor- und Industrie- Megerate, Nalge (Europe) Limited, Nalge Nunc International (Monterrey) LLC, Nalge Nunc International Corporation, Nanjing WeiKangLe Trading Industrial Co Ltd, NanoDrop Technologies LLC, National Scientific Company, Navaho Acquisition Corp., Neomarkers Inc., New FS Holdings Inc., NewcoGen PE LLC, Nihon Dynal K.K., Niton Asia Limited, NovaWave Technologies Inc., Nunc A/S, ONIX Systems Inc., OXOID CZ s.r.o., Odyssey Holdings Corporation, Odyssey Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 1 S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 2 S.a r.l., Odyssey Venture Corporation, Omega Data Systems, One Lambda Inc, Onix Holdings Limited, Orme Scientific Limited, Owl Separation Systems LLC, Oxoid (ELY) Limited, Oxoid 2000 Limited, Oxoid AS, Oxoid Australia Pty. Limited, Oxoid Company, Oxoid Deutschland GmbH, Oxoid Holding SAS, Oxoid Holdings Limited, Oxoid Inc., Oxoid International Limited, Oxoid Investments GmbH, Oxoid Limited, Oxoid N.V., Oxoid New Zealand Limited, Oxoid Pension Trustees Limited, Oxoid Senior Holdings Limited, Oxoid UKH LLC, PAX - DSI Acquisition LLC, PE AG, Pacific Rim Far East Industries LLC, Pacific Rim Investment LLC, Panomics L.L.C., Panomics S.R.L., Patheon, Patheon API Inc., Patheon API Manufacturing Inc., Patheon API Services Inc., Patheon Austria GmbH & Co KG, Patheon B.V., Patheon Banner U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon Biologics (NJ) LLC, Patheon Biologics Australia Pty Ltd, Patheon Biologics B.V., Patheon Biologics LLC, Patheon Calculus Merger LLC, Patheon Cooperatief U.A., Patheon Development Services Inc., Patheon Finance LLC, Patheon France SAS, Patheon Holdings B.V., Patheon Holdings I B.V., Patheon Holdings II B.V., Patheon Holdings SAS, Patheon I B.V., Patheon I Holding GmbH, Patheon Inc., Patheon International AG, Patheon Italia S.p.A., Patheon KK, Patheon Life Science Products International GmbH, Patheon Manufacturing Services LLC, Patheon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Patheon Pharmaceuticals Services Inc., Patheon Puerto Rico Acquisitions Corporation, Patheon Puerto Rico Inc., Patheon Regensburg GmbH, Patheon Softgels B.V., Patheon Softgels Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings LLC, Patheon UK Limited, Patheon UK Pension Trustees Limited, Pelican Acquisition Corporation, Perbio Science (Canada) Company, Perbio Science AB, Perbio Science BVBA, Perbio Science France SAS, Perbio Science Inc., Perbio Science International Netherlands B.V., Perbio Science Invest AB, Perbio Science Nederland B.V., Perbio Science Projekt AB, Perbio Science Sweden Holdings AB, Perbio Science Switzerland SA, Perbio Science UK Limited, Phadia AB, Phadia Diagnosticos Ltda, Phadia GmbH, Phadia Holding AB, Phadia International Holdings C.V., Phadia Korea Co. Ltd, Phadia Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Phadia Malta Holdings Limited, Phadia Oy, Phadia Real Property AB, Phadia Sweden AB, Phadia Taiwan Inc., Phadia US Inc., Phadia s.r.o., Pharmacaps Mexicana SA de CV, Phenom-World B.V., Phenom-World Holding B.V, Phenom-World Innovations B.V., Phinotex, Pierce Biotechnology Inc., Pierce Milwaukee Holding Corp., Pierce Milwaukee Inc., Polychromix, Power Sweden Holdings I AB, Power Sweden Holdings II AB, Power Sweden Holdings III Aktiebolag, Princeton Gamma-Tech Instruments LLC, Princeton Security Technologies, Prionics AG, Prionics Asia Ltd., Prionics Deutschland GmbH, Prionics France SAS, Prionics Italia S.r.l., Prionics Lelystad B.V., Prionics USA Inc., Priority Air Express LLC, Priority Air Express Pte. Ltd., Priority Air Express UK Limited, Priority Air Holdings Corp, Priority Solutions International, Promedica Pty Limited, Proxeon, Proxeon Biosystems ApS, Qiagen, REP GBP I-B Blocker Inc., Raymond A Lamb Limited, Remel Europe Limited, Remel Inc., Richard-Allan Scientific Company, Robbins Scientific LLC, Robocon Labor- und Industrieroboter Gesellschaft m.b.H, Rupprecht and Patashnick, Rupprecht and Patashnick (R&P), Russell pH Limited, S.C.I. du 10 rue Dugay Trouin, SCI Inno 92, STC Bio Manufacturing Inc., Samco Scientific (Monterrey) LLC, Samco Scientific LLC, Saroph Sweden AB, Schantz Road LLC, Seradyn Inc., Shanghai Life Technologies Biotechnology Co. Limited, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (C-I) Trading Co. Ltd, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (S) Trading Co. Ltd, Southern Trials (Pty) Ltd., Specialty (SMI) Inc., Spectra-Physics AB, Spectra-Physics Holdings Limited, Spectra-Physics Holdings USA LLC, Spectronex, Staten Island Cogeneration Corporation, Sterilin Limited, Stokes Bio Ltd., Sweden DIA (Sweden) AB, SwissAnalytic Group GmbH, Systems Manufacturing Corporation, TFLP LLC, TFS Breda B.V., TFS LLC, TFS Singapore HK Limited, TFSL Financing GP LLC, TFSL Senior GP Holdings 2 LLC, TK Partnership, TKA Wasseraufbereitungssysteme, TMOI Inc., TPI Real Estate Holdings LLC, TSP Holdings I LLC, TWX LLC, Technology Design Solutions Pty Ltd, Thermedics Detection de Argentina S.R.L, Thermo Allen Coding Limited, Thermo Asset Management Services Inc., Thermo BioAnalysis LLC, Thermo BioAnalysis Limited, Thermo BioSciences Holdings LLC, Thermo CIDTEC, Thermo CRS Holdings Ltd., Thermo CRS Ltd., Thermo Cambridge Limited, Thermo Cayman Holdings Ltd., Thermo Corporation, Thermo DMA Inc., Thermo Detection de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Dutch Holdings Limited Partnership, Thermo EGS Gauging LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings I LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings II LLC, Thermo Eberline LLC, Thermo Electron (Calgary) Limited, Thermo Electron (Chile) S.p.A., Thermo Electron (Karlsruhe) GmbH, Thermo Electron (Management Services) Limited, Thermo Electron (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Electron A/S, Thermo Electron Australia Pty Limited, Thermo Electron Export Inc., Thermo Electron Holdings SAS, Thermo Electron Industries, Thermo Electron LED GmbH, Thermo Electron LED S.A.S., Thermo Electron Limited, Thermo Electron Manufacturing Limited, Thermo Electron Metallurgical Services Inc., Thermo Electron North America LLC, Thermo Electron Pension Trust GmbH, Thermo Electron Puerto Rico Inc., Thermo Electron SAS, Thermo Electron Scientific Instruments LLC, Thermo Electron Sweden AB, Thermo Electron Sweden Forvaltning AB, Thermo Electron Weighing & Inspection Limited, Thermo Elemental Limited, Thermo Environmental Instruments LLC, Thermo Fast U.K. Limited, Thermo Finland Holdings LLC, Thermo Finland Holdings MT1 B.V., Thermo Finland Holdings MT2 B.V., Thermo Finnigan LLC, Thermo Finnigan Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Malta Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN-I) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (CN-II) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings I Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings II Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings 2) LLC, Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) II Limited, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Heysham) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Kandel) GmbH, Thermo Fisher CHK Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust II, Thermo Fisher Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Thermo Fisher Cyprus Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Detection Mexico LLC, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics (Ireland) Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AB, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AG, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Aps, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Austria GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics B.V., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics K.K., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics NV, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.L.U., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.p.A. , Thermo Fisher Diagnostics SAS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Thermo Fisher Eurobonds Ltd., Thermo Fisher Financial Services Inc., Thermo Fisher GP LLC, Thermo Fisher German Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Germany B.V., Thermo Fisher India Divestco Private Limited, Thermo Fisher India Holding B.V., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Thermo Fisher Israel Ltd., Thermo Fisher Production et Services SAS, Thermo Fisher Project Cyprus LLC, Thermo Fisher Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Asheville) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Australia) C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Barbados) Holdings Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Breda) Holding BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (CN) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China-HK) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (DE) Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Ecublens) SARL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance II) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Fuji) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Holding II) B.V. & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Johannesburg) (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mexico City) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Milwaukee) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mississauga) Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Monterrey) S. De R.L. De C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (NK) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) Austria Holding GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) UK LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) UK Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN-I) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN-II) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN1) UK Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Panama) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Panama) Dutch LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Praha) s.r.o., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Real Estate 1) GmbH & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Real Estate 1) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Schweiz) AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Shanghai) Instruments Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Suzhou) Instruments Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific AL-1 LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific AU II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Aquasensors LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific B.V.B.A., Thermo Fisher Scientific BHK (I) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific BHK (II) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics UAB, Thermo Fisher Scientific Beteiligungsverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Biosciences Corp., Thermo Fisher Scientific Brahms LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Brasil Instrumentos de Processo Ltda., Thermo Fisher Scientific Brasil Servicos de Logistica Ltda, Thermo Fisher Scientific C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cayman Investments LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Chemicals Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific China (C-I) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific China (S) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings IV B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Chromatography Holdings Aps, Thermo Fisher Scientific Chromatography Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus I Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus II Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus III Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus IV C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus V C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Denmark Senior Holdings ApS, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie 1 Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie Financing S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Europe GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC Finance C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSIR Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSIR Financing S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSUKHCO Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Falcon Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Finance Company BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific GENEART GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Germany BV & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific HR Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) I, Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) II , Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings Europe Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific IT Services GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Pvt Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Malta) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments Malta (Sweden Financing) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Invitrogen Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific K.K., Thermo Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific LSI Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments III S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments IV S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life NL Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Netherlands Holding C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Switzerland Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Tech Korea Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Enterprise Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investments Holding LP, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Luxembourg Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Enterprise Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg German Holdings S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Life Technologies UK Holding S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings I S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings II S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malta Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Messtechnik GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Mexico City S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Middle East Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Milano Srl, Thermo Fisher Scientific NHK Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific New Zealand Holdings, Thermo Fisher Scientific New Zealand Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Norway Holdings AS, Thermo Fisher Scientific Norway US Investments LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Odyssey Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Odyssey Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Operating Company LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Oy, Thermo Fisher Scientific PN2 C.V, Thermo Fisher Scientific PN2 LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Panama I Cayman Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Peru S.R.L., Thermo Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific SL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Financing LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Holdings Australia LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific South Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific SpA, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg I S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Investments Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Switzerland Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific TR Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Taiwan Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific West Palm Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Wissenschaftliche Gerate GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Worldwide Investments (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific eCommerce Solutions LLC , Thermo Fisher Senior Canada Holdings LLC, Thermo Foundation Inc., Thermo Gamma-Metrics Holdings Pty Ltd., Thermo Gamma-Metrics LLC, Thermo Gamma-Metrics Pty Ltd, Thermo Holding European Operations LLC, Thermo Hypersil Ltd, Thermo Hypersil-Keystone LLC, Thermo Informatics Asia Pacific Pty Ltd., Thermo Instrument Controls de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Thermo Kevex X-Ray LLC, Thermo Keytek LLC, Thermo LabSystems Inc., Thermo LabSystems S.A., Thermo Life Science International Trading (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Thermo Life Sciences AB, Thermo Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo MF Physics LLC, Thermo Measurement Ltd, Thermo Measuretech Canada Inc., Thermo Neslab LLC, Thermo Nicolet Limited, Thermo Onix Limited, Thermo Optek (Australia) Pty Ltd., Thermo Optek Limited, Thermo Optek S.A., Thermo Orion Inc., Thermo Portable Holdings LLC, Thermo Power Corporation, Thermo Process Instruments GP LLC, Thermo Process Instruments L.P., Thermo Projects Limited, Thermo Quest S.A., Thermo Radiometrie Limited, Thermo Ramsey Italia S.r.l., Thermo Ramsey LLC, Thermo Ramsey S.A., Thermo Re Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Pte Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Sdn Bhd, Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments Inc., Thermo Scientific Services Inc., Thermo Securities Corporation, Thermo Sentron Canada Inc., Thermo Sentron Limited, Thermo Shandon Inc., Thermo Shandon Limited, Thermo Suomi Holding B.V., Thermo TLH (UK) Limited, Thermo TLH L.P., Thermo Trace Pty Ltd., Thermo-Fisher Biochemical Product (Beijing) Co. Ltd., ThermoLase LLC, ThermoSpectra Limited, Trek Diagnostic Systems LLC, Trek Diagnostic Systems Ltd., Trek Holding Company II Ltd., Trek Holding Company Ltd., Trex Medical Corporation, USB Corporation, Union Lab Supplies Limited, United Diagnostics Inc., VG Systems Limited, Westover Scientific Inc., ZAO PE Biosystems, eBioscience GmbH, eBioscience Ltd, eBioscience SAS, and picoSpin LLC.

Read More
Kinder Morgan, Inc. operates as an energy infrastructure company in North America. The company operates through four segments: Natural Gas Pipelines, Products Pipelines, Terminals, and CO2. The Natural Gas Pipelines segment owns and operates interstate and intrastate natural gas pipeline, and underground storage systems; natural gas gathering systems and natural gas processing and treating facilities; natural gas liquids fractionation facilities and transportation systems; and liquefied natural gas liquefaction and storage facilities. The Products Pipelines segment owns and operates refined petroleum products, and crude oil and condensate pipelines; and associated product terminals and petroleum pipeline transmix facilities. The Terminals segment owns and/or operates liquids and bulk terminals that stores and handles various commodities, including gasoline, diesel fuel, chemicals, ethanol, metals, and petroleum coke; and owns tankers. The CO2 segment produces, transports, and markets CO2 to recovery and production crude oil from mature oil fields; owns interests in/or operates oil fields and gasoline processing plants; and operates a crude oil pipeline system in West Texas, as well as owns and operates RNG and LNG facilities. It owns and operates approximately 83,000 miles of pipelines and 143 terminals. The company was formerly known as Kinder Morgan Holdco LLC and changed its name to Kinder Morgan, Inc. in February 2011. Kinder Morgan, Inc. was founded in 1936 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Healthcare Trust of America, Inc. (NYSE: HTA) is the largest dedicated owner and operator of MOBs in the United States, comprising approximately 25.1 million square feet of GLA, with $7.4 billion invested primarily in MOBs. HTA provides real estate infrastructure for the integrated delivery of healthcare services in highly-desirable locations. Investments are targeted to build critical mass in 20 to 25 leading gateway markets that generally have leading university and medical institutions, which translates to superior demographics, high-quality graduates, intellectual talent and job growth. The strategic markets HTA invests in support a strong, long-term demand for quality medical office space. HTA utilizes an integrated asset management platform consisting of on-site leasing, property management, engineering and building services, and development capabilities to create complete, state of the art facilities in each market. This drives efficiencies, strong tenant and health system relationships, and strategic partnerships that result in high levels of tenant retention, rental growth and long-term value creation. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, HTA has developed a national brand with dedicated relationships at the local level. Founded in 2006 and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2012, HTA has produced attractive returns for its stockholders that have outperformed the US REIT index.
United Internet AG, through its subsidiaries, operates as an Internet service provider. The company operates through Consumer Access, Business Access, Consumer Applications, and Business Applications segments. It offers landline-based broadband and mobile internet products, including home networks, online storage, telephony, and IPTV for private users; and telecommunication products ranging from fiber-optic direct connections to tailored ICT solutions, which include voice, data, and network solutions, as well as infrastructure services to national and international carriers and ISPs. The company also provides ad-financed and fee-based application products for consumer and business customers, including domains, websites, web hosting, servers, cloud solutions, and e-shops; personal information management applications, such as email, to-do lists, appointments, and addresses; and group works, online storage, and office software. It offers its access products through the yourfone, smartmobile.de, 1&1, and 1&1 versatel brands; and applications through GMX, mail.com, WEB.DE, home.pl, Arsys, STRATO, IONOS, Fasthosts, InterNetX, united-domains, and World4You brand names. In addition, the company offers customers professional services in the fields of active domain management under the Sedo brand; and online advertising services under the United Internet Media brand name. It has operations in Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Poland, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, and Mexico. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Montabaur, Germany.
GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft engages in the development and production of systems and components for the food processing industry worldwide. The company operates through five divisions: Separation & Flow Technologies, Liquid & Power Technologies, Food & Health Technologies, Farm Technologies, and Heating & Refrigeration Technologies. It provides separators, decanters, homogenizers, valves, and pumps; and process solutions for the dairy, food, beverage, chemical, and other industries. The company also offers solutions for food processing and pharmaceutical industries, which includes preparation, marinating, and processing of meat, poultry, seafood, vegan products, pasta production, baking, slicing, packaging, and confectionary, as well as frozen food processing; and granulation systems and tablet presses. In addition, it provides integrated customer solutions for milk production and livestock farming, such as automatic milking, feeding systems, conventional milking solutions, manure handling, and digital herd management tools; and sustainable energy solutions for an array of industries including food, beverage, dairy, and oil and gas in the field of industrial refrigeration and temperature control. The company was formerly known as mg technologies ag and changed its name to GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft in 2005. GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft was founded in 1881 and is headquartered in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Britons 'among world's biggest drinkers'

Experts have warned over the amount Britons are drinking

Many Britons are increasing their risk of developing diseases like cancer by drinking too much alcohol, experts have suggested.

New data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that people in the UK are among the world's biggest drinkers. Over the course of 2016, the average Briton drank almost double the global average.

Above-average consumption

The average level of alcohol consumption last year was 6.4 litres of pure alcohol per person aged 15 years or older across the globe. But the UK average is thought to have been 12.3 litres.

Hungary, Latvia, Poland and Slovakia have similar levels of drinking as the UK. In fact, only 11 other nations saw higher alcohol consumption than Britain - namely Estonia, Ukraine, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Russia, Moldova, Belarus and Lithuania.

The largest volume of consumption was found in Lithuania, at 18.2 litres of alcohol.

Health implications

Alcohol can increase people's risk of getting various diseases - with cancer among them.

And Rachel Clark, health promotions manager at the World Cancer Research Fund, described the latest WHO data as "worrying".

She said: " Alcohol is highly dangerous and increases the risk of many different health conditions including several cancers. In fact, if no one drank alcohol in the UK, around 24,000 cancer cases could be prevented every year.

"If people do decide to drink then it's important for them to be aware of the dangers of alcohol so that they can make conscious decisions to reduce their consumption. People should drink no more than the Government's recommended limit of 14 units a week, which is roughly equal to seven drinks, spread over at least three days."

People can develop cancer for many reasons, with drinking just one potential factor. Those living with the condition can seek medical travel insurance when heading abroad to safeguard their health while they're away from home.
While the Democratic Party and mainstream media obsess over allegations of Russian hacking of the 2016 election, the Trump administration is implementing its ruthless war on immigrants with little public notice and no significant opposition from the Democrats.

Agents with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), working with a host of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, concluded a six-week operation last weekend in which they arrested 1,378 people, of whom 993 were US citizens. Major raids were carried out in Houston, New York City, Atlanta and Newark, New Jersey.

Although agents with ICEs Enforcement and Removal Operations do not have the legal authority to arrest US citizens, the operation was overseen by the Homeland Security Investigations Unit, which claims much broader authority to enforce federal laws.

Gang activity in the United States, including drug and sex trafficking, has been used as a justification for the broad expansion of the powers of ICE agents over the last decade, bloating the size of the police apparatus responsible for arresting and deporting undocumented immigrants.

The arrests were part of ICEs Operation Community Shield, raids coordinated with state and local law enforcement agencies initiated during the administration of Republican president George W. Bush in 2005 and continued under Democratic president Barack Obama. In 2016, Obamas last year in office, ICE agents arrested more than 1,100 people, mostly US citizens, on suspicion of gang activity.

Many of those targeted in the raids have been identified as gang members or gang affiliates without any due process. ICE determines that someone they have arrested is a gang member or affiliate if they have a prior conviction for gang related activity, declare themselves to be a member of a gang, have tattoos which ICE declares to be gang related, or are fingered as a gang member by a reliable source.

ICE claimed that 1,095 of those arrested were confirmed as members or affiliates of a number of transnational gangs including the Bloods (137), the Surenos (118), the Crips (104) and MS-13 (104).

The Bloods and Crips are predominantly African-American gangs which have their roots in the impoverished working class neighborhoods of Los Angeles. MS-13, which also has its origins in Los Angeles, developed as a result of the wars stoked by US imperialism in El Salvador from 1979 to 1992, which devastated the small country and caused massive human flight, particularly to Southern California.

Among the 280 immigrants arrested in this latest round up, three had been granted deferred action status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program implemented in 2012. Ten of those arrested had crossed the border into the United States as unaccompanied minors.

President Donald Trump has scapegoated immigrants for the United States social and economic problems, painting Mexican immigrants in particular as criminals, drug traffickers and rapists. He kicked off his campaign for the presidency in 2015 by calling for a crackdown on immigrants and the construction of a wall along the US-Mexico border. Trumps administration, with retired general John Kelly as the director of the Department of Homeland Security, has initiated a raft of measures targeting immigrants.

Trump signed executive orders in January calling for the construction of the wall and expedited arrests and deportations, measures that could ultimately directly impact the lives of tens of millions of people living in the United States. The administrations effort to implement a ban on travelers and immigrants from a number of Muslim-majority countries has so far been blocked by the courts.

ICE has carried out widespread roundups, arresting people in their homes, as they drop their children off at school, while they apply for legal status, and during once-routine check-ins with federal authorities. DACA is being targeted so that thousands of people who were brought to the US as children can be deported.

In an echo of the Nazi press, which published the pictures of Jewish criminal defendants to whip up anti-Semitism, ICE has established the Office of Victims of Crimes Committed by Removable Aliens [VOICE] in order to publicly denounce immigrants accused of crimes. The anti-gang and immigrant round-up is intended to bolster the administrations false claims that immigrants are largely criminals, as the president said in 2016. In fact, immigrants have a lower crime commission rate than US citizens.

Trumps xenophobic initiatives have emboldened the most reactionary, fascistic elements of American society.

Republican Oklahoma state representative Mike Ritze and the 21 other members of the Republican Platform Caucus recently proposed rounding up the states 82,000 non-English speaking students and turning them over to ICE as a cost-cutting measure. While states cannot legally deny an education to a child based on their immigration status, they could save money by having all those without proper papers deported.

Identify them and then turn them over to ICE to see if they truly are citizens, and do we really have to educate non-citizens? Ritze asked, claiming that tearing children out of school and away from their families would have the benefit of saving the state of Oklahoma $60 million.

If the Democrats have nothing critical to say about all of this, it is because they fully supported a slew of federal laws making it more difficult for immigrants to obtain legal status in the United States. Trump has cited these laws, passed with bipartisan support, in his reactionary executive orders.

Under Obama, just under 3 million people were officially deported, more than under any other president in US history. Most Democrats, including Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, have voted for greater legal restrictions on immigration. Clinton, as well as Senator Charles Schumer and former Senators Obama and Biden, voted to construct more barriers and fencing along the southern border with Mexico.
In the past week, three people have died in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) across the country. Two of the deaths were suicides.

This brings to eight the total number of deaths in the custody of ICE since October, the start of the fiscal year. This compares to nine during the fiscal year that ended last September.

Jean Jimenez-Joseph, 27, a Panamanian national, was being held in an immigration detention center in Stewart County, a little over 100 miles southwest of Atlanta, Georgia. He died after he was found unresponsive, with a bedsheet around his neck, in his solitary confinement cell at 12:45 am Monday. He had been isolated in solitary confinement for 19 days.

Detention center officials reportedly placed Jimenez-Joseph in isolation on April 27 after he jumped over a rail from the second floor to the first floor of the facility.

Jimenez-Joseph was handed over to ICE officials on March 2, after completing a sentence for larceny of a motor vehicle at a North Carolina jail. He was in the middle of deportation proceedings at the time of his death.

The following day, on the other side of the country, a Nicaraguan man died of injuries sustained from his attempted suicide a week prior. Osmar Epifanio Gonzalez-Gadba, 32, had been detained for just over five months in the Adelanto Detention Facility in California.

Gonzalez-Gadba was rushed to Victor Valley Global Medical Centers intensive care unit in Victorville, California after he was found hanging from a bedsheet tied around his neck in his cell. He died from heart failure caused by asphyxiation six days later.

Like Jimenez-Joseph, Gonzalez-Gadba was being held in solitary confinement. Some reports are suggesting that this was requested by Gonzalez-Gadba himself, which sometimes occurs if the detainee feels unsafe for whatever reason. ICE spokeswoman, Virginia Kice, told the Washington Post, There are officers and medical personnel who make rounds regularly, but in a case like his, this individual was housed in a one-person room, so he was alone when it occurred and they discovered him fairly quickly.

He was initially arrested in the Otay Mesa neighborhood of San Diego by US Border Patrol agents on December 29, 2016, while attempting to reenter the country. According to the Department of Homeland Security, he had been deported back to Nicaragua once before, in April 2016.

His mother, still living in Nicaragua, told Nicaraguas TN8 News that she had not known where her son was until she was told of his death.

Nationwide, an average of 300 detainees are held in solitary confinement each week. According to the data released by ICE, which covered four months, nearly half of those placed in isolation are held there for 15 days or longer. Nearly 11 percent were mentally ill.

The third death, of Indian national Atulkumar Babubhai Patel, occurred Tuesday in Atlanta Georgia. Patel, 58, was being detained by federal immigration authorities in Atlanta City Detention Center. He was found to have high blood pressure and diabetes during his initial screening upon entering the facility. On Saturday, he was transported to Grady hospital after a nurse checking his blood sugar noticed he was short of breath. His preliminary cause of death has been ruled as complications from congestive heart failure.

Patel arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on May 10 aboard a flight from Quito, Ecuador. He did not have the required immigration documents, according to ICE, so he was placed in the federal agencys custody.

The latest deaths are only some of the casualties from the Trump administrations assault on immigrant workers, an escalation of the anti-immigrant policies of previous administrations, Democrat and Republican.

According to data from ICE, arrests of immigrants increased 38 percent during the first three months of 2017, over the same period last year.

The number of people arrested between January and March 2017 was a shocking 41,000 individuals. More than 10,000 of these were classified as non-criminal immigrants, up 150 percent from last year.
The National Union of Students (NUS) held protests around the country last week, ostensibly called in opposition to the attacks on universities contained in the federal Liberal-National governments May budget. The political purpose of the demonstrations, however, was to promote the illusion that appeals to Labor, the Greens and other parliamentary parties could stem the ongoing destruction of education rights.

Around 250 students participated in the protest in Sydney. Some 800 took part in the rally in Melbourne. Smaller numbers joined demonstrations in other capital cities and regional centres. Overall, attendance was far lower than at similar rallies in response to the 2014 federal budget.

The poorly attended demonstrations, which reflect growing alienation from the NUS and its support for the major parliamentary parties, contrasted sharply with widespread anger among students over the measures contained in the budget. These include raising university fees by 7.5 percent within five years, forcing most permanent residents, including New Zealand citizens, to pay exorbitant international fees in full, and lowering the annual income threshold for repayment of HECS student debts to $42,000 a year.

The budget also imposes another 2.5 percent efficiency dividend, or funding cut, upon universities, increasing their dependence on corporate sponsorship. Following decades of cuts to education by Labor and Liberal-National governments, the budget measures are aimed at further transforming universities into for-profit entities whose operations are tailored to the immediate needs of big business.

The NUS has presented the cuts as being solely a product of the ideological predilections of Liberal-National politicians. This line is used to advance the bankrupt claim that a Labor-Green government would represent an alternative. NUS officials at the protests were silent on the central role played by successive Labor governments in slashing education spending.

At the same time, leading Greens parliamentarians were given the platform to posture as defenders of education. No mention was made of their repeated declarations during the federal election last year that they were prepared to join a coalition government with Labor committed to fiscal responsibility, i.e., budget cuts.

The political purpose of the proteststo channel student discontent behind the official parliamentary set-up and suppress discussion of an alternative perspectivewas underscored by the refusal of student union officials to allow representatives of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE), the youth movement of the Socialist Equality Party, to address the demonstrations.

In Newcastle, the political censorship was carried out by leading figures in the Newcastle University Students Union (NUSA), which held a protest on Tuesday. The IYSSE has had a club at Newcastle University for over a decade, and is the only political tendency on campus that holds regular meetings advancing a socialist perspective against war and austerity.

NUSA officials declared that there would be an open mic. However, an IYSSE representative was blocked from speaking by Michael Labone, NUSA president and a member of Labor.

Labone told the IYSSE representative that he would not be allowed to speak because the IYSSE was anti-union. He was referring to the principled opposition of the IYSSE and the SEP to the thoroughly corporatised unions, which have enforced the destruction of hundreds of thousands of jobs, along with the decimation of wages and conditions, leading to the rise and rise of precarious, casual and low-paid work for young people.

Labone then asked if the IYSSE would speak on the budget. When this was answered in the affirmative, he responded, No, youre going to speak on imperialist war. His response was a graphic expression of the pro-imperialist standpoint of the official student political millieu.

In reality, the austerity measures in the budget go hand in hand with massive funding allocations to the military, aimed at placing the country on a war footing. Continuing on from measures introduced by previous Labor governments, the budget provides for military spending of $150 billion over the next for years and almost half-a-trillion dollars over a decade.

As the IYSSE alone has warned, this expenditure is aimed at deepening Australias integration into the US-led war drive in the Middle East, along with Washingtons confrontation with North Korea and China, which threatens to provoke nuclear war in Asia. Labones response underscored NUSA and Young Labors support for the vast squandering of resources on the military, and their hostility to the IYSSEs fight for an international anti-war movement of the working class based on a socialist perspective.

NUSAs censorship was opposed by a number of students. The campus publication, Yak, reported that there was a heated argument between NUSA members and students that onlookers indicated were part of UONs socialist community. The argument seemed to stem from those students dissatisfaction with other students [not] being able to speak aside from NUSA officers.

Yak quoted NUSA Representative for the Faculty of Education and Arts Luci Regan, who declared that the censorship was carried out because the protest was autonomous and apoliticial. This is a lie, through and through.

NUSA invited federal Labor MP for Newcastle, Sharon Clayton, to attend the demonstration, while NUSA speakers associated with Labor and the Young Greens promoted the fraud that those parties defend education. The invocation of no politics, a slogan used to derail protests and social struggles in Greece, Spain and elsewhere, really means no socialist politics.

At the protest in Melbourne, the IYSSE was prevented from speaking by Anneke Demanuele, NUS education officer and a prominent member of Socialist Alternative. She refused to provide any reason.

Socialist Alternatives role as an adjunct of Labor and the Greens was underscored by the decision to hand the rally over to federal Greens MP, Adam Bandt. Bandt asserted that the Greens had opposed all previous attacks to higher education. In fact, the Greens vote every year in support of the budget appropriation billknown as the supply billwhich includes the annual efficiency dividend cuts to tertiary education and huge, ongoing military spending.

Demonstrating his indifference to the conditions of students, Bandt hailed the existing educational system, declaring: Australia should remain a place where no matter where you come from, or how much money you or your parents have, everyone has the right to a high quality tertiary education.

In reality, free university education was abolished by the Labor government of Bob Hawke in the 1980s and the level of fees and other costs have placed it out of reach for many working class youth. Students are left with tens of thousands of dollars in debt for courses that have been hit by endless rounds of sackings, the shutting-down of subjects and entire faculties, and growing class sizes at universities around the country.

Bandt called for ongoing protest rallies until the next election. This is the perspective of the NUSdemonstrations promoting the election of a Labor-Green government that would be no less committed to austerity than the current Liberal-National government. The alternative, advanced by the IYSSE, is the fight for all of the social rights of the working class, including free education at all levels, in opposition to the entire capitalist political establishment.
Quebec Solidaire (QS)an ostensibly left-wing, pro-Quebec independence party that has had representation in the Quebec legislature since 2008is holding its twelfth congress this weekend. Two interrelated questions will be the principal focus of debate: whether QS should form an electoral alliance with the big business Parti Quebecois (PQ) and whether it should merge with Option National, a small right-wing nationalist party that is itself a split-off from the PQ.

On the first question, QS is divided, but the disagreements are purely tactical. All the factions embrace Quebec nationalism and separatism, differing only on how best to promote them, and more specifically the precise character of Quebec Solidaires relations with the other members of the larger family of pro-Quebec independence organizations and parties, above all the PQ.

Quebec independantiste nationalism articulates the interests and aspirations of a section of the ruling class that want greater autonomy for the capitalist Quebec stateeven to the point of secession from Canada. This faction calculates it can better pursue its global economic and geostrategic interests, including striking its own deals with Washington, if it is not tied to Ottawa and its rivals in English Canada. Moreover, it views the reorganization of the state apparatus that separation would necessarily entail as a golden opportunity to create a more competitive Quebecthat is to intensify the assault on public services and workers social and democratic rights.

The flagship and standard bearer of the Quebec independence movement for the past half-century, the PQ has been rocked by the hemorrhaging of its electoral base among workers and youth since it held office from 1994-2003. This is not only because the PQ has implemented devastating social cuts every time it has formed Quebecs government, but also because of its tournant identitaire, that is its promotion of a virulent Quebec chauvinism that targets immigrants and religious minorities, especially Muslims. The PQ and its sister party in the federal parliament, the Bloc Quebecois (BQ), have also enthusiastically supported Canadas military interventions in North Africa and the Middle East and, more broadly, Canadian imperialisms turn to a more aggressive and militarist foreign policy.

The PQs call for convergence with Quebec Solidaire

Since its formation in 2006, Quebec Solidaires principal political role has been to seek to revive the PQs largely discredited project of an independent capitalist Quebec, by giving it a progressive gloss. This explains its long-standing orientation to the PQ, to which QS has repeatedly made offers of an electoral alliance, and why its relations with the PQ will again take center stage at this weekends party congress.

The difference this time is that the crisis of the capitalist order, in Canada and around the world, has reached an unprecedented level of intensity, as epitomized by the emergence of the autocrat billionaire Donald Trump as US president.

In Quebec, the Liberal government of Philippe Couillard is rightfully hated among workers because of its all-out assault on public services, pensions and other worker social rights. But the PQ, as demonstrated by its near-record-low standing in the opinion polls, has proven incapable of capitalizing on this, because of its own rightwing record.

Moreover, the trade unions, which for decades have served as the principal promoters of the PQ and Quebec nationalism within the working class, have been increasingly exposed as appendages of the corporate bosses. They have systematically suppressed the class struggle, as in the case of the 2012 Quebec student strike, and helped big business and their political hirelings in Ottawa and Quebec City to impose social-spending, wage and job cuts.

With the union bureaucracy largely discredited, the PQ has come to rely ever more on the QS to give it and the Quebec independence movement left cover. Under media tycoon Pierre-Karl Peladeau and now its current leader, Jean-Francois Lisee, the PQ has actively pursued the convergence of sovereignist (i.e., pro-independence) forces.

The QS, for its part, eagerly accepts the role of PQ ally and ginger group. It depicts the PQ as a lesser evil, if not a progressive force, while formally joining hands with this right-wing, big business party in the official pro-sovereignty coalition, Oui Quebec.

The QS leaderships push for a bloc with the PQ, and their opponents

At this weekends congress, the QS leadership is proposing that the party strike a formal alliance with the PQ to jointly contest the next provincial election, slated for October 2018. Option B, one of three rival congress resolutions on a possible QS-PQ alliance, insists that the political necessity of the hour, which it describes as defeating the Liberal government and its detrimental policies, imposes the decision to open negotiations with the Parti Quebecois in order to negotiate an electoral pact.

Although QS has a long record of promoting the lie that the PQ is better than the Liberals and refrains from all but the most occasional and timid criticism of the pro-PQ unions, the QS leaderships Option B tries to shift responsibility for their pursuit of an alliance with the PQ onto working people. Despite our repeated appeals, laments the resolution, the vast majority of the electorate that opposes the Quebec Liberals is not convinced ... that the PQ is tantamount to the Liberals and still believes that the PQ remains a fundamentally social-democratic party that represents a valid alternative to the Liberal disaster."

No one should be taken in by this. With their Option B, the QS leadership is seeking sanction to partner with, and promote the progressive bona fides of, the PQa proven enforcer of capitalist austerity, advocate of anti-immigrant chauvinism, and supporter of imperialist warand join it in government. This is spelled out in Option Bs call for QS to fight for the defeat of the PLQ (Liberal) government and the election of a government that marks a break with neoliberal austerity policies, that is to say a PQ government supported by QS.

Another QS factionled by its purported left wing and including various pseudo-Trotskyists, including the factions designated spokesperson, Gauche Socialiste (Socialist Left) leader Andre Frappieropposes Option B, because it fears too close an association with the PQ will damage QS and further discredit Quebec independence.

Its resolution, Option A, warns the electoral maneuvers advocated by the leadership could lead to discrediting QS for a fairly long time. Option A makes various criticisms of the PQ, including that it has applied the logic of austerity imposed by the ruling class, initiated the demolition of the public sector under [PQ Premier] Lucien Bouchard and implemented austerity measures similar to, if not worse than, those of the Liberals when it formed the government for 18 months in 2012-14.

The writers of Option A verbally acknowledge what has become more and more evident to workers and young people: that the PQ is a bourgeois party entirely devoted to capitalist austerity. But this admission is made only so as to uphold and boost illusions in the political program with which the PQ has historically been associated: the creation of a Republique du Quebec as a new imperialist state in North America.

The nationalist popular bloc advocated in Option A would serve to politically straitjacket the working class. Such a bloc would be expressly aimed at dividing Quebec workers from workers in the rest of Canada and internationally, while masking the bitter class divisions within Quebec, the better to politically subordinate the working class to the Quebec bourgeoisie. This is demonstrated by the program assigned to such a bloc, namely, an anti-austerity, anti-free trade program as part of a step towards independence.

The model envisaged by the pseudo-left elements who authored this resolution is Syriza, Greeces so-called Radical Coalition of the Left. Syriza was propelled to power on the basis of a commitment to put an end to the brutal capitalist austerity, but it immediately allied with the right-wing Independent Greeks and rapidly discarded its anti-austerity program. Rejecting any appeal to the workers of Europe for a common struggle against European capitalism, Syriza capitulated to the demands of the European oligarchy. After the EU and the banks spurned their appeals for debt renegotiation, Syriza imposed mass poverty and a vicious crackdown on refugees.

There is also an Option C before this weekends QS congress. It stipulates QS postpone its decision on an electoral alliance with the PQ until a QS National Council meeting scheduled for November. This option was immediately criticized by PQ leader Jean-Francois Lisee, who argues that if an alliance is to be effective, including reaching a satisfactory division of electoral seats, the QS needs to commit to it now. Nonetheless, Option C could still garner substantial support at the QS congress as a temporary compromise to the partys unprincipled, increasingly fractious factional struggle.

A second proposal designed to bring the factions together is also on the agenda: a possible merger with Option Nationale. For months the QS leadership has been in negotiations with ON, which was founded and continues to be led behind the scenes by the ex-PQ legislator and investment banker Jean-Martin Aussant.

Unlike QS, ON makes no pretense to being a left-wing party. It has long criticized QS for placing too great an emphasis on social questions, reputedly to the detriment of pressing for Quebec independence.

Aussants political mentor was none other than Jacques Parizeau. The scion of one of Quebecs wealthiest families, Parizeau, until his death in 2015, was viewed as the leader of the PQs hardline faction. As PQ premier, Parizeau called the 1995 referendum on Quebec sovereignty and created a rainbow pro-independence coalition that united the right-wing populist Action Democratique du Quebec (ADQ) with the unions, and various elements of the pseudo-left (including the future founders of Quebec Solidaire) behind the PQ and independence.

Preparations by QS for a merger with Option National are similarly aimed at subordinating the working class to the pro-Quebec independence faction of the ruling class. Such a merger would serve as a bridge to future electoral and governmental alliances with the PQ, including as outlined in Option B for the next provincial election.

This author also recommends:

10 Years of Quebec Solidaire: The record of a pro-capitalist, pro-imperialist party

[31 December 2016]
Immediately after its recent election drubbing in Germanys most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), the Social Democratic Party (SPD) announced it would reorient its campaign for the federal election to be held this autumn.

In the spring, SPD chairman Martin Schulz announced the partys so-called social justice electoral campaign following his election as the SPDs lead candidate for the autumn election. In a series of interviews Schulz stressed that the worst errors involved in the Agenda 2010 policy would be corrected. The Agenda 2010 was a full-scale assault on Germanys welfare and social state provisions introduced by the SPD-Green coalition (1998-2005) headed by Gerhard Schroder (SPD).

Shulz declared earlier this week that the SPD would now be placing domestic security measures at the heart of its Bundestag election campaign. On Tuesday, two days after the NRW elections, the party leadership sent out a 67-page document to its membership, summarizing the key elements of the partys election program. The document calls for a strong, viable state capable of decisively countering crime, extremism and terror.

The main motion, which is due to be adopted at a SPD conference in Dortmund on June 25, states:

* We want to create 15,000 new police jobs at a federal and state level.

* Video-technology should be used whenever it can assist in preventing threats and securing evidence.

* Foreigners who commit serious crimes should be deported immediately after serving their sentence.

* We will close extremist Islamic mosques and stop financing them.

This is identical to demands raised by the xenophobic Alternative for Germany (AfD). The SPD is calling for the expansion and strengthening of the police. Their powers are to be massively expanded, and such demands are not limited to the SPDs election program.

As the Suddeutsche Zeitung reported Thursday, the current grand coalition of the SPD and conservative union parties wants to expand state hackingonline searchingprior to the election. A corresponding reform of the criminal code, which the Bundestag was due to vote on in June, has been massively tightened up shortly before the end of the legislative process. Responsibility for the new legislation rests with the SPD-led Justice Ministry.

Such online searches involve using so-called Trojan software to spy on computers and mobile phones. Unlike a house search, the person involved has no idea he or she is being spied upon and cannot therefore undertake any action to prevent such a hostile invasion of privacy.

Formerly such online searches were only permissible in cases involving suspicion of a concrete, serious criminal offence. Now the parameter for searches is to be extended to include 38 various new offences. The offences include drug possession and misuse of asylum applications. In addition, every branch of the criminal investigation department, and not just the federal police, will be empowered to use Trojans.

In the case of telephone monitoring judicial authorization is necessary. Last year, however, 32,668 cases of telephone monitoring were officially registered, meaning such measures are nothing more than a routine formality. The new law paves the way for an Orwellian system of spying on the entire population.

With its demand for the rapid deportation of criminal foreigners, the SPD is encouraging openly racist sentiments. In common with all other right-wing parties, it is seeking to direct social discontent into racist channels.

The SPD is not undertaking this lurch to the right in its program from the standpoint of electoral tactics. The party is well aware that both issues, domestic rearmament and xenophobia, are rejected by broad sections of the working population and youth.

The SPD is reacting to the NRW election result as a loyal party of the state. It evaluates its own loss in votes as an expression of massive opposition to the entire ruling class. Most media reports about the NRW election have largely ignored the fact that not only did the SPD suffer its worst result since 1947, the winner in the election, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), also racked up its second worst result in post-war Germany.

The SPD evaluates the election result as a prelude to major class conflicts and has responded with a law-and-order campaign, aimed at creating a police state.

Workers, for their part, must draw their own lessons from the NRW election and prepare for fierce class struggles. The reaction of the SPD to the election result confirms that the period in which the working class could defend its interests through the ballot box is irretrievably over.

Social Democracy and its allied trade unions are instruments of the ruling class. This is reflected by developments in other countries. In France, the former ruling Socialist Party suffered a humiliating defeat a few weeks ago in the first round of the presidential elections. This was the reply by the electorate to the despised labour-market reforms, police state measures and war policy of President Francois Hollande. In Greece, Spain, the Netherlands and many other countries the Social Democrats are also in free-fall.

The SPD reacts to the international crisis of capitalism by pressing for the revival of German great power politics. Parallel to military rearmament, it is pushing ahead with the build-up of domestic security and police measures.
On Wednesday, 11 D.C. Circuit Court judges will hear arguments over the constitutionality of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency created in the wake of the great recession of 2008.

The stakes are high for both consumer protection advocates and financial services institutions. The latter have, in the past five years, been ordered by the CFPB to return nearly $12 billion to 29 million of their customers in recompense for various predatory practices. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform legislation of 2010 created the CFPB and gave it power to enforce 18 consumer protection laws previously administered by seven separate agencies, and also vested it with new authority to regulate and prosecute unfair, deceptive, and abusive acts.

Conceived in 2007 by then-Harvard law professor and now-Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts)today, the personification of a liberal firebrandthe CFPB has been a political lightning rod since its inception. It has fought to rein in deceptive practices in such realms as subprime mortgages, payday lending, nonprofit education, and prepaid debit cards, with Republicans screeching in protest all the way.

In February Senator David Perdue (R-Georgia), the former CEO of Reebok and Dollar General Stores, whose state is home to TSYSthe parent of prepaid card unit Netspendbranded CFPB a rogue agency at Yahoo Finances All Markets Summit; Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) introduced bills to abolish the bureau; and, according to a report in Politico last month, President Donald Trump recently threatened to fire its director, Richard Cordray, a former Ohio attorney general.

Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Richard Cordray testifies during a hearing before the Senate on April 7, 2016. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

As it happens, Trump cant currently fire Cordray, and thats precisely what lies at the heart of the legal dispute the D.C. Circuit judges will be pondering. In the lawsuit, PHH Corp, a mortgage lender, is challenging the constitutionality of the CFPBs structure. In January 2014 the bureau brought an enforcement proceeding against PHH which culminated, in July 2015, in the imposition of $109 million in fines against the company for its allegedly having participated in a kickback scheme.

Story continues

PHH appealed, protesting not only its innocence, but also claiming that Congress violated constitutional separation of powers principles when it specified that the president could remove the director of the CFPB only for cause (e.g., neglect of duty or malfeasance) rather than at will (e.g., for mere policy differences). This arrangement granted the director too much insulation from public accountability, PHH claimed, thereby threatening the liberty of those who fall within the CFPBs enforcement jurisdiction.

Elizabeth Warren originally proposed the creation of the CFPB. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

A 2-1 panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals agreed with PHHs argument last October. The Director [of the CFPB] enjoys more unilateral authority than any other officer in any of the three branches of the U.S. Government, other than the President, wrote U.S. Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh in declaring the CFPBs structure to be unconstitutional. (Regardless of the constitutional issue, all three judges voted to vacate PHHs fine on the grounds that CFPB had misinterpreted the statutes relating to PHHs conduct. The one dissenting judge found it unnecessary to reach the constitutional question.)

But the panels decision was vacated in February by the full D.C. Circuit, which scheduled a rehearing of the appeal before the full court on May 24.

Another regulator at risk

Though the fate of the CFPB is a huge question in itself, its only part of whats in play. While not formally challenged in this lawsuit, the structure of the Federal Housing Finance Agencyyet another hotbed of controversyis also effectively on trial. Since September 2008 FHFA, whose structure closely resembles the CFPBs, has been the conservator for the giant mortgage finance twins, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which were deemed insolvent during the housing crisis. Due to FHFAs contentious 2012 decision to send all future profits of the rebounding companies to the Treasury, effectively nationalizing them, it has become the target of sprawling stockholder litigation with at least $130 billion at stake.

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt testifies before a Senate Banking Committee hearing on May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

Plaintiffs in those cases hope that if CFPBs structure goes down in flames, so will FHFAs and, with it, the notorious 2012 order that, they say, expropriated their property.

In still another measure of the political sensitivity of the upcoming argument, the U.S. Department of Justice has reversed its legal position in the case since the Trump Administration took office in January. The department now concedesthough the CFPB does notthat the CFPB is unconstitutionally structured.

At the same time, the Justice Department suggests a relatively modest fix for this situation, urging the court to simply sever the for-cause language from the legislation, making the director removable at will. That would allow President Donald Trump to fire Cordray, but it would leave the agency itself intact. (Cordrays five-year term doesnt expire until July 16, 2018, though he might resign before then, according to Politico, to run for Ohio governor.)

In contrast, PHH and the U.S. Chamber of Commercewhich has filed an amicus case supporting PHHs constitutional positionboth argue that if the CFPBs structure is flawed, only Congress can fix it. In the meantime, they contend, the whole agency must be dissolved and its past orders nullified. (Among the many outside groups supporting PHH are industry trade groups, like the American Bankers Association; the libertarian Cato Institute; and 15 mostly red states, led by Missouri.)

Why is the CFPB any different from the FTC?

For the CFPB and the amici defending itwhich comprise consumer groups like Public Citizen; 17 mostly blue states and the District of Columbia; and current and former legislators who sponsored the legislation, including former Senator Christopher Dodd and former Representative Barney Frankthe main argument is an obvious one: Dozens of executive officials are removable by the president only for cause, and the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of that state of affairs more than 80 years ago.

The officials they are referring to are the commissioners and board members who make up almost every independent agency in government today, including the Federal Communications Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and at least 20 other regulatory bodies established since 1887.

In 1935, in a case involving the FTC, the Supreme Court ruled that this basic structure did not violate separation of powers principles. (Incidentally, as originally envisioned by then-Harvard Law professor Warren, the CFPB would have been headed by a commission. The first version of the bill that created the bureau also called for a commission. The structure was later changed to a single-directorship to ensure the regulator could act with greater speed and decisiveness in rooting out financial-product abuses, according to a brief submitted by the bills sponsors, which was authored by lawyers at the Constitutional Accountability Center.)

Nevertheless, Judge Kavanaugh ruled last October that the CFPB, because it is headed by a single director, is fundamentally different from agencies headed by multiple commissioners, directors, or board members who act as checks on one another. (Emphasis in the original.) Multi-member commissions, he reasoned, help prevent arbitrary decision making and abuses of power because they do not concentrate power in the hands of any one individual. They depend, rather, on compromise and consensus, he wrote.

The CFPBs defenders, on the other hand, say Kavanaughs argument is illogical and irrelevant. If the supposed constitutional flaw with the CFPB is that the president cant remove its director easily enough, write lawyers for the Constitutional Accountability Center, a multimember board serving staggered terms is, if anything, less accountable to the president. Even if the president succeeds in replacing one member, they point out, he may still have no impact on the policies of the body as a whole.

Several consumer groups supporting the CFPB, including Public Citizen, contend in their brief that Judge Kavanaugh, by relying on his own ad hoc judgments about what structures most threaten personal liberty, was improperly substituting his judgment for that of Congress. When agencies perform adjudicatory or regulatory functions requiring expert judgment, their lawyers contend, insulation from at-will removal by the president enhances liberty by protecting the integrity with which public duties are carried out.

This dispute could make its way to the Supreme Court

The case appears likely to be decided along political lines, with Republican-appointed judges being inclined to strike down the CFPBs structure, and Democratic-appointed judges apt to uphold it. If thats the case, then the full D.C. Circuit, which currently has a majority of Democratic-appointed judges, should uphold the CFPBs constitutionality.

By the same token, however, if the case then proceeds to the Supreme Court, a half mile down Constitution Avenue, PHH may yet prevail. The case bears considerable resemblance to a 2010 precedent in which Chief Justice John Roberts, Jr., writing for a 5-4 court, struck down, on separation of powers grounds, the structure of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. That was another regulatory body created by reform legislation (the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002) passed in the wake of a crisisin that instance, the dot-com crash and a series of corporate and accounting scandals, led by Enron and WorldCom. In that instance PCAOBs membersremovable by the SEC only for cause, with the SEC commissioners themselves also being removable only for cause by the presidenthad been, Roberts found, unconstitutionally insulated from presidential accountability by two tiers of for-cause protection.

At the same time, the safe money would have to predict that even if the Supreme Court does find CFPBs structure to be constitutionally flawed, it will most likely let the body itself survive, ordering only that its director shall henceforth be treated as removable at will. That is essentially what the Supreme Court did in the PCAOB case, and what Judge Kavanaugh would have done in the CFPB case.

That outcome, should it come to pass, will sorely disappoint critics of the CFPBand of the similarly structured FHFA. But, alas, this case is more about vindicating abstract principle than about righting concrete wrongs. The latter task will probably be left to case-by-case review before other tribunals.

Roger Parloff writes about law and business.

More from Roger Parloff:

Time is running short for a lawyer accused of defrauding Chevron

Treasured Burgundy vineyards are at risk due to late frost

Trump U alum still fighting for her day in court

The Supreme Court could fundamentally change Americas broken patent system
Amazons (AMZN) work culture is well-known for several qualities  tough, hard-working, innovative, even bruising. But its not necessarily known as being one of the largest dog-friendly tech companies.

According to the Seattle-based e-commerce giant, Amazon has 4,000 registered canines  500 of which on average come to the offices everyday with their employee owners. Indeed, Amazon caters heavily to employee-owned dogs with dog-oriented activities, beyond simply offering dog treats at the reception desk.

Amazon dogs

In July 2016, for instance, the company held a screening for the film The Secret Life of Pets, in which dogs that attended also received customizable dog tags. And last October, Amazon hosted a Halloween dog costume contest, in partnership with the Downtown Dog Lounge, a Seattle-based business. The winner? A 5-year-old greater Swiss mountain dog named Charlie, dressed as one of Santas reindeer, pulling a two-wheeled cart designed to look like Santas sleigh.

Amazon also built facilities aimed at keeping employees dogs entertained. This April, the company opened a 1,000 square-foot dog park at the intersection of Lenora Street and Sixth Avenue in Seattle as part of the companys larger $4 billion effort to build and expand its urban campus.

Located next to Amazons dome-like glass Spheres, which will house an array of tended greenery and foliage when they officially open in early 2018, the so-called Spheres dog park is within walking distance to many of the companys offices. Some of dog parks features include rocks and platforms to play on, as well as a drinking fountain.

Dogs have played an integral part of Amazons company culture since the very beginning, an Amazon spokesperson told Yahoo Finance. The practice stems from two former Amazon employees  a husband and wife team  who brought their corgi Rufus to work.

Rufus played a ceremonial role, of sorts, during those early Amazon days. Between 1998 and 1999, when Amazon was still just an online marketplace, employees lifted the corgi up and used his paw to click the computer mouse to mark the launch of various online pages going live on the Amazon.com website.

Story continues

Amazon eventually named an office building at its Seattle headquarters after Rufus, and photos of the corgi remained peppered around the company campus.

Amazon is hardly the only tech company to allow employees to bring their pets work, but it is one of the tech companies with the largest number of registered pets. Yahoo Finances Company of the Year Nvidia (NVDA), for instance, also allows pets to roam its Santa Clara, Calif. Campus. But Nvidia Senior Director of Human Resources Nilufer Koechlin told me recently the chipmaker has several hundred registered canines, which falls short of Amazons whopping 4,000-plus.

For companies like Amazon and Nvidia, the upside to allowing pets on campus is pretty obvious: allowing an employee to have their pet a few feet away while they work likely translates to a happier employee overall. And if that employee just so happens to spend more time at work and their productivity increases, then so be it.



JP Mangalindan is a senior correspondent for Yahoo Finance covering the intersection of tech and business. Follow him on Twitter or Facebook.

More from JP:

Apple might buy a big company but not the ones you think

Heres how much Nvidia will make off the Nintendo Switch

Microsoft exec: Why Im not worried about robots taking peoples jobs

LEAKED PHOTOS: Fitbits new headphones and troubled smartwatch

Why it doesnt matter that Amazons most popular service costs it billions

RBC: Amazon has a potential mega-hit on its hands

How Uber can fix its reputation

Silicon Valley star: This theme will dominate Season 4

Facebook exec: How Messenger can improve your social life
President Donald Trump, his wife Melania, and a host of senior White House officials departed Friday for Trump's first overseas trip since taking office. He'll head to Saudi Arabia first and then make stops in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Vatican City, Brussels, and Sicily over the course of his nine-day trip.

Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence stayed behind in D.C., where he has the delightful task of quietly weathering the onslaught of scoops regarding the Trump administration's interactions with Russia. But before he does that, he did drop by the White House to see Trump and his associates off.

SEE ALSO: Tenacious kid demands apology after Mike Pence whacks him in the face

This leads us to the question: What's Mike Pence thinking about in this photo?

Like a dad who just wants a little peace and quiet seeing his kid off to summer camp.

Image: AP/REX/Shutterstock

God?

Image: ap/rex/shutterstock

Collusion?

Image: api/rex/shutterstock

Image: api/rex/shutterstock

Probably all three.

Party at the White House! (No girls allowed.)

BONUS: Nick Offerman's Shower Thoughts, the Sequel
US lawmakers called on Turkish leader to discipline his security detail, saying violence was reflective of treatment of press, minorities and political opponents



The first sign things could turn violent outside the Turkish ambassadors residence in Washington came when a group of men in trim suits and slick ties approached the small group of demonstrators who had gathered nearby to protest the visit by president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

They curse us, they curse my wife, my mother, my sister, my grandma, Seyid Riza Dersimi told the Guardian.

Then, suddenly, more men  some in suits and some in matching khaki outfits  surrounded and attacked Dersimi and his fellow demonstrators.

Dersimi, 61, saw one of these men grab a woman around the neck and start punching her in the face. As he moved to help her, he was attacked by three to four men, who pushed him down then kicked him repeatedly.

I couldnt get up, I tried to cover my head with my arms, I dont know how long they were kicking me, Dersimi said. Then I get up and Im bleeding.

Footage from Tuesdays protest shows extraordinary scenes of violence in the Washington sunshine. The attackers  who included members of Erdogans security detail  run amok, beating and kicking protesters.

Footage from Tuesdays protest shows extraordinary scenes of violence. Photograph: Olivier Douliery/AFP/Getty Images

The demonstrators  including older men and young women  were left bloodied, battered and bruised, while Washington police officers attempted ineffectually to stop the violence.

Video released on Thursday by Voice of Americas Turkish service appeared to show Erdogan watching the melee stone-faced from the embassy driveway.



He had just returned from a meeting at the White House with Donald Trump, who rebuffed his attempts to get the US to stop backing Kurdish forces in Syria.

But Erdogans trip has caused him further pain as senior US politicians call on him, and the US government, to discipline the members of his security detail involved with the altercation  which has created a lasting, violent image of peaceful protesters beaten on American soil by people tied to a foreign regime.

Story continues

We should throw their ambassador the hell out of the United States of America, US senator John McCain said, unprompted, on MSNBCs Morning Joe on Thursday morning.

These are not just average people that did this beating, this is Erdogans security detail, somebody told them to go and beat up on these peaceful demonstrators and I think it should have repercussions, including identifying these people and bringing charges against them, McCain said. After all, they violated American laws in the United States of America, so you cannot have that happen in the United States of America.

He followed the interview with a letter to Erdogan, co-authored by senator Dianne Feinstein, expressing their grave concern about the protest violence.

The violent response of your security detail to peaceful protesters is wholly unacceptable and, unfortunately, reflective of your governments treatment of the press, ethnic minority groups and political opponents, the letter said.

Dersimi was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where he received stitches on his nose, was treated for a head injury and found he had lost one tooth and loosened several others.

I cannot eat, he said. I am just eating yogurt and soup. I cannot chew, said Dersimi, who welcomed McCains comments.

A man is seen bloodied from head wounds outside the Turkish ambassadors residence in Washington. Photograph: HANDOUT/Reuters

This is crazy  they are kicking us, I could have died  this is America, this is unacceptable, this is what makes me upset.

Dersimi, a businessman has been a US citizen since 1992, said he was enraged that a peaceful protest could turn so violent  though he noted that the altercation was peaceful compared to what happens there [in Turkey].

The attacks were not completely unexpected: last year, Erdogans security detail clashed with reporters during the presidents visit to Washington DC in March.



The protesters signs, were certainly provocative  Mr Trump please stop Erdogan, Turkey support Isis Erdogan loves Isis,  but in Washington, small, peaceful protests against another countrys government are the norm and are generally met with little fanfare.

And this particular group of anti-government demonstrators were not an intimidating bunch  at least three of the men were older than 60, including Dersimi, and one of the women had brought her child.

Which is what made the violence all the more shocking for protesters such as Ceren Borazan, who identified herself on social media as a woman seen in photos being held around the neck by a suited man.

President @realDonaldTrump can you please speak up for freedom of expression and right of peaceful demonstration. #FreedomOfSpeech pic.twitter.com/vNQAmXReN0  Ceren Borazan (@CerenBorazan) May 17, 2017

I ran in the opposite direction from our friends and got caught by one of the security guards. He put me in a headlock to the point where he popped a blood vessel in my eye, Borazan wrote on Facebook. He held me and threatened to kill me.

Borazan, a Kurd, said that during the attack she had feared for her life. She added that the experience has shown us that as Kurds we are not even safe from Turkeys racism and terrorism here in the United States. However that will never stop our spirit and struggle for freedom for our people here and in Kurdistan.

The citizen journalism blog Bellingcat launched a campaign on Wednesday to identify each person who attacked demonstrators, including a man who went to kick Dersimi, but pulled back at the last moment. The suited man was found in other footage from Erdogans visit as part of his security detail.

The US state department would not confirm that the attackers were connected to the Turkish government, though McCain and other US officials have said as much. Bellingcat also noted that most of the attackers were wearing pins, lanyards and earpieces that most likely indicate they were officials.

The Turkish embassy insisted the opposite late on Wednesday.

The embassy said that the protestors were affiliated with the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) and had began aggressively provoking Turkish-American citizens who had peacefully assembled to greet the President.

The Turkish-Americans responded in self-defense, the embassy said. We hope that, in the future, appropriate measures will be taken to ensure that similar provocative actions causing harm and violence do not occur.

Mehmet Yuksel is the US representative of the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party, which has been targeted in a broad crackdown on Turkeys opposition, press and academia following an attempted coup in 2016.

He arrived at the protests after the altercation had ended to find his friends lying injured on the ground.



Yuksel said one woman Lucy Usoyan, was recieved such extensive head injuries in the attack that her doctor advised her not to speak with reporters.

He said it was unacceptable for such violence to occur at a peaceful protest and that there were no signs of the PKK at the demonstrations.

The House committee on foreign affairs asked attorney general Jeff Sessions and secretary of state Rex Tillerson to bring criminal charges against the perpetrators of the attacks in a letter on Wednesday.

In this request, the committee highlighted how the behavior reflected the scenes in Turkey, where tens of thousands of people in Turkey have been detained in Erdogans crackdown.

The letter said: Alarmingly, this behavior is indicative of the broad crackdowns on political activists, journalists and religious freedom in Turkey that have greatly harmed Turkish democracy in recent years.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China killed or imprisoned 18 to 20 CIA sources from 2010 to 2012, hobbling U.S. spying operations in a massive intelligence breach whose origin has not been identified, the New York Times reported on Saturday.

Investigators remain divided over whether there was a spy within the Central Intelligence Agency who betrayed the sources or whether the Chinese hacked the CIA's covert communications system, the newspaper reported, citing current and former U.S. officials.

The Chinese killed at least a dozen people providing information to the CIA from 2010 through 2012, dismantling a network that was years in the making, the newspaper reported.

One was shot and killed in front of a government building in China, three officials told the Times, saying that was designed as a message to others about working with Washington.

The breach was considered particularly damaging, with the number of assets lost rivaling those in the Soviet Union and Russia who perished after information passed to Moscow by spies Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen, the report said. Ames was active as a spy in the 1980s and Hanssen from 1979 to 2001.

The CIA declined to comment when asked about the Times report on Saturday.

The Chinese activities began to emerge in 2010, when the American spy agency had been getting high quality information about the Chinese government from sources deep inside the bureaucracy, including Chinese upset by the Beijing government's corruption, four former officials told the Times.

The information began to dry up by the end of the year and the sources began disappearing in early 2011, the report said.

As more sources were killed the FBI and the CIA began a joint investigation of the breach, examining all operations run in Beijing and every employee of the U.S. Embassy there.

The investigation ultimately centered on a former CIA operative who worked in a division overseeing China, the newspaper said, but there was not enough evidence to arrest him.

Story continues

Some investigators believed the Chinese had hacked the CIA's covert communications system.

Still others thought the breach was a result of careless spy work including traveling the same routes to the same meeting points or meeting sources at restaurants where Chinese had planted listening devices, the newspaper said.

By 2013, U.S. intelligence concluded China's ability to identify its agents had been curtailed, the newspaper said, and the CIA has been trying to rebuild its spy network there.

(Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Beijing systematically dismantled CIA spying efforts in China beginning in 2010, killing or jailing more than a dozen covert sources, in a deep setback to US intelligence there, The New York Times reported Sunday.

The Times, quoting 10 current and former American officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the intelligence breach as one of the worst in decades.

It said that even now intelligence officials are unsure whether the US was betrayed by a mole within the CIA or whether the Chinese hacked a covert system used by the CIA to communicate with foreign sources.

Of the damage inflicted on what had been one of the most productive US spy networks, however, there was no doubt: at least a dozen CIA sources were killed between late 2010 and the end of 2012, including one who was shot in front of colleagues in a clear warning to anyone else who might be spying, the Times reported.

In all, 18 to 20 CIA sources in China were either killed or imprisoned, according to two former senior American officials quoted. It was a grave setback to a network that, up to then, had been working at its highest level in years.

Those losses were comparable to the number of US assets lost in the Soviet Union and Russia because of the betrayals of two infamous spies, Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen, the report said.

Western espionage services have traditionally found it exceptionally hard to develop spy networks in China and Russia.

The CIA's mole hunt in China, following the severe losses to its network there, was intense and urgent. Nearly every employee of the US Embassy in Beijing was scrutinized at one point, the newspaper said.

Meantime, then-president Barack Obama's administration was demanding to know why its flow of intelligence from China had slowed.

The revelations come as the CIA seeks to determine how some of its highly sensitive documents were released two months ago by WikiLeaks, and the FBI examines possible links between the Donald Trump campaign and Russia.

Both the CIA and the FBI declined to comment.
By Dan Levine, Lawrence Hurley and Yasmeen Abutaleb SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than a dozen Democratic attorneys general on Thursday sought to intervene to defend a key part of the Obamacare healthcare law - subsidy payments to insurance companies - which is under threat in a court case. The 16 attorneys general, led by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, filed a motion to intervene in the case pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The case, which dates back to the Obama administration, was filed by the Republican-led House of Representatives against the federal government in an effort to cut off subsidy payments to insurers for the individual plans created by the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare. The subsidies payments help cover out-of-pocket medical expenses for low-income Americans. "The stakes are very high. In Maryland we have more than 400,000 people who depend on the Affordable Care Act to get normal healthcare. It sounds alarming, but it's true: lives are at stake," said Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, who signed on to the filing. Trump has repeatedly threatened to withhold the payments to insurers, which amount to about $7 billion this year, and referred to them as a "bailout." The attorneys general cited in the court filing Trump's own words vowing to let Obamacare "explode" as part of the reasoning for their intervention. Trump has made it clear he views decisions on health insurance for millions of Americans as little more than political bargaining chips," the court filing said. The situation is extremely urgent, the Democratic officials argued, because state insurance regulators are making critical choices that will shape their insurance markets for the next year. Several insurers, including Aetna and Humana , have largely left the Obamacare exchanges, citing a pool of patients who are sicker than expected and therefore more expensive. Insurers have also repeatedly called on the Trump administration to fund the cost-sharing subsidies. Attorneys general and proponents of Obamacare have said the threats to withhold the payments have already wreaked havoc in the marketplaces and are part of the reason some healthcare consumers have seen double-digit rate increases. SIGNIFICANT OPPONENTS Democratic attorneys general have emerged as significant opponents to the Trump administration. They took a lead role to successfully block Trump's executive orders restricting travel from some Muslim-majority countries, and they are also resisting efforts to roll back environmental regulations. The attorney general from Kentucky, a deeply conservative state, is among those Democrats joining the court filing even as the state's Republican governor has pledged to rollback a Medicaid expansion made possible by Obamacare. In May 2016, a U.S. judge ruled in favor of the Republicans in the subsidies case, finding that the Obama administration needed explicit congressional approval. The Obama administration appealed before Trump took office, leaving the new administration to ponder how to proceed. The appeals court put the litigation on hold after the November presidential election at the request of the Republican House lawmakers. The motion to intervene may not be granted by the court. In February, the same court rejected a similar motion filed by Democratic attorneys general seeking to help defend the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in a legal battle that could defang the agency. The litigation could become moot if Congress passes new healthcare legislation to replace Obamacare. The House passed a bill, called the American Health Care Act, earlier this month. The Senate recently began writing its own version of the bill but has warned it could take months to pass. The Trump administration has taken action over the past several months to undercut Obamacare through regulatory authority. It backed off enforcing the individual mandate, which requires everyone to purchase health insurance or else pay a penalty, tightened enrollment in Obamacare markets and has enabled people to sign up for insurance plans outside of healthcare.gov, the flagship site of Obamacare that the Obama administration heavily advertised. (Editing by Alistair Bell)
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein knew former FBI Director James Comey was going to be fired before he wrote the memo supporting his dismissal, senators briefed on the situation have claimed.

Mr Rosenstein's memo was initially cited by the White House as the primary reason Mr Comey was fired. But senators present at a closed-door meeting with Mr Rosenstein say the deputy attorney general knew about Mr Comey's impending dismissal the day before he wrote the memo.

"He did acknowledge that he learned Comey would be removed, prior to writing his memo," Senator Claire McCaskill told reporters after the meeting.

Read more

Donald Trump Jr implies the Comey memo is true

The revelation further confuses the murky timeline laid out by the White House following Mr Comey's surprising dismissal.

White House communications staff initially said the President decided to fire Mr Comey after receiving recommendations from both Mr Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The president himself said in his letter to the former FBI director that he had "accepted their recommendation" and concurred "with the judgement of the Department of Justice".

Staff also said the reason for the firing was Mr Comey's handling of the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email servers.

Two days later, however, Mr Trump claimed the decision to fire Mr Comey has been entirely his own, made independent of the Justice Department's recommendation. He further claimed to have fired Mr Comey after deciding that the basis of the FBI's investigation into his possible ties to Russia was a "made-up story".

Mr Rosenstein's disclosure seems to confirm Mr Trump's version of the story  that he had made up his mind to fire Mr Comey before the Justice Department wrote their memos about him.

Further confusing the story, however, Mr Trump cited Mr Rosenstein's memo as a deciding factor in firing Comey during a press conference on Thursday afternoon.

Story continues

"I got a very strong recommendation, as you know, from the deputy attorney general," Mr Trump said, responding to questions about Mr Comey's firing.

The New York Times previously reported that Mr Trump had asked Mr Comey to drop the FBI's investigation into his former national security adviser, Mike Flynn. The Times cited a memo, written by Mr Comey, on the details of the meeting.

Associates of Mr Comey has also claimed that the president asked him to pledge his loyalty shortly after taking office. Mr Comey is said to have declined, and only offered his "honesty".
Disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner wept in court on Friday as he pleaded guilty in a sexting scandal involving a minor.

Read: Sydney Leathers Weighs In on Anthony Weiner's Latest Sexting Scandal: 'He's Quite the Egomaniac'

The 52-year-old husband of top Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin pleaded guilty to a single charge of transferring obscene material to a minor as part of a plea deal with the US Attorneys Office in Manhattan.

I have a sickness but I do not have an excuse, Weiner told the judge.

Prosecutors asked that he serve 21 to 27 months behind bars, and he must also register as a sex offender. He was released on bail and will be sentenced in September.

The charges stem from allegations that Weiner exchanged explicit messages with a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina.

"Through approximately March 2016, I engaged in obscene communications with this teenager," he said in court, "including sharing explicit images and encouraging her to engage in sexually explicit conduct, just as I had done and continued to do with adult women.

"I knew this was as morally wrong as it was unlawful."

He apologized to the teen in court.

Weiner has found himself in trouble in the past sexting with women, and it ultimately brought down his political career as a congressman and then as a New York mayoral candidate.

Read: Another Politician Caught Sexting Sydney Leathers-The Same Woman Anthony Weiner

In August, Abedin seperated from Weiner.

Abedin said in a statement: After long and painful consideration and work on my marriage, I have made the decision to separate from my husband."

Watch: Report: Anthony Weiner May Face Child Porn Charges After Exchanging Lewd Messages With Girl, 15

Related Articles:
Donald Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has reportedly been identified as a person of interest in the ongoing investigation into possible ties between Russia and Donald Trumps campaign.

The Washington Post said a senior adviser to Mr Trump was among people investigators wanted to speak to. A New York magazine reporter then said the person in question was Mr Kushner, 36, who is married to Mr Trumps eldest daughter and who flew out of Washington on Friday night to accompany the President on his first official foreign trip.

The Post said the person under investigation was close to the President, but did not identify them. However, the number of people who fit such a profile would be very small.

NYmag reporter says that WH official identified as a "person of interest" in Russia investigation is Jared Kushner https://t.co/nwrMzLQHef  Peter Sterne (@petersterne) May 19, 2017

Yashar Ali, a contributor to New York magazine said on Twitter: Its Jared Kushner. Have confirmed this with four people. Im not speculating.

The White House did not immediately respond to calls and emails from The Independent seeking comment. The Trump Organisation, which controls the President's financial interests, also did not respond to queries.

White House officials have previously acknowledged contacts between Russian officials and Mr Kushner, as well as with Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

The revelation came just two days after the Justice Department announced that former FBI Director, Robert Mueller, had been appointed special counsel to lead the investigation into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Reports suggest the investigation also appears to be entering a more overtly active phase, with investigators shifting from work that has remained largely hidden from the public to conducting interviews and using a grand jury to issue subpoenas. The intensity of the probe is expected to accelerate in the coming weeks, the Post said.

Story continues

Video not available for syndication

Trump denies that he urged Comey to close Flynn investigation

It said investigators remained keenly interested in people who previously wielded influence in the Trump campaign and administration but are no longer part of it, including former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

The report was published as Mr Trump travelled to Saudi Arabia on the first leg of a trip abroad that the White House hopes will shift attention away from the political firestorm triggered by his firing last week of former FBI Director James Comey.

Now we know why Jared Kushner insisted that James Comey be fired. Kushner was a focus of the FBI investigation. Who's the "nut job" now?  Andy Jones (@andyojones) May 19, 2017

Mr Comey was previously leading the probe.

His firing and news reports that Mr Trump had previously asked Mr Comey to stop investigating Mr Flynn led critics to charge that Mr Trump may have improperly sought to hamper the FBI probe.

As the President has stated before - a thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said in a statement in response to the Posts report.

Separately, the New York Times reported on Friday that Mr Trump told Russian officials at a White House meeting last week that firing Mr Comey relieved great pressure that the president was facing from the ongoing probe into Russia and the election.

I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job, Mr Trump said, according to the Times, which cited a document summarising the meeting and which was read to the newspaper by a US official. I faced great pressure because of Russia. Thats taken off.

Mr Trump met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russias Ambassador to Washington in the Oval Office the day after he fired Mr Comey.

Earlier this year, the White House issued a statement saying Mr Kushner had volunteered to testify before the Senate intelligence committee in relation to its Russia investigation.

Mr. Kushner will certainly not be the last person the committee calls to give testimony, but we expect him to be able to provide answers to key questions that have arisen in our inquiry, said a statement from the Senate intelligence committee.
The Los Angeles police arrested 21 members and associates of infamous street gang Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, early morning Wednesday. In what is said to be the largest ever crackdown on the gang in Los Angeles, hundreds of federal and local law enforcement officers spread out across the city to serve arrests and search warrants, Reuters reported.

The exercise was a part of a three-year investigation into the ultraviolent street gang, which was started by immigrants from El Salvador in the 1980s, Reuters reported citing officials.

It is estimated that the gang has more than 10,000 members in the U.S. alone and over 30,000 worldwide, according to Fox News.

Read: Trump Blames Obama For Rise Of MS-13 Gang In Recent Years

The Los Angeles raids focused on nabbing members of MS-13's core leadership, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) told CNN. "Today we disrupted this gang's command and control," said Eric Harden, special agent in charge of the ATF's Los Angeles field division.

Some of the MS-13 gang members have been deported from the U.S. in the past several years, which is likely the reason for expansion of this group in other nations. New York Daily News cited a FBI report of 2009 which said MS-13 had around 30,000 to 50,000 members (internationally).

According to the website of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), MS-13 and another gang named 18th Street, continue to expand their influence in the U.S. FBI investigations suggest that these transnational gangs exist in almost every state. These gangs are focusing to grow their membership and mostly targeting younger recruits to join them.

MS-13 is active in 40 states in the U.S. and the District of Columbia. The gang has a unique way of welcoming their new members. They force new members to endure a 13-second beating known as "jumping in," Los Angeles authorities told CNN. Existing members beat the new members with fists and bats in videotaped beatings often lasting far longer than 13 seconds. New women members either jump in or are "sexed in," having sexual relations with MS-13 members.

Story continues

The Los Angeles authorities have a long history fighting the MS-13 gang; however, the gang has found a recent spotlight under the administration of President Donald Trump. The current administration is clear on strengthening its border security and immigration enforcement. The administration, however, has failed to give the media data on how many MS-13 members are believed to be in the U.S. illegally, CNN reported.

Just this week, at the 36th Annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Service, Trump said that how freedom in the nation also refers to freedom from crime and violence. He said: "MS-13 is going to be gone from our streets very soon, believe me."

On April 23, Trump had tweeted mocking the Democrats, saying that they are still against building the U.S.-Mexico border wall despite knowing that the wall will stop flow of drugs into U.S. and MS-13 gang members.

Related Articles
There's no better way to measure priorities in Washington, D.C. than by scrutinizing agency budget proposals.

In the case of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), new figures show the Trump administration is putting a premium on cutting the agency workforce, reducing spending on climate change-related programs, while at the same time devoting more money to protecting the agency's leader, Scott Pruitt, from any security threats.

A letter sent on May 17 by David Bloom, the agency's acting chief financial officer, to agency leaders details how the organization plans to spend carryover funds from Fiscal Year 2016 through the end of Fiscal Year 2017. This refers to money that was not spent during the previous fiscal year, and is carried over into the next one, much like rollover minutes on a cell phone plan.

SEE ALSO: EPA chief denies carbon dioxide is main cause of global warming and... wait, what!?

The proposal includes savings generated by cutting spending for climate change-related programs, and devotes $12 million to workforce reshaping activities, including buyouts that would help reduce the number of employees at the agency.

The gas-powered Valley Generating Station is seen in the San Fernando Valley on March 10, 2017 in Sun Valley, California.

Image: David McNew/Getty Images

The buyouts are likely to accelerate the process of draining the agency of its most senior, experienced workers in technical fields that can be difficult to impossible to replace. The EPA is responsible for everything from cleaning up hazardous waste sites to making sure air and water are clean to drink, and if scientists leave the EPA in droves, it could imperil its mission.

While reducing the organization's workforce, the Trump administration is also seeking to use $800,000 in carryover funds to pay for travel expenses incurred by security guards for EPA administrator Scott Pruitt. This is an unusual request for the EPA, whose leaders normally travel with a light security footprint.

Unlike previous administrators, however, Pruitt has asked for a protective detail that is on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, rather than the door-to-door security provided to previous EPA leaders, including those under former president Barack Obama. Such protective details are typically reserved for those in national security positions or persons in the constitutional line of succession, such as the Secretary of State, Speaker of the House, and the Secretary of Defense.

Story continues

In fact, a budget proposal the Washington Post obtained in April showed that while the administration wants to slash the agency's budget by at least a third, one of the only areas to get a funding increase would be Pruitt's security.

According to the New York Times, Pruitt is seeking to add 10 new full time employees to the agency's security office, along with money for infrastructure and operations staff. This would amount to at least a doubling of this office's staffing level, at a time when so many other parts of the agency would be seeing more empty desks with each passing week.

Science, you know, that thing the EPA is supposed to inform us about.

Image: AP/REX/Shutterstock

The budget cuts would touch virtually all areas of the EPA and would have profound impacts for many states, including eliminating climate protection grants, Great Lakes Restoration funding, and Chesapeake Bay cleanup programs.

Pruitt, who has said he does not believe human emissions of greenhouse gases are the main cause of climate change, contradicting thousands of climate science studies, has quickly become one of the most controversial cabinet members.

He received the greatest number of "no" votes during his Senate confirmation of any EPA nominee in history, and there have been protests against him and his agenda outside EPA headquarters in recent weeks.
By Brendan Pierson NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former software engineer for IBM in China pleaded guilty on Friday to stealing proprietary source code from the company, federal prosecutors announced on Friday. Jiaqiang Xu, 31, pleaded guilty to economic espionage and theft of a trade secret before U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas in White Plains, New York, prosecutors said. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 13. Leanne Marek, Xu's attorney, declined to comment. Xu was arrested in December 2015 after meeting with an undercover officer at a White Plains hotel, where authorities said he was recorded saying he used the code to make software to sell to customers. He was originally charged with theft of a trade secret. The economic espionage charges were added in a superseding indictment filed last June. International Business Machines Corp was not identified by name in the complaint. But a LinkedIn profile for Xu said he was employed as a system software developer at IBM during the period in question. Prosecutors said the proprietary computer code Xu stole was related to a so-called clustered file system, which facilitates faster computer performance. Xu, who began working at IBM in China in 2010, had full access to the source code before voluntarily resigning in May 2014, prosecutors said. According to the criminal complaint filed in 2015, the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2014 received a report that someone in China was claiming to have access to the code and using it for business ventures, prompting the investigation that led to the arrest. The case is USA v. Xu, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 16-cr-00010. (Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Alyssa Elsman was struck and killed on Thursday, May 18, by Richard Rojas, who allegedly plowed into a crowd of pedestrians, injuring 20 other people, including Alyssas younger sister, Ava. (Photo: Facebook)

Thomas Elsman, the father of Alyssa Elsman, the 18-year-old Michigan resident who was killed in this weeks tragic and allegedly deliberate automobile attack in Times Square, arrived in New York City to be with family. Elsman, whose other daughter, Ava, was also struck in the attack, spoke with local media.

My firstborn daughter is gone, Elsman told WNFW/Fox 5 on Friday. My heart died in New York yesterday.

Elsman traveled from Michigan to be with his 13-year-old daughter, Ava, who is hospitalized with a fractured pelvis, collapsed lung, and a broken leg. Alyssa and Ava Elsman were both in New York with a friend and the girls mother sightseeing together when Richard Rojas, the driver, mowed down a crowd of people, killing Alyssa and severely injuring 20 people.

Alyssa was known in her hometown of Portage, Mich., as a delight and for her baking skills. The girls 83-year-old great-grandmother, Clara May Jablonski, told the New York Times that Ava and Alyssa were always close-knit and is worried about how the younger girl will react to losing her older sister.

Police say that Rojas has since admitted that he was high on drugs, that he wanted to kill them all and also had wanted the police to shoot him. There were reports that Elsman had gone to the police precinct where the perpetrator was being held and threatened to kill Rojas. If true, his comments have seemed to tempered down, despite the anguish that he must feel. If it was an accident, I would forgive.  He knew what he was doing, and I dont care what happens to him.

Read more on Yahoo Style + Beauty

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty.




Whatever words he utters, Trump has already shown that he will only continue a status quo legacy of violent American intervention in the Middle East

While the world adjusts to this chaotic style, not much else is new. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trump is a man full of good ideas. Take his schedule this coming week as an example. On Friday, Trump hightailed it out of a confrontational United States to begin his auspicious first foreign trip as president. Good idea.

Previous US presidents have visited either Canada or Mexico on their initial ventures out of the country but  as everyone knows  you can drive to those countries from the United States, so they dont really count. Trump, on other hand, will visit Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the Vatican on his first departure from the US, proving once and for all that hes a better president.

While on this undrivable trip, Trump will also pursue the modest effort of uniting Islam, Judaism, and Christianity in the common cause of fighting intolerance and radical extremism, according to White House officials. What a good idea. And why did no one think of this before?

The good ideas keep coming. According to his National Security Advisor HR McMaster, Trump is set to deliver an inspiring but direct speech on the need to confront radical ideology in a major address to about 50 leaders of Muslim-majority countries assembling in Saudi Arabia for his official visit. And this is one of those good ideas that just gets better because Trumps important lecture concerning Islam in the contemporary world has reportedly been written by none other than Trumps senior advisor Stephen Miller. Brilliant.

Stephen Miller is, of course, well known as one of most strident anti-Muslim voices in an already anti-Muslim-oriented administration. Miller was the first national coordinator of the Terrorism Awareness Project, an initiative of David Horowitzs extreme right-wing Freedom Center. (The Southern Poverty Law Center calls Horowitz the godfather of the modern anti-Muslim movement.)

The 31-year-old Miller is also acknowledged as a key architect of Trumps Executive Order 13769, the initial Muslim ban. When that order was subsequently challenged in the courts, Miller famously said on the television show Face the Nation that the powers of the president to protect our country are very substantial and will not be questioned, proving that he too is a man full of good, though perhaps rather autocratic and even somewhat bigoted, ideas.

Story continues

Meanwhile, are we really supposed to forget that Trump is the man who told CNNs Anderson Cooper that Islam hates us? Or that he is the man who has called for a complete and total shutdown of Muslims entering the United States? Or that he signed the executive orders barring entry of nationals from those Muslim-majority nations? So, now we are supposed to believe that Trump suddenly has the best interests of the Muslim world at heart?

In the long run, I suspect that Trumps address, which purportedly aims to mirror but outperform Barack Obamas 2009 Cairo speech, will be full of both platitudinous and hectoring moments. Like Obamas speech, its details I suspect will also be soon forgotten.

Obamas address embraced a soaring rhetoric of change, but the Obama administration cautiously preserved the status quo in action. Despite what they want us to believe, the Trump administration seems to be operating in the same vein. Trumps actions, in other words, should be considered before his sometimes-clownish words.

Saudi Arabia, for example, is about to close a deal with the United States on a weapons pact worth more than $300bn over 10 years. Human rights organizations are justifiably up in arms over the arrangement. Saudi Arabia is deeply involved in Yemens civil strife, and while all sides in Yemens war are guilty of gross humanitarian abuses, Saudi Arabias military operations have caused far more than their share of civilian casualties and war misery. Currently, 7 million people in Yemen are confronting starvation because of the war.

The Trump administration has repeatedly sent conflicting messages regarding the Israel/Palestine conflict to both Israelis and Palestinians. This muddle may appear to new political watchers as contradictory  the latest confusion concerned whether the Western Wall is considered occupied territory or part of Israel  but such a stance also follows a long American legacy of operating in the ambiguities to keep an unsustainable status quo alive as long as possible.

And the Trump administrations bombing of a Syrian airstrip earlier this year has not altered the status quo in the Syrian conflict at all. Similarly, the Trump administration has also signaled that, despite braying campaign rhetoric to the contrary, the multilateral deal with Iran regarding their nuclear program will remain and not be challenged.

The point is that Trump may be about to visit Salman, the sitting Saudi king, but its Trump who is the drama queen. Donald Trump is adroit at using smoke and Twitter to divert us from his lack of accomplishments. But in reality, Trump is a remarkably unproductive president with a legislative deficit disorder.

Trump, the amateur politician, doesnt seem to know how to make government produce anything, certainly not anything new or constructive on the foreign policy front. His way of diverting attention from his lack of political results seems to be to focus a new crisis surrounding himself, only to move on to another crisis when the previous one gets too big.

While the world adjusts to this chaotic style, not much else is new. Arm sales continue apace. American bombs keep falling. And virtually no attention is paid to the economic, political, ethnic, and religious circumstances that have created the conflicts we now tragically endure.

We need to stop being mesmerized by Trumps infantile words and instead examine his administrations actions more closely. The American status quo remains, and these continuities should trouble us as much as Trumps idiotic divergences.

Whatever words he utters, Trump has already shown that he will only continue a status quo legacy of violent American intervention in the Middle East. Understanding this simple fact would be a great idea.
Tehran (AFP) - Before voting had even concluded in Iran's presidential election on Friday, the head of the opposition campaign complained of multiple "infractions" and called for an intervention by authorities.

The campaign chief for hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi said there had been "propaganda actions by certain officials and supporters of the government" in favour of President Hassan Rouhani, who is seeking re-election.

"Such infractions are immoral actions that violate people's rights," said Ali Nikzad.

Iranian election rules state that no one can seek to influence voters once the campaign finishes 24 hours before the polls open.

Another official in Raisi's campaign said there had been 219 infractions so far on Friday, and that not enough ballot papers had been distributed in areas thought to favour Raisi, including his home city of Mashhad.

There was no immediate comment from Rouhani's team.

The conservative-dominated Guardian Council must validate the results of election.

Meanwhile, officials announced they would keep polling stations open for an extra two hours on Friday evening after many people queued for hours to cast their ballots in the presidential and council elections.

Rouhani, a moderate cleric who has sought to rebuild relations with the world, has been leading in unofficial polls but faces a tough battle for re-election against Raisi, who has called for a tougher approach to the West and more support for the poor.
Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner reportedly got the green light from a rabbi to fly on Air Force One with Donald Trump, as the president kicked off his first trip abroad as president.

Both practicing Orthodox Jews, Mr Trump's daughter and son-in-law typically observe the weekly Shabbat holiday by removing themselves from work activities from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday.

Read more

Ivanka Trump leads meeting at White House in father's absence

Jewish law does not permit travelling on the Sabbath except in life-threatening situations, or if there is a safety concern. It was not clear on what grounds the rabbi made the exception for Ms Trump and Mr Kushner to accompany the president on his trip, Politico reported.

On Inauguration Day, they also received a rabbinical approval to travel by car.

Mr Trump is first travelling to Saudi Arabia, a part of the trip that Mr Kushner heavily helped organise. The president will then make stops in Israel, Vatican City, Italy and Belgium. He returns to Washington next Saturday.

Since January, both Mr Kushner and Ms Trump have been highly visible members of the Trump administration. Mr Trump named his son-in-law as a senior White House adviser, and Ms Trump has been taking on a larger role in her fathers presidency.

This past week at the White House, she led a roundtable on human trafficking with members of Congress while Mr Trump was in Connecticut to give an address to cadets graduating from the US Coast Guard Academy.
Donald Trumps senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner called defense contractor Lockheed Martins CEO Marillyn Hewson and asked her to reduce the cost of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system so that Saudi Arabia could buy it, the New York Times reported Thursday. The phone call was made May 1 during a meeting with a Saudi delegation at the White House, the report added.

During the meeting, Kushner sensed the cost could prove a problem for the Middle Eastern country from buying a THAAD defense system, which is capable of shooting down intermediate-range ballistic missiles, the Times reported. So he dialed up Hewson to ask her if the anti-ballistic missile systems price could be brought down, according to the report, which cited multiple unnamed administration officials.

Read: Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump White House Roles Inappropriate, Poll Says

Kushners call to the Lockheed CEO was a part of his effort to secure an arms deal worth about $110 billion with Saudi Arabia, ahead of the presidents official trip to the kingdom Friday. However, White House officials told the Times the move was a part of a government-wide effort that included the State Department, the Defense Department, and the National Security Council. Moreover, the arms sale will be only one element of Trumps Saudi Arabia visit.

During his meeting with the Saudi delegation May 1, Kushner gave a strategic overview of the Saudi-American relationship, the Times reported citing an agenda.

While the 36-year-old did not break any law by making the call, the move appeared to be unusual, the Times noted. Derek H. Chollet, who was assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs in the Obama administration, told the newspaper the House of Saud now directly deals with a Trump family member.

Its quite normal for them to sit down with the son-in-law of a president and do a deal, Chollet reportedly said. Its more normal for them than any previous administration.

Story continues

Trump tasked Kushner with several responsibilities including leading a task force to reform the federal government, looking into criminal justice reform and seek peace in the Middle East.

In February, Lockheed reduced the cost of the F-35 fighter jet program after Trump expressed his disapproval at its cost, which was several billion dollars. The Bethesda, Maryland-based defense company is the only one to manufacture THAAD, which was also deployed in South Korea to counter nuclear threats from North Korea.

According to White House officials, Kushner began building a connection with members of the Saudi royal family during the transition, the Times reported. In March, he was seen at the table when Trump hosted the deputy crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, at a lunch in the White Houses State Dining Room.

Meanwhile, Trump is set to leave Friday for his first foreign trip since assuming office. His first destination would be Saudi capital Riyadh, where he will be on a two-day visit. He will then head on to Israel, Italy, Belgium, and Sicily and will return to Washington, D.C., on May 27.

Related Articles
There are few subjects more painful than slavery. The word itself conjures images of the most shameful and ugly parts of humanity and our past, histories most would prefer to distance themselves from. This may in part be why, in just two short days, The Atlantics article My Familys Slave, by the journalist Alex Tizon about his familys enslavement of a woman named Eudocia Lola Tomas Pulido, has caught the attention of and moved thousands of readers. The title itself is shocking in its admission of slavery tucked right into a modern American home.

The story of Pulido is extraordinary in many ways, especially in terms of the length of her enslavement. But what should be more shocking is that her story is not as rare as one would hope. While slavery today doesnt include the chains and horrors typically associated with it, it is unmistakably slavery, existing in modern America. In an ordinary American community. In a residential neighborhood. Where neighbors met her.

Recommended: The Enslaved Woman They Called Lola

She was enslaved. She lived among us, hidden in plain sight. And there are many more women like her.

How does this happen in America today? Some of this storys readers have blamed immigrants, claiming that such a practice is un-American. Some have pointed the finger at Tizons Asian family, claiming that Filipino culture is at the root of this case of slavery.

But I can tell you, having worked with domestic workers since the mid-1990s, that extraordinary acts of cruelty are unfortunately not limited to people of any one culture. To the contrary, completely ordinary people can be incredibly cruel when they have a decided power advantage and no checks on their power. There is a known pattern of abuse with foreign diplomats and professionals who import help from their home countries, but Americans enslave people too. There is a deep history of these arrangements among families at the U.S.-Mexico border where U.S. citizens regularly exploit the insecure citizenship status of workers by forcing them to clean, cook, and take care of children and elders. And across the country, community organizers have encountered enslaved and exploited domestic workers in city after city.

Story continues

How can such a thing still happen? The pervasiveness of the problem is in a sense an answer to that question: When there is an extreme power imbalance, peopleparticularly womenare vulnerable to slavery. In every story Ive heard from women who have survived these atrocities, there are two commonalities: invisibility and vulnerability.

Recommended: Readers Grapple With a Story of Modern Slavery

There are many other examples of stories like Lolas, stories sensitive enough that the last names of the women who told them have been withheld here. For example, there was Lilly, who was brought to Texas at the age 15 by a couple of American executives at a technology company. They promised her an American education and a path out of poverty for her family in Jamaica, in exchange for working as a live-in nanny for their three children. Instead, as soon as they arrived, they cut off her communication with her family and the outside world. For 15 years, her mobility was restricted. She was not allowed to leave the house unaccompanied or talk to any of the neighbors. And she was never paid.

And there was Karmo, who came from Nepal to a Virginia suburb, also escaping extreme poverty, to work for an Indian diplomat. Upon arrival, she was forced to work from early morning until late at night, isolated and prohibited from talking to other people. Karmos passport was confiscated by her employer and she was told she could be picked up by the police if she complained. For both Lilly and Karmo, the extreme economic hardships of their families left them vulnerable to false promises of a better life; once in America, force, fear, and lack of other jobs and options made it hard for them to leave.

Slavery doesnt just happen in a vacuum, as some perversion from the bigger economic context that people live in. Deep poverty and few options for economic mobility make a person vulnerable to slavery. Language and cultural barriers, and being a woman make a person vulnerable to slavery. Being dependent on an employer for visa access makes a person vulnerable to slavery. Immigration laws that trap a person in the shadows for fear of deportation keep them vulnerable.

Recommended: My Familys Slave

The organization I lead, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and our affiliates have found that for women who have survived slavery or trafficking, the single most important factor for enabling women to escape from slavery is knowing that they are not alone and that they will be supported when they do.

If Tizon had known there was an organization of women who shared Lolas experience and helped her connect to themand if Lola had known she was not alone, met other women like her, and seen that it was possible to rebuild and live a different lifewould her story have ended differently?

The National Domestic Workers Alliance started a campaign with this question in mind. Its called Beyond Survival, and its goal is to support women who have survived extreme abuse by giving them a chance to heal, connect with others like them, and, for those who choose to do so, share their experiences publicly so that others may be encouraged to escape enslavement. Through this campaign and an organization called Adhikaar, Karmo not only found the courage and support to escape, but she now organizes and assists others like her in New York City. Additionally, programs like these can help policy-makers learn how to best address the needs of survivors.

Their stories and Lolas story remind us that we must take courageous action to end trafficking and slavery. Their resilience brings us face to face with the most painful aspects of humanity, so that we may collectively become more humane.

This article is part of a series of responses to Alex Tizons Atlantic article My Familys Slave. The full series can be found here.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.




Melania Trump covered up as she stepped off Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia on Saturday  but not in the traditional Islamic way.

The first lady, following in predecessor Michelle Obamas footsteps, opted to forgo a headscarf in the conservative country that is governed by Sharia law and expects women in public to be fully covered, including their heads.

Trumps black long-sleeve jumpsuit with wide legs actually did somewhat resemble an abaya, the loose, black robe thats part of the kingdoms strict dress code for women. While the piece was respectful, she injected Western fashion details with pants, a subtle slit at the neckline, a wide gold belt, and matching chain necklace.

The black look was decidedly more modest than the ensemble she wore departing from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Friday. The form-fitting white long sleeve Max Mara shirt and red Herve Pierre skirt were more typical for the first lady who favors tight silhouettes, bright colors, and high stilettos.

Melania, whos joining her husband, President Donald Trump, on his administrations first international trip admitted shes excited for the eight-day, five-stop trek to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Rome, Brussels, and Sicily. This will not just be an opportunity to support my husband as he works on important matters of national security and foreign relations, it will also be my honor to visit and speak with women and children from different countries, with different perspectives, she said.

First daughter Ivanka Trump, as well as her husband Jared Kushner, is abroad too and also abstained from wearing a headscarf.

Just like her stepmother, Ivanka changed on the overseas flight. While the mother of three boarded in a short sleeve sheath with a knee-length hemline in a pastel floral print, she deplaned in a long sleeve black dress with white flowers that hit just above her ankles and showed off her nude Gianvito Rossi heels.

Story continues

Melania and Ivanka arent the first women from foreign governments visiting Saudi Arabia to go uncovered. British Prime Minister Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who both visited Saudi Arabia on separate occasions in the past few months, didnt wear headscarves either. Neither did Laura Bush as first lady or Hillary Clinton and Condoleeza Rice when they were serving as Secretary of State.

When former first lady Mrs. Obama visited in January 2015, she too eschewed the local practice. While doing so was considered a statement on womens rights by many, some were critical, including Donald Trump. Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refusing to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted. We have enuf enemies, he tweeted.

Saudi minister of foreign affairs Adel bin Ahmen Al-Jubier seemingly gave the women traveling with President Trump a pass to refrain from covering up. We welcome any style of clothing, he reportedly told local media last week. The practice is not required but encourage and the government makes suggestions to those visiting the kingdom.

Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty.




Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn will not honour a congressional subpoena request, his lawyer said, according to the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Senator Richard Burr told reporters that the committee is not surprised. Congressional and federal investigators are currently probing whether Trump campaign advisers colluded with the Russian government to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Read more

Trump team knew Mike Flynn was under investigation before appointment

Well figure out on General Flynn what the next step, if any, is, Mr Burr said, according to the Associated Press.

But later, Mr Burr backtracked his comments, Politico reported. His remarks may have been premature, he said, and that there may be a day or two left until the deadline to respond to the subpoena.

We have not gotten the definitive answer, Mr Burr clarified. Michael Flynn has not cooperated with the committee up to this point.

Mr Flynn resigned in February after it was revealed that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other top White House officials about his conversations with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the US.

Mr Flynn previously said he would testify before Congress in exchange for immunity from prosecution. However, the New York Times reported that investigators were unwilling to broker a deal with Mr Flynn.

News accounts this week said Donald Trump tried to get former FBI Director James Comey to drop an investigation into Mr Flynn, according to a memo reportedly written by Mr Comey.

The White House said that the memo is not an accurate portrayal of the conversation between Mr Comey and the president.

Along with the broader probe into possible ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, there is a separate federal investigation into Mr Flynn.
By Valeria Fedorenko VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) - A new ferry between isolated North Korea and Russia docked for the first time at the Pacific port of Vladivostok on Thursday, in spite of U.S. calls for countries to curtail relations with Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs. The launch of the weekly service linking Vladivostok and the North Korean port of Rajin also came despite North Korea's test-firing of a new type of ballistic missile on Sunday that landed in the sea near Russia. [nL4N1IF09K] The ferry's Russian operators say it is purely a commercial venture, but the service's launch coincides with what some experts say is a drive by North Korea to build ties with Moscow in case its closest ally China turns its back. The service is pitched at Chinese tourists wanting to travel by sea to the Pacific port of Vladivostok, according to the operators. China has no ports on the Sea of Japan, so traveling to North Korea and on to Vladivostok is the quickest way of reaching Vladivostok by sea. "It's our business, of our company, without any state subsidies, involvement and help," Mikhail Khmel, the deputy director of Investstroytrest, the Russia firm operating the ferry, told reporters. The new ferry link comes in spite of recent calls by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for countries to fully implement U.N. sanctions and review their ties with North Korea to pressure it to give up its weapons programs. "We call on all nations to fully implement U.N. Security Council Resolutions, and sever or downgrade diplomatic and commercial relations with North Korea," a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department, Katina Adams, said when asked about the new ferry service. Adams noted Russia's "obligation" under U.N. Security Council resolutions, "to inspect all cargo, including personal luggage, of any individual traveling to or from" North Korea. Journalists were unable to see passengers disembarking from the North Korean-flagged vessel Mangyongbong at Vladivostok because Russian officials kept them away from the quayside, citing unspecified security reasons. But Reuters television was able to speak to three passengers, who said they were representatives of Chinese tourism agencies. One of the passengers showed a photograph on her smartphone she said had been taken on board. It showed a plaque with an inscription in Korean which, she said, bore the name of North Korea's long-dead founder Kim Il Sung. The United States has been discussing possible new U.N. sanctions on North Korea with China, which disapproves of North Korea's development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles to deliver them, but remains its main trading partner. Washington is looking to toughen U.N. sanctions to cut off Pyongyang's sources of funding and to block smuggling of materials needed for its weapons programs. Russia, especially the port of Vladivostok, is home to one of the largest overseas communities of North Koreans, who send home much-needed hard currency. To date, there are no signs of a sustainable increase in trade between Russia and North Korea, but Russia has taken a more benign stance toward Pyongyang that other major powers. Speaking in Beijing this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was against North Korea's nuclear program, but that the world should talk to Pyongyang instead of threatening it. [nL8N1IH3D8] Asked about the ferry, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday she "didn't see a connection" between the new service and political issues. (Reporting by Valeria Fedorenko; additional reporting by David Brunnstrom; Writing by Maria Tsvetkova; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)
Report comes as leaked account suggests Donald Trump called James Comey a real nut job after firing him from position as head of the FBI

Donald and Melania Trump wave as they board Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland Friday. Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP

The FBI investigation into ties between Donald Trumps presidential campaign and Russian officials has reached the White House, according to a damaging new report on Friday.

The Washington Post reported that investigators have identified a current White House official as a significant person of interest, according to people familiar with the matter. The individual is described as someone who is close to the president.

In a statement, White House press secretary Sean Spicer did not deny the report, saying simply: As the president has stated before  a thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity.

The news came just days after former FBI director Robert Mueller was appointed as special counsel to investigate Trump, his ties to Russia and Russias role in interfering in the 2016 presidential election.

A spokeswoman for the FBI declined to comment. Were not making any comments on the Russia investigation.

The news broke minutes after Air Force One departed Joint Base Andrews for Riyadh, Trumps first stop on his inaugural international trip as president.

And the development came minutes after a New York Times report that revealed previously undisclosed details of Trumps controversial Oval Office meeting with Russian officials, which occurred one day after the president fired FBI director James Comey, who was leading the investigation into Russian meddling in the US election.

I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job, Trump said, according to a New York Times story, citing a document that was read to the paper by an American official. I faced great pressure because of Russia. Thats taken off.

Trump added: Im not under investigation.

The White House did not dispute the account, which is said to have been based on notes taken from inside the Oval Office which were circulated as an official account of the 10 May meeting.

Story continues

By grandstanding and politicizing the investigation into Russias actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia, Spicer said in a statement. The investigation would have always continued, and obviously, the termination of Comey would not have ended it.

Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations.

The new revelations add another complicating factor to what was already a problematic meeting with with Russias foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov. It was not disclosed to the US press, which was barred from the room, that the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak, was attending.

Kislyak has come under scrutiny over his repeated conversations with former national security adviser Mike Flynn, who was fired for lying about those conversations to vice-president Mike Pence. In addition, several outlets reported that Trump divulged highly classified intelligence from an Israeli counter-terrorism operation against Isis and risked blowing a key intelligence asset of a close US ally.

Both the revelations that a senior White House official was under investigation and Trumps comments to Lavrov came just as the president departed for his first overseas trip on Friday, including stops in Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Vatican.

The White House had hoped the orchestrated trip would put Trump center stage as he went from the centers of three great world religions to Brussels and Sicily for meetings with Nato leaders and G7 economic powers. However, Trumps woes at home now seem certain to dominate his public appearances.



Also on Friday, the White House announced two ambassadorships, including the appointment of Callista Gingrich, the president of the Gingrich foundation and the wife of Trump supporter and former House speaker Newt Gingrich, to represent the US to the Holy See. Callista Gingrich, a lifelong Catholic, is her husbands third wife; the two had an affair during his marriage to his second wife. Divorce is considered a sin in the Catholic church, and the issue has become more divisive in the church. Last year, Pope Francis endorsed an idea that could pave the way for some Catholics who are divorced and remarried to receive communion.

It was also announced that the former Fox News pundit KT McFarland would leave her position as deputy national security adviser to be ambassador to Singapore. McFarland, who joined the White House with Flynn, had reportedly been at loggerheads with the national security adviser, HR McMaster.


Pippa walks into the church on the arm of her father, Michael Middleton. (Photo: PA)

Pippa Middleton wed financier James Matthews on Saturday morning during a traditional church service held at the brides familys local parish in Bucklebury, Berkshire, an English village outside of London.

The Duchess of Cambridges sister, who became world-famous as a bridesmaid in a head-turning dress, is now a bride herself and once again proving to be highly fashionable. For the occasion, the 33-year-old turned to British designer Giles Deacon, a favorite couturier in the United Kingdom.

And Deacon delivered. Middleton walked down the aisle for her intimate nuptials at St. Marks Church in a bespoke gown that created an illusion of absolute seamlessness, according to Business of Fashion. I wanted that how-was-that-done? factor, he said. Its all hand-pieced which is why you dont actually see a seam.

The cap-sleeve number with a heart-shaped cutout in the back, that she paired with a Stephen Jones veil, Maidenhair Fern tiara, and Manolo Blahnik heels, was also hand-embroidered with pearls on the high neck and intricately degrade-ed on the bodice and corset. The long train was also filled with tulle for extra volume.

The Duchess of Cambridge adjusts PIppas train and veil as the bride walks into St Marks church. (Photo: PA)

Deacon said he took inspiration from the dancers in the 1963 movie The Leopard. Ive never been just about fashion, he said. One foot in, one foot out, in art, craftsmanship, tradition, modernity, technology, right from the start of my career. He added, I do a hell of a lot of research into every client commission. And while he couldnt speak directly of his client, Deacon did admit of Pippa, She has a great eye, she knew what she wanted.

Since the engagement was announced last July, speculation has been swirling surrounding who would design Middletons gown for her big day. Deacon was actually considered the favorite after he was spotted at her London home in December with an armful of dress bags. But he wasnt the only contender: The party planner reportedly held meetings with numerous designers in a bid to find the perfect dress.

Story continues

Would Middleton follow in her sisters steps and wear a decadent, lace Alexander McQueen creation? Would she turn to safe, bridal bet Jenny Packham? Or go all out with a big, white, frothy Ralph & Russo number?

Pippa Middleton marries partner James Matthews in a Giles Deacon dress. (Photo: PA)

Deacon, who stopped showing at London Fashion Week in 2016 to spend more time focusing on couture, is no stranger to wedding dress design. In 2011, he famously created English model Abbey Clancys strapless, tiered creation for her marriage to Peter Crouch. Hes also a seasoned red carpet designer, and has dressed everyone from Sarah Jessica Parker to Cate Blanchett and, of course, his Game of Thrones girlfriend Gwendoline Christie.

An interview with Hello! from last year revealed that Deacons certainly a fan of the Middleton sisters. I think theyve both got divine style, Deacon told the magazine. Theyre thoroughly modern girls promoting British brands and looking fantastic.

Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty.




Pippa Middleton arriving to her wedding  in style The bride was chauffeured to her wedding ceremony in a Rolls Royce. Her father, Michael Middleton, accompanied her in the backseat. (Photo: AP)

From the bride arriving in a Rolls-Royce wearing a gorgeous Giles Deacon gown to Prince George and Princess Charlotte anxiously awaiting their aunts walk down the aisle, there were some wonderful moments in Pippa Middletons wedding day  and a lot of them were caught on camera.

Unlike her older sister the Duchess of Cambridges big day in 2011, the 33-year-olds Saturday nuptials werent broadcast to the world. However, theres a lot to keep an eye on and ogle over from the days proceedings as Pippa tied the knot with her multimillionaire, hedge fund manager boyfriend, James Matthews.

Click through above for the best pictures from the almost-royal wedding.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty.
President Donald Trump delivers remarks to U.S. military personnel U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to U.S. military personnel at Naval Air Station Sigonella following the G7 Summit, in Sigonella, Sicily, Italy, May 27, 2017. (Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)

George W. Bushs first foreign destination as president was Mexico, a chance to showcase a relationship he built as Texas governor and had campaigned on as a credential for his ability to manage world affairs.

When Barack Obama ventured abroad for the first time after taking office, he went to Canada, a very traditional trip where adoring throngs responded to his campaign promise to restore Americas tarnished reputation overseas.

Despite the personalized choreography  Bush all smiles at Mexican President Vicente Foxs ranch, Obama basking in affection from Canadian crowds  both trips were fundamentally low-risk, conventional forays into foreign policy. Baby steps across the world stage, in effect.

But President Trumps first foreign voyage will instead be an astonishingly ambitious adventure  Saudi Arabia, Israel, the Vatican, a NATO summit in Brussels, and a gathering of the G-7 group of leading industrial nations in Sicily. Hes coming with a packed agenda of the weightiest issues in global affairs, like defeating ISIS, containing Iran, convincing the Muslim world to confront extremism, overhauling relations with crucial allies in Europe and Asia, and forging Middle East peace.

See FULL STORY by Olivier Know/Yahoo News

See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Tumblr.
As controversy after controversy emerged out of the White House, officials and citizens alike began to see the impeachment of the president as a real possibility. So real, in fact, that betting websites have seen record wagers on whether President Donald Trump will finish out his time in office.

The website Predictit, used exclusively by registered U.S. voters, saw record bets on Trumps impeachment during the past week following Tuesdays report that former FBI Director James Comey said the president asked him to stop investigating former national security adviser Michael Flynn. One contract on Predictit titled Will Donald Trump be Impeached In 2017? garnered more than 100,000 bets in the 24 hours after the Comey report emerged, according to Reuters.

Read: More Americans Want Trump Impeached Than Don't

On Wednesday morning, the price of a yes in response to the question of impeachment hit a record 33 cents, Reuters said. That amounts to a 33 percent probability that Trump would be impeached when compared with the only 7 percent probability the website predicted last week.

Other websites had bettors wagering on the question as well. Paddy Power Betfair said more than $6,470 was wagered in bets that Trump would be impeached in just a few hours after the Comey report was revealed.

GettyImages-677914900

Photo: Getty Images

Weve been betting on impeachment for all recent U.S. presidents, Paddy Power Betfair spokesperson Lee Price said. But even at the height of the Lewinsky scandal, Bill Clinton was only ever 6-1 to be impeached.

Ladbrokes, a British betting firm, moved the probability of Trump getting impeached to about 56 percent.

Political punters are wondering how many more scandals can Trump overcome, Jessica Bridge of Ladbrokes said in a statement Wednesday. And despite the short price on offer, money has poured in for the President to be impeached, leaving us with little option but to cut the odds.

Story continues

Trump was already being scrutinized for his firing of Comey when reports emerged that the president asked him to stop investigating Flynn. The president had also recently come under fire after reports emerged that he disclosed highly classified national security information to Russian officials during a meeting at the White House, leading some Democratic leaders to call for Trumps impeachment.

Its a position of conscience for me, Texas Rep. Al Green said in a speech on the House floor Wednesday. This is about what I believe. And this is where I stand. I will not be moved. The president must be impeached.

Read: Trump's Approval Rating Drops Again After Comey Firing

Others Democratic officials, however, said impeachment is by no means something that should be taken lightly.

Its not something I believe people should wish for, California Rep. Adam Schiff said, according to USA Today. We should undertake our constitutional obligation to take the evidence, follow the evidence.

At least one Republican has said impeachment is a serious possibility at this point. Asked Wednesday whether the revelations regarding Comeys investigation could lead to Trumps impeachment if proven true, Michigan Rep. Justin Amash told The Hill it could.

But, he said. Everybody gets a fair trial in this country.

GettyImages-684672110

Photo: Getty Images

Related Articles
By Eric Beech and Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump was hit on Friday by embarrassing leaks that a senior adviser was a "person of interest" in a probe of possible collusion with Russia during last year's election campaign and that Trump had boasted to Russian officials of firing the man heading the investigation. The reports, emerging just as Trump jetted off to Saudi Arabia on his first foreign trip as president, were likely to extend the turmoil engulfing his administration since the May 9 firing of former FBI Director James Comey. The Washington Post, citing sources familiar with the matter, did not identify the senior Trump adviser except to say that the person of interest was close to Trump, a Republican who entered the White House four months ago. U.S. law enforcement uses the term "a person of interest" to mean someone who is part of a criminal investigation but not arrested or formally accused of a crime. The person may be cooperating or have information of use to investigators. Separately the New York Times reported that Trump boasted to Russian officials at a White House meeting last week that firing Comey relieved "great pressure" the president faced from a law-enforcement probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. "I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," Trump said, according to the Times, which cited a document summarizing the meeting and read to it by an unnamed U.S. official. "I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off." Trump met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russia's ambassador to Washington in the Oval Office the day after Trump fired Comey, who was in charge of the Russia election probe. The Times said the document was based on notes taken from inside the Oval Office. Reuters was not immediately able to verify the accuracy of that account. Comey, who has not spoken publicly in the 10 days since he was fired, will testify in an open session of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, which is investigating possible Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Committee leaders said on Friday he would appear sometime after the U.S. Memorial Day holiday on May 29. "I am hopeful that he will clarify for the American people recent events that have been broadly reported in the media, the committee chairman, Republican Richard Burr, said in a statement announcing the appearance. POPULARITY FALLS Public approval of Trump has dropped to its lowest level since his inauguration, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Friday. The May 14-18 opinion poll found that 38 percent of adults approved of Trump while 56 percent disapproved. The remaining 6 percent had "mixed feelings." U.S. stocks immediately pared gains after the reports but still closed higher for a second straight day. Earlier this week, investors dumped stocks in response to reports that Trump in February had asked Comey to stop investigating his former national security adviser, prompting accusations the president may have tried to hamper the probe. "As the president has stated before - a thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said in a statement in response to the Post report. After days of political tumult in Washington, the Justice Department announced the appointment on Thursday of a special counsel to look into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion by the Trump campaign. The Times report added to the impression given by Trump himself in a television interview last week in which he said the Russia issue was a factor in firing Comey. The White House has given different versions of the reasons for the dismissal. Asked about the Times report, Spicer said of the former FBI chief, "by grandstanding and politicizing the investigation into Russia's actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia." "The investigation would have always continued, and obviously, the termination of Comey would not have ended it," Spicer said, adding that the real story was the leaks of "private and highly classified conversations." 'INFLECTION POINT' Democrats, who have compared the widening scandal to the Watergate break-in and cover-up that brought down Republican former President Richard Nixon in 1974, were quick to pounce on the latest reports. Democratic Senator Edward Markey called them "seismic revelations" and questioned whether the United States might be heading into a constitutional crisis. "This is an inflection point in the entire Russia collusion investigation," he told MSNBC. "It makes it very clear that what Donald Trump was trying to do was to end the Russian investigation." "This is what OBSTRUCTION looks like: 'I faced great pressure because of Russia. Thats taken off,'" Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy said on Twitter. Republican Representative Scott Taylor told CNN there was "no question" that Trump had "some stumbles this week." But he added: "I haven't lost my confidence in the president to be our president, I just haven't." Before the latest reports, the White House had hoped to shift attention away from the political firestorm in Washington to foreign policy as well as the president's ambitious pro-business economic agenda in Congress. Trump's trip, which also includes stops in Israel, Italy and Belgium next week, has been billed by the administration as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world's major religions while giving him time to meet with Arab, Israeli and European leaders. Trump, who has embraced what he describes as an "America First" approach to U.S. foreign policy and international trade, is expected to be welcomed warmly by leaders in Saudi Arabia and Israel. Lingering questions over his views on the Iran nuclear deal, commitment to NATO security and skepticism of the Paris climate agreement, however, could generate tension at meetings with European counterparts in Brussels and Sicily. (Additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, John Walcott and Eric Walsh; Writing by Paul Simao; Editing by Howard Goller and Bill Trott)
RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is taking new steps to counter the messages of Islamic State and other Islamist militant groups online, a senior Saudi official said on Saturday, as U.S. President Donald Trump began a visit to the kingdom. Mohammed al-Issa, secretary-general of the Saudi-based Muslim World League, told reporters the kingdom will open a coordinating center on Sunday in an inauguration ceremony attended by Trump and Saudi King Salman. Saudi Arabia aims to take the fight beyond military action "because we know these groups can only be defeated if we defeat their ideology", he said. "Al Qaeda did not collapse after the fall of the Taliban because its ideology still existed." Issa, who also directs the defense ministry's new Ideological War Center and has a seat on the kingdom's Council of Senior Scholars, said Saudi Arabia had already begun initiatives to discredit and dismantle extremist websites. The Ideological War Center, which launched operations last month, aims to correct what it calls "misguidance" about Islam through its channels on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. The kingdom's Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition has also established the world's biggest digital center to monitor ISIS and al-Qaeda activities online, said Issa. He said the digital center had closed thousands of militant websites. Ahead of Trump's trip, the White House said the president expected tangible results from Saudi Arabia in countering Islamic extremism. (Reporting by Katie Paul; Writing by Sylvia Westall; Editing by Andrew Roche)
DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Friday it had blacklisted Hashem Safieddine, a prominent leader of the Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah that is a close ally of Riyadh's arch-regional adversary Iran. The United States Treasury Department also added Safieddine to its counter-terrorism blacklist on Friday, a day before U.S. President Donald Trump travels to Saudi Arabia. Riyadh is the first stop on Trump's maiden international trip since taking office in January, and he is expected to conclude important security and trade agreements there with Saudi officials. "The Saudi government today designated a leader of Hezbollah, whose name is Hashem Safieddine," Saudi state news agency SPA said. Safieddine's name was posted on the counter terrorism blacklist on the U.S. Treasury Department website. Safieddine was working in the interest of Hezbollah in the Middle East and provided advice to launch "terrorist operations" and support the Syrian regime, SPA said. Safieddine is president of Hezbollah's executive council, which oversees the group's social and economic activities. Hezbollah is regarded by Washington as a terrorist organization. The group, which was formed in the 1980s to fight Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon that ended in 2000, is now fighting in Syria alongside President Bashar al-Assad's forces against rebels backed by Sunni Gulf Arab states. Shi'ite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia have been locked in a harsh rivalry over power and influence in the Middle East, sometimes deploying sectarian rhetoric. Saudi Arabia and Gulf Arab countries declared Hezbollah a terrorist organization in 2016, and said they would punish anyone who belongs to it, sympathizes with it, supports it financially or harbors any of its members. "We will continue to designate Hezbollah's operatives, leaders and businesses, impose sanctions as a result of designation, and disrupt its radical activities," SPA said. (Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi in Dubai and Angus McDowall in Beirut)
ScootinAmerica - Eight Veterans to Receive Free Harleys

Harley-Davidson has joined Adam Sandoval, founder of ScootinAmerica, an initiative that focuses on giving back to our military members, to launch MISSION: "THANK YOU. The project began this morning at San Diego Harley-Davidson, in conjunction with the Wounded Warrior Project, to honor veteran Shane Kruchten with a new Harley-Davidson.

Kruchten is the first of eight honorees who will get bikes this year. Sandoval is asking every American to nominate a military member - past or present - who has dedicated his or her life to protecting our freedom by submitting their story of sacrifice, strength and courage of service. His cross-country MISSION: THANK YOU aims to thank those who have served, and are serving, to protect our freedom by giving away eight Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Based on America's nominations, Sandoval will make seven stops along his cross-country journey to give away the new motorcycles. Follow the mission on AdamSandovalRides.com or follow Adams journey on Facebook or Twitter.

ScootinAmerica

Along with MISSION: THANK YOU, Harley-Davidson offers the H-D Riding Academy New Rider Course to all current and former U.S. military personnel and first responders (law enforcement, fire, and EMS) and their spouses for just $99. H-D can also provide free motorcycle storage for deployed military personnel. Additionally, Operation Extend the Ride extends the factory warranty for the number of days deployed to account for the balance of the remaining warranty period.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three U.S. Democratic Senators on Friday raised concerns over the possibility that President Donald Trump's administration will permanently shelve the "fiduciary rule," aimed at preventing brokers from recommending inappropriate retirement investments. The most senior Democrat on the Senate committee overseeing pensions, Washington's Patty Murray, and two of the party's liberal stars who advocated for the rule, Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren, wrote to newly confirmed Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta about reports that he was looking for a way to freeze the rule and make it "stick." Earlier this month, the National Association of Plan Advisors cited Acosta as saying he was seeking the long-term freeze in a meeting with Republican Senator Tim Scott, of South Carolina. He added that he was in constant communication with the White House and "recognized the urgency of the situation," the group said in a blog post citing a "communication from Scott's office." Scott's spokeswoman Michele Exner told Reuters she did not know what the two discussed in their meeting, what Acosta had said, or anything about the communication cited. Labor Department Spokeswoman Jillian Rogers said she would ask Acosta, currently in Germany, about the conversation and if permanently paralyzing the rule was a department priority. Approved last year under former President Barack Obama, a Democrat, the rule was intended to ensure that financial advisers put their clients' interests first, and to protect consumers from buying unnecessary investment products that line brokers' pockets. Heavily criticized by Wall Street and Republicans for potentially raising the cost of investment advice, the rule has faced a rocky time becoming effective, with Trump last month delaying its enactment date, originally April 10, for 60 days. Trump has also ordered a review of the rule. "Instead of meeting with all stakeholders and considering multiple points of view, you appear to have prejudged the outcome of the review," the senators wrote in a copy of the letter seen by Reuters. They said an analysis accompanying the rule's release that found conflicts of interest would cost those saving for retirement $17 billion annually. They warned there are "steep legal standards" that the Labor Department would have to meet to "justify further delaying, substantially revising, or rescinding this rule." (Reporting by Lisa Lambert)
Geneva (AFP) - Syria's warring sides entered a final day of UN-backed talks on Friday with little sign of progress towards ending the conflict and with negotiations overshadowed by swelling tensions on the ground.

The sixth round of talks in Geneva was the latest effort to bring a political solution to the war, which has displaced millions and claimed more than 320,000 lives since 2011.

But the sluggish negotiations have been eclipsed by US accusations of new regime atrocities at a prison and the bombing of a pro-government convoy by US-led coalition warplanes.

The international alliance -- which usually strikes jihadists -- for the first time hit regime-allied forces as they headed toward a remote coalition garrison near the southern border with Jordan, US officials said Thursday.

The strike was sharply condemned by Syria's government.

Speaking to journalists after his final meeting with UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura in Geneva, government-delegation chief Bashar al-Jaafari slammed the "massacre caused by the American aggression on our country yesterday."

- Minimal results in Geneva -

The opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) spokesman Yehya al-Aridi meanwhile welcomed the strike, hailing "robust action against the foreign forces who have turned Syria into a killing field."

The US-led coalition bombing the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq said it had struck pro-regime forces in southern Syria "that posed a threat to US and partner forces."

Syrian state media gave no precise toll in the attack, but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, reported eight killed, "most of them non-Syrian."

The event was not expected to ease de Mistura's task in Geneva, where years of diplomatic efforts have failed to produce any concrete momentum towards ending the devastating conflict.

The HNC has continued to call for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's ouster as part of a political transition -- a demand the regime has brushed off as a non-starter.

Story continues

The current round of talks, which opened Tuesday, were expected to cover four separate topics: the constitution, governance, elections, and combatting "terrorism," but Jaafari said none of the subjects had been discussed.

Instead, the sole tangible product has been an agreement to set up technical committees to discuss constitutional issues with the United Nations.

"This is the only result from this round," Jaafari said.

The HNC was expected at the UN Friday afternoon for its last session with de Mistura.

The umbrella group has struggled with deep divisions, which came to the fore late Thursday when several rebel groups suspended their participation in the delegation, citing dissatisfaction with its negotiation strategy.

But by morning, the HNC said its delegation would be taking part in the meeting with the UN envoy "in full".

- 'Geneva is the main show' -

Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 with widespread demonstrations against Assad, but has since evolved into a bloody war that has drawn in world powers on all sides.

Rebel forces have received backing from Gulf states, Turkey, and the West, while the Syrian army is bolstered by Russia, Iran, and fighters from neighbouring Lebanon and Iraq.

Russian deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilov blasted the coalition strike on regime forces, saying it would take a toll on the political process in Geneva.

"Such actions that were carried out against the Syrian armed forces... this is completely unacceptable, this is a breach of Syrian sovereignty," he was quoted as saying by state-run RIA Novosti in Switzerland.

Gatilov held a series of meetings throughout the week with the government and opposition delegations as well as de Mistura.

Russia, Iran, and Turkey are co-sponsors of a parallel negotiations track in the Kazakh capital Astana.

Earlier this month, they agreed to create four "de-escalation zones" across some of Syria's bloodiest battlegrounds, and observers said de Mistura would be scrambling to match Astana's momentum.

A western diplomat in Geneva said the UN's initiative on constitutional meetings was an effort to "get people into substance."

"This is about the special envoy keeping the Geneva process warm and relevant. There's been a lot of talk about Astana lately, but this is actually the main show for solving the Syrian conflict," the diplomat said.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

From Popular Mechanics

According to a new study, the famed Tyrannosaurus rex had quite the bite. With these powerful jaws, a T. rex could demolish bones with forces equaling the weight of three small cars. The predator-scavanger could bite down with nearly 8,000 pounds of force, more than twice the bite force of the largest living crocodiles, the modern bite force kings.

Eating bones, known as extreme osteophagy in scientific communities, is not uncommon today, but it usually happens among carnivorous mammals like wolves or hyenas. Reptiles generally do not have the tooth structure to break down bone.

"It was this bone-crunching acumen that helped T. rex to more fully exploit the carcasses of large horned-dinosaurs and duck-billed hadrosaurids whose bones, rich in mineral salts and marrow, were unavailable to smaller, less equipped carnivorous dinosaurs," says Paul Gignac, assistant professor of Anatomy and Vertebrate Paleontology at Oklahoma State.

Photo credit: Florida State

This joint study study between Florida State and Oklahoma State also shows the power of each individual tooth. A tyrannosaurus tooth could generate 431,000 pounds per square inch. This allowed the dinosaur to bite down repetitively on a bone like a mammal would. The splintering bones would likely sometimes explode out of the the giant reptile's mouth.

After studying birds and crocodilians, the scientists realized that it wasn't just strong jaw muscles that allowed the might beast to destroy bone. It was also how that force was transferred to the teeth itself, a metric they called tooth pressure. "Having high bite force doesn't necessarily mean an animal can puncture hide or pulverize bone, tooth pressure is the biomechanically more relevant parameter," says Florida State Professor of Biological Science Gregory Erickson. "It is like assuming a 600 horsepower engine guarantees speed. In a Ferrari, sure, but not for a dump truck."

The T. Rex's celebrity status, which began when the dinosaur first was discovered in 1905, affords it a unique place among paleontological studies. Many, like the late palentologist Robert Bakker, attribute it to that spectacular name, Tyrannosaurus, which just rolls off the tongue. This close reading of its bone-destroying abilities shows that it had the bite to live up to the hype.

Story continues

Source: Florida State

You Might Also Like
The driver of a car that ploughed into a crowd of pedestrians in New York's Times Square told police he wanted to "kill them all" and said officers should have shot him, according to prosecutors.

Richard Rojas said he had been smoking marijuana laced with the hallucinogenic drug PCP before what detectives believe was an intentional attack, a court heard.

The has been charged with murder and multiple counts of attempted murder, in connection with incident which claimed the life of an 18-year-old girl and injured 22 other people at the New York tourist hotspot.

He murdered in cold blood, said assistant district attorney Harrison Schweiloch.

Video not available for syndication

Video shows wrecked car that drove into pedestrians in Times Square

Rojas, wearing the same red T-shirt and jeans he was photographed in a day earlier, appeared subdued. He did not enter a plea and was held without bail.

His lawyer, Enrico Demarco, had no comment, while family and friends who attended the hearing cried outside court and did not speak to reporters.

Rojas, who lived with his mother in the Bronx, drove his car from his home to Manhattan, then made a U-turn in Times Square.

He steered his car onto a pavement and ploughed through helpless tourists for three blocks before crashing into protective barriers.

Read more

Driver charged with murder after Times Square car crash

Alyssa Elsman, of Portage, Michigan, was killed. Her 13-year-old sister was among the injured.

A friend of Miss Elsman said her family went on a trip to New York each year.

Olivia Lemke said: She was just selfless. She always wanted to make people happy. Thats all she ever cared about."

Three people were still in critical condition with serious head injuries on Friday and a fourth was being treated for a collapsed lung and broken pelvis.

richard-rojas.jpeg

Richard Rojas appeared in court charged with murder and attempted murder on Friday (AP)

Photographers snapped pictures of a wild-eyed Rojas after he climbed from the wrecked car and ran through the street waving his arms. A group that included a security supervisor at a nearby Planet Hollywood restaurant tackled him.

Story continues

After he was detained, he said he wanted to kill them all and police should have shot him to stop him, a prosecutor told the court.

Rojas had glassy eyes, slurred speech, and was unsteady, during his arrest, the criminal complaint said. Officials are awaiting toxicology results.

PCP, or phencyclidine, can cause users to become delusional, violent or suicidal, according to the US National Drug Intelligence Centre.

Rojas enlisted in the Navy in 2011 and served for part of 2012 aboard the USS Carney, a destroyer. He spent his final months in the Navy at the naval air station in Jacksonville, Florida.

In 2012, he was arrested and accused of beating a cab driver who he claimed had disrespected him by trying to charge too much, according to the arrest report.

The arresting officer said Rojas screamed, my life is over as he was being detained.

alyssa-elsman.jpg

Alyssa Elsman, 18, was killed by Rojas's car (Facebook)

After his arrest, Rojas told the officer he was going to kill all police and military police he saw following his release from jail, the Jacksonville sheriffs office report stated.

Alan Ceballos, an attorney who represented Rojas in that case, said the state charges were dropped after the military stepped in to take jurisdiction over the criminal case.

Navy records show that in 2013 Rojas spent two months at a naval prison in Charleston, South Carolina. He was discharged in 2014 as the result of a special court martial, a Navy official said.

He will next appear in court over the Times Square attack on May 24.
By Hilary Russ NEW YORK (Reuters) - The mayhem and death left in the trail of a car that sped along crowded sidewalks in New York's Times Square has revived calls for banning vehicles from the Manhattan crossroads, one of the world's busiest tourist destinations. The incident on Thursday, which killed one person, injured 20 others and brought a new sense of vulnerability to New Yorkers and visitors alike, has raised concerns about other safety provisions in a recent $55 million revamp of the area. The project, completed in 2016 after six years of planning and construction, included a limited number of barricades designed to protect pedestrians. In deciding how many barriers to install, planners wanted to avoid cluttering the square and impeding foot traffic along sidewalks that are often choked with people. Shaped like a bow tie, Times Square takes form around the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretches for nearly six blocks north of 42nd Street. As the centerpiece of the overhaul, officials closed off five blocks of Broadway to motor vehicles and created two acres (0.8 hectare) of pedestrian plazas. Thursday's incident, in which a driver steered along Seventh Avenue, made a U-turn on to the sidewalk and mowed down pedestrians as he accelerated, prompted questions about whether the Broadway closure was enough. "The closing of Broadway through Times Square was itself intended as (a) pedestrian safety measure, and I think it has been successful in accomplishing that," said David Burney, who was commissioner for design and construction under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Burney helped oversee the project for the city and select Norwegian architectural firm Snohetta to design it. "Personally I think this incident supports the argument for closing of all traffic through Times Square," Burney told Reuters in an email. Even though Thursday's incident was not believed to have been politically motivated, New York City has been on high alert since the attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. More recently, it has grappled with how to protect people from attackers who use vehicles as weapons. Those concerns ratcheted higher last year when militants intentionally drove trucks into holiday crowds in Germany and France, killing scores of people. The Times Square incident might have been even worse if not for the short steel posts, known as bollards, installed last autumn in some parts of the area to protect pedestrians, officials said. "Without those bollards, the incident would have seen far greater harm to pedestrians," Burney said. One of the posts eventually helped stop the runaway car driven by the 26-year-old suspect, Richard Rojas, now charged with murder, attempted murder and vehicular homicide. But planners never considered putting bollards along all of the sidewalks, Burney and another person involved with planning said. That included the block where the car killed 18-year-old tourist Alyssa Elsman, even though that stretch of sidewalk was widened in the renovation. "We wanted to be sure safety measures did not define the public space, while also creating highly effective protective features in the most populated areas," said Craig Dykers, founding partner of Snohetta. "This was a fundamental concept of the redesign as a whole, which focused on reducing visual and physical clutter and confusion," he said. The city envisioned the project as creating two distinct kinds of spaces - pedestrian plazas and sidewalks - with the bollards used mostly to surround and protect the pedestrian zones. After Thursday's incident, the balance between aesthetics, convenience and safety that the architects and city officials sought may need to be reassessed, people familiar with the plan said. "It's certainly worth looking at ... in light of this," said Tim Tompkins, president of Times Square Alliance, a business development partnership for the area. Tompkins participated in discussions about the renovation plan. On Friday, police had lined most of the sidewalks around Times Square with temporary concrete and metal barriers, a stark reminder of Thursday's mayhem and the risks inherent in visiting tourist destinations in any city. In the redesign, decisions on the placement of bollards were based on recommendations from the New York Police Department, Burney said. The city bars the placement of bollards in front of individual buildings unless the NYPD deems them to be a potential target, he said. Deputy Chief William Aubry, who commands Manhattan detectives, said at a news conference on Friday that he could not comment on the department's role in the design process. City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, who chairs the council's transportation committee, on Friday said he planned to introduce legislation that would require installation of bollards along busy sidewalks. Mayor Bill de Blasio said on WNYC radio earlier on Friday that the city would consider making changes. "Were going to look at Times Square and see  obviously well look at some other key locations  if we have to do different things in our approach, he said. Representatives for de Blasio did not immediately reply to a question about whether he would support Rodriguez's bill. Dykers, of Snohetta, said in an emailed statement that the design firm may also take a second look, with an eye to "further minimize the impact of any future situations without interfering with the open, vibrant and unique character of Times Square." (Additional reporting by Jeffrey Dastin; Editing by Frank McGurty and Jonathan Oatis)
Donald Trump has departed Washington for his first foreign trip as President, leaving behind a scandal surrounding his surprise sacking of the FBI director which threatens to overshadow the eight-day tour.

Mr Trump flew out of the capital for a trip that White House aides said they hoped would trigger a "reset" after weeks of controversy and chaos.

The President will stop in Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the Vatican  the homelands and holy sites of the worlds three major religions  before heading to summits in Belgium and Italy.

Read more

Trump's extravagant Saudi trip distracts from his crisis at home

Mr Trump was reportedly reluctant to leave for the trip, even telling one aide he felt it should be cut in half. But this was before he fired former FBI chief James Comey, allegedly released covert intelligence to Russia, and saw a special prosecutor appointed to investigate his campaigns ties to Russia.

The trip is expected to give the President some reprieve from a gruelling news cycle  but no one expects it to be easy.

In preparation for the trip, Mr Trump held briefings with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, national security adviser HR McMaster, deputy national security adviser Dina Powell and senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner  several of whom will accompany him on the trip.

Sources told Reuters that Mr Trumps briefing documents included his name in "as many paragraphs as we can, because he keeps reading if he's mentioned. Others told The New York Times they worried the President would be swayed by foreign leaders flattery, or erupt in off-script outbursts.

Mr Trump will stop first in Saudi Arabia, marking his first night outside of the White House or a Trump-branded property since taking office.

Saudi diplomats reportedly wooed the President into visiting their country via a persuasive, picture-laden PowerPoint presentation. Caterers for state events have been instructed to prepare Mr Trumps favourite meal  steak and ketchup  to serve alongside local delicacies.

Story continues

Mr Trump is expected to give a speech on Islam, and announce a $350bn arms deal.

Getting ready for my big foreign trip. Will be strongly protecting American interests - that's what I like to do!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 19, 2017

The President will then fly to Israel, where he will meet with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and then with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Monday, several outlets reported that the President had revealed classified information about an Isis terrorist plot to two Russian officials during a White House meeting. That information is said to have come from a crucial Israeli intelligence source.

There are questions over whether Mr Trump's disclosure of Israel's sensitive information could damage diplomatic relations between the US and the Middle Eastern country.

Mr Trump has enjoyed warmer relations with Mr Netanyahu than former President Barack Obama, but has also hosted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the White House. On Tuesday, Mr Trump will meet with Mr Abbas again, this time in Bethlehem.

Mr Trump is said to have requested that the traditional visit to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem, be cut short.

Was talking to Snr WH official this week who all but predicted bombshells dropping just as Trump left DC. Ofl feared they would derail trip  Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) May 19, 2017

After departing Israel, Mr Trump will head to the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis. The President sparred with Pope Francis during the presidential campaign, after the head pontiff criticised the then-candidates controversial plan to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.

A person who only thinks about building walls, wherever they may be, and not about building bridges, is not a Christian, Pope Francis said at the time.

Nevertheless, the Vatican has said it would welcome a visit from the President.

Mr Trump will meet with Italys President Sergio Mattarella in Rome before leaving for a Nato meeting in Brussels.

President Trump Addresses the Nation about his overseas trip. He will be meeting w/ US Armed Forces to thank them. Thank you, @POTUS. pic.twitter.com/gzyE3tfpXI  Red Pill (@RedPillDropper) May 19, 2017

Delegates to the Nato summit have been cautioned by their Washington consultants to keep it short and use plenty of visual aids in talks with the President. Also important is stroking the Presidents ego; complimenting him on his electoral college win and contrasting him favourably with former President Obama.

The summit will involve several meetings with leaders of European Union countries. Mr Trump recently reversed course on the 28-member bloc, describing it as wonderful, despite having once called it a vehicle for Germany.

On the Presidents list of meetings is a working lunch with the recently elected French President Emmanuel Macron. Mr Trump expressed support for Mr Macrons far-right opponent, Marine Le Pen, during the French election.

On Friday, the President will attend the G7 Summit in Sicily. He heads back to Washington on Saturday.

Asked how Mr Trumps mounting scandals at home will affect his relations with allies abroad, Democratic Senator Ben Cardin, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters: Well see how the trip goes."

But these trips are pretty well orchestrated from the point of view of what events youre going to be at, he added. I think its an exciting itinerary  one that could be extremely important for US national security and relations. We hope it will be successful.
Among those who rushed to see what was happening as carnage hit Times Square Thursday was President Trump's ex-wife Marla Maples.

Read: Times Square Crash Victim Was Beloved Daughter, Sister With 'Terrific Sense of Humor'

Trumps second wife posted a video to Instagram and took a selfie in the aftermath with the wreckage in the background.

But she came under fire for sharing the images on social media.

As a mother, I'm appalled U took smiley at the very spot where a girl lost her life," one person wrote.

Alyssa Elsman, 18, from Portage, Michigan, was on her first day of a dream vacation touring New York City with her family when she lost her life.

She posted an Instagram video in Times Square moments before a driver plowed through pedestrians with his Honda Accord.

She was killed and her 13-year-old sister seriously injured, along with 21 other pedestrians who lay scattered on the sidewalk.

A concrete barrier has been put up where the driver crashed his car.

Times Square is considered one of the top targets for terrorism in America so surveillance cameras captured every chilling moment.

The driver was caught making a U-turn on Seventh Avenue at 42nd street. A camera at a bank across the street shows victims flying everywhere as the car roared up the sidewalk.

The man behind the wheel is now charged with murder as well as 20 counts of attempted murder and vehicular homicide.

Cops say Robert Rojas, 26, was suicidal, screaming that he wanted them to shoot him.

Read: 18-Year-Old Dead, More Than 20 Injured After Car Rams Pedestrians In Times Square

He allegedly attempted to flee from the scene. But he was surrounded by a crowd of heroes and tackled by Ken Bradix, a bouncer at Planet Hollywood.

Bradix showed Inside Edition how he tackled him. He went into the suspect's waist then threw his own weight into him, bringing Rojas into the ground.

Cops say when the driver went on his rampage he was believed to be high on either PCP or synthetic marijuana.

Story continues

He has not entered a plea and is due in court next week.

Watch: Marla Maples' Engagement Ring, Given to Her by Donald Trump, Goes Up for Auction

Related Articles:
Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump on Thursday called the situation in Venezuela a "disgrace to humanity" and said the deadly political crisis was possibly the worst of its kind in decades.

"We haven't really seen a problem like that... in decades, in terms of the kind of violence that we're witnessing," Trump told a press conference with visiting Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos.

"People don't have enough to eat. People have no food. There's great violence. And we will do whatever is necessary and we will work together to do whatever is necessary to help with fixing that. (...) what is happening is really a disgrace to humanity."

Shortly thereafter the US Treasury slapped sanctions on eight members of Venezuela's Supreme Court, charging them with undermining the deeply divided country's democratic legislature in support of a corrupt government.

Trump's comments came one day after the Venezuelan government announced it was sending more than 2,500 troops to a trouble-hit region on the border with Colombia to try to quell weeks of violence that have claimed 44 lives nationwide.

Despite its vast oil reserves, Venezuela is suffering chronic shortages of food, medicine and other basic supplies. The center-right opposition blames it all on mismanagement and corruption in the Socialist government.

President Nicolas Maduro in turn blames sabotage by the "bourgeois" opposition, which he says is backed by Washington.

"When you look at the oil reserves that they have, when you look at the potential wealth that Venezuela has, you sort of have to wonder why is that happening, how is that possible?" said Trump.

"It has been unbelievably poorly run for a long period of time, and hopefully that will change and they could use those assets for the good and to take care of their people," he said.

- Tough sanctions -

The Treasury Department sanctions were Washington's toughest action yet signaling support for hundreds of thousands of protestors seeking Maduro's tight grip on power.

Story continues

The announcement followed a series of rulings since mid-2016 in which the court usurped the National Assembly's powers in support of Maduro.

The sanctions freeze any assets the country's most powerful judicial figures may have in US jurisdictions and lock them out of much of global banking.

"The Venezuelan people are suffering from a collapsing economy brought about by their government's mismanagement and corruption," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

"Members of the country's Supreme Court of Justice have exacerbated the situation by consistently interfering with the legislative branch's authority," he said.

"By imposing these targeted sanctions, the United States is supporting the Venezuelan people in their efforts to protect and advance democratic governance in their country."

The Treasury cited recent Supreme Court rulings that have allowed Maduro to rule by executive decree, exempted the government from submitting its budget to the legislature, and taken away from the legislature the power to appoint the National Electoral Council.

In March, the court stripped parliamentary immunity from members of the National Assembly and moved to assume legislative powers for itself. Those decisions have since been partially reversed.

The eight named for sanctions include the president of the Supreme Court, Maikel Moreno, and the seven principal members of the court's Constitutional Chamber.

In February, the US designated Maduro's vice president and presumed heir Tareck El Aissami a major international drug trafficker.
Riyadh (AFP) - Washington announced a huge arms deal with Saudi Arabia and took aim at Iran on Saturday as President Donald Trump began a foreign tour looking to leave domestic troubles behind.

The $110 billion deal for Saudi purchases of US defence equipment and services came at the start of an eight-day trip that will also take Trump to Jerusalem, the Vatican and meetings with leaders in Europe.

Trump hailed a series of business deals reached during meetings in Riyadh, with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir saying they were worth more than $380 billion.

"That was a tremendous day. Tremendous investments in the United States," Trump said at talks with Saudi King Salman.

"Hundreds of billions of dollars of investments into the United States and jobs, jobs, jobs."

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Twitter that the defence agreement was the "largest single arms deal in US history" and said other deals amounted to $250 billion in commercial investment.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the intent of the arms deal was to support Riyadh "in particular in the face of malign Iranian influence and Iranian-related threats which exist on Saudi Arabia's borders".

Tillerson also urged Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, who won a resounding re-election victory on Saturday, to dismantle his country's "network of terrorism" and to end ballistic missile tests.

Sunni power Saudi Arabia and predominantly Shiite Iran are opposed in a range of regional conflicts including in Syria and in Saudi neighbour Yemen, where Riyadh is leading a military coalition battling Tehran-backed rebels.

Tillerson said the arms package "bolsters the kingdom's ability to provide for its own security and contributing to counter-terrorism operations throughout the region".

- Harder line on Tehran -

The harder line on Iran will be very welcome in Saudi Arabia and among its Arab Gulf allies, who saw Trump's predecessor Barack Obama as too soft on Tehran.

Story continues

Trump had been assured a warm welcome in Riyadh, which is keen to rebuild ties with a major ally.

The president and first lady Melania Trump were greeted by King Salman as they disembarked at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday morning.

Trump and his wife, who dressed conservatively in black but did not cover her hair as Saudi women are required to do, walked side-by-side to the tarmac where they both shook hands with the 81-year-old king.

Trump in 2015 criticised then-first lady Michelle Obama for not wearing a headscarf during a visit to Saudi Arabia, saying on Twitter that her hosts had been "insulted".

Later, Trump joined in a traditional sword dance welcome ceremony ahead of a banquet at the Murabba Palace.

The mood in Riyadh was in sharp contrast to Washington where pressure is building after fresh claims over the Trump team's alleged links to Moscow.

It was announced late Friday that James Comey, the former FBI chief fired by Trump, had agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the US elections.

Reports also emerged that Trump had called Comey "a nut job" and that the FBI had identified a senior White House official as a "significant person of interest" in its probe of Russian meddling.

- Major speech to Muslim leaders -

After talks with senior Saudi officials on Saturday, Trump was to give a speech to dozens of Muslim leaders on Sunday. It has been touted as a major event -- along the lines of a landmark address to the Islamic world given by Obama in Cairo in 2009.

It will be especially sensitive given tensions sparked by the Trump administration's attempted travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority nations and accusations of anti-Islamic rhetoric on the campaign trail.

While most US presidents make their first foreign trip to neighbouring Canada or Mexico, 70-year-old Trump has opted instead for the Middle East and Europe.

He travels to Israel and the Palestinian Territories on Monday and Tuesday, and then to the Vatican and to Brussels and Italy for NATO and G7 meetings.

- Avalanche of revelations -

The avalanche of revelations in the run-up to his departure has eroded Trump's standing at home.

On Friday, a report by The Washington Post that the probe into his campaign's Russia ties had identified a "significant person of interest" in the White House undercut Trump's insistence his election bid had nothing to do with the Kremlin.

The White House was rocked by another bombshell when reports emerged that Trump said his firing of "nut job" Comey had relieved "great pressure" on him due to the investigation.

The scandals have revived questions about his ability to strike a presidential tone with his foreign counterparts.

The first leg of the trip was likely to be the easiest -- Saudi leaders are keen to work with an administration they see as more in line with their goals.

The normally austere kingdom put on a major display for the visit, with Riyadh's streets lined with US and Saudi flags and billboards featuring Trump and King Salman.

The next leg in Israel could be more complicated, despite the history of warm ties between Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The visit is already awash in controversy, from a row over Trump's planned visit to Jerusalem's Western Wall, the holiest prayer site for Jews, to his alleged disclosure of Israeli intelligence to Russian officials.

After meeting Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Trump will see Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem, part of his efforts to revive the long-stagnant peace process.

On Tuesday Trump heads to Rome to meet with Pope Francis. The two men are at odds on everything from climate change to refugee policy, although the pontiff says he will give the US leader an open-minded hearing.

The president will then meet NATO members in Brussels and attend a G7 summit in the Sicilian town of Taormina.

These meetings -- including with new French President Emmanuel Macron -- will be closely watched for signs of whether Trump and traditional US allies in Europe can work together.

burs-mm/srm/hkb
Washington (AFP) - From Riyadh to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Rome, Brussels and Sicily, Donald Trump leaves a swirl of domestic woes behind Friday to embark on a first foreign trip that will be closely watched in capitals the world over.

Trump's extraordinarily dense first trip -- six stops in eight days, and countless face-to-face meetings from Saudi King Salman to Pope Francis via France's new leader, Emmanuel Macron -- is fraught with perils for the president.

The avalanche of revelations in the run-up to his departure have eroded Trump's standing at home -- where the parallels with Richard Nixon's ill-fated presidency are now being openly drawn.

They also revived questions about his ability to strike a presidential tone with his foreign counterparts.

"Truth is, nobody knows how Donald Trump is going to act or what he's going to say in meetings of this kind because he's never done it before," summed up Stephen Sestanovich of the Council on Foreign Relations.

White House staff cast the 70-year-old's "friendly but candid" style as an asset in his dealings with foreign leaders.

But as the Republican takes his first steps as head of state on the world stage, his every word, action and tweet will be under the microscope.

Known to dislike long trips, the president will be joined by his wife Melania, who has until now cut a highly discreet figure at his side.

His daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner -- two of his closest advisors -- will also be on board Air Force One.

What message will Trump be taking to the world?

On foreign policy, the president has pulled back spectacularly from his most provocative campaign pledges, towards a stance in many respects similar to his predecessor Barack Obama.

But the real estate magnate will still need to explain to foreign partners how his favorite slogan -- "America First" -- can be compatible with multilateralism.

"President Trump understands that America First does not mean American alone -- to the contrary," insisted his national security advisor, H.R. McMaster.

Story continues

Catchphrases aside, many questions remain unanswered.

- Speech on Islam -

The White House touts a "historic" trip during which Trump -- in visits to Saudi Arabia, the Vatican and Jerusalem -- will reach out to leaders of the world's major monotheistic faiths.

During his two days in Riyadh, he will likely seek to strike a contrast with the Democrat Obama, who was widely viewed with suspicion by the Sunni Muslim monarchies of the Gulf.

The combination of tough talk on Shiite Iran, a lower-key focus on human rights, and the likely announcement of new arms deals should in theory earn the US leader a warm welcome.

Trump's delivery of a speech on Islam before dozens of Muslim leaders gathered in the Saudi capital could prove a far more delicate exercise, however, given the tensions sparked by his travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority nations -- now stuck in the US courts.

"I'll speak with Muslim leaders and challenge them to fight hatred and extremism, and embrace a peaceful future for their faith," Trump promised ahead of the trip.

In Israel, Trump has hopes -- though it is still unclear how -- of reviving the moribund peace process, meeting both his "friend" Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem.

But the Israeli leg of his trip is already awash in controversy -- from a row over his visit to Jerusalem's Western Wall, the holiest prayer site for Jews, to Trump's alleged disclosure of Israeli intelligence to Russian officials.

Trump's meeting with Pope Francis -- two men at odds on everything from climate change to refugee policy -- remains highly unpredictable, although the pontiff says he will give America's bullish leader an open-minded hearing.

Finally, the president's trip will wrap up in Europe where his shifting pronouncements on Brexit, NATO and the future of the European Union have sown confusion among longstanding allies.

Trump will meet members of the North Atlantic alliance in Brussels, before heading on to a G7 summit in Taormina, a picturesque Sicilian town overlooking the Mediterranean.

"Does he invest in the relationship with the Atlantic partners in the same way that every president has done since Pearl Harbor?" wondered Charles Kupchan, former advisor to Obama.

"He came into office suggesting not. He has since said and done things suggesting maybe. But I think everyone will be watching for that."

Trump has yet to personally reassert the US commitment to Article 5, NATO's mutual defense clause.

- The Nixon trip -

How his trip is perceived by fellow Americans is key for the president.

Well aware of heightened concerns about terrorism, the Republican hopes to bring back hard commitments from US allies in the fight against the Islamic State group.

But however powerful the images of Trump's globe-trotting turn out to be, they have little chance of eclipsing the scandals convulsing his White House back home.

For ex-CIA analyst Bruce Riedel, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, the comparison that springs most obviously to mind is with Nixon's 1974 trip to the Middle East, which he hoped would yield a diplomatic success to "divert attention away from the Watergate scandal."

"It did not work," said Riedel.

"The American media concentrated on the Watergate scandal, they treated the trip as a side show... and the Watergate scandal kept dripping and dripping."
By Phil Stewart and David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Friday that any military solution to the North Korea crisis would be "tragic on an unbelievable scale" and Washington was working internationally to find a diplomatic solution. North Korea has defied all calls to rein in its nuclear and missile programs, even from China, its lone major ally, calling them legitimate self-defense. It has been working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of striking the U.S. mainland, and experts say its test on Sunday of a new missile was another important step toward that aim. "We are going to continue to work the issue," Mattis told a Pentagon news conference. "If this goes to a military solution, it's going to be tragic on an unbelievable scale. So our effort is to work with the U.N., work with China, work with Japan, work with South Korea to try to find a way out of this situation." The remarks were one of the clearest indicators yet that President Donald Trump's administration will seek to exhaust alternatives before turning to military action to force Pyongyang's hand. The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea to guard against the North Korean threat, has called on China to do more to rein in its neighbor. Mattis appeared to defend China's most recent efforts, even as he acknowledged Pyongyang's march forward. "They (North Korea) clearly aren't listening but there appears to be some impact by the Chinese working here. It's not obviously perfect when they launch a missile," Mattis said, when asked about Sunday's launch. RE-ENTRY CAPABILITY? South Korea has said the North's missile program was progressing faster than expected, with Sunday's test considered successful in flight. North Korea said the launch tested the capability to carry a "large-size heavy nuclear warhead," and its ambassador in Beijing has said that Pyongyang would continue such test launches "any time, any place." Mattis acknowledged that Pyongyang had likely learned a great deal from the latest test of what U.S. officials say was a KN-17 missile, which was believed to have survived re-entry to some degree. "They went to a very high apogee and when it came down obviously from that altitude they probably learned a lot from it. But I'm not willing to characterize it beyond that right now," Mattis said. David Wright, co-director and senior scientist at the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, the big question was whether North Korea could build a re-entry vehicle for a long-range missile that wouldn't burn up during re-entry and could keep a warhead from becoming too hot in the process. "This test in principle gave them a lot of information about this, assuming they had sensors that could send information back during reentry so they could monitor the heat, or they could recover the reentry vehicle and examine it," he said. (Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Cynthia Osterman)
By Jeff Mason and Steve Holland RIYADH (Reuters) - Under political fire at home, U.S. President Donald Trump sealed a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia on Saturday on his maiden foreign trip as he struggled to shift attention from the aftermath of his firing of the director of the FBI. The arms deal, plus other investments that U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said could total up to $350 billion, was the central achievement of Trump's first day in Riyadh, first stop on a nine-day journey through the Middle East and Europe. Speaking to journalists after a ceremony to exchange agreements, Trump said it was a "tremendous day" and spoke of "hundreds of billions of dollars of investments into the United States and jobs, jobs, jobs. So I would like to thank all of the people of Saudi Arabia." King Salman gave Trump a remarkably warm greeting, meeting him at the steps of Air Force One on arrival, shaking the hand of Trump's wife, Melania, riding with Trump in his limousine and spending most of the day with him. But the political turmoil back in Washington consumed the headlines in the United States and cast a long shadow over the start of Trump's trip, which will include stops in Israel, the Vatican, Italy and Belgium. His firing of Federal Bureau of Investigation head James Comey on May 9 and the appointment of a special counsel to investigate Trump's 2016 presidential election campaign ties to Russia have raised the question of whether he tried to squelch a probe into allegations of a Russian connection. Fanning the flames was a New York Times report that Trump had called Comey a "nut job" in a private meeting last week in the Oval Office with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and ambassador Sergei Kislyak. The Times quoted briefing notes of the conversation. Amid a mood of frustration, officials on board Trump's Riyadh-bound presidential plane scrambled to coordinate on responding to the story with staff in Washington and those who had just landed in the Saudi capital. Asked for a response, the White House said that for national security reasons, "we do not confirm or deny the authenticity of allegedly leaked classified documents." Russia's Interfax news agency on Saturday quoted Lavrov as saying he had not discussed Comey with Trump. "We did not touch this issue at all," the minister said. In another development, the Washington Post said a White House official close to Trump was a significant "person of interest" in the investigation into possible ties with Russia. Tillerson, asked about the story, said he did not know who the "person of interest" was. Against that backdrop, Trump soldiered through a long day of diplomacy. Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir called the results of Trump's meetings with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz "the beginning of a turning point" between the United States, Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies. Both he and Tillerson made clear the arms deal was aimed at countering Iran on a day that Hassan Rouhani was re-elected as Iran's president. Tillerson said Rouhani should use his second term to end Iran's ballistic missile testing and stop promoting extremism in a volatile region. He said he had no plans to talk to his Iranian counterpart but that he in all likelihood he would do so "at the right time." Al-Jubeir said Trump and King Salman agreed that action had to be taken to ensure Iran did not continue "aggressive policies in the region." Trump's trip has been billed by the White House as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world's major religions, while giving him time to meet with Arab, Israeli and European leaders. CONTRAST WITH OBAMA VISIT King Salman gave a more favorable welcome to Trump than he had granted last year to Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, who was seen in the Arab kingdom as soft on Iran and hesitant on Syria. Trump and King Salman seemed at ease with each other, chatting through an interpreter. At the royal al-Yamama palace, the king draped around Trump's neck the King Abdulaziz medal, the country's top civilian honor. At the end of the day, Tillerson and U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, holding swords, were seen participating in a ceremonial dance at Marraba Palace with a Saudi group. As Trump arrived for dinner with the king, a spectacle awaited him: Men dressed in long white turbans and carrying swords swayed and chanted in unison to beating drums in a courtyard. Trump, clearly enjoying himself, smiled and swayed, even seeming to dance a little at the center of the group. SYRIAN CIVIL WAR During their conversation earlier in the day, the king was overheard lamenting the Syrian war. Trump ordered air strikes against a Syrian airfield in April in response to a chemical weapons attack by government forces against civilians. "Syria too used to be one of the most advanced countries. We used to get our professors from Syria. They served our kingdom. Unfortunately, they too brought destruction to their own country. You can destroy a country in mere seconds, but it takes a lot of effort," he said. Trump's response could not be heard. The arms package includes a pledge by the kingdom to assemble 150 Lockheed Martin Blackhawk helicopters in Saudi Arabia, in a $6 billion deal expected to result in about 450 jobs in the kingdom. National oil giant Saudi Aramco was also expected to sign $50 billion of deals with U.S. companies on Saturday, part of a drive to diversify the kingdom's economy beyond oil exports, Aramco's chief executive Amin Nasser said. U.S. technology and engineering conglomerate GE said it had signed $15 billion of agreements with Saudi organizations. Trump is to deliver a speech in Riyadh on Sunday aimed at rallying Muslims in the fight against Islamist militants. He will also attend a summit of Gulf leaders of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council. Shortly after taking office, Trump sought to block people from several Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States, but the travel ban has been blocked by federal courts. (Reporting by Steve Holland and Jeff Mason; editing by Sami Aboudi, Andrew Roche and Grant McCool)
By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior U.S. senator said on Friday that he expects Congress' investigation of Russia and the 2016 U.S. election to go ahead, even after the appointment of a special counsel, and said Congress has a broader mandate that extends to financial conflicts of interest. The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday appointed Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign and possible collusion between Trumps campaign and Russia. "The Congress has a broader oversight responsibility than just whether crimes have been committed," Senator Ron Wyden, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee and a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said during a round-table meeting with Reuters. The Senate Intelligence Committee is conducting one of the main congressional probes of the issue. "Bob Mueller doesn't have, for example, the same broader responsibility to get into the kind of financial entanglements that I have especially focused on," Wyden said. Questions remain about what contacts took place between Trump advisers and the Russians, and about Russia investments in Trump businesses. In March, for example, the White House disclosed that Trump's son-in-law and White House senior adviser, Jared Kushner, met executives of Russian state development bank Vnesheconombank, or VEB, in December. In February, Trump's national security adviser, Michael Flynn, was forced to resign for failing to disclose the content of his talks with Sergei Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to the United States, and then misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations. Reuters reported on Thursday that Flynn and other advisers to Trumps campaign were in contact with Russian officials and others with Kremlin ties in at least 18 calls and emails during the last seven months of the 2016 presidential race. "GO TO THE MAT" U.S. intelligence agencies said Russia hacked emails of senior Democrats and orchestrated the release of embarrassing information in a bid to tip the 2016 U.S. presidential election in favor of Trump, whose views were seen as more in line with Moscow's. Russia has denied the allegations. Trump has dismissed suggestions of links with Moscow as Democratic sour grapes for losing the election. Trump and his aides have repeatedly denied any collusion with Russia. Mueller's appointment raised questions about whether he would ask Congress to step away from its investigation, or whether the dual track would complicate issues such as calling witnesses or obtaining documents. Some congressional Republicans have also suggested that Mueller's appointment would lead to changes in Congress' investigation. Wyden said he would "go to the mat" to be sure congressional investigators get what they need. He has already put a hold on Trump's nomination of Sigal Mandelker to the position of under secretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence until Treasury hands over all documents related to financial dealings between Russia, Trump and Trump associates. Wyden also said he was looking into ways to obtain documents related to dealings with Russia by Flynn. The Intelligence Committee subpoenaed Flynn for the documents on May 10. His lawyer said on Thursday that Flynn had not yet decided how to respond. Wyden said he needed time to decide how to respond, but pledged he would do so. "We still have to know more ... about how Russia corrupted our democracy," he said. He said he knew that it would involve the Department of Justice. (Editing by Leslie Adler)
Robert Mueller isnt starting his work investigating Russias influence on the 2016 election alone, hes also bringing along a veteran Watergate prosecutor and another man who hes worked closely with him before.

James Quarles, who started his career working on the Watergate Special Prosecution Force, and Aaron Zebley, Mr Muellers chief of staff at the FBI, are joining the investigation.

Another Watergate veteran says that Mr Quarles prior experience in such a high-stakes investigation will only help stabilise the process.

Read more

Special prosecutor 'will take Donald Trump from frying pan to fire'

There is nothing comparable to the kind of pressure and obligation that this kind of job puts on your shoulders, Richard Ben-Veniste, a lawyer who served as a special prosecutor during the Watergate scandal, told CNN describing Mr Quarles unique qualifications. Having been there before, gives him the confidence to know how to do it and how to do it right.

The choice of Mr Mueller as special prosecutor has elicited praise from many in Washington who are familiar with him. A former FBI director, Mr Mueller has established a reputation for himself as a steadfast and resolute lawyer. He is known for diligent and deep probes into issues, leaving no stone unturned.

His career has seen him prosecute a wide range of cases including drug-related murders in Washington, international terrorism, and he has even been hired as a private counsel to investigate the NFLs culpability in Ray Rices domestic violence case (to give a good idea of his thoroughness: His write-up afterward included five pages just describing the NFLs process for the delivery of mail and packages).

Mr Mueller and his team may not present the results of their investigation for some time, and it is believed that there will be very few leaks in the months ahead to give a good idea of where things are headed. The special prosecutor will be able to independently determine the timeline of investigation so that they can diligently peel away at every facet of the case.
By James Oliphant WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In the Trump White House, its getting lonely at the top. President Donald Trumps fellow Republicans in Congress are showing signs of going their own way, both on politics and policy, determined to salvage what they can of their agenda on healthcare and tax reform in the wake of one of the most difficult weeks of any American presidency. At the same time, Trump's failure to fill senior roles at federal agencies means he does not have a cadre of loyalists who can help rein in a bureaucracy that many in Trumps orbit believe are out to leak information intended to damage the president. That has worsened the isolation of the White House in a city that relies on friends and allies to shake off a crisis. The result is problems on multiple fronts: a government whose bonds with Congress, federal agencies and the public look increasingly fractured; an ambitious but stalled program of reforms; and a president whose low approval ratings threaten his partys control of Congress in the 2018 midterm elections. Trump and his beleaguered staff, some White House aides told Reuters, feel besieged by a parade of negative stories and abandoned by fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill, as the furor over the firing of FBI Director James Comey and allegations that Trump tried to influence the probe into Russian meddling in last years election show little sign of abating. Since Tuesday, when leaked excerpts of a purported memo by Comey detailing his conversations with Trump were made public, few Republicans beyond the White House have rushed to the airwaves to push back against suggestions that the president may have obstructed justice in asking Comey to end the probe into the conduct of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. As the Russia probe entered a new phase on Wednesday with the appointment of former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel in the investigation, a move that will likely place the White House under even stronger scrutiny, some Republicans expressed surprise that the White House had not done more to recruit them to backstop the president. Its kind of funny. The answer is no, said Senator James Inhofe, a Republican from Oklahoma, when asked by Reuters whether the White House had reached out to him to come to Trumps defense. I dont know anyone else that has been contacted. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on this story. Trump left on Friday for his first foreign trip as president. The 10-day trip will take him to Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Europe. STAFF VACANCIES The administration has continued to struggle to fill the hundreds of open positions at senior levels of government that remain open, leaving the White House alone to grapple with one challenge after another. For example, the Justice Department still lacks senior officials in place to head up the anti-trust, civil rights, criminal, and civil divisions, as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to its website. At the Department of Homeland Security, the chiefs of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Transportation Security Administration, have yet to be confirmed. And at the Department of Education, a sprawling bureaucracy of 4,400 employees with a $68 billion budget, all the key roles except for the secretary remain empty or filled with people in an acting capacity, said a Department of Education official. Nobody knows when or if they will be filled anytime soon, said the official, who declined to be identified by name. The department did not respond to a request for comment. Trump has frequently complained that Senate Democrats have stalled the approval process for his nominees. But the White House has also been slower to send nominees to the Senate than previous administrations. Many top State Department posts also remain vacant. One consequence, say several officials, is that department experts played little role in briefing Trump for his telephone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin or his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ambassador Sergei Kislyak, where officials say he disclosed highly classified intelligence. State Department and intelligence officials say that as power is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few Trump loyalists in the White House, the roles of professional Foreign Service, intelligence and civil service officers have shrunk compared to past administrations. For instance, said two U.S. diplomats, no one from the State Department attended Trumps Feb. 15 meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - a sharp contrast from past administrations which would typically staff such a high-profile meeting with high-level State Department officials. Asked for comment, the State Department would not address the circumstances of the meeting with the Russian officials in the Oval Office, but did speak to the efforts involving Netanyahu and the Middle East. "As the president has repeatedly noted, Middle East peace is a top priority for this administration," a department spokesperson said. "This is an effort supported by both the White House and the State Department. Claims that the State Department has not been involved have no basis in facts." Overall, more than 500 of the 557 federal government positions requiring Senate confirmation remain vacant. Only 33 nominees have been confirmed, and only 57 other positions now have a nominee, according to the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization in Washington. CAPITOL HILL FRUSTRATIONS A lack of communication from the White House left many Republicans on Capitol Hill frustrated as a sense of crisis mushroomed over the past week. One, Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is conducting its own Russia probe, publicly complained about the situation. Tuesday morning, after news broke the previous evening that Trump had shared classified information with Russian officials, Burr said he couldn't get through to the White House, as the story lit up television news programs and buzzed online. Maybe theyre busy, he said. Some Republicans said the constant focus on responding to allegations concerning the Russia probe was draining their caucus of focus and energy to push through their agenda. Absent guidance, Republican staff members in Congress were beginning to devise their own strategy about how to respond to the gusher of bad news, one aide told Reuters. And at the White House, with lines of communication to Congress seemingly frayed at times, a narrowing circle of people has come to the president's defense, as senior staff grapple not only with the cascade of revelations but with a president who at times contradicts on Twitter their talking points. Everyone is just tired, said one White House aide. (Additional reporting by Yasmeen Abutaleb, Julia Edwards Ainsley, Susan Cornwell, Richard Cowan, Timothy Gardner, Julia Harte, Steve Holland, Jeff Mason, Arshad Mohammed, David Morgan, and John Walcott; Editing by Jason Szep and Ross Colvin)
Robert De Niro / Bernie Madoff De Niro is one of the great actors of his generation, but hes also indisputably himself. Its hard not to see De Niro rather than Madoff, even if he dons glasses and a balding hair cap.



(Photo: HBO/AP)

The absorbing tale of fraudulent businessman Bernie Madoff comes to life in HBOs The Wizard of Lies, which premieres Saturday at 8 p.m Based on the book of the same title by Diana B. Henriques, the movie delves into Madoffs (Robert De Niro) fall, as his precarious Ponzi scheme crumbles and he is arrested for perpetrating the largest financial fraud in American history. His disgrace spreads to his wife, Ruth (Michelle Pfeiffer), and their two sons.

The story has been put on screen before, in last years ABC miniseries Madoff. Now, HBO takes its turn, and The Wizard of Lies is not so much a biopic but a psychological exploration of Madoff, Ruth, and their family. With big names like De Niro and Pfeiffer headlining the cast, the movie has already drawn a lot of attention. But how much do the cast members resemble their real-life counterparts? Click through our slideshow to see.

The Wizard of Lies premieres Saturday, May 20 at 8 p.m. on HBO.
Sheikha Moza bint Nasser of Qatar and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands attend the Seminar on Protection and Education in Conflict Zones at the Hague Institute for Global Justice in the Hague, Netherlands, on Thursday. (Photo: Getty Images)

Summer 2017 is all about the statement sleeve  and the Netherlands Queen Maxima and Qatars Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al Missned are all over it. On Friday, the women attended a law seminar at the Hague in the Netherlands and, in addition to promoting international peace, pushed forward the fashionable trend.

According to Mozas Instagram, she said in her speech that the United Nations Security Council is broken in exactly those situations where it is needed most  to hold to account those who commit grave violations of international law. Wearing a bubblegum pink peplum top with pleated sleeves that she paired with a pleated black skirt, she also noted that only when all countries abide by international law will peace and security be possible.

Moza, whos the daughter of Nasser bin Abdullah Al Missned and the second wife of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thanis three wives, was hosted by the Dutch queen, who popped in a royal blue dress with bell sleeves. Maxima accessorized with a brooch on her left shoulder, as well as sapphire earrings, and carried a suede clutch that matched her nude heels.

Photo: Getty Images

If the queens dress looks familiar, its because Melania Trump wore it last July. At the Republican National Convention, the wife of the then Republican nominee took the stage in a white version of Roksanda Ilincics Margot dress.

Story continues

Photo: Farfetch

While Trumps piece originally sold for $2,195 (she actually bought it herself online from Net-A-Porter), the queens version is currently available for $1,515.

The 46-year-old royal, who was born in Argentina, is far from the first fashionista to take cues from Melania Trump. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, gave a speech at the Democratic convention in a white dress that was identical to Melanias; Edie Falco wore a black version of the Ilincic dress in December; Natalie Portman wore a similar dress designed by Dior to the Screen Actors Guild Awards in January; and Zoey Deutchs Tory Burch gown at the Met Gala featured a strikingly similar silhouette to the Margot.

Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty.




Exploding electronics are a, uh, hot topic lately. Between the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 recall and an epidemic of exploding hoverboards, people are more aware than ever that things with batteries go up in flames occasionally.

So for Apple, being associated with any fire is a bad thing. In the case of a woman whose Beats heaphones exploded on a plane, Apple is going to pains to point out that its not Apples fault.

Don't Miss: You wont have to wait until November to buy Apples next-gen iPhone 8

As the Australian Associated Press reports, a woman from Adelaide was on a flight from Beijing to Melbourne earlier this year when her Beats headphones exploded. She was napping on the flight, but was awoken by the sound of an explosion and a burning sensation on her face.

That model of Beats headphones reportedly used AAA battery cells, which are not supplied with the headphones. Apple claims that its investigation shows the third-party batteries were at fault, but the woman who was burned alleges that since there were no instructions on what brand of battery to use, Apple should bear some responsibility. The headphones dont work without batteries, yet nowhere on the headphones  or their packaging  did it specify which brand of batteries should be used, she told the AP.

With no more information, its difficult to second-guess Apples position here. But more important than apportioning blame for this specific incident is how hard Apple appears to be pushing back. In this kind of situation, its more common for a company to express regret, and maybe come to some kind of quiet settlement. But with exploding batteries such a big deal these days, Apple doesnt even want the appearance of a mistake.

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
Earlier this week, Google finally put the Google Assistant onto iPhones. For the first time, Apple fanboys can use Googles AI to perform a bunch of tricks, but much more importantly, it means we can finally have a Google Assistant vs Siri showdown.

This isnt a fair fight on several counts: Googles been doing AI for much longer and has more data to mine; but Siris also the built-in AI, which gives her access to far more of the iPhones functions. But despite blatant Apple favoritism for Siri, Google Assistant can still pull a bunch of tricks that Siri can only dream of.

Don't Miss: Exclusive: The worlds first look at Apples final iPhone 8 design in real life

Written conversations

The first feature youre likely to notice is that you can type questions to Google Assistant. If, like me, youd never be seen dead talking to your phone in public, this is a genuinely game-changing feature. It lets you use all the smarts of Google without needing to say actual words in public and have everyone around you judging your movie choice.

Written queries get treated exactly the same as spoken things: you can write in natural speech, so things like set an alarm for 7 or whats the weather like today keeps working just fine.

Contextual answers

Another of Googles neat features is that it remembers what youre talking about. For example, you can ask Who directed Batman Begins, and then immediately follow up with show me pictures of him, and itll bring up images of Christopher Nolan. It goes a long way towards making the Google Assistant feel like a real person, not some kind of information-fetching bot or an enhanced version of Google.

Google will even suggest a lot of these follow-up features to you. Once Id asked about Christopher Nolan, it provided a bunch of prompts like Images and Movies, which you can tap to get more info. It feels a lot like the information cards that Google serves up when you do an internet search, but easier to access.

Story continues

Flight status

You can ask Google Whats the status of Delta flight 361 to Atlanta, and itll give you info directly within the app without kicking you out to a web page. Siris not even close  as with many things, if you ask it for a flight status, itll do a web search and give you the top pages. Even when Google cant give you precise flight status, it still gives useful info. For example, I tried asking Whats the status of the Delta flight from Charlotte to Wilmington, it sent me to a web page for Wilmington airport, with Airline:Delta and Origin:Charlotte already filled in.

Bots

Google has opened up the Assistants natural-language-processing to a bunch of third-party companies. One of the better ones is Genius, the music recognition and recommendation database. Ask the Assistant Id like to talk to Genius, and you get a new conversation specifically with the Genius bot. From there, you can type in a couple of lyrics, and itll tell you what song youre listening to and information about it.

In many ways, I actually prefer it to Shazam or other services that listen to a sound clip. Quite often, Im in a bar where a music recognition service wont work, but I can make out snippets of lyrics. Typing that straight into the Assistant is a little easier than doing a Google search, and gives better results.

Shopping list

This is a little unfair, because both Google Assistant and Siri do have a shopping list feature. But Googles is much faster and slicker to use, and syncs to a dedicated Shopping List thats tied to your Google account, and you can easily manage from multiple devices.

Way more importantly, though, Google Assistant doesnt just keep the shopping list as another list. When you browse to the list in the Home app (or just ask Google Assistant shopping list,) you get the option to shop your list using Google Express. You can view the list, browse item options, and then checkout all without leaving the app, or really feeling like youre doing anything.

Where Siri still wins

Theres one big caveat to all this, though: Google Assistant requires you to open up an app before you can use it. Siri can be activated by your voice or by pressing the home button, which takes seconds off the process every time you use it. Sure, Googles voice recognition is much better, and it syncs with all your Google accounts, but that doesnt really matter if you dont use it. While Siri remains the only option for the native voice assistant on the iPhone  and I dont see Apple changing that any time soon  the Assistant is still going to be second-best.

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
Microsoft (MSFT) finally has a Surface-branded laptop, and its gorgeous. Unveiled at a press event in New York on Tuesday, the aptly named Microsoft Surface Laptop is the first true notebook from the Windows maker.

Sure, Microsoft already offers the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book, but those are convertible devices that can be used as either laptops or tablets. The Surface Laptop, on the other hand, is a straight-up laptop. And I already want one.

Taking on Apples MacBooks

Available June 15 and starting at $999, the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop takes dead aim at Apples 13-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro notebooks.

Thats not just my take, either. Panos Panay, the corporate VP of Microsofts Surface group, specifically name-checked both Apple devices, saying the Surface Laptop is thinner, lighter and more powerful than both.

We built a laptop, and its beautiful, Panay said. But its beautiful because its personal. Its personal because its meant to be a reflection of who you are. It brings that security and superior performance. And probably most important is  its going to last you.

Microsofts Surface Laptop is thinner and lighter than Apples MacBook Air.

I spent some time with the Surface Laptop following Microsofts event and its certainly a stunner. Weighing just 2.76 pounds, the laptop is lighter than Apples (AAPL) 2.96-pound MacBook Air. Thats not a huge difference, but its certainly noticeable.

At 12.1 x 8.8 x 0.57 inches, the Surface Laptop has a smaller footprint than the Air, which measures 12.8 x 8.9 x 0.68 inches. The Pro, on the other hand, measures 12.0 x 8.4 x 0.59 inches.

A gorgeous display and soft-touch keyboard

Lift open the Surface Laptops lid and youre met with a beautiful 13.5-inch PixelSense touch screen display. Microsofts PixelSense panels are among the most attractive around, so its good to see the company has brought them to the Surface Laptop.

The notebooks oddest feature is easily its fabric-covered keyboard deck. The material is the same Microsoft uses on the back of its Surface Pro 4 Type Cover. The fabric is soft to the touch and gives the laptop a kind of warmth.

Story continues

The Microsoft Surface Laptops keyboard deck is covered in a soft-touch fabric.

Naturally, though, my first thought when seeing the fabric was: What happens when you spill your drink on this thing? Microsoft, however, says that it specially coated the fabric to make it resistant to absorbing or being stained by the liquids.

Less is more and more is less

Inside, the base $999 version of the Surface Laptop gets a seventh-generation Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB solid-state drive. Apples MacBook Air, which also starts at $999, comes with a sixth-generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD.

Interestingly, if you get a Surface Laptop with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, youll end up paying about $100 more than a comparably equipped MacBook Air.

Microsofts Surface Laptop in platinum.

Go for the Core i7-powered Laptop and youll get 8GB of RAM, Intel Iris graphics and a 256GB SSD for $1,599. A similarly outfitted Air will cost you $1,349, but you dont get Intel Iris graphics.

In fact, if you compare that Surface Laptop with a Core i7-powered MacBook Pro, Microsofts notebook turns out to be $200 less than Apples offering.

Max out the Surface Laptop with a Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, Intel Iris graphics and a 512GB SSD and youll pay $2,199. Thats the same price youll pay for a MacBook Pro with similar specs.

Unlike Apple, though, Microsoft is offering the Surface Laptop in four colors: burgundy, platinum, blue and gold. Unfortunately, the burgundy, blue and gold laptops are only available with Intel Core i5 processors. If you want a Core i7 chip, youll have to settle for the platinum Laptop. Thats pretty lame.

The Surface Laptop in all of its available colors.

Port envy

When Apple unveiled its MacBook Pro, it was rightly criticized for only offering USB C connectors. After all, most people dont have USB C devices, which meant the company was forcing consumers who bought a Pro to also buy USB C to standard USB adapters.

The Surface Laptop doesnt offer a USB C port.

Microsoft went the other direction, though, and only includes a single standard USB port with the Surface Laptop. Theres also a mini DisplayPort slot, and Surface Connect port, but they dont do much if you want to connect more than one USB device to your machine.

Instead, youll have to purchase an adapter that connects to your Surface Connector for $12 on Amazon, or get Microsofts Surface Dock for $199.

Windows 10 S

The Surface Laptop will come with Microsofts new streamlined version of Windows designed for students call Windows 10 S. The software only lets you download apps via the Microsoft Apps Store.

Why did Microsoft install Windows 10 S on the machine? Well, according to Yusuf Mehdi, CVP of Microsofts Windows & Devices group, the company wanted to show that a premium device can run the operating system. Think of it as a showcase for the companys new OS.

Unfortunately, the Surface Laptop is designed for adults, so giving them an operating system built for students doesnt seem to make much sense.

Luckily, you can upgrade from Windows 10 S to Windows 10 Pro for free for the first nine months you have your Laptop. After that, youll have to pay $49. So should you buy the Surface Laptop? Well, Ive only spent a few minutes with it so far, so I cant say for sure. Ill hold off on making any recommendations until my final review.

More from Dan:

Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.
With Memorial Day approaching, and thoughts of remembering our loved ones who are not with us today, I wanted to share this true story with you. We all have heard accounts of folks visiting a strange cemetery while searching for a family grave  how they have walked right to it, as if led by an unseen helper. I recently had a similar revelation, and was truly humbled but grateful for the experience.

Harvey Bell contacted me after my April 23 article was in The Citizen, and offered to meet with me to find the grave of my ancestor John Bodine. Harvey is a volunteer for findagrave.com, and we have shared some memorable jaunts together at local area cemeteries. We have climbed ditches, found unknown headstones buried in 8 inches of compost, and walked through fields and tangled brush so he could take the photograph of a headstone for some expectant family out of state.

I explained that John Bodine was buried in the old cemetery in Conewago, Pennsylvania, apparently without a headstone. Harvey and I agreed to go to Selover Cemetery in Niles to see the grave of John's wife, Lemmentje Bodine. I needed it for my supplemental state Daughters of the American Revolution application. Her two sons, Abraham and Cornelius, were in the April 23, 1793, migration of 10 families in covered wagons to Owasco, then called The Lake Country.

We agreed to meet on Monday, April 24, to go to the Niles cemetery. I told him that the Rev. George Brinkerhoff, the second minister of the Conewago Dutch Reformed Church, was also buried there, with his family plot next to the grave of my great-grandfather's twin brother, Cornelius Wilson Mattoon. I remember my daughter Lynne finding his grave over four years ago. It was lying flat on the ground next to the field behind the stone in the last row at the back of the cemetery. Cornelius was named after his grandfather Cornelius Bodine and great-grandfather the Rev. Cornelius Cozine, who was the first minister of the Conewago Reformed Church, by his mother Hannah Bodine Mattoon, the daughter of Cornelius Bodine. He was 20 years old, serving in the 3rd New York Artillery in the Civil War in New Bern, North Carolina, when he took sick of yellow fever and died from the disease.

It was a beautiful sunny day April 24 when Harvey and I crossed the field past the two gullies that surround the cemetery. We entered from the back and I was dismayed to find the boy's headstone gone from where I had last seen it. Harvey probed the ground with a tall metal probe and soon, we both heard the familiar "clunk, clunk" of a stone covered by layers of compost. Harvey got down on his knees and, with a flat trowel, cleared the gravestone of debris. It was wet with moisture, and he told me, Let us wait until the sun dries it.

We went around and found the Rev. Brinkerhoffs stone propped up against a tree. We found Abraham Bodines headstone against a tree, too. I had last seen it to the left of the grave of his mother, Lemme Bodine. I want to explain that many old trees fall down during winter storms and break many gravestones in their descent to the ground. I figured this is what happened, and that the broken stone had been carefully put upright against a nearby tree for protection.

Harvey took some pictures and informed me, Your family stone should be dried by now, lets go back and see. We ventured back and saw it was indeed dry. I read the now-readable inscription with awe. It said Cornelius Wilson Mattoon, son of Morgan Lewis and Hannah Mattoon. Age 20. Died on April 24th, 1865. I looked at Harvey. We stood there together while I recited in a trembling voice (from memory) the letter written by my great-great-grandmother to her surviving twin son, my great-grandfather John Watson Mattoon. It was written in blue ink on stationery taken from among Wilsons effects. This poignant letter was donated by my aunt during the bicentennial of America in 1976, and is now in the archives of the museum at the Owasco Reformed Church in the hamlet.

I have transcribed this as she wrote it, for Hannah did not use any punctuation:

Dear Son I again seat myself to write to you with sorrowing feelings ever since the relentless hand of death has taken from us our loved one Father and John went down after Wilson on Friday nite and got home with him a Sunday next Sunday the funeral sermon will be preached oh how hard it was to have him home and not see him they seen him down there and thought it best not to open it again But yet we hope he had good care and trusted in the Lord oh how many hearts are draped in mourning that this war has wrought among our people but yet it must be for good or God would not permit it When are you coming home what a site of trouble I have seen since you left after the fire all our belongings are out and about all the trees are a dying oh it looks like the ruins of Babylon.

My great-grandfather came home safe in July of 1865. With the help of his brother Alfred Benton Mattoon and their father, Morgan Lewis, they rebuilt the family home at the curve on Rockefeller Road. They were all carpenters. It is the first house in the town of Niles, and is owned today by Peter OConner.

Many of the houses lining the street in the village were built by Benton and Watson Mattoon. The Mattoon family home on 5 Warren Ave. (built by Watson) in Auburn was where my mother was raised. It is a carbon copy of several houses in the village. Noterpoles home was built by Benton, and Dillons was built by Watson.
Microsofts Panos Panay holds a Surface Laptop at the companys event on Tuesday.

Microsoft (MSFT) is going back to school with a new Surface Laptop. Unveiled at a special event in New York on Tuesday, the laptop is the Redmond, Washington-based companys biggest attempt to combat Apple (AAPL) and Googles (GOOG, GOOGL) increasingly dominant presences in American colleges.

The $999 Surface Laptop is a slim, sleek notebook with a gorgeous 13.5-inch, touch screen display that runs a special version of Microsofts Windows 10 operating system called Windows 10 S. Consumers can also upgrade from Windows 10 S to Windows 10 Pro for $49.99.

Panos Panay, corporate VP of Microsofts Surface group, took the stage during the event to show off the new device, and was effusive in his love for the notebooks design. He called the laptop soulful and beautiful.

We built a laptop, and its beautiful, Panay said. But its beautiful because its personal. Its personal because its meant to be a reflection of who you are. It brings that security and superior performance. And probably most important is its going to last you.

At 2.7 pounds, the Surface Laptop is lighter and thinner than Apples $999 MacBook Air, but a bit heavier and thicker than the ultra slim, though less powerful MacBook.

Inside, the laptop gets either a Core i5 or Core i7 processor, up to 1TB of storage and a ridiculous 14.5 hours of battery life. Panay took dead aim at the Apples laptops, saying that the Surface Laptop is 50% more powerful than Apples MacBook Air and offers more battery life than any MacBook on the market.

The laptops keyboard uses the same kind of fabric backing found on the Surface Keyboard Cover for the Surface Pro on its keyboard deck. It can also take advantage of the Microsofts Surface Pen and Surface Dial.

The Surface Laptops keyboard deck is covered in a soft fabric.

Its safe to say that the Surface Laptop easily bests any Google Chromebook on the market in terms of design. Whats more, because its running a version of Windows, the Surface Laptop is able to run full programs rather than just apps.

Story continues

The Surface Laptop is clearly geared toward older students and adults. Panay even took time to note that the laptop is built to last throughout college students careers and beyond.

This is where we wanted to put our focus, he said. In the next four years of their magical lives.

Still, the Surface Laptops $999 starting price is far more expensive than any Chromebook you can buy. Which puts it out of range for most school districts.

To ensure it can still compete in terms of price, Microsofts manufacturing partners  including Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Samsung and Toshiba  will sell Windows 10 S-powered devices starting at $189, which is comparable to most Chromebooks. Those devices will be geared more toward school districts to be used in classrooms by both students and teachers.

Windows 10 S

So what does Windows 10 S have to offer? A streamlined version of Microsofts full Windows 10 operating system, Windows 10 S will only run apps available through Microsofts Windows App Store.

Of course, if teachers or students want to download apps from outside the App Store, they can install Windows 10 Pro on their devices through the App Store for free.

Microsoft will also include a free subscription to Office 365, which features Excel, Powerpoint and Word. Office 365 also includes Microsofts Teams for the classroom, which allows students and teachers to collaborate and chat about projects in an environment that educators can easily police.

Microsofts system management tools can also let administrators set usage limits for all Windows 10 S devices district wide. Whats more, logging into Windows 10 S devices takes about half the time it does to launch a full Windows 10 Pro device, 15 seconds versus 30 seconds, because the Windows 10 S notebook is running fewer apps at launch.

Microsofts Terry Myerson announces the companys new Windows 10 S operating system.

Microsoft is also bringing mixed reality and 3D to Windows 10 S with its View Mixed Reality app and mixed reality devices from manufacturers like Acer.

Of course, Microsoft is also providing schools with a one-year subscription to Minecraft: Education Edition, which will allow students to build environments based on their daily lessons. One such demonstration featured students building living quarters on Mars in order to give them a sense of what it would take to live on the Red Planet.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop begins shipping June 15 for $999.

More from Dan:

Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Qualcomm Inc said on Thursday it had demonstrated how electric vehicles could be charged wirelessly while driving, a technology some believe will help accelerate the adoption of self-driving cars. The smartphone chipmaker said a so-called "dynamic charging" test took place on a test track in Versailles, France. It used two Renault Kangoo vehicles driving over embedded pads in the road that transferred a charge to the cars' batteries at up to 20 kilowatts at highway speeds. Experts believe that self-driving cars of tomorrow will be electric and require a way to charge themselves without human intervention. Wireless charging is an important area of research for carmakers, their suppliers and start-ups like xChargepoint, WiTricity and HEVO Power. Qualcomm, which supplies chips to Android phone makers and Apple Inc, is on track to become the leading supplier to the fast-growing automotive chips market given its pending $38 billion takeover of NXP Semiconductors. European Union regulators are to rule by June 9 on the deal, which would be the semiconductor industry's biggest to date. Electric vehicle charging is one area where Qualcomm could grow as it strives to reduce its dependence on a cooling smartphone market. Qualcomm Chief Executive Steven Mollenkopf has called automotive technology and Internet of Things - in which household objects like cars and refrigerators communicate - a "tremendous opportunity" for the company. (Reporting By Alexandria Sage; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
Donald Trumps desperate need to brag about something whenever he gets the chance is what got him in more trouble with the Russians. In case you missed it, he divulged highly classified information to Russians during a controversial White House visit. It turned out the information Trump offered was related to the laptop ban the US imposed a few months ago on certain Middle Eastern countries, and which it planned to extend to all of Europe.

New reports reveal terrifying details about the plot that caused the laptop ban. Still, these details suggest the threat may not be significant enough to ban large electronics from carry-on luggage on all flights from Europe.

Don't Miss: Exclusive: The worlds first look at Apples final iPhone 8 design in real life

According to USA Today the information that Trump divulged to the Russia, potentially endangering a sensitive intelligence relationship with an ally in the process, concerns laptop computers and their batteries.

Apparently, ISIS operatives have figured out how to insert a bomb inside a laptop battery in such a manner that the laptop would actually still power up if needed. By verifying that the computer boots up as expected, airport security could determine that a laptop is safe and allow an attacker to bring a bomb inside the plane.

A BBC report on Thursday said that US and EU officials have decided not to expand the laptop ban to Europe, after a four-hour meeting. However, officials said that other measures are still being considered, though they failed to elaborate on what these measures might be.

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
- A trending video shows a lady acting out of control at the Kotoka Airport

- Social media commentary says the lady is a Ghanaian returnee from Kuwait who has gone "mad"

- Get more news on trending and current issues in Ghana here on YEN.com.gh

YEN has come across a trending video on social media that was reportedly taken at the Kotoka International Airport.

READ ALSO: Side-chicks are the ones saving all your marriages - Counsellor Lutterodt tells married women

In the video, a lady, who has been said is Ghanaian, is seen behaving erratically and out of control.

One of the women (pictured in red) acting out of control

Concerns are being raised about the health status of four Ghanaian women who recently returned from Kuwait.

A video posted on social media showing the one of the women screaming and kicking while running frantically around the airport while being chased by another one has since gone viral.

They are then seized by airport security at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra.

Airport Security escorted the lady out

Get more videos and pictures on the go with the YEN mobile app

It is believed that they have developed amnesia - a condition that causes one to lose their memory.

Kuwait is among a list of Gulf countries where many young Ghanaian youth have travelled to in search of work and opportunity.

Many are lured by the promised lucrative salary and working conditions which turns out to be the very opposite upon arrival.

The government has been struggling to deter Ghanaians from going to these countries in the first place, and then to provide consular services when they arrive.

However, this has been difficult because of the youth unemployment situation in the country and the seizure of passports by Gulf family hosts upon arrival of these young people.

READ ALSO: Go, retrieve the judgment debt from Woyome - Gen. Mosquito charges Nana Addo

YEN is building a platform where Ghanaians can share local news and own experiences with each other. Witnessing an incident? Want to tell about a local problem?

Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YENs official Facebook group, or contact us via info@yen.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh
The Chabad village of Kfar Chabad, located about 5 miles south of Tel Aviv, was established on the 21st of Iyar in 1949 by the 6th Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, of blessed memory.

In 1946, many Chabad Jews had fled Russia and were living in displaced persons camps in Germany and France. Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak instructed them to migrate to the Holy Land. There, with the constant support of the Rebbe, they put down their roots in an abandoned Arab town named Safiriyya (Tzafrir in Hebrew), working the land and raising funds with which to build up their fledgling community.

The 50 or so families who originally settled in what they called the alteh dorf, (Yiddish for old village) were each allocated a parcel of land on which they built homes and kept farm animals. Collectively, they established communal and religious institutions, including a small synagogue.

It was in this synagogue that a terror attack took place just a couple of years later. In 1956, a band of Palestinian terrorists stormed the synagogue and began shooting indiscriminately, killing 5 students and their instructor, and injuring many more.

The early settlers of Kfar Chabad were heartbroken and afraid. Many considered leaving, giving up hope that they would ever find safety in their small village. But Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, son-in-law and successor of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak, sent ten senior rabbinic students from the central Chabad yeshiva in New York to spend four weeks with the devastated residents, to live with them, to encourage and console them. It would prove to be a successful mission, for not one person left Kfar Chabad, wrote Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, who was among the 10 emissaries.

Just one year after the attack, the community completed the building of a new vocational school.

The Rebbe did everything in his power to ensure that Kfar Chabad flourished, recalls Rabbi Avrohom Gopin, whose father, Baruch, was one of the original settlers of the village.

Today, Kfar Chabads population has soared to over 7,000, and they have become renowned for their prestigious educational institutions, as well as their famous matzah bakery and etrog grove. Their annual hakafah shniya celebration during the month of Tishrei attracts thousands of celebrants, and the village has been visited by many prominent Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.

Having grown exponentially from the small, determined group of just a few Russian Jews who came with nothing but their faith, Kfar Chabad is now the capital of Chabad in Israel.

Orphaned children of IDF soldiers dance at a grand bar mitzvah in Kfar Chabad (Photo Credit: Lubavitch Archives)
PORT BYRON  Cars along Route 31 in Port Byron drove noticeably slower upon reaching the sight of 25 Dana West Junior-Senior High School students tying yellow ribbons to a fence Friday morning.

The ribbons set up along the Port Byron Central School District's campus fence are meant to honor the 4,126 New York state soldiers who died in the Vietnam War.

The gesture was spurred by The Wall That Heals  a traveling half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.  coming to the area June 1 through 4.

A motorcade will be coming May 31 to escort the wall and its accompanying mobile education center that explains the history of the war.

Anna Danyluk's entrepreneurship class and some students from other classes who volunteered to help did the tying, mostly setting up seven rows of 10 ribbons on each section of the fence.

"We wanted to be able to have some symbolic visibility to welcome the wall and also I want the students to understand each ribbon represents a fallen hero who passed away from New York state, and the visual impact, it really, I think, helps to make people stop and think for a moment how many people that really is, what was really sacrificed," Danyluk said.

Senior Ty Bramhall, with a camouflaged American flag hat on, said he believes in recognizing troops for their service. He said he is currently planning to join the Army, and his grandfather George Bramhall served during Vietnam.

"Some people don't come back," Bramhall said. "It's good to show support  and it's needed."

Students are selling ribbons and T-shirts  the latter designed by student Josh Kyle  in honor of the wall and the soldiers it represents.

Dr. Linda Townsend, who teaches classes on criminal justice and psychology, among other courses, said she has been involved in veterans' affairs since her time as a county legislator.

Townsend said she wants to recognize the sacrifice made by veterans. She is glad the wall's journey to the area can serve as "something to make our community come together."

Townsend had some tears in her eyes as she explained wanting to acknowledge those who served in the conflict.

"These people came home and were never recognized, and it's so tragic," she said.
NAMPA  For the second time in 20 years, Jehovahs Witnesses will hold their annual three-day regional convention in Idaho.

The theme of this years program is Dont Give Up and will focus on how to have a happy life now and in the future  even in the face of trials. The convention is June 2 through June 4 at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.

Approximately 5,000 people will attend from Idaho, Oregon and Nevada. Jehovahs Witnesses are participating in a global campaign to personally invite the general public to attend. The convention is free and open to the public.

The program is divided into 52 parts and will be presented in brief discourses, interviews and short videos. During the convention attendees will have the chance to identify four personality traits that will help you endure lifes difficulties. A four-part symposium will provide information on how the Bible can help those struggling with depression, financial problems, family difficulties and the effects of aging and declining health.

Each day, the program will begin at 9:20 a.m. There will be an early admission for the elderly and those with special needs. Sessions end at 4:50 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The program on Sunday will conclude at 3:30 p.m.
Appeals court declines to reconsider salmon culverts case

SEATTLE (AP)  A federal appeals court has declined to reconsider a ruling that Washington state says will require it to pay nearly $2 billion on salmon habitat.

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year affirmed a lower courts 2013 ruling ordering the state to fix or replace hundreds of culverts  large pipes that allow streams to pass beneath roads but block migrating salmon.

Idaho and Montana joined Washington state in asking the appeals court to reconsider the case. The court declined to do so, but several judges dissented from that decision, saying it should be reconsidered because of its significance.

The tribes, backed by the U.S. Justice Department, sued Washington in 2001 to force it to replace the culverts with structures that better allow fish to pass.

Public defender named magistrate judge

NAMPA (AP)  Southwestern Idaho officials are looking to hire a new public defender to replace Tera Harden, who has been selected to serve as a magistrate judge in Idahos 1st District court.

Harden was Canyon Countys first chief public defender after the county switched from hiring contractors to having an in-house public defender in 2013. She will remain in that position until the end of May. After that, Harden will head to Bonner County in northern Idaho to fill the vacancy left by Magistrate Judge Debra Heise.

Canyon County commissioners plan to appoint Krista Howard, the current deputy chief public defender, as interim chief public defender while they work to hire a permanent replacement for Harden.

The position pays $116,066 or more depending on experience.

3 more people sue Boise Co-op over 2015 salmonella

BOISE (AP)  A lawsuit has been filed by three people who say they became ill after eating sandwiches made at the Boise Co-op in 2015.

The Idaho Statesman reports each of the three plaintiffs claim they suffered damages of more than $10,000 each. The co-op had a salmonella outbreak two years ago, which left hundreds of customers sick.

The sandwiches had been bought and eaten between June 5 and June 11, 2015. Two had been purchased at the Co-ops Boise location, while the third was bought at a food shop at the Boise Airport.

The two-year statute of limitations for filling a lawsuit runs out in a few weeks.

Co-op marketing manager Mo Valko and Boise attorney Michael Brady, who represents the Co-op, could not be reached Thursday for comment.

Man charged for impersonating police officer to scare bully

CENTRAL POINT, Ore. (AP)  An Oregon businessman has been accused of impersonating a police officer to scare off a school bully.

The Mail Tribune reports 45-year-old Leif Reed Johnson had pleaded not guilty Thursday to two felony counts of criminal impersonation of a peace officer.

Central Point police say Johnson had gone to a childs front door twice posing as an officer. Police say he had told the girl he was investigating a case involving bullying and threats made on a school bus.

Johnson said he couldnt comment on the case on the advice of his lawyer, but he said he believed the whole situation had been blown out of proportion.

Gold production in Silver State increases in 2016

ELKO, Nev. (AP)  Gold production is on the rise in Nevada.

The Elko Daily Free Press reports gold production in the Silver State rose 2.4 percent in 2016 to nearly 5.5 million ounces.

According to Nevada Division of Minerals, silver production was down 6.4 percent to a nearly 8.9 million ounces.

The two largest gold producers were Barrick Gold Corp. and Newmont Mining Corp.

Barrick produced more than 2.6 million ounces of the total gold production and 200,757 ounces of silver. Newmont made a little more than 1.6 million ounces of gold and a little more than 1.5 million ounces of silver.

Total gold production was just over 5.3 million ounces in 2015, while silver production totaled a little less than 9.5 million ounces that year.
TWIN FALLS  Second-grader Jake Thompson likes to fidget. Wiggling helps him work.

I just like how it makes me focus, Jake said Wednesday afternoon at ToyTown, which his father owns.

He has three small toys called fidget spinners and used to bring one with him to school.

But then, his teacher at Pillar Falls Elementary School in Twin Falls said they werent allowed anymore.

Across the country, fidget spinners are one of the latest toy crazes. But theyre causing a headache for schools and some have banned the gadgets, saying theyre too distracting. Some children and adults, though, say the spinners help them concentrate and relieve anxiety.

Right now, because everyone wants one, theyre a distraction, Twin Falls School District spokeswoman Eva Craner said.

Lincoln Elementary School and some other south-central Idaho schools provide less-distracting accommodations to students who need it. That includes items such as exercise balls and resistance bands that allow children to get their wiggles out.

Were not opposed to helping kids who need something, said Melina Ficek, a fourth-grade teacher at Lincoln.

In the Twin Falls School District, each school is dealing with fidget spinners on a different level and there are different policies for each building, Craner said.

On April 26, Lincoln Elementary principal Beth Olmstead sent home a letter to parents saying fidget spinners would no longer be allowed at school. The exception: if its written into the students Individualized Education Program.

The decision aligns with the schools already-existing policy that children cant bring toys to school.

Across the country, 32 percent of 200 large schools surveyed have banned fidget spinners, according to a May 9 CBS Evening News story.

Even though fewer students are bringing the toys to school, theyre still in high demand.

Two months ago, Toytown in Twin Falls ordered its first shipment of 40 fidget spinners.

We kept them only for a few days, regional manager Miles Naylor said.

Since then, the toy store has struggled to keep enough in stock to keep up with the demand.

They were popular right off the bat, Naylor said. In fact, he said its the most popular toy sold in six years at ToyTown. Its also bringing a lot of new people into the store.

We had never kept it in stock for an entire Saturday until last weekend, Naylor said. On Saturdays, the store typically sold out by noon. Last weekend, it sold several hundred of the gadgets.

Now, the store has a large enough shipment to last about three weeks, Naylor said.

On Wednesday afternoon, customers roamed around ToyTown, some trying out fidget spinners. Boxes of the toys were spread out on the stores front counter near the cash registers.

Fidget spinners sell for $9.99 each and they come in 20 colors. Theyre a handheld toy you pinch between two fingers and flick with the other hand to make it spin.

Students started bringing fidget spinners to school to play with during class, leading to interest among their peers. It just became extremely popular, Naylor said.

As Naylor talked about fidget spinners Wednesday, a boy came up to him at the store holding one.

How much are these? he asked. $9.99, Naylor responded, and proceeded to tell the boy about the different colors he could choose from.

Naylor said he feels schools should allow the gadgets for students who have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, for example, and who have a doctors note.

He has heard from both parents and teachers that fidget spinners are a huge help for that group of children.

Naylor himself uses a fidget spinner. He says it helps him focus and its calming, even though Im not really a fidgeter myself.

ToyTown also sells fidget cubes for $9.99 each in at least six colors. While theyre also popular, the store sells far more spinners.

Around Christmastime, Olmstead heard from the parents of a boy who has ADHD asking if their son could bring a fidget cube to class.

It peaked Olmsteds interest. She went online and ordered about $20 worth of $1 fidget cubes.

Im a little bit of a fidgeter myself, she said. She later added: Teachers are always buying me fidget things.

One day, Olmstead was using a fidget spinner in her office and gave it to a boy who was having trouble getting to class as an incentive.

Quickly after that, she had students in her office asking if they could have one, too. Some were even bringing money trying to buy one. So finally, she stopped allowing students to come ask for them.

In her fourth-grade class, Ficek noticed children bringing fidget cubes to school first.

Its great that they can play with it without looking at it, she said. But thats not true for the spinners.

Ficek used to let students borrow her own fidget cubes, but stopped doing that after two went missing.

Then students started bringing their own to school. And that created an entirely different set of issues  mostly, dealing with children who let someone else borrow a fidget spinner and the classmate lost it, broke it or never returned it.

Plus, children were doing tricks with their spinners or spinning it in their hair to see what it felt like. Teachers were referring questions to Olmstead.

She encountered issues such as a student who wanted to use a fidget spinner while taking an Idaho Standards Achievement Test.

The teachers were starting to ask about the policy on fidget spinners, Olmstead said.

Despite some schools like Lincoln Elementary banning the toys, theyre still popular  and not just with children.

At ToyTown, Naylor has seen elderly people coming in to buy a fidget spinner for a spouse who has Alzheimers disease.

And Naylors 3-year-old even has a fidget spinner, even though her hands are not quite big enough to hold it. She loves it and shes so protective about it as well.
TWIN FALLS  Its still early in the year for a 2.6 percent unemployment rate in the Magic Valley.

And its got Department of Labor Regional Economist Jan Roeser concerned about what she sees as crisis levels of low unemployment when there are still jobs to fill. The region has bounced between 3 and 3.2 percent in recent months.

The department released preliminary estimates May 19 that show the eight-county regions unemployment dropped even further in April.

The fact that its so low is alarming, Roeser told the Times-News. Because we know it will fall more as we get closer to harvest, and we also know theres hiring going on.

The lowest unemployment rates in south-central Idaho are in Cassia and Minidoka counties, which fell to 2.2 percent from 2.8 and 2.9 percent, respectively. Roeser believes new construction and flooding recovery efforts may have created work for people who otherwise may have been claiming unemployment insurance.

Northern counties  Camas, Gooding and Lincoln  meanwhile, had significant drops in their continued unemployment claims. Gooding Countys were down 43 percent.

In Twin Falls County, the number of claims actually rose 8 percent  but a labor force decline of 100 people, plus other factors, contributed to an unemployment drop of two-tenths of a percent.

Blaine County lost 141 people in its labor force over the month, and the Magic Valley as a whole lost 323 people. The region is still up more than 1,000 people from a year ago.

Idaho is losing its momentum in job growth, Roeser said. It tied for third in the nation in job growth last month, whereas earlier in the year, Idaho led the U.S. The states unemployment dropped to 3.4 percent in April.

Job postings in south-central Idaho are on the decline. For April, there were only 1,672 online listings, compared with 3,284 a year ago, according to HelpWanted Online.

I think people are getting burned out trying to hire when there isnt a really deep labor pool, Roeser said.

Employers are going to have to up their game in order to fill needed positions, she said.

Were really going to have to do some recruiting or get some people that have been unemployable in the past  back in the work force, Roeser said.

That might mean encouraging people who have retired or are on hiatus to get back to work.

Theres a time to be creative, Roeser said. And nows the time.
Thank You Letters





Thanks, farmers, dairymen and ranchers

In the last few weeks my husband and I have been able to travel through parts of Utah and Idaho. We loved seeing the orchards in bloom with fruit to be picked in the fall. We saw beautiful fields being prepared for planting. We saw herds of cattle and sheep and horses. As we traveled through the area we had overwhelming feelings of gratitude for the farmers, dairymen and ranchers who provide us with the delicious food we eat. We want them to know that we appreciate all the hard work and diligence they give to provide us with the beef, pork, wheat, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, milk, cheese and beautiful fruit that we so casually put in our baskets at Costco and Smiths. We raise our hats to you and shout out our thank you!

Susan Carter

Bountiful, Utah

Grant funds help seniors

The Ageless Senior Center Board of Directors and site manager expresses sincere gratitude to the Rotary Club of Twin Falls and the United Way for their recent monetary gifts. It is our mission to nourish body and soul of participants in the communities of Kimberly and Hansen. The grant funds so graciously awarded are vital in the furtherance of our mission.

Nancy Duncan

Board president

St. Lukes helps many

Thank you, St. Lukes Magic Valley Health Foundation Board of Directors and Planning Committee, for selecting Interlink Volunteer Caregivers to receive a very generous award from the Community Health Improvement Fund. Funds will be used to reimburse IVC volunteers for mileage driven while using their own vehicles transporting vulnerable citizens to health related appointments. IVC volunteers help senior citizens, chronically ill and disabled individuals by providing transportation so they can have access to their healthcare providers. By providing this critical service to people who cannot drive, IVC allows people to remain independent. IVC volunteers donate their time and use their own vehicles so our vulnerable community friends and neighbors can seek medical treatment thereby improving their health. A special thanks to Administrative Assistant Sandy Nuffer and Community Relations Director Jody Tremblay for helping with the grant process.From the bottom of our hearts IVCs board of directors, volunteers, supporters and clients thanks St. Lukes for helping us improve the lives of so many!

Edie Schab

Executive director

The Bowwow Powwow

Early on the morning of April 29, two Jerome Middle School gifted-and-talented students headed up to the Jerome Animal Shelter to set up for their fundraiser and G.T. project at the Jerome Fairgrounds called The Bowwow Powwow. We are sixth-graders at JMS and had been volunteering at the shelter since September, planning this adoption event. Our goal was to educate the community of Jerome about the Animal Shelter and to raise money for the shelter. At the event, we had many activities, including a silent auction and raffle, dog races, educational posters, an agility course and a dog walk. We raised a total of $400 for the shelter.

There are many individuals and businesses Samuel Lickley and I would like to thank for making this event possible. First off, a huge thank you to Heather and Katie at the shelter for working so willingly with us, letting us volunteer, and overall, just for helping us make the event possible. Thank you to Rudys, Valley Country Store, Scarrow Meats, Thirty-One, Jerome Cheese, Arlenes Flowers, Windswept Kennels, PetSmart and Sawtooth Veterinary Services for donating baskets and items to our silent auction and raffle. You were all very generous and contributed a lot to the event. Thank you to Nyla, Kora, Amanda, and J.T. for volunteering your time on the 29th to help us out. A big thank you to our parents for finding time in your busy schedules to help us and support us. Without everyones help and support, the Bowwow Powwow would not have occurred.

Kamille Mirkin

Jerome
Researchers in Antarctica have discovered rapidly growing banks of mosses on the ice continents northern peninsula, providing striking evidence of climate change in the coldest and most remote parts of the planet.

Amid the warming of the last 50 years, the scientists found two different species of mosses undergoing the equivalent of growth spurts, with mosses that once grew less than a millimeter per year, now growing over 3 millimeters per year on average.

People will think of Antarctica quite rightly as a very icy place, but our work shows that parts of it are green, and are likely to be getting greener, said Matthew Amesbury, a researcher with the University of Exeter in the UK and lead author of the new study. Even these relatively remote ecosystems, that people might think are relatively untouched by human kind, are showing the effects of human induced climate change.

The study was published Thursday in Current Biology, by Amesbury and colleagues with Cambridge University, the British Antarctic Survey, and the University of Durham.

Less than 1 percent of present-day Antarctica features plant life. But in parts of the peninsula, Antarctic mosses grow on frozen ground that partly thaws in the summerwhen only about the first foot of soil ever thaws up.

The surface mosses build up a thin layer in the summer, then freeze over in winter. As layer builds on top of layer, older mosses subside below the frozen ground, where they are remarkably well preserved due to the temperatures.

Amesbury said that made them a record of changes over time.

Soil samples from a 400-mile area along the northern part of the Antarctic peninsula found dramatic changes in growth patterns going back 150 years.

The Antarctic peninsula has been a site of rapid warming, with more days a year where temperatures rise above freezing. The consequence, the study found, was a four- to fivefold increase in the amount of moss growth in the most recent part of the record.

This is another indicator that Antarctica is moving backward in geologic time  which makes sense, considering atmospheric CO2 levels have already risen to levels that the planet hasnt seen since the Pliocene, 3 million years ago, when the Antarctic ice sheet was smaller, and sea-levels were higher, said Rob DeConto, a glaciologist at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, who was not involved in the study but reviewed it for the Washington Post.

If greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked, Antarctica will head even further back in geologic time. . .perhaps the peninsula will even become forested again someday, like it was during the greenhouse climates of the Cretaceous and Eocene, when the continent was ice free, DeConto continued by email.

The authors agree the current observed changes are probably just the beginning. These changes, combined with increased ice-free land areas from glacier retreat, will drive large-scale alteration to the biological functioning, appearance, and landscape of the [Antarctic peninsula] over the rest of the 21st century and beyond, they write.

The moss growth is still modest compared to whats happening in the Arctic, where a large-scale greening trend has even been captured by satellite. In the Arctic, theres now so much plant growth that some scientists are hoping it will at least partially offset the loss of carbon from thawing permafrost beneath those plants.

Those days are probably very far off for the Antarctic, but its clear the continent used to be a very different landscape.

Were starting back on a journey towards that sort of environment, said Amesbury. Certainly, Antarctica has not always been the ice place it has been now on very long timescales.
Morocco has officially demanded that Algeria makes an apology for the assault by a senior Algerian official of a Moroccan diplomat during a UN meeting Thursday and vehemently denounced the act as very serious.

Deputy Chief of Mission at the Moroccan embassy in Castries (Saint Lucia), Mohamed Ali El Khamlichi, has been physically assaulted by director-general of the Algerian Foreign Ministry, Soufiane Mimouni, during the meeting of the UN committee on decolonization, known as the Committee-24.

The assault contravenes all diplomatic customs, even more so as the act was committed by a senior official, third in the hierarchical order of the Algerian Foreign Ministry, said Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita. He pointed out that going up to this point and attacking physically a diplomat at an official meeting is certainly unique in the annals of the history of diplomacy.

The incident took place before members of the UN C-24 when elected representatives of the Sahraoui people from Dakhla and Layoune who were attending the event denounced the deceit of a Polisario representative traveling with an Algerian passport who portrayed himself as a representative of the Sahraoui people.

The Algerian Foreign Ministrys Director General could not contain his anger, especially that several countries insisted for giving the legitimate elected representatives of the Sahraoui people a seat in the committee-24, and knocked down hysterically the Moroccan diplomat.

This reflects the extreme nervousness of Algerian diplomacy: an Algerian official travels to Saint Lucia and is annoyed by the demands of our representatives, Nasser Bourita said.

This is all the more surprising since Algeria ceaselessly claims that it has only an observer status in the Sahara issue, the Foreign Minister said, calling on Algiers to contribute to a settlement of the Sahara conflict and to assume its responsibility in this matter.

On Friday, the Foreign Ministry summoned the acting Charge dAffaires of the Algerian embassy in Rabat and demanded that Algeria apologizes for this inadmissible act.

The Algerian diplomat positioned in Rabat was told that Morocco was shocked by this act, which violated all diplomatic practices, and was perpetrated by the representative of a country that constantly claims that it is not a party to the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara, said the Ministry in a statement.

The attack translates the frustration of Algeria following the series of setbacks suffered by the Polisario and the numerous breakthroughs scored by Morocco, primarily at the level of Africa with Moroccos triumphant return to the African Union.
Irans incumbent President Hassan Rouhani has been announced winner of Friday elections by the state television after count of half of the 40 million votes cast.

The 68-year old President won 58.6 per cent of the votes against 39.8 per cent for his major rival, hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, reportedly backed by Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Results of urban areas known as Rouhanis strongholds have not been published yet.

Commentators were expecting a run-off but Iranians have rallied behind Rouhani who brought back the country in the international community. Some 40 million Iranians out of the 70 million on the electoral rolls headed to the polls on Friday. In capital Teheran, 5 million queued up to cast their votes.

In 2015, Rouhani played an instrumental role leading Iran to sign a nuclear deal with world powers. The deal prevents Iran from developing its nuclear program against removal of economic sanctions.

Rouhani promised during the electoral campaign to continue reforms, granting more individual rights and opening the countrys economy to foreign markets.

Rouhanis election is a new hope for the nuclear deal that Raisi criticized, arguing that Iranians have not felt its benefit.

Rouhani has vowed to push for total removal of the sanctions but US President Donald Trump who is on a two-day visit in rival Saudi Arabia this weekend has been opposed to the deal.

Sunnite-dominated Gulf countries have urged President Trump to help contain Irans growing influence in the region.

Rouhani is also likely to have domestic opposition from hardliners, from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who wields veto over major policies of the country including defense.

Rouhani, during his first mandate (2013-2017), was not able to secure the release of reformist leaders put under house arrest, jailed or forced to flee the country.
This blog is written solely by John Ray, who has a Ph.D. degree in psychology and 200+ papers published in the academic journals of the social sciences. It does occasionally comment on issues in psychology but is mainly aimed at giving a conservative psychologist's view on a broad range of topics. There are very few conservative psychologists.The blog originated in Australia and many (but not most) posts discuss Australian matters. Australians have an unusually good awareness of events outside their own country. Australian newspapers feature news from Britain and the USA not as an afterthought but as a major part of their coverage. So Australians do tend to have a truly Western heart, which is the reason behind the old name for this blog. So events in Australia, Britain and the USA all feature frequently here, plus occasional coverage of other places, particularly Israel.SCOTUS is the Supreme Court of the United States, the highest court in the landThe "GOP" stands for "Grand Old Party" and refers to the Republican party. The GOP is at present center/Right, while the Democrats have been undergoing a steady drift Leftwards and now have policies similar to mainstream European Leftist parties.The ideological identity of both parties has however been very fluid -- almost reversing itself over time. In the mid 19th century, the GOP was the party of big government and concern for minorities while the Democrats advertised themselves as "The party of the white man" -- an orientation that lasted into the mid 20th century in the South. The Democrats are still obsessed with race but have now flipped into support for discrimination AGAINST whites.Was Pope Urban VIII the first Warmist? Below we see him refusing to look through Galileo's telescope. People tend to refuse to consider evidence if what they might discover contradicts what they believe.Climate scientist Lennart Bengtsson said. The warming we have had the last 100 years is so small that if we didnt have meteorologists and climatologists to measure it we wouldnt have noticed it at all.The term "Fascism" is mostly used by the Left as a brainless term of abuse. But when they do make a serious attempt to define it, they produce very complex and elaborate definitions -- e.g. here and here . In fact, Fascism is simply extreme socialism plus nationalism. But great gyrations are needed to avoid mentioning the first part of that recipe, of course.Beatrice Webb, a founder of the London School of Economics and the Fabian Society, and married to a Labour MP, mused in 1922 on whether when English children were "dying from lack of milk", one should extend "the charitable impulse" to Russian and Chinese children who, if saved this year, might anyway die next. Besides, she continued, there was "the larger question of whether those races are desirable inhabitants" and "obviously" one wouldn't "spend one's available income" on "a Central African negro".Hugh Dalton, offered the Colonial Office during Attlee's 1945-51 Labour government, turned it down because "I had a horrid vision of pullulating, poverty stricken, diseased nigger communities, for whom one can do nothing in the short run and who, the more one tries to help them, are querulous and ungrateful."The book,, authored by T.W. Adorno et al. in 1950, has been massively popular among psychologists. It claims that a set of ideas that were popular in the "Progressive"-dominated America of the prewar era were "authoritarian". Leftist regimes always are authoritarian so that claim was not a big problem. What was quite amazing however is that Adorno et al. identified such ideas as "conservative". They were in fact simply popular ideas of the day but ones that had been most heavily promoted by the Left right up until the then-recent WWII. See here for details of prewar "Progressive" thinking.R.I.P. Augusto Pinochet. Pinochet deposed a law-defying Marxist President at the express and desperate invitation of the Chilean parliament. He pioneered the free-market reforms which Reagan and Thatcher later unleashed to world-changing effect. That he used far-Leftist methods to suppress far-Leftist violence is reasonable if not ideal. The Leftist view that they should have a monopoly of violence and that others should follow the law is a total absurdity which shows only that their hate overcomes their reasonFranklin Delano Roosevelt was a war criminal. Both British and American codebreakers had cracked the Japanese naval code so FDR knew what was coming at Pearl Harbor. But for his own political reasons he warned no-one there. So responsibility for the civilian and military deaths at Pearl Harbor lies with FDR as well as with the Japanese. The huge firepower available at Pearl Harbor, both aboard ship and on land, could have largely neutered the attack. Can you imagine 8 battleships and various lesser craft firing all their AA batteries as the Japanese came in? The Japanese naval airforce would have been annihilated and the war would have been over before it began. FDR prolonged the Depression . He certainly didn't cure it. WWII did NOT end the Great Depression . It just concealed it. It in fact made living standards worse Joe McCarthy was eventually proved right after the fall of the Soviet Union. To accuse anyone of McCarthyism is to accuse them of accuracy! The KKK was intimately associated with the Democratic party . They ATTACKED Republicans!People who mention differences in black vs. white IQ are these days almost universally howled down and subjected to the most extreme abuse. I am a psychometrician, however, so I feel obliged to defend the scientific truth of the matter:The average African adult has about the same IQ as an average white 11-year-old and African Americans (who are partly white in ancestry) average out at a mental age of 14. The American Psychological Association is generally Left-leaning but it is the world's most prestigious body of academic psychologists. And even they have had to concede that sort of gap (one SD) in black vs. white average IQ. 11-year olds can do a lot of things but they also have their limits and there are times when such limits need to be allowed for. America's uncivil war was caused by trade protectionism . The slavery issue was just camouflage, as Abraham Lincoln himself admitted . See also here Leftist psychologists have an amusingly simplistic conception of military organizations and military men. They seem to base it on occasions they have seen troops marching together on parade rather than any real knowledge of military men and the military life. They think that military men are "rigid" -- automatons who are unable to adjust to new challenges or think for themselves. What is incomprehensible to them is that being(to use the extreme Prussian term for following orders) actually requires great flexibility -- enough flexibility to put your own ideas and wishes aside and do something very difficult. Ask any soldier if all commands are easy to obey.
The United States has approved $526 million aid to Tanzania over the coming year to fight AIDS and help people infected with the virus in the East African nation.

According to estimates, about 1.4 million Tanzanians are living with HIV in the nation of around 50 million people, with about 850,000 of them currently on anti-retrovirals (ARVs).

This support will bring the total number of Tanzanians on HIV treatment up to 1.2 million, the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania said in a statement.

The U.S. Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) will work with the government of Tanzania and implementing partners to provide HIV testing to 8.6 million Tanzanians and treatment to 360,000 people who newly test positive.

The budget includes special allocations for the care and treatment of orphans and vulnerable children and to prevent gender-based violence, said the statement.

PEPFAR, the worlds largest provider of AIDS-fighting medicine, is backed by $65 billion since it was founded in 2003. It has been credited for saving millions of lives.

Tanzania is an example of its success. Since 2002, the overall HIV/AIDS rate in the country has declined from 12 percent to 5 percent. The number of people receiving treatment has grown in the past five years from 289,000 to over 700,000, According to the Washington Post.
The World Bank has approved $145.5 million loan to Botswana for water projects in the southern African nation, Kenneth Matambo, Minister of Finance, said.

According to the minister, the project was prepared in response to the 2015-2016 El-Nino related droughts, which was rated extremely severe and considered the worst in the last 34 years.

The loan is expected to fund the Governments emergency water security and efficiency project, for a total cost of $160 million. The government will also mobilize other partners including equity loans for the remaining $14.5 million.

The Project will improve the availability of water supply in drought vulnerable areas, strengthen wastewater management in selected systems and improve the operational efficiency of the Water Utilities Corporation.

Some 177,000 people will benefit from improved wastewater treatment systems and 460,000 people will benefit from the rehabilitation or expansion of water supply systems, it said.

In addition, targeted measures to interlink protect and secure surface and groundwater resource will be undertaken, and support for institutional strengthening and capacity development provided, in order to improve the efficiency of services and sustainability of water resources in Botswana.

With a population of 2.3 million, Botswana is the worlds second biggest diamond producer.
The combined wealth of five richest Nigerians, put at $29.9 billion, is enough to end poverty in the West African nation, according to Inequality report released by Oxfam International on Thursday.

The report titled Inequality in Nigeria  Exploring the drivers, said despite the current economic recession in the African most populous nation, a small group of elites enjoys ever-growing wealth, while more than half of the Nigerian population still grapples with extreme poverty.

The international charity group disclosed that Nigerias richest man earned 8,000 times more in one day than a poor Nigerian would spend on basic needs in a year.

In Nigeria, the scale of economic inequality has reached extreme levels, and it finds expression in the daily struggles of the majority of the population in the face of accumulation of obscene amounts of wealth by a small number of individuals.

It said that more than 112 million people were living in poverty in Nigeria, yet the countrys richest man would need to spend one million dollars a day for 42 years to exhaust his fortune.

Speaking at the launch of the report in Abuja, Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Hajia Zainab Ahmed, said the 54-page Oxfam report does not have the requisite methodology, definition of content and diplomatic approach to analyse and appraise Nigerian affairs.
First United Methodist Church, 300 E. Main St., is celebrating the end of the Sunday school year with a party at A Carousel for Missoula on Sunday during the 10:30 a.m. worship. Drop children off at or after 10:15 a.m. at the Carousel and pick them up immediately following the worship service. For more information, call 406-549-6118.
Bears continue to become more active in the Rattlesnake area, with a possible sighting in Greenough Park on Friday afternoon, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials.

One bear in particular, a year-old black bear with cinnamon coloring, was spotted several times this week by people in the Rattlesnake, said FWP bear manager James Jonkel.

Missoula Police Department Detective Sgt. Travis Welsh said a bear was reported in Greenough on Friday, but no police saw it. It's possible it was a big dog, he said.

Bear activity is high in the spring and more so toward the fall, Jonkel said. A black bear was killed earlier this week outside Lolo after attempting to get into a shed where garbage was being stored. People are generally pretty tolerant of the bears, until they start ripping the doors off a shed or a pickup truck, Jonkel said.

A homeowner in the upper Rattlesnake shot and killed a cinnamon black bear on his porch last week.

The message we want to get out to the public is to not get the bears trained up to this point in the first place, Jonkel said. Ninety percent of our bear conflicts are caused by just a handful of individuals, who dont know they are wonderful bear trainers.

According to the Missoulabears.org, FWP advises people to take down all bird feeders, not leave pet food outside and contain garbage in a bear-resistant manner until the morning of pick-up. If people keep backyard chickens, a bear-resistant electric fence can be an effective deterrent.

Animal Control is ticketing people who leave garbage out and accessible to bears. Erin Edge, who keeps the bear alerts updated on the site, didn't have a number yet on how many tickets have been issued in the Rattlesnake.

In the Flathead near Ferndale, FWP wardens captured an adult female grizzly bear and her two yearlings on Tuesday. The bears had been feeding in chest freezers outside a mobile home.

The female was 9 years old and weighed 309 pounds, while the yearling male weighed 126 pounds and yearling female weighed 112 pounds. The mother was radio-collared and all three were released at the end of the Spotted Bear Road on Wednesday.

The grizzly family had been raiding the freezers two nights in a row, according to FWP spokesman John Fraley. An electric fence deterred them one night, but the bears were able to avoid it a few days later and get into the freezers.

Fraley said the adult female was first caught in 2010 near Lakeside after she killed some chickens. She was fitted with a GPS collar and released west of Blacktail Mountain. She stayed there until that fall, when she was spotted swimming across Flathead Lake. She moved into the Swan Lake area and lost her radio collar the following spring. She had no further reported contact with people until this May.

Grizzly sightings also have been reported in Eureka, Whitefish and Columbia Falls.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders unleashed his signature fiery populist flair in support of Democrat Rob Quist on the University of Montana campus Saturday morning.

These are difficult moments for American people, Sanders told the crowd in Missoula. They are throwing their hands up and they are living in despair. What you understand is now is not the time to give up. Now is the time to fight back.

Sanders, an Independent from Vermont who ran for president in last year's Democratic primary, is in Montana this weekend to campaign for Quist, the Flathead Valley Democrat running against Republican Greg Gianforte and Libertarian Mark Wicks for Montanas lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The special election to fill Interior Secretary Ryan Zinkes vacated seat is this Thursday, May 25, and the contest has attracted the attention of both the national media, and support from national political figures. Gianforte has drawn visits from Vice President Mike Pence and President Donald Trumps son, Donald Jr.

On Saturday, it was Quists turn to get a famous endorsement of his own.

Sanders, who campaigned in Missoula and won Montanas Democratic presidential primary here, addressed a crowd of roughly 4,000 people at the Adams Center.

Billionaires like the Koch brothers have spent hundreds of millions of dollars all over this country to elect candidates who will support the wealthy and the powerful, Sanders said. And that is why I have so much respect for Rob. Because he is turning his back on raising money that way. His average contribution is 25 bucks. All over Montana people are responding.

Sanders called the Republican health care bill that recently was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives a piece of disastrous legislation.

That bill is one of the ugliest, most dangerous, most anti-American bills ever passed in the Congress, Sanders said. Can you imagine anyone supporting a bill that would throw 24 million Americans, including 70,000 people in (Montana), off the health care they currently have?

Sanders said Quist would bring a different moral compass to the U.S. Congress.

Rob understands its not acceptable that women make 79 cents on the dollar compared to men, Sanders said. We have these hypocritical, so-called conservatives saying, Get the government off our backs, we dont want regulations, but these same people are prepared to tell every woman in America what she can do with her body. Rob and I say no way.

During the event, Quist also spoke, as did his wife and two cancer survivors who expressed the need for affordable access to health care. Quist said he actually spotted his wife for the first time in the Adams Center, when he was playing basketball for the Griz and she was a cheerleader.

Im often asked what is the greatest resource we have in the Big Sky and I always say without hesitation it is our strong, independent, smart Montana women, Quist said.

He used his familiar campaign refrain, that this election is a fight for the soul of Montana.

People like Greg Gianforte see our mountains, rivers and streams and they think, That would be good to own, to fence in and develop, Quist said. And Montanans say, This is our way of life. Chief Seattle said many years ago that we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children. There can be no greater truth. And the transfer or sale of our public lands is nothing more than theft against our children and grandchildren, and I promise you Ill stand fast against it.

Quist also played guitar, sang and read a poem using a womans body as a metaphor for Montana, saying his opponent would treat her like a harlot.

If you are a man of honor, you should cherish and protect her, he said.

Quist made it a point to attack Gianfortes failed bid to become Montanas governor last fall.

He spent $5 million of his own money trying to buy the last election, he said. This should not be his consolation prize. To me this office should not be the millionaire's club. This is the U.S. House of Representatives.

Katherine Skinner, 65, said she came to the event to support Quist and hear Sanders.

Quist supports health care for women and public schools and public land ownership and all the things Democrats support, she said. Gianforte has a Christian fundamentalist point of view. Not that theres anything wrong with that, but he shouldnt impose it on the state of Montana. From what Ive read, he seems to think that evolution is not preferable to creationism, creation points of view.

Skinner also said shes concerned that Gianforte wouldnt support Medicare.

(Gianforte) is becoming more and more modeling himself after Donald Trump and his administration, and I find that absolutely repugnant, she said.

There was at least one protester outside of the rally, an elderly man with a somewhat off-color sign denouncing Quist.

State Rep. Shane Morigeau, D-Missoula, said that although Democrats suffered big losses in Novembers election, it aint over yet.

We Montanans have been given a second chance to show the rest of the country that working people still matter, he said. That health care for all still matters, that womens rights still matter, the environment and access to public land still matter, and that higher education still matters. This is a second chance to send a real Montanan to Washington.

Morigeau said Republicans are trying to make voting harder for Democrats and pouring millions of dollars of dark money into elections.

Robs opponent is terrified of us showing up, Morigeau said. Because when we do show up, we win.

Sanders also encouraged everyone in the crowd to bring someone along when they vote.

You guys can make a profound difference, he said.

Sanders reminded the crowd that he wouldnt have flown all the way to Montana from Washington if the times were not so serious.

I came here because we face some enormous problems in this country, he said. The eyes of the country are on Montana this week. And what people are asking is can a rural state with a small population, can people come together to take on the big money interests that are trying to buy this election?

"Because the people of America know if you can do it in Montana we can do it all across this country. That we can create a political revolution which restores power to working families and the middle class and not just the billionaire class.

Sanders also campaigned for Quist on Saturday afternoon in Butte, where more than 3,000 attended. In the historically Democrat and pro-union town, Sanders and Quist emphasized they would work to make improvements to the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

Gianforte has given an unclear message about where he stands on the Republican plan to repeal and replace the ACA, telling Montana media after the U.S. House passed the bill at the start of the month that he could not say how he would have voted because the bill had not yet been marked up by the Congressional Budget Office. Later Gianforte told potential donors on a phone call he supported the bill.

At his last stop of the day in Billings, Sanders spoke to a crowd of more than 1,000 at MetraPark arena.

Jim Baken, who teaches art at Rocky Mountain College, said he wore a white cowboy hat to the rally both to honor Quist and because I look good in it.

Quist really is solid in his knowledge of the facts, Baken said, and he connects with all of us in the middle class.

He said he was impressed with Sanders passion, strength and intellect. He echoes everything on my mind.

A Northern Cheyenne contingent was present at the Billings rally one day after the Crow Nation endorsed his opponent, Greg Gianforte. The Northern Cheyenne Nation made official its endorsement of Quist, which the candidate called "a real honor."

Sanders is also scheduled to speak Sunday in Bozeman.

Mike Ferguson and Holly Michels contributed to this report.
PHOENIX  A new law signed Friday by Gov. Doug Ducey will give people a better chance of knowing  and protesting  before new prison facilities are dropped in their neighborhoods.

HB 2133 spells out exactly what the Department of Corrections has to do at least 45 days ahead of time when it is planning any sort of correctional facility, ranging from full-blown prisons with inmates serving life terms or awaiting execution to community reentry housing. That includes not only local school officials but every property owner within a two-mile radius.

That notice also requires people to be told how many inmates will be housed at the facility and what security level they are.

And there has to be a public hearing with notice of at least 10 days.

This isn't just an academic exercise. Rep. Heather Carter, R-Cave Creek, who crafted the measure, said it came after Gov. Doug Ducey decided to create a reentry center in Maricopa County and the Department of Corrections plopped it down in north Phoenix.

She said the agency followed all the laws about who needed to be notified. But Carter said those laws, first crafted in the 1970s, are woefully inadequate.

How bad is it?

Carter said only two people actually showed up for the hearing the agency actually had.

There was notice to lawmakers and school district governing boards. But Carter said these notices were not only unclear but were sent to work addresses where people did not get them until after the decision was made.

And Carter said there were other problems with the old law. For example, she said there is a requirement to notify nearby schools.

Well, who do you notify in the school? Carter said.

Do you notify just the school? she continued. Do you notify just the board members? The statute was fairly unclear.

And Carter said there was no mandate to notify the operators of charter schools or even day care centers. So the siting that took place, near the Adobe Mountain juvenile corrections center, came as a surprise to the neighbors.

So was it snuck in?

That's not the way I would characterize it, Carter said. We wanted to make sure that, going forward, there's a true statutory process for community notification.

Going forward, the legislation leaves little room for doubt about who gets told and when.

Aside from property owners within two miles, notice also needs to go out to the superintendent and each member of the governing board of schools within five miles. Ditto for those who run charter schools and operators of child care facilities.

Then there's a requirement for a public hearing, with not only a legal notice published in a newspaper, but a sign, at least 4-by-8 feet, erected on the site where the facility will go at least 15 days ahead of time listing the time, date and location of the hearing.

Ultimately, it will still be up to the Department of Corrections to decide whether to place its new facility there.

Carter said she does not know whether it would have made any difference in the siting of the reentry facility had what's in her legislation been in place last year. But she said at least the neighbors would have been on notice and been given a chance to air their views.

The idea for the facility came from Ducey in his 2016 State of the State address.

Under Arizona law, offenders are released after serving 85 percent of their sentence. But they remain under community supervision for the balance of their term.

What happens sometimes is a former inmate in that category fails a drug test or some other condition of release but have not committed any new crimes.

Andrew Wilder, spokesman for the Department of Corrections, said that generally has left his agency two choices: Ignore the violation or put the person back behind bars. But he said that latter option makes little sense, as the person then loses his or her job and housing.

And then there's the simple fact that it costs money to imprison someone.

What this kind of facility does is provide what Wilder said could be called an adult time-out, with the former inmate perhaps forced to spend a few weekends locked up while also getting drug counseling. But these people are released during the week to keep their jobs.

The Department of Corrections actually has been operating one of these in Pima County for years. The result there, according to the governor's staff, is that two thirds of those in the program complete it and don't go back behind bars where they add to the state's prison overcrowding situation.

Ducey told lawmakers he wanted the funding to have one of these in Maricopa County where about two-thirds of the prisoners are released.

Let's give them a second chance so they stay clean and never end up back in prison, he said.

Carter said she's all in favor of such facilities. But she also wants to be sure that the people who are nearby have been brought in.

It's community supervision, she said. So it's really important for the community to be on board with what is happening.

The legislation does not apply to the location of half-way houses for newly released inmates. Wilder said these are not correctional facilities but instead operated by private individuals and companies under contract with the state.
The Missoulian is retracting a profile of Missoula College graduate Darrick McKinney, published May 11 as part of a commencement series on inspiring graduates, because it contained assertions about McKinneys past that cannot be verified.

McKinney claimed in an interview that he was working at a Hyundai plant in Montgomery, Alabama, when he was involved in a head-on crash and spent three months in a medically induced coma. He said that after sinking into drug and alcohol abuse while living on his brothers couch after the accident, he decided to change his life, bought a ticket on Greyhound and traveled the country for three years before ending up in Missoula, where he successfully completed a degree at Missoula College.

College officials recommended McKinney for a profile and lauded his performance over the last two years. The Missoulian interviewed him but failed to verify key elements of his story before publication. After the story ran, his former spouse contacted the Missoulian and said he had provided false information about his work history, the crash, his family, details about her life, and dates of key events in his life and hers. She provided documentation that verified her claims.

The Missoulian was unable to find a record of a head-on crash involving McKinney in either Alabama or Florida in 2010 and McKinney was unable over the course of a week to provide an accident report or additional specifics on the collision or subsequent hospital treatment and rehabilitation. Hyundai has no record of McKinney working at its plant in Montgomery and a third-party company that supplies workers at the plant said its policies forbid it from verifying employment to the news media. McKinney also could provide no proof of his travels around the country before arriving in Missoula.

We apologize to our readers for failing to check McKinneys assertions before presenting them to you as facts. We have changed our policies so that this error will not be repeated.
George Manlove, the former CEO of defunct Montana appliance and electronics retailer Vanns, was sentenced to five years and three months in federal prison on Friday after being found guilty earlier this year on 170 felony counts related to defrauding the company.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Dana Christensen imposed the 63-month sentence at the end of a nearly six-hour hearing in Missoula.

Manlove was not taken into custody right away. The judge allowed him to report by June 20, the day after a hearing will be held to determine the amount of restitution Manlove will owe.

At the end of a three-week trial in February, Manlove was convicted of a litany of charges including wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering and conspiracy for defrauding Vanns. The same jury also decided that Manlove must forfeit $2.4 million in property deemed the ill-gotten gains of his fraud convictions.

In his statement to the court, Manlove said he never felt that he defrauded the company.

"I personally am devastated that Vanns failed on my watch, he said. Trust me, I feel everyones pain."

He had asked the judge for leniency, saying he felt he could still contribute to society and that possibility would be taken away if he was imprisoned.

I think society loses as well, not just me and my family, he said.

Christensen said that while Manlove has a right to continue to believe his innocence, since the trial he has consistently avoided accepting any blame, including repeatedly saying that Paul Nisbet, the former Vanns CFO, was the primary person behind the fraud conspiracy.

This despite Manlove being convicted of racking up more than $67,000 worth personal expenses that he charged to Vanns, and having the company pay for him to attend a graduate program in business, during which he polished his resume and began looking for a new job.

Nisbet was sentenced to 14 months in prison in October but was released earlier this year after the judge amended his sentence due to his cooperation with Manlove's prosecution.

The 12 jurors were not convinced and neither am I, Christensen said. You blame everyone else, the economy, whatever, for what went wrong. This is a level of hubris, some would say arrogance, that defies explanation.

Jay Allen, a former Vanns employee, was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer in the summer of 2012.

He said he blamed the former CEO  whom he termed "The Wolf of Brooks Street"  for the loss of his health insurance and life insurance when Vanns went under in 2013 after declaring bankruptcy.

Over the years Mr. Manlove, you branded yourself a visionary. I doubt you saw this day coming, Allen said.

Michael Sherwood, Manloves attorney, asked Christensen to impose a sentence of a year and a day.

Anything more would be revenge or something, but certainly not justice.

After representing more than 1,000 clients, Sherwood said he couldnt think of any who were a finer individual than Mr. Manlove.

Sherwood said the fact that Manlove received a harsher sentence than Nisbet was the prosecutions way of punishing his client for not knuckling under after being indicted in late 2015.

Basically what they are saying is, Oh, Mr. Manlove challenged our authority, Mr. Manlove dared to go to trial, he said.

Manloves wife Jill said her husband was fully committed to the company from the day her father and Vanns founder Pete Vann asked him to move to Missoula to take a leadership role there.

Julie Santorsola, Jill Manlove's sister, said she felt the jury reached the wrong verdict; that her father told her all the former employees were repaid in a civil settlement and that Manlove was not a criminal.

They deserve all of our respects, she said of her sister and brother-in-law.

Prosecutor Adam Duerk recalled another federal sentencing in Texas just over a decade ago. The man in that case, another former CEO, also had letters of support and friends who testified they thought it was impossible he had done what he was convicted of, and that he was a family man who had poured his lifeblood into his company.

That CEO, Duerk said, was Jeffrey Skilling of Enron.

Fraud artists by nature deceive others, the prosecutor said. This case should set the bar for what white-collar criminal defendants should expect if they defraud their companies.
Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area has received the OK to nearly double its acreage and upgrade its chairlifts.

Supervisors Mary Farnsworth of the Idaho Panhandle National Forest and Tim Garcia of Lolo National Forest approved the expansion plans on Friday.

Lookouts special use permit area will grow from 538 to 1,023 acres, including 100 acres of new ski terrain. It may also add two new chairlifts covering a 1,650-foot vertical drop, and improve an existing chairlift. New maintenance and guest facilities can be constructed, along with 130 additional parking spaces.

Idaho Panhandle spokeswoman Shoshana Cooper said the review process examined two objections to the proposal. They involved user conflicts and dispersed motorized and non-motorized recreation in the St. Regis Basin and Stevens Peak backcountry areas.

The ski area straddles the Montana-Idaho border, and shares jurisdiction with both the Idaho Panhandle and Lolo national forests. Construction should begin this summer.
Vice President Mike Pence gave a "knee-snapper" about draining the swamp and wall-building, saying: Make no mistake about it, President Trump is going to build a wall and Greg Gianforte is going to help us do it.

Where would those D.C. swamp creatures go? Perhaps to a moat along the wall.

Enough of the medieval romanticism about walls and swamp draining. The money to build this wall will not come from Mexico. It will come from the U.S., as in "us." Domestic spending will be diverted, adversely affecting food inspections, medical research, education and services such as Meals on Wheels, which help seniors stay in their homes. Oh, yes, and Big Bird may be out of work, due to proposed elimination of funding for PBS.

If the president insists on the wall, let Congress vote to fund it with the pesos trickling in from Mexico, not from our tax dollars.

Thursday, March 25, is our opportunity to send a congressman who puts Montana first. Support Rob Quist, he'll protect public lands, public education, access to affordable health care and vital services for seniors and rural Montana. Quist also values the arts. Perhaps Big Bird will not face extinction after all!

John Ilgenfritz,

Helena
A large crowd filled the floor of the Butte Civic Center on Saturday afternoon to hear U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders rally voters to support Democrat Rob Quist with less than a week before the special election to fill Montana's empty and lone U.S. House seat.

The cost of health care was the main focus of the event from the start, leading off with two locals discussing their personal experiences with near-devastating medical bills.

Stuart McCarvel of Butte told the crowd of about 2,700 that his son was diagnosed with leukemia at the end of his college years and went through aggressive treatment that saved his life. Without the Affordable Care Act, his son would have hit a lifetime cap on health care claims, he said.

"If the disastrous bill Congress just passed and Greg Gianforte supports becomes law, my son will not be able to afford his medications," McCarvel said.

Butte resident Paula McGarvey, who is in remission after battling breast cancer for years, said if she gets sick again under the Republican proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, it will wipe out the rest of her savings.

"I don't want to die and leave my kids with an $80,000 mortgage to pay off."

When Sanders, an Independent from Vermont who won the Democratic primary in Montana by 5 percentage points over eventual nominee Hillary Clinton, took the stage, he gave a speech that focused on the differences in policy between Quist and his Republican opponent Greg Gianforte, a Bozeman businessman.

Voters go to the polls this Thursday to fill a U.S. House seat vacated when President Donald J. Trump appointed Ryan Zinke as Secretary of the Interior. Also in the race is Libertarian Mark Wicks, an Inverness rancher.

Quist, a musician, has traveled the state since winning his party's nomination in January, working to connect with voters and trying to portray himself as an average Montanan who understands the needs and concerns of voters more than Gianforte, a wealthy high-tech entrepreneur.

Quist is a supporter of the Affordable Care Act and has campaigned for preserving women's health care options while Gianforte has faced questions on his position on the Republican bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Gianforte has also said he would approve of defunding Planned Parenthood.

Before the U.S. House voted to pass the American Health Care Act, Gianforte told Montana media he could not say if he would have voted on the bill because it had not been marked up by the Congressional Budget Office, though he later told potential donors that he supported the bill.

"I call it the un-American Health Care Plan," Quist said, adding health care quickly became the number-one issue of his campaign after the AHCA was passed the U.S. House at the start of the month.

"This is merely a tax break for the super-rich. That's all it is. In the greatest country on earth, people should not have to declare bankruptcy just because they have a health care issue."

It's expected the Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan entity that analyzes the effects and costs of legislation, will release its assessment of the AHCA on Wednesday, a day before the vote here.

Sanders, a longtime advocate of a single-payer system, told the crowd that if other countries can provide universal health care, the U.S. should as well.

"Don't tell me that we in the United State cannot pass Medicare for all," Sanders said.

In the past, Quist has said a single-payer system is a good idea, though his thinking has evolved over time. He now believes a more effective and likely to succeed approach would be to improve the Affordable Care Act.

In 2015, the Montana Legislature passed Medicaid expansion. By the start of this month, more than 76,000 Montanans had signed up for coverage.

"I don't understand how anybody with any moral sense, any kind of conscience, could vote for a bill that throws 24 million off the health insurance they have, that throws 70,000 in this great state off the health insurance they have," Sanders said.

Electing Quist, Sanders said, would give Democrats another ally to defeat the Republican repeal-and-replace plan.

"Rob and I are going to work together to make sure that bill goes nowhere," Sanders said.

In response to the rally, the Gianforte campaign released a statement claiming Quist has a history of not paying his bills or his fair share of taxes.

"... we don't need to send more people like that to Washington D.C., we need to send someone who will get results for Montana," the statement said.

Quist's campaign has faced challenges after it was revealed the candidate had a 16-year trail of debt that included unpaid taxes and questions over property he has rented out at his home but did not register with the state Department of Revenue as a commercial property or report rental income on finance disclosure forms.

The Gianforte campaign has held rallies of its own, bringing Donald J. Trump Jr. to the state for two tours, including one visit to Butte. Vice President Mike Pence attended a rally with Gianforte, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke in Billings.

Gianforte has worked to align himself with Trump, who won Montana by more than 20 percentage points. In Gianforte's failed bid for governor last fall, 43,000 who voted for Trump split the ticket to support Democratic incumbent Steve Bullock, who won re-election narrowly.

Sanders is also scheduled to campaign on Quist's behalf at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Montana State University Strand Union Ballroom in Bozeman.
I keep six honest serving-men

They taught me all I knew;

Their names are What and Where and When

And How and Why and Who.

So wrote journalist/poet Rudyard Kipling at the end of his poem The Elephants Child,, first published in the April 1900 issue of Ladies Home Journal and later included in Kiplings classic 1902 collection of tales titled Just So Stories. This concept of addressing the 5 Ws and 1 H is basic to problem-solvers in all walks of life, including journalism, criminal investigation and scientific research.

One of these  the why  is especially compelling when looking at the natural universe because a true answer often requires combining the methodical and testable tenets of science with existential aspects of philosophy.

It is just this question, the why  or perhaps its more appropriately capitalized as Why  that has inspired astronomers such as Michael West of Lowell Observatory in their quest for unraveling the wonders of the universe. For West, perhaps the biggest Why involves our very place in the cosmos, with our defined as either our home planet Earth or the human race. It is not enough for West to understand the facts and theories and figures of science; he wants to use that information to delve into the bigger issues that transcend science, like Why are we here? and Are we alone?

Said West: Knowing how a star evolves is interesting but how does that affect the universe as a whole? What does it mean and why should people care?

Tonight at 7 at Lowell, West will lead a discussion of such big-picture questions of the cosmos in a program titled Spiritual Life in a Dark Cosmos: An Evening of Conversation. He will begin with a short presentation introducing the roles of science and religion in shaping our views of the universe and explain the spectrum of traditional thinking on the subject.

Following this will be an open discussion during which guests will be encouraged to share their own perspectives on science and religion and whether either or both can provide ultimate answers.

While some people think that comparing science with religion is an apples/oranges argument, since the two fields focus on different themes of facts versus ideals (evolutionary paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould described this as non-overlapping magisteria), others think the two can co-exist and even complement each other. West said, Im not promoting one viewpoint over another. I just want guests to hear different perspectives and feel stimulated to think about things in a different way.

This event is part of Lowell Observatorys Lowell42 program series, featuring monthly opportunities for guests to explore the convergence of science and culture in looking at the big-picture questions of the universe. West said, We are trying to explore how science and culture explain where we came from and where we are going. We can learn that from the Big Bang Theory and we can learn that from creation stories, like those of the Navajo and Hopi people. It is something that all humans think about, and it is this contemplation that makes us human in the first place.
Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading.

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy
MISSOULA  U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders unleashed his signature fiery populist flair in support of Democrat Rob Quist on the University of Montana campus Saturday morning.

These are difficult moments for American people, Sanders told the crowd in Missoula. They are throwing their hands up and they are living in despair. What you understand is now is not the time to give up. Now is the time to fight back.

Sanders, an Independent from Vermont who ran for president in last year's Democratic primary, is in Montana this weekend to campaign for Quist, the Flathead Valley Democrat running against Republican Greg Gianforte and Libertarian Mark Wicks for Montanas lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The special election to fill Interior Secretary Ryan Zinkes vacated seat is this Thursday, May 25, and the contest has attracted the attention of both the national media, and support from national political figures. Gianforte has drawn visits from Vice President Mike Pence and President Donald Trumps son, Donald Jr.

On Saturday, it was Quists turn to get a famous endorsement of his own.

Sanders, who campaigned in Missoula and won Montanas Democratic presidential primary here, addressed a crowd of roughly 4,000 people at the Adams Center.

Billionaires like the Koch brothers have spent hundreds of millions of dollars all over this country to elect candidates who will support the wealthy and the powerful, Sanders said. And that is why I have so much respect for Rob. Because he is turning his back on raising money that way. His average contribution is 25 bucks. All over Montana people are responding.

Sanders called the Republican health care bill that recently was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives a piece of disastrous legislation.

That bill is one of the ugliest, most dangerous, most anti-American bills ever passed in the Congress, Sanders said. Can you imagine anyone supporting a bill that would throw 24 million Americans, including 70,000 people in (Montana), off the health care they currently have?

Sanders said Quist would bring a different moral compass to the U.S. Congress.

Rob understands its not acceptable that women make 79 cents on the dollar compared to men, Sanders said. We have these hypocritical, so-called conservatives saying, Get the government off our backs, we dont want regulations, but these same people are prepared to tell every woman in American what she can do with her body. Rob and I say no way.

During the event, Quist also spoke, as did his wife and two cancer survivors who expressed the need for affordable access to health care. Quist said he actually spotted his wife for the first time in the Adams Center, when he was playing basketball for the Griz and she was a cheerleader.

Im often asked what is the greatest resource we have in the Big Sky and I always say without hesitation it is our strong, independent, smart Montana women, Quist said.

He used his familiar campaign refrain, that this election is a fight for the soul of Montana.

People like Greg Gianforte see our mountains, rivers and streams and they think, That would be good to own, to fence in and develop, Quist said. And Montanans say, This is our way of life. Chief Seattle said many years ago that we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children. There can be no greater truth. And the transfer or sale of our public lands is nothing more than theft against our children and grandchildren, and I promise you Ill stand fast against it.

Quist also played guitar, sang and read a poem using a womans body as a metaphor for Montana, saying his opponent would treat her like a harlot.

If you are a man of honor, you should cherish and protect her, he said.

Quist made it a point to attack Gianfortes failed bid to become Montanas governor last fall.

He spent $5 million of his own money trying to buy the last election, he said. This should not be his consolation prize. To me this office should not be the millionaire's club. This is the U.S. House of Representatives.

Katherine Skinner, 65, said she came to the event to support Quist and hear Sanders.

Quist supports health care for women and public schools and public land ownership and all the things Democrats support, she said. Gianforte has a Christian fundamentalist point of view. Not that theres anything wrong with that, but he shouldnt impose it on the state of Montana. From what Ive read, he seems to think that evolution is not preferable to creationism, creation points of view.

Skinner also said shes concerned that Gianforte wouldnt support Medicare.

(Gianforte) is becoming more and more modeling himself after Donald Trump and his administration, and I find that absolutely repugnant, she said.

There was at least one protester outside of the rally, an elderly man with a somewhat off-color sign denouncing Quist.

State Rep. Shane Morigeau, D-Missoula, said that although Democrats suffered big losses in Novembers election, it aint over yet.

We Montanans have been given a second chance to show the rest of the country that working people still matter, he said. That health care for all still matters, that womens rights still matter, the environment and access to public land still matter, and that higher education still matters. This is a second chance to send a real Montanan to Washington.

Morigeau said Republicans are trying to make voting harder for Democrats and pouring millions of dollars of dark money into elections.

Robs opponent is terrified of us showing up, Morigeau said. Because when we do show up, we win.

Sanders also encouraged everyone in the crowd to bring someone along when they vote.

You guys can make a profound difference, he said.

Sanders reminded the crowd that he wouldnt have flown all the way to Montana from Washington if the times were not so serious.

I came here because we face some enormous problems in this country, he said. The eyes of the country are on Montana this week. And what people are asking is can a rural state with a small population, can people come together to take on the big money interests that are trying to buy this election?

"Because the people of America know if you can do it in Montana we can do it all across this country. That we can create a political revolution which restores power to working families and the middle class and not just the billionaire class.

Billings

For Saturdays final campaign event, attendees began lining up at MetraPark shortly after 4 p.m., more than four hours before the rally began.

Gabbie Aschim, who was fifth in line at the Expo Center, was spending her 18th birthday waiting for the chance to hear from Sanders and Quist.

Nowhere else Id rather be, the Billings West senior said, standing alongside Wayne Britton, 19, a Rocky Mountain College student. Its the best birthday present I could imagine.

Britton said he was eager to hear from Quist for the first time to learn more about his platform, especially about access to public lands. Plus, he added, Im a big supporter and follower of Bernie.

Andrea Heyneman of Absarokee said she arrived at 4:15 p.m. because I wanted to make sure to be on the rail again.

She plans to vote for Quist in person at Absarokee Elementary School Thursday.

That way you get your sticker and you see all your friends, she explained.

First in line was George Garcia of Billings, who showed up in a blue Quist T-shirt and was dispensing a dozen or so Quist stickers while he waited.

Im a lifelong Democrat, and I like to come out to all of the rallies, he said. Bernie is a national figure, but I didnt get a chance to see him last time.

He said he hopes that Quist and Sanders manage to excite all the undecided voters during the final days leading up to the special election.

I just want Rob to say what he stands for, he said.

Twenty-year-old Otis Martin of Lewistown attended the rally with his grandparents. He placed three Quist stickers on long sticks he planned to wave for greater visibility, he said.

Now that the crowds are arriving, he said about an hour before the rally, the atmosphere is getting fun. Its a show of solidarity.

He said he expected to hear a message of hope from both Quist and Sanders, along with ways we can work against the current administration.

A Northern Cheyenne contingent was present at the Quist rally one day after the Crow Nation endorsed his opponent, Greg Gianforte. The Northern Cheyenne Nation made official its endorsement of Quist, which the candidate called "a real honor."
BELGRADE  A memorial service is scheduled next week for a Montana sheriff's deputy who was shot to death during a traffic stop.

Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin says the service for Broadwater County Deputy Mason Moore will take place at The Bridge at Belgrade church at 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Gootkin says thousands of law enforcement officers are expected to attend and organizers plan to simulcast the service at other locations.

Moore was shot early on May 16 during a traffic stop near Three Forks. The father-and-son suspects led officers on a chase on Interstate 90. Marshall Burrus was shot in the head about 35 miles east of Missoula and died the next day. His father, Lloyd Barrus, was arrested and is jailed in Missoula.

Moore is survived by his wife and three children. He was 42.
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 []
First of a two-day series

In the wake of a double homicide in Williams that left Michael Dimuria, 67, and Nora Dimuria, 64, allegedly shot and killed by Derrick Barnett, 29, contrasting pictures have emerged of the victims and the accused.

Neighbors of the Dimurias described them as kind-hearted people always willing to help a stranger.

Barnetts former girlfriend of 12 years and mother of his three children described him as an emotionally unstable substance abuser with a violent streak.

Bad things, good people

Neighbors, friends and coworkers of Mike and Nora describe their murder as the worst thing to happen to the best people.

Lt. Darrell Hixson of the Williams Police Department and one of Mikes best friends described the mood of the police station, where Mike worked for four years as a part-time dispatcher, when word of Mike and Noras death spread.

We were shocked and saddened because of the circumstances, Hixson said. You often hear about tragedies in big cities and they always seem to happen to good people. Now it has hit home here. They were good people and whatever they could do to help you they did.

The Dimurias helpful nature was well-known around Williams. Residents described Nora as a committed nurse at the North Country Healthcare Clinic and Mike as a father figure, willing to go above and beyond whatever his job entailed.

Hixson said that during Mikes time as a dispatcher he also wrote grant applications for the police department

His grant writing was the reason Williams Police received an ATV and new radio equipment for dispatch.

Mike was a great person with a real business mind, Hixson said. His work procuring grant money for us is still seen today.

Rich Beecroft, a friend of Mike and Nora for 15 years, described Nora as a woman who carried her love and desire for people outwardly, and a person who, after working 12-hour days at the clinic, would make you relax.

Jessica Stephenson, a spokeswoman for North Country Healthcare, said in a written statement:

Nora was a beloved, long-term employee of North Country HealthCare in Williams. She served the community for over 16 years as a registered nurse, and will be deeply missed.

Friends described Mike and Noras love of taking the four-wheeler out to the woods whenever they wanted.

They loved country living and the solitude, Beecroft said. It was an escape from lifes fast-paced rigmarole

Bill Baptist, a friend and contractor for Mike and Nora, said he was heartbroken and shocked by the news of their death and recalls helping them build their guest home, a quaint little house located at the front of their compound, dubbed Cielo Rancho.

The last time we talked they were just getting their guest home ready for rental, Baptist said. It is terrible what happened.

Beecroft said the house was built for friends and family who wanted to get away from lifes struggles.

Donna Harwood, who was sitting in the passenger seat of Baptist's truck, said that Mike and Nora were people who always made you feel like you had value.

Beecroft still vividly recalls the moment he read about Mike and Noras death in the newspaper, a moment he said was surreal and devastating.

I saw their names in the paper early in the morning and I just began to cry, Beecroft said. I didnt understand it. How could a double homicide involve the most loving people I have ever met?

The Dimurias family could not be reached for comment. Funeral services were held last Saturday in Phoenix.

Lock the door

Neighbors of the Dimurias have been on edge since the incident.

Mike and Noras killings have shown that the open space and solitude of the Red Lakes area can make it difficult for neighbors and law enforcement to know of incoming or imminent danger.

Ever since the incident you pay a little bit more attention when your dog starts howling, neighbor Jack Adams said.

Baptist said he has considered moving since the double homicide and a recent string of burglaries has hit the Red Lakes area.

Coconino County Sheriff Jim Driscoll said the double homicide and burglaries are unrelated.
As a reporter for the Napa Valley Register, for 50 years, L. Pierce Carson chronicled the evolution of an obscure agricultural valley into a world-renowned wine producer. He told the stories of the people who were drawn to it; vintners, chefs and artists, as well as those of the people who had always called it home, and always, as a former colleague, Andy Dempsky recalled, with an elegant puckishness and a twinkle in his eyes when he was up to something and loving it.

Carson died early Saturday of cancer. He was 76 and was just two weeks shy of his 50th anniversary with the Napa Valley Register.

Pierce was in the front row of life, said vintner Tim Mondavi. He was in the front row, center, and he shared it all with us, the news of the valley, the news of each other.

Carson was 26 when he arrived in Napa in 1967 to take his first civilian job as a reporter for the Napa Valley Register. Hed been serving with the U.S. Army in Vietnam, 1965-66, when he met Ross Game, an editor with Scripps Newspapers, who spent a month in the war zone.

A communications student at Temple University, Carson was editor of the American Traveler, an Army newspaper. Game, reading his work, told the young soldier to get in touch with him when hed finished his tour of duty if he wanted a job.

After Carson was discharged, he contacted Game, who said he could offer him a choice of two reporting jobs in California. One was at Lake Tahoe and the other was in a valley called Napa.

Id had enough snow, Carson explained his choice later. And this place, Napa, was close to San Francisco.

The son of Lyle and Helen Carson, he was born on Sept. 17, 1940, in Trenton, New Jersey and grew up used to traveling by train to New York with his theater-loving parents. Before Uncle Sam tapped me on the shoulder, as he described, a retail job in New York City had introduced him to wine. In Vietnam, hed lived in an apartment in Saigon and made time to explore the French restaurants of that city.

The Napa Valley he arrived in had little of that sophistication. Although a wine industry had taken root and thrived in the 19th century, Prohibition had all but destroyed it, and only a handful of wineries remained in operation. The culinary scene was typical of a small rural community, with hamburgers, pizza and a few standouts like Ruffinos Italian restaurant in Napa and Verns Copper Kitchen in St. Helena.

It was pretty, Carson said of the valley he would make his home for the next 50 years. But it was quiet.

Carsons first beat, however, was not food, wine and arts, but courts and county stories. One of his most memorable experiences, he said was when Judge Thomas Kongsgaard locked him up in a jail cell overnight so hed know what it was like to be a prisoner.

He also covered the contentious creation of the Ag Preserve in 1968, which protected the valleys agricultural lands from development. For wine coverage at the Register, Carson noted, wed write about the harvest or a calamity like frost in the vineyards, but there was no perceived need for a wine reporter.

At the time, Carson said his knowledge of wine was limited to Europe, mostly France. Working in retail on New Yorks Fifth Avenue, I had numerous opportunities to prop myself up on a bar stool of a nearby French restaurant not far from St. Patricks Cathedral.

Hed first heard of Napa wines when Brother Timothy from the Christian Brothers, then at Greystone in St. Helena, shipped wines to the Public Information Office in Vietnam while Ross Game was embedded with the troops.

But then Carson received an invitation from the new kid on the block, Robert Mondavi, who, in 1966, had opened the first new major winery in Napa Valley since Prohibition.

I cant recall if that invitation was for an event other than a tasting of Mondavi wines, Carson wrote in an article after Robert Mondavis death. I would soon learn that vintner Mondavi didnt budget for advertising  preferring instead to pull some corks and let word of mouth spread the gospel. At first, he told us he believed California wines could keep company with the best in the world. In less than a decade, he assured us that California wines  which, of course, included those made in the Napa Valley  belonged in the company of the worlds best.

Bob Mondavi took me under his wing. I didnt ask for help but I think he knew I needed it. Sure, I was a journalist, but in those early days of discovery I was covering county government. Perhaps the fact that I sat through all those rancorous hearings preceding enactment of the valleys landmark ag preserve had made an impression.

Carson eventually would become a close friend of Mondavi and his second wife, Margrit. He discovered a soul mate in Margrit Mondavi, sharing her interests in food and the arts. After Robert Mondavis death in 2008, he became her frequent escort, attending shows in San Francisco and New York.

He really in many ways, led the parade, said vintner John Shafer, founder of Shafer Vineyards. We came in 72, not too long after he arrived, very close to the beginning of our modern industry. When he came to Napa it was just a backwater with no culture.

He grew and contributed greatly to the industry. A wonderful supporter, he never would knock a winery or a music event. He was always looking for the best in everything. He was much more than a wine critic, he was a cultural icon. What he did with music and later with food, he made it his business. We liked him so much.

Always a supporter of the arts, Carson reviewed the Napa Valley Symphony, the local theater troupe, Pretenders Playhouse, and high school musicals. He was an enthusiastic supporter of the Robert Mondavi Summer Music Festival, which was established in 1969 and brought performers like Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan, Benny Goodman, and Dave Brubeck to the valley.

I have known Pierce since my Justin High school days, in the early 70s, when he was reporting on our theater productions, said Larry Maguire president of Far Niente Winery. Perhaps that was the most interesting thing to report on back then.

The wine and food industry was a long ways away from the worldwide acclaim that it has today, Maguire added. When wine and food finally arrived, he was there. Actually, Pierce was always there for the local vintners doing his best to help tell our stories in ways that would shine a bright light on us all. I really cant imagine a Napa Valley wine scene without Pierce. I will miss the stories that he is no longer here to tell and I will dearly miss him as a friend.

Carson covered the Great Chefs program that Margrit Mondavi created at the winery, and he became friends with culinary luminaries like Julia Child and Lidia Bastianich. He reported on the growing culinary scene in the valley, and was the first reporter to review a new restaurant, opened by a chef named Thomas Keller in the old French Laundry in Yountville.

I first met Pierce when I opened The French Laundry nearly 23 years ago, Keller said. Through our many conversations over the years, he maintained that the Napa Valley was the perfect location for a restaurant, which I always agreed with, and his tireless coverage showed a zeal for his work. Pierce has often regaled me with stories of his international travel and certain ingredients and tastes he has experienced. He did the same for Napa Valley for nearly 50 years at the Register, and he will leave behind a great legacy in sharing the stories the valley.

Journalist and cookbook author Janet Fletcher, who lives in Napa, noted, Many journalists burn out on the food and wine beat after a few years, but Pierce never lost his enthusiasm. His tireless reporting and educating helped transform Napa Valley from steak-and-potatoes country to gastronomic mecca.

Carson covered the first Napa Valley Wine Auction in 1984 and attended every subsequent auction, with the exception of one, but only because he was in the hospital after a heart attack.

As Carson became known as the man about Napa Valley, he also became a legend in the newsroom, where generations of reporters learned from his eagle-eyed editing, his buoyant joie de vivre and his not infrequent explosions of Jesus, Mary and Joseph! when he was annoyed with his computer. Young reporters also became willing chauffeurs for Carson, who didnt drive.

Kip Davis, who started as a reporter at the Register in the 1970s, said, You knew that if you drove Pierce you were going to go to a great party, or to a restaurant and have a great meal.

Carson was also notorious in the newsroom for his desk, which was buried in stacks of papers, memos, letters, reports and press releases from his long career. Jack Morgan, who was publisher of the Register from 1988 to 1994, recalled that he never tried to tell Carson what to do, except once.

He was a great reporter. I was amazed at the depth of his knowledge of the arts. But one time I told him, Youd better clean up your desk. If we have an earthquake, everything could fall on you and kill you. But he was a great guy. I really enjoyed associating with him.

When the 2014 south Napa earthquake did occur, Pierce was traveling abroad, and later, called for a dumpster to clear his work space.

An enthusiastic world traveler, Carson spent holidays in Hawaii and Mexico and was an expert at finding the best fares to Europe. He explored the wine and food of Italy, France, Germany and Spain, building a network of friends, and always bringing his adventures back to Register readers. After the fall of communism in Europe, he expanded his explorations to eastern Europe, writing about the wines of Croatia, Romania, and Hungary.

Eventually, he found his second home in Prague, the Czech Republic, and began traveling there several times a year. As he transitioned to part-time work at the Register, he rented an apartment in Prague, using it as his home base to travel throughout Europe. Always a promoter of new chefs, at the time of his death he was working on a guide to the restaurants of Prague.

Ive been to Prague many times but the first time was with Pierces expertise, said Beth Nickel. She and her husband Gil had known Pierce since they came to the valley 38 years ago to restore and reopen Far Niente Winery. He wasnt with me, but pointed out the best hotel, all the best restaurants.

He was the classiest man, she said. He wasnt just a journalist, but a friend of the house, a super supporter of all of our efforts. He was always the guy who was the most fun at the party with his Hawaiian shirts.

Brenda Speth, the current publisher of the Register, said, Pierces goal as a reporter was to let the reader experience what he experienced through his writing. This is just one of the things that impressed me about him. He would attend events, and while everyone else was heading for home, hed be back in the office late in the evening or early in the morning writing.

On a personal note, it was always fun to check in with Pierce on the next big adventure he had in his plans, especially the last couple years when he was semi-retired. One of my favorite memories was of Pierce describing looking out over the Vltava river from his apartment in Prague last winter. With a smile he said he spent the day thinking and enjoying the view.

In November 2016, he was diagnosed with cancer of the gallbladder, and after a subsequent surgery, he characteristically caught a plane to Prague where he spent the winter holidays. He also traveled to New York to see a few more shows, and to South America. He continued to write for the Register as long as it was possible.

As news of his illness spread, accolades poured into the newsroom.

He was such a wonderful man, said Michael Mondavi, the son of Robert. He championed the wines, the food, the lifestyle and the people involved in the vineyards. He always found the positive story rather than the negative. People looked forward to being with Pierce and talking to Pierce. He had better balance and judgment than anyone I know. You could trust him and tell him what you were thinking. I never had a second thought about anything being misconstrued. I think that he saw the vision that my father and family ... He was the valley crier.

Vintner Warren Winiarski recalled meeting Carson at the home of winemaking pioneers Nathan and Nellie Fay. He was present for the whole history of the modern Napa Valley. Pierce was the voice of the wine industry but for food also. When Pierce wrote about something, he always managed to get to the core of it, to reveal the whole. Pierce had had this gift of seeing the significant thing. Part of it was his love for the valley  the affection he had for the valley.

Chef Greg Cole wrote, For me and for the 32 years I have spent as part of the culinary and wine scene in the Napa Valley, the name L. Pierce Carson was always the important and relevant voice for local media. Pierce was always there to support us along our journey in this world. He wrote truthfully and in such a supportive fashion. Never one to be harshly critical, instead Pierce was there to elevate us all. It could be art, music, theater, travel, wine or food, he made the world a better place for all of us to enjoy.

Grape grower Andy Beckstoffer said, Pierce is a part of the fabric of the Napa Valley and has been since the 1970s, not only for myself but for my children. Pierce has written about everything in the Napa Valley. Pierce is what is good about journalism, he is one of us. I consider Pierce a dear friend and is an inspiration for anyone who works in journalism and at the Napa Valley Register.

He is such a Napa Valleyian, said Cindy Pawlcyn, who moved to Napa Valley in 1979 and is the owner of Mustards, Yountville and Cindys Backstreet Kitchen, St. Helena. He ate in the restaurants, he wrote about the restaurants and he encouraged the restaurants. He was very encouraging to all of us chefs.

Bill Phelps, owner of Joseph Phelps Winery, said, He was the consummate gentleman at all times, he always wrote with fairness and integrity, was always accurate in every way as far as I could tell. He was a true gentleman of the old school and represented Napa Valley as well as anyone could ... I thought he did a terrific job for 50 years.

Pierce was part of old Napa, Peter McCrea, owner of Stony Hill Winery, wrote, Ive known Pierce 40 years, something like that. Theres just nobody around who fits the mold that he did. Hell be truly missed. He was not only a good reporter, but got to be such good personal friends with so many people. There arent that many people like that who are around any more.

Vintner Miljenko Mike Grgich, of Grgich Hills Estate, wrote: I always admired and respected Pierces writing. I believe his constant support and writing about great wines in Napa is one of the reasons the Napa Valley is so well known today. Pierce will be remembered in Napa Valley for a long time.

Since the first moment I met him two decades ago, I fell in love with him, said Amelia Ceja, president of Ceja Family Vineyards. It was incredibly liberating to be around Pierce. We could have serious conversations but we never took ourselves too seriously. He was a man with so much love  for his craft, for food and wine, for art, for the evolution of Napa Valley. I think in another life he was Latino; with Pierce, every day was a celebration of food and wine and dance and music of life. What he did for the Napa Valley with his beautiful words wont be forgotten.

Doug Ernst, who became a reporter for the Register in 1978 and went on to serve as editor until 2004, said, Pierce was already a veteran reporter at the Register when I arrived in 1978. He was already famous for coming to work late and having a messy desk, but what I remember the most is how late he stayed in the office, typing his stories and making last-minute calls. I remember his great sense of humor, his willingness to laugh with others and at himself, his generosity and his great writing.

Pierce did not drive, yet he never missed an appointment or a deadline. He was a veteran of the armed services, yet a pacifist at heart. He loved people, he loved the Napa Valley and he loved writing. I envied his wide range of friends, gleaned from 50 years of relationships that grew from his reporting and truth-telling. Pierce was not afraid to tell it like it is, no matter whose ox may be gored.

Ernst described a birthday party held in his honor at Robert Mondavi Winery, where the guests ranged from superior court judges to Hells Angels. He was loved by many and an enemy of none.

Ill miss him, Ernst said. Ill remember his wit and his charm. Most of all I will miss seeing his byline in the local paper. In all the years Ive known Pierce, he seemed to be the face of the Register, always professional, showing grace under pressure and giving more than he was expected to give. He set a standard for excellence in journalism.

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson has requested a congressional resolution honoring Carson, and the Napa Valley Vintners, which grew in membership during Carsons tenure from some 50 members to more than 500 today, presented him with a tribute theyd signed and framed that declared him a Napa Valley treasure of immeasurable importance.

He is survived by his sister, Jill, of Maine and Florida.

St. Helena Star Editor Dave Stoneberg contributed to this report.

Many journalists burn out on the food and wine beat after a few years, but Pierce never lost his enthusiasm. His tireless reporting and educating helped transform Napa Valley from steak-and-potatoes country to gastronomic mecca. Many journalists burn out on the food and wine beat after a few years, but Pierce never lost his enthusiasm. His tireless reporting and educating helped transform Napa Valley from steak-and-potatoes country to gastronomic mecca.  Cookbook author

Janet Fletcher Many journalists burn out on the food and wine beat after a few years, but Pierce never lost his enthusiasm. His tireless reporting and educating helped transform Napa Valley from steak-and-potatoes country to gastronomic mecca.
Growing up in Detroit, Mark Pope said he was always enamored of the West and cowboy culture.

To me the West represented freedom, character and hard work, he said.

That cowboy code of authenticity, sticking to your word and handshake deals led Pope to create and grow one of Napas most successful enterprises: the Bounty Hunter.

Arriving in the valley in the beginning of the 1990s as director of sales at Dey Laboratories in Napa, Pope said he took one look around the Napa Valley and fell for it hard.

I love to eat and drink, he said, and I love nature, and the valley has it all.

Drawing on his sales and marketing experience, but also the can-do spirit of the West, he created the Bounty Hunter Rare Wines & Spirits catalog.

Some 23 years later, the Bounty Hunter has grown into a multi-million-dollar company that includes a fine wine and spirits catalog, wine bar and restaurant, a consumer direct wine marketing firm and some 120 employees.

Today Pope is saddling up and is about to take one last ride from Napa. On June 30, Pope will officially retire as CEO and leave the Bounty Hunter business behind. His replacement has not been named.

The entrepreneur said when he started his company, there was no other comparable luxury wine catalog.

With a relaxed vibe and irreverent voice  instead of a snobby wine attitude  Bounty Hunter was just something special and different, he said.

Over the years, the company has sold many millions of bottles of wine, said Pope. It mails more than 2 million catalogs a year, created 17 wine brands and has thousands of wine club members and customers.

In 2014, he sold the company to Argentine billionaire Alejandro Bulgheroni.

It just felt like time to sell, Pope said. It was either that go to the bank and borrow money to expand. I sold him a nice company with zero debt and great track record.

Since the purchase, Pope had stayed on as CEO.

The company also bought the former commercial properties at the corner of First and Main streets in Napa and started plans to build a four-story Bounty Hunter said to include headquarters, store and restaurant.

The corner of the city block has been cleared to make way for the structure, but construction has yet to begin.

Pope said he knew it was time to move on as CEO of Bounty Hunter when he received his Medicare card in the mail.

This is a giant tell, he said. Ive got the money  I might as well take my hall pass. Im ready for a break.

Pope raises boats

Colleagues, suppliers and vendors say that Pope made a significant contribution to the wine industry.

Im a big fan of his, said John Conover, partner/general manager at CADE/PlumpJack wineries.

Hes contributed to the story of Napa Valley in the past 20 years on so many levels.

The Bounty Hunter catalog is one standout, said Conover.

What I love about his catalog that he tells the Napa Valley story  a story about the land and the people and the valley.

Im so happy Mark decided to open that biz in Napa, said Conover. His business has contributed to the overall success of wine in Napa. He should be real proud of what he did.

Andy Beckstoffer of Beckstoffer Vineyards said Pope has made a very unique and interesting contribution to the industry.

The Bounty Hunter catalog gave great exposure to a lot of wineries. He did a good job for selling wine for all of Napa Valley.

Pope stepping down is a big loss for the Bounty Hunter, said Beckstoffer.

Its a solid business and will probably do very well. But it wont be like when Mark was there.

Beckstoffer said he has a feeling Napa Valley has not heard the last from Pope. Some way, somehow, hell continue to be part of our business. Hell miss it and come back. I hope he does.

Don Weaver, president of Harlan Estate, said Pope made a huge contribution to the valley and industry. He raised all boats in terms of visibility of wine, said Weaver.

Through hundreds of thousands of engaging catalogs, he took small brands that didnt have that outreach and put them out in front of that audience.

Everyone that worked with him would tell you they benefited greatly from being part of his portfolio, Weaver said.

Well all be waiting with anxiousness to see what he does next. Knowing Mark hell come up with some new diabolical idea, he said.

Teamwork and hustle

Pope said he built the Bounty Hunter based on integrity, trust, teamwork and hustle.

Those are the four legs of the stool. If any of those things go wrong, its not good.

Its all about your people, suppliers and customers, in that order, he said. They are all equally important, but without great people you will never have a great company.

According to Pope, You have to have a culture where the employees know that mediocrity is not acceptable.

One of the things he is most proud of is his employees and their accomplishments. These people helped me build this into something special, he said. Many employees have been with him for years, he noted.

When asked if he was a tough boss, Pope paused.

My reputation is fair but firm. I like to think thats true. His employees understand what it means to ride for the brand.

Thats what the cowboys did, said Pope.

Mark and his team created an incredible brand and laid the groundwork for an entirely seamless transition, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors, said Victor Josebachvili, Bounty Hunter wine & spirits director.

We are committed to maintaining Bounty Hunters unique relationships with vintners, growers and customers and we look forward to extending the Bounty Hunter legacy into exciting new realms, said Mike Di Napoli, Bounty Hunter wine & spirits executive vice president, COO and CFO.

Pope, who remembers the Napa of the early 1990s, said the city has a very bright future.

Napa has turned a big corner and continues to do so. I believe it will continue to thrive and prosper. I hope we maintain an agricultural-based valley and a little bit less Disneyland.

So long

Pope said he plans to keep his longtime home in the hills above Alta Heights but spend much more time at his home between Helena and Great Falls, Montana.

The home in Craig, Montana is my own national park alongside the Missouri River, he said. Lewis and Clark dragged their boats by my bedroom window.

Accompanied by his girlfriend Cathy and bird dog Reba, Pope also plans to travel around the U.S. and Canada in his customized Mercedes Sprinter van. He has no children.

As described by Pope, the cowboy end of this horse opera ends as he rides off into the sunset with a big smile.

But Ill always look forward to setting around campfire in Napa, he said. Im not saying goodbye, Im saying so long. Until we meet again.
The First Project 21180 Icebreaker Ilya Muromets. Picture: JSC Admiralty Shipyard



The Krylov State Research Center set up the Arctic Engineering Center (AEC) in 2016, according to Krylovs Director General Vladimir Nikitin. He said the new division was continuously in touch with both major energy companies and the Russian Defense Ministry. A whole range of federal programs is being pursued as part of this cooperation, including the development of icebreakers, support vessels and other marine hardware.



Admiralty Wharfs laid the keel of the Russian Navy-ordered Project 21180 lead ship, the Ilya Muromets icebreaker, in St. Petersburg in April 2015 and launched it in June 2016. The icebreaker is planned for commissioning in the fall of 2017 after it passes its tests. The Ilya Muromets has become the first icebreaker being built for the Navy over the past 45 years. In the fall of 2017, it will head for the Northern Fleet, which Arctic operations it will support further down the road. The ship is able to lead surface combatants and auxiliary vessels through the ice or tow them, if need be. It is tripled-hatted as seagoing tug, icebreaker and patrol ship.



According to the non-nuclear icebreakers requirements specification, it will be able to negotiate 80-centimeter-thick ice. Presumably, its endurance will stand at 60 days, cruising range at 12,000 nm, displacement at 6,000 tons, length at 84 m, beam at 20 m and draft at 7 m. The Ilya Muromets is Russias first icebreaker with Azipod thrusters hinged outside of the hull and able to traverse 360 deg. Its crew will be 32.



Artist impression of nuclear powered icebreaker "Arktika" (project 22220)

Image: Atomflot



At the same time, the Russian Navy has no plans for nuclear icebreakers. Hence, the ones owned by the Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation will be used in the interests of the military. In July 2016, Rosatom Director General Sergei Kiriyenko said the job of its advanced Project 22220 icebreakers included leading naval convoys in the Arctic. The Project 22220 class is important to Russias defense and competitiveness as far as the Northern Sea Route transit is concerned. The Baltic Shipyard laid down the lead ship in the class, the Arktika, in November 2013. The cost of the class is estimated at 122 billion rubles ($2 billion). Technologies totally novel to nuclear warships have been used as part of its construction. Its variable-depth dual draft will allow leading convoys both on the high seas and in estuaries while its sophisticated nuclear reactor will necessitate port calls for intermediate recharging less than once every six months. Presumably, the icebreaker will be able to do without reactor reloading for about seven years.



The Iceberg Design Bureau plans to deliver three Project 22220 nuclear-powered icebreakers prior to 2020. In addition, it is designing other advanced icebreakers, Iceberg Director General/Chief Designer Alexander Ryzhkov told TASS in December 2015.



"The Baltic Shipyard is building Project 22220 nuclear icebreakers. Three are to be delivered to government-owned Atomflot prior to 2020. These are unique vessels equipped an advanced monoblock reactor, a sophisticated steam-turbine plant, an electric propulsion system and latest automatic mechanisms. The icebreaker varies her draft within the 8.5-10.5-m bracket, which enables her to operate both on the Northern Sea Route and in the estuaries of Siberian rivers," Ryzhkov says.



With the 10.5-m maximum draft, the class has an ice-breaking capability of 2.8-3 m and, thus, is fit for operations in the east of the Arctic all year round. The solutions embodied by the Project 22220 icebreakers makes them fit for replacing two icebreaker classes simultaneously - the seagoing Project 10521 Yamal and 50 Let Pobedy and the shallow-draft Project 10580 Taimyr and Vaigach. Rosatom may order two more Project 22220 versatile icebreakers from the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), according to the materials the Industry and Trade Ministry prepared for a session of the governments Arctic board.



Project 10510 Leader class



The Iceberg Design Bureau also is developing the worlds most powerful nuclear icebreaker of the Project 10510 Leader class. According to Ryzhkov, "its power is 120MW and its maximum ice-breaking capability equals 4.3 m, and if ice is 2 m thick, the ship can lead convoys at a speed of more than 11 knots, thus ensuring cost-effective traffic via the Northern Sea Route."



The cooperation with the Krylov Center has yielded the icebreakers conceptual design and ice tank tests have been conducted. Russian shipyards will be prepared to launch the construction of the 120MW icebreaker in 2017. According to Industry and Trade Deputy Minister Vassily Osmakov, some opine that the three icebreakers under construction will be able to meet only part of the needs of the region.



"Therefore, in order to maintain the leadership and be able to launch the program at the drop of a hat, the Iceberg Design Bureau came up with the conceptual design of the Leader icebreaker and has been working on the engineering design of the Leader LK-120 nuclear icebreaker. Its engineering design is due in December 2017. I think the completion of the engineering design will hasten the ships entry into production," he said. The construction may take three years and a half.



"We will be ready in terms of construction technology from late 2018," USC President Alexei Rakhmanov said. According to him, the job may be handled either by the Baltic Shipyard or by the Severnaya Verf Shipyard, with the outfitting to be performed by the Baltic Shipyard in the latter case. The engineering design is due by 2019 and the vessel is to be delivered by 2024.



The 40MW multirole offshore nuclear-powered Project 10570 class



Another icebreaker class being developed by Iceberg is the 40MW multirole offshore nuclear-powered Project 10570 class. Its design relies on the commonized basic platform vessel concept providing for versions differing in layout, hull, power plant, prop/steering unit, Dynpos-2 dynamic positioning system, to name just a few. The concept will allow developing icebreakers based on common design solutions and capable of a wide range of Arctic offshore works. This will reduce the design and construction costs.

Project 10081 Sevmorput nuclear-powered container carrier


"The planned dock repairs will begin before the end of the week and will be completed by mid-June," shipyard spokesman Gleb Chubinsky told Flotprom.

The ships underwater hull, rudder-propeller unit and outboard fittings will be examined and then repaired, if necessary. When the work is completed, the ships underwater hull will be painted.

The press office said that the arrival of the frigate Yaroslav Mudry in Kronstadt had nothing to do with the sudden combat readiness check of the Baltic Fleet.

During the repair, part of the crew members will be onboard the ship.

The frigate Yaroslav Mudry was previously repaired by the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad in west Russia. One of the ships turbines underwent repair at the Metallist-Samara Company in the Volga area.

The Navy has decided to have the frigate repaired at the Kronstadt Shipyard as the ship is expected to take part in a naval parade in St. Petersburg on the occasion of Navy Day.



 Copyright 2017 TASS. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


Poland and Slovakia will increase defense spending

Roma play draw, Atalanta lose (video)

Tomatoes have positive effect on intestinal health

Cologne lose, Sargis Adamian makes assist (video)

Audi presents new crossovers Q8 e-tron

Benny Gantz: Israel has an opportunity to strike Iran's nuclear facilities

Samvel Babayan: Russia will withdraw peacekeepers from Nagorno-Karabakh

Hungarian government sets price ceiling on eggs and potatoes

Inter's starting lineup named

Benny Gantz: Israel does not have the production capacity to supply Ukraine with air defense systems

Germany must adopt energy-saving measures in face of skyrocketing inflation

Beglaryan: Azerbaijan continues and will continue its policy of genocide and hatred against the Armenian people

Kiev believes it is too early to talk about withdrawal of Russian troops from Kherson

Raisi: Relations between Tehran and Moscow have a bright future

Taliban virtue representative kills minor for refusing to marry

Meeting held at Ministry of Defense

Lewandowski wins Golden Boot for second year in row

Kaljurand: A fair peace agreement, that will guarantee the rights and security of the Nagorno-Karabakh people, is needed

ATMs closed at night in Germany because of increasing number of break-ins

Moldova to request 450 million from EU amid fears of stopping Russian gas supplies

Scaloni hopes World Cup 2022 will not be Messi's last

Kazakhstan plans to make knowledge of Kazakh obligatory for obtaining citizenship

Vladimir Putin to visit Armenia

Manchester United want to buy Napoli striker

Ayoob Kara: Israel and Azerbaijan must act together against Iran

Britney Spears criticizes idea of making movie about herself: 'Dude Im not dead'

Macron: France ends its military mission in Africa

Kaka's favorites for World Cup 2022

Military forces of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey take part in Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline protection exercise

To avoid U.S. sanctions, Chinese companies artificially reduce speed of their chips

Binance plans to buy cryptocurrency exchange FTX: Why is FTX facing problems?

Shoigu orders withdrawal of troops across Dnieper River

Hormone that determines risk of age-related diseases in men is found

Swedish parliament will vote to change constitution for NATO membership on November 16

Karim Benzema will not recover before his first match at World Cup 2022

Reactor at nuclear power plant in southern Sweden stops unexpectedly due to turbine malfunction

Son Heung-min, who underwent surgery, will be able to participate in World Cup 2022

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

Gerard Pique repeats Barcelona's anti-record in terms of red cards

Adidas slows down because of Kanye West scandal

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

Guardiola says this season is crazy, players can't rest and think about national championship

Gen. of Justice: Armenia is already going to abyss

MFA says Russia promotes comprehensive settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations

Keanu Reeves will return to role of John Wick in spin-off 'Ballerina': Actor will star with Ana de Armas

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

Biggest layoff in Meta history: Zuckerberg plans to fire 11,000 people

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

Van stronger than Shirak

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

World Cup 2022: Swiss national team bid

Sean Penn visits Kiev for third time since beginning of special military operation and brings 'Oscar'

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

Study: 57% of adults do not get up after first wake-up call

AraratBank underwrites FINCA UCO bonds

First ombudsperson says current Armenian authorities are illegitimate

Anne Hathaway and Salma Hayek to star in Kotaro Isaka's book series for Netflix

Armenian National Committee of America: Dr. Oz Defeated in Pennsylvania Senate race

Is Yappy hacked? Social network denies data leak of 2 million users
President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, who is on an official visit to Qatar, on Monday met with the representatives of the Armenian community of the state.

The Armenian President delivered a welcome speech. Noting that he is happy to have an opportunity to meet with the newly-formed, small but strong Armenian community representatives, Sargsyan welcomed the fact that living and creating in Qatar, the Armenian community contributes to the development of that country, trying to maintain the Armenian identity and spirit. In this respect, President Sargsyan attached importance to the role of the one-day Mesropian college.

According to him, in such conditions the existence and prosperity of the Armenian communities gains a new value in the Gulf Arab countries. Sargsyan expressed conviction that that there is an unrealized potential in the Armenian-Qatari bilateral relations, and it is thus necessary to exert efforts with the support of the local Armenian community in order to give new content to them.

In his speech, the President also referred to the process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, briefing the participants on the stance and the currently existing concerns of the Armenian side. Today I openly state that valuing the cost of peace, we will never be afraid to become a single fist and being the master of the just demand of the Artsakh Armenians, as we did a quarter century ago and last April, Sargsyan stressed.

Furthermore, he touched on the international recognition process of the Armenian Genocide, as well as the events taking place in Armenia.

I am sure that you are all following the events taking place in Armenia, getting excited about each of our achievement and getting upset over our failures. And today, I think, you are all proud of the fact that the reforms carried out in our country for a long time yielded their long-awaited results. Here I, of course, mean the recent parliamentary election, which received the positive assessment of all the international institutions. But this is not a full stop, nothing of a kind. As I have repeatedly stated, this is a new beginning, which is more obliging. We will set ourselves to implementing reforms in our country with new enthusiasm, relying on your potential, knowledge and talent in this process, since we pursue the same goalto have a powerful and stable Armenia. As in all the stages of history, unity currently remains the guarantee for the longevity and development of the Armenian people.

Therefore, lets put all our efforts, power and enthusiasm, capacities and talent into the development and strengthening of the Armenian state, not only remaining Armenian and bringing up the coming generation as Armenians, not only by carrying out pro-Armenian activity devoted to our nation, but also through initiating economic projects and implementing daily programs, even if they are small.

Let us together level the path of the eternity of the Armenian people, President Sargsyan said.
The requested page is currently unavailable on this server.

Back to [RTHK News Homepage]


 :     ,   ,   

  ,        , -     28         .
Haji Khan was trapped during a joint operation by Police and the Army's intelligence unit, a police official said.

Khan was detained from his house in Kunjari village of Jaisalmer following intelligence inputs.

The police official said Khan, accused of sending confidential information to the ISI, had been sent to Jodhpur for further interrogation.

Investigators said they have recovered incriminating documents from his possession.

"Khan was detained a few months back but released due to lack of evidence," the official said. "He used to visit Pakistan regularly as his maternal house is there."

Kunjari village is situated near an Indian Air Force firing range, which is part of the Pokhran field firing range.

Security agencies believe the man may have shared information regarding the Army and Air Force with the ISI.

--IANS as-rak/py/mr

( 162 Words)

2017-05-20-15:42:15 (IANS)
Pakistan's top foreign policy advisor Sartaj Aziz on Saturday said that the International Court of Justice cannot nullify alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhavs death sentence. "Jadhav had confessed to carrying out terrorist activities inside Pakistan and was a naval officer using a fake passport. He was sentenced according to the country's law," Aziz said while addressing the media in Islamabad. The adviser said India's stance that Pakistan was defeated by the recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) verdict was inaccurate. "A wrong impression was created by Indian media that Pakistan has lost the case," Aziz added. Responding to a question on why no judge was sent on the day of the ICJ hearing, he said the government could not appoint one within a short period of five days. "We will go with a strong team in the next hearing," Aziz said adding that even if Pakistan had chosen an ad hoc judge, the ICJ's verdict would not have changed. Aziz said that not only was Jadhav an Indian citizen, he was in fact an officer in the Indian Navy who has also admitted to carrying out espionage activities in Pakistan. He defended Islamabad's position saying Jadhav was tried and convicted in line with the country's constitution and laws, adding that Pakistan's position was "very strong" in this respect. The United Nations' top court recently ordered a stay on the execution of Jadhav. Judges at the ICJ ruled that Jadhav must not be put to death by Islamabad until they have had time to pass final judgement in the case. Jadhav was reportedly arrested in a counter-intelligence raid in Balochistan in March 2016. --IANS ahm/bg ( 285 Words) 2017-05-20-17:40:11 (IANS)
At least 31 persons were injured in the attack which began at 2.50 p.m. when a suicide bomber blew himself up near a gate of the bank, opening the way for another three who entered the bank and began a shootout with security forces, Xinhua news agency reported.

Four militants and two police officers were among the dead, according to reports.

"We have received eight bodies and 31 injured persons in the hospital in Gardez city," Shir Mohammad, head of the public health department in Gardez city, said.

The office of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani took to Twitter to condemn the attack, saying: "Pres @ashrafghani condemns attack on Kabul Bank in Gardez as a cynical assault on Afghan people living their lives and doing business."

No group has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack. This is the second high profile attack in the eastern region of Afghanistan over the past four days.

The previous attack for which the Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility saw armed militants storm the state-run television station in Jalalabad city earlier this week. Six people were killed in the attack.

--IANS soni/bg

( 221 Words)

2017-05-20-19:52:10 (IANS)
The students pelted stones at each other, while there were also reports of exchange of fire between the two sides, police told Geo News.

A heavy contingent of police reached the campus after being informed of the clashes. Police fired tear-gas shells to disperse the students. Authorities have also called in the Rangers to control the situation.

--IANS ahm/bg

( 93 Words)

2017-05-20-19:58:13 (IANS)
After witnessing yet another record week with the key indices zooming higher to new peaks, the Indian equity markets came under the impact of global political turmoil and pared gains during the week ended Friday. In the past week, the barometer 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE surged by 276.77 points or 0.92 per cent to close at 30,464.92 points, while the wider 51-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) rose by 27 points or 0.29 per cent to wind up the week's trade at 9,427.90 points. "Having commenced the week on a positive note, the Nifty lost momentum after touching the historic peak of 9,533 in Wednesday's trade, even as selling pressure dragged the index towards 9,400 levels. Thursday witnessed one of the worst falls for the indices in the last five months," said Vijay Singhania, Director, Trade Smart Online. Mid-week, the key equity indices crossed their psychologically significant levels and shot up to new closing and intra-day highs, which are also their new 52-week highs. On May 17, the NSE Nifty recorded a new closing high of 9,525.75 points, and the BSE Sensex of 30,658.77 points. On the same day, the Nifty scaled a record intra-day high of 9,532.60 points. On May 18, the BSE Sensex touched a new high of 30,712.35 points during the intra-day trade, breaking its earlier record high of 30,692.45 points intra-day on May 17. "The sentiment of the markets across the globe got spooked as concerns rose over the political uncertainty in the US, which may derail the policy agenda that helped push global equities to records. Doubts about President Donald Trump's ability to implement market-friendly policies also ruined the sentiments of the market participants at home," D.K. Aggarwal, Chairman and Managing Director, SMC Investments and Advisors, told IANS. "This week India moved a step ahead in adopting the Goods and Services Tax (GST), with the GST Council fixing the rates for 1,211 items. So far, the Indian markets were supported by a huge gush of liquidity from both domestic as well as global investors." Figures from the National Securities Depository (NSDL) revealed that foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) invested in equities worth Rs 3867.67 crore, or $602.98 million, during May 15-19. Provisional figures from the stock exchanges showed that foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold stocks worth Rs 987.06 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) purchased scrip worth Rs 602.98 crore during the week. On commodities, Singhania said: "Gold prices soared during the week on the back of a political storm in the US. After showing some resistance initially, base metals were eventually weighed down by weakness in global equities." "Oil markets remain relatively resilient with traders looking forward to OPEC (Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) meeting on May 25 where expectations call for an extension of production cuts till early part of next year," he added. Apart from global uncertainties, depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar pressurised the market sentiments at higher levels, according to Dhruv Desai, Director and Chief Operating Officer of Tradebulls. During the week, the Indian rupee weakened by 34-35 paise to 64.64-65 against the US dollar from last week's close of 64.30. "Sentiments got some support with Indian Meteorological department's statement that the southwest monsoon will hit Kerala on May 30, two days ahead of schedule," said Desai. "Most banking stocks faced resistance at higher levels due to profit booking and traded down. Bench mark FMCG index NiftyFMCG witnessed strong upside during the week but failed to hold the gains in the end." Sectorwise, the FMCG, metals and PSU banks were the top gainers, while the media, realty and energy indices fell. The top weekly Sensex gainers were: Tata Steel (up 12.05 per cent at Rs 489.40), Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (up 6.24 per cent at Rs 2,506.80), Lupin (up 4.84 per cent at Rs 1,314.90), ITC (up 4.23 per cent at Rs 285.90) and State Bank of India (SBI) (up 3.70 per cent at Rs 308.15). The losers were: ONGC (down 2.57 per cent at Rs 180), Reliance Industries (down 2.39 per cent at Rs 1,318.50), Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) (down 2.39 per cent at Rs 1,333.10), Adani Ports (down 2.23 per cent at Rs 349.20), and Gail (down 1.90 per cent at Rs 401.10). (Porisma P. Gogoi can be contacted at porisma.g@ians.in) --IANS ppg/vm ( 741 Words) 2017-05-20-17:30:11 (IANS)
The 31-year-old-actress took to Instagram and shared pictures of her passport and bag.

She captioned the snap, "Au Revoir," which means "goodbye" in French.

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:37.5% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BUSYas-htS1/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Au Revoir...</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2017-05-19T20:23:49+00:00">May 19, 2017 at 1:23pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>

The 'Bajirao Mastani' star walked the red carpet at Cannes, for the international cosmetic brand L'oreal.

Deepika also shared some pictures of her Cannes experience on her social networking handle.

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.5% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BUSWh-8BIiF/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Day-1 Cannes 2017 @marchesafashion @georginachapmanmarchesa @kerencraigmarchesa @elizabethsaltzman @lorealmakeup @lorealhair</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2017-05-19T20:07:20+00:00">May 19, 2017 at 1:07pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>

On Day 1, for the red carpet she stunned everybody by wearing jewel-toned maroon creation by Marchesa Notte for her red carpet appearance at the opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival.

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.5% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BUSXGCAhKPf/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Day-2 Cannes 2017 @brandonmaxwell @elizabethsaltzman @lorealmakeup @lorealhair</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2017-05-19T20:12:15+00:00">May 19, 2017 at 1:12pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>

While, on the Day 2 of the festival, the leggy lass opted for a green Brandon Maxwell thigh slit gown and coupled it with diamond earrings and neat high bun.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Can't get enough of that elan. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LifeAtCannes?src=hash">#LifeAtCannes</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeepikaAtCannes?src=hash">#DeepikaAtCannes</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cannes2017?src=hash">#Cannes2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/5e2KczNGg0">pic.twitter.com/5e2KczNGg0</a></p> L'Oreal Paris India (@LOrealParisIn) <a href="https://twitter.com/LOrealParisIn/status/865252480350773249">May 18, 2017</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Added on to the glamour were her smokey eyes, nude pout and a dewy complexion.

This was Deepika Padukone's debut at the Cannes Film Festival. (ANI)
Actor Aamir Khan on Saturday denied rumours that his upcoming film "Thugs Of Hindostan" being inspired by the Johnny Depp starrer Hollywood flick "Pirates of Caribbean". At a media meet after participating in chat show 'Dangal Dangal Baat Chali Hai' with the whole cast of his mega blockbuster "Dangal", Aamir, asked about the similarity, said: "The film is not inspired from any other film. It is an action adventure film but the story is not similar. "There are some hundreds of action adventure films. There is 'Pirates of Caribbean', there is 'Indiana Jones' and many others. All these are action adventure films. So the genre of our film is action adventure but the story is different. Even my character in the film is not similar to any other character." "Thugs of Hindostan" is directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya and star Aamir, Amitabh Bachchan, Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh in lead roles. Aamir feels that Fatima who had portrayed the character of his daughter in "Dangal" is the right choice for this film as well. "We are starting the shoot for 'Thugs of Hindostan' in June. Fatima is the heroine of the film. I am very happy as she is a very good artist, she suits the role." With "Dangal" doing great business in China, the actor said he feels that films like it do not have any language or culture barrier and have a global connect. "I suppose people have loved the film. These kind of films do not have any language or culture barriers. These are human stories which connect to everybody, irrespective of their language or region. "So this is the beauty of creative things... that they do not have any national or political boundaries." Asked whether he is receiving any messages from his Chinese fans, he said: "I am getting many messages from China, the way they are reacting on social media as well is making me very happy" The press conference ended with Aamir singing song "Dhakad Hai" from "Dangal". --IANS iv/vd ( 351 Words) 2017-05-20-22:50:11 (IANS)
Tripartite talks between the United Naga Council (UNC), the Manipur Government and the Centre were held on May 19 in the town of Senapati on the district creation issue. During the talks, four points were agreed upon, (1) The focal point No.1 of the agreement arrived at to the tripartite talks on 19th March 2017 is re-affirmed by both parties, (2) It was also agreed that the Government of Manipur would be represented at the political level in the next round of talks, (3) Till such time as an amicable settlement to the issue of creation of the new districts is not arrived at, the Government of Manipur and the United Naga Council will mutually respect the points agreed upon in the tripartite talks held on 19th March 2017. And lastly (4) the next round of talks will be held in Senapati within a month's time. In the last tripartite talks on March 19 in Senapati it was agreed upon that the "next round of tripartite talks will be resumed within a month's time at political level". The one month's time had lapsed on April 19. The 11 member UNC team was led by its president Gaidon Kamei, while Satyendra Garg, Joint Secretary in charge of the North-East in the Ministry of Home Affairs, led the Government of India team. Mr. O. Nabakeshore Singh, Chief Secretary, led the Manipur Government team. The talks were held at the DRDA office at Senapati from 10.30 a.m. under tight security. UNC president Gaidon Kamei reiterated that the position from their side is clear on the issue and also asserted that whatever may be the reason, there is no question of compromising on the Naga stand and position. In the tripartite talk on March 19, the grievances of UNC that led to the imposition of economic blockade were recognised as non-adherence to the four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and the government of India's assurance on the matter. At that time, the state government agreed to start consultations with all stakeholders to redress the same. Following this, the UNC lifted the four-and-a-half month-old economic blockade on the national highway linking Manipur to other parts of the country from the midnight of March 19. (ANI)
"Till now no such suspicious information has come out. So most probably they will be sent back to Pakistan," Superintendent of Police (SP) Gaurav Yadav told ANI

Pakistan's ISI is continuously making efforts to make Indian passengers, who visit Pakistan regularly for business, relationship and other purposes, their agents forcefully.

The ISI has deployed many old smugglers as spies after fencing at the border.

Earlier this month, the Mumbai Police, in a joint operation with the Uttar Pradesh ATS, arrested another suspected ISI agent.

A total of three people have been arrested so far.

One from Faizabad and two from Mumbai.

Two spies, Bariyam Khan and Haji Khan, were caught in between November-December last year from Kishangarh Range. (ANI)
Unidentified criminals shot dead a young woman in Chhakkan locality of north Mandiri under Buddha Colony police station area here late last night. Police said here today that outlaws gunned down 20-year old Laxmi Devi,wife of Sunny Kumar, as soon as she opened the main door of her house. Her husband was from different caste, police informed. The Motive behind murder could not be ascertained immediately. An FIR had been filed at the police station concerned against 7 people on the statement of the deceased`s husband. The body has been sent to Patna Medical College and Hospital for autopsy, police added. UNI DH AKM 1302 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0213-901322.Xml
The ICJ on Thursday stayed the death sentence awarded to Indian Naval officer Jadhav by a Pakistani military court on the charges of spying.

According to Pakistan media reports, Islamabad on Friday approached the ICJ to challenge its jurisdiction in the Jadhav case and pleaded a rehearing of the case within six weeks.

Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh has said that India was not concerned with Pakistan's bid to give a 'new twist' to the Jadhav case.

"We should have full faith in our Ministry of External Affairs and judicial experts," he told ANI.

Singh also didn't give any importance to former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's observation that "Kulbushan Jadhav is a bigger terrorist than Ajmal Kasab".

Reacting to Musharraf's comments, Singh said, "I don't think we need to attach much significance to what they say. It doesn't make any difference whosoever says what."

Musharraf reportedly told a Pakistani TV channel that Kasab was "just a pawn", while Jadhav "may have killed" people.

Ajmal Kasab was hanged to death by India in November 2012 for his role in the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 in which around 164 Indians were killed by a group of ten Pakistani terrorists.(ANI)
The suspect has been taken to Jaipur for interrogation.

As per reports, the suspect has been arrested on the basis of lead provided by two Pakistan nationals arrested from Jaisalmer's Kunjarli village earlier today.

The ATS and a special team of Army intelligence detained two Pakistani nationals on suspicion of being ISI agents.

"Till now no such suspicious information has come out. So most probably they will be sent back to Pakistan," Superintendent of Police (SP) Gaurav Yadav told ANI

Pakistan's ISI is continuously making efforts to make Indian passengers, who visit Pakistan regularly for business, relationship and other purposes, their agents forcefully.

The ISI has deployed many old smugglers as spies after fencing at the border.

Earlier this month, the Mumbai Police, in a joint operation with the Uttar Pradesh ATS, arrested another suspected ISI agent.

A total of three people have been arrested so far.

One from Faizabad and two from Mumbai.

Two spies, Bariyam Khan and Haji Khan, were caught in between November-December last year from Kishangarh Range. (ANI)
India has not lost anything by keeping out of the Beijing meet on Chinese initiative of One Belt, One Road (OBOR), and there was still a possibility of India joining the mega project at a later date if it thinks the project could serve its interest. That was the broad view that emerged at a panel discussion by experts on 'Indian Diplomacy@2020: Power of India' that followed the launch a new magazine devoted to international affairs, 'India and World', brought out by India Writes Network/TG Media. The first issue of the magazine was released by Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar, who was the chief guest at the function held last evening. India's boycott of OBOR was based on the ground that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is one of the major parts of the mega project, passes through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Mr Jayant Sinha, Director General of Government think tank, the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), who has also served as envoy to Nepal and Afghanistan, was of the view that China's statement that it was a win win situation for India should be taken with a pinch of salt. ''We are not saying that we will not ever touch OBOR, as after all we are cooperating with China at the Asia Infrastructure Investment Board (AIIB), which is funding a major road project in Multan, '' he said. But, Mr Sinha stressed that India's first priority was connectivity in the north-east. India was doing Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) which is also after all under the rubric of OBOR, he added. Mr Jayadev Ranade, president of the Centre for China Analysis, said OBOR was still a work in progress, but there had been a much hype about it. ''It is still a concept. We can come later,'' he said. President Xi Jinping had invested heavily in OBOR, which he is touting as a game changer, but advanced western countries had not come up to show any interest in joining the project. He also pointed out to some Chinese experts' view that India's absence from OBOR would not be good for the initiative. Mr Ranade was of the view that India's objection to ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was quite valid. Besides passing through the Pak-occupied Kashmir, it was out and out a military project, but whether it will materialise was a different question. He pointed out that there were many voices of opposition to the project within Pakistan itself. Mr Ashok Malik of the Observer Research Foundation said that if OBOR succeeded, it would reduce India's clout in the region. To face this situation, India should expedite implementation of its projects in its neighbourhood and modernise at a fast pace, he said. The experts, also including former ambassador to UN Meera Shankar, veteran diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar and Prof Chintamani Mahapatra of JNU, touched upon various aspects of India's relationship with the US, and emerging uncertainties under the Trump administration, relations with Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and Japan also the changes and continuities in India's foreign policy under the Modi government. Earlier, in his welcome remarks, editor-in-chief of India and World Manish Chand said the overarching theme of the inaugural edition had been chosen to focus on India's evolving relations with major power centres, including the US, China, Russia and Japan, and key regions like ASEAN/East Asia and emerging powers grouped under BRICS. ''Amid a changing world order, there is a compelling need to present and understand India's perspectives on major international issues and debates. India's viewpoint is becoming increasingly important as it's hard to envisage any lasting solution to an entire gamut of cross-cutting issues without proactive participation of the world's most populous democracy, Asia's third largest economy and an aspiring member of the UN Security Council,'' he said.UNI NAZ RSA SHK 1438 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0091-901399.Xml
A high level Indian delegation headed by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju is leaving today for participating in the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) to be held at Cancun, Mexico from May 22-26. More than 5,000 delegates, including Heads of State, Ministers, CEOs, disaster experts, volunteers, representatives from science and technology sectors and academia are expected to gather in Cancun. GPDRR is a global forum for strategic advice, coordination, partnership development and review of progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) 2015-2030 which was adopted at the 3rd UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in March, 2015 in Sendai, Japan. This will mark the first opportunity since 2015 that global leaders and stakeholders in disaster risk reduction will meet for the international community to review global progress in the implementation of SFDRR. It will also provide a platform for all stakeholders to galvanise their efforts in sustainable development and climate change adaptation, sharing of experiences, discussing innovative solutions, and charting out the course for an integrated approach at the international, regional, national and local levels. Apart from presenting the Country Statement on May 24, Mr Rijiju, the UN Designated Disaster Risk Reduction Champion for Asia Region, will also co-chair the Plenary Session on "National and Local Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies: Pave the way for Action by All" on May 25, an official statement said. He will also participate in Leaders Forum, besides leading various bilateral meetings. He will also release the NDMA guidelines on protection of museums. During various sessions, the Indian delegation will highlight initiatives taken by the Government of India in disaster risk reduction including the outcomes of the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR), held at New Delhi in November, 2016 and National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) held at New Delhi in May 2017. Dr P K Mishra, Additional Principal Secretary to the PM and Mr Kamal Kishore, Member, NDMA will be the speakers for the working sessions "Ensuring Risk-Resilient Critical Infrastructure" on May 24 and "Sendai Framework Prototype Consultation" on May 24 respectively. Other members of the delegation are Dr V Thiruppugazh, Joint Secretary, NDMA, Mr Sanjeev Jindal, Joint Secretary, MHA and Prof. Santosh Kumar, Executive Director, National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM).UNI NY RSA SHK 1439 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0099-901410.Xml
Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi today completely ruled out any chance of hacking of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), saying 100 per cent safeguards were in place to check any tampering with them. ''We have received various complaints about EVMs having been tampered with but so far found no evidence of it,'' Mr Zaidi said here addressing a press conference. He said the use of VVPAT in future elections was going to remove all doubts in the minds of the people about the reliability of these electronic machines. ''Use of VVPAT will increase voter's confidence and bring in transparency in the process,'' he said, adding that India will now be the only country to use 100 per cent VVPAT. The EC would not allow any shred of doubt in the public mind about the integrity and non-temperability of EVMs. The EVMs were not connected with internet or any other network, he said. The Election Commission today also held live demonstration of EVM. Last week, the EC held an all-party meeting here to discuss the issues related to allegations of malfunctioning of EVMs and proposed VVPATs and other electoral reforms. The complaints about the EVMs came from the Opposition parties, especially the BSP and the AAP soon after the results of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections were announced. On May 9, during a day-long special session of the Delhi Assembly, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj tried to demonstrate with a dummy, how EVMs were allegedly being tampered, a claim which was immediately rejected by the EC. Last month, a Congress-led delegation had submitted a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee on the alleged irregularities in the EVMs UNI NAZ-DEVN RSA SHK 1610 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0091-901513.Xml
The Election Commission will allow political parties to have a try at hacking EVMs at various sessions beginning from June 3. Announcing the details of the challenge at a press conference here, CEC Nasim Zaidi said the EVMs would be those which were used in the recent Assembly polls in the five states. The CEC said the parties can try to tamper with the machines in two ways. Either, they can do it by pressing various combination of the keys of the machines or by using some external device like mobile or Bluetooth etc. Parties can select four machines from four polling stations in either of the five states where the polls were held. And each of these parties can nominate three authorised persons for trying at these machines. The CEC decision to open EVMs for trial by political parties came after complaints from several them of that these EVMs were tampered with in the recent Assembly polls.More UNI NAZ-DEVN-NY RSA SHK 1621 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0099-901558.Xml
According to researchers, carrying excess weight throughout life quadruples the chances of developing the mental health disorder and may permanently damage self-esteem, resulting in depression later on.

One in three children in the U.S. and the U.K. are overweight or obese, previous research has shown.

The VU University Medical Centre researchers in the Netherlands enlisted 889 people living in Reykjavik, Iceland, with an average age of 75.

The team then looked at school records of the participants dating back almost seven decades to find out, if they were overweight as children, defined as having a BMI between 25 and 29.9.

The data also revealed their weight at the age of 50.

The results revealed that carrying excess weight in childhood is a stronger predictor of depression later down the line than being overweight in middle age.

The team presented their findings at this year's European Congress on Obesity.

"A shared genetic risk or low self-esteem, which is frequently associated with those who do not conform to the ideal body type, could be responsible," the researchers explained.

"Given the rise in adolescents' obesity and greater influence of social media on body image, understanding the associations between childhood obesity and depression is critical," they noted.

This comes after researchers from the University of Navarra in Spain found eating one or two meat-free meals a week halves the risk of becoming obese. (ANI)
The Congress on Saturday attacked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre and accused it of cheating farmers and surrendering to big industrialists. Addressing a press conference here, state unit President Raj Babbar and senior leader Randeep Surjewala said that in the three years it has been in power, the BJP government has added to the miseries of the farmers. They also claimed that 14,000 farmers had committed suicide in India in 2016, which was two thousand more than the number in 2014, when the Narendra Modi government took over. Surjewala also rapped the Uttar Pradesh government led by Yogi Adityanath and said that to score some political brownie points, it has announced a loan waiver that would only benefit a small section of the medium and small farmers. He also added that it was for the first time that amendments were made in the address of the Governor. Demanding a white paper on the loan waiver for the farmers as announced by the state government, the Congress leaders also said that the BJP had promised to procure 80 lakh tonnes of wheat before the elections but so far, only seven lakh tonnes had been procured. --IANS md/vgu/bg ( 210 Words) 2017-05-20-17:06:45 (IANS)
Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station powered kitchen blenders, cash registers and televisions in eastern Nebraska for more than four decades by harnessing the energy released by splitting uranium atoms.

Deemed too expensive to keep running, the power stations generators ceased spinning Oct. 24. Yet a highly radioactive legacy remains.

Spent fuel rods  nuclear waste potent for thousands of years  will remain along the Missouri Rivers west bank for the foreseeable future.

Fort Calhoun and the larger still-operating Cooper Nuclear Station, south of Brownville, had 1,010 metric tons of used uranium fuel in temporary storage as of February, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute.

While the 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act tasked the federal government with disposing of highly radioactive waste, politics got in the way.

So instead of Americas old, unwanted uranium being shipped to an underground tomb at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, its instead stored at 77 sites  18 of which are decommissioned nuclear power plants  in 35 states.

The Obama administration officially put the Yucca Mountain project on ice in 2011 after Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, who retired at the end of 2016, successfully led an effort to starve it of funding. Reid argued the project is a danger to the people of his state and the mountain simply not a good place for the nations high-level nuclear waste.

But the Yucca Mountain debate could be poised for a comeback. In his federal budget blueprint, President Donald Trump listed $120 million to restart the Yucca Mountain licensing process.

Both of Nevadas current U.S. senators, Republican Dean Heller and Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto, have condemned the idea of dusting off the old project.

Trumps attempt to revive Yucca Mountain is naive and would be a colossal waste of taxpayer money. Recent reports estimate that licensing hearings alone would cost more than $1.6 billion. Yucca Mountain is nothing more than a hole in the ground and will never be a viable solution for dealing with nuclear waste, Cortez Masto said in a March statement.

Congressional lawmakers in the House Energy and Commerce Committee feel it's at least worth talking about and have introduced a discussion draft of legislation to update the Nuclear Waste Policy Act that would fast-track approval of the Yucca Mountain repository.

Meanwhile, at Cooper, Fort Calhoun and nuclear power stations across the nation, bundles of spent fuel rods are moved from reactors into deep pools with circulating water to control the heat from their radioactive decay.

But those pools were never meant to store fuel rods permanently. After decades of use, they began filling up, forcing nuclear utilities to seek storage alternatives while they wait for the federal government to find another solution.

As a stopgap measure, power plants have begun storing cooled rods inside steel canisters that are then encased in cement silos. Without a permanent repository, those dry-cask storage units will remain stranded long after the reactors retire, possibly for centuries.

Jim Realph, mayor of Blair, the closest town to Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station, said the vast majority of people living in the shadow of the shuttered nuclear reactor are more concerned about the loss of jobs than the spent fuel.

If they want to move it (spent fuel), thats OK, but it doesnt bother me if they dont. I dont have any desire to keep it, thats for sure, he said.

Realph moved to Nebraska about the same time engineers broke ground on Fort Calhoun in February 1968. He taught science at Blair Junior High School. Omaha Public Power District engineers used to give an annual presentation on nuclear fission to his eighth-grade class.

After 45 years, he said, people generally dont give the nuclear aspect of Fort Calhoun much thought anymore.

I dont think most people, it crosses their mind one way or the other, he said.

OPPD estimates the 50-year process of cleaning up the 660-acre Fort Calhoun site will cost more than $1 billion. The utility is preparing the non-nuclear side of the plant for dismantlement, including asbestos removal and demolition of outbuildings.

While the nuclear industry could keep its spent fuel safe for decades or centuries, some of the elements will continue to decay for millions of years, likely longer than the United States or even the human race will continue to exist, said Rod McCullum, senior director of fuels and decommissioning with the Nuclear Energy Institute, a lobbying group.

There are a lot of things politicians disagree on in used fuel, but there certainly is one thing scientists agree on, that geologic disposal is the ultimate answer, McCullum said. You really have to get deep underground with a sophisticated facility to isolate those million-year isotopes.  Those repositories are designed to outlast our institutions.

McCullum added that a central repository is also more cost-effective and secure than having spent fuel spread out across the nation.

U.S. Department of Energy estimates put the cost of building the Yucca Mountain facility in 2017 dollars at $43.52 billion to $59.54 billion, while the cost of doing nothing over the next 100 years would be $76.1 billion to $84.69 billion.

The price of building dry-cask storage systems and the concrete pads they sit on was paid for mostly by the U.S. Energy Department as part of settling lawsuits filed by numerous utilities. The utilities had been paying about $750 million a year to have the federal government dispose of their spent nuclear fuel in an underground facility that never materialized. Those utilities sought to recoup the cost of storing their own fuel through lawsuits, and a 2014 court ruling halted the collection of fees.

The Energy Department has estimated its legal liabilities will amount to about $30 billion, assuming it can begin taking spent fuel by 2021 to store at interim facilities.

The Energy Department in 2015 said it would look for interim storage sites through a consent-based approach, which means getting the input of communities rather than forcing a project through local opposition. Companies in both Texas and New Mexico with the backing of local leaders have applied for licensing to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build interim storage sites.
A 54-year-old godman who was bobbitised by a young woman here remained in hospital on Saturday even as police registered a case against him. A police officer said they were yet to decide what course of action needed to be taken vis-a-vis the 23-year-old woman, who cut off the man's genitals a day earlier after accusing him of sexual harassment. "Due process of law will be followed after taking the statement of the accused," a police officer who did not want to be named told IANS. Hari Swami, as the accused is known, remained warded at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital after the woman severed almost 90 per cent of his genitals. The woman has reportedly told police that she was subjected to sexual harassment at the hands of the godman for the past five years. On Saturday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan came out in support of the woman. Asked if "strong action" would be taken against the accused, he shot back: "Strong action has already taken place. All we need is to extend our support to her." The hospital said a team of medical professional conducted plastic surgery on Hari Swami, who is from a Hindu ashram near Kollam, and he was now out of danger. According to the woman, the Swami was a frequent visitor to their home here and used to conduct rituals right from the time when she was a Class 12 student. Her father was apparently keeping unwell for a long time. On Friday, the woman grabbed a knife and attacked the Swami. Prameela Devi, a member of the Kerala State Women's Commission, said she felt proud of the woman. "Such acts by anyone, especially when it comes under the guise of a religious tag, irrespective of the religion, is not acceptable," she said. The Swami, however, is in a denial mode and has told the doctors that it was he who slashed his own genitals "as I do not need it". But with journalists trying to reach out to him, the Swami has reportedly turned rebellious and was abusing visitors, a doctor said. BJP leader K. Rajashekharan also demanded action against the godman. "Anyone who does a crime needs to face consequences," he said. --IANS sg/mr/py/vd ( 384 Words) 2017-05-20-17:54:10 (IANS)
After being granted bail in the much disputed 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case, former MP R.V. Vedanti on Saturday, in an explosive revelation, said the pulling down of the 'edifice' had the backing of the then Government. Vedanti said that the then prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao had agreed to their request of not sending any forces in order to smoothen the process of demolition without any hindrance. "On the night of December 5, 1992 around 11 p.m., the then prime minister Narsimha Rao called me and asked what would happen tomorrow? I told him that the kar sevaks would not move back behind demolishing the structure. He then asked what help I wanted. I told him that if their forces don't come, we would demolish it, to which Narsimha Rao agreed," Vedanti told the media here. On the involvement of other senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders such as L.K. Advani, Uma Bharti, Murli Manohar Joshi, Vedanti said all of them had come to the spot after the action had begun, but they had requested the kar sevaks to come down the building and stop what they were doing. "When the entire thing started, L.K. Advani, Uma Bharti, Murli Manohar Joshi and others came and asked the kar sevaks to come down from the structure. Kar sevaks were of the opinion that the temple would not be made until the 'structure' is demolished," he said. The ministers, who are facing charges in connection with the Babri Masjid Demolition case, were granted bail by a special CBI court earlier today. The accused were granted bail after signing a surety bond worth Rs. 20,000. The next hearing in the matter will be held on May 22. The five accused, namely former MP R.V. Vedanti, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Champat Rai, B.L. Sharma, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and Dharamdas were asked to appear before the court after a notice was issued to them. The court was hearing a case against the accused alleged to having been involved in demolition of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya in 1992. This comes a week after the Supreme Court allowed the CBI's appeal in the Babri Masjid demolition case and restored criminal conspiracy charges against BJP leaders L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh among others. However, Kalyan Singh, who was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1992, enjoys constitutional immunity as the Rajasthan Governor and can be tried only after he leaves office. The apex court ordered that two separate cases in Lucknow and Raebareli against Advani, Joshi and Bharti and unknown 'kar sevaks' shall be brought together in one trial. The Supreme Court also directed the trial court in Lucknow to commence the proceedings in four weeks and hear the matter on a day-to-day basis so as to complete the hearing in two years. The apex court also said there will be no 'de novo' (fresh) trial. The CBI has been ordered to ensure that at least one prosecution witness appears in the trial court for recording of testimony. To ensure a speedy trial, the top court has given two important directions - first, no party shall be granted adjournments without the sessions judge being satisfied of the reasons for it; second, the trial judge hearing the case shall not be transferred till the judgement is delivered. The Supreme Court also said that its order should be followed in letter and spirit. If the parties involved feel that the top court's order is not being followed in letter and spirit then they will be having the liberty to approach the apex court. (ANI)
The Eco-Mine tourism in India is less travelled terrain, but it has lots of potential. It is not only environment friendly but it also inadvertently ups the security standards in the coal mines. For the first time in India, Nagpur based Miniratna Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), a subsidiary of Coal India, introduced the Eco-Mine tourism in India. The joint initiative of Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) and the WCL has become popular among tourists, especially those looking for adventure. With the idea to connect fragments of open unused land into a comprehensive network of local ecology conservation and recreational and learning environment, the Western Coalfields Limited had introduced a novel initiative of an Eco-Park with the aim of dispelling notions of pollution and environmental degradation related to coal and mining operations in India. Currently, coal mine tourism is going on in two mines: open cast Gondegaon and underground Saoner, 30 km and 45 km away from Nagpur respectively. Under this 'Eco-Mine Tourism' programme, WCL gives people a chance to visit the deep and dank interiors of the earth to see how coal mining is actually done, understand sophisticated mining methods and machinery and to experience the conditions in which workers put in precious man hours. Tourists enter the mine on a unique man-rider system for the first 200 metres. The remaining 1-km trail is on foot. Showcasing of real mines to the public and such ecological endeavors are common in Australia, USA, Canada, Finland, Germany, Norway, Japan, Chile, Bolivia and several other countries. Also an Eco-Park has been created in between these two locations where tourists can be enjoy the nature and also learn about the mining environment before entering into the real mines. Spread in a 15 acre natural reserve site, Eco- Park is a first of its kind initiative in the country to spread understanding about the mining industry. It endeavors to balance ecology through afforestation and reuse of mine water. The park preserves most of the natural forest in its original shape and features other aspects of interest such as physics, natural resource conservation and amusement rides. The park and jungle like atmosphere along with the train ride makes the learning enjoyable and relaxing. Tourists get much fun in fun rides at Eco-Park, toy train, mist spray- artificial rain, ocean View- an artificial waves generated in a water pool, rope climber, under ground mine model with working mine equipment, Laxman Jhula- walking over a water-body on wooden planks hanging on ropes. This Eco-Mine tourism can be emulative by other coalfield areas of the country. One important benefit of the Eco-Mine operation is that once the tourists start flocking the coal mine areas then the security parameters and environment friendly measures in these areas are much better in comparison with the other coal mine areas. (ANI)
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday questioned Kashmir separatist leader Ahmad Dar, Nayeem Khan and Ghazi Javed Baba, who have been accused of receiving money from Pakistan to create unrest in Kashmir. "Today, the NIA has questioned Farookh Ahmad Dar @ Bitta Kharate at Srinagar regarding the hawala and terror funding issue. The questioning of Nayeem Khan and Ghazi Javed Baba is still going on," the NIA said. During the investigation, the leaders were asked to produce certain documents for examination. "The Hotel in Srinagar in which the sting operation took place, has been identified. The NIA team is completing formalities of identification of room, and collection of records. The NIA is probing all angles of the funding of separatist leaders," it added. The investigative agency has so far collected copies of the FIRs of 150 cases and is analysing these FIRs which were registered in the recent past in the Valley, regarding damage caused to the schools and public property "as part of the larger conspiracy to perpetuate violence and chaos in Kashmir." The NIA had registered a preliminary inquiry against these three leaders after a video emerged showing confessions that they received funds from Pakistan to damage public property and schools in the Valley. Earlier, Kashmiri separatist and chief of Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani suspended Nayeem Khan's membership. Separatist leader Khan later accused the Indian establishment of using the media to suppress his voice. He said that he was ready to face the NIA investigation. (ANI)
Even as the U.S. President enjoys the backing of the Republican allies in Congress, the White House counsel's office have began preparation to ward off any attempts to remove him from the office, reported CNN citing sources.

Earlier in the week, President Trump was visited by his close advisers including lawyer and surrogate Michael Cohen to determine his need for hiring personal attorneys for Trump.

These developments come in the wake of the Justice Department's appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller who was the former FBI director to investigate into the alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election. (ANI)
"I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," The New York Times quoted Trump as saying. "I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off."

Trump's Oval Office meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak came one day after Comey was fired.

The conversation indicates that Trump's decision of firing Comey was necessitated because of concern over the feds probe into Russia's meddling in the election and possible collusion with team Trump.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer did not refute the Times story but said that it was Comey's "grandstanding and politicizing" of the Russia investigation that put pressure on the administration's ability to engage Moscow.

"The President has always emphasized the importance of making deals with Russia as it relates to Syria, Ukraine, defeating ISIS and other key issues for the benefit and safety of the American people," Spicer said in a statement to CNN.

"By grandstanding and politicizing the investigation into Russia's actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia," he added.

During this meet with Russian officials, Trump reportedly shared highly classified conversations, after which the former head of Mossad's intelligence directorate warned of its impact on the US-Israeli intelligence cooperation.(ANI)
The 40-year-old Abedin's lawyers filed the papers, captioned "Anonymous vs. Anonymous", in the Manhattan Supreme Court on Friday just hours after Wiener, 52, pleaded guilty in a federal court to a felony charge of transferring obscene material and admitted to sexting with a girl he knew was just 15-years-old, CBS New York News reported.

At the hearing, Weiner accepted responsibility for his conduct.

"I have a sickness, but I do not have an excuse," CNN quoted Wiener as saying.

"I entered intensive treatment, found the courage to take a moral inventory of my defects, and began a programme of recovery and mental health treatment that I continue to follow every day."

As part of the plea agreement, Weiner will register as a sex offender and will also have to forfeit his iPhone, surrender his passport and continue mental health treatment.

He is also barred from having any contact with the minor.

Weiner has not been charged but faces up to 10 years in prison,

However, under his plea deal, he is expected to get between 21 and 27 months.

Abedin, whose father is of Indian descent, married Wiener in 2010. A year into their marriage, Wiener admitted tweeting out an underwear selfie, according to the New York Post.

She stood at his side in 2013, at a press conference after Weiner self-scuttled his mayoral candidacy by getting caught continuing to sext with multiple women.

"I love him, I've forgiven him, I believe in him," she said.

Last year, when Weiner got caught sending yet another underwear selfie, with their then-three-year-old Jordan asleep at his hip, Abedin had still refrained from divorce.

--IANS ksk

( 320 Words)

2017-05-20-09:32:10 (IANS)
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and U.S. President Donald Trump are likely to have wide ranging discussions on a number of issues including Islamabad's tense relationship with India, on the sidelines of the first Arab-Islamic-American Summit in Riyadh. The summit is aimed at developing security co-operation to deal with the threat of growing violent extremism. Around 55 leaders are expected to attend the two-day summit, including U.S. President Donald Trump, to lay the foundations of an Arab NATO force to combat terrorism in the Middle East. Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud extended an invitation to President Trump and leaders of the Islamic world to attend the 'historic' summit to "Renew mutual commitment to global security and further strengthen already deep business, cultural and political ties." "As we bring the world together to confront violent extremist ideology, so too are we working in partnership with our American and Islamic allies to improve the lives of our people and strengthen our collective economies," stated the official website for the Riyadh Summit. Sharif is likely to meet President Trump on the sidelines of the U.S-Arab Islamic Summit. Besides the U.S. and Pakistan leaders, 53 top officials have been invited to the summit from across the Arab and Muslim worlds. However, the absence of Iran at the summit is being seen as Saudi Arabia's strategy neutralize Tehran's growing influence in the Middle East. (ANI)
Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali will now be representing Pakistan in the Kulbushan Jadhav case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This announcement was made by Ashtar himself saying that the country's defence against India's case before the ICJ was prepared by the government in consultation with all stakeholders, including the military establishment, Geo News reported. However, it is not clear yet whether Khawar Qureshi, who was representing the country in the case earlier, will be part of the legal team or not. Speaking to The News, he said that the lawyer who defended Pakistan's case before the ICJ has represented Pakistan in international arbitrations in the past and was also cleared by the army and intelligence agencies to fight this highly-sensitive case. Pakistan's National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Friday said that alleged Indian spy Kulbushan Jadhav's issue should not be politicised. "If the Army chief said that he provided the lawyer for the Jadhav case and then any criticism directed at him is baseless," Geo News quoted Sadiq, as saying. Opposition leader Khursheed Shah said the Attorney General should have been sent by the government to represent Pakistan's case in the ICJ. He called the ICJ's temporary stay of the execution of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav a "setback" for the country and said the government's negligence was evident in the case. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has blamed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for the ICJ temporary stay of the execution of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav and asked him to clear his position in the parliament. Calling the ICJ stay on Jadhav's execution as an 'unfavourable' outcome, the PTI has raised a series of questions, seeking an explanation from Sharif on the Indian response on the Jadhav issue. "PM Nawaz should appear before the house to explain why Pakistan did not appoint an ad hoc judge as it had a right to and why the Foreign Office did not take legal advice before initiating correspondence on the issue," The Express Tribune quoted PTI Central Information Secretary Shafqat Mehmood, as saying. Dr. Shirin Mazari, another PTI leader. and an expert on international relations, said that Pakistan should have gone to the ICJ fully prepared. The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) said that the case at the ICJ had been mishandled and demanded a meeting of the national security committee on the Jadhav issue. PPP vice-president Sherry Rehman said Pakistan had failed to plead its case and questioned as to why the counsel completed his arguments in 50 minutes against the allocated time of 90 minutes. She said Pakistan should have appointed an ad hoc judge under relevant rules. These reactions came soon after the Pakistan's Foreign Office said that the ICJ has no jurisdiction over the county's national security matters, which in this instance was the execution of Jadhav. Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said the decision to challenge the ICJ's jurisdiction was taken after consultation with all government institutions and agencies. Zakaria said Pakistan's reply to the court was submitted in line with Article 36 of the Vienna Convention. He pointed out that there exists a bilateral pact on consular access between Pakistan and India since 2008 and added that Article 6 of the pact solely relates to consular access being determined on the merit of the case. Zakaria said, "After India stood exposed on state-sponsored terrorism and financing terrorism, it tried to divert attention by presenting the Kulbushan Jadhav case with a humanitarian angle." The ICJ, the primary judicial organ of the United Nations, stayed the death sentence awarded to Jadhav by the Pakistan military court, citing that both - India and Pakistan - were bound by the Vienna Convention and that the rights invoked by New Delhi under the Vienna Convention were plausible. (ANI)
On Friday, Pakistan filed a fresh plea with International Court of Justice (ICJ) to rehear the Kulbhushan Jadhav case within six weeks after the court stayed the death sentence awarded to the former Indian Naval officer by a Pakistan military court.

Addressing the passing out parade of the Frontier Constabulary at Warsak, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the minister also issued warning to Afghanistan that Pakistan would not pay heed if it continues to utter India's articulations.

He said that Pakistan will not accept the Afghan leadership to speak the language of our enemy India, reports Radio Pakistan.

On relations with Iran, the Interior Minister said he will visit the country after Ramadan and all the matters will be addressed amicably.

Nisar also renewed his vow of uprooting terrorism from country for once and all. (ANI)
One of the greatest military undertakings in NZ retold in the last book by the renowned Rotorua historian

Hongi Hikas invasion of the Rotorua area in 1823 is one of the most dramatic and daring assaults in New Zealand history. Yet like much of our early history, the details are unknown to many New Zealanders.

The late Don Stafford committed himself to redress that imbalance  arguing throughout his distinguished career that events like the Musket Wars deserve to be studied no less than the Napoleonic Wars of the same period.

Armed with muskets, Hongis Ngapuhi forces had roamed the North Island seeking utu (revenge) for past slights. Te Arawa, inland and with their island stronghold of Mokoia

on Lake Rotorua, felt impregnable. They did not count on Hongis epic portage of canoes to the lake shores, from which an attack on Mokoia became inevitable.

book in 2007 occasioned a major meeting of Ngapuhi and Te Arawa that aided reconciliation for the past conflict. This new printing aims to keep alive the memory of this remarkable slice of our past.

not only tells the story with Staffords flair and, but is also richly illustrated, including modern photos of the locations depicted. Launch of the

Don Stafford (19272010) was an historian and writer who dedicated his life and work to the Rotorua district. Through a long and distinguished career, he wrote over 20

books on Rotorua and its history. Fluent in Maori, Don travelled on foot to every corner of Te Arawas rohe, and played a major role in preservation of historical sites and
Addressing the passing out parade of the Frontier Constabulary at Warsak, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Khan warned Afghanistan that Pakistan would not pay heed if it continues to utter India's articulations.

He said that Pakistan will not accept the Afghan leadership speaking the language of our enemy India, reports Radio Pakistan.

On relations with Iran, the Interior Minister said he will visit the country after Ramadan and all matters will be addressed amicably.

Nisar also renewed his vow of uprooting terrorism from the country. (ANI)
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani won a resounding victory in the 12th Presidential polls on Saturday as voters yearning for more freedom at home and less isolation abroad have emphatically backed the moderate cleric. With a huge turnout, polling stations stayed open until midnight in parts of the country, defying concerns that moderates disillusioned by the weak economy or slow pace of change would not vote. Iran's interior minister, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, announced live on state television that Rouhani received 23,549,616 votes (57 per cent), compared with his conservative rival Ebrahim Raisi, who won 15,786,449 votes (38.5 per cent). More than 41.2 million people voted out of 56 million who were eligible to do so. The two other lesser known candidates, Mostafa Aqa-Mirsalim and Mostafa Hashemi-Taba, got 478,215 and 215,450 votes respectively. No sitting president in Iran has failed to win a second term since 1981. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the top leader of the country, commended the Iranian people for their "massive and epic" turnout in the country's twin elections. "The winner of yesterday's elections, is you (the Iranian people), and the Islamic establishment, which has managed to win the increasing trust of this big nation despite the enemies' plot and effort," Khamenei said. Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri said: "I congratulate the great victory of the Iranian nation in creating a huge and memorable epic in the continuation of the path of 'wisdom and hope'," referring to the government's slogan. The European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini congratulated Rouhani on his re-election. Mogherini said: "Iranians took passionately part to political life of their country. I congratulate President Hassan Rouhani for strong mandate received." Despite the healthy margin of victory, Rouhan, 68, will face considerable hurdles, both at home and abroad, as he needs to demonstrate progress on overhauling the fragile economy. While he accomplished his goal of reaching a nuclear agreement with the US, China, Britain, France, Russia and Germany in his first term, that has not translated into the economic revival he predicted because of lingering unilateral US sanctions. However, oil sales have rebounded since the deal took effect in January last year. On the campaign trail, Rouhani had pledged to pursue talks with the US to lift further sanctions, and push for greater freedom inside Iran. But the outcome of the election could have more immediate repercussions across the Middle East. Iran backs anti-Israel factions such as Lebanon's Hezbollah and has close ties with Syria's regime, which is opposed by the US and its regional allies. Just as Iran's presidential vote took place, US President Donald Trump headed to Iran's main regional rival, Saudi Arabia, to begin a trip that will include a stop in Israel. Iran is expected to be a major topic of Trump's talks in both countries. Despite increased tensions with the US since Trump's election, Rouhani sees Iran as benefiting from better ties with the West and from foreign investment. He has accused rivals of wanting to thwart progress. Iran's President has important sway over domestic affairs and serves as the face of Iran to the world. But all key policies, such as diplomatic initiatives, must be cleared by Khamenei and his cadre of unelected leaders. --IANS ahm/bg ( 546 Words) 2017-05-20-18:14:10 (IANS)
Pakistan today kept a brave face after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) restrained Pakistan from executing Kulbhushan Jadhav until a final verdict in the case, saying that the ICJ had only asked Pakistan to keep a stay on Jadhav's execution until it arrived at a decision. ''It must be noted that the International Court of Justice has made no pronouncement on the issues of merit and jurisdiction,'' Sartaj Aziz, the Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on foreign affairs and de facto Foreign Minister, told journalists here. In cases involving the death penalty, the international court had always given a stay order, he explained, a report in the Karachi-daily Dawn said. He was replying to questions from the media representatives on the stay order granted against the execution of Jadhav, who was arrested in a counter-intelligence operation in Balochistan's Mashkel area on March 3, 2016 for his alleged involvement in espionage and sabotage activities against Islamabad. His subsequent death sentence by a Pakistani Field General Court Martial (FGCM) in April this year was greeted with a series of protests in India, which termed the verdict as "an act of premeditated murder" and moved ICJ to stay the execution. More UNI SD RSA SNU 1854 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0005-901871.Xml
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 00:32:20|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

GENEVA, May 19 (Xinhua) -- A United Nations report released on Friday shows that violations and abuses against civilians from both sides of the conflict in South Sudan may "amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity."

As the result of an in-depth UN investigation in and around Yei town, some 150 km southwest of the capital city Juba, the report exposes cases of indiscriminate shelling of civilians; targeted killings; looting and burning of civilian property and cases of sexual violence perpetrated against women and girls.

According to the report, until recently, Yei was largely a peaceful town, with between 200,000 and 300,000 residents of many different ethnicities.

In July 2016, violence erupted between government and opposition forces, which led to the departure of opposition leader Riek Machar together with a small group of followers across the Equatorias, into the Democratic Republic of Congo. As government forces pursued him, fighting simultaneously broke out along the route, particularly in Yei.

This violence fuelled strong divisions along ethnic lines and resulted in targeted killings, arrests, rapes and mass civilian displacement of more than half of the population of the town.

Satellite imagery used to corroborate allegations shows that there was widespread burning of homes and businesses, resulting in the forcible displacement of tens of thousands of civilians.

Even as people fled the violence, reports suggest that they were harassed, robbed and targeted.

The report was conducted by the Human Rights Division of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and the UN Human Rights Office.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 02:13:11|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

CHICAGO, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Two days after confirming a 10-percent job cuts, Ford Motor Co. announced Friday that it will invest 350 million dollars to build a new transmission at its Livonia Transmission Plant in Michigan in U.S. Midwest.

It is believed that the investment will help create new jobs later this year as work begins in the plant, and more in 2018 and 2019, though Ford spokeswoman refused to disclose how many new jobs would be created and existing jobs would be retained.

The spokeswoman said the majority of the jobs would be hourly jobs, local media reported.

The plant now builds six-speed and 10-speed transmissions for Mustang, F-150, Transit and Expedition, and has employed about 1,800 workers.

"We remain committed to American manufacturing and investing in our people and facilities," Ford President of the Americas Joe Hinrichs said in a statement.

Ford has announced more than 2.25-billion-dollar new investments in Michigan in the past four months. In the past five years, the U.S. carmaker has invested 12 billion dollars in U.S. plants, creating nearly 28,000 jobs.

Ford's stock gained 0.5 percent in pre-market trade after release of this news. Overall, Ford's stock prices have lost 11 percent so far this year by Thursday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 02:18:16|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

United Nations special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura (L) arrives for a meeting with Syria's opposition delegation leader Nasr al-Hariri during intra-Syrian negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 19, 2017.(Xinhua/POOL/Fabrice COFFRINI)

GENEVA, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The UN Special Envoy for Syria announced Friday that the latest round of Syria peace talks ended, and he hopes to resume negotiations between warring factions "sometime in June" to address all the critical issues which had not been touched upon this week.

"We did not have the physical time for in-depth discussions in the formal sessions to cover all four baskets," UN envoy Staffan de Mistura told press, referring to the issues of governance, a new constitution, elections and the war on terrorism.

"But we did discuss several substantive issues of key concern to the parties and we intend to move ahead on all four baskets in coming rounds, while the new process of having expert meetings will also continue," he added.

The setting up this week of expert meetings on constitutional and legal matters was considered a positive step by the envoy, who hoped that they will push forward the political track in future negotiations.

The envoy also lauded the fact that the procedure this time round was more business-like, and that there were fewer rhetorical statements by rival factions engaged in UN-mediated talks seeking to broker a political end to the six-year conflict.

The messages from rival delegations were more mixed however. The head of the Syrian government delegation, Bashar al-Jaafari, said earlier Friday that none of the four baskets were discussed.

As talks ended, Syria's opposition delegation leader Nasr al-Hariri said that little progress had been achieved, though he highlighted the importance of keeping the UN-mediated process alive.

As in previous rounds, de Mistura said that he will brief the UN Security Council next week, and consult with the UN Secretary General as to when to restart peace talks, which he hoped would be sometime next month.

This latest round of intra-Syrian peace talks was the third to take place between warring factions since the start of this year.

While some progress on the humanitarian front has been achieved, opposing delegations remain at odds as to what a future, peaceful Syria might look like.

De Mistura's job is to help bridge the wide gaps between rival factions, while ensuring that any outcome is in line with UN Security Council resolutions.

Despite past setbacks, the UN has staunchly stood by its pledge to pursue peace through political negotiations to prevent further bloodshed in a country where as many as 400,000 people have died and millions more have fled their homes.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 04:29:56|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

WINDHOEK, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Namibia will hold a start-up festival for entrepreneurs on June 9 in efforts to create a platform that brings together the county's most promising start-ups and talented entrepreneurs.

Senior Advisor for Financial Systems Development for the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Anna Mostetschnig, told Xinhua in an interview that since Namibia lacks enough start-ups, there was need for a mind shift among the business community in the country.

The first of its kind event will be hosted by four institutions, namely, the Financial Literacy Initiative, FabLab, Team Namibia and Namibia Business Innovation Institute (NBII).

According to Mostetschnig, the four institutes work a lot with small businesses and face the same problems and struggle to fill their trainings and mentorship programs with innovative entrepreneurs, who strive to grow their businesses and create employment.

Mostetschnig said similar platforms in the region, like the Africa Start-up Festival Technology Summit in Lagos set for September this year and the SA Innovation Summit are platforms where investors scout for new businesses.

"We believe that in order to really change something, the Start-up Ecosystem needs to come together," she said.

Meanwhile, she said that to achieve their mission of becoming the most attractive country in the region for start-ups, they need to improve on a couple of things, and the Start-up Festival is the first step. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 06:51:24|Editor: ying

Video Player Close

HAVANA, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Cuba's Communist Party (PCC) has approved a set of guidelines vital to the future political and economic development in the country, state daily Granma said on Friday.

The adoption of the guidelines, set out in three different documents, follows more than a year of grassroots consultations in which 1.6 million citizens took part.

"These are the most studied, discussed and rediscussed documents in the history of the (Cuban) revolution," President Raul Castro said, referring to the three documents on national economic and social development.

The PCC's central committee analyzed "thousands of proposals from the nationwide consultations and the opinions of lawmakers," the government said.

The PCC also approved modifications to guidelines to modernize the island's economic and social policies, which were first implemented in 2010.

The modified guidelines are related to the role of direct foreign investment, the introduction of advanced technologies and know-how, and the improvement of local government bodies.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 07:32:26|Editor: MJ

Fire fighters go aboard a helicopter heading for a forest fire site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 19, 2017. A forest fire broke out Wednesday in a forest in Chenbaerhu Banner, Hulunbuir City. (Xinhua/Mao Yatuan)
CHEYENNE, Wyo.  Wind turbine manufacturer Goldwind Americas plans to train Wyoming workers as wind energy technicians, CEO David Halligan said.

Good candidates could include workers laid off as a result of the recent downturn in Wyoming's coal, oil and natural gas industries. The company needs workers experienced in construction, ironworks and steelworks, Halligan said at an energy industry conference Thursday.

"These folks are very well-suited with transferable skills to come and work for the wind industry. We want to tap into those folks and bring them skills, so they can easily work in the wind industry, and hopefully work for Goldwind," he said.

Halligan announced Goldwind Works, a company-sponsored training program. The company will begin with informational meetings in June followed by wind farm tours for those interested in working in the industry, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports (http://bit.ly/2qBH4wG ).

"The folks that work for me are full-time professionals, they're very well-paid and they have full benefits," Halligan said.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts wind turbine technician jobs will more than double in the U.S. by 2024. Others at the conference welcomed the training idea.

"I don't think anyone has the perception that the wind industry is going to overtake or replace the coal industry in Wyoming," said Colin McKee, a policy adviser for Gov. Matt Mead. "But it is an incredible component of our economy and a great supplement."
Investigators work on the scene of a car crash incident at Times Square in New York City, the United States, on May 18, 2017. The man who drove a car into a crowd in Times Square on Thursday was in custody, in which one was killed and 22 others injured, New York's mayor said. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

NEW YORK, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. navy veteran who steered his car into pedestrians in Times Square has been charged with murder and held without bail.

During a brief court appearance in Manhattan criminal court on Friday, Judge Tamiko Amaker ordered Richard Rojas, 26, remanded, local media reported.

Rojas was arrested on scene after he was driving speedily to strike dozens of pedestrians in New York City's Times Square on Thursday, killing one and injuring 22 more.

New York Police Department (NYPD) charged him late Thursday with one count of second-degree murder, 20 counts of attempted murder, and five counts of aggravated vehicular homicide.

Rojas, who stood handcuffed and did not speak during Friday's brief court hearing, told police "I wanted to kill them" and said he was high on marijuana laced with PCP when he was arrested, according to court documents.

Rojas reportedly emerged from his vehicle after the wreck, running, yelling and jumping before being subdued by police and bystanders.

Killed was Alyssa Elsman, an 18-year-old girl from Michigan and her 13-year-old sister was among the 22 injured, four of them critically.

Officials say Rojas had served in the Navy but was discharged in 2014 following disciplinary problems. He has been arrested for driving while intoxicated in 2008 and again in 2015. He was also detained earlier this month for menacing.

Rojas' motivation was unclear, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday that there was "no indication that this was an act of terrorism."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 07:41:34|Editor: ying

Video Player Close

WASHINGTON, May 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has renominated Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Air Force General Paul Selva as the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon said Friday.

Both generals would serve for a two-year term, but must still be reconfirmed by the Senate, according to the Pentagon.

Dunford, who led U.S. forces and the international coalition in Afghanistan from February 2013 to August 2014, was nominated to the Joint Staff by Trump's Democratic predecessor Barack Obama. He has served as chairman since September 2015.

Selva, the Joint Staff's 10th vice chairman, was nominated to the role at the same time as Dunford. He was previously the head of the military's transportation command, and from 2008 to 2011 he was assistant to the chairman and top military adviser to then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Under the U.S. legislation, the Joint Chiefs chairman, who commands no troops, is the senior military adviser to both the president and the secretary of defense.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 07:51:39|Editor: ying

Video Player Close

SAN FRANCISCO, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The University of California (UC) Board of Regents has approved a policy to limit the proportion of out-of-state and international students at its nine undergraduate campuses.

The policy was approved Thursday in response to California state's Budget Act of 2016, which called for the UC Board of Regents to limit the number of undergraduate nonresidents as a condition for receiving 18.5 million dollars to support the enrollment of an additional 2,500 California resident undergraduates in the upcoming academic year.

Through an agreement with the state, the UC system enrolled more than 7,400 additional California residents in fall 2016, the largest year-to-year jump in California resident enrollment since the end of World War II.

The policy, the first of its kind at UC, which has 10 campuses, calls for capping nonresident enrollment at 18 percent at five UC campuses, namely UC Davis, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara and UC Santa Cruz.

At the other four campuses -- UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UCLA and UC San Diego -- where the proportion of nonresidents exceeds 18 percent, nonresident enrollment will be capped at the proportion that each campus enrolls in the 2017-18 academic year.

"Our new nonresident enrollment policy strikes the right balance between UC's continued commitment to putting California students first and the significant benefits that out-of-state and international students provide the university," said UC President Janet Napolitano.

According to a fact sheet from the UC Office of the President, nonresidents "bring with them significant revenues that have become essential to the university's ability to continue to provide a high-quality education to California students."

In addition, officials of the public university system argued that UC nonresident students now make up about 16.5 percent of total undergraduates systemwide, compared with an average of 27.9 percent for the public institutions in the Association of American Universities (AAU).

To be reviewed in at least four years, the new policy "reaffirms our pledge that nonresident students will be enrolled only in addition to, and never in place of, Californians," Napolitano said in a statement.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 07:56:39|Editor: ying

Video Player Close

CARACAS, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's government and Catholic bishops on Friday met to discuss a peaceful resolution to the country's increasingly violent political crisis.

Venezuela's Episcopal Conference (CEV) and special presidential commission for a constituent assembly to draft a new Constitution (ANC) agreed talks were needed to overcome the protracted conflict, which has led to shortages of basic goods.

The CEV said it wants the government to do more to ensure access to food and medicine.

Both groups also discussed the process of electing members to the assembly, which will be tasked with drawing up the document.

The country's main conservative opposition coalition (MUD) has refused the invitation to take part, fearing it will only legitimize the socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Following the meeting, ANC head and Education Minister Elias Jaua explained the methodology for electing the assembly members, saying it "will be direct, universal and secret," to allay fears the body will be biased.

While the church backs dialogue, Bishop Diego Padron said the CEV believes the constitutional initiative "is not what the country needs, it is food and medicine. We believe the Constitution is not the essential element the country is asking for."

Anti-government protests, which escalated in April, claimed their 47th victim on Friday, with the death of Paul Moreno, 25, after he was wounded on Thursday during protests in the western state of Zulia.

Another 600 people have been injured in the protests and some 1,000 have been arrested.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 08:16:43|Editor: ying

Video Player Close

SANAA, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Shiite Houthi rebels said late on Friday they had fired a ballistic missile toward Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh, but reports from Saudi Arabia said the missile had been intercepted and destroyed.

In a report by the rebel-controlled Saba news agency, Houthis claimed they had fired a "Burkan 2 ballistic missile" toward Riyadh Friday night.

However, the official Saudi news agency SPA quoted a statement by Saudi-led coalition later Friday that it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi missile in the southern Saudi province of Ar Rayn, about 200 km west of Riyadh.

The Houthi move came a day ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's first visit to Riyadh to attend a Saudi-U.S. conference on Middle East issues.

The Saudi agency also reported that the coalition warplanes targeted the Houthi missile launch pad.

Residents in the Houthi-held capital Sanaa reported several air strikes by Saudi-led warplanes on the Missiles Brigades in Sanaa following Houthi declaration of firing the ballistic missile.

This is the third time in nearly two months that Houthis claimed firing ballistic missiles on military targets in Saudi Arabia, but were all intercepted and destroyed without causing any casualties.

Houthi rebels ousted President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and seized control of northern Yemen in September 2014. In March 2015, in support of Hadi, Saudi Arabia led a mostly Arab military coalition to fight the Houthi rebels, who seized most of northern Yemen, including Sanaa.

The war has killed more than 10,000 people, half of them civilians, and displaced over two million people, according to humanitarian agencies.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 08:39:15|Editor: ZD

A staff member inspects China-Myanmar crude oil pipeline in Ruili, southwest China's Yunnan Province, May 19, 2017. The first crude oil from Myanmar has reached China via the China-Myanmar crude oil pipeline, China National Petroleum Corporation (C NPC ) announced on Friday. The oil reached Ruili, a city of Yunnan Province bordering Myanmar, at 4 p.m., according to the CNPC. It will continue to flow through the pipe at a speed of about 50 kilometers per day for 650 km before reaching the city of Anning where the CNPC's Yunnan petrochemical branch is located. The branch has a designed processing capacity of 13 million tons per year. (Xinhua/Yao Bing)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 10:07:03|Editor: ying

Video Player Close

WASHINGTON, May 19 (Xinhua) - U.S. Federal Reserve announced on Friday it has imposed a 1.2 million-U.S. dollar fine and a permanent ban on employment in the banking industry against a former Barclays foreign exchange trader.

The Fed said it imposed the penalties after the trader, Christopher Ashton, failed to respond to court proceedings.

The central bank charged him in June 2016 with unsafe and unsound practices related to his use of chat rooms to coordinate forex trading and disclose confidential customer information to traders.

The action followed the Fed's enforcement actions in May 2015 against Barclays for unsafe and unsound practices related to its compliance and control failures in the forex market, said the Fed.

Barclays was required to pay 342 million U.S. dollars in penalties at that time.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 10:32:15|Editor: MJ

Video Player Close

Zhao Hongzhu (2nd R), a member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and deputy head of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, meets with Salvador Valdes Mesa (2nd L), a member of the political bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and vice president of Cuba's Council of State in Havana, capital of Cuba, on May 19, 2017. (Xinhua/Ma Guihua)

HAVANA, May 19 (Xinhua) -- China and Cuba on Friday pledged to upgrade their bilateral ties to a new level and enhance cooperation in a variety of areas especially in fighting corruption.

Zhao Hongzhu, a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and deputy head of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, said China is set to significantly enhance ties with the island nation.

During a visit to Cuba at the invitation of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), Zhao held separate meetings with Salvador Valdes Mesa, a member of the political bureau of the PCC Central Committee and vice president of the Cuban Council of State, and Abelardo Alvarez Gil, a member of the Secretariat of the PCC Central Committee.

Zhao also held talks with Gladys Bejerano, vice president of the Cuban Council of State and comptroller general of Cuba.

China attaches great importance to developing relations with Cuba, Zhao said, adding that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Cuban President Raul Castro met on various occasions in recent years and the two leaders reached consensus on deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in a variety of areas.

Zhao said China will be a partner in Cuba's development and reform efforts.

The senior CPC anti-graft official also briefed the Cuban leaders on how China has strengthened discipline since the 18th CPC National Congress back in 2012.

The Cuban leaders said Cuba cherishes the traditional friendship between the two countries.

Cuba is mapping out its mid-and-long-term development plan, they said, adding Cuba will learn from the CPC the experiences of party and state governance and is willing to cooperate with China in anti-corruption work.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 11:27:29|Editor: ying

Video Player Close

UNITED NATIONS, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Friday accused the United Nations and the United States of "double dealing" for condemning Pyongyang's Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) tests.

Ambassador Kim In Ryong, deputy permanent representative of the DPRK, read out a letter to the media in the Press Briefing Room at UN headquarters in which he threatened to ignore UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions for what it calls discrimination and registered additional complaints against the world organization and the United States, including for joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises.

"The sophism of the U.S. claiming that it may carry out missile launches but not the DPRK and that its launches are a 'contribution' to peace and security while the one by DPRK is 'provocative' and strains tensions, is really the height of double-dealing standards," he said.

"The UNSC has kept mum about the U.S. test-fire of an ICBM which flew more than 6,000 kilometers across the ocean, even while crying out for 'denunciation' and 'sanctions' for ballistic rocket test-fires the DPRK carried out," Kim said.

The DPRK tested a Hwangsong-12 ICBM May 14 which the council criticized in a press statement while the United States tested ICBMs April 26 and May 3 without criticism, the Pyongyang envoy said.

"If the UNSC does not call the U.S. to account for its aggressive and provocative large-scale joint military exercises and ICBM launches, the DPRK will never recognize any UNSC 'resolution' taken over the DPRK's ballistic rocket launches but continue to disclose the absurdity of the UN 'sanction resolutions,'" Kim said.

The DPRK has ignored several resolutions against ICBM and nuclear weapons testing.

Kim also said the UN Secretariat has ignored requests for an "international forum of legal experts to clarify the legal basis of the 'sanction resolutions.'"

He said his nation's missile tests were needed for self defense purposes because of the threat posed by the joint military exercises.

"The solid peace and stability in the Korean peninsula and the region will be possible only when the military hostile actions and anachronistic anti-DPRK policy of the U.S., the principal offender of any tense situation, comes to an end," Kim said.

The DPRK's nuclear capability for self defense and deterrence is aimed at the United States trying to antagonize, isolate and stifle the DPRK, he said.

But, Kim said that if the Trump administration "truly wants to adopt a new policy towards the DPRK, drawing a lesson from the preceding administration's failure, it should replace the Armistice Agreement between the DPRK and U.S. with a peace accord and the total removal of hostile relations."

Such a move would "help ensure lasting peace of the Korean peninsula and further global peace and security," he said.

A joint statement by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and National Intelligence Director Dan Coats said last month that the United states aims to use economic sanctions and diplomatic measures to pressure the DPRK to dismantle its nuclear and missile programs.

The statement also said that the United States remained "open to negotiations" toward the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula while staying "prepared to defend ourselves and our allies."

After reading out his letter, Kim replied to a reporter's query regarding suggestions the DPRK could have been responsible for the recent WannaCry cyber attack affecting more than 100 countries, calling the suggestion "ridiculous," adding that his nation gets blamed "when anything happens."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 12:52:43|Editor: ZD

Video Player Close

BRASILIA, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's former Federal Supreme Court President Joaquim Barbosa called for protests on Friday to demand the "immediate" ouster of President Michel Temer.

Ongoing corruption investigations have reached the nation's highest office, with mounting allegations of wrongdoing nipping at Temer's heels, though he has denied the charges.

"There is no other way out. Brazilians have to mobilize, take to the streets and strongly call for President Michel Temer's immediate resignation," Barbosa posted on his website.

Barbosa, who became the first Brazilian of African descent to head the Federal Supreme Court, is a highly respected public figure.

Political and social activists, as well as union leaders, are also calling for nationwide demonstrations to keep up the pressure on Temer to step down.

Brazilian media have revealed last month that Temer had solicited 12 million U.S. dollars from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht for his political campaigns when he was vice president.

That news "alone ... would be enough of a reason to unleash a call for his resignation," said Barbosa, adding business and political interests, along with media outlets, "have minimized the seriousness of the events."

The latest charges against Temer, which came out on Wednesday, involve a recorded conversation between Temer and meatpacking tycoon Joesley Batista, in which they openly discussed bribery.

"Now terrifying revelations from Mr. Joesley Batista have been made public about the same person, Temer," said Barbosa.

On Thursday, Temer refused to step down from office, adding that the Supreme Court's investigation would prove his innocence.

Global ratings agency Fitch announced on Friday it would maintain Brazil's rating at "BB," two notches below investment grade with a negative outlook.

"Recent political events related to President Temer have increased uncertainty regarding the reform process and could hurt broader confidence and economic recovery prospects," the agency said.

Meanwhile, a top executive at Brazilian meatpacking giant JBS told prosecutors on Friday his company paid Temer millions in bribes to protect the company's interests.

As part of a plea bargain deal, JBS Public Relations Director Ricardo Saud said holding company J&F had paid Temer nearly 15 million reals (4.6 million U.S. dollars) since 2014.

JBS and other meatpackers have been the target of a recent federal investigation into adulterated and substandard meat that undermined the country's meat exports, following revelations that the companies have paid government inspectors to overlook the irregularities.

According to Saud, Temer "acted on several occasions in favor of the interests of the companies belonging to the (J&F) group."

Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot said Temer and Senator Aecio Neves worked together to prevent an extensive corruption investigation, known as Operation Car Wash, from making any headway, by silencing potential witnesses.

"We are also seeing the possible obstruction of justice," said Janot.
BISMARCK, N.D.  Bandleader Lawrence Welk's trademark bubbles and music attracted legions of adoring fans and made him millions of dollars.

"He was a marketing genius  we're trying to channel him," said Diane Rogness, who manages North Dakota historic sites, including the boyhood home of the late polka-playing bandleader in Strasburg, about 75 miles southeast of Bismarck.

Flush with cash from a once-booming oil economy, state lawmakers paid $100,000 in 2015 to buy the 6-acre Welk site. But attendance has been ho-hum, with about 1,000 mostly elderly people each paying $5 to visit, about $30,000 short of what's needed to cover the annual cost to North Dakota taxpayers of its operations.

The site opens this season May 26. Rogness said several things are being planned to help boost attendance, including an increased social media presence and presenters who will talk about everything from blacksmithing to beer, and perhaps a Woodstock-like "jam session" that could draw accordion players from afar.

"People want experiences rather than a sleepy tour," she said.

Welk learned to play accordion in the home in Strasburg, a town off the "Lawrence Welk Highway" where many of the 400 people still converse in German. Welk left Strasburg at 21 to start a musical career that took him from dance halls in the Dakotas to national television. He became known as the "King of Champagne Music" and added to the national lexicon with his heavily German-accented phrases, "Ah-one, an' ah-two" and "wunnerful, wunnerful."

North Dakota's purchase came two decades after Congress earmarked $500,000 in federal funds to develop a tourist industry in Strasburg. The money included funding for a museum of German-Russian heritage that was intended to draw visitors to the band leader's birthplace. Lawmakers later withdrew the money when the idea was mocked as a national symbol of wasteful spending.

Welk's nieces, Evelyn Schwab and Edna Schwab, sold the site to the state. The Schwabs had given tours of the farmstead since it was restored with private funds in the early 1990s. Welk donated about $140,000 for the restoration in 1992 before his death at age 89. They said it drew more than 7,000 people that year.

The homestead features a life-size cutout of an accordion-wielding Welk. The property also has a barn, summer kitchen, granary, buggy house, blacksmith shop and outhouse.

State funding pays for maintenance and two part-time tour guides during season, which ends Labor Day. Only one of the positions has been filled a week before opening.

Historical Society Director Claudia Berg said the site's remote location and primitive accommodations have made hiring someone difficult.

"It's not air conditioned, and there is an outhouse for plumbing," she said. "It's kind of like living the time period."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 13:12:46|Editor: MJ

Video Player Close

KATHMANDU, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Participation in China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative serves Nepal's interests and meets Nepal's necessities in many fields, the Nepali minister for foreign affairs has said.

Prakash Sharan Mahat made the remarks while addressing a group of Nepali diplomats at his office on Friday. Nepal and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative here last week.

The minister said, "We signed the agreement on the Belt and Road cooperation with China keeping in mind that it serves our national interests and meet our necessities in many fields in the days to come."

Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aiming at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes of Silk Road.

"We believe that the Belt and Road cooperation with China will contribute to enhance Nepal's socio-economic development through development of road networks, promotion of trade as well as inviting more foreign investments from China," the minister said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 13:37:52|Editor: ying

Video Player Close

NEW DELHI, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Over 1,800 travellers including pilgrims have been stranded after landslides hit a highway in northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, officials said Saturday.

The landslides hit Rishikesh-Badrinath highway on Friday evening near Vishnuprayag in Chamoli district, about 303 km east of Dehradun, the capital city of Uttarakhand.

"Last evening, landslides triggered here, following which Chardham pilgrims visiting Badrinath have been stopped at different places," a police official said, "The highway has been closed for the traffic by district authority between Joshimath and Badrinath."

Badrinath is a Hindu pilgrim site in Uttarakhand.

Local media quoted Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat as saying 1,800 tourists including pilgrims were affected due to highway blockade.

According to officials, the landslides drifted huge boulders from mountain, resulting in the blockade.

Officials have asked the Border Roads Organisation, which is responsible for building roads and tunnels in the hilly areas, to clear the road and have stopped pilgrims at Joshimath, Pipalkoti and Karnaprayag, the district magistrate confirmed.

"The road will be opened for the traffic by this afternoon today," a district official said. "The pilgrims have been asked to stay at their places and nor proceed until the road gets cleared."

Uttarakhand has a rugged terrain. Landslides are often triggered from its mountains during frequent rains.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 13:58:00|Editor: ying

Video Player Close

JAKARTA, May 20 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed and more than 137 others rescued safely after a ferry caught fire in waters off the East Java province in western Indonesia on Friday evening, rescuers said Saturday.

Head of Search and Rescue Office of the East Java province Muhammad Arifin said those people were rescued by a ship of the rescue office and a passenger ship Kartika.

"A total of five bodies are already placed at sea port, and now we are transporting all the rescued people to sea port," Arifin told Xinhua from the rescue ship.

Ferry Mutiara Sentosa with about 178 people on board caught big fire in waters off Masalembo of the Sumenep district on Friday evening, Head of National Search and Rescue Office Marsudi had earlier told Xinhua by phone.

A search and rescue operation for the missing is still going on, involving two helicopters, scores of ships and around 200 personnel, according to Marsudi.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 14:28:08|Editor: MJ

Video Player Close

BEIJING, May 20 (Xinhua) -- China's southern areas are bracing for torrential rain in the coming days, China's national weather observatory said on Saturday.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) forecast medium rainfall to strong downpours in Hainan Island, coastal Guangxi and Guangdong, and southwest Sichuan till Sunday morning, with precipitation of up to 120 millimeters and gales on some waters.

Then moving northward, the rain belt will affect central and northern regions, including Hubei and Hunan, and help ease heat waves that scorched northern provinces during the past week.

Some northwestern and northeastern areas, such as Gansu and Heilongjiang, are also likely to see medium to heavy precipitations.

The NMC warned local authorities and residents to take precautions against flooding and geological disasters.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 15:03:20|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

PHNOM PENH, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Political parties in Cambodia on Saturday began a two-week campaign for the commune elections to be held on June 4.

Twelve political parties will contest in the elections, with the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) being the major contestants in the elections, according to the National Election Committee (NEC).

The elections are to elect commune chiefs and councilors for the country's 1,646 communes, the NEC said, adding that about 7.87 million eligible voters are expected to cast their ballots.

Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, president of the ruling CPP, called on the compatriots to vote for the CPP in the upcoming elections, saying the party would continue to do its best to maintain peace, stability, and development.

"The Cambodian People's Party vows that the party will continue to do its best to maintain stability, security, and social order, to improve public services, to increase social protection, to help the poor, and to further develop all communes and villages," he said in a message on Saturday.

He said that in the last five years, the communes and villages across the kingdom have enjoyed security and safety as well as development in all fields, particularly in infrastructure such as roads, bridges, irrigation systems, schools and health centers.

In a speech to his supporters on the southern outskirts of Phnom Penh on Saturday, opposition CNRP's president Kem Sokha appealed to all political parties to conduct peaceful campaigns and to adhere to the principle of fair play.

He was confident that the opposition party would gain strong support from the people in the upcoming elections.

Held once every five years, the commune elections are seen as a bellwether of the party's support ahead of the general elections in 2018.

In the last commune elections in June 2012, the ruling CPP gained 61.9 percent of the votes, compared to about 30.6 percent for the opposition CNRP.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 15:18:27|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

BAGHDAD, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Up to 18 people were killed and some 20 others wounded in two suicide car bombs targeting the Iraqi police in south of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source told Xinhua on Saturday.

The attacks occurred late on Friday night when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a police checkpoint and detonated it in the Shiite neighborhood of Abu Dsheer, in southern Baghdad, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, another suicide bomber blew up his explosive-laden car at the entrance of a police station, located at the vicinity of the first blast in the same neighborhood, causing heavy damage to the building, the source said.

The two attacks killed a total of 18 people and wounding some 20 others, the source said, adding that many of them were policemen.

The twin suicide bomb attacks in Baghdad followed another such crime before the sunset near Iraq's southern oil-hub city of Basra, which hit security checkpoints on a road leading to the oilfield of Rumaila, leaving up to 13 people killed and some 30 others wounded, including security members, according to the Interior Ministry source.

Late on Friday, a police source reportedly told Xinhua that at least three security members were killed and others wounded by the two blasts.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the Islamic State (IS) militant group, in most cases, is responsible for such suicide attacks targeting the security forces and crowded areas, including markets, cafes and mosques across Iraq.

The attacks came as the Iraqi security forces backed by anti-IS international coalition are carrying out a major offensive to drive out the IS militants from their major stronghold in the western side of Mosul in northern Iraq.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 15:23:29|Editor: Mengjie

Video Player Close

TAIYUAN, May 20 (Xinhua)-- A total of 257 kilograms of drugs and four suspects have been seized during raids in north China's Shanxi Province, local police said Saturday.

Police were tipped off in March that the suspect surnamed Su could be involved in drug trafficking in Linfen City.

In April, about 77 kilograms of drugs were seized during a raid on Su's home. Another 180 kilograms were captured in May in a drug den in Yuncheng city.

Four suspects involved were in police custody. The investigation is underway.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 15:23:30|Editor: Tian Shaohui

Video Player Close

Image provided by Brazil's Presidency shows Brazil's President Michel Temer delivering a speech during the ceremony of ratification of the Paris Agreement (2015) on climate change, in Brasilia, Brazil, on Sept. 12, 2016. (Xinhua/Beto Barata/Bazil's Presidency)

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Members of the coalition of Brazilian President Michel Temer have been trying to convince Temer to step down following allegations he obstructed justice in the country's biggest corruption scandal, local TV network Globonews reported Friday.

Temer's allies understand the president's service could be unsustainable, and try to convince him that stepping down would be a less traumatic option for transition, the report said.

Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported Wednesday that Temer was caught in a tape endorsing Joesley Batista, owner of meatpacking company JBS, to pay bribes to a once-powerful politician jailed for corruption.

In the recording, Batista mentioned having paid bribes to Eduardo Cunha, the imprisoned former speaker of Brazil's lower house of congress, so that Cunha would not speak anything against Batista and JBS. Temer nodded in agreement that Batista should keep Cunha on his side.

Cunha was sentenced to 15 years and 4 months imprisonment for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion.

In addition, in several occasions during the 40-minute-long recording, Batista admitted to pay bribes to judges and prosecutors, and Temer simply agreed with him.

Temer, who is adamant that he will not resign, called a press conference Thursday to deny any rumors of leaving office or any wrongdoings.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 15:43:36|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

CANBERRA, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Australia's large cattle farms have taken to space to monitor their huge herds of cows.

The precision pastoral project, a research effort aimed at reducing costs, time and labor on Australia's cattle farms, has implemented world-first technology in northern Australia.

The Newcastle Waters Station in the Northern Territory (NT), which has run a herd of cattle since the 1860s, is trialling using satellites to track their cattle and control yard gates.

Using a watering point within the station, the cattle are lured into a yard across a weighing bridge.

The ear tags on the cattle, which are required by the national livestock identification system, are scanned on the bridge, giving the live weight of every animal. The data is then sent to the management of the station.

The technology can also be used to segregate heavier cattle by directing them into different pens.

Tim Driver from the precision pastoral project has spent the last 10 years developing the technology.

"Generally in the industry, especially in the north, (graziers) only weigh cattle once or twice a year, so you're missing a lot of info in between," Driver told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Saturday.

"That was the motivation to come up with a robot or automatic device."

The company has recently undertaken research to work monitoring land conditions into the satellite technology.

Jak Andrews, manager of the Newcastle Waters station, said land conditions had been monitored by eye for as long as graziers had existed.

"Having grown up on stations ... you make the assumption you can read the country," he said.

"From the constant weighing and precision pastoral management system, we soon identified we are two (to) three weeks behind what we are visually seeing - not only from the satellite imagery from looking at pasture, but also from weights.

"Cattle will just start dropping. You don't pick up on (that) with the eye."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 16:33:47|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

HOUSTON, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Texas State Senate passed on Friday a draft law banning texting while driving, six years after a similar legislation had been vetoed by former Governor Rick Perry.

The move came after House lawmakers approved the ban last month, marking a closer step towards creating a statewide law that will preempt existing local texting bans.

Texting while driving is believed to be a factor leading to car accidents. In March, 13 people were killed in an accident in which a pickup truck hit a church bus in Texas. Investigators said the truck driver was checking a text when the accident happened.

It is estimated that around 3,500 people are killed in car accidents every year in Texas. Last year, a total of 40,200 people died of car accidents nationwide.

Currently in the United States, 46 out of 50 states have laws against texting while driving.
As a Billings resident, voter and taxpayer, I must inform your editorial board that I am sickened by The Billings Gazette endorsement for Gianforte.

You stated there were minuses to both candidates. So if the doubts arise, why endorse either candidate? So have you deepened the myth of Trumps "fake news."

What isn't fake is a vote for New Jersey Gianforte is a vote for Steve Bannon and other racists, sociopaths and Trump yes men in Washington.

The NRA and Republican PAC groups spent over $3 million in advertising, implying Gianforte was pope-like. That is as true as Quist is a "banjo" player.

Quist is a Montana native, landowner and musician known for his professional guitar excellence. So the vitriol, lying, mean-spirited, ad nauseam Gianforte multi-million-dollar television ads bought The Billings Gazette endorsement.

You lost my readership, as I am sure is the response of other loyal readers. A stupid choice from a bought-out Billings Gazette. You are at home now with fake news makers.

Melodie Phipps

Billings
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 16:38:49|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

WASHINGTON, May 19 (Xinhua) -- A majority of Americans consider trade with China beneficial to the U.S. economy and consumers, according to a survey released Friday.

The survey, conducted by the Committee of 100 (C100), a non-profit organization of prominent Chinese American leaders, explored U.S and Chinese public perceptions about each other.

It has found that 81 percent of Americans agree that trade with China will be advantageous to the U.S. economy, and 75 percent of Americans think that products from China benefit American consumers.

The report also discovered that overall sentiment is positive about bilateral investment between China and the United States.

It is for the first time since 2001 that Americans and Chinese agree on the three areas in which both countries would benefit from working together: trade, global financial stability, and the environment, according to the survey.

"The aim of this survey is to determine Americans' attitudes toward China, and Chinese attitudes toward the United States, in order to explore the most salient issues in U.S.-China relations," said Frank Wu, chair of the C100.

"It is more crucial than ever to find paths to mutual understanding and stronger bilateral relations," he said.

According to the survey, millennials (18-34 year olds) in both countries have a more favorable impression about each other than older generations do.

For example, 57 percent of American millennials have a positive impression of China, compared to 48 percent of the overall American public, while 60 percent of Chinese millennials have a favorable impression of the United States, compared to 55 percent of the Chinese public in general.

Meanwhile, 88 percent of American millennials think positively of the Chinese language taught in U.S. schools and 86 percent think the increase of Chinese students studying in the United States schools is good for America, the survey said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 17:09:14|Editor: Tian Shaohui

Video Player Close

Image provided by Brazil's Presidency shows Brazil's President Michel Temer delivering a speech during the ceremony of ratification of the Paris Agreement (2015) on climate change, in Brasilia, Brazil, on Sept. 12, 2016. (Xinhua/Beto Barata/Bazil's Presidency)

by Xia Lin, Chen Weihua

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's anti-corruption campaign, called "Cash War", turned much grimmer, as the Supreme Court initiated an investigation on Thursday against President Michel Temer for "corruption and obstruction of justice."

Temer has refused to step down, saying the investigation would show he has done nothing wrong and expressing confidence in the country's ongoing recovery from economic recession.

Brazilian experts said the country needs to walk out of the shadow where the political parties accused each other for corruption, and time and efforts should be spent to resume the country's previous economic glory.

INCUMBENT PRESIDENT UNDER PROBE

On Thursday, Temer encountered another court probe over his alleged arrangement for one of his acolytes to pay a jailed politician hush money to buy his silence.

This is a severe escalation, where the incumbent head of state is officially dragged into the swamp right after Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the two-term former president, was questioned over "passive corruption" and "money laundering" on May 10.

"It all starts with entrepreneurs bribing politicians in order to win partiality when bidding for government projects. The embezzled dollars that politicians use for personal spending actually stems from state companies, among them is mainly Petrobras," said Evandro Carvalho, international law professor at think tank Fundacao Getulio Vargas.

Padded contracts from national entities like the country's state oil company Petrobras charged with tapping Brazil's oil and gas resources were awarded to Odebrecht, the infrastructure giant in Brazil and Latin America, according to judicial disclosures and media reports.

In return, as media reports quoted judicial sources and Odebrecht executives as saying, the corporation had funneled 3.3 billion U.S. dollars to politicians between 2006 and 2014, or 80 percent of its net profits over the period.

"Car Wash reveals that all the political parties were involved in graft, including the ruling parties," said Carvalho.

FULL OF CRISES, BUT STILL OPTIMISTIC

Related scandals were basked in bunches and over 100 business people and senior officials have been probed or arrested so far. Temer himself and his government still appeared to be confident, setting in an overall austerity program with reform of labor law and pension system in efforts to beat the two-year-long recession.

On Thursday in his televised speech, Temer insisted that Brazil's recession was coming to an end and "optimism is returning."

Brazil's unemployment rate hit 13.7 percent in April and the economic growth was widely projected at 0.5 percent for 2017 among various research institutions, though the first quarter growth of GDP this year was declared as 1.12 percent, according to official figures.

Meanwhile, the shadow projected by the anti-corruption battles begins to loom large over the general election to be held in October 2018.

Brazil, the largest economy in Latin America, needs to walk out of shadow of corruption, said Carvalho.

Time and efforts should be spent to resume the country's previous glory in the so-called Golden Decade (1980s-1990s) when economic prosperity greatly enhanced living standards of the people.
Cherry blossoms are seen on the tree at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, April 20, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

by Ronald Ssekandi

KAMPALA, May 20 (Xinhua) -- A UN official has urged Muslim leaders in Africa to join the fight against violent extremism, warning that its continued growth on the continent will reverse the development gains.

Rosa Malango, the United Nation's Coordinator in Uganda, on May 15 said if the extremism is not addressed, it threatens to curtail Africa's development prospects for decades to come.

She was speaking to a meeting of Muslim leaders and scholars from eastern and southern Africa who had convened in Uganda to discuss countering, responding and preventing violent extremism.

The two-day meeting was organized by International Interfaith Peace Corps and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)'s Regional Service Centre for Africa.

Malango said Muslim religious leaders must get involved noting that fighting against violent extremism was a collective responsibility.

"The fact that violent extremism has been affecting Muslims and Muslim communities most, highlights the need for the engagement of Muslim religious leaders if we are to help communities that are vulnerable to the activities and operations of violent extremist groups," she said.

She said communities need to be empowered to be a vital part of the solution to the growth of violent extremism.

Sheikh Shaban Mubajje, the head of Muslims in Uganda said it is the responsibility of Muslims to stand up and educate the people about Islam and the fact that it does not promote violent extremism.

"Terrorism is the epitome of injustice because it takes innocent lives and the Koran calls all Muslims to act justly. Acts of terrorism are therefore 'Haram', forbidden in Islam," Mubajje said.

At the end of the meeting, the Muslim leaders and scholars agreed on a framework to enable them to work together to fight against all forms of extremist activities in the name of Islam.

They also reaffirmed a declaration made by Muslim leaders in West Africa against all forms of extremism in the name of Islam.

According to the UN, violent extremism has had a devastating social and economic impact across the Africa. Groups such as Boko Haram in Nigeria and Al-Shabaab in Somalia have forced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes, increasing instability in the region.

UNDP figures show that since 2011, more than 21,000 people have been killed in over 4,000 terrorist attacks in Africa. The operations of Boko Haram, for example, have internally displaced 1.2 million people and forced more than 200,000 Nigerians to flee to Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

In Kenya, Al-Shabaab activities have resulted in an estimated 25 percent drop in the tourism sector, a vital source of jobs and income for the country.

According to the global body, countries must address issues that drive youths away from productive lives and draw them to mayhem and destruction.

In late 2015, the UNDP launched a four-year program to help African countries prevent the growth of violent extremism.

UNDP argues that violent extremism can be prevented or responded to through a development approach where by individuals and institutions are constantly engaged to understand the drivers of extremism.

For proper implementation of its program, UNDP classified countries into three categories, Epicenter countries (Nigeria, Mali, Somalia and Libya) where extremist groups are active; Spillover countries (Cameroon, Chad, Kenya, Mauritania, Niger and Tunisia) where impacts are being felt and; At risk countries which exhibit some underlying and root causes of violent extremism.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 18:04:32|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

LOS ANGELES, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Two U.S. stealth fighter jets escorted a Honolulu-bound American Airlines aircraft on Friday after a man caused a disturbance aboard.

The "unruly passenger" aboard American Airlines Flight 31 from Los Angeles to Honolulu was subdued after trying to rush toward the cockpit with a blanket over his head.

The incident prompted two Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 Raptor fighter jets to scramble to escort the airliner.

"Due to a disturbance on the flight, the crew requested that law enforcement meet the aircraft upon landing in Honolulu," according to the airlines.

The plane landed safely in Honolulu at 11:35 a.m. local time (0135GMT), said local daily the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

The "unruly passenger" was arrested by waiting FBI and law enforcement officers. A FBI official in Hawaii told reporters that the man named Anil Uskanil is 25 years old, of Turkey. He was taken to a hospital for evaluation while the FBI prepares for a complaint alleging him of interference with a flight crew.

It was the second time that the man was arrested on the day. Earlier Friday morning, Uskanil opened a door that led from the Terminal 5 concourse to an airfield ramp at Los Angeles International Airport. He was spotted by a contractor and later arrested by Los Angeles Airport Police officials for misdemeanor trespassing, cited and released.

Despite the arrest and the admission that Uskanil had been drinking, Airlines officials allowed him to board Flight 31.

A few hours into that flight, passengers told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the man was successfully subdued by a flight attendant and passengers as he was trying to rush into the first-class, to approach the cabin.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security acknowledged in a statement that the suspect was in custody and the department will continue to monitor all flights and provide updates as necessary.
Medical practitioners examine Kenyans during an Ebola screening exercise at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, Oct. 29, 2014. (Xinhua/Simbi Kusimba)

KIGALI, May 20 (Xinhua) -- African countries, including Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria, have heightened surveillance measures at borders following an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).

Rwanda has kicked off new screening measures at its official border posts with DR Congo in order to detect the virus.

Anyone entering Rwanda via official border posts with the DR Congo in Rubavu and Rusizi districts will go through temperature screening procedures, said a statement released by the Rwanda ministry of health on Friday.

Uganda's minister of state for health Sarah Opendi told Xinhua that the country's National Health Task Force has been reactivated.

She said health workers in Uganda's western border districts have been put on alert to monitor people coming in from DR Congo.

"We have written to all District Health Officers to increase on surveillance, raise public awareness and alert the people about the Ebola outbreak" in DR Congo, said Opendi.

In Ghana, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) on Friday issued an alert on the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), calling on regional directors to enhance their preparedness.

A statement issued by Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare, Director General of the GHS, asked the directors to strengthen their surveillance for early detection and response, update preparedness and response plans in districts and regions and ensure the availability of holding places.

Kenya's Director of Medical Services at the Ministry of Health Jackson Kioko said the government has reactivated the rapid response teams for enhanced surveillance and follow up of travelers with elevated body temperatures and asymptomatic cases with history of travel from DR Congo.

"We wish to assure Kenyans that there is no suspected case of Ebola virus in the country and they should remain vigilant, look out for any such illnesses and report to the nearest health facility without delay for immediate verification and investigation," Kioko said.

A Kenyan citizen (R) undergoes an Ebola screening exercise upon her arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, Oct. 29, 2014. (Xinhua/Simbi Kusimba)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 18:34:39|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

ISLAMABAD, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Some 14 people were injured in separate incidents of hand grenade attacks including one targeting a school in Pakistan's northwest Charsadda district on Saturday, local Urdu media reported.

Unknown militants hurled a hand grenade at the main gate of a school in Zareef Kore area of Charsadda, a district located in the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local Geo News reported.

A schoolboy and a watchman were injured the attack whereas the insurgents fled the scene following the incident.

A total of 12 other people were injured when militants threw hand grenades at two houses in the district.

Police said that those injured in house attacks included six women and five kids. The injured people were shifted to nearby hospitals.

The reason behind the attack on the houses has not been ascertained yet. No group has claimed any of the attacks yet.

Police cordoned off the attacked areas and kicked off investigations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 19:50:36|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

AMMAN, May 20 (Xinhua) -- The World Economic Forum (WEF) on the Middle East and North Africa started Saturday with calls for increased support for the youth and addressing unemployment and poverty.

Officials during the forum at the Dead Sea said providing financial and moral support to the youth in the Middle East and reforming education were key in addressing the pressing challenges facing the region.

With high unemployment rate, fast population growth, political regional challenges and spread of radical movements that are relentlessly seeking to thrive on the hopelessness and despair of the young generation, providing hope and support are vital for the youth in the region, said the forum which attracted more than 1,100 political and business leaders from more than 50 countries.

"What Arab youth want is what youth everywhere want: a fair chance, a chance to be heard, a chance to make a difference. What is unique to Arab youth, though, is a yearning and thirst that I have not seen anywhere else. Perhaps, that's because our dire circumstances make us cling more tightly to hope," Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan said at the forum.

He said what young people need most is for all to take a bet on them, and to support them, morally and financially, so they can create their own impact. They need your help to advance and scale their projects, so they can see for themselves the difference they can make.

"Our young people need a region-wide support system for opportunity, access, and hope. That's why your partnership is so vital," he added.

Participants said as 31 percent of young people in the region are unemployed, new initiatives and urgent actions are needed. When a skilled talent is present, particularly educated women, he or she is not being deployed effectively in the workforce.

King Felipe VI of Spain stressed the need to join forces to address common challenges in fields of security, economy and others.

"We cannot isolate the threats nor the challenges we face, nor can we deal with them on our own," the Spanish king said. "We should really move ahead and find more powerful and adequate ways of also sharing our prosperity, to cooperate more efficiently in economic and social development."

He highlighted the key role of education in addressing challenges, calling for working together with the whole world and friends in the Middle East and North Africa to rise up to the challenges and seize the opportunities.

Iraqi President Fouad Masoum referred to recent successes by the Iraqi army in defeating terrorists, saying combating terrorism and alleviating poverty and unemployment should go hand in hand.

"Education, I believe, is the best way to combat poverty ... The reconstruction of Iraq should also be through social and economic development," said the Iraqi president at the forum.

He stressed that investments and development were key to realizing sustainable development goals.

President of Niger Mahamadou Issoufou called for coordinated efforts and increased collaboration in the fight against terrorism and criminal activities.

He called for increased aid by the donor communities, stressing education as key for addressing the plethora of challenges facing the region.

Creating jobs, he said, was key to limit the number of migrants of who die while trying to leave to other countries via the desert and across the Mediterranean.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 19:55:38|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

PYONGYANG, May 20 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Saturday slammed some Japanese ultra-rightists who hyped up tension in the Korean Peninsula in order to "take the path of overseas expansion and re-invasion."

The official daily of the Workers' Party of Korea, Rodong Sinmun, said in a commentary that Japan's former Defense Ministers Gen Nakatani and Itsunori Onodera and several other ultra-rightists from the Asian nation recently went to the United States to present a report on "Japan's policy towards the DPRK in the era of Trump."

"They blustered that the Korean Peninsula is faced with increased tension and Japan should be ready for it...and that Japan would not rule out any option including a preemptive strike to cope with DPRK's ballistic missile threat," said the paper.

"It shows a crafty artifice to hype threat from the DPRK in a bid to secure justifications for their reckless moves and garner domestic and foreign support and thus put spurs to the moves for turning Japan into a military giant and launching re-invasion," it said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 20:00:40|Editor: Mengjie

Video Player Close

by Xinhua writers Zhai Xiang and Liu Chang

SHANGHAI, May 20 (Xinhua) -- After visiting the Palace Museum in Beijing, Lei Shiyi, a college student from Chongqing Municipality, bought two bookmarks in the Forbidden City souvenir store.

"It feels like I'm taking part of the Forbidden City back to Chongqing," Lei said.

The Palace Museum's creative endeavor began in 2007 when it produced souvenirs for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Over the next 10 years, the museum has produced more than 9,600 items featuring the imperial palace and its exhibits.

Silk scarfs, for instance, in the patterns of emperors' dragon robes, while Chinese checkers sets draw inspiration from a roof decoration.

The museum boasts of over 1.86 million pieces of antiques.

"It is a museum's mission to connect cultural products with people's daily lives, and to uphold cultural values," said Shan Jixiang, director of the museum.

"In the past, souvenirs sold at the Palace Museum placed a special emphasis on history, knowledge and arts, but they lacked novelty and originality," said Shan. "They currently can not meet the demand of customers, youth in particular. We have to find a better way to show customers the Palace Museum's cultural significance."

"The museum's products are popular among tourists, which makes us proud and inspires us to develop more," said Yang Xiaobo, head of the museum's business management division.

The souvenirs are also popular overseas.

More than 200 items including notebooks with cover based on embroidery, as well as tapes featuring calligraphy and artwork, appeared at this year's Frankfurt Paperworld, a leading international stationery fair.

They became an instant hit and many international dealers asked for cooperation with the museum.

"Promoting Chinese culture worldwide is our duty," Yang said.

The National Museum of China, one of the largest museums in the world, also began a similar project in 2011.

The National Museum has come up with over 3,000 products. Its total sales of souvenirs amounted to 2.3 billion yuan (330 million U.S. dollars) by 2016.

"The National Museum aims to serve as a benchmark in commercial creativity for Chinese museums," said Jiang Mingwei, deputy manager of the museum's souvenir department.

The museum is working with Shanghai Free-Trade Zone and Alibaba to build a platform to design, produce, and sell creative souvenirs globally.

In March 2016, the State Council, China's cabinet, said China should "develop the creative cultural industry" with sensitivity, practicality, and originality.

"Chinese museums are leading a trend in cultural innovation," said Jiang.
Rose petals to be made into syrup.(Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

As blooming season approaches, Eyshihan Hemra, a flower farmer living in Arele township, Yutian county, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is busy making sweet for her families--the rose syrup. For Eyshihan and her fellow villagers, roses not only bring cash into their pockets, but also add sweetness to their life.

Located on the verge of Taklimakan Desert, Arele township is dubbed "homeland of roses" in China as villagers there take a fancy to the flower. The Khotan rose, a dominant species in Arele, is a variant of Damascus rose introduced to China thousands of years ago along the Silk Road, an ancient trade route linking the east with the west. In Uygur medication, the Khotan rose is used to make medicines.

Eyshihan Hemra sifts buds from rose petals in her courtyard. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

What makes roses so special in Arele township is the abundant water and solar-thermal resources, which bestow the flower distinctive color and fragrance. Every year, in the months of May and June, roses come to full blossom. Walking down the fields, what you see are blooming flowers dangling on the trees with sweet aroma in the air permeating through your nose and every inch of skin. It's the high time for local Uygur people to make rose syrup.

Eyshihan Hemra's father, Hemra Hemur, in his 60s, has been a rose farmer for three decades. "Almost every household in Arele plants roses for the flower outreaches other crops in economic values," Hemra Hemur said, adding that the price of roses has been rising for continuous years.

Eyshihan Hemra(L) is making rose syrup with her parents. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

To make good rose syrup, every initial step, from sifting petals to kneading, matters. The syrup will taste better if soil and buds are all cleared. Accurate weighing of ingredients is to ensure that the syrup is well-proportioned in sweetness, Hemur said,"One kilogram of rose petals fit best with three kilograms of sugar."

Eyshihan Hemra is tearing petals off.(Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

Eyshihan Hemra is a mother of three kids. Among them, two are studying in Karamay, a city in Xinjiang, and Beijing. "Every time my children are about to leave for school, I will give them some rose syrup," Eyshihan said with a smile on her face. She said the kids all like her hand-made syrup.

"Every Uygur girl here can make rose syrup, it's a must-have skill. But now with electric blenders, fewer people choose to knead flowers by hand." Eyshihan Hemra insists hand-made syrup gives the best taste.

For Uygur ethnics in Khotan region, rose syrup is a commonplace condiment. Crusty pancakes naan, a pot of medical tea and a small tray of syrup will make a meal.

The sweetness given forth by scented flowers and sugar in the syrup lingers on the lips and in people's minds. For years, it has become local people's recipe of leading a sweet life.
Five boat ramps on Canyon Ferry Reservoir are now open to all boaters and four Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks decontamination stations are operating seven days a week.

Yacht Basin, Kims Marina, Goose Bay, Silos and Hellgate are open to all boats. The rest of the boat ramps on Canyon Ferry Reservoir are open to certified local boaters only.

The ramps open to all boaters either have a decontamination station assigned to them or in close proximity. Decontamination stations are located at the Bureau of Reclamation Visitor Center on the north end of the reservoir, at the Silos boat ramp on the south end, and at Hellgate and Goose Bay, both on the east side of the reservoir.

All watercraft leaving Canyon Ferry and Tiber reservoirs will be required to go through a decontamination station unless they are part of the certified local boater program. This protocol is in response to a water sample last year at the reservoir that was suspect for aquatic invasive mussel larvae. Similar water samples at Tiber Reservoir were positive for the mussel larvae.

At Tiber Reservoir, two boat ramps remain open to all watercraft: Tiber Marina and the VFW Campground. All other ramps at the reservoir are only open to certified local boaters.

These restrictions are part of the statewide response to the discovery of the invasive mussel larvae. Other pieces of the response plan are expanded inspection stations and monitoring plan and new rules requiring a pre-launch inspection for all watercraft from outside of Montana along with all watercraft crossing the Continental Divide in the Columbia River Basin. Additionally, it is now illegal to transport surface water in Montana. Anglers with live bait must transport them in clean, non-surface water.

For more information on the location of decontamination stations, new rules, and whether or not you require an inspection, go to musselresponse.mt.gov.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 20:10:45|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

DUBAI, May 20 (Xinhua) -- The foreign direct investment (FDI) office of Sharjah, member of United Arab Emirates (UAE), is targeting events in Chinese metropolises Shanghai and Shenzhen, in a bid to increase the UAE's business opportunities, state news agency WAM reported.

The organization will be exhibiting at the 2017 World Forum for Foreign Direct Investment, which takes place in Shanghai on May 23-24, and then at the China Offshore Summit, to be held in Shenzhen on May 24-25.

Sharjah's participation is aimed at strengthening its existing relationships and facilitating the forging of new alliances with prospective business partners.

Marwan Al-Sarkal, CEO of Shurooq, investment committee of Sharjah, described both forums as being crucial opportunities to raise awareness and continue investment momentum for the UAE, with an estimated 2016 bilateral trade with China of as high as 60 billion U.S. dollars.

He pointed to the fact that there are approximately 4,200 Chinese companies operating in the country, including Chinese blue chip firms China State Construction, China National Petroleum, Huawei, Bank of China, ICBC, and China COSCO Shipping.

"Sharjah plays a leading role in encouraging and facilitating investment, as one of the most strategically placed commercial centers in the region," said Al Sarkal.

Earlier last year, the tourism authority in the emirate of Sharjah said it was preparing to welcome as many as 200,000 Chinese visitors by 2021. In 2016, hotel facilities in the emirate received more than 86,000 Chinese guests, a 63 percent increase year on year, according to WAM.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 20:20:55|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

By Eric J. Lyman

ROME, May 20 (Xinhua) -- While the Sicilian city of Taormina with population of only 11,000 is struggling for the security precautions ahead of the Group of Seven (G7) summit that will take place next week, security experts say the remote location of the talks will make it easier to protect the world leaders.

The G7 meeting will bring together the heads of government from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain, and the United States.

It will also be G7 debut for France's newly-elected President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Italy is reported to be spending at least 15 million euros (16.5 million U.S. dollars) to improve roads and clean up historical sites. But these measures seem failed to win the heart of the local, who are complaining about the negative impact of the two-day meeting, including keeping away tourists at start of the high season.

And traffic pressure is another major complaint, considering the narrow and winding roads of the small city. Even Taormina's main avenue, Corso Umberto, is only about 800 meters long, and it will have to host a motorcade of as many as 30 cars for the G7 leaders that will nearly fill the street's entire length.

"All the security measures are keeping tourists away and they are driving the residents crazy," Taormina mayor Eligio Giardina said in an interview.

But security experts are showing the other side of the coin, an easier protection to the leaders, as the talks will be held on an island, which can only be reached via flights or ferry boats from the mainland. It will be more expensive for protestors to make a trip onto the island, said the experts.

And Taormina's hill-top location means that protests will be limited to villages at sea level, 200 meters below Taormina. The defensive terrain, a main factor leading to the founding of Taormina by Greeks in the eighth century B.C., today offers favorable security conditions to the 10,000 security personnel tasked to prevent unauthorized people from entering the city.

"Just as an example, the city will be closed off from May 22, four days before the leaders arrive, until after they leave," Alessandro Orsini, director of the Security Observatory at Rome's LUISS University, told Xinhua. "That makes it impossible for a potential threat to be there when the leaders arrive."

Sabrina Magris, president of the Ecole Universitaire Internationale, which specializes in security issues, agreed. "Taormina will be like a giant, natural fortress," Magris said in an interview.

Still, the security measures may not be enough for President Trump, whose visit to Taormina will be part of his first foreign trip since he took the office. Reports say Trump will not join the other six leaders, who will sleep in Taormina. Instead, he will reportedly sleep on a Navy vessel connected to the U.S. military base at Sigonella, around 65 km southwest of Taormina, and will travel to Taormina every day by helicopter.

But that opens up another potential, even if extremely unlikely, a natural threat from Mt. Etna, Europe's largest active volcano. The airway between Sigonella and Taormina flies over Mt. Etna, which last erupted in March when a small flank eruption injured 10 people.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 20:30:55|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

JUBA, May 20 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan has denied authorizing the killing of civilians in the Yei border town following the latest United Nations report blaming government troops (SPLA) on 114 civilian killings.

President Salva Kiir's spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny said in Juba on Friday that the UN report is false, arguing that the SPLA could have acted in self defense while fighting opposition rebels operating in the restive town located some 150 km South West of the capital.

"It is utopian accusation given that there is no number of people (killed) like such in Yei. What we know is the killing of civilians along ethnic lines on roads in Yei," Ateny told Xinhua.

The escalation in fighting after the renewed violence in July 2016, prompted the UN Special Adviser of the Secretary General on Prevention of Genocide Adama Dieng in November last year to warn of the prospect of genocide occurring following civilian targeted killings along ethnicity in Yei.

"What is in Yei is the army (SPLA) and government soldiers fight in self defense unless rebels attack them," he added.

The report finds that these violations and abuses may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity and that they warrant further investigation.

The report exposes cases of indiscriminate shelling of civilians; targeted killings; looting and burning of civilian property and cases of sexual violence perpetrated against women and girls, including those fleeing fighting.

The UN report came after the SPLA had been blamed on being behind civilian killings, looting and plunder of public resources by international NGOs during the more than three years of counter-insurgency against rebels allied to former first vice president Riek Machar.

South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between President Kiir and his former deputy Machar led to fighting that pitted mostly Dinka ethnic soldiers loyal to Kiir against Machar's Nuer ethnic group.

The 2015 peace agreement to end the violence was again violated in July 2016 when the rival factions resumed fighting in the capital forcing the rebel leader Machar to flee into exile.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced over 2 million from their homes, and forced more than 1.5 million to flee into neighboring countries.

"How can it tarnish the image of the government when it did not authorize the killing of civilians?" Ateny disclosed.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 20:30:57|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

SINGAPORE, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Singapore President Tony Tan Keng Yam will pay state visit to the Republic of Poland from May 21 to 23 and to the Czech Republic from May 23 to 27, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Saturday.

It will be the first state visit by a Singaporean head of state to Poland, and the second to the Czech Republic. The ministry said the visits would showcase the growing ties between Singapore and the two European countries.

In Poland, Tan will visit Warsaw and meet Polish President Andrzej Duda. The two will witness the signing of three Memorandums of Understanding to enhance cooperation between the economic agencies as well as research institutes of the two countries.

In the Czech Republic, Tan will visit Prague and Cesky Krumlov. He will meet Czech President Milos Zeman, and they will together witness the signing of three Memorandums of Understanding on cooperation between the economic agencies of the two countries as well as universities of Singapore and the Czech Republic.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 20:30:59|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

GARDEZ, Afghanistan, May 20 (Xinhua) -- At least two people have been confirmed dead and 15 others injured as a group of militants attacked a local bank in eastern Afghanistan's Gardez city Saturday.

"So far two dead bodies and 15 injured persons have been taken to hospital in Gardez city," Shir Mohammad, head of public health department in Gardez city, told Xinhua.

An official on condition of anonymity said that a suicide bomber blew himself up next to the gate of local branch of New Kabul Bank, enabling others to enter the bank compound and opened firing.

According to the official, gun battle between the attackers and security forces has been continuing. Police cordoned off the area and denied journalists access to the site of the incident.
Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) beef up security at Adar oilfield, South Sudan, March 21, 2017.(Xinhua/Gale Julius)

JUBA, May 20 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan has denied authorizing the killing of civilians in the Yei border town following the latest United Nations report blaming government troops (SPLA) on 114 civilian killings.

President Salva Kiir's spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny said in Juba on Friday that the UN report is false, arguing that the SPLA could have acted in self defense while fighting opposition rebels operating in the restive town located some 150 km South West of the capital.

"It is utopian accusation given that there is no number of people (killed) like such in Yei. What we know is the killing of civilians along ethnic lines on roads in Yei," Ateny told Xinhua.

The escalation in fighting after the renewed violence in July 2016, prompted the UN Special Adviser of the Secretary General on Prevention of Genocide Adama Dieng in November last year to warn of the prospect of genocide occurring following civilian targeted killings along ethnicity in Yei.

"What is in Yei is the army (SPLA) and government soldiers fight in self defense unless rebels attack them," he added.

The report finds that these violations and abuses may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity and that they warrant further investigation.

The report exposes cases of indiscriminate shelling of civilians; targeted killings; looting and burning of civilian property and cases of sexual violence perpetrated against women and girls, including those fleeing fighting.

The UN report came after the SPLA had been blamed on being behind civilian killings, looting and plunder of public resources by international NGOs during the more than three years of counter-insurgency against rebels allied to former first vice president Riek Machar.

South Sudanese women pray with a cross in hand at the John Garang Mausoleum in Juba, capital of South Sudan, March 10, 2017. (Xinhua/Gale Julius)

South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between President Kiir and his former deputy Machar led to fighting that pitted mostly Dinka ethnic soldiers loyal to Kiir against Machar's Nuer ethnic group.

The 2015 peace agreement to end the violence was again violated in July 2016 when the rival factions resumed fighting in the capital forcing the rebel leader Machar to flee into exile.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced over 2 million from their homes, and forced more than 1.5 million to flee into neighboring countries.
Source:Xinhua| 2017-05-20 20:53:50|Editor: Mengjie

Song Dan (1st L, rear) gives a class as her second child plays in the classroom at her breastfeeding support center in Beijing, capital of China, May 19, 2017. Song Dan, a former IT engineer working for renowned Chinese IT firm Huawei, is now a senior lactagogue master, a profession to help new mothers to stimulate the secretion of milk through massage. Song started her brand new business five years ago when she had to face a choice between her IT engineer carrier and family. The advantage of flexible working time as lactagogue master made Song determine to give up her former job. She started from scratch and gave massage to new mothers' breasts to help them lactate as soon and as much as possible. She was the first batch of people in the Chinese mainland who obtained the certificate of IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant). For years, she has given hands to thousands of mothers. She also founded a breastfeeding support center with her partners to spread advantage of breastfeeding to the public. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei)
Source:Xinhua| 2017-05-20 22:09:40|Editor: Mengjie

Video Player Close

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong (2nd L) declares the opening of the 2017 National Science and Technology Week in Beijing, China, May 20, 2017. Guo Jinlong (2nd R), a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, also attended the event. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 21:06:20|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

By Larry Neild

LONDON, May 20 (Xinhua) -- A huge collection of artefacts frozen in time which offer a unique insight into the indigenous people of Alaska are going home this summer after a seven-year project by a university in Scotland to save them.

Since the discovery seven years ago, archaeologists from the University of Aberdeen painstakingly recovered everyday objects that indigenous Yupik people used to survive and to celebrate life.

It was a race against the clock for the team before melting ice and raging winter storms reclaimed an archaeological site in Alaska known as Nunalleq.

Dating back more than four centuries, the finds included wooden ritual masks, ivory tattoo needles, and even a belt of caribou teeth, all preserved in extraordinary condition.

Dr. Rick Knecht, expert in Alaskan history and culture from the University of Aberdeen, said: "We have uncovered grass baskets and mats made when Shakespeare walked the earth. This is one of the largest collections ever recovered from a single site in Alaska, and perhaps even the whole Arctic region. It accounts for more than 90 percent of everything we know about pre-contact Yup'ik, one of the major indigenous groups in North America."

Knecht knew that once removed from the earth the artefacts would begin to deteriorate quickly. It meant a journey of almost 7,000 km to Scotland for more than 50,000 so professional conservators in Aberdeen could oversee preservation work.

He noted the long-term goal has always been to return them to where they belong and that will become possible later this year with the opening of the new Nunalleq Culture and Archaeology Research Center in Alaska.

"We are now working in partnership with the local Qanirtuuq Corporation and the village of Quinhagak to make arrangements for the safe return of the collection. It is important their stories are told. And we are delighted to be working with the Nunalleq community to ensure these vital artefacts can be shared in the place they belong," added Knecht.

Knecht's team also revealed for the first time evidence of a period known as the "Bow and Arrow Wars," when Yupik communities fought each other in bloody battles, sometime before Russian explorers arrived in Alaska in the 1700s.

"Nunalleq offers the first archaeological evidence, and the first firm date, for these terrible wars, which affected several generations of Yupiit," Knecht added.

It seems likely these attacks were associated with climate change, a 550-year chilling of the Earth now known as the Little Ice Age, that coincided with Nunalleq's occupation. The coldest years in Alaska, in the mid-1600s, may have been a desperate time, with raids probably launched to steal food and take over hunting and fishing territory.

"Oral testimonies passed down from generation to generation speak of the horror of these wars and the archaeological evidence strongly supports this. We have unearthed the remains of women, children and elders together, which suggests that they were captured and killed. These were recorded and turned over to the village for reburial." said Knecht.

Warren Jones, president of the local Yupik corporation known as Qanirtuuq, Inc. was influential in encouraging Knecht and his team to excavate the area.

He said he envisages the center, with the collection at its heart, as a place where people can see, touch, and share stories about the beautifully worked possessions of their ancestors.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 21:26:26|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

GARDEZ, Afghanistan, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Up to eight people were confirmed dead while 31 others sustained injuries after militants attacked the local branch of New Kabul Bank in Afghanistan's Gardez city Saturday.

"We have received eight dead bodies and 31 injured persons in the hospital in Gardez city," Shir Mohammad, head of public health department in Gardez city, told Xinhua.

Quoting security officials, Mohammad said that the conflict was over and five of the dead bodies belonged to the attackers.

The attack begun at 02:50 p.m. local time when a suicide bomber blew himself up next to the gate of the bank, enabling other militants to enter the compound of the bank and begun indiscriminate firing.

Officials have cordoned off the area and do not allow journalists to get access to the site of the attack.

No groups or individuals have claimed of responsibility for the deadly attack. This is the second high profile attack in the eastern region of Afghanistan over the past four days.

The previous attack for which Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility saw armed militants storm the state-run television station in Jalalabad city on Wednesday.
Nobody  no hunter, no poacher  has shot more moose in Washington than Woody Myers.

His weapon was a rifle. His aim: usually to save the animals life rather than kill it. His load, in most cases, was a tranquilizer dart.

Myers recently retired, adorned with achievements and awards, from a 40-year career with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, mostly as a big-game researcher focused on deer and elk.

Hes credited with introducing the agency to helicopter net gunning as a capture technique as well as research using aerial telemetry and GPS tracking collars. Agency officials said Myers had a hand in capturing more than 1,600 ungulates  deer, elk, moose  and logging more than 3,500 hours in small aircraft, not to mention countless hours bouncing in pickups and some saddle time on horseback.

Myers, who lives north of Spokane Valley, credits his interest in wildlife to his grandfather, a chef who guided deer hunters, and his father, a career Air Force veteran who loved to hunt.

Anxious to continue the lineage, Myers said he saved his lawn mowing money for a year to buy his first shotgun at the age of 8.

While his father was stationed in Western Washington, Myers met an officer who had a degree in fisheries and wildlife. Dave Narver was the first biologist Id ever met, Myers said. He showed me slides of his undergraduate work with fish and wildlife in Alaska, and I thought holy crap, you can make a living doing that?

So in fourth grade I decided I wanted to be a biologist.

Myers had a notable mentor. Narver later ascended to the chief of the Fisheries Branch in the British Columbia Ministry of Environment. What I remember most is that he could call ducks like nobody else, Myers said.

One of Myers first jobs was working for Idaho Fish and Game on a fawn mortality study along the Idaho-Nevada border. The state gave me a pickup and a trailer and I lived out in the mountains. What a way to spend a summer: tracking fawns, learning wildflowers, dodging rattlesnakes, taking pictures. It was just great.

Myers began his Washington career in 1976 doing waterfowl work in the Columbia Basin. Later, he was a wildlife biologist out of Mount Vernon and a Deer and Elk Section manager in Olympia. He also was called once to be an undercover officer in a poaching bust. I remember my throat being really dry, he said.

He carved his niche into the big leagues of research starting in 1985 with a move to the Methow Valley to lead the Okanogan Mule Deer Study.

The departments current director, Jim Unsworth, singled out Myers expert testimony in a federal court case as one of his most far-reaching contributions to wildlife conservation.

Based on his expertise in the Okanogan study, Myers took the stand in what became a test for the National Environmental Policy Act, Unsworth said. He was able to detail the potential impacts of development, including a proposed ski area, on mule deer migration corridors in the Methow Valley.

The case was reviewed by the United States Supreme Court, which upheld the lower courts decision in favor of protecting mule deer habitat.

Net-gunning big game from helicopters and shooting tranquilizer darts are research capture-and-release methods Myers brought to Washington in 1986 for studying the Okanogan deer, the largest migratory mule deer herd in the state.

Many of the helicopter techniques were perfected in New Zealand, but it was California researchers who convinced Myers that flying down within feet of fleeing animals and firing a firearm to propel a net for capturing them is an efficient and cost-effective method, he said.

Helicopters are expensive to charter, but they can cover a larger area in less time and require fewer people in the field than other capture methods.

But its dangerous, he said.

After being trained by a net-gun manufacturer, Myers was invited by California Fish and Game biologists to train with them as they netted bighorn sheep. Luckily, deer started moving early that fall for our Methow research and I had to stay in Washington to document migration corridors and do what we could to protect them in lieu of the development expected to occur through the valley, Myers recalled.

Shortly after I canceled on the California invitation, I learned that the group I was supposed to fly with crashed and everyone was killed.

Myers said he and a pilot walked away from one helicopter hard landing during his career. And I can tell you it gets really quiet in an airplane when the engine quits, he said. All you hear is wind. In my case, the pilot was able to restart the engine after losing about 500 feet.

Fish and Wildlife enforcement officers have a dangerous job, especially during fall when virtually everyone they encounter is armed, Myers said.

Statistically, however, biologist jobs are dangerous, too, because of their use of boats and aircraft. More biologists die than law enforcement officers. And we get beat up in traps by a lot of deer.

Myers was a quick study in gunning game with nets or darts while strapped to the side of a speeding chopper.

Shooting a dart is like shooting a rifle only at much slower velocity, he said. When shooting from a helicopter, youre not aiming down the barrel. Its instinctive. The pilot gets you fairly close, maybe 15 feet sometimes. You point a little behind the animal because youre coming in faster than it is running.

Elk line out and are fairly easy to hit, but deer change direction like rabbits. Shooting anything at an animal is serious business, he said.

Those darts can be projectiles that can penetrate the body cavity if the charge is too hot, he said. Ive lost a few animals trying to tranquilize them. Its a bad feeling to kill an animal when youre ultimately trying to do good for them.

Capturing big game was only the beginning of several high-profile wildlife studies Myers orchestrated in Washington.

In the 1990s he focused on Blue Mountains elk, looking first at adult elk and then at calves. Volunteers from sportsmens groups, such as the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council, helped by bulldogging elk calves netted by helicopter so ear tags and radio collars could be attached.

As the data is analyzed for years after a major study, the results can be misinterpreted by the public and even by other wildlife professionals.

One of the facets of five years of field work in the Blue Mountains looked at how elk calves die. Cougars were the number one cause followed by black bears, he said, noting that some people locked onto the loss of half the calves with no perspective.

The upshot was that overall calf survival was relatively high. The mean was a 45 percent survival rate. Anytime your surviving half of a neonatal ungulate population, thats pretty darn good.

The limiting factors for the elk herd also involved drought, compromised habitat, poaching and depredation control and cow tags to protect farm and ranch crops. Calves were surviving well enough for the elk herds to grow, but tolerance for elk is a perennial factor where elk range blends into private property, he said.

Most recently, he completed a six-year study on whitetails in northeastern Washington. We learned that about 60 percent of the whitetails in Units 117 and 121 were migratory adult females.

We looked at the survival between migrants and residents and there was no difference even though winter habitat quality was a little better for residents. Survival was pretty darn high: 85 percent. We did have wolves in part of the study area. But the most common cause of death were cougars and domestic dogs.

The management decisions based on his research is in the hands of wildlife managers who also must consider social and political factors. As a researcher, I present the data, he said.

In 1999, Myers collaborated with researchers, universities, schools and volunteers from sportsmens clubs as project leader for the Eastern Washington Cooperative Mule Deer Project.

Project Mule Deer, as it became known, contributed significantly to our knowledge of mule deer ecology; provided educational opportunities for many graduate students and local school districts; strengthened the agencys relationships with the outdoor community and resulted in the publication of over 10 theses and scientific papers, Director Unsworth said.

Moose darting wasnt a career path Myers courted. He became the agencys go-to man in far Eastern Washington moose cases because he had acquired the rare certifications and licenses to handle narcotics going into his elk research.

In 1992 I darted the first moose tranquilized in Spokane, he said, noting that hes responsible for moving 250 to 300 moose throughout his career.

A book could be written about his moose encounters alone. Hes spooked unsuspecting people as he stalked moose through neighborhoods with his dart rifle at ready. He darted a calf moose after it fell through a window into a basement bedroom in North Spokane.

He was charged by a rutting bull moose at the North Division Y after the dart hit its hip. Myers fled, but the tree he had staked out for refuge was already filled to capacity by the fish biologist who was supposed to back him up.

Ive used trees for cover several times after darting moose, including in Manito Park, he said.

In another case, a moose had taken refuge in the pond at Cannon Hill Park after chasing kids gathering for an Easter egg hunt. When I showed up, the media was already there with photographers, reporters and TV cameras, he said.

With a large audience and a Spokane animal control officer at his side, Myers waded waste-deep into the pond for a clear, sure, off-hand shot and everyone grew silent as he shouldered the rifle and squeezed the trigger.

The dart went 3 feet out the barrel and plopped into the pond, he said, noting that the cartridge charge had failed. I wanted to sink into the pond, too.

He reloaded and reminded department helpers that if the moose went down in the pond, they would have to rush in and keep its head above the water. But when the dart hit, the moose headed to shore and even ran close to the horse trailer wed brought before it laid down and went to sleep.

People cheered. We hauled it away and relocated it no problem.

Most of his moose missions went fairly smooth with one notable exception, says Madonna Luers, his wife as well as the public communications director for the Fish and Wildlife Departments Eastern Region.

Theres the last moose he dealt with, she said. The one in the trailer that kicked him in the face when he was trying to give it a reversal drug  that one landed him in the ER!

Last fall, in the sunset of his career, Myers got one more shot at a moose.

He hit the big-game hunting jackpot by beating the high odds of drawing a second deer tag in Washington and elk and mule deer tags in Idaho. To top it off, his 19 preference points did the trick in drawing one of Washingtons once-in-a-lifetime moose tags.

It was quite a windfall, he said, noting that he filled the tags after weeks of scouting and hunting.

Being a wildlife researcher paid off. The several freezers hes acquired over the years to temporarily store critter parts including elk fetuses and whole game for necropsies were suddenly put to use for a bounty of meat for the table.

I was kind of making up for lost time, he said. Getting out checking hunters and collecting data took the place of actually hunting and recreating for many years.

I dont regret that. How many people get to be out where people are recreating and call it their office?
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 21:26:29|Editor: Mengjie

Video Player Close

Zhang Ping (C, front), special envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping and vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, attends the inauguration ceremony of Timor-Leste President Francisco Guterres Lu-Olo in Dili, Timor-Leste, May 20, 2017. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain)

JAKARTA, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Ping, special envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping, attended Timor-Leste's presidential inauguration ceremony as well as the celebration of 15th anniversary of Timor-Leste's restoration of independence in Dili on May 19-20.

China and Timor-Leste enjoy a profound traditional friendship, and their political trust has been constantly deepened and pragmatic cooperation increasingly strengthened since the two countries established diplomatic ties 15 years ago, said Zhang, also vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China.

China actively supports the national development and construction cause of Timer-Leste, and their relations can be viewed as a model of equality and mutual benefits between a big country and a small one, Zhang said.

China is willing to continuously make efforts with Timer-Leste to strengthen the alignment of their development strategies, actively engage in cooperation based on the Belt and Road Initiative and constantly push ahead the comprehensive partnership of good neighborliness and mutual benefits between the two countries, said Zhang.

Timor-Leste's new President Francisco Guterres Lu-Olo said that his country supports and actively participates in the Belt and Road construction.

Lu-Olo said that Timor-Leste is willing to further strengthen its cooperation with China in various fields and constantly enhance relations between the two countries.

He said that the Chinese envoy's presence at his inauguration ceremony showed the friendly ties and close friendship between the two countries and the two peoples.

Lu-Olo appreciated China's long-time support for the Timor-Leste national liberation movement and its national construction.

Proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes. It comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.
The rebels and their families as well as sympathizers have been evacuating the al-Waer neighborhood in batches toward rebel-held areas in the northwestern province of Idlib as well as the northern province of Aleppo since March of this year. (Xinhua/Hummam Sheikh Ali)

HOMS, Syria, May 20 (Xinhua) -- The last batch of rebels and their families started Saturday evacuating the al-Waer neighborhood, the last rebel stronghold in the central city of Homs.

Busses are on standby at the entrance of al-Waer to transport the last batch of rebels and their families toward rebel-held areas in northern Syria.

Government officials said the last stage of evacuation will finish later on Saturday, as the government institutions are expected to enter the neighborhood on Sunday, if the process goes smoothly without snags.

The rebels and their families as well as sympathizers have been evacuating the al-Waer neighborhood in batches toward rebel-held areas in the northwestern province of Idlib as well as the northern province of Aleppo since March of this year.

The evacuation comes following a deal struck with the government to grant them safe passage toward rebel-held areas in northern Syria in 2015.

Several hurdles faced the full implementation of the deal before its reactivation last March.

Since March, 12 batches of rebels and their relatives have left al-Waer, with the total number of evacuees estimated at over 17,000, 7,000 of whom were rebels, according to the state TV.

Still, Talal Brazi, the governor of Homs, told reporters at the entrance of al-Waer on Saturday that 12,000 is the overall number, adding that thousands of civilians returned after reaching their destination in northern Syria, due to the tough situation in the camps in rebel-held areas.

Barazi said that as of Sunday, the residents of al-Waer, who fled the neighborhood in 2012 when the rebels took over, will be able to return to their homes.

He said the evacuation of the last batch is ongoing through Saturday and could extend to early hours Sunday.

Al-Waer is a sprawling neighborhood in Homs.

Previous statistics indicated that al-Wair used to home 300,000 people before the six-year-old war erupted in Syria, and that the number then decreased down to 75,000 civilians remaining in al-Waer, which has been besieged by government forces since 2014.

For the government, regaining the neighborhood is a significant progress which will enable them to regain full control of Homs, Syria's third largest city.

It's also the heart of Syria due to its location in the central part of the country.

Homs is also one of Syria's most important industrial centers, boasting the country's largest oil refinery and key oil and gas fields in its eastern countryside.

The city is also a hub connecting major Syrian cities together, and gaining full control over the city will be an important step for the government to have full control over Syria's other major five cities of Damascus, Homs, Latakia, Aleppo and Hama.

For the rebels, losing their last stronghold in Homs is a major blow, following the huge defeat they suffered when government forces recaptured the entire city of Aleppo in December of last year, after the rebels' evacuation from the eastern part of that key city in northern Syria.

Rebels called Homs the "Capital of Revolution," as it was one of the first cities to join the anti-government movement in Syria in mid-March 2011.

By mid 2012, up to a fifth of the city was under control of the opposition.

In the same year, government forces unleashed an offensive to capture the fallen areas.

In late 2014, rebels in the old city of Homs accepted a deal for their evacuation from the city, which has been largely obliterated due to the military campaign in the city.

In 2015, the deal for al-Waer was reached, similar to that of the old city, before being reactivated on March 14, 2017.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 22:16:48|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

ISLAMABAD, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan announced on Saturday that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will visit Saudi Arabia from May 21 to 23 to participate in the first trilateral U.S.-Arab-Islamic Summit.

"The summit in Riyadh will provide an opportunity for the participating countries to discuss how to overcome the menace of terrorism and extremism across the world. The summit is expected to delink terrorism' from any particular religion, culture, civilization or region," a Foreign Ministry's statement said.

U.S. President Donald Trump will attend the summit.

In his address at the summit, Sharif will focus on Islam's message of peace, tolerance and unity, the Foreign Ministry said. He will highlight the great sacrifices and major successes achieved by Pakistan in defeating the scourge of terrorism and extremism in the region.

The prime minister will also join the leaders to attend the inauguration ceremony of the World Center against Extremism, an important counter-radicalization initiative by Saudi Arabia, the statement said.
ADDIS ABABA, May 20 (Xinhua) -- The visa openness level is improving in Africa, which enables African citizens to travel more freely across the continent, according to a latest report.

Overall, Africans were able to travel more freely across the continent in 2016, as the visa openness levels improved compared to 2015, says the 2nd edition of the Africa Visa Openness Index.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) in collaboration with the African Union (AU) Commission and the World Economic Forum has launched the latest report, said an AU statement on Saturday.

Analyzing the visa regime in Africa and how open countries are in terms of relaxation or elimination of visa requirements for citizens from other African countries traveling to their countries, the index acknowledges existing challenges despite improvement.

The report examines which countries are facilitating travel for citizens of other countries and whether they allow people to travel to their country without a visa, with the provision of visa-on-arrival or whether visitors need to get a visa before travel.

It highlights pervasive regional differences in visa openness performance on the continent.

"For example, 75 percent of countries in the top 20 most visa-open countries, are either in East or West Africa, while 20 percent are in Southern Africa. Of the top 20 countries, only one country, Mauritania, is from the Northern region, while none is from Central Africa."

Continent-wide, Ghana made the most progress in 2016 in opening up its borders to African travelers, moving into sixth place in the Index, up 16 places from 2015.

Senegal also moved into the top 20 most visa-open countries, up nine places from 2015 and Tunisia moved 13 places from 2015.

Seychelles continues to lead the index and remains the only African country on the continent to offer visa-free access for all Africans.

Kwesi Quartey, Deputy Chairperson of the AU Commission, has noted that much progress has been achieved despite the numerous challenges.

In July 2016, AU launched the African Union Passport that has since been issued to heads of states, the first ladies, foreign ministers, chairpersons of regional economic communities, the AU permanent representatives committee as well as some business persons.

"The African Union is supporting member states in rolling out the African Union passport to all its citizens, granting them visa-free access to explore the continent for business, pleasure, leisure and tourism," said the Deputy Chairperson of the AU Commission.

"Our leaders have to bring down the walls that separate us, from East Africa to Central Africa to North Africa to West Africa. We need a wider open market" says Akinwumi A. Adesina, President of the African Development Group.

"Despite the size of our group, I need 38 visas to move around Africa," says Aliko Dangote, President and CEO of Dangote Group.

Going forward, focus is to continue the positive trend of Africa's visa openness regime and deliver on the African Union's decision for African countries to issue visas-on-arrival to all Africans as it seeks to achieve seamless borders, according to AU.

Greater visa openness in Africa would help create a people-centered African integration that offers the much needed free movement of persons, intra-African trade, tourism, study and job opportunities as well as people-to-people exchanges for all Africans, says the pan-African bloc in the statement.
ARUSHA, Tanzania, May 20 (Xinhua) -- East African Community (EAC) leaders on Saturday are meeting in Tanzania's commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, to consider issues including the pending EU-EAC economic partnership agreements (EPAs), according to a program released on Friday.

Last November, Tanzania refused to endorse a regional trade pact with the European Union, saying the deal stood in its way to industrialization.

This stand, however, threatens to split the bloc as Kenya and Rwanda that have already signed the deal see other partner states as reading from different scrip.

Early this year, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni met his Tanzanian counterpart John Magufuli over the possibility of ratifying the EPAs.

These are trade agreements that the European Union is negotiating with blocs in Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP)-majorly former colonies. Once signed, the EPAs would lead to up to 82 percent opening of the East African markets to European goods tariff-free in a span of 25 years.

The EU argues this would be reciprocal as it would also take in EAC products tariff-free. The deal would also compel the partner states not to impose export taxes on key raw materials, a move seen by analysts as likely to stall the region's quest to industrialize.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 22:41:58|Editor: Yamei

Video Player Close

Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (R) meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Nouakchott, Mauritania, May 19, 2017. (Xinhua/Xing Jianqiao)

NOUAKCHOTT, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz said Friday that Mauritania supports and stands ready to participate in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

Speaking during a meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Aziz said Mauritania would like to further enhance coordination with China on issues such as the reform of the UN Security Council so as to jointly safeguard the benefits of developing countries, especially African countries.

Expressing his appreciation to China's long-term support and assistance, Aziz said that Mauritania attaches high importance to its relations with China, adding that the rapid development of bilateral relations in recent years has brought about concrete benefits to the Mauritanian people.

He said Mauritania stays open to China and welcomes Chinese companies to invest in the country and enhance cooperation in industries including mining, fishery and manufacturing.

Aziz also hoped that China would provide help to the development of Sahel G5, a regional mechanism established to safeguard regional peace and stability.

For his part, Wang said Aziz had reached broad consensus with Chinese President Xi Jinping when visiting China in 2015, and the consensus has been carried out in a practical manner.

Wang said China supports Mauritania's path of development that suits the nation's conditions, and the two countries have always understood and supported each other, citing the Chinese-aided Friendship Harbor in Nouakchott, capital of Mauritania, which has become a model for China-Africa cooperation.

Meanwhile, he said Chinese companies' participation in the road construction projects at present is helping the country's development.

Wang said China encourages Chinese companies to invest in Mauritania and cooperate with the country in areas including sea port construction, mining development and maritime economy, so as to help Mauritania grow its economy, improve people's livelihoods, and gradually establish its own industrial system and the capacity for independent development.

"China also hopes that Mauritania will provide a sound environment for the investment and operations of Chinese companies," he said.

He said China supports the Sahel G5 mechanism, and is willing to work with Mauritania in improving the country's peacekeeping and law enforcement capabilities.

"China and Mauritania, being both developing countries, should further enhance coordination and cooperation on international matters," said Wang, adding that China's vote in the United Nations always belongs to developing and African countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 22:47:01|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

TEHRAN, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Iran will continue interaction with the international community and is ready to expand the cooperation with other countries, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said here on Saturday following a landslide victory in the presidential election.

By voting for him, the Iranians have chosen the course of interaction and "no violence and extremism" in the world, Rouhani said in a televised speech.

The Iranians have chosen to live in peace with their neighbors and global countries, he said, adding that Iran will not accept "humiliation and threat" in mutual ties.

He also said that he is ready to work with his rivals inside the country to implement his programs in the next administration.

Rouhani won the Friday presidential election by garnering 57 percent of the votes, Interior Minister, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, announced Saturday.

Rahmani Fazli said out of 41,220,131 counted votes, which accounts for 99.7 percent of the total votes cast on Friday election, Rouhani secured 23,549,616 votes or 57 percent of the ballots.

Earlier on Saturday, Rouhani thanked his supporters, saying that "I will stick to my promises for you."

Rouhani's win stemmed from a large turnout of voters who saw him as the best choice to translate their hopes into real changes in Iran's domestic and foreign policies.
TUNIS, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Invited by the Saudi King Salman, the Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi left Tunis on Saturday for Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh to participate in the Arab-Islamic-U.S. summit to be held on Sunday.

Abdelkarim Hermi, diplomatic adviser to the Tunisian president, said that Essebsi will deliver a speech during this summit presenting the Tunisian vision on the scourge of terrorism, the fight against extremism as well as the efforts made on a regional and global level in order to eradicate this phenomenon.

The Tunisian president will advocate an Arab-Islamic strategy to fight against extremism and terrorism, which will involve all Arab states, and will be represented by the U.S. President Donald Trump, added the diplomatic adviser.

The summit is the first event of this kind. More than 40 Arab and Islamic countries will take part in this event and focus on a common strategy to fight the global terrorism.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 23:02:12|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

HANOI, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Saturday called on high ranking officials responsible for trade from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies to step up their efforts to expand the advantages of market integration and trade, boost cooperation to achieve the shared goal of greater prosperity for all in the Asia-Pacific.

Phuc made the appeal while addressing the 23rd APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT 23) which opened Saturday in Vietnam's capital Hanoi.

Trade officials are discussing the way forward for regional economic integration and the multilateral trading system, as well as how to unfold developments, including the progress of trade agreement negotiations and implementation, protectionist trends and avenues for reducing trade barriers, said a press release by APEC.

At the two-day gathering, the participants also focus their discussions on establishing pathways to more sustainable, innovative and inclusive growth that addresses rising concerns about the unequal distribution of globalization's benefits and the impact of technological change on market demand and people's livelihoods. This includes opening up small business participation in trade, supported by new digital tools and opportunities to tap into cross-border production and supply chains.

According to Phuc, "The Asia-Pacific is witnessing multiple changes in politics, economy and technology. Advanced technologies have generated many opportunities but, at the same time, brought about substantial economic, cultural and social challenges."

While aiming for a truly connected Asia-Pacific in terms of the people, infrastructure, technology and information in order to facilitate economic growth, trade and investment, and comprehensive institutional reform in each and every member economy, APEC should step up economic and technical cooperation, experience and information sharing during the process of policy-making and implementation of cooperation programs to enhance the effectiveness and distinguish APEC cooperation, Phuc proposed.

Zhong Shan, Chinese Minister of Commerce, for his part, said at the meeting that the realization of inclusive, sustainable and innovative growth is the common goal of APEC economies.

"APEC concept of open and inclusive regional cooperation fully fits with the spirit of the Belt and Road Initiative," said Zhong.

Pointing out that innovation is an important force to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development, the Chinese minister called on APEC economies to jointly cultivate a better environment for innovation in the Asia-Pacific region and maintain APEC's innovative advantages.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-20 23:02:14|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

AMMAN, May 20 (Xinhua) -- German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said Saturday that Jordan has a potential to host German troops currently located in Turkey.

The minister said no decision has been made yet in this regard.

Referring to a Jordanian air base, the minister said it holds potential as an alternative for German troops located in Turkey's Incirlik air base.

"We were very grateful for a very positive reception and a lot of support," the minister said at a press conference during World Economic Forum at the Dead Sea.

The minister said it is important to be prepared "in case we have to move."

However, the minister noted that no final decision has been made yet as discussions were still going on with Turkey.

She stressed it was very important for the German parliament members to be able to visit their troops.

Germany said recently it was considering withdrawing its military installations in Incirlik Air base, which was deployed for efforts against Islamic State (IS) group in Syria, after a delegation of German lawmakers were blocked from visiting the country's soldiers stationed at the base.

German government is mulling to transfer six Tornado reconnaissance planes, a refueling plane and 250 troops stationed in Turkey to Jordan.

Turkey's reaction comes after several Turkish soldiers and their families, all stationed at NATO facilities in Germany and feared persecution for alleged involvement in failed July 15 coup attempt, have been reportedly granted asylum in a preliminary decision.
MISSOULA  Broadwater County Deputy Sheriff Mason Moore, a married father of three, survived the first gunshot wound he suffered while driving after a Belgrade man and his father at 100 miles per hour on a dark highway at 2:30 a.m. last Tuesday.

But he didn't survive the hail of two dozen bullets when the two men allegedly turned their car around, drove right up to where Moore's car had pulled to a stop, and fired again.

In the hours before they allegedly killed Moore, Marshall Barrus and his father Lloyd Barrus are accused of attempting to violently take Marshalls children on what they termed a suicide mission.

Thats according to Broadwater County Attorney Cory Swanson, who filed a felony charge of accountability for deliberate homicide against Lloyd Barrus on Friday. Lloyd Barrus, 61, is being held on $2 million bond at the Missoula County Detention Center. Prosecutors in Missoula County also filed additional charges against him on Friday, bringing his total number of felony attempted deliberate homicide charges to 16.

Lloyd Barrus was arrested on Tuesday after he and his son allegedly murdered Deputy Moore and then led law enforcement on a high-speed chase across several counties before engaging officers in a shootout east of Missoula on Interstate 90. Marshall Barrus was mortally wounded by law enforcement during the shootout, but Lloyd Barrus was arrested after officers shot a Glock 9mm handgun out of his hand.

In chilling detail in new charging documents filed Friday, Swanson laid out details of Moores death at about 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Swanson said that after he got an emergency call at 3:40 a.m. notifying him that Moore was dead from apparent gunshot wounds, he went to the scene and reviewed a copy of Moores patrol car video.

The video showed Moore was traveling south on Highway 287 when he was passed by what appeared to be a white Chevy Suburban. Moore followed for a minute, then tried to pull the vehicle over. The vehicle did not stop, so Moore advised dispatch that he was in pursuit, reaching speeds of 100 miles per hour.

About six minutes into the chase, Moore appeared to be hit by gunfire while driving. The camera was knocked from its mount, and the patrol car appeared to come to a stop on the side of the road. From that point forward, the audio and video quality fluctuated intermittently, according to Swanson.

I did not observe any motion or sound from Deputy Moore on the video for approximately three minutes after the initial gunfire, Swanson wrote in charging documents. At that point, Deputy Moore seemed to regain consciousness and could be heard moaning faintly and opening his car door.

"About a minute after that, Deputy Moore and his patrol vehicle appeared to be struck by more than 15 gunshots fired in rapid succession. I did not see or hear any activity in the video after that until backup officers arrived approximately eight minutes later.

A Montana Highway Patrol trooper who was first on the scene later told Swanson that when he got to Moores car, the drivers side door was open and Deputy Moore was dead of an apparent gunshot wound. A post-mortem examination later determined that Moore sustained two gunshot wounds to the head and another to the shoulder.

Swanson examined the scene, and found 29 spent .308-caliber rifle cartridges. He found about 24 bullet holes in the patrol cars windshield, front end and passenger door.

From tire marks on the pavement, it appeared as though a vehicle was traveling southbound beyond Deputy Moores vehicle, then made a U-turn and went back toward the patrol car, Swanson wrote. I also observed tracks in the dirt alongside Deputy Moores passenger door, adjacent to the majority of the fired cartridge cases. Those tracks then appeared to make another U-turn southbound.

Moore's assailants had fled, but law enforcement officers tracked them down near Butte. The duo then allegedly led officers on a high-speed chase across several counties in an effort to get away.

Marshall Barrus allegedly moved to the back of the SUV at mile marker 135 on Interstate 90 and began firing rounds with a long gun through the rear window at pursuing law enforcement vehicles.

Two Butte police vehicles were hit by Barrus' rounds, disabling those vehicles. Shooting those two cars led to the additional charges for Lloyd Barrus on Friday. The pursuit continued to mile marker 128 in Missoula County, at which point Barrus' vehicle was too disabled by spike strips to continue.

Lloyd Barrus left the driver's side while his son got out of the the passenger's side, according to court documents. They are accused of firing repeatedly on surrounding law enforcement vehicles, hitting four.

Lloyd Barrus allegedly was firing a Glock 9mm handgun while Marshall Barrus was firing a rifle or a shotgun. Law enforcement officers returned fire and mortally wounded Marshall Barrus. Officers also shot the handgun from Lloyd Barrus' hand, at which point he was arrested. Prosecutors say 14 law enforcement officers were under fire during the shootout in Missoula County.

Interviewing the children

Swanson, the Broadwater County attorney, said Gallatin County Sheriffs Detectives interviewed Marshall Barrus children shortly afterward. A detective said the children told him that Lloyd Barrus came to the familys home in Belgrade about two weeks ago from California.

The entire family then went camping near Canyon Ferry Reservoir. The children told detectives that both Marshall and Lloyd had strong anti-law enforcement views and openly discussed a suicide mission involving a shootout with police.

On the night of Monday, May 15, the children said Marshall woke them at about 11 p.m. when he fired a gun in the campground. He then got into an argument with the childrens mother before both Marshall and Lloyd left the campground.

The men returned at 2 a.m. and began firing guns around the campground while looking for the children. Marshall allegedly located the children with their mother in the car, then broke out the rear window when they refused to open the doors. Marshall allegedly struck one of the children in the face after trying unsuccessfully to get the kids to accompany him and his father on their suicide mission.

The children told detectives that the men left the campground with a semi-automatic rifle, a 9mm pistol, a shotgun and a backpack full of ammunition and magazines.

Barrus has also been charged with two counts of accountability to attempted deliberate homicide, both felonies. All of the charges against him are punishable by life in prison, or not less than 10 or more than 100 years in Montana State Prison.
BUJUMBURA, May 20 (Xinhua) -- The Burundian government on Saturday condemned the killing of three members of the ruling party youth's league.

"The Burundian government is too saddened by the barbaric killing that happened at Gikoto in Musaga neighborhood and that took the life of three Imbonerakure young men of the ruling party while three other people were injured," said the government spokesman Philippe Nzobonariba in a statement.

According to the statement, the attack happened at a time when there is a media campaign "at the service" of some foreign non-governmental organizations that supported the insurrectional movement and coup plotters in 2015.

Nzobonariba said during the insurrectional movement, sympathizers of the government, especially the ruling party's youth league were victims of a "dehumanization" campaign that prepared them to become "legal victims" of massacres that would follow the failed coup plot of May 13, 2015.

In the statement, the east African country also condemned the "cynic behavior" of the France-based France 24 television station that reported that the killing of Imbonerakure was a "deserved" punishment.

"The Burundian government condemns the involvement of foreign media and their hatred in the countr's crisis. If we closely analyze the role of France 24 television channel in destabilizing Burundi since 2013, with the story of a fictional rebel group based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), it is a continuation of that medium to destabilize Burundi," Nzobonariba said.

He further added that France 24 television channel played an amplification role in the insurrectional movement of 2015 in Cibitoke, Mutakura, Musaga and Nyakabiga neighborhoods in the country's capital Bujumbura by creating "simulation scenes of violence."

"We urge the France 24 television channel and its reporters to abstain from provocation and to show more responsibility in their reporting," Nzobonariba said.

The Burundian government also called on youths affiliated to political parties to avoid revenge and urged the country's citizens to remain united.

On Wednesday night three members of the ruling party's youth wing Imbonerakure were killed and three others injured in a grenade explosion at Gikoto in Musaga, south of the Burundian capital Bujumbura.

The head of the Imbonerakure youth's league in Musaga, Audifax Ndayizeye, was among the three killed.

Four suspects were arrested right after the attack and the fifth suspect, a Rwandan national, was arrested on Thursday morning.

Burundi plunged into a crisis in April 2015 when Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run his third term.

More than 500 people in Burundi have been killed and over 400,000 people fled to neighboring countries, mostly Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) and Uganda since the outbreak of the crisis.
DAR ES SALAAM, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's northwest district of Musoma on the shores of Lake Victoria plans to use mobile courts to speed up determination of illegal fishing cases in Africa's largest lake, authorities said on Saturday.

Vincent Naano, Musoma District Commissioner, said the use of mobile courts will speed up the hearing of illegal fishing cases since most of those involved in the malpractice live in remote villages along the lake.

Tanzanian authorities have said that illegal fishing in Lake Victoria shared by Kenya and Uganda has immensely reduced fish catches,

Naano said the decision to use mobile courts followed the rise on illegal fishing by fishers from remote villages along the lake -- home to Nile Perch and Tilapia.

"Some of fish processing industries along the lake have been forced to close down due to poor supply of fish," Naano told a news conference on the lake shore district of Musoma.

He appealed to people using illegal fishing gear to drop the malpractice or face punitive punishment.

Some of Musoma district residents have commended the decision to use mobile courts.

Makongo Kalisa, a resident in the area, suggested that there should be joint patrol operations to end illegal fishing within all districts along Lake Victoria.
ISLAMABAD, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani security forces foiled a terror bid by confiscating heavy cache of weapons in Quetta, the provincial capital of the country's southwest Balochistan Province, the military said.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan army's media wing, said in a statement that the security forces raided a hidden weapons depot on Saturday and seized a huge quantity of a variety of weapons in the outskirts of Quetta.

The statement said that the weapons, including locally-made improvised explosive devices, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, hundreds of hand-grenades and other weapons and ammunitions.

The operation was conducted by the Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force, following an intelligence information, the ISPR said. No arrest was made during the operation.

Some security experts told local media that the raid might be conducted on a tip-off given by militants who surrendered to authorities on Friday.

At least 26 militants belonging to various outlawed groups surrendered to authorities in Khuzdar district of Balochistan on Friday, and vowed to denounce violence and work for the country.
OSLO, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Norway's oil industry contributes today with only 6.5 percent of total tax income, a significant drop from the level of 2008, when the share reached 31.7 percent, newspaper Aftenposten reported Saturday.

Recent numbers from Statistics Norway have shown that the total Norway state income in the first four months this year was 273 billion kroner (around 32.5 billion U.S. dollars), which is 1.2 percent more than in the same period last year.

However the share coming from oil industry has been decreased. There have been 4.7 billion kroner less oil tax income than in 2016, Aftenposten reported.

According to Klaus Mohn, professor of petroleum economics at the University of Stavanger, somewhat detailed insight into recent statistics shows less important role that oil and gas industry has for Norway economy.

"Oil industry is in any case less important now than then," Mohn told Aftensposten.

In recent years, oil industry contributed with more than 20 percent of the total Norway state income, more than three times of this year's share.

That, however, does not necessarily mean a big shift in Norwegian industry, Mohn said.

"We should expect the change in development again, as oil and gas companies have cut expenses and oil price stopped falling," he said.

According to the professor, tax income from oil industry should rise again, since increasingly more companies are earning more.
Newly re-elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gestures during a televised speech in the capital Tehran on May 20, 2017.

Iranians have chosen the "path of engagement with the world" and rejected extremism, President Hassan Rouhani said following his resounding re-election victory. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

TEHRAN, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Iran's incumbent moderate President Hassan Rouhani won the presidential election by garnering 57 percent of the votes, the Interior Ministry announced Saturday.

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said that out of 41,220,131 counted votes, which accounts for 99.7 percent of the total votes cast on Friday election, Rouhani secured 23,549,616 votes or 57 percent of the ballots.

His conservative challenger Ebrahim Raisi lagged behind with grasping 15,786,449 votes, amounting to 38.5 percent of the ballots.

Hardliners had been perceived to boast great advantages against the moderate till days before the election, however, Rouhani jumpstarted his chances by raising the banner of reform during the final stage of his campaign, which echoed Iranians' ardent desire for change.

According to the law, the candidates have three days to file their complaints about the results of the election with Iran's Guardian Council of Constitution, Rahmani Fazli added.

The council, as the high legislative body of the country, will ultimately confirm the results of Iran's presidential election.

On Saturday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei thanked the nation for "mass turnout" in the election on Friday.

Khamenei described it as an "epic" and said the high turnout proved the strength of foundations of "the Islamic democracy" in the country.

The Iranian leader urged the president and his administration to actively work and endeavor to solve the country's problems and try not to sway from "this direct path."

On Saturday, Rouhani said that Iran will continue interaction with the international community and is ready to expand the cooperation with other countries.

By voting for him, the Iranians have chosen the course of interaction and "no to violence and extremism" in the world, Rouhani said in a televised speech.

The Iranians have chosen to live in peace with their neighbors and global countries, he said, adding that Iran will not accept "humiliation and threat" in mutual ties.

He also said that he is ready to work with his rivals inside the country to implement his programs in the next administration.

Rouhani's landslide win stemmed from a large turnout of voters who saw him as the best choice to translate their hopes into real changes in Iran's domestic and foreign policies.

In his Twitter massage on Saturday, Rouhani also thanked his supporters, saying that "I will stick to my promises for you."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-21 00:28:01|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

AMMAN, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian and Israeli negotiators said Saturday that the two-state solution is the key to solving the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

In a session during the World Economic Forum, Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, and former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni both said the two-state solution that leads to the creation of an independent Palestine was a key solution.

"The two-state solution that leads to the creation of a Palestinian state at the borders of 1967 with East Jerusalem is the sole solution. There is no need to reinvent the wheel," said Erekat, calling for ending Israeli occupation.

"We are ready to engage with Israel in peace talks. To avoid past mistakes, we want an Israeli government that wants to set on the table and discuss a map on the table for the borders of Palestine and other issues," he said.

Commenting on the issue, Livni also hailed the two-state solution.

"For Israel, peace based on a two-state solution is in the interest of Israel," she said.

She also stressed the key role of Arab states in reaching a peace deal.

The two sides expressed optimism about U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to strike a peace deal and stressed the importance of the upcoming American-Islamic summit in Riyadh for this issue.

In his remarks, Erekat also warned against relocating the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

"Relocating the U.S. embassy will end the peace process and the annexation of East Jerusalem is illegal as stipulated by all international laws and resolutions," he warned, adding that East Jerusalem is an occupied territory.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-21 00:33:04|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

BERLIN, May 20 (Xinhua) -- The first meeting of the G20 health ministers, with combating global health hazards as the focus, concluded here on Saturday.

A declaration themed "Together Today for a Healthy Tomorrow" has been made, noting health is key to the G20 presidency of Germany this year.

The ministers affirm their role in strengthening the political support to global health by putting it on the G20 agenda, according to the declaration.

They also state their support to the leading role of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in global health cooperation and their intention to intensify global action and cooperation to address ever-evolving challenges in the declaration.

"Dangerous diseases and antimicrobial-resistant pathogens do not stop at national borders. They cause unspeakable human suffering and can dramatically set back the social, economic and political development of whole countries," said German Health Minister Hermann Groehe.

The ministers have carried out a crisis management exercise, dealing with a simulative transnational deadly disease outbreak, during the two-day meeting. The representatives from the WHO and the World Bank have also taken part.

Germany took over the presidency of the G20, the group of 20 world's major economies, last December from China.
RABAT, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Construction firms from China and Morocco will set up a a joint venture to build Africa's tallest high-rise tower in Morocco's capital Rabat, local media reported on Saturday.

The joint venture will be set up by China Railway Construction Corp and Morocco's leading construction company Travaux Generaux de Construction de Casablanca which won the bid to build Africa's tallest high-rise tower.

According to Moroccan news site Alyaoum24.com, the construction of the 250-meter-tall skyscraper would cost 375 million U.S. dollars.

The 45-storey tower, which adopts ecological and sustainable design concepts, will include offices, hotels and luxury apartments, the news site said.

The tower will be the highlight of a large-scale project to develop the capital's Bouregreg valley, a key component of the 2014-2018 Integrated Development Program dubbed "Rabat, City of Light, Moroccan Cultural Capital."

The new project also involves building several innovative facilities, including the Grand Theatre of Rabat, the Arts and Culture House, the National Archives of the Kingdom of Morocco, the Archaeological Museum, a multiplex cinema, a sculpture gallery, a marina, an art hotel, a marina hotel, a mall and a business center.
DAR ES SALAAM, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Saturday took over the chairmanship of the East African Community (EAC) from Tanzanian President John Magufuli at the 18th EAC ordinary summit in Dar es Salaam.

Speaking shortly after he had handed over the chair, President Magufuli asked his Ugandan successor to steer the community by maintaining the cost-cutting measures.

"During my chairmanship, the EAC saved 3 million U.S. dollars through cost cutting. I hope the coming chairman will continue with the same," Magufuli said.

Magufuli also appealed to Museveni to try to sort out some of the thorny trade deals that the EAC was still negotiating with other countries.

"I failed to find a solution for EAC-European Union (EU) Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) trade deal but I am optimistic President Museveni will take this forward," said Magufuli.

The summit was expected to come up with a jointly accepted roadmap towards the signing of the EAC-EU trade deal that has divided the member states over its impact.

The EPA would result in six members of the EAC allowing European goods in at extremely low tariff rates over 25 years while the EU would permit EAC products tariff-free access.

For the EPA to be functional, all EAC members, namely Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan, must sign the deal. So far, only Kenya and Rwanda have signed it.

Tanzania has refused to approve the EPA deal, saying the deal would kill its infant industries and distress its future industrialization drive. The deadline for the EAC countries to append their signatures on the trade agreement was October 1, 2016.

Last week, the EU expressed willingness to initiate negotiations with the government of Tanzania on the EPA.

The summit was also expected to deliberate on Somalia's application to join the EAC.

The EAC ordinary summit also deliberated on sustainable financing mechanism for the EAC, political federation and progress report on verification exercise for the admission of Somalia into the regional bloc.

The statement said other issues on the agenda were a report on the modality for the promotion of the reduction on importation of used motor vehicles and a report on the review of the textile and leather sector with a view to phasing out importation of used textiles and footwear.

The summit was preceded by the 34th Extraordinary Meeting of the EAC Council of Ministers, held from May 16 to 18.
by Denis Elamu

JUBA, May 20 (Xinhua) -- The UN on Saturday sounded alarm over the spreading food insecurity and malnutrition across South Sudan amid protection crisis.

Guiomar Pau Sole, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told Xinhua that the most critical sectors for the famine response are not only food security and livelihoods, but also nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, health and protection.

"Beyond the 100,000 people affected by famine, we are deeply alarmed by the protection crisis and spreading food insecurity and malnutrition across the country. We still need nearly 900 million U.S. dollars to tackle famine and the other live-saving needs across the country," Sole said.

Sole added that since localized famine was declared on Feb. 20 in Leer and Mayendit counties in Unity, humanitarian agencies have scaled up their response in a variety of key sectors.

General food distributions have reached more than 320,000 people in 15 locations in Koch, Mayendit, Leer and Panyijiar counties, and rapid response missions have been carried out in at least 17 locations.

However, the UN official regretted that the humanitarian workers in this country are always under attack from the warring factions especially in the northern Unity state.

"We continue to be hampered by conflict, insecurity and access challenges. All parties to the conflict must ensure that the operating environment is conducive to the delivery of aid by ensuring free, safe and unhindered access to all areas, especially to avert the spread of famine," Sole disclosed.

The UN estimates that about 82 aid workers have been killed in South Sudan since the onset of the December 2013 conflict.

Humanitarian agencies have faced repeated challenges to reach people in dire need in famine-affected and at-risk areas as a result of clashes, insecurity and access denials, she explained.

"Just last week, there was an attack in Luom, Mayendit County, were an inter-agency team was deployed to deliver nutrition, health, water, sanitation and hygiene, and protection services, as well as household items, seeds and fishing kits. Aid workers had to be relocated from the area, and civilians were attacked, with reports of homes and properties burned and destroyed," Sole noted.

"This highlights the precarious security situation in Unity, which remains one of the most challenging operating environments in South Sudan. We constantly have to balance potential risks to civilians and aid workers against the humanitarian imperative to save lives," she said.
ABC/Paula LoboThe deluxe edition of Blink-182's comeback album California is released today, and the collection includes an acoustic rendition of the original album's lead single, "Bored to Death." You can download the unplugged track now via iTunes.

Along with the acoustic "Bored to Death," the deluxe California album also features 10 bonus tracks, including "Parking Lot," "Misery" and "6/8."

Blink-182 recently wrapped up a U.S. tour in support of California. They'll head to Europe in June, and they'll return to the States later this summer to play two stadium dates with Linkin Park and to headline Lollapalooza.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
DAR ES SALAAM, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of the East African Community (EAC) on Saturday agreed not to force member states to sign the EAC-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

A communique issued at the end of the 18th ordinary summit of the EAC in Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam said the leaders noted that the remaining EAC member states that have not signed the EPA trade deal were not in a position to do so pending clarification of issues they have identified in the deal.

"It was however agreed that due to this action Kenya should not be disadvantaged since she has already signed the agreement," said the communique issued by leaders from EAC member states.

The EPA would result in six members of the EAC allowing European goods in at low tariff rates over 25 years while the EU would permit EAC products tariff-free access.

For the EPA to be functional, all EAC members, namely Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan, must sign the deal. So far only Kenya and Rwanda have signed it.

Tanzania has refused to approve the EPA deal, saying it would kill its infant industries and distress its future industrialization drive. The deadline for the EAC countries to append their signatures on the trade agreement was October 1, 2016.

In view of this, Tanzanian President Yoweri Museveni as the new chairman of the EAC was mandated within one month to reach out to the EU to communicate the EAC circumstances, said the communique.

"In the event that an acceptable way forward is not reached with the EU within the next six months, the chairperson was authorized to explore the use of viable geometry in implementation of the EPA by EAC member states working with the council of ministers," said the communique.

The summit also agreed that the EU sanctions on Burundi should be discussed alongside the EPA discussions.

The EAC leaders also received a report on the verification for the admission of Somalia into the bloc and directed the council of ministers to follow up on the matter and report to the 19th EAC summit.
Photo taken on May 15, 2017 shows the 28 Liberty(down), a property purchased by Chinese investment company Fosun in downtown Manhattan, New York, the United States on May 15, 2017. 28 liberty Street, NYC, formerly known as One Chase Manhattan Plaza, now houses U.S. headquarters of Fosun, a Chinese investment company. On October 18, 2013, Fosun purchased the building from JPMorgan at $725 million U.S. dollars and renamed it as 28 Liberty. Fosun has invested about 3 billion dollars in the U.S. supporting about 8000 jobs. (Xinhua/Qin Lang)

by Xinhua writer Yang Shilong

NEW YORK, May 18 (Xinhua) -- One can hardly tell what a New York high-rise building has to do with Fosun, one of China's largest private companies, until arriving at a 40-floor-skyscraper on the 28 Liberty Street in the downtown Manhattan Financial District.

The Chinese investment company bought the office building, formerly named One Chase Manhattan Plaza, from JPMorgan in October 2013 for 725 million U.S. dollars. However, the renovation of the plaza helped Chinese investors understand better about the ways of doing business in the United State.

PLAYING BY RULES

"There is actually a story about it," said Kate Zhao, Director of the Marketing & Corporate Communications of the Fosun Group.

"It is a landmark building, and we need to meet the requirements set out by U.S. authorities in its renaming and renovation," said Zhao.

"Any changes to the facade of the building are prohibited, and many local families who have lived here for generations do not like too many changes either," she told Xinhua.

The acquisition of the skyscraper demonstrates the fact that following rules is a must for foreign investors.

"In the United States, you have to understand and respect the rules and play by the rules," Zhao said.

"Playing by the rules" is one of the major factors that attracted Chinese companies to increase their investment here. Others include robust economic outlook, the large consumer end market and large base of technology and brand assets.

Fosun has made a total of 3 billion dollars investment in the United States since 2012, supporting about 8,000 local jobs.

A new report jointly released by the Rhodium Group and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR) shows Chinese companies invested a record 46 billion U.S. dollars in the United States in 2016, a tenfold increase compared to just five years ago.

CHALLENGES AND CONCERNS REMAIN

As Chinese companies expand rapidly in the United States, longtime challenges and concerns remain for Chinese investors even though they are getting more and more adapted to the American ways of doing businesses.

The U.S. trade protectionism, the rising labor costs, biases, and the nontransparency of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S.(CFIUS) review continued to pose threats to Chinese investment, said China General Chamber of Commerce - U.S.A.(CGCC) in its 2016 annual Survey Report on Chinese Enterprises in the United States.

According to the survey, Chinese companies are facing a common challenge of the complex and unfamiliar U.S. legal system that results in expensive legal, tax, and compliance costs.

In addition, new challenges have emerged such as the conflicts of laws between the two countries, the complex intellectual property rights system, and the high cost of exceeding compliance management, the survey said.

The U.S. legal and regulatory system involves many different players at the federal and state levels, this complexity makes the country's regulatory environment harder for Chinese companies to navigate.

"In 2014, we received only two supervisory inspections, in 2016 we received eight, and in the first half of this year, the number of times reaches above eight," said Chen Xu, Chairman of CGCC, and President & CEO of Bank of China USA, in a recent interview with Xinhua.

"We know they are important but if we do everything we can to deal with these inspections, do we have extra energy to do our businesses, to support Chinese enterprises to invest in the United States?" Xu questioned.

Xu has told Xinhua that both local and foreign enterprises have been calling for deregulation during last two years.

"Regulation is endless. There are businesses, there are risks. You have to find a balance between the development and risk control. Overregulation will take a heavy toll on the market efficiency and undermine the competitiveness of the U.S. investment market," Xu elaborated.

OVER-REVIEW NO GOOD FOR INVESTMENT

The Rhodium Group also warned that Chinese investors would face greater uncertainty and political deal risk in the United States.

One of the themes of the Trump campaign was the need for enhanced national security, therefore, it is highly likely that the CFIUS reviews will become more stringent under the new administration.

Pin Ni, President of Wanxiang America Corporation, the Chicago-based arm of Wanxiang Group Company, called for a more transparent CFIUS review of merger and acquisition deals between American and Chinese enterprises.

Wanxiang's acquisition of A123, a bankrupt electric car battery maker with U.S. federal backing, is seen as a major success story of Chinese investment in America, with Wanxiang turning the company around to profitability and increasing manufacturing capacity. Yet the path to close the deal was rocky because a CFIUS review was called after some lawmakers expressed concerns about taxpayer-funded technology being acquired by a foreign purchaser.

"It is right for any government to control foreign investors to ensure national security," Ni said, "However, the CFIUS review should be done through professional assessment without being politicized. Otherwise it would seriously undermine the confidence of foreign investors," Ni told Xinhua recently.

Lu Guanqiu, Chairman and Founder of Wanxiang Group Corporation, once said to former president Obama that "we want to take the United States as our own home, and we also want to be treated as a family."

"For any company that wants to invest in a foreign country, the issue is not about money, instead it is about whether they feel comfortable," Ni said.

Daniel Rosen, Founding Partner of the Rhodium Group, believes China's investment in America will continue to grow.

"Those (capital) flows can happen without us having to make a sacrifice of national security. We don't have to make it, neither do you... the national security issues can be managed if there is the political wisdom on both sides," he said.

(Xinhua correspondents Wang Naishui in New York, Xu Jing in Chicago contributed to the story)
Workers work 40 meters underground in the Lanzhou section of the Yellow River, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, May 9, 2016. (Xinhua/Fan Peishen)

KIEV, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Two Chinese companies and the city of Kiev have signed a deal to build a fourth subway line in the capital city of Ukraine, the city said Friday.

China Railway International Group and China Pacific Construction Group will be the managing partner and contractor of the project, responsible for engineering, procurement and construction.

The deal also includes a provision that the two Chinese companies will assist the Ukrainian government in raising funds for the project in Chinese financial institutions.

The Kiev City State Administration has estimated that the project to build the 16-km-long fourth subway line in the Ukrainian capital will cost about 1.3 billion U.S. dollars.

Kiev currently has three subway lines with a total length of 67.6 km.
Newly re-elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani smiles during a televised speech in the capital Tehran on May 20, 2017. (AFP Photo)

MOSCOW, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday sent a congratulatory message to Hassan Rouhani on his re-election as Iranian president.

According to the Kremlin, Putin confirmed his readiness in the message to go on with active joint work in the further development of Russian-Iranian partner cooperation in bilateral and international affairs.

Putin also expressed his confidence in the further successful implementation of bilateral agreements.

Earlier in the day, Iran's incumbent President Rouhani won the country's presidential election, which will give him a second four-year term.

Tehran is a major supporter of Moscow on many Middle Eastern issues, and both countries, together with Turkey, are working as mediators for a political settlement of the Syrian civil war.
THE HAGUE, May 20 (Xinhua) -- An Amsterdam district officer worn a headscarf during her work on Saturday, days after the city's police chief said he is considering allowing female Muslim officers to wear headscarves.

The officer in action, who is not Muslim herself, told Dutch press that she did this "to find out what would be the reaction of the community".

Amsterdam police commented with a tweet: "It is an individual action. Our uniform is lifestyle-neutral and it does not change." This tweet got mixed reactions from "flowers and bow to her" supporting the officer, to negative ones such as "impose a fine on her".

Currently Dutch police officers are not allowed to wear any religious symbols. Amsterdam police chief Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg announced on Thursday that there should be debate on whether this ban should be lifted to improve diversity.

Aalbersberg said half of Amsterdam's police force should have an ethnic minority background to better reflect the city's population. "If we cannot recruit sufficient officers with a migrant background, this is a measure which could have an impact."

The population of Amsterdam is one of the most diverse in Europe with 180 different nationalities and 45 percent ethnic minorities. Only 18 percent of the city's police officers has "non-Dutch" roots.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-21 04:29:33|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

PARIS, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of museums in France turned nocturnal on Saturday and opened their doors to visitors who are set to spend sleepless Night at Museums.

In Paris and neighboring cities, 160 museums celebrated the 13th European Night of Museums, an event held in every spring since 2005 and participated by more than 3,000 museums in Europe.

In the French capital and across the country's towns, the museums offer free admission to visitors to "discover the places of culture" during "a festive event", the ministry of culture said in a statement.

For this year's edition of the European Night of Museums in France, children are taking part in overnight programs via "the class, the work!" plan which "proposes to the pupils to be the mediators of culture by presenting to visitors of the night the works which they have studied throughout the academic year", the ministry added.

Interactive journey, guided tours, performances, concerts and workshops are also planned at the museums.

In 2016, 2 million visitors spent their Saturday nights in 1,300 museums where 3,000 activities were presented, according to the ministry's data.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-21 04:39:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

MOSUL, Iraq, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi forces on Saturday freed two more neighborhoods after heavy clashes against Islamic State (IS) militants as part of a push that initiated a new front in the northern part of IS stronghold in the western side of Mosul, the Iraqi military said.

The army, federal police and interior ministry's elite Rapid Response forces completely freed the neighborhoods of July 17 after days of heavy clashes, Abdul-Amir Yarallah from the Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement.

The recapture of the neighborhood came six days after the troops launched a new push into four neighborhoods of the northern part of Mosul's western side.

Meanwhile, the CTS forces retook control of the neighborhood of al-Rabie in the northern part of the IS stronghold in Mosul's western side and raised the Iraqi flag on some of its buildings, Yarallah said in a separate statement.

The troops are now pushing to advance further to the remaining neighborhoods on the northern edge of the city center to tighten noose around the IS redoubt in the neighborhoods of Mosul's old city center, where roughly 400,000 residents are believed to still be trapped under IS rule.

Also in the day, the CTS forces announced their mission complete despite the ongoing battles in a few neighborhoods in north of the IS-held old city center in the western side of Mosul, locally known as the right bank of the Tigris River which bisects the city.

"The forces of the Counter-Terrorism Service had completed their assigned mission on the right bank, but stood ready to carry out any mission ordered by the Prime Minister," Talib Sheghati, the CTS chief, said in a brief statement.

Late in January, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, declared the liberation of Mosul's eastern side, or the left bank of Tigris, after more than 100 days of fighting against IS militants.

On February 19, Abadi announced the start of an offensive to drive extremist militants out of the western side of Mosul.

However, the western part of Mosul, with its narrow streets and heavily populated neighborhoods, appears to be a bigger challenge to the Iraqi forces.

Mosul, 400 km north of Iraq's capital Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, enabling IS militants to take control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-21 05:05:21|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

LONDON, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Queen Elizabeth has put on show paintings from her collection by the Italian master Canaletto.

The exhibition "Canaletto and the Art of Venice" opened at the Queen's Gallery in Buckingham Palace on Friday, and for the first time in nearly 40 years two series of paintings by Canaletto (1697-1768) are displayed side by side.

The works on display feature paintings first bought by the British King George III in the 1760s from the collector and commissioner of paintings Joseph Smith.

Smith, who was a banker with diplomatic connections in Venice, was a patron and supporter of Canaletto, and helped make the painter from Venice very popular in Britain in the 1750s, when the Venetian lived and worked in the country and produced many works based on views of London.

Canaletto's works were sought after by British aristocrats and wealthy gentry, who would embark on what was known as a Grand Tour of Europe, to see cultural sites.

The Grand Tour would often include Venice, and the wealthy British patrons would buy Canaletto's works inspired by the city to hang in their homes.

Both sets of paintings put on show by the Queen were commissioned by Smith, and he probably intended both series to hang in his home on the Grand Canal in Venice.

Canaletto's most famous views of the Grand Canal are also shown in the exhibition, and these 12 precise and realistic paintings, executed over several years in the late 1720s, create a near-complete journey down the waterway.

From the quayside houses and workshops on the Grand Canal's upper reaches to the bustling festivities around St Mark's Square, Canaletto captured the effects of light on stone and water, and fills each work with a snapshot of Venetian daily life.

Canaletto returned frequently to the subject of the Grand Canal, including a series of six meticulously detailed pen and ink drawings, also on show.

Rosalba Carriera (1673-1757), whose pastels were highly prized by European collectors, was one of the first artists to develop a commercial relationship with Smith.

On display together for the first time are Carriera's personifications of the Four Seasons. "Winter", a female figure wrapped in furs, was one of the most admired works in Smith's collection and later hung in George III's bedroom at Buckingham Palace alongside Carriera's pastel "Summer".

The exhibition runs at Buckingham Palace until November.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-21 05:15:28|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

WASHINGTON, May 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson hinted on Saturday that he was open to direct talks with Iran in the future.

"In terms of whether I would ever pick the phone up, I've never shut off the phone to anyone that wants to talk or have a productive conversation," said Tillerson during a press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

"At this point, I have no plans to call my counterpart in Iran, although in all likelihood we will talk at the right time," said Tillerson.

Iran's incumbent moderate President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday won the presidential election by garnering 57 percent of the votes, according to the Iranian Interior Ministry.

Tillerson said he wanted Rouhani to "begin a process of dismantling" what he called "destabilizing forces that exist in this region."

Tillerson's remarks were made during U.S. President Donald Trump's first official overseas trip to Saudi Arabia and Israel, Iran's main regional rivals in the Middle East.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-21 05:20:31|Editor: Yamei

Video Player Close

Brazilian President Michel Temer issues a statement at Planalto Palace in Brasilia, capital of Brazil, on May 18, 2017. Brazilian President Michel Temer refused to resign on Thursday despite being implicated in corruption allegations. (Xinhua/AGENCIA ESTADO)

BRASILIA, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Michel Temer on Saturday demanded that the Supreme Court (STF) investigation against him be dropped and claimed that an audio recording implicating him in bribery had been doctored.

Temer spoke from the presidential palace in response to accusations against him, made when Joesley Batista, owner of meatpacking group, JBS, turned over a tape to authorities in which Temer can seemingly be heard signing off on bribing former Speaker Eduardo Cunha in exchange for his silence.

The conversation took place between Temer and Batista on March 7, with Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin ordering an investigation against the president on Thursday.

On Saturday, Temer said the recording, which was released to the public this week, had been manipulated to harm him and criticized the STF for not verifying its authenticity before calling for an investigation.

"This clandestine recording was manipulated and doctored with clearly ulterior motives," he stated. "It was included in the investigation, without an adequate inquiry into those trying to create a deception and causing a severe crisis in Brazil. Therefore, we are calling today on the STF to suspend this proposed inquiry until (the recording) has been clearly identified."

Temer also attacked Batista for having travelled to the U.S. before the revelations were made and accused him of selling JBS stocks ahead of the scandal, knowing the company's stocks would fall once the news broke.

"JBS made millions and millions of dollars in less than 24 hours. This man (Batista) received billions in public loans to develop his business, hurt Brazil and the Brazilian people, and is now in the United States," claimed the president.

Temer further claimed that there were clear differences between Batista's testimony to investigators and the contents of the recording.

Addressing the claim that he paid off Cunha to keep him silent, Temer emphasized that he had played no such role.

"I did not buy anybody's silence, I did not obstruct justice. There was false testimony given to the court," he said.

On Thursday, the day after the news broke, Temer gave a determined speech, in which he refused to resign, saying he had done nothing wrong and that his government had reversed the fortunes of the Brazilian economy.
Crow Tribal Chairman A.J. Not Afraid threw his administration's support behind the Republican candidate for Montana's Congressional seat during a Friday meeting in front of residents.

The candidate, Greg Gianforte, was on hand and appeared at two events in Crow Agency. One was a tribal government meeting; the second was a more informal barbecue held by former tribal Chairman Darrin Old Coyote.

At the first event, held in the Crow multi-purpose building in Crow Agency, Gianforte briefly ran through a number of policy points, including the creation of a west coast coal port to serve Crow exports.

"The Crow people and all of Montana need a strong voice in Washington, D.C.," Gianforte said.

Coal resonated through Not Afraid's endorsement on Friday. The Absaloka Mine is a major revenue source for the tribe, and the slowdown in industry-wide coal production has hit the Crow as well.

He said that he felt Gianforte's voice would have the best chance to carry the Crow's concerns, which include resource development. Despite gloomy market conditions, the resurgence of the coal industry has been the topic of speeches by President Donald Trump, Gianforte and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.

Vice President Mike Pence declared the "war on coal" is over before stumping for Gianforte last week in Billings.

Another priority issue for Not Afraid is health care, and he said he hopes to see funding for more services at the local Indian Health Service facility.

"Those have been cut over the course of time," Not Afraid said. "Health care isn't fully provided at this time."

There have been concerns over what Trump's federal hiring freeze would have on the already understaffed IHS. There is also concern about the preservation of Obamacare subsidies for tribal health, which are attached to expanded Medicaid funding.

The Quist campaign says a Medicaid rollback could affect as many as 9,000 Native Americans in Montana.

Gianforte spoke generally on Friday, saying that he was in favor of protecting those with pre-existing conditions and keeping premiums low. The candidate has previously offered ambiguous views on the Trump-backed Obamacare replacement legislation.

Not Afraid said Friday he shares the concerns about system funding but felt that Gianforte was the best choice.

He also said that the Democratic candidate, musician Rob Quist, didn't get his vote in part because he didn't get to meet him.

"Without a discussion on what's needed in Indian Country, we haven't had an opportunity to touch base," Not Afraid said.

Quist was on the Crow Reservation on Wednesday but didn't meet with the tribal chairman. A campaign spokeswoman said it was part of his "hands off our health care" tour of the state, which included John "Bowzer" Bauman of the musical group Sha Na Na.

A campaign spokeswoman said that Quist met with tribal members alongside state Rep. Sharon Stewart-Peregoy, a Democrat from Crow Agency.

He said in an April appearance in Billings that he would make it a priority to get assigned to the House Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs Subcommittee.

The election is May 25, which is the Thursday before Memorial Day weekend.
ALGIERS, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal said on Friday that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika will form a new cabinet soon after the installation of the new parliament.

"The formation of the cabinet falls under the authority of President of the Republic Abdelaziz Bouteflika, and it is to be announced after the installation of the new National People's Council (lower house of parliament) following elections of May 4," Sellal told reporters at a ceremony in the capital Algiers.

The prime minister also commented on the refusal of Islamist movement of Society of Peace (MSP) to join the cabinet.

"We invited them to join the cabinet team, but the offer was declined by the party's Advisory Council. This does not mean that we won't deal with MSP in the future. After all we are all Algerians and partisans of national reconciliation," he said.

Despite Bouteflika's efforts to include all political factions into the new cabinet, regardless of Islamists, secular (left-wing) or nationals (right-wing), major opposition parties such as the Labour Party, the Socialist Forces Front and the Rally for Culture and Democracy, in addition to Islamist parties, have all refused to join.

The May 4 parliamentary elections were won by the ruling parties of National Liberation Front, which seized 161 seats, and the National Democratic Rally, with 100 seats secured.

Experts say the two parties will also command a majority in the forthcoming cabinet.
CASPER, Wyo.  Wyoming authorities have arrested 25 people believed to be involved in a methamphetamine trafficking ring.

KTWO-AM reports the people had been arrested Thursday after authorities carried out three search warrants.

The arrests had been part of a regionwide warrant operation.

State authorities have been working with local agencies since December 2016 to combat the illegal transportation, distribution and use of meth throughout southwest Wyoming.
Theres been nothing special about turnout for Montanas U.S. House special election, other than voting heading into the last week has been low, election officials say.

Weve had a few people, said Bret Rutherford, Yellowstone County Elections officer. If this was October, we would have people coming into the office all day long, eight to five oclock, someone would be in here.

Roughly 31 percent of Montanas registered voters had turned in ballots by May 18, just seven days remaining before the May 25 finish, which is the Thursday before Memorial Day weekend. Elections officials expect many last-day voters won't vote as they head into the long weekend with camping on the brain.

Democrat Rob Quist, Republican Greg Gianforte and Libertarian Mark Wicks are vying to replace Ryan Zinke as Montanas only House member. Zinke resigned the post May 2 to become President Donald Trumps Interior secretary.

Holiday weekend

In Flathead County, home of Glacier National Park and the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River, the Thursday before Memorial Day is about staking out your campground spot, said Monica Eisenzimer of the Flathead County Elections office.

Flathead County has the second highest number of Republican voters in Montana. Its also a community that likes to vote on Election Day. In Flathead County, there are a lot of older voters who like to vote in person, Eisenzimer said.

With a week left to vote, 25 percent of Flathead County voters had returned absentee ballots, according to Montana Secretary of State election data.

It isnt often that the only statewide race on a ballot is for U.S. House, but when it happens, turnout tends to be lower. The last time it happened was in 2010 when turnout was 56.36 percent, according to state election records. The occurrence before that was 1998 when 53 percent of Montanas registered voters turned out.

To hit 56 percent this year, another 174,061 ballots would have to be turned in before May 25. There were 217,329 ballots returned through May 18.

There are just fewer than 699,000 registered voters in Montana.

Turnout in November  a presidential election  was 74 percent.

College votes

Two key counties for the Democratic vote are Missoula and Gallatin, home to the states flagship universities. In those communities, 4,800 absentee ballots mailed out to voters bounced back to elections offices undeliverable.

University students move around, said Charlotte Mills, Gallatin County Clerk and Recorder, who oversees elections from her Bozeman office. Ballots dont automatically forward to new addresses. Mills said her staff alphabetized the return-to-sender ballots then sent out notices to voters. The U.S. Postal Service will forward the notices. Last Thursday, the number of ballots unclaimed by voters who moved numbered 2,600.

Missoula County Elections Administrator Rebecca Connors said a considerable number of address changes in her community have ballots bouncing back. There have been 2000 ballots marked return to sender in Missoula County. Like Mills, Connors is attempting to chase down voters whose addresses have changed.

National interest

Mills said the voting is steady, however. Gallatin County plans to put a ballot box and an election official at the curb outside the courthouse on May 25 so voters can drive up and drop off absentee ballots without getting out of their cars  anything to make voting easier.

Its kind of steady now, but its not overwhelming, Mills said of ballot returns. We have times when theres no one in the office, but we have times when everyone is busy.

Some of that busy work is dealing with voters angered by partisan get-out-the-vote efforts. National Democratic and Republican groups have been mailing out official-looking notices informing voters that ballots havent been received when in many cases the people targeted have voted.

Worried their ballot wont count, voters contact Mills wanting to know whats going on. Elections officials across the state are having the same problem. National parties are using stale ballot data to sound the alarm.

Connors expects Missoula County residents to turn out for this election. Theres been a lot of attention to the U.S. House race. The get-out-the-vote drives have been intense. One elderly voter living in an assisted living center complained of partisans knocking on her door late at night, Connors said.

Missoula County also sets up a drive-thru voting at the fairgrounds on Election Day. Theres also a 24-hour drop off slot.

Yellowstone County Elections Administrator Bret Rutherford recommended voters in rural counties who have not yet returned their ballots to walk them in to a polling place or elections office. For voters in Yellowstone County, he recommended they mail ballots by Tuesday.

Mail delivery can take several days in some parts of the state, so by dropping a ballot in a mailbox close to Election Day voters are taking a risk their ballot won't make it in time.
Cops/bandits shootout leaves passer-by wounded

Police have identified the injured man as Samuel George, 68, of Los Bajos. Up to yesterday evening he remained at the San Fernando General Hospital in stable condition. A police report stated that shortly after 10 am, two gunmen stormed Mohans Jewellers Ltd at Mucurapo Street in San Fernando.

Pointing the weapons in the direction of workers, the gunmen snatched an undisclosed amount of gold and silver jewellery from glass showcases.

As the gunmen were running off, they fired several shots in the direction of two municipal police officers who were on patrol.

George, one of many passers-by, was walking along the pavement when he was shot twice, once in the shoulder and in the abdomen.

He slumped to the ground.

The police returned fire but the gunmen managed to escape, one running along Johnstone Street and the other along Lord Street.

No one else was injured as many people scattered in different directions when the shooting began.

ASP Ali-Mohammed, Insp Don Gajadhar, Cpl Crawford, PCs Dhoray and WPC De Bough of the San Fernando CID visited the scene and searched for the suspects who remain at large.
Woman, 65, beaten and robbed

Up to yesterday they were being interrogated at Princes Town Police Station. Charges are expected to be laid over the weekend. Police said the couple did not wear masks during the robbery. They were arrested on Thursday night in Chaguanas by Sgt Mohammed and a team of officers from the Chaguanas CID. The stolen laptops, cell phone and some of the jewellery have since been recovered.

Yesterday, the victim identified the suspects and the recovered items.

According to a police report, at 12.30 pm on Tuesday, the woman was alone at home when the couple entered the house and proceeded to beat and tie her up. They ransacked the house, removing several items, before making good their escape. Following the ordeal, the pensioner managed to free herself and contacted the police.

Sgt Ramlogan, Cpl Nanan, PCs Mitchell and Ramkissoon of the Princes Town CID visited the scene.

Acting on information received, officers of the Chaganuas CID were contacted and on Thursday night the couples vehicle was intercepted in Chaguanas.

Police said the male suspect is a known offender having been charged with robbery and car theft. He was only released from prison on Carnival Tuesday. PC Ramkissoon is investigating.
St Dominics teens still missing

If I can talk to them right now, I would tell them to think about their future, think about their safety and come home. There is a lot of danger out there these days and you all have very bright futures ahead of you, Hospedales said. She added that officials at the Home are still no closer to finding the girls. Hospedales said despite this incident, security has not been increased.

The safety of our children is something that we take very seriously.

We are not exactly sure how they managed to leave the compound undetected, but we believe they may have gone out into the play area and climbed one of the walls out onto the street.

At the moment we have two security guards posted at the home, one for each exit.

We have passed on the information that we have gathered to all the police units involved in the investigation and while we cant say for certain, we suspect that the girls may be going to the home of one of their relatives, Hospedales told Newsday.

Hospedales also denied media reports that the girls disappearance may have been facilitated by security officials at the school, saying there is no reason to believe the guards are involved in their disappearance.

It was originally reported that five girls were missing but one was found and eturned to the Home.

Sources revealed this girl has since been charged with escaping lawful custody, since she is deemed a ward of the State. The missing four are Angel Farrell, 16; her sister Niana Farrell, 15; Sumintra Jaikaran, 16 and Parbatee Ragbir, 15. Police are urging persons with any information on the whereabouts of these girls to contact 800-TIPS, or the police at 555, 999 or 911.
TAX ON HOLD

A High Court judge yesterday ruled that with immediate effect, Government must mash brakes on implementing the property tax. However, that relief could only last this weekend as Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi last night told the Lower House that Government would on Monday appeal the ruling in the Court of Appeal.

After hearing the constitutional motion in the San Fernando High Court, Justice Frank Seepersad yesterday said there is a strong arguable case that the Property Tax Act could be struck down, or, the process by which government is seeking to enforce it, could be justifiably reviewed by the courts.

There have been long lines at revenue offices throughout the country with thousands braving raging midday sun and soaking rain to file their property valuation forms. Justice Seepersad heard submissions from Senior Counsel Anand Ramlogan, where there was a line of people which snaked its way onto the road outside Palms Club, San Fernando, in a rush to submit Valuation Rental Forms and accompanying documents within the stipulated deadline.

Justice Seepersad ruled that the stay would remain in effect until May 31, until further notice.

He will commence hearing the substantive matter next Wednesday in the San Fernando High Court in which Ramlogan has been mandated to file documents by Monday at 4 pm, to support the skeletal arguments made yesterday.

GOVT LAWYER COUNTERS While Ramlogan SC was on his legs making submissions, the Government got wind of the judicial review he filed on behalf of the applicant Devant Maharaj. Governments lawyers put in an appearance at the Hall of Justice shortly after midday and Justice Seepersad granted Senior Counsel Deborah Peake permission to intervene to challenge Ramlogans submissions.

The judge stood the matter down and via video conferencing, he reconvened the hearing at which Peake countered Ramlogans case saying Government has no intention of imposing a penalty on citizens who fail to comply and not submit forms and accompanying documents.

At 6 pm, Justice Seepersad delivered a written judgement in which he dealt with the issue of Government propagating through the Ministry of Finance website, media conferences and press releases, that the filing of Property Tax is a voluntary exercise and that there would be no penalty imposed on the citizenry.

The judge stated that when one considers the wording of the Valuation Return Form which citizens received in their mailbox and the precise documents which they should submit the Government was requesting through the media and advertisements, there exist in the minds of citizens a degree of ambiguity of what is required of them.

Elderly people for example and many who lack the ability to access the media, the judge added, would be left to conclude based on the wording of the form, that they merely needed to submit as many supporting documents as possible.

On that point, Justice Seepersad commented, In democratic societies there should always exist a circumstance where the law creates a climate of certainty.

Citizens have a right to understand why they are mandated to act in a certain way and more importantly, to be properly informed as to the sanctions to be imposed upon them if they fail to comply with the law. LAWS CANT BE CHANGED BY PRESS RELEASE On the constitutionality of the Property Tax, Justice Seepersad declared that Section Six of the Valuation of Land Act is the foundation upon which government was seeking to implement the tax. Justice Seepersad upheld Ramlogans argument that Government was seeking to implement the Property Tax Act by using Section Six of the Valuation of Land Tax, the latter having requested the citizen to file by April 1, 2010.

It seems that the date was omitted from Section One of the Property Tax Act, and the amount of fine payable for failing to pay, omitted from Section Four.

It would appear that the Commissioner of Valuation abrogated onto himself the power to make those amendments, Ramlogan submitted.

He said that it was a power that was exercised which only the legislature has because it affects the citizens right to enjoyment of property.

On that point, Justice Seepersad stated that the concept of the separation of powers must be strenuously defended. The executive arm of the State, the judge said, should never be permitted to exceed its jurisdiction and to eviscerate the authority vested in the legislative arm of the State. He commented, Laws cannot be amended by ministerial decree or by way of press release. Justice Seepersad ruled that the court felt with a high degree of assurance that the applicant may be able to establish an entitlement to the reliefs sought, should the matter go for trial.

He added that the balance of justice mandated the courts intervention in the case.

In granting Maharaj leave, the judge stated that the applicant must file and serve his substantive claim on or before 4 pm on Monday. The hearing of a Case Management Conference is listed for two days after on Wednesday at 9.30 am in San Fernando.

Justice Seepersad then ruled that with immediate effect, there shall be a stay of the implementation and or enforcement of the decision contained in a press release dated April 19, which stated that all property owners are now required to compete a Valuation Return Form in accordance with the Valuation Land Act, Chapter 58:03. Appearing along with Ramlogan were attorneys Alvin Pariagsingh, Kent Samlal and Jayanti Lutchmedial.

Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar last night welcomed the injunction saying, this injunction is a victory for the people and testimony to the political strength of the United National Congress. Speaking earlier and prior to the late evening ruling, Persad- Bissessar told supporters during a protest outside the Couova Childrens Hospital that the fight against the property tax - which she called a poverty tax - would be fought in the courts, on the streets and even in Parliament.

They have responded to the pre-action letters sent by our teams of lawyers indicating they see nothing wrong with the tax, she said. Well then, from henceforth, we go to the courthouse, we will fight them in court, we will fight on the streets and we will fight them in Parliament. They have extended the deadline but we still say no property tax, she said.
Autopsy shows woman committed suicide

The autopsy showed that death was caused by acute oxygen deprivation.

Yesterday, the result of the autopsy was made available to officers of the Homicide Investigations Bureau and a 43-year-old relative of Mohan, who was detained shortly after her body was discovered on Thursday, was immediately released from custody.

Mohans body was identified yesterday at the Forensic Science Centre in St James by her brother and a female relative.

Sources revealed that Mohan and her husband were undergoing counselling and their last counselling session was on Wednesday night. Relatives told police that Mohan and her husband had their differences but she was never a victim of domestic violence.

Yesterday, Dr Alexandrov told Newsday he was able to determine that suicide was the cause of death due to several reasons such as Mohans body not having any mark of violence to suggest she had fought with an attacker.

He also noted that there was no broken skin under her nails. However, tissue samples were removed and sent for further tests.

On Thursday, Mohans husband Dave Rampersad, 43, left their Mafeking Village, Mayaro home for work in Guayaguayare. He returned home a around 10.30 am and discovered Mohan lying on her bed with a plastic bag over her face. Rampersad removed the bag and found another plastic wrapped around her face.

Rampersad removed the plastic and checked for a pulse.

He then contacted the police.
$55M for toilets

The eradication of the pail system will solve the problem of the use of toilets at nights and improve the hygiene and health issues, Duke said.

Answering questions yesterday from the Joint Select Committee on Human Rights, Equality and Diversity inquiring into the human rights of remandees at the Remand Yard Prison, Arouca, Duke said, the plan to install the toilets was in place probably before 2013.

Funding for the project, he said, was out of the hands of the prisons administration as it could only approve the use of $450,000. The estimates for the project have been submitted, he said. We are waiting the go ahead from up above to actually start this project. In the meantime, he said, 23 stainless steel toilets were installed throughout the facility allowing the inmates to use during the day.

On the construction of the new remand prison, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security Vel Lewis said, the proposal has been agreed to, land has been identified, and the Urban Development Company of TT (Udecott) has been engaged to manage the project. Udecott is in discussions with the Ministry of National Security to finalise the contract. The ministry is hoping, he said, to have an agreement in place with Udecott for preliminary designs by the end of this fiscal year.

We had actually hoped to start that project this year but because of the financial constraint within which we are operating, he said, we had to prioritise differently.

So we are actually aiming to start that project in the new fiscal year. The ministry had to give priority, he said, to some other projects including the electronic monitoring system which is expected to reduce the population in the remand yard. This system would allow remandees to be released and monitored.

We hope to have this project on stream by the end of this fiscal year. In dealing with overcrowding and managing the remand yard, Duke said, the prisons service has tried as far as possible not to keep the number to not more than 1,000 persons in recent times.

Any remandee that above 1,000, he said, are transferred to the Maximum Security Prisons which has capacity.

In the past, the prison service would transfer remandees to the Maximum Security Prison when the remand yard reached 1,200.

The remand yard was built to accommodate 600 prisoners. At present it has 714.

To improve conditions in the remand yard, Duke said that 300 beds were bought and installed, and a laundry was built and two washing machines and four dryers installed to allow the remandees to wash their clothes.

Where there is lack of beds, he said, remandees are given mats to sleep on.

Meanwhile, concerns expressed by the prisons service included the ratio of one prison officer to 20 remandees when ideally it should be one prison officer to six remandees, the mental stress of remandees due to long incarceration some for as long as 14 years due to the failure of criminal justice system and the need for their reintegration in society just as those who would have been convicted, the submission of a strategic plan awaiting approval for implementation, and prison rules still to be updated.

Concern was also expressed that there is no charter that defines how
Open the Childrens Hospital

We call on the government to give a commitment to the people and to the children of Trinidad and Tobago that no citizen of Trinidad and Tobago will have to pay to use the Couva Childrens Hospital, she said.

So while government is speaking about public/private partnership, they must give the assurance that the hospital built with the money of taxpayers, that that will be used for the benefit of the people and children free of charge, Persad-Bissessar said.

The UNC political leader was addressing hundreds of supporters at the Preysal Recreation ground yesterday prior to leading a march to the nearby Couva Childrens Hospital which is accessible from a lay-by access road just off the Sir Solomon Hochoy highway.

In an impassioned speech, Persad-Bissessar repeatedly referred to the Dr Keith Rowley-led administration as, this wicked government even as she also questioned the cost of a report which seemed to question the rationale for the hospitals construction but which also recommended that the hospital be utilised. Rowley is out of the country on a weeks vacation, attending the graduation of his daughter Sonel.

I am reading in the newspapers that there is some report on the Hospital. They have said big lies on that hospital from day one.

I am saying provide a copy of that report to the public and tell us how much you paid for that report. She pointed out that while government was looking for loans to build hospitals, we have a hospital that is built, that is complete, that is fully equipped and ready for use. But this wicked Rowley government, they wi ll not open the hospital.

They will not provide proper health care for children and for adults, she said.

Under a scorching mid-morning sun, Persad-Bissessar led a huge crowd, many of whom bore placards some of which read, health is wealth - open the hospital now; children lives matter; and hospital before stadium, in a march that proceeded along the Preysal Main Road and then onto the highways shoulder.

They made their way to the hospital under the watchful eyes of police officers, who placed galvanise barriers at the hospital entrance to prevent anyone coming on to the hospital itself.

A rope was also used to ensure the march did not stray into oncoming traffic along the highways south-bound lane.

However, despite the actions of the police to ensure the smooth flow of traffic, there was nevertheless a build-up of traffic as motorists slowed down to view the procession, some honking horns in support while other muttered curses at the protestors before driving off.

The march also witnessed a large turnout of Opposition MPs and Senators as well as party activists, some of whom donned medical scrubs, complete with netted shoes, gowns and headpieces.
JLSC admits it was not properly constituted

Ramlogan indicated his intention to file an administrative order seeking the courts interpretation to determine whether the commission was legally constituted with four members and whether retired judges Roger Hamel-Smith and Humphrey Stollmeyer were disqualified from serving on the basis of their being over the age of 65 and that they did not satisfy the criteria of two persons with legal qualifications at least one of whom is not in active practice. In its reply to Ramlogan, the JLSCs attorney Ian Roach on Thursday conceded that, the JLSC as was constituted with four members fell short by one as intended by Section 110 of the Constitution.

Members of the JLSC are CJ Archie; chairman of the Public Service Commission Maureen Manchouk and retired judges Roger Hamel- Smith and Humphrey Stollmeyer and Senior Counsel Ernest Koylass.

However, in his letter to Ramlogan, Roach noted that given Wednesdays appointment of Koylass SC, to the commission, the argument on the properly constituted numbers was now moot. Roach also noted, Notwithstanding this, I hasten to point out that the functions of the JLSC can be lawfully conducted with a quorum of three members present at any time, by virtue of the Public Service Regulations. Questions had been raised about the legality of the JLSCs appointments as it until Wednesday sat with only four members and not five as prescribed by Section 110 of the Constitution and whether the appointments - which included that of former chief magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar and former senior magistrate Avason Quinlan - could be considered illegal.

But Roach noted that In the unlikely event that the JLSC was found to be improperly constituted and without the required quorum, section 36 of the Interpretation Act, Chapter 3.01, preserves as valid any of its past decisions. In response to Ramlogans letter of April 8, Roach described the proposed claim as substantially misconceived. He also addressed the question of the legality of Hamel-Smith and Stollmeyers appointments based on their age, saying that provision was only directed at members of other service commissions and not the JLSC.

Roach said the Constitution must have been intended to include a person who is a fo Roach was adamant that both judges were aptly qualified to serve on the JLSC having held office as a judge of the court in civil and criminal matters and in the appellate court.
Taxi drivers against PH drivers

That is our biggest problem. It is out of hand. It is affecting us badly and getting worse day by day, Network president Adrian Acosta said. During a picket march Thursday outside the Ministry of Works and Transport, Acosta told reporters they are not seeing PH drivers being ticketed.

Enforce the law! They are coming out more and more. There is a proliferation of PH drivers around our stands every day. We want action right now, he said. The PH drivers, Acosta said, occupy prime spots behind or before taxi stands so that before the travelling public reaches the taxi stand they are picked up.

Acosta said that representatives of the network met with Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan in January about the issue and Sinanan said he would look into it. Prior to that meeting, Acosta said, they also met with former Transport Minister Fitzgerald Hinds who subsequently informed the network by way of letter that he was seeking legal advice.

To date, no one is taking heed about what we keep saying. Acosta said the authorities should ensure that these PH drivers regis ter, get their H license and register for their taxi badges.

The length of time obtaining and renewing badges was another issue. It takes three weeks to get the badges done when that could be done in a day. I am asking for that to be looked into, Acosta said. On Uber, Acosta said this was organised PH driving and could also seriously affect taxi drivers if it takes a hold in TT.
Total unadulterated dotishness

In response to Al-Rawis statement that there are 839 people languishing in prison for minor offences, even though they have been granted access to bail, Persad-Bissessar said, Bring them (to court) and give them all bail. She expressed surprise that anyone could be imprisoned now for sacrilege and confirmed there is such a person in the local prison system for breaking down a church door. While Clause Four of the Bill permits cash or certified cheques to be used for bail, Persad-Bissessar said there is a global movement away from using money for bail.

According to her, this issue is currently engaging the Senate in California in the US.

Persad-Bissessar said the 1994 Bail Act is silent on the types of securities which could be used for bail. She also expressed concern that nothing was being done to deal with the lucrative industry being undertaken by professional bailors.
Galicia charter: Pre-action letter sent

He said the tender in question is being repaired and a new one will be sent to Mayaro. Recalling that this station was opened under the former Peoples Partnership government, Dillon said the PP did not understand that it took 18 months to bring in appliances for a fire station and this was not done before the Mayaro station was opened.

As a result, he said, appliances from other fire stations had to be used to fill that gap.
People in jail for cursing, sacrilege

He disclosed that some of these offences include using abusive language, sacrilege, throwing missiles, maintenance and traffic violations.

Noting there are approximately 2,280 people in remand, Al-Rawi said, Of the remanded population who are entitled and have been granted access to bail, 71 percent are still there. In terms of cost, Al-Rawi said the cost of maintaining these inmates ranges between, $19,000 to $25,000 per head, per remanded inmate, per month. As he explained there are several direct and indirect costs in maintaining the prison population, Al-Rawi said people being kept ten years and over, five years and under five years, cost the State $804 million, $1.135 billion and $1.085 billion respectively to maintain them.

The delay in justice is very, very expensive for the people of TT, the AG stated.

Speaking to reporters during the tea break, Al-Rawi disclosed, I have in my possession a Cabinet note from Mrs Persad-Bissessars tenure in 2013, which specifically approved the policy to the exact items which she described as dotishness today. Describing this as an absolute embarrassment, Al-Rawi promised to speak about it when he concluded the debate. On Persad-Bissessars call to give bail to the 839 people, Al-Rawi said there are only seven people in prison past their maximum sentence.
Moruga very important for diversifying economy

On Wednesday, both ministers were part of a meeting with stakeholders at the St Marys Government Primary School where Minister Gopee-Scoon rolled out an ambitious Government plant to construct an agro processing plant and light industrial park in Moruga as a means of diversifying away from the oil and gas sector and also providing meaning and long-lasting employment to people living in Moruga and environs who in turn can give back to society by way of goods and service coming out of the plant and light industrial park.

The agro processing plant and light industrial park will be constructed on 18.83 acres if land at Saunders Trace. For his part, Minister Rambharat said, Moruga is a very important place as it relates to agriculture and fisheries. What we are about to do here is very critical to national development. Outlining his ministrys projects, Rambharat shared that, we have earmarked on the nursery projects that will continue to support the development of planting material for both food production and forestry. And so far, we have available for planting in this upcoming wet season over 1.2 million plants, which is a combination of forestry plants and food producing plants.

Based on what we have done so far, we are confident that over the next few years, we can sustain the production of planting material above 1 million plants per year. And that will make a substantial contribution to regenerated forestry, forest reserves across the country, replanting parts of the Northern Range, reintroducing some fruit and plant that have disappeared and also reintroducing forest in some of the recreation areas across the country. The Port, he added, remains a priority project. One of the main reasons is to attract the long liners. In the surrounding areas, such as Tableland, we continue to improve the road infrastructure.

This year, we move into Phase II of a project which aims to develop the road as we seek to continue supporting the pineapple farmers, Rambharat said at the meeting.

Rambharat said there is a lot of hope and expectation placed on farmers, food producers and his Ministry.

And at the heart of what we have to do for farmers is resolving the issue of land tenure as it relates to them.

For far too long, the administration of land has relied on paper files.

This year, we are investing $11.9 million on one hand to improve the IT infrastructure in the Ministry to build the backbone to allow for reliable access at the necessary offices and to have connectivity; and (on the other hand) to move away from a paper based way of doing business to a modern document electronic management system.

The IT investment ranks as amongst the most important investment we will make in this fiscal year. The agro processing and light industrial park will initially house five factory shells and represents an investment of approximately $69.3 million towards the further development of Moruga.

Gopee-Scoon noted that these initiatives are expected to facilitate economic growth and the development of environmentally sustainable local, regional and international businesses, engaged in downstream activities in the agricultural sector; (while facilitating) the further development of the community and the creation of world class entrepreneurs.

Addressing the audience were Rural Develpment and Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein, Frank Barnes, CEO of Udecott and Imtiaz Ahamad, Chairman of eTecK who all outlined their various plans for the area. In the audience were Winston Rudder, Chairman of the Cocoa Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago; Maureen Singh, Ag eTecK president; Alderman Natalia Mendez of the Princes Town Regional Corporation; Mitchell Fitzroy, Chairman of the Moruga/Tableland Constituency; Feroze Khan, Principal of the St Marys Government Primary School and Dhano Sookoo, Presiden of the Agriculture Society of Trinidad and Tobago.
"Our biggest thing, when we started working on this, is we always want to make sure that the kids are fed. We should be more proactive than reactive."

 Michelle Wagner, Bismarck Public Schools director of child nutrition. Unfortunately, the school district has a $23,000 debt due to parents not paying school lunch bills.

q q q

"You get attached and you fall in love, and there's no way to care and love these kids like they're your own and then not be attached."

 Danielle Wyatt, who along with her husband are foster parents of four children.

q q q

"A lot of these kids I've been going to school with since kindergarten, so we're all really close with each other."

 Missy Domagala, 17, a member of the first graduating class from Legacy High School. There will be 233 seniors getting diplomas.

q q q

"I just think there are a lot of things you can do with this. We can monetize it at a higher level rather than giving it away."

 Gov. Doug Burgum on his veto, which gives Bismarck State College control over books and DVDs produced by the Dakota Institute.

q q q

"I can't disclose all the secrets; I've been trying for a state record for a long time. Let's just say I was in the right place at the right time."

 Derek Larson, 32, of Mandan, on how he caught a record buffalo fish on Lake Tschida. It weighed 57 pounds, 8 ounces.

q q q

"This was a very difficult legislative session. We took very significant hits. We still are in a relatively good position. I do believe the Legislature handled it very well."

 State Board of Higher Education Chair Kathleen Neset on the legislative session. The board last week approved 4 percent tuition increases.

q q q

"They had their run, and now the baton is being passed."

 Sen. Ray Holmberg, R-Grand Forks, of BreatheND being folded into the state Department of Health.

q q q

"You're literally a helicopter ride away from bankruptcy ... due to no fault of your own. It's an issue all across the country."

 Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread, praising the Legislature for passing Senate Bill 2231, which addresses air ambulance service concerns in which patients have been hit with large bills from out-of-network carriers.

q q q

"We were wondering if the people of the United States realized how close we came to disaster. It could happen any instant, but we're there holding coffee mugs thinking what could happen next?'"

 U.S. Navy veteran Bill Butcher, recalling his experiences during the Cuban missile crisis.

q q q

"I don't mind confrontation. My concern was he was dominating, and no one else could participate."

 Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., on a rowdy town hall meeting last week in Mandan.
We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription.
During the three Coffee With Cramer town halls I held in Minot, Mandan and Bismarck last week, many people came to talk about the legislation passed by the House of Representatives on May 4 to begin the process of repealing and replacing Obamacare. In passing the American Health Care Act, we are replacing this failed Obamacare law with a more patient-centered, affordable and flexible system.

Based on the comments shared at these meetings, what is more clear than anything else is how inaccurate messaging and outrageous claims flooding the media about this legislation have caused unnecessary concern and made it difficult for North Dakotans to know who exactly they can trust.

I have read the 200-page bill in its entirety and debated nearly every section of it during a 27-hour hearing in the House Energy and Commerce Committee in March. It delivers nearly $900 billion in tax relief for people in all income brackets, which puts more money in your hands. And, it harnesses the free market to drive down costs and ensure Americans retain access to quality care. Through the shaping of the AHCA, House Republicans and President Donald Trump insisted it contain language preventing lifetime caps on medical care, allowing dependent children to stay on their parents plans until age 26 and prohibiting any policy from refusing coverage for pre-existing conditions.

Its the pre-existing conditions language that has generated the most outrageous and false claims. The bill is very clear that insurers must cover individuals regardless of health status  and this means any pre-existing conditions. Insurers will not be able to charge higher premiums because of an illness if individuals maintain continuous coverage. And if there is a lapse in coverage that would cause a higher premium, there are several safety nets in place to cover the cost of any increased premium cost. This is the language in the bill.

One of the most blatant scare tactics being spread is the AHCA will take away health insurance coverage to 300,000 North Dakotans who have pre-existing conditions. Lets run the math on this. The AHCA affects only individuals who purchase their health insurance on the individual market  this means it does not apply to anyone whose health care is covered through employer policies, Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Administration or Tri-Care. In North Dakota, roughly 8 percent of our population purchases health insurance in the individual market. Of those folks who purchase insurance in the individual market, about 24 percent of people under the age of 65 have a pre-existing condition. This equates to about 2 percent of the population.

Further, for someone in that 2 percent to be charged higher premiums, North Dakota would have to seek and receive a waiver from the federal government, and the individual would have to have a lapse in coverage of more than 63 days. Only then, in this hypothetical situation, could an insurer ever charge higher premiums for up to one year. But even then, the AHCA sets aside $8 billion specifically for this small percentage of the population to assist them with paying premiums so they would still be covered. Those are the objective facts.

Another outrageous claim is that rape and sexual assault will be considered a pre-existing condition and not covered under the AHCA. Michelle Ye Hee Lee disputed these lies in her Fact Checker Analysis in the May 6 Washington Post. In her analysis she writes, the notion that AHCA classifies rape or sexual assault as a pre-existing condition, or that survivors would be denied coverage, is false. At least 45 states prohibit insurance discrimination like this. Then it takes several leaps of imagination to assume that survivors of rape and sexual assault will face higher premiums as a result of conditions relating to their abuse.

In rating this outrageous claim in her Pinocchio Test, Lee concludes, the more complicated the topic, the more susceptible it is to spin. Both media coverage and hyperbole among advocates are at fault for creating a misleading representation of the House GOP health bill. We wavered between three and four Pinocchios, but the out-of-control rhetoric and the numerous assumptions pushed us to four Pinocchios.

I have held town hall meetings as long as I have been in Congress and I concluded a long time ago that we will never all agree on every issue. Developing the right federal policy on health care coverage is one of them. One of my campaign promises was to work to repeal Obamacare and replace it by removing the federal government from being between the health care decisions of individuals and their doctors. And as long as I have the privilege of being North Dakotas member of Congress in the House of Representatives, I will work toward that goal.

Some of the most vocal critics of the AHCA are those who philosophically support the United States having a single-payer health care system. I do not support this because I believe it will bring an end to our nation having the best health care system in the world. Great Britain, for example, has a single-payer system in place, which is plagued by a massive waiting list, and explicit government rationing for services such as hospice care, heart surgery and kidney dialysis. Without free market health care, companies would quit innovating, which would reduce the quality of our entire system.

Obamacare took away the free market approach, and replaced it with a government-mandated program that is unaffordable and unsustainable. For those who claim the Obamacare took away pre-existing conditions, tell that to the families with pre-existing conditions, including mine, who have "coverage" under Obamacare, but can't afford the $1,000 monthly premium and $10,000 deductible that comes with their plan.

The American Health Care Act will provide better health care for people with pre-existing conditions than Obamacare ever did, and it will do so while also bringing down health insurance costs for the rest of us.
Operation Forgive and Forget. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Last year, Donald Trump said that Saudi Arabia wants women as slaves and to kill gays  and suggested that the kingdom had ordered the 9/11 attacks.

Who blew up the World Trade Center? It wasnt the Iraqis, Trump informed Fox & Friends in February 2016. It was Saudi  take a look at Saudi Arabia, open the documents.

The mogul reiterated this (not entirely baseless) charge on the stump, while arguing that Saudi Arabia was taking advantage of America financially  even though their monarchy wouldnt exist very long without Washingtons aid.

On the eve of his trip to Saudi, here is what POTUS had to say about it last year: pic.twitter.com/yx4NmOU9uu  Dafna Linzer (@DafnaLinzer) May 17, 2017

When the candidate wasnt painting Saudi Arabia as a tyrannical, terroristic parasite, he was, quite often, describing its faith as a malignant virus threatening the survival of Western civilization. The Republican standard-bearer announced that Islam hates us; called for banning all of the worlds 1.6 billion Muslims from entering the United States; and repeatedly cited the mass murder of Muslim prisoners of war with bullets dripped in pigs blood as an inspiration for his counterterrorism policy.

One of Trumps first acts upon assuming the Oval Office was to establish a set of immigration restrictions that multiple American courts have deemed a Muslim ban.

After eight years under Barack Hussein Obama  a man who refused to so much as say the words radical Islamic terrorism  American Islamphobes greeted Trumps election with euphoric relief.

And so did the Saudi royal family.

On Saturday, the presidents first foreign trip took him to Riyadh  where he received a heros welcome. As the New York Times reports:

In Riyadh, Mr. Trump is viewed as a refreshing change from President Barack Obama, who was viewed with disdain in the wake of the Iranian nuclear deal that Mr. Obama brokered in 2015.



Last year, Mr. Obama visited Saudi Arabia for meetings with King Salman and Gulf leaders, but the king did not meet him on the airports tarmac. Mr. Obamas aides later played down the incident, but it was broadly portrayed in news accounts as a snub.



Mr. Trumps planned trip had been greeted with public enthusiasm that is rare for this usually restrained country. Huge billboards around the city featured Mr. Trump and King Salman, while the citys roads were lined with alternating American and Saudi flags.

The exterior of Trump's hotel in Riyadh tonight, via @JenniferJJacobs. pic.twitter.com/elMWXGHHW1  southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) May 19, 2017

Air Force One has landed. pic.twitter.com/5c4qHrWQyI  Tamara Keith (@tamarakeithNPR) May 20, 2017

The amity between the worlds most powerful Islamophobic demagogue and the nation that considers itself the birthplace of Islam is only superficially strange. The mystery disappears once you posit two exceedingly plausible premises:

1) Saudi Arabia cares more about retaining the United States as a dogged ally in its conflicts with Iran than it does about combating the rise of anti-Muslim bigotry.

2) Donald Trump cares more about his hotel interests on the peninsula than about combatting the oppression of women who live under authoritarian theocracies.

Once you get past his theories about 9/11 and the nature of Islam, Trump is close to the ideal American leader, from the Saudi perspective. The president has evinced more respect for dictatorial strength than human rights; views foreign policy in transactional terms; places a premium on loyalty; surrounds himself with fanatically anti-Tehran generals; and appears deeply susceptible to manipulation through flattery.

And on the eve of its trip to Riyadh, the Trump administration delivered a gift to the Saudi royal family: Americas first missile strikes against Iran-backed troops in Syria. Under the Obama administration, the United States avoided attacking Tehrans proxies in Syria, out of concern for protecting its nuclear deal. It is far from clear what, precisely, the Trump team believes it will gain from bombing the Iranians. Defense Secretary James Mattis claimed that the attack was necessitated by offensive movement with offensive capability of what we believe were  Iranian-directed forces inside an established and agreed-upon deconfliction zone.

But absent a credible plan for forcing regime change in Syria  an ambition that many believe would require an American ground invasion of the country  the strike risks merely escalating and prolonging a civil war that the Assad regime remains well-positioned to win.

Nonetheless, the strike will lend credibility to the denunciations of Tehran that Trump will offer in his speech in Riyadh tomorrow.

All nations of conscience in the Middle East must work together to roll back Irans destabilizing influence, restore a more stable balance of power in the region, and pray for the day when the Iranian people have the just and responsible government they deserve, reads one leaked draft of the speech, obtained by the Associated Press.

That draft offers implicit assurances that no one need pray for the women of Saudi Arabia to have the just and responsible government they deserve: We are not here to lecture  to tell other peoples how to live, what to do or who to be, Trump says in the leaked draft.

The look on Trump's face while handling this sword---> pic.twitter.com/yBAWrTGA9I  Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) May 20, 2017

Notably, Irans reformist president, Hassan Rouhani, won reelection Saturday on a promise to combat extremism and expand individual freedoms.

But responsible governments and destabilizing influences are in the eye of the beholder. Saudi Arabia has spent tens of millions of dollars exporting its brand of puritanical Islam throughout the Muslim world. And the kingdom is currently using U.S.-made planes and bombs to prevent food aid from entering Yemen, thereby engineering a hunger crisis that threatens the lives of millions.

On Saturday, the White House announced a new arms agreement with the Saudis, which will provide the kingdom with $350 billion in U.S. weapons over ten years.
Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

President Donald Trump touched down Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, along with Melania and Ivanka Trump. Its been a wild ride from the beginning, with major news stories breaking practically as soon as Air Force Ones wheels left the ground, but it seems the hits just keep on coming. Both Melania and Ivanka eschewed covering their heads during the stop, although photos indicate the First Lady did dress conservatively. However, when Michelle Obama did the same thing in 2015, Trump criticized her on Twitter.

Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted.We have enuf enemies  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2015

Its not typically required for female visitors to cover their heads; both Angela Merkel and Theresa May skipped headscarves during visits. However, according to The Guardian, former First Lady Laura Bush briefly wore a headscarf after she was given one as a gift during a trip to Saudi Arabia in 2007.
COPYRIGHT NZCIVAIR

All information and photographs used on this blog are copyright to NZCIVAIR.


sorry but this is NAGL. 2:30 AM tweets are NEVER a good idea sis

Reply

Thread

Link

Suddenly the Koons is Donald Trump

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

isn't she australian.. it was probably like 5pm there (which makes it even more embarrassing!)

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Please don't discourage her from acting a fool on social media, it is literally my favorite type of gossip (but now everyone's got """media training""" so it's rare) hahahah

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Sensitivity training is the white people version of home training.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

As somebody said, she's Australian, lol.



This was like afternoon/early evening.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

mte

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lol "Tswift's Angels" :P

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

And yet here are the tweets.  Is way too into being the victim to just let this go by without any response but too smart to do it herself.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

she is flopping on her own, but sis you know taylor's gonna tell her lackeys to speak up/for her, she's the type

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

idk if the coffee hasn't kicked in yet or what, but i thought i was having a stroke reading that first tweet

Reply

Thread

Link

lmao its not just u bb

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lol same

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lol honestly! I'm still not sure what it means.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I literally have no idea what that first tweet means

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Cocaine is a hell of a drug bb. No one sober will understand that mess.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

did katy and ruby fuck or something because girl, why you mad?

Reply

Thread

Link

yeah i find it very tacky. she puts her down for 'attacking others' in the midst of a childish attack

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

nevermind that Taylor released Bad Blood along with that music video

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

they'd be a hot couple but would def break up in like a month lol

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Ah, because she's Gay. So it must be about that...

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Ruby is like the most vocal and hyper defender from Swifty's squad

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

damn...i can't believe i actually agree with ruby rose on something

Reply

Thread

Link

Agreed. Also, I don't get all the comments here against Ruby, considering that ONTD has been dragging Katy for weeks with much worse comments than what Ruby said.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

She's part of the squad, right?



Either way, this isn't a good look. You can call out how shallow Katy's activism is without sounding like a bitter stan. I mean, what kind of petulant shit is "Purposeful Poop"? Is she 5 years old?

Reply

Thread

Link

I've always stood up for the people I love and against things I think are cheap or mean spirited. That's not new. You have to follow your   Ruby Rose (@RubyRose) May 19, 2017







love how she says this whilst in the midst of her own mean spirited attack love how she says this whilst in the midst of her own mean spirited attack

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Can't stand people who claim to be about positivity and being against the cheap/mean-spirited... who then go on to do those things. Own your shit.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

She's attacking MUSIC, tho.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link





the squad is coming #pray4katy

Reply

Thread

Link

This was just amazing.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

NOT TODAY SATAN

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Don't forget that snakes failed with their mission, as always.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

the anxiety this scene gave me was through the roof

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I only watched it after I knew the lizard made it out. I feel you, bb

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Anytime anyone on ONTD posts a snake gif I shut that tab down real quick. *shudder*

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

lol when i first watched this episode (at like 1 in the morning) i literally found myself standing up with my fists raised muttering, "omg bb pls go faster go faster GO FASTER YOU CAN MAKE IT OH JESUS OH JESUS," like a lunatic

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

this stressed me out so much

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

LMAO

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Just watched this at work and was in my office freaking out.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lmao

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I don't think any movie has had me on the edge of my seat like this sequence. That shit was so wild, omg.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

What is this from?

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

flawless gif usage

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lmao

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lmao

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Collect that friendship check, I guess.

Reply

Thread

Link

Ruby you shouldn't let Taylor drunk tweet from your twitter account like this.

Reply

Thread

Link

i loled at "purposeful poop." i'm mentally 12

Reply

Thread

Link

same, I sometimes call pop "popop" so I get you tbh.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

poop is never not funny!

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I only ever poop on purpose.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I giggled. Poop is always funny until it's on you.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

me too lmao. deliver, ruby, deliverrrrrr

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

okay, but who even asked her?

Reply

Thread

Link

Right?



I didn't even know this thing was part of the squad and she has some nerve to come for Katy's "flops" when she won't amount to not even 1 % of what Katy has done career wise. What a joke.



I guess Gigi is too famous now to care or to ride Swishy's coattails, Hailey exposed the squad for the fraud they are so she's gone, Selena is more self aware now and is probably tired of being seen as Taylors chihuahua, Cara is too busy in Hollywood, there's no one but the group B squad members like Ruby Rose to speak up.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Hailey exposed them?! How.. I must've missed that..

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lol! in this political climate her s\"squad" did the least. she should go back to throwing fries at waiters.

Reply

Thread

Link

literally what is she even saying in the first tweet

Reply

Thread

Link

no one knows what it means but its provocative...it got the stans wars going.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

My lovely purposeful poop.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

katy perry said she was going to release "purposeful pop" around when she released chained to the rhythm.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link
Russian officials bragged during the campaign that they could use Michael Flynn to influence Trump, sources say https://t.co/tJXE76Hior  CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) May 20, 2017



Reply

Thread

Link

CNN Scoop: Russian officials bragged they could use Flynn to influence Trumphttps://t.co/FE5fzKOdRk  Yashar (@yashar) May 20, 2017

Reply

Thread

Link

NYT: breaks news

WaPo: breaks news

CNN: hold my beer

Reply

Thread

Link

Although they just had a scoop about Russian officials bragging about being able to use Flynn against Tr*mp

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Love CNN having their "And I invented Post-Its!" moment

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Is Red Don still in the air? Lmaoooooo I can't wait to hear of his reaction 

Reply

Thread

Link

I read he'd be in the air until 3am EST. So just in time for his normal tweeting schedule.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I'm just picturing that they took his phone away so he couldn't do anything online but he's in his seat crouched over some paper furiously writing stuff

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Red Don 

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Donny Two Scoops has landed

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

LMAO

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

What's the Donny Two Scoops thing referencing? I was just on vacation and now I'm scrambling to catch up, lol.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

I'm ready for this post

Reply

Thread

Link





Post your reaction when you got the push notification hunnies

Reply

Thread

Link

Eww at Kenya such a tragic stunt queen

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link





me to this entire admin:

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

I'm literally drinking white wine now.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link





like Jesus Christ Kathleen, why did this not happen on January 21st like Jesus Christ Kathleen, why did this not happen on January 21st

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link









with all the news and ontd posts coming one after the other

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link







oh happy day

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Gonna have to rename this community to Oh No Trump Didn't.

Reply

Thread

Link

cant wait to tell jare jare we dont sell jump suits 

Reply

Thread

Link

We call him Jare-Jare Binks sis

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Jare Jare Vanks?

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lol sis where do you work?

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

do they have romphims in prison?

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

This bop

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Anderson Cooper to Jeffrey Lord: "If [Trump] took a dump on his desk you'd defend it." Anderson is THROUGH, yall. pic.twitter.com/AmWTgyijE0  shauna (@goldengateblond) May 20, 2017





Edited at 2017-05-20 01:08 am (UTC)

Reply

Thread

Link

I can't believe he said that lol.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lmao

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

LMAOOOOOO

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

LOL

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

LOL

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lmaoooo i like reporters that are so done with these batshit trump-supporters-til-they-die

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

LOL I love that news people have just had it up to here with this administration. I'm waiting for the day when George Stephanopoulos goes off on someone.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

omfg lol

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

0 fucks given. He is done.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

That's super unprofessional but at the same time I have no idea how these anchors keep it together when interacting with Trump supporters like Jeffrey Lord. The Trumpers have no connection to reality and all they do is lie, lie, lie and the real journalists are forced to book them an interact with them. TBH I'm surprised no one has snapped at Jeffrey sooner.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

This is killing me omg!!

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

ROFL, I don't blame him, man.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

OMFG ANDERSON!!!!!!!

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Hello my lovelies. This a glorious evening.

Reply

Thread

Link

lol, your edit. It's so true but at least we'e got a shining little beacon of light admist all the trash.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

truly a blessed week

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

All this bullshit is making me love this community again.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link
quality over quantity!



in which case neither of them win

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Mind of Mine is certified gold in the United States so that's untrue lol

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

hahahah this is what zayn gets for stopping promo after pillowtalk went #1

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

You know they aint interested in the non POC 1ders ool

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Harry an Karla will save the music industry this year

Reply

Thread

Link

I legit love the album, so good for him!

Reply

Thread

Link

Seems like Liam's already nipping at his heels, though, since Liam finally knocked Bieber off the #1 spot on the iTunes chart.

Reply

Thread

Link

idk wtf he's doing performing the boring the songs he is atm when this is the true album standout







like if the entire thing was like this he would have made me a stan again. what kind of sufjan steven teas, i'm shook



Edited at 2017-05-20 03:10 am (UTC)

Reply

Thread

Link

yaaas i love this one (and iron & wine). this doesn't even sound like him tho.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

prob why i like it so much, i feel like the ones he's been performing he tries to over sing and he has a voice that strains easy, he's better off doing these little indie ones they sound SO much better

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

my fave!

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

This one is my favorite

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

bless this dumb song

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

So so smart to make this the last track. I listen to this closing song and all I know for sure is that I want more of this.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i like every song on the album but this one is very low ranked for me compared to some others

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

is this about taylor?

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

This is like the only interesting song on the album

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

This isn't a Bieber post.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Only close to 54,000 tickets were sold and the majority of his number is pure sales vs streaming.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

you go glen coco

Reply

Thread

Link

Good for him. I find him so much more likeable than Zayn.

Reply

Thread

Link

All that taylor promo did him well...im kidding don't come for me harry stans, congrats!

Reply

Thread

Link

*comes for you* lol



Jk. I find it hilarious tbh.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I was hoping I'd like most of the album but SoTT is the only song I like.

Reply

Thread

Link

lol mte. anyone who thought he wasn't going to be the most successful post 1d was delusional. from the very beginning it was harry and the directions lbr, he was always the most talked about and just had the ~it thing that none of the others did

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Charisma and his ability to network have always made this clear. He's super likable and really fun when he engages. He deserves his success, imho. Go Harold!

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Seriously. Harry was my pick from day one lol.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

this comment is a little premature isn't it? especially when he's virtually irrelevant outside of his fandom

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Not gonna lie, my second thought after (Yay!).

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

who is seething? pretty sure no one doubted his album would debut at #1 whether they like him or not.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

...no one is mad tho? lol this was predicted. the real question is how long is he gonna stay at the top of the charts/sell long term.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i'm good. thanks tho.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

...people love him here?

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

I wasn't seething. I knew mediocrity would win out. That whole album is a mess. ...so naturally white people would eat it up.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

The white guy always wins who is seething? Go make a LM post

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link



All that really need to be said in this thread

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lol @ some of the annoyed responses in this thread.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

the same people in every post with the "he's white and ugly!" make me laugh, you know they were on Ticketmaster at 9 am trying to get tickets!

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i missed the posts yesterday so can we TALK about how bad lime's song is? jesus h christ

Reply

Thread

Link

it's so very embarrassing.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

It's terrible.



Only Nile has been delivering good music this era.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

On The Loose is fantastic and I'm looking forward to his album.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

check yourself





Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

its a bop but ur old so u dont understand ok

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

I've been laughing at it all day

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

"yeah yeah yeah yeah" is stuck in my head. awful.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

it's generic af

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lol ugghhh god it's so bad. i'll listen for the laughs tho

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I hate it but I will check out the album if there is one. There has to be somethingI am into in there

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

that line about 1D is horrible.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

anyway, niall >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Reply

Thread

Link

mte

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Lmao.



I'm enjoying the defensiveness of the Harries so much.

Reply

Thread

Link

same...too much is never enough~

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link


Yorgos Lanthimos. Colin Farrell. Nicole Kidman. Here's the poster for "The Killing of a Sacred Deer': https://t.co/hiSrKgV6HC pic.twitter.com/ZtVYexhWxV  IndieWire (@IndieWire) 17 May 2017



-Premiering at Cannes on Monday, it will be out on limited release-Called aplays 'Steven', a charming successful cardiac surgeon who takes a troubled (creepy) teenage boy under his wing. Predictably, creepy teen starts getting sinister, Dr Colin's life starts falling apart, and he iswill be playing Colin's wife, andwill play creepy boy's mother.-Lanthimos and Colin will also be teaming up again for the third time for their just announced in development Amazon TV series about the Iran-Contra Affair  more under the cut. -According to one source, there is a somewhatto, inspired by the Ancient Greek tragedian writer Euripedes.-In order to get into the role of a cardiac surgeon and understand their lifestyle and mentality, as well as operating room etiquette/procedure, Colin spent time with some at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati (where the majority of the film was shot last summer).-Yorgos Lanthimos has, who also co-wroteand-Regarding the: Colin will be playing Oliver North, a US Marine working for the National Security Council who claimed partial responsibility for weapons sales to Iran, the profits then going to the Nicaraguan Contras back in the 1980s under Reagan.-Oliver North is a real life person, and currently (welp) a host on his own Fox News show, 'War Stories With Oliver North'.
What the fuck is Spencer doing there? (I know why, I just was hoping the MIC was exaggerating about their royal connects)  Although, i am curious who else from the cast is also affliated with the royals?

Reply

Thread

Link

It's not that crazy considering it's his brother getting married here lol

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

his brother married pippa, lol

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

His brother is marrying her.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I know Proudlock is close with Beatrice and Eugenie. They used to appear a lot in his Instagram posts from nights out and stuff.



I think a lot of them probably have the same mutual friends as the royals and run in some of the same close circles. I used to live in London and a lot of my guy friends either went to school with the MIC cast or have friends who did and they were all pretty much connected to the royals in some way. Whether they were super close or not, I don't know, though. I also know a lot of the girls from MIC are friends with some of Harry's female friends. For instance, Rosie and her twin sister are super close to Chelsy Davey. So they are all likely much more linked than the show is able to let on.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Tbh, I only knew this was happening because there was a possibility Meghan would go. Colour me disappoint to not have any pics of her upstaging the bride.

Reply

Thread

Link

Apparently she's going to the after party you might get to see her.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Congrats to them



I read he's a billionaire? Noice





Reply

Thread

Link

he's not

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

The internet has lied to me again?! :(

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i can't believe he is 41

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

I hate Kate's old lady dress. She is so beautiful but the dress is nagl.



The Federers looking good!

Reply

Thread

Link

it's horrible lol

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

ya I agree she looks like a hard 45 in it.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

ikr, it's straight up, "well I've gotten married and had kids, my time is over"

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Or maybe, "My sister has been screaming bloody murder for months that she doesn't want me to upstage her..."

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

I love it. Looks elegant and classy (except the weird chest part)



Edited at 2017-05-20 10:32 pm (UTC)

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

That truly is a beautiful dress. I prefer it over Kate's McQueen dress.

Reply

Thread

Link

same

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

me too.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Ditto

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

It's legitimately my favorite wedding dress I've ever seen.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

yeah definitely better than Kate's

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

her wedding dress is really ugly. what are these comments

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I agree. This dress is hideous.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

mte, cap sleeves and a high neck??

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Yeah I mean it's not the worst dress ever but it's certainly not the greatest

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

The sleeves are awful, but Pippa wants to show dem toned arms.



Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

they all are so rough looking

Reply

Thread

Link

They're white *and* British, It's not a good combination.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

And tanning fiends, don't forget



White British people don't have to look like crap as they age but this lot serve as v good advertisements for wearing sunscreen everyday.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

her dress is really pretty. i like it.

Reply

Thread

Link

Harry is balding. He is a Windsor, don't worry, lmao.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

he looks so much like young prince philip. these windsor genes are strong

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

not gonna lie, I think young Prince Philip was kind of a babe. Much better looking than both William or Harry.



Edited at 2017-05-20 06:29 pm (UTC)

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I have family members who have interacted with him due to working in hospitality. All have said that he's nice, but "mad as a hatter."

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

philip isn't a windsor but mte, he has philip's features for sure, with he spencer red haired and ruddy complexion

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Harry looks like Diana's brother and also a bit like Charles I think. William is all Windsor these days though. When he was younger he looked more like his mom.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

nah there was this pic one of the tabloids published of Prince Philip as a young naval officer in uniform and I legit thought it was Harry bc their faces are freakishly similar



He's a Windsor all right, it's just the red hair that causes the talk.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

It's only cause Harry has the Spencer colouring

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

ok so where is meghan? there was so much talk of her being at both events

Reply

Thread

Link

no ring no invite. only married couples got invited to the church, everyone else at the reception.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i read she was invited to both the ceremony and reception ?

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

donna air isn't married to her brother.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

some reporters said she was there but there's a rear entrance that guests could take instead of walking down that long ass street edit: actually nvm, people mag said she wasn't there



Edited at 2017-05-20 05:18 pm (UTC)

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Why are you so obsessed with her???

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Does she run? I had no idea.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

catherine's dress is so matronly it's depressing, she's a mom not dead ffs. i do like the dusty rose tho



pippa's dress is okay, not my style but i like the keyhole in the back.

Reply

Thread

Link

I think she was consciously trying to not overshadow her sister.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

that's fair but part of me still wish she wore a nicer dress, it's a family event that you'll (hopefully) never have again, you should look your best

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

might be true, in which case a very classy move.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I'm not surprised Meghan wasn't at the church. I assume she went to the reception but I haven't seen anything about it yet. Pippa's dress is gorgeous and Charlotte is adorable. Not a fan of Kate's look today.

Reply

Thread

Link

Its the sleeves or to be more picky the bottom of the sleeves near the wrists that are butt ass ugly and very 70s'ish.



She really wanted to blend into the background for this.



King George really gave his all face wise and I love it.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

It's also the chest region, that cut is guaranteed to make anyone with more than an A cup look saggy, idk why it still exists.



Also idk why she chose this, she has plenty of other boring and appropriate clothes (or access to them) that aren't ugly.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

How old is Pippa's husband supposed to be? I saw a close up on Twitter earlier and he seemed way older than her.

Reply

Thread

Link




I'M READY FOR ANOTHER POLITICAL PARTY POST I'M READY FOR ANOTHER POLITICAL PARTY POST

Reply

Thread

Link

HELL YEAH

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I feel like we are all in this together! Blessings to all my political post lovelies <3 <3 <3.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

i'm never on time to comment too much but jsyk these have been the best of ONTD these past months!

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

SHE IS SO CUTE

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

she is so damn cute I swear

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link





Edited at 2017-05-20 08:57 pm (UTC)

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

why did no one tell melina to wear a scarf?

Reply

Thread

Link

Not all of middle east wear scarves, its not mandatory in the majority of the middle east.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

oh, my bad i thought it was required

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Thanks for saying this! Some people are bringing this up because Trump and others on the right criticized Michelle Obama for not wearing one. Just another example of hypocrisy, but on substance it's not a big deal.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

But Trump got so angry at Michelle for not wearing a scarf 

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

She's a disgrace to haself and ha country.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

osp is so fucking dumb

Reply

Thread

Link

I bet tramp is gonna wear that gold necklace every night when he's wondering around the white house in his bathrobe

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Nothing suspicious here folks!!

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I hate him but that didn't seem like a curtsy to me, he was just compensating for his height. But yeah, fuck him, so whatever.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I am dying at Comey's dad going on the record on this.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lmfao @ comey's dad, omg

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

seriously tho, Trump has the same crazy eyes as my great-grandma when her dementia started

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Lol tramp stamp can always be relied upon to have an old tweet bitching about whatever thing he is currently doing.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Patti going OFF is amazing lol

Reply

Thread

Link

lmao @ patti's response. same, girl.

Reply

Thread

Link

When does Toby keith play? I want to know his setlist. Does he play the song about bombing the Middle East??



Also, can't believe a guy who is affiliated with an islamophobic group classified as a hate group by the SPLC is writing Tr**p's speech meant to reach out to muslims wtf

Reply

Thread

Link

The jokes write themselves. This administration is so stupid.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

He's just going to play the Boot in Yer Ass song over and over.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

She's a psychopath

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

yeessssssssss

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Oh god yes this.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i was dying when i first saw someone imply that. Louise Mensch, left wing lolol

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

She is a right wing troll.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Her, Claude Taylor, and that whole twitter circle are such frauds.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Seriously

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I was so surprised when her name started popping because I thought she was just a British MP. I still treasure Ian Hislop shutting her down on HIGNFY when she tried to go after Occupy Wall Street protestors, lol.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link





My only advice to 45.

Reply

Thread

Link

Is that Aretha?

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

That is Aretha Franklin.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

yes, in the masterpiece known as The Blues Brothers.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Too bad he's more Illinois Nazi than Blues Brother.



Personally, I'm feeling very Carrie Fisher.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link



yes my QUEEN

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Literally WHAT is going on in the White House??? Or not in the White House??? Christ this administration is a MESS





Reply

Thread

Link

I really need people to protest Tr*mp while he's overseas, come thru citizens of the world

Reply

Thread

Link

Considering he wants to bring back steam power, this isn't far behind

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

tell it ahnuld!

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Could you imagine travelling back in time to like 1990 and telling Americans that in the future President Donald Trump and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will be feuding?



Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I cannot believe we have reached a time where I would vote for Arnold... In theory at least. I would at least consider it more than I would have five years ago.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

This is so surreal.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link





Comey to testify that Trump tried to influence him: report https://t.co/e7GqImDPVU pic.twitter.com/KJJ94IeXYN  The Hill (@thehill) May 20, 2017





Edited at 2017-05-20 05:31 pm (UTC) COMEY THE HOMEY!!!!

Reply

Thread

Link

ohhh shit

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

This gives me so much hope

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

LMAO This shit is tooo good!

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

YAS

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link



i am READY

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

YAAAAS

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I'm out of touch and dk who this is but I wanna straddle this man's thighs

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Yaaaaasssss

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

The star-spangled man with a plan.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Saudi advisor says $110 bn arms was drafted during #Obama time..now hailed as a an achievement for @POTUS #RiyadhSummit  lyse doucet (@bbclysedoucet) May 20, 2017

This sounds right. I believe Obama put a hold on this and Trump resurrected it.

Reply

Thread

Link

And he was supposed to be tougher on Saudis according to Jill Stein. HAHAHAHAHAHA

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Jill Stein was saying yesterday that the rape allegations of Assange were orchestrated to paint him as a bad guy. She's a loon.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link
Makes sense, because so many people saw Dark Shadows.

Reply

Thread

Link

Haha! My friend went to see it on opening weekend. He was the only one in the theater.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Because a female villain is a gimmick to only be used once unlike a male villain?

Reply

Thread

Link

MTE

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

exactly

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Anything that is not a white male is a gimmick

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

And is also pandering to ~SJWs and the PC Police~ of course.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lmao mte



Fuck johnny depp. People are way more likely to confuse all his goth-lite Tim Button roles and that didn't stop him from taking a million of them.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

my first thought

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Mfte

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

exactly. and apparently this "too similar" female villain has been replaced with geoffrey rush, a villain from the previous films...?

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

And the same male villain in two movies at that.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

+1

could he really get any worse as a human being. ugh.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

bloop

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Hmm, is this true? I mean, no one saw Dark Shadows (except for me, smh) and it has nothing to do with this franchise. It's not like PotC 4 just did the same thing. I know he's sucking super-hard these days, but I question this.

Reply

Thread

Link

Me and my friend saw it, makes us three :D

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Make it 6, because a friend and I saw it, too

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i mean isn't the source the screenwriter himself?

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

He was physically and emotionally abusive to his wife. Of course this act of misogyny is incredibly believable.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

See, I thought this was an attempt to paint him in a positive light: look, Depp respects women so much that he doesn't want to do another movie where a woman is the villain! Wow! He's a feminist role model or something!

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

My mom and I saw it. My mom liked it lol.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i saw it. not impressed. it was a date movie. nty

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

wat

Reply

Thread

Link

as if anyone even remembers Dark Shadows

Reply

Thread

Link

right? he's so embarrassing 

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I bet it's a unique kind of exhausting to be the person that tries to stop him from going over his wine budget every month

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i hate everyone that still stans for him (aka the basic white girls from college on my fb)

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Mte

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

MTE. In addition to his general shitty-ness, he's been phoning it in for YEARS and just drags down everything he's in.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

mte

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

same...it's not fair.gif

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Well this makes the rumor that Naomie Harris was supposed to come back as Calypso but she was written out in later drafts of the script seem more true to me.

Reply

Thread

Link

Whaaaat that would've been cool

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

so glad you mentioned this bc I thought the same thing, it was rumoured she'd end up the big bad ffs

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Fuck, that would have actually been interesting...

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I would watch the hell outta this if she was the big bad

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I've been very confused about this movie so far, no idea why it's being promoted by two different titles.



Even in some countries in the EU where most people can speak English it's Salazars revenge instead of Dead men tell no tales...

Reply

Thread

Link

It's probably the same people who decided that Thor The Dark World needed to be retitled to be Thor The Dark Kingdom in some EU countries like Germany

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Nobody calls it here by the real name anyway. The return of the first avenger just became Captain America. That's what people said when they went to movie theaters. I want to see the movie with Captain America.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

True. I live in the Netherlands and this is the first time I've seen a different name on a poster. It's strange especially since it's not even a light but oddly chosen word change (Like your example) but it's not even similar. Oh the EU, weird choices.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link





He's a fat, bloated, piece of shit and I hope his career is all downhill from here. That is all. He's a fat, bloated, piece of shit and I hope his career is all downhill from here. That is all.

Reply

Thread

Link

I love this gif. where is it from?

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Kids In The Hall





Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

The guy who abused his wife is a dumbass misogynist with his movies? Shocking truly



Edited at 2017-05-20 08:38 pm (UTC)

Reply

Thread

Link

I saw he was on Ellen and Kimmel. JFC. Can we not normalize him?

Reply

Thread

Link

Did he sober up for the promo circuit? I can't believe he's still functioning tbh, he's got some real problems

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I guess so. I didn't watch anything, I just saw cause I'm subscribed to their channels.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

And having a male villain in every movie ever isn't redundant?





Reply

Thread

Link

Lmao what a stupid fucking reason, I hate this asshole.

Reply

Thread

Link

Redundant unlike all the Pirates sequels.

Reply

Thread

Link

mte plus hasn't Geoffrey been the villain in these movies for like the past 3? Get someone new jfc. He's a good actor and everything, but there's no need for his ass to be the villain for more than one movie.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

IDK I think the whole Pirates franchise could have been vastly improved had Barbossa continued as the antagonist, he was amazing and all the villains apart from him have royally sucked. They should have just teamed him and Jack the monkey up with Tia Dalma and let it run, that would have been amazing.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

ifkr like... it's wild how dumb some men are...

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lol ikr

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link
OPEC has been restraining production since the beginning of the year, after a group of cartel members teamed with Russia and other non-OPECs and agreed to production cuts last November. In total, the OPEC group targeted production reduction of 1.16 MMBOPD, with an additional 558 MBOPD of cuts from non-OPEC countries.

(Click to enlarge)

Projected shale production growth through Mar. 2018: EnerCom Analytics; underlying basin map: EIA

Generally speaking, OPEC has delivered on its promise.

Saudi Arabia cut its output beyond its pledge to make up for less-than-wholehearted commitment from several other members. Non-OPEC members did not always deliver on promised volumes, but they did at least cut production somewhat.

The cuts had mixed results, and did not quite achieve the groups goals.

Oil prices did increase immediately after OPECs announcement, and stayed above $50/bbl WTI for the majority of the time since. However, WTI near term contracts today are trading $49.27/bbl.

(Click to enlarge)

5 Year WTI Price Chart: Quote Media

WTI has not been above $50/bbl in almost a month. The cuts, then, have only slightly boosted oil prices, and even this boost has not been sustained.

Taking down the global inventory was the goal

A reduction in global inventories is the claimed main goal of the cuts, which has partially occurred.

Inventories in the U.S. have decreased somewhat, and are at least within the five-year range again. According to the EIA, the current crude oil inventory is over 522.5 million barrels. This is 4 percent below the 543.4 million barrels in storage at this time last year, but is still 19 percent more than the five-year average for this point in the year.

Global inventories are declining, but not as quickly as expected. This has led OPEC and non-OPEC countries to believe extending the cuts is needed to bring markets to balance. Oil ministers from many nations have expressed support for cuts, and it seems likely that OPEC will decide to extend cuts through March 2018, another nine months beyond the current agreement.

U.S. production growth already wiped out 20 percent of cuts

U.S. shale producers, by contrast, have stepped on the accelerator. Activity in the Permian has skyrocketed, and most companies are predicting double-digit production growth this year. Oil traders are no longer worrying Will OPEC cut production? but are now asking Will cuts matter?

Related: Oil Prices Set To Rise On Back Of OPEC Deal Extension

Between member and non-member production, OPEC agreed to about 1.72 MMBOPD of reductions in oil output. According to the EIA, U.S. crude oil production was 8,780 MBOPD in December 2016, before the cuts took effect. Since then, U.S. production of crude oil has grown to about 9,160 MBOPD in April, an increase of 325 MBOPD. U.S. growth, therefore has wiped out about 20 percent of OPECs efforts.

American shale producers are far from done: heres whats coming

Companies seem to be very happy at $50/bbl oil, and growth is expected to continue as long as WTI stays in that range.

According to the EIA, U.S. production will rise in almost every month in the next two years, as improved technologies and techniques allow companies to remain economic.

By March 2018, the end of the proposed extension of cuts, the U.S. is projected to be producing 9,880 MBOPD, up 1,100 MBOPD from December 2016. If the agencys U.S. production numbers hold, this would wipe out almost all of OPECs cut production, leaving OPEC members with less market share and little to show for it.

(Click to enlarge)

Source: EnerCom Analytics

Permian

Much of the U.S.s production growth will come from the Permian, where multiple stacked pay intervals have made the basin the belle of the ball for unconventional producers.

According to EIA estimates, Permian production grew from 2,111 MBOPD in December 2016 to 2,360 in April. Permian production has grown by an average of more than 60 MBOPD each month since December, and shows no signs of slowing down. If this growth rate is sustained, and most individual Permian players believe that they will continue their growth rates, the Permian will be producing over 3,030 MBOPD by March 2018.

Bakken

In the Bakken, production has been essentially flat in 2017, except for recovering from a brief dip in production in December and January. It seems likely that this will remain the case, as most companies have shifted capital to more economic plays. Multiple stacked pay opportunities are alluring. Unless circumstances change significantly, Bakken production seems likely to stay around 1,030 MBOPD in the near future.

Related: Iraq Agrees With Deal Extension, But Boosts Oil Exports To Record Levels

Niobrara

Niobrara production has been growing slightly, at about 7 MBOPD per month since December. However, it is not clear if the recent home explosion in Firestone, Colorado, will have any long-term effects on production. We assume new laws in the wake of the disaster will somewhat hinder growth, but not stop growth entirely. If this is the case, Niobrara production could reach around 500 MBOPD, but would likely not significantly exceed this level.

Eagle Ford

Eagle Ford production took a little while to pick up, and actually fell in February, but has returned to growth since then. Since December the basin has added an average of 17.5 MBOPD, and most recently grew by 36.5 MBOPD. Assuming growth continues but slows slightly from the current fever pitch, the Eagle Ford may exceed 1,450 MBOPD by March 2018.

Source: EnerCom Analytics; EERC = EnerCom Effective Rig Count: 1,873 in U.S. unconventional basins

Unconventionals may void the gap made by 2017 OPEC cuts

In total, the four main U.S. unconventional oil basins could grow by 1,240 MBOPD from December 2016 to March 2018. While declining production in other fields, particularly legacy conventional plays, will offset some of this growth, American shale can seriously counterbalance OPEC production cuts.

The oil cartel may be forced to cut production further if they wish to see oil prices rise and inventories fall.

By Oil and Gas 360

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
President Trumps first official overseas trip to Saudi Arabia is designed to address numerous critical security, economic, religious, and social issues. And while cooperation in the fight against terrorism is at the top of the agenda  with an expected approximately $100 billion arms deal announcement  energy business deals struck between US and Saudi interests could have powerful oil and gas market implications in both countries.

The Trump team will attend three major summits: The Saudi Arabia and United States summit; the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and United States summit; and the Arab Islamic American summit. In addition to these high-powered meetings, the first Saudi-US CEO Forum will be held in Riyadh tomorrow. More than 50 U.S. companies, 40 Saudi companies and 9 global companies will attend the forum according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The Financial Times reported that in addition to leadership from some of the largest US banks and private equity firms who will discuss Saudi Aramcos upcoming IPO, several major energy industry players will also travel to the kingdom, including GE, Dow Chemical, Schlumberger, Halliburton, Weatherford, Nabors, Rowan Companies, KBR, Jacobs Engineering Group and McDermott International.

A host of potential investment partnerships will be on the table. Major infrastructure development in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia will be discussed. The Saudis sovereign wealth fund is expected to announce roughly $40 billion of US infrastructure spending. Part of that could go towards expanding the Saudis U.S. refining and marketing activities. National Oil Company Saudi Aramco acquired full control of Motiva Enterprises from Shell earlier this year. Motiva is the largest refining complex in the US with nameplate capacity of 600,000 barrels per day. The company also has a long-term license to use the iconic 76 gasoline brand and recently announced plans to expand gasoline sales under the 76 name into key Gulf Coast and East Coast markets, including Washington DC. Related: Oil Prices Rise As Most OPEC Members Back Deal Extension

Back in Saudi Arabia, US oil services companies are reportedly being tapped to help the kingdom develop its own domestic oil field services industry in an effort to procure two-thirds of its oil and gas sector development goods and services locally. This is part of Saudi Vision 2030, a major economic reform initiative designed to diversify sources of government revenue away from oil.

The arrangement could be a mixed blessing for US service companies that sacrifices longer-term business opportunities for short-term gain, but the details will become clearer as deals are announced. In fact, the entire afternoon of the Saudi-US CEO Forum is dedicated to MOU [Memorandum of Understanding] Signatures witnessed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques & the U.S. President, which clearly indicates preliminary deals are expected to be struck.

By Jared Anderson for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
In spite of a blockade on shipments of anthracite coal from occupied Donbas to Ukrainian thermal power plants (TPPs) since this past winter, the country has thus far avoided blackouts. Moreover, Ukraine has managed to increase power generation by 2.1 percent year over year in JanuaryApril (Interfax-Ukraine, May 13). This was mainly thanks to heavy reliance on nuclear energy, but warm weather and lower consumption by industry also helped. Ahead of the next heating season, which kicks off in October, Ukraine is going to replace Donbas-sourced anthracite with imported coal, while also converting its thermal power plants to use alternative fuels.

Ukrainian nationalists began to block roads leading into the Moscow-backed so-called Donetsk and Luhansk peoples republics (DPR, LPR) at the end of January, protesting against what they saw as profiteering from the war by Ukrainian tycoon Rinat Akhmetov at consumers expense (see EDM, February 24, 28). They claimed that the government agreed to pay for coal extracted at Akhmetovs mines, located in the Russia-controlled areas, according to the so-called Rotterdam-plus formula, so it was as expensive as if it were shipped from the Netherlands (Zn.ua, February 17). Because of the blockade, Ukrainian TPPs were left without anthracite from the DPR and LPR territories, and the government warned in February that almost a third of Ukraine would face blackouts by April. Still, the protests gained momentum, and in March Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko banned all cargo traffic with the occupied eastern territories. As a result, five out of the six Ukrainian TPPs that used to burn anthracite stopped operations in April (see EDM, March 29).

But even with many of its TPPs offline, Ukraine was not plunged into blackouts, thanks to a combination of factors. February and March were unusually warm, so less coal was used for heating. Industry also consumed less power because the Donbas blockade not only affected power generation, but also subdued output in metallurgy and the engineering industry. For example, after growth last year and in January, metal production plunged year on year by 4.3 percent in February and by 2.2 percent in March (Ukrstat.gov.ua, accessed on May 16). Also, thermal power was partially replaced with nuclear power, so the share of nuclear plants in power generation jumped from 52 percent in 2016 to 57 percent in JanuaryApril (Interfax, May 15). However, Ukraine cannot continue to heavily rely on nuclear reactors, as it will be necessary to shut them down for scheduled maintenance later in the year. Meanwhile, domestic power consumption is likely to grow, as the economy continues to expand. Related: Iraq Agrees With Deal Extension, But Boosts Oil Exports To Record Levels

To remedy this situation, Ukraine plans to increase coal imports, while adapting its TPPs to use lower-quality G-grade coal, which is extracted outside the occupied areas and can be easily imported, in place of anthracite. The Ukrainian government does not want to increase coal imports from Russia on principle, because of the war, so Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman suggested buying coal from as far as the United States, South Africa and Australia (Ukrinform.ua, March 21). However, that might be prohibitively expensive, given the transportation costs involved.

On April 25, Sakhnakhshiri, a company based across the Black Sea in Georgia, won a tender to deliver 700,000 tons of coal to Ukraine to the state company Tsentrenergo, which runs two of the five power plants stopped due to the coal shortage. Sakhnakhshiri is to deliver coal to Ukraine in MayDecember. However, there have been doubts about this supplier, showing the pitfalls Ukraine may encounter while looking for a replacement to Donbas anthracite. Sakhnakhshiri faced only one competitor in the tender, a little-known firm registered in Poland but linked to a Ukrainian citizen, whose bid price was only $38 higher than Sakhnakhshiris. So there was little or no competition (Liga.net, April 26). Furthermore, Georgias former president Mikheil Saakashvili said on his Facebook page on April 27 that Sakhnakhshiri might end up buying coal for Ukraine in Russia, and he questioned the transparency of the deal. Georgia, said Saakashvili, could not produce so much coal of the quality asked by Tsentrenergo. Coal bought from Russia may turn out to be coal that was originally shipped to Russia by the DPR-LPR authorities. Related: Russia Reemerges As Chinas Top Crude Supplier

Meanwhile, both the government and Akhmetovs DTEK, Ukraines biggest private energy company, are working to convert their TPPs to G-grade coal. DTEK CEO Maksym Tymchenko said in an interview that one of his firms TPPs was currently being converted, and conversion of another plant was already planned (Epravda.com.ua, April 27). DTEK also began to buy anthracite from South Africa (Dtek.com, April 13). Energy Minister Ihor Nasalyk told a recent government meeting that power units at two of Tsentrenergos TPPs would use G-grade coal by the end of 2017. Along with the construction of new power transmission lines from nuclear plants and new hydropower units, this should allow Ukraine to replace about four million tons of Donbas anthracite in power generation, Kyiv hopes (Mpe.kmu.gov.ua, April 26).

Ukraine has learned to survive without natural gas purchases from Russias Gazprom (see EDM, February 11, 2016). This year, it is learning to live without coal from the areas controlled by Russia-backed militants. This is vital for Ukraines highly energy-dependent industry, which is expected to increase production this year, supporting GDP growth for the second year in a row, after deep recession in 20142015.

By The Jamestown Foundation

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
After reviewing about 38,700 emails of State Oil and Gas Division employees that were on their way to a permanent cyber dump grounds, a Bismarck attorney is calling for a policy to protect important information for the public.

Derrick Braaten said its possible the division committed a Class C felony for destroying public records after employees hit the delete button in May 2016 on instruction from Lynn Helms, executive director of the Department of Mineral Resources, to remove unnecessary emails.

Acting on a tip, Braaten filed an open records request and learned that the emails were deleted from staff inboxes as well as computer trash folders over the previous two-week period and about 7,000 of those were purged in a third, more technical process.

All were restored through a storage server in the Information Technology Department and provided to Braaten and his staff over the next several months. ITD director Shawn Riley did not return two calls for comment for this story.

Braaten said his firm recently completed its review of the deleted emails and claims the department was permanently destroying records that included inter-agency communications, reports and photos of oil spills from emergency managers and landowners and reports of discrepancies in gas flaring data.

It is illegal. These are records that shouldnt be deleted. My concern is theres no control over this. The attorney general could reprimand the department, but the more important thing is to get a document retention policy in place, said Braaten, adding that what he found in deleted emails could be crucial evidence for a landowner who has a grievance on a saltwater spill, for example.

Braaten said the Oil and Gas Division charged his firm $8,900 for the email files, paid for by oil patch landowners who were concerned about the permanent loss of oil and gas records. The firm has a reputation for representing landowners and citizen groups affected by the industry.

The money charged was to reimburse the state for Oil and Gas employee time to locate and read through the restored emails and redact any confidential information.

Braaten said he asked twice for a copy of the Oil and Gas Divisions document retention policy during his review and was never provided one, leading him to believe the agency didnt have one.

The departments spokeswoman, Alison Ritter, provided a statement in response to the issue: Email traffic at (the Department of Mineral Resources) is subject to applicable open records laws as public information. Information contained within emails that is subject to state retention procedures is retained and placed within the applicable database. The department follows state document retention procedures.

She provided the Tribune with retention protocol for 112 various records generated by the department, including for email communications. The policy says that, after any conditions within the email are met, its subject to being landfilled or deleted. Ritter did not provide an explanation for why so many emails, dating back for months, were deleted within the two-week timeframe.

Braaten said the lack of clarity about the agencys email records makes it all the more necessary that the Oil and Gas Division  an agency under the State Industrial Commission  undergo a performance audit. He said some information from the deleted emails should have been stored with the permanent case file thats kept for each oil well so the public would have access to all the related information in one location, instead of having to ask for various kinds of records.

Personally, what bothers me more are reports of documents being destroyed and misreporting of oil and gas numbers. I dont know why theres such resistance to an audit. We spent thousands of dollars to find out whats going on. Youd think Oil and Gas would want an audit, Braaten said.

The deleted emails were made public by then-governor candidates Rep. Marvin Nelson, D-Rolla and Paul Sorum, a Bismarck Republican, based on an undisclosed tip that the deletions were related to improper reporting and transportation of oil and valuable natural gas liquids.

That wasnt uncovered in the email review, but Nelson said he continues to press for a performance audit of the department because of the complexity of files, permits and reports maintained by the division, some in boxes in a warehouse Quonset.

He said hes not making accusations or alleging anything improper, but says: Its a very complicated department and, if we dont do an audit, how do we know theyre doing what they should be?

As an example, Nelson said hes gone through the work of adding up the oil production of every well from its associated case file and says it never agrees with Helms monthly production reports.

Hes always reporting a number larger than the well files add up to, said Nelson, adding a performance audit would explain discrepancies and guide a document retention policy. Is having to retain every email for five years useful? I dont know. But the policy should be easy for the public to find."

Ritter said Helms monthly reports include production from all wells, along with oil from saltwater disposal wells, treating plants and condensate from gas gathering systems. The agency is subject to routine audits by the State Auditors office and Ritter said one completed for the 2013-2015 biennium resulted in no procedures that needed correction.

The Oil and Gas Division is an agency under the State Industrial Commission, consisting of Ag Commissioner Doug Goehring, Gov. Doug Burgum and Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem. Stenehjem, who also oversees adherence to the states open records laws, was not available for comment.
Welcome to 'OZ' - The 'Other' Side of the Rainbow!! Posting is at 10AM, Noon and 2PM CST daily. Up to 12 days of posts on the main page. The archives have more. You can forward posts by clicking on the envelope at the bottom of the post. Enjoy your stay! *** If you need to contact me, or have a copyright issue, please use the "Contact The Wizard" form on the left side of 'OZ'. Original source and author is cited and credited in each post where possible. ***
Nawaz Sharif to attend first-ever Arab-Islamic-American Summit 20 May, 2017



File photo Related News Imran Khan distributed loan cheques under Kamyab Jawan Programme PTI govt to face all challenges coming its way: Imran khan More on this View All Types of Casino Payment Methods

Tips for Taking Incredible iPhone Travel Photos

Top 2021 Accessories We Know You Will Love

Are Slot Developers Important for players?

Best Poker Hands ever played on a Casino

Hand Wash and Toiletries in Pakistan And the Role of DUPAS in Reshaping the Industry

Woke Bingo ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will travel to Riyadh on Sunday to attend the first-ever Arab-Islamic-American Summit being held to develop a security partnership against a growing threat of violent extremism.



Mr Sharif is among the 54 leaders who would join US President Donald Trump for the summit being held on Sunday.



On Friday, President Trump left Washington for Riyadh for a visit that he and his allies hope could lay the foundations for an Arab Nato force to push back Irans growing influence in the Middle East as well as combat terrorism.



The decision to choose the Muslim holy lands for Mr Trumps first foreign visit has been noted with interest in Washington but his decision to speak about Islam in his address to the summit in Riyadh has generated even more interest, and some derisions too.



Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz invited Mr Sharif for the summit. The invitation was delivered by Saudi Information Minister Awwad bin Saleh al Awwad, who visited Islamabad last week.



The official website set up by the Saudi government in connection with President Trumps trip, while explaining the objective of the summit, states: US President Donald Trump and leaders of the worlds Islamic nations will meet to address ways of building more robust and effective security partnerships to counter and prevent the growing threat of terrorism and violent extremism around the globe through promoting tolerance and moderation.



The Arab-Islamic-American summit is one of the three Riyadh has planned for President Trumps visit. The other two summits being held on this occasion are the Saudi-US Summit, and Gulf Cooperation Council-US Summit. The purpose of the entire exercise, apparently, is to reassert the Kingdoms position as the main political and security force in the region. The eager Saudis have been running a countdown clock on the website for the trip, which started late on Friday night.



Pakistan is one of the closest allies of the Kingdom. The two maintain a strong defence partnership. The Pakistani government granted special permission to the former army chief retired Gen Raheel Sharif to lead the multinational military force being created by the Saudis. British journalist Robert Fisk, an expert on Middle Eastern affairs, in his article in the Independent wrote that Mr Trumps visit was for realising the fantasy of an Arab Nato.



Mr Sharif, while accepting the invitation for the summit, has reaffirmed Pakistans alliance with the Kingdom by recalling the commonality of views of two countries on most regional and international issues and their collaboration for achieving common interests and objectives.



It is unlikely that Prime Minister Sharif would get a one-on-one bilateral meeting with President Trump on the sidelines of the summit. At least, Mr Trumps schedule does not show any possibility for such an interaction. The Foreign Office was silent on chances of a speculated meeting between the two.



The Washington-based Pakistani media, however, have learned that the Saudis are backing Pakistans request for a brief Sharif-Trump meeting before the US president flies out to Israel and then to Europe for more talks with Americas Nato allies.



Diplomatic sources in Washington say that since scores of world leaders are attending the summit, it would be difficult to arrange exclusive meetings between the US president and other leaders but Americans are trying to find space for a very brief one-on-one between Mr Sharif and Mr Trump.



Unfortunately I dont have anything for you, a State Department official told Dawn when asked if the two leaders were going to have an exclusive meeting. Officials at the Pakistan Embassy said that since this matter was handled in Islamabad, they had no information about this.



The summit is being discussed at every forum in the US, from Congress to think tanks and the media. The US media and think tanks pointed out that days before the summit, the Trump administration announced two major arms deals: $1 billion worth of missiles for the UAE and a much larger, $100bn deal with Saudi Arabia.



Media reports pointed out that these weapons would be used to equip a Muslim Nato army, headed by Saudi Arabia. The reports also noted that Gen Raheel would lead this force.



Reports also pointed out that while 54 leaders from across the Arab and Muslim worlds had been invited to the summit, Iran has been kept out. Commentators in Washington noted that Irans absence made it look like an anti-Iranian alliance, despite its declared aim of fighting terrorism.



And President Trumps meetings and conversations with Arab and Muslim leaders opposed to Irans growing influence in the region, particularly in Syria, consolidated this impression.



A readout of President Trumps meeting with Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates at the White House said that the two leaders did talk about the threat to regional stability posed by Iran.



The US media reported that the UAE Crown Prince, who is also the Deputy Supreme Commander of his nations armed forces, is helping prepare Mr Trump for the summit. This was his second visit to the White House since Mr Trump took office.
The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection is leading Ghana's delegation to the 10th Session of the Committee on Sustainable Development of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.



The Session of the Committee will delibrate on statutory and legislative matters pertaining to the sub-programme on Innovation, Technology and Management of Africa's Natural Resources of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) under the substantive responsibility of the Special Initiatives Division (SID).



The outcomes of the committee meeting will feed into the deliberations of 2017.



Part of the Ghanaian delegation are representatives of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Planning, The Head of Mission New York and many others.







Source: Deborah Agyei Amponsah









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
MINOT  Josh Hefta has 162 stops on his rural mail route in Walsh County.

"I've gotten to know a lot of people," he said.

One of those people is 94-year-old Alice Paschke, who lived alone on a gravel road.

Alice was just a nice lady, and she was out there by herself, Hefta said.

Last fall, Hefta started bringing Paschkes mail up to her house every day. She was getting slower. On a cold day in January, he knocked on her door and didnt hear anything. He knocked again.

I thought I could hear a faint somebody in the house," Hefta said.

Paschke had fallen 20 hours earlier and couldnt get up or reach the phone. She knew her one chance would be when the mailman would come to her door about 12:45 p.m.

I said, Come in. I said, I need help, she recalled Thursday, May 18. He saved my life. And that's a true story.

When he heard Paschkes cries for help, Hefta wasnt sure what to do. He wasnt sure if could break a door down. But thats what he did.

I hit it pretty good twice, and it popped up. Adrenaline I guess, he said.

Chet Paschke, Alices son, said Hefta even apologized for the damage to the door.

I told him that should be the last of your worries, he said.

Asked what it was like when Hefta walked in to rescue her, Paschke said, I thought I was in heaven already.

Hefta was recognized for the lifesaving feat Thursday with the Postmaster General Award, the highest award a mail carrier can receive. He was bestowed the award in a ceremony at the post office in Minto, a town of about 600 people 30 miles north of Grand Forks. His name will also be added to the Heroes Wall at the Postal Service headquarters in Washington.

I'm quite honored, actually. I've never had anything like this happen to me. Pretty big honor, he said, noting that it was part of his training as a mail carrier to check on vulnerable people.

Paschke also made it to the post office Thursday, marking the first time she and Hefta have been reunited since that January day.

Just a good mailman, and I can't forget him, Paschke said. For the rest of my life, for as long as my memory works, I'm going to remember.

Now Alice lives in a nursing home in Grafton, along someone else's mail route. So Hefta no longer gets a Rice Krispie treat and a can of Coke as a midday snack.

Now I got to pack my own drinks, Hefta said with a laugh.
Residential tenants have begun moving into the newly constructed 14 Hudson multi-use complex on Hudson Avenue next to Glens Falls Hospital.

An anchor commercial tenant is expected to be announced soon, said Joann Potrzurski Cassidy, a real estate broker with Julie & Co., a firm affiliated with Bonacio Construction, which built the complex.

Im waiting for the lease to be signed before identifying the tenant, Cassidy said Thursday.

 Maury Thompson

Krogmann honored

Former state Supreme Court Justice David Krogmann was feted Friday as his portrait was added to those of former Supreme Court justices who have served in Warren County.

It has become tradition for county and Supreme Court justices to have framed portraits added to the walls of the two courtrooms.

Krogmann, a Glens Falls resident who served as Glens Falls city judge before winning a Supreme Court judgeship, retired at the end of 2015 at the age of 70.

Numerous judges, former judges and other dignitaries attended the ceremony, which lasted about an hour.

 Don Lehman

History note

From the microfilm collection at Crandall Public Library:

Harold P. McConnell and William L. Richards were admitted as new members of the Glens Falls Rotary Club on May 26, 1927, The Glens Falls Times reported at the time.

Dr. Edward C. Gow, chairman the American Victory and Peace Monument Committee, spoke at length, urging every citizen to set aside at least two hours on Memorial Day to contemplate those who died in wars.

The attendance was exceptionally large and the program was enjoyed by all, The Glens Falls Times reported.

 Maury Thompson

Foundation helps out

A donation from the Fredette Family Foundation will help provide lunches for needy students in the Corinth Central School District. With that help, school officials said they would be able to extend free lunch services to more students.

Through the Fredette familys generosity, these students received free lunches every Friday through the year, Corinth Food Service Director Lisa Tevendale said in a press release. When we gave Mr. Al Fredette an update on our Friends of Jimmer Lunch Program, he and his family decided to provide lunch every day for these families for the rest of the year.

In an email, Al Fredette responded, This is the exact purpose for all our program. We want to find the people who need help and help them.

The Fredette Family Foundations mission is to strengthen families.

Student nutrition is a priority at Corinth Central School, and the generosity of the Fredette family has allowed us to extend the help where it is needed the most, said Tevendale. The Fredette family has been an absolute blessing to our school.

 Bill Toscano

At the bike rodeo

About 50 students from Jackson Heights School in Glens Falls received T-shirts and bicycle helmets as part of the fifth annual Bike Rodeo sponsored by three local groups.

The students were taught by Glens Falls Police Officer Jerry Willette, with help from Warren County Cornell Cooperative Extension.

The Nemer Motor Group helped put the event on for the fifth year.

 Bill Toscano
One of the most devastating thunderstorms to hit the region in years knocked out power to tens of thousands of local residents late Thursday, damaging numerous homes and vehicles and downing hundreds of trees.

Nearly 24,000 National Grid customers in Warren, Washington and Saratoga counties were without electricity early Friday from the round of powerful storms that slammed the area Thursday night.

Some will be restored by early afternoon, and the company's website showed all should be back on line by late Saturday.

National Grid spokesman Nathan Stone said the Glens Falls area fared the worst in eastern New York.

Your area got hit really hard and its going to take some time to sort out whats what, he said. Were not seeing any issues with substations but there are a lot of trees and lines down.

Warren County Emergency Services Director said National Grid brought in line crews from around the region and Canada. He said the worst damage seemed confined to Queensbury, the north end of Glens Falls and adjacent Washington County.

They are bringing in resources from other areas, LaFlure said.

According to Stone, crews from Buffalo and Pennsylvania are assisting.

We called in 50-plus from Buffalo, he said on Friday afternoon. And 260 in mutual aid from Pennsylvania and New York.

Washington County had the worst problems, with more than 13,000 National Grid customers in the county out at the height of the outage, and the number had dropped to just under 7,000 as of 1:15 p.m. Friday. The Hudson Falls/Fort Edward region, Fort Ann, Argyle, Whitehall, Hartford and White Creek all had hundreds of outages.

The Washington County Department of Public Safety announced on Friday afternoon that the Kingsbury fire station on Burgoyne Avenue was open and available to residents requiring shelter. Also, as part of the National Grid Extended Restoration Plan, county officials said bottled water and dry ice would be brought to the fire station on Saturday for residents.

Warren County had more than 6,000 customers out of power, with biggest issues found in Queensbury and Glens Falls. Saratoga Springs had more than 2,200 homes and businesses out.

Schools in Queensbury, Hudson Falls, Cambridge, Fort Edward, Whitehall, Hartford and Fort Ann did not open because of power outages and travel issues stemming from blocked roads.

The Washington County Office of Emergency Services reported numerous road closures from downed trees and wires in Kingsbury through much of Friday, including parts of Vaughn, Bentley, Dean, County Line, Park, Route 4 and Sanford Ridge roads as of mid-afternoon.

A crew from Adirondack Tree Surgeons was busy Friday morning cleaning up storm damage in Glens Falls and other surrounding towns.

They made quick work of a large fallen branch on a house and vehicles outside 23 Sagamore St. The branch smashed the rear windows of a minivan in the driveway and a sedan of their neighbor, causing extensive damage.

No injuries were reported but the storms damage left neighbor Betty David startled.

Numerous traffic lights were out on Dix Avenue and Route 4, and Washington County Public Safety Director Glen Gosnell said drivers need to be aware that intersections where traffic lights are out become four-way stop intersections.

Gosnell said the county provided generators to the village of Whitehall to run its wastewater treatment plant.

The storm ripped through the region between 7 and 8 p.m. Thursday.

It tore part of a roof off a building at AngioDynamics medical device plant in Queensbury, and brought down hundreds of trees in a swath of destruction running from Bay Road in Queensbury east into Kingsbury.

Caitlin Stefanik, communications director for AngioDynamics, said no one at the complex was injured. The building that was damaged was used to service products that the company makes.

Our team is working now to return to business as usual, which we expect to be shortly, she said.

County Line Road was blocked by dozens of trees, wires and snapped utility poles, and an uprooted tree destroyed two trucks at Adirondack Precision Cut Stone a short distance south.

About four miles east of the county line, a barn off Kingsbury Road was destroyed and another heavily damaged at the Getty farm. Jessica Getty said no animals were hurt, and she marveled at how far the sheet metal from the barn roof sailed into an adjacent farm field, narrowly missing a home.

She said the storm blew through around 7:30 p.m.

It was crazy. Ive never seen anything like it, Getty said.

Route 4 resident Jim Washburn said he was watching the storm roll in through a door when a tree blew over and landed on his deck by the door, with another falling onto the homes roof.

It shook everything. It was unbelievable, said his wife, Amy Washburn.

On County Line Road, resident Steve Fielding had trees down all around his house. The road was blocked by lines and limbs, and the sound of chainsaws and generators was evident around the area.

It came up real quickly, he said. It was so intense, you couldnt see anything.

In Warren County, areas off Ridge Road, Bay Road and Sunnyside Road in Queensbury and Call Street in Lake Luzerne were hardest hit.

Numerous vehicles were damaged or destroyed by falling limbs, including a truck on West Mountain Road in Queensbury and a sport-utility vehicle on Ridge Road. Chad Davis, who owned the truck that was destroyed, said he just paid off the loan on the vehicle.

The Warren County Sheriffs Office said there were numerous roads reduced to one lane by storm damage. Kensington Road in Glens Falls was closed as of mid-morning.

NYSEG reported fewer than 100 customers in the region without power as of early Friday.

As the storms raged Thursday night, the Home Depot store in Queensbury saw a run on electrical generators as customers planned for a lengthy outage.

High winds caused the vast majority of the problems, with gusts topping 50 mph.

Jennifer Vogt-Miller, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albany, said there were no reports of tornadoes forming in the storms or of specific wind gust speeds in the Glens Falls area.

Weather Service meteorologist Dan Thompson said power was knocked out at Warren County airport, where the agency has weather-monitoring equipment, so a wind speed wasnt measured there. But he said it appeared gusts surpassed 60 mph and likely approached 70 mph.

South Glens Falls teen Ben Kinne, though, provided The Post-Star with a picture that shows what appears to be a funnel cloud coming from clouds, which he said was taken from Harrison Avenue on Thursday night, looking north toward the areas where damage was heaviest.

Weather Service meteorologist Joe Cebulko said his office had seen the photo, and believed straight-line winds from a macroburst were to blame, and the strong wind kicked up outflow of pollen and dust that became visible and looked like a funnel cloud or tornado.